diff --git a/.github/dependabot.yml b/.github/dependabot.yml
index d770afb..5f7d17e 100644
--- a/.github/dependabot.yml
+++ b/.github/dependabot.yml
@@ -10,3 +10,6 @@ updates:
       interval: "daily"
     cooldown:
       default-days: 7
+    ignore:
+      # Used by review-policy.yml. Bump manually, as it may change the rules.
+      - dependency-name: "opencontainers/runc"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/review-policy.yml b/.github/workflows/review-policy.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d06779e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/review-policy.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+# Enforce the pull request merge rules described in MAINTAINERS_GUIDE.md
+# ("Who decides what?"). This job is a required status check.
+#
+# The actual check is in the runc repository; see the comments there for
+# details. Always pin it to a commit SHA. It is not bumped by dependabot
+# (see dependabot.yml), since a bump may change the merge rules.
+#
+# As with any pull_request_review workflow, this file is run from the pull
+# request, so a pull request can change it. Therefore it is a governance file,
+# and changes to it must be reviewed carefully.
+name: review-policy
+on:
+  pull_request_review:
+    types: [submitted, edited, dismissed]
+
+permissions: {}
+
+jobs:
+  review-policy:
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+      pull-requests: read
+    uses: opencontainers/runc/.github/workflows/review-policy.yml@c9232a3698424b71706c4d802a4395c3734cbcaf
diff --git a/MAINTAINERS_GUIDE.md b/MAINTAINERS_GUIDE.md
index 8e96917..642581e 100644
--- a/MAINTAINERS_GUIDE.md
+++ b/MAINTAINERS_GUIDE.md
@@ -64,11 +64,37 @@ made through a pull request.
 
 All decisions are pull requests, and the relevant maintainers make
 decisions by accepting or refusing the pull request. Review and acceptance
-by anyone is denoted by adding a comment in the pull request: `LGTM`.
+by anyone is denoted by approving the pull request (an `LGTM`).
 However, only currently listed `MAINTAINERS` are counted towards the required
-two LGTMs. In addition, if a maintainer has created a pull request, they cannot
-count toward the two LGTM rule (to ensure equal amounts of review for every pull
-request, no matter who wrote it).
+LGTMs, and the pull request author's own LGTM is never counted.
+
+A pull request can be merged once it has:
+
+* two LGTMs from maintainers; or
+* one LGTM from a maintainer, if it is a routine change; or
+* one LGTM from another maintainer, if the author is a maintainer, the pull
+  request is not a governance change, and it has been open for review (that
+  is, not a draft) for at least 7 days, or 14 days if it is a large change
+  (more than 100 lines added and removed). This gives other maintainers a
+  chance to review and object.
+
+A pull request is a governance change if it changes the rules of the project,
+or how they are enforced. That is, it changes `MAINTAINERS`, `CODEOWNERS`,
+a top-level `*.md` file other than `README.md` (such as this document), or the
+`review-policy` workflow. A governance change always requires two LGTMs.
+
+A pull request is a routine change if it is not a governance change, and it is
+either:
+
+* opened by Dependabot; or
+* only changes documentation (`*.md` files) and/or CI configuration (files
+  under `.github/`).
+
+In all cases, a maintainer requesting changes blocks the merge until the
+request is resolved (the reviewer approves, or the review is dismissed).
+
+These rules are enforced by the
+[`review-policy`](.github/workflows/review-policy.yml) check.
 
 Overall the maintainer system works because of mutual respect.
 The maintainers trust one another to act in the best interests of the project.