diff --git a/.changes/source-control/fix-merge-hold-pr-verify-failed-5d2c8e61.md b/.changes/source-control/fix-merge-hold-pr-verify-failed-5d2c8e61.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..61e875af72
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/source-control/fix-merge-hold-pr-verify-failed-5d2c8e61.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+bump: patch
+---
+
+### Fixed
+
+- The merge gate holds a pull request labeled `pr-verify-failed` as it holds `do-not-merge` (`MERGE_HOLD_LABELS`): pr-merge's prefilter sets it aside, the gate does not merge or enqueue it, adoption refuses it, and a queued entry that gains the label leaves the queue. pr-merge's enable-auto-merge job neither arms it nor leaves it armed.
diff --git a/.github/scripts/pr-merge/enable-auto-merge.mjs b/.github/scripts/pr-merge/enable-auto-merge.mjs
index c36326494d..a629534e44 100755
--- a/.github/scripts/pr-merge/enable-auto-merge.mjs
+++ b/.github/scripts/pr-merge/enable-auto-merge.mjs
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ const REPO = /^([A-Za-z0-9_.-]+)\/([A-Za-z0-9_.-]+)$/;
 const SHA = /^[0-9a-f]{40}$/;
 const BOT_LOGIN = /^([a-z0-9][a-z0-9-]*)\[bot\]$/;
 // babysit_merge_policy.MERGE_HOLD_LABELS, plus the human-gated label.
-const HOLD_LABELS = Object.freeze(["do-not-merge"]);
+export const HOLD_LABELS = Object.freeze(["do-not-merge", "pr-verify-failed"]);
 // 100 pull requests a page; more than this many open is a listing the run
 // stops on rather than one it reads only part of.
 const MAX_PAGES = 10;
diff --git a/.github/scripts/pr-merge/enable-auto-merge.test.mjs b/.github/scripts/pr-merge/enable-auto-merge.test.mjs
index f7d1748fa6..552a952ccc 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/pr-merge/enable-auto-merge.test.mjs
+++ b/.github/scripts/pr-merge/enable-auto-merge.test.mjs
@@ -906,6 +906,18 @@ test("an armed pull request that now holds is disarmed", async () => {
   ]);
 });
 
+test("a pr-verify-failed pull request is not armed, and an armed one is disarmed", async () => {
+  const armed = { enabledAt: "2026-10-23T10:00:00Z" };
+  for (const EVENT_NAME of ["schedule", "pull_request_target"]) {
+    const { code, writes } = await run(
+      [pull(1, { labels: labels("pr-verify-failed") }), pull(2, { autoMergeRequest: armed, labels: labels("PR-Verify-Failed") })],
+      { EVENT_NAME },
+    );
+    assert.equal(code, 0);
+    assert.deepEqual(writes, [{ mutation: "disarm", id: "PR_2" }], EVENT_NAME);
+  }
+});
+
 test("only the lanes App's ready pull requests from this repository are armed", async () => {
   const { writes } = await run([
     pull(1, { author: { __typename: "User", login: "kyle-sexton" } }),
diff --git a/plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/babysit_merge_policy.py b/plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/babysit_merge_policy.py
index 997d53e170..2e89dbd0bd 100755
--- a/plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/babysit_merge_policy.py
+++ b/plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/babysit_merge_policy.py
@@ -110,7 +110,9 @@
 )
 # The label form of the same hold: blocks in every tier, whether or not the
 # autopilot merge tier is engaged. `--block-labels` only adds to it.
-MERGE_HOLD_LABELS = ("do-not-merge",)
+# `pr-verify-failed` is pr-verify's FAIL on a person's pull request, which
+# ci-status enforces only in the merge queue: held here, it is never queued.
+MERGE_HOLD_LABELS = ("do-not-merge", "pr-verify-failed")
 # An `adoption.idle-hours` value outside 1 to `MAX_ADOPTION_IDLE_HOURS`, or
 # none, adopts nothing.
 MAX_ADOPTION_IDLE_HOURS = 720
diff --git a/plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/tests/test_babysit_merge_policy.py b/plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/tests/test_babysit_merge_policy.py
index 3eb55f1d41..f824e7052a 100644
--- a/plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/tests/test_babysit_merge_policy.py
+++ b/plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/tests/test_babysit_merge_policy.py
@@ -2298,6 +2298,11 @@ def test_the_do_not_merge_label(self) -> None:
         self.fake(labels={"totalCount": 1, "nodes": [{"name": "Do-Not-Merge"}]})
         self.assertEqual(self.hold(), "do-not-merge")
 
+    def test_the_pr_verify_failed_label(self) -> None:
+        # A queued entry whose pr-verify FAIL labels it leaves the queue.
+        self.fake(labels={"totalCount": 1, "nodes": [{"name": "PR-Verify-Failed"}]})
+        self.assertEqual(self.hold(), "pr-verify-failed")
+
     def test_the_needs_human_label(self) -> None:
         # A queued entry that gains the human-gated label leaves the queue.
         self.fake(labels={"totalCount": 1, "nodes": [{"name": "Needs-Human"}]})
@@ -4609,6 +4614,10 @@ def test_the_do_not_merge_label_holds(self) -> None:
         pr = owner_pr(labels=[{"name": "Do-Not-Merge"}])
         self.assertEqual(self.refusal(pr), "hold-label:do-not-merge")
 
+    def test_the_pr_verify_failed_label_holds(self) -> None:
+        pr = owner_pr(labels=[{"name": "pr-verify-failed"}])
+        self.assertEqual(self.refusal(pr), "hold-label:pr-verify-failed")
+
     def test_the_resolved_human_gated_label_holds(self) -> None:
         pr = owner_pr(labels=[{"name": "awaiting-owner"}])
         self.assertEqual(
diff --git a/plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/tests/test_babysit_merge_prefilter.py b/plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/tests/test_babysit_merge_prefilter.py
index 1b459d7f5c..cf4e171f02 100644
--- a/plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/tests/test_babysit_merge_prefilter.py
+++ b/plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/tests/test_babysit_merge_prefilter.py
@@ -98,6 +98,15 @@ def test_one_held_candidate_stays_when_every_candidate_is_held(self) -> None:
             [(h["number"], h["reason"]) for h in held], [(6, "do-not-merge")]
         )
 
+    def test_a_pr_verify_failed_candidate_is_dropped(self) -> None:
+        kept, held = self._run(
+            [_candidate(1), _candidate(8, labels=["pr-verify-failed"])]
+        )
+        self.assertEqual([c["number"] for c in kept], [1])
+        self.assertEqual(
+            [(h["number"], h["reason"]) for h in held], [(8, "pr-verify-failed")]
+        )
+
     def test_no_candidates_stay_none(self) -> None:
         self.assertEqual(self._run([]), ([], []))
 
diff --git a/plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/tests/test_merge_holds_sync.py b/plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/tests/test_merge_holds_sync.py
index ee0e184b28..5e8c5adfc7 100644
--- a/plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/tests/test_merge_holds_sync.py
+++ b/plugins/source-control/skills/babysit-prs/scripts/tests/test_merge_holds_sync.py
@@ -414,6 +414,23 @@ def _list(*actors: Any, version: Any = 1) -> str:
 }  # fmt: skip
 
 
+@unittest.skipUnless(shutil.which("node"), "node not installed")
+class TheHoldLabelsAreTheGates(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_both_hold_the_same_labels(self) -> None:
+        module = ROOT / ".github/scripts/pr-merge/enable-auto-merge.mjs"
+        script = (
+            f"const {{ HOLD_LABELS }} = await import({json.dumps(module.as_uri())});"
+            "console.log(JSON.stringify(HOLD_LABELS));"
+        )
+        proc = subprocess.run(
+            ["node", "--input-type=module", "-e", script],
+            capture_output=True,
+            text=True,
+            check=True,
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(json.loads(proc.stdout), list(policy.MERGE_HOLD_LABELS))
+
+
 @unittest.skipUnless(shutil.which("node"), "node not installed")
 class TheWideningHoldIsTheGates(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_both_hold_the_same_trusted_actor_list_changes(self) -> None: