diff --git a/bin/gstack-eval-plan b/bin/gstack-eval-plan
index 345cd2f82..718fc6594 100755
--- a/bin/gstack-eval-plan
+++ b/bin/gstack-eval-plan
@@ -166,6 +166,7 @@ function doPriceGate(rest: string[]): number {
   const planFile = flag(rest, '--plan-file');
   if (planFile && !fs.existsSync(planFile)) return usage(`--plan-file ${planFile} does not exist`);
   const plan = resolvePlanSource(repoRoot, { planFile, base: resolveBaseBranch(repoRoot, flag(rest, '--base')) });
+  if ('code' in plan) { process.stderr.write(resultLine('gstack-eval-plan price-gate', plan.code, plan.message) + '\n'); return plan.refused ? EXIT.refused : EXIT.fail; }
   const r = priceGate({ repoRoot, gate, plan, capUsd: num(rest, '--cap-usd'), smokeCapUsd: num(rest, '--smoke-cap-usd'), allowUnpriced: flag(rest, '--allow-unpriced') });
   if (r.receipt) {
     const out = path.resolve(flag(rest, '--out') ?? path.join(repoRoot, '.gstack', 'tmp', 'price-gate'));
diff --git a/docs/eval-calls.md b/docs/eval-calls.md
index 16349a17f..69dc9c527 100644
--- a/docs/eval-calls.md
+++ b/docs/eval-calls.md
@@ -79,7 +79,11 @@ approved:
   file itself changed between them (a committed plan file sits one commit on
   top of the head it was computed at, so its own commit is allowed);
 - an input's sha256 of its bytes in the HEAD commit differs from its
-  `GSTACK_EVAL_INPUT` line, or the input is not in HEAD.
+  `GSTACK_EVAL_INPUT` line, or the input is not in HEAD;
+- the base policy declares a `price_file` that is not in the HEAD commit.
+
+`--allow-unpriced` never overrides these: only a gate with no plan declared at
+all, or a plan with zero call lines, is unpriced.
 
 ## Pricing outcomes
 
@@ -98,10 +102,12 @@ GATE_PRICE: total=6.7 calls=200 purposes=answer,judge receipt=.gstack/tmp/price-
 | a model with no row in `lib/pricing.ts`: that row and the total print `unknown`, never zero | 1 | `EVAL_PRICE_MISSING` |
 | total above `--cap-usd` | 1 | `EVAL_GATE_OVER_CAP` |
 | one call's reservation above `--cap-usd`, or above `--smoke-cap-usd` for a `scope=smoke` row (`CHECK: reservation-fits-cap exceeds (…)`) | 1 | `EVAL_GATE_OVER_CAP` |
-| no plan file (no `--plan-file`, no `price_file`, file not in HEAD) or a file with zero call lines | 1 | `EVAL_GATE_UNPRICED` |
+| no plan declared (no `--plan-file` and no `price_file` key) or a file with zero call lines | 1 | `EVAL_GATE_UNPRICED` |
 | the same with `--allow-unpriced "<reason>"` | 0 | prints `GATE_UNPRICED_OVERRIDE: <reason> (owner-authorized override; not authorization to spend)` and records it |
 | malformed or partial file | 1 | `EVAL_DRY_RUN_FAILED` |
-| stale binding | 1 | `EVAL_PLAN_STALE` |
+| stale binding, or a declared `price_file` missing from HEAD (not overridable) | 1 | `EVAL_PLAN_STALE` |
+| `origin/<base>` unresolvable while reading `price_file` | 3 | `POLICY_SOURCE_UNAVAILABLE` |
+| `.gstack/pregate.json` on the base is invalid | 3 | `PREGATE_CONFIG_INVALID` |
 | unknown flag or missing `--gate` | 2 | usage |
 
 The price is an estimate: the table prices standard text tokens and excludes
diff --git a/docs/troubleshooting.md b/docs/troubleshooting.md
index a3aad6dfc..6fe386fc8 100644
--- a/docs/troubleshooting.md
+++ b/docs/troubleshooting.md
@@ -2486,8 +2486,8 @@ passes and carries the `PREGATE:` line in its handoff.
 
 **Meaning.** `gstack-eval-plan price-gate` found no call-plan file for the paid
 gate: no `--plan-file`, no `price_file` in the base branch's
-`.gstack/pregate.json`, the declared file is missing from the HEAD commit, or
-the file has no `GSTACK_EVAL_CALLS` lines. A gate whose cost is unknown cannot
+`.gstack/pregate.json`, or the file has no `GSTACK_EVAL_CALLS` lines. (A
+declared `price_file` missing from HEAD is `EVAL_PLAN_STALE`, not this.) A gate whose cost is unknown cannot
 be approved as priced.
 
 **Fix.** The consuming repo commits a call-plan file in the format of
@@ -2514,7 +2514,9 @@ to slip under it.
 **Meaning.** The call-plan file prices something other than what is being
 approved: its `GSTACK_EVAL_GATE` command is not the exact `--gate` string, its
 `GSTACK_EVAL_HEAD` is behind HEAD with files other than the plan file changed
-since, or an input's sha256 at HEAD differs from its `GSTACK_EVAL_INPUT` line.
+since, an input's sha256 at HEAD differs from its `GSTACK_EVAL_INPUT` line, or
+the base policy's `price_file` is not in the HEAD commit. `--allow-unpriced`
+does not override it.
 
 **Fix.** Regenerate the plan file at HEAD for the exact gate command (the
 repo's own producer), commit it, and rerun `gstack-eval-plan price-gate`.
diff --git a/lib/eval-plan.ts b/lib/eval-plan.ts
index ee1e82992..3cfd12eba 100644
--- a/lib/eval-plan.ts
+++ b/lib/eval-plan.ts
@@ -413,20 +413,26 @@ function gitOut(repoRoot: string, args: string[]): Buffer | null {
   return r.status === 0 ? r.stdout : null;
 }
 
-/** `--plan-file` wins; else the base policy's `price_file`, read from the HEAD commit's bytes. */
-export function resolvePlanSource(repoRoot: string, o: { planFile?: string; base: string }): PlanSource {
+export interface PlanSourceRefusal { code: ResultCodeName; message: string; refused: boolean }
+
+/**
+ * `--plan-file` wins; else the base policy's `price_file`, read from the HEAD
+ * commit's bytes. Only "no plan declared" is unpriced (overridable); a declared
+ * file missing at HEAD is stale, an unresolvable base or an invalid policy refuses.
+ */
+export function resolvePlanSource(repoRoot: string, o: { planFile?: string; base: string }): PlanSource | PlanSourceRefusal {
   if (o.planFile) {
     const file = path.resolve(o.planFile);
     const rel = path.relative(repoRoot, file);
     return { text: fs.readFileSync(file), file, source: 'flag', repoPath: rel && !rel.startsWith('..') && !path.isAbsolute(rel) ? rel.split(path.sep).join('/') : null, why: null };
   }
   const load = loadConfigFromBase(repoRoot, o.base);
-  if (isConfigUnavailable(load)) return { text: null, file: null, source: 'none', repoPath: null, why: `no --plan-file and the base policy is unavailable (${load.detail})` };
-  if (load.errors.length) return { text: null, file: null, source: 'none', repoPath: null, why: `${load.label} is invalid: ${load.errors.map(e => `${e.path}: ${e.message}`).join('; ')}` };
+  if (isConfigUnavailable(load)) return { code: 'POLICY_SOURCE_UNAVAILABLE', message: `no --plan-file and the base policy cannot be read (${load.detail})`, refused: true };
+  if (load.errors.length) return { code: 'PREGATE_CONFIG_INVALID', message: `${load.label}: ${load.errors.map(e => `${e.path}: ${e.message}`).join('; ')}`, refused: true };
   const rel = load.config.price_file;
   if (!rel) return { text: null, file: null, source: 'none', repoPath: null, why: `no --plan-file and ${load.label} declares no price_file` };
   const text = gitOut(repoRoot, ['show', `HEAD:${rel}`]);
-  if (!text) return { text: null, file: rel, source: 'price_file', repoPath: rel, why: `price_file ${rel} (${load.label}) is not in the HEAD commit` };
+  if (!text) return { code: 'EVAL_PLAN_STALE', message: `price_file ${rel} (declared in ${load.label}) is not in the HEAD commit`, refused: false };
   return { text, file: rel, source: 'price_file', repoPath: rel, why: null };
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/result-codes.ts b/lib/result-codes.ts
index b858c332c..5d8b2d693 100644
--- a/lib/result-codes.ts
+++ b/lib/result-codes.ts
@@ -483,7 +483,7 @@ export const RESULT_CODES = {
   },
   EVAL_PLAN_STALE: {
     anchor: 'eval-plan-stale',
-    summary: 'the call-plan file\'s binding does not match: a different gate command, a head behind HEAD, or an input whose sha256 at HEAD differs',
+    summary: 'the call-plan file\'s binding does not match (a different gate command, a head behind HEAD, an input whose sha256 at HEAD differs) or the declared price_file is not in HEAD',
     fix: 'regenerate the call-plan file at HEAD for the exact gate command you are approving, commit it, and rerun `gstack-eval-plan price-gate`',
   },
 } as const satisfies Record<string, ResultCode>;
diff --git a/test/pricing-eval-plan.test.ts b/test/pricing-eval-plan.test.ts
index ecd5d1c22..a090d05e4 100644
--- a/test/pricing-eval-plan.test.ts
+++ b/test/pricing-eval-plan.test.ts
@@ -280,6 +280,30 @@ describe('price-gate: binding, pricing and the receipt (bin, simulated Capy host
     expect(r.err).toMatch(/behind HEAD.*README\.md.*\(EVAL_PLAN_STALE\)/);
   });
 
+  test('a declared price_file missing at HEAD refuses EVAL_PLAN_STALE (not overridable); an unresolvable base or an invalid pregate.json exits 3', () => {
+    const { repo } = scratchRepo(host.env);
+    const git = (...args: string[]) => spawnSync('git', args, { cwd: repo, env: host.env, encoding: 'utf8' }).stdout.trim();
+    const out = path.join(host.base, 'receipts');
+    let r = runGate(host, repo, ['--gate', GATE, '--base', 'main', '--out', out, '--allow-unpriced', 'owner said so']);
+    expect(r.code).toBe(3);
+    expect(r.err).toContain('(POLICY_SOURCE_UNAVAILABLE)');
+    fs.mkdirSync(path.join(repo, '.gstack'), { recursive: true });
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(repo, '.gstack', 'pregate.json'), JSON.stringify({ price_file: 'evals/missing.calls' }));
+    git('add', '.gstack/pregate.json'); git('commit', '-q', '-m', 'policy');
+    git('update-ref', 'refs/remotes/origin/main', git('rev-parse', 'HEAD'));
+    r = runGate(host, repo, ['--gate', GATE, '--base', 'main', '--out', out, '--allow-unpriced', 'owner said so']);
+    expect(r.code).toBe(1);
+    expect(r.err).toMatch(/evals\/missing\.calls.*\(EVAL_PLAN_STALE\)/);
+    expect(r.out).not.toContain('GATE_UNPRICED_OVERRIDE');
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(repo, '.gstack', 'pregate.json'), JSON.stringify({ price_file: '../outside.calls' }));
+    git('add', '.gstack/pregate.json'); git('commit', '-q', '-m', 'bad policy');
+    git('update-ref', 'refs/remotes/origin/main', git('rev-parse', 'HEAD'));
+    r = runGate(host, repo, ['--gate', GATE, '--base', 'main', '--out', out, '--allow-unpriced', 'owner said so']);
+    expect(r.code).toBe(3);
+    expect(r.err).toContain('(PREGATE_CONFIG_INVALID)');
+    expect(fs.existsSync(out)).toBe(false);
+  });
+
   test('an unknown or misspelled flag exits 2 instead of pricing without it', () => {
     const { repo } = scratchRepo(host.env);
     expect(runGate(host, repo, ['--gate', GATE, '--cap', '5']).code).toBe(2);
@@ -330,6 +354,7 @@ describe('price-gate: binding, pricing and the receipt (bin, simulated Capy host
 
   test('no plan file, or a file with no call lines, is EVAL_GATE_UNPRICED exit 1; --allow-unpriced exits 0 with a recorded override', () => {
     const { repo, head, rowsSha } = scratchRepo(host.env);
+    spawnSync('git', ['update-ref', 'refs/remotes/origin/main', head], { cwd: repo, env: host.env });
     const out = path.join(host.base, 'receipts');
     let r = runGate(host, repo, ['--gate', GATE, '--base', 'main', '--out', out]);
     expect(r.code).toBe(1);