diff --git a/.github/workflows/r.yml b/.github/workflows/r.yml
index cf2e656..1661339 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/r.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/r.yml
@@ -35,6 +35,17 @@ jobs:
           r-version: release
           use-public-rspm: true
 
+      # stringfish binaries (CRAN/P3M) still link the legacy TBB from
+      # RcppParallel <6.2 and fail to load against RcppParallel 6.2.0's oneTBB,
+      # which breaks the SimDesign source build inside setup-r-dependencies.
+      # Pre-build stringfish from real CRAN source (P3M serves binaries even
+      # via its source API); pak then keeps the installed copy. Drop once
+      # upstream binaries are rebuilt.
+      - name: Prebuild stringfish from source (TBB mismatch with RcppParallel 6.2.0)
+        run: |
+          Rscript -e 'install.packages(c("Rcpp", "RcppParallel"), repos = Sys.getenv("RSPM", unset = "https://cloud.r-project.org"))' \
+                  -e 'install.packages("stringfish", type = "source", repos = "https://cloud.r-project.org")'
+
       - name: Set up R package dependencies
         uses: r-lib/actions/setup-r-dependencies@d3c5be51b12e724e68f33216ca3c148b66d5f0b6
         with:
diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index b60b03d..e44b69a 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -107,3 +107,13 @@ Applies to every agent (Claude, Codex, Cursor, opencode, ...) working in this re
   psychometrics literature. Commit paper PDFs only when redistribution is
   permitted; otherwise cite, link, and summarize.
 <!-- END cwl-agent-guidance -->
+
+## Code-owner review gates — disabled (on hold)
+
+As of 2026-08-04, code-owner review requirements
+(`require_code_owner_reviews` in branch protection,
+`require_code_owner_review` in rulesets) are disabled across the
+ContextualWisdomLab org: there is a single maintainer (solo developer), so
+a code-owner approval gate can never be satisfied. This is ON HOLD until
+the org has multiple maintainers — do NOT re-enable these settings or add
+CODEOWNERS-based merge gates before then.