diff --git a/.github/scripts/interaction-guard.mjs b/.github/scripts/interaction-guard.mjs
index c2ff8fe785..6ef4afa1b4 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/interaction-guard.mjs
+++ b/.github/scripts/interaction-guard.mjs
@@ -4,6 +4,19 @@ const limits = {
   issue: { count: 10, label: "issues" },
   pull_request: { count: 4, label: "pull requests" },
 };
+// Must match the fromJSON list in the guard job's `if:` in
+// .github/workflows/interaction-guard.yml.
+const trustedAssociations = new Set(["OWNER", "MEMBER", "COLLABORATOR"]);
+
+export function isTrustedAuthor(authorAssociation) {
+  return trustedAssociations.has(authorAssociation);
+}
+
+export function closePayload(kind) {
+  // state_reason is only valid for issues; PATCHing it on a pull request
+  // fails with 403 "Insufficient permissions to update the state_reason".
+  return kind === "pull_request" ? { state: "closed" } : { state: "closed", state_reason: "not_planned" };
+}
 
 export function evaluateInteraction({ kind, userCreatedAt, now, recentCount }) {
   const created = Date.parse(userCreatedAt);
@@ -41,6 +54,7 @@ function eventTarget(payload) {
       kind: "pull_request",
       number: payload.pull_request.number,
       author: payload.pull_request.user.login,
+      authorAssociation: payload.pull_request.author_association,
     };
   }
   if (payload.issue && !payload.issue.pull_request) {
@@ -48,6 +62,7 @@ function eventTarget(payload) {
       kind: "issue",
       number: payload.issue.number,
       author: payload.issue.user.login,
+      authorAssociation: payload.issue.author_association,
     };
   }
   return null;
@@ -80,6 +95,7 @@ async function main() {
   const payload = JSON.parse(await fs.readFile(process.env.GITHUB_EVENT_PATH, "utf8"));
   const target = eventTarget(payload);
   if (!target) return;
+  if (isTrustedAuthor(target.authorAssociation)) return;
 
   const repo = process.env.GITHUB_REPOSITORY;
   const now = new Date().toISOString();
@@ -103,7 +119,7 @@ async function main() {
   });
   await github(`/repos/${repo}/issues/${target.number}`, {
     method: "PATCH",
-    body: JSON.stringify({ state: "closed", state_reason: "not_planned" }),
+    body: JSON.stringify(closePayload(target.kind)),
   });
 }
 
diff --git a/.github/scripts/interaction-guard.test.mjs b/.github/scripts/interaction-guard.test.mjs
index 38023304b7..c868d13aa1 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/interaction-guard.test.mjs
+++ b/.github/scripts/interaction-guard.test.mjs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import assert from "node:assert/strict";
 import test from "node:test";
 
-import { evaluateInteraction } from "./interaction-guard.mjs";
+import { closePayload, evaluateInteraction, isTrustedAuthor } from "./interaction-guard.mjs";
 
 const now = "2026-07-08T00:00:00.000Z";
 
@@ -55,3 +55,20 @@ test("blocks the 5th pull request in 7 days", () => {
   assert.equal(result.allowed, false);
   assert.match(result.reason, /4 pull requests per 7 days/);
 });
+
+test("trusts maintainer associations", () => {
+  for (const authorAssociation of ["OWNER", "MEMBER", "COLLABORATOR"]) {
+    assert.equal(isTrustedAuthor(authorAssociation), true);
+  }
+});
+
+test("does not trust other associations", () => {
+  assert.equal(isTrustedAuthor("CONTRIBUTOR"), false);
+  assert.equal(isTrustedAuthor("NONE"), false);
+  assert.equal(isTrustedAuthor(undefined), false);
+});
+
+test("close payload omits state_reason for pull requests", () => {
+  assert.deepEqual(closePayload("pull_request"), { state: "closed" });
+  assert.deepEqual(closePayload("issue"), { state: "closed", state_reason: "not_planned" });
+});
diff --git a/.github/workflows/interaction-guard.yml b/.github/workflows/interaction-guard.yml
index e63f20ea79..8b2d49fdd6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/interaction-guard.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/interaction-guard.yml
@@ -13,11 +13,17 @@ permissions:
 
 jobs:
   guard:
-    if: vars.CI_BUDGET_MODE != 'off'
+    # Skip maintainer-authored events entirely: no runner spin-up, no
+    # billed minutes. The guard only exists for untrusted authors.
+    # The association list must match trustedAssociations in
+    # .github/scripts/interaction-guard.mjs.
+    if: >-
+      vars.CI_BUDGET_MODE != 'off' &&
+      !contains(fromJSON('["OWNER", "MEMBER", "COLLABORATOR"]'),
+        github.event.pull_request.author_association || github.event.issue.author_association)
     runs-on: blacksmith-2vcpu-ubuntu-2404
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      - run: node --test .github/scripts/interaction-guard.test.mjs
       - run: node .github/scripts/interaction-guard.mjs
         env:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pr-check.yml b/.github/workflows/pr-check.yml
index 038c35eba8..b2e7397d8e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pr-check.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pr-check.yml
@@ -76,3 +76,6 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Frontend type check / build
         run: pnpm --dir apps/desktop-tauri run build
+
+      - name: Interaction guard script tests
+        run: node --test .github/scripts/interaction-guard.test.mjs