diff --git a/openspec/changes/agent-claude-gate-doctor-auto-finish-sweep-under-guar-2026-06-29-09-27/.openspec.yaml b/openspec/changes/agent-claude-gate-doctor-auto-finish-sweep-under-guar-2026-06-29-09-27/.openspec.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..34f9314
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openspec/changes/agent-claude-gate-doctor-auto-finish-sweep-under-guar-2026-06-29-09-27/.openspec.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+schema: spec-driven
+created: 2026-06-29
diff --git a/openspec/changes/agent-claude-gate-doctor-auto-finish-sweep-under-guar-2026-06-29-09-27/proposal.md b/openspec/changes/agent-claude-gate-doctor-auto-finish-sweep-under-guar-2026-06-29-09-27/proposal.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d4b649f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openspec/changes/agent-claude-gate-doctor-auto-finish-sweep-under-guar-2026-06-29-09-27/proposal.md
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+## Why
+
+The doctor auto-finish sweep (`autoFinishReadyAgentBranches`) merges ready
+`agent/*` branches into the base branch automatically and **without any review
+gate** — it shells `agent-branch-finish.sh` directly, bypassing the merge gate
+that interactive `gx finish` runs. The opt-in `GUARDEX_AUTO_SHIP` toggle makes
+`gx finish` enforce that gate (clean AI review + green CI), but the unattended
+sweep still merged ungated, so the two paths diverged: opting into safe shipping
+did not make the background sweep safe.
+
+## What Changes
+
+- When `GUARDEX_AUTO_SHIP` is truthy, the auto-finish sweep runs the same
+  `runReviewGate` (review + green CI + GitHub-mergeable) before merging each
+  branch via the PR path. A blocked gate skips that branch (records a `[skip]`
+  detail) instead of merging.
+- The gate applies only to the PR path. The direct/local fallbacks have no PR or
+  CI to gate and pass through unchanged.
+- When `GUARDEX_AUTO_SHIP` is unset/falsy, sweep behavior is unchanged.
+- Implementation extracted into an injectable `runAutoShipGateForBranch` helper
+  so the gate decision is unit-testable without a GitHub/`gh` fixture.
+- `GUARDEX_AUTO_SHIP_REVIEW_PROVIDER` overrides the gate reviewer (default
+  `codex`) so an unattended sweep does not permanently block when the default
+  provider is unavailable.
+
+## Impact
+
+- Affected surface: `src/doctor/index.js` (auto-finish sweep). New test
+  `test/auto-finish-sweep-gate.test.js`.
+- Behavior change is opt-in (gated behind `GUARDEX_AUTO_SHIP`); default off =
+  no change.
+- Cost note: with the toggle on, `gx doctor`'s sweep runs an AI review + green-CI
+  wait per ready branch. That is the intended trade for closing the ungated
+  auto-merge-to-main hole; users who do not want it leave `GUARDEX_AUTO_SHIP`
+  unset (or set `GUARDEX_SKIP_AUTO_FINISH_READY_BRANCHES=1`).
diff --git a/openspec/changes/agent-claude-gate-doctor-auto-finish-sweep-under-guar-2026-06-29-09-27/specs/gate-doctor-auto-finish-sweep-under-guardex-auto-ship/spec.md b/openspec/changes/agent-claude-gate-doctor-auto-finish-sweep-under-guar-2026-06-29-09-27/specs/gate-doctor-auto-finish-sweep-under-guardex-auto-ship/spec.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..940dab8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openspec/changes/agent-claude-gate-doctor-auto-finish-sweep-under-guar-2026-06-29-09-27/specs/gate-doctor-auto-finish-sweep-under-guardex-auto-ship/spec.md
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+## ADDED Requirements
+
+### Requirement: Auto-finish sweep honors the GUARDEX_AUTO_SHIP merge gate
+The doctor auto-finish sweep SHALL honor the `GUARDEX_AUTO_SHIP` merge gate when the toggle is enabled. The sweep SHALL enforce the same merge gate as interactive `gx finish` (clean AI review + green CI + GitHub-mergeable) before merging a ready `agent/*` branch into base via the PR path. The gate SHALL apply only to the PR path; direct and local fallback merges, which have no PR or CI to gate, SHALL pass through unchanged. When `GUARDEX_AUTO_SHIP` is unset or falsy, the sweep SHALL behave exactly as before this change.
+
+#### Scenario: Toggle off leaves the sweep ungated
+- **WHEN** `GUARDEX_AUTO_SHIP` is unset or falsy and the sweep finishes a ready branch
+- **THEN** the merge gate is not invoked
+- **AND** the branch is merged using the prior sweep behavior.
+
+#### Scenario: Toggle on gates a PR-path merge
+- **WHEN** `GUARDEX_AUTO_SHIP` is enabled and a ready branch would merge via the PR path
+- **THEN** the review gate runs for that branch before any merge
+- **AND** the branch merges only if the gate passes.
+
+#### Scenario: Gate failure skips the branch
+- **WHEN** the review gate blocks a branch (failing review, red CI, or not mergeable)
+- **THEN** the sweep records a skip for that branch with the gate reason
+- **AND** the branch is not merged.
+
+#### Scenario: Non-PR fallback merges are not gated
+- **WHEN** `GUARDEX_AUTO_SHIP` is enabled but the branch finishes via the direct or local fallback
+- **THEN** the review gate is not invoked
+- **AND** the branch merges through the fallback path unchanged.
diff --git a/openspec/changes/agent-claude-gate-doctor-auto-finish-sweep-under-guar-2026-06-29-09-27/tasks.md b/openspec/changes/agent-claude-gate-doctor-auto-finish-sweep-under-guar-2026-06-29-09-27/tasks.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3f0bb1c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openspec/changes/agent-claude-gate-doctor-auto-finish-sweep-under-guar-2026-06-29-09-27/tasks.md
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+## Definition of Done
+
+This change is complete only when **all** of the following are true:
+
+- Every checkbox below is checked.
+- The agent branch reaches `MERGED` state on `origin` and the PR URL + state are recorded in the completion handoff.
+- If any step blocks (test failure, conflict, ambiguous result), append a `BLOCKED:` line under section 4 explaining the blocker and **STOP**. Do not tick remaining cleanup boxes; do not silently skip the cleanup pipeline.
+
+## Handoff
+
+- Handoff: change=`agent-claude-gate-doctor-auto-finish-sweep-under-guar-2026-06-29-09-27`; branch=`agent/<your-name>/<branch-slug>`; scope=`TODO`; action=`continue this sandbox or finish cleanup after a usage-limit/manual takeover`.
+- Copy prompt: Continue `agent-claude-gate-doctor-auto-finish-sweep-under-guar-2026-06-29-09-27` on branch `agent/<your-name>/<branch-slug>`. Work inside the existing sandbox, review `openspec/changes/agent-claude-gate-doctor-auto-finish-sweep-under-guar-2026-06-29-09-27/tasks.md`, continue from the current state instead of creating a new sandbox, and when the work is done run `gx branch finish --branch agent/<your-name>/<branch-slug> --base dev --via-pr --wait-for-merge --cleanup`.
+
+## 1. Specification
+
+- [ ] 1.1 Finalize proposal scope and acceptance criteria for `agent-claude-gate-doctor-auto-finish-sweep-under-guar-2026-06-29-09-27`.
+- [ ] 1.2 Define normative requirements in `specs/gate-doctor-auto-finish-sweep-under-guardex-auto-ship/spec.md`.
+
+## 2. Implementation
+
+- [ ] 2.1 Implement scoped behavior changes.
+- [ ] 2.2 Add/update focused regression coverage.
+
+## 3. Verification
+
+- [ ] 3.1 Run targeted project verification commands.
+- [ ] 3.2 Run `openspec validate agent-claude-gate-doctor-auto-finish-sweep-under-guar-2026-06-29-09-27 --type change --strict`.
+- [ ] 3.3 Run `openspec validate --specs`.
+
+## 4. Cleanup (mandatory; run before claiming completion)
+
+- [ ] 4.1 Run the cleanup pipeline: `gx branch finish --branch agent/<your-name>/<branch-slug> --base dev --via-pr --wait-for-merge --cleanup`. This handles commit -> push -> PR create -> merge wait -> worktree prune in one invocation.
+- [ ] 4.2 Record the PR URL and final merge state (`MERGED`) in the completion handoff.
+- [ ] 4.3 Confirm the sandbox worktree is gone (`git worktree list` no longer shows the agent path; `git branch -a` shows no surviving local/remote refs for the branch).
diff --git a/src/doctor/index.js b/src/doctor/index.js
index 6d1e46e..22f327f 100644
--- a/src/doctor/index.js
+++ b/src/doctor/index.js
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ const {
   OMX_SCAFFOLD_FILES,
   AGENT_WORKTREE_RELATIVE_DIRS,
   defaultAgentWorktreeRelativeDir,
+  envFlagIsTruthy,
 } = require('../context');
 const { runPackageAsset } = require('../core/runtime');
 
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@ const {
 const { ensureOmxScaffold, configureHooks } = require('../scaffold');
 const { detectRecoverableAutoFinishConflict, printAutoFinishSummary, isTerseMode } = require('../output');
 const { autoCommitWorktreeForFinish } = require('../finish');
+const { runReviewGate } = require('../finish/review-gate');
 
 /**
  * @typedef {Object} SandboxMetadata
@@ -863,6 +865,34 @@ function syncDoctorLockRegistryAfterMerge(repoRoot, sandboxLockContent) {
   };
 }
 
+// When GUARDEX_AUTO_SHIP is on, the unattended auto-finish sweep must honor the
+// same merge gate as `gx finish` (clean AI review + green CI + GitHub-mergeable)
+// before merging an agent branch to base. The gate only applies to the PR path;
+// the direct/local fallbacks have no PR or CI to gate, so they pass through
+// unchanged. `runReviewGate` is injectable via `deps.runReviewGate` for tests.
+// Returns `{ skip: true, reason }` when the gate blocks the merge.
+function runAutoShipGateForBranch({ autoShip, fallbackMode, repoRoot, branch, baseBranch }, deps = {}) {
+  if (!autoShip || fallbackMode !== '') {
+    return { skip: false };
+  }
+  const gate = deps.runReviewGate || runReviewGate;
+  // Override the reviewer for unattended runs: if the default provider is
+  // unavailable in the sweep environment, GUARDEX_AUTO_SHIP_REVIEW_PROVIDER
+  // avoids a permanent gate-block on every branch.
+  const reviewProvider = process.env.GUARDEX_AUTO_SHIP_REVIEW_PROVIDER || 'codex';
+  try {
+    gate({
+      repoRoot,
+      branch,
+      baseBranch,
+      options: { reviewProvider, allowNoChecks: false },
+    });
+    return { skip: false };
+  } catch (error) {
+    return { skip: true, reason: `merge gate blocked (${error.message})` };
+  }
+}
+
 function autoFinishReadyAgentBranches(repoRoot, options = {}) {
   const baseBranch = String(options.baseBranch || '').trim();
   const dryRun = Boolean(options.dryRun);
@@ -872,6 +902,7 @@ function autoFinishReadyAgentBranches(repoRoot, options = {}) {
       ? options.excludeBranches.map((branch) => String(branch || '').trim()).filter(Boolean)
       : [],
   );
+  const autoShip = envFlagIsTruthy(process.env.GUARDEX_AUTO_SHIP);
 
   const summary = {
     enabled: true,
@@ -984,6 +1015,16 @@ function autoFinishReadyAgentBranches(repoRoot, options = {}) {
       continue;
     }
 
+    const gateOutcome = runAutoShipGateForBranch(
+      { autoShip, fallbackMode, repoRoot, branch, baseBranch },
+      { runReviewGate: options.runReviewGate },
+    );
+    if (gateOutcome.skip) {
+      summary.skipped += 1;
+      summary.details.push(`[skip] ${branch}: ${gateOutcome.reason}`);
+      continue;
+    }
+
     summary.attempted += 1;
     const finishArgs = [
       '--branch',
@@ -1000,6 +1041,7 @@ function autoFinishReadyAgentBranches(repoRoot, options = {}) {
     }
     finishArgs.push(waitForMerge ? '--wait-for-merge' : '--no-wait-for-merge');
     finishArgs.push('--cleanup');
+
     const finishResult = runPackageAsset('branchFinish', finishArgs, { cwd: repoRoot });
     const combinedOutput = [finishResult.stdout || '', finishResult.stderr || ''].join('\n').trim();
 
@@ -1336,6 +1378,7 @@ module.exports = {
   emitDoctorSandboxJsonOutput,
   emitDoctorSandboxConsoleOutput,
   autoFinishReadyAgentBranches,
+  runAutoShipGateForBranch,
   pruneStaleAgentWorktrees,
   runDoctorInSandbox,
 };
diff --git a/test/auto-finish-sweep-gate.test.js b/test/auto-finish-sweep-gate.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9434ff6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/auto-finish-sweep-gate.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+const test = require('node:test');
+const assert = require('node:assert/strict');
+
+const { runAutoShipGateForBranch } = require('../src/doctor/index');
+
+const BRANCH_INPUT = {
+  repoRoot: '/repo',
+  branch: 'agent/claude/x',
+  baseBranch: 'main',
+};
+
+test('auto-ship off: sweep does not gate (runReviewGate never called)', () => {
+  let called = 0;
+  const out = runAutoShipGateForBranch(
+    { autoShip: false, fallbackMode: '', ...BRANCH_INPUT },
+    { runReviewGate: () => { called += 1; } },
+  );
+  assert.deepEqual(out, { skip: false });
+  assert.equal(called, 0);
+});
+
+test('auto-ship on + PR path: gate runs and branch proceeds when it passes', () => {
+  let seen = null;
+  const out = runAutoShipGateForBranch(
+    { autoShip: true, fallbackMode: '', ...BRANCH_INPUT },
+    { runReviewGate: (arg) => { seen = arg; } },
+  );
+  assert.deepEqual(out, { skip: false });
+  assert.equal(seen.repoRoot, '/repo');
+  assert.equal(seen.branch, 'agent/claude/x');
+  assert.equal(seen.baseBranch, 'main');
+  // The gate is invoked with the options runReviewGate actually reads.
+  assert.equal(seen.options.reviewProvider, 'codex');
+  assert.equal(seen.options.allowNoChecks, false);
+});
+
+test('GUARDEX_AUTO_SHIP_REVIEW_PROVIDER overrides the gate reviewer', () => {
+  const prev = process.env.GUARDEX_AUTO_SHIP_REVIEW_PROVIDER;
+  process.env.GUARDEX_AUTO_SHIP_REVIEW_PROVIDER = 'claude';
+  try {
+    let seen = null;
+    runAutoShipGateForBranch(
+      { autoShip: true, fallbackMode: '', ...BRANCH_INPUT },
+      { runReviewGate: (arg) => { seen = arg; } },
+    );
+    assert.equal(seen.options.reviewProvider, 'claude');
+  } finally {
+    if (prev === undefined) delete process.env.GUARDEX_AUTO_SHIP_REVIEW_PROVIDER;
+    else process.env.GUARDEX_AUTO_SHIP_REVIEW_PROVIDER = prev;
+  }
+});
+
+test('auto-ship on + PR path: gate failure skips the branch (no merge)', () => {
+  const out = runAutoShipGateForBranch(
+    { autoShip: true, fallbackMode: '', ...BRANCH_INPUT },
+    { runReviewGate: () => { throw new Error('review found CRITICAL'); } },
+  );
+  assert.equal(out.skip, true);
+  assert.match(out.reason, /merge gate blocked/);
+  assert.match(out.reason, /review found CRITICAL/);
+});
+
+test('auto-ship on + non-PR fallback: no PR/CI to gate, so it passes through', () => {
+  for (const fallbackMode of ['direct', 'local']) {
+    let called = 0;
+    const out = runAutoShipGateForBranch(
+      { autoShip: true, fallbackMode, ...BRANCH_INPUT },
+      { runReviewGate: () => { called += 1; } },
+    );
+    assert.deepEqual(out, { skip: false }, `fallback ${fallbackMode} should not gate`);
+    assert.equal(called, 0, `fallback ${fallbackMode} must not call the gate`);
+  }
+});