diff --git a/cmd/review-bot/main.go b/cmd/review-bot/main.go
index d003585..9f85d73 100644
--- a/cmd/review-bot/main.go
+++ b/cmd/review-bot/main.go
@@ -344,6 +344,18 @@ func main() {
 		}
 	}
 
+	// Self-request as reviewer (ensures we appear in required-reviewer checks)
+	authUser, err := giteaClient.GetAuthenticatedUser(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		slog.Warn("could not determine authenticated user for reviewer self-request", "error", err)
+	} else if authUser != "" {
+		if err := giteaClient.RequestReviewer(ctx, owner, repoName, prNumber, authUser); err != nil {
+			slog.Warn("could not self-request as reviewer", "user", authUser, "error", err)
+		} else {
+			slog.Debug("self-requested as reviewer", "user", authUser, "pr", prNumber)
+		}
+	}
+
 	// POST new review
 	slog.Info("posting review", "event", event, "pr", prNumber)
 	posted, err := giteaClient.PostReview(ctx, owner, repoName, prNumber, event, reviewBody, inlineComments)
diff --git a/gitea/client.go b/gitea/client.go
index 1f5f44e..cf200cd 100644
--- a/gitea/client.go
+++ b/gitea/client.go
@@ -460,3 +460,56 @@ func (c *Client) EditComment(ctx context.Context, owner, repo string, commentID
 	}
 	return nil
 }
+
+// GetAuthenticatedUser returns the login of the user authenticated by the token.
+func (c *Client) GetAuthenticatedUser(ctx context.Context) (string, error) {
+	reqURL := fmt.Sprintf("%s/api/v1/user", c.baseURL)
+	body, err := c.doGet(ctx, reqURL)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("get authenticated user: %w", err)
+	}
+	var result struct {
+		Login string `json:"login"`
+	}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(body, &result); err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("parse user response: %w", err)
+	}
+	return result.Login, nil
+}
+
+// RequestReviewer adds the given user as a requested reviewer on a pull request.
+// This is idempotent — requesting an already-requested reviewer is a no-op.
+func (c *Client) RequestReviewer(ctx context.Context, owner, repo string, number int, reviewer string) error {
+	reqURL := fmt.Sprintf("%s/api/v1/repos/%s/%s/pulls/%d/requested_reviewers",
+		c.baseURL,
+		url.PathEscape(owner),
+		url.PathEscape(repo),
+		number)
+
+	payload := struct {
+		Reviewers []string `json:"reviewers"`
+	}{Reviewers: []string{reviewer}}
+	data, err := json.Marshal(payload)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("marshal reviewer request: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	req, err := http.NewRequestWithContext(ctx, http.MethodPost, reqURL, bytes.NewReader(data))
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("create reviewer request: %w", err)
+	}
+	req.Header.Set("Authorization", "token "+c.token)
+	req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+
+	resp, err := c.http.Do(req)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("request reviewer: %w", err)
+	}
+	defer resp.Body.Close()
+
+	if resp.StatusCode != http.StatusOK && resp.StatusCode != http.StatusCreated && resp.StatusCode != http.StatusNoContent {
+		body, _ := io.ReadAll(io.LimitReader(resp.Body, 256))
+		return fmt.Errorf("request reviewer failed (status %d): %s", resp.StatusCode, body)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/gitea/client_test.go b/gitea/client_test.go
index 37dcda0..eda3ab4 100644
--- a/gitea/client_test.go
+++ b/gitea/client_test.go
@@ -5,8 +5,10 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 )
 
@@ -602,3 +604,83 @@ func TestIsNotFound(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestGetAuthenticatedUser(t *testing.T) {
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		if r.URL.Path != "/api/v1/user" {
+			t.Errorf("unexpected path: %s", r.URL.Path)
+			http.NotFound(w, r)
+			return
+		}
+		if r.Header.Get("Authorization") != "token test-token" {
+			t.Error("missing or wrong auth header")
+		}
+		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+		fmt.Fprint(w, `{"login":"my-bot","id":42}`)
+	}))
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	client := NewClient(server.URL, "test-token")
+	login, err := client.GetAuthenticatedUser(context.Background())
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("GetAuthenticatedUser() error = %v", err)
+	}
+	if login != "my-bot" {
+		t.Errorf("login = %q, want %q", login, "my-bot")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRequestReviewer(t *testing.T) {
+	var gotBody []byte
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		if r.Method != http.MethodPost {
+			t.Errorf("expected POST, got %s", r.Method)
+		}
+		expected := "/api/v1/repos/owner/repo/pulls/7/requested_reviewers"
+		if r.URL.Path != expected {
+			t.Errorf("path = %q, want %q", r.URL.Path, expected)
+		}
+		gotBody, _ = io.ReadAll(r.Body)
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusCreated)
+	}))
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	client := NewClient(server.URL, "test-token")
+	err := client.RequestReviewer(context.Background(), "owner", "repo", 7, "bot-user")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("RequestReviewer() error = %v", err)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(string(gotBody), `"bot-user"`) {
+		t.Errorf("body = %s, want to contain bot-user", gotBody)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRequestReviewer_204(t *testing.T) {
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusNoContent)
+	}))
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	client := NewClient(server.URL, "test-token")
+	err := client.RequestReviewer(context.Background(), "owner", "repo", 1, "user")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("RequestReviewer() should accept 204, got error = %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRequestReviewer_Error(t *testing.T) {
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusForbidden)
+		fmt.Fprint(w, "no permission")
+	}))
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	client := NewClient(server.URL, "test-token")
+	err := client.RequestReviewer(context.Background(), "owner", "repo", 1, "user")
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected error for 403 response")
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "403") {
+		t.Errorf("error should mention status code: %v", err)
+	}
+}