diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 8ea439fd..9d284c6c 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,12 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Added
+
+- **Required checks are labelled.** In the native window, a pull request's
+  Checks tab marks the checks that gate its merge with Required, as GitHub
+  does.
+
 ### Changed
 
 - **lich lives at `lichdotdev/lich`.** The repository moved to the
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/api-types.ts b/frontend/src/lib/api-types.ts
index 5b85b944..7fd80c9a 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/api-types.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/api-types.ts
@@ -120,6 +120,8 @@ export interface CheckItem {
   /** gh's ISO timestamps; "" while a check has not started or finished. */
   startedAt: string
   completedAt: string
+  /** The check gates the merge, as GitHub's own checks list labels Required. */
+  required: boolean
 }
 
 /** internal/project.PRCommit — one commit of the PR, for the Commits tab. */
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/pulls/pr-handoff.test.ts b/frontend/src/lib/pulls/pr-handoff.test.ts
index da59503f..af49d362 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/pulls/pr-handoff.test.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/pulls/pr-handoff.test.ts
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ const run = (name: string, state: CheckItem["state"] = "failed"): CheckItem => (
   url: `https://github.com/o/l/runs/${name}`,
   startedAt: "",
   completedAt: "",
+  required: false,
 })
 
 const red = (names: string[]): Partial<PullRequestDetail> => ({
diff --git a/internal/project/pr.go b/internal/project/pr.go
index 3dc20ab0..5b7f2b0c 100644
--- a/internal/project/pr.go
+++ b/internal/project/pr.go
@@ -213,7 +213,14 @@ func (s *Service) PullRequestDetail(path string, number int) (*PRDetail, error)
 	// The OPEN-only gate belongs to the branch lookup alone. Naming a number is
 	// asking for that pull request, whatever became of it — the list can show
 	// merged and closed ones, and a row that cannot be opened is not a row.
-	return parsePRDetail(out, number == 0)
+	detail, err := parsePRDetail(out, number == 0)
+	if err != nil || detail == nil || len(detail.CheckRuns) == 0 {
+		return detail, err
+	}
+	if err := s.markRequiredChecks(path, detail.Number, detail.CheckRuns); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return detail, nil
 }
 
 // parsePRDetail decodes gh's JSON and reduces the check rollup. With openOnly it
diff --git a/internal/project/prchecks.go b/internal/project/prchecks.go
index fed730a0..f1df4bb3 100644
--- a/internal/project/prchecks.go
+++ b/internal/project/prchecks.go
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 package project
 
-import "sort"
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
+	"sort"
+)
 
 // gh reports a pull request's CI as a mixed array of two unrelated shapes. This
 // file is the whole translation from that array into the two things the screen
@@ -27,6 +31,9 @@ type CheckItem struct {
 	URL         string `json:"url"`         // where to read the run; "" when gh reports none
 	StartedAt   string `json:"startedAt"`
 	CompletedAt string `json:"completedAt"`
+	// Required is GitHub's own answer to "does this check gate the merge", the
+	// same verdict its checks list labels Required.
+	Required bool `json:"required"`
 }
 
 // checkItem is one statusCheckRollup entry. gh emits two shapes: a CheckRun
@@ -128,3 +135,83 @@ func toCheckItems(items []checkItem) []CheckItem {
 	})
 	return out
 }
+
+// requiredChecksQuery asks GitHub which of the head commit's checks gate this
+// pull request's merge. gh's `pr view --json statusCheckRollup` does not carry
+// isRequired, which takes the pull request as an argument. The aliases fold a
+// StatusContext into a CheckRun's field names.
+// ponytail: first 100 checks only; a check past that never reads Required.
+const requiredChecksQuery = `query($owner:String!,$repo:String!,$number:Int!){
+  repository(owner:$owner,name:$repo){
+    pullRequest(number:$number){
+      commits(last:1){nodes{commit{statusCheckRollup{contexts(first:100){nodes{
+        ... on CheckRun{name detailsUrl isRequired(pullRequestNumber:$number)}
+        ... on StatusContext{name:context detailsUrl:targetUrl isRequired(pullRequestNumber:$number)}
+      }}}}}}
+    }
+  }
+}`
+
+// markRequiredChecks flags the checks that gate the merge of pull request
+// number. Checks are matched by name and URL: a name alone repeats across
+// workflows ("test" in two of them), and the URL names the run.
+func (s *Service) markRequiredChecks(path string, number int, checks []CheckItem) error {
+	out, err := s.gh(prReadTimeout, path, "api", "graphql",
+		"-F", "owner={owner}", "-F", "repo={repo}",
+		"-F", fmt.Sprintf("number=%d", number),
+		"-f", "query="+requiredChecksQuery)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	required, err := parseRequiredChecks(out)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	for i := range checks {
+		checks[i].Required = required[checkKey(checks[i].Name, checks[i].URL)]
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func checkKey(name, url string) string { return name + "\n" + url }
+
+func parseRequiredChecks(out []byte) (map[string]bool, error) {
+	var payload struct {
+		Data struct {
+			Repository struct {
+				PullRequest struct {
+					Commits struct {
+						Nodes []struct {
+							Commit struct {
+								StatusCheckRollup *struct {
+									Contexts struct {
+										Nodes []struct {
+											Name       string `json:"name"`
+											DetailsURL string `json:"detailsUrl"`
+											IsRequired bool   `json:"isRequired"`
+										} `json:"nodes"`
+									} `json:"contexts"`
+								} `json:"statusCheckRollup"`
+							} `json:"commit"`
+						} `json:"nodes"`
+					} `json:"commits"`
+				} `json:"pullRequest"`
+			} `json:"repository"`
+		} `json:"data"`
+	}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(out, &payload); err != nil {
+		return nil, errUnreadableAnswer(err)
+	}
+	required := map[string]bool{}
+	for _, c := range payload.Data.Repository.PullRequest.Commits.Nodes {
+		if c.Commit.StatusCheckRollup == nil {
+			continue
+		}
+		for _, n := range c.Commit.StatusCheckRollup.Contexts.Nodes {
+			if n.IsRequired {
+				required[checkKey(n.Name, n.DetailsURL)] = true
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return required, nil
+}
diff --git a/internal/project/prchecks_test.go b/internal/project/prchecks_test.go
index 0975ec67..cf1b1178 100644
--- a/internal/project/prchecks_test.go
+++ b/internal/project/prchecks_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 package project
 
-import "testing"
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"maps"
+	"slices"
+	"testing"
+)
 
 // TestIsFailureConclusion pins every conclusion gh reports, both halves of the
 // list. It is an allow-list of failures, so a literal dropped from it does not
@@ -31,3 +36,56 @@ func TestIsFailureConclusion(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+// TestPullRequestDetailMarksRequiredChecks pins Required to GitHub's isRequired,
+// matched per run: "test" runs in two workflows and only the URL tells them
+// apart.
+func TestPullRequestDetailMarksRequiredChecks(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	view := []byte(`{"number":818,"state":"OPEN","statusCheckRollup":[
+		{"__typename":"CheckRun","name":"test","status":"COMPLETED","conclusion":"SUCCESS","workflowName":"ci","detailsUrl":"https://x/ci"},
+		{"__typename":"CheckRun","name":"test","status":"COMPLETED","conclusion":"SUCCESS","workflowName":"native","detailsUrl":"https://x/native"},
+		{"__typename":"StatusContext","context":"deploy","state":"SUCCESS","targetUrl":"https://x/deploy"}
+	]}`)
+	required := []byte(`{"data":{"repository":{"pullRequest":{"commits":{"nodes":[{"commit":{"statusCheckRollup":{"contexts":{"nodes":[
+		{"name":"test","detailsUrl":"https://x/ci","isRequired":true},
+		{"name":"test","detailsUrl":"https://x/native","isRequired":false},
+		{"name":"deploy","detailsUrl":"https://x/deploy","isRequired":true}
+	]}}}}]}}}}}`)
+	gh := &fakeGH{outs: [][]byte{view, required}}
+	pr, err := withGH(gh).PullRequestDetail("/repo", 0)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+	got := map[string]bool{}
+	for _, c := range pr.CheckRuns {
+		got[c.URL] = c.Required
+	}
+	want := map[string]bool{"https://x/ci": true, "https://x/native": false, "https://x/deploy": true}
+	if !maps.Equal(got, want) {
+		t.Errorf("required = %v, want %v", got, want)
+	}
+	if !slices.Contains(gh.history[1], "number=818") {
+		t.Errorf("lookup args = %v, want the PR number gh resolved", gh.history[1])
+	}
+}
+
+func TestPullRequestDetailRequiredLookupFailure(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	view := []byte(`{"number":7,"state":"OPEN","statusCheckRollup":[{"name":"test","status":"IN_PROGRESS"}]}`)
+	gh := &fakeGH{outs: [][]byte{view, nil}, errs: []error{nil, errors.New("gh is not signed in to GitHub.")}}
+	if _, err := withGH(gh).PullRequestDetail("/repo", 0); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected the lookup's error")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestPullRequestDetailWithoutChecksSkipsTheLookup(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	gh := &fakeGH{out: []byte(`{"number":7,"state":"OPEN"}`)}
+	if _, err := withGH(gh).PullRequestDetail("/repo", 0); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %v", err)
+	}
+	if gh.calls != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("gh calls = %d, want 1", gh.calls)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/native/cmd/lich-native/pulls_panels.go b/native/cmd/lich-native/pulls_panels.go
index f3fbbfcb..5bb56aa7 100644
--- a/native/cmd/lich-native/pulls_panels.go
+++ b/native/cmd/lich-native/pulls_panels.go
@@ -375,6 +375,12 @@ func (v *pullView) checkRows(gtx C, th *ui.Theme, d lichclient.PRDetail, act *pu
 							}),
 						)
 					}),
+					layout.Rigid(func(gtx C) D {
+						if !c.Required {
+							return D{}
+						}
+						return layout.Inset{Right: ui.Space(3)}.Layout(gtx, paletteChip(th, i18n.T("pulls.pullsChecks.required"), th.MutedForeground))
+					}),
 					layout.Rigid(th.Text(ui.TextXS, checkDuration(c.StartedAt, c.CompletedAt, now)).Muted().Layout),
 				)
 			})
diff --git a/native/i18n/locales/en/pulls.json b/native/i18n/locales/en/pulls.json
index 41312d35..7e6adb54 100644
--- a/native/i18n/locales/en/pulls.json
+++ b/native/i18n/locales/en/pulls.json
@@ -51,7 +51,8 @@
     "ruleNote": "A ruleset governs {base}: every commit {clauses}."
   },
   "pullsChecks": {
-    "none": "No checks reported."
+    "none": "No checks reported.",
+    "required": "Required"
   },
   "pullsCommits": {
     "none": "No commits."
diff --git a/native/i18n/locales/es/pulls.json b/native/i18n/locales/es/pulls.json
index 8dc863c7..3d90b7cc 100644
--- a/native/i18n/locales/es/pulls.json
+++ b/native/i18n/locales/es/pulls.json
@@ -51,7 +51,8 @@
     "ruleNote": "Un conjunto de reglas gobierna {base}: cada commit {clauses}."
   },
   "pullsChecks": {
-    "none": "No se informó ninguna comprobación."
+    "none": "No se informó ninguna comprobación.",
+    "required": "Obligatorio"
   },
   "pullsCommits": {
     "none": "No hay commits."
diff --git a/native/i18n/locales/ja/pulls.json b/native/i18n/locales/ja/pulls.json
index 160997f0..c283b393 100644
--- a/native/i18n/locales/ja/pulls.json
+++ b/native/i18n/locales/ja/pulls.json
@@ -51,7 +51,8 @@
     "ruleNote": "{base} にはルールセットが適用されています: すべてのコミットについて、{clauses}。"
   },
   "pullsChecks": {
-    "none": "報告されたチェックはありません。"
+    "none": "報告されたチェックはありません。",
+    "required": "必須"
   },
   "pullsCommits": {
     "none": "コミットはありません。"
diff --git a/native/i18n/locales/ko/pulls.json b/native/i18n/locales/ko/pulls.json
index fc2b19cb..7ab46bb4 100644
--- a/native/i18n/locales/ko/pulls.json
+++ b/native/i18n/locales/ko/pulls.json
@@ -51,7 +51,8 @@
     "ruleNote": "{base}에 규칙 세트가 적용됩니다. 모든 커밋에서 {clauses}."
   },
   "pullsChecks": {
-    "none": "보고된 체크가 없습니다."
+    "none": "보고된 체크가 없습니다.",
+    "required": "필수"
   },
   "pullsCommits": {
     "none": "커밋이 없습니다."
diff --git a/native/i18n/locales/pt-br/pulls.json b/native/i18n/locales/pt-br/pulls.json
index e23cd815..e7b446ea 100644
--- a/native/i18n/locales/pt-br/pulls.json
+++ b/native/i18n/locales/pt-br/pulls.json
@@ -51,7 +51,8 @@
     "ruleNote": "Um ruleset governa {base}: em todo commit, {clauses}."
   },
   "pullsChecks": {
-    "none": "Nenhuma verificação reportada."
+    "none": "Nenhuma verificação reportada.",
+    "required": "Obrigatório"
   },
   "pullsCommits": {
     "none": "Nenhum commit."
diff --git a/native/i18n/locales/ru/pulls.json b/native/i18n/locales/ru/pulls.json
index 8ab9a929..dccffe9e 100644
--- a/native/i18n/locales/ru/pulls.json
+++ b/native/i18n/locales/ru/pulls.json
@@ -51,7 +51,8 @@
     "ruleNote": "Для {base} действует набор правил. Каждый коммит: {clauses}."
   },
   "pullsChecks": {
-    "none": "Проверок нет."
+    "none": "Проверок нет.",
+    "required": "Обязательный"
   },
   "pullsCommits": {
     "none": "Коммитов нет."
diff --git a/native/i18n/locales/zh-cn/pulls.json b/native/i18n/locales/zh-cn/pulls.json
index 354698e4..32950f8f 100644
--- a/native/i18n/locales/zh-cn/pulls.json
+++ b/native/i18n/locales/zh-cn/pulls.json
@@ -51,7 +51,8 @@
     "ruleNote": "规则集约束着 {base}：对每个提交，{clauses}。"
   },
   "pullsChecks": {
-    "none": "没有检查结果。"
+    "none": "没有检查结果。",
+    "required": "必需"
   },
   "pullsCommits": {
     "none": "没有提交。"
diff --git a/native/lichclient/pulls.go b/native/lichclient/pulls.go
index 1bbfb563..57e29e5f 100644
--- a/native/lichclient/pulls.go
+++ b/native/lichclient/pulls.go
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ type CheckItem struct {
 	URL         string `json:"url"`
 	StartedAt   string `json:"startedAt"`
 	CompletedAt string `json:"completedAt"`
+	Required    bool   `json:"required"`
 }
 
 // PRSummary mirrors project.PRSummary: one row of the list.