diff --git a/src/queue/processors.ts b/src/queue/processors.ts
index 385fd80027..1b05ee6bda 100644
--- a/src/queue/processors.ts
+++ b/src/queue/processors.ts
@@ -294,6 +294,7 @@ import { loadRepoFocusManifest } from "../signals/focus-manifest-loader";
 import { resolveRepositorySettings } from "../settings/repository-settings";
 import type { LocalBranchAnalysisInput } from "../signals/local-branch";
 import {
+  isEnabled,
   runGittensoryAiReview,
   type InlineFinding,
 } from "../services/ai-review";
@@ -3385,6 +3386,23 @@ export function buildSecretScanDiff(
  * Fully fail-safe: disabled / ineligible author / no head SHA / non-ok AI / any thrown error → no finding
  * and no notes.
  */
+
+export async function shouldStartAiReviewForAdvisory(
+  env: Env,
+  args: {
+    settings: RepositorySettings;
+    advisory: Pick<Awaited<ReturnType<typeof buildPullRequestAdvisory>>, "headSha">;
+    repoFullName: string;
+    author: string | null;
+    confirmedContributor: boolean;
+    skipAiReview?: boolean | undefined;
+  },
+): Promise<boolean> {
+  const packAllowsAnyAuthorBlockingReview = args.settings.gatePack === "oss-anti-slop" && args.settings.aiReviewMode === "block";
+  if (args.skipAiReview || args.settings.aiReviewMode === "off" || (!args.confirmedContributor && !packAllowsAnyAuthorBlockingReview) || !args.advisory.headSha || !isEnabled(env.AI_SUMMARIES_ENABLED) || !isEnabled(env.AI_PUBLIC_COMMENTS_ENABLED) || !env.AI) return false;
+  return !(isReputationEnabled(env) && isConvergenceRepoAllowed(env, args.repoFullName) && (await shouldSkipAiForReputation(env, { project: args.repoFullName, submitter: args.author })));
+}
+
 export async function runAiReviewForAdvisory(
   env: Env,
   args: {
@@ -4281,10 +4299,15 @@ async function maybePublishPrPublicSurface(
       settings.contributorBlacklist,
     );
     const aiReviewWillRun =
-      !webhook.skipAiReview &&
-      settings.aiReviewMode !== "off" &&
-      Boolean(advisory.headSha) &&
-      !authorBlacklisted;
+      !authorBlacklisted &&
+      (await shouldStartAiReviewForAdvisory(env, {
+        settings,
+        advisory,
+        repoFullName,
+        author,
+        confirmedContributor,
+        skipAiReview: webhook.skipAiReview,
+      }));
     // Post a transient "🟪 reviewing…" placeholder BEFORE the AI runs so contributors see the bot
     // is actively working rather than silent. In-place upsert: once the final verdict is ready it
     // overwrites this comment. Best-effort — a failed post never aborts the review. (#reviewing-placeholder)
diff --git a/test/unit/ai-review-advisory.test.ts b/test/unit/ai-review-advisory.test.ts
index c548105569..417b3d3ae4 100644
--- a/test/unit/ai-review-advisory.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/ai-review-advisory.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
-import { buildAiReviewDiff, runAiReviewForAdvisory } from "../../src/queue/processors";
+import { buildAiReviewDiff, runAiReviewForAdvisory, shouldStartAiReviewForAdvisory } from "../../src/queue/processors";
 import { BEST_REVIEW_MODELS } from "../../src/services/ai-review";
 import { upsertRepositoryAiKey } from "../../src/db/repositories";
 import type { Advisory, PullRequestFileRecord, RepositorySettings } from "../../src/types";
@@ -66,6 +66,35 @@ function aiEnv(run: () => Promise<unknown>, flags = true) {
   });
 }
 
+describe("shouldStartAiReviewForAdvisory", () => {
+  const enabledEnv = () => aiEnv(async () => ({ response: notesOnlyJson() }));
+  const base = { settings: { aiReviewMode: "advisory", gatePack: "gittensor" } as RepositorySettings, advisory: advisory(), repoFullName: "acme/widgets", author: "alice", confirmedContributor: true };
+
+  it("matches the AI review entry gates before the reviewing placeholder is posted", async () => {
+    await expect(shouldStartAiReviewForAdvisory(enabledEnv(), base)).resolves.toBe(true);
+    await expect(shouldStartAiReviewForAdvisory(enabledEnv(), { ...base, skipAiReview: true })).resolves.toBe(false);
+    await expect(shouldStartAiReviewForAdvisory(enabledEnv(), { ...base, settings: { aiReviewMode: "off" } as RepositorySettings })).resolves.toBe(false);
+    await expect(shouldStartAiReviewForAdvisory(enabledEnv(), { ...base, confirmedContributor: false })).resolves.toBe(false);
+    await expect(shouldStartAiReviewForAdvisory(enabledEnv(), { ...base, settings: { aiReviewMode: "block", gatePack: "oss-anti-slop" } as RepositorySettings, confirmedContributor: false })).resolves.toBe(true);
+    const noSha = advisory();
+    delete (noSha as Partial<Advisory>).headSha;
+    await expect(shouldStartAiReviewForAdvisory(enabledEnv(), { ...base, advisory: noSha })).resolves.toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("does not start when AI comments are disabled or the Workers AI binding is unavailable", async () => {
+    const commentsDisabled = createTestEnv({ AI: { run: vi.fn() } as unknown as Ai, AI_SUMMARIES_ENABLED: "true", AI_PUBLIC_COMMENTS_ENABLED: "false" });
+    await expect(shouldStartAiReviewForAdvisory(commentsDisabled, base)).resolves.toBe(false);
+    const missingBinding = createTestEnv({ AI_SUMMARIES_ENABLED: "true", AI_PUBLIC_COMMENTS_ENABLED: "true" });
+    await expect(shouldStartAiReviewForAdvisory(missingBinding, base)).resolves.toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("does not start when the reputation gate downgrades the PR to deterministic-only", async () => {
+    const env = createTestEnv({ AI: { run: vi.fn() } as unknown as Ai, AI_SUMMARIES_ENABLED: "true", AI_PUBLIC_COMMENTS_ENABLED: "true", GITTENSORY_REVIEW_REPUTATION: "true", GITTENSORY_REVIEW_REPOS: "acme/widgets" });
+    await env.DB.prepare("INSERT INTO submitter_stats (project, submitter, submissions, merged, closed, manual, last_seen) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, CURRENT_TIMESTAMP)").bind("acme/widgets", "alice", 8, 0, 8, 0).run();
+    await expect(shouldStartAiReviewForAdvisory(env, base)).resolves.toBe(false);
+  });
+});
+
 describe("runAiReviewForAdvisory", () => {
   it("no-ops when aiReviewMode is off", async () => {
     const adv = advisory();
diff --git a/test/unit/queue.test.ts b/test/unit/queue.test.ts
index 0447fea8e3..6dca225356 100644
--- a/test/unit/queue.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/queue.test.ts
@@ -778,7 +778,8 @@ describe("queue processors", () => {
       autoLabelEnabled: false,
       checkRunMode: "off",
       gateCheckMode: "enabled",
-      aiReviewMode: "advisory",
+      aiReviewMode: "block",
+      gatePack: "oss-anti-slop",
     });
     const commentBodies: string[] = [];
     let firstCommentWasPlaceholder = false;
@@ -823,6 +824,55 @@ describe("queue processors", () => {
     expect(commentBodies.some((body) => !body.includes("is reviewing"))).toBe(true);
   });
 
+  it("does not post the 🟪 reviewing placeholder when public AI comments are disabled (regression)", async () => {
+    let aiCalls = 0;
+    const env = createTestEnv({
+      GITHUB_APP_PRIVATE_KEY: await generatePrivateKeyPem(),
+      AI: { run: async () => { aiCalls += 1; return { response: JSON.stringify({ assessment: "Looks fine.", blockers: [], nits: [], suggestions: [] }) }; } } as unknown as Ai,
+      AI_SUMMARIES_ENABLED: "true",
+      AI_PUBLIC_COMMENTS_ENABLED: "false",
+      AI_DAILY_NEURON_BUDGET: "100000",
+    });
+    await persistRegistrySnapshot(env, normalizeRegistryPayload({ "JSONbored/gittensory": { emission_share: 0.01, issue_discovery_share: 0 } }, { kind: "raw-github", url: "https://example.test" }, "2026-05-23T00:00:00.000Z"));
+    await upsertRepositoryFromGitHub(env, { name: "gittensory", full_name: "JSONbored/gittensory", private: false, owner: { login: "JSONbored" } }, 123);
+    await upsertRepositorySettings(env, { repoFullName: "JSONbored/gittensory", commentMode: "all_prs", publicSurface: "comment_only", autoLabelEnabled: false, checkRunMode: "off", gateCheckMode: "enabled", aiReviewMode: "advisory" });
+    const commentBodies: string[] = [];
+    vi.stubGlobal("fetch", async (input: RequestInfo | URL, init?: RequestInit) => {
+      const url = input.toString();
+      const method = init?.method ?? "GET";
+      if (url.includes("/access_tokens")) return Response.json({ token: "installation-token" });
+      if (url.includes("/pulls/8/files")) return Response.json([{ filename: "src/a.ts", status: "modified", additions: 1, deletions: 0, changes: 1, patch: "@@\n+export const ok = true;" }]);
+      if (url.endsWith("/pulls/8")) return Response.json({ number: 8, title: "Clean PR", state: "open", user: { login: "contributor" }, head: { sha: "a8" }, labels: [], body: "Closes #1" });
+      if (url.includes("/commits/a8/check-runs")) return Response.json({ total_count: 0, check_runs: [] });
+      if (url.includes("/commits/a8/status")) return Response.json({ state: "success", statuses: [] });
+      if (url.includes("/issues/1")) return Response.json({ number: 1, title: "Issue", state: "open", labels: [], user: { login: "reporter" } });
+      if (url.includes("/issues/8/comments") && method === "GET") return Response.json([]);
+      if (url.includes("/issues/8/comments") && method === "POST") {
+        commentBodies.push(String((JSON.parse(String(init?.body ?? "{}")) as { body?: string }).body ?? ""));
+        return Response.json({ id: 1 }, { status: 201 });
+      }
+      if (url.includes("/branches/")) return Response.json({ protected: false, protection: { required_status_checks: { contexts: [] } } });
+      return Response.json({});
+    });
+
+    await processJob(env, {
+      type: "github-webhook",
+      deliveryId: "reviewing-placeholder-disabled-ai",
+      eventName: "pull_request",
+      payload: {
+        action: "opened",
+        installation: { id: 123, account: { login: "JSONbored", id: 1, type: "User" } },
+        repository: { name: "gittensory", full_name: "JSONbored/gittensory", private: false, owner: { login: "JSONbored" } },
+        pull_request: { number: 8, title: "Clean PR", state: "open", user: { login: "contributor" }, head: { sha: "a8" }, labels: [], body: "Closes #1" },
+      },
+    });
+
+    expect(aiCalls).toBe(0);
+    expect(commentBodies.length).toBe(1);
+    expect(commentBodies[0]).not.toContain("is reviewing");
+    expect(commentBodies[0]).not.toContain("🟪");
+  });
+
   it("agent re-gate sweep re-reviews each stale open PR (installation id) and swallows a failing re-review", async () => {
     const env = createTestEnv({});
     await upsertInstallation(env, { action: "created", installation: { id: 9001, account: { login: "owner", id: 1, type: "Organization" }, target_type: "Organization", repository_selection: "selected", permissions: {}, events: [] } });