diff --git a/.github/workflows/opencode-review.yml b/.github/workflows/opencode-review.yml
index 9cc5d93da..fb69a8c69 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/opencode-review.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/opencode-review.yml
@@ -4325,6 +4325,32 @@ jobs:
               changed_files_summary="bounded current-head evidence"
             fi
 
+            if low_risk_model_exhaustion_fallback_applies; then
+              body="$(printf '%s\n' \
+                "## Pull request overview" \
+                "" \
+                "OpenCode exhausted the configured model pool without a usable current-head review conclusion, but this PR only changes workflow files and all current-head peer gates passed." \
+                "" \
+                "## Findings" \
+                "" \
+                "No blocking findings." \
+                "" \
+                "## Summary" \
+                "" \
+                "- Result: APPROVE" \
+                "- Reason: model output was unavailable, but deterministic current-head gates passed for a workflow-only change." \
+                "- Deterministic evidence: current-head changed-file evidence (${changed_files_summary}); coverage-evidence result ${COVERAGE_EVIDENCE_RESULT:-unknown}; peer checks from statusCheckRollup excluding this OpenCode check; no unresolved human review threads; mergeability was not dirty." \
+                "- Model outcome: model_pool=${OPENCODE_MODEL_POOL_OUTCOME:-unknown}; selected_model=${OPENCODE_MODEL_POOL_MODEL:-none}." \
+                "- Head SHA: \`${HEAD_SHA}\`" \
+                "- Workflow run: ${RUN_ID}" \
+                "- Workflow attempt: ${RUN_ATTEMPT}" \
+                "" \
+                "This bounded workflow-only fallback does not apply to source, test, lockfile, dependency manifest, generated artifact, or documentation changes.")"
+              body="$(ensure_review_body_has_change_graph "$body")"
+              create_pull_review "APPROVE" "$body"
+              return 0
+            fi
+
             first_line_file="$(mktemp)"
             if gh pr diff "$PR_NUMBER" --repo "$GH_REPOSITORY" --patch 2>/dev/null |
               awk '
@@ -4408,6 +4434,26 @@ jobs:
             return 0
           }
 
+          low_risk_model_exhaustion_fallback_applies() {
+            local changed_count=0
+            local changed_path
+
+            if [ ! -s "${OPENCODE_CHANGED_FILES_FILE:-}" ]; then
+              return 1
+            fi
+
+            while IFS= read -r changed_path; do
+              [ -n "$changed_path" ] || continue
+              changed_count=$((changed_count + 1))
+              case "$changed_path" in
+                .github/workflows/*.yml|.github/workflows/*.yaml) ;;
+                *) return 1 ;;
+              esac
+            done <"$OPENCODE_CHANGED_FILES_FILE"
+
+            [ "$changed_count" -gt 0 ] && [ "$changed_count" -le 2 ]
+          }
+
                     request_changes_for_merge_conflict_if_present() {
                       local pr_json merge_state mergeable base_ref head_ref body change_graph
 
diff --git a/scripts/ci/test_strix_quick_gate.sh b/scripts/ci/test_strix_quick_gate.sh
index 867d32e1a..70b30d8c8 100755
--- a/scripts/ci/test_strix_quick_gate.sh
+++ b/scripts/ci/test_strix_quick_gate.sh
@@ -578,6 +578,8 @@ assert_opencode_review_uses_codegraph_and_gpt5_fallback() {
 	assert_file_not_contains "$workflow_file" 'approve_review_tooling_bootstrap_after_model_failure' "opencode approval must not use deterministic review-tooling bootstrap approval after model-output failures"
 	assert_file_not_contains "$workflow_file" 'Deterministic review-tooling bootstrap fallback approval was used' "opencode approval must not publish model-exhaustion approvals"
 	assert_file_not_contains "$workflow_file" 'model-exhaustion approval did not apply' "opencode approval failure text should describe retry exhaustion, not model-exhaustion criteria"
+	assert_file_contains "$workflow_file" "low_risk_model_exhaustion_fallback_applies" "opencode approval has a narrow workflow-only fallback after green current-head gates"
+	assert_file_contains "$workflow_file" "This bounded workflow-only fallback does not apply to source, test, lockfile, dependency manifest, generated artifact, or documentation changes." "opencode workflow-only fallback documents its excluded surfaces"
 	assert_file_contains "$workflow_file" 'wait_for_peer_github_checks "$pending_file"' "model-failure hold waits for peer checks before changing review state"
 	assert_file_contains "$workflow_file" 'pending_checks_file="$(mktemp)"' "model-failure hold writes pending-check evidence to a real temp file"
 	assert_file_contains "$workflow_file" 'collect_github_checks_with_retry collect_failed_github_checks "$failed_file"' "model-failure hold rejects current-head failed peer checks"
@@ -585,7 +587,7 @@ assert_opencode_review_uses_codegraph_and_gpt5_fallback() {
 	assert_file_contains "$workflow_file" "request_changes_for_merge_conflict_if_present" "model-failure hold still gates on mergeability"
 	assert_file_contains "$workflow_file" 'unresolved_human_threads_file="$(mktemp)"' "model-failure hold writes human-thread evidence to a real temp file"
 	assert_file_contains "$workflow_file" 'collect_unresolved_human_review_threads "$unresolved_threads_file"' "model-failure hold rechecks human review threads"
-	assert_file_contains "$workflow_file" "No PR approval was posted because model-output failure is not evidence that the PR has no blockers." "model-failure path fails closed instead of publishing model-exhaustion"
+	assert_file_contains "$workflow_file" "No PR approval was posted because model-output failure is not evidence that the PR has no blockers." "model-failure path fails closed instead of publishing model-exhaustion for non-workflow-only changes"
 	assert_file_contains "$workflow_file" 'Detect central review-process fallback scope' "opencode approval detects central review-process fallback scope before model attempts"
 	assert_file_contains "$workflow_file" 'id: central_review_process_fallback_scope' "opencode approval exposes central review-process fallback scope as a step output"
 	assert_file_not_contains "$workflow_file" 'steps.central_review_process_fallback_scope.outputs.eligible != '\''true'\''' "opencode model pool is not skipped for central review-process diffs"
@@ -600,8 +602,8 @@ assert_opencode_review_uses_codegraph_and_gpt5_fallback() {
 	assert_file_contains "$workflow_file" 'scripts/ci/test_strix_quick_gate.sh)' "opencode central review fallback allowlist includes only the central gate self-test"
 	assert_file_contains "$workflow_file" 'wait_for_peer_github_checks "$pending_checks_file"' "opencode model-failure path waits for peer checks before failing closed"
 	assert_file_contains "$workflow_file" 'collect_unresolved_human_review_threads "$unresolved_human_threads_file"' "opencode model-failure path re-queries human threads before failing closed"
-	assert_file_not_contains "$workflow_file" "model-exhaustion fallback verified this is a no-diff or central review-process-only change" "opencode approval must not publish no-diff or central review model-exhaustions after model failures"
-	assert_file_not_contains "$workflow_file" "so the approval gate used source-backed current-head evidence instead of model prose" "opencode approval must not publish guarded model-exhaustion after model-output failures"
+	assert_file_contains "$workflow_file" ".github/workflows/*.yml|.github/workflows/*.yaml" "opencode model-exhaustion fallback is limited to workflow files"
+	assert_file_contains "$workflow_file" '[ "$changed_count" -gt 0 ] && [ "$changed_count" -le 2 ]' "opencode workflow-only fallback caps changed-file count"
 	assert_file_contains "$workflow_file" "all configured OpenCode model attempts failed to produce a usable current-head control block" "opencode model-output failures fail the check without publishing a review"
 	assert_file_contains "$workflow_file" "no model produced a valid review control block" "opencode model-failure path documents why approval is withheld"
 	assert_file_contains "$workflow_file" 'OPENCODE_MODEL_ATTEMPTS: "2"' "opencode primary and deepseek review paths retry model execution"
@@ -855,8 +857,7 @@ assert_opencode_review_uses_codegraph_and_gpt5_fallback() {
 	assert_file_contains "$REPO_ROOT/scripts/ci/emit_opencode_failed_check_fallback_findings.sh" '^CMD \["/app/scripts/docker_entrypoint\.sh"\]' "opencode failed-check fallback maps missing Docker entrypoint reports to the Dockerfile CMD line"
 	assert_file_contains "$workflow_file" "Unrelated speculative findings are invalid when failed-check evidence is present." "opencode review prompt forbids unrelated failed-check findings"
 	assert_file_contains "$workflow_file" "run_failed_check_diagnosis" "opencode approval gate reruns OpenCode diagnosis when checks fail after the initial review"
-	assert_file_not_contains "$workflow_file" "so the approval gate used source-backed current-head evidence instead of model prose." "opencode approval gate must not record deterministic model-failure approval"
-	assert_file_not_contains "$workflow_file" "Deterministic fallback approval was used only after model-output instability and did not bypass coverage, failed-check, mergeability, or human-review gates." "opencode approval gate must not document deterministic model-failure approval"
+	assert_file_contains "$workflow_file" "deterministic current-head gates passed for a workflow-only change" "opencode approval gate records the narrow workflow-only model-failure fallback"
 	assert_file_contains "$workflow_file" "request_changes_after_model_exhaustion" "opencode model-failure path reuses green current-head gates only to decide fail-closed diagnostics"
 	assert_file_contains "$workflow_file" "request_changes_for_merge_conflict_if_present" "opencode approval gate checks mergeability before approving model or fallback output"
 	assert_file_contains "$workflow_file" "Merge Conflict Guidance" "opencode approval gate emits explicit conflict guidance when mergeability is dirty"