diff --git a/internal/actrace/actrace.go b/internal/actrace/actrace.go
index ac3ebe5..022d0d0 100644
--- a/internal/actrace/actrace.go
+++ b/internal/actrace/actrace.go
@@ -114,6 +114,12 @@ var (
 	// statusLineRE matches a `**Status:**` line (also `- **Status**:`),
 	// capturing the rest of the line, mirroring internal/tools/adrstatus.
 	statusLineRE = regexp.MustCompile(`(?i)^[-*\s]*\*\*status:?\*\*:?\s*(.*)$`)
+	// headRE matches a `## Status` heading on its own line. The status value
+	// then lives on the next non-empty line, not inline. Mirrors
+	// internal/tools/adrstatus, which supported both the `**Status:**` line and
+	// the `## Status` heading form; an ADR using the heading form must classify
+	// the same way it did before the extraction.
+	headRE = regexp.MustCompile(`(?i)^#{1,6}\s+status\s*$`)
 	// adrCiteRe captures a bare-text `ADR-NNNN` reference and the two characters
 	// that follow, so a linked `[ADR-0042](../adr/...)` (followed by "](") can be
 	// excluded — those stay covered by `task docs-check`.
@@ -987,11 +993,28 @@ func loadADRStatusByNumber(root string) (map[int]string, error) {
 		if readErr != nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("reading %s: %w", base, readErr)
 		}
-		for _, ln := range strings.Split(string(b), "\n") {
+		// A present ADR file always gets an entry. The original adrstatus.parseADR
+		// defaulted an unrecognized status to "unknown" rather than omitting the
+		// ADR; the backward gate treats a missing entry as a missing ADR (a
+		// violation), so omitting a present-but-statusless ADR would wrongly flag
+		// its TestADR_* pins. "unknown" is not retired, so it is not a violation.
+		byNum[n] = "unknown"
+		lines := strings.Split(string(b), "\n")
+		for i, ln := range lines {
 			if m := statusLineRE.FindStringSubmatch(ln); m != nil {
 				byNum[n] = classifyStatus(m[1])
 				break
 			}
+			// `## Status` heading: classify the next non-empty line.
+			if headRE.MatchString(ln) {
+				for _, next := range lines[i+1:] {
+					if w := strings.TrimSpace(next); w != "" {
+						byNum[n] = classifyStatus(w)
+						break
+					}
+				}
+				break
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	return byNum, nil
diff --git a/internal/actrace/actrace_test.go b/internal/actrace/actrace_test.go
index f99c298..044db24 100644
--- a/internal/actrace/actrace_test.go
+++ b/internal/actrace/actrace_test.go
@@ -514,6 +514,47 @@ func TestLoadSupersessorByNumber_ParsesRetiredStatusLines(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, want, got, "retired ADR number → supersessor number")
 }
 
+func TestLoadADRStatusByNumber_HandlesBothStatusForms(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	root := t.TempDir()
+	adrDir := filepath.Join(root, "docs", "adr")
+	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(adrDir, 0o755))
+	write := func(name, body string) {
+		require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(adrDir, name), []byte(body), 0o644))
+	}
+
+	// The common `**Status:**` bold-line form.
+	write("0042-bold-line.md",
+		"# ADR-0042\n\n**Status:** Accepted, 2026-01-01.\n")
+	// The `## Status` heading form, value on the next non-empty line. Both
+	// internal/tools/adrstatus and this package must classify it the same way;
+	// dropping this branch silently read such an ADR as missing and flagged its
+	// TestADR_* pins (the ADR-0043 regression).
+	write("0043-heading-form.md",
+		"# ADR-0043: A decision\n\n## Status\n\nAccepted\n\n## Context\n")
+	// A retired ADR via the heading form classifies as superseded, not accepted.
+	write("0006-retired-heading.md",
+		"# ADR-0006\n\n## Status\n\n~~accepted~~. Superseded by ADR-0043.\n")
+	// A present ADR with no recognizable status form gets a "unknown" entry, not
+	// no entry. A missing entry reads as a missing ADR in the backward gate, so
+	// omitting a present file would wrongly flag its TestADR_* pins. Mirrors the
+	// original adrstatus.parseADR default.
+	write("0099-no-status.md",
+		"# ADR-0099: A decision with no status section\n\n## Context\n\nText.\n")
+
+	got, err := loadADRStatusByNumber(root)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	want := map[int]string{
+		42: "accepted",
+		43: "accepted",
+		6:  "superseded",
+		99: "unknown",
+	}
+	assert.Equal(t, want, got, "ADR number → classified status across both status forms")
+}
+
 func TestParseACs_FindsVerifyAfterWrappedCriterion(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 	// The criterion text wraps across lines, so the verify: sub-line is not