diff --git a/src/fable5/index.ts b/src/fable5/index.ts
index dd32d46..802bb6d 100644
--- a/src/fable5/index.ts
+++ b/src/fable5/index.ts
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ export type { ToolPolicy, EffectiveToolPolicy } from "./orchestrator-policy.js";
 export { appendZteReceipt, createZteReceipt, createZteSpec, validateGateReceipt } from "./zte-protocol.js";
 export type { GateReceiptOptions, GateReceiptValidation, ZteReceipt, ZteSpec, ZteSpecOptions } from "./zte-protocol.js";
 
+export { runVerifyGate, verifyAgentTask, verifyAndClean } from "./verify-gate.js";
+export type { VerifyGateSpec, VerifyGateResult } from "./verify-gate.js";
 export { formatCapabilityReport, loadFactoryCapabilities, parseFactoryCapabilities, probeFactoryCapabilities } from "./factory-capabilities.js";
 export type { CapabilityProbeResult, CapabilityReport, FactoryCapabilityService } from "./factory-capabilities.js";
 
diff --git a/src/fable5/verify-gate.test.ts b/src/fable5/verify-gate.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a4902b6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/fable5/verify-gate.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+import { describe, it, expect } from "vitest";
+import * as path from "node:path";
+import * as fs from "node:fs";
+import { runVerifyGate, verifyAndClean, type VerifyGateSpec } from "./verify-gate.js";
+
+describe("verify gate", () => {
+  const repoRoot = process.cwd();
+
+  it("build then test gate passes on the fable-agent repo itself", () => {
+    const spec: VerifyGateSpec = {
+      buildCmd: ["node", "-e", "process.exit(0)"],
+      testCmd: ["node", "-e", "console.log('1 passed, 0 failed'); process.exit(0)"],
+      cwd: repoRoot,
+    };
+    const result = runVerifyGate(spec);
+    expect(result.verdict).toBe("pass");
+    expect(result.build.pass).toBe(true);
+    expect(result.test.pass).toBe(true);
+    expect(result.test.passed).toBe(1);
+    expect(result.test.failed).toBe(0);
+    expect(result.durationMs).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+  });
+
+  it("build reject if no .git directory", () => {
+    const tmp = fs.mkdtempSync("nogit-");
+    const result = runVerifyGate({
+      buildCmd: ["echo", "ok"],
+      testCmd: ["echo", "ok"],
+      cwd: tmp,
+    });
+    expect(result.verdict).toBe("fail");
+    expect(result.build.pass).toBe(false);
+    expect(result.build.exitCode).toBe(-1);
+    fs.rmdirSync(tmp);
+  });
+
+  it("build fail short-circuits test", () => {
+    const spec: VerifyGateSpec = {
+      buildCmd: ["false"],
+      testCmd: ["echo", "should-not-run"],
+      cwd: repoRoot,
+    };
+    const result = runVerifyGate(spec);
+    expect(result.verdict).toBe("fail");
+    expect(result.build.pass).toBe(false);
+    expect(result.test.output).toBe("");
+  });
+
+  it("reports test failure counts correctly", () => {
+    const spec: VerifyGateSpec = {
+      buildCmd: ["node", "-e", "process.exit(0)"],
+      testCmd: ["node", "-e", `
+        console.log(" 1 passed, 1 failed");
+        process.exit(1);
+      `],
+      cwd: repoRoot,
+    };
+    const result = runVerifyGate(spec);
+    expect(result.verdict).toBe("fail");
+    expect(result.test.failed).toBe(1);
+    expect(result.test.passed).toBe(1);
+  });
+
+  it("verifyAndClean removes worktree on fail", () => {
+    const spec: VerifyGateSpec = {
+      buildCmd: ["false"],
+      testCmd: ["echo", "x"],
+      cwd: repoRoot,
+    };
+    const out = verifyAndClean(spec, "test-agent-worktree", null as any);
+    expect(out.passed).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/fable5/verify-gate.ts b/src/fable5/verify-gate.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c53cdbe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/fable5/verify-gate.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+import { execFileSync } from "node:child_process";
+import * as fs from "node:fs";
+import * as path from "node:path";
+import { WorktreeManager } from "./worktree-isolation.js";
+
+export interface VerifyGateSpec {
+  buildCmd: string[];
+  testCmd: string[];
+  lintCmd?: string[];
+  cwd: string;
+}
+
+export interface VerifyGateResult {
+  build: { pass: boolean; exitCode: number; output: string };
+  lint?: { pass: boolean; exitCode: number; output: string };
+  test: { pass: boolean; exitCode: number; output: string; passed: number; failed: number; total: number };
+  verdict: "pass" | "fail";
+  durationMs: number;
+}
+
+function run(cmd: string[], cwd: string): { exitCode: number; output: string } {
+  try {
+    const out = execFileSync(cmd[0], cmd.slice(1), {
+      cwd,
+      encoding: "utf-8",
+      stdio: ["ignore", "pipe", "pipe"],
+      maxBuffer: 1024 * 1024,
+    });
+    return { exitCode: 0, output: out.trim() };
+  } catch (e: any) {
+    return { exitCode: e.status ?? 1, output: ((e.stdout ?? "") + (e.stderr ?? "")).trim() };
+  }
+}
+
+function parseTestOutput(output: string): { passed: number; failed: number; total: number } {
+  const p = output.match(/(\d+)\s+passed/);
+  const f = output.match(/(\d+)\s+failed/);
+  return {
+    passed: p ? parseInt(p[1]) : 0,
+    failed: f ? parseInt(f[1]) : 0,
+    total: (p ? parseInt(p[1]) : 0) + (f ? parseInt(f[1]) : 0),
+  };
+}
+
+export function runVerifyGate(spec: VerifyGateSpec): VerifyGateResult {
+  const start = Date.now();
+  if (!fs.existsSync(path.join(spec.cwd, ".git"))) {
+    return {
+      build: { pass: false, exitCode: -1, output: "" },
+      test: { pass: false, exitCode: -1, output: "", passed: 0, failed: 0, total: 0 },
+      verdict: "fail",
+      durationMs: Date.now() - start,
+    };
+  }
+  const buildResult = run(spec.buildCmd, spec.cwd);
+  const build = { pass: buildResult.exitCode === 0, exitCode: buildResult.exitCode, output: buildResult.output };
+  if (build.exitCode !== 0) {
+    return {
+      build,
+      test: { pass: false, exitCode: -1, output: "", passed: 0, failed: 0, total: 0 },
+      verdict: "fail",
+      durationMs: Date.now() - start,
+    };
+  }
+  let lint: { pass: boolean; exitCode: number; output: string } | undefined;
+  if (spec.lintCmd) {
+    const r = run(spec.lintCmd, spec.cwd);
+    lint = { pass: r.exitCode === 0, exitCode: r.exitCode, output: r.output };
+  }
+  const testResult = run(spec.testCmd, spec.cwd);
+  const counts = parseTestOutput(testResult.output);
+  const testPass = testResult.exitCode === 0 && counts.failed === 0;
+  const test = { pass: testPass, exitCode: testResult.exitCode, output: testResult.output, ...counts };
+  return {
+    build,
+    lint,
+    test,
+    verdict: testPass ? "pass" : "fail",
+    durationMs: Date.now() - start,
+  };
+}
+
+export function verifyAgentTask(spec: VerifyGateSpec): {
+  result: VerifyGateResult;
+  passed: boolean;
+  worktreeCleaned: boolean;
+} {
+  const result = runVerifyGate(spec);
+  const passed = result.verdict === "pass";
+  return { result, passed, worktreeCleaned: false };
+}
+
+export function verifyAndClean(spec: VerifyGateSpec, worktreeName: string, wm: WorktreeManager): {
+  result: VerifyGateResult;
+  passed: boolean;
+  worktreeCleaned: boolean;
+} {
+  const result = runVerifyGate(spec);
+  const passed = result.verdict === "pass";
+  if (!passed && wm) wm.remove(worktreeName);
+  return { result, passed, worktreeCleaned: !passed };
+}