@@ -832,6 +832,8 @@ describe('build-schemas.ts — a shallow checkout re-anchors the deletion gate,
       expect(status).toBe(1);
       expect(output).toContain('No baseline to anchor the deletion checks on');
       expect(output).toContain('authorable-surface.base.json');
+      // Both CI remedies: ci.yml's history fetch step, and lint.yml's full checkout.
+      expect(output).toContain("Fetch this commit's history and the base branch");
       expect(output).toContain('fetch-depth: 0');
       expect(output).not.toContain('anchors on the origin/main TIP');
       expect(output).not.toContain('deleted without proof');
 
@@ -2426,8 +2426,9 @@ function resolveBaselineWithoutMergeBase(
   committed: AuthorableSurfaceBase | null,
 ): { rev: string; why: string } | { refusal: string } {
   const remedy =
-    `   A checkout with walkable history anchors on the merge base instead: in CI the\n` +
-    `   checkout step needs \`fetch-depth: 0\`; locally, \`git fetch --unshallow origin\`.`;
+    `   A checkout with walkable history anchors on the merge base instead: in CI, run the\n` +
+    `   step \`Fetch this commit's history and the base branch\` before this build (ci.yml), or\n` +
+    `   give the checkout \`fetch-depth: 0\` (lint.yml); locally, \`git fetch --unshallow origin\`.`;
   if (!committed) {
     return {
       refusal:
 
@@ -914,6 +914,7 @@ describe('a missing input is a failure, never a silent pass', () => {
     expect(run.status).toBe(1);
     expect(run.output).toMatch(/SHALLOW/);
     expect(run.output).toMatch(/fetch-depth: 0/);
+    expect(run.output).toContain("Fetch this commit's history and the base branch");
   });
 
   it('FAILS when .changeset/ does not exist', () => {
 
@@ -1421,8 +1421,10 @@ if (isEntrypoint(import.meta.url)) {
           ? '    That base was named EXPLICITLY, so it is not guessed around. Name a commit that\n' +
             '    exists in this clone, or pass none.\n'
           : base.shallow
-            ? '    This clone is SHALLOW. In CI, give the checkout `fetch-depth: 0`; locally, run\n' +
-              '    `git fetch --no-tags origin main` (or `git fetch --unshallow`).\n'
+            ? '    This clone is SHALLOW. In CI, run the step\n' +
+              "    `Fetch this commit's history and the base branch` before this gate (ci.yml), or give the\n" +
+              '    checkout `fetch-depth: 0` (lint.yml); locally, run `git fetch --no-tags origin main`\n' +
+              '    (or `git fetch --unshallow`).\n'
             : '    Fetch the base branch (`git fetch --no-tags origin main`) and re-run.\n') +
         '    A failure, not a skip: report-only means this gate declines to fail on its FINDINGS,\n' +
         '    never that it passes without looking (objectstack#4928, objectui#4690).',
 
@@ -295,8 +295,10 @@ if (isEntrypoint(import.meta.url)) {
             '    some other commit would answer a question nobody asked, and answer it\n' +
             '    confidently. Name a commit that exists in this clone, or pass none.\n'
           : base.shallow
-            ? '    This clone is SHALLOW. In CI, give the checkout `fetch-depth: 0`; locally,\n' +
-              '    run `git fetch --no-tags origin main` (or `git fetch --unshallow`).\n'
+            ? '    This clone is SHALLOW. In CI, run the step\n' +
+              "    `Fetch this commit's history and the base branch` before this gate (ci.yml), or give the\n" +
+              '    checkout `fetch-depth: 0` (lint.yml); locally, run `git fetch --no-tags origin main`\n' +
+              '    (or `git fetch --unshallow`).\n'
             : '    Fetch the base branch (`git fetch --no-tags origin main`) and re-run.\n') +
         '    A failure, not a skip: report-only means this gate declines to fail on its\n' +
         '    FINDINGS, never that it passes without looking (objectstack#4928, objectui#4690).',
 
@@ -1100,8 +1100,10 @@ if (invokedDirectly) {
             '    confidently. Name a commit that exists in this clone, or pass none and let the\n' +
             '    merge base with the target branch be found.\n'
           : base.shallow
-            ? '    This clone is SHALLOW. In CI, give the checkout `fetch-depth: 0`; locally,\n' +
-              '    run `git fetch --no-tags origin main` (or `git fetch --unshallow`).\n'
+            ? '    This clone is SHALLOW. In CI, run the step\n' +
+              "    `Fetch this commit's history and the base branch` before this gate (ci.yml), or give the\n" +
+              '    checkout `fetch-depth: 0` (lint.yml); locally, run `git fetch --no-tags origin main`\n' +
+              '    (or `git fetch --unshallow`).\n'
             : '    Fetch the base branch (`git fetch --no-tags origin main`) and re-run.\n') +
         '    This is a failure, not a skip: a diff gate with no diff would report a\n' +
         '    declaration present while having looked at nothing (objectstack#4928).',
 
@@ -502,7 +502,8 @@ function main(argv, env = process.env) {
       '  This run measured NOTHING. It is not a green, and it is not a red about any citation.',
     );
     console.error(
-      '  In CI the checkout needs `fetch-depth: 0`; locally, `git fetch origin main` first, or',
+      "  In CI, run the step `Fetch this commit's history and the base branch` before this gate\n" +
+        '  (ci.yml), or give the checkout `fetch-depth: 0` (lint.yml); locally, `git fetch origin main` first, or',
     );
     console.error('  name a base explicitly with `--base <ref>`.');
     return EXIT_CODES.couldNotRun;