diff --git a/.claude/settings.json b/.claude/settings.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fd896b807
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.claude/settings.json
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{
+  "hooks": {
+    "PreToolUse": [
+      {
+        "matcher": "Bash",
+        "command": "scripts/hooks/pr-review-gate.sh"
+      }
+    ]
+  }
+}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/amber-issue-handler.yml b/.github/workflows/amber-issue-handler.yml
index 8e9f83c5b..6b02193dc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/amber-issue-handler.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/amber-issue-handler.yml
@@ -104,9 +104,10 @@ jobs:
                ---
                🤖 [Ambient Session]($PLATFORM_HOST/projects/$AGENTIC_SESSION_NAMESPACE/sessions/$AGENTIC_SESSION_NAME)
             6. Add the `ambient-code:managed` label to the PR.
-            7. Ensure CI passes. If it fails, investigate and fix.
-            8. Do not merge. Leave the PR open for human review.
-            9. When you comment on the PR, include this footer at the end:
+            7. Add the `ambient-code:self-reviewed` label to the PR.
+            8. Ensure CI passes. If it fails, investigate and fix.
+            9. Do not merge. Leave the PR open for human review.
+            10. When you comment on the PR, include this footer at the end:
                _🤖 [Session]($PLATFORM_HOST/projects/$AGENTIC_SESSION_NAMESPACE/sessions/$AGENTIC_SESSION_NAME)_
           repos: >-
             [{"url": "https://github.com/${{ github.repository }}", "branch": "main"}]
@@ -299,9 +300,10 @@ jobs:
                ---
                🤖 [Ambient Session]($PLATFORM_HOST/projects/$AGENTIC_SESSION_NAMESPACE/sessions/$AGENTIC_SESSION_NAME)
             6. Add the `ambient-code:managed` label to the PR.
-            7. Ensure CI passes. If it fails, investigate and fix.
-            8. Do not merge. Leave the PR open for human review.
-            9. When you comment on the PR, include this footer at the end:
+            7. Add the `ambient-code:self-reviewed` label to the PR.
+            8. Ensure CI passes. If it fails, investigate and fix.
+            9. Do not merge. Leave the PR open for human review.
+            10. When you comment on the PR, include this footer at the end:
                _🤖 [Session]($PLATFORM_HOST/projects/$AGENTIC_SESSION_NAMESPACE/sessions/$AGENTIC_SESSION_NAME)_
           repos: >-
             [{"url": "https://github.com/${{ github.repository }}", "branch": "main"}]
diff --git a/BOOKMARKS.md b/BOOKMARKS.md
index 6d87eaf97..5a218c49e 100644
--- a/BOOKMARKS.md
+++ b/BOOKMARKS.md
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@ Frontend technology stack decisions.
 
 Runner SDK design and architecture.
 
+### [ADR-0008: Automate Code Reviews](docs/internal/adr/0008-automate-code-reviews.md)
+
+Automated inner-loop review replaces human code review. PRs with `ambient-code:self-reviewed` label merge via Mergify without human approval.
+
 ---
 
 ## Development Context
diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index 231d23d0f..4d23f845f 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -139,6 +139,21 @@ git push --no-verify      # Skip pre-push hooks
 - `tsc --noEmit` and `npm run build` are **not** included (slow; CI gates on them)
 - Branch/push protection scripts remain in `scripts/git-hooks/` and are invoked by pre-commit
 
+## PR Review Gate
+
+Before running `gh pr create`, agents MUST self-review their changes:
+
+1. Review the diff against conventions in this file and [BOOKMARKS.md](BOOKMARKS.md)
+2. Verify the changes follow patterns documented in `.claude/patterns/` and `.claude/context/`
+3. Check that no `panic()` calls exist in production Go code (use `fmt.Errorf`)
+4. Check that no `any` types exist in frontend TypeScript (use proper types, `unknown`, or generics)
+5. Ensure all new API endpoints have corresponding frontend proxy routes
+6. Verify owner references on any new K8s child resources
+
+A PreToolUse hook (`scripts/hooks/pr-review-gate.sh`) enforces mechanical checks (lint, format, secrets) and runs `coderabbit review --agent --base main` for AI-powered review (security, performance, K8s safety per `.coderabbit.yaml`). The hook will block `gh pr create` if any check fails. The self-review above covers what the hook cannot — architectural fit, convention adherence, and design quality.
+
+When both the self-review and the hook pass, apply the `ambient-code:self-reviewed` label to the PR if the changes were authored and reviewed without human involvement.
+
 ## Testing
 
 - **Frontend unit tests**: `cd components/frontend && npx vitest run --coverage` (466 tests, ~74% coverage). See `components/frontend/README.md`.
diff --git a/scripts/hooks/pr-review-gate.sh b/scripts/hooks/pr-review-gate.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..7eefbbce9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/hooks/pr-review-gate.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,168 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# pr-review-gate.sh — PreToolUse hook for Bash tool calls.
+# Gates `gh pr create` behind mechanical code quality checks and
+# CodeRabbit AI review. Stateless: runs checks inline on every attempt.
+#
+# Exit codes (Claude Code PreToolUse convention):
+#   0 = allow the tool call
+#   2 = block the tool call (stderr shown to agent as reason)
+set -euo pipefail
+
+COMMAND=$(echo "$CLAUDE_TOOL_INPUT" | jq -r '.command // ""')
+
+if ! echo "$COMMAND" | grep -qE '^\s*gh\s+pr\s+create\b'; then
+    exit 0
+fi
+
+echo "PR Review Gate: checking code quality before opening PR..." >&2
+
+REPO_ROOT="$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)"
+BASE_BRANCH="main"
+ERRORS=()
+
+block_with_errors() {
+    echo "" >&2
+    echo "=================================================" >&2
+    echo "PR Review Gate: BLOCKED — fix these issues first" >&2
+    echo "=================================================" >&2
+    printf '%s\n' "${ERRORS[@]}" >&2
+    echo "" >&2
+    echo "Fix these issues and retry gh pr create." >&2
+    exit 2
+}
+
+# Compute diff once — reuse for file list and secret scan
+FULL_DIFF=$(git diff "$BASE_BRANCH"...HEAD 2>/dev/null || git diff HEAD~1)
+CHANGED_FILES=$(echo "$FULL_DIFF" | grep -E '^diff --git' | sed 's|^diff --git a/.* b/||' || true)
+
+if [ -z "$CHANGED_FILES" ]; then
+    echo "PR Review Gate: no changed files detected, allowing" >&2
+    exit 0
+fi
+
+# ── Go checks ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+GO_FILES=$(echo "$CHANGED_FILES" | grep '\.go$' || true)
+if [ -n "$GO_FILES" ]; then
+    GO_MODULES=$(echo "$GO_FILES" | while read -r f; do
+        dir=$(dirname "$f")
+        while [ "$dir" != "." ]; do
+            if [ -f "$REPO_ROOT/$dir/go.mod" ]; then
+                echo "$dir"
+                break
+            fi
+            dir=$(dirname "$dir")
+        done
+    done | sort -u)
+
+    for mod in $GO_MODULES; do
+        if command -v gofmt &>/dev/null; then
+            MOD_GO_FILES=$(echo "$GO_FILES" | grep "^$mod/" || true)
+            if [ -n "$MOD_GO_FILES" ]; then
+                UNFORMATTED=$(cd "$REPO_ROOT" && echo "$MOD_GO_FILES" | xargs gofmt -l 2>/dev/null || true)
+                if [ -n "$UNFORMATTED" ]; then
+                    ERRORS+=("gofmt: unformatted files:" "$UNFORMATTED")
+                fi
+            fi
+        fi
+
+        if command -v go &>/dev/null; then
+            VET_OUTPUT=$(cd "$REPO_ROOT/$mod" && go vet ./... 2>&1) || \
+                ERRORS+=("go vet failed in ${mod}:" "$VET_OUTPUT")
+        fi
+    done
+
+    # Batch panic() check across all non-test Go files
+    PROD_GO_FILES=$(echo "$GO_FILES" | grep -v '_test\.go$' || true)
+    if [ -n "$PROD_GO_FILES" ]; then
+        PANIC_HITS=$(cd "$REPO_ROOT" && echo "$PROD_GO_FILES" | xargs grep -Hn 'panic(' 2>/dev/null \
+            | grep -v '//.*panic' | grep -v 'nolint' || true)
+        if [ -n "$PANIC_HITS" ]; then
+            ERRORS+=("panic() in production code (use fmt.Errorf):" "$PANIC_HITS")
+        fi
+    fi
+fi
+
+# ── Frontend checks ──────────────────────────────────────────────────
+TS_FILES=$(echo "$CHANGED_FILES" | grep -E '^components/frontend/.*\.(ts|tsx|js|jsx)$' || true)
+if [ -n "$TS_FILES" ]; then
+    FRONTEND_DIR="$REPO_ROOT/components/frontend"
+
+    if command -v npx &>/dev/null && [ -d "$FRONTEND_DIR/node_modules" ]; then
+        RELATIVE_FILES=$(echo "$TS_FILES" | sed 's|^components/frontend/||')
+        ESLINT_OUTPUT=$(cd "$FRONTEND_DIR" && echo "$RELATIVE_FILES" | xargs npx eslint 2>&1) || \
+            ERRORS+=("eslint failed on frontend files:" "$ESLINT_OUTPUT")
+    fi
+
+    ANY_HITS=$(cd "$REPO_ROOT" && echo "$TS_FILES" | xargs grep -Hn ': any\b\|<any>\|as any\b' 2>/dev/null \
+        | grep -v '//.*any\|nolint\|eslint-disable' || true)
+    if [ -n "$ANY_HITS" ]; then
+        ERRORS+=("'any' type usage in frontend (use proper types, unknown, or generics):" "$ANY_HITS")
+    fi
+fi
+
+# ── Python checks ────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+PY_FILES=$(echo "$CHANGED_FILES" | grep -E '^(components/runners/|scripts/).*\.py$' || true)
+if [ -n "$PY_FILES" ]; then
+    if command -v ruff &>/dev/null; then
+        RUFF_CHECK=$(cd "$REPO_ROOT" && echo "$PY_FILES" | xargs ruff check 2>&1) || \
+            ERRORS+=("ruff check failed:" "$RUFF_CHECK")
+        RUFF_FMT=$(cd "$REPO_ROOT" && echo "$PY_FILES" | xargs ruff format --check 2>&1) || \
+            ERRORS+=("ruff format failed:" "$RUFF_FMT")
+    fi
+fi
+
+# ── Secret detection ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
+SECRET_PATTERNS='(PRIVATE[_-]KEY|SECRET[_-]KEY|API[_-]KEY|PASSWORD|TOKEN)\s*[=:]\s*["'"'"'][^\s]+'
+SECRET_HITS=$(echo "$FULL_DIFF" | grep '^\+' | grep -iE "$SECRET_PATTERNS" | head -5 || true)
+if [ -n "$SECRET_HITS" ]; then
+    ERRORS+=("Possible secrets in diff:" "$SECRET_HITS")
+fi
+
+# Bail early if mechanical checks failed — don't waste CodeRabbit's time
+if [ ${#ERRORS[@]} -gt 0 ]; then
+    block_with_errors
+fi
+
+# ── CodeRabbit AI review ────────────────────────────────────────────
+# Uses .coderabbit.yaml config (security, performance, K8s safety checks).
+# Skips gracefully if CLI or auth is unavailable.
+if command -v coderabbit &>/dev/null; then
+    echo "PR Review Gate: running CodeRabbit review..." >&2
+
+    CR_OUTPUT=$(coderabbit review --agent --base "$BASE_BRANCH" 2>&1 || true)
+
+    # --agent emits NDJSON (one JSON object per line) plus non-JSON
+    # lines like "[error] stopping cli". Filter to valid JSON first.
+    CR_JSON=$(echo "$CR_OUTPUT" | grep -E '^\{' || true)
+
+    CR_ERROR_TYPE=$(echo "$CR_JSON" | jq -r 'select(.type == "error") | .errorType' 2>/dev/null || true)
+
+    if [ "$CR_ERROR_TYPE" = "rate_limit" ]; then
+        CR_WAIT=$(echo "$CR_JSON" | jq -r 'select(.type == "error") | .metadata.waitTime // "unknown"' 2>/dev/null || true)
+        echo "PR Review Gate: CodeRabbit rate-limited (wait: $CR_WAIT)" >&2
+    elif [ "$CR_ERROR_TYPE" = "auth" ] || echo "$CR_JSON" | jq -e 'select(.type == "error")' &>/dev/null; then
+        CR_MSG=$(echo "$CR_JSON" | jq -r 'select(.type == "error") | .message // "unknown error"' 2>/dev/null || true)
+        echo "PR Review Gate: CodeRabbit skipped ($CR_MSG)" >&2
+    elif [ -n "$CR_JSON" ]; then
+        BLOCKING=$(echo "$CR_JSON" | jq -r \
+            'select(.type == "finding" or .findings != null) |
+             (.findings[]? // .) | select(.severity == "error") |
+             "  \(.file):\(.line) — \(.message)"' \
+            2>/dev/null || true)
+
+        if [ -n "$BLOCKING" ]; then
+            ERRORS+=("CodeRabbit found blocking issues:" "$BLOCKING")
+        else
+            echo "PR Review Gate: CodeRabbit review passed" >&2
+        fi
+    fi
+else
+    echo "PR Review Gate: CodeRabbit CLI not found — skipping AI review" >&2
+fi
+
+if [ ${#ERRORS[@]} -gt 0 ]; then
+    block_with_errors
+fi
+
+echo "PR Review Gate: all checks passed" >&2
+exit 0