diff --git a/tests/test_ci_workflow.py b/tests/test_ci_workflow.py
index de20d77..6d97b77 100644
--- a/tests/test_ci_workflow.py
+++ b/tests/test_ci_workflow.py
@@ -28,6 +28,12 @@ def test_ci_runs_sei_and_live_loomweave_conformance_targets():
 
 
 def test_release_publish_requires_live_loomweave_conformance():
+    # Skip-not-fail contract (owner decision 2026-06-25): Legis does not run
+    # live Loomweave conformance in remote CI. Publish stays chained through the
+    # conformance job, but the job no-ops with a notice when the oracle config
+    # is absent (never blocking publish); when the config IS present the oracle
+    # runs for real and a failure still blocks publish. The HMAC secret stays
+    # scoped to the steps that use it.
     jobs = _release_jobs()
     publish_needs = jobs["publish"]["needs"]
 
@@ -36,35 +42,47 @@ def test_release_publish_requires_live_loomweave_conformance():
     assert "live-loomweave-conformance" in publish_needs
 
     live_job = jobs["live-loomweave-conformance"]
-    assert "if" not in live_job
+    assert "if" not in live_job  # gated per-step, never the whole job
     env = live_job["env"]
     assert env["LOOMWEAVE_URL"] == "${{ vars.LOOMWEAVE_URL }}"
     assert env["LOOMWEAVE_LIVE_ORACLE_LOCATOR"] == "${{ vars.LOOMWEAVE_LIVE_ORACLE_LOCATOR }}"
+    # The secret is never exposed to the whole job — only to the steps below.
     assert "LEGIS_LOOMWEAVE_HMAC_KEY" not in env
 
-    commands = "\n".join(str(step.get("run", "")) for step in live_job["steps"])
-    assert "Missing required release conformance environment" in commands
-    assert "configured=false" not in commands
-    assert "configured=true" not in commands
-    assert "not blocking publish" not in commands
+    steps = live_job["steps"]
+    commands = "\n".join(str(step.get("run", "")) for step in steps)
+    # Skip-not-fail, not fail-closed: missing config no-ops, it does not error.
+    assert "configured=false" in commands
+    assert "configured=true" in commands
+    assert "not blocking publish" in commands
+    assert "Missing required release conformance environment" not in commands
+
+    # When configured, the live oracle still runs for real, gated on detection.
     assert "tests/conformance/test_live_loomweave_oracle.py" in commands
+    gate_if = "steps.oracle_config.outputs.configured == 'true'"
     oracle_steps = [
         step
-        for step in live_job["steps"]
+        for step in steps
         if "test_live_loomweave_oracle.py" in str(step.get("run", ""))
     ]
     assert oracle_steps
-    assert all("if" not in step for step in oracle_steps)
+    assert all(step.get("if") == gate_if for step in oracle_steps)
     oracle_step = oracle_steps[0]
     assert oracle_step["env"] == {
         "LEGIS_LOOMWEAVE_HMAC_KEY": "${{ secrets.LEGIS_LOOMWEAVE_HMAC_KEY }}"
     }
-    assert "LEGIS_LOOMWEAVE_HMAC_KEY" in oracle_step["run"]
-    non_oracle_steps = [step for step in live_job["steps"] if step is not oracle_step]
-    assert all(
-        "LEGIS_LOOMWEAVE_HMAC_KEY" not in step.get("env", {})
-        for step in non_oracle_steps
-    )
+
+    # Secret scoping: the HMAC key appears only in the steps that need it (the
+    # presence check and the oracle run), never anywhere else in the job.
+    key_step_names = {
+        step.get("name")
+        for step in steps
+        if "LEGIS_LOOMWEAVE_HMAC_KEY" in step.get("env", {})
+    }
+    assert key_step_names == {
+        "Detect live oracle configuration",
+        "Run live Loomweave oracle",
+    }
 
 
 def test_release_workflow_repeats_publication_quality_gates():