fix(capture): name what escalated the classification in an I1 refusal (#91)

infra#265 reported "capture with a tickets array fails": 20 tickets
errored, 5 errored, the caller fell back to 20 individual issue_create
calls and filed a bug against the array.

The array was never the failing dimension. Every ticket in that batch
targeted a client repo, and the I1 sovereignty gate refuses a
confidential capture through a us-nexus origin at ANY length — reproduced
live today against brain-mcp: length 1 succeeds for an internal repo,
length 20 validates clean, and a single ticket targeting
trucker-ecommerce is refused.

What made it look like an array bug is that the refusal named neither the
offending target nor the fact that a policy said no:

    capture refused by I1 sovereignty gate: effective classification
    confidential through us-nexus origin

With twenty tickets a caller cannot tell which repo tripped it, so
"the array is broken" is a reasonable conclusion from the evidence
available. resolveClassification now also returns the targets carrying
the effective level, and the refusal names them:

    ... through us-nexus origin (required by: trucker-ecommerce)

Only targets that actually reach the effective level are named — at
twenty tickets, listing the innocent ones hides the one that matters —
and a caller who declared confidential themselves is told exactly that,
because "you asked for this" and "a repo you touched required it" call
for different fixes.

Regression tests at length 1 and 20 pin the array path that was never
broken, and a third pins per-item partial success: infra#265 asked "if
ticket 3 of 5 fails, what happened to 1 and 2?" — they land, and the
receipt says so per item.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01BeAp5LTscnz2W7Ubt4eJ6m

.context/system-prompt.txt

@@ -78,6 +78,14 @@ These rules apply to every task across every project, regardless of harness.
    - Surface the brain entries and issue numbers in the closing summary so the
      trail is auditable.
 
+## CAD sprint patterns
+
+Two CAD sprint archetypes (defs: brain `wiki/homelab/decisions/continuous-agentic-development-cad-concept-2026-06-16`):
+- **Inception Sprint** — birth a new repo. Oath-gated close; tag only once every clause holds. Brain: `.../inception-sprint-and-oath`.
+- **Sweep Sprint** — clear an existing backlog. Parallel read-only research per issue → sequential one-issue-per-commit execution. Brain: `.../sweep-sprint-and-oath`.
+
+Shared: decisions that are yours, not the agent's, surface as `DECISION NEEDED` (question/options/recommendation/blocks) — ask live if you're present, else comment and wait, never act past it. Live-breaking regressions get `git revert`, never forward-fixed; host-network work skips even read-only research (solo, synchronous, you present). Rule 6's closing ritual only fires once every Oath clause genuinely holds — blocked = descoped-and-tracked, never marked done.
+
 ## Default stack
 
 | Layer | Default | Fallback | Last resort |
@@ -88,7 +96,7 @@ These rules apply to every task across every project, regardless of harness.
 | Containers | Docker Compose (dev), k3s (prod) | — | — |
 | DB | PostgreSQL + sqlc | SQLite | — |
 | Search | pgvector (vector), BM25 | Qdrant (when >1M vectors or hybrid retrieval) | — |
-| Logging | slog (structured) | — | — |
+| Logging | slog (structured) | stdlib `logging` w/ structured `extra=` (or structlog) | — |
 | Testing | Table-driven, testify | — | — |
 | Agents (Go) | google.golang.org/adk + pkg/litellm adapter | — | — |
 
@@ -97,7 +105,12 @@ Exploratory: Rust, Zig — I'll tell you when I want these.
 ## Code conventions
 
 - **Go style**: golines, gofumpt, golangci-lint
-- **Errors**: `fmt.Errorf("operation: %w", err)` — never naked, never log-and-return
+- **Python style** (fallback language): ruff (format+lint, one tool), mypy --strict (non-negotiable,
+  matches Go's static typing discipline), pytest + pytest-cov (table-driven via
+  `@pytest.mark.parametrize`), uv (venv+deps+lock, one tool), pydantic-settings (typed env-var config
+  — same principle as Go's typed structs), src-layout + `pyproject.toml` only (no `setup.py`)
+- **Errors**: `fmt.Errorf("operation: %w", err)` — never naked, never log-and-return.
+  Python: `raise X from e` (exception chaining, same principle) — never bare `except`, never silent `pass`
 - **Naming**: stdlib conventions, no stuttering
 - **Architecture**: prefer stdlib over frameworks, constructor injection, env-var config parsed into typed structs
 - **Git**: conventional commits (`feat:`, `fix:`, `chore:`), commit directly to main,

.gitea/workflows/cd.yml

@@ -48,9 +48,23 @@ jobs:
           mkdir -p ~/.ssh
           echo "${{ secrets.INFRA_DEPLOY_KEY }}" > ~/.ssh/infra_deploy_key
           chmod 600 ~/.ssh/infra_deploy_key
-          printf 'Host git.d-ma.be\n  HostName 127.0.0.1\n  Port 30022\n  StrictHostKeyChecking no\n' >> ~/.ssh/config
+          # In-cluster DNS to gitea's SSH NodePort service, not 127.0.0.1:30022
-
+          # (that only worked when act_runner ran on koala's bare host network;
-          GIT_SSH_COMMAND="ssh -i ~/.ssh/infra_deploy_key -o IdentitiesOnly=yes" \
+          # from inside the containerized runner's own pod netns, loopback
+          # never reaches the host — "Connection refused", found 2026-07-27).
+          #
+          # Pass as -o overrides on the ssh invocation itself, NOT appended to
+          # ~/.ssh/config: $HOME (/data) is a PVC that persists across job
+          # runs on this runner (same "workspace not ephemeral" class as
+          # brain: act-runner-host-executor-tmp-persists), so an appended
+          # line here would pile up duplicate `Host git.d-ma.be` blocks
+          # across every run — ssh_config is first-match-wins, so a stale
+          # entry from an earlier failed run would silently shadow this
+          # fix forever (exactly what happened once already: this fix's
+          # own first attempt got appended AFTER an already-stale entry
+          # and lost). CLI -o options always win regardless of file state,
+          # so this step is safe to re-run any number of times.
+          GIT_SSH_COMMAND="ssh -i ~/.ssh/infra_deploy_key -o IdentitiesOnly=yes -o HostName=gitea-ssh-nodeport.gitea.svc.cluster.local -o Port=22 -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no" \
             git clone "${INFRA_REPO}" /tmp/infra-update
 
           cd /tmp/infra-update

.gitleaks.toml

@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+# gitleaks config for the hyperguild repo (infra#39 — leak prevention pass,
+# Phase 3 checklist item: "gitleaks pre-commit hook in infra AND hyperguild").
+#
+# Ported from mathias/infra's .gitleaks.toml (2026-08-04) — same homelab
+# token-shape rules, minus the SOPS/searxng allowlists infra needed (this
+# repo doesn't use SOPS).
+
+title = "hyperguild gitleaks config"
+
+[extend]
+useDefault = true
+
+# --- Homelab-specific rules -------------------------------------------------
+
+[[rules]]
+id = "homelab-static-bearer"
+description = "Homelab MCP/LLM static bearer or API key assigned a long literal value"
+regex = '''(?i)\b(DMABE_[A-Z0-9_]+|[A-Z0-9_]*MCP_TOKEN|ROUTING_MCP_TOKEN|INFRA_MCP_TOKEN|BRAIN_MCP_TOKEN|GITEA_MCP_TOKEN|LITELLM_MASTER_KEY|LITELLM_SALT_KEY|DMABE_LLMAPI_KEY|BRAIN_PG_DSN)\s*[:=]\s*['"]?([A-Za-z0-9/_+.\-]{16,})['"]?'''
+keywords = ["dmabe_", "mcp_token", "litellm_master_key", "litellm_salt_key", "llmapi_key", "brain_pg_dsn"]
+[[rules.allowlists]]
+description = "Env indirection is not a literal secret"
+regexes = [
+  '''os\.environ''',
+  '''valueFrom''',
+  '''secretKeyRef''',
+  '''\$\{?[A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9_]*\}?''',
+  '''REDACTED''',
+  '''<[A-Z_]+>''',
+]
+
+[[rules]]
+id = "homelab-authorization-bearer"
+description = "Hardcoded Authorization: Bearer header"
+regex = '''(?i)authorization['"]?\s*[:=]\s*['"]?bearer\s+([A-Za-z0-9/_+.\-=]{16,})'''
+keywords = ["authorization", "bearer"]
+[[rules.allowlists]]
+description = "Env indirection is not a literal secret"
+regexes = [
+  '''\$\{?[A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9_]*\}?''',
+  '''os\.environ''',
+  '''REDACTED''',
+  '''<[A-Z_]+>''',
+]
+
+# --- Global allowlist: claudewatcher's own scrubber test fixtures ------------
+# ingestion/internal/claudewatcher/{scrubber,watcher}_test.go deliberately
+# contain fake secret-shaped literals to test that the scrubber detects and
+# redacts them. Verified 2026-08-04: all 9 findings here are test fixtures
+# (github-pat, jwt, generic-api-key, homelab-authorization-bearer rules) plus
+# 1 doc finding that was gitleaks matching the literal placeholder word
+# "REDACTED" in a plan doc — not a real secret in either case.
+[[allowlists]]
+description = "claudewatcher scrubber test fixtures — deliberately fake secrets"
+paths = [
+  '''ingestion/internal/claudewatcher/scrubber_test\.go$''',
+  '''ingestion/internal/claudewatcher/watcher_test\.go$''',
+]
+
+[[allowlists]]
+description = "Literal placeholder word REDACTED matched as if it were a token (verified 2026-08-04: extracted Secret == 'REDACTED' exactly, gitleaks' curl-auth-header rule matched the placeholder text itself, not a real credential)"
+condition = "AND"
+paths = ['''docs/superpowers/plans/2026-04-22-phase4-attempt-wiring\.md$''']
+regexes = ['''REDACTED''']

AGENTS.md

@@ -73,6 +73,14 @@ These rules apply to every task across every project, regardless of harness.
    - Surface the brain entries and issue numbers in the closing summary so the
      trail is auditable.
 
+## CAD sprint patterns
+
+Two CAD sprint archetypes (defs: brain `wiki/homelab/decisions/continuous-agentic-development-cad-concept-2026-06-16`):
+- **Inception Sprint** — birth a new repo. Oath-gated close; tag only once every clause holds. Brain: `.../inception-sprint-and-oath`.
+- **Sweep Sprint** — clear an existing backlog. Parallel read-only research per issue → sequential one-issue-per-commit execution. Brain: `.../sweep-sprint-and-oath`.
+
+Shared: decisions that are yours, not the agent's, surface as `DECISION NEEDED` (question/options/recommendation/blocks) — ask live if you're present, else comment and wait, never act past it. Live-breaking regressions get `git revert`, never forward-fixed; host-network work skips even read-only research (solo, synchronous, you present). Rule 6's closing ritual only fires once every Oath clause genuinely holds — blocked = descoped-and-tracked, never marked done.
+
 ## Default stack
 
 | Layer | Default | Fallback | Last resort |
@@ -83,7 +91,7 @@ These rules apply to every task across every project, regardless of harness.
 | Containers | Docker Compose (dev), k3s (prod) | — | — |
 | DB | PostgreSQL + sqlc | SQLite | — |
 | Search | pgvector (vector), BM25 | Qdrant (when >1M vectors or hybrid retrieval) | — |
-| Logging | slog (structured) | — | — |
+| Logging | slog (structured) | stdlib `logging` w/ structured `extra=` (or structlog) | — |
 | Testing | Table-driven, testify | — | — |
 | Agents (Go) | google.golang.org/adk + pkg/litellm adapter | — | — |
 
@@ -92,7 +100,12 @@ Exploratory: Rust, Zig — I'll tell you when I want these.
 ## Code conventions
 
 - **Go style**: golines, gofumpt, golangci-lint
-- **Errors**: `fmt.Errorf("operation: %w", err)` — never naked, never log-and-return
+- **Python style** (fallback language): ruff (format+lint, one tool), mypy --strict (non-negotiable,
+  matches Go's static typing discipline), pytest + pytest-cov (table-driven via
+  `@pytest.mark.parametrize`), uv (venv+deps+lock, one tool), pydantic-settings (typed env-var config
+  — same principle as Go's typed structs), src-layout + `pyproject.toml` only (no `setup.py`)
+- **Errors**: `fmt.Errorf("operation: %w", err)` — never naked, never log-and-return.
+  Python: `raise X from e` (exception chaining, same principle) — never bare `except`, never silent `pass`
 - **Naming**: stdlib conventions, no stuttering
 - **Architecture**: prefer stdlib over frameworks, constructor injection, env-var config parsed into typed structs
 - **Git**: conventional commits (`feat:`, `fix:`, `chore:`), commit directly to main,

Taskfile.yml

@@ -101,12 +101,48 @@ tasks:
       - task: lint
       - task: test
       - task: vet
+      - task: security:gitleaks
+
+  # ── Security ─────────────────────────────────────────────
+  security:gitleaks:
+    desc: Scan the working tree for secrets (gitleaks, fail-closed; skipped if gitleaks absent)
+    dir: '{{.ROOT_DIR}}'
+    cmds:
+      - |
+        GL="$(command -v gitleaks || true)"
+        [ -z "$GL" ] && [ -x "$(go env GOPATH 2>/dev/null)/bin/gitleaks" ] && GL="$(go env GOPATH)/bin/gitleaks"
+        if [ -z "$GL" ]; then
+          echo "⚠ gitleaks not installed — skipping secret scan (CI enforces it)."
+          echo "  Install: go install github.com/zricethezav/gitleaks/v8@latest"
+          exit 0
+        fi
+        "$GL" detect --no-git --redact --config .gitleaks.toml --source .
+
+  security:gitleaks:history:
+    desc: "One-time FULL-HISTORY secret audit (infra#39 rotation pass; not a per-push gate)"
+    dir: '{{.ROOT_DIR}}'
+    cmds:
+      - |
+        GL="$(command -v gitleaks || true)"
+        [ -z "$GL" ] && [ -x "$(go env GOPATH 2>/dev/null)/bin/gitleaks" ] && GL="$(go env GOPATH)/bin/gitleaks"
+        if [ -z "$GL" ]; then
+          echo "gitleaks not installed: go install github.com/zricethezav/gitleaks/v8@latest" >&2
+          exit 2
+        fi
+        echo "Scanning FULL git history (redacted). Known historical leaks are expected"
+        echo "until the infra#39 rotation pass completes — triage against the rotation list."
+        "$GL" detect --redact --config .gitleaks.toml
 
   lint:
     cmds:
       - golangci-lint run ./...
       - cd ingestion && golangci-lint run ./...
 
+  lint:frontmatter:
+    desc: Report brain notes whose YAML frontmatter does not parse (BRAIN=path, FIX=1 repairs in place)
+    cmds:
+      - cd ingestion && go run ./cmd/frontmatterlint {{if .FIX}}-fix{{end}} {{.BRAIN | default "../../brain"}}
+
   test:
     cmds:
       - go test -race -count=1 ./...

ingestion/cmd/frontmatterlint/main.go

@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+// Command frontmatterlint reports markdown notes whose YAML frontmatter does
+// not parse, and optionally repairs the ones that only need quoting.
+//
+//	go run ./cmd/frontmatterlint ../../brain          # report
+//	go run ./cmd/frontmatterlint -fix ../../brain     # repair in place
+//
+// Exit codes: 0 clean (or everything repaired), 1 findings remain, 2 the scan
+// itself failed.
+package main
+
+import (
+	"flag"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
+
+	"github.com/mathiasbq/hyperguild/ingestion/internal/frontmatter"
+)
+
+func main() {
+	fix := flag.Bool("fix", false, "repair files that quoting can rescue, in place")
+	flag.Parse()
+
+	root := "."
+	if flag.NArg() > 0 {
+		root = flag.Arg(0)
+	}
+
+	findings, err := frontmatter.Scan(root, *fix)
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, "frontmatterlint:", err)
+		os.Exit(2)
+	}
+
+	var unresolved int
+	for _, f := range findings {
+		if f.Repaired {
+			fmt.Printf("repaired  %s\n", f.Path)
+			continue
+		}
+		unresolved++
+		fmt.Printf("BROKEN    %s: %v\n", f.Path, f.Err)
+	}
+
+	if unresolved > 0 {
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "\n%d file(s) with unparseable frontmatter", unresolved)
+		if !*fix {
+			fmt.Fprint(os.Stderr, " — re-run with -fix")
+		}
+		fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+	fmt.Printf("✓ frontmatter: %d file(s) repaired, none broken\n", len(findings))
+}

ingestion/cmd/server/main.go

@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/mathiasbq/hyperguild/ingestion/internal/pipeline"
 	"github.com/mathiasbq/hyperguild/ingestion/internal/reranker"
 	"github.com/mathiasbq/hyperguild/ingestion/internal/search"
+	"github.com/mathiasbq/hyperguild/ingestion/internal/startupretry"
 	"github.com/mathiasbq/hyperguild/ingestion/internal/vectorstore"
 	"github.com/mathiasbq/hyperguild/ingestion/internal/watcher"
 	"github.com/mathiasbq/hyperguild/ingestion/internal/webhook"
@@ -314,6 +315,36 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	// Built before the watcher, the graph backfill and session ingestion, and
+	// retried rather than fatal (#83). Two separate reasons:
+	//
+	//   - On a cold cluster boot this pod can beat dex to serving and gets a
+	//     502 from ingress. Nothing is misconfigured; it simply started first.
+	//     Exiting there meant CrashLoopBackOff redoing the backfill on every
+	//     attempt, with exponential backoff stretching the brain outage.
+	//   - Constructing it first means a genuine config error (wrong issuer,
+	//     bad audience) fails in seconds instead of after all that work.
+	//
+	// The budget stays bounded: retrying forever would turn a misconfiguration
+	// into a process that looks alive and never serves.
+	jwtValidator, err := startupretry.Do(ctx,
+		startupretry.Policy{Attempts: 8, Base: time.Second, Max: 30 * time.Second},
+		func(ctx context.Context) (*chassisauth.JWTValidator, error) {
+			v, err := chassisauth.NewJWTValidator(ctx, os.Getenv("DEX_ISSUER_URL"), os.Getenv("MCP_AUDIENCE"))
+			if err != nil {
+				logger.Warn("oidc discovery not ready, retrying", "err", err)
+			}
+			return v, err
+		})
+	if err != nil {
+		logger.Error("build jwt validator", "err", err)
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+	if jwtValidator != nil {
+		logger.Info("jwt auth enabled", "issuer", os.Getenv("DEX_ISSUER_URL"))
+	}
+
 	if watchInterval > 0 {
 		watcher.Start(ctx, watcher.Config{
 			BrainDir: brainDir,
@@ -418,15 +449,6 @@ func main() {
 	if webhookHandler != nil {
 		mux.Handle("POST /webhooks/brain-sync", webhookHandler)
 	}
-	jwtValidator, err := chassisauth.NewJWTValidator(ctx, os.Getenv("DEX_ISSUER_URL"), os.Getenv("MCP_AUDIENCE"))
-	if err != nil {
-		logger.Error("build jwt validator", "err", err)
-		os.Exit(1)
-	}
-	if jwtValidator != nil {
-		logger.Info("jwt auth enabled", "issuer", os.Getenv("DEX_ISSUER_URL"))
-	}
-
 	// Resource-metadata URL is only emitted on 401 when Dex OAuth is
 	// configured. Static-Bearer-only deployments leave this empty so
 	// clients never see an OAuth challenge.
@@ -457,12 +479,8 @@ func main() {
 			os.Exit(1)
 		}
 		auditSink := buildAuditSink(ctx, brainDir, logger)
-		// The Gitea client also satisfies SummaryWriter (#66): session
-		// summaries are written to mathias/ai-sessions over the same API
-		// token. nil only if a future tracker impl lacks file writes.
-		summaryWriter, _ := tracker.(capture.SummaryWriter)
 		captureSvc := capture.NewService(
-			mcpSrv.BrainStore(), tracker, summaryWriter, classCfg, auditSink)
+			mcpSrv.BrainStore(), tracker, classCfg, auditSink)
 		sovereign := splitList(os.Getenv("BRAIN_CAPTURE_SOVEREIGN_PRINCIPALS"))
 		resolver := capturehttp.NewOriginResolver(sovereign)
 		captureH := capturehttp.New(captureSvc, jwtValidator, mcpToken, "local-cli", resolver)

ingestion/internal/capture/entities.go

@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 // Package capture is the Clean-Architecture use-case for the uniform
 // capture capability (issue #49/#51): persist a finished session's
-// valuable output — insights → brain, action items → Gitea tickets,
+// valuable output — insights → brain, action items → Gitea tickets —
-// optional summary → ai-sessions — with one invocation, identical core
+// with one invocation, identical core behaviour across every harness.
-// behaviour across every harness.
 //
 // This package is pure orchestration. It depends only on ports
 // (interfaces) and plain entities — no HTTP, no live Gitea, no embedding
@@ -83,19 +82,11 @@ type Ticket struct {
 	Body   string
 }
 
-// Summary is an optional session summary bound for ai-sessions.
-type Summary struct {
-	Title        string
-	Body         string
-	ReposTouched []string
-}
-
 // CaptureInput is the whole capture request.
 type CaptureInput struct {
 	Context  CaptureContext
 	Insights []Insight
 	Tickets  []Ticket
-	Summary  *Summary
 	DryRun   bool
 }
 
@@ -117,12 +108,6 @@ type TicketResult struct {
 	OK     bool   `json:"ok"`
 }
 
-// SummaryResult is the summary outcome in the receipt.
-type SummaryResult struct {
-	Path string `json:"path,omitempty"`
-	OK   bool   `json:"ok"`
-}
-
 // ItemError pins a failure to a specific request item for the partial
 // receipt. Item is a stable locator like "insight[1]" or "ticket[0]".
 type ItemError struct {
@@ -136,7 +121,6 @@ type ItemError struct {
 type CaptureReceipt struct {
 	Insights                []InsightResult `json:"insights"`
 	Tickets                 []TicketResult  `json:"tickets"`
-	Summary                 *SummaryResult  `json:"summary,omitempty"`
 	Errors                  []ItemError     `json:"errors"`
 	EffectiveClassification string          `json:"effective_classification,omitempty"`
 	DryRun                  bool            `json:"dry_run"`

ingestion/internal/capture/ports.go

@@ -69,11 +69,6 @@ type IssueTracker interface {
 	CommentIssue(ctx context.Context, repo string, number int, body string) (IssueRef, error)
 }
 
-// SummaryWriter is the ai-sessions summary port.
-type SummaryWriter interface {
-	WriteFile(ctx context.Context, repo, path, content string) error
-}
-
 // ClassificationPolicy derives a target's sensitivity (model C). The
 // "stricter wins" combination of declared vs derived is use-case policy
 // and lives in the service, so the port stays minimal. Satisfied by

ingestion/internal/capture/service.go

@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@ package capture
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"crypto/sha256"
-	"encoding/hex"
 	"fmt"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
@@ -14,22 +12,19 @@ import (
 
 // Service is the CaptureSession use-case. It depends only on ports.
 type Service struct {
-	brain     BrainStore
+	brain  BrainStore
-	issues    IssueTracker
+	issues IssueTracker
-	summaries SummaryWriter
+	policy ClassificationPolicy
-	policy    ClassificationPolicy
+	audit  AuditSink
-	audit     AuditSink
 
-	// now is the clock, injectable for deterministic summary paths and
+	// now is the clock, injectable for deterministic audit timestamps in
-	// audit timestamps in tests.
+	// tests.
 	now func() time.Time
 }
 
-// NewService constructs a Service from its ports. summaries may be nil
+// NewService constructs a Service from its ports.
-// when no summary persistence is wired; a CaptureInput with a Summary
+func NewService(b BrainStore, tr IssueTracker, p ClassificationPolicy, a AuditSink) *Service {
-// then fails that item rather than panicking.
+	return &Service{brain: b, issues: tr, policy: p, audit: a, now: time.Now}
-func NewService(b BrainStore, tr IssueTracker, sw SummaryWriter, p ClassificationPolicy, a AuditSink) *Service {
-	return &Service{brain: b, issues: tr, summaries: sw, policy: p, audit: a, now: time.Now}
 }
 
 var validActions = map[string]bool{"create": true, "close": true, "comment": true}
@@ -88,7 +83,7 @@ func (s *Service) Capture(ctx context.Context, in CaptureInput) (CaptureReceipt,
 		declared, _ = classification.ParseLevel(in.Context.Classification)
 	}
 
-	effective, securityEvents := s.resolveClassification(declared, in)
+	effective, securityEvents, escalators := s.resolveClassification(declared, in)
 
 	// Server-derived origin governs the I1 gate; a caller-asserted harness
 	// label that names a different zone is descriptive-only and logged as a
@@ -112,8 +107,8 @@ func (s *Service) Capture(ctx context.Context, in CaptureInput) (CaptureReceipt,
 			Items:                   nil, // refused before any write
 			SecurityEvents:          append(securityEvents, "I1 refusal: confidential capture via us-nexus origin"),
 		}, AuditCentral)
-		return CaptureReceipt{}, fmt.Errorf("%w: effective classification confidential through %s origin",
+		return CaptureReceipt{}, fmt.Errorf("%w: effective classification confidential through %s origin (%s)",
-			ErrSovereigntyRefused, in.Context.Origin)
+			ErrSovereigntyRefused, in.Context.Origin, escalationReason(escalators))
 	}
 
 	receipt := CaptureReceipt{
@@ -131,9 +126,6 @@ func (s *Service) Capture(ctx context.Context, in CaptureInput) (CaptureReceipt,
 		for _, tk := range in.Tickets {
 			receipt.Tickets = append(receipt.Tickets, TicketResult{Repo: tk.Repo, Action: tk.Action, Number: tk.Number, OK: true})
 		}
-		if in.Summary != nil {
-			receipt.Summary = &SummaryResult{Path: s.summaryPath(in.Context, in.Summary), OK: true}
-		}
 		return receipt, nil
 	}
 
@@ -169,16 +161,6 @@ func (s *Service) Capture(ctx context.Context, in CaptureInput) (CaptureReceipt,
 		landed = append(landed, fmt.Sprintf("ticket:%s#%d", tk.Repo, res.Number))
 	}
 
-	if in.Summary != nil {
-		res, err := s.persistSummary(ctx, in.Context, in.Summary)
-		receipt.Summary = &res
-		if err != nil {
-			receipt.Errors = append(receipt.Errors, ItemError{Item: "summary", Error: err.Error()})
-		} else {
-			landed = append(landed, "summary:"+res.Path)
-		}
-	}
-
 	// I5: persist the request-level audit record of exactly what landed,
 	// using the outcome reserved before the writes. AuditBuffered surfaces
 	// the degraded (locally-buffered) state on the receipt.
@@ -239,15 +221,28 @@ func (s *Service) validate(in CaptureInput) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// resolveClassification computes the effective level (stricter of
+// resolveClassification computes the effective level (stricter of declared
-// declared and every target's derived level) and collects a security
+// and every target's derived level), collects a security event whenever the
-// event whenever the caller under-declared relative to a target floor.
+// caller under-declared relative to a target floor, and names the targets
-func (s *Service) resolveClassification(declared classification.Level, in CaptureInput) (classification.Level, []string) {
+// that carry the strictest level.
+//
+// That third return is what makes an I1 refusal actionable. A caller sending
+// twenty tickets gets one refusal; without the offending target it cannot
+// tell which repo tripped the gate, and infra#265 shows what happens next —
+// the caller concluded the tickets ARRAY was broken, built a fallback of
+// twenty individual calls, and filed a bug against the wrong thing.
+func (s *Service) resolveClassification(declared classification.Level, in CaptureInput) (classification.Level, []string, []string) {
 	effective := declared
 	var events []string
+	derivedFor := map[string]classification.Level{}
+	var order []string
 	consider := func(kind classification.TargetKind, name string) {
 		derived := s.policy.Derive(classification.Target{Kind: kind, Name: name})
 		effective = classification.Stricter(effective, derived)
+		if _, seen := derivedFor[name]; !seen {
+			derivedFor[name] = derived
+			order = append(order, name)
+		}
 		if declared < derived {
 			events = append(events, fmt.Sprintf("classification under-declared: declared=%s target=%s(%s) derived=%s",
 				declared, name, kindString(kind), derived))
@@ -259,12 +254,28 @@ func (s *Service) resolveClassification(declared classification.Level, in Captur
 	for _, tk := range in.Tickets {
 		consider(classification.RepoTarget, tk.Repo)
 	}
-	if in.Summary != nil {
+
-		for _, repo := range in.Summary.ReposTouched {
+	// Only targets that actually reach the effective level are named: at
-			consider(classification.RepoTarget, repo)
+	// twenty tickets, listing the innocent ones is noise that hides the one
+	// that matters.
+	var escalators []string
+	for _, name := range order {
+		if derivedFor[name] == effective && effective > declared {
+			escalators = append(escalators, name)
 		}
 	}
-	return effective, events
+	return effective, events, escalators
+}
+
+// escalationReason renders why the effective classification landed where it
+// did, for an operator reading a refusal. Naming the caller's own declaration
+// matters as much as naming a target: "you asked for this" and "a repo you
+// touched required it" call for different fixes.
+func escalationReason(escalators []string) string {
+	if len(escalators) == 0 {
+		return "declared by the caller; no target required it"
+	}
+	return "required by: " + strings.Join(escalators, ", ")
 }
 
 func (s *Service) persistInsight(ctx context.Context, ins Insight) (InsightResult, string, error) {
@@ -309,60 +320,6 @@ func (s *Service) persistTicket(ctx context.Context, tk Ticket) (TicketResult, e
 	return res, nil
 }
 
-func (s *Service) persistSummary(ctx context.Context, c CaptureContext, sum *Summary) (SummaryResult, error) {
-	if s.summaries == nil {
-		return SummaryResult{OK: false}, fmt.Errorf("no summary writer configured")
-	}
-	path := s.summaryPath(c, sum)
-	content := s.renderSummary(c, sum)
-	repo := "ai-sessions"
-	if err := s.summaries.WriteFile(ctx, repo, path, content); err != nil {
-		return SummaryResult{Path: path, OK: false}, err
-	}
-	return SummaryResult{Path: path, OK: true}, nil
-}
-
-// summaryPath builds summaries/<harness>/<YYYY-MM>/<date>-<slug>-<ref8>.md.
-// The ref8 disambiguator is derived from the session_ref (or the title
-// when no ref is present) so distinct sessions never collide.
-func (s *Service) summaryPath(c CaptureContext, sum *Summary) string {
-	t := s.now().UTC()
-	slug := brain.Sanitise(sum.Title)
-	if slug == "" {
-		slug = "summary"
-	}
-	seed := c.SessionRef
-	if seed == "" {
-		seed = sum.Title + sum.Body
-	}
-	sum8 := shortHash(seed)
-	return fmt.Sprintf("summaries/%s/%s/%s-%s-%s.md",
-		brain.Sanitise(c.Harness), t.Format("2006-01"), t.Format("2006-01-02"), slug, sum8)
-}
-
-// renderSummary stamps fidelity + session metadata into frontmatter so the
-// richer-fidelity-supersedes-thinner collision rule has the data it needs.
-func (s *Service) renderSummary(c CaptureContext, sum *Summary) string {
-	var b strings.Builder
-	b.WriteString("---\n")
-	fmt.Fprintf(&b, "title: %s\n", sum.Title)
-	fmt.Fprintf(&b, "harness: %s\n", c.Harness)
-	if c.SessionRef != "" {
-		fmt.Fprintf(&b, "session_ref: %s\n", c.SessionRef)
-	}
-	fmt.Fprintf(&b, "fidelity: %s\n", c.Fidelity)
-	fmt.Fprintf(&b, "captured_at: %s\n", s.now().UTC().Format(time.RFC3339))
-	if len(sum.ReposTouched) > 0 {
-		fmt.Fprintf(&b, "repos_touched: [%s]\n", strings.Join(sum.ReposTouched, ", "))
-	}
-	b.WriteString("---\n\n")
-	b.WriteString(sum.Body)
-	if !strings.HasSuffix(sum.Body, "\n") {
-		b.WriteByte('\n')
-	}
-	return b.String()
-}
-
 func kindString(k classification.TargetKind) string {
 	if k == classification.RepoTarget {
 		return "repo"
@@ -381,8 +338,3 @@ func firstLine(s string) string {
 	}
 	return s
 }
-
-func shortHash(s string) string {
-	sum := sha256.Sum256([]byte(s))
-	return hex.EncodeToString(sum[:])[:8]
-}

ingestion/internal/capture/service_test.go

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package capture
 import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
@@ -59,12 +60,18 @@ type fakeTracker struct {
 	closed   []int
 	comments []int
 	err      error
+	// failOnTitle makes CreateIssue fail for one specific title, so a
+	// partial-failure receipt can be exercised without failing every item.
+	failOnTitle string
 }
 
 func (f *fakeTracker) CreateIssue(_ context.Context, repo, title, _ string) (IssueRef, error) {
 	if f.err != nil {
 		return IssueRef{}, f.err
 	}
+	if f.failOnTitle != "" && title == f.failOnTitle {
+		return IssueRef{}, errors.New("tracker refused this one")
+	}
 	f.created = append(f.created, repo+":"+title)
 	return IssueRef{Repo: repo, Number: 100 + len(f.created), URL: "https://git/" + repo + "/issues/x"}, nil
 }
@@ -85,24 +92,11 @@ func (f *fakeTracker) CommentIssue(_ context.Context, repo string, number int, _
 	return IssueRef{Repo: repo, Number: number}, nil
 }
 
-type fakeSummary struct {
-	paths   []string
-	content []string
-	err     error
-}
-
-func (f *fakeSummary) WriteFile(_ context.Context, _, path, content string) error {
-	if f.err != nil {
-		return f.err
-	}
-	f.paths = append(f.paths, path)
-	f.content = append(f.content, content)
-	return nil
-}
-
 // fakePolicy derives from an explicit map; default Internal so tests pin
 // behaviour without depending on the real defaulting.
-type fakePolicy struct{ tags map[string]classification.Level }
+type fakePolicy struct {
+	tags map[string]classification.Level
+}
 
 func (p fakePolicy) Derive(t classification.Target) classification.Level {
 	if lvl, ok := p.tags[t.Name]; ok {
@@ -135,8 +129,8 @@ func (f *fakeAudit) Record(_ context.Context, e AuditEntry, _ AuditOutcome) erro
 
 // --- helpers ---
 
-func newSvc(b BrainStore, tr IssueTracker, sw SummaryWriter, p ClassificationPolicy, a AuditSink) *Service {
+func newSvc(b BrainStore, tr IssueTracker, p ClassificationPolicy, a AuditSink) *Service {
-	s := NewService(b, tr, sw, p, a)
+	s := NewService(b, tr, p, a)
 	s.now = func() time.Time { return time.Date(2026, 6, 22, 12, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC) }
 	return s
 }
@@ -151,7 +145,7 @@ func TestCaptureHappyPath(t *testing.T) {
 	b := &fakeBrain{}
 	tr := &fakeTracker{}
 	au := &fakeAudit{}
-	svc := newSvc(b, tr, nil, fakePolicy{}, au)
+	svc := newSvc(b, tr, fakePolicy{}, au)
 
 	rec, err := svc.Capture(context.Background(), CaptureInput{
 		Context: baseCtx(),
@@ -180,7 +174,7 @@ func TestCaptureHappyPath(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestCaptureSupersedeNotDuplicate(t *testing.T) {
 	b := &fakeBrain{}
-	svc := newSvc(b, &fakeTracker{}, nil, fakePolicy{}, &fakeAudit{})
+	svc := newSvc(b, &fakeTracker{}, fakePolicy{}, &fakeAudit{})
 
 	rec, err := svc.Capture(context.Background(), CaptureInput{
 		Context:  baseCtx(),
@@ -197,7 +191,7 @@ func TestCaptureValidationFailClosed(t *testing.T) {
 	b := &fakeBrain{}
 	tr := &fakeTracker{}
 	au := &fakeAudit{}
-	svc := newSvc(b, tr, nil, fakePolicy{}, au)
+	svc := newSvc(b, tr, fakePolicy{}, au)
 
 	_, err := svc.Capture(context.Background(), CaptureInput{
 		Context: baseCtx(),
@@ -216,7 +210,7 @@ func TestCaptureValidationFailClosed(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestCaptureValidationRejectsBadTicket(t *testing.T) {
-	svc := newSvc(&fakeBrain{}, &fakeTracker{}, nil, fakePolicy{}, &fakeAudit{})
+	svc := newSvc(&fakeBrain{}, &fakeTracker{}, fakePolicy{}, &fakeAudit{})
 	_, err := svc.Capture(context.Background(), CaptureInput{
 		Context: baseCtx(),
 		Tickets: []Ticket{{Repo: "hyperguild", Action: "frobnicate"}}, // bad action
@@ -239,7 +233,7 @@ func TestCapturePartialFailureBestEffort(t *testing.T) {
 	}}
 	tr := &fakeTracker{}
 	au := &fakeAudit{}
-	svc := newSvc(b, tr, nil, fakePolicy{}, au)
+	svc := newSvc(b, tr, fakePolicy{}, au)
 
 	rec, err := svc.Capture(context.Background(), CaptureInput{
 		Context: baseCtx(),
@@ -264,7 +258,7 @@ func TestCaptureDryRunWritesNothing(t *testing.T) {
 	b := &fakeBrain{}
 	tr := &fakeTracker{}
 	au := &fakeAudit{}
-	svc := newSvc(b, tr, nil, fakePolicy{}, au)
+	svc := newSvc(b, tr, fakePolicy{}, au)
 
 	rec, err := svc.Capture(context.Background(), CaptureInput{
 		Context:  baseCtx(),
@@ -287,7 +281,7 @@ func TestCaptureStricterClassificationWins(t *testing.T) {
 	b := &fakeBrain{}
 	au := &fakeAudit{}
 	pol := fakePolicy{tags: map[string]classification.Level{"client-seb": classification.Confidential}}
-	svc := newSvc(b, &fakeTracker{}, nil, pol, au)
+	svc := newSvc(b, &fakeTracker{}, pol, au)
 
 	ctx := baseCtx()
 	ctx.Classification = "internal"
@@ -306,7 +300,7 @@ func TestCaptureCallerRaisingSensitivityHonoured(t *testing.T) {
 	// Caller declares confidential; target internal → effective confidential, NOT a security event.
 	au := &fakeAudit{}
 	pol := fakePolicy{tags: map[string]classification.Level{"hyperguild": classification.Internal}}
-	svc := newSvc(&fakeBrain{}, &fakeTracker{}, nil, pol, au)
+	svc := newSvc(&fakeBrain{}, &fakeTracker{}, pol, au)
 
 	ctx := baseCtx()
 	ctx.Classification = "confidential"
@@ -319,26 +313,6 @@ func TestCaptureCallerRaisingSensitivityHonoured(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Empty(t, au.entries[0].SecurityEvents, "raising sensitivity is honoured, not flagged")
 }
 
-func TestCaptureSummaryPathAndFidelity(t *testing.T) {
-	sw := &fakeSummary{}
-	svc := newSvc(&fakeBrain{}, &fakeTracker{}, sw, fakePolicy{}, &fakeAudit{})
-
-	ctx := baseCtx()
-	ctx.Fidelity = "transcript-parse"
-	ctx.SessionRef = "abc123def456"
-	rec, err := svc.Capture(context.Background(), CaptureInput{
-		Context: ctx,
-		Summary: &Summary{Title: "Session Wrap", Body: "did stuff", ReposTouched: []string{"hyperguild"}},
-	})
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-	require.NotNil(t, rec.Summary)
-	assert.True(t, rec.Summary.OK)
-	require.Len(t, sw.paths, 1)
-	assert.True(t, strings.HasPrefix(sw.paths[0], "summaries/claude-code/2026-06/"), "path: %s", sw.paths[0])
-	assert.Contains(t, sw.paths[0], "session-wrap")
-	assert.Contains(t, sw.content[0], "fidelity: transcript-parse", "fidelity stamped in frontmatter")
-}
-
 // --- I1 sovereignty gate (#53) ---
 
 func TestCaptureRefusesConfidentialViaUSNexus(t *testing.T) {
@@ -346,7 +320,7 @@ func TestCaptureRefusesConfidentialViaUSNexus(t *testing.T) {
 	tr := &fakeTracker{}
 	au := &fakeAudit{}
 	pol := fakePolicy{tags: map[string]classification.Level{"client-seb": classification.Confidential}}
-	svc := newSvc(b, tr, nil, pol, au)
+	svc := newSvc(b, tr, pol, au)
 
 	ctx := baseCtx()
 	ctx.Classification = "confidential"
@@ -368,7 +342,7 @@ func TestCaptureRefusesConfidentialViaUSNexus(t *testing.T) {
 func TestCaptureAllowsConfidentialViaSovereign(t *testing.T) {
 	b := &fakeBrain{}
 	pol := fakePolicy{tags: map[string]classification.Level{"client-seb": classification.Confidential}}
-	svc := newSvc(b, &fakeTracker{}, nil, pol, &fakeAudit{})
+	svc := newSvc(b, &fakeTracker{}, pol, &fakeAudit{})
 
 	ctx := baseCtx()
 	ctx.Classification = "confidential"
@@ -387,7 +361,7 @@ func TestCaptureAssertedLabelIgnoredAndLogged(t *testing.T) {
 	// us-nexus; confidential ⇒ refused, and the discrepancy is a security event.
 	au := &fakeAudit{}
 	pol := fakePolicy{tags: map[string]classification.Level{"client-seb": classification.Confidential}}
-	svc := newSvc(&fakeBrain{}, &fakeTracker{}, nil, pol, au)
+	svc := newSvc(&fakeBrain{}, &fakeTracker{}, pol, au)
 
 	ctx := baseCtx()
 	ctx.Harness = "sovereign-soil" // asserted
@@ -407,7 +381,7 @@ func TestCaptureAssertedLabelIgnoredAndLogged(t *testing.T) {
 func TestCaptureInternalViaUSNexusAllowed(t *testing.T) {
 	// us-nexus origin is fine for non-confidential data.
 	b := &fakeBrain{}
-	svc := newSvc(b, &fakeTracker{}, nil, fakePolicy{}, &fakeAudit{})
+	svc := newSvc(b, &fakeTracker{}, fakePolicy{}, &fakeAudit{})
 	ctx := baseCtx()
 	ctx.Origin = ZoneUSNexus // internal classification, so gate doesn't fire
 	rec, err := svc.Capture(context.Background(), CaptureInput{
@@ -426,7 +400,7 @@ func TestCaptureRefusesWhenAuditReserveFails(t *testing.T) {
 	b := &fakeBrain{}
 	tr := &fakeTracker{}
 	au := &fakeAudit{reserveErr: errors.New("central sink unreachable")}
-	svc := newSvc(b, tr, nil, fakePolicy{}, au)
+	svc := newSvc(b, tr, fakePolicy{}, au)
 
 	_, err := svc.Capture(context.Background(), CaptureInput{
 		Context:  baseCtx(),
@@ -443,7 +417,7 @@ func TestCaptureFlagsLocallyBufferedAudit(t *testing.T) {
 	// proceeds and the receipt flags the degraded audit state.
 	b := &fakeBrain{}
 	au := &fakeAudit{reserveMode: AuditBuffered}
-	svc := newSvc(b, &fakeTracker{}, nil, fakePolicy{}, au)
+	svc := newSvc(b, &fakeTracker{}, fakePolicy{}, au)
 
 	rec, err := svc.Capture(context.Background(), CaptureInput{
 		Context:  baseCtx(),
@@ -458,7 +432,7 @@ func TestCaptureFlagsLocallyBufferedAudit(t *testing.T) {
 func TestCaptureDryRunSkipsAuditGate(t *testing.T) {
 	// dry_run must not even probe the audit sink (writes nothing anywhere).
 	au := &fakeAudit{reserveErr: errors.New("would refuse")}
-	svc := newSvc(&fakeBrain{}, &fakeTracker{}, nil, fakePolicy{}, au)
+	svc := newSvc(&fakeBrain{}, &fakeTracker{}, fakePolicy{}, au)
 
 	rec, err := svc.Capture(context.Background(), CaptureInput{
 		Context:  baseCtx(),
@@ -469,3 +443,98 @@ func TestCaptureDryRunSkipsAuditGate(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.True(t, rec.DryRun)
 	assert.Empty(t, au.entries)
 }
+
+// ---- hyperguild#91 part 1 -------------------------------------------------
+//
+// The reported symptom was "capture with a tickets array fails" (infra#265:
+// 20 tickets errored, 5 errored, caller fell back to 20 individual
+// issue_create calls). The array was never the failing dimension — every
+// ticket targeted a client repo, and the I1 gate refuses that through a
+// us-nexus origin at ANY length. The refusal did not say which target
+// escalated the classification, so it read as a malfunction.
+
+func TestCapture_TicketsArrayWorksAtLengthOne(t *testing.T) {
+	b, tr, au := &fakeBrain{}, &fakeTracker{}, &fakeAudit{}
+	svc := newSvc(b, tr, fakePolicy{}, au)
+
+	rec, err := svc.Capture(context.Background(), CaptureInput{
+		Context: baseCtx(),
+		Tickets: []Ticket{{Repo: "hyperguild", Action: "create", Title: "one", Body: "b"}},
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Len(t, rec.Tickets, 1)
+	assert.True(t, rec.Tickets[0].OK)
+	assert.Len(t, tr.created, 1)
+	assert.Empty(t, rec.Errors)
+}
+
+func TestCapture_TicketsArrayWorksAtLengthMany(t *testing.T) {
+	b, tr, au := &fakeBrain{}, &fakeTracker{}, &fakeAudit{}
+	svc := newSvc(b, tr, fakePolicy{}, au)
+
+	in := CaptureInput{Context: baseCtx()}
+	for i := range 20 {
+		in.Tickets = append(in.Tickets, Ticket{
+			Repo: "hyperguild", Action: "create", Title: fmt.Sprintf("t%02d", i), Body: "b",
+		})
+	}
+
+	rec, err := svc.Capture(context.Background(), in)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Len(t, rec.Tickets, 20, "one receipt entry per ticket")
+	for i, r := range rec.Tickets {
+		assert.True(t, r.OK, "ticket %d failed: %+v", i, rec.Errors)
+	}
+	assert.Len(t, tr.created, 20)
+	assert.Empty(t, rec.Errors)
+}
+
+func TestCapture_OneFailingTicketDoesNotSinkTheRest(t *testing.T) {
+	// infra#265 asked explicitly: "if ticket 3 of 5 fails, what happened to
+	// 1 and 2?" They land, and the receipt says so per item.
+	b, au := &fakeBrain{}, &fakeAudit{}
+	tr := &fakeTracker{failOnTitle: "boom"}
+	svc := newSvc(b, tr, fakePolicy{}, au)
+
+	rec, err := svc.Capture(context.Background(), CaptureInput{
+		Context: baseCtx(),
+		Tickets: []Ticket{
+			{Repo: "hyperguild", Action: "create", Title: "ok-1", Body: "b"},
+			{Repo: "hyperguild", Action: "create", Title: "boom", Body: "b"},
+			{Repo: "hyperguild", Action: "create", Title: "ok-3", Body: "b"},
+		},
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err, "a per-item failure is a partial receipt, not a call error")
+	require.Len(t, rec.Tickets, 3)
+	assert.True(t, rec.Tickets[0].OK)
+	assert.False(t, rec.Tickets[1].OK)
+	assert.True(t, rec.Tickets[2].OK)
+	require.Len(t, rec.Errors, 1)
+	assert.Contains(t, rec.Errors[0].Item, "ticket[1]")
+}
+
+func TestCapture_I1RefusalNamesWhatEscalatedTheClassification(t *testing.T) {
+	// The actual defect behind infra#265. Without the offending target in
+	// the message, a caller with 20 tickets cannot tell which repo tripped
+	// the gate — and reasonably concludes the array itself is broken.
+	b, tr, au := &fakeBrain{}, &fakeTracker{}, &fakeAudit{}
+	pol := fakePolicy{tags: map[string]classification.Level{"trucker-ecommerce": classification.Confidential}}
+	svc := newSvc(b, tr, pol, au)
+
+	ctx := baseCtx()
+	ctx.Origin = ZoneUSNexus
+	_, err := svc.Capture(context.Background(), CaptureInput{
+		Context: ctx,
+		Tickets: []Ticket{
+			{Repo: "hyperguild", Action: "create", Title: "fine", Body: "b"},
+			{Repo: "trucker-ecommerce", Action: "create", Title: "client work", Body: "b"},
+		},
+	})
+
+	require.ErrorIs(t, err, ErrSovereigntyRefused)
+	assert.Contains(t, err.Error(), "trucker-ecommerce",
+		"the refusal must name the target that escalated the classification")
+	assert.NotContains(t, err.Error(), "hyperguild",
+		"only the offending target, or the message is noise at 20 tickets")
+	assert.Empty(t, tr.created, "refused before any write")
+}

ingestion/internal/capturehttp/handler.go

@@ -55,7 +55,6 @@ type request struct {
 	Context  contextBody   `json:"context"`
 	Insights []insightBody `json:"insights"`
 	Tickets  []ticketBody  `json:"tickets"`
-	Summary  *summaryBody  `json:"summary,omitempty"`
 	DryRun   bool          `json:"dry_run"`
 }
 
@@ -82,12 +81,6 @@ type ticketBody struct {
 	Body   string `json:"body,omitempty"`
 }
 
-type summaryBody struct {
-	Title        string   `json:"title"`
-	Body         string   `json:"body"`
-	ReposTouched []string `json:"repos_touched,omitempty"`
-}
-
 // ServeHTTP authenticates, derives origin, runs the use-case, and maps the
 // result to an HTTP status.
 func (h *Handler) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
@@ -183,11 +176,6 @@ func (b request) toInput() capture.CaptureInput {
 			Repo: t.Repo, Action: t.Action, Number: t.Number, Title: t.Title, Body: t.Body,
 		})
 	}
-	if b.Summary != nil {
-		in.Summary = &capture.Summary{
-			Title: b.Summary.Title, Body: b.Summary.Body, ReposTouched: b.Summary.ReposTouched,
-		}
-	}
 	return in
 }
 
@@ -204,9 +192,6 @@ func statusFor(rec capture.CaptureReceipt) int {
 	for _, t := range rec.Tickets {
 		count(&ok, &fail, t.OK)
 	}
-	if rec.Summary != nil {
-		count(&ok, &fail, rec.Summary.OK)
-	}
 	switch {
 	case fail == 0:
 		return http.StatusOK

ingestion/internal/capturehttp/handler_test.go

@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ func newHandler(t *testing.T, v capturehttp.Validator, tr capture.IssueTracker,
 	t.Helper()
 	cfg, err := classification.Load(t.TempDir())
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	svc := capture.NewService(brainstore.New(t.TempDir()), tr, nil, cfg, audit.NewSlogSink(nil))
+	svc := capture.NewService(brainstore.New(t.TempDir()), tr, cfg, audit.NewSlogSink(nil))
 	return capturehttp.New(svc, v, staticTok, "local-cli", capturehttp.NewOriginResolver(sovereign))
 }
 
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ func (refusingAudit) Record(context.Context, capture.AuditEntry, capture.AuditOu
 func TestAuditUnavailableIs503(t *testing.T) {
 	cfg, err := classification.Load(t.TempDir())
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	svc := capture.NewService(brainstore.New(t.TempDir()), fakeTracker{}, nil, cfg, refusingAudit{})
+	svc := capture.NewService(brainstore.New(t.TempDir()), fakeTracker{}, cfg, refusingAudit{})
 	h := capturehttp.New(svc, nil, staticTok, "local-cli", capturehttp.NewOriginResolver(nil))
 
 	rr := do(t, h, "Bearer "+staticTok, internalReq())

ingestion/internal/frontmatter/frontmatter.go

@@ -0,0 +1,143 @@
+// Package frontmatter lints and repairs the YAML frontmatter block of a
+// markdown note.
+//
+// Notes written directly — hand-authored, or promoted from brain/raw/ — do not
+// pass through pipeline.BuildPages, so nothing quotes their scalars. A title
+// containing an unescaped ": " then produces a block that yaml.Unmarshal
+// rejects with "mapping values are not allowed here", and every consumer that
+// reads frontmatter silently skips the note.
+//
+// Fix is deliberately conservative: it only adds quoting, never reorders or
+// rewrites, and it refuses to return a document that still does not parse.
+package frontmatter
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"fmt"
+	"regexp"
+	"strings"
+
+	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
+)
+
+const fence = "---"
+
+// Lint reports whether doc's frontmatter block parses as YAML.
+//
+// A document with no frontmatter block, or with an unterminated one, is not an
+// error: there is nothing claiming to be YAML.
+func Lint(doc []byte) error {
+	b, ok := block(doc)
+	if !ok {
+		return nil
+	}
+	var v any
+	if err := yaml.Unmarshal(b, &v); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("frontmatter: %w", err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// Fix quotes unquoted scalars whose value breaks YAML parsing and returns the
+// repaired document.
+//
+// It returns (doc, false, nil) when the document already parses, and
+// (doc, false, err) when quoting cannot rescue it — an unfixable document is
+// always returned byte-identical, never half-repaired.
+func Fix(doc []byte) ([]byte, bool, error) {
+	if err := Lint(doc); err == nil {
+		return doc, false, nil
+	}
+
+	b, ok := block(doc)
+	if !ok {
+		// Lint only fails when there is a block, so this is unreachable in
+		// practice; return the original rather than guess.
+		return doc, false, nil
+	}
+
+	fixed := quoteScalars(b)
+	if bytes.Equal(fixed, b) {
+		return doc, false, fmt.Errorf("frontmatter: not repairable by quoting: %w", Lint(doc))
+	}
+
+	var v any
+	if err := yaml.Unmarshal(fixed, &v); err != nil {
+		return doc, false, fmt.Errorf("frontmatter: quoting did not repair the block: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	_, rest, _ := split(doc)
+	out := []byte(fence + "\n")
+	out = append(out, fixed...)
+	out = append(out, []byte(fence)...)
+	out = append(out, rest...)
+	return out, true, nil
+}
+
+// mappingLine matches "key: value" at any indentation, capturing the prefix so
+// it can be re-emitted untouched.
+//
+// Sequence items ("- value") are deliberately not handled: "- foo: bar" is
+// valid YAML, so a document containing one does not reach Fix in the first
+// place. See the Lint table for why that gap is left open.
+var mappingLine = regexp.MustCompile(`^(\s*[A-Za-z_][\w.-]*:[ \t]+)(\S.*)$`)
+
+// quoteScalars single-quotes every unquoted scalar value in the block that
+// contains a colon. Values that are already quoted, or that carry YAML syntax
+// this package has no business rewriting, are left alone.
+func quoteScalars(block []byte) []byte {
+	lines := strings.Split(string(block), "\n")
+	for i, line := range lines {
+		m := mappingLine.FindStringSubmatch(line)
+		if m == nil {
+			continue
+		}
+		prefix, value := m[1], m[2]
+		if !needsQuoting(value) {
+			continue
+		}
+		lines[i] = prefix + "'" + strings.ReplaceAll(value, "'", "''") + "'"
+	}
+	return []byte(strings.Join(lines, "\n"))
+}
+
+// needsQuoting reports whether a scalar value has to be quoted to load as the
+// string it plainly is.
+//
+// The test is YAML's own parser rather than a pattern: ask whether the value
+// stands alone as the right-hand side of a mapping. Heuristics get this wrong
+// in both directions — `title: "Foo" — bar` opens with a quote but is not
+// quoted, and a value may contain a colon inside quotes and be perfectly fine.
+//
+// Anything that already parses is left alone, whatever it parses into — a flow
+// collection, a number, a bool. It is not broken, and quoting would change its
+// type.
+func needsQuoting(value string) bool {
+	if strings.HasPrefix(value, "|") || strings.HasPrefix(value, ">") {
+		return false // block scalar; its content is not parsed as YAML
+	}
+	var probe map[string]any
+	return yaml.Unmarshal([]byte("v: "+value+"\n"), &probe) != nil
+}
+
+// block returns the raw YAML between the opening and closing fences.
+func block(doc []byte) ([]byte, bool) {
+	b, _, ok := split(doc)
+	return b, ok
+}
+
+// split returns the frontmatter block and everything from the closing fence
+// onward (the closing fence itself excluded, its trailing newline included).
+func split(doc []byte) (block, rest []byte, ok bool) {
+	s := string(doc)
+	if !strings.HasPrefix(s, fence+"\n") {
+		return nil, nil, false
+	}
+	body := s[len(fence)+1:]
+
+	idx := strings.Index(body, "\n"+fence)
+	if idx < 0 {
+		return nil, nil, false
+	}
+	return []byte(body[:idx+1]), []byte(body[idx+1+len(fence):]), true
+}

ingestion/internal/frontmatter/frontmatter_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,188 @@
+// ingestion/internal/frontmatter/frontmatter_test.go
+package frontmatter
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+	"gopkg.in/yaml.v3"
+)
+
+func TestLint(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name    string
+		doc     string
+		wantErr bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "no frontmatter block is not an error",
+			doc:  "# Just a heading\n\nSome body text.\n",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "quoted title parses",
+			doc:  "---\ntitle: 'Headless dispatch runs: Bash is denied'\n---\n\nbody\n",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "plain title parses",
+			doc:  "---\ntitle: A simple title\nwing: homelab\n---\n\nbody\n",
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "unquoted colon in title does not parse",
+			doc:     "---\ntitle: Headless dispatch runs: Bash is denied — use gitea MCP\nwing: homelab\n---\n\nbody\n",
+			wantErr: true,
+		},
+		{
+			// Known gap, deliberately not fixed here: this parses, but the
+			// item becomes map[string]any{"Headless dispatch": "denied"}
+			// rather than a string. It is a silent type corruption, not a
+			// parse failure, so repairing it would rewrite documents that
+			// currently load — out of scope for a lint about broken YAML.
+			name: "unquoted colon in a list item parses as a mapping, not an error",
+			doc:  "---\ntitle: Fine\naliases:\n  - Headless dispatch: denied\n---\n\nbody\n",
+		},
+		{
+			name: "unterminated frontmatter is not treated as frontmatter",
+			doc:  "---\ntitle: no closing fence\n\nbody\n",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			err := Lint([]byte(tt.doc))
+			if tt.wantErr {
+				require.Error(t, err)
+				return
+			}
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestFix(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name        string
+		doc         string
+		wantChanged bool
+		wantKey     string
+		wantValue   string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:        "quotes an unquoted title containing a colon",
+			doc:         "---\ntitle: Headless dispatch runs: Bash is denied — use gitea MCP\nwing: homelab\n---\n\nbody\n",
+			wantChanged: true,
+			wantKey:     "title",
+			wantValue:   "Headless dispatch runs: Bash is denied — use gitea MCP",
+		},
+		{
+			// Parses already (see the Lint table), so Fix must leave it alone
+			// rather than rewrite a document that loads.
+			name:        "leaves a colon-bearing list item alone because it already parses",
+			doc:         "---\ntitle: Fine\naliases:\n  - Headless dispatch: denied\n---\n\nbody\n",
+			wantChanged: false,
+			wantKey:     "title",
+			wantValue:   "Fine",
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "escapes an embedded single quote when quoting",
+			doc:         "---\ntitle: Don't do this: it breaks\n---\n\nbody\n",
+			wantChanged: true,
+			wantKey:     "title",
+			wantValue:   "Don't do this: it breaks",
+		},
+		{
+			// The value opens with a double quote and then keeps going after
+			// the closing one, so YAML reads it as a quoted scalar followed by
+			// junk. Treating "starts with a quote" as "already quoted" leaves
+			// this broken forever.
+			name:        "quotes a value that only looks quoted",
+			doc:         "---\ntitle: \"Evaluation Driven Generation\" — a TDD-style scaffold\ntags: [a, b]\n---\n\nbody\n",
+			wantChanged: true,
+			wantKey:     "title",
+			wantValue:   "\"Evaluation Driven Generation\" — a TDD-style scaffold",
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "leaves an already-valid document untouched",
+			doc:         "---\ntitle: 'Already quoted: fine'\nwing: homelab\n---\n\nbody\n",
+			wantChanged: false,
+			wantKey:     "title",
+			wantValue:   "Already quoted: fine",
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "leaves a document with no frontmatter untouched",
+			doc:         "# Heading\n\nbody: with a colon\n",
+			wantChanged: false,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			got, changed, err := Fix([]byte(tt.doc))
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.wantChanged, changed)
+
+			if !tt.wantChanged {
+				assert.Equal(t, tt.doc, string(got), "unchanged docs must be returned byte-identical")
+			}
+
+			// Whatever came back must parse — that is the whole point.
+			require.NoError(t, Lint(got), "Fix must not return a document that still fails to parse")
+
+			if tt.wantKey == "" {
+				return
+			}
+			block, ok := block(got)
+			require.True(t, ok)
+			var m map[string]any
+			require.NoError(t, yaml.Unmarshal(block, &m))
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.wantValue, m[tt.wantKey], "the value must survive quoting unchanged")
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestFix_LeavesStructuredValuesStructured(t *testing.T) {
+	// Only the broken scalar may be touched. A flow sequence on a neighbouring
+	// line still has to load as a sequence afterwards, not as a string.
+	doc := "---\ntitle: Broken: here\ntags: [prompting, llm]\ncount: 3\n---\n\nbody\n"
+
+	got, changed, err := Fix([]byte(doc))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.True(t, changed)
+
+	b, ok := block(got)
+	require.True(t, ok)
+	var m map[string]any
+	require.NoError(t, yaml.Unmarshal(b, &m))
+
+	assert.Equal(t, "Broken: here", m["title"])
+	assert.Equal(t, []any{"prompting", "llm"}, m["tags"])
+	assert.Equal(t, 3, m["count"])
+}
+
+func TestFix_PreservesBodyExactly(t *testing.T) {
+	body := "\nThe body has: colons, 'quotes', and\n---\na horizontal rule.\n"
+	doc := "---\ntitle: Broken: title\n---" + body
+
+	got, changed, err := Fix([]byte(doc))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.True(t, changed)
+	assert.True(t, len(got) > 0)
+
+	_, rest, ok := split([]byte(doc))
+	require.True(t, ok)
+	_, gotRest, ok := split(got)
+	require.True(t, ok)
+	assert.Equal(t, string(rest), string(gotRest), "the body must not be touched")
+}
+
+func TestFix_RefusesToReturnAnUnparseableResult(t *testing.T) {
+	// A frontmatter block that quoting cannot rescue: the structure itself is
+	// broken, not a scalar. Fix must return the original and an error rather
+	// than a half-repaired document.
+	doc := "---\ntitle: fine\n\tbad: tab-indented mapping\n  - stray list item\n---\n\nbody\n"
+
+	got, changed, err := Fix([]byte(doc))
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	assert.False(t, changed)
+	assert.Equal(t, doc, string(got), "an unfixable document must come back byte-identical")
+}

ingestion/internal/frontmatter/scan.go

@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+// ingestion/internal/frontmatter/scan.go
+package frontmatter
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"io/fs"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+	"unicode/utf8"
+)
+
+// Finding is one markdown file whose frontmatter does not parse.
+type Finding struct {
+	Path     string // relative to the scanned root
+	Err      error  // why it does not parse, or why the repair was refused
+	Repaired bool   // true only when fix was requested and the file was rewritten
+}
+
+// Scan walks root for *.md files whose frontmatter fails to parse.
+//
+// With fix set, each finding that quoting can rescue is rewritten in place;
+// anything quoting cannot rescue is reported and left byte-identical. A file
+// that cannot be read or decoded is reported as a finding rather than aborting
+// the walk — one poisoned note must not hide the other findings.
+func Scan(root string, fix bool) ([]Finding, error) {
+	var found []Finding
+
+	err := filepath.WalkDir(root, func(path string, d fs.DirEntry, err error) error {
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if d.IsDir() || !strings.EqualFold(filepath.Ext(path), ".md") {
+			return nil
+		}
+
+		rel, relErr := filepath.Rel(root, path)
+		if relErr != nil {
+			rel = path
+		}
+
+		doc, readErr := os.ReadFile(path)
+		if readErr != nil {
+			found = append(found, Finding{Path: rel, Err: readErr})
+			return nil
+		}
+		if !utf8.Valid(doc) {
+			found = append(found, Finding{Path: rel, Err: fmt.Errorf("not valid UTF-8")})
+			return nil
+		}
+		if lintErr := Lint(doc); lintErr == nil {
+			return nil
+		}
+
+		if !fix {
+			found = append(found, Finding{Path: rel, Err: Lint(doc)})
+			return nil
+		}
+
+		repaired, changed, fixErr := Fix(doc)
+		if fixErr != nil || !changed {
+			found = append(found, Finding{Path: rel, Err: fixErr})
+			return nil
+		}
+		if writeErr := writeFilePreservingMode(path, repaired); writeErr != nil {
+			found = append(found, Finding{Path: rel, Err: writeErr})
+			return nil
+		}
+		found = append(found, Finding{Path: rel, Repaired: true})
+		return nil
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("scan %s: %w", root, err)
+	}
+	return found, nil
+}
+
+func writeFilePreservingMode(path string, content []byte) error {
+	mode := fs.FileMode(0o644)
+	if info, err := os.Stat(path); err == nil {
+		mode = info.Mode().Perm()
+	}
+	return os.WriteFile(path, content, mode)
+}

ingestion/internal/frontmatter/scan_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+// ingestion/internal/frontmatter/scan_test.go
+package frontmatter
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func writeTree(t *testing.T, files map[string]string) string {
+	t.Helper()
+	root := t.TempDir()
+	for name, content := range files {
+		path := filepath.Join(root, name)
+		require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(path), 0o755))
+		require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(path, []byte(content), 0o644))
+	}
+	return root
+}
+
+const (
+	brokenDoc = "---\ntitle: Broken: title here\nwing: homelab\n---\n\nbody\n"
+	validDoc  = "---\ntitle: 'Fine: quoted'\n---\n\nbody\n"
+)
+
+func TestScan_ReportsOnlyBrokenFiles(t *testing.T) {
+	root := writeTree(t, map[string]string{
+		"wiki/a/broken.md": brokenDoc,
+		"wiki/a/valid.md":  validDoc,
+		"wiki/b/plain.md":  "# no frontmatter\n\nbody: with colon\n",
+		"wiki/a/notes.txt": brokenDoc, // not markdown — must be ignored
+	})
+
+	found, err := Scan(root, false)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	require.Len(t, found, 1)
+	assert.Equal(t, "wiki/a/broken.md", found[0].Path)
+	assert.False(t, found[0].Repaired)
+	assert.Error(t, found[0].Err)
+
+	// Dry run must not touch the file.
+	got, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(root, "wiki/a/broken.md"))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, brokenDoc, string(got))
+}
+
+func TestScan_FixWritesRepairedFilesAndLeavesTheRestAlone(t *testing.T) {
+	root := writeTree(t, map[string]string{
+		"wiki/a/broken.md": brokenDoc,
+		"wiki/a/valid.md":  validDoc,
+	})
+
+	found, err := Scan(root, true)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Len(t, found, 1)
+	assert.True(t, found[0].Repaired)
+	assert.NoError(t, found[0].Err)
+
+	repaired, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(root, "wiki/a/broken.md"))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.NoError(t, Lint(repaired), "the repaired file must parse")
+	assert.Contains(t, string(repaired), "title: 'Broken: title here'")
+	assert.Contains(t, string(repaired), "wing: homelab", "untouched keys must survive")
+
+	untouched, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(root, "wiki/a/valid.md"))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, validDoc, string(untouched))
+
+	// Second pass finds nothing — the repair is idempotent and complete.
+	again, err := Scan(root, true)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Empty(t, again)
+}
+
+func TestScan_ReportsUnfixableWithoutWriting(t *testing.T) {
+	unfixable := "---\ntitle: fine\n\tbad: tab-indented\n  - stray\n---\n\nbody\n"
+	root := writeTree(t, map[string]string{"wiki/x.md": unfixable})
+
+	found, err := Scan(root, true)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Len(t, found, 1)
+	assert.False(t, found[0].Repaired)
+	assert.Error(t, found[0].Err)
+
+	got, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(root, "wiki/x.md"))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, unfixable, string(got), "an unfixable file must be left exactly as it was")
+}
+
+func TestScan_ReportsUndecodableFilesInsteadOfFailingTheRun(t *testing.T) {
+	root := writeTree(t, map[string]string{"wiki/ok.md": validDoc})
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(root, "wiki/bad-bytes.md"),
+		[]byte{'-', '-', '-', '\n', 0xff, 0xfe, '\n', '-', '-', '-', '\n'}, 0o644))
+
+	found, err := Scan(root, false)
+	require.NoError(t, err, "one unreadable file must not abort the whole scan")
+	require.Len(t, found, 1)
+	assert.Equal(t, "wiki/bad-bytes.md", found[0].Path)
+}

ingestion/internal/mcp/handlers.go

@@ -105,13 +105,6 @@ func (s *Server) tools() []map[string]any {
 				"target": str("path of target note (must be in a different wing)"),
 			}),
 		},
-		{
-			"name":        "brain_index",
-			"description": "Regenerate _index.md (Map of Content) for one or all wings under brain/wiki/. Auto-called after brain_write with wing+hall.",
-			"inputSchema": schema([]string{}, map[string]any{
-				"wing": str("optional wing to index; if absent, rebuilds every wing"),
-			}),
-		},
 		{
 			"name":        "brain_ingest_raw",
 			"description": "Ingest pre-structured pages into the brain wiki, bypassing the LLM extraction step.",

ingestion/internal/mcp/pending_nudge.go

@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+package mcp
+
+import (
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/mathiasbq/hyperguild/ingestion/internal/api"
+)
+
+// pendingNudgeThreshold is how old a raw/ note has to be before brain_context
+// mentions the queue. Two weeks: long enough that a note written this sprint
+// does not nag, short enough that four items cannot sit unnoticed for three
+// months again (#82).
+const pendingNudgeThreshold = 14 * 24 * time.Hour
+
+// PendingNudge is the in-session reminder that the promote/reject queue has
+// items waiting. It is advisory: a count, an age, and how to look.
+type PendingNudge struct {
+	Pending    int    `json:"pending"`     // everything in the queue
+	Aging      int    `json:"aging"`       // those past the threshold
+	Oldest     string `json:"oldest"`      // filename of the oldest pending note
+	OldestDays int    `json:"oldest_days"` // its age, in whole days
+	Hint       string `json:"hint"`
+}
+
+// pendingNudge summarises the raw/ review queue, or returns nil when there is
+// nothing worth saying.
+//
+// The trigger is the missing half of the queue (#82): brain_pending has always
+// existed, and four real items still sat unreviewed from 2026-04-23 to
+// 2026-07-15 because nothing ever prompted anyone to call it. The system
+// should be what remembers the queue exists.
+//
+// Threshold-gated on purpose. A notice on every context call is one people
+// learn to skip, which reproduces the original failure with extra steps.
+//
+// It never promotes, rejects, or reorders anything. Age is a reason to ask a
+// human, not a verdict — an old note may be exactly right to promote once
+// someone finally looks at it.
+func pendingNudge(brainDir string, now time.Time, threshold time.Duration) *PendingNudge {
+	pending, err := api.ListPending(brainDir)
+	if err != nil || len(pending) == 0 {
+		// brain_context is a hot path; a broken queue degrades to silence
+		// rather than failing the call that asked for project context.
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	var aging int
+	var oldestName string
+	var oldestAge time.Duration
+
+	for _, p := range pending {
+		created, perr := time.Parse(time.RFC3339, p.CreatedAt)
+		if perr != nil {
+			continue // an unparseable timestamp is not evidence of age
+		}
+		age := now.Sub(created)
+		if age >= threshold {
+			aging++
+		}
+		if age > oldestAge {
+			oldestAge, oldestName = age, p.Filename
+		}
+	}
+
+	if aging == 0 {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	return &PendingNudge{
+		Pending:    len(pending),
+		Aging:      aging,
+		Oldest:     oldestName,
+		OldestDays: int(oldestAge.Hours() / 24),
+		Hint:       "call brain_pending to review; nothing is promoted or rejected automatically",
+	}
+}

ingestion/internal/mcp/pending_nudge_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+package mcp
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+// writePending drops a raw/ note whose created_at is age old.
+func writePending(t *testing.T, brainDir, name string, age time.Duration, now time.Time) {
+	t.Helper()
+	raw := filepath.Join(brainDir, "raw")
+	require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(raw, 0o755))
+	body := "---\ncreated_at: " + now.Add(-age).UTC().Format(time.RFC3339) + "\n---\n\nnote body\n"
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(raw, name), []byte(body), 0o644))
+}
+
+func TestPendingNudge_SilentWhenNothingIsPending(t *testing.T) {
+	// No queue, no nudge. A notice that fires every session is one people
+	// learn to skip, which is how the queue got ignored for three months in
+	// the first place (#82).
+	got := pendingNudge(t.TempDir(), time.Now(), 14*24*time.Hour)
+	assert.Nil(t, got)
+}
+
+func TestPendingNudge_SilentWhileEverythingIsBelowTheThreshold(t *testing.T) {
+	now := time.Now()
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	writePending(t, dir, "fresh.md", 2*24*time.Hour, now)
+
+	got := pendingNudge(dir, now, 14*24*time.Hour)
+	assert.Nil(t, got, "a two-day-old note is not aging")
+}
+
+func TestPendingNudge_ReportsCountAndOldestAgeOnceSomethingAges(t *testing.T) {
+	now := time.Now()
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	writePending(t, dir, "old.md", 100*24*time.Hour, now)
+	writePending(t, dir, "older.md", 120*24*time.Hour, now)
+	writePending(t, dir, "fresh.md", 1*24*time.Hour, now)
+
+	got := pendingNudge(dir, now, 14*24*time.Hour)
+	require.NotNil(t, got)
+
+	// All three are pending; the threshold decides whether to speak, not
+	// what to count. Someone opening the queue sees the whole queue.
+	assert.Equal(t, 3, got.Pending)
+	assert.Equal(t, 2, got.Aging)
+	assert.Equal(t, 120, got.OldestDays)
+	assert.Equal(t, "older.md", got.Oldest)
+}
+
+func TestPendingNudge_NeverDecidesAnything(t *testing.T) {
+	// Aging is a trigger to ask a human, never a verdict. The nudge must
+	// carry no action and must leave the queue exactly as it found it.
+	now := time.Now()
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	writePending(t, dir, "ancient.md", 365*24*time.Hour, now)
+
+	before, err := os.ReadDir(filepath.Join(dir, "raw"))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	got := pendingNudge(dir, now, 14*24*time.Hour)
+	require.NotNil(t, got)
+
+	after, err := os.ReadDir(filepath.Join(dir, "raw"))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Len(t, after, len(before), "the nudge must not promote or reject anything")
+	assert.Contains(t, got.Hint, "brain_pending", "the nudge should say how to look, not act")
+}
+
+func TestPendingNudge_SurvivesAnUnreadableQueue(t *testing.T) {
+	// brain_context is a hot path; a broken raw/ dir must degrade to silence
+	// rather than failing the whole context call.
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(dir, "raw"), []byte("not a directory"), 0o644))
+
+	assert.NotPanics(t, func() {
+		assert.Nil(t, pendingNudge(dir, time.Now(), 14*24*time.Hour))
+	})
+}
+
+func TestBrainContext_CarriesTheNudgeWithoutFailingWhenTheQueueIsEmpty(t *testing.T) {
+	// The wiring, not the summary: a nudge that never reaches a caller is the
+	// same as no nudge, and brain_context must still work with no queue.
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	srv := NewServer(dir, nil, nil, nil)
+
+	raw, err := srv.brainContext(context.Background(),
+		json.RawMessage(`{"project_root":"/home/mathias/dev/AGENTS/hyperguild"}`))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	var empty map[string]any
+	require.NoError(t, json.Unmarshal(raw, &empty))
+	assert.NotContains(t, empty, "pending_review", "silence when nothing is aging")
+
+	writePending(t, dir, "ancient.md", 200*24*time.Hour, time.Now())
+
+	raw, err = srv.brainContext(context.Background(),
+		json.RawMessage(`{"project_root":"/home/mathias/dev/AGENTS/hyperguild"}`))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	var withQueue map[string]any
+	require.NoError(t, json.Unmarshal(raw, &withQueue))
+	nudge, ok := withQueue["pending_review"].(map[string]any)
+	require.True(t, ok, "the nudge must reach the caller: %v", withQueue)
+	assert.Equal(t, float64(1), nudge["aging"])
+	assert.Equal(t, "ancient.md", nudge["oldest"])
+}

ingestion/internal/mcp/server.go

@@ -1,9 +1,14 @@
 // Package mcp implements an MCP HTTP handler for the ingestion service.
 // Exposed tools: brain_query, brain_write, brain_update, brain_get,
-// brain_pending, brain_promote, brain_index, brain_tunnel, brain_ingest,
+// brain_pending, brain_promote, brain_tunnel, brain_ingest,
 // brain_ingest_raw, brain_answer, brain_classify, brain_graph,
 // brain_context, session_log, and capture (the #55 relay tool, registered
 // only when WithCapture is set).
+//
+// brain_index dispatches but is deliberately absent from tools/list: it is
+// auto-called after every write, so surfacing it as a caller verb is
+// cognitive load with no decision behind it (ADR-0012 rule 4, #78). It stays
+// callable for maintenance — de-surfacing hides the verb, not the operation.
 package mcp
 
 import (

ingestion/internal/mcp/server_test.go

@@ -59,11 +59,35 @@ func TestServerToolsList(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.ElementsMatch(t, []string{
 		"brain_query", "brain_write", "brain_update", "brain_get",
 		"brain_pending", "brain_promote",
-		"brain_index", "brain_tunnel",
+		"brain_tunnel",
 		"brain_ingest_raw", "brain_ingest",
 		"brain_answer", "brain_classify", "brain_graph", "brain_context",
 		"session_log",
 	}, names)
+
+	// brain_index is auto-called after every brain_write, so surfacing it as
+	// a caller verb is cognitive load with no decision behind it (ADR-0012
+	// rule 4, #78). The capability stays reachable — see the admin test below.
+	assert.NotContains(t, names, "brain_index")
+}
+
+func TestBrainIndexStaysCallableForAdminUseAfterDeSurfacing(t *testing.T) {
+	// De-surfacing hides the verb from the model-facing list; it must not
+	// remove the operation. A maintenance caller still needs to rebuild a
+	// Map of Content by hand.
+	srv := mcp.NewServer(t.TempDir(), nil, nil, nil)
+
+	req := httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodPost, "/mcp", body(t, map[string]any{
+		"jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": 3, "method": "tools/call",
+		"params": map[string]any{"name": "brain_index", "arguments": map[string]any{}},
+	}))
+	rr := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	srv.ServeHTTP(rr, req)
+
+	require.Equal(t, http.StatusOK, rr.Code)
+	var resp map[string]any
+	require.NoError(t, json.Unmarshal(rr.Body.Bytes(), &resp))
+	assert.NotContains(t, resp, "error", "brain_index must still dispatch: %v", resp["error"])
 }
 
 func TestServerNotificationGetsNoBody(t *testing.T) {

ingestion/internal/mcp/tools_capture.go

@@ -58,17 +58,13 @@ func captureToolDescriptor() map[string]any {
 			},
 			"insights": map[string]any{"type": "array", "items": insightItem},
 			"tickets":  map[string]any{"type": "array", "items": ticketItem},
-			"summary": map[string]any{"type": "object", "properties": map[string]any{
-				"title": str("summary title"), "body": str("summary body"),
-				"repos_touched": map[string]any{"type": "array", "items": map[string]any{"type": "string"}},
-			}},
 			"dry_run": map[string]any{"type": "boolean", "description": "validate + return the would-be receipt, write nothing"},
 		},
 	}
 	b, _ := json.Marshal(schema)
 	return map[string]any{
 		"name":        "capture",
-		"description": "Persist a session's value uniformly: insights → brain (write or supersede), action items → Gitea tickets, optional summary → ai-sessions. The relay door for MCP-native harnesses. Origin is server-derived from your authenticated identity; confidential captures through a us-nexus surface are refused (I1). Returns a partial-aware receipt.",
+		"description": "Persist a session's value uniformly: insights → brain (write or supersede), action items → Gitea tickets. The relay door for MCP-native harnesses. Origin is server-derived from your authenticated identity; confidential captures through a us-nexus surface are refused (I1). Returns a partial-aware receipt.",
 		"inputSchema": json.RawMessage(b),
 	}
 }

ingestion/internal/mcp/tools_capture_test.go

@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ func captureServer(t *testing.T, validator capturehttp.Validator, sovereign []st
 	brainDir := t.TempDir()
 	cfg, err := classification.Load(brainDir)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
-	svc := capture.NewService(brainstore.New(brainDir), capFakeTracker{}, nil, cfg, audit.NewSlogSink(nil))
+	svc := capture.NewService(brainstore.New(brainDir), capFakeTracker{}, cfg, audit.NewSlogSink(nil))
 	srv := mcp.NewServer(brainDir, nil, nil, nil)
 	srv.WithCapture(svc, validator, capStaticTok, "local-cli", capturehttp.NewOriginResolver(sovereign))
 	return srv, brainDir

ingestion/internal/mcp/tools_context.go

@@ -8,8 +8,10 @@ import (
 	"path/filepath"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
+	"time"
 
 	"github.com/mathiasbq/hyperguild/ingestion/internal/search"
+	"github.com/mathiasbq/hyperguild/ingestion/internal/textutil"
 )
 
 // brainContextArgs is the input shape of brain_context. project_root is
@@ -155,17 +157,21 @@ func (s *Server) brainContext(ctx context.Context, args json.RawMessage) (json.R
 		entries = entries[:limit]
 	}
 
-	return json.Marshal(map[string]any{"entries": entries})
+	out := map[string]any{"entries": entries}
+	// The queue nudge rides along with a call the session already makes, so
+	// noticing an aging note costs nobody a decision to go looking (#82).
+	// Advisory only, and absent entirely when there is nothing to say.
+	if n := pendingNudge(s.brainDir, time.Now(), pendingNudgeThreshold); n != nil {
+		out["pending_review"] = n
+	}
+	return json.Marshal(out)
 }
 
 // truncateExcerpt clamps an already-stripped excerpt to maxLen characters
 // without re-running the frontmatter parser. The ellipsis suffix matches
 // the convention used in search.excerpt.
 func truncateExcerpt(s string, maxLen int) string {
-	if len(s) <= maxLen {
+	return textutil.Truncate(s, maxLen)
-		return s
-	}
-	return s[:maxLen] + "…"
 }
 
 // readExcerpt loads a doc relative to brainDir, strips its frontmatter,
@@ -185,10 +191,7 @@ func readExcerpt(brainDir, relPath string, maxLen int) string {
 	if len(parts) == 3 {
 		body = strings.TrimSpace(parts[2])
 	}
-	if len(body) > maxLen {
+	return textutil.Truncate(body, maxLen)
-		return body[:maxLen] + "…"
-	}
-	return body
 }
 
 // max1 returns the maximum of n and 1, used to guard against divide-by-zero

ingestion/internal/search/search.go

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/mathiasbq/hyperguild/ingestion/internal/brain"
+	"github.com/mathiasbq/hyperguild/ingestion/internal/textutil"
 	"github.com/mathiasbq/hyperguild/ingestion/internal/vectorstore"
 )
 
@@ -427,8 +428,5 @@ func excerpt(content string, maxLen int) string {
 	if len(parts) == 3 {
 		body = strings.TrimSpace(parts[2])
 	}
-	if len(body) > maxLen {
+	return textutil.Truncate(body, maxLen)
-		return body[:maxLen] + "…"
-	}
-	return body
 }

ingestion/internal/startupretry/startupretry.go

@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+// Package startupretry retries a startup dependency that may not be serving
+// yet, instead of exiting on its first failure.
+//
+// It exists for the cold-boot ordering race (#83): on a cluster restart the
+// ingestion pod can reach OIDC discovery before dex is answering, gets a 502
+// from ingress, and dies — after having already connected postgres, backfilled
+// the graph and ingested session batches, all of which the restart redoes.
+// Nothing is misconfigured in that scenario; the pod simply started first.
+//
+// The budget is bounded on purpose. Retrying forever would turn a genuine
+// misconfiguration (wrong issuer URL, bad audience) into a process that looks
+// healthy and never serves, which is harder to diagnose than a crash loop.
+package startupretry
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"time"
+)
+
+// Policy bounds the retry: at most Attempts calls, with the delay doubling
+// from Base and capped at Max.
+type Policy struct {
+	Attempts int           // total calls, including the first; < 1 means 1
+	Base     time.Duration // delay before the second attempt
+	Max      time.Duration // ceiling for the doubling delay
+}
+
+// Do calls fn until it succeeds, the attempt budget is spent, or ctx ends.
+//
+// The returned error wraps the last failure, so callers keep the diagnosis
+// they would have had without the retry.
+func Do[T any](ctx context.Context, p Policy, fn func(context.Context) (T, error)) (T, error) {
+	var zero T
+
+	attempts := p.Attempts
+	if attempts < 1 {
+		attempts = 1
+	}
+
+	delay := p.Base
+	var lastErr error
+
+	for i := range attempts {
+		if err := ctx.Err(); err != nil {
+			return zero, fmt.Errorf("startupretry: %w", err)
+		}
+
+		v, err := fn(ctx)
+		if err == nil {
+			return v, nil
+		}
+		lastErr = err
+
+		if i == attempts-1 {
+			break
+		}
+
+		if delay <= 0 {
+			delay = time.Second
+		}
+		if p.Max > 0 && delay > p.Max {
+			delay = p.Max
+		}
+
+		select {
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			return zero, fmt.Errorf("startupretry: %w", ctx.Err())
+		case <-time.After(delay):
+		}
+		delay *= 2
+	}
+
+	return zero, fmt.Errorf("startupretry: gave up after %d attempts: %w", attempts, lastErr)
+}

ingestion/internal/startupretry/startupretry_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,144 @@
+// ingestion/internal/startupretry/startupretry_test.go
+package startupretry
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+func fastPolicy(attempts int) Policy {
+	return Policy{Attempts: attempts, Base: time.Millisecond, Max: 2 * time.Millisecond}
+}
+
+func TestDo_ReturnsImmediatelyOnFirstSuccess(t *testing.T) {
+	calls := 0
+	got, err := Do(context.Background(), fastPolicy(5), func(context.Context) (string, error) {
+		calls++
+		return "ready", nil
+	})
+
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Do: %v", err)
+	}
+	if got != "ready" {
+		t.Errorf("got %q, want %q", got, "ready")
+	}
+	if calls != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("calls = %d, want 1", calls)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDo_SurvivesTransientFailuresThenSucceeds(t *testing.T) {
+	// The observed cold-boot race: dex is not serving yet, ingress answers
+	// 502 for the first few attempts, then discovery works.
+	calls := 0
+	got, err := Do(context.Background(), fastPolicy(5), func(context.Context) (string, error) {
+		calls++
+		if calls < 4 {
+			return "", errors.New("oidc discovery: status 502")
+		}
+		return "ready", nil
+	})
+
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Do returned %v — a transient 502 must not be fatal", err)
+	}
+	if got != "ready" {
+		t.Errorf("got %q, want %q", got, "ready")
+	}
+	if calls != 4 {
+		t.Errorf("calls = %d, want 4", calls)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDo_GivesUpAfterTheAttemptBudgetAndReportsTheLastError(t *testing.T) {
+	// A genuinely broken issuer must still fail — retrying forever would turn
+	// a config error into a silent hang, which is worse than crash-looping.
+	last := errors.New("oidc discovery: status 404")
+	calls := 0
+
+	_, err := Do(context.Background(), fastPolicy(3), func(context.Context) (string, error) {
+		calls++
+		return "", last
+	})
+
+	if !errors.Is(err, last) {
+		t.Fatalf("err = %v, want it to wrap the last failure", err)
+	}
+	if calls != 3 {
+		t.Errorf("calls = %d, want 3 (the attempt budget)", calls)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDo_StopsPromptlyWhenTheContextIsCancelled(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	calls := 0
+
+	done := make(chan struct{})
+	var err error
+	go func() {
+		defer close(done)
+		_, err = Do(ctx, Policy{Attempts: 100, Base: 50 * time.Millisecond, Max: time.Second},
+			func(context.Context) (string, error) {
+				calls++
+				if calls == 1 {
+					cancel()
+				}
+				return "", errors.New("still down")
+			})
+	}()
+
+	select {
+	case <-done:
+	case <-time.After(2 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("Do did not return after context cancellation")
+	}
+	if !errors.Is(err, context.Canceled) {
+		t.Errorf("err = %v, want context.Canceled", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDo_BacksOffAndIsCappedByMax(t *testing.T) {
+	var delays []time.Duration
+	p := Policy{Attempts: 5, Base: 10 * time.Millisecond, Max: 25 * time.Millisecond}
+
+	last := time.Now()
+	_, _ = Do(context.Background(), p, func(context.Context) (string, error) {
+		now := time.Now()
+		delays = append(delays, now.Sub(last))
+		last = now
+		return "", errors.New("down")
+	})
+
+	// delays[0] is the first call (no wait); the rest are the sleeps.
+	if len(delays) != 5 {
+		t.Fatalf("attempts = %d, want 5", len(delays))
+	}
+	if delays[1] >= delays[2] {
+		t.Errorf("backoff is not growing: %v then %v", delays[1], delays[2])
+	}
+	for i, d := range delays[1:] {
+		if d > 2*p.Max {
+			t.Errorf("delay %d = %v, exceeds the Max cap %v with slack", i+1, d, p.Max)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestPolicy_ZeroValueStillMakesOneAttempt(t *testing.T) {
+	// A caller that forgets to configure the policy must not silently get a
+	// no-op that returns a nil validator and a nil error.
+	calls := 0
+	_, err := Do(context.Background(), Policy{}, func(context.Context) (string, error) {
+		calls++
+		return "", errors.New("down")
+	})
+
+	if calls != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("calls = %d, want 1", calls)
+	}
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Error("err = nil, want the failure surfaced")
+	}
+}

ingestion/internal/textutil/truncate.go

@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+// Package textutil holds small text helpers shared across the ingestion
+// service.
+package textutil
+
+import "unicode/utf8"
+
+// Ellipsis marks a value that was cut short.
+const Ellipsis = "…"
+
+// Truncate shortens s to at most limit CHARACTERS, appending an ellipsis when
+// anything was dropped.
+//
+// It exists because four call sites did `s[:limit] + "…"` (#93). Both halves
+// of that are byte operations: len() counts bytes and a slice cuts bytes, so
+// on Swedish text — where å ä ö are two bytes and an em dash is three — the
+// cut lands mid-character and leaves an orphaned lead byte. The result is
+// invalid UTF-8.
+//
+// That failed loudly in exactly one place, wiki/index.md, which is written
+// raw to disk and then rejected by every strict decoder. The other three fed
+// MCP responses, where encoding/json silently substitutes U+FFFD — so those
+// had been quietly eating the last character of truncated excerpts with no
+// error anywhere.
+//
+// The marker is appended only when content was actually dropped: an ellipsis
+// on complete text is a lie about the content.
+func Truncate(s string, limit int) string {
+	if limit <= 0 {
+		return ""
+	}
+	if utf8.RuneCountInString(s) <= limit {
+		return s
+	}
+
+	// Walk runes rather than converting to []rune: the input can be a whole
+	// note body, and this runs on the read path.
+	count := 0
+	for i := range s {
+		if count == limit {
+			return s[:i] + Ellipsis
+		}
+		count++
+	}
+	return s + Ellipsis
+}

ingestion/internal/textutil/truncate_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+// ingestion/internal/textutil/truncate_test.go
+package textutil_test
+
+import (
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+	"unicode/utf8"
+
+	"github.com/mathiasbq/hyperguild/ingestion/internal/textutil"
+)
+
+func TestTruncate_ShortStringsAreUntouched(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, s := range []string{"", "kort", "räv", "a — b"} {
+		if got := textutil.Truncate(s, 100); got != s {
+			t.Errorf("Truncate(%q, 100) = %q, want it unchanged", s, got)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestTruncate_NeverCutsInsideACharacter(t *testing.T) {
+	// The property, not an example: whatever the limit, the result must be
+	// valid UTF-8. Byte-slicing Swedish text (å ä ö) or an em dash produces
+	// an orphaned lead byte, which is what corrupted wiki/index.md (#93).
+	s := strings.Repeat("räv — ål — ökäd ", 20)
+
+	for limit := 0; limit <= len(s)+5; limit++ {
+		got := textutil.Truncate(s, limit)
+		if !utf8.ValidString(got) {
+			t.Fatalf("Truncate(s, %d) produced invalid UTF-8: %q", limit, got)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestTruncate_CountsCharactersNotBytes(t *testing.T) {
+	// "räv" is 4 bytes, 3 runes. A byte-based limit of 3 would cut inside the
+	// "ä"; a rune-based one returns it whole.
+	if got := textutil.Truncate("räv", 3); got != "räv" {
+		t.Errorf("Truncate(\"räv\", 3) = %q, want the whole word", got)
+	}
+
+	got := textutil.Truncate("räven springer", 5)
+	if utf8.RuneCountInString(got) != 6 { // 5 runes + the ellipsis
+		t.Errorf("Truncate(...) = %q, want 5 runes plus the marker", got)
+	}
+	if !strings.HasSuffix(got, "…") {
+		t.Errorf("Truncate(...) = %q, want it marked as truncated", got)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestTruncate_MarksOnlyWhenSomethingWasDropped(t *testing.T) {
+	// An ellipsis on text that was not cut is a lie about the content.
+	if got := textutil.Truncate("räv", 10); strings.HasSuffix(got, "…") {
+		t.Errorf("Truncate(%q, 10) = %q, want no truncation marker", "räv", got)
+	}
+	if got := textutil.Truncate("räv", 3); strings.HasSuffix(got, "…") {
+		t.Errorf("exact-length input must not be marked: %q", got)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestTruncate_NonPositiveLimitYieldsNothingRatherThanPanicking(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, limit := range []int{0, -1, -100} {
+		if got := textutil.Truncate("räven", limit); got != "" {
+			t.Errorf("Truncate(_, %d) = %q, want empty", limit, got)
+		}
+	}
+}

ingestion/internal/wiki/index.go

@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/mathiasbq/hyperguild/ingestion/internal/textutil"
 )
 
 // RebuildIndex writes brain/wiki/index.md from the current wiki contents.
@@ -62,10 +64,7 @@ func pageFirstSentence(brainDir string, e Entry) string {
 		if line == "" || strings.HasPrefix(line, "#") {
 			continue
 		}
-		if len(line) > 100 {
+		return textutil.Truncate(line, 100)
-			return line[:100] + "…"
-		}
-		return line
 	}
 	return ""
 }

skills/close-session/SKILL.md

@@ -42,34 +42,35 @@ These actions are **carried into the Phase 4 capture call** as `tickets[]` rathe
 
 ## Phase 4 — Capture (one uniform call)
 
-Persist the session via a **single `capture` call** (the `brain:capture` MCP tool, live on the Claude.ai connector). Capture owns the writes server-side — insights → brain, action items → Gitea tickets, summary → ai-sessions — plus the I1 sovereignty gate, the I5 audit record, and the supersession/read-after-write discipline. The skill's job is to *assemble the payload*, not to write each store itself. Do NOT fall back to separate `gitea:file_write_branch` + `brain_write` steps unless `capture` is unreachable (see fallback below).
+Persist the session via a **single `capture` call** (the `brain:capture` MCP tool, live on the Claude.ai connector). Capture owns the writes server-side — insights → brain, action items → Gitea tickets — plus the I1 sovereignty gate, the I5 audit record, and the supersession/read-after-write discipline. The skill's job is to *assemble the payload*, not to write each store itself. Do NOT fall back to separate `gitea:file_write_branch` + `brain_write` steps unless `capture` is unreachable (see fallback below).
+
+**Note:** capture no longer writes a session summary anywhere (the `summary` → `ai-sessions` write path was removed — it produced a frontmatter shape `ai-sessions`' own pipeline couldn't parse, silently invisible to that repo's own audit tooling; see `ai-sessions#13`). If the session's decisions/artifacts are worth a durable narrative beyond the `insights[]` this skill writes to the brain, that's a separate, explicit call — not something this skill does implicitly.
 
 **Assemble one payload:**
 
 - **`insights[]`** — the generalizable learnings from Phase 1 (decisions/failures worth re-reading). Each: `{text, wing, hall}`; add `supersede_slug` to revise a prior note in place instead of creating a duplicate. `hall` ∈ facts/decisions/failures/hypotheses/sources.
 - **`tickets[]`** — the issue actions from Phase 3: `{repo, action, ...}` where action ∈ create/close/comment. Owner is always `mathias` (server-forced).
-- **`summary`** — `{title, body, repos_touched}`. Capture writes it to `ai-sessions` and stamps `fidelity` in frontmatter. Body stays reconstructable: one-paragraph summary, decisions, key artifacts, open threads.
 - **`context`** — `{harness: "claudeai-chat", session_ref: <chatid8-or-slug>, fidelity: "live-capture", actor: "mathias", classification: <see gate below>}`.
 
 **THE CLASSIFICATION GATE (read before calling — this is where capture refuses).**
-Capture computes an **effective classification = the strictest across EVERY target it touches** (each insight's `wing`, each ticket's `repo`, and every entry in `summary.repos_touched`), then refuses if that effective level is `confidential` and the origin is us-nexus (claude.ai is us-nexus). Levels come from `classification.yaml` at the brain root (source of truth, #67), with the code defaults as the floor: `hyperguild`/`homelab` → internal; `client-*` → confidential; **anything untagged → confidential (fail-safe)**.
+Capture computes an **effective classification = the strictest across EVERY target it touches** (each insight's `wing`, each ticket's `repo`), then refuses if that effective level is `confidential` and the origin is us-nexus (claude.ai is us-nexus). Levels come from `classification.yaml` at the brain root (source of truth, #67), with the code defaults as the floor: `hyperguild`/`homelab` → internal; `client-*` → confidential; **anything untagged → confidential (fail-safe)**.
 - **Tagged `internal` today** (safe through claude.ai): wings `hyperguild`, `homelab`; repos `brain`, `ai-sessions`, `infra`, `hyperguild`, `homelab`, `tapir`, `agentsquad`, `jepa-fx-risk`, `swedsl`. Treat `classification.yaml` as authoritative — this list is a hint, not gospel.
 - Declare `context.classification: "internal"` for normal homelab work.
-- `summary.repos_touched`, insight `wing`s, and ticket `repo`s are classification INPUTS, not free-form metadata — every target must resolve `internal` or the whole capture escalates to `confidential` and the gate refuses via claude.ai. Listing the central homelab repos (incl. `brain`/`ai-sessions`) is now fine; they're tagged. The summary always lands in `ai-sessions` (internal), so the summary path itself never escalates.
+- Insight `wing`s and ticket `repo`s are classification INPUTS, not free-form metadata — every target must resolve `internal` or the whole capture escalates to `confidential` and the gate refuses via claude.ai. Listing the central homelab repos (incl. `brain`/`ai-sessions`) is now fine; they're tagged.
 - If a session genuinely touched **`client-*` or otherwise-untagged** material, it cannot be captured through claude.ai — note that in the verdict rather than trying to force it.
 
 **GATE — dry-run first, then execute.**
 1. Call `capture` with `dry_run: true`. It validates the whole payload and returns the would-be receipt + `effective_classification`, writing nothing.
-2. **STOP. Show the dry-run receipt** (effective classification, the insights/tickets/summary that would land) and get explicit confirmation.
+2. **STOP. Show the dry-run receipt** (effective classification, the insights/tickets that would land) and get explicit confirmation.
 3. On confirmation, call `capture` again with `dry_run: false`. Read the returned receipt: it is partial-aware (`errors[]`, per-item `ok`). Report exactly what landed.
 
-If `capture` is **unreachable** (tool not on the connector — e.g. a session that started before a deploy; a tool-list refresh usually fixes it): say so. Only then fall back to the legacy inline path (`gitea:file_write_branch` summary + `brain_write`/`brain_update` + `brain_get` confirm), and note in the verdict that the I5 audit record was NOT produced.
+If `capture` is **unreachable** (tool not on the connector — e.g. a session that started before a deploy; a tool-list refresh usually fixes it): say so. Only then fall back to the legacy inline path (`brain_write`/`brain_update` + `brain_get` confirm), and note in the verdict that the I5 audit record was NOT produced.
 
 ## Phase 5 — Verdict
 
 Deliver a final "safe to archive" verdict in the chat. Either:
 
-- **SAFE TO ARCHIVE** — list what landed from the capture receipt (issues closed/filed with numbers, summary path, brain note ids/paths) so the trail is auditable. Then list anything still in the user's queue (e.g. a PR awaiting their merge, a decision owed next session).
+- **SAFE TO ARCHIVE** — list what landed from the capture receipt (issues closed/filed with numbers, brain note ids/paths) so the trail is auditable. Then list anything still in the user's queue (e.g. a PR awaiting their merge, a decision owed next session).
 - **NOT YET** — name the specific gate that wasn't passed, the capture refusal reason, or the per-item error from the receipt, and what to do about it.
 
 Never claim safe-to-archive if the capture refused, any receipt item errored, or a gated confirmation was declined. The verdict is the skill's contract: if it says safe, the session can be lost without losing the work.

specs/capture-bdd-spec.md

@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 **Status:** Decisions resolved 2026-06-22 (§4). Ready for implementation scoping. `capture` is a
 privileged cross-harness write path touching brain + Gitea + ai-sessions.
+**Superseded 2026-07-27:** the ai-sessions summary write path specified below was removed post-ship
+(see `specs/capture-implementation-report.md`). `capture` now touches brain + Gitea only.
 **Tracks:** hyperguild #49.
 **Governed by:** `infra/docs/architecture/01-invariants.md` (I1–I5), the admissibility test in
 `00-synthesis-model.md`, and the distributed-consolidation shape mandated by

specs/capture-implementation-report.md

@@ -1,6 +1,13 @@
 # Capture capability — implementation report (as-built)
 
 **Status:** Shipped 2026-06-23, tagged `v0.11.0`. Epic hyperguild #49 (sub-issues #50–#55) closed.
+**Superseded 2026-07-27:** the `summary` → `ai-sessions` write path documented below was removed.
+It wrote a frontmatter shape (`title`/`harness`/`fidelity`/`captured_at`/`repos_touched`) that
+`ai-sessions`' own extract/audit pipeline couldn't parse — invisible to that repo's own audit
+tooling and bypassing its redaction/completeness gates (`ai-sessions#13`). `capture` now persists
+insights → brain and action items → Gitea tickets only. This document is kept as the historical
+as-built record of what shipped in #49; treat every `summary`/ai-sessions reference below as
+retired, not current behaviour.
 **Spec:** `specs/capture-bdd-spec.md` (the design contract this implements).
 **Governed by:** `infra/docs/architecture/01-invariants.md` (I1–I5) + the I2 acceptance ledger entry in `infra/docs/security-baseline.md`.