diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 5598a0069..8afc088a5 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,59 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## [1.69.0.0] - 2026-08-22
+
+**The silent-failure wave: tools that reported success while doing nothing —**
+**or the wrong thing — now do what they say, or say loudly that they couldn't.**
+
+Every fix in this wave closes the same failure shape. `gstack-evidence` — the tool other tools believe — certified runs whose environment differed from CI's, because bun auto-loaded the repo's `.env` files into every child it spawned. The gbrain wireup's first sync targeted the brain's *default* source, which could silently repoint a user's primary knowledge source at the gstack worktree while the just-registered source got zero pages — and still print a success line. `./setup --host slate` exited 0 having installed nothing. `land-and-deploy`'s merge recovery re-established everything except the `--delete-branch` half it had promised, and said nothing. A `_unattributed → deny` ingest policy never applied to exactly the pages it names. Skill-dir cleanup structurally could not find orphans. And a false-green test fixture meant the "gbrain missing" case could never fail on any machine with a real gbrain installed. Six fixes are new; five community PRs are absorbed with credit; ~17 tracker items close with receipts.
+
+### The numbers that matter
+
+Source: the regression tests named in each commit — every one verified to FAIL on a scratch worktree of v1.68.3.0 during the wave (the receipts standard), plus the live pre-fix probes quoted in the PR.
+
+| Property | Before | After |
+|--------|--------|-------|
+| `gstack-evidence run` in a repo with `.env`/`.env.local` | child inherits bun-injected vars; ledger certifies a run CI never performs | value-equality scrub (shell-exported overrides survive), names-only warning, `GSTACK_EVIDENCE_KEEP_DOTENV=1` opt-out. Contributed by @namtrok (#2652) |
+| Wireup first sync | `sync --repo` resolves against the DEFAULT source; can repoint its anchor, registered source gets 0 pages, prints success | `sync --source <id>`; `--help`-probed with `--repo`+warning fallback for old gbrains |
+| `./setup --host slate` | exit 0, installs nothing | explains Slate (use `--host claude`), exit 0 informational; any future accepted-but-unwired host exits 1 loudly; accept-list ⊆ dispatch-arms is test-pinned |
+| land-and-deploy merge recovery | `--delete-branch` half silently dropped | `ls-remote` reconciliation: already-clean (idempotent) / confirm-first delete / "couldn't verify" — a failed check is never read as a clean branch |
+| Orphaned skill dirs after the payload is gone | cleanup scanned the payload → structurally can't reap | destination scan, dangling-symlink aware, path-segment provenance. Contributed by @szsunyuan (#2634) |
+| `gstack-redact install-prepush-hook` on bun/Windows | EEXIST crash — credential guard silently absent | `mkdirpSync` tolerates dir-EEXIST only. Contributed by @Lockyer228 (#2641); swept to decision-log, evidence, and the prepush skip-log |
+| "gbrain missing" test on a box with real gbrain | saw the host's gbrain, exited 0 — could never fail where the bug exists | hermetic root-owned-dirs-only PATH + determinism check. Contributed by @SomSamantray (#2615) |
+| Heredoc bodies ≥512B under Homebrew bash 5.2+ | child deadlocks (macOS 512-byte pipe buffer) | `BASH_COMPAT=50` guard in the 11 in-window scripts + a repo-wide scanner ratchet. Contributed by @BenjaminDSmithy (#2640) |
+| `_unattributed → deny` policy under `--include-unattributed` | never applied — raw `""` remote bypassed the filter | stored remote matches the frontmatter sentinel; deny/read-only now bite |
+| Brains on gbrain's ZeroEntropy recipe | embedding dies silently after Sept 4, 2026 | wireup warns on config detection (fail-open); setup-gbrain + docs advisories (#2365, gbrain-side migration stays open) |
+| make-pdf sibling browse resolution | cwd-dependent (`dirname(argv[0])` is `.` in compiled binaries) | `process.execPath`-based; a decoy `browse/` directory can never win |
+
+### What this means for you
+
+Evidence verdicts are the run CI would perform — your shell-exported overrides still win, and the scrub tells you (key names only) what it removed. Revoking, cleaning up, and installing now either do the thing or name the thing they couldn't do. If your gbrain is on the dying ZeroEntropy recipe, gstack tells you before September 4 instead of letting search quietly rot. And five contributors' PRs are in this release with their authorship on the commits and their handles below.
+
+### Itemized changes
+
+#### Added
+- Zero-dispatch guard in `setup`: a host that passes `--host` validation without an install arm errors loudly (names the host and the valid targets) instead of exiting 0 having configured nothing; cross-check test pins the accept-list against `hosts/index.ts` and every accept-listed host to a dispatch arm (#2361).
+- ZeroEntropy sunset advisory: fail-open config detection in the wireup, provider-comment warnings in `/setup-gbrain`, and a troubleshooting entry in `USING_GBRAIN_WITH_GSTACK.md` (#2365 — refs; the gbrain-side migration remains open).
+- `lib/fs-utils.ts` `mkdirpSync` (dir-confirmed EEXIST tolerance) with a bun-Windows-emulating preload fixture, applied to `gstack-redact`, `gstack-redact-prepush`, `gstack-decision-log`, and `gstack-evidence`. Contributed by @Lockyer228 (#2641; fixes #2635).
+- Repo-wide heredoc scanner: any tracked shell script with an unguarded 512B–64KiB heredoc fails the free suite. Contributed by @BenjaminDSmithy (#2640).
+
+#### Changed
+- `land-and-deploy` §4a-postfail MERGED recovery reconciles the remote branch (three-way: already-clean / confirm-first delete / couldn't-verify) and states the outcome instead of staying silent (#2656).
+- `make-pdf` resolves the sibling browse binary from `process.execPath` with an injectable test seam; the `about:blank` half of #2156 was already fixed in v1.64.0.0 (`browse/src/url-validation.ts` exact-match allow).
+- `./setup --host slate` is an informational exit pointing at `--host claude` (per `docs/designs/SLATE_HOST.md`, Slate reads `.claude/skills` as a compatibility fallback) (#2361).
+
+#### Fixed
+- `gstack-evidence` scrubs bun-auto-loaded dotenv vars from the child env by value equality — a shell-exported override with a different value survives, `NODE_ENV=test` semantics mirror bun's, and an unreadable `.env` fails open (test-pinned). Known limitation documented in-code: bun-expanded `${VAR}` values are left in place (fails open). Contributed by @namtrok (#2652; fixes #2624; @harjothkhara's #2630 credited for the parallel diagnosis).
+- Wireup first sync targets the registered source id, never the default source (#2662); support-probed with a warning fallback so gbrains at the 0.18.0 floor keep working.
+- `cleanup_old_claude_symlinks` reaps orphans from the DESTINATION skills dir (dangling symlinks included) with path-segment provenance instead of a bare `*gstack*` substring. Contributed by @szsunyuan (#2634; fixes #2204).
+- `gstack-memory-ingest` stores the normalized `_unattributed` remote so repo policies keyed to it actually apply under `--include-unattributed` (#2353).
+- Hermetic gbrain-missing PATH fixture kills a false green on every machine with a real gbrain install. Contributed by @SomSamantray (#2615; fixes #2255).
+
+#### For contributors
+- Tests: 8,036 → 8,078 (+42 across the wave; every behavior fix carries a regression test proven red on v1.68.3.0).
+- The heredoc scanner now gates every tracked shell script — new scripts with 512B–64KiB heredoc bodies need the `BASH_COMPAT=50` guard (or smaller/file-based bodies).
+- On bash 4.3/4.4 (e.g. Git Bash), `BASH_COMPAT=50` prints a non-fatal `invalid value` stderr warning; those bashes never took the pipe path, so the guard is a no-op there.
+
 ## [1.68.3.0] - 2026-08-20
 
 **Re-pairing a browser agent to narrow its access now revokes the old access on**
diff --git a/TODOS.md b/TODOS.md
index 84bf7f9e0..7dd066d25 100644
--- a/TODOS.md
+++ b/TODOS.md
@@ -5,13 +5,17 @@
 ### P1: ZeroEntropy sunset — gbrain's default embedding provider dies Sept 4, 2026 (#2365)
 
 **What:** ZeroEntropy (acquired by Notion) shuts down September 4, 2026. gbrain's
-default embedding provider needs a migration path before then; gstack's
-setup-gbrain flow should stop recommending it and detect/warn existing installs.
+zeroentropyai recipe needs a migration path before then (the recipe + gateway
+shim are gbrain-internal — nothing in gstack ever recommended the provider).
 
-**Why:** Hard external deadline. After Sept 4, fresh setup-gbrain runs against the
-default provider fail, and existing brains stop embedding new pages silently.
+**Why:** Hard external deadline. After Sept 4, brains on the recipe stop
+embedding new pages silently.
 
-**Effort:** M (human ~2d, CC ~1h — mostly gbrain-side; gstack side is detect+warn).
+**Done (gstack side, v1.69.0.0):** wireup warns when ~/.gbrain/config.json names
+the recipe (fail-open grep), setup-gbrain provider comments say never to select
+it, USING_GBRAIN_WITH_GSTACK.md gained a troubleshooting entry (#2365).
+
+**Effort:** M (remaining work is gbrain-side provider support).
 **Priority:** P1 (calendar-driven). **Depends on:** gbrain upstream provider support.
 
 ### P2: v1.67 fix-wave deferrals — next-wave queue
@@ -45,6 +49,30 @@ wave"). Each was explicitly deferred with rationale, not dropped:
   #2576 (fast-ship rework — re-evaluate against v1.66's CI speedup),
   #2580 (land-and-deploy CI tiers — human-gate UX needs maintainer call).
 
+### P2: v1.69 fix-wave residuals (filed at wave time, each deferred with rationale)
+
+- **`cleanup_prefixed_claude_symlinks` symmetric conversion** — PR #2634 fixed
+  `cleanup_old_claude_symlinks` (destination scan, dangling-symlink aware,
+  path-segment provenance); the prefixed-mode sibling still iterates the
+  payload dir (same structural hole: can't reap orphans once the payload is
+  gone) and still uses a bare `*gstack*` substring match the sibling's own
+  tests forbid. Kept out of the contributor's absorbed commit for scope
+  discipline. Effort S→S with CC. **Priority:** P2.
+- **#2163 legacy-slug checkpoint heal** — the gstack-slug refactor unified
+  save/restore slugs, but checkpoints written under a pre-fix degraded slug
+  are still invisible; `bin/gstack-slug`'s own MIGRATION NOTE defers data
+  moves. Cheap heal: restore-side probe of the alternate slug dir before
+  printing NO_CHECKPOINTS. Effort S. **Priority:** P3.
+- **#2657 developer-profile `--reconcile`** — office-hours tenure undercounts
+  ~3x (Phase-4.5-only logging; no timeline.jsonl reconciliation). The
+  arithmetic reproduces; the reporter offered the PR — invited on the issue.
+  Track and review when it lands. Effort S (review). **Priority:** P3.
+- **Table-driven setup host dispatch from `hosts/index.ts`** — root-cause fix
+  for the accept-list/dispatch drift class behind #2361; v1.69.0.0 ships the
+  interim ratchet (accept-list ⊆ dispatch-arms cross-check test + a loud
+  zero-dispatch guard). The refactor needs its own PR with bake time (setup is
+  the riskiest file in the repo). Effort M. **Priority:** P3.
+
 ### P2: v1.67 adversarial-review residuals (verified, deferred with rationale)
 
 Filed at v1.67 ship time from the Codex + Claude adversarial passes. Six of
@@ -909,14 +937,6 @@ TOML lookup.
 will not (the hint covers the second half today).
 **Priority:** P3. **Effort:** S.
 
-### P4: `./setup --host slate` accepted but installs nothing
-
-**What:** `slate` passes the host-arg validation case but sets no INSTALL_* flag,
-so the run configures nothing and exits successfully. Either wire a slate branch
-or reject the value with guidance like openclaw/hermes/gbrain get.
-**Why:** Silent success with zero effect is the worst failure shape.
-**Priority:** P4. **Effort:** S.
-
 ---
 
 ## browse server: terminal-agent teardown follow-ups (filed v1.41 via /plan-eng-review)
@@ -2846,6 +2866,31 @@ needs one paid run to validate, so it didn't ride the ship.
 
 ## Completed
 
+### ✅ DONE (v1.69.0.0): `./setup --host slate` accepted but installs nothing
+
+**Priority:** P4 (was filed as slate-only — shipped with the whole drift class gated)
+
+**What:** `slate` passed host-arg validation but set no INSTALL_* flag, so the
+run configured nothing and exited 0. Now an informational arm (points at
+`--host claude`; per docs/designs/SLATE_HOST.md Slate reads `.claude/skills`
+as a compatibility fallback), plus a zero-dispatch guard that errors loudly if
+any future host is accepted without an install arm, plus a cross-check test
+pinning accept-list ⊆ dispatch-arms against the hosts/index.ts registry.
+
+**Completed:** v1.69.0.0 (2026-08-22)
+
+### ✅ DONE (v1.69.0.0, gstack side): ZeroEntropy sunset detect + advisory
+
+**Priority:** P1 (calendar-driven; gbrain-side migration remains open — see
+NEXT PRIORITY)
+
+**What:** Wireup warns when ~/.gbrain/config.json names the zeroentropyai
+recipe (fail-open grep — never blocks a working setup); setup-gbrain provider
+comments say never to select the legacy recipe; USING_GBRAIN_WITH_GSTACK.md
+troubleshooting entry names the Sept 4, 2026 deadline and #2365.
+
+**Completed:** v1.69.0.0 (2026-08-22)
+
 ### ✅ DONE (v1.68.1.0): Stop-hook registration pins the setup-time absolute path
 
 **Priority:** P1 (was filed Effort S, scoped to the Stop hook — shipped as the full defect class)
diff --git a/USING_GBRAIN_WITH_GSTACK.md b/USING_GBRAIN_WITH_GSTACK.md
index de54abeb3..4d5575592 100644
--- a/USING_GBRAIN_WITH_GSTACK.md
+++ b/USING_GBRAIN_WITH_GSTACK.md
@@ -364,6 +364,10 @@ gbrain sync --source <source-id> --skip-failed
 
 Watermark advances past the offending commit. The same file fails again if it changes; re-skip when that happens.
 
+### ZeroEntropy embeddings stop working after September 4, 2026
+
+ZeroEntropy was acquired by Notion and sunsets its hosted API on **September 4, 2026** (new signups already disabled). A gbrain configured with the `zeroentropyai` embedding recipe keeps importing pages after that date, but embedding silently fails — pages land structurally with no semantic search. The wireup helper warns when your `~/.gbrain/config.json` names the recipe; migrate to another provider (Voyage via `VOYAGE_API_KEY`, or OpenAI via `OPENAI_API_KEY`) before the deadline. Details, self-hosting caveats, and migration discussion: [garrytan/gstack#2365](https://github.com/garrytan/gstack/issues/2365).
+
 ### Switching PGLite → Supabase hangs
 
 Another gstack session in a sibling Conductor workspace may be holding a lock on your local PGLite file via its preamble's `gstack-brain-sync` call. Close other workspaces, re-run `/setup-gbrain --switch`. The timeout is bounded at 180s so you'll never actually wait forever.
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index f6cb3fdd4..478f55a2a 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-1.68.3.0
+1.69.0.0
diff --git a/bin/gstack-artifacts-init b/bin/gstack-artifacts-init
index 9691c226e..6ad2dcfb6 100755
--- a/bin/gstack-artifacts-init
+++ b/bin/gstack-artifacts-init
@@ -34,6 +34,16 @@
 #   GSTACK_HOME — override ~/.gstack
 #   USER — fallback for repo naming if $USER is unset
 
+# Heredoc delivery guard. bash 5.2+ writes a heredoc body <=64KiB through a
+# pipe in the forked child before exec, with no reader on the other end. On
+# macOS under pipe-KVA pressure a fresh pipe gets a 512-byte buffer, so any
+# body >=512B blocks write() forever and the script hangs at startup with no
+# output. Compat level 50 restores the tempfile path. These scripts are
+# bash-3.2-clean, so the compat level costs them nothing. Not exported: the
+# guard is per-script, and it survives `bash script.sh` call sites that
+# bypass the shebang.
+BASH_COMPAT=50
+
 set -euo pipefail
 
 GSTACK_HOME="${GSTACK_HOME:-$HOME/.gstack}"
diff --git a/bin/gstack-brain-restore b/bin/gstack-brain-restore
index bab38f55f..781ba700a 100755
--- a/bin/gstack-brain-restore
+++ b/bin/gstack-brain-restore
@@ -25,6 +25,16 @@
 # Env:
 #   GSTACK_HOME — override ~/.gstack
 
+# Heredoc delivery guard. bash 5.2+ writes a heredoc body <=64KiB through a
+# pipe in the forked child before exec, with no reader on the other end. On
+# macOS under pipe-KVA pressure a fresh pipe gets a 512-byte buffer, so any
+# body >=512B blocks write() forever and the script hangs at startup with no
+# output. Compat level 50 restores the tempfile path. These scripts are
+# bash-3.2-clean, so the compat level costs them nothing. Not exported: the
+# guard is per-script, and it survives `bash script.sh` call sites that
+# bypass the shebang.
+BASH_COMPAT=50
+
 set -euo pipefail
 
 GSTACK_HOME="${GSTACK_HOME:-$HOME/.gstack}"
diff --git a/bin/gstack-brain-sync b/bin/gstack-brain-sync
index 0462c1ce6..fcdd48b94 100755
--- a/bin/gstack-brain-sync
+++ b/bin/gstack-brain-sync
@@ -17,6 +17,16 @@
 # Env:
 #   GSTACK_HOME — override ~/.gstack (aligns with writers).
 
+# Heredoc delivery guard. bash 5.2+ writes a heredoc body <=64KiB through a
+# pipe in the forked child before exec, with no reader on the other end. On
+# macOS under pipe-KVA pressure a fresh pipe gets a 512-byte buffer, so any
+# body >=512B blocks write() forever and the script hangs at startup with no
+# output. Compat level 50 restores the tempfile path. These scripts are
+# bash-3.2-clean, so the compat level costs them nothing. Not exported: the
+# guard is per-script, and it survives `bash script.sh` call sites that
+# bypass the shebang.
+BASH_COMPAT=50
+
 set -uo pipefail
 
 GSTACK_HOME="${GSTACK_HOME:-$HOME/.gstack}"
diff --git a/bin/gstack-decision-log b/bin/gstack-decision-log
index 6ee838955..bfe27acc6 100755
--- a/bin/gstack-decision-log
+++ b/bin/gstack-decision-log
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@
  * validateDecide; a rejected decision exits 1 with a message, nothing persisted.
  */
 
-import { mkdirSync } from "fs";
 import { dirname } from "path";
+import { mkdirpSync } from "../lib/fs-utils";
 import { spawnSync } from "child_process";
 import {
   decisionPaths,
@@ -33,7 +33,9 @@ const HERE = import.meta.dir;
 const args = process.argv.slice(2);
 const slug = resolveSlug(`${HERE}/gstack-slug`);
 const paths = decisionPaths(slug);
-mkdirSync(dirname(paths.log), { recursive: true });
+// mkdirpSync, not bare mkdirSync: bun on Windows throws EEXIST from a
+// recursive mkdir on an existing dir (#2635), and this runs on every log call.
+mkdirpSync(dirname(paths.log));
 
 function enqueue(): void {
   // Fire-and-forget cross-machine sync (no-op when artifacts_sync is off).
diff --git a/bin/gstack-distill-free-text b/bin/gstack-distill-free-text
index fe75c45a4..a7e997c0a 100755
--- a/bin/gstack-distill-free-text
+++ b/bin/gstack-distill-free-text
@@ -20,6 +20,16 @@
 # auditability via --status when you want it.
 # Per D6: Anthropic SDK direct call, fail-loud on missing ANTHROPIC_API_KEY.
 set -euo pipefail
+
+# Heredoc delivery guard. bash 5.2+ writes a heredoc body <=64KiB through a
+# pipe in the forked child before exec, with no reader on the other end. On
+# macOS under pipe-KVA pressure a fresh pipe gets a 512-byte buffer, so any
+# body >=512B blocks write() forever and the script hangs at startup with no
+# output. Compat level 50 restores the tempfile path. These scripts are
+# bash-3.2-clean, so the compat level costs them nothing. Not exported: the
+# guard is per-script, and it survives `bash script.sh` call sites that
+# bypass the shebang.
+BASH_COMPAT=50
 SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
 ROOT_DIR="$(cd "$SCRIPT_DIR/.." && pwd)"
 GSTACK_HOME="${GSTACK_STATE_ROOT:-${GSTACK_HOME:-$HOME/.gstack}}"
diff --git a/bin/gstack-evidence b/bin/gstack-evidence
index 9d72bf45b..8343fe9cf 100755
--- a/bin/gstack-evidence
+++ b/bin/gstack-evidence
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@
  * in the ledger; it cannot prove that an expected lane ever ran.
  */
 
-import { mkdirSync, openSync, writeSync, closeSync, readdirSync, statSync, unlinkSync, chmodSync } from "fs";
+import { openSync, writeSync, closeSync, readdirSync, statSync, unlinkSync, chmodSync, readFileSync } from "fs";
+import { mkdirpSync } from "../lib/fs-utils";
 import { join, dirname } from "path";
 import { spawnSync } from "child_process";
 import { appendJsonl, readJsonl } from "../lib/jsonl-store";
@@ -137,7 +138,7 @@ function pruneOldLogs(logsDir: string): void {
 /** Exclusive-open a collision-safe log file. Returns undefined on failure. */
 function openLog(logsDir: string, label: string, cmdSha: string): { fd: number; path: string } | undefined {
   try {
-    mkdirSync(logsDir, { recursive: true });
+    mkdirpSync(logsDir);
     pruneOldLogs(logsDir);
     const ts = new Date().toISOString().replace(/[:.]/g, "-");
     const base = `${ts}-${label}-${process.pid}-${cmdSha.slice(0, 8)}`;
@@ -154,6 +155,97 @@ function openLog(logsDir: string, label: string, cmdSha: string): { fd: number;
   return undefined;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Bun AUTO-LOADS `.env`, `.env.<NODE_ENV>` and `.env.local` from the working
+ * directory into `process.env`. This file has a `#!/usr/bin/env bun` shebang, so
+ * every command it spawns inherits those variables — and a repo `.env.local`
+ * routinely holds PRODUCTION credentials.
+ *
+ * Two things go wrong, and the second one is worse than the leak:
+ *
+ *  1. Secrets reach a child process that would not have had them. `npm test` run
+ *     by hand in the same shell sees none of this; run through the wrapper it sees
+ *     all of it.
+ *  2. THE COMMAND UNDER TEST BEHAVES DIFFERENTLY, so the evidence ledger
+ *     certifies a run that is not the run CI performs. Observed in a Next.js repo
+ *     2026-08-20: four tests failed 4/4 through the wrapper and passed 5/5 without
+ *     it, because app code branched on env vars only the wrapper supplied. The
+ *     wrapper exists to record trustworthy evidence, so silently changing the
+ *     environment defeats its whole purpose.
+ *
+ * Verified against bun 1.3.11: a dotenv file does NOT override a variable the
+ * shell already exported (the shell's value wins). So a key whose live value is
+ * exactly the dotenv file's value was injected by bun, and dropping it restores
+ * the environment the user's own shell would have given the command.
+ *
+ * Escape hatch: GSTACK_EVIDENCE_KEEP_DOTENV=1 keeps the old behaviour for anyone
+ * who really does want the wrapper to supply .env values.
+ */
+const BUN_DOTENV_FILES = (): string[] => {
+  const nodeEnv = process.env.NODE_ENV;
+  // bun's documented precedence, lowest first. `.env.local` is skipped by bun
+  // when NODE_ENV is "test"; mirror that rather than guessing.
+  const files = [".env"];
+  if (nodeEnv) files.push(`.env.${nodeEnv}`);
+  if (nodeEnv !== "test") files.push(".env.local");
+  return files;
+};
+
+/** Minimal dotenv reader: KEY=VALUE, one per line. Quotes stripped, comments and
+ *  `export ` prefixes tolerated. Multi-line values are not parsed — a key we fail
+ *  to parse is simply left in the child env, which is the safe direction.
+ *  Known limitation: bun EXPANDS ${VAR} references inside dotenv values, but this
+ *  reader compares the raw file text, so an expanded live value never matches and
+ *  that key is left in the child env — the pre-scrub behavior persists for those
+ *  keys (fails open, same safe direction as above). */
+function parseDotenv(text: string): Map<string, string> {
+  const out = new Map<string, string>();
+  for (const raw of text.split(/\r?\n/)) {
+    const line = raw.trim();
+    if (!line || line.startsWith("#")) continue;
+    const eq = line.indexOf("=");
+    if (eq <= 0) continue;
+    let key = line.slice(0, eq).trim();
+    if (key.startsWith("export ")) key = key.slice(7).trim();
+    if (!/^[A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9_]*$/.test(key)) continue;
+    let val = line.slice(eq + 1).trim();
+    if ((val.startsWith('"') && val.endsWith('"') && val.length > 1) ||
+        (val.startsWith("'") && val.endsWith("'") && val.length > 1)) {
+      val = val.slice(1, -1);
+    }
+    out.set(key, val);
+  }
+  return out;
+}
+
+/** process.env minus the variables bun injected from the repo's dotenv files.
+ *  Returns the scrubbed env and the KEY NAMES removed (never the values). */
+function childEnv(cwd: string): { env: Record<string, string>, scrubbed: string[] } {
+  const env: Record<string, string> = {};
+  for (const [k, v] of Object.entries(process.env)) if (v !== undefined) env[k] = v;
+  if (process.env.GSTACK_EVIDENCE_KEEP_DOTENV === "1") return { env, scrubbed: [] };
+
+  const scrubbed: string[] = [];
+  for (const file of BUN_DOTENV_FILES()) {
+    let text: string;
+    try {
+      text = readFileSync(join(cwd, file), "utf-8");
+    } catch {
+      continue; // absent or unreadable — nothing to scrub from it
+    }
+    for (const [k, v] of parseDotenv(text)) {
+      // Only when the live value IS the file's value. A different live value means
+      // the shell exported its own and bun left it alone, so it is genuinely the
+      // user's environment and must survive.
+      if (env[k] !== undefined && env[k] === v) {
+        delete env[k];
+        if (!scrubbed.includes(k)) scrubbed.push(k);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  return { env, scrubbed };
+}
+
 async function cmdRun(argv: string[]): Promise<number> {
   let label = "default";
   const li = argv.indexOf("--label");
@@ -175,7 +267,7 @@ async function cmdRun(argv: string[]): Promise<number> {
   let paths: ReturnType<typeof ledgerPath> | undefined;
   try {
     paths = ledgerPath();
-    mkdirSync(paths.dir, { recursive: true });
+    mkdirpSync(paths.dir);
   } catch (e: any) {
     warn(`ledger setup failed (${e?.message ?? e}) — result will not be recorded`);
   }
@@ -189,7 +281,13 @@ async function cmdRun(argv: string[]): Promise<number> {
   let exitCode: number;
   let proc: ReturnType<typeof Bun.spawn> | undefined;
   try {
-    proc = Bun.spawn(spawnArgv, { stdin: "inherit", stdout: "pipe", stderr: "pipe" });
+    const { env: spawnEnv, scrubbed } = childEnv(process.cwd());
+    if (scrubbed.length > 0) {
+      // Names only. Printing values here would defeat the point.
+      warn(`scrubbed ${scrubbed.length} bun-injected dotenv var(s) from the child env: ${scrubbed.join(", ")} `
+        + `(GSTACK_EVIDENCE_KEEP_DOTENV=1 to keep them)`);
+    }
+    proc = Bun.spawn(spawnArgv, { stdin: "inherit", stdout: "pipe", stderr: "pipe", env: spawnEnv });
   } catch (e: any) {
     // Spawn failure (ENOENT on argv-direct form): record exit 127, propagate 127.
     exitCode = 127;
diff --git a/bin/gstack-gbrain-source-wireup b/bin/gstack-gbrain-source-wireup
index a3c20b9c6..7947fd587 100755
--- a/bin/gstack-gbrain-source-wireup
+++ b/bin/gstack-gbrain-source-wireup
@@ -316,6 +316,15 @@ do_wireup() {
       ;;
   esac
 
+  # ZeroEntropy sunset advisory (#2365): the provider shuts down Sept 4, 2026,
+  # after which brains on gbrain's zeroentropyai recipe stop embedding new
+  # pages silently. Detection is a fail-open grep of gbrain's config — any
+  # missing/unreadable/other-provider config stays silent (grep -qs), never
+  # blocking a working setup.
+  if grep -qsi 'zeroentropyai' "$GBRAIN_CONFIG" 2>/dev/null; then
+    warn "gbrain config appears to use the ZeroEntropy embedding recipe. ZeroEntropy sunsets on September 4, 2026 — after that, new pages stop embedding silently. Migration options: https://github.com/garrytan/gstack/issues/2365"
+  fi
+
   if [ "${GSTACK_BRAIN_NO_SYNC:-0}" = "1" ]; then
     echo "source_id=$id"
     echo "worktree=$WORKTREE"
@@ -323,8 +332,21 @@ do_wireup() {
     exit 0
   fi
 
+  # #2662: `sync --repo <path>` resolves against the brain's DEFAULT source and
+  # can silently repoint that source's local_path anchor at our worktree while
+  # the source registered above gets nothing. Target the registered source by
+  # id. `--source` support is probed first (the documented floor is gbrain >=
+  # 0.18.0 and nothing proves the flag exists there): an older gbrain keeps the
+  # wrong-but-working --repo call with an upgrade warning, never a hard failure.
   local sync_out sync_redacted
-  sync_out=$(gbrain sync --repo "$WORKTREE" 2>&1) || {
+  local -a sync_cmd
+  if gbrain sync --help 2>/dev/null | grep -q -- '--source'; then
+    sync_cmd=(gbrain sync --source "$id")
+  else
+    warn "this gbrain's sync lacks --source; falling back to 'sync --repo' (upgrade gbrain so the sync targets source $id directly — #2662)"
+    sync_cmd=(gbrain sync --repo "$WORKTREE")
+  fi
+  sync_out=$("${sync_cmd[@]}" 2>&1) || {
     # Redact any postgres:// URLs from the error message in case gbrain logged
     # a connection error containing the full DSN with password. The user sees
     # "***REDACTED***" instead of credentials in their stderr or any log.
diff --git a/bin/gstack-jsonl-merge b/bin/gstack-jsonl-merge
index d2fa5744c..9c4e22688 100755
--- a/bin/gstack-jsonl-merge
+++ b/bin/gstack-jsonl-merge
@@ -24,6 +24,16 @@
 #   0 — merge succeeded, result written to <ours>
 #   1 — error; git treats as conflict and stops the merge
 
+# Heredoc delivery guard. bash 5.2+ writes a heredoc body <=64KiB through a
+# pipe in the forked child before exec, with no reader on the other end. On
+# macOS under pipe-KVA pressure a fresh pipe gets a 512-byte buffer, so any
+# body >=512B blocks write() forever and the script hangs at startup with no
+# output. Compat level 50 restores the tempfile path. These scripts are
+# bash-3.2-clean, so the compat level costs them nothing. Not exported: the
+# guard is per-script, and it survives `bash script.sh` call sites that
+# bypass the shebang.
+BASH_COMPAT=50
+
 set -uo pipefail
 
 if [ "$#" -lt 3 ]; then
diff --git a/bin/gstack-memory-ingest.ts b/bin/gstack-memory-ingest.ts
index 744d96160..2552dee88 100644
--- a/bin/gstack-memory-ingest.ts
+++ b/bin/gstack-memory-ingest.ts
@@ -788,7 +788,11 @@ function buildTranscriptPage(path: string, session: ParsedSession): PageRecord {
     source_path: path,
     session_id: session.session_id,
     cwd: session.cwd,
-    git_remote: remote,
+    // Store the normalized sentinel, matching the frontmatter above: a raw ""
+    // is falsy and slid through the policy filter's !p.git_remote fast-path,
+    // so under --include-unattributed a `_unattributed → deny` policy never
+    // applied to exactly the pages it names (#2353).
+    git_remote: remote || "_unattributed",
     start_time: session.start_time,
     end_time: session.end_time,
     partial: session.partial,
diff --git a/bin/gstack-redact b/bin/gstack-redact
index 740af3f08..fa5c1ac90 100755
--- a/bin/gstack-redact
+++ b/bin/gstack-redact
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import {
   type ScanOptions,
   type Finding,
 } from "../lib/redact-engine";
+import { mkdirpSync } from "../lib/fs-utils";
 
 const MAX_STDIN_BYTES = 16 * 1024 * 1024; // hard ceiling before the engine cap
 
@@ -55,7 +56,9 @@ function hooksPath(): string {
 
 function installPrepushHook(): void {
   const dir = hooksPath();
-  fs.mkdirSync(dir, { recursive: true });
+  // mkdirpSync, not bare mkdirSync: bun on Windows throws EEXIST from a
+  // recursive mkdir when .git/hooks already exists (#2635).
+  mkdirpSync(dir);
   const hookPath = path.join(dir, "pre-push");
   const prepushBin = path.join(import.meta.dir, "gstack-redact-prepush");
 
diff --git a/bin/gstack-redact-prepush b/bin/gstack-redact-prepush
index 1dac0e94e..3e678f3a3 100755
--- a/bin/gstack-redact-prepush
+++ b/bin/gstack-redact-prepush
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import * as fs from "fs";
 import * as os from "os";
 import * as path from "path";
 import { scan, type Finding } from "../lib/redact-engine";
+import { mkdirpSync } from "../lib/fs-utils";
 
 const ZERO = /^0+$/;
 // The canonical empty-tree object; diffing against it yields all content as added.
@@ -349,7 +350,10 @@ function logSkip(reason: string): void {
   try {
     const home = process.env.GSTACK_HOME || path.join(os.homedir(), ".gstack");
     const dir = path.join(home, "security");
-    fs.mkdirSync(dir, { recursive: true });
+    // mkdirpSync, not bare mkdirSync: bun-on-Windows EEXIST (#2635). This site
+    // is try-wrapped by the caller, so the old failure was a silent skip-log
+    // loss rather than a crash — the fix makes the log survive, not un-crash.
+    mkdirpSync(dir);
     fs.appendFileSync(
       path.join(dir, "prepush-skip.jsonl"),
       JSON.stringify({ ts: new Date().toISOString(), reason }) + "\n",
diff --git a/bin/gstack-settings-hook b/bin/gstack-settings-hook
index a658048fa..cfb9feef6 100755
--- a/bin/gstack-settings-hook
+++ b/bin/gstack-settings-hook
@@ -54,6 +54,16 @@
 #     on disk. `rollback` is a single-step undo of the last real mutation.
 #   - writes are atomic: unique tmp file + rename (a fixed tmp name would let
 #     two concurrent writers rename a half-written file into place).
+# Heredoc delivery guard. bash 5.2+ writes a heredoc body <=64KiB through a
+# pipe in the forked child before exec, with no reader on the other end. On
+# macOS under pipe-KVA pressure a fresh pipe gets a 512-byte buffer, so any
+# body >=512B blocks write() forever and the script hangs at startup with no
+# output. Compat level 50 restores the tempfile path. These scripts are
+# bash-3.2-clean, so the compat level costs them nothing. Not exported: the
+# guard is per-script, and it survives `bash script.sh` call sites that
+# bypass the shebang.
+BASH_COMPAT=50
+
 set -euo pipefail
 
 ACTION="${1:-}"
diff --git a/bin/gstack-team-init b/bin/gstack-team-init
index 99538425f..4f41e66ca 100755
--- a/bin/gstack-team-init
+++ b/bin/gstack-team-init
@@ -7,6 +7,16 @@
 #
 # Run from the root of your team's repo (not from the gstack directory).
 
+# Heredoc delivery guard. bash 5.2+ writes a heredoc body <=64KiB through a
+# pipe in the forked child before exec, with no reader on the other end. On
+# macOS under pipe-KVA pressure a fresh pipe gets a 512-byte buffer, so any
+# body >=512B blocks write() forever and the script hangs at startup with no
+# output. Compat level 50 restores the tempfile path. These scripts are
+# bash-3.2-clean, so the compat level costs them nothing. Not exported: the
+# guard is per-script, and it survives `bash script.sh` call sites that
+# bypass the shebang.
+BASH_COMPAT=50
+
 set -euo pipefail
 
 MODE="${1:-}"
diff --git a/gstack-upgrade/migrations/v1.27.0.0.sh b/gstack-upgrade/migrations/v1.27.0.0.sh
index 021c6a566..65ac82890 100755
--- a/gstack-upgrade/migrations/v1.27.0.0.sh
+++ b/gstack-upgrade/migrations/v1.27.0.0.sh
@@ -24,6 +24,16 @@
 #                         the brain admin to run on the brain host
 #
 # All steps are idempotent. Re-running after partial completion is safe.
+# Heredoc delivery guard. bash 5.2+ writes a heredoc body <=64KiB through a
+# pipe in the forked child before exec, with no reader on the other end. On
+# macOS under pipe-KVA pressure a fresh pipe gets a 512-byte buffer, so any
+# body >=512B blocks write() forever and the script hangs at startup with no
+# output. Compat level 50 restores the tempfile path. These scripts are
+# bash-3.2-clean, so the compat level costs them nothing. Not exported: the
+# guard is per-script, and it survives `bash script.sh` call sites that
+# bypass the shebang.
+BASH_COMPAT=50
+
 set -euo pipefail
 
 if [ -z "${HOME:-}" ]; then
diff --git a/gstack-upgrade/migrations/v1.37.0.0.sh b/gstack-upgrade/migrations/v1.37.0.0.sh
index b173f5844..b60b8530c 100755
--- a/gstack-upgrade/migrations/v1.37.0.0.sh
+++ b/gstack-upgrade/migrations/v1.37.0.0.sh
@@ -21,6 +21,16 @@
 # on completion. Re-running this script is silent if the touchfile exists,
 # OR if local_code_index_offered=true.
 
+# Heredoc delivery guard. bash 5.2+ writes a heredoc body <=64KiB through a
+# pipe in the forked child before exec, with no reader on the other end. On
+# macOS under pipe-KVA pressure a fresh pipe gets a 512-byte buffer, so any
+# body >=512B blocks write() forever and the script hangs at startup with no
+# output. Compat level 50 restores the tempfile path. These scripts are
+# bash-3.2-clean, so the compat level costs them nothing. Not exported: the
+# guard is per-script, and it survives `bash script.sh` call sites that
+# bypass the shebang.
+BASH_COMPAT=50
+
 set -euo pipefail
 
 if [ -z "${HOME:-}" ]; then
diff --git a/land-and-deploy/SKILL.md b/land-and-deploy/SKILL.md
index b4121d972..a6079237d 100644
--- a/land-and-deploy/SKILL.md
+++ b/land-and-deploy/SKILL.md
@@ -1620,6 +1620,19 @@ Identify candidates: a worktree is stale if (a) it is checked out on the base br
 - If any candidate has uncommitted work: list the files, tell the user, and STOP worktree cleanup without removing anything.
 - Do NOT use `--force`. Do NOT remove the user's primary working tree.
 
+Remote-branch reconciliation — the failed `gh pr merge` carried `--delete-branch`, and this recovery path must not silently drop that half. The success path above says "The branch has been cleaned up"; this path states the branch outcome explicitly instead of staying silent:
+
+```bash
+BRANCH=$(gh pr view --json headRefName -q .headRefName)
+git ls-remote --heads origin "$BRANCH"
+```
+
+Three outcomes — never read a failed check as a clean branch:
+
+- **Exit 0, empty output** — the remote branch is already gone (GitHub's post-merge deletion or a concurrent actor got there). Tell the user: "The remote branch has already been cleaned up." This makes re-runs of the recovery idempotent.
+- **Exit 0, one ref line** — the branch survived: the failed merge command never reached its `--delete-branch` half. OFFER deletion, confirm-first (matching the worktree-cleanup posture above): "The remote branch `<BRANCH>` still exists — the failed merge never ran its --delete-branch half. Delete it?" Only on confirmation: `git push origin --delete "$BRANCH"`. If a local branch of the same name exists, offer `git branch -d "$BRANCH"` alongside (`-d`, never `-D` — a non-fast-forwarded local branch is the user's call).
+- **Non-zero exit** — the check ITSELF failed (network, auth). Tell the user: "Couldn't verify remote branch state — leaving it alone." and skip the deletion offer entirely; a failed check is unknown state, not a clean branch.
+
 Record `MERGE_PATH=direct`, then continue to §4a (CI auto-deploy detection).
 
 **If `state == "OPEN"`:**
diff --git a/land-and-deploy/SKILL.md.tmpl b/land-and-deploy/SKILL.md.tmpl
index 4a4551038..b43fbf39d 100644
--- a/land-and-deploy/SKILL.md.tmpl
+++ b/land-and-deploy/SKILL.md.tmpl
@@ -700,6 +700,19 @@ Identify candidates: a worktree is stale if (a) it is checked out on the base br
 - If any candidate has uncommitted work: list the files, tell the user, and STOP worktree cleanup without removing anything.
 - Do NOT use `--force`. Do NOT remove the user's primary working tree.
 
+Remote-branch reconciliation — the failed `gh pr merge` carried `--delete-branch`, and this recovery path must not silently drop that half. The success path above says "The branch has been cleaned up"; this path states the branch outcome explicitly instead of staying silent:
+
+```bash
+BRANCH=$(gh pr view --json headRefName -q .headRefName)
+git ls-remote --heads origin "$BRANCH"
+```
+
+Three outcomes — never read a failed check as a clean branch:
+
+- **Exit 0, empty output** — the remote branch is already gone (GitHub's post-merge deletion or a concurrent actor got there). Tell the user: "The remote branch has already been cleaned up." This makes re-runs of the recovery idempotent.
+- **Exit 0, one ref line** — the branch survived: the failed merge command never reached its `--delete-branch` half. OFFER deletion, confirm-first (matching the worktree-cleanup posture above): "The remote branch `<BRANCH>` still exists — the failed merge never ran its --delete-branch half. Delete it?" Only on confirmation: `git push origin --delete "$BRANCH"`. If a local branch of the same name exists, offer `git branch -d "$BRANCH"` alongside (`-d`, never `-D` — a non-fast-forwarded local branch is the user's call).
+- **Non-zero exit** — the check ITSELF failed (network, auth). Tell the user: "Couldn't verify remote branch state — leaving it alone." and skip the deletion offer entirely; a failed check is unknown state, not a clean branch.
+
 Record `MERGE_PATH=direct`, then continue to §4a (CI auto-deploy detection).
 
 **If `state == "OPEN"`:**
diff --git a/lib/fs-utils.ts b/lib/fs-utils.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..dce4daf33
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/fs-utils.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+import { mkdirSync, statSync } from "fs";
+
+/**
+ * mkdir -p that tolerates the target directory already existing.
+ *
+ * Node's mkdirSync(dir, { recursive: true }) is a no-op when dir already
+ * exists, but bun on Windows throws EEXIST in the same situation (#2635),
+ * which crashed `gstack-redact install-prepush-hook` on any repo whose
+ * .git/hooks already existed. Swallow EEXIST only when statSync confirms the
+ * path is an existing directory; anything else - a regular file occupying the
+ * path, a stat failure, a different errno - rethrows the original error, so a
+ * real collision still fails loudly.
+ */
+export function mkdirpSync(dir: string): void {
+  try {
+    mkdirSync(dir, { recursive: true });
+  } catch (e) {
+    if ((e as NodeJS.ErrnoException | null)?.code === "EEXIST") {
+      try {
+        if (statSync(dir).isDirectory()) return;
+      } catch {
+        // stat failed - fall through and rethrow the original mkdir error
+      }
+    }
+    throw e;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/make-pdf/src/browseClient.ts b/make-pdf/src/browseClient.ts
index 099760c8c..9ab8d6e9c 100644
--- a/make-pdf/src/browseClient.ts
+++ b/make-pdf/src/browseClient.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,11 @@
  * Binary resolution order (Codex round 2 #4, v1.24-aligned):
  *   1. $GSTACK_BROWSE_BIN env override (preferred, matches v1.24 GSTACK_*_BIN pattern)
  *   2. $BROWSE_BIN env override (back-compat alias)
- *   3. sibling dir: dirname(argv[0])/../browse/dist/browse[.exe]
+ *   3. sibling dir: dirname(execPath)/../browse/dist/browse[.exe]
+ *      (execPath, NOT argv[0]: in a bun-compiled binary argv[0] is the raw
+ *      invocation string — often relative, so dirname() yields "." and the
+ *      sibling candidates resolve against the CWD instead of the install
+ *      dir; #2156. execPath is always the absolute binary path.)
  *   4. ~/.claude/skills/gstack/browse/dist/browse[.exe]
  *   5. PATH lookup via Bun.which('browse') — handles Windows PATHEXT natively
  *   6. error with setup hint
@@ -101,14 +105,21 @@ export function findExecutable(base: string): string | null {
  * Locate the browse binary. Throws a BrowseClientError with a
  * canonical setup message if not found. See header for resolution order.
  */
-export function resolveBrowseBin(env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env): string {
+export function resolveBrowseBin(
+  env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env,
+  // Injectable for tests: under `bun test` the process path is the bun
+  // runtime, so the compiled-binary shapes are unreachable without a seam.
+  selfPath: string = process.execPath || process.argv[0],
+): string {
   // 1 + 2: env overrides (GSTACK_BROWSE_BIN preferred, BROWSE_BIN back-compat).
   const overrideRaw = env.GSTACK_BROWSE_BIN ?? env.BROWSE_BIN;
   const override = resolveOverride(overrideRaw, env);
   if (override) return override;
 
-  // 3: sibling — make-pdf and browse co-located in dist/.
-  const selfDir = path.dirname(process.argv[0]);
+  // 3: sibling — make-pdf and browse co-located in dist/. execPath, not
+  // argv[0] (#2156): see the header — argv[0] in a compiled binary is the
+  // invocation string, and a relative one resolved candidates against CWD.
+  const selfDir = path.dirname(selfPath);
   const siblingCandidates = [
     path.resolve(selfDir, "../browse/dist/browse"),
     path.resolve(selfDir, "../../browse/dist/browse"),
diff --git a/make-pdf/test/browseClient.test.ts b/make-pdf/test/browseClient.test.ts
index b59068e8b..4bf6f1687 100644
--- a/make-pdf/test/browseClient.test.ts
+++ b/make-pdf/test/browseClient.test.ts
@@ -168,3 +168,51 @@ describe("BrowseClientError", () => {
     expect(err.name).toBe("BrowseClientError");
   });
 });
+
+describe("resolveBrowseBin — sibling resolution from execPath (#2156)", () => {
+  // In a bun-compiled binary argv[0] is the raw invocation string (often
+  // relative), so the old dirname(argv[0]) built sibling candidates against
+  // the CWD. Under `bun test` the process path is the bun runtime, so these
+  // shapes are only reachable through the selfPath seam.
+
+  test("sibling browse next to the install dir is found via selfPath", () => {
+    const base = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "mkpdf-sib-"));
+    try {
+      const distDir = path.join(base, "browse", "dist");
+      fs.mkdirSync(distDir, { recursive: true });
+      const sibling = path.join(distDir, "browse");
+      fs.writeFileSync(sibling, "#!/bin/sh\nexit 0\n", { mode: 0o755 });
+      const selfPath = path.join(base, "make-pdf", "dist", "pdf");
+      // Receipts: pre-fix code ignores the selfPath seam entirely, so it can
+      // never produce this sibling — it either finds a global install (wrong
+      // value) or throws (PATH is empty). Red on v1.68.3.0 either way.
+      const resolved = resolveBrowseBin({ PATH: "" }, selfPath);
+      expect(resolved).toBe(path.resolve(path.join(base, "make-pdf"), "../browse/dist/browse"));
+    } finally {
+      fs.rmSync(base, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+
+  test("a decoy browse DIRECTORY near selfPath never shadows a real PATH binary", () => {
+    const base = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "mkpdf-decoy-"));
+    try {
+      // The ~/.claude/skills/browse alias-directory shape from #2156: a
+      // directory named exactly like the third sibling candidate.
+      fs.mkdirSync(path.join(base, "browse"), { recursive: true });
+      const pathDir = path.join(base, "pathbin");
+      fs.mkdirSync(pathDir, { recursive: true });
+      const onPath = path.join(pathDir, "browse");
+      fs.writeFileSync(onPath, "#!/bin/sh\nexit 0\n", { mode: 0o755 });
+      const selfPath = path.join(base, "tools", "pdf");
+      // os.homedir() ignores a $HOME override under bun, so the global-install
+      // probe may legitimately win on boxes with a real ~/.claude install. The
+      // invariant under test is narrower: the decoy DIRECTORY never wins, and
+      // whatever wins is a regular file.
+      const resolved = resolveBrowseBin({ PATH: pathDir }, selfPath);
+      expect(resolved).not.toBe(path.join(base, "browse"));
+      expect(fs.statSync(resolved).isFile()).toBe(true);
+    } finally {
+      fs.rmSync(base, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+});
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index fa7526cc1..36ce5a63b 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "gstack",
-  "version": "1.68.3",
+  "version": "1.69.0",
   "description": "Garry's Stack — Claude Code skills + fast headless browser. One repo, one install, entire AI engineering workflow.",
   "license": "MIT",
   "type": "module",
diff --git a/scripts/build-app.sh b/scripts/build-app.sh
index 8869212ab..915011cfc 100755
--- a/scripts/build-app.sh
+++ b/scripts/build-app.sh
@@ -13,6 +13,16 @@
 #   ./scripts/build-app.sh           # Build .app + DMG
 #   ./scripts/build-app.sh --no-dmg  # Build .app only
 
+# Heredoc delivery guard. bash 5.2+ writes a heredoc body <=64KiB through a
+# pipe in the forked child before exec, with no reader on the other end. On
+# macOS under pipe-KVA pressure a fresh pipe gets a 512-byte buffer, so any
+# body >=512B blocks write() forever and the script hangs at startup with no
+# output. Compat level 50 restores the tempfile path. These scripts are
+# bash-3.2-clean, so the compat level costs them nothing. Not exported: the
+# guard is per-script, and it survives `bash script.sh` call sites that
+# bypass the shebang.
+BASH_COMPAT=50
+
 set -euo pipefail
 
 SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
diff --git a/setup b/setup
index 8c5d6c077..21ec6c0b0 100755
--- a/setup
+++ b/setup
@@ -3,6 +3,16 @@
 set -e
 umask 077  # Restrict new files to owner-only (0o600 files, 0o700 dirs)
 
+# Heredoc delivery guard. bash 5.2+ writes a heredoc body <=64KiB through a
+# pipe in the forked child before exec, with no reader on the other end. On
+# macOS under pipe-KVA pressure a fresh pipe gets a 512-byte buffer, so any
+# body >=512B blocks write() forever — ./setup --help would hang with no
+# output. Compat level 50 restores the tempfile path. This script is
+# bash-3.2-clean, so the compat level costs it nothing. Not exported: the
+# guard is per-script, and it survives `bash setup` call sites that bypass
+# the shebang.
+BASH_COMPAT=50
+
 usage() {
   cat <<'EOF'
 gstack setup — install gstack skills + build browse binary
@@ -195,7 +205,17 @@ while [ $# -gt 0 ]; do
 done
 
 case "$HOST" in
-  claude|codex|kiro|factory|opencode|cursor|slate|auto) ;;
+  claude|codex|kiro|factory|opencode|cursor|auto) ;;
+  slate)
+    echo ""
+    echo "Slate is not yet a first-class install target (docs/designs/SLATE_HOST.md —"
+    echo "blocked on the host-config refactor). Slate discovers skills from"
+    echo ".claude/skills as a compatibility fallback, so a Slate user is served by"
+    echo "the Claude install today:"
+    echo ""
+    echo "  ./setup --host claude"
+    echo ""
+    exit 0 ;;
   openclaw)
     echo ""
     echo "OpenClaw integration uses a different model — OpenClaw spawns Claude Code"
@@ -323,6 +343,14 @@ elif [ "$HOST" = "cursor" ]; then
   INSTALL_CURSOR=1
 fi
 
+# A host that passes --host validation but sets no INSTALL_* flag would
+# silently configure nothing and exit 0 (the #2361 slate failure class).
+# Fail loudly if a future host lands in the accept-list without a dispatch arm.
+if [ "$HOST" != "auto" ] && [ "$INSTALL_CLAUDE" -eq 0 ] && [ "$INSTALL_CODEX" -eq 0 ] && [ "$INSTALL_KIRO" -eq 0 ] && [ "$INSTALL_FACTORY" -eq 0 ] && [ "$INSTALL_OPENCODE" -eq 0 ] && [ "$INSTALL_CURSOR" -eq 0 ]; then
+  echo "Error: no install arm exists for host '$HOST' — it passed --host validation but sets no INSTALL_* flag, so setup would configure nothing and exit 0. This is a setup bug. Valid install targets: claude, codex, kiro, factory, opencode, cursor (informational: slate, openclaw, hermes, gbrain)." >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
 if [ "$MODEL_OVERRIDE_SET" -eq 1 ] && [ "$INSTALL_CODEX" -eq 0 ]; then
   echo "Error: --model is supported only when Codex is selected (--host codex or --host auto with Codex installed)." >&2
   exit 1
@@ -973,45 +1001,67 @@ link_claude_root_skill_alias() {
 # ─── Helper: remove old unprefixed Claude skill entries ───────────────────────
 # Migration: when switching from flat names to gstack- prefixed names,
 # clean up stale symlinks or directories that point into the gstack directory.
+# Scan $skills_dir (not $gstack_dir): orphans live next to the payload, so a
+# missing payload must still be able to reap leftover flat names (#2204).
 cleanup_old_claude_symlinks() {
   local gstack_dir="$1"
   local skills_dir="$2"
   local removed=()
-  for skill_dir in "$gstack_dir"/*/; do
-    if [ -f "$skill_dir/SKILL.md" ]; then
-      skill_name="$(basename "$skill_dir")"
-      [ "$skill_name" = "node_modules" ] && continue
-      # Skip already-prefixed dirs (gstack-upgrade) — no old symlink to clean
-      case "$skill_name" in gstack-*) continue ;; esac
-      old_target="$skills_dir/$skill_name"
-      # Remove directory symlinks pointing into gstack/
-      if [ -L "$old_target" ]; then
-        link_dest="$(readlink "$old_target" 2>/dev/null || true)"
-        case "$link_dest" in
-          gstack/*|*/gstack/*)
-            rm -f "$old_target"
-            removed+=("$skill_name")
-            ;;
-        esac
-      # Remove real directories with symlinked SKILL.md pointing into gstack/
-      elif [ -d "$old_target" ] && [ -L "$old_target/SKILL.md" ]; then
-        link_dest="$(readlink "$old_target/SKILL.md" 2>/dev/null || true)"
-        case "$link_dest" in
-          *gstack*)
-            rm -rf "$old_target"
-            removed+=("$skill_name")
-            ;;
-        esac
-      # Windows install pattern: real dir with real-file SKILL.md (no symlink
-      # available, so we can't readlink to verify provenance). The outer loop
-      # iterates known gstack skill names from "$gstack_dir"/*, so a name match
-      # plus IS_WINDOWS is safe to treat as gstack-managed during a mode flip.
-      elif [ "$IS_WINDOWS" -eq 1 ] && [ -d "$old_target" ] && [ -f "$old_target/SKILL.md" ]; then
-        rm -rf "$old_target"
-        removed+=("$skill_name")
-      fi
+  local old_target skill_name link_dest skill_dir
+  # Destination scan. The glob already yields dangling dir symlinks; [ -e ]
+  # alone would skip them, so [ -L ] keeps those entries. An unmatched `*`
+  # literal (empty skills_dir) is rejected by the same guard.
+  for old_target in "$skills_dir"/*; do
+    [ -e "$old_target" ] || [ -L "$old_target" ] || continue
+    skill_name="$(basename "$old_target")"
+    [ "$skill_name" = "node_modules" ] && continue
+    [ "$skill_name" = "gstack" ] && continue
+    # Skip already-prefixed dirs (gstack-upgrade) — no old symlink to clean
+    case "$skill_name" in gstack-*) continue ;; esac
+    # Remove directory symlinks pointing into gstack/
+    if [ -L "$old_target" ]; then
+      link_dest="$(readlink "$old_target" 2>/dev/null || true)"
+      case "$link_dest" in
+        gstack/*|*/gstack/*)
+          rm -f "$old_target"
+          removed+=("$skill_name")
+          ;;
+      esac
+    # Remove real directories with symlinked SKILL.md pointing into gstack/
+    elif [ -d "$old_target" ] && [ -L "$old_target/SKILL.md" ]; then
+      link_dest="$(readlink "$old_target/SKILL.md" 2>/dev/null || true)"
+      # Anchored path segments (same as the dir-symlink arm and
+      # gstack-uninstall #2563). A bare *gstack* substring would wipe a
+      # user skill under e.g. ~/tools/gstack-fork/. Also accept the #2569
+      # render prefix (~/.gstack/render/claude/...), which is not `/gstack/`.
+      case "$link_dest" in
+        gstack/*|*/gstack/*|*/.gstack/render/claude/*)
+          rm -rf "$old_target"
+          removed+=("$skill_name")
+          ;;
+      esac
     fi
   done
+  # Windows install pattern: real dir with real-file SKILL.md (no symlink
+  # available, so we can't readlink to verify provenance). Iterate known
+  # gstack skill names from "$gstack_dir"/*, so a name match plus IS_WINDOWS
+  # is safe to treat as gstack-managed during a mode flip. When the payload
+  # is gone this branch is a no-op — a real file has no proven owner.
+  if [ "${IS_WINDOWS:-0}" -eq 1 ] && [ -d "$gstack_dir" ]; then
+    for skill_dir in "$gstack_dir"/*/; do
+      if [ -f "$skill_dir/SKILL.md" ]; then
+        skill_name="$(basename "$skill_dir")"
+        [ "$skill_name" = "node_modules" ] && continue
+        case "$skill_name" in gstack-*) continue ;; esac
+        old_target="$skills_dir/$skill_name"
+        if [ -d "$old_target" ] && [ ! -L "$old_target" ] \
+          && [ -f "$old_target/SKILL.md" ] && [ ! -L "$old_target/SKILL.md" ]; then
+          rm -rf "$old_target"
+          removed+=("$skill_name")
+        fi
+      fi
+    done
+  fi
   if [ ${#removed[@]} -gt 0 ]; then
     echo "  cleaned up old entries: ${removed[*]}"
   fi
diff --git a/setup-gbrain/SKILL.md b/setup-gbrain/SKILL.md
index 8c2c6efcc..327184b08 100644
--- a/setup-gbrain/SKILL.md
+++ b/setup-gbrain/SKILL.md
@@ -916,6 +916,8 @@ mv "$HOME/.gbrain/config.json" "$BACKUP"
 # gstack default: voyage-code-3 (1024d) when VOYAGE_API_KEY is set — best for
 # code retrieval. Without the key, fall back to gbrain's own auto-selected
 # embedding provider chain (OpenAI 1536d when OPENAI_API_KEY is present, etc.).
+# Never select gbrain's legacy zeroentropyai recipe for a new brain: the hosted
+# API sunsets September 4, 2026 (#2365); the wireup helper warns existing installs.
 set --  # flags ride the positional params — unquoted $VAR breaks under zsh word-splitting (#1798)
 if [ -n "${VOYAGE_API_KEY:-}" ]; then
   set -- --embedding-model voyage:voyage-code-3 --embedding-dimensions 1024
@@ -1175,6 +1177,8 @@ Then follow the same secret-read + verify + init flow as Path 1.
 # gstack default: voyage-code-3 (1024d) when VOYAGE_API_KEY is set — code
 # retrieval beats general-purpose embeddings on real code queries (validated
 # A/B). Without the key, gbrain auto-selects (OpenAI 1536d when available).
+# Never select gbrain's legacy zeroentropyai recipe for a new brain: the hosted
+# API sunsets September 4, 2026 (#2365); the wireup helper warns existing installs.
 set --  # flags ride the positional params — unquoted $VAR breaks under zsh word-splitting (#1798)
 if [ -n "${VOYAGE_API_KEY:-}" ]; then
   set -- --embedding-model voyage:voyage-code-3 --embedding-dimensions 1024
diff --git a/setup-gbrain/SKILL.md.tmpl b/setup-gbrain/SKILL.md.tmpl
index 3636a4f9b..8115f9d87 100644
--- a/setup-gbrain/SKILL.md.tmpl
+++ b/setup-gbrain/SKILL.md.tmpl
@@ -134,6 +134,8 @@ mv "$HOME/.gbrain/config.json" "$BACKUP"
 # gstack default: voyage-code-3 (1024d) when VOYAGE_API_KEY is set — best for
 # code retrieval. Without the key, fall back to gbrain's own auto-selected
 # embedding provider chain (OpenAI 1536d when OPENAI_API_KEY is present, etc.).
+# Never select gbrain's legacy zeroentropyai recipe for a new brain: the hosted
+# API sunsets September 4, 2026 (#2365); the wireup helper warns existing installs.
 set --  # flags ride the positional params — unquoted $VAR breaks under zsh word-splitting (#1798)
 if [ -n "${VOYAGE_API_KEY:-}" ]; then
   set -- --embedding-model voyage:voyage-code-3 --embedding-dimensions 1024
@@ -393,6 +395,8 @@ Then follow the same secret-read + verify + init flow as Path 1.
 # gstack default: voyage-code-3 (1024d) when VOYAGE_API_KEY is set — code
 # retrieval beats general-purpose embeddings on real code queries (validated
 # A/B). Without the key, gbrain auto-selects (OpenAI 1536d when available).
+# Never select gbrain's legacy zeroentropyai recipe for a new brain: the hosted
+# API sunsets September 4, 2026 (#2365); the wireup helper warns existing installs.
 set --  # flags ride the positional params — unquoted $VAR breaks under zsh word-splitting (#1798)
 if [ -n "${VOYAGE_API_KEY:-}" ]; then
   set -- --embedding-model voyage:voyage-code-3 --embedding-dimensions 1024
diff --git a/test/evidence.test.ts b/test/evidence.test.ts
index 77652806f..978866dce 100644
--- a/test/evidence.test.ts
+++ b/test/evidence.test.ts
@@ -314,3 +314,96 @@ describe('gstack-evidence check', () => {
     }
   });
 });
+
+describe('gstack-evidence run — bun dotenv autoload must not reach the child', () => {
+  // bun auto-loads .env / .env.<NODE_ENV> / .env.local from the cwd into
+  // process.env, and this binary has a bun shebang, so without scrubbing every
+  // spawned command inherits them. That leaks production credentials into a child
+  // that would not otherwise have them AND changes the behaviour of the command
+  // being certified, which is the worse half: the ledger would vouch for a run
+  // that differs from the one CI performs.
+  //
+  // ⚠️ `bun test` runs with NODE_ENV=test, and bun SKIPS .env.local in test mode
+  // (verified on bun 1.3.11: NODE_ENV=test loads .env but not .env.local). A
+  // .env.local fixture here therefore proves nothing unless NODE_ENV is cleared
+  // for the spawn — the first version of these tests passed for exactly that
+  // wrong reason. Every leak test below asserts the scrub WARNING fired, so a
+  // fixture bun never loaded fails instead of passing silently.
+
+  function runWith(env: Record<string, string | undefined>, cmd: string) {
+    return spawnSync(EVIDENCE, ['run', '--label', 'envprobe', '--', cmd], {
+      cwd: repoDir,
+      env: { ...process.env, GSTACK_HOME: gstackHome, ...env },
+      encoding: 'utf-8',
+      timeout: 60000,
+    });
+  }
+
+  test('a .env value is scrubbed, and the warning names the key but never the value', () => {
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(repoDir, '.env'), 'ZZ_TOKEN_PROBE="s3cret-value"\n');
+    const r = run(['run', '--label', 'envprobe', '--', 'echo "saw=[${ZZ_TOKEN_PROBE:-absent}]"']);
+    expect(r.status).toBe(0);
+    expect(r.stderr).toContain('ZZ_TOKEN_PROBE');   // positive control: the scrub ran
+    expect(r.stdout).toContain('saw=[absent]');
+    // The diagnostic must not become the leak it prevents.
+    expect(r.stderr).not.toContain('s3cret-value');
+    expect(r.stdout).not.toContain('s3cret-value');
+  });
+
+  test('a .env.local value is scrubbed when bun actually loads it (NODE_ENV cleared)', () => {
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(repoDir, '.env.local'), 'ZZ_LOCAL_PROBE=leaked\n');
+    const r = runWith({ NODE_ENV: undefined }, 'echo "saw=[${ZZ_LOCAL_PROBE:-absent}]"');
+    expect(r.stderr ?? '').toContain('ZZ_LOCAL_PROBE');  // positive control
+    expect(r.stdout ?? '').toContain('saw=[absent]');
+    expect(r.stdout ?? '').not.toContain('leaked');
+  });
+
+  test('.env.local is left alone under NODE_ENV=test, because bun never loaded it', () => {
+    // Mirrors bun's own precedence. Scrubbing a key bun did not inject would strip
+    // a variable the caller's shell legitimately provided.
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(repoDir, '.env.local'), 'ZZ_TESTMODE_PROBE=from_file\n');
+    const r = runWith({ NODE_ENV: 'test', ZZ_TESTMODE_PROBE: 'from_shell' },
+      'echo "saw=[${ZZ_TESTMODE_PROBE:-absent}]"');
+    expect(r.stdout ?? '').toContain('saw=[from_shell]');
+  });
+
+  test('CONTROL — a var the shell exported with a different value SURVIVES', () => {
+    // bun does not override an already-exported var (verified on bun 1.3.11), so a
+    // live value that differs from the file is genuinely the user's environment.
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(repoDir, '.env'), 'ZZ_KEEP_PROBE=from_file\n');
+    const r = runWith({ ZZ_KEEP_PROBE: 'from_shell' }, 'echo "saw=[${ZZ_KEEP_PROBE:-absent}]"');
+    expect(r.stdout ?? '').toContain('saw=[from_shell]');
+    expect(r.stderr ?? '').not.toContain('ZZ_KEEP_PROBE');
+  });
+
+  test('GSTACK_EVIDENCE_KEEP_DOTENV=1 restores the old pass-through behaviour', () => {
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(repoDir, '.env'), 'ZZ_OPTOUT_PROBE=kept\n');
+    const r = runWith({ GSTACK_EVIDENCE_KEEP_DOTENV: '1' }, 'echo "saw=[${ZZ_OPTOUT_PROBE:-absent}]"');
+    expect(r.stdout ?? '').toContain('saw=[kept]');
+    expect(r.stderr ?? '').not.toContain('scrubbed');
+  });
+
+  test('no dotenv file means no scrub warning at all', () => {
+    const r = run(['run', '--label', 'envprobe', '--', 'echo hi']);
+    expect(r.status).toBe(0);
+    expect(r.stderr).not.toContain('scrubbed');
+  });
+
+  test('an UNREADABLE .env fails open: evidence still runs, nothing scrubbed', () => {
+    const envPath = path.join(repoDir, '.env');
+    fs.writeFileSync(envPath, 'ZZ_DENIED_PROBE=hidden\n');
+    fs.chmodSync(envPath, 0o000);
+    // chmod 000 cannot create unreadability for root or CAP_DAC_OVERRIDE
+    // environments (reads succeed regardless) — probe functionally and skip
+    // rather than assert a condition the fixture couldn't create.
+    try { fs.readFileSync(envPath); fs.chmodSync(envPath, 0o644); return; } catch {}
+    try {
+      const r = run(['run', '--label', 'envprobe', '--', 'echo hi']);
+      // The scrub must skip the unreadable file and the run must still be recorded.
+      expect(r.status).toBe(0);
+      expect(r.stderr ?? '').not.toContain('ZZ_DENIED_PROBE');
+    } finally {
+      fs.chmodSync(envPath, 0o644); // let afterEach rmSync succeed
+    }
+  });
+});
diff --git a/test/fs-utils.test.ts b/test/fs-utils.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6959b8a57
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fs-utils.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+/**
+ * mkdirpSync + install-prepush-hook under bun-on-Windows EEXIST semantics
+ * (#2635).
+ *
+ * bun on Windows throws EEXIST from fs.mkdirSync(dir, { recursive: true })
+ * when dir already exists - Node treats it as a no-op - which crashed
+ * `gstack-redact install-prepush-hook` on any repo whose .git/hooks already
+ * existed. The CLI regression test below emulates those Windows semantics via
+ * a `bun --preload` fixture (test/helpers/emulate-bun-windows-eexist.ts), so
+ * the crash path runs on any platform, including CI Linux.
+ */
+import { describe, test, expect } from "bun:test";
+import * as fs from "fs";
+import * as os from "os";
+import * as path from "path";
+import { spawnSync } from "child_process";
+import { mkdirpSync } from "../lib/fs-utils";
+
+const REDACT = path.resolve(import.meta.dir, "..", "bin", "gstack-redact");
+const EEXIST_PRELOAD = path.resolve(
+  import.meta.dir,
+  "helpers",
+  "emulate-bun-windows-eexist.ts",
+);
+
+function tmpdir(): string {
+  return fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "fs-utils-"));
+}
+
+describe("mkdirpSync", () => {
+  test("creates missing nested directories", () => {
+    const base = tmpdir();
+    try {
+      const dir = path.join(base, "a", "b", "c");
+      mkdirpSync(dir);
+      expect(fs.statSync(dir).isDirectory()).toBe(true);
+    } finally {
+      fs.rmSync(base, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+
+  test("tolerates the directory already existing", () => {
+    const base = tmpdir();
+    try {
+      mkdirpSync(base); // exists -> must be a no-op, not EEXIST
+      mkdirpSync(base); // and idempotent on repeat calls
+    } finally {
+      fs.rmSync(base, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+
+  test("still throws EEXIST when a regular file occupies the path", () => {
+    const base = tmpdir();
+    try {
+      const file = path.join(base, "occupied");
+      fs.writeFileSync(file, "x");
+      expect(() => mkdirpSync(file)).toThrow(/EEXIST/);
+    } finally {
+      fs.rmSync(base, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+});
+
+describe("swept mkdirp sites under bun-on-Windows EEXIST semantics (#2635)", () => {
+  const DECISION_LOG = path.resolve(import.meta.dir, "..", "bin", "gstack-decision-log");
+
+  test("decision-log still writes when its projects dir already exists", () => {
+    // Proves the sweep WIRING, not just the helper: the first call creates
+    // ~/.gstack/projects/<slug>/, the second hits the emulated Windows EEXIST
+    // on that pre-existing dir — bare mkdirSync crashed here before the sweep.
+    const base = tmpdir();
+    try {
+      const work = path.join(base, "work");
+      fs.mkdirSync(work, { recursive: true });
+      const payload = '{"decision":"eexist probe","rationale":"r","scope":"repo","source":"user"}';
+      const env = { ...process.env, HOME: base };
+      const first = spawnSync("bun", [DECISION_LOG, payload], { cwd: work, encoding: "utf8", env });
+      expect(first.status).toBe(0);
+      const second = spawnSync(
+        "bun", ["--preload", EEXIST_PRELOAD, DECISION_LOG, payload],
+        { cwd: work, encoding: "utf8", env },
+      );
+      expect(second.status).toBe(0);
+      expect(second.stderr ?? "").not.toContain("EEXIST");
+    } finally {
+      fs.rmSync(base, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+});
+
+describe("install-prepush-hook under bun-on-Windows EEXIST semantics (#2635)", () => {
+  test("install succeeds when .git/hooks already exists, existing hook preserved", () => {
+    const base = tmpdir();
+    try {
+      const repo = path.join(base, "repo");
+      spawnSync("git", ["init", "-q", repo]);
+      const hookDir = path.join(repo, ".git", "hooks");
+      fs.mkdirSync(hookDir, { recursive: true });
+      const hookPath = path.join(hookDir, "pre-push");
+      fs.writeFileSync(hookPath, "#!/usr/bin/env bash\necho mine\n", { mode: 0o755 });
+
+      // Under the emulated bun-on-Windows fs, the bare
+      // fs.mkdirSync(dir, { recursive: true }) in installPrepushHook() throws
+      // EEXIST (the #2635 crash). With mkdirpSync it must install cleanly.
+      const r = spawnSync("bun", ["--preload", EEXIST_PRELOAD, REDACT, "install-prepush-hook"], {
+        cwd: repo,
+        encoding: "utf8",
+      });
+      expect(r.status).toBe(0);
+      expect(r.stderr ?? "").not.toContain("EEXIST");
+      expect(fs.readFileSync(hookPath, "utf8")).toContain("gstack-redact pre-push (managed)");
+      expect(fs.readFileSync(path.join(hookDir, "pre-push.local"), "utf8")).toContain("echo mine");
+    } finally {
+      fs.rmSync(base, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+});
diff --git a/test/gen-skill-docs.test.ts b/test/gen-skill-docs.test.ts
index ba1b271f2..67aa46b18 100644
--- a/test/gen-skill-docs.test.ts
+++ b/test/gen-skill-docs.test.ts
@@ -2515,9 +2515,12 @@ describe('setup script validation', () => {
     expect(claudeSection).toContain('link_claude_root_skill_alias "$SOURCE_GSTACK_DIR" "$INSTALL_SKILLS_DIR"');
   });
 
-  test('setup supports --host auto|claude|codex|kiro|opencode|cursor|slate', () => {
+  test('setup supports --host auto|claude|codex|kiro|opencode|cursor; slate is informational', () => {
     expect(setupContent).toContain('--host');
-    expect(setupContent).toContain('claude|codex|kiro|factory|opencode|cursor|slate|auto');
+    // #2361: slate moved OUT of the install accept-list (it was accepted but
+    // never dispatched — a silent exit-0 no-op) into an informational arm.
+    expect(setupContent).toContain('claude|codex|kiro|factory|opencode|cursor|auto');
+    expect(setupContent).toMatch(/^ {2}slate\)/m);
   });
 
   test('auto mode detects claude, codex, kiro, and opencode binaries', () => {
diff --git a/test/gstack-gbrain-source-wireup.test.ts b/test/gstack-gbrain-source-wireup.test.ts
index d7a30b768..71e2d8b17 100644
--- a/test/gstack-gbrain-source-wireup.test.ts
+++ b/test/gstack-gbrain-source-wireup.test.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,18 @@ const ROOT = path.resolve(import.meta.dir, '..');
 const BIN_DIR = path.join(ROOT, 'bin');
 const WIREUP_BIN = path.join(BIN_DIR, 'gstack-gbrain-source-wireup');
 
+// Hermetic PATH base (#2255). The missing-gbrain fixtures must not see a
+// user-installed gbrain on the host (e.g. macOS /opt/homebrew/bin), or the
+// "missing" case exits 0 instead of 2. Base is root-owned OS dirs only
+// (/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin — where git/python3/jq/coreutils resolve on
+// macOS and Linux) plus BUN_ONLY_DIR, so no user-installed gbrain can be
+// present. The scratch dir holds only a bun symlink, mirroring
+// gbrain-detect-install.test.ts so spawned children can resolve bun on CI
+// regardless of install dir.
+const BUN_ONLY_DIR = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'wireup-bun-only-'));
+fs.symlinkSync(process.execPath, path.join(BUN_ONLY_DIR, 'bun'));
+const HERMETIC_PATH = `/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin:${BUN_ONLY_DIR}`;
+
 let tmpHome: string;
 let gstackHome: string;
 let worktreeDir: string;
@@ -30,10 +42,12 @@ let gbrainStateFile: string;
 function makeFakeGbrain(opts: {
   version?: string | null; // null = "binary missing" (don't write the file)
   syncFails?: boolean;
+  syncHelpNoSource?: boolean; // simulate an older gbrain whose sync lacks --source
 }) {
   const version = opts.version ?? '0.18.2';
   if (version === null) return; // simulate missing binary by NOT writing one
   const syncFails = opts.syncFails ?? false;
+  const syncHelpNoSource = opts.syncHelpNoSource ?? false;
 
   // Stub gbrain reads/writes state from a JSON file. Fields:
   //   sources: [{id, local_path, federated}]
@@ -97,6 +111,13 @@ json.dump(state, open('$STATE','w'), indent=2)
 fi
 
 # sync --repo <p>  → records, optionally fails
+# sync --help → advertise flags (the wireup probes this before choosing the
+# sync form; the default fake mirrors a current gbrain, which HAS --source)
+if [ "$1" = "sync" ] && [ "$2" = "--help" ]; then
+  echo "Usage: gbrain sync [--repo <path>]${syncHelpNoSource ? '' : ' [--source <id>]'}"
+  exit 0
+fi
+
 if [ "$1" = "sync" ]; then
   ${syncFails ? 'echo "sync failed: connection error" >&2; exit 1' : 'echo "1 page imported"; exit 0'}
 fi
@@ -113,7 +134,7 @@ function run(
   opts: { env?: Record<string, string> } = {}
 ) {
   const env = {
-    PATH: `${fakeBinDir}:${process.env.PATH || '/usr/bin:/bin:/opt/homebrew/bin'}`,
+    PATH: `${fakeBinDir}:${HERMETIC_PATH}`,
     HOME: tmpHome,
     GSTACK_HOME: gstackHome,
     GSTACK_BRAIN_WORKTREE: worktreeDir,
@@ -181,6 +202,31 @@ describe('gstack-gbrain-source-wireup — wireup mode', () => {
     expect(state.sources[0].federated).toBe(true);
   });
 
+  test('the real sync targets the REGISTERED source, never --repo (#2662)', () => {
+    // `sync --repo <path>` resolves against the brain's DEFAULT source and can
+    // silently repoint its local_path anchor at our worktree. This case runs
+    // WITHOUT GSTACK_BRAIN_NO_SYNC — the skip-mode cases never reach the sync,
+    // so asserting the sync argv there would be vacuous.
+    setupGstackRepo('git@github.com:user/gstack-brain-user.git');
+    makeFakeGbrain({});
+    const r = run([]);
+    expect(r.status).toBe(0);
+    const calls = gbrainCalls();
+    expect(calls.some((c) => c.startsWith('gbrain sync --source gstack-brain-user'))).toBe(true);
+    expect(calls.some((c) => c.includes('sync --repo'))).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  test('older gbrain without sync --source: falls back to --repo with an upgrade warning', () => {
+    setupGstackRepo('git@github.com:user/gstack-brain-user.git');
+    makeFakeGbrain({ syncHelpNoSource: true });
+    const r = run([]);
+    expect(r.status).toBe(0);
+    const calls = gbrainCalls();
+    expect(calls.some((c) => c.startsWith('gbrain sync --repo'))).toBe(true);
+    expect(calls.some((c) => c.includes('sync --source '))).toBe(false);
+    expect(r.stderr).toContain('#2662');
+  });
+
   test('idempotent re-run after success: no new sources add call', () => {
     setupGstackRepo('git@github.com:user/gstack-brain-user.git');
     makeFakeGbrain({});
@@ -229,14 +275,52 @@ describe('gstack-gbrain-source-wireup — wireup mode', () => {
 
   test('--strict + gbrain missing on PATH: exits 2', () => {
     setupGstackRepo('git@github.com:user/gstack-brain-user.git');
-    // Don't make a fake gbrain — fakeBinDir is empty. Keep system dirs on PATH
-    // so basic commands (git, awk, sed, etc.) work; only `gbrain` is absent.
-    const r = run(['--strict'], {
-      env: { PATH: `${fakeBinDir}:/usr/bin:/bin:/opt/homebrew/bin` },
-    });
+    // Don't make a fake gbrain — fakeBinDir is empty. run() applies the
+    // hermetic PATH base; only `gbrain` is absent.
+    const r = run(['--strict']);
     expect(r.status).toBe(2);
   });
 
+  test('--strict + gbrain present in controlled dir: exits 0 (positive control)', () => {
+    setupGstackRepo('git@github.com:user/gstack-brain-user.git');
+    // Positive control for hermeticity: a gbrain stub in the test-controlled
+    // fakeBinDir (first on the hermetic PATH) IS found, so --strict proceeds
+    // (exit 0). This proves the fixture CAN supply gbrain when present; the
+    // determinism test below proves the host cannot leak one in (#2255).
+    makeFakeGbrain({});
+    const r = run(['--strict'], { env: { GSTACK_BRAIN_NO_SYNC: '1' } });
+    expect(r.status).toBe(0);
+    expect(gbrainCalls().some((c) => c.startsWith('gbrain sources add'))).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  test('--strict + gbrain present in a host-like dir: still exits 2 (determinism)', () => {
+    setupGstackRepo('git@github.com:user/gstack-brain-user.git');
+    // Determinism check (#2255, plan TS2): plant a real-looking gbrain stub in
+    // a dir that the OLD fixture would have leaked via process.env.PATH or the
+    // hardcoded /opt/homebrew/bin list. The root-owned-only hermetic base
+    // excludes user-writable dirs, so the child never sees the stub and the
+    // missing case stays deterministic across dev machines. This test fails on
+    // the unpatched fixture (stub found -> exit 0) and passes on the fixed one.
+    const hostLikeDir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'wireup-host-like-'));
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(hostLikeDir, 'gbrain'),
+      '#!/bin/bash\necho "gbrain 0.18.2"\n',
+      { mode: 0o755 }
+    );
+    // No env PATH override: run() applies the hermetic base. The stub exists
+    // only in a user-writable dir the base excludes.
+    const r = run(['--strict']);
+    expect(r.status).toBe(2);
+    // Sanity: the stub IS visible to a shell using the host-like PATH, so this
+    // test would catch the old leak if the base ever regressed.
+    const check = spawnSync('bash', ['-c', `command -v gbrain && gbrain --version`], {
+      env: { PATH: `${hostLikeDir}:${process.env.PATH || '/usr/bin:/bin'}` },
+      encoding: 'utf-8',
+    });
+    expect(check.status).toBe(0);
+    expect(check.stdout).toContain('gbrain 0.18.2');
+  });
+
   test('source-id derived from origin URL', () => {
     setupGstackRepo('git@github.com:user/gstack-brain-alice.git');
     makeFakeGbrain({});
@@ -291,6 +375,46 @@ describe('gstack-gbrain-source-wireup — wireup mode', () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe('gstack-gbrain-source-wireup — ZeroEntropy sunset advisory (#2365)', () => {
+  // The hosted ZeroEntropy API dies Sept 4, 2026; a gbrain on the zeroentropyai
+  // recipe keeps importing but stops embedding SILENTLY. Detection is a
+  // fail-open grep of ~/.gbrain/config.json — missing/other-provider configs
+  // must stay silent and never block the wireup.
+
+  test('config naming zeroentropyai → sunset warning, wireup still succeeds', () => {
+    setupGstackRepo('git@github.com:user/gstack-brain-user.git');
+    makeFakeGbrain({});
+    fs.mkdirSync(path.join(tmpHome, '.gbrain'), { recursive: true });
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(tmpHome, '.gbrain', 'config.json'),
+      JSON.stringify({ embedding: { recipe: 'zeroentropyai' } }),
+    );
+    const r = run([], { env: { GSTACK_BRAIN_NO_SYNC: '1' } });
+    expect(r.status).toBe(0);
+    expect(r.stderr).toContain('ZeroEntropy');
+    expect(r.stderr).toContain('2365');
+  });
+
+  test('config on another provider → no warning (fail-open, no false positive)', () => {
+    setupGstackRepo('git@github.com:user/gstack-brain-user.git');
+    makeFakeGbrain({});
+    fs.mkdirSync(path.join(tmpHome, '.gbrain'), { recursive: true });
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      path.join(tmpHome, '.gbrain', 'config.json'),
+      JSON.stringify({ embedding: { recipe: 'voyage:voyage-code-3' } }),
+    );
+    const r = run([], { env: { GSTACK_BRAIN_NO_SYNC: '1' } });
+    expect(r.status).toBe(0);
+    expect(r.stderr).not.toContain('ZeroEntropy');
+  });
+
+  test('advisory docs entry exists (USING_GBRAIN_WITH_GSTACK.md content pin)', () => {
+    const doc = fs.readFileSync(path.join(ROOT, 'USING_GBRAIN_WITH_GSTACK.md'), 'utf-8');
+    expect(doc).toContain('September 4, 2026');
+    expect(doc).toContain('#2365');
+  });
+});
+
 describe('gstack-gbrain-source-wireup — --database-url lock (defends against external config rewrites)', () => {
   test('--database-url flag is exported as GBRAIN_DATABASE_URL to child gbrain calls', () => {
     setupGstackRepo('git@github.com:user/gstack-brain-user.git');
@@ -388,9 +512,7 @@ describe('gstack-gbrain-source-wireup — uninstall mode', () => {
     expect(fs.existsSync(worktreeDir)).toBe(true);
     // Now remove the fake gbrain so uninstall sees gbrain missing
     fs.rmSync(path.join(fakeBinDir, 'gbrain'), { force: true });
-    const r = run(['--uninstall'], {
-      env: { PATH: `${fakeBinDir}:/usr/bin:/bin:/opt/homebrew/bin` },
-    });
+    const r = run(['--uninstall']);
     expect(r.status).toBe(0); // best-effort, never fails on gbrain absence
     expect(fs.existsSync(worktreeDir)).toBe(false); // worktree still cleaned up
   });
diff --git a/test/gstack-memory-ingest.test.ts b/test/gstack-memory-ingest.test.ts
index 26289afe6..56523a0b6 100644
--- a/test/gstack-memory-ingest.test.ts
+++ b/test/gstack-memory-ingest.test.ts
@@ -484,6 +484,44 @@ describe("gstack-memory-ingest writer (gbrain v0.20+ batch `import` interface)",
     expect(stagedList).toMatch(/^\.\/transcripts\/claude-code\/.+\.md$/m);
   });
 
+  // #2353: buildTranscriptPage stored the RAW resolved remote ("" when
+  // unresolvable) while the frontmatter wrote the normalized "_unattributed".
+  // The policy filter fast-paths !p.git_remote, so under --include-unattributed
+  // a `_unattributed → deny` policy never applied to exactly the pages it
+  // names. Uses the REAL bin/gstack-gbrain-repo-policy (resolved by the client
+  // relative to lib/, and seeded here through its own `set` verb) — a fake
+  // echoing tiers would pass on both sides of the fix.
+  it("a deny policy keyed _unattributed applies to unattributable transcripts (#2353)", () => {
+    const home = makeTestHome();
+    const gstackHome = join(home, ".gstack");
+    mkdirSync(gstackHome, { recursive: true });
+    const { binDir, logFile } = installFakeGbrain(home);
+
+    const POLICY = join(import.meta.dir, "..", "bin", "gstack-gbrain-repo-policy");
+    const seeded = spawnSync("bash", [POLICY, "set", "_unattributed", "deny"], {
+      encoding: "utf-8",
+      env: { ...process.env, HOME: home, GSTACK_HOME: gstackHome },
+    });
+    expect(seeded.status).toBe(0);
+    expect(existsSync(join(gstackHome, "gbrain-repo-policy.json"))).toBe(true);
+
+    const session =
+      `{"type":"user","message":{"role":"user","content":"hi"},"timestamp":"2026-05-01T00:00:00Z","cwd":"/tmp/foo"}\n` +
+      `{"type":"assistant","message":{"role":"assistant","content":"hello"},"timestamp":"2026-05-01T00:00:01Z"}\n`;
+    writeClaudeCodeSession(home, "tmp-foo", "abc123", session);
+
+    const r = runScript(["--bulk", "--include-unattributed", "--quiet"], {
+      HOME: home,
+      GSTACK_HOME: gstackHome,
+      PATH: `${binDir}:${process.env.PATH || ""}`,
+    });
+
+    // The only candidate page is policy-denied, so nothing may reach gbrain:
+    // pre-fix, the "" remote bypassed the filter and gbrain import ran.
+    expect(r.exitCode).toBe(0);
+    expect(existsSync(logFile)).toBe(false);
+  });
+
   // Silent-data-loss regression: gbrain accepts the import call, exits 0, and
   // reports imported=0 because collect_files found nothing in the staging dir
   // (real-world cause: gstack-artifacts-init writes `.gitignore = "*"` into
diff --git a/test/helpers/emulate-bun-windows-eexist.ts b/test/helpers/emulate-bun-windows-eexist.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..17320a7df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/helpers/emulate-bun-windows-eexist.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+/**
+ * Bun --preload fixture that emulates bun-on-Windows fs.mkdirSync semantics
+ * (see #2635): a recursive mkdir on an already-existing directory throws
+ * EEXIST, where Node (and bun on Linux/macOS) treat it as a no-op success.
+ *
+ * Loaded into a child process with `bun --preload <this file> <script>`, it
+ * lets the #2635 regression test exercise the exact Windows crash path on any
+ * platform. The patch is deliberately transparent - it changes nothing except
+ * throwing EEXIST where Windows bun would.
+ */
+const fs = require("fs");
+const orig = fs.mkdirSync;
+fs.mkdirSync = (p: string, opts: any) => {
+  if (opts?.recursive && fs.existsSync(p) && fs.statSync(p).isDirectory()) {
+    const e = new Error(`EEXIST: file already exists, mkdir '${p}'`);
+    (e as any).code = "EEXIST";
+    throw e;
+  }
+  return orig(p, opts);
+};
diff --git a/test/heredoc-pipe-deadlock.test.ts b/test/heredoc-pipe-deadlock.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0518fc366
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/heredoc-pipe-deadlock.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+import { describe, test, expect } from 'bun:test';
+import * as fs from 'fs';
+import * as path from 'path';
+import { execSync, spawnSync } from 'child_process';
+
+/**
+ * bash 5.2+ delivers a heredoc body of 64KiB or less through a pipe: the
+ * forked child writes the whole body before exec, and nothing reads the other
+ * end until the command starts. On macOS under pipe-KVA pressure the kernel
+ * hands a fresh pipe a 512-byte buffer, so any body of 512 bytes or more
+ * blocks write() forever — the script hangs at startup, silently, with no
+ * output and no error. The runtime capacity check bash would need
+ * (F_GETPIPE_SZ) is Linux-only.
+ *
+ * Compat level 50 restores the pre-5.2 tempfile path. Every script that ships
+ * an in-window heredoc must set it, and this scanner fails the suite when a
+ * new one appears without the guard.
+ *
+ * The guard is deliberately not a `#!/bin/bash` shebang swap: that pins the
+ * script to whatever bash lives at /bin (3.2 on macOS, absent on some Linux
+ * distributions) and is bypassed entirely by `bash script.sh` call sites.
+ */
+
+const ROOT = path.resolve(import.meta.dir, '..');
+
+// Inclusive byte window where the pipe path is taken AND a starved pipe can
+// block. Bodies over 64KiB fall back to a tempfile on their own.
+const MIN_BODY = 512;
+const MAX_BODY = 64 * 1024;
+
+const GUARD_RE = /^\s*(?::\s*"\$\{)?BASH_COMPAT(?:[:=]|\}")/m;
+
+function trackedShellScripts(): string[] {
+  const out = execSync('git ls-files', { cwd: ROOT, encoding: 'utf-8', maxBuffer: 32 * 1024 * 1024 });
+  return out
+    .split('\n')
+    .map((s) => s.trim())
+    .filter(Boolean)
+    .filter((f) => {
+      const abs = path.join(ROOT, f);
+      if (!fs.existsSync(abs) || !fs.statSync(abs).isFile()) return false;
+      if (f.endsWith('.sh')) return true;
+      const head = fs.readFileSync(abs).subarray(0, 64).toString('utf-8');
+      return /^#!.*\b(bash|sh)\b/.test(head);
+    });
+}
+
+/** Heredocs in `content` whose body lands inside the deadlock window. */
+function inWindowHeredocs(content: string): { line: number; tag: string; bytes: number }[] {
+  const lines = content.split('\n');
+  const hits: { line: number; tag: string; bytes: number }[] = [];
+  for (let i = 0; i < lines.length; i++) {
+    const m = /<<-?\s*'?([A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9_]*)'?/.exec(lines[i]);
+    if (!m) continue;
+    const tag = m[1];
+    let j = i + 1;
+    const body: string[] = [];
+    while (j < lines.length && lines[j].trim() !== tag) body.push(lines[j++]);
+    const bytes = Buffer.byteLength(body.join('\n')) + 1;
+    if (bytes >= MIN_BODY && bytes <= MAX_BODY) hits.push({ line: i + 1, tag, bytes });
+    i = j;
+  }
+  return hits;
+}
+
+describe('heredoc pipe-deadlock guard', () => {
+  test('every script with an in-window heredoc sets BASH_COMPAT', () => {
+    const violations: string[] = [];
+    for (const rel of trackedShellScripts()) {
+      const content = fs.readFileSync(path.join(ROOT, rel), 'utf-8');
+      const hits = inWindowHeredocs(content);
+      if (hits.length === 0) continue;
+      if (GUARD_RE.test(content)) continue;
+      for (const h of hits) violations.push(`${rel}:${h.line} <<${h.tag} body=${h.bytes}B`);
+    }
+    if (violations.length > 0) {
+      throw new Error(
+        `Heredoc bodies in the ${MIN_BODY}-${MAX_BODY}B pipe window without a BASH_COMPAT guard:\n  ` +
+          violations.join('\n  ') +
+          `\n\nFix: add \`BASH_COMPAT=50\` near the top of the script (below any ` +
+          `\`--help\` sed range that reads $0), or shrink the body under ${MIN_BODY}B, ` +
+          `or pipe it in with printf so a live reader exists.`,
+      );
+    }
+    expect(violations).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  test('the guard actually moves the body off the pipe', () => {
+    const bash = spawnSync('bash', ['-c', 'echo "${BASH_VERSINFO[0]}.${BASH_VERSINFO[1]}"'], {
+      encoding: 'utf-8',
+    });
+    const version = (bash.stdout ?? '').trim();
+    const [maj, min] = version.split('.').map((n) => parseInt(n, 10));
+    // Only 5.2+ takes the pipe path at all; older bash is already on tempfiles.
+    if (!(maj > 5 || (maj === 5 && min >= 2))) {
+      expect(version).toBeTruthy();
+      return;
+    }
+
+    // Some sandboxes/containers ship a minimal /dev without /dev/stdin — the
+    // probe medium itself is absent there, so -p/-f both report false and the
+    // probe would answer OTHER for an unobservable fd. Skip rather than fail.
+    const devStdin = spawnSync('bash', ['-c', '[ -e /dev/stdin ] && echo yes || echo no'], {
+      encoding: 'utf-8',
+    });
+    if ((devStdin.stdout ?? '').trim() !== 'yes') return;
+
+    const probe = (guard: string) => `#!/usr/bin/env bash
+${guard}
+body=$(printf 'x%.0s' $(seq 1 1000))
+probe() { if [ -p /dev/stdin ]; then echo PIPE; elif [ -f /dev/stdin ]; then echo TEMPFILE; else echo OTHER; fi; }
+probe <<EOF
+$body
+EOF
+`;
+    const run = (guard: string) =>
+      (spawnSync('bash', ['-c', probe(guard)], { encoding: 'utf-8' }).stdout ?? '').trim();
+
+    expect(run('')).toBe('PIPE');
+    expect(run('BASH_COMPAT=50')).toBe('TEMPFILE');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/test/land-and-deploy-postfail.test.ts b/test/land-and-deploy-postfail.test.ts
index f89d77518..d4ea73aaf 100644
--- a/test/land-and-deploy-postfail.test.ts
+++ b/test/land-and-deploy-postfail.test.ts
@@ -87,6 +87,26 @@ describe("PR #1620 §4a-postfail in land-and-deploy template", () => {
     expect(body).toMatch(/continue to §4a/);
   });
 
+  // #2656: the failed merge carried --delete-branch; the recovery path must
+  // reconcile the remote branch instead of silently dropping that half.
+  test("MERGED branch reconciles the remote branch (ls-remote, confirm-first delete)", () => {
+    const body = readTmpl();
+    expect(body).toMatch(/git ls-remote --heads origin "\$BRANCH"/);
+    expect(body).toMatch(/gh pr view --json headRefName -q \.headRefName/);
+    expect(body).toMatch(/git push origin --delete "\$BRANCH"/);
+    // Confirm-first: deletion is offered, never unilateral.
+    expect(body).toMatch(/Delete it\?/);
+  });
+
+  test("MERGED branch reconciliation distinguishes branch-absent from check-failed", () => {
+    const body = readTmpl();
+    // exit 0 + empty output = already clean (idempotent re-runs)...
+    expect(body).toMatch(/already been cleaned up/);
+    // ...non-zero exit = unknown state, never read as a clean branch.
+    expect(body).toMatch(/Couldn't verify remote branch state/);
+    expect(body).toMatch(/never read a failed check as a clean branch/);
+  });
+
   test("OPEN branch checks autoMergeRequest before treating as failure", () => {
     const body = readTmpl();
     expect(body).toMatch(/gh pr view --json autoMergeRequest/);
diff --git a/test/setup-cleanup-orphans.test.ts b/test/setup-cleanup-orphans.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4869e24fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/setup-cleanup-orphans.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,281 @@
+/**
+ * cleanup_old_claude_symlinks destination scan (#2204).
+ *
+ * The helper used to iterate the payload skill dirs. When the payload is
+ * gone the glob matches nothing, so leftover flat skill dirs in $skills_dir
+ * stay forever. This suite extracts the REAL function from setup and drives
+ * it against a temp skills tree — payload-missing orphans must go, user
+ * skills must stay.
+ */
+import { describe, test, expect } from 'bun:test';
+import { spawnSync } from 'child_process';
+import * as fs from 'fs';
+import * as os from 'os';
+import * as path from 'path';
+
+const ROOT = path.resolve(import.meta.dir, '..');
+const SETUP_SRC = fs.readFileSync(path.join(ROOT, 'setup'), 'utf-8');
+
+function extractFn(name: string): string {
+  const start = SETUP_SRC.indexOf(`${name}() {`);
+  const end = SETUP_SRC.indexOf('\n}\n', start);
+  if (start < 0 || end < 0) throw new Error(`Could not locate ${name}() in setup`);
+  return SETUP_SRC.slice(start, end + 2);
+}
+
+function cleanupBody(): string {
+  return extractFn('cleanup_old_claude_symlinks');
+}
+
+describe('setup: cleanup_old_claude_symlinks — static (#2204)', () => {
+  test('scans the skills dir, not only the payload', () => {
+    const body = cleanupBody();
+    expect(body).toContain('for old_target in "$skills_dir"/*');
+    expect(body).toContain('[ "$skill_name" = "gstack" ] && continue');
+    expect(body).toContain('readlink');
+    expect(body).toContain('gstack/*');
+    expect(body).toContain('gstack-*) continue');
+    expect(body).toContain('-d "$old_target"');
+    expect(body).toContain('-L "$old_target/SKILL.md"');
+    expect(body).toContain('rm -rf "$old_target"');
+    // SKILL.md arm must use path-segment provenance, not a bare substring.
+    expect(body).toContain('gstack/*|*/gstack/*|*/.gstack/render/claude/*');
+    expect(body).not.toMatch(/\*gstack\*\)/);
+  });
+
+  test('Windows real-file reap still requires a live payload name list', () => {
+    const body = cleanupBody();
+    expect(body).toContain('for skill_dir in "$gstack_dir"/*/');
+    expect(body).toContain('[ "${IS_WINDOWS:-0}" -eq 1 ] && [ -d "$gstack_dir" ]');
+  });
+});
+
+describe.skipIf(process.platform === 'win32')('setup: cleanup_old_claude_symlinks — behavior (#2204)', () => {
+  function runCleanup(opts: {
+    isWindows?: '0' | '1';
+    payload?: boolean;
+    plant: (skills: string, payload: string) => void;
+  }): { status: number; stdout: string; stderr: string; names: string[]; tmp: string } {
+    const tmp = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'cleanup-orphans-'));
+    const skills = path.join(tmp, 'skills');
+    const payload = path.join(skills, 'gstack');
+    fs.mkdirSync(skills, { recursive: true });
+    if (opts.payload) {
+      fs.mkdirSync(payload, { recursive: true });
+    }
+    opts.plant(skills, payload);
+    const gstackArg = opts.payload ? payload : path.join(skills, 'missing-payload');
+    const script = [
+      'set -e',
+      `IS_WINDOWS=${opts.isWindows ?? '0'}`,
+      extractFn('cleanup_old_claude_symlinks'),
+      `cleanup_old_claude_symlinks "${gstackArg}" "${skills}"`,
+    ].join('\n');
+    const result = spawnSync('bash', ['-c', script], {
+      encoding: 'utf-8',
+      timeout: 5000,
+    });
+    const names = fs.existsSync(skills)
+      ? fs.readdirSync(skills).sort()
+      : [];
+    return {
+      status: result.status ?? -1,
+      stdout: result.stdout ?? '',
+      stderr: result.stderr ?? '',
+      names,
+      tmp,
+    };
+  }
+
+  function plantDanglingSkillMd(skills: string, name: string) {
+    const dir = path.join(skills, name);
+    fs.mkdirSync(dir);
+    fs.symlinkSync(`gstack/${name}/SKILL.md`, path.join(dir, 'SKILL.md'));
+  }
+
+  function plantUserSkill(skills: string, name: string) {
+    const dir = path.join(skills, name);
+    fs.mkdirSync(dir);
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(dir, 'SKILL.md'), '---\nname: user-owned\n---\n');
+  }
+
+  test('payload gone: dangling SKILL.md orphan is removed, user skill stays', () => {
+    const r = runCleanup({
+      payload: false,
+      plant(skills) {
+        plantDanglingSkillMd(skills, 'qa');
+        plantUserSkill(skills, 'my-own');
+      },
+    });
+    try {
+      expect(r.status).toBe(0);
+      expect(r.stderr).toBe('');
+      expect(r.stdout).toContain('cleaned up old entries: qa');
+      expect(r.names).toEqual(['my-own']);
+    } finally {
+      fs.rmSync(r.tmp, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+
+  test('payload gone: whole-dir symlink into gstack/ is removed', () => {
+    const r = runCleanup({
+      payload: false,
+      plant(skills) {
+        fs.symlinkSync('gstack/qa', path.join(skills, 'qa'));
+        plantUserSkill(skills, 'my-own');
+      },
+    });
+    try {
+      expect(r.status).toBe(0);
+      expect(r.names).toEqual(['my-own']);
+    } finally {
+      fs.rmSync(r.tmp, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+
+  test('payload present: leftover flat name pointing at gstack is still removed', () => {
+    const r = runCleanup({
+      payload: true,
+      plant(skills, payload) {
+        const src = path.join(payload, 'qa');
+        fs.mkdirSync(src);
+        fs.writeFileSync(path.join(src, 'SKILL.md'), '---\nname: qa\n---\n');
+        plantDanglingSkillMd(skills, 'qa');
+      },
+    });
+    try {
+      expect(r.status).toBe(0);
+      expect(r.names).toEqual(['gstack']);
+    } finally {
+      fs.rmSync(r.tmp, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+
+  test('payload present: dangling name absent from the payload is still removed', () => {
+    // Unique dest-scan win: the old "$gstack_dir"/*/ loop only considered
+    // names that still exist in the payload. A retired leftover must go.
+    const r = runCleanup({
+      payload: true,
+      plant(skills, payload) {
+        const src = path.join(payload, 'ship');
+        fs.mkdirSync(src);
+        fs.writeFileSync(path.join(src, 'SKILL.md'), '---\nname: ship\n---\n');
+        plantDanglingSkillMd(skills, 'qa');
+      },
+    });
+    try {
+      expect(r.status).toBe(0);
+      expect(r.names).toEqual(['gstack']);
+    } finally {
+      fs.rmSync(r.tmp, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+
+  test('does not remove a SKILL.md symlink that does not point at gstack', () => {
+    const r = runCleanup({
+      payload: false,
+      plant(skills) {
+        const dir = path.join(skills, 'elsewhere');
+        fs.mkdirSync(dir);
+        fs.symlinkSync('other/SKILL.md', path.join(dir, 'SKILL.md'));
+      },
+    });
+    try {
+      expect(r.status).toBe(0);
+      expect(r.stdout).toBe('');
+      expect(r.names).toEqual(['elsewhere']);
+    } finally {
+      fs.rmSync(r.tmp, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+
+  test('does not remove a SKILL.md whose target merely contains the substring gstack', () => {
+    const r = runCleanup({
+      payload: false,
+      plant(skills) {
+        const dir = path.join(skills, 'notes');
+        fs.mkdirSync(dir);
+        fs.symlinkSync('../../archive/my-gstack-backup/SKILL.md', path.join(dir, 'SKILL.md'));
+      },
+    });
+    try {
+      expect(r.status).toBe(0);
+      expect(r.stdout).toBe('');
+      expect(r.names).toEqual(['notes']);
+    } finally {
+      fs.rmSync(r.tmp, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+
+  test('reaps a leftover whose SKILL.md points at the user render dir', () => {
+    const r = runCleanup({
+      payload: false,
+      plant(skills) {
+        const dir = path.join(skills, 'qa');
+        fs.mkdirSync(dir);
+        fs.symlinkSync('../../.gstack/render/claude/qa/SKILL.md', path.join(dir, 'SKILL.md'));
+      },
+    });
+    try {
+      expect(r.status).toBe(0);
+      expect(r.stdout).toContain('cleaned up old entries: qa');
+      expect(r.names).toEqual([]);
+    } finally {
+      fs.rmSync(r.tmp, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+
+  test('does not remove prefixed gstack-* names or the payload dir', () => {
+    const r = runCleanup({
+      payload: true,
+      plant(skills, payload) {
+        fs.writeFileSync(path.join(payload, 'SKILL.md'), '---\nname: gstack\n---\n');
+        const prefixed = path.join(skills, 'gstack-qa');
+        fs.mkdirSync(prefixed);
+        fs.symlinkSync('gstack/qa/SKILL.md', path.join(prefixed, 'SKILL.md'));
+      },
+    });
+    try {
+      expect(r.status).toBe(0);
+      expect(r.names).toEqual(['gstack', 'gstack-qa']);
+    } finally {
+      fs.rmSync(r.tmp, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+
+  test('Windows real-file orphan is left alone when the payload is gone', () => {
+    const r = runCleanup({
+      isWindows: '1',
+      payload: false,
+      plant(skills) {
+        plantUserSkill(skills, 'qa');
+      },
+    });
+    try {
+      expect(r.status).toBe(0);
+      expect(r.names).toEqual(['qa']);
+    } finally {
+      fs.rmSync(r.tmp, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+
+  test('Windows real-file leftover is removed when the payload still names it', () => {
+    const r = runCleanup({
+      isWindows: '1',
+      payload: true,
+      plant(skills, payload) {
+        const src = path.join(payload, 'qa');
+        fs.mkdirSync(src);
+        fs.writeFileSync(path.join(src, 'SKILL.md'), '---\nname: qa\n---\n');
+        plantUserSkill(skills, 'qa');
+        plantUserSkill(skills, 'my-own');
+      },
+    });
+    try {
+      expect(r.status).toBe(0);
+      expect(r.names).toEqual(['gstack', 'my-own']);
+    } finally {
+      fs.rmSync(r.tmp, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+});
diff --git a/test/setup-help.test.ts b/test/setup-help.test.ts
index f1cbcc6e3..01ad9b991 100644
--- a/test/setup-help.test.ts
+++ b/test/setup-help.test.ts
@@ -62,3 +62,67 @@ describe('setup: --help flag (#1133)', () => {
     expect(res.stdout).toContain('Usage:');
   });
 });
+
+describe('setup: host accept-list ↔ hosts/index.ts registry cross-check (#2361)', () => {
+  // The #2361 failure class: a host passes --host validation but has no
+  // install arm, so `./setup --host <it>` configures nothing and exits 0.
+  // This cross-check derives BOTH sides — the registry from hosts/index.ts
+  // and the case arms from setup — so adding a host to either place without
+  // the other goes red at the moment of the drift, not in a user report.
+
+  const content = fs.readFileSync(SETUP_SCRIPT, 'utf-8');
+
+  function hostCaseArms(): { installTargets: string[]; namedArms: string[] } {
+    const start = content.indexOf('case "$HOST" in');
+    expect(start).toBeGreaterThan(-1);
+    const block = content.slice(start, content.indexOf('\nesac', start));
+    // The pipe list is the install accept-list; single-name arms are informational.
+    const installTargets: string[] = [];
+    const namedArms: string[] = [];
+    for (const m of block.matchAll(/^ {2}([a-z|]+)\)/gm)) {
+      const names = m[1].split('|');
+      if (names.length > 1) installTargets.push(...names.filter((n) => n !== 'auto'));
+      else if (names[0] !== 'auto') namedArms.push(names[0]);
+    }
+    return { installTargets, namedArms };
+  }
+
+  test('registry names == accept-list (minus auto) + informational arms', async () => {
+    const { ALL_HOST_CONFIGS } = await import('../hosts/index');
+    const registered = ALL_HOST_CONFIGS.map((c: { name: string }) => c.name).sort();
+    const { installTargets, namedArms } = hostCaseArms();
+    const covered = [...new Set([...installTargets, ...namedArms])].sort();
+    expect(covered).toEqual(registered);
+  });
+
+  test('every accept-listed install target has a dispatch arm (the exact #2361 hole)', () => {
+    // Set-membership alone would have passed while slate sat accepted-but-
+    // unwired: the invariant that bites is accept-list ⊆ dispatch arms.
+    const { installTargets } = hostCaseArms();
+    expect(installTargets.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    for (const host of installTargets) {
+      expect(content).toMatch(new RegExp(`\\[ "\\$HOST" = "${host}" \\]`));
+    }
+  });
+
+  test('slate informational arm: explains itself, points at --host claude, exit 0', () => {
+    const res = spawnSync('bash', [SETUP_SCRIPT, '--host', 'slate'], {
+      encoding: 'utf-8',
+      timeout: 5000,
+    });
+    expect(res.status).toBe(0);
+    expect(res.stdout).toContain('./setup --host claude');
+    expect(res.stdout).toContain('.claude/skills');
+    // It must not fall through into the installer.
+    expect(res.stdout).not.toMatch(/Installing|bun install|Building/);
+  });
+
+  test('zero-dispatch guard exists: unwired host errors loudly instead of exit-0 no-op', () => {
+    // The guard is only reachable when a future host is accepted but unwired,
+    // so pin its presence and shape statically: it must name the host, call
+    // itself a setup bug, and exit 1.
+    const guard = content.match(/no install arm exists for host[^\n]*\n\s*exit 1/);
+    expect(guard).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(content).toContain("[ \"$HOST\" != \"auto\" ]");
+  });
+});