diff --git a/.quality.exs b/.quality.exs
index 6b0ce56..eac82a1 100644
--- a/.quality.exs
+++ b/.quality.exs
@@ -23,6 +23,15 @@
   compile: [
     warnings_as_errors: true
   ],
+
+  # Check-mode, not reformat-mode (sui-b5y, fleet-wide decision 2026-08-22):
+  # a gate that rewrites drifting files cannot report drift as a finding, so
+  # unformatted code would pass instead of going red. Drift fails the stage;
+  # run `mix format` yourself before committing.
+  format: [
+    check: true
+  ],
+
   credo: [
     strict: true
   ],
diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index ee3c679..17db44a 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -145,9 +145,11 @@ mix quality                  # full gate: + dialyzer, deps audit, coverage floor
 mix test                     # just the suite
 ```
 
-Full `mix quality` must be green before any commit. The gate formats your code
-for you - do not run `mix format` as a separate step. The gate is deliberately
-smaller than statifier-ex's; `.quality.exs` records why.
+Full `mix quality` must be green before any commit. The format stage runs in
+check mode (`format: [check: true]` in `.quality.exs`, sp-987): drift fails
+the gate and nothing is rewritten, so run `mix format` yourself before
+committing. The gate is deliberately smaller than statifier-ex's;
+`.quality.exs` records why.
 
 <!-- usage-rules-start -->
 ## ExQuality (`mix quality`)
diff --git a/mix.exs b/mix.exs
index 0da7aed..e486ce4 100644
--- a/mix.exs
+++ b/mix.exs
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ defmodule StatifierPersistence.MixProject do
       {:ecto_sql, "~> 3.10", optional: true},
 
       # Dev / test
-      {:ex_quality, "~> 0.13", only: :dev, runtime: false},
+      {:ex_quality, "~> 0.14", only: :dev, runtime: false},
       {:credo, "~> 1.7", only: [:dev, :test], runtime: false},
       {:dialyxir, "~> 1.4", only: [:dev, :test], runtime: false},
       {:excoveralls, "~> 0.18", only: :test},
diff --git a/mix.lock b/mix.lock
index de37431..47c1d6d 100644
--- a/mix.lock
+++ b/mix.lock
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
   "ecto_sql": {:hex, :ecto_sql, "3.14.0", "06446ab8410d2f85bfbb80857ee224ab3b693700cbb38f6535d507449a627b2e", [:mix], [{:db_connection, "~> 2.9", [hex: :db_connection, repo: "hexpm", optional: false]}, {:decimal, "~> 3.0", [hex: :decimal, repo: "hexpm", optional: false]}, {:ecto, "~> 3.14.0", [hex: :ecto, repo: "hexpm", optional: false]}, {:myxql, "~> 0.8", [hex: :myxql, repo: "hexpm", optional: true]}, {:postgrex, "~> 0.19 or ~> 1.0", [hex: :postgrex, repo: "hexpm", optional: true]}, {:tds, "~> 2.1.1 or ~> 2.2", [hex: :tds, repo: "hexpm", optional: true]}, {:telemetry, "~> 0.4.0 or ~> 1.0", [hex: :telemetry, repo: "hexpm", optional: false]}], "hexpm", "f4d8d36faf294c9417b5a37ec7ac8217ee2abdef5fcf197ba690f361548d3949"},
   "erlex": {:hex, :erlex, "0.2.9", "7debbbaa9f4f368b8cd648983e0f1d7963028508e9c59e9d4ed504e94ef52a55", [:mix], [], "hexpm", "8cfffc0ec7159e6d73de2ab28a588064de80f88b2798d5cbe4482cbbc200178b"},
   "ex_doc": {:hex, :ex_doc, "0.40.3", "4a972ffe64bc07dc605af487e98fc19b72a4185f55ca031b94c0552d6071c1d9", [:mix], [{:earmark_parser, "~> 1.4.44", [hex: :earmark_parser, repo: "hexpm", optional: false]}, {:makeup_c, ">= 0.1.0", [hex: :makeup_c, repo: "hexpm", optional: true]}, {:makeup_elixir, "~> 0.14 or ~> 1.0", [hex: :makeup_elixir, repo: "hexpm", optional: false]}, {:makeup_erlang, "~> 0.1 or ~> 1.0", [hex: :makeup_erlang, repo: "hexpm", optional: false]}, {:makeup_html, ">= 0.1.0", [hex: :makeup_html, repo: "hexpm", optional: true]}], "hexpm", "2756e357742fecd9749b489b85d67c9ce99c465f2e75728d9e6dc8d704b973de"},
-  "ex_quality": {:hex, :ex_quality, "0.13.0", "dbe2dc02d40d7c6007d1808e677fbef34db1d1370f4814d10c6b8e46bae4cc43", [:mix], [{:jason, "~> 1.4", [hex: :jason, repo: "hexpm", optional: false]}], "hexpm", "8dfc1df8b2fe5dcfff6073cd60303a09a2745a47e6b91143db32e72949dab0d2"},
+  "ex_quality": {:hex, :ex_quality, "0.14.0", "702ed122c85c1d1f1dca2efab60871884e9ba6aefc492f334da51a8175543cc6", [:mix], [{:jason, "~> 1.4", [hex: :jason, repo: "hexpm", optional: false]}], "hexpm", "ac8553e6b7a6a35ada03ef748530db2c5871d69427d74a634fd37afdeabf7e24"},
   "excoveralls": {:hex, :excoveralls, "0.18.5", "e229d0a65982613332ec30f07940038fe451a2e5b29bce2a5022165f0c9b157e", [:mix], [{:castore, "~> 1.0", [hex: :castore, repo: "hexpm", optional: true]}, {:jason, "~> 1.0", [hex: :jason, repo: "hexpm", optional: false]}], "hexpm", "523fe8a15603f86d64852aab2abe8ddbd78e68579c8525ae765facc5eae01562"},
   "file_system": {:hex, :file_system, "1.1.1", "31864f4685b0148f25bd3fbef2b1228457c0c89024ad67f7a81a3ffbc0bbad3a", [:mix], [], "hexpm", "7a15ff97dfe526aeefb090a7a9d3d03aa907e100e262a0f8f7746b78f8f87a5d"},
   "jason": {:hex, :jason, "1.4.5", "2e3a008590b0b8d7388c20293e9dcc9cf3e5d642fd2a114e4cbbb52e595d940a", [:mix], [{:decimal, "~> 1.0 or ~> 2.0 or ~> 3.0", [hex: :decimal, repo: "hexpm", optional: true]}], "hexpm", "b0c823996102bcd0239b3c2444eb00409b72f6a140c1950bc8b457d836b30684"},