diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/release-quality-gate.yml b/.gitea/workflows/release-quality-gate.yml
index 5800002a..07e6a472 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/release-quality-gate.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/release-quality-gate.yml
@@ -97,6 +97,8 @@ jobs:
             -r requirements.txt -r requirements-dev.txt playwright
           python -m playwright install --with-deps chromium
           npm ci --prefix frontend
+          # Production refuses placeholder operator details and draft terms / privacy text (#119 item 9).
+          (cd frontend && JYOTISHA_REQUIRE_LEGAL_ENTITY=1 npx tsx --test tests/legal-consent-20260930.test.tsx)
           python scripts/run_quality_gate.py --profile release
           python -m pytest -q --maxfail=1
           python tests/run_all.py
diff --git a/deploy/README.md b/deploy/README.md
index 5495971a..ff6fda03 100644
--- a/deploy/README.md
+++ b/deploy/README.md
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ Before a production release, run the legal-consent test with the production flag
 cd frontend && JYOTISHA_REQUIRE_LEGAL_ENTITY=1 npx tsx --test tests/legal-consent-20260930.test.tsx
 ```
 
-It fails while `frontend/src/lib/legal-entity.ts` still holds placeholder operator details or the terms / privacy text is still marked draft. The workflows are not changed for this (they are product-owner territory); the step is manual until the product owner wires it in.
+It fails while `frontend/src/lib/legal-entity.ts` still holds placeholder operator details or the terms / privacy text is still marked draft. Since 2026-11-01 (product owner approved, #119 item 9) the manual release gate `.gitea/workflows/release-quality-gate.yml` runs this check right after its frontend install, so a production release is refused until the details are filled in and the draft markers are removed.
 
 ## Manual production deployment with Gitea Actions
 
diff --git a/frontend/tests/staging-backend-workflows.test.ts b/frontend/tests/staging-backend-workflows.test.ts
index 61a28099..541e2936 100644
--- a/frontend/tests/staging-backend-workflows.test.ts
+++ b/frontend/tests/staging-backend-workflows.test.ts
@@ -1127,6 +1127,12 @@ test("manual release gate runs where Docker Compose v2 is available", () => {
   assert.match(workflow, /H relative to R is docs-only/);
   assert.match(workflow, /PIP_INDEX_URL: https:\/\/mirrors\.aliyun\.com\/pypi\/simple\//);
   assert.match(workflow, /NPM_CONFIG_REGISTRY: https:\/\/registry\.npmmirror\.com/);
+  // #119 item 9: the release gate refuses placeholder operator details and draft legal text,
+  // right after the frontend install and before the long checks.
+  assert.match(
+    workflow,
+    /npm ci --prefix frontend\n\s+# [^\n]*\n\s+\(cd frontend && JYOTISHA_REQUIRE_LEGAL_ENTITY=1 npx tsx --test tests\/legal-consent-20260930\.test\.tsx\)\n\s+python scripts\/run_quality_gate\.py --profile release/,
+  );
   for (const dependency of [
     "mcp==1.28.1",
     "pydantic==2.13.4",