diff --git a/docs/forge.md b/docs/forge.md
index e247e747..4d4cbf62 100644
--- a/docs/forge.md
+++ b/docs/forge.md
@@ -56,10 +56,11 @@ Two things live in the `agent-configs` Forgejo organization:
   config-change branches and (once #1838 P2 lands) open config PRs — but
   `main` is branch-protected core-only: only hive-c0re's verify-and-ff-push
   merge handler lands on `main`, an operator-team approval is required, and
-  the agent can neither push `main` directly nor self-merge. During the
-  transition c0re still force-mirrors the agent's applied config repo here
-  on each `↻ R3BU1LD` (the `enable_force_push` allowance), until the PR
-  flow replaces that. Repos stay private, so an agent can't read another
+  the agent can neither push `main` directly nor self-merge. `main` is
+  fast-forward-only — no auto force-push (the merge handler's ff push lands
+  fine; the legacy `push_config` mirror, which force-pushes to re-point status
+  tags and rewind on rollback, runs best-effort until the PR flow retires it).
+  Repos stay private, so an agent can't read another
   agent's config. (Agents remain read-only collaborators on `core/meta`.)
 - The dashboard links each container's "config" anchor to this
   config repo, so operators can click straight from the SW4RM tab into
diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/forge.rs b/hive-c0re/src/forge.rs
index e7acf4fa..e2bb8756 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/forge.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/forge.rs
@@ -37,8 +37,9 @@ const CORE_TOKEN_PATH: &str = "/var/lib/hyperhive/forge-core-token";
 /// branch-protected core-only, so only hive-c0re's verify-and-ff-push merge
 /// handler lands on it (operator approval required; the agent can't push
 /// `main` or self-merge). The repos remain private, so an agent still can't
-/// reach *another* agent's config. During the transition `push_config` also
-/// force-mirrors `applied → main` here until the PR-merge flow replaces it.
+/// reach *another* agent's config. `main` is fast-forward-only (no auto
+/// force-push); the legacy `push_config` mirror runs best-effort until the
+/// PR-merge flow retires it.
 const CONFIG_ORG: &str = "agent-configs";
 /// Forgejo org hosting the operator-curated shared docs/skills repo
 /// that every agent gets read-only access to. Agents use it as a
@@ -708,7 +709,7 @@ pub async fn ensure_config_repo(name: &str) -> Result<()> {
     // Agent = write collaborator: it can push config-PR branches + open PRs,
     // but the branch protection below keeps it off `main` directly.
     add_collaborator(CONFIG_ORG, name, name, "write", &token).await?;
-    // Protect `main` core-only (+ transitional force-push for push_config).
+    // Protect `main` core-only, fast-forward-only (no auto force-push).
     apply_config_repo_branch_protection(name, &token).await
 }
 
@@ -997,20 +998,20 @@ async fn apply_operator_branch_protection(repo: &str, token: &str) -> Result<()>
 ///   (`run_merge_config_pr`). The agent can never push `main` directly.
 /// - **operator-team approval is required** to merge, and the author (not in
 ///   the team) cannot self-approve.
-/// - **`enable_force_push` is a TRANSITIONAL allowance**: `push_config` still
-///   force-mirrors `applied → main` until the agent-opened PR-merge flow
-///   replaces it, and a protected branch otherwise rejects force-push.
-///   Forgejo's force-push allowlist is deploy-keys-only (no per-user list), so
-///   this is a plain `enable_force_push` toggle — only `core` is in the
-///   push-whitelist, so only `core` can force-push anyway. When `push_config`
-///   is retired, flip this to `false`; keep `core` in the push-whitelist so
-///   `ff_push_to_main` can still land fast-forwards.
+/// - **`enable_force_push` is `false`** — `main` only ever advances by
+///   fast-forward. The merge handler's `ff_push_to_main` is already a
+///   non-force push, so it lands fine. The legacy `push_config` mirror DOES
+///   force-push (it re-points status tags and rewinds `main` on a failed-build
+///   rollback), so the protection now rejects those non-ff updates — that
+///   mirror runs best-effort until the agent-opened PR-merge flow retires it.
+///   (Auto force-push is intentionally not allowed: per operator directive a
+///   silent force-push is a bug, not a feature.)
 ///
 /// Idempotent: an existing rule for the branch (200/409/422) is success.
 async fn apply_config_repo_branch_protection(repo: &str, token: &str) -> Result<()> {
     let url = format!("{FORGE_HTTP}/api/v1/repos/{CONFIG_ORG}/{repo}/branch_protections");
     let body = format!(
-        r#"{{"branch_name":"main","enable_push_whitelist":true,"push_whitelist_usernames":["core"],"enable_merge_whitelist":true,"merge_whitelist_usernames":["core"],"enable_approvals_whitelist":true,"approvals_whitelist_teams":["{OPERATORS_TEAM}"],"required_approvals":1,"block_on_official_review_requests":true,"allow_manual_merge":true,"enable_force_push":true}}"#
+        r#"{{"branch_name":"main","enable_push_whitelist":true,"push_whitelist_usernames":["core"],"enable_merge_whitelist":true,"merge_whitelist_usernames":["core"],"enable_approvals_whitelist":true,"approvals_whitelist_teams":["{OPERATORS_TEAM}"],"required_approvals":1,"block_on_official_review_requests":true,"allow_manual_merge":true,"enable_force_push":false}}"#
     );
     let status = forge_http(reqwest::Method::POST, &url, token, &body).await?;
     match status.as_u16() {