diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index c896d1ed..bf11a672 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -578,6 +578,12 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
   is `gittuf`, so the MCP entry that `darnit install` writes gave clients
   the gittuf tools. With several frameworks installed and no baseline it
   now asks for `--framework` instead of guessing.
+- The `gh_api` step no longer calls the platform when its endpoint needs
+  `$OWNER` or `$REPO` and the checkout has no repository identity (no git
+  remote). It used to substitute an empty owner, ask for `/repos//name`,
+  and report the 404 that came back; a step declaring 404 in
+  `fail_on_status` would have turned that into FAIL. It is now `ERROR`,
+  class `unavailable`, with a message that says why.
 - Installs without the development dependencies work again (`uv tool install`
   from a checkout, and any install from a built wheel). Two things broke
   them: `tree-sitter-language-pack` 1.6.3, the newest release the old
diff --git a/packages/darnit/src/darnit/sieve/builtin_handlers.py b/packages/darnit/src/darnit/sieve/builtin_handlers.py
index 8f66eb16..b41e0a6f 100644
--- a/packages/darnit/src/darnit/sieve/builtin_handlers.py
+++ b/packages/darnit/src/darnit/sieve/builtin_handlers.py
@@ -554,6 +554,23 @@ def gh_api_handler(config: dict[str, Any], context: HandlerContext) -> HandlerRe
             message="No endpoint specified for gh_api handler",
             error_class="evaluation",
         )
+    # A checkout with no remote has no owner (detect_owner_repo returns "").
+    # Substituting it would ask the platform about "/repos//name", and the 404
+    # that comes back says nothing about this repository. It must not be
+    # reported as a platform answer, and never as a declared failure.
+    missing = [var for var, val in (("$OWNER", context.owner), ("$REPO", context.repo)) if var in endpoint and not val]
+    if missing:
+        message = (
+            f"Platform API call {endpoint} needs {' and '.join(missing)}, and this checkout has no "
+            "repository identity (no git remote was found)"
+        )
+        _log_environmental_failure(context.control_id, "gh_api", "unavailable", message)
+        return HandlerResult(
+            status=HandlerResultStatus.ERROR,
+            message=message,
+            evidence={"endpoint": endpoint},
+            error_class="unavailable",
+        )
     for var, val in (("$OWNER", context.owner), ("$REPO", context.repo), ("$BRANCH", context.default_branch)):
         endpoint = endpoint.replace(var, val or "")
 
diff --git a/tests/darnit/sieve/test_gh_api_handler.py b/tests/darnit/sieve/test_gh_api_handler.py
index 24961ce7..e69dd25b 100644
--- a/tests/darnit/sieve/test_gh_api_handler.py
+++ b/tests/darnit/sieve/test_gh_api_handler.py
@@ -234,3 +234,34 @@ def test_expr_evaluated_once_by_handler(self, recorded, caplog) -> None:
             )
         assert result.status == "PASS"
         assert not [r for r in caplog.records if "CEL evaluation failed" in r.getMessage()]
+
+
+class TestMissingRepositoryIdentity:
+    """A checkout with no remote has no owner; the platform is not asked about "/repos//name"."""
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _run_without_owner(config: dict) -> object:
+        ctx = HandlerContext(local_path="/tmp", owner="", repo="hello", default_branch="main", control_id="GH-01")
+        return gh_api_handler({**STEP, **config}, ctx)
+
+    def test_no_owner_is_error_and_makes_no_call(self, recorded) -> None:
+        responder = recorded({})
+        result = self._run_without_owner({})
+        assert responder.calls == []
+        assert result.status == HandlerResultStatus.ERROR
+        assert result.error_class == "unavailable"
+        assert "$OWNER" in result.message
+        assert result.evidence == {"endpoint": STEP["endpoint"]}
+
+    def test_no_owner_never_proves_a_declared_failure(self, recorded) -> None:
+        responder = recorded({"/repos//hello/branches/main/protection": {"status": 404, "error": "HTTP 404: Not Found"}})
+        result = self._run_without_owner({"fail_on_status": [404]})
+        assert responder.calls == []
+        assert result.status == HandlerResultStatus.ERROR
+
+    def test_endpoint_that_needs_no_identity_still_runs(self, recorded) -> None:
+        responder = recorded({"/user": {"status": 200, "body": {}}})
+        ctx = HandlerContext(local_path="/tmp", owner="", repo="", default_branch="main", control_id="GH-01")
+        result = gh_api_handler({"handler": "gh_api", "endpoint": "/user"}, ctx)
+        assert responder.calls == ["/user"]
+        assert result.status == HandlerResultStatus.PASS