diff --git a/tools/loop-lint.py b/tools/loop-lint.py
index 126a6ca..6f7e6dd 100644
--- a/tools/loop-lint.py
+++ b/tools/loop-lint.py
@@ -587,7 +587,8 @@ def self_test():
             fh.write("all: coverage newthing\ncoverage:\n\techo\n")
         with open(os.path.join(tmp, "gates.toml"), "w") as fh:
             fh.write('not_control_gates = []\n\n[[gate]]\nid = "G"\n'
-                     'name = "n"\ntarget = "coverage"\nchecks = "c"\n'
+                     'name = "n"\ntarget = "coverage"\ncadence = "all"\n'
+                     'checks = "c"\n'
                      'added = "2026-01-01"\nreview_by = "2026-02-01"\n'
                      'retire_if = "r"\n')
         f = check_gate_registry(tmp)
@@ -595,12 +596,41 @@ def self_test():
               len(f) == 1 and "newthing" in f[0].detail, f"{len(f)} finding(s)")
         with open(os.path.join(tmp, "gates.toml"), "w") as fh:
             fh.write('not_control_gates = ["newthing", "coverage"]\n\n[[gate]]\nid = "G"\n'
-                     'name = "n"\ntarget = "ghost"\nchecks = "c"\n'
+                     'name = "n"\ntarget = "ghost"\ncadence = "manual"\n'
+                     'checks = "c"\n'
                      'added = "2026-01-01"\nreview_by = "2026-02-01"\n'
                      'retire_if = "r"\n')
         f = check_gate_registry(tmp)
         check("gate registry detects an entry naming a missing target",
               len(f) == 1 and "ghost" in f[0].detail, f"{len(f)} finding(s)")
+
+        # CB-REV-0002 #7 generalised: a gate that does not run is not a
+        # gate. Both directions, because a rule that cannot say NO is
+        # decoration and one that cannot say YES fires on everything.
+        with open(os.path.join(tmp, "Makefile"), "w") as fh:
+            fh.write("all: coverage\ncoverage:\n\techo\npanels:\n\techo\n")
+        with open(os.path.join(tmp, "gates.toml"), "w") as fh:
+            fh.write('not_control_gates = []\n\n[[gate]]\nid = "G"\n'
+                     'name = "n"\ntarget = "coverage"\ncadence = "all"\n'
+                     'checks = "c"\n\n[[gate]]\nid = "P"\nname = "p"\n'
+                     'target = "panels"\ncadence = "all"\nchecks = "c"\n')
+        f = check_gate_registry(tmp)
+        check("gates: a cadence=all gate absent from `make all` is caught",
+              len(f) == 1 and "does not run it" in f[0].detail,
+              "the panels gate passed lint while running nowhere")
+        with open(os.path.join(tmp, "gates.toml"), "w") as fh:
+            fh.write('not_control_gates = []\n\n[[gate]]\nid = "G"\n'
+                     'name = "n"\ntarget = "coverage"\nchecks = "c"\n')
+        check("gates: a gate with no declared cadence is caught",
+              any("declares no cadence" in x.detail for x in check_gate_registry(tmp)))
+        with open(os.path.join(tmp, "gates.toml"), "w") as fh:
+            fh.write('not_control_gates = []\n\n[[gate]]\nid = "G"\n'
+                     'name = "n"\ntarget = "panels"\ncadence = "manual"\n'
+                     'checks = "c"\n\n[[gate]]\nid = "C"\nname = "c"\n'
+                     'target = "coverage"\ncadence = "all"\nchecks = "c"\n')
+        check("gates: a gate may be manual, and saying so clears it",
+              not check_gate_registry(tmp),
+              "without this every manual gate would fire")
         os.unlink(os.path.join(tmp, "gates.toml"))
         os.unlink(os.path.join(tmp, "Makefile"))