diff --git a/src/delivery.ts b/src/delivery.ts
index 668028754..c854f35a8 100644
--- a/src/delivery.ts
+++ b/src/delivery.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import {
   markDeliveryFailed,
   migrateDeliveredTable,
 } from './db/session-db.js';
-import { guard, type GuardedAction, type Unguarded } from './guard/index.js';
+import { guard, isUnguarded, type GuardedAction, type Unguarded } from './guard/index.js';
 import { log } from './log.js';
 import { normalizeOptions } from './channels/ask-question.js';
 import { clearOutbox, openInboundDb, openOutboundDb, readOutboxFiles } from './session-manager.js';
@@ -438,7 +438,7 @@ type DeliveryEntry =
 const deliveryActions = new Map<string, DeliveryEntry>();
 
 function isUnguardedEntry(entry: DeliveryEntry): entry is Extract<DeliveryEntry, { guard: Unguarded }> {
-  return 'reason' in entry.guard;
+  return isUnguarded(entry.guard);
 }
 
 export function registerDeliveryAction(action: string, handler: DeliveryActionHandler, unguardedDecl: Unguarded): void;
@@ -455,7 +455,7 @@ export function registerDeliveryAction(
     // skill that wants to extend a guarded action must compose at the
     // module's exported functions instead, or re-register with a guard spec
     // of its own.
-    if ('reason' in guardDecl && !isUnguardedEntry(existing)) {
+    if (isUnguarded(guardDecl) && !isUnguardedEntry(existing)) {
       throw new Error(
         `delivery action "${action}" is guard-wrapped; re-registering it without a guard spec would disarm the guard`,
       );
diff --git a/src/guard/index.ts b/src/guard/index.ts
index 4d58ccaf9..891c3a72a 100644
--- a/src/guard/index.ts
+++ b/src/guard/index.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ export {
   ALLOW,
   DENY,
   HOLD,
+  isUnguarded,
   unguarded,
   type GuardActor,
   type GuardDecision,
diff --git a/src/guard/types.ts b/src/guard/types.ts
index 960ed353a..93499a547 100644
--- a/src/guard/types.ts
+++ b/src/guard/types.ts
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ export interface GuardInput {
   grant?: PendingApproval | null;
 }
 
-declare const unguardedBrand: unique symbol;
+const unguardedBrand = Symbol('unguarded');
 /**
  * A registration that deliberately carries no guard. Omission is not
  * representable — every registry requires either a guard spec or this
@@ -42,7 +42,17 @@ declare const unguardedBrand: unique symbol;
 export type Unguarded = { readonly reason: string; readonly [unguardedBrand]: true };
 
 export function unguarded(reason: string): Unguarded {
-  return Object.freeze({ reason }) as Unguarded;
+  return Object.freeze({ reason, [unguardedBrand]: true as const });
+}
+
+/**
+ * The one runtime discriminator for guard declarations. The brand symbol is
+ * module-private, so `unguarded()` is the only mint — a look-alike
+ * `{ reason }` object (or a guard spec that someday grows a `reason` field)
+ * doesn't pass.
+ */
+export function isUnguarded(decl: object): decl is Unguarded {
+  return unguardedBrand in decl;
 }
 
 export type GuardDecision =
diff --git a/src/response-registry.ts b/src/response-registry.ts
index bb7cd8c21..59c8ba884 100644
--- a/src/response-registry.ts
+++ b/src/response-registry.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
  * unguarded must declare so with `unguarded(<reason>)`, at the registration
  * site, in the diff that adds it.
  */
-import { guard, type GuardActor, type GuardedAction, type Unguarded } from './guard/index.js';
+import { guard, isUnguarded, type GuardActor, type GuardedAction, type Unguarded } from './guard/index.js';
 import { log } from './log.js';
 
 export interface ResponsePayload {
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ function responseActor(payload: ResponsePayload): GuardActor {
 }
 
 export function registerResponseHandler(handler: ResponseHandler, guardDecl: ResponseGuardSpec | Unguarded): void {
-  if ('reason' in guardDecl) {
+  if (isUnguarded(guardDecl)) {
     // Explicitly declared unguarded — the carried reason is the reviewable record.
     responseHandlers.push(handler);
     return;
diff --git a/src/router.ts b/src/router.ts
index dbca8c218..6b7e33ffa 100644
--- a/src/router.ts
+++ b/src/router.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 import { getChannelAdapter } from './channels/channel-registry.js';
 import { gateCommand } from './command-gate.js';
 import { getAgentGroup } from './db/agent-groups.js';
-import { guard, type GuardActor, type GuardedAction, type Unguarded } from './guard/index.js';
+import { guard, isUnguarded, type GuardActor, type GuardedAction, type Unguarded } from './guard/index.js';
 import { recordDroppedMessage } from './db/dropped-messages.js';
 import {
   createMessagingGroup,
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ export function registerMessageInterceptor(
   fn: MessageInterceptorFn,
   guardDecl: InterceptorGuardSpec | Unguarded,
 ): void {
-  if ('reason' in guardDecl) {
+  if (isUnguarded(guardDecl)) {
     // Explicitly declared unguarded — the carried reason is the reviewable record.
     messageInterceptors.push(fn);
     return;