diff --git a/bridged/src/main/java/dev/ltms/bridged/mcp/BridgeMcp.java b/bridged/src/main/java/dev/ltms/bridged/mcp/BridgeMcp.java
index ee9046d..97945ef 100644
--- a/bridged/src/main/java/dev/ltms/bridged/mcp/BridgeMcp.java
+++ b/bridged/src/main/java/dev/ltms/bridged/mcp/BridgeMcp.java
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import jakarta.servlet.http.HttpServlet;
 import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.function.Function;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
@@ -151,8 +152,8 @@ public final class BridgeMcp {
                     Runnable onAccepted = () -> primaryRegistry.recordDelegation(target, caller);
                     // wait defaults to true (block for the reply); wait:false is fire-and-poll.
                     return Boolean.FALSE.equals(a.get("wait"))
-                            ? sendAsync(messages, target, content, onAccepted)
-                            : send(messages, target, content, timeoutMs(a), onAccepted);
+                            ? sendAsync(messages, target, content, onAccepted, workers.profiles())
+                            : send(messages, target, content, timeoutMs(a), onAccepted, workers.profiles());
                 })
                 // bridge_reply's identity is the CONNECTION, never an argument — so the authz check
                 // is "is this caller a worker at all", and it can only ever reply as itself.
@@ -390,10 +391,20 @@ public final class BridgeMcp {
      * a BUSY interloper never claims a turn it did not win. {@code null} disables recording.
      */
     static McpSchema.CallToolResult send(MessageService messages, String sessionId, String content,
-                                         Long timeoutMs, Runnable onAccepted) {
+                                          Long timeoutMs, Runnable onAccepted) {
+        return send(messages, sessionId, content, timeoutMs, onAccepted, Set.of());
+    }
+
+    /** As above, rejecting a configured profile name before accepting a send to it. */
+    static McpSchema.CallToolResult send(MessageService messages, String sessionId, String content,
+                                          Long timeoutMs, Runnable onAccepted, Set<String> profiles) {
         if (isBlank(sessionId) || isBlank(content)) {
             return error("sessionId and content are required");
         }
+        McpSchema.CallToolResult targetError = profileTargetError(sessionId, profiles);
+        if (targetError != null) {
+            return targetError;
+        }
         long timeout = clamp(timeoutMs == null ? DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MS : timeoutMs);
         try {
             return formatReply(messages.send(sessionId, content, timeout, onAccepted), timeout);
@@ -473,14 +484,33 @@ public final class BridgeMcp {
      * (CB-548) so an async flooding send records delegator ownership exactly once it is accepted.
      */
     static McpSchema.CallToolResult sendAsync(MessageService messages, String sessionId, String content,
-                                              Runnable onAccepted) {
+                                               Runnable onAccepted) {
+        return sendAsync(messages, sessionId, content, onAccepted, Set.of());
+    }
+
+    /** As above, rejecting a configured profile name before handing out an async ticket. */
+    static McpSchema.CallToolResult sendAsync(MessageService messages, String sessionId, String content,
+                                               Runnable onAccepted, Set<String> profiles) {
         if (isBlank(sessionId) || isBlank(content)) {
             return error("sessionId and content are required");
         }
+        McpSchema.CallToolResult targetError = profileTargetError(sessionId, profiles);
+        if (targetError != null) {
+            return targetError;
+        }
         String ticket = messages.sendAsync(sessionId, content, onAccepted);
         return text("accepted — task delegated. Poll bridge_poll with ticket=" + ticket);
     }
 
+    /** A configured profile is never a send target; other unknown values may be herdr-owned panes. */
+    private static McpSchema.CallToolResult profileTargetError(String sessionId, Set<String> profiles) {
+        if (profiles.contains(sessionId)) {
+            return error("unknown send target \"" + sessionId + "\": it is a configured profile name, not a "
+                    + "session id. Call bridge_list to find a member or lead sessionId.");
+        }
+        return null;
+    }
+
     /** {@code bridge_poll}: check an async delegation by ticket, or drain a worker's inbox by target. */
     static McpSchema.CallToolResult poll(MessageService messages, String ticket, String target) {
         if (!isBlank(target)) {
diff --git a/bridged/src/test/java/dev/ltms/bridged/mcp/BridgeMcpTest.java b/bridged/src/test/java/dev/ltms/bridged/mcp/BridgeMcpTest.java
index ab264ae..f1bad0f 100644
--- a/bridged/src/test/java/dev/ltms/bridged/mcp/BridgeMcpTest.java
+++ b/bridged/src/test/java/dev/ltms/bridged/mcp/BridgeMcpTest.java
@@ -53,6 +53,18 @@ class BridgeMcpTest {
         return ((McpSchema.TextContent) r.content().getFirst()).text();
     }
 
+    private void assertSendRoundTrips(String target, Set<String> profiles) throws Exception {
+        CompletableFuture<McpSchema.CallToolResult> send = CompletableFuture.supplyAsync(
+                () -> BridgeMcp.send(messages, target, "hi", 4000L, null, profiles));
+        long deadline = System.currentTimeMillis() + 3000;
+        while (!rendezvous.isWaiting(target) && System.currentTimeMillis() < deadline) {
+            Thread.sleep(5);
+        }
+        assertTrue(rendezvous.isWaiting(target), "send should be accepted for " + target);
+        BridgeMcp.reply(messages, target, "received");
+        assertEquals("received", textOf(send.get(6, TimeUnit.SECONDS)));
+    }
+
     private static ClaudeCodeLauncher workerService(FakeHerdr h, String baseUrl, Set<String> allow) {
         BridgedConfig.Profile cfg = new BridgedConfig.Profile(
                 "ltms-local", baseUrl, "coder", null, "BRIDGED_WORKER_TOKEN", null,
@@ -140,6 +152,31 @@ class BridgeMcpTest {
         assertTrue(BridgeMcp.send(messages, "term_a", "  ", null).isError());
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void sendRejectsAConfiguredProfileNameBeforeAcceptingIt() {
+        McpSchema.CallToolResult blocking = BridgeMcp.send(messages, "sol", "hi", 100L, null, Set.of("sol"));
+        McpSchema.CallToolResult async = BridgeMcp.sendAsync(messages, "sol", "hi", null, Set.of("sol"));
+
+        assertTrue(blocking.isError());
+        assertTrue(async.isError());
+        assertTrue(textOf(blocking).contains("sol"));
+        assertTrue(textOf(blocking).contains("configured profile name"));
+        assertTrue(textOf(blocking).contains("bridge_list"));
+        assertFalse(textOf(async).contains("ticket="));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void sendAllowsPeerLeadMemberAndUnclassifiedTargets() throws Exception {
+        Set<String> profiles = Set.of("sol");
+
+        assertSendRoundTrips("term_peer_lead", profiles);
+        assertSendRoundTrips("term_live_member", profiles);
+
+        // A herdr-owned pane outside the bridge roster cannot be classified at accept time.
+        McpSchema.CallToolResult result = BridgeMcp.send(messages, "external-pane", "hi", 10L, null, profiles);
+        assertFalse(result.isError(), "an unclassified target must not be rejected at acceptance time");
+    }
+
     @Test
     void replyWithNoPendingSendIsQueuedNotError() {
         // CB-307: a reply with no open send is now queued in the inbox, not an error.