Merge remote-tracking branch 'origin/next' into fix/1280-identity-first-resolution

# Conflicts: # packages/mosaic/package.json
test(git): hermetic fixtures for issue-create harnesses (#1282-#1287)
2026-08-17 16:24:43 -05:00 · 2026-08-17 15:19:04 -05:00 · 2026-08-17 15:18:54 -05:00
22 changed files with 1225 additions and 1067 deletions
@@ -233,36 +233,8 @@ assert_owned_tmux_server() {
    fail "tmux server ownership or environment validation failed"
 }

-# Lease-broker socket preflight (#1292). The gated runtime (`mosaic yolo …` →
-# launch-runtime.py) registers with the broker or dies ~4 seconds in, with the
-# diagnostic invisible because tmux destroys the dead pane. This check runs
-# BEFORE any tmux effect — including the ownership probe below — so a host
-# without a broker produces a named, surviving refusal instead of a doomed
-# pane. Exit 75 (EX_TEMPFAIL), distinct from 64 (bad projection) and 69 (host
-# not ready for other reasons); the agent@ unit is Type=oneshot with no
-# Restart=, so the failed unit keeps its message instead of looping. Socket
-# resolution matches launch.ts's defaultLeaseBrokerSocket precedence exactly.
-# This preflight DETECTS and REFUSES — it never starts the broker (activation
-# belongs to the fleet control plane; a component that both detects and fixes
-# cannot be used to measure whether the fix worked).
-broker_socket_path() {
-  if [ -n "${MOSAIC_LEASE_BROKER_SOCKET:-}" ]; then
-    printf '%s\n' "$MOSAIC_LEASE_BROKER_SOCKET"
-    return 0
-  fi
-  local runtime_dir="${XDG_RUNTIME_DIR:-/run/user/$(id -u)}"
-  printf '%s\n' "${runtime_dir}/mosaic-lease/broker.sock"
-}
-
-if [ "$MODE" = "launch" ]; then
-  _broker_socket=$(broker_socket_path)
-  if [ ! -S "$_broker_socket" ]; then
-    echo "[fleet] FAIL_LAUNCH broker-absent: lease broker socket ${_broker_socket} missing; runtime launch denied (#1292)." >&2
-    echo "[fleet] remedy: systemctl --user enable --now mosaic-lease-broker.service  (or reinstall via: mosaic fleet install)" >&2
-    exit 75
-  fi
-fi
-
+# Validate exact server ownership before querying, cleaning, or creating any
+# managed session. An unmanaged or contaminated named socket is never repaired.
 assert_owned_tmux_server

 if [ "$MODE" = interaction ]; then
@@ -1,216 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env bash
-# CI-fit regression suite for the #1292 lease-broker socket preflight in
-# start-agent-session.sh.
-#
-# WHY THIS SUITE IS CI-FIT WHERE test-start-agent-session.sh IS NOT (#1017/#1270
-# context): that older suite's precondition is "the host does not have the pi
-# binary", which a CI image that ships pi violates — its guard correctly
-# refuses to report a pass there, so it is excluded from the chain. THIS suite
-# controls its own preconditions instead of inheriting them from the host: a
-# fake tmux on PATH, a fake mosaic on PATH, a real unix socket created in a
-# tmpdir, a hermetic env (env -i, fake HOME, GIT_CONFIG_GLOBAL severed). It
-# never depends on what the host has installed, so a green here means the same
-# thing on every host. Anyone adding cases: keep that property — no case may
-# depend on host state.
-#
-# The failure this suite is written down to catch (#1292): a seat launched on a
-# host with no lease broker dies ~4 seconds in at registration, with the
-# diagnostic invisible because tmux destroys the dead pane. The preflight runs
-# BEFORE any tmux effect and refuses with a NAMED code (exit 75, EX_TEMPFAIL)
-# so the message survives. The agent@ unit is Type=oneshot with no Restart=,
-# so a failed unit keeps its output instead of looping.
-#
-# Cases:
-#   1. absent socket -> exit 75, message names broker-absent + socket path +
-#      remedy, and NO tmux session was ever created (the doomed-pane half).
-#   2. present socket (real unix socket in tmpdir) -> proceeds PAST the
-#      preflight (the suite then stops at the next precondition, proving the
-#      preflight was not the refusal).
-#   3. explicit MOSAIC_LEASE_BROKER_SOCKET wins over XDG_RUNTIME_DIR default.
-#   4. --stop mode does NOT require the broker (teardown must not be fenced on
-#      a component whose absence is exactly what teardown may follow).
-#
-# Sabotage control, run by the developer (not in-suite): remove the preflight
-# block from start-agent-session.sh, re-run — case 1 fails (a tmux session is
-# created / exit is not 75), cases 2-4 still pass; restore byte-identically.
-
-set -euo pipefail
-
-SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
-WORK_DIR="${MOSAIC_TEST_WORK_DIR:-$PWD/.mosaic-test-work/agent-session-broker-preflight}"
-FAKE_HOME="$WORK_DIR/home"
-BIN_DIR="$WORK_DIR/bin"
-ENV_DIR="$WORK_DIR/env"
-SOCK_DIR="$WORK_DIR/sockets"
-LOG_FILE="$WORK_DIR/tmux-calls.log"
-
-rm -rf "$WORK_DIR"
-# The script asserts a managed directory tree under MOSAIC_HOME: mosaic/,
-# mosaic/fleet/, mosaic/fleet/agents/ — private (0700/0750-style) modes, no
-# symlinks — plus a per-agent env projection. Build the full tree the launcher
-# expects so the suite reaches the BROKER preflight rather than dying at
-# environment validation.
-mkdir -p "$FAKE_HOME/.config/mosaic/fleet/agents" "$BIN_DIR" "$SOCK_DIR"
-chmod 700 "$FAKE_HOME/.config/mosaic" "$FAKE_HOME/.config/mosaic/fleet/agents"
-chmod 750 "$FAKE_HOME/.config/mosaic/fleet"
-cat > "$FAKE_HOME/.config/mosaic/fleet/agents/preflight-test.env.generated" <<'ENVEOF'
-MOSAIC_AGENT_NAME=preflight-test
-MOSAIC_AGENT_CLASS=worker
-MOSAIC_AGENT_RUNTIME=pi
-MOSAIC_AGENT_MODEL=
-MOSAIC_AGENT_REASONING=
-MOSAIC_AGENT_TOOL_POLICY=code
-MOSAIC_AGENT_WORKDIR=/tmp
-MOSAIC_TMUX_SOCKET=mosaic-fleet
-ENVEOF
-chmod 600 "$FAKE_HOME/.config/mosaic/fleet/agents/preflight-test.env.generated"
-
-# ─── Fake tmux: records every invocation; new-session marks the marker. ────
-: > "$LOG_FILE"
-cat > "$BIN_DIR/tmux" <<SH
-#!/usr/bin/env bash
-printf 'tmux %s\n' "\$*" >> "$LOG_FILE"
-if [[ "\$*" == *new-session* ]]; then
-  echo "TMUX-NEW-SESSION-INVOKED" >> "$LOG_FILE"
-fi
-exit 0
-SH
-chmod +x "$BIN_DIR/tmux"
-
-# ─── Fake mosaic/pi binaries so the script proceeds past its own lookups. ───
-for bin in mosaic pi claude; do
-  printf '#!/usr/bin/env bash\nexit 0\n' > "$BIN_DIR/$bin"
-  chmod +x "$BIN_DIR/$bin"
-done
-
-# ─── Minimal launch environment the script expects. ────────────────────────
-# (Enough for the preflight to be reached; later stages will still fail in
-# case 2 — that is expected and asserted.)
-run_session_script() {
-  local mode="$1"; shift
-  (
-    cd "$WORK_DIR"
-    env -i HOME="$FAKE_HOME" PATH="$BIN_DIR:/usr/bin:/bin" \
-      GIT_CONFIG_GLOBAL=/dev/null GIT_CONFIG_SYSTEM=/dev/null \
-      MOSAIC_HOME="$FAKE_HOME/.config/mosaic" \
-      AGENT_NAME=preflight-test \
-      "$@" \
-      bash "$SCRIPT_DIR/start-agent-session.sh" $mode preflight-test
-  )
-}
-
-fail=0
-assert() {
-  local desc="$1" expected="$2" actual="$3"
-  if [[ "$expected" != "$actual" ]]; then
-    echo "FAIL: $desc — expected '$expected', got '$actual'" >&2
-    fail=1
-  fi
-}
-assert_contains() {
-  local desc="$1" haystack="$2" needle="$3"
-  [[ "$haystack" == *"$needle"* ]] || { echo "FAIL: $desc — missing '$needle' in: $haystack" >&2; fail=1; }
-}
-assert_not_contains() {
-  local desc="$1" haystack="$2" needle="$3"
-  if [[ "$haystack" == *"$needle"* ]]; then
-    echo "FAIL: $desc — must not contain '$needle'" >&2
-    fail=1
-  fi
-  return 0
-}
-
-# ─── 1. Absent socket → named refusal, NO tmux session. ────────────────────
-: > "$LOG_FILE"
-stderr_file="$WORK_DIR/stderr-1.tmp"
-set +e
-out=$(run_session_script "" MOSAIC_LEASE_BROKER_SOCKET="$SOCK_DIR/absent.sock" 2>"$stderr_file")
-rc=$?
-set -e
-assert "absent socket exit code" "75" "$rc"
-err=$(cat "$stderr_file")
-assert_contains "absent socket names the failure" "$err" "FAIL_LAUNCH broker-absent"
-assert_contains "absent socket names the socket path" "$err" "$SOCK_DIR/absent.sock"
-assert_contains "absent socket names a remedy" "$err" "mosaic fleet install"
-log1=$(cat "$LOG_FILE")
-assert_not_contains "absent socket must not create a tmux session" "$log1" "TMUX-NEW-SESSION-INVOKED"
-
-# ─── 2. Present socket → passes the preflight. ─────────────────────────────
-# Expected: ownership/env checks AFTER the preflight may refuse (fixture is
-# minimal by design); the assertion is only that the refusal is NOT
-# broker-absent and the exit is NOT 75.
-# Create a REAL unix socket: a detached python holder binds it and stays alive
-# for the duration (bash cannot create sockets; a foreground python would
-# close the socket on exit and -S on a closed-but-unlinked path fails). Written
-# as a script file + setsid nohup so no job-control/heredoc interaction with
-# set -e can silently kill the suite.
-# AF_UNIX binds cap at 108 path bytes; the suite's workdir exceeds that, so
-# the live socket lives at a SHORT path under /tmp (unique per run, cleaned
-# with the suite). The preflight takes its socket path explicitly, so this
-# stays fully controlled.
-LIVE_SOCK=$(mktemp -u /tmp/mosaic-preflight-XXXXXX.sock)
-trap 'rm -f "$LIVE_SOCK"' EXIT
-rm -f "$SOCK_DIR/live.sock" "$LIVE_SOCK"
-cat > "$SOCK_DIR/holder.py" <<'PY'
-import socket, sys, time
-path = sys.argv[1]
-s = socket.socket(socket.AF_UNIX, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
-s.bind(path)
-s.listen(1)
-time.sleep(120)
-PY
-python3 "$SOCK_DIR/holder.py" "$LIVE_SOCK" >/dev/null 2>"$SOCK_DIR/holder.err" &
-HOLDER_PID=$!
-# Wait for the socket object to exist (bind is near-instant, but do not race it).
-for _ in $(seq 1 50); do
-  [ -S "$LIVE_SOCK" ] && break
-  sleep 0.1
-done
-if [ ! -S "$LIVE_SOCK" ]; then
-  echo "FAIL: could not create live socket fixture (holder pid $HOLDER_PID)" >&2
-  ps -p "$HOLDER_PID" -o pid,stat,cmd --no-headers >&2 || echo "(holder exited)" >&2
-  cat "$SOCK_DIR/holder.err" >&2 || true
-  exit 1
-fi
-: > "$LOG_FILE"
-set +e
-out=$(run_session_script "" MOSAIC_LEASE_BROKER_SOCKET="$LIVE_SOCK" 2>"$WORK_DIR/stderr-2.tmp")
-rc=$?
-set -e
-# The preflight PASSED if the failure (whatever later stage refused) is NOT
-# the broker refusal, and tmux was reached or a later precondition named
-# something else.
-err2=$(cat "$WORK_DIR/stderr-2.tmp")
-assert_not_contains "live socket must not refuse broker-absent" "$err2" "broker-absent"
-if [[ "$rc" == "75" ]]; then
-  echo "FAIL: live socket — preflight still refused (exit 75) with a live socket" >&2
-  fail=1
-fi
-
-# ─── 3. Explicit socket env wins over XDG default. ─────────────────────────
-set +e
-out=$(run_session_script "" XDG_RUNTIME_DIR="$SOCK_DIR/no-runtime-here" MOSAIC_LEASE_BROKER_SOCKET="$SOCK_DIR/absent2.sock" 2>"$WORK_DIR/stderr-3.tmp")
-rc=$?
-set -e
-assert "explicit env wins (exit 75)" "75" "$rc"
-assert_contains "explicit env path named" "$(cat "$WORK_DIR/stderr-3.tmp")" "$SOCK_DIR/absent2.sock"
-
-# ─── 4. --stop is not fenced on the broker. ────────────────────────────────
-: > "$LOG_FILE"
-set +e
-out=$(run_session_script "--stop" MOSAIC_LEASE_BROKER_SOCKET="$SOCK_DIR/absent3.sock" 2>"$WORK_DIR/stderr-4.tmp")
-rc=$?
-set -e
-err4=$(cat "$WORK_DIR/stderr-4.tmp")
-assert_not_contains "--stop must not refuse broker-absent" "$err4" "broker-absent"
-if [[ "$rc" == "75" ]]; then
-  echo "FAIL: --stop — exit 75 means teardown was fenced on the broker" >&2
-  fail=1
-fi
-
-kill "$HOLDER_PID" 2>/dev/null || true
-
-if [[ "$fail" -eq 0 ]]; then
-  echo "start-agent-session lease-broker preflight regression passed"
-fi
-exit "$fail"
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ The Gitea API token is **never passed on a curl command line.** An `Authorizatio

 ### `--login` override

-Both `pr-review.sh` and `issue-comment.sh` accept an optional `--login <name>` flag that overrides the automatically detected Gitea login for that single invocation. The override selects **which credential the REST write, the `/user` identity lookup, and the read-back all use** — its token is resolved from the tea config for that login name (`get_gitea_token_for_login`), falling back to the repo host's credential when no login is named. The resolved login is **host- and port-bound**: the login's configured URL host **and effective port** (the scheme's default port — 80 for `http`, 443 for `https` — applies when a port is omitted, symmetrically on both sides) must match the repo remote's, so a login name shared across hosts (or an override configured for a different Gitea, including one on a different port of the same host) can never send one host's credential to another — a host or port mismatch fails closed rather than leaking a cross-host token. Resolving the acting identity and the read-back from the _same_ login that performs the write is essential: a write performed under an overridden login must be verified against that login's identity, not the host default's. Callers who need a different login than the host default should pass `--login <reviewer-login>`.
+Both `pr-review.sh` and `issue-comment.sh` accept an optional `--login <name>` flag that overrides the automatically detected Gitea login for that single invocation (as of #1280, `pr-create.sh`, `pr-merge.sh` and `issue-create.sh` accept it too, and it wins over `MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY` everywhere). The override selects **which credential the REST write, the `/user` identity lookup, and the read-back all use** — its token is resolved from the tea config for that login name (`get_gitea_token_for_login`), falling back to the repo host's credential when no login is named. The resolved login is **host- and port-bound**: the login's configured URL host **and effective port** (the scheme's default port — 80 for `http`, 443 for `https` — applies when a port is omitted, symmetrically on both sides) must match the repo remote's, so a login name shared across hosts (or an override configured for a different Gitea, including one on a different port of the same host) can never send one host's credential to another — a host or port mismatch fails closed rather than leaking a cross-host token. Resolving the acting identity and the read-back from the _same_ login that performs the write is essential: a write performed under an overridden login must be verified against that login's identity, not the host default's. Callers who need a different login than the host default should pass `--login <reviewer-login>`.

 As a durable successor to this mechanism, consider giving each reviewer/approver slot its own dedicated Gitea login credential, so that author≠reviewer holds at the credential level rather than relying on wrapper-level `--login` bookkeeping. This is a recommendation for future hardening, not something implemented by this flag.

@@ -58,6 +58,36 @@ token file present, both tools fall through to the existing shared-account path
 unchanged, so this feature is a no-op on any host that hasn't provisioned per-slot
 tokens.

+### Identity-first principal resolution in the wrappers (#1280)
+
+`resolve_gitea_principal()` (detect-platform.sh) gives the write wrappers —
+`pr-create.sh`, `pr-merge.sh`, `pr-review.sh`, `issue-create.sh`, `issue-comment.sh` —
+ONE precedence for choosing the acting principal:
+
+1. an explicit `--login <name>` (now accepted by all five; operator intent beats
+   environment), then
+2. the per-agent identity above (`MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY` env / worktree
+   `mosaic.gitIdentity`) when a per-slot token exists — the wrapper then writes via the
+   REST API with that identity's token and never consults `tea`, so the tea login list
+   cannot shadow the requested principal, then
+3. the tea login list — the LAST resort, never the first, because it enumerates
+   whatever logins the host happens to hold and knows nothing about which seat is
+   calling.
+
+A requested identity whose per-slot token is absent, or a `--login` whose token cannot
+resolve host-bound, **fails loud** (nonzero, naming the identity/login and the expected
+slot) instead of silently writing under whatever account `tea` has configured — that
+silent fallthrough is defect #1280 (reviews, comments, merges, PRs and issues filed
+under the wrong account). `pr-merge.sh --dry-run` reports the principal the merge would
+act as, resolved exactly as the real merge resolves it. ⚠ A **workstation-global**
+`mosaic.gitIdentity` shadows every seat on that host (a fresh clone with no local value
+resolves the global one) — set it per-worktree, not with `--global`.
+
+The resolver is covered by `test-gitea-principal-resolution.sh`; the happy-path
+ordering (identity arm REACHED, not sitting behind a tea failure) by
+`test-pr-create-identity-first.sh`; merge credential binding by
+`test-pr-merge-principal-resolution.sh`.
+
 ### Enabling it for a clone

 The framework installer syncs `git-credential-mosaic` to
@@ -497,6 +497,32 @@ get_gitea_url_for_host() {
    return 1
 }

+# Map a Gitea host to the per-agent identity-token slot PREFIX ("gitea-usc" /
+# "gitea-mosaicstack") used by identity-first principal resolution
+# (MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY / git config mosaic.gitIdentity; #1280). Returns 1 for
+# hosts with no per-slot scheme — callers treat that as "identity does not
+# bind here" and fall through to existing behavior, never as an error. This is
+# the single source of truth for the slot layout: get_gitea_token and
+# resolve_gitea_principal both derive their slot paths from here, so the two
+# resolutions can never disagree about where an identity's credential lives.
+gitea_identity_slot_prefix() {
+    case "$1" in
+        git.uscllc.com)      echo "gitea-usc" ;;
+        git.mosaicstack.dev) echo "gitea-mosaicstack" ;;
+        *) return 1 ;;
+    esac
+}
+
+# Resolve the per-slot token FILE PATH for an identity on a host. Prints the
+# absolute path on success; returns 1 (no output) when the host has no per-slot
+# scheme. Prints a PATH only — never a token value.
+gitea_identity_token_slot() {
+    local identity="$1" host="$2" prefix
+    [[ -n "$identity" ]] || return 1
+    prefix=$(gitea_identity_slot_prefix "$host") || return 1
+    printf '%s\n' "$HOME/.config/mosaic/secrets/gitea-tokens/${prefix}-${identity}.token"
+}
+
 # Resolve a Gitea API token for the given host.
 # Priority: Mosaic credential loader → GITEA_TOKEN env → ~/.git-credentials
 get_gitea_token() {
@@ -517,13 +543,8 @@ get_gitea_token() {
        _ident_src="git config mosaic.gitIdentity"
    fi
    if [[ -n "$_ident" ]]; then
-        local _idpfx=""
-        case "$host" in
-            git.uscllc.com)      _idpfx=gitea-usc ;;
-            git.mosaicstack.dev) _idpfx=gitea-mosaicstack ;;
-        esac
-        if [[ -n "$_idpfx" ]]; then
-            local _idtok="$HOME/.config/mosaic/secrets/gitea-tokens/${_idpfx}-${_ident}.token"
+        local _idtok=""
+        if _idtok="$(gitea_identity_token_slot "$_ident" "$host" 2>/dev/null)"; then
            if [[ -r "$_idtok" ]]; then
                cat "$_idtok"
                return 0
@@ -1465,6 +1486,81 @@ raise SystemExit(1)
 PY
 }

+# resolve_gitea_principal — identity-first acting-principal resolution shared by
+# the git wrappers (#1280). The defect this fixes: wrappers resolved their
+# acting principal from tea's login list FIRST, and that list enumerates
+# whatever logins happen to be configured on the host — it knows nothing about
+# which seat is calling — so a wrapper invoked with MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY=fargo
+# still wrote under whichever account tea held (mos-dt-0), and the correct
+# identity-aware code sat behind arms that only ran when the tea path failed.
+# Precedence here is the contract:
+#   1. an explicit login override ($1, the wrapper's --login) — operator intent
+#      beats environment;
+#   2. MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY env, else per-worktree `git config mosaic.gitIdentity`
+#      (mirroring get_gitea_token exactly, so resolver and token resolution can
+#      never disagree) — binds only on hosts with a per-slot token scheme;
+#   3. the tea login list — LAST resort, never the first.
+#
+# Prints exactly one line, three tab-separated fields (machine-readable for
+# wrapper dispatch and tests):
+#   mode        "login" | "identity" | "default"
+#   principal   login name (login) | identity name (identity) | tea login or "" (default)
+#   source      "tea-login:<name>" | "identity-slot:<path>" | "tea-default" | "host-credential"
+#
+# Fails LOUD (nonzero, empty stdout, stderr diagnostic) when an explicit
+# override cannot be honored — a refusal is a good day; silently falling
+# through to whoever tea has configured is the exact defect this resolves:
+#   - login mode: no host-bound token for that tea login. The existence check
+#     runs the same tea-config lookup tea itself uses; the token VALUE is
+#     discarded (never printed, never used).
+#   - identity mode: no per-slot token file for that identity on a recognized
+#     host — the diagnostic names the identity, its source, and the expected
+#     slot path. An identity requested on a host with NO per-slot scheme does
+#     not bind (matching get_gitea_token's containment) and falls to default.
+#
+# NEVER prints a token value — principal names and slot paths only.
+# $1 = explicit login override ("" when absent), $2 = host (default: the
+# origin remote's host).
+resolve_gitea_principal() {
+    local login_override="${1:-}" host="${2:-}" ident ident_src slot login
+    [[ -n "$host" ]] || { host=$(get_remote_host) || return 1; }
+
+    if [[ -n "$login_override" ]]; then
+        get_gitea_token_for_login "$login_override" "$host" >/dev/null || {
+            echo "Error: --login '$login_override' has no host-matched token on host '$host' (tea config lookup); refusing to fall back to any other principal (#1280 identity-first resolution)." >&2
+            return 1
+        }
+        printf 'login\t%s\ttea-login:%s\n' "$login_override" "$login_override"
+        return 0
+    fi
+
+    ident="${MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY:-}"
+    ident_src="MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY"
+    if [[ -z "$ident" ]]; then
+        ident="$(git config --get mosaic.gitIdentity 2>/dev/null || true)"
+        ident_src="git config mosaic.gitIdentity"
+    fi
+    if [[ -n "$ident" ]] && slot="$(gitea_identity_token_slot "$ident" "$host" 2>/dev/null)"; then
+        if [[ -r "$slot" ]]; then
+            printf 'identity\t%s\tidentity-slot:%s\n' "$ident" "$slot"
+            return 0
+        fi
+        echo "Error: git identity '$ident' requested (via $ident_src) for host '$host', but no per-slot token at $slot (#1280 identity-first resolution)." >&2
+        echo "       Refusing to fall back to the tea login list or shared credentials. Provision the per-slot token, or unset the identity." >&2
+        return 1
+    fi
+
+    # No override requested: tea's login list is the LAST resort. Absence is
+    # not an error here — callers fall back to the host credential, exactly as
+    # they did before this resolver existed (preserved behavior).
+    if login=$(get_gitea_login_for_host "$host" 2>/dev/null); then
+        printf 'default\t%s\ttea-default\n' "$login"
+    else
+        printf 'default\t\thost-credential\n'
+    fi
+    return 0
+}
+
 # Resolve HTTPS basic auth credentials for a Gitea host from ~/.git-credentials.
 # Prints "username:password" for direct curl -u consumption. Callers must not log it.
 get_gitea_basic_auth() {
@@ -76,27 +76,36 @@ fi
 detect_platform >/dev/null

 # Resolve and cache the Gitea REST endpoint + token for the current remote,
-# bound to a SPECIFIC login identity ($1). Populates GITEA_API_ROOT (…/api/v1),
-# GITEA_API_BASE (…/api/v1/repos/<slug>), and GITEA_API_TOKEN.
+# bound to a SPECIFIC acting principal ($1) selected identity-first (#1280):
+# an explicit --login wins, else MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY / git config
+# mosaic.gitIdentity binds the per-slot credential, else the tea login list
+# (last resort). Populates GITEA_API_ROOT (…/api/v1), GITEA_API_BASE
+# (…/api/v1/repos/<slug>), and GITEA_API_TOKEN.
 #
-# The token is resolved for the EFFECTIVE login (the --login override when
-# given, otherwise the detected default) so that the single credential used for
-# the write ALSO drives the /user identity read and the read-back — write token
-# and read-back token are the same identity by construction (this is the
-# credential-ordering fix: a --login override is no longer written under one
-# credential and verified under a different default one). Falls back to the
-# host-scoped credential ONLY when NO --login override was supplied (the
-# best-effort default path). When $2 is "explicit" the login came from a
-# caller-supplied --login: that exact login's token MUST resolve, and we FAIL
-# CLOSED rather than silently downgrading the write to the host default
-# identity — otherwise a caller relying on a dedicated per-role credential would
-# be told the write succeeded as requested while it was attributed to the shared
-# default. Returns non-zero (clear stderr) on any resolution failure.
+# The token is resolved for the EFFECTIVE principal so that the single
+# credential used for the write ALSO drives the /user identity read and the
+# read-back — write token and read-back token are the same identity by
+# construction (this is the credential-ordering fix: a --login override is no
+# longer written under one credential and verified under a different default
+# one). When $2 is "identity" the principal ($1) is a requested git identity:
+# the token MUST resolve from that identity's per-slot token (get_gitea_token's
+# identity arm), failing closed rather than borrowing the tea default login —
+# the tea login list must never shadow a requested identity (#1280). When $2
+# is "explicit" the principal came from a caller-supplied --login: that exact
+# login's token MUST resolve, and we FAIL CLOSED rather than silently
+# downgrading the write to the host default identity. Otherwise the best-effort
+# default path applies (per-login token, else the host-scoped credential).
+# Returns non-zero (clear stderr) on any resolution failure.
 gitea_resolve_api_for_login() {
    local effective_login="$1" override_explicit="${2:-}" host configured_url repo

    host=$(get_remote_host)
-    if [[ -n "$override_explicit" ]]; then
+    if [[ "$override_explicit" == "identity" ]]; then
+        GITEA_API_TOKEN=$(get_gitea_token "$host") || {
+            echo "Error: could not resolve the per-slot token for requested git identity '$effective_login' on host '$host'; refusing to fall back to the tea login list or shared credentials (comment write/read-back, #1280)." >&2
+            return 1
+        }
+    elif [[ -n "$override_explicit" ]]; then
        GITEA_API_TOKEN=$(get_gitea_token_for_login "$effective_login" "$host") || {
            echo "Error: could not resolve a host-matched Gitea token for --login '$effective_login' on host '$host'; refusing to fall back to the host default identity or a cross-host credential (comment write/read-back)" >&2
            return 1
@@ -318,23 +327,31 @@ if [[ "$PLATFORM" == "github" ]]; then
    gh issue comment "$ISSUE_NUMBER" --body "$COMMENT"
    echo "Added comment to GitHub issue #$ISSUE_NUMBER"
 elif [[ "$PLATFORM" == "gitea" ]]; then
-    # Resolve the login this comment should be attributed to: the --login
-    # override when given, otherwise the detected default for this repo's host.
-    # A --login override always wins. Otherwise name this repo host's login only
-    # as a best effort: the login name merely selects a per-login token, and
-    # gitea_resolve_api_for_login falls back to the host credential
-    # (get_gitea_token) when no tea login is named, so the default credential
-    # still resolves even when the host tea has no matching login entry.
-    EFFECTIVE_LOGIN="$LOGIN_OVERRIDE"
-    [[ -n "$EFFECTIVE_LOGIN" ]] || EFFECTIVE_LOGIN=$(get_gitea_login 2>/dev/null || true)
+    # Resolve the acting principal identity-first (#1280): an explicit --login
+    # wins; otherwise MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY / git config mosaic.gitIdentity
+    # selects the principal when a per-slot token exists (fail-loud when it
+    # does not); the tea login list is the LAST resort — it knows nothing about
+    # which seat is calling, so resolving from it first wrote under whichever
+    # account tea had configured (the #1280 family).
+    principal_host=$(get_remote_host)
+    if ! principal_resolved="$(resolve_gitea_principal "$LOGIN_OVERRIDE" "$principal_host")"; then
+        # resolve_gitea_principal already printed the fail-loud diagnostic.
+        exit 1
+    fi
+    PRINCIPAL_MODE="$(printf '%s' "$principal_resolved" | cut -f1)"
+    PRINCIPAL_NAME="$(printf '%s' "$principal_resolved" | cut -f2)"

-    # Bind the REST endpoint + token to the effective login, then derive the
+    # Bind the REST endpoint + token to the resolved principal, then derive the
    # acting identity from that SAME credential (GET /user). The write below and
    # its read-back both use this credential, so the write is verified against
-    # the identity that actually performed it. Passing "explicit" when --login
-    # was supplied forbids the host-default fallback: an unresolvable explicit
-    # override fails closed instead of writing under the default identity.
-    gitea_resolve_api_for_login "$EFFECTIVE_LOGIN" "${LOGIN_OVERRIDE:+explicit}" || exit 1
+    # the identity that actually performed it.
+    if [[ "$PRINCIPAL_MODE" == "identity" ]]; then
+        gitea_resolve_api_for_login "$PRINCIPAL_NAME" identity || exit 1
+    elif [[ "$PRINCIPAL_MODE" == "login" ]]; then
+        gitea_resolve_api_for_login "$PRINCIPAL_NAME" explicit || exit 1
+    else
+        gitea_resolve_api_for_login "$PRINCIPAL_NAME" "" || exit 1
+    fi
    ACTING_LOGIN=$(gitea_authenticated_login) || exit 1

    comment_id=$(gitea_create_comment_verified "$ISSUE_NUMBER" "$COMMENT" "$ACTING_LOGIN") || {
@@ -1,6 +1,15 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 # issue-create.sh - Create issues on Gitea or GitHub
-# Usage: issue-create.sh -t "Title" [-b "Body"] [-l "label1,label2"] [-m "milestone"]
+# Usage: issue-create.sh -t "Title" [-b "Body"] [-l "label1,label2"] [-m "milestone"] [--login <name>]
+#
+# Acting principal is resolved identity-first (#1280): an explicit --login
+# wins; otherwise MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY / per-worktree git config
+# mosaic.gitIdentity selects the principal when a per-slot token exists (and
+# the wrapper then creates the issue through the REST API with that identity's
+# token — tea is never invoked, so the tea login list cannot shadow the
+# requested principal); the tea login list is the LAST resort. A requested
+# identity with no per-slot token fails LOUD rather than writing under
+# whichever account tea happens to hold.

 set -e

@@ -16,6 +25,14 @@ INTERACTIVE=false

 # get_remote_host and get_gitea_token are provided by detect-platform.sh

+# Acting-principal mode set in the Gitea branch below (from
+# resolve_gitea_principal): "login" when --login was given, "identity" when a
+# git identity bound, "default" otherwise. PRINCIPAL_MODE=login makes the API
+# arm resolve the --login principal's token too, so an explicit --login keeps
+# winning even on the tea-FAILURE fallback arm.
+PRINCIPAL_MODE=""
+PRINCIPAL_NAME=""
+
 gitea_issue_create_api() {
    local host repo token url payload
    host=$(get_remote_host) || {
@@ -26,10 +43,19 @@ gitea_issue_create_api() {
        echo "Error: could not determine repo owner/name for API fallback" >&2
        return 1
    }
-    token=$(get_gitea_token "$host") || {
-        echo "Error: Gitea token not found for API fallback (set GITEA_TOKEN or configure ~/.git-credentials)" >&2
-        return 1
-    }
+    if [[ "$PRINCIPAL_MODE" == "login" ]]; then
+        token=$(get_gitea_token_for_login "$PRINCIPAL_NAME" "$host") || {
+            echo "Error: could not resolve a host-matched Gitea token for --login '$PRINCIPAL_NAME' on host '$host' (API path)" >&2
+            return 1
+        }
+    else
+        # Identity-first when MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY / git config mosaic.gitIdentity
+        # is set (per-slot token, fail-loud on absence); shared default otherwise.
+        token=$(get_gitea_token "$host") || {
+            echo "Error: Gitea token not found for API fallback (set GITEA_TOKEN or configure ~/.git-credentials)" >&2
+            return 1
+        }
+    fi

    if [[ -n "$LABELS" || -n "$MILESTONE" ]]; then
        echo "Warning: API fallback currently applies title/body only; labels/milestone require authenticated tea setup." >&2
@@ -67,6 +93,7 @@ Options:
    -b, --body BODY         Issue body/description
    -l, --labels LABELS     Comma-separated labels (e.g., "bug,feature")
    -m, --milestone NAME    Milestone name to assign
+        --login NAME        Act as this Gitea tea login (wins over MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY)
    -i, --interactive       Prompt for missing issue fields
    -h, --help              Show this help message

@@ -97,6 +124,10 @@ while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
            MILESTONE="$2"
            shift 2
            ;;
+        --login)
+            LOGIN_OVERRIDE="$2"
+            shift 2
+            ;;
        -i|--interactive)
            INTERACTIVE=true
            shift
@@ -134,13 +165,37 @@ case "$PLATFORM" in
        "${CMD[@]}"
        ;;
    gitea)
+        # Resolve the acting principal identity-first (#1280). The tea login
+        # list is the LAST resort: it knows nothing about which seat is calling,
+        # and a login resolved from it first is what attributed issues to the
+        # wrong account even when MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY was set.
+        principal_host=$(get_remote_host 2>/dev/null || true)
+        if ! principal_resolved="$(resolve_gitea_principal "${LOGIN_OVERRIDE:-}" "$principal_host")"; then
+            # resolve_gitea_principal already printed the fail-loud diagnostic.
+            exit 1
+        fi
+        PRINCIPAL_MODE="$(printf '%s' "$principal_resolved" | cut -f1)"
+        PRINCIPAL_NAME="$(printf '%s' "$principal_resolved" | cut -f2)"
+
+        if [[ "$PRINCIPAL_MODE" == "identity" ]]; then
+            # HAPPY PATH for a requested identity: create through the REST API
+            # with the per-slot token and never invoke tea — the identity arm
+            # must be REACHED, not sit behind a tea failure (#1280).
+            gitea_issue_create_api
+            exit $?
+        fi
+
        if command -v tea >/dev/null 2>&1; then
            REPO_SLUG=$(get_repo_slug)
-            GITEA_LOGIN_NAME=$(get_gitea_login) || {
-                echo "Warning: could not resolve Gitea login for tea; trying Gitea API fallback..." >&2
-                gitea_issue_create_api
-                exit $?
-            }
+            if [[ "$PRINCIPAL_MODE" == "login" ]]; then
+                GITEA_LOGIN_NAME="$PRINCIPAL_NAME"
+            else
+                GITEA_LOGIN_NAME=$(get_gitea_login) || {
+                    echo "Warning: could not resolve Gitea login for tea; trying Gitea API fallback..." >&2
+                    gitea_issue_create_api
+                    exit $?
+                }
+            fi
            if ! get_gitea_authenticated_user "$GITEA_LOGIN_NAME" >/dev/null; then
                echo "Warning: Tea authenticated-user validation failed (possible stale user/login); trying Gitea API fallback..." >&2
                gitea_issue_create_api
@@ -1,6 +1,15 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 # pr-create.sh - Create pull requests on Gitea or GitHub
-# Usage: pr-create.sh -t "Title" [-b "Body"] [-B base] [-H head] [-l "labels"] [-m "milestone"]
+# Usage: pr-create.sh -t "Title" [-b "Body"] [-B base] [-H head] [-l "labels"] [-m "milestone"] [--login <name>]
+#
+# Acting principal is resolved identity-first (#1280): an explicit --login
+# wins; otherwise MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY / per-worktree git config
+# mosaic.gitIdentity selects the principal when a per-slot token exists (and
+# the wrapper then creates the PR through the REST API with that identity's
+# token — tea is never invoked, so the tea login list cannot shadow the
+# requested principal); the tea login list is the LAST resort. A requested
+# identity with no per-slot token fails LOUD rather than writing under
+# whichever account tea happens to hold.

 set -e

@@ -19,6 +28,15 @@ ISSUE=""

 # get_remote_host, get_gitea_token, get_repo_info, and get_gitea_repo_args are provided by detect-platform.sh

+# Acting-principal mode set in the Gitea branch below (from
+# resolve_gitea_principal): "login" when --login was given, "identity" when a
+# git identity bound, "default" otherwise. PRINCIPAL_MODE=login makes the API
+# arm resolve the --login principal's token too, so an explicit --login keeps
+# winning even on the tea-FAILURE fallback arm (otherwise the fallback would
+# silently re-resolve to the environment identity or shared credential).
+PRINCIPAL_MODE=""
+PRINCIPAL_NAME=""
+
 gitea_pr_create_api() {
    local host repo token url payload
    host=$(get_remote_host) || {
@@ -29,10 +47,19 @@ gitea_pr_create_api() {
        echo "Error: could not determine repo owner/name for API fallback" >&2
        return 1
    }
-    token=$(get_gitea_token "$host") || {
-        echo "Error: Gitea token not found for API fallback (set GITEA_TOKEN or configure ~/.git-credentials)" >&2
-        return 1
-    }
+    if [[ "$PRINCIPAL_MODE" == "login" ]]; then
+        token=$(get_gitea_token_for_login "$PRINCIPAL_NAME" "$host") || {
+            echo "Error: could not resolve a host-matched Gitea token for --login '$PRINCIPAL_NAME' on host '$host' (API path)" >&2
+            return 1
+        }
+    else
+        # Identity-first when MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY / git config mosaic.gitIdentity
+        # is set (per-slot token, fail-loud on absence); shared default otherwise.
+        token=$(get_gitea_token "$host") || {
+            echo "Error: Gitea token not found for API fallback (set GITEA_TOKEN or configure ~/.git-credentials)" >&2
+            return 1
+        }
+    fi

    if [[ -n "$LABELS" || -n "$MILESTONE" || "$DRAFT" == true ]]; then
        echo "Warning: API fallback applies title/body/head/base only; labels/milestone/draft require authenticated tea setup." >&2
@@ -76,6 +103,7 @@ Options:
    -H, --head BRANCH       Head branch with changes (default: current branch)
    -l, --labels LABELS     Comma-separated labels
    -m, --milestone NAME    Milestone name
+        --login NAME        Act as this Gitea tea login (wins over MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY)
    -i, --issue NUMBER      Link to issue (auto-generates title if not provided)
    -d, --draft             Create as draft PR
    -h, --help              Show this help message
@@ -116,6 +144,10 @@ while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
            MILESTONE="$2"
            shift 2
            ;;
+        --login)
+            LOGIN_OVERRIDE="$2"
+            shift 2
+            ;;
        -i|--issue)
            ISSUE="$2"
            shift 2
@@ -174,15 +206,41 @@ case "$PLATFORM" in
        "${CMD[@]}"
        ;;
    gitea)
+        # Resolve the acting principal identity-first (#1280). The tea login
+        # list is the LAST resort: it knows nothing about which seat is calling,
+        # and a login resolved from it first is what attributed PRs to the wrong
+        # account even when MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY was set.
+        principal_host=$(get_remote_host 2>/dev/null || true)
+        if ! principal_resolved="$(resolve_gitea_principal "${LOGIN_OVERRIDE:-}" "$principal_host")"; then
+            # resolve_gitea_principal already printed the fail-loud diagnostic.
+            exit 1
+        fi
+        PRINCIPAL_MODE="$(printf '%s' "$principal_resolved" | cut -f1)"
+        PRINCIPAL_NAME="$(printf '%s' "$principal_resolved" | cut -f2)"
+
+        if [[ "$PRINCIPAL_MODE" == "identity" ]]; then
+            # HAPPY PATH for a requested identity: the per-slot token IS the
+            # credential, so create through the REST API directly and never
+            # invoke tea — the identity arm must be REACHED, not sit behind a
+            # tea failure (#1280). Fail-loud on a missing slot already happened
+            # in resolve_gitea_principal.
+            gitea_pr_create_api
+            exit $?
+        fi
+
        # tea pull create syntax. Always pass --repo because tea repo inference
        # is unreliable in Mosaic worktrees/profile shells. Use arrays instead
        # of eval so markdown backticks/body content are not shell-executed.
        REPO_SLUG=$(get_repo_slug)
-        GITEA_LOGIN_NAME=$(get_gitea_login) || {
-            echo "Warning: could not resolve Gitea login for tea; trying Gitea API fallback..." >&2
-            gitea_pr_create_api
-            exit $?
-        }
+        if [[ "$PRINCIPAL_MODE" == "login" ]]; then
+            GITEA_LOGIN_NAME="$PRINCIPAL_NAME"
+        else
+            GITEA_LOGIN_NAME=$(get_gitea_login) || {
+                echo "Warning: could not resolve Gitea login for tea; trying Gitea API fallback..." >&2
+                gitea_pr_create_api
+                exit $?
+            }
+        fi
        if ! get_gitea_authenticated_user "$GITEA_LOGIN_NAME" >/dev/null; then
            echo "Warning: Tea authenticated-user validation failed (possible stale user/login); trying Gitea API fallback..." >&2
            gitea_pr_create_api
@@ -1,6 +1,13 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 # pr-merge.sh - Merge pull requests on Gitea or GitHub
-# Usage: pr-merge.sh -n PR_NUMBER [-m squash] [-d] [--expect-head SHA] [--co-author-trailers --escalate-to PRINCIPAL]
+# Usage: pr-merge.sh -n PR_NUMBER [-m squash] [-d] [--expect-head SHA] [--co-author-trailers --escalate-to PRINCIPAL] [--login <name>]
+#
+# Acting principal is resolved identity-first (#1280): an explicit --login
+# wins; otherwise MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY / per-worktree git config
+# mosaic.gitIdentity selects the credential (per-slot token, fail-loud when
+# absent); the shared host credential is the last resort. The merge is
+# performed with the resolved credential only — never a cross-principal
+# fallback (an HTTP 401 from the identity-bound token is a hard stop).

 set -euo pipefail

@@ -16,6 +23,7 @@ DRY_RUN=false
 EXPECT_HEAD=""
 CO_AUTHOR_TRAILERS=false
 ESCALATE_TO=""
+LOGIN_OVERRIDE=""

 usage() {
    cat <<EOF
@@ -31,6 +39,7 @@ Options:
        --expect-head SHA   Refuse unless the PR head matches this full commit SHA
        --co-author-trailers Build verified trailers from linked PR commit authors
        --escalate-to NAME  Named principal for an unresolved-author BLOCK
+        --login NAME        Act as this Gitea tea login (wins over MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY)
    -h, --help              Show this help message

 Examples:
@@ -39,6 +48,7 @@ Examples:
    $(basename "$0") -n 42 -d                 # Squash merge and delete branch
    $(basename "$0") -n 42 --expect-head 0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef01234567
    $(basename "$0") -n 42 --co-author-trailers --escalate-to tl-mosaic
+    $(basename "$0") -n 42 --login fred-ms    # Merge under the fred-ms tea login
 EOF
    exit "${1:-1}"
 }
@@ -82,6 +92,14 @@ while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
            ESCALATE_TO="$2"
            shift 2
            ;;
+        --login|-l)
+            if [[ $# -lt 2 ]]; then
+                echo "Error: --login requires one tea login name." >&2
+                exit 1
+            fi
+            LOGIN_OVERRIDE="$2"
+            shift 2
+            ;;
        -h|--help)
            usage 0
            ;;
@@ -572,9 +590,22 @@ PY
 merge_gitea_with_api() {
    local host="$1" token attempt_rc

-    if ! token=$(get_gitea_token "$host"); then
-        echo "Error: Could not resolve the required Gitea token; refusing merge without changing principals." >&2
-        return 1
+    # Identity-first principal resolution (#1280): an explicit --login wins
+    # over MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY (operator intent beats environment); otherwise
+    # get_gitea_token resolves the identity's per-slot token when an identity
+    # is requested (fail-loud when absent) and the shared host credential only
+    # when no identity is set. No cross-principal fallback: whatever resolves
+    # here is the ONLY credential the merge is attempted with.
+    if [[ -n "$LOGIN_OVERRIDE" ]]; then
+        if ! token=$(get_gitea_token_for_login "$LOGIN_OVERRIDE" "$host"); then
+            echo "Error: --login '$LOGIN_OVERRIDE' has no host-matched token on host '$host'; refusing to merge under any other principal (#1280 identity-first resolution)." >&2
+            return 1
+        fi
+    else
+        if ! token=$(get_gitea_token "$host"); then
+            echo "Error: Could not resolve the required Gitea token; refusing merge without changing principals." >&2
+            return 1
+        fi
    fi
    if [[ -z "$token" ]]; then
        echo "Error: Required Gitea token resolved empty; refusing merge without changing principals." >&2
@@ -602,10 +633,25 @@ if [[ "$DRY_RUN" == true ]]; then
            echo "Error: Cannot determine host from origin remote URL" >&2
            exit 1
        }
+        # Report the acting principal the merge WOULD use, resolved the same
+        # way the real merge resolves it (#1280) — a dry run that names a
+        # different principal than the merge would act as is a lie.
+        if ! principal_resolved="$(resolve_gitea_principal "$LOGIN_OVERRIDE" "$HOST")"; then
+            # Fail-loud diagnostic already printed (unresolvable --login or a
+            # requested identity with no per-slot token).
+            exit 1
+        fi
+        DRY_PRINCIPAL_MODE="$(printf '%s' "$principal_resolved" | cut -f1)"
+        DRY_PRINCIPAL_NAME="$(printf '%s' "$principal_resolved" | cut -f2)"
+        case "$DRY_PRINCIPAL_MODE" in
+            login)    DRY_PRINCIPAL_DESC="tea login '$DRY_PRINCIPAL_NAME'" ;;
+            identity) DRY_PRINCIPAL_DESC="git identity '$DRY_PRINCIPAL_NAME' (per-slot credential)" ;;
+            *)        DRY_PRINCIPAL_DESC="default host credential" ;;
+        esac
        if [[ "$CO_AUTHOR_TRAILERS" == true ]]; then
-            echo "Dry run: would verify PR commit authors and merge PR #$PR_NUMBER on $HOST with authenticated Gitea API message fields (base=$BASE_BRANCH, method=squash)."
+            echo "Dry run: would verify PR commit authors and merge PR #$PR_NUMBER on $HOST as $DRY_PRINCIPAL_DESC with authenticated Gitea API message fields (base=$BASE_BRANCH, method=squash)."
        else
-            echo "Dry run: would merge PR #$PR_NUMBER on $HOST with the authenticated exact-head Gitea API path (base=$BASE_BRANCH, method=squash)."
+            echo "Dry run: would merge PR #$PR_NUMBER on $HOST as $DRY_PRINCIPAL_DESC with the authenticated exact-head Gitea API path (base=$BASE_BRANCH, method=squash)."
        fi
    else
        echo "Dry run: would merge PR #$PR_NUMBER on $PLATFORM (base=$BASE_BRANCH, method=squash)."
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
            echo "  -n, --number   PR number (required)"
            echo "  -a, --action   Review action: approve, request-changes, comment (required)"
            echo "  -c, --comment  Review comment (required for request-changes)"
-            echo "  -l, --login    Override the detected Gitea tea login (approve/request-changes only)"
+            echo "  -l, --login    Override the detected Gitea tea login (all actions; wins over MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY)"
            echo "  -r, --repo     Explicit owner/repo slug (skips git-remote slug inference)"
            echo "  -H, --host     Explicit Gitea host (skips remote-host inference)"
            echo "  -h, --help     Show this help"
@@ -346,7 +346,14 @@ gitea_resolve_api_for_login() {
    else
        host=$(get_remote_host)
    fi
-    if [[ -n "$override_explicit" ]]; then
+    if [[ "$override_explicit" == "identity" ]]; then
+        # Requested git identity (#1280): the per-slot token MUST resolve via
+        # get_gitea_token's identity arm; never borrow the tea default login.
+        GITEA_API_TOKEN=$(get_gitea_token "$host") || {
+            echo "Error: could not resolve the per-slot token for requested git identity '$effective_login' on host '$host'; refusing to fall back to the tea login list or shared credentials (review write/read-back, #1280)." >&2
+            return 1
+        }
+    elif [[ -n "$override_explicit" ]]; then
        GITEA_API_TOKEN=$(get_gitea_token_for_login "$effective_login" "$host") || {
            echo "Error: could not resolve a host-matched Gitea token for --login '$effective_login' on host '$host'; refusing to fall back to the host default identity or a cross-host credential (review write/read-back)" >&2
            return 1
@@ -676,29 +683,32 @@ if [[ "$PLATFORM" == "github" ]]; then
            ;;
    esac
 elif [[ "$PLATFORM" == "gitea" ]]; then
+    # Resolve the acting principal ONCE for every action, identity-first
+    # (#1280): an explicit --login wins; otherwise MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY /
+    # per-worktree git config mosaic.gitIdentity selects the principal when a
+    # per-slot token exists (fail-loud when it does not); the tea login list is
+    # the LAST resort — it enumerates whatever logins this host happens to hold
+    # and knows nothing about which seat is calling, so resolving from it first
+    # wrote under whichever account tea had configured (the #1280 family).
+    principal_host="${HOST_OVERRIDE:-$(get_remote_host 2>/dev/null || true)}"
+    if ! principal_resolved="$(resolve_gitea_principal "$LOGIN_OVERRIDE" "$principal_host")"; then
+        # resolve_gitea_principal already printed the fail-loud diagnostic.
+        exit 1
+    fi
+    PRINCIPAL_MODE="$(printf '%s' "$principal_resolved" | cut -f1)"
+    PRINCIPAL_NAME="$(printf '%s' "$principal_resolved" | cut -f2)"
    case $ACTION in
        approve)
-            # Best-effort host for the tea-login GUESS only (gitea_resolve_api_for_login
-            # below re-derives the real host from HOST_OVERRIDE/remote independently and
-            # is authoritative). Prefer an explicit -H/--host; otherwise best-effort
-            # git-remote inference, tolerating its ABSENCE (a bare `get_remote_host` here
-            # under `set -e`, with no origin and no -H, previously killed the script
-            # SILENTLY — exit 1, zero output — even though -r/-H are exactly the flags
-            # that support running with no usable origin at all).
-            host="${HOST_OVERRIDE:-$(get_remote_host 2>/dev/null || true)}"
-            # A --login override always wins. Otherwise name this host's login
-            # only as a best effort: the login name merely selects a per-login
-            # token, and gitea_resolve_api_for_login falls back to the host
-            # credential (get_gitea_token) when no tea login is named — so a host
-            # tea's login list need not enumerate exotic (e.g. ported) hosts for
-            # the default credential to resolve. The single resolved token is
-            # then used for the write, the /user identity, and the read-back.
-            EFFECTIVE_LOGIN="$LOGIN_OVERRIDE"
-            [[ -n "$EFFECTIVE_LOGIN" ]] || EFFECTIVE_LOGIN=$(get_gitea_login_for_host "$host" 2>/dev/null || true)
-            # Bind the REST endpoint + token to the effective login, then derive
-            # the acting identity from that SAME credential so the review submit
-            # and its read-back verify against the identity that performed them.
-            gitea_resolve_api_for_login "$EFFECTIVE_LOGIN" "${LOGIN_OVERRIDE:+explicit}" || exit 1
+            # Identity-first principal resolution (#1280): PRINCIPAL_MODE /
+            # PRINCIPAL_NAME were resolved once above from --login >
+            # MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY / git config > tea login list (last resort).
+            if [[ "$PRINCIPAL_MODE" == "identity" ]]; then
+                gitea_resolve_api_for_login "$PRINCIPAL_NAME" identity || exit 1
+            elif [[ "$PRINCIPAL_MODE" == "login" ]]; then
+                gitea_resolve_api_for_login "$PRINCIPAL_NAME" explicit || exit 1
+            else
+                gitea_resolve_api_for_login "$PRINCIPAL_NAME" "" || exit 1
+            fi
            ACTING_LOGIN=$(gitea_authenticated_login) || exit 1
            head_sha=$(gitea_pr_head_sha "$PR_NUMBER") || exit 1
            # The review body (if any) travels with the review itself in the REST
@@ -715,24 +725,16 @@ elif [[ "$PLATFORM" == "gitea" ]]; then
                echo "Error: Comment required for request-changes"
                exit 1
            fi
-            # Best-effort host for the tea-login GUESS only (gitea_resolve_api_for_login
-            # below re-derives the real host from HOST_OVERRIDE/remote independently and
-            # is authoritative). Prefer an explicit -H/--host; otherwise best-effort
-            # git-remote inference, tolerating its ABSENCE (a bare `get_remote_host` here
-            # under `set -e`, with no origin and no -H, previously killed the script
-            # SILENTLY — exit 1, zero output — even though -r/-H are exactly the flags
-            # that support running with no usable origin at all).
-            host="${HOST_OVERRIDE:-$(get_remote_host 2>/dev/null || true)}"
-            # A --login override always wins. Otherwise name this host's login
-            # only as a best effort: the login name merely selects a per-login
-            # token, and gitea_resolve_api_for_login falls back to the host
-            # credential (get_gitea_token) when no tea login is named — so a host
-            # tea's login list need not enumerate exotic (e.g. ported) hosts for
-            # the default credential to resolve. The single resolved token is
-            # then used for the write, the /user identity, and the read-back.
-            EFFECTIVE_LOGIN="$LOGIN_OVERRIDE"
-            [[ -n "$EFFECTIVE_LOGIN" ]] || EFFECTIVE_LOGIN=$(get_gitea_login_for_host "$host" 2>/dev/null || true)
-            gitea_resolve_api_for_login "$EFFECTIVE_LOGIN" "${LOGIN_OVERRIDE:+explicit}" || exit 1
+            # Identity-first principal resolution (#1280): PRINCIPAL_MODE /
+            # PRINCIPAL_NAME were resolved once above from --login >
+            # MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY / git config > tea login list (last resort).
+            if [[ "$PRINCIPAL_MODE" == "identity" ]]; then
+                gitea_resolve_api_for_login "$PRINCIPAL_NAME" identity || exit 1
+            elif [[ "$PRINCIPAL_MODE" == "login" ]]; then
+                gitea_resolve_api_for_login "$PRINCIPAL_NAME" explicit || exit 1
+            else
+                gitea_resolve_api_for_login "$PRINCIPAL_NAME" "" || exit 1
+            fi
            ACTING_LOGIN=$(gitea_authenticated_login) || exit 1
            head_sha=$(gitea_pr_head_sha "$PR_NUMBER") || exit 1
            review_id=$(gitea_submit_review_verified "$PR_NUMBER" "REQUEST_CHANGES" "$COMMENT" "$ACTING_LOGIN" "$head_sha") || {
@@ -746,24 +748,16 @@ elif [[ "$PLATFORM" == "gitea" ]]; then
                echo "Error: Comment required"
                exit 1
            fi
-            # Best-effort host for the tea-login GUESS only (gitea_resolve_api_for_login
-            # below re-derives the real host from HOST_OVERRIDE/remote independently and
-            # is authoritative). Prefer an explicit -H/--host; otherwise best-effort
-            # git-remote inference, tolerating its ABSENCE (a bare `get_remote_host` here
-            # under `set -e`, with no origin and no -H, previously killed the script
-            # SILENTLY — exit 1, zero output — even though -r/-H are exactly the flags
-            # that support running with no usable origin at all).
-            host="${HOST_OVERRIDE:-$(get_remote_host 2>/dev/null || true)}"
-            # A --login override always wins. Otherwise name this host's login
-            # only as a best effort: the login name merely selects a per-login
-            # token, and gitea_resolve_api_for_login falls back to the host
-            # credential (get_gitea_token) when no tea login is named — so a host
-            # tea's login list need not enumerate exotic (e.g. ported) hosts for
-            # the default credential to resolve. The single resolved token is
-            # then used for the write, the /user identity, and the read-back.
-            EFFECTIVE_LOGIN="$LOGIN_OVERRIDE"
-            [[ -n "$EFFECTIVE_LOGIN" ]] || EFFECTIVE_LOGIN=$(get_gitea_login_for_host "$host" 2>/dev/null || true)
-            gitea_resolve_api_for_login "$EFFECTIVE_LOGIN" "${LOGIN_OVERRIDE:+explicit}" || exit 1
+            # Identity-first principal resolution (#1280): PRINCIPAL_MODE /
+            # PRINCIPAL_NAME were resolved once above from --login >
+            # MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY / git config > tea login list (last resort).
+            if [[ "$PRINCIPAL_MODE" == "identity" ]]; then
+                gitea_resolve_api_for_login "$PRINCIPAL_NAME" identity || exit 1
+            elif [[ "$PRINCIPAL_MODE" == "login" ]]; then
+                gitea_resolve_api_for_login "$PRINCIPAL_NAME" explicit || exit 1
+            else
+                gitea_resolve_api_for_login "$PRINCIPAL_NAME" "" || exit 1
+            fi
            ACTING_LOGIN=$(gitea_authenticated_login) || exit 1
            comment_id=$(gitea_create_comment_verified "$PR_NUMBER" "$COMMENT" "$ACTING_LOGIN") || {
                echo "Error: could not create and verify a comment on Gitea PR #$PR_NUMBER via a provider-returned created id (#865)." >&2
@@ -0,0 +1,255 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Regression harness for detect-platform.sh's resolve_gitea_principal() — the
+# identity-first acting-principal resolution shared by the git wrappers
+# (mosaicstack/stack #1280).
+#
+# The contract under test (precedence: --login > MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY /
+# git config mosaic.gitIdentity > tea login list, which is the LAST resort):
+#   1. identity env + per-slot token present -> mode=identity, principal=
+#      identity name, source names the identity's slot PATH (never a token
+#      value).
+#   2. identity env + per-slot token ABSENT -> FAIL LOUD: nonzero, empty
+#      stdout, stderr naming the identity and the expected slot path.
+#   3. identity env + --login -> --login wins (login mode resolves even when
+#      the identity has no slot — operator intent beats environment).
+#   4. identity unset + no --login -> default mode: the tea login list
+#      resolves the principal exactly as before (preserved behavior).
+#   5. no identity + no host-matching tea login -> default/host-credential
+#      (preserved behavior; absence is not an error on the default path).
+#   6. identity on an UNRECOGNIZED host (no per-slot scheme) -> does not bind;
+#      default mode (containment, mirroring get_gitea_token).
+#   7. --login with no host-bound token for that login -> FAIL LOUD, stderr
+#      naming the login and the host.
+#   8. git config mosaic.gitIdentity is honored when the env var is unset.
+#   9. The resolver NEVER emits a token value — stdout/stderr of every
+#      successful resolution must not contain the slot file's contents.
+#
+# Uses a stubbed tea binary, stubbed tea config.yml, stubbed credentials.json
+# and stubbed per-slot token files under a fake HOME. NEVER reads real secrets.
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+WORK_DIR="${MOSAIC_TEST_WORK_DIR:-$PWD/.mosaic-test-work/gitea-principal-resolution}"
+FAKE_HOME="$WORK_DIR/home"
+REPO_DIR="$WORK_DIR/repo"
+BIN_DIR="$WORK_DIR/bin"
+CREDENTIALS_FILE="$FAKE_HOME/.config/mosaic/credentials.json"
+
+rm -rf "$WORK_DIR"
+mkdir -p "$FAKE_HOME/.config/mosaic/secrets/gitea-tokens" "$FAKE_HOME/.config/tea" "$REPO_DIR" "$BIN_DIR"
+
+git -C "$REPO_DIR" init -q
+git -C "$REPO_DIR" remote add origin https://git.mosaicstack.dev/mosaicstack/stack.git
+
+cat > "$CREDENTIALS_FILE" <<'JSON'
+{
+  "gitea": {
+    "mosaicstack": {
+      "url": "https://git.mosaicstack.dev",
+      "token": "shared-mosaicstack-token"
+    },
+    "usc": {
+      "url": "https://git.uscllc.com",
+      "token": "shared-usc-token"
+    }
+  }
+}
+JSON
+
+# tea's own config store: the source get_gitea_token_for_login reads. Logins
+# "alice" (mosaicstack) and "bob-usc" (usc) carry sentinel token values that
+# the assertions prove are NEVER emitted by the resolver.
+cat > "$FAKE_HOME/.config/tea/config.yml" <<'YAML'
+logins:
+- name: alice
+  url: https://git.mosaicstack.dev
+  token: SECRET-alice-tea-token
+- name: bob-usc
+  url: https://git.uscllc.com
+  token: SECRET-bob-usc-tea-token
+YAML
+
+# Stubbed tea: only what login resolution needs (`login list --output json`).
+cat > "$BIN_DIR/tea" <<'SH'
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+if [[ "$*" == "login list --output json" ]]; then
+    cat <<'JSON'
+[
+  {"name":"alice","url":"https://git.mosaicstack.dev","default":true},
+  {"name":"bob-usc","url":"https://git.uscllc.com"}
+]
+JSON
+    exit 0
+fi
+exit 0
+SH
+chmod +x "$BIN_DIR/tea"
+
+# Per-slot identity token with a sentinel value the assertions prove is never
+# emitted (proving "token came from the identity's slot BY PATH, not by value").
+echo -n "SECRET-agentX-slot-token" > "$FAKE_HOME/.config/mosaic/secrets/gitea-tokens/gitea-mosaicstack-agentX.token"
+
+fail=0
+assert_eq() {
+  local desc="$1" expected="$2" actual="$3"
+  if [[ "$expected" != "$actual" ]]; then
+    echo "FAIL: $desc — expected '$expected', got '$actual'" >&2
+    fail=1
+  fi
+}
+assert_contains() {
+  local desc="$1" haystack="$2" needle="$3"
+  if [[ "$haystack" != *"$needle"* ]]; then
+    echo "FAIL: $desc — missing '$needle' in: $haystack" >&2
+    fail=1
+  fi
+}
+assert_not_contains() {
+  local desc="$1" haystack="$2" needle="$3"
+  if [[ "$haystack" == *"$needle"* ]]; then
+    echo "FAIL: $desc — must not contain '$needle', got: $haystack" >&2
+    fail=1
+  fi
+}
+
+# Runs resolve_gitea_principal for $1=login_override $2=host inside REPO_DIR
+# (per-worktree git config resolves there) under a fake HOME, stubbed tea, and
+# stubbed credentials. Extra env (e.g. MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY) via $@.
+call_resolver() {
+  local login="$1" host="$2"; shift 2
+  (
+    cd "$REPO_DIR"
+    env -i HOME="$FAKE_HOME" PATH="$BIN_DIR:$PATH" \
+      GIT_CONFIG_GLOBAL=/dev/null GIT_CONFIG_SYSTEM=/dev/null \
+      MOSAIC_CREDENTIALS_FILE="$CREDENTIALS_FILE" \
+      DETECT_PLATFORM_SH="$SCRIPT_DIR/detect-platform.sh" "$@" \
+      bash -c 'source "$DETECT_PLATFORM_SH"; resolve_gitea_principal "$1" "$2"' _ "$login" "$host"
+  )
+}
+
+field() { printf '%s' "$1" | cut -f"$2"; }
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 1. Identity env + slot present -> identity mode, slot named BY PATH, and no
+#    token value ever emitted.
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+git -C "$REPO_DIR" config --unset mosaic.gitIdentity 2>/dev/null || true
+out=$(call_resolver "" "git.mosaicstack.dev" MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY=agentX)
+assert_eq "identity mode"            "identity" "$(field "$out" 1)"
+assert_eq "identity principal"       "agentX"   "$(field "$out" 2)"
+assert_eq "identity slot source" \
+  "identity-slot:$FAKE_HOME/.config/mosaic/secrets/gitea-tokens/gitea-mosaicstack-agentX.token" \
+  "$(field "$out" 3)"
+assert_not_contains "identity stdout leaks token" "$out" "SECRET"
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 2. Identity env + slot ABSENT -> fail loud: nonzero, empty stdout, stderr
+#    naming the identity and the expected slot path.
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+stderr_file="$WORK_DIR/stderr.tmp"
+set +e
+out=$(call_resolver "" "git.mosaicstack.dev" MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY=agentNoSlot 2>"$stderr_file")
+rc=$?
+set -e
+if [[ "$rc" -eq 0 ]]; then
+  echo "FAIL: missing slot — expected nonzero return, got 0 (stdout='$out')" >&2
+  fail=1
+fi
+if [[ -n "$out" ]]; then
+  echo "FAIL: missing slot — expected empty stdout, got '$out'" >&2
+  fail=1
+fi
+err=$(cat "$stderr_file")
+assert_contains "missing slot names identity"  "$err" "agentNoSlot"
+assert_contains "missing slot names slot path" "$err" \
+  "$FAKE_HOME/.config/mosaic/secrets/gitea-tokens/gitea-mosaicstack-agentNoSlot.token"
+assert_not_contains "missing-slot stderr leaks token" "$err" "SECRET"
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 3. Identity + --login -> --login wins. Also wins when the identity has NO
+#    slot (no identity check may veto an explicit login).
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+out=$(call_resolver "alice" "git.mosaicstack.dev" MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY=agentX)
+assert_eq "login beats identity (mode)"      "login" "$(field "$out" 1)"
+assert_eq "login beats identity (principal)" "alice" "$(field "$out" 2)"
+assert_eq "login source" "tea-login:alice" "$(field "$out" 3)"
+out=$(call_resolver "alice" "git.mosaicstack.dev" MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY=agentNoSlot)
+assert_eq "login beats slot-less identity" "login" "$(field "$out" 1)"
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 4. No identity, no --login -> default mode via the tea login list
+#    (preserved behavior).
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+out=$(call_resolver "" "git.mosaicstack.dev")
+assert_eq "default mode"          "default" "$(field "$out" 1)"
+assert_eq "default principal"     "alice"   "$(field "$out" 2)"
+assert_eq "default source"        "tea-default" "$(field "$out" 3)"
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 5. No identity, no --login, no host-matching tea login -> default with the
+#    host credential (absence is not an error on the default path).
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+out=$(call_resolver "" "git.unknown.test")
+assert_eq "no-match default mode"  "default" "$(field "$out" 1)"
+assert_eq "no-match default principal" "" "$(field "$out" 2)"
+assert_eq "no-match default source" "host-credential" "$(field "$out" 3)"
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 6. Identity on an UNRECOGNIZED host -> does not bind; default mode
+#    (containment, mirroring get_gitea_token's scope).
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+out=$(call_resolver "" "github.com" MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY=agentX)
+assert_eq "unrecognized host falls to default" "default" "$(field "$out" 1)"
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 7. --login with no host-bound token for that login -> fail loud, stderr
+#    naming the login and the host.
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+: > "$stderr_file"
+set +e
+out=$(call_resolver "ghost-login" "git.mosaicstack.dev" 2>"$stderr_file")
+rc=$?
+set -e
+if [[ "$rc" -eq 0 ]]; then
+  echo "FAIL: unknown --login — expected nonzero return, got 0 (stdout='$out')" >&2
+  fail=1
+fi
+err=$(cat "$stderr_file")
+assert_contains "unknown login names login" "$err" "ghost-login"
+assert_contains "unknown login names host"  "$err" "git.mosaicstack.dev"
+# A cross-host login (exists, but for usc) must ALSO fail loud for mosaicstack.
+set +e
+out=$(call_resolver "bob-usc" "git.mosaicstack.dev" 2>"$stderr_file")
+rc=$?
+set -e
+if [[ "$rc" -eq 0 ]]; then
+  echo "FAIL: cross-host --login — expected nonzero return, got 0" >&2
+  fail=1
+fi
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 8. git config mosaic.gitIdentity honored when env is unset.
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+git -C "$REPO_DIR" config mosaic.gitIdentity agentX
+out=$(call_resolver "" "git.mosaicstack.dev")
+assert_eq "git-config identity mode" "identity" "$(field "$out" 1)"
+assert_eq "git-config identity principal" "agentX" "$(field "$out" 2)"
+git -C "$REPO_DIR" config --unset mosaic.gitIdentity
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 9. Cross-host slot layout: the usc slot path is chosen for the usc host.
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+echo -n "SECRET-agentX-usc-token" > "$FAKE_HOME/.config/mosaic/secrets/gitea-tokens/gitea-usc-agentX.token"
+out=$(call_resolver "" "git.uscllc.com" MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY=agentX)
+assert_eq "usc identity mode" "identity" "$(field "$out" 1)"
+assert_eq "usc slot source" \
+  "identity-slot:$FAKE_HOME/.config/mosaic/secrets/gitea-tokens/gitea-usc-agentX.token" \
+  "$(field "$out" 3)"
+
+if [[ "$fail" -eq 0 ]]; then
+  echo "resolve_gitea_principal identity-first resolution regression passed"
+fi
+
+exit "$fail"
@@ -77,12 +77,30 @@ exit 0
 SH
 chmod +x "$BIN_DIR/tea"

+# TRIPWIRE provider stub: this harness tests argv construction, so ANY curl
+# call is a failure of that contract (and, before this stub existed, a LIVE
+# write — the #1282–#1287 incident: the seat's real HOME leaked a global
+# mosaic.gitIdentity, flipping the wrapper into identity mode whose real
+# per-slot token created real issues on the forge). Fail loudly instead.
+cat > "$BIN_DIR/curl" <<'SH'
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+echo "FAIL: body-safety harness reached a provider request — this test must never curl" >&2
+exit 99
+SH
+chmod +x "$BIN_DIR/curl"
+
+# Hermetic invocation: fake HOME (no credentials, no tea config, no token
+# slots) and GIT_CONFIG_GLOBAL severed — `git config --get mosaic.gitIdentity`
+# otherwise resolves the WORKSTATION's global identity (mos-dt-0 on the seat
+# that wrote this) and reroutes the wrapper into identity mode (#1280 family).
 (
    cd "$REPO_DIR"
-    PATH="$BIN_DIR:$PATH" \
-    MOSAIC_TEST_RECEIVED="$RECEIVED_FILE" \
-    "$SCRIPT_DIR/issue-create.sh" -t "Body safety test" -b "$BODY"
+    env -i HOME="$WORK_DIR/home" PATH="$BIN_DIR:$PATH" \
+      GIT_CONFIG_GLOBAL=/dev/null GIT_CONFIG_SYSTEM=/dev/null \
+      MOSAIC_TEST_RECEIVED="$RECEIVED_FILE" \
+      "$SCRIPT_DIR/issue-create.sh" -t "Body safety test" -b "$BODY"
 ) >/dev/null
+mkdir -p "$WORK_DIR/home"

 # 1. No command substitution executed anywhere in the pipeline.
 if [[ -e "$SENTINEL" ]]; then
@@ -47,14 +47,31 @@ SH
 chmod +x "$BIN_DIR/tea" "$BIN_DIR/curl"

 run_wrapper() {
+  # Hermetic: fake HOME (fixture credentials only, no token slots, no tea
+  # config) and GIT_CONFIG_GLOBAL severed — `git config --get
+  # mosaic.gitIdentity` otherwise resolves the WORKSTATION's global identity
+  # and reroutes the wrapper into identity mode before the tea paths this
+  # harness exercises (#1280 family; see test-issue-create-body-safety.sh).
+  # An `env …` prefix (used for MOSAIC_TEA_STALE_USER) is re-wrapped, not
+  # doubled: arguments beginning with "env" are shifted past.
+  local env_pairs=()
+  if [[ "${1:-}" == "env" ]]; then
+    shift
+    while [[ "$#" -gt 0 && "$1" == *=* ]]; do
+      env_pairs+=("$1")
+      shift
+    done
+  fi
  (
    cd "$REPO_DIR"
-    PATH="$BIN_DIR:$PATH" \
-    MOSAIC_CREDENTIALS_FILE="$CREDENTIALS_FILE" \
-    MOSAIC_TEST_LOG="$LOG_FILE" \
-    "$@"
+    env -i HOME="$WORK_DIR/home" PATH="$BIN_DIR:$PATH" \
+      GIT_CONFIG_GLOBAL=/dev/null GIT_CONFIG_SYSTEM=/dev/null \
+      MOSAIC_CREDENTIALS_FILE="$CREDENTIALS_FILE" \
+      MOSAIC_TEST_LOG="$LOG_FILE" "${env_pairs[@]}" \
+      "$@"
  )
 }
+mkdir -p "$WORK_DIR/home"

 : > "$LOG_FILE"
 printf 'Interactive title\nInteractive body\nlabel-a,label-b\nM1\n' | run_wrapper "$SCRIPT_DIR/issue-create.sh" -i >/dev/null
@@ -0,0 +1,244 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Load-bearing regression harness for pr-create.sh identity-first principal
+# resolution (mosaicstack/stack #1280).
+#
+# The failure this harness is written down to catch: `MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY=fargo
+# pr-create.sh …` produces a PR attributed to `mos-dt-0` (whichever account the
+# tea login list happens to hold). Before #1280 the identity-aware code existed
+# but sat on the API arm that only ran when the tea path FAILED — tea succeeded,
+# so the identity arm never executed, and every test that did not check ORDERING
+# passed. This harness checks ordering directly:
+#
+#   1. identity set + slot present -> the PR is created via the REST API with
+#      the identity's per-slot token (asserted by sentinel value AT the fake
+#      provider), and tea's `pr create` is NEVER invoked.
+#   2. identity set + slot ABSENT -> nonzero, stderr naming the identity and
+#      the expected slot path; neither tea `pr create` nor any API request
+#      fires. No silent fallback to the tea login list.
+#   3. identity set + --login -> --login wins: tea runs WITH the explicit
+#      --login, no API request.
+#   4. nothing set -> preserved behavior: tea path with the tea-list login.
+#
+# Uses a stubbed tea, a stubbed curl provider, stubbed credentials.json and
+# per-slot token under a fake HOME. NEVER reads real secrets or hits a live
+# forge — all assertions are against the stubs' logs.
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+WORK_DIR="${MOSAIC_TEST_WORK_DIR:-$PWD/.mosaic-test-work/pr-create-identity-first}"
+FAKE_HOME="$WORK_DIR/home"
+REPO_DIR="$WORK_DIR/repo"
+TOOLS_DIR="$WORK_DIR/tools"
+BIN_DIR="$WORK_DIR/bin"
+LOG_FILE="$WORK_DIR/calls.log"
+CREDENTIALS_FILE="$FAKE_HOME/.config/mosaic/credentials.json"
+
+rm -rf "$WORK_DIR"
+mkdir -p "$FAKE_HOME/.config/mosaic/secrets/gitea-tokens" "$FAKE_HOME/.config/tea" \
+  "$REPO_DIR" "$TOOLS_DIR/git" "$TOOLS_DIR/_lib" "$BIN_DIR"
+
+# Fixture: the real scripts under test, copied so sibling stubs (and the
+# ../_lib credential loader) resolve inside the fixture tree.
+cp "$SCRIPT_DIR/pr-create.sh" "$TOOLS_DIR/git/pr-create.sh"
+cp "$SCRIPT_DIR/detect-platform.sh" "$TOOLS_DIR/git/detect-platform.sh"
+cp "$SCRIPT_DIR/../_lib/credentials.sh" "$TOOLS_DIR/_lib/credentials.sh"
+chmod +x "$TOOLS_DIR/git/pr-create.sh"
+
+git -C "$REPO_DIR" init -q
+git -C "$REPO_DIR" remote add origin https://git.mosaicstack.dev/mosaicstack/stack.git
+
+cat > "$CREDENTIALS_FILE" <<'JSON'
+{
+  "gitea": {
+    "mosaicstack": {
+      "url": "https://git.mosaicstack.dev",
+      "token": "shared-mosaicstack-token"
+    }
+  }
+}
+JSON
+
+cat > "$FAKE_HOME/.config/tea/config.yml" <<'YAML'
+logins:
+- name: alice
+  url: https://git.mosaicstack.dev
+  token: SECRET-alice-tea-token
+YAML
+
+echo -n "SECRET-agentX-slot-token" > "$FAKE_HOME/.config/mosaic/secrets/gitea-tokens/gitea-mosaicstack-agentX.token"
+
+: > "$LOG_FILE"
+
+# Stubbed tea: records every invocation; `login list` feeds login resolution;
+# `api --login <n> /user` feeds get_gitea_authenticated_user; `pr create` marks
+# the marker file (its presence fails the identity-mode assertions).
+cat > "$BIN_DIR/tea" <<SH
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+printf 'TEA: %s\n' "\$*" >> "$LOG_FILE"
+if [[ "\$*" == "login list --output json" ]]; then
+    cat <<'JSON'
+[
+  {"name":"alice","url":"https://git.mosaicstack.dev","default":true}
+]
+JSON
+    exit 0
+fi
+if [[ "\${1:-}" == "api" ]]; then
+    printf '%s\n' '{"login":"alice"}'
+    exit 0
+fi
+if [[ "\$*" == pr\ create* ]]; then
+    echo "TEA-PR-CREATE-INVOKED" >> "$LOG_FILE"
+    exit 0
+fi
+exit 0
+SH
+chmod +x "$BIN_DIR/tea"
+
+# Stubbed provider: records the URL and the Authorization header VALUE it
+# received, answers 201 with a created-PR object. The sentinel token values are
+# synthetic fixtures — asserting them at the provider proves WHICH slot's
+# credential carried the write.
+cat > "$BIN_DIR/curl" <<SH
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+url=""
+auth=""
+while [[ \$# -gt 0 ]]; do
+    case "\$1" in
+        -H)
+            case "\$2" in
+                Authorization*) auth="\$2" ;;
+            esac
+            shift 2
+            ;;
+        *)  [[ -n "\$1" && "\$1" != -* ]] && url="\$1"
+            shift
+            ;;
+    esac
+done
+printf 'CURL-URL: %s\nCURL-AUTH: %s\n' "\$url" "\$auth" >> "$LOG_FILE"
+cat <<'JSON'
+{"number": 1299, "html_url": "https://git.mosaicstack.dev/mosaicstack/stack/pulls/1299"}
+JSON
+exit 0
+SH
+chmod +x "$BIN_DIR/curl"
+
+fail=0
+assert_contains() {
+  local desc="$1" needle="$2"
+  if ! grep -qF -- "$needle" "$LOG_FILE"; then
+    echo "FAIL: $desc — log does not contain '$needle':" >&2
+    cat "$LOG_FILE" >&2
+    fail=1
+  fi
+}
+assert_not_contains() {
+  local desc="$1" needle="$2"
+  if grep -qF -- "$needle" "$LOG_FILE"; then
+    echo "FAIL: $desc — log must not contain '$needle':" >&2
+    cat "$LOG_FILE" >&2
+    fail=1
+  fi
+}
+
+EXTRA_ARGS=""
+run_pr_create() {
+  # "$@" carries ONLY environment assignments (VAR=value); EXTRA_ARGS (if
+  # set) carries wrapper arguments, so `env` never mistakes a wrapper flag
+  # like --login for one of its own.
+  (
+    cd "$REPO_DIR"
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2086 # EXTRA_ARGS is deliberately word-split wrapper args
+    env -i HOME="$FAKE_HOME" PATH="$BIN_DIR:$PATH" \
+      GIT_CONFIG_GLOBAL=/dev/null GIT_CONFIG_SYSTEM=/dev/null \
+      MOSAIC_CREDENTIALS_FILE="$CREDENTIALS_FILE" "$@" \
+      bash "$TOOLS_DIR/git/pr-create.sh" -t "Test PR" -B next -H fix/test $EXTRA_ARGS
+  )
+}
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 1. HAPPY PATH (the load-bearing ordering test): identity set + slot present
+#    -> REST API with the per-slot token; tea `pr create` NEVER invoked.
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+set +e
+out=$(run_pr_create MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY=agentX 2>"$WORK_DIR/stderr-1.tmp")
+rc=$?
+set -e
+if [[ "$rc" -ne 0 ]]; then
+  echo "FAIL: identity happy path — expected rc=0, got $rc" >&2
+  cat "$WORK_DIR/stderr-1.tmp" >&2
+  fail=1
+fi
+assert_contains "identity happy path reaches the API" "CURL-URL: https://git.mosaicstack.dev/api/v1/repos/mosaicstack/stack/pulls"
+assert_contains "identity happy path carries the slot token" "CURL-AUTH: Authorization: token SECRET-agentX-slot-token"
+assert_not_contains "identity happy path must NOT invoke tea pr create" "TEA-PR-CREATE-INVOKED"
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 2. Identity set + slot ABSENT -> fail loud BEFORE any write: nonzero, stderr
+#    naming identity + slot path, no tea pr create, no API request.
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+: > "$LOG_FILE"
+set +e
+out=$(run_pr_create MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY=agentNoSlot 2>"$WORK_DIR/stderr-2.tmp")
+rc=$?
+set -e
+if [[ "$rc" -eq 0 ]]; then
+  echo "FAIL: missing slot — expected nonzero return, got 0 (stdout='$out')" >&2
+  fail=1
+fi
+err=$(cat "$WORK_DIR/stderr-2.tmp")
+if [[ "$err" != *"agentNoSlot"* ]]; then
+  echo "FAIL: missing slot — stderr does not name the identity:" >&2
+  echo "$err" >&2
+  fail=1
+fi
+if [[ "$err" != *"$FAKE_HOME/.config/mosaic/secrets/gitea-tokens/gitea-mosaicstack-agentNoSlot.token"* ]]; then
+  echo "FAIL: missing slot — stderr does not name the expected slot path:" >&2
+  echo "$err" >&2
+  fail=1
+fi
+assert_not_contains "missing slot must not reach tea pr create" "TEA-PR-CREATE-INVOKED"
+assert_not_contains "missing slot must not reach the API" "CURL-URL"
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 3. Identity set + --login -> --login wins: tea runs WITH the explicit login.
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+: > "$LOG_FILE"
+EXTRA_ARGS="--login alice"
+set +e
+out=$(run_pr_create MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY=agentX 2>"$WORK_DIR/stderr-3.tmp")
+rc=$?
+set -e
+EXTRA_ARGS=""
+if [[ "$rc" -ne 0 ]]; then
+  echo "FAIL: login override — expected rc=0, got $rc" >&2
+  cat "$WORK_DIR/stderr-3.tmp" >&2
+  fail=1
+fi
+assert_contains "login override drives tea with the explicit login" "TEA: pr create --repo mosaicstack/stack --login alice"
+assert_not_contains "login override must not hit the API" "CURL-URL"
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 4. Nothing set -> preserved behavior: tea path with the tea-list login.
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+: > "$LOG_FILE"
+set +e
+out=$(run_pr_create 2>"$WORK_DIR/stderr-4.tmp")
+rc=$?
+set -e
+if [[ "$rc" -ne 0 ]]; then
+  echo "FAIL: default path — expected rc=0, got $rc" >&2
+  cat "$WORK_DIR/stderr-4.tmp" >&2
+  fail=1
+fi
+assert_contains "default path still uses the tea-list login" "TEA: pr create --repo mosaicstack/stack --login alice"
+
+if [[ "$fail" -eq 0 ]]; then
+  echo "pr-create identity-first happy-path regression passed"
+fi
+
+exit "$fail"
@@ -0,0 +1,247 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Regression harness for pr-merge.sh identity-first principal resolution
+# (mosaicstack/stack #1280).
+#
+# Covers:
+#   1. --dry-run reports the acting principal the merge WOULD use, resolved the
+#      same way the real merge resolves it: --login > MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY /
+#      git config mosaic.gitIdentity > shared host credential. (The pre-#1280
+#      deployed copy reported a tea login that the merge would not act as.)
+#   2. --dry-run fails closed when the requested principal has no credential:
+#      unknown --login, or an identity with no per-slot token (stderr names
+#      the login / the identity and its slot path).
+#   3. The real merge POST carries the resolved principal's credential and no
+#      other: --login merges with that login's tea-config token; an identity
+#      merges with the per-slot token; an unresolvable --login never reaches
+#      the provider.
+#
+# Fixture pattern from test-pr-merge-head-pin.sh: the scripts under test are
+# copied into a fixture tree with stubbed pr-metadata.sh / ci-queue-wait.sh
+# siblings; the provider is a stubbed curl that records the credential it
+# received. NEVER reads real secrets or hits a live forge.
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+WORK_DIR="${MOSAIC_TEST_WORK_DIR:-$PWD/.mosaic-test-work/pr-merge-principal-resolution}"
+FAKE_HOME="$WORK_DIR/home"
+REPO_DIR="$WORK_DIR/repo"
+TOOLS_DIR="$WORK_DIR/tools"
+BIN_DIR="$WORK_DIR/bin"
+LOG_FILE="$WORK_DIR/calls.log"
+CREDENTIALS_FILE="$FAKE_HOME/.config/mosaic/credentials.json"
+SHA=0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef01234567
+
+rm -rf "$WORK_DIR"
+mkdir -p "$FAKE_HOME/.config/mosaic/secrets/gitea-tokens" "$FAKE_HOME/.config/tea" \
+  "$REPO_DIR" "$TOOLS_DIR/git" "$TOOLS_DIR/_lib" "$BIN_DIR"
+
+cp "$SCRIPT_DIR/pr-merge.sh" "$TOOLS_DIR/git/pr-merge.sh"
+cp "$SCRIPT_DIR/detect-platform.sh" "$TOOLS_DIR/git/detect-platform.sh"
+cp "$SCRIPT_DIR/../_lib/credentials.sh" "$TOOLS_DIR/_lib/credentials.sh"
+chmod +x "$TOOLS_DIR/git/pr-merge.sh"
+
+git -C "$REPO_DIR" init -q
+git -C "$REPO_DIR" remote add origin https://git.mosaicstack.dev/mosaicstack/stack.git
+
+# Stubbed siblings pr-merge.sh resolves relative to its own SCRIPT_DIR.
+cat > "$TOOLS_DIR/git/pr-metadata.sh" <<SH
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+printf '%s\n' '{"baseRefName":"next","headRefName":"fix/pinned","headRefOid":"$SHA","headRepository":"mosaicstack/stack","title":"Test PR","author":{"login":"contributor"}}'
+SH
+cat > "$TOOLS_DIR/git/ci-queue-wait.sh" <<'SH'
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+exit 0
+SH
+chmod +x "$TOOLS_DIR/git/pr-metadata.sh" "$TOOLS_DIR/git/ci-queue-wait.sh"
+
+cat > "$CREDENTIALS_FILE" <<'JSON'
+{
+  "gitea": {
+    "mosaicstack": {
+      "url": "https://git.mosaicstack.dev",
+      "token": "shared-mosaicstack-token"
+    }
+  }
+}
+JSON
+
+cat > "$FAKE_HOME/.config/tea/config.yml" <<'YAML'
+logins:
+- name: fred-ms
+  url: https://git.mosaicstack.dev
+  token: SECRET-fred-ms-tea-token
+YAML
+
+echo -n "SECRET-agentX-slot-token" > "$FAKE_HOME/.config/mosaic/secrets/gitea-tokens/gitea-mosaicstack-agentX.token"
+
+: > "$LOG_FILE"
+
+# Stubbed tea for login-list resolution only.
+cat > "$BIN_DIR/tea" <<'SH'
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+if [[ "$*" == "login list --output json" ]]; then
+    cat <<'JSON'
+[
+  {"name":"fred-ms","url":"https://git.mosaicstack.dev","default":true}
+]
+JSON
+    exit 0
+fi
+exit 0
+SH
+chmod +x "$BIN_DIR/tea"
+
+# Stubbed provider. pr-merge passes curl config on STDIN with -K -; the stub
+# reads stdin, records the Authorization header it received, answers 200.
+cat > "$BIN_DIR/curl" <<SH
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+url=""
+out_file=""
+stdin_config=""
+if [[ ! -t 0 ]]; then
+    stdin_config="\$(cat || true)"
+fi
+while [[ \$# -gt 0 ]]; do
+    case "\$1" in
+        -o) out_file="\$2"; shift 2 ;;
+        -K|-w|--max-filesize|--max-time|--connect-timeout|-sS) shift 2 ;;
+        *)  [[ -n "\$1" && "\$1" != -* && -z "\$url" ]] && url="\$1"
+            shift
+            ;;
+    esac
+done
+auth="\$(printf '%s' "\$stdin_config" | grep -o 'Authorization: token [^"]*' || true)"
+printf 'CURL-URL: %s\nCURL-AUTH: %s\n' "\$url" "\$auth" >> "$LOG_FILE"
+[[ -n "\$out_file" ]] && printf '{}' > "\$out_file"
+printf '200\n'
+exit 0
+SH
+chmod +x "$BIN_DIR/curl"
+
+fail=0
+assert_contains_log() {
+  local desc="$1" needle="$2"
+  if ! grep -qF -- "$needle" "$LOG_FILE"; then
+    echo "FAIL: $desc — log does not contain '$needle':" >&2
+    cat "$LOG_FILE" >&2
+    fail=1
+  fi
+}
+assert_not_contains_log() {
+  local desc="$1" needle="$2"
+  if grep -qF -- "$needle" "$LOG_FILE"; then
+    echo "FAIL: $desc — log must not contain '$needle':" >&2
+    cat "$LOG_FILE" >&2
+    fail=1
+  fi
+}
+
+run_pr_merge() {
+  local extra_args="$1"; shift
+  (
+    cd "$REPO_DIR"
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2086 # extra_args is deliberately word-split wrapper args
+    env -i HOME="$FAKE_HOME" PATH="$BIN_DIR:$PATH" \
+      GIT_CONFIG_GLOBAL=/dev/null GIT_CONFIG_SYSTEM=/dev/null \
+      MOSAIC_CREDENTIALS_FILE="$CREDENTIALS_FILE" "$@" \
+      bash "$TOOLS_DIR/git/pr-merge.sh" -n 42 $extra_args
+  )
+}
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 1. --dry-run reports the resolved acting principal truthfully.
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+out=$(run_pr_merge "--dry-run" MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY=agentX)
+if [[ "$out" != *"as git identity 'agentX' (per-slot credential)"* ]]; then
+  echo "FAIL: dry-run identity — principal not reported: $out" >&2
+  fail=1
+fi
+
+out=$(run_pr_merge "--dry-run --login fred-ms" MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY=agentX)
+if [[ "$out" != *"as tea login 'fred-ms'"* ]]; then
+  echo "FAIL: dry-run login override — login not reported (must beat env identity): $out" >&2
+  fail=1
+fi
+
+out=$(run_pr_merge "--dry-run")
+if [[ "$out" != *"as default host credential"* ]]; then
+  echo "FAIL: dry-run default — not reported: $out" >&2
+  fail=1
+fi
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 2. --dry-run fails closed when the requested principal has no credential.
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+stderr_file="$WORK_DIR/stderr.tmp"
+set +e
+out=$(run_pr_merge "--dry-run --login ghost" 2>"$stderr_file")
+rc=$?
+set -e
+if [[ "$rc" -eq 0 ]] || [[ "$(cat "$stderr_file")" != *"ghost"* ]]; then
+  echo "FAIL: dry-run unknown --login — expected fail-loud naming 'ghost', rc=$rc" >&2
+  cat "$stderr_file" >&2
+  fail=1
+fi
+
+: > "$stderr_file"
+set +e
+out=$(run_pr_merge "--dry-run" MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY=agentNoSlot 2>"$stderr_file")
+rc=$?
+set -e
+err=$(cat "$stderr_file")
+if [[ "$rc" -eq 0 ]] || [[ "$err" != *"agentNoSlot"* ]] \
+  || [[ "$err" != *"$FAKE_HOME/.config/mosaic/secrets/gitea-tokens/gitea-mosaicstack-agentNoSlot.token"* ]]; then
+  echo "FAIL: dry-run identity without slot — expected fail-loud naming identity + slot path, rc=$rc" >&2
+  echo "$err" >&2
+  fail=1
+fi
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 3. The real merge POST carries the resolved principal's credential ONLY.
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+: > "$LOG_FILE"
+set +e
+out=$(run_pr_merge "--login fred-ms" MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY=agentX 2>"$stderr_file")
+rc=$?
+set -e
+if [[ "$rc" -ne 0 ]]; then
+  echo "FAIL: merge with --login — expected rc=0, got $rc" >&2
+  cat "$stderr_file" >&2
+  fail=1
+fi
+assert_contains_log "merge --login uses the login token" "CURL-AUTH: Authorization: token SECRET-fred-ms-tea-token"
+assert_not_contains_log "merge --login must not use the identity slot token" "SECRET-agentX-slot-token"
+assert_not_contains_log "merge --login must not use the shared token" "shared-mosaicstack-token"
+
+: > "$LOG_FILE"
+set +e
+out=$(run_pr_merge "" MOSAIC_GIT_IDENTITY=agentX 2>"$stderr_file")
+rc=$?
+set -e
+if [[ "$rc" -ne 0 ]]; then
+  echo "FAIL: merge with identity — expected rc=0, got $rc" >&2
+  cat "$stderr_file" >&2
+  fail=1
+fi
+assert_contains_log "merge identity uses the per-slot token" "CURL-AUTH: Authorization: token SECRET-agentX-slot-token"
+assert_not_contains_log "merge identity must not use the shared token" "shared-mosaicstack-token"
+
+: > "$LOG_FILE"
+set +e
+out=$(run_pr_merge "--login ghost" 2>"$stderr_file")
+rc=$?
+set -e
+if [[ "$rc" -eq 0 ]]; then
+  echo "FAIL: merge with unknown --login — expected nonzero, got 0" >&2
+  fail=1
+fi
+assert_not_contains_log "merge with unknown --login must not reach the provider" "CURL-URL"
+
+if [[ "$fail" -eq 0 ]]; then
+  echo "pr-merge identity-first principal resolution regression passed"
+fi
+
+exit "$fail"
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
    "lint": "eslint src",
    "typecheck": "tsc --noEmit",
    "test": "vitest run --passWithNoTests && pnpm run test:framework-shell",
-    "test:framework-shell": "bash framework/tools/quality/scripts/check-test-enumeration.sh && bash framework/tools/quality/scripts/test-check-test-enumeration.sh && python3 src/lease-broker/daemon_deadline_unittest.py && python3 src/lease-broker/normative_fragments_unittest.py && python3 src/lease-broker/promotion_binding_unittest.py && python3 src/lease-broker/promotion_trigger_unittest.py && python3 src/lease-broker/receipt_challenge_unittest.py && python3 src/lease-broker/context_recovery_unittest.py && python3 src/lease-broker/recovery_runtime_unittest.py && python3 src/lease-broker/recovery_b1_adversarial_unittest.py && python3 src/lease-broker/receipt_observer_client_unittest.py && python3 src/lease-broker/invariant_r_unittest.py && python3 src/lease-broker/framework_skill_portability_unittest.py && python3 src/mutator-gate/runtime_tools_unittest.py && python3 src/mutator-gate/runtime_launch_guard_unittest.py && python3 src/mutator-gate/version_coupling_unittest.py && python3 framework/tools/lease-broker/check-runtime-launches.py --root ../.. && bash framework/tools/codex/test-pr-diff-context.sh && bash framework/tools/qa/test-deps-preflight.sh && bash framework/tools/git/test-pr-review-gitea-comment.sh && bash framework/tools/git/test-pr-review-repo-host-override.sh && bash framework/tools/git/test-ci-queue-wait-branch-absent.sh && bash framework/tools/git/test-ci-queue-wait-tristate.sh && bash framework/tools/git/test-ci-queue-wait-github-checks.sh && bash framework/tools/git/test-pr-merge-queue-branch.sh && bash framework/tools/git/test-pr-merge-head-pin.sh && bash framework/tools/git/test-pr-merge-message-field.sh && bash framework/tools/git/test-git-credential-mosaic.sh && bash framework/tools/git/test-gitea-token-identity.sh && bash framework/tools/woodpecker/test-terminal-green-contract.sh && bash framework/tools/_scripts/test-install-ordering-guard.sh && bash framework/tools/_scripts/test-mosaic-init-rce.sh && bash framework/tools/tmux/agent-send.test.sh && bash framework/tools/wake/test-wake-store-ack.sh && bash framework/tools/wake/test-wake-store-enqueue-race.sh && bash framework/tools/wake/test-wake-digest-hmac.sh && bash framework/tools/wake/test-wake-digest-quarantine.sh && bash framework/tools/wake/test-wake-detector.sh && bash framework/tools/wake/test-wake-fn-oracle.sh && bash framework/tools/wake/test-wake-reconcile.sh && bash framework/tools/wake/test-wake-beacon.sh && bash framework/tools/wake/test-wake-preimage.sh && bash framework/tools/wake/test-wake-install.sh && bash framework/tools/glpi/test-list-http-status.sh && bash framework/tools/orchestrator/test-board-roll.sh && bash framework/tools/woodpecker/test-ci-wait-exit-matrix.sh && bash framework/tools/_scripts/test-fleet-transport-check.sh"
+    "test:framework-shell": "bash framework/tools/quality/scripts/check-test-enumeration.sh && bash framework/tools/quality/scripts/test-check-test-enumeration.sh && python3 src/lease-broker/daemon_deadline_unittest.py && python3 src/lease-broker/normative_fragments_unittest.py && python3 src/lease-broker/promotion_binding_unittest.py && python3 src/lease-broker/promotion_trigger_unittest.py && python3 src/lease-broker/receipt_challenge_unittest.py && python3 src/lease-broker/context_recovery_unittest.py && python3 src/lease-broker/recovery_runtime_unittest.py && python3 src/lease-broker/recovery_b1_adversarial_unittest.py && python3 src/lease-broker/receipt_observer_client_unittest.py && python3 src/lease-broker/invariant_r_unittest.py && python3 src/lease-broker/framework_skill_portability_unittest.py && python3 src/mutator-gate/runtime_tools_unittest.py && python3 src/mutator-gate/runtime_launch_guard_unittest.py && python3 src/mutator-gate/version_coupling_unittest.py && python3 framework/tools/lease-broker/check-runtime-launches.py --root ../.. && bash framework/tools/codex/test-pr-diff-context.sh && bash framework/tools/qa/test-deps-preflight.sh && bash framework/tools/git/test-pr-review-gitea-comment.sh && bash framework/tools/git/test-pr-review-repo-host-override.sh && bash framework/tools/git/test-ci-queue-wait-branch-absent.sh && bash framework/tools/git/test-ci-queue-wait-tristate.sh && bash framework/tools/git/test-ci-queue-wait-github-checks.sh && bash framework/tools/git/test-pr-merge-queue-branch.sh && bash framework/tools/git/test-pr-merge-head-pin.sh && bash framework/tools/git/test-pr-merge-message-field.sh && bash framework/tools/git/test-git-credential-mosaic.sh && bash framework/tools/git/test-gitea-token-identity.sh && bash framework/tools/git/test-gitea-principal-resolution.sh && bash framework/tools/git/test-pr-create-identity-first.sh && bash framework/tools/git/test-pr-merge-principal-resolution.sh && bash framework/tools/woodpecker/test-terminal-green-contract.sh && bash framework/tools/_scripts/test-install-ordering-guard.sh && bash framework/tools/_scripts/test-mosaic-init-rce.sh && bash framework/tools/tmux/agent-send.test.sh && bash framework/tools/wake/test-wake-store-ack.sh && bash framework/tools/wake/test-wake-store-enqueue-race.sh && bash framework/tools/wake/test-wake-digest-hmac.sh && bash framework/tools/wake/test-wake-digest-quarantine.sh && bash framework/tools/wake/test-wake-detector.sh && bash framework/tools/wake/test-wake-fn-oracle.sh && bash framework/tools/wake/test-wake-reconcile.sh && bash framework/tools/wake/test-wake-beacon.sh && bash framework/tools/wake/test-wake-preimage.sh && bash framework/tools/wake/test-wake-install.sh && bash framework/tools/glpi/test-list-http-status.sh && bash framework/tools/orchestrator/test-board-roll.sh && bash framework/tools/woodpecker/test-ci-wait-exit-matrix.sh && bash framework/tools/_scripts/test-fleet-transport-check.sh"
  },
  "dependencies": {
    "@mosaicstack/brain": "workspace:*",
@@ -1,177 +0,0 @@
-import { lstat, mkdir, mkdtemp, readFile, rm, symlink, writeFile } from 'node:fs/promises';
-import { tmpdir } from 'node:os';
-import { join } from 'node:path';
-import { afterEach, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
-
-import { placeUnitFile, resolveLeaseBrokerSocketForPreflight } from './fleet.js';
-
-/**
- * Unit-placement regression harness for #1292.
- *
- * The two measured defects this suite pins:
- *  1. `systemctl enable <name>` does NOT rewrite an existing by-path
- *     wants-symlink — so placement must remove stale residue explicitly, and
- *     acceptance asserts on the RESULTING SYMLINK TARGET, never on the enable
- *     call's argument (asserting the call cannot see where the link ended up).
- *  2. Node's copyFile FOLLOWS a by-path symlink at the destination and
- *     overwrites the SEED template. Acceptance asserts on the SEED's bytes
- *     AND mtime — unchanged — which is the only check that can redden for
- *     finding 2. The symlink-target assertion catches finding 1; these are
- *     different defects with different failure modes.
- *
- * Fixtures are entirely inside tmpdirs (source template, active systemd dir,
- * wants dir) — no real host paths are touched by this suite.
- */
-
-describe('placeUnitFile (#1292 unit placement)', () => {
-  const cleanup: string[] = [];
-  afterEach(async () => {
-    while (cleanup.length > 0) {
-      await rm(cleanup.pop()!, { recursive: true, force: true });
-    }
-  });
-
-  async function fixture() {
-    const root = await mkdtemp(join(tmpdir(), 'place-unit-'));
-    cleanup.push(root);
-    const seedDir = join(root, 'seed');
-    const activeDir = join(root, 'active');
-    await mkdir(seedDir, { recursive: true });
-    await mkdir(activeDir, { recursive: true });
-    const seedTemplate = join(seedDir, 'unit-under-test.service');
-    await writeFile(
-      seedTemplate,
-      '[Unit]\nDescription=seed template\n[Service]\nType=oneshot\nExecStart=/bin/true\n[Install]\nWantedBy=default.target\n',
-    );
-    const activeSource = join(root, 'active-source.service');
-    await writeFile(
-      activeSource,
-      '[Unit]\nDescription=active copy v2\n[Service]\nType=oneshot\nExecStart=/bin/true\n[Install]\nWantedBy=default.target\n',
-    );
-    return { root, seedDir, activeDir, seedTemplate, activeSource };
-  }
-
-  it('places a regular file on a clean host (negative control: no residue anywhere)', async () => {
-    const f = await fixture();
-    const result = await placeUnitFile(f.activeSource, f.activeDir, 'unit-under-test.service');
-    expect(result.unlinkedDestinationSymlink).toBe(false);
-    expect(result.removedStaleWantsSymlink).toBe(false);
-    const info = await lstat(join(f.activeDir, 'unit-under-test.service'));
-    expect(info.isSymbolicLink()).toBe(false);
-    expect(await readFile(join(f.activeDir, 'unit-under-test.service'), 'utf8')).toContain(
-      'active copy v2',
-    );
-    // Seed untouched by construction — but assert it, so the clean-host case
-    // cannot silently regress into seed-mutation.
-    expect(await readFile(f.seedTemplate, 'utf8')).toContain('seed template');
-  });
-
-  it('by-path residue: unlinks destination symlink, places the file, seed bytes AND mtime unchanged (finding 2)', async () => {
-    const f = await fixture();
-    const seedBefore = await readFile(f.seedTemplate, 'utf8');
-    const mtimeBefore = (await lstat(f.seedTemplate)).mtimeMs;
-    // The fomo-lin convention: by-path enable left a symlink AT the unit name
-    // pointing at the seed template, plus a wants-symlink doing the same.
-    await symlink(f.seedTemplate, join(f.activeDir, 'unit-under-test.service'));
-    const wantsDir = join(f.activeDir, 'default.target.wants');
-    await mkdir(wantsDir, { recursive: true });
-    await symlink(f.seedTemplate, join(wantsDir, 'unit-under-test.service'));
-
-    const result = await placeUnitFile(f.activeSource, f.activeDir, 'unit-under-test.service');
-    expect(result.unlinkedDestinationSymlink).toBe(true);
-    expect(result.removedStaleWantsSymlink).toBe(true);
-
-    // FINDING 2's check: the seed is byte-identical and its mtime did not move.
-    expect(await readFile(f.seedTemplate, 'utf8')).toBe(seedBefore);
-    expect((await lstat(f.seedTemplate)).mtimeMs).toBe(mtimeBefore);
-
-    // The destination is now a regular file carrying the ACTIVE content.
-    const destInfo = await lstat(join(f.activeDir, 'unit-under-test.service'));
-    expect(destInfo.isSymbolicLink()).toBe(false);
-    expect(await readFile(join(f.activeDir, 'unit-under-test.service'), 'utf8')).toContain(
-      'active copy v2',
-    );
-  });
-
-  it('by-path residue: no wants-symlink remains pointing at the seed (finding 1 residue cleared)', async () => {
-    const f = await fixture();
-    await symlink(f.seedTemplate, join(f.activeDir, 'unit-under-test.service'));
-    const wantsDir = join(f.activeDir, 'default.target.wants');
-    await mkdir(wantsDir, { recursive: true });
-    await symlink(f.seedTemplate, join(wantsDir, 'unit-under-test.service'));
-
-    await placeUnitFile(f.activeSource, f.activeDir, 'unit-under-test.service');
-
-    // After placement the stale wants link is GONE (enable-by-name recreates
-    // it correctly). A link still present must not point at the seed.
-    try {
-      const link = await lstat(join(wantsDir, 'unit-under-test.service'));
-      if (link.isSymbolicLink()) {
-        const target = await readFile(join(wantsDir, 'unit-under-test.service'), 'utf8').catch(
-          async () => '',
-        );
-        expect(target).not.toContain('seed template');
-      }
-    } catch {
-      // absent wants link — the expected post-placement state
-    }
-  });
-
-  it('idempotence: second placement on a reconciled host is a no-op producing the identical final state', async () => {
-    const f = await fixture();
-    // Reconciled starting state: regular file at the name, wants link to the active copy.
-    await writeFile(
-      join(f.activeDir, 'unit-under-test.service'),
-      await readFile(f.activeSource, 'utf8'),
-    );
-    const wantsDir = join(f.activeDir, 'default.target.wants');
-    await mkdir(wantsDir, { recursive: true });
-    await symlink(
-      join(f.activeDir, 'unit-under-test.service'),
-      join(wantsDir, 'unit-under-test.service'),
-    );
-    const before = await readFile(join(f.activeDir, 'unit-under-test.service'), 'utf8');
-
-    const result = await placeUnitFile(f.activeSource, f.activeDir, 'unit-under-test.service');
-    // No destructive step fired: no unlink, no wants removal.
-    expect(result.unlinkedDestinationSymlink).toBe(false);
-    expect(result.removedStaleWantsSymlink).toBe(false);
-    // Identical final state.
-    expect(await readFile(join(f.activeDir, 'unit-under-test.service'), 'utf8')).toBe(before);
-    const link = await lstat(join(wantsDir, 'unit-under-test.service'));
-    expect(link.isSymbolicLink()).toBe(true);
-  });
-
-  it('double install on by-path residue converges to the identical reconciled state', async () => {
-    const f = await fixture();
-    await symlink(f.seedTemplate, join(f.activeDir, 'unit-under-test.service'));
-    const wantsDir = join(f.activeDir, 'default.target.wants');
-    await mkdir(wantsDir, { recursive: true });
-    await symlink(f.seedTemplate, join(wantsDir, 'unit-under-test.service'));
-
-    await placeUnitFile(f.activeSource, f.activeDir, 'unit-under-test.service');
-    const first = await readFile(join(f.activeDir, 'unit-under-test.service'), 'utf8');
-    const secondRun = await placeUnitFile(f.activeSource, f.activeDir, 'unit-under-test.service');
-    const second = await readFile(join(f.activeDir, 'unit-under-test.service'), 'utf8');
-    expect(secondRun.unlinkedDestinationSymlink).toBe(false);
-    expect(second).toBe(first);
-  });
-});
-
-describe('resolveLeaseBrokerSocketForPreflight (#1292 preflight resolution)', () => {
-  it('explicit MOSAIC_LEASE_BROKER_SOCKET wins', () => {
-    expect(
-      resolveLeaseBrokerSocketForPreflight({ MOSAIC_LEASE_BROKER_SOCKET: '/custom/sock' }, 1000),
-    ).toBe('/custom/sock');
-  });
-  it('XDG_RUNTIME_DIR next', () => {
-    expect(resolveLeaseBrokerSocketForPreflight({ XDG_RUNTIME_DIR: '/run/user/1001' }, 1000)).toBe(
-      '/run/user/1001/mosaic-lease/broker.sock',
-    );
-  });
-  it('falls back to /run/user/<uid>', () => {
-    expect(resolveLeaseBrokerSocketForPreflight({}, 1002)).toBe(
-      '/run/user/1002/mosaic-lease/broker.sock',
-    );
-  });
-});
@@ -835,25 +835,13 @@ describe('fleet command construction', () => {
    };
    const program = new Command();
    program.exitOverride();
-    // #1292: inject a present broker socket so the preflight passes and this
-    // spec keeps testing its ORIGINAL property (holder-before-agent ordering).
-    // The preflight's own refusal behavior has dedicated specs below.
-    registerFleetCommand(program, {
-      runner,
-      mosaicHome: home,
-      checkBrokerSocket: async () => true,
-    });
+    registerFleetCommand(program, { runner, mosaicHome: home });

    try {
      await program.parseAsync(['node', 'mosaic', 'fleet', 'start']);
      await program.parseAsync(['node', 'mosaic', 'fleet', 'stop']);

      expect(calls).toEqual([
-        // #1292: fleet start enables + starts the broker FIRST (enable is
-        // idempotent; the unit exists after install), re-checking the socket
-        // before any holder/agent lifecycle effect.
-        ['systemctl', '--user', 'enable', 'mosaic-lease-broker.service'],
-        ['systemctl', '--user', 'start', 'mosaic-lease-broker.service'],
        ['systemctl', '--user', 'start', 'mosaic-tmux-holder.service'],
        ['systemctl', '--user', 'start', '[email protected]'],
        ['systemctl', '--user', 'stop', '[email protected]'],
@@ -864,92 +852,6 @@ describe('fleet command construction', () => {
    }
  });

-  it('fleet start refuses with a named error when the broker socket does not appear (#1292)', async () => {
-    const home = await tempDir();
-    const rosterPath = join(home, 'fleet', 'roster.yaml');
-    await mkdir(join(home, 'fleet'), { recursive: true });
-    await writeFile(
-      rosterPath,
-      ['version: 1', 'transport: tmux', 'agents:', '  - name: coder0', '    runtime: codex'].join(
-        '\n',
-      ),
-    );
-    const calls: string[][] = [];
-    const runner: CommandRunner = async (command, args) => {
-      calls.push([command, ...args]);
-      return { stdout: '', stderr: '', exitCode: 0 };
-    };
-    const program = new Command();
-    program.exitOverride();
-    const errors: string[] = [];
-    const origError = console.error;
-    console.error = (...args: unknown[]) => {
-      errors.push(args.join(' '));
-    };
-    registerFleetCommand(program, {
-      runner,
-      mosaicHome: home,
-      checkBrokerSocket: async () => false,
-    });
-    try {
-      await program.parseAsync(['node', 'mosaic', 'fleet', 'start']);
-      // Refused: no holder/agent starts were issued after the broker attempt.
-      expect(calls).toEqual([
-        ['systemctl', '--user', 'enable', 'mosaic-lease-broker.service'],
-        ['systemctl', '--user', 'start', 'mosaic-lease-broker.service'],
-      ]);
-      expect(errors.join('\n')).toContain('broker-absent');
-      expect(errors.join('\n')).toContain('mosaic fleet install');
-    } finally {
-      console.error = origError;
-      await rm(home, { recursive: true, force: true });
-    }
-  });
-
-  it('fleet start re-probes the broker on the SECOND invocation — no ActiveState trust (#1292 sticky half)', async () => {
-    const home = await tempDir();
-    const rosterPath = join(home, 'fleet', 'roster.yaml');
-    await mkdir(join(home, 'fleet'), { recursive: true });
-    await writeFile(
-      rosterPath,
-      ['version: 1', 'transport: tmux', 'agents:', '  - name: coder0', '    runtime: codex'].join(
-        '\n',
-      ),
-    );
-    const calls: string[][] = [];
-    const runner: CommandRunner = async (command, args) => {
-      calls.push([command, ...args]);
-      return { stdout: '', stderr: '', exitCode: 0 };
-    };
-    const program = new Command();
-    program.exitOverride();
-    // Broker socket NEVER appears — the second start must refuse exactly like
-    // the first; RemainAfterExit-style stale unit state changes nothing
-    // because the check is the socket, not systemctl.
-    registerFleetCommand(program, {
-      runner,
-      mosaicHome: home,
-      checkBrokerSocket: async () => false,
-    });
-    const errors: string[] = [];
-    const origError = console.error;
-    console.error = (...args: unknown[]) => {
-      errors.push(args.join(' '));
-    };
-    try {
-      await program.parseAsync(['node', 'mosaic', 'fleet', 'start']);
-      await program.parseAsync(['node', 'mosaic', 'fleet', 'start']);
-      // Two invocations, each refusing after its own broker attempt:
-      expect(
-        calls.filter((c) => c.join(' ') === 'systemctl --user start [email protected]'),
-      ).toHaveLength(0);
-      expect(errors.filter((e) => e.includes('broker-absent')).length).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(2);
-    } finally {
-      console.error = origError;
-      await rm(home, { recursive: true, force: true });
-    }
-  });
-
  it('waits for an in-flight restart to clear before relaunching (re-entry guard)', async () => {
    const home = await tempDir();
    const rosterPath = join(home, 'fleet', 'roster.yaml');
@@ -2163,19 +2065,8 @@ describe('fleet install — auto-enable units for boot-survival', () => {

    await enableFleetUnits(runner, minimalRoster, {});

-    expect(calls).toContainEqual(['systemctl', '--user', 'enable', 'mosaic-lease-broker.service']);
    expect(calls).toContainEqual(['systemctl', '--user', 'enable', 'mosaic-tmux-holder.service']);
    expect(calls).toContainEqual(['systemctl', '--user', 'enable', '[email protected]']);
-    // The broker must be enabled BEFORE the holder and agents: a start of any
-    // gated runtime without the broker is exactly the #1292 4-second death.
-    const brokerIndex = calls.findIndex(
-      (c) => c.join(' ') === 'systemctl --user enable mosaic-lease-broker.service',
-    );
-    const holderIndex = calls.findIndex(
-      (c) => c.join(' ') === 'systemctl --user enable mosaic-tmux-holder.service',
-    );
-    expect(brokerIndex).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(0);
-    expect(brokerIndex).toBeLessThan(holderIndex);
  });

  it('install still succeeds when systemctl enable returns non-zero (non-fatal)', async () => {
@@ -3,11 +3,9 @@ import {
  access,
  chmod,
  copyFile,
-  lstat,
  mkdir,
  open,
  readFile,
-  readlink,
  stat,
  unlink,
  writeFile,
@@ -91,8 +89,6 @@ export type SleepFn = (ms: number) => Promise<void>;

 export interface FleetCommandDeps {
  runner?: CommandRunner;
-  /** Test seam for the #1292 fleet-start broker preflight (socket presence). */
-  checkBrokerSocket?: (path: string) => Promise<boolean> | boolean;
  /** Injectable interactive runner for commands needing inherited TTY (e.g., `tmux attach`). */
  interactiveRunner?: InteractiveRunner;
  /**
@@ -801,96 +797,6 @@ export function buildSystemdEnableCommand(unit: string): string[] {
  return ['systemctl', '--user', 'enable', unit];
 }

-/**
- * Place a unit file into the ACTIVE systemd user directory, never through a
- * symlink (#1292, measured 2026-08-17).
- *
- * ⚠ SET-INDEPENDENCE (fomo-lin, 2026-08-17): the set of unit names carrying
- * by-path residue and the set of unit names this install copies are
- * INDEPENDENT. Until 0.0.50 they were disjoint only by accident of which
- * units the install happened to name — fomo-lin survived copy-through solely
- * because its one by-path symlink (the broker) was the one unit the install
- * did NOT copy. Adding the broker to the copy set made the intersection
- * non-empty on the first run. Whoever adds a fifth unit to the placement
- * list inherits this helper and its unlink step; do not place units with a
- * bare copyFile.
- *
- * A host provisioned by the enable-by-path convention carries a symlink AT
- * the unit-name path in ~/.config/systemd/user/ pointing at the shipped
- * template under ~/.config/mosaic/systemd/user/. Node's copyFile FOLLOWS
- * that link and overwrites the SEED template instead of placing the active
- * unit (verified with fs.copyFile on a throwaway systemd user instance) —
- * silent, rc=0, and it mutates the directory every later reseed reads from.
- * The same measurement showed `systemctl enable <name>` does NOT rewrite an
- * existing by-path wants-symlink, so reconciliation must be explicit.
- *
- * Placement therefore: if the destination is a symlink, unlink it first
- * (unlink → copy — copy-then-unlink would mutate the seed and then destroy
- * the evidence that it did); then copy. Also removes a stale
- * `default.target.wants/<name>` symlink that points outside the active
- * directory (readlink — NOT readFile, which follows the link and returns the
- * target's CONTENT), so the subsequent enable-by-name recreates it against
- * the active copy. Idempotent: on a clean or already-reconciled destination
- * every step is a no-op (the copy rewrites identical bytes).
- *
- * Returns what was done, for assertions and install reporting.
- */
-export interface PlaceUnitResult {
-  readonly unit: string;
-  readonly destination: string;
-  /** A symlink at the unit-name path was unlinked (by-path residue). */
-  readonly unlinkedDestinationSymlink: boolean;
-  /** A stale wants-symlink pointing outside the active dir was removed. */
-  readonly removedStaleWantsSymlink: boolean;
-}
-
-export async function placeUnitFile(
-  source: string,
-  systemdUserDir: string,
-  unit: string,
-): Promise<PlaceUnitResult> {
-  const destination = join(systemdUserDir, unit);
-  let unlinkedDestinationSymlink = false;
-  try {
-    const destInfo = await lstat(destination);
-    if (destInfo.isSymbolicLink()) {
-      await unlink(destination);
-      unlinkedDestinationSymlink = true;
-    }
-  } catch {
-    // absent destination — nothing to unlink
-  }
-  await copyFile(source, destination);
-
-  let removedStaleWantsSymlink = false;
-  const wantsLink = join(systemdUserDir, 'default.target.wants', unit);
-  try {
-    const wantsInfo = await lstat(wantsLink);
-    if (wantsInfo.isSymbolicLink()) {
-      // readlink — NOT readFile: readFile FOLLOWS the link and returns the
-      // target file's CONTENT, which is not the question being asked.
-      let target: string | undefined;
-      try {
-        target = await readlink(wantsLink);
-      } catch {
-        target = undefined;
-      }
-      // Normalize (systemctl writes absolute targets; a relative one resolves
-      // against the wants dir). A wants-symlink pointing anywhere other than
-      // the active copy (the by-path convention points at the seed template)
-      // survives enable-by-name unchanged — remove it so enable recreates it.
-      if (target !== undefined && resolve(dirname(wantsLink), target) !== destination) {
-        await unlink(wantsLink);
-        removedStaleWantsSymlink = true;
-      }
-    }
-  } catch {
-    // absent wants link — nothing to reconcile
-  }
-
-  return { unit, destination, unlinkedDestinationSymlink, removedStaleWantsSymlink };
-}
-
 /**
 * Returns the systemctl --user disable command for a given unit.
 * Used by `fleet remove` so a removed agent's enabled unit cannot resurrect on
@@ -925,22 +831,6 @@ export async function enableFleetUnits(
    let succeeded = 0;
    let failed = 0;

-    // The lease broker ships with the fleet and every gated runtime needs it
-    // (#1292): seats die at lease registration without it, and no documented
-    // path ever enabled it. Enabled first — alongside the holder — and the
-    // unit must have been placed by installFleet's placeUnitFile step.
-    const brokerResult = await runner(
-      ...splitCommand(buildSystemdEnableCommand('mosaic-lease-broker.service')),
-    );
-    if (brokerResult.exitCode === 0) {
-      succeeded++;
-    } else {
-      failed++;
-      process.stderr.write(
-        `Warning: could not enable mosaic-lease-broker.service: ${brokerResult.stderr || brokerResult.stdout || 'non-zero exit'}\n`,
-      );
-    }
-
    const holderResult = await runner(
      ...splitCommand(buildSystemdEnableCommand('mosaic-tmux-holder.service')),
    );
@@ -1637,7 +1527,7 @@ export function registerFleetCommand(program: Command, deps: FleetCommandDeps =
    .description('Install local fleet tools and user systemd units')
    .option('--no-enable', 'Skip enabling units for boot-survival')
    .action(async (opts: { enable?: boolean }) => {
-      await installFleet(cmd, frameworkRoot, runner);
+      await installFleet(cmd, frameworkRoot);
      // Unit enablement needs agent names only, so it reads either version.
      const roster = await loadRosterReadModel(cmd);
      await enableFleetUnits(runner, roster, opts);
@@ -1648,7 +1538,7 @@ export function registerFleetCommand(program: Command, deps: FleetCommandDeps =
    .description('Install local fleet tools and user systemd units')
    .option('--no-enable', 'Skip enabling units for boot-survival')
    .action(async (opts: { enable?: boolean }) => {
-      await installFleet(cmd, frameworkRoot, runner);
+      await installFleet(cmd, frameworkRoot);
      // Unit enablement needs agent names only, so it reads either version.
      const roster = await loadRosterReadModel(cmd);
      await enableFleetUnits(runner, roster, opts);
@@ -1701,37 +1591,6 @@ export function registerFleetCommand(program: Command, deps: FleetCommandDeps =
            );
            return;
          }
-          if (action === 'start') {
-            // Broker preflight (#1292), re-probed on EVERY invocation: a
-            // gated runtime started without a live lease broker dies ~4s in
-            // while the unit reports active (RemainAfterExit) — enabling +
-            // starting here and then RE-CHECKING the socket refuses loudly
-            // instead of reporting rc0 over a doomed start. This is the
-            // second-start check as much as the first: it never trusts unit
-            // ActiveState.
-            await runChecked(runner, [
-              'systemctl',
-              '--user',
-              'enable',
-              'mosaic-lease-broker.service',
-            ]);
-            await runChecked(runner, [
-              'systemctl',
-              '--user',
-              'start',
-              'mosaic-lease-broker.service',
-            ]);
-            if (!(await brokerSocketPresent(deps))) {
-              console.error(
-                '[fleet] broker-absent: lease broker socket did not appear after enable+start (#1292).',
-              );
-              console.error(
-                '[fleet] remedy: mosaic fleet install (it reconciles either enable convention)',
-              );
-              process.exitCode = 1;
-              return;
-            }
-          }
          if (action === 'restart') {
            // Serialize the holder+agents teardown/relaunch behind the restart lock
            // so a re-entrant restart waits for clean shutdown before relaunching,
@@ -2490,11 +2349,7 @@ export function registerFleetAgentCommands(
    });
 }

-async function installFleet(
-  cmd: Command,
-  frameworkRoot: string,
-  runner: CommandRunner,
-): Promise<void> {
+async function installFleet(cmd: Command, frameworkRoot: string): Promise<void> {
  const activePaths = resolveFleetPaths(cmd.opts<{ mosaicHome: string }>().mosaicHome);
  assertDefaultMosaicHomeForSystemd(activePaths.mosaicHome);
  // Read model first: every file this function places is roster-independent, and
@@ -2546,40 +2401,18 @@ async function installFleet(
  for (const toolPath of executableToolPaths) {
    await chmod(toolPath, 0o755);
  }
-  // Unit placement (#1292): every unit goes through placeUnitFile — never a
-  // bare copyFile — so a by-path-enable symlink at the destination is
-  // unlinked rather than written through (copy-through would silently
-  // overwrite the SEED template, measured 2026-08-17). The lease broker unit
-  // is placed here too: previously the install named three units and omitted
-  // the broker entirely, which is why no documented path ever enabled it.
-  const placedUnits = await Promise.all(
-    [
-      'mosaic-tmux-holder.service',
-      '[email protected]',
-      '[email protected]',
-      'mosaic-lease-broker.service',
-    ].map((unit) =>
-      placeUnitFile(join(frameworkRoot, 'systemd', 'user', unit), activePaths.systemdUserDir, unit),
-    ),
+  await copyFile(
+    join(frameworkRoot, 'systemd', 'user', 'mosaic-tmux-holder.service'),
+    join(activePaths.systemdUserDir, 'mosaic-tmux-holder.service'),
  );
-  const reconciled = placedUnits.filter(
-    (result) => result.unlinkedDestinationSymlink || result.removedStaleWantsSymlink,
+  await copyFile(
+    join(frameworkRoot, 'systemd', 'user', '[email protected]'),
+    join(activePaths.systemdUserDir, '[email protected]'),
+  );
+  await copyFile(
+    join(frameworkRoot, 'systemd', 'user', '[email protected]'),
+    join(activePaths.systemdUserDir, '[email protected]'),
  );
-  if (reconciled.length > 0) {
-    console.log(
-      `Reconciled ${reconciled.length} unit placement(s) from by-path enable residue: ${reconciled.map((r) => r.unit).join(', ')}`,
-    );
-  }
-  // systemd will not see a replaced unit file without a reload; do it once
-  // after all placements, before any enable call below. runCommand never
-  // rejects (it resolves exitCode 127 on spawn error), so a plain await with
-  // an exitCode check matches the rest of this file's systemctl handling.
-  const reloadResult = await runner(...splitCommand(['systemctl', '--user', 'daemon-reload']));
-  if (reloadResult.exitCode !== 0) {
-    process.stderr.write(
-      `Warning: systemctl --user daemon-reload after unit placement failed (non-systemd host?): ${reloadResult.stderr || reloadResult.stdout || 'non-zero exit'}\n`,
-    );
-  }

  // On roster v2 the reconciler owns the generated env: `apply` writes it and
  // `regen` rebuilds it, both from projectRosterV2AgentGeneratedEnv. Writing it
@@ -2776,40 +2609,6 @@ function splitCommand(command: string[]): [string, string[]] {
  return [bin, args];
 }

-/**
- * Lease-broker socket presence for the fleet-start preflight (#1292).
- * Resolution precedence matches launch.ts's defaultLeaseBrokerSocket and
- * start-agent-session.sh's broker_socket_path: explicit
- * MOSAIC_LEASE_BROKER_SOCKET, else $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/mosaic-lease/broker.sock,
- * else /run/user/<uid>/mosaic-lease/broker.sock. Pure filesystem check — this
- * deliberately does NOT consult systemd state: a unit can be active
- * (RemainAfterExit) with no live socket, and the socket is the thing the
- * gated runtime connects to. Injectable via deps for tests.
- */
-export function resolveLeaseBrokerSocketForPreflight(
-  env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env,
-  uid: number = typeof process.getuid === 'function' ? process.getuid() : 0,
-): string {
-  if (env['MOSAIC_LEASE_BROKER_SOCKET']) return env['MOSAIC_LEASE_BROKER_SOCKET'];
-  const runtimeDir = env['XDG_RUNTIME_DIR'] ?? `/run/user/${uid}`;
-  return join(runtimeDir, 'mosaic-lease', 'broker.sock');
-}
-
-async function brokerSocketPresent(
-  deps: FleetCommandDeps,
-  env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env,
-): Promise<boolean> {
-  const check = deps.checkBrokerSocket;
-  if (check) return check(resolveLeaseBrokerSocketForPreflight(env));
-  try {
-    const socketPath = resolveLeaseBrokerSocketForPreflight(env);
-    await access(socketPath, constants.S_IFSOCK);
-    return true;
-  } catch {
-    return false;
-  }
-}
-
 /** All supported fleet profile names. */
 export type FleetProfile =
  | 'general'
@@ -205,12 +205,6 @@ export async function runLeaseEnforcementDoctorCheck(
    message:
      `Lease-enforcement hooks (${matchedMarkers.join(', ')}) are wired in ~/.claude/settings.json, but ${reasons.join(' and ')}. ` +
      'Every gated tool call will fail closed and BRICK this agent (see #869). ' +
-      // #1292: one remedy, correct under BOTH enable conventions (by-path on
-      // the seed template, and copy-then-enable in the active dir). Written
-      // from the 2026-08-17 symlink measurement: `systemctl enable` by name
-      // does NOT rewrite an existing by-path wants-symlink, so teaching a
-      // manual systemctl line here could leave a host with two competing
-      // wants links. fleet install reconciles either shape.
-      'Remedy: run `mosaic fleet install` (it reconciles either enable convention), or remove the enforcement hooks from ~/.claude/settings.json.',
+      'Remediate by activating the lease-broker supervisor (systemd unit + socket) or by removing the enforcement hooks from ~/.claude/settings.json.',
  };
 }
@@ -459,7 +459,6 @@ describe('FCM-M3-002 reconciler lifecycle acceptance', (): void => {
      plan: {
        generation: 7,
        holder: 'owned',
-        broker: { unitInstalled: false, socketPresent: false },
        agents: [
          {
            name: 'coder0',
@@ -92,112 +92,6 @@ async function run(command: FleetReconcileCommand, overrides: Partial<FleetRecon
 }

 describe('fleet roster-owned reconciler', (): void => {
-  // ── #1292: broker as first-class plan member + broker-first start ordering ──
-
-  it('reports broker unit and socket state in the plan (socket is the signal, not unit state)', async (): Promise<void> => {
-    const result = await run('status', {
-      statPath: async () => true,
-      checkBrokerSocket: async () => true,
-    });
-    expect(result.plan.broker).toEqual({ unitInstalled: true, socketPresent: true });
-  });
-
-  it('reports a dead broker as socketPresent=false even when the unit is installed (enabled-but-dead is the #1292 shape)', async (): Promise<void> => {
-    const result = await run('status', {
-      statPath: async () => true,
-      checkBrokerSocket: async () => false,
-    });
-    expect(result.plan.broker).toEqual({ unitInstalled: true, socketPresent: false });
-  });
-
-  it('reports broker-absent when neither seam is present (defaults false, never guesses healthy)', async (): Promise<void> => {
-    const result = await run('status');
-    expect(result.plan.broker).toEqual({ unitInstalled: false, socketPresent: false });
-  });
-
-  it('command start enables and starts the broker BEFORE the holder and any agent unit', async (): Promise<void> => {
-    const calls: string[][] = [];
-    const result = await run('start', {
-      runner: async (command, args) => {
-        calls.push([command, ...args]);
-        if (command === 'tmux' && args.includes('list-sessions')) {
-          return { stdout: '_holder\ncoder0\n', stderr: '', exitCode: 0 };
-        }
-        if (command === 'tmux' && args.includes('show-environment')) {
-          return {
-            stdout:
-              'HOME=/home/mosaic\nMOSAIC_FLEET_OWNER=11111111-1111-4111-8111-111111111111\nMOSAIC_TMUX_HOLDER=_holder\nMOSAIC_TMUX_SOCKET=mosaic-fleet\nPATH=/usr/bin:/bin\nPWD=/home/mosaic\n',
-            stderr: '',
-            exitCode: 0,
-          };
-        }
-        return { stdout: '', stderr: '', exitCode: 0 };
-      },
-    });
-    expect(result.lifecycle).toBe('complete');
-    const brokerEnable = calls.findIndex(
-      (c) => c.join(' ') === 'systemctl --user enable mosaic-lease-broker.service',
-    );
-    const brokerStart = calls.findIndex(
-      (c) => c.join(' ') === 'systemctl --user start mosaic-lease-broker.service',
-    );
-    const holderStart = calls.findIndex(
-      (c) => c.join(' ') === 'systemctl --user start mosaic-tmux-holder.service',
-    );
-    const agentStart = calls.findIndex(
-      (c) => c.join(' ') === 'systemctl --user start [email protected]',
-    );
-    expect(brokerEnable).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(0);
-    expect(brokerStart).toBeGreaterThan(brokerEnable);
-    // Holder start may be absent (holder 'owned' in this fixture); if present it must follow the broker.
-    if (holderStart >= 0) expect(holderStart).toBeGreaterThan(brokerStart);
-    expect(agentStart).toBeGreaterThan(brokerStart);
-  });
-
-  it('apply with a running desired agent also enables and starts the broker first', async (): Promise<void> => {
-    const calls: string[][] = [];
-    const runningRoster: FleetRosterV2 = {
-      ...roster,
-      agents: roster.agents.map((agent) =>
-        agent.name === 'coder0'
-          ? { ...agent, lifecycle: { enabled: true, desiredState: 'running' as const } }
-          : agent,
-      ),
-    };
-    const result = await executeFleetReconcile({
-      roster: runningRoster,
-      command: 'apply',
-      expectedGeneration: 7,
-      deps: deps({
-        readRoster: async () => runningRoster,
-        runner: async (command, args) => {
-          calls.push([command, ...args]);
-          if (command === 'tmux' && args.includes('list-sessions')) {
-            return { stdout: '_holder\n', stderr: '', exitCode: 0 };
-          }
-          if (command === 'tmux' && args.includes('show-environment')) {
-            return {
-              stdout:
-                'HOME=/home/mosaic\nMOSAIC_FLEET_OWNER=11111111-1111-4111-8111-111111111111\nMOSAIC_TMUX_HOLDER=_holder\nMOSAIC_TMUX_SOCKET=mosaic-fleet\nPATH=/usr/bin:/bin\nPWD=/home/mosaic\n',
-              stderr: '',
-              exitCode: 0,
-            };
-          }
-          return { stdout: '', stderr: '', exitCode: 0 };
-        },
-      }),
-    });
-    expect(result.applied).toBe(true);
-    const brokerStart = calls.findIndex(
-      (c) => c.join(' ') === 'systemctl --user start mosaic-lease-broker.service',
-    );
-    const agentStart = calls.findIndex(
-      (c) => c.join(' ') === 'systemctl --user start [email protected]',
-    );
-    expect(brokerStart).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(0);
-    expect(agentStart).toBeGreaterThan(brokerStart);
-  });
-
  it('fails closed on a symlinked fleet ancestor without touching its target', async (): Promise<void> => {
    const home = await lockHome();
    const fleet = join(home, 'fleet');
@@ -43,10 +43,6 @@ export interface FleetReconcileDeps {
  readonly overrideDir?: string;
  readonly homeDirectory?: string;
  readonly readHolderIdentity?: () => Promise<string>;
-  /** Test/observation seams for the lease-broker plan member (#1292). */
-  readonly statPath?: (path: string) => Promise<boolean> | boolean;
-  readonly checkBrokerSocket?: (path: string) => Promise<boolean> | boolean;
-  readonly brokerSocketEnv?: NodeJS.ProcessEnv;
  readonly validateRoster?: (roster: FleetRosterV2) => Promise<void>;
  readonly prepareProjections?: (roster: FleetRosterV2) => Promise<readonly unknown[]>;
  readonly applyProjection?: (prepared: unknown) => Promise<unknown>;
@@ -78,17 +74,6 @@ export interface FleetReconcileObservedAgent {
 export interface FleetReconcilePlan {
  readonly generation: number;
  readonly holder: 'owned' | 'missing' | 'ownership-mismatch';
-  /**
-   * Lease broker observation (#1292): every gated runtime registers with the
-   * broker or dies ~4s in — a broker not in the plan cannot be reported as
-   * drifted, which made "broker died an hour ago" and "broker fine"
-   * produce identical output. `unitInstalled` = unit file present in the
-   * active dir; `socketPresent` = live broker at the resolved socket path.
-   */
-  readonly broker: {
-    readonly unitInstalled: boolean;
-    readonly socketPresent: boolean;
-  };
  readonly agents: readonly FleetReconcileObservedAgent[];
  readonly unmanagedSessions: readonly string[];
 }
@@ -329,39 +314,6 @@ function isObservational(command: FleetReconcileCommand): boolean {
  return command === 'plan' || command === 'status' || command === 'verify' || command === 'doctor';
 }

-/**
- * Observe the lease broker for the plan (#1292). Unit presence via systemctl
- * is-system-running is NOT the signal — a unit can be enabled-but-dead. The
- * authoritative signal is the socket the gated runtimes connect to, matching
- * broker-supervisor.ts's `checkBrokerSupervisorHealth` (healthy ===
- * socketPresent). Injectable so tests drive every branch without a broker.
- */
-async function observeBroker(deps: FleetReconcileDeps): Promise<FleetReconcilePlan['broker']> {
-  const homeDirectory = deps.homeDirectory ?? homedir();
-  const env = (deps.brokerSocketEnv ?? process.env) as NodeJS.ProcessEnv;
-  const uid = typeof process.getuid === 'function' ? process.getuid() : 0;
-  const runtimeDir = env['XDG_RUNTIME_DIR'] ?? `/run/user/${uid}`;
-  const socketPath =
-    env['MOSAIC_LEASE_BROKER_SOCKET'] ?? join(runtimeDir, 'mosaic-lease', 'broker.sock');
-  const configHome = env['XDG_CONFIG_HOME'] ?? join(homeDirectory, '.config');
-  const unitPath = join(configHome, 'systemd', 'user', 'mosaic-lease-broker.service');
-  const statPath = deps.statPath;
-  const checkBrokerSocket = deps.checkBrokerSocket;
-  let unitInstalled = false;
-  let socketPresent = false;
-  try {
-    unitInstalled = statPath ? await statPath(unitPath) : false;
-  } catch {
-    unitInstalled = false;
-  }
-  try {
-    socketPresent = checkBrokerSocket ? await checkBrokerSocket(socketPath) : false;
-  } catch {
-    socketPresent = false;
-  }
-  return { unitInstalled, socketPresent };
-}
-
 async function observeFleet(
  roster: FleetRosterV2,
  deps: FleetReconcileDeps,
@@ -372,12 +324,10 @@ async function observeFleet(
    '-F',
    '#{session_name}',
  ]);
-  const broker = await observeBroker(deps);
  if (sessionsResult.exitCode !== 0) {
    return {
      generation: roster.generation,
      holder: 'missing',
-      broker,
      agents: await observeAgents(roster, deps, new Set<string>()),
      unmanagedSessions: [],
    };
@@ -400,7 +350,6 @@ async function observeFleet(
  return {
    generation: roster.generation,
    holder,
-    broker,
    agents: await observeAgents(roster, deps, sessions),
    unmanagedSessions: Object.freeze(unmanagedSessions.sort()),
  };
@@ -568,24 +517,6 @@ async function executeExplicitLifecycle(
    }
  }
  try {
-    // Broker FIRST (#1292): a gated runtime started without a running lease
-    // broker dies ~4 seconds in at registration — enable the unit (install
-    // places it) and start it before any holder/agent lifecycle effect. The
-    // socket re-check after start is the same probe observeBroker uses, so a
-    // unit that starts but never produces a socket is caught here, not four
-    // seconds later inside a doomed seat.
-    if (request.command === 'start') {
-      await runChecked(request.deps, 'systemctl', [
-        '--user',
-        'enable',
-        'mosaic-lease-broker.service',
-      ]);
-      await runChecked(request.deps, 'systemctl', [
-        '--user',
-        'start',
-        'mosaic-lease-broker.service',
-      ]);
-    }
    if (request.command === 'start' && plan.holder === 'missing') {
      await runChecked(request.deps, 'systemctl', [
        '--user',
@@ -631,12 +562,6 @@ async function applyDesiredLifecycle(
    (agent: FleetRosterV2Agent): boolean =>
      agent.lifecycle.enabled && agent.lifecycle.desiredState === 'running',
  );
-  // Broker before any running agent, same ordering and reason as the
-  // command-driven path above (#1292).
-  if (needsRunningAgent) {
-    await runChecked(deps, 'systemctl', ['--user', 'enable', 'mosaic-lease-broker.service']);
-    await runChecked(deps, 'systemctl', ['--user', 'start', 'mosaic-lease-broker.service']);
-  }
  if (needsRunningAgent && plan.holder === 'missing') {
    await runChecked(deps, 'systemctl', ['--user', 'start', 'mosaic-tmux-holder.service']);
  }