diff --git a/changelog.d/gsta244-support-tiers.md b/changelog.d/gsta244-support-tiers.md
index 433228803..819f65b01 100644
--- a/changelog.d/gsta244-support-tiers.md
+++ b/changelog.d/gsta244-support-tiers.md
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-**New page: [docs/support-tiers.md](docs/support-tiers.md) says what gstack supports fully and what it supports minimally.** macOS and Linux, with Claude and OpenAI models, get full support: the whole free suite and the paid evals. Windows (Git Bash or MSYS) and Gemini models get minimal support: install and the core skills (`/ship`, `/review`, `/qa-only`, `/investigate`, `/browse` on gstack's own browser) work without errors, checked by the required `windows-smoke` job on Windows and by hand or one cheap smoke run on Gemini. Windows-only and Gemini-only reports that don't break install, startup or a core workflow close as won't fix with a link to the page.
+**New page: [docs/support-tiers.md](docs/support-tiers.md) says what gstack supports fully and what it supports minimally.** macOS and Linux, with Claude and OpenAI models, get full support: the whole free suite and the paid evals. Windows (Git Bash or MSYS) and Gemini models get minimal support: install and the core skills (`/ship`, `/review`, `/qa-only`, `/investigate`, `/browse` on gstack's own browser) work without errors, checked on Windows by the `windows-smoke` job, which replaces the six-shard suite as the required Windows check when it lands, and by hand or one cheap smoke run on Gemini. Windows-only and Gemini-only reports that don't break install, startup or a core workflow close as won't fix with a link to the page.
 
 ### Documentation
-- `docs/support-tiers.md`: the two tiers, what we stop doing, the Windows CI shape (`windows-smoke` required; the six-shard Windows suite nightly on main, non-blocking) and what doesn't change (eval models, the cross-family review voice).
+- `docs/support-tiers.md`: the two tiers, what we stop doing, the Windows CI shape (`windows-smoke` required; the six-shard Windows suite nightly on main, non-blocking; `windows-free-tests` stays required until `windows-smoke` lands) and what doesn't change (eval models, the cross-family review voice).
 - README's platform notes and AGENTS.md's platform support section link to it.
diff --git a/docs/support-tiers.md b/docs/support-tiers.md
index 86f6bf77a..460d0b460 100644
--- a/docs/support-tiers.md
+++ b/docs/support-tiers.md
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ That is the whole promise. Other skills, optional parts such as `/cso`'s native
 
 - `windows-smoke` is a required check on pull requests.
 - The six-shard Windows free suite (the `Windows Free Tests` workflow) runs nightly on main, or when someone starts it by hand, and never blocks a pull request. A red nightly run gets a fix only when it shows an install, startup or core-workflow break.
+- Until the `windows-smoke` workflow lands, `windows-free-tests` stays a required check on pull requests.
 
 ## What doesn't change