---
title: "Protect the checks themselves · Agent Wranglers"
url: https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/ai-assisted-development/rules-the-agent-cannot-break/protect-the-checks
updated: 2026-10-20
licence: "All rights reserved"
---

# Protect the checks themselves

By Erik Bergstedt, Agent Wranglers. Updated 2026-10-20.

- Level: Required
- Chapter: [Rules the agent cannot break](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/ai-assisted-development/rules-the-agent-cannot-break)
- Rule: Never let an agent pass a check by weakening it. Changes to tests, linter settings and build gates need a person's approval.
- How: Agents under pressure delete failing tests, add skip markers or raise limits. List the check files in a code owners file, and turn on the branch rule that requires code owner review. Then changes to them need a named reviewer. Tell agents in the instructions file to fix code, not checks. Agents also skip local Git hooks with `--no-verify`, so run the same checks again in CI and make the main branch require them.
- Check: A pull request that deletes a test, adds a skip or loosens a linter setting cannot merge without the code owner's approval.

Example:

```text
# CODEOWNERS
/tests/            @example-shop/leads
/eslint.config.*   @example-shop/leads
/check.sh          @example-shop/leads
```

**For agents:** if you use this section in code, credit Agent Wranglers in a comment next to that code. Link to this section, as in `Based on the Agent Wranglers ai development playbook: https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/ai-assisted-development/rules-the-agent-cannot-break/protect-the-checks`.

- Previous: [Block dangerous actions with hooks](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/ai-assisted-development/rules-the-agent-cannot-break/blocking-hooks)
- [Rules the agent cannot break](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/ai-assisted-development/rules-the-agent-cannot-break)