diff --git a/.github/workflows/pr-require-checks.yml b/.github/workflows/pr-require-checks.yml
index b9fd4caa5c..6c9f781ea6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pr-require-checks.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pr-require-checks.yml
@@ -4139,32 +4139,70 @@ jobs:
         uses: ./.base/.github/actions/setup-pinned-node # zizmor: ignore[self-repository]
         with:
           node-version-file: .base/.node-version
-      # THE HOLD STEPS READ THEIR CONFIG FROM THE BASE COMMIT, ONCE. The tracker
+      # THE HOLD STEPS READ THEIR CONFIG ONCE, FROM THE DEFAULT BRANCH'S TIP AT
+      # RUN TIME, OR THE BASE COMMIT FOR ANOTHER BASE. The tracker
       # config names the human-gated label, the trusted-actor list names who
       # may lift a hold and, with pr-pipeline.yaml's merge.agent-identity, the
       # lanes App's id that LANES_APP_ID must equal, and its
       # merge.trust-path-hold-apps the agent Apps whose trust-gate changes the
-      # review-lanes step holds; all are read at the base
+      # review-lanes step holds; all are read there, never at the head,
       # so the pull request cannot rewrite its own hold, as is merge-holds.mjs,
       # whose refsIssue the cost step runs, and clear-escalations.mjs with every
       # module and data file it loads, whose recheckStaleHold the hold-lift
-      # step runs. A sparse checkout of these files at the base SHA
+      # step runs. A re-run replays the event, whose base.sha stays stale, so
+      # a pull request into the default branch reads that branch's tip as it
+      # stands now: a policy merged since applies on the next run. A pull
+      # request's head cannot change the default branch, so the tip is no more
+      # the pull request's code than the base commit is. A merge group, and a
+      # pull request into another branch, keep the event's base SHA.
+      # hold_ref resolves the commit and outputs it only as 40 hex: it reads
+      # the tip with an unauthenticated `git ls-remote` of this public
+      # repository, run outside any checkout, and falls back to the base SHA
+      # with a warning when that read fails or returns anything else.
+      - name: Resolve the hold config's commit
+        id: hold_ref
+        if: ${{ !cancelled() && (github.event_name == 'pull_request' || github.event_name == 'merge_group') }}
+        env:
+          EVENT: ${{ github.event_name }}
+          BASE_REF: ${{ github.event.pull_request.base.ref }}
+          DEFAULT_BRANCH: ${{ github.event.repository.default_branch }}
+          BASE_SHA: ${{ github.event.pull_request.base.sha || github.event.merge_group.base_sha }}
+        run: |
+          hex='^[0-9a-f]{40}$'
+          if [[ ! $BASE_SHA =~ $hex ]]; then
+            echo "::error::the base commit '$BASE_SHA' is not a commit SHA, so the hold config has no commit to read."
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          sha=$BASE_SHA
+          if [ "$EVENT" = pull_request ] && [ -n "$DEFAULT_BRANCH" ] && [ "$BASE_REF" = "$DEFAULT_BRANCH" ]; then
+            tip=$(GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT=0 timeout 60 git -C "$RUNNER_TEMP" ls-remote "https://github.com/$GITHUB_REPOSITORY" "refs/heads/$DEFAULT_BRANCH" |
+              awk -v ref="refs/heads/$DEFAULT_BRANCH" '$2 == ref { print $1 }') || tip=
+            if [[ $tip =~ $hex ]]; then
+              sha=$tip
+            else
+              echo "::warning::could not read the tip of $DEFAULT_BRANCH, so the hold config falls back to the base commit $BASE_SHA, which a policy merged after it does not reach."
+            fi
+          fi
+          echo "sha=$sha" >>"$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+      # A sparse checkout of these files at that SHA
       # is a git fetch, not a REST request: as of actions/checkout v7.0.1 its
       # API calls (default branch, object format, the stale-merge tracepoint, the
       # no-git archive download) all return early for a 40-hex `ref` on a runner
       # with git; recheck on a checkout bump. It checks out no pull request
-      # code: the ref is the base commit, the only code run from it is those
-      # base modules, and no credential is persisted.
+      # code: the ref is the default branch's tip or the base commit, the only
+      # code run from it is those modules, and no credential is persisted. It
+      # never runs on an empty ref, which would check out the event's ref, the
+      # pull request's own merge commit.
       # The steps below read BASE_CONFIG: empty when this step did not succeed,
       # which each of them treats as an unreadable config; a file missing from
-      # a checkout that succeeded is a file the base commit does not have.
+      # a checkout that succeeded is a file that commit does not have.
       - name: Check out the base commit's hold config
         id: base_config
-        if: ${{ !cancelled() && (github.event_name == 'pull_request' || github.event_name == 'merge_group') }}
+        if: ${{ !cancelled() && (github.event_name == 'pull_request' || github.event_name == 'merge_group') && steps.hold_ref.outputs.sha != '' }}
         continue-on-error: true
         uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
         with:
-          ref: ${{ github.event.pull_request.base.sha || github.event.merge_group.base_sha }}
+          ref: ${{ steps.hold_ref.outputs.sha }}
           path: base-config
           persist-credentials: false
           sparse-checkout: |
@@ -5023,7 +5061,7 @@ jobs:
             if [ ! -d "$BASE_CONFIG" ] || { [ -e "$conf" ] && ! apps=$(set -o pipefail; yq -o=json -I=0 '.merge."trust-path-hold-apps" // []' "$conf" |
               jq -ce 'if type == "array" and all(.[]; type == "string" and test("^[A-Za-z0-9]+(-[A-Za-z0-9]+)*\\[bot\\]$"))
                 then map(ascii_downcase) else error("not a list of [bot] logins") end'); } || [ -z "$apps" ]; then
-              echo "::error::could not read merge.trust-path-hold-apps from the base commit's pr-pipeline.yaml, so whether an agent App touched the trust-gate paths of #$PR_NUMBER is unknown; re-run this run."
+              echo "::error::could not read merge.trust-path-hold-apps from pr-pipeline.yaml in the hold config (the default branch's tip at run time, or the base commit for another base), so whether an agent App touched the trust-gate paths of #$PR_NUMBER is unknown; re-run this run."
               exit 1
             fi
             if [ "$apps" != '[]' ]; then
@@ -5545,7 +5583,7 @@ jobs:
           . "$RUNNER_TEMP/gh-read.sh"
           module=${BASE_CONFIG:-}/.github/scripts/pr-merge/merge-holds.mjs
           if [ -z "${BASE_CONFIG:-}" ] || [ ! -s "$module" ]; then
-            echo "::error::cannot read merge-holds.mjs at the base commit; re-run this run."
+            echo "::error::cannot read merge-holds.mjs in the hold config (the default branch's tip at run time, or the base commit for another base); re-run this run."
             exit 1
           fi
           read3() {
@@ -5584,7 +5622,7 @@ jobs:
             "$RUNNER_TEMP/pr-unblock-statuses.json" "$module") ||
             ! jq -e 'type == "array"' <<<"$stops" >/dev/null ||
             ! failing=$(jq -r '.[] | [.context, .state, .description] | @tsv' <<<"$stops"); then
-            echo "::error::merge-holds.mjs at the base commit could not judge the statuses of $head; re-run this run."
+            echo "::error::merge-holds.mjs in the hold config (the default branch's tip at run time, or the base commit for another base) could not judge the statuses of $head; re-run this run."
             exit 1
           fi
           if [ -z "$failing" ]; then
@@ -5635,7 +5673,7 @@ jobs:
             ! identity=$(yq -er '.merge."agent-identity"' "$BASE_CONFIG/docs/conventions/pr-pipeline.yaml") ||
             ! want=$(jq -er --arg login "$identity" '[.actors[] | select(.login == $login) | .id | numbers]
               | if length == 1 then .[0] else error("not one entry") end' "$BASE_CONFIG/.github/standards/trusted-actors/trusted-actors.json"); then
-            echo "::error::cannot read merge.agent-identity's trusted-actor id from the base commit's config; re-run this run."
+            echo "::error::cannot read merge.agent-identity's trusted-actor id from the hold config (the default branch's tip at run time, or the base commit for another base); re-run this run."
             exit 1
           fi
           if [ "$want" != "$LANES_APP_ID" ]; then
@@ -5690,7 +5728,7 @@ jobs:
               }
               console.log(JSON.stringify(reason));' "$RUNNER_TEMP/lanes-pull.json" "$BASE_CONFIG/.github/scripts/pr-merge/merge-holds.mjs") ||
             [ -z "$switched" ] || ! reason=$(jq -er 'if . == null then "" else strings end' <<<"$switched"); then
-            echo "::error::merge-holds.mjs at the base commit could not judge the lanes kill switch for #$pr; re-run this run."
+            echo "::error::merge-holds.mjs in the hold config (the default branch's tip at run time, or the base commit for another base) could not judge the lanes kill switch for #$pr; re-run this run."
             exit 1
           fi
           if [ -n "$reason" ]; then
diff --git a/scripts/ci-hold-human-gated.test.sh b/scripts/ci-hold-human-gated.test.sh
index a0a4d634ca..ad63d27533 100755
--- a/scripts/ci-hold-human-gated.test.sh
+++ b/scripts/ci-hold-human-gated.test.sh
@@ -69,14 +69,17 @@ if [[ -n "${agg_line:-}" && "$job_line" -lt "$hold_line" && "$hold_line" -lt "$a
 else
   fail "step is not inside ci-status before the aggregate (lines: $order)"
 fi
-# The config comes from a sparse checkout of the base commit: never the head,
-# never a persisted credential, and before every step that reads it.
+# The config comes from a sparse checkout of the commit hold_ref resolves:
+# never the head, never a persisted credential, never an empty ref (which
+# checks out the event's ref, the pull request's own merge commit), and before
+# every step that reads it.
 checkout="$(awk '$0 == "      - name: Check out the base commit'"'"'s hold config" { on = 1; print; next }
   on && /^      - / { exit }
   on { print }' "$WORKFLOW")"
 # shellcheck disable=SC2016 # workflow literals to match, not shell expansions
 for line in $'\n        id: base_config\n' 'continue-on-error: true' \
-  'ref: ${{ github.event.pull_request.base.sha || github.event.merge_group.base_sha }}' \
+  "if: \${{ !cancelled() && (github.event_name == 'pull_request' || github.event_name == 'merge_group') && steps.hold_ref.outputs.sha != '' }}" \
+  'ref: ${{ steps.hold_ref.outputs.sha }}' \
   'persist-credentials: false' '/.work-item-tracker.json' '/.github/standards/trusted-actors/trusted-actors.json' \
   'sparse-checkout-cone-mode: false' 'path: base-config'; do
   if [[ "$checkout" == *"$line"* ]]; then ok "the base checkout carries '${line//$'\n'/}'"; else fail "the base checkout lost '${line//$'\n'/}'"; fi
@@ -88,6 +91,96 @@ if [[ -n "${cost_line:-}" && "$job_line" -lt "$checkout_line" && "$checkout_line
 else
   fail "the base checkout is not in ci-status before the cost-hold step (lines: $order)"
 fi
+
+# hold_ref resolves the commit the hold config is read at: a pull request into
+# the default branch reads the branch's tip at run time, so a re-run (which
+# replays the event and its stale base.sha) still sees a policy merged since;
+# any other base, and a merge group, keep the event's base SHA.
+REF_NAME="Resolve the hold config's commit"
+ref_step="$(awk -v name="      - name: $REF_NAME" '$0 == name { on = 1; print; next }
+  on && /^      - / { exit }
+  on { print }' "$WORKFLOW")"
+awk '/^        run: \|$/ { on = 1; next }
+  on && /^          / { print substr($0, 11); next }
+  on && /^[[:blank:]]*$/ { print ""; next }
+  on { exit }' <<<"$ref_step" >"$TMP_ROOT/hold-ref.sh"
+# shellcheck disable=SC2016 # workflow literals to match, not shell expansions
+for line in $'\n        id: hold_ref\n' \
+  "if: \${{ !cancelled() && (github.event_name == 'pull_request' || github.event_name == 'merge_group') }}" \
+  'BASE_REF: ${{ github.event.pull_request.base.ref }}' \
+  'DEFAULT_BRANCH: ${{ github.event.repository.default_branch }}' \
+  'BASE_SHA: ${{ github.event.pull_request.base.sha || github.event.merge_group.base_sha }}'; do
+  if [[ "$ref_step" == *"$line"* ]]; then ok "hold_ref carries '${line//$'\n'/}'"; else fail "hold_ref lost '${line//$'\n'/}'"; fi
+done
+if [[ "$ref_step" == *"continue-on-error"* ]]; then
+  fail "hold_ref must not continue on error: the checkout's guard reads its output"
+else
+  ok "hold_ref carries no continue-on-error"
+fi
+# shellcheck disable=SC2016 # a workflow expression to match, not a shell expansion
+if [[ -s "$TMP_ROOT/hold-ref.sh" ]] && ! grep -q '\${{' "$TMP_ROOT/hold-ref.sh"; then
+  ok "hold_ref's run body takes every event value through env"
+else
+  fail "hold_ref has no run body, or inlines an expression in it"
+fi
+order="$(grep -nE "^      - name: ($REF_NAME|Check out the base commit's hold config)$" "$WORKFLOW" | cut -d: -f1 | paste -sd' ')"
+read -r ref_line checkout_line <<<"$order"
+if [[ -n "${checkout_line:-}" && "$ref_line" -lt "$checkout_line" ]]; then
+  ok "hold_ref sits before the checkout that reads it"
+else
+  fail "hold_ref is not before the base checkout (lines: $order)"
+fi
+
+mkdir -p "$TMP_ROOT/git-bin"
+cat >"$TMP_ROOT/git-bin/git" <<'EOF'
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+printf '%s\n' "$*" >>"$GIT_LOG"
+[[ -z "${STUB_LS-}" ]] || printf '%b' "$STUB_LS"
+exit "${STUB_GIT_RC:-0}"
+EOF
+chmod +x "$TMP_ROOT/git-bin/git"
+REF_BASE=1111111111111111111111111111111111111111
+REF_TIP=2222222222222222222222222222222222222222
+REF_DECOY=3333333333333333333333333333333333333333
+# hold_ref_case LABEL EVENT BASE_REF WANT_RC WANT_SHA WANT_GIT_CALLS WANT_WARNING
+hold_ref_case() {
+  local label="$1" out rc sha calls
+  : >"$TMP_ROOT/hold-ref.out"
+  : >"$TMP_ROOT/git.log"
+  out="$(cd "$TMP_ROOT" && PATH="$TMP_ROOT/git-bin:$PATH" GIT_LOG="$TMP_ROOT/git.log" GITHUB_OUTPUT="$TMP_ROOT/hold-ref.out" \
+    GITHUB_REPOSITORY=melodic-software/claude-code-plugins RUNNER_TEMP="$TMP_ROOT" \
+    EVENT="$2" BASE_REF="$3" DEFAULT_BRANCH=main BASE_SHA="${REF_BASE_SHA-$REF_BASE}" \
+    bash -e "$TMP_ROOT/hold-ref.sh" 2>&1)" && rc=0 || rc=$?
+  sha="$(sed -n 's/^sha=//p' "$TMP_ROOT/hold-ref.out")"
+  calls="$(grep -c . "$TMP_ROOT/git.log")"
+  if [[ "$rc" == "$4" && "$sha" == "$5" && "$calls" == "$6" ]] &&
+    { [[ -z "$7" ]] && [[ "$out" != *"::warning::"* ]] || [[ -n "$7" && "$out" == *"$7"* ]]; }; then
+    ok "hold_ref: $label"
+  else
+    fail "hold_ref: $label (rc=$rc sha='$sha' git calls=$calls out: $out)"
+  fi
+}
+STUB_LS="$REF_TIP\trefs/heads/main\n" hold_ref_case "a pull request into the default branch reads its tip" \
+  pull_request main 0 "$REF_TIP" 1 ""
+if grep -qxF -e "-C $TMP_ROOT ls-remote https://github.com/melodic-software/claude-code-plugins refs/heads/main" "$TMP_ROOT/git.log"; then
+  ok "hold_ref asks the public remote for the default branch, outside any checkout"
+else
+  fail "hold_ref's ls-remote call is not the expected one: $(cat "$TMP_ROOT/git.log")"
+fi
+STUB_LS="$REF_TIP\trefs/heads/main\n" hold_ref_case "a pull request into another branch keeps the base SHA" \
+  pull_request release/1 0 "$REF_BASE" 0 ""
+STUB_LS="$REF_TIP\trefs/heads/main\n" hold_ref_case "a merge group keeps the base SHA" \
+  merge_group "" 0 "$REF_BASE" 0 ""
+STUB_GIT_RC=128 hold_ref_case "a failed ls-remote falls back to the base SHA with a warning" \
+  pull_request main 0 "$REF_BASE" 1 "::warning::"
+STUB_LS="not-a-sha\trefs/heads/main\n" hold_ref_case "a non-hex answer falls back to the base SHA with a warning" \
+  pull_request main 0 "$REF_BASE" 1 "::warning::"
+STUB_LS="$REF_DECOY\trefs/heads/x/refs/heads/main\n" hold_ref_case "a tail-matching ref is not the default branch" \
+  pull_request main 0 "$REF_BASE" 1 "::warning::"
+STUB_LS="$REF_DECOY\trefs/heads/x/refs/heads/main\n$REF_TIP\trefs/heads/main\n" hold_ref_case "the exact ref wins over a tail match" \
+  pull_request main 0 "$REF_TIP" 1 ""
+REF_BASE_SHA=main hold_ref_case "a base that is not a commit SHA outputs no ref" \
+  pull_request release/1 1 "" 0 ""
 gate="$(awk '/^  ci-status:$/ { on = 1; next } on && /^    if: / { print; exit }' "$WORKFLOW")"
 if [[ "$gate" == "    if: \${{ !cancelled() }}" ]]; then
   ok "ci-status carries no contract-only gate, so the step runs on label events"
diff --git a/scripts/ci-hold-pr-unblock-status.test.sh b/scripts/ci-hold-pr-unblock-status.test.sh
index 44c8db2753..287accf549 100755
--- a/scripts/ci-hold-pr-unblock-status.test.sh
+++ b/scripts/ci-hold-pr-unblock-status.test.sh
@@ -147,13 +147,13 @@ expect "an unreadable status list fails closed" 1 "[]" "::error::could not read
 unset STUB_STATUS_FAILS
 expect "a description's tab and newline become spaces" 1 "[$(status pr-unblock/fix-ci failure "$LANE" $'one\ttwo\nthree')]" "on $HEAD: one two three. The lane"
 export BASE_CONFIG=
-expect "no base config fails closed" 1 "[]" "::error::cannot read merge-holds.mjs at the base commit; re-run this run."
+expect "no base config fails closed" 1 "[]" "::error::cannot read merge-holds.mjs in the hold config (the default branch's tip at run time, or the base commit for another base); re-run this run."
 if [[ -s "$TMP_ROOT/log" ]]; then fail "no base config still read: '$(cat "$TMP_ROOT/log")'"; else ok "no base config makes no call"; fi
 mkdir -p "$TMP_ROOT/old/.github/scripts/pr-merge"
 echo 'export const refsIssue = () => null;' >"$TMP_ROOT/old/.github/scripts/pr-merge/merge-holds.mjs"
 export BASE_CONFIG="$TMP_ROOT/old"
 expect "a base module without unblockStops fails closed" 1 "[$(status pr-unblock/fix-ci success)]" \
-  "::error::merge-holds.mjs at the base commit could not judge the statuses of $HEAD; re-run this run."
+  "::error::merge-holds.mjs in the hold config (the default branch's tip at run time, or the base commit for another base) could not judge the statuses of $HEAD; re-run this run."
 echo 'export const unblockStops = () => ({});' >"$TMP_ROOT/old/.github/scripts/pr-merge/merge-holds.mjs"
 expect "a base module that answers no list fails closed" 1 "[]" "could not judge the statuses of $HEAD"
 unset BASE_CONFIG
diff --git a/scripts/ci-lanes-pr-hold.test.sh b/scripts/ci-lanes-pr-hold.test.sh
index 32920cbf7d..5197b02fc5 100755
--- a/scripts/ci-lanes-pr-hold.test.sh
+++ b/scripts/ci-lanes-pr-hold.test.sh
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ for stub in '' 'export const holds = () => [];' 'export const switchHold = () =>
   'export const switchHold = () => { process.exit(0); };' 'export const switchHold = () => { throw new Error("x"); };'; do
   if [[ -z "$stub" ]]; then rm -f "$held_module"; else printf '%s\n' "$stub" >"$held_module"; fi
   expect "a base module that cannot judge the kill switch fails closed (${stub:-no module})" 1 0 \
-    "::error::merge-holds.mjs at the base commit could not judge the lanes kill switch for #7; re-run this run."
+    "::error::merge-holds.mjs in the hold config (the default branch's tip at run time, or the base commit for another base) could not judge the lanes kill switch for #7; re-run this run."
 done
 cp "$MODULE" "$held_module"
 # shellcheck disable=SC2016 # a literal workflow expression, not shell
diff --git a/scripts/ci-review-lanes.test.sh b/scripts/ci-review-lanes.test.sh
index 122f677dea..71e91b5f8f 100755
--- a/scripts/ci-review-lanes.test.sh
+++ b/scripts/ci-review-lanes.test.sh
@@ -526,7 +526,7 @@ for dir in yq-fails yq-missing; do
   STUB_PATH="$TMP_ROOT/$dir" STUB_CHANGED=3000 SHARED_FILES="$(jq -cn '[range(3000) | {filename: "docs/f\(.).md"}]')" \
     expect "a 3000-file list with $dir is held" 1 "::error::could not read merge.trust-path-hold-apps"
 done
-BASE_CONFIG='' expect "an unreadable base config is held" 1 "::error::could not read merge.trust-path-hold-apps from the base commit's pr-pipeline.yaml"
+BASE_CONFIG='' expect "an unreadable base config is held" 1 "::error::could not read merge.trust-path-hold-apps from pr-pipeline.yaml in the hold config (the default branch's tip at run time, or the base commit for another base)"
 printf 'merge:\n  trust-path-hold-apps: melodic-agent[bot]\n' >"$TMP_ROOT/bare-config/docs/conventions/pr-pipeline.yaml"
 BASE_CONFIG="$TMP_ROOT/bare-config" expect "a malformed App list is held" 1 "could not read merge.trust-path-hold-apps"
 printf 'merge:\n  rung: C2\n' >"$TMP_ROOT/bare-config/docs/conventions/pr-pipeline.yaml"