diff --git a/go/buildstep/isolate_integration_test.go b/go/buildstep/isolate_integration_test.go
index efd140c..6f7aa16 100644
--- a/go/buildstep/isolate_integration_test.go
+++ b/go/buildstep/isolate_integration_test.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-//go:build integration
+//go:build integration && isolation
 
 package buildstep
 
diff --git a/go/merge-check.sh b/go/merge-check.sh
index 3b6bb8e..0058732 100644
--- a/go/merge-check.sh
+++ b/go/merge-check.sh
@@ -17,6 +17,10 @@
 # its file; a file that held both kinds is two files (`<name>_integration_test.go` beside `<name>_test.go`).
 # Each level says its test count and its time.
 #
+# **A test that needs bubblewrap carries `//go:build integration && isolation`** (issue 1309's proof that a run step
+# is shut off): this script vets it but does not run it, since the toolchain it runs in has no bubblewrap; the checker
+# runs the `isolation` tag on the build nodes, which have it (R4e).
+#
 # No dependency is committed (no vendor directory: .gitignore; the operator, 2026-10-19; issue 1304). Every dependency
 # is resolved by the version and checksum go.sum names (novox/hq ADR 0405 §5), from its public source: this binding
 # requires nothing of the mesh's own forge. `go mod verify` fails by module name when a downloaded dependency does not
@@ -98,6 +102,7 @@ fi
 go vet ./...
 # The files tagged `integration` are vetted too, or nothing would read them.
 go vet -tags integration ./...
+go vet -tags integration,isolation ./...
 
 # NOT RACE-CHECKED here: the SDK's suite is small and carries no store or other shared state between
 # packages, so the race detector is not required of this check (novox/hq issue 1175); a module that needs