diff --git a/docs/raw-inbox.md b/docs/raw-inbox.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c2c8adf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/raw-inbox.md
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+# The raw/ inbox
+
+`raw/` is an inbox: only unprocessed material sits there. Syncthing shares it
+with the machines you drop files from. (hyperguild#205, #208, #209)
+
+## What happens to a file you drop
+
+| You drop | Result |
+|---|---|
+| `raw/clip.md` (no folder, no `wing:`) | extracted and filed as a source in `wiki/web-clip/sources/`; its concepts and entities update the shared `wiki/concepts/` and `wiki/entities/` pages; the original moves to `raw/processed/<date>/`, so `raw/` is empty again |
+| `raw/<wing>/clip.md` or `wing: <wing>` in the frontmatter | the same, with the source in `wiki/<wing>/sources/`. The wing must already exist; a typo is parked, never created. This is your deliberate choice and is not second-guessed |
+| a note whose text matches the client-content pattern, with no folder | parked in `raw/needs-review/`, not extracted |
+| a folder or `wing:` naming an unknown, reserved or non-ASCII wing, or two disagreeing signals | parked in `raw/needs-review/` |
+| a note over the size cap, or one that cannot be archived | stays in `raw/`, reported once, not retried until it changes |
+| a note the model returned nothing usable for (no source page could be written) | fails: the note is kept in `raw/failed/` and the reason is in `log.md`; it is never archived as processed |
+
+Concepts and entities are shared across wings because their slug is the graph's
+identity. A source whose slug is taken gets a wing-qualified one (`notes-homelab`).
+
+## Parked notes
+
+`brain_pending` lists them with `queue: needs-review`, a proposed wing and the
+reason. To act on one: `brain_promote` / `brain_reject` (pass `queue` when the
+same name also sits in the inbox), or move the file into `raw/<wing>/` to have it
+extracted. Parked pdf/txt files are listed but can only be moved or rejected.
+
+## Switching it on
+
+Routing is off by default (the retired layout is used). Set on the ingestion
+deployment:
+
+| Variable | Meaning |
+|---|---|
+| `INGEST_WING_ROUTING` | `1`/`true` enables the rules above; unset or `0`/`false` is off; any other value stops the server at startup |
+| `INGEST_DEFAULT_WING` | wing for unsignalled notes (default `web-clip`; must be a plain name, not `sources`/`concepts`/`entities`/`wiki`) |
+| `INGEST_CLIENT_BLOCK` | case-insensitive regexp over note text; a match parks an unsignalled note. Falls back to `CLAUDE_INGEST_CLIENT_BLOCK`. Matched after folding fullwidth letters, removing zero-width characters, normalising dashes and removing whitespace. Patterns with spaces, `\\s` or `\\b` work (whitespace is collapsed in one view and removed in another). It catches what it names and nothing else: leetspeak, punctuation splits (`a.c.m.e`), encodings and homoglyphs outside a small Cyrillic/Greek table are not caught. Large notes are checked in 1 MiB chunks |
+
+A bad default or pattern stops the server at startup. A wing created while the
+server runs is usable without a restart.
+
+## Known limits
+
+- The client filter works on 1 MiB chunks that overlap by 4 KiB. A match that can
+  span more than 4 KiB (crafted padding between two words of a multi-word
+  pattern, exactly at a chunk edge) is not guaranteed to be found; this affects
+  notes over 1 MiB only. On a 64 MiB note the check takes about ten seconds.
+- A pattern that matches the empty string (`.*`, `x*`) parks every unsignalled
+  note. That fails closed and only the operator's own configuration can do it.
+
+- A deliberate folder into a sensitive wing places the note there, and the shared
+  concept/entity pages then cite that source by title. Client material does not
+  belong in the brain at all; the pattern only guards the unsignalled lane.
+- A merge into a shared page refreshes `last_updated` and `origin` to the latest
+  ingest; the first wing's attribution is not kept.
+- A marker file (`<note>.processed`) is only written when a processed original
+  cannot be removed. One at least as new as its note holds the note (and says
+  so once); an older or future-dated one is ignored and removed.
diff --git a/ingestion/cmd/server/main.go b/ingestion/cmd/server/main.go
index 07d26e7..d33af07 100644
--- a/ingestion/cmd/server/main.go
+++ b/ingestion/cmd/server/main.go
@@ -150,6 +150,21 @@ func envInt(key string, fallback int) int {
 	return fallback
 }
 
+// envFlag reads a boolean switch. Unset is off; a value strconv.ParseBool does
+// not understand is an error, so a typo ("ture") cannot silently leave a
+// safety-relevant switch off.
+func envFlag(key string) (bool, error) {
+	v := os.Getenv(key)
+	if v == "" {
+		return false, nil
+	}
+	b, err := strconv.ParseBool(v)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, fmt.Errorf("%s=%q: want 1, 0, true or false", key, v)
+	}
+	return b, nil
+}
+
 // buildNotifier returns the ntfy notifier, or a nil interface when
 // BRAIN_NTFY_URL is unset. A nil *interface* (not a typed-nil) is required so
 // DegradingSink/Reconcile and the governance observer skip it cleanly.
@@ -405,7 +420,12 @@ func main() {
 		// the layout this flag exists to leave. The interface stays nil when off
 		// (a nil *Router inside it would not be nil).
 		var placer wing.Placer
-		if os.Getenv("INGEST_WING_ROUTING") == "1" {
+		routing, ferr := envFlag("INGEST_WING_ROUTING")
+		if ferr != nil {
+			logger.Error("INGEST_WING_ROUTING", "err", ferr)
+			os.Exit(1)
+		}
+		if routing {
 			pattern := os.Getenv("INGEST_CLIENT_BLOCK")
 			if pattern == "" {
 				pattern = os.Getenv("CLAUDE_INGEST_CLIENT_BLOCK")
diff --git a/ingestion/cmd/server/main_test.go b/ingestion/cmd/server/main_test.go
index b52f0c7..24f7bb2 100644
--- a/ingestion/cmd/server/main_test.go
+++ b/ingestion/cmd/server/main_test.go
@@ -100,3 +100,32 @@ func TestClaudeSinkDoesNotWriteThroughASymlinkedArchiveDir(t *testing.T) {
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestEnvFlag(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name, set string
+		want      bool
+		wantErr   bool
+	}{
+		{"unset is off", "", false, false},
+		{"1", "1", true, false},
+		{"true", "true", true, false},
+		{"TRUE", "TRUE", true, false},
+		{"0", "0", false, false},
+		{"false", "false", false, false},
+		{"a typo is an error, not silently off", "ture", false, true},
+		{"yes is not a bool here", "yes", false, true},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			t.Setenv("TEST_ENV_FLAG", tt.set)
+			got, err := envFlag("TEST_ENV_FLAG")
+			if tt.wantErr {
+				assert.Error(t, err)
+				return
+			}
+			assert.NoError(t, err)
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.want, got)
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/ingestion/go.mod b/ingestion/go.mod
index ac4eea7..17b1996 100644
--- a/ingestion/go.mod
+++ b/ingestion/go.mod
@@ -69,6 +69,6 @@ require (
 	golang.org/x/crypto v0.51.0 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/sync v0.21.0 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/sys v0.45.0
-	golang.org/x/text v0.39.0 // indirect
+	golang.org/x/text v0.39.0
 	gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1
 )
diff --git a/ingestion/internal/api/handler.go b/ingestion/internal/api/handler.go
index 313fba4..4daba38 100644
--- a/ingestion/internal/api/handler.go
+++ b/ingestion/internal/api/handler.go
@@ -617,6 +617,7 @@ type promoteRequest struct {
 	Wing     string `json:"wing"`
 	Hall     string `json:"hall"`
 	Slug     string `json:"slug,omitempty"`
+	Queue    string `json:"queue,omitempty"`
 }
 
 // Promote handles POST /promote — move a raw/ note into the wiki. A bad
@@ -630,7 +631,7 @@ func (h *Handler) Promote(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	// Field by field: this door carries no principal, so the promoted note is
 	// stamped origin: unknown and the body cannot set provenance (#145).
 	rel, err := PromoteNote(h.brainDir, PromoteOptions{
-		Filename: req.Filename, Wing: req.Wing, Hall: req.Hall, Slug: req.Slug,
+		Filename: req.Filename, Wing: req.Wing, Hall: req.Hall, Slug: req.Slug, Queue: req.Queue,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		writeError(w, http.StatusBadRequest, err.Error())
diff --git a/ingestion/internal/api/pending_review_test.go b/ingestion/internal/api/pending_review_test.go
index 0283c24..86f0bfa 100644
--- a/ingestion/internal/api/pending_review_test.go
+++ b/ingestion/internal/api/pending_review_test.go
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ func TestListPending_ShowsParkedNotesWithTheirProposal(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NotContains(t, got[0].Excerpt, "proposed_wing", "excerpt is body, not frontmatter")
 
 	assert.Equal(t, "fresh.md", got[1].Filename)
-	assert.Empty(t, got[1].Queue, "a top-level note has no queue label")
+	assert.Equal(t, QueueInbox, got[1].Queue)
 	assert.Empty(t, got[1].ProposedWing)
 }
 
diff --git a/ingestion/internal/api/promote.go b/ingestion/internal/api/promote.go
index 6a1a966..9e489db 100644
--- a/ingestion/internal/api/promote.go
+++ b/ingestion/internal/api/promote.go
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ type PendingNote struct {
 	// (hyperguild#205): it was not placed automatically, and the proposal says
 	// what the resolver would have done and why it did not. Approve by moving
 	// the note into raw/<wing>/ and the watcher ingests it there.
-	Queue              string  `json:"queue,omitempty"`
+	Queue              string  `json:"queue"`
 	ProposedWing       string  `json:"proposed_wing,omitempty"`
 	ProposalReason     string  `json:"proposal_reason,omitempty"`
 	ProposalConfidence float64 `json:"proposal_confidence,omitempty"`
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ func ListPending(brainDir string) ([]PendingNote, error) {
 	}
 	defer func() { _ = root.Close() }()
 
-	out, err := listNotes(root, "")
+	out, err := listNotes(root, QueueInbox)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ func ListPending(brainDir string) ([]PendingNote, error) {
 	// or note there is refused exactly like at the top level (#153).
 	if sub, serr := root.OpenRoot("needs-review"); serr == nil {
 		defer func() { _ = sub.Close() }()
-		parked, perr := listNotes(sub, "needs-review")
+		parked, perr := listNotes(sub, QueueNeedsReview)
 		if perr != nil {
 			return nil, perr
 		}
@@ -76,11 +76,37 @@ func listNotes(root *os.Root, queue string) ([]PendingNote, error) {
 	}
 	out := make([]PendingNote, 0, len(entries))
 	for _, e := range entries {
-		if !e.Type().IsRegular() || !strings.HasSuffix(e.Name(), ".md") || strings.HasPrefix(e.Name(), "tunnel-candidates-") {
+		isMD := strings.HasSuffix(e.Name(), ".md")
+		// A parked pdf or txt is listed too (the watcher parks any supported
+		// file); at the top level only markdown ever was.
+		parkedOther := queue == QueueNeedsReview && (strings.HasSuffix(e.Name(), ".txt") || strings.HasSuffix(e.Name(), ".pdf"))
+		if !e.Type().IsRegular() || (!isMD && !parkedOther) || strings.HasPrefix(e.Name(), "tunnel-candidates-") {
 			continue // directories, and symlinks whose target may be anywhere (#153)
 		}
+		if !isMD {
+			info, ierr := root.Lstat(e.Name())
+			if ierr != nil {
+				continue
+			}
+			out = append(out, PendingNote{
+				Filename: e.Name(), CreatedAt: info.ModTime().UTC().Format(time.RFC3339), SizeBytes: info.Size(),
+				Excerpt: "(not markdown; the wing proposal is in log.md. Move the file into raw/<wing>/ to ingest it.)",
+				Queue:   queue,
+			})
+			continue
+		}
 		raw, info, readErr := readRawNote(root, e.Name())
 		if readErr != nil {
+			// Not skipped: a note that cannot be read (over the cap, say) must
+			// not silently vanish from the queue it is waiting in.
+			fi, ierr := root.Lstat(e.Name())
+			if ierr != nil {
+				continue
+			}
+			out = append(out, PendingNote{
+				Filename: e.Name(), CreatedAt: fi.ModTime().UTC().Format(time.RFC3339), SizeBytes: fi.Size(),
+				Excerpt: "(cannot be read: " + readErr.Error() + "; promote and reject cannot act on it: delete or move it by hand)", Queue: queue,
+			})
 			continue
 		}
 		fm, body := parseFrontmatter(string(raw))
@@ -95,7 +121,7 @@ func listNotes(root *os.Root, queue string) ([]PendingNote, error) {
 			Excerpt:   excerpt(body, 200),
 			Queue:     queue,
 		}
-		if queue != "" {
+		if queue == QueueNeedsReview {
 			n.ProposedWing = fm.get("proposed_wing")
 			n.ProposalReason = unquoteScalar(fm.get("proposal_reason"))
 			n.ProposalConfidence, _ = strconv.ParseFloat(fm.get("proposal_confidence"), 64)
@@ -111,6 +137,9 @@ type PromoteOptions struct {
 	Wing     string
 	Hall     string
 	Slug     string // optional; defaults to Filename minus date prefix + .md
+	// Queue names which listing the note is in: QueueInbox or QueueNeedsReview.
+	// Empty is accepted only when the name exists in exactly one of them.
+	Queue string
 	// Origin/WrittenBy re-attribute the promoted note to the promoter: the raw
 	// note's own frontmatter claims are not provenance (hyperguild#145).
 	Origin    string
@@ -133,17 +162,26 @@ func PromoteNote(brainDir string, opts PromoteOptions) (string, error) {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("invalid filename %q", opts.Filename)
 	}
 
+	if !strings.HasSuffix(base, ".md") {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("only a markdown note can be promoted; move %q into raw/<wing>/ to ingest it", base)
+	}
 	slug := opts.Slug
 	if slug == "" {
 		slug = datePrefix.ReplaceAllString(strings.TrimSuffix(base, ".md"), "")
 	}
+	// The retired layout's directory names are not wings: a note promoted into
+	// "sources" would land in wiki/sources/<hall>/, inside the retired dir.
+	switch brain.Sanitise(opts.Wing) {
+	case "sources", "concepts", "entities", "wiki":
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("%q is not a wing", opts.Wing)
+	}
 	// NotePath validates hall + wing + slug; do this before reading anything.
 	dest, err := brain.NotePath(brainDir, opts.Wing, opts.Hall, slug)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
 
-	raw, srcRel, err := readRawSource(brainDir, base)
+	raw, srcRel, err := readRawSource(brainDir, base, opts.Queue)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
@@ -198,6 +236,7 @@ func PromoteNote(brainDir string, opts PromoteOptions) (string, error) {
 type RejectOptions struct {
 	Filename string // basename in brain/raw/
 	Reason   string // optional
+	Queue    string // as PromoteOptions.Queue
 }
 
 // RejectNote records a human decision not to promote a brain/raw/ note,
@@ -220,7 +259,7 @@ func RejectNote(brainDir string, opts RejectOptions) (string, error) {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("invalid filename %q", opts.Filename)
 	}
 
-	raw, srcRel, err := readRawSource(brainDir, base)
+	raw, srcRel, err := readRawSource(brainDir, base, opts.Queue)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
@@ -232,15 +271,19 @@ func RejectNote(brainDir string, opts RejectOptions) (string, error) {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("a rejected note named %s already exists", filepath.ToSlash(rel))
 	}
 
-	fm, body := parseFrontmatter(string(raw))
-	fm.set("rejected_at", time.Now().UTC().Format(time.RFC3339))
-	if opts.Reason != "" {
-		fm.set("reject_reason", opts.Reason)
-	}
+	content := string(raw)
+	if strings.HasSuffix(base, ".md") {
+		fm, body := parseFrontmatter(string(raw))
+		fm.set("rejected_at", time.Now().UTC().Format(time.RFC3339))
+		if opts.Reason != "" {
+			fm.set("reject_reason", opts.Reason)
+		}
+		content = fm.render() + body
+	} // a pdf or txt is moved byte for byte: prepending frontmatter would alter it
 
 	// Write-then-delete: the source survives any write failure. Both go
 	// through the brain root (hyperguild#188).
-	if err := createBrainFile(brainDir, dest, []byte(fm.render()+body)); err != nil {
+	if err := createBrainFile(brainDir, dest, []byte(content)); err != nil {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("write rejected note: %w", err)
 	}
 	if err := removeBrainFile(brainDir, src); err != nil {
@@ -263,7 +306,10 @@ func excerpt(s string, n int) string {
 
 // readRawSource reads a pending note for promote/reject through the raw root,
 // refusing symlinks and a symlinked raw/ (hyperguild#153).
-func readRawSource(brainDir, base string) ([]byte, string, error) {
+func readRawSource(brainDir, base, queue string) ([]byte, string, error) {
+	if queue != "" && queue != QueueInbox && queue != QueueNeedsReview {
+		return nil, "", fmt.Errorf("unknown queue %q (want %q or %q)", queue, QueueInbox, QueueNeedsReview)
+	}
 	root, _, err := OpenRawRoot(brainDir)
 	if err != nil {
 		if errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
@@ -272,34 +318,49 @@ func readRawSource(brainDir, base string) ([]byte, string, error) {
 		return nil, "", fmt.Errorf("read source: %w", err)
 	}
 	defer func() { _ = root.Close() }()
-	raw, _, err := readRawNote(root, base)
-	if err == nil {
-		return raw, "raw/" + base, nil
+
+	var topRaw, parkedRaw []byte
+	var topErr, parkedErr error
+	if queue != QueueNeedsReview {
+		topRaw, _, topErr = readRawNote(root, base)
 	}
-	if !errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
-		return nil, "", fmt.Errorf("read source: %w", err)
-	}
-	// brain_pending also lists notes parked in raw/needs-review/ under their
-	// bare filename (hyperguild#208); the top level wins on a name clash. The
-	// sub-root refuses a symlinked directory like OpenRawRoot does.
-	sub, serr := root.OpenRoot(parkedDir)
-	if serr != nil {
-		return nil, "", fmt.Errorf("pending note %q does not exist in raw/", base)
-	}
-	defer func() { _ = sub.Close() }()
-	raw, _, err = readRawNote(sub, base)
-	if err != nil {
-		if errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
-			return nil, "", fmt.Errorf("pending note %q does not exist in raw/", base)
+	if queue != QueueInbox {
+		// The sub-root refuses a symlinked directory like OpenRawRoot does.
+		if sub, serr := root.OpenRoot(parkedDir); serr != nil {
+			parkedErr = serr
+		} else {
+			parkedRaw, _, parkedErr = readRawNote(sub, base)
+			_ = sub.Close()
 		}
-		return nil, "", fmt.Errorf("read source: %w", err)
 	}
-	return raw, "raw/" + parkedDir + "/" + base, nil
+	haveTop := queue != QueueNeedsReview && topErr == nil
+	haveParked := queue != QueueInbox && parkedErr == nil
+	switch {
+	case haveTop && haveParked:
+		return nil, "", fmt.Errorf("%q is in both raw/ and raw/%s/: name the queue (%q or %q)", base, parkedDir, QueueInbox, QueueNeedsReview)
+	case haveTop:
+		return topRaw, "raw/" + base, nil
+	case haveParked:
+		return parkedRaw, "raw/" + parkedDir + "/" + base, nil
+	}
+	for _, e := range []error{topErr, parkedErr} {
+		if e != nil && !errors.Is(e, os.ErrNotExist) {
+			return nil, "", fmt.Errorf("read source: %w", e)
+		}
+	}
+	return nil, "", fmt.Errorf("pending note %q does not exist in raw/", base)
 }
 
 // parkedDir is where the watcher parks notes it could not place.
 const parkedDir = "needs-review"
 
+// The two review queues brain_pending lists. promote and reject take one of
+// them (or neither, when the name is unambiguous).
+const (
+	QueueInbox       = "inbox"        // raw/<name>
+	QueueNeedsReview = "needs-review" // raw/needs-review/<name>
+)
+
 // unquoteScalar undoes the Go-style double quoting the watcher writes around a
 // free-text value (strconv.Quote keeps it on one line); a bare value is
 // returned as is.
diff --git a/ingestion/internal/api/promote_queue_test.go b/ingestion/internal/api/promote_queue_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e7c1e6e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ingestion/internal/api/promote_queue_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,210 @@
+package api
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+// brain_pending lists a top-level note and a parked note of the same name as two
+// entries with the same filename. Acting on "a.md" must not silently pick one.
+func TestPromoteNote_ANameInBothQueuesNeedsTheQueueToBeNamed(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	writeRaw(t, dir, "a.md", "---\ncreated_at: 2026-10-20T08:00:00Z\n---\nTop-level body.\n")
+	writeParked(t, dir, "a.md", parkedNote)
+
+	_, err := PromoteNote(dir, PromoteOptions{Filename: "a.md", Wing: "homelab", Hall: "facts"})
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "both")
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "queue")
+	_, statErr := os.Stat(filepath.Join(dir, "wiki/homelab/facts/a.md"))
+	assert.ErrorIs(t, statErr, os.ErrNotExist, "nothing was promoted")
+
+	rel, err := PromoteNote(dir, PromoteOptions{Filename: "a.md", Wing: "homelab", Hall: "facts", Queue: QueueNeedsReview})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	got, _ := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(dir, rel))
+	assert.Contains(t, string(got), "Body of the parked note.")
+	_, statErr = os.Stat(filepath.Join(dir, "raw", "a.md"))
+	assert.NoError(t, statErr, "the top-level note of the same name is untouched")
+}
+
+func TestPromoteNote_QueueInboxSelectsTheTopLevelNote(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	writeRaw(t, dir, "a.md", "---\ncreated_at: 2026-10-20T08:00:00Z\n---\nTop-level body.\n")
+	writeParked(t, dir, "a.md", parkedNote)
+
+	rel, err := PromoteNote(dir, PromoteOptions{Filename: "a.md", Wing: "homelab", Hall: "facts", Queue: QueueInbox})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	got, _ := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(dir, rel))
+	assert.Contains(t, string(got), "Top-level body.")
+	_, statErr := os.Stat(filepath.Join(dir, "raw", "needs-review", "a.md"))
+	assert.NoError(t, statErr, "the parked note is untouched")
+}
+
+func TestPromoteNote_ANamedQueueThatDoesNotHoldTheNoteIsAnError(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	writeRaw(t, dir, "a.md", "top")
+	_, err := PromoteNote(dir, PromoteOptions{Filename: "a.md", Wing: "homelab", Hall: "facts", Queue: QueueNeedsReview})
+	assert.Error(t, err)
+	_, err = PromoteNote(dir, PromoteOptions{Filename: "a.md", Wing: "homelab", Hall: "facts", Queue: "elsewhere"})
+	assert.Error(t, err, "an unknown queue name is refused")
+}
+
+func TestRejectNote_ANameInBothQueuesNeedsTheQueueToBeNamed(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	writeRaw(t, dir, "a.md", "top")
+	writeParked(t, dir, "a.md", parkedNote)
+
+	_, err := RejectNote(dir, RejectOptions{Filename: "a.md"})
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	_, err = RejectNote(dir, RejectOptions{Filename: "a.md", Queue: QueueNeedsReview})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	_, statErr := os.Stat(filepath.Join(dir, "raw", "a.md"))
+	assert.NoError(t, statErr, "the top-level note is untouched")
+}
+
+func TestPromoteNote_NeverIntoARetiredLayoutName(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, w := range []string{"sources", "concepts", "entities", "wiki"} {
+		t.Run(w, func(t *testing.T) {
+			dir := t.TempDir()
+			writeRaw(t, dir, "a.md", "top")
+			_, err := PromoteNote(dir, PromoteOptions{Filename: "a.md", Wing: w, Hall: "facts"})
+			assert.Error(t, err)
+			_, statErr := os.Stat(filepath.Join(dir, "wiki", w))
+			assert.ErrorIs(t, statErr, os.ErrNotExist)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestListPending_LabelsEveryEntryWithItsQueue(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	writeRaw(t, dir, "fresh.md", "---\ncreated_at: 2026-10-20T08:00:00Z\n---\nx\n")
+	writeParked(t, dir, "p.md", parkedNote)
+	got, err := ListPending(dir)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Len(t, got, 2)
+	queues := map[string]string{}
+	for _, n := range got {
+		queues[n.Filename] = n.Queue
+	}
+	assert.Equal(t, QueueInbox, queues["fresh.md"])
+	assert.Equal(t, QueueNeedsReview, queues["p.md"])
+}
+
+// Parked notes that are not markdown (a pdf, a txt) were invisible: the only
+// trace was a log.md line.
+func TestListPending_ShowsParkedNonMarkdownFiles(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(dir, "raw", "needs-review"), 0o755))
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(dir, "raw", "needs-review", "paper.pdf"), []byte("%PDF-1.4 binary"), 0o644))
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(dir, "raw", "needs-review", "plain.txt"), []byte("some text"), 0o644))
+
+	got, err := ListPending(dir)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	names := map[string]PendingNote{}
+	for _, n := range got {
+		names[n.Filename] = n
+	}
+	require.Contains(t, names, "paper.pdf")
+	require.Contains(t, names, "plain.txt")
+	assert.Equal(t, QueueNeedsReview, names["paper.pdf"].Queue)
+	assert.Contains(t, names["paper.pdf"].Excerpt, "proposal", "points the reader at where the proposal is")
+}
+
+func TestPromoteNote_OnlyMarkdownCanBePromoted(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(dir, "raw", "needs-review"), 0o755))
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(dir, "raw", "needs-review", "paper.pdf"), []byte("%PDF binary"), 0o644))
+	_, err := PromoteNote(dir, PromoteOptions{Filename: "paper.pdf", Wing: "homelab", Hall: "facts"})
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "markdown")
+	_, statErr := os.Stat(filepath.Join(dir, "raw", "needs-review", "paper.pdf"))
+	assert.NoError(t, statErr, "refused, untouched")
+}
+
+// brain.Sanitise normalises case, trailing dots and separators; the reserved-name
+// check must look at the normalised name or "Sources" and "sources." walk past it.
+func TestPromoteNote_ReservedWingNamesAreRefusedInEveryDisguise(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, w := range []string{"Sources", "sources.", "SOURCES ", "Entities/", "concepts\\", " wiki "} {
+		t.Run(w, func(t *testing.T) {
+			dir := t.TempDir()
+			writeRaw(t, dir, "a.md", "top")
+			_, err := PromoteNote(dir, PromoteOptions{Filename: "a.md", Wing: w, Hall: "facts"})
+			assert.Error(t, err)
+			_, statErr := os.Stat(filepath.Join(dir, "raw", "a.md"))
+			assert.NoError(t, statErr, "refused, untouched")
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// Reject moves the bytes; it must not prepend frontmatter to a pdf or txt.
+func TestRejectNote_AParkedNonMarkdownFileIsMovedUntouched(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	pdf := "%PDF-1.4\r\n\x00\xff binary \r\n"
+	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(dir, "raw", "needs-review"), 0o755))
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(dir, "raw", "needs-review", "paper.pdf"), []byte(pdf), 0o644))
+
+	rel, err := RejectNote(dir, RejectOptions{Filename: "paper.pdf", Reason: "not relevant"})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	got, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(dir, rel))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, pdf, string(got), "byte for byte")
+	_, statErr := os.Stat(filepath.Join(dir, "raw", "needs-review", "paper.pdf"))
+	assert.ErrorIs(t, statErr, os.ErrNotExist)
+}
+
+func TestReadRawNote_IsBoundedByTheCap(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(dir, "big.md"), []byte(strings.Repeat("x", 200)), 0o644))
+	root, err := os.OpenRoot(dir)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	defer func() { _ = root.Close() }()
+	prev := maxRawNoteBytes
+	maxRawNoteBytes = 100
+	t.Cleanup(func() { maxRawNoteBytes = prev })
+
+	_, _, err = readRawNote(root, "big.md")
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "exceeds")
+}
+
+type endless struct{ n int64 }
+
+func (e *endless) Read(p []byte) (int, error) {
+	if e.n > 8<<20 { // a regression fails the test instead of exhausting memory
+		return 0, errors.New("endless reader drained")
+	}
+	e.n += int64(len(p))
+	return len(p), nil
+}
+
+func TestReadCapped_StopsAtTheCap(t *testing.T) {
+	e := &endless{}
+	_, err := readCapped(e, 1000)
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "exceeds")
+	assert.LessOrEqual(t, e.n, int64(1000+1+32*1024), "pulled far more than the cap: %d", e.n)
+}
+
+// An .md over the read cap used to vanish from the listing (readRawNote failed
+// and the entry was skipped). It must stay visible, with the reason.
+func TestListPending_AnUnreadableNoteIsListedWithTheReason(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(dir, "raw"), 0o755))
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(dir, "raw", "huge.md"), []byte(strings.Repeat("x", 200)), 0o644))
+	prev := maxRawNoteBytes
+	maxRawNoteBytes = 100
+	t.Cleanup(func() { maxRawNoteBytes = prev })
+
+	got, err := ListPending(dir)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Len(t, got, 1)
+	assert.Equal(t, "huge.md", got[0].Filename)
+	assert.Contains(t, got[0].Excerpt, "cannot be read")
+	assert.Contains(t, got[0].Excerpt, "exceeds")
+}
diff --git a/ingestion/internal/api/promote_review_test.go b/ingestion/internal/api/promote_review_test.go
index 37e7df5..66490de 100644
--- a/ingestion/internal/api/promote_review_test.go
+++ b/ingestion/internal/api/promote_review_test.go
@@ -48,19 +48,6 @@ func TestRejectNote_ActsOnANoteParkedInNeedsReview(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Empty(t, pending, "a rejected note is not re-listed")
 }
 
-func TestPromoteNote_ATopLevelNoteWinsOverAParkedOneOfTheSameName(t *testing.T) {
-	dir := t.TempDir()
-	writeRaw(t, dir, "same.md", "---\ncreated_at: 2026-10-20T08:00:00Z\n---\nTop-level body.\n")
-	writeParked(t, dir, "same.md", parkedNote)
-
-	_, err := PromoteNote(dir, PromoteOptions{Filename: "same.md", Wing: "homelab", Hall: "facts"})
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-	got, _ := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(dir, "wiki/homelab/facts/same.md"))
-	assert.Contains(t, string(got), "Top-level body.")
-	_, statErr := os.Stat(filepath.Join(dir, "raw", "needs-review", "same.md"))
-	assert.NoError(t, statErr, "the parked note of the same name is left alone")
-}
-
 func TestPromoteNote_ASymlinkedNeedsReviewIsNotRead(t *testing.T) {
 	dir := t.TempDir()
 	outside := t.TempDir()
diff --git a/ingestion/internal/api/rawroot.go b/ingestion/internal/api/rawroot.go
index 203e9be..6beb5d0 100644
--- a/ingestion/internal/api/rawroot.go
+++ b/ingestion/internal/api/rawroot.go
@@ -38,6 +38,10 @@ func OpenRawRoot(brainDir string) (*os.Root, string, error) {
 	return r, p, nil
 }
 
+// maxRawNoteBytes bounds what promote, reject and the pending listing read from
+// one raw/ entry. A variable so a test can lower it.
+var maxRawNoteBytes int64 = 64 << 20
+
 // readRawNote reads one raw/ entry by basename through the root, refusing
 // anything that is not a regular file.
 //
@@ -59,9 +63,22 @@ func readRawNote(r *os.Root, base string) ([]byte, os.FileInfo, error) {
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
 	defer func() { _ = f.Close() }()
-	b, err := io.ReadAll(f)
+	b, err := readCapped(f, maxRawNoteBytes)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, nil, err
+		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("%s: %w", base, err)
 	}
 	return b, fi, nil
 }
+
+// readCapped reads r but never more than max+1 bytes, so an oversize or growing
+// file costs at most that much memory.
+func readCapped(r io.Reader, max int64) ([]byte, error) {
+	b, err := io.ReadAll(io.LimitReader(r, max+1))
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if int64(len(b)) > max {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("note exceeds %d bytes", max)
+	}
+	return b, nil
+}
diff --git a/ingestion/internal/mcp/handlers.go b/ingestion/internal/mcp/handlers.go
index 62872e1..7556086 100644
--- a/ingestion/internal/mcp/handlers.go
+++ b/ingestion/internal/mcp/handlers.go
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ func (s *Server) tools() []map[string]any {
 				"wing":     str("target wing, e.g. jepa-fx"),
 				"hall":     enum("target hall", halls...),
 				"slug":     str("optional target slug; defaults to filename minus date prefix"),
+				"queue":    enum("which brain_pending listing the note is in; required only when the name exists in both", "inbox", "needs-review"),
 			}),
 		},
 		{
@@ -102,6 +103,7 @@ func (s *Server) tools() []map[string]any {
 			"inputSchema": schema([]string{"filename"}, map[string]any{
 				"filename": str("basename in brain/raw/, e.g. 2026-04-23-fed-sentiment-scrape.md"),
 				"reason":   str("optional; why this isn't worth promoting"),
+				"queue":    enum("which brain_pending listing the note is in; required only when the name exists in both", "inbox", "needs-review"),
 			}),
 		},
 		noteToolDescriptors()[0],
@@ -383,6 +385,7 @@ type brainPromoteArgs struct {
 	Wing     string `json:"wing"`
 	Hall     string `json:"hall"`
 	Slug     string `json:"slug,omitempty"`
+	Queue    string `json:"queue,omitempty"`
 }
 
 // brainPromote moves a raw/ note into the structured wiki (frontmatter
@@ -395,7 +398,7 @@ func (s *Server) brainPromote(ctx context.Context, args json.RawMessage) (json.R
 	}
 	origin, writtenBy := provenanceFrom(ctx)
 	relPath, err := api.PromoteNote(s.brainDir, api.PromoteOptions{
-		Filename: a.Filename, Wing: a.Wing, Hall: a.Hall, Slug: a.Slug,
+		Filename: a.Filename, Wing: a.Wing, Hall: a.Hall, Slug: a.Slug, Queue: a.Queue,
 		Origin: origin, WrittenBy: writtenBy,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
@@ -408,6 +411,7 @@ func (s *Server) brainPromote(ctx context.Context, args json.RawMessage) (json.R
 type brainRejectArgs struct {
 	Filename string `json:"filename"`
 	Reason   string `json:"reason,omitempty"`
+	Queue    string `json:"queue,omitempty"`
 }
 
 // brainReject records a decision not to promote a raw/ note (api.RejectNote:
@@ -418,7 +422,7 @@ func (s *Server) brainReject(_ context.Context, args json.RawMessage) (json.RawM
 	if err := json.Unmarshal(args, &a); err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("parse args: %w", err)
 	}
-	relPath, err := api.RejectNote(s.brainDir, api.RejectOptions{Filename: a.Filename, Reason: a.Reason})
+	relPath, err := api.RejectNote(s.brainDir, api.RejectOptions{Filename: a.Filename, Reason: a.Reason, Queue: a.Queue})
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/ingestion/internal/mcp/handlers_test.go b/ingestion/internal/mcp/handlers_test.go
index 84b5114..d03b9ac 100644
--- a/ingestion/internal/mcp/handlers_test.go
+++ b/ingestion/internal/mcp/handlers_test.go
@@ -431,3 +431,28 @@ func TestBrainRejectMissingSourceErrors(t *testing.T) {
 	resp := toolCall(t, srv, "brain_reject", map[string]any{"filename": "ghost.md"})
 	require.NotNil(t, resp["error"])
 }
+
+// brain_pending lists two entries for one name when a top-level note and a
+// parked one share it; the tool must let the caller say which it means.
+func TestBrainPromoteAndRejectTakeTheQueueOfAnAmbiguousName(t *testing.T) {
+	brainDir := t.TempDir()
+	raw := filepath.Join(brainDir, "raw")
+	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(raw, "needs-review"), 0o755))
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(raw, "a.md"), []byte("---\ncreated_at: 2026-10-20T00:00:00Z\n---\nTOP\n"), 0o644))
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(raw, "needs-review", "a.md"), []byte("---\nproposed_wing: homelab\n---\nPARKED\n"), 0o644))
+	srv := mcp.NewServer(brainDir, nil, nil, nil)
+
+	resp := toolCall(t, srv, "brain_promote", map[string]any{"filename": "a.md", "wing": "homelab", "hall": "facts"})
+	require.NotNil(t, resp["error"], "an ambiguous name is refused, not guessed")
+
+	resp = toolCall(t, srv, "brain_promote", map[string]any{"filename": "a.md", "wing": "homelab", "hall": "facts", "queue": "needs-review"})
+	require.Nil(t, resp["error"], "got: %v", resp["error"])
+	got, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(brainDir, "wiki/homelab/facts/a.md"))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Contains(t, string(got), "PARKED")
+
+	resp = toolCall(t, srv, "brain_reject", map[string]any{"filename": "a.md", "queue": "inbox", "reason": "no"})
+	require.Nil(t, resp["error"], "got: %v", resp["error"])
+	_, err = os.Stat(filepath.Join(brainDir, "raw/rejected/a.md"))
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+}
diff --git a/ingestion/internal/pipeline/build.go b/ingestion/internal/pipeline/build.go
index 5479db5..d0f57b0 100644
--- a/ingestion/internal/pipeline/build.go
+++ b/ingestion/internal/pipeline/build.go
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ func BuildPagesIn(wing string, rawPages []RawPage, sourceSlug, date string) ([]w
 	for _, rp := range rawPages {
 		// The type becomes a directory under wiki/; "../raw" wrote outside it
 		// (PR #147 review). Only a plain lower-case name is a page type.
-		if !validPageType.MatchString(rp.Type) {
+		if !validPageType.MatchString(rp.Type) || (wing != "" && !layoutType(rp.Type)) {
 			warnings = append(warnings, fmt.Sprintf("skipped page with invalid type %q", rp.Type))
 			continue
 		}
@@ -42,6 +42,11 @@ func BuildPagesIn(wing string, rawPages []RawPage, sourceSlug, date string) ([]w
 	return out, warnings
 }
 
+// layoutType reports whether a wing-mode page type has a place in the layout.
+// The type comes from the model, so from the clip being ingested: anything else
+// would name a directory (wiki/<type>/) of the model's choosing.
+func layoutType(t string) bool { return t == "source" || t == "concept" || t == "entity" }
+
 var validPageType = regexp.MustCompile(`^[a-z][a-z0-9-]*$`)
 
 func computeSlug(rp RawPage, sourceSlug string) string {
diff --git a/ingestion/internal/pipeline/pipeline.go b/ingestion/internal/pipeline/pipeline.go
index eab1e3e..654f71e 100644
--- a/ingestion/internal/pipeline/pipeline.go
+++ b/ingestion/internal/pipeline/pipeline.go
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/mathiasbq/hyperguild/ingestion/internal/brain"
 	"github.com/mathiasbq/hyperguild/ingestion/internal/brainfs"
 	"io/fs"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"sort"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
@@ -52,20 +54,6 @@ func Run(ctx context.Context, cfg Config, brainDir, content, source string, dryR
 	var inventory map[wiki.PageType][]wiki.Entry
 	var err error
 	if cfg.Wing != "" {
-		// A source slug is a page's graph identity: refuse to take over a slug
-		// that lives anywhere but this wing's own sources/ — including when
-		// this wing's own page of that name also exists.
-		slug := wiki.Slug(source)
-		own := "wiki/" + cfg.Wing + "/sources/" + slug + ".md"
-		existing, ferr := wiki.FindSlugs(brainDir, slug)
-		if ferr != nil {
-			return Result{}, fmt.Errorf("check source slug: %w", ferr)
-		}
-		for _, p := range existing {
-			if p != own {
-				return Result{}, fmt.Errorf("source slug %q is already used by %s", slug, p)
-			}
-		}
 		inventory, err = wiki.LoadWingInventory(brainDir, cfg.Wing)
 	} else {
 		inventory, err = wiki.LoadInventory(brainDir)
@@ -80,6 +68,12 @@ func Run(ctx context.Context, cfg Config, brainDir, content, source string, dryR
 	}
 
 	sourceSlug := wiki.Slug(source)
+	if cfg.Wing != "" {
+		var rerr error
+		if sourceSlug, rerr = resolveSourceSlug(brainDir, cfg.Wing, sourceSlug); rerr != nil {
+			return Result{}, rerr
+		}
+	}
 	date := time.Now().UTC().Format("2006-01-02")
 
 	// Drift check BEFORE any extraction: an unchanged source costs a full LLM
@@ -120,7 +114,19 @@ func Run(ctx context.Context, cfg Config, brainDir, content, source string, dryR
 	meta.BodyHash = bodyHash
 	applySourceMeta(allRaw, meta)
 
-	return buildAndWrite(ctx, cfg.Wing, allRaw, sourceSlug, date, brainDir, source, inventory, allWarnings, dryRun)
+	res, err := buildAndWrite(ctx, cfg.Wing, allRaw, sourceSlug, date, brainDir, source, inventory, allWarnings, dryRun)
+	if err != nil || cfg.Wing == "" {
+		return res, err
+	}
+	// In a wing every ingest must leave its source page: it is what ties the
+	// note to the wiki (and carries the hash the drift check reads). Without one
+	// nothing of the note exists, and the caller would archive it as processed.
+	for _, p := range res.Pages {
+		if isSourcePath(p) {
+			return res, nil
+		}
+	}
+	return res, fmt.Errorf("no source page was written for %q; nothing of the note was ingested (%s)", source, strings.Join(res.Warnings, "; "))
 }
 
 // RunRaw runs the pipeline on pre-parsed RawPages, skipping the LLM extraction
@@ -151,6 +157,21 @@ func buildAndWrite(ctx context.Context, wing string, rawPages []RawPage, sourceS
 	warnings = append(warnings, linkWarnings...)
 	withRefs := injectSourceRefs(canonicalized, inventory, brainDir)
 	merged := mergeAll(withRefs)
+	if wing != "" {
+		var clashWarnings []string
+		var cerr error
+		merged, clashWarnings, cerr = dropSlugClashes(brainDir, merged)
+		if cerr != nil {
+			return Result{}, cerr
+		}
+		warnings = append(warnings, clashWarnings...)
+	}
+
+	if wing != "" {
+		// The source page carries source_hash, which the drift check trusts: it
+		// goes last, so a batch that fails midway leaves nothing to hide behind.
+		sort.SliceStable(merged, func(i, j int) bool { return !isSourcePath(merged[i].Path) && isSourcePath(merged[j].Path) })
+	}
 
 	var written []string
 	for _, page := range merged {
@@ -333,3 +354,150 @@ func loadSchema(brainDir string) string {
 	}
 	return strings.TrimSpace(string(b))
 }
+
+// resolveSourceSlug returns the slug this wing's source page uses. A slug is a
+// page's graph identity and must be unique brain-wide, but two wings dropping a
+// file of the same name (notes.md, readme.md) is ordinary, so when the plain
+// slug is taken by anything but this wing's own source page the wing name is
+// appended (talk-homelab, then talk-homelab-2, ...). The choice is stable: a
+// re-ingest finds the page it made, because that page is "its own".
+func resolveSourceSlug(brainDir, wing, base string) (string, error) {
+	for n := 1; n <= 100; n++ {
+		cand := base
+		switch n {
+		case 1:
+		case 2:
+			cand = base + "-" + wing
+		default:
+			cand = fmt.Sprintf("%s-%s-%d", base, wing, n-1)
+		}
+		existing, err := wiki.FindSlugs(brainDir, cand)
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", fmt.Errorf("check source slug: %w", err)
+		}
+		own := "wiki/" + wing + "/sources/" + cand + ".md"
+		free, hasOwn := true, false
+		for _, p := range existing {
+			if p == own {
+				hasOwn = true
+			} else {
+				free = false
+			}
+		}
+		// The wing's own page is its identity: keep using it even if some other
+		// page shares the slug (that other page is the one dropSlugClashes skips).
+		if hasOwn {
+			return cand, nil
+		}
+		if free {
+			return cand, nil
+		}
+	}
+	return "", fmt.Errorf("no free source slug for %q in wing %q", base, wing)
+}
+
+// dropSlugClashes removes, from the pages about to be written in a wing, any
+// page whose slug belongs to a different page. A slug is the graph identity, so
+// two pages must not share one; and a page that shares one cannot be updated
+// again, because every later ingest sees the other as its clash.
+//
+// Two kinds of clash, both by slug, neither failing the ingest (one extracted
+// page must not be able to lock a source out of re-ingest):
+//   - inside the batch (a clip named notes.md whose model output also has an
+//     entity "Notes"): the source wins over an entity, an entity over a concept;
+//   - against the brain: an entity or concept whose slug is another page's. The
+//     SOURCE page is exempt: it is the note's own output, and its slug was
+//     already chosen free (or its own) by resolveSourceSlug.
+//
+// A page's own path is never a clash (a shared entity merging into itself).
+func dropSlugClashes(brainDir string, pages []wiki.Page) ([]wiki.Page, []string, error) {
+	rank := func(p wiki.Page) int {
+		switch {
+		case isSourcePath(p.Path):
+			return 0
+		case strings.HasPrefix(p.Path, "wiki/entities/"):
+			return 1
+		case strings.HasPrefix(p.Path, "wiki/concepts/"):
+			return 2
+		}
+		return 3
+	}
+	slugOf := func(p wiki.Page) string { return strings.TrimSuffix(filepath.Base(p.Path), ".md") }
+
+	// Group by slug; where several pages with different paths want one slug,
+	// the source wins, then a page that already exists on disk (so its update
+	// is not lost), then entity over concept.
+	bySlug := map[string][]wiki.Page{}
+	for _, p := range pages {
+		bySlug[slugOf(p)] = append(bySlug[slugOf(p)], p)
+	}
+	winner := map[string]wiki.Page{}
+	for slug, group := range bySlug {
+		best := group[0]
+		if distinctPaths(group) > 1 {
+			existing, err := wiki.FindSlugs(brainDir, slug)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("check slug %q: %w", slug, err)
+			}
+			onDisk := func(p wiki.Page) int {
+				for _, e := range existing {
+					if e == p.Path {
+						return 0
+					}
+				}
+				return 1
+			}
+			for _, p := range group[1:] {
+				if rank(p) != rank(best) && (rank(p) == 0 || rank(best) == 0) {
+					if rank(p) < rank(best) {
+						best = p
+					}
+					continue
+				}
+				if onDisk(p) < onDisk(best) || (onDisk(p) == onDisk(best) && rank(p) < rank(best)) {
+					best = p
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		winner[slug] = best
+	}
+
+	var kept []wiki.Page
+	var warnings []string
+	for _, p := range pages {
+		slug := slugOf(p)
+		if w := winner[slug]; w.Path != p.Path {
+			warnings = append(warnings, fmt.Sprintf("skipped %s: slug %q is also used by %s in this batch", p.Path, slug, w.Path))
+			continue
+		}
+		if rank(p) == 0 {
+			kept = append(kept, p)
+			continue
+		}
+		existing, err := wiki.FindSlugs(brainDir, slug)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("check slug %q: %w", slug, err)
+		}
+		clash := ""
+		for _, e := range existing {
+			if e != p.Path {
+				clash = e
+				break
+			}
+		}
+		if clash != "" {
+			warnings = append(warnings, fmt.Sprintf("skipped %s: slug %q is already used by %s", p.Path, slug, clash))
+			continue
+		}
+		kept = append(kept, p)
+	}
+	return kept, warnings, nil
+}
+
+func distinctPaths(pages []wiki.Page) int {
+	seen := map[string]bool{}
+	for _, p := range pages {
+		seen[p.Path] = true
+	}
+	return len(seen)
+}
diff --git a/ingestion/internal/pipeline/resolve.go b/ingestion/internal/pipeline/resolve.go
index 21e04e3..528ad28 100644
--- a/ingestion/internal/pipeline/resolve.go
+++ b/ingestion/internal/pipeline/resolve.go
@@ -32,6 +32,13 @@ func Resolve(proposed []wiki.Page, inventory map[wiki.PageType][]wiki.Entry) []w
 
 	out := make([]wiki.Page, 0, len(proposed))
 	for _, page := range proposed {
+		if isWingSourcePath(page.Path) {
+			// In a wing the source's path is its filename-derived slug. Matching
+			// by TITLE would merge two different notes the model happened to
+			// title alike ("Home", "Untitled") into one page.
+			out = append(out, page)
+			continue
+		}
 		pt := pageTypeOf(page)
 		title := extractTitle(page.Content)
 		k := key{pt: pt, normalized: normalizeTitle(title)}
@@ -97,3 +104,9 @@ func extractTitle(content string) string {
 	}
 	return ""
 }
+
+// isWingSourcePath reports whether path is wiki/<wing>/sources/<slug>.md.
+func isWingSourcePath(path string) bool {
+	parts := strings.Split(filepath.ToSlash(path), "/")
+	return len(parts) == 4 && parts[0] == "wiki" && parts[2] == "sources"
+}
diff --git a/ingestion/internal/pipeline/wing_layout_test.go b/ingestion/internal/pipeline/wing_layout_test.go
index d53b514..17958d0 100644
--- a/ingestion/internal/pipeline/wing_layout_test.go
+++ b/ingestion/internal/pipeline/wing_layout_test.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
@@ -92,27 +93,77 @@ func TestRun_TheSameEntityCitedFromTwoWingsIsOnePageWithBothSources(t *testing.T
 }
 
 // A source slug is the graph's identity too: a second wing must not take over
-// the slug of a source that lives elsewhere.
-func TestRun_ASourceSlugAlreadyUsedInAnotherWingIsRefused(t *testing.T) {
+// the slug of a page that lives elsewhere. Two wings dropping a file of the same
+// name (notes.md, readme.md) is ordinary, so the second source gets a distinct,
+// stable slug instead of failing.
+func TestRun_ASourceWhoseSlugIsTakenElsewhereGetsADistinctStableSlug(t *testing.T) {
 	dir := t.TempDir()
 	_, err := Run(context.Background(), wingCfg("web-clip", sourceEntityConcept()...), dir, "body", "talk", false)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(dir, "wiki/homelab/facts"), 0o755))
 
 	_, err = Run(context.Background(), wingCfg("homelab", sourceEntityConcept()...), dir, "different body", "talk", false)
-	require.Error(t, err)
-	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "already used")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.True(t, exists(dir, "wiki/web-clip/sources/talk.md"), "the first wing's page is untouched")
+	assert.True(t, exists(dir, "wiki/homelab/sources/talk-homelab.md"), "the second gets a wing-qualified slug")
 	assert.False(t, exists(dir, "wiki/homelab/sources/talk.md"))
+
+	_, err = Run(context.Background(), wingCfg("homelab", sourceEntityConcept()...), dir, "different body, edited", "talk", false)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	files, _ := filepath.Glob(filepath.Join(dir, "wiki/homelab/sources/*.md"))
+	assert.Len(t, files, 1, "re-ingesting finds the same page, it does not make talk-homelab-2")
 }
 
-func TestRun_ASourceSlugAlreadyInTheRetiredLayoutIsRefused(t *testing.T) {
+func TestRun_ASourceWhoseSlugIsTakenByARetiredPageOrASharedPageGetsADistinctSlug(t *testing.T) {
 	dir := t.TempDir()
 	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(dir, "wiki/sources"), 0o755))
 	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(dir, "wiki/sources/talk.md"), []byte("---\ntitle: Talk\n---\nold"), 0o644))
+	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(dir, "wiki/entities"), 0o755))
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(dir, "wiki/entities/other.md"), []byte("---\ntitle: Other\n---\nx"), 0o644))
 
 	_, err := Run(context.Background(), wingCfg("web-clip", sourceEntityConcept()...), dir, "body", "talk", false)
-	require.Error(t, err)
-	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "already used")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.True(t, exists(dir, "wiki/web-clip/sources/talk-web-clip.md"))
+	assert.Equal(t, "---\ntitle: Talk\n---\nold", read(t, dir, "wiki/sources/talk.md"), "the retired page is untouched")
+}
+
+// The other direction: a model-extracted entity or concept whose slug is a
+// source's slug in some wing would lock that source out of re-ingest. The page
+// is skipped with a warning; the ingest itself succeeds.
+func TestRun_AnEntityWhoseSlugIsASourceElsewhereIsSkippedNotWritten(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	_, err := Run(context.Background(), wingCfg("web-clip", []RawPage{
+		{Title: "Jev", Type: "source", Subtype: "video", Content: "## Summary\n\nA clip titled Jev.\n"},
+	}...), dir, "body", "jev", false)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(dir, "wiki/homelab/facts"), 0o755))
+
+	res, err := Run(context.Background(), wingCfg("homelab", sourceEntityConcept()...), dir, "another body", "other-talk", false)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.False(t, exists(dir, "wiki/entities/jev.md"), "the entity would take the source's slug")
+	assert.Contains(t, strings.Join(res.Warnings, "\n"), "jev")
+
+	_, err = Run(context.Background(), wingCfg("web-clip", []RawPage{
+		{Title: "Jev", Type: "source", Subtype: "video", Content: "## Summary\n\nEdited.\n"},
+	}...), dir, "body, edited", "jev", false)
+	require.NoError(t, err, "the first wing can still re-ingest its own source")
+}
+
+// The type comes from the model, so from the clip: in a wing it may only be one
+// of the three the layout has a place for.
+func TestRun_WithAWingAModelChosenTypeCannotWriteOutsideTheLayout(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(dir, "wiki/alpha/facts"), 0o755))
+	pages := append(sourceEntityConcept(),
+		RawPage{Title: "Planted", Type: "sources", Content: "## x\n\nplanted\n"},
+		RawPage{Title: "Loose", Type: "alpha", Content: "## x\n\nloose\n"},
+		RawPage{Title: "Sneaky", Type: "homelab", Content: "## x\n\nsneaky\n"})
+	res, err := Run(context.Background(), wingCfg("web-clip", pages...), dir, "body", "talk", false)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.False(t, exists(dir, "wiki/sources/planted.md"))
+	assert.False(t, exists(dir, "wiki/alpha/loose.md"))
+	assert.False(t, exists(dir, "wiki/homelab"))
+	assert.Contains(t, strings.Join(res.Warnings, "\n"), "invalid type")
 }
 
 func TestRun_ReIngestingTheSameSourceIntoItsOwnWingIsNotACollision(t *testing.T) {
@@ -141,16 +192,205 @@ func listAll(t *testing.T, dir string) []string {
 	return out
 }
 
-// The first match must not hide a second one: this wing's own page of the name
-// exists AND a page of the same name lives elsewhere.
-func TestRun_ASlugUsedInTwoPlacesIsRefusedEvenWhenTheOwnPageIsOneOfThem(t *testing.T) {
+// Title resolution can mask a wrong slug choice at the Run level, so the
+// stability of the choice is pinned directly: the page this wing made earlier
+// under the qualified slug is "its own" and is found again.
+func TestResolveSourceSlug(t *testing.T) {
 	dir := t.TempDir()
-	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(dir, "wiki/web-clip/sources"), 0o755))
-	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(dir, "wiki/web-clip/sources/talk.md"), []byte("---\ntitle: Talk\n---\nown"), 0o644))
+	for _, rel := range []string{
+		"wiki/web-clip/sources/talk.md",
+		"wiki/homelab/sources/talk-homelab.md",
+		"wiki/entities/kube.md",
+	} {
+		require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(filepath.Join(dir, rel)), 0o755))
+		require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(dir, rel), []byte("---\ntitle: x\n---\n"), 0o644))
+	}
+	tests := []struct {
+		name, wing, base, want string
+	}{
+		{"free slug is used as is", "homelab", "fresh", "fresh"},
+		{"own page under the plain slug", "web-clip", "talk", "talk"},
+		{"taken elsewhere: wing-qualified", "tapir", "talk", "talk-tapir"},
+		{"own earlier qualified page is found again", "homelab", "talk", "talk-homelab"},
+		{"taken by a shared page", "tapir", "kube", "kube-tapir"},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got, err := resolveSourceSlug(dir, tt.wing, tt.base)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.want, got)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestResolveSourceSlug_AFurtherClashGetsANumber(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	for _, rel := range []string{"wiki/a/sources/talk.md", "wiki/entities/talk-b.md"} {
+		require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(filepath.Join(dir, rel)), 0o755))
+		require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(dir, rel), []byte("x"), 0o644))
+	}
+	got, err := resolveSourceSlug(dir, "b", "talk")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, "talk-b-2", got)
+}
+
+// From the second review of #211: slug clashes INSIDE one batch. dropSlugClashes
+// only looked at what was already on disk, so a source and an entity extracted
+// together with one slug were both written, and neither could ever be updated.
+func TestRun_ASourceAndAnEntityWithOneSlugInTheSameBatchWriteOnlyTheSource(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	pages := []RawPage{
+		{Title: "Notes", Type: "source", Subtype: "note", Content: "## Summary\n\nfirst\n"},
+		{Title: "Notes", Type: "entity", Subtype: "tool", Content: "## Definition\n\nan entity named like its source\n"},
+	}
+	res, err := Run(context.Background(), wingCfg("homelab", pages...), dir, "body one", "notes", false)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.True(t, exists(dir, "wiki/homelab/sources/notes.md"))
+	assert.False(t, exists(dir, "wiki/entities/notes.md"), "two pages must not share a slug")
+	assert.Contains(t, strings.Join(res.Warnings, "\n"), "notes")
+
+	pages[0].Content = "## Summary\n\nfirst\n\n## Key Claims\n\n- second\n"
+	_, err = Run(context.Background(), wingCfg("homelab", pages...), dir, "body two, changed", "notes", false)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Contains(t, read(t, dir, "wiki/homelab/sources/notes.md"), "second", "the source can still be updated")
+}
+
+func TestRun_AConceptAndAnEntityWithOneSlugInTheSameBatchWriteOne(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	pages := []RawPage{
+		{Title: "Talk", Type: "source", Subtype: "video", Content: "## Summary\n\nx\n"},
+		{Title: "Foo", Type: "concept", Content: "## Definition\n\na concept\n"},
+		{Title: "Foo", Type: "entity", Subtype: "tool", Content: "## Definition\n\nan entity\n"},
+	}
+	res, err := Run(context.Background(), wingCfg("homelab", pages...), dir, "body", "talk", false)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	written := 0
+	for _, rel := range []string{"wiki/concepts/foo.md", "wiki/entities/foo.md"} {
+		if exists(dir, rel) {
+			written++
+		}
+	}
+	assert.Equal(t, 1, written, "one slug, one page")
+	assert.Contains(t, strings.Join(res.Warnings, "\n"), "foo")
+}
+
+// A brain that already holds the bad pair (written before this fix) must not
+// lock the source out: the source page is the note's own output and is never
+// the one skipped.
+func TestRun_AnExistingSourceEntityPairDoesNotLockTheSourceOut(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(dir, "wiki/homelab/sources"), 0o755))
 	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(dir, "wiki/entities"), 0o755))
-	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(dir, "wiki/entities/talk.md"), []byte("---\ntitle: Talk\n---\nan entity"), 0o644))
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(dir, "wiki/homelab/sources/notes.md"),
+		[]byte("---\ntitle: 'Notes'\ntype: 'note'\nwing: homelab\nhall: sources\naliases:\n  - 'Notes'\n---\n\n## Summary\n\nold\n"), 0o644))
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(dir, "wiki/entities/notes.md"),
+		[]byte("---\ntitle: 'Notes'\naliases:\n  - 'Notes'\n---\n\n## Definition\n\nstale entity\n"), 0o644))
+
+	pages := []RawPage{{Title: "Notes", Type: "source", Subtype: "note", Content: "## Summary\n\nnew text\n\n## Key Claims\n\n- fresh\n"}}
+	_, err := Run(context.Background(), wingCfg("homelab", pages...), dir, "changed body", "notes", false)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Contains(t, read(t, dir, "wiki/homelab/sources/notes.md"), "fresh", "the source took the update")
+	assert.Contains(t, read(t, dir, "wiki/entities/notes.md"), "stale entity", "the entity is untouched")
+}
+
+// Pass 3 of #211: a note must never leave the inbox as "processed" when nothing
+// of it was written.
+func TestRun_WithAWingAnIngestThatWritesNoSourcePageIsAnError(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name  string
+		pages []RawPage
+		prep  func(t *testing.T, dir string)
+	}{
+		{"the model returned nothing", nil, nil},
+		{"only pages of a type the layout has no place for", []RawPage{{Title: "Claim", Type: "claim", Content: "## x\n\ny\n"}}, nil},
+		{"only an entity, and its slug is taken by a source", []RawPage{{Title: "S1", Type: "entity", Subtype: "tool", Content: "## Definition\n\nx\n"}},
+			func(t *testing.T, dir string) {
+				require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(dir, "wiki/web-clip/sources"), 0o755))
+				require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(dir, "wiki/web-clip/sources/s1.md"), []byte("---\ntitle: 'S1'\n---\nx"), 0o644))
+			}},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			dir := t.TempDir()
+			if tt.prep != nil {
+				tt.prep(t, dir)
+			}
+			res, err := Run(context.Background(), wingCfg("web-clip", tt.pages...), dir, "a note body", "other-note", false)
+			require.Error(t, err, "nothing was ingested; the caller must not archive it as done")
+			assert.Empty(t, res.Pages)
+			assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "no source page")
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestRun_WithAWingAnUnchangedSourceIsStillASkipNotAnError(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	_, err := Run(context.Background(), wingCfg("web-clip", sourceEntityConcept()...), dir, "same body", "talk", false)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	res, err := Run(context.Background(), wingCfg("web-clip", sourceEntityConcept()...), dir, "same body", "talk", false)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.True(t, res.Skipped)
+}
+
+// Title resolution must not merge two different notes into one source page just
+// because the model titled both "Home": in a wing the source path is already
+// deterministic (the filename), so the title must not redirect it.
+func TestRun_WithAWingTwoNotesTheModelTitlesAlikeKeepTheirOwnSourcePages(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	home := func(body string) []RawPage {
+		return []RawPage{{Title: "Home", Type: "source", Subtype: "article", Content: "## Summary\n\n" + body + "\n"}}
+	}
+	_, err := Run(context.Background(), wingCfg("web-clip", home("note A text")...), dir, "body A", "note-a", false)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	_, err = Run(context.Background(), wingCfg("web-clip", home("note B text")...), dir, "body B", "note-b", false)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	assert.True(t, exists(dir, "wiki/web-clip/sources/note-a.md"))
+	assert.True(t, exists(dir, "wiki/web-clip/sources/note-b.md"), "note B has its own page")
+	assert.Contains(t, read(t, dir, "wiki/web-clip/sources/note-a.md"), "note A text")
+	assert.Contains(t, read(t, dir, "wiki/web-clip/sources/note-b.md"), "note B text")
+
+	res, err := Run(context.Background(), wingCfg("web-clip", home("note A text")...), dir, "body A", "note-a", false)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.True(t, res.Skipped, "note A's hash was not overwritten by note B")
+}
+
+// Both a concept and an entity named "Foo" arrive and the CONCEPT already exists
+// on disk: the page that exists wins the tie, so its source reference is added.
+func TestRun_ABatchTieBetweenAConceptAndAnEntityPrefersThePageAlreadyOnDisk(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(dir, "wiki/concepts"), 0o755))
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(dir, "wiki/concepts/foo.md"),
+		[]byte("---\ntitle: 'Foo'\naliases:\n  - 'Foo'\n---\n\n## Definition\n\nexisting concept\n\n## Sources\n"), 0o644))
+	pages := []RawPage{
+		{Title: "Talk", Type: "source", Subtype: "video", Content: "## Summary\n\nx\n\n## Concepts Introduced or Reinforced\n\n[[Foo]]\n"},
+		{Title: "Foo", Type: "entity", Subtype: "tool", Content: "## Definition\n\nan entity\n"},
+		{Title: "Foo", Type: "concept", Content: "## Definition\n\na concept\n\n## Sources\n"},
+	}
+	_, err := Run(context.Background(), wingCfg("web-clip", pages...), dir, "body", "talk", false)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.False(t, exists(dir, "wiki/entities/foo.md"))
+	assert.Contains(t, read(t, dir, "wiki/concepts/foo.md"), "talk", "the existing concept got the new source reference")
+}
+
+// Pass 4 of #211: the source page carries the hash the drift check reads. If it
+// is written FIRST and a later page fails to write, the next ingest of the same
+// content is skipped and the rest of the batch is lost for good. Written LAST,
+// a failed batch leaves no hash and is simply redone.
+func TestRun_WithAWingAFailedBatchLeavesNoSourcePageToHideBehind(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	// An entity path that cannot be written: a directory where the page goes.
+	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Join(dir, "wiki/entities/jev.md"), 0o755))
+
+	_, err := Run(context.Background(), wingCfg("web-clip", sourceEntityConcept()...), dir, "same body", "talk", false)
+	require.Error(t, err, "the entity write fails")
+	assert.False(t, exists(dir, "wiki/web-clip/sources/talk.md"),
+		"the source page (and its hash) must not exist when the batch did not complete")
 
-	_, err := Run(context.Background(), wingCfg("web-clip", sourceEntityConcept()...), dir, "body", "talk", false)
-	require.Error(t, err)
-	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "already used")
+	require.NoError(t, os.RemoveAll(filepath.Join(dir, "wiki/entities/jev.md")))
+	res, err := Run(context.Background(), wingCfg("web-clip", sourceEntityConcept()...), dir, "same body", "talk", false)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.False(t, res.Skipped, "the retry is a real ingest, not a hash skip")
+	assert.True(t, exists(dir, "wiki/entities/jev.md"))
+	assert.True(t, exists(dir, "wiki/web-clip/sources/talk.md"))
 }
diff --git a/ingestion/internal/watcher/watcher.go b/ingestion/internal/watcher/watcher.go
index 9956315..8e7e3b2 100644
--- a/ingestion/internal/watcher/watcher.go
+++ b/ingestion/internal/watcher/watcher.go
@@ -392,14 +392,24 @@ func topDir(rel string) string {
 	return ""
 }
 
-// frontmatterWing reads `wing:` from a note's leading frontmatter, "" if none.
+// frontmatterWing reads a top-level `wing:` from a note's leading frontmatter,
+// "" if there is none. The block counts only if it has a real closing fence (a
+// line that is exactly "---"), and an indented `wing:` belongs to some other
+// mapping, not to the note.
 func frontmatterWing(content string) string {
+	content = strings.TrimPrefix(content, "\ufeff") // a byte-order mark must not hide the block
 	content = strings.ReplaceAll(content, "\r\n", "\n")
 	if !strings.HasPrefix(content, "---\n") {
 		return ""
 	}
-	block, _, _ := strings.Cut(content[4:], "\n---")
+	block, _, found := cutFence(content[4:])
+	if !found {
+		return ""
+	}
 	for _, line := range strings.Split(block, "\n") {
+		if line == "" || line[0] == ' ' || line[0] == '\t' {
+			continue
+		}
 		if key, val, ok := strings.Cut(line, ":"); ok && strings.TrimSpace(key) == "wing" {
 			return strings.Trim(strings.TrimSpace(val), `"'`)
 		}
diff --git a/ingestion/internal/watcher/watcher_wing_test.go b/ingestion/internal/watcher/watcher_wing_test.go
index 3d6f717..da865cd 100644
--- a/ingestion/internal/watcher/watcher_wing_test.go
+++ b/ingestion/internal/watcher/watcher_wing_test.go
@@ -314,3 +314,45 @@ func TestProcessDir_ANoteThatReappearsChangedIsExtractedAgain(t *testing.T) {
 
 	assert.Equal(t, int32(2), llmCalls.Load(), "a real edit must still be picked up")
 }
+
+func TestFrontmatterWing(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name, in, want string
+	}{
+		{"plain key", "---\nwing: radar\n---\nbody", "radar"},
+		{"quoted", "---\nwing: \"radar\"\n---\nbody", "radar"},
+		{"CRLF", "---\r\nwing: radar\r\n---\r\nbody", "radar"},
+		{"no frontmatter", "wing: radar\nbody", ""},
+		{"an indented key belongs to another mapping", "---\nmeta:\n  wing: radar\n---\nbody", ""},
+		{"a key before a non-fence dash line is not frontmatter", "---\nwing: radar\n----\nbody", ""},
+		{"no closing fence", "---\nwing: radar\nbody", ""},
+		{"closing fence at end of input", "---\nwing: radar\n---", "radar"},
+		{"another key first", "---\ntitle: x\nwing: radar\n---\nbody", "radar"},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.want, frontmatterWing(tt.in))
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestFrontmatterWing_ABOMDoesNotHideTheKey(t *testing.T) {
+	assert.Equal(t, "homelab", frontmatterWing("\ufeff---\nwing: homelab\n---\nbody"))
+}
+
+// A note that produced nothing must not leave the inbox as "processed".
+func TestProcessDir_AWingIngestThatWritesNothingFailsTheNoteVisibly(t *testing.T) {
+	var llmCalls atomic.Int32
+	cfg, brainDir := wingTestCfg(t, router, &llmCalls)
+	cfg.Pipeline.Complete = func(context.Context, string, string) (string, error) { return "[]", nil }
+	put(t, brainDir, "empty-result.md", "A note the model returned nothing for.")
+
+	require.Empty(t, processDir(context.Background(), cfg, "2026-10-20"))
+
+	assert.True(t, has(brainDir, "raw/failed/empty-result.md"), "kept where a human looks")
+	processed, _ := filepath.Glob(filepath.Join(brainDir, "raw", "processed", "*", "*"))
+	assert.Empty(t, processed, "never archived as processed")
+	logb, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(brainDir, "log.md"))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Contains(t, string(logb), "no source page")
+}
diff --git a/ingestion/internal/wing/router.go b/ingestion/internal/wing/router.go
index e5167b5..3df65ed 100644
--- a/ingestion/internal/wing/router.go
+++ b/ingestion/internal/wing/router.go
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@ import (
 	"regexp"
 	"slices"
 	"strings"
+	"unicode"
+
+	xnorm "golang.org/x/text/unicode/norm"
 )
 
 // Router places a note with rules only, no model (hyperguild#208):
@@ -23,11 +26,24 @@ type Router struct {
 	BrainDir    string
 	Default     string
 	ClientBlock *regexp.Regexp // nil = no content check
+
+	// FilterChunk is how many bytes of a note the content filter folds and
+	// matches at a time (0 = 1 MiB). Folding allocates several times its input,
+	// so a 64 MiB note is checked in pieces (with an overlap, so a marker on a
+	// boundary is still found) instead of all at once.
+	FilterChunk int
 }
 
 // Resolve implements Placer. It never returns an error: anything it cannot
 // decide safely is an Exception with the reason spelled out.
 func (r Router) Resolve(_ context.Context, n Note) Decision {
+	for _, raw := range []string{n.Dir, n.FrontmatterWing} {
+		if !isASCII(raw) {
+			// strings.ToLower folds some non-ASCII runes to ASCII (the Kelvin
+			// sign becomes "k"), which would let a lookalike name a real wing.
+			return exception("", 0, fmt.Sprintf("wing name %q contains non-ASCII characters", strings.TrimSpace(raw)))
+		}
+	}
 	dir, fm := norm(n.Dir), norm(n.FrontmatterWing)
 	switch {
 	case dir != "" && fm != "" && dir != fm:
@@ -37,20 +53,20 @@ func (r Router) Resolve(_ context.Context, n Note) Decision {
 	case fm != "":
 		return r.explicit(fm, "frontmatter")
 	}
-	if r.ClientBlock != nil && r.ClientBlock.MatchString(n.Text) {
+	if r.ClientBlock != nil && matchesClient(r.ClientBlock, n.Text, r.FilterChunk) {
 		return exception("", 0, "text matches the client-content marker; not defaulted into a shared wing")
 	}
-	if r.Default == "" || !plainWingName(r.Default) {
+	if r.Default == "" || !usableWingName(r.Default) {
 		return exception("", 0, "no valid default wing configured")
 	}
 	return Decision{Wing: r.Default, Source: Default, Confidence: 1, Reason: "no wing named; default wing"}
 }
 
 func (r Router) explicit(w, via string) Decision {
-	if !plainWingName(w) {
-		return exception("", 0, fmt.Sprintf("%s names %q, which is not a plain wing name", via, w))
+	if !usableWingName(w) {
+		return exception("", 0, fmt.Sprintf("%s names %q, which is not a usable wing name", via, w))
 	}
-	if w == r.Default && plainWingName(w) {
+	if w == r.Default {
 		return Decision{Wing: w, Source: Explicit, Confidence: 1, Reason: "named by " + via}
 	}
 	known, err := KnownWings(r.BrainDir)
@@ -69,8 +85,8 @@ func (r Router) explicit(w, via string) Decision {
 // startup rather than later: a client filter that silently does nothing is
 // worse than none.
 func NewRouter(brainDir, defaultWing, clientPattern string) (Router, error) {
-	if defaultWing == "" || !plainWingName(defaultWing) {
-		return Router{}, fmt.Errorf("default wing %q is not a plain wing name", defaultWing)
+	if defaultWing == "" || !usableWingName(defaultWing) {
+		return Router{}, fmt.Errorf("default wing %q is not a usable wing name", defaultWing)
 	}
 	r := Router{BrainDir: brainDir, Default: defaultWing}
 	if clientPattern != "" {
@@ -82,3 +98,123 @@ func NewRouter(brainDir, defaultWing, clientPattern string) (Router, error) {
 	}
 	return r, nil
 }
+
+// reservedWingNames are directory names under wiki/ that are not wings: the
+// retired layout and the root. A note must never be proposed into one.
+var reservedWingNames = map[string]bool{"sources": true, "concepts": true, "entities": true, "wiki": true}
+
+// usableWingName: a plain name that is not reserved.
+func usableWingName(w string) bool { return plainWingName(w) && !reservedWingNames[w] }
+
+func isASCII(s string) bool {
+	for _, r := range s {
+		if r > unicode.MaxASCII {
+			return false
+		}
+	}
+	return true
+}
+
+const (
+	defaultFilterChunk = 1 << 20
+	filterOverlap      = 4096
+)
+
+// matchesClient applies the client-content pattern to the text in bounded
+// chunks, each overlapping the next, so memory stays proportional to the chunk
+// and a marker on a chunk edge is still found.
+func matchesClient(re *regexp.Regexp, text string, chunk int) bool {
+	if chunk <= 0 {
+		chunk = defaultFilterChunk
+	}
+	overlap := filterOverlap
+	if overlap >= chunk {
+		overlap = chunk / 2
+	}
+	for start := 0; start < len(text); {
+		end := start + chunk
+		if end >= len(text) {
+			end = len(text)
+		}
+		if matchesFolded(re, text[start:end]) {
+			return true
+		}
+		if end == len(text) {
+			return false
+		}
+		// A cut inside a rune is harmless: the overlap carries every match that
+		// spans at most filterOverlap bytes whole into the next chunk. A match
+		// longer than that (a pattern like `acme.{5000}corp`, or padding
+		// between two words) can be missed on a chunk edge; documented limit.
+		start = end - overlap
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
+// matchesFolded matches the pattern against the chunk as it is and against
+// folded forms, so the cheap evasions do not defeat it. Folding: NFKD (fullwidth
+// letters, accents become base letter + mark), then marks, format characters and
+// invisible fillers dropped, Cyrillic/Greek lookalikes mapped to Latin, every
+// dash made "-". Views: whitespace collapsed to one space (so "acme corp" and
+// \s work), whitespace removed (so "acme-\nclient" works), and the same with a
+// soft hyphen read as a dash. It catches what it names and nothing else:
+// leetspeak, punctuation splits (a.c.m.e), encodings and the many homoglyphs
+// not in the small table below are not caught. It is a filter, not a classifier.
+func matchesFolded(re *regexp.Regexp, chunk string) bool {
+	if re.MatchString(chunk) {
+		return true
+	}
+	decomposed := xnorm.NFKD.String(chunk)
+	return re.MatchString(fold(decomposed, false, true)) ||
+		re.MatchString(fold(decomposed, false, false)) ||
+		re.MatchString(fold(decomposed, true, false))
+}
+
+// fold builds one view. softAsDash reads U+00AD as "-" instead of dropping it;
+// keepSpace collapses whitespace to a single space instead of removing it.
+func fold(s string, softAsDash, keepSpace bool) string {
+	var b strings.Builder
+	b.Grow(len(s))
+	space := false
+	for _, r := range s {
+		switch {
+		case r == '\u00ad' && softAsDash:
+			b.WriteRune('-')
+			space = false
+			continue
+		case unicode.Is(unicode.Mn, r) || unicode.Is(unicode.Me, r) || unicode.Is(unicode.Mc, r) ||
+			unicode.Is(unicode.Cf, r) || invisibleFiller[r]:
+			continue
+		case unicode.IsSpace(r) || unicode.Is(unicode.Zs, r):
+			if keepSpace && !space {
+				b.WriteByte(' ')
+				space = true
+			}
+			continue
+		}
+		space = false
+		switch {
+		case unicode.Is(unicode.Pd, r) || r == '\u2212':
+			b.WriteRune('-')
+		default:
+			if l, ok := latinLookalike[r]; ok {
+				r = l
+			}
+			b.WriteRune(r)
+		}
+	}
+	return b.String()
+}
+
+// invisibleFiller are characters that render as nothing but are not format
+// characters: Hangul fillers and the blank Braille pattern.
+var invisibleFiller = map[rune]bool{0x115F: true, 0x1160: true, 0x3164: true, 0xFFA0: true, 0x2800: true}
+
+// latinLookalike maps the commonest Cyrillic and Greek letters that read as
+// Latin ones. Deliberately small; see matchesFolded.
+var latinLookalike = map[rune]rune{
+	'\u0430': 'a', '\u0435': 'e', '\u043e': 'o', '\u0440': 'p', '\u0441': 'c', '\u0445': 'x', '\u0443': 'y',
+	'\u0456': 'i', '\u0458': 'j', '\u0455': 's', '\u04bb': 'h', '\u0501': 'd', '\u043a': 'k', '\u043d': 'h', '\u0442': 't',
+	'\u0410': 'A', '\u0412': 'B', '\u0415': 'E', '\u041a': 'K', '\u041c': 'M', '\u041d': 'H', '\u041e': 'O', '\u0420': 'P', '\u0421': 'C', '\u0422': 'T', '\u0425': 'X',
+	'\u03bf': 'o', '\u03bd': 'v', '\u03c1': 'p', '\u0391': 'A', '\u0392': 'B', '\u0395': 'E', '\u039f': 'O', '\u03a1': 'P',
+}
diff --git a/ingestion/internal/wing/router_test.go b/ingestion/internal/wing/router_test.go
index 8499100..384192f 100644
--- a/ingestion/internal/wing/router_test.go
+++ b/ingestion/internal/wing/router_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package wing_test
 import (
 	"context"
 	"regexp"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
@@ -81,7 +82,7 @@ func TestRouter_ANameThatIsNotPlainIsRefusedAsSuch(t *testing.T) {
 			d := r.Resolve(context.Background(), wing.Note{Dir: bad, Text: "x"})
 			assert.Equal(t, wing.Exception, d.Source)
 			assert.Empty(t, d.Wing, "a malformed name is never echoed as a proposal")
-			assert.Contains(t, d.Reason, "not a plain wing name")
+			assert.Contains(t, d.Reason, "not a usable wing name")
 		})
 	}
 }
@@ -112,3 +113,124 @@ func TestNewRouter(t *testing.T) {
 		assert.Error(t, err, "a client filter that silently does nothing is worse than none")
 	})
 }
+
+// From the review of #211: the content filter is the only guard on the default
+// lane, so it must survive the cheap evasions.
+func TestRouter_ClientMarkerSurvivesCheapEvasions(t *testing.T) {
+	r := wing.Router{BrainDir: routerBrain(t), Default: "web-clip", ClientBlock: regexp.MustCompile(`(?i)acme-client`)}
+	tests := []struct{ name, text string }{
+		{"non-breaking hyphen", "notes on acme‑client"},
+		{"zero-width joiner inside", "notes on acme\u200d-client"},
+		{"zero-width space inside", "notes on ac\u200bme-client"},
+		{"split across lines", "notes on acme-\nclient"},
+		{"spaced hyphen", "notes on acme - client"},
+		{"fullwidth letters", "notes on ａｃｍｅ-client"},
+		{"soft hyphen", "notes on acme\u00ad-client"},
+		{"en dash", "notes on acme–client"},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			d := r.Resolve(context.Background(), wing.Note{Text: tt.text})
+			assert.Equal(t, wing.Exception, d.Source, tt.text)
+		})
+	}
+	t.Run("an unrelated text still files", func(t *testing.T) {
+		d := r.Resolve(context.Background(), wing.Note{Text: "a talk about agents and a client-server model"})
+		assert.Equal(t, wing.Default, d.Source)
+	})
+}
+
+func TestRouter_FolderNamesAreAsciiAndNotReserved(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := routerBrain(t)
+	writePage(t, dir, "wiki/kubernetes/facts/a.md", "x")
+	r := wing.Router{BrainDir: dir, Default: "web-clip"}
+	tests := []struct {
+		name string
+		dir  string
+	}{
+		{"Kelvin sign lowercases to an ASCII k", "Kubernetes"},
+		{"cyrillic lookalike", "h\u043emelab"},
+		{"retired layout name: sources", "sources"},
+		{"retired layout name: concepts", "concepts"},
+		{"retired layout name: entities", "entities"},
+		{"wiki", "wiki"},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			d := r.Resolve(context.Background(), wing.Note{Dir: tt.dir, Text: "x"})
+			assert.Equal(t, wing.Exception, d.Source)
+			assert.Empty(t, d.Wing, "never proposed as a wing")
+		})
+	}
+	t.Run("plain ASCII case folding still works", func(t *testing.T) {
+		d := r.Resolve(context.Background(), wing.Note{Dir: "KubernetEs", Text: "x"})
+		assert.Equal(t, wing.Explicit, d.Source)
+		assert.Equal(t, "kubernetes", d.Wing)
+	})
+}
+
+func TestNewRouter_AReservedDefaultIsRefused(t *testing.T) {
+	_, err := wing.NewRouter(routerBrain(t), "sources", "")
+	assert.Error(t, err)
+}
+
+// From the second review of #211: the multi-word, \s and \b patterns an operator
+// would actually write, and the next tier of evasions.
+func TestRouter_ClientMarkerHandlesRealisticPatternsAndHarderEvasions(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name, pattern, text string
+	}{
+		{"space in pattern vs NBSP", `acme corp`, "about acme\u00a0corp today"},
+		{"space in pattern vs two spaces", `acme corp`, "about acme  corp today"},
+		{"space in pattern vs newline", `acme corp`, "about acme\ncorp today"},
+		{"backslash-s pattern vs NBSP", `acme\s+corp`, "about acme\u00a0corp today"},
+		{"word boundary vs a zero-width char inside", `\bacme\b`, "the ac\u200bme corp"},
+		{"dash pattern vs a soft hyphen as the dash", `acme-client`, "acme\u00adclient"},
+		{"cyrillic a", `acme-client`, "\u0430cme-client"},
+		{"cyrillic e", `acme-client`, "acm\u0435-client"},
+		{"cyrillic o and c", `coop`, "c\u043e\u043ep"},
+		{"combining acute", `acme-client`, "a\u0301cme-client"},
+		{"precomposed accent", `acme-client`, "\u00e1cme-client"},
+		{"hangul filler", `acme-client`, "ac\u3164me-client"},
+		{"halfwidth hangul filler", `acme-client`, "ac\uffa0me-client"},
+		{"braille blank", `acme-client`, "ac\u2800me-client"},
+		{"grapheme joiner", `acme-client`, "ac\u034fme-client"},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			r, err := wing.NewRouter(routerBrain(t), "web-clip", tt.pattern)
+			assert.NoError(t, err)
+			assert.Equal(t, wing.Exception, r.Resolve(context.Background(), wing.Note{Text: tt.text}).Source, "%q should be caught by %q", tt.text, tt.pattern)
+		})
+	}
+	t.Run("ordinary text is not caught by a multi-word pattern", func(t *testing.T) {
+		r, _ := wing.NewRouter(routerBrain(t), "web-clip", `acme corp`)
+		assert.Equal(t, wing.Default, r.Resolve(context.Background(), wing.Note{Text: "acme is not corp, and corp is not acme"}).Source)
+	})
+}
+
+// The folding allocates several times the text, so a large note is checked in
+// bounded chunks. A marker that straddles a chunk edge must still be found.
+func TestRouter_ClientMarkerIsFoundAcrossAChunkBoundary(t *testing.T) {
+	r, err := wing.NewRouter(routerBrain(t), "web-clip", `acme-client`)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	r.FilterChunk = 64
+	for _, at := range []int{0, 30, 55, 58, 62, 64, 70, 120, 190} {
+		text := strings.Repeat("x", at) + "acme-client" + strings.Repeat("y", 200)
+		assert.Equal(t, wing.Exception, r.Resolve(context.Background(), wing.Note{Text: text}).Source, "marker at offset %d was missed", at)
+	}
+	clean := strings.Repeat("lorem ipsum ", 100)
+	assert.Equal(t, wing.Default, r.Resolve(context.Background(), wing.Note{Text: clean}).Source)
+}
+
+func TestRouter_ClientMarkerChunkingDoesNotSplitAMultiByteRune(t *testing.T) {
+	r, err := wing.NewRouter(routerBrain(t), "web-clip", `acme-client`)
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	r.FilterChunk = 65 // odd, over two-byte runes: every boundary falls inside a rune unless it is moved
+	for pad := 0; pad < 8; pad++ {
+		text := strings.Repeat("\u00e9", 40+pad) + "acme-client" + strings.Repeat("\u00e9", 40)
+		assert.Equal(t, wing.Exception, r.Resolve(context.Background(), wing.Note{Text: text}).Source, "pad %d", pad)
+	}
+	clean := strings.Repeat("\u00e9", 300)
+	assert.Equal(t, wing.Default, r.Resolve(context.Background(), wing.Note{Text: clean}).Source, "no panic or false match on a text of 2-byte runes")
+}