diff --git a/scripts/tests/actions-lock-update-test.sh b/scripts/tests/actions-lock-update-test.sh
index 158b4c38..8ca997b5 100755
--- a/scripts/tests/actions-lock-update-test.sh
+++ b/scripts/tests/actions-lock-update-test.sh
@@ -29,7 +29,28 @@ if [ "${2:-}" = "--verify-local" ]; then
     .github/workflows/actions.lock
   sed -i 's#uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1#uses: actions/checkout@v7.0.1#' \
     .github/workflows/ci.yml
-  exit
+  case "${FAKE_VERIFY_FINDING:-}" in
+    reusable-exact)
+      printf '%s\n' '{"valid":false,"findings":[{"workflow":".github/workflows/reusable.yml","category":"stale","dependency":"hyperpolymath/standards@abc123"}]}'
+      exit 1
+      ;;
+    reusable-wrong-ref)
+      printf '%s\n' '{"valid":false,"findings":[{"workflow":".github/workflows/reusable.yml","category":"stale","dependency":"hyperpolymath/standards@wrong456"}]}'
+      exit 1
+      ;;
+    reusable-non-stale)
+      printf '%s\n' '{"valid":false,"findings":[{"workflow":".github/workflows/reusable.yml","category":"missing","dependency":"hyperpolymath/standards@abc123"}]}'
+      exit 1
+      ;;
+    malformed-success)
+      printf '%s\n' 'not valid JSON'
+      exit 0
+      ;;
+    *)
+      printf '%s\n' '{"valid":true,"findings":[]}'
+      exit
+      ;;
+  esac
 fi
 sed -i '1i# This workflow is managed by gh actions-lock.' .github/workflows/ci.yml
 sed -i 's#actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1#actions/checkout@v7.0.1#' \
@@ -75,6 +96,41 @@ cmp -s "$WORK/ci.before-verify" .github/workflows/ci.yml
 cmp -s "$WORK/lock.before-verify" .github/workflows/actions.lock
 echo "PASS: Actions lock verification restores tool-authored workflow edits"
 
+cat > .github/workflows/reusable.yml <<'EOF'
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
+name: Reusable caller
+on: push
+permissions: {}
+jobs:
+  governance:
+    uses: hyperpolymath/standards/.github/workflows/governance-reusable.yml@abc123
+EOF
+
+FAKE_VERIFY_FINDING=reusable-exact GH_BIN="$WORK/bin/fake-gh" \
+  bash "$UPDATE" --verify-local .github/workflows >/dev/null
+echo "PASS: exact reusable-workflow dependency is accepted"
+
+if FAKE_VERIFY_FINDING=reusable-wrong-ref GH_BIN="$WORK/bin/fake-gh" \
+   bash "$UPDATE" --verify-local .github/workflows >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  echo "FAIL: wrong reusable-workflow ref was accepted" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+echo "PASS: wrong reusable-workflow ref remains blocking"
+
+if FAKE_VERIFY_FINDING=reusable-non-stale GH_BIN="$WORK/bin/fake-gh" \
+   bash "$UPDATE" --verify-local .github/workflows >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  echo "FAIL: non-stale reusable-workflow finding was accepted" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+echo "PASS: non-stale reusable-workflow finding remains blocking"
+
+if FAKE_VERIFY_FINDING=malformed-success GH_BIN="$WORK/bin/fake-gh" \
+   bash "$UPDATE" --verify-local .github/workflows >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  echo "FAIL: malformed successful verifier output was accepted" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+echo "PASS: malformed verifier output fails closed"
+
 # A failed refresh must restore both authored workflows and the previous
 # lockfile; this is the production failure mode that left the original checkout
 # half-rewritten when DNS resolution failed.
diff --git a/scripts/update-actions-lock.sh b/scripts/update-actions-lock.sh
index cc5c3f87..ed9bd1ea 100755
--- a/scripts/update-actions-lock.sh
+++ b/scripts/update-actions-lock.sh
@@ -26,6 +26,71 @@ restore_workflows() {
     done
 }
 
+workflow_references_reusable_dependency() {
+  workflow=$1
+  dependency=$2
+  repo=${dependency%@*}
+  ref=${dependency#*@}
+
+  [[ -f "$workflow" ]] || return 1
+  awk -v prefix="$repo/.github/workflows/" -v suffix="@$ref" '
+    /^[[:space:]]*uses:[[:space:]]*/ {
+      value = $0
+      sub(/^[[:space:]]*uses:[[:space:]]*/, "", value)
+      sub(/[[:space:]]*#.*/, "", value)
+      sub(/[[:space:]]*$/, "", value)
+      if (index(value, prefix) == 1 &&
+          length(value) >= length(suffix) &&
+          substr(value, length(value) - length(suffix) + 1) == suffix) {
+        found = 1
+      }
+    }
+    END { exit(found ? 0 : 1) }
+  ' "$workflow"
+}
+
+verify_lock_coverage() {
+  # gh-actions-lock v0.1.6 does not recognise reusable-workflow `uses:`
+  # paths. GitHub's startup enforcement nevertheless requires callers to
+  # carry the reusable repository and its transitive actions in actions.lock.
+  # Accept only the tool's `stale` false positive when the named workflow
+  # contains the exact owner/repo/.github/workflows/file@ref dependency.
+  # Every other finding, including a wrong ref, remains blocking.
+  command -v jq >/dev/null 2>&1 || {
+    "$GH_BIN" actions-lock --verify-local
+    return
+  }
+
+  set +e
+  result=$("$GH_BIN" actions-lock --verify-local --json=valid,findings)
+  status=$?
+  set -e
+
+  if ! printf '%s' "$result" | jq -e '.valid != null and (.findings | type == "array")' >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    printf '%s\n' "$result"
+    [[ "$status" -ne 0 ]] && return "$status"
+    return 1
+  fi
+  if printf '%s' "$result" | jq -e '.valid == true and (.findings | length == 0)' >/dev/null; then
+    return 0
+  fi
+
+  remaining=0
+  while IFS=$'\t' read -r category workflow dependency; do
+    if [[ "$category" = stale ]] &&
+       workflow_references_reusable_dependency "$workflow" "$dependency"; then
+      echo "Accepted reusable-workflow lock coverage: $workflow -> $dependency"
+    else
+      remaining=$((remaining + 1))
+    fi
+  done < <(printf '%s' "$result" | jq -r '.findings[] | [.category, .workflow, .dependency] | @tsv')
+
+  if [[ "$remaining" -ne 0 ]]; then
+    printf '%s\n' "$result"
+    return 1
+  fi
+}
+
 cleanup() {
   status=$?
   if [ "$COMPLETE" != true ]; then
@@ -62,6 +127,6 @@ fi
 # Despite its name, --verify-local can migrate local `./` action paths to an
 # invalid `$/` spelling. Treat verification as mutating and restore authored
 # workflow bytes afterward too.
-"$GH_BIN" actions-lock --verify-local
+verify_lock_coverage
 restore_workflows
 COMPLETE=true