diff --git a/.github/workflows/validate.yml b/.github/workflows/validate.yml
index ba9fb18..3df25c7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/validate.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/validate.yml
@@ -200,52 +200,3 @@ jobs:
             echo ""
             echo "Tag the next release with: \`./scripts/bump-version.sh $BUMP\`"
           } | tee -a "$GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY"
-
-  # ── Linear Issue Reference (PRs to develop) ───────────────────────────────
-  # Enforces that PRs reference a Linear issue (AMC-N) so the Linear ↔ GitHub
-  # sync auto-closes the right ticket on merge. Without this, Linear tickets
-  # stay in Backlog after their work ships (verified 2026-05-02 with
-  # AMC-71/72/73/74). Skipped for PRs to main (release-promotion rolls up
-  # commits already checked at the develop merge) and for dependabot.
-  linear-ref:
-    name: Linear Issue Reference
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    if: github.event_name == 'pull_request' && github.base_ref != 'main' && github.actor != 'dependabot[bot]'
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6
-        with:
-          fetch-depth: 0
-
-      - name: Check PR body or commits reference an AMC-N issue
-        env:
-          PR_BODY: ${{ github.event.pull_request.body }}
-          BASE_SHA: ${{ github.event.pull_request.base.sha }}
-          HEAD_SHA: ${{ github.sha }}
-        run: |
-          BUFFER="$PR_BODY"$'\n'"$(git log --format='%B' "${BASE_SHA}..${HEAD_SHA}")"
-
-          if echo "$BUFFER" | grep -qE 'AMC-[0-9]+'; then
-            ID=$(echo "$BUFFER" | grep -oE 'AMC-[0-9]+' | head -1)
-            echo "✓ References Linear issue: $ID"
-            exit 0
-          fi
-
-          if echo "$BUFFER" | grep -qE '^No-Linear-Issue:'; then
-            REASON=$(echo "$BUFFER" | grep -E '^No-Linear-Issue:' | head -1 | sed 's/^No-Linear-Issue:[[:space:]]*//')
-            echo "✓ Explicit opt-out (No-Linear-Issue: $REASON)"
-            exit 0
-          fi
-
-          echo "✗ This PR does not reference a Linear issue."
-          echo ""
-          echo "Add an AMC-N reference to the PR body (e.g. 'Fixes AMC-123')"
-          echo "or any commit message, so the Linear ↔ GitHub sync auto-closes"
-          echo "the right ticket on merge."
-          echo ""
-          echo "Linear project: https://linear.app/amcheste/project/claude-teams-operator-32aab082f36b"
-          echo ""
-          echo "If this PR genuinely is not associated with a Linear issue (e.g."
-          echo "trivial doc fix, dependency bump, release promotion), add a"
-          echo "trailer to the PR body:"
-          echo "  No-Linear-Issue: <reason>"
-          exit 1