diff --git a/.github/workflows/e2e-gate.yml b/.github/workflows/e2e-gate.yml
index f2b55f4bb1..913f787292 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/e2e-gate.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/e2e-gate.yml
@@ -1,35 +1,36 @@
 name: E2E Gate (required)
 
-# Aggregates the 4 required OSS E2E checks into one required status check.
-# The owner adds ONE check name to branch protection instead of four:
+# Aggregates the 12 required CI and E2E checks into one required status check.
+# The owner adds ONE check name to branch protection instead of twelve:
 #   "E2E Gate (required)"
 #
 # Polls the Check Runs API every 30s until all required checks complete.
 # Fails immediately if any required check fails (fast-fail).
-# Passes only when all 4 required checks have a success conclusion.
-# Times out after 15 min (oss-golden-path budget is 12 min -- on a cold
-# runner Playwright download alone takes ~4.5 min, then C1+C5 sweeps add
-# ~5 min; the previous 8-min limit caused premature timeout before the
-# underlying check could pass).
+# Passes only when all required checks have a success conclusion.
+# Times out after 60 min (scripts/e2e_gate.py MAX_WAIT=3600). This ceiling
+# exists to handle runner starvation on days with many concurrent PRs; on a
+# quiet day the gate exits as soon as all checks pass, typically in 20-30 min.
 #
-# Required checks aggregated (keep in sync with REQUIRED_CHECKS in
-# scripts/apply_required_status_checks.py):
+# Required checks aggregated (authoritative list: scripts/e2e_gate.py):
 #   - OSS golden path (wheel + OpenClaw + 9 tabs)
 #   - Cross-repo handoff (C4)
 #   - MOAT Keystone (13-endpoint bar)
 #   - E2E Browser Tests (critical subset)
-#
-# To close C6 after this PR merges:
-#   GitHub Settings > Branches > main > Required status checks:
-#   add "E2E Gate (required)"
-#   (1 check name instead of 4)
+#   - Syntax & Lint
+#   - API Tests (3 OS)
+#   - MOAT Verifier (72 tests)
+#   - Entitlement API tests
+#   - pip install matrix (x4)
+#   - Wheel install & asset presence
+#   - Store invariants (property-based)
+#   - Drift Bot  [skip_if_unreported: only enforced when 8090 App posts]
 #
 # Tracking: vivekchand/clawmetry#4029 (C6)
 #
 # This workflow intentionally runs on pull_request only -- not on push events.
 # Drift Bot (8090-software-factory app) posts its commit status to PR head
 # SHAs only; the app never re-posts to the merge commit that lands on main.
-# If the gate ran on push events, it would wait the full 35 min timeout for
+# If the gate ran on push events, it would wait the full timeout for
 # a Drift Bot status that never arrives (confirmed on run #33224218966).
 # The enforcement that matters happens on the PR; no extra run is needed after
 # the merge. Supersedes PR #5323 which fixed the same issue via code but was
@@ -51,7 +52,7 @@ jobs:
   e2e-gate:
     name: E2E Gate (required)
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    timeout-minutes: 35
+    timeout-minutes: 65
 
     steps:
       # Required because the gate logic is a repo script now. This job had no
@@ -71,7 +72,7 @@ jobs:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
           COMMIT_SHA: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha || github.sha }}
           REPO: ${{ github.repository }}
-          MAX_WAIT: "1800"
+          MAX_WAIT: "3600"
         run: python3 scripts/e2e_gate.py
 
       - name: Write job summary
diff --git a/scripts/e2e_gate.py b/scripts/e2e_gate.py
index 1aacc51476..c3df679ad2 100644
--- a/scripts/e2e_gate.py
+++ b/scripts/e2e_gate.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 
 * an exact name (``"Syntax & Lint"``) for a single job;
 * an fnmatch pattern plus ``min_count`` for a matrix job, where the pattern
-  expands to one check per leg (``"pip install (*)"`` -> four legs). ``min_count``
+  expands to one check per leg (``"pip install (*)"``) -> four legs). ``min_count``
   is what stops a *shrinking* matrix from quietly passing: drop macOS from the
   matrix and the pattern still matches, but the count no longer does.
 
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
 from dataclasses import dataclass, field
 
 POLL_INTERVAL = 30
-DEFAULT_MAX_WAIT = 1800
+DEFAULT_MAX_WAIT = 3000  # 50 min default; workflow sets 3600 (60 min)
 
 # GitHub treats skipped/neutral as non-blocking; match that.
 PASSING = {"success", "skipped", "neutral"}
@@ -59,11 +59,19 @@ class Spec:
     before the spec can pass. For a single job that is 1. For a matrix it is the
     number of legs, so removing a leg fails the gate instead of silently
     reducing coverage.
+
+    ``skip_if_unreported`` marks a spec whose reporter may legitimately never
+    post on certain PR types (e.g. a GitHub App that only evaluates Python or
+    product-record changes). When True and zero check-runs/statuses have been
+    posted for this spec, evaluate() returns "passed" (skipped) rather than
+    "pending". A failing status still fails the gate -- the guard is preserved
+    whenever the reporter does post.
     """
 
     label: str
     pattern: str
     min_count: int = 1
+    skip_if_unreported: bool = False
 
     def matches(self, name: str) -> bool:
         return fnmatch.fnmatchcase(name, self.pattern)
@@ -111,7 +119,14 @@ def matches(self, name: str) -> bool:
     # Unlike everything above, drift-bot is a COMMIT STATUS from the
     # 8090-software-factory GitHub App, not an Actions check run. It never
     # appears in /check-runs, which is why list_commit_statuses exists.
-    Spec("Drift Bot", "drift-bot"),
+    #
+    # skip_if_unreported=True: the 8090 App only posts drift-bot on PRs that
+    # touch Python or product-record files. Frontend-only npm bumps (dependabot
+    # i18next / postcss / react-router / etc.) never receive a status -- making
+    # this spec a guaranteed 30-min hang on every such PR. When the App does
+    # post (on any PR touching Python or product files), the gate still enforces
+    # it. Only the "never posted" case is treated as skipped.
+    Spec("Drift Bot", "drift-bot", skip_if_unreported=True),
 ]
 
 
@@ -166,6 +181,14 @@ def evaluate(specs, runs):
     for spec in specs:
         matched = {n: r for n, r in best.items() if spec.matches(n)}
 
+        # When skip_if_unreported is set and no status has been posted at all,
+        # treat the spec as passed (skipped). A reporter that posts but fails
+        # is still caught below -- this only short-circuits the "never posted"
+        # hang that occurs when a GitHub App does not evaluate this PR type.
+        if spec.skip_if_unreported and not matched:
+            results.append(SpecResult(spec, "passed", "no status reported, treated as skipped"))
+            continue
+
         failing = [
             run
             for run in matched.values()
@@ -312,7 +335,8 @@ def main():
     if args.list:
         for spec in REQUIRED_SPECS:
             legs = f" x{spec.min_count}" if spec.min_count > 1 else ""
-            print(f"{spec.label}{legs}: {spec.pattern}")
+            suffix = " [skip_if_unreported]" if spec.skip_if_unreported else ""
+            print(f"{spec.label}{legs}: {spec.pattern}{suffix}")
         return 0
 
     token = os.environ.get("GITHUB_TOKEN", "")
diff --git a/tests/test_c6_required_checks_single_source.py b/tests/test_c6_required_checks_single_source.py
index 2f9ed6b033..3d15ea82ec 100644
--- a/tests/test_c6_required_checks_single_source.py
+++ b/tests/test_c6_required_checks_single_source.py
@@ -175,9 +175,13 @@ def test_a_failed_drift_bot_fails_the_gate():
     assert result.state == "failed"
 
 
-def test_a_missing_drift_bot_does_not_pass_the_gate():
-    """No status at all must block, not silently satisfy the spec."""
+def test_a_missing_drift_bot_skips_not_blocks():
+    """When skip_if_unreported=True and no status has been posted, the spec
+    passes as 'skipped' so frontend-only PRs are not held waiting forever.
+    A real failure (status posted + failing) still blocks -- see the test above."""
     gate = _gate()
     spec = next(s for s in gate.REQUIRED_SPECS if s.pattern == "drift-bot")
+    assert spec.skip_if_unreported, "Drift Bot spec must carry skip_if_unreported=True"
     (result,) = gate.evaluate([spec], [])
-    assert result.state == "pending"
+    assert result.state == "passed"
+    assert "skipped" in result.detail