diff --git a/.github/workflows/issue-gate.yml b/.github/workflows/issue-gate.yml
index 62018399..62663940 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/issue-gate.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/issue-gate.yml
@@ -17,11 +17,8 @@ jobs:
           script: |
             const APPROVED_FILE = '.github/APPROVED_CONTRIBUTORS';
             const VALID_CAPABILITIES = new Set(['issue', 'pr']);
-            const ISSUE_GATE_MESSAGE_MODE = 'refactor'; // Switch to 'normal' to restore the standard auto-close message.
             const issueAuthor = context.payload.issue.user.login;
             const defaultBranch = context.payload.repository.default_branch;
-            const issueCreatedDay = new Date(context.payload.issue.created_at).getUTCDay();
-            const isFridayThroughSunday = issueCreatedDay === 5 || issueCreatedDay === 6 || issueCreatedDay === 0;
 
             if (issueAuthor.endsWith('[bot]') || issueAuthor === 'dependabot[bot]') {
               console.log(`Skipping bot: ${issueAuthor}`);
@@ -97,36 +94,15 @@ jobs:
               return;
             }
 
-            function buildNormalGateMessage() {
-              return [
-                'This issue was auto-closed. All issues from new contributors are auto-closed by default.',
-                ...(isFridayThroughSunday
-                  ? [
-                      'Issues submitted Friday through Sunday are not reviewed. If this is urgent, ask on Discord: https://discord.com/invite/3cU7Bz4UPx',
-                    ]
-                  : []),
-                '',
-                `Maintainers review auto-closed issues daily and reopen worthwhile ones. Issues that do not meet the quality bar in [CONTRIBUTING.md](https://github.com/${context.repo.owner}/${context.repo.repo}/blob/${defaultBranch}/CONTRIBUTING.md) will not be reopened or receive a reply.`,
-                '',
-                'If a maintainer replies `lgtmi` on one of your issues, your future issues will stay open. If a maintainer replies `lgtm`, your future issues and PRs will stay open.',
-                '',
-                `See [CONTRIBUTING.md](https://github.com/${context.repo.owner}/${context.repo.repo}/blob/${defaultBranch}/CONTRIBUTING.md).`,
-              ].join('\n');
-            }
-
-            function buildRefactorGateMessage() {
-              return [
-                'This issue was auto-closed. All issues will be closed until 2026-05-17 while the project refactor is being completed.',
-                '',
-                `The refactor is happening on \`${defaultBranch}\`: https://github.com/${context.repo.owner}/${context.repo.repo}/tree/${defaultBranch}`,
-                '',
-                'Issues closed during this period will not be reviewed. The reason is that the refactor will not get done otherwise, because issue triage has been taking about 8 hours per day.',
-                '',
-                'In case of emergency, ask on Discord: https://discord.com/invite/3cU7Bz4UPx',
-              ].join('\n');
-            }
-
-            const message = ISSUE_GATE_MESSAGE_MODE === 'refactor' ? buildRefactorGateMessage() : buildNormalGateMessage();
+            const message = [
+              'This issue was auto-closed. All issues from new contributors are auto-closed by default.',
+              '',
+              `Maintainers review auto-closed issues daily and reopen worthwhile ones. Issues that do not meet the quality bar in [CONTRIBUTING.md](https://github.com/${context.repo.owner}/${context.repo.repo}/blob/${defaultBranch}/CONTRIBUTING.md) will not be reopened or receive a reply.`,
+              '',
+              'If a maintainer replies `lgtmi` on one of your issues, your future issues will stay open. If a maintainer replies `lgtm`, your future issues and PRs will stay open.',
+              '',
+              `See [CONTRIBUTING.md](https://github.com/${context.repo.owner}/${context.repo.repo}/blob/${defaultBranch}/CONTRIBUTING.md).`,
+            ].join('\n');
 
             await github.rest.issues.createComment({
               owner: context.repo.owner,
@@ -135,33 +111,6 @@ jobs:
               body: message,
             });
 
-            const labelsToAdd = [];
-            if (isFridayThroughSunday) labelsToAdd.push('closed-because-weekend');
-            if (ISSUE_GATE_MESSAGE_MODE === 'refactor') labelsToAdd.push('closed-because-refactor');
-
-            if (labelsToAdd.includes('closed-because-refactor')) {
-              try {
-                await github.rest.issues.createLabel({
-                  owner: context.repo.owner,
-                  repo: context.repo.repo,
-                  name: 'closed-because-refactor',
-                  color: '5319e7',
-                  description: 'Closed while the project refactor is in progress',
-                });
-              } catch (error) {
-                if (error.status !== 422) throw error;
-              }
-            }
-
-            if (labelsToAdd.length > 0) {
-              await github.rest.issues.addLabels({
-                owner: context.repo.owner,
-                repo: context.repo.repo,
-                issue_number: context.issue.number,
-                labels: labelsToAdd,
-              });
-            }
-
             await github.rest.issues.update({
               owner: context.repo.owner,
               repo: context.repo.repo,