diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml b/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
index 50f0626..55e3453 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -256,15 +256,15 @@ jobs:
           echo "All molecule tests passed."
 
   auto-merge:
-    # Auto-merge runs after validate + molecule-tests pass (or molecule is skipped).
-    # Uses always() so it evaluates even when molecule-tests is skipped
-    # (Gitea Actions skips dependent jobs of skipped jobs by default).
-    needs: [validate, molecule-tests]
+    # Auto-merge runs after validate passes. molecule-tests is NOT in needs
+    # because Gitea Actions skips dependent jobs of skipped jobs without
+    # evaluating if: conditions — having molecule-tests in needs would
+    # cascade the skip to auto-merge when ansible-changed=false.
+    needs: [validate]
     if: >-
       always() &&
       github.event_name == 'pull_request' &&
-      needs.validate.result == 'success' &&
-      (needs.molecule-tests.result == 'success' || needs.molecule-tests.result == 'skipped')
+      needs.validate.result == 'success'
     runs-on: docker
     container: git.oblachno.oblachno.fyi/oblachno-oss/runner-images/ci-base:latest
     timeout-minutes: 10
diff --git a/.pre-commit-config.yaml b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
index d1c7acf..e0ed5e0 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-config.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-config.yaml
@@ -96,3 +96,43 @@ repos:
         types: [python]
         pass_filenames: false
         stages: [pre-push]
+
+      - id: check-ansible-no-log
+        name: ansible no_log on secret tasks
+        entry: make check-ansible-no-log
+        language: system
+        files: ^ansible/.*\.(yml|yaml)$
+        pass_filenames: false
+        stages: [pre-commit]
+
+      - id: check-ansible-no-state-absent-on-db
+        name: no state absent on DB paths
+        entry: make check-ansible-no-state-absent-on-db
+        language: system
+        files: ^ansible/.*\.(yml|yaml)$
+        pass_filenames: false
+        stages: [pre-commit]
+
+      - id: check-ansible-patterns
+        name: ansible failure-masking patterns
+        entry: make check-ansible-patterns
+        language: system
+        files: ^ansible/.*\.(yml|yaml)$
+        pass_filenames: false
+        stages: [pre-commit]
+
+      - id: check-jinja-expr
+        name: jinja2 expression validation
+        entry: make check-jinja-expr
+        language: system
+        files: ^ansible/.*\.(yml|yaml|j2)$
+        pass_filenames: false
+        stages: [pre-commit]
+
+      - id: check-ansible-set-fact-to-json
+        name: set_fact to_json misuse check
+        entry: make check-ansible-set-fact-to-json
+        language: system
+        files: ^ansible/.*\.(yml|yaml)$
+        pass_filenames: false
+        stages: [pre-commit]
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 5aa6cea..8b67d57 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -175,11 +175,36 @@ makefile-lint:
 		echo "checkmake not found, skipping Makefile lint"; \
 	fi
 
-lint-all: lint ansible-lint makefile-lint workflow-lint check-api-identity-checks
+lint-all: lint ansible-lint makefile-lint workflow-lint check-api-identity-checks check-ansible-no-log check-ansible-no-state-absent-on-db check-ansible-patterns check-jinja-expr check-ansible-set-fact-to-json
 
 check-api-identity-checks:
 	@$(BIN)/python -m devx.tools.check_api_identity_checks
 
+check-ansible-no-log:
+	@echo "[check-ansible-no-log] Checking Ansible tasks for missing no_log on secret-handling tasks..."
+	@$(BIN)/python -m devx.tools.check_ansible_no_log
+	@echo "[check-ansible-no-log] Passed."
+
+check-ansible-no-state-absent-on-db:
+	@echo "[check-ansible-no-state-absent-on-db] Checking for state: absent on DB data directories..."
+	@$(BIN)/python -m devx.tools.check_ansible_no_state_absent_on_db
+	@echo "[check-ansible-no-state-absent-on-db] Passed."
+
+check-ansible-patterns:
+	@echo "[check-ansible-patterns] Checking for dangerous failure-masking patterns..."
+	@$(BIN)/python -m devx.tools.check_ansible_patterns
+	@echo "[check-ansible-patterns] Passed."
+
+check-jinja-expr:
+	@echo "[check-jinja-expr] Validating Jinja2 expressions in Ansible files..."
+	@$(BIN)/python -m devx.tools.check_jinja_expr
+	@echo "[check-jinja-expr] Passed."
+
+check-ansible-set-fact-to-json:
+	@echo "[check-ansible-set-fact-to-json] Checking set_fact tasks for to_json misuse..."
+	@$(BIN)/python -m devx.tools.check_ansible_set_fact_to_json
+	@echo "[check-ansible-set-fact-to-json] Passed."
+
 test-integration:
 	$(BIN)/pytest tests/integration/ -v --no-cov
 
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 4ddd754..3ef3fcb 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ ci = [
     "build==1.5.1",
     "twine==6.2.0",
     # Reusable CI/CD and dev tools (auto-merge, pr-review, pre-push checks, etc.)
-    "devx @ git+https://git.oblachno.oblachno.fyi/oblachno-oss/devx.git@v0.48.1",
+    "devx @ git+https://git.oblachno.oblachno.fyi/oblachno-oss/devx.git@v0.50.0",
 ]
 # Lint and type-checking tools (validate job)
 lint = [
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ molecule = [
 dev = [
     "grm[ci,lint,molecule]",
     # Reusable CI/CD and dev tools (pre-push hooks, create-task, create-pr)
-    "devx @ git+https://git.oblachno.oblachno.fyi/oblachno-oss/devx.git@v0.48.1",
+    "devx @ git+https://git.oblachno.oblachno.fyi/oblachno-oss/devx.git@v0.50.0",
     # Non-Python dev dependency: checkmake (Makefile linter)
     # Install via: go install github.com/checkmake/checkmake/cmd/checkmake@latest
 ]