diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index c7c6743..5cc90b8 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ The maintainer harness is held to the same `recommended` bar the template ships.
 
 ```bash
 just lint        # ruff check . — select=["ALL"] over tests/ (config-derived, audited ignores)
-just fmt         # ruff format . + ruff check --fix . (apply safe fixes)
+just fmt         # ruff check --fix . + ruff format . (apply safe fixes)
 just fmt-check   # ruff format --check . (CI's format gate)
 ```
 
@@ -31,12 +31,12 @@ The maintainer harness runs the same full `select=["ALL"]` ruleset the template
 
 1. Add an `enable_*` toggle to `copier.yml`.
 2. Add the conditional file(s) under `template/` (file: `{% if flag %}name{% endif %}.jinja`; dir: `{% if flag %}dir{% endif %}/`).
-3. Wire it into `template/justfile.jinja` (recipe + `ci` dep). Then, where applicable: a dep in `template/pyproject.toml.jinja` (skip it for `uvx`-run tools like the scanners), a section in `template/AGENTS.md.jinja`, and a CI surface under `template/.github/workflows/` (a conditional step in `scan.yml`, or a dedicated conditional workflow file via the empty-name idiom).
+3. Wire it into `template/justfile.jinja` (a recipe; add it as a `ci` dep only for a *gating* layer — out-of-band checks like `scan`/`mutate` ship a recipe but stay off `ci`, and CI-only layers like renovate/sha-pin add no recipe at all). Then, where applicable: a dep in `template/pyproject.toml.jinja` (skip it for `uvx`-run tools like the scanners), a section in `template/AGENTS.md.jinja`, and a CI surface under `template/.github/workflows/` (a conditional step in `scan.yml`, or a dedicated conditional workflow file via the empty-name idiom).
 4. Extend `tests/test_generation.py`: assert present-when-on AND absent-when-off, and that the layer's gate passes.
 
 ## Release
 
-`copier update` targets the **latest SemVer git tag, not HEAD** — an untagged template makes every downstream update silently pull in-progress commits. The repo carries no tags until the first release is cut, so tag the released commit (on `main`) before announcing it or letting any downstream consume the template:
+`copier update` targets the **latest SemVer git tag, not HEAD** — an untagged template makes every downstream update silently pull in-progress commits. Always tag each released commit (on `main`) before announcing it or letting any downstream consume the template (v0.1.0 was the first release):
 
 ```bash
 git tag -a v0.1.0 -m "v0.1.0"   # annotate the released commit
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 8880003..5551fd9 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,29 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Changed
+
+- The gitleaks `mise` pin and `scan.yml`'s full-history checkout are now emitted
+  only when the scanner layer is enabled; projects that enable `scan.yml` through
+  another layer no longer carry the unused pin or an unbounded `fetch-depth`.
+- The `[tool.ruff.lint.mccabe]` block is emitted only under the `all` ruleset,
+  where `max-complexity` governs a selected rule (C901); the curated ruleset no
+  longer renders it as dead config.
+
+### Fixed
+
+- `just fmt` runs `ruff check --fix` before `ruff format`, so its own output can
+  no longer be rejected by `just fmt-check`.
+- `just scan` scans committed history (`gitleaks git`) to match the CI gate,
+  catching secrets that were committed and later deleted from the working tree.
+- The mutation workflow no longer sets job-level `continue-on-error`, so genuine
+  infrastructure failures surface instead of being masked; surviving mutants stay
+  non-gating via `|| true` on the `mutmut` step.
+- `.editorconfig` no longer forces 2-space indentation on `.toml`, which
+  conflicted with the 4-space arrays in the generated `pyproject.toml`.
+- The `ci` recipe comment no longer claims the local gate mirrors everything that
+  blocks a PR; with scanners enabled it notes they run in CI only (`scan.yml`).
+
 ## [0.1.0] - 2026-06-25
 
 ### Added
diff --git a/justfile b/justfile
index ec116c6..7f26747 100644
--- a/justfile
+++ b/justfile
@@ -16,9 +16,11 @@ typecheck:
     uv run basedpyright
 
 # Auto-format + apply safe lint fixes to this repo's own tooling (the tests/ harness).
+# Lint-fix BEFORE format: ruff's fixes (import sort, SIM/UP/C4 rewrites) can emit
+# unformatted code, so the formatter must run last or `fmt-check` may reject `fmt`'s output.
 fmt:
-    uv run ruff format .
     uv run ruff check --fix .
+    uv run ruff format .
 
 # CI's format gate: fail if anything is unformatted.
 fmt-check:
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 4f3fb98..9b377ff 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ package = false
 [dependency-groups]
 dev = [
     "copier>=9.6,<10",
+    # copier drives its _tasks through plumbum; the harness imports `plumbum.local` directly to
+    # scrub interpreter pins from that channel, so declare it rather than ride copier's transitive pin.
+    "plumbum>=1.8,<3",
     "pytest>=8,<10",
     "pyyaml>=6,<7",
     "basedpyright>=1.39,<1.40",
diff --git a/template/.editorconfig b/template/.editorconfig
index d9fd974..08c80de 100644
--- a/template/.editorconfig
+++ b/template/.editorconfig
@@ -7,5 +7,5 @@ insert_final_newline = true
 indent_style = space
 indent_size = 4
 
-[*.{yml,yaml,json,toml}]
+[*.{yml,yaml,json}]
 indent_size = 2
diff --git a/template/.github/workflows/{% if enable_mutation_tests %}mutation.yml{% endif %}.jinja b/template/.github/workflows/{% if enable_mutation_tests %}mutation.yml{% endif %}.jinja
index 28acc47..7b7a32d 100644
--- a/template/.github/workflows/{% if enable_mutation_tests %}mutation.yml{% endif %}.jinja	
+++ b/template/.github/workflows/{% if enable_mutation_tests %}mutation.yml{% endif %}.jinja	
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@ jobs:
   mutation:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     timeout-minutes: 60
-    continue-on-error: true
+    # Survivors stay non-gating via the `|| true` on the mutmut step below; the job is not set
+    # to ignore failures, so genuine infra breakage (bad lockfile, failed export) still shows red.
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0 # v7.0.0
         with:
diff --git a/template/.github/workflows/{% if enable_scanners or enable_dependency_audit or enable_sha_pin_policy %}scan.yml{% endif %}.jinja b/template/.github/workflows/{% if enable_scanners or enable_dependency_audit or enable_sha_pin_policy %}scan.yml{% endif %}.jinja
index d443af5..862e2d6 100644
--- a/template/.github/workflows/{% if enable_scanners or enable_dependency_audit or enable_sha_pin_policy %}scan.yml{% endif %}.jinja	
+++ b/template/.github/workflows/{% if enable_scanners or enable_dependency_audit or enable_sha_pin_policy %}scan.yml{% endif %}.jinja	
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0 # v7.0.0
         with:
-          fetch-depth: 0
+          # Full history is only needed for secret scanning; other steps read the tree/lockfile.
+          fetch-depth: {% if enable_scanners %}0{% else %}1{% endif %}
           persist-credentials: false
       - uses: astral-sh/setup-uv@fac544c07dec837d0ccb6301d7b5580bf5edae39 # v8.2.0
         with:
diff --git a/template/justfile.jinja b/template/justfile.jinja
index f1f5f12..a09b9fc 100644
--- a/template/justfile.jinja
+++ b/template/justfile.jinja
@@ -3,15 +3,17 @@ set shell := ["bash", "-eu", "-o", "pipefail", "-c"]
 default:
     @just --list
 
-# Complete local gate — mirrors what blocks a PR.
+# The complete local gate — every PR-blocking check reproducible locally{% if enable_scanners %} (scanners run in CI only; see scan.yml){% endif %}.
 ci: fmt-check lint typecheck test{% if enable_property_tests %} fuzz{% endif %}{% if enable_policy_tests %} policy{% endif %}{% if enable_dependency_audit %} audit{% endif %}
     @echo "ci: all gates passed"
 
 verify: ci
 
+# Lint-fix BEFORE format: ruff's fixes (import sort, SIM/UP/C4 rewrites) can emit
+# unformatted code, so the formatter must run last or `fmt-check` may reject `fmt`'s output.
 fmt:
-    uv run ruff format .
     uv run ruff check --fix .
+    uv run ruff format .
 
 fmt-check:
     uv run ruff format --check .
@@ -44,5 +46,6 @@ mutate:
 {% endif %}{% if enable_scanners %}
 scan:
     uvx semgrep@1.167.0 scan --config .semgrep.yml --metrics=off --error .
-    gitleaks dir . --redact --exit-code 1
+    # `git` (not `dir`): scan committed history like CI, catching secrets committed then deleted.
+    gitleaks git . --redact --exit-code 1
 {% endif -%}
diff --git a/template/mise.toml.jinja b/template/mise.toml.jinja
index 5dba406..b9d96b3 100644
--- a/template/mise.toml.jinja
+++ b/template/mise.toml.jinja
@@ -3,4 +3,7 @@ python = "{{ python_version }}"
 uv = "0.11.23"
 just = "1.50.0"
 copier = "9.15.2"
+{%- if enable_scanners %}
+# scanner-only tool; pinned here so Renovate's mise manager keeps it fresh.
 gitleaks = "8.30.1"
+{%- endif %}
diff --git a/template/pyproject.toml.jinja b/template/pyproject.toml.jinja
index 7b03a3e..c452d8c 100644
--- a/template/pyproject.toml.jinja
+++ b/template/pyproject.toml.jinja
@@ -60,9 +60,13 @@ ignore = [
 select = ["E", "F", "UP", "B", "SIM", "I", "ANN", "S", "C4", "DTZ", "PTH", "RUF", "PL"]
 {%- endif %}
 
+{% if ruff_ruleset == "all" -%}
+# max-complexity governs C901 (mccabe), active only under select=ALL; the curated
+# ruleset omits the C90 prefix, so this block would be dead config there (like pydocstyle).
 [tool.ruff.lint.mccabe]
 max-complexity = 10
 
+{% endif -%}
 [tool.ruff.lint.pylint]
 max-args = 8
 max-branches = 12
diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index ce65a73..4760986 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -91,9 +91,10 @@ def render(template_root: Path) -> RenderFn:
         pytest.fail(f"required tools not on PATH: {missing}")
 
     def _render(data: Mapping[str, object], dst: Path) -> Path:
-        # Generation renders skip the slow pre-commit hook-install task (the config
-        # does not exist until that layer is added). A dedicated test in Task 7
-        # exercises the install path with the flag left at its default.
+        # Generation renders skip the slow pre-commit hook-install task: it is a copy-time
+        # _task (`uv run pre-commit install --install-hooks`), network-bound and irrelevant to
+        # what these tests assert. `test_precommit_install_task_runs` covers the install path
+        # separately with the flag at its default.
         # The copy-time `uv lock`/`uv sync` _tasks must resolve against the generated
         # project's requires-python, not a leaked UV_PYTHON/VIRTUAL_ENV (see the pins note).
         with without_interpreter_pins():
@@ -101,6 +102,10 @@ def _render(data: Mapping[str, object], dst: Path) -> Path:
                 str(template_root),
                 str(dst),
                 data={"enable_precommit_install": False, **data},
+                # Copy the working template (HEAD), not copier's default of the latest
+                # release tag — otherwise the suite would validate the released template
+                # and silently ignore every change since. (run_update tests pin their ref.)
+                vcs_ref="HEAD",
                 defaults=True,
                 unsafe=True,
                 overwrite=True,
diff --git a/tests/test_generation.py b/tests/test_generation.py
index d0f520b..2123740 100644
--- a/tests/test_generation.py
+++ b/tests/test_generation.py
@@ -90,7 +90,10 @@ def test_minimal_renders(render: RenderFn, tmp_path: Path) -> None:
 
     # Always-present support files render (AGENTS.md NEVER: no template file without an assertion).
     assert (project / ".editorconfig").is_file()
-    assert "indent_" in (project / ".editorconfig").read_text()
+    editorconfig = (project / ".editorconfig").read_text()
+    assert "indent_" in editorconfig
+    # .toml is not grouped into the 2-space glob; pyproject.toml arrays ship at 4-space.
+    assert "toml" not in editorconfig
     gitignore = (project / ".gitignore").read_text()
     assert "coverage.xml" in gitignore
     assert "requirements-audit.txt" in gitignore
@@ -404,10 +407,39 @@ def test_scanner_layer(render: RenderFn, tmp_path: Path) -> None:
     on = render({**MINIMAL, "enable_scanners": True}, tmp_path / "on")
     assert (on / ".gitleaks.toml").is_file()
     assert (on / ".semgrep.yml").is_file()
-    assert "scan:" in (on / "justfile").read_text()
+    justfile = (on / "justfile").read_text()
+    assert "scan:" in justfile
+    # Local scan previews the CI gate: history scan (`git`), matching scan.yml — not `dir`.
+    assert "gitleaks git ." in justfile
+    assert "gitleaks dir" not in justfile
+    # gitleaks is pinned in mise.toml only when the scanner layer ships (else dead config).
+    assert 'gitleaks = "8.30.1"' in (on / "mise.toml").read_text()
     off = render(MINIMAL, tmp_path / "off")
     assert not (off / ".gitleaks.toml").exists()
     assert not (off / ".semgrep.yml").exists()
+    assert "gitleaks" not in (off / "mise.toml").read_text()
+
+
+def test_scanner_steps_absent_when_scanners_off(render: RenderFn, tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    """The semgrep/gitleaks scan.yml steps are gated solely on enable_scanners.
+
+    Like the pip-audit and zizmor steps, the semgrep/gitleaks steps in scan.yml are gated
+    only by their toggle and absent from the local recipes' surface, so only a generation
+    assertion guards them — inverting the guard would emit a `--config .semgrep.yml` step
+    into a project shipping no .semgrep.yml. Render scan.yml via another layer, then prove
+    the scanner steps (and the scanners-only deep fetch) are gone when scanners are off.
+    """
+    off = render(
+        {**MINIMAL, "enable_scanners": False, "enable_dependency_audit": True},
+        tmp_path / "off",
+    )
+    scan = (off / ".github" / "workflows" / "scan.yml").read_text()
+    assert "pip-audit" in scan  # scan.yml really rendered (dependency-audit on), not empty
+    assert "semgrep" not in scan
+    assert "gitleaks" not in scan
+    # Full history is a scanners-only need; without gitleaks the checkout stays shallow.
+    assert "fetch-depth: 0" not in scan
+    assert "fetch-depth: 1" in scan
 
 
 def test_semgrep_runs_hermetically(render: RenderFn, tmp_path: Path) -> None:
@@ -496,11 +528,11 @@ def test_ci_workflows(render: RenderFn, tmp_path: Path) -> None:
     assert '"3.12"' not in ci
     assert (project / ".github" / "workflows" / "scan.yml").is_file()
     assert (project / ".github" / "workflows" / "mutation.yml").is_file()
-    # Mutation workflow is non-gating.
-    assert (
-        "continue-on-error: true"
-        in (project / ".github" / "workflows" / "mutation.yml").read_text()
-    )
+    # Mutation is non-gating on survivors (the run step swallows mutmut's nonzero exit) but
+    # carries no job-level continue-on-error, so genuine infra breakage still surfaces as red.
+    mutation = (project / ".github" / "workflows" / "mutation.yml").read_text()
+    assert "mutmut run || true" in mutation
+    assert "continue-on-error" not in mutation
     # Every job caps its runtime (else a hung step burns GitHub's 6h default).
     assert "timeout-minutes:" in ci
     assert "timeout-minutes:" in (project / ".github" / "workflows" / "scan.yml").read_text()
@@ -712,13 +744,18 @@ def test_curated_ruleset(render: RenderFn, tmp_path: Path) -> None:
     # The pydocstyle convention only takes effect when the D rules are selected (the
     # `all` ruleset); curated omits D, so the block must not render as dead config.
     assert "[tool.ruff.lint.pydocstyle]" not in pyproject
+    # Same for the mccabe block: max-complexity only governs C901 (C90 prefix), which curated
+    # does not select, so it must not render as dead config there either.
+    assert "[tool.ruff.lint.mccabe]" not in pyproject
     _ = run_in(project, "uv", "run", "ruff", "check", ".")
     # curated is the only MATRIX combo not otherwise run through a full `just ci`
     # (test_matrix runs only the fast subset); close that gap on the rendered project here.
     _ = run_in(project, "just", "ci")
     # ...and it IS present on the `all` path, where the D rules are active.
     allp = render(MINIMAL, tmp_path / "all")
-    assert "[tool.ruff.lint.pydocstyle]" in (allp / "pyproject.toml").read_text()
+    all_pyproject = (allp / "pyproject.toml").read_text()
+    assert "[tool.ruff.lint.pydocstyle]" in all_pyproject
+    assert "[tool.ruff.lint.mccabe]" in all_pyproject
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("version", ["3.11", "3.12", "3.13"])
diff --git a/uv.lock b/uv.lock
index c556934..f285ab4 100644
--- a/uv.lock
+++ b/uv.lock
@@ -412,6 +412,7 @@ source = { virtual = "." }
 dev = [
     { name = "basedpyright" },
     { name = "copier" },
+    { name = "plumbum" },
     { name = "pytest" },
     { name = "pyyaml" },
     { name = "ruff" },
@@ -423,6 +424,7 @@ dev = [
 dev = [
     { name = "basedpyright", specifier = ">=1.39,<1.40" },
     { name = "copier", specifier = ">=9.6,<10" },
+    { name = "plumbum", specifier = ">=1.8,<3" },
     { name = "pytest", specifier = ">=8,<10" },
     { name = "pyyaml", specifier = ">=6,<7" },
     { name = "ruff", specifier = ">=0.15,<0.16" },