diff --git a/packages/bus/src/broker.mjs b/packages/bus/src/broker.mjs
index 64689c573..f10e11b37 100644
--- a/packages/bus/src/broker.mjs
+++ b/packages/bus/src/broker.mjs
@@ -149,6 +149,18 @@ export class Broker {
       }
       if (!Object.hasOwn(b.roles, b.arbiters.technical) || !Object.hasOwn(b.roles, b.arbiters.delivery))
         fail('invalid-arbiter');
+      // Row 120 (#1614): a role definition's optional messaging lists. A malformed one refuses at boot.
+      for (const d of Object.values(b.definitions ?? {})) {
+        const m = d?.messaging;
+        if (m === undefined || m === null) continue;
+        if (
+          !object(m) ||
+          !['sendTo', 'receiveFrom'].every(
+            (k) => Array.isArray(m[k]) && m[k].every((r) => id(r) && r !== 'tester'),
+          )
+        )
+          fail('invalid-messaging');
+      }
     }
   }
   #now() {
@@ -313,6 +325,21 @@ export class Broker {
         ? 'cross-role'
         : 'gated';
   }
+  // Row 120 (#1614, REQ-ASSIST-2). A role definition may carry messaging { sendTo, receiveFrom },
+  // naming the role definitions it may send to and receive from; "human" is the user. A definition
+  // without the lists is unlimited, as before. The sender's lists are checked first, then the
+  // target's, so a tester or the human sending to a limited role is refused unless listed. Every
+  // path that stores a message from a role checks it: message.send, review.request, review.verdict.
+  #checkMessaging(s, to) {
+    const b = this.#business(s.business);
+    const definition = (role) => b.definitions?.[b.roles[role]?.definition];
+    const sender = s.human ? 'human' : s.tester ? 'tester' : b.roles[s.role]?.definition;
+    const target = to === 'human' || to === 'tester' ? to : b.roles[to]?.definition;
+    const out = s.human || s.tester ? undefined : definition(s.role)?.messaging;
+    if (out && !out.sendTo.includes(target)) fail('message-recipient-refused');
+    const inbound = to === 'human' || to === 'tester' ? undefined : definition(to)?.messaging;
+    if (inbound && !inbound.receiveFrom.includes(sender)) fail('message-sender-refused');
+  }
   #decision(s, id) {
     const d = this.#store.get('SELECT * FROM decisions WHERE id=? AND business=?', id, s.business);
     if (!d) fail('decision-not-found');
@@ -961,6 +988,7 @@ export class Broker {
           if (a.to === 'tester') fail('unknown-role');
         }
         if (a.to !== 'human' && a.to !== 'tester' && !Object.hasOwn(b.roles, a.to)) fail('unknown-role');
+        this.#checkMessaging(s, a.to);
         string(a.body, 32768);
         if (
           a.class !== undefined &&
@@ -1064,6 +1092,8 @@ export class Broker {
           );
           fail(older ? 'stale-commit' : 'unknown-commit');
         }
+        // REQ-ASSIST-2 has no approval exception: a review request is a message to the reviewer.
+        this.#checkMessaging(s, a.to);
         const mid = randomUUID();
         // Row 105 (#1599): the run holding the reviewer role, or null when nobody holds it and the
         // request waits for a claim. #reviewMessage routes on the same holder.
@@ -1105,6 +1135,8 @@ export class Broker {
           )
         )
           fail('verdict-exists');
+        // The verdict is a message to the role that asked, so it meets that role's receive list.
+        this.#checkMessaging(s, r.from);
         const mid = randomUUID();
         const eid = this.#event(
           s,
diff --git a/packages/bus/tests/messaging.test.mjs b/packages/bus/tests/messaging.test.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a1d6f9e53
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/bus/tests/messaging.test.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,287 @@
+import test from 'node:test';
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import { mkdtempSync, readFileSync, rmSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { tmpdir } from 'node:os';
+import { join } from 'node:path';
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
+import { Store } from '../src/store.mjs';
+import { Broker } from '../src/broker.mjs';
+
+// Row 120 (#1614, REQ-ASSIST-2): the broker limits who a role sends to and hears from.
+// The assistant's lists are read from the shipped roles/assistant.json, so the test pins the file
+// the stack runs, not a copy of it.
+const shipped = (name) =>
+  JSON.parse(readFileSync(fileURLToPath(new URL(`../../../roles/${name}.json`, import.meta.url)), 'utf8'));
+const assistantLists = shipped('assistant').messaging;
+
+const within = { authority: { withinRole: ['message.send'], crossRole: [] } };
+// Instance names are the business's; the lists name definitions.
+const roles = {
+  chief: { definition: 'chief-of-staff', ...within },
+  assistant: { definition: 'assistant', ...within },
+  pm: { definition: 'pm', ...within },
+  coder: {
+    definition: 'coder',
+    authority: { withinRole: ['message.send', 'git.push.working', 'review.request'], crossRole: [] },
+  },
+  scribe: { definition: 'scribe', ...within },
+  warden: { definition: 'warden', ...within },
+  reviewer: {
+    definition: 'reviewer',
+    authority: { withinRole: ['message.send', 'review.verdict'], crossRole: [] },
+  },
+};
+const definitions = {
+  'chief-of-staff': {},
+  assistant: { messaging: assistantLists },
+  pm: {},
+  coder: {},
+  reviewer: {},
+  // Only a send limit: tells a dropped sender-side check apart from the target-side check.
+  scribe: { messaging: { sendTo: ['pm'], receiveFrom: ['human', 'pm', 'coder', 'warden', 'chief-of-staff'] } },
+  // Only a receive limit: the same for the target side.
+  warden: { messaging: { sendTo: ['human', 'pm', 'coder', 'scribe'], receiveFrom: ['pm'] } },
+};
+const demo = (extra = {}) => ({
+  demo: {
+    id: 'demo',
+    human: 'jason',
+    arbiters: { technical: 'pm', delivery: 'chief' },
+    roles,
+    definitions,
+    projects: { stack: { root: '/nonexistent' } },
+    vars: { 'bus.tester': true },
+    ...extra,
+  },
+});
+
+function setup(t, businesses = demo()) {
+  const root = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'bus-messaging-'));
+  const store = new Store(root);
+  t.after(() => {
+    store.close();
+    rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  });
+  const b = new Broker({ store, businesses });
+  const caps = {};
+  for (const role of Object.keys(roles)) {
+    caps[role] = b.bindLaunch({ business: 'demo', role, run: `${role}-run`, harness: 'pi' });
+    b.request(caps[role], { verb: 'role.claim' });
+  }
+  caps.human = b.bindHuman({ business: 'demo', human: 'jason', via: 'cli', outsideAgent: true });
+  caps.tester = b.bindTester({ business: 'demo' });
+  const call = (who, verb, args = {}) => b.request(caps[who], { verb, args });
+  const send = (from, to, extra = {}) =>
+    call(from, 'message.send', { to, body: from === 'tester' ? '[mos test] hello' : 'hello', ...extra });
+  const count = (sql) => store.get(sql).n;
+  const refusals = () =>
+    store
+      .all("SELECT actor_role, body FROM events WHERE kind='action.refused' ORDER BY seq")
+      .map((e) => [e.actor_role, JSON.parse(e.body).code]);
+  return { b, store, caps, call, send, count, refusals };
+}
+
+const RECIPIENT = 'message-recipient-refused';
+const SENDER = 'message-sender-refused';
+
+test('the assistant sends to the user and to the chief of staff only', (t) => {
+  const { send, store } = setup(t);
+  assert.deepEqual(assistantLists, { sendTo: ['human', 'chief-of-staff'], receiveFrom: ['human', 'chief-of-staff'] });
+  for (const to of ['human', 'chief']) {
+    const sent = send('assistant', to);
+    const row = store.get('SELECT from_role, to_role FROM messages WHERE id=?', sent.id);
+    assert.deepEqual({ ...row }, { from_role: 'assistant', to_role: to });
+  }
+});
+
+test('an assistant send to any other role, or to the tester, is refused and logged', (t) => {
+  const { send, store, count, refusals } = setup(t);
+  const asked = send('tester', 'pm', { class: 'REQUEST' });
+  const messages = count('SELECT count(*) n FROM messages');
+  const allowed = count("SELECT count(*) n FROM events WHERE kind='action.allowed'");
+  const others = ['pm', 'coder', 'scribe', 'warden'];
+  for (const to of others) assert.throws(() => send('assistant', to), { code: RECIPIENT }, to);
+  // A reply to a real tester message is the only way past the tester gate; the list still refuses it.
+  assert.throws(() => send('assistant', 'tester', { in_reply_to: asked.id }), { code: RECIPIENT }, 'tester');
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    refusals(),
+    [...others, 'tester'].map(() => ['assistant', RECIPIENT]),
+  );
+  assert.equal(count('SELECT count(*) n FROM messages'), messages, 'no message stored');
+  assert.equal(
+    count("SELECT count(*) n FROM events WHERE kind='action.allowed'"),
+    allowed,
+    'a refused send consumes no authority',
+  );
+  assert.equal(store.get("SELECT count(*) n FROM messages WHERE from_role='assistant'").n, 0);
+});
+
+test('only the user and the chief of staff may send to the assistant; the tester is refused by default', (t) => {
+  const { send, store, count, refusals } = setup(t);
+  for (const from of ['human', 'chief']) {
+    const sent = send(from, 'assistant');
+    assert.equal(store.get('SELECT to_role FROM messages WHERE id=?', sent.id).to_role, 'assistant');
+  }
+  const messages = count('SELECT count(*) n FROM messages');
+  // Senders without a list of their own, so only the assistant's receive list can refuse them.
+  const others = ['pm', 'coder', 'tester'];
+  for (const from of others) assert.throws(() => send(from, 'assistant'), { code: SENDER }, from);
+  assert.deepEqual(refusals(), others.map((from) => [from, SENDER]));
+  assert.equal(count('SELECT count(*) n FROM messages'), messages, 'no message stored');
+  assert.equal(count("SELECT count(*) n FROM messages WHERE to_role='assistant' AND from_role='tester'"), 0);
+});
+
+test('a sender-side list alone refuses a send to a role that has no list', (t) => {
+  const { send, count, refusals } = setup(t);
+  send('scribe', 'pm');
+  assert.throws(() => send('scribe', 'coder'), { code: RECIPIENT });
+  assert.throws(() => send('scribe', 'human'), { code: RECIPIENT });
+  assert.deepEqual(refusals(), [['scribe', RECIPIENT], ['scribe', RECIPIENT]]);
+  assert.equal(count("SELECT count(*) n FROM messages WHERE from_role='scribe'"), 1);
+});
+
+test('a target-side list alone refuses a send from a role that has no list', (t) => {
+  const { send, count, refusals } = setup(t);
+  send('pm', 'warden');
+  for (const from of ['coder', 'chief', 'human', 'tester'])
+    assert.throws(() => send(from, 'warden'), { code: SENDER }, from);
+  assert.deepEqual(refusals(), ['coder', 'chief', 'human', 'tester'].map((from) => [from === 'human' ? null : from, SENDER]));
+  assert.equal(count("SELECT count(*) n FROM messages WHERE to_role='warden'"), 1);
+});
+
+test('the sender list is checked before the target list', (t) => {
+  const { send, refusals } = setup(t);
+  // The scribe may not send to the warden, and the warden may not hear from the scribe: one code.
+  assert.throws(() => send('scribe', 'warden'), { code: RECIPIENT });
+  assert.deepEqual(refusals(), [['scribe', RECIPIENT]]);
+});
+
+test('roles without the field behave exactly as before', (t) => {
+  const { send, call, count, refusals } = setup(t);
+  for (const [from, to] of [
+    ['pm', 'coder'],
+    ['coder', 'pm'],
+    ['chief', 'pm'],
+    ['pm', 'chief'],
+    ['pm', 'human'],
+    ['human', 'coder'],
+    ['tester', 'pm'],
+    ['tester', 'coder'],
+  ])
+    send(from, to);
+  assert.deepEqual(refusals(), []);
+  assert.equal(count('SELECT count(*) n FROM messages'), 8);
+  // A role still answers a tester only in reply, whatever its lists.
+  assert.throws(() => send('pm', 'tester'), { code: 'tester-reply-required' });
+  const asked = send('tester', 'coder', { class: 'REQUEST' });
+  send('coder', 'tester', { in_reply_to: asked.id });
+  assert.equal(call('pm', 'message.receive').length > 0, true);
+});
+
+test('a business with no role definitions at all is unlimited', (t) => {
+  const businesses = demo();
+  delete businesses.demo.definitions;
+  const { send, refusals } = setup(t, businesses);
+  for (const [from, to] of [['assistant', 'pm'], ['pm', 'assistant'], ['tester', 'assistant']]) send(from, to);
+  assert.deepEqual(refusals(), []);
+});
+
+test('a malformed messaging field refuses at boot', (t) => {
+  const root = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'bus-messaging-'));
+  const store = new Store(root);
+  t.after(() => {
+    store.close();
+    rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  });
+  const boot = (messaging) => () =>
+    new Broker({ store, businesses: demo({ definitions: { ...definitions, pm: { messaging } } }) });
+  const ok = { sendTo: [], receiveFrom: ['human'] };
+  boot(ok)();
+  for (const bad of [
+    'human',
+    [],
+    { sendTo: [] },
+    { sendTo: 'human', receiveFrom: [] },
+    { sendTo: ['tester'], receiveFrom: [] },
+    { sendTo: [], receiveFrom: ['tester'] },
+    { sendTo: [''], receiveFrom: [] },
+    { sendTo: [7], receiveFrom: [] },
+  ])
+    assert.throws(boot(bad), { code: 'invalid-messaging' }, JSON.stringify(bad));
+});
+
+// Round 1 F1: review.request and review.verdict store a message too, so the same lists bind them.
+// REQ-ASSIST-2 has no approval exception, so an approved decision doesn't open a path.
+const TASK = 'vikunja:1/2';
+const COMMIT = 'a'.repeat(40);
+const options = [
+  { key: 'yes', text: 'Allow' },
+  { key: 'no', text: 'Decline' },
+];
+const pushed = (b, caps) => {
+  b.checkPush(caps.coder, TASK);
+  b.recordPush(caps.coder, { task_ref: TASK, project: 'stack', branch: 'feat', ref: 'work/vikunja-1-2', commit: COMMIT, previous: null });
+};
+// The assistant holds no review.request, so it raises a decision for it, and the human approves.
+const approved = (call) => {
+  const d = call('assistant', 'decision.raise', {
+    action: 'review.request',
+    target: TASK,
+    question: 'review?',
+    options,
+    recommendation: 'yes',
+    blocking: false,
+  });
+  call('human', 'decision.resolve', { id: d.id, choice: 'yes' });
+  return d.id;
+};
+
+test("the assistant's review.request to a reviewer is refused and logged, even with an approved decision", (t) => {
+  const { b, caps, call, count, refusals } = setup(t);
+  pushed(b, caps);
+  const decision = approved(call);
+  const messages = count('SELECT count(*) n FROM messages');
+  const used = "SELECT count(*) n FROM events WHERE kind='action.allowed' AND json_extract(body,'$.action')='review.request'";
+  const before = count(used);
+  const ask = () => call('assistant', 'review.request', { task_ref: TASK, commit: COMMIT, to: 'reviewer', decision });
+  // The refusal leaves the decision unconsumed, so a retry meets the same list, not decision-consumed.
+  assert.throws(ask, { code: RECIPIENT });
+  assert.throws(ask, { code: RECIPIENT });
+  assert.deepEqual(refusals(), [['assistant', RECIPIENT], ['assistant', RECIPIENT]]);
+  assert.equal(count('SELECT count(*) n FROM messages'), messages, 'no REVIEW-REQUEST stored');
+  assert.equal(count("SELECT count(*) n FROM events WHERE kind='review.requested'"), 0);
+  assert.equal(count(used), before, 'a refused request consumes no authority');
+});
+
+test('a review.verdict to the assistant from a role outside its receiveFrom is refused and logged', (t) => {
+  // A request from before the lists existed: a first broker without the assistant's lists lets it through.
+  const first = setup(t, demo({ definitions: { ...definitions, assistant: {} } }));
+  pushed(first.b, first.caps);
+  const decision = approved(first.call);
+  const asked = first.call('assistant', 'review.request', { task_ref: TASK, commit: COMMIT, to: 'reviewer', decision });
+  // A second broker on the same store enforces the shipped lists.
+  first.call('reviewer', 'role.release');
+  const b2 = new Broker({ store: first.store, businesses: demo() });
+  const cap = b2.bindLaunch({ business: 'demo', role: 'reviewer', run: 'reviewer-run-2', harness: 'pi' });
+  b2.request(cap, { verb: 'role.claim' });
+  const args = { task_ref: TASK, request: asked.request, verdict: 'approve', body: 'looks fine' };
+  assert.throws(() => b2.request(cap, { verb: 'review.verdict', args }), { code: SENDER });
+  assert.deepEqual(first.refusals(), [['reviewer', SENDER]]);
+  assert.equal(first.count("SELECT count(*) n FROM messages WHERE class='REVIEW-RESULT'"), 0, 'no REVIEW-RESULT stored');
+  assert.equal(first.count("SELECT count(*) n FROM events WHERE kind='review.verdict'"), 0);
+  assert.equal(
+    first.count("SELECT count(*) n FROM events WHERE kind='action.allowed' AND json_extract(body,'$.action')='review.verdict'"),
+    0,
+    'a refused verdict consumes no authority',
+  );
+});
+
+test('review requests and verdicts between roles without the field are unchanged', (t) => {
+  const { b, caps, call, store, refusals } = setup(t);
+  pushed(b, caps);
+  const asked = call('coder', 'review.request', { task_ref: TASK, commit: COMMIT, to: 'reviewer' });
+  const verdict = call('reviewer', 'review.verdict', { task_ref: TASK, request: asked.request, verdict: 'approve', body: 'ok' });
+  assert.equal(store.get('SELECT to_role FROM messages WHERE id=?', asked.message).to_role, 'reviewer');
+  assert.equal(store.get('SELECT to_role FROM messages WHERE id=?', verdict.message).to_role, 'coder');
+  assert.deepEqual(refusals(), []);
+});
diff --git a/packages/business/src/role.mjs b/packages/business/src/role.mjs
index 37f99ce14..b990e8e12 100644
--- a/packages/business/src/role.mjs
+++ b/packages/business/src/role.mjs
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@ import {
 
 const CONTRACT_NAME = /^[a-z0-9][a-z0-9._-]{0,60}\.md$/;
 const V1_KEYS = ["roleVersion", "name", "tools", "network"];
-const V2_KEYS = ["roleVersion", "name", "title", "contract", "tools", "network", "authority", "credentials"];
+const V2_REQUIRED = ["roleVersion", "name", "title", "contract", "tools", "network", "authority", "credentials"];
+const V2_KEYS = [...V2_REQUIRED, "messaging"];
 
 function checkTools(tools) {
   if (!Array.isArray(tools) || tools.length === 0) refuse('role "tools" must be a non-empty array of tool names');
@@ -45,6 +46,24 @@ function checkAuthority(authority) {
   return lists;
 }
 
+// REQ-ASSIST-2. Optional: a role with no "messaging" key may message anyone and be messaged by
+// anyone the broker's other rules allow. With it, the broker refuses a send to a role outside
+// sendTo and a send from a role outside receiveFrom. Entries name role definitions, since a role
+// file can't know a business's instance names; "human" names the user. The tester is never a
+// role, so it can't be listed.
+function checkMessaging(messaging) {
+  requireObject(messaging, 'role "messaging"');
+  rejectUnknownKeys(messaging, ["sendTo", "receiveFrom"], 'role "messaging"');
+  const lists = {};
+  for (const key of ["sendTo", "receiveFrom"]) {
+    lists[key] = requireDistinctList(messaging[key], `role messaging.${key}`, (entry) => {
+      requireId(entry, `role messaging.${key} entry`);
+      if (entry === "tester") refuse(`messaging.${key} lists tester, which is never a role`);
+    });
+  }
+  return lists;
+}
+
 function checkGiteaScopes(scopes) {
   const list = requireDistinctList(scopes, "gitea scopes", (scope) => {
     const m = typeof scope === "string" ? /^(read|write):([a-z]+)$/.exec(scope) : null;
@@ -103,7 +122,8 @@ function checkContract(contract, file) {
 
 // Validate a parsed role document read from `file`. Returns a frozen role:
 // { roleVersion, name, title, contract, contractPath, tools, network,
-//   authority: { withinRole, crossRole }, credentials: [{ service, scopes }] }.
+//   authority: { withinRole, crossRole }, credentials: [{ service, scopes }],
+//   messaging: { sendTo, receiveFrom } | null }.
 export function validateRoleDocument(document, file) {
   requireObject(document, "role");
   if (document.roleVersion !== 1 && document.roleVersion !== 2) refuse('role "roleVersion" must be 1 or 2');
@@ -116,10 +136,10 @@ export function validateRoleDocument(document, file) {
     const network = document.network === undefined ? "none" : checkNetwork(document.network);
     return deepFreeze({
       roleVersion: 1, name: document.name, title: null, contract: null, contractPath: null, tools, network,
-      authority: { withinRole: [], crossRole: [] }, credentials: [],
+      authority: { withinRole: [], crossRole: [] }, credentials: [], messaging: null,
     });
   }
-  for (const key of V2_KEYS) {
+  for (const key of V2_REQUIRED) {
     if (document[key] === undefined) refuse(`role version 2 requires "${key}"`);
   }
   return deepFreeze({
@@ -132,6 +152,7 @@ export function validateRoleDocument(document, file) {
     network: checkNetwork(document.network),
     authority: checkAuthority(document.authority),
     credentials: checkCredentials(document.credentials),
+    messaging: document.messaging === undefined ? null : checkMessaging(document.messaging),
   });
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/business/tests/assistant.test.mjs b/packages/business/tests/assistant.test.mjs
index ce2648fab..9cdbff49a 100644
--- a/packages/business/tests/assistant.test.mjs
+++ b/packages/business/tests/assistant.test.mjs
@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@ const APPROVED = Object.freeze({
   network: "api-only",
   authority: Object.freeze({ withinRole: Object.freeze(["message.send"]), crossRole: Object.freeze([]) }),
   credentials: Object.freeze([]),
+  // REQ-ASSIST-2: the user and the chief of staff, both ways. The broker enforces these lists (row 120).
+  messaging: Object.freeze({
+    sendTo: Object.freeze(["human", "chief-of-staff"]),
+    receiveFrom: Object.freeze(["human", "chief-of-staff"]),
+  }),
 });
 
 const INSTANCE = "assistant";
@@ -75,6 +80,16 @@ test("the assistant's authority is message.send within role and nothing else", (
   for (const action of ["task.create", "task.assign", "role.launch"]) assert.equal(classify(record, action), "gated", action);
 });
 
+test("the assistant talks to the user and the chief of staff only, and no other shipped role is limited", () => {
+  const role = loadRole(REPO_ROLES, "assistant");
+  assert.deepEqual(role.messaging, { sendTo: ["human", "chief-of-staff"], receiveFrom: ["human", "chief-of-staff"] });
+  assert.ok(Object.isFrozen(role.messaging.sendTo));
+  // Limiting another role is a policy change of its own; the shipped chief of staff and PM stay open.
+  for (const name of ["chief-of-staff", "pm", "cto", "coder", "reviewer", "researcher"]) {
+    assert.equal(loadRole(REPO_ROLES, name).messaging, null, name);
+  }
+});
+
 test("a business grant through limits does not widen the role", () => {
   const record = resolved(loadFixture((doc) => {
     doc.roles[INSTANCE].vars = { "limits.authority": ["message.send", "task.create", "role.launch"] };
diff --git a/packages/business/tests/role.test.mjs b/packages/business/tests/role.test.mjs
index 150be7ec2..606a82636 100644
--- a/packages/business/tests/role.test.mjs
+++ b/packages/business/tests/role.test.mjs
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ test("version 1 files keep loading with no authority", () => {
   assert.equal(role.roleVersion, 1);
   assert.equal(role.contractPath, null);
   assert.deepEqual(role.authority, { withinRole: [], crossRole: [] });
+  assert.equal(role.messaging, null);
   assert.deepEqual(role.tools, ["read", "grep", "find", "ls", "bash"]);
   const dir = tmp();
   const file = writeJson(join(dir, "plain.json"), { roleVersion: 1, name: "plain", tools: ["read"] });
@@ -131,6 +132,25 @@ test("authority: closed vocabulary, no gated-only action, no overlap", () => {
   refuses(() => check({ authority: { withinRole: [], crossRole: [], gated: [] } }), /unsupported role "authority" key/);
 });
 
+test("messaging: optional, role definitions and human, never the tester", () => {
+  assert.equal(check({}).messaging, null);
+  const role = check({ messaging: { sendTo: ["human", "chief-of-staff"], receiveFrom: [] } });
+  assert.deepEqual(role.messaging, { sendTo: ["human", "chief-of-staff"], receiveFrom: [] });
+  assert.ok(Object.isFrozen(role.messaging.sendTo));
+  refuses(() => check({ messaging: "human" }), /role "messaging" must be a JSON object/);
+  refuses(() => check({ messaging: { sendTo: [] } }), /messaging\.receiveFrom must be an array/);
+  refuses(() => check({ messaging: { receiveFrom: [] } }), /messaging\.sendTo must be an array/);
+  refuses(() => check({ messaging: { sendTo: [], receiveFrom: [], extra: [] } }), /unsupported role "messaging" key/);
+  refuses(() => check({ messaging: { sendTo: ["pm", "pm"], receiveFrom: [] } }), /duplicate entry in role messaging\.sendTo/);
+  refuses(() => check({ messaging: { sendTo: [], receiveFrom: ["not a role"] } }), /messaging\.receiveFrom entry/);
+  refuses(() => check({ messaging: { sendTo: [7], receiveFrom: [] } }), /messaging\.sendTo entry/);
+  refuses(() => check({ messaging: { sendTo: ["tester"], receiveFrom: [] } }), /messaging\.sendTo lists tester/);
+  refuses(() => check({ messaging: { sendTo: [], receiveFrom: ["tester"] } }), /messaging\.receiveFrom lists tester/);
+  // Version 1 has no messaging key.
+  const file = writeJson(join(tmp(), "v1m.json"), { roleVersion: 1, name: "v1m", tools: ["read"], messaging: { sendTo: [], receiveFrom: [] } });
+  refuses(() => loadRoleFile(file), /unsupported role key: "messaging"/);
+});
+
 test("credentials: Gitea scopes", () => {
   const gitea = (scopes) => check({ credentials: [{ service: "gitea", scopes }] });
   assert.deepEqual(gitea(["write:repository", "read:user"]).credentials[0].scopes, ["write:repository", "read:user"]);
diff --git a/roles/assistant.json b/roles/assistant.json
index 286b879f0..1208051d5 100644
--- a/roles/assistant.json
+++ b/roles/assistant.json
@@ -9,5 +9,9 @@
     "withinRole": ["message.send"],
     "crossRole": []
   },
-  "credentials": []
+  "credentials": [],
+  "messaging": {
+    "sendTo": ["human", "chief-of-staff"],
+    "receiveFrom": ["human", "chief-of-staff"]
+  }
 }