diff --git a/.github/workflows/self-labels.yml b/.github/workflows/self-labels.yml
index 9c94d39..53ba9ea 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/self-labels.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/self-labels.yml
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ on:
     types: [opened, reopened, ready_for_review, converted_to_draft, synchronize, labeled, unlabeled]
 permissions:
   contents: read
+  checks: read          # mergeability/check-rollup read for PR state
+  statuses: read        # commit-status rollup read for PR state
   issues: write
   pull-requests: write
 jobs:
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 7d859e5..f9814a2 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ so entries say what changed, cite the issue, and stop.
 
 ## Unreleased
 
+- `labels-reconcile` — grant callers private-repo check reads and warn when an entire PR sweep is blind (#95).
 - `labels-reconcile` — the bootstrap now retires the six GitHub defaults `LABELS.md` publishes as deleted, tolerating both an already-absent label and a refused delete (#93).
 - `issueflow-reconcile` — a triage-authored issue arrival stands down with exit 0 instead of killing the run before the sweep (#91).
 - FLEET.md — the assignee's `attention` wake: one role-independent trigger ahead of every per-role list, one acked session per demand; a spec on paper until `duty.sh` polls it (#86).
diff --git a/actions/labels-reconcile/labels-reconcile.sh b/actions/labels-reconcile/labels-reconcile.sh
index 8b34374..f84ed2d 100755
--- a/actions/labels-reconcile/labels-reconcile.sh
+++ b/actions/labels-reconcile/labels-reconcile.sh
@@ -60,6 +60,12 @@ run() { # every mutation goes through here — DRY_RUN=1 logs instead of doing
   if [ -n "${DRY_RUN:-}" ]; then log "DRY_RUN: $*"; else "$@"; fi
 }
 
+blind_sweep_warning() { # $1 = unreadable PRs, $2 = all open PRs
+  if [ "$2" -gt 0 ] && [ "$1" -eq "$2" ]; then
+    echo "::warning::labels: every open PR was unreadable; grant checks: read and statuses: read in the caller (private repos do not imply them)"
+  fi
+}
+
 load_config() { # $1 = consumer labels.conf; panel is mandatory, scopes optional
   local conf="$1" line panel_seen=false
   [ -f "$conf" ] || {
@@ -592,9 +598,13 @@ main() {
   REPO_LABELS="$(gh label list -R "$REPO" --limit 200 --json name --jq '.[].name' 2>/dev/null || echo "")"
   [ -z "$REPO_LABELS" ] && log "WARNING: could not read the label set — applying labels unfiltered"
 
-  local n
-  for n in $(gh pr list -R "$REPO" --state open --limit 100 --json number --jq '.[].number'); do
-    (
+  local n output status total=0 unreadable=0
+  while IFS= read -r n; do
+    [ -n "$n" ] || continue
+    total=$((total + 1))
+    status=0
+    output="$(
+      (
       PR_JSON="$(gh api "repos/$REPO/pulls/$n")"
       DRAFT="$(jq -r '.draft' <<<"$PR_JSON")"
       AUTHOR="$(jq -r '.user.login' <<<"$PR_JSON")"
@@ -623,8 +633,16 @@ main() {
         exit 0
       fi
       reconcile_pr "$n"
-    ) || log "#$n: reconcile failed — continuing with the remaining PRs"
-  done
+      ) 2>&1
+    )" || status=$?
+    [ -n "$output" ] && printf '%s\n' "$output"
+    if grep -qxF "labels: #$n: could not read mergeability/checks — left alone this pass" <<<"$output"; then
+      unreadable=$((unreadable + 1))
+    elif [ "$status" -ne 0 ]; then
+      log "#$n: reconcile failed — continuing with the remaining PRs"
+    fi
+  done < <(gh pr list -R "$REPO" --state open --limit 100 --json number --jq '.[].number')
+  blind_sweep_warning "$unreadable" "$total"
   log "reconciled."
 }
 
diff --git a/docs/CONSUMERS.md b/docs/CONSUMERS.md
index 38077fd..5df1893 100644
--- a/docs/CONSUMERS.md
+++ b/docs/CONSUMERS.md
@@ -256,6 +256,8 @@ on:
     types: [opened, labeled, unlabeled, assigned, unassigned, closed]
 permissions:
   contents: read
+  checks: read          # mergeability/check-rollup read for PR state
+  statuses: read        # commit-status rollup read for PR state
   issues: write
   pull-requests: write
 jobs:
@@ -263,6 +265,11 @@ jobs:
     uses: heavy-duty/ceremony/.github/workflows/labels.yml@<pinned-tag>
 ```
 
+Naming any permission sets every unnamed permission to `none`. Public
+repositories allow check data to be read regardless, but a private consumer
+needs both explicit reads above; without them the failure appears as an empty
+`state:*` axis on the board rather than a red workflow run.
+
 The `issues:` trigger is **unreleased** and is not in `0.1.0`. A consumer
 pinned to `0.1.0` omits it. Add it only when bumping every ceremony reference
 to the first tag carrying ceremony#32; never mix refs to adopt it early.
diff --git a/test/labels-reconcile.test.sh b/test/labels-reconcile.test.sh
index 8001ccc..724c800 100755
--- a/test/labels-reconcile.test.sh
+++ b/test/labels-reconcile.test.sh
@@ -38,6 +38,18 @@ rev() { # $1=login $2=state $3=commit $4=body $5=submitted_at → one review obj
 
 reviews() { jq -s '.' <<<"$*"; } # collect review objects into an array
 
+# -- a sweep-wide read failure is visible without changing any PR ------------
+warning="$(blind_sweep_warning 3 3)"
+expect "a wholly blind sweep warns" \
+  "::warning::labels: every open PR was unreadable; grant checks: read and statuses: read in the caller (private repos do not imply them)" \
+  "$warning"
+expect "the blind warning names checks: read" named \
+  "$(grep -qF "checks: read" <<<"$warning" && echo named || echo missing)"
+expect "the blind warning names statuses: read" named \
+  "$(grep -qF "statuses: read" <<<"$warning" && echo named || echo missing)"
+expect "a partially blind sweep does not warn" "" "$(blind_sweep_warning 1 3)"
+expect "a sweep with no open PRs does not warn" "" "$(blind_sweep_warning 0 0)"
+
 # -- drafts are building, whoever is requested --------------------------------
 DRAFT=true HEAD_SHA=head1 REQUESTED="" REVIEWS_JSON='[]'
 expect "draft PR is building" state:building "$(decide_state)"
@@ -592,6 +604,40 @@ expect "exactly one nudge across both sweeps" \
 expect "no label edit across both sweeps names the ruling flag" \
   no "$(grep -q 'needs-ruling' "$RTMP/edits" 2>/dev/null && echo yes || echo no)"
 
+# -- the sweep wiring observes the existing per-PR skip without writing -------
+blind_main_probe() {
+  (
+    GITHUB_EVENT_NAME=schedule
+    REPO=owner/repo
+    LABELS_CONF=.github/labels.conf
+    gh() {
+      if [ "$1" = label ] && [ "$2" = list ]; then
+        printf 'state:building\nstate:addressing\n'
+      elif [ "$1" = pr ] && [ "$2" = list ]; then
+        printf '101\n102\n'
+      elif [ "$1" = pr ] && [ "$2" = view ]; then
+        printf '{}\n'
+      elif [ "$1" = api ] && [[ "$*" = *"/reviews"* ]]; then
+        return 0
+      elif [ "$1" = api ]; then
+        jq -n --arg n "${*: -1}" \
+          '{draft:false,user:{login:"author"},head:{sha:"head"},labels:[],requested_reviewers:[],created_at:"2026-07-23T00:00:00Z"}'
+      elif [ "$1" = issue ] && [ "$2" = edit ]; then
+        printf 'MUTATION: %s\n' "$*"
+      fi
+    }
+    main
+  )
+}
+
+blind_main="$(blind_main_probe)"
+expect "a wholly blind main sweep emits one actionable annotation" 1 \
+  "$(grep -c '^::warning::.*checks: read.*statuses: read' <<<"$blind_main")"
+expect "a wholly blind main sweep leaves every PR untouched" no \
+  "$(grep -q '^MUTATION:' <<<"$blind_main" && echo yes || echo no)"
+expect "the existing per-PR skip still runs for every blind PR" 2 \
+  "$(grep -c 'could not read mergeability/checks — left alone this pass' <<<"$blind_main")"
+
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # bootstrap_labels retires the GitHub defaults (#93). LABELS.md published
 # them as deleted at bootstrap; nothing deleted them — incubator's first
@@ -754,6 +800,5 @@ for ev in schedule pull_request_target; do
   expect "...and deletes nothing" \
     no "$(grep -q '^delete ' "$EXEC/record" && echo yes || echo no)"
 done
-
 printf 'labels-reconcile tests: %d passed, %d failed\n' "$pass" "$fail"
 [ "$fail" -eq 0 ]