diff --git a/modules/gitea/guard.ts b/modules/gitea/guard.ts
index 61721b5d..7fa757f3 100644
--- a/modules/gitea/guard.ts
+++ b/modules/gitea/guard.ts
@@ -104,6 +104,12 @@ export function judgeApiCall(method: string, rawPath: string, body: unknown): Ap
     const str = (v: unknown) => (typeof v === "string" && v.trim() !== "" ? v.trim() : undefined);
     return { contents: { owner: contents[1], repo: contents[2], branch: str(b.branch), newBranch: str(b.new_branch) } };
   }
+  // A pull request's base changed through the escape hatch would merge what was checked against one branch into
+  // another; gitea_update_pull_request changes a title and a body, never a base.
+  if (m === "PATCH" && /^\/repos\/[^/]+\/[^/]+\/pulls\/\d+$/.test(path) && body && typeof body === "object" &&
+    "base" in (body as Record<string, unknown>)) {
+    return { refused: `${m} ${path} changing a pull request's base is refused (novox/hq ADR 0266): its checks were judged against the base it had. Open a new pull request. Nothing was sent` };
+  }
   if (AUTHOR_WRITES.some((w) => w.methods.includes(m) && w.path.test(path))) return { allowed: true };
   return {
     refused: `${m} ${path} is not a write gitea_api makes (novox/hq ADR 0266): it writes only what an author ` +
@@ -146,9 +152,25 @@ export function judgeContentsWrite(target: string, defaultBranch: string, rules:
   return null;
 }
 
-/** Refuses a protection change that weakens the rule a branch has (novox/hq ADR 0266). */
-export function judgeProtectionChange(before: BranchProtection | null, want: ProtectionWanted): string | null {
-  if (!before) return null; // A new rule protects what nothing protected.
+/**
+ * Refuses a protection change that weakens what guards a branch (novox/hq ADR 0266): the branch's own rule, or —
+ * when it has none — every glob rule that covers it, since a rule named for the branch takes the glob's place.
+ * A rule made new takes the forge's defaults for what it does not say: pushes refused, an administrator's
+ * override allowed.
+ */
+export function judgeProtectionChange(before: BranchProtection | null, want: ProtectionWanted,
+  covering: BranchProtection[] = []): string | null {
+  if (!before) {
+    for (const glob of covering) {
+      const weaker = judgeProtectionChange(glob, {
+        ...want,
+        push: want.push ?? false,
+        blockAdminOverride: want.blockAdminOverride ?? false,
+      });
+      if (weaker) return weaker;
+    }
+    return null; // A new rule protects what nothing protected.
+  }
   const had = before.enable_status_check ? [...new Set((before.status_check_contexts ?? []).filter(Boolean))] : [];
   const wanted = new Set(want.statusChecks.map((c) => c.trim()).filter(Boolean));
   const dropped = had.filter((c) => !wanted.has(c));
@@ -165,6 +187,36 @@ export function judgeProtectionChange(before: BranchProtection | null, want: Pro
     `operator's, at the forge as themselves. Nothing was changed`;
 }
 
+/** The token's own user's repositories, untouched for this long, are the only ones a tool deletes. */
+export const DELETABLE_AFTER_DAYS = 30;
+
+/**
+ * Refuses deleting a repository (novox/hq ADR 0266): deleted and made again under its name, a repository the mesh
+ * builds from would be one without its protection. A tool deletes only a repository of the token's own user — the
+ * mesh builds from organisations' and people's repositories, never the tools' own — that no protection rule
+ * guards, with no commit for DELETABLE_AFTER_DAYS days, and only when confirm names it in full.
+ */
+export function judgeDelete(fullName: string, confirm: unknown, owner: string, self: string,
+  rules: BranchProtection[], lastCommit: Date | null, now: Date): string | null {
+  if (String(confirm ?? "") !== fullName) {
+    return `confirm must be the repository's full name, ${fullName}, to delete it. Nothing was deleted`;
+  }
+  if (owner.toLowerCase() !== self.toLowerCase()) {
+    return `${fullName} is not a repository of the tools' own user (${self}): a tool deletes only those, never an ` +
+      `organisation's or a person's — the mesh builds from them (novox/hq ADR 0266). Deleting it is the operator's, at ` +
+      `the forge as themselves. Nothing was deleted`;
+  }
+  if (rules.length) {
+    return `${fullName} is guarded by the protection rule ${rules.map((r) => r.rule_name ?? r.branch_name).join(", ")}: ` +
+      `deleting it is the operator's, at the forge as themselves (novox/hq ADR 0266). Nothing was deleted`;
+  }
+  if (lastCommit && now.getTime() - lastCommit.getTime() < DELETABLE_AFTER_DAYS * 24 * 3600 * 1000) {
+    return `${fullName} had a commit on ${lastCommit.toISOString().slice(0, 10)}, within ${DELETABLE_AFTER_DAYS} days: ` +
+      `a repository in use is not deleted by a tool (novox/hq ADR 0266). Nothing was deleted`;
+  }
+  return null;
+}
+
 /** The merge methods the forge takes for a merge that is a merge — never `manually-merged`. */
 export const MERGE_METHODS = new Set(["merge", "rebase", "rebase-merge", "squash", "fast-forward-only"]);
 
diff --git a/modules/gitea/test/guard.test.ts b/modules/gitea/test/guard.test.ts
index 31a04804..02da7e17 100644
--- a/modules/gitea/test/guard.test.ts
+++ b/modules/gitea/test/guard.test.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ const state = {
   sent: [] as Sent[],
   statuses: [] as { context: string; state: string }[],
   rules: [] as any[],
+  lastCommit: "2026-01-01T00:00:00Z",
 };
 const protectedMain = () => ({ rule_name: "main", enable_push: false, enable_status_check: true,
   status_check_contexts: ["mesh/merge-gate", "mesh/repo-check"], block_admin_merge_override: true });
@@ -49,6 +50,11 @@ const server = createServer(async (req, res) => {
   const repo = "/repos/novox/mesh-catalog";
   if (method === "GET" && path === repo) return json(res, 200, { full_name: "novox/mesh-catalog", default_branch: "main" });
   if (method === "GET" && path === `${repo}/branch_protections`) return json(res, 200, state.rules);
+  if (method === "GET" && path === "/user") return json(res, 200, { login: "mesh-admin" });
+  if (method === "GET" && path === "/repos/mesh-admin/scratch/branch_protections") return json(res, 200, []);
+  if (method === "GET" && /^\/repos\/[^/]+\/[^/]+\/commits$/.test(path)) {
+    return json(res, 200, [{ commit: { committer: { date: state.lastCommit } } }]);
+  }
   if (method === "GET" && path === `${repo}/pulls/7`) {
     return json(res, 200, { number: 7, title: "x", state: "open", merged: false, head: { ref: "feat/x", sha: "abc1234" },
       base: { ref: "main" }, html_url: "http://fake/7" });
@@ -140,10 +146,47 @@ test("gitea_merge_pull_request merges only a head whose required statuses all su
   assert.equal(sent.body.head_commit_id, "abc1234");
 });
 
-test("gitea_delete_repo refuses a repository a protection rule guards", async () => {
-  await assert.rejects(tool("gitea_delete_repo").run({ owner: "novox", name: "mesh-catalog", confirm: true }),
-    /guarded by the protection rule main/);
+test("gitea_delete_repo deletes only the tools' own user's repository, unguarded, untouched for 30 days, named in full", async () => {
+  const del = (owner: string, name: string, confirm: unknown) => tool("gitea_delete_repo").run({ owner, name, confirm });
+  await assert.rejects(del("novox", "mesh-catalog", true), /confirm must be the repository's full name/);
+  await assert.rejects(del("novox", "mesh-catalog", "novox/mesh-catalog"), /not a repository of the tools' own user/);
+  state.lastCommit = new Date().toISOString();
+  await assert.rejects(del("mesh-admin", "scratch", "mesh-admin/scratch"), /within 30 days/);
   assert.deepEqual(writes(), []);
+  state.lastCommit = "2026-01-01T00:00:00Z";
+  await del("mesh-admin", "scratch", "mesh-admin/scratch");
+  assert.deepEqual(writes(), ["DELETE /repos/mesh-admin/scratch"]);
+});
+
+test("gitea_api sends the path it judged, and refuses moving a pull request's base", async () => {
+  await tool("gitea_api").run({ path: "/api/v1/repos/novox/mesh-catalog/issues/3/comments/?x=1", method: "POST", body: { body: "hi" } });
+  assert.deepEqual(writes(), ["POST /repos/novox/mesh-catalog/issues/3/comments"]);
+  await assert.rejects(tool("gitea_api").run({ path: "/repos/novox/mesh-catalog/pulls/7", method: "PATCH",
+    body: { base: "unguarded" } }), /changing a pull request's base/);
+  await tool("gitea_api").run({ path: "/repos/novox/mesh-catalog/pulls/7", method: "PATCH", body: { title: "x" } });
+  assert.equal(writes().length, 2);
+});
+
+test("gitea_merge_pull_request merges only into a branch whose protection requires the checks", async () => {
+  state.rules = [];
+  await assert.rejects(tool("gitea_merge_pull_request").run({ owner: "novox", repo: "mesh-catalog", number: 7 }),
+    /no protection rule requiring the checks guards/);
+  state.rules = [{ rule_name: "main", enable_push: false, enable_status_check: false, status_check_contexts: [] }];
+  await assert.rejects(tool("gitea_merge_pull_request").run({ owner: "novox", repo: "mesh-catalog", number: 7 }),
+    /no protection rule requiring the checks guards/);
+  assert.deepEqual(writes(), []);
+});
+
+test("a rule named for a branch is not made weaker than the glob rule that guards it now", async () => {
+  state.rules.push({ rule_name: "release/*", enable_push: false, enable_status_check: true,
+    status_check_contexts: ["mesh/merge-gate"], block_admin_merge_override: true });
+  const set = (args: Record<string, unknown>) =>
+    tool("gitea_branch_protection_set").run({ owner: "novox", repo: "mesh-catalog", branch: "release/1", ...args });
+  await assert.rejects(set({ status_checks: "" }), /drops the required status mesh\/merge-gate/);
+  await assert.rejects(set({ status_checks: "mesh/merge-gate" }), /merge past a status/);
+  assert.deepEqual(writes(), []);
+  await set({ status_checks: "mesh/merge-gate", block_admin_override: true });
+  assert.deepEqual(writes(), ["POST /repos/novox/mesh-catalog/branch_protections"]);
 });
 
 test("a repository owner or name is never another path", async () => {
diff --git a/modules/gitea/tools/index.ts b/modules/gitea/tools/index.ts
index c2bf056a..91357c7f 100644
--- a/modules/gitea/tools/index.ts
+++ b/modules/gitea/tools/index.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ import { GiteaClient, type BranchProtection } from "../client.js";
 import { appendNote, deliveryStatus, run, viewBody, viewComment } from "../delivery.js";
 import { containedFrom, isCommit, mergeableUnder, newestByContext } from "../checks.js";
 import {
-  MERGE_METHODS, Refused, checkName, judgeApiCall, judgeContentsWrite, judgeProtectionChange,
+  MERGE_METHODS, Refused, checkName, judgeApiCall, judgeContentsWrite, judgeDelete, judgeProtectionChange, routedPath,
+  ruleCovers,
 } from "../guard.js";
 
 /** The forge's container, where its repositories and git are: the note is written there (novox/hq ADR 0239). */
@@ -94,22 +95,23 @@ function allGiteaTools(gitea: GiteaClient): ToolDefinition[] {
     },
     {
       name: "gitea_delete_repo",
-      description: "Delete a repository. Destructive and irreversible — requires confirm=true.",
+      description: "Delete a repository of the tools' own user that no protection rule guards and that had no commit " +
+        "in 30 days. Destructive and irreversible — confirm must be the repository's full name, owner/name. An " +
+        "organisation's or a person's repository is the operator's to delete, at the forge (novox/hq ADR 0266).",
       input: {
         owner: { type: "string", description: "the repository owner" },
         name: { type: "string", description: "the repository name" },
-        confirm: { type: "boolean", description: "must be true to actually delete" },
+        confirm: { type: "string", description: "the repository's full name, owner/name, to actually delete it" },
       },
       run: async (args) => {
-        if (!args.confirm) return { deleted: false, reason: "confirm must be true to delete a repository" };
-        // A repository a protection rule guards is the mesh's: deleted and made again, it would be one without
-        // its protection, under the name the mesh builds from (novox/hq ADR 0266).
-        const guarded = await gitea.branchProtections(String(args.owner), String(args.name));
-        if (guarded.length) {
-          throw new Refused(`${String(args.owner)}/${String(args.name)} is guarded by the protection rule ` +
-            `${guarded.map((r) => r.rule_name ?? r.branch_name).join(", ")}: deleting it is the operator's, at the forge ` +
-            `as themselves, never a tool's (novox/hq ADR 0266). Nothing was deleted`);
-        }
+        const owner = String(args.owner), name = String(args.name), full = `${owner}/${name}`;
+        const self = (await gitea.api<{ login?: string }>("/user"))?.login ?? "";
+        const commits = await gitea.api<Array<{ created?: string; commit?: { committer?: { date?: string } } }>>(
+          `/repos/${owner}/${name}/commits?limit=1`).catch(() => []);
+        const when = commits?.[0]?.commit?.committer?.date ?? commits?.[0]?.created;
+        const refused = judgeDelete(full, args.confirm, owner, self, await gitea.branchProtections(owner, name),
+          when ? new Date(when) : null, new Date());
+        if (refused) throw new Refused(refused);
         await gitea.deleteRepo(String(args.owner), String(args.name));
         return { deleted: true, repo: `${String(args.owner)}/${String(args.name)}` };
       },
@@ -284,6 +286,12 @@ function allGiteaTools(gitea: GiteaClient): ToolDefinition[] {
         if (pull.merged) throw new Refused(`${owner}/${repo}#${number} is already merged`);
         if (!pull.head_sha || !pull.base) throw new Refused(`${owner}/${repo}#${number} names no head commit or base branch`);
         const rule = await gitea.branchProtection(owner, repo, pull.base);
+        // Only into a branch whose protection requires the checks: a pull request whose base was moved to a
+        // branch nothing guards would merge past every check (novox/hq ADR 0266).
+        if (!rule || !rule.enable_status_check || !(rule.status_check_contexts ?? []).filter(Boolean).length) {
+          throw new Refused(`${owner}/${repo}#${number} merges into ${pull.base}, which no protection rule requiring ` +
+            `the checks guards: a tool merges only into such a branch (novox/hq ADR 0266). Nothing was merged`);
+        }
         const statuses = newestByContext((await gitea.combinedStatus(owner, repo, pull.head_sha)).statuses);
         const verdict = mergeableUnder(pull.base, rule, statuses);
         if (verdict.mergeable !== true) {
@@ -459,7 +467,9 @@ function allGiteaTools(gitea: GiteaClient): ToolDefinition[] {
           push: args.push === undefined ? undefined : Boolean(args.push),
           blockAdminOverride: args.block_admin_override === undefined ? undefined : Boolean(args.block_admin_override),
         };
-        const weakens = judgeProtectionChange(before, want);
+        const covering = before ? [] : (await gitea.branchProtections(owner, repo))
+          .filter((r) => ruleCovers(String(r.rule_name ?? r.branch_name ?? ""), branch));
+        const weakens = judgeProtectionChange(before, want, covering);
         if (weakens) throw new Refused(weakens);
         const { created, rule } = await gitea.setBranchProtection(owner, repo, branch, want);
         return { branch, created, before: before ? summarised(before) : null, after: summarised(rule) };
@@ -633,7 +643,10 @@ function allGiteaTools(gitea: GiteaClient): ToolDefinition[] {
             await gitea.branchProtections(owner, repo));
           if (refused) throw new Refused(refused);
         }
-        const result = await gitea.api(String(args.path), {
+        // The path judged is the path sent: normalised, its query kept.
+        const raw = String(args.path ?? "");
+        const query = raw.includes("?") ? raw.slice(raw.indexOf("?")).split("#")[0] : "";
+        const result = await gitea.api(routedPath(raw) + query, {
           method,
           ...(args.body ? { body: JSON.stringify(args.body) } : {}),
         });