diff --git a/docs/WORKSPACE_ACCESS_AUDIT.md b/docs/WORKSPACE_ACCESS_AUDIT.md
index 1f05bc6..493c055 100644
--- a/docs/WORKSPACE_ACCESS_AUDIT.md
+++ b/docs/WORKSPACE_ACCESS_AUDIT.md
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@ scans the Simplicio-owned source scopes and emits
 `simplicio.workspace-access-manifest/v1`.
 
 Every direct filesystem, process, or tree-walk call site must have an owner,
-rationale, and classification. `violation` and unclassified findings fail the
+rationale, and classification. The audit rejects manifest rules that omit a
+non-empty owner or rationale before scanning source. `violation` and unclassified findings fail the
 gate; test fixtures and the short bootstrap allowlist remain explicit. The
 manifest intentionally records the current `xai-grok-workspace` bypasses as
 violations so the audit cannot be mistaken for proof that the migration is
diff --git a/scripts/audit_workspace_access.py b/scripts/audit_workspace_access.py
index b1fe804..da81bf6 100644
--- a/scripts/audit_workspace_access.py
+++ b/scripts/audit_workspace_access.py
@@ -40,6 +40,11 @@ def audit(root: Path, manifest: Path) -> dict[str, Any]:
     rules = spec.get("rules")
     if not isinstance(rules, list):
         raise ValueError("manifest rules must be a list")
+    for index, rule in enumerate(rules):
+        if not isinstance(rule, dict):
+            raise ValueError(f"manifest rule {index} must be an object")
+        if not str(rule.get("owner", "")).strip() or not str(rule.get("rationale", "")).strip():
+            raise ValueError(f"manifest rule {index} requires owner and rationale")
 
     findings: list[dict[str, Any]] = []
     for scope in spec.get("scopes", ["crates/codegen"]):
diff --git a/scripts/tests/test_workspace_access_audit.py b/scripts/tests/test_workspace_access_audit.py
index 3789779..462c351 100644
--- a/scripts/tests/test_workspace_access_audit.py
+++ b/scripts/tests/test_workspace_access_audit.py
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ def test_baseline_allows_removing_an_occurrence(tmp_path):
     [
         ({"schema": "wrong"}, "unsupported manifest schema"),
         ({"rules": {}}, "manifest rules must be a list"),
+        ({"rules": [{"path": "src/**", "kind": "process", "classification": "bootstrap-allowlisted", "owner": ""}]}, "requires owner and rationale"),
         ({"baseline": {}}, "manifest baseline must be a list"),
         ({"baseline": ["bad"]}, "baseline entries must be objects"),
         ({"baseline": [{}]}, "baseline entries require"),