diff --git a/.gitlab/merge_request_templates/Default.md b/.gitlab/merge_request_templates/Default.md
index 3cb3f6473e67e0a5da3dde37186827b9e5c3770e..a396d375ba1a421df663d03ab25fa9261ea759f6 100644
--- a/.gitlab/merge_request_templates/Default.md
+++ b/.gitlab/merge_request_templates/Default.md
@@ -10,6 +10,11 @@ especially important if they didn't participate in the discussion.
 
 %{first_multiline_commit}
 
+## MR acceptance checklist
+
+**Please evaluate this MR against the [MR acceptance checklist](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/development/code_review.html#acceptance-checklist).**
+It helps you analyze changes to reduce risks in quality, performance, reliability, security, and maintainability.
+
 ## Screenshots or screen recordings
 
 _Screenshots are required for UI changes, and strongly recommended for all other merge requests._
@@ -39,12 +44,6 @@ Example below:
 1. Click the `invite members` button.
 -->
 
-## MR acceptance checklist
-
-This checklist encourages us to confirm any changes have been analyzed to reduce risks in quality, performance, reliability, security, and maintainability.
-
-* [ ] I have evaluated the [MR acceptance checklist](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/development/code_review.html#acceptance-checklist) for this MR.
-
 <!-- template sourced from https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/blob/master/.gitlab/merge_request_templates/Default.md -->
 
 /assign me
diff --git a/.gitlab/merge_request_templates/New Version of gitlab-styles.md b/.gitlab/merge_request_templates/New Version of gitlab-styles.md
index 85603f6a944872a670d03818f2d03d9fe219947d..fa0eecc0e9d04e45f027a26997ab7b87ca104fef 100644
--- a/.gitlab/merge_request_templates/New Version of gitlab-styles.md	
+++ b/.gitlab/merge_request_templates/New Version of gitlab-styles.md	
@@ -37,9 +37,8 @@ This MR can be reused to upgrade `gitlab-styles` in this project after a new ver
 
 ## MR acceptance checklist
 
-This checklist encourages us to confirm any changes have been analyzed to reduce risks in quality, performance, reliability, security, and maintainability.
-
-- [ ] I have evaluated the [MR acceptance checklist](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/development/code_review.html#acceptance-checklist) for this MR.
+**Please evaluate this MR against the [MR acceptance checklist](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/development/code_review.html#acceptance-checklist).**
+It helps you analyze changes to reduce risks in quality, performance, reliability, security, and maintainability.
 
 ## After merge
 
diff --git a/doc/development/code_review.md b/doc/development/code_review.md
index 07b4f30d2ae2dcb0cb60702ea0ee0977959bbdba..f28165d67fdb6627106357b70f92b08a1a80df83 100644
--- a/doc/development/code_review.md
+++ b/doc/development/code_review.md
@@ -231,6 +231,8 @@ Efforts to improve this are in:
 
 #### Acceptance checklist
 
+<!-- When editing, remember to announce the change to Engineering Division -->
+
 This checklist encourages the authors, reviewers, and maintainers of merge requests (MRs) to confirm changes were analyzed for high-impact risks to quality, performance, reliability, security, observability, and maintainability.
 
 Using checklists improves quality in software engineering. This checklist is a straightforward tool to support and bolster the skills of contributors to the GitLab codebase.
diff --git a/doc/development/contributing/merge_request_workflow.md b/doc/development/contributing/merge_request_workflow.md
index 30fe82aae58e2e5f08c73463a849ae367ca7a415..8ede40e741efa869424e1383d94ad760ece8e7b0 100644
--- a/doc/development/contributing/merge_request_workflow.md
+++ b/doc/development/contributing/merge_request_workflow.md
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ requirements.
 
 ### Approval
 
-1. The [MR acceptance checklist](../code_review.md#acceptance-checklist) has been checked as confirmed in the MR.
+1. The MR was evaluated against the [MR acceptance checklist](../code_review.md#acceptance-checklist).
 1. Create an issue in the [infrastructure issue tracker](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/gl-infra/reliability/-/issues) to inform the Infrastructure department when your contribution is changing default settings or introduces a new setting, if relevant.
 1. An agreed-upon [rollout plan](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/development/processes/rollout-plans/).
 1. Reviewed by relevant reviewers, and all concerns are addressed for Availability, Regressions, and Security. Documentation reviews should take place as soon as possible, but they should not block a merge request.