diff --git a/src/local_coding_slm/safety.py b/src/local_coding_slm/safety.py
index 638ee8f..192119b 100644
--- a/src/local_coding_slm/safety.py
+++ b/src/local_coding_slm/safety.py
@@ -347,7 +347,8 @@ def git_is_ignored(root: Path, relpath: str) -> bool | None:
     return None
 
 
-def git_tracked_text_files(root: Path) -> list[tuple[str, str]]:
+def git_tracked_text_files(root: Path) -> list[tuple[str, str]] | None:
+    """Return tracked text, or None when git cannot list the tree."""
     try:
         proc = subprocess.run(
             ["git", "ls-files", "-z"],
@@ -356,9 +357,9 @@ def git_tracked_text_files(root: Path) -> list[tuple[str, str]]:
             capture_output=True,
         )
     except OSError:
-        return []
+        return None
     if proc.returncode != 0:
-        return []
+        return None
     out: list[tuple[str, str]] = []
     for rel in proc.stdout.split(b"\0"):
         if not rel:
@@ -391,6 +392,18 @@ def git_tracked_text_files(root: Path) -> list[tuple[str, str]]:
     return out
 
 
+def _committed_ip_result(
+    repo: Path,
+    tracked: Iterable[tuple[str, str]] | None,
+) -> CheckResult:
+    if tracked is not None:
+        return classify_tracked_ipv4(list(tracked))
+    files = git_tracked_text_files(repo)
+    if files is None:
+        return CheckResult("committed_ips", "fail", "could not list tracked files")
+    return classify_tracked_ipv4(files)
+
+
 def _listen_check(
     url: str,
     *,
@@ -439,8 +452,7 @@ def run_checks(
     ignored = env_ignored if env_ignored is not None else git_is_ignored(repo, ".env")
     results.append(classify_env_ignored(ignored))
 
-    files = list(tracked) if tracked is not None else git_tracked_text_files(repo)
-    results.append(classify_tracked_ipv4(files))
+    results.append(_committed_ip_result(repo, tracked))
     return results
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_safety.py b/tests/test_safety.py
index 589f71a..e9eab30 100644
--- a/tests/test_safety.py
+++ b/tests/test_safety.py
@@ -214,6 +214,33 @@ def test_safe_deployment_no_fail(self) -> None:
         )
         self.assertEqual(worst_status(results), "pass")
 
+    def test_git_ls_files_failure_fails_closed(self) -> None:
+        """A failed git listing is not an empty tree with no addresses."""
+        import subprocess
+        from pathlib import Path
+
+        safe = {
+            "environ": {
+                "OLLAMA_BASE_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:11434",
+                "OLLAMA_FAST_MODEL": "qwen3.5:9b",
+                "OLLAMA_STRONG_MODEL": "devstral-small-2",
+            },
+            "listen_rows": [("127.0.0.1", 11434)],
+            "env_ignored": True,
+            "env_example_text": "OLLAMA_BASE_URL=http://127.0.0.1:11434\n",
+            "root": Path("/tmp/not-a-repo"),
+        }
+        failed = subprocess.CompletedProcess(["git", "ls-files", "-z"], 1, b"", b"fatal")
+        with patch("local_coding_slm.safety.subprocess.run", return_value=failed):
+            results = run_checks(**safe)
+        ips = next(item for item in results if item.name == "committed_ips")
+        self.assertEqual(ips.status, "fail")
+        self.assertIn("could not list", ips.message)
+        with patch("local_coding_slm.safety.subprocess.run", side_effect=OSError("git missing")):
+            raised = run_checks(**safe)
+        missing = next(item for item in raised if item.name == "committed_ips")
+        self.assertEqual(missing.status, "fail")
+
     def test_unofficial_library_tag_fails_run_checks(self) -> None:
         results = run_checks(
             environ={