diff --git a/.governance-version b/.governance-version
index 79127d8..6a5e98a 100644
--- a/.governance-version
+++ b/.governance-version
@@ -1 +1 @@
-v1.2.0
+v1.2.1
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 0665b31..f89008c 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,13 @@ All notable changes to the org-wide governance in this repository are documented
 
 The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/), and versions follow [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/): a **major** bump means a rule change that can newly block merges in consuming repos; **minor** adds rules or tooling that are backwards-compatible; **patch** is clarification only.
 
+## [1.2.1] - 2026-07-27
+
+### Fixed
+
+- `apply_rulesets.sh` now refuses to apply the required-checks ruleset to a repo until `cla.yml` exists on that repo's default branch, instead of creating a merge deadlock (the same bootstrapping bug already fixed once for this repo itself in 1.0.1/1.0.2, reintroduced when retrofitting a new repo — `claude-skills` — without following the documented sequencing)
+- `docs/runbook.md`: repo onboarding steps for existing repos now state the merge-then-ruleset ordering explicitly
+
 ## [1.2.0] - 2026-07-08
 
 ### Added
diff --git a/docs/runbook.md b/docs/runbook.md
index cb32a32..d51cb72 100644
--- a/docs/runbook.md
+++ b/docs/runbook.md
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ How to operate the `traverse-framework` org governance. Written so any agent or
 3. Enable settings: `gh api -X PATCH repos/traverse-framework/<repo> -F allow_auto_merge=true -F delete_branch_on_merge=true`, plus `PUT .../private-vulnerability-reporting` and `PUT .../vulnerability-alerts`.
 4. Confirm with `scripts/org/audit_compliance.sh`.
 
-For a repo not born from the template, run `scripts/org/rollout_governance.sh <version> <repo>` to PR the required files in.
+For a repo not born from the template — i.e. retrofitting governance onto an existing repo — the sequencing matters and `apply_rulesets.sh` now enforces it automatically: run `rollout_governance.sh <version> <repo>` first, **merge that PR**, and only then run `apply_rulesets.sh <repo>` for the required-checks ruleset. Applying required-checks before `cla.yml` exists on the default branch makes the `cla / cla` check impossible to ever satisfy — it's a `pull_request_target` workflow that only executes using the definition already on the base branch — which permanently blocks every PR including the one meant to fix it. The script now skips that ruleset with a clear message if `cla.yml` isn't there yet, instead of creating the deadlock.
 
 ## Routine operation
 
diff --git a/scripts/org/apply_rulesets.sh b/scripts/org/apply_rulesets.sh
index f53ecfb..69f7e32 100755
--- a/scripts/org/apply_rulesets.sh
+++ b/scripts/org/apply_rulesets.sh
@@ -42,6 +42,20 @@ fi
 for file in "${files[@]}"; do
   name="$(jq -r .name "$file")"
   for repo in "${repos[@]}"; do
+    # Guard against the exact bootstrapping bug this script caused once
+    # already: the required-checks ruleset requires the `cla / cla` context,
+    # which is a pull_request_target workflow — it only executes using the
+    # workflow definition already on the base branch. Applying this ruleset
+    # before cla.yml exists there permanently blocks every PR (including
+    # the one meant to add cla.yml), because the named check can never fire.
+    if [ "$name" = "traverse-governance-required-checks" ]; then
+      if ! gh api "repos/$ORG/$repo/contents/.github/workflows/cla.yml" \
+          --jq .path >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        echo "SKIPPED '$name' on $ORG/$repo: .github/workflows/cla.yml not on the default branch yet." >&2
+        echo "  Merge the governance rollout PR first, then re-run this ruleset alone (-f)." >&2
+        continue
+      fi
+    fi
     existing_id="$(gh api "repos/$ORG/$repo/rulesets" --jq \
       ".[] | select(.name == \"$name\") | .id" 2>/dev/null || true)"
     if [ -n "$existing_id" ]; then