diff --git a/.github/file-filters.yml b/.github/file-filters.yml
index 186bba5caf..1fe162372e 100644
--- a/.github/file-filters.yml
+++ b/.github/file-filters.yml
@@ -172,6 +172,28 @@ run_lint_clang_formatting_for_prs: &run_lint_clang_formatting_for_prs
   - "Makefile"
   - "Brewfile*"
 
+# Same ObjC/C/C++ source patterns as run_lint_clang_formatting_for_prs; omits clang-format-only paths.
+run_sentrycrash_import_ratchet_for_prs:
+  - "**/*.h"
+  - "**/*.hpp"
+  - "**/*.c"
+  - "**/*.cpp"
+  - "**/*.m"
+  - "**/*.mm"
+
+  # GH Actions
+  - ".github/workflows/lint-sentrycrash-imports.yml"
+  - ".github/file-filters.yml"
+
+  # Scripts
+  - "scripts/check-sentrycrash-imports.sh"
+  - "scripts/ci-diagnostics.sh"
+  - "scripts/ci-utils.sh"
+
+  # Build configuration
+  - "Makefile"
+  - "Brewfile*"
+
 run_objc_conversion_analysis_for_prs: &run_objc_conversion_analysis_for_prs
   - "SwiftConversion/**"
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/fast-pr-checks.yml b/.github/workflows/fast-pr-checks.yml
index bef598692f..c79e5e32a7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/fast-pr-checks.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/fast-pr-checks.yml
@@ -58,7 +58,11 @@ jobs:
       run_on_cirrus_labs: true
 
   fast-checks-required:
-    needs: [files-changed, fast-xcframework-slices, fast-unit-tests]
+    needs: [
+      files-changed,
+      fast-xcframework-slices,
+      fast-unit-tests,
+    ]
     name: Fast PR Checks
     if: always()
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
diff --git a/.github/workflows/lint-sentrycrash-imports.yml b/.github/workflows/lint-sentrycrash-imports.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1f8bdfafd5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/lint-sentrycrash-imports.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+name: Lint SentryCrash Imports
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - main
+      - v8.x
+
+  pull_request:
+
+# Concurrency configuration:
+# - We use workflow-specific concurrency groups to prevent multiple lint runs on the same code,
+#   as linting checks are deterministic and don't require parallel validation.
+# - For pull requests, we cancel in-progress runs when new commits are pushed since only the
+#   latest linting matters for merge decisions.
+# - For main branch pushes, we never cancel to ensure the ratchet runs for every push.
+concurrency:
+  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
+  cancel-in-progress: ${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request' }}
+
+jobs:
+  files-changed:
+    name: Detect File Changes
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    outputs:
+      run_sentrycrash_import_ratchet_for_prs: ${{ steps.changes.outputs.run_sentrycrash_import_ratchet_for_prs }}
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6
+      - name: Get changed files
+        id: changes
+        uses: dorny/paths-filter@fbd0ab8f3e69293af611ebaee6363fc25e6d187d # v4.0.1
+        with:
+          token: ${{ github.token }}
+          filters: .github/file-filters.yml
+
+  check-imports:
+    name: Check SentryCrash Imports
+    if: github.event_name != 'pull_request' || needs.files-changed.outputs.run_sentrycrash_import_ratchet_for_prs == 'true'
+    needs: files-changed
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@de0fac2e4500dabe0009e67214ff5f5447ce83dd # v6
+      - name: Check SentryCrash import count
+        run: ./scripts/check-sentrycrash-imports.sh
+
+      - name: Run CI Diagnostics
+        if: failure()
+        run: ./scripts/ci-diagnostics.sh
+
+  lint_sentrycrash_imports-required-check:
+    needs: [files-changed, check-imports]
+    name: Lint SentryCrash Imports
+    if: always()
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Check for failures
+        if: contains(needs.*.result, 'failure') || contains(needs.*.result, 'cancelled')
+        run: |
+          echo "One of the SentryCrash import ratchet jobs has failed." && exit 1
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index bd39d9057d..cf88f252e0 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -95,6 +95,14 @@ update-versions:
 check-versions:
 	./scripts/check-tooling-versions.sh
 
+## Check SentryCrash imports
+#
+# CI ratchet that ensures the number of direct SentryCrash header imports
+# from SDK source files does not increase beyond the established baseline.
+.PHONY: check-sentrycrash-imports
+check-sentrycrash-imports:
+	@./scripts/check-sentrycrash-imports.sh
+
 # ============================================================================
 # BUILDING
 # ============================================================================
diff --git a/scripts/check-sentrycrash-imports.sh b/scripts/check-sentrycrash-imports.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..fce9bf83ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/check-sentrycrash-imports.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+# CI ratchet: ensures SentryCrash import count doesn't increase in SDK sources.
+# Decrease MAX_IMPORTS as phases eliminate imports. Never increase it.
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+# Source CI utilities for proper logging
+SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+# shellcheck source=./ci-utils.sh disable=SC1091
+source "$SCRIPT_DIR/ci-utils.sh"
+
+# Baseline count of #import / #include lines referencing SentryCrash in Sources/Sentry
+# and Sources/Swift only (not Sources/SentryCrash). Pattern allows whitespace after '#'
+# so indented directives under #if are counted; matches #include and #import.
+MAX_IMPORTS=85
+
+count=$(grep -rnE '#[[:space:]]*(import|include).*SentryCrash' Sources/Sentry Sources/Swift \
+    --include='*.m' --include='*.h' --include='*.c' --include='*.mm' --include='*.cpp' \
+    | wc -l | tr -d ' ')
+
+if [ "$count" -gt "$MAX_IMPORTS" ]; then
+    log_error "SentryCrash import count increased from $MAX_IMPORTS to $count"
+    log_error "New #import / #include of SentryCrash from SDK files is not allowed."
+    log_error "Use the SentryCrashReporter protocol instead."
+    echo ""
+    log_notice "Offending imports:"
+    grep -rnE '#[[:space:]]*(import|include).*SentryCrash' Sources/Sentry Sources/Swift \
+        --include='*.m' --include='*.h' --include='*.c' --include='*.mm' --include='*.cpp'
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+log_notice "SentryCrash import ratchet: $count / $MAX_IMPORTS (OK)"