diff --git a/ui/src/hooks/useGateIndicator.test.ts b/ui/src/hooks/useGateIndicator.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4f8aa4ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/src/hooks/useGateIndicator.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+// @vitest-environment jsdom
+import { describe, it, expect } from "vitest";
+import type { Approval } from "@paperclipai/shared";
+import { countPendingGates } from "./useGateIndicator";
+
+const NOW = new Date("2026-04-11T12:00:00Z");
+
+function makeApproval(overrides: Partial<Approval> = {}): Approval {
+  return {
+    id: `gate-${Math.random().toString(36).slice(2, 8)}`,
+    companyId: "co-1",
+    type: "generic",
+    requestedByAgentId: null,
+    requestedByUserId: null,
+    status: "pending",
+    payload: {},
+    decisionNote: null,
+    decidedByUserId: null,
+    decidedAt: null,
+    createdAt: NOW,
+    updatedAt: NOW,
+    ...overrides,
+  } as Approval;
+}
+
+describe("countPendingGates", () => {
+  it("returns 0 for undefined or empty lists", () => {
+    expect(countPendingGates(undefined)).toBe(0);
+    expect(countPendingGates([])).toBe(0);
+  });
+
+  it("counts approvals with status 'pending'", () => {
+    const approvals = [
+      makeApproval({ status: "pending" }),
+      makeApproval({ status: "pending" }),
+      makeApproval({ status: "approved" }),
+    ];
+    expect(countPendingGates(approvals)).toBe(2);
+  });
+
+  it("counts approvals with status 'revision_requested' as pending", () => {
+    const approvals = [
+      makeApproval({ status: "revision_requested" }),
+      makeApproval({ status: "pending" }),
+      makeApproval({ status: "approved" }),
+      makeApproval({ status: "rejected" }),
+    ];
+    expect(countPendingGates(approvals)).toBe(2);
+  });
+
+  it("does not count approved or rejected approvals", () => {
+    const approvals = [
+      makeApproval({ status: "approved" }),
+      makeApproval({ status: "rejected" }),
+    ];
+    expect(countPendingGates(approvals)).toBe(0);
+  });
+
+  it("derives 'hasPendingGates' correctly — count > 0 → true, count === 0 → false", () => {
+    expect(countPendingGates([makeApproval({ status: "pending" })]) > 0).toBe(true);
+    expect(countPendingGates([makeApproval({ status: "approved" })]) > 0).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/ui/src/hooks/useGateIndicator.ts b/ui/src/hooks/useGateIndicator.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f67b9dfb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/src/hooks/useGateIndicator.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+// [nexus] Phase 11 — pending-gate indicator hook.
+//
+// Reads the existing approvals API and exposes a minimal "are there any
+// gates waiting on the user globally?" summary, intended for the IconRail
+// Assistant destination dot overlay. The rename from "approvals" to
+// "gates" is display-only — we reuse `approvalsApi` / `queryKeys.approvals`
+// without touching the backend.
+//
+// The IconRail wiring itself lives in a Phase 8 file the controller owns;
+// Phase 11 only ships the hook + tests. See the Phase 11 report for the
+// exact diff the controller should apply post-Wave.
+import { useMemo } from "react";
+import { useQuery } from "@tanstack/react-query";
+import type { Approval } from "@paperclipai/shared";
+import { approvalsApi } from "../api/approvals";
+import { queryKeys } from "../lib/queryKeys";
+
+const PENDING_STATUSES: ReadonlySet<Approval["status"]> = new Set([
+  "pending",
+  "revision_requested",
+]);
+
+export interface GateIndicator {
+  hasPendingGates: boolean;
+  count: number;
+  loading: boolean;
+  error: Error | null;
+}
+
+/** Count how many approvals in the list are awaiting user decision. */
+export function countPendingGates(approvals: readonly Approval[] | undefined): number {
+  if (!approvals || approvals.length === 0) return 0;
+  let count = 0;
+  for (const approval of approvals) {
+    if (PENDING_STATUSES.has(approval.status)) count += 1;
+  }
+  return count;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Returns `{ hasPendingGates, count, loading, error }` for the given company.
+ * When `companyId` is null/undefined the query is disabled and the hook
+ * returns zeroed values — useful while bootstrapping IconRail before a
+ * company is selected.
+ */
+export function useGateIndicator(companyId: string | null | undefined): GateIndicator {
+  const query = useQuery({
+    queryKey: queryKeys.approvals.list(companyId ?? "__none__"),
+    queryFn: () => approvalsApi.list(companyId!),
+    enabled: Boolean(companyId),
+  });
+
+  return useMemo<GateIndicator>(() => {
+    const count = countPendingGates(query.data);
+    return {
+      hasPendingGates: count > 0,
+      count,
+      loading: query.isLoading,
+      error: (query.error as Error | null) ?? null,
+    };
+  }, [query.data, query.isLoading, query.error]);
+}