diff --git a/docs/design-lint.md b/docs/design-lint.md
index dbb70b106..0dbc7a329 100644
--- a/docs/design-lint.md
+++ b/docs/design-lint.md
@@ -41,8 +41,11 @@ gstack-design-lint <file-or-dir ...> [--render] [--url <http://…>] [--scope pa
   either; outside any project it is bounded only by the disk, and only `.css`
   files are read.
 - Markup inside an HTML comment is dead for every rule, a commented-out
-  `<style>` or `<script>` included. A tag start with no `>` (a stray `<img `)
-  is text, so a page whose tail is ten thousand of them costs its length. A tree nests at most 512 elements deep
+  `<style>` or `<script>` included; a comment that never closes runs to the
+  end of the file, as it does in the browser. A tag start with no `>` (a stray
+  `<img `) and any `<` that starts no tag (`<1`, `a < b`) are read as text
+  and dropped from the markup, so a page whose tail is ten thousand of them
+  costs its length; a `<!doctype>` or `<?xml?>` declaration stays. A tree nests at most 512 elements deep
   (the browser's own cap); a start tag deeper than that is read as empty. An
   open heading is closed by the next heading start tag, an open `<p>` by the
   next block start, and a repeated `<li>`, `<button>`, `<a>`, `<label>`,
@@ -135,8 +138,10 @@ not apply (a stylesheet has no prose), so the claim cannot reach a finding in
 the page's own markup. A claim written in the page answers for that page,
 including a finding in a stylesheet it links; a second page linking the same
 sheet without answering still reports it, so the sheet's finding may print
-once waived and once at ask, each from its own page. In a directory of
-components (under either scope) each file's claim answers for that file alone,
+once waived and once at ask, each from its own page. Which of these a context
+gets follows its shape, not the `--scope` flag: one html page keeps page
+semantics under either scope. In a directory of components, or a lone
+component file beside a stylesheet (under either scope), each file's claim answers for that file alone,
 weighed against that file's own text and its own suspected rules, so a sibling
 component is never covered and a sibling that measures a blocking rule does
 not turn this file's suspected finding into the Floor; a stylesheet beside the
@@ -179,7 +184,7 @@ waiver can answer it.
 | `overflow-x-unclipped` | ask | 34 | overflow-x missing on html and body, or a 100vw width | overflow-x: clip on both; width: 100% |
 | `horizontal-scroll` | blocks | 34 | horizontal scroll at a width between 320 and 1920 (render) | find the element wider than its viewport and cap it |
 | `hero-balance` | ask | 44a/44c | the hero's content sits off centre for its screen, or its visual stands apart from the text (render) | centre the content in its screen; put the visual beside the text |
-| `hero-fold` | blocks | 44b | the headline's bottom or the hero's first action below the 800px fold at 1280 wide (render; the lede and the visual are not measured) | pull the display clamp down, tighten leading, a two-line lede, trim padding |
+| `hero-fold` | blocks | 44b | the headline's bottom or the hero's first action below the 800px fold at 1280 wide; the lede and the visual are not measured (render) | pull the display clamp down, tighten leading, a two-line lede, trim padding |
 | `wide-container` | blocks | 44d | at 1920x1080 the container has no max-width, gutters under 120px, or a grid gains columns | cap 1360 to 1520px and centre; hold column counts; cap vw visuals |
 | `bare-fr-track` | blocks | 50 | an image-bearing grid track on bare 1fr | minmax(0, 1fr) |
 | `display-head-unwrapped` | blocks | 50 | a display head without overflow-wrap: break-word and min-width: 0 | overflow-wrap: break-word; min-width: 0 (never anywhere) |
@@ -293,7 +298,9 @@ Several rules key on hallmark's token names, which are also the names
 `--font-title` / `--font-hero` (`overused-font`), `--space-*` (`raw-spacing`,
 `off-scale-spacing`) and any `--color-*` or `--font-*` token
 (`literal-outside-tokens` fires only on a page that declares one, since a
-literal on a page with no tokens bypasses nothing). A project that names its
+literal on a page with no tokens bypasses nothing; its Tailwind half, an
+arbitrary value like `bg-[#0b0b12]` or `font-['Inter']`, fires on any page,
+since Tailwind's theme is the token block it bypasses). A project that names its
 tokens `--bg` or `--brand` gets none of those checks and no signal that they
 did not run; Phase 2 reads the roles from DESIGN.md.
 
@@ -324,7 +331,12 @@ container with no responsive handling (`wide-container` reads the opposite
 case). The copy tier
 reports at the document's first line with a count, because
 `gstack-design-craft` counts matches without positions; Phase 2 folds those
-patterns into the lint with lines. Where a rule id is shared with
+patterns into the lint with lines. It reads the page with every open
+`<script>`, `<style>`, `<template>` or `<nav>` that nothing closes after it
+dropped, so a page of unclosed openers costs its length there too.
+`tooltip-focus-delay` reads a delay of 100ms or 1s and more in a tooltip's
+`transition` or `transition-delay`; a `0.2s` fade is a duration, not a
+delay. Where a rule id is shared with
 `lib/design-catalog.ts`, the tier here follows hallmark's gate (several
 catalog `ask` rows are `blocks` here); Phase 2 reconciles the two before a
 catalog row is marked `detect: lint`. Also outside the lint: `system-ui` or
diff --git a/test/design-lint-eighth-cycle.test.ts b/test/design-lint-eighth-cycle.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b22db48b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/design-lint-eighth-cycle.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,173 @@
+/**
+ * The eighth review cycle's regressions: the waiver branch keyed to the context's shape rather than the --scope flag
+ * (a lone component beside an unlinked stylesheet answers for its own file; a page under --scope component still
+ * answers for the sheet it links), the bare `<` tails (`<1`, `< `, an unclosed comment), the craft check's lazy
+ * scans over repeated unclosed openers, component tags paired once per file, an arithmetic repeat() count, an
+ * unclosed @starting-style block, the import scan over a gradient class line, the render tier's locator on a class
+ * value holding a `>`, tickers answered from the tree, a tooltip duration that is not a delay, a class attribute of
+ * many tokens, and one emoji-decoration per emoji icon in a component file.
+ */
+import { afterAll, describe, expect, test } from 'bun:test';
+import * as fs from 'node:fs';
+import * as os from 'node:os';
+import * as path from 'node:path';
+import { parseDoc, parseHtml } from '../lib/design-lint/html';
+import { lineOf } from '../lib/design-lint/render';
+import { Reporter, type Finding } from '../lib/design-lint/report';
+import { run as runCopy } from '../lib/design-lint/rules/copy';
+import { lintStatic } from '../lib/design-lint/static';
+import { compInner } from '../lib/design-lint/tailwind';
+
+const tmpDirs: string[] = [];
+afterAll(() => { for (const d of tmpDirs) fs.rmSync(d, { recursive: true, force: true }); });
+
+const TOKENS = ':root { --color-paper: oklch(97% 0.01 80); --color-ink: oklch(20% 0.02 250); --color-accent: oklch(50% 0.16 30); --color-accent-ink: oklch(98% 0.01 30); --color-muted: oklch(50% 0.02 250); --font-display: "Literata", serif; --font-body: "Public Sans", sans-serif; }';
+const HEAD = '<!doctype html>\n<html lang="en">\n<head><meta charset="utf-8"><title>Harbour office</title><meta name="description" content="A test page."><link rel="icon" href="data:,">\n';
+const GREY = TOKENS + '\n:root { --color-gray: oklch(55% 0 0); }\n.row { border-color: var(--color-gray); }';
+const DASHES = 'The ledger \u2014 the month \u2014 the close \u2014 the depot \u2014 the review \u2014 the rule \u2014 the row \u2014 the sum';
+const CARD = 'export function Card() { return <p>' + DASHES + '</p>; }';
+
+function tree(files: Record<string, string>): string {
+  const dir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'design-lint-cycle8-'));
+  tmpDirs.push(dir);
+  for (const [name, text] of Object.entries(files)) {
+    fs.mkdirSync(path.dirname(path.join(dir, name)), { recursive: true });
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(dir, name), text);
+  }
+  return dir;
+}
+const quiet = { warn: () => {} };
+const only = (f: Finding[], rule: string) => f.filter((x) => x.rule === rule);
+const timed = (fn: () => void): number => { const t = performance.now(); fn(); return performance.now() - t; };
+const lintDir = (files: Record<string, string>, scope?: 'page' | 'component'): { findings: Finding[]; warns: string[] } => {
+  const dir = tree(files);
+  const warns: string[] = [];
+  return { findings: lintStatic([dir], { cwd: dir, warn: (l: string) => warns.push(l), ...(scope ? { scope } : {}) }).findings, warns };
+};
+
+describe('design-lint eighth cycle: the waiver branch follows the context, not the flag', () => {
+  test('a lone component beside an unlinked stylesheet answers for its own file under either scope', () => {
+    for (const scope of ['page', 'component'] as const) {
+      const { findings } = lintDir({ 'Hero.tsx': '// gstack-lint-disable zero-chroma-neutrals: the ledger keeps its grey rows grey on the depot\nexport function Hero() { return <h1 className="row">The ledger keeps its grey rows grey on the depot</h1>; }', 'theme.css': GREY }, scope);
+      expect(only(findings, 'zero-chroma-neutrals').map((x) => [x.file, x.grade]), scope).toEqual([['theme.css', 'ask']]);
+    }
+  });
+
+  test('default scope, one component: a short claim is refused at its line and the finding stays ask', () => {
+    const { findings } = lintDir({ 'Card.tsx': '// gstack-lint-disable em-dash-overuse: short\n' + CARD });
+    expect(only(findings, 'em-dash-overuse').map((x) => [x.file, x.grade])).toEqual([['Card.tsx', 'ask']]);
+    expect(only(findings, 'waiver').map((x) => [x.file, x.line, x.evidence])).toEqual([['Card.tsx', 1, 'waiver on em-dash-overuse refused: reason under 24 characters']]);
+  });
+
+  test('under --scope component a page claim still answers a finding in the stylesheet it links, and a short one is refused', () => {
+    const page = (reason: string) => '<!-- gstack-lint-disable zero-chroma-neutrals: ' + reason + ' -->\n' + HEAD + '<link rel="stylesheet" href="theme.css"></head><body><main><h1>The ledger</h1><p>The ledger keeps its grey rows grey on the depot.</p></main></body></html>';
+    const ok = lintDir({ 'index.html': page('the ledger keeps its grey rows grey on the depot'), 'theme.css': GREY }, 'component').findings;
+    expect(only(ok, 'waiver')).toEqual([]);
+    expect(only(ok, 'zero-chroma-neutrals').map((x) => [x.file, x.grade])).toEqual([['theme.css', 'waived']]);
+    const bad = lintDir({ 'index.html': page('short'), 'theme.css': GREY }, 'component').findings;
+    expect(only(bad, 'zero-chroma-neutrals').map((x) => [x.file, x.grade])).toEqual([['theme.css', 'ask']]);
+    expect(only(bad, 'waiver').map((x) => [x.file, x.line, x.evidence])).toEqual([['index.html', 1, 'waiver on zero-chroma-neutrals refused: reason under 24 characters']]);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('design-lint eighth cycle: a file costs its length', () => {
+  test('a heading whose tail is thousands of bare < characters lints in linear time', () => {
+    const dir = tree({ 'index.html': HEAD + '</head><body><h1>' + ' x <'.repeat(80_000) });
+    expect(timed(() => lintStatic([dir], { cwd: dir, ...quiet }))).toBeLessThan(5000);
+  });
+
+  test('a page whose tail is a run of <1 or of unclosed comment starts costs its length, and a doctype survives', () => {
+    const dir = tree({
+      'a.html': HEAD + '</head><body><p>hi</p></body></html>' + '<1'.repeat(200_000),
+      'b.html': HEAD + '</head><body>' + '<!-- x'.repeat(100_000) + '</body></html>',
+    });
+    expect(timed(() => lintStatic([dir], { cwd: dir, ...quiet }))).toBeLessThan(5000);
+    const doc = parseHtml('x.html', '<!doctype html><p>a < b and 1<2</p><!-- gone');
+    expect(doc.src.startsWith('<!doctype html>')).toBe(true);
+    expect(doc.src.indexOf('<', '<!doctype html>'.length)).toBe(doc.src.indexOf('<p>'));
+    expect(doc.src.includes('<!--')).toBe(false);
+    expect(doc.tags.map((t) => t.name)).toEqual(['p', 'p']);
+  });
+
+  test('repeated unclosed <script>, <nav>, <style> and <template> openers cost the copy tier their length', () => {
+    for (const tag of ['<script>', '<nav>', '<style>', '<template>']) {
+      const doc = parseHtml('x.html', HEAD + '</head><body>' + tag.repeat(60_000) + '</body></html>');
+      const reporter = new Reporter('page', '/');
+      expect(timed(() => runCopy({ docs: [doc] } as never, reporter)), tag).toBeLessThan(3000);
+    }
+    const doc = parseHtml('x.html', HEAD + '</head><body><nav><a href="/a">A</a><a href="/b">B</a></nav><nav><main id="m"><h1>Hello there</h1></main></body></html>');
+    const reporter = new Reporter('page', '/');
+    runCopy({ docs: [doc] } as never, reporter);
+    expect(reporter.findings.map((f) => f.rule)).toContain('missing-aria-current');
+  });
+
+  test('a template of thousands of unclosed component tags costs its length', () => {
+    const dir = tree({ 'Card.vue': '<template>\n' + '<Foo class="p-4">x\n'.repeat(80_000) + '</template>' });
+    expect(timed(() => lintStatic([dir], { cwd: dir, ...quiet }))).toBeLessThan(3000);
+    const doc = parseDoc('/x/App.vue', '<template><Foo><Bar>in</Bar><Foo>deep</Foo>out</Foo><Baz /></template>');
+    expect(doc.comps.filter((c) => !c.close && !c.selfClosing).map((_, i) => compInner(doc, doc.comps.indexOf(doc.comps.filter((c) => !c.close && !c.selfClosing)[i])))).toEqual(['<Bar>in</Bar><Foo>deep</Foo>out', 'in', 'deep']);
+    expect(compInner(doc, doc.comps.length - 1)).toBe('');
+  });
+
+  test('a huge repeat() count in grid-template-columns neither throws nor allocates', () => {
+    const { findings, warns } = lintDir({
+      'index.html': HEAD + '<link rel="stylesheet" href="style.css"></head><body><section class="grid"><h1>Hi</h1><p>x</p></section></body></html>',
+      'style.css': TOKENS + '\n.grid { grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr; }\n@media (min-width: 1600px) { .grid { grid-template-columns: repeat(4294967296, 1fr); } }',
+    });
+    expect(warns.filter((w) => /internal error/.test(w))).toEqual([]);
+    expect(only(findings, 'internal-error')).toEqual([]);
+    expect(only(findings, 'wide-container').map((f) => f.evidence)).toEqual([expect.stringContaining('(2 to 4294967296)')]);
+  });
+
+  test('unclosed @starting-style blocks cost their length, not the sheet squared', () => {
+    const dir = tree({ 'style.css': '.a { opacity: 0 }\n' + '@starting-style {\n'.repeat(8000) + '.b { color: red }\n'.repeat(8000) });
+    const warns: string[] = [];
+    expect(timed(() => lintStatic([dir], { cwd: dir, warn: (l: string) => warns.push(l) }))).toBeLessThan(2000);
+    expect(warns.filter((w) => /internal error/.test(w))).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  test('a long gradient className line costs the asset scan its length', () => {
+    const dir = tree({ 'Hero.tsx': 'export default function Hero(){ return (<div className="' + 'bg-gradient-to-r from-indigo-500 to-violet-500 '.repeat(20_000) + '">x</div>); }' });
+    expect(timed(() => lintStatic([dir], { cwd: dir, ...quiet }))).toBeLessThan(5000);
+  });
+
+  test('the render locator costs the page its length when a class value holds a >, and refuses a tag that is not one', () => {
+    const src = parseHtml('x.html', '<html><body><div class="' + 'a '.repeat(150_000) + '>"><p>x</p></div></body></html>').src;
+    expect(timed(() => lineOf(src, { tag: 'div', cls: 'a', text: 'zzz' }))).toBeLessThan(2000);
+    const tail = parseHtml('x.html', '<p>hi</p>' + '<1'.repeat(160_000)).src;
+    expect(timed(() => expect(lineOf(tail, { tag: '1', cls: '', text: 'zz' })).toBe(1))).toBeLessThan(500);
+    expect(lineOf('<x>\n<p class="lede big">Hello</p>', { tag: 'p', cls: 'big', text: 'hello' })).toBe(2);
+    expect(lineOf('<x>\n<p class="lede big">Hello</p>', { tag: 'p', cls: 'x'.repeat(401), text: 'hello' })).toBe(2);
+  });
+
+  test('thousands of ticker elements beside thousands of text elements cost their length', () => {
+    const dir = tree({ 'index.html': HEAD + '</head><body>' + '<i class="ticker"></i><span>x</span>'.repeat(40_000) + '</body></html>' });
+    expect(timed(() => lintStatic([dir], { cwd: dir, ...quiet }))).toBeLessThan(4000);
+    const f = lintDir({ 'index.html': HEAD + '</head><body><div class="ticker"><p><span>One · two · three</span></p></div><p>Four · five · six</p></body></html>' }).findings;
+    expect(only(f, 'template-punctuation').map((x) => x.evidence)).toEqual(['middle dots join a meta string: "Four · five · six"']);
+  });
+
+  test('a class attribute with 700k tokens does not overflow the stack', () => {
+    const { warns } = lintDir({ 'index.html': HEAD + '</head><body><div class="' + 'a '.repeat(700_000) + '"><h1>Hi</h1></div></body></html>\n' });
+    expect(warns.filter((w) => /Maximum call stack/.test(w))).toEqual([]);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('design-lint eighth cycle: rule judgements', () => {
+  test('tooltip-focus-delay reads a delay, not a 0.2s fade', () => {
+    const tip = (t: string) => lintDir({ 'index.html': HEAD + '<style>' + TOKENS + ' .tooltip:hover .tip { transition: ' + t + '; opacity: 1 } .tooltip:focus-within .tip { transition: ' + t + '; opacity: 1 }</style></head><body><main><h1>Hello there</h1><span class="tooltip" tabindex="0">?<span class="tip">Help</span></span></main></body></html>' }).findings;
+    expect(only(tip('opacity 0.2s'), 'tooltip-focus-delay')).toEqual([]);
+    expect(only(tip('opacity .5s ease'), 'tooltip-focus-delay')).toEqual([]);
+    expect(only(tip('opacity 0.2s 1s'), 'tooltip-focus-delay').map((f) => f.grade)).toEqual(['ask']);
+    expect(only(tip('opacity 200ms 600ms'), 'tooltip-focus-delay').map((f) => f.grade)).toEqual(['ask']);
+  });
+
+  test('one emoji-decoration per emoji icon in a component file, keyed by the icon and not by the wording', () => {
+    const { findings } = lintDir({ 'Card.tsx': 'export function Card() { return <div className="icon"><Icon>\u{1F680}</Icon></div>; }' });
+    expect(only(findings, 'emoji-decoration').map((f) => f.evidence)).toEqual(['emoji icon "\u{1F680}" in <Icon>']);
+  });
+
+  test('the emoji classes spell their variation selector and joiner as escapes', () => {
+    expect(fs.readFileSync(path.join(import.meta.dir, '../lib/design-lint/rules/assets.ts'), 'utf8')).not.toMatch(/[\uFE0F\u200D]/);
+  });
+});