diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-image.yml b/.github/workflows/build-image.yml
index 543bbe0..7359e17 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-image.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-image.yml
@@ -91,3 +91,47 @@ jobs:
             echo "$out" | grep -q "linux/$want" || { echo "::error::published image is missing linux/$want"; exit 1; }
           done
           echo "✓ ${IMAGE}:${{ inputs.tag }} carries linux/amd64 and linux/arm64"
+
+      # The image is a TOOLCHAIN, so "it built" is not the property that matters
+      # — "it still contains what the gates shell out to" is. This exists because
+      # a hand-built image had drifted from this Dockerfile: the deployed ci3
+      # carried gcc, musl-dev, python3 and py3-yaml, the Dockerfile did not, and
+      # rebuilding from the Dockerfile silently dropped them. CI runs then failed
+      # at "credentials-coverage: need python3" instead of running the tests.
+      #
+      # Asserted on BOTH architectures, because a package that resolves on amd64
+      # and not on arm64 would otherwise reach half the nodes unnoticed.
+      - name: Verify the image still contains the toolchain the gates need
+        if: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.push == 'true' }}
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          REF="${IMAGE}:${{ inputs.tag }}"
+          fail=0
+          for plat in linux/amd64 linux/arm64; do
+            echo "── $plat"
+            out=$(docker run --rm --platform "$plat" --entrypoint sh "$REF" -c '
+              set -u
+              py=$(python3 -c "import yaml,sys;print(sys.version.split()[0])" 2>/dev/null) \
+                && echo "python3+yaml=$py" || echo "python3+yaml=MISSING"
+              command -v gcc      >/dev/null && echo "gcc=ok"      || echo "gcc=MISSING"
+              command -v node     >/dev/null && echo "node=ok"     || echo "node=MISSING"
+              command -v bash     >/dev/null && echo "bash=ok"     || echo "bash=MISSING"
+              command -v make     >/dev/null && echo "make=ok"     || echo "make=MISSING"
+              command -v curl     >/dev/null && echo "curl=ok"     || echo "curl=MISSING"
+              command -v tar      >/dev/null && echo "tar=ok"      || echo "tar=MISSING"
+              [ -x "$(git --exec-path)/git-http-backend" ] \
+                && echo "git-http-backend=ok" || echo "git-http-backend=MISSING"
+            ' 2>&1) || { echo "::error::could not run $REF on $plat"; fail=1; continue; }
+            echo "$out"
+            if echo "$out" | grep -q MISSING; then
+              echo "$out" | grep MISSING | while read -r l; do
+                echo "::error::$plat is missing a required tool: $l"
+              done
+              fail=1
+            fi
+          done
+          [ "$fail" = 0 ] || {
+            echo "::error::The published image lost a tool the repo's gates depend on. Restore it in the Dockerfile — do not weaken this check."
+            exit 1
+          }
+          echo "✓ toolchain intact on both architectures"