diff --git a/dep_freshness/install.py b/dep_freshness/install.py
index 985fbdd..843333d 100644
--- a/dep_freshness/install.py
+++ b/dep_freshness/install.py
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ from dep_freshness.install_precommit_ci import (
 TEMPLATES = Path(__file__).resolve().parent / "templates"
 DELEGATE = Path("scripts/check_dependency_freshness.sh")
 WORKFLOW = Path(".github/workflows/dependency-freshness.yml")
+# Repo-root file that opts a repo out of WORKFLOW (see _needs_workflow).
+NO_WORKFLOW_MARKER = Path(".dep-freshness-no-workflow")
 PRECOMMIT = Path(".pre-commit-config.yaml")
 HOOK_ID = "dependency-freshness"
 
@@ -56,6 +58,16 @@ def _needs_delegate(repo: Path) -> bool:
 
 
 def _needs_workflow(repo: Path) -> bool:
+    """True when the CI workflow is missing or drifted -- unless opted out.
+
+    A repo with NO_WORKFLOW_MARKER at its root runs the gate locally only
+    (teatr-pw: no GitHub Actions minutes on a private repo, its pre-push hook
+    runs `--all --strict`). Without the opt-out every fleet sweep would put
+    back the workflow that repo deleted on purpose. The local pieces are
+    still installed.
+    """
+    if (repo / NO_WORKFLOW_MARKER).exists():
+        return False
     target = repo / WORKFLOW
     return not target.is_file() or target.read_text(encoding="utf-8") != _template(
         "workflow.yml"
diff --git a/dep_freshness/tests/test_install_no_workflow.py b/dep_freshness/tests/test_install_no_workflow.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d43a112
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dep_freshness/tests/test_install_no_workflow.py
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+"""The per-repo opt-out from the CI workflow (`.dep-freshness-no-workflow`).
+
+A repo that runs the gate only locally (teatr-pw: no GitHub Actions minutes)
+deletes `.github/workflows/dependency-freshness.yml` on purpose. Without an
+opt-out the next fleet sweep puts it back, so the marker must stop the
+installer from creating OR rewriting it -- and must not stop anything else.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from dep_freshness import install as installer
+from dep_freshness.tests.conftest import write
+
+MARKER = ".dep-freshness-no-workflow"
+WORKFLOW = ".github/workflows/dependency-freshness.yml"
+
+
+def test_the_marker_path_is_the_documented_one():
+    assert str(installer.NO_WORKFLOW_MARKER) == MARKER
+
+
+def test_an_opted_out_repo_gets_the_local_pieces_but_no_workflow(repo):
+    write(repo, MARKER, "# no GitHub Actions here\n")
+
+    assert installer.install(repo) == [
+        "scripts/check_dependency_freshness.sh",
+        ".pre-commit-config.yaml (dependency-freshness hook)",
+    ]
+    assert not (repo / WORKFLOW).exists()
+    assert not (repo / ".github").exists()
+
+
+def test_plan_does_not_report_the_workflow_as_missing(repo):
+    write(repo, MARKER, "")
+
+    assert WORKFLOW not in installer.plan(repo)
+    installer.install(repo)
+    assert installer.plan(repo) == []
+    assert installer.install(repo) == []
+
+
+def test_an_existing_drifted_workflow_is_left_as_it_is(repo):
+    """Opted out means hands off: no create, no rewrite, no delete."""
+    write(repo, MARKER, "")
+    write(repo, WORKFLOW, "name: kept by hand\n")
+
+    assert WORKFLOW not in installer.install(repo)
+    assert (repo / WORKFLOW).read_text(encoding="utf-8") == "name: kept by hand\n"
+
+
+def test_without_the_marker_the_workflow_is_still_installed(repo):
+    assert WORKFLOW in installer.install(repo)
+    assert (repo / WORKFLOW).is_file()