diff --git a/.githooks/post-commit b/.githooks/post-commit
index 417fecf..08d9954 100755
--- a/.githooks/post-commit
+++ b/.githooks/post-commit
@@ -5,8 +5,15 @@ hook=post-commit
 # holds. Never fails the commit: no origin / offline / refused → warning only.
 # Opt out for one command with GITFLOW_NO_PUSH=1 (throwaway repos, tests).
 [ "${GITFLOW_NO_PUSH:-0}" = 1 ] && exit 0
-# Per-repo opt-out (no push rights on a foreign clone): git config gitflow.autopush false
-[ "$(git config --bool --default true gitflow.autopush)" = false ] && exit 0
+# Manual-push mode (human-set): git config gitflow.autopush false. Fail closed:
+# an unparseable value or a config read failure also means "no push", named.
+# Mirrors gitflow_push_mode (lib/gitflow.sh); arms pinned by T18b/T18h/T18q2/T18q4.
+v=$(git config --bool gitflow.autopush 2>/dev/null); rc=$?
+case "$rc:$v" in
+  0:true|1:*) ;;
+  0:false) exit 0 ;;
+  *) echo "gitflow $hook: gitflow.autopush unreadable (git rc $rc) — NOT pushed, treated as manual push mode; fix the value by hand" >&2; exit 0 ;;
+esac
 git remote get-url origin >/dev/null 2>&1 || exit 0
 br=$(git symbolic-ref --short -q HEAD 2>/dev/null) || exit 0   # detached HEAD — nothing to track
 if command -v timeout >/dev/null 2>&1; then t="timeout ${GITFLOW_PUSH_TIMEOUT:-30}"; else t=""; fi
diff --git a/.githooks/post-merge b/.githooks/post-merge
index 69a9f65..853eda0 100755
--- a/.githooks/post-merge
+++ b/.githooks/post-merge
@@ -5,8 +5,15 @@ hook=post-merge
 # holds. Never fails the commit: no origin / offline / refused → warning only.
 # Opt out for one command with GITFLOW_NO_PUSH=1 (throwaway repos, tests).
 [ "${GITFLOW_NO_PUSH:-0}" = 1 ] && exit 0
-# Per-repo opt-out (no push rights on a foreign clone): git config gitflow.autopush false
-[ "$(git config --bool --default true gitflow.autopush)" = false ] && exit 0
+# Manual-push mode (human-set): git config gitflow.autopush false. Fail closed:
+# an unparseable value or a config read failure also means "no push", named.
+# Mirrors gitflow_push_mode (lib/gitflow.sh); arms pinned by T18b/T18h/T18q2/T18q4.
+v=$(git config --bool gitflow.autopush 2>/dev/null); rc=$?
+case "$rc:$v" in
+  0:true|1:*) ;;
+  0:false) exit 0 ;;
+  *) echo "gitflow $hook: gitflow.autopush unreadable (git rc $rc) — NOT pushed, treated as manual push mode; fix the value by hand" >&2; exit 0 ;;
+esac
 git remote get-url origin >/dev/null 2>&1 || exit 0
 br=$(git symbolic-ref --short -q HEAD 2>/dev/null) || exit 0   # detached HEAD — nothing to track
 if command -v timeout >/dev/null 2>&1; then t="timeout ${GITFLOW_PUSH_TIMEOUT:-30}"; else t=""; fi
diff --git a/githooks/post-commit b/githooks/post-commit
index 417fecf..08d9954 100755
--- a/githooks/post-commit
+++ b/githooks/post-commit
@@ -5,8 +5,15 @@ hook=post-commit
 # holds. Never fails the commit: no origin / offline / refused → warning only.
 # Opt out for one command with GITFLOW_NO_PUSH=1 (throwaway repos, tests).
 [ "${GITFLOW_NO_PUSH:-0}" = 1 ] && exit 0
-# Per-repo opt-out (no push rights on a foreign clone): git config gitflow.autopush false
-[ "$(git config --bool --default true gitflow.autopush)" = false ] && exit 0
+# Manual-push mode (human-set): git config gitflow.autopush false. Fail closed:
+# an unparseable value or a config read failure also means "no push", named.
+# Mirrors gitflow_push_mode (lib/gitflow.sh); arms pinned by T18b/T18h/T18q2/T18q4.
+v=$(git config --bool gitflow.autopush 2>/dev/null); rc=$?
+case "$rc:$v" in
+  0:true|1:*) ;;
+  0:false) exit 0 ;;
+  *) echo "gitflow $hook: gitflow.autopush unreadable (git rc $rc) — NOT pushed, treated as manual push mode; fix the value by hand" >&2; exit 0 ;;
+esac
 git remote get-url origin >/dev/null 2>&1 || exit 0
 br=$(git symbolic-ref --short -q HEAD 2>/dev/null) || exit 0   # detached HEAD — nothing to track
 if command -v timeout >/dev/null 2>&1; then t="timeout ${GITFLOW_PUSH_TIMEOUT:-30}"; else t=""; fi
diff --git a/githooks/post-merge b/githooks/post-merge
index 69a9f65..853eda0 100755
--- a/githooks/post-merge
+++ b/githooks/post-merge
@@ -5,8 +5,15 @@ hook=post-merge
 # holds. Never fails the commit: no origin / offline / refused → warning only.
 # Opt out for one command with GITFLOW_NO_PUSH=1 (throwaway repos, tests).
 [ "${GITFLOW_NO_PUSH:-0}" = 1 ] && exit 0
-# Per-repo opt-out (no push rights on a foreign clone): git config gitflow.autopush false
-[ "$(git config --bool --default true gitflow.autopush)" = false ] && exit 0
+# Manual-push mode (human-set): git config gitflow.autopush false. Fail closed:
+# an unparseable value or a config read failure also means "no push", named.
+# Mirrors gitflow_push_mode (lib/gitflow.sh); arms pinned by T18b/T18h/T18q2/T18q4.
+v=$(git config --bool gitflow.autopush 2>/dev/null); rc=$?
+case "$rc:$v" in
+  0:true|1:*) ;;
+  0:false) exit 0 ;;
+  *) echo "gitflow $hook: gitflow.autopush unreadable (git rc $rc) — NOT pushed, treated as manual push mode; fix the value by hand" >&2; exit 0 ;;
+esac
 git remote get-url origin >/dev/null 2>&1 || exit 0
 br=$(git symbolic-ref --short -q HEAD 2>/dev/null) || exit 0   # detached HEAD — nothing to track
 if command -v timeout >/dev/null 2>&1; then t="timeout ${GITFLOW_PUSH_TIMEOUT:-30}"; else t=""; fi
diff --git a/hooks/unpushed-guard.sh b/hooks/unpushed-guard.sh
index 1c464c2..5a83e5b 100755
--- a/hooks/unpushed-guard.sh
+++ b/hooks/unpushed-guard.sh
@@ -12,9 +12,13 @@
 #
 # Manual-push mode (git config gitflow.autopush false, human-set): unpushed
 # work is expected, so Stop stays silent; SessionStart gives one info line
-# counting every local branch, with the branches to push by hand.
+# counting every local branch, with the branches to push by hand. An
+# unparseable value is treated as manual too (fail closed, BDR-114); the mode
+# comes from the lib verb, the one reader the hooks share.
 set -u
 
+# Resolved before any cd: the hook may be invoked by a relative path.
+_lib="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/../lib" 2>/dev/null && pwd)/gitflow.sh"
 payload=$(cat 2>/dev/null)
 field() { printf '%s' "$payload" | jq -r "$1 // empty" 2>/dev/null; }
 event=$(field '.hook_event_name')
@@ -23,10 +27,10 @@ cd "$cwd" 2>/dev/null || exit 0
 git rev-parse --is-inside-work-tree >/dev/null 2>&1 || exit 0
 br=$(git symbolic-ref --short -q HEAD 2>/dev/null) || exit 0
 
-raw=$(git config gitflow.autopush 2>/dev/null)
-manual=0; invalid=0
-[ "$(git config --bool --default true gitflow.autopush 2>/dev/null)" = false ] && manual=1
-[ -n "$raw" ] && ! git config --bool gitflow.autopush >/dev/null 2>&1 && invalid=1
+# The verb writes its stderr line BEFORE its stdout word: the last line is the mode.
+out=$(bash "$_lib" push-mode 2>&1); mode=${out##*$'\n'}
+mode_err=${out%"$mode"}; mode_err=${mode_err%$'\n'}
+manual=0; [ "$mode" = auto ] || manual=1          # fail closed: anything but auto
 [ "$manual" = 1 ] && [ "$event" != SessionStart ] && exit 0   # BDR-087: info at start only
 
 # Local branches holding commits no remote has, one per line.
@@ -73,8 +77,12 @@ if [ "$event" = "SessionStart" ]; then
   dirty=$(git status --porcelain 2>/dev/null | wc -l | tr -d ' ')
   [ "$dirty" -gt 0 ] && msg="${msg:+$msg; }$dirty uncommitted change(s) in $cwd"
 fi
-if [ "$invalid" = 1 ] && [ "$event" = "SessionStart" ]; then
-  msg="${msg:+$msg; }gitflow.autopush='$raw' is not a boolean, treated as auto (pushes run)"
+if [ "$event" = "SessionStart" ]; then
+  case "$mode" in
+    invalid) msg="${msg:+$msg; }${mode_err#gitflow.sh push-mode: } — treated as manual push mode (nothing pushes); fix the value by hand" ;;
+    manual|auto) ;;
+    *) msg="${msg:+$msg; }push mode unreadable (lib verb printed '${mode:-nothing}') — treated as manual push mode" ;;
+  esac
 fi
 [ -n "$msg" ] || exit 0
 
diff --git a/lib/gitflow-test.sh b/lib/gitflow-test.sh
index c6bdd67..fa2c3fd 100644
--- a/lib/gitflow-test.sh
+++ b/lib/gitflow-test.sh
@@ -406,6 +406,30 @@ div_err="$WORK/div.err"
 div_out=$(gitflow_start feature div 2>"$div_err")
 chk "T18l diverged base → warns on stderr, stdout stays the branch name" "[ \"$div_out\" = feature/div ] && grep -q 'behind origin/develop' \"$div_err\" && git rev-parse --verify -q refs/heads/feature/div >/dev/null"
 
+echo "T18q — fail closed: unparseable gitflow.autopush → nothing pushes, named (BDR-114)"
+newrepo badval; echo a>a; hookon; gitflow_init >/dev/null 2>&1
+bare="$WORK/badval.git"; git init -q --bare "$bare"; git remote add origin "$bare"
+git push -q -u origin main develop 2>/dev/null
+git config gitflow.autopush flase
+gitflow_start feature bad >/dev/null 2>"$WORK/q1.err"
+chk "T18q1 start → branch local, not on origin, value named" "git rev-parse --verify -q refs/heads/feature/bad >/dev/null && ! git ls-remote --exit-code --heads origin feature/bad >/dev/null 2>&1 && grep -q 'not a boolean' \"$WORK/q1.err\""
+echo b>b.txt; git add b.txt; git commit -q -m b 2>"$WORK/q2.err"
+chk "T18q2 commit → not pushed, hook says NOT pushed" "! git ls-remote --exit-code --heads origin feature/bad >/dev/null 2>&1 && grep -q 'NOT pushed' \"$WORK/q2.err\""
+dev_before=$(git -C "$bare" rev-parse develop)
+gitflow_finish >/dev/null 2>&1; q_rc=$?
+chk "T18q3 finish → merged locally, origin develop unchanged" "[ $q_rc -eq 0 ] && [ \"\$(git -C \"$bare\" rev-parse develop)\" = \"$dev_before\" ] && ! git rev-parse --verify -q refs/heads/feature/bad >/dev/null"
+git config gitflow.autopush true
+gitflow_start feature good >/dev/null 2>&1
+echo g>g.txt; git add g.txt; git commit -q -m g 2>/dev/null
+chk "T18q4 true → post-commit pushed (tips equal)" '[ "$(git rev-parse HEAD)" = "$(git -C "$bare" rev-parse feature/good)" ]'
+_gitflow_emit_push_hook post-commit > "$WORK/pc.sh"
+chk "T18q5a emitted hook carries the rc:value case" "[ -s \"$WORK/pc.sh\" ] && grep -qF 'case \"\$rc:\$v\"' \"$WORK/pc.sh\""
+if command -v shellcheck >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  chk "T18q5 emitted hook is POSIX-clean" "shellcheck -s sh \"$WORK/pc.sh\""
+else
+  ok "T18q5 skipped (no shellcheck)"
+fi
+
 echo "T19 — installed hooks == emitted hooks in the config repo (LRN-114 drift gate)"
 if [ -d "$HERE/../.githooks" ]; then
   chk "T19a pre-commit installed == emitted"  'diff -q <(_gitflow_emit_pre_commit) "$HERE/../.githooks/pre-commit" >/dev/null'
diff --git a/lib/gitflow.sh b/lib/gitflow.sh
index db008b6..9cabaa8 100644
--- a/lib/gitflow.sh
+++ b/lib/gitflow.sh
@@ -97,12 +97,14 @@ gitflow_push_mode() {
 
 # ── start ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
-# rc 0 when pushing is off: GITFLOW_NO_PUSH=1 (throwaway test repos) or
-# gitflow.autopush=false (manual-push mode, human-set: work machine, foreign
-# clone). The single reader of both flags for the lib's own push sites.
+# rc 0 when pushing is off: GITFLOW_NO_PUSH=1 (throwaway test repos), or
+# gitflow.autopush not readable as `true`/unset — manual-push mode (false,
+# human-set) AND fail closed on an unparseable value or a config read
+# failure (BDR-114). The verb's stderr passes through: it names an invalid
+# value and is silent for auto/manual. Single reader for the lib's push sites.
 _gitflow_push_off() {
   [ "${GITFLOW_NO_PUSH:-0}" = 1 ] && return 0
-  [ "$(git config --bool --default true gitflow.autopush)" = false ]
+  [ "$(gitflow_push_mode)" != auto ]
 }
 
 # gitflow_start <type> <name> → checkout -b <type>/<name> from the correct base.
@@ -192,8 +194,9 @@ gitflow_merged_into_base() {
   return 1
 }
 
-# _gitflow_note_remote_left <br> → manual mode never deletes origin/<br>; say
-# so when a remote-tracking ref shows a copy exists (no network call).
+# _gitflow_note_remote_left <br> → push off (manual mode or invalid value) never
+# deletes origin/<br>; say so when a remote-tracking ref shows a copy exists
+# (no network call).
 _gitflow_note_remote_left() {
   local br="$1"
   gitflow_protected_base "$br" && return 0
@@ -203,7 +206,7 @@ _gitflow_note_remote_left() {
 
 # _gitflow_delete_remote <br> → remove origin/<br> once the LOCAL copy is gone.
 # Same contract as the pushes (BDR-095): best effort, warn never fail; skipped
-# under GITFLOW_NO_PUSH=1, gitflow.autopush=false or no origin. The REMOTE tip
+# when push is off (see _gitflow_push_off) or no origin. The REMOTE tip
 # is re-checked against develop/main before the delete: a commit pushed from
 # elsewhere that never reached a base (or that this clone has never fetched)
 # keeps the remote branch alive, loudly. Never a base, by construction and by
@@ -507,8 +510,15 @@ cat <<'HOOK'
 # holds. Never fails the commit: no origin / offline / refused → warning only.
 # Opt out for one command with GITFLOW_NO_PUSH=1 (throwaway repos, tests).
 [ "${GITFLOW_NO_PUSH:-0}" = 1 ] && exit 0
-# Per-repo opt-out (no push rights on a foreign clone): git config gitflow.autopush false
-[ "$(git config --bool --default true gitflow.autopush)" = false ] && exit 0
+# Manual-push mode (human-set): git config gitflow.autopush false. Fail closed:
+# an unparseable value or a config read failure also means "no push", named.
+# Mirrors gitflow_push_mode (lib/gitflow.sh); arms pinned by T18b/T18h/T18q2/T18q4.
+v=$(git config --bool gitflow.autopush 2>/dev/null); rc=$?
+case "$rc:$v" in
+  0:true|1:*) ;;
+  0:false) exit 0 ;;
+  *) echo "gitflow $hook: gitflow.autopush unreadable (git rc $rc) — NOT pushed, treated as manual push mode; fix the value by hand" >&2; exit 0 ;;
+esac
 git remote get-url origin >/dev/null 2>&1 || exit 0
 br=$(git symbolic-ref --short -q HEAD 2>/dev/null) || exit 0   # detached HEAD — nothing to track
 if command -v timeout >/dev/null 2>&1; then t="timeout ${GITFLOW_PUSH_TIMEOUT:-30}"; else t=""; fi
diff --git a/lib/tests/unpushed-guard.test.sh b/lib/tests/unpushed-guard.test.sh
index 6b4c9c0..d5a60d5 100755
--- a/lib/tests/unpushed-guard.test.sh
+++ b/lib/tests/unpushed-guard.test.sh
@@ -66,8 +66,10 @@ git config gitflow.autopush flase
 echo i>i; git add i; git commit -q -m i
 out=$(fire SessionStart "$PWD")
 check T14-invalid-named "$(has "$out" "not a boolean")" yes
-check T14-invalid-treated-auto "$(has "$out" "unpushed work")" yes
-check T14-invalid-stop-auto "$(has "$(fire Stop "$PWD")" "1 commit(s)")" yes
+check T14-invalid-prefix "$(has "$out" "ℹ manual push mode:")" yes
+check T14-invalid-treated "$(has "$out" "treated as manual")" yes
+check T14-invalid-no-warn "$(has "$out" "unpushed work")" no
+check T14-invalid-stop-silent "$(fire Stop "$PWD")" silent
 git config --unset gitflow.autopush
 check T15-unset-auto-intact "$(has "$(fire Stop "$PWD")" "1 commit(s)")" yes
 git config gitflow.autopush false; git remote remove origin