diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml b/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
index 9518980..5c5241f 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -7,10 +7,23 @@ name: CI
 # self-hosted runner usually can't reach the GitHub action registry (unless DEFAULT_ACTIONS_URL is set
 # to proxy github.com). Only actions/checkout and actions/upload-artifact remain as external actions —
 # both ship with Gitea's default proxy; if yours is offline, mirror them into your instance.
+#
+# It also runs once a day (schedule) as a safety net over main's tip. The `guard` job skips that daily
+# run when the commit already passed — so an idle main isn't re-tested, but a commit whose push-time
+# run was missed/skipped still gets verified. schedule needs Gitea >= 1.21; workflow_dispatch (the
+# manual "Run workflow" button) needs >= 1.23; from 1.23 the cron is evaluated in UTC.
 
 on:
   push:
   pull_request:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+  schedule:
+    - cron: "0 4 * * *" # 04:00 UTC daily
+
+# statuses:write lets the test job stamp a `ci/headless` commit status the guard reads back.
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+  statuses: write
 
 env:
   # The Godot build the team runs (godot --version -> 4.7.beta.custom_build.417cd33bf). Pin this to a
@@ -21,9 +34,51 @@ env:
   GODOT_URL: ""
 
 jobs:
+  # On push/PR this passes straight through. On the daily schedule it asks the API whether main's tip
+  # already carries a successful `ci/headless` status (stamped by an earlier run) and, if so, tells the
+  # test job to skip — that's the "don't re-test a commit that already ran" rule.
+  guard:
+    name: Decide whether to run
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    outputs:
+      run: ${{ steps.decide.outputs.run }}
+    steps:
+      - name: Check for an existing pass on this commit
+        id: decide
+        env:
+          GITEA_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITEA_TOKEN }}
+        run: |
+          set -u
+          if [ "${{ github.event_name }}" != "schedule" ]; then
+            echo "event=${{ github.event_name }} -> run"
+            echo "run=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+            exit 0
+          fi
+          api="${{ github.api_url }}"; [ -n "$api" ] || api="${{ github.server_url }}/api/v1"
+          curl -sfL -H "Authorization: token ${GITEA_TOKEN}" \
+            "$api/repos/${{ github.repository }}/commits/${{ github.sha }}/statuses?limit=100" \
+            -o /tmp/statuses.json || echo '[]' > /tmp/statuses.json
+          python3 - <<'PY'
+          import json, os
+          try:
+              data = json.load(open("/tmp/statuses.json"))
+          except Exception:
+              data = []
+          items = data.get("statuses", data) if isinstance(data, dict) else data
+          done = any(
+              s.get("context") == "ci/headless" and (s.get("state") or s.get("status")) == "success"
+              for s in (items or [])
+          )
+          with open(os.environ["GITHUB_OUTPUT"], "a") as f:
+              f.write("run=%s\n" % ("false" if done else "true"))
+          print("commit already passed ci/headless -> skip" if done else "no prior pass -> run")
+          PY
+
   test:
     name: Lint & headless tests
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest # must match a label your act_runner registered with
+    needs: guard
+    if: ${{ needs.guard.outputs.run == 'true' }}
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -46,11 +101,13 @@ jobs:
           /tmp/venv/bin/pip install "gdtoolkit==4.*"
           echo "/tmp/venv/bin" >> "$GITHUB_PATH"
 
-      # First run imports assets and builds the .godot cache (gitignored) so headless tests can load
-      # the .glb/.png resources they instance. Import can exit non-zero on warnings.
+      # A cold .godot cache (CI always starts cold) needs two import passes: the first imports base
+      # assets, the second resolves scenes that depend on them (the .fbx/.glb -> .scn imports). One pass
+      # leaves those unresolved and the headless tests fail to load them. Warnings exit non-zero.
       - name: Import resources
-        run: godot --headless --import
-        continue-on-error: true
+        run: |
+          godot --headless --import || true
+          godot --headless --import || true
 
       - name: gdlint
         run: gdlint actors systems ui props levels tests
@@ -60,6 +117,19 @@ jobs:
           GODOT: godot
         run: bash run_tests.sh --no-gameplay
 
+      # Stamp the commit so the daily guard recognizes it as already tested. Best-effort: a fork PR whose
+      # token can't write statuses just skips this (the build still passes).
+      - name: Mark commit as tested
+        if: success()
+        env:
+          GITEA_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITEA_TOKEN }}
+        run: |
+          api="${{ github.api_url }}"; [ -n "$api" ] || api="${{ github.server_url }}/api/v1"
+          curl -sfL -X POST -H "Authorization: token ${GITEA_TOKEN}" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
+            "$api/repos/${{ github.repository }}/statuses/${{ github.sha }}" \
+            -d '{"context":"ci/headless","state":"success","description":"headless suite green"}' \
+            >/dev/null || echo "could not post commit status (token lacks statuses:write?)"
+
       - name: Upload test output on failure
         if: failure()
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4