diff --git a/.planning/STATE.md b/.planning/STATE.md
index 7cbbfb5..d402fae 100644
--- a/.planning/STATE.md
+++ b/.planning/STATE.md
@@ -25,10 +25,22 @@ See: .planning/PROJECT.md (updated 2026-06-10)
 
 ## Current Position
 
-Phase: 15 (ci-skip-api-harness-jobs-for-doc-only-prs) — EXECUTING
-Plan: 1 of 3
-Status: Executing Phase 15
-Last activity: 2026-06-12 -- Phase 15 execution started
+Phase: 15 (ci-skip-api-harness-jobs-for-doc-only-prs) — PENDING (deferred checkpoint)
+Plan: 15-03 (Task 2 of 2 — human-action checkpoint, deferred)
+Status: Plans 15-01 + 15-02 complete; 15-03 Task 1 (publish.yml comment) committed (da623ac); 15-03 Task 2 awaiting operator after branch merges to main
+Last activity: 2026-06-12 -- Phase 15 code complete; PR pushed; 15-03 operator checkpoint deferred to post-merge
+
+### Deferred Checkpoint — Phase 15 Plan 15-03 Task 2 (human-action)
+
+Operator must update Gitea branch protection on `main` AFTER this branch merges and `CI / gate` has reported at least once:
+- Set required status checks to EXACTLY: `CI / fast-checks` + `CI / gate`
+- REMOVE: `CI / api` + `CI / harness` (now conditionally skipped on doc-only PRs, gated via the always-running `CI / gate`)
+- CLI option (login Bergerhouse): `tea api --method PATCH repos/luckberg/familysync/branches/main/protection --data '{"status_check_contexts":["CI / fast-checks","CI / gate"]}'`
+- Verify: throwaway doc-only PR is mergeable with api/harness skipped (SC-1/SC-3); throwaway code PR runs+gates all jobs (SC-2); close both.
+
+ORDERING HAZARD: do NOT make this change before `CI / gate` exists on `main` (premature drop leaves main ungated / can block PRs).
+
+Resume: after the operator completes the change, re-run `/gsd-execute-phase 15` (re-dispatches 15-03 → Task 1 already satisfied, confirm Task 2, write 15-03-SUMMARY) — then phase verification + completion run.
 
 ## Performance Metrics