diff --git a/.woodpecker/agent-smoke.sh b/.woodpecker/agent-smoke.sh
index 3c24112..89cb74e 100644
--- a/.woodpecker/agent-smoke.sh
+++ b/.woodpecker/agent-smoke.sh
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ echo "=== 2/2  Function resolution ==="
 #   lib/secret-scan.sh      — sourced by file-action-issue.sh, phase-handler.sh (scan_for_secrets, redact_secrets)
 #   lib/formula-session.sh  — sourced by formula-driven agents (acquire_cron_lock, run_formula_and_monitor, etc.)
 #   lib/mirrors.sh          — sourced by merge sites (mirror_push)
+#   lib/guard.sh            — sourced by all cron entry points (check_active)
 #
 # Excluded — not sourced inline by agents:
 #   lib/ci-debug.sh         — standalone CLI tool, run directly (not sourced)
@@ -110,7 +111,7 @@ echo "=== 2/2  Function resolution ==="
 # If a new lib file is added and sourced by agents, add it to LIB_FUNS below
 # and add a check_script call for it in the lib files section further down.
 LIB_FUNS=$(
-  for f in lib/agent-session.sh lib/env.sh lib/ci-helpers.sh lib/load-project.sh lib/secret-scan.sh lib/file-action-issue.sh lib/formula-session.sh lib/mirrors.sh; do
+  for f in lib/agent-session.sh lib/env.sh lib/ci-helpers.sh lib/load-project.sh lib/secret-scan.sh lib/file-action-issue.sh lib/formula-session.sh lib/mirrors.sh lib/guard.sh; do
     if [ -f "$f" ]; then get_fns "$f"; fi
   done | sort -u
 )
@@ -181,6 +182,7 @@ check_script lib/file-action-issue.sh   lib/secret-scan.sh
 check_script lib/formula-session.sh     lib/agent-session.sh
 check_script lib/load-project.sh
 check_script lib/mirrors.sh
+check_script lib/guard.sh
 
 # Standalone lib scripts (not sourced by agents; run directly or as services).
 # Still checked for function resolution against LIB_FUNS + own definitions.
diff --git a/action/action-poll.sh b/action/action-poll.sh
index 61c26e8..5d7f3dc 100755
--- a/action/action-poll.sh
+++ b/action/action-poll.sh
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@ set -euo pipefail
 
 export PROJECT_TOML="${1:-}"
 source "$(dirname "$0")/../lib/env.sh"
+# shellcheck source=../lib/guard.sh
+source "$(dirname "$0")/../lib/guard.sh"
+check_active action
 
 LOGFILE="${FACTORY_ROOT}/action/action-poll-${PROJECT_NAME:-default}.log"
 SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
diff --git a/dev/dev-poll.sh b/dev/dev-poll.sh
index 83b76d8..ef03a9b 100755
--- a/dev/dev-poll.sh
+++ b/dev/dev-poll.sh
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ source "$(dirname "$0")/../lib/env.sh"
 source "$(dirname "$0")/../lib/ci-helpers.sh"
 # shellcheck source=../lib/mirrors.sh
 source "$(dirname "$0")/../lib/mirrors.sh"
+# shellcheck source=../lib/guard.sh
+source "$(dirname "$0")/../lib/guard.sh"
+check_active dev
 
 # Gitea labels API requires []int64 — look up the "underspecified" label ID once
 UNDERSPECIFIED_LABEL_ID=$(forge_api GET "/labels" 2>/dev/null \
diff --git a/gardener/gardener-run.sh b/gardener/gardener-run.sh
index 39f5928..50de542 100755
--- a/gardener/gardener-run.sh
+++ b/gardener/gardener-run.sh
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ source "$FACTORY_ROOT/lib/formula-session.sh"
 source "$FACTORY_ROOT/lib/ci-helpers.sh"
 # shellcheck source=../lib/mirrors.sh
 source "$FACTORY_ROOT/lib/mirrors.sh"
+# shellcheck source=../lib/guard.sh
+source "$FACTORY_ROOT/lib/guard.sh"
 
 LOG_FILE="$SCRIPT_DIR/gardener.log"
 # shellcheck disable=SC2034  # consumed by run_formula_and_monitor
@@ -52,6 +54,7 @@ _GARDENER_CRASH_COUNT=0
 log() { echo "[$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S)Z] $*" >> "$LOG_FILE"; }
 
 # ── Guards ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+check_active gardener
 acquire_cron_lock "/tmp/gardener-run.lock"
 check_memory 2000
 
diff --git a/lib/guard.sh b/lib/guard.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..172bf60
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/guard.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# guard.sh — Active-state guard for cron entry points
+#
+# Each agent checks for a state file before running. If the file
+# doesn't exist, the agent logs a skip and exits cleanly.
+#
+# State files live in $FACTORY_ROOT/state/:
+#   .dev-active, .reviewer-active, .planner-active, etc.
+#
+# Presence = permission to run. Absence = skip (factory off by default).
+
+# check_active <agent_name>
+#   Exit 0 (skip) if the state file is absent.
+check_active() {
+  local agent_name="$1"
+  local state_file="${FACTORY_ROOT}/state/.${agent_name}-active"
+  if [ ! -f "$state_file" ]; then
+    log "${agent_name} not active — skipping"
+    exit 0
+  fi
+}
diff --git a/planner/planner-run.sh b/planner/planner-run.sh
index 103588c..c26e74d 100755
--- a/planner/planner-run.sh
+++ b/planner/planner-run.sh
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ source "$FACTORY_ROOT/lib/env.sh"
 source "$FACTORY_ROOT/lib/agent-session.sh"
 # shellcheck source=../lib/formula-session.sh
 source "$FACTORY_ROOT/lib/formula-session.sh"
+# shellcheck source=../lib/guard.sh
+source "$FACTORY_ROOT/lib/guard.sh"
 
 LOG_FILE="$SCRIPT_DIR/planner.log"
 # shellcheck disable=SC2034  # consumed by run_formula_and_monitor
@@ -36,6 +38,7 @@ SCRATCH_FILE="/tmp/planner-${PROJECT_NAME}-scratch.md"
 log() { echo "[$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S)Z] $*" >> "$LOG_FILE"; }
 
 # ── Guards ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+check_active planner
 acquire_cron_lock "/tmp/planner-run.lock"
 check_memory 2000
 
diff --git a/predictor/predictor-run.sh b/predictor/predictor-run.sh
index a7f332e..ccee3d5 100755
--- a/predictor/predictor-run.sh
+++ b/predictor/predictor-run.sh
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ source "$FACTORY_ROOT/lib/env.sh"
 source "$FACTORY_ROOT/lib/agent-session.sh"
 # shellcheck source=../lib/formula-session.sh
 source "$FACTORY_ROOT/lib/formula-session.sh"
+# shellcheck source=../lib/guard.sh
+source "$FACTORY_ROOT/lib/guard.sh"
 
 LOG_FILE="$SCRIPT_DIR/predictor.log"
 # shellcheck disable=SC2034  # consumed by run_formula_and_monitor
@@ -38,6 +40,7 @@ SCRATCH_FILE="/tmp/predictor-${PROJECT_NAME}-scratch.md"
 log() { echo "[$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S)Z] $*" >> "$LOG_FILE"; }
 
 # ── Guards ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+check_active predictor
 acquire_cron_lock "/tmp/predictor-run.lock"
 check_memory 2000
 
diff --git a/review/review-poll.sh b/review/review-poll.sh
index 4eb217b..d21dac5 100755
--- a/review/review-poll.sh
+++ b/review/review-poll.sh
@@ -11,6 +11,9 @@ set -euo pipefail
 export PROJECT_TOML="${1:-}"
 source "$(dirname "$0")/../lib/env.sh"
 source "$(dirname "$0")/../lib/ci-helpers.sh"
+# shellcheck source=../lib/guard.sh
+source "$(dirname "$0")/../lib/guard.sh"
+check_active reviewer
 
 REPO_ROOT="${PROJECT_REPO_ROOT}"
 SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
diff --git a/state/.gitignore b/state/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0a0c1e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/state/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+# Active-state files are runtime state, not committed
+.*-active
diff --git a/supervisor/supervisor-run.sh b/supervisor/supervisor-run.sh
index a18914f..6cd67ed 100755
--- a/supervisor/supervisor-run.sh
+++ b/supervisor/supervisor-run.sh
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ source "$FACTORY_ROOT/lib/env.sh"
 source "$FACTORY_ROOT/lib/agent-session.sh"
 # shellcheck source=../lib/formula-session.sh
 source "$FACTORY_ROOT/lib/formula-session.sh"
+# shellcheck source=../lib/guard.sh
+source "$FACTORY_ROOT/lib/guard.sh"
 
 LOG_FILE="$SCRIPT_DIR/supervisor.log"
 # shellcheck disable=SC2034  # consumed by run_formula_and_monitor
@@ -42,6 +44,7 @@ SCRATCH_FILE="/tmp/supervisor-${PROJECT_NAME}-scratch.md"
 log() { echo "[$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S)Z] $*" >> "$LOG_FILE"; }
 
 # ── Guards ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+check_active supervisor
 acquire_cron_lock "/tmp/supervisor-run.lock"
 check_memory 2000