diff --git a/.github/workflows/scorecard-watch.yml b/.github/workflows/scorecard-watch.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..183b2e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/scorecard-watch.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+name: Scorecard watch
+
+# Standalone scheduled regression watch over the Obsidian community portal
+# scorecard (#165). It gates NOTHING in the release path — it does not run
+# on PRs or releases. Its only job is to turn a silent portal regression
+# (Health/Review downgrade, more automated issues, a new permission/
+# behaviour finding vs the committed baseline) into a visible red check.
+#
+# The gate never inspects advisory wording — only structured deltas vs
+# scripts/scorecard-baseline.json. Scraper drift (exit 3) is reported
+# distinctly from a real regression (exit 1); a transient unreachable
+# portal is inconclusive and never fails (exit 0).
+
+on:
+  schedule:
+    - cron: '17 14 * * 1' # Mondays 14:17 UTC — offset off the hour
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+concurrency:
+  group: scorecard-watch
+  cancel-in-progress: false
+
+jobs:
+  scorecard:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 5
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v6
+
+      - name: Set up Node
+        uses: actions/setup-node@v6
+        with:
+          node-version: '20'
+
+      # No dependency install: scorecard.mjs + scorecard-gate.mjs use only
+      # Node builtins (fetch, fs, child_process). Keeps this fast and off
+      # the dependency surface.
+      - name: Scorecard regression gate
+        id: gate
+        run: |
+          set +e
+          node scripts/scorecard-gate.mjs
+          code=$?
+          echo "exit=$code" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          case $code in
+            0) echo "::notice::Scorecard gate: no regression vs baseline." ;;
+            1) echo "::error::Scorecard gate: REGRESSION vs baseline — see log. Re-baseline only if the change is accepted (make scorecard-baseline)." ;;
+            3) echo "::error::Scorecard gate: SCRAPER DRIFT — fix scripts/scorecard.mjs. This is NOT a portal/plugin regression (#183-class)." ;;
+            *) echo "::error::Scorecard gate: unexpected exit $code." ;;
+          esac
+          exit $code
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 8b0a172..7457367 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -93,6 +93,12 @@ mcpb: ## Build MCPB bundle (obsidian-mcp-<version>.mcpb) for Claude Desktop
 scorecard: ## Pull the Obsidian community portal scorecard + freshness delta (free post-release signal)
 	@node scripts/scorecard.mjs
 
+scorecard-gate: ## Diff the live scorecard vs the committed baseline (exit 1 = regression, 3 = drift)
+	@node scripts/scorecard-gate.mjs
+
+scorecard-baseline: ## DELIBERATELY re-snapshot scorecard-baseline.json (only after an ACCEPTED change; commit it)
+	@node scripts/scorecard-baseline.mjs
+
 set-description: ## Set plugin description (SoT: package.json) + sync. Usage: make set-description DESC='...'
 	@node scripts/set-description.mjs "$(DESC)"
 	@node sync-version.mjs
diff --git a/scripts/scorecard-baseline.json b/scripts/scorecard-baseline.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fd0c843
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/scorecard-baseline.json
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+{
+  "note": "Regenerate intentionally via `make scorecard-baseline` after an ACCEPTED scorecard change. scripts/scorecard-gate.mjs fails on regressions vs this snapshot.",
+  "capturedFor": "0.11.25",
+  "capturedAt": "2026-05-17",
+  "health": "Excellent",
+  "healthScore": "4/4",
+  "review": "Satisfactory",
+  "reviewScore": "3/4",
+  "issuesFound": 5,
+  "findings": [
+    "**Clipboard Access**: Reads or writes the system clipboard. May expose content copied from outside Obsidian.",
+    "**Direct Filesystem Access**: Uses the Node.js `fs` module to access the filesystem outside of the Obsidian vault API. Can read and write any file on the system.",
+    "**Dynamic Code Execution**: Executes dynamically generated code via `eval()` or `new Function()`. Prevents full static analysis of plugin behavior.",
+    "**Vault Enumeration**: Enumerates all files in the vault (`vault.getFiles`, `getMarkdownFiles`, etc.). Gives the plugin access to every file path in the vault.",
+    "**Vault Read**: Reads individual vault files via the Obsidian API (`vault.read`, `vault.cachedRead`)",
+    "**Vault Write**: Creates or modifies vault files via the Obsidian API (`vault.modify`, `vault.create`, etc.)",
+    "Malware scan not available.",
+    "Network requests scan not available.",
+    "Obfuscation scan not available.",
+    "The `main.js` release asset has a verified GitHub artifact attestation.",
+    "The `styles.css` release asset has a verified GitHub artifact attestation.",
+    "The release contains additional files: `obsidian-mcp-0.11.25.mcpb`, `obsidian-mcp.mcpb`. Only `main.js`, `manifest.json`, and `styles.css` are supported."
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/scripts/scorecard-baseline.mjs b/scripts/scorecard-baseline.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d029b34
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/scorecard-baseline.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+// Regenerate scripts/scorecard-baseline.json from the live portal (#165).
+//
+// This is a DELIBERATE act: run it only when the scorecard genuinely
+// changed in an ACCEPTED way (e.g. a finding cleared by a shipped fix, or
+// a new finding analysed and accepted), then commit the new baseline. The
+// scorecard-watch workflow fails against whatever this file records, so an
+// accidental re-baseline silently disarms the gate — hence a separate,
+// named command, not an automatic refresh.
+//
+// Refuses to write on scraper drift (the live read is untrustworthy then).
+
+import { writeFileSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { spawnSync } from 'node:child_process';
+
+const run = spawnSync(process.execPath, ['scripts/scorecard.mjs', '--json'], {
+  encoding: 'utf8',
+  maxBuffer: 8 * 1024 * 1024,
+});
+const jsonLine = (run.stdout || '')
+  .split('\n')
+  .reverse()
+  .find((l) => l.trim().startsWith('{'));
+if (!jsonLine) {
+  console.error('scorecard-baseline: portal unreachable / no JSON — not writing.');
+  process.exit(1);
+}
+const j = JSON.parse(jsonLine);
+if (j.integrity === 'DRIFT' || run.status === 2) {
+  console.error(
+    'scorecard-baseline: SCRAPER DRIFT — refusing to baseline an untrustworthy read. Fix scripts/scorecard.mjs first.',
+  );
+  process.exit(3);
+}
+
+const baseline = {
+  note: 'Regenerate intentionally via `make scorecard-baseline` after an ACCEPTED scorecard change. scripts/scorecard-gate.mjs fails on regressions vs this snapshot.',
+  capturedFor: j.portal.currentVersion,
+  capturedAt: new Date().toISOString().slice(0, 10),
+  health: j.portal.health,
+  healthScore: j.portal.healthScore,
+  review: j.portal.review,
+  reviewScore: j.portal.reviewScore,
+  issuesFound: Number(j.portal.issuesFound),
+  findings: j.findings.slice().sort(),
+};
+writeFileSync(
+  'scripts/scorecard-baseline.json',
+  JSON.stringify(baseline, null, 2) + '\n',
+);
+console.log(
+  `scorecard-baseline: wrote baseline for ${baseline.capturedFor} — Health ${baseline.health} ${baseline.healthScore} | Review ${baseline.review} ${baseline.reviewScore} | ${baseline.issuesFound} issues | ${baseline.findings.length} findings.\nReview the diff and commit scripts/scorecard-baseline.json.`,
+);
diff --git a/scripts/scorecard-gate.mjs b/scripts/scorecard-gate.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..100c084
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/scorecard-gate.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,142 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+// Post-release regression gate over the Obsidian portal scorecard (#165).
+//
+// Runs `scorecard.mjs --json`, diffs the structured signals against the
+// committed baseline (scripts/scorecard-baseline.json), and FAILS the
+// workflow only on a genuine regression:
+//
+//   - Health or Review score ratio dropped vs baseline   (a downgrade)
+//   - automated issue count increased vs baseline
+//   - a new permission/behaviour finding appeared          (a "**Title**:"
+//     entry absent from the baseline)
+//
+// It never inspects advisory *wording* — only structured deltas — so a
+// reworded-but-equivalent finding does not fail the gate (that is the
+// scraper drift guard's job, handled distinctly below).
+//
+// Exit codes:
+//   0  no regression (or inconclusive: portal unreachable — never a false fail)
+//   1  regression vs baseline  → fail the workflow (intended signal)
+//   3  scraper drift           → distinct: fix scorecard.mjs, NOT a portal change
+//
+// This is a standalone scheduled job. It does not run on PRs or releases
+// and gates nothing in the release path — it only turns a silent portal
+// regression into a visible red check.
+
+import { readFileSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { spawnSync } from 'node:child_process';
+
+const BASELINE = 'scripts/scorecard-baseline.json';
+
+// "filled/total" → ratio in [0,1], or null if unparseable / total 0.
+function ratio(score) {
+  if (typeof score !== 'string') return null;
+  const m = score.match(/^(\d+)\s*\/\s*(\d+)$/);
+  if (!m) return null;
+  const total = Number(m[2]);
+  return total > 0 ? Number(m[1]) / total : null;
+}
+
+// The behaviour/permission findings are the bold-titled ones
+// ("**Direct Filesystem Access**: …"). Neutral sentences ("… scan not
+// available.", "… attestation.") are not regressions when they appear.
+const titled = (findings) =>
+  new Set(
+    (findings || [])
+      .map((f) => (f.match(/^\*\*([^*]+)\*\*:/) || [])[1])
+      .filter(Boolean),
+  );
+
+function main() {
+  const run = spawnSync(process.execPath, ['scripts/scorecard.mjs', '--json'], {
+    encoding: 'utf8',
+    maxBuffer: 8 * 1024 * 1024,
+  });
+
+  const jsonLine = (run.stdout || '')
+    .split('\n')
+    .reverse()
+    .find((l) => l.trim().startsWith('{'));
+
+  if (!jsonLine) {
+    // scorecard.mjs exits 0 and prints to stderr when the portal is
+    // unreachable. A transient network failure must never fail the gate.
+    console.log(
+      'scorecard-gate: portal unreachable / no JSON — inconclusive, not a regression.',
+    );
+    if (run.stderr) console.log(run.stderr.trim());
+    process.exit(0);
+  }
+
+  const live = JSON.parse(jsonLine);
+
+  if (live.integrity === 'DRIFT' || run.status === 2) {
+    const bang = '!'.repeat(64);
+    console.error(bang);
+    console.error('SCRAPER DRIFT — the portal parser no longer matches the');
+    console.error('page. This is NOT a plugin/portal regression: fix');
+    console.error('scripts/scorecard.mjs. Gate is inconclusive.');
+    if (live.missingAnchors?.length)
+      console.error(`  missing anchors : ${live.missingAnchors.join(', ')}`);
+    console.error(bang);
+    process.exit(3);
+  }
+
+  const base = JSON.parse(readFileSync(BASELINE, 'utf8'));
+  const p = live.portal || {};
+  const regressions = [];
+
+  for (const [label, liveScore, baseScore] of [
+    ['Health', p.healthScore, base.healthScore],
+    ['Review', p.reviewScore, base.reviewScore],
+  ]) {
+    const lr = ratio(liveScore);
+    const br = ratio(baseScore);
+    if (lr != null && br != null && lr < br) {
+      regressions.push(
+        `${label} score downgraded: ${baseScore} → ${liveScore}`,
+      );
+    }
+  }
+
+  const liveIssues = Number(p.issuesFound);
+  if (Number.isFinite(liveIssues) && liveIssues > Number(base.issuesFound)) {
+    regressions.push(
+      `automated issue count rose: ${base.issuesFound} → ${liveIssues}`,
+    );
+  }
+
+  const baseTitled = titled(base.findings);
+  const newTitled = [...titled(live.findings)].filter((t) => !baseTitled.has(t));
+  if (newTitled.length) {
+    regressions.push(`new behaviour/permission finding(s): ${newTitled.join('; ')}`);
+  }
+
+  const line = '─'.repeat(64);
+  console.log(line);
+  console.log(`Scorecard gate — baseline captured for ${base.capturedFor} (${base.capturedAt})`);
+  console.log(
+    `Live: Health ${p.health} ${p.healthScore} | Review ${p.review} ${p.reviewScore} | ${p.issuesFound} issues | freshness: ${live.freshness}`,
+  );
+  console.log(line);
+
+  if (regressions.length) {
+    console.error('REGRESSION vs baseline:');
+    for (const r of regressions) console.error(`  ✗ ${r}`);
+    console.error(line);
+    console.error(
+      'If this reflects an ACCEPTED change, re-baseline deliberately:\n  make scorecard-baseline   (then commit scripts/scorecard-baseline.json)',
+    );
+    process.exit(1);
+  }
+
+  // Surface improvements for the log (informational, never gating).
+  const baseTitledArr = [...baseTitled];
+  const liveTitledSet = titled(live.findings);
+  const cleared = baseTitledArr.filter((t) => !liveTitledSet.has(t));
+  if (cleared.length) console.log(`Improved — finding(s) cleared: ${cleared.join('; ')}`);
+  console.log('No regression vs baseline. ✓');
+  process.exit(0);
+}
+
+main();