diff --git a/skills/kvb-org-organize/scripts/council.py b/skills/kvb-org-organize/scripts/council.py
index 63280b3..84956cb 100755
--- a/skills/kvb-org-organize/scripts/council.py
+++ b/skills/kvb-org-organize/scripts/council.py
@@ -11,7 +11,9 @@ Environment:
 Exit codes:
     0 done, 2 usage error, 3 office held by a live session,
     4 office held by a dead session (take it over with `takeover`),
-    gate: 2 blocks the tool call.
+    gate: 2 blocks the tool call: an edit without a claim of this session
+        below a directory whose .git is a directory holding HEAD or a file
+        starting with gitdir:.
 """
 
 from __future__ import annotations
@@ -284,8 +286,21 @@ def cmd_list(args: argparse.Namespace) -> int:
     return 0
 
 
+def is_git_marker(marker: Path) -> bool:
+    if marker.is_dir():
+        return (marker / "HEAD").is_file()
+    # is_file() first: opening a planted FIFO named .git would hang this hook.
+    if not marker.is_file():
+        return False
+    try:
+        with marker.open("rb") as handle:
+            return handle.read(7) == b"gitdir:"
+    except OSError:
+        return False
+
+
 def in_git_worktree(target: Path) -> bool:
-    return any((path / ".git").exists() for path in (target, *target.parents))
+    return any(is_git_marker(path / ".git") for path in (target, *target.parents))
 
 
 def cmd_gate(_: argparse.Namespace) -> int:
diff --git a/tests/test_council.py b/tests/test_council.py
index 1bd9b0e..77297f9 100644
--- a/tests/test_council.py
+++ b/tests/test_council.py
@@ -48,8 +48,15 @@ class TestCouncil(unittest.TestCase):
             input=stdin,
             cwd=cwd,
             check=False,
+            timeout=30,
         )
 
+    def _repo(self) -> Path:
+        repo = Path(self.tmp.name) / "repo"
+        (repo / ".git").mkdir(parents=True)
+        (repo / ".git" / "HEAD").write_text("ref: refs/heads/main\n", encoding="utf-8")
+        return repo
+
     def test_first_claim_wins_and_second_is_refused(self):
         self.assertEqual(self._run("s1", "claim", "work/x", "--work", "w").returncode, 0)
         second = self._run("s2", "claim", "work/x", "--work", "w")
@@ -131,8 +138,7 @@ class TestCouncil(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(sorted(self.root.rglob("*")), [])
 
     def test_gate_blocks_unclaimed_edits_in_a_git_worktree_only(self):
-        repo = Path(self.tmp.name) / "repo"
-        (repo / ".git").mkdir(parents=True)
+        repo = self._repo()
         inside = json.dumps({"session_id": "s1", "tool_input": {"file_path": str(repo / "f")}})
         outside = json.dumps(
             {"session_id": "s1", "tool_input": {"file_path": str(self.home / "f")}}
@@ -142,9 +148,20 @@ class TestCouncil(unittest.TestCase):
         self._run("s1", "claim", "work/x", "--work", "w")
         self.assertEqual(self._run("s1", "gate", stdin=inside).returncode, 0)
 
+    def test_gate_counts_only_a_git_dir_holding_head_or_a_gitdir_file(self):
+        base = Path(self.tmp.name)
+        (base / "stray" / ".git").mkdir(parents=True)
+        (base / "linked").mkdir()
+        (base / "linked" / ".git").write_text("gitdir: /elsewhere/.git/worktrees/linked\n", encoding="utf-8")
+        (base / "fifo").mkdir()
+        os.mkfifo(base / "fifo" / ".git", 0o600)
+        for folder, code in (("stray", 0), ("linked", 2), ("fifo", 0)):
+            with self.subTest(folder=folder):
+                edit = json.dumps({"session_id": "s1", "tool_input": {"file_path": str(base / folder / "f")}})
+                self.assertEqual(self._run("s1", "gate", stdin=edit).returncode, code)
+
     def test_gate_still_blocks_past_a_planted_fifo_or_malformed_claim(self):
-        repo = Path(self.tmp.name) / "repo"
-        (repo / ".git").mkdir(parents=True)
+        repo = self._repo()
         inside = json.dumps({"session_id": "s1", "tool_input": {"file_path": str(repo / "f")}})
         (self.root / "work" / "fifo").mkdir(parents=True)
         os.mkfifo(self.root / "work" / "fifo" / "claim.json", 0o600)