diff --git a/test/gen-skill-docs.test.ts b/test/gen-skill-docs.test.ts
index 75d63dc77..0293e8c04 100644
--- a/test/gen-skill-docs.test.ts
+++ b/test/gen-skill-docs.test.ts
@@ -1126,6 +1126,19 @@ describe('TEST_COVERAGE_AUDIT placeholders', () => {
     expect(spec.toLowerCase()).not.toContain('"yagni"');
   });
 
+  // Generated by /ship Step 7 coverage audit (GSTA-96).
+  // Value: protects=the house rule the simplification specialist quotes from ETHOS.md is still stated in ETHOS.md;
+  //   fails_when=ETHOS.md is reworded and the specialist keeps quoting a rule ETHOS no longer states (this PR first left "If A is 70 lines more, choose A");
+  //   why_new=the pins above cover the specialist's verdict lines only; no test reads its ETHOS quote against ETHOS.md;
+  //   seam=none; no_claim=that the reviewer applies the rule (an eval question)
+  test('simplification specialist quotes a house rule ETHOS.md still states', () => {
+    const spec = fs.readFileSync(path.join(ROOT, 'review', 'specialists', 'simplification.md'), 'utf-8');
+    const quotes = [...spec.matchAll(/house rule is "([^"]+)" \(ETHOS\.md\)/g)].map(m => m[1]!);
+    expect(quotes.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    const ethos = fs.readFileSync(path.join(ROOT, 'ETHOS.md'), 'utf-8').toLowerCase().replace(/\*\*/g, '');
+    for (const quote of quotes) expect(ethos, quote).toContain(quote.toLowerCase());
+  });
+
   test('each specialist file has standard header with scope and output format', () => {
     const specDir = path.join(ROOT, 'review', 'specialists');
     const files = fs.readdirSync(specDir).filter(f => f.endsWith('.md'));
diff --git a/test/host-conformance.test.ts b/test/host-conformance.test.ts
index 0fade5517..6b8de314e 100644
--- a/test/host-conformance.test.ts
+++ b/test/host-conformance.test.ts
@@ -212,6 +212,24 @@ describe.skipIf(process.platform === 'win32')('host conformance kit', () => {
     expect(status.stdout).toMatch(/codex global: router is a symlink, which Codex skips\. Fix: cd \S+ && \.\/setup --host codex; section links: [1-9]\d* of \d+ broken \(first: [^)]*\)\. Fix: cd /);
   }, 60_000);
 
+  // Generated by /ship Step 7 coverage audit (GSTA-96).
+  // Value: protects=--status still checks bare sections/ pointers in a carved Claude skill whose installed sections/ is a directory symlink;
+  //   fails_when=the carved-skill probe stops following a symlinked sections/ dir, so a missing section reads as "all resolve";
+  //   why_new=the all-host status check above asserts external hosts only; the C3 case breaks a codex pointer that names its skill;
+  //   seam=none; no_claim=non-Linux link layouts (Windows copies real files; this suite skips win32)
+  test('--status checks a carved Claude skill\'s bare section pointers through its symlinked sections/', () => {
+    const f = makeFixture();
+    const src = makeSource(f, join(f.dir, 'gstack'));
+    expect(runSetup(f, join(src, 'setup'), ['--host', 'claude']).status).toBe(0);
+    const sections = join(f.home, '.claude/skills/autoplan/sections');
+    expect(lstatSync(sections).isSymbolicLink(), sections).toBe(true);
+    expect(readFileSync(join(f.home, '.claude/skills/autoplan/SKILL.md'), 'utf8')).toContain('Read `sections/unattended.md`, end here');
+    rmSync(join(src, 'autoplan/sections/unattended.md'));
+    const status = runSetup(f, join(src, 'setup'), ['--status']);
+    expect(status.status, status.stdout + status.stderr).toBe(1);
+    expect(status.stdout).toMatch(/claude global: [^\n]*section links: [1-9]\d* of \d+ broken \(first: autoplan\/SKILL\.md names sections\/unattended\.md\)/);
+  }, 60_000);
+
   test('upgrade from the previous release layout refreshes every installed host (#1925)', () => {
     const f = makeFixture();
     const src = makeSource(f, join(f.home, '.claude/skills/gstack'), '1.91.12.0');