diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/pr-checks.yml b/.gitea/workflows/pr-checks.yml
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+# Gate every pull request into `main` on a fast, DB-free check suite so a broken
+# build or failing test can't reach the deployable branch. Complements
+# build-images.yml, which runs only AFTER merge (on push to main) to publish
+# images — this one runs BEFORE merge.
+#
+# Enforcement (one-time, in the Gitea UI):
+#   Repository Settings → Branches → Branch Protection (rule for `main`)
+#     • Enable Status Check
+#     • Status check patterns:  PR Checks / *
+#   Note: Gitea only lists a context in its dropdown after it has reported once,
+#   so let this workflow run on one PR first. The `PR Checks / *` glob matches
+#   without needing the dropdown.
+#
+# Runner: reuses the existing self-hosted `ubuntu-latest` runner. These jobs need
+# only Node (no Docker socket), and the server tests stub their models + point the
+# DB pool at a dead port, so no MariaDB service is required.
+
+name: PR Checks
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    branches: [main]
+
+# A newer push to the same PR cancels the in-flight run.
+concurrency:
+  group: pr-checks-${{ github.ref }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
+jobs:
+  server-tests:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+        with:
+          node-version: 20
+          cache: npm
+          cache-dependency-path: server/package-lock.json
+      - name: Install server deps
+        run: npm ci --prefix server
+      - name: Run server tests
+        run: npm test --prefix server
+
+  client-build:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+        with:
+          node-version: 20
+          cache: npm
+          cache-dependency-path: client/package-lock.json
+      - name: Install client deps
+        run: npm ci --prefix client
+      - name: Build client
+        run: npm run build --prefix client
+
+  bot-install:
+    # No tests/build to run; a clean install still catches a broken or
+    # out-of-sync lockfile before it ships in the bot image.
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+        with:
+          node-version: 20
+          cache: npm
+          cache-dependency-path: bot/package-lock.json
+      - name: Install bot deps
+        run: npm ci --prefix bot