This article asks whether frequent invocation of the national security exception—especially by the United States—renders WTO disciplines meaningless amid Appellate Body paralysis. Despite U.S.’ insistence that GATT Article XXI is wholly self-judging and its use of “appeals into the void,” the article argues WTO disciplines retain normative significance: panel proceedings continue to function, unadopted reports carry persuasive weight, and alternative dispute-resolution mechanisms remain available. It concludes that safeguarding the WTO's effectiveness requires drawing upon the full range of existing procedures rather than excluding security matters from all forms of discipline.