diff --git a/.golangci.yml b/.golangci.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2790f24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.golangci.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+# Canonical golangci-lint configuration for the estate's Go repos (infra#309
+# pattern: one canonical file here, a byte-identical copy in each adopter,
+# and the drift gate in THIS repo comparing sha256).
+#
+# Why this exists: 26 Go repos, 3 had a lint config, and all three were
+# different. The 23 without one ran golangci-lint's v2 default set, which
+# does NOT include a formatter -- so gofmt/gofumpt drift went uncaught until
+# it was found by hand (dma-cli#12: two files drifted, nothing flagged them).
+#
+# The two configs this replaces (cobalt-dingo, coo-agent) were near-identical
+# copies of each other AND both invalid under v2: they carried v1-style
+# `linters-settings` and `issues.exclude-rules` keys, which `golangci-lint
+# config verify` rejects outright. Their revive settings and test exclusions
+# were therefore not in effect. Consolidating fixes that too.
+#
+# Per-repo variation does NOT belong here -- this file must stay byte-identical
+# across adopters so the gate is a checksum, not a diff a human has to judge.
+# A repo with a genuine exception (agentsquad excludes its seeded-bug fixture
+# tree, which exists precisely to contain broken code) keeps its own config and
+# is not listed as an adopter.
+
+version: "2"
+
+linters:
+  default: none
+  enable:
+    - errcheck # unchecked errors
+    - govet # suspicious constructs
+    - staticcheck # broad static analysis
+    - unused # unused code
+    - misspell # spelling
+    - revive # idiomatic Go
+    - exhaustive # exhaustive switch on enums
+
+  settings:
+    revive:
+      rules:
+        - name: var-naming
+          severity: warning
+
+  exclusions:
+    rules:
+      # Test files: table-driven cases legitimately carry unused struct fields
+      # and long functions.
+      - path: _test\.go
+        linters:
+          - revive
+          - unused
+
+formatters:
+  enable:
+    - gofumpt
diff --git a/internal/mcp/stdio_test.go b/internal/mcp/stdio_test.go
index c939739..e771ebc 100644
--- a/internal/mcp/stdio_test.go
+++ b/internal/mcp/stdio_test.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ type echoTool struct{}
 func (echoTool) Descriptor() registry.ToolDescriptor {
 	return registry.ToolDescriptor{Name: "echo", Description: "echoes its input"}
 }
+
 func (echoTool) Call(_ context.Context, args json.RawMessage) (json.RawMessage, error) {
 	return args, nil
 }
diff --git a/internal/tools/file_write_branch_test.go b/internal/tools/file_write_branch_test.go
index e6e896e..1963576 100644
--- a/internal/tools/file_write_branch_test.go
+++ b/internal/tools/file_write_branch_test.go
@@ -16,10 +16,12 @@ import (
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
-const branchCheckExistsResp = `{"name":"feat/x","commit":{"id":"abc","url":"http://example.com"}}`
-const createBranchResp = `{"name":"feat/new","commit":{"id":"abc","url":"http://example.com"}}`
-const upsertFileResp = `{"content":{"path":"doc.md","sha":"filsha","html_url":"http://example.com/doc.md"},"commit":{"sha":"cmt1","html_url":"http://example.com/commit/cmt1"}}`
-const getRepoResp = `{"name":"myrepo","full_name":"owner/myrepo","default_branch":"main"}`
+const (
+	branchCheckExistsResp = `{"name":"feat/x","commit":{"id":"abc","url":"http://example.com"}}`
+	createBranchResp      = `{"name":"feat/new","commit":{"id":"abc","url":"http://example.com"}}`
+	upsertFileResp        = `{"content":{"path":"doc.md","sha":"filsha","html_url":"http://example.com/doc.md"},"commit":{"sha":"cmt1","html_url":"http://example.com/commit/cmt1"}}`
+	getRepoResp           = `{"name":"myrepo","full_name":"owner/myrepo","default_branch":"main"}`
+)
 
 func TestFileWriteBranchCreatesBranchAndFile(t *testing.T) {
 	mux := http.NewServeMux()