diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index 94cfb50..7cb3173 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -31,14 +31,10 @@ These instructions apply throughout the repository.
 - Update architecture, security, testing, and roadmap docs when changing the corresponding contract.
 - Do not commit `.env` files, credentials, generated build output, test reports, or caches.
 - Use Conventional Commit messages. Keep pull requests within one roadmap milestone.
-- Coding agents write and update appropriate tests, configure automatic GitHub CI, and provide the exact local validation commands for the repository owner to run.
-- The repository owner runs local formatting checks, lint, type checking, tests, builds, and Playwright. Coding agents must not run local validation unless the owner explicitly requests it in that session.
-- After implementation and test authoring, coding agents must stop before pushing a branch or opening a pull request.
-- The coding agent must provide the exact local validation commands and wait for the repository owner to run them.
-- A branch may be pushed and a draft pull request may be opened only after the owner explicitly confirms in the same session that final local validation passed.
-- If the owner reports a validation failure, fix it locally, provide the relevant commands, and pause again for owner retesting.
-- Never infer validation approval from the original task prompt, completed implementation, local commits, or expected CI behavior.
-- Automatic GitHub CI should begin only after the owner’s local validation gate has passed and the draft pull request is opened.
-- Coding agents still must not run local validation unless explicitly authorized by the owner.
-- Automatic GitHub CI may run after a branch is pushed. Coding agents may inspect CI status and failure logs.
-- Coding agents must never claim local tests passed unless the repository owner supplied the results.
+- Coding agents write and update appropriate tests, configure automatic GitHub CI, and run local validation themselves: `pnpm install --frozen-lockfile`, `pnpm validate` (formatting check, lint, type checking, tests, builds), and `pnpm test:e2e` when a change can affect World Lab or Game API behavior.
+- Local validation never makes real-provider calls. Paid or real-provider commands such as `pnpm compare:live` and the Agent Zero planner probe still run only when the owner explicitly asks in that session.
+- A branch may be pushed and a draft pull request opened once the coding agent's own final local validation passes on the commit being pushed.
+- If validation fails, fix the cause and re-run it before pushing. Never skip, disable, or weaken a check or test to get a pass.
+- When a check cannot run in the agent's environment (for example, Playwright without a browser), say which one, do not push as if it passed, and give the owner the exact command to run.
+- Automatic GitHub CI runs after the branch is pushed. Coding agents may inspect CI status and failure logs.
+- Report validation results faithfully: state which commands ran and their outcome, and never claim a check passed that was not run.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2a63e30..07b763e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -125,8 +125,8 @@ See [Security](docs/SECURITY.md).
 ## Validation and research
 
 Default tests and GitHub CI are deterministic and make no model-provider calls.
-The repository owner runs local validation before a branch is pushed or a
-draft PR is opened:
+Local validation runs before a branch is pushed or a draft PR is opened, by the
+repository owner or by a coding agent:
 
 ```bash
 pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ pnpm test:e2e
 
 `pnpm validate` checks formatting, lint, types, unit/component tests, and builds.
 Playwright starts scripted application servers separately. See
-[Testing](docs/TESTING.md) for coverage and the owner validation workflow.
+[Testing](docs/TESTING.md) for coverage and the validation workflow.
 
 | Command                | Purpose                                                      |
 | ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
diff --git a/docs/TESTING.md b/docs/TESTING.md
index a3aa393..e473ec1 100644
--- a/docs/TESTING.md
+++ b/docs/TESTING.md
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ the Jev and deterministic-worker variants. `pnpm diagnose:swarm` summarizes a
 running local Game API snapshot without provider calls, keys, prompts, or raw
 responses.
 
-## Owner validation sequence
+## Validation sequence
 
 ```bash
 node --version
@@ -266,9 +266,9 @@ integration tests, and builds (`pnpm format:check && pnpm lint && pnpm typecheck
 web server starts both applications with `HEXZERO_PROVIDER=scripted`; that
 variable is never an implicit OpenRouter fallback.
 
-The repository owner runs local validation. Coding agents write tests and
-inspect GitHub CI but do not run local formatting, linting, type checking,
-tests, builds, Playwright, or real-provider calls unless explicitly asked.
+The repository owner and coding agents both run this sequence before pushing.
+Coding agents also write tests and inspect GitHub CI, but make real-provider
+calls only when the owner explicitly asks.
 
 ## Real-provider smoke