diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index e2d6567..8e2a6c7 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ Slash commands users invoke (e.g., `/discover`, `/review`, `/deploy`). Defined i
 
 ### Hooks
 
-Automation hooks in `hooks/hooks.json`. `PostToolUse` runs validation after Write/Edit operations. `PreToolUse` runs `pr-op-gate`, which measures the body of a `gh pr|issue create|edit` call against the `pr-conventions` bar and denies the call when it misses.
+Automation hooks in `hooks/hooks.json`. `PostToolUse` runs validation after Write/Edit operations. `PreToolUse` runs `pr-op-gate`, which measures the body of a `gh pr|issue create|edit` call against the `pr-conventions` bar. A create must meet the bar; an edit is scored against the body already posted and denied only where it comes out worse.
 
 ### Pipeline
 
diff --git a/plugins/datum-platform/.claude-plugin/plugin.json b/plugins/datum-platform/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
index db5ba88..f2b5a81 100644
--- a/plugins/datum-platform/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
+++ b/plugins/datum-platform/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "datum-platform",
   "description": "Kubernetes platform engineering automation with aggregated API servers, controller patterns, GitOps deployment, and platform capabilities",
-  "version": "1.10.0",
+  "version": "1.11.0",
   "author": {
     "name": "Datum Cloud",
     "url": "https://github.com/datum-cloud"
diff --git a/plugins/datum-platform/hooks/pr-op-gate b/plugins/datum-platform/hooks/pr-op-gate
index 8b4c0c4..f5e43f0 100755
--- a/plugins/datum-platform/hooks/pr-op-gate
+++ b/plugins/datum-platform/hooks/pr-op-gate
@@ -2,8 +2,11 @@
 # PreToolUse gate for `gh pr|issue create|edit`.
 #
 # Measures the body being posted against the countable rules in the
-# pr-conventions skill and denies the call when it misses them. Style guidance
-# that cannot be counted rides along as advisory context.
+# pr-conventions skill. A create is measured against an empty baseline, so it
+# has to meet the bar outright. An edit is measured against the body already
+# posted and is refused only on dimensions where it scores worse, so a state
+# update to a post written before the convention, or by someone else, passes.
+# Style guidance that cannot be counted rides along as advisory context.
 
 set -uo pipefail
 
@@ -11,6 +14,10 @@ INPUT=$(cat)
 COMMAND=$(printf '%s' "$INPUT" | jq -r '.tool_input.command // empty')
 
 [[ "$COMMAND" =~ gh[[:space:]]+(pr|issue)[[:space:]]+(create|edit) ]] || exit 0
+KIND="${BASH_REMATCH[1]}"
+VERB="${BASH_REMATCH[2]}"
+
+DIMENSIONS=9
 
 ADVICE='Writing rules for this body (datum-platform:pr-conventions): cut every word carrying no fact; short word over long; active over passive; one idea per paragraph; many short paragraphs over one dense block; no "simply"/"just"/"easily"; no em dashes, no "load-bearing", no "gotchas"; an ordered list rather than arrows for a sequence; say it once, so anything already in the linked issue gets linked, not restated. Depth belongs in a comment or the commit message.'
 
@@ -50,16 +57,10 @@ extract_body() {
   printf '%s' "$COMMAND" | sed -n -E "s/.*(--body|-b)[= ]+'([^']*)'.*/\2/p" | head -1
 }
 
-BODY=$(extract_body)
-
-if [ -z "${BODY//[[:space:]]/}" ]; then
-  emit "$ADVICE"
-  exit 0
-fi
-
-VIOLATIONS=$(printf '%s\n' "$BODY" | LC_ALL=C awk \
-  -v wide="$(printf '\xf0\x9f')" -v narrow="$(printf '\xe2')" \
-  -v emdash="$(printf '\xe2\x80\x94')" '
+measure() {
+  LC_ALL=C awk \
+    -v wide="$(printf '\xf0\x9f')" -v narrow="$(printf '\xe2')" \
+    -v emdash="$(printf '\xe2\x80\x94')" '
 function flush_para(   i, n, wrapped) {
   n = para_n
   para_n = 0
@@ -128,24 +129,210 @@ END {
   gsub(/e\.g\.|i\.e\.|etc\.|vs\./, "", summary)
   sentences = gsub(/[.!?]+([ \t]|$)/, "&", summary) + bullets
   if (boxes == 0) boxes = other_boxes
+  if (!has_heading) sentences = 0
 
-  if (has_heading && sentences > 4) printf "- Summary runs %d sentences against a cap of 4. Cut it to the problem, then what changes for users or operators.\n", sentences
-  if (boxes > 4) printf "- Test plan has %d checkboxes against a cap of 4. Collapse build/lint/test rows into one and keep behavioral outcomes only.\n", boxes
-  if (code) print "- Body names file paths, identifiers, or tool invocations. Those belong in a comment or the commit message, not the opening post."
-  if (closes) print "- Body uses a Closes keyword. Use Fixes or Resolves when the merge should close the issue, Related to when it should not."
-  if (emoji) print "- Body uses an emoji heading. Use GitHub callout syntax for emphasis instead."
-  if (hardwrap) print "- Body hard-wraps prose at a fixed column. GitHub reflows Markdown, so wrap only where syntax needs it."
-  if (emdashes) printf "- Body uses %d em dash(es). Replace each with a period, a comma, or nothing.\n", emdashes
-  if (loadbearing) print "- Body says load-bearing. Name the dependency instead: what relies on the thing, and what breaks without it."
-  if (gotchas) print "- Body says gotchas. Use caveats, watch-outs, constraints, or limitations, in headings too."
+  printf "sentences\t%d\n", sentences
+  printf "boxes\t%d\n", boxes
+  printf "code\t%d\n", (code ? 1 : 0)
+  printf "closes\t%d\n", (closes ? 1 : 0)
+  printf "emoji\t%d\n", (emoji ? 1 : 0)
+  printf "hardwrap\t%d\n", (hardwrap ? 1 : 0)
+  printf "emdashes\t%d\n", emdashes
+  printf "loadbearing\t%d\n", (loadbearing ? 1 : 0)
+  printf "gotchas\t%d\n", (gotchas ? 1 : 0)
+}
+'
 }
-')
+
+compare() {
+  awk -F'\t' -v mode="$1" -v want="$DIMENSIONS" '
+function over(v, cap) { return (v > cap) ? v - cap : 0 }
+function worse(d, cap) { return over(cur[d], cap) > over(base[d], cap) }
+
+FNR == NR { base[$1] = $2; basen++; next }
+{ cur[$1] = $2; curn++ }
+
+END {
+  if (basen != want || curn != want) {
+    print "gate could not measure both bodies on all " want " dimensions" > "/dev/stderr"
+    exit 3
+  }
+
+  if (worse("sentences", 4)) {
+    if (mode == "edit")
+      printf "- Edit takes the summary from %d to %d sentences, against a cap of 4. Bring it back to the count you found.\n", base["sentences"], cur["sentences"]
+    else
+      printf "- Summary runs %d sentences against a cap of 4. Cut it to the problem, then what changes for users or operators.\n", cur["sentences"]
+  }
+  if (worse("boxes", 4)) {
+    if (mode == "edit")
+      printf "- Edit takes the test plan from %d to %d checkboxes, against a cap of 4.\n", base["boxes"], cur["boxes"]
+    else
+      printf "- Test plan has %d checkboxes against a cap of 4. Collapse build/lint/test rows into one and keep behavioral outcomes only.\n", cur["boxes"]
+  }
+  if (worse("code", 0)) {
+    if (mode == "edit")
+      print "- Edit adds file paths, identifiers, or tool invocations the posted body does not carry. Those belong in a comment or the commit message."
+    else
+      print "- Body names file paths, identifiers, or tool invocations. Those belong in a comment or the commit message, not the opening post."
+  }
+  if (worse("closes", 0)) {
+    if (mode == "edit")
+      print "- Edit adds a Closes keyword. Use Fixes or Resolves when the merge should close the issue, Related to when it should not."
+    else
+      print "- Body uses a Closes keyword. Use Fixes or Resolves when the merge should close the issue, Related to when it should not."
+  }
+  if (worse("emoji", 0)) {
+    if (mode == "edit")
+      print "- Edit adds an emoji heading. Use GitHub callout syntax for emphasis instead."
+    else
+      print "- Body uses an emoji heading. Use GitHub callout syntax for emphasis instead."
+  }
+  if (worse("hardwrap", 0)) {
+    if (mode == "edit")
+      print "- Edit adds hard-wrapped prose. GitHub reflows Markdown, so wrap only where syntax needs it."
+    else
+      print "- Body hard-wraps prose at a fixed column. GitHub reflows Markdown, so wrap only where syntax needs it."
+  }
+  if (worse("emdashes", 0)) {
+    if (mode == "edit")
+      printf "- Edit takes em dashes from %d to %d. Replace each new one with a period, a comma, or nothing.\n", base["emdashes"], cur["emdashes"]
+    else
+      printf "- Body uses %d em dash(es). Replace each with a period, a comma, or nothing.\n", cur["emdashes"]
+  }
+  if (worse("loadbearing", 0)) {
+    if (mode == "edit")
+      print "- Edit adds load-bearing. Name the dependency instead: what relies on the thing, and what breaks without it."
+    else
+      print "- Body says load-bearing. Name the dependency instead: what relies on the thing, and what breaks without it."
+  }
+  if (worse("gotchas", 0)) {
+    if (mode == "edit")
+      print "- Edit adds gotchas. Use caveats, watch-outs, constraints, or limitations, in headings too."
+    else
+      print "- Body says gotchas. Use caveats, watch-outs, constraints, or limitations, in headings too."
+  }
+}
+' "$2" "$3"
+}
+
+scrubbed_command() {
+  printf '%s' "$COMMAND" | sed -E "s/'[^']*'/''/g; s/\"[^\"]*\"/\"\"/g"
+}
+
+target_selector() {
+  scrubbed_command | awk -v kind="$KIND" -v verb="$VERB" '
+{
+  n = split($0, t, /[ \t]+/)
+  for (i = 1; i <= n; i++)
+    if (t[i] == "gh" && t[i + 1] == kind && t[i + 2] == verb) { start = i + 3; break }
+  if (!start) exit 0
+  for (i = start; i <= n; i++) {
+    tok = t[i]
+    if (tok == "") continue
+    if (tok ~ /^(&&|\|\||;|\||>|>>|2>)$/) exit 0
+    if (tok ~ /^-/) {
+      if (tok ~ /=/) continue
+      if (tok ~ /^(--remove-milestone|--web|--draft|--help|-h)$/) continue
+      i++
+      continue
+    }
+    print tok
+    exit 0
+  }
+}
+'
+}
+
+run_bounded() {
+  if command -v timeout >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    timeout 10 "$@"
+  elif command -v gtimeout >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    gtimeout 10 "$@"
+  else
+    "$@"
+  fi
+}
+
+fetch_live_body() {
+  local selector repo workdir out
+  selector=$(target_selector)
+  repo=$(unquote "$(printf '%s' "$COMMAND" | sed -n -E 's/.*(--repo|-R)[= ]+([^ ]+).*/\2/p' | head -1)")
+  workdir=$(unquote "$(printf '%s' "$COMMAND" | sed -n -E 's/^[[:space:]]*cd[[:space:]]+([^ ]+)[[:space:]]*&&.*/\1/p' | head -1)")
+
+  [ "$KIND" = "issue" ] && [ -z "$selector" ] && return 1
+
+  local -a view
+  view=(gh "$KIND" view)
+  [ -n "$selector" ] && view+=("$selector")
+  [ -n "$repo" ] && view+=(--repo "$repo")
+  view+=(--json body)
+
+  out=$(
+    if [ -n "$workdir" ] && [ -d "$workdir" ]; then cd "$workdir" || exit 1; fi
+    run_bounded "${view[@]}" 2>/dev/null
+  ) || return 1
+
+  printf '%s' "$out" | jq -e -r '.body // ""' 2>/dev/null
+}
+
+BODY=$(extract_body)
+
+if [ -z "${BODY//[[:space:]]/}" ]; then
+  emit "$ADVICE"
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+WORK=$(mktemp -d) || { emit "$ADVICE"; exit 0; }
+trap 'rm -rf "$WORK"' EXIT
+
+printf '%s\n' "$BODY" | measure > "$WORK/cur"
+
+MODE="create"
+printf '' | measure > "$WORK/base"
+
+UNVERIFIED=""
+if [ "$VERB" = "edit" ]; then
+  if LIVE=$(fetch_live_body); then
+    MODE="edit"
+    printf '%s\n' "$LIVE" | measure > "$WORK/base"
+  else
+    UNVERIFIED="yes"
+  fi
+fi
+
+VIOLATIONS=$(compare "$MODE" "$WORK/base" "$WORK/cur" 2>/dev/null)
+RC=$?
+
+if [ "$RC" -ne 0 ]; then
+  deny "The datum-platform:pr-conventions gate could not measure this body, so it refused rather than pass it unchecked. Report the gate failure instead of retrying the same call."
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+if [ -n "$UNVERIFIED" ]; then
+  if [ -n "$VIOLATIONS" ]; then
+    emit "The posted body could not be read, so this edit was allowed through without comparing it. The body you are about to post misses the datum-platform:pr-conventions bar here:
+
+$VIOLATIONS
+Fix whichever of those your edit introduced. Leave alone anything that was already in the post. $ADVICE"
+  else
+    emit "$ADVICE"
+  fi
+  exit 0
+fi
 
 if [ -n "$VIOLATIONS" ]; then
-  deny "This body misses the datum-platform:pr-conventions bar:
+  if [ "$MODE" = "edit" ]; then
+    deny "This edit moves the posted body further from the datum-platform:pr-conventions bar:
+
+$VIOLATIONS
+An edit only has to leave the body no worse than it found it, so revise what the edit adds. Anything already in the post is not yours to fix. $ADVICE"
+  else
+    deny "This body misses the datum-platform:pr-conventions bar:
 
 $VIOLATIONS
 Revise it and post again. $ADVICE"
+  fi
   exit 0
 fi
 
diff --git a/plugins/datum-platform/skills/pr-conventions/SKILL.md b/plugins/datum-platform/skills/pr-conventions/SKILL.md
index 56e5053..76e8800 100644
--- a/plugins/datum-platform/skills/pr-conventions/SKILL.md
+++ b/plugins/datum-platform/skills/pr-conventions/SKILL.md
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ description: Covers GitHub conventions for pull requests, issues, and comments i
 
 Rules for PR, issue, and comment bodies in every `datum-cloud`, `milo-os`, and
 `datum-labs` repository. The `pr-op-gate` hook enforces the countable ones on
-`gh pr|issue create|edit` and blocks the call when a body misses them.
+`gh pr|issue create|edit`. A new post has to meet the bar outright. An edit has
+to leave the post no further from the bar than it found it.
 
 ## The bar
 
@@ -208,25 +209,25 @@ title outlives every comment.
 `> [!NOTE]`, `> [!TIP]`, `> [!IMPORTANT]`, `> [!WARNING]`, `> [!CAUTION]`.
 Never an emoji header (`## ⚠️ ...`). If everything is highlighted, nothing is.
 
-## When the gate blocks a body you did not write
+## Editing a post you did not write
 
-`pr-op-gate` measures the whole body on `gh pr|issue edit`, so ticking a
-checkbox on an opening post written before the gate existed gets refused for
-violations already in that body. Rewriting the post to satisfy the gate would
-destroy the substance it exists to carry.
+On an edit, `pr-op-gate` reads the body already posted and scores it on the same
+rules as the body you are about to post. It refuses only where your version
+scores worse. Ticking a checkbox on a post written before the convention passes.
+Adding an em dash to that same post does not.
 
-Never route around the gate on a body you are authoring; fix those. For a state
-update to a body whose violations predate your change, diff the edit against the
-live body to show it is mechanical, apply it through the API, and say in your
-reply that the gate was bypassed and why. The silence is the thing to avoid, not
-the routing.
+So the misses that predate your change are not yours to fix, and the answer to a
+colleague's unformatted issue is never to rewrite their words.
 
-```
-gh api -X PATCH /repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues/{n} -F body=@file
-```
+An edit that touches only labels, a title, or a milestone is never measured
+against body rules at all.
+
+When the gate cannot read the posted body, from a failed fetch or a target it
+cannot resolve, it allows the edit and says so, listing what the body it is
+about to post misses. Fix whatever your edit introduced and leave the rest.
 
-Whole-body prose rewrites do not need this. Reach for the API route only when
-the gate actually refuses.
+There is no route around the gate, and no need for one. A body you are authoring
+gets fixed, not bypassed.
 
 ## Example