diff --git a/hooks/README.md b/hooks/README.md
index 98ac8295..ae8d568a 100644
--- a/hooks/README.md
+++ b/hooks/README.md
@@ -99,6 +99,9 @@ export ECC_HOOK_PROFILE=standard
 # Disable specific hook IDs (comma-separated)
 export ECC_DISABLED_HOOKS="pre:bash:tmux-reminder,post:edit:typecheck"
 
+# Disable only GateGuard during setup or recovery
+export ECC_GATEGUARD=off
+
 # Cap SessionStart additional context (default: 8000 chars)
 export ECC_SESSION_START_MAX_CHARS=4000
 
diff --git a/scripts/hooks/gateguard-fact-force.js b/scripts/hooks/gateguard-fact-force.js
index 111dd2f7..a57bee9e 100644
--- a/scripts/hooks/gateguard-fact-force.js
+++ b/scripts/hooks/gateguard-fact-force.js
@@ -38,11 +38,25 @@ const READ_HEARTBEAT_MS = 60 * 1000;
 const MAX_CHECKED_ENTRIES = 500;
 const MAX_SESSION_KEYS = 50;
 const ROUTINE_BASH_SESSION_KEY = '__bash_session__';
+const LEGACY_DISABLE_VALUES = new Set(['1', 'true', 'yes', 'on']);
+const ECC_DISABLE_VALUES = new Set(['0', 'false', 'off', 'disabled', 'disable']);
 
 const DESTRUCTIVE_BASH = /\b(rm\s+-rf|git\s+reset\s+--hard|git\s+checkout\s+--|git\s+clean\s+-f|drop\s+table|delete\s+from|truncate|git\s+push\s+--force(?!-with-lease)|git\s+commit\s+--amend|dd\s+if=)\b/i;
 
 // --- State management (per-session, atomic writes, bounded) ---
 
+function normalizeEnvValue(value) {
+  return String(value || '').trim().toLowerCase();
+}
+
+function isGateGuardDisabled() {
+  if (LEGACY_DISABLE_VALUES.has(normalizeEnvValue(process.env.GATEGUARD_DISABLED))) {
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  return ECC_DISABLE_VALUES.has(normalizeEnvValue(process.env.ECC_GATEGUARD));
+}
+
 function sanitizeSessionKey(value) {
   const raw = String(value || '').trim();
   if (!raw) {
@@ -352,6 +366,14 @@ function routineBashMsg() {
   ].join('\n');
 }
 
+function withRecoveryHint(message) {
+  return [
+    message,
+    '',
+    'Recovery: if GateGuard is blocking setup or repair work, run this session with `ECC_GATEGUARD=off` or add `pre:edit-write:gateguard-fact-force` to `ECC_DISABLED_HOOKS`.'
+  ].join('\n');
+}
+
 // --- Deny helper ---
 
 function denyResult(reason) {
@@ -360,7 +382,7 @@ function denyResult(reason) {
       hookSpecificOutput: {
         hookEventName: 'PreToolUse',
         permissionDecision: 'deny',
-        permissionDecisionReason: reason
+        permissionDecisionReason: withRecoveryHint(reason)
       }
     }),
     exitCode: 0
@@ -383,6 +405,11 @@ function run(rawInput) {
   } catch (_) {
     return rawInput; // allow on parse error
   }
+
+  if (isGateGuardDisabled()) {
+    return rawInput;
+  }
+
   activeStateFile = null;
   getStateFile(data);
 
diff --git a/skills/gateguard/SKILL.md b/skills/gateguard/SKILL.md
index ab90746a..6b112599 100644
--- a/skills/gateguard/SKILL.md
+++ b/skills/gateguard/SKILL.md
@@ -94,6 +94,10 @@ Triggers on: `rm -rf`, `git reset --hard`, `git push --force`, `drop table`, etc
 
 The hook at `scripts/hooks/gateguard-fact-force.js` is included in this plugin. Enable it via hooks.json.
 
+If GateGuard blocks setup or repair work, start the session with
+`ECC_GATEGUARD=off`. For hook-level control, keep using
+`ECC_DISABLED_HOOKS` with the GateGuard hook ID.
+
 ### Option B: Full package with config
 
 ```bash
diff --git a/tests/hooks/gateguard-fact-force.test.js b/tests/hooks/gateguard-fact-force.test.js
index 80f03454..5b43890e 100644
--- a/tests/hooks/gateguard-fact-force.test.js
+++ b/tests/hooks/gateguard-fact-force.test.js
@@ -408,7 +408,56 @@ function runTests() {
     }
   })) passed++; else failed++;
 
-  // --- Test 10: MultiEdit gates first unchecked file ---
+  // --- Test 10: respects direct GateGuard env disable for recovery sessions ---
+  clearState();
+  if (test('respects ECC_GATEGUARD=off without writing gate state', () => {
+    const input = {
+      tool_name: 'Write',
+      tool_input: { file_path: '/src/env-disabled.js', content: 'export const ok = true;' }
+    };
+    const result = runHook(input, { ECC_GATEGUARD: 'off' });
+    const output = parseOutput(result.stdout);
+
+    assert.ok(output, 'should produce valid JSON output');
+    assert.strictEqual(output.tool_name, 'Write', 'disabled gate should pass through raw input');
+    assert.ok(!output.hookSpecificOutput, 'disabled gate should not deny the operation');
+    assert.ok(!fs.existsSync(stateFile), 'disabled gate should not create or mutate gate state');
+  })) passed++; else failed++;
+
+  // --- Test 11: respects legacy GATEGUARD_DISABLED env disable ---
+  clearState();
+  if (test('respects GATEGUARD_DISABLED=1 for Bash recovery', () => {
+    const input = {
+      tool_name: 'Bash',
+      tool_input: { command: 'npm test' }
+    };
+    const result = runBashHook(input, { GATEGUARD_DISABLED: '1' });
+    const output = parseOutput(result.stdout);
+
+    assert.ok(output, 'should produce valid JSON output');
+    assert.strictEqual(output.tool_name, 'Bash', 'disabled gate should pass Bash through raw input');
+    assert.ok(!output.hookSpecificOutput, 'disabled gate should not deny Bash');
+    assert.ok(!fs.existsSync(stateFile), 'disabled gate should not create or mutate gate state');
+  })) passed++; else failed++;
+
+  // --- Test 12: denial messages show an escape hatch ---
+  clearState();
+  if (test('denial messages include direct recovery escape hatch', () => {
+    const input = {
+      tool_name: 'Write',
+      tool_input: { file_path: '/src/recovery-hint.js', content: 'export const ok = true;' }
+    };
+    const result = runHook(input);
+    const output = parseOutput(result.stdout);
+
+    assert.strictEqual(output.hookSpecificOutput.permissionDecision, 'deny');
+    assert.ok(output.hookSpecificOutput.permissionDecisionReason.includes('ECC_GATEGUARD=off'),
+      'denial reason should show the direct recovery env toggle');
+    assert.ok(output.hookSpecificOutput.permissionDecisionReason.includes('ECC_DISABLED_HOOKS'),
+      'denial reason should mention the existing hook-id disable control');
+  })) passed++; else failed++;
+
+  // --- Test 13: MultiEdit gates first unchecked file ---
   clearState();
   if (test('denies first MultiEdit with unchecked file', () => {
     const input = {