diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index baa31a543..71958d693 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -58,3 +58,4 @@ mini-swe-agent/
 # Nix
 .direnv/
 result
+.aider*
diff --git a/scripts/syntax_guard.py b/scripts/syntax_guard.py
index 7c41dc9b4..75d7a5e31 100755
--- a/scripts/syntax_guard.py
+++ b/scripts/syntax_guard.py
@@ -14,7 +14,30 @@ for p in Path(".").rglob("*.py"):
         errors.append(f"{p}: {e}")
         print(f"SYNTAX ERROR: {p}: {e}", file=sys.stderr)
 
+    # Check for cloud API usage
+    with open(p, "r", encoding="utf-8") as f:
+        content = f.read()
+        if any(import_pattern.search(content) for import_pattern in CLOUD_API_IMPORTS):
+            errors.append(f"{p}: Cloud API import detected")
+            print(f"CLOUD API IMPORT: {p}", file=sys.stderr)
+        if any(call_pattern.search(content) for call_pattern in CLOUD_API_CALLS):
+            errors.append(f"{p}: Cloud API call detected")
+            print(f"CLOUD API CALL: {p}", file=sys.stderr)
+
+CLOUD_API_IMPORTS = [
+    re.compile(r'\bimport\s+(requests|httpx|aiohttp|urllib\.request)\b'),
+    re.compile(r'\bfrom\s+(requests|httpx|aiohttp|urllib\.request)\b'),
+]
+
+CLOUD_API_CALLS = [
+    re.compile(r'\b(requests\.(get|post|put|delete|patch|head|options))\b'),
+    re.compile(r'\b(httpx\.(get|post|put|delete|patch|head|options))\b'),
+    re.compile(r'\b(aiohttp\.(ClientSession\.)?\b(get|post|put|delete|patch|head|options))\b'),
+    re.compile(r'\b(urllib\.request\.(urlopen|urlretrieve))\b'),
+    re.compile(r'\brequests\.Session\(\)\.(get|post|put|delete|patch|head|options)\b'),
+]
+
 if errors:
-    print(f"\n{len(errors)} file(s) with syntax errors", file=sys.stderr)
+    print(f"\n{len(errors)} file(s) with syntax or cloud API errors", file=sys.stderr)
     sys.exit(1)
-print("All Python files compile successfully")
+print("All Python files compile and are cloud API-free")