CB-622: rename the opencode mount key bridged -> fleetd

Unit C could not make this change. The tracked opencode.json is neutralized
by the worktree overlay (GitWorktrees.WORKTREE_HOSTILE_CONFIGS), so every
worker sees a stub instead of the real file and correctly reported that it
held no mount key. The lead has to make this one by hand, the same way
bridged.yaml is handled.

Takes effect for an opencode lead on its next session start.

.claude/agents/architect.md

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+---
+name: architect
+description: Refine work into clear, independent units before implementation.
+---
+
+<!-- CB-617: The model comes from bridged.yaml because the launch flag overrides model here on both backends. -->
+
+You are an architect in this fleet. You refine work before anyone builds it: scope,
+acceptance criteria, risks, and a unit split. You read the repo and write analysis.
+You never commit production code and never open a pull request.
+
+A design task is worked by two architects. Design alone first, then exchange and
+say plainly where you disagree. Do not concede just to agree.
+
+Do only the assigned scope. Note anything outside that scope in one line and do not
+investigate it further. Use `bridge_ask{question}` only when a decision belongs to
+the lead, such as an unclear requirement or two defensible fixes. Do not ask about
+something you can decide by reading more code.
+
+Report only work you actually did and the real output of checks you ran. Do not
+claim a result from a tool you could not use. The primary's IDE tools are not yours.
+A mounted forge tool may use a blocked credential and fail by design.
+
+The launcher provides the required bridge reply instructions for every member.

.claude/agents/dev.md

@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+---
+name: dev
+description: Implement one assigned unit, test it, and open a pull request.
+---
+
+<!-- CB-617: The model comes from bridged.yaml because the launch flag overrides model here on both backends. -->
+
+You implement the one unit you were given and nothing else. Work in your assigned
+git worktree and branch. Never check out, rebase onto, or push to `main`. Confirm
+the worktree root and branch before you edit. Use only paths under that root.
+
+Do only the assigned scope. Note anything outside that scope in one line and do not
+investigate it further. Use `bridge_ask{question}` only when a decision belongs to
+the lead, such as an unclear requirement or two defensible fixes. Do not ask about
+something you can decide by reading more code.
+
+Implement the change and run the full required build in your worktree. Read the
+complete output and report its real result. Do not hide failures with a pipe. State
+only checks you actually ran. The primary's IDE tools are not yours. A mounted forge
+tool may use a blocked credential and fail by design.
+
+Stage only files you changed. Never use `git add -A` or `git add .`. Never commit
+`.mcp.json` or `wiki/`. Commit with a clear message, push your branch, and open your
+own pull request against `main`. Never merge.
+
+Your handoff must name the pull request or why it was not created, the branch, the
+files changed, the build result, and any caveat for review.
+
+The launcher provides the required bridge reply instructions for every member.

.claude/agents/reviewer.md

@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+---
+name: reviewer
+description: Review one assigned scope and report the most important real issue.
+---
+
+<!-- CB-617: The model comes from bridged.yaml because the launch flag overrides model here on both backends. -->
+
+You review the diff you were given. Report bugs, risks, and missing tests. You do
+not change code.
+
+Read the whole assigned scope before judging it. Review only that scope. If you see
+something outside it, note it in one line and do not investigate it further. Do not
+run the build. The owner makes changes and runs checks.
+
+Use `bridge_ask{question}` only when a decision belongs to the lead, such as an
+unclear requirement or two defensible fixes. Do not ask about something you can
+decide by reading more code.
+
+Report the single most important real issue in this form:
+
+```
+1. <path>:<line>
+2. issue: <one sentence: what is wrong and why it matters>
+3. fix: <one line: the concrete change>
+4. severity: high | medium | low
+```
+
+If there is no real issue, report `NO ISSUE` and one line saying why. A clean review
+is valid. Do not invent an issue. Use high for a wrong result, data loss, security,
+or a hang or crash on a real path. Use medium for an edge-path bug or a correctness
+risk under load or concurrency. Use low for clarity, a latent foot-gun, or a smell
+with no current failure.
+
+The launcher provides the required bridge reply instructions for every member.

.gitignore

@@ -6,6 +6,14 @@
 # Settings backups inherit the env block — and secrets with it.
 .claude/settings.local.json.bak*
 
+# The default profile parityOverlay copies these primary→worktree, so they appear in EVERY worker
+# worktree. Two reasons they must be ignored. They hold environment values, which is reason enough.
+# And since CB-576 a release preserves any worktree that `git status --porcelain` calls dirty —
+# untracked files included, deliberately. An untracked overlay file would therefore make every
+# COMPLETED release preserve its worktree, and worktrees would pile up with no error to notice.
+.env
+.envrc
+
 # Daemon runtime artefacts. bridged appends its log wherever it is launched from, so both the
 # repo root and bridged/ collect one; neither belongs in git.
 bridged.out

.opencode/agent/architect.md

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+---
+description: Refine work into clear, independent units before implementation.
+mode: primary
+---
+
+<!-- CB-617: The model comes from bridged.yaml because the launch flag overrides model here on both backends. -->
+
+You are an architect in this fleet. You refine work before anyone builds it: scope,
+acceptance criteria, risks, and a unit split. You read the repo and write analysis.
+You never commit production code and never open a pull request.
+
+A design task is worked by two architects. Design alone first, then exchange and
+say plainly where you disagree. Do not concede just to agree.
+
+Do only the assigned scope. Note anything outside that scope in one line and do not
+investigate it further. Use `bridge_ask{question}` only when a decision belongs to
+the lead, such as an unclear requirement or two defensible fixes. Do not ask about
+something you can decide by reading more code.
+
+Report only work you actually did and the real output of checks you ran. Do not
+claim a result from a tool you could not use. The primary's IDE tools are not yours.
+A mounted forge tool may use a blocked credential and fail by design.
+
+The launcher provides the required bridge reply instructions for every member.

.opencode/agent/dev.md

@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+---
+description: Implement one assigned unit, test it, and open a pull request.
+mode: primary
+---
+
+<!-- CB-617: The model comes from bridged.yaml because the launch flag overrides model here on both backends. -->
+
+You implement the one unit you were given and nothing else. Work in your assigned
+git worktree and branch. Never check out, rebase onto, or push to `main`. Confirm
+the worktree root and branch before you edit. Use only paths under that root.
+
+Do only the assigned scope. Note anything outside that scope in one line and do not
+investigate it further. Use `bridge_ask{question}` only when a decision belongs to
+the lead, such as an unclear requirement or two defensible fixes. Do not ask about
+something you can decide by reading more code.
+
+Implement the change and run the full required build in your worktree. Read the
+complete output and report its real result. Do not hide failures with a pipe. State
+only checks you actually ran. The primary's IDE tools are not yours. A mounted forge
+tool may use a blocked credential and fail by design.
+
+Stage only files you changed. Never use `git add -A` or `git add .`. Never commit
+`.mcp.json` or `wiki/`. Commit with a clear message, push your branch, and open your
+own pull request against `main`. Never merge.
+
+Your handoff must name the pull request or why it was not created, the branch, the
+files changed, the build result, and any caveat for review.
+
+The launcher provides the required bridge reply instructions for every member.

.opencode/agent/reviewer.md

@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+---
+description: Review one assigned scope and report the most important real issue.
+mode: primary
+---
+
+<!-- CB-617: The model comes from bridged.yaml because the launch flag overrides model here on both backends. -->
+
+You review the diff you were given. Report bugs, risks, and missing tests. You do
+not change code.
+
+Read the whole assigned scope before judging it. Review only that scope. If you see
+something outside it, note it in one line and do not investigate it further. Do not
+run the build. The owner makes changes and runs checks.
+
+Use `bridge_ask{question}` only when a decision belongs to the lead, such as an
+unclear requirement or two defensible fixes. Do not ask about something you can
+decide by reading more code.
+
+Report the single most important real issue in this form:
+
+```
+1. <path>:<line>
+2. issue: <one sentence: what is wrong and why it matters>
+3. fix: <one line: the concrete change>
+4. severity: high | medium | low
+```
+
+If there is no real issue, report `NO ISSUE` and one line saying why. A clean review
+is valid. Do not invent an issue. Use high for a wrong result, data loss, security,
+or a hang or crash on a real path. Use medium for an edge-path bug or a correctness
+risk under load or concurrency. Use low for clarity, a latent foot-gun, or a smell
+with no current failure.
+
+The launcher provides the required bridge reply instructions for every member.

CLAUDE.md

@@ -78,12 +78,14 @@ below are the procedure — run them in order, every task, not only the big ones
    what makes them reliable. Where the project ships no such skill, spell the procedure out in the
    brief instead. The brief is self-contained — the worker sees your message and the repo, nothing
    of your context, your plan, or your screen.
-5. **Collect** — `bridge_poll{ticket}` → `bridge_ack{ticket, msgId}`. Answer a worker's `bridge_ask`
+5. **Collect** — `bridge_poll{ticket}` → `bridge_ack{target, msgId}`. Answer a worker's `bridge_ask`
    with `bridge_send{turnId, content}` — **not** `sessionId`. A worker gone quiet is diagnosed with
-   `bridge_status`, never by reading its terminal.
-6. **Verify yourself.** Re-run the build and the checks. A worker mounts only the bridge MCP and
-   cannot run your other tooling, and a piped command (`… | tail`) hides failures behind a zero
-   exit — never promote a worker's "clean" to a fact.
+   `bridge_status`, never by reading its terminal; it also reports an open question and the `turnId`
+   that answers it. **A worker's ask waits ~55 seconds, and no nudge makes that longer** — so never
+   brief a worker to "ask me". Decide before you delegate, or give it an explicit default.
+6. **Verify yourself.** Re-run the build and the checks. A worker cannot run your IDE tooling, any
+   forge tools it appears to have hold a blocked credential and fail, and a piped command
+   (`… | tail`) hides failures behind a zero exit — never promote a worker's "clean" to a fact.
 7. **Review — fan out.** Spawn reviewers against the diff, one per dimension or per file, with
    `wait:false`. Never the implementer of the scope it reviews, and brief them from the diff — not
    from the implementer's rationale, which carries its own blind spot. Dispatch each PR's reviewers
@@ -105,8 +107,8 @@ the merge — and merging on a reviewer's word is delegating it by proxy.
 |---|---|
 | Confirm your own role | `bridge_whoami` |
 | See backends available | `bridge_profiles` |
-| Start a member | `bridge_spawn{role?, profile?, cwd?, worktree?, ticket?}` → `sessionId` + `paneId` |
-| See the fleet | `bridge_list` → `leads` (your peers) + `members` · one peer's state: `bridge_status{sessionId}` |
+| Start a member | `bridge_spawn{role?, profile?, cwd?, worktree?, ticket?, sessionName?, resumeSessionId?}` → `sessionId` + `paneId` |
+| See the fleet | `bridge_list` → `leads` (your peers) + `members` (each carries `agentSessionId` when its backend knows one) · one peer's state: `bridge_status{sessionId}` |
 | Delegate (blocking) | `bridge_send{sessionId, content}` |
 | Delegate (long task) | `bridge_send{sessionId, content, wait:false}` → ticket → `bridge_poll{ticket}` |
 | Answer a member's `bridge_ask` | `bridge_send{turnId, content}` — **not** `sessionId` |
@@ -155,9 +157,13 @@ you.
    without replying, the bridge scrapes your pane, and it can return only the last 4000 characters.
    A clipped scrape is marked as partial, but the missing text is gone — your report reaches the
    lead with its end cut off.
-5. **Report honestly.** State only what you actually ran and its real output, including failures.
-   You mount **only** the bridge MCP — the primary's other servers (IDE, forge, docs) are not yours,
-   so never claim the result of a check you had no way to run.
+5. **Report honestly.** State only what you actually ran and its real output, including failures,
+   and never claim the result of a check you had no way to run. **Measure your own tools; do not
+   assume them.** What you mount depends on your backend: an opencode member gets the bridge and
+   nothing else, while a Claude Code member also inherits the operator's user-scope MCP servers,
+   which the bridge never chose for you. Two rules follow. The primary's IDE tooling is still not
+   yours, whatever you see. And **a mounted tool is not a working tool** — the forge server you may
+   find there holds a deliberately blocked credential and fails every call, by design.
 6. **Never merge.** Stage files explicitly — never `git add -A` — and leave alone anything the
    project marks as not-yours-to-commit.
 
@@ -167,12 +173,14 @@ you.
 |---|---|---|
 | the launcher's reply charter | the one rule that must survive with no repo: *end every turn with `bridge_reply`* | every spawned member, at launch, every peer kind — never a lead |
 | **this section** | protocol + orchestration policy | primary **and** every member that reads the repo — tracked in git, so worktrees inherit it |
+| role agent definition files | role contract and per-job procedure | a member whose launcher binds its role to the matching file in its worktree |
 | role playbook skills | per-job procedure (commit/PR recipe, finding format) | a member told to load one |
 | the bridge's own docs | design detail, flows, error model | on demand |
 
-A rule belongs in **exactly one** layer — the outermost one that must obey it. Peers that don't read
-`CLAUDE.md` (non-Claude adapters) get the charter only, so any rule *they* must obey belongs in the
-charter, not here.
+A rule belongs in **exactly one** layer — the outermost one that must obey it. A member without a
+repo checkout still gets the launcher's reply charter, which is why that one rule stays there.
+Peers that don't read `CLAUDE.md` (non-Claude adapters) get the charter only, so any rule *they*
+must obey belongs in the charter, not here.
 
 ## Project addendum — claude-bridge (not part of the canonical block)
 
@@ -186,8 +194,68 @@ charter, not here.
 - **Never commit** `.mcp.json` (the primary's local copy, flagged `--skip-worktree`) or `wiki/`
   (a submodule with its own remote).
 - **Flows and the error model** — rendezvous, `bridge_ask`, detached delivery, turn-done fallback —
-  are diagrammed in `docs/MCP-Contract.md` §6, kept out of this file because it loads into every
-  session's context.
+  are diagrammed in `docs/MCP-Contract.md` **§6 only**. The rest of that page is a pre-build design
+  doc whose tool names, parameter names and REST paths never caught up with the code, so do not use
+  it as the tool reference (CB-609). Section 6 is kept out of this file because this file loads into
+  every session's context.
+
+### Redeploying the daemon — the lead may do this (primary only)
+
+**A merge is not a deployment.** The running `bridged` holds the jar it was started with, so a
+feature merged to `main` does nothing until the daemon is rebuilt and restarted. Saying "shipped"
+about code the live daemon has never loaded is a false report. The lead **may and should** redeploy
+rather than hand the job back to the operator.
+
+Workers must never do this. A worker has no business restarting the daemon it is talking through,
+and stopping it kills the worker's own channel mid-turn.
+
+**Use the script — do not hand-roll the steps.**
+
+```bash
+scripts/redeploy-bridged.sh --check   # report state, change nothing
+scripts/redeploy-bridged.sh           # build, confirm drain, restart, verify
+scripts/redeploy-bridged.sh --yes     # skip the drain prompt (fleet already checked)
+```
+
+It builds before it stops anything, so a failed build never leaves the fleet down; it waits for the
+old process to exit rather than assuming; it polls `/healthz`; and it anchors its log checks to a
+line marker taken before the restart, so old errors cannot be misread as new ones. Run `--check`
+first — it is read-only and reports whether the forge token resolves, which nothing else tells you.
+
+The script encodes the five things below, each of which has gone wrong here before. Read them anyway:
+if the script is unavailable or a step fails, this is what it was protecting you from.
+
+1. **Login shell, or workers silently lose their forge token.** The daemon inherits
+   `WORKER_GITEA_TOKEN` from the shell that starts it, and that comes from
+   `${SHARED_ENV}/tools/secrets.sh`. Start it from a non-login shell and the variable is empty, the
+   daemon starts fine, and the failure appears much later as workers that cannot open a PR. Nothing
+   logs this at startup — the script's `--check` is the only thing that reports it, and it checks
+   whether the name resolves without ever printing the value.
+2. **Drain live members first.** `bridge_list`, then `bridge_stop` each member, and collect anything
+   you still want with `bridge_poll` before you kill anything. A restart drops in-flight tickets and
+   rendezvous, and a member's report is not recoverable once its ticket is gone.
+3. **A restart is the only way deferred config keys take effect.** That is usually the reason to do
+   it. The startup log names which keys it accepted and which it deferred — read those lines rather
+   than assuming.
+4. **Re-check identity afterwards.** Call `bridge_whoami` and confirm it still answers `primary`. The
+   lead is found by its tab label (`fleet.leaders.*.tab`), and a lead whose tab no longer matches is
+   demoted to worker, which refuses every orchestration call.
+5. **Prove the new jar is the one running.** Confirm a *fresh* `bridged listening` line at the end of
+   `bridged/bridged.out`, dated after the restart. An old daemon that never died looks identical from
+   the outside.
+
+**Permission.** A `CLAUDE.md` rule grants intent, not tool permission — the command classifier
+refuses a bare `kill` on the daemon whatever this file says. The script is the seam that fixes that:
+it is one auditable command, so the operator allow-lists it once instead of approving a stop and a
+start every time. The rule lives in the operator's Claude Code settings:
+
+```json
+{ "permissions": { "allow": ["Bash(scripts/redeploy-bridged.sh:*)"] } }
+```
+
+Granted by the operator on 2026-08-15. If a call is still refused, do **not** route around it by
+running the stop and start as separate commands — that is exactly the approval the script replaced.
+Say what you were going to run and why, and let the operator decide.
 
 ### The prompt is part of the product — update it with the code (mandatory)
 

README.md

@@ -18,8 +18,9 @@ one unified Claude setup and the **sole communication gateway** (REST/SSE stays
 clients; any broker is `bridged`-internal, below the gateway).
 herdr owns the PTYs, multiplexing, persistence, and **agent-status events**; `bridged` owns
 policy (subscription boundary, session lifecycle, status-gated delivery) and the client
-contract. The worker `claude` launches with `ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=https://ollama.ltms.dev` + a
-bearer token; the primary Opus stays env-clean and calls `bridged`'s MCP tools.
+contract. A Claude member launches with `ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL` pointed at the gateway,
+`https://llm.ltms.dev/anthropic`, plus a bearer token; the lead stays env-clean and calls
+`bridged`'s MCP tools. See the wiki's **[13 User Guide](wiki/13-User-Guide.md)** to run it.
 
 ```mermaid
 flowchart LR
@@ -31,7 +32,7 @@ flowchart LR
     end
     HERDR["herdr<br/>panes · agent-status"]
     W["worker claude pane<br/>ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL set<br/>MCP client"]
-    M["ollama.ltms.dev<br/>(worker model)"]
+    M["llm.ltms.dev<br/>(the one gateway)"]
 
     OPUS -->|"MCP bridge_send (blocks)"| SRV
     W -.->|"MCP bridge_reply"| SRV

bridged/bridged.example.yaml

@@ -88,15 +88,28 @@ bind:
 #   backoffMs: 60000
 #   quietNudgeCap: 3
 
-# Fleet health detection is dormant unless enabled. It reads one whole-fleet agent list per tick.
-# It can run without a webhook; bridge_list then reports healthCoverage: detection-only.
+# Fleet health detection is dormant unless enabled (CB-573). It reads one whole-fleet agent list
+# per tick.
+#   intervalSeconds → how often a tick runs (default 30). ENFORCED floor of 15: the code computes
+#                      Math.max(15, intervalSeconds), so a lower value is silently raised, not
+#                      rejected.
+#   workingSuspectAfterSeconds, paneProbeIntervalSeconds → accepted and parsed, but NOT YET READ by
+#                      anything — the dormant monitor only consumes intervalSeconds today (CB-573
+#                      shipped ahead of the evidence publishers these two knobs are for). Setting
+#                      them changes nothing right now, and no minimum is enforced on either, because
+#                      nothing reads them to enforce one. They exist so a later build can start
+#                      honouring them without another config-shape change.
+#   notifications.mode → "webhook" flips what bridge_list REPORTS (healthCoverage: "full" instead
+#                      of "detection-only") — it does NOT make bridged send any webhook call; no
+#                      delivery mechanism is implemented yet. Any other value, or omitting the
+#                      block, reports "detection-only".
 # health:
 #   enabled: true
-#   intervalSeconds: 30              # minimum 15
-#   workingSuspectAfterSeconds: 600  # minimum 300
-#   paneProbeIntervalSeconds: 60     # minimum 60
+#   intervalSeconds: 30
+#   workingSuspectAfterSeconds: 600
+#   paneProbeIntervalSeconds: 60
 #   notifications:
-#     mode: disabled                 # disabled (default) or webhook
+#     mode: disabled
 
 # herdr Unix socket. Omit to use the client default
 # (${HERDR_SOCKET_PATH:-~/.config/herdr/herdr.sock}).
@@ -144,6 +157,17 @@ herdrSocket: ~/.config/herdr/herdr.sock
 #                      omit and this profile's completion fallback behaves exactly as before.
 #                      Every backend words its refusal differently, so this is config, never a
 #                      vendor string baked into bridged itself.
+#                      DEFERRED: compiled once into a startup pattern map — editing it needs a
+#                      daemon restart, same as this profile's model/baseUrl/argv.
+#   credentialId     → CB-578 stage B: the credential this profile quarantines WITH when a
+#                      BACKEND_EXHAUSTED classification fires. Two profiles that set the SAME
+#                      credentialId share one quarantine — the case this exists for is two models
+#                      on one account (e.g. sol and terra both billing one OpenAI credential): an
+#                      exhaustion on either one must lock out both, or the fleet just walks onto
+#                      the same dead account under the sibling's name. Opt-in — omit and this
+#                      profile quarantines alone, under its own name, exactly as if the field did
+#                      not exist. Cooldown length is the top-level quarantineCooldownSeconds below.
+#                      HOT: read live at every spawn/exhaustion check — no restart needed.
 #   env              → extra environment for this profile's workers, as a literal key/value map
 #                      (CB-511). Use it to give workers a toolchain.
 #
@@ -173,11 +197,44 @@ profiles:
     mcpUrl: http://127.0.0.1:8765/mcp
     tokenEnv: BRIDGED_WORKER_TOKEN
     argv: ["ccs", "gx10"]
-    weight: 0.5                       # relative selection weight for placement: weighted
-    maxLoad: 2                        # max live workers on this profile (omit for unlimited)
+    # weight: relative selection weight for automatic placement (weighted, round-robin, and
+    # fixed's fallback walk). Absent defaults to 1.0. An explicit 0 or negative value means
+    # "never auto-select this profile" (CB-554) — it stays reachable via an explicit
+    # `bridge_spawn{profile:"gx10"}`, which bypasses placement entirely; only automatic
+    # selection skips it.
+    weight: 0.5
+    # maxLoad: max live workers on this profile. Omit for unlimited. An explicit 0 (CB-585) caps
+    # the profile at zero live members — it is excluded from automatic placement and an explicit
+    # `bridge_spawn{profile:"gx10"}` against it is refused too; a cap holds even when the profile
+    # is named directly. Negative is refused at config load — there is no sane meaning for it.
+    maxLoad: 2
+    # subscription: true
+    #   THE KNOB THAT DECIDES WHO PAYS (CB-539). Default false. When true, this profile's members
+    #   run on the OPERATOR'S OWN Claude subscription instead of a metered endpoint — every spawn
+    #   bills your plan and eats your usage limit. Off-subscription is the whole point of this
+    #   daemon, so treat `true` as a deliberate exception, not a convenience.
+    #
+    #   What changes when it is set (ClaudeCodeLauncher):
+    #     - no ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL and no ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN are injected — the member inherits
+    #       the operator's own Claude Code auth, which is exactly why it bills the plan;
+    #     - SubscriptionGuard never vets it, because there is no baseUrl to vet;
+    #     - no token is required, so `tokenEnv` is irrelevant here.
+    #
+    #   MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE with `baseUrl` — setting both is refused at config load (CB-542). On the
+    #   subscription path no guard would vet the URL, so allowing both would be a way around the
+    #   guard rather than a configuration.
+    #
+    #   GOTCHA 1 — it is invisible to the startup secret check. `Bridged.reportRequiredSecrets`
+    #   skips subscription profiles on purpose (they need no token), so a boot log that reports
+    #   every secret as fine says nothing about these profiles.
+    #
+    #   GOTCHA 2 — `maxLoad` is the ONLY throttle you have here. There is no metering, no budget
+    #   and no refusal on cost; the cap on live members is the single thing standing between a
+    #   fan-out and your monthly limit. Set it deliberately and keep it small.
     # gitTokenEnv: GITEA_TOKEN        # opt-in: let this profile's workers open their own PR (CB-302)
     # gitHostEnv: GITEA_HOST          # defaults to GITEA_HOST; injected only with gitTokenEnv
     # exhaustedPattern: "usage limit has been reached"   # opt-in: classify a usage-limit refusal (CB-578)
+    # credentialId: shared-openai   # opt-in: quarantine together with every other profile sharing this id (CB-578)
     # configDir: /Users/me/.ccs/instances/gx10   # CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR — inherit that profile's skills/MCP
     # cwd: /Users/me/src/myrepo       # pin the working dir; omit to inherit the primary's
     # parityOverlay: [".claude/settings.local.json", ".env", ".envrc"]   # never add .mcp.json — see above
@@ -241,8 +298,37 @@ profiles:
   #     argv: ["opencode"]
 # How an unqualified spawn chooses a profile: fixed (default, reproduces pre-CB-518 behaviour),
 # round-robin, or weighted. Omitting this key is a strict no-op for existing configs.
+#
+# `weighted` IS NOT "cheapest first" — read this before you set weights (CB-589).
+# It is smooth weighted round-robin: it spreads spawns across EVERY profile that has a free slot,
+# in weight ratio. It has no idea which profile costs money. So with local:10 / paid:2 you do not
+# get "use local, overflow to paid" — you get roughly one spawn in six going to the paid profile
+# while the local box still has a free slot.
+#
+# There is a sharper second effect. The policy's running score map lives for the daemon's whole
+# life. While a profile is at maxLoad it is filtered out and its score FREEZES, so the paid
+# profiles keep accumulating against it. When the local slot frees up it returns with a stale
+# score and can LOSE the next pick — a paid spawn while the free box sits idle.
+#
+# Until a real cost-first policy exists, the workaround is to make the ratio decisive rather than
+# proportional: give the free profile a weight so large that it wins every pick it is eligible
+# for, and paid profiles only ever take genuine overflow. On this host that is local weight 100
+# against paid weights of ~1.
+#
+# The gotcha with that workaround: it expresses a PREFERENCE ORDER through a RATIO knob. Add a
+# future profile at weight 150 and it silently outranks the free box, with nothing to warn you.
+# Re-check the weights whenever you add a profile.
 placement: weighted
 
+# How long a credential sits out after a BACKEND_EXHAUSTED classification (CB-578 stage B), in
+# seconds, before a spawn may land on it again. Applies to every profile's effective credential
+# (its own name, or its credentialId if set above) — there is no per-profile override. Default
+# 1800 (30 minutes) when omitted or non-positive.
+# DEFERRED: baked once into the BackendQuarantine built at startup — a running quarantine keeps
+# its original cooldown regardless; a new value only applies to a quarantine that starts after a
+# restart. Editing this needs a daemon restart to take effect.
+# quarantineCooldownSeconds: 1800
+
 # Re-read this file without restarting the daemon (CB-559). Off unless you add this block, so an
 # upgraded bridged keeps the old behaviour: the file is read once at boot and never again.
 #   enabled          → turn the watch on. bridged checks the file's modified time on a timer and
@@ -252,17 +338,25 @@ placement: weighted
 # Not every key can move under a running daemon, and the difference is about what already exists
 # when the reload happens — not about how important the key is:
 #   HOT       → takes effect on the next spawn: the whole `fleet:` block (every role pool,
-#               `charters`, and `tabLabel`), `placement:`, and an existing profile's weight / maxLoad. Those are
-#               hot because the placement policy reads them through a supplier — being config is
+#               `charters`, and `tabLabel`), `placement:`, and an existing profile's weight / maxLoad
+#               / credentialId. Those are hot because the placement policy (and, for credentialId,
+#               the CB-578 stage B quarantine check) reads them through a supplier — being config is
 #               not by itself enough to make a key hot.
+#               EXCEPT `fleet.leaders`: Bridged.main reads it once at startup to build the lead tab
+#               scanner and launcher, and neither is rebuilt on reload. A changed/added/removed
+#               `fleet.leaders` entry is silently accepted — the reload reports "config reloaded"
+#               with nothing in the deferred list — but has NO effect until you restart. Treat it
+#               as deferred in practice, even though today's reload output does not say so.
 #   DEFERRED  → accepted into the new config, but the wiring built at startup keeps the old value
 #               until you restart: `lifecycle:`, `leadHeartbeat:`, `guard:`, `worktreeRoot:`,
-#               `spawnReadyTimeoutMs` / `spawnReadyPollMs`, ADDING or REMOVING a profile (a new
-#               backend needs its own launcher, and launchers are built once), AND an existing
-#               profile's launch settings — model, baseUrl, argv, env, configDir, mcpUrl, tabLabel.
-#               The launcher takes a copy of `profiles:` at startup and resolves every spawn out of
-#               that copy, so those never reach a launch until you restart. The reload logs them by
-#               name rather than pretending they applied.
+#               `spawnReadyTimeoutMs` / `spawnReadyPollMs`, `quarantineCooldownSeconds` (CB-578
+#               stage B — baked once into the quarantine tracker built at startup), ADDING or
+#               REMOVING a profile (a new backend needs its own launcher, and launchers are built
+#               once), AND an existing profile's launch settings — model, baseUrl, argv, env,
+#               configDir, mcpUrl, tabLabel, exhaustedPattern. The launcher takes a copy of
+#               `profiles:` at startup and resolves every spawn out of that copy, so those never
+#               reach a launch until you restart. The reload logs them by name rather than
+#               pretending they applied.
 #   COLD      → cannot change at all: `bind:`, `herdrSocket:`, `broker:` and `auth:`. The socket is
 #               bound, the broker connection is open, and the auth mode decides who may reach the
 #               port that is already listening.
@@ -335,6 +429,12 @@ fleet:
   # An auto-launched lead is NOT a member: it gets no worker reply charter, is never registered with
   # the session lifecycle (the idle reaper would kill your orchestrator), and stays on the
   # subscription — ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL/AUTH_TOKEN are stripped from its env whatever the profile says.
+  #
+  # GET THE `tab:` VALUE RIGHT. A pane that does not match any configured `tab:` (a typo, a renamed
+  # tab, a pane no entry names at all) is not recognised as a lead — it resolves as an ordinary
+  # WORKER instead, silently, and every orchestration call it makes (spawn/stop/send/drain) is
+  # refused. There is no error at startup for this: an unmatched pane is simply not a lead. If your
+  # primary suddenly can't spawn or send, check this section first.
   # leaders:
   #   opus-5.0:
   #     profile: opus                # omit to never create this lead, only recognise it
@@ -373,6 +473,91 @@ guard:
     - gx00.gw
     - gx01.gw
 
+# Member credential policy (CB-596, gitea issue #82). A herdr pane runs a LOGIN shell, and that
+# shell re-sources the operator's own secret store — so a spawned member inherits every credential
+# the operator's shell holds, not just the ones bridged means to give it. Measured on this host:
+# 31 credential names, all set, with only ONE (GITEA_ACCESS_TOKEN) blocked before this — and that
+# block was a single name hardcoded in HerdrPeerLauncher.java, not driven by this file. This block
+# replaces that hardcoded shadow with a config-driven list of names.
+#
+# ROUND-2 CORRECTION, measured live: the pane-creation env overlay below (applied at tab.create /
+# pane.split, BEFORE the pane's login shell runs) does NOT survive that login shell for any name
+# secrets.sh actually exports — the shell re-exports it afterwards and overwrites the sentinel.
+# Proof: GITEA_ACCESS_TOKEN comes back blocked only because secrets.sh itself carries a guarded
+# export (`[ -n "${BRIDGED_MEMBER:-}" ] || export GITEA_ACCESS_TOKEN=...`) — that guard, not this
+# file, is what wins. No other name in `known` below has a matching guard in secrets.sh yet (1
+# guard measured against 33 export lines there). So today this block's overlay is REAL protection
+# only for a name secrets.sh does not export, or a peer kind whose pane never runs a login shell —
+# for everything secrets.sh exports and guards, the guard in secrets.sh (out of scope for this
+# ticket) is what actually blocks it, not this list. An exec-time fix (winning after the login
+# shell finishes, before the agent process starts) was attempted and found to have no seam in the
+# current herdr protocol — AgentControl.start takes a fixed `kind` (herdr resolves the executable)
+# plus trailing CLI args for that binary, not an arbitrary argv or an env map; only tab.create /
+# pane.split accept `env`, and that is this same pane-creation overlay. See gitea #82 for the open
+# design question this leaves.
+#
+# DENY-BY-DEFAULT, NOT A DENY-LIST. A deny-list (name the bad ones, let everything else through) is
+# silently wrong the moment the operator's store gains a new secret — nothing would ever report it.
+# Deny-by-default inverts that: `known` bounds the blast radius to names actually enumerated below,
+# and EVERY one of them is blocked UNLESS it is also in `allow`. Omitting this block entirely (the
+# shipped default) blocks NOTHING — unlike most optional blocks in this file, absence here is a real
+# gap, not a safe "feature off". A name that is neither `known` nor `allow`-ed is not silently let
+# through either: the daemon logs a WARN naming any credential-shaped env var it finds on neither
+# list (never its value), so a secret added to the store later does not go unnoticed forever.
+#
+#   policy → only "deny-by-default" exists today (an operator-authored deny-list was deliberately
+#            rejected — see above). An unrecognized value refuses to start, naming it.
+#   allow  → credential names a member legitimately needs. Left OUT of the pane's env overlay
+#            entirely, so the value the pane's own (login) shell exports passes through untouched.
+#   known  → every credential name the operator's store is known to export. Every name here NOT
+#            also in `allow` is overlaid with a non-secret sentinel value before the pane's login
+#            shell runs — real protection only for names the login shell does not itself re-export
+#            (see the ROUND-2 CORRECTION note above for the ones it does).
+#
+# HOT-RELOADABLE the same way `fleet:` is (CB-559): read fresh on every spawn, so editing this list
+# and reloading config (or restarting) changes what the NEXT spawn inherits; already-running members
+# are unaffected either way.
+# memberCredentials:
+#   policy: deny-by-default
+#   allow:
+#     - AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN     # named in a profile's tokenEnv (local/gx) — a member reaching the
+#                            # gateway is by design, not a leak
+#     - WORKER_GITEA_TOKEN   # the repo-scoped forge token a member needs to open its own PR (CB-302)
+#     - CONTEXT7_TOKEN       # already decided as allowed by CB-593
+#     - GITEA_HOST           # not a credential — a hostname, paired with the forge token above
+#   known:
+#     - AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN
+#     - BESZEL_ADMIN_EMAIL
+#     - BESZEL_ADMIN_PASSWORD
+#     - BESZEL_HUB_URL
+#     - BESZEL_KEY
+#     - BESZEL_UNIVERSAL_TOKEN
+#     - BRAIN_MCP_TOKEN
+#     - CF_ACCOUNT_ID
+#     - CF_API_TOKEN
+#     - CF_USER_TOKEN
+#     - CONFLUENCE_API_TOKEN
+#     - CONFLUENCE_USERNAME
+#     - CONTEXT7_TOKEN
+#     - GITEA_ACCESS_TOKEN
+#     - GITEA_HOST
+#     - GITLAB_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET
+#     - GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN
+#     - GRAFANA_ADMIN_PASSWORD
+#     - GRAFANA_ADMIN_USER
+#     - HASS_TOKEN
+#     - HW_PASSWORD
+#     - HW_USER
+#     - LTMS_API_KEY
+#     - MEMORY_MCP_TOKEN
+#     - METRICS_PUSH_TOKEN
+#     - OPENCODE_AUTOMODE_MODEL
+#     - TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN
+#     - TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID
+#     - TS_API_KEY
+#     - TS_AUTHKEY
+#     - WORKER_GITEA_TOKEN
+
 # Spawn-readiness gate (CB-306). The launcher blocks until the worker's herdr status is
 # injectable (IDLE/BLOCKED/DONE) or the timeout elapses. 0 disables the gate.
 # NOTE: keys are camelCase — config is bound by plain Jackson with no naming strategy and
@@ -390,10 +575,15 @@ guard:
 #   idleTtlSeconds     → reap READY/DONE sessions idle longer than this (never BUSY/SPAWNING)
 #   contextCap         → force-release a session after this many delegated turns
 #   drainTimeoutSeconds → seconds to wait for BUSY sessions on shutdown before forced teardown
+#   clearAfterTurn     → whether a reusable worker discards its conversation context after every
+#                        completed delegated turn (default false). Works for claude-code workers
+#                        only — any other peer kind (e.g. opencode) logs "context reset is
+#                        unsupported for peer kind …" once and the reset is a no-op.
 # lifecycle:
 #   idleTtlSeconds: 300
 #   contextCap: 10
 #   drainTimeoutSeconds: 5
+#   clearAfterTurn: false
 
 # Durable reply delivery (CB-307 Stage 2). OMIT this block entirely to keep the default
 # in-memory, soft-state reply inbox (late worker replies are held only until a daemon bounce).
@@ -401,10 +591,14 @@ guard:
 # on a durable per-target queue (agent.<target>.inbox) and survive a restart — the broker
 # redelivers anything the primary had not yet drained. Production default is LavinMQ; a stock
 # RabbitMQ speaks the same AMQP 0-9-1, so it is a URI-only swap.
-#   uri → AMQP connection URI. No trailing slash ⇒ the default vhost "/"; an empty path ("/")
-#         is vhost "" and will NOT connect. Encode a named vhost as .../%2Fmyvhost.
+#   uri      → AMQP connection URI. No trailing slash ⇒ the default vhost "/"; an empty path ("/")
+#              is vhost "" and will NOT connect. Encode a named vhost as .../%2Fmyvhost.
+#   prefetch → CB-527: consumer basicQos, capping how many unacked messages the inbox holds
+#              in-heap per owned target (the rest sits on the broker's durable queue instead of
+#              growing the JVM heap). Default 32 when omitted.
 # broker:
 #   uri: amqp://guest:guest@127.0.0.1:5672
+#   prefetch: 32
 
 # Active push-to-primary (CB-307 Stage 3). When a worker reply lands with no open bridge_send,
 # the ReplyPushLoop injects a *drain nudge* (never the payload) into the primary's own herdr

bridged/src/main/java/dev/ltms/bridged/Bridged.java

@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import dev.ltms.bridged.herdr.UnixSocketHerdrClient;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.herdr.WorkspaceControl;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.inject.CompletionResolver;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.inject.ExhaustedPatternLookup;
+import dev.ltms.bridged.inject.ExhaustionSink;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.inject.Injector;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.inject.StatusPoller;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.inject.TurnListener;
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@ import dev.ltms.bridged.msg.LeadHeartbeatLoop;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.msg.ReplyPushLoop;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.rest.BridgedApp;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.session.GitWorktrees;
+import dev.ltms.bridged.session.MemberSession;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.session.SessionManager;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.PeerLauncher;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.session.SessionReaper;
@@ -44,6 +46,7 @@ import dev.ltms.bridged.member.ClaudeCodeLauncher;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.member.CompositePeerLauncher;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.member.HerdrPeerLauncher;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.member.OpenCodeLauncher;
+import dev.ltms.bridged.placement.BackendQuarantine;
 import io.javalin.Javalin;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
@@ -80,6 +83,15 @@ public final class Bridged {
     static void main(String[] args) {
         Path configPath = Path.of(args.length > 0 ? args[0] : "bridged.yaml");
         BridgedConfig cfg = BridgedConfig.load(configPath);
+        // CB-594: report which secret env vars the config actually needs, by name, before anything
+        // else can fail on a silently-empty one. A daemon started without a login shell (launchd)
+        // boots fine either way — this is the only thing that says so out loud.
+        reportRequiredSecrets(cfg);
+        // CB-596: an absent (or empty) memberCredentials: block blocks NOTHING — no credential
+        // name is hardcoded any more to fall back on. Say so loudly, the same way a missing
+        // secret is reported above, so upgrading past this commit never silently drops CB-592's
+        // protection.
+        reportMemberCredentialsGap(cfg);
         // CB-559: `cfg` stays the startup snapshot — every validation and every piece of one-time
         // wiring below reads it, and must, because those decisions cannot be unmade. `config` is the
         // live reference the hot paths read per use. Which keys can actually move is ConfigRef's
@@ -132,20 +144,29 @@ public final class Bridged {
             adapters.add(new ClaudeCodeLauncher(agents, spaces, guard,
                     claudeProfiles, cfg.effectiveDefaultProfile(), System::getenv,
                     cfg.spawnReadyTimeoutMs(), cfg.spawnReadyPollMs(),
-                    () -> config.get().fleet()));
+                    () -> config.get().fleet(),
+                    () -> config.get().memberCredentials()));
         }
         if (!opencodeProfiles.isEmpty()) {
             adapters.add(new OpenCodeLauncher(agents, spaces,
                     opencodeProfiles, cfg.effectiveDefaultProfile(), System::getenv,
                     cfg.spawnReadyTimeoutMs(), cfg.spawnReadyPollMs(),
-                    () -> config.get().fleet()));
+                    () -> config.get().fleet(),
+                    () -> config.get().memberCredentials()));
         }
         AtomicReference<Function<String, Integer>> liveCountRef = new AtomicReference<>(_ -> 0);
+        // CB-578 stage B: one quarantine tracker for the whole daemon, shared between the launcher
+        // (checked at spawn) and the exhaustion sink wired in below (written on BACKEND_EXHAUSTED).
+        // The cooldown is deferred (see BridgedConfig#quarantineCooldownSeconds): it is read once
+        // here, at startup, and a config reload only changes it for a daemon restart.
+        BackendQuarantine quarantine = new BackendQuarantine(System::nanoTime,
+                TimeUnit.SECONDS.toNanos(cfg.quarantineCooldownSeconds()));
         PeerLauncher workers = new CompositePeerLauncher(
                 adapters,
                 cfg.effectiveDefaultProfile(),
                 config,
-                profileName -> liveCountRef.get().apply(profileName));
+                profileName -> liveCountRef.get().apply(profileName),
+                quarantine);
         // CB-504: under supervision (launchd/systemd) bridged can start before herdr's socket
         // exists. The client itself is lazy — it connects per call — but the orphan reap below is
         // the first thing that actually talks to herdr, so without this wait a boot-order race
@@ -272,7 +293,23 @@ public final class Bridged {
                 .orElse(null);
         log.info("backend-exhausted classification (CB-578 stage A): {}",
                 CompletionResolver.coverage(cfg.profiles().keySet(), exhaustedPatternsByProfile.keySet()));
-        CompletionResolver completion = new CompletionResolver(agents, rendezvous, exhaustedPatterns);
+        // CB-578 stage B: on a classification that actually wins, quarantine the exhausted profile's
+        // CREDENTIAL — not the profile name — so a profile sharing that credential (e.g. two models
+        // on one OpenAI account) is refused too, not just the one that happened to report it. Reads
+        // the profile config live off `config`, so a credentialId edit is hot: no restart needed.
+        ExhaustionSink exhaustionSink = (target, reason) -> sessions.roster().stream()
+                .filter(session -> target.equals(session.terminalId()))
+                .findFirst()
+                .map(MemberSession::profile)
+                .map(profileName -> config.get().profiles().get(profileName))
+                .ifPresent(profile -> {
+                    String credentialId = profile.effectiveCredentialId();
+                    quarantine.quarantine(credentialId);
+                    log.warn("credential '{}' quarantined for {}s (profile '{}' classified "
+                                    + "BACKEND_EXHAUSTED): {}", credentialId,
+                            cfg.quarantineCooldownSeconds(), profile.profile(), reason);
+                });
+        CompletionResolver completion = new CompletionResolver(agents, rendezvous, exhaustedPatterns, exhaustionSink);
         // CB-113: deliver only to an available worker (its MCP is connected), never its boot window.
         // CB-301: the manager's presence bridge records availability and drives SPAWNING → READY.
         MemberPresence presence = sessions.asPresence();
@@ -322,8 +359,9 @@ public final class Bridged {
         // connection, so keep the reference to close it in the ordered shutdown hook.
         final ReplyInbox replyInbox;
         if (cfg.broker() != null && cfg.broker().isConfigured()) {
-            replyInbox = AmqpReplyInbox.open(cfg.broker().uri());
-            log.info("reply inbox: AMQP broker (durable) at {}", cfg.broker().uri());
+            replyInbox = AmqpReplyInbox.open(cfg.broker().uri(), cfg.broker().prefetchOrDefault());
+            log.info("reply inbox: AMQP broker (durable) at {} (prefetch={})",
+                    cfg.broker().uri(), cfg.broker().prefetchOrDefault());
         } else {
             replyInbox = new InMemoryReplyInbox();
             log.info("reply inbox: in-memory (soft-state)");
@@ -402,10 +440,22 @@ public final class Bridged {
         // CB-516: releasing a worker must fail whatever send was waiting on it. Without this a
         // torn-down delegation kept reporting PENDING until the 30-minute async timeout, and never
         // reached /metrics — the delegation was unresolvable and nothing said so.
-        sessions.onRelease(terminal -> {
-            messages.abandon(terminal, "the worker session was released before it replied");
-            replyInbox.release(terminal);
-            primaryRegistry.forgetDelegation(terminal); // CB-532: don't leak the lead binding
+        sessions.onRelease(detail -> {
+            // CB-578 stage C, acceptance criterion 10: a failed ticket's detail should tell a lead
+            // where to re-dispatch onto the same tree, not just that the worker vanished.
+            String reason = "the worker session was released before it replied";
+            if (detail.worktreePath() != null) {
+                reason += "; worktree=" + detail.worktreePath() + " branch=" + detail.branch()
+                        + " snapshot=" + (detail.snapshotRef() != null ? detail.snapshotRef() : "none");
+            }
+            // CB-584 (issue #65 criterion 5): also name the agent session, so a lead can resume the
+            // member's conversation instead of only re-dispatching a fresh one onto the same files.
+            if (detail.agentSessionId() != null) {
+                reason += " agentSessionId=" + detail.agentSessionId();
+            }
+            messages.abandon(detail.terminalId(), reason);
+            replyInbox.release(detail.terminalId());
+            primaryRegistry.forgetDelegation(detail.terminalId()); // CB-532: don't leak the lead binding
         });
 
         // MCP server face (CB-105): bridge_send/bridge_reply/bridge_status, mounted at /mcp.
@@ -440,7 +490,11 @@ public final class Bridged {
                     var health = config.get().health();
                     return FleetHealthMonitor.coverage(health != null && health.isEnabled(),
                             health != null && health.notifications() != null && health.notifications().configured());
-                }));
+                }),
+                new BridgeMcp.QuarantineSource(profile -> {
+                    var configured = config.get().profiles().get(profile);
+                    return configured == null ? null : configured.effectiveCredentialId();
+                }, quarantine));
 
         // CB-559: opt-in config reload. With no `configReload:` block nothing is constructed, so an
         // upgraded daemon behaves exactly as before — the file is read once at boot and never again.
@@ -506,6 +560,91 @@ public final class Bridged {
         return target -> presence.isPresent(target) || leads.get().containsKey(target);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * CB-594: which env vars the loaded config actually needs, and why — every non-{@code
+     * subscription} profile's {@code tokenEnv} (a subscription profile never reads one, see
+     * {@link BridgedConfig.Profile#isSubscription()}), plus every profile's {@code gitTokenEnv}
+     * where set (opt-in). Derived from the config, not hard-coded, so a new profile is covered for
+     * free. A var required by more than one profile is one entry naming every profile that needs
+     * it. Deliberately excludes {@code auth.tokenEnv}: that one is already enforced loudly, by a
+     * startup throw in {@code main()} — about 370 lines <em>below</em> this method's call site
+     * ({@link #reportRequiredSecrets(BridgedConfig)}), not a few lines above it. That throw only
+     * fires when {@code auth.mode: token} is configured; under the default loopback-trust mode it
+     * never runs, and {@code auth.tokenEnv} is simply not required.
+     *
+     * <p>Package-private and pure (no I/O, no logging) so the derivation is unit-testable without
+     * capturing log output; {@link #reportRequiredSecrets(BridgedConfig)} is the logging caller.
+     */
+    static Map<String, List<String>> requiredSecretEnvVars(BridgedConfig cfg) {
+        Map<String, List<String>> requiredBy = new LinkedHashMap<>();
+        cfg.profiles().forEach((name, profile) -> {
+            if (!profile.isSubscription()) {
+                requiredBy.computeIfAbsent(profile.tokenEnv(), _ -> new ArrayList<>())
+                        .add("profile '" + name + "' tokenEnv");
+            }
+            if (profile.hasGitToken()) {
+                requiredBy.computeIfAbsent(profile.gitTokenEnv(), _ -> new ArrayList<>())
+                        .add("profile '" + name + "' gitTokenEnv");
+            }
+        });
+        return requiredBy;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * CB-594: log, by name only, which required env vars (see {@link #requiredSecretEnvVars}) are
+     * set in the daemon's own process environment — the environment every profile's {@code
+     * tokenEnv}/{@code gitTokenEnv} is read from at spawn time (see
+     * {@code HerdrPeerLauncher.resolveEnv}). Never logs a value, a prefix, or a length.
+     *
+     * <p>A missing entry only warns — it must never refuse to start. A daemon that boots and says
+     * what is wrong is strictly more useful than one that will not boot at all.
+     */
+    private static void reportRequiredSecrets(BridgedConfig cfg) {
+        Map<String, List<String>> requiredBy = requiredSecretEnvVars(cfg);
+        if (requiredBy.isEmpty()) {
+            log.info("startup secrets: no profile references a token env var — nothing to check");
+            return;
+        }
+        Map<String, String> env = System.getenv();
+        requiredBy.forEach((varName, sources) -> {
+            String value = env.get(varName);
+            if (value != null && !value.isBlank()) {
+                log.info("startup secret {}: set ({})", varName, String.join(", ", sources));
+            } else {
+                log.warn("startup secret {}: MISSING ({}) — the daemon will start anyway, and this "
+                                + "failure stays invisible until a worker actually needs it. Fix "
+                                + "${SHARED_ENV}/tools/secrets.sh and restart bridged from a LOGIN "
+                                + "shell (see scripts/redeploy-bridged.sh).",
+                        varName, String.join(", ", sources));
+            }
+        });
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * CB-596: {@code known:} empty (block absent entirely, or present but empty) means {@link
+     * BridgedConfig.MemberCredentials#blockedSet()} is empty too — every member pane inherits the
+     * operator's whole secret store, unblocked, exactly the defect this ticket fixes. Unlike a
+     * missing token ({@link #reportRequiredSecrets}), there is no name to point at: the point is
+     * that the block itself is missing. Warn once at startup and say what to add; never refuse to
+     * start over it — see {@link #reportRequiredSecrets} for why a daemon that boots and says
+     * what is wrong beats one that will not boot at all.
+     *
+     * <p>Package-private so the test can capture the log directly, the same way {@link
+     * #requiredSecretEnvVars} is exposed for {@link #reportRequiredSecrets}'s own test.
+     */
+    static void reportMemberCredentialsGap(BridgedConfig cfg) {
+        BridgedConfig.MemberCredentials creds = cfg.memberCredentials();
+        if (creds != null && !creds.known().isEmpty()) {
+            log.info("memberCredentials: {} known name(s), {} allowed — blocking {} on every spawn",
+                    creds.known().size(), creds.allow().size(), creds.blockedSet().size());
+            return;
+        }
+        log.warn("memberCredentials: absent or empty — the daemon will start anyway, and every "
+                + "member pane inherits the operator's WHOLE secret store, unblocked (CB-592's "
+                + "protection is lost). Add a memberCredentials: block (policy/allow/known) to "
+                + "bridged.yaml — see bridged.example.yaml — and restart.");
+    }
+
     /**
      * Poll herdr's {@code ping} until it answers or {@link #HERDR_WAIT_SECONDS} elapses (CB-504).
      *

bridged/src/main/java/dev/ltms/bridged/config/BridgedConfig.java

@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@ import com.fasterxml.jackson.core.JsonParser;
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.core.JsonToken;
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper;
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.dataformat.yaml.YAMLFactory;
+import dev.ltms.bridged.msg.AmqpReplyInbox;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.MemberRole;
+import dev.ltms.bridged.placement.PlacementPolicies;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
@@ -58,6 +60,15 @@ import java.util.Set;
  *                      {@code fixed} (default), {@code round-robin}, or {@code weighted}
  * @param auth          API authentication mode ({@code null} → {@code loopback-trust}, the
  *                      historical behaviour), CB-501
+ * @param quarantineCooldownSeconds  how long a credential stays quarantined after a
+ *                      {@code BACKEND_EXHAUSTED} classification (CB-578 stage B); {@code null}/{@code
+ *                      <=0} → {@link #DEFAULT_QUARANTINE_COOLDOWN_SECONDS}. Baked once into the
+ *                      {@code BackendQuarantine} built at startup, so it is DEFERRED: changing it
+ *                      needs a restart, and a quarantine already running keeps whatever cooldown was
+ *                      live when it started.
+ * @param memberCredentials deny-by-default policy (CB-596) for which of the operator's own host
+ *                      credentials a spawned member's pane inherits. {@code null} (the block
+ *                      omitted) blocks nothing — see {@link MemberCredentials}.
  */
 @JsonIgnoreProperties(ignoreUnknown = true)
 public record BridgedConfig(
@@ -76,7 +87,23 @@ public record BridgedConfig(
         Health health,
         String placement,
         Auth auth,
-        ConfigReload configReload) {
+        ConfigReload configReload,
+        Integer quarantineCooldownSeconds,
+        MemberCredentials memberCredentials) {
+
+    /** Back-compat form before the CB-596 {@code memberCredentials:} block was added. */
+    public BridgedConfig(Bind bind, String herdrSocket, Map<String, Profile> profiles, Guard guard,
+                         String worktreeRoot, Lifecycle lifecycle, Integer spawnReadyTimeoutMs,
+                         Integer spawnReadyPollMs, Broker broker, Primary primary, Fleet fleet,
+                         LeadHeartbeat leadHeartbeat, Health health, String placement, Auth auth,
+                         ConfigReload configReload, Integer quarantineCooldownSeconds) {
+        this(bind, herdrSocket, profiles, guard, worktreeRoot, lifecycle, spawnReadyTimeoutMs,
+                spawnReadyPollMs, broker, primary, fleet, leadHeartbeat, health, placement, auth,
+                configReload, quarantineCooldownSeconds, null);
+    }
+
+    /** Default cooldown (CB-578 stage B) when {@code quarantineCooldownSeconds} is absent/non-positive. */
+    public static final int DEFAULT_QUARANTINE_COOLDOWN_SECONDS = 1800;
 
     /** Back-compat 14-arg form — no {@code configReload:} block, so file watching stays off. */
     public BridgedConfig(Bind bind, String herdrSocket, Map<String, Profile> profiles, Guard guard,
@@ -84,7 +111,7 @@ public record BridgedConfig(
                          Integer spawnReadyPollMs, Broker broker, Primary primary, Fleet fleet,
                          LeadHeartbeat leadHeartbeat, String placement, Auth auth) {
         this(bind, herdrSocket, profiles, guard, worktreeRoot, lifecycle, spawnReadyTimeoutMs,
-                spawnReadyPollMs, broker, primary, fleet, leadHeartbeat, null, placement, auth, null);
+                spawnReadyPollMs, broker, primary, fleet, leadHeartbeat, null, placement, auth, null, null);
     }
 
     /** Back-compat form before the optional {@code health:} block was added. */
@@ -93,7 +120,18 @@ public record BridgedConfig(
                          Integer spawnReadyPollMs, Broker broker, Primary primary, Fleet fleet,
                          LeadHeartbeat leadHeartbeat, String placement, Auth auth, ConfigReload configReload) {
         this(bind, herdrSocket, profiles, guard, worktreeRoot, lifecycle, spawnReadyTimeoutMs,
-                spawnReadyPollMs, broker, primary, fleet, leadHeartbeat, null, placement, auth, configReload);
+                spawnReadyPollMs, broker, primary, fleet, leadHeartbeat, null, placement, auth, configReload, null);
+    }
+
+    /** Back-compat form before the CB-578 stage B {@code quarantineCooldownSeconds} field was added. */
+    public BridgedConfig(Bind bind, String herdrSocket, Map<String, Profile> profiles, Guard guard,
+                         String worktreeRoot, Lifecycle lifecycle, Integer spawnReadyTimeoutMs,
+                         Integer spawnReadyPollMs, Broker broker, Primary primary, Fleet fleet,
+                         LeadHeartbeat leadHeartbeat, Health health, String placement, Auth auth,
+                         ConfigReload configReload) {
+        this(bind, herdrSocket, profiles, guard, worktreeRoot, lifecycle, spawnReadyTimeoutMs,
+                spawnReadyPollMs, broker, primary, fleet, leadHeartbeat, health, placement, auth,
+                configReload, null);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -151,19 +189,58 @@ public record BridgedConfig(
      * @param cwd            fixed working directory for this profile's workers (CB-112 "told otherwise");
      *                       {@code null}/blank → inherit the primary's cwd, else the daemon's
      * @param parityOverlay  repo-relative paths copied primary→worktree for config parity; null/empty
-     *                       defaults to a sensible set of local config files
+     *                       defaults to a sensible set of local config files.
+     *                       <p><strong>Every overlay path must be gitignored or tracked-and-skipped.</strong>
+     *                       CB-576 made {@code release()} preserve a worktree that {@code git status
+     *                       --porcelain} reports as dirty, and it deliberately counts untracked files —
+     *                       the work lost in CB-576 was a new file nobody had added. So an overlay path
+     *                       that is neither gitignored nor tracked lands in every worktree as an
+     *                       untracked file, makes every {@code COMPLETED} release preserve, and
+     *                       worktrees then accumulate with no error anywhere.
+     *                       <p>Checked on 2026-08-15 (CB-581): inert as configured. Tracked overlay
+     *                       files carry {@code --skip-worktree} so {@code --porcelain} cannot see them,
+     *                       {@code bridged.yaml} is gitignored, and the default pair {@code .env} /
+     *                       {@code .envrc} does not exist in this repo. Note the default applies to
+     *                       <em>every</em> profile, so creating either file at the repo root is enough
+     *                       to make it live. Add a new overlay path to {@code .gitignore} in the same
+     *                       change that adds it here.
+     *                       <p>CB-578 stage C raised the stakes: a preserved dirty worktree is now also
+     *                       committed to {@code refs/wip/<branch>} via {@code git add -A}. The overlay
+     *                       carries the primary's own environment files into the worktree, so a
+     *                       non-gitignored overlay path no longer merely sits there as an untracked
+     *                       file — it gets committed into a git object that survives the worktree's
+     *                       removal. {@code add -A} respects {@code .gitignore}, which is exactly what
+     *                       keeps that from happening, so the gitignore rule above is now what stops a
+     *                       secret from reaching a durable commit.
      * @param gitTokenEnv    name of the host env var holding the git-forge API token; when set, its
      *                       value is injected as {@code GITEA_TOKEN} so the worker can open its own PR
      *                       at checkpoint (CB-302). {@code null}/blank ⇒ no token is injected
      *                       (minimal-grant default — push over SSH stays free, PR-create is opt-in)
      * @param gitHostEnv     name of the host env var holding the forge host (default {@code GITEA_HOST});
      *                       injected as {@code GITEA_HOST} <em>only</em> when {@code gitTokenEnv} is set
-     * @param weight         relative selection weight for {@code placement: weighted}. Absent or
-     *                       non-positive ⇒ 1.0. Weights are normalised by the policy, so they need
-     *                       not sum to 1.0.
-     * @param maxLoad         max live workers allowed on this profile at one time; absent or
-     *                       non-positive ⇒ unlimited. Live means any session the registry still owns
-     *                       (acquired and not yet released), in any state.
+     * @param weight         relative selection weight for automatic placement ({@code weighted},
+     *                       {@code round-robin}, and {@code fixed}'s fallback walk). Absent ⇒ 1.0.
+     *                       An explicit {@code 0} or negative value (CB-554) means "never
+     *                       auto-select this profile": it is excluded from every automatic policy's
+     *                       pool the same way a quarantined candidate is (see
+     *                       {@code PlacementPolicyUtil}). This does not make the profile
+     *                       unreachable — an explicit {@code bridge_spawn{profile:"..."}} bypasses
+     *                       placement entirely and still resolves it. Weights among the remaining
+     *                       (non-excluded) candidates need not sum to 1.0; only their ratios matter.
+     * @param maxLoad         max live workers allowed on this profile at one time. Absent
+     *                       (unset/{@code null}) ⇒ unlimited — most profiles rely on this. An
+     *                       explicit {@code 0} (CB-585) means "cap this profile at zero live
+     *                       members": it is excluded from every automatic policy's candidate pool
+     *                       the same way a {@code weight <= 0} profile is (see
+     *                       {@code PlacementPolicyUtil.available()}, which already treats "at cap"
+     *                       and "excluded" alike), and an explicit
+     *                       {@code bridge_spawn{profile:"..."}} against it is refused too (see
+     *                       {@code CompositePeerLauncher.enforceMaxLoad}) — a cap is a capacity
+     *                       statement that does not stop being true just because the profile was
+     *                       named directly. A negative value has no sane meaning (there is no
+     *                       "excluded" to degrade to below zero) and is refused at config load
+     *                       instead, naming the profile and the key. Live means any session the
+     *                       registry still owns (acquired and not yet released), in any state.
      * @param kind           which peer launcher spawns this profile: {@code "claude-code"} (default —
      *                       the {@link dev.ltms.bridged.member.ClaudeCodeLauncher}) or {@code "opencode"}.
      *                       The {@code CompositePeerLauncher} routes {@code spawn}/reap by this value, so
@@ -187,6 +264,17 @@ public record BridgedConfig(
      *                       {@code null}/blank ⇒ the classification never fires for this profile and
      *                       today's completion-fallback behaviour is unchanged. Every backend words
      *                       its refusal differently, so this is config, never a vendor string in code.
+     * @param credentialId   the shared account this profile authenticates as (CB-578 stage B). Two
+     *                       or more profiles setting the <em>same</em> non-blank value are quarantined
+     *                       together by one {@code exhaustedPattern} classification on any one of
+     *                       them — the case a single OpenAI (or any other) credential backing several
+     *                       profiles ({@code sol}, {@code terra}, ...) needs, so a spawn does not walk
+     *                       straight onto the other profile sharing the same exhausted account.
+     *                       {@code null}/blank ⇒ this profile's {@link #effectiveCredentialId()} is
+     *                       its own name, so it quarantines alone — today's behaviour for every
+     *                       profile that does not opt in. Read live off the current config, so it is
+     *                       HOT: a change takes effect on the next exhaustion classification / spawn,
+     *                       no restart needed.
      */
     @JsonIgnoreProperties(ignoreUnknown = true)
     public record Profile(String profile, String baseUrl, String model,
@@ -200,7 +288,8 @@ public record BridgedConfig(
                          Float weight,
                          Integer maxLoad,
                          Boolean subscription,
-                         String exhaustedPattern) {
+                         String exhaustedPattern,
+                         String credentialId) {
 
         /** Peer kind spawned by {@link dev.ltms.bridged.member.ClaudeCodeLauncher} (the default). */
         public static final String KIND_CLAUDE_CODE = "claude-code";
@@ -240,12 +329,25 @@ public record BridgedConfig(
             // checkpoints need only set gitTokenEnv; it is injected only alongside a resolved token.
             gitHostEnv = (gitHostEnv == null || gitHostEnv.isBlank()) ? "GITEA_HOST" : gitHostEnv;
             env = (env == null) ? Map.of() : Map.copyOf(env);
-            weight = (weight == null || weight <= 0.0f) ? 1.0f : weight;
-            maxLoad = (maxLoad == null || maxLoad <= 0) ? null : maxLoad;
+            // CB-554: absent still means 1.0, but an explicit non-positive value must survive as
+            // "excluded from automatic selection" (PlacementCandidate.excluded(), weight <= 0), not
+            // get coerced back up to 1.0 — that coercion was the bug (weight: 0 looked like "never
+            // pick me" and actually meant "pick me as often as anyone else").
+            weight = (weight == null) ? 1.0f : Math.max(weight, 0.0f);
+            // CB-585: absent still means unlimited (null), but an explicit maxLoad: 0 must survive
+            // as "capped at zero," not get coerced back up to null/unlimited — that coercion was
+            // the bug (maxLoad: 0 read as "never run anything here" and behaved as the opposite,
+            // the one throttle a subscription: true profile has against the operator's own paid
+            // plan). A negative value is refused earlier, at config load (rejectNegativeMaxLoad),
+            // so it never reaches this constructor and needs no clamping here.
             subscription = (subscription != null && subscription) ? Boolean.TRUE : Boolean.FALSE;
             // exhaustedPattern stays null when unset/blank (opt-in) — no defaulting, no vendor
             // wording: an unconfigured profile keeps today's completion-fallback behaviour exactly.
             exhaustedPattern = (exhaustedPattern == null || exhaustedPattern.isBlank()) ? null : exhaustedPattern;
+            // credentialId stays null when unset/blank — effectiveCredentialId() is where the
+            // "quarantines alone" fallback actually lives, so today's behaviour needs no defaulting
+            // here at all.
+            credentialId = (credentialId == null || credentialId.isBlank()) ? null : credentialId;
         }
 
         /**
@@ -290,7 +392,7 @@ public record BridgedConfig(
         public Profile withProfile(String p) {
             return new Profile(p, baseUrl, model, configDir, tokenEnv, argv, placement, workspace, tabLabel,
                     mcpUrl, cwd, parityOverlay, gitTokenEnv, gitHostEnv, kind, env, weight, maxLoad, subscription,
-                    exhaustedPattern);
+                    exhaustedPattern, credentialId);
         }
 
         /** True when this profile is served by the Claude Code adapter (the default kind). */
@@ -326,11 +428,38 @@ public record BridgedConfig(
                     mcpUrl, cwd, parityOverlay, gitTokenEnv, gitHostEnv, kind, env, weight, maxLoad, null, null);
         }
 
+        /**
+         * Backward-compatible constructor without the CB-578 stage B {@code credentialId} — the
+         * profile quarantines alone under its own name (see {@link #effectiveCredentialId()}). Keeps
+         * pre-stage-B call sites (and any YAML that omits the key) compiling and behaving identically.
+         */
+        public Profile(String profile, String baseUrl, String model,
+                      String configDir, String tokenEnv, List<String> argv,
+                      String placement, String workspace, String tabLabel, String mcpUrl,
+                      String cwd, List<String> parityOverlay, String gitTokenEnv, String gitHostEnv,
+                      String kind, Map<String, String> env, Float weight, Integer maxLoad,
+                      Boolean subscription, String exhaustedPattern) {
+            this(profile, baseUrl, model, configDir, tokenEnv, argv, placement, workspace, tabLabel,
+                    mcpUrl, cwd, parityOverlay, gitTokenEnv, gitHostEnv, kind, env, weight, maxLoad,
+                    subscription, exhaustedPattern, null);
+        }
+
         /** True when this profile's CB-578 stage A backend-exhausted classification is configured. */
         public boolean hasExhaustedPattern() {
             return exhaustedPattern != null;
         }
 
+        /**
+         * The credential group this profile quarantines with (CB-578 stage B): the configured
+         * {@link #credentialId} when set, else this profile's own name — so an unconfigured profile
+         * quarantines alone, exactly as it did before this field existed. Two profiles that set the
+         * same non-blank {@code credentialId} share one quarantine: a {@code BACKEND_EXHAUSTED}
+         * classification on either one quarantines both.
+         */
+        public String effectiveCredentialId() {
+            return (credentialId == null || credentialId.isBlank()) ? profile : credentialId;
+        }
+
         /** True when this profile's workers are granted a forge token to open their own PR (CB-302). */
         public boolean hasGitToken() {
             return gitTokenEnv != null && !gitTokenEnv.isBlank();
@@ -420,16 +549,24 @@ public record BridgedConfig(
      * stays soft-state. Production default is LavinMQ; a stock RabbitMQ speaks the same AMQP 0-9-1
      * and is a URI-only swap.
      *
-     * @param uri AMQP connection URI, e.g. {@code amqp://guest:guest@127.0.0.1:5672/}. Blank/{@code null}
-     *            ⇒ the broker block is treated as absent (in-memory adapter).
+     * @param uri      AMQP connection URI, e.g. {@code amqp://guest:guest@127.0.0.1:5672/}. Blank/
+     *                 {@code null} ⇒ the broker block is treated as absent (in-memory adapter).
+     * @param prefetch CB-527: the consumer's {@code basicQos} prefetch count, bounding how many
+     *                 unacked messages the AMQP inbox holds in-heap per owned target. {@code null}/
+     *                 non-positive ⇒ {@link AmqpReplyInbox#DEFAULT_PREFETCH}.
      */
     @JsonIgnoreProperties(ignoreUnknown = true)
-    public record Broker(String uri) {
+    public record Broker(String uri, Integer prefetch) {
 
         /** True when a usable broker URI is configured (an empty block does not enable AMQP). */
         public boolean isConfigured() {
             return uri != null && !uri.isBlank();
         }
+
+        /** The prefetch to use, defaulting to {@link AmqpReplyInbox#DEFAULT_PREFETCH} when unset. */
+        public int prefetchOrDefault() {
+            return (prefetch != null && prefetch > 0) ? prefetch : AmqpReplyInbox.DEFAULT_PREFETCH;
+        }
     }
 
     /**
@@ -804,6 +941,58 @@ public record BridgedConfig(
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * CB-596: which of the operator's own host credentials a spawned member's pane may inherit.
+     *
+     * <p>A herdr pane runs a login shell that re-sources the operator's own secret store, so a
+     * member inherits every credential the operator's shell holds — measured at 31 names on this
+     * host, of which only one ({@code GITEA_ACCESS_TOKEN}) used to be blocked, and that block was a
+     * single name hardcoded in {@link HerdrPeerLauncher} rather than driven by config (gitea issue
+     * #82). This record replaces that hardcoded shadow with a config-driven one.
+     *
+     * <p><b>deny-by-default, not a deny-list.</b> A deny-list (block these specific names, let
+     * everything else through) is silently wrong the moment a new secret is added to the operator's
+     * store — nothing would ever report it. Deny-by-default inverts that: {@link #known} bounds the
+     * blast radius to names the operator has actually enumerated, and every one of them is blocked
+     * UNLESS it is also in {@link #allow}. A name that shows up in neither list is not silently
+     * allowed — see {@code HerdrPeerLauncher}'s gap detector, which logs it.
+     *
+     * @param policy how the block is computed. Only {@link #POLICY_DENY_BY_DEFAULT} is understood
+     *               today; {@code null}/blank defaults to it. An operator's own deny-list is
+     *               deliberately not supported — see above.
+     * @param allow  credential names a member legitimately needs (e.g. the gateway token it reaches
+     *               the LLM through, the repo-scoped forge token it opens its own PR with). Every
+     *               name here is left unmentioned in the pane's env overlay, so the value the pane's
+     *               own (login) shell exports passes through untouched.
+     * @param known  every credential name the operator's store is known to export. Every name here
+     *               that is NOT also in {@link #allow} is overlaid with a non-secret sentinel value,
+     *               shadowing whatever the pane's login shell would otherwise export for it.
+     */
+    @JsonIgnoreProperties(ignoreUnknown = true)
+    public record MemberCredentials(String policy, List<String> allow, List<String> known) {
+
+        /** The only policy this build understands: block every {@code known} name not in {@code allow}. */
+        public static final String POLICY_DENY_BY_DEFAULT = "deny-by-default";
+
+        public MemberCredentials {
+            policy = (policy == null || policy.isBlank()) ? POLICY_DENY_BY_DEFAULT : policy.toLowerCase();
+            allow = allow == null ? List.of() : List.copyOf(allow);
+            known = known == null ? List.of() : List.copyOf(known);
+        }
+
+        /** {@link #allow} as a set, for membership checks. */
+        public Set<String> allowSet() {
+            return Set.copyOf(allow);
+        }
+
+        /** {@link #known} minus {@link #allow} — the names a spawn must shadow. */
+        public Set<String> blockedSet() {
+            Set<String> blocked = new java.util.LinkedHashSet<>(known);
+            blocked.removeAll(allowSet());
+            return blocked;
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * The candidate profiles an unqualified spawn of {@code role} chooses between, in definition
      * order (CB-557).
@@ -846,11 +1035,16 @@ public record BridgedConfig(
     /**
      * Top-level keys this version understands. Used only to warn about the rest — see
      * {@link #warnUnknownTopLevelKeys}. Keep in step with the record components.
+     *
+     * <p>Package-private (not {@code private}) so a test can assert every key here is documented in
+     * {@code bridged.example.yaml} — the only committed description of the config schema, since
+     * {@code bridged.yaml} itself is gitignored.
      */
-    private static final Set<String> KNOWN_TOP_LEVEL_KEYS = Set.of(
+    static final Set<String> KNOWN_TOP_LEVEL_KEYS = Set.of(
             "bind", "herdrSocket", "profiles", "guard", "worktreeRoot",
             "lifecycle", "spawnReadyTimeoutMs", "spawnReadyPollMs", "broker", "primary", "fleet",
-            "leadHeartbeat", "health", "placement", "auth", "configReload");
+            "leadHeartbeat", "health", "placement", "auth", "configReload", "quarantineCooldownSeconds",
+            "memberCredentials");
 
     /** Load and validate config from {@code path}. */
     public static BridgedConfig load(Path path) {
@@ -860,7 +1054,16 @@ public record BridgedConfig(
             rejectLeaderTerminalKey(yaml);
             warnUnknownTopLevelKeys(yaml, path);
             rejectDuplicateMemberSlots(yaml);
+            rejectNegativeMaxLoad(yaml);
+            rejectUnknownKind(yaml);
+            rejectUnknownAuthMode(yaml);
+            rejectUnknownPlacement(yaml);
+            rejectUnknownMemberCredentialsPolicy(yaml);
             BridgedConfig cfg = YAML.readValue(yaml, BridgedConfig.class);
+            // CB-606: validated here, eagerly, using PlacementPolicies.fromName as the single source
+            // of truth — not lazily at first spawn (see CompositePeerLauncher's placementPolicy
+            // Supplier), where a bad name would still start a daemon that looks healthy.
+            rejectUnknownPlacementPolicy(cfg.placement());
             return cfg.withDefaults();
         } catch (IOException e) {
             throw new UncheckedIOException("cannot read bridged config at " + path, e);
@@ -1119,6 +1322,236 @@ public record BridgedConfig(
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Reject a profile whose {@code maxLoad:} is negative, naming both the profile and the key.
+     *
+     * <p>Unlike {@code weight} (CB-554), where a negative value degrades to the same "excluded"
+     * meaning as an explicit {@code 0}, {@code maxLoad} has nowhere lower to degrade to — {@code 0}
+     * already means "capped at zero live members" (CB-585), the strictest cap there is. Silently
+     * normalising a negative value to something else is exactly the shape of bug this ticket fixes
+     * for {@code 0}, so it is refused instead, loud and specific, rather than guessed at.
+     *
+     * @param yaml the raw config text
+     * @throws IllegalStateException when any profile's {@code maxLoad} is negative
+     */
+    static void rejectNegativeMaxLoad(String yaml) {
+        Map<?, ?> raw;
+        try {
+            raw = YAML.readValue(yaml, Map.class);
+        } catch (IOException | IllegalArgumentException e) {
+            return; // a malformed file is reported by the real parse, not here
+        }
+        if (raw == null || !(raw.get("profiles") instanceof Map<?, ?> profiles)) {
+            return;
+        }
+        List<String> bad = profiles.entrySet().stream()
+                .filter(e -> e.getValue() instanceof Map<?, ?> p
+                        && p.get("maxLoad") instanceof Number n && n.doubleValue() < 0)
+                .map(e -> String.valueOf(e.getKey()))
+                .sorted()
+                .toList();
+        if (!bad.isEmpty()) {
+            throw new IllegalStateException("refusing to start: profile(s) [" + String.join(", ", bad)
+                    + "] set a negative maxLoad — maxLoad caps live workers at a non-negative count;"
+                    + " use 0 to cap a profile at zero live members, or omit the key for unlimited.");
+        }
+    }
+
+    /** The peer kinds this build has an adapter for — {@link Profile#kind()}'s only valid values. */
+    private static final Set<String> KNOWN_KINDS = Set.of(Profile.KIND_CLAUDE_CODE, Profile.KIND_OPENCODE);
+
+    /**
+     * Reject a profile whose {@code kind:} is not one of {@link #KNOWN_KINDS} (CB-604), naming the
+     * profile, the value it set, and the accepted set.
+     *
+     * <p>{@link Profile}'s compact constructor only lower-cases {@code kind} and compares it against
+     * {@code KIND_OPENCODE} — anything else, including a typo like {@code opencod}, silently falls
+     * into the claude-code bucket ({@link dev.ltms.bridged.member.CompositePeerLauncher} routes by
+     * exact adapter claim, not by membership in a known set). With {@code argv:} also unset, the argv
+     * default special-cases only the exact string {@code "claude-code"}, so the launch command falls
+     * back to {@code List.of(kind)} — the daemon then tries to run a program literally named after the
+     * typo. {@code CompositePeerLauncher}'s constructor already treats a profile claimed by two
+     * adapters as fatal (CB-402); an unrecognized kind is the same class of adapter-routing mistake
+     * and gets the same treatment here, at config load, rather than surfacing later as a failed spawn.
+     *
+     * @param yaml the raw config text
+     * @throws IllegalStateException when any profile's {@code kind} is a non-blank value not in
+     *                                {@link #KNOWN_KINDS} (case-insensitive)
+     */
+    static void rejectUnknownKind(String yaml) {
+        Map<?, ?> raw;
+        try {
+            raw = YAML.readValue(yaml, Map.class);
+        } catch (IOException | IllegalArgumentException e) {
+            return; // a malformed file is reported by the real parse, not here
+        }
+        if (raw == null || !(raw.get("profiles") instanceof Map<?, ?> profiles)) {
+            return;
+        }
+        List<String> bad = profiles.entrySet().stream()
+                .filter(e -> e.getValue() instanceof Map<?, ?> p
+                        && p.get("kind") instanceof String k && !k.isBlank()
+                        && !KNOWN_KINDS.contains(k.toLowerCase()))
+                .map(e -> String.valueOf(e.getKey()) + "=" + ((Map<?, ?>) e.getValue()).get("kind"))
+                .sorted()
+                .toList();
+        if (!bad.isEmpty()) {
+            throw new IllegalStateException("refusing to start: profile(s) [" + String.join(", ", bad)
+                    + "] set an unrecognized kind — accepted values are "
+                    + String.join(", ", KNOWN_KINDS.stream().sorted().toList())
+                    + " (case-insensitive); an unrecognized kind would otherwise fall back to the"
+                    + " claude-code adapter and try to launch a program named after the typo.");
+        }
+    }
+
+    /** The auth modes this build understands — {@link Auth#mode()}'s only valid values. */
+    private static final Set<String> KNOWN_AUTH_MODES = Set.of(Auth.MODE_LOOPBACK_TRUST, Auth.MODE_TOKEN);
+
+    /**
+     * Reject an {@code auth.mode} that is not one of {@link #KNOWN_AUTH_MODES} (CB-606), naming the
+     * value and the accepted set.
+     *
+     * <p>{@link Auth}'s compact constructor only lower-cases {@code mode}, and
+     * {@link Auth#tokenMode()} only compares the result against {@code MODE_TOKEN} — anything else,
+     * including a typo like {@code toekn}, silently behaves as {@code loopback-trust}. That fallback
+     * is otherwise checked only by {@link #validateAuthExposure()}, and only when the bind is
+     * non-loopback: on a loopback bind (the common case) the typo is invisible end to end — the
+     * daemon starts cleanly and authenticates nobody while the operator believes {@code token} mode
+     * is active. Refuse it here, unconditionally, at config load, rather than let it hide behind the
+     * bind check.
+     *
+     * @param yaml the raw config text
+     * @throws IllegalStateException when {@code auth.mode} is a non-blank value not in
+     *                                {@link #KNOWN_AUTH_MODES} (case-insensitive)
+     */
+    static void rejectUnknownAuthMode(String yaml) {
+        Map<?, ?> raw;
+        try {
+            raw = YAML.readValue(yaml, Map.class);
+        } catch (IOException | IllegalArgumentException e) {
+            return; // a malformed file is reported by the real parse, not here
+        }
+        if (raw == null || !(raw.get("auth") instanceof Map<?, ?> auth)) {
+            return;
+        }
+        if (!(auth.get("mode") instanceof String mode) || mode.isBlank()
+                || KNOWN_AUTH_MODES.contains(mode.toLowerCase())) {
+            return;
+        }
+        throw new IllegalStateException("refusing to start: auth.mode=" + mode
+                + " is not recognized — accepted values are "
+                + String.join(", ", KNOWN_AUTH_MODES.stream().sorted().toList())
+                + " (case-insensitive); an unrecognized mode would otherwise silently fall back to"
+                + " loopback-trust, which authenticates nobody.");
+    }
+
+    /** The per-profile placements this build understands — {@link Profile#placement()}'s only valid values. */
+    private static final Set<String> KNOWN_PLACEMENTS = Set.of("tab", "pane");
+
+    /**
+     * Reject a profile whose {@code placement:} is not one of {@link #KNOWN_PLACEMENTS} (CB-606),
+     * naming the profile, the value it set, and the accepted set.
+     *
+     * <p>{@link Profile}'s compact constructor only lower-cases {@code placement}, and
+     * {@link Profile#tabPlacement()} only compares the result against {@code "tab"} — anything else,
+     * including a typo like {@code tabb}, silently falls back to the legacy pane placement with no
+     * signal anywhere.
+     *
+     * @param yaml the raw config text
+     * @throws IllegalStateException when any profile's {@code placement} is a non-blank value not in
+     *                                {@link #KNOWN_PLACEMENTS} (case-insensitive)
+     */
+    static void rejectUnknownPlacement(String yaml) {
+        Map<?, ?> raw;
+        try {
+            raw = YAML.readValue(yaml, Map.class);
+        } catch (IOException | IllegalArgumentException e) {
+            return; // a malformed file is reported by the real parse, not here
+        }
+        if (raw == null || !(raw.get("profiles") instanceof Map<?, ?> profiles)) {
+            return;
+        }
+        List<String> bad = profiles.entrySet().stream()
+                .filter(e -> e.getValue() instanceof Map<?, ?> p
+                        && p.get("placement") instanceof String pl && !pl.isBlank()
+                        && !KNOWN_PLACEMENTS.contains(pl.toLowerCase()))
+                .map(e -> String.valueOf(e.getKey()) + "=" + ((Map<?, ?>) e.getValue()).get("placement"))
+                .sorted()
+                .toList();
+        if (!bad.isEmpty()) {
+            throw new IllegalStateException("refusing to start: profile(s) [" + String.join(", ", bad)
+                    + "] set an unrecognized placement — accepted values are "
+                    + String.join(", ", KNOWN_PLACEMENTS.stream().sorted().toList())
+                    + " (case-insensitive); an unrecognized placement would otherwise fall back to"
+                    + " legacy pane placement with no signal anywhere.");
+        }
+    }
+
+    /** The member-credential policies this build understands — {@link MemberCredentials#policy()}'s only valid value. */
+    private static final Set<String> KNOWN_MEMBER_CREDENTIALS_POLICIES =
+            Set.of(MemberCredentials.POLICY_DENY_BY_DEFAULT);
+
+    /**
+     * Reject a {@code memberCredentials.policy} that is not {@link #KNOWN_MEMBER_CREDENTIALS_POLICIES}
+     * (CB-596), naming the value and the accepted set.
+     *
+     * <p>{@link MemberCredentials}'s compact constructor only lower-cases {@code policy} and defaults
+     * a blank one to {@link MemberCredentials#POLICY_DENY_BY_DEFAULT} — nothing rejects an actual
+     * typo like {@code deny-by-defualt}. There is only one policy today, so such a typo would
+     * currently behave identically to the real value by accident; the day a second policy exists
+     * that accident becomes a silent behavior change. Refuse it now, at config load, following the
+     * same pattern as {@link #rejectUnknownAuthMode} and {@link #rejectUnknownPlacement}.
+     *
+     * @param yaml the raw config text
+     * @throws IllegalStateException when {@code memberCredentials.policy} is a non-blank value not in
+     *                                {@link #KNOWN_MEMBER_CREDENTIALS_POLICIES} (case-insensitive)
+     */
+    static void rejectUnknownMemberCredentialsPolicy(String yaml) {
+        Map<?, ?> raw;
+        try {
+            raw = YAML.readValue(yaml, Map.class);
+        } catch (IOException | IllegalArgumentException e) {
+            return; // a malformed file is reported by the real parse, not here
+        }
+        if (raw == null || !(raw.get("memberCredentials") instanceof Map<?, ?> mc)) {
+            return;
+        }
+        if (!(mc.get("policy") instanceof String policy) || policy.isBlank()
+                || KNOWN_MEMBER_CREDENTIALS_POLICIES.contains(policy.toLowerCase())) {
+            return;
+        }
+        throw new IllegalStateException("refusing to start: memberCredentials.policy=" + policy
+                + " is not recognized — accepted values are "
+                + String.join(", ", KNOWN_MEMBER_CREDENTIALS_POLICIES.stream().sorted().toList())
+                + " (case-insensitive).");
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Reject a top-level {@code placement:} policy name {@link PlacementPolicies#fromName} does not
+     * recognize (CB-606), at config load rather than lazily at first spawn.
+     *
+     * <p>{@code CompositePeerLauncher} only calls {@link PlacementPolicies#fromName} per spawn,
+     * through a {@code Supplier} that re-reads live config (CB-559, so a hot-reloaded placement
+     * policy takes effect without a restart) — so a bad name still starts a daemon that looks
+     * healthy and fails only the first time something spawns without naming a profile. Every other
+     * field this class validates fails here, at load; this one gets the same treatment, calling
+     * {@link PlacementPolicies#fromName} itself as the single source of truth for what is valid
+     * rather than duplicating its accepted set.
+     *
+     * @param placement the raw, possibly null/blank {@code placement} value as parsed (before
+     *                   {@link #withDefaults()} runs); {@code fromName} itself treats null/blank as
+     *                   {@code fixed}, so this call changes no default
+     * @throws IllegalStateException when {@code placement} is a name {@link PlacementPolicies} does
+     *                                not recognize
+     */
+    private static void rejectUnknownPlacementPolicy(String placement) {
+        try {
+            PlacementPolicies.fromName(placement);
+        } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
+            throw new IllegalStateException("refusing to start: " + e.getMessage(), e);
+        }
+    }
+
     static List<String> unknownTopLevelKeys(String yaml) {
         Map<?, ?> raw;
         try {
@@ -1157,8 +1590,23 @@ public record BridgedConfig(
         // configReload is left as-is: null is "off", and ConfigReload's own compact constructor
         // defaults the fields of a block that IS present. Defaulting it here would start watching
         // the file for every config that never asked to be watched.
+        // quarantineCooldownSeconds IS defaulted, unlike leadHeartbeat/configReload above: it has no
+        // separate on/off switch of its own (BackendQuarantine only ever quarantines a credential
+        // after a BACKEND_EXHAUSTED classification, which stays opt-in via exhaustedPattern), so a
+        // config that never mentions it should still get a sane cooldown rather than a null one.
+        Integer quarantineCooldown = (quarantineCooldownSeconds != null && quarantineCooldownSeconds > 0)
+                ? quarantineCooldownSeconds : DEFAULT_QUARANTINE_COOLDOWN_SECONDS;
+        // memberCredentials IS defaulted, like guard/lifecycle/auth above, so no reader ever sees a
+        // null. CB-596: an empty MemberCredentials (empty known, empty allow) blocks NOTHING — unlike
+        // guard/lifecycle, an absent block is not a safe "feature off" default here, it is a gap. It
+        // is deliberately not pre-populated with a Java-side name list (that would just reintroduce
+        // the hardcoded-list defect this record replaces); the block must be configured in
+        // bridged.yaml to protect anything. See bridged.example.yaml's memberCredentials: comment.
+        MemberCredentials mc = memberCredentials != null ? memberCredentials
+                : new MemberCredentials(null, List.of(), List.of());
         return new BridgedConfig(b, herdrSocket, profiles, g, worktreeRoot, l, timeout, pollMs,
-                broker, primary, f, leadHeartbeat, health, placementOrDefault, a, configReload);
+                broker, primary, f, leadHeartbeat, health, placementOrDefault, a, configReload,
+                quarantineCooldown, mc);
     }
 
     /**

bridged/src/main/java/dev/ltms/bridged/config/ConfigRef.java

@@ -37,10 +37,15 @@ import java.util.function.Supplier;
  *       {@code fleet.leaders} needs a restart, the same as any deferred key below.</li>
  *   <li><strong>Deferred</strong> — accepted into the new snapshot, but the wiring built at startup
  *       keeps the old value until a restart: {@code lifecycle:}, {@code leadHeartbeat:},
- *       {@code spawnReadyTimeoutMs} / {@code spawnReadyPollMs}, {@code guard:},
- *       {@code worktreeRoot:}, adding or removing a profile (a new backend needs its own launcher,
+ *       {@code spawnReadyTimeoutMs} / {@code spawnReadyPollMs}, {@code quarantineCooldownSeconds}
+ *       (CB-578 stage B — baked once into the {@code BackendQuarantine} built at startup),
+ *       {@code guard:}, {@code worktreeRoot:}, adding or removing a profile (a new backend needs its own launcher,
  *       which is constructed once), <em>and an existing profile's launch settings</em> —
- *       {@code model}, {@code baseUrl}, {@code argv}, {@code env}, {@code mcpUrl} and the rest.
+ *       {@code model}, {@code baseUrl}, {@code argv}, {@code env}, {@code mcpUrl},
+ *       {@code exhaustedPattern} (CB-578 stage A — compiled once into {@code Bridged.main}'s
+ *       pattern map at startup), and the rest. {@code credentialId} (CB-578 stage B) is NOT on
+ *       this list — it is read live off the config supplier at every quarantine check and
+ *       exhaustion event, exactly like {@code weight} / {@code maxLoad}, so it is hot instead.
  *       {@code HerdrPeerLauncher} takes {@code Map.copyOf(profiles)} at construction and resolves
  *       each spawn out of that copy, so those never reach a launch until the daemon restarts. A
  *       reload logs these rather than pretending they applied.</li>
@@ -215,6 +220,12 @@ public final class ConfigRef implements Supplier<BridgedConfig> {
                 || !Objects.equals(old.spawnReadyPollMs(), fresh.spawnReadyPollMs())) {
             changed.add("spawnReady*");
         }
+        // CB-578 stage B: baked once into the BackendQuarantine built at startup — a running
+        // quarantine keeps its original cooldown regardless, and a new cooldown only applies to a
+        // quarantine that starts after a restart.
+        if (!Objects.equals(old.quarantineCooldownSeconds(), fresh.quarantineCooldownSeconds())) {
+            changed.add("quarantineCooldownSeconds");
+        }
         Map<String, BridgedConfig.Profile> before =
                 old.profiles() == null ? Map.of() : old.profiles();
         Map<String, BridgedConfig.Profile> after =
@@ -250,8 +261,10 @@ public final class ConfigRef implements Supplier<BridgedConfig> {
 
     /**
      * Whether two versions of a profile would launch a peer identically. Compares every component
-     * the launcher reads at spawn; {@code weight} and {@code maxLoad} are excluded because those are
-     * read live by the placement policy and really do take effect on the next spawn.
+     * the launcher reads at spawn; {@code weight}, {@code maxLoad} and {@code credentialId} are
+     * excluded because those are read live (by the placement policy and, for credentialId, by
+     * {@code CompositePeerLauncher}/the CB-578 stage B exhaustion sink) and really do take effect on
+     * the next spawn.
      */
     private static boolean sameLaunchSettings(BridgedConfig.Profile a, BridgedConfig.Profile b) {
         return Objects.equals(a.baseUrl(), b.baseUrl())
@@ -269,6 +282,10 @@ public final class ConfigRef implements Supplier<BridgedConfig> {
                 && Objects.equals(a.gitHostEnv(), b.gitHostEnv())
                 && Objects.equals(a.kind(), b.kind())
                 && Objects.equals(a.env(), b.env())
-                && Objects.equals(a.subscription(), b.subscription());
+                && Objects.equals(a.subscription(), b.subscription())
+                // CB-578 stage B: exhaustedPattern is compiled once into Bridged.main's pattern map
+                // at startup (see ExhaustedPatternLookup wiring) — a reload never re-reads it, so a
+                // changed pattern must be reported as deferred, exactly like model/baseUrl/argv.
+                && Objects.equals(a.exhaustedPattern(), b.exhaustedPattern());
     }
 }

bridged/src/main/java/dev/ltms/bridged/inject/CompletionResolver.java

@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ public final class CompletionResolver implements TurnListener {
     private final AgentControl agents;
     private final Rendezvous rendezvous;
     private final ExhaustedPatternLookup exhaustedPatterns;
+    private final ExhaustionSink exhaustionSink;
 
     /**
      * Per-target record of the turn currently in flight: the exact {@link Rendezvous} waiter its
@@ -89,11 +90,17 @@ public final class CompletionResolver implements TurnListener {
      *                          usage-limit refusal pattern. Required — there is deliberately no
      *                          defaulting overload; a caller that does not want the classification
      *                          must pass an explicit inert value ({@link ExhaustedPatternLookup#none()}).
+     * @param exhaustionSink    CB-578 stage B: notified when a {@code BACKEND_EXHAUSTED}
+     *                          classification actually resolves a waiter. Required for the same
+     *                          reason as {@code exhaustedPatterns} — pass {@link ExhaustionSink#none()}
+     *                          to opt out.
      */
-    public CompletionResolver(AgentControl agents, Rendezvous rendezvous, ExhaustedPatternLookup exhaustedPatterns) {
+    public CompletionResolver(AgentControl agents, Rendezvous rendezvous, ExhaustedPatternLookup exhaustedPatterns,
+                              ExhaustionSink exhaustionSink) {
         this.agents = agents;
         this.rendezvous = rendezvous;
         this.exhaustedPatterns = Objects.requireNonNull(exhaustedPatterns, "exhaustedPatterns");
+        this.exhaustionSink = Objects.requireNonNull(exhaustionSink, "exhaustionSink");
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -210,6 +217,9 @@ public final class CompletionResolver implements TurnListener {
                     inFlight.remove(target, turn);
                     log.warn("completion for {} classified BACKEND_EXHAUSTED (no bridge_reply; scrape "
                             + "matched the profile's exhausted pattern): {}", target, reason);
+                    // CB-578 stage B: only on the resolution that actually won the race — a late
+                    // duplicate must never quarantine a credential twice for one refusal.
+                    exhaustionSink.onExhausted(target, reason);
                 }
                 return;
             }

bridged/src/main/java/dev/ltms/bridged/inject/ExhaustionSink.java

@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+package dev.ltms.bridged.inject;
+
+/**
+ * Notified when {@link CompletionResolver} actually delivers a {@code BACKEND_EXHAUSTED}
+ * classification to a waiting send (CB-578 stage B) — never on a race that lost (see
+ * {@link CompletionResolver#resolve}, which only calls this after
+ * {@code Rendezvous.resolveExhausted} returns {@code true}).
+ *
+ * <p>{@link CompletionResolver} knows only {@code target} (a herdr terminal id); it has no notion of
+ * profiles or credentials, so mapping {@code target} to whatever should be quarantined is entirely
+ * the sink's job — see {@code Bridged.main}'s wiring, which resolves target → session → profile →
+ * {@code effectiveCredentialId()} and calls {@code BackendQuarantine.quarantine} on it.
+ */
+@FunctionalInterface
+public interface ExhaustionSink {
+
+    /**
+     * @param target the herdr terminal id whose turn was classified {@code BACKEND_EXHAUSTED}
+     * @param reason the matched-line reason carried by the classification
+     */
+    void onExhausted(String target, String reason);
+
+    /**
+     * Inert sink — nothing happens on exhaustion. The explicit stand-in a caller (or a test not
+     * exercising this feature) passes instead of a defaulting overload, exactly like
+     * {@link ExhaustedPatternLookup#none()}.
+     */
+    static ExhaustionSink none() {
+        return (target, reason) -> { };
+    }
+}

bridged/src/main/java/dev/ltms/bridged/mcp/BridgeMcp.java

@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ import dev.ltms.bridged.herdr.HerdrException;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.msg.MessageService;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.msg.Rendezvous;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.PeerUnreachableException;
+import dev.ltms.bridged.placement.BackendQuarantine;
+import dev.ltms.bridged.placement.PlacementException;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.session.SessionManager;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.session.MemberSession;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.session.WorktreeRequest;
@@ -33,6 +35,7 @@ import jakarta.servlet.http.HttpServlet;
 import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Objects;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.function.Function;
 import java.util.function.LongSupplier;
@@ -78,6 +81,7 @@ public final class BridgeMcp {
     private final Metrics metrics;      // CB-502: null → auth failures not counted
     private final CapacitySource capacity;
     private final HealthCoverageSource healthCoverage;
+    private final QuarantineSource quarantine;
 
     /** Capacity facts used by {@code bridge_list}; production must supply the placement live count. */
     public record CapacitySource(Function<String, Integer> liveCount, Function<String, Integer> maxLoad,
@@ -90,17 +94,30 @@ public final class BridgeMcp {
     /** Coverage is supplied by the health wiring, not inferred from a missing dependency. */
     public record HealthCoverageSource(Supplier<String> value) { }
 
+    /**
+     * CB-578 stage B quarantine facts used by {@code bridge_profiles}: a profile → credential id
+     * lookup, plus the shared {@link BackendQuarantine} to read remaining cooldowns off.
+     */
+    public record QuarantineSource(Function<String, String> credentialIdFor, BackendQuarantine quarantine) {
+        /** Inert source — no profile is ever reported quarantined. Explicit stand-in, not a default. */
+        public static QuarantineSource none() { return new QuarantineSource(_ -> null, BackendQuarantine.none()); }
+    }
+
     /**
      * @param callers resolves each call's {@link Principal}; {@code null} disables authorization.
      *                This surface needs its own enforcement: {@code /mcp} is a raw servlet on
      *                Jetty's context handler and never passes through Javalin's {@code before}
      *                filter, so the REST guard does not cover it.
      * @param metrics registry for auth-failure counting; may be {@code null}
+     * @param quarantine CB-578 stage B facts for {@code bridge_profiles}; required — pass
+     *                   {@link QuarantineSource#none()} for a caller that does not want the feature
      */
     public BridgeMcp(MessageService messages, PeerLauncher workers, SessionManager sessions,
                      ConnectionIdentity identity, MemberPresence presence, PrimaryRegistry primaryRegistry,
-                      CallerResolver callers, Metrics metrics, CapacitySource capacity, HealthCoverageSource healthCoverage) {
+                      CallerResolver callers, Metrics metrics, CapacitySource capacity, HealthCoverageSource healthCoverage,
+                      QuarantineSource quarantine) {
         this.capacity = capacity;
+        this.quarantine = Objects.requireNonNull(quarantine, "quarantine");
         this.healthCoverage = healthCoverage;
         McpJsonMapper json = new JacksonMcpJsonMapperSupplier().get();
         this.transport = HttpServletStreamableServerTransportProvider.builder()
@@ -210,12 +227,13 @@ public final class BridgeMcp {
                     // CB-301-ext: optional isolated worktree for parallel implementers.
                     String callerCwd = identity.cwdForPid(callerPid(exchange));
                     return spawn(sessions, str(a, "profile"), str(a, "role"), str(a, "cwd"), callerCwd,
-                            callerTerminal(exchange), worktreeRequest(a));
+                            callerTerminal(exchange), worktreeRequest(a),
+                            str(a, "sessionName"), str(a, "resumeSessionId"));
                 })
                 .toolCall(listTool(), (exchange, _) -> {
                     McpSchema.CallToolResult denied = deny(exchange, Authz.Action.READ, null);
                     if (denied != null) return denied;
-                    return listFleet(workers, sessions, messages, capacity, healthCoverage,
+                    return listFleet(workers, sessions, messages, capacity, healthCoverage, quarantine,
                             callers == null ? Map.of() : callers.leads(),
                             callerTerminal(exchange));
                 })
@@ -228,7 +246,7 @@ public final class BridgeMcp {
                 .toolCall(profilesTool(), (exchange, _) -> {
                     McpSchema.CallToolResult denied = deny(exchange, Authz.Action.READ, null);
                     if (denied != null) return denied;
-                    return profiles(workers);
+                    return profiles(workers, quarantine);
                 })
                 .toolCall(whoamiTool(), (exchange, _) -> {
                     McpSchema.CallToolResult denied = deny(exchange, Authz.Action.READ, null);
@@ -559,13 +577,25 @@ public final class BridgeMcp {
         return text("acknowledged " + msgId);
     }
 
-    /** {@code bridge_status}: the live lifecycle status of a worker session. */
+    /**
+     * {@code bridge_status}: the live lifecycle status of a worker session, plus — when the worker
+     * is paused mid-turn in an async {@code bridge_ask} (CB-582) — the open question and how to
+     * answer it, so a lead on its normal poll cadence does not need the ticket to notice.
+     */
     static McpSchema.CallToolResult status(MessageService messages, String sessionId) {
         if (isBlank(sessionId)) {
             return error("sessionId is required");
         }
         try {
-            return text(messages.status(sessionId).name().toLowerCase());
+            String base = messages.status(sessionId).name().toLowerCase();
+            MessageService.PendingAsk ask = messages.pendingAsk(sessionId);
+            if (ask == null) {
+                return text(base);
+            }
+            return text(base + "\n\n[question — worker is waiting for your answer]\n" + ask.question()
+                    + "\n\nAnswer it by calling bridge_send again with turnId=\"" + ask.turnId()
+                    + "\" and content set to your answer; the worker resumes the same turn."
+                    + " (ticket " + ask.ticket() + ")");
         } catch (HerdrException e) {
             return error("herdr error for session " + sessionId + ": " + e.getMessage());
         }
@@ -640,7 +670,7 @@ public final class BridgeMcp {
 
     /** {@code bridge_spawn} without cwd/caller context (default resolution). */
     static McpSchema.CallToolResult spawn(SessionManager sessions, String profile) {
-        return spawn(sessions, profile, null, null, null, null, null);
+        return spawn(sessions, profile, null, null, null, null, null, null, null);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -650,13 +680,18 @@ public final class BridgeMcp {
      * {@code callerCwd} (the primary's directory), else the daemon's.
      * CB-301: the session is registered with {@code ownerTerminal} as its owner.
      * CB-301-ext: {@code worktreeRequest} non-null provisions an isolated git worktree.
+     * CB-584: {@code sessionName}/{@code resumeSessionId} request agent session identity — a resumed
+     * conversation requires an explicit {@code profile} whose adapter declares
+     * {@link dev.ltms.bridged.peer.Capability#SESSION_RESUME}, or the spawn is refused rather than
+     * silently starting a cold session.
      *
      * <p>{@code role} and {@code profile} are independent: the role picks the contract, the profile
      * picks the backend. A reviewer on the same profile as the dev it reviews is a normal spawn.
      */
     static McpSchema.CallToolResult spawn(SessionManager sessions, String profile, String role,
                                           String requestedCwd, String callerCwd,
-                                          String ownerTerminal, WorktreeRequest worktreeRequest) {
+                                          String ownerTerminal, WorktreeRequest worktreeRequest,
+                                          String sessionName, String resumeSessionId) {
         MemberRole memberRole;
         try {
             memberRole = isBlank(role) ? MemberRole.DEV : MemberRole.parse(role);
@@ -665,12 +700,17 @@ public final class BridgeMcp {
         }
         try {
             MemberSession member = sessions.acquire(isBlank(profile) ? null : profile, memberRole,
-                    requestedCwd, callerCwd, ownerTerminal, worktreeRequest);
+                    requestedCwd, callerCwd, ownerTerminal, worktreeRequest,
+                    isBlank(sessionName) ? null : sessionName, isBlank(resumeSessionId) ? null : resumeSessionId);
             return text(json(memberView(member)));
         } catch (GuardException e) {
             return error("subscription boundary: " + e.getMessage());
+        } catch (PlacementException e) {
+            // CB-599: no candidate had capacity (maxLoad, quarantine, or all-exhausted) — distinct
+            // from "profile does not exist" below.
+            return error("no capacity: " + e.getMessage());
         } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
-            return error(e.getMessage()); // unknown / no-default profile
+            return error(e.getMessage()); // unknown / no-default profile, or a refused resumeSessionId
         } catch (PeerUnreachableException e) {
             return error("spawn timed out — worker pane never reached injectable state: " + e.getMessage());
         } catch (HerdrException e) {
@@ -706,11 +746,33 @@ public final class BridgeMcp {
         return null;
     }
 
-    /** {@code bridge_profiles}: the configured worker profiles and the default. */
-    static McpSchema.CallToolResult profiles(PeerLauncher workers) {
-        return text(json(Map.of(
-                "profiles", workers.profiles(),
-                "default", workers.defaultProfile() == null ? "" : workers.defaultProfile())));
+    /**
+     * {@code bridge_profiles}: the configured worker profiles, the default, and — CB-578 stage B —
+     * which of them are currently quarantined (backend exhausted) and for how much longer. The
+     * {@code quarantined} key is present only when at least one profile is, so a fleet where nothing
+     * has ever been quarantined gets exactly the pre-stage-B shape.
+     */
+    static McpSchema.CallToolResult profiles(PeerLauncher workers, QuarantineSource quarantine) {
+        Map<String, Object> result = new LinkedHashMap<>();
+        result.put("profiles", workers.profiles());
+        result.put("default", workers.defaultProfile() == null ? "" : workers.defaultProfile());
+        Map<String, Object> quarantined = new LinkedHashMap<>();
+        for (String profile : workers.profiles()) {
+            String credentialId = quarantine.credentialIdFor().apply(profile);
+            if (credentialId == null) {
+                continue;
+            }
+            quarantine.quarantine().remainingSeconds(credentialId).ifPresent(remaining -> {
+                Map<String, Object> row = new LinkedHashMap<>();
+                row.put("credentialId", credentialId);
+                row.put("quarantinedForSeconds", remaining);
+                quarantined.put(profile, row);
+            });
+        }
+        if (!quarantined.isEmpty()) {
+            result.put("quarantined", quarantined);
+        }
+        return text(json(result));
     }
 
     /**
@@ -729,17 +791,22 @@ public final class BridgeMcp {
      * caller's own row is flagged {@code "self": true}: a peer needs to tell its own pane apart from
      * a peer's, and the alternative is every lead calling {@code bridge_whoami} to subtract itself.
      *
+     * <p>CB-583: the {@code capacity} rows reuse {@code quarantine} (the same {@link QuarantineSource}
+     * {@code bridge_profiles} reads) so the two surfaces cannot disagree about which profile is
+     * quarantined — see {@link #capacityView}.
+     *
      * @param leads    terminal_id → lead name, live from the resolver
      * @param selfTerm the calling pane's terminal id, or blank for a caller with no pane
      */
     static McpSchema.CallToolResult listFleet(PeerLauncher workers, SessionManager sessions,
                                               Map<String, String> leads, String selfTerm) {
-        return listFleet(workers, sessions, null, CapacitySource.none(), new HealthCoverageSource(() -> "off"), leads, selfTerm);
+        return listFleet(workers, sessions, null, CapacitySource.none(), new HealthCoverageSource(() -> "off"),
+                QuarantineSource.none(), leads, selfTerm);
     }
 
     static McpSchema.CallToolResult listFleet(PeerLauncher workers, SessionManager sessions, MessageService messages,
                                                CapacitySource capacity, HealthCoverageSource healthCoverage,
-                                              Map<String, String> leads, String selfTerm) {
+                                               QuarantineSource quarantine, Map<String, String> leads, String selfTerm) {
         try {
             Map<String, Agent> live = workers.list().stream()
                     .map(Agent.class::cast)
@@ -760,7 +827,7 @@ public final class BridgeMcp {
             result.put("healthCoverage", healthCoverage.value().get());
             if (capacity.available()) result.put("capacity", profiles.stream()
                     .map(profile -> capacityView(profile, capacity.liveCount(), capacity.maxLoad(), roster, messages,
-                            capacity.clock().getAsLong())).toList());
+                            capacity.clock().getAsLong(), quarantine)).toList());
             return text(json(result));
         } catch (HerdrException e) {
             return error("herdr error listing the fleet: " + e.getMessage());
@@ -785,9 +852,18 @@ public final class BridgeMcp {
         return row;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * CB-583: {@code free} alone cannot tell a lead "busy, will free up" from "refusing, and
+     * nothing changes for N seconds" — those need different decisions. So a quarantined profile
+     * forces {@code free} to 0, whatever its {@code maxLoad}/{@code live} say, and the row carries
+     * the same {@code credentialId}/{@code quarantinedForSeconds} facts {@code bridge_profiles}
+     * reports, reusing {@link QuarantineSource} rather than a second lookup. Both new keys are
+     * added only when the profile is actually quarantined, so an ordinary fleet's rows are
+     * byte-identical to before this change.
+     */
     private static Map<String, Object> capacityView(String profile, Function<String, Integer> liveCount,
                                                      Function<String, Integer> maxLoad, List<MemberSession> roster,
-                                                     MessageService messages, long nowNanos) {
+                                                     MessageService messages, long nowNanos, QuarantineSource quarantine) {
         Integer cap = maxLoad.apply(profile);
         int live = liveCount.apply(profile);
         int reclaimable = (int) roster.stream().filter(s -> profile.equals(s.profile()))
@@ -797,6 +873,14 @@ public final class BridgeMcp {
         Map<String, Object> row = new LinkedHashMap<>();
         row.put("profile", profile); row.put("maxLoad", cap); row.put("live", live);
         row.put("free", cap == null ? null : Math.max(0, cap - live)); row.put("reclaimable", reclaimable);
+        String credentialId = quarantine.credentialIdFor().apply(profile);
+        if (credentialId != null) {
+            quarantine.quarantine().remainingSeconds(credentialId).ifPresent(remaining -> {
+                row.put("free", 0);
+                row.put("credentialId", credentialId);
+                row.put("quarantinedForSeconds", remaining);
+            });
+        }
         return row;
     }
 
@@ -927,20 +1011,30 @@ public final class BridgeMcp {
                         + "for the default. The two are independent: a reviewer may run on the same profile "
                         + "as the dev it reviews. The member opens your current directory by default; pass "
                         + "cwd to pin a different one. Pass worktree:true (with ticket) or "
-                        + "worktree:<ticket-slug> to provision an isolated git worktree. Returns the member's "
-                        + "sessionId (use with bridge_send) and paneId (use with bridge_stop).",
+                        + "worktree:<ticket-slug> to provision an isolated git worktree. Pass resumeSessionId "
+                        + "to relaunch onto a prior conversation instead of starting cold — this requires an "
+                        + "explicit profile whose backend supports it (bridge_list shows agentSessionId for "
+                        + "resumable members), and is refused otherwise rather than silently starting fresh. "
+                        + "sessionName gives the member a display name in its own UI when the backend supports "
+                        + "one. Returns the member's sessionId (use with bridge_send) and paneId (use with "
+                        + "bridge_stop).",
                 objectSchema(Map.of(
                         "role", stringProp("What the member is for: architect, dev or reviewer (default dev)"),
                         "profile", stringProp("Which backend to run it on (omit for the default profile)"),
                         "cwd", stringProp("Working directory for the member (omit to inherit yours)"),
                         "worktree", Map.of("type", "string", "description", "'true' or a ticket slug — requests an isolated git worktree"),
-                        "ticket", stringProp("Ticket slug when worktree:true")),
+                        "ticket", stringProp("Ticket slug when worktree:true"),
+                        "sessionName", stringProp("Logical display name for the member's own session, when its backend supports one"),
+                        "resumeSessionId", stringProp("A prior member's agentSessionId (from bridge_list) to resume — requires an explicit profile that supports it")),
                         List.of()));
     }
 
     private static McpSchema.Tool profilesTool() {
         return tool("bridge_profiles",
-                "List the configured worker profiles (backends) and which one bridge_spawn uses by default.",
+                "List the configured worker profiles (backends) and which one bridge_spawn uses by "
+                        + "default. A 'quarantined' map is present when a backend-exhausted refusal put "
+                        + "a profile's credential on cooldown — bridge_spawn onto it is refused until "
+                        + "quarantinedForSeconds elapses; a profile sharing that credential is listed too.",
                 objectSchema(Map.of(), List.of()));
     }
 
@@ -952,8 +1046,15 @@ public final class BridgeMcp {
                         + "discover a peer lead without being told its address. 'members' are the "
                         + "sessions delegated to — each with sessionId, paneId, role (architect/dev/"
                         + "reviewer), profile (the backend it runs on), state, optional "
-                        + "worktree/branch/owner, and live herdr status. An empty 'members' "
-                        + "means no members are spawned; it says nothing about peers.",
+                        + "worktree/branch/owner/agentSessionId (the id to pass as bridge_spawn's "
+                        + "resumeSessionId to relaunch onto that same conversation, when the backend "
+                        + "supports it), and live herdr status. An empty 'members' "
+                        + "means no members are spawned; it says nothing about peers. When capacity "
+                        + "facts are configured, a 'capacity' row per profile also reports free: 0 for "
+                        + "a quarantined profile's credential (see bridge_profiles), whatever its "
+                        + "maxLoad/live — with credentialId and quarantinedForSeconds naming the "
+                        + "quarantine, so 'free: 0, busy' can be told apart from 'free: 0, refusing "
+                        + "for N seconds'.",
                 objectSchema(Map.of(), List.of()));
     }
 

bridged/src/main/java/dev/ltms/bridged/member/ClaudeCodeLauncher.java

@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@ import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.Capability;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.io.UncheckedIOException;
+import java.nio.file.Files;
+import java.nio.file.Path;
 import java.util.EnumSet;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
@@ -83,6 +87,21 @@ public final class ClaudeCodeLauncher extends HerdrPeerLauncher {
                 fleet);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Production constructor, plus the CB-596 {@code memberCredentials} policy supplier.
+     */
+    public ClaudeCodeLauncher(AgentControl agents, WorkspaceControl spaces, SubscriptionGuard guard,
+                              Map<String, BridgedConfig.Profile> profiles, String defaultProfile,
+                              Function<String, String> env,
+                              long spawnReadyTimeoutMs, long spawnReadyPollMs,
+                              Supplier<BridgedConfig.Fleet> fleet,
+                              Supplier<BridgedConfig.MemberCredentials> memberCredentials) {
+        this(agents, spaces, guard, profiles, defaultProfile, env,
+                spawnReadyTimeoutMs,
+                System::currentTimeMillis, () -> sleepUninterruptibly(spawnReadyPollMs),
+                fleet, memberCredentials);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Full testability constructor. Every injectable collaborator is explicit so unit tests supply
      * fakes for the clock ({@code nowMillis}) and poll-loop wait ({@code sleeper}). The
@@ -125,6 +144,39 @@ public final class ClaudeCodeLauncher extends HerdrPeerLauncher {
         this.guard = guard;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Full testability constructor, plus the CB-596 {@code memberCredentials} policy supplier.
+     */
+    public ClaudeCodeLauncher(AgentControl agents, WorkspaceControl spaces, SubscriptionGuard guard,
+                              Map<String, BridgedConfig.Profile> profiles, String defaultProfile,
+                              Function<String, String> env,
+                              long spawnReadyTimeoutMs,
+                              LongSupplier nowMillis, Runnable sleeper,
+                              Supplier<BridgedConfig.Fleet> fleet,
+                              Supplier<BridgedConfig.MemberCredentials> memberCredentials) {
+        super(NAME_PREFIX, agents, spaces, profiles, defaultProfile, env,
+                spawnReadyTimeoutMs, nowMillis, sleeper, fleet, memberCredentials);
+        this.guard = guard;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Full testability constructor, plus an injectable host-env-names source for the CB-596
+     * criterion-4 gap detector. Test seam only — every production call site leaves this at the
+     * default (the real {@code System.getenv()} key set) via the constructor above.
+     */
+    public ClaudeCodeLauncher(AgentControl agents, WorkspaceControl spaces, SubscriptionGuard guard,
+                              Map<String, BridgedConfig.Profile> profiles, String defaultProfile,
+                              Function<String, String> env,
+                              long spawnReadyTimeoutMs,
+                              LongSupplier nowMillis, Runnable sleeper,
+                              Supplier<BridgedConfig.Fleet> fleet,
+                              Supplier<BridgedConfig.MemberCredentials> memberCredentials,
+                              Supplier<Set<String>> hostEnvNames) {
+        super(NAME_PREFIX, agents, spaces, profiles, defaultProfile, env,
+                spawnReadyTimeoutMs, nowMillis, sleeper, fleet, memberCredentials, hostEnvNames);
+        this.guard = guard;
+    }
+
     /**
      * {@inheritDoc}
      *
@@ -182,7 +234,7 @@ public final class ClaudeCodeLauncher extends HerdrPeerLauncher {
         // model flag so --model keeps outranking the operator's own argv.
         // mutableArgv: argvWithBridge may hand back the profile's own (immutable) List.of when it
         // has neither MCP nor a charter — session flags must be added into a list we own.
-        List<String> argv = mutableArgv(argvWithBridge(cfg, spec.charter()));
+        List<String> argv = mutableArgv(argvWithBridge(cfg, spec));
         String agentSessionId = applySessionIdentity(argv, spec.sessionName(), spec.resumeSessionId());
         return new Launch(workerEnv, argvWithModel(argv, cfg), agentSessionId);
     }
@@ -217,13 +269,31 @@ public final class ClaudeCodeLauncher extends HerdrPeerLauncher {
     }
 
     /**
-     * The launch argv, plus an inline {@code --mcp-config} when {@code worker.mcpUrl} is set and
-     * {@code --append-system-prompt} when the base composed a charter. Neither touches the profile's
-     * config; both are pure command-line flags. This inline-flag mount is Claude Code specific —
-     * other adapters mount MCP and instructions their own way.
+     * The launch argv, plus an inline {@code --mcp-config} when {@code worker.mcpUrl} is set, the
+     * CB-617 charter flags, and {@code --agent <role>} when the role has an agent-definition file
+     * under the worker's cwd. Neither touches the profile's config; all are pure command-line flags.
+     * This inline-flag mount is Claude Code specific — other adapters mount MCP and instructions
+     * their own way.
+     *
+     * <p>CB-617: the role charter is operator-authored and often multi-line, so it can never be a
+     * single inline argv element — herdr refuses to shell-encode a multi-line argument
+     * ({@code invalid_agent_argument}). It is written to a temp file instead and mounted with
+     * {@code --append-system-prompt-file}, which this host confirms Claude Code accepts for a
+     * multi-line file.
+     *
+     * <p>CB-618: Claude Code refuses to start when BOTH {@code --append-system-prompt} and
+     * {@code --append-system-prompt-file} are on the command line ("Cannot use both ... Please use
+     * only one"), so the two charters can never travel on separate flags. When both are present they
+     * are concatenated into the one file, role charter first and reply charter last — last is where
+     * the reply rule must sit, because it is the rule that must survive. When only the reply charter
+     * is present it keeps its proven inline {@code --append-system-prompt} delivery, which is also
+     * the only form that reaches a member with no repo checkout.
      */
-    private List<String> argvWithBridge(BridgedConfig.Profile cfg, String charter) {
-        if (!cfg.hasMcp() && charter == null) {
+    private List<String> argvWithBridge(BridgedConfig.Profile cfg, LaunchSpec spec) {
+        String roleCharter = nonBlank(spec.roleCharter());
+        String replyCharter = nonBlank(spec.replyCharter());
+        Path agentFile = agentDefinitionFile(spec.cwd(), spec.role(), ".claude", "agents");
+        if (!cfg.hasMcp() && roleCharter == null && replyCharter == null && agentFile == null) {
             return cfg.argv();
         }
         List<String> argv = mutableArgv(cfg.argv());
@@ -233,13 +303,45 @@ public final class ClaudeCodeLauncher extends HerdrPeerLauncher {
             argv.add("--mcp-config");
             argv.add(mcpJson);
         }
-        if (charter != null) {
+        if (roleCharter != null) {
+            String combined = replyCharter == null ? roleCharter : roleCharter + "\n\n" + replyCharter;
+            argv.add("--append-system-prompt-file");
+            argv.add(writeCharterFile(combined).toString());
+        } else if (replyCharter != null) {
             argv.add("--append-system-prompt");
-            argv.add(charter);
+            argv.add(replyCharter);
+        }
+        if (agentFile != null) {
+            argv.add("--agent");
+            argv.add(spec.role().wireName());
         }
         return argv;
     }
 
+    /** {@code s}, or {@code null} when {@code s} is null/blank — the charter-presence test used above. */
+    private static String nonBlank(String s) {
+        return (s == null || s.isBlank()) ? null : s;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Write the role charter to a fresh temp file so it can be mounted with
+     * {@code --append-system-prompt-file} instead of riding inline in argv (CB-617). Best-effort
+     * cleaned via {@code deleteOnExit} — the same disposable-worker-config cleanup
+     * {@link OpenCodeLauncher#writeConfig} already uses for its charter file, since the process that
+     * reads this file (the spawned peer) outlives this JVM call and there is no spawn-scoped teardown
+     * hook to delete it synchronously.
+     */
+    private static Path writeCharterFile(String charterText) {
+        try {
+            Path file = Files.createTempFile("bridged-role-charter-", ".md");
+            Files.writeString(file, charterText);
+            file.toFile().deleteOnExit();
+            return file;
+        } catch (IOException e) {
+            throw new UncheckedIOException("cannot write role charter temp file", e);
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * Pin the model on the command line as well as in {@code ANTHROPIC_MODEL} (CB-533).
      *

bridged/src/main/java/dev/ltms/bridged/member/CompositePeerLauncher.java

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.PeerHandle;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.PeerLauncher;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.PeerUnreachableException;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.SpawnRequest;
+import dev.ltms.bridged.placement.BackendQuarantine;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.placement.PlacementCandidate;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.placement.PlacementContext;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.placement.PlacementException;
@@ -23,10 +24,12 @@ import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Objects;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
 import java.util.function.Function;
 import java.util.function.Supplier;
+import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
 /**
  * The {@link PeerLauncher} the core actually holds when more than one adapter is configured — a thin
@@ -78,6 +81,9 @@ public final class CompositePeerLauncher implements PeerLauncher {
     private final Supplier<Map<String, BridgedConfig.Profile>> profileConfigs;
     private final Supplier<PlacementPolicy> placementPolicy;
 
+    /** CB-578 stage B: credential cooldown, checked before an explicit spawn and filtered into placement. */
+    private final BackendQuarantine quarantine;
+
     /**
      * CB-557: the role pools an unqualified spawn draws its candidates from. A supplier that yields
      * {@code null}, and an empty pool for a role, both fall back to every configured profile — the
@@ -99,7 +105,10 @@ public final class CompositePeerLauncher implements PeerLauncher {
     }
 
     /**
-     * Production constructor with a placement policy and live-worker counter.
+     * Production constructor with a placement policy and live-worker counter. Quarantine (CB-578
+     * stage B) is off for this constructor — {@link BackendQuarantine#none()} — since it predates
+     * the feature and existing callers of this exact overload never exercised it; use the 7-arg
+     * overload below to wire a real {@link BackendQuarantine}.
      *
      * @param delegates      one adapter per configured peer kind; must be non-empty and declare
      *                       disjoint profile-name sets
@@ -113,13 +122,14 @@ public final class CompositePeerLauncher implements PeerLauncher {
                                  Map<String, BridgedConfig.Profile> profileConfigs,
                                  PlacementPolicy placementPolicy,
                                  Function<String, Integer> liveCount) {
-        this(delegates, defaultProfile, profileConfigs, placementPolicy, liveCount, null);
+        this(delegates, defaultProfile, profileConfigs, placementPolicy, liveCount, null, BackendQuarantine.none());
     }
 
     /**
      * Production constructor with role pools (CB-557). An unqualified spawn draws its candidates from
      * {@code fleet.<role>} instead of from every configured profile, so a reviewer is placed on a
-     * reviewer backend and never on, say, the architect-only one.
+     * reviewer backend and never on, say, the architect-only one. Quarantine is off for this
+     * constructor too, for the same reason as the 5-arg overload above.
      *
      * @param fleet the configured role pools; {@code null} ⇒ every profile is a candidate for every
      *              role, which is the pre-CB-557 behaviour
@@ -130,29 +140,50 @@ public final class CompositePeerLauncher implements PeerLauncher {
                                  PlacementPolicy placementPolicy,
                                  Function<String, Integer> liveCount,
                                  BridgedConfig.Fleet fleet) {
+        this(delegates, defaultProfile, profileConfigs, placementPolicy, liveCount, fleet, BackendQuarantine.none());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Production constructor with role pools and quarantine (CB-578 stage B). The full-featured
+     * non-reloading form; {@link #CompositePeerLauncher(List, String, Supplier, Function, BackendQuarantine)}
+     * is what {@code Bridged.main} actually wires up.
+     *
+     * @param quarantine required — pass {@link BackendQuarantine#none()} for a caller that does not
+     *                   want the feature, never a defaulting overload (CB-578 stage B's own rule).
+     */
+    public CompositePeerLauncher(List<HerdrPeerLauncher> delegates,
+                                 String defaultProfile,
+                                 Map<String, BridgedConfig.Profile> profileConfigs,
+                                 PlacementPolicy placementPolicy,
+                                 Function<String, Integer> liveCount,
+                                 BridgedConfig.Fleet fleet,
+                                 BackendQuarantine quarantine) {
         // LinkedHashMap, not Map.copyOf: candidates() promises definition order and the weighted
         // policy breaks exact-weight ties on it, so a salted iteration order would make placement
         // differ from one JVM run to the next.
         this(delegates, defaultProfile,
                 constant(Collections.unmodifiableMap(new LinkedHashMap<>(profileConfigs))),
-                constant(placementPolicy), liveCount, constant(fleet));
+                constant(placementPolicy), liveCount, constant(fleet), quarantine);
     }
 
     /**
      * Production constructor that re-reads its placement inputs per spawn (CB-559), so a config
      * reload retargets the next member without a restart.
      *
-     * @param config the live configuration — read at every spawn, never captured
+     * @param config     the live configuration — read at every spawn, never captured
+     * @param quarantine required — CB-578 stage B; pass {@link BackendQuarantine#none()} to opt out
      */
     public CompositePeerLauncher(List<HerdrPeerLauncher> delegates,
                                  String defaultProfile,
                                  Supplier<BridgedConfig> config,
-                                 Function<String, Integer> liveCount) {
+                                 Function<String, Integer> liveCount,
+                                 BackendQuarantine quarantine) {
         this(delegates, defaultProfile,
                 () -> config.get().profiles(),
                 () -> PlacementPolicies.fromName(config.get().placement()),
                 liveCount,
-                () -> config.get().fleet());
+                () -> config.get().fleet(),
+                quarantine);
     }
 
     /** The all-suppliers form every other constructor funnels into. */
@@ -161,8 +192,10 @@ public final class CompositePeerLauncher implements PeerLauncher {
                                   Supplier<Map<String, BridgedConfig.Profile>> profileConfigs,
                                   Supplier<PlacementPolicy> placementPolicy,
                                   Function<String, Integer> liveCount,
-                                  Supplier<BridgedConfig.Fleet> fleet) {
+                                  Supplier<BridgedConfig.Fleet> fleet,
+                                  BackendQuarantine quarantine) {
         this.fleet = fleet;
+        this.quarantine = Objects.requireNonNull(quarantine, "quarantine");
         if (delegates.isEmpty()) {
             throw new IllegalArgumentException("at least one peer adapter must be configured");
         }
@@ -225,6 +258,7 @@ public final class CompositePeerLauncher implements PeerLauncher {
             // the charter makes explicit-profile spawns the normal path — so skipping the check
             // here would leave the cap dead config in real operation.
             HerdrPeerLauncher d = route(requestedProfile);
+            enforceNotQuarantined(requestedProfile);
             enforceMaxLoad(requestedProfile);
             PeerHandle handle = d.spawn(req);
             spawnedBy.put(handle.id(), d);
@@ -238,7 +272,10 @@ public final class CompositePeerLauncher implements PeerLauncher {
         List<PlacementCandidate> candidates = candidates(req.role());
         String roleDefault = defaultProfileFor(req.role());
         Set<String> unreachable = new HashSet<>();
-        PlacementContext ctx = new PlacementContext(roleDefault, candidates, liveCount, unreachable);
+        // CB-578 stage B: computed once up front — a quarantine's expiry cannot pass within one spawn
+        // call, so re-deriving it per retry would only cost work, never change the answer.
+        Set<String> quarantined = quarantinedProfiles(candidates);
+        PlacementContext ctx = new PlacementContext(roleDefault, candidates, liveCount, unreachable, quarantined);
 
         int maxAttempts = candidates.isEmpty() ? 1 : candidates.size();
         for (int attempt = 0; attempt < maxAttempts; attempt++) {
@@ -268,7 +305,7 @@ public final class CompositePeerLauncher implements PeerLauncher {
                         chosen.profile(), e.getMessage());
                 unreachable.add(chosen.profile());
                 // Update the context for the next selection so the policy excludes this profile.
-                ctx = new PlacementContext(roleDefault, candidates, liveCount, unreachable);
+                ctx = new PlacementContext(roleDefault, candidates, liveCount, unreachable, quarantined);
             }
         }
 
@@ -298,9 +335,48 @@ public final class CompositePeerLauncher implements PeerLauncher {
      * @param profile the profile the caller explicitly named
      * @throws PlacementException when the profile is at capacity
      */
+    /**
+     * Refuse an explicit-profile spawn whose credential is quarantined (CB-578 stage B): a prior
+     * {@code BACKEND_EXHAUSTED} classification on this profile, or on another profile sharing its
+     * {@code credentialId}, is still on cooldown.
+     *
+     * <p>Checked before {@link #enforceMaxLoad}, and for the same reason that check exists: an
+     * explicit profile bypasses the placement policy's filtering entirely, so without this the cap
+     * (there, quarantine here) would be dead config on the very path the charter calls normal.
+     * Deliberately no fallback to another profile, matching {@link #enforceMaxLoad}'s own reasoning —
+     * the caller named this profile for a cost/model reason.
+     *
+     * @throws PlacementException naming the profile, its credential, and the remaining cooldown
+     */
+    private void enforceNotQuarantined(String profile) {
+        String credentialId = credentialIdFor(profile);
+        quarantine.remainingSeconds(credentialId).ifPresent(remaining -> {
+            throw new PlacementException("worker profile '" + profile + "' is quarantined "
+                    + "(credential '" + credentialId + "' exhausted; ~" + remaining
+                    + "s remaining) — refusing spawn");
+        });
+    }
+
+    /** {@code profile}'s credential group (CB-578 stage B), or the profile's own name if unconfigured. */
+    private String credentialIdFor(String profile) {
+        BridgedConfig.Profile cfg = profiles0().get(profile);
+        return cfg == null ? profile : cfg.effectiveCredentialId();
+    }
+
+    /** The subset of {@code candidates} whose credential is currently quarantined (CB-578 stage B). */
+    private Set<String> quarantinedProfiles(List<PlacementCandidate> candidates) {
+        return candidates.stream()
+                .map(PlacementCandidate::profile)
+                .filter(p -> quarantine.isQuarantined(credentialIdFor(p)))
+                .collect(Collectors.toSet());
+    }
+
     private void enforceMaxLoad(String profile) {
-        // Absent config, or a config whose maxLoad normalized to null (non-positive ⇒ unlimited at
-        // load), means no cap — never cap what wasn't configured.
+        // Absent config, or a config whose maxLoad normalized to null (ABSENT ⇒ unlimited at load),
+        // means no cap — never cap what wasn't configured. Note "non-positive ⇒ unlimited" was true
+        // until CB-585: an explicit `maxLoad: 0` now survives as 0 and is a real cap of zero, so the
+        // check below refuses every spawn on that profile, and a negative value is refused at config
+        // load rather than normalized away.
         BridgedConfig.Profile cfg = profiles0().get(profile);
         Integer cap = (cfg == null) ? null : cfg.maxLoad();
         if (cap == null) {
@@ -387,6 +463,18 @@ public final class CompositePeerLauncher implements PeerLauncher {
         return defaultProfile;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * {@inheritDoc}
+     *
+     * <p>Routes to the specific delegate {@code profileName} resolves to, not the fleet-wide
+     * union {@link #capabilities()} returns — the whole reason this method exists (CB-584): in a
+     * mixed fleet, one adapter's capability must never be read as every profile's.
+     */
+    @Override
+    public Set<Capability> capabilitiesFor(String profileName) {
+        return route(profileName).capabilities();
+    }
+
     /** Every herdr agent, deduplicated by pane id (all delegates share one herdr and list globally). */
     @Override
     public List<Agent> list() {

bridged/src/main/java/dev/ltms/bridged/member/HerdrPeerLauncher.java

@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import dev.ltms.bridged.herdr.HerdrException;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.herdr.Tab;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.herdr.Workspace;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.herdr.WorkspaceControl;
+import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.Capability;
+import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.CharterReceipt;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.MemberRole;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.PeerHandle;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.PeerLauncher;
@@ -15,9 +17,12 @@ import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.SpawnRequest;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
+import java.nio.file.Files;
+import java.nio.file.Path;
 import java.security.SecureRandom;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
@@ -88,6 +93,27 @@ public abstract class HerdrPeerLauncher implements PeerLauncher {
      */
     private final Supplier<BridgedConfig.Fleet> fleet;
 
+    /**
+     * CB-596: the live {@code memberCredentials:} policy, read once per spawn (same hot-reload shape
+     * as {@link #fleet}). {@code null} — either the supplier itself, or what it returns — means no
+     * policy is configured and {@link #applyMemberCredentialPolicy} shadows nothing.
+     */
+    private final Supplier<BridgedConfig.MemberCredentials> memberCredentials;
+
+    /**
+     * Enumerates the daemon's own process environment variable NAMES ONLY, never values — the CB-596
+     * criterion-4 gap detector's data source (see {@link #logCredentialGap}). Injectable for tests;
+     * production always resolves to the real {@code System.getenv()} key set.
+     *
+     * <p>Deliberately the daemon's own environment, not the spawned pane's: nothing in the herdr
+     * client surface lets the daemon read back an arbitrary command's output from a pane before the
+     * peer starts in it, so there is no channel to inspect the pane's environment directly. The
+     * daemon's own process is started the same way (a login shell sourcing the same secret store —
+     * see CB-592's investigation of {@code secrets.sh}), so on a single-host deployment its env
+     * mirrors what the pane's login shell is about to export.
+     */
+    private final Supplier<Set<String>> hostEnvNames;
+
     /** The final instruction always requires a bridge reply when the bridge MCP is mounted. */
     protected static final String REPLY_CHARTER =
             "You are a spawned member in the claude-bridge fleet. Every message you receive arrives "
@@ -164,6 +190,41 @@ public abstract class HerdrPeerLauncher implements PeerLauncher {
                                 long spawnReadyTimeoutMs,
                                 LongSupplier nowMillis, Runnable sleeper,
                                 Supplier<BridgedConfig.Fleet> fleet) {
+        this(namePrefix, agents, spaces, profiles, defaultProfile, env, spawnReadyTimeoutMs,
+                nowMillis, sleeper, fleet, null);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * As above, plus the live {@code memberCredentials} policy (CB-596).
+     *
+     * @param memberCredentials live member-credential policy, read once per spawn; {@code null} ⇒
+     *                          no policy configured, so a spawn shadows nothing. A separate
+     *                          constructor rather than a new parameter on the one above, so every
+     *                          existing call site keeps the pre-CB-596 default without an edit.
+     */
+    protected HerdrPeerLauncher(String namePrefix, AgentControl agents, WorkspaceControl spaces,
+                                Map<String, BridgedConfig.Profile> profiles, String defaultProfile,
+                                Function<String, String> env,
+                                long spawnReadyTimeoutMs,
+                                LongSupplier nowMillis, Runnable sleeper,
+                                Supplier<BridgedConfig.Fleet> fleet,
+                                Supplier<BridgedConfig.MemberCredentials> memberCredentials) {
+        this(namePrefix, agents, spaces, profiles, defaultProfile, env, spawnReadyTimeoutMs,
+                nowMillis, sleeper, fleet, memberCredentials, null);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * As above, plus an injectable {@link #hostEnvNames} source for the CB-596 gap detector. Test
+     * seam only — every production call site leaves this {@code null} and gets the real host env.
+     */
+    protected HerdrPeerLauncher(String namePrefix, AgentControl agents, WorkspaceControl spaces,
+                                Map<String, BridgedConfig.Profile> profiles, String defaultProfile,
+                                Function<String, String> env,
+                                long spawnReadyTimeoutMs,
+                                LongSupplier nowMillis, Runnable sleeper,
+                                Supplier<BridgedConfig.Fleet> fleet,
+                                Supplier<BridgedConfig.MemberCredentials> memberCredentials,
+                                Supplier<Set<String>> hostEnvNames) {
         this.fleet = fleet;
         this.namePrefix = namePrefix;
         this.agents = agents;
@@ -174,6 +235,8 @@ public abstract class HerdrPeerLauncher implements PeerLauncher {
         this.spawnReadyTimeoutMs = spawnReadyTimeoutMs;
         this.nowMillis = nowMillis;
         this.sleeper = sleeper;
+        this.memberCredentials = memberCredentials;
+        this.hostEnvNames = hostEnvNames != null ? hostEnvNames : () -> System.getenv().keySet();
     }
 
     // --- adapter seams -------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -218,8 +281,35 @@ public abstract class HerdrPeerLauncher implements PeerLauncher {
         }
     }
 
-    /** All per-spawn values adapters may need, including the base-composed effective charter. */
-    protected record LaunchSpec(String sessionName, String resumeSessionId, MemberRole role, String charter) {
+    /**
+     * All per-spawn values adapters may need.
+     *
+     * <p>{@code charter} is the base-composed effective charter (role charter, then the reply
+     * charter, joined by a blank line) — kept for an adapter that mounts both as one blob (opencode
+     * writes it to a single file) and as the exact input {@link CharterReceipt#compose} fingerprints.
+     * {@code roleCharter} and {@code replyCharter} are the same text split back into its two parts
+     * (CB-617), for an adapter that must deliver them differently: the role charter is
+     * operator-authored and often multi-line, so it cannot travel as an inline argv element (herdr
+     * refuses to shell-encode a multi-line argument); the reply charter is always one line and is
+     * demonstrated to encode, so it may still go inline. {@code cwd} is the spawn's resolved working
+     * directory (CB-112), needed to look up a role's agent-definition file before the peer starts.
+     */
+    protected record LaunchSpec(String sessionName, String resumeSessionId, MemberRole role, String charter,
+                                String roleCharter, String replyCharter, String cwd) {
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * The role's agent-definition file under {@code <cwd>/<dir1>/<dir2>/<role>.md}, or {@code null}
+     * when absent or inapplicable (no role, no cwd, or the file does not exist) — CB-617. A member
+     * whose role has no such file must still spawn, so this is a lookup, never a requirement: the
+     * caller passes {@code --agent <role>} only when the return value is non-null.
+     */
+    protected static Path agentDefinitionFile(String cwd, MemberRole role, String dir1, String dir2) {
+        if (role == null || cwd == null || cwd.isBlank()) {
+            return null;
+        }
+        Path candidate = Path.of(cwd, dir1, dir2, role.wireName() + ".md");
+        return Files.isRegularFile(candidate) ? candidate : null;
     }
 
     // --- profile surface -----------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -247,6 +337,19 @@ public abstract class HerdrPeerLauncher implements PeerLauncher {
         return defaultProfile;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * {@inheritDoc}
+     *
+     * <p>One {@link HerdrPeerLauncher} instance always serves exactly one adapter kind, so every
+     * profile it owns shares that adapter's {@link #capabilities()} — {@code profileName} only
+     * needs validating (throwing on an unknown profile, same as {@link #spawn}), not routing.
+     */
+    @Override
+    public Set<Capability> capabilitiesFor(String profileName) {
+        requireProfile(profileName);
+        return capabilities();
+    }
+
     /** The configured profiles, for adapter capability decisions (e.g. any git-token grant). */
     protected Collection<BridgedConfig.Profile> profileConfigs() {
         return profiles.values();
@@ -269,8 +372,11 @@ public abstract class HerdrPeerLauncher implements PeerLauncher {
 
     // --- spawn ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-    /** A started peer plus the launch's agent-session id (the resume handle, or null). */
-    private record Spawned(Agent agent, String agentSessionId) {
+    /**
+     * A started peer plus the launch's agent-session id (the resume handle, or null) and the
+     * charter receipt (CB-571) the base composed for it.
+     */
+    private record Spawned(Agent agent, String agentSessionId, CharterReceipt receipt) {
     }
 
     /**
@@ -305,12 +411,42 @@ public abstract class HerdrPeerLauncher implements PeerLauncher {
         String replyCharter = cfg.hasMcp() ? REPLY_CHARTER : null;
         String charter = roleCharter == null ? replyCharter
                 : replyCharter == null ? roleCharter : roleCharter + "\n\n" + replyCharter;
-        Launch launch = buildLaunch(cfg, new LaunchSpec(sessionName, resumeSessionId, role, charter));
+        // CB-571: fingerprint the exact composed charter bytes once, here in the base, before the
+        // string leaves for an adapter — so Claude and OpenCode derive the same digest. A failed
+        // start has no bridge_spawn result and no roster row, so the failure log below is the only
+        // surface the byte count can appear on. The charter text itself is never logged.
+        CharterReceipt receipt = CharterReceipt.compose(role, cfg.profile(), roleCharter, charter);
         String cwd = resolveCwd(requestedCwd, cfg, callerCwd);
-        Agent agent = cfg.tabPlacement()
-                ? spawnInTab(cfg, launch.env(), launch.argv(), cwd, role, liveFleet)
-                : spawnAsPane(cfg, launch.env(), launch.argv(), cwd);
-        return new Spawned(agent, launch.agentSessionId());
+        try {
+            Launch launch = buildLaunch(cfg, new LaunchSpec(sessionName, resumeSessionId, role, charter,
+                    roleCharter, replyCharter, cwd));
+            Agent agent = cfg.tabPlacement()
+                    ? spawnInTab(cfg, launch.env(), launch.argv(), cwd, role, liveFleet)
+                    : spawnAsPane(cfg, launch.env(), launch.argv(), cwd, charter);
+            logCharterReceipt(receipt, true);
+            return new Spawned(agent, launch.agentSessionId(), receipt);
+        } catch (RuntimeException e) {
+            logCharterReceipt(receipt, false);
+            throw e;
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * The one place the charter's size and digest appear in the logs. {@code success} true after a
+     * start, false from the failure path of {@link #spawnInternal} where no handle or roster row
+     * exists to carry the receipt. Always metadata only — never the charter text.
+     */
+    private static void logCharterReceipt(CharterReceipt receipt, boolean success) {
+        String role = receipt.role() == null ? "" : receipt.role().wireName();
+        if (success) {
+            log.info("spawned role={} profile={} charterSource={} charterSha256={} charterBytes={}",
+                    role, receipt.profile(), receipt.charterSource(),
+                    receipt.charterSha256(), receipt.charterBytes());
+        } else {
+            log.warn("spawn failed; charter role={} profile={} charterSource={} charterSha256={} charterBytes={}",
+                    role, receipt.profile(), receipt.charterSource(),
+                    receipt.charterSha256(), receipt.charterBytes());
+        }
     }
 
     /**
@@ -349,7 +485,7 @@ public abstract class HerdrPeerLauncher implements PeerLauncher {
         String id = UUID.randomUUID().toString();
         paneByAgentId.put(id, paneId);
         return new WorkerHandle(id, agent.terminalId(), requireProfile(req.profileName()).profile(),
-                req.sessionName(), spawned.agentSessionId());
+                req.sessionName(), spawned.agentSessionId(), spawned.receipt());
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -433,11 +569,19 @@ public abstract class HerdrPeerLauncher implements PeerLauncher {
         }
     }
 
-    /** Legacy placement: split the currently-focused tab; the peer still starts in {@code cwd}. */
+    /**
+     * Legacy placement: split the currently-focused tab; the peer still starts in {@code cwd}.
+     *
+     * <p>CB-571: this is the one legacy log that printed the full argv, and the charter travels
+     * inside argv — so the charter text went to the daemon log on every pane-placement spawn. The
+     * {@code spawnInTab} path never logs argv, so only this site is fixed. {@code charter} is the
+     * composed charter, if any; its argv element is replaced by its digest so the log still shows
+     * which args were passed without exposing the charter prose.
+     */
     private Agent spawnAsPane(BridgedConfig.Profile cfg, Map<String, String> workerEnv,
-                              List<String> argv, String cwd) {
+                              List<String> argv, String cwd, String charter) {
         log.info("spawning {} (pane placement) profile={} cwd={} argv={}",
-                namePrefix, cfg.profile(), cwd, argv);
+                namePrefix, cfg.profile(), cwd, redactCharter(argv, charter));
         String paneId = spaces.splitPane(cwd, workerEnv);
         if (paneId == null) {
             throw new IllegalStateException("pane.split returned no pane — cannot start a peer");
@@ -447,6 +591,21 @@ public abstract class HerdrPeerLauncher implements PeerLauncher {
         return peer;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * A copy of {@code argv} with an element equal to {@code charter} replaced by its digest, so
+     * the pane log never prints the charter prose. The charter is handed to an adapter as one argv
+     * element, so exact-equality is the right match; every other argument passes through unchanged.
+     */
+    private static List<String> redactCharter(List<String> argv, String charter) {
+        if (charter == null || charter.isBlank() || argv == null || argv.isEmpty()) {
+            return argv;
+        }
+        String digest = CharterReceipt.digestOf(charter);
+        return argv.stream()
+                .map(a -> a.equals(charter) ? "<charter sha256=" + digest + ">" : a)
+                .toList();
+    }
+
     /** A started peer together with the sequence its unique name/label used. */
     private record Started(Agent agent, long seq) {
     }
@@ -651,11 +810,18 @@ public abstract class HerdrPeerLauncher implements PeerLauncher {
 
     /**
      * A concrete {@link PeerHandle} wrapping herdr agent coordinates, the profile that spawned it,
-     * and the session identity the launch resolved (CB-547a): the bridge's logical name and the
-     * peer's own session id, both null when the spawn carried no identity.
+     * the session identity the launch resolved (CB-547a): the bridge's logical name and the peer's
+     * own session id, both null when the spawn carried no identity — and the charter receipt
+     * (CB-571) the base computed for this launch.
      */
     private record WorkerHandle(String id, String terminalId, String profile,
-                                String sessionName, String agentSessionId) implements PeerHandle {
+                                String sessionName, String agentSessionId,
+                                CharterReceipt receipt) implements PeerHandle {
+
+        @Override
+        public CharterReceipt charterReceipt() {
+            return receipt;
+        }
     }
 
     // --- shared helpers ------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -689,10 +855,62 @@ public abstract class HerdrPeerLauncher implements PeerLauncher {
         }
     }
 
-    /** A fresh mutable env map — the conventional starting point for {@link #buildLaunch}. */
+    /**
+     * CB-596: overlay value that shadows any host credential a herdr pane otherwise inherits from
+     * herdr's own login-shell process environment (gitea issue #82, superseding CB-592's single
+     * hardcoded {@code GITEA_ACCESS_TOKEN} name — see {@link #applyMemberCredentialPolicy}). herdr
+     * spawns a pane from its <em>own</em> process environment and layers our map on top —
+     * {@link dev.ltms.bridged.herdr.WorkspaceControl#createTab} and {@code #splitPane} send only
+     * the keys we put in that map, so any key we never mention passes straight through from
+     * herdr's own shell, admin credentials included.
+     *
+     * <p>Deliberately a non-blank sentinel, not {@code ""}. Whether an empty-string overlay value
+     * overrides an inherited variable or is skipped as blank could not be settled by reading this
+     * codebase — herdr's server-side merge is an external process, not something in this repo.
+     * A non-blank replacement sidesteps that ambiguity entirely: {@link #baseEnv}'s own {@code
+     * PATH} seeding already depends on the overlay reliably replacing an inherited value (see its
+     * javadoc), and that is only demonstrated for a non-blank value, so this reuses the same,
+     * proven-reliable shape rather than the unverified one.
+     *
+     * <p><b>MEASURED ON A LIVE PANE, 2026-08-15 (CB-592): this sentinel alone does NOT hold.</b> The
+     * overlay itself works — {@code GITEA_TOKEN} is injected here, is exported by no shell file, and
+     * does reach the pane. The sentinel loses one step later. A herdr pane runs a <em>login</em>
+     * shell, {@code ~/.zprofile} sources {@code ${SHARED_ENV}/tools/secrets.sh}, and that file does a
+     * plain unconditional {@code export GITEA_ACCESS_TOKEN=...}. A login shell overwrites a value
+     * already in the environment, so the real admin token is put back over this sentinel before the
+     * member process ever starts. That defeat applies to <em>every</em> name {@code secrets.sh}
+     * exports, and no launcher-side overlay can win against it.
+     *
+     * <p>So this constant is not the control on its own — {@link #MEMBER_MARKER} is the other half.
+     * Keeping the sentinel is still worth it: it is correct for any peer kind whose pane does not
+     * start a login shell, and it makes the intent explicit at the one place every adapter passes.
+     */
+    private static final String BLOCKED_CREDENTIAL_SENTINEL =
+            "blocked-by-bridged-cb596-see-gitea-issue-82";
+
+    /**
+     * CB-592: marks a pane as a bridged member so a shell startup file can decline to export
+     * operator-only credentials into it (gitea issue #77).
+     *
+     * <p>This name is deliberately one that {@code secrets.sh} never exports, which is exactly why
+     * it survives the login shell that wipes {@link #BLOCKED_GITEA_ACCESS_TOKEN}. The mechanism is
+     * measured, not assumed: {@code GITEA_TOKEN} is injected the same way, is absent from a login
+     * shell of its own, and was observed set inside a live member pane.
+     *
+     * <p>It is a no-op until the operator guards the export, which is a one-line change in a file
+     * this repo does not own and must not edit unasked:
+     *
+     * <pre>{@code
+     * [ -n "${BRIDGED_MEMBER:-}" ] || export GITEA_ACCESS_TOKEN=...
+     * }</pre>
+     *
+     * <p>Setting the marker now costs nothing and means that edit is the whole remaining fix.
+     */
+    static final String MEMBER_MARKER = "BRIDGED_MEMBER";
+
     /**
      * Seed a worker's environment (CB-511): the daemon's own {@code PATH}, then the profile's
-     * {@code env:} entries.
+     * {@code env:} entries, then the CB-592 admin-token shadow.
      *
      * <p>Why this exists: bridged passes herdr an explicit env map, and herdr merges it into
      * <em>its own</em> process environment. So before this, a worker inherited whatever PATH the
@@ -706,6 +924,12 @@ public abstract class HerdrPeerLauncher implements PeerLauncher {
      * overriding {@code ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL} and slipping past {@link
      * dev.ltms.bridged.guard.SubscriptionGuard}, which is checked against the profile's
      * {@code baseUrl} and nothing else.
+     *
+     * <p>The CB-596 credential shadow and the CB-592 marker are put in <em>last</em>, after the
+     * profile's own {@code env:}, so no profile — present or future — can restore a blocked
+     * credential, or hide that the pane is a member, by naming either in config. This is the one
+     * place both are applied: every {@code buildLaunch} in every adapter calls this first, so a new
+     * profile, and a peer kind not yet written, gets them for free.
      */
     protected Map<String, String> baseEnv(BridgedConfig.Profile cfg) {
         Map<String, String> workerEnv = new LinkedHashMap<>();
@@ -716,9 +940,70 @@ public abstract class HerdrPeerLauncher implements PeerLauncher {
         if (cfg != null && cfg.env() != null) {
             workerEnv.putAll(cfg.env());
         }
+        applyMemberCredentialPolicy(workerEnv);
+        workerEnv.put(MEMBER_MARKER, "1");
         return workerEnv;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * CB-596: shadow every configured {@code memberCredentials.known} name that is not also
+     * {@code allow}-ed, replacing CB-592's single hardcoded {@code GITEA_ACCESS_TOKEN} name (gitea
+     * issue #82). An allow-listed name is deliberately left unmentioned here — see {@link
+     * #BLOCKED_CREDENTIAL_SENTINEL}'s javadoc for why an overlay entry is the only way to shadow an
+     * inherited value, which is exactly why an allowed name must get NO entry: any entry at all,
+     * blank or not, risks overriding the real value the pane needs.
+     *
+     * <p>No {@code memberCredentials} configured — the supplier is {@code null}, or it resolves to
+     * one whose {@code known} list is empty — shadows nothing. This is a real, config-driven gap
+     * (see {@link BridgedConfig.MemberCredentials}'s javadoc), not a safe default: deny-by-default
+     * only defends names the operator has actually enumerated in {@code known}.
+     */
+    private void applyMemberCredentialPolicy(Map<String, String> workerEnv) {
+        BridgedConfig.MemberCredentials creds = memberCredentials == null ? null : memberCredentials.get();
+        if (creds == null) {
+            return;
+        }
+        for (String name : creds.blockedSet()) {
+            workerEnv.put(name, BLOCKED_CREDENTIAL_SENTINEL);
+        }
+        logCredentialGap(creds);
+    }
+
+    /** Credential-shaped env var name heuristic for {@link #logCredentialGap} — case-insensitive. */
+    private static final Pattern CREDENTIAL_SHAPED_NAME =
+            Pattern.compile("(?i).*(TOKEN|SECRET|_KEY|APIKEY|PASSWORD|CREDENTIAL|AUTH).*");
+
+    /** Guards {@link #logCredentialGap} to one WARN per launcher instance, not one per spawn. */
+    private final AtomicBoolean credentialGapLogged = new AtomicBoolean();
+
+    /**
+     * CB-596 criterion 4: a credential-shaped host env var name on neither {@code known} nor
+     * {@code allow} is not silently allowed — it is reported. {@link #hostEnvNames} enumerates the
+     * daemon's own environment (see that field's javadoc for why the daemon's env is read rather
+     * than the spawned pane's, which the daemon has no channel to inspect at spawn time); this logs
+     * every such NAME, at WARN, at most once per launcher instance — never a value, a prefix of a
+     * value, or a hash of a value, so the log itself cannot leak anything.
+     */
+    private void logCredentialGap(BridgedConfig.MemberCredentials creds) {
+        Set<String> covered = new HashSet<>(creds.known());
+        covered.addAll(creds.allow());
+        List<String> gap = hostEnvNames.get().stream()
+                .filter(name -> CREDENTIAL_SHAPED_NAME.matcher(name).matches())
+                .filter(name -> !covered.contains(name))
+                .sorted()
+                .toList();
+        if (gap.isEmpty()) {
+            return;
+        }
+        if (credentialGapLogged.compareAndSet(false, true)) {
+            log.warn("memberCredentials gap: {} credential-shaped env var name(s) are on neither "
+                            + "known: nor allow: — every member pane inherits them UNBLOCKED — {}. "
+                            + "Add each to memberCredentials.known (blocked by default) or .allow "
+                            + "(if a member legitimately needs it).",
+                    gap.size(), gap);
+        }
+    }
+
     /** Defensive copy of {@code argv} plus room to append launch flags. */
     protected static List<String> mutableArgv(List<String> argv) {
         return new ArrayList<>(argv);

bridged/src/main/java/dev/ltms/bridged/member/OpenCodeLauncher.java

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import dev.ltms.bridged.herdr.Agent;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.herdr.AgentControl;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.herdr.WorkspaceControl;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.Capability;
+import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.CharterReceipt;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.PeerHandle;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.SpawnRequest;
 
@@ -103,6 +104,20 @@ public final class OpenCodeLauncher extends HerdrPeerLauncher {
                 defaultConfigRoot(), defaultDiscoveryRoot(), fleet);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Production constructor, plus the CB-596 {@code memberCredentials} policy supplier.
+     */
+    public OpenCodeLauncher(AgentControl agents, WorkspaceControl spaces,
+                            Map<String, BridgedConfig.Profile> profiles, String defaultProfile,
+                            Function<String, String> env,
+                            long spawnReadyTimeoutMs, long spawnReadyPollMs,
+                            Supplier<BridgedConfig.Fleet> fleet,
+                            Supplier<BridgedConfig.MemberCredentials> memberCredentials) {
+        this(agents, spaces, profiles, defaultProfile, env, spawnReadyTimeoutMs,
+                System::currentTimeMillis, () -> sleepUninterruptibly(spawnReadyPollMs),
+                defaultConfigRoot(), defaultDiscoveryRoot(), fleet, memberCredentials);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Full testability constructor. Every injectable collaborator is explicit so unit tests supply a
      * fake clock ({@code nowMillis}), poll-loop wait ({@code sleeper}), and a temp {@code configRoot}
@@ -150,6 +165,23 @@ public final class OpenCodeLauncher extends HerdrPeerLauncher {
         this.discovery = new OpenCodeSessionDiscovery(discoveryRoot);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Full testability constructor, plus the CB-596 {@code memberCredentials} policy supplier.
+     */
+    public OpenCodeLauncher(AgentControl agents, WorkspaceControl spaces,
+                            Map<String, BridgedConfig.Profile> profiles, String defaultProfile,
+                            Function<String, String> env,
+                            long spawnReadyTimeoutMs,
+                            LongSupplier nowMillis, Runnable sleeper,
+                            Path configRoot, Path discoveryRoot,
+                            Supplier<BridgedConfig.Fleet> fleet,
+                            Supplier<BridgedConfig.MemberCredentials> memberCredentials) {
+        super(NAME_PREFIX, agents, spaces, profiles, defaultProfile, env,
+                spawnReadyTimeoutMs, nowMillis, sleeper, fleet, memberCredentials);
+        this.configRoot = configRoot;
+        this.discovery = new OpenCodeSessionDiscovery(discoveryRoot);
+    }
+
     private static Path defaultConfigRoot() {
         return Path.of(System.getProperty("java.io.tmpdir"));
     }
@@ -176,8 +208,24 @@ public final class OpenCodeLauncher extends HerdrPeerLauncher {
             workerEnv.put("OPENCODE_CONFIG", writeConfig(cfg, spec.charter()).toString());
         }
         applyGitToken(workerEnv, cfg);
-        return new Launch(workerEnv,
-                argvWithResume(argvWithModel(argvWithAuto(cfg), cfg), spec.resumeSessionId()));
+        List<String> argv = argvWithResume(argvWithModel(argvWithAuto(cfg), cfg), spec.resumeSessionId());
+        return new Launch(workerEnv, argvWithAgent(argv, spec));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * The launch argv plus, when the role has an agent-definition file under the worker's cwd,
+     * opencode's {@code --agent <role>} flag (CB-617). A role with no such file gets nothing added —
+     * the member must still spawn.
+     */
+    private List<String> argvWithAgent(List<String> argv, LaunchSpec spec) {
+        Path agentFile = agentDefinitionFile(spec.cwd(), spec.role(), ".opencode", "agent");
+        if (agentFile == null) {
+            return argv;
+        }
+        List<String> withAgent = mutableArgv(argv);
+        withAgent.add("--agent");
+        withAgent.add(spec.role().wireName());
+        return withAgent;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -406,6 +454,11 @@ public final class OpenCodeLauncher extends HerdrPeerLauncher {
             // appeared).
             return discovery.sessionIdForDirectory(cwd);
         }
+
+        @Override
+        public CharterReceipt charterReceipt() {
+            return delegate.charterReceipt();
+        }
     }
 
     // --- Agent-returning convenience spawns (used by callers/tests that want the herdr Agent) ---

bridged/src/main/java/dev/ltms/bridged/msg/AmqpReplyInbox.java

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import com.rabbitmq.client.ConnectionFactory;
 import com.rabbitmq.client.DeliverCallback;
 import com.rabbitmq.client.Recoverable;
 import com.rabbitmq.client.RecoveryListener;
+import com.rabbitmq.client.Return;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
@@ -14,7 +15,13 @@ import java.io.IOException;
 import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
 import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.NavigableMap;
+import java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture;
 import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
+import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentSkipListMap;
+import java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeoutException;
 
 /**
  * AMQP-backed {@link ReplyInbox} (CB-307 Stage 2): genuine cross-restart durability behind the same
@@ -29,6 +36,27 @@ import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
  * leaves them on the broker — it redelivers on reconnect. That is the durability the in-memory
  * adapter cannot give, with the port contract preserved.
  *
+ * <p><strong>Prefetch bounds the held backlog (CB-527).</strong> The consumer channel calls
+ * {@code basicQos} with a configurable prefetch count ({@link #DEFAULT_PREFETCH} unless the caller
+ * passes another value to {@link #open(String, int)}) before starting any consumer. Without a bound,
+ * the broker pushes its entire queue into {@link #held} the instant a target is {@link #own owned},
+ * so an undrained primary grows the JVM heap without limit and any queue-level control
+ * ({@code x-max-length}, per-message TTL) never fires because the queue never actually holds a
+ * backlog. Prefetch keeps the backlog where it is visible — on the broker — until the owner drains it.
+ *
+ * <p><strong>Publishes require a confirmed, routable delivery (CB-528).</strong> {@link #publish}
+ * runs on a channel separate from the consume/ack channel ({@link #channel}), so a slow or blocked
+ * publish confirm can never hold {@link #channelLock} and stall an ack — the ack path never waits on
+ * a publish confirm. That publish channel is in publisher-confirm mode and every publish sets the
+ * {@code mandatory} flag, so an unroutable publish (queue not declared, e.g. the owner never called
+ * {@link #own}) is returned by the broker instead of silently dropped. The broker sends the
+ * <em>return</em> for an unroutable message before the <em>confirm</em> that covers it — the ack/nack
+ * callback checks the returned-set at confirm time rather than assuming an ack means routed — so
+ * "confirmed" here means "durably queued", not merely "accepted by the broker". A returned or nacked
+ * (or un-confirmed within the timeout) publish surfaces as an {@link IllegalStateException} on the
+ * caller's thread; the caller — {@link MessageService#reply} — must not report success for a
+ * black-holed reply.
+ *
  * <p><strong>Ownership is explicit.</strong> {@link #own} declares the queue and starts the consumer;
  * {@link #release} cancels it. {@link #publish} sends to the queue but does <em>not</em> imply ownership
  * and does not attach a consumer. This split is required by CB-308 federation, where one gateway may
@@ -54,6 +82,12 @@ public final class AmqpReplyInbox implements ReplyInbox, AutoCloseable {
     private static final String QUEUE_PREFIX = "agent.";
     private static final String QUEUE_SUFFIX = ".inbox";
 
+    /** CB-527: the prefetch used when a caller does not pass an explicit value to {@link #open(String, int)}. */
+    public static final int DEFAULT_PREFETCH = 32;
+
+    /** How long {@link #publish} waits for its publisher confirm before failing the call (CB-528). */
+    private static final long CONFIRM_TIMEOUT_MS = 10_000L;
+
     private final Connection connection;
     private final Channel channel;
     /** All channel operations (publish/declare/ack/cancel) serialize on this — a Channel is not thread-safe. */
@@ -63,39 +97,87 @@ public final class AmqpReplyInbox implements ReplyInbox, AutoCloseable {
     /** Targets whose queue is declared and consumer is running, mapped to their broker consumer tag. */
     private final ConcurrentHashMap<String, String> consumerTags = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
 
+    /**
+     * CB-528: a dedicated channel for {@link #publish}, kept separate from {@link #channel} (consume
+     * + ack) so a publish confirm round trip never blocks under {@link #channelLock} and stalls an ack.
+     */
+    private final Channel publishChannel;
+    private final Object publishChannelLock = new Object();
+    /** In-flight publishes awaiting their confirm, keyed by the publish channel's sequence number. */
+    private final ConcurrentSkipListMap<Long, Pending> pendingBySeq = new ConcurrentSkipListMap<>();
+    /**
+     * The same in-flight publishes, keyed by {@code msgId} — a broker {@code Return} carries no delivery
+     * tag. Assumes {@code msgId} is unique per in-flight publish: a second {@link #publish} for a
+     * {@code msgId} still awaiting its confirm would overwrite this entry and misdirect
+     * {@link #onReturn}'s lookup. Not reachable today — {@code MessageService.reply} generates a fresh
+     * {@code UUID} per call — so no guard is added for it.
+     */
+    private final ConcurrentHashMap<String, Pending> pendingByMsgId = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
+
     /** A message pulled off the broker but not yet acked: its delivery-tag plus the port payload. */
     private record Held(long deliveryTag, InboxMessage message) {}
 
-    /** Connect to {@code uri} (e.g. {@code amqp://guest:guest@127.0.0.1:5672/}) and open the inbox. */
+    /** A publish awaiting its confirm; {@link #returned} records whether the broker already returned it. */
+    private static final class Pending {
+        final String msgId;
+        final CompletableFuture<Void> confirmed = new CompletableFuture<>();
+        volatile boolean returned;
+
+        Pending(String msgId) {
+            this.msgId = msgId;
+        }
+    }
+
+    /** Connect to {@code uri} (e.g. {@code amqp://guest:guest@127.0.0.1:5672/}) with {@link #DEFAULT_PREFETCH}. */
     public static AmqpReplyInbox open(String uri) {
+        return open(uri, DEFAULT_PREFETCH);
+    }
+
+    /** As {@link #open(String)}, with an explicit consumer prefetch (CB-527: caps the held backlog per target). */
+    public static AmqpReplyInbox open(String uri, int prefetch) {
         try {
             ConnectionFactory factory = new ConnectionFactory();
             factory.setUri(uri);
             // Self-heal transient blips; topology recovery re-declares queues and re-attaches consumers.
             factory.setAutomaticRecoveryEnabled(true);
             factory.setTopologyRecoveryEnabled(true);
-            return new AmqpReplyInbox(factory.newConnection("bridged-reply-inbox"));
+            return new AmqpReplyInbox(factory.newConnection("bridged-reply-inbox"), prefetch);
         } catch (Exception e) {
             throw new IllegalStateException("cannot connect to AMQP broker at " + uri, e);
         }
     }
 
-    /** Wrap an already-open connection (injection seam for the contract test). */
+    /** Wrap an already-open connection with {@link #DEFAULT_PREFETCH} (injection seam for the contract test). */
     AmqpReplyInbox(Connection connection) {
+        this(connection, DEFAULT_PREFETCH);
+    }
+
+    /** As above, with an explicit prefetch (injection seam for the contract test). */
+    AmqpReplyInbox(Connection connection, int prefetch) {
         this.connection = connection;
         try {
             this.channel = connection.createChannel();
+            // CB-527: bound the held backlog per owned target — must be set before any own()/basicConsume.
+            this.channel.basicQos(prefetch);
+            this.publishChannel = connection.createChannel();
+            this.publishChannel.confirmSelect();
+            this.publishChannel.addReturnListener(this::onReturn);
+            this.publishChannel.addConfirmListener(this::onAck, this::onNack);
         } catch (IOException e) {
             throw new IllegalStateException("cannot open AMQP channel", e);
         }
         // On automatic recovery the broker redelivers unacked messages with FRESH delivery-tags; the
         // tags we were holding are now stale. Drop the held snapshot so the re-attached consumer
-        // repopulates it with valid tags (dedup by msgId still prevents any double-queue).
+        // repopulates it with valid tags (dedup by msgId still prevents any double-queue). Any publish
+        // confirm still in flight when the connection dropped is equally stale — its sequence number
+        // meant nothing on the old channel and means nothing on the recovered one, so fail it now
+        // rather than let it silently ride out CONFIRM_TIMEOUT_MS.
         if (connection instanceof Recoverable recoverable) {
             recoverable.addRecoveryListener(new RecoveryListener() {
                 @Override
                 public void handleRecovery(Recoverable recoverable) {
                     held.clear();
+                    failPendingPublishesOnRecovery();
                     log.info("AMQP connection recovered; cleared held replies for fresh redelivery");
                 }
 
@@ -141,6 +223,12 @@ public final class AmqpReplyInbox implements ReplyInbox, AutoCloseable {
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Publish {@code content} and block until the broker's publisher confirm for it lands (CB-528).
+     * Throws {@link IllegalStateException} if the message is returned as unroutable, nacked, or not
+     * confirmed within {@link #CONFIRM_TIMEOUT_MS} — the caller must treat that as a failed publish,
+     * not a lost-and-forgotten one.
+     */
     @Override
     public void publish(String target, String msgId, String content) {
         AMQP.BasicProperties props = new AMQP.BasicProperties.Builder()
@@ -148,12 +236,35 @@ public final class AmqpReplyInbox implements ReplyInbox, AutoCloseable {
                 .deliveryMode(2)                   // persistent — survives a broker restart
                 .contentType("text/plain")
                 .build();
-        try {
-            synchronized (channelLock) {
-                channel.basicPublish("", queueName(target), props, content.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8));
+        Pending pending = new Pending(msgId);
+        long seq;
+        synchronized (publishChannelLock) {
+            seq = publishChannel.getNextPublishSeqNo();
+            pendingBySeq.put(seq, pending);
+            pendingByMsgId.put(msgId, pending);
+            try {
+                publishChannel.basicPublish("", queueName(target), true, props,
+                        content.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8));
+            } catch (IOException e) {
+                pendingBySeq.remove(seq, pending);
+                pendingByMsgId.remove(msgId, pending);
+                throw new IllegalStateException("cannot publish reply to " + queueName(target), e);
             }
-        } catch (IOException e) {
-            throw new IllegalStateException("cannot publish reply to " + queueName(target), e);
+        }
+        try {
+            pending.confirmed.get(CONFIRM_TIMEOUT_MS, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
+        } catch (ExecutionException e) {
+            Throwable cause = e.getCause();
+            throw cause instanceof RuntimeException re ? re : new IllegalStateException(cause);
+        } catch (TimeoutException e) {
+            throw new IllegalStateException("publish confirm for reply " + msgId + " to " + queueName(target)
+                    + " timed out after " + CONFIRM_TIMEOUT_MS + "ms — broker may be unreachable or overloaded", e);
+        } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+            Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
+            throw new IllegalStateException("interrupted awaiting publish confirm for " + msgId, e);
+        } finally {
+            pendingBySeq.remove(seq, pending);
+            pendingByMsgId.remove(msgId, pending);
         }
     }
 
@@ -222,17 +333,115 @@ public final class AmqpReplyInbox implements ReplyInbox, AutoCloseable {
         };
     }
 
+    /** Broker return for an unroutable {@code mandatory} publish — arrives BEFORE its confirm (CB-528). */
+    private void onReturn(Return r) {
+        String msgId = r.getProperties() == null ? null : r.getProperties().getMessageId();
+        Pending pending = msgId == null ? null : pendingByMsgId.get(msgId);
+        if (pending != null) {
+            pending.returned = true;
+        } else {
+            log.warn("AMQP return for reply {} (routingKey={}, {} {}) with no matching in-flight publish"
+                    + " — already resolved by a prior confirm", msgId, r.getRoutingKey(), r.getReplyCode(),
+                    r.getReplyText());
+        }
+    }
+
+    private void onAck(long seq, boolean multiple) {
+        resolveConfirm(seq, multiple, true);
+    }
+
+    private void onNack(long seq, boolean multiple) {
+        resolveConfirm(seq, multiple, false);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Resolve every pending publish covered by this confirm (a single seq, or — {@code multiple} —
+     * every seq up to and including it). Checks {@link Pending#returned} at confirm time: since the
+     * broker's return for an unroutable message always precedes its confirm, an ack that arrives after
+     * a return means "confirmed but never routed", not "durably queued".
+     */
+    private void resolveConfirm(long seq, boolean multiple, boolean ack) {
+        NavigableMap<Long, Pending> covered = multiple
+                ? pendingBySeq.headMap(seq, true)
+                : pendingBySeq.subMap(seq, true, seq, true);
+        for (var it = covered.entrySet().iterator(); it.hasNext(); ) {
+            Pending pending = it.next().getValue();
+            it.remove();
+            pendingByMsgId.remove(pending.msgId, pending);
+            if (ack && !pending.returned) {
+                pending.confirmed.complete(null);
+            } else if (ack) {
+                pending.confirmed.completeExceptionally(new IllegalStateException(
+                        "reply " + pending.msgId + " was returned as unroutable (queue not declared/owned)"));
+            } else {
+                pending.confirmed.completeExceptionally(new IllegalStateException(
+                        "broker nacked publish of reply " + pending.msgId));
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Fail every publish still awaiting its confirm — their sequence numbers are stale after recovery.
+     * Guarded by {@link #publishChannelLock}, the same lock {@link #publish} holds while it takes its
+     * sequence number and registers its {@link Pending}: without it, a {@link #publish} that starts
+     * after the connection has already recovered (so it publishes — and will be confirmed — on the
+     * <em>new</em> channel) can register between this sweep's iteration and its clear, and this sweep
+     * then fails a publish that actually succeeded. {@link #publish} only holds the lock for the
+     * seq/map-put/{@code basicPublish} — it awaits the confirm outside it — so this sweep can only ever
+     * wait for an in-flight {@code basicPublish} call to return, never for a broker round trip. No
+     * deadlock.
+     *
+     * <p>Package-private (rather than {@code private}) only so the unit test can drive it directly
+     * against a concurrent {@link #publish} without a live broker reconnect.
+     */
+    void failPendingPublishesOnRecovery() {
+        synchronized (publishChannelLock) {
+            for (var it = pendingBySeq.entrySet().iterator(); it.hasNext(); ) {
+                Pending pending = it.next().getValue();
+                it.remove();
+                pendingByMsgId.remove(pending.msgId, pending);
+                pending.confirmed.completeExceptionally(new IllegalStateException(
+                        "AMQP connection recovered mid-publish; confirm status of reply " + pending.msgId
+                                + " is unknown"));
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Fail every publish still awaiting its confirm with a clear, immediate error instead of leaving it
+     * to time out after {@link #CONFIRM_TIMEOUT_MS} once the channels are closed underneath it. Guarded
+     * by {@link #publishChannelLock} for the same reason as {@link #failPendingPublishesOnRecovery}.
+     */
+    private void failPendingPublishesOnClose() {
+        synchronized (publishChannelLock) {
+            for (var it = pendingBySeq.entrySet().iterator(); it.hasNext(); ) {
+                Pending pending = it.next().getValue();
+                it.remove();
+                pendingByMsgId.remove(pending.msgId, pending);
+                pending.confirmed.completeExceptionally(new IllegalStateException(
+                        "AMQP reply inbox closed while publish of reply " + pending.msgId
+                                + " was still awaiting its confirm"));
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     private static String queueName(String target) {
         return QUEUE_PREFIX + target + QUEUE_SUFFIX;
     }
 
     @Override
     public void close() {
+        failPendingPublishesOnClose();
         try {
             channel.close();
         } catch (Exception e) {
             log.debug("AMQP channel close: {}", e.toString());
         }
+        try {
+            publishChannel.close();
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            log.debug("AMQP publish channel close: {}", e.toString());
+        }
         try {
             connection.close();
         } catch (Exception e) {

bridged/src/main/java/dev/ltms/bridged/msg/MessageService.java

@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeoutException;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicLong;
 import java.util.concurrent.locks.ReentrantLock;
+import java.util.function.LongSupplier;
 
 /**
  * The blocking delegation feature (CB-104): deliver {@code content} into a worker and block until
@@ -52,8 +53,12 @@ public final class MessageService {
      */
     private static final long ASYNC_TIMEOUT_MS = 30 * 60 * 1_000L;
 
-    /** How long a finished (terminal) ticket is retained for polling before it is pruned. */
-    private static final long TICKET_TTL_NANOS = 10 * 60 * 1_000_000_000L;
+    /**
+     * How long a finished (terminal) ticket is retained for polling before it is pruned. Package-
+     * private (not {@code private}) so a test can advance an injected clock past it deterministically
+     * instead of duplicating the magic number or sleeping for real.
+     */
+    static final long TICKET_TTL_NANOS = 10 * 60 * 1_000_000_000L;
 
     /** Outcome of a blocking send. */
     public enum Outcome {
@@ -159,23 +164,39 @@ public final class MessageService {
 
     /** An in-flight or finished async delegation, keyed by its ticket. */
     private static final class Task {
+        private final String ticket;
         private final String target;
         private final CompletableFuture<Reply> future = new CompletableFuture<>();
-        private final long createdNanos = System.nanoTime();
+        private final long createdNanos;
         private volatile Reply question;
         private volatile String turnId;
 
-        private Task(String target) {
+        private Task(String ticket, String target, long createdNanos) {
+            this.ticket = ticket;
             this.target = target;
+            this.createdNanos = createdNanos;
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * A worker session's currently-open {@code bridge_ask} question, surfaced so {@code bridge_status}
+     * can show it without the caller needing the ticket first (CB-582). Only covers async
+     * (fire-and-poll) delegations, which track the question on their {@link Task}; a blocking
+     * ({@code wait:true}) send already hands the question straight back to its own caller, so there is
+     * nothing hidden left for {@code bridge_status} to surface in that case.
+     */
+    public record PendingAsk(String ticket, String question, String turnId) {
+    }
+
     private final AgentControl agents;
     private final Injector injector;
     private final Rendezvous rendezvous;
     private final ReplyInbox inbox;
     private final ReplyPushLoop pushLoop;
     private final Metrics metrics; // CB-502: nullable — no registry in unit tests
+    // CB-588: injectable so pruneTerminalTickets' 10-minute TICKET_TTL_NANOS can be exercised in a
+    // test without a real wait — same seam SessionManager already uses for its idle reaper (nowNanos).
+    private final LongSupplier nowNanos;
     private final ConcurrentHashMap<String, ReentrantLock> sessionLocks = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
     private final ConcurrentHashMap<String, Task> tasks = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
     /** Async task that owns each exact forward rendezvous waiter. */
@@ -191,7 +212,11 @@ public final class MessageService {
      * Create with an explicit {@link ReplyInbox} and optional {@link ReplyPushLoop}.
      *
      * @param pushLoop nullable — when non-null, the push loop is notified on the no-waiter reply
-     *                 branch ({@link #reply}) so it can nudge the primary to drain the inbox
+     *                 branch ({@link #reply}) so it can nudge the primary to drain the inbox,
+     *                 (CB-588) whenever an async ticket started by {@link #sendAsync} reaches a
+     *                 terminal phase, whenever {@link #poll} hands a terminal ticket to its caller,
+     *                 and (CB-582) whenever an async ticket's worker pauses mid-turn in
+     *                 {@code bridge_ask} or that pause ends (answered or lapsed)
      */
     public MessageService(AgentControl agents, Injector injector, Rendezvous rendezvous,
                           ReplyInbox inbox, ReplyPushLoop pushLoop) {
@@ -206,12 +231,19 @@ public final class MessageService {
      */
     public MessageService(AgentControl agents, Injector injector, Rendezvous rendezvous,
                           ReplyInbox inbox, ReplyPushLoop pushLoop, Metrics metrics) {
+        this(agents, injector, rendezvous, inbox, pushLoop, metrics, System::nanoTime);
+    }
+
+    /** Test constructor with an injectable clock (CB-588: exercise the ticket-prune TTL without a real wait). */
+    MessageService(AgentControl agents, Injector injector, Rendezvous rendezvous, ReplyInbox inbox,
+                   ReplyPushLoop pushLoop, Metrics metrics, LongSupplier nowNanos) {
         this.agents = agents;
         this.injector = injector;
         this.rendezvous = rendezvous;
         this.inbox = inbox;
         this.pushLoop = pushLoop;
         this.metrics = metrics;
+        this.nowNanos = nowNanos;
     }
 
     /** Create with an explicit {@link ReplyInbox} and no push loop. */
@@ -333,9 +365,30 @@ public final class MessageService {
     }
 
     /**
-     * Drain (peek + ack) all pending inbox replies for {@code target}. At-least-once: returns the
-     * messages and acknowledges them; an in-flight failure between returning and the caller
-     * processing them re-surfaces them on a subsequent drain (the ack is local).
+     * Drain (peek + ack) all pending inbox replies for {@code target}.
+     *
+     * <p><strong>The ack happens here, before the caller has the messages</strong> — before the MCP
+     * or REST response carrying them has been written, and long before the client has processed
+     * them. That ordering is what the two adapters disagree about, so do not read this method as
+     * "at-least-once" without qualifying which inbox is behind it (CB-529):
+     *
+     * <ul>
+     *   <li>{@code InMemoryReplyInbox} — the ack only drops an entry from a local map. The messages
+     *       are already in the returned list, so nothing can be lost after this point.
+     *   <li>{@code AmqpReplyInbox} — the ack is a broker-side {@code basicAck}. Once it lands the
+     *       broker has forgotten the message. If the daemon dies while writing the response, the
+     *       reply is gone from the broker <em>and</em> the client never received it. Re-polling
+     *       cannot recover it, because there is nothing left to re-deliver.
+     * </ul>
+     *
+     * <p>So the loss window is the response write, and it is a genuine loss rather than a
+     * redelivery. This is accepted, not overlooked: the alternative — ack on the next poll — turns
+     * every normal drain into a double delivery, which costs more than the window it closes. A
+     * caller that needs certainty re-polls; that is idempotent for every case except this one.
+     *
+     * <p>Any change here must be checked against <em>both</em> adapters. The previous version of
+     * this javadoc claimed "the ack is local", which was true when only the in-memory inbox existed
+     * and silently became false when the AMQP adapter landed.
      *
      * @return the drained messages, newest last (FIFO); empty list if none
      */
@@ -456,6 +509,15 @@ public final class MessageService {
                 rendezvous.closeAsk(ticket.turnId());
                 return new AskResult(AskOutcome.NO_WAITER, null); // no primary is blocked on this worker
             }
+            // CB-582: the question just became visible via bridge_poll (Phase.ASKING) for an async
+            // (wait:false) delegation — nudge the lead's own pane the same way a terminal ticket does
+            // (CB-588), since the lead's normal poll cadence is minutes away and the reverse-rendezvous
+            // window (~55s, see BridgeMcp/BridgedApp) is far shorter. A blocking (wait:true) send has
+            // no Task and gets the question directly in its own reply, so task == null there — nothing
+            // to nudge.
+            if (task != null && pushLoop != null) {
+                pushLoop.onQuestionOpened(task.ticket, workerSession, ticket.turnId(), question);
+            }
         }
         try {
             String answer = ticket.answer().get(timeoutMillis, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
@@ -474,6 +536,14 @@ public final class MessageService {
             // Only the fresh owner tears down the shared turn; a duplicate must leave it open.
             if (ticket.fresh()) {
                 rendezvous.closeAsk(ticket.turnId());
+                // CB-582: tear the push loop's copy down at the same point, not only on the three
+                // paths that call clearAsyncQuestion. The answer future can complete exceptionally
+                // (ExecutionException) or the thread be interrupted, and both leave this method by
+                // throwing — the question would stay pending forever, keep being named in nudges
+                // until its own cap, and never be removed from the map. Already-closed is a no-op.
+                if (pushLoop != null) {
+                    pushLoop.questionClosed(ticket.turnId());
+                }
             }
         }
     }
@@ -550,8 +620,24 @@ public final class MessageService {
      */
     public String sendAsync(String target, String content, Runnable onAccepted) {
         String ticket = "task-" + ticketSeq.incrementAndGet();
-        Task task = new Task(target);
+        Task task = new Task(ticket, target, nowNanos.getAsLong());
         tasks.put(ticket, task);
+        if (pushLoop != null) {
+            // CB-588: task.future only ever completes on a terminal phase (DONE or a failure) — a
+            // worker paused in bridge_ask leaves it running, per finishAsyncTask's own contract — so
+            // this fires exactly once, from whichever path completes it: finishAsyncTask(task, result)
+            // below on any non-QUESTION outcome of send() — a worker's bridge_reply, the CB-106
+            // completion fallback, a CB-109 wedge, TIMED_OUT, BUSY, or BACKEND_EXHAUSTED — the same
+            // finishAsyncTask reached via answer()'s finishAsyncTask(turnId, result) once a QUESTION
+            // is resolved, completeExceptionally(t) just below when send() itself throws, or a CB-516
+            // abandon() on teardown. Without this, MessageService.reply's rendezvous fast path (the
+            // one an async ticket always takes) never told the push loop anything happened — see the
+            // class javadoc on sendAsync/CB-107.
+            task.future.whenComplete((reply, ex) -> {
+                boolean failed = ex != null || reply == null || !reply.completed();
+                pushLoop.onTicketTerminal(ticket, target, failed);
+            });
+        }
         asyncExecutor.submit(() -> {
             try {
                 Reply result = send(target, content, ASYNC_TIMEOUT_MS, onAccepted, task);
@@ -589,6 +675,11 @@ public final class MessageService {
             }
             return new TaskView(ticket, Phase.PENDING, null, null, "worker " + liveStatus(task.target), null);
         }
+        // CB-588: the ticket is terminal and being handed to the caller right here — tell the push
+        // loop it is collected so a later tick's nudge never names a ticket the lead already has.
+        if (pushLoop != null) {
+            pushLoop.ticketCollected(ticket);
+        }
         Reply r;
         try {
             r = f.getNow(null);
@@ -619,10 +710,27 @@ public final class MessageService {
         }
     }
 
-    /** Drop finished tickets older than the TTL so the registry cannot grow without bound. */
+    /**
+     * Drop finished tickets older than the TTL so {@link #tasks} cannot grow without bound.
+     *
+     * <p>{@code tasks} is the sole authority on whether a ticket still exists — {@link #poll} returns
+     * {@code null} the instant a ticket is gone from here, before it ever reaches the terminal branch
+     * that calls {@link ReplyPushLoop#ticketCollected}. Without telling the push loop about a prune
+     * too, its own {@code pendingTickets} entry would outlive the ticket it names: an unpolled ticket
+     * (or one the reminder cap already gave up on) is pruned here but never collected there, so it
+     * lingers in {@code pendingTickets} forever and rides along on every later nudge to the same lead
+     * — naming a ticket {@code bridge_poll} can no longer find (CB-588 follow-up).
+     */
     private void pruneTerminalTickets() {
-        long cutoff = System.nanoTime() - TICKET_TTL_NANOS;
-        tasks.values().removeIf(t -> t.future.isDone() && t.createdNanos < cutoff);
+        long cutoff = nowNanos.getAsLong() - TICKET_TTL_NANOS;
+        tasks.entrySet().removeIf(e -> {
+            Task t = e.getValue();
+            boolean expired = t.future.isDone() && t.createdNanos < cutoff;
+            if (expired && pushLoop != null) {
+                pushLoop.ticketCollected(e.getKey());
+            }
+            return expired;
+        });
     }
 
     /** Record the active question for an async ticket; blocking sends have no entry and stay unchanged. */
@@ -638,6 +746,12 @@ public final class MessageService {
 
     /** Clear an answered or lapsed question, but only when it matches the ticket's current turn. */
     private void clearAsyncQuestion(String turnId, boolean forgetTurn) {
+        // CB-582: tell the push loop first — like ticketCollected, a removal for a turnId it never
+        // nudged about (or already dropped) is a harmless no-op, so this is safe to call unconditionally
+        // rather than threading the guard below through it.
+        if (pushLoop != null) {
+            pushLoop.questionClosed(turnId);
+        }
         Task task = asyncTasksByTurn.get(turnId);
         if (task != null && turnId.equals(task.turnId)) {
             task.question = null;
@@ -669,6 +783,23 @@ public final class MessageService {
         return asyncTasksByTurn.values().stream().anyMatch(task -> target.equals(task.target));
     }
 
+    /**
+     * The question {@code workerSession} is currently paused on via {@code bridge_ask}, if any
+     * (CB-582) — {@code bridge_status} uses this to show a pending question without the caller
+     * needing the ticket. {@code null} when the session has no open async question (including a
+     * session mid a <em>blocking</em> {@code bridge_ask}, which has no {@link Task} to look up — see
+     * {@link PendingAsk}).
+     */
+    public PendingAsk pendingAsk(String workerSession) {
+        for (Task task : tasks.values()) {
+            Reply q = task.question;
+            if (q != null && workerSession.equals(task.target)) {
+                return new PendingAsk(task.ticket, q.text(), q.turnId());
+            }
+        }
+        return null;
+    }
+
     /** Release the async executor. */
     public void close() {
         asyncExecutor.shutdown();

bridged/src/main/java/dev/ltms/bridged/msg/ReplyPushLoop.java

@@ -8,26 +8,66 @@ import dev.ltms.bridged.metrics.Metrics;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.HashSet;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
 import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledExecutorService;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
 /**
- * Mechanism (b) of CB-307: a dedicated, status-gated push loop that nudges the primary's own
- * herdr pane when a worker reply lands with no live {@code bridge_send} to resolve it.
+ * A status-gated push loop that nudges a lead's own herdr pane when it has uncollected work
+ * waiting: a worker reply queued with no live {@code bridge_send} to resolve it (CB-307), an
+ * async delegation ticket ({@code bridge_send(wait:false)}) that reached a terminal phase
+ * (CB-588), or an async ticket's worker pausing mid-turn in {@code bridge_ask} to await an answer
+ * (CB-582).
  *
- * <p>The loop is triggered by {@link #onReplyQueued(String)} (called from
- * {@link MessageService#reply} after the durable inbox publish). It checks four conditions
- * at each tick via {@link #decide(String, int)}, then either injects a drain nudge,
- * waits for the primary to become injectable, or stops reminding.
+ * <p><strong>CB-590: one schedule per lead.</strong> All three kinds of work are triggered
+ * through their own entry point — {@link #onReplyQueued(String)},
+ * {@link #onTicketTerminal(String, String, boolean)}, and
+ * {@link #onQuestionOpened(String, String, String, String)} — but each resolves the lead that
+ * should be nudged and coalesces onto a single per-lead reminder schedule, tracked in
+ * {@link #activeLeads}. Earlier this was two independent schedules (one keyed by worker target
+ * for replies, one keyed by lead for tickets) that could both decide to inject into the same pane
+ * in the same window — a race, not routine behaviour, but the expensive kind: it interrupts the
+ * lead's live turn twice. Collapsing to one schedule per lead makes that structurally impossible:
+ * at most one scheduled tick chain is ever live for a given lead (guarded by {@link #activeLeads}'
+ * compare-and-set), so at most one {@code agents.send} to that lead's pane is ever in flight.
  *
- * <p>Bounded: at most {@link #maxReminders} nudges per target, with a configurable backoff
- * between them. The reply is never lost — the durable inbox is the backstop.
+ * <p>Each tick examines <em>everything</em> pending for that lead — reply targets whose inbox
+ * still holds an unacked message ({@link #pendingReplies}), tickets not yet collected
+ * ({@link #pendingTickets}), and open questions not yet answered or lapsed
+ * ({@link #pendingQuestions}) — and sends at most one combined nudge per tick
+ * ({@link #injectNudge(String, int, int, int)}). Work that arrives while the lead is busy is
+ * never lost: it is re-read fresh on every tick until the lead is injectable or its own reminder
+ * cap ({@link #maxReminders}) is reached — each source spends from its own budget, so one source
+ * exhausting its cap does not stop nudges about the others (post-CB-590 regression fix; see
+ * {@link #decide}) — whichever the durable inbox / pending set doesn't already answer via
+ * {@code STOP}.
  */
 public final class ReplyPushLoop {
 
     private static final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(ReplyPushLoop.class);
     static final String NUDGE_FORMAT = "Worker %s returned a reply — run bridge_poll(target=%s) to collect it";
+    /** Coalesced form, several uncollected replies for the same lead. */
+    static final String REPLIES_NUDGE_FORMAT =
+            "%d workers returned replies — run bridge_poll(target=...) for each to collect them: %s";
+    /** Singular form, one uncollected ticket. */
+    static final String TICKET_NUDGE_FORMAT =
+            "Ticket %s finished%s — run bridge_poll(ticket=%s) to collect it";
+    /** Coalesced form, several uncollected tickets for the same lead. */
+    static final String TICKETS_NUDGE_FORMAT =
+            "%d tickets finished%s — run bridge_poll(ticket=...) for each to collect them: %s";
+    /** Singular form, one worker paused mid-turn in bridge_ask (CB-582) — names the answer call directly. */
+    static final String QUESTION_NUDGE_FORMAT =
+            "Worker %s asked a question (ticket %s) — answer it with bridge_send(turnId=\"%s\", "
+                    + "content=...) to resume its turn:\n%s";
+    /** Coalesced form, several open questions for the same lead. */
+    static final String QUESTIONS_NUDGE_FORMAT =
+            "%d workers are paused on a question — run bridge_poll(ticket=...) for each, then answer "
+                    + "with bridge_send(turnId=..., content=...): %s";
 
     private final PrimaryRegistry primaryRegistry;
     private final AgentControl agents;
@@ -37,8 +77,24 @@ public final class ReplyPushLoop {
     private final long backoffMs;
     private final Metrics metrics; // CB-512: nullable — no registry in unit tests
 
-    /** Track targets that have an active schedule. */
-    private final ConcurrentHashMap<String, Boolean> activeTargets = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
+    /**
+     * Worker targets with a reply queued, keyed by target. Each entry carries its own nudge
+     * count (CB-598) rather than sharing one counter per lead per source: a target's count only
+     * ever reflects nudges that actually named that target, so a target that joins while the
+     * schedule is already deep into another target's reminders still reads as fresh.
+     */
+    private final ConcurrentHashMap<String, ReplyEntry> pendingReplies = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
+    /** Tickets that have gone terminal but not yet been polled, keyed by ticket. */
+    private final ConcurrentHashMap<String, PendingTicket> pendingTickets = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
+    /**
+     * Open {@code bridge_ask} questions not yet answered or lapsed, keyed by {@code turnId}
+     * (CB-582). A question's own nudge count is tracked the same per-item way as
+     * {@link #pendingTickets} (CB-598): a fresh question keeps its source eligible regardless of
+     * how depleted an older, still-open question's count is.
+     */
+    private final ConcurrentHashMap<String, PendingQuestion> pendingQuestions = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
+    /** CB-590: leads with an active combined reminder schedule (replies and/or tickets and/or questions). */
+    private final ConcurrentHashMap<String, Boolean> activeLeads = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
 
     public ReplyPushLoop(PrimaryRegistry primaryRegistry, AgentControl agents, ReplyInbox inbox,
                          ScheduledExecutorService scheduler,
@@ -66,130 +122,511 @@ public final class ReplyPushLoop {
         }
     }
 
-    // --- decision logic (package-private for unit-testing) -------------------------------------
+    // --- pending-work lookups (package-private for unit-testing) -------------------------------
 
-    /** The action the loop should take for a target at the given reminder count. */
+    /** The action the loop should take for a lead at the given reminder count. */
     enum Action { INJECT, WAIT_BUSY, STOP }
 
     /**
-     * Pure decision function: examine the current state and return what the loop should do.
+     * Reply targets still pending for {@code lead} — registered via {@link #onReplyQueued} and
+     * whose inbox still holds an unacked message. A target whose inbox has since drained (acked,
+     * or collected via a live {@code bridge_send} rendezvous instead) is dropped from
+     * {@link #pendingReplies} here rather than lingering forever; there is no explicit "reply
+     * collected" callback the way {@link #ticketCollected} exists for tickets, so the inbox itself
+     * is the only signal.
+     */
+    private Set<String> pendingReplyTargetsFor(String lead) {
+        Set<String> result = new HashSet<>();
+        for (var entry : pendingReplies.entrySet()) {
+            String target = entry.getKey();
+            ReplyEntry owning = entry.getValue();
+            if (!lead.equals(owning.lead())) continue;
+            if (inbox.peek(target).isEmpty()) {
+                pendingReplies.remove(target, owning);
+                continue;
+            }
+            result.add(target);
+        }
+        return result;
+    }
+
+    /** A pending reply target: which lead to nudge, and how many nudges have named it so far. */
+    private record ReplyEntry(String lead, int nudgeCount) {
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * A ticket awaiting collection: which lead to nudge, whether it ended in failure, and how
+     * many nudges have named it so far (CB-598 — tracked per ticket, not per lead per source).
+     */
+    private record PendingTicket(String ticket, String lead, boolean failed, int nudgeCount) {
+    }
+
+    /** Tickets still pending for {@code lead}, snapshotted fresh for one tick. */
+    private List<PendingTicket> pendingTicketsFor(String lead) {
+        return pendingTickets.values().stream().filter(t -> lead.equals(t.lead())).toList();
+    }
+
+    /** Ticket ids still pending for {@code lead} — a plain snapshot for race comparison. */
+    private Set<String> pendingTicketIdsFor(String lead) {
+        return pendingTicketsFor(lead).stream().map(PendingTicket::ticket)
+                .collect(Collectors.toUnmodifiableSet());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * An open question awaiting the lead's answer: which ticket it belongs to, which worker asked,
+     * which lead to nudge, the question text, and how many nudges have named it so far (CB-598 —
+     * tracked per question, not per lead per source).
+     */
+    private record PendingQuestion(String turnId, String ticket, String target, String lead,
+                                   String question, int nudgeCount) {
+    }
+
+    /** Questions still open for {@code lead}, snapshotted fresh for one tick. */
+    private List<PendingQuestion> pendingQuestionsFor(String lead) {
+        return pendingQuestions.values().stream().filter(q -> lead.equals(q.lead())).toList();
+    }
+
+    /** Question turnIds still open for {@code lead} — a plain snapshot for race comparison. */
+    private Set<String> pendingQuestionTurnIdsFor(String lead) {
+        return pendingQuestionsFor(lead).stream().map(PendingQuestion::turnId)
+                .collect(Collectors.toUnmodifiableSet());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * The reply-source reminder count {@link #decide} should see for {@code lead} on this tick:
+     * the <em>minimum</em> nudge count among the reply targets currently pending for it (CB-598).
      *
-     * @param target        the worker session (target terminal id)
-     * @param reminderCount how many nudges have been sent so far for this target
+     * <p>Before this, the count passed to {@code decide} was a single counter carried forward
+     * across scheduled ticks ({@code scheduleNext(lead, count + 1, ...)}), incremented whenever
+     * the source had <em>any</em> pending work — not tied to which target that work was. A target
+     * that joined while an older target's count was already near the cap inherited that count on
+     * its very next tick, even though no nudge had ever named it. Taking the minimum over what is
+     * actually pending now means a fresh target (count 0) keeps the source eligible regardless of
+     * how many times an older, still-undrained target has already been nudged; that older target
+     * keeps riding along in the combined nudge text without spending any more of its own budget
+     * (see {@link #bumpNudgeCounts}). Returns 0 when nothing is pending — {@link #decide} never
+     * consults the count in that case, since {@code hasReplyWork} is false.
+     */
+    private int minReplyNudgeCountFor(String lead) {
+        int min = Integer.MAX_VALUE;
+        for (String target : pendingReplyTargetsFor(lead)) {
+            ReplyEntry entry = pendingReplies.get(target);
+            if (entry != null) {
+                min = Math.min(min, entry.nudgeCount());
+            }
+        }
+        return min == Integer.MAX_VALUE ? 0 : min;
+    }
+
+    /** As {@link #minReplyNudgeCountFor}, for the ticket source. */
+    private int minTicketNudgeCountFor(String lead) {
+        int min = Integer.MAX_VALUE;
+        for (PendingTicket ticket : pendingTicketsFor(lead)) {
+            min = Math.min(min, ticket.nudgeCount());
+        }
+        return min == Integer.MAX_VALUE ? 0 : min;
+    }
+
+    /** As {@link #minReplyNudgeCountFor}, for the question source (CB-582). */
+    private int minQuestionNudgeCountFor(String lead) {
+        int min = Integer.MAX_VALUE;
+        for (PendingQuestion q : pendingQuestionsFor(lead)) {
+            min = Math.min(min, q.nudgeCount());
+        }
+        return min == Integer.MAX_VALUE ? 0 : min;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Pure decision function: examine everything pending for {@code lead} — reply targets and
+     * tickets alike — and return what the loop should do.
+     *
+     * <p><strong>CB-590-fix: one schedule, two budgets.</strong> The single per-lead schedule
+     * (CB-590) still ticks once for both sources, but each source is capped independently —
+     * {@code replyReminderCount} against a reply target still pending, {@code ticketReminderCount}
+     * against a ticket still pending. A busy reply stream that exhausts its own cap must not stop
+     * the loop from nudging about a ticket that still has budget left, and vice versa: either
+     * source being eligible (has pending work AND is under its own cap) is enough for
+     * {@link Action#INJECT}. Only when neither source has eligible work does the loop
+     * {@link Action#STOP}.
+     *
+     * <p><strong>CB-598: the counts are per-item, not per-tick.</strong> {@link #tick} no longer
+     * carries these counts forward across scheduled calls — it recomputes them fresh every tick via
+     * {@link #minReplyNudgeCountFor} / {@link #minTicketNudgeCountFor}, so this function itself did
+     * not need to change; only what its caller feeds it did.
+     *
+     * @param lead                the lead terminal to nudge
+     * @param replyReminderCount  the lowest nudge count among reply targets pending for this lead
+     * @param ticketReminderCount the lowest nudge count among tickets pending for this lead
      * @return the action the caller should take
      */
-    Action decide(String target, int reminderCount) {
-        // CB-532: the destination is per-delegation — the lead that sent this worker its work, not
-        // "the primary". With two leads orchestrating one fleet the singular question has no right
-        // answer, and answering it anyway interrupted whichever lead happened to call bridge_send
-        // first with results it never asked for.
-        var nudgeTarget = primaryRegistry.nudgeTargetFor(target);
-        if (nudgeTarget.isEmpty()) {
-            log.debug("push: no lead is known to be waiting on {}, stopping reminder", target);
+    Action decide(String lead, int replyReminderCount, int ticketReminderCount) {
+        return decide(lead, replyReminderCount, ticketReminderCount, minQuestionNudgeCountFor(lead));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * As {@link #decide(String, int, int)}, with the question source (CB-582) folded in on the
+     * same footing as replies and tickets: its own eligibility (has open questions AND under its
+     * own {@link #maxReminders} budget) is enough on its own to {@link Action#INJECT}, exactly like
+     * the other two.
+     *
+     * @param questionReminderCount the lowest nudge count among questions open for this lead
+     */
+    Action decide(String lead, int replyReminderCount, int ticketReminderCount, int questionReminderCount) {
+        boolean hasReplyWork = !pendingReplyTargetsFor(lead).isEmpty();
+        boolean hasTicketWork = !pendingTicketIdsFor(lead).isEmpty();
+        boolean hasQuestionWork = !pendingQuestionTurnIdsFor(lead).isEmpty();
+        if (!hasReplyWork && !hasTicketWork && !hasQuestionWork) {
+            log.debug("push: nothing pending for lead {}, stopping reminder", lead);
             return Action.STOP;
         }
-        if (inbox.peek(target).isEmpty()) {
-            log.debug("push: inbox empty for {}, stopping reminder", target);
-            return Action.STOP;
-        }
-        if (reminderCount >= maxReminders) {
-            log.debug("push: reminder cap ({}) reached for {}, stopping", maxReminders, target);
+        boolean replyEligible = hasReplyWork && replyReminderCount < maxReminders;
+        boolean ticketEligible = hasTicketWork && ticketReminderCount < maxReminders;
+        boolean questionEligible = hasQuestionWork && questionReminderCount < maxReminders;
+        if (!replyEligible && !ticketEligible && !questionEligible) {
+            log.debug("push: reminder cap ({}) reached for lead {} on every source with pending work, stopping",
+                    maxReminders, lead);
             countNudge("exhausted");
             return Action.STOP;
         }
-        String leadTerminal = nudgeTarget.get();
         AgentStatus status;
         try {
-            status = agents.status(leadTerminal);
+            status = agents.status(lead);
         } catch (RuntimeException e) {
-            log.debug("push: status check failed for lead {}, will retry", leadTerminal, e);
+            log.debug("push: status check failed for lead {}, will retry", lead, e);
             return Action.WAIT_BUSY;
         }
         if (status.injectable()) {
             return Action.INJECT;
         }
-        log.debug("push: lead {} is {} (not injectable), waiting", leadTerminal, status);
+        log.debug("push: lead {} is {} (not injectable), waiting", lead, status);
         return Action.WAIT_BUSY;
     }
 
-    // --- public entrypoint ---------------------------------------------------------------------
+    // --- public entrypoints ----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
     /**
-     * Called when a reply is queued for {@code target}. Idempotent per target: a second call while
-     * a schedule is active is a no-op. The schedule nudges the primary, then schedules a follow-up
-     * check (reminder on backoff, or re-check on WAIT_BUSY), until the inbox is empty or the cap
-     * is reached.
+     * Called when a reply is queued for {@code target}. Resolves the lead delegating to
+     * {@code target} (CB-532) and coalesces onto that lead's single reminder schedule — starting
+     * one if none is active, joining an already-active one otherwise. A no-op if no lead is known
+     * to be waiting on {@code target}: there is nobody to nudge yet, and the durable inbox is the
+     * backstop until a lead is recorded.
      */
     public void onReplyQueued(String target) {
-        if (activeTargets.putIfAbsent(target, Boolean.TRUE) != null) {
-            log.debug("push: already active for {}, ignoring duplicate trigger", target);
-            return; // already scheduled
-        }
-        log.debug("push: starting reminder loop for {}", target);
-        scheduleNext(target, 0);
-    }
-
-    /** Execute one loop tick — called on the scheduler thread. */
-    private void tick(String target, int reminderCount) {
-        var action = decide(target, reminderCount);
-        switch (action) {
-            case INJECT -> {
-                injectNudge(target, reminderCount);
-                scheduleNext(target, reminderCount + 1);
-            }
-            // Re-check after the configured backoff; the primary may become injectable soon.
-            case WAIT_BUSY -> scheduleNext(target, reminderCount);
-            case STOP -> {
-                activeTargets.remove(target);
-                log.debug("push: reminder loop ended for {}", target);
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
-    /** Send the nudge and log the event. */
-    private void injectNudge(String target, int reminderCount) {
-        // Re-read rather than threading it down from decide(): the delegating lead can change
-        // between the decision and the injection, and the nudge should follow the current one.
         var lead = primaryRegistry.nudgeTargetFor(target);
         if (lead.isEmpty()) {
-            log.debug("push: lead for {} disappeared before the nudge could be sent", target);
+            log.debug("push: no lead is known to be waiting on {}, skipping reminder", target);
             return;
         }
-        String leadTerminal = lead.get();
-        String nudge = NUDGE_FORMAT.formatted(target, target);
+        pendingReplies.compute(target, (t, existing) ->
+                new ReplyEntry(lead.get(), existing == null ? 0 : existing.nudgeCount()));
+        startOrCoalesce(lead.get());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Called when an async delegation ticket ({@code bridge_send(wait:false)}, CB-107) reaches a
+     * terminal phase — DONE or a failure. Unlike {@link #onReplyQueued}, which nudges about the
+     * durable-inbox no-waiter path, this covers the path {@code MessageService.reply} takes when a
+     * fire-and-poll send's own rendezvous waiter resolves the reply directly: that path returns
+     * before {@link #onReplyQueued} is ever called, so without this entry point a ticket finishing
+     * that way never nudged anyone (CB-588 / gitea #72).
+     *
+     * <p>Resolves the delegating lead the same way {@link #onReplyQueued} does and coalesces onto
+     * the same per-lead schedule (CB-590) — several tickets, or a ticket and a reply, finishing
+     * for the same lead while its schedule is already active all ride the existing schedule's next
+     * tick rather than firing a nudge each.
+     *
+     * @param ticket the ticket to nudge about
+     * @param target the worker session the ticket was sent to — resolves which lead delegated it
+     * @param failed whether the ticket ended in a failure phase rather than {@code DONE}
+     */
+    public void onTicketTerminal(String ticket, String target, boolean failed) {
+        var lead = primaryRegistry.nudgeTargetFor(target);
+        if (lead.isEmpty()) {
+            log.debug("push: no lead is known to be waiting on ticket {} (target {}), skipping nudge",
+                    ticket, target);
+            return;
+        }
+        pendingTickets.compute(ticket, (id, existing) ->
+                new PendingTicket(ticket, lead.get(), failed, existing == null ? 0 : existing.nudgeCount()));
+        startOrCoalesce(lead.get());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Called when a ticket's terminal state has been collected via {@code bridge_poll}. Removes it
+     * from the pending set so a scheduled tick — and any nudge it sends — never names a ticket the
+     * lead already has. A ticket that was never pending (unknown ticket, or one nudged with no push
+     * loop configured) is a no-op.
+     */
+    public void ticketCollected(String ticket) {
+        pendingTickets.remove(ticket);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Called when an async ticket's worker pauses mid-turn in {@code bridge_ask} (CB-582): the
+     * question is now visible via {@code bridge_poll} (Phase.ASKING), but the reverse-rendezvous
+     * window it opened with (~55s default, see {@code BridgeMcp}/{@code BridgedApp}) is far shorter
+     * than a lead's normal minutes-long poll cadence — exactly the gap this closes. Resolves the
+     * delegating lead the same way {@link #onTicketTerminal} does and coalesces onto the same
+     * per-lead schedule (CB-590).
+     *
+     * @param ticket   the async ticket the question belongs to (for {@code bridge_poll})
+     * @param target   the worker session that asked
+     * @param turnId   correlation id the lead answers with ({@code bridge_send turnId=...})
+     * @param question the question text
+     */
+    public void onQuestionOpened(String ticket, String target, String turnId, String question) {
+        var lead = primaryRegistry.nudgeTargetFor(target);
+        if (lead.isEmpty()) {
+            log.debug("push: no lead is known to be waiting on {}'s question (turnId {}), skipping nudge",
+                    target, turnId);
+            return;
+        }
+        pendingQuestions.put(turnId, new PendingQuestion(turnId, ticket, target, lead.get(), question, 0));
+        startOrCoalesce(lead.get());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Called when a worker's {@code bridge_ask} resolves — answered or lapsed unanswered — so a
+     * scheduled tick never nudges about a question the lead already handled. A {@code turnId} that
+     * was never pending (never nudged, or already closed) is a no-op.
+     */
+    public void questionClosed(String turnId) {
+        pendingQuestions.remove(turnId);
+    }
+
+    // --- the schedule ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    /** Start a reminder schedule for {@code lead}, or join the one already running. */
+    private void startOrCoalesce(String lead) {
+        if (activeLeads.putIfAbsent(lead, Boolean.TRUE) != null) {
+            log.debug("push: reminder loop already active for lead {}, work coalesced in", lead);
+            return;
+        }
+        log.debug("push: starting reminder loop for lead {}", lead);
+        scheduleNext(lead);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Execute one loop tick — called on the scheduler thread (or directly by a test; package-private
+     * for the same reason as {@link #stopOrRestart}).
+     *
+     * <p><strong>CB-598.</strong> The reminder counts fed into {@link #decide} are recomputed fresh
+     * every tick from what is actually pending right now ({@link #minReplyNudgeCountFor} /
+     * {@link #minTicketNudgeCountFor}), rather than carried forward as running counters across
+     * scheduled calls. A counter carried forward has no memory of which item it was counting for:
+     * a target or ticket that joined mid-backoff — after the previous tick fired but before this one
+     * did — is already sitting in {@code repliesBefore} / {@code ticketsBefore} below by the time this
+     * tick takes its snapshot, indistinguishable at that point from backlog the cap is meant to
+     * silence. Recomputing from the per-item counts fixes that: a newly-joined item's own count is
+     * still 0, so it keeps its source eligible regardless of how depleted an older, still-undrained
+     * item's count is.
+     */
+    void tick(String lead) {
+        Set<String> repliesBefore = pendingReplyTargetsFor(lead);
+        Set<String> ticketsBefore = pendingTicketIdsFor(lead);
+        Set<String> questionsBefore = pendingQuestionTurnIdsFor(lead);
+        int replyReminderCount = minReplyNudgeCountFor(lead);
+        int ticketReminderCount = minTicketNudgeCountFor(lead);
+        int questionReminderCount = minQuestionNudgeCountFor(lead);
+        var action = decide(lead, replyReminderCount, ticketReminderCount, questionReminderCount);
+        switch (action) {
+            case INJECT -> {
+                injectNudge(lead, replyReminderCount, ticketReminderCount, questionReminderCount);
+                scheduleNext(lead);
+            }
+            // Re-check after the configured backoff; the lead may become injectable soon.
+            case WAIT_BUSY -> scheduleNext(lead);
+            case STOP -> stopOrRestart(lead, repliesBefore, ticketsBefore, questionsBefore);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Release {@code lead}'s active-schedule slot, then restart it only if work landed that
+     * {@code repliesBefore} / {@code ticketsBefore} — the snapshots taken just before this tick's
+     * decision — did not already account for. {@link #onReplyQueued} / {@link #onTicketTerminal}
+     * read {@link #activeLeads} to decide whether to coalesce onto an existing schedule or start
+     * one, so work that lands between {@link #decide} returning {@link Action#STOP} and this
+     * removal running sees the (soon-to-be-stale) slot as occupied, coalesces onto a schedule that
+     * is about to die, and gets no nudge scheduled at all — a lost nudge, exactly what CB-588 (and
+     * now CB-590) exist to remove (originally found in review, gitea PR #73, for the ticket-only
+     * loop; carried forward here for the unified one).
+     *
+     * <p>Restarting on ANY non-empty pending set would be wrong: when STOP is reached because the
+     * reminder cap was hit rather than the backlog draining, the same never-collected work is
+     * expected to still be sitting there — that is the cap doing its job — and restarting would
+     * nudge about it forever, defeating the bound. Diffing the current pending sets against the
+     * "before" snapshots tells the two cases apart: an item present before this tick's decision is
+     * stale backlog, not a race; only an item absent from the "before" snapshot can only have
+     * arrived during the decision-to-release window, which is exactly the race this method closes.
+     *
+     * <p>Package-private so a test can drive the interleaving directly rather than trying to force a
+     * genuine thread race.
+     *
+     * <p>Terminates rather than spinning: this method restarts the schedule at most once per call,
+     * and a fresh {@link #onReplyQueued} / {@link #onTicketTerminal} racing the recheck below still
+     * terminates in one of two ways — either it observes the slot already vacated (by the
+     * {@code activeLeads.remove} above, which happens-before this recheck in program order) and
+     * claims it itself, or it lands first and this recheck then observes its work in
+     * {@link #pendingReplies} / {@link #pendingTickets} and reclaims the slot instead. Exactly one
+     * side always wins; neither can miss the other, so this never loops on its own account.
+     */
+    void stopOrRestart(String lead, Set<String> repliesBefore, Set<String> ticketsBefore) {
+        stopOrRestart(lead, repliesBefore, ticketsBefore, pendingQuestionTurnIdsFor(lead));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * As {@link #stopOrRestart(String, Set, Set)}, with the question source's (CB-582) own "before"
+     * snapshot folded into the same race check: a question that raced in during the
+     * decision-to-release window reclaims the schedule slot exactly like a raced-in reply or ticket.
+     */
+    void stopOrRestart(String lead, Set<String> repliesBefore, Set<String> ticketsBefore,
+                       Set<String> questionsBefore) {
+        activeLeads.remove(lead);
+        boolean racedIn = pendingReplyTargetsFor(lead).stream().anyMatch(t -> !repliesBefore.contains(t))
+                || pendingTicketIdsFor(lead).stream().anyMatch(t -> !ticketsBefore.contains(t))
+                || pendingQuestionTurnIdsFor(lead).stream().anyMatch(t -> !questionsBefore.contains(t));
+        if (racedIn && activeLeads.putIfAbsent(lead, Boolean.TRUE) == null) {
+            log.debug("push: new work for lead {} raced the reminder loop's stop — restarting", lead);
+            scheduleNext(lead);
+            return;
+        }
+        log.debug("push: reminder loop ended for lead {}", lead);
+    }
+
+    /** Send one combined nudge covering everything currently pending for {@code lead}. */
+    private void injectNudge(String lead, int replyReminderCount, int ticketReminderCount,
+                             int questionReminderCount) {
+        // Re-read rather than threading it down from decide(): a reply can drain, a ticket be
+        // collected, or a question be answered (or another arrive), between the decision and the
+        // injection.
+        Set<String> replyTargets = pendingReplyTargetsFor(lead);
+        List<PendingTicket> tickets = pendingTicketsFor(lead);
+        List<PendingQuestion> questions = pendingQuestionsFor(lead);
+        if (replyTargets.isEmpty() && tickets.isEmpty() && questions.isEmpty()) {
+            log.debug("push: pending work for lead {} drained before the nudge could be sent", lead);
+            return;
+        }
+        String nudge = formatNudge(replyTargets, tickets, questions);
         try {
-            agents.send(leadTerminal, nudge);
-            log.debug("push: nudge {}/{} sent to lead {} for target {}",
-                    reminderCount + 1, maxReminders, leadTerminal, target);
+            agents.send(lead, nudge);
+            log.debug("push: nudge sent to lead {} (reply {}/{}, ticket {}/{}, question {}/{}; "
+                            + "{} reply target(s), {} ticket(s), {} question(s))",
+                    lead, replyReminderCount + 1, maxReminders, ticketReminderCount + 1, maxReminders,
+                    questionReminderCount + 1, maxReminders,
+                    replyTargets.size(), tickets.size(), questions.size());
             countNudge("delivered");
         } catch (RuntimeException e) {
-            log.warn("push: failed to nudge lead {} for target {} (reminder {}/{}): {}",
-                    leadTerminal, target, reminderCount + 1, maxReminders, e.toString());
+            log.warn("push: failed to nudge lead {} (reply {}/{}, ticket {}/{}, question {}/{}): {}",
+                    lead, replyReminderCount + 1, maxReminders, ticketReminderCount + 1, maxReminders,
+                    questionReminderCount + 1, maxReminders, e.toString());
+        }
+        // Bump every item actually named in this nudge, not just whatever the shared source-level
+        // eligibility used to gate (CB-598) — each item's own count is what the next tick's
+        // minReplyNudgeCountFor / minTicketNudgeCountFor / minQuestionNudgeCountFor will read. An
+        // item already at or over the cap keeps riding along in the text (still pending, still
+        // named) but its extra bumps here are inert: decide() already treats it as ineligible once
+        // its count reaches maxReminders.
+        bumpNudgeCounts(replyTargets, tickets, questions);
+    }
+
+    /** Record that every one of these items was just named in a sent (or attempted) nudge. */
+    private void bumpNudgeCounts(Set<String> replyTargets, List<PendingTicket> tickets,
+                                 List<PendingQuestion> questions) {
+        for (String target : replyTargets) {
+            pendingReplies.computeIfPresent(target, (t, e) -> new ReplyEntry(e.lead(), e.nudgeCount() + 1));
+        }
+        for (PendingTicket ticket : tickets) {
+            pendingTickets.computeIfPresent(ticket.ticket(),
+                    (id, e) -> new PendingTicket(e.ticket(), e.lead(), e.failed(), e.nudgeCount() + 1));
+        }
+        for (PendingQuestion question : questions) {
+            pendingQuestions.computeIfPresent(question.turnId(), (id, e) ->
+                    new PendingQuestion(e.turnId(), e.ticket(), e.target(), e.lead(), e.question(),
+                            e.nudgeCount() + 1));
         }
     }
 
     /** Schedule the next tick on the scheduler thread pool. */
-    private void scheduleNext(String target, int nextReminderCount) {
-        scheduler.schedule(() -> tick(target, nextReminderCount), backoffMs, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
+    private void scheduleNext(String lead) {
+        scheduler.schedule(() -> tick(lead),
+                backoffMs, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
+    }
+
+    // --- nudge formatting ------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    /** Render everything pending for one lead as a single nudge line. */
+    private static String formatNudge(Set<String> replyTargets, List<PendingTicket> tickets,
+                                      List<PendingQuestion> questions) {
+        List<String> parts = new ArrayList<>();
+        if (!replyTargets.isEmpty()) {
+            parts.add(formatRepliesNudge(replyTargets));
+        }
+        if (!tickets.isEmpty()) {
+            parts.add(formatTicketsNudge(tickets));
+        }
+        if (!questions.isEmpty()) {
+            parts.add(formatQuestionsNudge(questions));
+        }
+        return String.join(" | ", parts);
+    }
+
+    /** Render one or several pending reply targets. */
+    private static String formatRepliesNudge(Set<String> targets) {
+        if (targets.size() == 1) {
+            String target = targets.iterator().next();
+            return NUDGE_FORMAT.formatted(target, target);
+        }
+        String ids = String.join(", ", targets);
+        return REPLIES_NUDGE_FORMAT.formatted(targets.size(), ids);
+    }
+
+    /** Render one or several pending tickets. */
+    private static String formatTicketsNudge(List<PendingTicket> pending) {
+        if (pending.size() == 1) {
+            PendingTicket t = pending.get(0);
+            return TICKET_NUDGE_FORMAT.formatted(t.ticket(), t.failed() ? " (FAILED)" : "", t.ticket());
+        }
+        long failedCount = pending.stream().filter(PendingTicket::failed).count();
+        String ids = pending.stream()
+                .map(t -> t.failed() ? t.ticket() + " (FAILED)" : t.ticket())
+                .collect(Collectors.joining(", "));
+        String failedNote = failedCount > 0 ? " (%d failed)".formatted(failedCount) : "";
+        return TICKETS_NUDGE_FORMAT.formatted(pending.size(), failedNote, ids);
+    }
+
+    /** Render one or several open questions (CB-582). */
+    private static String formatQuestionsNudge(List<PendingQuestion> pending) {
+        if (pending.size() == 1) {
+            PendingQuestion q = pending.get(0);
+            return QUESTION_NUDGE_FORMAT.formatted(q.target(), q.ticket(), q.turnId(), q.question());
+        }
+        String ids = pending.stream()
+                .map(q -> q.ticket() + " (turnId=" + q.turnId() + ")")
+                .collect(Collectors.joining(", "));
+        return QUESTIONS_NUDGE_FORMAT.formatted(pending.size(), ids);
     }
 
     // --- lifecycle -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
     /**
-     * Whether any reminder loop is currently active for some target (CB-551). The idle-lead heartbeat
-     * uses this to stand aside: while the push loop is actively nudging the lead, a concurrent
-     * heartbeat injection would start a second competing turn in the same pane — racing loops multiply
-     * turns and context burn. "Active" means a schedule exists in {@link #activeTargets}; the set is
-     * bounded by what has been triggered, not by any persistent state.
+     * Whether any reminder loop is currently active for some lead (CB-551). The idle-lead heartbeat
+     * uses this to stand aside: while the push loop is actively nudging a lead, a concurrent
+     * heartbeat injection would start a second competing turn in the same pane — racing loops
+     * multiply turns and context burn. "Active" means a schedule exists in {@link #activeLeads},
+     * which now covers reply-queued (CB-307), ticket-terminal (CB-588), and question-open (CB-582)
+     * work (CB-590) — bounded by what has been triggered, not by any persistent state.
      */
     public boolean isActive() {
-        return !activeTargets.isEmpty();
+        return !activeLeads.isEmpty();
     }
 
     /** Shut down the scheduler. Outstanding reminders are cancelled. */
     public void stop() {
         scheduler.shutdownNow();
-        activeTargets.clear();
+        activeLeads.clear();
+        pendingReplies.clear();
+        pendingTickets.clear();
+        pendingQuestions.clear();
     }
 
     /** @see #stop() */

bridged/src/main/java/dev/ltms/bridged/peer/CharterReceipt.java

@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+package dev.ltms.bridged.peer;
+
+import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
+import java.security.MessageDigest;
+import java.security.NoSuchAlgorithmException;
+import java.util.HexFormat;
+
+/**
+ * CB-571: a fingerprint of the exact charter bytes handed to a spawned member.
+ *
+ * <p>Lets an operator prove <em>which</em> charter a member actually got, without ever logging the
+ * charter text. The digest covers the exact composed UTF-8 string {@code HerdrPeerLauncher} passes
+ * to its adapter as {@code LaunchSpec.charter()}, so every adapter that receives the same string —
+ * Claude inlining it, OpenCode writing it to a file — produces the same digest for the same config.
+ * Two spawns of the same role from the same config agree; editing the charter changes the digest.
+ *
+ * <p>Deliberately places no charter prose. A charter is operator-authored text that may name
+ * internal projects or unreleased plans, and logs get tailed, shipped, and pasted into tickets.
+ * The {@code charterSource} key is what the operator wants to confirm, and it carries no content.
+ */
+public record CharterReceipt(
+        MemberRole role,
+        String profile,
+        String charterSource,
+        String charterSha256,
+        int charterBytes) {
+
+    /** Source reported when the role has no configured charter, so the field is never omitted. */
+    public static final String NO_SOURCE = "none";
+
+    /**
+     * The config key that supplied the role's charter text, e.g. {@code fleet.charters.architect}.
+     */
+    public static String sourceKey(MemberRole role) {
+        return "fleet.charters." + (role == null ? "?" : role.wireName());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Fingerprint the composed charter for {@code role} on {@code profile}. {@code configured} is
+     * the role's charter text as read from config ({@code null} when none is configured);
+     * {@code composed} is the exact string the launcher will pass to the adapter — the reply
+     * charter may be appended to {@code configured}, or stand alone when no role charter exists.
+     *
+     * <p>No composed charter at all is reported as an explicit absence — a {@code null} digest and
+     * a zero byte count — never a digest of the empty string, which would hide the fact that no
+     * text was supplied. {@code configured} being {@code null} while {@code composed} is the reply
+     * charter alone is a normal case, and the source says so.
+     */
+    public static CharterReceipt compose(MemberRole role, String profile,
+                                         String configured, String composed) {
+        String source = (configured == null || configured.isBlank())
+                ? NO_SOURCE : sourceKey(role);
+        if (composed == null) {
+            return new CharterReceipt(role, profile, source, null, 0);
+        }
+        byte[] bytes = composed.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+        return new CharterReceipt(role, profile, source, digestOf(composed), bytes.length);
+    }
+
+    /** Whether the composed charter was absent (no text was given to the member). */
+    public boolean absent() {
+        return charterSha256 == null;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * The stable SHA-256 hex digest of {@code text}, or {@code null} for null/blank text. Used both
+     * for the receipt's fingerprint and to redact a charter argument in a spawn log.
+     */
+    public static String digestOf(String text) {
+        if (text == null || text.isBlank()) {
+            return null;
+        }
+        return sha256Hex(text.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8));
+    }
+
+    private static String sha256Hex(byte[] bytes) {
+        try {
+            MessageDigest md = MessageDigest.getInstance("SHA-256");
+            return HexFormat.of().formatHex(md.digest(bytes));
+        } catch (NoSuchAlgorithmException e) {
+            throw new IllegalStateException("SHA-256 is unavailable", e);
+        }
+    }
+}

bridged/src/main/java/dev/ltms/bridged/peer/PeerHandle.java

@@ -62,9 +62,27 @@ public interface PeerHandle {
      * non-null for a spawn that requested session identity, because it knows the id before the
      * peer has written anything.
      *
+     * <p>Deliberately not a {@code default} (CB-584, the same fix CB-571 made for
+     * {@link #charterReceipt()} one method below): a decorator that forgets to override this
+     * silently answers {@code null} for a question it has no basis to answer, and the gap surfaces
+     * only as a resume that quietly starts a cold session, not a compile error. Every
+     * implementation must answer explicitly.
+     *
      * @return the peer's own session id, or {@code null} when not determinable
      */
-    default String agentSessionId() {
-        return null;
-    }
+    String agentSessionId();
+
+    /**
+     * The charter receipt (CB-571) for this peer's launch — the fingerprint of the exact charter
+     * bytes it was started with. {@code null} when the launcher records none (a non-instrumented
+     * adapter, or a launcher before this field); the session registry stores it so the spawn result
+     * and the roster row can show an operator which charter a member actually got.
+     *
+     * <p>Deliberately not a {@code default}: a decorator that forgets to override this silently
+     * answers {@code null} for a question it has no basis to answer, and the gap surfaces only as
+     * a missing roster field, not a compile error. Every implementation must answer explicitly.
+     *
+     * @return the fingerprint, or {@code null} when the launcher carries none
+     */
+    CharterReceipt charterReceipt();
 }

bridged/src/main/java/dev/ltms/bridged/peer/PeerLauncher.java

@@ -25,6 +25,19 @@ public interface PeerLauncher {
      */
     Set<Capability> capabilities();
 
+    /**
+     * The capabilities of the adapter that {@code profileName} resolves to (null/blank → the
+     * default profile, the same resolution {@link #spawn} uses). Distinct from {@link
+     * #capabilities()}, which unions every configured adapter: a caller that must know whether
+     * <em>this</em> profile's backend supports a capability — e.g. {@link Capability#SESSION_RESUME}
+     * before honoring {@link SpawnRequest#resumeSessionId()} — needs the per-profile answer, not
+     * the fleet-wide union, or a mixed fleet could OK a resume that lands on a non-supporting
+     * adapter (CB-584).
+     *
+     * @throws IllegalArgumentException if the profile is unknown and no default is configured
+     */
+    Set<Capability> capabilitiesFor(String profileName);
+
     /**
      * {@code profileName}/requestedCwd null/blank → default resolution. Returns after the peer
      * process is live (env + argv + placement complete). Never returns {@code null}.

bridged/src/main/java/dev/ltms/bridged/placement/BackendQuarantine.java

@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+package dev.ltms.bridged.placement;
+
+import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
+import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Objects;
+import java.util.OptionalLong;
+import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
+import java.util.function.LongSupplier;
+
+/**
+ * Where a credential (not a profile — see {@code BridgedConfig.Profile#effectiveCredentialId()})
+ * sits out a cooldown after a {@code BACKEND_EXHAUSTED} classification (CB-578 stage B), so a fresh
+ * spawn does not walk straight back onto the account that just refused on a usage limit.
+ *
+ * <p>Keyed by credential id, never by profile name: two profiles sharing one credential (e.g. two
+ * models on the same OpenAI account) share one quarantine — {@link #quarantine} one credential id
+ * and every profile whose {@code effectiveCredentialId()} equals it is quarantined too, without this
+ * class knowing anything about profiles at all. That mapping is the caller's job (see
+ * {@code CompositePeerLauncher} and {@code dev.ltms.bridged.inject.ExhaustionSink}).
+ *
+ * <p>The clock is injected ({@link LongSupplier}, conventionally {@code System::nanoTime} like
+ * {@code FleetHealthMonitor}), never read inline, so a quarantine's expiry is testable without a
+ * real sleep.
+ */
+public final class BackendQuarantine {
+
+    private final ConcurrentHashMap<String, Long> quarantinedUntilNanos = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
+    private final LongSupplier nowNanos;
+    private final long cooldownNanos;
+    /** True only for {@link #none()}. See {@link #quarantine} for why this exists. */
+    private final boolean inert;
+
+    /**
+     * @param nowNanos      monotonic clock, injected for testability
+     * @param cooldownNanos how long a fresh {@link #quarantine} call blocks the credential for;
+     *                      must be positive
+     */
+    public BackendQuarantine(LongSupplier nowNanos, long cooldownNanos) {
+        this(nowNanos, cooldownNanos, false);
+    }
+
+    private BackendQuarantine(LongSupplier nowNanos, long cooldownNanos, boolean inert) {
+        this.nowNanos = Objects.requireNonNull(nowNanos, "nowNanos");
+        if (cooldownNanos <= 0) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("cooldownNanos must be positive: " + cooldownNanos);
+        }
+        this.cooldownNanos = cooldownNanos;
+        this.inert = inert;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Inert quarantine — {@link #quarantine} does nothing on this instance, so nothing is ever
+     * quarantined. The explicit stand-in a caller (or a test not exercising this feature) passes
+     * instead of a defaulting overload, exactly like {@code ExhaustedPatternLookup.none()}.
+     */
+    public static BackendQuarantine none() {
+        return new BackendQuarantine(() -> 0L, 1, true);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Quarantine {@code credentialId} for the configured cooldown, starting now. A repeat call while
+     * already quarantined restarts the cooldown at full length — a fresh refusal is fresh evidence the
+     * account is still exhausted, not a reason to let an earlier, shorter wait stand.
+     *
+     * <p>On {@link #none()} this is a no-op. It has to be: that instance holds a clock frozen at 0,
+     * so recording a deadline would produce a quarantine that never expires — a credential locked out
+     * for the life of the daemon. Two production {@code CompositePeerLauncher} constructors default to
+     * {@code none()}, so the failure would be silent and permanent. An inert stand-in must omit the
+     * fact, never invent one.
+     */
+    public void quarantine(String credentialId) {
+        Objects.requireNonNull(credentialId, "credentialId");
+        if (inert) {
+            return;
+        }
+        quarantinedUntilNanos.put(credentialId, nowNanos.getAsLong() + cooldownNanos);
+    }
+
+    /** Whether {@code credentialId} is quarantined right now. */
+    public boolean isQuarantined(String credentialId) {
+        return remainingNanos(credentialId) > 0;
+    }
+
+    /** Seconds left on {@code credentialId}'s quarantine, or empty when it is not quarantined. */
+    public OptionalLong remainingSeconds(String credentialId) {
+        long remaining = remainingNanos(credentialId);
+        return remaining > 0 ? OptionalLong.of(toSecondsRoundedUp(remaining)) : OptionalLong.empty();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Every currently-quarantined credential id and its remaining seconds (CB-578 stage B fleet
+     * reporting) — expired entries are never included. Not pruned from the backing map here: it stays
+     * small (bounded by the number of distinct credentials ever exhausted) and a lazily-stale entry is
+     * harmless, since every read already checks the deadline.
+     */
+    public Map<String, Long> activeRemainingSeconds() {
+        Map<String, Long> out = new LinkedHashMap<>();
+        quarantinedUntilNanos.forEach((credentialId, deadline) -> {
+            long remaining = deadline - nowNanos.getAsLong();
+            if (remaining > 0) {
+                out.put(credentialId, toSecondsRoundedUp(remaining));
+            }
+        });
+        return out;
+    }
+
+    private long remainingNanos(String credentialId) {
+        Long deadline = quarantinedUntilNanos.get(credentialId);
+        return deadline == null ? 0L : deadline - nowNanos.getAsLong();
+    }
+
+    private static long toSecondsRoundedUp(long nanos) {
+        return (nanos + 999_999_999L) / 1_000_000_000L;
+    }
+}

bridged/src/main/java/dev/ltms/bridged/placement/FixedPlacementPolicy.java

@@ -4,19 +4,63 @@ package dev.ltms.bridged.placement;
  * Backward-compatible placement: an unqualified spawn always resolves to the configured default
  * profile, exactly as {@code CompositePeerLauncher} did before CB-518. This ignores caps and
  * reachability so that a pre-existing config behaves identically after upgrade.
+ *
+ * <p>Two exceptions walk past the default instead of returning it unconditionally:
+ * <ul>
+ *   <li>Quarantine (CB-578 stage B): a quarantined default is a credential that just refused on
+ *       a usage limit, not a transient capacity or reachability concern.
+ *   <li>Weight 0 (CB-554): {@code fixed} is still automatic selection, so a profile the operator
+ *       marked "never auto-select me" ({@code weight <= 0}) must be skipped here exactly as
+ *       {@code weighted}/{@code round-robin} skip it — an explicit {@code bridge_spawn} naming
+ *       the profile is unaffected, only this automatic fallback walk.
+ * </ul>
+ * A fleet where nothing is ever quarantined or weight-0 never exercises either path, so today's
+ * behaviour is unchanged.
  */
 final class FixedPlacementPolicy implements PlacementPolicy {
 
     @Override
     public PlacementCandidate select(PlacementContext ctx) {
         String d = ctx.defaultProfile();
-        if (d != null && !d.isBlank()) {
+        if (d != null && !d.isBlank() && !ctx.quarantined().contains(d) && !weightExcluded(ctx, d)) {
             return new PlacementCandidate(d, null, 1.0f, null);
         }
+        for (PlacementCandidate c : ctx.candidates()) {
+            if (!ctx.quarantined().contains(c.profile()) && !c.excluded()) {
+                return new PlacementCandidate(c.profile(), null, c.weight(), c.maxLoad());
+            }
+        }
+        if (d != null && !d.isBlank()) {
+            boolean dQuarantined = ctx.quarantined().contains(d);
+            boolean dWeightExcluded = weightExcluded(ctx, d);
+            if (dQuarantined && dWeightExcluded) {
+                throw new PlacementException("worker profile '" + d + "' is quarantined (backend "
+                        + "exhausted) and has weight 0 (excluded from automatic selection), and no "
+                        + "available candidate remains");
+            }
+            if (dWeightExcluded) {
+                throw new PlacementException("worker profile '" + d + "' has weight 0 (excluded "
+                        + "from automatic selection) and no available candidate remains");
+            }
+            if (dQuarantined) {
+                throw new PlacementException("worker profile '" + d + "' is quarantined (backend "
+                        + "exhausted) and no un-quarantined candidate is available");
+            }
+        }
         if (!ctx.candidates().isEmpty()) {
-            PlacementCandidate first = ctx.candidates().getFirst();
-            return new PlacementCandidate(first.profile(), null, first.weight(), first.maxLoad());
+            throw new PlacementException(
+                    "all worker profiles are excluded from automatic selection (quarantined or weight-0)");
         }
         throw new PlacementException("no worker profiles configured");
     }
+
+    /** Whether {@code profile} carries {@code weight <= 0} (CB-554) among {@code ctx}'s candidates. */
+    private static boolean weightExcluded(PlacementContext ctx, String profile) {
+        for (PlacementCandidate c : ctx.candidates()) {
+            if (c.profile().equals(profile)) {
+                return c.excluded();
+            }
+        }
+        return false;
+    }
 }

bridged/src/main/java/dev/ltms/bridged/placement/PlacementCandidate.java

@@ -17,4 +17,18 @@ public record PlacementCandidate(String profile, String host, float weight, Inte
     public static PlacementCandidate profile(String profile) {
         return new PlacementCandidate(profile, null, 1.0f, null);
     }
+
+    /**
+     * True when this candidate carries an explicit {@code weight <= 0} (CB-554) and must be
+     * skipped by every automatic policy — the same way a quarantined or unreachable candidate is
+     * skipped. {@code BridgedConfig.Profile}'s compact constructor already normalises "absent" to
+     * {@code 1.0} and "negative" to {@code 0.0}, so this is a plain threshold check here; it does
+     * not need to distinguish "explicit 0" from "absent" itself.
+     *
+     * <p>Exclusion is about <em>automatic</em> selection only — an explicit
+     * {@code bridge_spawn{profile:"..."}} bypasses placement entirely and is unaffected.
+     */
+    public boolean excluded() {
+        return weight <= 0.0f;
+    }
 }

bridged/src/main/java/dev/ltms/bridged/placement/PlacementContext.java

@@ -11,9 +11,13 @@ import java.util.function.Function;
  * @param candidates     every configured candidate; the policy filters out those at cap or unreachable
  * @param liveCount      current live worker count per profile (from the session registry)
  * @param unreachable    profiles already known to have failed in this spawn attempt
+ * @param quarantined    profiles whose credential is currently quarantined (CB-578 stage B) — a
+ *                       {@code BACKEND_EXHAUSTED} classification put it, or a profile it shares a
+ *                       credential with, on cooldown. Filtered the same way as {@code unreachable}.
  */
 public record PlacementContext(String defaultProfile,
                                List<PlacementCandidate> candidates,
                                Function<String, Integer> liveCount,
-                               Set<String> unreachable) {
+                               Set<String> unreachable,
+                               Set<String> quarantined) {
 }

bridged/src/main/java/dev/ltms/bridged/placement/PlacementPolicyUtil.java

@@ -12,13 +12,16 @@ final class PlacementPolicyUtil {
     }
 
     /**
-     * Candidates that are not known-unreachable and have not reached their maxLoad.
+     * Candidates that are not weight-excluded (CB-554: explicit {@code weight <= 0}, checked
+     * first because it is a static config choice rather than transient state), not
+     * known-unreachable, not quarantined (CB-578 stage B), and have not reached their maxLoad.
      * A {@code null} maxLoad means unlimited.
      */
     static List<PlacementCandidate> available(PlacementContext ctx) {
         List<PlacementCandidate> out = new ArrayList<>();
         for (PlacementCandidate c : ctx.candidates()) {
-            if (ctx.unreachable().contains(c.profile())) {
+            if (c.excluded() || ctx.unreachable().contains(c.profile())
+                    || ctx.quarantined().contains(c.profile())) {
                 continue;
             }
             Integer cap = c.maxLoad();
@@ -34,15 +37,23 @@ final class PlacementPolicyUtil {
     }
 
     /**
-     * Build a clear exception describing why every candidate was dropped: all at capacity,
-     * all unreachable, or a mix.
+     * Build a clear exception describing why every candidate was dropped: all weight-0, all
+     * quarantined, all at capacity, all unreachable, or a mix. Each candidate is counted into
+     * exactly one bucket (weight-excluded takes priority) so a candidate excluded for more than
+     * one reason is never double-counted.
      */
     static PlacementException emptyException(PlacementContext ctx) {
+        int weightExcluded = 0;
         int atCap = 0;
         int unreachable = 0;
+        int quarantined = 0;
         for (PlacementCandidate c : ctx.candidates()) {
             Integer cap = c.maxLoad();
-            if (ctx.unreachable().contains(c.profile())) {
+            if (c.excluded()) {
+                weightExcluded++;
+            } else if (ctx.quarantined().contains(c.profile())) {
+                quarantined++;
+            } else if (ctx.unreachable().contains(c.profile())) {
                 unreachable++;
             } else if (cap != null && ctx.liveCount().apply(c.profile()) >= cap) {
                 atCap++;
@@ -53,6 +64,13 @@ final class PlacementPolicyUtil {
         if (total == 0) {
             return new PlacementException("no worker profiles configured");
         }
+        if (weightExcluded == total) {
+            return new PlacementException(
+                    "all worker profiles have weight 0 (excluded from automatic selection)");
+        }
+        if (quarantined == total) {
+            return new PlacementException("all worker profiles are quarantined (backend exhausted)");
+        }
         if (atCap == total) {
             return new PlacementException("all worker profiles are at maxLoad");
         }
@@ -60,6 +78,8 @@ final class PlacementPolicyUtil {
             return new PlacementException("all worker profiles are unreachable");
         }
         return new PlacementException("no worker profile available: " + atCap + " at maxLoad, "
-                + unreachable + " unreachable, " + (total - atCap - unreachable) + " remaining");
+                + unreachable + " unreachable, " + quarantined + " quarantined, "
+                + weightExcluded + " weight-0, "
+                + (total - atCap - unreachable - quarantined - weightExcluded) + " remaining");
     }
 }

bridged/src/main/java/dev/ltms/bridged/rest/BridgedApp.java

@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import dev.ltms.bridged.herdr.HerdrClient;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.herdr.HerdrException;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.inject.MemberPresence;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.PeerUnreachableException;
+import dev.ltms.bridged.placement.PlacementException;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.msg.MessageService;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.session.SessionManager;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.MemberRole;
@@ -234,7 +235,14 @@ public final class BridgedApp {
         List<Map<String, Object>> out = sessions.roster().stream()
                 .map(s -> SessionManager.rosterView(s, live.get(s.terminalId())))
                 .toList();
-        ctx.status(200).json(Map.of("workers", out));
+        Map<String, Object> body = new LinkedHashMap<>();
+        body.put("workers", out);
+        // CB-586: operator visibility for the refs/wip snapshot store without shelling into the
+        // repo — how many snapshot refs exist and roughly what they cost. Present only once a
+        // worktree session has established the repo, so a never-snapshotted fleet reports nothing.
+        sessions.wipRefs().ifPresent(st -> body.put("wipRefs",
+                Map.of("count", st.count(), "costBytes", st.costBytes())));
+        ctx.status(200).json(body);
     }
 
     /** The configured worker profiles and which one a no-argument spawn uses. */
@@ -292,6 +300,11 @@ public final class BridgedApp {
             ctx.status(201).json(view(member));
         } catch (GuardException e) {
             ctx.status(403).json(Map.of("error", "subscription_boundary", "detail", e.getMessage()));
+        } catch (PlacementException e) {
+            // CB-599: no candidate had capacity (maxLoad, quarantine, or all-exhausted) — a benign,
+            // likely-transient refusal, distinct from "profile does not exist" below. 503: the
+            // request was valid and will likely succeed later.
+            ctx.status(503).json(Map.of("error", "no_capacity", "detail", e.getMessage()));
         } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
             ctx.status(400).json(Map.of("error", "unknown_profile", "detail", e.getMessage()));
         } catch (PeerUnreachableException e) {
@@ -503,10 +516,20 @@ public final class BridgedApp {
             return;
         }
         try {
-            ctx.status(200).json(Map.of(
-                    "sessionId", id,
-                    "status", messages.status(id).name().toLowerCase(),
-                    "ready", presence.isPresent(id)));
+            Map<String, Object> body = new LinkedHashMap<>();
+            body.put("sessionId", id);
+            body.put("status", messages.status(id).name().toLowerCase());
+            body.put("ready", presence.isPresent(id));
+            // CB-582: a worker paused mid-turn in an async bridge_ask is otherwise invisible to a
+            // status poll — surface the open question and how to answer it, same as bridge_poll's
+            // Phase.ASKING view.
+            MessageService.PendingAsk ask = messages.pendingAsk(id);
+            if (ask != null) {
+                body.put("question", ask.question());
+                body.put("turnId", ask.turnId());
+                body.put("ticket", ask.ticket());
+            }
+            ctx.status(200).json(body);
         } catch (HerdrException e) {
             herdrError(ctx, e);
         }
@@ -532,6 +555,11 @@ public final class BridgedApp {
         if (v.detail() != null) {
             body.put("detail", v.detail());
         }
+        // CB-582: Phase.ASKING carries the question in v.reply() (handled above) and its answer-
+        // correlation id here — a REST caller polling this ticket otherwise has no way to answer it.
+        if (v.turnId() != null) {
+            body.put("turnId", v.turnId());
+        }
         ctx.status(200).json(body);
     }
 

bridged/src/main/java/dev/ltms/bridged/session/GitWorktrees.java

@@ -12,7 +12,12 @@ import java.nio.file.Files;
 import java.nio.file.Path;
 import java.nio.file.StandardCopyOption;
 import java.security.SecureRandom;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Optional;
+import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicLong;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
@@ -217,6 +222,209 @@ public final class GitWorktrees implements Worktrees {
         return Path.of(out.trim()).toAbsolutePath().normalize().toString();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * CB-578 stage C, fixed by CB-587. Stages into a <em>temporary</em> index (never the worktree's
+     * real one, which the worker may still be writing to) — but that temp index is first <em>seeded</em>
+     * from the worktree's real one, rather than starting empty:
+     *
+     * <pre>
+     * cp $(git -C worktree rev-parse --git-path index) &lt;temp&gt;
+     * GIT_INDEX_FILE=&lt;temp&gt; git -C worktree add -A
+     * tree=$(GIT_INDEX_FILE=&lt;temp&gt; git -C worktree write-tree)
+     * commit=$(git -C worktree commit-tree $tree -p HEAD -m message)
+     * git -C worktree update-ref refs/wip/branch $commit
+     * </pre>
+     *
+     * A fresh empty index carries none of the real index's {@code --skip-worktree} /
+     * {@code --assume-unchanged} bits, so {@code add -A} into it stages a skip-worktree file's local
+     * on-disk content even though {@code git status --porcelain} correctly hides that file (CB-587).
+     * Seeding from the real index preserves those bits, so {@code add -A} then skips exactly what
+     * {@code git status} skips. {@code add -A} (never {@code -f}) also still respects
+     * {@code .gitignore} exactly as it would in the real index — a gitignored file staying ignored is
+     * what keeps secrets and local config out of the snapshot's tree. The temporary index file is
+     * removed afterwards regardless of outcome; the worker's real index is never opened for writing.
+     */
+    @Override
+    public Optional<String> snapshot(String worktreePath, String branch, String message) {
+        if (!Files.exists(Path.of(worktreePath))) {
+            log.debug("worktree {} already gone — nothing to snapshot", worktreePath);
+            return Optional.empty();
+        }
+        Path tempIndex;
+        try {
+            tempIndex = Files.createTempFile("bridged-wip-index-", ".tmp");
+        } catch (IOException e) {
+            throw new WorktreeException("cannot create a temporary index for snapshot: " + e.getMessage(), e);
+        }
+        Map<String, String> indexEnv = Map.of("GIT_INDEX_FILE", tempIndex.toAbsolutePath().toString());
+        try {
+            Path realIndex = resolveRealIndex(worktreePath);
+            try {
+                Files.copy(realIndex, tempIndex, StandardCopyOption.REPLACE_EXISTING);
+            } catch (IOException e) {
+                throw new WorktreeException("cannot copy the worktree's real index (" + realIndex
+                        + ") into the temporary snapshot index: " + e.getMessage(), e);
+            }
+            exec(indexEnv, "git", "-C", worktreePath, "add", "-A");
+            String tree = exec(indexEnv, "git", "-C", worktreePath, "write-tree").trim();
+            String commit = exec("git", "-C", worktreePath, "commit-tree", tree, "-p", "HEAD", "-m", message).trim();
+            exec("git", "-C", worktreePath, "update-ref", "refs/wip/" + branch, commit);
+            log.info("snapshotted worktree {} to refs/wip/{} commit={}", worktreePath, branch, commit);
+            return Optional.of(commit);
+        } finally {
+            try {
+                Files.deleteIfExists(tempIndex);
+            } catch (IOException e) {
+                log.debug("could not delete temporary snapshot index {}: {}", tempIndex, e.getMessage());
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Resolve the path of {@code worktreePath}'s real index. Never assume {@code <worktree>/.git/index}:
+     * in a linked worktree {@code .git} is a <em>file</em> pointing at the main repo's
+     * {@code worktrees/<name>/} directory, and that is where the real per-worktree index lives.
+     * {@code git rev-parse --git-path index} resolves this correctly for both a linked worktree and
+     * the main checkout. Throws {@link WorktreeException} — same as every other failure in this
+     * class — if the command fails or the resolved path does not exist, rather than silently
+     * snapshotting from an empty index.
+     */
+    private Path resolveRealIndex(String worktreePath) {
+        String out = exec("git", "-C", worktreePath, "rev-parse", "--git-path", "index").trim();
+        Path index = Path.of(out);
+        if (!index.isAbsolute()) {
+            index = Path.of(worktreePath).resolve(index).normalize();
+        }
+        if (!Files.exists(index)) {
+            throw new WorktreeException("worktree's real index not found at resolved path " + index
+                    + " (git rev-parse --git-path index reported '" + out + "')");
+        }
+        return index;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * One {@code refs/wip/<branch>} snapshot ref as read by {@link #listWipRefs}: its full ref name,
+     * the snapshot commit's sha, and that commit's committer time in unix millis (the age of the
+     * snapshot — a snapshot is written once and never rewritten, so the commit date is the ref's).
+     */
+    private record WipRef(String refName, String sha, long committerMillis) {
+        String branch() {
+            return refName.substring("refs/wip/".length());
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public WipRefStats wipRefs(String repoRoot) {
+        List<WipRef> refs = listWipRefs(repoRoot);
+        long costBytes = 0;
+        for (WipRef ref : refs) {
+            costBytes += treeSize(repoRoot, ref.sha());
+        }
+        return new WipRefStats(refs.size(), costBytes);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public int pruneWipRefs(String repoRoot, long minAgeMillis) {
+        // The rule is documented on Worktrees#pruneWipRefs: delete only a snapshot whose tree
+        // content is already reachable from main AND that is older than minAgeMillis. Reachability
+        // is the floor that keeps a worker's last copy; the age floor keeps a just-written snapshot
+        // from being swept while a lead may still be looking at it.
+        List<WipRef> refs = listWipRefs(repoRoot);
+        if (refs.isEmpty()) {
+            return 0;
+        }
+        long nowMillis = System.currentTimeMillis();
+        // Resolve what main carries once per sweep, not once per ref.
+        Set<String> mainObjects = reachableObjectsFromMain(repoRoot);
+        int deleted = 0;
+        for (WipRef ref : refs) {
+            long ageMillis = nowMillis - ref.committerMillis();
+            if (ageMillis <= minAgeMillis) {
+                continue; // too recent — never swept, even if it looks recoverable (CB-586)
+            }
+            String tree = exec("git", "-C", repoRoot, "rev-parse", ref.sha() + "^{tree}").trim();
+            if (!mainObjects.contains(tree)) {
+                // Last copy of the snapshot's content — the worker's work exists nowhere else.
+                // Never delete automatically (CB-586 criterion 2).
+                continue;
+            }
+            exec("git", "-C", repoRoot, "update-ref", "-d", ref.refName());
+            deleted++;
+            log.info("pruned snapshot ref refs/wip/{} commit={} (age {}h): its tree is already "
+                     + "reachable from main, so the work is preserved; recover from reflog via "
+                     + "git update-ref refs/wip/{} {}",
+                    ref.branch(), ref.sha(), TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS.toHours(ageMillis),
+                    ref.branch(), ref.sha());
+        }
+        return deleted;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Every {@code refs/wip/*} ref (see {@link WipRef}). The committer date is read as a unix
+     * count of seconds and converted to millis. {@code %00} (NUL) separates the fields because a
+     * branch name may contain spaces.
+     */
+    private List<WipRef> listWipRefs(String repoRoot) {
+        String out = exec("git", "-C", repoRoot, "for-each-ref",
+                "--format=%(refname)%00%(objectname)%00%(committerdate:unix)", "refs/wip/");
+        List<WipRef> refs = new ArrayList<>();
+        for (String line : out.split("\\R")) {
+            if (line.isBlank()) {
+                continue;
+            }
+            String[] parts = line.split("\u0000", -1);
+            if (parts.length == 3 && !parts[1].isBlank()) {
+                refs.add(new WipRef(parts[0], parts[1], Long.parseLong(parts[2]) * 1000L));
+            }
+        }
+        return refs;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * The set of object shas reachable from {@code main}, or an empty set when {@code main} cannot
+     * be resolved. An empty set is the safe direction: the retention sweep then concludes nothing
+     * is recoverable, so it deletes nothing — a repo with no {@code main} must never cause a
+     * worker's last copy of a snapshot to be dropped on a reachability misreading.
+     */
+    private Set<String> reachableObjectsFromMain(String repoRoot) {
+        if (exitCode("git", "-C", repoRoot, "rev-parse", "--verify", "main") != 0) {
+            log.debug("refs/wip retention: no 'main' ref in {} — treating nothing as reachable", repoRoot);
+            return Set.of();
+        }
+        String out = exec("git", "-C", repoRoot, "rev-list", "--objects", "main");
+        Set<String> objects = new HashSet<>();
+        for (String line : out.split("\\R")) {
+            if (line.isBlank()) {
+                continue;
+            }
+            int sp = line.indexOf(' ');
+            objects.add(sp < 0 ? line : line.substring(0, sp));
+        }
+        return objects;
+    }
+
+    /** Approximate cost of a snapshot: the sum of every blob's size in its committed tree. */
+    private long treeSize(String repoRoot, String sha) {
+        String out = exec("git", "-C", repoRoot, "ls-tree", "-r", "-l", sha);
+        long total = 0;
+        for (String line : out.split("\\R")) {
+            if (line.isBlank()) {
+                continue;
+            }
+            // ls-tree -l row: "<mode> <type> <object> <size>\t<path>"; the size is only numeric for
+            // blobs (trees read "-"), so gate on the type token and take the 4th whitespace field.
+            String[] parts = line.split("\\s+");
+            if (parts.length >= 4 && "blob".equals(parts[1])) {
+                try {
+                    total += Long.parseLong(parts[3]);
+                } catch (NumberFormatException ignored) {
+                    // a '-' size (or any anomaly) contributes nothing to the rough figure
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        return total;
+    }
+
     /** Resolve the directory that will hold per-session worktree checkouts. */
     private Path resolveRoot(String repoRoot) {
         if (configuredRoot != null && !configuredRoot.isBlank()) {
@@ -239,11 +447,20 @@ public final class GitWorktrees implements Worktrees {
      * stdout and stderr (merged by redirectErrorStream).
      */
     private String exec(String... command) {
+        return exec(Map.of(), command);
+    }
+
+    /** Same as {@link #exec(String...)}, with extra environment variables set on the child process. */
+    private String exec(Map<String, String> extraEnv, String... command) {
         String out;
         int code;
         Process p;
         try {
-            p = new ProcessBuilder(command).redirectErrorStream(true).start();
+            ProcessBuilder pb = new ProcessBuilder(command).redirectErrorStream(true);
+            if (extraEnv != null && !extraEnv.isEmpty()) {
+                pb.environment().putAll(extraEnv);
+            }
+            p = pb.start();
         } catch (IOException e) {
             throw new WorktreeException("failed to start " + command[0] + ": " + e.getMessage(), e);
         }

bridged/src/main/java/dev/ltms/bridged/session/MemberSession.java

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package dev.ltms.bridged.session;
 
+import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.CharterReceipt;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.MemberRole;
 
 /**
@@ -23,6 +24,13 @@ import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.MemberRole;
  * @param lastActivityAtNanos {@link System#nanoTime()} of the most recent lifecycle event
  * @param turnCount          number of delegated turns that have been delivered to this session
  * @param state              current lifecycle state in the one-shot FSM
+ * @param charterReceipt     the fingerprint (CB-571) of the charter bytes this member was started
+ *                           with; {@code null} for a session whose launcher recorded none
+ * @param agentSessionId     the peer's OWN session id (CB-584) — the handle a later
+ *                           {@code resumeSessionId} spawn would pass back to resume this exact
+ *                           conversation; {@code null} when the launcher could not determine one
+ *                           (an adapter that declines {@code Capability.SESSION_RESUME}, or one
+ *                           that resolves it lazily and has not yet)
  */
 public record MemberSession(
         String paneId,
@@ -36,7 +44,9 @@ public record MemberSession(
         int turnCount,
         State state,
         String worktree,
-        String branch) {
+        String branch,
+        CharterReceipt charterReceipt,
+        String agentSessionId) {
 
     /** One-shot worker lifecycle states. */
     public enum State {
@@ -48,21 +58,35 @@ public record MemberSession(
         RELEASED
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Backward-compatible shape: a session with no charter receipt and no agent session id (a test
+     * or a launcher before CB-571 / CB-584). A separate constructor rather than a new parameter on
+     * the canonical one, so existing call sites that have nothing to record keep compiling
+     * unchanged.
+     */
+    public MemberSession(String paneId, String terminalId, String profile, MemberRole role,
+                         String cwd, String ownerTerminal, long spawnedAtNanos,
+                         long lastActivityAtNanos, int turnCount, State state,
+                         String worktree, String branch) {
+        this(paneId, terminalId, profile, role, cwd, ownerTerminal, spawnedAtNanos,
+                lastActivityAtNanos, turnCount, state, worktree, branch, null, null);
+    }
+
     /** Return a copy of this session in {@code state}. */
     public MemberSession withState(State state) {
         return new MemberSession(paneId, terminalId, profile, role, cwd, ownerTerminal, spawnedAtNanos,
-                lastActivityAtNanos, turnCount, state, worktree, branch);
+                lastActivityAtNanos, turnCount, state, worktree, branch, charterReceipt, agentSessionId);
     }
 
     /** Return a copy with {@code lastActivityAtNanos} updated to {@code nowNanos}. */
     public MemberSession withActivity(long nowNanos) {
         return new MemberSession(paneId, terminalId, profile, role, cwd, ownerTerminal, spawnedAtNanos,
-                nowNanos, turnCount, state, worktree, branch);
+                nowNanos, turnCount, state, worktree, branch, charterReceipt, agentSessionId);
     }
 
     /** Return a copy with the turn count incremented and activity timestamped at {@code nowNanos}. */
     public MemberSession bumpTurn(long nowNanos) {
         return new MemberSession(paneId, terminalId, profile, role, cwd, ownerTerminal, spawnedAtNanos,
-                nowNanos, turnCount + 1, state, worktree, branch);
+                nowNanos, turnCount + 1, state, worktree, branch, charterReceipt, agentSessionId);
     }
 }

bridged/src/main/java/dev/ltms/bridged/session/SessionManager.java

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import dev.ltms.bridged.herdr.Agent;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.inject.TurnListener;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.inject.MemberPresence;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.msg.TurnToken;
+import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.Capability;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.MemberRole;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.PeerHandle;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.PeerLauncher;
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Optional;
+import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicLong;
@@ -51,11 +53,19 @@ public final class SessionManager implements TurnListener {
     private final int contextCap;
     private final boolean clearAfterTurn;
     private volatile MemberLifecycle memberLifecycle = MemberLifecycle.NONE;
+    /**
+     * CB-586: the repo root the fleet actually works in, remembered the first time a worktree
+     * session is spawned (worktrees are checkouts of it). {@code refs/wip/*} live there, and this
+     * single cached value is what the snapshot retention sweep and the operator-visible census run
+     * against. The daemon is bridged into one project at a time, so "the first worktree's repo" is
+     * the repo; {@code null} until any worktree is spawned, meaning nothing to sweep or measure.
+     */
+    private volatile String fleetRepoRoot;
 
     /** CB-520: notified with a terminalId on every acquire; no-op until wired. */
     private final List<Consumer<String>> acquireListeners = new java.util.concurrent.CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();
-    /** CB-516: notified with a terminalId on every release; no-op until wired. */
-    private final List<Consumer<String>> releaseListeners = new java.util.concurrent.CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();
+    /** CB-516: notified with a {@link ReleaseDetail} on every release; no-op until wired. */
+    private final List<Consumer<ReleaseDetail>> releaseListeners = new java.util.concurrent.CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();
 
     /** Backward-compatible constructor: shared-tree sessions, production git seam. */
     public SessionManager(PeerLauncher launcher) {
@@ -126,21 +136,49 @@ public final class SessionManager implements TurnListener {
     }
 
     /**
-     * Spawn a member, optionally inside a fresh git worktree. When {@code wt} is non-null the
-     * worktree is provisioned, parity-overlaid, and its path becomes the member's cwd. On any
-     * failure before registration the worktree is removed so no dangling checkout is left.
+     * Spawn a member, optionally inside a fresh git worktree, with no session identity requested.
+     * Equivalent to {@link #acquire(String, MemberRole, String, String, String, WorktreeRequest,
+     * String, String)} with both trailing args {@code null}.
      *
      * @param profile which backend to run on — a {@code profiles:} key
      * @param role    which contract the member runs under; never {@code null}
      */
     public MemberSession acquire(String profile, MemberRole role, String requestedCwd, String callerCwd,
                                  String ownerTerminal, WorktreeRequest wt) {
+        return acquire(profile, role, requestedCwd, callerCwd, ownerTerminal, wt, null, null);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Spawn a member, optionally inside a fresh git worktree, optionally onto a chosen or resumed
+     * agent session (CB-547a / CB-584). When {@code wt} is non-null the worktree is provisioned,
+     * parity-overlaid, and its path becomes the member's cwd. On any failure before registration the
+     * worktree is removed so no dangling checkout is left.
+     *
+     * <p>A non-blank {@code resumeSessionId} requires an explicit {@code profile}: a resumed
+     * conversation is tied to the specific backend that started it, so an unqualified spawn (whose
+     * backend a placement policy picks at spawn time) has no safe candidate to check the capability
+     * against. It also requires that profile's adapter to declare {@link Capability#SESSION_RESUME};
+     * refusing rather than silently delivering a cold session on a non-supporting adapter is the
+     * whole point of checking before spawn, not after (CB-584).
+     *
+     * @param profile         which backend to run on — a {@code profiles:} key
+     * @param role            which contract the member runs under; never {@code null}
+     * @param sessionName     the bridge's logical name for the session, or {@code null}
+     * @param resumeSessionId the prior agent session to resume, or {@code null} for a fresh one
+     * @throws IllegalArgumentException if {@code resumeSessionId} is set with no explicit profile,
+     *                                   or the resolved profile's adapter lacks
+     *                                   {@link Capability#SESSION_RESUME}
+     */
+    public MemberSession acquire(String profile, MemberRole role, String requestedCwd, String callerCwd,
+                                 String ownerTerminal, WorktreeRequest wt,
+                                 String sessionName, String resumeSessionId) {
         MemberRole memberRole = (role == null) ? MemberRole.DEV : role;
+        requireResumeCapability(profile, resumeSessionId);
         if (wt == null) {
             // CB-557: the role must ride on the SpawnRequest, not stay a local. The launcher needs it
             // to pick the profile out of that role's pool and to label the tab; a role kept only on
             // the MemberSession is recorded after the spawn it was supposed to steer.
-            SpawnRequest req = new SpawnRequest(profile, requestedCwd, callerCwd, null, null, memberRole);
+            SpawnRequest req = new SpawnRequest(profile, requestedCwd, callerCwd, sessionName, resumeSessionId, memberRole);
             PeerHandle handle;
             try {
                 handle = launcher.spawn(req);
@@ -163,7 +201,9 @@ public final class SessionManager implements TurnListener {
                     0,
                     MemberSession.State.SPAWNING,
                     null,
-                    null);
+                    null,
+                    handle.charterReceipt(),
+                    handle.agentSessionId());
             registry.put(handle.id(), session);
             memberLifecycle.acquired(session.role(), session.profile(), session.terminalId());
             log.debug("acquired session id={} terminal={} profile={} owner={}",
@@ -171,7 +211,30 @@ public final class SessionManager implements TurnListener {
             notifyAcquired(session.terminalId());
             return session;
         }
-        return acquireWithWorktree(profile, memberRole, requestedCwd, callerCwd, ownerTerminal, wt);
+        return acquireWithWorktree(profile, memberRole, requestedCwd, callerCwd, ownerTerminal, wt,
+                sessionName, resumeSessionId);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Refuse a {@code resumeSessionId} that either names no explicit profile or names one whose
+     * adapter does not declare {@link Capability#SESSION_RESUME}. A no-op when
+     * {@code resumeSessionId} is blank — the ordinary, no-identity spawn path.
+     */
+    private void requireResumeCapability(String profile, String resumeSessionId) {
+        if (resumeSessionId == null || resumeSessionId.isBlank()) {
+            return;
+        }
+        if (profile == null || profile.isBlank()) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("resumeSessionId requires an explicit profile — "
+                    + "a resumed conversation is tied to the backend that started it, so it cannot "
+                    + "be left to placement to pick");
+        }
+        Set<Capability> caps = launcher.capabilitiesFor(profile);
+        if (!caps.contains(Capability.SESSION_RESUME)) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("worker profile '" + profile + "' does not declare "
+                    + "Capability.SESSION_RESUME — refusing resumeSessionId rather than silently "
+                    + "starting a cold session");
+        }
     }
 
     /** Tear a worker down by pane id and remove it from the registry. Idempotent. */
@@ -195,34 +258,110 @@ public final class SessionManager implements TurnListener {
     private void release(String paneId, ReleaseCause cause) {
         MemberSession removed = registry.remove(paneId);
         boolean preserveWorktree = cause == ReleaseCause.SHUTDOWN;
+        String snapshotRef = null;
         if (removed != null) {
-            memberLifecycle.released(removed.terminalId());
-            log.debug("releasing session pane={} terminal={} state={} cause={}",
-                    removed.paneId(), removed.terminalId(), removed.state(), cause);
-            if (preserveWorktree && removed.worktree() != null) {
-                logPreservedForShutdown(removed);
-            } else if (removed.worktree() != null && worktrees.hasUncommitted(removed.worktree())) {
-                // CB-576: a release that would otherwise remove the worktree finds it holding
-                // uncommitted work the bridge cannot see. A worker that ends a turn without
-                // committing (normally because it stopped to ask a question or refused the turn)
-                // has its only copy of that work in the worktree. Remove would --force-delete it,
-                // so preserve the directory and tell an operator where to find it.
+            try {
+                memberLifecycle.released(removed.terminalId());
+                log.debug("releasing session pane={} terminal={} state={} cause={}",
+                        removed.paneId(), removed.terminalId(), removed.state(), cause);
+                boolean dirty = removed.worktree() != null && worktrees.hasUncommitted(removed.worktree());
+                if (preserveWorktree && removed.worktree() != null) {
+                    logPreservedForShutdown(removed);
+                } else if (dirty) {
+                    // CB-576: a release that would otherwise remove the worktree finds it holding
+                    // uncommitted work the bridge cannot see. A worker that ends a turn without
+                    // committing (normally because it stopped to ask a question or refused the turn)
+                    // has its only copy of that work in the worktree. Remove would --force-delete it,
+                    // so preserve the directory and tell an operator where to find it.
+                    preserveWorktree = true;
+                    log.warn("release {} preserves dirty worktree {} for pane={} terminal={}: "
+                            + "the worktree holds uncommitted changes that --force remove would destroy",
+                            cause, removed.worktree(), removed.paneId(), removed.terminalId());
+                }
+                if (dirty) {
+                    // CB-578 stage C: preserving on disk is not saving — the directory is one
+                    // `worktree remove --force`, or an operator tidying up, away from gone. Commit
+                    // its full state to a ref before the preserve-or-remove decision above can be
+                    // undone by anything else, regardless of why this release fired.
+                    snapshotRef = trySnapshot(removed, cause);
+                }
+            } catch (RuntimeException e) {
+                // CB-581: hasUncommitted shells out to `git status` and can throw on a non-zero
+                // exit. We can no longer tell whether the worktree holds uncommitted work, so fail
+                // toward the safe answer and preserve it — deleting on a guess can destroy work
+                // that has no other copy (CB-576), while keeping it on a false alarm only costs
+                // disk. The exception must not propagate: the pane still has to stop below.
                 preserveWorktree = true;
-                log.warn("release {} preserves dirty worktree {} for pane={} terminal={}: "
-                        + "the worktree holds uncommitted changes that --force remove would destroy",
-                        cause, removed.worktree(), removed.paneId(), removed.terminalId());
+                log.warn("release {} could not tell whether worktree {} for pane={} terminal={} has "
+                        + "uncommitted changes; preserving it rather than risk destroying unsaved work: {}",
+                        cause, removed.worktree(), removed.paneId(), removed.terminalId(), e.toString());
+            } finally {
+                // CB-516/CB-581: a send still waiting on this worker can never be answered now, no
+                // matter what happened above. Tell the listener BEFORE the pane is torn down, so a
+                // blocked caller fails fast with a real reason instead of sitting on a rendezvous
+                // nothing will ever resolve. CB-578 stage C: carry the worktree/branch/snapshot ref
+                // too, so a failed ticket's detail can point a lead at the same tree to re-dispatch.
+                // CB-584 (issue #65 criterion 5): carry agentSessionId alongside them, so a lead can
+                // also resume the member's conversation, not just re-dispatch onto its files.
+                notifyReleased(new ReleaseDetail(removed.terminalId(), removed.worktree(),
+                        removed.branch(), snapshotRef, removed.agentSessionId()));
             }
-            // CB-516: a send still waiting on this worker can never be answered now. Tell the
-            // listener BEFORE the pane is torn down, so a blocked caller fails fast with a real
-            // reason instead of sitting on a rendezvous nothing will ever resolve.
-            notifyReleased(removed.terminalId());
         }
+        // CB-581: the pane must always stop, even if the dirty check above threw. A session removed
+        // from the registry with no pane stop is an orphaned pane — a live terminal burning a fleet
+        // slot that no longer appears in the roster and can never be reclaimed.
         launcher.stop(paneId);
         if (removed != null && !preserveWorktree && removed.worktree() != null) {
             worktrees.remove(worktrees.repoRoot(removed.cwd()), removed.worktree());
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Best-effort snapshot of a dirty worktree into {@code refs/wip/<branch>} (CB-578 stage C). A
+     * failure here must never escalate: the caller has already decided to preserve the worktree
+     * regardless of whether this succeeds, so the only cost of a failed snapshot is a WARN and a
+     * missing ref — never a lost pane stop or a lost release notification.
+     */
+    private String trySnapshot(MemberSession session, ReleaseCause cause) {
+        if (session.worktree() == null || session.branch() == null) {
+            return null;
+        }
+        try {
+            Optional<String> ref = worktrees.snapshot(session.worktree(), session.branch(),
+                    snapshotMessage(session, cause));
+            ref.ifPresent(sha -> log.info(
+                    "snapshotted dirty worktree {} to refs/wip/{} commit={} for pane={} terminal={}",
+                    session.worktree(), session.branch(), sha, session.paneId(), session.terminalId()));
+            return ref.orElse(null);
+        } catch (RuntimeException e) {
+            log.warn("snapshot of dirty worktree {} failed for pane={} terminal={} branch={}: the "
+                    + "worktree is still preserved on disk, just not committed to refs/wip/{}: {}",
+                    session.worktree(), session.paneId(), session.terminalId(), session.branch(),
+                    session.branch(), e.toString());
+            return null;
+        }
+    }
+
+    /** Commit message for a CB-578 stage C snapshot — names the member so an operator can tell runs apart. */
+    private String snapshotMessage(MemberSession session, ReleaseCause cause) {
+        return "CB-578 stage C: snapshot of a released worker\n\n"
+                + "terminal: " + session.terminalId() + "\n"
+                + "profile:  " + session.profile() + "\n"
+                + "branch:   " + session.branch() + "\n"
+                + "cause:    " + cause;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Facts about a released session that a listener needs beyond the bare terminal id — enough
+     * for a caller to point a lead at where to re-dispatch onto the same tree after a failed
+     * release (CB-578 stage C, acceptance criterion 10). {@code worktreePath} and {@code branch}
+     * are {@code null} for a shared-tree session; {@code snapshotRef} is {@code null} unless this
+     * release snapshotted a dirty worktree into {@code refs/wip/<branch>}.
+     */
+    public record ReleaseDetail(String terminalId, String worktreePath, String branch, String snapshotRef,
+                                String agentSessionId) {
+    }
+
     /**
      * Why a session is being released — governs whether its worktree is preserved or removed.
      * Worktree removal is reserved for the one case that is genuinely finished; everything else
@@ -271,7 +410,7 @@ public final class SessionManager implements TurnListener {
      * presence view this manager exposes). Wiring it at construction would require breaking that
      * cycle for one callback.
      */
-    public void onRelease(Consumer<String> listener) {
+    public void onRelease(Consumer<ReleaseDetail> listener) {
         if (listener != null) {
             releaseListeners.add(listener);
         }
@@ -297,21 +436,22 @@ public final class SessionManager implements TurnListener {
     }
 
     /** A listener failure must never prevent the teardown it is reacting to. */
-    private void notifyReleased(String terminalId) {
-        if (terminalId == null) {
+    private void notifyReleased(ReleaseDetail detail) {
+        if (detail.terminalId() == null) {
             return;
         }
-        for (Consumer<String> listener : releaseListeners) {
+        for (Consumer<ReleaseDetail> listener : releaseListeners) {
             try {
-                listener.accept(terminalId);
+                listener.accept(detail);
             } catch (RuntimeException e) {
-                log.warn("release listener failed for terminal {}: {}", terminalId, e.toString());
+                log.warn("release listener failed for terminal {}: {}", detail.terminalId(), e.toString());
             }
         }
     }
 
     private MemberSession acquireWithWorktree(String profile, MemberRole memberRole, String requestedCwd, String callerCwd,
-                                              String ownerTerminal, WorktreeRequest wt) {
+                                              String ownerTerminal, WorktreeRequest wt,
+                                              String sessionName, String resumeSessionId) {
         String preResolvedProfile = (profile == null || profile.isBlank())
                 ? launcher.defaultProfile() : profile;
         // CB-507: resolve through the launcher's CB-112 chain (requested → profile cwd → caller →
@@ -321,13 +461,18 @@ public final class SessionManager implements TurnListener {
         // The non-worktree path always used this chain; only this branch was missed.
         String repoRoot = worktrees.repoRoot(
                 launcher.effectiveCwd(new SpawnRequest(preResolvedProfile, requestedCwd, callerCwd)));
+        if (fleetRepoRoot == null) {
+            // CB-586: remember the repo whose worktrees the fleet spawns — its refs/wip/* are the
+            // snapshot store the retention sweep and the operator census operate on.
+            fleetRepoRoot = repoRoot;
+        }
         String branch = "worker/" + slug(wt.ticketSlug()) + "-" + nonce();
         String path = null;
         PeerHandle handle;
         try {
             path = worktrees.add(repoRoot, branch, wt.baseRef());
             worktrees.overlayParity(repoRoot, path, launcher.parityOverlay(preResolvedProfile));
-            handle = launcher.spawn(new SpawnRequest(profile, path, callerCwd, null, null, memberRole));
+            handle = launcher.spawn(new SpawnRequest(profile, path, callerCwd, sessionName, resumeSessionId, memberRole));
         } catch (RuntimeException e) {
             log.warn("spawn failed for profile={} role={} branch={} path={}: {}",
                     preResolvedProfile, memberRole, branch, path, e.getMessage());
@@ -355,7 +500,9 @@ public final class SessionManager implements TurnListener {
                 0,
                 MemberSession.State.SPAWNING,
                 path,
-                branch);
+                branch,
+                handle.charterReceipt(),
+                handle.agentSessionId());
         registry.put(handle.id(), session);
         memberLifecycle.acquired(session.role(), session.profile(), session.terminalId());
         log.debug("acquired worktree session id={} terminal={} profile={} branch={} path={}",
@@ -421,6 +568,22 @@ public final class SessionManager implements TurnListener {
         if (session.ownerTerminal() != null) {
             m.put("owner", session.ownerTerminal());
         }
+        // CB-584: which conversation this member holds — the id a later resumeSessionId spawn would
+        // pass back. Absent for an adapter that declines Capability.SESSION_RESUME, or one that
+        // resolves it lazily and has not yet.
+        if (session.agentSessionId() != null) {
+            m.put("agentSessionId", session.agentSessionId());
+        }
+        // CB-571: which charter this member was started with — never the charter text itself. The
+        // digest lets a lead tell at a glance whether all members got the same charter; the source
+        // records whether a role charter was configured ("fleet.charters.<role>") or only the reply
+        // charter was composed ("none").
+        if (session.charterReceipt() != null) {
+            m.put("charterSource", session.charterReceipt().charterSource());
+            if (session.charterReceipt().charterSha256() != null) {
+                m.put("charterSha256", session.charterReceipt().charterSha256());
+            }
+        }
         m.put("liveStatus", live == null ? "unknown" : live.status().name().toLowerCase());
         return m;
     }
@@ -527,8 +690,15 @@ public final class SessionManager implements TurnListener {
                 log.debug("reaping idle session terminal={} pane={}: idle {}s exceeds the {}s ttl",
                         s.terminalId(), s.paneId(), TimeUnit.NANOSECONDS.toSeconds(idleNanos),
                         TimeUnit.NANOSECONDS.toSeconds(idleTtlNanos));
-                release(s.paneId());
-                reaped++;
+                // CB-581: one session that fails to release must not abort the whole reaping pass —
+                // match drainAll's per-session try/catch so the rest of the roster still gets reaped.
+                try {
+                    release(s.paneId());
+                    reaped++;
+                } catch (RuntimeException e) {
+                    log.warn("reap failed for pane={} terminal={} worktree={}; continuing with "
+                            + "remaining sessions", s.paneId(), s.terminalId(), s.worktree(), e);
+                }
             }
         }
         return reaped;
@@ -586,6 +756,26 @@ public final class SessionManager implements TurnListener {
         return registry.size();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * CB-586: the operator-visible census of {@code refs/wip/*} in the repo the fleet works in —
+     * how many snapshot refs exist and roughly what they cost. Empty (no repo known) until at
+     * least one worktree session has been spawned, exactly so a fleet that has never snapshotted
+     * anything surfaces nothing new, as it did before CB-586.
+     */
+    public Optional<Worktrees.WipRefStats> wipRefs() {
+        String repo = fleetRepoRoot;
+        return repo == null ? Optional.empty() : Optional.of(worktrees.wipRefs(repo));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * CB-586: run the snapshot retention sweep in the fleet's repo (a no-op until a worktree has
+     * been spawned, which establishes the repo). Returns how many {@code refs/wip/*} it deleted.
+     */
+    public int sweepWipRefs(long minAgeMillis) {
+        String repo = fleetRepoRoot;
+        return repo == null ? 0 : worktrees.pruneWipRefs(repo, minAgeMillis);
+    }
+
     /**
      * The registered session owning {@code terminalId}, or {@code null} if none does.
      *

bridged/src/main/java/dev/ltms/bridged/session/SessionReaper.java

@@ -14,12 +14,29 @@ public final class SessionReaper {
 
     private static final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(SessionReaper.class);
     private static final long DEFAULT_INTERVAL_MILLIS = 5000;
+    /** CB-586: the refs/wip age floor — never sweep a snapshot younger than 24h (the CB-586 rule). */
+    private static final long WIP_MIN_AGE_MILLIS = TimeUnit.HOURS.toMillis(24);
+    /**
+     * CB-586: how often the retention sweep runs. Given the 24h age floor, running it every few
+     * hours means a ref is dropped within hours of becoming eligible, never within minutes.
+     */
+    private static final long WIP_SWEEP_INTERVAL_NANOS = TimeUnit.HOURS.toNanos(6);
 
     private final SessionManager sessions;
     private final long idleTtlNanos;
     private final long intervalMillis;
     private volatile boolean running;
     private Thread thread;
+    /**
+     * When the retention sweep last ran, and whether it ever has. The flag is not a convenience:
+     * a "never yet" sentinel value cannot be compared by subtraction. {@code Long.MIN_VALUE} was
+     * the obvious choice and it silently overflows — {@code System.nanoTime()} is positive on this
+     * platform, so {@code now - Long.MIN_VALUE} wraps to a large negative number, the interval gate
+     * reads it as "swept moments ago", and it returns before ever assigning the field. The sweep
+     * then never runs at all, for the life of the process, with nothing in the log to say so.
+     */
+    private volatile boolean sweptOnce;
+    private volatile long lastWipSweepNanos;
 
     /** Construct a reaper with the default 5-second polling interval. */
     public SessionReaper(SessionManager sessions, long idleTtlSeconds) {
@@ -49,10 +66,39 @@ public final class SessionReaper {
             } catch (RuntimeException e) {
                 log.warn("session reaper iteration failed; continuing", e);
             }
+            maybeSweepWipRefs();
             sleep();
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * CB-586: run the refs/wip retention sweep on a slow cadence (hours, not the per-iteration
+     * millisecond loop). Best-effort — a failure must never take the idle-reap loop down with it.
+     */
+    private void maybeSweepWipRefs() {
+        long now = System.nanoTime();
+        // The first pass always sweeps: a restart is a fine moment to sweep, the 24h age floor
+        // makes it safe, and it means the feature is observable right after a redeploy instead of
+        // six hours later. Only after that does the interval gate apply, and by then both operands
+        // come from nanoTime, so the subtraction is well-defined.
+        if (sweptOnce && now - lastWipSweepNanos < WIP_SWEEP_INTERVAL_NANOS) {
+            return;
+        }
+        try {
+            int deleted = sessions.sweepWipRefs(WIP_MIN_AGE_MILLIS);
+            if (deleted > 0) {
+                log.info("refs/wip retention sweep deleted {} snapshot ref(s) older than 24h whose "
+                        + "content was already reachable from main", deleted);
+            }
+        } catch (RuntimeException e) {
+            log.warn("refs/wip retention sweep failed; continuing", e);
+        }
+        // Set even when the sweep threw, so a broken repo is retried on the slow cadence rather
+        // than hammering git on every 5-second iteration.
+        lastWipSweepNanos = now;
+        sweptOnce = true;
+    }
+
     private void sleep() {
         try {
             Thread.sleep(intervalMillis);

bridged/src/main/java/dev/ltms/bridged/session/Worktrees.java

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package dev.ltms.bridged.session;
 
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Optional;
 
 /** Seam between {@link SessionManager} and git worktree operations. Tests use a recording fake. */
 public interface Worktrees {
@@ -27,4 +28,74 @@ public interface Worktrees {
 
     /** git -C <cwd> rev-parse --show-toplevel — the repo root that owns cwd. */
     String repoRoot(String cwd);
+
+    /**
+     * Commit the worktree's full on-disk state — tracked and untracked, respecting
+     * {@code .gitignore} — to {@code refs/wip/<branch>}, so a release that would otherwise leave
+     * the work as loose, unprotected files has a durable git object to fall back on (CB-578 stage
+     * C). Built on a <em>temporary</em> index: the worker's own index, working tree, and HEAD are
+     * never touched, since the worker may still be mid-write. The commit is parented on the
+     * worktree's current HEAD.
+     *
+     * <p>Never writes under {@code refs/heads/} — the ref must not appear in {@code git branch},
+     * must not be pushed by default, and must not be swept by a later {@code git branch -d}.
+     *
+     * <p>Callers are expected to have already confirmed {@link #hasUncommitted} before reaching
+     * for this; it always stages and commits whatever {@code git add -A} finds, so calling it on
+     * a clean worktree still produces a (harmless, tree-identical-to-HEAD) commit rather than
+     * detecting cleanliness itself.
+     *
+     * @param worktreePath absolute path of the worktree to snapshot
+     * @param branch       the worktree's own branch — keys {@code refs/wip/<branch>}
+     * @param message      the commit message; should name the member, its branch, and the release
+     *                     cause so an operator can tell which run produced it
+     * @return the created commit's sha, or {@link Optional#empty()} if {@code worktreePath} does
+     *         not exist (mirrors {@link #remove} and {@link #hasUncommitted}'s already-gone
+     *         tolerance — a worktree that is gone holds nothing to snapshot)
+     */
+    Optional<String> snapshot(String worktreePath, String branch, String message);
+
+    /**
+     * CB-586: how many {@code refs/wip/*} snapshot refs exist in {@code repoRoot} and roughly what
+     * they cost. This is the operator-visible surface for the snapshot growth CB-578 stage C left
+     * behind — counts of refs alone hide that each one pins a whole tree for {@code git gc}.
+     *
+     * @param repoRoot the repository to scan
+     * @return count of snapshot refs, and {@code costBytes} = the approximate total working-tree
+     *         size of every snapshot's committed content (summed per ref, so shared objects are
+     *         counted once per ref that carries them)
+     */
+    WipRefStats wipRefs(String repoRoot);
+
+    /**
+     * CB-586: run the {@code refs/wip/*} retention sweep and return how many refs it deleted.
+     *
+     * <p>The retention rule is <em>reachability plus an age floor</em>. A snapshot ref is deleted
+     * only when <strong>both</strong> hold:
+     * <ol>
+     *   <li>its commit's <em>tree content</em> is already reachable from {@code main} — the work
+     *       the snapshot preserved has been recovered, so dropping the ref loses nothing; and</li>
+     *   <li>the ref is older than {@code minAgeMillis} — a very recent snapshot is never swept
+     *       while a lead may still be looking at it.</li>
+     * </ol>
+     *
+     * <p>Reachability is the safety property. A snapshot exists precisely because the work was not
+     * committed anywhere else, so a snapshot whose content is <em>not</em> reachable from
+     * {@code main} is the <strong>last copy</strong> of a worker's work and must never be deleted
+     * automatically — that is the failure CB-576 and CB-578 stage C were built to stop. Age alone
+     * must never drive a deletion, because age-based sweeping is exactly how the last copy gets
+     * destroyed. (Both numbers and the rule are CB-586's decision; this method only implements it.)
+     *
+     * <p>Every deletion logs the ref name and the commit sha, so an operator who finds they lost
+     * the wrong thing can still recover it from git's reflog.
+     *
+     * @param repoRoot     the repository whose {@code refs/wip/*} to sweep
+     * @param minAgeMillis the age floor; a ref younger than this is never touched
+     * @return the number of snapshot refs deleted
+     */
+    int pruneWipRefs(String repoRoot, long minAgeMillis);
+
+    /** CB-586: the operator-visible census of {@code refs/wip/*} in one repository. */
+    record WipRefStats(int count, long costBytes) {
+    }
 }

bridged/src/test/java/dev/ltms/bridged/MemberCredentialsGapReportTest.java

@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+package dev.ltms.bridged;
+
+import ch.qos.logback.classic.Logger;
+import ch.qos.logback.classic.spi.ILoggingEvent;
+import ch.qos.logback.core.read.ListAppender;
+import dev.ltms.bridged.config.BridgedConfig;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.io.TempDir;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
+
+import java.nio.file.Files;
+import java.nio.file.Path;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertFalse;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
+
+/**
+ * CB-596: an absent (or empty) {@code memberCredentials:} block blocks nothing — no name is
+ * hardcoded any more to fall back on, so the daemon must say so out loud at startup rather than
+ * silently dropping CB-592's protection. Mirrors {@link RequiredSecretEnvVarsTest}'s pattern for
+ * the CB-594 startup-secrets report, capturing the real log via a {@link ListAppender}.
+ */
+class MemberCredentialsGapReportTest {
+
+    private static BridgedConfig load(Path dir, String yaml) throws Exception {
+        Path f = dir.resolve("bridged.yaml");
+        Files.writeString(f, yaml);
+        return BridgedConfig.load(f);
+    }
+
+    private static ListAppender<ILoggingEvent> attach() {
+        Logger logger = (Logger) LoggerFactory.getLogger(Bridged.class);
+        ListAppender<ILoggingEvent> appender = new ListAppender<>();
+        appender.start();
+        logger.addAppender(appender);
+        return appender;
+    }
+
+    private static void detach(ListAppender<ILoggingEvent> appender) {
+        ((Logger) LoggerFactory.getLogger(Bridged.class)).detachAppender(appender);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void anAbsentBlockWarnsThatEveryMemberInheritsTheWholeStore(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        BridgedConfig cfg = load(dir, "bind:\n  host: 127.0.0.1\n  port: 8765\n");
+
+        ListAppender<ILoggingEvent> appender = attach();
+        try {
+            Bridged.reportMemberCredentialsGap(cfg);
+        } finally {
+            detach(appender);
+        }
+
+        assertTrue(appender.list.stream().anyMatch(e ->
+                        e.getLevel() == ch.qos.logback.classic.Level.WARN
+                                && e.getFormattedMessage().contains("memberCredentials")
+                                && e.getFormattedMessage().contains("WHOLE secret store")),
+                "an absent block must WARN that protection is lost, not stay silent");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void anEmptyKnownListWarnsTheSameAsAbsent(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        BridgedConfig cfg = load(dir, """
+                memberCredentials:
+                  policy: deny-by-default
+                """);
+
+        ListAppender<ILoggingEvent> appender = attach();
+        try {
+            Bridged.reportMemberCredentialsGap(cfg);
+        } finally {
+            detach(appender);
+        }
+
+        assertTrue(appender.list.stream().anyMatch(e ->
+                        e.getLevel() == ch.qos.logback.classic.Level.WARN
+                                && e.getFormattedMessage().contains("memberCredentials")),
+                "policy: with no known: names still blocks nothing and must warn the same way");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void aPopulatedKnownListLogsInfoNotWarn(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        BridgedConfig cfg = load(dir, """
+                memberCredentials:
+                  policy: deny-by-default
+                  allow: [AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN]
+                  known: [AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN, GITEA_ACCESS_TOKEN]
+                """);
+
+        // logback-test.xml pins dev.ltms.bridged to WARN (see its own comment); raise it here so
+        // the INFO line this test asserts on actually reaches the appender, and restore after.
+        Logger logger = (Logger) LoggerFactory.getLogger(Bridged.class);
+        ch.qos.logback.classic.Level original = logger.getLevel();
+        logger.setLevel(ch.qos.logback.classic.Level.INFO);
+        ListAppender<ILoggingEvent> appender = attach();
+        try {
+            Bridged.reportMemberCredentialsGap(cfg);
+        } finally {
+            detach(appender);
+            logger.setLevel(original);
+        }
+
+        assertFalse(appender.list.stream().anyMatch(e -> e.getLevel() == ch.qos.logback.classic.Level.WARN),
+                "a configured, non-empty known: list must not warn — the block is doing its job");
+        assertTrue(appender.list.stream().anyMatch(e -> e.getFormattedMessage().contains("blocking 1")),
+                "the INFO line should say how many names are actually blocked (known minus allow)");
+    }
+}

bridged/src/test/java/dev/ltms/bridged/RequiredSecretEnvVarsTest.java

@@ -0,0 +1,114 @@
+package dev.ltms.bridged;
+
+import dev.ltms.bridged.config.BridgedConfig;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.io.TempDir;
+
+import java.nio.file.Files;
+import java.nio.file.Path;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Map;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertFalse;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
+
+/**
+ * CB-594: {@link Bridged#requiredSecretEnvVars(BridgedConfig)} is what decides what the startup
+ * secret report checks — it must derive that set from the config, not a hand-written list, or a
+ * new profile's token silently stops being reported.
+ */
+class RequiredSecretEnvVarsTest {
+
+    private static BridgedConfig load(Path dir, String yaml) throws Exception {
+        Path f = dir.resolve("bridged.yaml");
+        Files.writeString(f, yaml);
+        return BridgedConfig.load(f);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void collectsATokenEnvPerNonSubscriptionProfile(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        BridgedConfig cfg = load(dir, """
+                profiles:
+                  local:
+                    baseUrl: http://gx00.gw:8000
+                    tokenEnv: AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN
+                """);
+
+        Map<String, List<String>> required = Bridged.requiredSecretEnvVars(cfg);
+
+        assertTrue(required.containsKey("AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN"));
+        assertEquals(List.of("profile 'local' tokenEnv"), required.get("AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN"));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void aSubscriptionProfileNeedsNoTokenEnv(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        BridgedConfig cfg = load(dir, """
+                profiles:
+                  opus:
+                    subscription: true
+                    model: claude-opus-5
+                """);
+
+        assertTrue(Bridged.requiredSecretEnvVars(cfg).isEmpty(),
+                "subscription: true never reads ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN — see Profile#isSubscription");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void gitTokenEnvIsOptInAndCollectedWhenSet(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        BridgedConfig cfg = load(dir, """
+                profiles:
+                  local:
+                    baseUrl: http://gx00.gw:8000
+                    tokenEnv: AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN
+                    gitTokenEnv: WORKER_GITEA_TOKEN
+                """);
+
+        Map<String, List<String>> required = Bridged.requiredSecretEnvVars(cfg);
+
+        assertTrue(required.containsKey("WORKER_GITEA_TOKEN"));
+        assertEquals(List.of("profile 'local' gitTokenEnv"), required.get("WORKER_GITEA_TOKEN"));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void noGitTokenEnvMeansNothingIsRequiredForIt(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        BridgedConfig cfg = load(dir, """
+                profiles:
+                  local:
+                    baseUrl: http://gx00.gw:8000
+                    tokenEnv: AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN
+                """);
+
+        assertFalse(Bridged.requiredSecretEnvVars(cfg).containsKey("WORKER_GITEA_TOKEN"));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void aVarSharedByTwoProfilesIsReportedOnceNamingBoth(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        BridgedConfig cfg = load(dir, """
+                profiles:
+                  local:
+                    baseUrl: http://gx00.gw:8000
+                    tokenEnv: AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN
+                    gitTokenEnv: WORKER_GITEA_TOKEN
+                  gx:
+                    kind: opencode
+                    baseUrl: https://llm.ltms.dev/v1
+                    tokenEnv: AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN
+                    gitTokenEnv: WORKER_GITEA_TOKEN
+                """);
+
+        Map<String, List<String>> required = Bridged.requiredSecretEnvVars(cfg);
+
+        assertEquals(List.of("profile 'local' tokenEnv", "profile 'gx' tokenEnv"),
+                required.get("AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN"));
+        assertEquals(List.of("profile 'local' gitTokenEnv", "profile 'gx' gitTokenEnv"),
+                required.get("WORKER_GITEA_TOKEN"));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void noProfilesMeansNothingIsRequired(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        BridgedConfig cfg = load(dir, "bind:\n  host: 127.0.0.1\n  port: 8765\n");
+
+        assertTrue(Bridged.requiredSecretEnvVars(cfg).isEmpty());
+    }
+}

bridged/src/test/java/dev/ltms/bridged/config/BridgedConfigTest.java

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import java.nio.file.Path;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Set;
+import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.*;
 
@@ -1039,6 +1040,44 @@ class BridgedConfigTest {
                 "an opencode worker with no argv defaults to the opencode binary, never claude");
     }
 
+    /**
+     * CB-604: an unrecognized {@code kind:} used to silently fall into the claude-code bucket — not
+     * matching {@code "opencode"} was the only check. With {@code argv:} also unset that meant the
+     * daemon tried to launch a program literally named after the typo.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void unknownKindIsRefusedAtLoadNamingTheValueAndTheAcceptedSet(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        Path f = dir.resolve("kind-typo.yaml");
+        Files.writeString(f, """
+                profiles:
+                  gemini:
+                    kind: opencod
+                    model: google/gemini-2.5-pro
+                """);
+
+        IllegalStateException e = assertThrows(IllegalStateException.class, () -> BridgedConfig.load(f));
+        assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("gemini"), "error names the profile: " + e.getMessage());
+        assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("opencod"), "error names the bad value: " + e.getMessage());
+        assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("claude-code") && e.getMessage().contains("opencode"),
+                "error names the accepted set: " + e.getMessage());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void blankKindStillDefaultsToClaudeCode(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        Path f = dir.resolve("kind-blank.yaml");
+        Files.writeString(f, """
+                profiles:
+                  gx10:
+                    baseUrl: http://gx10.gw:8000
+                    kind: ""
+                    argv: ["ccs", "gx10"]
+                """);
+
+        BridgedConfig cfg = BridgedConfig.load(f);
+        assertEquals(BridgedConfig.Profile.KIND_CLAUDE_CODE, cfg.profiles().get("gx10").kind(),
+                "a blank kind: is documented to behave exactly like an absent one");
+    }
+
     @Test
     void authDefaultsToLoopbackTrustSoExistingConfigsBehaveAsBefore(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
         Path f = dir.resolve("no-auth-block.yaml");
@@ -1157,6 +1196,10 @@ class BridgedConfigTest {
                   idleAfterSeconds: 600
                   backoffMs: 45000
                   quietNudgeCap: 5
+                memberCredentials:
+                  policy: deny-by-default
+                  allow: [AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN]
+                  known: [AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN, GITEA_ACCESS_TOKEN]
                 """);
 
         BridgedConfig cfg = BridgedConfig.load(f);
@@ -1187,6 +1230,84 @@ class BridgedConfigTest {
         assertEquals(600, cfg.leadHeartbeat().idleAfterSeconds(), "leadHeartbeat binds at the top level");
         assertEquals(45_000L, cfg.leadHeartbeat().backoffMs());
         assertEquals(5, cfg.leadHeartbeat().quietNudgeCap());
+
+        assertEquals(BridgedConfig.MemberCredentials.POLICY_DENY_BY_DEFAULT, cfg.memberCredentials().policy(),
+                "memberCredentials binds at the top level");
+        assertEquals(Set.of("AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN"), cfg.memberCredentials().allowSet());
+        assertEquals(Set.of("GITEA_ACCESS_TOKEN"), cfg.memberCredentials().blockedSet());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * A top-level key {@code BridgedConfig} reads but that appears nowhere in
+     * {@code bridged.example.yaml} — live or commented — is invisible drift: {@code bridged.yaml}
+     * is gitignored, so the example is the ONLY committed description of the config schema, and
+     * neither {@link #shippedExampleConfigParses} (example → code: does the example still parse)
+     * nor {@link #everyOptionalKnobDocumentedInTheExampleBinds} (a hand-maintained list of keys
+     * that must bind) can catch a brand-new key nobody added to either.
+     *
+     * <p>This test compares the OTHER direction: every key in {@link BridgedConfig#KNOWN_TOP_LEVEL_KEYS}
+     * (the parser's own accepted set, which backs the unknown-key WARN) must appear as a top-level
+     * key in the example text, live or commented-out — see {@link #topLevelKeyDocumented}.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void everyKnownTopLevelKeyIsDocumentedInTheExample() throws Exception {
+        Path example = Path.of("bridged.example.yaml");
+        assertTrue(Files.exists(example), "bridged.example.yaml must ship next to the pom");
+        String text = Files.readString(example);
+
+        List<String> undocumented = BridgedConfig.KNOWN_TOP_LEVEL_KEYS.stream()
+                .filter(key -> !topLevelKeyDocumented(text, key))
+                .sorted()
+                .toList();
+
+        assertTrue(undocumented.isEmpty(), () -> "key(s) " + undocumented
+                + " are read by BridgedConfig but appear nowhere in bridged.example.yaml — "
+                + "document each one there, commented out if optional. bridged.yaml is "
+                + "gitignored, so this file is the only committed description of the config "
+                + "schema an operator or a worker can see.");
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Most of {@code bridged.example.yaml} is deliberately commented out — optional sections are
+     * documented as commented blocks so the shipped file stays a working minimal config. A key
+     * documented ONLY as a comment must still count as documented; parsing the file as YAML and
+     * reading its live key set (as an earlier attempt at this guard did) gets this wrong, because
+     * every commented section then looks entirely absent.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void commentedOnlyTopLevelKeyCountsAsDocumented() {
+        String yaml = """
+                bind:
+                  port: 8765
+                # broker:
+                #   uri: amqp://guest:guest@127.0.0.1:5672
+                """;
+        assertTrue(topLevelKeyDocumented(yaml, "broker"),
+                "a key documented only inside a commented-out block must still count as documented");
+    }
+
+    /** A key that appears in neither a live nor a commented top-level line must NOT count. */
+    @Test
+    void absentTopLevelKeyIsNotDocumented() {
+        String yaml = """
+                bind:
+                  port: 8765
+                """;
+        assertFalse(topLevelKeyDocumented(yaml, "broker"),
+                "a key mentioned nowhere in the example must not be reported as documented");
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * True when {@code key} appears as a top-level YAML key in {@code yaml} — either live
+     * ({@code key:} at column 0) or commented out ({@code # key:}, also at column 0, with only
+     * whitespace between the {@code #} and the key). Anchoring on column 0 is what keeps this a
+     * top-level check: an indented occurrence (a nested field, or prose inside a comment that
+     * happens to end in a colon) never matches, because {@code ^} requires the key's own first
+     * character — or the sole leading {@code #} — to sit at the very start of the line.
+     */
+    private static boolean topLevelKeyDocumented(String yaml, String key) {
+        Pattern p = Pattern.compile("(?m)^(?:#\\s*)?" + Pattern.quote(key) + ":");
+        return p.matcher(yaml).find();
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -1221,6 +1342,232 @@ class BridgedConfigTest {
         assertNull(w.maxLoad(), "absent maxLoad defaults to unlimited (null)");
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void explicitWeightZeroStaysZeroInsteadOfCoercingToOne(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        // CB-554: weight: 0 used to be normalised to 1.0 by this same compact constructor, which
+        // made it read as "never auto-select" while behaving as "select like anyone else."
+        Path f = dir.resolve("weight-zero.yaml");
+        Files.writeString(f, """
+                bind:
+                  port: 8080
+                profiles:
+                  opus:
+                    baseUrl: http://gx10.gw:8000
+                    weight: 0
+                """);
+
+        BridgedConfig cfg = BridgedConfig.load(f);
+        BridgedConfig.Profile w = cfg.profiles().get("opus");
+        assertEquals(0.0f, w.weight(), 0.0001f, "an explicit weight: 0 must stay 0, not coerce to 1.0");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void negativeWeightNormalisesToZeroNotOne(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        Path f = dir.resolve("weight-negative.yaml");
+        Files.writeString(f, """
+                bind:
+                  port: 8080
+                profiles:
+                  gx10:
+                    baseUrl: http://gx10.gw:8000
+                    weight: -3.0
+                """);
+
+        BridgedConfig cfg = BridgedConfig.load(f);
+        BridgedConfig.Profile w = cfg.profiles().get("gx10");
+        assertEquals(0.0f, w.weight(), 0.0001f, "a negative weight behaves as excluded (0), not as an error and not as 1.0");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void explicitMaxLoadZeroStaysZeroInsteadOfCoercingToUnlimited(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        // CB-585: maxLoad: 0 used to be normalised to null (unlimited) by this same compact
+        // constructor, so an operator writing it to mean "never run anything here" got the exact
+        // opposite. On a subscription: true profile, maxLoad is the only throttle against the
+        // operator's own paid plan.
+        Path f = dir.resolve("maxload-zero.yaml");
+        Files.writeString(f, """
+                bind:
+                  port: 8080
+                profiles:
+                  opus:
+                    baseUrl: http://gx10.gw:8000
+                    maxLoad: 0
+                """);
+
+        BridgedConfig cfg = BridgedConfig.load(f);
+        BridgedConfig.Profile w = cfg.profiles().get("opus");
+        assertEquals(0, w.maxLoad(), "an explicit maxLoad: 0 must stay 0, not coerce to unlimited (null)");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void negativeMaxLoadIsRefusedAtLoadNamingTheProfileAndKey(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        Path f = dir.resolve("maxload-negative.yaml");
+        Files.writeString(f, """
+                bind:
+                  port: 8080
+                profiles:
+                  opus:
+                    baseUrl: http://gx10.gw:8000
+                    maxLoad: -2
+                """);
+
+        IllegalStateException e = assertThrows(IllegalStateException.class, () -> BridgedConfig.load(f));
+        assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("opus"), "error names the profile: " + e.getMessage());
+        assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("maxLoad"), "error names the key: " + e.getMessage());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * CB-606: an unrecognized {@code auth.mode} used to silently fall back to
+     * {@code loopback-trust} — {@link BridgedConfig.Auth#tokenMode()} only checked equality
+     * against {@code "token"}. On a loopback bind {@link BridgedConfig#validateAuthExposure()}
+     * never runs (it only fires for a non-loopback bind), so the typo was completely invisible:
+     * the daemon started cleanly and authenticated nobody while the operator believed token mode
+     * was active.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void unknownAuthModeIsRefusedAtLoadNamingTheValueAndTheAcceptedSet(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        Path f = dir.resolve("auth-mode-typo.yaml");
+        Files.writeString(f, """
+                bind:
+                  host: 127.0.0.1
+                  port: 8765
+                auth:
+                  mode: toekn
+                """);
+
+        IllegalStateException e = assertThrows(IllegalStateException.class, () -> BridgedConfig.load(f));
+        assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("toekn"), "error names the bad value: " + e.getMessage());
+        assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("loopback-trust") && e.getMessage().contains("token"),
+                "error names the accepted set: " + e.getMessage());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * CB-606: an unrecognized per-profile {@code placement:} used to silently fall back to legacy
+     * pane placement — {@link BridgedConfig.Profile#tabPlacement()} only checked equality against
+     * {@code "tab"}.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void unknownProfilePlacementIsRefusedAtLoadNamingTheProfileAndTheAcceptedSet(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        Path f = dir.resolve("placement-typo.yaml");
+        Files.writeString(f, """
+                profiles:
+                  gx10:
+                    baseUrl: http://gx10.gw:8000
+                    placement: tabb
+                """);
+
+        IllegalStateException e = assertThrows(IllegalStateException.class, () -> BridgedConfig.load(f));
+        assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("gx10"), "error names the profile: " + e.getMessage());
+        assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("tabb"), "error names the bad value: " + e.getMessage());
+        assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("tab") && e.getMessage().contains("pane"),
+                "error names the accepted set: " + e.getMessage());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * CB-596: {@code memberCredentials.policy} is validated the same way {@code auth.mode} and
+     * per-profile {@code placement} are (CB-606's pattern) — a typo must not silently behave as the
+     * one real policy, because the day a second policy exists that silent fallback becomes a real
+     * behavior change instead of a happy accident.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void unknownMemberCredentialsPolicyIsRefusedAtLoadNamingTheValueAndTheAcceptedSet(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        Path f = dir.resolve("member-credentials-policy-typo.yaml");
+        Files.writeString(f, """
+                bind:
+                  host: 127.0.0.1
+                  port: 8765
+                memberCredentials:
+                  policy: deny-by-defualt
+                  known:
+                    - GITEA_ACCESS_TOKEN
+                """);
+
+        IllegalStateException e = assertThrows(IllegalStateException.class, () -> BridgedConfig.load(f));
+        assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("deny-by-defualt"), "error names the bad value: " + e.getMessage());
+        assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("deny-by-default"), "error names the accepted set: " + e.getMessage());
+    }
+
+    /** {@code allow}/{@code known} bind and {@link BridgedConfig.MemberCredentials#blockedSet()} is known minus allow. */
+    @Test
+    void memberCredentialsBindsAllowAndKnownAndComputesBlockedSet(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        Path f = dir.resolve("member-credentials.yaml");
+        Files.writeString(f, """
+                bind:
+                  port: 8080
+                memberCredentials:
+                  policy: deny-by-default
+                  allow:
+                    - AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN
+                    - WORKER_GITEA_TOKEN
+                  known:
+                    - AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN
+                    - WORKER_GITEA_TOKEN
+                    - GITEA_ACCESS_TOKEN
+                    - GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN
+                """);
+
+        BridgedConfig.MemberCredentials mc = BridgedConfig.load(f).memberCredentials();
+        assertEquals(BridgedConfig.MemberCredentials.POLICY_DENY_BY_DEFAULT, mc.policy());
+        assertEquals(Set.of("AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN", "WORKER_GITEA_TOKEN"), mc.allowSet());
+        assertEquals(Set.of("GITEA_ACCESS_TOKEN", "GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN"), mc.blockedSet(),
+                "blockedSet is known minus allow");
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * CB-596: omitting {@code memberCredentials:} entirely must NOT crash a reader that assumes a
+     * non-null block (the same "fill in nested defaults" contract every other structural field
+     * gets — see {@link BridgedConfig#withDefaults()}), but it also must not pretend anything is
+     * blocked: an empty {@code known} list blocks nothing, and that is a real gap the operator must
+     * close by configuring this block, not a safe default.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void absentMemberCredentialsDefaultsToAnEmptyNonNullBlock(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        Path f = dir.resolve("member-credentials-absent.yaml");
+        Files.writeString(f, "bind:\n  port: 8080\n");
+
+        BridgedConfig.MemberCredentials mc = BridgedConfig.load(f).memberCredentials();
+        assertNotNull(mc, "withDefaults() must never leave this null");
+        assertTrue(mc.known().isEmpty(), "no known list configured — nothing is blocked");
+        assertTrue(mc.allowSet().isEmpty());
+        assertTrue(mc.blockedSet().isEmpty());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void absentProfilePlacementDefaultsToTab(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        Path f = dir.resolve("placement-absent.yaml");
+        Files.writeString(f, """
+                profiles:
+                  gx10:
+                    baseUrl: http://gx10.gw:8000
+                """);
+
+        BridgedConfig cfg = BridgedConfig.load(f);
+        BridgedConfig.Profile w = cfg.profiles().get("gx10");
+        assertTrue(w.tabPlacement(), "an absent placement must keep defaulting to tab");
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * CB-606: the top-level {@code placement:} policy name WAS validated, but only lazily, by
+     * {@code PlacementPolicies.fromName} through {@code CompositePeerLauncher}'s per-spawn
+     * {@code Supplier} — so a bad name still started a daemon that looked healthy and failed only
+     * the first time something spawned without naming a profile. This must now fail at load.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void unknownTopLevelPlacementPolicyIsRefusedAtLoadNotLazilyAtFirstSpawn(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        Path f = dir.resolve("placement-policy-typo.yaml");
+        Files.writeString(f, """
+                bind:
+                  port: 8080
+                placement: weightd
+                """);
+
+        IllegalStateException e = assertThrows(IllegalStateException.class, () -> BridgedConfig.load(f));
+        assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("weightd"), "error names the bad value: " + e.getMessage());
+        assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("fixed") && e.getMessage().contains("round-robin")
+                        && e.getMessage().contains("weighted"),
+                "error names the accepted set: " + e.getMessage());
+    }
+
     @Test
     void subscriptionFlagBindsAndDefaultsFalse(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
         Path f = dir.resolve("subscription.yaml");

bridged/src/test/java/dev/ltms/bridged/config/ConfigRefTest.java

@@ -338,6 +338,54 @@ class ConfigRefTest {
         assertEquals("deepseek-v4-flash", ref.get().profiles().get("sonnet").model());
     }
 
+    /**
+     * CB-578 stage B: exhaustedPattern is compiled once into Bridged.main's pattern map at startup
+     * (see ExhaustedPatternLookup), so a reload never re-reads it — a changed pattern must be
+     * reported deferred exactly like model/baseUrl, not silently claimed as applied.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void changingAProfilesExhaustedPatternIsReportedAsDeferred(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        Path f = dir.resolve("bridged.yaml");
+        Files.writeString(f, """
+                bind:
+                  host: 127.0.0.1
+                  port: 8765
+                herdrSocket: ~/.config/herdr/herdr.sock
+                profiles:
+                  sonnet:
+                    baseUrl: http://gx00.gw:8000
+                    model: sonnet
+                    exhaustedPattern: "usage limit has been reached"
+                guard:
+                  offSubscriptionHosts:
+                    - gx00.gw
+                """);
+        ConfigRef ref = refFor(f);
+
+        Files.writeString(f, """
+                bind:
+                  host: 127.0.0.1
+                  port: 8765
+                herdrSocket: ~/.config/herdr/herdr.sock
+                profiles:
+                  sonnet:
+                    baseUrl: http://gx00.gw:8000
+                    model: sonnet
+                    exhaustedPattern: "rate limit exceeded"
+                guard:
+                  offSubscriptionHosts:
+                    - gx00.gw
+                """);
+        ConfigRef.Outcome out = ref.reload();
+
+        assertTrue(out.applied());
+        assertEquals(1, out.deferred().size(), out.deferred().toString());
+        assertTrue(out.deferred().getFirst().contains("sonnet"), out.deferred().toString());
+        assertTrue(out.deferred().getFirst().contains("launch settings"), out.deferred().toString());
+        // The snapshot still carries the new value — a restart is what makes it take effect.
+        assertEquals("rate limit exceeded", ref.get().profiles().get("sonnet").exhaustedPattern());
+    }
+
     @Test
     void aFixedRefHasNoFileAndRefusesToReload() {
         BridgedConfig cfg = new BridgedConfig(null, null, null, null, null, null,

bridged/src/test/java/dev/ltms/bridged/herdr/FakeHerdr.java

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.concurrent.CopyOnWriteArrayList;
 
 /**
  * Recording fake {@link HerdrClient} for unit/acceptance tests. Returns canned frames
@@ -22,7 +23,13 @@ public final class FakeHerdr implements HerdrClient {
     public static final long WORKER_PID = 4242;
 
     private final ObjectMapper mapper = new ObjectMapper();
-    public final List<Call> calls = new ArrayList<>();
+    /**
+     * Thread-safe on purpose. Background loops — {@link dev.ltms.bridged.msg.ReplyPushLoop} and the
+     * lead heartbeat — call this fake from their own scheduler threads while a test polls
+     * {@link #called} from the test thread. A plain {@code ArrayList} threw
+     * {@code ConcurrentModificationException} out of {@code called()} when a nudge landed mid-stream.
+     */
+    public final List<Call> calls = new CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();
     private boolean healthy = true;
     private final List<String> extraWorkspaces = new ArrayList<>();
     private final List<String> extraAgents = new ArrayList<>();

bridged/src/test/java/dev/ltms/bridged/inject/CompletionResolverTest.java

@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ class CompletionResolverTest {
     void skipsTheScrapeWhenNoSendIsWaiting() {
         FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
         Rendezvous rendezvous = new Rendezvous(); // no waiter opened
-        CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, ExhaustedPatternLookup.none());
+        CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, ExhaustedPatternLookup.none(), ExhaustionSink.none());
 
         resolver.resolve("term_a", null); // no in-flight turn captured for this target
 
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ class CompletionResolverTest {
     void failSkipsTheScrapeWhenNoSendIsWaiting() {
         FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
         Rendezvous rendezvous = new Rendezvous(); // no waiter opened
-        CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, ExhaustedPatternLookup.none());
+        CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, ExhaustedPatternLookup.none(), ExhaustionSink.none());
 
         resolver.fail("term_a", null); // no in-flight turn, and no registered waiter to fall back to
 
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ class CompletionResolverTest {
     void captureBaselineSkipsTheReadWhenNoSendIsWaiting() {
         FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr().readText("⏺ X\n❯ ");
         Rendezvous rendezvous = new Rendezvous(); // no waiter opened
-        CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, ExhaustedPatternLookup.none());
+        CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, ExhaustedPatternLookup.none(), ExhaustionSink.none());
 
         resolver.captureBaseline("term_a", TestTurnTokens.inert("term_a")); // no send to attribute a later completion to
 
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ class CompletionResolverTest {
         // send must NOT be resolved with the stale answer.
         FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr().readText("⏺ 391\n❯ ");
         Rendezvous rendezvous = new Rendezvous();
-        CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, ExhaustedPatternLookup.none());
+        CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, ExhaustedPatternLookup.none(), ExhaustionSink.none());
 
         var waiter = rendezvous.open("term_a");   // a send is blocked on this turn
         // The turn as captured at delivery: its waiter, and the previous turn's answer still on screen.
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ class CompletionResolverTest {
     void resolvesACompletionWhoseScrapeChangedSinceDelivery() {
         FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr().readText("⏺ No, 391 = 17 × 23.\n❯ "); // the worker's real answer
         Rendezvous rendezvous = new Rendezvous();
-        CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, ExhaustedPatternLookup.none());
+        CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, ExhaustedPatternLookup.none(), ExhaustionSink.none());
 
         var waiter = rendezvous.open("term_a");
         // Delivery baseline was the previous turn's "391"; the scrape now differs → resolve.
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ class CompletionResolverTest {
         String block = "⏺ " + "x".repeat(CompletionResolver.MAX_SCRAPE_CHARS + 1) + "\n❯ ";
         FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr().readText(block);
         Rendezvous rendezvous = new Rendezvous();
-        CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, ExhaustedPatternLookup.none());
+        CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, ExhaustedPatternLookup.none(), ExhaustionSink.none());
 
         var waiter = rendezvous.open("term_a");
         resolver.resolve("term_a", new CompletionResolver.InFlight(waiter, null));
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ class CompletionResolverTest {
     void leavesAnUnclippedCompletionPaneTailUnmarked() {
         FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr().readText("⏺ complete report\n❯ ");
         Rendezvous rendezvous = new Rendezvous();
-        CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, ExhaustedPatternLookup.none());
+        CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, ExhaustedPatternLookup.none(), ExhaustionSink.none());
 
         var waiter = rendezvous.open("term_a");
         resolver.resolve("term_a", new CompletionResolver.InFlight(waiter, null));
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ class CompletionResolverTest {
     void resolvesSynchronouslyBeforePostTurnContextClearing() {
         FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr().readText("⏺ previous answer\n❯ ");
         Rendezvous rendezvous = new Rendezvous();
-        CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, ExhaustedPatternLookup.none());
+        CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, ExhaustedPatternLookup.none(), ExhaustionSink.none());
         var waiter = rendezvous.open("term_a");
         resolver.captureBaseline("term_a", new TurnToken("term_a", waiter));
         herdr.readText("⏺ answer that /clear would erase\n❯ ");
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ class CompletionResolverTest {
         String longBlock = "⏺ " + "x".repeat(CompletionResolver.MAX_SCRAPE_CHARS + 500) + "\n❯ ";
         FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr().readText(longBlock);
         Rendezvous rendezvous = new Rendezvous();
-        CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, ExhaustedPatternLookup.none());
+        CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, ExhaustedPatternLookup.none(), ExhaustionSink.none());
 
         var waiter = rendezvous.open("term_a");        // a send is blocked on this turn
         resolver.captureBaseline("term_a", new TurnToken("term_a", waiter)); // baseline is the clipped >cap block
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ class CompletionResolverTest {
         // No delivery baseline (e.g. the pre-turn read failed) ⇒ never suppress; the completion resolves.
         FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr().readText("⏺ hello\n❯ ");
         Rendezvous rendezvous = new Rendezvous();
-        CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, ExhaustedPatternLookup.none());
+        CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, ExhaustedPatternLookup.none(), ExhaustionSink.none());
 
         var waiter = rendezvous.open("term_a");
         resolver.resolve("term_a", new CompletionResolver.InFlight(waiter, null));
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ class CompletionResolverTest {
         // byte-identical guard would wrongly match the empty tail and suppress.
         FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr().healthy(false); // agent.read throws HerdrException
         Rendezvous rendezvous = new Rendezvous();
-        CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, ExhaustedPatternLookup.none());
+        CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, ExhaustedPatternLookup.none(), ExhaustionSink.none());
 
         var waiter = rendezvous.open("term_a");
         var turn = new CompletionResolver.InFlight(waiter, ""); // empty pane baselined at delivery
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ class CompletionResolverTest {
         // fail must not overwrite that value, and must not even scrape the worker — nobody needs it.
         FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr().readText("an error screen");
         Rendezvous rendezvous = new Rendezvous();
-        CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, ExhaustedPatternLookup.none());
+        CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, ExhaustedPatternLookup.none(), ExhaustionSink.none());
 
         var waiter = rendezvous.open("term_a");
         var turn = new CompletionResolver.InFlight(waiter, null);
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ class CompletionResolverTest {
         // fail falls back to the waiter currently registered on the Rendezvous and fails it.
         FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr().readText("stuck on an error screen");
         Rendezvous rendezvous = new Rendezvous();
-        CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, ExhaustedPatternLookup.none());
+        CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, ExhaustedPatternLookup.none(), ExhaustionSink.none());
 
         var waiter = rendezvous.open("term_a"); // send registered, but no captureBaseline ever ran
         resolver.fail("term_a", null);          // no in-flight turn → fall back to the registered waiter
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ class CompletionResolverTest {
         try {
             FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr().readText("stuck on an error screen");
             Rendezvous rendezvous = new Rendezvous();
-            CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, ExhaustedPatternLookup.none());
+            CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, ExhaustedPatternLookup.none(), ExhaustionSink.none());
             var waiter = rendezvous.open("term_a");
 
             resolver.fail("term_a", null);
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ class CompletionResolverTest {
         // scrape to turn N+1; targeting turn N's captured waiter makes the late completion a no-op.
         FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr().readText("⏺ turn N answer\n❯ ");
         Rendezvous rendezvous = new Rendezvous();
-        CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, ExhaustedPatternLookup.none());
+        CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, ExhaustedPatternLookup.none(), ExhaustionSink.none());
 
         var waiterN = rendezvous.open("term_a"); // turn N's send
         // The turn as the injector captured it at delivery (waiter + pre-turn baseline).
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ class CompletionResolverTest {
         FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr().readText(block);
         Rendezvous rendezvous = new Rendezvous();
         ExhaustedPatternLookup patterns = target -> Pattern.compile("usage limit has been reached");
-        CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, patterns);
+        CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, patterns, ExhaustionSink.none());
 
         var waiter = rendezvous.open("term_a");
         resolver.resolve("term_a", new CompletionResolver.InFlight(waiter, null));
@@ -398,7 +398,7 @@ class CompletionResolverTest {
         FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr().readText(block);
         Rendezvous rendezvous = new Rendezvous();
         ExhaustedPatternLookup patterns = target -> Pattern.compile("usage limit has been reached");
-        CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, patterns);
+        CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, patterns, ExhaustionSink.none());
 
         var waiter = rendezvous.open("term_a");
         resolver.resolve("term_a", new CompletionResolver.InFlight(waiter, null));
@@ -407,12 +407,53 @@ class CompletionResolverTest {
                 waiter.getNow(null).text(), "the reason names the real cause and carries the matched line");
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void aWinningBackendExhaustedClassificationNotifiesTheExhaustionSink() {
+        String block = "⏺ Working on it...\nThe usage limit has been reached. Try again later.\n❯ ";
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr().readText(block);
+        Rendezvous rendezvous = new Rendezvous();
+        ExhaustedPatternLookup patterns = target -> Pattern.compile("usage limit has been reached");
+        java.util.List<String> notified = new java.util.ArrayList<>();
+        ExhaustionSink sink = (target, reason) -> notified.add(target + ": " + reason);
+        CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, patterns, sink);
+
+        var waiter = rendezvous.open("term_a");
+        resolver.resolve("term_a", new CompletionResolver.InFlight(waiter, null));
+
+        assertEquals(1, notified.size(), "the sink is notified exactly once for the winning classification");
+        assertTrue(notified.get(0).startsWith("term_a: "), "the sink is told which target exhausted");
+        assertTrue(notified.get(0).contains("The usage limit has been reached"),
+                "the sink is told the matched reason: " + notified.get(0));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void aLosingBackendExhaustedClassificationNeverNotifiesTheExhaustionSink() {
+        // The waiter was already resolved (e.g. by the worker's own reply) before this scrape landed —
+        // resolveExhausted loses the race and must return false, so the sink must not fire either.
+        String block = "⏺ Working on it...\nThe usage limit has been reached. Try again later.\n❯ ";
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr().readText(block);
+        Rendezvous rendezvous = new Rendezvous();
+        ExhaustedPatternLookup patterns = target -> Pattern.compile("usage limit has been reached");
+        java.util.List<String> notified = new java.util.ArrayList<>();
+        ExhaustionSink sink = (target, reason) -> notified.add(target + ": " + reason);
+        CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, patterns, sink);
+
+        var waiter = rendezvous.open("term_a");
+        var turn = new CompletionResolver.InFlight(waiter, null);
+        assertTrue(rendezvous.resolveCompletion(waiter, "already replied"));
+
+        resolver.resolve("term_a", turn);
+
+        assertTrue(notified.isEmpty(), "a classification that loses the race must not quarantine anything");
+        assertEquals("already replied", waiter.getNow(null).text(), "the earlier resolution stands untouched");
+    }
+
     @Test
     void aNonMatchingScrapeResolvesAsAnOrdinaryCompletion() {
         FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr().readText("⏺ complete report\n❯ ");
         Rendezvous rendezvous = new Rendezvous();
         ExhaustedPatternLookup patterns = target -> Pattern.compile("usage limit has been reached");
-        CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, patterns);
+        CompletionResolver resolver = new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, patterns, ExhaustionSink.none());
 
         var waiter = rendezvous.open("term_a");
         resolver.resolve("term_a", new CompletionResolver.InFlight(waiter, null));
@@ -430,7 +471,7 @@ class CompletionResolverTest {
         FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr().readText(block);
         Rendezvous rendezvous = new Rendezvous();
         CompletionResolver resolver =
-                new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, ExhaustedPatternLookup.none());
+                new CompletionResolver(new AgentControl(herdr), rendezvous, ExhaustedPatternLookup.none(), ExhaustionSink.none());
 
         var waiter = rendezvous.open("term_a");
         resolver.resolve("term_a", new CompletionResolver.InFlight(waiter, null));

bridged/src/test/java/dev/ltms/bridged/mcp/BridgeMcpAuthzTest.java

@@ -72,7 +72,8 @@ class BridgeMcpAuthzTest {
                 new PrimaryRegistry(null),
                 enforce ? CallerResolver.withLeadsAndMembers(identity, false, null,
                 Map::of, new MemberRegistry(null)) : null,
-                metrics, BridgeMcp.CapacitySource.none(), new BridgeMcp.HealthCoverageSource(() -> "off"));
+                metrics, BridgeMcp.CapacitySource.none(), new BridgeMcp.HealthCoverageSource(() -> "off"),
+                BridgeMcp.QuarantineSource.none());
         return mcp;
     }
 

bridged/src/test/java/dev/ltms/bridged/mcp/BridgeMcpTest.java

@@ -16,11 +16,15 @@ import dev.ltms.bridged.inject.MemberPresence;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.session.MemberSession;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.session.WorktreeRequest;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.member.ClaudeCodeLauncher;
+import dev.ltms.bridged.member.CompositePeerLauncher;
+import dev.ltms.bridged.placement.BackendQuarantine;
+import dev.ltms.bridged.placement.PlacementPolicies;
 import io.modelcontextprotocol.spec.McpSchema;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.msg.InMemoryReplyInbox;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 
+import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture;
@@ -422,11 +426,41 @@ class BridgeMcpTest {
         assertTrue(textOf(res).contains("unknown worker profile"), textOf(res));
     }
 
+    /**
+     * CB-599: a profile at its {@code maxLoad} cap must surface a readable reason on the MCP
+     * surface too, not merely flip {@code isError} with an opaque or absent message.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void spawnAtMaxLoadSurfacesTheCapacityReason() {
+        FakeHerdr h = new FakeHerdr();
+        BridgedConfig.Profile wcfg = new BridgedConfig.Profile(
+                "ltms-local", "http://gx00.gw:8000", "coder", null, "BRIDGED_WORKER_TOKEN", null,
+                "tab", "bridged-workers", "worker: {profile} #{n}", null,
+                null, null, null, null, null, null, null, 0, null, null, null);
+        Map<String, BridgedConfig.Profile> profiles = Map.of(wcfg.profile(), wcfg);
+        ClaudeCodeLauncher delegate = new ClaudeCodeLauncher(
+                new AgentControl(h), new WorkspaceControl(h), new SubscriptionGuard(Set.of("gx00.gw")),
+                profiles, wcfg.profile(), k -> "BRIDGED_WORKER_TOKEN".equals(k) ? "tok" : null);
+        CompositePeerLauncher composite = new CompositePeerLauncher(
+                List.of(delegate), wcfg.profile(), profiles, PlacementPolicies.fixed(), _ -> 0);
+        SessionManager sm = new SessionManager(composite);
+
+        McpSchema.CallToolResult res = BridgeMcp.spawn(sm, "ltms-local");
+
+        assertTrue(res.isError());
+        String text = textOf(res);
+        assertTrue(text.contains("no capacity"), "surfaces a capacity reason, not a bare error: " + text);
+        assertTrue(text.contains("ltms-local"), "names the profile: " + text);
+        assertTrue(text.contains("maxLoad"), "explains the refusal: " + text);
+        assertFalse(h.called("agent.start"), "at cap, the spawn is refused before any herdr call");
+    }
+
     @Test
     void spawnPassesTheRequestedCwdToTheWorker() {
         FakeHerdr h = new FakeHerdr();
         McpSchema.CallToolResult res = BridgeMcp.spawn(
-                sessionManager(h, "http://gx00.gw:8000", Set.of("gx00.gw")), null, null, "/req/dir", null, null, null);
+                sessionManager(h, "http://gx00.gw:8000", Set.of("gx00.gw")), null, null, "/req/dir", null, null, null,
+                null, null);
         assertNotEquals(Boolean.TRUE, res.isError());
         // Protocol 19: the requested cwd roots the worker's pane at creation (tab.create).
         @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
@@ -437,11 +471,29 @@ class BridgeMcpTest {
     @Test
     void profilesListsConfiguredProfilesAndDefault() {
         FakeHerdr h = new FakeHerdr();
-        McpSchema.CallToolResult res = BridgeMcp.profiles(workerService(h, "http://gx00.gw:8000", Set.of("gx00.gw")));
+        McpSchema.CallToolResult res = BridgeMcp.profiles(
+                workerService(h, "http://gx00.gw:8000", Set.of("gx00.gw")), BridgeMcp.QuarantineSource.none());
         assertNotEquals(Boolean.TRUE, res.isError());
         String out = textOf(res);
         assertTrue(out.contains("ltms-local"), out);
         assertTrue(out.contains("\"default\":\"ltms-local\""), out);
+        assertFalse(out.contains("quarantined"), "no profile is quarantined, so the key is omitted: " + out);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void profilesReportsAQuarantinedCredential() {
+        FakeHerdr h = new FakeHerdr();
+        BackendQuarantine quarantine = new BackendQuarantine(() -> 0L, TimeUnit.MINUTES.toNanos(30));
+        quarantine.quarantine("shared-openai");
+        BridgeMcp.QuarantineSource source = new BridgeMcp.QuarantineSource(
+                profile -> "ltms-local".equals(profile) ? "shared-openai" : null, quarantine);
+        McpSchema.CallToolResult res = BridgeMcp.profiles(
+                workerService(h, "http://gx00.gw:8000", Set.of("gx00.gw")), source);
+        assertNotEquals(Boolean.TRUE, res.isError());
+        String out = textOf(res);
+        assertTrue(out.contains("\"quarantined\""), out);
+        assertTrue(out.contains("shared-openai"), out);
+        assertTrue(out.contains("\"quarantinedForSeconds\":1800"), out);
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -474,11 +526,14 @@ class BridgeMcpTest {
         sessions.acquire("ltms-local", null, null, null);
         McpSchema.CallToolResult res = BridgeMcp.listFleet(workerService(h, "http://gx00.gw:8000", Set.of("gx00.gw")),
                 sessions, null, new BridgeMcp.CapacitySource(profile -> 2, profile -> 2,
-                () -> Set.of("ltms-local"), () -> 0), new BridgeMcp.HealthCoverageSource(() -> "off"), Map.of(), "");
+                () -> Set.of("ltms-local"), () -> 0), new BridgeMcp.HealthCoverageSource(() -> "off"),
+                BridgeMcp.QuarantineSource.none(), Map.of(), "");
         String out = textOf(res);
         assertTrue(out.contains("\"maxLoad\":2"), out);
         assertTrue(out.contains("\"live\":2"), out);
         assertTrue(out.contains("\"free\":0"), out);
+        assertFalse(out.contains("credentialId"), "nothing is quarantined, so no new key appears: " + out);
+        assertFalse(out.contains("quarantinedForSeconds"), out);
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -487,7 +542,8 @@ class BridgeMcpTest {
         SessionManager sessions = new SessionManager(workerService(h, "http://gx00.gw:8000", Set.of("gx00.gw")));
         String out = textOf(BridgeMcp.listFleet(workerService(h, "http://gx00.gw:8000", Set.of("gx00.gw")),
                 sessions, null, new BridgeMcp.CapacitySource(profile -> 0, profile -> 2,
-                () -> Set.of("terra"), () -> 0), new BridgeMcp.HealthCoverageSource(() -> "off"), Map.of(), ""));
+                () -> Set.of("terra"), () -> 0), new BridgeMcp.HealthCoverageSource(() -> "off"),
+                BridgeMcp.QuarantineSource.none(), Map.of(), ""));
         assertTrue(out.contains("\"profile\":\"terra\""), out);
         assertTrue(out.contains("\"live\":0"), out);
         assertTrue(out.contains("\"free\":2"), out);
@@ -499,10 +555,90 @@ class BridgeMcpTest {
         FakeHerdr h = new FakeHerdr();
         String out = textOf(BridgeMcp.listFleet(workerService(h, "http://gx00.gw:8000", Set.of("gx00.gw")),
                 new SessionManager(workerService(h, "http://gx00.gw:8000", Set.of("gx00.gw"))), null,
-                BridgeMcp.CapacitySource.none(), new BridgeMcp.HealthCoverageSource(() -> "off"), Map.of(), ""));
+                BridgeMcp.CapacitySource.none(), new BridgeMcp.HealthCoverageSource(() -> "off"),
+                BridgeMcp.QuarantineSource.none(), Map.of(), ""));
         assertFalse(out.contains("\"capacity\":"), out);
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void quarantinedProfileReportsZeroFreeRegardlessOfMaxLoadAndLive() {
+        FakeHerdr h = new FakeHerdr();
+        SessionManager sessions = new SessionManager(workerService(h, "http://gx00.gw:8000", Set.of("gx00.gw")));
+        BackendQuarantine quarantine = new BackendQuarantine(() -> 0L, TimeUnit.MINUTES.toNanos(20));
+        quarantine.quarantine("shared-openai");
+        BridgeMcp.QuarantineSource source = new BridgeMcp.QuarantineSource(
+                profile -> "terra".equals(profile) ? "shared-openai" : null, quarantine);
+
+        String out = textOf(BridgeMcp.listFleet(workerService(h, "http://gx00.gw:8000", Set.of("gx00.gw")),
+                sessions, null, new BridgeMcp.CapacitySource(profile -> 0, profile -> 2,
+                () -> Set.of("terra"), () -> 0), new BridgeMcp.HealthCoverageSource(() -> "off"),
+                source, Map.of(), ""));
+
+        assertTrue(out.contains("\"profile\":\"terra\""), out);
+        assertTrue(out.contains("\"maxLoad\":2"), out);
+        assertTrue(out.contains("\"live\":0"), out);
+        assertTrue(out.contains("\"free\":0"), out);
+        assertTrue(out.contains("\"credentialId\":\"shared-openai\""), out);
+        assertTrue(out.contains("\"quarantinedForSeconds\":1200"), out);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void everyProfileSharingTheQuarantinedCredentialReportsZeroFree() {
+        FakeHerdr h = new FakeHerdr();
+        SessionManager sessions = new SessionManager(workerService(h, "http://gx00.gw:8000", Set.of("gx00.gw")));
+        BackendQuarantine quarantine = new BackendQuarantine(() -> 0L, TimeUnit.MINUTES.toNanos(20));
+        quarantine.quarantine("shared-openai");
+        BridgeMcp.QuarantineSource source = new BridgeMcp.QuarantineSource(_ -> "shared-openai", quarantine);
+
+        String out = textOf(BridgeMcp.listFleet(workerService(h, "http://gx00.gw:8000", Set.of("gx00.gw")),
+                sessions, null, new BridgeMcp.CapacitySource(profile -> 0, profile -> 2,
+                () -> Set.of("terra", "sol"), () -> 0), new BridgeMcp.HealthCoverageSource(() -> "off"),
+                source, Map.of(), ""));
+
+        assertEquals(2, out.split("\"free\":0", -1).length - 1, out);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void listAndProfilesAgreeOnWhatIsQuarantined() {
+        FakeHerdr h = new FakeHerdr();
+        SessionManager sessions = new SessionManager(workerService(h, "http://gx00.gw:8000", Set.of("gx00.gw")));
+        BackendQuarantine quarantine = new BackendQuarantine(() -> 0L, TimeUnit.MINUTES.toNanos(20));
+        quarantine.quarantine("shared-openai");
+        BridgeMcp.QuarantineSource source = new BridgeMcp.QuarantineSource(
+                profile -> "ltms-local".equals(profile) ? "shared-openai" : null, quarantine);
+        var workers = workerService(h, "http://gx00.gw:8000", Set.of("gx00.gw"));
+
+        String listOut = textOf(BridgeMcp.listFleet(workers, sessions, null,
+                new BridgeMcp.CapacitySource(profile -> 0, profile -> 2, () -> Set.of("ltms-local"), () -> 0),
+                new BridgeMcp.HealthCoverageSource(() -> "off"), source, Map.of(), ""));
+        String profilesOut = textOf(BridgeMcp.profiles(workers, source));
+
+        assertTrue(listOut.contains("\"free\":0"), listOut);
+        assertTrue(listOut.contains("\"credentialId\":\"shared-openai\""), listOut);
+        assertTrue(profilesOut.contains("\"quarantined\""), profilesOut);
+        assertTrue(profilesOut.contains("shared-openai"), profilesOut);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void expiredQuarantineLeavesTheCapacityRowOrdinary() {
+        FakeHerdr h = new FakeHerdr();
+        SessionManager sessions = new SessionManager(workerService(h, "http://gx00.gw:8000", Set.of("gx00.gw")));
+        long[] clockNanos = {0L};
+        BackendQuarantine quarantine = new BackendQuarantine(() -> clockNanos[0], TimeUnit.MINUTES.toNanos(20));
+        quarantine.quarantine("shared-openai");
+        clockNanos[0] = TimeUnit.MINUTES.toNanos(21); // clock advances past the cooldown
+        BridgeMcp.QuarantineSource source = new BridgeMcp.QuarantineSource(
+                profile -> "terra".equals(profile) ? "shared-openai" : null, quarantine);
+
+        String out = textOf(BridgeMcp.listFleet(workerService(h, "http://gx00.gw:8000", Set.of("gx00.gw")),
+                sessions, null, new BridgeMcp.CapacitySource(profile -> 0, profile -> 2,
+                () -> Set.of("terra"), () -> 0), new BridgeMcp.HealthCoverageSource(() -> "off"),
+                source, Map.of(), ""));
+
+        assertTrue(out.contains("\"free\":2"), out);
+        assertFalse(out.contains("quarantinedForSeconds"), out);
+    }
+
     @Test
     void listReportsLeadsAndFlagsTheCallersOwnRow() {
         FakeHerdr h = new FakeHerdr();
@@ -637,6 +773,52 @@ class BridgeMcpTest {
         assertEquals("blocked", textOf(res));
     }
 
+    /**
+     * CB-582: a lead polling {@code bridge_status} on its normal cadence — not {@code bridge_poll}
+     * — must also see a worker's open async {@code bridge_ask} question, since the reverse-rendezvous
+     * window it opened with is far shorter than that cadence.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void statusReportsAnOpenQuestionWhenTheWorkerIsMidAsk() throws Exception {
+        String ticket = messages.sendAsync(T, "task that asks");
+        long deadline = System.currentTimeMillis() + 3000;
+        while (!rendezvous.isWaiting(T) && System.currentTimeMillis() < deadline) {
+            Thread.sleep(5);
+        }
+        assertTrue(rendezvous.isWaiting(T), "sendAsync should have opened its rendezvous waiter");
+
+        CompletableFuture<MessageService.AskResult> ask =
+                CompletableFuture.supplyAsync(() -> messages.ask(T, "which config file?", 5000));
+
+        MessageService.TaskView asking;
+        deadline = System.currentTimeMillis() + 3000;
+        do {
+            asking = messages.poll(ticket);
+            Thread.sleep(5);
+        } while (asking.phase() != MessageService.Phase.ASKING && System.currentTimeMillis() < deadline);
+        assertEquals(MessageService.Phase.ASKING, asking.phase());
+
+        McpSchema.CallToolResult res = BridgeMcp.status(messages, T);
+        assertNotEquals(Boolean.TRUE, res.isError());
+        String out = textOf(res);
+        assertTrue(out.startsWith("idle"), "the live status must still lead the text: " + out);
+        assertTrue(out.contains("which config file?"), "the question text must be shown: " + out);
+        assertTrue(out.contains("turnId=\"" + asking.turnId() + "\""), "the turnId must be shown: " + out);
+        assertTrue(out.contains("(ticket " + ticket + ")"), "the ticket must be shown: " + out);
+
+        // Clean up the still-open ask so the background thread does not linger past the test.
+        String turnId = asking.turnId();
+        CompletableFuture<MessageService.Reply> answer = CompletableFuture.supplyAsync(
+                () -> messages.answer(turnId, "config.yaml", 5000));
+        assertEquals("config.yaml", ask.get(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS).answer());
+        deadline = System.currentTimeMillis() + 3000;
+        while (!rendezvous.isWaiting(T) && System.currentTimeMillis() < deadline) {
+            Thread.sleep(5);
+        }
+        assertTrue(rendezvous.resolve(T, "done"));
+        answer.get(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+    }
+
     // --- bridge_whoami: the caller's own identity, so an agent never has to guess its role -------
 
     @Test
@@ -783,7 +965,8 @@ class BridgeMcpTest {
     void spawnDefaultsTheRoleToDev() {
         FakeHerdr h = new FakeHerdr();
         McpSchema.CallToolResult res = BridgeMcp.spawn(
-                sessionManager(h, "http://gx00.gw:8000", Set.of("gx00.gw")), null, null, null, null, null, null);
+                sessionManager(h, "http://gx00.gw:8000", Set.of("gx00.gw")), null, null, null, null, null, null,
+                null, null);
 
         assertNotEquals(Boolean.TRUE, res.isError());
         assertTrue(textOf(res).contains("\"role\":\"dev\""), textOf(res));
@@ -794,7 +977,7 @@ class BridgeMcpTest {
         FakeHerdr h = new FakeHerdr();
         McpSchema.CallToolResult res = BridgeMcp.spawn(
                 sessionManager(h, "http://gx00.gw:8000", Set.of("gx00.gw")), null, "architect",
-                null, null, null, null);
+                null, null, null, null, null, null);
 
         assertNotEquals(Boolean.TRUE, res.isError());
         assertTrue(textOf(res).contains("\"role\":\"architect\""), textOf(res));
@@ -805,9 +988,36 @@ class BridgeMcpTest {
         FakeHerdr h = new FakeHerdr();
         McpSchema.CallToolResult res = BridgeMcp.spawn(
                 sessionManager(h, "http://gx00.gw:8000", Set.of("gx00.gw")), null, "worker",
-                null, null, null, null);
+                null, null, null, null, null, null);
 
         assertEquals(Boolean.TRUE, res.isError());
         assertTrue(textOf(res).contains("architect, dev, reviewer"), textOf(res));
     }
+
+    // ── CB-584: bridge_spawn accepts sessionName/resumeSessionId; roster shows agentSessionId ──
+
+    @Test
+    void spawnWithResumeSessionIdPutsTheIdOnTheRoster() {
+        FakeHerdr h = new FakeHerdr();
+        SessionManager sessions = sessionManager(h, "http://gx00.gw:8000", Set.of("gx00.gw"));
+
+        McpSchema.CallToolResult res = BridgeMcp.spawn(sessions, "ltms-local", null, null, null, null, null,
+                null, "cb-resume-99");
+        assertNotEquals(Boolean.TRUE, res.isError(), textOf(res));
+
+        String listOut = textOf(BridgeMcp.listFleet(
+                workerService(h, "http://gx00.gw:8000", Set.of("gx00.gw")), sessions, Map.of(), ""));
+        assertTrue(listOut.contains("\"agentSessionId\":\"cb-resume-99\""), listOut);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void spawnRefusesResumeSessionIdWithoutAnExplicitProfile() {
+        FakeHerdr h = new FakeHerdr();
+        McpSchema.CallToolResult res = BridgeMcp.spawn(
+                sessionManager(h, "http://gx00.gw:8000", Set.of("gx00.gw")), null, null,
+                null, null, null, null, null, "cb-resume-99");
+
+        assertEquals(Boolean.TRUE, res.isError());
+        assertTrue(textOf(res).contains("explicit profile"), textOf(res));
+    }
 }

bridged/src/test/java/dev/ltms/bridged/member/ClaudeCodeLauncherTest.java

@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 package dev.ltms.bridged.member;
 
+import ch.qos.logback.classic.Logger;
+import ch.qos.logback.classic.spi.ILoggingEvent;
+import ch.qos.logback.core.read.ListAppender;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.config.BridgedConfig;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.guard.GuardException;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.guard.SubscriptionGuard;
@@ -12,7 +15,11 @@ import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.PeerHandle;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.PeerUnreachableException;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.SpawnRequest;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.io.TempDir;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
+import java.nio.file.Files;
+import java.nio.file.Path;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Set;
@@ -102,10 +109,24 @@ class ClaudeCodeLauncherTest {
                 "the operator's own args are preserved, in order, ahead of the model flag");
     }
 
+    // --- CB-617/CB-618: both charters travel in ONE file; the reply charter alone stays inline ---
+
+    /**
+     * CB-617: herdr refuses to shell-encode a multi-line inline argv argument
+     * ({@code invalid_agent_argument}) — the exact failure this reproduced on profile {@code opus}.
+     * The role charter is operator-authored and often multi-line, so it must never appear as an argv
+     * element.
+     *
+     * <p>CB-618: and Claude Code itself refuses to start when both {@code --append-system-prompt} and
+     * {@code --append-system-prompt-file} are given ("Cannot use both ... Please use only one"), so
+     * the reply charter cannot ride inline alongside a role charter either. Both go in the one file,
+     * reply charter last. This drives the real launcher entry point ({@code spawn}), the same path a
+     * live spawn takes — not the argv builder in isolation.
+     */
     @Test
-    void appendsTheBaseComposedRoleAndReplyCharter() {
+    void bothChartersTravelInOneFileAndNeverOnBothFlags() {
         FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
-        String roleCharter = "You review changes.";
+        String roleCharter = "You review changes.\nLine two.\nLine three.";
         BridgedConfig.Profile cfg = new BridgedConfig.Profile(
                 "sonnet", "http://gx00.gw:8000", null, null, "BRIDGED_WORKER_TOKEN",
                 List.of("claude"), "tab", "bridged-workers", "w #{n}",
@@ -117,11 +138,20 @@ class ClaudeCodeLauncherTest {
         svc.spawn(new SpawnRequest("sonnet", null, null, null, null, MemberRole.REVIEWER));
 
         List<String> args = spawnedArgs(herdr);
-        int flag = args.indexOf("--append-system-prompt");
-        assertEquals(1, args.stream().filter("--append-system-prompt"::equals).count(),
-                "the composed charter is passed once");
-        assertEquals(roleCharter + "\n\n" + HerdrPeerLauncher.REPLY_CHARTER, args.get(flag + 1),
-                "the role charter comes first and the reply rule comes last");
+        assertTrue(args.stream().noneMatch(a -> a.contains("\n")),
+                "no argv element may be multi-line — herdr cannot shell-encode one: " + args);
+
+        int fileFlag = args.indexOf("--append-system-prompt-file");
+        assertTrue(fileFlag >= 0, "the role charter is mounted via --append-system-prompt-file: " + args);
+        assertFalse(args.contains("--append-system-prompt"),
+                "CB-618: Claude Code refuses to start with both flags — the reply charter must not "
+                        + "ride inline beside a role charter: " + args);
+        assertDoesNotThrow(() -> {
+            String written = Files.readString(Path.of(args.get(fileFlag + 1)));
+            assertTrue(written.startsWith(roleCharter), "the file opens with the role charter: " + written);
+            assertTrue(written.endsWith(HerdrPeerLauncher.REPLY_CHARTER),
+                    "the reply charter is last — it is the rule that must survive: " + written);
+        }, "the --append-system-prompt-file path must be a readable file");
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -131,11 +161,13 @@ class ClaudeCodeLauncherTest {
 
         svc.spawn(new SpawnRequest("sonnet", null, null, null, null, MemberRole.DEV));
 
-        assertFalse(spawnedArgs(herdr).contains("--append-system-prompt"));
+        List<String> args = spawnedArgs(herdr);
+        assertFalse(args.contains("--append-system-prompt"));
+        assertFalse(args.contains("--append-system-prompt-file"));
     }
 
     @Test
-    void profileWithoutMcpStillGetsItsRoleCharter() {
+    void profileWithoutMcpStillGetsItsRoleCharterAsAFileNotInline() {
         FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
         String roleCharter = "You design changes.";
         ClaudeCodeLauncher svc = labelService(herdr, () -> fleet(Map.of("architect", roleCharter), null));
@@ -143,12 +175,52 @@ class ClaudeCodeLauncherTest {
         svc.spawn(new SpawnRequest("sonnet", null, null, null, null, MemberRole.ARCHITECT));
 
         List<String> args = spawnedArgs(herdr);
-        int flag = args.indexOf("--append-system-prompt");
+        int flag = args.indexOf("--append-system-prompt-file");
         assertTrue(flag >= 0, "a role charter does not need an MCP mount");
-        assertEquals(roleCharter, args.get(flag + 1));
+        assertDoesNotThrow(() -> assertEquals(roleCharter,
+                        Files.readString(Path.of(args.get(flag + 1)))),
+                "the file holds the role charter");
+        assertFalse(args.contains("--append-system-prompt"), "no reply charter without an MCP mount");
         assertFalse(args.contains("--mcp-config"));
     }
 
+    // --- CB-617: --agent <role> when the role has an agent-definition file --------------------
+
+    @Test
+    void agentFlagIsPassedWhenTheRoleAgentDefinitionFileExists(@TempDir Path cwd) throws Exception {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        Path agentsDir = Files.createDirectories(cwd.resolve(".claude/agents"));
+        Files.writeString(agentsDir.resolve("reviewer.md"), "---\nname: reviewer\n---\nBe a reviewer.");
+        BridgedConfig.Profile cfg = new BridgedConfig.Profile(
+                "sonnet", "http://gx00.gw:8000", null, null, "BRIDGED_WORKER_TOKEN",
+                List.of("claude"), "tab", "bridged-workers", "w #{n}", null, null, null);
+        ClaudeCodeLauncher svc = new ClaudeCodeLauncher(new AgentControl(herdr), new WorkspaceControl(herdr),
+                new SubscriptionGuard(Set.of("gx00.gw")), Map.of(cfg.profile(), cfg), cfg.profile(), _ -> null);
+
+        svc.spawn(new SpawnRequest("sonnet", cwd.toString(), null, null, null, MemberRole.REVIEWER));
+
+        List<String> args = spawnedArgs(herdr);
+        int flag = args.indexOf("--agent");
+        assertTrue(flag >= 0, "--agent is passed when the role's agent file exists: " + args);
+        assertEquals("reviewer", args.get(flag + 1));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void noAgentFlagWhenTheRoleAgentDefinitionFileIsAbsent(@TempDir Path cwd) {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        BridgedConfig.Profile cfg = new BridgedConfig.Profile(
+                "sonnet", "http://gx00.gw:8000", null, null, "BRIDGED_WORKER_TOKEN",
+                List.of("claude"), "tab", "bridged-workers", "w #{n}", null, null, null);
+        ClaudeCodeLauncher svc = new ClaudeCodeLauncher(new AgentControl(herdr), new WorkspaceControl(herdr),
+                new SubscriptionGuard(Set.of("gx00.gw")), Map.of(cfg.profile(), cfg), cfg.profile(), _ -> null);
+
+        PeerHandle handle = svc.spawn(new SpawnRequest("sonnet", cwd.toString(), null, null, null, MemberRole.REVIEWER));
+
+        assertNotNull(handle, "the member still spawns with no agent-definition file");
+        assertFalse(spawnedArgs(herdr).contains("--agent"),
+                "no --agent flag when the role has no agent-definition file");
+    }
+
     private ClaudeCodeLauncher multiProfile(FakeHerdr herdr) {
         BridgedConfig.Profile gx10 = new BridgedConfig.Profile("gx10", "http://gx10.gw:8000", "coder",
                 null, "BRIDGED_WORKER_TOKEN", List.of("claude"), "tab", "bridged-workers", "w #{n}", null, null, null);
@@ -676,6 +748,174 @@ class ClaudeCodeLauncherTest {
                 "the guard-checked baseUrl must win over any env: entry, or the boundary is bypassable");
     }
 
+    // --- CB-596: config-driven member-credential policy (replaces CB-592's hardcoded single name) --
+
+    /** A representative {@code memberCredentials} — 4 allowed, 4 blocked, matching the real ticket shape. */
+    private static final BridgedConfig.MemberCredentials TEST_MEMBER_CREDENTIALS = new BridgedConfig.MemberCredentials(
+            null,
+            List.of("AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN", "WORKER_GITEA_TOKEN", "CONTEXT7_TOKEN", "GITEA_HOST"),
+            List.of("AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN", "WORKER_GITEA_TOKEN", "CONTEXT7_TOKEN", "GITEA_HOST",
+                    "GITEA_ACCESS_TOKEN", "GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN", "TS_AUTHKEY", "HASS_TOKEN"));
+
+    private ClaudeCodeLauncher serviceWithCredentials(FakeHerdr herdr, BridgedConfig.MemberCredentials creds) {
+        BridgedConfig.Profile cfg = new BridgedConfig.Profile(
+                "ltms-local", "http://gx00.gw:8000", "coder", null, "BRIDGED_WORKER_TOKEN",
+                List.of("claude"), "tab", "bridged-workers", "worker: {profile} #{n}", null, null, null);
+        return new ClaudeCodeLauncher(new AgentControl(herdr), new WorkspaceControl(herdr),
+                new SubscriptionGuard(Set.of("gx00.gw")), Map.of(cfg.profile(), cfg), cfg.profile(),
+                _ -> null, 0, System::currentTimeMillis, () -> {}, null, () -> creds);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * herdr's env map is an overlay onto its own (login-shell) process environment, so a worker
+     * inherits whatever the daemon's shell carries — including the operator's own credentials — for
+     * every key {@code baseEnv} does not explicitly shadow. This pins that every {@code known} name
+     * NOT also {@code allow}-ed gets an explicit (non-blank) sentinel overlay, whatever the profile
+     * is. Asserted against what tab.create's params actually carry, not an internal map built in the
+     * test (gitea #82).
+     *
+     * <p>Scope, measured on a live pane 2026-08-15 (CB-592): this pins what the launcher SENDS, and
+     * that is all a unit test can pin. It does not prove the value survives, and for names the
+     * operator's secrets.sh also exports it does not: the pane runs a login shell that puts the real
+     * value back over this sentinel unless the export is guarded on BRIDGED_MEMBER — see
+     * everySpawnMarksThePaneAsAMember below.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void everyKnownNameNotAllowedIsShadowedWithTheSentinel() {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        serviceWithCredentials(herdr, TEST_MEMBER_CREDENTIALS).spawn();
+
+        Map<String, String> env = startEnv(herdr);
+        for (String blocked : List.of("GITEA_ACCESS_TOKEN", "GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN", "TS_AUTHKEY", "HASS_TOKEN")) {
+            String shadowed = env.get(blocked);
+            assertNotNull(shadowed, blocked + " must be explicitly overlaid, not left unmentioned");
+            assertFalse(shadowed.isBlank(), blocked + "'s overlay value must be non-blank");
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * An {@code allow}-ed name must get NO overlay entry at all — any entry, blank or not, risks
+     * overriding the real value the pane needs, and the whole point of {@code allow} is that the
+     * pane's own inherited value passes through untouched.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void everyAllowedNameGetsNoOverlayEntrySoTheRealValuePassesThrough() {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        serviceWithCredentials(herdr, TEST_MEMBER_CREDENTIALS).spawn();
+
+        Map<String, String> env = startEnv(herdr);
+        for (String allowed : List.of("AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN", "WORKER_GITEA_TOKEN", "CONTEXT7_TOKEN", "GITEA_HOST")) {
+            assertFalse(env.containsKey(allowed),
+                    allowed + " is allow-listed — the launcher must not mention it at all");
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * No {@code memberCredentials} configured (the pre-CB-596 constructor overloads still used
+     * throughout this file, and the shape a fresh {@code bridged.yaml} with no memberCredentials:
+     * block resolves to) blocks NOTHING. This documents the transitional gap rather than hiding it —
+     * see {@code HerdrPeerLauncher#applyMemberCredentialPolicy}'s javadoc.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void noMemberCredentialsConfiguredBlocksNothing() {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        service(herdr, List.of("claude"), null).spawn();
+
+        assertNull(startEnv(herdr).get("GITEA_ACCESS_TOKEN"),
+                "with no memberCredentials configured, nothing is shadowed — config must supply the policy");
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * No profile — present or future — may restore a blocked name by naming it in {@code env:}.
+     * The shadow is applied after the profile's own env in {@link HerdrPeerLauncher#baseEnv}
+     * precisely so this can never happen; this test pins that ordering.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void aProfileEnvEntryCannotRestoreABlockedName() {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        BridgedConfig.Profile cfg = new BridgedConfig.Profile(
+                "ltms-local", "http://gx00.gw:8000", "coder", null, "BRIDGED_WORKER_TOKEN",
+                List.of("claude"), "tab", "bridged-workers", "w #{n}", null, null, null, null, null,
+                null, Map.of("GITEA_ACCESS_TOKEN", "admin-secret-from-profile-config"), null, null);
+        new ClaudeCodeLauncher(new AgentControl(herdr), new WorkspaceControl(herdr),
+                new SubscriptionGuard(Set.of("gx00.gw")), Map.of(cfg.profile(), cfg), cfg.profile(),
+                _ -> null, 0, System::currentTimeMillis, () -> {}, null, () -> TEST_MEMBER_CREDENTIALS)
+                .spawn(cfg.profile(), null, null);
+
+        assertNotEquals("admin-secret-from-profile-config", startEnv(herdr).get("GITEA_ACCESS_TOKEN"),
+                "a profile's own env: must not be able to smuggle a blocked name back in");
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * CB-596 criterion 4: a credential-shaped host env var name on neither {@code known} nor
+     * {@code allow} is not silently allowed — it must be reported (never its value). This pins the
+     * WARN naming the gap, using an injected host-env-names source rather than the real
+     * {@code System.getenv()} so the test is deterministic.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void aCredentialShapedNameOnNeitherListIsLoggedAsAGap() {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        BridgedConfig.Profile cfg = new BridgedConfig.Profile(
+                "ltms-local", "http://gx00.gw:8000", "coder", null, "BRIDGED_WORKER_TOKEN",
+                List.of("claude"), "tab", "bridged-workers", "worker: {profile} #{n}", null, null, null);
+        ClaudeCodeLauncher svc = new ClaudeCodeLauncher(new AgentControl(herdr), new WorkspaceControl(herdr),
+                new SubscriptionGuard(Set.of("gx00.gw")), Map.of(cfg.profile(), cfg), cfg.profile(),
+                _ -> null, 0, System::currentTimeMillis, () -> {}, null, () -> TEST_MEMBER_CREDENTIALS,
+                () -> Set.of("PATH", "HOME", "AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN", "A_BRAND_NEW_SECRET_TOKEN"));
+
+        Logger logger = (Logger) LoggerFactory.getLogger(HerdrPeerLauncher.class);
+        ListAppender<ILoggingEvent> appender = new ListAppender<>();
+        appender.start();
+        logger.addAppender(appender);
+        try {
+            svc.spawn();
+        } finally {
+            logger.detachAppender(appender);
+        }
+
+        assertTrue(appender.list.stream().anyMatch(e ->
+                        e.getFormattedMessage().contains("memberCredentials gap")
+                                && e.getFormattedMessage().contains("A_BRAND_NEW_SECRET_TOKEN")),
+                "the gap must name the unrecognized credential-shaped var, never a value");
+        assertFalse(appender.list.stream().anyMatch(e -> e.getFormattedMessage().contains("PATH")),
+                "PATH/HOME are not credential-shaped and must not be reported as a gap");
+        assertFalse(appender.list.stream().anyMatch(e -> e.getFormattedMessage().contains("AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN")),
+                "a name already on allow: is covered, not a gap");
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * The half of CB-592 that can actually survive the pane's login shell. BRIDGED_MEMBER is a name
+     * secrets.sh never exports, so nothing overwrites it — measured: GITEA_TOKEN is injected the
+     * same way, is absent from a login shell of its own, and was observed set inside a live member
+     * pane. It lets the operator guard the admin export with
+     * `[ -n "${BRIDGED_MEMBER:-}" ] || export GITEA_ACCESS_TOKEN=...`, which is the whole fix.
+     * Pinned here so a refactor cannot drop the marker and quietly un-guard every member (#77).
+     */
+    @Test
+    void everySpawnMarksThePaneAsAMember() {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        service(herdr, List.of("claude"), null).spawn();
+
+        assertEquals("1", startEnv(herdr).get("BRIDGED_MEMBER"),
+                "every member pane must be marked, or a shell file cannot tell it apart from the operator's");
+    }
+
+    /** A profile must not be able to hide that its pane is a member, for the same reason as above. */
+    @Test
+    void aProfileEnvEntryCannotClearTheMemberMarker() {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        BridgedConfig.Profile cfg = new BridgedConfig.Profile(
+                "ltms-local", "http://gx00.gw:8000", "coder", null, "BRIDGED_WORKER_TOKEN",
+                List.of("claude"), "tab", "bridged-workers", "w #{n}", null, null, null, null, null,
+                null, Map.of("BRIDGED_MEMBER", ""), null, null);
+        new ClaudeCodeLauncher(new AgentControl(herdr), new WorkspaceControl(herdr),
+                new SubscriptionGuard(Set.of("gx00.gw")), Map.of(cfg.profile(), cfg), cfg.profile(),
+                _ -> null).spawn();
+
+        assertEquals("1", startEnv(herdr).get("BRIDGED_MEMBER"),
+                "a profile's own env: must not be able to unmark its pane");
+    }
+
     // ── CB-533: the model is pinned on the command line, not only in the environment ────────────
 
     /** A launcher for a profile identical but for its {@code model:} — the only variable here. */

bridged/src/test/java/dev/ltms/bridged/member/CompositePeerLauncherTest.java

@@ -10,11 +10,13 @@ import dev.ltms.bridged.herdr.AgentControl;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.herdr.FakeHerdr;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.herdr.WorkspaceControl;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.Capability;
+import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.CharterReceipt;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.MemberRole;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.PeerHandle;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.PeerLauncher;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.PeerUnreachableException;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.SpawnRequest;
+import dev.ltms.bridged.placement.BackendQuarantine;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.placement.PlacementException;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.placement.PlacementPolicies;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
@@ -26,6 +28,8 @@ import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Set;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicLong;
 
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.*;
 
@@ -93,6 +97,8 @@ class CompositePeerLauncherTest {
                 @Override public String id() { return "pane-" + p; }
                 @Override public String terminalId() { return "term-" + p; }
                 @Override public String profile() { return p; }
+                @Override public String agentSessionId() { return null; }
+                @Override public CharterReceipt charterReceipt() { return null; }
             };
         }
 
@@ -126,6 +132,13 @@ class CompositePeerLauncherTest {
                 weight, maxLoad);
     }
 
+    private static BridgedConfig.Profile stubWorker(String profile, String credentialId) {
+        return new BridgedConfig.Profile(profile, "http://gx00.gw:8000", "coder",
+                null, "BRIDGED_WORKER_TOKEN", List.of("claude"), "tab", "bridged-workers",
+                "w #{n}", null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null,
+                null, null, credentialId);
+    }
+
     /**
      * An <em>order-preserving</em> profile map. Never {@code Map.of} here: its iteration order is
      * salted per JVM run, and the weighted policy breaks an exact-weight tie on candidate order —
@@ -324,6 +337,42 @@ class CompositePeerLauncherTest {
         assertEquals(10, b);
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void weightedPolicySkipsWeightZeroProfileOnUnqualifiedSpawn() {
+        // CB-554: weight: 0 must exclude a profile from automatic placement, not coerce to 1.0.
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        Map<String, BridgedConfig.Profile> profiles = ordered(
+                "a", stubWorker("a", 0.0f, null),
+                "b", stubWorker("b", 1.0f, null));
+        StubLauncher adapter = new StubLauncher("claude", herdr, profiles, "a", Set.of());
+        CompositePeerLauncher composite = new CompositePeerLauncher(
+                List.of(adapter), "a", profiles, PlacementPolicies.weighted(), _ -> 0);
+
+        for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
+            PeerHandle h = composite.spawn(new SpawnRequest(null, null, null));
+            assertEquals("b", h.profile(), "profile a has weight 0, so every unqualified spawn must land on b");
+        }
+        assertEquals(0, adapter.spawnCount("a"), "a is never chosen automatically");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void explicitSpawnStillSucceedsOnWeightZeroProfile() {
+        // CB-554: weight: 0 excludes a profile from AUTOMATIC selection only — an explicit
+        // bridge_spawn{profile:"a"} must still work exactly as today (e.g. `opus` on the
+        // operator's own subscription, kept weight-0 so it is never picked automatically).
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        Map<String, BridgedConfig.Profile> profiles = ordered(
+                "a", stubWorker("a", 0.0f, null),
+                "b", stubWorker("b", 1.0f, null));
+        StubLauncher adapter = new StubLauncher("claude", herdr, profiles, "b", Set.of());
+        CompositePeerLauncher composite = new CompositePeerLauncher(
+                List.of(adapter), "b", profiles, PlacementPolicies.weighted(), _ -> 0);
+
+        PeerHandle h = composite.spawn(new SpawnRequest("a", null, null));
+        assertEquals("a", h.profile(), "naming a weight-0 profile explicitly bypasses placement and still spawns it");
+        assertEquals(1, adapter.spawnCount("a"));
+    }
+
     @Test
     void failoverRetriesNextCandidateWhenProfileIsUnreachable() {
         FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
@@ -425,6 +474,27 @@ class CompositePeerLauncherTest {
         assertEquals("a", h.profile(), "a profile with no maxLoad is never capped, however many live workers");
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void explicitSpawnOnMaxLoadZeroProfileIsRefusedEvenWithZeroLiveWorkers() {
+        // CB-585: before the fix, maxLoad: 0 normalised to null (unlimited) in the compact
+        // constructor, so this exact case — naming a zero-cap profile explicitly, with nothing
+        // live on it yet — would have spawned instead of refusing. "at most zero members" must
+        // hold even when the profile is named directly, not only against automatic placement.
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        Map<String, BridgedConfig.Profile> profiles = ordered(
+                "a", stubWorker("a", 1.0f, 0),
+                "b", stubWorker("b"));
+        StubLauncher adapter = new StubLauncher("claude", herdr, profiles, "a", Set.of());
+        CompositePeerLauncher composite = new CompositePeerLauncher(
+                List.of(adapter), "a", profiles, PlacementPolicies.fixed(), _ -> 0);
+
+        PlacementException e = assertThrows(PlacementException.class,
+                () -> composite.spawn(new SpawnRequest("a", null, null)));
+        assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("'a'"), "message names the profile: " + e.getMessage());
+        assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("0 cap"), "message names the zero cap: " + e.getMessage());
+        assertEquals(0, adapter.spawnCount("a"), "a maxLoad: 0 profile accepts no explicit spawn");
+    }
+
     @Test
     void emptyCandidateSetThrowsClearException() {
         FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
@@ -552,4 +622,105 @@ class CompositePeerLauncherTest {
                 new SpawnRequest(null, null, null, null, null, MemberRole.DEV)));
         assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("maxLoad"), e.getMessage());
     }
+
+    // ── CB-578 stage B: a BACKEND_EXHAUSTED classification quarantines the credential ──────────
+
+    @Test
+    void explicitSpawnOntoAQuarantinedProfileIsRefusedNamingTheCredentialAndRemainingTime() {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        Map<String, BridgedConfig.Profile> profiles = ordered(
+                "sol", stubWorker("sol", "shared-openai"),
+                "terra", stubWorker("terra", "shared-openai"));
+        StubLauncher adapter = new StubLauncher("claude", herdr, profiles, "sol", Set.of());
+        BackendQuarantine quarantine = new BackendQuarantine(() -> 0L, TimeUnit.MINUTES.toNanos(30));
+        quarantine.quarantine("shared-openai");
+        CompositePeerLauncher composite = new CompositePeerLauncher(List.of(adapter), "sol", profiles,
+                PlacementPolicies.fixed(), _ -> 0, null, quarantine);
+
+        PlacementException e = assertThrows(PlacementException.class,
+                () -> composite.spawn(new SpawnRequest("sol", null, null)));
+        assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("sol"), "message names the profile: " + e.getMessage());
+        assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("shared-openai"), "message names the credential: " + e.getMessage());
+        assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("1800"), "message names roughly when it lifts: " + e.getMessage());
+        assertEquals(0, adapter.spawnCount("sol"), "the quarantined profile is never delegated to");
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * The part CB-578 stage B calls out as easy to get wrong: sol and terra are two different
+     * profiles sharing one OpenAI credential. Quarantining because of an exhaustion classified on
+     * ONE of them must lock out the other too, or the fleet just walks onto the same dead account
+     * under the sibling's name.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void twoProfilesSharingACredentialAreBothQuarantinedByOneExhaustionEvent() {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        Map<String, BridgedConfig.Profile> profiles = ordered(
+                "sol", stubWorker("sol", "shared-openai"),
+                "terra", stubWorker("terra", "shared-openai"));
+        StubLauncher adapter = new StubLauncher("claude", herdr, profiles, "sol", Set.of());
+        BackendQuarantine quarantine = new BackendQuarantine(() -> 0L, TimeUnit.MINUTES.toNanos(30));
+        // Only "sol" was classified BACKEND_EXHAUSTED — but the two profiles share one credential.
+        quarantine.quarantine("shared-openai");
+        CompositePeerLauncher composite = new CompositePeerLauncher(List.of(adapter), "sol", profiles,
+                PlacementPolicies.fixed(), _ -> 0, null, quarantine);
+
+        assertThrows(PlacementException.class, () -> composite.spawn(new SpawnRequest("sol", null, null)),
+                "sol was the one classified exhausted");
+        assertThrows(PlacementException.class, () -> composite.spawn(new SpawnRequest("terra", null, null)),
+                "terra shares sol's credential, so it must be locked out too");
+        assertEquals(0, adapter.spawnCount("sol"));
+        assertEquals(0, adapter.spawnCount("terra"));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void placementSkipsAQuarantinedProfileAndRoutesToAnUnquarantinedOne() {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        Map<String, BridgedConfig.Profile> profiles = ordered(
+                "sol", stubWorker("sol", "shared-openai"),
+                "b", stubWorker("b"));
+        StubLauncher adapter = new StubLauncher("claude", herdr, profiles, "sol", Set.of());
+        BackendQuarantine quarantine = new BackendQuarantine(() -> 0L, TimeUnit.MINUTES.toNanos(30));
+        quarantine.quarantine("shared-openai");
+        CompositePeerLauncher composite = new CompositePeerLauncher(List.of(adapter), "sol", profiles,
+                PlacementPolicies.weighted(), _ -> 0, null, quarantine);
+
+        PeerHandle h = composite.spawn(new SpawnRequest(null, null, null));
+        assertEquals("b", h.profile(), "sol is quarantined, so an unqualified spawn must land on b");
+        assertEquals(0, adapter.spawnCount("sol"));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void aQuarantineLiftsOnTheInjectedClockAndTheProfileBecomesSpawnableAgain() {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        Map<String, BridgedConfig.Profile> profiles = ordered(
+                "sol", stubWorker("sol", "shared-openai"),
+                "b", stubWorker("b"));
+        StubLauncher adapter = new StubLauncher("claude", herdr, profiles, "sol", Set.of());
+        AtomicLong nowNanos = new AtomicLong(0L);
+        BackendQuarantine quarantine = new BackendQuarantine(nowNanos::get, TimeUnit.MINUTES.toNanos(30));
+        quarantine.quarantine("shared-openai");
+        CompositePeerLauncher composite = new CompositePeerLauncher(List.of(adapter), "sol", profiles,
+                PlacementPolicies.fixed(), _ -> 0, null, quarantine);
+
+        assertThrows(PlacementException.class, () -> composite.spawn(new SpawnRequest("sol", null, null)),
+                "still inside the cooldown");
+
+        nowNanos.set(TimeUnit.MINUTES.toNanos(31));
+
+        PeerHandle h = composite.spawn(new SpawnRequest("sol", null, null));
+        assertEquals("sol", h.profile(), "the cooldown expired on the injected clock — sol is spawnable again");
+        assertEquals(1, adapter.spawnCount("sol"));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void aFleetWithNoExhaustedPatternAnywhereBehavesExactlyAsBeforeQuarantineExisted() {
+        // BackendQuarantine.none() is the inert stand-in every constructor already defaults to when
+        // no quarantine is wired — the 2/5/6-arg constructors used throughout this file all exercise
+        // it. This test pins that an explicit .none() also never refuses a spawn, for any profile.
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        PeerLauncher composite = composite(herdr);
+
+        assertDoesNotThrow(() -> composite.spawn(new SpawnRequest("claude", null, null)));
+        assertDoesNotThrow(() -> composite.spawn(new SpawnRequest("gemini", null, null)));
+    }
 }

bridged/src/test/java/dev/ltms/bridged/member/HerdrPeerLauncherCharterTest.java

@@ -1,13 +1,19 @@
 package dev.ltms.bridged.member;
 
+import ch.qos.logback.classic.Level;
+import ch.qos.logback.classic.Logger;
+import ch.qos.logback.classic.spi.ILoggingEvent;
+import ch.qos.logback.core.read.ListAppender;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.config.BridgedConfig;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.herdr.AgentControl;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.herdr.FakeHerdr;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.herdr.WorkspaceControl;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.Capability;
+import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.CharterReceipt;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.MemberRole;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.SpawnRequest;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
@@ -17,6 +23,8 @@ import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicReference;
 import java.util.function.Supplier;
 
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertFalse;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
 
 class HerdrPeerLauncherCharterTest {
 
@@ -38,10 +46,72 @@ class HerdrPeerLauncherCharterTest {
                 "a role charter does not depend on an MCP mount");
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void panePlacementSpawnLogNeverContainsTheCharterText() {
+        // A pane-placement spawn used to log the whole argv (CB-571), and the charter travels
+        // inside argv — so the charter text leaked to the daemon log. Prove the legacy pane path
+        // now redacts it to its digest.
+        String secret = "TOP SECRET charter marker 99x"; // distinctive, so a leak is unambiguous
+        AtomicReference<BridgedConfig.Fleet> fleet = new AtomicReference<>(fleet(Map.of("dev", secret)));
+        CharterArgLauncher launcher = new CharterArgLauncher(fleet::get);
+
+        Logger logger = (Logger) LoggerFactory.getLogger(HerdrPeerLauncher.class);
+        Level previous = logger.getLevel();
+        ListAppender<ILoggingEvent> appender = new ListAppender<>();
+        appender.start();
+        logger.addAppender(appender);
+        logger.setLevel(Level.INFO); // the test logback sets dev.ltms.bridged to WARN; a leak lives at INFO
+        try {
+            launcher.spawn(new SpawnRequest("mcp", null, null, null, null, MemberRole.DEV));
+
+            String all = String.join("\n", appender.list.stream().map(ILoggingEvent::getFormattedMessage).toList());
+            assertFalse(all.contains(secret),
+                    "the pane-placement spawn log must not contain the charter text; got:\n" + all);
+            // The "mcp" profile composes role + reply charter; the digest must match that composed
+            // string (the exact bytes the adapter receives), proving the redaction hashes and
+            // removes the real, full charter — not some placeholder.
+            String composed = secret + "\n\n" + HerdrPeerLauncher.REPLY_CHARTER;
+            assertTrue(all.contains("<charter sha256=" + CharterReceipt.digestOf(composed) + ">"),
+                    "the charter argv argument should be replaced by its digest; got:\n" + all);
+        } finally {
+            logger.setLevel(previous);
+            logger.detachAppender(appender);
+        }
+    }
+
     private static BridgedConfig.Fleet fleet(Map<String, String> charters) {
         return new BridgedConfig.Fleet(Map.of(), Map.of(), Map.of(), Map.of(), charters, null);
     }
 
+    private static BridgedConfig.Profile profile(String name, String mcpUrl) {
+        return new BridgedConfig.Profile(name, "http://gx00.gw:8000", null, null,
+                "BRIDGED_WORKER_TOKEN", List.of("test"), "pane", null, null, mcpUrl, null, null);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * A launcher whose {@code buildLaunch} hands the composed charter to herdr as one argv element
+     * (what the claude-cod adapter does), so a pane-placement spawn log would print it unless the
+     * base redacts it.
+     */
+    private static final class CharterArgLauncher extends HerdrPeerLauncher {
+
+        CharterArgLauncher(Supplier<BridgedConfig.Fleet> fleet) {
+            super("test", new AgentControl(new FakeHerdr()), new WorkspaceControl(new FakeHerdr()),
+                    Map.of("mcp", profile("mcp", "http://bridge")),
+                    "mcp", _ -> null, 0, () -> 0L, () -> { }, fleet);
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        protected Launch buildLaunch(BridgedConfig.Profile cfg, LaunchSpec spec) {
+            return new Launch(Map.of(), List.of("test", spec.charter() == null ? "none" : spec.charter()));
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public Set<Capability> capabilities() {
+            return Set.of();
+        }
+    }
+
     private static final class CapturingLauncher extends HerdrPeerLauncher {
         private final List<LaunchSpec> specs = new ArrayList<>();
 
@@ -62,10 +132,5 @@ class HerdrPeerLauncherCharterTest {
         public Set<Capability> capabilities() {
             return Set.of();
         }
-
-        private static BridgedConfig.Profile profile(String name, String mcpUrl) {
-            return new BridgedConfig.Profile(name, "http://gx00.gw:8000", null, null,
-                    "BRIDGED_WORKER_TOKEN", List.of("test"), "pane", null, null, mcpUrl, null, null);
-        }
     }
 }

bridged/src/test/java/dev/ltms/bridged/member/OpenCodeLauncherTest.java

@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import dev.ltms.bridged.herdr.AgentControl;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.herdr.FakeHerdr;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.herdr.WorkspaceControl;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.Capability;
+import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.CharterReceipt;
+import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.MemberRole;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.PeerHandle;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.PeerUnreachableException;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.SpawnRequest;
@@ -51,6 +53,14 @@ class OpenCodeLauncherTest {
                 0, System::currentTimeMillis, () -> { }, configRoot, configRoot, fleet);
     }
 
+    private static OpenCodeLauncher serviceWithCredentials(FakeHerdr herdr, Path configRoot,
+                                                            BridgedConfig.Profile cfg,
+                                                            BridgedConfig.MemberCredentials creds) {
+        return new OpenCodeLauncher(new AgentControl(herdr), new WorkspaceControl(herdr),
+                Map.of(cfg.profile(), cfg), cfg.profile(), k -> "GITEA_ACCESS_TOKEN".equals(k) ? "tok" : null,
+                0, System::currentTimeMillis, () -> { }, configRoot, configRoot, null, () -> creds);
+    }
+
     @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
     private static Map<String, Object> lastStart(FakeHerdr herdr) {
         return (Map<String, Object>) herdr.lastCall("agent.start").params();
@@ -199,6 +209,35 @@ class OpenCodeLauncherTest {
                 "--auto is unconditional: a model-less worker still must never block on approval");
     }
 
+    // --- CB-617: --agent <role> when the role has an agent-definition file --------------------
+
+    @Test
+    void agentFlagIsPassedWhenTheRoleAgentDefinitionFileExists(@TempDir Path root) throws Exception {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        Path agentsDir = Files.createDirectories(root.resolve(".opencode/agent"));
+        Files.writeString(agentsDir.resolve("dev.md"), "You are a dev.");
+        OpenCodeLauncher svc = service(herdr, root, opencodeCfg(null, null, null));
+
+        svc.spawn(new SpawnRequest(null, root.toString(), null, null, null, MemberRole.DEV));
+
+        List<String> args = startArgs(herdr);
+        int flag = args.indexOf("--agent");
+        assertTrue(flag >= 0, "--agent is passed when the role's agent file exists: " + args);
+        assertEquals("dev", args.get(flag + 1));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void noAgentFlagWhenTheRoleAgentDefinitionFileIsAbsent(@TempDir Path root) {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        OpenCodeLauncher svc = service(herdr, root, opencodeCfg(null, null, null));
+
+        PeerHandle handle = svc.spawn(new SpawnRequest(null, root.toString(), null, null, null, MemberRole.DEV));
+
+        assertNotNull(handle, "the member still spawns with no agent-definition file");
+        assertFalse(startArgs(herdr).contains("--agent"),
+                "no --agent flag when the role has no agent-definition file");
+    }
+
     @Test
     void injectsForgeTokenWhenProfileGrantsIt(@TempDir Path root) {
         FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
@@ -207,6 +246,36 @@ class OpenCodeLauncherTest {
                 "a git-token profile gets the peer-neutral GITEA_TOKEN grant, same as Claude");
     }
 
+    /**
+     * CB-596: the config-driven shadow lives in {@link HerdrPeerLauncher#baseEnv}, shared by every
+     * adapter — this pins that the opencode path gets it too, not just Claude's. See the matching
+     * tests in {@code ClaudeCodeLauncherTest} for the full rationale (gitea #82, superseding CB-592's
+     * single hardcoded name).
+     */
+    @Test
+    void aKnownNameNotAllowedIsShadowedWithTheSentinel(@TempDir Path root) {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        BridgedConfig.MemberCredentials creds = new BridgedConfig.MemberCredentials(
+                null, List.of("AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN"), List.of("AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN", "GITEA_ACCESS_TOKEN"));
+        serviceWithCredentials(herdr, root, opencodeCfg(null, null, null), creds).spawn();
+
+        String shadowed = startEnv(herdr).get("GITEA_ACCESS_TOKEN");
+        assertNotNull(shadowed, "GITEA_ACCESS_TOKEN must be explicitly overlaid, not left unmentioned");
+        assertFalse(shadowed.isBlank(), "a blank overlay value's override behaviour is unverified — must be non-blank");
+        assertFalse(startEnv(herdr).containsKey("AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN"),
+                "an allow-listed name must get no overlay entry at all");
+    }
+
+    /** No {@code memberCredentials} configured (the pre-CB-596 constructor overloads) blocks nothing. */
+    @Test
+    void noMemberCredentialsConfiguredBlocksNothing(@TempDir Path root) {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        service(herdr, root, opencodeCfg(null, null, null)).spawn();
+
+        assertNull(startEnv(herdr).get("GITEA_ACCESS_TOKEN"),
+                "with no memberCredentials configured, nothing is shadowed — config must supply the policy");
+    }
+
     @Test
     void capabilitiesDeclareOrphanReapAndMcpAskAndConditionalSelfPr(@TempDir Path root) {
         FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
@@ -322,6 +391,26 @@ class OpenCodeLauncherTest {
         assertFalse(herdr.called("agent.get"), "no polling when the gate is disabled");
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void handleCarriesTheRealCharterReceiptNotTheInterfaceDefault(@TempDir Path root) {
+        // The base's WorkerHandle computes a real CharterReceipt (CB-571), but the opencode adapter
+        // wraps it in SessionAwareHandle for lazy session discovery. Before this fix that decorator
+        // did not override charterReceipt(), so it silently inherited PeerHandle's `null` default
+        // and the real receipt sitting on its delegate was lost.
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        BridgedConfig.Fleet fleet = new BridgedConfig.Fleet(Map.of(), Map.of(), Map.of(), Map.of(),
+                Map.of("dev", "role rule"), null);
+        PeerHandle handle = service(herdr, root,
+                opencodeCfg("google/gemini-2.5-pro", "http://127.0.0.1:8765/mcp", null), () -> fleet)
+                .spawn(new SpawnRequest(null, null, null));
+
+        assertNotNull(handle.charterReceipt(),
+                "an opencode spawn's charterReceipt() must not silently be null");
+        String composed = "role rule\n\n" + HerdrPeerLauncher.REPLY_CHARTER;
+        assertEquals(CharterReceipt.digestOf(composed), handle.charterReceipt().charterSha256(),
+                "the receipt on the wrapped handle must match the exact composed charter bytes");
+    }
+
     // --- CB-508: pinned OpenAI-compatible endpoint (e.g. a local vLLM) ---------------------------
 
     /** A profile with a baseUrl but no model provider prefix cannot be resolved — fail loudly. */

bridged/src/test/java/dev/ltms/bridged/msg/AmqpReplyInboxContractTest.java

@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import java.util.List;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertThrows;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
 
 /**
@@ -166,6 +167,88 @@ class AmqpReplyInboxContractTest {
         }
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void prefetchBoundsTheHeldBacklog() throws Exception {
+        String target = "worker-prefetch-" + System.nanoTime();
+        int prefetch = 4;
+        int published = 10;
+        try (AmqpReplyInbox inbox = new AmqpReplyInbox(newConnection(), prefetch);
+             Connection inspect = newConnection()) {
+            inbox.own(target);
+            for (int i = 0; i < published; i++) {
+                inbox.publish(target, "m" + i, "payload " + i);
+            }
+            awaitHeldAtLeast(inbox, target, prefetch);
+
+            long depth;
+            try (Channel ch = inspect.createChannel()) {
+                depth = ch.queueDeclarePassive(queueName(target)).getMessageCount();
+            }
+            assertTrue(depth >= published - prefetch,
+                    "broker should still hold at least " + (published - prefetch)
+                            + " undelivered messages behind a prefetch of " + prefetch + ", saw " + depth);
+
+            drainUntilEmpty(inbox, target, inspect);
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void unroutablePublishReportsFailureNotSilentSuccess() throws Exception {
+        String target = "worker-unroutable-" + System.nanoTime();
+        try (AmqpReplyInbox inbox = AmqpReplyInbox.open(uri())) {
+            // Deliberately never own(target): the queue is never declared, so the default-exchange
+            // route to agent.<target>.inbox does not exist and the broker must return the publish.
+            IllegalStateException ex = assertThrows(IllegalStateException.class,
+                    () -> inbox.publish(target, "m1", "nobody home"));
+            assertTrue(ex.getMessage() != null && ex.getMessage().toLowerCase().contains("unroutable"),
+                    "expected an unroutable-publish failure, got: " + ex.getMessage());
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void confirmedPublishDeliversNormally() throws Exception {
+        String target = "worker-confirm-" + System.nanoTime();
+        try (AmqpReplyInbox inbox = AmqpReplyInbox.open(uri())) {
+            inbox.own(target);
+            inbox.publish(target, "m1", "confirmed delivery"); // must return normally: routed and confirmed
+
+            List<ReplyInbox.InboxMessage> got = awaitPeek(inbox, target);
+            assertEquals(1, got.size());
+            assertEquals("confirmed delivery", got.getFirst().content());
+            inbox.ack(target, "m1");
+        }
+    }
+
+    /** Poll peek until at least {@code n} replies for {@code target} are held, or ~10s elapse. */
+    @SuppressWarnings("BusyWait")
+    private static void awaitHeldAtLeast(AmqpReplyInbox inbox, String target, int n) throws InterruptedException {
+        long deadline = System.nanoTime() + TimeUnit.SECONDS.toNanos(10);
+        while (inbox.peek(target).size() < n && System.nanoTime() < deadline) {
+            Thread.sleep(50);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Repeatedly ack whatever is currently held (freeing prefetch slots for the next delivery) until
+     * both the local snapshot and the broker's own queue depth are empty, or ~10s elapse.
+     */
+    @SuppressWarnings("BusyWait")
+    private static void drainUntilEmpty(AmqpReplyInbox inbox, String target, Connection inspect) throws Exception {
+        long deadline = System.nanoTime() + TimeUnit.SECONDS.toNanos(10);
+        while (System.nanoTime() < deadline) {
+            for (ReplyInbox.InboxMessage msg : inbox.peek(target)) {
+                inbox.ack(target, msg.msgId());
+            }
+            try (Channel ch = inspect.createChannel()) {
+                if (ch.queueDeclarePassive(queueName(target)).getMessageCount() == 0 && inbox.peek(target).isEmpty()) {
+                    return;
+                }
+            }
+            Thread.sleep(50);
+        }
+        throw new AssertionError("did not drain " + target + " to empty within the deadline");
+    }
+
     /** Poll peek (broker delivery is async) until a reply for {@code target} appears or ~10s elapse. */
     @SuppressWarnings("BusyWait") // deliberate poll for async broker delivery, bounded by the deadline
     private static List<ReplyInbox.InboxMessage> awaitPeek(AmqpReplyInbox inbox, String target)

bridged/src/test/java/dev/ltms/bridged/msg/AmqpReplyInboxRecoveryRaceTest.java

@@ -0,0 +1,288 @@
+package dev.ltms.bridged.msg;
+
+import com.rabbitmq.client.AMQP;
+import com.rabbitmq.client.Channel;
+import com.rabbitmq.client.ConfirmCallback;
+import com.rabbitmq.client.Connection;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Timeout;
+
+import java.lang.reflect.InvocationHandler;
+import java.lang.reflect.Proxy;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.concurrent.CopyOnWriteArrayList;
+import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger;
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicLong;
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicReference;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertNotNull;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertNull;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
+
+/**
+ * CB-528 follow-up: {@link AmqpReplyInbox#failPendingPublishesOnRecovery()} must not fail a publish
+ * that registers concurrently with (and was not yet visible when) the recovery sweep began — that
+ * would report a publish that actually succeeded as failed, and {@code MessageService.reply} retries
+ * with a fresh {@code msgId}, so the reply is delivered twice. A live broker reconnect cannot be
+ * forced reliably, so this drives {@link AmqpReplyInbox#failPendingPublishesOnRecovery} and a real
+ * {@link AmqpReplyInbox#publish} against each other directly, against fake AMQP channels built with
+ * {@link Proxy} (no mocking library is on the classpath).
+ *
+ * <p>Also covers Finding 2 (CB-528 follow-up): {@link AmqpReplyInbox#close()} must fail an in-flight
+ * publish promptly instead of leaving it to idle out the 10s confirm timeout.
+ */
+class AmqpReplyInboxRecoveryRaceTest {
+
+    /** Large enough that thousands of entries are still unprocessed by the time the very first one
+     *  is observed as failed (see {@code sweepIsHoldingTheLock} below) — that gap is what makes the
+     *  head start deterministic instead of a coin flip. 100,000 gave the same guarantee but made the
+     *  test far more expensive than the guarantee needs; the ordering no longer depends on a timing
+     *  window sized to the full backlog; just to the tail of it. */
+    private static final int STALE_PUBLISHES = 2_000;
+
+    @Test
+    @Timeout(30)
+    void recoverySweepDoesNotFailAPublishThatRegistersWhileItIsRunning() throws Exception {
+        AtomicLong seqCounter = new AtomicLong();
+        List<Long> seqOrder = new CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();
+        List<String> msgIdOrder = new CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();
+        AtomicReference<ConfirmCallback> ackCallback = new AtomicReference<>();
+        AtomicReference<ConfirmCallback> nackCallback = new AtomicReference<>();
+
+        Channel publishChannel = fakeChannel(seqCounter, seqOrder, msgIdOrder, ackCallback, nackCallback);
+        Channel consumeChannel = fakeChannel(seqCounter, seqOrder, msgIdOrder, ackCallback, nackCallback);
+        Connection connection = fakeConnection(consumeChannel, publishChannel);
+
+        AmqpReplyInbox inbox = new AmqpReplyInbox(connection, AmqpReplyInbox.DEFAULT_PREFETCH);
+
+        // STALE_PUBLISHES in-flight publishes that never get confirmed — they sit in pendingBySeq /
+        // pendingByMsgId exactly like publishes whose confirm never arrived before a connection drop.
+        // Virtual threads make this many concurrent blocking publish() calls cheap.
+        CountDownLatch staleStarted = new CountDownLatch(STALE_PUBLISHES);
+        // Counted down by the FIRST stale publish thread to observe its own failure. That can only
+        // happen from inside failPendingPublishesOnRecovery() — nothing else in this test ever
+        // completes a stale Pending exceptionally (no nack/return is simulated for any "stale-*"
+        // msgId) — so seeing it fire is direct, observable proof the sweep is inside its loop, not a
+        // timing guess. It replaces the old fixed Thread.sleep(5) head start.
+        CountDownLatch sweepIsHoldingTheLock = new CountDownLatch(1);
+        for (int i = 0; i < STALE_PUBLISHES; i++) {
+            String msgId = "stale-" + i;
+            Thread.ofVirtual().start(() -> {
+                staleStarted.countDown();
+                try {
+                    inbox.publish("worker-stale", msgId, "x");
+                } catch (IllegalStateException expected) {
+                    sweepIsHoldingTheLock.countDown();
+                }
+            });
+        }
+        staleStarted.await();
+        // Let the registrations (the synchronized put into pendingBySeq/pendingByMsgId) actually land
+        // for all of them before the sweep starts, so the sweep begins with a large, real backlog.
+        Thread.sleep(300);
+
+        AtomicReference<Throwable> sweepError = new AtomicReference<>();
+        Thread sweepThread = new Thread(() -> {
+            try {
+                inbox.failPendingPublishesOnRecovery();
+            } catch (Throwable t) {
+                sweepError.set(t);
+            }
+        }, "recovery-sweep");
+        sweepThread.start();
+
+        // Deterministic head start: block until the sweep has actually failed one of the stale
+        // publishes. failPendingPublishesOnRecovery() (once guarded, as it is on main) holds
+        // publishChannelLock for its ENTIRE loop, not just per entry — so this failure proves the
+        // sweep is, at this instant, still holding that lock. With STALE_PUBLISHES this large, the
+        // remaining ~1,999 entries give an enormous margin between "first failure observed" and "sweep
+        // releases the lock": there is no window left for "fresh" to slip in before the sweep starts,
+        // or to win the lock ahead of it — see the case-2 note below. This also means Case 1 (the sweep
+        // is already inside its loop, holding the lock, when "fresh" tries to register) is now
+        // guaranteed by construction rather than merely likely under a fixed sleep.
+        assertTrue(sweepIsHoldingTheLock.await(20, TimeUnit.SECONDS),
+                "the sweep never failed a single stale publish — it may not have started");
+
+        // Case 2 ("fresh" wins publishChannelLock before the sweep even starts, so it genuinely
+        // published on the stale channel and the sweep correctly fails it) is impossible by
+        // construction in this test: freshThread.start() below is reached only after
+        // sweepIsHoldingTheLock has counted down, which can only happen once
+        // failPendingPublishesOnRecovery() is already running and has already failed a stale entry.
+        // There is no code path that lets "fresh" start before the sweep starts. That case is real
+        // and correct production behaviour (see AmqpReplyInbox#failPendingPublishesOnRecovery's
+        // javadoc), it is just not reachable from this deterministic ordering, so it does not need a
+        // separate assertion here.
+
+        // This is the exact interleaving CB-528's follow-up describes: "the still-running recovery
+        // sweep" racing a publish that registers while it is mid-flight.
+        AtomicReference<Throwable> publishError = new AtomicReference<>();
+        Thread freshThread = new Thread(() -> {
+            try {
+                inbox.publish("worker-fresh", "fresh", "hello");
+            } catch (Throwable t) {
+                publishError.set(t);
+            }
+        }, "fresh-publish");
+        freshThread.start();
+
+        sweepThread.join(20_000);
+        assertNull(sweepError.get(), "sweep threw: " + sweepError.get());
+
+        // Simulate the broker's real confirm for "fresh" now that the sweep is done, so a correct
+        // implementation's publish() returns normally instead of idling out CONFIRM_TIMEOUT_MS. Poll
+        // for the registration rather than checking once: freshThread may still be contending for
+        // publishChannelLock (behind the sweep's own hold on it, and possibly other stale threads
+        // still unwinding) even though the sweep itself has already finished.
+        long deadline = System.nanoTime() + TimeUnit.SECONDS.toNanos(9);
+        int idx = -1;
+        while (idx < 0 && System.nanoTime() < deadline) {
+            idx = msgIdOrder.indexOf("fresh");
+            if (idx < 0) {
+                Thread.sleep(20);
+            }
+        }
+        if (idx >= 0 && ackCallback.get() != null) {
+            ackCallback.get().handle(seqOrder.get(idx), false);
+        }
+        freshThread.join(15_000);
+
+        assertNull(publishError.get(),
+                "a publish that registered while the recovery sweep was running must not be failed by "
+                        + "it, but got: " + publishError.get());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    @Timeout(15)
+    void closeFailsInFlightPublishPromptlyInsteadOfWaitingOutTheConfirmTimeout() throws Exception {
+        AtomicLong seqCounter = new AtomicLong();
+        List<Long> seqOrder = new CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();
+        List<String> msgIdOrder = new CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();
+        AtomicReference<ConfirmCallback> ackCallback = new AtomicReference<>();
+        AtomicReference<ConfirmCallback> nackCallback = new AtomicReference<>();
+
+        Channel publishChannel = fakeChannel(seqCounter, seqOrder, msgIdOrder, ackCallback, nackCallback);
+        Channel consumeChannel = fakeChannel(seqCounter, seqOrder, msgIdOrder, ackCallback, nackCallback);
+        Connection connection = fakeConnection(consumeChannel, publishChannel);
+
+        AmqpReplyInbox inbox = new AmqpReplyInbox(connection, AmqpReplyInbox.DEFAULT_PREFETCH);
+
+        CountDownLatch publishReturned = new CountDownLatch(1);
+        AtomicReference<Throwable> publishError = new AtomicReference<>();
+        AtomicLong elapsedMillis = new AtomicLong();
+        Thread publishThread = new Thread(() -> {
+            long start = System.nanoTime();
+            try {
+                inbox.publish("worker-close", "never-confirmed", "x");
+            } catch (Throwable t) {
+                publishError.set(t);
+            } finally {
+                elapsedMillis.set((System.nanoTime() - start) / 1_000_000);
+                publishReturned.countDown();
+            }
+        }, "publish-during-close");
+        publishThread.start();
+
+        Thread.sleep(200); // let publish() register before close() runs
+        inbox.close();
+
+        assertTrue(publishReturned.await(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS), "publish() did not return after close()");
+        assertNotNull(publishError.get(), "a publish in flight when close() runs must fail, not hang");
+        assertTrue(publishError.get().getMessage() != null
+                        && publishError.get().getMessage().toLowerCase().contains("closed"),
+                "expected a clear closed-inbox message, got: " + publishError.get());
+        assertTrue(elapsedMillis.get() < 5_000,
+                "close() should fail the in-flight publish promptly, not wait out the confirm timeout — took "
+                        + elapsedMillis.get() + "ms");
+    }
+
+    /** A {@link Proxy}-backed {@link Channel}: only the calls {@link AmqpReplyInbox} actually makes
+     *  are meaningfully implemented; everything else returns a harmless default. */
+    private static Channel fakeChannel(AtomicLong seqCounter, List<Long> seqOrder, List<String> msgIdOrder,
+                                        AtomicReference<ConfirmCallback> ackCallback,
+                                        AtomicReference<ConfirmCallback> nackCallback) {
+        InvocationHandler handler = (proxy, method, args) -> {
+            String name = method.getName();
+            if (name.equals("getNextPublishSeqNo")) {
+                long value = seqCounter.incrementAndGet();
+                seqOrder.add(value);
+                return value;
+            }
+            if (name.equals("basicPublish")) {
+                AMQP.BasicProperties props = (AMQP.BasicProperties) args[3];
+                msgIdOrder.add(props.getMessageId());
+                return null;
+            }
+            if (name.equals("addConfirmListener")) {
+                ackCallback.set((ConfirmCallback) args[0]);
+                nackCallback.set((ConfirmCallback) args[1]);
+                return null;
+            }
+            if (name.equals("equals")) {
+                return proxy == args[0];
+            }
+            if (name.equals("hashCode")) {
+                return System.identityHashCode(proxy);
+            }
+            if (name.equals("toString")) {
+                return "FakeChannel";
+            }
+            return defaultValue(method.getReturnType());
+        };
+        return (Channel) Proxy.newProxyInstance(AmqpReplyInboxRecoveryRaceTest.class.getClassLoader(),
+                new Class<?>[] {Channel.class}, handler);
+    }
+
+    /** A {@link Proxy}-backed {@link Connection} handing out {@code first} then {@code second} from
+     *  successive {@code createChannel()} calls, matching {@link AmqpReplyInbox}'s constructor. */
+    private static Connection fakeConnection(Channel first, Channel second) {
+        AtomicInteger calls = new AtomicInteger();
+        InvocationHandler handler = (proxy, method, args) -> {
+            String name = method.getName();
+            if (name.equals("createChannel") && (args == null || args.length == 0)) {
+                return calls.getAndIncrement() == 0 ? first : second;
+            }
+            if (name.equals("equals")) {
+                return proxy == args[0];
+            }
+            if (name.equals("hashCode")) {
+                return System.identityHashCode(proxy);
+            }
+            if (name.equals("toString")) {
+                return "FakeConnection";
+            }
+            return defaultValue(method.getReturnType());
+        };
+        return (Connection) Proxy.newProxyInstance(AmqpReplyInboxRecoveryRaceTest.class.getClassLoader(),
+                new Class<?>[] {Connection.class}, handler);
+    }
+
+    private static Object defaultValue(Class<?> type) {
+        if (!type.isPrimitive() || type == void.class) {
+            return null;
+        }
+        if (type == boolean.class) {
+            return Boolean.FALSE;
+        }
+        if (type == long.class) {
+            return 0L;
+        }
+        if (type == short.class) {
+            return (short) 0;
+        }
+        if (type == byte.class) {
+            return (byte) 0;
+        }
+        if (type == char.class) {
+            return (char) 0;
+        }
+        if (type == double.class) {
+            return 0.0d;
+        }
+        if (type == float.class) {
+            return 0.0f;
+        }
+        return 0;
+    }
+}

bridged/src/test/java/dev/ltms/bridged/msg/MessageServiceTest.java

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import dev.ltms.bridged.herdr.FakeHerdr;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.herdr.HerdrException;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.inject.CompletionResolver;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.inject.ExhaustedPatternLookup;
+import dev.ltms.bridged.inject.ExhaustionSink;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.mcp.PrimaryRegistry;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.inject.Injector;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
@@ -33,7 +34,7 @@ class MessageServiceTest {
     private final AgentControl agents = new AgentControl(herdr);
     private final Rendezvous rendezvous = new Rendezvous();
     private final CompletionResolver completion =
-            new CompletionResolver(agents, rendezvous, ExhaustedPatternLookup.none());
+            new CompletionResolver(agents, rendezvous, ExhaustedPatternLookup.none(), ExhaustionSink.none());
     private final Injector injector = new Injector(agents, completion);
     private final InMemoryReplyInbox inbox = new InMemoryReplyInbox();
     private final MessageService messages = new MessageService(agents, injector, rendezvous, inbox);
@@ -713,6 +714,355 @@ class MessageServiceTest {
         assertEquals(MessageService.Outcome.REPLIED, answer.get(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS).outcome());
     }
 
+    // --- CB-582: bridge_status pendingAsk() ------------------------------------------------------
+
+    @Test
+    void pendingAskReturnsNullWhenNoQuestionIsOpen() throws Exception {
+        assertNull(messages.pendingAsk(T), "no async ticket at all -> no pending ask");
+
+        String ticket = messages.sendAsync(T, "long task");
+        awaitWaiting();
+        assertNull(messages.pendingAsk(T), "a plain pending delegation is not a question");
+
+        injectDelivery();
+        assertTrue(rendezvous.resolve(T, "done"));
+        awaitTicketPhase(ticket, MessageService.Phase.DONE);
+        assertNull(messages.pendingAsk(T), "a finished ticket carries no open question either");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void pendingAskReturnsTheOpenQuestionForAnAsyncTicket() throws Exception {
+        String ticket = messages.sendAsync(T, "task that asks");
+        awaitWaiting();
+        injectDelivery();
+
+        CompletableFuture<MessageService.AskResult> ask =
+                CompletableFuture.supplyAsync(() -> messages.ask(T, "which config file?", 5000));
+        MessageService.TaskView asking = awaitTicketPhase(ticket, MessageService.Phase.ASKING);
+
+        MessageService.PendingAsk pending = messages.pendingAsk(T);
+        assertNotNull(pending, "bridge_status should see the open question");
+        assertEquals(ticket, pending.ticket());
+        assertEquals("which config file?", pending.question());
+        assertEquals(asking.turnId(), pending.turnId());
+
+        CompletableFuture<MessageService.Reply> answer = CompletableFuture.supplyAsync(
+                () -> messages.answer(asking.turnId(), "config.yaml", 5000));
+        assertEquals("config.yaml", ask.get(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS).answer());
+        assertNull(messages.pendingAsk(T), "an answered question is no longer pending");
+        awaitWaiting();
+        assertTrue(rendezvous.resolve(T, "done"));
+        assertEquals(MessageService.Outcome.REPLIED, answer.get(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS).outcome());
+    }
+
+    // --- CB-588: async ticket terminal nudges ---------------------------------------------------
+    //
+    // MessageService.reply's rendezvous fast path is exactly what an async ticket always takes
+    // (sendAsync registers a rendezvous waiter — see asyncTasksByWaiter), so it never reached
+    // ReplyPushLoop.onReplyQueued. These prove the ticket reaches ReplyPushLoop through the new
+    // onTicketTerminal entry point instead, with no bridge_poll from the lead first.
+
+    private static final String LEAD = "term_lead";
+
+    /** A MessageService wired to a real ReplyPushLoop pointed at a private herdr fake for the lead. */
+    private record PushWiring(MessageService service, FakeHerdr leadHerdr,
+                              java.util.concurrent.ScheduledExecutorService scheduler) implements AutoCloseable {
+        @Override
+        public void close() {
+            scheduler.shutdownNow();
+        }
+    }
+
+    private PushWiring wireWithPushLoop(int maxReminders, long backoffMs) {
+        return wireWithPushLoop(maxReminders, backoffMs, System::nanoTime);
+    }
+
+    /** As above, with an injectable clock (CB-588 follow-up: exercise pruneTerminalTickets' TTL). */
+    private PushWiring wireWithPushLoop(int maxReminders, long backoffMs, java.util.function.LongSupplier nowNanos) {
+        PrimaryRegistry registry = new PrimaryRegistry(null);
+        registry.recordDelegation(T, LEAD);
+        FakeHerdr leadHerdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        AgentControl leadAgents = new AgentControl(leadHerdr);
+        var scheduler = java.util.concurrent.Executors.newSingleThreadScheduledExecutor();
+        ReplyPushLoop pushLoop = new ReplyPushLoop(registry, leadAgents, inbox, scheduler, maxReminders, backoffMs);
+        MessageService service = new MessageService(agents, injector, rendezvous, inbox, pushLoop, null, nowNanos);
+        return new PushWiring(service, leadHerdr, scheduler);
+    }
+
+    private void awaitNudge(FakeHerdr leadHerdr) throws InterruptedException {
+        long deadline = System.currentTimeMillis() + 3000;
+        while (!leadHerdr.called("agent.prompt") && System.currentTimeMillis() < deadline) {
+            Thread.sleep(10);
+        }
+        assertTrue(leadHerdr.called("agent.prompt"), "expected a nudge in the lead's pane");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void anAsyncTicketThatFinishesNudgesTheLeadWithNoPriorPollCall() throws Exception {
+        try (var wiring = wireWithPushLoop(1, 50)) {
+            String ticket = wiring.service().sendAsync(T, "long task");
+            awaitWaiting();
+            injectDelivery();
+            assertTrue(rendezvous.resolve(T, "async result"));
+
+            awaitNudge(wiring.leadHerdr());
+            String nudge = wiring.leadHerdr().lastCall("agent.prompt").params().toString();
+            assertTrue(nudge.contains(ticket), "the nudge should name the ticket: " + nudge);
+            assertTrue(nudge.contains("bridge_poll(ticket="),
+                    "the nudge should name the exact ticket-collecting call: " + nudge);
+            assertFalse(nudge.toUpperCase().contains("FAILED"),
+                    "a successfully-replied ticket's nudge must not say it failed: " + nudge);
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void aFailedAsyncTicketAlsoNudgesAndSaysSo() throws Exception {
+        try (var wiring = wireWithPushLoop(1, 50)) {
+            wiring.service().sendAsync(T, "long task");
+            awaitWaiting();
+            wiring.service().abandon(T, "session released"); // a terminal failure phase
+
+            awaitNudge(wiring.leadHerdr());
+            String nudge = wiring.leadHerdr().lastCall("agent.prompt").params().toString();
+            assertTrue(nudge.toUpperCase().contains("FAILED"), "a failed ticket's nudge must say so: " + nudge);
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void anAlreadyCollectedTicketProducesNoNudge() throws Exception {
+        try (var wiring = wireWithPushLoop(1, 300)) { // wide backoff: poll before the first tick fires
+            String ticket = wiring.service().sendAsync(T, "long task");
+            awaitWaiting();
+            injectDelivery();
+            assertTrue(rendezvous.resolve(T, "async result"));
+
+            MessageService.TaskView view = awaitTicketPhaseOn(wiring.service(), ticket, MessageService.Phase.DONE);
+            assertEquals(MessageService.Phase.DONE, view.phase());
+
+            Thread.sleep(400); // let the scheduled tick run — it must find nothing pending
+            assertFalse(wiring.leadHerdr().called("agent.prompt"),
+                    "a ticket the lead already polled must never be nudged");
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void severalAsyncTicketsFinishingTogetherProduceOneCoalescedNudge() throws Exception {
+        try (var wiring = wireWithPushLoop(1, 300)) { // wide backoff: both tickets land before the tick fires
+            String first = wiring.service().sendAsync(T, "first task");
+            awaitWaiting();
+            injectDelivery();
+            assertTrue(rendezvous.resolve(T, "first done"));
+            // Settle without polling: poll() itself marks a ticket collected (that's the point of
+            // anAlreadyCollectedTicketProducesNoNudge above) — using it here to detect completion
+            // would collect the ticket before the coalescing this test checks ever gets a chance.
+            Thread.sleep(100);
+
+            String second = wiring.service().sendAsync(T, "second task");
+            awaitWaiting();
+            injectDelivery();
+            assertTrue(rendezvous.resolve(T, "second done"));
+            Thread.sleep(100);
+
+            awaitNudge(wiring.leadHerdr());
+            Thread.sleep(200); // settle — nothing more should arrive beyond the one coalesced nudge
+            long nudgeCount = wiring.leadHerdr().calls.stream()
+                    .filter(c -> c.method().equals("agent.prompt")).count();
+            assertEquals(1, nudgeCount, "two tickets finishing together must produce ONE nudge, not two");
+            String nudge = wiring.leadHerdr().lastCall("agent.prompt").params().toString();
+            assertTrue(nudge.contains(first) && nudge.contains(second),
+                    "the coalesced nudge should name both tickets: " + nudge);
+        }
+    }
+
+    // --- CB-582: bridge_ask question-open nudges --------------------------------------------------
+
+    @Test
+    void anAsyncTicketThatPausesOnAQuestionNudgesTheLeadWithNoPriorPollCall() throws Exception {
+        try (var wiring = wireWithPushLoop(5, 50)) {
+            String ticket = wiring.service().sendAsync(T, "task that asks");
+            awaitWaiting();
+            injectDelivery();
+
+            CompletableFuture<MessageService.AskResult> ask = CompletableFuture.supplyAsync(
+                    () -> wiring.service().ask(T, "which config file?", 5000));
+            MessageService.TaskView asking = awaitTicketPhaseOn(wiring.service(), ticket, MessageService.Phase.ASKING);
+
+            awaitNudge(wiring.leadHerdr());
+            String nudge = wiring.leadHerdr().lastCall("agent.prompt").params().toString();
+            assertTrue(nudge.contains(ticket), "the nudge should name the ticket: " + nudge);
+            assertTrue(nudge.contains(asking.turnId()), "the nudge should name the turnId: " + nudge);
+            assertTrue(nudge.contains("bridge_send(turnId="),
+                    "the nudge should name the exact answer call: " + nudge);
+            assertTrue(nudge.contains("which config file?"), "the nudge should include the question: " + nudge);
+
+            // Clean up the still-open ask so the background thread does not linger past the test.
+            CompletableFuture<MessageService.Reply> answer = CompletableFuture.supplyAsync(
+                    () -> wiring.service().answer(asking.turnId(), "config.yaml", 5000));
+            assertEquals("config.yaml", ask.get(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS).answer());
+            awaitWaiting();
+            assertTrue(rendezvous.resolve(T, "done"));
+            answer.get(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void answeringAQuestionStopsFurtherNudgesAboutIt() throws Exception {
+        try (var wiring = wireWithPushLoop(5, 50)) {
+            String ticket = wiring.service().sendAsync(T, "task that asks");
+            awaitWaiting();
+            injectDelivery();
+
+            CompletableFuture<MessageService.AskResult> ask = CompletableFuture.supplyAsync(
+                    () -> wiring.service().ask(T, "which config file?", 5000));
+            MessageService.TaskView asking = awaitTicketPhaseOn(wiring.service(), ticket, MessageService.Phase.ASKING);
+
+            awaitNudge(wiring.leadHerdr());
+            long callsBeforeAnswer = wiring.leadHerdr().calls.stream()
+                    .filter(c -> c.method().equals("agent.prompt")).count();
+
+            CompletableFuture<MessageService.Reply> answer = CompletableFuture.supplyAsync(
+                    () -> wiring.service().answer(asking.turnId(), "config.yaml", 5000));
+            assertEquals("config.yaml", ask.get(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS).answer());
+            awaitWaiting();
+            assertTrue(rendezvous.resolve(T, "done"));
+            answer.get(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+
+            // Let several more ticks (and the ticket's own now-legitimate terminal nudge) fire —
+            // none of them may still name the question's turnId, which is closed.
+            Thread.sleep(300);
+            boolean anyNamesClosedQuestion = wiring.leadHerdr().calls.stream()
+                    .filter(c -> c.method().equals("agent.prompt"))
+                    .skip(callsBeforeAnswer)
+                    .anyMatch(c -> c.params().toString().contains(asking.turnId()));
+            assertFalse(anyNamesClosedQuestion,
+                    "no nudge sent after the answer may still name the now-closed turnId " + asking.turnId());
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void anAskThatLeavesByThrowingStillClosesItsQuestion() throws Exception {
+        // CB-582 follow-up. ask() calls clearAsyncQuestion on three paths — no-waiter, timed out,
+        // and (from answer()) answered — but it can also leave by *throwing*: an interrupt while
+        // blocked on the answer, or an ExecutionException from the answer future. Those paths run
+        // only the finally block, so before the fix the push loop kept the question pending for
+        // good: named in every nudge until its own cap, then never removed from the map at all.
+        PrimaryRegistry registry = new PrimaryRegistry(null);
+        registry.recordDelegation(T, LEAD);
+        var scheduler = java.util.concurrent.Executors.newSingleThreadScheduledExecutor();
+        // A backoff far longer than the test: the schedule is started but no tick ever fires, so
+        // decide() is read directly and nothing here depends on timing.
+        ReplyPushLoop pushLoop = new ReplyPushLoop(registry, new AgentControl(new FakeHerdr()), inbox,
+                scheduler, 5, 60_000);
+        MessageService service = new MessageService(agents, injector, rendezvous, inbox, pushLoop);
+        try {
+            String ticket = service.sendAsync(T, "task that asks");
+            awaitWaiting();
+            injectDelivery();
+
+            Thread asker = new Thread(() -> assertThrows(IllegalStateException.class,
+                    () -> service.ask(T, "which config file?", 30_000)));
+            asker.start();
+            awaitTicketPhaseOn(service, ticket, MessageService.Phase.ASKING);
+            assertEquals(ReplyPushLoop.Action.INJECT, pushLoop.decide(LEAD, 0, 0, 0),
+                    "the open question should be the one thing keeping this lead's schedule alive");
+
+            asker.interrupt();
+            asker.join(5000);
+            assertFalse(asker.isAlive(), "the interrupted ask should have left ask() by throwing");
+
+            assertEquals(ReplyPushLoop.Action.STOP, pushLoop.decide(LEAD, 0, 0, 0),
+                    "an ask that threw must still close its question, or the loop nudges about it for good");
+        } finally {
+            service.close();
+            scheduler.shutdownNow();
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void aFleetWithNoPushLoopConfiguredBehavesExactlyAsToday() throws Exception {
+        // `messages` (the shared field) uses the no-pushLoop constructor — poll() must not throw,
+        // and no nudge mechanism exists to fire regardless of how the ticket resolves.
+        String ticket = messages.sendAsync(T, "long task");
+        awaitWaiting();
+        injectDelivery();
+        assertTrue(rendezvous.resolve(T, "async result"));
+
+        MessageService.TaskView view = awaitTicketPhase(ticket, MessageService.Phase.DONE);
+        assertEquals(MessageService.Phase.DONE, view.phase());
+        assertEquals("async result", view.reply());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * CB-588 follow-up: {@code tasks} is the sole authority on whether a ticket exists, and
+     * {@code pruneTerminalTickets} drops entries from it once {@link MessageService#TICKET_TTL_NANOS}
+     * elapses. Before this test, that prune never told {@code ReplyPushLoop} — its own
+     * {@code pendingTickets} entry for a pruned, never-collected ticket had no remover at all, so it
+     * rode along on every later nudge to the same lead, naming a ticket {@code bridge_poll} could no
+     * longer find. Uses the injectable clock (mirroring {@code SessionManager}'s {@code nowNanos} seam
+     * for its idle reaper) to cross the 10-minute TTL without a real wait.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void aPrunedTicketIsReclaimedFromThePushLoopNotLeakedForever() throws Exception {
+        java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicLong clock = new java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicLong(1_000_000_000L);
+        // maxReminders=1 + a short backoff: the stale ticket gets its one legitimate reminder, then
+        // decideTickets hits the cap and STOPs — activeLeads drops the lead, but (before the fix)
+        // pendingTickets never drops the ticket. That is the exact "cap already STOPped" branch of
+        // the bug report, reached deterministically rather than by timing it against a live tick.
+        try (var wiring = wireWithPushLoop(1, 50, clock::get)) {
+            String stale = wiring.service().sendAsync(T, "first task");
+            awaitWaiting();
+            injectDelivery();
+            assertTrue(rendezvous.resolve(T, "stale result"));
+
+            // Let the reminder loop fire its one nudge and hit the cap (STOP removes it from
+            // activeLeads; pendingTickets is untouched either way — that asymmetry is the bug).
+            awaitNudge(wiring.leadHerdr());
+            Thread.sleep(300);
+            assertTrue(wiring.leadHerdr().lastCall("agent.prompt").params().toString().contains(stale),
+                    "sanity: the stale ticket's own reminder must have fired first");
+
+            // Cross the TTL — a real clock would need 10 minutes; the injected one does it instantly.
+            clock.addAndGet(MessageService.TICKET_TTL_NANOS + TimeUnit.SECONDS.toNanos(1));
+
+            // A second, unrelated ticket to the same target/lead reaches sendAsync, which prunes.
+            String fresh = wiring.service().sendAsync(T, "second task");
+            awaitWaiting();
+            injectDelivery();
+            assertTrue(rendezvous.resolve(T, "fresh result"));
+
+            // The fresh ticket restarts the (now-dormant) reminder loop with its own nudge.
+            long before = wiring.leadHerdr().calls.stream().filter(c -> c.method().equals("agent.prompt")).count();
+            long deadline = System.currentTimeMillis() + 3000;
+            while (wiring.leadHerdr().calls.stream().filter(c -> c.method().equals("agent.prompt")).count() <= before
+                    && System.currentTimeMillis() < deadline) {
+                Thread.sleep(10);
+            }
+            String latestNudge = wiring.leadHerdr().lastCall("agent.prompt").params().toString();
+            assertTrue(latestNudge.contains(fresh), "the fresh ticket's nudge must still arrive: " + latestNudge);
+            assertFalse(latestNudge.contains(stale),
+                    "a pruned ticket must never be named in a later nudge — it is gone and bridge_poll "
+                            + "on it would return nothing: " + latestNudge);
+
+            // And bridge_poll(ticket=stale) really does return nothing now — the nudge would have lied.
+            assertNull(wiring.service().poll(stale), "the pruned ticket must actually be gone, not just unmentioned");
+        }
+    }
+
+    private MessageService.TaskView awaitTicketPhaseOn(MessageService svc, String ticket,
+            MessageService.Phase phase) throws Exception {
+        long deadline = System.currentTimeMillis() + 3000;
+        MessageService.TaskView view;
+        do {
+            view = svc.poll(ticket);
+            if (view.phase() == phase) {
+                return view;
+            }
+            Thread.sleep(5);
+        } while (System.currentTimeMillis() < deadline);
+        assertEquals(phase, view.phase());
+        return view;
+    }
+
     private void assertFailedTicket(String ticket, String reason) throws Exception {
         MessageService.TaskView view = awaitTicketPhase(ticket, MessageService.Phase.FAILED);
         assertEquals(reason, view.detail());

bridged/src/test/java/dev/ltms/bridged/msg/ReplyPushLoopTest.java

@@ -15,10 +15,12 @@ import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch;
 import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
 import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledExecutorService;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger;
 
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.*;
 
@@ -26,6 +28,12 @@ import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.*;
  * Unit tests for {@link ReplyPushLoop}: decision logic, nudge injection, idempotency,
  * bounded reminders, and stop conditions.
  *
+ * <p>CB-590 collapsed the CB-307 reply-nudge schedule and the CB-588 ticket-nudge schedule into
+ * one schedule per lead ({@link ReplyPushLoop#decide}), so most tests below register pending work
+ * through the public entry points ({@code onReplyQueued} / {@code onTicketTerminal}) before
+ * exercising {@code decide} directly, mirroring how the two entry points now share one decision
+ * function keyed by the lead terminal rather than by worker target.
+ *
  * <p>Uses a {@link RecordingHerdrClient} that synchronizes access to its call list so the
  * scheduler thread and test thread never have memory ordering issues. The {@code decide()}
  * tests use a simple client with no concurrency concern.
@@ -34,6 +42,7 @@ class ReplyPushLoopTest {
 
     private static final String PRIMARY = "term_primary";
     private static final String WORKER = "term_worker";
+    private static final String WORKER2 = "term_worker2";
     private static final ObjectMapper MAPPER = new ObjectMapper();
 
     private PrimaryRegistry registry;
@@ -57,38 +66,50 @@ class ReplyPushLoopTest {
     // --- decide() logic ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
     @Test
-    void decideWithoutPrimaryIsStop() {
-        agents = agentWithStatus("idle");
-        var loop = new ReplyPushLoop(
-                new PrimaryRegistry(null), agents, inbox, scheduler, 5, 100);
-        assertEquals(ReplyPushLoop.Action.STOP, loop.decide(WORKER, 0));
+    void onReplyQueuedWithNoKnownLeadNeverStartsASchedule() throws Exception {
+        var rec = recordingClient();
+        agents = new AgentControl(rec);
+        inbox.publish(WORKER, "m1", "hello");
+        var loop = new ReplyPushLoop(new PrimaryRegistry(null), agents, inbox, scheduler, 5, 50);
+
+        loop.onReplyQueued(WORKER); // no lead known -> never registered, never scheduled
+
+        assertFalse(loop.isActive(), "no lead known means nothing to nudge yet");
+        Thread.sleep(150);
+        assertEquals(0, rec.sendCount(), "must not nudge when no lead is known to be waiting");
     }
 
     @Test
-    void decideWithEmptyInboxIsStop() {
+    void decideWithNothingPendingIsStop() {
         agents = agentWithStatus("idle");
-        assertEquals(ReplyPushLoop.Action.STOP, loop().decide(WORKER, 0));
+        assertEquals(ReplyPushLoop.Action.STOP, loop().decide(PRIMARY, 0, 0));
     }
 
     @Test
     void decideAtCapIsStop() {
         agents = agentWithStatus("idle");
         inbox.publish(WORKER, "m1", "hello");
-        assertEquals(ReplyPushLoop.Action.STOP, loop(2, 100).decide(WORKER, 2));
+        var loop = loop(2, 100);
+        loop.onReplyQueued(WORKER);
+        assertEquals(ReplyPushLoop.Action.STOP, loop.decide(PRIMARY, 2, 0));
     }
 
     @Test
     void decideUnderCapWithInjectablePrimaryIsInject() {
         agents = agentWithStatus("idle");
         inbox.publish(WORKER, "m1", "hello");
-        assertEquals(ReplyPushLoop.Action.INJECT, loop().decide(WORKER, 0));
+        var loop = loop();
+        loop.onReplyQueued(WORKER);
+        assertEquals(ReplyPushLoop.Action.INJECT, loop.decide(PRIMARY, 0, 0));
     }
 
     @Test
     void decideUnderCapWithBlockedPrimaryIsInject() {
         agents = agentWithStatus("blocked");
         inbox.publish(WORKER, "m1", "hello");
-        assertEquals(ReplyPushLoop.Action.INJECT, loop().decide(WORKER, 0),
+        var loop = loop();
+        loop.onReplyQueued(WORKER);
+        assertEquals(ReplyPushLoop.Action.INJECT, loop.decide(PRIMARY, 0, 0),
                 "BLOCKED is injectable");
     }
 
@@ -96,7 +117,9 @@ class ReplyPushLoopTest {
     void decideUnderCapWithDonePrimaryIsInject() {
         agents = agentWithStatus("done");
         inbox.publish(WORKER, "m1", "hello");
-        assertEquals(ReplyPushLoop.Action.INJECT, loop().decide(WORKER, 0),
+        var loop = loop();
+        loop.onReplyQueued(WORKER);
+        assertEquals(ReplyPushLoop.Action.INJECT, loop.decide(PRIMARY, 0, 0),
                 "DONE is injectable");
     }
 
@@ -104,23 +127,29 @@ class ReplyPushLoopTest {
     void decideUnderCapWithBusyPrimaryIsWaitBusy() {
         agents = agentWithStatus("working");
         inbox.publish(WORKER, "m1", "hello");
-        assertEquals(ReplyPushLoop.Action.WAIT_BUSY, loop().decide(WORKER, 0));
+        var loop = loop();
+        loop.onReplyQueued(WORKER);
+        assertEquals(ReplyPushLoop.Action.WAIT_BUSY, loop.decide(PRIMARY, 0, 0));
     }
 
     @Test
     void decideUnderCapWithUnknownPrimaryIsWaitBusy() {
         agents = agentWithStatus("unknown");
         inbox.publish(WORKER, "m1", "hello");
-        assertEquals(ReplyPushLoop.Action.WAIT_BUSY, loop().decide(WORKER, 0));
+        var loop = loop();
+        loop.onReplyQueued(WORKER);
+        assertEquals(ReplyPushLoop.Action.WAIT_BUSY, loop.decide(PRIMARY, 0, 0));
     }
 
     @Test
     void decideStopsAfterInboxIsEmptied() {
         agents = agentWithStatus("idle");
         inbox.publish(WORKER, "m1", "hello");
-        assertEquals(ReplyPushLoop.Action.INJECT, loop().decide(WORKER, 0));
+        var loop = loop();
+        loop.onReplyQueued(WORKER);
+        assertEquals(ReplyPushLoop.Action.INJECT, loop.decide(PRIMARY, 0, 0));
         inbox.ack(WORKER, "m1");
-        assertEquals(ReplyPushLoop.Action.STOP, loop().decide(WORKER, 0));
+        assertEquals(ReplyPushLoop.Action.STOP, loop.decide(PRIMARY, 0, 0));
     }
 
     // --- onReplyQueued integration -------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -200,6 +229,560 @@ class ReplyPushLoopTest {
         assertTrue(nudge.contains("bridge_poll(target=term_worker)"));
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void repliesNudgeFormatIsCorrect() {
+        String multi = ReplyPushLoop.REPLIES_NUDGE_FORMAT.formatted(2, "term_worker1, term_worker2");
+        assertTrue(multi.contains("2 workers"));
+        assertTrue(multi.contains("bridge_poll(target=...)"));
+    }
+
+    // --- CB-588: async ticket terminal nudges — decide() logic on tickets -----------------------
+
+    @Test
+    void decideTicketsWithNothingPendingIsStop() {
+        agents = agentWithStatus("idle");
+        assertEquals(ReplyPushLoop.Action.STOP, loop().decide(PRIMARY, 0, 0));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void decideTicketsAtCapIsStop() {
+        agents = agentWithStatus("idle");
+        var loop = loop(2, 100_000);
+        loop.onTicketTerminal("task-1", WORKER, false);
+        assertEquals(ReplyPushLoop.Action.STOP, loop.decide(PRIMARY, 0, 2));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void decideTicketsUnderCapWithInjectableLeadIsInject() {
+        agents = agentWithStatus("idle");
+        var loop = loop(5, 100_000);
+        loop.onTicketTerminal("task-1", WORKER, false);
+        assertEquals(ReplyPushLoop.Action.INJECT, loop.decide(PRIMARY, 0, 0));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void decideTicketsUnderCapWithBusyLeadIsWaitBusy() {
+        agents = agentWithStatus("working");
+        var loop = loop(5, 100_000);
+        loop.onTicketTerminal("task-1", WORKER, false);
+        assertEquals(ReplyPushLoop.Action.WAIT_BUSY, loop.decide(PRIMARY, 0, 0));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void decideTicketsWithoutAKnownLeadIsStop() {
+        agents = agentWithStatus("idle");
+        var loop = new ReplyPushLoop(new PrimaryRegistry(null), agents, inbox, scheduler, 5, 100_000);
+        loop.onTicketTerminal("task-1", WORKER, false); // no lead known -> never registered as pending
+        assertEquals(ReplyPushLoop.Action.STOP, loop.decide(PRIMARY, 0, 0));
+    }
+
+    // --- CB-588: onTicketTerminal integration ---------------------------------------------------
+
+    @Test
+    void onTicketTerminalCausesExactlyOneNudgeNamingTheTicketAndThePollCall() throws Exception {
+        var rec = recordingClient();
+        agents = new AgentControl(rec);
+
+        loop(1, 50).onTicketTerminal("task-1", WORKER, false);
+
+        assertTrue(rec.sendLatch.await(3, TimeUnit.SECONDS), "one ticket nudge should have been sent");
+        assertEquals(1, rec.sendCount());
+        String nudge = rec.sentParams().getFirst().getValue().toString();
+        assertTrue(nudge.contains("task-1"), "nudge should name the ticket");
+        assertTrue(nudge.contains("bridge_poll(ticket="), "nudge should name the exact ticket-poll call");
+        assertFalse(nudge.contains("bridge_poll(target="), "a ticket-only nudge must not tell the lead to run the target-poll call");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void aFailedTicketNudgeSaysItWasAFailure() throws Exception {
+        var rec = recordingClient();
+        agents = new AgentControl(rec);
+
+        loop(1, 50).onTicketTerminal("task-1", WORKER, true);
+
+        assertTrue(rec.sendLatch.await(3, TimeUnit.SECONDS));
+        String nudge = rec.sentParams().getFirst().getValue().toString();
+        assertTrue(nudge.toUpperCase().contains("FAILED"), "a failed ticket's nudge must say so: " + nudge);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void severalTicketsFinishingTogetherProduceOneCoalescedNudge() throws Exception {
+        var rec = recordingClient();
+        agents = new AgentControl(rec);
+        var loop = loop(1, 300); // backoff wide enough that both onTicketTerminal calls land first
+
+        loop.onTicketTerminal("task-1", WORKER, false);
+        loop.onTicketTerminal("task-2", WORKER, true); // arrives while the schedule is already active
+
+        assertTrue(rec.sendLatch.await(3, TimeUnit.SECONDS), "one coalesced nudge should have been sent");
+        assertEquals(1, rec.sendCount(), "two tickets finishing together must produce ONE nudge, not two");
+        String nudge = rec.sentParams().getFirst().getValue().toString();
+        assertTrue(nudge.contains("task-1") && nudge.contains("task-2"),
+                "the coalesced nudge should name both tickets: " + nudge);
+        assertTrue(nudge.contains("2 tickets"), "the coalesced nudge should name the count: " + nudge);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void onTicketTerminalIsIdempotentPerLeadWhileActive() throws Exception {
+        var rec = recordingClient();
+        agents = new AgentControl(rec);
+        rec.sendLatch = new CountDownLatch(1);
+
+        var loop = loop(1, 100);
+        loop.onTicketTerminal("task-1", WORKER, false);
+        loop.onTicketTerminal("task-1", WORKER, false); // duplicate — should not start a second schedule
+
+        assertTrue(rec.sendLatch.await(3, TimeUnit.SECONDS));
+        Thread.sleep(200);
+        assertEquals(1, rec.sendCount(), "a duplicate onTicketTerminal for the same lead must not double-nudge");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void aTicketAlreadyCollectedProducesNoNudge() throws Exception {
+        var rec = recordingClient();
+        agents = new AgentControl(rec);
+        var loop = loop(1, 100);
+
+        loop.onTicketTerminal("task-1", WORKER, false);
+        loop.ticketCollected("task-1"); // the lead polled before the first tick fired
+
+        Thread.sleep(300); // let the scheduled tick run
+        assertEquals(0, rec.sendCount(), "an already-collected ticket must never be nudged");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void ticketNudgesSendUpToCapThenStop() throws Exception {
+        int cap = 2;
+        var rec = recordingClient();
+        agents = new AgentControl(rec);
+        rec.sendLatch = new CountDownLatch(cap);
+
+        loop(cap, 50).onTicketTerminal("task-1", WORKER, false);
+
+        assertTrue(rec.sendLatch.await(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS), cap + " ticket nudges should have fired");
+        Thread.sleep(300);
+        assertEquals(cap, rec.sendCount(), "exactly " + cap + " ticket nudges (cap=" + cap + ")");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void isActiveReflectsALiveTicketScheduleForTheHeartbeatStandDown() {
+        var rec = recordingClient();
+        agents = new AgentControl(rec);
+        ReplyPushLoop loop = loop(1, 100_000); // long backoff so the tick cannot fire mid-test
+
+        loop.onTicketTerminal("task-1", WORKER, false);
+        assertTrue(loop.isActive(), "an active ticket-reminder schedule must also stand off the heartbeat");
+
+        loop.stop();
+        assertFalse(loop.isActive(), "stopping clears the active ticket schedule too");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void aTicketStillPendingWhenTheLoopStopsIsNotStranded() {
+        // Regression for the race a reviewer found in gitea PR #73: onTicketTerminal's
+        // activeLeads.putIfAbsent can see the lead's slot as still occupied a moment before
+        // decide's STOP releases it, so the ticket coalesces onto a schedule that is about to
+        // die and nothing ever nudges about it. Forcing that exact thread interleaving is not
+        // reliable, so this drives stopOrRestart — the STOP path's own release-and-recheck —
+        // directly, arranging the state it must not lose a ticket in: a ticket pending for the lead
+        // that was NOT part of the pre-decision snapshot (ticketsBefore=empty), standing in for one
+        // that races in during the decision-to-release window.
+        var rec = recordingClient();
+        agents = new AgentControl(rec);
+        ReplyPushLoop loop = loop(1, 100_000); // long backoff — no natural tick fires during this test
+
+        loop.onTicketTerminal("task-1", WORKER, false); // pendingTickets={task-1}; activeLeads={PRIMARY}
+
+        // Stand in for the scheduler thread reaching decide==STOP for this lead — with nothing
+        // pending at decide time — while task-1 races in before the release below runs.
+        loop.stopOrRestart(PRIMARY, Set.of(), Set.of());
+
+        assertTrue(loop.isActive(), "a ticket that raced the loop's stop must reclaim the schedule "
+                + "slot, not be stranded with no schedule left to ever nudge about it");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void aStaleUncollectedTicketAtCapDoesNotRestartTheLoop() {
+        // The other direction of the same fix: restarting on ANY non-empty pending set would be
+        // wrong. When STOP is reached because the reminder cap was hit, the same never-collected
+        // ticket is expected to still be there — that is the cap doing its job (acceptance criterion
+        // #5: no spin / nudges stay bounded). task-1 here was already accounted for at decide time
+        // (it is in ticketsBefore), so it must not restart the loop just because it is still sitting
+        // there.
+        var rec = recordingClient();
+        agents = new AgentControl(rec);
+        ReplyPushLoop loop = loop(1, 100_000);
+
+        loop.onTicketTerminal("task-1", WORKER, false); // pendingTickets={task-1}; activeLeads={PRIMARY}
+
+        loop.stopOrRestart(PRIMARY, Set.of(), Set.of("task-1"));
+
+        assertFalse(loop.isActive(), "a stale ticket already accounted for at decide time must not "
+                + "restart the loop — that would defeat the reminder cap");
+    }
+
+    // --- mirror of the two stopOrRestart tests above, for the reply arm ------------------------
+    //
+    // Both tests above only ever passed Set.of() for repliesBefore, so racedIn's reply branch
+    // (`pendingReplyTargetsFor(lead).stream().anyMatch(t -> !repliesBefore.contains(t))`) was
+    // never exercised by anything other than an always-empty snapshot. The reviewer flagged this:
+    // racedIn is symmetric in the code, and only half of it was pinned by a test.
+
+    @Test
+    void aReplyStillPendingWhenTheLoopStopsIsNotStranded() {
+        // Mirrors aTicketStillPendingWhenTheLoopStopsIsNotStranded: a reply target that raced in
+        // during the decision-to-release window (absent from the "before" snapshot) must reclaim
+        // the schedule slot rather than being stranded with no schedule left to nudge about it.
+        var rec = recordingClient();
+        agents = new AgentControl(rec);
+        inbox.publish(WORKER, "m1", "hello");
+        ReplyPushLoop loop = loop(1, 100_000); // long backoff — no natural tick fires during this test
+
+        loop.onReplyQueued(WORKER); // pendingReplies={term_worker}; activeLeads={PRIMARY}
+
+        loop.stopOrRestart(PRIMARY, Set.of(), Set.of());
+
+        assertTrue(loop.isActive(), "a reply that raced the loop's stop must reclaim the schedule "
+                + "slot, not be stranded with no schedule left to ever nudge about it");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void aStaleUncollectedReplyAtCapDoesNotRestartTheLoop() {
+        // Mirrors aStaleUncollectedTicketAtCapDoesNotRestartTheLoop: a reply target already
+        // accounted for at decide time (present in repliesBefore) must not restart the loop —
+        // that is the reminder cap doing its job, not a race.
+        var rec = recordingClient();
+        agents = new AgentControl(rec);
+        inbox.publish(WORKER, "m1", "hello");
+        ReplyPushLoop loop = loop(1, 100_000);
+
+        loop.onReplyQueued(WORKER); // pendingReplies={term_worker}; activeLeads={PRIMARY}
+
+        loop.stopOrRestart(PRIMARY, Set.of(WORKER), Set.of());
+
+        assertFalse(loop.isActive(), "a stale reply target already accounted for at decide time "
+                + "must not restart the loop — that would defeat the reminder cap");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void ticketNudgeFormatIsCorrect() {
+        String single = ReplyPushLoop.TICKET_NUDGE_FORMAT.formatted("task-1", "", "task-1");
+        assertTrue(single.contains("Ticket task-1"));
+        assertTrue(single.contains("bridge_poll(ticket=task-1)"));
+
+        String multi = ReplyPushLoop.TICKETS_NUDGE_FORMAT.formatted(2, "", "task-1, task-2");
+        assertTrue(multi.contains("2 tickets"));
+        assertTrue(multi.contains("bridge_poll(ticket=...)"));
+    }
+
+    // --- CB-307 nudge path is unchanged (regression) --------------------------------------------
+
+    @Test
+    void inboxNudgeStillUsesTheOriginalTargetPollCall() {
+        String nudge = ReplyPushLoop.NUDGE_FORMAT.formatted(WORKER, WORKER);
+        assertTrue(nudge.contains("bridge_poll(target=" + WORKER + ")"),
+                "CB-588/CB-590 must not change the CB-307 inbox nudge's call shape");
+    }
+
+    // --- CB-590: one schedule per lead — no overlap, no lost nudges -----------------------------
+
+    @Test
+    void replyAndTicketForTheSameLeadCoalesceIntoOneSendNeverOverlapping() throws Exception {
+        var rec = recordingClient();
+        agents = new AgentControl(rec);
+        inbox.publish(WORKER, "m1", "hello");
+        var loop = loop(1, 300); // backoff wide enough that both entry points land before the first tick
+
+        loop.onReplyQueued(WORKER);
+        loop.onTicketTerminal("task-1", WORKER, false);
+
+        assertTrue(rec.sendLatch.await(3, TimeUnit.SECONDS), "one combined nudge should have been sent");
+        Thread.sleep(300);
+        assertEquals(1, rec.sendCount(),
+                "a reply and a ticket for the same lead must coalesce onto ONE schedule — "
+                        + "two nudge injections into the same lead pane must never overlap");
+        String nudge = rec.sentParams().getFirst().getValue().toString();
+        assertTrue(nudge.contains("bridge_poll(target=" + WORKER + ")"),
+                "the combined nudge must still mention the reply: " + nudge);
+        assertTrue(nudge.contains("task-1"), "the combined nudge must still mention the ticket: " + nudge);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void aReplyQueuedWhileTheLeadIsBusyIsNotLostWhenATicketArrivesToo() throws Exception {
+        // The lead is busy for its first two status checks, then becomes injectable. A reply is
+        // queued while busy; a ticket for the same lead arrives before the lead frees up. Neither
+        // may be dropped — deferred is fine, lost is not (acceptance criterion #2).
+        var rec = new BusyThenIdleHerdrClient(2);
+        agents = new AgentControl(rec);
+        inbox.publish(WORKER, "m1", "hello");
+        var loop = loop(1, 50); // cap=1: WAIT_BUSY doesn't count against it, so exactly one send once injectable
+
+        loop.onReplyQueued(WORKER);                     // schedule starts, first tick(s) WAIT_BUSY
+        loop.onTicketTerminal("task-1", WORKER, false);  // coalesces onto the same waiting schedule
+
+        assertTrue(rec.sendLatch.await(3, TimeUnit.SECONDS),
+                "once the lead becomes injectable, the deferred work must still be nudged");
+        Thread.sleep(200);
+        assertEquals(1, rec.sendCount(), "exactly one nudge once injectable — reply and ticket coalesced");
+        String nudge = rec.sentParams().getFirst().getValue().toString();
+        assertTrue(nudge.contains("bridge_poll(target=" + WORKER + ")"), "the reply must not be dropped: " + nudge);
+        assertTrue(nudge.contains("task-1"), "the ticket must not be dropped: " + nudge);
+    }
+
+    // --- CB-590 follow-up: per-source reminder budgets — the regression this round exists for ---
+
+    @Test
+    void oneExhaustedSourceDoesNotBlockANudgeForTheOtherSource() {
+        // The live trace this ticket was filed from: an undrained reply target got nudged up to
+        // its cap (5 reminders), then a ticket for the SAME lead went terminal shortly before the
+        // next scheduled tick — so it coalesced onto the still-active schedule (arriving BEFORE
+        // that tick's "before" snapshot, not during the decision-to-release race stopOrRestart
+        // guards). With CB-590's single shared reminder counter, that tick's decide() saw
+        // reminderCount already at the cap and returned STOP regardless of the ticket, and because
+        // the ticket was already present in that tick's "before" snapshot, stopOrRestart's
+        // racedIn check (proven correct on its own above) did not save it either — it is not a
+        // race, it looks like ordinary stale backlog. The ticket was then stranded: pending
+        // forever with no live schedule, never named in any nudge.
+        //
+        // Fixed by giving each source its own counter. Here the reply source is AT its cap (2/2)
+        // and the ticket source has NEVER been nudged (0/2) — decide() must still return INJECT,
+        // because the ticket is still eligible on its own budget.
+        agents = agentWithStatus("idle");
+        inbox.publish(WORKER, "m1", "hello");
+        var loop = loop(2, 100_000); // huge backoff — this test drives decide()/isActive() directly
+        loop.onReplyQueued(WORKER);
+        loop.onTicketTerminal("task-1", WORKER, false);
+
+        assertEquals(ReplyPushLoop.Action.INJECT, loop.decide(PRIMARY, 2, 0),
+                "the reply source is exhausted (2/2), but the ticket source has never been "
+                        + "nudged (0/2) — the lead must still be injected so the ticket is not "
+                        + "lost, exactly the CB-590 follow-up regression");
+
+        // isActive() (criterion #5): a real tick that takes the INJECT branch above never calls
+        // stopOrRestart, so the schedule started by onTicketTerminal above stays live — the
+        // ticket is not left stranded with isActive()==false while it is still pending.
+        assertTrue(loop.isActive(), "the schedule must stay active while the ticket source still "
+                + "has budget left, even though the reply source sharing it is exhausted");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void bothSourcesExhaustedIsStillStop() {
+        // The flip side: per-source budgets must not turn into unbounded nudging. When BOTH
+        // sources are at their cap, decide() must still STOP — a per-source budget is still a
+        // budget.
+        agents = agentWithStatus("idle");
+        inbox.publish(WORKER, "m1", "hello");
+        var loop = loop(2, 100_000);
+        loop.onReplyQueued(WORKER);
+        loop.onTicketTerminal("task-1", WORKER, false);
+
+        assertEquals(ReplyPushLoop.Action.STOP, loop.decide(PRIMARY, 2, 2),
+                "both the reply and the ticket source are at their own cap — must still stop");
+    }
+
+    // --- CB-598: work arriving during a backoff must not read as stale backlog -------------------
+
+    @Test
+    void aTargetArrivingDuringTheBackoffGetsNudgedDespiteAnAlreadyCappedSibling() {
+        // The bug: reminder counts used to be a single counter per lead per source, carried
+        // forward across scheduled ticks (scheduleNext(lead, count + 1, ...)) rather than tracked
+        // per pending item. WORKER gets nudged once here, which — with cap=1 — exhausts the
+        // shared reply-source counter for this lead. WORKER2 then queues a reply for the SAME
+        // lead "during the backoff": while the schedule from WORKER's tick is still active, before
+        // the next tick's own start-of-tick snapshot runs. At that next tick, the OLD code passed
+        // the already-exhausted shared counter into decide() regardless of WORKER2 never having
+        // been named in any nudge, and — because WORKER2 was already present in that tick's
+        // "before" snapshot — stopOrRestart's race check (proven correct on its own elsewhere in
+        // this file) does not save it either: it looks like ordinary stale backlog, not a race.
+        // WORKER2 was then stranded forever with no live schedule and no nudge ever naming it.
+        //
+        // tick() is driven directly (package-private, same reasoning as stopOrRestart being
+        // directly testable) so the exact interleaving is deterministic instead of racing the
+        // scheduler thread over a real ~15s backoff.
+        //
+        // Before the fix, this test fails on the second assertEquals: rec.sendCount() stays at 1
+        // (decide() returns STOP on the second tick(), so injectNudge is never called a second
+        // time) and the "must still get one" assertion never even runs.
+        int cap = 1;
+        var rec = recordingClient();
+        agents = new AgentControl(rec);
+        inbox.own(WORKER2);
+        inbox.publish(WORKER, "m1", "hello");
+        var loop = loop(cap, 100_000); // huge backoff — nothing fires on its own; we drive tick()
+
+        loop.onReplyQueued(WORKER);
+        loop.tick(PRIMARY); // first tick: nudges WORKER alone; WORKER's own count reaches the cap
+        assertEquals(1, rec.sendCount(), "the first tick should nudge about WORKER");
+
+        // WORKER2 "arrives during the backoff": queued for the same lead while the schedule from
+        // the tick above is still active (activeLeads still holds PRIMARY), before the next tick
+        // (simulated below) takes its own start-of-tick snapshot.
+        inbox.publish(WORKER2, "m2", "hello2");
+        loop.onReplyQueued(WORKER2);
+
+        loop.tick(PRIMARY); // the tick that would fire once that backoff elapsed
+
+        assertEquals(2, rec.sendCount(),
+                "WORKER2 was never named in any nudge yet and must still get one, even though "
+                        + "WORKER's own reminder count is already at the cap");
+        String secondNudge = rec.sentParams().get(1).getValue().toString();
+        assertTrue(secondNudge.contains(WORKER2), "the never-named target must be named: " + secondNudge);
+
+        // Criterion #3: isActive() must reflect that this lead still had a live nudge to give —
+        // the second tick took the INJECT branch, so the schedule stayed live rather than being
+        // torn down under WORKER2.
+        assertTrue(loop.isActive(), "the schedule must stay active after nudging the fresh target");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void aTicketArrivingDuringTheBackoffGetsNudgedDespiteAnAlreadyCappedSibling() {
+        // Mirrors the reply-side test above for the ticket source.
+        int cap = 1;
+        var rec = recordingClient();
+        agents = new AgentControl(rec);
+        var loop = loop(cap, 100_000);
+
+        loop.onTicketTerminal("task-1", WORKER, false);
+        loop.tick(PRIMARY); // first tick: nudges task-1 alone; its count reaches the cap
+        assertEquals(1, rec.sendCount(), "the first tick should nudge about task-1");
+
+        loop.onTicketTerminal("task-2", WORKER, false); // arrives during the backoff, same lead
+        loop.tick(PRIMARY);
+
+        assertEquals(2, rec.sendCount(),
+                "task-2 was never named in any nudge yet and must still get one, even though "
+                        + "task-1's reminder count is already at the cap");
+        String secondNudge = rec.sentParams().get(1).getValue().toString();
+        assertTrue(secondNudge.contains("task-2"), "the never-named ticket must be named: " + secondNudge);
+        assertTrue(loop.isActive(), "the schedule must stay active after nudging the fresh ticket");
+    }
+
+    // --- CB-582: bridge_ask question-open nudges -------------------------------------------------
+
+    @Test
+    void onQuestionOpenedWithNoKnownLeadNeverStartsASchedule() throws Exception {
+        var rec = recordingClient();
+        agents = new AgentControl(rec);
+        var loop = new ReplyPushLoop(new PrimaryRegistry(null), agents, inbox, scheduler, 5, 50);
+
+        loop.onQuestionOpened("task-1", WORKER, "term_worker#1", "which config?");
+
+        assertFalse(loop.isActive(), "no lead known means nothing to nudge yet");
+        Thread.sleep(150);
+        assertEquals(0, rec.sendCount(), "must not nudge when no lead is known to be waiting");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void decideQuestionsWithNothingPendingIsStop() {
+        agents = agentWithStatus("idle");
+        assertEquals(ReplyPushLoop.Action.STOP, loop().decide(PRIMARY, 0, 0, 0));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void decideQuestionsAtCapIsStop() {
+        agents = agentWithStatus("idle");
+        var loop = loop(2, 100_000);
+        loop.onQuestionOpened("task-1", WORKER, "term_worker#1", "which config?");
+        assertEquals(ReplyPushLoop.Action.STOP, loop.decide(PRIMARY, 0, 0, 2));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void decideQuestionsUnderCapWithInjectableLeadIsInject() {
+        agents = agentWithStatus("idle");
+        var loop = loop(5, 100_000);
+        loop.onQuestionOpened("task-1", WORKER, "term_worker#1", "which config?");
+        assertEquals(ReplyPushLoop.Action.INJECT, loop.decide(PRIMARY, 0, 0, 0));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void onQuestionOpenedCausesExactlyOneNudgeNamingTheTicketAndTurnId() throws Exception {
+        var rec = recordingClient();
+        agents = new AgentControl(rec);
+
+        loop(1, 50).onQuestionOpened("task-1", WORKER, "term_worker#1", "which config file?");
+
+        assertTrue(rec.sendLatch.await(3, TimeUnit.SECONDS), "one question nudge should have been sent");
+        assertEquals(1, rec.sendCount());
+        String nudge = rec.sentParams().getFirst().getValue().toString();
+        assertTrue(nudge.contains("task-1"), "nudge should name the ticket: " + nudge);
+        assertTrue(nudge.contains("term_worker#1"), "nudge should name the turnId: " + nudge);
+        assertTrue(nudge.contains("bridge_send(turnId="), "nudge should name the exact answer call: " + nudge);
+        assertTrue(nudge.contains("which config file?"), "nudge should include the question text: " + nudge);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void questionClosedPreventsFurtherNudging() throws Exception {
+        var rec = recordingClient();
+        agents = new AgentControl(rec);
+        var loop = loop(1, 100);
+
+        loop.onQuestionOpened("task-1", WORKER, "term_worker#1", "which config?");
+        loop.questionClosed("term_worker#1"); // answered/lapsed before the first tick fired
+
+        Thread.sleep(300); // let the scheduled tick run
+        assertEquals(0, rec.sendCount(), "an already-closed question must never be nudged");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void questionNudgesSendUpToCapThenStop() throws Exception {
+        int cap = 2;
+        var rec = recordingClient();
+        agents = new AgentControl(rec);
+        rec.sendLatch = new CountDownLatch(cap);
+
+        loop(cap, 50).onQuestionOpened("task-1", WORKER, "term_worker#1", "which config?");
+
+        assertTrue(rec.sendLatch.await(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS), cap + " question nudges should have fired");
+        Thread.sleep(300);
+        assertEquals(cap, rec.sendCount(), "exactly " + cap + " question nudges (cap=" + cap + ")");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void questionAndTicketForTheSameLeadCoalesceIntoOneSend() throws Exception {
+        var rec = recordingClient();
+        agents = new AgentControl(rec);
+        var loop = loop(1, 300); // backoff wide enough that both entry points land before the first tick
+
+        loop.onTicketTerminal("task-1", WORKER, false);
+        loop.onQuestionOpened("task-2", WORKER, "term_worker#1", "which config?");
+
+        assertTrue(rec.sendLatch.await(3, TimeUnit.SECONDS), "one combined nudge should have been sent");
+        Thread.sleep(300);
+        assertEquals(1, rec.sendCount(),
+                "a ticket and a question for the same lead must coalesce onto ONE schedule");
+        String nudge = rec.sentParams().getFirst().getValue().toString();
+        assertTrue(nudge.contains("task-1"), "the combined nudge must still mention the ticket: " + nudge);
+        assertTrue(nudge.contains("term_worker#1"), "the combined nudge must still mention the question: " + nudge);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void oneExhaustedQuestionSourceDoesNotBlockANudgeForTheOtherSources() {
+        // Mirrors oneExhaustedSourceDoesNotBlockANudgeForTheOtherSource for the question source:
+        // the question source is at its cap (2/2), but the ticket source has never been nudged
+        // (0/2) — decide() must still INJECT so the ticket is not stranded.
+        agents = agentWithStatus("idle");
+        var loop = loop(2, 100_000);
+        loop.onQuestionOpened("task-1", WORKER, "term_worker#1", "which config?");
+        loop.onTicketTerminal("task-2", WORKER, false);
+
+        assertEquals(ReplyPushLoop.Action.INJECT, loop.decide(PRIMARY, 0, 0, 2),
+                "the question source is exhausted (2/2), but the ticket source has never been "
+                        + "nudged (0/2) — the lead must still be injected so the ticket is not lost");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void questionNudgeFormatIsCorrect() {
+        String single = ReplyPushLoop.QUESTION_NUDGE_FORMAT.formatted(
+                WORKER, "task-1", "term_worker#1", "which config?");
+        assertTrue(single.contains("Worker term_worker"));
+        assertTrue(single.contains("bridge_send(turnId=\"term_worker#1\""));
+        assertTrue(single.contains("which config?"));
+
+        String multi = ReplyPushLoop.QUESTIONS_NUDGE_FORMAT.formatted(2, "task-1 (turnId=t1), task-2 (turnId=t2)");
+        assertTrue(multi.contains("2 workers"));
+        assertTrue(multi.contains("bridge_poll(ticket=...)"));
+    }
+
     // --- metrics (CB-512) ----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
     @Test
@@ -225,14 +808,43 @@ class ReplyPushLoopTest {
         agents = agentWithStatus("idle");
         inbox.publish(WORKER, "m1", "hello");
         Metrics metrics = new Metrics();
+        var loop = loop(2, 100, metrics);
+        loop.onReplyQueued(WORKER);
 
-        assertEquals(ReplyPushLoop.Action.STOP, loop(2, 100, metrics).decide(WORKER, 2));
+        assertEquals(ReplyPushLoop.Action.STOP, loop.decide(PRIMARY, 2, 0));
 
         assertEquals(1, metrics.count(BridgedMetrics.PUSH_NUDGES, "outcome", "exhausted"),
                 "hitting the reminder cap must count as exhausted");
         assertEquals(0, metrics.count(BridgedMetrics.PUSH_NUDGES, "outcome", "delivered"));
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void successfulTicketNudgeIncrementsDelivered() throws Exception {
+        var rec = recordingClient();
+        agents = new AgentControl(rec);
+        Metrics metrics = new Metrics();
+
+        loop(1, 50, metrics).onTicketTerminal("task-1", WORKER, false);
+
+        assertTrue(rec.sendLatch.await(3, TimeUnit.SECONDS), "one ticket nudge should have been sent");
+        Thread.sleep(200);
+        assertEquals(1, metrics.count(BridgedMetrics.PUSH_NUDGES, "outcome", "delivered"),
+                "a successfully sent ticket nudge must count as delivered, same metric as CB-307");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void ticketReminderCapIncrementsExhausted() {
+        agents = agentWithStatus("idle");
+        Metrics metrics = new Metrics();
+        var loop = loop(2, 100_000, metrics);
+        loop.onTicketTerminal("task-1", WORKER, false);
+
+        assertEquals(ReplyPushLoop.Action.STOP, loop.decide(PRIMARY, 0, 2));
+
+        assertEquals(1, metrics.count(BridgedMetrics.PUSH_NUDGES, "outcome", "exhausted"),
+                "hitting the ticket reminder cap must count as exhausted");
+    }
+
     // --- helpers -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
     private ReplyPushLoop loop() {
@@ -315,4 +927,49 @@ class ReplyPushLoopTest {
     private static RecordingHerdrClient recordingClient() {
         return new RecordingHerdrClient();
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Thread-safe fake that reports {@code working} (not injectable) for its first
+     * {@code busyChecks} status calls, then {@code idle} forever after — used to prove work queued
+     * while the lead is busy is deferred, not dropped, once it becomes injectable.
+     */
+    private static final class BusyThenIdleHerdrClient implements HerdrClient {
+        private final List<Map.Entry<String, Object>> calls =
+                Collections.synchronizedList(new ArrayList<>());
+        private final AtomicInteger statusChecks = new AtomicInteger();
+        private final int busyChecks;
+        volatile CountDownLatch sendLatch = new CountDownLatch(1);
+
+        BusyThenIdleHerdrClient(int busyChecks) {
+            this.busyChecks = busyChecks;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public JsonNode call(String method, Object params) {
+            if ("agent.get".equals(method)) {
+                String status = statusChecks.getAndIncrement() < busyChecks ? "working" : "idle";
+                return MAPPER.createObjectNode()
+                        .set("agent", MAPPER.createObjectNode()
+                                .put("terminal_id", PRIMARY)
+                                .put("agent_status", status));
+            }
+            if ("agent.prompt".equals(method)) {
+                calls.add(Map.entry(method, params));
+                sendLatch.countDown();
+            }
+            return MAPPER.createObjectNode();
+        }
+
+        long sendCount() {
+            return calls.size();
+        }
+
+        List<Map.Entry<String, Object>> sentParams() {
+            return List.copyOf(calls);
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void close() {
+        }
+    }
 }

bridged/src/test/java/dev/ltms/bridged/peer/CharterReceiptTest.java

@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+package dev.ltms.bridged.peer;
+
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertFalse;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertNotEquals;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertNull;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
+
+class CharterReceiptTest {
+
+    @Test
+    void recordsNoCharterConfiguredDistinctFromCharterDelivered() {
+        // No role charter configured — only the reply charter is composed. Source is "none", but
+        // text was still delivered, so absent() is false and the digest is present.
+        CharterReceipt viaReply = CharterReceipt.compose(MemberRole.DEV, "s", null, "reply charter");
+        // A role charter was configured AND delivered.
+        CharterReceipt delivered = CharterReceipt.compose(MemberRole.DEV, "s", "role charter",
+                "role charter\n\nreply charter");
+
+        // The two cases must not collapse: the no-role-charter case reports "none", the delivered
+        // case reports the config key, and their digests differ.
+        assertEquals(CharterReceipt.NO_SOURCE, viaReply.charterSource());
+        assertEquals("fleet.charters.dev", delivered.charterSource());
+        assertNotEquals(viaReply.charterSource(), delivered.charterSource());
+        assertNotEquals(viaReply.charterSha256(), delivered.charterSha256());
+
+        // Both actually delivered text — the distinction is the source and digest, not absence.
+        assertFalse(viaReply.absent());
+        assertFalse(delivered.absent());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void recordsExplicitAbsenceWhenNoCharterIsComposed() {
+        CharterReceipt none = CharterReceipt.compose(MemberRole.REVIEWER, "s", null, null);
+        assertTrue(none.absent());
+        assertNull(none.charterSha256());
+        assertEquals(0, none.charterBytes());
+        assertEquals(CharterReceipt.NO_SOURCE, none.charterSource(),
+                "no configured charter and nothing composed still reports a source, never a gap");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void digestIsStableForSameTextAndDiffersForDifferentText() {
+        assertEquals(CharterReceipt.digestOf("charter-aaa"), CharterReceipt.digestOf("charter-aaa"),
+                "the same text must always produce the same digest");
+        assertNotEquals(CharterReceipt.digestOf("charter-aaa"), CharterReceipt.digestOf("charter-bbb"),
+                "different text must produce a different digest");
+        assertNull(CharterReceipt.digestOf(""), "blank text carries no digest");
+
+        // The record's fingerprint matches the standalone digest for the same composed string.
+        CharterReceipt r = CharterReceipt.compose(MemberRole.DEV, "s", "role", "the composed text");
+        assertEquals(CharterReceipt.digestOf("the composed text"), r.charterSha256());
+        assertFalse(r.absent());
+    }
+}

bridged/src/test/java/dev/ltms/bridged/placement/BackendQuarantineTest.java

@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+package dev.ltms.bridged.placement;
+
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+
+import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.OptionalLong;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicLong;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertFalse;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertThrows;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
+
+/**
+ * CB-578 stage B: the credential-keyed quarantine tracker itself, isolated from placement/spawn
+ * wiring (that's {@code CompositePeerLauncherTest}). The clock is a plain {@link AtomicLong} of
+ * nanos so expiry is exercised without a real sleep.
+ */
+class BackendQuarantineTest {
+
+    @Test
+    void aFreshCredentialIsNotQuarantined() {
+        BackendQuarantine q = new BackendQuarantine(() -> 0L, TimeUnit.MINUTES.toNanos(30));
+        assertFalse(q.isQuarantined("shared-openai"));
+        assertEquals(OptionalLong.empty(), q.remainingSeconds("shared-openai"));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void quarantineBlocksTheCredentialForTheFullCooldown() {
+        BackendQuarantine q = new BackendQuarantine(() -> 0L, TimeUnit.MINUTES.toNanos(30));
+        q.quarantine("shared-openai");
+
+        assertTrue(q.isQuarantined("shared-openai"));
+        assertEquals(OptionalLong.of(1800L), q.remainingSeconds("shared-openai"));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void onlyTheQuarantinedCredentialIsAffected() {
+        BackendQuarantine q = new BackendQuarantine(() -> 0L, TimeUnit.MINUTES.toNanos(30));
+        q.quarantine("shared-openai");
+
+        assertFalse(q.isQuarantined("some-other-credential"),
+                "an unrelated credential must not be swept into the quarantine");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void expiresOnTheInjectedClock() {
+        AtomicLong now = new AtomicLong(0L);
+        BackendQuarantine q = new BackendQuarantine(now::get, TimeUnit.MINUTES.toNanos(30));
+        q.quarantine("shared-openai");
+        assertTrue(q.isQuarantined("shared-openai"));
+
+        now.set(TimeUnit.MINUTES.toNanos(29));
+        assertTrue(q.isQuarantined("shared-openai"), "still inside the cooldown");
+
+        now.set(TimeUnit.MINUTES.toNanos(31));
+        assertFalse(q.isQuarantined("shared-openai"), "the cooldown has elapsed on the injected clock");
+        assertEquals(OptionalLong.empty(), q.remainingSeconds("shared-openai"));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void aRepeatQuarantineCallRestartsTheCooldownAtFullLength() {
+        AtomicLong now = new AtomicLong(0L);
+        BackendQuarantine q = new BackendQuarantine(now::get, TimeUnit.MINUTES.toNanos(30));
+        q.quarantine("shared-openai");
+
+        now.set(TimeUnit.MINUTES.toNanos(20));
+        q.quarantine("shared-openai");
+
+        now.set(TimeUnit.MINUTES.toNanos(45)); // 25 min after the second call, 45 after the first
+        assertTrue(q.isQuarantined("shared-openai"),
+                "a fresh exhaustion resets the cooldown to full length, not the earlier shorter wait");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void activeRemainingSecondsListsOnlyStillQuarantinedCredentials() {
+        AtomicLong now = new AtomicLong(0L);
+        BackendQuarantine q = new BackendQuarantine(now::get, TimeUnit.MINUTES.toNanos(30));
+        q.quarantine("shared-openai");
+        q.quarantine("another-credential");
+
+        now.set(TimeUnit.MINUTES.toNanos(31));
+        q.quarantine("shared-openai"); // re-quarantined after the first one expired
+
+        Map<String, Long> active = q.activeRemainingSeconds();
+        assertEquals(Map.of("shared-openai", 1800L), active,
+                "the expired credential is dropped; the re-quarantined one is reported");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void noneReportsNothingQuarantinedWhenNeverToldTo() {
+        BackendQuarantine q = BackendQuarantine.none();
+
+        assertFalse(q.isQuarantined("anything"));
+        assertTrue(q.activeRemainingSeconds().isEmpty());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void noneIgnoresAQuarantineCallInsteadOfLockingTheCredentialForever() {
+        // .none() holds a clock frozen at 0, so if #quarantine recorded a deadline the credential
+        // would never expire — locked out for the life of the daemon. Two production
+        // CompositePeerLauncher constructors default to none(), so that failure would be silent and
+        // permanent. An inert stand-in must omit the fact, never invent one.
+        BackendQuarantine q = BackendQuarantine.none();
+
+        q.quarantine("shared-openai");
+
+        assertFalse(q.isQuarantined("shared-openai"), "none() must not quarantine anything");
+        assertTrue(q.remainingSeconds("shared-openai").isEmpty());
+        assertTrue(q.activeRemainingSeconds().isEmpty());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void aNonPositiveCooldownIsRejected() {
+        assertThrows(IllegalArgumentException.class, () -> new BackendQuarantine(() -> 0L, 0L));
+        assertThrows(IllegalArgumentException.class, () -> new BackendQuarantine(() -> 0L, -1L));
+    }
+}

bridged/src/test/java/dev/ltms/bridged/placement/PlacementPolicyTest.java

@@ -24,7 +24,13 @@ class PlacementPolicyTest {
     private static PlacementContext ctx(List<PlacementCandidate> candidates,
                                         Function<String, Integer> liveCount,
                                         Set<String> unreachable) {
-        return new PlacementContext("b", candidates, liveCount, unreachable);
+        return ctx(candidates, liveCount, unreachable, Set.of());
+    }
+
+    private static PlacementContext ctx(List<PlacementCandidate> candidates,
+                                        Function<String, Integer> liveCount,
+                                        Set<String> unreachable, Set<String> quarantined) {
+        return new PlacementContext("b", candidates, liveCount, unreachable, quarantined);
     }
 
     private static PlacementContext ctx(List<PlacementCandidate> candidates,
@@ -46,17 +52,37 @@ class PlacementPolicyTest {
         PlacementPolicy policy = PlacementPolicies.fixed();
         PlacementContext ctx = new PlacementContext(null,
                 List.of(PlacementCandidate.profile("a"), PlacementCandidate.profile("b")),
-                noSessions(), Set.of());
+                noSessions(), Set.of(), Set.of());
         assertEquals("a", policy.select(ctx).profile());
     }
 
     @Test
     void fixedThrowsWhenNoProfilesAndNoDefault() {
         PlacementPolicy policy = PlacementPolicies.fixed();
-        PlacementContext ctx = new PlacementContext(null, List.of(), noSessions(), Set.of());
+        PlacementContext ctx = new PlacementContext(null, List.of(), noSessions(), Set.of(), Set.of());
         assertThrows(PlacementException.class, () -> policy.select(ctx));
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void fixedSkipsQuarantinedDefault() {
+        PlacementPolicy policy = PlacementPolicies.fixed();
+        PlacementContext ctx = new PlacementContext("b",
+                List.of(PlacementCandidate.profile("a"), PlacementCandidate.profile("b")),
+                noSessions(), Set.of(), Set.of("b"));
+        assertEquals("a", policy.select(ctx).profile(),
+                "the default 'b' is quarantined, so fixed falls through to the first un-quarantined candidate");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void fixedThrowsWhenDefaultAndEveryCandidateQuarantined() {
+        PlacementPolicy policy = PlacementPolicies.fixed();
+        PlacementContext ctx = new PlacementContext("b",
+                List.of(PlacementCandidate.profile("a"), PlacementCandidate.profile("b")),
+                noSessions(), Set.of(), Set.of("a", "b"));
+        PlacementException e = assertThrows(PlacementException.class, () -> policy.select(ctx));
+        assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("quarantined"), e.getMessage());
+    }
+
     @Test
     void roundRobinCyclesThroughAvailableProfiles() {
         PlacementPolicy policy = PlacementPolicies.roundRobin();
@@ -82,6 +108,18 @@ class PlacementPolicyTest {
         }
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void roundRobinSkipsQuarantinedProfiles() {
+        PlacementPolicy policy = PlacementPolicies.roundRobin();
+        List<PlacementCandidate> candidates = List.of(
+                PlacementCandidate.profile("a"),
+                PlacementCandidate.profile("b"));
+        PlacementContext ctx = ctx(candidates, noSessions(), Set.of(), Set.of("a"));
+        for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
+            assertEquals("b", policy.select(ctx).profile(), "a is quarantined, so every pick lands on b");
+        }
+    }
+
     @Test
     void roundRobinThrowsWhenAllAtMaxLoad() {
         PlacementPolicy policy = PlacementPolicies.roundRobin();
@@ -150,6 +188,29 @@ class PlacementPolicyTest {
         assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("maxLoad"), e.getMessage());
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void weightedSkipsQuarantinedProfile() {
+        PlacementPolicy policy = PlacementPolicies.weighted();
+        List<PlacementCandidate> candidates = List.of(
+                PlacementCandidate.profile("a", 1.0f, null),
+                PlacementCandidate.profile("b", 1.0f, null));
+        PlacementContext ctx = ctx(candidates, noSessions(), Set.of(), Set.of("a"));
+        for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
+            assertEquals("b", policy.select(ctx).profile(), "a is quarantined, so every pick lands on b");
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void weightedThrowsWhenAllQuarantined() {
+        PlacementPolicy policy = PlacementPolicies.weighted();
+        List<PlacementCandidate> candidates = List.of(
+                PlacementCandidate.profile("a"),
+                PlacementCandidate.profile("b"));
+        PlacementException e = assertThrows(PlacementException.class,
+                () -> policy.select(ctx(candidates, noSessions(), Set.of(), Set.of("a", "b"))));
+        assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("quarantined"), e.getMessage());
+    }
+
     @Test
     void weightedThrowsWhenAllUnreachable() {
         PlacementPolicy policy = PlacementPolicies.weighted();
@@ -176,8 +237,134 @@ class PlacementPolicyTest {
         assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("1 unreachable"), e.getMessage());
     }
 
+    // --- CB-554: weight <= 0 excludes a candidate from automatic selection ------------------
+
+    @Test
+    void weightedSkipsWeightZeroProfile() {
+        PlacementPolicy policy = PlacementPolicies.weighted();
+        List<PlacementCandidate> candidates = List.of(
+                PlacementCandidate.profile("a", 0.0f, null),
+                PlacementCandidate.profile("b", 1.0f, null));
+        for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
+            assertEquals("b", policy.select(ctx(candidates, noSessions())).profile(),
+                    "a has weight 0, so every pick lands on b");
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void weightedThrowsWhenAllWeightZero() {
+        PlacementPolicy policy = PlacementPolicies.weighted();
+        List<PlacementCandidate> candidates = List.of(
+                PlacementCandidate.profile("a", 0.0f, null),
+                PlacementCandidate.profile("b", 0.0f, null));
+        PlacementException e = assertThrows(PlacementException.class,
+                () -> policy.select(ctx(candidates, noSessions())));
+        assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("weight 0"), e.getMessage());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void weightedTreatsNegativeWeightAsExcludedNotError() {
+        PlacementPolicy policy = PlacementPolicies.weighted();
+        List<PlacementCandidate> candidates = List.of(
+                PlacementCandidate.profile("a", -1.0f, null),
+                PlacementCandidate.profile("b", 1.0f, null));
+        for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
+            assertEquals("b", policy.select(ctx(candidates, noSessions())).profile(),
+                    "a has a negative weight, so it is excluded like weight 0 — never picked, never an error");
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void weightZeroAndQuarantinedIsNotDoubleCounted() {
+        PlacementPolicy policy = PlacementPolicies.weighted();
+        List<PlacementCandidate> candidates = List.of(
+                PlacementCandidate.profile("a", 0.0f, null),
+                PlacementCandidate.profile("b", 1.0f, null),
+                PlacementCandidate.profile("c", 1.0f, null));
+        // a is BOTH weight-0 and quarantined; b and c are quarantined only. If a were counted
+        // into both buckets, "quarantined" would read 3 (or the arithmetic would go negative)
+        // instead of the true count of 2 candidates actually quarantined.
+        PlacementContext mixedCtx = ctx(candidates, noSessions(), Set.of(), Set.of("a", "b", "c"));
+        PlacementException e = assertThrows(PlacementException.class, () -> policy.select(mixedCtx));
+        assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("1 weight-0"), e.getMessage());
+        assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("2 quarantined"), e.getMessage());
+        assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("0 remaining"), e.getMessage());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void roundRobinSkipsWeightZeroProfiles() {
+        PlacementPolicy policy = PlacementPolicies.roundRobin();
+        List<PlacementCandidate> candidates = List.of(
+                PlacementCandidate.profile("a", 0.0f, null),
+                PlacementCandidate.profile("b", 1.0f, null));
+        for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
+            assertEquals("b", policy.select(ctx(candidates, noSessions())).profile(),
+                    "a has weight 0, so every pick lands on b");
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void roundRobinThrowsWhenAllWeightZero() {
+        PlacementPolicy policy = PlacementPolicies.roundRobin();
+        List<PlacementCandidate> candidates = List.of(
+                PlacementCandidate.profile("a", 0.0f, null),
+                PlacementCandidate.profile("b", 0.0f, null));
+        PlacementException e = assertThrows(PlacementException.class,
+                () -> policy.select(ctx(candidates, noSessions())));
+        assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("weight 0"), e.getMessage());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void fixedSkipsWeightZeroDefault() {
+        PlacementPolicy policy = PlacementPolicies.fixed();
+        PlacementContext ctx = new PlacementContext("b",
+                List.of(PlacementCandidate.profile("a", 1.0f, null),
+                        PlacementCandidate.profile("b", 0.0f, null)),
+                noSessions(), Set.of(), Set.of());
+        assertEquals("a", policy.select(ctx).profile(),
+                "the default 'b' has weight 0, so fixed falls through to the first available candidate");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void fixedThrowsWhenDefaultAndEveryCandidateWeightZero() {
+        PlacementPolicy policy = PlacementPolicies.fixed();
+        PlacementContext ctx = new PlacementContext("b",
+                List.of(PlacementCandidate.profile("a", 0.0f, null),
+                        PlacementCandidate.profile("b", 0.0f, null)),
+                noSessions(), Set.of(), Set.of());
+        PlacementException e = assertThrows(PlacementException.class, () -> policy.select(ctx));
+        assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("weight 0"), e.getMessage());
+    }
+
     @Test
     void unknownPolicyNameThrows() {
         assertThrows(IllegalArgumentException.class, () -> PlacementPolicies.fromName("random"));
     }
+
+    // --- CB-585: maxLoad 0 caps a profile at zero live members, even with nothing live yet -----
+
+    @Test
+    void weightedSkipsMaxLoadZeroProfileEvenWithZeroLiveWorkers() {
+        PlacementPolicy policy = PlacementPolicies.weighted();
+        List<PlacementCandidate> candidates = List.of(
+                PlacementCandidate.profile("a", 1.0f, 0),
+                PlacementCandidate.profile("b", 1.0f, null));
+        Function<String, Integer> liveCount = _ -> 0;
+        for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
+            assertEquals("b", policy.select(ctx(candidates, liveCount)).profile(),
+                    "a has maxLoad 0, so it is already at its cap with nobody live — every pick lands on b");
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void weightedThrowsWhenAllMaxLoadZero() {
+        PlacementPolicy policy = PlacementPolicies.weighted();
+        List<PlacementCandidate> candidates = List.of(
+                PlacementCandidate.profile("a", 1.0f, 0),
+                PlacementCandidate.profile("b", 1.0f, 0));
+        Function<String, Integer> liveCount = _ -> 0;
+        PlacementException e = assertThrows(PlacementException.class,
+                () -> policy.select(ctx(candidates, liveCount)));
+        assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("maxLoad"), e.getMessage());
+    }
 }

bridged/src/test/java/dev/ltms/bridged/rest/BridgedAppTest.java

@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ import dev.ltms.bridged.session.GitWorktrees;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.session.SessionManager;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.session.Worktrees;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.member.ClaudeCodeLauncher;
+import dev.ltms.bridged.member.CompositePeerLauncher;
+import dev.ltms.bridged.placement.PlacementPolicies;
 import io.javalin.Javalin;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.AfterEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
@@ -240,6 +242,43 @@ class BridgedAppTest {
         assertFalse(herdr.called("agent.start"), "an unknown profile must not spawn anything");
     }
 
+    /**
+     * CB-599: a profile at its {@code maxLoad} cap must not surface as a bare 500 — the caller
+     * needs a structured, readable reason, distinct from "unknown_profile".
+     */
+    @Test
+    void spawnAtMaxLoadIs503WithTheCapacityReasonNotABare500() throws Exception {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        BridgedConfig.Profile wcfg = new BridgedConfig.Profile(
+                "ltms-local", "http://gx00.gw:8000", "coder", null, "BRIDGED_WORKER_TOKEN", null,
+                "tab", "bridged-workers", "worker: {profile} #{n}", null,
+                null, null, null, null, null, null, null, 0, null, null, null);
+        Map<String, BridgedConfig.Profile> profiles = Map.of(wcfg.profile(), wcfg);
+        ClaudeCodeLauncher delegate = new ClaudeCodeLauncher(
+                new AgentControl(herdr), new WorkspaceControl(herdr), new SubscriptionGuard(Set.of("gx00.gw")),
+                profiles, wcfg.profile(), k -> "BRIDGED_WORKER_TOKEN".equals(k) ? "tok-abc" : null);
+        CompositePeerLauncher workers = new CompositePeerLauncher(
+                List.of(delegate), wcfg.profile(), profiles, PlacementPolicies.fixed(), _ -> 0);
+        SessionManager sessions = new SessionManager(workers, new GitWorktrees());
+        this.presence = sessions.asPresence();
+        Injector injector = new Injector(new AgentControl(herdr));
+        InMemoryReplyInbox inbox = new InMemoryReplyInbox();
+        sessions.onAcquire(inbox::own);
+        MessageService messages = new MessageService(new AgentControl(herdr), injector, new Rendezvous(), inbox);
+        app = new BridgedApp(herdr, workers, sessions, messages, this.presence, null).build().start("127.0.0.1", 0);
+        int port = app.port();
+
+        HttpResponse<String> res = req(port, "POST", "/members?profile=ltms-local");
+
+        assertEquals(503, res.statusCode(), res.body());
+        JsonNode body = mapper.readTree(res.body());
+        assertEquals("no_capacity", body.get("error").asText());
+        String detail = body.get("detail").asText();
+        assertTrue(detail.contains("ltms-local"), "detail names the profile: " + detail);
+        assertTrue(detail.contains("maxLoad"), "detail explains the refusal: " + detail);
+        assertFalse(herdr.called("agent.start"), "at cap, the spawn is refused before any herdr call");
+    }
+
     @Test
     void spawnWorkerReusesExistingWorkerSpace() throws Exception {
         // A space labelled "bridged-workers" already exists → no second workspace.create.
@@ -445,6 +484,67 @@ class BridgedAppTest {
         assertTrue(mapper.readTree(req(port, "GET", "/sessions/term_a/status").body()).get("ready").asBoolean());
     }
 
+    /**
+     * CB-582: a lead polling {@code GET /sessions/{id}/status} on its normal cadence — not the
+     * ticket-scoped {@code /tasks/{ticket}} — must also see a worker's open async {@code bridge_ask}
+     * question, since the reverse-rendezvous window it opened with is far shorter than that cadence.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void sessionStatusReportsAnOpenQuestionWhenTheWorkerIsMidAsk() throws Exception {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr().agentStatus("idle"); // poller delivers the injection
+        int port = start(herdr, "http://gx00.gw:8000", Set.of("gx00.gw"));
+
+        HttpResponse<String> accepted = postMessage(port, "{\"content\":\"do it\",\"wait\":false}");
+        assertEquals(202, accepted.statusCode());
+        String ticket = mapper.readTree(accepted.body()).get("ticket").asText();
+
+        Thread.sleep(200); // let the background async send open its rendezvous waiter
+
+        var ask = java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture.supplyAsync(() -> {
+            try {
+                return postJson(port, "/sessions/term_a/ask",
+                        "{\"question\":\"which config file?\",\"timeoutMs\":5000}");
+            } catch (Exception e) {
+                throw new RuntimeException(e);
+            }
+        });
+
+        JsonNode task;
+        long deadline = System.currentTimeMillis() + 3000;
+        do {
+            task = mapper.readTree(req(port, "GET", "/tasks/" + ticket).body());
+            if ("asking".equals(task.path("phase").asText())) break;
+            //noinspection BusyWait
+            Thread.sleep(10);
+        } while (System.currentTimeMillis() < deadline);
+        assertEquals("asking", task.get("phase").asText());
+        String turnId = task.get("turnId").asText();
+
+        HttpResponse<String> status = req(port, "GET", "/sessions/term_a/status");
+        assertEquals(200, status.statusCode());
+        JsonNode body = mapper.readTree(status.body());
+        assertEquals("idle", body.get("status").asText(), "the live status must still be reported");
+        assertEquals("which config file?", body.get("question").asText());
+        assertEquals(turnId, body.get("turnId").asText());
+        assertEquals(ticket, body.get("ticket").asText());
+
+        // Answer it — via the same /message route bridge_send uses, keyed by turnId — so the
+        // background ask thread does not linger past the test.
+        var answer = java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture.supplyAsync(() -> {
+            try {
+                return postJson(port, "/sessions/term_a/message",
+                        "{\"content\":\"config.yaml\",\"turnId\":\"" + turnId + "\",\"timeoutMs\":4000}");
+            } catch (Exception e) {
+                throw new RuntimeException(e);
+            }
+        });
+        HttpResponse<String> askResponse = ask.get(6, java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+        assertEquals(200, askResponse.statusCode());
+        assertEquals("config.yaml", mapper.readTree(askResponse.body()).get("answer").asText());
+        postJson(port, "/sessions/term_a/reply", "{\"content\":\"done\"}");
+        answer.get(6, java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+    }
+
     @Test
     void stopWorkerInPanePlacementClosesOnlyThePane() throws Exception {
         FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();

bridged/src/test/java/dev/ltms/bridged/session/FakeWorktrees.java

@@ -2,9 +2,11 @@ package dev.ltms.bridged.session;
 
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
 import java.util.concurrent.CopyOnWriteArrayList;
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicLong;
 
 /** Recording fake {@link Worktrees} for CB-301-ext acceptance tests (no live git). */
 public final class FakeWorktrees implements Worktrees {
@@ -22,16 +24,28 @@ public final class FakeWorktrees implements Worktrees {
     public record RepoRootCall(String cwd) {
     }
 
+    public record SnapshotCall(String worktreePath, String branch, String message) {
+    }
+
+    public record PruneCall(String repoRoot, long minAgeMillis) {
+    }
+
     private final List<AddCall> addCalls = new CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();
     private final List<RemoveCall> removeCalls = new CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();
     private final List<OverlayCall> overlayCalls = new CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();
     private final List<RepoRootCall> repoRootCalls = new CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();
+    private final List<SnapshotCall> snapshotCalls = new CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();
+    private final List<PruneCall> pruneCalls = new CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();
     private final Set<String> existingPaths = ConcurrentHashMap.newKeySet();
     private final Set<String> trackedPaths = ConcurrentHashMap.newKeySet();
+    private final AtomicLong snapshotSeq = new AtomicLong();
     private volatile RuntimeException addFailure;
+    private volatile RuntimeException snapshotFailure;
     private volatile boolean dirty = false;
     private volatile String repoRoot = "/repo";
     private volatile String prefix = "/worktrees";
+    private volatile WipRefStats wipRefs = new WipRefStats(0, 0L);
+    private volatile int pruneResult = 0;
 
     public FakeWorktrees withRepoRoot(String root) {
         this.repoRoot = root;
@@ -68,6 +82,24 @@ public final class FakeWorktrees implements Worktrees {
         return this;
     }
 
+    /** Make subsequent {@link #snapshot} calls throw (simulates a failing git snapshot). */
+    public FakeWorktrees failSnapshot(String message) {
+        this.snapshotFailure = new WorktreeException(message);
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    /** Configure the value returned by {@link #wipRefs}. */
+    public FakeWorktrees withWipRefs(WipRefStats stats) {
+        this.wipRefs = stats;
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    /** Configure the value returned by {@link #pruneWipRefs}. */
+    public FakeWorktrees withPruneResult(int deleted) {
+        this.pruneResult = deleted;
+        return this;
+    }
+
     @Override
     public String add(String repoRoot, String branch, String baseRef) {
         addCalls.add(new AddCall(repoRoot, branch, baseRef));
@@ -112,6 +144,26 @@ public final class FakeWorktrees implements Worktrees {
         return repoRoot;
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public Optional<String> snapshot(String worktreePath, String branch, String message) {
+        snapshotCalls.add(new SnapshotCall(worktreePath, branch, message));
+        if (snapshotFailure != null) {
+            throw snapshotFailure;
+        }
+        return Optional.of("wip" + snapshotSeq.incrementAndGet());
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public WipRefStats wipRefs(String repoRoot) {
+        return wipRefs;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public int pruneWipRefs(String repoRoot, long minAgeMillis) {
+        pruneCalls.add(new PruneCall(repoRoot, minAgeMillis));
+        return pruneResult;
+    }
+
     public List<AddCall> addCalls() {
         return List.copyOf(addCalls);
     }
@@ -139,4 +191,16 @@ public final class FakeWorktrees implements Worktrees {
     public OverlayCall lastOverlay() {
         return overlayCalls.isEmpty() ? null : overlayCalls.getLast();
     }
+
+    public List<SnapshotCall> snapshotCalls() {
+        return List.copyOf(snapshotCalls);
+    }
+
+    public List<PruneCall> pruneCalls() {
+        return List.copyOf(pruneCalls);
+    }
+
+    public SnapshotCall lastSnapshot() {
+        return snapshotCalls.isEmpty() ? null : snapshotCalls.getLast();
+    }
 }

bridged/src/test/java/dev/ltms/bridged/session/GitWorktreesTest.java

@@ -3,9 +3,13 @@ package dev.ltms.bridged.session;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.io.TempDir;
 
+import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
 import java.nio.file.Files;
 import java.nio.file.Path;
+import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Optional;
+import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.*;
@@ -68,6 +72,120 @@ class GitWorktreesTest {
         return out;
     }
 
+    /** Every pending change in {@code cwd} — the whole-tree porcelain status, unlike {@link #status}. */
+    private static String fullStatus(Path cwd) throws Exception {
+        Process p = new ProcessBuilder("git", "status", "--porcelain")
+                .directory(cwd.toFile()).redirectErrorStream(true).start();
+        String out = new String(p.getInputStream().readAllBytes());
+        assertTrue(p.waitFor(30, TimeUnit.SECONDS), "git status timed out");
+        return out;
+    }
+
+    private static String revParse(Path cwd, String ref) throws Exception {
+        Process p = new ProcessBuilder("git", "-C", cwd.toString(), "rev-parse", ref)
+                .redirectErrorStream(true).start();
+        String out = new String(p.getInputStream().readAllBytes()).trim();
+        assertTrue(p.waitFor(30, TimeUnit.SECONDS), "git rev-parse timed out");
+        assertEquals(0, p.exitValue(), "git rev-parse " + ref + " failed:\n" + out);
+        return out;
+    }
+
+    /** The recursive file list of a commit's tree — used to check what a snapshot actually committed. */
+    private static String lsTree(Path cwd, String ref) throws Exception {
+        Process p = new ProcessBuilder("git", "-C", cwd.toString(), "ls-tree", "-r", "--name-only", ref)
+                .redirectErrorStream(true).start();
+        String out = new String(p.getInputStream().readAllBytes());
+        assertTrue(p.waitFor(30, TimeUnit.SECONDS), "git ls-tree timed out");
+        assertEquals(0, p.exitValue(), "git ls-tree " + ref + " failed:\n" + out);
+        return out;
+    }
+
+    /** The set of paths in {@code git diff --name-only from..to} — used to check exactly what a
+     *  snapshot's tree changed relative to its parent, the same shape {@code git status --porcelain}
+     *  reports for the worktree it was taken from. */
+    private static Set<String> diffNameOnly(Path cwd, String from, String to) throws Exception {
+        Process p = new ProcessBuilder("git", "-C", cwd.toString(), "diff", "--name-only", from, to)
+                .redirectErrorStream(true).start();
+        String out = new String(p.getInputStream().readAllBytes());
+        assertTrue(p.waitFor(30, TimeUnit.SECONDS), "git diff timed out");
+        assertEquals(0, p.exitValue(), "git diff " + from + ".." + to + " failed:\n" + out);
+        Set<String> paths = new HashSet<>();
+        for (String line : out.split("\\R")) {
+            if (!line.isBlank()) {
+                paths.add(line.trim());
+            }
+        }
+        return paths;
+    }
+
+    /** The set of paths a {@code git status --porcelain} listing names, stripping the two-char status
+     *  code prefix each line carries. */
+    private static Set<String> porcelainPaths(String porcelain) {
+        Set<String> paths = new HashSet<>();
+        for (String line : porcelain.split("\\R")) {
+            if (!line.isBlank()) {
+                paths.add(line.substring(3).trim());
+            }
+        }
+        return paths;
+    }
+
+    private static String forEachRef(Path cwd, String pattern) throws Exception {
+        Process p = new ProcessBuilder("git", "-C", cwd.toString(), "for-each-ref", pattern)
+                .redirectErrorStream(true).start();
+        String out = new String(p.getInputStream().readAllBytes());
+        assertTrue(p.waitFor(30, TimeUnit.SECONDS), "git for-each-ref timed out");
+        assertEquals(0, p.exitValue(), "git for-each-ref " + pattern + " failed:\n" + out);
+        return out;
+    }
+
+    /** Write {@code content} as a blob into the object database; returns its sha. */
+    private static String blobOf(Path cwd, String content) throws Exception {
+        Process p = new ProcessBuilder("git", "-C", cwd.toString(), "hash-object", "-w", "--stdin")
+                .redirectErrorStream(true).start();
+        p.getOutputStream().write(content.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8));
+        p.getOutputStream().close();
+        String out = new String(p.getInputStream().readAllBytes()).trim();
+        assertTrue(p.waitFor(30, TimeUnit.SECONDS), "git hash-object timed out");
+        assertEquals(0, p.exitValue(), "git hash-object failed:\n" + out);
+        return out;
+    }
+
+    /** Build a single-file tree object from {@code blob}; returns the tree's sha. */
+    private static String treeOf(Path cwd, String path, String blob) throws Exception {
+        Process p = new ProcessBuilder("git", "-C", cwd.toString(), "mktree")
+                .redirectErrorStream(true).start();
+        p.getOutputStream().write(("100644 blob " + blob + "\t" + path + "\n").getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8));
+        p.getOutputStream().close();
+        String out = new String(p.getInputStream().readAllBytes()).trim();
+        assertTrue(p.waitFor(30, TimeUnit.SECONDS), "git mktree timed out");
+        assertEquals(0, p.exitValue(), "git mktree failed:\n" + out);
+        return out;
+    }
+
+    /** {@code git commit-tree} rooted at {@code tree} with a chosen committer date; returns the sha. */
+    private static String commitTree(Path cwd, String tree, String parent, String committerDate,
+                                     String message) throws Exception {
+        ProcessBuilder pb = new ProcessBuilder("git", "-C", cwd.toString(), "commit-tree",
+                tree, "-p", parent, "-m", message);
+        pb.environment().put("GIT_COMMITTER_DATE", committerDate);
+        Process p = pb.redirectErrorStream(true).start();
+        String out = new String(p.getInputStream().readAllBytes()).trim();
+        assertTrue(p.waitFor(30, TimeUnit.SECONDS), "git commit-tree timed out");
+        assertEquals(0, p.exitValue(), "git commit-tree failed:\n" + out);
+        return out;
+    }
+
+    /** {@code git update-ref <ref> <sha>} — create the snapshot ref directly. */
+    private static void updateRef(Path cwd, String ref, String sha) throws Exception {
+        git(cwd, "update-ref", ref, sha);
+    }
+
+    /** True when {@code ref} exists in the repo (for-each-ref on a missing ref is empty, not an error). */
+    private static boolean refExists(Path cwd, String ref) throws Exception {
+        return !forEachRef(cwd, ref).trim().isEmpty();
+    }
+
     /**
      * The heart of CB-525: a provisioned worktree must not inherit the primary's MCP servers. Without
      * the isolation step the checked-out {@code .mcp.json} carries them in, and a worker navigating
@@ -245,4 +363,263 @@ class GitWorktreesTest {
         assertEquals("", status(Path.of(wt), "opencode.json"), "opencode.json still shows as modified");
         assertEquals("", status(Path.of(wt), ".autoenv"), ".autoenv still shows as modified");
     }
+
+    /**
+     * CB-578 stage C, acceptance criterion 1. A dirty worktree — a tracked edit plus a brand-new
+     * untracked file, exactly the shape lost in CB-576 — must land in {@code refs/wip/<branch>}'s
+     * tree, and that ref must live outside {@code refs/heads} so it never shows up in
+     * {@code git branch} or gets swept by a branch cleanup.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void dirtySnapshotCreatesARefWhoseTreeContainsUntrackedAndTrackedChanges(@TempDir Path tmp) throws Exception {
+        Path repo = initRepo(tmp.resolve("repo"));
+        GitWorktrees gitWorktrees = new GitWorktrees(tmp.resolve("wts").toString());
+        String branch = "cb-578-c-a";
+        String wt = gitWorktrees.add(repo.toString(), branch, "HEAD");
+        Files.writeString(Path.of(wt).resolve("untracked.txt"), "draft that was never added\n");
+        Files.writeString(Path.of(wt).resolve("README.md"), "edited tracked file\n");
+
+        Optional<String> ref = gitWorktrees.snapshot(wt, branch, "test snapshot");
+
+        assertTrue(ref.isPresent(), "a dirty worktree snapshot returns a commit sha");
+        String tree = lsTree(repo, "refs/wip/" + branch);
+        assertTrue(tree.contains("untracked.txt"), "snapshot tree must include the untracked file:\n" + tree);
+        assertTrue(tree.contains("README.md"), "snapshot tree must include the tracked edit:\n" + tree);
+        String heads = forEachRef(repo, "refs/heads");
+        assertFalse(heads.contains("refs/wip/"), "the snapshot ref must not live under refs/heads:\n" + heads);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * CB-578 stage C, acceptance criterion 2. Building the commit through a temporary
+     * {@code GIT_INDEX_FILE} must leave the worker's own index, working tree, and HEAD exactly as
+     * they were — the worker may still be mid-write, and staging into the real index would corrupt
+     * that.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void snapshotDoesNotTouchTheWorkersOwnIndexWorkingTreeOrHead(@TempDir Path tmp) throws Exception {
+        Path repo = initRepo(tmp.resolve("repo"));
+        GitWorktrees gitWorktrees = new GitWorktrees(tmp.resolve("wts").toString());
+        String branch = "cb-578-c-b";
+        String wt = gitWorktrees.add(repo.toString(), branch, "HEAD");
+        Files.writeString(Path.of(wt).resolve("untracked.txt"), "draft that was never added\n");
+        Files.writeString(Path.of(wt).resolve("README.md"), "edited tracked file\n");
+        String headBefore = revParse(Path.of(wt), "HEAD");
+        String statusBefore = fullStatus(Path.of(wt));
+
+        gitWorktrees.snapshot(wt, branch, "test snapshot");
+
+        assertEquals(headBefore, revParse(Path.of(wt), "HEAD"), "snapshot must not move HEAD");
+        assertEquals(statusBefore, fullStatus(Path.of(wt)),
+                "snapshot must not change the worker's own index or working tree status");
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * CB-578 stage C, acceptance criterion 3. {@code add -A} (never {@code -f}) respects
+     * {@code .gitignore}, and that is the only thing keeping a gitignored file (secrets, local
+     * config) out of a snapshot commit — an untracked file that is NOT ignored must still be
+     * included, so this isn't just "untracked files are dropped".
+     */
+    @Test
+    void gitignoredFileIsExcludedButOtherUntrackedFilesAreNot(@TempDir Path tmp) throws Exception {
+        Path repo = tmp.resolve("repo");
+        Files.createDirectories(repo);
+        git(repo, "init", "-q", "-b", "main");
+        git(repo, "config", "user.email", "test@example.invalid");
+        git(repo, "config", "user.name", "Test");
+        Files.writeString(repo.resolve(".gitignore"), ".env\n");
+        Files.writeString(repo.resolve("README.md"), "seed\n");
+        git(repo, "add", ".gitignore", "README.md");
+        git(repo, "commit", "-q", "-m", "seed");
+
+        GitWorktrees gitWorktrees = new GitWorktrees(tmp.resolve("wts").toString());
+        String branch = "cb-578-c-c";
+        String wt = gitWorktrees.add(repo.toString(), branch, "HEAD");
+        Files.writeString(Path.of(wt).resolve(".env"), "SECRET=shh\n");
+        Files.writeString(Path.of(wt).resolve("untracked.txt"), "draft that was never added\n");
+
+        Optional<String> ref = gitWorktrees.snapshot(wt, branch, "test snapshot");
+
+        assertTrue(ref.isPresent());
+        String tree = lsTree(repo, "refs/wip/" + branch);
+        assertFalse(tree.contains(".env"), "a gitignored file must never enter the snapshot:\n" + tree);
+        assertTrue(tree.contains("untracked.txt"),
+                "a non-ignored untracked file must still be included:\n" + tree);
+    }
+
+    /** CB-578 stage C. A clean worktree still produces a valid, if tree-identical, commit — the caller
+     *  (SessionManager) is the one that decides not to call this on a clean worktree. */
+    @Test
+    void snapshotOfAMissingWorktreeReturnsEmptyWithoutThrowing(@TempDir Path tmp) {
+        GitWorktrees gitWorktrees = new GitWorktrees(tmp.resolve("wts").toString());
+        String gone = tmp.resolve("wts").resolve("does-not-exist").toString();
+
+        assertTrue(gitWorktrees.snapshot(gone, "some-branch", "msg").isEmpty(),
+                "a missing worktree has nothing to snapshot, and must not throw");
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * CB-587, acceptance criteria 1 and 2. A file with a REAL {@code --skip-worktree} bit set in the
+     * worktree's own index must never enter the snapshot, even though its on-disk content has locally
+     * diverged from what is committed — that is exactly the divergence {@code --skip-worktree} exists
+     * to hide from {@code git status}, and a snapshot built from a fresh empty temp index (the bug)
+     * stages that local content anyway because the fresh index carries none of the real index's flags.
+     * The snapshot's diff against its parent must list exactly what {@code git status --porcelain}
+     * reports for the worktree — no more, no less.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void dirtySnapshotHonoursARealSkipWorktreeBit(@TempDir Path tmp) throws Exception {
+        Path repo = tmp.resolve("repo");
+        Files.createDirectories(repo);
+        git(repo, "init", "-q", "-b", "main");
+        git(repo, "config", "user.email", "test@example.invalid");
+        git(repo, "config", "user.name", "Test");
+        Files.writeString(repo.resolve("protected.cfg"), "committed-value\n");
+        Files.writeString(repo.resolve("README.md"), "seed\n");
+        git(repo, "add", "protected.cfg", "README.md");
+        git(repo, "commit", "-q", "-m", "seed");
+
+        GitWorktrees gitWorktrees = new GitWorktrees(tmp.resolve("wts").toString());
+        String branch = "cb-587-a";
+        String wt = gitWorktrees.add(repo.toString(), branch, "HEAD");
+
+        git(Path.of(wt), "update-index", "--skip-worktree", "protected.cfg");
+        Files.writeString(Path.of(wt).resolve("protected.cfg"), "locally-diverged-never-commit\n");
+        Files.writeString(Path.of(wt).resolve("untracked.txt"), "draft that was never added\n");
+        Files.writeString(Path.of(wt).resolve("README.md"), "edited tracked file\n");
+
+        String porcelain = fullStatus(Path.of(wt));
+        assertFalse(porcelain.contains("protected.cfg"),
+                "test setup invalid — protected.cfg must not show in git status once skip-worktree is set:\n"
+                        + porcelain);
+
+        Optional<String> ref = gitWorktrees.snapshot(wt, branch, "test snapshot");
+
+        assertTrue(ref.isPresent(), "a dirty worktree snapshot returns a commit sha");
+        Set<String> diffPaths = diffNameOnly(repo, "HEAD", "refs/wip/" + branch);
+        assertFalse(diffPaths.contains("protected.cfg"),
+                "a --skip-worktree file's local drift leaked into the snapshot:\n" + diffPaths);
+        assertEquals(porcelainPaths(porcelain), diffPaths,
+                "snapshot diff must list exactly what git status --porcelain reports, no more, no less");
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * CB-587, acceptance criterion 6. If the worktree's real index cannot be resolved/read, snapshot
+     * must fail loudly (throw) rather than silently falling back to an empty temp index and producing
+     * a wrong snapshot. SessionManager's caller already catches and WARNs on any exception here — this
+     * only needs to confirm the failure is not swallowed inside snapshot() itself.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void snapshotThrowsWhenTheWorktreesRealIndexCannotBeResolved(@TempDir Path tmp) throws Exception {
+        Path repo = initRepo(tmp.resolve("repo"));
+        GitWorktrees gitWorktrees = new GitWorktrees(tmp.resolve("wts").toString());
+        String branch = "cb-587-b";
+        String wt = gitWorktrees.add(repo.toString(), branch, "HEAD");
+
+        // Break git's ability to resolve the worktree's real index by removing the linked worktree's
+        // `.git` file (which normally points at the main repo's worktrees/<name>/ directory).
+        Files.delete(Path.of(wt).resolve(".git"));
+
+        assertThrows(WorktreeException.class, () -> gitWorktrees.snapshot(wt, branch, "test snapshot"),
+                "an unresolvable real index must fail loudly, not silently snapshot from an empty index");
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * CB-586, criterion 2. A snapshot whose content is NOT reachable from {@code main} is the last
+     * copy of a worker's work, and must never be deleted automatically — even when it is old and
+     * even when the caller passes a zero age floor. Uses the real snapshot path on a dirty worktree,
+     * so the unreachable tree is exactly the shape CB-576/CB-578 stage C exist to protect.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void anUnreachableSnapshotIsNeverPruned(@TempDir Path tmp) throws Exception {
+        Path repo = initRepo(tmp.resolve("repo"));
+        GitWorktrees gitWorktrees = new GitWorktrees(tmp.resolve("wts").toString());
+        String branch = "cb-586-unreachable";
+        String wt = gitWorktrees.add(repo.toString(), branch, "HEAD");
+        Files.writeString(Path.of(wt).resolve("worker-draft.txt"), "work that exists nowhere else\n");
+
+        Optional<String> ref = gitWorktrees.snapshot(wt, branch, "snapshot with unreachable content");
+        assertTrue(ref.isPresent());
+
+        // Age floor 0 makes age a non-issue: only reachability can save it — and it must.
+        assertEquals(0, gitWorktrees.pruneWipRefs(repo.toString(), 0),
+                "the unreachable snapshot is the last copy and must not be pruned");
+        assertTrue(refExists(repo, "refs/wip/" + branch),
+                "an unreachable snapshot must survive the sweep");
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * CB-586, criterion 1 (the reachable half). A snapshot whose tree content IS already reachable
+     * from {@code main} and which is older than the age floor is pure duplication — the work is
+     * recovered — so it must be pruned.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void aReachableSnapshotOlderThanTheFloorIsPruned(@TempDir Path tmp) throws Exception {
+        Path repo = initRepo(tmp.resolve("repo"));
+        GitWorktrees gitWorktrees = new GitWorktrees(tmp.resolve("wts").toString());
+
+        // A snapshot whose tree is exactly main's current tree: fully reachable from main.
+        String mainTree = revParse(repo, "main^{tree}");
+        String old = commitTree(repo, mainTree, revParse(repo, "HEAD"), "2020-01-01T00:00:00", "snapshot");
+        updateRef(repo, "refs/wip/recovered", old);
+
+        assertEquals(1, gitWorktrees.pruneWipRefs(repo.toString(), TimeUnit.HOURS.toMillis(24)),
+                "an old, main-reachable snapshot must be pruned");
+        assertFalse(refExists(repo, "refs/wip/recovered"),
+                "the reachable snapshot's ref must be gone after the sweep");
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * CB-586, the age floor. A snapshot whose content IS reachable from {@code main} but which is
+     * younger than the age floor must not be swept — a lead may still be looking at it.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void aReachableButRecentSnapshotIsNotPruned(@TempDir Path tmp) throws Exception {
+        Path repo = initRepo(tmp.resolve("repo"));
+        GitWorktrees gitWorktrees = new GitWorktrees(tmp.resolve("wts").toString());
+
+        // Reachable from main, but committed "now" — a fresh snapshot. The 24h floor must protect it.
+        String mainTree = revParse(repo, "main^{tree}");
+        String fresh = commitTree(repo, mainTree, revParse(repo, "HEAD"),
+                "2038-01-01T00:00:00", "snapshot just taken");
+        updateRef(repo, "refs/wip/fresh", fresh);
+
+        assertEquals(0, gitWorktrees.pruneWipRefs(repo.toString(), TimeUnit.HOURS.toMillis(24)),
+                "a recent snapshot must be kept even when reachable");
+        assertTrue(refExists(repo, "refs/wip/fresh"),
+                "the recent reachable snapshot must survive the sweep");
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * CB-586, criterion 5. A fleet that has never snapshotted anything has no {@code refs/wip/*},
+     * so a sweep is a no-op and the census reports none — identical to before CB-586 existed.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void aFleetWithNoSnapshotsPrunesNothingAndReportsNothing(@TempDir Path tmp) throws Exception {
+        Path repo = initRepo(tmp.resolve("repo"));
+        GitWorktrees gitWorktrees = new GitWorktrees(tmp.resolve("wts").toString());
+
+        assertEquals(0, gitWorktrees.pruneWipRefs(repo.toString(), 0),
+                "no snapshot refs means nothing to prune");
+        Worktrees.WipRefStats stats = gitWorktrees.wipRefs(repo.toString());
+        assertEquals(0, stats.count(), "a never-snapshotted fleet has zero refs/wip refs");
+        assertEquals(0L, stats.costBytes(), "a never-snapshotted fleet costs zero bytes");
+    }
+
+    /** CB-586, criterion 4: the census reports how many refs exist and roughly what they cost. */
+    @Test
+    void wipRefsReportsCountAndCost(@TempDir Path tmp) throws Exception {
+        Path repo = initRepo(tmp.resolve("repo"));
+        GitWorktrees gitWorktrees = new GitWorktrees(tmp.resolve("wts").toString());
+
+        String blob = blobOf(repo, "a recoverable snapshot's worth of content");
+        String tree = treeOf(repo, "snapshot.txt", blob);
+        updateRef(repo, "refs/wip/one", commitTree(repo, tree, revParse(repo, "HEAD"),
+                "2020-01-01T00:00:00", "snapshot"));
+        updateRef(repo, "refs/wip/two", commitTree(repo, tree, revParse(repo, "HEAD"),
+                "2020-01-02T00:00:00", "snapshot"));
+
+        Worktrees.WipRefStats stats = gitWorktrees.wipRefs(repo.toString());
+        assertEquals(2, stats.count(), "two snapshot refs are reported");
+        assertTrue(stats.costBytes() > 0, "the cost of the snapshots is a positive byte count");
+    }
 }

bridged/src/test/java/dev/ltms/bridged/session/SessionManagerTest.java

@@ -11,7 +11,13 @@ import dev.ltms.bridged.herdr.FakeHerdr;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.herdr.WorkspaceControl;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.member.ClaudeCodeLauncher;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.msg.TestTurnTokens;
+import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.Capability;
+import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.CharterReceipt;
+import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.MemberRole;
+import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.PeerHandle;
+import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.PeerLauncher;
 import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.PeerUnreachableException;
+import dev.ltms.bridged.peer.SpawnRequest;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
@@ -44,6 +50,113 @@ class SessionManagerTest {
         return sessionManager(herdr, clock, 0);
     }
 
+    private SessionManager sessionManager(FakeHerdr herdr, Worktrees worktrees) {
+        return sessionManager(herdr, worktrees, System::nanoTime);
+    }
+
+    private SessionManager sessionManager(FakeHerdr herdr, Worktrees worktrees, LongSupplier clock) {
+        BridgedConfig.Profile cfg = new BridgedConfig.Profile(
+                "ltms-local", "http://gx00.gw:8000", "coder", null, "BRIDGED_WORKER_TOKEN",
+                List.of("ccs", "ltms-local"), "tab", "bridged-workers",
+                "worker: {profile} #{n}", null, null, null);
+        ClaudeCodeLauncher workers = new ClaudeCodeLauncher(new AgentControl(herdr), new WorkspaceControl(herdr),
+                new SubscriptionGuard(Set.of("gx00.gw")), Map.of(cfg.profile(), cfg), cfg.profile(), _ -> null);
+        return new SessionManager(workers, worktrees, clock);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * CB-581: a {@link Worktrees} test double whose {@code hasUncommitted} and {@code remove} can
+     * be told to throw, so {@link SessionManager#release} can be exercised against exactly the
+     * failure {@code GitWorktrees} produces when {@code git status}/{@code git worktree remove}
+     * exits non-zero.
+     */
+    private static final class RecordingWorktrees implements Worktrees {
+        private final List<String> removeCalls = new java.util.ArrayList<>();
+        private final List<String> snapshotCalls = new java.util.ArrayList<>();
+        private final java.util.Set<String> failRemoveFor = new java.util.HashSet<>();
+        private volatile boolean dirty = false;
+        private volatile RuntimeException hasUncommittedFailure;
+        private volatile RuntimeException snapshotFailure;
+        private final java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicLong snapshotSeq = new java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicLong();
+
+        RecordingWorktrees dirty(boolean dirty) {
+            this.dirty = dirty;
+            return this;
+        }
+
+        RecordingWorktrees failHasUncommittedWith(RuntimeException e) {
+            this.hasUncommittedFailure = e;
+            return this;
+        }
+
+        RecordingWorktrees failRemoveFor(String worktreePath) {
+            failRemoveFor.add(worktreePath);
+            return this;
+        }
+
+        RecordingWorktrees failSnapshotWith(RuntimeException e) {
+            this.snapshotFailure = e;
+            return this;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public String add(String repoRoot, String branch, String baseRef) {
+            return "/wt/" + branch.replace('/', '_');
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void remove(String repoRoot, String worktreePath) {
+            if (failRemoveFor.contains(worktreePath)) {
+                throw new WorktreeException("simulated remove failure for " + worktreePath);
+            }
+            removeCalls.add(worktreePath);
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public boolean hasUncommitted(String worktreePath) {
+            if (hasUncommittedFailure != null) {
+                throw hasUncommittedFailure;
+            }
+            return dirty;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void overlayParity(String repoRoot, String worktreePath, List<String> overlay) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public String repoRoot(String cwd) {
+            return "/repo";
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public java.util.Optional<String> snapshot(String worktreePath, String branch, String message) {
+            snapshotCalls.add(worktreePath);
+            if (snapshotFailure != null) {
+                throw snapshotFailure;
+            }
+            return java.util.Optional.of("wip" + snapshotSeq.incrementAndGet());
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public WipRefStats wipRefs(String repoRoot) {
+            return new WipRefStats(0, 0L);
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public int pruneWipRefs(String repoRoot, long minAgeMillis) {
+            return 0;
+        }
+
+        List<String> removeCalls() {
+            return List.copyOf(removeCalls);
+        }
+
+        List<String> snapshotCalls() {
+            return List.copyOf(snapshotCalls);
+        }
+    }
+
     private SessionManager sessionManager(FakeHerdr herdr, LongSupplier clock, int contextCap) {
         return sessionManager(herdr, clock, contextCap, false);
     }
@@ -91,6 +204,24 @@ class SessionManagerTest {
         assertEquals(2, sessions.roster().size(), "both sessions are registered");
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void rosterViewExposesTheCharterReceiptButNeverTheCharterText() {
+        // The roster (bridge_list and GET /members both render through rosterView) must let a lead
+        // see which charter a member got, without ever carrying the charter prose itself (CB-571).
+        MemberSession s = new MemberSession("p1", "term1", "prof", MemberRole.DEV, "/cwd", null,
+                0, 0, 0, MemberSession.State.READY, null, null,
+                CharterReceipt.compose(MemberRole.DEV, "prof", "role charter", "role charter\n\nreply"), null);
+
+        Map<String, Object> view = SessionManager.rosterView(s, null);
+
+        assertEquals("fleet.charters.dev", view.get("charterSource"),
+                "the config key that supplied the role charter is reported");
+        assertEquals(CharterReceipt.digestOf("role charter\n\nreply"), view.get("charterSha256"),
+                "the digest of the exact composed charter bytes is reported");
+        assertFalse(view.values().toString().contains("role charter"),
+                "the roster row must not embed the charter text itself");
+    }
+
     @Test
     void aNullTerminalFromThePrimaryIsANoOpEvenWithSessionsRegistered() {
         // The primary resolves to a Principal with no terminal, and BridgeMcp's context extractor
@@ -471,7 +602,7 @@ class SessionManagerTest {
         FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
         SessionManager sessions = sessionManager(herdr);
         java.util.List<String> released = new java.util.concurrent.CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();
-        sessions.onRelease(released::add);
+        sessions.onRelease(detail -> released.add(detail.terminalId()));
 
         MemberSession s = sessions.acquire("ltms-local", null, "/caller", null);
         sessions.release(s.paneId());
@@ -485,7 +616,7 @@ class SessionManagerTest {
         FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
         SessionManager sessions = sessionManager(herdr);
         java.util.List<String> released = new java.util.concurrent.CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();
-        sessions.onRelease(released::add);
+        sessions.onRelease(detail -> released.add(detail.terminalId()));
 
         sessions.release("w9:p404"); // idempotent teardown of something already gone
 
@@ -505,4 +636,295 @@ class SessionManagerTest {
                 "a listener failure must never prevent the teardown it is reacting to");
         assertTrue(sessions.get(s.paneId()).isEmpty(), "and the session is still deregistered");
     }
+
+    // --- CB-581: a throw inside release() must not orphan the pane or abort reapIdle -----------
+
+    @Test
+    void releasePreservesWorktreeWhenDirtyCheckThrows() {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        RecordingWorktrees worktrees = new RecordingWorktrees();
+        SessionManager sessions = sessionManager(herdr, worktrees);
+        MemberSession s = sessions.acquire("ltms-local", null, "/caller/proj", null,
+                new WorktreeRequest("cb-581a", null));
+        worktrees.failHasUncommittedWith(new WorktreeException("git status exited 128"));
+
+        LoggerContext ctx = (LoggerContext) LoggerFactory.getILoggerFactory();
+        ch.qos.logback.classic.Logger sessionLog =
+                (ch.qos.logback.classic.Logger) LoggerFactory.getLogger(SessionManager.class);
+        ListAppender<ILoggingEvent> appender = new ListAppender<>();
+        appender.setContext(ctx);
+        appender.start();
+        sessionLog.addAppender(appender);
+        sessionLog.setLevel(Level.WARN);
+        try {
+            assertDoesNotThrow(() -> sessions.release(s.paneId()),
+                    "a throwing dirty check must not abort the release");
+
+            assertTrue(worktrees.removeCalls().isEmpty(),
+                    "the worktree is preserved when its dirty state cannot be determined");
+            String warn = appender.list.stream()
+                    .filter(e -> e.getLevel().equals(Level.WARN))
+                    .map(ILoggingEvent::getFormattedMessage)
+                    .filter(m -> m.contains(s.worktree()))
+                    .findFirst()
+                    .orElse("no warn logged naming the worktree");
+            assertTrue(warn.contains(s.paneId()), "the WARN names the pane: " + warn);
+            assertTrue(warn.contains(s.terminalId()), "the WARN names the terminal: " + warn);
+        } finally {
+            sessionLog.detachAppender(appender);
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void releaseStillStopsThePaneWhenDirtyCheckThrows() {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        RecordingWorktrees worktrees = new RecordingWorktrees();
+        SessionManager sessions = sessionManager(herdr, worktrees);
+        MemberSession s = sessions.acquire("ltms-local", null, "/caller/proj", null,
+                new WorktreeRequest("cb-581b", null));
+        worktrees.failHasUncommittedWith(new WorktreeException("git status exited 128"));
+
+        sessions.release(s.paneId());
+
+        assertEquals(1, paneCloseCallsFor(herdr, "w9:pRoot_1"),
+                "the pane is stopped exactly once even though the dirty check threw");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void releaseStillNotifiesTheListenerWhenDirtyCheckThrows() {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        RecordingWorktrees worktrees = new RecordingWorktrees();
+        SessionManager sessions = sessionManager(herdr, worktrees);
+        java.util.List<String> released = new java.util.concurrent.CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();
+        sessions.onRelease(detail -> released.add(detail.terminalId()));
+        MemberSession s = sessions.acquire("ltms-local", null, "/caller/proj", null,
+                new WorktreeRequest("cb-581c", null));
+        worktrees.failHasUncommittedWith(new WorktreeException("git status exited 128"));
+
+        sessions.release(s.paneId());
+
+        assertEquals(java.util.List.of(s.terminalId()), released,
+                "a blocked caller must still be told the terminal was released, even though the "
+                        + "dirty check threw");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void reapIdleSurvivesOneSessionThatFailsToRelease() {
+        long[] clock = {0};
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        RecordingWorktrees worktrees = new RecordingWorktrees();
+        SessionManager sessions = sessionManager(herdr, worktrees, () -> clock[0]);
+        MemberSession a = sessions.acquire("ltms-local", null, "/caller/proj", null,
+                new WorktreeRequest("cb-581d", null));
+        MemberSession b = sessions.acquire("ltms-local", null, "/caller/proj", null,
+                new WorktreeRequest("cb-581e", null));
+        MemberSession c = sessions.acquire("ltms-local", null, "/caller/proj", null,
+                new WorktreeRequest("cb-581f", null));
+        sessions.asPresence().markPresent(a.terminalId());
+        sessions.asPresence().markPresent(b.terminalId());
+        sessions.asPresence().markPresent(c.terminalId());
+        // The middle session's worktree removal fails — release() propagates that, so this is the
+        // one call reapIdle's per-session guard must survive without skipping the rest of the pass.
+        worktrees.failRemoveFor(b.worktree());
+
+        LoggerContext ctx = (LoggerContext) LoggerFactory.getILoggerFactory();
+        ch.qos.logback.classic.Logger sessionLog =
+                (ch.qos.logback.classic.Logger) LoggerFactory.getLogger(SessionManager.class);
+        ListAppender<ILoggingEvent> appender = new ListAppender<>();
+        appender.setContext(ctx);
+        appender.start();
+        sessionLog.addAppender(appender);
+        sessionLog.setLevel(Level.WARN);
+        int reaped;
+        try {
+            clock[0] = 100;
+            reaped = sessions.reapIdle(10);
+
+            String warn = appender.list.stream()
+                    .filter(e -> e.getLevel().equals(Level.WARN))
+                    .map(ILoggingEvent::getFormattedMessage)
+                    .filter(m -> m.contains(b.paneId()))
+                    .findFirst()
+                    .orElse("no reap-failure WARN logged");
+            assertTrue(warn.contains(b.terminalId()), "the WARN names the failed session's terminal: " + warn);
+            assertTrue(warn.contains(b.worktree()), "the WARN names the failed session's worktree: " + warn);
+        } finally {
+            sessionLog.detachAppender(appender);
+        }
+
+        assertEquals(2, reaped, "the middle session's failure is logged, not counted as reaped");
+        assertTrue(sessions.get(a.paneId()).isEmpty(), "the first session is still released");
+        assertTrue(sessions.get(c.paneId()).isEmpty(), "the third session is still released");
+        assertTrue(sessions.get(b.paneId()).isEmpty(),
+                "the middle session is still deregistered even though its worktree removal threw");
+        assertEquals(1, paneCloseCallsFor(herdr, "w9:pRoot_1"), "the first pane is stopped");
+        assertEquals(1, paneCloseCallsFor(herdr, "w9:pRoot_2"),
+                "the middle pane is still stopped even though its worktree removal failed");
+        assertEquals(1, paneCloseCallsFor(herdr, "w9:pRoot_3"), "the third pane is stopped");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void unchangedRegressionCleanCompletedReleaseStillRemovesTheWorktree() {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        RecordingWorktrees worktrees = new RecordingWorktrees();
+        SessionManager sessions = sessionManager(herdr, worktrees);
+        MemberSession s = sessions.acquire("ltms-local", null, "/caller/proj", null,
+                new WorktreeRequest("cb-581g", null));
+
+        sessions.release(s.paneId());
+
+        assertEquals(List.of(s.worktree()), worktrees.removeCalls(),
+                "COMPLETED release of a clean worktree still removes it");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void unchangedRegressionDirtyCompletedReleaseStillPreservesTheWorktree() {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        RecordingWorktrees worktrees = new RecordingWorktrees().dirty(true);
+        SessionManager sessions = sessionManager(herdr, worktrees);
+        MemberSession s = sessions.acquire("ltms-local", null, "/caller/proj", null,
+                new WorktreeRequest("cb-581h", null));
+
+        sessions.release(s.paneId());
+
+        assertTrue(worktrees.removeCalls().isEmpty(),
+                "COMPLETED release of a dirty worktree still preserves it");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void unchangedRegressionShutdownDrainStillPreservesTheWorktree() {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        RecordingWorktrees worktrees = new RecordingWorktrees();
+        SessionManager sessions = sessionManager(herdr, worktrees);
+        MemberSession s = sessions.acquire("ltms-local", null, "/caller/proj", null,
+                new WorktreeRequest("cb-581i", null));
+        sessions.asPresence().markPresent(s.terminalId());
+
+        sessions.drainAll(TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS.toNanos(100));
+
+        assertTrue(worktrees.removeCalls().isEmpty(), "SHUTDOWN drain still preserves the worktree");
+    }
+
+    // ── CB-584: agentSessionId recorded at acquire, and gated by Capability.SESSION_RESUME ─────
+
+    /**
+     * A minimal {@link PeerLauncher} whose capabilities exclude SESSION_RESUME — the "does not
+     * support it" case. {@link #requireResumeCapability} throws before ever reaching {@link #spawn},
+     * so every method beyond {@link #capabilitiesFor} is unreachable in these tests and left unimplemented.
+     */
+    private static final class NoResumeLauncher implements PeerLauncher {
+        @Override
+        public Set<Capability> capabilities() {
+            return Set.of(Capability.WORKTREE); // deliberately no SESSION_RESUME
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public Set<Capability> capabilitiesFor(String profileName) {
+            return capabilities();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public PeerHandle spawn(SpawnRequest req) {
+            throw new UnsupportedOperationException("not reachable — the capability check refuses first");
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public Set<String> profiles() {
+            return Set.of("stub-profile");
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public String defaultProfile() {
+            return "stub-profile";
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public String effectiveCwd(SpawnRequest req) {
+            throw new UnsupportedOperationException("not reachable — the capability check refuses first");
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public List<String> parityOverlay(String profileName) {
+            return List.of();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public List<?> list() {
+            return List.of();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public int reapOrphanWorkers() {
+            return 0;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void stop(String id) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public boolean clearContext(String id) {
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void acquireRecordsTheAgentSessionIdFromTheHandle() {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        SessionManager sessions = sessionManager(herdr);
+
+        MemberSession s = sessions.acquire("ltms-local", MemberRole.DEV, null, null, null, null,
+                "my-session-name", null);
+
+        assertNotNull(s.agentSessionId(), "a spawn that asked for session identity gets one back");
+        Map<String, Object> view = SessionManager.rosterView(s, null);
+        assertEquals(s.agentSessionId(), view.get("agentSessionId"),
+                "the roster exposes the same id the session recorded");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void acquireWithNeitherSessionFieldLeavesAgentSessionIdNull() {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        SessionManager sessions = sessionManager(herdr);
+
+        MemberSession s = sessions.acquire("ltms-local", null, null, null);
+
+        assertNull(s.agentSessionId(), "no identity requested — unchanged from before CB-584");
+        assertFalse(SessionManager.rosterView(s, null).containsKey("agentSessionId"),
+                "a null id is omitted from the roster, like charterSha256 for a receipt-less session");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void resumeSessionIdResumesTheSameConversationOnASupportingAdapter() {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        SessionManager sessions = sessionManager(herdr);
+
+        MemberSession s = sessions.acquire("ltms-local", MemberRole.DEV, null, null, null, null,
+                null, "cb-resume-77");
+
+        assertEquals("cb-resume-77", s.agentSessionId(),
+                "a resume adopts the prior id as its own agentSessionId");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void resumeSessionIdWithoutAnExplicitProfileIsRefused() {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        SessionManager sessions = sessionManager(herdr);
+
+        IllegalArgumentException e = assertThrows(IllegalArgumentException.class, () ->
+                sessions.acquire(null, MemberRole.DEV, null, null, null, null, null, "cb-resume-1"));
+
+        assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("explicit profile"), e.getMessage());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void resumeSessionIdOnAnAdapterWithoutTheCapabilityIsRefusedNamingIt() {
+        SessionManager sessions = new SessionManager(new NoResumeLauncher());
+
+        IllegalArgumentException e = assertThrows(IllegalArgumentException.class, () ->
+                sessions.acquire("stub-profile", MemberRole.DEV, null, null, null, null, null, "cb-resume-1"));
+
+        assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("SESSION_RESUME"), e.getMessage());
+        assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("stub-profile"), e.getMessage());
+    }
 }

bridged/src/test/java/dev/ltms/bridged/session/SessionReaperTest.java

@@ -11,10 +11,12 @@ import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Set;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicLong;
 
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertDoesNotThrow;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertFalse;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
 
 /**
@@ -90,6 +92,59 @@ class SessionReaperTest {
         return ticks.get() >= n;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * CB-586: the retention sweep must actually reach the seam when the loop runs.
+     *
+     * <p>The sweep's own tests call {@code SessionManager.sweepWipRefs} directly, which walks
+     * around the reaper's interval gate — and the gate is where it broke. {@code lastWipSweepNanos}
+     * started at {@code Long.MIN_VALUE}, so {@code now - lastWipSweepNanos} overflowed to a large
+     * negative number, the gate read that as "swept moments ago", and it returned <em>before</em>
+     * the assignment that would have fixed the field. The sweep never ran once, for the life of
+     * the process, and every direct-call test still passed.
+     *
+     * <p>So this asserts through the loop: spawn a worktree session (which is what tells the
+     * manager which repo holds {@code refs/wip/*}), start the reaper, and require a real prune call
+     * to arrive at the fake.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void theLoopActuallyRunsTheWipRetentionSweep() throws InterruptedException {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        FakeWorktrees worktrees = new FakeWorktrees().withRepoRoot("/repo").withPrefix("/wt");
+        SessionManager sessions = new SessionManager(launcher(herdr), worktrees);
+        // Without a worktree session the repo is unknown and the sweep is a legitimate no-op, so
+        // this step is what makes the assertion below meaningful rather than vacuous.
+        sessions.acquire("ltms-local", null, "/caller/proj", null, new WorktreeRequest("cb-586", null));
+        assertTrue(worktrees.pruneCalls().isEmpty(), "nothing has swept before the reaper starts");
+
+        SessionReaper reaper = new SessionReaper(sessions, IDLE_TTL_SECONDS, SHORT_INTERVAL_MILLIS);
+        reaper.start();
+        try {
+            long deadline = System.currentTimeMillis() + 3000;
+            while (worktrees.pruneCalls().isEmpty() && System.currentTimeMillis() < deadline) {
+                Thread.sleep(10);
+            }
+        } finally {
+            reaper.stop();
+        }
+
+        assertFalse(worktrees.pruneCalls().isEmpty(),
+                "the reaper loop must run the refs/wip retention sweep; it never reached the seam");
+        assertEquals("/repo", worktrees.pruneCalls().getFirst().repoRoot(),
+                "the sweep must target the repo the fleet's worktrees came from");
+        assertEquals(TimeUnit.HOURS.toMillis(24), worktrees.pruneCalls().getFirst().minAgeMillis(),
+                "the 24h age floor is the safety rule and must reach the seam intact");
+    }
+
+    /** As {@link #launcher()}, on a caller-supplied herdr so the test can inspect it. */
+    private static ClaudeCodeLauncher launcher(FakeHerdr herdr) {
+        BridgedConfig.Profile cfg = new BridgedConfig.Profile(
+                "ltms-local", "http://gx00.gw:8000", "coder", null, "BRIDGED_WORKER_TOKEN",
+                List.of("ccs", "ltms-local"), "tab", "bridged-workers",
+                "worker: {profile} #{n}", null, null, null);
+        return new ClaudeCodeLauncher(new AgentControl(herdr), new WorkspaceControl(herdr),
+                new SubscriptionGuard(Set.of("gx00.gw")), Map.of(cfg.profile(), cfg), cfg.profile(), _ -> null);
+    }
+
     @Test
     void stopIsIdempotentAndSafeBeforeStart() {
         SessionReaper reaper = reaper();

bridged/src/test/java/dev/ltms/bridged/session/WorktreeSessionManagerTest.java

@@ -362,4 +362,141 @@ class WorktreeSessionManagerTest {
                 "the profile's configured cwd must reach repoRoot, not be ignored");
     }
 
+    // --- CB-578 stage C: snapshot a dirty worktree into git before the preserve-or-remove decision ---
+
+    @Test
+    void releaseOfACleanWorktreeNeverSnapshots() {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        FakeWorktrees worktrees = new FakeWorktrees().withRepoRoot("/repo").withPrefix("/wt");
+        SessionManager sessions = new SessionManager(workerService(herdr), worktrees);
+        MemberSession s = sessions.acquire("ltms-local", null, "/caller/proj", null,
+                new WorktreeRequest("cb-578c-a", null));
+
+        sessions.release(s.paneId());
+
+        assertTrue(worktrees.snapshotCalls().isEmpty(),
+                "acceptance criterion 4: a clean release must create no snapshot ref or commit");
+        assertEquals(1, worktrees.removeCalls().size(), "a clean worktree is still removed as before");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void releaseOfADirtyWorktreeSnapshotsBeforePreserving() {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        FakeWorktrees worktrees = new FakeWorktrees().withRepoRoot("/repo").withPrefix("/wt")
+                .withDirty(true);
+        SessionManager sessions = new SessionManager(workerService(herdr), worktrees);
+        MemberSession s = sessions.acquire("ltms-local", null, "/caller/proj", null,
+                new WorktreeRequest("cb-578c-b", null));
+
+        sessions.release(s.paneId());
+
+        assertEquals(1, worktrees.snapshotCalls().size(),
+                "acceptance criterion 1: a dirty release snapshots the worktree exactly once");
+        FakeWorktrees.SnapshotCall call = worktrees.lastSnapshot();
+        assertEquals(s.worktree(), call.worktreePath());
+        assertEquals(s.branch(), call.branch());
+        assertTrue(worktrees.removeCalls().isEmpty(), "the dirty worktree is still preserved, not removed");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void releaseNotifiesTheListenerWithWorktreeBranchAndSnapshotRef() {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        FakeWorktrees worktrees = new FakeWorktrees().withRepoRoot("/repo").withPrefix("/wt")
+                .withDirty(true);
+        SessionManager sessions = new SessionManager(workerService(herdr), worktrees);
+        java.util.List<SessionManager.ReleaseDetail> released = new java.util.concurrent.CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();
+        sessions.onRelease(released::add);
+        MemberSession s = sessions.acquire("ltms-local", null, "/caller/proj", null,
+                new WorktreeRequest("cb-578c-c", null));
+
+        sessions.release(s.paneId());
+
+        assertEquals(1, released.size());
+        SessionManager.ReleaseDetail detail = released.getFirst();
+        assertEquals(s.terminalId(), detail.terminalId());
+        assertEquals(s.worktree(), detail.worktreePath(),
+                "acceptance criterion 6: a failed ticket's detail must carry the worktree path");
+        assertEquals(s.branch(), detail.branch(),
+                "acceptance criterion 6: a failed ticket's detail must carry the branch");
+        assertEquals("wip1", detail.snapshotRef(),
+                "acceptance criterion 6: a failed ticket's detail must carry the snapshot ref");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void releaseNotifiesTheListenerWithTheAgentSessionId() {
+        // CB-584 (issue #65 criterion 5): a failed ticket's detail must also name the agent
+        // session, alongside worktree/branch/snapshot, so a lead can resume the conversation
+        // rather than only re-dispatch a fresh member onto the same files.
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        FakeWorktrees worktrees = new FakeWorktrees().withRepoRoot("/repo").withPrefix("/wt")
+                .withDirty(true);
+        SessionManager sessions = new SessionManager(workerService(herdr), worktrees);
+        java.util.List<SessionManager.ReleaseDetail> released = new java.util.concurrent.CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();
+        sessions.onRelease(released::add);
+        MemberSession s = sessions.acquire("ltms-local", MemberRole.DEV, null, "/caller/proj", null,
+                new WorktreeRequest("cb-584-e", null), "cb-584-session", null);
+
+        assertNotNull(s.agentSessionId(), "a named session must mint an agent session id to assert on");
+        sessions.release(s.paneId());
+
+        assertEquals(1, released.size());
+        SessionManager.ReleaseDetail detail = released.getFirst();
+        assertEquals(s.agentSessionId(), detail.agentSessionId());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void aFailingSnapshotStillPreservesTheWorktreeStopsThePaneAndNotifies() {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        FakeWorktrees worktrees = new FakeWorktrees().withRepoRoot("/repo").withPrefix("/wt")
+                .withDirty(true).failSnapshot("git commit-tree exited 128");
+        SessionManager sessions = new SessionManager(workerService(herdr), worktrees);
+        java.util.List<SessionManager.ReleaseDetail> released = new java.util.concurrent.CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();
+        sessions.onRelease(released::add);
+        MemberSession s = sessions.acquire("ltms-local", null, "/caller/proj", null,
+                new WorktreeRequest("cb-578c-d", null));
+
+        assertDoesNotThrow(() -> sessions.release(s.paneId()),
+                "acceptance criterion 5: a failing snapshot must not propagate out of release()");
+
+        assertTrue(herdr.called("pane.close"), "acceptance criterion 5: the pane must still stop");
+        assertTrue(worktrees.removeCalls().isEmpty(),
+                "acceptance criterion 5: the worktree must still be preserved when the snapshot fails");
+        assertEquals(1, released.size(), "acceptance criterion 5: the listener must still be notified");
+        assertNull(released.getFirst().snapshotRef(),
+                "a failed snapshot leaves no ref to report");
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * CB-586, criteria 4 and 1. Once a worktree session is spawned the repo is known, so the
+     * operator census and the retention sweep delegate to that repo's {@code refs/wip/*}.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void wipRefsAndSweepDelegateToTheFleetRepoOnceKnown() {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        FakeWorktrees worktrees = new FakeWorktrees().withRepoRoot("/repo").withPrefix("/wt")
+                .withWipRefs(new Worktrees.WipRefStats(3, 42L)).withPruneResult(2);
+        SessionManager sessions = new SessionManager(workerService(herdr), worktrees);
+
+        assertTrue(sessions.wipRefs().isEmpty(),
+                "no worktree spawned yet means no repo is known and nothing to report");
+        assertEquals(0, sessions.sweepWipRefs(TimeUnit.HOURS.toMillis(24)),
+                "no worktree spawned yet means the sweep is a no-op");
+
+        sessions.acquire("ltms-local", null, "/caller/proj", null,
+                new WorktreeRequest("cb-586", null));
+
+        Worktrees.WipRefStats stats = sessions.wipRefs().orElseThrow();
+        assertEquals(3, stats.count(), "the census comes from the fleet repo");
+        assertEquals(42L, stats.costBytes(), "the cost comes from the fleet repo");
+        assertEquals(2, sessions.sweepWipRefs(TimeUnit.HOURS.toMillis(24)),
+                "the sweep runs against the fleet repo");
+
+        List<FakeWorktrees.PruneCall> prunes = worktrees.pruneCalls();
+        assertEquals(1, prunes.size(), "the no-op short-circuits before reaching the seam, so only "
+                + "the repo-known sweep issues a call");
+        assertEquals("/repo", prunes.getFirst().repoRoot(), "the sweep targets the fleet repo");
+        assertEquals(TimeUnit.HOURS.toMillis(24), prunes.getFirst().minAgeMillis(),
+                "the caller's age floor is passed through");
+    }
+
 }

deploy/dev.ltms.bridged.plist

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
 <!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
 <!--
-  CB-504 — launchd agent for bridged (macOS).
+  CB-504 / CB-594 — launchd agent for bridged (macOS).
 
   This is the real supervision target today: the dogfooded daemon runs on macOS, where there is
   no systemd. A systemd unit ships alongside (deploy/bridged.service) for the Linux gateways
@@ -9,14 +9,33 @@
 
   Install:
     cp deploy/dev.ltms.bridged.plist ~/Library/LaunchAgents/
-    # edit the paths + JAVA_HOME below to match this host, then:
     launchctl load -w ~/Library/LaunchAgents/dev.ltms.bridged.plist
     launchctl list | grep bridged
 
+  The paths below are already filled in for this host (resolved 2026-08-16 from
+  `/usr/libexec/java_home`... except that reported the system Applet-plugin JVM, not the jenv-
+  managed JDK 25 actually used to build/run bridged, so JAVA_HOME here is the real one:
+  `JENV_VERSION=25.0.3 java -XshowSettings:properties -version 2>&1 | grep java.home`; `which mvn`;
+  `echo $HOME`). If this file is copied to a different host, re-resolve all three paths and check
+  no placeholder path is left behind; scripts/redeploy-bridged.sh's check mode does not (and
+  cannot) check this file for you.
+
+  CB-594 — launchd cannot run a login shell (see the PATH comment on EnvironmentVariables below,
+  and scripts/bridged-launchd-wrapper.sh for the fix): ProgramArguments below execs THAT wrapper,
+  not java directly, so WORKER_GITEA_TOKEN and AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN still get sourced from
+  ${SHARED_ENV}/tools/secrets.sh even though launchd itself never sources anything.
+
   Note on ordering: launchd has no "start after herdr" primitive for user agents, and neither
   does systemd in a way that survives a socket appearing late. bridged retries the herdr socket
   on startup instead, so an agent that comes up before herdr converges rather than dying — that
   retry is the actual fix; KeepAlive below is the backstop.
+
+  CB-594 — KeepAlive vs. scripts/redeploy-bridged.sh: a bare SIGTERM makes this JVM exit 143 even
+  with its shutdown hook running to completion (measured, see the CB-594 report), which
+  SuccessfulExit:false below reads as a crash and races to restart the OLD jar. The redeploy
+  script now detects a loaded agent and uses `launchctl unload`/`load` instead of a raw kill, so
+  only one supervisor ever touches the process at a time — read that script's own output on a
+  redeploy for the confirmation.
 -->
 <plist version="1.0">
 <dict>
@@ -25,22 +44,23 @@
 
     <key>ProgramArguments</key>
     <array>
-        <string>/Users/CHANGEME/Tool/jdk-25.0.2.jdk/Contents/Home/bin/java</string>
+        <string>/Users/dai.ha/LTMS/claude-bridge/scripts/bridged-launchd-wrapper.sh</string>
+        <string>/Users/dai.ha/Softwares/jdks/jdk-25.0.3.jdk/Contents/Home/bin/java</string>
         <string>-jar</string>
-        <string>/Users/CHANGEME/src/claude-bridge/bridged/target/bridged.jar</string>
+        <string>/Users/dai.ha/LTMS/claude-bridge/bridged/target/bridged.jar</string>
         <string>bridged.yaml</string>
     </array>
 
     <!-- Config path in ProgramArguments is relative, so the working directory must be the module. -->
     <key>WorkingDirectory</key>
-    <string>/Users/CHANGEME/src/claude-bridge/bridged</string>
+    <string>/Users/dai.ha/LTMS/claude-bridge/bridged</string>
 
     <key>EnvironmentVariables</key>
     <dict>
         <key>JAVA_HOME</key>
-        <string>/Users/CHANGEME/Tool/jdk-25.0.2.jdk/Contents/Home</string>
+        <string>/Users/dai.ha/Softwares/jdks/jdk-25.0.3.jdk/Contents/Home</string>
         <key>HERDR_SOCKET_PATH</key>
-        <string>/Users/CHANGEME/.config/herdr/herdr.sock</string>
+        <string>/Users/dai.ha/.config/herdr/herdr.sock</string>
         <!--
           PATH matters more than it looks (CB-511): bridged propagates its own PATH to every worker
           it spawns, so this line decides whether the fleet can run a build at all. launchd does NOT
@@ -48,19 +68,39 @@
           bare /usr/bin:/bin and no JDK or Maven. Keep the toolchain entries first.
         -->
         <key>PATH</key>
-        <string>/Users/CHANGEME/Tool/jdk-25.0.2.jdk/Contents/Home/bin:/Users/CHANGEME/Tool/apache-maven-3.9.16/bin:/opt/homebrew/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin</string>
+        <string>/Users/dai.ha/Softwares/jdks/jdk-25.0.3.jdk/Contents/Home/bin:/Users/dai.ha/Softwares/apache-maven/bin:/opt/homebrew/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin</string>
         <!--
-          Worker/API tokens are NOT set here: this file is committed. Export them from a private
-          launchd override or a wrapper script. bridged reads the API token from the env var named
-          by auth.tokenEnv (default BRIDGED_API_TOKEN) and only in auth.mode: token.
+          Worker/API tokens are NOT set here: this file is committed. CB-594 —
+          scripts/bridged-launchd-wrapper.sh (named in ProgramArguments above) is what supplies
+          them, by execing a login shell that sources ${SHARED_ENV}/tools/secrets.sh before the
+          daemon itself starts. bridged also reads the API token from the env var named by
+          auth.tokenEnv (default BRIDGED_API_TOKEN) and only in auth.mode: token — the wrapper
+          covers that one too, since it is the same login shell.
         -->
     </dict>
 
     <key>RunAtLoad</key>
     <true/>
 
-    <!-- Restart on crash, but not in a tight loop if the config is bad (bridged fails fast on a
-         non-loopback bind without token auth — that is a config error, not a transient one). -->
+    <!--
+      CB-600 — read this before assuming ThrottleInterval bounds anything. It paces restarts to at
+      most one per 10s; it does NOT cap how many times launchd retries. If bridged fails fast on
+      every start — a bad bridged.yaml, for example auth.mode: token with the token env var unset,
+      which throws in main() before the daemon ever binds a port — launchd restarts it forever,
+      once every 10s, until a human intervenes. LaunchAgents have no "give up after N attempts"
+      primitive, so this is not something a config change here can fix.
+
+      That loop stops only two ways: (1) `launchctl unload -w ~/Library/LaunchAgents/dev.ltms.bridged.plist`,
+      or (2) the underlying cause gets fixed, so the process starts successfully and stays up (no
+      more exits to restart). scripts/redeploy-bridged.sh does not add a third way — it does not
+      make bridged self-disable on a config error, on purpose: a fail-fast exit path that
+      sometimes decides "this is unrecoverable, stop trying" is one more thing that can misfire,
+      and a wrongly self-disabled daemon needs the exact same manual `launchctl load -w` recovery
+      this comment already names — so it buys nothing an operator watching for the crash loop
+      doesn't already have, at the cost of a new way to be silently down. Watch for it with
+      `launchctl list dev.ltms.bridged` (a high restart count) or by tailing bridged.out for the
+      same startup error repeating every ~10s.
+    -->
     <key>KeepAlive</key>
     <dict>
         <key>SuccessfulExit</key>
@@ -69,10 +109,17 @@
     <key>ThrottleInterval</key>
     <integer>10</integer>
 
+    <!--
+      CB-594 — same file scripts/redeploy-bridged.sh already tails ($BRIDGED/bridged.out), and both
+      streams point at it, not two separate log files: the script's fresh-line / ERROR-count checks
+      after a restart read this one path regardless of whether launchd or the script started the
+      process, and a stdout/stderr split would make half of what happens during a launchd-driven
+      restart invisible to it.
+    -->
     <key>StandardOutPath</key>
-    <string>/Users/CHANGEME/src/claude-bridge/bridged/logs/bridged.out.log</string>
+    <string>/Users/dai.ha/LTMS/claude-bridge/bridged/bridged.out</string>
     <key>StandardErrorPath</key>
-    <string>/Users/CHANGEME/src/claude-bridge/bridged/logs/bridged.err.log</string>
+    <string>/Users/dai.ha/LTMS/claude-bridge/bridged/bridged.out</string>
 
     <key>ProcessType</key>
     <string>Background</string>

docs/CB-591-Gateway-Migration.md

@@ -0,0 +1,467 @@
+# CB-591 — move the fleet onto the LLM and MCP gateway
+
+**Status: DONE — the fleet is on the gateway as of 2026-08-15.** `local` runs on `/anthropic` and
+`gx` on `/v1`, both at `weight: 100`; `local-direct` stays at `weight: 0` as the escape hatch. Getting
+here took a revert and two upstream fixes — see §7.1, which is the useful part of this document. One
+risk is **accepted rather than solved**: a stream cut by any mid-response timer arrives as HTTP 200
+with no terminator, and our third-party members cannot detect it (§7.2).
+· **Upstream:** [systems/vms wiki → LLM and MCP Gateway](https://git.ltms.dev/systems/vms/wiki/LLM-and-MCP-Gateway)
+· **Upstream issue:** [systems/vms#31](https://git.ltms.dev/systems/vms/issues/31)
+
+The gateway went live on 2026-08-15 and replaced Bifrost. This plan says what that means for a
+**member definition** in `bridged.yaml`, because that is the part of this repo the change actually
+touches.
+
+---
+
+## 1. What changed upstream
+
+One front door for every LLM and MCP client: `https://llm.ltms.dev`, one token per consumer.
+
+| Surface | URL |
+|---|---|
+| OpenAI chat | `https://llm.ltms.dev/v1/chat/completions` |
+| OpenAI models | `https://llm.ltms.dev/v1/models` |
+| **Anthropic messages** | `https://llm.ltms.dev/anthropic/v1/messages` |
+| MCP, all servers multiplexed | `https://llm.ltms.dev/mcp` |
+
+Anything outside that list returns **404 before any token is checked**, on purpose — the gateway must
+never become a blanket proxy.
+
+The model backend is unchanged: GX10 vLLM at `10.10.10.26:8000` (`gx00.gw`), model name exactly
+`deepseek-v4-flash`. The direct LAN path stays open on purpose as an escape hatch.
+
+---
+
+## 2. Where claude-bridge sits today
+
+We do **not** use the gateway. The `local` profile talks straight to the vLLM:
+
+```yaml
+local:
+  kind: claude-code
+  baseUrl: http://gx00.gw:8000     # direct vLLM — no auth, LAN only
+  model: deepseek-v4-flash
+  configDir: /Users/dai.ha/.ccs/instances/gx10
+```
+
+Three facts about our side that decide the shape of this work:
+
+1. **`baseUrl` becomes `ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL`** in the member's environment, and `tokenEnv` becomes
+   `ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN` (the value is read from a host env var and never stored in config).
+   `local` sets no `tokenEnv` today, because a direct vLLM needs no token.
+2. **`SubscriptionGuard` refuses any host not on an allowlist**, and that allowlist is
+   `guard.offSubscriptionHosts: [gx00.gw]`. It is built once in `Bridged.java:93` and handed to the
+   launcher, so **it is a restart-required key**, not a hot one. Changing `baseUrl` without changing
+   this makes every `local` spawn throw.
+3. **The wiki names us as a blocker.** Under *Not done yet*: retiring the shared `legacy` token is
+   blocked because "kb, brain, **claude-bridge** and the workstation still share it. Each needs its
+   own consumer first."
+
+Context7 is mounted twice today, both times straight at `https://ct7.ltms.dev/mcp` — once in
+`.mcp.json` (the primary) and once in `opencode.json` (the `sol` and `terra` members).
+
+```mermaid
+flowchart LR
+    subgraph now["Today"]
+        M1["local member<br/>claude-code"] -->|"ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL"| V1["vLLM gx00.gw:8000<br/>no auth, LAN only"]
+        M2["sol / terra<br/>opencode"] --> CT1["ct7.ltms.dev/mcp"]
+        P1["primary"] --> CT1
+    end
+    subgraph after["Proposed"]
+        M3["local member"] -->|"ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL<br/>+ ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN"| G["llm.ltms.dev/anthropic<br/>consumer: claude-bridge"]
+        G --> V2["vLLM gx00.gw:8000"]
+        M4["local-direct<br/>weight 0, escape hatch"] --> V2
+    end
+```
+
+*The member definition is the only thing that moves. The model behind it does not.*
+
+---
+
+## 3. The member definition change
+
+The gateway serves an Anthropic surface *and* an OpenAI surface, so **both member kinds can point at
+it**. That is the main opportunity here, and it is bigger than the `local` profile alone.
+
+### 3a. `local` — claude-code, on `/anthropic`
+
+| Key | Today | After | Note |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| `baseUrl` | `http://gx00.gw:8000` | `https://llm.ltms.dev/anthropic` | see the schema warning below |
+| `tokenEnv` | *(unset)* | `AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN` | new consumer token, `llmk-claude-bridge-<32 hex>` |
+| `model` | `deepseek-v4-flash` | unchanged | must stay **exact**; a regex match returns an empty `/v1/models` while completions keep working |
+| `guard.offSubscriptionHosts` | `[gx00.gw]` | `[gx00.gw, llm.ltms.dev]` | **restart required** |
+
+### 3b. A new opencode profile on `/v1` — no code needed
+
+`OpenCodeLauncher` already supports a pinned OpenAI-compatible endpoint (CB-508). Given `baseUrl` it
+writes a custom provider block into the worker's opencode config:
+
+- `baseUrl` → `options.baseURL`. `openAiBaseUrl` appends `/v1` to a bare host, and takes a URL that
+  already has a path **as-is** — so `https://llm.ltms.dev/v1` works unchanged.
+- `tokenEnv` → `options.apiKey` (falls back to a placeholder when unset, since a local vLLM ignores it).
+- `model:` **must** be `<provider>/<model>` when `baseUrl` is set — a bare name is rejected loudly
+  rather than silently falling back to opencode's default gateway.
+
+So the profile is pure config:
+
+```yaml
+gx:
+  kind: opencode
+  baseUrl: https://llm.ltms.dev/v1
+  tokenEnv: AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN
+  model: gx/deepseek-v4-flash        # provider id is ours to choose; the half after / is the model
+  argv: ["opencode"]
+  mcpUrl: http://127.0.0.1:8765/mcp
+  gitTokenEnv: WORKER_GITEA_TOKEN
+  weight: 100                        # same tier as `local` — free
+  maxLoad: 2
+  # deliberately NO credentialId — this is our own box, not the shared OpenAI account
+```
+
+**Why this matters more than it looks.** Today every opencode member is `sol` or `terra`, and those
+are two models on **one** OpenAI account sharing `credentialId: openai-shared` — so an exhaustion on
+either locks out both, and half the fleet's opencode capacity dies at once. A gateway-backed opencode
+profile is free, is not on that credential, and therefore is not in that quarantine pair. It removes
+a single point of failure rather than just adding capacity.
+
+**Note the asymmetry, it is deliberate:** `SubscriptionGuard` does not apply to opencode at all — the
+guard exists to stop a *Claude* worker borrowing the operator's subscription, and opencode reads its
+own provider credentials. So 3b needs **no allowlist change**; only 3a does.
+
+**Both still need a restart, for a different reason.** `tokenEnv` is resolved by
+`HerdrPeerLauncher.resolveEnv` → `env.apply(name)`, which reads the **daemon's own process
+environment**. The running `bridged` inherited its environment when it started, so a variable added to
+`secrets.sh` afterwards is simply not there — the launcher would inject an empty token and the
+gateway would answer 401. This is the same failure as trap 1 in `scripts/redeploy-bridged.sh`
+(`WORKER_GITEA_TOKEN`), and it has the same fix: **restart from a login shell**, and use
+`scripts/redeploy-bridged.sh --check` to confirm the name resolves before restarting anything.
+
+### 3c. What this does to `ccs`
+
+Once a profile carries `baseUrl`, `tokenEnv` and `model` itself, the ccs instance stops being what
+routes a member. Be precise about what is left, though: `configDir` still supplies **folder trust**
+and `settings.json`, and dropping it is what produced the trust dialog and the wrong-model error
+recorded in `bridged.yaml`. So ccs goes from *deciding where the tokens go* to *holding client-side
+state*. Less load-bearing, not removable.
+
+### Why `/anthropic` and never `/v1/chat/completions`
+
+The gateway declares its Anthropic backend as `schema.name: Anthropic`, which means **no
+translation** — streaming, tool use and thinking blocks pass through exactly as they do against vLLM
+directly.
+
+Declared as `OpenAI`, Envoy's translator looks for a `thinking_blocks` field that our vLLM does not
+send (it sends `reasoning_content`), and **every thinking delta disappears silently**. Claude Code
+speaks the Anthropic protocol, so `/anthropic` is both correct and the only safe choice.
+
+This is the exact failure shape this repo keeps hitting: it compiles, it answers, it looks healthy,
+and a capability is quietly off. Treat it as a `silent-default` risk, not a config preference.
+
+**Open question for 3b — ANSWERED, 2026-08-15.** The worry was that the OpenAI surface might drop
+reasoning the way the wiki documents for a mis-declared Anthropic backend. It does not. Checked at
+the API before any profile was switched:
+
+| surface | request | result |
+|---|---|---|
+| `/anthropic/v1/messages` | `deepseek-v4-flash`, 64 tokens | 200, response carries a real `"type":"thinking"` block |
+| `/v1/chat/completions` | same | 200, message carries a populated `reasoning_content` (and a `reasoning` field) |
+| `/v1/models` | — | 200, exactly `["deepseek-v4-flash"]` — the exact-name trap is clear |
+| `/v1/models`, **no token** | — | **401** — Caddy is gating, as designed |
+
+So reasoning survives on **both** surfaces, and the `/anthropic` choice for `local` is about protocol
+correctness rather than a repair for a known loss. The last row matters on its own: the wiki warns
+the gateway's own `SecurityPolicy` fails open, so it is worth knowing the proxy in front really does
+refuse an unauthenticated request here.
+
+---
+
+## 4. Decisions
+
+### D1 — switch, but keep the direct path as an explicit profile · **recommended**
+
+Switching buys four things we do not have:
+
+- **Free opencode capacity, off the shared credential.** The largest single win. See §3b — it retires
+  a real single point of failure, not just a cost line.
+- **Per-consumer usage figures.** The cockpit counts requests per consumer. That is the first real
+  measurement of what the fleet consumes, and it feeds [CB-589](https://git.ltms.dev/lms/claude-bridge/issues/74) Gap 2 directly.
+- **Our own revocable token.** One consumer to revoke if a worker ever leaks it, instead of a shared
+  `legacy` token used by four systems.
+- **It works off-LAN.** `gx00.gw` resolves on the LAN only.
+
+The cost is honest and worth stating: we add a TLS edge, an auth proxy and a gateway to the path of
+every member spawn. The wiki keeps the direct route open precisely because "if the gateway breaks,
+nothing that matters is blocked."
+
+So keep it. Add a second profile `local-direct` pointing at `http://gx00.gw:8000` with **`weight: 0`**
+— never auto-selected, still spawnable with an explicit `bridge_spawn{profile: "local-direct"}`.
+That is exactly what CB-554 made `weight: 0` mean, and it turns the escape hatch into something the
+lead can actually reach during an incident.
+
+### D2 — do members also mount the gateway's `/mcp`? · **OPEN, operator's call**
+
+Not a detail. `CLAUDE.md` states in two places that a member mounts **only** the bridge MCP, and a
+worker's honesty rule leans on it ("never claim the result of a check you had no way to run").
+
+- **Keep bridge-only.** The invariant stays true and simple. Workers stay cheap and narrow.
+- **Add the gateway MCP.** Implementers get context7 documentation lookups, which is genuinely useful
+  for library work. But `mcpUrl` in `BridgedConfig.Profile` is a **single `String`**, so a
+  claude-code member can mount exactly one MCP — this needs a code change, not a config edit.
+
+Note the invariant is **already inaccurate**: `opencode.json` gives `sol` and `terra` both context7
+and gitea. So the choice is really "make the rule true" or "make the rule match reality". Either is
+defensible; picking one is not mine to do.
+
+### D3 — token scope
+
+One consumer, `claude-bridge`, its token in `${SHARED_ENV}/tools/secrets.sh` as `AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN`,
+referenced by name only. Never the literal value in `bridged.yaml` — `tokenEnv` exists for this.
+
+---
+
+## 5. Units of work
+
+```mermaid
+flowchart TB
+    U1["U1 · consumer token<br/>issue via cockpit, add to secrets.sh"]
+    U2["U2 · profile + guard<br/>bridged.yaml, restart"]
+    U3["U3 · verify live<br/>spawn, prove thinking survives"]
+    U4["U4 · context7 via gateway<br/>.mcp.json + opencode.json"]
+    U5["U5 · docs<br/>CLAUDE.md, wiki 11-Features"]
+    U1 --> U2 --> U3
+    U4 --> U5
+    U3 --> U5
+```
+
+| # | Scope | Who | Why |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| U1 | Issue the `claude-bridge` consumer at `auth.ltms.dev`; store as `AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN` | **operator** | touches secrets and a host we do not own |
+| U2a | New `gx` opencode profile on `/v1` — pure config, no guard change | **lead** | `bridged.yaml` is gitignored, so a worker cannot see or edit it |
+| U2b | `local` → `/anthropic`; add `local-direct` weight 0; add `llm.ltms.dev` to the guard allowlist | **lead** | same |
+| U2c | One restart from a **login shell**, after U2a and U2b | **lead** | picks up `AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN` into the daemon env *and* the guard allowlist, in one stop |
+| U3 | Live spawn on both new profiles; confirm reasoning survives on each surface | **lead** | needs real spawns and the running daemon |
+| U4 | Point `.mcp.json` and `opencode.json` context7 at the gateway `/mcp`; rename pinned tools | delegatable | tracked files, self-contained |
+| U5 | Fix the "members mount only the bridge" claim; add a `wiki/11-Features.md` entry | delegatable | writing, clear criteria |
+
+U1 blocks U2a, U2b and U3. U4 and U5 do not depend on it.
+
+**Write U2a and U2b, then restart once (U2c), then verify `gx` before `local`.** Since both profiles
+need the same restart there is no reason to do two, but there is still a reason to *verify* in order:
+`gx` exercises the token and the gateway with no guard involved, so if it fails the cause is upstream.
+`local` adds the guard allowlist on top, so a failure there points at our config instead. Testing them
+in that order separates the two causes instead of confusing them.
+
+> **U1 status, 2026-08-15:** the operator issued the consumer and exported it as `AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN`
+> (one key for every agent and MCP client behind `llm.ltms.dev`). Confirmed: it resolves in a login
+> shell, is 48 characters and carries the documented `llmk-` prefix. The value was never printed.
+
+---
+
+## 6. Traps carried over from the wiki
+
+Each of these cost someone real debugging time upstream. They apply to us.
+
+1. **Rotating a token restarts the auth proxy, which drops in-flight streaming responses.** For us
+   that means rotating `AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN` kills every live member mid-turn, and an async ticket's
+   report goes with it. This is the same rule as a daemon redeploy: **drain the fleet first**
+   (`bridge_list` → `bridge_poll` anything wanted → `bridge_stop`), then rotate.
+2. **The gateway's own `SecurityPolicy` fails open.** Standalone `aigw run` accepts it and silently
+   ignores it — an unauthenticated request returned **200**. Auth is the Caddy proxy in front, and
+   nothing else. Never reason as if the gateway authenticates.
+3. **Exact model name.** A regex match routes fine but returns an **empty** `/v1/models` list while
+   completions keep working. A wrong name returns a bare 404 that reads exactly like a dead gateway.
+4. **MCP tool names changed prefix separator.** Bifrost used one dash (`ct7-resolve-library-id`); the
+   gateway uses **two underscores** (`ct7__resolve-library-id`). Relevant only if U4 is done.
+5. **`/v1/models` 404 vs empty list are different faults.** 404 means no route loaded at all; empty
+   means the model match is a regex. Do not conflate them when diagnosing.
+
+---
+
+## 7. Verification — what would prove this works
+
+Merging config is not proving it. The checks, in order:
+
+1. `bridge_spawn{profile: "gx"}` succeeds and the member completes a real turn ending in
+   `bridge_reply`. This is the first proof of the token, the URL and the model name, and it risks
+   nothing the fleet depends on.
+2. `bridge_spawn{profile: "local"}` succeeds. If the guard allowlist was missed, this **throws** — a
+   loud, self-correcting failure, which is the good kind. If the restart was missed, it also throws,
+   for the same reason.
+3. A `local` member completes a turn. That exercises streaming through two TLS edges, the auth proxy
+   and the gateway.
+4. **Reasoning survives, checked separately on each surface.** For `local` on `/anthropic` this is
+   the check that catches the `/v1` versus `/anthropic` mistake, and it is the only one that does —
+   nothing else distinguishes a working passthrough from a translator quietly dropping thinking
+   deltas. For `gx` on `/v1`, this answers the open question in §3 rather than assuming it.
+5. The cockpit at `auth.ltms.dev` shows requests counted against the `claude-bridge` consumer, not
+   `legacy`. That is the whole point of taking our own token.
+6. `bridge_spawn{profile: "local-direct"}` still works, so the escape hatch is real rather than
+   theoretical.
+7. `bridge_list` shows `gx` carrying no `credentialId`, so a `sol`/`terra` exhaustion cannot
+   quarantine it. This is the single-point-of-failure claim in §3b, checked rather than asserted.
+
+---
+
+## 7.1 What the live run actually found — 2026-08-15
+
+U1–U2c were done, the daemon restarted onto them, and both new profiles were spawned for real. The
+migration was then **reverted**. This section is the result, so none of it has to be re-derived.
+
+### The blocker
+
+`llm.ltms.dev` answers **HTTP 413 Request Entity Too Large** above **32 KiB (32768 bytes)**, on both
+surfaces:
+
+```
+/v1        32695 bytes -> 200        /anthropic  32095 bytes -> 200
+/v1        32795 bytes -> 413        /anthropic  32855 bytes -> 413
+```
+
+32 KiB is far below one real agent turn.
+
+**Root cause — confirmed by the systems/vms side, 2026-08-15.** My guess that it was a Caddy
+`request_body max_size` was **wrong**. It is Envoy, inside `aigw` on `llm.vm`. Envoy Gateway defaults
+a listener's `per_connection_buffer_limit_bytes` to **32768**, and the AI Gateway buffers the *whole*
+request body before it can route on the model name — so that default is not a network tuning knob
+here, it is a hard ceiling on prompt size. Read out of the live Envoy `config_dump`:
+
+```
+listener default/llm/http    per_connection_buffer_limit_bytes: 32768
+```
+
+Nobody chose 32 KiB; it was inherited from the default. Both TLS edges are innocent: the same
+boundary reproduces on the LAN path and the internet path, and both 413s carry an `x-llm-consumer`
+header their auth proxy sets only *after* authenticating — so the body cleared both edges and the
+auth. Directly on `llm.vm`, `aigw` 413s at 39 KB while the vLLM backend accepts the same 39 KB and
+answers 200.
+
+**Do not plan around 32 KiB.** The intended ceiling is far higher. Their fix — a `ClientTrafficPolicy`
+setting `bufferLimit: 8Mi` — is written but **not deployed** as of this note, pending their operator's
+approval. I have not re-tested and will not until they confirm, so as not to measure a half-changed
+system. Fixed in **systems/vms**, not here.
+
+### The part worth remembering
+
+Two members were spawned at the same moment with the same message:
+
+| | `local` (claude-code, `/anthropic`) | `gx` (opencode, `/v1`) |
+|---|---|---|
+| READY → BUSY | 19:07:26 | 19:07:45 |
+| BUSY → DONE | **19:08:51 (66s)** | **never — 10+ min, ticket FAILED** |
+
+**`local` passed.** It passed only because the probe was three trivial questions in a fresh session,
+so the request fit under 32 KiB. The profile looked healthy and was a landmine set to fire on the
+first turn that reads a file.
+
+So §7's checklist was not wrong, it was **too easy**. Any future run of it must use a task that reads
+a real file. A liveness probe proves the token and the URL; it does not prove the path.
+
+`gx` did not fail loudly either. Reproduced outside the bridge by running `opencode` by hand with the
+launcher's own generated config:
+
+```
+Error: Request Entity Too Large
+...compacts context, retries...
+Error: Request Entity Too Large
+```
+
+opencode **catches the 413, compacts, and retries — indefinitely**. A member that fails loudly costs
+one turn; this one costs the whole task and is indistinguishable from a slow worker.
+
+> **Diagnosing a stuck opencode member.** Do not read its pane. The launcher writes its config to a
+> temp dir and passes it as `OPENCODE_CONFIG` — find it with
+> `ls -dt /var/folders/*/*/T/bridged-opencode-* | head -1`, check the provider block and the key's
+> length and prefix (never its value), then reproduce with `opencode run --auto -m <provider>/<model>`
+> using the same `OPENCODE_CONFIG`. That is what turned "it hangs" into a one-line error.
+
+### What checked out, and needs no re-testing
+
+- Token accepted on both surfaces. **Unauthenticated → 401**, so the Caddy proxy really does gate —
+  the wiki's "SecurityPolicy fails open" warning is about the gateway itself, not the edge.
+- `/v1/models` returns exactly `["deepseek-v4-flash"]`, so trap 3 is clear.
+- **Reasoning survives both surfaces** — see §3b above.
+- The launcher's generated opencode provider block is correct, carrying a real 48-character `llmk-`
+  key rather than the `bridged-local-noauth` placeholder.
+- `SubscriptionGuard` accepted `llm.ltms.dev` after the allowlist edit and the restart: `local`
+  spawned without throwing, which is the check that catches a missed restart.
+
+### Resolution — both ceilings fixed, migration completed
+
+systems/vms fixed both, and each was re-checked from this side rather than taken on trust:
+
+| ceiling | was | now | our own check |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| listener buffer | 32 KiB | 32 Mi | 1.2 MB body → **200** (was 413) |
+| LLM route timeout | 60s | 86400s | the request that truncated: **101s, `message_stop` present, 4000/4000** |
+
+The timeout moved in two steps on 2026-08-15: 60s → 1800s, then 1800s → **86400s (24 hours)** after
+the truncation risk below was discussed. They tried `request: 0s` first, which removes the
+total-duration timer completely. It works, but on an `AIGatewayRoute` the **idle timeout is derived
+from the request timeout**, so `0s` also removed any bound on a stalled connection. 86400s keeps a
+reaper for dead connections while putting the truncation timer out of practical reach.
+
+Neither was deliberate. The 32 KiB was Envoy Gateway's default `per_connection_buffer_limit_bytes`;
+the 60s was Envoy AI Gateway's own documented default. The 60s bounded **generation** as well as
+prompt size — a tiny prompt with a long answer returned 504 at 60.05s.
+
+Two configuration facts worth keeping, from their bisection:
+
+- **`ClientTrafficPolicy` is honoured in standalone `aigw run`; `BackendTrafficPolicy` is NOT.** A
+  `BackendTrafficPolicy` setting `requestTimeout` is accepted, logs nothing, and leaves the routes
+  unchanged (upstream `envoyproxy/gateway#9513`). What works is `timeouts: {request: …}` on each
+  `AIGatewayRoute` rule. Nothing from the outside distinguishes the two — the same silent-default
+  shape as their `SecurityPolicy` caveat.
+- In that stack, "the config was accepted" proves nothing. Read the live `config_dump`.
+
+## 7.2 The risk we accepted, and why we could not remove it
+
+Raising the timeout made the failure **rare, not impossible**, and the residual failure is silent.
+
+On a mid-response timeout over chunked HTTP/1.1, Envoy ends the chunked encoding *cleanly* instead of
+resetting the connection, so the client receives what looks like a complete transfer
+(`envoyproxy/envoy#17186` — acknowledged as a bug in 2021, closed by a stale bot, never fixed). The
+December 2025 fix `envoyproxy/envoy#42269` changes locally-originated resets from `NO_ERROR` to
+`INTERNAL_ERROR`, but it is **HTTP/2 only** and SSE clients here speak HTTP/1.1.
+
+Measured on our side while the timeout was still 60s:
+
+```
+HTTP 200   61.07s   141992 bytes
+  message_stop 0    message_delta 0    error events 0
+  emitted 2473 of 4000, ending on a WELL-FORMED SSE frame
+```
+
+A syntactically valid stream that simply stops. Any timer firing mid-stream — route timeout, idle
+timeout, `max_stream_duration` — fails this same way.
+
+**The recommended defence does not transfer to us.** The right fix is to treat a stream with no
+`message_stop` / `[DONE]` / `finish_reason` as failed. We cannot: our members are Claude Code and
+opencode, third-party clients whose SSE parsing we do not own, and there is no seam to insert the
+check. Whether either detects a missing terminator is unverified — and opencode's handling of the 413
+(swallow, compact, retry forever, never surface an error) does not suggest it is strict.
+
+So the honest statement of our position:
+
+> Gateway traffic is acceptable at 86400s because a single request would have to run for 24 hours to
+> trip the bug — **not** because we could detect it if it did.
+
+At 86400s our **own** limit binds first, which is the ordering we want. `MessageService.ASYNC_TIMEOUT_MS`
+caps a turn at 30 minutes, so a runaway request ends as a clean `FAILED` ticket that we raised, rather
+than as a silently truncated `200` that we cannot see. While the gateway sat at 1800s the two numbers
+were equal and did not nest, so a gateway-side stall could have been misread as a bug in our own ticket
+handling. That ambiguity is now gone.
+
+**If a member ever returns a confident but truncated answer, suspect this before anything in our own
+code.** That is the whole reason this section exists.
+
+---
+
+## 8. Related
+
+- [CB-589 / #74](https://git.ltms.dev/lms/claude-bridge/issues/74) — cost-first placement and a
+  gateway that reports live capacity. The per-consumer figures this migration unlocks are the first
+  input that ticket actually needs.
+- `docs/CB-500-Multi-Tier-Coordination.md` §11 — the distributed-sandbox topology this gateway is
+  part of.

docs/M4-Fleet-Health.md

@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 # M4 - Fleet health, recovery, routing, and capacity
 
 **Status:** Design accepted on 2026-08-15. CB-573 part 1 has shipped the classification model and
-the `bridge_list` capacity view; the remaining M4 units are not yet shipped.
+the `bridge_list` capacity view; the remaining M4 units are not yet shipped. See
+[Unit 2 — what has landed so far](#unit-2---what-has-landed-so-far) before planning Unit 2 work:
+some of its criteria were met by separate CB tickets, and one of them contradicts the unit text.
 **Scope:** Fleet evidence, safe mechanical repair, lead routing, capacity reporting, and optional
 human notification.
 **Grounded in:** `health/FleetHealth`, `health/PaneBudget`, `inject/StatusPoller`,
@@ -799,6 +801,39 @@ Acceptance criteria:
 21. Tests cover both real traces, all repair refusals, clipping, explicit-reply and next-turn races,
     restart without capture, concurrent send and release, and preserved discovery after restart.
 
+#### Unit 2 - what has landed so far
+
+Checked against `main` at `e09cac6` on 2026-08-15. Unit 2 was written as one block, but parts of it
+have since been built by separate CB tickets. Read this before planning the rest, or that work gets
+done twice.
+
+The check was a symbol survey of `bridged/src/main/java` plus the merge history. It tells you whether
+the machinery exists at all. It is **not** a line-by-line audit of whether each criterion is fully
+met, and I did not run one.
+
+| Criterion | Marker searched for | Found in main source | Reading |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| 1 | `TurnToken` | 8 files | **Done** — unit 2a, merged as `fec284e`. Criterion 1 was corrected first; see the note under it. |
+| 2-5, 9 | `REPAIRED` | 0 files | Not started. The whole guarded-repair path is absent. |
+| 6, 7, 10 | `reconcileLostBoundary` | 0 files | Not started. |
+| 12 | CB-568 failure operation | via CB-580 | **Partial.** CB-580 (`0af902e`) routes `GONE` and `NEVER_READY` into the one idempotent target-wide failure. I did not check that release and abnormal stop go through the same call. |
+| 14 | `DELEGATION_ORPHANED` | 3 files | **Partial.** The health state exists. The teardown-invariant check that creates it, and the retry rule, do not. |
+| 15 | `SPAWN_ROLLBACK` | 0 files | **Contradicted — see below.** |
+| 16 | — | — | Partial at best. CB-576 made release preserve a dirty worktree; whether explicit stop is state-aware is not checked. |
+| 17, 18 | `preservedWorktrees` | 0 files | Not started. No manifest, and no lead-only `bridge_list` field. |
+| 19 | `WORK_PRODUCT_AT_RISK` | 0 files | Not started. |
+
+**Criterion 15 no longer matches the code, and the code is right.** It says "normal `COMPLETED`
+remove worktrees". Since CB-576 (`500bfa2`) that is false on purpose: a `COMPLETED` release now
+preserves the worktree when it still holds uncommitted work, because deleting it destroys work
+nobody can get back. CB-576 was filed after exactly that loss. CB-581 goes further — if the
+dirty-check itself fails, the worktree is preserved rather than removed, since "we could not tell"
+must not be treated as "it is clean".
+
+So criterion 15 should be rewritten as: `SPAWN_ROLLBACK` and a `COMPLETED` release with a **clean**
+worktree remove it; abnormal causes, shutdown, a dirty worktree, and a failed dirty-check all
+preserve it. `SPAWN_ROLLBACK` itself does not exist yet.
+
 ### Unit 3 - Typed inbox and member routing
 
 Scope: semantic record, AMQP migration, both adapters, member routing, polling, and member health in

docs/MCP-Contract.md

@@ -1,9 +1,24 @@
 # MCP Contract — `bridged`'s unified gateway
 
-> **Status:** 🟡 Design (2026-07-14). Greenfield — no MCP code exists yet; the pom carries
-> only Javalin/Jackson. This page defines the tool surface that CB-104 and its followers
-> implement. It supersedes nothing; it fills the "MCP server face" left open by the
-> [Architecture](1-Architecture) page.
+> **Status: 🔴 HISTORICAL DESIGN — do NOT use as the tool reference.** Written 2026-07-14, before
+> any MCP code existed. The system shipped and this page never caught up, so **its tool names,
+> parameter names and REST paths are wrong today**. Audited 2026-08-17; the specific drift:
+>
+> - **Tools it names that do not exist:** `bridge_read`, `bridge_cancel`.
+> - **Shipped tools it omits:** `bridge_poll`, `bridge_ack`, `bridge_profiles`, `bridge_whoami`.
+> - **Parameter names are wrong nearly everywhere** — it says `message`/`target`/`timeout_seconds`/
+>   `block` where the code takes `content`/`sessionId`/`timeoutMs`/`wait`; `text` where
+>   `bridge_reply` takes `content`; `target` where `bridge_stop` takes `paneId`.
+> - **REST paths are wrong:** it says `POST /workers` and `DELETE /workers/{paneId}`; the daemon
+>   serves `POST /members` and `DELETE /members/{paneId}`.
+>
+> **The authoritative tool surface is the live MCP schema** (each tool's own description and
+> parameters, as mounted), with the intent→tool table in `CLAUDE.md` as the short form. Both were
+> checked against `mcp/BridgeMcp.java` on 2026-08-17 and are accurate.
+>
+> What is still worth reading here is **§6 — the flows and the error model** (rendezvous,
+> `bridge_ask`, detached delivery, the turn-done fallback). The shapes it describes are the ones
+> that shipped; only the names around them drifted. Rewriting this page is tracked as **CB-609**.
 
 `bridged` is the **sole communication gateway** for every Claude session in the bridge. Both
 the **primary** (Opus, on subscription) and every **worker** (off-subscription Claude Code)

docs/Team.md

@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ who the workers are, how the lead picks one, and how it runs many at once.
 - **Workers** — a herd of `claude` panes in herdr, each an addressable `bridged` session
   with its **own model/env**:
   - **Claude workers** (clean env, e.g. Sonnet) — reasoning-heavy or high-accuracy subtasks.
-  - **Local workers** (`ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=https://ollama.ltms.dev`) — bulk, cheap, or
+  - **Local workers** (`ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=https://llm.ltms.dev/anthropic`) — bulk, cheap, or
     embarrassingly parallel subtasks.
 
 Every worker is still a *real Claude Code process* (inherits `CLAUDE.md`, hooks, skills,
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ flowchart TB
     WL1["w-local-1<br/>ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL set"]
     WL2["w-local-2<br/>ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL set"]
     ANT["api.anthropic.com<br/>(Pro/Max)"]
-    OLL["ollama.ltms.dev<br/>(local model)"]
+    OLL["llm.ltms.dev<br/>(gateway to the local model)"]
 
     LEAD -->|"blocking POST /message (target role)"| BD
     BD -->|"Unix socket · send_text · events.subscribe"| HERDR

opencode.json

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
     "CLAUDE.md"
   ],
   "mcp": {
-    "bridged": {
+    "fleetd": {
       "type": "remote",
       "url": "http://127.0.0.1:8765/mcp",
       "enabled": true
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
       ],
       "enabled": true,
       "environment": {
-        "GITEA_ACCESS_TOKEN": "{env:GITEA_ACCESS_TOKEN}",
+        "GITEA_ACCESS_TOKEN": "{env:WORKER_GITEA_TOKEN}",
         "GITEA_HOST": "{env:GITEA_HOST}"
       }
     }

scripts/bridged-launchd-wrapper.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#
+# CB-594 — the only reason this file exists: launchd does not run a login shell.
+#
+# WORKER_GITEA_TOKEN and AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN live in ${SHARED_ENV}/tools/secrets.sh, sourced only by a
+# LOGIN shell (.zprofile/.zshrc etc). launchd execs a job's ProgramArguments directly — no shell, no
+# profile, nothing sourced (the plist's own PATH comment documents the same gap one variable over).
+# A daemon started that way boots fine and looks healthy; the failure is invisible until a worker
+# tries to open a PR (WORKER_GITEA_TOKEN empty) or a gateway profile gets a 401 (AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN
+# empty) — hours later, with nothing tying the two together (CB-591, CLAUDE.md "Redeploying the
+# daemon"). Bridged now also logs which required secret names resolved at startup (see
+# Bridged.reportRequiredSecrets), but that log line can only tell the truth if the tokens had a
+# chance to be sourced in the first place — which is this script's entire job.
+#
+# So: launchd execs THIS script instead of java directly. This script execs a login shell
+# ('zsh -l'), which sources secrets.sh, and that shell execs the real command in its place — one
+# process throughout (exec, not a subshell fork), so launchd's PID tracking, KeepAlive, and
+# StandardOut/ErrorPath all still see the one process they expect.
+#
+# The plist passes the full command as THIS script's own arguments, e.g.:
+#   ProgramArguments = [ .../bridged-launchd-wrapper.sh, /path/to/java, -jar, /path/to/bridged.jar,
+#                        bridged.yaml ]
+# so the wrapper stays generic and the actual command lives in exactly one place (the plist), not
+# duplicated here.
+set -euo pipefail
+
+if [ "$#" -eq 0 ]; then
+  echo "bridged-launchd-wrapper.sh: no command given — check the plist's ProgramArguments" >&2
+  exit 2
+fi
+
+exec /bin/zsh -lc 'exec "$@"' -- "$@"

scripts/probe-member-credentials.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,135 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#
+# CB-596 step 1: measure which credentials a live member actually holds.
+#
+# The claim under test is that a member's herdr pane starts a LOGIN shell, that shell sources
+# ${SHARED_ENV}/tools/secrets.sh, and so a member inherits every name that file exports — while
+# CB-592 blocks exactly one of them (GITEA_ACCESS_TOKEN). That is an inference from the code, not a
+# measurement, and issue #82 says plainly: do not build a fix on the inference. This is the
+# measurement.
+#
+# WHY THIS IS A SCRIPT AND NOT A COMMAND SOMEONE TYPES
+#
+# Enumerating credential names inside a member is exactly the action that should need the operator's
+# explicit approval, and the command classifier refuses it. That refusal is correct. This script is
+# the seam: it is one auditable file the operator can read once, top to bottom, and then run — rather
+# than approving an ad-hoc shell pipeline whose behaviour they have to take on trust.
+#
+# WHAT IT WILL NOT DO
+#
+#   * It never prints a credential value, and never any prefix or suffix of one. Not one character.
+#     Issue #82's criterion 1 asked for a 6-character prefix; this prints a truncated SHA-256 instead.
+#     A prefix of a short secret is most of the secret, and it would end up pasted into a ticket. The
+#     hash answers every question the prefix was for — is it set, is it the same value as over there,
+#     is it the CB-592 sentinel — and answers none of the ones it should not.
+#   * It never writes anywhere, never contacts the network, and never touches secrets.sh, which is
+#     the operator's file.
+#
+# HOW TO RUN IT
+#
+#   1. As the operator, in a member's pane (a spawned worker's terminal):
+#        bash scripts/probe-member-credentials.sh
+#   2. For the comparison row, in your OWN shell — a lead, not a member:
+#        bash scripts/probe-member-credentials.sh --allow-outside-member
+#
+# The two outputs side by side are the finding: any name whose hash matches between them is a
+# credential the member holds in full.
+#
+set -uo pipefail
+
+# The names ${SHARED_ENV}/tools/secrets.sh exports, recorded on 2026-08-16 (issue #82). Names only —
+# this list contains no values and never should. If secrets.sh gains a name, this list goes stale and
+# the probe silently stops asking about it; that staleness is itself part of what #82's criterion 4
+# has to solve, so it is called out in the summary rather than hidden.
+NAMES=(
+  AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN BESZEL_ADMIN_EMAIL BESZEL_ADMIN_PASSWORD
+  BESZEL_HUB_URL BESZEL_KEY BESZEL_UNIVERSAL_TOKEN
+  BRAIN_MCP_TOKEN CF_ACCOUNT_ID CF_API_TOKEN
+  CF_USER_TOKEN CONFLUENCE_API_TOKEN CONFLUENCE_USERNAME
+  CONTEXT7_TOKEN GITEA_HOST GITLAB_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET
+  GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN GRAFANA_ADMIN_PASSWORD GRAFANA_ADMIN_USER
+  HASS_TOKEN HW_PASSWORD HW_USER
+  LTMS_API_KEY MEMORY_MCP_TOKEN METRICS_PUSH_TOKEN
+  OPENCODE_AUTOMODE_MODEL TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN TELEGRAM_CHAT_ID
+  TS_API_KEY TS_AUTHKEY WORKER_GITEA_TOKEN
+  GITEA_ACCESS_TOKEN
+)
+
+allow_outside=0
+for arg in "$@"; do
+  case "$arg" in
+    --allow-outside-member) allow_outside=1 ;;
+    -h|--help) sed -n '2,40p' "$0"; exit 0 ;;
+    *) echo "unknown argument: $arg" >&2; exit 2 ;;
+  esac
+done
+
+if [ "${BRIDGED_MEMBER:-}" != "1" ] && [ "$allow_outside" -eq 0 ]; then
+  cat >&2 <<'EOF'
+refusing to run: BRIDGED_MEMBER is not 1, so this is not a member's shell.
+
+The finding this probe exists for is what a MEMBER holds. Run it in a spawned worker's pane. If you
+meant to take the comparison reading from your own shell, pass --allow-outside-member and the output
+will be labelled as such.
+EOF
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+# Prefer sha256sum (Linux), fall back to shasum (macOS). If neither exists, report presence and
+# length only — degraded, but never a value.
+hasher=""
+if command -v sha256sum >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  hasher="sha256sum"
+elif command -v shasum >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  hasher="shasum -a 256"
+fi
+
+digest() { # value -> first 12 hex chars of its sha256, or "-" when no hasher is available
+  [ -z "$hasher" ] && { printf '%s' "-"; return; }
+  printf '%s' "$1" | $hasher | cut -c1-12
+}
+
+if [ "${BRIDGED_MEMBER:-}" = "1" ]; then
+  where="MEMBER (BRIDGED_MEMBER=1)"
+else
+  where="NOT a member — comparison reading only"
+fi
+
+echo "CB-596 credential probe"
+echo "reading from : $where"
+echo "shell        : ${SHELL:-unknown}"
+echo "hash         : ${hasher:-none available — lengths only}"
+# Only printed so the two readings can be told apart when they are pasted side by side.
+echo "host         : $(hostname 2>/dev/null || echo unknown)"
+echo
+printf '%-30s %-7s %6s  %s\n' "NAME" "STATE" "LEN" "SHA256-12"
+printf '%-30s %-7s %6s  %s\n' "------------------------------" "-------" "------" "------------"
+
+set_count=0
+for name in "${NAMES[@]}"; do
+  value="${!name:-}"
+  if [ -z "$value" ]; then
+    printf '%-30s %-7s %6s  %s\n' "$name" "unset" "-" "-"
+  else
+    set_count=$((set_count + 1))
+    printf '%-30s %-7s %6s  %s\n' "$name" "SET" "${#value}" "$(digest "$value")"
+  fi
+done
+
+echo
+echo "$set_count of ${#NAMES[@]} names are set in this shell."
+echo
+cat <<'EOF'
+How to read this:
+
+  * Take the MEMBER reading and the comparison reading, and line them up. A name whose SHA256-12
+    matches on both sides is a credential the member holds in full. That is the finding.
+  * GITEA_ACCESS_TOKEN is the control. CB-592 replaces it with a blocked sentinel, so its hash
+    should DIFFER between the two readings. If it matches, CB-592 is not working and that is the
+    most urgent thing on this page.
+  * AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN matching is expected and correct, not a leak: bridged.yaml names it in
+    `tokenEnv:` for the local and gx profiles, so a member reaching the gateway is by design.
+  * A name that is set here but is NOT in the list above will not appear at all. The list was
+    recorded on 2026-08-16 and does not update itself. Anything added to secrets.sh since then is
+    invisible to this probe — which is the same gap issue #82 criterion 4 asks to close properly.
+EOF

scripts/redeploy-bridged.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,361 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#
+# Rebuild and restart the bridged daemon.
+#
+# A merge is not a deployment: the running daemon holds the jar it was started with, so code merged
+# to main does nothing until this runs. See CLAUDE.md -> "Redeploying the daemon".
+#
+# This script exists to turn six remembered traps into one auditable command:
+#
+#   1. A piped `mvn` hides BUILD FAILURE behind a zero exit, so the build here is never piped.
+#   2. The daemon must start from a LOGIN shell, or the tokens it hands to members are empty:
+#      WORKER_GITEA_TOKEN (workers cannot open a PR) and AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN (401 at llm.ltms.dev).
+#      Both are read from the DAEMON's own environment at spawn time, so a value added to
+#      secrets.sh after startup is absent. Nothing logs this here, so the script checks and says
+#      so — and since CB-594, bridged's own startup log says so too, by env var name.
+#   3. An old daemon that never actually died looks identical from the outside, so the script waits
+#      for the process to exit and for the port to free before it starts a new one.
+#   4. "It started" is not "it works": the script polls /healthz until it answers, and reports the
+#      herdr protocol number, because healthz can be green while every spawn fails on a protocol
+#      mismatch.
+#   5. Restarting under live members drops their tickets, so the script refuses unless you confirm
+#      the fleet is drained.
+#   6. CB-594 — the launchd agent (deploy/dev.ltms.bridged.plist), if installed and loaded, is a
+#      SECOND supervisor: its KeepAlive.SuccessfulExit=false restarts the daemon on any nonzero
+#      exit, and a bare SIGTERM makes this JVM exit 143 even with its shutdown hook running to
+#      completion (measured — see the CB-594 report). A plain `kill` here would race launchd's own
+#      restart of the OLD jar. So this script detects whether the agent is loaded and, only then,
+#      swaps `kill` + manual `nohup` for `launchctl unload`/`load` — the one supervisor in control
+#      at any moment is whichever one you asked to act, never both.
+#
+# Usage:
+#   scripts/redeploy-bridged.sh              # build, confirm, restart, verify
+#   scripts/redeploy-bridged.sh --yes        # skip the drain confirmation (fleet already checked)
+#   scripts/redeploy-bridged.sh --no-build   # restart the jar already on disk
+#   scripts/redeploy-bridged.sh --check      # report state and exit; changes nothing
+#
+# Exits non-zero on any failure. A failed build never stops the running daemon.
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+REPO="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/.." && pwd)"
+BRIDGED="$REPO/bridged"
+JAR="$BRIDGED/target/bridged.jar"
+OUT="$BRIDGED/bridged.out"
+# Matches BOTH the absolute form and the relative `java -jar target/bridged.jar` a hand-start
+# produces from inside bridged/. Anchoring on the absolute path alone was a real bug: the daemon
+# restarted correctly and the script still reported "no process appeared", because it launched with
+# a relative path and then looked for an absolute one.
+PATTERN='target/bridged.jar'
+HEALTH='http://127.0.0.1:8765/healthz'
+STOP_WAIT=30      # seconds to wait for a clean exit before reporting failure
+HEALTH_WAIT=60    # seconds to wait for /healthz to answer after start
+
+# CB-594: the launchd agent this script must not fight with (see trap 6 above).
+LAUNCHD_LABEL='dev.ltms.bridged'
+LAUNCHD_PLIST="$HOME/Library/LaunchAgents/$LAUNCHD_LABEL.plist"
+
+DO_BUILD=1; ASSUME_YES=0; CHECK_ONLY=0
+for arg in "$@"; do
+  case "$arg" in
+    --yes|-y)   ASSUME_YES=1 ;;
+    --no-build) DO_BUILD=0 ;;
+    --check)    CHECK_ONLY=1 ;;
+    -h|--help)  sed -n '3,37p' "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}"; exit 0 ;;
+    *) echo "unknown option: $arg (try --help)" >&2; exit 2 ;;
+  esac
+done
+
+say()  { printf '\n\033[1m== %s\033[0m\n' "$*"; }
+ok()   { printf '   ok    %s\n' "$*"; }
+warn() { printf '   WARN  %s\n' "$*"; }
+die()  { printf '\n   FAIL  %s\n\n' "$*" >&2; exit 1; }
+
+jar_id() { [ -f "$JAR" ] && shasum -a 256 "$JAR" | cut -c1-12 || echo "absent"; }
+running_pid() { pgrep -f "$PATTERN" || true; }
+# `launchctl list <label>` exits 0 iff the label is loaded (registered with launchd) — true whether
+# or not it is currently running, which is exactly "supervision is active" for our purposes. Read-
+# only: neither helper below changes anything, so both are also safe under --check.
+launchd_installed() { [ -f "$LAUNCHD_PLIST" ]; }
+launchd_loaded() { launchctl list "$LAUNCHD_LABEL" >/dev/null 2>&1; }
+
+# CB-600: the script computes its own log path from where it sits on disk (REPO, above); the
+# plist hard-codes an absolute StandardOutPath. Nothing forced the two to agree — if this script
+# were ever run from a checkout other than the one the loaded plist names, launchd would start and
+# log the daemon correctly, while every check below (the fresh "bridged listening" line, the
+# ERROR-count scan) would read a different, empty or stale file and the script would report a
+# clean restart while the daemon crash-loops. Pure and side-effect-free besides `die`/`ok` — reads
+# the two paths, resolves them, compares — so it never touches launchd or the daemon and can be
+# exercised by sourcing this script (see the SOURCED guard below) without installing the agent.
+check_log_path_matches_plist() {
+  local script_out="$1" plist_path="$2"
+  local plist_out resolved_out resolved_plist_out
+  # Checked by exit status, not by emptiness: on a missing file/key PlistBuddy exits nonzero but
+  # still writes a message ("File Doesn't Exist, Will Create: ...") that command substitution
+  # would happily capture as if it were the real value — testing only `-z` missed that case.
+  if ! plist_out="$(/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c 'Print :StandardOutPath' "$plist_path" 2>/dev/null)" \
+      || [ -z "$plist_out" ]; then
+    die "launchd agent is loaded but PlistBuddy could not read StandardOutPath from
+        $plist_path
+      — cannot verify the daemon logs where this script is about to look. Fix the plist before
+      redeploying supervised."
+  fi
+  resolved_out="$(cd "$(dirname "$script_out")" 2>/dev/null && pwd -P)/$(basename "$script_out")" || true
+  resolved_plist_out="$(cd "$(dirname "$plist_out")" 2>/dev/null && pwd -P)/$(basename "$plist_out")" || true
+  if [ -z "$resolved_out" ] || [ -z "$resolved_plist_out" ] || [ "$resolved_out" != "$resolved_plist_out" ]; then
+    die "log path mismatch — this script reads
+        $script_out  (resolved: ${resolved_out:-<directory does not exist>})
+      but the loaded plist's StandardOutPath is
+        $plist_out  (resolved: ${resolved_plist_out:-<directory does not exist>})
+      Under supervision the daemon writes to the PLIST's path, not necessarily this script's — every
+      post-restart check below (the fresh 'bridged listening' line, the ERROR-count scan) would read
+      the wrong file and could report a clean restart while the daemon crash-loops. Fix the mismatch
+      (move this checkout to match the plist, or edit the plist's StandardOutPath/StandardErrorPath)
+      before redeploying supervised."
+  fi
+  ok "log path check: script and plist agree ($resolved_out)"
+}
+
+# CB-600: sourceable for testing. When this file is SOURCED (not executed) it stops here — nothing
+# below runs — so a test harness can `source` it to call check_log_path_matches_plist (or the
+# other pure helpers above) against a throwaway plist fixture without ever reaching the mutating
+# flow (build/stop/start) or touching the real daemon or launchd. On a normal `./redeploy-bridged.sh`
+# invocation `(return 0 2>/dev/null)` fails (return is illegal at top level of an executed script),
+# so this whole block is a no-op and every line below still runs exactly as before.
+if (return 0 2>/dev/null); then
+  return 0
+fi
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------- report state
+
+say "current state"
+OLD_PID="$(running_pid)"
+if [ -n "$OLD_PID" ]; then
+  ok "daemon running, pid $OLD_PID"
+else
+  warn "no daemon running — this will be a cold start"
+fi
+ok "jar on disk: $(jar_id)  ($([ -f "$JAR" ] && date -r "$JAR" '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S' || echo 'none'))"
+ok "HEAD: $(git -C "$REPO" log --oneline -1)"
+
+# CB-594: supervision state. Installed and loaded are different facts — a copied-but-never-loaded
+# plist supervises nothing, and a loaded label with no file backing it (rare, but possible after an
+# edited/moved plist) is still what launchd will act on.
+if launchd_installed; then
+  ok "launchd agent installed: $LAUNCHD_PLIST"
+else
+  warn "launchd agent NOT installed (no supervision — a crash will not restart the daemon)."
+fi
+SUPERVISED=0
+if launchd_loaded; then
+  SUPERVISED=1
+  ok "launchd agent loaded ($LAUNCHD_LABEL) — launchd supervises this daemon"
+  # CB-600: fail loudly here, before ANY other check runs, if this script and the loaded plist
+  # would read different log files — every check after this point is worthless otherwise.
+  check_log_path_matches_plist "$OUT" "$LAUNCHD_PLIST"
+else
+  warn "launchd agent not loaded — this script is the only thing that will restart the daemon."
+fi
+
+# The trap with no log line. Checked in a LOGIN shell, because that is how the daemon is started
+# below. Never prints the value — only whether it resolved.
+if zsh -lc '[ -n "${WORKER_GITEA_TOKEN:-}" ]' 2>/dev/null; then
+  ok "WORKER_GITEA_TOKEN resolves in a login shell"
+else
+  warn "WORKER_GITEA_TOKEN is EMPTY in a login shell."
+  warn "The daemon will start fine and workers will silently fail to open PRs."
+  warn "Fix \${SHARED_ENV}/tools/secrets.sh before relying on worker checkpoints."
+fi
+
+# Same trap, second variable (CB-591). A profile's `tokenEnv:` is resolved from the DAEMON's own
+# process environment by HerdrPeerLauncher.resolveEnv, so a token added to secrets.sh after the
+# daemon started is simply absent. The launcher then injects an empty token and llm.ltms.dev answers
+# 401 — long after the restart, and with nothing tying the two together.
+if zsh -lc '[ -n "${AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN:-}" ]' 2>/dev/null; then
+  ok "AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN resolves in a login shell"
+else
+  warn "AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN is EMPTY in a login shell."
+  warn "Any profile whose tokenEnv is AI_GATEWAY_TOKEN will get an empty token and 401 at the gateway."
+  warn "This only matters once a profile points at llm.ltms.dev — harmless before that."
+fi
+
+if [ "$CHECK_ONLY" = 1 ]; then
+  say "--check: nothing changed"
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------- build
+# Deliberately before the stop: a failed build must never leave the fleet down.
+
+if [ "$DO_BUILD" = 1 ]; then
+  say "build"
+  BUILD_LOG="$(mktemp -t bridged-build)"
+  echo "   log: $BUILD_LOG"
+  if ! mvn -f "$BRIDGED/pom.xml" clean install > "$BUILD_LOG" 2>&1; then
+    grep -E 'ERROR|BUILD FAILURE|Tests run:.*Failures: [1-9]|Tests run:.*Errors: [1-9]' "$BUILD_LOG" \
+      | head -20 || true
+    die "build failed — the running daemon was NOT touched. Full log: $BUILD_LOG"
+  fi
+  grep -E '^\[INFO\] Tests run:.*Failures' "$BUILD_LOG" | tail -1 | sed 's/^\[INFO\] /   /' || true
+  ok "BUILD SUCCESS"
+  ok "jar now: $(jar_id)"
+else
+  say "build skipped (--no-build)"
+fi
+
+[ -f "$JAR" ] || die "no jar at $JAR — run without --no-build"
+
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------- drain gate
+
+if [ -n "$OLD_PID" ] && [ "$ASSUME_YES" = 0 ]; then
+  say "drain check"
+  echo "   A restart drops every in-flight ticket and rendezvous. A member's report"
+  echo "   is NOT recoverable once its ticket is gone."
+  echo
+  echo "   Confirm with bridge_list that no members are live, and bridge_poll anything"
+  echo "   you still want, BEFORE continuing."
+  echo
+  read -r -p "   Fleet drained? type yes to restart: " reply
+  [ "$reply" = "yes" ] || die "aborted — nothing changed"
+fi
+
+# ------------------------------------------------------------------ stop
+#
+# CB-594: when SUPERVISED, launchd owns the stop — never a raw `kill` here. A bare SIGTERM makes
+# this JVM exit 143 even with its shutdown hook running to completion (verified separately: a
+# throwaway Java process with an equivalent shutdown hook, sent SIGTERM from a login shell that
+# could `wait` on it directly, reported exit code 143 every time — never 0). launchd's
+# KeepAlive.SuccessfulExit=false treats any nonzero exit as a crash and restarts the OLD jar,
+# which would race this script's own restart of the NEW one. `launchctl unload` avoids that race
+# by deregistering the job first, so no KeepAlive is left armed when the process actually stops.
+
+if [ -n "$OLD_PID" ]; then
+  say "stop"
+  RESTART_MARK="$(wc -l < "$OUT" 2>/dev/null || echo 0)"   # verify a FRESH line appears later
+  if [ "$SUPERVISED" = 1 ]; then
+    echo "   supervision is ON: using 'launchctl unload' (not kill) so launchd's own KeepAlive"
+    echo "   cannot restart the OLD jar out from under this script — see the CB-594 comment above."
+    launchctl unload -w "$LAUNCHD_PLIST" \
+      || die "launchctl unload failed — the daemon may still be under supervision; investigate before retrying"
+  else
+    kill "$OLD_PID"
+  fi
+  for _ in $(seq "$STOP_WAIT"); do
+    [ -z "$(running_pid)" ] && break
+    sleep 1
+  done
+  if [ -n "$(running_pid)" ]; then
+    die "pid $OLD_PID still alive after ${STOP_WAIT}s. Not escalating to kill -9 automatically:
+        the shutdown hook releases sessions and worktrees in order, and killing it hard can
+        leave worktrees and panes behind. Investigate, then kill -9 by hand if you accept that."
+  fi
+  ok "pid $OLD_PID exited"
+elif [ "$SUPERVISED" = 1 ]; then
+  # Loaded but not currently running (e.g. throttled after a crash loop). Unload it anyway so the
+  # start step below does a clean load, never a load stacked on an already-loaded label.
+  say "stop"
+  RESTART_MARK="$(wc -l < "$OUT" 2>/dev/null || echo 0)"
+  launchctl unload -w "$LAUNCHD_PLIST" 2>/dev/null || true
+  ok "launchd agent unloaded (was already not running)"
+else
+  RESTART_MARK="$(wc -l < "$OUT" 2>/dev/null || echo 0)"
+fi
+
+# ------------------------------------------------------------------ start
+# Unsupervised: login shell (zsh -l) is what puts the secrets on the daemon's environment, and cwd
+# must be bridged/ because the daemon resolves bridged.yaml, logs/ and target/ relative to it.
+# Supervised: launchd does both — deploy/dev.ltms.bridged.plist points ProgramArguments at
+# scripts/bridged-launchd-wrapper.sh (CB-594), which is what execs the login shell in launchd's
+# place, and WorkingDirectory in the plist already pins bridged/.
+
+say "start"
+if [ "$SUPERVISED" = 1 ]; then
+  echo "   supervision is ON: using 'launchctl load' so launchd starts and keeps supervising this"
+  echo "   process, instead of a manual nohup that launchd would know nothing about."
+  # CB-600: 'launchctl unload -w' above already persisted Disabled=true for this label. A load -w
+  # that succeeds clears it; a load -w that FAILS leaves the agent both stopped and disabled — worse
+  # than before this script ran, because a later reboot or login will not bring it back either. One
+  # retry covers a transient race (e.g. launchd not yet fully done deregistering); if it still fails,
+  # die with the exact recovery command rather than a bare "failed".
+  if ! launchctl load -w "$LAUNCHD_PLIST" 2>/dev/null; then
+    warn "launchctl load failed on the first attempt — retrying once after a short pause"
+    sleep 2
+    launchctl load -w "$LAUNCHD_PLIST" || die "launchctl load failed twice.
+        The agent is now STOPPED and DISABLED — it will NOT come back on its own, not even after a
+        reboot or login, because 'launchctl unload -w' above persisted Disabled=true and load -w
+        never got the chance to clear it. Recover with:
+            launchctl load -w \"$LAUNCHD_PLIST\"
+        If that still fails, check 'launchctl list $LAUNCHD_LABEL', validate the plist with
+        'plutil -lint \"$LAUNCHD_PLIST\"', and check $OUT before assuming a retry will succeed."
+  fi
+else
+  # Absolute jar path so `ps` names which checkout is running.
+  ( cd "$BRIDGED" && zsh -lc "nohup java -jar '$JAR' >> bridged.out 2>&1 &" )
+fi
+
+for _ in $(seq 10); do
+  NEW_PID="$(running_pid)"
+  [ -n "$NEW_PID" ] && break
+  sleep 1
+done
+[ -n "${NEW_PID:-}" ] || die "no process appeared. Last lines of $OUT:
+$(tail -20 "$OUT" 2>/dev/null)"
+[ "$NEW_PID" != "${OLD_PID:-}" ] || die "pid unchanged ($NEW_PID) — the old daemon never died"
+ok "started, pid $NEW_PID"
+
+# ------------------------------------------------------------------ verify
+
+say "verify"
+
+HEALTH_BODY=""
+for _ in $(seq "$HEALTH_WAIT"); do
+  if HEALTH_BODY="$(curl -fsS --max-time 2 "$HEALTH" 2>/dev/null)"; then break; fi
+  HEALTH_BODY=""
+  sleep 1
+done
+
+if [ -z "$HEALTH_BODY" ]; then
+  # 503 still means the daemon is up — it means herdr is unreachable. Say which.
+  CODE="$(curl -s -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' --max-time 2 "$HEALTH" 2>/dev/null || echo 000)"
+  if [ "$CODE" = "503" ]; then
+    warn "/healthz answers 503 degraded — the daemon is up but herdr is unreachable."
+    warn "Spawns will fail. Check herdr before delegating anything."
+    curl -s --max-time 2 "$HEALTH" 2>/dev/null | head -3 || true
+  else
+    die "/healthz never answered within ${HEALTH_WAIT}s (last code: $CODE). Last lines of $OUT:
+$(tail -30 "$OUT" 2>/dev/null)"
+  fi
+else
+  ok "/healthz 200 — $HEALTH_BODY"
+  warn "healthz green only proves herdr ANSWERS. If its protocol number changed, spawns can still"
+  warn "fail — prove a real spawn before trusting the fleet."
+fi
+
+# A fresh listening line, strictly after the restart mark. An old daemon that never died would
+# otherwise let an old line pass for a new one.
+if tail -n "+$((RESTART_MARK + 1))" "$OUT" 2>/dev/null | grep -q 'bridged listening'; then
+  ok "$(tail -n "+$((RESTART_MARK + 1))" "$OUT" | grep 'bridged listening' | tail -1)"
+else
+  warn "no fresh 'bridged listening' line after the restart — check $OUT yourself"
+fi
+
+# Config keys the daemon accepted or deferred at boot. This is usually WHY you restarted.
+say "config at boot"
+tail -n "+$((RESTART_MARK + 1))" "$OUT" 2>/dev/null \
+  | grep -iE 'deferred|classification:|fleet health:|coverage' | tail -8 | sed 's/^/   /' \
+  || echo "   (nothing reported)"
+
+# Errors since the restart, anchored to the marker so old noise cannot leak in.
+ERRS="$(tail -n "+$((RESTART_MARK + 1))" "$OUT" 2>/dev/null | grep -cE ' (ERROR|SEVERE) ' || true)"
+say "result"
+ok "pid $NEW_PID, jar $(jar_id)"
+if [ "${ERRS:-0}" -gt 0 ]; then
+  warn "$ERRS ERROR lines since restart:"
+  tail -n "+$((RESTART_MARK + 1))" "$OUT" | grep -E ' (ERROR|SEVERE) ' | tail -5 | sed 's/^/   /'
+else
+  ok "no ERROR lines since restart"
+fi
+echo
+echo "   Next: call bridge_whoami and confirm it still answers 'primary'. A lead whose tab label"
+echo "   no longer matches fleet.leaders.*.tab is demoted to worker and refuses orchestration."
+echo