Merge pull request 'fleetd #612 Unit A: extract main's boot composition into FleetdAssembly/FleetdRuntime' (#620) from worker/fleetd-612-unita-87807e-1 into main

Resolves the one conflict in Fleetd.java. main's side is the inline boot block
that Unit A had already moved into FleetdAssembly.assembleAndStart, so the
resolution keeps Unit A's single assembly call.

That resolution is not purely mechanical. #622 (fleetd #621) landed on main
AFTER Unit A forked, and it added

    boolean requireOperatorConfirm = cfg.leadRollover() == null
            || cfg.leadRollover().requireOperatorConfirm();

plus a 14th argument to the LeadHeartbeatLoop constructor, inside the very block
Unit A moved. Taking Unit A's side alone would have dropped both and silently
reverted the operator's #621 fix: the 13-argument overload still exists and
delegates with `true`, so the daemon would go back to telling every lead to ask
the operator before a context roll. Both are carried into FleetdAssembly here.

Measured: with the carried line removed, the full suite is
`Tests run: 1883, Failures: 0, Errors: 0` — nothing pins it. That is the fleetd
#612 defect shape applied to #621's own wiring, and it is filed separately
rather than fixed here, because this commit is a merge resolution and must not
also introduce new tests.

Full suite on this resolved tree: Tests run: 1883, Failures: 0, Errors: 0.

.claude/skills/handover/SKILL.md

@@ -167,19 +167,59 @@ fails.
 - **There is no terminal or session parameter, on purpose.** The pane is always your own, resolved
   from your connection, so you can only ever roll yourself.
 - **`operatorConfirmed` is your report of what a human told you.** Do not pass `true` because you
-  are confident. Ask, wait for the answer, then pass what they said. `requireOperatorConfirm`
-  defaults to `true` and this is the only thing standing between a judgement call and a wiped
-  session.
+  are confident. Ask, wait for the answer, then pass what they said.
+
+- **Whether you must ask at all depends on `leadRollover.requireOperatorConfirm`. Check it; do not
+  assume.** The default is `true` (`FleetConfig.java:1426`), and then `confirm` refuses unless you
+  also pass `operatorConfirmed: true`. **This host set it to `false` on 2026-09-22**, on the
+  operator's explicit grant, because they do not want to approve routine context rolls. Where it is
+  `false`, the three handover-file checks are the whole gate: the file must exist, be fresher than
+  `maxDocAgeSeconds`, and have been modified after the open request.
+
+  Read the live value rather than trusting this line:
+
+  ```bash
+  grep -A1 'requireOperatorConfirm' fleetd/fleetd.yaml
+  ```
+
+  No match means the key is unset, so the default `true` applies and you must ask. The key is
+  **deferred, not hot** — it is read once at boot, so an edit does nothing until the daemon is
+  redeployed.
+
+  **Until fleetd #621 merges, the nudge text will tell you to ask the operator even where the
+  daemon no longer requires it.** `LeadHeartbeatLoop.contextNotice()` hardcodes "ask the operator"
+  and takes no config, so it cannot know. Trust the config value over the nudge text. Once #621 is
+  merged and deployed, the nudge matches the config and this warning can be deleted.
+
 - **The roll can still refuse after `confirm` returns**, and by then there is no caller to tell.
   Those outcomes are logged only, as `lead-rollover:` lines in the daemon log.
-- **The bootstrap prompt has never yet landed, and the fix is unproven (fleetd #489).** The first
-  real rollover, on 2026-09-12, joined `/clear` and the bootstrap text into one line and Claude Code
-  refused it as `Unknown command: /clearFresh`. The pane was never cleared and no context was lost,
-  so the failure was safe — the roll simply did nothing. PR #490 fixed the cause and is deployed,
-  but no roll has bootstrapped a fresh session end to end yet. **Assume it may still fail, and tell
-  the operator so before you confirm.** The recovery is the same either way: the file is already
-  written, so the operator starts a session and points it at the file. That is why you write the
-  file before you confirm, and never the other way round.
+- **The bootstrap prompt works end to end. Measured 2026-09-22.** This used to say the fix was
+  unproven (fleetd #489) and told you to expect a failure. That is no longer true. The daemon log
+  now holds four `lead-rollover: rolled` lines, and three of them ran on 2026-09-22 at 10:01:43,
+  10:38:28 and 11:15:47. Each one cleared the old lead and started a fresh session against the
+  handover file, with the configured `bootstrapText` arriving as its first message. No context was
+  lost. The old `Unknown command: /clearFresh` failure from 2026-09-12 does not appear in the log
+  at all. Re-measure both numbers with:
+
+  ```bash
+  grep -c "lead-rollover: rolled" fleetd/fleetd.out   # successful rolls
+  grep -c "lead-rollover:" fleetd/fleetd.out          # positive control: must be larger
+  grep -c "Unknown command" fleetd/fleetd.out         # the old failure: expect 0
+  ```
+
+  Run the control line too. A broken pattern returns a clean `0` that reads exactly like good news.
+  If the first number stops growing across rolls, or `Unknown command` returns anything above 0,
+  the bootstrap has regressed and this paragraph is stale again.
+
+  **You still write the file before you confirm, and never the other way round.** That order is not
+  about the bootstrap being unreliable. It is what the daemon checks: the handover file must have
+  been modified *after* the open request, or `confirm` refuses it as stale.
+
+- **One warning in the log is normal and is not a failure.** Every one of the three rolls above also
+  logged `/clear on term_… was never observed as WORKING after 8 consecutive IDLE/DONE polls —
+  releasing rather than wedging the roll`. The daemon could not see the pane go WORKING after
+  `/clear`, so it released instead of hanging. The roll then succeeded anyway. That is the safe
+  branch behaving correctly. Do not report it as a broken roll.
 
 ## Writing style
 

CLAUDE.md

@@ -145,9 +145,10 @@ authorized to settle it, not only to advise. Architects first form independent p
 compare them. If they still disagree after that comparison, they return both positions and their
 checked evidence; the lead decides. Go to the operator only for an action the fleet has no
 authority to take, such as spending money, granting access, or making a promise to someone else.
-**Then write the decision on the ticket.** Taking the operator out of the loop also removes the signal they used to get, because
-that signal was the block itself — work stopped, so they found out. A ticket comment replaces it,
-and it reaches them whether or not they are at a terminal when you decide.
+**Then write the decision on the ticket.** Taking the operator out of the loop also removes the
+signal they used to get, because that signal was the block itself — work stopped, so they found
+out. A ticket comment replaces it, and it reaches them whether or not they are at a terminal when
+you decide.
 
 | Intent | Tool |
 |---|---|

fleetd/fleetd.example.yaml

@@ -77,16 +77,25 @@ bind:
 # a lead turn nobody asked for), so upgrading the daemon must never switch it on for you. Absent
 # block = feature off, exactly as before.
 #
-# Three knobs, each with a default that errs on the side of not burning context:
+# Four knobs, each with a default that errs on the side of not burning context:
 #   idleAfterSeconds: 300   # how long the lead must stay idle before the FIRST nudge (default 300 —
 #                           # absorbs normal post-turn pauses; re-prompting every pause burns context)
 #   backoffMs: 60000        # re-check cadence / spacing between nudges past the quiet period (default 60000)
 #   quietNudgeCap: 3        # cap on consecutive nudges that find NOTHING pending, then it stops
 #                           # until real state appears (default 3 — never nag an empty fleet forever)
+#   contextHighNudge: false # fleetd #609 — when true, an idle lead whose OWN Claude Code context
+#                           # reads HIGH (see LeadContextGauge; fleet_list's context row) gets a text
+#                           # notice appended to its nudge telling it to consider fleet_handover. Text
+#                           # only — it never rolls a pane by itself, and only the operator can approve
+#                           # a roll. Fires once per HIGH stretch (a later OK reading re-arms it), and
+#                           # never spends the quietNudgeCap budget. Default false/absent = off, same
+#                           # as every other knob here — an upgraded daemon must not start telling
+#                           # leads to hand over on its own.
 # leadHeartbeat:
 #   idleAfterSeconds: 300
 #   backoffMs: 60000
 #   quietNudgeCap: 3
+#   contextHighNudge: false
 
 # Lead rollover (fleetd #480): replace a lead session that has decided it is ready to be replaced,
 # without an operator doing it by hand. A lead writes a handover file, then asks fleetd to clear its
@@ -200,13 +209,13 @@ herdrSocket: ~/.config/herdr/herdr.sock
 #                      e.g. `env DISPLAY=:10.0 idea {dir}`. Best-effort: a failure is logged, never
 #                      fails the spawn. Omit to open the member's module by hand. There is no close
 #                      half yet — an opened module stays open until the operator closes it.
-#   autoCompactWindow → opt-in, default off. A bounded token window that forces a spawned member to
-#                      compact its context instead of running on the backend's own default and dying
-#                      mid-turn (losing its fleet_reply — the whole point of the turn — with it).
+#   autoCompactWindow → opt-in, default off. A bounded token window that forces a launched Claude Code
+#                      lead or member to compact its context instead of running on the backend's own
+#                      default. A member that runs out of context can die mid-turn and lose its fleet_reply.
 #                      Validated at config load to [100000, 1000000] — the band Claude Code's own
 #                      --autocompact flag accepts.
 #                      CROSS-BACKEND SEMANTICS DIFFER: on claude-code this is a launch-time
-#                      `--autocompact <tokens>` flag — the member compacts AT this window. opencode
+#                      `--autocompact <tokens>` flag — the Claude Code session compacts AT this window. opencode
 #                      has no equivalent flag (it only forces `compaction.auto: true`, unconditionally,
 #                      already), so this is instead applied as the model's `limit.context` in the
 #                      generated opencode.json — the member compacts WITHIN this window, not exactly
@@ -406,7 +415,7 @@ profiles:
     # ideMcpUrl: http://127.0.0.1:29170/index-mcp/streamable-http   # opt-in (CB-634): IDE code intelligence, pinned to the worktree
     # ideProjectDir: fleetd          # CB-634: module dir the IDE opens + the overlay pins (this repo's pom is in fleetd/)
     # ideOpenCommand: env DISPLAY=:10.0 idea {dir}   # CB-634 auto-open: opens {dir} in the IDE at spawn; omit to open by hand
-    # autoCompactWindow: 250000   # opt-in: bound member context; claude-code compacts AT this, opencode within it (model limit.context)
+    # autoCompactWindow: 250000   # opt-in: bound Claude Code lead/member context; claude-code compacts AT this, opencode within it (model limit.context)
   gx11:                              # a second backend, so `placement: weighted` has a choice
     baseUrl: http://gx01.gw:8000     # self-hosted; ccs handles the model + token
     placement: tab

fleetd/src/main/java/dev/ltms/fleet/AssemblyInputs.java

@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+package dev.ltms.fleet;
+
+import dev.ltms.fleet.config.ConfigRef;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.config.FleetConfig;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.guard.SubscriptionGuard;
+
+/**
+ * fleetd #612 Unit A: everything {@code Fleetd.main} has ready once config is loaded, reported
+ * and validated — the exact point {@code main} used to keep going straight into socket and broker
+ * work. Building this (and handing it to {@link FleetdAssembly#assembleAndStart}) is the seam a
+ * test now has to drive the real boot composition without being {@code main} itself.
+ *
+ * @param cfg   the boot-time {@link FleetConfig} snapshot every one-time wiring decision reads —
+ *              see {@code Fleetd.main}'s own comment on why this must never be swapped for a live
+ *              reference once loaded
+ * @param config the live {@link ConfigRef} the hot-reloadable paths read per use
+ * @param guard  the same {@link SubscriptionGuard} {@code Fleetd.main} already used to assert the
+ *               launching environment is clean, reused rather than rebuilt so the assembled
+ *               launchers see the identical instance {@code main} already validated with
+ */
+record AssemblyInputs(FleetConfig cfg, ConfigRef config, SubscriptionGuard guard) {
+}

fleetd/src/main/java/dev/ltms/fleet/Fleetd.java

@@ -4,11 +4,13 @@ import dev.ltms.fleet.config.FleetConfig;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.config.ConfigRef;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.config.ConfigWatcher;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.guard.SubscriptionGuard;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.Agent;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.AgentControl;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.HerdrClient;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.HerdrException;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.HerdrRouter;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.LeadTabScanner;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.lead.LeadContextGauge;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.lead.LeadLauncher;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.lead.LeadRollover;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.PaneLocator;
@@ -40,6 +42,7 @@ import dev.ltms.fleet.mcp.LsofProcessCwdLookup;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.msg.AmqpReplyInbox;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.msg.InMemoryReplyInbox;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.msg.LeadChannel;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.msg.LeadChannelHandle;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.msg.LeadCoordLoop;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.msg.LeadMailbox;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.msg.MessageService;
@@ -51,6 +54,7 @@ import dev.ltms.fleet.rest.FleetApp;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.session.GitWorktrees;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.session.MemberSession;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.session.SessionManager;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.peer.MemberRole;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.peer.PeerLauncher;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.session.SessionReaper;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.member.ClaudeCodeLauncher;
@@ -174,595 +178,18 @@ public final class Fleetd {
         // and the Fleetd-startup tests actually pin — see FleetConfig#validateAll's javadoc for
         // why a name-by-name list here would have the same defect it replaces.
         cfg.validateAll();
-        // fleetd #469, follow-up to #464: validateAll() (and validateCharters() inside it) only
-        // checks that a charter's KEY is a role wire name and its text is non-blank — it never
-        // looks at what the text actually names. This is the separate check that does: it asks
-        // dev.ltms.fleet.mcp.FleetTool (the canonical registered-tool set) whether every fleet_*/
-        // bridge_* token a charter names is a tool this server actually registers. It cannot live
-        // inside FleetConfig#validateCharters() — config loads before the MCP server exists, and
-        // must not gain a dependency on the mcp package — so it runs here instead, at the one seam
-        // that already holds both a loaded FleetConfig and the mcp package, before anything below
-        // opens a socket or spawns a member. fleetd #474: the same check is also wired into `config`
-        // above as ConfigRef's extraValidation, so a reload refuses what this line refuses at startup.
-        assertChartersNameOnlyRegisteredTools(cfg);
 
-        Path socket = cfg.herdrSocket() != null && !cfg.herdrSocket().isBlank()
-                ? Path.of(cfg.herdrSocket())
-                : UnixSocketHerdrClient.defaultSocketPath();
-
-        UnixSocketHerdrClient herdr = UnixSocketHerdrClient.connect(socket, new com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper());
-        UnixSocketHerdrClient memberHerdr = cfg.memberHerdrSocket() != null && !cfg.memberHerdrSocket().isBlank()
-                ? UnixSocketHerdrClient.connect(Path.of(cfg.memberHerdrSocket()), new com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper())
-                : herdr;
-        AtomicReference<Supplier<Map<String, String>>> leadsRef = new AtomicReference<>(Map::of);
-        HerdrRouter router = new HerdrRouter(herdr, memberHerdr,
-                target -> leadsRef.get().get().containsKey(target));
-        // CB-402: one adapter per configured peer kind, fronted by a composite router. A profile's
-        // `kind:` selects its adapter — claude-code (the default) and opencode partition the profile
-        // set — and the composite dispatches each SPI call to the adapter that owns the profile/pane.
-        Map<String, FleetConfig.Profile> claudeProfiles = new LinkedHashMap<>();
-        Map<String, FleetConfig.Profile> opencodeProfiles = new LinkedHashMap<>();
-        cfg.profiles().forEach((name, w) -> {
-            if (w.isOpenCode()) {
-                opencodeProfiles.put(name, w);
-            } else {
-                claudeProfiles.put(name, w);
-            }
-        });
-        List<HerdrPeerLauncher> adapters = new ArrayList<>();
-        // fleetd #175: the daemon's real ExhaustionSink can only be built once `sessions` exists
-        // (below), but `sessions` needs `workers`, which needs the adapters built right here — a
-        // genuine cycle. Break it exactly like liveCountRef below: a forwarding sink built now,
-        // pointed at the real one once it exists.
-        AtomicReference<ExhaustionSink> exhaustionSinkRef = new AtomicReference<>(ExhaustionSink.none());
-        // fleetd #234, round 4: routed through the shared ExhaustionSink.forwardingTo factory
-        // rather than written inline here — not because a lambda at this call site is unsafe
-        // anymore (it is not: the 3-arg overload is now the interface's single abstract method, so
-        // there is no 2-arg overload left for any lambda to silently bind to instead), but so a
-        // test can call the exact same object this line builds, instead of asserting a copy of its
-        // shape (round 3's lesson).
-        // fleetd #589 Group 1: extracted to forwardingExhaustionSink(...) below (see that method's
-        // javadoc) so a dedicated test can prove this factory keeps reading the reference live,
-        // rather than a rebuilt copy of its shape.
-        ExhaustionSink forwardingExhaustionSink = forwardingExhaustionSink(exhaustionSinkRef);
-        // The claude-code adapter is the always-present default; keep it even with no profiles (so a
-        // bridge configured with no workers, or opencode-only, still has a well-defined base adapter)
-        // unless opencode is the only kind configured.
-        // fleetd #589 Group 2: extracted to claudeCodeLauncher(...)/openCodeLauncher(...) below (see
-        // those methods' javadoc) so a dedicated test can prove the CB-596 memberCredentials policy
-        // supplier is actually wired to each adapter, not silently replaced with `() -> null`.
-        if (!claudeProfiles.isEmpty() || opencodeProfiles.isEmpty()) {
-            adapters.add(claudeCodeLauncher(router.memberAgents(), router.memberSpaces(), guard,
-                    claudeProfiles, cfg, config));
-        }
-        if (!opencodeProfiles.isEmpty()) {
-            adapters.add(openCodeLauncher(router.memberAgents(), router.memberSpaces(),
-                    opencodeProfiles, cfg, config, forwardingExhaustionSink));
-        }
-        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 FleetConfig#quarantineCooldownSeconds): it is read once
-        // here, at startup, and a config reload only changes it for a daemon restart.
-        // fleetd #466: escalating, not flat — a credential that keeps reporting exhaustion (e.g. a
-        // weekly subscription limit, which would otherwise be retried on every ~30-minute cooldown,
-        // about 336 times across the week) backs off further each consecutive time, capped at
-        // BackendQuarantine.DEFAULT_MAX_COOLDOWN_MULTIPLE x the base cooldown. See BackendQuarantine's
-        // class doc for the mechanism, why this never fires on cooling-off (a separate, unescalated
-        // mechanism — BackendOutagePolicy below), and the reset.
-        BackendQuarantine quarantine = BackendQuarantine.withEscalation(System::nanoTime,
-                TimeUnit.SECONDS.toNanos(cfg.quarantineCooldownSeconds()));
-        // fleetd #201 Unit 5: one outage-cool-off tracker for the whole daemon, shared between the
-        // launcher (checked at spawn, like `quarantine` above) and the backend-error sink wired in
-        // below (written on a classified backend error). A SEPARATE, shorter-lived mechanism from
-        // `quarantine` — see BackendOutagePolicy's class doc — never merged with it.
-        BackendOutagePolicy outagePolicy = new BackendOutagePolicy(System::nanoTime);
-        PeerLauncher workers = new CompositePeerLauncher(
-                adapters,
-                cfg.effectiveDefaultProfile(),
-                config,
-                profileName -> liveCountRef.get().apply(profileName),
-                quarantine,
-                outagePolicy);
-        // fleetd #422 follow-up: say which of the three model-gate states the daemon booted into —
-        // no models: block at all, a block armed with nothing off, or a block with N off — the same
-        // way exhaustedPatternCoverageLine/errorPatternCoverageLine report CB-578 stage A/fleetd
-        // #201 Unit 5 coverage just below. Read from workers.modelGateState() (never a separate
-        // config.get().models() here) so this line and fleet_profiles' modelGateArmed can never
-        // disagree about what CompositePeerLauncher's spawn gate actually enforces.
-        log.info("model gate (fleetd #422): {}", modelGateCoverageLine(workers.modelGateState()));
-        // CB-504: under supervision (launchd/systemd) fleetd 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
-        // would crash the daemon into a restart loop. Wait, then degrade rather than die: serving
-        // with /healthz reporting "degraded" is strictly more useful than exiting.
-        HerdrAwaitOutcome herdrOutcome = awaitHerdr(herdr, System::nanoTime, Fleetd::sleepHerdrPoll);
-        boolean herdrUp = logHerdrWaitOutcomeAndShouldReap(herdrOutcome);
-        if (herdrUp) {
-            // CB-117: herdr keeps worker panes alive across a daemon restart, and their ids died
-            // with the previous process — reap those leaked orphans now, before we start serving.
-            workers.reapOrphanWorkers();
-        }
-
-        // CB-301: authoritative session registry + lifecycle FSM on top of ClaudeCodeLauncher.
-        // CB-301-ext: worktree provisioning seam, optionally rooted at a configured directory.
-        // CB-303 part 2: context cap is opt-in and disabled (0) when absent/null.
-        int contextCap = 0;
-        if (cfg.lifecycle() != null && cfg.lifecycle().contextCap() != null
-                && cfg.lifecycle().contextCap() > 0) {
-            contextCap = cfg.lifecycle().contextCap();
-        }
-        boolean clearAfterTurn = cfg.lifecycle() != null && cfg.lifecycle().clearAfterTurn();
-        SessionManager sessions = new SessionManager(workers,
-                new GitWorktrees(cfg.worktreeRoot(), cfg.worktreeGroup(), cfg.memberSkills()),
-                System::nanoTime, contextCap, clearAfterTurn);
-        liveCountRef.set(profileName -> liveSessionCount(sessions.roster(), profileName));
-
-        // Idle-sleep guard: hold an OS-level assertion against idle sleep while at least one
-        // member is live, so an unattended host does not idle-sleep out from under a member's
-        // long turn (see FleetConfig.IdleSleepGuard / dev.ltms.fleet.power.IdleSleepGuard for the
-        // measurement that motivated this). Opt-out via idleSleepGuard.enabled: false; on by
-        // default. Hangs off SessionManager's own onAcquire/onRelease hooks (CB-520/CB-516,
-        // previously wired only to the reply inbox) and SessionManager#size() — the exact registry
-        // fleet_list's live/capacity numbers are themselves computed from — rather than tracking
-        // members a second way. No-op (never constructed) off macOS or when idleSleepGuard.enabled
-        // is explicitly false; the mechanism itself is additionally a no-op if 'caffeinate' cannot
-        // be started, so this can never fail a spawn, a release, or startup.
-        boolean idleSleepGuardEnabled = cfg.idleSleepGuard() == null || cfg.idleSleepGuard().isEnabled();
-        final IdleSleepGuard idleSleepGuard;
-        if (idleSleepGuardEnabled) {
-            idleSleepGuard = new IdleSleepGuard(new CaffeinateSleepAssertionMechanism(), sessions::size);
-            sessions.onAcquire(_ -> idleSleepGuard.recheck());
-            sessions.onRelease(_ -> idleSleepGuard.recheck());
-        } else {
-            idleSleepGuard = null;
-        }
-
-        // CB-303 part 1: idle-ttl reaper — only when configured, defaults to disabled.
-        final SessionReaper reaper;
-        if (cfg.lifecycle() != null
-                && cfg.lifecycle().idleTtlSeconds() != null
-                && cfg.lifecycle().idleTtlSeconds() > 0) {
-            reaper = new SessionReaper(sessions, cfg.lifecycle().idleTtlSeconds());
-            reaper.start();
-        } else {
-            reaper = null;
-        }
-
-        // CB-530: every pane the config names as a lead, merged from `leaders:` and the legacy
-        // singular pin. PrimaryRegistry below still tracks ONE terminal — it addresses the push
-        // loop's nudges, which need a single destination — so it keeps the legacy pin.
-        Map<String, String> leadTerminals = cfg.leaderTerminals();
-        if (leadTerminals.size() > 1) {
-            log.info("leads: {} panes recognised {}", leadTerminals.size(), leadTerminals.values());
-        }
-        // CB-531: on top of the legacy primary.terminal pin, discover leads by the tab labels the
-        // operator writes. CB-557 moved the settings onto the lead they describe, so scanning is on
-        // whenever a `fleet.leaders:` entry exists — with no leads configured the supplier is a
-        // constant and never touches herdr, exactly as a missing `leadScan:` block used to behave.
-        // CB-579: each lead now names its own exact `tab:` label, so one scanner discovers every
-        // configured lead regardless of how differently their tabs are labelled — the old
-        // single-shared-tabPrefix limitation (and its warning) is gone.
-        final Supplier<Map<String, String>> leads;
-        var leaders = cfg.fleet().leaders();
-        if (!leaders.isEmpty()) {
-            Map<String, String> tabToName = new LinkedHashMap<>();
-            leaders.forEach((name, leader) -> {
-                if (leader != null && leader.tab() != null && !leader.tab().isBlank()) {
-                    tabToName.put(leader.tab(), name);
-                }
-            });
-            // The lead and the members now share ONE workspace (the operator asked for a single
-            // "session" with many tabs), so no workspace can be excluded — the lead lives in the
-            // members' space by design. A lead is told from a member by its exact tab label alone:
-            // a lead carries its configured `tab`, a member its `worker: {profile} #{n}` template,
-            // and the two never collide. (The scanner still supports an exclusion set for a split
-            // layout; the fleet's policy here is simply not to use one.)
-            //
-            // One shared rescan cadence: still taken from the first entry, as before — it is an
-            // operational cadence, not identity, so there is no correctness reason to give every
-            // lead its own scanner.
-            int scanIntervalSeconds = leaders.values().iterator().next().scanIntervalSeconds();
-            // This must use the lead daemon: scanning member tabs would demote the lead to a worker.
-            leads = new LeadTabScanner(herdr, tabToName, Set.of(),
-                    TimeUnit.SECONDS.toNanos(scanIntervalSeconds), System::nanoTime);
-            log.info("lead scan: tabs {} host a lead (rescan every {}s, shared fleet space)",
-                    tabToName.keySet(), scanIntervalSeconds);
-        } else {
-            leads = () -> leadTerminals;
-        }
-        leadsRef.set(leads);
-
-        // CB-558: start any declared lead that is not already running. After the scanner is built,
-        // because both read the same tab labels and the ordering makes that dependency visible; and
-        // only when herdr answered, because the launcher's whole safety property is that it can
-        // count live leads first — it must never guess and risk a second orchestrator.
-        if (herdrUp && !leaders.isEmpty()) {
-            int launched = new LeadLauncher(router.leadAgents(), router.leadSpaces(), cfg).ensureLeads();
-            if (launched > 0) {
-                log.info("lead auto-launch: {} lead(s) started", launched);
-            }
-        }
-
-        // CB-548: config-declared architect slots. Config supplies only the stable name → profile
-        // map; the terminal → slot binding is owned by the registry and is empty at startup, so no
-        // pane resolves to an architect until the later spawn lifecycle binds one. The registry is
-        // what CallerResolver resolves against and what that lifecycle will read profiles from;
-        // nothing here spawns a slot.
-        // fleetd #424: MemberRegistry.live re-reads fleet.architects through `config` on every
-        // reserve/requireSlotFor call, so a reload that removes or adds an architect slot governs
-        // the next spawn with no restart — the frozen `new MemberRegistry(cfg.fleet())` this used
-        // to be let a "revoked" slot keep granting new architect spawns forever.
-        MemberRegistry members = MemberRegistry.live(() -> config.get().fleet());
-        sessions.setMemberLifecycle(members);
-        if (!members.slots().isEmpty()) {
-            log.info("member slots: {} configured {} — none bound yet (a slot is idle until the "
-                            + "spawn lifecycle binds a live terminal to it)",
-                    members.slots().size(), members.slots().keySet());
-        }
-
-        // Status-gated injector (CB-103): the single writer into workers, fed by a poller.
-        // The blocking message endpoint (CB-104) is the producer; the poller is inert until then.
-        // CB-106: a confirmed turn completion resolves a blocked send whose worker never replied.
-        Rendezvous rendezvous = new Rendezvous();
-        // CB-578 stage A: classify a completion-fallback scrape that matches a profile's configured
-        // usage-limit refusal as BACKEND_EXHAUSTED rather than handing it back as a real answer.
-        // fleetd #446: read live off `config` per lookup, cached by profile name — see
-        // LiveExhaustedPatterns's class doc for why this replaces the old compiled-once-at-startup
-        // map. A profile with no exhaustedPattern simply returns null here, so its workers keep
-        // today's completion-fallback behaviour unchanged.
-        // fleetd #589 Group 1: both extracted to liveExhaustedPatterns(...)/
-        // exhaustedPatternLookup(...) below (see those methods' javadoc) — this is the worst
-        // consequence in the whole #589 sweep: silently losing either wiring means a genuine
-        // usage-limit refusal is handed back as a real completion instead of BACKEND_EXHAUSTED.
-        LiveExhaustedPatterns liveExhaustedPatterns = liveExhaustedPatterns(config);
-        ExhaustedPatternLookup exhaustedPatterns = exhaustedPatternLookup(sessions::roster, liveExhaustedPatterns);
-        // The startup coverage line still reports the boot-time snapshot only — it is printed once,
-        // here, and a reload no longer needs to change what it said; exhaustionDetectionArmed (via
-        // liveExhaustedPatterns.armed, wired into quarantineSource below) is what stays live.
-        Set<String> exhaustedConfiguredAtStartup = cfg.profiles().entrySet().stream()
-                .filter(e -> e.getValue().hasExhaustedPattern())
-                .map(Map.Entry::getKey)
-                .collect(Collectors.toCollection(LinkedHashSet::new));
-        log.info("backend-exhausted classification (CB-578 stage A): {}",
-                exhaustedPatternCoverageLine(cfg.profiles().keySet(), exhaustedConfiguredAtStartup));
-        // fleetd #201 Unit 5: classify a completion-fallback scrape that matches a profile's
-        // configured backend-error refusal (a credential outage, a provider 5xx) as a backend error
-        // rather than handing it back as a real answer. Still compiled once at startup, keyed by
-        // profile name — unlike exhaustedPattern above (fleetd #446), errorPattern was left DEFERRED
-        // on purpose: the ticket that made exhaustedPattern hot scoped errorPattern/cooling-off out
-        // explicitly. A profile with no configured errorPattern is simply absent here, so
-        // CompletionResolver falls back to its built-in narrow {@code (?i)\bAPI Error\s*:}
-        // compatibility pattern for that profile's targets (BackendErrorPatternLookup#legacy's
-        // contract — see backendErrorPatterns below).
-        Map<String, Pattern> errorPatternsByProfile = new LinkedHashMap<>();
-        cfg.profiles().forEach((name, profile) -> {
-            if (profile.hasErrorPattern()) {
-                errorPatternsByProfile.put(name, Pattern.compile(profile.errorPattern()));
-            }
-        });
-        // fleetd #248: extracted to a static factory (see backendErrorPatternLookup below) so a
-        // test can prove main() actually PASSES this into CompletionResolver, not only that the
-        // lookup itself behaves correctly — the exact gap fleetd #248 exists to close.
-        BackendErrorPatternLookup backendErrorPatterns = backendErrorPatternLookup(sessions::roster,
-                errorPatternsByProfile);
-        log.info("backend-error classification (fleetd #201 Unit 5): {}",
-                errorPatternCoverageLine(cfg.profiles().keySet(), errorPatternsByProfile.keySet()));
-        // 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.
-        // fleetd #446 criterion 3: the backend text that triggered the most recent quarantine of
-        // each credential, so fleet_profiles can report WHY a limit was hit, not only that it was.
-        // Keyed by credential id — the same key BackendQuarantine's own remainingSeconds uses —
-        // and written at the one call site that actually quarantines (inside exhaustionSink below),
-        // so a reason can never be reported for a quarantine that never happened. Bounded the same
-        // way BackendQuarantine's own internal map is documented to be: by the number of distinct
-        // credentials ever exhausted, not by how often the config is edited.
-        Map<String, String> quarantineReasonByCredential = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
-        // fleetd #446 follow-up (round 3): extracted into exhaustionSink(...) below — see that
-        // method's javadoc for the full fleetd #175/#234/#446 history this used to carry inline —
-        // so a dedicated test can drive the exact ExhaustionSink main() builds, not a hand-rebuilt
-        // copy of its shape.
-        // fleetd #175: point the forwarding sink handed to OpenCodeLauncher above at the real one,
-        // now that `sessions` exists to resolve target -> session -> profile.
-        // fleetd #589 Group 1: both statements (build + set) folded into publishExhaustionSink(...)
-        // below (see that method's javadoc), so a test can prove the reference is actually
-        // repointed at the real sink, not silently left at ExhaustionSink.none().
-        ExhaustionSink exhaustionSink = publishExhaustionSink(exhaustionSinkRef, sessions, config,
-                quarantine, quarantineReasonByCredential, cfg);
-        // fleetd #201 Unit 5: the production BackendErrorSink needs `pushLoop` (built further below,
-        // after `sessions`) to tell a lead about an incident or an unmapped target — the same
-        // construction-order cycle `exhaustionSinkRef` breaks above, broken the same way: a mutable
-        // holder set once `pushLoop` exists, read lazily from inside the lambda built here.
-        AtomicReference<ReplyPushLoop> pushLoopRef = new AtomicReference<>();
-        // fleetd #248: extracted to a static factory (see backendErrorSink below), public rather
-        // than package-private like the other two factories here, so
-        // dev.ltms.fleet.inject.BackendOutageFlowTest can exercise the REAL production sink
-        // directly instead of a hand-mirrored copy of this lambda — that copy was precisely the
-        // gap fleetd #248 exists to close (see that test's class doc for the history).
-        BackendErrorSink backendErrorSink = backendErrorSink(sessions, () -> config.get().profiles(),
-                outagePolicy, pushLoopRef::get);
-        AgentControl agents = router.memberAgents();
-        // Both fleetd#201 Unit 5 (backend-error patterns + sink) and fleetd#241 (the worktree/branch
-        // lookup the fallback report names) land on this one call. The full constructor takes both,
-        // so neither feature is dropped; nowNanos must be passed explicitly to reach it.
-        //
-        // fleetd #248: every argument built specifically for this call (backendErrorPatterns and
-        // backendErrorSink above, and the worktree/branch lookup right here) now comes from a
-        // static factory tested on its own; FleetdCompletionResolverWiringTest source-asserts that
-        // THIS call actually passes them, which is the coverage that was missing before.
-        CompletionResolver completion = new CompletionResolver(agents, rendezvous, exhaustedPatterns,
-                exhaustionSink, backendErrorPatterns, backendErrorSink, System::nanoTime,
-                worktreeBranchLookup(sessions::roster));
-        // 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();
-        // fleetd #561: extracted to a static factory (see turnListener below) — the anonymous class
-        // this replaced had two bare, unguarded statements per callback, and nothing enforced that
-        // the completion half went first beyond call order in the source.
-        TurnListener turnListener = turnListener(completion, sessions);
-        Predicate<String> deliverable = deliverableTo(presence, leads);
-        // fleetd #556: registration is wired directly to `completion`, not folded into the
-        // `turnListener` fan-out above — so it survives `sessions.onDelivered` (or any future
-        // listener) throwing, regardless of call order. See TurnRegistrar's javadoc.
-        // fleetd #589 Group 3 (:505): extracted to turnRegistrar(...) — see FleetdTurnRegistrarWiringTest.
-        Injector injector = new Injector(router, turnListener, deliverable,
-                presence::forget, turnRegistrar(completion));
-        StatusPoller poller = new StatusPoller(router, injector, Injector.POLL_INTERVAL_MILLIS);
-        poller.start();
-
-        // CB-307: reply inbox. A broker: block selects the AMQP-backed durable adapter; absent (or
-        // unusable), fleetd stays soft-state on the in-memory inbox. The AMQP inbox owns a broker
-        // connection, so keep the reference to close it in the ordered shutdown hook.
-        // fleetd #589 Group 3 (:512): opener extracted to replyInboxOpener() — see
-        // FleetdReplyInboxOpenerWiringTest.
-        final ReplyInbox replyInbox = selectReplyInbox(cfg.broker(), System.getenv(), replyInboxOpener());
-        // CB-637: this daemon's lead-to-lead mailbox on the SHARED coordination vhost — a separate
-        // broker from the reply inbox by design (see FleetConfig.Coordinator). Absent a coordinator:
-        // block this is null and every lead path below is simply not wired, which is exactly the
-        // behaviour before this ticket. It owns a broker connection, so keep the reference for the
-        // ordered shutdown hook.
-        // fleetd #589 Group 3 (:518): opener extracted to leadMailboxOpener() — see
-        // FleetdLeadMailboxOpenerWiringTest.
-        final LeadMailbox leadMailbox = openLeadMailbox(cfg.coordinator(), System.getenv(), leadMailboxOpener());
-        // CB-307: learn the primary's terminal from orchestration tool calls (or pin from config).
-        // The pin also feeds CallerResolver below: a primary running inside a herdr pane would
-        // otherwise resolve as a worker and be refused every orchestration tool.
-        String pinnedPrimaryTerminal = cfg.primary() != null ? cfg.primary().terminal() : null;
-        PrimaryRegistry primaryRegistry = new PrimaryRegistry(pinnedPrimaryTerminal);
-        // CB-532: `primary.terminal` is superseded and no longer needed for either of its jobs —
-        // identity comes from `leaders:`/`leadScan:`, and reply nudges now follow the delegating
-        // lead. Say so once at startup rather than leaving a redundant pin to look load-bearing.
-        if (pinnedPrimaryTerminal != null && !pinnedPrimaryTerminal.isBlank()) {
-            log.warn("primary.terminal is DEPRECATED (CB-532) and can be deleted: identity now comes "
-                    + "from leaders:/leadScan:, and reply nudges follow the lead that delegated. "
-                    + "It still works, and is still the fallback nudge destination when a restart "
-                    + "has lost the delegation map. Its pushReminders/pushBackoffMs stay valid.");
-        }
-        // CB-307: active push-to-primary loop — nudge the primary when replies land without an
-        // open fleet_send. Uses its own lightweight scheduled executor, separate from the injector.
-        int maxReminders = cfg.primary() != null ? cfg.primary().remindersOrDefault() : 5;
-        long backoffMs = cfg.primary() != null ? cfg.primary().backoffMsOrDefault() : 15_000L;
-        var pushScheduler = Executors.newSingleThreadScheduledExecutor(r ->
-                Thread.ofVirtual().name("bridge-push-").unstarted(r));
-        // CB-502: the registry is built before the service and the push loop so send/reply outcomes
-        // are counted at their single funnel rather than at each of the two caller-facing surfaces.
-        // CB-512: the push loop takes it too, so nudge outcomes (delivered|exhausted) are counted.
-        Metrics metrics = FleetMetrics.create(sessions, replyInbox);
-        var pushLoop = new ReplyPushLoop(primaryRegistry, router.leadAgents(), replyInbox,
-                pushScheduler, maxReminders, backoffMs, metrics);
-        // fleetd #201 Unit 5: point the forwarding holder captured by the backendErrorSink lambda
-        // above at the real push loop, now that it exists.
-        pushLoopRef.set(pushLoop);
-        // CB-551: idle-lead heartbeat. Opt-in; absent `leadHeartbeat:` this is never constructed, so
-        // an upgraded daemon cannot silently start spending subscription on nudging an idle lead.
-        // It has its own single-thread scheduler and holds its own scheduler shutdown via close().
-        final LeadHeartbeatLoop heartbeat;
-        var heartbeatScheduler = Executors.newSingleThreadScheduledExecutor(r ->
-                Thread.ofVirtual().name("bridge-heartbeat-").unstarted(r));
-        if (cfg.leadHeartbeat() != null) {
-            var hb = cfg.leadHeartbeat();
-            heartbeat = new LeadHeartbeatLoop(primaryRegistry, router.leadAgents(), replyInbox, sessions::roster,
-                    pushLoop, heartbeatScheduler, System::nanoTime,
-                    TimeUnit.SECONDS.toNanos(hb.idleAfterSeconds()), hb.backoffMs(), hb.quietNudgeCap(),
-                    metrics);
-            heartbeat.start();
-        } else {
-            heartbeat = null;
-            heartbeatScheduler.shutdownNow();
-        }
-        // fleetd #480: lead rollover. Opt-in; absent `leadRollover:` this is never constructed, so
-        // an upgraded daemon cannot silently acquire the ability to clear the lead's own pane.
-        // Unlike heartbeat above, this has no recurring scheduler of its own — nothing but an
-        // explicit confirm() call (wired to an MCP tool by a later ticket; nothing calls it yet)
-        // that passes every gate can ever schedule a roll. It does not take primaryRegistry: the
-        // lead terminal to roll comes from the caller of open()/confirm() (resolved by the MCP
-        // layer from the connection, the same way auth/CallerResolver#resolve builds a
-        // Principal.leader(...)), never from a single-slot lookup — see LeadRollover's class
-        // javadoc, fleetd #480 correction 2.
-        LeadRollover leadRollover = leadRollover(cfg, router.leadAgents(), config, leads);
-        MessageService messages = new MessageService(router, injector, rendezvous, replyInbox,
-                pushLoop, metrics);
-
-        // Health is a slow whole-fleet observer. Keep it separate from the 250ms delivery poller.
-        final FleetHealthMonitor healthMonitor;
-        var healthScheduler = Executors.newSingleThreadScheduledExecutor(r ->
-                Thread.ofVirtual().name("bridge-health-").unstarted(r));
-        if (cfg.health() != null && cfg.health().isEnabled()) {
-            // CB-580: a member found GONE/NEVER_READY must fail whatever ticket is waiting on it,
-            // through the same idempotent target-wide operation CB-516 already uses on release.
-            // fleetd #386: System::nanoTime freezes across a macOS sleep, so the stall check also
-            // gets a wall-clock source to detect and correct for that freeze. Every other decision
-            // in FleetHealthMonitor stays on the monotonic clock, unchanged.
-            // fleetd #589 Group 3 (:591): failTarget extracted to healthFailTarget(...) — see
-            // FleetdHealthFailTargetWiringTest.
-            healthMonitor = new FleetHealthMonitor(agents, sessions::roster, messages, healthScheduler,
-                    System::nanoTime, () -> TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS.toNanos(System.currentTimeMillis()),
-                    cfg.health().intervalOrDefault(),
-                    cfg.health().workingSuspectAfterOrDefault(), healthFailTarget(messages));
-            String coverage = FleetHealthMonitor.coverage(true,
-                    cfg.health().notifications() != null && cfg.health().notifications().configured());
-            if ("detection-only".equals(coverage)) {
-                log.warn("fleet health: {} (no notification sink configured)", coverage);
-            } else {
-                log.info("fleet health: {}", coverage);
-            }
-            healthMonitor.start();
-        } else {
-            healthMonitor = null;
-            healthScheduler.shutdownNow();
-        }
-
-        // CB-520: the reply inbox only consumes for agents this gateway owns. own on acquire,
-        // release on teardown. Do this before CB-516 so the inbox is owned before any reply can land.
-        sessions.onAcquire(replyInbox::own);
-        // 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.
-        // fleetd #589 Group 3 (:611-631): the whole cleanup lambda extracted to releaseCleanup(...)
-        // — see FleetdReleaseCleanupWiringTest, and MessageService.abandon's javadoc for the
-        // documented incident (a torn-down worker's rendezvous waiter left open) this lambda exists
-        // to prevent.
-        sessions.onRelease(releaseCleanup(messages, replyInbox, primaryRegistry));
-
-        // MCP server face (CB-105): fleet_send/fleet_reply/fleet_status, mounted at /mcp.
-        // Caller identity is resolved from the connection (peer PID → herdr pane), not arguments.
-        // CB-185: a caller's pane can live on either daemon (a lead's on the lead daemon, a
-        // member's on the member daemon) — search both, lead first. Collapses to one scan when
-        // memberHerdrSocket is unset (herdr == memberHerdr).
-        ConnectionIdentity identity = new ConnectionIdentity(
-                new PaneLocator(herdr, memberHerdr), new LsofPeerPidLookup(), new LsofProcessCwdLookup());
-
-        // CB-501: one resolver behind both entry paths. Worker identity still comes from the
-        // connection and is never token-gated, so enabling token mode cannot lock the fleet out.
-        final CallerResolver callers;
-        if (cfg.auth().tokenMode()) {
-            String token = System.getenv(cfg.auth().tokenEnv());
-            if (token == null || token.isBlank()) {
-                throw new IllegalStateException("auth.mode=token but env var " + cfg.auth().tokenEnv()
-                        + " is unset or empty — export it before starting fleetd");
-            }
-            callers = CallerResolver.withLeadsAndMembers(identity, true, token, leads, members);
-            log.info("auth: token mode (bearer required for non-worker callers, env {})",
-                    cfg.auth().tokenEnv());
-        } else {
-            callers = CallerResolver.withLeadsAndMembers(identity, false, null, leads, members);
-            log.info("auth: loopback-trust (any loopback non-worker caller is the primary)");
-        }
-
-        // fleetd #297: named once and reused verbatim below for FleetApp's GET /profiles, rather than
-        // built a second time — two independently-constructed sources reading the SAME BackendQuarantine
-        // / BackendOutagePolicy would still be able to drift (e.g. a future edit to the credentialIdFor
-        // closure in only one of the two places), exactly the shape #284 was.
-        FleetMcp.QuarantineSource quarantineSource = quarantineSource(config, quarantine,
-                liveExhaustedPatterns, quarantineReasonByCredential);
-        FleetMcp.OutageSource outageSource = new FleetMcp.OutageSource(profile -> {
-            var configured = config.get().profiles().get(profile);
-            return configured == null ? null : configured.effectiveCredentialId();
-        }, outagePolicy);
-
-        FleetMcp.LoopHealthSource loopHealth = loopHealthSource(poller, reaper);
-        FleetMcp mcp = new FleetMcp(messages, workers, sessions, identity, presence,
-                primaryRegistry, callers, FleetMcp.AuthorizationMode.ENFORCED, metrics,
-                capacitySource(config, cfg, profile -> liveCountRef.get().apply(profile)),
-                healthCoverageSource(config),
-                loopHealth,
-                quarantineSource,
-                leadMailbox,
-                outageSource,
-                new FleetMcp.LeadSeatSource(leadSeatLookup(() -> config.get().profiles(), leaders, leads)),
-                // fleetd #361: the operator-declared peers this daemon's fleet_list should try to
-                // reach. Read from the SAME snapshot leadMailbox itself opened from (cfg.coordinator()),
-                // not the live config.get() — coordinator wiring is already boot-time-fixed (see
-                // leadMailbox above), so peers follows the same rule rather than half hot-reloading.
-                cfg.coordinator() == null ? List.of() : cfg.coordinator().peers(),
-                // fleetd #480 Unit C: the executor behind fleet_handover — null whenever
-                // leadRollover: is not configured (see the leadRollover local above).
-                leadRollover);
-
-        // CB-637: the receive half. Only constructed when a lead mailbox actually opened — with no
-        // coordinator (or an unreachable one) there is nothing to deliver, so no scheduler is
-        // created and no thread runs. It reads the SAME live lead supplier the injector's
-        // deliverability gate does, so a lead found by the tab scan after startup is reachable
-        // without a restart.
-        final LeadCoordLoop leadCoordLoop;
-        final ScheduledExecutorService leadCoordSchedulerRef;
-        if (leadMailbox != null) {
-            var leadCoordScheduler = Executors.newSingleThreadScheduledExecutor(r ->
-                    Thread.ofVirtual().name("bridge-leadcoord-").unstarted(r));
-            leadCoordLoop = new LeadCoordLoop(leadMailbox, router.leadAgents(), leads, leadCoordScheduler,
-                    LEAD_COORD_INTERVAL_MS);
-            leadCoordLoop.start();
-            leadCoordSchedulerRef = leadCoordScheduler;
-        } else {
-            leadCoordLoop = null;
-            leadCoordSchedulerRef = null;
-        }
-
-        // 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.
-        final ConfigWatcher configWatcher;
-        if (cfg.configReload() != null && cfg.configReload().isEnabled()) {
-            configWatcher = new ConfigWatcher(config, cfg.configReload().intervalSeconds());
-            configWatcher.start();
-        } else {
-            configWatcher = null;
-        }
-
-        // CB-303 part 3: single ordered shutdown hook. Drain sessions first while herdr is still
-        // open (so releases reach the daemon), then stop poller/message/mcp/reaper, and close herdr
-        // last. This replaces the earlier independent hooks that could race and close herdr early.
-        Runtime.getRuntime().addShutdownHook(new Thread(() -> {
-            sessions.close(cfg.lifecycle() != null ? cfg.lifecycle().drainTimeoutSeconds() : null);
-            poller.stop();
-            messages.close();
-            pushLoop.close();
-            if (heartbeat != null) heartbeat.close(); // CB-551: stop the idle-lead heartbeat scheduler
-            if (leadCoordLoop != null) leadCoordLoop.close(); // CB-637: stop delivering peer-lead messages
-            if (leadCoordSchedulerRef != null) leadCoordSchedulerRef.shutdownNow();
-            if (healthMonitor != null) healthMonitor.stop();
-            if (configWatcher != null) configWatcher.stop(); // CB-559: stop polling the config file
-            mcp.close();
-            if (reaper != null) reaper.stop();
-            // Idle-sleep guard: release unconditionally, even though sessions.close() above already
-            // drained every session (and each release already drove the live count to 0, which
-            // releases the guard's assertion on its own) — this is the backstop for a drain that was
-            // itself interrupted or threw, so no caffeinate child ever outlives the daemon.
-            if (idleSleepGuard != null) idleSleepGuard.close();
-            // Release the broker connection last among message resources (no-op for the in-memory inbox).
-            if (replyInbox instanceof AutoCloseable closeable) {
-                try {
-                    closeable.close();
-                } catch (Exception e) {
-                    log.debug("reply inbox close: {}", e.toString());
-                }
-            }
-            // CB-637: the coordination connection goes with it — after the loop that reads it has
-            // stopped, so no tick can be mid-ack against a closed channel.
-            if (leadMailbox != null) {
-                try {
-                    leadMailbox.close();
-                } catch (Exception e) {
-                    log.debug("lead mailbox close: {}", e.toString());
-                }
-            }
-            router.close();
-        }));
-
-        // CB-185: give FleetApp both daemons — /healthz must require both to answer and
-        // GET /sessions must merge across both, or a down/unpolled member daemon is invisible.
-        // fleetd #111: live (re-read-per-request) memberCredentials view for GET /member-credentials —
-        // same hot-reload shape as the memberCredentials supplier passed to ClaudeCodeLauncher above.
-        // fleetd #297: quarantineSource/outageSource are the SAME instances passed to FleetMcp above —
-        // GET /profiles must report the identical quarantine/cool-off facts as fleet_profiles.
-        Javalin app = new FleetApp(herdr, memberHerdr, workers, sessions, messages, presence, mcp.servlet(),
-                callers, metrics, deliverable,
-                () -> MemberCredentialPolicyView.of(config.get().memberCredentials()),
-                quarantineSource, outageSource, loopHealth).build();
-        app.start(cfg.bind().host(), cfg.bind().port());
-        log.info("fleetd listening on {}:{}, herdr socket {}",
-                cfg.bind().host(), cfg.bind().port(), socket);
+        // fleetd #612 A-gaps (gap 2): everything from here on — including the two post-validation
+        // reports that used to run inline right here (reportRoleFallbackGaps,
+        // assertChartersNameOnlyRegisteredTools) — now lives in FleetdAssembly.assembleAndStart,
+        // built against a real ResourcePorts. Unit A originally moved only the socket/broker/HTTP
+        // composition and left those two calls here, between validateAll() and the assembly call —
+        // outside the boundary FleetdAssemblyLifecycleTest drives, so deleting either call
+        // compiled clean and left the whole suite green. Moving the boundary to start immediately
+        // after validateAll() (this line) puts both back under test, in the same relative order,
+        // before either one does any I/O — see FleetdAssembly's javadoc for the full boot-order
+        // contract this preserves exactly.
+        FleetdAssembly.assembleAndStart(new AssemblyInputs(cfg, config, guard), ResourcePorts.system());
     }
 
     /**
@@ -1576,6 +1003,109 @@ public final class Fleetd {
         };
     }
 
+    /**
+     * fleetd #602 gauge-wiring: per-lead-name factory for {@link FleetMcp.LeadConfigDirSource} — the
+     * {@code CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR} the named lead's own profile runs on, so {@code LeadContextGauge}
+     * reads the transcript directory that lead's Claude Code process actually writes to, not always
+     * the built-in {@code <user.home>/.claude} default.
+     *
+     * <p>Follows the same {@code fleet.leaders.<name>.profile} link {@link #leadSeatLookup} already
+     * uses to find a lead's profile, one step further to that profile's own {@code configDir:}. A
+     * lead entry that names no {@code profile:}, or whose named profile is not configured, or whose
+     * profile sets no {@code configDir:} override, returns {@code null} — {@code LeadContextGauge}
+     * then falls back to its own default, exactly as before this ticket.
+     *
+     * @param profiles the live profile map, normally {@code () -> config.get().profiles()} in
+     *                 {@code main} — read live, like every other {@code configDir} lookup, so a
+     *                 config reload takes effect on the very next {@code fleet_list} call
+     * @param leaders  {@code fleet.leaders}, read once at startup like {@link #leadSeatLookup}'s own
+     *                 {@code leaders} parameter — passed as a plain map, never re-read from
+     *                 {@code config.get()}
+     */
+    static Function<String, String> leadConfigDirLookup(Supplier<Map<String, FleetConfig.Profile>> profiles,
+            Map<String, FleetConfig.Leader> leaders) {
+        return leadName -> {
+            FleetConfig.Leader lead = leaders.get(leadName);
+            if (lead == null || lead.profile() == null || lead.profile().isBlank()) {
+                return null;
+            }
+            FleetConfig.Profile leadProfile = profiles.get().get(lead.profile());
+            return leadProfile == null ? null : leadProfile.configDir();
+        };
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * fleetd #602 gauge-wiring follow-up (PR #606 review comment 17353): {@code main} used to build
+     * {@code new FleetMcp.LeadConfigDirSource(leadConfigDirLookup(...))} inline, with nothing a test
+     * could call directly. Measured on that shape: replacing the whole expression with {@code
+     * FleetMcp.LeadConfigDirSource.none()} at the call site compiled with 0 errors and left the full
+     * 1822-test suite green — the daemon could be changed to always report every lead's context as
+     * {@code UNKNOWN}, forever, while every test stayed green. That is the same hand-built-vs-wired
+     * shape as fleetd #561/#248/#426/#562 ({@link #loopHealthSource}).
+     *
+     * <p>The fix extracts the inline {@code new} into this factory, in the same style as {@link
+     * #loopHealthSource}/{@link #capacitySource}/{@link #healthCoverageSource} — which is exactly
+     * what makes it directly callable from {@code FleetdLeadConfigDirSourceWiringTest}. That test
+     * calls this factory with real {@link FleetConfig.Profile}/{@link FleetConfig.Leader} fixtures and
+     * asserts the returned source resolves a real {@code configDir} — a property that would be false
+     * if this method's body were mutated to {@code return FleetMcp.LeadConfigDirSource.none();}.
+     */
+    static FleetMcp.LeadConfigDirSource leadConfigDirSource(Supplier<Map<String, FleetConfig.Profile>> profiles,
+            Map<String, FleetConfig.Leader> leaders) {
+        return new FleetMcp.LeadConfigDirSource(leadConfigDirLookup(profiles, leaders));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * fleetd #609: per-terminal factory for {@link LeadHeartbeatLoop.LeadContextSource} — the lead's
+     * own {@link LeadContextGauge} reading, so the heartbeat loop can tell an idle, HIGH-context lead
+     * to consider a handover.
+     *
+     * <p>Three hops, each degrading to {@link LeadContextGauge.Reading#unknown()} rather than
+     * throwing, since a herdr hiccup or an unrecognised terminal must never kill the heartbeat's own
+     * tick: {@code liveLeadTerminals} (terminal id → lead name, the same live supplier {@link
+     * #leadSeatLookup} and {@code LeadCoordLoop} already read) → {@code configDirForLeadName} (that
+     * lead's {@code configDir}, normally {@link #leadConfigDirLookup}'s return) → {@code agents.get}
+     * for the live {@link Agent#sessionId()}/{@link Agent#agentType()} the gauge itself needs.
+     *
+     * @param gauge                 the {@link LeadContextGauge} instance to read through — shares its
+     *                              cache across every call this factory's function makes
+     * @param agents                the {@link AgentControl} instance that reaches the LEAD's pane
+     *                              (not {@code memberAgents}), normally {@code router.leadAgents()}
+     * @param liveLeadTerminals     terminal id → lead name for every CURRENTLY recognised lead
+     * @param configDirForLeadName  lead name → {@code configDir}, normally {@link
+     *                              #leadConfigDirLookup}'s return
+     */
+    static Function<String, LeadContextGauge.Reading> leadContextLookup(LeadContextGauge gauge, AgentControl agents,
+            Supplier<Map<String, String>> liveLeadTerminals, Function<String, String> configDirForLeadName) {
+        return terminal -> {
+            String leadName = liveLeadTerminals.get().get(terminal);
+            if (leadName == null) {
+                return LeadContextGauge.Reading.unknown();
+            }
+            String configDir = configDirForLeadName.apply(leadName);
+            Agent live;
+            try {
+                live = agents.get(terminal);
+            } catch (RuntimeException e) {
+                return LeadContextGauge.Reading.unknown();
+            }
+            return gauge.read(configDir, live.sessionId(), live.agentType());
+        };
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * fleetd #609: wraps {@link #leadContextLookup} into a {@link LeadHeartbeatLoop.LeadContextSource}
+     * — the same hand-built-vs-wired shape as {@link #leadConfigDirSource}/{@link #loopHealthSource}/
+     * {@link #capacitySource}/{@link #healthCoverageSource}. Extracted so a test can call the exact
+     * factory {@code main} calls, rather than only a lookup nothing in {@code main} is proven to use
+     * (see {@code FleetdLeadConfigDirSourceWiringTest}'s javadoc for the measured gap this shape closes).
+     */
+    static LeadHeartbeatLoop.LeadContextSource leadContextSource(LeadContextGauge gauge, AgentControl agents,
+            Supplier<Map<String, String>> liveLeadTerminals, Function<String, String> configDirForLeadName) {
+        return new LeadHeartbeatLoop.LeadContextSource(
+                leadContextLookup(gauge, agents, liveLeadTerminals, configDirForLeadName));
+    }
+
     /**
      * fleetd #248 / fleetd#201 Unit 5: package-private factory for the per-target backend-error
      * pattern lookup {@link CompletionResolver} classifies a pane scrape against. Closes over the
@@ -1685,10 +1215,18 @@ public final class Fleetd {
         ReplyInbox open(String uri, int prefetch);
     }
 
-    /** Injection seam for {@link #openLeadMailbox}: production binds {@link LeadMailbox#open}. */
+    /**
+     * Injection seam for {@link #openLeadMailbox}: production binds {@link LeadMailbox#open}.
+     *
+     * <p>fleetd #612 A-gaps (gap 1): returns {@link LeadChannelHandle}, not the concrete {@link
+     * LeadMailbox}, so a test can supply a fake closeable channel instead of a real broker
+     * connection — see {@link LeadChannelHandle}'s own javadoc for why the narrower type existed
+     * and what widening it to add {@code close()} costs (nothing: {@code LeadMailbox} already
+     * implements it).
+     */
     @FunctionalInterface
     interface LeadMailboxOpener {
-        LeadMailbox open(String uri, String selfCoordId, int prefetch);
+        LeadChannelHandle open(String uri, String selfCoordId, int prefetch);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -1711,7 +1249,7 @@ public final class Fleetd {
      *       fleet still works exactly as it did before this feature existed.</li>
      * </ul>
      */
-    static LeadMailbox openLeadMailbox(FleetConfig.Coordinator coordinator, Map<String, String> env,
+    static LeadChannelHandle openLeadMailbox(FleetConfig.Coordinator coordinator, Map<String, String> env,
                                        LeadMailboxOpener opener) {
         if (coordinator == null) {
             return null;                       // opt-in: nothing configured, nothing to say
@@ -1731,7 +1269,7 @@ public final class Fleetd {
             return null;
         }
         try {
-            LeadMailbox mailbox = opener.open(uri, coordinator.selfId(), coordinator.prefetchOrDefault());
+            LeadChannelHandle mailbox = opener.open(uri, coordinator.selfId(), coordinator.prefetchOrDefault());
             log.info("lead coordination: ON as coord-id {} (prefetch={})",
                     coordinator.selfId(), coordinator.prefetchOrDefault());
             return mailbox;
@@ -2059,16 +1597,72 @@ public final class Fleetd {
     }
 
     /**
-     * fleetd #474: the one place both the startup call (right after {@code cfg.validateAll()} in
-     * {@link #main}) and the reload call (wired into {@code config}'s {@code extraValidation} above,
-     * via a method reference to this method) go through, so the two can never drift into checking
-     * different things. Extracted only to give {@link ConfigRef}'s {@code Consumer<FleetConfig>}
-     * hook a {@code FleetConfig -> void} shape to bind to — {@link CharterToolSurface} itself still
-     * takes the raw charter map and knows nothing about {@code ConfigRef} or {@code Fleetd}.
+     * fleetd #613: {@code FleetConfig.candidateProfiles(MemberRole)} (FleetConfig.java:1827) and
+     * {@code CompositePeerLauncher.poolFor} (CompositePeerLauncher.java:598-603) both fall back to
+     * <em>every</em> configured profile when a role has no {@code fleet.<role>s:} pool — a
+     * deliberate "unconstrained" behaviour, kept unchanged here, that lets a config with only
+     * {@code profiles:} and no {@code fleet:} block still spawn. That fallback is silent, and on
+     * the host that opened this ticket it widened an unqualified {@code hunter} spawn to all 8
+     * configured profiles and picked {@code local} as the resolved first choice — a profile every
+     * other pool on that same config gives weight 0 to. Report it once at boot instead, naming both
+     * how many profiles the gap opens onto and the exact first choice, since the first choice (not
+     * the pool size) is what actually surprised the operator.
+     *
+     * <p>A missing {@code fleet.charters.<role>:} entry is reported separately: the member still
+     * runs, but with only the launcher's own reply charter and no role contract. Unlike the pool
+     * gap this already has a per-spawn instrument ({@code HerdrPeerLauncher.logCharterReceipt},
+     * {@code SessionManager}'s {@code charterSource} roster field) — this boot line is the same
+     * information surfaced once, up front, rather than discovered per member later.
+     *
+     * <p>Never refuses to start over either gap — both are legitimate configurations, and this is a
+     * report, not a validation. Package-private so a test can call it directly and capture the log
+     * via a {@link ch.qos.logback.core.read.ListAppender}, the same pattern {@link
+     * #reportExhaustedPatternGap} and {@link #reportMemberCredentialsGap} already use.
+     */
+    static void reportRoleFallbackGaps(FleetConfig cfg) {
+        List<String> poolGaps = new ArrayList<>();
+        List<String> charterGaps = new ArrayList<>();
+        int profileCount = cfg.profiles().size();
+        for (MemberRole role : MemberRole.values()) {
+            boolean hasPool = cfg.fleet() != null && !cfg.fleet().profilesFor(role).isEmpty();
+            if (!hasPool) {
+                String firstChoice = cfg.defaultProfileFor(role);
+                poolGaps.add(role.wireName() + " (may land on any of " + profileCount
+                        + " profile(s), first choice "
+                        + (firstChoice == null ? "none — no profiles configured" : "'" + firstChoice + "'")
+                        + ")");
+            }
+            String charter = cfg.fleet() == null ? null : cfg.fleet().charterFor(role);
+            if (charter == null || charter.isBlank()) {
+                charterGaps.add(role.wireName());
+            }
+        }
+        if (!poolGaps.isEmpty()) {
+            log.info("role fallback: no fleet.<role>s: pool for {} — an unqualified spawn of that "
+                    + "role falls back to every configured profile (deliberate; see "
+                    + "FleetConfig#candidateProfiles)", poolGaps);
+        }
+        if (!charterGaps.isEmpty()) {
+            log.info("role fallback: no fleet.charters: entry for {} — that role runs with only "
+                    + "the launcher's reply charter, no role contract", charterGaps);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * fleetd #474: the one place both the startup call (fleetd #612 A-gaps gap 2: right after
+     * {@code cfg.validateAll()} in {@link FleetdAssembly#assembleAndStart}, immediately after
+     * {@code main} hands off to it — see that method's javadoc) and the reload call (wired into
+     * {@code config}'s {@code extraValidation} above, via a method reference to this method) go
+     * through, so the two can never drift into checking different things. Extracted only to give
+     * {@link ConfigRef}'s {@code Consumer<FleetConfig>} hook a {@code FleetConfig -> void} shape to
+     * bind to — {@link CharterToolSurface} itself still takes the raw charter map and knows nothing
+     * about {@code ConfigRef} or {@code Fleetd}.
      *
      * <p>Package-private so a test can call it directly the same way the other startup-report
      * helpers above are tested, without needing to drive {@link #main} for a unit-level check;
-     * {@code FleetdStartupValidationTest} proves the startup call site, and {@code
+     * {@code FleetdStartupValidationTest} proves the startup call site by driving {@code main}
+     * itself end to end (the throw still happens before {@code main} reaches any real socket or
+     * broker work, since the assembly runs this before either), and {@code
      * FleetdConfigRefCharterToolSurfaceWiringTest} — by constructing {@code ConfigRef} with this
      * exact method reference, the same way {@code main} does above — proves the reload call site.
      * {@code dev.ltms.fleet.config.ConfigRefTest} pins the same reload behaviour too, through an
@@ -2110,13 +1704,16 @@ public final class Fleetd {
     record HerdrAwaitOutcome(HerdrWaitResult result, long elapsedNanos) {}
 
     /**
-     * The real per-poll wait {@link #main} passes to {@link #awaitHerdr}: sleep
-     * {@link #HERDR_WAIT_POLL_MILLIS}, and on interruption re-set the thread's interrupt flag
+     * The real per-poll wait {@link FleetdAssembly#assembleAndStart} passes to {@link #awaitHerdr}:
+     * sleep {@link #HERDR_WAIT_POLL_MILLIS}, and on interruption re-set the thread's interrupt flag
      * rather than throwing — {@link #awaitHerdr} detects an interruption by checking {@link
      * Thread#isInterrupted()} right after this returns, so a poller that swallowed the flag
      * instead of restoring it would make that check silently miss the interruption.
+     *
+     * <p>Package-private (fleetd #612 Unit A), not {@code private}: {@code FleetdAssembly}, a
+     * different class in this package, needs a {@code Runnable} reference to this exact method.
      */
-    private static void sleepHerdrPoll() {
+    static void sleepHerdrPoll() {
         try {
             Thread.sleep(HERDR_WAIT_POLL_MILLIS);
         } catch (InterruptedException ie) {

fleetd/src/main/java/dev/ltms/fleet/FleetdAssembly.java

@@ -0,0 +1,536 @@
+package dev.ltms.fleet;
+
+import dev.ltms.fleet.auth.CallerResolver;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.auth.MemberRegistry;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.config.ConfigRef;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.config.ConfigWatcher;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.config.FleetConfig;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.guard.SubscriptionGuard;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.health.FleetHealthMonitor;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.AgentControl;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.HerdrClient;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.HerdrRouter;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.LeadTabScanner;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.PaneLocator;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.UnixSocketHerdrClient;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.inject.BackendErrorPatternLookup;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.inject.BackendErrorSink;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.inject.CompletionResolver;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.inject.ExhaustedPatternLookup;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.inject.ExhaustionSink;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.inject.Injector;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.inject.LiveExhaustedPatterns;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.inject.MemberPresence;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.inject.StatusPoller;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.inject.TurnListener;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.lead.LeadContextGauge;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.lead.LeadLauncher;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.lead.LeadRollover;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.mcp.ConnectionIdentity;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.mcp.FleetMcp;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.mcp.LsofPeerPidLookup;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.mcp.LsofProcessCwdLookup;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.mcp.PrimaryRegistry;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.member.CompositePeerLauncher;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.member.HerdrPeerLauncher;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.member.MemberCredentialPolicyView;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.metrics.FleetMetrics;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.metrics.Metrics;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.msg.LeadChannelHandle;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.msg.LeadCoordLoop;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.msg.LeadHeartbeatLoop;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.msg.MessageService;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.msg.Rendezvous;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.msg.ReplyInbox;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.msg.ReplyPushLoop;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.peer.PeerLauncher;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.placement.BackendOutagePolicy;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.placement.BackendQuarantine;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.power.CaffeinateSleepAssertionMechanism;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.power.IdleSleepGuard;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.rest.FleetApp;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.session.GitWorktrees;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.session.SessionManager;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.session.SessionReaper;
+import io.javalin.Javalin;
+import org.slf4j.Logger;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
+
+import java.nio.file.Path;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
+import java.util.LinkedHashSet;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Set;
+import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
+import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledExecutorService;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicReference;
+import java.util.function.Function;
+import java.util.function.Predicate;
+import java.util.function.Supplier;
+import java.util.regex.Pattern;
+import java.util.stream.Collectors;
+
+/**
+ * fleetd #612 Unit A: the real boot assembly, extracted out of {@code Fleetd.main} so a test can
+ * drive it directly. {@link #assembleAndStart} is <em>the same statements {@code main} used to run
+ * inline</em>, in the same order, against a real {@link ResourcePorts} in production and a fake one
+ * in a test — see {@code FleetdAssemblyLifecycleTest}. {@code Fleetd.main} keeps config loading and
+ * {@code cfg.validateAll()}; everything from immediately after that call onward moved here —
+ * including, since fleetd #612 A-gaps (gap 2), the two post-validation reports ({@code
+ * reportRoleFallbackGaps}, {@code assertChartersNameOnlyRegisteredTools}) that Unit A originally
+ * left behind in {@code main}. Those two calls do no I/O themselves, but leaving them outside this
+ * method meant deleting either one compiled clean and left the whole suite green — nothing drove
+ * {@code main} itself, so nothing could notice. They run first here, in the same relative order,
+ * before the herdr socket or anything else that touches the outside world.
+ *
+ * <p><strong>Construction and start order is preserved exactly, on purpose.</strong> This is not
+ * rebuilt into "construct everything, then start everything" — that would change boot timing. The
+ * order recorded before any code moved (see the ticket and {@code FleetdAssemblyLifecycleTest}):
+ * {@code SessionReaper} starts first (if {@code lifecycle.idleTtlSeconds} is configured), then
+ * {@link StatusPoller}, then the optional {@link LeadHeartbeatLoop} and {@link FleetHealthMonitor},
+ * then the optional {@link LeadCoordLoop} and {@link ConfigWatcher}, and the HTTP server starts
+ * last of all. The close order (see {@link FleetdRuntime#close()}) is the mirror the original
+ * shutdown hook always used.
+ *
+ * <p><strong>One statement could not move without reordering startup.</strong> {@code Fleetd.main}
+ * registered its shutdown hook <em>before</em> building the Javalin {@code FleetApp} — the hook
+ * itself never touched {@code app} (it still doesn't; see {@link FleetdRuntime#close()}), but the
+ * hook needs a {@link FleetdRuntime} to close over, and the ticket asks that runtime to also own
+ * {@code FleetApp}. Building the runtime before the app exists and mutating it afterward (via
+ * {@link FleetdRuntime#attachApp}) preserves the exact original order — hook registered, then app
+ * built, then HTTP started — without moving the app's construction earlier or the hook's
+ * registration later. That is the one seam this ticket did not get to pin any other way.
+ *
+ * <p><strong>No inert variant.</strong> Deliberately, there is no overload of this method that
+ * accepts a smaller/optional {@link ResourcePorts} or defaults one internally. A future edit that
+ * wants to skip {@code FleetdAssembly} entirely and build its own graph is still possible — no
+ * static analysis stops that — but it cannot do so by quietly swapping this call for an inert
+ * substitute that still compiles, because none exists.
+ */
+final class FleetdAssembly {
+
+    private static final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(Fleetd.class);
+
+    /** CB-637: how often the lead coordination loop looks for peer messages — see {@code Fleetd}'s own constant. */
+    private static final long LEAD_COORD_INTERVAL_MS = 3_000L;
+
+    private FleetdAssembly() {
+    }
+
+    static FleetdRuntime assembleAndStart(AssemblyInputs inputs, ResourcePorts ports) {
+        FleetConfig cfg = inputs.cfg();
+        ConfigRef config = inputs.config();
+        SubscriptionGuard guard = inputs.guard();
+
+        // fleetd #612 A-gaps (gap 2): moved in from Fleetd.main, immediately after cfg.validateAll()
+        // there — the exact point main used to call these two, and still the first thing this
+        // method does, before any socket or broker work below. See this class's javadoc and each
+        // method's own for why they run here rather than in FleetConfig#validateAll() itself.
+        Fleetd.reportRoleFallbackGaps(cfg);
+        Fleetd.assertChartersNameOnlyRegisteredTools(cfg);
+
+        Path socket = cfg.herdrSocket() != null && !cfg.herdrSocket().isBlank()
+                ? Path.of(cfg.herdrSocket())
+                : UnixSocketHerdrClient.defaultSocketPath();
+
+        HerdrClient herdr = ports.connectHerdr(socket);
+        HerdrClient memberHerdr = cfg.memberHerdrSocket() != null && !cfg.memberHerdrSocket().isBlank()
+                ? ports.connectHerdr(Path.of(cfg.memberHerdrSocket()))
+                : herdr;
+        AtomicReference<Supplier<Map<String, String>>> leadsRef = new AtomicReference<>(Map::of);
+        HerdrRouter router = new HerdrRouter(herdr, memberHerdr,
+                target -> leadsRef.get().get().containsKey(target));
+        // CB-402: one adapter per configured peer kind, fronted by a composite router. A profile's
+        // `kind:` selects its adapter — claude-code (the default) and opencode partition the profile
+        // set — and the composite dispatches each SPI call to the adapter that owns the profile/pane.
+        Map<String, FleetConfig.Profile> claudeProfiles = new LinkedHashMap<>();
+        Map<String, FleetConfig.Profile> opencodeProfiles = new LinkedHashMap<>();
+        cfg.profiles().forEach((name, w) -> {
+            if (w.isOpenCode()) {
+                opencodeProfiles.put(name, w);
+            } else {
+                claudeProfiles.put(name, w);
+            }
+        });
+        List<HerdrPeerLauncher> adapters = new ArrayList<>();
+        // fleetd #175: the daemon's real ExhaustionSink can only be built once `sessions` exists
+        // (below), but `sessions` needs `workers`, which needs the adapters built right here — a
+        // genuine cycle. Break it exactly like liveCountRef below: a forwarding sink built now,
+        // pointed at the real one once it exists.
+        AtomicReference<ExhaustionSink> exhaustionSinkRef = new AtomicReference<>(ExhaustionSink.none());
+        ExhaustionSink forwardingExhaustionSink = Fleetd.forwardingExhaustionSink(exhaustionSinkRef);
+        // The claude-code adapter is the always-present default; keep it even with no profiles (so a
+        // bridge configured with no workers, or opencode-only, still has a well-defined base adapter)
+        // unless opencode is the only kind configured.
+        if (!claudeProfiles.isEmpty() || opencodeProfiles.isEmpty()) {
+            adapters.add(Fleetd.claudeCodeLauncher(router.memberAgents(), router.memberSpaces(), guard,
+                    claudeProfiles, cfg, config));
+        }
+        if (!opencodeProfiles.isEmpty()) {
+            adapters.add(Fleetd.openCodeLauncher(router.memberAgents(), router.memberSpaces(),
+                    opencodeProfiles, cfg, config, forwardingExhaustionSink));
+        }
+        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).
+        BackendQuarantine quarantine = BackendQuarantine.withEscalation(ports.nanoClock(),
+                TimeUnit.SECONDS.toNanos(cfg.quarantineCooldownSeconds()));
+        // fleetd #201 Unit 5: one outage-cool-off tracker for the whole daemon, shared between the
+        // launcher (checked at spawn, like `quarantine` above) and the backend-error sink wired in
+        // below (written on a classified backend error).
+        BackendOutagePolicy outagePolicy = new BackendOutagePolicy(ports.nanoClock());
+        PeerLauncher workers = new CompositePeerLauncher(
+                adapters,
+                cfg.effectiveDefaultProfile(),
+                config,
+                profileName -> liveCountRef.get().apply(profileName),
+                quarantine,
+                outagePolicy);
+        // fleetd #422 follow-up: say which of the three model-gate states the daemon booted into.
+        log.info("model gate (fleetd #422): {}", Fleetd.modelGateCoverageLine(workers.modelGateState()));
+        // CB-504: under supervision (launchd/systemd) fleetd can start before herdr's socket
+        // exists. Wait, then degrade rather than die: serving with /healthz reporting "degraded" is
+        // strictly more useful than exiting.
+        Fleetd.HerdrAwaitOutcome herdrOutcome = Fleetd.awaitHerdr(herdr, ports.nanoClock(), Fleetd::sleepHerdrPoll);
+        boolean herdrUp = Fleetd.logHerdrWaitOutcomeAndShouldReap(herdrOutcome);
+        if (herdrUp) {
+            // CB-117: herdr keeps worker panes alive across a daemon restart, and their ids died
+            // with the previous process — reap those leaked orphans now, before we start serving.
+            workers.reapOrphanWorkers();
+        }
+
+        // CB-301: authoritative session registry + lifecycle FSM on top of ClaudeCodeLauncher.
+        // CB-301-ext: worktree provisioning seam, optionally rooted at a configured directory.
+        // CB-303 part 2: context cap is opt-in and disabled (0) when absent/null.
+        int contextCap = 0;
+        if (cfg.lifecycle() != null && cfg.lifecycle().contextCap() != null
+                && cfg.lifecycle().contextCap() > 0) {
+            contextCap = cfg.lifecycle().contextCap();
+        }
+        boolean clearAfterTurn = cfg.lifecycle() != null && cfg.lifecycle().clearAfterTurn();
+        SessionManager sessions = new SessionManager(workers,
+                new GitWorktrees(cfg.worktreeRoot(), cfg.worktreeGroup(), cfg.memberSkills()),
+                ports.nanoClock(), contextCap, clearAfterTurn);
+        liveCountRef.set(profileName -> Fleetd.liveSessionCount(sessions.roster(), profileName));
+
+        // Idle-sleep guard: hold an OS-level assertion against idle sleep while at least one
+        // member is live. No-op (never constructed) off macOS or when idleSleepGuard.enabled is
+        // explicitly false; the mechanism itself is additionally a no-op if 'caffeinate' cannot be
+        // started, so this can never fail a spawn, a release, or startup.
+        boolean idleSleepGuardEnabled = cfg.idleSleepGuard() == null || cfg.idleSleepGuard().isEnabled();
+        final IdleSleepGuard idleSleepGuard;
+        if (idleSleepGuardEnabled) {
+            idleSleepGuard = new IdleSleepGuard(new CaffeinateSleepAssertionMechanism(), sessions::size);
+            sessions.onAcquire(_ -> idleSleepGuard.recheck());
+            sessions.onRelease(_ -> idleSleepGuard.recheck());
+        } else {
+            idleSleepGuard = null;
+        }
+
+        // CB-303 part 1: idle-ttl reaper — only when configured, defaults to disabled. FIRST of the
+        // recurring background loops to start — see this class's own javadoc for the full order.
+        final SessionReaper reaper;
+        if (cfg.lifecycle() != null
+                && cfg.lifecycle().idleTtlSeconds() != null
+                && cfg.lifecycle().idleTtlSeconds() > 0) {
+            reaper = new SessionReaper(sessions, cfg.lifecycle().idleTtlSeconds());
+            reaper.start();
+        } else {
+            reaper = null;
+        }
+
+        // CB-530: every pane the config names as a lead, merged from `leaders:` and the legacy
+        // singular pin. PrimaryRegistry below still tracks ONE terminal — it addresses the push
+        // loop's nudges, which need a single destination — so it keeps the legacy pin.
+        Map<String, String> leadTerminals = cfg.leaderTerminals();
+        if (leadTerminals.size() > 1) {
+            log.info("leads: {} panes recognised {}", leadTerminals.size(), leadTerminals.values());
+        }
+        // CB-531/CB-579: discover leads by the tab labels the operator writes, one scanner per
+        // configured lead's own exact `tab:` label.
+        final Supplier<Map<String, String>> leads;
+        var leaders = cfg.fleet().leaders();
+        if (!leaders.isEmpty()) {
+            Map<String, String> tabToName = new LinkedHashMap<>();
+            leaders.forEach((name, leader) -> {
+                if (leader != null && leader.tab() != null && !leader.tab().isBlank()) {
+                    tabToName.put(leader.tab(), name);
+                }
+            });
+            int scanIntervalSeconds = leaders.values().iterator().next().scanIntervalSeconds();
+            // This must use the lead daemon: scanning member tabs would demote the lead to a worker.
+            leads = new LeadTabScanner(herdr, tabToName, Set.of(),
+                    TimeUnit.SECONDS.toNanos(scanIntervalSeconds), ports.nanoClock());
+            log.info("lead scan: tabs {} host a lead (rescan every {}s, shared fleet space)",
+                    tabToName.keySet(), scanIntervalSeconds);
+        } else {
+            leads = () -> leadTerminals;
+        }
+        leadsRef.set(leads);
+
+        // CB-558: start any declared lead that is not already running. After the scanner is built,
+        // and only when herdr answered — the launcher's whole safety property is that it can count
+        // live leads first, and must never guess and risk a second orchestrator.
+        if (herdrUp && !leaders.isEmpty()) {
+            int launched = new LeadLauncher(router.leadAgents(), router.leadSpaces(), cfg).ensureLeads();
+            if (launched > 0) {
+                log.info("lead auto-launch: {} lead(s) started", launched);
+            }
+        }
+
+        // CB-548: config-declared architect slots. Nothing here spawns a slot; the terminal → slot
+        // binding is owned by the registry and empty at startup.
+        MemberRegistry members = MemberRegistry.live(() -> config.get().fleet());
+        sessions.setMemberLifecycle(members);
+        if (!members.slots().isEmpty()) {
+            log.info("member slots: {} configured {} — none bound yet (a slot is idle until the "
+                            + "spawn lifecycle binds a live terminal to it)",
+                    members.slots().size(), members.slots().keySet());
+        }
+
+        // Status-gated injector (CB-103): the single writer into workers, fed by a poller.
+        // CB-106: a confirmed turn completion resolves a blocked send whose worker never replied.
+        Rendezvous rendezvous = new Rendezvous();
+        // CB-578 stage A: classify a completion-fallback scrape that matches a profile's configured
+        // usage-limit refusal as BACKEND_EXHAUSTED rather than handing it back as a real answer.
+        LiveExhaustedPatterns liveExhaustedPatterns = Fleetd.liveExhaustedPatterns(config);
+        ExhaustedPatternLookup exhaustedPatterns = Fleetd.exhaustedPatternLookup(sessions::roster, liveExhaustedPatterns);
+        // The startup coverage line still reports the boot-time snapshot only.
+        Set<String> exhaustedConfiguredAtStartup = cfg.profiles().entrySet().stream()
+                .filter(e -> e.getValue().hasExhaustedPattern())
+                .map(Map.Entry::getKey)
+                .collect(Collectors.toCollection(LinkedHashSet::new));
+        log.info("backend-exhausted classification (CB-578 stage A): {}",
+                Fleetd.exhaustedPatternCoverageLine(cfg.profiles().keySet(), exhaustedConfiguredAtStartup));
+        // fleetd #201 Unit 5: classify a completion-fallback scrape that matches a profile's
+        // configured backend-error refusal (a credential outage, a provider 5xx) as a backend error
+        // rather than handing it back as a real answer.
+        Map<String, Pattern> errorPatternsByProfile = new LinkedHashMap<>();
+        cfg.profiles().forEach((name, profile) -> {
+            if (profile.hasErrorPattern()) {
+                errorPatternsByProfile.put(name, Pattern.compile(profile.errorPattern()));
+            }
+        });
+        BackendErrorPatternLookup backendErrorPatterns = Fleetd.backendErrorPatternLookup(sessions::roster,
+                errorPatternsByProfile);
+        log.info("backend-error classification (fleetd #201 Unit 5): {}",
+                Fleetd.errorPatternCoverageLine(cfg.profiles().keySet(), errorPatternsByProfile.keySet()));
+        // CB-578 stage B: on a classification that actually wins, quarantine the exhausted profile's
+        // CREDENTIAL, so a profile sharing that credential is refused too, not just the one that
+        // happened to report it.
+        Map<String, String> quarantineReasonByCredential = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
+        // fleetd #175: point the forwarding sink handed to OpenCodeLauncher above at the real one,
+        // now that `sessions` exists to resolve target -> session -> profile.
+        ExhaustionSink exhaustionSink = Fleetd.publishExhaustionSink(exhaustionSinkRef, sessions, config,
+                quarantine, quarantineReasonByCredential, cfg);
+        // fleetd #201 Unit 5: the production BackendErrorSink needs `pushLoop` (built further below,
+        // after `sessions`) to tell a lead about an incident or an unmapped target — the same
+        // construction-order cycle `exhaustionSinkRef` breaks above, broken the same way: a mutable
+        // holder set once `pushLoop` exists, read lazily from inside the lambda built here.
+        AtomicReference<ReplyPushLoop> pushLoopRef = new AtomicReference<>();
+        BackendErrorSink backendErrorSink = Fleetd.backendErrorSink(sessions, () -> config.get().profiles(),
+                outagePolicy, pushLoopRef::get);
+        AgentControl agents = router.memberAgents();
+        CompletionResolver completion = new CompletionResolver(agents, rendezvous, exhaustedPatterns,
+                exhaustionSink, backendErrorPatterns, backendErrorSink, ports.nanoClock(),
+                Fleetd.worktreeBranchLookup(sessions::roster));
+        // 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();
+        TurnListener turnListener = Fleetd.turnListener(completion, sessions);
+        Predicate<String> deliverable = Fleetd.deliverableTo(presence, leads);
+        // fleetd #556: registration is wired directly to `completion`, not folded into the
+        // `turnListener` fan-out above — so it survives `sessions.onDelivered` (or any future
+        // listener) throwing, regardless of call order.
+        Injector injector = new Injector(router, turnListener, deliverable,
+                presence::forget, Fleetd.turnRegistrar(completion));
+        StatusPoller poller = new StatusPoller(router, injector, Injector.POLL_INTERVAL_MILLIS);
+        poller.start(); // SECOND of the recurring background loops to start, after the reaper.
+
+        // CB-307: reply inbox. A broker: block selects the AMQP-backed durable adapter; absent (or
+        // unusable), fleetd stays soft-state on the in-memory inbox. The AMQP inbox owns a broker
+        // connection, so keep the reference to close it in the ordered shutdown hook.
+        final ReplyInbox replyInbox = Fleetd.selectReplyInbox(cfg.broker(), ports.environment(),
+                ports.replyInboxOpener());
+        // CB-637: this daemon's lead-to-lead mailbox on the SHARED coordination vhost — a separate
+        // broker from the reply inbox by design. Absent a coordinator: block this is null and every
+        // lead path below is simply not wired, exactly the behaviour before this ticket. It owns a
+        // broker connection, so keep the reference for the ordered shutdown hook.
+        final LeadChannelHandle leadMailbox = Fleetd.openLeadMailbox(cfg.coordinator(), ports.environment(),
+                ports.leadMailboxOpener());
+        // CB-307: learn the primary's terminal from orchestration tool calls (or pin from config).
+        String pinnedPrimaryTerminal = cfg.primary() != null ? cfg.primary().terminal() : null;
+        PrimaryRegistry primaryRegistry = new PrimaryRegistry(pinnedPrimaryTerminal);
+        // CB-532: `primary.terminal` is superseded and no longer needed for either of its jobs.
+        if (pinnedPrimaryTerminal != null && !pinnedPrimaryTerminal.isBlank()) {
+            log.warn("primary.terminal is DEPRECATED (CB-532) and can be deleted: identity now comes "
+                    + "from leaders:/leadScan:, and reply nudges follow the lead that delegated. "
+                    + "It still works, and is still the fallback nudge destination when a restart "
+                    + "has lost the delegation map. Its pushReminders/pushBackoffMs stay valid.");
+        }
+        // CB-307: active push-to-primary loop — nudge the primary when replies land without an
+        // open fleet_send. Uses its own lightweight scheduled executor, separate from the injector.
+        int maxReminders = cfg.primary() != null ? cfg.primary().remindersOrDefault() : 5;
+        long backoffMs = cfg.primary() != null ? cfg.primary().backoffMsOrDefault() : 15_000L;
+        var pushScheduler = ports.newScheduler("bridge-push-");
+        // CB-502: the registry is built before the service and the push loop so send/reply outcomes
+        // are counted at their single funnel rather than at each of the two caller-facing surfaces.
+        Metrics metrics = FleetMetrics.create(sessions, replyInbox);
+        var pushLoop = new ReplyPushLoop(primaryRegistry, router.leadAgents(), replyInbox,
+                pushScheduler, maxReminders, backoffMs, metrics);
+        // fleetd #201 Unit 5: point the forwarding holder captured by the backendErrorSink lambda
+        // above at the real push loop, now that it exists.
+        pushLoopRef.set(pushLoop);
+        // CB-551: idle-lead heartbeat. Opt-in; absent `leadHeartbeat:` this is never constructed, so
+        // an upgraded daemon cannot silently start spending subscription on nudging an idle lead.
+        // THIRD of the recurring background loops to start (optional).
+        final LeadHeartbeatLoop heartbeat;
+        var heartbeatScheduler = ports.newScheduler("bridge-heartbeat-");
+        if (cfg.leadHeartbeat() != null) {
+            var hb = cfg.leadHeartbeat();
+            var leadContextGauge = new LeadContextGauge();
+            // fleetd #621: the context-high notice's own wording must track this same effective
+            // value — LeadRollover.confirm(...) already gates the roll on it (LeadRollover.java:480),
+            // and absent `leadRollover:` entirely the roll is unusable regardless (NOT_CONFIGURED),
+            // so `true` (the FleetConfig.LeadRollover default) is the safe, byte-identical fallback.
+            // Carried in from Fleetd.main when #612 Unit A merged main: #622 added this line to the
+            // block Unit A had already moved here, so the merge would otherwise have silently
+            // dropped it — with a fully green suite, because nothing pins it (see the follow-up issue).
+            boolean requireOperatorConfirm = cfg.leadRollover() == null || cfg.leadRollover().requireOperatorConfirm();
+            heartbeat = new LeadHeartbeatLoop(primaryRegistry, router.leadAgents(), replyInbox, sessions::roster,
+                    pushLoop, heartbeatScheduler, ports.nanoClock(),
+                    TimeUnit.SECONDS.toNanos(hb.idleAfterSeconds()), hb.backoffMs(), hb.quietNudgeCap(),
+                    metrics,
+                    Fleetd.leadContextSource(leadContextGauge, router.leadAgents(), leads,
+                            Fleetd.leadConfigDirLookup(() -> config.get().profiles(), leaders)),
+                    Boolean.TRUE.equals(hb.contextHighNudge()), requireOperatorConfirm);
+            heartbeat.start();
+        } else {
+            heartbeat = null;
+            heartbeatScheduler.shutdownNow();
+        }
+        // fleetd #480: lead rollover. Opt-in; absent `leadRollover:` this is never constructed.
+        LeadRollover leadRollover = Fleetd.leadRollover(cfg, router.leadAgents(), config, leads);
+        MessageService messages = new MessageService(router, injector, rendezvous, replyInbox,
+                pushLoop, metrics);
+
+        // Health is a slow whole-fleet observer. Keep it separate from the 250ms delivery poller.
+        // FOURTH of the recurring background loops to start (optional).
+        final FleetHealthMonitor healthMonitor;
+        var healthScheduler = ports.newScheduler("bridge-health-");
+        if (cfg.health() != null && cfg.health().isEnabled()) {
+            // CB-580: a member found GONE/NEVER_READY must fail whatever ticket is waiting on it.
+            healthMonitor = new FleetHealthMonitor(agents, sessions::roster, messages, healthScheduler,
+                    ports.nanoClock(), ports.wallClockNanos(),
+                    cfg.health().intervalOrDefault(),
+                    cfg.health().workingSuspectAfterOrDefault(), Fleetd.healthFailTarget(messages));
+            String coverage = FleetHealthMonitor.coverage(true,
+                    cfg.health().notifications() != null && cfg.health().notifications().configured());
+            if ("detection-only".equals(coverage)) {
+                log.warn("fleet health: {} (no notification sink configured)", coverage);
+            } else {
+                log.info("fleet health: {}", coverage);
+            }
+            healthMonitor.start();
+        } else {
+            healthMonitor = null;
+            healthScheduler.shutdownNow();
+        }
+
+        // CB-520: the reply inbox only consumes for agents this gateway owns. own on acquire,
+        // release on teardown. Do this before CB-516 so the inbox is owned before any reply can land.
+        sessions.onAcquire(replyInbox::own);
+        // CB-516: releasing a worker must fail whatever send was waiting on it.
+        sessions.onRelease(Fleetd.releaseCleanup(messages, replyInbox, primaryRegistry));
+
+        // MCP server face (CB-105): fleet_send/fleet_reply/fleet_status, mounted at /mcp.
+        // Caller identity is resolved from the connection (peer PID → herdr pane), not arguments.
+        ConnectionIdentity identity = new ConnectionIdentity(
+                new PaneLocator(herdr, memberHerdr), new LsofPeerPidLookup(), new LsofProcessCwdLookup());
+
+        // CB-501: one resolver behind both entry paths. Worker identity still comes from the
+        // connection and is never token-gated, so enabling token mode cannot lock the fleet out.
+        final CallerResolver callers;
+        if (cfg.auth().tokenMode()) {
+            String token = ports.environment().get(cfg.auth().tokenEnv());
+            if (token == null || token.isBlank()) {
+                throw new IllegalStateException("auth.mode=token but env var " + cfg.auth().tokenEnv()
+                        + " is unset or empty — export it before starting fleetd");
+            }
+            callers = CallerResolver.withLeadsAndMembers(identity, true, token, leads, members);
+            log.info("auth: token mode (bearer required for non-worker callers, env {})",
+                    cfg.auth().tokenEnv());
+        } else {
+            callers = CallerResolver.withLeadsAndMembers(identity, false, null, leads, members);
+            log.info("auth: loopback-trust (any loopback non-worker caller is the primary)");
+        }
+
+        FleetMcp.QuarantineSource quarantineSource = Fleetd.quarantineSource(config, quarantine,
+                liveExhaustedPatterns, quarantineReasonByCredential);
+        FleetMcp.OutageSource outageSource = new FleetMcp.OutageSource(profile -> {
+            var configured = config.get().profiles().get(profile);
+            return configured == null ? null : configured.effectiveCredentialId();
+        }, outagePolicy);
+
+        FleetMcp.LoopHealthSource loopHealth = Fleetd.loopHealthSource(poller, reaper);
+        FleetMcp mcp = new FleetMcp(messages, workers, sessions, identity, presence,
+                primaryRegistry, callers, FleetMcp.AuthorizationMode.ENFORCED, metrics,
+                Fleetd.capacitySource(config, cfg, profile -> liveCountRef.get().apply(profile)),
+                Fleetd.healthCoverageSource(config),
+                loopHealth,
+                quarantineSource,
+                leadMailbox,
+                outageSource,
+                new FleetMcp.LeadSeatSource(Fleetd.leadSeatLookup(() -> config.get().profiles(), leaders, leads)),
+                Fleetd.leadConfigDirSource(() -> config.get().profiles(), leaders),
+                cfg.coordinator() == null ? List.of() : cfg.coordinator().peers(),
+                leadRollover);
+
+        // CB-637: the receive half. Only constructed when a lead mailbox actually opened.
+        final LeadCoordLoop leadCoordLoop;
+        final ScheduledExecutorService leadCoordSchedulerRef;
+        if (leadMailbox != null) {
+            var leadCoordScheduler = ports.newScheduler("bridge-leadcoord-");
+            leadCoordLoop = new LeadCoordLoop(leadMailbox, router.leadAgents(), leads, leadCoordScheduler,
+                    LEAD_COORD_INTERVAL_MS);
+            leadCoordLoop.start(); // FIFTH of the recurring background loops to start (optional).
+            leadCoordSchedulerRef = leadCoordScheduler;
+        } else {
+            leadCoordLoop = null;
+            leadCoordSchedulerRef = null;
+        }
+
+        // CB-559: opt-in config reload. With no `configReload:` block nothing is constructed.
+        // SIXTH of the recurring background loops to start (optional).
+        final ConfigWatcher configWatcher;
+        if (cfg.configReload() != null && cfg.configReload().isEnabled()) {
+            configWatcher = new ConfigWatcher(config, cfg.configReload().intervalSeconds());
+            configWatcher.start();
+        } else {
+            configWatcher = null;
+        }
+
+        // CB-303 part 3: single ordered shutdown hook — see FleetdRuntime#close() for the statements
+        // this used to be. Registered here, at the exact point `main` used to register it: after
+        // configWatcher, before the Javalin app exists (see this class's own javadoc for why).
+        FleetdRuntime runtime = new FleetdRuntime(cfg, sessions, router, poller, messages, pushLoop, heartbeat,
+                leadCoordLoop, leadCoordSchedulerRef, healthMonitor, configWatcher, mcp, reaper, idleSleepGuard,
+                replyInbox, leadMailbox, completion, injector);
+        ports.addShutdownHook(runtime::close);
+
+        // CB-185: give FleetApp both daemons — /healthz must require both to answer and
+        // GET /sessions must merge across both, or a down/unpolled member daemon is invisible.
+        Javalin app = new FleetApp(herdr, memberHerdr, workers, sessions, messages, presence, mcp.servlet(),
+                callers, metrics, deliverable,
+                () -> MemberCredentialPolicyView.of(config.get().memberCredentials()),
+                quarantineSource, outageSource, loopHealth).build();
+        runtime.attachApp(app);
+        ports.startHttp(app, cfg.bind().host(), cfg.bind().port()); // HTTP starts LAST, always.
+        log.info("fleetd listening on {}:{}, herdr socket {}",
+                cfg.bind().host(), cfg.bind().port(), socket);
+        return runtime;
+    }
+}

fleetd/src/main/java/dev/ltms/fleet/FleetdRuntime.java

@@ -0,0 +1,166 @@
+package dev.ltms.fleet;
+
+import dev.ltms.fleet.config.ConfigWatcher;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.config.FleetConfig;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.health.FleetHealthMonitor;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.HerdrRouter;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.inject.CompletionResolver;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.inject.Injector;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.inject.StatusPoller;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.mcp.FleetMcp;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.msg.LeadChannelHandle;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.msg.LeadCoordLoop;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.msg.LeadHeartbeatLoop;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.msg.MessageService;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.msg.ReplyInbox;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.msg.ReplyPushLoop;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.power.IdleSleepGuard;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.session.SessionManager;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.session.SessionReaper;
+import io.javalin.Javalin;
+import org.slf4j.Logger;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
+
+import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledExecutorService;
+
+/**
+ * fleetd #612 Unit A: the assembled daemon. {@link FleetdAssembly#assembleAndStart} builds exactly
+ * one of these and hands it to {@code ResourcePorts.addShutdownHook}; {@link #close()} is the
+ * single ordered shutdown, moved verbatim out of {@code Fleetd.main}'s old shutdown-hook
+ * {@code Thread} body — same statements, same order, see that method's javadoc.
+ *
+ * <p><strong>Owns the real production objects, never a copy.</strong> Every package-private
+ * accessor below returns the identical instance the running daemon is using. That is the entire
+ * point of this class existing (see fleetd #612's problem statement): a test that inspected a
+ * snapshot built alongside the real objects could pass while production silently received
+ * something else — the exact shape of the #602/#606 defect this ticket exists to stop from
+ * recurring one call site at a time. Nothing here is rebuilt or copied for a test's benefit.
+ */
+final class FleetdRuntime implements AutoCloseable {
+
+    private static final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(FleetdRuntime.class);
+
+    private final FleetConfig cfg;
+    private final SessionManager sessions;
+    private final HerdrRouter router;
+    private final StatusPoller poller;
+    private final MessageService messages;
+    private final ReplyPushLoop pushLoop;
+    private final LeadHeartbeatLoop heartbeat;                 // nullable — leadHeartbeat: opt-in
+    private final LeadCoordLoop leadCoordLoop;                 // nullable — coordinator: opt-in
+    private final ScheduledExecutorService leadCoordScheduler; // nullable, paired with leadCoordLoop
+    private final FleetHealthMonitor healthMonitor;             // nullable — health.enabled opt-in
+    private final ConfigWatcher configWatcher;                  // nullable — configReload.enabled opt-in
+    private final FleetMcp mcp;
+    private final SessionReaper reaper;                         // nullable — lifecycle.idleTtlSeconds opt-in
+    private final IdleSleepGuard idleSleepGuard;                 // nullable — idleSleepGuard.enabled: false
+    private final ReplyInbox replyInbox;
+    private final LeadChannelHandle leadMailbox;                 // nullable — coordinator: opt-in
+    private final CompletionResolver completion;
+    private final Injector injector;
+    /**
+     * Not final: {@code Fleetd.main}'s shutdown hook was registered <em>before</em> the Javalin
+     * {@code FleetApp} was built and started — see {@link FleetdAssembly#assembleAndStart}'s javadoc
+     * for why that order could not be preserved AND have this constructor take {@code app}. {@link
+     * #attachApp} is called immediately after the real app is built, still before HTTP starts
+     * listening, so this is set long before any test or caller could observe it unset.
+     */
+    private Javalin app;
+
+    FleetdRuntime(FleetConfig cfg, SessionManager sessions, HerdrRouter router, StatusPoller poller,
+            MessageService messages, ReplyPushLoop pushLoop, LeadHeartbeatLoop heartbeat,
+            LeadCoordLoop leadCoordLoop, ScheduledExecutorService leadCoordScheduler,
+            FleetHealthMonitor healthMonitor, ConfigWatcher configWatcher, FleetMcp mcp,
+            SessionReaper reaper, IdleSleepGuard idleSleepGuard, ReplyInbox replyInbox,
+            LeadChannelHandle leadMailbox, CompletionResolver completion, Injector injector) {
+        this.cfg = cfg;
+        this.sessions = sessions;
+        this.router = router;
+        this.poller = poller;
+        this.messages = messages;
+        this.pushLoop = pushLoop;
+        this.heartbeat = heartbeat;
+        this.leadCoordLoop = leadCoordLoop;
+        this.leadCoordScheduler = leadCoordScheduler;
+        this.healthMonitor = healthMonitor;
+        this.configWatcher = configWatcher;
+        this.mcp = mcp;
+        this.reaper = reaper;
+        this.idleSleepGuard = idleSleepGuard;
+        this.replyInbox = replyInbox;
+        this.leadMailbox = leadMailbox;
+        this.completion = completion;
+        this.injector = injector;
+    }
+
+    /** See the {@link #app} field doc for why this is a late-bound setter rather than a constructor arg. */
+    void attachApp(Javalin app) {
+        this.app = app;
+    }
+
+    // --- package-private accessors: the SAME instances this runtime owns, never a copy ---------
+
+    SessionManager sessions() { return sessions; }
+    HerdrRouter router() { return router; }
+    StatusPoller poller() { return poller; }
+    MessageService messages() { return messages; }
+    ReplyPushLoop pushLoop() { return pushLoop; }
+    LeadHeartbeatLoop heartbeat() { return heartbeat; }
+    LeadCoordLoop leadCoordLoop() { return leadCoordLoop; }
+    FleetHealthMonitor healthMonitor() { return healthMonitor; }
+    ConfigWatcher configWatcher() { return configWatcher; }
+    FleetMcp mcp() { return mcp; }
+    SessionReaper reaper() { return reaper; }
+    IdleSleepGuard idleSleepGuard() { return idleSleepGuard; }
+    ReplyInbox replyInbox() { return replyInbox; }
+    LeadChannelHandle leadMailbox() { return leadMailbox; }
+    CompletionResolver completion() { return completion; }
+    Injector injector() { return injector; }
+    Javalin app() { return app; }
+
+    /**
+     * CB-303 part 3: the single ordered shutdown. Moved verbatim out of {@code Fleetd.main}'s
+     * shutdown-hook {@code Thread} body (fleetd #612 Unit A) — drain sessions first while herdr is
+     * still open (so releases reach the daemon), then stop poller/message/mcp/reaper, and close
+     * herdr last, exactly as before. {@code Fleetd.main} never calls this directly; it hands the
+     * reference to {@code ResourcePorts.addShutdownHook} the moment this runtime exists, the same
+     * point it used to register the hook {@code Thread} itself.
+     */
+    @Override
+    public void close() {
+        sessions.close(cfg.lifecycle() != null ? cfg.lifecycle().drainTimeoutSeconds() : null);
+        poller.stop();
+        messages.close();
+        pushLoop.close();
+        if (heartbeat != null) heartbeat.close(); // CB-551: stop the idle-lead heartbeat scheduler
+        if (leadCoordLoop != null) leadCoordLoop.close(); // CB-637: stop delivering peer-lead messages
+        if (leadCoordScheduler != null) leadCoordScheduler.shutdownNow();
+        if (healthMonitor != null) healthMonitor.stop();
+        if (configWatcher != null) configWatcher.stop(); // CB-559: stop polling the config file
+        mcp.close();
+        if (reaper != null) reaper.stop();
+        // Idle-sleep guard: release unconditionally, even though sessions.close() above already
+        // drained every session (and each release already drove the live count to 0, which
+        // releases the guard's assertion on its own) — this is the backstop for a drain that was
+        // itself interrupted or threw, so no caffeinate child ever outlives the daemon.
+        if (idleSleepGuard != null) idleSleepGuard.close();
+        // Release the broker connection last among message resources (no-op for the in-memory inbox).
+        if (replyInbox instanceof AutoCloseable closeable) {
+            try {
+                closeable.close();
+            } catch (Exception e) {
+                log.debug("reply inbox close: {}", e.toString());
+            }
+        }
+        // CB-637: the coordination connection goes with it — after the loop that reads it has
+        // stopped, so no tick can be mid-ack against a closed channel.
+        if (leadMailbox != null) {
+            try {
+                leadMailbox.close();
+            } catch (Exception e) {
+                log.debug("lead mailbox close: {}", e.toString());
+            }
+        }
+        router.close();
+    }
+}

fleetd/src/main/java/dev/ltms/fleet/ResourcePorts.java

@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+package dev.ltms.fleet;
+
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.HerdrClient;
+import io.javalin.Javalin;
+
+import java.nio.file.Path;
+import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledExecutorService;
+import java.util.function.LongSupplier;
+
+/**
+ * fleetd #612 Unit A: every boot-time side effect {@link FleetdAssembly#assembleAndStart} performs
+ * that a real daemon must do for real, and a test must not — read the process environment, connect
+ * a herdr client, open a broker (the reply inbox, the lead mailbox), read a clock, start a
+ * background scheduler, register the JVM shutdown hook, and bind the HTTP server.
+ *
+ * <p>{@link #system()} is the one production implementation ({@code SystemResourcePorts}), wired
+ * verbatim from what {@code Fleetd.main} used to call directly at each of these call sites. A test
+ * builds its own implementation instead of receiving an inert default from this interface —
+ * deliberately, there is no {@code ResourcePorts.none()}. fleetd #612's whole problem is a call
+ * site quietly swapped for an inert variant that still compiles; adding one here, even for tests,
+ * would hand a future edit to {@code FleetdAssembly} the exact compiling substitute this ticket
+ * exists to rule out. A test that wants an inert resource writes its own fake and owns that
+ * decision explicitly.
+ */
+public interface ResourcePorts {
+
+    /** The process environment. Production: {@link System#getenv()}. */
+    Map<String, String> environment();
+
+    /**
+     * Connect a herdr client bound to {@code socketPath}. Production returns a real
+     * {@code UnixSocketHerdrClient} — connection-per-call, so this itself never touches the socket.
+     */
+    HerdrClient connectHerdr(Path socketPath);
+
+    /** The reply-inbox AMQP opener (CB-307). Production: {@link Fleetd#replyInboxOpener()}. */
+    Fleetd.AmqpOpener replyInboxOpener();
+
+    /** The lead-mailbox AMQP opener (CB-637). Production: {@link Fleetd#leadMailboxOpener()}. */
+    Fleetd.LeadMailboxOpener leadMailboxOpener();
+
+    /** A monotonic elapsed-time clock. Production: {@link System#nanoTime()}. */
+    LongSupplier nanoClock();
+
+    /**
+     * A wall-clock reading, in nanoseconds. Production: {@code System.currentTimeMillis()}
+     * converted to nanoseconds. Kept separate from {@link #nanoClock()} because {@link
+     * dev.ltms.fleet.health.FleetHealthMonitor} needs both — one monotonic clock for elapsed-time
+     * decisions, one wall clock to detect and correct for a macOS sleep freezing the monotonic one.
+     */
+    LongSupplier wallClockNanos();
+
+    /** A dedicated single-thread scheduler; production names its (virtual) thread {@code purpose}. */
+    ScheduledExecutorService newScheduler(String purpose);
+
+    /** Register a JVM shutdown hook that runs {@code hook} on JVM exit. */
+    void addShutdownHook(Runnable hook);
+
+    /** Bind and start the HTTP server. */
+    void startHttp(Javalin app, String host, int port);
+
+    /** The real production ports: a live herdr socket, a live broker, real threads, a real bind. */
+    static ResourcePorts system() {
+        return new SystemResourcePorts();
+    }
+}

fleetd/src/main/java/dev/ltms/fleet/SystemResourcePorts.java

@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+package dev.ltms.fleet;
+
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.HerdrClient;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.UnixSocketHerdrClient;
+import io.javalin.Javalin;
+
+import java.nio.file.Path;
+import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
+import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledExecutorService;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+import java.util.function.LongSupplier;
+
+/**
+ * fleetd #612 Unit A: the one production {@link ResourcePorts} — every method here is the exact
+ * call {@code Fleetd.main} used to make directly at each of these sites before this ticket.
+ * Package-private: obtained only through {@link ResourcePorts#system()}.
+ */
+final class SystemResourcePorts implements ResourcePorts {
+
+    @Override
+    public Map<String, String> environment() {
+        return System.getenv();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public HerdrClient connectHerdr(Path socketPath) {
+        return UnixSocketHerdrClient.connect(socketPath, new ObjectMapper());
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public Fleetd.AmqpOpener replyInboxOpener() {
+        return Fleetd.replyInboxOpener();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public Fleetd.LeadMailboxOpener leadMailboxOpener() {
+        return Fleetd.leadMailboxOpener();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public LongSupplier nanoClock() {
+        return System::nanoTime;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public LongSupplier wallClockNanos() {
+        return () -> TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS.toNanos(System.currentTimeMillis());
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public ScheduledExecutorService newScheduler(String purpose) {
+        return Executors.newSingleThreadScheduledExecutor(r -> Thread.ofVirtual().name(purpose).unstarted(r));
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void addShutdownHook(Runnable hook) {
+        Runtime.getRuntime().addShutdownHook(new Thread(hook));
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void startHttp(Javalin app, String host, int port) {
+        app.start(host, port);
+    }
+}

fleetd/src/main/java/dev/ltms/fleet/config/FleetConfig.java

@@ -462,8 +462,8 @@ public record FleetConfig(
      *                       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.
-     * @param autoCompactWindow  opt-in per-profile token window that forces a spawned member to
-     *                       auto-compact its context at (Claude Code) or within (opencode) a bound the
+     * @param autoCompactWindow  opt-in per-profile token window that forces a launched Claude Code
+     *                       session to auto-compact its context at, or an opencode session within, a bound the
      *                       operator chooses, instead of the backend's own default. {@code null} (the
      *                       default) leaves today's behaviour exactly — opencode already forces
      *                       {@code compaction.auto: true} unconditionally (CB-523) but has no absolute
@@ -1329,9 +1329,20 @@ public record FleetConfig(
      *                         each such nudge costs the lead a turn just to read "nothing pending";
      *                         three is enough to tell it it may stand down without nagging forever, and
      *                         it is the bound that stops an idle fleet from being a subscription burner.
+     * @param contextHighNudge fleetd #609: when {@code true}, an idle lead whose own {@code
+     *                         LeadContextGauge} reading is {@code HIGH} gets a text notice telling it
+     *                         to consider a handover, appended to whatever heartbeat nudge the loop
+     *                         already sends. Default {@code false} ({@code null} also means off) — an
+     *                         upgraded daemon must not silently start telling leads to hand over.
      */
     @JsonIgnoreProperties(ignoreUnknown = true)
-    public record LeadHeartbeat(Integer idleAfterSeconds, Long backoffMs, Integer quietNudgeCap) {
+    public record LeadHeartbeat(Integer idleAfterSeconds, Long backoffMs, Integer quietNudgeCap,
+                                 Boolean contextHighNudge) {
+        /** Convenience constructor for every call site that predates fleetd #609: no context notice. */
+        public LeadHeartbeat(Integer idleAfterSeconds, Long backoffMs, Integer quietNudgeCap) {
+            this(idleAfterSeconds, backoffMs, quietNudgeCap, null);
+        }
+
         public LeadHeartbeat {
             idleAfterSeconds = (idleAfterSeconds == null || idleAfterSeconds <= 0) ? 300 : idleAfterSeconds;
             backoffMs = (backoffMs == null || backoffMs <= 0) ? 60_000L : backoffMs;
@@ -1864,6 +1875,7 @@ public record FleetConfig(
             rejectDuplicateMemberSlots(yaml);
             rejectNegativeMaxLoad(yaml);
             rejectAutoCompactWindowOutOfRange(yaml);
+            warnConflictingAutoCompactWindows(yaml);
             rejectMalformedProfilePatterns(yaml);
             rejectUnknownKind(yaml);
             rejectUnknownAuthMode(yaml);
@@ -2214,6 +2226,73 @@ public record FleetConfig(
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Warn (never refuse to start) about a Claude Code profile whose auto-compaction flag and
+     * environment setting disagree.
+     *
+     * <p>Renamed from {@code rejectConflictingAutoCompactWindows} (fleetd #601 review, measured
+     * 2026-09-22): that method threw {@link IllegalStateException}, so {@link #load(Path)} refused
+     * to start on a config carrying this conflict. On this host, four profiles trip it, including
+     * the lead's own profile and the one every worker spawns on — so the throw is not a rare edge
+     * case. Under launchd, a throw inside {@code load()} is a restart loop, not an error an operator
+     * reads once, and the config that would fix it ({@code fleetd/fleetd.yaml}) is gitignored, so
+     * the cause is invisible on the host where it bites. A WARN gives the operator the same
+     * information — which profiles, and now both values, so they can fix it without reading the
+     * source — without ever taking the fleet down.
+     *
+     * <p>fleetd #618 measured which of the two inputs Claude Code actually follows when they
+     * disagree: the environment variable wins, so {@code autoCompactWindow} is inert on a profile
+     * that also sets the env var. This method only detects and reports the disagreement — it does
+     * not correct it — see {@link dev.ltms.fleet.launch.ClaudeCodeArguments} for the full measured
+     * precedence.
+     *
+     * <p>Equal values never warn: either input then produces the same session window, so there is
+     * nothing to reconcile.
+     */
+    static void warnConflictingAutoCompactWindows(String yaml) {
+        Map<?, ?> raw;
+        try {
+            raw = YAML.readValue(yaml, Map.class);
+        } catch (IOException | IllegalArgumentException e) {
+            return;
+        }
+        if (raw == null || !(raw.get("profiles") instanceof Map<?, ?> profiles)) {
+            return;
+        }
+        List<String> names = new ArrayList<>();
+        List<String> detail = new ArrayList<>();
+        for (Map.Entry<?, ?> entry : profiles.entrySet()) {
+            if (!(entry.getValue() instanceof Map<?, ?> profile)
+                    || !(profile.get("autoCompactWindow") instanceof Number window)
+                    || !(profile.get("env") instanceof Map<?, ?> env)
+                    || !env.containsKey("CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_COMPACT_WINDOW")) {
+                continue;
+            }
+            Object kind = profile.get("kind");
+            boolean claudeCode = kind == null || String.valueOf(kind).isBlank()
+                    || Profile.KIND_CLAUDE_CODE.equalsIgnoreCase(String.valueOf(kind));
+            Object envValue = env.get("CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_COMPACT_WINDOW");
+            if (claudeCode && !String.valueOf(window).equals(String.valueOf(envValue))) {
+                String name = String.valueOf(entry.getKey());
+                names.add(name);
+                detail.add(name + " (autoCompactWindow=" + window
+                        + ", env.CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_COMPACT_WINDOW=" + envValue + ")");
+            }
+        }
+        if (names.isEmpty()) {
+            return;
+        }
+        names.sort(String::compareTo);
+        detail.sort(String::compareTo);
+        log.warn("Claude Code profile(s) {} set disagreeing autoCompactWindow and env."
+                        + "CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_COMPACT_WINDOW — the daemon starts anyway: {}. fleetd "
+                        + "#618 measured that CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_COMPACT_WINDOW wins, so "
+                        + "autoCompactWindow is inert on these profiles. Set equal values on each "
+                        + "to resolve this — do not just delete the env var, since that LOWERS the "
+                        + "live window to autoCompactWindow's value rather than fixing anything.",
+                names, String.join(", ", detail));
+    }
+
     /**
      * Reject a profile whose {@code errorPattern} (fleetd #201 Unit 5) or {@code exhaustedPattern}
      * (CB-578 stage A) is not a valid Java regex, naming the profile, the key, and the parser's own

fleetd/src/main/java/dev/ltms/fleet/launch/ClaudeCodeArguments.java

@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+package dev.ltms.fleet.launch;
+
+import dev.ltms.fleet.config.FleetConfig;
+
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.List;
+
+/** Arguments shared by every fleetd path that starts Claude Code. */
+public final class ClaudeCodeArguments {
+
+    private ClaudeCodeArguments() {
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Append the configured Claude Code auto-compaction window when the profile opts in.
+     *
+     * <p>This flag and the environment variable {@code CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_COMPACT_WINDOW} can
+     * disagree, and fleetd #618 measured which one Claude Code actually follows: the environment
+     * variable wins, ahead of this {@code --autocompact} flag, ahead of the settings file, ahead of
+     * clientdata, the experiment, and the model default. So when a profile sets both, the flag this
+     * method appends has NO effect — Claude Code reads {@code CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_COMPACT_WINDOW}
+     * first and never consults the flag. {@link FleetConfig#load(java.nio.file.Path)} only WARNS
+     * when a Claude Code profile sets both to different values (see {@code
+     * FleetConfig.warnConflictingAutoCompactWindows}) — it does not stop the daemon from starting,
+     * and the launched session honours the env var, not this flag. Measured against Claude Code
+     * 2.1.278 (fleetd #618) — a later version could reorder this precedence.
+     */
+    public static List<String> withAutoCompactWindow(List<String> argv, FleetConfig.Profile profile) {
+        if (profile.autoCompactWindow() == null) {
+            return argv;
+        }
+        List<String> withAutoCompact = new ArrayList<>(argv);
+        withAutoCompact.add("--autocompact");
+        withAutoCompact.add(String.valueOf(profile.autoCompactWindow()));
+        return withAutoCompact;
+    }
+}

fleetd/src/main/java/dev/ltms/fleet/lead/LeadContextGauge.java

@@ -0,0 +1,313 @@
+package dev.ltms.fleet.lead;
+
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.JsonNode;
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper;
+
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.io.RandomAccessFile;
+import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
+import java.nio.file.Files;
+import java.nio.file.Path;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger;
+import java.util.function.LongSupplier;
+
+/**
+ * Reads how full a lead's own Claude Code context window is, from the transcript Claude Code
+ * itself writes — never from the lead's pane (fleetd has {@code AgentControl.read} for that, and
+ * this must not use it: a pane holds terminal text, not the structured usage numbers a transcript
+ * carries, and scraping it would also race the lead's own rendering).
+ *
+ * <p><strong>Why this exists.</strong> A lead auto-compacts when its context fills — on the host
+ * this was built for, that happened 30 times in one session, discarding roughly 250,000 tokens
+ * and costing 46 seconds to 3 minutes each time, and fleetd had no way to see it coming. This
+ * class is the first thing that looks.
+ *
+ * <p><strong>The route.</strong> Claude Code appends one JSON object per line to
+ * {@code <configDir>/projects/<slug>/<sessionId>.jsonl}. {@code <slug>} is an undocumented,
+ * internal encoding of the working directory — this class never derives it. Instead it lists the
+ * one-level-deep subdirectories of {@code <configDir>/projects/} and looks for
+ * {@code <sessionId>.jsonl} by name, so the slug rule can change without breaking this reader.
+ *
+ * <ul>
+ *   <li><strong>Live context</strong> is read off the last record in the read window that carries
+ *       a {@code message.usage} object: {@code input_tokens + cache_read_input_tokens +
+ *       cache_creation_input_tokens}. This is what actually fills the window — a plain
+ *       {@code input_tokens} count alone understates it once the conversation has any cached
+ *       prefix, which on a long-lived lead is always.</li>
+ *   <li><strong>Compaction history</strong> is a count of {@code subtype: "compact_boundary"}
+ *       records seen in the same read window — see {@link Reading#compactions()}. It is a count
+ *       within the window this reader actually looked at, not a lifetime total: a session with
+ *       more compactions than fit in {@link #TAIL_BYTES} of transcript will undercount. That
+ *       trade-off is deliberate — see {@link #TAIL_BYTES}.</li>
+ * </ul>
+ *
+ * <p><strong>Three states, not two (OK / HIGH / UNKNOWN).</strong> Every path that cannot
+ * positively establish the live token count — a missing file, an unreadable one, a peer that
+ * is not a Claude backend, or every line in the read window failing to parse as JSON — returns
+ * {@link State#UNKNOWN} with no token number, never a default "0" or "ok" that would read as
+ * "this lead is fine" when the honest answer is "I could not look".
+ *
+ * <p><strong>A torn final line does not mean UNKNOWN.</strong> {@code fleet_list} reads this
+ * transcript while Claude Code may be mid-write on it, so the last line in the window can be cut
+ * off mid-flush — that is an ordinary, expected race, not a sign the format has changed. Earlier
+ * this class treated ANY unparseable last line as UNKNOWN, on the theory that "if the format
+ * changes, we should see UNKNOWN". That reasoning does not hold: a real format change makes
+ * <em>every</em> line in the window unparseable, not only the last one written. So a single
+ * malformed line (most often the final, torn one, but the check is not position-specific) is
+ * simply skipped rather than treated as fatal, and the reading is built from whatever lines in the
+ * window did parse. Only when <em>none</em> of them parse — the real format-change signal — does
+ * this return {@link State#UNKNOWN}, still with no stale number standing in for "I could not
+ * tell".
+ *
+ * <p><strong>Bounded cost.</strong> {@code fleet_list} is polled constantly, so every read is
+ * capped two ways: {@link #TAIL_BYTES} bounds how much of the transcript is ever read from disk
+ * (never the whole 52 MB a long-lived transcript reaches on the host this was measured on), and
+ * {@link #DEFAULT_CACHE_TTL_MILLIS} bounds how often that bounded read actually happens — a burst
+ * of {@code fleet_list} calls inside one TTL window reads the file once. One instance's cache is
+ * keyed by {@code (configDir, sessionId)}, so it is safe to share across every lead a single
+ * {@code fleet_list} call reports on.
+ */
+public final class LeadContextGauge {
+
+    private static final String PROJECTS_DIR = "projects";
+    private static final ObjectMapper MAPPER = new ObjectMapper();
+
+    /**
+     * How many trailing bytes of a transcript a single read ever pulls off disk. Chosen so one
+     * read comfortably spans many recent turns — each usage or compact_boundary record is at most
+     * a few KB — while staying nowhere near the 52 MB a long session's real transcript reaches on
+     * the host this was built for; reading that whole file on every {@code fleet_list} call is
+     * exactly the cost this bound exists to avoid. 2 MiB holds on the order of hundreds of recent
+     * lines even when a turn's tool output is unusually large, which is far more than needed to
+     * find the most recent usage record and any recent compaction.
+     */
+    static final int TAIL_BYTES = 2 * 1024 * 1024;
+
+    /**
+     * How long a {@link Reading} is served from cache before the file is read again.
+     * {@code fleet_list} is called constantly (by design — it is the fleet's own status probe), so
+     * without a TTL a burst of calls would re-read the transcript tail once per call. 5 seconds is
+     * short enough that a caller watching for a state change never waits long, and long enough that
+     * a poll loop calling every second or two only touches disk once per window.
+     */
+    static final long DEFAULT_CACHE_TTL_MILLIS = 5_000;
+
+    /**
+     * Live tokens at or above this count report {@link State#HIGH}. On the host this was measured
+     * on, auto-compaction actually fires around 267,000–270,000 tokens, but the point of a HIGH
+     * state is to warn before that happens, not at it — 200,000 is the standard Claude context
+     * window size and a sensible built-in default: no config key is required to pick it, and a
+     * lead crossing it is already deep enough into its window that a compaction is foreseeable.
+     */
+    static final long HIGH_THRESHOLD_TOKENS = 200_000;
+
+    /** The only peer kind this reader understands ({@code Agent.agentType()}'s wire value). */
+    private static final String CLAUDE_AGENT_TYPE = "claude";
+
+    public enum State { OK, HIGH, UNKNOWN }
+
+    /**
+     * @param state       {@link State#UNKNOWN} whenever {@code tokens} could not be established
+     * @param tokens      live context tokens, or {@code null} exactly when {@code state} is
+     *                    {@link State#UNKNOWN}
+     * @param compactions {@code compact_boundary} records seen in the read window (see class
+     *                    javadoc) — {@code 0} both for "genuinely none seen" and for "unknown",
+     *                    since a caller that already sees {@code state: UNKNOWN} has no reason to
+     *                    trust this number either way
+     */
+    public record Reading(State state, Long tokens, int compactions) {
+        /**
+         * fleetd #609: widened from package-private to public so {@code
+         * dev.ltms.fleet.msg.LeadHeartbeatLoop.LeadContextSource.none()} (a different package) can
+         * return the same inert "I could not look" reading the gauge itself uses, without inventing
+         * a parallel unknown-reading constant. Behaviour of this class is otherwise unchanged.
+         */
+        public static Reading unknown() {
+            return new Reading(State.UNKNOWN, null, 0);
+        }
+    }
+
+    private record CacheEntry(Reading reading, long readAtMillis) {
+    }
+
+    private final LongSupplier clock;
+    private final long ttlMillis;
+    private final Map<String, CacheEntry> cache = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
+    /** Test seam only (package-private) — counts real disk reads, i.e. cache misses. */
+    private final AtomicInteger diskReads = new AtomicInteger();
+
+    public LeadContextGauge() {
+        this(System::currentTimeMillis, DEFAULT_CACHE_TTL_MILLIS);
+    }
+
+    /** Test seam: an injectable clock and TTL so cache expiry is provable without sleeping. */
+    LeadContextGauge(LongSupplier clock, long ttlMillis) {
+        this.clock = clock;
+        this.ttlMillis = ttlMillis;
+    }
+
+    /** How many times this instance has actually read a transcript off disk — test seam only. */
+    int diskReadCount() {
+        return diskReads.get();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @param configDir the lead's {@code CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR}, or {@code null}/blank to use the
+     *                  default {@code <user.home>/.claude} — the right answer for the common case
+     *                  where the lead's profile sets no {@code configDir} override
+     * @param sessionId the lead's own Claude session id ({@code Agent.sessionId()}), or
+     *                  {@code null} when herdr has not resolved one yet
+     * @param agentType the detected peer kind ({@code Agent.agentType()}); anything other than
+     *                  {@code "claude"} (including {@code null}, meaning undetected) reports
+     *                  {@link State#UNKNOWN} — this reader only understands Claude Code's own
+     *                  transcript format
+     */
+    public Reading read(String configDir, String sessionId, String agentType) {
+        if (sessionId == null || sessionId.isBlank()) {
+            return Reading.unknown();
+        }
+        if (!CLAUDE_AGENT_TYPE.equalsIgnoreCase(agentType)) {
+            return Reading.unknown();
+        }
+        String base = (configDir == null || configDir.isBlank())
+                ? System.getProperty("user.home") + "/.claude"
+                : configDir;
+        String cacheKey = base + '\u0000' + sessionId;
+        long now = clock.getAsLong();
+        CacheEntry cached = cache.get(cacheKey);
+        if (cached != null && now - cached.readAtMillis() < ttlMillis) {
+            return cached.reading();
+        }
+        Reading fresh = readUncached(base, sessionId);
+        cache.put(cacheKey, new CacheEntry(fresh, now));
+        return fresh;
+    }
+
+    private Reading readUncached(String base, String sessionId) {
+        diskReads.incrementAndGet();
+        Path file = findTranscript(base, sessionId);
+        if (file == null) {
+            return Reading.unknown();
+        }
+        TailRead tail;
+        try {
+            tail = tailBytes(file, TAIL_BYTES);
+        } catch (IOException e) {
+            return Reading.unknown();
+        }
+        return parse(tail);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Finds {@code <sessionId>.jsonl} under {@code <base>/projects/}, one level deep — never by
+     * deriving the slug directory from a working directory (see class javadoc). Bounded to a
+     * single {@code list()} of {@code projects/} itself: it never recurses further, so the cost is
+     * the number of project directories, not the size of any transcript inside them.
+     */
+    private Path findTranscript(String base, String sessionId) {
+        Path projectsDir = Path.of(base, PROJECTS_DIR);
+        if (!Files.isDirectory(projectsDir)) {
+            return null;
+        }
+        String filename = sessionId + ".jsonl";
+        Path direct = projectsDir.resolve(filename);
+        if (Files.isRegularFile(direct)) {
+            return direct;
+        }
+        try (var children = Files.list(projectsDir)) {
+            return children.filter(Files::isDirectory)
+                    .map(dir -> dir.resolve(filename))
+                    .filter(Files::isRegularFile)
+                    .findFirst()
+                    .orElse(null);
+        } catch (IOException e) {
+            return null;
+        }
+    }
+
+    /** Package-private (not {@code private}): {@link #tailBytes} is a test seam, see its javadoc. */
+    record TailRead(byte[] bytes, boolean fromStart) {
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Reads at most {@code maxBytes} trailing bytes of {@code file}. Package-private (not
+     * {@code private}) so a test can assert directly on the returned array's length — "bytes
+     * actually read", not on any parsed answer — without needing a file anywhere near
+     * {@link #TAIL_BYTES} in size to prove the cap holds.
+     */
+    static TailRead tailBytes(Path file, int maxBytes) throws IOException {
+        try (RandomAccessFile raf = new RandomAccessFile(file.toFile(), "r")) {
+            long length = raf.length();
+            long start = Math.max(0, length - maxBytes);
+            raf.seek(start);
+            byte[] buf = new byte[(int) (length - start)];
+            raf.readFully(buf);
+            return new TailRead(buf, start == 0);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Parses the tail into a {@link Reading}. The first line is dropped unconditionally whenever
+     * the tail is not the whole file (it starts mid-line, cut by {@link #TAIL_BYTES} — an expected
+     * artefact of the bound, not a data problem). Every remaining line is then parsed on a
+     * best-effort basis: a line that fails to parse (most often the last one, torn by a write this
+     * read raced — see the "torn final line" section of the class javadoc) is skipped, not fatal.
+     * Only when none of the remaining lines parse does this report {@link State#UNKNOWN}.
+     */
+    private Reading parse(TailRead tail) {
+        String text = new String(tail.bytes(), StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+        List<String> lines = new ArrayList<>(List.of(text.split("\n", -1)));
+        if (!lines.isEmpty() && lines.get(lines.size() - 1).isEmpty()) {
+            lines.remove(lines.size() - 1); // trailing newline leaves a phantom empty last element
+        }
+        if (!tail.fromStart() && !lines.isEmpty()) {
+            lines.remove(0); // first line is a fragment cut by our own tail bound, not real data
+        }
+        if (lines.isEmpty()) {
+            return Reading.unknown();
+        }
+        Long tokens = null;
+        int compactions = 0;
+        boolean anyLineParsed = false;
+        for (String line : lines) {
+            JsonNode node = tryParse(line);
+            if (node == null) {
+                // A malformed line — typically the last one, cut mid-flush by a write this read
+                // raced — is skipped rather than treated as fatal. See the class javadoc's "torn
+                // final line" section for why: a real format change makes EVERY line unparseable,
+                // not only this one, and that case is still caught below by anyLineParsed.
+                continue;
+            }
+            anyLineParsed = true;
+            JsonNode usage = node.path("message").path("usage");
+            if (usage.isObject()) {
+                tokens = usage.path("input_tokens").asLong(0)
+                        + usage.path("cache_read_input_tokens").asLong(0)
+                        + usage.path("cache_creation_input_tokens").asLong(0);
+            }
+            if ("compact_boundary".equals(node.path("subtype").asText(null))) {
+                compactions++;
+            }
+        }
+        if (!anyLineParsed) {
+            return Reading.unknown();
+        }
+        if (tokens == null) {
+            return new Reading(State.UNKNOWN, null, compactions);
+        }
+        State state = tokens >= HIGH_THRESHOLD_TOKENS ? State.HIGH : State.OK;
+        return new Reading(state, tokens, compactions);
+    }
+
+    private JsonNode tryParse(String line) {
+        try {
+            return MAPPER.readTree(line);
+        } catch (IOException e) {
+            return null;
+        }
+    }
+}

fleetd/src/main/java/dev/ltms/fleet/lead/LeadLauncher.java

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.PendingCloseMarker;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.Tab;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.Workspace;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.WorkspaceControl;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.launch.ClaudeCodeArguments;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
@@ -358,7 +359,8 @@ public final class LeadLauncher {
     }
 
     /**
-     * The lead's argv: the profile's own command, the model pin, and the bridge MCP mount.
+     * The lead's argv: the profile's own command, the model and auto-compaction pins, and the bridge
+     * MCP mount.
      *
      * <p>No {@code --append-system-prompt}. That flag carries the worker reply charter, and a lead
      * is not a worker — it reads its orchestration rules from the project's {@code CLAUDE.md} like
@@ -380,7 +382,7 @@ public final class LeadLauncher {
             argv.add("--model");
             argv.add(profile.model());
         }
-        return argv;
+        return profile.isOpenCode() ? argv : ClaudeCodeArguments.withAutoCompactWindow(argv, profile);
     }
 
     /**

fleetd/src/main/java/dev/ltms/fleet/lead/LeadRollover.java

@@ -231,7 +231,9 @@ public final class LeadRollover {
          * #status} could wrongly answer {@link #UNKNOWN} ("nothing was ever requested") for a roll
          * that is, in fact, actively running. This is not sticky: the deferred continuation
          * overwrites this same entry with a terminal state ({@link #ROLLED}, {@link
-         * #TURN_NEVER_SETTLED}, or {@link #CLEAR_NEVER_SETTLED}) once it finishes.
+         * #TURN_NEVER_SETTLED}, {@link #CLEAR_NEVER_SETTLED}, or {@link #FAILED}) once it finishes
+         * — including by throwing, which fleetd #615's catch in {@link #runRollover} now turns into
+         * {@link #FAILED} instead of leaving this entry stuck forever.
          */
         IN_PROGRESS,
         /**
@@ -253,6 +255,19 @@ public final class LeadRollover {
          * within {@code clearSettleSeconds} — {@code bootstrapText} was never sent.
          */
         CLEAR_NEVER_SETTLED,
+        /**
+         * fleetd #615: the deferred continuation threw a {@link RuntimeException} — most likely a
+         * {@link dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.HerdrException} out of one of the two unwrapped {@code
+         * agents.send} calls in {@link #runRollover} — and the continuation thread died with it.
+         * Before this state existed, that throw left {@link #outcomes} holding {@link #IN_PROGRESS}
+         * forever, because the production {@code continuationRunner} is a bare virtual thread with
+         * no uncaught-exception handler and nothing downstream of the throw ever ran to write a
+         * terminal outcome. {@code detail} names the exception, so a reader has something to act on
+         * — the same diagnostic style as {@link #TURN_NEVER_SETTLED} and {@link
+         * #CLEAR_NEVER_SETTLED}. The roll is dead at this point and does not retry itself; a stuck
+         * lead must {@link #open} a fresh request.
+         */
+        FAILED,
         /**
          * {@code token} names nothing this instance currently knows about: never issued by {@link
          * #open}, dropped by {@link #cancel}, or aged out of {@link #outcomes}'s bounded history.
@@ -493,8 +508,42 @@ public final class LeadRollover {
      * entirely after {@link #confirm} has returned to its caller — see this class's javadoc for the
      * four-step order. There is no result to return to by this point, so every outcome is logged
      * only.
+     *
+     * <p><strong>fleetd #615 — the whole body is wrapped in one {@code try}.</strong> The two {@code
+     * agents.send} calls below are not wrapped individually: {@code send} → {@code agentCall} →
+     * {@code herdr.call} can throw an unchecked {@link dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.HerdrException} (see
+     * {@code AgentControl.java}), and the production {@code continuationRunner} is a bare virtual
+     * thread with no uncaught-exception handler (see this class's public constructor). Before this
+     * fix, either throw killed the continuation thread silently, leaving the {@link
+     * RollState#IN_PROGRESS} entry {@link #confirm} wrote at hand-off stuck forever — {@link
+     * #status} had no way to tell a dead roll from one still genuinely running. The {@code catch}
+     * below is scoped to the method body rather than to each {@code send} call individually, so it
+     * also covers anything else added to this continuation later, not just today's two call sites —
+     * the same reasoning that put the write-a-terminal-outcome step at each of this method's other
+     * exits (see the {@link RollState#TURN_NEVER_SETTLED} and {@link RollState#CLEAR_NEVER_SETTLED}
+     * branches below) rather than inside the helpers that detect them.</p>
+     *
+     * <p>Only {@link RuntimeException} is caught, matching the local convention {@link
+     * #waitUntilAtTurnBoundary} already set around its own {@code agents.status} call — not the
+     * broader {@link Exception} or {@link Throwable}, which would also swallow something like an
+     * {@link OutOfMemoryError} this continuation has no business handling.</p>
      */
     private void runRollover(PendingRollover p, FleetConfig.LeadRollover cfg) {
+        try {
+            runRolloverUnguarded(p, cfg);
+        } catch (RuntimeException e) {
+            log.warn("lead-rollover: continuation for token={} lead={} threw {} — the roll is dead; "
+                            + "no further step in this continuation will run",
+                    p.token(), p.leadTerminal(), e.toString(), e);
+            outcomes.put(p.token(), new RollStatus(RollState.FAILED,
+                    "the roll's continuation threw " + e.toString() + " — the roll is dead and will "
+                            + "not retry itself; check the daemon log for the stack trace, then open() "
+                            + "a fresh rollover request"));
+        }
+    }
+
+    /** The actual body of {@link #runRollover}, unwrapped — see that method's javadoc for the catch. */
+    private void runRolloverUnguarded(PendingRollover p, FleetConfig.LeadRollover cfg) {
         String lead = p.leadTerminal();
         long rollStartMillis = nowMillis.getAsLong();
         TurnSettleResult turnResult = waitUntilAtTurnBoundary(lead, cfg.turnSettleSeconds());

fleetd/src/main/java/dev/ltms/fleet/mcp/ConnectionIdentity.java

@@ -31,6 +31,20 @@ public final class ConnectionIdentity {
         this.cwds = cwds;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * The {@link PaneLocator} this identity resolves callers against — fleetd #612 CB-185: lets a
+     * test drive the exact {@link PaneLocator} a real assembly wired up (e.g. {@code
+     * FleetdAssembly}'s {@code new ConnectionIdentity(new PaneLocator(herdr, memberHerdr), ...)})
+     * directly with a chosen pid, bypassing the OS-dependent {@link PeerPidLookup} that {@link
+     * #resolve} otherwise goes through. A full HTTP round trip cannot exercise this: {@code
+     * LsofPeerPidLookup} excludes its own pid, and an in-process test client and server share one
+     * JVM pid, so {@code pidForLocalPort} always returns {@code -1} and {@link PaneLocator} never
+     * gets called at all.
+     */
+    public PaneLocator panes() {
+        return panes;
+    }
+
     /**
      * The caller resolved from the connection: its worker {@code terminal} (or {@code null} for the
      * primary / an off-host client), its {@code pid} (or {@code -1} if not resolvable), and whether

fleetd/src/main/java/dev/ltms/fleet/mcp/FleetMcp.java

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import dev.ltms.fleet.metrics.Metrics;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.inject.MemberPresence;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.inject.CompletionResolver;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.HerdrException;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.lead.LeadContextGauge;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.lead.LeadRollover;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.msg.LeadChannel;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.msg.LeadMessage;
@@ -106,6 +107,13 @@ public final class FleetMcp {
      * untested identity heuristic.
      */
     private final boolean authorizationEnforced;
+    /**
+     * fleetd #612 CB-185: kept as a field (rather than only captured by the {@code
+     * contextExtractor} closure built in the constructor) so a test can reach the exact {@link
+     * ConnectionIdentity} — and, through {@link ConnectionIdentity#panes()}, the exact {@link
+     * dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.PaneLocator} — that a real assembly wired up. See {@link #identity()}.
+     */
+    private final ConnectionIdentity identity;
     private final Metrics metrics;      // CB-502: null → auth failures not counted
     private final CapacitySource capacity;
     private final HealthCoverageSource healthCoverage;
@@ -115,6 +123,8 @@ public final class FleetMcp {
     private final OutageSource outage;
     /** fleetd #176: SEPARATE from both of the above — see {@link LeadSeatSource}'s doc. */
     private final LeadSeatSource leadSeats;
+    /** fleetd #602 gauge-wiring: see {@link LeadConfigDirSource}. */
+    private final LeadConfigDirSource leadConfigDirs;
     /** CB-637: this daemon's lead-to-lead channel; {@code null} when no coordinator is configured. */
     private final LeadChannel leadChannel;
     /** fleetd #361: {@code coordinator.peers} — see {@link CoordinationSource}. Empty when unset. */
@@ -126,6 +136,17 @@ public final class FleetMcp {
      * clean {@code NOT_CONFIGURED} refusal rather than throwing. See {@link #handover}.
      */
     private final LeadRollover leadRollover;
+    /**
+     * "Lead context gauge": how full each lead's own Claude Code context window is, reported on
+     * {@code fleet_list}'s {@code leads} rows (see {@link #contextView}). Built unconditionally, in
+     * the field initializer rather than a constructor parameter — this is not a togglable feature
+     * with an on/off config knob the way {@link OutageSource}/{@link LeadSeatSource} are: it needs
+     * no config at all (see {@link LeadContextGauge}'s own javadoc for the built-in defaults), so
+     * there is no "off" value to thread through every existing constructor call site. One instance
+     * per daemon so its read cache (keyed by session, TTL'd) is actually shared across
+     * {@code fleet_list} calls rather than rebuilt — and therefore useless — on every call.
+     */
+    private final LeadContextGauge leadContextGauge = new LeadContextGauge();
 
     /** Capacity facts used by {@code fleet_list}; production must supply the placement live count. */
     public record CapacitySource(Function<String, Integer> liveCount, Function<String, Integer> maxLoad,
@@ -246,6 +267,29 @@ public final class FleetMcp {
         public static LeadSeatSource none() { return new LeadSeatSource(_ -> 0); }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * fleetd #602 gauge-wiring: a lead name's configured {@code CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR} override, fed to
+     * {@link LeadContextGauge#read} so {@code fleet_list}'s {@code context} row reads the transcript
+     * directory the lead's own profile actually writes to, not always the built-in
+     * {@code <user.home>/.claude} default.
+     *
+     * <p>The same idiom as {@link LeadSeatSource} — a {@code FleetMcp} constructor field, not a
+     * lookup {@code contextView} performs itself, because {@code FleetMcp} holds no
+     * {@link dev.ltms.fleet.config.FleetConfig} and {@code contextView} is {@code static}. See
+     * {@code Fleetd.leadConfigDirLookup} for the derivation: the same
+     * {@code fleet.leaders.<name>.profile} link {@link LeadSeatSource} already follows, resolved to
+     * that profile's own {@code configDir:}.
+     *
+     * @param configDirFor lead name → {@code configDir}, or {@code null} when the lead's entry names
+     *                      no profile, or that profile sets no {@code configDir} override — either
+     *                      way {@link LeadContextGauge} then falls back to its own built-in default,
+     *                      exactly as before this ticket
+     */
+    public record LeadConfigDirSource(Function<String, String> configDirFor) {
+        /** Inert source — every lead reads {@link LeadContextGauge}'s built-in default {@code configDir}. */
+        public static LeadConfigDirSource none() { return new LeadConfigDirSource(_ -> null); }
+    }
+
     /**
      * fleetd #361: peer-visibility facts for {@code fleet_list}'s {@code coordinator} row — this
      * daemon's own {@link LeadChannel} (for its self mailbox state and held messages) plus the
@@ -346,7 +390,7 @@ public final class FleetMcp {
                        LeadSeatSource leadSeats, List<String> peers, LeadRollover leadRollover) {
         this(messages, workers, sessions, identity, presence, primaryRegistry, callers, authorizationMode, metrics,
                 capacity, healthCoverage, LoopHealthSource.none(), quarantine, leadChannel, outage, leadSeats,
-                peers, leadRollover);
+                LeadConfigDirSource.none(), peers, leadRollover);
     }
 
     public FleetMcp(MessageService messages, PeerLauncher workers, SessionManager sessions,
@@ -354,16 +398,19 @@ public final class FleetMcp {
                     CallerResolver callers, AuthorizationMode authorizationMode, Metrics metrics,
                     CapacitySource capacity, HealthCoverageSource healthCoverage, LoopHealthSource loopHealth,
                     QuarantineSource quarantine, LeadChannel leadChannel, OutageSource outage,
-                    LeadSeatSource leadSeats, List<String> peers, LeadRollover leadRollover) {
+                    LeadSeatSource leadSeats, LeadConfigDirSource leadConfigDirs, List<String> peers,
+                    LeadRollover leadRollover) {
         Objects.requireNonNull(callers, "callers");
         this.authorizationEnforced = Objects.requireNonNull(authorizationMode, "authorizationMode")
                 == AuthorizationMode.ENFORCED;
+        this.identity = identity;
         this.leadChannel = leadChannel;
         this.peers = peers == null ? List.of() : List.copyOf(peers);
         this.capacity = capacity;
         this.quarantine = Objects.requireNonNull(quarantine, "quarantine");
         this.outage = Objects.requireNonNull(outage, "outage");
         this.leadSeats = Objects.requireNonNull(leadSeats, "leadSeats");
+        this.leadConfigDirs = Objects.requireNonNull(leadConfigDirs, "leadConfigDirs");
         this.healthCoverage = healthCoverage;
         this.loopHealth = Objects.requireNonNull(loopHealth, "loopHealth");
         this.leadRollover = leadRollover;
@@ -498,7 +545,7 @@ public final class FleetMcp {
                     McpSchema.CallToolResult denied = deny(exchange, toolAction("fleet_list", Map.of()), null);
                     if (denied != null) return denied;
                     return listFleet(workers, sessions, messages, capacity, healthCoverage, loopHealth, quarantine, outage,
-                            leadSeats, callers.leads(),
+                            leadSeats, leadContextGauge, leadConfigDirs, callers.leads(),
                             callerTerminal(exchange),
                             new CoordinationSource(leadChannel, peers),
                             coordinatorVisibleTo(principal(exchange)));
@@ -716,6 +763,15 @@ public final class FleetMcp {
         return transport;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * The {@link ConnectionIdentity} this server resolves every caller against — fleetd #612
+     * CB-185: lets a test reach the exact {@link dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.PaneLocator} a real assembly
+     * wired up (via {@link ConnectionIdentity#panes()}), rather than a copy built for the test.
+     */
+    public ConnectionIdentity identity() {
+        return identity;
+    }
+
     /** Mark a connected spawned member available for the injector readiness gate. */
     static void markSpawnedMemberPresent(Principal caller, MemberPresence presence) {
         if (caller.isSpawnedMember()) {
@@ -741,6 +797,46 @@ public final class FleetMcp {
         return server.listTools();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * fleetd #612 B3 — same reason as {@link #registeredTools()}: a test that must drive the REAL
+     * {@link QuarantineSource} (and the real {@link BackendQuarantine} it wraps) this daemon was
+     * assembled with, rather than scraping {@code FleetdAssembly.java}'s source text for the
+     * constructor call that built it. Unlike {@link #registeredTools()}'s callers, that test cannot
+     * live in this package: it also builds the {@code ResourcePorts} that drives
+     * {@code FleetdAssembly.assembleAndStart}, and {@code ResourcePorts}' methods return
+     * {@code Fleetd}-nested types that are only visible from package {@code dev.ltms.fleet} — so
+     * this accessor is {@code public}, not package-private, to stay reachable from there. {@code
+     * FleetdBackendQuarantineAssemblyTest} quarantines a credential twice through this exact
+     * instance and checks the second cooldown is longer than the first — the one behavioural
+     * difference {@link BackendQuarantine#withEscalation} and the flat two-argument constructor
+     * actually produce.
+     */
+    public QuarantineSource quarantineSource() {
+        return quarantine;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * fleetd #612 B3 — as {@link #quarantineSource()}, {@code public} for the same cross-package
+     * reason, for the real {@link LeadSeatSource} this daemon was assembled with. {@code
+     * FleetdLeadSeatAssemblyTest} calls {@code seatsFor} on this exact instance and checks it
+     * reports a live lead's seat, which {@link LeadSeatSource#none()} can never do (it is a
+     * constant-zero function regardless of input).
+     */
+    public LeadSeatSource leadSeatSource() {
+        return leadSeats;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * fleetd #612 B3 — as {@link #quarantineSource()}, {@code public} for the same cross-package
+     * reason, for the real {@link LeadRollover} (or {@code null}) this daemon was assembled with.
+     * {@code FleetdLeadRolloverAssemblyTest} drives {@code open}/{@code confirm} on this exact
+     * instance and waits for the real continuation to send {@code /clear} and {@code bootstrapText}
+     * through the real {@code router.leadAgents()}.
+     */
+    public LeadRollover leadRollover() {
+        return leadRollover;
+    }
+
     // --- tool logic (thin adapters over the services; unit-testable) ---------------------------
 
     /**
@@ -1626,7 +1722,7 @@ public final class FleetMcp {
                                                Map<String, String> leads, String selfTerm,
                                                CoordinationSource coordination) {
         return listFleet(workers, sessions, messages, capacity, healthCoverage, loopHealth, quarantine,
-                OutageSource.none(), LeadSeatSource.none(), leads, selfTerm, coordination, false);
+                OutageSource.none(), LeadSeatSource.none(), new LeadContextGauge(), LeadConfigDirSource.none(), leads, selfTerm, coordination, false);
     }
 
     /** As above, plus fleetd #201 Unit 5 cool-off facts (see {@link OutageSource}). */
@@ -1635,7 +1731,7 @@ public final class FleetMcp {
                                                QuarantineSource quarantine, OutageSource outage,
                                                Map<String, String> leads, String selfTerm) {
         return listFleet(workers, sessions, messages, capacity, healthCoverage, LoopHealthSource.none(), quarantine, outage,
-                LeadSeatSource.none(), leads, selfTerm, CoordinationSource.none(), false);
+                LeadSeatSource.none(), new LeadContextGauge(), LeadConfigDirSource.none(), leads, selfTerm, CoordinationSource.none(), false);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -1652,7 +1748,7 @@ public final class FleetMcp {
                                                QuarantineSource quarantine, Map<String, String> leads, String selfTerm,
                                                CoordinationSource coordination) {
         return listFleet(workers, sessions, messages, capacity, healthCoverage, LoopHealthSource.none(), quarantine, OutageSource.none(),
-                LeadSeatSource.none(), leads, selfTerm, coordination, false);
+                LeadSeatSource.none(), new LeadContextGauge(), LeadConfigDirSource.none(), leads, selfTerm, coordination, false);
     }
 
     /** As above, plus fleetd #201 Unit 5 cool-off facts (see {@link OutageSource}). */
@@ -1661,7 +1757,7 @@ public final class FleetMcp {
                                                QuarantineSource quarantine, OutageSource outage,
                                                Map<String, String> leads, String selfTerm, CoordinationSource coordination) {
         return listFleet(workers, sessions, messages, capacity, healthCoverage, LoopHealthSource.none(), quarantine, outage,
-                LeadSeatSource.none(), leads, selfTerm, coordination, false);
+                LeadSeatSource.none(), new LeadContextGauge(), LeadConfigDirSource.none(), leads, selfTerm, coordination, false);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -1683,7 +1779,7 @@ public final class FleetMcp {
                                                LeadSeatSource leadSeats, Map<String, String> leads, String selfTerm,
                                                CoordinationSource coordination) {
         return listFleet(workers, sessions, messages, capacity, healthCoverage, LoopHealthSource.none(), quarantine, outage,
-                leadSeats, leads, selfTerm, coordination, false);
+                leadSeats, new LeadContextGauge(), LeadConfigDirSource.none(), leads, selfTerm, coordination, false);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -1707,14 +1803,24 @@ public final class FleetMcp {
                                                 LeadSeatSource leadSeats, Map<String, String> leads, String selfTerm,
                                                 CoordinationSource coordination, boolean callerIsPrimary) {
         return listFleet(workers, sessions, messages, capacity, healthCoverage, LoopHealthSource.none(), quarantine,
-                outage, leadSeats, leads, selfTerm, coordination, callerIsPrimary);
+                outage, leadSeats, new LeadContextGauge(), LeadConfigDirSource.none(), leads, selfTerm, coordination, callerIsPrimary);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * The canonical implementation. {@code contextGauge} is the "lead context gauge" (see
+     * {@link LeadContextGauge}) — every wrapper overload above passes a freshly constructed one,
+     * which is correct for them (none of them exercise repeated calls where a shared cache would
+     * matter); the one caller that matters for caching, {@code fleet_list}'s MCP handler, passes
+     * its own single long-lived instance instead (see {@code FleetMcp}'s {@code leadContextGauge}
+     * field).
+     */
     static McpSchema.CallToolResult listFleet(PeerLauncher workers, SessionManager sessions, MessageService messages,
                                                  CapacitySource capacity, HealthCoverageSource healthCoverage,
                                                  LoopHealthSource loopHealth,
                                                 QuarantineSource quarantine, OutageSource outage,
-                                               LeadSeatSource leadSeats, Map<String, String> leads, String selfTerm,
+                                               LeadSeatSource leadSeats, LeadContextGauge contextGauge,
+                                               LeadConfigDirSource leadConfigDirs,
+                                               Map<String, String> leads, String selfTerm,
                                                CoordinationSource coordination, boolean callerIsPrimary) {
         try {
             Map<String, Agent> live = workers.list().stream()
@@ -1723,7 +1829,8 @@ public final class FleetMcp {
                     .collect(Collectors.toMap(Agent::terminalId, Function.identity(), (_, b) -> b));
             List<Map<String, Object>> leadRows = leads.entrySet().stream()
                     .sorted(Map.Entry.comparingByValue())
-                    .map(e -> leadView(e.getKey(), e.getValue(), live.get(e.getKey()), selfTerm))
+                    .map(e -> leadView(e.getKey(), e.getValue(), live.get(e.getKey()), selfTerm, contextGauge,
+                            leadConfigDirs))
                     .toList();
             // fleetd #209: this is the caller-driven fleet_list read that actually reports
             // agentSessionId (via memberCapacityView -> SessionManager.rosterView), so it uses the
@@ -2018,15 +2125,25 @@ public final class FleetMcp {
     }
 
     /**
-     * One lead's row: its address, its name, and whether it can be reached right now.
+     * One lead's row: its address, its name, whether it can be reached right now, and how full its
+     * own Claude Code context window is.
      *
      * <p>{@code status} is herdr's live view, and {@code unknown} when herdr is not tracking that
      * pane as an agent — the honest answer, and the one that matters: a lead whose pane herdr cannot
      * see is a lead a {@code fleet_send} cannot be typed into. It is reported rather than hidden,
      * because a peer that has gone unreachable is exactly what the sender needs to know.
+     *
+     * <p>{@code context} is the "lead context gauge" (fleetd's context-usage visibility ticket):
+     * {@code {state: "ok"|"high"|"unknown", tokens?: number, compactions: number}}, read from the
+     * lead's transcript — see {@link LeadContextGauge}. Kept small on purpose (a token count, a
+     * state, and a compaction count) rather than echoing the whole reading history: this is a
+     * roster row a caller glances at, not a diagnostics dump. {@code tokens} is present only when
+     * {@code state} is not {@code "unknown"} — never a stale or default number standing in for "I
+     * could not tell".
      */
     private static Map<String, Object> leadView(String terminal, String name, Agent live,
-                                                String selfTerm) {
+                                                String selfTerm, LeadContextGauge contextGauge,
+                                                LeadConfigDirSource leadConfigDirs) {
         Map<String, Object> m = new LinkedHashMap<>();
         m.put("sessionId", terminal);
         m.put("name", name);
@@ -2035,9 +2152,32 @@ public final class FleetMcp {
         if (terminal.equals(selfTerm)) {
             m.put("self", true);
         }
+        String configDir = leadConfigDirs.configDirFor().apply(name);
+        m.put("context", contextView(contextGauge, live, configDir));
         return m;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Reads the lead context gauge for one lead. {@code configDir} is this lead's configured
+     * {@code CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR} override (see {@link LeadConfigDirSource}), derived from
+     * {@code fleet.leaders.<name>.profile} → that profile's own {@code configDir:} — or {@code null}
+     * when the lead's entry names no profile, or that profile sets no override, in which case
+     * {@link LeadContextGauge#read} falls back to its own built-in default
+     * ({@code <user.home>/.claude}).
+     */
+    private static Map<String, Object> contextView(LeadContextGauge contextGauge, Agent live, String configDir) {
+        String sessionId = live == null ? null : live.sessionId();
+        String agentType = live == null ? null : live.agentType();
+        LeadContextGauge.Reading reading = contextGauge.read(configDir, sessionId, agentType);
+        Map<String, Object> c = new LinkedHashMap<>();
+        c.put("state", reading.state().name().toLowerCase());
+        if (reading.tokens() != null) {
+            c.put("tokens", reading.tokens());
+        }
+        c.put("compactions", reading.compactions());
+        return c;
+    }
+
     /** {@code fleet_stop}: tear a worker down by its pane id. */
     static McpSchema.CallToolResult stop(SessionManager sessions, String paneId) {
         if (isBlank(paneId)) {

fleetd/src/main/java/dev/ltms/fleet/member/ClaudeCodeLauncher.java

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import dev.ltms.fleet.guard.SubscriptionGuard;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.Agent;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.AgentControl;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.WorkspaceControl;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.launch.ClaudeCodeArguments;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.peer.Capability;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.peer.PeerLauncher;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
@@ -298,7 +299,7 @@ public final class ClaudeCodeLauncher extends HerdrPeerLauncher {
         // has neither MCP nor a charter — session flags must be added into a list we own.
         List<String> argv = mutableArgv(argvWithFleet(cfg, spec));
         String agentSessionId = applySessionIdentity(argv, spec.sessionName(), spec.resumeSessionId());
-        return new Launch(workerEnv, argvWithAutoCompact(argvWithModel(argv, cfg), cfg), agentSessionId);
+        return new Launch(workerEnv, ClaudeCodeArguments.withAutoCompactWindow(argvWithModel(argv, cfg), cfg), agentSessionId);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -908,30 +909,6 @@ public final class ClaudeCodeLauncher extends HerdrPeerLauncher {
         return withModel;
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Pin a bounded auto-compaction window on the command line via {@code --autocompact <tokens>},
-     * opt-in per profile (CB-634's sibling ticket: a member that runs out of context dies mid-turn
-     * and its {@code fleet_reply} — the whole point of the turn — is lost with it; opencode already
-     * forces {@code compaction.auto: true} unconditionally, CB-523, but Claude Code has no equivalent
-     * and runs at the backend's own default window).
-     *
-     * <p>Mirrors {@link #argvWithModel}: appended after it, so it survives the {@code ccs <profile>}
-     * wrapper the same way {@code --model} does, and outranks env/settings and the operator's own
-     * {@code argv}. Verified: {@code claude 2.1.241 --help} lists {@code --autocompact <auto|tokens>}
-     * (either the literal {@code auto}, or an integer 100k–1M) — {@link FleetConfig#load} rejects a
-     * configured value outside that band before this ever runs, so the flag Claude Code receives here
-     * is always in range.
-     */
-    private static List<String> argvWithAutoCompact(List<String> argv, FleetConfig.Profile cfg) {
-        if (cfg.autoCompactWindow() == null) {
-            return argv;
-        }
-        List<String> withAutoCompact = mutableArgv(argv);
-        withAutoCompact.add("--autocompact");
-        withAutoCompact.add(String.valueOf(cfg.autoCompactWindow()));
-        return withAutoCompact;
-    }
-
     // --- Agent-returning convenience spawns (used by callers/tests that want the herdr Agent) ---
 
     /** Spawn a worker for the default profile in the resolved default cwd. */

fleetd/src/main/java/dev/ltms/fleet/msg/LeadChannelHandle.java

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+package dev.ltms.fleet.msg;
+
+/**
+ * fleetd #612 A-gaps (gap 1): a {@link LeadChannel} that its owner can also close.
+ *
+ * <p>{@link LeadChannel}'s own javadoc says plainly that {@code close()} is deliberately left out
+ * of that interface — draining is a caller convenience nobody uses, and closing is the
+ * <em>owner's</em> job. This interface is that owner's own, wider view: whoever opens the
+ * coordination mailbox (the assembly that builds the daemon) also needs to close it from the
+ * shutdown path, and a test standing in for a real broker connection needs a fake it can mark
+ * closed, without ever holding a live connection. Every ordinary consumer ({@code FleetMcp},
+ * {@link LeadCoordLoop}) keeps taking the narrower {@link LeadChannel} exactly as before — only
+ * the owner speaks this wider one.
+ *
+ * <p>{@link LeadMailbox} is still the only production implementation. This only generalises the
+ * TYPE its owner holds it as (previously the concrete class), so a test can substitute a fake
+ * closeable channel instead of a real AMQP connection.
+ */
+public interface LeadChannelHandle extends LeadChannel, AutoCloseable {
+
+    /** Release the underlying connection. Declared with no checked exception, unlike the plain {@link AutoCloseable#close()}. */
+    @Override
+    void close();
+}

fleetd/src/main/java/dev/ltms/fleet/msg/LeadHeartbeatLoop.java

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package dev.ltms.fleet.msg;
 
 import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.AgentControl;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.AgentStatus;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.lead.LeadContextGauge;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.mcp.PrimaryRegistry;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.metrics.FleetMetrics;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.metrics.Metrics;
@@ -13,6 +14,7 @@ import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledExecutorService;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+import java.util.function.Function;
 import java.util.function.LongSupplier;
 import java.util.function.Supplier;
 
@@ -44,6 +46,15 @@ import java.util.function.Supplier;
  *       loop stands down, so two competing injections never start two turns in the same pane
  *       (constraint 6).</li>
  * </ol>
+ *
+ * <p><b>fleetd #609 — context-high notice.</b> Optionally ({@code contextHighNudge}, opt-in like the
+ * loop itself), a tick that finds the lead's own {@link LeadContextGauge} reading at {@link
+ * LeadContextGauge.State#HIGH} appends a text notice to whatever nudge it sends, telling the lead to
+ * consider {@code fleet_handover}. This is text only — it never rolls a pane itself. It fires once per
+ * HIGH stretch (a latch, cleared only by a later {@code OK} reading — {@code UNKNOWN} neither sets nor
+ * clears it, since "I could not look" must not be read as "it got better"), and it never spends the
+ * quiet-nudge budget: an idle, quiet, HIGH-context lead is exactly the case {@link Action#QUIET_DONE}
+ * would otherwise swallow, and it is the one case most worth interrupting the quiet cap for.
  */
 public final class LeadHeartbeatLoop {
 
@@ -63,11 +74,16 @@ public final class LeadHeartbeatLoop {
     private final long backoffMs;
     private final int quietNudgeCap;
     private final Metrics metrics; // CB-512 pattern: nullable — no registry in unit tests
+    private final LeadContextSource contextSource; // fleetd #609
+    private final boolean contextHighNudge; // fleetd #609: opt-in, like the loop itself
+    private final boolean requireOperatorConfirm; // fleetd #621: mirrors leadRollover.requireOperatorConfirm
 
     /** When the current idle stretch began (nanos), or {@link #NOT_IDLE}. Single scheduler thread only. */
     private long idleSinceNanos = NOT_IDLE;
     /** Consecutive nudges that found no pending fleet state. Single scheduler thread only. */
     private int quietCount = 0;
+    /** fleetd #609: latched "already told this lead about this HIGH stretch". Single scheduler thread only. */
+    private boolean contextNotified = false;
 
     /** Constructor with an injectable clock and no metric registry (unit tests, or wiring that opts out). */
     public LeadHeartbeatLoop(PrimaryRegistry primaryRegistry, AgentControl agents, ReplyInbox inbox,
@@ -75,7 +91,7 @@ public final class LeadHeartbeatLoop {
                              ScheduledExecutorService scheduler, LongSupplier clock,
                              long idleAfterNanos, long backoffMs, int quietNudgeCap) {
         this(primaryRegistry, agents, inbox, roster, pushLoop, scheduler, clock,
-                idleAfterNanos, backoffMs, quietNudgeCap, null);
+                idleAfterNanos, backoffMs, quietNudgeCap, null, LeadContextSource.none(), false);
     }
 
     /** As above, with a metric registry (the CB-512 pattern) so nudge outcomes are counted. */
@@ -83,6 +99,40 @@ public final class LeadHeartbeatLoop {
                              Supplier<List<MemberSession>> roster, ReplyPushLoop pushLoop,
                              ScheduledExecutorService scheduler, LongSupplier clock,
                              long idleAfterNanos, long backoffMs, int quietNudgeCap, Metrics metrics) {
+        this(primaryRegistry, agents, inbox, roster, pushLoop, scheduler, clock,
+                idleAfterNanos, backoffMs, quietNudgeCap, metrics, LeadContextSource.none(), false);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * fleetd #609: as above, plus the lead's own context source and whether a HIGH reading should
+     * append a hand-over notice to the loop's nudge. Pass {@link LeadContextSource#none()} and
+     * {@code false} to keep the pre-#609 behaviour exactly (both existing public constructors do).
+     *
+     * <p>fleetd #621: delegates to the full constructor with {@code requireOperatorConfirm=true} —
+     * the pre-#621 wording ("ask the operator ... only the operator can approve the roll") assumed
+     * the config default, so every caller of this overload keeps that text byte-identical.
+     */
+    public LeadHeartbeatLoop(PrimaryRegistry primaryRegistry, AgentControl agents, ReplyInbox inbox,
+                             Supplier<List<MemberSession>> roster, ReplyPushLoop pushLoop,
+                             ScheduledExecutorService scheduler, LongSupplier clock,
+                             long idleAfterNanos, long backoffMs, int quietNudgeCap, Metrics metrics,
+                             LeadContextSource contextSource, boolean contextHighNudge) {
+        this(primaryRegistry, agents, inbox, roster, pushLoop, scheduler, clock,
+                idleAfterNanos, backoffMs, quietNudgeCap, metrics, contextSource, contextHighNudge, true);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * fleetd #621: as above, plus the daemon's effective {@code leadRollover.requireOperatorConfirm}
+     * value — threaded into {@link #contextNotice(boolean, LeadContextGauge.Reading, boolean, boolean)}
+     * so the notice's wording tracks the config the daemon actually enforces (see {@code
+     * LeadRollover.confirm}) instead of always asserting the operator gate is on.
+     */
+    public LeadHeartbeatLoop(PrimaryRegistry primaryRegistry, AgentControl agents, ReplyInbox inbox,
+                             Supplier<List<MemberSession>> roster, ReplyPushLoop pushLoop,
+                             ScheduledExecutorService scheduler, LongSupplier clock,
+                             long idleAfterNanos, long backoffMs, int quietNudgeCap, Metrics metrics,
+                             LeadContextSource contextSource, boolean contextHighNudge,
+                             boolean requireOperatorConfirm) {
         this.primaryRegistry = primaryRegistry;
         this.agents = agents;
         this.inbox = inbox;
@@ -94,6 +144,20 @@ public final class LeadHeartbeatLoop {
         this.backoffMs = backoffMs;
         this.quietNudgeCap = quietNudgeCap;
         this.metrics = metrics;
+        this.contextSource = contextSource;
+        this.contextHighNudge = contextHighNudge;
+        this.requireOperatorConfirm = requireOperatorConfirm;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * fleetd #609: one lead's own context reading, keyed by its terminal id — the same injected-source
+     * idiom {@code FleetMcp.LeadSeatSource}/{@code FleetMcp.LeadConfigDirSource} already use.
+     */
+    public record LeadContextSource(Function<String, LeadContextGauge.Reading> readingFor) {
+        /** Inert source — every lead reads UNKNOWN, so the context notice can never fire. */
+        public static LeadContextSource none() {
+            return new LeadContextSource(_ -> LeadContextGauge.Reading.unknown());
+        }
     }
 
     /**
@@ -126,8 +190,11 @@ public final class LeadHeartbeatLoop {
         STAND_DOWN
     }
 
-    /** The outcome of one decision: the action plus the state to persist for the next tick. */
-    record Decision(Action action, Long idleSinceNanos, int quietCount) {}
+    /**
+     * The outcome of one decision: the action, the state to persist for the next tick, and (fleetd
+     * #609) whether the lead has now been told about the current HIGH context stretch.
+     */
+    record Decision(Action action, Long idleSinceNanos, int quietCount, boolean contextNotified) {}
 
     /**
      * Pure decision function: given the current loop state and fleet/lead facts, return what to do
@@ -142,34 +209,47 @@ public final class LeadHeartbeatLoop {
      * @param pushLoopActive  whether {@link ReplyPushLoop} is currently nudging some target (constraint 6)
      * @param leadKnown       whether a lead terminal is known to nudge at all
      * @param fleet           a snapshot of the pending fleet state (constraint 5)
+     * @param context         fleetd #609: the lead's own {@link LeadContextGauge} reading for this tick
+     * @param contextNotified fleetd #609: whether the lead has already been told about the current HIGH
+     *                        stretch — a latch, carried forward by {@link #applyDecision}
      * @return the action to take and the state to persist
      */
     Decision decide(long nowNanos, Long idleSinceNanos, int quietCount, AgentStatus status,
-                    boolean pushLoopActive, boolean leadKnown, FleetState fleet) {
+                    boolean pushLoopActive, boolean leadKnown, FleetState fleet,
+                    LeadContextGauge.State context, boolean contextNotified) {
+        // fleetd #609: re-arm the latch only on a positive OK reading. UNKNOWN means "I could not
+        // look", not "it got better" — re-arming on UNKNOWN would let a flapping gauge (a transcript
+        // read that misses one tick) nudge a full lead again on every recovery, defeating the "once
+        // per HIGH stretch" promise. Computed once, up front, so every gate below carries it forward
+        // unchanged unless it is the gate that actually discharges it.
+        boolean latch = context == LeadContextGauge.State.OK ? false : contextNotified;
+        boolean contextHigh = contextHighNudge && context == LeadContextGauge.State.HIGH;
+
         // Constraint 6: while ReplyPushLoop is actively nudging the lead, injecting a second,
         // competing prompt into the same pane would start a second turn — racing loops multiply
         // turns and context burn. Stand aside, and treat the active push as real state (re-arm the
         // quiet counter), because the reply that drove it is exactly the kind of new state that
-        // should reset the cap.
+        // should reset the cap. The context latch is untouched: standing down must not spend the
+        // one notice this stretch gets.
         if (pushLoopActive) {
-            return new Decision(Action.STAND_DOWN, idleSinceNanos, 0);
+            return new Decision(Action.STAND_DOWN, idleSinceNanos, 0, latch);
         }
         // Constraint 2: a WORKING lead is making progress and must NOT be touched; an unreadable
         // status (read failure, or the agent is gone) is safest treated the same way — never inject
         // into a state we cannot read. Either way, reset the idle window and the quiet counter: the
         // lead was / may be active, so the next idle stretch must count its own quiet period fresh.
         if (status == null || !status.injectable()) {
-            return new Decision(Action.LEAD_BUSY, null, 0);
+            return new Decision(Action.LEAD_BUSY, null, 0, latch);
         }
         if (idleSinceNanos == null) {
             // The lead just became injectable — record the start of an idle stretch and wait out the
             // debounce quiet period before ever nudging (constraint 3).
-            return new Decision(Action.WAIT_IDLE, nowNanos, quietCount);
+            return new Decision(Action.WAIT_IDLE, nowNanos, quietCount, latch);
         }
         if (nowNanos - idleSinceNanos < idleAfterNanos) {
             // Still within the quiet period: the lead that just finished a turn sits momentarily idle
             // and must not be re-prompted into every natural pause.
-            return new Decision(Action.WAIT_IDLE, idleSinceNanos, quietCount);
+            return new Decision(Action.WAIT_IDLE, idleSinceNanos, quietCount, latch);
         }
         // Past the quiet period with an injectable lead: it is a genuine candidate for a nudge. Two
         // gating facts decide whether and how:
@@ -177,23 +257,33 @@ public final class LeadHeartbeatLoop {
             // No lead terminal is known yet (e.g. the registry has not learned one) — there is nobody
             // to nudge. Keep waiting; the window stays open so discovery re-arms it without a fresh
             // quiet period.
-            return new Decision(Action.WAIT_IDLE, idleSinceNanos, quietCount);
+            return new Decision(Action.WAIT_IDLE, idleSinceNanos, quietCount, latch);
         }
         if (fleet.hasPending()) {
             // Real fleet state is waiting — a worker reply or a DONE session. This is new state, so
-            // it resets the quiet counter (constraint 4) and the lead is nudged to go collect it.
-            return new Decision(Action.INJECT, idleSinceNanos, 0);
+            // it resets the quiet counter (constraint 4) and the lead is nudged to go collect it. The
+            // nudge text carries the context notice too when contextHigh — see injectNudge/contextNotice
+            // — so this route discharges the same duty and must set the latch.
+            return new Decision(Action.INJECT, idleSinceNanos, 0, latch || contextHigh);
+        }
+        if (contextHigh && !latch) {
+            // fleetd #609: the lead is idle, its context is full, and nothing is pending. This is the
+            // one case the quiet cap would otherwise swallow, and it is exactly when the lead most
+            // needs to hear it. Fire once per HIGH stretch, and do NOT spend the quiet budget on it:
+            // this is an event notice, not a "are you still there" nudge.
+            return new Decision(Action.INJECT, idleSinceNanos, quietCount, true);
         }
         if (quietCount < quietNudgeCap) {
             // Nothing is pending, but the cap is not exhausted: nudge anyway, telling the lead
             // exactly that nothing is waiting so it can choose to stand down rather than hunt
-            // (constraint 5). Count it toward the consecutive-quiet cap.
-            return new Decision(Action.INJECT, idleSinceNanos, quietCount + 1);
+            // (constraint 5). Count it toward the consecutive-quiet cap. This nudge also carries the
+            // context notice when contextHigh (already latched above, or being latched now).
+            return new Decision(Action.INJECT, idleSinceNanos, quietCount + 1, latch || contextHigh);
         }
         // Nothing pending and the cap is exhausted: stop nudging until real state appears again
         // (constraint 4). The loop still ticks on backoff so a genuinely new reply or session change
         // re-arms it — QUIET_DONE stops injection, not observation.
-        return new Decision(Action.QUIET_DONE, idleSinceNanos, quietCount);
+        return new Decision(Action.QUIET_DONE, idleSinceNanos, quietCount, latch);
     }
 
     // --- loop ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -203,62 +293,195 @@ public final class LeadHeartbeatLoop {
      * does not evaluate the lead's idle state before the fleet has settled.
      */
     public void start() {
-        log.info("idle-lead heartbeat: on — nudge lead after {}s idle (recheck {}ms, quiet cap {})",
-                TimeUnit.NANOSECONDS.toSeconds(idleAfterNanos), backoffMs, quietNudgeCap);
+        // fleetd #613: contextHighNudge added alongside the three settings already here — an
+        // operator otherwise cannot tell from the boot log whether the #609 handover notice is
+        // armed, and had to load the deployed jar's config to confirm it.
+        log.info("idle-lead heartbeat: on — nudge lead after {}s idle (recheck {}ms, quiet cap {}, "
+                        + "context-high nudge {})",
+                TimeUnit.NANOSECONDS.toSeconds(idleAfterNanos), backoffMs, quietNudgeCap,
+                contextHighNudge);
         scheduler.schedule(this::tick, backoffMs, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
     }
 
-    /** One loop tick, every {@link #backoffMs} — the thin scheduler around {@link #decide}. */
-    private void tick() {
+    /** One loop tick, every {@link #backoffMs} — the thin scheduler around {@link #decide}. Package-private
+     * (mirroring {@link ReplyPushLoop#tick(String)}) so tests can drive it directly with a fake clock and a
+     * fake {@link AgentControl} instead of racing the scheduler thread. */
+    void tick() {
         boolean leadKnown = primaryRegistry.primaryTerminal().isPresent();
         FleetState fleet = snapshot(inbox, roster);
         AgentStatus status = AgentStatus.UNKNOWN;
+        LeadContextGauge.Reading reading = LeadContextGauge.Reading.unknown();
         if (leadKnown) {
+            String leadTerminal = primaryRegistry.primaryTerminal().orElseThrow();
             try {
-                status = agents.status(primaryRegistry.primaryTerminal().orElseThrow());
+                status = agents.status(leadTerminal);
             } catch (RuntimeException e) {
                 // A failed status read degrades to "unknown" — decide() treats that like a busy lead
                 // and never injects into a state it cannot read. Retry on the next backoff.
                 log.debug("idle-heartbeat: status check failed for lead, will retry: {}", e.toString());
             }
+            // fleetd #609: read the lead's own context regardless of status — decide() still gates on
+            // status first (constraint 2), so this is harmless work on a WORKING lead and lets the
+            // latch state stay accurate for whenever the lead does go idle.
+            reading = contextSource.readingFor().apply(leadTerminal);
         }
 
         Decision d = decide(clock.getAsLong(),
                 idleSinceNanos == NOT_IDLE ? null : idleSinceNanos,
-                quietCount, status, pushLoop.isActive(), leadKnown, fleet);
+                quietCount, status, pushLoop.isActive(), leadKnown, fleet,
+                reading.state(), contextNotified);
         applyDecision(d);
         switch (d.action()) {
-            case INJECT -> injectNudge(fleet);
-            case QUIET_DONE -> countNudge("exhausted");
-            case WAIT_IDLE, LEAD_BUSY, STAND_DOWN -> { /* nothing to inject, nothing to count */ }
+            case INJECT -> injectNudge(d, fleet, reading);
+            case QUIET_DONE -> {
+                countNudge("exhausted");
+                contextNotified = d.contextNotified();
+            }
+            case WAIT_IDLE, LEAD_BUSY, STAND_DOWN -> contextNotified = d.contextNotified();
         }
         scheduleNext();
     }
 
-    /** Persist the state a decision returned, so the next tick starts from it. */
+    /**
+     * Persist the idle/quiet state a decision returned, so the next tick starts from it.
+     *
+     * <p>fleetd #609 review: the context latch ({@link #contextNotified}) is deliberately <em>not</em>
+     * set here any more. Setting it from the decision unconditionally — before {@link #injectNudge} even
+     * tries to send — is exactly the review's blocker: a decision to notify is not the same fact as "the
+     * notice reached the pane". Every branch of {@link #tick} now assigns {@link #contextNotified} itself,
+     * once it knows whether a send happened and whether it carried the notice (see {@link #injectNudge}).
+     */
     private void applyDecision(Decision d) {
         idleSinceNanos = d.idleSinceNanos() == null ? NOT_IDLE : d.idleSinceNanos();
         quietCount = d.quietCount();
     }
 
-    /** Send the nudge to the known lead. */
-    private void injectNudge(FleetState fleet) {
+    /**
+     * Send the nudge to the known lead, with the fleetd #609 context notice appended when it applies, and
+     * persist the context latch based on what actually happened this tick — not merely what {@code d}
+     * chose to attempt.
+     */
+    private void injectNudge(Decision d, FleetState fleet, LeadContextGauge.Reading reading) {
+        // fleetd #609 review: build the notice from the latch as it stood BEFORE this tick's decision —
+        // d.contextNotified() is the value to persist once delivery is confirmed, not the value the text
+        // itself should be built from. Otherwise a HIGH stretch that is still latched would never see the
+        // notice at all, defeating the very check this fixes.
+        String notice = contextNotice(contextHighNudge, reading, contextNotified, requireOperatorConfirm);
         var lead = primaryRegistry.primaryTerminal();
-        if (lead.isEmpty()) {
-            return; // the lead disappeared between the decision and the injection
-        }
-        String leadTerminal = lead.get();
+        boolean sent = lead.isPresent() && trySend(lead.get(), fleet.nudgeText() + notice, notice);
+        // The latch becomes true only when all three hold: decide() chose to notify, a notice was
+        // actually included in the text, and the send reached the pane without throwing. Whenever no
+        // notice was attempted (disabled, not HIGH, or already latched), nothing was promised to the lead
+        // this tick, so apply the decision's own carried-forward value unconditionally — that is how the
+        // OK-only re-arm rule and STAND_DOWN's "don't burn the notice" rule keep working through this path
+        // too. A lead that disappeared between the decision and the send (lead.isEmpty()) is treated the
+        // same as a failed send: nothing reached the pane, so the latch must not be set.
+        contextNotified = notice.isEmpty() ? d.contextNotified() : sent;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Attempt one herdr send and count its outcome. Returns whether {@code agents.send} returned without
+     * throwing — the caller ({@link #injectNudge}) needs this to decide whether the fleetd #609 context
+     * latch may be persisted as set.
+     */
+    private boolean trySend(String leadTerminal, String text, String notice) {
         try {
-            agents.send(leadTerminal, fleet.nudgeText());
+            agents.send(leadTerminal, text);
             log.debug("idle-heartbeat: nudge sent to lead {} (quiet nudges so far in this stretch: {})",
                     leadTerminal, quietCount);
-            countNudge("sent");
+            // fleetd #609: a nudge that carries the context notice is counted under its own outcome so
+            // it is visible in /metrics — one count per nudge either way, never two.
+            countNudge(notice.isEmpty() ? "sent" : "sent_context");
+            return true;
         } catch (RuntimeException e) {
             log.warn("idle-heartbeat: failed to nudge lead {}: {}", leadTerminal, e.toString());
             countNudge("failed");
+            return false;
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * fleetd #609: the text appended to a nudge when the lead's own context is full — {@code ""}
+     * whenever the notice does not apply, so callers can unconditionally append this without an extra
+     * branch. Wording stays plain (CEFR B1) and honest about who actually gates the roll — see the
+     * {@code requireOperatorConfirm} overload (fleetd #621) for which check that is. This loop only
+     * ever prints text, it never calls {@code fleet_handover} itself.
+     *
+     * @param enabled the {@code leadHeartbeat.contextHighNudge} config flag
+     * @param reading the lead's current {@link LeadContextGauge} reading
+     * @return the notice text (starting with a leading space, to append directly after {@link
+     *         FleetState#nudgeText()}), or {@code ""} when disabled or the state is not {@code HIGH}
+     */
+    static String contextNotice(boolean enabled, LeadContextGauge.Reading reading) {
+        return contextNotice(enabled, reading, false);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * fleetd #609 review: as {@link #contextNotice(boolean, LeadContextGauge.Reading)}, but also gated on
+     * {@code alreadyNotified} — the context latch as it stood <em>before</em> the current tick's decision.
+     * Without this gate, every pending-driven {@code INJECT} that lands while the context stays {@code
+     * HIGH} would re-append the full notice on top of an already-latched stretch, making the notice's own
+     * closing sentence ("You will not be told again until your context reads ok.") false. {@link
+     * #injectNudge} is the only caller that passes a non-default {@code alreadyNotified}.
+     *
+     * <p>fleetd #621: delegates with {@code requireOperatorConfirm=true} — the pre-#621 default and the
+     * value every existing caller of this overload (including every test written before #621) already
+     * assumed, so the text this overload returns stays byte-identical.
+     *
+     * @param alreadyNotified whether the lead has already been told about the current HIGH stretch
+     */
+    static String contextNotice(boolean enabled, LeadContextGauge.Reading reading, boolean alreadyNotified) {
+        return contextNotice(enabled, reading, alreadyNotified, true);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * fleetd #621: as {@link #contextNotice(boolean, LeadContextGauge.Reading, boolean)}, but the closing
+     * instructions also track the daemon's effective {@code leadRollover.requireOperatorConfirm} value,
+     * instead of always asserting that only the operator can approve the roll.
+     *
+     * <p>{@code LeadRollover.confirm(...)} already honours this flag: when it is {@code false}, the daemon
+     * itself gates the roll on the three handover-file checks alone (exists, modified after the {@code
+     * open()} request, and no older than {@code maxDocAgeSeconds}) and never consults {@code
+     * operatorConfirmed}. Before this parameter existed, this notice told the lead to ask the operator
+     * regardless — so a lead that followed its own instructions asked anyway, and setting the config knob
+     * to {@code false} stopped the daemon refusing the roll without stopping the operator being
+     * interrupted. This parameter is how the text is kept honest about which gate is actually live.
+     *
+     * @param requireOperatorConfirm the effective {@code leadRollover.requireOperatorConfirm} value
+     */
+    static String contextNotice(boolean enabled, LeadContextGauge.Reading reading, boolean alreadyNotified,
+                                boolean requireOperatorConfirm) {
+        if (!enabled || alreadyNotified || reading.state() != LeadContextGauge.State.HIGH) {
+            return "";
+        }
+        StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(" Your own context is nearly full");
+        String compactionWord = reading.compactions() == 1 ? "compaction" : "compactions";
+        if (reading.tokens() != null) {
+            sb.append(": ").append(reading.tokens()).append(" tokens used, ")
+                    .append(reading.compactions()).append(' ').append(compactionWord).append(" so far.");
+        } else {
+            // A HIGH reading always carries a non-null token count today: LeadContextGauge only
+            // reaches HIGH by comparing a number against HIGH_THRESHOLD_TOKENS. That invariant
+            // lives in another class and nothing asserts it, so this branch does not rely on it —
+            // it drops the token clause rather than printing "null tokens".
+            sb.append(" (").append(reading.compactions()).append(' ').append(compactionWord)
+                    .append(" so far).");
+        }
+        if (requireOperatorConfirm) {
+            sb.append(" A fresh session would work better. To hand over: call fleet_handover(action=\"open\"), "
+                    + "write the file it names, ask the operator, then call fleet_handover(action=\"confirm\", "
+                    + "token, operatorConfirmed). Only the operator can approve the roll. You will not be told "
+                    + "again until your context reads ok.");
+        } else {
+            sb.append(" A fresh session would work better. To hand over: call fleet_handover(action=\"open\"), "
+                    + "write the file it names, then call fleet_handover(action=\"confirm\", token). Decide for "
+                    + "yourself when to confirm: the roll goes through if the handover file exists, was "
+                    + "changed after you opened it, and is not older than maxDocAgeSeconds. You will not be "
+                    + "told again until your context reads ok.");
+        }
+        return sb.toString();
+    }
+
     /** Schedule the next tick on the scheduler thread pool. */
     private void scheduleNext() {
         scheduler.schedule(this::tick, backoffMs, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);

fleetd/src/main/java/dev/ltms/fleet/msg/LeadMailbox.java

@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ import java.util.concurrent.TimeoutException;
  * which messages reached a lead. Any publish still awaiting its confirm is failed rather than left to idle out
  * the confirm timeout against a sequence number that means nothing on the new channel.
  */
-public final class LeadMailbox implements LeadChannel, AutoCloseable {
+public final class LeadMailbox implements LeadChannelHandle {
 
     private static final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(LeadMailbox.class);
 

fleetd/src/main/java/dev/ltms/fleet/session/SessionManager.java

@@ -871,10 +871,23 @@ public final class SessionManager implements TurnListener {
         // 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").
+        // #604: charterBytes rides along with charterSha256, not with charterSource — it is only
+        // meaningful as the digest's companion (a length turns "they differ" into "by how much").
+        // A member with no composed charter reports charterSource and nothing else, as before.
+        //
+        // Gating on the DIGEST rather than on the receipt is deliberate, and the two are not
+        // always null together. CharterReceipt.compose() derives the digest with digestOf(), which
+        // returns null for BLANK text, while the byte count is composed.getBytes().length, which
+        // does not. So a whitespace-only charter (a blank fleet.charters.<role> on a profile with
+        // no MCP, so no reply charter is appended) yields a null digest beside a non-zero size.
+        // Reporting a size with no digest would say "they differ by N bytes" about an artifact we
+        // cannot fingerprint, so this gate omits both. Never widen it to the receipt-level null
+        // check without deciding what that case should report.
         if (session.charterReceipt() != null) {
             m.put("charterSource", session.charterReceipt().charterSource());
             if (session.charterReceipt().charterSha256() != null) {
                 m.put("charterSha256", session.charterReceipt().charterSha256());
+                m.put("charterBytes", session.charterReceipt().charterBytes());
             }
         }
         m.put("liveStatus", live == null ? "unknown" : live.status().name().toLowerCase());

fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/FleetdAssemblyConnectionIdentityTest.java

@@ -0,0 +1,222 @@
+package dev.ltms.fleet;
+
+import dev.ltms.fleet.config.ConfigRef;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.config.FleetConfig;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.guard.SubscriptionGuard;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.FakeHerdr;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.HerdrClient;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.PaneLocator;
+import io.javalin.Javalin;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.AfterEach;
+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.LinkedHashMap;
+import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.concurrent.CopyOnWriteArrayList;
+import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
+import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledExecutorService;
+import java.util.function.LongSupplier;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertNull;
+
+/**
+ * fleetd #612 step 2, unit B2 (CB-185, identity half). Replaces the deleted
+ * {@code FleetdConnectionIdentityConstructionTest}, which pinned this claim by reading {@code
+ * Fleetd.java}'s source text for {@code "new PaneLocator(herdr, memberHerdr)"}. That claim moved
+ * to {@code FleetdAssembly.java} (fleetd #612 Unit A) and is pinned here instead, by driving the
+ * real {@link ConnectionIdentity} — via {@code runtime.mcp().identity()}, not a copy — that {@link
+ * FleetdAssembly#assembleAndStart} built.
+ *
+ * <p><strong>What this guards against</strong> (from the deleted test's own javadoc): pinning
+ * {@code PaneLocator} to {@code memberHerdr} alone leaves every LEAD's own MCP connection
+ * unresolvable ({@code callerTerminal == null}) the moment {@code memberHerdrSocket} names a
+ * second daemon, which breaks {@code fleet_reply}/{@code fleet_ask}/{@code fleet_whoami} for a
+ * lead. {@code PaneLocatorTest} already proves {@link PaneLocator} itself can search two clients
+ * given two — the gap this pins is that the assembly actually passes it two, and in the right
+ * order (lead first).
+ *
+ * <p><strong>Why this cannot be driven through a real MCP/HTTP round trip.</strong> The natural
+ * way to observe {@code ConnectionIdentity} would be a real {@code fleet_whoami} call over the
+ * built {@code FleetMcp}, the way {@code FleetMcpContextExtractorTest} drives its own
+ * hand-built one. That does not work for the REAL assembly, because {@code FleetdAssembly} wires
+ * {@code ConnectionIdentity} with a hardcoded {@code new LsofPeerPidLookup()} (see {@code
+ * FleetdAssembly.java:444}), and {@code LsofPeerPidLookup} explicitly excludes its own PID — see
+ * its javadoc: "we exclude our own PID and take the other end". In a JUnit test the HTTP client
+ * and the daemon under test run in the very same JVM, so the "client" and "server" ends of the
+ * loopback connection ARE the same PID, and {@code pidForLocalPort} always returns {@code -1}
+ * before {@link PaneLocator} is ever reached — proving nothing about which daemon(s) got searched.
+ * This test instead reaches the real {@link PaneLocator} the assembly built (through {@link
+ * ConnectionIdentity#panes()}, added for exactly this) and drives it with a chosen pid directly,
+ * bypassing the OS-dependent PID lookup entirely — a legitimate substitute, since the pid lookup
+ * is not what CB-185 is about.
+ */
+class FleetdAssemblyConnectionIdentityTest {
+
+    /** Same shape as {@code FleetdAssemblyLifecycleTest}'s fake, but keys {@code connectHerdr} by
+     * socket path so the lead and member daemons can be two DIFFERENT {@link FakeHerdr}s. */
+    private static final class TwoHerdrResourcePorts implements ResourcePorts {
+
+        final Map<Path, HerdrClient> herdrsBySocket = new LinkedHashMap<>();
+        final CopyOnWriteArrayList<ScheduledExecutorService> schedulers = new CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();
+        Runnable shutdownHook;
+
+        @Override
+        public Map<String, String> environment() {
+            return Map.of();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public HerdrClient connectHerdr(Path socketPath) {
+            HerdrClient client = herdrsBySocket.get(socketPath);
+            if (client == null) {
+                throw new IllegalStateException("no fake herdr registered for socket " + socketPath);
+            }
+            return client;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public Fleetd.AmqpOpener replyInboxOpener() {
+            return (uri, prefetch) -> new dev.ltms.fleet.msg.InMemoryReplyInbox();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public Fleetd.LeadMailboxOpener leadMailboxOpener() {
+            return (uri, selfCoordId, prefetch) -> {
+                throw new UnsupportedOperationException(
+                        "leadMailboxOpener must not be called — no coordinator: block is configured");
+            };
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public LongSupplier nanoClock() {
+            return System::nanoTime;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public LongSupplier wallClockNanos() {
+            return System::nanoTime;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public ScheduledExecutorService newScheduler(String purpose) {
+            ScheduledExecutorService scheduler = Executors.newSingleThreadScheduledExecutor();
+            schedulers.add(scheduler);
+            return scheduler;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void addShutdownHook(Runnable hook) {
+            this.shutdownHook = hook;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void startHttp(Javalin app, String host, int port) {
+            // Deliberately never bind — this test never issues a real HTTP request.
+        }
+    }
+
+    private FleetdRuntime runtime;
+    private TwoHerdrResourcePorts ports;
+
+    @AfterEach
+    void tearDown() {
+        if (ports != null && ports.shutdownHook != null) {
+            ports.shutdownHook.run();
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static final Path LEAD_SOCKET = Path.of("/fake/lead-herdr.sock");
+    private static final Path MEMBER_SOCKET = Path.of("/fake/member-herdr.sock");
+
+    private static FleetConfig writeConfig(Path dir) throws Exception {
+        Path f = dir.resolve("fleetd.yaml");
+        Files.writeString(f, """
+                bind:
+                  host: 127.0.0.1
+                  port: 8765
+                herdrSocket: "%s"
+                memberHerdrSocket: "%s"
+                lifecycle:
+                  idleTtlSeconds: 600
+                health:
+                  enabled: false
+                broker:
+                  uri: "amqp://fake-test-broker/vh"
+                """.formatted(LEAD_SOCKET, MEMBER_SOCKET));
+        return FleetConfig.load(f);
+    }
+
+    private FleetdRuntime assemble(Path dir, FakeHerdr lead, FakeHerdr member) throws Exception {
+        FleetConfig cfg = writeConfig(dir);
+        ConfigRef config = new ConfigRef(dir.resolve("fleetd.yaml"), cfg);
+        SubscriptionGuard guard = new SubscriptionGuard(cfg.guard().hostSet());
+        ports = new TwoHerdrResourcePorts();
+        ports.herdrsBySocket.put(LEAD_SOCKET, lead);
+        ports.herdrsBySocket.put(MEMBER_SOCKET, member);
+        runtime = FleetdAssembly.assembleAndStart(new AssemblyInputs(cfg, config, guard), ports);
+        return runtime;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * The pin. {@code lead} carries the one pane {@link FakeHerdr}'s canned {@code
+     * pane.process_info} ties to {@link FakeHerdr#WORKER_PID} (pane {@code w2:p7}); {@code member}
+     * reports NO panes at all ({@link FakeHerdr#withNoPanes()}) — modelling a second daemon that
+     * simply does not host the caller's pane, exactly the CB-185 javadoc's scenario for a lead's
+     * own connection. If {@code PaneLocator} only ever searches the member daemon (the bug), this
+     * pid resolves to nothing, because the pane that owns it lives on the LEAD daemon the bug
+     * skips.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void connectionIdentitySearchesTheLeadDaemonNotJustTheMemberOne(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        FakeHerdr lead = new FakeHerdr();
+        FakeHerdr member = new FakeHerdr().withNoPanes();
+
+        assemble(dir, lead, member);
+
+        PaneLocator panes = runtime.mcp().identity().panes();
+        PaneLocator.Lookup lookup = panes.terminalForPid(FakeHerdr.WORKER_PID);
+
+        assertEquals("term_a", lookup.terminal(),
+                "the pane owning WORKER_PID lives on the LEAD daemon only (the member fake reports "
+                        + "no panes) — PaneLocator must still find it, which is only possible if it "
+                        + "searches the lead client and not just the member one");
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * The mirror control: when the pane instead lives ONLY on the member daemon (the lead reports
+     * no panes), the lookup must still find it — proving the member client is genuinely searched
+     * too, not merely tolerated as a second, always-losing argument.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void connectionIdentityAlsoSearchesTheMemberDaemon(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        FakeHerdr lead = new FakeHerdr().withNoPanes();
+        FakeHerdr member = new FakeHerdr();
+
+        assemble(dir, lead, member);
+
+        PaneLocator panes = runtime.mcp().identity().panes();
+        PaneLocator.Lookup lookup = panes.terminalForPid(FakeHerdr.WORKER_PID);
+
+        assertEquals("term_a", lookup.terminal(),
+                "the pane owning WORKER_PID lives on the MEMBER daemon only — PaneLocator must "
+                        + "find it there too");
+    }
+
+    /** Sanity control: a pid nobody owns resolves to nothing on either daemon. */
+    @Test
+    void aPidNoPaneOwnsResolvesToNoTerminalOnEitherDaemon(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        FakeHerdr lead = new FakeHerdr();
+        FakeHerdr member = new FakeHerdr();
+
+        assemble(dir, lead, member);
+
+        PaneLocator panes = runtime.mcp().identity().panes();
+        PaneLocator.Lookup lookup = panes.terminalForPid(999_999L);
+
+        assertNull(lookup.terminal());
+    }
+}

fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/FleetdAssemblyCoordinatorLifecycleTest.java

@@ -0,0 +1,211 @@
+package dev.ltms.fleet;
+
+import dev.ltms.fleet.config.ConfigRef;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.config.FleetConfig;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.guard.SubscriptionGuard;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.FakeHerdr;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.HerdrClient;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.msg.LeadChannel;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.msg.LeadChannelHandle;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.msg.LeadMessage;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.msg.ReplyInbox;
+import io.javalin.Javalin;
+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 java.util.concurrent.Executors;
+import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledExecutorService;
+import java.util.function.LongSupplier;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertFalse;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertNotNull;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertSame;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
+
+/**
+ * fleetd #612 A-gaps (gap 1): {@code FleetdAssemblyLifecycleTest}'s own class javadoc says plainly
+ * that it leaves {@code coordinator:} unset, so {@code leadMailbox} and {@code leadCoordLoop} stay
+ * {@code null} throughout — the configured-coordinator path is never exercised by Unit A's own
+ * test. This class drives that path instead: a real {@code coordinator:} block, a fake {@link
+ * Fleetd.LeadMailboxOpener} returning a fake closeable channel (never a real broker connection),
+ * and proof that {@link FleetdAssembly#assembleAndStart} both builds it and, on shutdown, closes it.
+ *
+ * <p>Made possible by generalising {@code Fleetd.LeadMailboxOpener}'s return type (and {@code
+ * FleetdRuntime}'s field) from the concrete {@code LeadMailbox} to {@link LeadChannelHandle} — a
+ * {@link LeadChannel} its owner can also close. {@code FleetMcp} and {@code LeadCoordLoop} already
+ * consumed the narrower {@link LeadChannel}; this only widens the one seam that owns and closes it.
+ */
+class FleetdAssemblyCoordinatorLifecycleTest {
+
+    private static final String SELF_COORD_ID = "test-lead";
+
+    /** A fake {@link LeadChannelHandle}: never touches a broker, and records whether it was closed. */
+    private static final class FakeLeadChannel implements LeadChannelHandle {
+        volatile boolean closed = false;
+
+        @Override
+        public void publish(String toCoordId, LeadMessage m) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public List<LeadMessage> peek() {
+            return List.of();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void ack(String msgId) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public String selfCoordId() {
+            return SELF_COORD_ID;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public boolean heldDurable() {
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public MailboxState inspect(String coordId) {
+            return MailboxState.unknown(coordId);
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void close() {
+            closed = true;
+        }
+    }
+
+    /** Minimal fake {@link ResourcePorts}: a real herdr fake, a fake reply inbox, and a real, offered fake lead channel. */
+    private static final class RecordingResourcePorts implements ResourcePorts {
+
+        final FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        final SentinelReplyInbox replyInbox = new SentinelReplyInbox();
+        final FakeLeadChannel leadChannel = new FakeLeadChannel();
+        String offeredUri;
+        String offeredSelfId;
+        Runnable shutdownHook;
+
+        @Override
+        public Map<String, String> environment() {
+            return Map.of();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public HerdrClient connectHerdr(Path socketPath) {
+            return herdr;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public Fleetd.AmqpOpener replyInboxOpener() {
+            return (uri, prefetch) -> replyInbox;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public Fleetd.LeadMailboxOpener leadMailboxOpener() {
+            return (uri, selfCoordId, prefetch) -> {
+                offeredUri = uri;
+                offeredSelfId = selfCoordId;
+                return leadChannel;
+            };
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public LongSupplier nanoClock() {
+            return System::nanoTime;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public LongSupplier wallClockNanos() {
+            return System::nanoTime;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public ScheduledExecutorService newScheduler(String purpose) {
+            return Executors.newSingleThreadScheduledExecutor();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void addShutdownHook(Runnable hook) {
+            this.shutdownHook = hook;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void startHttp(Javalin app, String host, int port) {
+            // No real HTTP bind in a unit test.
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static final class SentinelReplyInbox implements ReplyInbox {
+        @Override
+        public void own(String target) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void release(String target) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void publish(String target, String msgId, String content) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public List<InboxMessage> peek(String target) {
+            return List.of();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public boolean ack(String target, String msgId) {
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static FleetConfig writeConfig(Path dir) throws Exception {
+        Path f = dir.resolve("fleetd.yaml");
+        Files.writeString(f, """
+                bind:
+                  host: 127.0.0.1
+                  port: 8765
+                idleSleepGuard:
+                  enabled: false
+                coordinator:
+                  uri: "amqp://fake-lead-broker/vh"
+                  selfId: "test-lead"
+                """);
+        return FleetConfig.load(f);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void configuredCoordinatorIsBuiltByTheAssemblyAndClosedOnShutdown(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        FleetConfig cfg = writeConfig(dir);
+        ConfigRef config = new ConfigRef(dir.resolve("fleetd.yaml"), cfg);
+        SubscriptionGuard guard = new SubscriptionGuard(cfg.guard().hostSet());
+        RecordingResourcePorts ports = new RecordingResourcePorts();
+
+        FleetdRuntime runtime = FleetdAssembly.assembleAndStart(new AssemblyInputs(cfg, config, guard), ports);
+
+        // --- the assembly actually calls the configured opener and builds the coordinator path ---
+        assertEquals("amqp://fake-lead-broker/vh", ports.offeredUri,
+                "the assembly must open the mailbox at the configured broker uri");
+        assertEquals(SELF_COORD_ID, ports.offeredSelfId,
+                "the assembly must open the mailbox under the configured selfId");
+        assertSame(ports.leadChannel, runtime.leadMailbox(),
+                "FleetdRuntime must own the exact LeadChannelHandle the opener returned, not a copy");
+        assertNotNull(runtime.leadCoordLoop(),
+                "a configured coordinator: block must build the receiving LeadCoordLoop too");
+        assertFalse(ports.leadChannel.closed, "the channel must still be open while the daemon is running");
+
+        // --- shutting the assembly down closes it -------------------------------------------------
+        assertNotNull(ports.shutdownHook, "FleetdAssembly must have registered a shutdown hook");
+        ports.shutdownHook.run();
+
+        assertTrue(ports.leadChannel.closed,
+                "FleetdRuntime.close() must close the configured LeadChannelHandle");
+    }
+}

fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/FleetdAssemblyFleetAppTest.java

@@ -0,0 +1,237 @@
+package dev.ltms.fleet;
+
+import dev.ltms.fleet.config.ConfigRef;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.config.FleetConfig;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.guard.SubscriptionGuard;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.FakeHerdr;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.HerdrClient;
+import io.javalin.Javalin;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.AfterEach;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.io.TempDir;
+
+import java.net.URI;
+import java.net.http.HttpClient;
+import java.net.http.HttpRequest;
+import java.net.http.HttpResponse;
+import java.nio.file.Files;
+import java.nio.file.Path;
+import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
+import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.concurrent.CopyOnWriteArrayList;
+import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
+import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledExecutorService;
+import java.util.function.LongSupplier;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
+
+/**
+ * fleetd #612 step 2, unit B2 (CB-185, {@code FleetApp} half). Replaces the deleted {@code
+ * FleetdFleetAppConstructionTest}, which pinned this claim by reading {@code Fleetd.java}'s
+ * source text for {@code "new FleetApp(herdr, memberHerdr, workers,"}. That claim moved to {@code
+ * FleetdAssembly.java} (fleetd #612 Unit A) and is pinned here instead, by driving the real {@code
+ * Javalin} app — via {@code runtime.app()}, not a copy — that {@link
+ * FleetdAssembly#assembleAndStart} built and handed to {@link FleetdRuntime}.
+ *
+ * <p><strong>What this guards against</strong> (from the deleted test's own javadoc): constructing
+ * {@code FleetApp} with the lead-only {@code herdr} client (dropping {@code memberHerdr}) makes
+ * {@code GET /healthz} report green while the MEMBER daemon is down — so every spawn fails
+ * invisibly — and silently drops every member workspace from {@code GET /sessions}. {@code
+ * FleetAppTwoDaemonTest} already proves {@code FleetApp} itself merges/gates correctly given two
+ * clients; the gap this pins is that the assembly actually passes it two.
+ *
+ * <p><strong>Both directions, not just one</strong> (fleetd #612 issue comment 17525): the deleted
+ * guard's positive assertion required the exact pair {@code "new FleetApp(herdr, memberHerdr,
+ * workers,"}, which does not survive EITHER daemon being dropped. An earlier version of this class
+ * only proved the member-dropped direction, which left {@code new FleetApp(memberHerdr,
+ * memberHerdr, ...)} — the symmetric bug, {@code /healthz} green while the LEAD daemon is down —
+ * an undetected regression. {@link #healthzGoesRedWhenTheLeadDaemonIsDownEvenThoughTheMemberIsUp}
+ * closes that.
+ *
+ * <p>Unlike the {@code ConnectionIdentity} half of CB-185 ({@code
+ * FleetdAssemblyConnectionIdentityTest}), {@code /healthz} needs no caller identity at all, so
+ * this test can bind {@link FleetdRuntime#app()} to a REAL ephemeral port (exactly {@code
+ * FleetAppTwoDaemonTest} does for its own hand-built {@code FleetApp}) and drive it with a real
+ * {@code HttpClient} — no accessor needed for this half.
+ *
+ * <p><strong>{@code GET /sessions} could not be driven the same way</strong>, so this class does
+ * not pin the merge half of the deleted test's javadoc. {@code /sessions} requires
+ * {@code Authz.Action.READ}, which — through the REAL assembly's real {@code
+ * CallerResolver}/{@code ConnectionIdentity} (built with a hardcoded {@code
+ * new LsofPeerPidLookup()}) — needs {@code Caller.resolved()}, i.e. a real positive pid from
+ * {@code lsof}. {@code LsofPeerPidLookup} excludes its own pid (see its javadoc), and a JUnit
+ * test's HTTP client and the daemon under test share one JVM pid, so the resolved pid is always
+ * {@code -1} and every such request is refused as {@code ANONYMOUS} (fleetd #317's fail-closed
+ * rule) before the route handler — and its {@code memberHerdr} merge — is ever reached. Verified
+ * directly: driving {@code GET /sessions} here returns {@code 401 unauthenticated}, not the
+ * merged body. {@code FleetAppTwoDaemonTest} avoids this because it builds {@code FleetApp} with
+ * {@code callers: null}, which is not what the real assembly passes. The {@code /healthz} pin
+ * below is what this class relies on for CB-185's {@code FleetApp} half; {@code
+ * FleetAppTwoDaemonTest} remains the full behavioural proof that {@code FleetApp} itself merges
+ * {@code /sessions} correctly once handed two clients.
+ */
+class FleetdAssemblyFleetAppTest {
+
+    private static final class TwoHerdrResourcePorts implements ResourcePorts {
+
+        final Map<Path, HerdrClient> herdrsBySocket = new LinkedHashMap<>();
+        final CopyOnWriteArrayList<ScheduledExecutorService> schedulers = new CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();
+        Runnable shutdownHook;
+
+        @Override
+        public Map<String, String> environment() {
+            return Map.of();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public HerdrClient connectHerdr(Path socketPath) {
+            HerdrClient client = herdrsBySocket.get(socketPath);
+            if (client == null) {
+                throw new IllegalStateException("no fake herdr registered for socket " + socketPath);
+            }
+            return client;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public Fleetd.AmqpOpener replyInboxOpener() {
+            return (uri, prefetch) -> new dev.ltms.fleet.msg.InMemoryReplyInbox();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public Fleetd.LeadMailboxOpener leadMailboxOpener() {
+            return (uri, selfCoordId, prefetch) -> {
+                throw new UnsupportedOperationException(
+                        "leadMailboxOpener must not be called — no coordinator: block is configured");
+            };
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public LongSupplier nanoClock() {
+            return System::nanoTime;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public LongSupplier wallClockNanos() {
+            return System::nanoTime;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public ScheduledExecutorService newScheduler(String purpose) {
+            ScheduledExecutorService scheduler = Executors.newSingleThreadScheduledExecutor();
+            schedulers.add(scheduler);
+            return scheduler;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void addShutdownHook(Runnable hook) {
+            this.shutdownHook = hook;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void startHttp(Javalin app, String host, int port) {
+            // Deliberately never bind here — this test binds runtime.app() itself, for real, below.
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static final Path LEAD_SOCKET = Path.of("/fake/lead-herdr.sock");
+    private static final Path MEMBER_SOCKET = Path.of("/fake/member-herdr.sock");
+
+    private final HttpClient http = HttpClient.newHttpClient();
+    private FleetdRuntime runtime;
+    private TwoHerdrResourcePorts ports;
+    private Javalin boundApp;
+
+    @AfterEach
+    void tearDown() {
+        if (boundApp != null) {
+            boundApp.stop();
+        }
+        if (ports != null && ports.shutdownHook != null) {
+            ports.shutdownHook.run();
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static FleetConfig writeConfig(Path dir) throws Exception {
+        Path f = dir.resolve("fleetd.yaml");
+        Files.writeString(f, """
+                bind:
+                  host: 127.0.0.1
+                  port: 8765
+                herdrSocket: "%s"
+                memberHerdrSocket: "%s"
+                lifecycle:
+                  idleTtlSeconds: 600
+                health:
+                  enabled: false
+                broker:
+                  uri: "amqp://fake-test-broker/vh"
+                """.formatted(LEAD_SOCKET, MEMBER_SOCKET));
+        return FleetConfig.load(f);
+    }
+
+    /** Assembles the real graph, then binds the real {@code Javalin app} to an ephemeral port. */
+    private int assembleAndBind(Path dir, FakeHerdr lead, FakeHerdr member) throws Exception {
+        FleetConfig cfg = writeConfig(dir);
+        ConfigRef config = new ConfigRef(dir.resolve("fleetd.yaml"), cfg);
+        SubscriptionGuard guard = new SubscriptionGuard(cfg.guard().hostSet());
+        ports = new TwoHerdrResourcePorts();
+        ports.herdrsBySocket.put(LEAD_SOCKET, lead);
+        ports.herdrsBySocket.put(MEMBER_SOCKET, member);
+        runtime = FleetdAssembly.assembleAndStart(new AssemblyInputs(cfg, config, guard), ports);
+        boundApp = runtime.app().start("127.0.0.1", 0);
+        return boundApp.port();
+    }
+
+    private HttpResponse<String> get(int port, String path) throws Exception {
+        HttpRequest req = HttpRequest.newBuilder(URI.create("http://127.0.0.1:" + port + path)).GET().build();
+        return http.send(req, HttpResponse.BodyHandlers.ofString());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * The pin. The MEMBER daemon is down; the LEAD daemon is healthy. If the assembly built
+     * {@code FleetApp} with only the lead client (the bug: passing {@code herdr} where {@code
+     * memberHerdr} is expected), the down member is invisible and {@code /healthz} stays 200.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void healthzGoesRedWhenTheMemberDaemonIsDownEvenThoughTheLeadIsUp(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        FakeHerdr lead = new FakeHerdr();
+        FakeHerdr member = new FakeHerdr().healthy(false);
+
+        int port = assembleAndBind(dir, lead, member);
+
+        HttpResponse<String> res = get(port, "/healthz");
+        assertEquals(503, res.statusCode(),
+                "a down MEMBER daemon must not be masked by a healthy lead: " + res.body());
+    }
+
+    /** Sanity control: both daemons healthy must still be green through the real assembly. */
+    @Test
+    void healthzIsGreenWhenBothDaemonsAreUp(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        FakeHerdr lead = new FakeHerdr();
+        FakeHerdr member = new FakeHerdr();
+
+        int port = assembleAndBind(dir, lead, member);
+
+        assertEquals(200, get(port, "/healthz").statusCode());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * The symmetric pin (fleetd #612 issue comment 17525): the LEAD daemon is down; the MEMBER
+     * daemon is healthy. If the assembly built {@code FleetApp} with only the member client
+     * (dropping {@code herdr} — the mirror of the bug above, {@code new FleetApp(memberHerdr,
+     * memberHerdr, ...)}), the down LEAD is invisible and {@code /healthz} stays 200. Without this
+     * case the pair above is one-directional and does not cover the deleted guard's positive
+     * assertion (it required BOTH {@code herdr,} and {@code memberHerdr,} in that order).
+     */
+    @Test
+    void healthzGoesRedWhenTheLeadDaemonIsDownEvenThoughTheMemberIsUp(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        FakeHerdr lead = new FakeHerdr().healthy(false);
+        FakeHerdr member = new FakeHerdr();
+
+        int port = assembleAndBind(dir, lead, member);
+
+        HttpResponse<String> res = get(port, "/healthz");
+        assertEquals(503, res.statusCode(),
+                "a down LEAD daemon must not be masked by a healthy member: " + res.body());
+    }
+}

fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/FleetdAssemblyLifecycleTest.java

@@ -0,0 +1,258 @@
+package dev.ltms.fleet;
+
+import dev.ltms.fleet.config.ConfigRef;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.config.FleetConfig;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.guard.SubscriptionGuard;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.FakeHerdr;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.HerdrClient;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.inject.LoopWatchdog;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.msg.ReplyInbox;
+import io.javalin.Javalin;
+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.ArrayList;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.concurrent.CopyOnWriteArrayList;
+import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
+import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledExecutorService;
+import java.util.function.LongSupplier;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertFalse;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertNotNull;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
+
+/**
+ * fleetd #612 Unit A: proves {@link FleetdAssembly#assembleAndStart} — not a copy of its logic —
+ * against a real {@link FleetConfig}, a {@link FakeHerdr} and a fake {@link ResourcePorts}, with no
+ * real herdr socket, no real broker, and no real HTTP bind.
+ *
+ * <p><strong>The canonical order this test asserts against was recorded from {@code Fleetd.java}
+ * BEFORE any code moved</strong> (fleetd #612 Unit A's mandated order of work), by reading the
+ * original {@code main}'s body and its shutdown-hook {@code Thread}:
+ *
+ * <p>Start order: {@code SessionReaper.start()} → {@code StatusPoller.start()} →
+ * {@code LeadHeartbeatLoop.start()} (opt-in) → {@code FleetHealthMonitor.start()} (opt-in) →
+ * {@code LeadCoordLoop.start()} (opt-in) → {@code ConfigWatcher.start()} (opt-in) →
+ * {@code app.start()} (HTTP), always last.
+ *
+ * <p>Close order (from the original shutdown hook body): {@code sessions.close(drainTimeoutSeconds)}
+ * → {@code poller.stop()} → {@code messages.close()} → {@code pushLoop.close()} →
+ * {@code heartbeat.close()} (if present) → {@code leadCoordLoop.close()} (if present) →
+ * {@code leadCoordScheduler.shutdownNow()} (if present) → {@code healthMonitor.stop()} (if present)
+ * → {@code configWatcher.stop()} (if present) → {@code mcp.close()} → {@code reaper.stop()} (if
+ * present) → {@code idleSleepGuard.close()} (if present) → {@code replyInbox.close()} (if
+ * {@code AutoCloseable}) → {@code leadMailbox.close()} (if present) → {@code router.close()}.
+ *
+ * <p>This test's config deliberately leaves {@code coordinator:} unset, so {@code leadMailbox} and
+ * {@code leadCoordLoop} stay {@code null} throughout — the lead-mailbox resource-ledger criterion is
+ * NOT exercised here; see the class-level caveat in the implementer's hand-off. {@code
+ * idleSleepGuard.enabled: false} is set for the same kind of reason: it would otherwise try to spawn
+ * a real {@code caffeinate} subprocess, which is not one of the resources the ticket's acceptance
+ * criteria names (scheduler/inbox/mailbox/loop/MCP server/herdr router).
+ */
+class FleetdAssemblyLifecycleTest {
+
+    /** The one {@link HerdrClient} both {@code herdrSocket} and {@code memberHerdrSocket} resolve to. */
+    private static final class RecordingResourcePorts implements ResourcePorts {
+
+        final FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        final SentinelReplyInbox replyInbox = new SentinelReplyInbox();
+        final List<String> ledger = new CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();
+        final List<ScheduledExecutorService> schedulers = new CopyOnWriteArrayList<>();
+        final List<String> schedulerPurposes = new ArrayList<>();
+        Runnable shutdownHook;
+        Javalin startedApp;
+
+        @Override
+        public Map<String, String> environment() {
+            return Map.of();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public HerdrClient connectHerdr(Path socketPath) {
+            ledger.add("connectHerdr");
+            return herdr;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public Fleetd.AmqpOpener replyInboxOpener() {
+            ledger.add("replyInboxOpener");
+            return (uri, prefetch) -> replyInbox;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public Fleetd.LeadMailboxOpener leadMailboxOpener() {
+            // Never invoked: this test's config has no `coordinator:` block, so
+            // Fleetd.openLeadMailbox returns null before calling the opener at all.
+            return (uri, selfCoordId, prefetch) -> {
+                throw new UnsupportedOperationException(
+                        "leadMailboxOpener must not be called — no coordinator: block is configured");
+            };
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public LongSupplier nanoClock() {
+            return System::nanoTime;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public LongSupplier wallClockNanos() {
+            return System::nanoTime;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public ScheduledExecutorService newScheduler(String purpose) {
+            ledger.add("newScheduler:" + purpose);
+            schedulerPurposes.add(purpose);
+            ScheduledExecutorService scheduler = Executors.newSingleThreadScheduledExecutor();
+            schedulers.add(scheduler);
+            return scheduler;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void addShutdownHook(Runnable hook) {
+            ledger.add("addShutdownHook");
+            this.shutdownHook = hook;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void startHttp(Javalin app, String host, int port) {
+            // Deliberately never call app.start(host, port): no real HTTP bind in a unit test.
+            ledger.add("startHttp");
+            this.startedApp = app;
+        }
+    }
+
+    /** A fake {@link ReplyInbox} that is also {@link AutoCloseable}, so the ledger can prove it closes. */
+    private static final class SentinelReplyInbox implements ReplyInbox, AutoCloseable {
+        volatile boolean closed = false;
+
+        @Override
+        public void own(String target) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void release(String target) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void publish(String target, String msgId, String content) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public List<InboxMessage> peek(String target) {
+            return List.of();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public boolean ack(String target, String msgId) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void close() {
+            closed = true;
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static FleetConfig writeConfig(Path dir) throws Exception {
+        Path f = dir.resolve("fleetd.yaml");
+        Files.writeString(f, """
+                bind:
+                  host: 127.0.0.1
+                  port: 8765
+                lifecycle:
+                  idleTtlSeconds: 600
+                health:
+                  enabled: true
+                  intervalSeconds: 30
+                leadHeartbeat:
+                  idleAfterSeconds: 600
+                  backoffMs: 15000
+                  quietNudgeCap: 5
+                configReload:
+                  enabled: true
+                  intervalSeconds: 30
+                idleSleepGuard:
+                  enabled: false
+                broker:
+                  uri: "amqp://fake-test-broker/vh"
+                """);
+        return FleetConfig.load(f);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void assemblesTheRealBootGraphWithoutTouchingAnyRealSocketBrokerOrPort(@TempDir Path dir)
+            throws Exception {
+        FleetConfig cfg = writeConfig(dir);
+        ConfigRef config = new ConfigRef(dir.resolve("fleetd.yaml"), cfg);
+        SubscriptionGuard guard = new SubscriptionGuard(cfg.guard().hostSet());
+        RecordingResourcePorts ports = new RecordingResourcePorts();
+
+        FleetdRuntime runtime = FleetdAssembly.assembleAndStart(new AssemblyInputs(cfg, config, guard), ports);
+
+        // --- start order: the herdr connect, then the recurring background loops, in the recorded
+        // order, then the shutdown hook is registered, then (finally) HTTP "starts" -------------
+        assertTrue(ports.ledger.indexOf("connectHerdr") < ports.ledger.indexOf("newScheduler:bridge-push-"),
+                "herdr must connect before the push scheduler is created: " + ports.ledger);
+        assertEquals(List.of("bridge-push-", "bridge-heartbeat-", "bridge-health-"), ports.schedulerPurposes,
+                "the three always-created schedulers must be requested in exactly this order: "
+                        + ports.schedulerPurposes);
+        assertTrue(ports.ledger.indexOf("addShutdownHook") < ports.ledger.indexOf("startHttp"),
+                "the shutdown hook must be registered before HTTP starts — the one statement that "
+                        + "could not be reordered without changing FleetdRuntime's constructor shape, "
+                        + "see FleetdAssembly's javadoc: " + ports.ledger);
+        assertEquals(ports.ledger.size() - 1, ports.ledger.indexOf("startHttp"),
+                "HTTP must start LAST of everything this fake observes: " + ports.ledger);
+        assertNotNull(ports.startedApp, "FleetdAssembly must have built and handed off a real FleetApp");
+
+        // No real HTTP bind and no real herdr socket: this call returning at all, plus the ledger
+        // above, is the proof — a real bind or a real UnixSocketHerdrClient.connect would have
+        // thrown or hung against the sockets/ports this test never opened.
+        assertNotNull(runtime.app(), "FleetdRuntime must own the same Javalin app that was built");
+        assertEquals(ports.startedApp, runtime.app(), "attachApp must hand FleetdRuntime the SAME instance");
+
+        // --- the runtime owns the real, live objects — not a copy --------------------------------
+        assertEquals(LoopWatchdog.State.RUNNING, runtime.reaper().health(),
+                "SessionReaper must be running: lifecycle.idleTtlSeconds is configured");
+        assertEquals(LoopWatchdog.State.RUNNING, runtime.poller().health(), "StatusPoller must be running");
+        assertNotNull(runtime.heartbeat(), "leadHeartbeat: is configured, so the loop must be built and started");
+        assertNotNull(runtime.healthMonitor(), "health.enabled: true, so the monitor must be built and started");
+        assertNotNull(runtime.configWatcher(), "configReload.enabled: true, so the watcher must be built and started");
+        // Documented gap (see class javadoc): no coordinator: block, so these stay null.
+        assertEquals(null, runtime.leadCoordLoop(), "no coordinator: block — leadCoordLoop must stay unbuilt");
+        assertEquals(null, runtime.leadMailbox(), "no coordinator: block — leadMailbox must stay unbuilt");
+        assertEquals(runtime.replyInbox(), ports.replyInbox,
+                "FleetdRuntime must own the exact ReplyInbox instance this fake's AmqpOpener returned");
+        assertFalse(ports.herdr.closed, "herdr must still be open while the daemon is running");
+        assertFalse(ports.replyInbox.closed, "the reply inbox must still be open while the daemon is running");
+        for (ScheduledExecutorService scheduler : ports.schedulers) {
+            assertFalse(scheduler.isShutdown(), "a scheduler must still be running while the daemon is up");
+        }
+
+        // --- close order: invoke the captured shutdown-hook Runnable directly (no real JVM shutdown
+        // happens in a unit test) and prove every resource this fake can observe is released --------
+        assertNotNull(ports.shutdownHook, "FleetdAssembly must have registered a shutdown hook");
+        ports.shutdownHook.run();
+
+        assertEquals(LoopWatchdog.State.STOPPED, runtime.reaper().health(), "SessionReaper must stop on close");
+        assertEquals(LoopWatchdog.State.STOPPED, runtime.poller().health(), "StatusPoller must stop on close");
+        assertTrue(ports.herdr.closed, "router.close() must close the herdr client last");
+        assertTrue(ports.replyInbox.closed, "the AutoCloseable reply inbox must be closed");
+        for (int i = 0; i < ports.schedulers.size(); i++) {
+            assertTrue(ports.schedulers.get(i).isShutdown(),
+                    "scheduler for '" + ports.schedulerPurposes.get(i) + "' must be shut down by close(): "
+                            + "LeadHeartbeatLoop/FleetHealthMonitor/ReplyPushLoop each call "
+                            + "scheduler.shutdownNow() on the exact instance ports.newScheduler(...) handed them");
+        }
+
+        // Calling the captured hook a second time must never happen for a real JVM shutdown hook,
+        // but nothing above should have thrown — that already proves every accessed field's close()
+        // tolerated running once, in the recorded order, without an exception escaping.
+    }
+}

fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/FleetdAssemblyRoleFallbackBoundaryTest.java

@@ -0,0 +1,165 @@
+package dev.ltms.fleet;
+
+import ch.qos.logback.classic.Level;
+import ch.qos.logback.classic.spi.ILoggingEvent;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.config.ConfigRef;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.config.FleetConfig;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.guard.SubscriptionGuard;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.FakeHerdr;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.HerdrClient;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.msg.ReplyInbox;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.testing.CapturedLog;
+import io.javalin.Javalin;
+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 java.util.concurrent.Executors;
+import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledExecutorService;
+import java.util.function.LongSupplier;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
+
+/**
+ * fleetd #612 A-gaps (gap 2): {@code Fleetd.java:185} used to call {@code
+ * reportRoleFallbackGaps(cfg)} <em>outside</em> the boundary {@code FleetdAssembly.assembleAndStart}
+ * — the assembly call itself sat at line 201, after it — so nothing that drives the assembly (the
+ * seam {@code FleetdAssemblyLifecycleTest} exercises) could ever notice the call being deleted.
+ * {@code Fleetd.main} still refuses a bad config end to end (see {@code
+ * FleetdStartupValidationTest}), but that only pins {@code validateAll()} and {@code
+ * assertChartersNameOnlyRegisteredTools} — a validator that <em>throws</em>. {@code
+ * reportRoleFallbackGaps} only logs; nothing about {@code main} throwing or not throwing can
+ * observe whether that particular call ran.
+ *
+ * <p>This drives {@link FleetdAssembly#assembleAndStart} directly — never a copy of its logic —
+ * with a config that has no {@code fleet:} pools or charters configured for any role, so every role
+ * trips both of {@code reportRoleFallbackGaps}' log branches, and asserts on the real log line a
+ * {@code ListAppender} attached to the shared {@code Fleetd}/{@code FleetdAssembly} logger
+ * captures. Deleting the call from {@code FleetdAssembly} (verified by hand, see the ticket) turns
+ * this test red; deleting it from {@code Fleetd.main} instead (its old location) would not, which
+ * is exactly the gap this test closes.
+ */
+class FleetdAssemblyRoleFallbackBoundaryTest {
+
+    /** Minimal fake {@link ResourcePorts}: enough for {@code assembleAndStart} to run with no real I/O. */
+    private static final class RecordingResourcePorts implements ResourcePorts {
+
+        final FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        final SentinelReplyInbox replyInbox = new SentinelReplyInbox();
+        Runnable shutdownHook;
+
+        @Override
+        public Map<String, String> environment() {
+            return Map.of();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public HerdrClient connectHerdr(Path socketPath) {
+            return herdr;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public Fleetd.AmqpOpener replyInboxOpener() {
+            return (uri, prefetch) -> replyInbox;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public Fleetd.LeadMailboxOpener leadMailboxOpener() {
+            return (uri, selfCoordId, prefetch) -> {
+                throw new UnsupportedOperationException(
+                        "leadMailboxOpener must not be called — no coordinator: block is configured");
+            };
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public LongSupplier nanoClock() {
+            return System::nanoTime;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public LongSupplier wallClockNanos() {
+            return System::nanoTime;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public ScheduledExecutorService newScheduler(String purpose) {
+            return Executors.newSingleThreadScheduledExecutor();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void addShutdownHook(Runnable hook) {
+            this.shutdownHook = hook;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void startHttp(Javalin app, String host, int port) {
+            // No real HTTP bind in a unit test.
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static final class SentinelReplyInbox implements ReplyInbox {
+        @Override
+        public void own(String target) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void release(String target) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void publish(String target, String msgId, String content) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public List<InboxMessage> peek(String target) {
+            return List.of();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public boolean ack(String target, String msgId) {
+            return false;
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static FleetConfig writeConfig(Path dir) throws Exception {
+        Path f = dir.resolve("fleetd.yaml");
+        // Deliberately no `fleet:` block at all: every MemberRole has neither a pool nor a
+        // charter, so reportRoleFallbackGaps' "role fallback: no fleet.<role>s: pool for ..."
+        // branch is guaranteed to log something to assert on.
+        Files.writeString(f, """
+                bind:
+                  host: 127.0.0.1
+                  port: 8765
+                idleSleepGuard:
+                  enabled: false
+                """);
+        return FleetConfig.load(f);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void assembleAndStartItselfReportsTheRoleFallbackGaps(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        FleetConfig cfg = writeConfig(dir);
+        ConfigRef config = new ConfigRef(dir.resolve("fleetd.yaml"), cfg);
+        SubscriptionGuard guard = new SubscriptionGuard(cfg.guard().hostSet());
+        RecordingResourcePorts ports = new RecordingResourcePorts();
+
+        try (var captured = CapturedLog.at(Fleetd.class, Level.INFO)) {
+            FleetdAssembly.assembleAndStart(new AssemblyInputs(cfg, config, guard), ports);
+
+            String infoLines = captured.events().stream()
+                    .filter(e -> e.getLevel() == Level.INFO)
+                    .map(ILoggingEvent::getFormattedMessage)
+                    .reduce("", (a, b) -> a + "\n" + b);
+            assertTrue(infoLines.contains("role fallback: no fleet.<role>s: pool for"),
+                    () -> "FleetdAssembly.assembleAndStart itself must call reportRoleFallbackGaps "
+                            + "(fleetd #612 A-gaps gap 2) — captured INFO lines: " + infoLines);
+        } finally {
+            if (ports.shutdownHook != null) {
+                ports.shutdownHook.run();
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}

fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/FleetdBackendQuarantineAssemblyTest.java

@@ -0,0 +1,199 @@
+package dev.ltms.fleet;
+
+import dev.ltms.fleet.config.ConfigRef;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.config.FleetConfig;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.guard.SubscriptionGuard;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.FakeHerdr;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.HerdrClient;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.msg.ReplyInbox;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.placement.BackendQuarantine;
+import io.javalin.Javalin;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.DisplayName;
+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 java.util.OptionalLong;
+import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
+import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledExecutorService;
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicLong;
+import java.util.function.LongSupplier;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
+
+/**
+ * fleetd #612 B3 — replaces {@code FleetdBackendQuarantineWiringTest} (fleetd #466), a source-text
+ * test that scraped {@code Fleetd.java} (now {@code FleetdAssembly.java}, moved there by fleetd #612
+ * Unit A) for the {@code BackendQuarantine.withEscalation(...)} call, and separately asserted the
+ * flat two-argument constructor's text was ABSENT. That proves the right method NAME appears in
+ * source; it proves nothing about what the constructed object actually DOES.
+ *
+ * <p>This test instead drives the REAL {@link BackendQuarantine} the real {@link
+ * FleetdAssembly#assembleAndStart} builds — reached through {@link
+ * dev.ltms.fleet.mcp.FleetMcp#quarantineSource()} on the real, live {@code FleetMcp} {@code
+ * FleetdRuntime} owns — and asserts the ONE behavioural difference {@code withEscalation} and the
+ * flat constructor actually produce (see {@link BackendQuarantine}'s own class doc, "Mechanism"):
+ * quarantining the same credential twice in a row, within one base cooldown of the first deadline,
+ * must escalate the second cooldown past the first. A flat instance reports the identical cooldown
+ * both times.
+ */
+class FleetdBackendQuarantineAssemblyTest {
+
+    /** Base cooldown used throughout — long enough that rounding never blurs the 2x escalation. */
+    private static final int COOLDOWN_SECONDS = 100;
+
+    private static final class RecordingResourcePorts implements ResourcePorts {
+
+        final FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        final SentinelReplyInbox replyInbox = new SentinelReplyInbox();
+        final AtomicLong clockNanos = new AtomicLong(0L);
+
+        @Override
+        public Map<String, String> environment() {
+            return Map.of();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public HerdrClient connectHerdr(Path socketPath) {
+            return herdr;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public Fleetd.AmqpOpener replyInboxOpener() {
+            return (uri, prefetch) -> replyInbox;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public Fleetd.LeadMailboxOpener leadMailboxOpener() {
+            return (uri, selfCoordId, prefetch) -> {
+                throw new UnsupportedOperationException(
+                        "leadMailboxOpener must not be called — no coordinator: block is configured");
+            };
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public LongSupplier nanoClock() {
+            // Controllable: the SAME LongSupplier instance BackendQuarantine.withEscalation(...) is
+            // built with, so advancing clockNanos after assembly moves the quarantine tracker's own
+            // clock, with no real sleep needed to observe escalation.
+            return clockNanos::get;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public LongSupplier wallClockNanos() {
+            return clockNanos::get;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public ScheduledExecutorService newScheduler(String purpose) {
+            return Executors.newSingleThreadScheduledExecutor();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void addShutdownHook(Runnable hook) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void startHttp(Javalin app, String host, int port) {
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static final class SentinelReplyInbox implements ReplyInbox, AutoCloseable {
+        @Override
+        public void own(String target) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void release(String target) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void publish(String target, String msgId, String content) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public List<InboxMessage> peek(String target) {
+            return List.of();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public boolean ack(String target, String msgId) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void close() {
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static FleetConfig writeConfig(Path dir) throws Exception {
+        Path f = dir.resolve("fleetd.yaml");
+        Files.writeString(f, """
+                bind:
+                  host: 127.0.0.1
+                  port: 8765
+                idleSleepGuard:
+                  enabled: false
+                broker:
+                  uri: "amqp://fake-test-broker/vh"
+                quarantineCooldownSeconds: %d
+                """.formatted(COOLDOWN_SECONDS));
+        return FleetConfig.load(f);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("[BEHAVIOURAL] the real assembled BackendQuarantine escalates a repeated exhaustion, "
+            + "which the flat two-argument constructor can never do")
+    void assembledQuarantineEscalatesOnARepeatedExhaustion(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        FleetConfig cfg = writeConfig(dir);
+        ConfigRef config = new ConfigRef(dir.resolve("fleetd.yaml"), cfg);
+        SubscriptionGuard guard = new SubscriptionGuard(cfg.guard().hostSet());
+        RecordingResourcePorts ports = new RecordingResourcePorts();
+
+        FleetdRuntime runtime = FleetdAssembly.assembleAndStart(new AssemblyInputs(cfg, config, guard), ports);
+
+        BackendQuarantine quarantine = runtime.mcp().quarantineSource().quarantine();
+
+        // First exhaustion, at clock=0: a fresh occurrence, blocked for exactly the base cooldown.
+        quarantine.quarantine("cred-x");
+        BackendQuarantine.Status first = quarantine.status("cred-x").orElseThrow(
+                () -> new AssertionError("credential must be quarantined immediately after quarantine()"));
+        assertEquals(1, first.repeatCount(), "the first call is repeat #1");
+        assertEquals(COOLDOWN_SECONDS, first.remainingSeconds(),
+                "a fresh quarantine blocks for exactly the base cooldown");
+
+        // Second exhaustion, arriving just after the first deadline — well within one base cooldown
+        // of it, so this is a CONTINUATION of the same streak (repeat #2), not a fresh occurrence.
+        long firstDeadlineNanos = COOLDOWN_SECONDS * 1_000_000_000L;
+        ports.clockNanos.set(firstDeadlineNanos + 1);
+        quarantine.quarantine("cred-x");
+        BackendQuarantine.Status second = quarantine.status("cred-x").orElseThrow(
+                () -> new AssertionError("credential must be quarantined immediately after the second "
+                        + "quarantine() call"));
+        assertEquals(2, second.repeatCount(), "the second call, arriving within one base cooldown of "
+                + "the first deadline, continues the streak as repeat #2");
+
+        // The one behavioural difference: withEscalation doubles the cooldown on repeat #2 (capped
+        // well above this at 12x base), the flat two-argument constructor never grows past the base
+        // cooldown no matter how many times quarantine() is called in a row.
+        assertEquals(2 * COOLDOWN_SECONDS, second.remainingSeconds(),
+                "withEscalation's default backoff doubles the cooldown on the second consecutive "
+                        + "exhaustion — this is the exact call FleetdAssembly.java makes at the "
+                        + "BackendQuarantine.withEscalation(...) call site");
+        assertTrue(second.remainingSeconds() > first.remainingSeconds(),
+                "the flat two-argument BackendQuarantine constructor would report the SAME remaining "
+                        + "seconds both times — this inequality is what a mutation to the flat "
+                        + "constructor at that call site must fail");
+
+        // Also confirm isQuarantined/remainingSeconds agree, exercising the accessors a real caller
+        // (fleet_profiles / fleet_list, per BackendQuarantine's own class doc) actually reads.
+        assertTrue(quarantine.isQuarantined("cred-x"));
+        OptionalLong remaining = quarantine.remainingSeconds("cred-x");
+        assertTrue(remaining.isPresent());
+        assertEquals(2 * COOLDOWN_SECONDS, remaining.getAsLong());
+    }
+}

fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/FleetdBackendQuarantineWiringTest.java

@@ -1,65 +0,0 @@
-package dev.ltms.fleet;
-
-import java.nio.file.Files;
-import java.nio.file.Path;
-import org.junit.jupiter.api.DisplayName;
-import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
-
-import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertFalse;
-import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
-
-/**
- * fleetd #466 follow-up: {@code Fleetd.main} builds the daemon's one {@code BackendQuarantine}
- * from {@link dev.ltms.fleet.placement.BackendQuarantine#withEscalation(java.util.function.LongSupplier,
- * long)} — the escalating factory — rather than the plain two-argument constructor, which is still a
- * flat cooldown (kept for backward compatibility, see that class's doc). {@code
- * BackendQuarantineTest} proves {@code withEscalation} itself escalates, is ceilinged, and resets;
- * it says nothing about which one {@code main} actually calls.
- *
- * <p>Measured directly: reverting {@code main} to {@code new BackendQuarantine(System::nanoTime,
- * TimeUnit.SECONDS.toNanos(cfg.quarantineCooldownSeconds()))} — the pre-#466 flat call — compiles
- * with 0 errors and leaves the entire 1608-test suite (including every {@code BackendQuarantineTest}
- * case) green, because no other test constructs its {@code BackendQuarantine} through {@code main};
- * every one of them builds its own instance directly. That silent regression is exactly the shape
- * {@link FleetdLeadSeatWiringTest} and {@link FleetdCompletionResolverWiringTest} already guard
- * against for their own constructor arguments — this is the same class of gap for fleetd #466's
- * factory choice, following their approach.
- *
- * <p><b>This test checks source text, not runtime behaviour.</b> It never constructs a {@code
- * BackendQuarantine} and never runs {@code main} — a green result here proves only that the exact
- * text {@code main} calls {@code BackendQuarantine.withEscalation(...)} rather than the flat
- * constructor. It does not prove that call actually executes at startup (no test here starts the
- * daemon), and it does not prove the escalation reaches a real backend or credential — only
- * {@code BackendQuarantineTest} proves the factory's own behaviour, and only a live daemon proves
- * the wiring runs.
- */
-class FleetdBackendQuarantineWiringTest {
-
-    private static String fleetdSource() throws Exception {
-        return Files.readString(Path.of("src/main/java/dev/ltms/fleet/Fleetd.java"));
-    }
-
-    @Test
-    @DisplayName("[SOURCE TEXT] main's BackendQuarantine local is still built from BackendQuarantine.withEscalation(...)")
-    void mainStillWiresTheEscalatingQuarantineFactory() throws Exception {
-        String source = fleetdSource();
-        assertTrue(source.contains(
-                        "BackendQuarantine quarantine = BackendQuarantine.withEscalation(System::nanoTime,\n"
-                                + "                TimeUnit.SECONDS.toNanos(cfg.quarantineCooldownSeconds()));"),
-                "Fleetd.main's BackendQuarantine local must still be built from "
-                        + "BackendQuarantine.withEscalation(System::nanoTime, "
-                        + "TimeUnit.SECONDS.toNanos(cfg.quarantineCooldownSeconds())). Reverting to the flat "
-                        + "two-argument constructor (fleetd #466's measured regression) compiles with 0 errors "
-                        + "and leaves the whole suite green, including every BackendQuarantineTest case that "
-                        + "proves the escalation itself works — this source check is what must go red instead. "
-                        + "A reverted daemon would go back to retrying a weekly subscription limit on every "
-                        + "flat ~30-minute cooldown, about 336 times across the week.");
-
-        // Negative form of the same check: the pre-#466 flat call, if it ever reappears at this
-        // declaration, must not be mistaken for the escalating one by a looser positive-only check.
-        assertFalse(source.contains(
-                        "BackendQuarantine quarantine = new BackendQuarantine(System::nanoTime,\n"
-                                + "                TimeUnit.SECONDS.toNanos(cfg.quarantineCooldownSeconds()));"),
-                "main's BackendQuarantine local must never regress to the flat two-argument constructor");
-    }
-}

fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/FleetdCompletionResolverAssemblyTest.java

@@ -0,0 +1,307 @@
+package dev.ltms.fleet;
+
+import dev.ltms.fleet.config.ConfigRef;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.config.FleetConfig;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.guard.SubscriptionGuard;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.FakeHerdr;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.HerdrClient;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.inject.CompletionResolver;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.msg.Rendezvous;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.msg.TurnToken;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.placement.PlacementException;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.session.MemberSession;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.session.WorktreeRequest;
+import io.javalin.Javalin;
+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 java.util.concurrent.CompletableFuture;
+import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
+import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledExecutorService;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicLong;
+import java.util.function.LongSupplier;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertThrows;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
+
+/**
+ * fleetd #612 step 2, Unit B1 — replaces {@code FleetdCompletionResolverWiringTest} (deleted in
+ * this same commit), whose four tests read {@code Fleetd.java}'s source text and asserted the
+ * {@code CompletionResolver} construction call still named the right arguments. That proved the
+ * call site's spelling, never that the assembled resolver actually behaves differently when an
+ * argument is dropped.
+ *
+ * <p>These tests drive {@link FleetdAssembly#assembleAndStart} — the real boot composition,
+ * fleetd #612 Unit A — and read {@link FleetdRuntime#completion()}: the exact {@link
+ * CompletionResolver} instance the assembled daemon uses, never a copy built alongside it for the
+ * test's benefit. Two behaviours are pinned, matching the ticket's own two measured mutations:
+ *
+ * <ul>
+ *   <li>the 8th constructor argument ({@code Fleetd.worktreeBranchLookup(sessions::roster)}) —
+ *       {@link #assembledResolverReportsTheMembersWorktreeAndBranchInAFallbackReport}; and</li>
+ *   <li>the 5th/6th arguments ({@code backendErrorPatterns}, {@code backendErrorSink}, both
+ *       assigned from {@code Fleetd}'s extracted factories rather than an inline lambda) —
+ *       {@link #assembledResolverClassifiesAndCoolsOffOnAConfiguredBackendErrorPattern}.</li>
+ * </ul>
+ *
+ * <p>Both tests bypass {@link dev.ltms.fleet.inject.StatusPoller} and drive {@link
+ * CompletionResolver#onDelivered} / {@link CompletionResolver#resolveBeforePostAction} directly —
+ * the same public, synchronous entry points {@code CompletionResolverTest} uses — with a
+ * hand-built {@link CompletableFuture} waiter, so no real poller loop or herdr status poll is
+ * needed. The pane scrape comes from {@link FakeHerdr#readText}; the elapsed-time floor
+ * ({@code CompletionResolver.MIN_TURN_NANOS}) is controlled via a fake, advanceable {@link
+ * ResourcePorts#nanoClock()} rather than a real sleep.
+ */
+class FleetdCompletionResolverAssemblyTest {
+
+    /** Same shape as {@code FleetdAssemblyLifecycleTest}'s fake, plus a nanoClock this test can advance. */
+    private static final class ControllableResourcePorts implements ResourcePorts {
+
+        final FakeHerdr herdr;
+        final AtomicLong nowNanos = new AtomicLong(1_000_000_000L); // arbitrary non-zero start
+        Runnable shutdownHook;
+
+        ControllableResourcePorts(FakeHerdr herdr) {
+            this.herdr = herdr;
+        }
+
+        void advanceSeconds(long seconds) {
+            nowNanos.addAndGet(TimeUnit.SECONDS.toNanos(seconds));
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public Map<String, String> environment() {
+            return Map.of();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public HerdrClient connectHerdr(Path socketPath) {
+            return herdr;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public Fleetd.AmqpOpener replyInboxOpener() {
+            // Never invoked: this test's config has no `broker:` block, so Fleetd.selectReplyInbox
+            // returns the in-memory inbox before calling the opener at all.
+            return (uri, prefetch) -> {
+                throw new UnsupportedOperationException("replyInboxOpener must not be called — no broker: block");
+            };
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public Fleetd.LeadMailboxOpener leadMailboxOpener() {
+            // Never invoked: no `coordinator:` block configured either.
+            return (uri, selfCoordId, prefetch) -> {
+                throw new UnsupportedOperationException("leadMailboxOpener must not be called — no coordinator: block");
+            };
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public LongSupplier nanoClock() {
+            return nowNanos::get;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public LongSupplier wallClockNanos() {
+            return nowNanos::get;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public ScheduledExecutorService newScheduler(String purpose) {
+            return Executors.newSingleThreadScheduledExecutor();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void addShutdownHook(Runnable hook) {
+            this.shutdownHook = hook;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void startHttp(Javalin app, String host, int port) {
+            // Deliberately never bind a real port.
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static FleetConfig writeConfig(Path dir, String profilesYaml, String extraGuardHost,
+                                            String worktreeRootYamlLine) throws Exception {
+        Path f = dir.resolve("fleetd.yaml");
+        Files.writeString(f, """
+                bind:
+                  host: 127.0.0.1
+                  port: 8765
+                idleSleepGuard:
+                  enabled: false
+                %s
+                profiles:
+                %s
+                guard:
+                  offSubscriptionHosts:
+                    - %s
+                """.formatted(worktreeRootYamlLine == null ? "" : worktreeRootYamlLine, profilesYaml, extraGuardHost));
+        return FleetConfig.load(f);
+    }
+
+    private static void gitQuiet(Path cwd, String... args) throws Exception {
+        List<String> cmd = new java.util.ArrayList<>(List.of("git"));
+        cmd.addAll(List.of(args));
+        Process p = new ProcessBuilder(cmd).directory(cwd.toFile()).redirectErrorStream(true).start();
+        String out = new String(p.getInputStream().readAllBytes());
+        assertTrue(p.waitFor(30, TimeUnit.SECONDS), "git timed out: git " + String.join(" ", args));
+        assertEquals(0, p.exitValue(), "git " + String.join(" ", args) + " failed:\n" + out);
+    }
+
+    private static Path initRepo(Path dir) throws Exception {
+        Files.createDirectories(dir);
+        gitQuiet(dir, "init", "-q", "-b", "main");
+        gitQuiet(dir, "config", "user.email", "test@example.invalid");
+        gitQuiet(dir, "config", "user.name", "Test");
+        Files.writeString(dir.resolve("README.md"), "seed\n");
+        gitQuiet(dir, "add", "README.md");
+        gitQuiet(dir, "commit", "-q", "-m", "seed");
+        return dir;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * fleetd #248's first measured mutation: replacing {@code CompletionResolver}'s 8th constructor
+     * argument with the inert {@code _ -> null} compiles clean and leaves every existing test green
+     * — it silently drops fleetd #241's fallback-report location. This drives the real assembled
+     * resolver through a member echoing its own injected brief back (no {@code fleet_reply}), which
+     * resolves via {@code noReportMessage(target)}, and proves the real member's {@code branch} —
+     * only obtainable via {@code Fleetd.worktreeBranchLookup(sessions::roster)} reading the real,
+     * worktree-provisioned {@link MemberSession} — appears in the reported text.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void assembledResolverReportsTheMembersWorktreeAndBranchInAFallbackReport(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        Path repo = initRepo(dir.resolve("repo"));
+        FleetConfig cfg = writeConfig(dir, """
+                  wtprofile:
+                    baseUrl: http://wthost.local:8000
+                    model: sonnet
+                """, "wthost.local", "worktreeRoot: " + dir.resolve("wts"));
+        ConfigRef config = new ConfigRef(dir.resolve("fleetd.yaml"), cfg);
+        SubscriptionGuard guard = new SubscriptionGuard(cfg.guard().hostSet());
+        ControllableResourcePorts ports = new ControllableResourcePorts(new FakeHerdr());
+
+        FleetdRuntime runtime = FleetdAssembly.assembleAndStart(new AssemblyInputs(cfg, config, guard), ports);
+        try {
+            MemberSession session = runtime.sessions().acquire("wtprofile", repo.toString(), repo.toString(),
+                    null, new WorktreeRequest("fleetd-612-b1", null));
+            String target = session.terminalId();
+            String branch = session.branch();
+            assertTrue(branch != null && branch.startsWith("worker/"),
+                    "sanity: a worktree-provisioned session must carry a real branch, got: " + branch);
+
+            CompletionResolver completion = runtime.completion();
+            CompletableFuture<Rendezvous.Resolution> waiter = new CompletableFuture<>();
+            String echoedBrief = "z".repeat(450); // >= CompletionResolver.ECHO_MIN_CHARS normalised chars
+
+            ports.herdr.readText("idle, nothing yet");
+            completion.onDelivered(target, new TurnToken(target, waiter, echoedBrief));
+
+            ports.herdr.readText(echoedBrief); // the pane just echoes the injected brief back — no real report
+            ports.advanceSeconds(3); // clear CompletionResolver.MIN_TURN_NANOS (2s) without a real sleep
+            completion.resolveBeforePostAction(target);
+
+            Rendezvous.Resolution resolution = waiter.getNow(null);
+            assertTrue(resolution != null, "the waiter must have resolved synchronously");
+            assertEquals(Rendezvous.Kind.COMPLETION, resolution.kind());
+            assertTrue(resolution.text().contains(CompletionResolver.NO_REPORT_PREFIX),
+                    "sanity: must have gone down the noReportMessage sub-path: " + resolution.text());
+            assertTrue(resolution.text().contains("branch=" + branch),
+                    "the assembled resolver must report the member's real branch (fleetd #241 via "
+                            + "fleetd #248's worktreeBranchLookup wiring); got: " + resolution.text());
+        } finally {
+            if (ports.shutdownHook != null) ports.shutdownHook.run();
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * fleetd #248's second measured mutation, and fleetd#201 Unit 5's own gap: replacing {@code
+     * backendErrorPatterns}/{@code backendErrorSink} with {@code BackendErrorPatternLookup.legacy()}
+     * / {@code BackendErrorSink.none()} compiles clean and leaves every existing behavioural test
+     * green.
+     *
+     * <p>Classification proof: this test's profile configures {@code errorPattern: "credential
+     * outage"} — text the built-in {@code (?i)\bAPI Error\s*:} fallback ({@code legacy()}'s only
+     * behaviour) never matches. So a real {@code Fleetd.backendErrorPatternLookup(...)} wiring
+     * classifies the send as {@code FAILED}; {@code legacy()} would fall through to the plain
+     * completion path instead ({@code Kind.COMPLETION}).
+     *
+     * <p>Cool-off proof: two distinct targets on the same profile/credential each classified as a
+     * backend error inside the 60s window must cool the credential off ({@link
+     * dev.ltms.fleet.placement.BackendOutagePolicy}, fleetd#201 Unit 5) — observable two ways: (1)
+     * the real {@code Fleetd.backendErrorSink(...)} marks each session {@code BACKEND_ERROR} (only
+     * the real sink calls {@code sessions.onBackendError}; {@code BackendErrorSink.none()} never
+     * does), and (2) a third explicit-profile spawn attempt is refused with a {@link
+     * PlacementException} naming the cool-off — only reachable because the real sink's {@code
+     * outagePolicy.record(...)} call actually ran.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void assembledResolverClassifiesAndCoolsOffOnAConfiguredBackendErrorPattern(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        FleetConfig cfg = writeConfig(dir, """
+                  coolprofile:
+                    baseUrl: http://coolhost.local:8000
+                    model: sonnet
+                    errorPattern: "credential outage"
+                """, "coolhost.local", null);
+        ConfigRef config = new ConfigRef(dir.resolve("fleetd.yaml"), cfg);
+        SubscriptionGuard guard = new SubscriptionGuard(cfg.guard().hostSet());
+        ControllableResourcePorts ports = new ControllableResourcePorts(new FakeHerdr());
+
+        FleetdRuntime runtime = FleetdAssembly.assembleAndStart(new AssemblyInputs(cfg, config, guard), ports);
+        try {
+            MemberSession session1 = runtime.sessions().acquire("coolprofile", null, dir.toString(), null);
+            MemberSession session2 = runtime.sessions().acquire("coolprofile", null, dir.toString(), null);
+            String target1 = session1.terminalId();
+            String target2 = session2.terminalId();
+            assertTrue(!target1.equals(target2), "sanity: the two spawns must be distinct targets");
+
+            CompletionResolver completion = runtime.completion();
+
+            CompletableFuture<Rendezvous.Resolution> waiter1 = new CompletableFuture<>();
+            ports.herdr.readText("idle 1");
+            completion.onDelivered(target1, new TurnToken(target1, waiter1, null));
+            ports.herdr.readText("credential outage: upstream 503");
+            ports.advanceSeconds(3);
+            completion.resolveBeforePostAction(target1);
+            Rendezvous.Resolution resolution1 = waiter1.getNow(null);
+            assertTrue(resolution1 != null, "target1's waiter must have resolved synchronously");
+            assertEquals(Rendezvous.Kind.FAILED, resolution1.kind(),
+                    "a configured errorPattern the built-in fallback never matches must classify as "
+                            + "a backend error, not a plain completion; got: " + resolution1);
+            assertTrue(resolution1.text().contains("credential outage: upstream 503"), resolution1.text());
+
+            CompletableFuture<Rendezvous.Resolution> waiter2 = new CompletableFuture<>();
+            ports.herdr.readText("idle 2");
+            completion.onDelivered(target2, new TurnToken(target2, waiter2, null));
+            ports.herdr.readText("credential outage: upstream 503 again");
+            ports.advanceSeconds(3);
+            completion.resolveBeforePostAction(target2);
+            Rendezvous.Resolution resolution2 = waiter2.getNow(null);
+            assertTrue(resolution2 != null, "target2's waiter must have resolved synchronously");
+            assertEquals(Rendezvous.Kind.FAILED, resolution2.kind());
+
+            List<MemberSession> roster = runtime.sessions().roster();
+            assertTrue(roster.stream().anyMatch(s -> target1.equals(s.terminalId())
+                            && s.state() == MemberSession.State.BACKEND_ERROR),
+                    "the real backendErrorSink must have transitioned target1 to BACKEND_ERROR: " + roster);
+            assertTrue(roster.stream().anyMatch(s -> target2.equals(s.terminalId())
+                            && s.state() == MemberSession.State.BACKEND_ERROR),
+                    "the real backendErrorSink must have transitioned target2 to BACKEND_ERROR: " + roster);
+
+            PlacementException coolOff = assertThrows(PlacementException.class,
+                    () -> runtime.sessions().acquire("coolprofile", null, dir.toString(), null),
+                    "two distinct targets classified within the 60s window must cool the credential "
+                            + "off (BackendOutagePolicy), refusing a third explicit-profile spawn");
+            assertTrue(coolOff.getMessage().contains("cooling off"), coolOff.getMessage());
+        } finally {
+            if (ports.shutdownHook != null) ports.shutdownHook.run();
+        }
+    }
+}

fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/FleetdCompletionResolverWiringTest.java

@@ -1,89 +0,0 @@
-package dev.ltms.fleet;
-
-import java.nio.file.Files;
-import java.nio.file.Path;
-import org.junit.jupiter.api.DisplayName;
-import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
-
-import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertFalse;
-import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
-
-/**
- * fleetd #248: this is the test that was actually missing. {@code Fleetd.main} builds its {@code
- * CompletionResolver} from an 8-argument constructor, and the ticket's own measurement proved two
- * ways to silently unwire it — both compiled with 0 errors and left every existing test green:
- *
- * <ul>
- *   <li>replacing the worktree/branch argument (the 8th) with {@code _ -> null} — drops
- *       fleetd#241's fallback-report location entirely;</li>
- *   <li>replacing {@code backendErrorPatterns, backendErrorSink} (5th/6th) with {@code
- *       BackendErrorPatternLookup.legacy(), BackendErrorSink.none()} — drops fleetd#201 Unit 5's
- *       backend-error classification and cool-off entirely.</li>
- * </ul>
- *
- * <p>Neither mutation could be caught by any test that constructs its own {@code
- * CompletionResolver} (every test before this one did exactly that) or by a test of {@link
- * Fleetd#worktreeBranchLookup}, {@link Fleetd#backendErrorPatternLookup}, or {@link
- * Fleetd#backendErrorSink} in isolation (see {@code FleetdWorktreeBranchLookupTest}, {@code
- * FleetdBackendErrorPatternLookupTest}, {@code FleetdBackendErrorSinkTest}) — those prove the
- * factories work, never that {@code main} still calls them. This class is a plain source-text
- * assertion on {@code Fleetd.java} — crude, but honest about what it checks, and it turns red the
- * instant the wiring is dropped, mirroring the same fallback shape {@link
- * FleetdFleetAppConstructionTest} already uses for a different constructor argument.
- *
- * <p><b>This test checks source text, not runtime behaviour.</b> It never constructs a {@code
- * CompletionResolver} and never runs {@code main}.
- */
-class FleetdCompletionResolverWiringTest {
-
-    private static String fleetdSource() throws Exception {
-        return Files.readString(Path.of("src/main/java/dev/ltms/fleet/Fleetd.java"));
-    }
-
-    @Test
-    @DisplayName("[SOURCE TEXT] CompletionResolver's construction call still names backendErrorPatterns and backendErrorSink")
-    void backendErrorArgumentsAreStillNamedAtTheCallSite() throws Exception {
-        String source = fleetdSource();
-        assertTrue(source.contains(
-                        "exhaustionSink, backendErrorPatterns, backendErrorSink, System::nanoTime,"),
-                "CompletionResolver's construction call must still pass backendErrorPatterns and "
-                        + "backendErrorSink as its 5th/6th arguments. Replacing them with "
-                        + "BackendErrorPatternLookup.legacy()/BackendErrorSink.none() (fleetd #248's measured "
-                        + "mutation) compiles with 0 errors and leaves every behavioural test green — this "
-                        + "source check is what must go red instead.");
-    }
-
-    @Test
-    @DisplayName("[SOURCE TEXT] CompletionResolver's construction call still passes worktreeBranchLookup(sessions::roster)")
-    void worktreeBranchLookupIsStillPassedAtTheCallSite() throws Exception {
-        String source = fleetdSource();
-        assertTrue(source.contains("worktreeBranchLookup(sessions::roster)"),
-                "CompletionResolver's construction call must still pass worktreeBranchLookup(sessions::roster) "
-                        + "as its 8th (last) argument. Replacing it with the inert `_ -> null` (fleetd #248's "
-                        + "other measured mutation) compiles with 0 errors and leaves every behavioural test "
-                        + "green — this source check is what must go red instead.");
-        assertFalse(source.contains("System::nanoTime,\n                _ -> null"),
-                "the worktree/branch argument must never regress to the inert `_ -> null` literal");
-    }
-
-    @Test
-    @DisplayName("[SOURCE TEXT] backendErrorPatterns is assigned from the extracted backendErrorPatternLookup(...) factory")
-    void backendErrorPatternsComesFromTheFactory() throws Exception {
-        String source = fleetdSource();
-        assertTrue(source.contains(
-                        "BackendErrorPatternLookup backendErrorPatterns = backendErrorPatternLookup(sessions::roster,"),
-                "backendErrorPatterns must be assigned from Fleetd.backendErrorPatternLookup(...), not an "
-                        + "inline lambda that a source check on the CompletionResolver call alone cannot see "
-                        + "through");
-    }
-
-    @Test
-    @DisplayName("[SOURCE TEXT] backendErrorSink is assigned from the extracted backendErrorSink(...) factory")
-    void backendErrorSinkComesFromTheFactory() throws Exception {
-        String source = fleetdSource();
-        assertTrue(source.contains(
-                        "BackendErrorSink backendErrorSink = backendErrorSink(sessions, () -> config.get().profiles(),"),
-                "backendErrorSink must be assigned from Fleetd.backendErrorSink(...), not an inline lambda "
-                        + "that a source check on the CompletionResolver call alone cannot see through");
-    }
-}

fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/FleetdConnectionIdentityConstructionTest.java

@@ -1,31 +0,0 @@
-package dev.ltms.fleet;
-
-import java.nio.file.Files;
-import java.nio.file.Path;
-import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
-
-import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertFalse;
-import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
-
-/**
- * CB-185: {@code ConnectionIdentity} must resolve a caller's pane on EITHER herdr daemon (a
- * lead's MCP connection resolves against the lead daemon; a member's against the member daemon).
- * Pinning {@code PaneLocator} to {@code memberHerdr} alone — the bug this guards against — leaves
- * every lead's own connection unresolvable ({@code callerTerminal == null}) the moment
- * {@code memberHerdrSocket} names a second daemon, which breaks {@code fleet_reply}/{@code
- * fleet_ask} and {@code fleet_whoami} for a lead. A unit test on {@link
- * dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.PaneLocator} alone (see {@code PaneLocatorTest}) proves the class CAN
- * search two clients, but not that {@code Fleetd.main} actually wires it that way — hence this
- * source-level assertion, the same technique {@code FleetdHerdrControlConstructionTest} uses.
- */
-class FleetdConnectionIdentityConstructionTest {
-    @Test
-    void connectionIdentitySearchesBothDaemonsNotJustTheMemberOne() throws Exception {
-        String source = Files.readString(Path.of("src/main/java/dev/ltms/fleet/Fleetd.java"));
-        assertFalse(source.contains("new PaneLocator(memberHerdr)"),
-                "PaneLocator must not be pinned to the member daemon alone — a lead's own "
-                        + "connection resolves against the LEAD daemon and would never be found");
-        assertTrue(source.contains("new PaneLocator(herdr, memberHerdr)"),
-                "PaneLocator must search the lead daemon first, then the member daemon");
-    }
-}

fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/FleetdFleetAppConstructionTest.java

@@ -1,29 +0,0 @@
-package dev.ltms.fleet;
-
-import java.nio.file.Files;
-import java.nio.file.Path;
-import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
-
-import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertFalse;
-import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
-
-/**
- * CB-185: {@code FleetApp} must be constructed with BOTH herdr clients (the lead's and the
- * member's), never the raw lead-only {@code herdr}. Passing only {@code herdr} — the bug this
- * guards against — makes {@code GET /healthz} green while the member daemon is down (so every
- * spawn fails invisibly) and silently drops every member workspace from {@code GET /sessions}.
- * A behavioural test on {@code FleetApp} alone (see {@code FleetAppTwoDaemonTest}) proves the
- * class merges/gates correctly when given two clients, but not that {@code Fleetd.main} actually
- * passes it two — hence this source-level assertion, mirroring
- * {@code FleetdHerdrControlConstructionTest}.
- */
-class FleetdFleetAppConstructionTest {
-    @Test
-    void fleetAppIsConstructedWithBothHerdrDaemons() throws Exception {
-        String source = Files.readString(Path.of("src/main/java/dev/ltms/fleet/Fleetd.java"));
-        assertFalse(source.contains("new FleetApp(herdr, workers,"),
-                "FleetApp must not be constructed with the lead-only herdr client");
-        assertTrue(source.contains("new FleetApp(herdr, memberHerdr, workers,"),
-                "FleetApp must be constructed with both the lead and the member herdr client");
-    }
-}

fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/FleetdLeadConfigDirLookupTest.java

@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+package dev.ltms.fleet;
+
+import dev.ltms.fleet.config.FleetConfig;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.DisplayName;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+
+import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.function.Function;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertNull;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
+
+/**
+ * fleetd #602 gauge-wiring: {@link Fleetd#leadConfigDirLookup} is the factory {@code Fleetd.main}
+ * wires into {@code FleetMcp.LeadConfigDirSource} so {@code fleet_list}'s {@code context} row reads
+ * the transcript directory a lead's OWN profile actually writes to, instead of always falling back
+ * to the built-in {@code <user.home>/.claude} default (see {@code LeadContextGauge}).
+ *
+ * <p>{@code FleetMcpLeadContextGaugeWiringTest} proves the directory this factory returns is what
+ * actually gets read; this class proves the factory's own matching logic — the same
+ * {@code fleet.leaders.<name>.profile} link {@code Fleetd.leadSeatLookup} already follows (see
+ * {@code FleetdLeadSeatLookupTest}), one step further to that profile's own {@code configDir:}.
+ */
+class FleetdLeadConfigDirLookupTest {
+
+    private static FleetConfig.Profile profileWithConfigDir(String name, String configDir) {
+        return new FleetConfig.Profile(name, null, "claude-sonnet-5", configDir, null, null,
+                "tab", "fleet", "w #{n}", null, null, null, null, null, null, null,
+                null, 3, true, null, null, null);
+    }
+
+    private static FleetConfig.Leader leadOnProfile(String profile) {
+        return new FleetConfig.Leader(profile, "lead: primary", 1, "lead:", 10, "claude", "claude-sonnet-5");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("a lead on a profile that sets configDir resolves to that directory")
+    void leadOnAProfileWithConfigDirResolvesToIt() {
+        Map<String, FleetConfig.Profile> profiles = Map.of("opus", profileWithConfigDir("opus", "/mnt/opus-claude"));
+        Map<String, FleetConfig.Leader> leaders = Map.of("primary", leadOnProfile("opus"));
+        Function<String, String> lookup = Fleetd.leadConfigDirLookup(() -> profiles, leaders);
+
+        assertEquals("/mnt/opus-claude", lookup.apply("primary"));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("changing the config from directory A to directory B changes what the lookup reports")
+    void configChangeFromDirectoryAToDirectoryBChangesTheAnswer() {
+        java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicReference<Map<String, FleetConfig.Profile>> profilesRef =
+                new java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicReference<>(
+                        Map.of("opus", profileWithConfigDir("opus", "/mnt/dir-a")));
+        Map<String, FleetConfig.Leader> leaders = Map.of("primary", leadOnProfile("opus"));
+        Function<String, String> lookup = Fleetd.leadConfigDirLookup(profilesRef::get, leaders);
+
+        assertEquals("/mnt/dir-a", lookup.apply("primary"), "must read directory A before the config changes");
+
+        profilesRef.set(Map.of("opus", profileWithConfigDir("opus", "/mnt/dir-b")));
+        assertEquals("/mnt/dir-b", lookup.apply("primary"), "must read directory B once the LIVE config changes — "
+                + "a lookup that snapshotted the profile map at construction would still answer directory A here");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("a lead entry with no `profile:` (recognise-only) resolves to null, not a thrown exception")
+    void recogniseOnlyLeadWithNoProfileResolvesToNull() {
+        Map<String, FleetConfig.Profile> profiles = Map.of("opus", profileWithConfigDir("opus", "/mnt/opus-claude"));
+        FleetConfig.Leader recogniseOnly = new FleetConfig.Leader(null, "lead: primary", 1, "lead:", 10,
+                "claude", "claude-sonnet-5");
+        Map<String, FleetConfig.Leader> leaders = Map.of("primary", recogniseOnly);
+        Function<String, String> lookup = Fleetd.leadConfigDirLookup(() -> profiles, leaders);
+
+        assertNull(lookup.apply("primary"));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("a lead naming a profile that is not configured resolves to null, not a thrown exception")
+    void leadOnAnUnconfiguredProfileResolvesToNull() {
+        Map<String, FleetConfig.Leader> leaders = Map.of("primary", leadOnProfile("ghost-profile"));
+        Function<String, String> lookup = Fleetd.leadConfigDirLookup(Map::of, leaders);
+
+        assertNull(lookup.apply("primary"));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("a lead on a profile that sets no configDir override resolves to null")
+    void leadOnAProfileWithNoConfigDirResolvesToNull() {
+        Map<String, FleetConfig.Profile> profiles = Map.of("opus", profileWithConfigDir("opus", null));
+        Map<String, FleetConfig.Leader> leaders = Map.of("primary", leadOnProfile("opus"));
+        Function<String, String> lookup = Fleetd.leadConfigDirLookup(() -> profiles, leaders);
+
+        assertNull(lookup.apply("primary"));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("an unrecognised lead name resolves to null, not a thrown exception")
+    void unrecognisedLeadNameResolvesToNull() {
+        Function<String, String> lookup = Fleetd.leadConfigDirLookup(Map::of, Map.of());
+
+        assertNull(lookup.apply("ghost-lead"));
+    }
+}

fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/FleetdLeadConfigDirSourceWiringTest.java

@@ -0,0 +1,98 @@
+package dev.ltms.fleet;
+
+import dev.ltms.fleet.config.FleetConfig;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.mcp.FleetMcp;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.DisplayName;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+
+import java.util.Map;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertNull;
+
+/**
+ * fleetd #602 gauge-wiring follow-up (PR #606 review comment 17353): {@code Fleetd.main}'s {@code
+ * LeadConfigDirSource} local used to be a bare {@code new FleetMcp.LeadConfigDirSource(
+ * leadConfigDirLookup(...))} built inline, with nothing a test could call directly. Measured on
+ * that shape: replacing the whole expression with {@code FleetMcp.LeadConfigDirSource.none()} at
+ * the call site compiled with 0 errors and left the full 1822-test suite green — the daemon could
+ * be changed to always report every lead's context as {@code UNKNOWN}, forever, and no test would
+ * notice. That is the same hand-built-vs-config-wired shape as fleetd #561/#248/#426/#562
+ * ({@code FleetdLoopHealthSourceWiringTest}).
+ *
+ * <p>{@code FleetMcpLeadContextGaugeWiringTest} and {@code FleetdLeadConfigDirLookupTest} both
+ * predate this class and are both still correct — but neither can catch the mutation above. One
+ * builds its own {@code FleetMcp} and hands it its own {@code LeadConfigDirSource}; the other
+ * builds its own lookup and calls {@link Fleetd#leadConfigDirLookup} directly. Neither one ever
+ * calls the thing {@code Fleetd.main} actually calls.
+ *
+ * <p>The fix extracts the inline {@code new} into {@link Fleetd#leadConfigDirSource}, a
+ * package-private factory in the same style as {@link Fleetd#loopHealthSource}/{@link
+ * Fleetd#capacitySource}/{@link Fleetd#healthCoverageSource} — which is exactly what makes it
+ * directly callable here. This test calls that factory with real {@link FleetConfig.Profile}/
+ * {@link FleetConfig.Leader} fixtures (the same shapes {@code FleetdLeadConfigDirLookupTest}
+ * already uses) and asserts the returned source resolves a real {@code configDir} — a property
+ * that would be false if {@link Fleetd#leadConfigDirSource} were mutated to {@code return
+ * FleetMcp.LeadConfigDirSource.none();}. Measured: mutating exactly that line makes
+ * {@link #resolvesTheRealConfiguredConfigDir()} fail ({@code expected: </mnt/opus-claude> but was:
+ * <null>}); restoring it makes the whole suite green again.
+ *
+ * <p><b>What this class does not and cannot cover.</b> {@code main}'s own line —
+ * {@code leadConfigDirSource(() -> config.get().profiles(), leaders)} — could itself be swapped
+ * for a bare {@code FleetMcp.LeadConfigDirSource.none()}, bypassing this factory entirely. Measured:
+ * that exact mutation compiles with 0 errors and leaves every test in this file, and the full
+ * 1825-test suite, green. {@link Fleetd#loopHealthSource}'s own wiring test has the identical gap
+ * for its own one-line call in {@code main} — no test in this codebase calls {@code Fleetd.main}
+ * far enough to observe which factory call it made. This class narrows the gap from "nothing tests
+ * the wiring" (the pre-extraction state this ticket found) to "the factory's own logic is pinned,
+ * and main's call to it is a one-line, visually-verifiable delegation" — the same standard already
+ * accepted for {@code loopHealthSource}/{@code capacitySource}/{@code healthCoverageSource}.
+ */
+class FleetdLeadConfigDirSourceWiringTest {
+
+    private static FleetConfig.Profile profileWithConfigDir(String name, String configDir) {
+        return new FleetConfig.Profile(name, null, "claude-sonnet-5", configDir, null, null,
+                "tab", "fleet", "w #{n}", null, null, null, null, null, null, null,
+                null, 3, true, null, null, null);
+    }
+
+    private static FleetConfig.Leader leadOnProfile(String profile) {
+        return new FleetConfig.Leader(profile, "lead: primary", 1, "lead:", 10, "claude", "claude-sonnet-5");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("the returned source resolves the lead's REAL configured configDir, not a hardcoded null")
+    void resolvesTheRealConfiguredConfigDir() {
+        Map<String, FleetConfig.Profile> profiles = Map.of("opus", profileWithConfigDir("opus", "/mnt/opus-claude"));
+        Map<String, FleetConfig.Leader> leaders = Map.of("primary", leadOnProfile("opus"));
+
+        FleetMcp.LeadConfigDirSource source = Fleetd.leadConfigDirSource(() -> profiles, leaders);
+
+        assertEquals("/mnt/opus-claude", source.configDirFor().apply("primary"),
+                "the configDirFor function must delegate to the real leadConfigDirLookup — mutating "
+                        + "Fleetd.leadConfigDirSource's own body to `return FleetMcp.LeadConfigDirSource.none();` "
+                        + "must fail this assertion (measured: it does — see this test's class javadoc for the "
+                        + "companion measurement on main's one-line call to this factory, which this assertion "
+                        + "does not and structurally cannot cover)");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("a lead on a profile with no configDir override still resolves to null, not a crash")
+    void leadWithNoConfigDirOverrideResolvesToNull() {
+        Map<String, FleetConfig.Profile> profiles = Map.of("opus", profileWithConfigDir("opus", null));
+        Map<String, FleetConfig.Leader> leaders = Map.of("primary", leadOnProfile("opus"));
+
+        FleetMcp.LeadConfigDirSource source = Fleetd.leadConfigDirSource(() -> profiles, leaders);
+
+        assertNull(source.configDirFor().apply("primary"),
+                "no configDir: override configured ⇒ null, so LeadContextGauge falls back to its own default");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("an unrecognised lead name resolves to null, not a thrown exception")
+    void unrecognisedLeadNameResolvesToNull() {
+        FleetMcp.LeadConfigDirSource source = Fleetd.leadConfigDirSource(Map::of, Map.of());
+
+        assertNull(source.configDirFor().apply("ghost-lead"));
+    }
+}

fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/FleetdLeadContextLookupTest.java

@@ -0,0 +1,156 @@
+package dev.ltms.fleet;
+
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.JsonNode;
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.AgentControl;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.HerdrClient;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.HerdrException;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.lead.LeadContextGauge;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.DisplayName;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.io.TempDir;
+
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
+import java.nio.file.Files;
+import java.nio.file.Path;
+import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.function.Function;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertDoesNotThrow;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertNull;
+
+/**
+ * fleetd #609: {@link Fleetd#leadContextLookup} is the factory {@code Fleetd.main} wires into
+ * {@code LeadHeartbeatLoop.LeadContextSource} so the idle-lead heartbeat can read a lead's own
+ * {@link LeadContextGauge} reading by its terminal id. Three hops: terminal → lead name (unknown ⇒
+ * UNKNOWN), lead name → configDir, and {@code agents.get(terminal)} for the live session id and
+ * agent type the gauge itself needs — a herdr failure on that last hop must degrade to UNKNOWN, not
+ * throw and kill the heartbeat's own tick.
+ *
+ * <p>{@code AgentControl.agentCall} resolves a {@code term_}-prefixed target's pane id via a first
+ * {@code agent.list} round trip (see its own javadoc); this class's terminal id deliberately does
+ * NOT start with {@code term_} so the stub {@link HerdrClient} below only needs to answer
+ * {@code agent.get} — the one call this factory actually depends on.
+ */
+class FleetdLeadContextLookupTest {
+
+    private static final String LEAD_TERMINAL = "leadpane1";
+    private static final String LEAD_NAME = "opus";
+    private static final String SESSION_ID = "sess-609-happy-path";
+
+    private static String usageLine(long tokens) {
+        return "{\"type\":\"assistant\",\"message\":{\"role\":\"assistant\",\"usage\":{"
+                + "\"input_tokens\":" + tokens + ",\"cache_read_input_tokens\":0,\"cache_creation_input_tokens\":0}}}";
+    }
+
+    /** Lays out {@code <configDir>/projects/<anySlug>/<sessionId>.jsonl} carrying one usage record. */
+    private static void writeTranscript(Path configDir, String sessionId, long tokens) throws IOException {
+        Path projectDir = configDir.resolve("projects").resolve("some-project-slug");
+        Files.createDirectories(projectDir);
+        Files.writeString(projectDir.resolve(sessionId + ".jsonl"), usageLine(tokens) + "\n", StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+    }
+
+    /** An {@link AgentControl} whose every {@code agent.get} answers with the given session/type/status. */
+    private static AgentControl agentControlStub(String sessionId, String agentType, String status) {
+        HerdrClient client = new HerdrClient() {
+            @Override
+            public JsonNode call(String method, Object params) {
+                if (!"agent.get".equals(method)) {
+                    throw new HerdrException("stub has no canned response for " + method);
+                }
+                try {
+                    String sessionField = sessionId == null ? ""
+                            : ",\"agent_session\":{\"kind\":\"id\",\"value\":\"" + sessionId + "\"}";
+                    String agentField = agentType == null ? "null" : "\"" + agentType + "\"";
+                    return new ObjectMapper().readTree(("""
+                        {"type":"agent_info","agent":{"terminal_id":"%s","agent":%s,
+                          "agent_status":"%s"%s}}""")
+                            .formatted(LEAD_TERMINAL, agentField, status, sessionField));
+                } catch (Exception e) {
+                    throw new HerdrException("stub decode failed", e);
+                }
+            }
+
+            @Override
+            public void close() {
+            }
+        };
+        return new AgentControl(client);
+    }
+
+    /** An {@link AgentControl} whose every herdr call fails — models a herdr hiccup mid-tick. */
+    private static AgentControl throwingAgentControl() {
+        HerdrClient client = new HerdrClient() {
+            @Override
+            public JsonNode call(String method, Object params) {
+                throw new HerdrException("herdr unreachable (stub)");
+            }
+
+            @Override
+            public void close() {
+            }
+        };
+        return new AgentControl(client);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("an unrecognised terminal resolves to UNKNOWN, not a thrown exception")
+    void unrecognisedTerminalResolvesToUnknown() {
+        Function<String, LeadContextGauge.Reading> lookup = Fleetd.leadContextLookup(
+                new LeadContextGauge(), throwingAgentControl(), Map::of, name -> null);
+
+        LeadContextGauge.Reading reading = assertDoesNotThrow(() -> lookup.apply("ghost-terminal"));
+
+        assertEquals(LeadContextGauge.State.UNKNOWN, reading.state());
+        assertNull(reading.tokens());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("agents.get throwing degrades to UNKNOWN, no exception escapes")
+    void agentsGetThrowingDegradesToUnknown() {
+        Map<String, String> liveLeadTerminals = Map.of(LEAD_TERMINAL, LEAD_NAME);
+        Function<String, LeadContextGauge.Reading> lookup = Fleetd.leadContextLookup(
+                new LeadContextGauge(), throwingAgentControl(), () -> liveLeadTerminals, name -> null);
+
+        LeadContextGauge.Reading reading = assertDoesNotThrow(() -> lookup.apply(LEAD_TERMINAL));
+
+        assertEquals(LeadContextGauge.State.UNKNOWN, reading.state(),
+                "a herdr failure resolving the live agent must degrade to UNKNOWN, never kill the heartbeat's tick");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("the happy path resolves the configDir, sessionId and agentType through to the gauge")
+    void happyPathPassesResolvedFactsThroughToTheGauge(@TempDir Path tmp) throws IOException {
+        writeTranscript(tmp, SESSION_ID, 12_345);
+        Map<String, String> liveLeadTerminals = Map.of(LEAD_TERMINAL, LEAD_NAME);
+        AgentControl agents = agentControlStub(SESSION_ID, "claude", "idle");
+        Function<String, LeadContextGauge.Reading> lookup = Fleetd.leadContextLookup(
+                new LeadContextGauge(), agents, () -> liveLeadTerminals,
+                name -> LEAD_NAME.equals(name) ? tmp.toString() : null);
+
+        LeadContextGauge.Reading reading = lookup.apply(LEAD_TERMINAL);
+
+        assertEquals(LeadContextGauge.State.OK, reading.state(),
+                "the resolved configDir + the live agent's own sessionId/agentType must reach the gauge — "
+                        + "a wrong hop anywhere in the chain would read no transcript and report UNKNOWN instead");
+        assertEquals(12_345L, reading.tokens());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("a lead whose agent type is not claude still resolves to UNKNOWN, never a crash")
+    void nonClaudeAgentTypeResolvesToUnknown(@TempDir Path tmp) throws IOException {
+        writeTranscript(tmp, SESSION_ID, 12_345);
+        Map<String, String> liveLeadTerminals = Map.of(LEAD_TERMINAL, LEAD_NAME);
+        AgentControl agents = agentControlStub(SESSION_ID, "opencode", "idle");
+        Function<String, LeadContextGauge.Reading> lookup = Fleetd.leadContextLookup(
+                new LeadContextGauge(), agents, () -> liveLeadTerminals,
+                name -> LEAD_NAME.equals(name) ? tmp.toString() : null);
+
+        LeadContextGauge.Reading reading = lookup.apply(LEAD_TERMINAL);
+
+        assertEquals(LeadContextGauge.State.UNKNOWN, reading.state(),
+                "the agentType hop must reach the gauge too — a non-claude peer must not be misread as claude");
+    }
+}

fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/FleetdLeadContextSourceWiringTest.java

@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+package dev.ltms.fleet;
+
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.JsonNode;
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.AgentControl;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.HerdrClient;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.HerdrException;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.lead.LeadContextGauge;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.msg.LeadHeartbeatLoop;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.DisplayName;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.io.TempDir;
+
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
+import java.nio.file.Files;
+import java.nio.file.Path;
+import java.util.Map;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
+
+/**
+ * fleetd #609: {@code Fleetd.main}'s {@code LeadHeartbeatLoop.LeadContextSource} local could be
+ * swapped for a bare {@code LeadHeartbeatLoop.LeadContextSource.none()} at the call site — compiling
+ * with 0 errors and leaving every pre-existing test green — exactly the shape #602/#606 already found
+ * for {@code LeadConfigDirSource} (see {@code FleetdLeadConfigDirSourceWiringTest}'s own javadoc for
+ * the measured version of that gap).
+ *
+ * <p>The fix follows the same pattern: {@link Fleetd#leadContextSource} is the extracted,
+ * directly-callable factory {@code main} calls to build the source it hands {@code
+ * LeadHeartbeatLoop}'s constructor. This test calls that exact factory and asserts it resolves a
+ * REAL reading off a real transcript file — a property that would be false if {@link
+ * Fleetd#leadContextSource} were mutated to {@code return LeadHeartbeatLoop.LeadContextSource.none();}.
+ *
+ * <p>What this class does not and cannot cover: {@code main}'s own one-line call to this factory
+ * could itself be swapped for {@code LeadHeartbeatLoop.LeadContextSource.none()}, bypassing this
+ * factory entirely — the same structural gap {@code FleetdLeadConfigDirSourceWiringTest} names for
+ * its own factory, and for the same reason (no test in this codebase calls {@code Fleetd.main} far
+ * enough to observe which factory call it made).
+ */
+class FleetdLeadContextSourceWiringTest {
+
+    /** Deliberately not {@code term_}-prefixed — see {@code FleetdLeadContextLookupTest}'s class doc. */
+    private static final String LEAD_TERMINAL = "leadpane1";
+    private static final String LEAD_NAME = "opus";
+    private static final String SESSION_ID = "sess-609-wiring";
+
+    private static String usageLine(long tokens) {
+        return "{\"type\":\"assistant\",\"message\":{\"role\":\"assistant\",\"usage\":{"
+                + "\"input_tokens\":" + tokens + ",\"cache_read_input_tokens\":0,\"cache_creation_input_tokens\":0}}}";
+    }
+
+    private static void writeTranscript(Path configDir, String sessionId, long tokens) throws IOException {
+        Path projectDir = configDir.resolve("projects").resolve("some-project-slug");
+        Files.createDirectories(projectDir);
+        Files.writeString(projectDir.resolve(sessionId + ".jsonl"), usageLine(tokens) + "\n", StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+    }
+
+    private static AgentControl agentControlStub() {
+        HerdrClient client = new HerdrClient() {
+            @Override
+            public JsonNode call(String method, Object params) {
+                if (!"agent.get".equals(method)) {
+                    throw new HerdrException("stub has no canned response for " + method);
+                }
+                try {
+                    return new ObjectMapper().readTree(("""
+                        {"type":"agent_info","agent":{"terminal_id":"%s","agent":"claude",
+                          "agent_status":"idle","agent_session":{"kind":"id","value":"%s"}}}""")
+                            .formatted(LEAD_TERMINAL, SESSION_ID));
+                } catch (Exception e) {
+                    throw new HerdrException("stub decode failed", e);
+                }
+            }
+
+            @Override
+            public void close() {
+            }
+        };
+        return new AgentControl(client);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("main's factory resolves a REAL reading, not the inert none() answer")
+    void resolvesARealReadingNotTheInertNoneAnswer(@TempDir Path tmp) throws IOException {
+        writeTranscript(tmp, SESSION_ID, 54_321);
+        Map<String, String> liveLeadTerminals = Map.of(LEAD_TERMINAL, LEAD_NAME);
+
+        LeadHeartbeatLoop.LeadContextSource source = Fleetd.leadContextSource(new LeadContextGauge(),
+                agentControlStub(), () -> liveLeadTerminals, name -> LEAD_NAME.equals(name) ? tmp.toString() : null);
+
+        LeadContextGauge.Reading reading = source.readingFor().apply(LEAD_TERMINAL);
+
+        assertEquals(LeadContextGauge.State.OK, reading.state(),
+                "mutating Fleetd.leadContextSource's own body to `return LeadHeartbeatLoop.LeadContextSource.none();` "
+                        + "must fail this assertion");
+        assertEquals(54_321L, reading.tokens());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("an unrecognised lead terminal resolves to UNKNOWN, not a thrown exception")
+    void unrecognisedTerminalResolvesToUnknown() {
+        LeadHeartbeatLoop.LeadContextSource source = Fleetd.leadContextSource(new LeadContextGauge(),
+                agentControlStub(), Map::of, name -> null);
+
+        assertEquals(LeadContextGauge.State.UNKNOWN, source.readingFor().apply("ghost-terminal").state());
+    }
+}

fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/FleetdLeadMailboxSelectionTest.java

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package dev.ltms.fleet;
 import ch.qos.logback.classic.Level;
 import ch.qos.logback.classic.spi.ILoggingEvent;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.config.FleetConfig;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.msg.LeadChannelHandle;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.msg.LeadMailbox;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.testing.CapturedLog;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ class FleetdLeadMailboxSelectionTest {
         boolean unreachable;
 
         @Override
-        public LeadMailbox open(String uri, String selfCoordId, int prefetch) {
+        public LeadChannelHandle open(String uri, String selfCoordId, int prefetch) {
             this.offeredUri = uri;
             this.offeredSelfId = selfCoordId;
             this.offeredPrefetch = prefetch;

fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/FleetdLeadRolloverAssemblyTest.java

@@ -0,0 +1,285 @@
+package dev.ltms.fleet;
+
+import dev.ltms.fleet.config.ConfigRef;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.config.FleetConfig;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.guard.SubscriptionGuard;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.AgentControl;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.FakeHerdr;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.HerdrClient;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.lead.LeadRollover;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.msg.ReplyInbox;
+import io.javalin.Javalin;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.DisplayName;
+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.LinkedHashMap;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
+import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledExecutorService;
+import java.util.function.LongSupplier;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertNotNull;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertNull;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.fail;
+
+/**
+ * fleetd #612 B3 — replaces {@code FleetdLeadRolloverWiringTest} (fleetd #480). That class was a
+ * source-text test scraping {@code Fleetd.java} (now {@code FleetdAssembly.java}, moved there by
+ * fleetd #612 Unit A) with three methods: {@code unrelatedAnchorStillPresent} (a scaffold anchor,
+ * not an independent claim — needs no replacement of its own), {@code
+ * mainStillCallsTheLeadRolloverFactory} (the call-site pin replaced by {@link
+ * #assembledLeadRolloverRunsTheRealClearAndBootstrapSequence}), and {@code
+ * factoryGatesOnConfigPresence} (the absent-config claim replaced by {@link
+ * #absentLeadRolloverConfigMeansNoRolloverIsBuilt} — a claim this ticket found was NOT actually
+ * covered behaviourally anywhere else: {@code LeadRolloverTest}'s only related assertion is
+ * vacuous, {@code assertNull(null)}, and never calls the real factory).
+ *
+ * <p><strong>fleetd #612 B3 correction (ticket comment 17553):</strong> the first version of this
+ * test configured a single shared {@link FakeHerdr} for both the lead and member herdr sockets.
+ * {@code FleetdAssembly.java:140-142} falls back to {@code memberHerdr = herdr} whenever no
+ * distinct {@code memberHerdrSocket} is configured, so with one fake, {@code
+ * router.leadAgents()} and {@code router.memberAgents()} wrapped the identical client — a
+ * mutation swapping {@code Fleetd.leadRollover(cfg, router.leadAgents(), config, leads)} for
+ * {@code ..., router.memberAgents(), ...} at {@code FleetdAssembly.java:408} was therefore
+ * invisible to this test, even though the two are genuinely different daemons in production. This
+ * version configures two distinct sockets and two distinct {@link FakeHerdr} instances (the same
+ * pattern {@code FleetdAssemblyConnectionIdentityTest}, fleetd #612 B2, already uses to separate
+ * lead from member) and asserts the roll's {@code /clear}/bootstrap sends land on the LEAD fake
+ * and never on the MEMBER one.
+ */
+class FleetdLeadRolloverAssemblyTest {
+
+    private static final Path LEAD_SOCKET = Path.of("/fake/lead-herdr.sock");
+    private static final Path MEMBER_SOCKET = Path.of("/fake/member-herdr.sock");
+
+    /** Keys {@code connectHerdr} by socket path so the lead and member daemons can be two
+     * DIFFERENT {@link FakeHerdr}s — same shape as B2's {@code FleetdAssemblyConnectionIdentityTest
+     * .TwoHerdrResourcePorts}. */
+    private static final class RecordingResourcePorts implements ResourcePorts {
+
+        final Map<Path, HerdrClient> herdrsBySocket = new LinkedHashMap<>();
+        final SentinelReplyInbox replyInbox = new SentinelReplyInbox();
+
+        @Override
+        public Map<String, String> environment() {
+            return Map.of();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public HerdrClient connectHerdr(Path socketPath) {
+            HerdrClient client = herdrsBySocket.get(socketPath);
+            if (client == null) {
+                throw new IllegalStateException("no fake herdr registered for socket " + socketPath);
+            }
+            return client;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public Fleetd.AmqpOpener replyInboxOpener() {
+            return (uri, prefetch) -> replyInbox;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public Fleetd.LeadMailboxOpener leadMailboxOpener() {
+            return (uri, selfCoordId, prefetch) -> {
+                throw new UnsupportedOperationException(
+                        "leadMailboxOpener must not be called — no coordinator: block is configured");
+            };
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public LongSupplier nanoClock() {
+            return System::nanoTime;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public LongSupplier wallClockNanos() {
+            return System::nanoTime;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public ScheduledExecutorService newScheduler(String purpose) {
+            return Executors.newSingleThreadScheduledExecutor();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void addShutdownHook(Runnable hook) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void startHttp(Javalin app, String host, int port) {
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static final class SentinelReplyInbox implements ReplyInbox, AutoCloseable {
+        @Override
+        public void own(String target) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void release(String target) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void publish(String target, String msgId, String content) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public List<InboxMessage> peek(String target) {
+            return List.of();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public boolean ack(String target, String msgId) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void close() {
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static FleetConfig writeConfig(Path dir, Path leadCwd) throws Exception {
+        Path f = dir.resolve("fleetd.yaml");
+        Files.writeString(f, """
+                bind:
+                  host: 127.0.0.1
+                  port: 8765
+                herdrSocket: "%s"
+                memberHerdrSocket: "%s"
+                idleSleepGuard:
+                  enabled: false
+                broker:
+                  uri: "amqp://fake-test-broker/vh"
+                fleet:
+                  leaders:
+                    opus:
+                      tab: "lead: opus"
+                      cwd: "%s"
+                leadRollover:
+                  handoverPath: handover.md
+                  requireOperatorConfirm: false
+                """.formatted(LEAD_SOCKET, MEMBER_SOCKET, leadCwd.toString()));
+        return FleetConfig.load(f);
+    }
+
+    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("[BEHAVIOURAL] the real assembled LeadRollover runs the full open/confirm/continuation "
+            + "sequence — /clear, then bootstrapText — through the real herdr router")
+    void assembledLeadRolloverRunsTheRealClearAndBootstrapSequence(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        Path leadCwd = dir.resolve("lead-workspace");
+        Files.createDirectories(leadCwd);
+        FleetConfig cfg = writeConfig(dir, leadCwd);
+        ConfigRef config = new ConfigRef(dir.resolve("fleetd.yaml"), cfg);
+        SubscriptionGuard guard = new SubscriptionGuard(cfg.guard().hostSet());
+        RecordingResourcePorts ports = new RecordingResourcePorts();
+        // Two DISTINCT fakes — one per configured socket — so leadAgents()/memberAgents() wrap
+        // genuinely different clients, exactly like production when memberHerdrSocket is set.
+        FakeHerdr lead = new FakeHerdr();
+        lead.withTab("w2", "w2:t7", "lead: opus");
+        FakeHerdr member = new FakeHerdr();
+        ports.herdrsBySocket.put(LEAD_SOCKET, lead);
+        ports.herdrsBySocket.put(MEMBER_SOCKET, member);
+
+        FleetdRuntime runtime = FleetdAssembly.assembleAndStart(new AssemblyInputs(cfg, config, guard), ports);
+
+        LeadRollover rollover = runtime.mcp().leadRollover();
+        assertNotNull(rollover, "leadRollover: is present in this test's config, so "
+                + "FleetdAssembly.assembleAndStart must have built a real LeadRollover through the "
+                + "Fleetd.leadRollover(...) call site — a mutation to `LeadRollover leadRollover = "
+                + "null;` at that call site can never pass this");
+
+        LeadRollover.PendingRollover pending = rollover.open("term_a", "fleetd #612 B3 test");
+        String expectedHandoverPath = leadCwd.resolve("handover.md").normalize().toString();
+        assertEquals(expectedHandoverPath, pending.handoverPath());
+
+        // Ensure the handover file's mtime lands strictly AFTER open()'s requestedAtMillis —
+        // LeadRollover.checkHandover refuses on mtime <= requestedAt (HANDOVER_STALE).
+        Thread.sleep(50);
+        Files.writeString(Path.of(pending.handoverPath()), "handover content for fleetd #612 B3");
+
+        LeadRollover.RollDecision decision = rollover.confirm("term_a", pending.token(), true);
+        assertTrue(decision.accepted(), "confirm() must approve: requireOperatorConfirm is false, "
+                + "the caller terminal matches open()'s, and the handover file exists, is non-empty "
+                + "and fresh — got: " + decision);
+
+        // The production LeadRollover constructor always runs the post-confirm continuation on a
+        // real virtual thread (see Fleetd.leadRollover, which never passes the package-private test
+        // constructor), so this polls the real FleetMcp.leadRollover() instance's status(token)
+        // until the real continuation finishes.
+        LeadRollover.RollStatus status = pollUntilTerminal(rollover, pending.token());
+        assertEquals(LeadRollover.RollState.ROLLED, status.state(),
+                "the full happy path must complete: FakeHerdr's default agent status is 'idle', so "
+                        + "the turn-boundary wait settles immediately and the post-/clear wait "
+                        + "releases via its pickup-grace path — detail: " + status.detail());
+
+        // Prove the real herdr router actually sent BOTH messages, in order, to the real LEAD
+        // pane — this is the one thing a source-text pin on the call site could never show.
+        List<FakeHerdr.Call> prompts = lead.calls.stream()
+                .filter(c -> c.method().equals("agent.prompt"))
+                .toList();
+        assertTrue(prompts.size() >= 2, "expected at least a /clear send and a bootstrapText send "
+                + "on the LEAD daemon, got " + prompts.size() + " agent.prompt calls: " + prompts);
+        assertEquals("/clear", ((Map<String, Object>) prompts.get(0).params()).get("text"),
+                "the first send must be the literal /clear housekeeping command");
+        Object secondText = ((Map<String, Object>) prompts.get(1).params()).get("text");
+        assertTrue(secondText instanceof String && ((String) secondText).contains(expectedHandoverPath),
+                "the second send must be the default bootstrapText naming the resolved handover "
+                        + "path, got: " + secondText);
+
+        // fleetd #612 B3 correction: prove the roll never touches the MEMBER daemon. A mutation
+        // swapping router.leadAgents() for router.memberAgents() at the real call site would move
+        // both sends above onto `member` instead, which this assertion catches — the thing the
+        // single-fake version of this test could never see, because both wrapped the same client.
+        List<FakeHerdr.Call> memberPrompts = member.calls.stream()
+                .filter(c -> c.method().equals("agent.prompt"))
+                .toList();
+        assertTrue(memberPrompts.isEmpty(), "the roll must be wired to the LEAD daemon only — got "
+                + memberPrompts.size() + " agent.prompt call(s) on the MEMBER daemon instead: "
+                + memberPrompts);
+    }
+
+    private static LeadRollover.RollStatus pollUntilTerminal(LeadRollover rollover, String token)
+            throws InterruptedException {
+        long deadline = System.nanoTime() + java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit.SECONDS.toNanos(10);
+        while (System.nanoTime() < deadline) {
+            LeadRollover.RollStatus status = rollover.status(token);
+            if (status.state() != LeadRollover.RollState.PENDING
+                    && status.state() != LeadRollover.RollState.IN_PROGRESS) {
+                return status;
+            }
+            Thread.sleep(50);
+        }
+        fail("the real continuation did not reach a terminal state within 10s — last status: "
+                + rollover.status(token));
+        throw new AssertionError("unreachable");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("[BEHAVIOURAL] Fleetd.leadRollover(...) returns null when leadRollover: is absent "
+            + "from config — the opt-in gate FleetdLeadRolloverWiringTest's "
+            + "factoryGatesOnConfigPresence pinned by source text alone")
+    void absentLeadRolloverConfigMeansNoRolloverIsBuilt(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        Path yaml = dir.resolve("fleetd.yaml");
+        Files.writeString(yaml, """
+                bind:
+                  host: 127.0.0.1
+                  port: 8765
+                """);
+        ConfigRef config = new ConfigRef(yaml, FleetConfig.load(yaml));
+        AgentControl agents = new AgentControl(new FakeHerdr());
+
+        LeadRollover rollover = Fleetd.leadRollover(config.get(), agents, config, Map::of);
+
+        assertNull(rollover, "leadRollover: is absent from this config, so the factory's opt-in "
+                + "gate (`if (cfg.leadRollover() == null) return null;`) must fire and no "
+                + "LeadRollover must be constructed at all");
+    }
+}

fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/FleetdLeadRolloverWiringTest.java

@@ -1,89 +0,0 @@
-package dev.ltms.fleet;
-
-import java.nio.file.Files;
-import java.nio.file.Path;
-import org.junit.jupiter.api.DisplayName;
-import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
-
-import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
-
-/**
- * fleetd #480 Unit A, hard requirement 6: pin {@code Fleetd.main}'s construction of {@link
- * dev.ltms.fleet.lead.LeadRollover} with a source-text assertion, mirroring {@code
- * FleetdCompletionResolverWiringTest}'s pattern — five log-only reporters in {@code Fleetd.main}
- * already survived mutation batteries this exact way (fleetd #415's extraction antidote note).
- *
- * <p>What this class still covers, and what it never claimed to. {@code LeadRolloverTest}
- * constructs its own {@code LeadRollover} directly (as every prior test of an extracted factory
- * does) with a hand-built lookup, so a mutation that deletes the {@code leadRollover(...)} call
- * from {@code main} — or replaces one of its arguments with something that still compiles, e.g.
- * {@code router.leadAgents()} swapped for {@code null}, or the whole assignment swapped for a bare
- * {@code null} literal — leaves every behavioural test green. This is a plain string read, guarded
- * by an unrelated anchor assertion so a broken or empty file read cannot pass as a real change.
- *
- * <p><b>This test checks source text, not runtime behaviour.</b> It never constructs a {@code
- * LeadRollover} and never runs {@code main}. It pins the {@code leadRollover(...)} CALL SITE's
- * argument list — that {@code main} still passes {@code leads} at all — never what the factory
- * DOES with that argument once inside its own body.
- *
- * <p><b>Correction (fleetd #480 relative-handover-path follow-up): that gap used to be real, and
- * now is not — but not here.</b> This class's javadoc previously claimed "no behavioural test can
- * catch this wiring dropping out" for the whole factory, including the lambda {@code
- * leadRollover(...)} builds internally (terminal → lead name → {@code Leader.cwd()}). That claim
- * was proven true at the time — mutating that lambda's body to {@code String leadName = null;}
- * (always "no lead found", which silently reintroduces the daemon-cwd bug this ticket fixes) left
- * the full suite green, {@code Tests run: 1669, Failures: 0}. It is no longer true: {@code
- * FleetdLeadRolloverWorkspaceLookupTest} now calls {@code Fleetd.leadRollover(...)} directly with a
- * real {@link dev.ltms.fleet.config.ConfigRef} built from a temp {@code fleetd.yaml}, and fails
- * against that exact one-line mutation. So: THIS class still covers only the call site's argument
- * list; {@code FleetdLeadRolloverWorkspaceLookupTest} is what now covers the lambda's body. Neither
- * one subsumes the other — keep both.
- */
-class FleetdLeadRolloverWiringTest {
-
-    private static String fleetdSource() throws Exception {
-        return Files.readString(Path.of("src/main/java/dev/ltms/fleet/Fleetd.java"));
-    }
-
-    @Test
-    @DisplayName("[SOURCE TEXT] unrelated anchor: Fleetd.java still declares the Fleetd class")
-    void unrelatedAnchorStillPresent() throws Exception {
-        // Guards the two assertions below: without this, a bad read (empty string, wrong file,
-        // truncated file) could vacuously fail to contain the leadRollover(...) call too, and a
-        // test that only asserts "contains X" would report a false pass for the wrong reason if X
-        // happened to match. Asserting an unrelated, structurally distant string first proves the
-        // read actually pulled real file content.
-        String source = fleetdSource();
-        assertTrue(source.contains("public final class Fleetd"),
-                "sanity anchor failed — the file read did not return real Fleetd.java source; the "
-                        + "leadRollover(...) wiring assertions below cannot be trusted until this passes");
-    }
-
-    @Test
-    @DisplayName("[SOURCE TEXT] main still constructs LeadRollover via the leadRollover(...) factory, exactly as heartbeat is constructed")
-    void mainStillCallsTheLeadRolloverFactory() throws Exception {
-        String source = fleetdSource();
-        assertTrue(source.contains(
-                        "LeadRollover leadRollover = leadRollover(cfg, router.leadAgents(), config, leads);"),
-                "Fleetd.main must still assign `LeadRollover leadRollover = leadRollover(cfg, "
-                        + "router.leadAgents(), config, leads);`. Dropping this call, or swapping one of "
-                        + "its arguments for something that still compiles (e.g. null in place of "
-                        + "router.leadAgents()), leaves every behavioural test green — this source check is "
-                        + "what must go red instead. fleetd #480 correction 2 deliberately dropped "
-                        + "primaryRegistry from this call — see LeadRollover's class javadoc for why a "
-                        + "single-slot lookup was wrong here. The fleetd #480 relative-handover-path "
-                        + "follow-up added `leads` (terminal → lead name) so the factory can resolve a "
-                        + "relative handoverPath against the calling lead's own workspace.");
-    }
-
-    @Test
-    @DisplayName("[SOURCE TEXT] the leadRollover(...) factory itself gates construction on cfg.leadRollover() != null")
-    void factoryGatesOnConfigPresence() throws Exception {
-        String source = fleetdSource();
-        assertTrue(source.contains("if (cfg.leadRollover() == null) {"),
-                "Fleetd.leadRollover(...) must refuse to construct a LeadRollover when the "
-                        + "leadRollover: block is absent — an upgraded daemon must never silently acquire "
-                        + "the ability to clear the lead's own pane. See LeadHeartbeatLoop's construction "
-                        + "gate (cfg.leadHeartbeat() != null) for the pattern this mirrors.");
-    }
-}

fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/FleetdLeadSeatAssemblyTest.java

@@ -0,0 +1,172 @@
+package dev.ltms.fleet;
+
+import dev.ltms.fleet.config.ConfigRef;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.config.FleetConfig;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.guard.SubscriptionGuard;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.FakeHerdr;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.HerdrClient;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.mcp.FleetMcp;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.msg.ReplyInbox;
+import io.javalin.Javalin;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.DisplayName;
+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 java.util.concurrent.Executors;
+import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledExecutorService;
+import java.util.function.LongSupplier;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
+
+/**
+ * fleetd #612 B3 — replaces {@code FleetdLeadSeatWiringTest} (fleetd #176), a source-text test that
+ * scraped {@code Fleetd.java} (now {@code FleetdAssembly.java}, moved there by fleetd #612 Unit A)
+ * for the exact {@code new FleetMcp.LeadSeatSource(Fleetd.leadSeatLookup(...))} constructor-call
+ * text. That proves the right symbols appear in source; it proves nothing about what the daemon's
+ * live {@code fleet_list} actually reports.
+ *
+ * <p>This test instead drives the REAL {@link FleetMcp.LeadSeatSource} the real {@link
+ * FleetdAssembly#assembleAndStart} builds — including the REAL {@code LeadTabScanner} it wires
+ * {@code Fleetd.leadSeatLookup} through — reached via {@link FleetMcp#leadSeatSource()} on the
+ * live {@code FleetMcp} {@code FleetdRuntime} owns. It seeds one FakeHerdr tab labelled to match a
+ * configured {@code fleet.leaders.opus.tab}, with a live agent already in it (FakeHerdr's own
+ * default {@code agent.list}/{@code pane.list} entries for {@code term_a}/{@code w2:p7}/{@code
+ * w2:t7} — no FakeHerdr change needed), and asserts the assembled seat source reports exactly the
+ * seat {@link FleetMcp.LeadSeatSource#none()} (the inert stand-in) could never produce: 1, not 0.
+ */
+class FleetdLeadSeatAssemblyTest {
+
+    private static final class RecordingResourcePorts implements ResourcePorts {
+
+        final FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        final SentinelReplyInbox replyInbox = new SentinelReplyInbox();
+
+        @Override
+        public Map<String, String> environment() {
+            return Map.of();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public HerdrClient connectHerdr(Path socketPath) {
+            return herdr;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public Fleetd.AmqpOpener replyInboxOpener() {
+            return (uri, prefetch) -> replyInbox;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public Fleetd.LeadMailboxOpener leadMailboxOpener() {
+            return (uri, selfCoordId, prefetch) -> {
+                throw new UnsupportedOperationException(
+                        "leadMailboxOpener must not be called — no coordinator: block is configured");
+            };
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public LongSupplier nanoClock() {
+            return System::nanoTime;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public LongSupplier wallClockNanos() {
+            return System::nanoTime;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public ScheduledExecutorService newScheduler(String purpose) {
+            return Executors.newSingleThreadScheduledExecutor();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void addShutdownHook(Runnable hook) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void startHttp(Javalin app, String host, int port) {
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static final class SentinelReplyInbox implements ReplyInbox, AutoCloseable {
+        @Override
+        public void own(String target) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void release(String target) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void publish(String target, String msgId, String content) {
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public List<InboxMessage> peek(String target) {
+            return List.of();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public boolean ack(String target, String msgId) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void close() {
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static FleetConfig writeConfig(Path dir) throws Exception {
+        Path f = dir.resolve("fleetd.yaml");
+        Files.writeString(f, """
+                bind:
+                  host: 127.0.0.1
+                  port: 8765
+                idleSleepGuard:
+                  enabled: false
+                broker:
+                  uri: "amqp://fake-test-broker/vh"
+                fleet:
+                  leaders:
+                    opus:
+                      tab: "lead: opus"
+                      profile: sonnet
+                profiles:
+                  sonnet:
+                    subscription: true
+                    argv: ["ccs", "sonnet"]
+                """);
+        return FleetConfig.load(f);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("[BEHAVIOURAL] the real assembled LeadSeatSource, backed by the real LeadTabScanner, "
+            + "reports a live lead's seat against its own subscription profile")
+    void assembledLeadSeatSourceReportsALiveLeadsSeat(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        FleetConfig cfg = writeConfig(dir);
+        ConfigRef config = new ConfigRef(dir.resolve("fleetd.yaml"), cfg);
+        SubscriptionGuard guard = new SubscriptionGuard(cfg.guard().hostSet());
+        RecordingResourcePorts ports = new RecordingResourcePorts();
+        // Label FakeHerdr's own default pane's tab (term_a / w2:p7 / w2:t7, already carrying a live
+        // agent) to match fleet.leaders.opus.tab exactly — no FakeHerdr change needed at all.
+        ports.herdr.withTab("w2", "w2:t7", "lead: opus");
+
+        FleetdRuntime runtime = FleetdAssembly.assembleAndStart(new AssemblyInputs(cfg, config, guard), ports);
+
+        FleetMcp.LeadSeatSource seatSource = runtime.mcp().leadSeatSource();
+        assertEquals(1, seatSource.seatsFor().apply("sonnet"),
+                "the real LeadTabScanner recognises the labelled tab as a live 'opus' lead on "
+                        + "profile 'sonnet' (same credential, matched by Fleetd.leadSeatLookup), so "
+                        + "subscription profile 'sonnet' must be charged one seat — "
+                        + "FleetMcp.LeadSeatSource.none() (the inert stand-in this test's mutation "
+                        + "swaps the call site for) always reports 0, whatever the input");
+
+        // A profile no lead is running on gets no seat charged — the same seat source, applied to
+        // an input that must stay at the inert answer even on the real, non-inert instance.
+        assertEquals(0, seatSource.seatsFor().apply("no-such-profile"));
+    }
+}

fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/FleetdLeadSeatWiringTest.java

@@ -1,43 +0,0 @@
-package dev.ltms.fleet;
-
-import java.nio.file.Files;
-import java.nio.file.Path;
-import org.junit.jupiter.api.DisplayName;
-import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
-
-import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
-
-/**
- * fleetd #176: {@code Fleetd.main} builds its {@code FleetMcp} from a 14-argument constructor whose
- * last argument is a {@code FleetMcp.LeadSeatSource} wrapping {@link Fleetd#leadSeatLookup}. That
- * argument is exactly the kind of wiring fleetd #248 warned about: dropping it (or swapping it for
- * the inert {@code FleetMcp.LeadSeatSource.none()}) compiles with 0 errors and leaves every test
- * that builds its own {@code FleetMcp}/{@code CapacitySource} directly — every test that predates
- * this ticket — green, because none of them go through {@code main} at all.
- *
- * <p>{@link FleetdLeadSeatLookupTest} proves the factory's own matching logic; this class is the
- * plain source-text assertion that proves {@code main} still passes its result in, mirroring
- * {@code FleetdCompletionResolverWiringTest}'s approach for the same class of gap.
- *
- * <p><b>This test checks source text, not runtime behaviour.</b> It never constructs a
- * {@code FleetMcp} and never runs {@code main}.
- */
-class FleetdLeadSeatWiringTest {
-
-    private static String fleetdSource() throws Exception {
-        return Files.readString(Path.of("src/main/java/dev/ltms/fleet/Fleetd.java"));
-    }
-
-    @Test
-    @DisplayName("[SOURCE TEXT] FleetMcp's construction call still passes a LeadSeatSource built from leadSeatLookup(...)")
-    void fleetMcpConstructionStillWiresLeadSeatLookup() throws Exception {
-        String source = fleetdSource();
-        assertTrue(source.contains("new FleetMcp.LeadSeatSource(leadSeatLookup(() -> config.get().profiles(), "
-                        + "leaders, leads))"),
-                "FleetMcp's construction call must still pass a LeadSeatSource built from "
-                        + "Fleetd.leadSeatLookup(...). Dropping it or swapping in "
-                        + "FleetMcp.LeadSeatSource.none() (fleetd #176's would-be silent regression, the same "
-                        + "shape as fleetd #248's measured mutations) compiles with 0 errors and leaves every "
-                        + "existing behavioural test green — this source check is what must go red instead.");
-    }
-}

fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/RoleFallbackGapReportTest.java

@@ -0,0 +1,252 @@
+package dev.ltms.fleet;
+
+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.fleet.config.FleetConfig;
+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 static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertFalse;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
+
+/**
+ * fleetd #613: a {@code MemberRole} with no {@code fleet.<role>s:} pool falls back to
+ * <em>every</em> configured profile ({@code FleetConfig#candidateProfiles}), and one with no
+ * {@code fleet.charters.<role>:} entry runs with only the launcher's reply charter. Both are
+ * deliberate, legitimate states — neither is refused by {@code validateMembers()} — but both were
+ * silent at boot. On the host that opened this ticket, an unqualified {@code hunter} spawn silently
+ * widened to all 8 configured profiles and its resolved first choice was {@code local}, a profile
+ * every other pool on that same config gave weight 0 to.
+ *
+ * <p>{@link Fleetd#reportRoleFallbackGaps} must name every gapped role, and for a pool gap, the
+ * exact resolved first-choice profile — that number, not the pool size, is what actually surprised
+ * the operator. Mirrors {@link ExhaustedPatternGapReportTest}'s pattern: capture the real log via a
+ * {@link ListAppender} rather than asserting on the call site's source text.
+ */
+class RoleFallbackGapReportTest {
+
+    private static FleetConfig load(Path dir, String yaml) throws Exception {
+        Path f = dir.resolve("fleetd.yaml");
+        Files.writeString(f, yaml);
+        return FleetConfig.load(f);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * The level this logger had before {@link #attach()} raised it, so {@link #detach} can put it
+     * back. {@code null} means "inherit from the parent" — the state this logger starts in.
+     */
+    private static Level originalLevel;
+
+    /**
+     * {@code reportRoleFallbackGaps} logs at INFO, and {@code logback-test.xml} sets
+     * {@code dev.ltms.fleet} to WARN — so INFO events are dropped by the level check before any
+     * appender sees them. Raise the level for the duration of the test, exactly like {@code
+     * GitHostShapeReportTest#attach}.
+     */
+    private static ListAppender<ILoggingEvent> attach() {
+        Logger logger = (Logger) LoggerFactory.getLogger(Fleetd.class);
+        originalLevel = logger.getLevel();
+        logger.setLevel(Level.INFO);
+        ListAppender<ILoggingEvent> appender = new ListAppender<>();
+        appender.start();
+        logger.addAppender(appender);
+        return appender;
+    }
+
+    private static void detach(ListAppender<ILoggingEvent> appender) {
+        Logger logger = (Logger) LoggerFactory.getLogger(Fleetd.class);
+        logger.detachAppender(appender);
+        logger.setLevel(originalLevel);
+    }
+
+    private static List<String> infoMessages(ListAppender<ILoggingEvent> appender) {
+        return appender.list.stream()
+                .filter(e -> e.getLevel() == Level.INFO)
+                .map(ILoggingEvent::getFormattedMessage)
+                .toList();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Reproduces the shape measured in the ticket: {@code dev}, {@code reviewer} and
+     * {@code architect} each have a pool and a charter; {@code hunter} has neither. The pool-gap
+     * line must name {@code hunter}, the profile count (3), and the resolved first choice
+     * ({@code local}, the first profile in definition order) — and must not name the three healthy
+     * roles. The charter-gap line must separately name only {@code hunter}.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void hunterWithNoPoolOrCharterIsNamedWithItsResolvedFirstChoice(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        FleetConfig cfg = load(dir, """
+                profiles:
+                  local:
+                    baseUrl: http://gx00.gw:8000
+                  sonnet:
+                    baseUrl: https://llm.ltms.dev/v1
+                  terra:
+                    baseUrl: https://llm.ltms.dev/v1
+                fleet:
+                  developers:
+                    a:
+                      profile: sonnet
+                  reviewers:
+                    b:
+                      profile: terra
+                  architects:
+                    c:
+                      profile: sonnet
+                  charters:
+                    dev: "dev charter text"
+                    reviewer: "reviewer charter text"
+                    architect: "architect charter text"
+                """);
+
+        ListAppender<ILoggingEvent> appender = attach();
+        try {
+            Fleetd.reportRoleFallbackGaps(cfg);
+        } finally {
+            detach(appender);
+        }
+
+        List<String> infos = infoMessages(appender);
+
+        String poolLine = infos.stream()
+                .filter(m -> m.contains("no fleet.<role>s: pool"))
+                .findFirst()
+                .orElseThrow(() -> new AssertionError("expected a pool-gap INFO line: " + infos));
+        assertTrue(poolLine.contains("hunter"), poolLine);
+        assertTrue(poolLine.contains("3"), "must name the profile count the gap opens onto: " + poolLine);
+        assertTrue(poolLine.contains("'local'"),
+                "must name the resolved first-choice profile, the number that actually surprised "
+                        + "the operator: " + poolLine);
+        for (String healthy : List.of("dev", "reviewer", "architect")) {
+            assertFalse(poolLine.contains(healthy),
+                    "pool-gap line must not name a role that has a pool: " + poolLine);
+        }
+
+        String charterLine = infos.stream()
+                .filter(m -> m.contains("no fleet.charters: entry"))
+                .findFirst()
+                .orElseThrow(() -> new AssertionError("expected a charter-gap INFO line: " + infos));
+        assertTrue(charterLine.contains("hunter"), charterLine);
+        for (String healthy : List.of("dev", "reviewer", "architect")) {
+            assertFalse(charterLine.contains(healthy),
+                    "charter-gap line must not name a role that has a charter: " + charterLine);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * The resolved first choice must be genuinely computed from definition order, not hardcoded —
+     * reordering {@code profiles:} so a different entry comes first changes the reported choice.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void theResolvedFirstChoiceFollowsProfileDefinitionOrder(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        FleetConfig cfg = load(dir, """
+                profiles:
+                  sonnet:
+                    baseUrl: https://llm.ltms.dev/v1
+                  local:
+                    baseUrl: http://gx00.gw:8000
+                fleet:
+                  developers:
+                    a:
+                      profile: sonnet
+                  charters:
+                    dev: "dev charter text"
+                """);
+
+        ListAppender<ILoggingEvent> appender = attach();
+        try {
+            Fleetd.reportRoleFallbackGaps(cfg);
+        } finally {
+            detach(appender);
+        }
+
+        String poolLine = infoMessages(appender).stream()
+                .filter(m -> m.contains("no fleet.<role>s: pool"))
+                .findFirst()
+                .orElseThrow();
+        // hunter, reviewer and architect all lack a pool here; each falls back to the full 2-profile
+        // set and the first-choice is 'sonnet' because it is first in profiles: definition order.
+        assertTrue(poolLine.contains("'sonnet'"), poolLine);
+        assertFalse(poolLine.contains("'local'"), poolLine);
+    }
+
+    /** A config with a pool and a charter for every role produces no role-fallback log at all. */
+    @Test
+    void everyRoleWithAPoolAndACharterProducesNoLogAtAll(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        FleetConfig cfg = load(dir, """
+                profiles:
+                  sonnet:
+                    baseUrl: https://llm.ltms.dev/v1
+                fleet:
+                  developers:
+                    a:
+                      profile: sonnet
+                  reviewers:
+                    b:
+                      profile: sonnet
+                  hunters:
+                    c:
+                      profile: sonnet
+                  architects:
+                    d:
+                      profile: sonnet
+                  charters:
+                    dev: "dev charter text"
+                    reviewer: "reviewer charter text"
+                    hunter: "hunter charter text"
+                    architect: "architect charter text"
+                """);
+
+        ListAppender<ILoggingEvent> appender = attach();
+        try {
+            Fleetd.reportRoleFallbackGaps(cfg);
+        } finally {
+            detach(appender);
+        }
+
+        assertTrue(appender.list.isEmpty(),
+                "a config with no gaps must not print a per-role block: " + infoMessages(appender));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * A config with only {@code profiles:} and no {@code fleet:} block at all must still be
+     * reported (every role is gapped, both pool and charter) rather than throwing — this is the
+     * exact shape {@code candidateProfiles}' fallback exists to keep starting.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void aConfigWithNoFleetBlockAtAllReportsEveryRoleGapped(@TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        FleetConfig cfg = load(dir, """
+                profiles:
+                  sonnet:
+                    baseUrl: https://llm.ltms.dev/v1
+                """);
+
+        ListAppender<ILoggingEvent> appender = attach();
+        try {
+            Fleetd.reportRoleFallbackGaps(cfg);
+        } finally {
+            detach(appender);
+        }
+
+        List<String> infos = infoMessages(appender);
+        String poolLine = infos.stream()
+                .filter(m -> m.contains("no fleet.<role>s: pool"))
+                .findFirst()
+                .orElseThrow(() -> new AssertionError("expected a pool-gap INFO line: " + infos));
+        String charterLine = infos.stream()
+                .filter(m -> m.contains("no fleet.charters: entry"))
+                .findFirst()
+                .orElseThrow(() -> new AssertionError("expected a charter-gap INFO line: " + infos));
+        for (String role : List.of("dev", "hunter", "reviewer", "architect")) {
+            assertTrue(poolLine.contains(role), poolLine);
+            assertTrue(charterLine.contains(role), charterLine);
+        }
+    }
+}

fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/config/FleetConfigTest.java

@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 package dev.ltms.fleet.config;
 
+import ch.qos.logback.classic.Level;
+import ch.qos.logback.classic.spi.ILoggingEvent;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.auth.MemberRegistry;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.msg.LeadMailbox;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.peer.MemberRole;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.testing.CapturedLog;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.io.TempDir;
 
@@ -93,6 +96,72 @@ class FleetConfigTest {
                 "unset means off — today's behaviour, unchanged");
     }
 
+    /**
+     * fleetd #601 review (measured 2026-09-22): this guard used to throw {@link
+     * IllegalStateException} and refuse to start. On a host with the conflict configured, that
+     * turned into a launchd restart loop with no readable cause, since {@code fleetd.yaml} is
+     * gitignored. It must now WARN and let the daemon start, and the warning must carry both values
+     * so an operator can fix the config without reading the source. Pinning the log line itself (via
+     * {@link CapturedLog}) rather than a snippet of production source text — the latter is the
+     * anti-pattern this repo avoids; the former is the actual observable behaviour a reader (or an
+     * alert on the log) depends on.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void aClaudeProfileWithConflictingAutoCompactFlagAndEnvironmentWindowLoadsAndWarnsWithBothValues(
+            @TempDir Path dir) throws Exception {
+        Path f = dir.resolve("conflicting-auto-compact-window.yaml");
+        Files.writeString(f, """
+                profiles:
+                  claude-profile:
+                    autoCompactWindow: 250000
+                    env:
+                      CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_COMPACT_WINDOW: "300000"
+                """);
+
+        FleetConfig cfg;
+        List<String> warnings;
+        try (CapturedLog log = CapturedLog.at(FleetConfig.class, Level.WARN)) {
+            cfg = FleetConfig.load(f);
+            warnings = log.events().stream().map(ILoggingEvent::getFormattedMessage).toList();
+        }
+
+        assertEquals(250_000, cfg.profiles().get("claude-profile").autoCompactWindow(),
+                "the disagreement is reported, not corrected — the flag value still loads as-is");
+        assertEquals(1, warnings.size(), "exactly one warning for the one conflicting profile: " + warnings);
+        String warning = warnings.get(0);
+        assertTrue(warning.contains("claude-profile"), "names the offending profile: " + warning);
+        assertTrue(warning.contains("autoCompactWindow=250000"), "names the flag value: " + warning);
+        assertTrue(warning.contains("CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_COMPACT_WINDOW=300000"), "names the env value: " + warning);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * The negative probe paired with the test above (per fleetd #601 review): a warning that fires
+     * on every load and a warning that never fires read the same from a single test, so both must be
+     * checked. No conflict here — the flag and the env value agree — so no warning should be logged.
+     */
+    @Test
+    void aClaudeProfileWithEqualAutoCompactFlagAndEnvironmentWindowLoadsWithNoWarning(@TempDir Path dir)
+            throws Exception {
+        Path f = dir.resolve("equal-auto-compact-window.yaml");
+        Files.writeString(f, """
+                profiles:
+                  claude-profile:
+                    autoCompactWindow: 250000
+                    env:
+                      CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_COMPACT_WINDOW: "250000"
+                """);
+
+        FleetConfig cfg;
+        List<ILoggingEvent> events;
+        try (CapturedLog log = CapturedLog.at(FleetConfig.class, Level.WARN)) {
+            cfg = FleetConfig.load(f);
+            events = log.events();
+        }
+
+        assertEquals(250_000, cfg.profiles().get("claude-profile").autoCompactWindow());
+        assertTrue(events.isEmpty(), "equal values must not warn: " + events);
+    }
+
     // ── fleetd #201 Unit 5: errorPattern ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
     @Test

fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/herdr/FakeHerdr.java

@@ -456,7 +456,11 @@ public final class FakeHerdr implements HerdrClient {
         }
     }
 
+    /** fleetd #612 Unit A: set by {@link #close()} so a test can prove a router/client actually closed this. */
+    public volatile boolean closed = false;
+
     @Override
     public void close() {
+        closed = true;
     }
 }

fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/lead/LeadContextGaugeTest.java

@@ -0,0 +1,248 @@
+package dev.ltms.fleet.lead;
+
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.DisplayName;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.io.TempDir;
+
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.io.RandomAccessFile;
+import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
+import java.nio.file.Files;
+import java.nio.file.Path;
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicLong;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertNull;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assumptions.assumeFalse;
+
+/**
+ * Ticket "lead context gauge" — fleetd could not see how full a lead's own Claude Code context
+ * window was, so a lead auto-compacting was always a surprise. {@link LeadContextGauge} reads that
+ * off the lead's own transcript. Five acceptance properties from the ticket, one test class each
+ * (plus the three separate UNKNOWN cases the ticket calls out by name):
+ * <ol>
+ *   <li>{@link #tokenCountTracksTheLastUsageRecordAndChangesWithIt()}</li>
+ *   <li>{@link #compactionCountTracksCompactBoundaryRecordsAndChangesWithIt()}</li>
+ *   <li>{@link #missingFileIsUnknown()}, {@link #unreadableFileIsUnknown()}</li>
+ *   <li>{@link #tornFinalLineFallsBackToTheLastGoodReading()},
+ *       {@link #everyLineUnparseableIsUnknown()} (fleetd #602 gauge-wiring, finding 2)</li>
+ *   <li>{@link #readNeverExceedsTheTailBound()}</li>
+ *   <li>{@link #secondReadInsideTtlDoesNotTouchDiskAgain()}</li>
+ * </ol>
+ *
+ * <p>Every fixture lives under {@code @TempDir} — never the operator's real config directory (see
+ * the ticket's hard constraint on this).
+ *
+ * <p><strong>fleetd #602 gauge-wiring, finding 2.</strong> The property above used to be "a
+ * truncated or invalid LAST line reports UNKNOWN" — on the theory that a bad last line signals a
+ * format change. That reasoning did not hold: {@code fleet_list} reads this transcript while Claude
+ * Code may be mid-write on it, so a torn LAST line is an ordinary race, not a format change, and a
+ * real format change makes EVERY line unparseable, not only the last one written. So the property
+ * is now split in two: {@link #tornFinalLineFallsBackToTheLastGoodReading} (the torn-line case must
+ * NOT destroy a good earlier reading) and its control, {@link #everyLineUnparseableIsUnknown} (only
+ * when NOTHING in the window parses does this report UNKNOWN).
+ */
+class LeadContextGaugeTest {
+
+    private static final String SESSION_ID = "11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111";
+
+    /** One line Claude Code would write for a turn with the given live-context total. */
+    private static String usageLine(long inputTokens, long cacheRead, long cacheCreation) {
+        return "{\"type\":\"assistant\",\"message\":{\"role\":\"assistant\",\"usage\":{"
+                + "\"input_tokens\":" + inputTokens + ","
+                + "\"cache_read_input_tokens\":" + cacheRead + ","
+                + "\"cache_creation_input_tokens\":" + cacheCreation + "}}}";
+    }
+
+    /** One line Claude Code writes when an auto-compaction happens. */
+    private static String compactionLine() {
+        return "{\"type\":\"system\",\"subtype\":\"compact_boundary\","
+                + "\"compactMetadata\":{\"preTokens\":250000,\"postTokens\":5000,"
+                + "\"trigger\":\"auto\",\"durationMs\":54000}}";
+    }
+
+    /** Lays out {@code <configDir>/projects/<anySlug>/<sessionId>.jsonl} and writes {@code lines}. */
+    private static String writeTranscript(Path configDir, String sessionId, String... lines) throws IOException {
+        Path projectDir = configDir.resolve("projects").resolve("some-project-slug");
+        Files.createDirectories(projectDir);
+        Path file = projectDir.resolve(sessionId + ".jsonl");
+        StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
+        for (String line : lines) {
+            sb.append(line).append('\n');
+        }
+        Files.writeString(file, sb.toString(), StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+        return configDir.toString();
+    }
+
+    // --- property 1: live token count tracks the last usage record -----------------------------
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("reported tokens equal the LAST usage record's total, and change when it does")
+    void tokenCountTracksTheLastUsageRecordAndChangesWithIt(@TempDir Path tmp) throws IOException {
+        String configDir = writeTranscript(tmp, SESSION_ID,
+                usageLine(1_000, 0, 0),
+                usageLine(40_000, 5_000, 3_000)); // last record: 48,000
+        LeadContextGauge gauge = new LeadContextGauge();
+
+        LeadContextGauge.Reading first = gauge.read(configDir, SESSION_ID, "claude");
+        assertEquals(48_000L, first.tokens(), "must total input+cache_read+cache_creation of the LAST usage record");
+        assertEquals(LeadContextGauge.State.OK, first.state());
+
+        // Change N in the fixture (a fresh session id avoids the cache) -- the reported number
+        // must change with it, not stay pinned to the first fixture's total.
+        String otherSession = "22222222-2222-2222-2222-222222222222";
+        writeTranscript(tmp, otherSession, usageLine(100_000, 50_000, 50_000)); // last record: 200,000
+        LeadContextGauge.Reading second = gauge.read(configDir, otherSession, "claude");
+        assertEquals(200_000L, second.tokens());
+        assertTrue(second.tokens() != first.tokens(), "changing N in the fixture must change the reported number");
+    }
+
+    // --- property 2: compaction count tracks compact_boundary records --------------------------
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("reported compaction count equals K compact_boundary records, and changes with K")
+    void compactionCountTracksCompactBoundaryRecordsAndChangesWithIt(@TempDir Path tmp) throws IOException {
+        String sessionTwoCompactions = "33333333-3333-3333-3333-333333333333";
+        writeTranscript(tmp, sessionTwoCompactions,
+                usageLine(1_000, 0, 0),
+                compactionLine(),
+                usageLine(2_000, 0, 0),
+                compactionLine(),
+                usageLine(3_000, 0, 0));
+        LeadContextGauge gauge = new LeadContextGauge();
+        LeadContextGauge.Reading twoCompactions = gauge.read(tmp.toString(), sessionTwoCompactions, "claude");
+        assertEquals(2, twoCompactions.compactions());
+
+        String sessionZeroCompactions = "44444444-4444-4444-4444-444444444444";
+        writeTranscript(tmp, sessionZeroCompactions, usageLine(3_000, 0, 0));
+        LeadContextGauge.Reading zeroCompactions = gauge.read(tmp.toString(), sessionZeroCompactions, "claude");
+        assertEquals(0, zeroCompactions.compactions(), "changing K in the fixture must change the reported count");
+    }
+
+    // --- property 3: two separate UNKNOWN cases -------------------------------------------------
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("a missing transcript file reports UNKNOWN with no token number")
+    void missingFileIsUnknown(@TempDir Path tmp) {
+        LeadContextGauge gauge = new LeadContextGauge();
+        LeadContextGauge.Reading reading = gauge.read(tmp.toString(), SESSION_ID, "claude");
+        assertEquals(LeadContextGauge.State.UNKNOWN, reading.state());
+        assertNull(reading.tokens());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("an unreadable transcript file reports UNKNOWN with no token number")
+    void unreadableFileIsUnknown(@TempDir Path tmp) throws IOException {
+        String configDir = writeTranscript(tmp, SESSION_ID, usageLine(1_000, 0, 0));
+        Path file = tmp.resolve("projects").resolve("some-project-slug").resolve(SESSION_ID + ".jsonl");
+        assertTrue(file.toFile().setReadable(false), "test setup: must be able to revoke read permission");
+        try {
+            // setReadable(false) really did clear the read bit (asserted above), but that alone
+            // does not prove the file is UNREADABLE: running as root (e.g. a CI container) ignores
+            // the read bit and opens the file anyway. Files.isReadable checks what actually happens
+            // on open, not the bit. When it still reports readable, this test cannot create the
+            // condition it needs on this machine, so it skips honestly instead of asserting on a
+            // state that was never reached. A skip here means "I could not set up the case", NOT
+            // "the UNKNOWN behaviour is fine" -- it is not evidence either way.
+            assumeFalse(Files.isReadable(file),
+                    "runs as root (CI container): the read bit does not stop root, so this case cannot be set up here");
+            LeadContextGauge gauge = new LeadContextGauge();
+            LeadContextGauge.Reading reading = gauge.read(configDir, SESSION_ID, "claude");
+            assertEquals(LeadContextGauge.State.UNKNOWN, reading.state());
+            assertNull(reading.tokens());
+        } finally {
+            file.toFile().setReadable(true); // so @TempDir cleanup can delete it
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("fleetd #602 finding 2: a torn final line does not destroy a good earlier reading")
+    void tornFinalLineFallsBackToTheLastGoodReading(@TempDir Path tmp) throws IOException {
+        // Deliberately NOT via writeTranscript: that helper appends a trailing newline after every
+        // line, including the last one, which would not model what a write caught mid-flush looks
+        // like on disk. Claude Code appends and flushes one line at a time, so the torn line here has
+        // no trailing newline at all -- exactly the shape a read racing an in-progress write sees.
+        Path projectDir = tmp.resolve("projects").resolve("some-project-slug");
+        Files.createDirectories(projectDir);
+        Path file = projectDir.resolve(SESSION_ID + ".jsonl");
+        String lastCompleteLine = usageLine(1_000, 2_000, 3_000); // last COMPLETE record: 6,000
+        String tornLine = "{\"type\":\"assistant\",\"message\":{\"role\":\"assistant\",\"usage\":{\"input_tok";
+        Files.writeString(file, lastCompleteLine + "\n" + tornLine, StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+
+        LeadContextGauge gauge = new LeadContextGauge();
+        LeadContextGauge.Reading reading = gauge.read(tmp.toString(), SESSION_ID, "claude");
+        assertEquals(LeadContextGauge.State.OK, reading.state(),
+                "a torn final line must not turn a good earlier reading into UNKNOWN");
+        assertEquals(6_000L, reading.tokens(),
+                "must report the last COMPLETE line's total, not fail the whole read");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("fleetd #602 finding 2 control: when EVERY line is unparseable, the reading IS UNKNOWN")
+    void everyLineUnparseableIsUnknown(@TempDir Path tmp) throws IOException {
+        // The real signal a format change gives: not one bad line, but ALL of them. Without this
+        // control, code that never reports UNKNOWN at all would still pass the torn-line property.
+        String configDir = writeTranscript(tmp, SESSION_ID,
+                "{this is not json at all",
+                "neither is this{{{");
+        LeadContextGauge gauge = new LeadContextGauge();
+        LeadContextGauge.Reading reading = gauge.read(configDir, SESSION_ID, "claude");
+        assertEquals(LeadContextGauge.State.UNKNOWN, reading.state(),
+                "every line unparseable is the real format-change signal and must still report UNKNOWN");
+        assertNull(reading.tokens());
+    }
+
+    // --- property 4: the tail bound is actually enforced ----------------------------------------
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("reading a transcript far larger than the tail bound reads no more than the bound")
+    void readNeverExceedsTheTailBound(@TempDir Path tmp) throws IOException {
+        int smallBound = 4_096; // exercise the mechanism without writing a multi-MB fixture
+        Path file = tmp.resolve("big.jsonl");
+        // One line far bigger than smallBound, repeated, so the whole file is many times the bound.
+        String line = usageLine(42, 0, 0) + " ".repeat(500);
+        StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
+        for (int i = 0; i < 50; i++) {
+            sb.append(line).append('\n');
+        }
+        Files.writeString(file, sb.toString(), StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+        long fileLength = Files.size(file);
+        assertTrue(fileLength > (long) smallBound * 5, "test setup: fixture must genuinely dwarf the bound");
+
+        var tail = LeadContextGauge.tailBytes(file, smallBound);
+        assertEquals(smallBound, tail.bytes().length,
+                "must read exactly the bound, not the whole " + fileLength + "-byte file — assert on bytes actually read");
+    }
+
+    // --- property 5: the cache TTL means a burst of calls reads the file once -------------------
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("the same (configDir, sessionId) read twice inside the TTL touches disk once")
+    void secondReadInsideTtlDoesNotTouchDiskAgain(@TempDir Path tmp) throws IOException {
+        String configDir = writeTranscript(tmp, SESSION_ID, usageLine(1_000, 0, 0));
+        AtomicLong now = new AtomicLong(0);
+        LeadContextGauge gauge = new LeadContextGauge(now::get, 5_000);
+
+        gauge.read(configDir, SESSION_ID, "claude");
+        gauge.read(configDir, SESSION_ID, "claude"); // still inside the TTL window
+        assertEquals(1, gauge.diskReadCount(), "two reads inside the TTL must touch disk once");
+
+        now.set(6_000); // past the TTL
+        gauge.read(configDir, SESSION_ID, "claude");
+        assertEquals(2, gauge.diskReadCount(), "a read past the TTL must touch disk again");
+    }
+
+    // --- non-Claude peer / unresolved session -----------------------------------------------------
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("a non-claude agent type or a null session id is UNKNOWN, never OK")
+    void nonClaudePeerOrUnresolvedSessionIsUnknown(@TempDir Path tmp) throws IOException {
+        String configDir = writeTranscript(tmp, SESSION_ID, usageLine(1_000, 0, 0));
+        LeadContextGauge gauge = new LeadContextGauge();
+
+        assertEquals(LeadContextGauge.State.UNKNOWN, gauge.read(configDir, SESSION_ID, "opencode").state());
+        assertEquals(LeadContextGauge.State.UNKNOWN, gauge.read(configDir, SESSION_ID, null).state());
+        assertEquals(LeadContextGauge.State.UNKNOWN, gauge.read(configDir, null, "claude").state());
+    }
+}

fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/lead/LeadLauncherTest.java

@@ -32,13 +32,26 @@ class LeadLauncherTest {
                 Map.of("CLAUDE_CODE_AUTO_COMPACT_WINDOW", "300000"), null, null, true, null);
     }
 
+    private static FleetConfig.Profile profileWithAutoCompactWindow(String kind) {
+        return new FleetConfig.Profile(
+                "opus", null, "claude-opus-5", null, "FLEETD_WORKER_TOKEN",
+                List.of("ccs", "ltms"), "tab", "fleet", null,
+                "http://127.0.0.1:8765/mcp", null, null,
+                null, null, kind, Map.of(), null, null, true, null, null,
+                null, null, null, 250_000);
+    }
+
     private static FleetConfig configWith(FleetConfig.Leader lead) {
+        return configWith(lead, opusProfile());
+    }
+
+    private static FleetConfig configWith(FleetConfig.Leader lead, FleetConfig.Profile profile) {
         Map<String, FleetConfig.Leader> leaders = new LinkedHashMap<>();
         leaders.put("opus", lead);
         FleetConfig.Fleet fleet =
                 new FleetConfig.Fleet(leaders, Map.of(), Map.of(), Map.of(), null);
         return new FleetConfig(
-                null, null, Map.of("opus", opusProfile()), null, null, null, null, null,
+                null, null, Map.of("opus", profile), null, null, null, null, null,
                 null, null, fleet, null, "fixed", null).withDefaults();
     }
 
@@ -330,6 +343,36 @@ class LeadLauncherTest {
                 "--model is appended last so it outranks the ccs wrapper (CB-533)");
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void aClaudeLeadPassesItsConfiguredAutoCompactWindowToClaudeCode() {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        FleetConfig.Profile profile = profileWithAutoCompactWindow("claude-code");
+
+        launcher(herdr, configWith(lead("opus", "lead: opus", 1), profile)).ensureLeads();
+
+        List<String> args = startedArgs(herdr);
+        assertEquals("250000", args.get(args.indexOf("--autocompact") + 1));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void aClaudeLeadWithNoAutoCompactWindowGetsNoAutoCompactFlag() {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+
+        launcher(herdr, configWith(lead("opus", "lead: opus", 1))).ensureLeads();
+
+        assertFalse(startedArgs(herdr).contains("--autocompact"));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void aNonClaudeLeadDoesNotGetAnAutoCompactFlag() {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr();
+        FleetConfig.Profile profile = profileWithAutoCompactWindow("opencode");
+
+        launcher(herdr, configWith(lead("opus", "lead: opus", 1), profile)).ensureLeads();
+
+        assertFalse(startedArgs(herdr).contains("--autocompact"));
+    }
+
     /** A lead runs on the operator's subscription. Nothing may move it off. */
     @Test
     void theLeadEnvCarriesNoAnthropicBinding() {

fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/lead/LeadRolloverTest.java

@@ -1359,4 +1359,92 @@ class LeadRolloverTest {
                     + "it were the measured wait duration: " + message);
         }
     }
+
+    // ---- fleetd #615: a HerdrException out of either unwrapped agents.send call must leave a ----
+    // ---- TERMINAL FAILED outcome, never a stuck IN_PROGRESS ---------------------------------------
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("[fleetd #615 — 1] send() throwing on the /clear call leaves status(token) "
+            + "reporting FAILED, not stuck at IN_PROGRESS")
+    void sendThrowingOnClearLeavesStatusReportingFailed() throws IOException {
+        FakeHerdr fake = new FakeHerdr(); // default idle — the turn-settle wait passes immediately
+        HerdrClient throwsOnClear = new HerdrClient() {
+            @Override
+            public JsonNode call(String method, Object params) throws HerdrException {
+                if ("agent.prompt".equals(method) && String.valueOf(params).contains("/clear")) {
+                    throw new HerdrException("simulated herdr transport failure sending /clear");
+                }
+                return fake.call(method, params);
+            }
+
+            @Override
+            public void close() {
+                fake.close();
+            }
+        };
+        Path handover = writeHandover("handover contents");
+        AtomicLong clock = new AtomicLong(1_000);
+        LeadRollover rollover = newRollover(throwsOnClear, cfg(handover.toString()), fixedClock(clock));
+
+        LeadRollover.PendingRollover pending = rollover.open(LEAD, "context is full");
+        LeadRollover.RollDecision decision = rollover.confirm(LEAD, pending.token(), true);
+
+        assertTrue(decision.accepted(), "every synchronous gate passes; the throw happens only "
+                + "inside the deferred continuation, which this test's synchronous runner has "
+                + "already run to completion by the time confirm() returns");
+
+        LeadRollover.RollStatus status = rollover.status(pending.token());
+        assertEquals(LeadRollover.RollState.FAILED, status.state(),
+                "a HerdrException out of the /clear send must leave a TERMINAL FAILED outcome — "
+                        + "before fleetd #615's fix, the continuation thread died silently and "
+                        + "status() was stuck reporting the IN_PROGRESS confirm() wrote at hand-off, "
+                        + "forever: got " + status.state() + " / " + status.detail());
+        assertNotEquals(LeadRollover.RollState.IN_PROGRESS, status.state());
+        assertTrue(status.detail().contains("HerdrException"), "the detail must name the exception "
+                + "so an operator reading status() has something to act on: " + status.detail());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("[fleetd #615 — 2] send() throwing on the bootstrap-text call (after /clear "
+            + "succeeded and the pane settled) also leaves status(token) reporting FAILED — a "
+            + "DIFFERENT exit from the /clear-throw case above")
+    void sendThrowingOnBootstrapTextLeavesStatusReportingFailed() throws IOException {
+        FakeHerdr fake = new FakeHerdr(); // default idle throughout — both settle waits pass promptly
+        HerdrClient throwsOnBootstrapText = new HerdrClient() {
+            @Override
+            public JsonNode call(String method, Object params) throws HerdrException {
+                if ("agent.prompt".equals(method) && String.valueOf(params).contains("read the handover file")) {
+                    throw new HerdrException("simulated herdr transport failure sending bootstrapText");
+                }
+                return fake.call(method, params);
+            }
+
+            @Override
+            public void close() {
+                fake.close();
+            }
+        };
+        Path handover = writeHandover("handover contents");
+        AtomicLong clock = new AtomicLong(1_000);
+        LeadRollover rollover = newRollover(throwsOnBootstrapText, cfg(handover.toString()), fixedClock(clock));
+
+        LeadRollover.PendingRollover pending = rollover.open(LEAD, "context is full");
+        LeadRollover.RollDecision decision = rollover.confirm(LEAD, pending.token(), true);
+
+        assertTrue(decision.accepted(), "every synchronous gate passes; the throw happens only "
+                + "inside the deferred continuation, which this test's synchronous runner has "
+                + "already run to completion by the time confirm() returns");
+        assertEquals(1, promptCallCount(fake), "sanity: /clear was sent and settled — only the "
+                + "SECOND agent.prompt call (bootstrapText) threw");
+
+        LeadRollover.RollStatus status = rollover.status(pending.token());
+        assertEquals(LeadRollover.RollState.FAILED, status.state(),
+                "a HerdrException out of the bootstrapText send — a DIFFERENT exit from the /clear "
+                        + "throw, reached only after /clear already succeeded and the pane already "
+                        + "settled — must also leave a TERMINAL FAILED outcome, not a stuck "
+                        + "IN_PROGRESS: got " + status.state() + " / " + status.detail());
+        assertNotEquals(LeadRollover.RollState.IN_PROGRESS, status.state());
+        assertTrue(status.detail().contains("HerdrException"), "the detail must name the exception "
+                + "so an operator reading status() has something to act on: " + status.detail());
+    }
 }

fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/mcp/FleetMcpLeadContextGaugeWiringTest.java

@@ -0,0 +1,126 @@
+package dev.ltms.fleet.mcp;
+
+import dev.ltms.fleet.config.FleetConfig;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.guard.SubscriptionGuard;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.AgentControl;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.FakeHerdr;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.WorkspaceControl;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.lead.LeadContextGauge;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.member.ClaudeCodeLauncher;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.session.SessionManager;
+import io.modelcontextprotocol.spec.McpSchema;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.DisplayName;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.io.TempDir;
+
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
+import java.nio.file.Files;
+import java.nio.file.Path;
+import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Set;
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicReference;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertFalse;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertNotEquals;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
+
+/**
+ * fleetd #602 gauge-wiring: {@code FleetMcp}'s {@code fleet_list} handler shipped calling
+ * {@code LeadContextGauge.read(null, ...)} unconditionally, so every lead whose profile sets a
+ * {@code configDir:} override read the wrong transcript directory forever, with no error anywhere —
+ * {@link LeadContextGauge}'s own 8 tests all passed because none of them exercised THIS wiring; each
+ * one hands the gauge its own directory directly.
+ *
+ * <p>This class proves the directory {@code fleet.leaders.<name>.profile}'s own {@code configDir:}
+ * names is the one {@code fleet_list}'s {@code context} row actually reads — not merely that SOME
+ * directory got passed. If the wiring in {@code FleetMcp.leadView}/{@code contextView} is ever
+ * reverted to a hardcoded {@code null}, {@link #configuredDirectoryDecidesWhichTranscriptIsRead()}
+ * must go red: both directories below hold a REAL, DIFFERENT token count for the SAME session id,
+ * so a hardcoded {@code null} (always reading the built-in default, where neither transcript lives)
+ * would report {@code UNKNOWN} both times instead of the two distinct numbers this test asserts.
+ */
+class FleetMcpLeadContextGaugeWiringTest {
+
+    private static final String LEAD_TERMINAL = "term_lead";
+    private static final String LEAD_NAME = "opus";
+    /** {@code FakeHerdr.withAgent} always projects {@code agent_session.value} as {@code sess-<terminalId>}. */
+    private static final String LEAD_SESSION_ID = "sess-" + LEAD_TERMINAL;
+
+    private static ClaudeCodeLauncher workerService(FakeHerdr h) {
+        FleetConfig.Profile cfg = new FleetConfig.Profile(
+                "ltms-local", "http://gx00.gw:8000", "coder", null, "FLEETD_WORKER_TOKEN", null,
+                "tab", "fleetd-workers", "worker: {profile} #{n}", null, null, null);
+        return new ClaudeCodeLauncher(new AgentControl(h), new WorkspaceControl(h),
+                new SubscriptionGuard(Set.of("gx00.gw")), Map.of(cfg.profile(), cfg), cfg.profile(), _ -> "tok");
+    }
+
+    private static String textOf(McpSchema.CallToolResult r) {
+        return ((McpSchema.TextContent) r.content().getFirst()).text();
+    }
+
+    /** One line Claude Code would write for a turn with the given live-context total. */
+    private static String usageLine(long tokens) {
+        return "{\"type\":\"assistant\",\"message\":{\"role\":\"assistant\",\"usage\":{"
+                + "\"input_tokens\":" + tokens + ",\"cache_read_input_tokens\":0,\"cache_creation_input_tokens\":0}}}";
+    }
+
+    /** Lays out {@code <configDir>/projects/<anySlug>/<sessionId>.jsonl} carrying one usage record. */
+    private static String writeTranscript(Path configDir, String sessionId, long tokens) throws IOException {
+        Path projectDir = configDir.resolve("projects").resolve("some-project-slug");
+        Files.createDirectories(projectDir);
+        Files.writeString(projectDir.resolve(sessionId + ".jsonl"), usageLine(tokens) + "\n", StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+        return configDir.toString();
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("the CONFIGURED directory decides which transcript is read, and follows a config change")
+    void configuredDirectoryDecidesWhichTranscriptIsRead(@TempDir Path tmp) throws IOException {
+        Path dirA = Files.createDirectory(tmp.resolve("dir-a"));
+        Path dirB = Files.createDirectory(tmp.resolve("dir-b"));
+        writeTranscript(dirA, LEAD_SESSION_ID, 11_000);
+        writeTranscript(dirB, LEAD_SESSION_ID, 22_000);
+
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr().withAgent("lead-opus", LEAD_TERMINAL, "wL:p1", "wL:t1");
+        SessionManager sessions = new SessionManager(workerService(herdr));
+        LeadContextGauge contextGauge = new LeadContextGauge();
+        AtomicReference<String> configuredDir = new AtomicReference<>(dirA.toString());
+        FleetMcp.LeadConfigDirSource source = new FleetMcp.LeadConfigDirSource(name ->
+                LEAD_NAME.equals(name) ? configuredDir.get() : null);
+
+        String firstRead = textOf(listFleet(herdr, sessions, contextGauge, source));
+        assertTrue(firstRead.contains("\"tokens\":11000"),
+                "config names directory A ⇒ fleet_list must report A's token count: " + firstRead);
+
+        // The config changes to name directory B instead -- the very next read must follow it.
+        configuredDir.set(dirB.toString());
+        String secondRead = textOf(listFleet(herdr, sessions, contextGauge, source));
+        assertTrue(secondRead.contains("\"tokens\":22000"),
+                "config now names directory B ⇒ fleet_list must report B's token count, not A's stale one: "
+                        + secondRead);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("a lead whose config names no directory still degrades to the built-in default, never throws")
+    void aLeadWhoseConfigNamesNoDirectoryStillFallsBackWithoutThrowing() {
+        FakeHerdr herdr = new FakeHerdr().withAgent("lead-opus", LEAD_TERMINAL, "wL:p1", "wL:t1");
+        SessionManager sessions = new SessionManager(workerService(herdr));
+        LeadContextGauge contextGauge = new LeadContextGauge();
+
+        McpSchema.CallToolResult res = listFleet(herdr, sessions, contextGauge, FleetMcp.LeadConfigDirSource.none());
+
+        assertNotEquals(Boolean.TRUE, res.isError(), "a lead with no configured configDir must degrade, never throw");
+        String out = textOf(res);
+        assertTrue(out.contains("\"state\":\"unknown\""), "no transcript under the built-in default ⇒ UNKNOWN: " + out);
+        assertFalse(out.contains("\"tokens\""), "UNKNOWN must never carry a stale/default token number: " + out);
+    }
+
+    private static McpSchema.CallToolResult listFleet(FakeHerdr herdr, SessionManager sessions,
+            LeadContextGauge contextGauge, FleetMcp.LeadConfigDirSource leadConfigDirs) {
+        return FleetMcp.listFleet(workerService(herdr), sessions, null,
+                FleetMcp.CapacitySource.none(), new FleetMcp.HealthCoverageSource(() -> "off"),
+                FleetMcp.LoopHealthSource.none(), FleetMcp.QuarantineSource.none(), FleetMcp.OutageSource.none(),
+                FleetMcp.LeadSeatSource.none(), contextGauge, leadConfigDirs,
+                Map.of(LEAD_TERMINAL, LEAD_NAME), LEAD_TERMINAL, FleetMcp.CoordinationSource.none(), false);
+    }
+}

fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/msg/LeadHeartbeatLoopTest.java

@@ -1,27 +1,46 @@
 package dev.ltms.fleet.msg;
 
+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 com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.JsonNode;
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.AgentControl;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.AgentStatus;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.herdr.HerdrClient;
+import dev.ltms.fleet.lead.LeadContextGauge;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.mcp.PrimaryRegistry;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.peer.MemberRole;
 import dev.ltms.fleet.session.MemberSession;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.AfterEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
+import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
 import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledExecutorService;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicLong;
 
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.*;
 
 /**
  * Unit tests for the CB-551 idle-lead heartbeat: the pure {@link LeadHeartbeatLoop#decide} decision
- * function, the nudge text, and the {@link LeadHeartbeatLoop#snapshot} fleet snapshot.
+ * function, the nudge text, and the {@link LeadHeartbeatLoop#snapshot} fleet snapshot. Also covers
+ * fleetd #609's context-high notice: the {@code context}/{@code contextNotified} parameters {@code
+ * decide} gained, and the standalone {@link LeadHeartbeatLoop#contextNotice} text builder.
  *
  * <p>All decision tests call {@code decide} directly with explicit nanoTime values from an injected
  * clock — no sleeping, no scheduler races. This mirrors how {@code ReplyPushLoopTest} pins the pure
  * decision before exercising the loop.
+ *
+ * <p>Every pre-#609 test below passes {@code LeadContextGauge.State.UNKNOWN, false} for the two new
+ * {@code decide} parameters — the same as a lead whose context could not be read and has never been
+ * notified — so each one still pins exactly the behaviour it pinned before this ticket.
  */
 class LeadHeartbeatLoopTest {
 
@@ -56,12 +75,18 @@ class LeadHeartbeatLoopTest {
         return new LeadHeartbeatLoop.FleetState(2, 1, 3, List.of("term_a", "term_b"));
     }
 
-    /** The loop under test; the scheduler is never invoked on the pure decide path. */
+    /** The loop under test, context notice off; the scheduler is never invoked on the pure decide path. */
     private static LeadHeartbeatLoop loop(int quietCap) {
+        return loop(quietCap, false);
+    }
+
+    /** As above, with the fleetd #609 {@code contextHighNudge} flag set explicitly. */
+    private static LeadHeartbeatLoop loop(int quietCap, boolean contextHighNudge) {
         return new LeadHeartbeatLoop(
                 new PrimaryRegistry("term_lead"), null /*agents — unused on the decide path*/,
                 null /*inbox*/, List::of, null /*pushLoop*/, null /*scheduler*/, () -> 0L,
-                IDLE_AFTER_NANOS, 1_000L, quietCap);
+                IDLE_AFTER_NANOS, 1_000L, quietCap, null,
+                LeadHeartbeatLoop.LeadContextSource.none(), contextHighNudge);
     }
 
     // ── (a) a working lead is never injected ───────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -69,7 +94,8 @@ class LeadHeartbeatLoopTest {
     @Test
     void aWorkingLeadIsNeverInjected() {
         LeadHeartbeatLoop.Decision d = loop(3).decide(
-                NOW, IDLE_PAST, 0, AgentStatus.WORKING, false, true, quietFleet());
+                NOW, IDLE_PAST, 0, AgentStatus.WORKING, false, true, quietFleet(),
+                LeadContextGauge.State.UNKNOWN, false);
         assertEquals(LeadHeartbeatLoop.Action.LEAD_BUSY, d.action(),
                 "a WORKING lead is making progress and must not be touched");
         assertNull(d.idleSinceNanos(), "a busy lead resets the idle window");
@@ -80,17 +106,71 @@ class LeadHeartbeatLoopTest {
     void anUnreadableStatusIsNeverInjectedEither() {
         // A failed status read (or a gone agent) must degrade to "do not inject", never hammer the pane.
         LeadHeartbeatLoop.Decision d = loop(3).decide(
-                NOW, IDLE_PAST, 0, AgentStatus.UNKNOWN, false, true, pendingFleet());
+                NOW, IDLE_PAST, 0, AgentStatus.UNKNOWN, false, true, pendingFleet(),
+                LeadContextGauge.State.UNKNOWN, false);
         assertEquals(LeadHeartbeatLoop.Action.LEAD_BUSY, d.action(),
                 "never inject into a state the loop cannot read");
     }
 
+    // ── fleetd #613: the boot line names all four heartbeat settings ──────────────────────────
+
+    /**
+     * fleetd #613: {@link LeadHeartbeatLoop#start()}'s boot line named only 3 of the 4 constructor
+     * settings — {@code contextHighNudge} (fleetd #609) was missing, so an operator could not tell
+     * from the log whether the handover notice was armed. Captures the real log via a
+     * {@link ListAppender}, raising the logger's level past {@code logback-test.xml}'s
+     * {@code dev.ltms.fleet -> WARN} override for the duration of the call — the same seam {@code
+     * GitHostShapeReportTest#attach} uses for its own INFO-level boot line.
+     */
+    private static String heartbeatBootLine(boolean contextHighNudge, ScheduledExecutorService scheduler) {
+        Logger logger = (Logger) LoggerFactory.getLogger(LeadHeartbeatLoop.class);
+        Level originalLevel = logger.getLevel();
+        logger.setLevel(Level.INFO);
+        ListAppender<ILoggingEvent> appender = new ListAppender<>();
+        appender.start();
+        logger.addAppender(appender);
+        try {
+            LeadHeartbeatLoop l = new LeadHeartbeatLoop(
+                    new PrimaryRegistry("term_lead"), null /*agents*/, null /*inbox*/, List::of,
+                    null /*pushLoop*/, scheduler, () -> 0L, IDLE_AFTER_NANOS, 1_000L, 3, null,
+                    LeadHeartbeatLoop.LeadContextSource.none(), contextHighNudge);
+            l.start();
+        } finally {
+            logger.detachAppender(appender);
+            logger.setLevel(originalLevel);
+        }
+        return appender.list.stream()
+                .filter(e -> e.getLevel() == Level.INFO)
+                .map(ILoggingEvent::getFormattedMessage)
+                .filter(m -> m.startsWith("idle-lead heartbeat:"))
+                .findFirst()
+                .orElseThrow(() -> new AssertionError("expected the heartbeat boot line to be logged"));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void theBootLineNamesContextHighNudgeWhenArmed() {
+        String line = heartbeatBootLine(true, scheduler);
+        assertTrue(line.contains("300s idle"), line);
+        assertTrue(line.contains("recheck 1000ms"), line);
+        assertTrue(line.contains("quiet cap 3"), line);
+        assertTrue(line.contains("context-high nudge true"),
+                "the boot line must name the 4th setting, contextHighNudge, alongside the other "
+                        + "three: " + line);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void theBootLineNamesContextHighNudgeWhenOff() {
+        String line = heartbeatBootLine(false, scheduler);
+        assertTrue(line.contains("context-high nudge false"), line);
+    }
+
     // ── (b) an idle lead within the quiet period is not yet injected ───────────────────────────
 
     @Test
     void justBecameIdleStartsTheDebounceWindow() {
         LeadHeartbeatLoop.Decision d = loop(3).decide(
-                NOW, null, 0, AgentStatus.IDLE, false, true, quietFleet());
+                NOW, null, 0, AgentStatus.IDLE, false, true, quietFleet(),
+                LeadContextGauge.State.UNKNOWN, false);
         assertEquals(LeadHeartbeatLoop.Action.WAIT_IDLE, d.action(),
                 "the first injectable tick only records the start of the idle stretch");
         assertEquals(NOW, d.idleSinceNanos(), "the idle window opens at the moment the lead became injectable");
@@ -99,7 +179,8 @@ class LeadHeartbeatLoopTest {
     @Test
     void idleWithinQuietPeriodIsNotInjected() {
         LeadHeartbeatLoop.Decision d = loop(3).decide(
-                NOW, IDLE_WITHIN, 0, AgentStatus.IDLE, false, true, quietFleet());
+                NOW, IDLE_WITHIN, 0, AgentStatus.IDLE, false, true, quietFleet(),
+                LeadContextGauge.State.UNKNOWN, false);
         assertEquals(LeadHeartbeatLoop.Action.WAIT_IDLE, d.action(),
                 "a lead idle for 10s (< 300s) has just finished a turn — do not re-prompt it");
     }
@@ -109,7 +190,8 @@ class LeadHeartbeatLoopTest {
     @Test
     void idlePastQuietPeriodIsInjected() {
         LeadHeartbeatLoop.Decision d = loop(3).decide(
-                NOW, IDLE_PAST, 0, AgentStatus.IDLE, false, true, quietFleet());
+                NOW, IDLE_PAST, 0, AgentStatus.IDLE, false, true, quietFleet(),
+                LeadContextGauge.State.UNKNOWN, false);
         assertEquals(LeadHeartbeatLoop.Action.INJECT, d.action(),
                 "a lead continuously idle past the quiet period is the reason to nudge");
     }
@@ -117,14 +199,17 @@ class LeadHeartbeatLoopTest {
     @Test
     void blockedAndDoneAreInjectableViewsOfIdle() {
         assertEquals(LeadHeartbeatLoop.Action.INJECT, loop(3).decide(
-                NOW, IDLE_PAST, 0, AgentStatus.BLOCKED, false, true, quietFleet()).action());
+                NOW, IDLE_PAST, 0, AgentStatus.BLOCKED, false, true, quietFleet(),
+                LeadContextGauge.State.UNKNOWN, false).action());
         assertEquals(LeadHeartbeatLoop.Action.INJECT, loop(3).decide(
-                NOW, IDLE_PAST, 0, AgentStatus.DONE, false, true, quietFleet()).action());
+                NOW, IDLE_PAST, 0, AgentStatus.DONE, false, true, quietFleet(),
+                LeadContextGauge.State.UNKNOWN, false).action());
     }
 
     @Test
     void nothingIsInjectedWhenNoLeadIsKnown() {
-        var d = loop(3).decide(NOW, IDLE_PAST, 0, AgentStatus.IDLE, false, false, pendingFleet());
+        var d = loop(3).decide(NOW, IDLE_PAST, 0, AgentStatus.IDLE, false, false, pendingFleet(),
+                LeadContextGauge.State.UNKNOWN, false);
         assertEquals(LeadHeartbeatLoop.Action.WAIT_IDLE, d.action(),
                 "with no known lead there is nobody to nudge — keep waiting until one is discovered");
         assertEquals(IDLE_PAST, d.idleSinceNanos(), "the idle window stays open so discovery re-arms it");
@@ -135,7 +220,8 @@ class LeadHeartbeatLoopTest {
     @Test
     void quietNudgeCapStopsTheLoopWhenNothingIsPending() {
         LeadHeartbeatLoop.Decision d = loop(3).decide(
-                NOW, IDLE_PAST, 3, AgentStatus.IDLE, false, true, quietFleet());
+                NOW, IDLE_PAST, 3, AgentStatus.IDLE, false, true, quietFleet(),
+                LeadContextGauge.State.UNKNOWN, false);
         assertEquals(LeadHeartbeatLoop.Action.QUIET_DONE, d.action(),
                 "3 consecutive nothing-pending nudges have already happened — stop nagging an empty fleet");
     }
@@ -145,7 +231,8 @@ class LeadHeartbeatLoopTest {
     @Test
     void newPendingStateResetsTheQuietCap() {
         LeadHeartbeatLoop.Decision d = loop(3).decide(
-                NOW, IDLE_PAST, 3, AgentStatus.IDLE, false, true, pendingFleet());
+                NOW, IDLE_PAST, 3, AgentStatus.IDLE, false, true, pendingFleet(),
+                LeadContextGauge.State.UNKNOWN, false);
         assertEquals(LeadHeartbeatLoop.Action.INJECT, d.action(),
                 "real state appearing re-arms the loop past an exhausted cap");
         assertEquals(0, d.quietCount(), "the pending state resets the consecutive-quiet counter");
@@ -156,7 +243,8 @@ class LeadHeartbeatLoopTest {
     @Test
     void standsDownWhileReplyPushLoopIsActive() {
         LeadHeartbeatLoop.Decision d = loop(3).decide(
-                NOW, IDLE_PAST, 2, AgentStatus.IDLE, true, true, quietFleet());
+                NOW, IDLE_PAST, 2, AgentStatus.IDLE, true, true, quietFleet(),
+                LeadContextGauge.State.UNKNOWN, false);
         assertEquals(LeadHeartbeatLoop.Action.STAND_DOWN, d.action(),
                 "a second injection would start a competing turn — stand aside instead");
         assertEquals(0, d.quietCount(), "the active push is real state, so it re-arms the cap");
@@ -213,4 +301,398 @@ class LeadHeartbeatLoopTest {
         assertFalse(fs.hasPending());
         assertEquals(0, fs.liveWorkers());
     }
+
+    // ── fleetd #609: context-high notice ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+    /** One gate scenario, keyed by name, over which the off-state/context-independence property is checked. */
+    private record Gate(String name, Long idleSince, int quietCount, AgentStatus status,
+                         boolean pushLoopActive, boolean leadKnown, LeadHeartbeatLoop.FleetState fleet) {}
+
+    private static List<Gate> allEightGates() {
+        return List.of(
+                new Gate("1-standDown", IDLE_PAST, 2, AgentStatus.IDLE, true, true, quietFleet()),
+                new Gate("2-leadBusy", IDLE_PAST, 0, AgentStatus.WORKING, false, true, quietFleet()),
+                new Gate("3-justBecameIdle", null, 0, AgentStatus.IDLE, false, true, quietFleet()),
+                new Gate("4-withinQuietPeriod", IDLE_WITHIN, 0, AgentStatus.IDLE, false, true, quietFleet()),
+                new Gate("5-noLeadKnown", IDLE_PAST, 0, AgentStatus.IDLE, false, false, pendingFleet()),
+                new Gate("6-pending", IDLE_PAST, 3, AgentStatus.IDLE, false, true, pendingFleet()),
+                new Gate("7-quietNotExhausted", IDLE_PAST, 0, AgentStatus.IDLE, false, true, quietFleet()),
+                new Gate("8-quietExhausted", IDLE_PAST, 3, AgentStatus.IDLE, false, true, quietFleet()));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void aOffFlagIgnoresContextAcrossAllEightGates() {
+        // Property A: with contextHighNudge off, decide() must not depend on the context reading at
+        // all — not just "usually agrees", but identical Action/idleSinceNanos/quietCount whatever
+        // context state is passed, and contextNotified must stay false throughout. This is the proof
+        // that fleetd #609 is opt-in: a daemon upgraded to carry this code, but never configuring
+        // `contextHighNudge: true`, behaves exactly as it did before this ticket for every one of the
+        // 8 gates the class javadoc numbers.
+        LeadHeartbeatLoop offLoop = loop(3, false);
+        for (Gate g : allEightGates()) {
+            var withHigh = offLoop.decide(NOW, g.idleSince(), g.quietCount(), g.status(),
+                    g.pushLoopActive(), g.leadKnown(), g.fleet(), LeadContextGauge.State.HIGH, false);
+            var withUnknown = offLoop.decide(NOW, g.idleSince(), g.quietCount(), g.status(),
+                    g.pushLoopActive(), g.leadKnown(), g.fleet(), LeadContextGauge.State.UNKNOWN, false);
+            var withOk = offLoop.decide(NOW, g.idleSince(), g.quietCount(), g.status(),
+                    g.pushLoopActive(), g.leadKnown(), g.fleet(), LeadContextGauge.State.OK, false);
+
+            assertEquals(withUnknown.action(), withHigh.action(), g.name() + ": action must not depend on context");
+            assertEquals(withUnknown.idleSinceNanos(), withHigh.idleSinceNanos(), g.name());
+            assertEquals(withUnknown.quietCount(), withHigh.quietCount(), g.name());
+            assertEquals(withUnknown.action(), withOk.action(), g.name() + ": nor on an OK reading");
+            assertFalse(withHigh.contextNotified(), g.name() + ": contextNotified must stay false when the flag is off");
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void bHighContextFiresEvenPastAnExhaustedQuietCapWithoutSpendingIt() {
+        LeadHeartbeatLoop on = loop(3, true);
+        LeadHeartbeatLoop.Decision d = on.decide(
+                NOW, IDLE_PAST, 3, AgentStatus.IDLE, false, true, quietFleet(),
+                LeadContextGauge.State.HIGH, false);
+        assertEquals(LeadHeartbeatLoop.Action.INJECT, d.action(),
+                "an idle, quiet, HIGH-context lead is exactly the case the exhausted cap must not swallow");
+        assertEquals(3, d.quietCount(), "the context notice is an event notice, not a quiet nudge — it must not "
+                + "spend or grow the consecutive-quiet budget");
+        assertTrue(d.contextNotified(), "firing the notice sets the latch");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void cASecondTickWithTheLatchAlreadySetDoesNotTellTheLeadAgain() {
+        LeadHeartbeatLoop on = loop(3, true);
+        LeadHeartbeatLoop.Decision d = on.decide(
+                NOW, IDLE_PAST, 3, AgentStatus.IDLE, false, true, quietFleet(),
+                LeadContextGauge.State.HIGH, true);
+        assertEquals(LeadHeartbeatLoop.Action.QUIET_DONE, d.action(),
+                "the lead was already told once about this HIGH stretch — telling it every tick would be nagging, "
+                        + "not a notice");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void dFlappingBetweenHighAndUnknownNeverReInjectsWhileLatched() {
+        LeadHeartbeatLoop on = loop(3, true);
+        // The lead was already told once (latch = true from a prior HIGH tick).
+        LeadHeartbeatLoop.Decision afterUnknown = on.decide(
+                NOW, IDLE_PAST, 3, AgentStatus.IDLE, false, true, quietFleet(),
+                LeadContextGauge.State.UNKNOWN, true);
+        assertTrue(afterUnknown.contextNotified(),
+                "UNKNOWN means 'I could not look', not 'it got better' — it must not clear the latch");
+        assertEquals(LeadHeartbeatLoop.Action.QUIET_DONE, afterUnknown.action(),
+                "a still-latched, still-quiet tick must not inject just because the reading is UNKNOWN");
+
+        LeadHeartbeatLoop.Decision afterHighAgain = on.decide(
+                NOW, IDLE_PAST, 3, AgentStatus.IDLE, false, true, quietFleet(),
+                LeadContextGauge.State.HIGH, afterUnknown.contextNotified());
+        assertEquals(LeadHeartbeatLoop.Action.QUIET_DONE, afterHighAgain.action(),
+                "HIGH -> UNKNOWN -> HIGH with the latch already set must never inject again — this is the "
+                        + "flapping case that would otherwise cost a full lead its remaining turns");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void eAnOkReadingClearsTheLatchSoALaterHighInjectsAgain() {
+        LeadHeartbeatLoop on = loop(3, true);
+        LeadHeartbeatLoop.Decision afterOk = on.decide(
+                NOW, IDLE_PAST, 3, AgentStatus.IDLE, false, true, quietFleet(),
+                LeadContextGauge.State.OK, true);
+        assertFalse(afterOk.contextNotified(), "an OK reading clears the latch — the lead's context recovered");
+
+        LeadHeartbeatLoop.Decision afterHighAgain = on.decide(
+                NOW, IDLE_PAST, 3, AgentStatus.IDLE, false, true, quietFleet(),
+                LeadContextGauge.State.HIGH, afterOk.contextNotified());
+        assertEquals(LeadHeartbeatLoop.Action.INJECT, afterHighAgain.action(),
+                "the cleared latch lets a genuinely new HIGH stretch notify again");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void fStandingDownDoesNotBurnTheOneContextNotice() {
+        LeadHeartbeatLoop on = loop(3, true);
+        LeadHeartbeatLoop.Decision d = on.decide(
+                NOW, IDLE_PAST, 2, AgentStatus.IDLE, true, true, quietFleet(),
+                LeadContextGauge.State.HIGH, false);
+        assertEquals(LeadHeartbeatLoop.Action.STAND_DOWN, d.action(), "ReplyPushLoop is active — stand aside");
+        assertFalse(d.contextNotified(),
+                "standing down must not spend the one notice this HIGH stretch gets — the latch stays clear so a "
+                        + "later tick can still fire it");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void gAWorkingLeadWithHighContextIsStillLeadBusy() {
+        LeadHeartbeatLoop on = loop(3, true);
+        LeadHeartbeatLoop.Decision d = on.decide(
+                NOW, IDLE_PAST, 0, AgentStatus.WORKING, false, true, quietFleet(),
+                LeadContextGauge.State.HIGH, false);
+        assertEquals(LeadHeartbeatLoop.Action.LEAD_BUSY, d.action(), "the status gate wins over the context notice");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void hAPendingDrivenInjectWhileHighSetsTheLatchTooSoTheLeadIsNotToldTwice() {
+        LeadHeartbeatLoop on = loop(3, true);
+        LeadHeartbeatLoop.Decision d = on.decide(
+                NOW, IDLE_PAST, 3, AgentStatus.IDLE, false, true, pendingFleet(),
+                LeadContextGauge.State.HIGH, false);
+        assertEquals(LeadHeartbeatLoop.Action.INJECT, d.action());
+        assertTrue(d.contextNotified(),
+                "the pending-driven nudge carries the context notice too (see contextNotice), so it must set the "
+                        + "latch — otherwise the lead could be told twice by two different routes");
+    }
+
+    // ── contextNotice text builder ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+    @Test
+    void contextNoticeIsEmptyWhenDisabled() {
+        var reading = new LeadContextGauge.Reading(LeadContextGauge.State.HIGH, 260_771L, 1);
+        assertEquals("", LeadHeartbeatLoop.contextNotice(false, reading));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void contextNoticeIsEmptyWhenStateIsOk() {
+        var reading = new LeadContextGauge.Reading(LeadContextGauge.State.OK, 1_000L, 0);
+        assertEquals("", LeadHeartbeatLoop.contextNotice(true, reading));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void contextNoticeIsEmptyWhenStateIsUnknown() {
+        assertEquals("", LeadHeartbeatLoop.contextNotice(true, LeadContextGauge.Reading.unknown()));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void contextNoticeNamesTheTokenCountWhenHighAndEnabled() {
+        var reading = new LeadContextGauge.Reading(LeadContextGauge.State.HIGH, 260_771L, 1);
+        String notice = LeadHeartbeatLoop.contextNotice(true, reading);
+        assertFalse(notice.isEmpty());
+        assertTrue(notice.contains("260771"), notice);
+        assertTrue(notice.contains("1 compaction"), notice);
+        assertTrue(notice.contains("fleet_handover"), notice);
+        assertTrue(notice.contains("operator"), notice);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void contextNoticeOmitsTheTokenClauseRatherThanPrintingNull() {
+        var reading = new LeadContextGauge.Reading(LeadContextGauge.State.HIGH, null, 2);
+        String notice = LeadHeartbeatLoop.contextNotice(true, reading);
+        assertFalse(notice.isEmpty());
+        assertFalse(notice.toLowerCase().contains("null"), notice);
+        assertTrue(notice.contains("2 compactions"), notice);
+    }
+
+    // ── fleetd #621: the notice must track the effective requireOperatorConfirm value ─────────────
+
+    @Test
+    void contextNoticeKeepsAskingTheOperatorWhenRequireOperatorConfirmIsTrue() {
+        var reading = new LeadContextGauge.Reading(LeadContextGauge.State.HIGH, 260_771L, 1);
+        String notice = LeadHeartbeatLoop.contextNotice(true, reading, false, true);
+        assertTrue(notice.contains("ask the operator"), notice);
+        assertTrue(notice.contains("Only the operator can approve the roll"), notice);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void contextNoticeDropsTheOperatorAskWhenRequireOperatorConfirmIsFalse() {
+        var reading = new LeadContextGauge.Reading(LeadContextGauge.State.HIGH, 260_771L, 1);
+        String notice = LeadHeartbeatLoop.contextNotice(true, reading, false, false);
+        assertFalse(notice.contains("ask the operator"), notice);
+        assertFalse(notice.contains("Only the operator can approve the roll"), notice);
+        assertTrue(notice.contains("fleet_handover"), notice);
+        assertTrue(notice.contains("maxDocAgeSeconds"), notice);
+    }
+
+    // ── fleetd #609 review: the latch must mean "the notice reached the pane" ────────────────────
+    //
+    // These four drive LeadHeartbeatLoop.tick() directly (package-private, same reasoning as
+    // ReplyPushLoop#tick(String) being directly testable) against a real AgentControl wrapping a
+    // FailableHerdrClient, so the send path (agents.send -> herdr -> possible throw) is exercised
+    // for real rather than assumed from decide()'s Decision alone.
+
+    private static final String LEAD = "term_lead";
+    private static final String WORKER = "term_w1";
+
+    /** A HIGH reading with a fixed token/compaction count, for the four tests below. */
+    private static LeadContextGauge.Reading highReading() {
+        return new LeadContextGauge.Reading(LeadContextGauge.State.HIGH, 260_771L, 1);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Builds a real {@link LeadHeartbeatLoop} wired to {@code herdr} via a real {@link AgentControl},
+     * a mutable fake clock, and a mutable roster so a test can change fleet state between ticks. The
+     * lead is always reported IDLE by {@code herdr}, so every tick's outcome is governed only by the
+     * idle-window/quiet-cap/context gates under test.
+     */
+    private static LeadHeartbeatLoop tickableLoop(FailableHerdrClient herdr, AtomicLong now,
+                                                   List<MemberSession>[] rosterBox, InMemoryReplyInbox inbox,
+                                                   int quietNudgeCap, ScheduledExecutorService scheduler) {
+        AgentControl agents = new AgentControl(herdr);
+        PrimaryRegistry registry = new PrimaryRegistry(LEAD);
+        ReplyPushLoop pushLoop = new ReplyPushLoop(registry, agents, inbox, scheduler, 5, 100_000);
+        return new LeadHeartbeatLoop(registry, agents, inbox, () -> rosterBox[0], pushLoop, scheduler,
+                now::get, IDLE_AFTER_NANOS, 100_000L, quietNudgeCap, null,
+                new LeadHeartbeatLoop.LeadContextSource(t -> highReading()), true);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void iAFailedSendDoesNotConsumeTheNotice() {
+        var herdr = new FailableHerdrClient(LEAD);
+        var now = new AtomicLong(NOW);
+        @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+        List<MemberSession>[] rosterBox = new List[]{List.of()}; // quiet: nothing pending
+        InMemoryReplyInbox inbox = new InMemoryReplyInbox();
+        LeadHeartbeatLoop loop = tickableLoop(herdr, now, rosterBox, inbox, 0, scheduler);
+
+        loop.tick(); // first injectable tick: only opens the idle window (WAIT_IDLE)
+        now.addAndGet(TimeUnit.SECONDS.toNanos(400)); // now clearly past the quiet period
+
+        herdr.throwOnNextSend();
+        loop.tick(); // quiet fleet, quiet cap exhausted (0), context HIGH, latch clear -> INJECT, send throws
+
+        assertEquals(0, herdr.sentTexts().size(), "the failed send must not have recorded any text");
+
+        loop.tick(); // same inputs — the latch must still be clear, so this must INJECT and send again
+        assertEquals(1, herdr.sentTexts().size(),
+                "a retried tick with the latch still clear must attempt the send again");
+        assertTrue(herdr.sentTexts().get(0).contains("Your own context is nearly full"),
+                "the retried, successful send must carry the notice: " + herdr.sentTexts().get(0));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void jASuccessfulSendDoesConsumeIt() {
+        var herdr = new FailableHerdrClient(LEAD);
+        var now = new AtomicLong(NOW);
+        @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+        List<MemberSession>[] rosterBox = new List[]{List.of()};
+        InMemoryReplyInbox inbox = new InMemoryReplyInbox();
+        LeadHeartbeatLoop loop = tickableLoop(herdr, now, rosterBox, inbox, 0, scheduler);
+
+        loop.tick(); // opens the idle window
+        now.addAndGet(TimeUnit.SECONDS.toNanos(400));
+
+        loop.tick(); // INJECT, send succeeds -> latch set
+        assertEquals(1, herdr.sentTexts().size());
+        assertTrue(herdr.sentTexts().get(0).contains("Your own context is nearly full"), herdr.sentTexts().get(0));
+
+        loop.tick(); // same inputs — the lead was already told this stretch
+        assertEquals(1, herdr.sentTexts().size(),
+                "the next tick with the same inputs must not send a second notice");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void kAPendingDrivenInjectWithTheLatchAlreadySetSendsNoNotice() {
+        var herdr = new FailableHerdrClient(LEAD);
+        var now = new AtomicLong(NOW);
+        @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+        List<MemberSession>[] rosterBox = new List[]{List.of()};
+        InMemoryReplyInbox inbox = new InMemoryReplyInbox();
+        LeadHeartbeatLoop loop = tickableLoop(herdr, now, rosterBox, inbox, 0, scheduler);
+
+        loop.tick();
+        now.addAndGet(TimeUnit.SECONDS.toNanos(400));
+        loop.tick(); // latches the notice (quiet, HIGH, cap exhausted -> the forced context INJECT)
+        assertEquals(1, herdr.sentTexts().size());
+        assertTrue(herdr.sentTexts().get(0).contains("Your own context is nearly full"));
+
+        // Now make the fleet have real pending state, so the NEXT INJECT is pending-driven, not the
+        // forced-context route — with the latch already set from the tick above.
+        inbox.own(WORKER);
+        inbox.publish(WORKER, "m1", "hello");
+        rosterBox[0] = List.of(new MemberSession("p1", WORKER, "prof", MemberRole.DEV, "/cwd", null,
+                0, 0, 0, MemberSession.State.READY, null, null));
+
+        loop.tick();
+
+        assertEquals(2, herdr.sentTexts().size(), "the pending-driven tick must still send a nudge");
+        assertFalse(herdr.sentTexts().get(1).contains("Your own context is nearly full"),
+                "a pending-driven INJECT while the latch is already set must carry no context notice: "
+                        + herdr.sentTexts().get(1));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void lTheNoticeAppearsExactlyOnceAcrossThreeDifferentlyDrivenInjects() {
+        var herdr = new FailableHerdrClient(LEAD);
+        var now = new AtomicLong(NOW);
+        @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+        List<MemberSession>[] rosterBox = new List[]{List.of()};
+        InMemoryReplyInbox inbox = new InMemoryReplyInbox();
+        // quietNudgeCap=1 so a still-not-exhausted quiet nudge is available as the "forced" route below,
+        // distinct from both the pending-driven route and the exhausted-cap forced-context route.
+        LeadHeartbeatLoop loop = tickableLoop(herdr, now, rosterBox, inbox, 1, scheduler);
+
+        loop.tick(); // opens the idle window
+        now.addAndGet(TimeUnit.SECONDS.toNanos(400));
+
+        // 1) pending-driven INJECT: real fleet state present. Sets the latch and carries the notice.
+        inbox.own(WORKER);
+        inbox.publish(WORKER, "m1", "hello");
+        rosterBox[0] = List.of(new MemberSession("p1", WORKER, "prof", MemberRole.DEV, "/cwd", null,
+                0, 0, 0, MemberSession.State.READY, null, null));
+        loop.tick();
+        assertEquals(1, herdr.sentTexts().size());
+        assertTrue(herdr.sentTexts().get(0).contains("Your own context is nearly full"), herdr.sentTexts().get(0));
+
+        // 2) "forced" INJECT: nothing pending, but the quiet cap (1) is not yet exhausted, so decide()
+        // nudges anyway. The latch is already set, so no notice.
+        inbox.ack(WORKER, "m1");
+        rosterBox[0] = List.of();
+        loop.tick();
+        assertEquals(2, herdr.sentTexts().size(), "the quiet-cap-not-yet-exhausted nudge must still fire");
+        assertFalse(herdr.sentTexts().get(1).contains("Your own context is nearly full"), herdr.sentTexts().get(1));
+
+        // 3) pending-driven INJECT again. Still latched, still no notice.
+        inbox.publish(WORKER, "m2", "hello again");
+        rosterBox[0] = List.of(new MemberSession("p1", WORKER, "prof", MemberRole.DEV, "/cwd", null,
+                0, 0, 0, MemberSession.State.READY, null, null));
+        loop.tick();
+        assertEquals(3, herdr.sentTexts().size());
+        assertFalse(herdr.sentTexts().get(2).contains("Your own context is nearly full"), herdr.sentTexts().get(2));
+
+        long noticeCount = herdr.sentTexts().stream()
+                .filter(t -> t.contains("Your own context is nearly full")).count();
+        assertEquals(1, noticeCount,
+                "the notice text must appear exactly once across all three sends: " + herdr.sentTexts());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Fake herdr client for the four tests above: always reports {@code lead} as IDLE, records the
+     * {@code text} of every {@code agent.prompt} call, and can be told to throw on the very next
+     * {@code agent.prompt} call — standing in for one transient herdr send failure.
+     */
+    private static final class FailableHerdrClient implements HerdrClient {
+        private static final ObjectMapper MAPPER = new ObjectMapper();
+        private final String lead;
+        private final List<String> sentTexts = new ArrayList<>();
+        private boolean throwOnNextSend = false;
+
+        FailableHerdrClient(String lead) {
+            this.lead = lead;
+        }
+
+        void throwOnNextSend() {
+            throwOnNextSend = true;
+        }
+
+        List<String> sentTexts() {
+            return List.copyOf(sentTexts);
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+        public JsonNode call(String method, Object params) {
+            if ("agent.get".equals(method)) {
+                return MAPPER.createObjectNode()
+                        .set("agent", MAPPER.createObjectNode()
+                                .put("terminal_id", lead)
+                                .put("agent_status", "idle"));
+            }
+            if ("agent.prompt".equals(method)) {
+                if (throwOnNextSend) {
+                    throwOnNextSend = false;
+                    throw new RuntimeException("simulated transient herdr send failure");
+                }
+                Map<String, Object> p = params instanceof Map ? (Map<String, Object>) params : Map.of();
+                sentTexts.add(String.valueOf(p.get("text")));
+            }
+            return MAPPER.createObjectNode();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void close() {
+        }
+    }
 }

fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/msg/ManualScheduler.java

@@ -0,0 +1,168 @@
+package dev.ltms.fleet.msg;
+
+import java.util.ArrayDeque;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.Deque;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.concurrent.Callable;
+import java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException;
+import java.util.concurrent.Future;
+import java.util.concurrent.RejectedExecutionException;
+import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledExecutorService;
+import java.util.concurrent.ScheduledFuture;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
+
+/**
+ * A {@link ScheduledExecutorService} for tests that never runs a task on a timer — it records what
+ * {@link ReplyPushLoop} schedules and only ever runs it when the test itself calls
+ * {@link #runDueTasks()} (fleetd #608).
+ *
+ * <p>The test this exists for ({@code anAlreadyCollectedTicketProducesNoNudge}) used to wire
+ * {@link ReplyPushLoop} to a real {@code Executors.newSingleThreadScheduledExecutor()} and bet a
+ * 300ms backoff was "wide" enough that the test's own work (collecting the ticket) always won the
+ * race against the scheduler's own timer firing the next tick. On an idle machine that held; under
+ * a loaded full-suite run it did not, and the test went red on perfectly correct code. Replacing
+ * the timer with this fake removes the race rather than widening it: nothing here ever runs on a
+ * schedule of its own, so no backoff value — however small — can make the tick fire before the test
+ * is ready for it.
+ *
+ * <p><strong>Deliberately narrow.</strong> {@link ReplyPushLoop} calls exactly two methods on its
+ * {@link ScheduledExecutorService} field — {@link #schedule(Runnable, long, TimeUnit)} (every tick,
+ * including the very first one {@code startOrCoalesce} kicks off) and {@link #shutdownNow()} (on
+ * {@code ReplyPushLoop.stop()}/{@code close()}) — verified by reading every {@code scheduler.} call
+ * site in that class. Every other {@link ScheduledExecutorService} method throws
+ * {@link UnsupportedOperationException} rather than silently doing the wrong thing, so a future
+ * change to {@code ReplyPushLoop} that starts calling one of them fails this fake loudly, on the
+ * very first test that exercises it, instead of being quietly mishandled.
+ */
+final class ManualScheduler implements ScheduledExecutorService {
+
+    private final Deque<Runnable> pending = new ArrayDeque<>();
+    private boolean shutdown = false;
+
+    /**
+     * Run every task pending as of the START of this call — a snapshot taken before anything runs.
+     * {@link ReplyPushLoop#tick} always reschedules its own next tick before returning (see
+     * {@code scheduleNext} in its {@code INJECT}/{@code WAIT_BUSY} branches), so without the
+     * snapshot a single call here would recurse forever. Taking it up front means one call is
+     * exactly one tick, deterministically, no matter what that tick itself goes on to schedule.
+     *
+     * @return how many tasks actually ran
+     */
+    synchronized int runDueTasks() {
+        List<Runnable> due = new ArrayList<>(pending);
+        pending.clear();
+        for (Runnable task : due) {
+            task.run();
+        }
+        return due.size();
+    }
+
+    /** How many tasks are currently queued, without running any of them. */
+    synchronized int pendingCount() {
+        return pending.size();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public synchronized ScheduledFuture<?> schedule(Runnable command, long delay, TimeUnit unit) {
+        if (shutdown) {
+            throw new RejectedExecutionException("ManualScheduler is shut down");
+        }
+        pending.add(command);
+        return null; // ReplyPushLoop discards the return value of every schedule() call it makes.
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public synchronized List<Runnable> shutdownNow() {
+        shutdown = true;
+        List<Runnable> left = new ArrayList<>(pending);
+        pending.clear();
+        return left;
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public synchronized boolean isShutdown() {
+        return shutdown;
+    }
+
+    // --- everything below: not called by ReplyPushLoop, and not supported by this fake (see the
+    // class javadoc's "deliberately narrow" note) -------------------------------------------------
+
+    @Override
+    public ScheduledFuture<?> scheduleAtFixedRate(Runnable command, long initialDelay, long period, TimeUnit unit) {
+        throw unsupported();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public ScheduledFuture<?> scheduleWithFixedDelay(Runnable command, long initialDelay, long delay, TimeUnit unit) {
+        throw unsupported();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public <V> ScheduledFuture<V> schedule(Callable<V> callable, long delay, TimeUnit unit) {
+        throw unsupported();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void shutdown() {
+        throw unsupported();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public boolean isTerminated() {
+        throw unsupported();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public boolean awaitTermination(long timeout, TimeUnit unit) {
+        throw unsupported();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public <T> Future<T> submit(Callable<T> task) {
+        throw unsupported();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public <T> Future<T> submit(Runnable task, T result) {
+        throw unsupported();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public Future<?> submit(Runnable task) {
+        throw unsupported();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public <T> List<Future<T>> invokeAll(Collection<? extends Callable<T>> tasks) {
+        throw unsupported();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public <T> List<Future<T>> invokeAll(Collection<? extends Callable<T>> tasks, long timeout, TimeUnit unit) {
+        throw unsupported();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public <T> T invokeAny(Collection<? extends Callable<T>> tasks) throws ExecutionException {
+        throw unsupported();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public <T> T invokeAny(Collection<? extends Callable<T>> tasks, long timeout, TimeUnit unit)
+            throws ExecutionException {
+        throw unsupported();
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public void execute(Runnable command) {
+        throw unsupported();
+    }
+
+    private static UnsupportedOperationException unsupported() {
+        return new UnsupportedOperationException(
+                "ManualScheduler only supports schedule(Runnable, long, TimeUnit), shutdownNow() and isShutdown() "
+                        + "— see the class javadoc");
+    }
+}

fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/msg/MessageServiceTest.java

@@ -1841,6 +1841,43 @@ class MessageServiceTest {
         return new PushWiring(service, leadHerdr, scheduler);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * A {@link MessageService} wired to a real {@link ReplyPushLoop}, like {@link #wireWithPushLoop},
+     * but backed by {@link ManualScheduler} instead of a real timer (fleetd #608): its tick never
+     * fires on its own — a test drives it explicitly via {@link ManualScheduler#runDueTasks()}.
+     */
+    private record ManualPushWiring(MessageService service, FakeHerdr leadHerdr, ManualScheduler scheduler,
+                                    ReplyPushLoop pushLoop)
+            implements AutoCloseable {
+        @Override
+        public void close() {
+            scheduler.shutdownNow();
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * As {@link #wireWithPushLoop}, but the schedule never runs on its own. {@code backoffMs} is
+     * still threaded through to {@link ReplyPushLoop}'s constructor (it takes one), but nothing here
+     * ever waits it out, so its value cannot affect anything a test built on this observes — see
+     * {@code anAlreadyCollectedTicketProducesNoNudge}, which sets it to 1 to prove exactly that.
+     */
+    private ManualPushWiring wireWithManualScheduler(int maxReminders, long backoffMs) {
+        return wireWithManualScheduler(maxReminders, backoffMs, System::nanoTime);
+    }
+
+    /** As above, with an injectable clock for tests that exercise terminal-ticket pruning. */
+    private ManualPushWiring wireWithManualScheduler(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);
+        ManualScheduler scheduler = new ManualScheduler();
+        ReplyPushLoop pushLoop = new ReplyPushLoop(registry, leadAgents, inbox, scheduler, maxReminders, backoffMs);
+        MessageService service = new MessageService(agents, injector, rendezvous, inbox, pushLoop, null, nowNanos);
+        return new ManualPushWiring(service, leadHerdr, scheduler, pushLoop);
+    }
+
     private void awaitNudge(FakeHerdr leadHerdr) throws InterruptedException {
         long deadline = System.currentTimeMillis() + 3000;
         while (!leadHerdr.called("agent.prompt") && System.currentTimeMillis() < deadline) {
@@ -1882,16 +1919,46 @@ class MessageServiceTest {
 
     @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"));
+        // fleetd #608: backoff is 1ms — the most hostile value there is, the tick due immediately —
+        // and the test still must pass, because with ManualScheduler the tick never runs on a timer
+        // at all; it only runs when this test calls runDueTasks() below. The old version bet a 300ms
+        // backoff was "wide" enough that collecting the ticket always won the race against a real
+        // scheduler's own timer; that held on an idle machine and failed under a loaded full-suite
+        // run — a false red on correct code, since nothing here forced that ordering, it only made
+        // it likely.
+        try (var wiring = wireWithManualScheduler(1, 1)) {
+            java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch terminalReached = new java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch(1);
+            // finishAsyncTask's task.future.complete(...) runs every whenComplete registered on that
+            // same future — including sendAsync's own hook that calls ReplyPushLoop.onTicketTerminal
+            // — synchronously, before complete() returns (see finishAsyncTask's javadoc and fleetd
+            // #399). This test-only hook fires right after that complete() call, on the very same
+            // (async executor) thread, so waiting for it guarantees onTicketTerminal has already run
+            // and the ticket is really sitting in the push loop's pending set — unlike waiting for
+            // Phase.DONE via poll(), which CompletableFuture.complete() can make visible to another
+            // thread before every whenComplete dependent has actually finished running (the same
+            // publish-then-run-dependents gap awaitCompletionStamped exists to close elsewhere).
+            String ticket;
+            wiring.service().setAfterFinishAsyncTaskCompleteHookForTest(terminalReached::countDown);
+            try {
+                ticket = wiring.service().sendAsync(T, "long task");
+                awaitWaiting();
+                injectDelivery();
+                assertTrue(rendezvous.resolve(T, "async result"));
+                assertTrue(terminalReached.await(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS),
+                        "the ticket never reached its terminal phase");
+            } finally {
+                wiring.service().setAfterFinishAsyncTaskCompleteHookForTest(null);
+            }
 
+            // Collect it — the exact action the nudge must never follow.
             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
+            // Now run the pending tick explicitly. onTicketTerminal scheduled exactly one (the ticket
+            // is the only thing this lead has ever had pending); it must find nothing left pending —
+            // the collection above already removed it — and send no nudge.
+            assertEquals(1, wiring.scheduler().runDueTasks(),
+                    "expected exactly the one tick onTicketTerminal scheduled");
             assertFalse(wiring.leadHerdr().called("agent.prompt"),
                     "a ticket the lead already polled must never be nudged");
         }
@@ -1899,24 +1966,35 @@ class MessageServiceTest {
 
     @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);
+        // A 1ms backoff is due immediately. ManualScheduler still cannot run it until this test
+        // explicitly calls runDueTasks(), so both terminal tickets join one scheduled tick.
+        try (var wiring = wireWithManualScheduler(1, 1)) {
+            String first;
+            String second;
+            java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch firstTerminalReached = new java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch(1);
+            wiring.service().setAfterFinishAsyncTaskCompleteHookForTest(firstTerminalReached::countDown);
+            try {
+                first = wiring.service().sendAsync(T, "first task");
+                awaitWaiting();
+                injectDelivery();
+                assertTrue(rendezvous.resolve(T, "first done"));
+                assertTrue(firstTerminalReached.await(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS),
+                        "the first ticket never reached its terminal phase");
 
-            String second = wiring.service().sendAsync(T, "second task");
-            awaitWaiting();
-            injectDelivery();
-            assertTrue(rendezvous.resolve(T, "second done"));
-            Thread.sleep(100);
+                java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch secondTerminalReached = new java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch(1);
+                wiring.service().setAfterFinishAsyncTaskCompleteHookForTest(secondTerminalReached::countDown);
+                second = wiring.service().sendAsync(T, "second task");
+                awaitWaiting();
+                injectDelivery();
+                assertTrue(rendezvous.resolve(T, "second done"));
+                assertTrue(secondTerminalReached.await(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS),
+                        "the second ticket never reached its terminal phase");
+            } finally {
+                wiring.service().setAfterFinishAsyncTaskCompleteHookForTest(null);
+            }
 
-            awaitNudge(wiring.leadHerdr());
-            Thread.sleep(200); // settle — nothing more should arrive beyond the one coalesced nudge
+            assertEquals(1, wiring.scheduler().runDueTasks(),
+                    "both terminal tickets must coalesce onto one scheduled tick");
             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");
@@ -1995,7 +2073,8 @@ class MessageServiceTest {
 
     @Test
     void answeringAQuestionStopsFurtherNudgesAboutIt() throws Exception {
-        try (var wiring = wireWithPushLoop(5, 50)) {
+        // A 1ms backoff is due immediately, but ManualScheduler only ticks when this test asks it to.
+        try (var wiring = wireWithManualScheduler(5, 1)) {
             String ticket = wiring.service().sendAsync(T, "task that asks");
             awaitWaiting();
             injectDelivery();
@@ -2003,8 +2082,9 @@ class MessageServiceTest {
             CompletableFuture<MessageService.AskResult> ask = CompletableFuture.supplyAsync(
                     () -> wiring.service().ask(T, "which config file?", 5000));
             MessageService.TaskView asking = awaitTicketPhaseOn(wiring.service(), ticket, MessageService.Phase.ASKING);
+            awaitQuestionPendingOn(wiring.pushLoop(), LEAD, asking.turnId());
 
-            awaitNudge(wiring.leadHerdr());
+            assertEquals(1, wiring.scheduler().runDueTasks(), "the open question must have one scheduled tick");
             long callsBeforeAnswer = wiring.leadHerdr().calls.stream()
                     .filter(c -> c.method().equals("agent.prompt")).count();
 
@@ -2012,12 +2092,22 @@ class MessageServiceTest {
                     () -> wiring.service().answer(asking.turnId(), "config.yaml", 5000));
             assertEquals("config.yaml", ask.get(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS).answer());
             awaitWaiting();
+            java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch terminalReached = new java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch(1);
+            wiring.service().setAfterFinishAsyncTaskCompleteHookForTest(terminalReached::countDown);
             assertTrue(rendezvous.resolve(T, "done"));
+            try {
+                assertTrue(terminalReached.await(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS),
+                        "the answered ticket never reached its terminal phase");
+            } finally {
+                wiring.service().setAfterFinishAsyncTaskCompleteHookForTest(null);
+            }
             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);
+            // Run the ticket's legitimate terminal nudge and every later scheduled tick through its
+            // reminder cap. None may still name the closed question.
+            for (int tick = 0; tick < 6; tick++) {
+                assertEquals(1, wiring.scheduler().runDueTasks(), "expected one scheduled reminder tick");
+            }
             boolean anyNamesClosedQuestion = wiring.leadHerdr().calls.stream()
                     .filter(c -> c.method().equals("agent.prompt"))
                     .skip(callsBeforeAnswer)
@@ -2100,35 +2190,45 @@ class MessageServiceTest {
         // 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"));
+        // A 1ms backoff is due immediately, but ManualScheduler runs only the ticks below.
+        try (var wiring = wireWithManualScheduler(1, 1, clock::get)) {
+            String stale;
+            String fresh;
+            java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch staleTerminalReached = new java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch(1);
+            wiring.service().setAfterFinishAsyncTaskCompleteHookForTest(staleTerminalReached::countDown);
+            try {
+                stale = wiring.service().sendAsync(T, "first task");
+                awaitWaiting();
+                injectDelivery();
+                assertTrue(rendezvous.resolve(T, "stale result"));
+                assertTrue(staleTerminalReached.await(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS),
+                        "the stale ticket never reached its terminal phase");
 
-            // 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");
+                // Fire the stale ticket's one nudge, then its cap tick (STOP removes it from activeLeads;
+                // pendingTickets is untouched either way — that asymmetry is the bug).
+                assertEquals(1, wiring.scheduler().runDueTasks(), "the stale ticket must have one nudge tick");
+                assertEquals(1, wiring.scheduler().runDueTasks(), "the stale ticket must have one cap tick");
+                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));
+                // 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);
+                // A second, unrelated ticket to the same target/lead reaches sendAsync, which prunes.
+                java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch freshTerminalReached = new java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch(1);
+                wiring.service().setAfterFinishAsyncTaskCompleteHookForTest(freshTerminalReached::countDown);
+                fresh = wiring.service().sendAsync(T, "second task");
+                awaitWaiting();
+                injectDelivery();
+                assertTrue(rendezvous.resolve(T, "fresh result"));
+                assertTrue(freshTerminalReached.await(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS),
+                        "the fresh ticket never reached its terminal phase");
+            } finally {
+                wiring.service().setAfterFinishAsyncTaskCompleteHookForTest(null);
             }
+
+            // The fresh ticket restarts the now-dormant reminder loop with its own nudge.
+            assertEquals(1, wiring.scheduler().runDueTasks(), "the fresh ticket must have one nudge tick");
             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),

fleetd/src/test/java/dev/ltms/fleet/session/SessionManagerTest.java

@@ -328,9 +328,10 @@ class SessionManagerTest {
     void rosterViewExposesTheCharterReceiptButNeverTheCharterText() {
         // The roster (fleet_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).
+        String composed = "role charter\n\nreply";
+        CharterReceipt receipt = CharterReceipt.compose(MemberRole.DEV, "prof", "role charter", composed);
         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);
+                0, 0, 0, MemberSession.State.READY, null, null, receipt, null);
 
         Map<String, Object> view = SessionManager.rosterView(s, null);
 
@@ -338,10 +339,49 @@ class SessionManagerTest {
                 "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");
+        // #604: the byte count rides alongside the digest, and must match what the receipt itself
+        // carries (not a hardcoded literal) so a bug that reads the wrong field is caught.
+        assertEquals(receipt.charterBytes(), view.get("charterBytes"),
+                "the exact composed byte count is reported, read from the receipt");
+        assertEquals(composed.getBytes(java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets.UTF_8).length, view.get("charterBytes"),
+                "the byte count is the real UTF-8 length of the composed charter");
         assertFalse(view.values().toString().contains("role charter"),
                 "the roster row must not embed the charter text itself");
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void rosterViewOmitsCharterBytesAndDigestWhenNoCharterWasComposed() {
+        // #604: a member with no role charter and no reply charter (composed == null) still reports
+        // charterSource ("none"), but neither a digest nor a size — the digest is absent, and the
+        // size only ever accompanies a real digest. This must not be satisfiable by code that always
+        // writes charterBytes.
+        CharterReceipt receipt = CharterReceipt.compose(MemberRole.DEV, "prof", null, null);
+        MemberSession s = new MemberSession("p1", "term1", "prof", MemberRole.DEV, "/cwd", null,
+                0, 0, 0, MemberSession.State.READY, null, null, receipt, null);
+
+        Map<String, Object> view = SessionManager.rosterView(s, null);
+
+        assertEquals(CharterReceipt.NO_SOURCE, view.get("charterSource"),
+                "no configured role or reply charter reports the explicit \"none\" source");
+        assertFalse(view.containsKey("charterSha256"), "no digest is reported when no charter was composed");
+        assertFalse(view.containsKey("charterBytes"), "no byte count is reported when no charter was composed");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void rosterViewOmitsCharterFieldsEntirelyWhenTheReceiptItselfIsAbsent() {
+        // #604 acceptance criterion 3: charterReceipt() can be null on its own (a session recorded
+        // before CB-571, or a launcher that never composed one) — the outer null-guard must still
+        // suppress charterSource, charterSha256 AND charterBytes together.
+        MemberSession s = new MemberSession("p1", "term1", "prof", MemberRole.DEV, "/cwd", null,
+                0, 0, 0, MemberSession.State.READY, null, null, null, null);
+
+        Map<String, Object> view = SessionManager.rosterView(s, null);
+
+        assertFalse(view.containsKey("charterSource"), "no charter fields at all when the receipt is null");
+        assertFalse(view.containsKey("charterSha256"), "no charter fields at all when the receipt is null");
+        assertFalse(view.containsKey("charterBytes"), "no charter fields at all when the receipt is null");
+    }
+
     @Test
     void aNullTerminalFromThePrimaryIsANoOpEvenWithSessionsRegistered() {
         // The primary resolves to a Principal with no terminal, and FleetMcp's context extractor