diff --git a/.github/workflows/cora-review.yml b/.github/workflows/cora-review.yml
index 039ba0b..5a221d2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cora-review.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cora-review.yml
@@ -24,14 +24,21 @@ jobs:
       # CORA_API_KEY (pull_request_target). A PR-supplied .cora.yaml could set
       # provider.base_url and exfiltrate the key. CORA_BASE_URL (env) always
       # takes precedence over project config, so require it to be pinned.
-      - name: Require pinned CORA_BASE_URL
+      - name: Require the review secrets
         env:
+          CORA_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.CORA_API_KEY }}
           CORA_BASE_URL: ${{ secrets.CORA_BASE_URL }}
+          CORA_MODEL: ${{ secrets.CORA_MODEL }}
         run: |
-          if [ -z "$CORA_BASE_URL" ]; then
-            echo "::error::Secret CORA_BASE_URL must be set so a PR-supplied .cora.yaml cannot redirect the API key."
-            exit 1
-          fi
+          # An empty secret must fail the job: a skipped or fallback review is not a pass.
+          missing=0
+          for name in CORA_API_KEY CORA_BASE_URL CORA_MODEL; do
+            if [ -z "${!name}" ]; then
+              echo "::error::Secret $name is empty or missing. Cora Review cannot run, and that must not pass silently."
+              missing=1
+            fi
+          done
+          exit "$missing"
 
       - name: Checkout PR head
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index e179a20..ee1f7dd 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@ code structure are in `AGENT.md`.
 - CI runs the same gates: `cargo fmt --all -- --check` and
   `cargo clippy --all-targets --features tree-sitter -- -D warnings`.
 - User-visible changes go under `## [Unreleased]` in `CHANGELOG.md`.
+- Before committing: review the staged diff (`cora review --staged`, or the
+  `/cora-review` skill) and run `scripts/setup-hooks.sh` once per clone so the
+  pre-commit hook enforces the same gates. Never `--no-verify` past a finding.
 
 ## Conventions enforced by CI
 
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index fcd9dcd..1d27a95 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ### Fixed
 
+- The `Cora Review` workflow now fails with an error naming each empty secret (`CORA_API_KEY`, `CORA_BASE_URL`, `CORA_MODEL`) instead of running without them.
 - The `Cora Review` job no longer gets cancelled on larger pull requests: its time limit is 30 minutes (the review action allows up to three LLM attempts of 10 minutes each).
 
 ## [0.19.0] - 2026-10-16
diff --git a/scripts/hooks/pre-commit b/scripts/hooks/pre-commit
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..21850a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/hooks/pre-commit
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Repo pre-commit hook: fmt, clippy (when Rust files are staged), then the cora gate.
+# Enable once per clone with scripts/setup-hooks.sh.
+set -uo pipefail
+
+CORA_BIN="${CORA_BIN:-cora}"
+
+if ! cargo fmt --all -- --check >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    echo "cargo fmt --all -- --check failed. Run: cargo fmt --all" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+if git diff --cached --name-only | grep -q '\.rs$'; then
+    if ! cargo clippy --all-targets --features tree-sitter -- -D warnings >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        echo "cargo clippy failed. Run it and fix the warnings before committing." >&2
+        exit 1
+    fi
+fi
+
+# Already reviewed (by an agent or by `cora review --staged`)? Then it passes.
+"$CORA_BIN" hook verify --quiet
+case $? in
+    0) exit 0 ;;
+    10)
+        echo "cora: the staged diff was reviewed and the verdict blocks the commit." >&2
+        exit 2
+        ;;
+esac
+
+"$CORA_BIN" review --staged --ci --severity major --format compact
+case $? in
+    0) exit 0 ;;
+    2)
+        echo "cora review found blocking issues. Do not use --no-verify to get past them." >&2
+        exit 2
+        ;;
+    *)
+        echo "cora review hit a tooling error. That is not a pass." >&2
+        exit 0
+        ;;
+esac
diff --git a/scripts/setup-hooks.sh b/scripts/setup-hooks.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..774c1ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/setup-hooks.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Point git at the committed hooks in scripts/hooks (once per clone).
+set -euo pipefail
+cd "$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)"
+chmod +x scripts/hooks/pre-commit
+git config core.hooksPath scripts/hooks
+echo "git hooks now come from scripts/hooks"