diff --git a/.agents/skills/docs-governance/scripts/markdown_links.py b/.agents/skills/docs-governance/scripts/markdown_links.py
index b652e197c..f8d6de794 100644
--- a/.agents/skills/docs-governance/scripts/markdown_links.py
+++ b/.agents/skills/docs-governance/scripts/markdown_links.py
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ REFERENCE_USAGE_RE = re.compile(
     r"(?<![\\])(?:\\\\)*\[(?P<text>[^\]\n]+)\](?:\[(?P<label>[^\]\n]*)\])?"
 )
 BLANK_LINE_RE = re.compile(r"\n[ \t]*\r?\n")
+# -- what may come before a block on its line: indentation and block quote or list markers --
+CONTAINER_PREFIX_RE = re.compile(r"(?:[ \t]*(?:>|[-+*][ \t]|\d{1,9}[.)][ \t]))*[ \t]*")
 LINK_TITLE_RE = re.compile(
     r'\s+(?:"(?:\\.|[^"\\])*"|\'(?:\\.|[^\'\\])*\'|\([^()]*\))\s*$'
 )
@@ -72,15 +74,18 @@ def _is_escaped(text: str, index: int) -> bool:
 def _html_comment_end(text: str, start: int, closing: int, blank: int) -> int:
     """Where the comment that opens at `start` and closes at `closing` ends, or -1 if it is text.
 
-    One that starts a line, after at most three spaces, opens an HTML block. The block may span
-    blank lines and takes the rest of the line that holds its closer. One inside a line is inline
-    HTML, which cannot outlast its paragraph, so when the first blank line after it, at `blank`,
-    comes before its closer, it is text.
+    One that starts a block, after nothing but indentation and block quote or list markers on
+    its line (as in `- <!--`), opens an HTML block. The block may span blank lines and takes the
+    rest of the line that holds its closer. One after text on its line is inline HTML, which
+    cannot outlast its paragraph, so when the first blank line after it, at `blank`, comes before
+    its closer, it is text.
     """
-    indent = 0
-    while indent < 4 and start - indent > 0 and text[start - indent - 1] == " ":
-        indent += 1
-    if indent < 4 and (start - indent == 0 or text[start - indent - 1] == "\n"):
+    # -- only the 64 characters before the opener are read, so a long line stays cheap --
+    window = max(0, start - 64)
+    line_start = text.rfind("\n", window, start) + 1
+    if (line_start or not window) and CONTAINER_PREFIX_RE.fullmatch(
+        text, line_start, start
+    ):
         newline = text.find("\n", closing + 3)
         return len(text) if newline == -1 else newline
     return -1 if blank < closing else closing + 3
diff --git a/manifests/context-packs/skill-triggers@1.json b/manifests/context-packs/skill-triggers@1.json
index 3fe36ccab..20f5f883f 100644
--- a/manifests/context-packs/skill-triggers@1.json
+++ b/manifests/context-packs/skill-triggers@1.json
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
     "id": "hand-seeded",
     "source": "manual-curation-pending-regeneration"
   },
-  "registryDigest": "05f9875a0e4eaef5502902595e48b201ed8d83df7dec8587d1cfebaf08efa132",
+  "registryDigest": "e6f889b5f158501ed2a6b7dc99f67dd7baa29127b0f75d77bccb59cfab94a676",
   "schemaVersion": 1,
   "triggers": {
     "skill:agent-runtime-gateway-smoke-test": [
diff --git a/pi/core/skills/docs-governance/scripts/markdown_links.py b/pi/core/skills/docs-governance/scripts/markdown_links.py
index b652e197c..f8d6de794 100644
--- a/pi/core/skills/docs-governance/scripts/markdown_links.py
+++ b/pi/core/skills/docs-governance/scripts/markdown_links.py
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ REFERENCE_USAGE_RE = re.compile(
     r"(?<![\\])(?:\\\\)*\[(?P<text>[^\]\n]+)\](?:\[(?P<label>[^\]\n]*)\])?"
 )
 BLANK_LINE_RE = re.compile(r"\n[ \t]*\r?\n")
+# -- what may come before a block on its line: indentation and block quote or list markers --
+CONTAINER_PREFIX_RE = re.compile(r"(?:[ \t]*(?:>|[-+*][ \t]|\d{1,9}[.)][ \t]))*[ \t]*")
 LINK_TITLE_RE = re.compile(
     r'\s+(?:"(?:\\.|[^"\\])*"|\'(?:\\.|[^\'\\])*\'|\([^()]*\))\s*$'
 )
@@ -72,15 +74,18 @@ def _is_escaped(text: str, index: int) -> bool:
 def _html_comment_end(text: str, start: int, closing: int, blank: int) -> int:
     """Where the comment that opens at `start` and closes at `closing` ends, or -1 if it is text.
 
-    One that starts a line, after at most three spaces, opens an HTML block. The block may span
-    blank lines and takes the rest of the line that holds its closer. One inside a line is inline
-    HTML, which cannot outlast its paragraph, so when the first blank line after it, at `blank`,
-    comes before its closer, it is text.
+    One that starts a block, after nothing but indentation and block quote or list markers on
+    its line (as in `- <!--`), opens an HTML block. The block may span blank lines and takes the
+    rest of the line that holds its closer. One after text on its line is inline HTML, which
+    cannot outlast its paragraph, so when the first blank line after it, at `blank`, comes before
+    its closer, it is text.
     """
-    indent = 0
-    while indent < 4 and start - indent > 0 and text[start - indent - 1] == " ":
-        indent += 1
-    if indent < 4 and (start - indent == 0 or text[start - indent - 1] == "\n"):
+    # -- only the 64 characters before the opener are read, so a long line stays cheap --
+    window = max(0, start - 64)
+    line_start = text.rfind("\n", window, start) + 1
+    if (line_start or not window) and CONTAINER_PREFIX_RE.fullmatch(
+        text, line_start, start
+    ):
         newline = text.find("\n", closing + 3)
         return len(text) if newline == -1 else newline
     return -1 if blank < closing else closing + 3
diff --git a/skills/docs-governance/scripts/markdown_links.py b/skills/docs-governance/scripts/markdown_links.py
index b652e197c..f8d6de794 100644
--- a/skills/docs-governance/scripts/markdown_links.py
+++ b/skills/docs-governance/scripts/markdown_links.py
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ REFERENCE_USAGE_RE = re.compile(
     r"(?<![\\])(?:\\\\)*\[(?P<text>[^\]\n]+)\](?:\[(?P<label>[^\]\n]*)\])?"
 )
 BLANK_LINE_RE = re.compile(r"\n[ \t]*\r?\n")
+# -- what may come before a block on its line: indentation and block quote or list markers --
+CONTAINER_PREFIX_RE = re.compile(r"(?:[ \t]*(?:>|[-+*][ \t]|\d{1,9}[.)][ \t]))*[ \t]*")
 LINK_TITLE_RE = re.compile(
     r'\s+(?:"(?:\\.|[^"\\])*"|\'(?:\\.|[^\'\\])*\'|\([^()]*\))\s*$'
 )
@@ -72,15 +74,18 @@ def _is_escaped(text: str, index: int) -> bool:
 def _html_comment_end(text: str, start: int, closing: int, blank: int) -> int:
     """Where the comment that opens at `start` and closes at `closing` ends, or -1 if it is text.
 
-    One that starts a line, after at most three spaces, opens an HTML block. The block may span
-    blank lines and takes the rest of the line that holds its closer. One inside a line is inline
-    HTML, which cannot outlast its paragraph, so when the first blank line after it, at `blank`,
-    comes before its closer, it is text.
+    One that starts a block, after nothing but indentation and block quote or list markers on
+    its line (as in `- <!--`), opens an HTML block. The block may span blank lines and takes the
+    rest of the line that holds its closer. One after text on its line is inline HTML, which
+    cannot outlast its paragraph, so when the first blank line after it, at `blank`, comes before
+    its closer, it is text.
     """
-    indent = 0
-    while indent < 4 and start - indent > 0 and text[start - indent - 1] == " ":
-        indent += 1
-    if indent < 4 and (start - indent == 0 or text[start - indent - 1] == "\n"):
+    # -- only the 64 characters before the opener are read, so a long line stays cheap --
+    window = max(0, start - 64)
+    line_start = text.rfind("\n", window, start) + 1
+    if (line_start or not window) and CONTAINER_PREFIX_RE.fullmatch(
+        text, line_start, start
+    ):
         newline = text.find("\n", closing + 3)
         return len(text) if newline == -1 else newline
     return -1 if blank < closing else closing + 3
diff --git a/tests/test_docs_governance_audit.py b/tests/test_docs_governance_audit.py
index 3c2b01152..a508ed891 100644
--- a/tests/test_docs_governance_audit.py
+++ b/tests/test_docs_governance_audit.py
@@ -292,6 +292,11 @@ def test_artifact_scope_reads_html_comments_as_commonmark_does(project: Path) ->
         # -- the line that holds its closer --
         "<!--\n[hidden](missing-hidden.md)\n\n[hidden2](missing-hidden2.md)\n-->\n\n"
         "<!-- c --> [rest](missing-rest.md)\n\n"
+        # -- so does one that starts a list item or a block quote line --
+        "- <!--\n\n  [listed](missing-listed.md)\n  -->\n\n"
+        "> <!-- c --> [quoted](missing-quoted.md)\n\n"
+        # -- after text in a list item, a comment is inline again --
+        "- item <!-- c\n\n  [item-real](missing-item-real.md)\n  -->\n\n"
         # -- a comment where a destination must begin does not make a definition --
         "[foo]: <!-- note --> missing-definition.md\n\n[foo]\n\n"
         "[bar]: <!-- only a comment -->\n\n[bar]\n\n"
@@ -310,10 +315,13 @@ def test_artifact_scope_reads_html_comments_as_commonmark_does(project: Path) ->
     assert "Broken Markdown link: 'guide.md' -> 'missing-real.md'" in result.stdout
     assert "missing-hidden" not in result.stdout
     assert "missing-rest.md" not in result.stdout
+    assert "missing-listed.md" not in result.stdout
+    assert "missing-quoted.md" not in result.stdout
+    assert "Broken Markdown link: 'guide.md' -> 'missing-item-real.md'" in result.stdout
     assert "missing-definition.md" not in result.stdout
     assert "Broken Markdown link: 'guide.md' -> 'missing-titled.md'" in result.stdout
     assert "missing-fenced.md" not in result.stdout
-    assert result.stdout.count("Broken Markdown link") == 4, result.stdout
+    assert result.stdout.count("Broken Markdown link") == 5, result.stdout
 
 
 def test_artifact_scope_ignores_title_with_escaped_quotes(project: Path) -> None: