diff --git a/free/ci/internal/gates/result_classifier.go b/free/ci/internal/gates/result_classifier.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7bbb322c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/free/ci/internal/gates/result_classifier.go
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+package gates
+
+import "strings"
+
+// MissingResult identifies a missing catalogue tool from a failed command's
+// output, rather than mistaking an installed launcher for an installed tool.
+func MissingResult(check string, exit int, output string) (tool, remediation string) {
+	if exit == 0 {
+		return "", ""
+	}
+	switch check {
+	case "python-test":
+		if pytestMissing(output) {
+			return "pytest", "Add pytest to the project's dependencies"
+		}
+	case "python-types":
+		for _, marker := range []string{"No module named mypy", "Failed to spawn: `mypy`", "mypy: command not found", "Command not found: mypy"} {
+			if strings.Contains(output, marker) {
+				return "mypy", "Add mypy to the project's dependencies"
+			}
+		}
+	case "xcode-test":
+		if strings.Contains(output, "requires Xcode") && strings.Contains(strings.ToLower(output), "command line tools") {
+			return "xcodebuild", "Run on a Mac with Xcode installed and selected with xcode-select"
+		}
+	}
+	return "", ""
+}
diff --git a/free/ci/internal/gates/result_classifier_test.go b/free/ci/internal/gates/result_classifier_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a599a4749
--- /dev/null
+++ b/free/ci/internal/gates/result_classifier_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+package gates
+
+import "testing"
+
+func TestMissingResult(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, tc := range []struct {
+		check, output, tool string
+		exit                int
+	}{
+		{"python-test", "No module named pytest", "pytest", 1},
+		{"python-types", "Failed to spawn: `mypy`", "mypy", 1},
+		{"xcode-test", "xcodebuild requires Xcode; Command Line Tools installed", "xcodebuild", 1},
+		{"python-test", "No module named pytest", "", 0},
+		{"python-test", "test failed", "", 1},
+		{"custom", "No module named pytest", "", 1},
+	} {
+		t.Run(tc.check+"/"+tc.output, func(t *testing.T) {
+			tool, fix := MissingResult(tc.check, tc.exit, tc.output)
+			if tool != tc.tool || (tool != "" && fix == "") {
+				t.Fatalf("tool = %q, remediation = %q", tool, fix)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/free/ci/internal/gates/run.go b/free/ci/internal/gates/run.go
index 7053eea59..9811ae5fc 100644
--- a/free/ci/internal/gates/run.go
+++ b/free/ci/internal/gates/run.go
@@ -100,9 +100,9 @@ func (r Runner) Run(ctx context.Context, root string, p PlannedCheck, cfg model.
 		c.Excerpt = res.err.Error()
 		return c
 	}
-	if d.ID == "python-test" && res.exit != 0 && pytestMissing(res.output) {
-		c.Tool = "pytest"
-		return unavailable(c, "Add pytest to the project's dependencies")
+	if tool, fix := MissingResult(d.ID, res.exit, res.output); tool != "" {
+		c.Tool = tool
+		return unavailable(c, fix)
 	}
 	if advisoryOffline(d.ID, res.output, res.exit) {
 		if !p.Required {
diff --git a/free/ci/internal/run/catalogue_result.go b/free/ci/internal/run/catalogue_result.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..da9bd3a52
--- /dev/null
+++ b/free/ci/internal/run/catalogue_result.go
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+package run
+
+import (
+	ciexec "github.com/nself-org/plugins/free/ci/internal/exec"
+	"github.com/nself-org/plugins/free/ci/internal/gates"
+)
+
+// classifyCatalogue applies the same missing-tool verdict as the direct
+// catalogue runner. It cannot turn a cancellation or a successful job into a failure.
+func classifyCatalogue(check string, res *ciexec.AttemptResult, o *JobOutcome) {
+	if res.Attempt.State != "failed" {
+		return
+	}
+	tool, fix := gates.MissingResult(check, res.ExitCode, o.Tail)
+	if tool == "" {
+		return
+	}
+	res.Attempt.FailureClass = "infra"
+	res.Err = &Error{Code: "E614", Message: tool + " unavailable; " + fix}
+	o.Tool, o.Code, o.FailureClass = tool, "E614", "infra"
+	o.Remediation, o.retryable = fix, false
+	o.Excerpt = res.Err.Error()
+}
diff --git a/free/ci/internal/run/catalogue_result_test.go b/free/ci/internal/run/catalogue_result_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ee7a44485
--- /dev/null
+++ b/free/ci/internal/run/catalogue_result_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+package run
+
+import (
+	"github.com/nself-org/plugins/free/ci/internal/model"
+	"testing"
+
+	ciexec "github.com/nself-org/plugins/free/ci/internal/exec"
+)
+
+func TestCatalogueMissingTools(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, tc := range []struct {
+		check, output, state string
+		exit                 int
+		missing              bool
+	}{
+		{"python-test", "No module named pytest", "failed", 1, true},
+		{"python-types", "No module named mypy", "failed", 1, true},
+		{"xcode-test", "xcode-select: error: tool 'xcodebuild' requires Xcode, but active developer directory is a command line tools instance", "failed", 1, true},
+		{"python-test", "assertion failed", "failed", 1, false},
+		{"custom", "No module named pytest", "failed", 1, false},
+		{"python-test", "No module named pytest", "passed", 0, false},
+		{"python-test", "No module named pytest", "cancelled", 1, false},
+	} {
+		t.Run(tc.check+"/"+tc.state+"/"+tc.output, func(t *testing.T) {
+			var res ciexec.AttemptResult
+			res.Attempt.State, res.Attempt.FailureClass, res.ExitCode = model.JobState(tc.state), "code", tc.exit
+			o := JobOutcome{Tail: tc.output, retryable: true}
+			classifyCatalogue(tc.check, &res, &o)
+			if (o.Code == "E614") != tc.missing {
+				t.Fatalf("code = %q", o.Code)
+			}
+			if tc.missing && (res.Attempt.FailureClass != "infra" || o.Remediation == "" || o.retryable) {
+				t.Fatal("missing tool verdict lost")
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/free/ci/internal/run/jobrun.go b/free/ci/internal/run/jobrun.go
index a83d2d318..724e504b3 100644
--- a/free/ci/internal/run/jobrun.go
+++ b/free/ci/internal/run/jobrun.go
@@ -193,6 +193,7 @@ func (rs *runState) runLeased(ctx context.Context, pj plan.PlannedJob, job model
 	}
 	rs.judge(ctx, info, full, &res, &o)
 	rs.diagnose(&o, &res)
+	classifyCatalogue(pj.Check, &res, &o)
 	oc := Outcome{State: res.Attempt.State, FailureClass: res.Attempt.FailureClass, ExitCode: res.ExitCode}
 	defer func() {
 		if rs.hooks.Cache != nil {
diff --git a/free/ci/internal/run/safety_test.go b/free/ci/internal/run/safety_test.go
index 584f544e4..6ae08f484 100644
--- a/free/ci/internal/run/safety_test.go
+++ b/free/ci/internal/run/safety_test.go
@@ -45,13 +45,25 @@ func TestStatusNotPostedForPartialCancelledOrOutsideConfig(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 	// Ctrl-C: the run context ends while a job runs; nothing is posted
-	r := newRig(t, map[string]model.Job{"a": sh("sleep 60")}, gitFake{})
+	marker := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "started")
+	r := newRig(t, map[string]model.Job{"a": sh("touch " + strconv.Quote(marker) + "; sleep 60")}, gitFake{})
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 30*time.Second)
 	defer cancel()
-	r.C.Hooks.AttemptStarts = []AttemptStartHook{startFn(func(AttemptInfo) error {
-		cancel()
-		return nil
-	})}
+	go func() {
+		ticker := time.NewTicker(10 * time.Millisecond)
+		defer ticker.Stop()
+		for {
+			select {
+			case <-ctx.Done():
+				return
+			case <-ticker.C:
+				if _, err := os.Stat(marker); err == nil {
+					cancel()
+					return
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}()
 	res, err := r.C.Run(ctx)
 	if err != nil || res.Exit == 0 || len(r.Rep.all()) != 0 || !strings.Contains(res.Summary.Status, report.ReasonCancelled) {
 		t.Fatalf("exit %d err %v status %q posted %+v", res.Exit, err, res.Summary.Status, r.Rep.all())