diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 34a91cf147..def9829cae 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@
   "scripts": {
     "pretest": "node scripts/check-no-nohup.mjs && node scripts/check-no-kill-4040.mjs",
     "pretest:full": "node scripts/check-no-nohup.mjs && node scripts/check-no-kill-4040.mjs",
+    "pretest:gate": "node scripts/check-no-nohup.mjs && node scripts/check-no-kill-4040.mjs",
+    "test:gate": "pnpm --filter @fusion/engine test:core && pnpm --filter @runfusion/fusion test:ci-shape",
+    "smoke:boot": "node scripts/boot-smoke.mjs",
     "local": "node scripts/start-local.mjs",
     "dev": "node scripts/dev-with-memory.mjs",
     "dev:ui": "pnpm --filter @fusion/dashboard dev",
diff --git a/packages/cli/package.json b/packages/cli/package.json
index c314eff427..c0ad5d8b41 100644
--- a/packages/cli/package.json
+++ b/packages/cli/package.json
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
     "build:exe:all": "bun run build.ts --all",
     "typecheck": "tsc --noEmit",
     "test": "vitest run --silent=passed-only --reporter=dot",
+    "test:ci-shape": "vitest run src/__tests__/ci-workflow.test.ts --silent=passed-only --reporter=dot",
     "test:slow-cli": "cross-env FUSION_TEST_SLOW_CLI=1 vitest run src/commands/__tests__/agent-export.test.ts --silent=passed-only --reporter=dot",
     "test:extension-integration": "cross-env FUSION_TEST_EXTENSION_INTEGRATION=1 vitest run src/__tests__/extension-integration.test.ts --silent=passed-only --reporter=dot",
     "test:build-exe": "cross-env FUSION_TEST_BUILD_EXE=1 vitest run --config vitest.build-exe.config.ts --silent=passed-only --reporter=dot",
diff --git a/packages/engine/package.json b/packages/engine/package.json
index 7282a2a2e0..6da6f356da 100644
--- a/packages/engine/package.json
+++ b/packages/engine/package.json
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
     "build": "tsc",
     "typecheck": "tsc --noEmit",
     "test": "vitest run --silent=passed-only --reporter=dot --project=engine-default --project=engine-reliability",
+    "test:core": "vitest run --silent=passed-only --reporter=dot --project=engine-core",
     "test:slow": "vitest run --silent=passed-only --reporter=dot --project=engine-slow",
     "test:all": "vitest run --silent=passed-only --reporter=dot",
     "test:executor": "vitest run src/__tests__/executor-*.test.ts",
diff --git a/packages/engine/vitest.config.ts b/packages/engine/vitest.config.ts
index 7ccec53dcc..2c3511a630 100644
--- a/packages/engine/vitest.config.ts
+++ b/packages/engine/vitest.config.ts
@@ -48,6 +48,46 @@ export default defineConfig({
     // does not inherit full-suite include and rerun everything single-threaded
     // (FN-5537: this caused long runs and external SIGTERM 143 kills).
     projects: [
+      {
+        extends: true,
+        test: {
+          name: "engine-core",
+          // The curated merge-gate suite (see docs/testing.md "Merge gate").
+          // Membership is an explicit allow-list, NOT a glob: tests earn their
+          // way in with evidence of value, and a flaky gate test is evicted by
+          // deleting its line here (no need for the flaky test to pass).
+          // Selection criteria: deterministic (no real git subprocesses, no
+          // real timers/network), fast (<~3s/file per scripts/test-timings.json),
+          // covering regression-prone core invariants: merge lifecycle and
+          // scope, files-changed/fork-point attribution, executor core paths,
+          // triage, scheduling, self-healing.
+          // Budget: the whole project must stay under ~60s wall-clock so the
+          // CI gate job's test run lands under ~1 minute.
+          include: [
+            "src/__tests__/merger-merge-lifecycle.test.ts",
+            "src/__tests__/merger-post-merge.test.ts",
+            "src/__tests__/merger-conflict-resolution.test.ts",
+            "src/__tests__/merger-diff-scope.test.ts",
+            "src/__tests__/merger-file-scope-invariant.test.ts",
+            "src/__tests__/merger-landed-files-capture.test.ts",
+            "src/__tests__/branch-attribution.test.ts",
+            "src/__tests__/executor-core.test.ts",
+            "src/__tests__/executor-recovery.test.ts",
+            "src/__tests__/executor-base-commit-capture.test.ts",
+            "src/__tests__/executor-capture-modified-files-attribution.test.ts",
+            "src/__tests__/triage.test.ts",
+            "src/__tests__/triage-preflight.test.ts",
+            "src/__tests__/scheduler.test.ts",
+            "src/__tests__/scheduler-node-routing.test.ts",
+            "src/__tests__/scheduler-overlap-requeue.test.ts",
+            "src/__tests__/mission-scheduler.test.ts",
+            "src/__tests__/self-healing.test.ts",
+            "src/__tests__/heartbeat-monitor.test.ts",
+            "src/__tests__/workflow-node-handlers.test.ts",
+          ],
+          exclude: ["node_modules/**", "dist/**"],
+        },
+      },
       {
         extends: true,
         test: {