diff --git a/codex-rs/core/src/guardian/review_session_setup.rs b/codex-rs/core/src/guardian/review_session_setup.rs
index 58192bbc61..ce3fd4bd13 100644
--- a/codex-rs/core/src/guardian/review_session_setup.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/core/src/guardian/review_session_setup.rs
@@ -310,9 +310,9 @@ impl ReviewerRequest for PreparedReview {
         // may follow a valid allow before publication; new guidance during capture must
         // invalidate the attempt without overwriting the last committed review.
         if let GuardianReviewSessionOutcome::Completed(Ok(Some(message))) = &result.outcome
-            && codex_guardian_reviewer::parse_guardian_assessment(Some(message)).is_ok_and(
-                |assessment| assessment.outcome == super::super::GuardianAssessmentOutcome::Allow,
-            )
+            && codex_guardian_reviewer::parse_guardian_assessment(message).is_ok_and(|assessment| {
+                assessment.outcome == super::super::GuardianAssessmentOutcome::Allow
+            })
             && let Some(authorization) = &self.params.authorization
             && let Some(outcome) = authorization
                 .invalidation(
diff --git a/codex-rs/ext/guardian-reviewer/src/assessment.rs b/codex-rs/ext/guardian-reviewer/src/assessment.rs
index 43c4024ec6..80c5af6b74 100644
--- a/codex-rs/ext/guardian-reviewer/src/assessment.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/ext/guardian-reviewer/src/assessment.rs
@@ -21,10 +21,7 @@ pub struct GuardianAssessment {
 /// wrapper so transient formatting drift fails less noisily during dogfooding.
 /// Non-JSON output is still a review failure; this is only a thin recovery path
 /// for cases where the model wrapped the JSON in extra prose.
-pub fn parse_guardian_assessment(text: Option<&str>) -> anyhow::Result<GuardianAssessment> {
-    let Some(text) = text else {
-        anyhow::bail!("guardian review completed without an assessment payload");
-    };
+pub fn parse_guardian_assessment(text: &str) -> anyhow::Result<GuardianAssessment> {
     let parsed_payload =
         if let Ok(payload) = serde_json::from_str::<GuardianAssessmentPayload>(text) {
             payload
diff --git a/codex-rs/ext/guardian-reviewer/src/assessment_tests.rs b/codex-rs/ext/guardian-reviewer/src/assessment_tests.rs
index 5cdd8e311e..7d0565ef5f 100644
--- a/codex-rs/ext/guardian-reviewer/src/assessment_tests.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/ext/guardian-reviewer/src/assessment_tests.rs
@@ -3,9 +3,9 @@ use pretty_assertions::assert_eq;
 
 #[test]
 fn parse_guardian_assessment_extracts_embedded_json() {
-    let parsed = parse_guardian_assessment(Some(
+    let parsed = parse_guardian_assessment(
         "preface {\"risk_level\":\"medium\",\"user_authorization\":\"low\",\"outcome\":\"allow\",\"rationale\":\"ok\"}",
-    ))
+    )
     .expect("guardian assessment");
 
     assert_eq!(
@@ -21,8 +21,7 @@ fn parse_guardian_assessment_extracts_embedded_json() {
 
 #[test]
 fn parse_guardian_assessment_treats_bare_allow_as_low_risk() {
-    let parsed =
-        parse_guardian_assessment(Some(r#"{"outcome":"allow"}"#)).expect("guardian assessment");
+    let parsed = parse_guardian_assessment(r#"{"outcome":"allow"}"#).expect("guardian assessment");
 
     assert_eq!(
         parsed,
@@ -37,8 +36,7 @@ fn parse_guardian_assessment_treats_bare_allow_as_low_risk() {
 
 #[test]
 fn parse_guardian_assessment_treats_bare_deny_as_high_risk() {
-    let parsed =
-        parse_guardian_assessment(Some(r#"{"outcome":"deny"}"#)).expect("guardian assessment");
+    let parsed = parse_guardian_assessment(r#"{"outcome":"deny"}"#).expect("guardian assessment");
 
     assert_eq!(
         parsed,
diff --git a/codex-rs/ext/guardian-reviewer/src/feedback.rs b/codex-rs/ext/guardian-reviewer/src/feedback.rs
index 3eef79d6f0..5e5b34a411 100644
--- a/codex-rs/ext/guardian-reviewer/src/feedback.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/ext/guardian-reviewer/src/feedback.rs
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ impl<'a> FailedReviewFeedback<'a> {
         }
         let (status, decision) = match outcome {
             GuardianReviewSessionOutcome::Completed(Ok(Some(decision))) => {
-                match parse_guardian_assessment(Some(decision)) {
+                match parse_guardian_assessment(decision) {
                     Ok(assessment) if assessment.outcome == GuardianAssessmentOutcome::Allow => {
                         return None;
                     }
diff --git a/codex-rs/ext/guardian-reviewer/src/outcome.rs b/codex-rs/ext/guardian-reviewer/src/outcome.rs
index 4be1df6b81..9f9aca5918 100644
--- a/codex-rs/ext/guardian-reviewer/src/outcome.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/ext/guardian-reviewer/src/outcome.rs
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ impl From<GuardianReviewSessionOutcome> for GuardianReviewOutcome {
     fn from(outcome: GuardianReviewSessionOutcome) -> Self {
         match outcome {
             GuardianReviewSessionOutcome::Completed(Ok(Some(message))) => {
-                match crate::parse_guardian_assessment(Some(&message)) {
+                match crate::parse_guardian_assessment(&message) {
                     Ok(assessment) => Self::Completed(assessment),
                     Err(error) => Self::Error(GuardianReviewError::parse(error)),
                 }