diff --git a/layers/artifact-delivery/server/utils/checks.ts b/layers/artifact-delivery/server/utils/checks.ts
index 37181be1..d9e74702 100644
--- a/layers/artifact-delivery/server/utils/checks.ts
+++ b/layers/artifact-delivery/server/utils/checks.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import type { ArtifactFile, CheckResult, ResolvedSource } from '../schemas/contracts'
 import type { ArtifactSourceFile } from './github-source'
 import { digestHex } from './encoding'
+import { ARTIFACT_POLICY_VERSION } from './state'
 
 /**
  * 2026-10-07: the check became advisory. It still reports every finding, but
@@ -14,13 +15,39 @@ const PATH_POLICY_VERSION = '1'
 const CREDENTIAL_MATERIAL_VERSION = '1'
 const EXECUTABLE_FILES_VERSION = '1'
 
-const CURRENT_ARTIFACT_CHECKS = new Map([
+/** The checks a statement under one policy carries, by check name. */
+export type ArtifactCheckSet = ReadonlyMap<string, { version: string, required: boolean }>
+
+const CURRENT_ARTIFACT_CHECKS: ArtifactCheckSet = new Map([
   ['path-policy', { version: PATH_POLICY_VERSION, required: true }],
   ['agent-skills-spec', { version: AGENT_SKILLS_CHECK_VERSION, required: false }],
   ['credential-material', { version: CREDENTIAL_MATERIAL_VERSION, required: true }],
   ['executable-files', { version: EXECUTABLE_FILES_VERSION, required: false }],
 ])
 
+/**
+ * Every policy the artifact signer signs, with the checks its statements carry.
+ *
+ * The deploy updates the signer before the site, and a failed smoke rolls the
+ * site back alone. In both windows the running site stages statements under
+ * the policy before the signer's, so the signer signs that one too. When you
+ * bump `ARTIFACT_POLICY_VERSION`, replace the previous entry with the policy
+ * you bumped from. Leave it out only when the bump closes a safety gap, so the
+ * signer refuses the old policy at once.
+ *
+ * The site never reuses a build under another policy, so a statement signed
+ * under the previous one only finishes a run already in flight.
+ */
+export const SIGNABLE_ARTIFACT_POLICIES: ReadonlyMap<string, ArtifactCheckSet> = new Map([
+  [ARTIFACT_POLICY_VERSION, CURRENT_ARTIFACT_CHECKS],
+  ['2026-08-20.1', new Map([
+    ['path-policy', { version: '1', required: true }],
+    ['agent-skills-spec', { version: '2026-08-20', required: true }],
+    ['credential-material', { version: '1', required: true }],
+    ['executable-files', { version: '1', required: false }],
+  ])],
+])
+
 export interface CheckedArtifactSource {
   files: ArtifactFile[]
   checkResults: CheckResult[]
@@ -151,11 +178,11 @@ export async function checkArtifactSource(
   }
 }
 
-export function checksBlockArtifact(checks: CheckResult[]): boolean {
+export function checksBlockArtifact(checks: CheckResult[], checkSet: ArtifactCheckSet = CURRENT_ARTIFACT_CHECKS): boolean {
   const byName = new Map(checks.map(check => [check.name, check]))
   if (byName.size !== checks.length)
     return true
-  for (const [name, expected] of CURRENT_ARTIFACT_CHECKS) {
+  for (const [name, expected] of checkSet) {
     const check = byName.get(name)
     if (!check || check.version !== expected.version || check.required !== expected.required)
       return true
@@ -163,8 +190,11 @@ export function checksBlockArtifact(checks: CheckResult[]): boolean {
   return checks.some(check => check.required && (check.outcome === 'fail' || check.outcome === 'error'))
 }
 
-export function checksPermitSigning(checks: CheckResult[]): boolean {
-  return !checksBlockArtifact(checks)
+/** Whether checks permit signing under one policy. The current policy is the default. */
+export function checksPermitSigning(checks: CheckResult[], policyVersion: string = ARTIFACT_POLICY_VERSION): boolean {
+  const checkSet = SIGNABLE_ARTIFACT_POLICIES.get(policyVersion)
+  return checkSet !== undefined
+    && !checksBlockArtifact(checks, checkSet)
     && checks.every(check => !check.required || check.outcome === 'pass')
 }
 
diff --git a/layers/artifact-delivery/server/utils/state.ts b/layers/artifact-delivery/server/utils/state.ts
index 84bfba56..008b03ff 100644
--- a/layers/artifact-delivery/server/utils/state.ts
+++ b/layers/artifact-delivery/server/utils/state.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ import { canonicalJson, digestHex } from './encoding'
  * Bump it when a change to loading, packaging, or checks changes what one
  * commit produces. A ready build signed under another version is never reused,
  * so the bump also makes every commit load from GitHub once more.
+ *
+ * The signer also signs the policy before this one, so a deploy window fails
+ * no run. Update `SIGNABLE_ARTIFACT_POLICIES` in `checks.ts` with each bump.
  */
 export const ARTIFACT_POLICY_VERSION = '2026-10-07.1'
 
diff --git a/test/unit/artifact-signer.test.ts b/test/unit/artifact-signer.test.ts
index b9ba0905..7749459d 100644
--- a/test/unit/artifact-signer.test.ts
+++ b/test/unit/artifact-signer.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import type { ResolvedSource } from '../../layers/artifact-delivery/server/schemas/contracts'
+import type { CheckResult, ResolvedSource } from '../../layers/artifact-delivery/server/schemas/contracts'
 import type { ArtifactSignerBindings } from '../../workers/artifact-signer/src/handler'
 import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 import { artifactR2Key } from '../../layers/artifact-delivery/server/utils/artifact-storage'
@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@ import {
   createAttestationStatement,
   encodeAttestationStatement,
 } from '../../layers/artifact-delivery/server/utils/attestation'
+import { SIGNABLE_ARTIFACT_POLICIES } from '../../layers/artifact-delivery/server/utils/checks'
 import { bytesToBase64Url, digestHex } from '../../layers/artifact-delivery/server/utils/encoding'
+import { ARTIFACT_POLICY_VERSION } from '../../layers/artifact-delivery/server/utils/state'
 import {
   ARTIFACT_SIGNER_MAX_REQUEST_BYTES,
   handleArtifactSignerRequest,
@@ -154,6 +156,33 @@ describe('artifact signing Worker', () => {
     fixture.close()
   })
 
+  // The deploy updates the signer before the site, and a failed smoke rolls
+  // the site back alone. In both windows the running site stages statements
+  // under the policy before the signer's. The signer refused every one, so a
+  // deploy that bumped the policy failed each run in its window.
+  it('signs a statement the site staged under the previous policy', async () => {
+    const [policyVersion, checkSet] = [...SIGNABLE_ARTIFACT_POLICIES].find(([version]) => version !== ARTIFACT_POLICY_VERSION)!
+    const fixture = await createSignerFixture({
+      policyVersion,
+      checks: [...checkSet].map(([name, check]) => ({ name, version: check.version, outcome: 'pass' as const, required: check.required })),
+    })
+
+    const response = await handleArtifactSignerRequest(attestRequest(fixture.artifactId), fixture.bindings, () => NOW)
+
+    expect(response.status).toBe(200)
+    fixture.close()
+  })
+
+  it('rejects current check results under the previous policy', async () => {
+    const [policyVersion] = [...SIGNABLE_ARTIFACT_POLICIES].find(([version]) => version !== ARTIFACT_POLICY_VERSION)!
+    const fixture = await createSignerFixture({ policyVersion })
+
+    const response = await handleArtifactSignerRequest(attestRequest(fixture.artifactId), fixture.bindings, () => NOW)
+
+    expect(await readCode(response)).toBe('CHECKS_BLOCKED')
+    fixture.close()
+  })
+
   it.each([
     ['size', { sizeOffset: 1 }],
     ['stored digest', { storedDigest: 'f'.repeat(64) }],
@@ -235,6 +264,8 @@ interface SignerFixtureOptions {
     body?: Uint8Array
   }
   privateArtifact?: boolean
+  policyVersion?: string
+  checks?: CheckResult[]
 }
 
 async function createSignerFixture(options: SignerFixtureOptions = {}) {
@@ -255,21 +286,24 @@ async function createSignerFixture(options: SignerFixtureOptions = {}) {
   const r2Key = options.privateArtifact
     ? `v1/private/account/${RESOLUTION_ID}.bin`
     : artifactR2Key(contentSha256)
-  const checks = [
+  const checks: CheckResult[] = options.checks ?? [
     { name: 'path-policy', version: '1', outcome: options.checkOutcome ?? 'pass', required: true },
     { name: 'agent-skills-spec', version: '2026-10-07', outcome: 'pass', required: false },
     { name: 'credential-material', version: '1', outcome: 'pass', required: true },
     { name: 'executable-files', version: '1', outcome: 'pass', required: false },
-  ] as const
-  const statement = encodeAttestationStatement(createAttestationStatement({
-    artifactId,
-    createdAt: new Date((NOW - 60) * 1000).toISOString(),
-    source: options.privateArtifact ? { ...source, visibility: 'private' } : source,
-    contentSha256,
-    contentBytes: artifactBytes.byteLength,
-    files: [{ path: 'SKILL.md', mode: 420, size: 1, sha256: 'a'.repeat(64) }],
-    checkResults: checks.map(check => ({ ...check })),
-  }))
+  ]
+  const statement = encodeAttestationStatement({
+    ...createAttestationStatement({
+      artifactId,
+      createdAt: new Date((NOW - 60) * 1000).toISOString(),
+      source: options.privateArtifact ? { ...source, visibility: 'private' } : source,
+      contentSha256,
+      contentBytes: artifactBytes.byteLength,
+      files: [{ path: 'SKILL.md', mode: 420, size: 1, sha256: 'a'.repeat(64) }],
+      checkResults: checks.map(check => ({ ...check })),
+    }),
+    ...(options.policyVersion ? { policyVersion: options.policyVersion } : {}),
+  })
   sqlite.raw.prepare(
     `INSERT INTO artifact_resolutions (
        id, request_fingerprint, state, state_version,
diff --git a/workers/artifact-signer/src/handler.ts b/workers/artifact-signer/src/handler.ts
index 5e928fcc..c384a0ca 100644
--- a/workers/artifact-signer/src/handler.ts
+++ b/workers/artifact-signer/src/handler.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import {
 } from '../../../layers/artifact-delivery/server/schemas/contracts'
 import { artifactR2Key } from '../../../layers/artifact-delivery/server/utils/artifact-storage'
 import { createAttestationSignaturePayload, encodeAttestationStatement } from '../../../layers/artifact-delivery/server/utils/attestation'
-import { checksPermitSigning } from '../../../layers/artifact-delivery/server/utils/checks'
+import { checksPermitSigning, SIGNABLE_ARTIFACT_POLICIES } from '../../../layers/artifact-delivery/server/utils/checks'
 import { base64ToBytes, bytesToBase64Url, canonicalJson, digestHex } from '../../../layers/artifact-delivery/server/utils/encoding'
 import { ARTIFACT_POLICY_VERSION } from '../../../layers/artifact-delivery/server/utils/state'
 
@@ -211,9 +211,15 @@ function validateSigningRow(row: SigningRow, maximumAgeSeconds: number, now: num
   ) {
     return failures.artifactIdMismatch()
   }
+  // Checks count under the policy the statement names, when the signer signs
+  // it. An unknown policy counts under the current one and fails below.
+  const stagedPolicy = artifactAttestationStatementSchema.safeParse(parseJson(row.attestation_statement_json))
+  const policyVersion = stagedPolicy.success && SIGNABLE_ARTIFACT_POLICIES.has(stagedPolicy.data.policyVersion)
+    ? stagedPolicy.data.policyVersion
+    : ARTIFACT_POLICY_VERSION
   const checkResultsValue = parseJson(row.check_results_json)
   const checkResults = z.array(checkResultSchema).min(1).max(100).safeParse(checkResultsValue)
-  if (!checkResults.success || !checksPermitSigning(checkResults.data))
+  if (!checkResults.success || !checksPermitSigning(checkResults.data, policyVersion))
     return failures.checksBlocked()
   const checkAge = now - row.updated_at
   if (checkAge < 0 || checkAge > maximumAgeSeconds)
@@ -226,7 +232,7 @@ function validateSigningRow(row: SigningRow, maximumAgeSeconds: number, now: num
   const statement = artifactAttestationStatementSchema.safeParse(statementValue)
   if (!statement.success)
     return failures.statementChanged()
-  if (statement.data.policyVersion !== ARTIFACT_POLICY_VERSION)
+  if (!SIGNABLE_ARTIFACT_POLICIES.has(statement.data.policyVersion))
     return failures.policyOutdated()
   if (row.attestation_statement_json !== encodeAttestationStatement(statement.data))
     return failures.statementChanged()