diff --git a/__tests__/integration/app.test.js b/__tests__/integration/app.test.js
index 2b68486..c6556f7 100644
--- a/__tests__/integration/app.test.js
+++ b/__tests__/integration/app.test.js
@@ -252,6 +252,79 @@ describe('app', () => {
     _setConfigForTesting({});
   });
 
+  // =========================================================================
+  // chatops_repo enforcement — slash commands only honoured in admin repo
+  // =========================================================================
+  describe('issue_comment.created chatops_repo gate', () => {
+    function ctx(repoFullName, body) {
+      const [o, r] = repoFullName.split('/');
+      const octokit = createMockOctokit();
+      return {
+        id: 'delivery-chatops',
+        log: { info: jest.fn(), warn: jest.fn(), error: jest.fn() },
+        octokit,
+        payload: {
+          comment: { body },
+          repository: { full_name: repoFullName, name: r, owner: { login: o } },
+          sender: { login: 'avrabe' },
+          issue: { number: 1 }
+        }
+      };
+    }
+
+    it('honours commands from the designated chatops repo', async () => {
+      _setConfigForTesting({
+        chatops_repo: { enabled: true, repo: 'pulseengine/temper-ops' },
+        allowed_command_users: ['avrabe']
+      });
+      const { handlers } = setupApp();
+      configureRepository.mockResolvedValue({ success: true });
+
+      await handlers['issue_comment.created'](ctx('pulseengine/temper-ops', '/configure-repo'));
+
+      expect(configureRepository).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
+    it('silently ignores slash commands from any other repo', async () => {
+      _setConfigForTesting({
+        chatops_repo: { enabled: true, repo: 'pulseengine/temper-ops' },
+        allowed_command_users: ['avrabe']
+      });
+      const { handlers } = setupApp();
+
+      const c = ctx('pulseengine/some-public-repo', '/configure-repo');
+      await handlers['issue_comment.created'](c);
+
+      expect(configureRepository).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+      // Critically: no comment posted back. Silence in public repos.
+      expect(c.octokit.issues.createComment).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
+    it('does not gate non-command comments (only / triggers are gated)', async () => {
+      _setConfigForTesting({
+        chatops_repo: { enabled: true, repo: 'pulseengine/temper-ops' }
+      });
+      const { handlers } = setupApp();
+
+      const c = ctx('pulseengine/some-public-repo', 'just chatting, no command');
+      await handlers['issue_comment.created'](c);
+      // Plain comments from any repo are still silently dropped (no command
+      // matched), and no error is raised.
+      expect(c.octokit.issues.createComment).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
+    it('falls back to honouring all repos when chatops_repo is disabled (legacy default)', async () => {
+      _setConfigForTesting({
+        allowed_command_users: ['avrabe']
+      });
+      const { handlers } = setupApp();
+      configureRepository.mockResolvedValue({ success: true });
+
+      await handlers['issue_comment.created'](ctx('pulseengine/anywhere', '/configure-repo'));
+      expect(configureRepository).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+  });
+
   // =========================================================================
   // issues.opened — controller repo / issue-driven provisioning
   // =========================================================================
diff --git a/config.yml b/config.yml
index d201e50..d6da25f 100644
--- a/config.yml
+++ b/config.yml
@@ -63,6 +63,16 @@ controller_repo:
   # Reaction approvers must add to authorise provisioning.
   approval_reaction: "+1"
 
+# ChatOps surface restriction. When enabled, ALL slash commands
+# (/configure-repo, /sync-all-repos, /review-pr, etc.) are silently ignored
+# from any repo other than the designated `repo`. Combined with making
+# `repo` private, the entire command-and-control conversation stays out of
+# public view. Bot-initiated configuration PRs in public repos are still
+# public — this only hides the *triggers*.
+chatops_repo:
+  enabled: false
+  repo: pulseengine/temper-ops
+
 # Configuration changes (dependabot.yml, templates, CODEOWNERS) are applied via
 # pull request rather than direct push. Required because branch protection
 # (PR #19) blocks direct commits to default branches.
diff --git a/src/app.js b/src/app.js
index 6d2984f..f98074b 100644
--- a/src/app.js
+++ b/src/app.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import path from 'path';
 import fs from 'node:fs';
 import { fileURLToPath } from 'url';
 import { createDashboardHandler, DEPLOY_SHA } from './dashboard.js';
-import { getConfig, getControllerRepoConfig } from './config.js';
+import { getConfig, getControllerRepoConfig, getChatopsRepoConfig } from './config.js';
 import { getLogger, setLogger } from './logger.js';
 import { configureRepository } from './repository.js';
 import {
@@ -310,6 +310,20 @@ function registerApp(app, options = {}) {
     const commandBody = comment.body.trim();
     const owner = repository.owner.login;
     const repo = repository.name;
+
+    // ChatOps surface restriction: when enabled, slash commands are only
+    // honoured in the designated admin repo. Comments from any other repo
+    // are silently ignored — no log, no reply, no bot footprint in public
+    // repos. The actual repo configuration changes still happen in their
+    // target repos; this only restricts where the *triggers* can come from.
+    const chatopsCfg = getChatopsRepoConfig();
+    if (chatopsCfg?.enabled && chatopsCfg?.repo && commandBody.startsWith('/')) {
+      const fullName = `${owner}/${repo}`;
+      if (fullName !== chatopsCfg.repo) {
+        if (deliveryId) markProcessed(deliveryId);
+        return;
+      }
+    }
     const issueNumber = context.payload.issue.number;
     const senderLogin = sender.login;
 
diff --git a/src/config.js b/src/config.js
index df2dd39..f562382 100644
--- a/src/config.js
+++ b/src/config.js
@@ -160,6 +160,10 @@ export function getControllerRepoConfig() {
   return config?.controller_repo || { enabled: false };
 }
 
+export function getChatopsRepoConfig() {
+  return config?.chatops_repo || { enabled: false };
+}
+
 export function getRequiredSignaturesFlag(protectionConfig = {}) {
   if (typeof protectionConfig.require_signed_commits === 'boolean') {
     return protectionConfig.require_signed_commits;
diff --git a/src/schema.js b/src/schema.js
index c2a1d2b..5d38aeb 100644
--- a/src/schema.js
+++ b/src/schema.js
@@ -171,6 +171,20 @@ export function validateConfig(config) {
     }
   }
 
+  if (config.chatops_repo !== undefined) {
+    const cr = config.chatops_repo;
+    if (typeof cr !== 'object' || cr === null) {
+      errors.push('chatops_repo must be an object');
+    } else {
+      if (cr.enabled !== undefined && typeof cr.enabled !== 'boolean') {
+        errors.push('chatops_repo.enabled must be a boolean');
+      }
+      if (cr.enabled && (typeof cr.repo !== 'string' || !cr.repo.includes('/'))) {
+        errors.push('chatops_repo.repo must be "owner/repo" when enabled');
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
   if (config.rivet_oracle !== undefined) {
     const ro = config.rivet_oracle;
     if (typeof ro !== 'object' || ro === null) {