diff --git a/.github/workflows/central-review.yml b/.github/workflows/central-review.yml
index 2544fbf..2cc4374 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/central-review.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/central-review.yml
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ jobs:
           printf 'Using trusted CodeGraph CLI %s.\n' "$("$codegraph_bin" --version)"
           echo "$trusted_root/node_modules/.bin" >>"$GITHUB_PATH"
 
-      - name: Wait for non-OpenCode current-head checks
+      - name: Wait for review-independent current-head checks
         env:
           GH_TOKEN: ${{ steps.noema_app.outputs.token }}
         run: |
@@ -172,16 +172,19 @@ jobs:
                 "$EXPECTED_HEAD_SHA" "$live"
               exit 1
             fi
+            # These exact checks consume review evidence themselves. Waiting on
+            # either one here creates a cycle: Noema waits for the governance
+            # check while the governance check waits for Noema/OpenCode.
             pending="$(gh api "repos/${TARGET_REPOSITORY}/commits/${EXPECTED_HEAD_SHA}/check-runs?per_page=100" \
-              --jq '[.check_runs[] | select(.name != "opencode-review" and .status != "completed") | .name] | unique | join(", ")')"
+              --jq '[.check_runs[] | select((.name != "opencode-review" and .name != "metadata-only gate evaluation") and .status != "completed") | .name] | unique | join(", ")')"
             if [ -z "$pending" ]; then
-              echo "All non-OpenCode current-head checks are complete."
+              echo "All review-independent current-head checks are complete."
               exit 0
             fi
             printf 'Noema current-head check wait %s/90: %s\n' "$attempt" "$pending"
             sleep 60
           done
-          echo "::error::Noema waited 90 minutes but non-OpenCode current-head checks are still incomplete."
+          echo "::error::Noema waited 90 minutes but review-independent current-head checks are still incomplete."
           exit 1
 
       - name: Run independent PydanticAI review and publish current-head verdict
diff --git a/reviewer/noema_reviewer/gating.py b/reviewer/noema_reviewer/gating.py
index 3d47ed7..5933dcb 100644
--- a/reviewer/noema_reviewer/gating.py
+++ b/reviewer/noema_reviewer/gating.py
@@ -26,9 +26,12 @@
 
 # Noema is an independent reviewer. Treating the primary OpenCode review check
 # as a deterministic finding would make each reviewer wait on the other and
-# deadlock the two-reviewer rule. Every other failed current-head check remains
-# blocking.
-INDEPENDENT_PRIMARY_CHECK_NAMES = frozenset({"opencode-review"})
+# deadlock the two-reviewer rule. The metadata-only gate is also downstream of
+# review evidence, so it cannot be used as evidence against an independent
+# review. Every other failed current-head check remains blocking.
+REVIEW_DEPENDENT_CHECK_NAMES = frozenset(
+    {"opencode-review", "metadata-only gate evaluation"}
+)
 
 
 def missing_evidence(manifest: ReviewManifest) -> list[str]:
@@ -117,7 +120,7 @@ def failed_checks_as_review(manifest: ReviewManifest) -> list[Finding]:
             recommendation="Fix the logged root cause and rerun the check on the current head.",
         )
         for check in manifest.check_conclusions
-        if check.name not in INDEPENDENT_PRIMARY_CHECK_NAMES
+        if check.name not in REVIEW_DEPENDENT_CHECK_NAMES
         and check.conclusion.lower() in blocking_conclusions
     ]
 
diff --git a/reviewer/tests/test_central_review_workflow.py b/reviewer/tests/test_central_review_workflow.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8819e92
--- /dev/null
+++ b/reviewer/tests/test_central_review_workflow.py
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+"""Contracts for the trusted central Noema review workflow."""
+
+from pathlib import Path
+
+
+def test_review_wait_excludes_only_exact_review_dependent_checks() -> None:
+    """The independent reviewer must not wait on checks that consume its verdict."""
+    repo_root = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[2]
+    workflow = (repo_root / ".github/workflows/central-review.yml").read_text(
+        encoding="utf-8"
+    )
+
+    assert "Wait for review-independent current-head checks" in workflow
+    assert '.name != "opencode-review"' in workflow
+    assert '.name != "metadata-only gate evaluation"' in workflow
+    assert "All review-independent current-head checks are complete." in workflow
+    assert "non-OpenCode current-head checks" not in workflow
diff --git a/reviewer/tests/test_gating.py b/reviewer/tests/test_gating.py
index a0c5129..798f605 100644
--- a/reviewer/tests/test_gating.py
+++ b/reviewer/tests/test_gating.py
@@ -106,6 +106,19 @@ def test_primary_opencode_check_does_not_deadlock_independent_noema() -> None:
     assert enforce_security_and_check_gates(manifest, verdict).verdict is Verdict.APPROVE
 
 
+def test_review_dependent_metadata_gate_does_not_deadlock_independent_noema() -> None:
+    """A downstream metadata controller cannot be a prerequisite for its reviewer."""
+    manifest = _full_manifest(
+        check_conclusions=[
+            CheckConclusion(name="metadata-only gate evaluation", conclusion="failure"),
+            CheckConclusion(name="build", conclusion="success"),
+        ]
+    )
+    assert failed_checks_as_review(manifest) == []
+    verdict = ReviewVerdict(verdict=Verdict.APPROVE, summary="independent evidence passed")
+    assert enforce_security_and_check_gates(manifest, verdict).verdict is Verdict.APPROVE
+
+
 def test_similarly_named_failed_check_remains_blocking() -> None:
     """The independence exception cannot hide a similarly named failed check."""
     manifest = _full_manifest(
@@ -114,6 +127,16 @@ def test_similarly_named_failed_check_remains_blocking() -> None:
     assert failed_checks_as_review(manifest)
 
 
+def test_similarly_named_metadata_check_remains_blocking() -> None:
+    """Only the exact downstream metadata gate receives the cycle exception."""
+    manifest = _full_manifest(
+        check_conclusions=[
+            CheckConclusion(name="metadata-only gate evaluation copy", conclusion="failure")
+        ]
+    )
+    assert failed_checks_as_review(manifest)
+
+
 def test_unresolved_current_thread_downgrades_approval() -> None:
     """An unresolved non-outdated inline thread is a deterministic blocker."""
     manifest = _full_manifest(