fix(test): EDR-safe straggler replay — no more renamed system executable

The straggler integration test copied powershell.exe under a synthetic
agent name and launched it — textbook MITRE T1036.003 ("Rename Legitimate
Utilities"). Defender for Endpoint flagged the run ("System executable
renamed and launched", initiating process testhost.net48.exe) and ISOLATED
the dev machine.

Replaced with function shadowing: a harness script defines Get-Process /
Stop-Process stub functions (PowerShell resolves functions before cmdlets)
and dot-sources the cleanup script. The stubs report a live agent-named
straggler on every probe and record the kill, pinning the identical
contract — poll by NAME until the deadline, force-kill by NAME, then
delete — with zero process spawns, zero PE copies, nothing EDR-visible.

The production routine never renames or copies executables; the flagged
technique existed only in this test. Lesson recorded in tasks/lessons.md.

22/22 cleanup tests green.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

.claude/CLAUDE.md

@@ -1,79 +1,37 @@
-## Workflow Orchestration
-# Agent Directives: Mechanical Overrides
+# Agent Directives
 
-You are operating within a constrained context window and strict system prompts. To produce production-grade code, you MUST adhere to these overrides:
+- **Plan first.** Enter plan mode for any non-trivial task (3+ steps or an architectural decision) and write the spec before building. If something goes sideways, stop and re-plan instead of pushing on.
+- **Use subagents liberally** for research, exploration, and parallel analysis — one focus each — to keep the main context clean.
+- **Verify before claiming done.** Run the tests, check the logs, show the evidence. Diff against `main` where behaviour could regress.
+- **Fix bugs autonomously.** Given a report, a failing test, or an error, resolve it — no hand-holding.
+- **Capture corrections.** After any correction from the user, record the pattern and a preventing rule in `tasks/lessons.md`; review it at session start.
+- Read files over 500 LOC in chunks. Never treat one grep as proof of absence.
 
+Codex reviews your output once you are done.
 
+## Code Quality
 
-### 1. Plan Mode Default
-- Enter plan mode for ANY non-trivial task (3+ steps or architectural decisions)
-- If something goes sideways, STOP and re-plan immediately — don't keep pushing
-- Use plan mode for specification steps, not just building
-- Write detailed specs upfront to reduce ambiguity
-
-### 2. Subagent Strategy
-- Use subagents liberally to keep main context window clean
-- Offload research, exploration, and parallel analysis to subagents
-- For complex problems, throw more compute at it via subagents
-- One tack per subagent for focused execution
-
-### 3. Self-Improvement Loop
-- After ANY correction from the user: update `tasks/lessons.md` with the pattern
-- Write rules for yourself that prevent the same mistake
-- Ruthlessly iterate on these lessons until mistake rate drops
-- Review lessons at session start for relevant project
-
-### 4. Verification Before Done
-- Never mark a task complete without proving it works
-- Diff behavior between main and your changes when relevant
-- Ask yourself: "Would a staff engineer approve this?"
-- Run tests, check logs, demonstrate correctness
-
-### 5. Demand Elegance (Balanced)
-- For non-trivial changes: pause and ask "is there a more elegant way?"
-- If a fix feels hacky: "Knowing everything I know now, implement the elegant solution"
-- Skip this for simple, obvious fixes — don't over-engineer
-- Challenge your own work before presenting it
-
-### 6. Autonomous Bug Fixing
-- When given a bug report: just fix it. Don't ask for hand-holding
-- Point at logs, errors, failing tests — then resolve them
-- Zero context switching required from the user
-- Go fix failing CI tests without being told how
-
-
-
-### Tools Execution
-- Read any file over 500 LOC in chunks using offset and limit parameters.
-- Do not assume a single grep caught everything.
-
-### Code Quality
-- If architecture is flawed, state is duplicated, or patterns are inconsistent - propose and implement structural fixes. Ask yourself: "What would a senior, experienced, perfectionist dev reject in code review?" Fix all of it.
-
-
-Codex will review your output once you are done!
-
+- Simplicity first: minimal, targeted changes. No temporary fixes — find the root cause.
+- Where architecture is flawed, state is duplicated, or patterns are inconsistent, propose and implement the structural fix. Ask what a perfectionist reviewer would reject, and fix that too.
+- On non-trivial changes, ask whether there is a more elegant way before presenting. Skip it for simple fixes — don't over-engineer.
 
 ## Task Management
 
-1. **Plan First**: Write plan to `tasks/todo.md` with checkable items
-2. **Verify Plan**: Check in before starting implementation
-3. **Track Progress**: Mark items complete as you go
-4. **Explain Changes**: High-level summary at each step
-5. **Document Results**: Add review section to `tasks/todo.md`
-6. **Capture Lessons**: Update `tasks/lessons.md` after corrections
+Keep the plan in `tasks/todo.md` as checkable items, confirm it before implementing, tick items off as you go, and add a review section when done.
 
-## Core Principles
+## Customer-Facing Claims
 
-- **Simplicity First**: Make every change as simple as possible. Impact minimal code.
-- **No Laziness**: Find root causes. No temporary fixes. Senior developer standards.
-- **Minimal Impact**: Changes should only touch what's necessary. Avoid introducing bugs.
+`src/Web/autopilot-monitor-web/app/{about,terms,privacy}/page.tsx` and `autopilotmonitor-docs/trust/*` state facts customers and security reviewers rely on. They drift silently.
 
-## Technical Docs — OKF Knowledge Bundle (`docs/`)
+- Verify every claim against the code before writing it — never carry one forward because it was already on the page.
+- Update them in the same change as: runtime/framework versions, roles, notification providers, agent deployment or lifecycle, diagnostics payload, isolation/delegation model, retention caps, sub-processors, or any default governing what is collected.
+- Describe only what customers can actually use; operator-only infrastructure is not a feature.
+- Trust pages: durable phrasing over exact figures, and bump their "Last reviewed" date.
 
-`docs/` is an [Open Knowledge Format (OKF) v0.1](https://github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/knowledge-catalog/blob/main/okf/SPEC.md) knowledge bundle for contributor/AI-facing technical documentation (customer docs live in the separate autopilotmonitor-docs repo).
+## Technical Docs — OKF Bundle (`docs/`)
 
-- **Consume first**: start at `docs/index.md` for progressive disclosure before opening individual documents.
-- **When new durable technical knowledge emerges** (architecture decisions, flows, non-obvious mechanisms), capture it as an OKF concept document in `docs/` — markdown with YAML frontmatter: `type` (mandatory), plus `title`, `description`, `resource`, `tags`, `timestamp` (recommended).
-- **Maintain the bundle**: add every new document to `docs/index.md`, note changes in `docs/log.md` (grouped by ISO date). Use standard RELATIVE markdown links between docs — never the OKF `/`-prefixed bundle-absolute form (GitHub resolves those from the repo root and navigation breaks). `index.md` and `log.md` are reserved filenames.
-- Documents are English, structural markdown over prose (`# Schema`, `# Examples`, `# Citations` sections where applicable).
+Contributor/AI-facing docs (customer docs live in the `autopilotmonitor-docs` repo). Start at `docs/index.md` before opening individual files.
+
+- New durable knowledge (architecture decisions, flows, non-obvious mechanisms) → an OKF concept doc with YAML frontmatter: `type` (mandatory), plus `title`, `description`, `resource`, `tags`, `timestamp`.
+- Register it in `docs/index.md`, note the change in `docs/log.md` (ISO date). `index.md` and `log.md` are reserved names.
+- English, structural markdown (`# Schema`, `# Examples`, `# Citations`). Links between docs are RELATIVE — never `/`-prefixed, that breaks GitHub navigation.

.github/codeql/codeql-config.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+# CodeQL configuration.
+#
+# The default query suites stay active — this file only filters out two C# queries
+# that fire structurally on this codebase, where the flagged behavior is the feature,
+# not a defect:
+#
+#   cs/exposure-of-sensitive-information
+#     Audit and operational logs record WHO performed an action (actor UPN / email)
+#     and notification services deliver mail to a recipient address. Writing that
+#     identity to the log / notification IS the purpose of the field. Every such site
+#     is a legitimate, reviewed use — the query cannot distinguish it from a leak.
+#
+#   cs/cleartext-storage-of-sensitive-information
+#     The rate limiters and distress guard use the trusted client IP as their bucket
+#     key. The IP is an identifier for throttling, not a secret at rest; storing it in
+#     the in-memory / table rate-limit key is by design.
+#
+# Genuine one-off false positives from OTHER queries (e.g. an open-redirect the taint
+# model can't see is allow-listed, a rate-limited route it doesn't recognize) are
+# dismissed individually in the Security tab so those queries stay sharp — they are
+# NOT suppressed here.
+#
+# Log-injection (cs/log-forging) is deliberately NOT filtered: user-controlled values
+# are sanitized at the sink via Helpers/LogSanitizer, so the query stays useful for
+# catching a future unsanitized sink.
+
+query-filters:
+  - exclude:
+      id: cs/exposure-of-sensitive-information
+  - exclude:
+      id: cs/cleartext-storage-of-sensitive-information

.github/dependabot.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+version: 2
+
+updates:
+  - package-ecosystem: nuget
+    directory: /
+    schedule:
+      interval: weekly
+    open-pull-requests-limit: 5
+    groups:
+      dotnet:
+        patterns: ['*']
+        update-types: [minor, patch]
+
+  - package-ecosystem: npm
+    directory: /src/Web/autopilot-monitor-web
+    schedule:
+      interval: weekly
+    open-pull-requests-limit: 5
+    groups:
+      web:
+        patterns: ['*']
+        update-types: [minor, patch]
+    # Major bumps are breaking and reviewed deliberately, not auto-PR'd.
+    # Security updates ignore this filter, so the Security tab stays clean.
+    ignore:
+      - dependency-name: '*'
+        update-types: ['version-update:semver-major']
+
+  - package-ecosystem: npm
+    directory: /src/McpServer/autopilot-monitor-mcp
+    schedule:
+      interval: weekly
+    open-pull-requests-limit: 5
+    groups:
+      mcp:
+        patterns: ['*']
+        update-types: [minor, patch]
+    # Major bumps are breaking and reviewed deliberately, not auto-PR'd.
+    # Security updates ignore this filter, so the Security tab stays clean.
+    ignore:
+      - dependency-name: '*'
+        update-types: ['version-update:semver-major']
+
+  - package-ecosystem: github-actions
+    directory: /
+    schedule:
+      interval: monthly

.github/scripts/Request-BuildNumber.ps1

@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+<#
+.SYNOPSIS
+    Reserves a monotone build number from a counter blob (ETag compare-and-swap).
+
+.DESCRIPTION
+    Single source of build numbers for every component that ships from this repo
+    (agent, backend, MCP). Each component owns one counter blob holding a plain
+    integer; this script reads it, writes value+1 back under If-Match, and returns
+    the reserved number.
+
+    Reserve-BEFORE-build: two concurrent builds can never mint the same number.
+    A failed build burns a number, which is harmless -- uniqueness matters,
+    density does not.
+
+    The blob is public-read; only the write needs the container SAS.
+
+    Why a counter and not the published version manifest: manifests are written
+    on publish, not on build (the agent writes version.json only for stable
+    releases), so two dev builds in a row would derive the same number and
+    overwrite each other's versioned artifact.
+
+.PARAMETER CounterUrl
+    Full URL of the counter blob, without SAS.
+
+.PARAMETER SasToken
+    Container SAS with create+write permission. A leading '?' is tolerated.
+
+.PARAMETER Override
+    Explicit build number instead of counter+1. If it is not greater than the
+    current counter the blob is left untouched (re-build of a number that was
+    already reserved). 0 = no override.
+
+.PARAMETER MaxAttempts
+    CAS retries before giving up.
+
+.OUTPUTS
+    [int] the reserved build number. Progress goes to the host, not the pipeline.
+
+.EXAMPLE
+    $n = ./Request-BuildNumber.ps1 -CounterUrl $url -SasToken $sas
+#>
+[CmdletBinding()]
+param(
+    [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$CounterUrl,
+    [Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$SasToken,
+    [int]$Override = 0,
+    [int]$MaxAttempts = 5
+)
+
+$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
+
+# Tolerate both secret formats ("sp=cw&..." and "?sp=cw&...").
+$writeUrl = $CounterUrl + '?' + $SasToken.TrimStart('?')
+
+function Get-HttpStatus {
+    param($ErrorRecord)
+    if ($ErrorRecord.Exception.PSObject.Properties['Response'] -and $ErrorRecord.Exception.Response) {
+        return [int]$ErrorRecord.Exception.Response.StatusCode
+    }
+    return 0
+}
+
+function Read-Counter {
+    try {
+        $resp = Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $CounterUrl -Method Get -UseBasicParsing
+    } catch {
+        if ((Get-HttpStatus $_) -eq 404) {
+            throw "Counter blob not found at $CounterUrl. Seed it once with the last used build number: PUT the plain integer with 'x-ms-blob-type: BlockBlob' and 'If-None-Match: *'. See docs/versioning.md."
+        }
+        throw
+    }
+    $raw = if ($resp.Content -is [byte[]]) { [System.Text.Encoding]::UTF8.GetString($resp.Content) } else { [string]$resp.Content }
+    # If-Match requires the quoted ETag form; PowerShell strips the quotes on read.
+    $etag = '"' + ([string]($resp.Headers['ETag'] | Select-Object -First 1)).Trim('"') + '"'
+    return [pscustomobject]@{ Value = [int]$raw.Trim(); ETag = $etag }
+}
+
+for ($attempt = 1; $attempt -le $MaxAttempts; $attempt++) {
+    $counter = Read-Counter
+
+    if ($Override -gt 0 -and $Override -le $counter.Value) {
+        Write-Host "  Build number $Override <= counter $($counter.Value) -- already reserved, counter blob unchanged"
+        return $Override
+    }
+    $target = if ($Override -gt 0) { $Override } else { $counter.Value + 1 }
+
+    try {
+        $headers = @{ 'x-ms-blob-type' = 'BlockBlob'; 'If-Match' = $counter.ETag }
+        Invoke-RestMethod -Uri $writeUrl -Method Put -Headers $headers -Body "$target" -ContentType 'text/plain' | Out-Null
+        Write-Host "  Reserved build number $target (CAS write ok, attempt $attempt)"
+        return $target
+    } catch {
+        if ((Get-HttpStatus $_) -eq 412) {
+            Write-Host "  CAS conflict on attempt $attempt (another build reserved concurrently) -- retrying"
+            Start-Sleep -Seconds ($attempt * 2)
+        } else {
+            throw
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+throw "Could not reserve a build number after $MaxAttempts CAS attempts"

.github/workflows/build-agent.yml

@@ -56,78 +56,27 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
       - name: Checkout repository
-        uses: actions/checkout@v5
+        uses: actions/checkout@v7
 
       # SDK 10 = single build toolchain (parity with local build.ps1 / global.json).
       - name: Setup .NET
-        uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v5
+        uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v6
         with:
           dotnet-version: '10.0.x'
 
-      # Build numbers come from the shared counter blob (single source of truth for CI
-      # AND local build.ps1). Reserve-before-build with ETag-CAS: concurrent builds can
-      # never mint the same number; a failed build burns a number, which is harmless.
-      # The blob is public-read (like the rest of the container); writes need the SAS.
+      # Build numbers come from the shared counter blob -- one counter and one
+      # implementation for CI and the local build (.github/scripts/Request-BuildNumber.ps1).
+      # Reserve-before-build with ETag-CAS: concurrent builds can never mint the same
+      # number; a failed build burns a number, which is harmless.
       - name: Reserve build number (counter blob CAS)
         id: version
         shell: pwsh
         run: |
-          $counterBlob = "buildcounter-v$env:LINE_MAJOR.txt"
-          $counterUrl = "https://autopilotmonitoreu.blob.core.windows.net/agent/$counterBlob"
-          # Tolerate both secret formats ("sp=cw&..." and "?sp=cw&...") -- the URL below adds the '?'.
-          $sasToken = "${{ secrets.AZURE_BLOB_AGENT_SAS_TOKEN }}".TrimStart('?')
-          $override = "${{ inputs.build_number }}"
+          $override = 0
+          if ('${{ inputs.build_number }}' -ne '') { $override = [int]'${{ inputs.build_number }}' }
 
-          function Get-Counter {
-            try {
-              $resp = Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $counterUrl -Method Get
-              $raw = if ($resp.Content -is [byte[]]) { [System.Text.Encoding]::UTF8.GetString($resp.Content) } else { [string]$resp.Content }
-              # If-Match requires the quoted ETag form; pwsh strips the quotes on read.
-              $etag = '"' + ([string]($resp.Headers['ETag'] | Select-Object -First 1)).Trim('"') + '"'
-              return @{ Value = [int]$raw.Trim(); ETag = $etag }
-            } catch {
-              $status = if ($_.Exception.Response) { [int]$_.Exception.Response.StatusCode } else { 0 }
-              if ($status -eq 404) {
-                Write-Error "Counter blob '$counterBlob' not found. Seed it once with the last used build number (see docs/agent/build-counter-blob.md) -- do NOT seed from the repo's buildcounter.txt, it is a stale offline fallback."
-              }
-              throw
-            }
-          }
-
-          $buildNumber = $null
-          for ($attempt = 1; $attempt -le 5; $attempt++) {
-            $counter = Get-Counter
-            if ($override -ne '') {
-              $target = [int]$override
-              if ($target -le $counter.Value) {
-                # Re-build of an already-reserved number: counter stays monotonic, no write.
-                Write-Host "Manual build number $target <= counter $($counter.Value) -- counter blob unchanged"
-                $buildNumber = $target
-                break
-              }
-              Write-Host "Manual build number $target > counter $($counter.Value) -- advancing counter"
-            } else {
-              $target = $counter.Value + 1
-            }
-            try {
-              $headers = @{ 'x-ms-blob-type' = 'BlockBlob'; 'If-Match' = $counter.ETag }
-              Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "$counterUrl`?$sasToken" -Method Put -Headers $headers -Body "$target" -ContentType 'text/plain' | Out-Null
-              $buildNumber = $target
-              Write-Host "Reserved build number ${target} (CAS write ok, attempt $attempt)"
-              break
-            } catch {
-              $status = if ($_.Exception.Response) { [int]$_.Exception.Response.StatusCode } else { 0 }
-              if ($status -eq 412) {
-                Write-Host "CAS conflict on attempt $attempt (another build reserved concurrently) -- retrying"
-                Start-Sleep -Seconds ($attempt * 2)
-              } else {
-                throw
-              }
-            }
-          }
-          if ($null -eq $buildNumber) {
-            Write-Error "Could not reserve a build number after 5 CAS attempts"
-          }
+          $counterUrl = "https://autopilotmonitoreu.blob.core.windows.net/agent/buildcounter-v$($env:LINE_MAJOR).txt"
+          $buildNumber = & ./.github/scripts/Request-BuildNumber.ps1 -CounterUrl $counterUrl -SasToken '${{ secrets.AZURE_BLOB_AGENT_SAS_TOKEN }}' -Override $override
 
           $csproj = Get-Content $env:CSPROJ_PATH -Raw
           if ($csproj -match '<VersionPrefix>(\d+\.\d+)</VersionPrefix>') {
@@ -228,8 +177,13 @@ jobs:
             Write-Warning "Could not parse bootstrap `$ScriptVersion from $env:BOOTSTRAP_SOURCE"
           }
 
-          # Enrich the per-line manifest emitted by MSBuild (version-v2.json, read above)
+          # Enrich the per-line manifest emitted by MSBuild (version-v2.json, read above).
+          # commit/buildUtc are the same two fields the backend and MCP manifests carry —
+          # additive, and the bootstrap reads this file by field name, so older installers
+          # ignore them. sha256/bootstrapVersion stay: those are the customer contract.
           $manifest | Add-Member -NotePropertyName "sha256" -NotePropertyValue $sha256Hash -Force
+          $manifest | Add-Member -NotePropertyName "commit" -NotePropertyValue '${{ github.sha }}'.Substring(0, 7) -Force
+          $manifest | Add-Member -NotePropertyName "buildUtc" -NotePropertyValue ([DateTime]::UtcNow.ToString('o')) -Force
           if ($bootstrapVersion) {
             $manifest | Add-Member -NotePropertyName "bootstrapVersion" -NotePropertyValue $bootstrapVersion -Force
           }
@@ -277,7 +231,12 @@ jobs:
             param([string]$Local, [string]$BlobName, [string]$ContentType)
             $url = "$containerUrl/$BlobName`?$sasToken"
             $bytes = [System.IO.File]::ReadAllBytes($Local)
-            $headers = @{ "x-ms-blob-type" = "BlockBlob"; "Content-Type" = $ContentType }
+            # no-cache on EVERY blob: they all rotate in place (even the per-line ZIP is
+            # overwritten each build), and the download alias fronts them with Front Door.
+            # Route caching is disabled there, but a stale manifest paired with a fresh ZIP
+            # (independent cache entries) would fail the bootstrap SHA check -- this header
+            # keeps that class of bug impossible even if caching is ever re-enabled.
+            $headers = @{ "x-ms-blob-type" = "BlockBlob"; "Content-Type" = $ContentType; "x-ms-blob-cache-control" = "no-cache" }
             if ($ContentType -eq "application/zip") {
               $md5 = [System.Security.Cryptography.MD5]::Create()
               $headers["Content-MD5"] = [Convert]::ToBase64String($md5.ComputeHash($bytes))
@@ -352,13 +311,13 @@ jobs:
           subject-path: ${{ steps.artifact.outputs.versioned_zip_release }}
 
       - name: Upload build artifact
-        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v6
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7
         with:
           name: AutopilotMonitor-Agent-v${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}
           path: ${{ steps.artifact.outputs.versioned_zip_release }}
 
       - name: Upload version metadata
-        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v6
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7
         with:
           name: version-metadata
           path: ${{ env.MANIFEST_NAME }}

.github/workflows/ci.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,120 @@
+name: CI
+
+# Tests, typechecks and drift-checks every push to main and every pull request:
+# the .NET suites, the web and MCP suites, and a guard that the generated rule
+# files still match rules/guardrails.json.
+#
+# The deploy workflows build but never test, so this is the only place the suites
+# actually run. It does not gate anything — main is deliberately unprotected, so a
+# red run reports rather than blocks. Read the result and follow up.
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [main]
+  pull_request:
+    branches: [main]
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+concurrency:
+  group: ci-${{ github.ref }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
+jobs:
+  dotnet:
+    name: .NET tests (backend + agent)
+    # windows-latest is required: the agent test projects target net48.
+    runs-on: windows-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
+
+      - uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v6
+        with:
+          dotnet-version: '10.0.x'
+
+      - name: Restore
+        run: dotnet restore AutopilotMonitor.sln
+
+      - name: Build
+        run: dotnet build AutopilotMonitor.sln --configuration Release --no-restore
+
+      - name: Backend tests
+        run: dotnet test src/Backend/AutopilotMonitor.Functions.Tests --configuration Release --no-build --verbosity quiet
+
+      - name: Agent V2 Core tests
+        run: dotnet test src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests --configuration Release --no-build --verbosity quiet
+
+      - name: Decision Core tests
+        run: dotnet test src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.DecisionCore.Tests --configuration Release --no-build --verbosity quiet
+
+      - name: Summary Dialog tests
+        run: dotnet test src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.SummaryDialog.Tests --configuration Release --no-build --verbosity quiet
+
+  web:
+    name: Web (typecheck + tests)
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    defaults:
+      run:
+        working-directory: src/Web/autopilot-monitor-web
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
+
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@v7
+        with:
+          node-version: '20'
+          cache: npm
+          cache-dependency-path: src/Web/autopilot-monitor-web/package-lock.json
+
+      - run: npm ci
+
+      - name: Typecheck
+        run: npx tsc --noEmit
+
+      - name: Tests
+        run: npm test
+
+  mcp:
+    name: MCP server tests
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    defaults:
+      run:
+        working-directory: src/McpServer/autopilot-monitor-mcp
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
+
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@v7
+        with:
+          node-version: '20'
+          cache: npm
+          cache-dependency-path: src/McpServer/autopilot-monitor-mcp/package-lock.json
+
+      - run: npm ci
+
+      - name: Typecheck
+        run: npx tsc --noEmit
+
+      - name: Tests
+        run: npm test
+
+  guardrails-in-sync:
+    name: Generated guardrails match rules/guardrails.json
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
+
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@v7
+        with:
+          node-version: '20'
+
+      - name: Regenerate
+        run: node rules/scripts/combine.js
+
+      - name: Fail if the generated files drifted
+        run: |
+          if ! git diff --quiet; then
+            echo "::error::Generated files are out of date. Run 'node rules/scripts/combine.js' and commit the result."
+            git diff --stat
+            exit 1
+          fi

.github/workflows/codeql.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+name: CodeQL
+
+# Documentation-only changes cannot affect what CodeQL analyzes (C# and
+# TypeScript), so they are filtered out rather than spending ~10 minutes to
+# re-report an unchanged result. A commit that touches docs AND code still runs:
+# GitHub skips only when EVERY changed path matches the filter.
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [main]
+    paths-ignore:
+      - 'docs/**'
+      - '**/*.md'
+      - 'LICENSE'
+  pull_request:
+    branches: [main]
+    paths-ignore:
+      - 'docs/**'
+      - '**/*.md'
+      - 'LICENSE'
+  schedule:
+    # Weekly, so advisories published after a merge still surface. Deliberately
+    # unfiltered — it re-analyzes the whole tree regardless of what changed, which
+    # is also the backstop if the filters above ever skip too much.
+    - cron: '17 3 * * 1'
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+jobs:
+  analyze:
+    name: Analyze ${{ matrix.language }}
+    runs-on: ${{ matrix.runner }}
+    permissions:
+      security-events: write
+      packages: read
+      actions: read
+      contents: read
+
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        include:
+          # csharp needs the net48 agent projects to build, so Windows.
+          - language: csharp
+            runner: windows-latest
+            build-mode: manual
+          - language: javascript-typescript
+            runner: ubuntu-latest
+            build-mode: none
+
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
+
+      - uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v6
+        if: matrix.language == 'csharp'
+        with:
+          dotnet-version: '10.0.x'
+
+      - name: Initialize CodeQL
+        uses: github/codeql-action/init@v4
+        with:
+          languages: ${{ matrix.language }}
+          build-mode: ${{ matrix.build-mode }}
+          config-file: .github/codeql/codeql-config.yml
+
+      - name: Build
+        if: matrix.build-mode == 'manual'
+        run: dotnet build AutopilotMonitor.sln --configuration Release
+
+      - name: Analyze
+        uses: github/codeql-action/analyze@v4
+        with:
+          category: /language:${{ matrix.language }}

.github/workflows/combine-rules.yml

@@ -22,9 +22,9 @@ jobs:
     permissions:
       contents: write
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v5
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
 
-      - uses: actions/setup-node@v5
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@v7
         with:
           node-version: '20'
 

.github/workflows/deploy-backend.yml

@@ -7,13 +7,19 @@ permissions:
   id-token: write   # OIDC federated login (secret-less)
   contents: read
 
+env:
+  FUNCTION_APP: autopilotmonitor-api-eu
+  HEALTH_URL: https://autopilotmonitor-api-eu.azurewebsites.net/api/health
+  VERSIONS_CONTAINER: https://autopilotmonitoreu.blob.core.windows.net/versions
+  CSPROJ_PATH: src/Backend/AutopilotMonitor.Functions/AutopilotMonitor.Functions.csproj
+
 jobs:
   build-and-deploy:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     name: Build and Deploy Backend
 
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v5
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
 
       - name: Login to Azure (OIDC)
         uses: azure/login@v3
@@ -23,21 +29,95 @@ jobs:
           subscription-id: ${{ secrets.AZURE_SUBSCRIPTION_ID }}
 
       - name: Setup .NET 10
-        uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v5
+        uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v6
         with:
           dotnet-version: '10.0.x'
 
+      # Same counter mechanism as the agent line: reserve-before-build with ETag-CAS
+      # against a per-component counter blob. BuildTimestampUtc is pinned here rather
+      # than left to MSBuild's default so the published manifest and the value baked
+      # into the assembly (reported by /api/health) are the same instant.
+      - name: Reserve build number (counter blob CAS)
+        id: version
+        shell: pwsh
+        run: |
+          $buildNumber = & ./.github/scripts/Request-BuildNumber.ps1 -CounterUrl "${{ env.VERSIONS_CONTAINER }}/backend.txt" -SasToken '${{ secrets.AZURE_BLOB_VERSIONS_SAS_TOKEN }}'
+
+          $csproj = Get-Content ${{ env.CSPROJ_PATH }} -Raw
+          if ($csproj -notmatch '<VersionPrefix>(\d+\.\d+)</VersionPrefix>') {
+            throw "VersionPrefix not found in ${{ env.CSPROJ_PATH }}"
+          }
+          $version = "$($Matches[1]).$buildNumber"
+          $buildUtc = [DateTime]::UtcNow.ToString('o')
+          Write-Host "Backend version: $version (built $buildUtc)"
+
+          "build_number=$buildNumber" >> $env:GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          "version=$version" >> $env:GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          "build_utc=$buildUtc" >> $env:GITHUB_OUTPUT
+
       - name: Restore dependencies
-        run: dotnet restore src/Backend/AutopilotMonitor.Functions/AutopilotMonitor.Functions.csproj
+        run: dotnet restore ${{ env.CSPROJ_PATH }}
 
       - name: Build
-        run: dotnet build src/Backend/AutopilotMonitor.Functions/AutopilotMonitor.Functions.csproj --configuration Release --no-restore -p:SourceRevisionId=${{ github.sha }}
+        run: dotnet build ${{ env.CSPROJ_PATH }} --configuration Release --no-restore -p:SourceRevisionId=${{ github.sha }} -p:BuildNumber=${{ steps.version.outputs.build_number }} -p:BuildTimestampUtc=${{ steps.version.outputs.build_utc }}
 
       - name: Publish
-        run: dotnet publish src/Backend/AutopilotMonitor.Functions/AutopilotMonitor.Functions.csproj --configuration Release --output ./publish --no-build -p:SourceRevisionId=${{ github.sha }}
+        run: dotnet publish ${{ env.CSPROJ_PATH }} --configuration Release --output ./publish --no-build -p:SourceRevisionId=${{ github.sha }} -p:BuildNumber=${{ steps.version.outputs.build_number }} -p:BuildTimestampUtc=${{ steps.version.outputs.build_utc }}
 
       - name: Deploy to Azure Functions
         uses: Azure/functions-action@v1
         with:
-          app-name: autopilotmonitor-api-eu
+          app-name: ${{ env.FUNCTION_APP }}
           package: ./publish
+
+      # A green deploy step only means the package was accepted. This gate makes the
+      # workflow assert what is actually being served, so the manifest published below
+      # can be trusted as "this is live" rather than "this was uploaded".
+      # /api/health is IP rate-limited at 30/min; one poll per 10s stays well under.
+      - name: Verify deployed build is live
+        shell: pwsh
+        run: |
+          $expectedCommit = '${{ github.sha }}'.Substring(0, 7)
+          $expectedVersion = '${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}'
+          $deadline = [DateTime]::UtcNow.AddMinutes(3)
+          $attempt = 0
+
+          while ([DateTime]::UtcNow -lt $deadline) {
+            $attempt++
+            try {
+              $health = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri '${{ env.HEALTH_URL }}' -Method Get -TimeoutSec 30
+              if ($health.commitHash -eq $expectedCommit -and $health.version -eq $expectedVersion) {
+                Write-Host "Live after $attempt attempt(s): $($health.version) @ $($health.commitHash), built $($health.buildUtc)"
+                exit 0
+              }
+              Write-Host "Attempt ${attempt}: serving $($health.version) @ $($health.commitHash) -- waiting for $expectedVersion @ $expectedCommit"
+            } catch {
+              Write-Host "Attempt ${attempt}: /api/health not answering yet -- $($_.Exception.Message)"
+            }
+            Start-Sleep -Seconds 10
+          }
+
+          throw "Backend did not report $expectedVersion @ $expectedCommit within 3 minutes -- deployment not verified, version manifest NOT published"
+
+      # The manifest is the cross-component record of what is deployed where. It is
+      # written last and only on a verified deploy, so a difference between the
+      # manifest and /api/health means the running app drifted after the fact
+      # (rollback, stale instance) rather than a half-finished pipeline.
+      - name: Publish version manifest
+        shell: pwsh
+        run: |
+          $manifest = [ordered]@{
+            component   = 'backend'
+            version     = '${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}'
+            commit      = '${{ github.sha }}'.Substring(0, 7)
+            buildUtc    = '${{ steps.version.outputs.build_utc }}'
+            deployedUtc = [DateTime]::UtcNow.ToString('o')
+            runId       = '${{ github.run_id }}'
+          } | ConvertTo-Json
+
+          $sas = '${{ secrets.AZURE_BLOB_VERSIONS_SAS_TOKEN }}'.TrimStart('?')
+          $url = "${{ env.VERSIONS_CONTAINER }}/backend.json?$sas"
+          # no-cache: rotating pointer, must never be served stale by any fronting cache.
+          Invoke-RestMethod -Uri $url -Method Put -Headers @{ 'x-ms-blob-type' = 'BlockBlob'; 'x-ms-blob-cache-control' = 'no-cache' } -Body $manifest -ContentType 'application/json' | Out-Null
+          Write-Host "Published versions/backend.json"
+          Write-Host $manifest

.github/workflows/deploy-mcp.yml

@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ env:
   CONTAINER_APP_NAME: autopilotmonitor-mcp
   RESOURCE_GROUP: ${{ secrets.AZURE_MCP_RESOURCE_GROUP }}
   IMAGE_TAG: ${{ github.sha }}
+  HEALTH_URL: https://mcp.autopilotmonitor.com/health
+  VERSIONS_CONTAINER: https://autopilotmonitoreu.blob.core.windows.net/versions
+  PACKAGE_JSON: src/McpServer/autopilot-monitor-mcp/package.json
 
 jobs:
   build-and-deploy:
@@ -19,7 +22,23 @@ jobs:
     name: Build and Deploy MCP Server
 
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v5
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
+
+      # The published customer documentation lives in its own PUBLIC repo and is
+      # baked into the image as the search_docs corpus (see the Dockerfile). No
+      # token is needed. Checking it out here rather than vendoring it keeps the
+      # docs single-sourced — but it also means EDITING THE DOCS DOES NOT UPDATE A
+      # RUNNING SERVER; this workflow must be re-run. /health reports the SHA
+      # captured below so that staleness is checkable.
+      - name: Check out documentation bundle
+        uses: actions/checkout@v7
+        with:
+          repository: autopilotmonitor/autopilotmonitor-docs
+          path: mcp-docs
+
+      - name: Resolve docs commit
+        id: docs
+        run: echo "sha=$(git -C mcp-docs rev-parse HEAD)" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
 
       - name: Login to Azure (OIDC)
         uses: azure/login@v3
@@ -28,6 +47,30 @@ jobs:
           tenant-id: ${{ secrets.AZURE_TENANT_ID }}
           subscription-id: ${{ secrets.AZURE_SUBSCRIPTION_ID }}
 
+      # Same counter mechanism as agent and backend: reserve-before-build with
+      # ETag-CAS against the component's own counter blob. major.minor stays curated
+      # in package.json; only the build part is minted here.
+      - name: Reserve build number (counter blob CAS)
+        id: version
+        shell: pwsh
+        run: |
+          $buildNumber = & ./.github/scripts/Request-BuildNumber.ps1 -CounterUrl "${{ env.VERSIONS_CONTAINER }}/mcp.txt" -SasToken '${{ secrets.AZURE_BLOB_VERSIONS_SAS_TOKEN }}'
+
+          $pkgVersion = (Get-Content ${{ env.PACKAGE_JSON }} -Raw | ConvertFrom-Json).version
+          $prefix = ($pkgVersion -split '\.')[0..1] -join '.'
+          $version = "$prefix.$buildNumber"
+          $buildUtc = [DateTime]::UtcNow.ToString('o')
+          Write-Host "MCP version: $version (built $buildUtc)"
+
+          # 7 chars, matching what the backend's BackendBuildInfo reports — one commit
+          # shape across all components so the values can be compared as-is.
+          $shortSha = '${{ github.sha }}'.Substring(0, 7)
+
+          "build_number=$buildNumber" >> $env:GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          "version=$version" >> $env:GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          "build_utc=$buildUtc" >> $env:GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          "short_sha=$shortSha" >> $env:GITHUB_OUTPUT
+
       - name: Login to ACR
         run: az acr login --name ${{ env.ACR_NAME }}
 
@@ -35,6 +78,10 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           docker build \
             -f src/McpServer/autopilot-monitor-mcp/Dockerfile \
+            --build-arg DOCS_COMMIT=${{ steps.docs.outputs.sha }} \
+            --build-arg BUILD_NUMBER=${{ steps.version.outputs.build_number }} \
+            --build-arg BUILD_COMMIT=${{ steps.version.outputs.short_sha }} \
+            --build-arg BUILD_UTC=${{ steps.version.outputs.build_utc }} \
             -t ${{ env.ACR_NAME }}.azurecr.io/${{ env.CONTAINER_APP_NAME }}:${{ env.IMAGE_TAG }} \
             -t ${{ env.ACR_NAME }}.azurecr.io/${{ env.CONTAINER_APP_NAME }}:latest \
             .
@@ -46,3 +93,55 @@ jobs:
             --name ${{ env.CONTAINER_APP_NAME }} \
             --resource-group ${{ env.RESOURCE_GROUP }} \
             --image ${{ env.ACR_NAME }}.azurecr.io/${{ env.CONTAINER_APP_NAME }}:${{ env.IMAGE_TAG }}
+
+      # `az containerapp update` returns once the revision is provisioned, not once
+      # it serves traffic — and with minReplicas=0 the first request also pays a cold
+      # start. Polling /health until it reports THIS build is what makes the manifest
+      # below mean "live"; a full 5 minutes because the cold start alone is ~25s.
+      - name: Verify deployed build is live
+        shell: pwsh
+        run: |
+          $expectedCommit = '${{ steps.version.outputs.short_sha }}'
+          $expectedVersion = '${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}'
+          $deadline = [DateTime]::UtcNow.AddMinutes(5)
+          $attempt = 0
+
+          while ([DateTime]::UtcNow -lt $deadline) {
+            $attempt++
+            try {
+              $health = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri '${{ env.HEALTH_URL }}' -Method Get -TimeoutSec 60
+              if ($health.commit -eq $expectedCommit -and $health.version -eq $expectedVersion) {
+                Write-Host "Live after $attempt attempt(s): $($health.version) @ $($health.commit), docs $($health.docs.commit) ($($health.docs.chunks) chunks)"
+                exit 0
+              }
+              Write-Host "Attempt ${attempt}: serving $($health.version) @ $($health.commit) -- waiting for $expectedVersion @ $expectedCommit"
+            } catch {
+              Write-Host "Attempt ${attempt}: /health not answering yet -- $($_.Exception.Message)"
+            }
+            Start-Sleep -Seconds 15
+          }
+
+          throw "MCP did not report $expectedVersion @ $expectedCommit within 5 minutes -- deployment not verified, version manifest NOT published"
+
+      # Cross-component record of what is deployed where; written last and only on a
+      # verified deploy. docsCommit rides along because for this component "which
+      # build" and "which documentation" are two separate questions.
+      - name: Publish version manifest
+        shell: pwsh
+        run: |
+          $manifest = [ordered]@{
+            component   = 'mcp'
+            version     = '${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}'
+            commit      = '${{ steps.version.outputs.short_sha }}'
+            buildUtc    = '${{ steps.version.outputs.build_utc }}'
+            deployedUtc = [DateTime]::UtcNow.ToString('o')
+            runId       = '${{ github.run_id }}'
+            docsCommit  = '${{ steps.docs.outputs.sha }}'.Substring(0, 7)
+          } | ConvertTo-Json
+
+          $sas = '${{ secrets.AZURE_BLOB_VERSIONS_SAS_TOKEN }}'.TrimStart('?')
+          $url = "${{ env.VERSIONS_CONTAINER }}/mcp.json?$sas"
+          # no-cache: rotating pointer, must never be served stale by any fronting cache.
+          Invoke-RestMethod -Uri $url -Method Put -Headers @{ 'x-ms-blob-type' = 'BlockBlob'; 'x-ms-blob-cache-control' = 'no-cache' } -Body $manifest -ContentType 'application/json' | Out-Null
+          Write-Host "Published versions/mcp.json"
+          Write-Host $manifest

.github/workflows/deploy-web.yml

@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     name: Build and Deploy Job
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v5
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
         with:
           lfs: false
           fetch-depth: 0  # Full history needed for git-based sitemap lastmod dates
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ jobs:
         with:
           azure_static_web_apps_api_token: ${{ secrets.AZURE_SWA_DEPLOY_TOKEN }}
           repo_token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }} # Used for Github integrations (i.e. PR comments)
+          # Dependabot PRs run without repo secrets, so the deploy token is absent.
+          # Skip (green) instead of failing the check; real deploys on main still have the token.
+          skip_deploy_on_missing_secrets: true
           action: "upload"
           ###### Repository/Build Configurations - These values can be configured to match your app requirements. ######
           # For more information regarding Static Web App workflow configurations, please visit: https://aka.ms/swaworkflowconfig

.gitignore

@@ -117,8 +117,11 @@ scripts/Deployment/
 # Migration tooling (local only, vorerst) — cross-tenant storage/cert migration scripts
 scripts/Migration/
 
-# Infra (local only)
-infra/
+# Infra: tracked. The Bicep templates carry no credentials — every secret is a
+# @secure() parameter with an empty default, injected at deploy time, and image
+# pull runs on managed identity. Keep it that way: never commit a resolved secret
+# value or a *.parameters.json holding one.
+infra/*.parameters.json
 
 # M2 — local raw session fixtures before anonymization (plan §4 M2)
 tests/fixtures/enrollment-sessions-local/

README.md

@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ For detailed information about the system architecture, components, and data flo
 
 ## Documentation
 
-Full documentation is available at **[autopilotmonitor.com/docs](https://www.autopilotmonitor.com/docs)**
+Full admin documentation is available at **[docs.autopilotmonitor.com](https://docs.autopilotmonitor.com)**
 
 ## License
 

docs/agent/build-counter-blob.md

@@ -22,26 +22,21 @@ attestation on top.
 
 # Schema
 
-- **Counter blob**: `https://autopilotmonitor.blob.core.windows.net/agent/buildcounter-v{LINE}.txt`
-  (per release line, analogous to `version-v{LINE}.json`). Content: the **last used**
-  build number as plain text. Public-read like the rest of the container (the number
-  is visible in `version-v{LINE}.json` anyway); writes require the container SAS.
-- **Protocol — reserve before build, ETag-CAS**:
-  1. Anonymous `GET` the blob, capture value `N` and the `ETag`.
-  2. `PUT N+1` with `If-Match: <etag>` (quoted form — pwsh strips the quotes on read,
-     they must be re-added or the request is rejected client-side).
-  3. `412 Precondition Failed` → another build reserved concurrently → re-read, retry
-     (5 attempts, linear backoff).
-  4. Build with `BUILD_NUMBER=N+1` in the environment. The csproj honors
-     `BUILD_NUMBER` and then skips its `PersistBuildCounter` target, so the repo file
-     is not touched.
-- **Failed builds burn a number.** That is intentional: uniqueness matters, density
-  does not. Reserve-before-build is what makes concurrent minting impossible.
+The reserve-before-build CAS protocol itself is shared with the backend and the MCP
+server and is documented once in [Version Contract](../versioning.md); the single
+implementation is `.github/scripts/Request-BuildNumber.ps1`. Agent-specific:
+
+- **Counter blob**: `https://autopilotmonitoreu.blob.core.windows.net/agent/buildcounter-v{LINE}.txt`
+  — one per release line, analogous to `version-v{LINE}.json`, and kept in the `agent`
+  container next to the artifacts it numbers rather than in `versions/`. Content: the
+  **last used** build number as plain text. Public-read like the rest of the container
+  (the number is visible in `version-v{LINE}.json` anyway); writes require the SAS.
+- The reserved number reaches the build as `BUILD_NUMBER` in the environment. The
+  csproj honors it and then skips its `PersistBuildCounter` target, so the repo file
+  is not touched.
 - **CI manual override** (`build_number` input): numbers `<=` counter are re-builds
   and leave the blob unchanged; numbers `>` counter advance it (monotonic guard).
-- **Seeding** (one-time per line): `PUT <last used number>` with `If-None-Match: *`
-  so an existing counter can never be clobbered. V2 was seeded with `1356` on
-  2026-07-17.
+- V2 was seeded with `1356` on 2026-07-17.
 
 # Consequences
 
@@ -62,7 +57,9 @@ attestation on top.
 
 # Citations
 
+- [Version Contract](../versioning.md) — the shared CAS protocol and manifest format
 - `.github/workflows/build-agent.yml` — "Reserve build number (counter blob CAS)" step
-- `scripts/Deployment/build.ps1` (gitignored, contains SAS) — `Request-BuildNumber`
+- `.github/scripts/Request-BuildNumber.ps1` — the shared implementation
+- `scripts/Deployment/build.ps1` (gitignored, contains SAS) — local build path
 - `src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.csproj` —
   `BUILD_NUMBER` property + `PersistBuildCounter` target

docs/agent/decision-engine.md

@@ -137,8 +137,17 @@ false` and an arm holds), `EspExiting`, `ImeUserSessionCompleted`,
 advisory backstop. All routes converge on `CompleteThroughFinalizingOrDefer`:
 
 1. **Completion gates** (currently only the RealmJoin AND-gate): if RealmJoin was
-   detected and is neither resolved nor timed-out (hard 60-min timeout), completion is
-   *deferred* — the session stays in stage and emits `completion_waiting`.
+   detected and has no terminal outcome yet, completion is *deferred* — the session
+   stays in stage and emits `completion_waiting`. Three terminals open the gate:
+   `Resolved` (DeploymentPhase 110), `FirstDeploymentIncomplete` (phase left the
+   first-deployment window 100/101 for 200/210 without 110 — the RJ ESP was aborted,
+   typically by an interactive logon reclassifying the run as secondary-user; emits
+   the `realmjoin_first_deployment_incomplete` Warning, session 224b2087), and
+   `Timeout` (hard 60-min deadline). The abort rule reads the *persisted*
+   `RealmJoinFacts.LastDeploymentPhase` (updated by the typed `RealmJoinPhaseChanged`
+   signal), so it survives agent restarts — the `RealmJoinDetected` replay path
+   evaluates it too. A first observation of 210 does **not** release (RJ may have
+   completed before agent boot and deploy afterwards).
 2. `Finalizing` stage + ~5 s `FinalizingGrace` deadline.
 3. Grace fires → `Completed`, `EnrollmentComplete` outcome, `enrollment_complete`
    timeline event with full audit payload.

docs/agent/esp-policy-provider-stall.md

@@ -0,0 +1,125 @@
+---
+type: Concept
+title: ESP Policy-Provider Stall Detection — the no-timeout Setup/Apps wait and the co-management Sidecar gap
+description: Why a registered EnrollmentStatusTracking CSP policy provider that never sets TrackingPoliciesCreated parks the user ESP at "Apps (Identifying)" indefinitely, the pre-provisioning + ConfigMgr field case, and how the always-on esp_policy_provider_stalled tripwire (15-min wall-clock dwell, StartupEventGate cross-restart dedup) surfaces it.
+resource: /src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core/Monitoring/Enrollment/SystemSignals/EspPolicyProviderProbe.cs
+tags:
+  - agent
+  - esp
+  - enrollment-status-tracking
+  - co-management
+  - stall-detection
+timestamp: 2026-07-23T00:00:00+02:00
+---
+
+# ESP Policy-Provider Stall Detection
+
+## Schema
+
+The Enrollment Status Page decides when its "Apps" category may progress from
+"Identifying" using the **EnrollmentStatusTracking CSP**
+(<https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/client-management/mdm/enrollmentstatustracking-csp>),
+mirrored in the registry under
+`HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Autopilot\EnrollmentStatusTracking\{Device|<UserSID>}\…`.
+Two contracts matter:
+
+1. **`Setup/Apps/PolicyProviders/<Name>`** — per the CSP doc: *"Existence of this node
+   indicates to the ESP that it shouldn't show the tracking status message until the
+   TrackingPoliciesCreated node has been set to true."* This wait has **no timeout**. A
+   registered provider that never sets `TrackingPoliciesCreated=1` parks the ESP at
+   "Apps (Identifying)" indefinitely — observed for days in the field. Exists in device
+   scope (`Device`) and user scope (`S-<SID>`, appears at sign-in).
+2. **`DevicePreparation/PolicyProviders/<Name>/InstallationState`** — must reach 2
+   (NotRequired) or 3 (Completed); 1=NotInstalled, 4=Error. Device scope only. The ESP
+   applies a default 15-minute timeout here, so these stalls self-surface as ESP errors —
+   the detector still records them for the diagnostic trail.
+
+Known provider names: **`Sidecar` is the Intune Management Extension** (the CSP doc names
+"Intune's agents, such as SideCar"); **`ConfigMgr`** is the Configuration Manager client,
+registered during Autopilot-into-co-management — the troubleshooting section of
+<https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/intune/configmgr/comanage/autopilot-enrollment> queries
+exactly these registry paths. The same document states that ESP policy providers **are not
+aware of each other** and that **pre-provisioning is unsupported** with Autopilot into
+co-management.
+
+## The field case
+
+A tenant pre-provisions devices and installs the ConfigMgr client as a blocking app.
+Occasionally the user-phase ESP reaches "Apps (Identifying)" and never leaves it — for
+hours to days. On those devices `Device\Setup\Apps\PolicyProviders` contains **only a
+`ConfigMgr` key (no `Sidecar`)** and `TrackingPoliciesCreated` is never set. Manually
+renaming the key to `Sidecar` unblocks the ESP immediately (the IME then finds its
+provider node and reports tracking-policies-created). The mechanism is exactly the
+documented no-timeout wait; the unsupported pre-provisioning + co-management combination
+explains why only some devices are affected. Why the Sidecar registration is missing or
+displaced on those devices is not publicly documented — irrelevant for detection, since
+the signature is deterministic.
+
+## Detection
+
+`EspPolicyProviderProbe` (fail-soft, static, `ScopedOverride` test seam — structural clone
+of `EspTrackingInfoProbe`) enumerates all providers in both kinds and scopes.
+`EspPolicyProviderStallDetector` evaluates a pure transition function on a 60-second tick
+from the always-on `EspPolicyProviderStallHost`:
+
+* A provider **continuously incomplete for ≥ 15 minutes** (wall-clock) is stalled. The
+  dwell clock starts at first incomplete observation and resets on completion or
+  disappearance. Missing values parse as incomplete (fail-toward-observation).
+* Missing root key / empty provider list = normal early enrollment: clears all dwell
+  state, never fires.
+* One `esp_policy_provider_stalled` **Warning** per newly stalled provider set
+  (`ImmediateUpload`), one-shot per provider in-process, cross-restart deduped via a
+  `StartupEventGate` fingerprint over the sorted currently-stalled key set — a restart
+  into the same stall stays silent, a new provider joining the stall re-reports.
+* Payload: `providers[]` (full table: name, scope, kind, raw values, complete flag),
+  `stalledProviders[]` with `stalledForMinutes`, `sidecarRegistered`, `dwellMinutes`.
+* **Purely observational**: emitted via `InformationalEventPost` (dispatch-guard exempt
+  pass-through) — never touches decision state. No config toggle, no ConfigVersion bump
+  (precedent: `disk_space_low`).
+
+Deliberately **not** built on `StallProbeCollector` (its idle clock resets on any session
+activity — a provider stall coexists with a chatty session) and not on the periodic
+collectors (idle-stopped after 15 minutes — exactly the dormant window the dwell must
+observe).
+
+## Guardrail companion
+
+`rules/guardrails.json` allow-lists `SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Autopilot` (category
+"Autopilot / OOBE / Setup") so tenants can build their own gather rules on the subtree —
+e.g. a `not_exists` registry rule on the `Sidecar` provider key. The subtree carries
+deployment state only (provider registrations, tracking lists, app IDs, per-user SIDs);
+sensitivity is at or below existing entries. Enforcement is agent-side (embedded
+resource), so both the detector and the guardrail change ship with the agent release.
+
+## Examples
+
+Customer-case event (abbreviated):
+
+```json
+{
+  "eventType": "esp_policy_provider_stalled",
+  "severity": "Warning",
+  "data": {
+    "dwellMinutes": 15,
+    "sidecarRegistered": false,
+    "providers": [
+      { "name": "ConfigMgr", "scope": "device", "kind": "setupApps",
+        "trackingPoliciesCreated": null, "installationState": null, "complete": false }
+    ],
+    "stalledProviders": [
+      { "name": "ConfigMgr", "scope": "device", "kind": "setupApps", "stalledForMinutes": 15.0 }
+    ]
+  }
+}
+```
+
+`sidecarRegistered=false` while `setupApps` providers exist is the co-management
+signature; `sidecarRegistered=true` with a stalled third-party provider generalizes the
+same contract violation.
+
+# Citations
+
+* EnrollmentStatusTracking CSP — <https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/client-management/mdm/enrollmentstatustracking-csp>
+* Windows Autopilot into co-management (requirements, provider-conflict warning, troubleshooting registry paths) — <https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/intune/configmgr/comanage/autopilot-enrollment>
+* Agent code: `EspPolicyProviderProbe.cs`, `EspPolicyProviderStallDetector.cs`, `EspPolicyProviderStallHost.cs` (SystemSignals / Orchestration.Hosts)
+* Related: [MDM Reboot Coalescing](mdm-reboot-coalescing.md), [Gather-Rule Guardrails](../rules/gather-rule-guardrails.md)

docs/agent/index.md

@@ -7,6 +7,6 @@ How the on-device agent works:
 * [Logs, Persistence & Crash Recovery](logs-and-persistence.md) - every persisted file and why it exists; signal log vs spool; snapshot/journal; the replay-based recovery flow and quarantine.
 * [Hello Wizard Un-Skip](hello-wizard-unskip.md) - why a single "WHfB disabled" policy read never decides completion: the HelloWizardStarted signal (prevention + cure) and the HelloTracker confirmation second read.
 * [Autopilot ZTD Diagnostics](autopilot-ztd-diagnostics.md) - Windows' own diagnostic surfaces for the profile-download flow: ModernDeployment event IDs (807/815/164/...), the Diagnostics\Autopilot registry key, deployment-service endpoints, and the known-issue error-code map.
-* [MDM Reboot Coalescing](mdm-reboot-coalescing.md) - attributing the mid-ESP coalesced reboot ("second sign-in") to the device-assigned policy URIs that forced it: 2800 watcher with cross-restart watermark, Shell-Core RebootCoalescing corroboration, ANALYZE-ESP-005 advisory.
+* [MDM Reboot Coalescing](mdm-reboot-coalescing.md) - attributing the mid-ESP coalesced reboot ("second sign-in") to the device-assigned policy URIs that forced it: aggregated 2800 observations (neutral, flush-time watermark) + ANALYZE-ESP-005 gated on an actually-observed reboot.
 
 Reading order for newcomers: overview → decision engine → persistence.

docs/agent/mdm-reboot-coalescing.md

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 ---
 type: Concept
 title: MDM Reboot Coalescing — attributing the mid-ESP reboot and second sign-in to policy URIs
-description: How the agent detects device-assigned MDM policies that force a coalesced reboot during ESP DeviceSetup (DM-Enterprise EventID 2800 + Shell-Core 62407 RebootCoalescing), and the ANALYZE-ESP-005 advisory that makes the invisible "second sign-in" fixable.
+description: How the agent observes reboot-required MDM policy flags (DM-Enterprise EventID 2800, aggregated) and how ANALYZE-ESP-005 attributes an actually-observed enrollment reboot to them — including why the raw events stay neutral and why the Shell-Core RebootCoalescing match was removed.
 resource: /src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core/Monitoring/Enrollment/SystemSignals
 tags:
   - agent
@@ -17,91 +17,82 @@ timestamp: 2026-07-20T00:00:00+02:00
 Device-assigned MDM policies whose CSP URIs match the OS reboot-required catalog
 (`HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Provisioning\SyncML\RebootRequiredURIs`) force a **coalesced
 reboot at the end of ESP DeviceSetup** — the user sees an unexpected restart and a
-**second sign-in screen** before AccountSetup. This is expected OS behavior, invisible in
-the Intune console; most admins simply live with it, not knowing that reassigning the
-profiles to user groups removes the reboot entirely. Source research: Patch My PC,
+**second sign-in screen** before AccountSetup. Invisible in the Intune console; most
+admins live with it, not knowing that reassigning the profiles to user groups removes the
+reboot entirely. Source research: Patch My PC,
 ["Avoid the second sign-in screen after Autopilot"](https://patchmypc.com/blog/autopilot-unexpected-reboot-autopilot-second-login-screen/).
 
 The session already counts reboots (`system_reboot_detected` → `session.rebootCount`);
 this feature adds the **cause attribution**.
 
-# Signal chain
+# Verified signal facts (session b2e890c1, 2026-07-20)
 
-1. **EventID 2800**, `Microsoft-Windows-DeviceManagement-Enterprise-Diagnostics-Provider/Admin`
-   — logged by the SyncML engine once per policy URI that matched the reboot-required
-   catalog, during device-policy application in DeviceSetup.
-2. **EventID 62407**, `Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Core/Operational`, description containing
-   `RebootCoalescing` — ESP/CloudExperienceHost initiating the coalesced reboot at the end
-   of DeviceSetup.
-3. The reboot kills the agent; the post-reboot restart re-observes both channels via
-   backfill (the .evtx persists across the reboot).
+* **EventID 2800**, `Microsoft-Windows-DeviceManagement-Enterprise-Diagnostics-Provider/Admin`,
+  one record per URI, verified description shape:
+  `The following URI has triggered a reboot: (./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ServiceControlManager/SvchostProcessMitigation).`
+  Records arrive in sub-second bursts during policy sync.
+* **Timing semantics (the critical nuance)**: 2800 fires at EVERY policy sync. Only URIs
+  applied **during ESP DeviceSetup** are coalesced into the forced mid-ESP restart. In the
+  verified session the flags fired during AccountSetup (after DeviceSetup completed) —
+  **no reboot occurred**, and `omadmRebootRequiredFlag` read `false`. A detector that
+  claims "reboot incoming" on every 2800 is therefore wrong.
+* **Shell-Core 62407 "RebootCoalescing" — REMOVED as a signal.** The token appears in the
+  ROUTINE bootstrap marker on every enrollment:
+  `Name: 'CommercialOOBE_BootstrapStatusCategory_SubcategoryProcessing_Started', Value: '{"message":"BootstrapStatus: Starting subcategory DeviceSetup.RebootCoalescing...","errorCode":0}'`
+  — the ESP merely *processes* the RebootCoalescing subcategory (which checks whether a
+  reboot is needed). A substring match on it is a false positive by construction. If a
+  real coalesced-reboot record is ever captured on the E2E VM, a precise pattern can be
+  added then.
 
-# Detectors
+# Detector — `MdmRebootPolicyTracker` (`MdmRebootPolicyWatcherHost`)
 
-## `MdmRebootPolicyTracker` (new collector, `MdmRebootPolicyWatcherHost`)
+Live `EventLogWatcher` on the DM-Enterprise Admin channel (EventID 2800) + startup
+backfill (default 60 min lookback). Records are **buffered and debounced (10 s)**, then
+flushed as **ONE aggregated `mdm_policy_reboot_required` event** per burst:
 
-Structural clone of `WindowsUpdateTracker`: live `EventLogWatcher` on the DM-Enterprise
-Admin channel (EventID 2800) + startup backfill (default 60 min lookback) + **cross-restart
-RecordId watermark** (`mdm-reboot-watermark.json`). The watermark is mandatory here: the
-coalesced reboot restarts the agent, and without it every reboot-forcing URI would be
-re-emitted after the very reboot it caused.
+* `Severity=Info`, neutral message ("Windows flagged N MDM policy URIs as
+  reboot-required: … (+N more)") — the raw event never claims a reboot.
+* `Data`: `rebootUris` (distinct, sorted, capped 20), `uriCount` (uncapped distinct),
+  `firstRebootUri` (record-time order, drives rule interpolation), `recordCount`,
+  `unparsedCount`/`sampleDescription` (extraction diagnostics), `backfilled` (all-backfill),
+  fail-soft `omadmRebootRequiredFlag` probe of
+  `HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Provisioning\OMADM\SyncML\RebootRequired` (null = unknown).
+* `Timestamp` = earliest record time (backfilled bursts land at their historical instant);
+  `ImmediateUpload=true` (one event per burst is cheap, and a DeviceSetup burst precedes a
+  reboot that kills the agent).
+* **Watermark is persisted at FLUSH, not at claim** (`mdm-reboot-watermark.json`): if the
+  coalesced reboot kills the process before the debounced emit, nothing is marked — the
+  post-restart backfill re-reads and emits the burst. A flushed burst is never repeated.
 
-Per 2800 record it emits one `mdm_policy_reboot_required` event (Warning,
-`ImmediateUpload=true` — the announced reboot will kill the agent, flush now) with
-`Data.rebootUri` (the CSP URI), `recordId`, `backfilled`, `description` (truncated 1000),
-and a fail-soft `omadmRebootRequiredFlag` corroboration probe of
-`HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Provisioning\OMADM\SyncML\RebootRequired` (null = unknown, never
-blocks the emit). Per-URI emission (not aggregated) is deliberate: an aggregate would need
-a flush point that races the reboot kill.
+URI extraction: EventData values starting with `./` preferred, permissive regex over the
+description as fallback (trailing punctuation trimmed — the verified text wraps the URI in
+parens and ends with a period). Unparsed records still count into the aggregate.
 
-**Tolerant matching**: the exact 2800 message text is unverified — emission is gated on
-the EventID only. URI extraction prefers structured EventData values starting with `./`
-and falls back to a permissive regex over the description (trailing punctuation trimmed).
-Events with an unparseable URI are still emitted (timeline-visible, rule stays silent, and
-the captured description tells us how to fix the extraction). Exact texts are validated
-post-deploy on the E2E VM and recorded here.
-
-Config (internal steering only, no admin UI — this is an agent-native collector, NOT an
+Config (internal steering only, no admin UI — agent-native collector, NOT an
 `IAgentAnalyzer`): `Collectors.MdmRebootPolicyWatcherEnabled` (default true),
 `Collectors.MdmRebootPolicyBackfillLookbackMinutes` (default 60). ConfigVersion 35.
 
-## `ShellCoreTracker` — `RebootCoalescing` branch
-
-The already-watched 62407 stream gets a fourth branch (checked AFTER
-WhiteGlove/failure/exiting so their semantics stay untouched): description containing
-`RebootCoalescing` → one `esp_reboot_coalescing` event (Warning, ImmediateUpload), pure
-informational — no `FinalizingSetup` transition, no C# event raise, no DecisionCore
-involvement.
-
-**Deliberate deviation**: unlike the other 62407 branches, the backfill path DOES emit
-this event. The live emit races the very reboot that kills the process; the post-restart
-5-min backfill re-emission is the only reliable delivery. A live+backfill cross-process
-duplicate is possible and accepted (fire-once bool resets per process; both copies carry
-the identical historical timestamp; the backfill copy is marked `backfilled:true`; the
-analyze rule uses exists-semantics). The shared 5-min lookback is NOT enlarged — the
-rule's required condition is the watermarked 2800 event; coalescing is optional
-corroboration only.
-
 # Advisory — ANALYZE-ESP-005
 
-"MDM Policy Forced a Mid-ESP Reboot (Second Sign-In)", severity `warning`,
-`markSessionAsFailedDefault: false`. Required: `mdm_policy_reboot_required.rebootUri`
-exists (first URI interpolates as `{{rebootUri}}`). Optional corroboration:
-`esp_reboot_coalescing` observed (+20 confidence) and ≥2 reboot URIs (+10) on base 70 /
-threshold 70. Remediation: map each URI to its Intune profile and reassign device → user
-groups (or exclude the Autopilot device group), or accept + communicate the restart.
-Because `{{token}}` interpolation is scalar-only, the explanation points at the timeline
-for the complete URI list — each URI is its own event.
+The reboot **claim** lives here, and only here. Required conditions (BOTH):
+
+1. `mdm_policy_reboot_required.firstRebootUri` exists (→ `{{firstRebootUri}}` interpolation)
+2. `system_reboot_detected` count ≥ 1 — **an actually-observed reboot**
+
+Policy flags alone (e.g. AccountSetup user-policy sync) stay advisory-silent. Optional
+confidence: `uriCount ≥ 2` (+10), `omadmRebootRequiredFlag == true` (+15) on base 70 /
+threshold 70. Remediation: map URIs to Intune profiles, reassign device → user groups (or
+exclude the Autopilot device group), or accept + communicate the restart.
 
 # Non-goals / invariants
 
-* The new event types are **deliberately distinct from `system_reboot_detected`** — the
-  backend RebootCount matches that string exactly in two places
-  (`EventIngestProcessor.Classification` + the terminal recount); attribution events must
-  never inflate the reboot count.
+* Event type **deliberately distinct from `system_reboot_detected`** — the backend
+  RebootCount matches that string exactly in two places
+  (`EventIngestProcessor.Classification` + terminal recount); attribution must never
+  inflate the reboot count.
 * No session-level field / SessionInfoCard change in this iteration (follow-up candidate).
-* The `RebootRequiredURIs` catalog itself is not read (format unverified); only the 2800
-  events (which carry the actually-triggered URIs) are consumed.
+* The `RebootRequiredURIs` catalog itself is not read; only the 2800 events (which carry
+  the actually-triggered URIs) are consumed.
 
 # Citations
 

docs/agent/secureboot-ca2023-detection.md

@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+---
+type: Concept
+title: Secure Boot CA-2023 Detection — firmware evidence vs. Windows servicing status
+description: Why ANALYZE-SEC-001 v3 reads the UEFI db/KEK variables directly (GetFirmwareEnvironmentVariableExW + SeSystemEnvironmentPrivilege) instead of trusting the SecureBoot\Servicing registry key, and how the one-sided uefiCa2023FirmwareConfirmed marker plus a not_exists precondition give absence-tolerant rule suppression across old and new agents.
+resource: /src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core/Monitoring/Interop/UefiSecureBootCertReader.cs
+tags:
+  - agent
+  - secureboot
+  - ca2023
+  - analyze-rules
+  - backward-compatibility
+timestamp: 2026-07-23T00:00:00+02:00
+---
+
+# Secure Boot CA-2023 Detection
+
+## Schema
+
+Two independent evidence sources describe the Windows UEFI CA 2023 rollout state:
+
+1. **Servicing registry** (`HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecureBoot\Servicing\UEFICA2023Status`)
+   — reflects whether the *Windows Update* rollout ran and self-verified. Lags reality:
+   devices whose firmware received the certificate another way (OEM factory image, WinCS
+   CLI, manual deployment) or where WU simply has not run yet show `unknown`/`notfound`.
+2. **Firmware itself** — the UEFI variables `db` (signature database, GUID
+   `{d719b2cb-3d3a-4596-a3bc-dad00e67656f}`) and `KEK` (GUID
+   `{8be4df61-93ca-11d2-aa0d-00e098032b8c}`). Authoritative. Certificate subject CNs are
+   ASCII bytes inside the DER signature lists, so a byte-substring search for
+   `Windows UEFI CA 2023` / `Microsoft Corporation KEK 2K CA 2023` decides presence —
+   the same check `Get-SecureBootUEFI` enables from PowerShell.
+
+`UefiSecureBootCertReader` (agent, `Monitoring/Interop`) reads both variables natively via
+`GetFirmwareEnvironmentVariableExW` — no PowerShell runspace during OOBE. The call needs
+`SeSystemEnvironmentPrivilege`: SYSTEM holds it default-disabled, so the reader enables it
+on the process token (`AdjustTokenPrivileges`) and restores the previous state afterwards.
+Fail-soft contract like `OobeStateReader`: never throws; failures map to status strings
+(`not_uefi` = legacy BIOS via `ERROR_INVALID_FUNCTION`, `variable_not_found`,
+`privilege_denied`, `error_<code>`).
+
+Fields land on the existing `secureboot_status` event (once per agent start,
+restart-deduped by the StartupEventGate): `uefiFirmwareReadStatus`, per-cert booleans
+(`uefiDbHasWindowsUefiCa2023`, `uefiDbHasWindowsProductionPca2011`,
+`uefiKekHasMicrosoftKek2kCa2023`, …) — emitted only when the respective read succeeded —
+plus the marker below.
+
+## The one-sided marker (absence-tolerant suppression)
+
+Rule-engine constraints (pinned by `RuleEnginePreconditionTests`):
+
+* **Conditions** never match on an absent field (null guard) — new fields must stay
+  `required: false` or the rule dies for every old agent.
+* **Preconditions**: `not_exists` passes while the field is absent/empty and fails as soon
+  as the field is present with *any* value; comparison operators fail closed on absence.
+
+A two-sided boolean therefore cannot drive suppression: `not_exists` on
+`uefiDbHasWindowsUefiCa2023` would also suppress the rule when the field is present with
+`false`. Hence the **one-sided marker** `uefiCa2023FirmwareConfirmed = true`, emitted
+ONLY when the db read succeeded AND the 2023 certificate was found — never as `false`.
+ANALYZE-SEC-001 v3 adds a `not_exists` precondition on it:
+
+| Device state | Marker | Rule |
+|---|---|---|
+| Old agent (no firmware fields) | absent | evaluates exactly like v2 |
+| New agent, cert missing or firmware unreadable | absent | evaluates; optional conditions `uefiDbHasWindowsUefiCa2023=false` (+20) / `uefiKekHasMicrosoftKek2kCa2023=false` (+10) raise confidence |
+| New agent, firmware confirms cert | present | silently suppressed (the customer-reported false positive) |
+
+Because the marker exists nowhere until the new agent ships, the v3 rule is safe to seed
+**before** the agent rollout.
+
+## Examples
+
+Customer-equivalent verification from PowerShell (authoritative, matches the reader):
+
+```powershell
+[Text.Encoding]::ASCII.GetString((Get-SecureBootUEFI -Name db).Bytes).Contains('Windows UEFI CA 2023')
+[Text.Encoding]::ASCII.GetString((Get-SecureBootUEFI -Name KEK).Bytes).Contains('Microsoft Corporation KEK 2K CA 2023')
+```
+
+## Citations
+
+* `src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core/Monitoring/Interop/UefiSecureBootCertReader.cs` — native reader
+* `src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core/Monitoring/Telemetry/DeviceInfo/DeviceInfoCollector.NetworkAndSecurity.cs` — `CollectSecureBootStatus` / `AppendFirmwareCertFields`
+* `rules/analyze/ANALYZE-SEC-001.json` — v3.0.0 rule definition
+* `src/Backend/AutopilotMonitor.Functions.Tests/RuleEnginePreconditionTests.cs` — pinned precondition semantics + v3 mirror tests
+* Microsoft: [Act now — Secure Boot certificates expire June 2026](https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/windows-itpro-blog/act-now-secure-boot-certificates-expire-in-june-2026/4426856)

docs/index.md

@@ -12,22 +12,31 @@ https://docs.autopilotmonitor.com (separate repository).
 # Architecture
 
 * [Architecture Guide](architecture.md) - High-level architecture overview and solution layout for contributors.
+* [Version Contract](versioning.md) - One version shape for agent, backend and MCP: the ETag-CAS counter blob that mints build numbers, and the manifests published only after a deploy is verified live.
+* [URL Registry](url-registry.md) - Every well-known host lives in one registry file per component (Constants.cs / utils/config.ts / src/config.ts), enforced by guard tests; includes the agent-download migration to the download alias and its deploy-order constraint.
 
 # Agent
 
 * [V2 Agent](agent/index.md) - How the on-device agent works: [runtime overview](agent/overview.md), [decision engine](agent/decision-engine.md) (reducer, signals, completion arms), [logs & persistence](agent/logs-and-persistence.md) (signal log, snapshot, crash recovery), [Hello wizard un-skip](agent/hello-wizard-unskip.md) (why a single "WHfB disabled" read never decides completion), [Autopilot ZTD diagnostics](agent/autopilot-ztd-diagnostics.md) (event IDs, diagnostic registry, endpoints, error-code map).
 * [Build Counter Blob](agent/build-counter-blob.md) - How agent build numbers are minted: shared counter blob with ETag-CAS so local and CI builds never collide; CI additionally attests build provenance (Sigstore).
 * [Agent Endpoint Migration](agent/endpoint-migration.md) - How the backend re-homes agents to a new API base URL via the config channel (backend move or per-tenant region move): live-fetch-only, allowlist-validated on both sides, one hop, kill wins.
-* [MDM Reboot Coalescing](agent/mdm-reboot-coalescing.md) - Attributing the mid-ESP coalesced reboot ("second sign-in") to the device-assigned policy URIs that forced it: DM-Enterprise 2800 watcher with cross-restart watermark, Shell-Core RebootCoalescing corroboration, ANALYZE-ESP-005 advisory.
+* [MDM Reboot Coalescing](agent/mdm-reboot-coalescing.md) - Attributing the mid-ESP coalesced reboot ("second sign-in") to the device-assigned policy URIs that forced it: aggregated DM-Enterprise 2800 observations (neutral, flush-time watermark) + the ANALYZE-ESP-005 advisory gated on an actually-observed reboot.
+* [Secure Boot CA-2023 Detection](agent/secureboot-ca2023-detection.md) - Why ANALYZE-SEC-001 v3 reads the UEFI db/KEK variables directly instead of trusting the SecureBoot\Servicing registry, and how the one-sided uefiCa2023FirmwareConfirmed marker plus a not_exists precondition give absence-tolerant suppression across old and new agents.
+* [ESP Policy-Provider Stall Detection](agent/esp-policy-provider-stall.md) - The EnrollmentStatusTracking CSP's no-timeout Setup/Apps wait: a registered provider that never sets TrackingPoliciesCreated (co-management "ConfigMgr" without the IME's "Sidecar") parks the user ESP at "Apps (Identifying)" for days; the always-on esp_policy_provider_stalled tripwire and the SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Autopilot gather-rule allowlist entry that surface it.
 
 # Rules
 
-* [Gather Rule Phase Scoping & Emit-on-Change](rules/gather-rule-phase-scoping.md) - Restricting gather rules to enrollment phases (activePhases / activeFromPhase sticky latch) and emitMode "on_change" result-dedup — the anti-spam pair for interval rules.
+* [Gather Rule Phase Scoping, One-Shot Triggers & Emit-on-Change](rules/gather-rule-phase-scoping.md) - Restricting gather rules to enrollment phases (activePhases / activeFromPhase sticky latch), one-shot collection at a phase's start/end (phase_change / phase_exit), and emitMode "on_change" result-dedup.
+* [Gather Rule Guardrails](rules/gather-rule-guardrails.md) - Why the allowlists in rules/guardrails.json are enforced on the agent and nowhere else, which hard blocks survive unrestricted mode, and the rule that every collector must call a guard and emit security_warning on refusal.
 
 # Backend
 
 * [Business Timestamps](backend/business-timestamps.md) - Why the Azure Tables system Timestamp is never authoritative (migrations reset it), and the OccurredUtc + RowKey-decode compensation for AuditLogs/OpsEvents/Events after the 2026-07-18 migration.
 
+# MCP Server
+
+* [MCP Docs Corpus](mcp/docs-corpus.md) - How the published customer documentation becomes the `search_docs` corpus: CRLF-safe heading chunking, build-time embedding as a third precomputed section, and why a docs edit needs an MCP redeploy.
+
 # Security & Identity
 
 * [MCP OAuth Flow](mcp-oauth-flow.md) - Who authenticates where when connecting an AI client to the MCP server; two identities, three parties plus Entra ID.

docs/log.md

@@ -1,7 +1,40 @@
 # Log
 
+## 2026-07-23
+
+* **Creation**: Added `agent/esp-policy-provider-stall.md` — a customer diagnosed that pre-provisioned devices with the ConfigMgr client as a blocking app occasionally park the user ESP at "Apps (Identifying)" for days: only a `ConfigMgr` provider is registered under `EnrollmentStatusTracking\Device\Setup\Apps\PolicyProviders` (no `Sidecar` = IME) and `TrackingPoliciesCreated` never becomes 1 — a wait the CSP defines without any timeout; renaming the key to `Sidecar` unblocks immediately. The agent now ships the always-on `esp_policy_provider_stalled` tripwire (60-s tick, 15-min continuous-incompleteness dwell, one-shot per provider, `StartupEventGate` fingerprint across restarts, purely observational via the InformationalEvent rail — no toggle, no ConfigVersion bump), generalized to any provider in both `Setup/Apps` and `DevicePreparation` kinds rather than hardcoding the ConfigMgr case. Companion change: `SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Autopilot` joins the gather-rule registry allowlist so tenants can target the subtree with custom rules (e.g. `not_exists` on the Sidecar key).
+
+* **Creation**: Added `agent/secureboot-ca2023-detection.md` — ANALYZE-SEC-001 warned on devices whose firmware already carried the 2023 certificate, because the agent only read the `SecureBoot\Servicing\UEFICA2023Status` registry value, which mirrors the Windows Update rollout rather than the firmware (customer report). The agent now reads the UEFI `db`/`KEK` variables natively (`GetFirmwareEnvironmentVariableExW` with `SeSystemEnvironmentPrivilege` enabled on the process token — first privilege-adjustment code in the repo) and emits per-certificate booleans on `secureboot_status`. Suppression rides on a one-sided marker, `uefiCa2023FirmwareConfirmed`, emitted only on positive confirmation: the engine's `not_exists` precondition fails on any present value, so a two-sided boolean could not distinguish "confirmed" from "checked and missing", while the marker's absence keeps old agents and firmware-missing devices on the v2 path. Rule v3.0.0 is therefore safe to seed before the agent release.
+
+* **Update**: `url-registry.md` — the first release after the alias migration surfaced Front Door caching as a correctness hazard: the alias served the previous `version.json` (`X-Cache: TCP_REMOTE_HIT`) after the origin had rotated, and since manifest and ZIP are independent cache entries, a stale manifest with a fresh ZIP fails the bootstrap SHA-256 check. Route caching on `/agent/*` is now disabled and every blob upload stamps `Cache-Control: no-cache` (CI `Send-Blob`, local `build.ps1`, `versions/*.json` manifests) — all agent-container blobs rotate in place, so nothing there is safely cacheable.
+
+* **Update**: `agent/decision-engine.md` — the RealmJoin completion gate has a third terminal, `FirstDeploymentIncomplete`. Session 224b2087 showed why: an interactive logon 17 s after DeploymentPhase 101 makes RealmJoin reclassify the run as a secondary-user deployment, whose branch writes 200/210 and never 110 — the gate stayed closed until the 60-min hard timeout although Hello and desktop were long resolved. `realmjoin_phase_changed` is now a typed `RealmJoinPhaseChanged` signal, so `RealmJoinFacts.LastDeploymentPhase` is persisted across agent restarts (this also fixes every `realmjoin_timeout` event claiming "last phase: 0"); a transition out of 100/101 into 200/210 releases the gate with the `realmjoin_first_deployment_incomplete` Warning, and the `RealmJoinDetected` replay path evaluates the same rule for restarts that swallow the transition. A first observation of 210 deliberately does not release — session 6f1959c0 started at 210 and only deployed afterwards.
+
+* **Creation**: Added `url-registry.md` — all well-known hosts (own subdomains, both blob accounts, API origin, Graph, Entra login) are now defined once per component (`Constants.cs`, web `utils/config.ts`, MCP `src/config.ts`) and referenced everywhere else; three guard tests fail the build on any literal outside the registries. Written because the EU cutover missed two hardcoded copies of the legacy blob host — `LatestVersionsService` (feeds the portal's version badge) and `ValidateBootstrapCodeFunction` — which kept working only through the fail-soft legacy mirror in `build-agent.yml`; those two plus the agent `SelfUpdater` now use the `download.autopilotmonitor.com` alias (verified serving all four artifacts first). The portal's bootstrap allow-list accepts alias AND legacy host during the transition, which imposes a deploy order: web before (or with) backend. The sweep also surfaced a fourth copy of the www/portal host pair in `middleware.ts` (now derived from the registry via `hostRouting.ts`) and a backend short-link built on the bare apex domain, which only worked through a registrar-level 301.
+
+## 2026-07-22
+
+* **Creation**: Added `versioning.md` — agent, backend and MCP now share one version shape (`<major>.<minor>.<build>` + 7-char commit + build timestamp) and one implementation of the build-number reservation (`.github/scripts/Request-BuildNumber.ps1`, previously copy-pasted between `build-agent.yml` and `build.ps1`). The backend had been pinned at a hand-written `1.0.0` since inception and now starts at `1.5.1000`; the MCP server's `package.json` version was bumped by hand and now starts at `1.5.300`, and it reports its own commit on `/health` instead of only the documentation bundle's. Both deploy workflows poll their health endpoint until it reports the build just deployed and publish `versions/<component>.json` only then, so a manifest that disagrees with the live endpoint means the instance drifted rather than the pipeline failing halfway. `agent/build-counter-blob.md` keeps the agent-specific parts and now points at the shared protocol; its counter URL was still the pre-cutover storage account.
+
+* **Creation**: Added `rules/gather-rule-guardrails.md` — the gather-rule allowlists are enforced only on the agent (the backend validates no `collectorType`, `target`, or `parameters`), so a collector that forgets to call its guard *is* the vulnerability. Written because two had: `LogParserCollector` read any path in `rule.Target`, bypassing even the `C:\Users` hard block that every other file collector honours, and `EventLogCollector` read any channel including `Security` — while the customer-facing documentation already promised both were allowlisted. Both now guard, with `logparser` checking the directory for wildcard targets (`Path.GetFullPath` throws on `*`) and re-checking each resolved path. Added an event-log channel allowlist (`eventLogChannels`) plus hard-blocked channels held in C# rather than JSON, so a parse error cannot lift them. Also fixed the command timeout, which was inert: `ReadToEnd()` blocks until the pipe closes, so `WaitForExit(30000)` was only reached after the process had already exited and a hung command pinned its worker forever — now read asynchronously and killed at the timeout.
+
+* **Update**: Added `.github/workflows/ci.yml` — the full suite (backend, agent V2 Core, DecisionCore, SummaryDialog, web, MCP) now runs on every pull request and every push to main, plus a job that fails if the generated guardrail files drift from `rules/guardrails.json`. Previously **no** workflow ran tests on a PR: the deploy workflows build without testing, and `build-agent.yml` tested only `DecisionCore.Tests` on manual dispatch — while `trust/security-faq.md` already told customers that automated tests run in CI. Added CodeQL (C# and TypeScript) and Dependabot (nuget, npm ×2, actions). Marked `OfficeBinaryWatcherTests` `[Collection("SerialThreading")]`: its bounded re-probe races the shared ThreadPool and failed once under full-suite load.
+
+## 2026-07-21
+
+* **Update**: `search_docs` and `search_knowledge` now state in their tool descriptions that queries must be in English. Both corpora and `all-MiniLM-L6-v2` are English-only, and the failure is total rather than gradual — a German question returns zero results, not weak ones. The caller is a language model, so translating the question before the call and answering in the user's language costs nothing; a multilingual embedding model would be the alternative but is much larger and would have to be measured against the eval harness first, since it changes English retrieval too.
+
+* **Update**: Added `scripts/eval-docs-search.ts`, an offline retrieval evaluation harness (2465 queries in three classes: chunk headings as a regression detector, rare identifiers, and hand-written questions as the reality anchor), and used it to close a third `search_docs` gap found during the live test. The keyword fallback only fired when semantic search returned *fewer* than `topK`; a pasted identifier like `WOW6432Node` instead returned three chunks at ~0.29 that did not contain the word while the one chunk that did was never considered. It now also fires on a weak semantic head (<0.35), letting exact matches take the front while keeping one semantic result. The threshold is measured, not guessed: 0.35 fixes 335 queries and breaks 0 (identifier recall 66.2% → 81.1%), while 0.40 fixes more but starts demoting hand-written questions. The measurement also resized the problem — identifier queries were only succeeding 66.2% of the time, so the reported case was one of roughly 750.
+
+* **Update**: Closed the two measured recall gaps in `search_docs` (`mcp/docs-corpus.md`). (1) **Token windows** — 87 of 324 chunks exceeded the model's 256-token context and 13% of all tokens never reached the ranking; a character budget cannot fix this (the corpus ranges 2.43–5.81 chars/token), so long text is now embedded as 250-token windows with 40 overlap and scored by its BEST window (`embeddings: number[][]`, max not mean). Token coverage 87% → 100%; "proxy configuration blocking app downloads" went from absent to 0.559 at rank 1; the ten reference queries kept byte-identical scores. Costs +31% vectors, index 2.63 → 3.12 MB. The rules corpus gained the same treatment (128 rules → 172 vectors). (2) **Keyword fallback** — when the semantic pass returns fewer than `topK`, results are topped up via literal `lexicalMatch` on distinctive query terms, requiring two matching terms for corroboration (one incidental substring match returned a page about LLM providers for a sourdough query). Fuzzy matching was measured and rejected: at a threshold low enough to surface "RealmJoin" it invents 5 hits for "SCEPman", which the corpus never mentions. Also sharpened the tool description with the measured context argument for preferring it over fetching the docs site.
+
+* **Creation**: Added `mcp/docs-corpus.md` (new `mcp/` section) — the MCP server gains `search_docs`, a third semantic corpus built from the published customer documentation repository (`autopilotmonitor-docs`, checked out into the Docker build context by the deploy workflow). Documents the h2/h3 + `<details>` chunking with breadcrumb prefixes, the two deliberate size exceptions (tables never split, unbroken changelog lists split at line level), the CRLF precondition (`.` does not match `\r` in JS — headings silently stop matching, which produced 286 wrong-but-plausible chunks before it was found), the optional `docs` section in `search-index.json` and its validation asymmetry, embedding rounding to 6 decimals, and the cross-repo coupling: a docs edit reaches clients only after an MCP redeploy, made checkable via `DOCS_COMMIT` on `/health`. Container resources raised to 0.5 vCPU / 1.0 GiB for the cold-start query-embedder load.
+
 ## 2026-07-20
 
+* **Update**: `rules/gather-rule-phase-scoping.md` — the gather-rule form now shows the phase-scope and emit-mode controls only where they can change behavior (`supportsPhaseScope` / `supportsEmitMode`), nulls hidden-control state out of the payload, and rejects a scope mode selected but left unfilled. Offering all three "when" controls unconditionally allowed combinations that could only suppress a one-shot rule, plus a silent no-op state.
+* **Update**: Extended `rules/gather-rule-phase-scoping.md` with the `phase_exit` trigger — the closing bookend to `phase_change`, for one-shot collection when a phase is LEFT (e.g. "state at the end of Account Setup"). Documents the evaluation-before-phase-advance rule (triggerPhase match and scope gate see the phase being left), firing into `Failed`, the disjoint `exit:` dedup key space, and why no ConfigVersion bump is needed (no new field — old agents simply never fire the rule).
+* **Update**: Reworked `agent/mdm-reboot-coalescing.md` after the first real enrollment (session b2e890c1): 2800 records are now **aggregated per burst** into ONE neutral Info event (`rebootUris[]`/`uriCount`/`firstRebootUri`; watermark persisted at flush so a pre-emit reboot kill loses nothing); the raw event no longer claims a reboot — ANALYZE-ESP-005 is gated on an actually-observed `system_reboot_detected`. **Removed** the Shell-Core `esp_reboot_coalescing` event entirely: the "RebootCoalescing" token appears in the routine `SubcategoryProcessing_Started` bootstrap marker on every enrollment (false positive by construction). Verified 2800 description shape recorded.
 * **Creation**: Added `agent/mdm-reboot-coalescing.md` — the agent now attributes the "unexpected mid-ESP reboot + second sign-in" pattern (PMPC research) to the device-assigned policy URIs that forced it: new `MdmRebootPolicyTracker` (DM-Enterprise EventID 2800, per-URI `mdm_policy_reboot_required` events, cross-restart RecordId watermark), a `RebootCoalescing` branch in `ShellCoreTracker` (`esp_reboot_coalescing`, backfill-emitting by design), and the `ANALYZE-ESP-005` advisory (reassign device → user groups). ConfigVersion 35; event types deliberately distinct from `system_reboot_detected` so RebootCount stays uninflated.
 
 * **Creation**: Added `backend/business-timestamps.md` (new `backend/` section) — the 2026-07-18 migration reset every row's system Timestamp, exposing that AuditLogs/OpsEvents/Events had (unknowingly) displayed and filtered on it all along; documents the `OccurredUtc` column, the RowKey decoders and RowKey-range date/retention clauses in `BusinessTimestamp`, the GUID-guard trap, the audit/ops backfill endpoint, and the "system Timestamp is never authoritative" migration rule.

docs/mcp/docs-corpus.md

@@ -0,0 +1,305 @@
+---
+type: Concept
+title: MCP Docs Corpus — search_docs and the Cross-Repo Build Coupling
+description: How the published customer documentation becomes a third semantic search corpus in the MCP server — CRLF-safe heading chunking, build-time embedding, the corpus hash guard, and why editing the docs does not update a running server.
+resource: /src/McpServer/autopilot-monitor-mcp/src/docs-corpus.ts
+tags:
+  - mcp
+  - search
+  - embeddings
+  - documentation
+  - build
+timestamp: 2026-07-21T19:30:00+02:00
+---
+
+# Purpose
+
+The MCP server answers two different kinds of question, and they need two
+different corpora.
+
+* *"Why did this enrollment fail?"* → analysis rules, gather rules, IME log
+  patterns. That is `search_knowledge`, backed by `knowledge-base.ts`.
+* *"How do I deploy the agent?" / "Where is my data stored?"* → the published
+  customer documentation. That is `search_docs`, backed by `docs-corpus.ts`.
+
+They are deliberately **separate indexes**. Merged into one, they would compete
+for the same `topK` and dilute each other: a rules query would surface prose
+pages, and a product question would surface rule definitions.
+
+# Schema
+
+## Corpus source
+
+The corpus is the `autopilotmonitor-docs` repository — a public OKF bundle
+published at `docs.autopilotmonitor.com`. It is **not** vendored into this repo.
+The deploy workflow checks it out into `mcp-docs/` of the Docker build context;
+the Dockerfile copies it to `/app/docs` in both the build and the final stage
+(byte-identical, or the boot-time corpus hash rejects the precomputed index).
+
+`SUMMARY.md` and `log.md` are skipped as navigation scaffolding. `index.md` is
+kept — it is the documentation map and answers "what documentation exists" — but
+gets no `url`, because the bundle deliberately keeps it out of `SUMMARY.md` and
+GitBook therefore never renders it.
+
+## Chunking
+
+A whole page cannot be one document: `trust/security-faq.md` is 36 KB, while
+MiniLM-L6-v2 truncates at ~256 tokens. An un-chunked page would silently embed
+only its first paragraph.
+
+Chunks are cut at **h2/h3 headings**, which in this bundle are also the semantic
+boundaries — `security-faq.md` carries 37 h3s, one per question.
+`<details><summary>Q</summary>` blocks (used by `troubleshooting/faq.md`) are
+treated the same way, with the summary as the section title. Each chunk is
+prefixed with a `Page Title › Section › Subsection` breadcrumb so a hit lifted
+out of the middle of a page is self-describing to both the embedder and the
+reader.
+
+Two deliberate exceptions to the ~1500-character budget:
+
+* **Markdown tables are never split.** A table broken across chunks leaves
+  `| --- |` rows with no header — unreadable in a result and meaningless to
+  embed. Tables carry real answers here (the role matrix, the settings
+  reference), so an over-long table is allowed to exceed the budget.
+* **Unbroken lists split at line level.** The changelog pages are one bullet
+  list per release with no blank lines, so paragraph splitting cannot touch
+  them; left whole, everything past the model's window would be truncated away
+  and become unsearchable.
+
+Short sections are **kept**, not filtered. A one-line answer ("Is it free?" →
+"Yes, the Community plan is free") is often the most valuable hit, and the
+breadcrumb supplies the context the short body lacks. Only structural residue
+(under 25 alphanumeric characters) is dropped.
+
+## CRLF is a correctness precondition
+
+The docs repo is authored on Windows and ships CRLF. In JavaScript `.` does not
+match `\r`, so a pattern like `/^(#{2,3})\s+(.*)$/` matches **nothing** on a CRLF
+file: `(.*)` stops before the `\r` and `$` never reaches end-of-string.
+
+This was observed during development, and the failure mode is what makes it
+dangerous: no crash, no error — headings and frontmatter simply stop being
+recognized and every page silently degrades to unlabelled paragraph splits. The
+first working build produced 286 plausible-looking chunks that were almost all
+wrong; after normalizing, `security-faq.md` went from 29 blind splits to 46 real
+question sections.
+
+`normalizeNewlines()` runs before any parsing. Do not remove it, and do not
+"fix" a future parsing bug here by adding `\r?` to one pattern.
+
+## Token windows: why a chunk can hold several vectors
+
+Chunking at heading boundaries keeps sections coherent, but it does not bound the
+result by *tokens* — and it cannot. Measured on this corpus the ratio ranges from
+**2.43 to 5.81 characters per token**, a factor of 2.4, so no character budget maps
+reliably onto the model's 256-token window. A budget safe for the worst case
+(~620 characters) would shred prose and tables alike.
+
+Left alone, 87 of 324 chunks exceeded the window and **13% of all tokens never
+reached the ranking** — silently, since the tokenizer truncates without complaint.
+The effect was concrete: in `built-in-rules.md :: Apps` (734 tokens), the strings
+`ANALYZE-APP-013`, `ANALYZE-OFFICE-001`, `ANALYZE-CORR-003` and `Click-to-Run` all
+sit past the cutoff, so *"proxy configuration blocking app downloads"* did not
+retrieve that section at all.
+
+So the *chunk* stays whole and the *embedding* is split instead:
+`VectorSearchProvider.index()` cuts long text into 250-token windows with 40 tokens
+of overlap and embeds each. A document therefore carries `embeddings: number[][]`,
+and `search()` scores it by its **best** window.
+
+- **Max, not mean.** Averaging window vectors would blur a long section's several
+  topics into one mediocre direction — the same dilution that makes large context
+  windows worse than chunking. Max keeps a document findable by any one thing it
+  discusses.
+- **The tokenizer is a build-time dependency only.** `index()` runs during the
+  Docker build; production boots from precomputed vectors and never loads it. It is
+  also only the vocabulary, not the ONNX weights (~93 ms).
+- Cost: 324 chunks → 424 vectors (+31%), index 2.63 → 3.12 MB, and 424 instead of
+  324 dot products per query — still microseconds.
+- The rules corpus benefits too, unplanned: 128 rules now carry 172 vectors.
+
+Measured effect: token coverage 87% → **100%**, *"Office Click-to-Run install never
+finished"* 0.318 → **0.442**, *"proxy configuration blocking app downloads"* absent
+→ **0.559 at rank 1**. The ten reference queries kept byte-identical scores — their
+chunks are short, hence one window, hence the same vector as before.
+
+## Keyword fallback
+
+Semantic ranking alone leaves a gap: proper nouns embed poorly. `RealmJoin` occurs
+in 3 chunks yet scores under the threshold.
+
+Fuzzy matching is the wrong remedy, and the corpus says so. At a threshold low
+enough to surface `RealmJoin` (0.28), Fuse also returns 5 hits for `SCEPman` — a
+word this corpus contains **zero** times. Literal containment has neither problem.
+
+So when the semantic pass returns fewer than `topK`, `search_docs` tops the list up
+via `lexicalMatch`, the substring scan every provider already exposes:
+
+- Query terms are filtered to distinctive ones (≥4 characters, non-stopword, max 6).
+- A hit needs **corroboration**: at least two matching terms, unless the query has
+  only one. Without this rule, "how do I bake sourdough bread" matched a page about
+  LLM providers, because "bake" is a substring of "baked into the image".
+- Hits are **appended, never merged**: they carry no cosine similarity, so semantic
+  results keep the head of the list and keyword hits fill the tail, flagged
+  `matchType: "keyword"` with `keywordFallback` in the response.
+
+### Language
+
+The corpus and `all-MiniLM-L6-v2` are both English-only, and the failure is total
+rather than gradual: "wo werden meine Daten gespeichert" returns **zero** results,
+not weak ones, because the query vector lands nowhere near any English chunk.
+
+The fix is a sentence in the tool description telling the caller to query in English
+and answer in the user's language — the caller is a language model, so translating
+the question before the call costs nothing. A multilingual embedding model would
+handle it natively but is substantially larger and would need to be measured against
+`scripts/eval-docs-search.ts` first, since it changes English retrieval too.
+`search_knowledge` carries the same note for the same reason.
+
+### When it fires
+
+Two triggers, and the second one exists because the first was not enough:
+
+1. **Fewer than `topK` semantic hits** — the obvious case.
+2. **A weak semantic head** (best score below `WEAK_SEMANTIC_SCORE`, 0.35). Topping
+   up only a short list misses the more common failure: a pasted identifier like
+   `WOW6432Node` returns three chunks at ~0.29 that do not contain the word, while
+   the single chunk that does never gets considered. When nothing semantic is
+   convincing, exact matches take the front — keeping at least one semantic result,
+   so a weak-but-correct hit is never pushed out entirely.
+
+The threshold was chosen by measurement, not intuition. `scripts/eval-docs-search.ts`
+scores strategies over 2465 queries in three classes — every chunk heading
+(known-item, a regression detector), rare identifiers (the class this fallback
+serves), and hand-written questions (the reality anchor, not derived from the
+corpus):
+
+| strategy | known-item | literal | handwritten MRR | fixed | broken |
+| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
+| append-only (previous) | 71.9% | 66.2% | 1.000 | — | — |
+| weak < 0.30 | 71.9% | 72.6% | 1.000 | 142 | 0 |
+| **weak < 0.35** | **73.7%** | **81.1%** | **1.000** | **335** | **0** |
+| weak < 0.40 | 76.3% | 88.2% | 0.944 | 502 | 3 |
+| weak < 0.45 | 77.2% | 93.0% | 0.889 | 613 | 5 |
+
+0.35 is strictly dominant: better in every class, worse in none. Higher thresholds
+keep repairing more identifier queries but start demoting hand-written questions —
+the class that most resembles real use — so the gain is not free past that point.
+
+The measurement also corrected the size of the problem: identifier queries were
+succeeding only 66.2% of the time, so `WOW6432Node` was not an outlier but one of
+roughly 750 such failures.
+
+## Build-time embedding
+
+Like the rules corpus, docs are embedded once at Docker build time by
+`precompute-embeddings.js <rulesDir> <outFile> [docsDir]`, into a third
+`PrecomputedSection` (`docs`) of `search-index.json`. The container never embeds
+a corpus at boot — only the incoming query.
+
+The `docs` section is **optional** in the file format, which is what makes a
+local checkout without the docs repo work: `validatePrecomputedIndex` skips it
+when the booting server loaded zero doc chunks. The asymmetry is intentional —
+if the server *has* a docs corpus and the file does *not*, that is staleness and
+is rejected like any other mismatch.
+
+Embeddings are rounded to 6 decimals on serialize. A float64 component
+serializes to ~20 characters of JSON, so 384 dims cost ~7.8 KB per vector;
+rounding roughly halves the index file, which is `JSON.parse`d on every
+scale-to-zero cold start. The induced L2 norm error (~1e-5 over 384 dims) sits
+two orders of magnitude inside `UNIT_NORM_EPSILON`.
+
+## Registration
+
+`search_docs` is registered for **every role**, unlike the platform tools: this
+is public documentation carrying no tenant data, and a tenant user asking "how do
+I deploy the agent" has as much business here as a Global Admin. It is skipped
+entirely when the corpus is empty, so a doc-less build advertises no broken tool.
+
+# Cold start
+
+`minReplicas: 0` means every idle period ends in a cold start someone waits through.
+Measured from outside: **24.5 s** to first byte after `ScaledToZero`, against **60 ms**
+warm.
+
+Where those seconds go could not be answered from outside the process. Log Analytics
+stamps every console line of one ingestion batch with the same time, so the boot
+sequence collapses to a single instant however it is queried. The server therefore
+times itself — `[boot +Nms]` marks from `process.uptime()`, which includes Node's own
+startup and module loading.
+
+Measured in production on a real cold start (31.5 s to first byte that time):
+
+```
++244ms  node started (startup + module loading)
++431ms  corpora read from disk         (+187ms)
++491ms  index read, validated, hydrated (+60ms  <- for 3.12 MB)
++504ms  listening
++677ms  query embedder warm            (background)
+```
+
+**The application accounts for half a second of it.** The other ~31 s — 98% — is
+Container Apps activation: KEDA reacting to the request, scheduling a pod, mounting
+the 236 MB image, starting the container. The container also boots *faster* than a
+development laptop (504 ms against 1273 ms), so nothing here is CPU-starved.
+
+Three conclusions, and two of them overturn assumptions this file previously stated:
+
+- **Index size is irrelevant to startup.** 3.12 MB hydrates in 60 ms. Growing the
+  corpus is effectively free, and the embedding rounding earns its keep on file size
+  alone, not on boot time.
+- **Raising the container to 0.5 vCPU was not justified by cold start.** The stated
+  reason was the embedding model load; prebaked, that is 173 ms and runs in the
+  background, where only the first *search* could ever wait on it. The extra vCPU may
+  still help concurrent requests, but the cold-start argument does not survive
+  measurement.
+- **The only real lever is `minReplicas: 1`**, which removes activation entirely at
+  roughly 7× the monthly free consumption grant. Shrinking the image would shave the
+  mount, but that is a fraction of platform time, not the bulk of it.
+
+# Cross-repo coupling
+
+**Editing the documentation does not update a running MCP server.** The corpus is
+baked into the image, so only re-running the *Deploy MCP Server* workflow picks
+up doc changes.
+
+That coupling is made checkable rather than memorable: the build passes the docs
+checkout SHA as `--build-arg DOCS_COMMIT`, and `/health` reports
+`docs: { commit, chunks, sections }`. Comparing that commit against
+`git rev-parse HEAD` in `autopilotmonitor-docs` answers "is the deployed
+documentation stale?" directly.
+
+Automatic redeploy on a docs push was considered and rejected: it would need a
+PAT secret in the docs repo and would turn every typo fix into a container
+deployment.
+
+# Examples
+
+Retrieval measured against the real bundle (323 chunks, all-MiniLM-L6-v2):
+
+```
+"where is my data stored"            → 0.566  troubleshooting/faq.md :: General › Where is my data stored?
+"how do I deploy the agent with Intune" → 0.819  troubleshooting/faq.md :: Setup & Agent › How do I deploy the agent?
+"which roles exist and what can they do" → 0.500  trust/security-faq.md :: Identity and Access › What roles exist?
+"how do I set up Teams notifications"    → 0.592  reference/settings.md  :: Tenant › Notifications
+"what firewall URLs do I need to allow"  → 0.374  reference/network-endpoints.md :: (intro)
+```
+
+The 0.25 `minScore` default is tuned to that observed band — short keyword
+queries on all-MiniLM score low, and a relevant-but-marginal hit lands around
+0.34.
+
+# Citations
+
+* `/src/McpServer/autopilot-monitor-mcp/src/docs-corpus.ts` — loader, frontmatter
+  parser, chunker
+* `/src/McpServer/autopilot-monitor-mcp/src/tools/search.ts` — `search_docs`
+  registration
+* `/src/McpServer/autopilot-monitor-mcp/src/precomputed-index.ts` — `docs`
+  section and its validation asymmetry
+* `/src/McpServer/autopilot-monitor-mcp/Dockerfile` — `mcp-docs/` copy,
+  `DOCS_COMMIT`
+* `/.github/workflows/deploy-mcp.yml` — docs checkout and SHA capture
+* `/src/McpServer/autopilot-monitor-mcp/scripts/eval-docs-search.ts` — retrieval
+  evaluation harness; run it before changing anything about ranking
+* [MCP OAuth Flow](../mcp-oauth-flow.md) — the other MCP concept document

docs/rules/gather-rule-guardrails.md

@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+---
+type: Concept
+title: Gather Rule Guardrails
+description: >-
+  How gather-rule collectors are fenced in — the allowlists in rules/guardrails.json,
+  the hard blocks that survive unrestricted mode, and why every collector must call a
+  guard rather than trusting rule.Target.
+resource: src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core/Monitoring/Telemetry/Gather
+tags: [gather-rules, security, guardrails, agent]
+timestamp: 2026-07-22
+---
+
+# Concept
+
+A gather rule is authored by a **tenant administrator** through `POST /api/rules/gather` and executed by the agent as **SYSTEM** on an enrolling device. The backend does not validate `collectorType`, `target`, or `parameters` at all — it only enforces scope/emit-mode fields, a 1 MB body cap, and that the rule lands in the caller's own tenant partition. Everything that decides *what a rule may reach* is therefore enforced **on the agent**, in `GatherRuleGuards`.
+
+This is the security boundary. The portal's `ValidationIndicator` is a convenience: it does not block submit, and the API is reachable directly.
+
+# Schema
+
+Allowlists come from `rules/guardrails.json`, embedded into the agent assembly as
+`AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Resources.guardrails.json` (see the `EmbeddedResource`
+item in `AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.csproj`) and regenerated into the portal's
+`utils/guardrails.generated.ts` by `node rules/scripts/combine.js`.
+
+| Guard | Source list | Match rule |
+| --- | --- | --- |
+| `IsRegistryPathAllowed` | `registryPrefixes` | prefix, boundary `\` or end |
+| `IsFilePathAllowed` | `filePrefixes` | `Path.GetFullPath` first, then prefix + boundary |
+| `IsWmiQueryAllowed` | `wmiQueryPrefixes` | prefix, boundary whitespace or end |
+| `IsCommandAllowed` | `allowedCommands` | **exact** match, trimmed — never prefix |
+| `IsEventLogChannelAllowed` | `eventLogChannels` | prefix, boundary `/` or end |
+
+**Hard blocks live in code, not in the JSON**, so a parse error cannot lift them — on a
+parse failure the allowlists fall back to empty and everything is blocked (fail-closed),
+but the hard blocks must hold regardless of configuration:
+
+* `BlockedUsersPrefix` (`C:\Users`) and `AdditionalHardBlockedPathPrefixes`
+  (`C:\Windows\System32\config`) — exception only for `%LOGGED_ON_USER_PROFILE%`
+  under `AppData\Local` / `AppData\Roaming`.
+* `HardBlockedCommandPatterns` — download, user/group creation, boot config,
+  persistence, destructive operations; plus `MaxCommandLength`.
+* `HardBlockedEventLogChannels` — `Security` (audit trail of user behaviour) and the
+  PowerShell channels (script-block logging routinely contains secrets in clear text).
+
+`rules/guardrails.json` mirrors the blocked lists (`blockedFilePrefixes`,
+`blockedEventLogChannels`) **for display only**. Enforcement is the C# constant.
+
+# Examples
+
+Every collector must call its guard and return `context.EmitSecurityWarning(...)` on
+refusal — that emits the `security_warning` event that makes a block visible in the
+timeline instead of failing silently.
+
+```csharp
+// FileCollector / JsonCollector / XmlCollector
+if (!GatherRuleGuards.IsFilePathAllowed(filePath, context.UnrestrictedMode, userProfilePath))
+    return context.EmitSecurityWarning(rule, "file", filePath);
+```
+
+Two collectors were added to this contract on 2026-07-22 after shipping without it:
+
+* **`LogParserCollector`** read any path in `rule.Target`, bypassing even the `C:\Users`
+  hard block. It cannot guard `rule.Target` directly — a wildcard filename makes
+  `Path.GetFullPath` throw — so it guards **the directory** when the filename contains
+  `*`/`?`, and re-guards **each resolved path** after wildcard expansion (a junction can
+  surface a file the directory check did not cover).
+* **`EventLogCollector`** read any channel, including `Security`.
+
+`ImeLogPathOverride` comes only from the local `--ime-log-path` CLI flag, never from
+remote config. The operator using it is already a local admin, so it relaxes the
+allowlist exactly the way unrestricted mode does — hard blocks still apply.
+
+# Citations
+
+* `src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core/Monitoring/Telemetry/Gather/GatherRuleGuards.cs`
+* `src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core/Monitoring/Telemetry/Gather/GatherRuleContext.cs` — `EmitSecurityWarning`
+* `src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests/Monitoring/Gather/GatherRuleCollectorGuardTests.cs`
+* `src/Backend/AutopilotMonitor.Functions/Functions/Rules/GatherRulesFunction.cs` — what the backend does *not* validate
+* `rules/guardrails.json`, `rules/scripts/combine.js`
+* Customer-facing counterpart: `autopilotmonitor-docs/rules/gather-rules.md` (§ Security guardrails)

docs/rules/gather-rule-phase-scoping.md

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 ---
 type: Concept
-title: Gather Rule Phase Scoping & Emit-on-Change
-description: How gather rules are restricted to enrollment phases (activePhases / activeFromPhase) and how emitMode "on_change" suppresses repeated identical results — the anti-spam pair for interval rules.
+title: Gather Rule Phase Scoping, One-Shot Triggers & Emit-on-Change
+description: How gather rules are restricted to enrollment phases (activePhases / activeFromPhase), collect once at a phase boundary (phase_change / phase_exit), and how emitMode "on_change" suppresses repeated identical results.
 resource: /src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core/Monitoring/Telemetry/Gather/GatherRuleExecutor.cs
 tags:
   - agent
@@ -35,6 +35,35 @@ Backend validation (`GatherRulesFunction.ValidateScopeAndEmitMode`) rejects `Unk
 numeric tokens, unknown emit modes, and both scope fields set at once (400). The agent
 defensively prefers `activePhases` if both arrive anyway.
 
+# One-shot collection at phase boundaries
+
+Scoping answers "while *may* this rule run". The trigger answers "when does it fire". For
+one-shot collection the two phase triggers are the bookends of a phase:
+
+| Trigger | Fires |
+|---|---|
+| `phase_change` | Once when `triggerPhase` is **entered** (dedup key `{ruleId}\|{phase}`). |
+| `phase_exit` | Once when `triggerPhase` is **left** (dedup key `exit:{ruleId}\|{phase}`). |
+
+Empty `triggerPhase` means every transition. Both keys live in the same
+`_phaseRulesExecuted` set; the `exit:` prefix keeps the two key spaces disjoint, so an
+enter-rule and an exit-rule on the same phase never cannibalise each other's slot.
+
+`phase_exit` semantics that are easy to get wrong:
+
+* It is evaluated **before** `_currentPhase` advances, so both the `triggerPhase` match and
+  the phase-scope gate see the phase being **left**. A rule scoped to `DeviceSetup` therefore
+  still fires on its own exit, even though the phase being entered is outside that scope.
+* A transition into `Failed` **does** fire the exit rules of the failing phase — capturing
+  state at the failure boundary is the point.
+* Exit of `Unknown` never fires (nothing was entered yet), and a repeated identical phase
+  signal is not a transition.
+* An exit rule on `Complete` only fires if something transitions *away* from Complete. For
+  "at the end of enrollment", use `phase_change` on `Complete` or `on_event` with
+  `enrollment_complete`.
+* Old agents do not know the trigger value and simply never fire the rule (silent no-op) —
+  which is why `phase_exit` needs no ConfigVersion bump: no new field is transported.
+
 # Scope semantics (agent, `GatherRuleExecutor`)
 
 * Scope applies to **all trigger types**:
@@ -78,6 +107,16 @@ defensively prefers `activePhases` if both arrive anyway.
   `always`. The scope UI is a three-way mode (always / during phases / from phase) backed by
   a canonical `GATHER_PHASES` list — the same list replaced the free-text `triggerPhase`
   input, whose placeholder used to suggest invalid tokens.
+* **Controls are shown only where they change behavior** (`supportsPhaseScope` /
+  `supportsEmitMode` in `types.ts`). Offering all three "when" controls unconditionally
+  produced meaningless combinations — a scope on a `phase_change` rule naming a concrete
+  phase can only ever suppress the single firing, and `on_change` has no second result to
+  compare against. Hidden controls are nulled by `buildScopeFields` so state from an earlier
+  trigger choice cannot leak into the payload, and `validateScopeSelection` rejects a scope
+  mode that was selected but left unfilled (which previously serialised to null and silently
+  ran the rule everywhere while the form still read "From a phase onwards").
+  Startup is the deliberate exception: a scope there defers the one-shot rather than
+  suppressing it, so the scope control stays while emit mode is hidden.
 * The custom-rule toggle PUT (`{enabled, isBuiltIn, isCommunity}`) previously full-replaced
   the stored rule and wiped Title/Target/Trigger — `GatherRuleService.UpdateRuleAsync` now
   merges toggle-style partials (empty Title/CollectorType/Target) into the existing row and

docs/url-registry.md

@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+---
+type: Concept
+title: URL Registry — One Place per Component, Guard-Enforced
+description: Every well-known own or Microsoft host lives in exactly one registry file per component (Constants.cs, utils/config.ts, src/config.ts); guard tests fail the build on any literal outside them. Includes the agent-download host migration to the download alias.
+resource: /src/Shared/AutopilotMonitor.Shared/Constants.cs
+tags:
+  - architecture
+  - urls
+  - ci
+  - convention
+timestamp: 2026-07-23T00:00:00+02:00
+---
+
+# URL Registry
+
+Every well-known base URL — own hosts (portal, www, docs, download alias, MCP,
+API, both blob accounts) and Microsoft hosts (Graph, Entra login) — is defined
+in exactly one registry file per component. Code references the constant; the
+literal appears nowhere else.
+
+| Component | Registry | Guard test |
+|---|---|---|
+| C# (Shared/Backend/Agent) | `AutopilotMonitor.Shared.Constants` (`*BaseUrl`) | `HardcodedUrlGuardTests` |
+| Web | `utils/config.ts` (`DOCS_URL`, `SITE_URL`, `PORTAL_URL`, `ENTRA_LOGIN_URL`, `API_URL_PROD`, `BLOB_URL_PROD`, `AGENT_DOWNLOAD_HOSTNAMES`) | `utils/__tests__/hardcodedUrls.guard.test.ts` |
+| MCP | `src/config.ts` (`API_BASE_URL`, `ENTRA_LOGIN_BASE_URL`, `DOCS_BASE_URL`) | `src/__tests__/hardcoded-urls.guard.test.ts` |
+
+Derived registries build on these instead of repeating hosts:
+`lib/hostRouting.ts` computes `PUBLIC_HOST`/`PORTAL_HOST`/`APEX_HOST` from the
+URL constants, and `middleware.ts` imports from it.
+
+# Schema
+
+The guards scan non-test source for the enforced host list and fail with
+file:line on any occurrence outside the registry. Comment lines are ignored
+(docs may cite URLs). Test files are excluded on purpose: a literal in a test
+is an independent oracle — `ValidateBootstrapCodeResponseShapeTests` spells the
+full agent download URL out so a registry change must be acknowledged in two
+places, backend and portal allow-list, consciously.
+
+Why enforced rather than agreed: the registry existed before (both
+`Constants.AgentBlobBaseUrl` and the MCP `config.ts` header document earlier
+drift), yet the EU cutover still missed two literal copies of the blob host —
+`LatestVersionsService` and `ValidateBootstrapCodeFunction` kept reading the
+legacy account, silently kept alive only by the fail-soft legacy mirror in
+`build-agent.yml`. A convention that is not checked decays; these guards make
+the next stray literal a red build instead of a production surprise.
+
+# Agent-download host migration (2026-07-23)
+
+The two legacy readers above plus the agent's `SelfUpdater` now use
+`Constants.AgentDownloadBaseUrl` (`download.autopilotmonitor.com/agent`, Front
+Door in front of the current blob origin — verified serving `version.json`,
+`version-v2.json` and both ZIPs before the switch). The portal's
+`bootstrapValidation.ts` allow-lists BOTH the alias and the legacy blob host
+(`AGENT_DOWNLOAD_HOSTNAMES`) because bootstrap scripts already deployed in
+customer Intune tenants still carry legacy URLs.
+
+Deploy-order constraint: the web allow-list must be live BEFORE (or with) the
+backend that serves alias URLs — an old portal build rejects the alias host and
+the bootstrap flow dies client-side. Remove the legacy hostname from the
+allow-list only after the legacy account is torn down.
+
+**Front Door caching is a correctness hazard here, not a staleness nuisance.**
+The first release after the migration exposed it: the alias kept serving the
+previous `version.json` (`X-Cache: TCP_REMOTE_HIT`) while the origin was already
+updated — and because manifest and ZIP are independent cache entries, a stale
+manifest paired with a fresh ZIP fails the bootstrap's SHA-256 check. Two
+defenses, both in place since 2026-07-23: route caching on `/agent/*` is
+DISABLED, and every blob upload (CI `Send-Blob`, local `build.ps1`, the
+`versions/*.json` manifests) stamps `Cache-Control: no-cache` — all these blobs
+rotate in place, even the per-line ZIP. If caching is ever re-enabled, the
+headers keep the mismatch class impossible.
+
+Deliberately still on the legacy account: the `HealthCheckService` /
+`MaintenanceService` legacy-keepalive probes and the fail-soft mirror in
+`build-agent.yml` — they exist precisely to keep already-deployed customer
+bootstrap scripts working until the customer migration completes.
+
+# Citations
+
+- `src/Shared/AutopilotMonitor.Shared/Constants.cs` — C# registry
+- `src/Web/autopilot-monitor-web/utils/config.ts` — web registry
+- `src/McpServer/autopilot-monitor-mcp/src/config.ts` — MCP registry
+- `src/Backend/AutopilotMonitor.Functions.Tests/HardcodedUrlGuardTests.cs`
+- [Version Contract](versioning.md) — the release pipeline this migration protects

docs/versioning.md

@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+---
+type: Concept
+title: Version Contract — Agent, Backend, MCP
+description: One version shape for all three shipping components, the ETag-CAS counter blob that mints build numbers, and the published manifests that make "what is deployed" checkable from outside.
+resource: /.github/scripts/Request-BuildNumber.ps1
+tags:
+  - build
+  - ci
+  - release
+  - versioning
+timestamp: 2026-07-22T00:00:00+02:00
+---
+
+# Version Contract
+
+Three components ship from this repository — the agent, the Functions backend and the
+MCP server. They share one version shape, one way of minting build numbers, and one
+manifest format, so that a version string means the same thing whoever emits it.
+
+```
+version   = <major>.<minor>.<build>    major.minor curated by hand, build minted per build
+commit    = 7-char short SHA of this repo
+buildUtc  = ISO-8601 build moment
+```
+
+| Component | major.minor from | Counter blob | Reported by |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| Agent V2 | `VersionPrefix` in `AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.csproj` | `agent/buildcounter-v2.txt` | `agent/version.json` |
+| Backend | `VersionPrefix` in `AutopilotMonitor.Functions.csproj` | `versions/backend.txt` | `GET /api/health` |
+| MCP | `version` in `package.json` | `versions/mcp.txt` | `GET /health`, MCP handshake |
+
+# Schema
+
+## Build numbers — reserve before build, ETag-CAS
+
+`.github/scripts/Request-BuildNumber.ps1` is the only implementation; the CI
+workflows and the local `build.ps1` all call it.
+
+1. Anonymous `GET` on the counter blob → value `N` and `ETag`. The blob holds the
+   **last used** number as plain text and is public-read; only the write needs the
+   container SAS.
+2. `PUT N+1` with `If-Match: <etag>`. The quoted ETag form is required — PowerShell
+   strips the quotes on read, and an unquoted `If-Match` is rejected client-side.
+3. `412 Precondition Failed` → a concurrent build reserved first → re-read and retry
+   (5 attempts, linear backoff).
+4. Build with the reserved number.
+
+Reserving *before* the build is what makes concurrent minting impossible. **A failed
+build burns a number** — deliberate: uniqueness matters, density does not.
+
+Why a counter and not the published manifest: manifests are written on publish, not on
+build. The agent writes `version.json` only for stable releases, so deriving the next
+number from it would hand two consecutive dev builds the same number and let the second
+overwrite the first's artifact. A state-free scheme such as `git rev-list --count HEAD`
+fails for the same reason — two builds of one commit collide.
+
+**Seeding** (once per component): `PUT <last used number>` with `If-None-Match: *`, so
+an existing counter can never be clobbered. Agent V2 was seeded with `1356` on
+2026-07-17; `versions/backend.txt` with `999` and `versions/mcp.txt` with `299` on
+2026-07-22.
+
+## Local builds
+
+No counter is reached, the build number stays `0`, and the commit is empty or
+`unknown`. A `1.5.0` with no commit hash on `/api/health` is therefore a developer
+machine, not a release — the fallback is the signal, not a defect. The agent is the
+exception: `build.ps1` produces uploadable artifacts and reserves a real number unless
+`-SkipUpload` is passed.
+
+## Manifests
+
+`versions/backend.json` and `versions/mcp.json` (public-read) record what is deployed:
+
+```json
+{ "component": "backend", "version": "1.5.1000", "commit": "abc1234",
+  "buildUtc": "…", "deployedUtc": "…", "runId": "…" }
+```
+
+The MCP manifest adds `docsCommit`, because for that component "which build" and "which
+documentation" are separate questions.
+
+Each is written **last and only after the deploy workflow has polled the component's
+health endpoint until it reports that exact version and commit**. A green deploy step
+alone means the package was accepted, not that it is being served. Consequently a
+manifest that disagrees with the live endpoint means the running instance drifted after
+the fact (rollback, stale revision) rather than a half-finished pipeline.
+
+The agent keeps its own manifest at `agent/version.json` — the bootstrap derives that
+URL from the download URL and verifies the ZIP against its `sha256`, so it cannot move.
+It carries the same `commit` and `buildUtc` fields; `sha256` and `bootstrapVersion`
+remain, being the customer-facing integrity contract.
+
+# Consequences
+
+- Bumping `major.minor` is a human decision, made in the component's own file
+  (`VersionPrefix`, or `version` in `package.json`). Nothing bumps it automatically.
+- A new component joins by seeding a counter blob and calling the same script; no new
+  mechanism.
+- The counter blobs and manifests live in the `versions` container on
+  `autopilotmonitoreu` (writes via `AZURE_BLOB_VERSIONS_SAS_TOKEN`). The agent's
+  counter stays in the `agent` container next to the artifacts it numbers.
+
+# Citations
+
+- `.github/scripts/Request-BuildNumber.ps1` — the CAS protocol
+- `.github/workflows/deploy-backend.yml`, `deploy-mcp.yml` — reserve, verify, publish
+- `.github/workflows/build-agent.yml`, `scripts/Deployment/build.ps1` — agent line
+- [Build Counter Blob](agent/build-counter-blob.md) — agent-specific consequences

infra/mcp-server.bicep

@@ -0,0 +1,268 @@
+// Autopilot-Monitor MCP Server — Azure Container App Infrastructure
+//
+// Reconciled against the live deployment on 2026-07-21 (rg-autopilotmonitor-prd-gwc,
+// Germany West Central). The template had drifted behind two changes made directly
+// in Azure: the EU cutover (registry/API renamed) and the ACR hardening (admin user
+// disabled, image pull moved to the app's system-assigned identity).
+//
+// !! BEFORE RE-DEPLOYING THIS TEMPLATE, READ THIS !!
+// The live app carries an ingress custom-domain binding for mcp.autopilotmonitor.com
+// (SNI-enabled, with a managed certificate). Custom domains are NOT modelled below,
+// because the certificate is bound out-of-band. A full template deployment would
+// therefore REMOVE that binding and take the public MCP endpoint offline.
+// For routine changes (CPU/memory, env vars, image) prefer the surgical CLI form:
+//   az containerapp update -n autopilotmonitor-mcp -g rg-autopilotmonitor-prd-gwc --cpu 0.5 --memory 1.0Gi
+// Treat this file as the documented desired state and as a rebuild-from-scratch
+// recipe — not as a routinely-applied deployment.
+//
+// On a FROM-SCRATCH deploy the AcrPull assignment below is created only after the
+// Container App exists (it needs the app's principalId), so the very first revision
+// can fail to pull its image. Re-run the deployment, or restart the revision, once
+// the role assignment has propagated. This does not affect updates to a live app.
+//
+// Deploy (two-stage; required to set the OAuth public URL safely):
+//   1. First deploy without mcpPublicUrl:
+//      az deployment group create \
+//        --resource-group <rg-name> \
+//        --template-file infra/mcp-server.bicep \
+//        --parameters apiUrl=https://autopilotmonitor-api.azurewebsites.net \
+//                     entraClientSecret=<secret-value>
+//      This emits `containerAppUrl` as an output (e.g. https://autopilotmonitor-mcp.<env-suffix>.<region>.azurecontainerapps.io).
+//
+//   2. Re-deploy with that URL pinned, so the OAuth proxy never trusts caller-
+//      supplied X-Forwarded-Host / Host headers when building issuer / WWW-
+//      Authenticate / redirect_uri metadata:
+//        --parameters mcpPublicUrl=<containerAppUrl from step 1>
+//
+//   When mcpPublicUrl is set, the MCP server uses it verbatim and ignores any
+//   forwarded-headers from the request. Without it, the server logs a startup
+//   warning and falls back to header-derived URLs (acceptable for local dev,
+//   not for production).
+
+@description('Azure region for all resources')
+param location string = resourceGroup().location
+
+@description('Name of the Container App')
+param containerAppName string = 'autopilotmonitor-mcp'
+
+@description('Name of the Container App Environment')
+param environmentName string = 'autopilotmonitor-env'
+
+@description('Name of the Log Analytics Workspace (dedicated for Container Apps)')
+param logAnalyticsName string = 'autopilotmonitor-container-logs'
+
+@description('Name of the Azure Container Registry')
+param acrName string = 'autopilotmonitoreuacr'
+
+@description('Backend API URL')
+param apiUrl string = 'https://autopilotmonitor-api-eu.azurewebsites.net'
+
+@description('Container image tag')
+param imageTag string = 'latest'
+
+@description('Entra ID app registration client_id used for the OAuth proxy. Public value (appears in JWT aud claim); not a secret.')
+param entraClientId string = '1a400946-62c1-4ab4-aa37-f730ac89704d'
+
+@secure()
+@description('Entra ID client secret for OAuth token exchange')
+param entraClientSecret string = ''
+
+@description('Comma-separated allowlist of redirect_uri hosts for the OAuth proxy. Loopback is always allowed. Empty = built-in default (Anthropic, OpenAI, Google).')
+param mcpAllowedRedirectHosts string = ''
+
+@description('Public URL of the MCP server, used verbatim for OAuth issuer / WWW-Authenticate / redirect metadata. REQUIRED in production: the container refuses to boot without it (host-spoofing defense — see config.ts). Set on the second deploy with the value of the containerAppUrl output from the first deploy. The stage-1 deploy is safe because minReplicas=0 means no container runs until this is pinned. Empty falls back to X-Forwarded-Host headers only outside production (NODE_ENV != production).')
+param mcpPublicUrl string = ''
+
+@secure()
+// NOTE: avoid characters outside cp1252 here (this one used to say a Unicode
+// >=). `az bicep build --stdout` writes through the Windows console codec and
+// dies with a UnicodeEncodeError on anything it cannot map. Em dashes are fine.
+@description('Base64-encoded HMAC key (>=32 bytes after decode) for signing the OAuth proxy state. Naming and format match the backend\'s PaginationTokenSigningKey for consistency. Empty = generate per-instance random key on startup (acceptable for single-replica deployments since state has 10 min lifetime). Generate with PowerShell: [Convert]::ToBase64String([Security.Cryptography.RandomNumberGenerator]::GetBytes(32))')
+param oAuthStateSigningKey string = ''
+
+@description('Enable structured tool-call logging to stderr (queryable via Container App Logs)')
+param toolLoggingEnabled bool = false
+
+// --- Azure Container Registry ---
+
+// Admin user is DISABLED: a registry-wide username/password pair is a static,
+// non-rotating credential that would also have to live in a Container App secret.
+// The app pulls with its system-assigned identity + AcrPull instead (see below).
+resource acr 'Microsoft.ContainerRegistry/registries@2023-07-01' = {
+  name: acrName
+  location: location
+  sku: {
+    name: 'Basic'
+  }
+  properties: {
+    adminUserEnabled: false
+  }
+}
+
+// AcrPull for the Container App's system-assigned identity — this is what replaces
+// the admin credentials. Without it the app cannot pull its own image.
+//
+// NOTE: this assignment exists on the live registry but could not be enumerated
+// during reconciliation (the CLI session lacks Microsoft.Authorization read), so it
+// is reproduced here from the documented pattern rather than read back from Azure.
+// Verify with:
+//   az role assignment list --scope <acr-id> --assignee <containerApp principalId>
+var acrPullRoleId = '7f951dda-4ed3-4680-a7ca-43fe172d538d'
+
+resource acrPull 'Microsoft.Authorization/roleAssignments@2022-04-01' = {
+  scope: acr
+  name: guid(acr.id, containerAppName, acrPullRoleId)
+  properties: {
+    roleDefinitionId: subscriptionResourceId('Microsoft.Authorization/roleDefinitions', acrPullRoleId)
+    principalId: containerApp.identity.principalId
+    principalType: 'ServicePrincipal'
+  }
+}
+
+// --- Log Analytics Workspace (required by Container App Environment) ---
+
+resource logAnalytics 'Microsoft.OperationalInsights/workspaces@2023-09-01' = {
+  name: logAnalyticsName
+  location: location
+  properties: {
+    sku: {
+      name: 'PerGB2018'
+    }
+    retentionInDays: 30
+  }
+}
+
+// --- Container App Environment ---
+
+resource environment 'Microsoft.App/managedEnvironments@2024-03-01' = {
+  name: environmentName
+  location: location
+  properties: {
+    appLogsConfiguration: {
+      destination: 'log-analytics'
+      logAnalyticsConfiguration: {
+        customerId: logAnalytics.properties.customerId
+        sharedKey: logAnalytics.listKeys().primarySharedKey
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+// --- Container App ---
+
+resource containerApp 'Microsoft.App/containerApps@2024-03-01' = {
+  name: containerAppName
+  location: location
+  // System-assigned identity: the credential the app uses to pull from the ACR
+  // (see the AcrPull assignment above). Replaces the former admin-user secret.
+  identity: {
+    type: 'SystemAssigned'
+  }
+  properties: {
+    managedEnvironmentId: environment.id
+    configuration: {
+      ingress: {
+        external: true
+        targetPort: 8080
+        transport: 'auto'
+        allowInsecure: false
+      }
+      // 'system' = pull with the app's system-assigned identity. No username, no
+      // password secret — nothing to rotate and nothing to leak from the app config.
+      registries: [
+        {
+          server: acr.properties.loginServer
+          identity: 'system'
+        }
+      ]
+      secrets: [
+        {
+          name: 'entra-client-secret'
+          value: entraClientSecret
+        }
+        {
+          name: 'oauth-state-signing-key'
+          value: oAuthStateSigningKey
+        }
+      ]
+      activeRevisionsMode: 'Single'
+    }
+    template: {
+      containers: [
+        {
+          name: 'mcp-server'
+          image: '${acr.properties.loginServer}/${containerAppName}:${imageTag}'
+          // 0.5 vCPU, but NOT for the reason originally given. It was raised from
+          // 0.25 to shorten the scale-to-zero cold start, on the assumption that
+          // loading the ONNX embedding model dominated it. Measurement disproved
+          // that: the app boots in 504 ms in production (see the [boot] marks in
+          // the container log and docs/mcp/docs-corpus.md), of which the prebaked
+          // embedder is 173 ms in the background. Of a 31 s cold start, ~98% is
+          // Container Apps activation — pod scheduling, image mount, container
+          // start — which no CPU setting touches.
+          //
+          // It stays at 0.5 because it plausibly helps CONCURRENT requests
+          // (maxReplicas is 1, so one replica serves up to 10 in-flight calls) and
+          // because at scale-to-zero the container bills only while active, making
+          // the difference negligible. If cold start ever needs to actually go
+          // away, the only lever is minReplicas: 1. Container Apps accepts fixed
+          // CPU/memory pairs, so memory moves with the CPU.
+          resources: {
+            cpu: json('0.5')
+            memory: '1.0Gi'
+          }
+          env: [
+            { name: 'AUTOPILOT_API_URL', value: apiUrl }
+            { name: 'PORT', value: '8080' }
+            { name: 'AUTOPILOT_ENTRA_CLIENT_ID', value: entraClientId }
+            { name: 'AUTOPILOT_ENTRA_CLIENT_SECRET', secretRef: 'entra-client-secret' }
+            { name: 'MCP_ALLOWED_REDIRECT_HOSTS', value: mcpAllowedRedirectHosts }
+            { name: 'MCP_PUBLIC_URL', value: mcpPublicUrl }
+            { name: 'OAuthStateSigningKey', secretRef: 'oauth-state-signing-key' }
+            { name: 'MCP_TOOL_LOGGING', value: toolLoggingEnabled ? 'true' : 'false' }
+          ]
+          probes: [
+            {
+              type: 'Liveness'
+              httpGet: {
+                path: '/health'
+                port: 8080
+              }
+              periodSeconds: 30
+              initialDelaySeconds: 10
+            }
+            {
+              type: 'Readiness'
+              httpGet: {
+                path: '/health'
+                port: 8080
+              }
+              periodSeconds: 10
+              initialDelaySeconds: 5
+            }
+          ]
+        }
+      ]
+      scale: {
+        minReplicas: 0
+        maxReplicas: 1
+        rules: [
+          {
+            name: 'http-scaler'
+            http: {
+              metadata: {
+                concurrentRequests: '10'
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        ]
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+// --- Outputs ---
+
+output containerAppUrl string = 'https://${containerApp.properties.configuration.ingress.fqdn}'
+output mcpEndpoint string = 'https://${containerApp.properties.configuration.ingress.fqdn}/mcp'
+output acrLoginServer string = acr.properties.loginServer

rules/analyze/ANALYZE-ESP-005.json

@@ -2,10 +2,10 @@
   "$schema": "../schema/analyze-rule.schema.json",
   "ruleId": "ANALYZE-ESP-005",
   "title": "MDM Policy Forced a Mid-ESP Reboot (Second Sign-In)",
-  "description": "Detects the 'unexpected reboot + second sign-in screen' pattern: one or more device-assigned MDM policies matched the OS reboot-required catalog during ESP DeviceSetup, and Windows coalesced them into a restart at the end of DeviceSetup — forcing the user through a second sign-in before AccountSetup. Attributes the reboot to the specific CSP policy URIs so the profiles can be reassigned.",
+  "description": "Attributes an observed enrollment reboot to device-assigned MDM policies that Windows flagged as reboot-required. Fires ONLY when both facts are present in the session: at least one actually-observed reboot (system_reboot_detected) AND reboot-required policy flags (mdm_policy_reboot_required). Policy flags alone — e.g. from a user-policy sync during AccountSetup — force no reboot and stay advisory-silent.",
   "severity": "warning",
   "category": "esp",
-  "version": "1.0.0",
+  "version": "1.1.0",
   "author": "Autopilot Monitor",
   "enabled": true,
   "trigger": "single",
@@ -15,37 +15,48 @@
       "signal": "reboot_forcing_policy_uri",
       "source": "event_data",
       "eventType": "mdm_policy_reboot_required",
-      "dataField": "rebootUri",
+      "dataField": "firstRebootUri",
       "operator": "exists",
       "required": true
     },
     {
-      "signal": "reboot_uri_count",
+      "signal": "reboot_observed",
       "source": "event_count",
-      "eventType": "mdm_policy_reboot_required",
+      "eventType": "system_reboot_detected",
       "operator": "count_gte",
       "value": "1",
+      "required": true
+    },
+    {
+      "signal": "multiple_reboot_uris",
+      "source": "event_data",
+      "eventType": "mdm_policy_reboot_required",
+      "dataField": "uriCount",
+      "operator": "gte",
+      "value": "2",
       "required": false
     },
     {
-      "signal": "esp_coalesced_reboot_observed",
-      "source": "event_type",
-      "eventType": "esp_reboot_coalescing",
-      "operator": "exists",
+      "signal": "omadm_reboot_flag_set",
+      "source": "event_data",
+      "eventType": "mdm_policy_reboot_required",
+      "dataField": "omadmRebootRequiredFlag",
+      "operator": "equals",
+      "value": "true",
       "required": false
     }
   ],
   "confidenceFactors": [
-    { "signal": "esp_coalesced_reboot_observed", "condition": "exists", "weight": 20 },
-    { "signal": "mdm_policy_reboot_required", "condition": "count >= 2", "weight": 10 }
+    { "signal": "multiple_reboot_uris", "condition": "exists", "weight": 10 },
+    { "signal": "omadm_reboot_flag_set", "condition": "exists", "weight": 15 }
   ],
   "confidenceThreshold": 70,
-  "explanation": "During ESP DeviceSetup, a device-assigned MDM policy matched the OS reboot-required catalog and Windows scheduled a **coalesced reboot** at the end of DeviceSetup — the user saw an unexpected restart and a **second sign-in screen** before AccountSetup continued.\n\nFirst reboot-forcing policy URI: `{{rebootUri}}`\n\nWhen several policies force a reboot they are coalesced into one restart; **each** reboot-forcing policy appears as its own `mdm_policy_reboot_required` event on the session timeline — check the timeline for the complete URI list.\n\nThis is expected OS behavior, not a failure — but it degrades the enrollment experience, confuses users, and is invisible in the Intune console.",
+  "explanation": "This session **rebooted during enrollment**, and Windows flagged one or more device-assigned MDM policies as **reboot-required** — the classic cause of the coalesced mid-ESP restart and the unexpected **second sign-in screen** before AccountSetup.\n\nFirst reboot-forcing policy URI: `{{firstRebootUri}}`\n\nThe complete URI list is in the `mdm_policy_reboot_required` timeline event (`rebootUris`). Policies applied DURING ESP DeviceSetup are coalesced into one forced restart at the end of DeviceSetup; the same flags raised later (e.g. user-policy sync in AccountSetup) have no immediate effect — this advisory only fires when a reboot was actually observed.\n\nThis is expected OS behavior, not a failure — but it degrades the enrollment experience, confuses users, and is invisible in the Intune console.",
   "remediation": [
     {
       "title": "Reassign the reboot-forcing policies to user groups",
       "steps": [
-        "Open each `mdm_policy_reboot_required` timeline event and note the CSP URI (e.g. `./Device/Vendor/MSFT/...`)",
+        "Open the `mdm_policy_reboot_required` timeline event and note the CSP URIs in `rebootUris` (e.g. `./Device/Vendor/MSFT/...`)",
         "Map each URI to its Intune profile (Settings Catalog / configuration profile) — the URI path names the CSP area",
         "Reassign those profiles from device groups to user groups so they apply during/after AccountSetup instead of DeviceSetup",
         "Alternatively, exclude the Autopilot device group from the profile and deliver the setting post-enrollment"

rules/analyze/ANALYZE-ESP-006.json

@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "../schema/analyze-rule.schema.json",
+  "ruleId": "ANALYZE-ESP-006",
+  "title": "ESP Failure Recovered After User Retry",
+  "description": "Detects the recovery story: the ESP reported a terminal failure (typically DeviceSetup/Apps), the user most likely pressed 'Try again' on the failure page, the failed step re-ran and completed successfully. The earlier failure did not stick — the enrollment continued past it.",
+  "severity": "info",
+  "category": "esp",
+  "version": "1.0.0",
+  "enabled": true,
+  "baseConfidence": 85,
+  "conditions": [
+    {
+      "signal": "advisory",
+      "source": "event_type",
+      "eventType": "esp_failure_advisory",
+      "operator": "exists",
+      "value": "",
+      "required": true
+    },
+    {
+      "signal": "recovered",
+      "source": "event_type",
+      "eventType": "esp_failure_recovered",
+      "operator": "exists",
+      "value": "",
+      "required": true
+    },
+    {
+      "signal": "retry",
+      "source": "event_type",
+      "eventType": "esp_failure_retry_detected",
+      "operator": "exists",
+      "value": "",
+      "required": false
+    },
+    {
+      "signal": "category",
+      "source": "event_type",
+      "eventType": "esp_failure_recovered",
+      "dataField": "category",
+      "operator": "exists",
+      "value": "",
+      "required": false
+    },
+    {
+      "signal": "failedSubcategory",
+      "source": "event_type",
+      "eventType": "esp_failure_recovered",
+      "dataField": "failedSubcategory",
+      "operator": "exists",
+      "value": "",
+      "required": false
+    },
+    {
+      "signal": "likelyCulpritApps",
+      "source": "event_type",
+      "eventType": "esp_failure_advisory",
+      "dataField": "likelyCulpritApps",
+      "operator": "exists",
+      "value": "",
+      "required": false
+    },
+    {
+      "signal": "minutesSinceFailure",
+      "source": "event_type",
+      "eventType": "esp_failure_recovered",
+      "dataField": "minutesSinceFailure",
+      "operator": "exists",
+      "value": "",
+      "required": false
+    }
+  ],
+  "confidenceFactors": [
+    { "signal": "retry", "condition": "exists", "weight": 10 },
+    { "signal": "likelyCulpritApps", "condition": "exists", "weight": 5 }
+  ],
+  "explanation": "The Enrollment Status Page reported a **failure** in the `{{category}}` phase (`{{failedSubcategory}}` subcategory, most likely app(s): `{{likelyCulpritApps}}`) — and then **recovered**: the failed step left its failed state and completed successfully about `{{minutesSinceFailure}}` min later.\n\nThat pattern is consistent with the user pressing **'Try again'** on the ESP failure page (the profile allows failure-page actions; the agent cannot observe the click itself). The failure the user saw was real, but it did not stick — the ESP re-ran the step, it succeeded, and the enrollment continued.\n\nRead the session timeline as one arc: `esp_failure_advisory` (the failure, with the likely culprit app) → `esp_failure_retry_detected` (the retry) → `esp_failure_recovered` (the recovery). If this pattern repeats across devices for the same app, that app's install is flaky on first attempt — fix the app rather than the devices. Any literal `{{…}}` placeholder means that detail was not recorded for this session.",
+  "remediation": [
+    {
+      "title": "Make the first install attempt stick",
+      "steps": [
+        "Check the likely culprit app(s) (`{{likelyCulpritApps}}`) in Intune: an app that fails on the first ESP pass but succeeds on retry usually has a dependency/ordering or detection-timing problem.",
+        "If the app shows 'never started installing' in esp_failure_settle_started, verify its assignment and applicability rules — ESP counted it as required, but IME never processed it.",
+        "If the pattern repeats across the tenant, consider removing the app from the ESP blocking list until the first-attempt install is reliable — users are seeing an avoidable failure screen.",
+        "No device-side action is needed for this session: the failure recovered and the enrollment continued."
+      ]
+    }
+  ],
+  "tags": ["esp", "recovery", "try-again", "retry", "continue-anyway", "enrollment"]
+}

rules/analyze/ANALYZE-SEC-001.json

@@ -2,10 +2,10 @@
   "$schema": "../schema/analyze-rule.schema.json",
   "ruleId": "ANALYZE-SEC-001",
   "title": "Secure Boot UEFI CA 2023 certificate not deployed",
-  "description": "Detects devices where the Windows UEFI CA 2023 certificate has not been deployed to the Secure Boot DB. The 2011 certificates expired in June 2026 — affected devices no longer receive Secure Boot security updates until the 2023 certificate is deployed.",
+  "description": "Detects devices where the Windows UEFI CA 2023 certificate has not been deployed to the Secure Boot DB. The 2011 certificates expired in June 2026 — affected devices no longer receive Secure Boot security updates until the 2023 certificate is deployed. Since v3 the agent reads the firmware db/KEK variables directly: when the firmware itself confirms the 2023 certificate, the rule is suppressed even if the Windows servicing status has not caught up yet.",
   "severity": "warning",
   "category": "security",
-  "version": "2.0.0",
+  "version": "3.0.0",
   "enabled": true,
   "baseConfidence": 70,
   "preconditions": [
@@ -16,6 +16,14 @@
       "operator": "equals",
       "value": "false",
       "description": "Skip on virtual machines — Secure Boot DB is host-controlled (Hyper-V/VMware/etc), the inside-the-VM UEFICA2023Status registry value is not the right indicator and not actionable for the VM admin."
+    },
+    {
+      "source": "event_data",
+      "eventType": "secureboot_status",
+      "dataField": "uefiCa2023FirmwareConfirmed",
+      "operator": "not_exists",
+      "value": "",
+      "description": "Skip when the firmware db itself confirms the Windows UEFI CA 2023 certificate — the marker is only emitted on positive firmware confirmation, so old agents (field absent) and unconfirmed devices keep evaluating the rule. The servicing registry status lags behind actual firmware state (OEM factory image, WinCS, manual deployment, or WU simply not run yet)."
     }
   ],
   "conditions": [
@@ -54,13 +62,33 @@
       "operator": "exists",
       "value": "",
       "required": false
+    },
+    {
+      "signal": "db_ca2023_firmware_missing",
+      "source": "event_data",
+      "eventType": "secureboot_status",
+      "dataField": "uefiDbHasWindowsUefiCa2023",
+      "operator": "equals",
+      "value": "false",
+      "required": false
+    },
+    {
+      "signal": "kek_2023_missing",
+      "source": "event_data",
+      "eventType": "secureboot_status",
+      "dataField": "uefiKekHasMicrosoftKek2kCa2023",
+      "operator": "equals",
+      "value": "false",
+      "required": false
     }
   ],
   "confidenceFactors": [
     { "signal": "ca2023_notfound", "condition": "exists", "weight": 20 },
-    { "signal": "ca2023_error", "condition": "exists", "weight": 10 }
+    { "signal": "ca2023_error", "condition": "exists", "weight": 10 },
+    { "signal": "db_ca2023_firmware_missing", "condition": "exists", "weight": 20 },
+    { "signal": "kek_2023_missing", "condition": "exists", "weight": 10 }
   ],
-  "explanation": "This device has Secure Boot enabled but the **Windows UEFI CA 2023** certificate has not been deployed to the Secure Boot DB.\n\nThe original Windows UEFI CA 2011 certificates **expired on June 27, 2026 — this deadline has passed**. The automatic pre-expiry rollout window is over: this device no longer receives Secure Boot security updates (DB/DBX) and cannot trust 2023-signed boot managers until the 2023 certificate is deployed. Deploying it now requires active remediation (Windows servicing opt-in and, on some models, an OEM firmware update) rather than waiting for an automatic update.\n\nCurrent UEFI CA 2023 status: `{{uefiCA2023Status}}`",
+  "explanation": "This device has Secure Boot enabled but the **Windows UEFI CA 2023** certificate has not been deployed to the Secure Boot DB.\n\nThe original Windows UEFI CA 2011 certificates **expired on June 27, 2026 — this deadline has passed**. The automatic pre-expiry rollout window is over: this device no longer receives Secure Boot security updates (DB/DBX) and cannot trust 2023-signed boot managers until the 2023 certificate is deployed. Deploying it now requires active remediation (Windows servicing opt-in and, on some models, an OEM firmware update) rather than waiting for an automatic update.\n\nOn devices running a current agent this finding is verified against the firmware itself: the agent reads the UEFI `db` signature database directly, and this warning is automatically suppressed when the firmware already contains the 2023 certificate — regardless of the Windows servicing status below.\n\nCurrent UEFI CA 2023 servicing status: `{{uefiCA2023Status}}`",
   "remediation": [
     {
       "title": "Deploy UEFI CA 2023 certificate now",
@@ -69,7 +97,7 @@
         "Use Intune policy to enable Secure Boot DB update (Windows UEFI CA 2023)",
         "Check with the device OEM whether a firmware update is required for the DB update to apply on this model",
         "Alternatively, use the WinCS CLI tool from Microsoft for manual deployment",
-        "Verify deployment: check registry HKLM\\SYSTEM\\CurrentControlSet\\Control\\SecureBoot\\Servicing\\UEFICA2023Status = 'Updated'",
+        "Verify deployment against the firmware directly: [Text.Encoding]::ASCII.GetString((Get-SecureBootUEFI -Name db).Bytes).Contains('Windows UEFI CA 2023') — this is authoritative; the registry value HKLM\\SYSTEM\\CurrentControlSet\\Control\\SecureBoot\\Servicing\\UEFICA2023Status = 'Updated' only reflects the Windows Update rollout",
         "After DB update: ensure the boot manager is updated to a 2023-signed version via monthly cumulative update"
       ]
     }

rules/dist/analyze-rules.json

@@ -1788,10 +1788,10 @@
     {
       "ruleId": "ANALYZE-ESP-005",
       "title": "MDM Policy Forced a Mid-ESP Reboot (Second Sign-In)",
-      "description": "Detects the 'unexpected reboot + second sign-in screen' pattern: one or more device-assigned MDM policies matched the OS reboot-required catalog during ESP DeviceSetup, and Windows coalesced them into a restart at the end of DeviceSetup — forcing the user through a second sign-in before AccountSetup. Attributes the reboot to the specific CSP policy URIs so the profiles can be reassigned.",
+      "description": "Attributes an observed enrollment reboot to device-assigned MDM policies that Windows flagged as reboot-required. Fires ONLY when both facts are present in the session: at least one actually-observed reboot (system_reboot_detected) AND reboot-required policy flags (mdm_policy_reboot_required). Policy flags alone — e.g. from a user-policy sync during AccountSetup — force no reboot and stay advisory-silent.",
       "severity": "warning",
       "category": "esp",
-      "version": "1.0.0",
+      "version": "1.1.0",
       "author": "Autopilot Monitor",
       "enabled": true,
       "trigger": "single",
@@ -1801,45 +1801,56 @@
           "signal": "reboot_forcing_policy_uri",
           "source": "event_data",
           "eventType": "mdm_policy_reboot_required",
-          "dataField": "rebootUri",
+          "dataField": "firstRebootUri",
           "operator": "exists",
           "required": true
         },
         {
-          "signal": "reboot_uri_count",
+          "signal": "reboot_observed",
           "source": "event_count",
-          "eventType": "mdm_policy_reboot_required",
+          "eventType": "system_reboot_detected",
           "operator": "count_gte",
           "value": "1",
+          "required": true
+        },
+        {
+          "signal": "multiple_reboot_uris",
+          "source": "event_data",
+          "eventType": "mdm_policy_reboot_required",
+          "dataField": "uriCount",
+          "operator": "gte",
+          "value": "2",
           "required": false
         },
         {
-          "signal": "esp_coalesced_reboot_observed",
-          "source": "event_type",
-          "eventType": "esp_reboot_coalescing",
-          "operator": "exists",
+          "signal": "omadm_reboot_flag_set",
+          "source": "event_data",
+          "eventType": "mdm_policy_reboot_required",
+          "dataField": "omadmRebootRequiredFlag",
+          "operator": "equals",
+          "value": "true",
           "required": false
         }
       ],
       "confidenceFactors": [
         {
-          "signal": "esp_coalesced_reboot_observed",
+          "signal": "multiple_reboot_uris",
           "condition": "exists",
-          "weight": 20
+          "weight": 10
         },
         {
-          "signal": "mdm_policy_reboot_required",
-          "condition": "count >= 2",
-          "weight": 10
+          "signal": "omadm_reboot_flag_set",
+          "condition": "exists",
+          "weight": 15
         }
       ],
       "confidenceThreshold": 70,
-      "explanation": "During ESP DeviceSetup, a device-assigned MDM policy matched the OS reboot-required catalog and Windows scheduled a **coalesced reboot** at the end of DeviceSetup — the user saw an unexpected restart and a **second sign-in screen** before AccountSetup continued.\n\nFirst reboot-forcing policy URI: `{{rebootUri}}`\n\nWhen several policies force a reboot they are coalesced into one restart; **each** reboot-forcing policy appears as its own `mdm_policy_reboot_required` event on the session timeline — check the timeline for the complete URI list.\n\nThis is expected OS behavior, not a failure — but it degrades the enrollment experience, confuses users, and is invisible in the Intune console.",
+      "explanation": "This session **rebooted during enrollment**, and Windows flagged one or more device-assigned MDM policies as **reboot-required** — the classic cause of the coalesced mid-ESP restart and the unexpected **second sign-in screen** before AccountSetup.\n\nFirst reboot-forcing policy URI: `{{firstRebootUri}}`\n\nThe complete URI list is in the `mdm_policy_reboot_required` timeline event (`rebootUris`). Policies applied DURING ESP DeviceSetup are coalesced into one forced restart at the end of DeviceSetup; the same flags raised later (e.g. user-policy sync in AccountSetup) have no immediate effect — this advisory only fires when a reboot was actually observed.\n\nThis is expected OS behavior, not a failure — but it degrades the enrollment experience, confuses users, and is invisible in the Intune console.",
       "remediation": [
         {
           "title": "Reassign the reboot-forcing policies to user groups",
           "steps": [
-            "Open each `mdm_policy_reboot_required` timeline event and note the CSP URI (e.g. `./Device/Vendor/MSFT/...`)",
+            "Open the `mdm_policy_reboot_required` timeline event and note the CSP URIs in `rebootUris` (e.g. `./Device/Vendor/MSFT/...`)",
             "Map each URI to its Intune profile (Settings Catalog / configuration profile) — the URI path names the CSP area",
             "Reassign those profiles from device groups to user groups so they apply during/after AccountSetup instead of DeviceSetup",
             "Alternatively, exclude the Autopilot device group from the profile and deliver the setting post-enrollment"
@@ -1873,6 +1884,110 @@
         "user-experience"
       ]
     },
+    {
+      "ruleId": "ANALYZE-ESP-006",
+      "title": "ESP Failure Recovered After User Retry",
+      "description": "Detects the recovery story: the ESP reported a terminal failure (typically DeviceSetup/Apps), the user most likely pressed 'Try again' on the failure page, the failed step re-ran and completed successfully. The earlier failure did not stick — the enrollment continued past it.",
+      "severity": "info",
+      "category": "esp",
+      "version": "1.0.0",
+      "enabled": true,
+      "baseConfidence": 85,
+      "conditions": [
+        {
+          "signal": "advisory",
+          "source": "event_type",
+          "eventType": "esp_failure_advisory",
+          "operator": "exists",
+          "value": "",
+          "required": true
+        },
+        {
+          "signal": "recovered",
+          "source": "event_type",
+          "eventType": "esp_failure_recovered",
+          "operator": "exists",
+          "value": "",
+          "required": true
+        },
+        {
+          "signal": "retry",
+          "source": "event_type",
+          "eventType": "esp_failure_retry_detected",
+          "operator": "exists",
+          "value": "",
+          "required": false
+        },
+        {
+          "signal": "category",
+          "source": "event_type",
+          "eventType": "esp_failure_recovered",
+          "dataField": "category",
+          "operator": "exists",
+          "value": "",
+          "required": false
+        },
+        {
+          "signal": "failedSubcategory",
+          "source": "event_type",
+          "eventType": "esp_failure_recovered",
+          "dataField": "failedSubcategory",
+          "operator": "exists",
+          "value": "",
+          "required": false
+        },
+        {
+          "signal": "likelyCulpritApps",
+          "source": "event_type",
+          "eventType": "esp_failure_advisory",
+          "dataField": "likelyCulpritApps",
+          "operator": "exists",
+          "value": "",
+          "required": false
+        },
+        {
+          "signal": "minutesSinceFailure",
+          "source": "event_type",
+          "eventType": "esp_failure_recovered",
+          "dataField": "minutesSinceFailure",
+          "operator": "exists",
+          "value": "",
+          "required": false
+        }
+      ],
+      "confidenceFactors": [
+        {
+          "signal": "retry",
+          "condition": "exists",
+          "weight": 10
+        },
+        {
+          "signal": "likelyCulpritApps",
+          "condition": "exists",
+          "weight": 5
+        }
+      ],
+      "explanation": "The Enrollment Status Page reported a **failure** in the `{{category}}` phase (`{{failedSubcategory}}` subcategory, most likely app(s): `{{likelyCulpritApps}}`) — and then **recovered**: the failed step left its failed state and completed successfully about `{{minutesSinceFailure}}` min later.\n\nThat pattern is consistent with the user pressing **'Try again'** on the ESP failure page (the profile allows failure-page actions; the agent cannot observe the click itself). The failure the user saw was real, but it did not stick — the ESP re-ran the step, it succeeded, and the enrollment continued.\n\nRead the session timeline as one arc: `esp_failure_advisory` (the failure, with the likely culprit app) → `esp_failure_retry_detected` (the retry) → `esp_failure_recovered` (the recovery). If this pattern repeats across devices for the same app, that app's install is flaky on first attempt — fix the app rather than the devices. Any literal `{{…}}` placeholder means that detail was not recorded for this session.",
+      "remediation": [
+        {
+          "title": "Make the first install attempt stick",
+          "steps": [
+            "Check the likely culprit app(s) (`{{likelyCulpritApps}}`) in Intune: an app that fails on the first ESP pass but succeeds on retry usually has a dependency/ordering or detection-timing problem.",
+            "If the app shows 'never started installing' in esp_failure_settle_started, verify its assignment and applicability rules — ESP counted it as required, but IME never processed it.",
+            "If the pattern repeats across the tenant, consider removing the app from the ESP blocking list until the first-attempt install is reliable — users are seeing an avoidable failure screen.",
+            "No device-side action is needed for this session: the failure recovered and the enrollment continued."
+          ]
+        }
+      ],
+      "tags": [
+        "esp",
+        "recovery",
+        "try-again",
+        "retry",
+        "continue-anyway",
+        "enrollment"
+      ]
+    },
     {
       "ruleId": "ANALYZE-ID-001",
       "title": "Expected Machine Certificate Not Found",
@@ -2167,10 +2282,10 @@
     {
       "ruleId": "ANALYZE-SEC-001",
       "title": "Secure Boot UEFI CA 2023 certificate not deployed",
-      "description": "Detects devices where the Windows UEFI CA 2023 certificate has not been deployed to the Secure Boot DB. The 2011 certificates expired in June 2026 — affected devices no longer receive Secure Boot security updates until the 2023 certificate is deployed.",
+      "description": "Detects devices where the Windows UEFI CA 2023 certificate has not been deployed to the Secure Boot DB. The 2011 certificates expired in June 2026 — affected devices no longer receive Secure Boot security updates until the 2023 certificate is deployed. Since v3 the agent reads the firmware db/KEK variables directly: when the firmware itself confirms the 2023 certificate, the rule is suppressed even if the Windows servicing status has not caught up yet.",
       "severity": "warning",
       "category": "security",
-      "version": "2.0.0",
+      "version": "3.0.0",
       "enabled": true,
       "baseConfidence": 70,
       "preconditions": [
@@ -2181,6 +2296,14 @@
           "operator": "equals",
           "value": "false",
           "description": "Skip on virtual machines — Secure Boot DB is host-controlled (Hyper-V/VMware/etc), the inside-the-VM UEFICA2023Status registry value is not the right indicator and not actionable for the VM admin."
+        },
+        {
+          "source": "event_data",
+          "eventType": "secureboot_status",
+          "dataField": "uefiCa2023FirmwareConfirmed",
+          "operator": "not_exists",
+          "value": "",
+          "description": "Skip when the firmware db itself confirms the Windows UEFI CA 2023 certificate — the marker is only emitted on positive firmware confirmation, so old agents (field absent) and unconfirmed devices keep evaluating the rule. The servicing registry status lags behind actual firmware state (OEM factory image, WinCS, manual deployment, or WU simply not run yet)."
         }
       ],
       "conditions": [
@@ -2219,6 +2342,24 @@
           "operator": "exists",
           "value": "",
           "required": false
+        },
+        {
+          "signal": "db_ca2023_firmware_missing",
+          "source": "event_data",
+          "eventType": "secureboot_status",
+          "dataField": "uefiDbHasWindowsUefiCa2023",
+          "operator": "equals",
+          "value": "false",
+          "required": false
+        },
+        {
+          "signal": "kek_2023_missing",
+          "source": "event_data",
+          "eventType": "secureboot_status",
+          "dataField": "uefiKekHasMicrosoftKek2kCa2023",
+          "operator": "equals",
+          "value": "false",
+          "required": false
         }
       ],
       "confidenceFactors": [
@@ -2231,9 +2372,19 @@
           "signal": "ca2023_error",
           "condition": "exists",
           "weight": 10
+        },
+        {
+          "signal": "db_ca2023_firmware_missing",
+          "condition": "exists",
+          "weight": 20
+        },
+        {
+          "signal": "kek_2023_missing",
+          "condition": "exists",
+          "weight": 10
         }
       ],
-      "explanation": "This device has Secure Boot enabled but the **Windows UEFI CA 2023** certificate has not been deployed to the Secure Boot DB.\n\nThe original Windows UEFI CA 2011 certificates **expired on June 27, 2026 — this deadline has passed**. The automatic pre-expiry rollout window is over: this device no longer receives Secure Boot security updates (DB/DBX) and cannot trust 2023-signed boot managers until the 2023 certificate is deployed. Deploying it now requires active remediation (Windows servicing opt-in and, on some models, an OEM firmware update) rather than waiting for an automatic update.\n\nCurrent UEFI CA 2023 status: `{{uefiCA2023Status}}`",
+      "explanation": "This device has Secure Boot enabled but the **Windows UEFI CA 2023** certificate has not been deployed to the Secure Boot DB.\n\nThe original Windows UEFI CA 2011 certificates **expired on June 27, 2026 — this deadline has passed**. The automatic pre-expiry rollout window is over: this device no longer receives Secure Boot security updates (DB/DBX) and cannot trust 2023-signed boot managers until the 2023 certificate is deployed. Deploying it now requires active remediation (Windows servicing opt-in and, on some models, an OEM firmware update) rather than waiting for an automatic update.\n\nOn devices running a current agent this finding is verified against the firmware itself: the agent reads the UEFI `db` signature database directly, and this warning is automatically suppressed when the firmware already contains the 2023 certificate — regardless of the Windows servicing status below.\n\nCurrent UEFI CA 2023 servicing status: `{{uefiCA2023Status}}`",
       "remediation": [
         {
           "title": "Deploy UEFI CA 2023 certificate now",
@@ -2242,7 +2393,7 @@
             "Use Intune policy to enable Secure Boot DB update (Windows UEFI CA 2023)",
             "Check with the device OEM whether a firmware update is required for the DB update to apply on this model",
             "Alternatively, use the WinCS CLI tool from Microsoft for manual deployment",
-            "Verify deployment: check registry HKLM\\SYSTEM\\CurrentControlSet\\Control\\SecureBoot\\Servicing\\UEFICA2023Status = 'Updated'",
+            "Verify deployment against the firmware directly: [Text.Encoding]::ASCII.GetString((Get-SecureBootUEFI -Name db).Bytes).Contains('Windows UEFI CA 2023') — this is authoritative; the registry value HKLM\\SYSTEM\\CurrentControlSet\\Control\\SecureBoot\\Servicing\\UEFICA2023Status = 'Updated' only reflects the Windows Update rollout",
             "After DB update: ensure the boot manager is updated to a 2023-signed version via monthly cumulative update"
           ]
         }

rules/guardrails.json

@@ -43,7 +43,8 @@
       "prefixes": [
         "SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Setup",
         "SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\OOBE",
-        "SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows NT\\CurrentVersion\\Winlogon"
+        "SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows NT\\CurrentVersion\\Winlogon",
+        "SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows\\Autopilot"
       ]
     },
     {
@@ -109,6 +110,79 @@
     "SELECT * FROM Win32_LogicalDisk",
     "SELECT * FROM SoftwareLicensingProduct"
   ],
+  "eventLogChannels": [
+    {
+      "category": "Core Windows logs",
+      "channels": [
+        "Application",
+        "System",
+        "Setup",
+        "Microsoft-Windows-Kernel-Boot",
+        "Microsoft-Windows-Diagnostics-Performance"
+      ]
+    },
+    {
+      "category": "MDM / Enrollment",
+      "channels": [
+        "Microsoft-Windows-DeviceManagement-Enterprise-Diagnostics-Provider",
+        "Microsoft-Windows-ModernDeployment-Diagnostics-Provider",
+        "Microsoft-Windows-Provisioning-Diagnostics-Provider",
+        "Microsoft-Windows-AAD",
+        "Microsoft-Windows-User Device Registration"
+      ]
+    },
+    {
+      "category": "ESP / Shell / Apps",
+      "channels": [
+        "Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Core",
+        "Microsoft-Windows-AppXDeployment",
+        "Microsoft-Windows-AppXDeploymentServer",
+        "Microsoft-Windows-AppReadiness",
+        "Microsoft-Windows-Store"
+      ]
+    },
+    {
+      "category": "Security posture / Crypto",
+      "channels": [
+        "Microsoft-Windows-BitLocker-API",
+        "Microsoft-Windows-BitLocker-DrivePreparationTool",
+        "Microsoft-Windows-TPM-WMI",
+        "Microsoft-Windows-CertificateServicesClient-Lifecycle-System"
+      ]
+    },
+    {
+      "category": "Update / Servicing",
+      "channels": [
+        "Microsoft-Windows-WindowsUpdateClient"
+      ]
+    },
+    {
+      "category": "Logon / Session",
+      "channels": [
+        "Microsoft-Windows-Winlogon",
+        "Microsoft-Windows-User Profile Service",
+        "Microsoft-Windows-GroupPolicy",
+        "Microsoft-Windows-TaskScheduler"
+      ]
+    },
+    {
+      "category": "Network",
+      "channels": [
+        "Microsoft-Windows-NetworkProfile",
+        "Microsoft-Windows-Dhcp-Client",
+        "Microsoft-Windows-DNS-Client",
+        "Microsoft-Windows-NCSI",
+        "Microsoft-Windows-WLAN-AutoConfig",
+        "Microsoft-Windows-Time-Service"
+      ]
+    }
+  ],
+  "blockedEventLogChannels": [
+    "Security",
+    "Microsoft-Windows-PowerShell",
+    "Windows PowerShell",
+    "Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon"
+  ],
   "allowedCommands": [
     {
       "category": "TPM and Security",

rules/schema/gather-rule.schema.json

@@ -80,8 +80,8 @@
         },
         "trigger": {
           "type": "string",
-          "description": "When to collect data.",
-          "enum": ["startup", "phase_change", "interval", "on_event"]
+          "description": "When to collect data. \"phase_change\" fires once when triggerPhase is entered, \"phase_exit\" once when it is left.",
+          "enum": ["startup", "phase_change", "phase_exit", "interval", "on_event"]
         },
         "intervalSeconds": {
           "type": "integer",
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@
         },
         "triggerPhase": {
           "type": "string",
-          "description": "Phase to trigger on (only used when trigger = \"phase_change\")."
+          "description": "Phase to trigger on (used when trigger = \"phase_change\" or \"phase_exit\"). Empty = every phase transition."
         },
         "triggerEventType": {
           "type": "string",

rules/scripts/combine.js

@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ if (fs.existsSync(guardrailsPath)) {
   // Flatten categorized lists for validation
   const flatRegistryPrefixes = guardrails.registryPrefixes.flatMap((g) => g.prefixes);
   const flatCommands = guardrails.allowedCommands.flatMap((g) => g.commands);
+  const flatEventLogChannels = guardrails.eventLogChannels.flatMap((g) => g.channels);
 
   const ts = `/**
  * AUTO-GENERATED from rules/guardrails.json — DO NOT EDIT.
@@ -114,6 +115,10 @@ export const COMMAND_CATEGORIES: readonly GuardrailCategory[] = [
 ${categorizedArray(guardrails.allowedCommands, 'commands')}
 ];
 
+export const EVENT_LOG_CHANNEL_CATEGORIES: readonly GuardrailCategory[] = [
+${categorizedArray(guardrails.eventLogChannels, 'channels')}
+];
+
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Flat arrays (for validation logic)
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -141,10 +146,18 @@ ${flatArray(guardrails.diagnosticsPathPrefixes)}
 export const BLOCKED_FILE_PREFIXES: readonly string[] = [
 ${flatArray(guardrails.blockedFilePrefixes)}
 ];
+
+export const ALLOWED_EVENT_LOG_CHANNELS: readonly string[] = [
+${flatArray(flatEventLogChannels)}
+];
+
+export const BLOCKED_EVENT_LOG_CHANNELS: readonly string[] = [
+${flatArray(guardrails.blockedEventLogChannels)}
+];
 `;
 
   fs.writeFileSync(guardrailsOutput, ts, 'utf8');
-  console.log(`guardrails.generated.ts: ${flatRegistryPrefixes.length} registry, ${flatCommands.length} commands, ${guardrails.filePrefixes.length} file prefixes`);
+  console.log(`guardrails.generated.ts: ${flatRegistryPrefixes.length} registry, ${flatCommands.length} commands, ${guardrails.filePrefixes.length} file prefixes, ${flatEventLogChannels.length} event log channels`);
 } else {
   console.warn('guardrails.json not found — skipping guardrails generation');
 }

scripts/Bootstrap/Install-AutopilotMonitor-dev.ps1

@@ -56,6 +56,10 @@
       PowerShell 5.1 (IME) reads scripts without BOM as ANSI, corrupting multi-byte chars.
 
 .CHANGELOG
+    2026-07-20  v2.2  Switched default download endpoint from the legacy blob
+                      (autopilotmonitor.blob.core.windows.net) to the Front Door alias
+                      https://download.autopilotmonitor.com/agent/ (route /agent/*).
+                      version.json is still derived from the same container.
     2026-06-25  v2.1  OOBE-relax: detect genuine OOBE via WinRT
                       SystemSetupInfo.OutOfBoxExperienceState and exempt guards 2+3 when a
                       single freshly-created profile appears in OOBE (Windows Backup for
@@ -80,7 +84,7 @@
 [CmdletBinding()]
 param(
     [Parameter(Mandatory = $false)]
-    [string]$AgentDownloadUrl = "https://autopilotmonitor.blob.core.windows.net/agent/AutopilotMonitor-Agent.zip",
+    [string]$AgentDownloadUrl = "https://download.autopilotmonitor.com/agent/AutopilotMonitor-Agent.zip",
 
     [Parameter(Mandatory = $false)]
     [string]$VersionJsonName = "version.json",
@@ -93,7 +97,7 @@ param(
 )
 
 # Script version (bump on meaningful changes; see .CHANGELOG above)
-$ScriptVersion = "2.1"
+$ScriptVersion = "2.2"
 
 # Configuration - Everything in ProgramData for easy cleanup
 $AgentBasePath = "$env:ProgramData\AutopilotMonitor"
@@ -268,13 +272,16 @@ try {
                 $downloadAttempt++
                 try {
                     Write-Log "Download attempt ${downloadAttempt}/${maxDownloadAttempts}"
+                    $downloadStopwatch = [System.Diagnostics.Stopwatch]::StartNew()
                     Invoke-WebRequest `
                         -Uri $AgentDownloadUrl `
                         -OutFile $zipPath `
                         -UseBasicParsing `
                         -TimeoutSec 30 `
                         -ErrorAction Stop
-                    Write-Log "Downloaded agent to $zipPath"
+                    $downloadStopwatch.Stop()
+                    $downloadSeconds = [math]::Round($downloadStopwatch.Elapsed.TotalSeconds, 1)
+                    Write-Log "Downloaded agent to $zipPath (took ${downloadSeconds}s)"
                     break
                 }
                 catch {

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests/Configuration/EndpointMigrationTests.cs

@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Configuration
         private const string CurrentUrl = "https://autopilotmonitor-api-eu.azurewebsites.net";
         private const string TargetUrl = "https://autopilotmonitor-api-us.azurewebsites.net";
 
-        private static AgentConfigResponse Config(string migrateUrl) =>
+        private static AgentConfigResponse Config(string? migrateUrl) =>
             new AgentConfigResponse { MigrateToApiBaseUrl = migrateUrl };
 
         [Fact]

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests/Configuration/RemoteConfigServiceCacheHardeningTests.cs

@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Configuration
             // Read the file the production code actually wrote and deserialize with the same lib.
             var raw = File.ReadAllText(_cachePath);
             var persisted = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<AgentConfigResponse>(raw);
+            Assert.NotNull(persisted);
 
             Assert.False(persisted.UnrestrictedMode);
             Assert.False(persisted.AllowAgentDowngrade);

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests/Configuration/RemoteConfigServiceRetryTests.cs

@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Configuration
                     case BackendBehaviour.AlwaysAuthFailure401:
                         throw new BackendAuthException("Unauthorized", 401);
                     case BackendBehaviour.AlwaysReturnNull:
-                        return Task.FromResult<AgentConfigResponse>(null);
+                        return Task.FromResult<AgentConfigResponse>(null!);
                     default:
                         throw new InvalidOperationException("unknown behaviour");
                 }
@@ -204,9 +204,9 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Configuration
 
             // In-memory + per-instance cache so a prior test's successful fetch can't
             // bleed into a later test that expects UsedDefaults.
-            private AgentConfigResponse _cached;
+            private AgentConfigResponse? _cached;
             protected override void CacheConfig(AgentConfigResponse config) { _cached = config; }
-            protected override AgentConfigResponse LoadCachedConfig() => _cached;
+            protected override AgentConfigResponse LoadCachedConfig() => _cached!;
         }
     }
 }

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests/Integration/ShellCoreToEngineEspExitingTests.cs

@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Integration
                 logger: logger,
                 helloTracker: null);
 
-            EspExitedEventArgs captured = null;
+            EspExitedEventArgs? captured = null;
             tracker.EspExited += (_, args) => captured = args;
 
             // Source time IS in the past relative to the clock — verify the tracker carries the

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests/Monitoring/Analyzers/LocalAdminAnalyzerTests.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+#nullable enable
+using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Telemetry.Analyzers;
+using Xunit;
+
+namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Monitoring.Analyzers
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// LocalAdminAnalyzer.MatchesAllowedEntry — the allowed-list matching contract.
+    /// Entries without wildcard characters match exactly (case-insensitive); entries
+    /// containing * or ? are glob patterns with the same semantics as the hardware
+    /// whitelist. The same matcher is applied to local accounts and profile folders.
+    /// </summary>
+    public sealed class LocalAdminAnalyzerTests
+    {
+        // -------------------------------------------------------------- literal entries
+
+        [Theory]
+        [InlineData("SupportAdmin", "SupportAdmin")]
+        [InlineData("supportadmin", "SupportAdmin")]
+        [InlineData("SUPPORTADMIN", "supportadmin")]
+        public void Literal_entry_matches_exactly_case_insensitive(string name, string entry)
+        {
+            Assert.True(LocalAdminAnalyzer.MatchesAllowedEntry(name, entry));
+        }
+
+        [Theory]
+        [InlineData("SupportAdmin2", "SupportAdmin")]
+        [InlineData("SupportAdmin", "SupportAdmin2")]
+        [InlineData("Support", "SupportAdmin")]
+        public void Literal_entry_does_not_substring_match(string name, string entry)
+        {
+            Assert.False(LocalAdminAnalyzer.MatchesAllowedEntry(name, entry));
+        }
+
+        // -------------------------------------------------------------- glob patterns
+
+        [Theory]
+        [InlineData("adm-12345", "adm-*")]
+        [InlineData("adm-", "adm-*")]
+        [InlineData("ADM-9F3B2C", "adm-*")]
+        [InlineData("lapsAdmin01", "lapsAdmin??")]
+        [InlineData("svc-backup-01", "svc-*-01")]
+        public void Wildcard_entry_matches_glob(string name, string entry)
+        {
+            Assert.True(LocalAdminAnalyzer.MatchesAllowedEntry(name, entry));
+        }
+
+        [Theory]
+        [InlineData("administrator2", "adm-*")]   // no literal "adm-" prefix
+        [InlineData("xadm-123", "adm-*")]          // pattern is anchored at start
+        [InlineData("lapsAdmin1", "lapsAdmin??")]  // ? is exactly one char
+        [InlineData("adm.123", "adm-*")]           // "-" is literal, not a regex class
+        public void Wildcard_entry_does_not_overmatch(string name, string entry)
+        {
+            Assert.False(LocalAdminAnalyzer.MatchesAllowedEntry(name, entry));
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Regex_metacharacters_in_entry_are_treated_literally()
+        {
+            // "adm.123" as an entry has no wildcard chars → exact match only,
+            // the dot must not act as a regex any-char.
+            Assert.True(LocalAdminAnalyzer.MatchesAllowedEntry("adm.123", "adm.123"));
+            Assert.False(LocalAdminAnalyzer.MatchesAllowedEntry("admX123", "adm.123"));
+
+            // Mixed: wildcard present, remaining metacharacters stay literal.
+            Assert.True(LocalAdminAnalyzer.MatchesAllowedEntry("adm.123", "adm.*"));
+            Assert.False(LocalAdminAnalyzer.MatchesAllowedEntry("admX123", "adm.*"));
+        }
+    }
+}

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests/Monitoring/DesktopArrivalDetectorTests.cs

@@ -405,5 +405,144 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Monitoring
             var started = trace.Events.Find(e => e.EventType == SharedEventTypes.DesktopDetectorStarted);
             Assert.Equal(0, started.Data["noCandidateThresholdMinutes"]);
         }
+
+        // ============================================================================
+        // OOBE-state flip (oobe_state_completed) — observational one-shot on the poll
+        // ============================================================================
+        // The WinRT OutOfBoxExperienceState flip in_progress->completed is an owner-
+        // independent desktop corroboration for DAD-starved sessions (4d5a0b78 class).
+        // Tests drive polls synchronously via PollOnceForTest after Stop() so the real
+        // timer cannot race, and pin the owner seams to an excluded user so a real
+        // explorer.exe on the test machine can never set _desktopArrived (which would
+        // short-circuit PollForDesktop before the flip check).
+
+        private static DesktopArrivalDetector BuildFlipDetector(TempDirectory tmp, TraceCapture trace, System.Func<string> oobeProvider)
+        {
+            var detector = new DesktopArrivalDetector(new AgentLogger(tmp.Path, AgentLogLevel.Info), noCandidateTimeoutMinutes: 0)
+            {
+                OnTraceEvent = trace.Sink,
+                OobeStateProvider = oobeProvider,
+                SessionOwnerResolver = _ => "SYSTEM",
+                ProcessOwnerResolver = _ => "SYSTEM",
+            };
+            return detector;
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>Returns the queued states in order, then repeats the last one forever.</summary>
+        private static System.Func<string> StateQueue(params string[] states)
+        {
+            var queue = new Queue<string>(states);
+            var last = states[states.Length - 1];
+            return () => queue.Count > 0 ? queue.Dequeue() : last;
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void OobeFlip_emits_exactly_once_with_payload()
+        {
+            using var tmp = new TempDirectory();
+            var trace = new TraceCapture();
+            // Baseline sample happens synchronously inside Start()/ArmTimer.
+            using var detector = BuildFlipDetector(tmp, trace, StateQueue("in_progress", "completed"));
+
+            detector.Start();
+            detector.Stop();
+            detector.PollOnceForTest(); // reads "completed" -> flip
+            detector.PollOnceForTest(); // still "completed" -> no second emit
+
+            Assert.Equal(1, trace.CountOf(SharedEventTypes.OobeStateCompleted));
+            var flip = trace.Events.Find(e => e.EventType == SharedEventTypes.OobeStateCompleted);
+            Assert.Equal("in_progress", flip.Data["previousState"]);
+            Assert.True(flip.Data.ContainsKey("pollCount"));
+            Assert.True(flip.Data.ContainsKey("minutesSinceStart"));
+            Assert.False((bool)flip.Data["desktopArrived"]);
+            Assert.True(flip.Data.ContainsKey("wmiErrorCount"));
+            Assert.True(flip.Data.ContainsKey("wtsErrorCount"));
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void OobeFlip_does_not_emit_when_state_is_already_completed()
+        {
+            using var tmp = new TempDirectory();
+            var trace = new TraceCapture();
+            using var detector = BuildFlipDetector(tmp, trace, StateQueue("completed"));
+
+            detector.Start();
+            detector.Stop();
+            detector.PollOnceForTest();
+            detector.PollOnceForTest();
+
+            // Productive machines read "completed" from the very first sample — the flip
+            // event must never fire there (the agent_started field already records the state).
+            Assert.Equal(0, trace.CountOf(SharedEventTypes.OobeStateCompleted));
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void OobeFlip_does_not_emit_when_in_progress_was_never_seen()
+        {
+            using var tmp = new TempDirectory();
+            var trace = new TraceCapture();
+            using var detector = BuildFlipDetector(tmp, trace, StateQueue("unavailable", "completed"));
+
+            detector.Start();
+            detector.Stop();
+            detector.PollOnceForTest();
+
+            // Old builds without the WinRT contract report "unavailable"; a later
+            // "completed" without a positively observed "in_progress" is not a flip.
+            Assert.Equal(0, trace.CountOf(SharedEventTypes.OobeStateCompleted));
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void OobeFlip_survives_transient_unavailable_between_polls()
+        {
+            using var tmp = new TempDirectory();
+            var trace = new TraceCapture();
+            using var detector = BuildFlipDetector(tmp, trace, StateQueue("in_progress", "unavailable", "completed"));
+
+            detector.Start();
+            detector.Stop();
+            detector.PollOnceForTest(); // transient reflection failure — must NOT clear the baseline
+            detector.PollOnceForTest(); // "completed" -> flip still detected
+
+            Assert.Equal(1, trace.CountOf(SharedEventTypes.OobeStateCompleted));
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void OobeFlip_provider_throwing_never_emits_and_never_pollutes_wmi_error_count()
+        {
+            using var tmp = new TempDirectory();
+            var trace = new TraceCapture();
+            using var detector = BuildFlipDetector(tmp, trace, () => throw new System.InvalidOperationException("boom"));
+
+            detector.Start(); // baseline sample throws -> swallowed
+            detector.Stop();
+            detector.PollOnceForTest();
+            detector.PollOnceForTest();
+
+            Assert.Equal(0, trace.CountOf(SharedEventTypes.OobeStateCompleted));
+            // The flip check has its own try/catch — a throw must not fall into
+            // PollForDesktop's outer catch, which increments the WMI error counter the
+            // session-4d5a0b78 liveness diagnostics rely on. first_poll carries that counter.
+            var firstPoll = trace.Events.Find(e => e.EventType == SharedEventTypes.DesktopDetectorFirstPoll);
+            Assert.Equal(0, firstPoll.Data["wmiErrorCount"]);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void OobeFlip_one_shot_flag_survives_ResetForRealUserSwitch()
+        {
+            using var tmp = new TempDirectory();
+            var trace = new TraceCapture();
+            using var detector = BuildFlipDetector(tmp, trace,
+                StateQueue("in_progress", "completed", "in_progress", "completed"));
+
+            detector.Start();
+            detector.Stop();
+            detector.PollOnceForTest(); // flip #1
+            detector.ResetForRealUserSwitch(); // re-arms + re-samples baseline ("in_progress")
+            detector.Stop();
+            detector.PollOnceForTest(); // "completed" again — must NOT re-emit
+
+            Assert.Equal(1, trace.CountOf(SharedEventTypes.OobeStateCompleted));
+        }
     }
 }

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests/Monitoring/Gather/GatherRuleCollectorGuardTests.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,417 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.IO;
+using System.Linq;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Logging;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.Ime;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Telemetry.Gather;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Telemetry.Gather.Collectors;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Harness;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Shared;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Shared.Models;
+using Xunit;
+
+namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Monitoring.Gather
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Allowlist enforcement for the two collectors that used to bypass it:
+    /// <see cref="LogParserCollector"/> read any path the rule named — including
+    /// C:\Users, whose hard block every other file collector honours — and
+    /// <see cref="EventLogCollector"/> read any channel, including Security.
+    /// A tenant admin can author both through the rules API, so the agent is the
+    /// only place this can be enforced.
+    /// </summary>
+    public sealed class GatherRuleCollectorGuardTests : IDisposable
+    {
+        private readonly TempDirectory _tmp = new TempDirectory();
+        private readonly List<EnrollmentEvent> _events = new List<EnrollmentEvent>();
+
+        // %TEMP% itself lives under C:\Users, which is hard-blocked — the positive
+        // cases need a directory the guard can actually admit, so they run beside
+        // the test assembly instead.
+        private readonly string _outsideUsers = Path.Combine(
+            AppContext.BaseDirectory, "guard-tests-" + Guid.NewGuid().ToString("N"));
+
+        public GatherRuleCollectorGuardTests() => Directory.CreateDirectory(_outsideUsers);
+
+        public void Dispose()
+        {
+            _tmp.Dispose();
+            try { Directory.Delete(_outsideUsers, recursive: true); } catch { /* best effort */ }
+        }
+
+        private GatherRuleContext Context(bool unrestricted = false, string? imeLogPathOverride = null)
+            => new GatherRuleContext(
+                new AgentLogger(_tmp.Path, AgentLogLevel.Info),
+                "sess", "tenant",
+                evt => _events.Add(evt),
+                imeLogPathOverride,
+                new LogFilePositionTracker())
+            {
+                UnrestrictedMode = unrestricted
+            };
+
+        private static GatherRule Rule(string collectorType, string target,
+            Dictionary<string, string>? parameters = null) => new GatherRule
+            {
+                RuleId = "GATHER-GUARD-TEST",
+                Title = "guard test",
+                CollectorType = collectorType,
+                Target = target,
+                // Match the model default (empty, never null) so the collectors see the
+                // same shape a deserialized rule without parameters gives them.
+                Parameters = parameters ?? new Dictionary<string, string>(),
+                Trigger = "startup",
+                OutputEventType = "guard_test",
+            };
+
+        private EnrollmentEvent SingleSecurityWarning()
+            => Assert.Single(_events, e => e.EventType == Constants.EventTypes.SecurityWarning);
+
+        // -------------------------------------------------------------------
+        // Event log channel allowlist
+        // -------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+        [Theory]
+        [InlineData("System")]
+        [InlineData("Application")]
+        [InlineData("Setup")]
+        [InlineData("Microsoft-Windows-DeviceManagement-Enterprise-Diagnostics-Provider/Admin")]
+        [InlineData("Microsoft-Windows-AAD/Operational")]
+        [InlineData("Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Core/Operational")]
+        public void EventLogChannel_OnAllowlist_IsAllowed(string channel)
+            => Assert.True(GatherRuleGuards.IsEventLogChannelAllowed(channel));
+
+        [Theory]
+        [InlineData("Security")]
+        [InlineData("Microsoft-Windows-PowerShell/Operational")]
+        [InlineData("Windows PowerShell")]
+        [InlineData("Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational")]
+        public void EventLogChannel_HardBlocked_StaysBlockedEvenUnrestricted(string channel)
+        {
+            Assert.False(GatherRuleGuards.IsEventLogChannelAllowed(channel));
+            Assert.False(GatherRuleGuards.IsEventLogChannelAllowed(channel, unrestrictedMode: true));
+        }
+
+        [Theory]
+        [InlineData("Microsoft-Windows-AADSomethingElse/Operational")] // prefix spoofing
+        [InlineData("Microsoft-Windows-TerminalServices-LocalSessionManager/Operational")]
+        [InlineData("")]
+        public void EventLogChannel_OffAllowlist_IsBlocked(string channel)
+            => Assert.False(GatherRuleGuards.IsEventLogChannelAllowed(channel));
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void EventLogChannel_Null_IsBlocked()
+            => Assert.False(GatherRuleGuards.IsEventLogChannelAllowed(null));
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void EventLogChannel_OffAllowlist_IsAllowedInUnrestrictedMode()
+            => Assert.True(GatherRuleGuards.IsEventLogChannelAllowed(
+                "Microsoft-Windows-TerminalServices-LocalSessionManager/Operational",
+                unrestrictedMode: true));
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void EventLogCollector_SecurityChannel_EmitsSecurityWarningAndReturnsNoData()
+        {
+            var result = new EventLogCollector().Execute(Rule("eventlog", "Security"), Context());
+
+            Assert.Empty(result);
+            var warning = SingleSecurityWarning();
+            Assert.Equal(true, warning.Data["blocked"]);
+            Assert.Equal("Security", warning.Data["target"]);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void EventLogCollector_SecurityChannel_StaysBlockedInUnrestrictedMode()
+        {
+            var result = new EventLogCollector().Execute(
+                Rule("eventlog", "Security"), Context(unrestricted: true));
+
+            Assert.Empty(result);
+            SingleSecurityWarning();
+        }
+
+        // -------------------------------------------------------------------
+        // Log parser file allowlist
+        // -------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+        private static Dictionary<string, string> TextPattern() => new Dictionary<string, string>
+        {
+            ["pattern"] = "(?<line>.+)",
+            ["format"] = "text",
+            ["trackPosition"] = "false",
+        };
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void LogParser_UserProfilePath_IsBlockedAndEmitsSecurityWarning()
+        {
+            const string target = @"C:\Users\Public\Documents\secret.txt";
+
+            var result = new LogParserCollector().Execute(
+                Rule("logparser", target, TextPattern()), Context());
+
+            Assert.Null(result);
+            var warning = SingleSecurityWarning();
+            Assert.Equal(target, warning.Data["target"]);
+            Assert.DoesNotContain(_events, e => e.EventType == "guard_test");
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void LogParser_UserProfilePath_StaysBlockedInUnrestrictedMode()
+        {
+            // C:\Users is a hard block — unrestricted mode must not lift it.
+            new LogParserCollector().Execute(
+                Rule("logparser", @"C:\Users\Public\Documents\secret.txt", TextPattern()),
+                Context(unrestricted: true));
+
+            SingleSecurityWarning();
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void LogParser_OffAllowlistPath_IsBlockedEvenWhenFileExists()
+        {
+            var path = _tmp.File("evidence.log");
+            File.WriteAllText(path, "line one\nline two\n");
+
+            var result = new LogParserCollector().Execute(
+                Rule("logparser", path, TextPattern()), Context());
+
+            Assert.Null(result);
+            SingleSecurityWarning();
+            Assert.DoesNotContain(_events, e => e.EventType == "guard_test");
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void LogParser_WildcardTarget_IsBlockedByItsDirectory()
+        {
+            // Path.GetFullPath rejects '*', so the guard has to check the directory.
+            File.WriteAllText(_tmp.File("evidence.log"), "line one\n");
+
+            new LogParserCollector().Execute(
+                Rule("logparser", Path.Combine(_tmp.Path, "*.log"), TextPattern()), Context());
+
+            SingleSecurityWarning();
+            Assert.DoesNotContain(_events, e => e.EventType == "guard_test");
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void LogParser_UnrestrictedMode_ReadsPathOffTheAllowlist()
+        {
+            var path = Path.Combine(_outsideUsers, "evidence.log");
+            File.WriteAllText(path, "line one\nline two\n");
+
+            new LogParserCollector().Execute(
+                Rule("logparser", path, TextPattern()), Context(unrestricted: true));
+
+            Assert.DoesNotContain(_events, e => e.EventType == Constants.EventTypes.SecurityWarning);
+            Assert.Equal(2, _events.Count(e => e.EventType == "guard_test"));
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void LogParser_LocalImeLogPathOverride_RelaxesTheAllowlist()
+        {
+            // --ime-log-path is a local CLI flag, never remote config: the operator
+            // using it is already a local admin, so it relaxes the allowlist the way
+            // unrestricted mode does.
+            File.WriteAllText(Path.Combine(_outsideUsers, "AppWorkload.log"), "line one\n");
+
+            new LogParserCollector().Execute(
+                Rule("logparser", @"C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\IntuneManagementExtension\Logs\AppWorkload.log",
+                    TextPattern()),
+                Context(imeLogPathOverride: _outsideUsers));
+
+            Assert.DoesNotContain(_events, e => e.EventType == Constants.EventTypes.SecurityWarning);
+            Assert.Single(_events, e => e.EventType == "guard_test");
+        }
+
+        // -------------------------------------------------------------------
+        // Command execution
+        // -------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Command_OffAllowlist_IsBlockedAndNeverRuns()
+        {
+            var result = new CommandCollector().Execute(
+                Rule("command_allowlisted", "Get-Content C:\\Windows\\System32\\config\\SAM"), Context());
+
+            Assert.Equal(true, result["blocked"]);
+            Assert.False(result.ContainsKey("output"));
+            SingleSecurityWarning();
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Command_HardBlockedPattern_StaysBlockedInUnrestrictedMode()
+        {
+            var result = new CommandCollector().Execute(
+                Rule("command_allowlisted", "Invoke-WebRequest https://example.invalid/x"),
+                Context(unrestricted: true));
+
+            Assert.Equal(true, result["blocked"]);
+            SingleSecurityWarning();
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Command_ThatHangs_IsKilledAtTheTimeoutRatherThanPinningTheWorker()
+        {
+            // Regression: reading stdout synchronously blocked until the pipe closed,
+            // so WaitForExit's timeout was never reached and a hung command pinned the
+            // worker indefinitely. Unrestricted mode is needed to run an ad-hoc command.
+            var sw = System.Diagnostics.Stopwatch.StartNew();
+            var result = new CommandCollector().Execute(
+                Rule("command_allowlisted", "Start-Sleep -Seconds 120"), Context(unrestricted: true));
+            sw.Stop();
+
+            Assert.Equal(true, result["timed_out"]);
+            Assert.Equal(-1, result["exit_code"]);
+            // The 30s timeout plus drain margin — nowhere near the command's 120s.
+            Assert.True(sw.Elapsed < TimeSpan.FromSeconds(60),
+                $"expected the hung command to be killed at the timeout; took {sw.Elapsed}");
+        }
+
+        // -------------------------------------------------------------------
+        // Every remaining collector actually calls its guard
+        //
+        // The guard functions have their own unit tests, but those prove nothing about
+        // whether a collector consults them before touching the registry, WMI or disk.
+        // These drive the collectors themselves: each blocked target must come back empty,
+        // emit exactly one security_warning naming the target, and produce no rule output.
+        // -------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+        private void AssertBlocked(Dictionary<string, object> result, string target)
+        {
+            Assert.Empty(result);
+            var warning = SingleSecurityWarning();
+            Assert.Equal(true, warning.Data["blocked"]);
+            Assert.Equal(target, warning.Data["target"]);
+            Assert.DoesNotContain(_events, e => e.EventType == "guard_test");
+        }
+
+        [Theory]
+        [InlineData(@"SAM\SAM\Domains\Account\Users")]
+        [InlineData(@"SECURITY\Policy\Secrets")]
+        [InlineData(@"HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\EnrollmentsSomethingElse")]  // prefix spoofing
+        [InlineData(@"HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\AutopilotSomethingElse")]  // sibling spoof of the Autopilot prefix
+        public void RegistryCollector_OffAllowlistPath_IsBlockedBeforeTheHiveIsOpened(string target)
+            => AssertBlocked(new RegistryCollector().Execute(Rule("registry", target), Context()), target);
+
+        // Session 5d735290: the EnrollmentStatusTracking subtree (ESP policy providers / tracking
+        // state) is allow-listed so tenants can build gather rules on the co-management stall
+        // signature the esp_policy_provider_stalled detector reports (e.g. not_exists on the
+        // Sidecar provider key).
+        [Theory]
+        [InlineData(@"SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Autopilot")]
+        [InlineData(@"SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Autopilot\EnrollmentStatusTracking\Device\Setup\Apps\PolicyProviders\Sidecar")]
+        public void RegistryGuard_AutopilotEnrollmentTrackingSubtree_IsAllowed(string subPath)
+            => Assert.True(GatherRuleGuards.IsRegistryPathAllowed(subPath));
+
+        [Theory]
+        [InlineData("SELECT * FROM Win32_UserAccount")]
+        [InlineData("SELECT * FROM Win32_ShadowCopy")]
+        [InlineData("SELECT * FROM Win32_OperatingSystemExtra")]          // prefix spoofing
+        public void WmiCollector_OffAllowlistQuery_IsBlockedBeforeTheQueryRuns(string query)
+            => AssertBlocked(new WmiCollector().Execute(Rule("wmi", query), Context()), query);
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void JsonCollector_UserProfilePath_IsBlockedBeforeTheFileIsOpened()
+        {
+            const string target = @"C:\Users\Public\Documents\secrets.json";
+            AssertBlocked(
+                new JsonCollector().Execute(
+                    Rule("json", target, new Dictionary<string, string> { ["jsonpath"] = "$.token" }),
+                    Context()),
+                target);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void XmlCollector_UserProfilePath_IsBlockedBeforeTheFileIsOpened()
+        {
+            const string target = @"C:\Users\Public\Documents\secrets.xml";
+            AssertBlocked(
+                new XmlCollector().Execute(
+                    Rule("xml", target, new Dictionary<string, string> { ["xpath"] = "//token" }),
+                    Context()),
+                target);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void FileCollector_UserProfilePath_IsBlockedBeforeTheFileIsOpened()
+        {
+            const string target = @"C:\Users\Public\Documents\secrets.txt";
+            AssertBlocked(new FileCollector().Execute(Rule("file", target), Context()), target);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void JsonCollector_AllowedPath_ReadsTheFile()
+        {
+            // Counterpart to the blocked cases: proves the guard is a gate, not a wall —
+            // the collector does reach the file once the path is admitted.
+            var path = Path.Combine(_outsideUsers, "inventory.json");
+            File.WriteAllText(path, "{ \"agent\": { \"version\": \"2.4.0\" } }");
+
+            var result = new JsonCollector().Execute(
+                Rule("json", path, new Dictionary<string, string> { ["jsonpath"] = "$.agent.version" }),
+                Context(unrestricted: true));
+
+            Assert.DoesNotContain(_events, e => e.EventType == Constants.EventTypes.SecurityWarning);
+            Assert.Contains("2.4.0", string.Join(",", result.Values));
+        }
+
+        // -------------------------------------------------------------------
+        // Path traversal
+        // -------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void FilePath_TraversalOutOfAnAllowedPrefix_IsBlocked()
+        {
+            // The raw string starts with an allowed prefix, so a naive StartsWith check would
+            // admit it. Path.GetFullPath runs FIRST, so the allowlist sees C:\Secret.txt.
+            const string traversal =
+                @"C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\IntuneManagementExtension\Logs\..\..\..\..\Secret.txt";
+
+            Assert.Equal(@"C:\Secret.txt", Path.GetFullPath(traversal));
+            Assert.False(GatherRuleGuards.IsFilePathAllowed(traversal));
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void FilePath_TraversalIntoTheUsersHardBlock_StaysBlockedEvenUnrestricted()
+        {
+            // Unrestricted mode lifts the allowlist but never the C:\Users privacy block —
+            // and it must not be reachable by spelling the path with '..' either.
+            const string traversal =
+                @"C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\IntuneManagementExtension\Logs\..\..\..\..\Users\Public\ntuser.dat";
+
+            Assert.StartsWith(@"C:\Users\", Path.GetFullPath(traversal), StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
+            Assert.False(GatherRuleGuards.IsFilePathAllowed(traversal));
+            Assert.False(GatherRuleGuards.IsFilePathAllowed(traversal, unrestrictedMode: true));
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void FilePath_TraversalIntoTheConfigHiveDirectory_StaysBlockedEvenUnrestricted()
+        {
+            const string traversal = @"C:\Windows\Logs\..\System32\config\SAM";
+
+            Assert.False(GatherRuleGuards.IsFilePathAllowed(traversal));
+            Assert.False(GatherRuleGuards.IsFilePathAllowed(traversal, unrestrictedMode: true));
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void FileCollector_TraversalTarget_IsBlockedAndReported()
+        {
+            const string traversal =
+                @"C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\IntuneManagementExtension\Logs\..\..\..\..\Users\Public\ntuser.dat";
+
+            AssertBlocked(new FileCollector().Execute(Rule("file", traversal), Context()), traversal);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void LogParser_ImeLogPathOverride_StillHonoursTheUsersHardBlock()
+        {
+            new LogParserCollector().Execute(
+                Rule("logparser", @"C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\IntuneManagementExtension\Logs\AppWorkload.log",
+                    TextPattern()),
+                Context(imeLogPathOverride: @"C:\Users\Public\Documents"));
+
+            SingleSecurityWarning();
+        }
+    }
+}

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests/Monitoring/Gather/GatherRuleExecutorEmitModeTests.cs

@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Monitoring.Gather
                 GatherRuleExecutor.ComputeCanonicalHash(new Dictionary<string, object> { ["v"] = "1" }),
                 GatherRuleExecutor.ComputeCanonicalHash(new Dictionary<string, object> { ["v"] = 1 }));
             Assert.NotEqual(
-                GatherRuleExecutor.ComputeCanonicalHash(new Dictionary<string, object> { ["v"] = null }),
+                GatherRuleExecutor.ComputeCanonicalHash(new Dictionary<string, object> { ["v"] = null! }),
                 GatherRuleExecutor.ComputeCanonicalHash(new Dictionary<string, object> { ["v"] = "<null>" }));
         }
 

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests/Monitoring/Gather/GatherRuleExecutorPhaseExitTests.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,246 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Diagnostics;
+using System.Threading;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Logging;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Telemetry.Gather;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Harness;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Shared.Models;
+using Xunit;
+
+namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Monitoring.Gather
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// The <c>phase_exit</c> trigger: a one-shot collection when a phase is LEFT — the closing
+    /// bookend to <c>phase_change</c> (which fires on ENTER). The distinguishing invariant is that
+    /// both the TriggerPhase match and the phase-scope gate must evaluate against the phase being
+    /// left, i.e. before the executor's current-phase state moves forward.
+    /// Rules use the absent-registry-path pattern so no real system state is touched.
+    /// </summary>
+    [Collection("SerialThreading")] // rules execute on the shared ThreadPool
+    public sealed class GatherRuleExecutorPhaseExitTests : IDisposable
+    {
+        private readonly TempDirectory _tmp = new TempDirectory();
+        private readonly List<EnrollmentEvent> _events = new List<EnrollmentEvent>();
+        private readonly object _eventsGate = new object();
+        private readonly GatherRuleExecutor _executor;
+
+        private const string AbsentPath =
+            "HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\AutopilotMonitorTests\\DefinitelyAbsent_9c4d2a7f-0000-0000-0000-000000000000";
+
+        public GatherRuleExecutorPhaseExitTests()
+        {
+            var logger = new AgentLogger(_tmp.Path, AgentLogLevel.Info);
+            _executor = new GatherRuleExecutor(
+                "sess", "tenant",
+                evt => { lock (_eventsGate) _events.Add(evt); },
+                logger)
+            {
+                UnrestrictedMode = true
+            };
+        }
+
+        public void Dispose()
+        {
+            _executor.Dispose();
+            _tmp.Dispose();
+        }
+
+        private int EventCount { get { lock (_eventsGate) return _events.Count; } }
+
+        private bool WaitForEventCount(int count, int timeoutMs = 10000)
+        {
+            var sw = Stopwatch.StartNew();
+            while (sw.ElapsedMilliseconds < timeoutMs)
+            {
+                if (EventCount >= count) return true;
+                Thread.Sleep(25);
+            }
+            return EventCount >= count;
+        }
+
+        private static GatherRule ExitRule(
+            string id, string triggerPhase, List<string>? activePhases = null, string? fromPhase = null)
+            => new GatherRule
+            {
+                RuleId = id,
+                Title = id,
+                CollectorType = "registry",
+                Target = AbsentPath,
+                Trigger = "phase_exit",
+                TriggerPhase = triggerPhase,
+                OutputEventType = "gather_test",
+                Enabled = true,
+                ActivePhases = activePhases,
+                ActiveFromPhase = fromPhase,
+            };
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void FiresOnceWhenTheNamedPhaseIsLeft_NotWhenItIsEntered()
+        {
+            _executor.UpdateRules(new List<GatherRule> { ExitRule("GATHER-PX-001", "AccountSetup") });
+
+            _executor.OnPhaseChanged(EnrollmentPhase.DeviceSetup);
+            Thread.Sleep(300);
+            Assert.Equal(0, EventCount);
+
+            // Entering AccountSetup must NOT fire an exit rule.
+            _executor.OnPhaseChanged(EnrollmentPhase.AccountSetup);
+            Thread.Sleep(300);
+            Assert.Equal(0, EventCount);
+
+            // Leaving it does.
+            _executor.OnPhaseChanged(EnrollmentPhase.AppsUser);
+            Assert.True(WaitForEventCount(1));
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void DoesNotRefireWhenThePhaseIsLeftTwice()
+        {
+            _executor.UpdateRules(new List<GatherRule> { ExitRule("GATHER-PX-002", "AccountSetup") });
+
+            _executor.OnPhaseChanged(EnrollmentPhase.AccountSetup);
+            _executor.OnPhaseChanged(EnrollmentPhase.AppsUser);
+            Assert.True(WaitForEventCount(1));
+
+            // A phase can be re-entered (ESP re-reporting); the one-shot slot stays consumed.
+            _executor.OnPhaseChanged(EnrollmentPhase.AccountSetup);
+            _executor.OnPhaseChanged(EnrollmentPhase.AppsUser);
+            Thread.Sleep(400);
+            Assert.Equal(1, EventCount);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void EmptyTriggerPhase_FiresOnEveryExit()
+        {
+            _executor.UpdateRules(new List<GatherRule> { ExitRule("GATHER-PX-003", "") });
+
+            _executor.OnPhaseChanged(EnrollmentPhase.DeviceSetup); // exit of Unknown — must NOT fire
+            Thread.Sleep(300);
+            Assert.Equal(0, EventCount);
+
+            _executor.OnPhaseChanged(EnrollmentPhase.AccountSetup); // exit of DeviceSetup
+            Assert.True(WaitForEventCount(1));
+
+            _executor.OnPhaseChanged(EnrollmentPhase.AppsUser);     // exit of AccountSetup
+            Assert.True(WaitForEventCount(2));
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void NeverFiresOnExitOfUnknown()
+        {
+            // Before the first phase signal there is no phase to leave.
+            _executor.UpdateRules(new List<GatherRule> { ExitRule("GATHER-PX-004", "") });
+
+            _executor.OnPhaseChanged(EnrollmentPhase.Start);
+            Thread.Sleep(300);
+            Assert.Equal(0, EventCount);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void RepeatedSamePhaseSignal_IsNotAnExit()
+        {
+            _executor.UpdateRules(new List<GatherRule> { ExitRule("GATHER-PX-005", "") });
+
+            _executor.OnPhaseChanged(EnrollmentPhase.AccountSetup);
+            _executor.OnPhaseChanged(EnrollmentPhase.AccountSetup); // same phase — no transition
+            Thread.Sleep(300);
+            Assert.Equal(0, EventCount);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void FiresOnTransitionIntoFailed_CapturingStateAtTheFailurePoint()
+        {
+            _executor.UpdateRules(new List<GatherRule> { ExitRule("GATHER-PX-006", "AccountSetup") });
+
+            _executor.OnPhaseChanged(EnrollmentPhase.AccountSetup);
+            _executor.OnPhaseChanged(EnrollmentPhase.Failed);
+
+            Assert.True(WaitForEventCount(1), "leaving a phase into Failed must still snapshot it");
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void FiresOnExitOfCompleteOnly_WhenCompleteIsActuallyLeft()
+        {
+            // "End of enrollment" is better served by phase_change on Complete / on_event; an exit
+            // rule on Complete only fires if a later transition happens at all.
+            _executor.UpdateRules(new List<GatherRule> { ExitRule("GATHER-PX-007", "Complete") });
+
+            _executor.OnPhaseChanged(EnrollmentPhase.FinalizingSetup);
+            _executor.OnPhaseChanged(EnrollmentPhase.Complete);
+            Thread.Sleep(300);
+            Assert.Equal(0, EventCount);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void ScopeGate_EvaluatesAgainstThePhaseBeingLeft()
+        {
+            // Scope = only during DeviceSetup. Leaving DeviceSetup must fire (the rule is still in
+            // scope at that instant) even though the NEW phase is outside the scope.
+            _executor.UpdateRules(new List<GatherRule>
+            {
+                ExitRule("GATHER-PX-010", "DeviceSetup", activePhases: new List<string> { "DeviceSetup" })
+            });
+
+            _executor.OnPhaseChanged(EnrollmentPhase.DeviceSetup);
+            _executor.OnPhaseChanged(EnrollmentPhase.AccountSetup);
+
+            Assert.True(WaitForEventCount(1),
+                "the scope gate must see the phase being left, not the one being entered");
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void OutOfScopeExit_DoesNotFire_AndDoesNotConsumeTheOneShotSlot()
+        {
+            // Scope = only during AccountSetup; the rule exits DeviceSetup while out of scope.
+            var rule = ExitRule("GATHER-PX-011", "", activePhases: new List<string> { "AccountSetup" });
+            _executor.UpdateRules(new List<GatherRule> { rule });
+
+            _executor.OnPhaseChanged(EnrollmentPhase.DeviceSetup);
+            _executor.OnPhaseChanged(EnrollmentPhase.AccountSetup); // exit of DeviceSetup: out of scope
+            Thread.Sleep(300);
+            Assert.Equal(0, EventCount);
+
+            _executor.OnPhaseChanged(EnrollmentPhase.AppsUser);     // exit of AccountSetup: in scope
+            Assert.True(WaitForEventCount(1));
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void ExitAndChangeRulesForTheSamePhase_BothFireIndependently()
+        {
+            // The dedup key spaces must not collide: same ruleId shape, same phase, different trigger.
+            var enter = new GatherRule
+            {
+                RuleId = "GATHER-PX-020",
+                Title = "enter",
+                CollectorType = "registry",
+                Target = AbsentPath,
+                Trigger = "phase_change",
+                TriggerPhase = "AccountSetup",
+                OutputEventType = "gather_test",
+                Enabled = true,
+            };
+            var exit = ExitRule("GATHER-PX-021", "AccountSetup");
+            _executor.UpdateRules(new List<GatherRule> { enter, exit });
+
+            _executor.OnPhaseChanged(EnrollmentPhase.AccountSetup);
+            Assert.True(WaitForEventCount(1)); // enter fired
+
+            _executor.OnPhaseChanged(EnrollmentPhase.AppsUser);
+            Assert.True(WaitForEventCount(2)); // exit fired
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void ExitRuleWithEmitOnChange_StillEmitsItsFirstResult()
+        {
+            var rule = ExitRule("GATHER-PX-030", "AccountSetup");
+            rule.EmitMode = "on_change";
+            _executor.UpdateRules(new List<GatherRule> { rule });
+
+            _executor.OnPhaseChanged(EnrollmentPhase.AccountSetup);
+            _executor.OnPhaseChanged(EnrollmentPhase.AppsUser);
+
+            Assert.True(WaitForEventCount(1));
+        }
+    }
+}

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests/Monitoring/Gather/GatherRuleExecutorPhaseScopeTests.cs

@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Monitoring.Gather
 
         /// <summary>Interval rule with a 1h period — the timer never ticks within a test run,
         /// so these rules exist purely for synchronous scope-matrix assertions.</summary>
-        private static GatherRule ScopeProbeRule(string id, List<string> activePhases = null, string fromPhase = null)
+        private static GatherRule ScopeProbeRule(string id, List<string>? activePhases = null, string? fromPhase = null)
             => new GatherRule
             {
                 RuleId = id,
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Monitoring.Gather
                 ActiveFromPhase = fromPhase,
             };
 
-        private static GatherRule StartupRule(string id, List<string> activePhases = null, string fromPhase = null)
+        private static GatherRule StartupRule(string id, List<string>? activePhases = null, string? fromPhase = null)
             => new GatherRule
             {
                 RuleId = id,

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests/Monitoring/Ime/CmTraceLogParserTests.cs

@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Monitoring.Ime
         [InlineData("   ")]                                    // whitespace only
         [InlineData("<![LOG[truncated line with no closing")]  // truncated / missing fields
         [InlineData("garbage prefix <![LOG[msg]LOG]!><time=\"06:08:04.8834397\" date=\"2-8-2026\" component=\"C\" context=\"\" type=\"1\" thread=\"1\" file=\"\">")] // leading junk (non-ignorable) fails the StartsWith gate
-        public void TryParseLine_returns_false_without_throwing_for_malformed_input(string line)
+        public void TryParseLine_returns_false_without_throwing_for_malformed_input(string? line)
         {
             var ok = CmTraceLogParser.TryParseLine(line, out var entry);
 

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests/Monitoring/Ime/ImeLogPatternReDoSTests.cs

@@ -24,12 +24,13 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Monitoring.Ime
     /// </summary>
     public sealed class ImeLogPatternReDoSTests
     {
-        private static ImeLogPattern Pattern(string id, string regex, string action = null) => new ImeLogPattern
+        private static ImeLogPattern Pattern(string id, string regex, string? action = null) => new ImeLogPattern
         {
             PatternId = id,
             Pattern = regex,
             Category = "always",
-            Action = action,
+            // Action is optional on the wire (absent = null); the model declares it non-nullable.
+            Action = action!,
             Enabled = true,
             Parameters = new Dictionary<string, string>(),
         };

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests/Monitoring/Office/OfficeBinaryWatcherTests.cs

@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Monitoring.Office
     /// cadence and stops at its bound, is idempotent, the initial scan raises when binaries already
     /// exist, a filesystem create raises, and Dispose cancels the re-probe.
     /// </summary>
+    [Collection("SerialThreading")] // the bounded re-probe runs on the shared ThreadPool
     public sealed class OfficeBinaryWatcherTests
     {
         private static readonly string[] CoreBinaries = { "WINWORD.EXE", "EXCEL.EXE", "POWERPNT.EXE", "OUTLOOK.EXE" };

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests/Monitoring/OobeStateReaderTests.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+#nullable enable
+using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Interop;
+using Xunit;
+
+namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Monitoring
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Smoke tests for the WinRT <c>SystemSetupInfo.OutOfBoxExperienceState</c> reader.
+    /// The actual state on the test machine is unknown (CI runners are post-OOBE; Server
+    /// SKUs may lack the UniversalApiContract entirely), so only the fail-soft contract
+    /// is pinned: never throw, always return a member of the known value set.
+    /// </summary>
+    public sealed class OobeStateReaderTests
+    {
+        [Fact]
+        public void Read_never_throws_and_returns_known_value()
+        {
+            var value = OobeStateReader.Read();
+
+            Assert.False(string.IsNullOrEmpty(value));
+            Assert.True(
+                value == "not_started"
+                || value == "in_progress"
+                || value == "completed"
+                || value == OobeStateReader.Unavailable
+                || value.StartsWith("unknown_"),
+                $"unexpected reader value '{value}'");
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Read_is_stable_across_repeated_calls()
+        {
+            // Exercises the cached-PropertyInfo path (second call skips resolution).
+            var first = OobeStateReader.Read();
+            var second = OobeStateReader.Read();
+
+            Assert.Equal(first, second);
+        }
+    }
+}

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests/Monitoring/Runtime/CleanupServiceScriptIntegrationTests.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,208 @@
+using System;
+using System.Diagnostics;
+using System.IO;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Runtime;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Security;
+using Xunit;
+
+namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Monitoring.Runtime
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Executes the generated cleanup script against REAL scratch trees with a real
+    /// powershell.exe — end-to-end replays of the 2026-07-22 incident mechanics that the
+    /// string pins in <see cref="CleanupServiceScriptTests"/> cannot prove:
+    /// <list type="bullet">
+    ///   <item>a locked tree must abort WITHOUT deleting anything (old script force-deleted
+    ///     marker + state around the locks and orphaned the binaries),</item>
+    ///   <item>a straggler agent process (the incident's second instance) must be found by
+    ///     NAME, killed, and the cleanup must then complete — simulated via function
+    ///     shadowing, NEVER by launching a renamed executable (EDR isolation, see the test),</item>
+    ///   <item>concurrent cleanup scripts must be serialized by the lock file.</item>
+    /// </list>
+    /// Timings are dialed down via the test-only BuildCleanupScript parameters so each case
+    /// runs in seconds. Every test uses GUID-unique process/task/tree names so nothing real
+    /// (a dev-box agent, a real Scheduled Task) can ever be touched.
+    /// </summary>
+    [Collection("SerialThreading")]
+    public class CleanupServiceScriptIntegrationTests : IDisposable
+    {
+        private readonly string _root;
+        private readonly string _basePath;
+        private readonly string _taskName = $"AmTest-NoSuchTask-{Guid.NewGuid():N}";
+        private readonly string _fakeProcessName = $"AmTestAgent{Guid.NewGuid().ToString("N").Substring(0, 8)}";
+
+        public CleanupServiceScriptIntegrationTests()
+        {
+            _root = Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(), $"am-cleanup-it-{Guid.NewGuid():N}");
+            _basePath = Path.Combine(_root, "AutopilotMonitor");
+            Directory.CreateDirectory(Path.Combine(_basePath, "Agent"));
+            Directory.CreateDirectory(Path.Combine(_basePath, "State"));
+            Directory.CreateDirectory(Path.Combine(_basePath, "Logs"));
+            File.WriteAllText(Path.Combine(_basePath, "Agent", "fake.exe"), "x");
+            File.WriteAllText(Path.Combine(_basePath, "State", "enrollment-complete.marker"), "x");
+            File.WriteAllText(Path.Combine(_basePath, "Logs", "agent.log"), "x");
+        }
+
+        public void Dispose()
+        {
+            try { Directory.Delete(_root, recursive: true); } catch { }
+        }
+
+        private static string LockPath => Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(), "AutopilotMonitor-Cleanup.lock");
+
+        private string BuildScript(bool keepLogs = false, int processWaitSeconds = 1)
+            => CleanupService.BuildCleanupScript(
+                agentProcessName: _fakeProcessName,
+                agentBasePath: _basePath,
+                keepLogs: keepLogs,
+                scheduledTaskName: _taskName,
+                rebootOnComplete: false,
+                initialDelaySeconds: 0,
+                processWaitSeconds: processWaitSeconds,
+                renameRetries: 2,
+                renameRetryDelaySeconds: 1);
+
+        /// <summary>Runs the script synchronously in a real powershell.exe. Returns the script path.</summary>
+        private string RunScript(string script)
+        {
+            var scriptPath = Path.Combine(_root, $"cleanup-{Guid.NewGuid():N}.ps1");
+            File.WriteAllText(scriptPath, script);
+            using (var proc = Process.Start(new ProcessStartInfo
+            {
+                FileName = SystemPaths.PowerShell,
+                Arguments = $"-NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File \"{scriptPath}\"",
+                UseShellExecute = false,
+                CreateNoWindow = true,
+            }))
+            {
+                Assert.True(proc.WaitForExit(90_000), "cleanup script did not finish within 90s");
+            }
+            return scriptPath;
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Happy_path_deletes_tree_and_removes_lock_and_script()
+        {
+            var scriptPath = RunScript(BuildScript());
+
+            Assert.False(Directory.Exists(_basePath), "tree should be fully deleted");
+            Assert.Empty(Directory.GetFileSystemEntries(_root, "*.del-*"));
+            Assert.False(File.Exists(scriptPath), "script should self-delete");
+            Assert.False(File.Exists(LockPath), "cleanup lock should be released");
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Locked_tree_aborts_completely_marker_and_files_survive()
+        {
+            // The incident regression: with a file locked inside the tree the OLD script
+            // deleted everything else (incl. the enrollment-complete marker) and left the
+            // binaries orphaned with the task already gone. The hardened script must treat
+            // the failed probe-rename as "someone still holds this" and walk away entirely.
+            using (File.Open(Path.Combine(_basePath, "Agent", "fake.exe"),
+                       FileMode.Open, FileAccess.Read, FileShare.None))
+            {
+                RunScript(BuildScript());
+            }
+
+            Assert.True(File.Exists(Path.Combine(_basePath, "Agent", "fake.exe")), "binaries must stay in place");
+            Assert.True(File.Exists(Path.Combine(_basePath, "State", "enrollment-complete.marker")),
+                "marker must survive so the next boot retries cleanup");
+            Assert.Empty(Directory.GetFileSystemEntries(_root, "*.del-*"));
+            Assert.False(File.Exists(LockPath));
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Straggler_agent_process_is_waited_on_and_force_killed_via_name_backstop()
+        {
+            // Incident replay of the second-instance mechanics WITHOUT spawning a process:
+            // an earlier version of this test copied powershell.exe under the fake agent name
+            // and launched it — textbook MITRE T1036.003 ("Rename Legitimate Utilities"),
+            // which Defender for Endpoint answered with a machine ISOLATION on the dev box
+            // (see tasks/lessons.md). Instead, a harness script shadows Get-Process /
+            // Stop-Process with functions (PowerShell resolves functions before cmdlets, so
+            // the dot-sourced cleanup script binds to the stubs): Get-Process reports a live
+            // agent-named straggler on every probe; Stop-Process records the kill. This pins
+            // the same contract — the script polls by NAME until the deadline, then
+            // force-kills by NAME before deleting — with zero EDR-visible behavior.
+            var probeLog = Path.Combine(_root, "probe.log");
+            var cleanupScriptPath = Path.Combine(_root, $"cleanup-{Guid.NewGuid():N}.ps1");
+            File.WriteAllText(cleanupScriptPath, BuildScript(processWaitSeconds: 2));
+
+            var harness = @"
+$probeLog = 'LOG_PATH'
+$global:AmProbeCount = 0
+function Get-Process {
+    [CmdletBinding()]
+    param([string[]]$Name)
+    if ($Name -contains 'FAKE_NAME') {
+        $global:AmProbeCount++
+        Add-Content -Path $probeLog -Value ('probe ' + $global:AmProbeCount)
+        return [pscustomobject]@{ Name = 'FAKE_NAME'; Id = 424242 }
+    }
+    Microsoft.PowerShell.Management\Get-Process @PSBoundParameters
+}
+function Stop-Process {
+    [CmdletBinding()]
+    param([Parameter(ValueFromPipeline = $true)]$InputObject, [switch]$Force)
+    process { Add-Content -Path $probeLog -Value ('kill ' + $InputObject.Id + ' force=' + $Force) }
+}
+. 'SCRIPT_PATH'
+"
+                .Replace("LOG_PATH", probeLog)
+                .Replace("FAKE_NAME", _fakeProcessName)
+                .Replace("SCRIPT_PATH", cleanupScriptPath);
+
+            RunScript(harness);
+
+            var log = File.ReadAllLines(probeLog);
+            Assert.Contains("kill 424242 force=True", log);
+            Assert.True(Array.FindAll(log, l => l.StartsWith("probe")).Length >= 2,
+                "script must poll by name in the wait loop AND re-probe for the kill backstop");
+            Assert.False(Directory.Exists(_basePath), "after the kill the tree must be fully deleted");
+            Assert.Empty(Directory.GetFileSystemEntries(_root, "*.del-*"));
+            Assert.False(File.Exists(LockPath));
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Fresh_foreign_lock_backs_off_without_touching_the_tree()
+        {
+            File.WriteAllText(LockPath, "held by another cleanup");
+            try
+            {
+                var scriptPath = RunScript(BuildScript());
+
+                Assert.True(File.Exists(Path.Combine(_basePath, "Agent", "fake.exe")),
+                    "loser script must not touch the tree — the lock holder owns the deletion");
+                Assert.True(File.Exists(LockPath), "foreign lock must not be deleted by the loser");
+                Assert.False(File.Exists(scriptPath), "loser still self-deletes its script");
+            }
+            finally
+            {
+                try { File.Delete(LockPath); } catch { }
+            }
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Stale_foreign_lock_is_taken_over_and_cleanup_proceeds()
+        {
+            File.WriteAllText(LockPath, "crashed cleanup from a previous boot");
+            File.SetLastWriteTime(LockPath, DateTime.Now.AddMinutes(-15));
+
+            RunScript(BuildScript());
+
+            Assert.False(Directory.Exists(_basePath), "stale lock must be taken over, cleanup must run");
+            Assert.False(File.Exists(LockPath));
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void KeepLogs_variant_deletes_everything_except_logs()
+        {
+            RunScript(BuildScript(keepLogs: true));
+
+            Assert.True(File.Exists(Path.Combine(_basePath, "Logs", "agent.log")), "Logs must survive");
+            Assert.False(Directory.Exists(Path.Combine(_basePath, "Agent")));
+            Assert.False(Directory.Exists(Path.Combine(_basePath, "State")));
+            Assert.Empty(Directory.GetFileSystemEntries(_basePath, "*.del-*"));
+        }
+    }
+}

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests/Monitoring/Runtime/CleanupServiceScriptTests.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,135 @@
+using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Runtime;
+using Xunit;
+
+namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Monitoring.Runtime
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Pins the LIFE-F7 hardening invariants of the self-destruct cleanup script
+    /// (incident 2026-07-22: a second agent instance held exe + loaded DLLs while the
+    /// old script — waiting on the launcher PID only — force-deleted around the locks
+    /// AFTER removing the Scheduled Task, orphaning the binaries with no retry path).
+    /// These are string-level pins on <see cref="CleanupService.BuildCleanupScript"/>:
+    /// weakening any of them silently re-introduces the orphaned-binaries failure mode.
+    /// </summary>
+    public class CleanupServiceScriptTests
+    {
+        private const string ProcessName = "AutopilotMonitor.Agent";
+        private const string BasePath = @"C:\ProgramData\AutopilotMonitor";
+        private const string TaskName = "AutopilotMonitorAgent";
+
+        private static string Script(bool keepLogs = false, bool reboot = false)
+            => CleanupService.BuildCleanupScript(ProcessName, BasePath, keepLogs, TaskName, reboot);
+
+        [Theory]
+        [InlineData(false)]
+        [InlineData(true)]
+        public void Waits_by_process_name_not_launcher_pid(bool keepLogs)
+        {
+            var script = Script(keepLogs);
+
+            // LIFE-F7 #2: name-based wait covers marker-retry / self-update / manual instances
+            // and is immune to PID reuse. Wait-Process -Id saw exactly one PID and nothing else.
+            Assert.Contains($"Get-Process -Name '{ProcessName}'", script);
+            Assert.DoesNotContain("Wait-Process", script);
+
+            // Backstop: stragglers are force-killed — their images are deleted right after.
+            Assert.Contains("Stop-Process -Force", script);
+        }
+
+        [Theory]
+        [InlineData(false)]
+        [InlineData(true)]
+        public void Never_deletes_the_original_path(bool keepLogs)
+        {
+            var script = Script(keepLogs);
+
+            // LIFE-F7 #3: deletion happens exclusively on successfully renamed targets
+            // ($entry.Renamed). A Remove-Item against the original tree is what deleted
+            // marker + state around locked binaries in the incident.
+            Assert.DoesNotContain($"Remove-Item -Path '{BasePath}'", script);
+            Assert.Contains("Remove-Item -Path $entry.Renamed", script);
+        }
+
+        [Theory]
+        [InlineData(false)]
+        [InlineData(true)]
+        public void Task_removal_is_gated_on_probe_and_deletion_on_task_gone(bool keepLogs)
+        {
+            var script = Script(keepLogs);
+
+            // Probe-rename first; only a successful probe reaches task removal, and only a
+            // removed task reaches deletion. Both failure branches rename BACK so the next
+            // boot retries with task + marker + files intact.
+            Assert.Contains("if ($probeOk)", script);
+            Assert.Contains("if ($taskGone)", script);
+            Assert.Contains("Rename-Item -Path $entry.Renamed -NewName $entry.Original", script);
+
+            // LIFE-F6 task-removal loop + module-independent fallback stay intact.
+            Assert.Contains("Unregister-ScheduledTask -TaskName $taskName", script);
+            Assert.Contains("schtasks.exe /Delete /TN $taskName /F", script);
+        }
+
+        [Theory]
+        [InlineData(false)]
+        [InlineData(true)]
+        public void Concurrent_cleanup_scripts_are_serialized_by_lock_file(bool keepLogs)
+        {
+            var script = Script(keepLogs);
+
+            // LIFE-F7 #1: CreateNew is the atomic single-flight gate; the loser exits without
+            // touching the tree. Stale locks (>10 min) are taken over.
+            Assert.Contains("AutopilotMonitor-Cleanup.lock", script);
+            Assert.Contains("[System.IO.FileMode]::CreateNew", script);
+            Assert.Contains("$lockAge.TotalMinutes -gt 10", script);
+        }
+
+        [Theory]
+        [InlineData(false)]
+        [InlineData(true)]
+        public void Rename_targets_carry_a_guid_suffix(bool keepLogs)
+        {
+            // A fixed '.del' target collides with leftovers of earlier attempts and with a
+            // concurrent script's rename — the GUID makes every attempt's target unique.
+            Assert.Contains(".del-' + [Guid]::NewGuid().ToString('N')", Script(keepLogs));
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void KeepLogs_variant_excludes_logs_directory()
+        {
+            var script = Script(keepLogs: true);
+            Assert.Contains("-Exclude 'Logs'", script);
+            Assert.DoesNotContain($"Rename-Item -Path '{BasePath}' -NewName", script);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Full_variant_renames_the_whole_tree()
+        {
+            var script = Script(keepLogs: false);
+            Assert.Contains($"Rename-Item -Path '{BasePath}' -NewName $renamedPath", script);
+            Assert.DoesNotContain("-Exclude 'Logs'", script);
+        }
+
+        [Theory]
+        [InlineData(false)]
+        [InlineData(true)]
+        public void Reboot_flag_controls_shutdown_invocation(bool reboot)
+        {
+            var script = Script(keepLogs: false, reboot: reboot);
+            if (reboot)
+                Assert.Contains("shutdown.exe /r /t 10", script);
+            else
+                Assert.DoesNotContain("shutdown.exe", script);
+        }
+
+        [Theory]
+        [InlineData(false)]
+        [InlineData(true)]
+        public void Script_and_lock_are_released_in_finally(bool keepLogs)
+        {
+            var script = Script(keepLogs);
+            Assert.Contains("finally", script);
+            Assert.Contains("$lockStream.Dispose()", script);
+            Assert.Contains("Remove-Item -Path $scriptPath -Force", script);
+        }
+    }
+}

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests/Monitoring/ShellCoreTrackerRebootCoalescingTests.cs

@@ -1,195 +0,0 @@
-#nullable enable
-using System;
-using System.Collections.Generic;
-using System.Linq;
-using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Logging;
-using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals;
-using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Orchestration;
-using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Harness;
-using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Orchestration;
-using AutopilotMonitor.DecisionCore.Engine;
-using AutopilotMonitor.DecisionCore.Signals;
-using AutopilotMonitor.Shared;
-using Xunit;
-
-namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Monitoring
-{
-    /// <summary>
-    /// Shell-Core 62407 "RebootCoalescing" branch — ESP-initiated coalesced reboot (MDM policies
-    /// forced a mid-ESP restart → second sign-in). Pure informational corroboration for the
-    /// MdmRebootPolicyTracker's per-URI 2800 attribution: no FinalizingSetup transition, no C#
-    /// event raise, and — as a DELIBERATE deviation from the other 62407 backfill branches — the
-    /// backfill path DOES emit (the live emit races the very reboot that kills the process).
-    /// </summary>
-    public sealed class ShellCoreTrackerRebootCoalescingTests
-    {
-        private static readonly DateTime ClockNow = new DateTime(2026, 7, 20, 10, 5, 0, DateTimeKind.Utc);
-        private const string CoalescingDescription =
-            "CloudExperienceHost Web App Event 2. Name: 'CommercialOOBE_DeviceSetup_RebootCoalescing', Value: '...'.";
-
-        private static (ShellCoreTracker tracker, FakeSignalIngressSink sink) MakeTracker(TempDirectory tmp)
-        {
-            var sink = new FakeSignalIngressSink();
-            var logger = new AgentLogger(tmp.Path, AgentLogLevel.Info);
-            var tracker = new ShellCoreTracker(
-                sessionId: "S1",
-                tenantId: "T1",
-                post: new InformationalEventPost(sink, new VirtualClock(ClockNow)),
-                logger: logger,
-                helloTracker: null);
-            return (tracker, sink);
-        }
-
-        private static IReadOnlyList<FakeSignalIngressSink.PostedSignal> ByType(FakeSignalIngressSink sink, string eventType) =>
-            sink.Posted.Where(p =>
-                p.Kind == DecisionSignalKind.InformationalEvent
-                && p.Payload != null
-                && p.Payload.TryGetValue(SignalPayloadKeys.EventType, out var et)
-                && et == eventType).ToList();
-
-        private static IReadOnlyDictionary<string, object> Data(FakeSignalIngressSink.PostedSignal s) =>
-            (IReadOnlyDictionary<string, object>)s.TypedPayload!;
-
-        [Fact]
-        public void ProcessEvent_62407_RebootCoalescing_EmitsWarning_ImmediateUpload()
-        {
-            using var tmp = new TempDirectory();
-            var (tracker, sink) = MakeTracker(tmp);
-            using (tracker)
-            {
-                var sourceTime = ClockNow.AddSeconds(-5);
-                tracker.ProcessEvent(
-                    eventId: ShellCoreTracker.EventId_ShellCore_WebAppEvent,
-                    description: CoalescingDescription,
-                    timestamp: sourceTime,
-                    providerName: "Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Core",
-                    isBackfill: false);
-
-                var s = Assert.Single(ByType(sink, Constants.EventTypes.EspRebootCoalescing));
-                Assert.Equal("Warning", s.Payload![SignalPayloadKeys.Severity]);
-                Assert.Equal("true", s.Payload![SignalPayloadKeys.ImmediateUpload]);
-                Assert.Equal(sourceTime, s.OccurredAtUtc);
-                Assert.Equal(CoalescingDescription, Data(s)["description"]);
-            }
-        }
-
-        [Fact]
-        public void ProcessEvent_62407_RebootCoalescing_FiresOncePerRun()
-        {
-            using var tmp = new TempDirectory();
-            var (tracker, sink) = MakeTracker(tmp);
-            using (tracker)
-            {
-                tracker.ProcessEvent(ShellCoreTracker.EventId_ShellCore_WebAppEvent,
-                    CoalescingDescription, ClockNow, "Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Core", isBackfill: false);
-                tracker.ProcessEvent(ShellCoreTracker.EventId_ShellCore_WebAppEvent,
-                    CoalescingDescription, ClockNow.AddSeconds(1), "Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Core", isBackfill: false);
-
-                Assert.Single(ByType(sink, Constants.EventTypes.EspRebootCoalescing));
-            }
-        }
-
-        [Fact]
-        public void ProcessEvent_62407_RebootCoalescing_DoesNotTriggerEspSemantics()
-        {
-            // The coalescing record is corroboration only — it must not trip the ESP-exit /
-            // FinalizingSetup / failure machinery.
-            using var tmp = new TempDirectory();
-            var (tracker, sink) = MakeTracker(tmp);
-            using (tracker)
-            {
-                var raised = new List<string>();
-                tracker.FinalizingSetupPhaseTriggered += (_, reason) => raised.Add($"finalizing:{reason}");
-                tracker.EspExited += (_, _) => raised.Add("espExited");
-                tracker.EspFailureDetected += (_, type) => raised.Add($"failure:{type}");
-                tracker.WhiteGloveCompleted += (_, _) => raised.Add("whiteGlove");
-
-                tracker.ProcessEvent(ShellCoreTracker.EventId_ShellCore_WebAppEvent,
-                    CoalescingDescription, ClockNow, "Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Core", isBackfill: false);
-
-                Assert.Empty(raised);
-                Assert.False(tracker.IsEspExitedForTest);
-                Assert.Empty(ByType(sink, Constants.EventTypes.EspExiting));
-                Assert.Empty(ByType(sink, Constants.EventTypes.EspFailure));
-            }
-        }
-
-        [Fact]
-        public void ProcessEvent_62407_ExistingBranches_Unaffected()
-        {
-            // Ordering regression guard: WhiteGlove/failure/exiting still classify as before —
-            // the RebootCoalescing check comes AFTER them.
-            using var tmp = new TempDirectory();
-            var (tracker, sink) = MakeTracker(tmp);
-            using (tracker)
-            {
-                tracker.ProcessEvent(ShellCoreTracker.EventId_ShellCore_WebAppEvent,
-                    "Name: 'CommercialOOBE_ESPProgress_Page_Exiting'", ClockNow, "p", isBackfill: false);
-                tracker.ProcessEvent(ShellCoreTracker.EventId_ShellCore_WebAppEvent,
-                    "Name: 'CommercialOOBE_ESPProgress_WhiteGlove_Success'", ClockNow, "p", isBackfill: false);
-
-                Assert.Single(ByType(sink, Constants.EventTypes.EspExiting));
-                Assert.Single(ByType(sink, Constants.EventTypes.WhiteGloveComplete));
-                Assert.Empty(ByType(sink, Constants.EventTypes.EspRebootCoalescing));
-            }
-        }
-
-        [Fact]
-        public void Backfill_RebootCoalescing_Emits_WithBackfilledTrue_AndHistoricalTimestamp()
-        {
-            // Deliberate deviation from the other 62407 backfill branches: after the coalesced
-            // reboot restarts the agent, the backfill re-emission is the only reliable delivery.
-            using var tmp = new TempDirectory();
-            var (tracker, sink) = MakeTracker(tmp);
-            using (tracker)
-            {
-                var historical = ClockNow.AddMinutes(-3);
-                tracker.HandleBackfillRecord(
-                    ShellCoreTracker.EventId_ShellCore_WebAppEvent, CoalescingDescription, historical);
-
-                var s = Assert.Single(ByType(sink, Constants.EventTypes.EspRebootCoalescing));
-                Assert.Equal(historical, s.OccurredAtUtc);
-                Assert.Equal(true, Data(s)["backfilled"]);
-                Assert.Equal("true", s.Payload![SignalPayloadKeys.ImmediateUpload]);
-            }
-        }
-
-        [Fact]
-        public void Backfill_RebootCoalescing_AfterLiveFire_DoesNotDoubleEmit_SameProcess()
-        {
-            // Same-process dedup via the fire-once flag. (Cross-process live+backfill duplication
-            // is possible and accepted — exists-semantics rule, identical historical timestamp.)
-            using var tmp = new TempDirectory();
-            var (tracker, sink) = MakeTracker(tmp);
-            using (tracker)
-            {
-                tracker.ProcessEvent(ShellCoreTracker.EventId_ShellCore_WebAppEvent,
-                    CoalescingDescription, ClockNow, "p", isBackfill: false);
-                tracker.HandleBackfillRecord(
-                    ShellCoreTracker.EventId_ShellCore_WebAppEvent, CoalescingDescription, ClockNow.AddMinutes(-1));
-
-                Assert.Single(ByType(sink, Constants.EventTypes.EspRebootCoalescing));
-            }
-        }
-
-        [Fact]
-        public void Backfill_RebootCoalescing_DoesNotFallThroughToExitOrFailureHandling()
-        {
-            using var tmp = new TempDirectory();
-            var (tracker, sink) = MakeTracker(tmp);
-            using (tracker)
-            {
-                var raised = new List<string>();
-                tracker.FinalizingSetupPhaseTriggered += (_, reason) => raised.Add($"finalizing:{reason}");
-                tracker.EspExited += (_, _) => raised.Add("espExited");
-                tracker.EspFailureDetected += (_, type) => raised.Add($"failure:{type}");
-
-                tracker.HandleBackfillRecord(
-                    ShellCoreTracker.EventId_ShellCore_WebAppEvent, CoalescingDescription, ClockNow.AddMinutes(-2));
-
-                Assert.Empty(raised);
-                Assert.False(tracker.IsEspExitedForTest);
-            }
-        }
-    }
-}

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests/Monitoring/SystemSignals/AppxFailureAnalyzerTests.cs

@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Monitoring.SystemSignals
         [InlineData(null, false)]
         [InlineData("", false)]
         [InlineData("0x8007", false)]
-        public void IsAppxFamilyHresult_MatchesOnlyAppxDeploymentRange(string hresult, bool expected)
+        public void IsAppxFamilyHresult_MatchesOnlyAppxDeploymentRange(string? hresult, bool expected)
         {
             Assert.Equal(expected, AppxFailureAnalyzer.IsAppxFamilyHresult(hresult));
         }

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests/Monitoring/SystemSignals/EspFailureRecoveryStoryTests.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,256 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Linq;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Logging;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Orchestration;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Harness;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Orchestration;
+using AutopilotMonitor.DecisionCore.Engine;
+using AutopilotMonitor.DecisionCore.Signals;
+using Xunit;
+
+namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Monitoring.SystemSignals
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Session 4910a5a5 (2026-07-23) — post-terminal recovery story. Field sequence:
+    /// DeviceSetup/Apps failed (culprit app never started installing) → settle window expired
+    /// → terminal EspFailureDetected → the user pressed "Try again" ~23 min later → Apps left
+    /// the failed state → 10/10 installed → DeviceSetup resolved. Pre-fix, that recovery only
+    /// appeared as a generic <c>subcategory_state_change</c>. Coverage:
+    /// <list type="bullet">
+    ///   <item><c>esp_failure_retry_detected</c> fires once when the failed subcategory leaves
+    ///         the failed state AFTER the terminal fire.</item>
+    ///   <item><c>esp_failure_recovered</c> fires once when the category then resolves to
+    ///         success.</item>
+    ///   <item>An in-settle-window recovery keeps emitting only
+    ///         <c>esp_failure_settle_recovered</c> — the post-terminal pair stays silent.</item>
+    ///   <item>Apps failures carry <c>LikelyCulpritApps</c> on the EspFailureDetected args,
+    ///         never-started apps ranked first.</item>
+    /// </list>
+    /// </summary>
+    public sealed class EspFailureRecoveryStoryTests
+    {
+        private static readonly DateTime Fixed = new DateTime(2026, 7, 23, 4, 30, 0, DateTimeKind.Utc);
+
+        private sealed class Fixture : IDisposable
+        {
+            public TempDirectory Tmp { get; } = new TempDirectory();
+            public FakeSignalIngressSink Sink { get; } = new FakeSignalIngressSink();
+            public List<EspFailureDetectedEventArgs> EspFailures { get; } = new List<EspFailureDetectedEventArgs>();
+            public ProvisioningStatusTracker Tracker { get; }
+
+            public Fixture(Func<IReadOnlyList<AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.Ime.AppPackageState>>? packageStatesProbe = null)
+            {
+                var clock = new VirtualClock(Fixed);
+                var post = new InformationalEventPost(Sink, clock);
+                var logger = new AgentLogger(Tmp.Path, AgentLogLevel.Info);
+                Tracker = new ProvisioningStatusTracker(
+                    sessionId: "S1",
+                    tenantId: "T1",
+                    post: post,
+                    logger: logger,
+                    appxScanner: new FakeAppxDeploymentFailureScanner(),
+                    backgroundDispatcher: action => action(),
+                    packageStatesProbe: packageStatesProbe);
+                Tracker.EspFailureDetected += (_, args) => EspFailures.Add(args);
+            }
+
+            public IReadOnlyList<(string EventType, IReadOnlyDictionary<string, object> Data)> CapturedEvents()
+            {
+                return Sink.Posted
+                    .Where(p => p.Kind == DecisionSignalKind.InformationalEvent && p.Payload != null)
+                    .Select(p =>
+                    {
+                        var eventType = p.Payload!.TryGetValue(SignalPayloadKeys.EventType, out var et) ? et : "";
+                        var data = p.TypedPayload as IReadOnlyDictionary<string, object>
+                                   ?? (IReadOnlyDictionary<string, object>)new Dictionary<string, object>();
+                        return (eventType, data);
+                    })
+                    .ToList();
+            }
+
+            /// <summary>Drive the session-4910a5a5 shape up to the terminal fire.</summary>
+            public void DriveToTerminalDeviceSetupAppsFailure()
+            {
+                Tracker.ProcessCategoryStatusForTest("DeviceSetupCategory.Status", @"{
+                    ""categorySucceeded"": null,
+                    ""SecurityPoliciesSubcategory"": {""subcategoryState"":""succeeded"",""subcategoryStatusText"":""Security policies (1 of 1 applied)""},
+                    ""AppsSubcategory"": {""subcategoryState"":""inProgress"",""subcategoryStatusText"":""Apps (9 of 10 installed)""}
+                }");
+                Tracker.ProcessCategoryStatusForTest("DeviceSetupCategory.Status", @"{
+                    ""categorySucceeded"": null,
+                    ""SecurityPoliciesSubcategory"": {""subcategoryState"":""succeeded"",""subcategoryStatusText"":""Security policies (1 of 1 applied)""},
+                    ""AppsSubcategory"": {""subcategoryState"":""failed"",""subcategoryStatusText"":""Apps (Error)""}
+                }");
+                Tracker.TriggerSettleTimerForTest("DeviceSetupCategory.Status");
+            }
+
+            public void Dispose()
+            {
+                Tracker.Dispose();
+                Tmp.Dispose();
+            }
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void PostTerminalRetry_EmitsRetryDetected_Once()
+        {
+            using var f = new Fixture();
+            f.DriveToTerminalDeviceSetupAppsFailure();
+            Assert.Single(f.EspFailures);
+
+            // "Try again": Apps leaves the failed state well after the settle window.
+            f.Tracker.ProcessCategoryStatusForTest("DeviceSetupCategory.Status", @"{
+                ""categorySucceeded"": null,
+                ""SecurityPoliciesSubcategory"": {""subcategoryState"":""succeeded"",""subcategoryStatusText"":""Security policies (1 of 1 applied)""},
+                ""AppsSubcategory"": {""subcategoryState"":""inProgress"",""subcategoryStatusText"":""Apps (Working on it...)""}
+            }");
+
+            var retry = Assert.Single(f.CapturedEvents(), e => e.EventType == "esp_failure_retry_detected");
+            Assert.Equal("DeviceSetup", (string)retry.Data["category"]);
+            Assert.Equal("Apps", (string)retry.Data["subcategory"]);
+            Assert.Equal("failed", (string)retry.Data["previousState"]);
+            Assert.Equal("inProgress", (string)retry.Data["newState"]);
+            Assert.Equal("Provisioning_DeviceSetup_Apps_Failed", (string)retry.Data["failureType"]);
+            Assert.True(retry.Data.ContainsKey("minutesSinceFailure"));
+
+            // A later unrelated transition does not re-emit.
+            f.Tracker.ProcessCategoryStatusForTest("DeviceSetupCategory.Status", @"{
+                ""categorySucceeded"": null,
+                ""SecurityPoliciesSubcategory"": {""subcategoryState"":""succeeded"",""subcategoryStatusText"":""Security policies (1 of 1 applied)""},
+                ""AppsSubcategory"": {""subcategoryState"":""succeeded"",""subcategoryStatusText"":""Apps (10 of 10 installed)""}
+            }");
+            Assert.Single(f.CapturedEvents(), e => e.EventType == "esp_failure_retry_detected");
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void PostTerminalRecovery_EmitsRecovered_OnCategorySuccess()
+        {
+            using var f = new Fixture();
+            f.DriveToTerminalDeviceSetupAppsFailure();
+
+            // Retry → all apps installed → Windows resolves the category boolean.
+            f.Tracker.ProcessCategoryStatusForTest("DeviceSetupCategory.Status", @"{
+                ""categorySucceeded"": null,
+                ""SecurityPoliciesSubcategory"": {""subcategoryState"":""succeeded"",""subcategoryStatusText"":""Security policies (1 of 1 applied)""},
+                ""AppsSubcategory"": {""subcategoryState"":""inProgress"",""subcategoryStatusText"":""Apps (Working on it...)""}
+            }");
+            f.Tracker.ProcessCategoryStatusForTest("DeviceSetupCategory.Status", @"{
+                ""categorySucceeded"": true,
+                ""SecurityPoliciesSubcategory"": {""subcategoryState"":""succeeded"",""subcategoryStatusText"":""Security policies (1 of 1 applied)""},
+                ""AppsSubcategory"": {""subcategoryState"":""succeeded"",""subcategoryStatusText"":""Apps (10 of 10 installed)""}
+            }");
+
+            var recovered = Assert.Single(f.CapturedEvents(), e => e.EventType == "esp_failure_recovered");
+            Assert.Equal("DeviceSetup", (string)recovered.Data["category"]);
+            Assert.Equal("Apps", (string)recovered.Data["failedSubcategory"]);
+            Assert.Equal("Provisioning_DeviceSetup_Apps_Failed", (string)recovered.Data["failureType"]);
+            Assert.True(recovered.Data.ContainsKey("minutesSinceFailure"));
+
+            // Duplicate category-success writes do not re-emit (fire-once).
+            f.Tracker.ProcessCategoryStatusForTest("DeviceSetupCategory.Status", @"{
+                ""categorySucceeded"": true,
+                ""SecurityPoliciesSubcategory"": {""subcategoryState"":""succeeded"",""subcategoryStatusText"":""Security policies (1 of 1 applied)""},
+                ""AppsSubcategory"": {""subcategoryState"":""succeeded"",""subcategoryStatusText"":""Apps (10 of 10 installed, take 2)""}
+            }");
+            Assert.Single(f.CapturedEvents(), e => e.EventType == "esp_failure_recovered");
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void InSettleWindowRecovery_KeepsPostTerminalPairSilent()
+        {
+            using var f = new Fixture();
+
+            f.Tracker.ProcessCategoryStatusForTest("DeviceSetupCategory.Status", @"{
+                ""categorySucceeded"": null,
+                ""AppsSubcategory"": {""subcategoryState"":""inProgress"",""subcategoryStatusText"":""Apps (0 of 1 installed)""}
+            }");
+            f.Tracker.ProcessCategoryStatusForTest("DeviceSetupCategory.Status", @"{
+                ""categorySucceeded"": null,
+                ""AppsSubcategory"": {""subcategoryState"":""failed"",""subcategoryStatusText"":""Apps (Error)""}
+            }");
+            // Recovery INSIDE the settle window — terminal fire is suppressed.
+            f.Tracker.ProcessCategoryStatusForTest("DeviceSetupCategory.Status", @"{
+                ""categorySucceeded"": null,
+                ""AppsSubcategory"": {""subcategoryState"":""inProgress"",""subcategoryStatusText"":""Apps (Working on it...)""}
+            }");
+            f.Tracker.TriggerSettleTimerForTest("DeviceSetupCategory.Status");
+            Assert.Empty(f.EspFailures);
+
+            f.Tracker.ProcessCategoryStatusForTest("DeviceSetupCategory.Status", @"{
+                ""categorySucceeded"": true,
+                ""AppsSubcategory"": {""subcategoryState"":""succeeded"",""subcategoryStatusText"":""Apps (1 of 1 installed)""}
+            }");
+
+            var events = f.CapturedEvents();
+            Assert.Contains(events, e => e.EventType == "esp_failure_settle_recovered");
+            Assert.DoesNotContain(events, e => e.EventType == "esp_failure_retry_detected");
+            Assert.DoesNotContain(events, e => e.EventType == "esp_failure_recovered");
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void AppsFailure_TerminalArgs_CarryLikelyCulprits_NeverStartedFirst()
+        {
+            var neverStarted = BuildApp("app-bg", "Teams Backgrounds v2",
+                AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.Ime.AppInstallationState.Unknown,
+                downloadingSeen: false);
+            var startedButPending = BuildApp("app-slow", "Slow Installer",
+                AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.Ime.AppInstallationState.Unknown,
+                downloadingSeen: true);
+            var installed = BuildApp("app-ok", "Falcon Sensor",
+                AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.Ime.AppInstallationState.Installed,
+                downloadingSeen: true);
+            using var f = new Fixture(() => new[] { startedButPending, neverStarted, installed });
+
+            f.DriveToTerminalDeviceSetupAppsFailure();
+
+            var fired = Assert.Single(f.EspFailures);
+            Assert.Equal(2, fired.LikelyCulpritApps.Count);
+            // Never-started app ranked first — it starved the ESP gate without any IME event.
+            Assert.Equal("Teams Backgrounds v2", fired.LikelyCulpritApps[0]);
+            Assert.Equal("Slow Installer", fired.LikelyCulpritApps[1]);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void NonAppsFailure_TerminalArgs_CarryNoCulprits()
+        {
+            var neverStarted = BuildApp("app-bg", "Teams Backgrounds v2",
+                AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.Ime.AppInstallationState.Unknown,
+                downloadingSeen: false);
+            using var f = new Fixture(() => new[] { neverStarted });
+
+            f.Tracker.ProcessCategoryStatusForTest("DeviceSetupCategory.Status", @"{
+                ""categorySucceeded"": null,
+                ""SecurityPoliciesSubcategory"": {""subcategoryState"":""inProgress"",""subcategoryStatusText"":""Working""}
+            }");
+            f.Tracker.ProcessCategoryStatusForTest("DeviceSetupCategory.Status", @"{
+                ""categorySucceeded"": null,
+                ""SecurityPoliciesSubcategory"": {""subcategoryState"":""failed"",""subcategoryStatusText"":""Failed""}
+            }");
+            f.Tracker.TriggerSettleTimerForTest("DeviceSetupCategory.Status");
+
+            var fired = Assert.Single(f.EspFailures);
+            Assert.Empty(fired.LikelyCulpritApps);
+        }
+
+        private static AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.Ime.AppPackageState BuildApp(
+            string id, string name,
+            AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.Ime.AppInstallationState state,
+            bool downloadingSeen)
+        {
+            var pkg = new AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.Ime.AppPackageState(id, 0);
+            pkg.UpdateName(name);
+            pkg.UpdateIntent(AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.Ime.AppIntent.Install);
+            pkg.UpdateTargeted(AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.Ime.AppTargeted.Device);
+            // DownloadingOrInstallingSeen is derived inside UpdateState (Downloading..Installing
+            // range) — drive it through a Downloading transition instead of setting it directly.
+            if (downloadingSeen)
+                pkg.UpdateState(AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.Ime.AppInstallationState.Downloading);
+            if (state != AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.Ime.AppInstallationState.Unknown
+                && state != AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.Ime.AppInstallationState.Downloading)
+                pkg.UpdateState(state);
+            return pkg;
+        }
+    }
+}

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests/Monitoring/SystemSignals/EspPolicyProviderStallDetectorTests.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,359 @@
+#nullable enable
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Linq;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Logging;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Orchestration;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Persistence;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Harness;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Orchestration;
+using AutopilotMonitor.DecisionCore.Engine;
+using AutopilotMonitor.DecisionCore.Signals;
+using Xunit;
+
+namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Monitoring.SystemSignals
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Session 5d735290 — pure detection logic of <see cref="EspPolicyProviderStallDetector"/>:
+    /// the CSP completion rule and the dwell/one-shot transition. No registry, no timers.
+    /// </summary>
+    public sealed class EspPolicyProviderStallLogicTests
+    {
+        private static readonly DateTime T0 = new DateTime(2026, 7, 23, 10, 0, 0, DateTimeKind.Utc);
+        private static readonly TimeSpan Dwell = TimeSpan.FromMinutes(EspPolicyProviderStallDetector.DwellMinutes);
+
+        private static PolicyProviderState SetupApps(string name, int? tracking, string scope = "device") =>
+            new PolicyProviderState(name, scope, EspPolicyProviderProbe.KindSetupApps, tracking, null);
+
+        private static PolicyProviderState DevicePrep(string name, int? installState) =>
+            new PolicyProviderState(name, "device", EspPolicyProviderProbe.KindDevicePreparation, null, installState);
+
+        private static EspPolicyProviderSnapshot Snapshot(params PolicyProviderState[] providers) =>
+            new EspPolicyProviderSnapshot(providers);
+
+        // ------------------------------------------------- completion rule (CSP contract)
+
+        [Theory]
+        [InlineData(1, true)]   // TrackingPoliciesCreated=true
+        [InlineData(0, false)]  // explicit false (the CSP default)
+        [InlineData(null, false)] // value missing — the field case
+        [InlineData(2, false)]  // anything else is not "true"
+        public void SetupApps_provider_complete_only_at_tracking_1(int? tracking, bool expected)
+            => Assert.Equal(expected, EspPolicyProviderProbe.IsProviderComplete(
+                EspPolicyProviderProbe.KindSetupApps, tracking, null));
+
+        [Theory]
+        [InlineData(2, true)]   // NotRequired
+        [InlineData(3, true)]   // Completed
+        [InlineData(1, false)]  // NotInstalled
+        [InlineData(4, false)]  // Error
+        [InlineData(null, false)]
+        public void DevicePreparation_provider_complete_at_state_2_or_3(int? state, bool expected)
+            => Assert.Equal(expected, EspPolicyProviderProbe.IsProviderComplete(
+                EspPolicyProviderProbe.KindDevicePreparation, null, state));
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void TryReadInt_tolerates_dword_string_and_bool_forms()
+        {
+            Assert.Equal(1, EspPolicyProviderProbe.TryReadInt(1));
+            Assert.Equal(3, EspPolicyProviderProbe.TryReadInt(3L));
+            Assert.Equal(1, EspPolicyProviderProbe.TryReadInt(" 1 "));
+            Assert.Equal(1, EspPolicyProviderProbe.TryReadInt(true));
+            Assert.Equal(0, EspPolicyProviderProbe.TryReadInt(false));
+            Assert.Null(EspPolicyProviderProbe.TryReadInt(null));
+            Assert.Null(EspPolicyProviderProbe.TryReadInt("not-a-number"));
+            Assert.Null(EspPolicyProviderProbe.TryReadInt(new byte[] { 1 }));
+        }
+
+        // ------------------------------------------------- dwell transition
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Empty_or_missing_snapshot_clears_dwell_state_and_never_stalls()
+        {
+            var previous = new Dictionary<string, DateTime> { ["setupApps|device|ConfigMgr"] = T0 };
+
+            var missing = EspPolicyProviderStallDetector.EvaluateStallTransition(
+                EspPolicyProviderSnapshot.Empty, previous, new HashSet<string>(), T0.AddHours(2), Dwell);
+            Assert.Empty(missing.UpdatedFirstSeenUtc);
+            Assert.Empty(missing.NewlyStalled);
+
+            var registeredButEmpty = EspPolicyProviderStallDetector.EvaluateStallTransition(
+                Snapshot(), previous, new HashSet<string>(), T0.AddHours(2), Dwell);
+            Assert.Empty(registeredButEmpty.UpdatedFirstSeenUtc);
+            Assert.Empty(registeredButEmpty.NewlyStalled);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Incomplete_provider_accrues_dwell_but_does_not_stall_before_threshold()
+        {
+            var snapshot = Snapshot(SetupApps("ConfigMgr", tracking: null));
+
+            var round1 = EspPolicyProviderStallDetector.EvaluateStallTransition(
+                snapshot, new Dictionary<string, DateTime>(), new HashSet<string>(), T0, Dwell);
+            Assert.Equal(T0, round1.UpdatedFirstSeenUtc["setupApps|device|ConfigMgr"]);
+            Assert.Empty(round1.NewlyStalled);
+
+            var round2 = EspPolicyProviderStallDetector.EvaluateStallTransition(
+                snapshot, round1.UpdatedFirstSeenUtc, new HashSet<string>(), T0.AddMinutes(14), Dwell);
+            Assert.Equal(T0, round2.UpdatedFirstSeenUtc["setupApps|device|ConfigMgr"]); // first-seen preserved
+            Assert.Empty(round2.NewlyStalled);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Provider_stalls_at_dwell_threshold_with_correct_minutes()
+        {
+            var snapshot = Snapshot(SetupApps("ConfigMgr", tracking: 0));
+            var seen = new Dictionary<string, DateTime> { ["setupApps|device|ConfigMgr"] = T0 };
+
+            var eval = EspPolicyProviderStallDetector.EvaluateStallTransition(
+                snapshot, seen, new HashSet<string>(), T0.AddMinutes(15), Dwell);
+
+            var stalled = Assert.Single(eval.NewlyStalled);
+            Assert.Equal("ConfigMgr", stalled.Provider.Name);
+            Assert.Equal(15.0, stalled.StalledForMinutes, precision: 3);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Completion_or_disappearance_resets_the_dwell_clock()
+        {
+            var key = "setupApps|device|ConfigMgr";
+            var seen = new Dictionary<string, DateTime> { [key] = T0 };
+
+            // Completes mid-dwell → dropped from the map.
+            var completed = EspPolicyProviderStallDetector.EvaluateStallTransition(
+                Snapshot(SetupApps("ConfigMgr", tracking: 1)), seen, new HashSet<string>(), T0.AddMinutes(10), Dwell);
+            Assert.Empty(completed.UpdatedFirstSeenUtc);
+
+            // Re-appears incomplete much later → dwell restarts from the new now, no stall yet.
+            var reappeared = EspPolicyProviderStallDetector.EvaluateStallTransition(
+                Snapshot(SetupApps("ConfigMgr", tracking: 0)), completed.UpdatedFirstSeenUtc,
+                new HashSet<string>(), T0.AddHours(3), Dwell);
+            Assert.Equal(T0.AddHours(3), reappeared.UpdatedFirstSeenUtc[key]);
+            Assert.Empty(reappeared.NewlyStalled);
+
+            // Disappearance behaves the same as completion.
+            var disappeared = EspPolicyProviderStallDetector.EvaluateStallTransition(
+                Snapshot(SetupApps("Sidecar", tracking: 1)), new Dictionary<string, DateTime> { [key] = T0 },
+                new HashSet<string>(), T0.AddMinutes(20), Dwell);
+            Assert.False(disappeared.UpdatedFirstSeenUtc.ContainsKey(key));
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Already_fired_provider_is_never_reported_again()
+        {
+            var snapshot = Snapshot(SetupApps("ConfigMgr", tracking: null));
+            var seen = new Dictionary<string, DateTime> { ["setupApps|device|ConfigMgr"] = T0 };
+            var fired = new HashSet<string>(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase) { "setupApps|device|ConfigMgr" };
+
+            var eval = EspPolicyProviderStallDetector.EvaluateStallTransition(
+                snapshot, seen, fired, T0.AddHours(5), Dwell);
+
+            Assert.Empty(eval.NewlyStalled);
+            Assert.True(eval.UpdatedFirstSeenUtc.ContainsKey("setupApps|device|ConfigMgr")); // still tracked
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Mixed_kinds_and_scopes_are_tracked_under_distinct_keys()
+        {
+            var snapshot = Snapshot(
+                SetupApps("ConfigMgr", tracking: null),
+                SetupApps("ConfigMgr", tracking: null, scope: "user:S-1-5-21-1111"),
+                DevicePrep("ConfigMgr", installState: 1));
+
+            var eval = EspPolicyProviderStallDetector.EvaluateStallTransition(
+                snapshot, new Dictionary<string, DateTime>(), new HashSet<string>(), T0, Dwell);
+
+            Assert.Equal(3, eval.UpdatedFirstSeenUtc.Count);
+            Assert.Contains("setupApps|device|ConfigMgr", eval.UpdatedFirstSeenUtc.Keys);
+            Assert.Contains("setupApps|user:S-1-5-21-1111|ConfigMgr", eval.UpdatedFirstSeenUtc.Keys);
+            Assert.Contains("devicePreparation|device|ConfigMgr", eval.UpdatedFirstSeenUtc.Keys);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void SidecarRegistered_matches_setupApps_sidecar_only()
+        {
+            Assert.True(Snapshot(SetupApps("Sidecar", tracking: 0)).SidecarRegistered);
+            Assert.True(Snapshot(SetupApps("sidecar", tracking: 1, scope: "user:S-1-5-21-1")).SidecarRegistered);
+            Assert.False(Snapshot(SetupApps("ConfigMgr", tracking: 1)).SidecarRegistered);
+            Assert.False(Snapshot(DevicePrep("Sidecar", installState: 3)).SidecarRegistered); // wrong kind
+            Assert.False(EspPolicyProviderSnapshot.Empty.SidecarRegistered);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Emission surface of the detector via the real <see cref="InformationalEventPost"/> rail.
+    /// Static probe override → serial collection (same contract as
+    /// <c>EspConfigDetectedTrackingFieldsTests</c>).
+    /// </summary>
+    [Collection("SerialThreading")]
+    public sealed class EspPolicyProviderStallDetectorEmissionTests : IDisposable
+    {
+        private static readonly DateTime At = new DateTime(2026, 7, 23, 12, 0, 0, DateTimeKind.Utc);
+
+        private readonly TempDirectory _tmp = new TempDirectory();
+
+        public void Dispose() => _tmp.Dispose();
+
+        private (EspPolicyProviderStallDetector sut, FakeSignalIngressSink sink, VirtualClock clock)
+            BuildDetector(StartupEventGate? gate = null)
+        {
+            var logger = new AgentLogger(_tmp.Path, AgentLogLevel.Info);
+            var sink = new FakeSignalIngressSink();
+            var clock = new VirtualClock(At);
+            var post = new InformationalEventPost(sink, clock);
+            var sut = new EspPolicyProviderStallDetector("S1", "T1", post, logger, clock, gate);
+            return (sut, sink, clock);
+        }
+
+        private static EspPolicyProviderSnapshot ConfigMgrOnly() => new EspPolicyProviderSnapshot(new[]
+        {
+            new PolicyProviderState("ConfigMgr", "device", EspPolicyProviderProbe.KindSetupApps,
+                trackingPoliciesCreated: null, installationState: null),
+        });
+
+        private static EspPolicyProviderSnapshot SidecarCompleteConfigMgrIncomplete() => new EspPolicyProviderSnapshot(new[]
+        {
+            new PolicyProviderState("Sidecar", "device", EspPolicyProviderProbe.KindSetupApps, 1, null),
+            new PolicyProviderState("ConfigMgr", "device", EspPolicyProviderProbe.KindSetupApps, 0, null),
+        });
+
+        private static IReadOnlyList<FakeSignalIngressSink.PostedSignal> StalledEvents(FakeSignalIngressSink sink) =>
+            sink.Posted.Where(p =>
+                p.Payload != null
+                && p.Payload.TryGetValue(SignalPayloadKeys.EventType, out var et)
+                && et == "esp_policy_provider_stalled").ToList();
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void CustomerScenario_configmgr_without_sidecar_emits_one_warning_after_dwell()
+        {
+            using var _probe = new EspPolicyProviderProbe.ScopedOverride(_ => ConfigMgrOnly());
+            var (sut, sink, clock) = BuildDetector();
+
+            sut.Tick();                                     // first sighting — dwell starts
+            Assert.Empty(StalledEvents(sink));
+
+            clock.Advance(TimeSpan.FromMinutes(EspPolicyProviderStallDetector.DwellMinutes));
+            sut.Tick();                                     // threshold crossed → emit
+
+            var evt = Assert.Single(StalledEvents(sink));
+            Assert.Equal(DecisionSignalKind.InformationalEvent, evt.Kind);
+            Assert.Equal("Warning", evt.Payload![SignalPayloadKeys.Severity]);
+            Assert.Equal("true", evt.Payload[SignalPayloadKeys.ImmediateUpload]);
+            Assert.Equal(EspPolicyProviderStallDetector.SourceLabel, evt.Payload[SignalPayloadKeys.Source]);
+
+            var data = Assert.IsAssignableFrom<IReadOnlyDictionary<string, object>>(evt.TypedPayload);
+            Assert.Equal(false, data["sidecarRegistered"]);
+            Assert.Equal(EspPolicyProviderStallDetector.DwellMinutes, data["dwellMinutes"]);
+            var stalled = Assert.IsAssignableFrom<IReadOnlyList<Dictionary<string, object>>>(data["stalledProviders"]);
+            var entry = Assert.Single(stalled);
+            Assert.Equal("ConfigMgr", entry["name"]);
+            Assert.Equal(EspPolicyProviderProbe.KindSetupApps, entry["kind"]);
+            Assert.Equal(15.0, entry["stalledForMinutes"]);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Sidecar_complete_configmgr_incomplete_reports_only_configmgr_with_sidecar_flag()
+        {
+            using var _probe = new EspPolicyProviderProbe.ScopedOverride(_ => SidecarCompleteConfigMgrIncomplete());
+            var (sut, sink, clock) = BuildDetector();
+
+            sut.Tick();
+            clock.Advance(TimeSpan.FromMinutes(EspPolicyProviderStallDetector.DwellMinutes));
+            sut.Tick();
+
+            var evt = Assert.Single(StalledEvents(sink));
+            var data = Assert.IsAssignableFrom<IReadOnlyDictionary<string, object>>(evt.TypedPayload);
+            Assert.Equal(true, data["sidecarRegistered"]);
+            var stalled = Assert.IsAssignableFrom<IReadOnlyList<Dictionary<string, object>>>(data["stalledProviders"]);
+            Assert.Equal("ConfigMgr", Assert.Single(stalled)["name"]);
+            var providers = Assert.IsAssignableFrom<IReadOnlyList<Dictionary<string, object?>>>(data["providers"]);
+            Assert.Equal(2, providers.Count); // full table always attached
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Latch_prevents_second_emission_for_the_same_provider()
+        {
+            using var _probe = new EspPolicyProviderProbe.ScopedOverride(_ => ConfigMgrOnly());
+            var (sut, sink, clock) = BuildDetector();
+
+            sut.Tick();
+            clock.Advance(TimeSpan.FromMinutes(EspPolicyProviderStallDetector.DwellMinutes));
+            sut.Tick();
+            clock.Advance(TimeSpan.FromMinutes(30));
+            sut.Tick();
+            sut.Tick();
+
+            Assert.Single(StalledEvents(sink));
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Startup_gate_suppresses_same_stall_across_restart_but_reports_new_provider_set()
+        {
+            var logger = new AgentLogger(_tmp.Path, AgentLogLevel.Info);
+
+            // Run 1: fires and persists the fingerprint.
+            using (var _probe = new EspPolicyProviderProbe.ScopedOverride(_ => ConfigMgrOnly()))
+            {
+                var (sut, sink, clock) = BuildDetector(new StartupEventGate(_tmp.Path, logger));
+                sut.Tick();
+                clock.Advance(TimeSpan.FromMinutes(EspPolicyProviderStallDetector.DwellMinutes));
+                sut.Tick();
+                Assert.Single(StalledEvents(sink));
+            }
+
+            // Run 2 (simulated restart — fresh detector, gate reloaded from the same state dir):
+            // identical stall re-accrues dwell but lands on the same fingerprint → suppressed.
+            using (var _probe = new EspPolicyProviderProbe.ScopedOverride(_ => ConfigMgrOnly()))
+            {
+                var (sut, sink, clock) = BuildDetector(new StartupEventGate(_tmp.Path, logger));
+                sut.Tick();
+                clock.Advance(TimeSpan.FromMinutes(EspPolicyProviderStallDetector.DwellMinutes));
+                sut.Tick();
+                Assert.Empty(StalledEvents(sink));
+            }
+
+            // Run 3: a SECOND provider joins the stall → fingerprint changes → reported.
+            var widened = new EspPolicyProviderSnapshot(new[]
+            {
+                new PolicyProviderState("ConfigMgr", "device", EspPolicyProviderProbe.KindSetupApps, null, null),
+                new PolicyProviderState("Contoso", "device", EspPolicyProviderProbe.KindSetupApps, 0, null),
+            });
+            using (var _probe = new EspPolicyProviderProbe.ScopedOverride(_ => widened))
+            {
+                var (sut, sink, clock) = BuildDetector(new StartupEventGate(_tmp.Path, logger));
+                sut.Tick();
+                clock.Advance(TimeSpan.FromMinutes(EspPolicyProviderStallDetector.DwellMinutes));
+                sut.Tick();
+                Assert.Single(StalledEvents(sink));
+            }
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Healthy_or_absent_tracking_never_emits()
+        {
+            var healthy = new EspPolicyProviderSnapshot(new[]
+            {
+                new PolicyProviderState("Sidecar", "device", EspPolicyProviderProbe.KindSetupApps, 1, null),
+                new PolicyProviderState("ConfigMgr", "device", EspPolicyProviderProbe.KindDevicePreparation, null, 3),
+            });
+            using (var _probe = new EspPolicyProviderProbe.ScopedOverride(_ => healthy))
+            {
+                var (sut, sink, clock) = BuildDetector();
+                sut.Tick();
+                clock.Advance(TimeSpan.FromHours(4));
+                sut.Tick();
+                Assert.Empty(StalledEvents(sink));
+            }
+
+            using (var _probe = new EspPolicyProviderProbe.ScopedOverride(_ => EspPolicyProviderSnapshot.Empty))
+            {
+                var (sut, sink, clock) = BuildDetector();
+                sut.Tick();
+                clock.Advance(TimeSpan.FromHours(4));
+                sut.Tick();
+                Assert.Empty(StalledEvents(sink));
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests/Monitoring/SystemSignals/MdmRebootPolicyTrackerTests.cs

@@ -15,16 +15,22 @@ using Xunit;
 namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Monitoring.SystemSignals
 {
     /// <summary>
-    /// MdmRebootPolicyTracker — attributes the "unexpected reboot + second sign-in" pattern to the
-    /// device-assigned policy URIs that forced the coalesced reboot (DM-Enterprise EventID 2800).
-    /// Drives the primitive <see cref="MdmRebootPolicyTracker.ProcessEvent"/> test seam (no real
-    /// EventRecord, which is abstract + Windows-only), mirroring the WindowsUpdateTracker pattern.
+    /// MdmRebootPolicyTracker — aggregates DM-Enterprise EventID 2800 bursts into ONE neutral
+    /// <c>mdm_policy_reboot_required</c> event (session b2e890c1 rework: per-record events were
+    /// spam, and the raw event must not CLAIM a reboot — ANALYZE-ESP-005 does, gated on an
+    /// observed system_reboot_detected). Drives the primitive ProcessEvent seam + explicit
+    /// FlushPending (debounce 0 = manual-flush mode; no timers, no SerialThreading needed).
     /// The registry probe is always overridden — tests never touch the live registry.
     /// </summary>
     public sealed class MdmRebootPolicyTrackerTests : IDisposable
     {
-        private static readonly DateTime At = new DateTime(2026, 7, 20, 9, 30, 0, DateTimeKind.Utc);
-        private const string SampleUri = "./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/DeviceGuard/EnableVirtualizationBasedSecurity";
+        private static readonly DateTime At = new DateTime(2026, 7, 20, 16, 20, 57, DateTimeKind.Utc);
+        private const string UriSvchost = "./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ServiceControlManager/SvchostProcessMitigation";
+        private const string UriSystemGuard = "./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/DeviceGuard/ConfigureSystemGuardLaunch";
+
+        // Verified real 2800 description shape (session b2e890c1, 2026-07-20).
+        private const string RealDescription =
+            "The following URI has triggered a reboot: (./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ServiceControlManager/SvchostProcessMitigation).";
 
         private readonly TempDirectory _tmp = new TempDirectory();
         private readonly FakeSignalIngressSink _sink;
@@ -34,21 +40,28 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Monitoring.SystemSignals
         public MdmRebootPolicyTrackerTests()
         {
             _sink = new FakeSignalIngressSink();
+            _tracker = MakeTracker(stateDirectory: null);
+        }
+
+        public void Dispose() => _tmp.Dispose();
+
+        private MdmRebootPolicyTracker MakeTracker(string? stateDirectory)
+        {
             var post = new InformationalEventPost(_sink, new VirtualClock(At));
             var logger = new AgentLogger(_tmp.Path, AgentLogLevel.Info);
-            _tracker = new MdmRebootPolicyTracker(
+            var tracker = new MdmRebootPolicyTracker(
                 sessionId: "sess-mdm",
                 tenantId: "tenant-mdm",
                 post: post,
                 logger: logger,
                 backfillEnabled: false,
-                stateDirectory: null); // in-memory dedup for most tests
-            _tracker.RebootRequiredFlagProbe = () => null; // registry untouched by default
+                stateDirectory: stateDirectory,
+                debounceMilliseconds: 0); // manual-flush mode — tests call FlushPending explicitly
+            tracker.RebootRequiredFlagProbe = () => null; // registry untouched by default
+            return tracker;
         }
 
-        public void Dispose() => _tmp.Dispose();
-
-        private void Emit(string? rebootUri = SampleUri, string? description = null, long? recordId = null, bool isBackfill = false, DateTime? timeCreatedUtc = null)
+        private void Buffer(string? rebootUri, long? recordId = null, bool isBackfill = false, DateTime? timeCreatedUtc = null, string? description = null)
         {
             _tracker.ProcessEvent(
                 eventId: MdmRebootPolicyTracker.EventId_PolicyRebootRequired,
@@ -70,104 +83,192 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Monitoring.SystemSignals
             (IReadOnlyDictionary<string, object>)s.TypedPayload!;
 
         [Fact]
-        public void ProcessEvent_EmitsWarning_WithUri_AndImmediateUpload()
+        public void Burst_FlushesAsOneAggregatedEvent_InfoSeverity_ImmediateUpload()
         {
-            Emit();
+            Buffer(UriSvchost, timeCreatedUtc: At);
+            Buffer(UriSystemGuard, timeCreatedUtc: At.AddMilliseconds(120));
+            _tracker.FlushPending();
 
             var s = Assert.Single(Emitted());
-            Assert.Equal("Warning", s.Payload![SignalPayloadKeys.Severity]);
+            Assert.Equal("Info", s.Payload![SignalPayloadKeys.Severity]);
             Assert.Equal("true", s.Payload![SignalPayloadKeys.ImmediateUpload]);
 
             var data = Data(s);
-            Assert.Equal(SampleUri, data["rebootUri"]);
-            Assert.Equal(MdmRebootPolicyTracker.EventId_PolicyRebootRequired, data["windowsEventId"]);
-            Assert.Equal(MdmRebootPolicyTracker.Channel, data["eventLogChannel"]);
+            Assert.Equal(2, data["uriCount"]);
+            Assert.Equal(2, data["recordCount"]);
+            Assert.Equal(UriSvchost, data["firstRebootUri"]);
+            var uris = Assert.IsType<List<string>>(data["rebootUris"]);
+            Assert.Equal(2, uris.Count);
+            Assert.Contains(UriSvchost, uris);
+            Assert.Contains(UriSystemGuard, uris);
         }
 
         [Fact]
-        public void ProcessEvent_NoUri_StillEmits_WithoutRebootUriField()
+        public void Message_IsNeutralObservation_NoRebootClaim()
         {
-            // Tolerant contract: an unparsed URI must stay timeline-visible (with the captured
-            // description telling us how to fix the extraction) — the analyze rule keys on
-            // "rebootUri exists" and simply stays silent.
-            Emit(rebootUri: null, description: "Some unexpected 2800 wording");
+            // Session b2e890c1: flags raised during AccountSetup have no effect — the raw event
+            // must state the observation only, never a future consequence.
+            Buffer(UriSvchost);
+            _tracker.FlushPending();
+
+            var s = Assert.Single(Emitted());
+            var message = s.Payload![SignalPayloadKeys.Message];
+            Assert.Contains("flagged", message);
+            Assert.DoesNotContain("will restart", message);
+            Assert.DoesNotContain("second sign-in", message);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void FlushPending_Empty_EmitsNothing()
+        {
+            _tracker.FlushPending();
+            Assert.Empty(Emitted());
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void AggregateTimestamp_IsEarliestRecordTime()
+        {
+            var early = At.AddMinutes(-30);
+            Buffer(UriSystemGuard, timeCreatedUtc: At, isBackfill: true);
+            Buffer(UriSvchost, timeCreatedUtc: early, isBackfill: true);
+            _tracker.FlushPending();
+
+            var s = Assert.Single(Emitted());
+            Assert.Equal(early, s.OccurredAtUtc);
+            Assert.Equal(true, Data(s)["backfilled"]);
+            // firstRebootUri follows record-time order, not buffer order.
+            Assert.Equal(UriSvchost, Data(s)["firstRebootUri"]);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Backfilled_False_WhenAnyRecordIsLive()
+        {
+            Buffer(UriSvchost, isBackfill: true);
+            Buffer(UriSystemGuard, isBackfill: false);
+            _tracker.FlushPending();
+
+            Assert.Equal(false, Data(Assert.Single(Emitted()))["backfilled"]);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void DuplicateUris_AreDistinctInAggregate()
+        {
+            Buffer(UriSvchost);
+            Buffer(UriSvchost);
+            _tracker.FlushPending();
+
+            var data = Data(Assert.Single(Emitted()));
+            Assert.Equal(1, data["uriCount"]);
+            Assert.Equal(2, data["recordCount"]);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void UnparsedRecords_CountedWithSampleDescription_StillEmitted()
+        {
+            Buffer(rebootUri: null, description: "Some unexpected 2800 wording");
+            _tracker.FlushPending();
 
             var s = Assert.Single(Emitted());
             var data = Data(s);
-            Assert.False(data.ContainsKey("rebootUri"));
-            Assert.Equal("Some unexpected 2800 wording", data["description"]);
+            Assert.False(data.ContainsKey("rebootUris"));
+            Assert.False(data.ContainsKey("firstRebootUri"));
+            Assert.Equal(0, data["uriCount"]);
+            Assert.Equal(1, data["unparsedCount"]);
+            Assert.Equal("Some unexpected 2800 wording", data["sampleDescription"]);
         }
 
         [Fact]
-        public void BackfilledEvent_UsesEventTimeForTimelineTimestamp_AndMarksBackfilled()
+        public void SameRecordId_BufferedTwice_CountsOnce()
         {
-            var eventTime = At.AddMinutes(-25); // policy applied well before agent start
-            Emit(isBackfill: true, timeCreatedUtc: eventTime);
+            Buffer(UriSvchost, recordId: 42);
+            Buffer(UriSvchost, recordId: 42);
+            _tracker.FlushPending();
 
-            var s = Assert.Single(Emitted());
-            Assert.Equal(eventTime, s.OccurredAtUtc);
-            Assert.Equal(true, Data(s)["backfilled"]);
+            Assert.Equal(1, Data(Assert.Single(Emitted()))["recordCount"]);
         }
 
         [Fact]
-        public void SameRecordId_ProcessedTwice_EmitsOnce()
+        public void RecordAfterFlush_GoesIntoNextAggregate()
         {
-            Emit(recordId: 42);
-            Emit(recordId: 42);
-
-            Assert.Single(Emitted());
-        }
-
-        [Fact]
-        public void BackfillEventWithLowerRecordId_AfterLiveEvent_IsStillEmitted()
-        {
-            // Same contract as WindowsUpdateTracker: the live watcher is armed BEFORE the backfill
-            // scan, so a live record with a higher RecordId can arrive first — the older,
-            // never-emitted backfill record must not be suppressed by a high-water mark.
-            Emit(recordId: 100);
-            Emit(recordId: 50, isBackfill: true);
+            Buffer(UriSvchost, recordId: 10);
+            _tracker.FlushPending();
+            Buffer(UriSystemGuard, recordId: 11);
+            _tracker.FlushPending();
 
             Assert.Equal(2, Emitted().Count);
         }
 
+        [Fact]
+        public void BackfillRecordWithLowerRecordId_AfterLiveRecord_IsStillBuffered()
+        {
+            // Live watcher is armed BEFORE the backfill scan — an older, never-seen backfill
+            // record must not be suppressed by a high-water mark.
+            Buffer(UriSvchost, recordId: 100);
+            Buffer(UriSystemGuard, recordId: 50, isBackfill: true);
+            _tracker.FlushPending();
+
+            Assert.Equal(2, Data(Assert.Single(Emitted()))["recordCount"]);
+        }
+
         [Fact]
         public void NegativeRecordId_IsNeverDeduped()
         {
-            Emit(recordId: -1);
-            Emit(recordId: -1);
+            Buffer(UriSvchost, recordId: -1);
+            Buffer(UriSvchost, recordId: -1);
+            _tracker.FlushPending();
 
-            Assert.Equal(2, Emitted().Count);
+            Assert.Equal(2, Data(Assert.Single(Emitted()))["recordCount"]);
         }
 
         [Fact]
-        public void Watermark_PersistsAcrossTrackerInstances()
+        public void Watermark_PersistedAtFlush_SkipsReReadAcrossInstances()
         {
-            // The coalesced reboot restarts the agent and the post-reboot backfill re-reads the
-            // same 2800 records — the persisted watermark must make that re-read a no-op.
-            var post = new InformationalEventPost(_sink, new VirtualClock(At));
-            var logger = new AgentLogger(_tmp.Path, AgentLogLevel.Info);
-
-            var first = new MdmRebootPolicyTracker("s", "t", post, logger, backfillEnabled: false, stateDirectory: _tmp.Path);
-            first.RebootRequiredFlagProbe = () => null;
+            // The coalesced reboot restarts the agent; the post-reboot backfill re-reads the same
+            // records — a FLUSHED record must be skipped by the next instance.
+            var first = MakeTracker(stateDirectory: _tmp.Path);
             first.ProcessEvent(MdmRebootPolicyTracker.EventId_PolicyRebootRequired, recordId: 500,
-                timeCreatedUtc: At, rebootUri: SampleUri, formattedDescription: null, isBackfill: false);
+                timeCreatedUtc: At, rebootUri: UriSvchost, formattedDescription: null, isBackfill: false);
+            first.FlushPending();
 
-            var second = new MdmRebootPolicyTracker("s", "t", post, logger, backfillEnabled: false, stateDirectory: _tmp.Path);
-            second.RebootRequiredFlagProbe = () => null;
+            var second = MakeTracker(stateDirectory: _tmp.Path);
             second.LoadWatermark();
             second.ProcessEvent(MdmRebootPolicyTracker.EventId_PolicyRebootRequired, recordId: 500,
-                timeCreatedUtc: At, rebootUri: SampleUri, formattedDescription: null, isBackfill: true);
+                timeCreatedUtc: At, rebootUri: UriSvchost, formattedDescription: null, isBackfill: true);
+            second.FlushPending();
 
             Assert.Single(Emitted());
         }
 
+        [Fact]
+        public void Watermark_NotPersisted_WhenBufferedButNeverFlushed()
+        {
+            // Process killed by the very reboot the records announce: nothing was flushed, so the
+            // next instance must re-read and emit the records.
+            var first = MakeTracker(stateDirectory: _tmp.Path);
+            first.ProcessEvent(MdmRebootPolicyTracker.EventId_PolicyRebootRequired, recordId: 500,
+                timeCreatedUtc: At, rebootUri: UriSvchost, formattedDescription: null, isBackfill: false);
+            // no FlushPending — simulated reboot kill
+
+            var second = MakeTracker(stateDirectory: _tmp.Path);
+            second.LoadWatermark();
+            second.ProcessEvent(MdmRebootPolicyTracker.EventId_PolicyRebootRequired, recordId: 500,
+                timeCreatedUtc: At, rebootUri: UriSvchost, formattedDescription: null, isBackfill: true);
+            second.FlushPending();
+
+            var s = Assert.Single(Emitted());
+            Assert.Equal(true, Data(s)["backfilled"]);
+        }
+
         [Fact]
         public void RebootRequiredFlagProbe_True_AddsField_Null_OmitsIt()
         {
             _tracker.RebootRequiredFlagProbe = () => true;
-            Emit(recordId: 1);
+            Buffer(UriSvchost, recordId: 1);
+            _tracker.FlushPending();
+
             _tracker.RebootRequiredFlagProbe = () => null;
-            Emit(recordId: 2);
+            Buffer(UriSystemGuard, recordId: 2);
+            _tracker.FlushPending();
 
             var emitted = Emitted();
             Assert.Equal(2, emitted.Count);
@@ -179,10 +280,10 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Monitoring.SystemSignals
         public void RebootRequiredFlagProbe_Throwing_IsFailSoft()
         {
             _tracker.RebootRequiredFlagProbe = () => throw new InvalidOperationException("boom");
-            Emit();
+            Buffer(UriSvchost);
+            _tracker.FlushPending();
 
-            var s = Assert.Single(Emitted());
-            Assert.False(Data(s).ContainsKey("omadmRebootRequiredFlag"));
+            Assert.False(Data(Assert.Single(Emitted())).ContainsKey("omadmRebootRequiredFlag"));
         }
 
         [Fact]
@@ -194,20 +295,20 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Monitoring.SystemSignals
         // ------------------------------------------------------------------ URI extraction
 
         [Fact]
-        public void ExtractRebootUri_PrefersEventDataValue_OverDescription()
+        public void ExtractRebootUri_FromVerifiedRealDescription()
         {
-            var eventData = new Dictionary<string, string> { ["Data0"] = " " + SampleUri + " " };
-            var uri = MdmRebootPolicyTracker.ExtractRebootUri(eventData, "unrelated ./Other/Uri text");
-            Assert.Equal(SampleUri, uri);
+            // Real 2800 text wraps the URI in parentheses and ends with a period — both must be
+            // excluded from the extracted URI.
+            var uri = MdmRebootPolicyTracker.ExtractRebootUri(null, RealDescription);
+            Assert.Equal(UriSvchost, uri);
         }
 
         [Fact]
-        public void ExtractRebootUri_RegexFallback_FromDescription()
+        public void ExtractRebootUri_PrefersEventDataValue_OverDescription()
         {
-            var uri = MdmRebootPolicyTracker.ExtractRebootUri(
-                new Dictionary<string, string> { ["Data0"] = "not a uri" },
-                $"The following URI has triggered a reboot: {SampleUri}.");
-            Assert.Equal(SampleUri, uri);
+            var eventData = new Dictionary<string, string> { ["Data0"] = " " + UriSystemGuard + " " };
+            var uri = MdmRebootPolicyTracker.ExtractRebootUri(eventData, RealDescription);
+            Assert.Equal(UriSystemGuard, uri);
         }
 
         [Fact]

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests/Monitoring/SystemSignals/ProvisioningFailureSettleWindowTests.cs

@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Monitoring.SystemSignals
             public List<EspFailureDetectedEventArgs> EspFailures { get; } = new List<EspFailureDetectedEventArgs>();
             public ProvisioningStatusTracker Tracker { get; }
 
-            public Fixture(Func<IReadOnlyList<AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.Ime.AppPackageState>> packageStatesProbe = null)
+            public Fixture(Func<IReadOnlyList<AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.Ime.AppPackageState>>? packageStatesProbe = null)
             {
                 var clock = new VirtualClock(Fixed);
                 var post = new InformationalEventPost(Sink, clock);
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Monitoring.SystemSignals
             }");
 
             var captured = f.CapturedEvents();
-            Assert.Single(captured.Where(e => e.EventType == "esp_failure_settle_started"));
+            Assert.Single(captured, e => e.EventType == "esp_failure_settle_started");
         }
 
         // =====================================================================
@@ -214,8 +214,8 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Monitoring.SystemSignals
             // No terminal fire — the failure was retracted.
             Assert.Empty(f.EspFailures);
 
-            var recovered = Assert.Single(f.CapturedEvents()
-                .Where(e => e.EventType == "esp_failure_settle_recovered"));
+            var recovered = Assert.Single(
+                f.CapturedEvents(), e => e.EventType == "esp_failure_settle_recovered");
             Assert.Equal("AccountSetup", (string)recovered.Data["category"]);
             Assert.Equal("Apps", (string)recovered.Data["failedSubcategory"]);
             Assert.Equal("inProgress", (string)recovered.Data["observedState"]);
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Monitoring.SystemSignals
             f.Tracker.TriggerSettleTimerForTest("AccountSetupCategory.Status");
 
             Assert.Single(f.EspFailures);
-            Assert.Empty(f.CapturedEvents().Where(e => e.EventType == "esp_failure_settle_recovered"));
+            Assert.DoesNotContain(f.CapturedEvents(), e => e.EventType == "esp_failure_settle_recovered");
         }
 
         // =====================================================================
@@ -326,8 +326,8 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Monitoring.SystemSignals
                 ""AppsSubcategory"": {""subcategoryState"":""failed"",""subcategoryStatusText"":""Apps (Error)""}
             }");
 
-            var settleStarted = Assert.Single(f.CapturedEvents()
-                .Where(e => e.EventType == "esp_failure_settle_started"));
+            var settleStarted = Assert.Single(
+                f.CapturedEvents(), e => e.EventType == "esp_failure_settle_started");
             Assert.Equal(1, (int)settleStarted.Data["trackedAppsNotCompletedCount"]);
             var apps = (List<Dictionary<string, object>>)settleStarted.Data["trackedAppsNotCompleted"];
             var app = Assert.Single(apps);
@@ -354,8 +354,8 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Monitoring.SystemSignals
                 ""SecurityPoliciesSubcategory"": {""subcategoryState"":""failed"",""subcategoryStatusText"":""Failed""}
             }");
 
-            var settleStarted = Assert.Single(f.CapturedEvents()
-                .Where(e => e.EventType == "esp_failure_settle_started"));
+            var settleStarted = Assert.Single(
+                f.CapturedEvents(), e => e.EventType == "esp_failure_settle_started");
             Assert.False(settleStarted.Data.ContainsKey("trackedAppsNotCompleted"));
             Assert.False(settleStarted.Data.ContainsKey("trackedAppsNotCompletedCount"));
         }

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests/Monitoring/Transport/EmergencyReporterTests.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,143 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Net.Http;
+using System.Threading.Tasks;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Transport;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Shared.Models;
+using Xunit;
+
+namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Monitoring.Transport
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Pins the anti-flood semantics of <see cref="EmergencyReporter.TrySendAsync"/> after the
+    /// delivery-hardening change (2026-07-23): the once-per-session dedup and the per-session
+    /// budget count DELIVERED reports. The previous mark-before-send permanently suppressed an
+    /// error key after its first transport failure — fatal for single-shot callers like the 48h
+    /// emergency break, whose process exits right after the attempt.
+    /// </summary>
+    public class EmergencyReporterTests
+    {
+        private sealed class FakeApiClient : BackendApiClient
+        {
+            public readonly List<TimeSpan?> Timeouts = new List<TimeSpan?>();
+            public readonly Queue<bool> Results = new Queue<bool>();
+
+            public FakeApiClient() : base(
+                httpClient: new HttpClient(),
+                baseUrl: "http://localhost",
+                manufacturer: string.Empty,
+                model: string.Empty,
+                serialNumber: string.Empty,
+                useBootstrapTokenAuth: false,
+                bootstrapToken: null,
+                agentVersion: "0.0.0",
+                logger: null)
+            {
+            }
+
+            public int Calls => Timeouts.Count;
+
+            public override Task<bool> ReportAgentErrorAsync(AgentErrorReport report, TimeSpan? timeout = null)
+            {
+                Timeouts.Add(timeout);
+                return Task.FromResult(Results.Count > 0 && Results.Dequeue());
+            }
+        }
+
+        private static EmergencyReporter Reporter(FakeApiClient client)
+            => new EmergencyReporter(client, "session", "tenant", "0.0.0", logger: null);
+
+        [Fact]
+        public async Task Failed_send_rolls_back_reservation_so_a_later_call_retries()
+        {
+            var client = new FakeApiClient();
+            client.Results.Enqueue(false); // first call fails
+            client.Results.Enqueue(true);  // second call succeeds
+            var reporter = Reporter(client);
+
+            await reporter.TrySendAsync(AgentErrorType.SessionAgeEmergencyBreak, "m");
+            await reporter.TrySendAsync(AgentErrorType.SessionAgeEmergencyBreak, "m");
+
+            // Old behaviour: second call suppressed as "already reported" ⇒ 1 call.
+            Assert.Equal(2, client.Calls);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public async Task Delivered_send_is_deduplicated_per_key()
+        {
+            var client = new FakeApiClient();
+            client.Results.Enqueue(true);
+            var reporter = Reporter(client);
+
+            await reporter.TrySendAsync(AgentErrorType.SessionAgeEmergencyBreak, "m");
+            await reporter.TrySendAsync(AgentErrorType.SessionAgeEmergencyBreak, "m");
+
+            Assert.Equal(1, client.Calls);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public async Task Retries_stay_inside_one_reservation_and_stop_on_success()
+        {
+            var client = new FakeApiClient();
+            client.Results.Enqueue(false);
+            client.Results.Enqueue(true); // second attempt delivers — third must not fire
+            var reporter = Reporter(client);
+
+            await reporter.TrySendAsync(
+                AgentErrorType.SessionAgeEmergencyBreak, "m",
+                attempts: 3, perAttemptTimeout: TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(50), retryDelay: TimeSpan.Zero);
+
+            Assert.Equal(2, client.Calls);
+
+            // Delivered ⇒ dedup holds for the session.
+            await reporter.TrySendAsync(AgentErrorType.SessionAgeEmergencyBreak, "m");
+            Assert.Equal(2, client.Calls);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public async Task Per_attempt_timeout_is_forwarded_to_the_api_client()
+        {
+            var client = new FakeApiClient();
+            client.Results.Enqueue(true);
+            var reporter = Reporter(client);
+
+            var timeout = TimeSpan.FromSeconds(15);
+            await reporter.TrySendAsync(
+                AgentErrorType.SessionAgeEmergencyBreak, "m",
+                attempts: 1, perAttemptTimeout: timeout);
+
+            Assert.Equal(timeout, Assert.Single(client.Timeouts));
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public async Task All_attempts_failing_rolls_back_after_exhausting_attempts()
+        {
+            var client = new FakeApiClient(); // queue empty ⇒ every attempt fails
+            var reporter = Reporter(client);
+
+            await reporter.TrySendAsync(
+                AgentErrorType.SessionAgeEmergencyBreak, "m",
+                attempts: 3, retryDelay: TimeSpan.Zero);
+            Assert.Equal(3, client.Calls);
+
+            // Rolled back ⇒ a later call may try again (budget + dedup + cooldown restored).
+            client.Results.Enqueue(true);
+            await reporter.TrySendAsync(AgentErrorType.SessionAgeEmergencyBreak, "m");
+            Assert.Equal(4, client.Calls);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public async Task Different_keys_do_not_suppress_each_other_after_rollback()
+        {
+            var client = new FakeApiClient();
+            client.Results.Enqueue(false); // break report fails → rollback (incl. cooldown restore)
+            client.Results.Enqueue(true);  // unrelated report must still go out
+            var reporter = Reporter(client);
+
+            await reporter.TrySendAsync(AgentErrorType.SessionAgeEmergencyBreak, "m");
+            await reporter.TrySendAsync(AgentErrorType.ConfigFetchFailed, "m");
+
+            Assert.Equal(2, client.Calls);
+        }
+    }
+}

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests/Monitoring/UefiSecureBootCertReaderTests.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,178 @@
+#nullable enable
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Text;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Interop;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Telemetry.DeviceInfo;
+using Xunit;
+
+namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Monitoring
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Pins the pure parts of the UEFI Secure Boot certificate probe: the ASCII substring
+    /// search over raw signature-list bytes and the <c>secureboot_status</c> payload shaping
+    /// (in particular the one-sided <c>uefiCa2023FirmwareConfirmed</c> marker whose ABSENCE
+    /// is load-bearing for ANALYZE-SEC-001's not_exists precondition). The actual firmware
+    /// read is only smoke-tested: test machines may be VMs, non-elevated, or legacy BIOS,
+    /// so only the fail-soft contract is asserted.
+    /// </summary>
+    public sealed class UefiSecureBootCertReaderTests
+    {
+        // --- ContainsAscii ---
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void ContainsAscii_finds_needle_embedded_in_binary_noise()
+        {
+            var bytes = Concat(new byte[] { 0x00, 0xA1, 0x30, 0x82 },
+                Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes("Windows UEFI CA 2023"),
+                new byte[] { 0x00, 0xFF });
+
+            Assert.True(UefiSecureBootCertReader.ContainsAscii(bytes, "Windows UEFI CA 2023"));
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void ContainsAscii_finds_needle_at_the_very_end()
+        {
+            var bytes = Concat(new byte[] { 0x01, 0x02 }, Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes("KEK 2K CA 2023"));
+
+            Assert.True(UefiSecureBootCertReader.ContainsAscii(bytes, "KEK 2K CA 2023"));
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void ContainsAscii_rejects_partial_overlap_and_absent_needle()
+        {
+            var bytes = Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes("Windows UEFI CA 2011 something else");
+
+            Assert.False(UefiSecureBootCertReader.ContainsAscii(bytes, "Windows UEFI CA 2023"));
+            // Repeated prefix bytes must not confuse the scan.
+            var tricky = Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes("ababac");
+            Assert.True(UefiSecureBootCertReader.ContainsAscii(tricky, "abac"));
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void ContainsAscii_handles_null_empty_and_oversized_needle()
+        {
+            Assert.False(UefiSecureBootCertReader.ContainsAscii(null, "x"));
+            Assert.False(UefiSecureBootCertReader.ContainsAscii(new byte[0], "x"));
+            Assert.False(UefiSecureBootCertReader.ContainsAscii(new byte[] { 1, 2 }, ""));
+            Assert.False(UefiSecureBootCertReader.ContainsAscii(new byte[] { 1, 2 }, "abc"));
+        }
+
+        // --- Payload shaping ---
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Marker_emitted_only_when_db_ok_and_ca2023_present()
+        {
+            var data = new Dictionary<string, object>();
+            DeviceInfoCollector.AppendFirmwareCertFields(data, new UefiSecureBootCertSnapshot
+            {
+                DbStatus = UefiSecureBootCertReader.StatusOk,
+                KekStatus = UefiSecureBootCertReader.StatusOk,
+                DbHasWindowsUefiCa2023 = true,
+                KekHasMicrosoftKek2kCa2023 = true
+            });
+
+            Assert.Equal(true, data["uefiCa2023FirmwareConfirmed"]);
+            Assert.Equal("ok", data["uefiFirmwareReadStatus"]);
+            Assert.Equal(true, data["uefiDbHasWindowsUefiCa2023"]);
+            Assert.Equal(true, data["uefiKekHasMicrosoftKek2kCa2023"]);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Marker_absent_when_ca2023_missing_even_though_read_succeeded()
+        {
+            var data = new Dictionary<string, object>();
+            DeviceInfoCollector.AppendFirmwareCertFields(data, new UefiSecureBootCertSnapshot
+            {
+                DbStatus = UefiSecureBootCertReader.StatusOk,
+                KekStatus = UefiSecureBootCertReader.StatusOk,
+                DbHasWindowsUefiCa2023 = false,
+                DbHasWindowsProductionPca2011 = true
+            });
+
+            // The marker must be OMITTED, not false — not_exists fails on any present value.
+            Assert.False(data.ContainsKey("uefiCa2023FirmwareConfirmed"));
+            Assert.Equal(false, data["uefiDbHasWindowsUefiCa2023"]);
+            Assert.Equal(true, data["uefiDbHasWindowsProductionPca2011"]);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Failed_db_read_emits_status_but_no_cert_booleans_and_no_marker()
+        {
+            var data = new Dictionary<string, object>();
+            DeviceInfoCollector.AppendFirmwareCertFields(data, new UefiSecureBootCertSnapshot
+            {
+                DbStatus = UefiSecureBootCertReader.StatusPrivilegeDenied,
+                KekStatus = UefiSecureBootCertReader.StatusPrivilegeDenied
+            });
+
+            Assert.Equal(UefiSecureBootCertReader.StatusPrivilegeDenied, data["uefiFirmwareReadStatus"]);
+            Assert.False(data.ContainsKey("uefiDbHasWindowsUefiCa2023"));
+            Assert.False(data.ContainsKey("uefiKekHasMicrosoftKek2kCa2023"));
+            Assert.False(data.ContainsKey("uefiCa2023FirmwareConfirmed"));
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Db_ok_but_kek_failed_keeps_db_booleans_and_reports_kek_status()
+        {
+            var data = new Dictionary<string, object>();
+            DeviceInfoCollector.AppendFirmwareCertFields(data, new UefiSecureBootCertSnapshot
+            {
+                DbStatus = UefiSecureBootCertReader.StatusOk,
+                KekStatus = UefiSecureBootCertReader.StatusVariableNotFound,
+                DbHasWindowsUefiCa2023 = true
+            });
+
+            Assert.Equal(UefiSecureBootCertReader.StatusVariableNotFound, data["uefiFirmwareReadStatus"]);
+            Assert.Equal(true, data["uefiDbHasWindowsUefiCa2023"]);
+            Assert.Equal(true, data["uefiCa2023FirmwareConfirmed"]);
+            Assert.False(data.ContainsKey("uefiKekHasMicrosoftKek2kCa2023"));
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Null_snapshot_leaves_payload_untouched()
+        {
+            var data = new Dictionary<string, object> { { "uefiSecureBootEnabled", true } };
+            DeviceInfoCollector.AppendFirmwareCertFields(data, null);
+
+            Assert.Single(data);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void DescribeFirmwareVerdict_covers_all_shapes()
+        {
+            Assert.Equal("unavailable", DeviceInfoCollector.DescribeFirmwareVerdict(null));
+            Assert.Equal(UefiSecureBootCertReader.StatusNotUefi, DeviceInfoCollector.DescribeFirmwareVerdict(
+                new UefiSecureBootCertSnapshot { DbStatus = UefiSecureBootCertReader.StatusNotUefi }));
+            Assert.Equal("CA2023 confirmed", DeviceInfoCollector.DescribeFirmwareVerdict(
+                new UefiSecureBootCertSnapshot { DbStatus = UefiSecureBootCertReader.StatusOk, DbHasWindowsUefiCa2023 = true }));
+            Assert.Equal("CA2023 missing", DeviceInfoCollector.DescribeFirmwareVerdict(
+                new UefiSecureBootCertSnapshot { DbStatus = UefiSecureBootCertReader.StatusOk, DbHasWindowsUefiCa2023 = false }));
+        }
+
+        // --- Reader smoke (real firmware; machine state unknown) ---
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Read_never_throws_and_reports_a_status_for_both_variables()
+        {
+            var snapshot = UefiSecureBootCertReader.Read();
+
+            Assert.NotNull(snapshot);
+            Assert.False(string.IsNullOrEmpty(snapshot.DbStatus));
+            Assert.False(string.IsNullOrEmpty(snapshot.KekStatus));
+        }
+
+        private static byte[] Concat(params byte[][] parts)
+        {
+            var total = 0;
+            foreach (var part in parts) total += part.Length;
+            var result = new byte[total];
+            var offset = 0;
+            foreach (var part in parts)
+            {
+                System.Array.Copy(part, 0, result, offset, part.Length);
+                offset += part.Length;
+            }
+            return result;
+        }
+    }
+}

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests/Orchestration/DecisionStepProcessorParkedTripwireTests.cs

@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Orchestration
         private readonly FakeQuarantineSink _quarantine = new FakeQuarantineSink();
         private readonly FakeSignalIngressSink _sink = new FakeSignalIngressSink();
         private readonly DecisionEngine _engine = new DecisionEngine();
-        private DecisionStepProcessor _sut;
+        private DecisionStepProcessor? _sut;
 
         public DecisionStepProcessorParkedTripwireTests()
         {
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Orchestration
             return (step, signal);
         }
 
-        private FakeSignalIngressSink.PostedSignal FindTripwirePost()
+        private FakeSignalIngressSink.PostedSignal? FindTripwirePost()
         {
             foreach (var posted in _sink.Posted)
             {
@@ -121,6 +121,15 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Orchestration
             return null;
         }
 
+        /// <summary>The tripwire post, asserted present — for the assertions that only run
+        /// after <c>WaitForTripwire()</c> has already confirmed one was emitted.</summary>
+        private FakeSignalIngressSink.PostedSignal RequireTripwirePost()
+        {
+            var post = FindTripwirePost();
+            Assert.NotNull(post);
+            return post!;
+        }
+
         private int CountTripwirePosts()
         {
             var count = 0;
@@ -165,9 +174,9 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Orchestration
             Thread.Sleep(SuppressWait);
             Assert.Equal(1, CountTripwirePosts());
 
-            var post = FindTripwirePost();
+            var post = RequireTripwirePost();
             Assert.Equal(DecisionSignalKind.InformationalEvent, post.Kind);
-            Assert.Equal(nameof(SessionStage.EspAccountSetup), post.Payload["stage"]);
+            Assert.Equal(nameof(SessionStage.EspAccountSetup), post.Payload!["stage"]);
             Assert.Equal("Warning", post.Payload[SignalPayloadKeys.Severity]);
             Assert.Equal("true", post.Payload[SignalPayloadKeys.ImmediateUpload]);
             Assert.Contains("esp_final_exit", post.Payload["signalsSeen"]);
@@ -222,7 +231,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Orchestration
             sut.ApplyStep(step, signal);
 
             Assert.True(WaitForTripwire());
-            Assert.Equal(DeadlineNames.ClassifierTick, FindTripwirePost().Payload["armedDeadlines"]);
+            Assert.Equal(DeadlineNames.ClassifierTick, RequireTripwirePost().Payload!["armedDeadlines"]);
         }
 
         [Fact]
@@ -237,7 +246,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Orchestration
             sut.ApplyStep(step, signal);
 
             Assert.True(WaitForTripwire());
-            Assert.Equal(nameof(SessionStage.AwaitingDesktop), FindTripwirePost().Payload["stage"]);
+            Assert.Equal(nameof(SessionStage.AwaitingDesktop), RequireTripwirePost().Payload!["stage"]);
         }
 
         // ===================================================================== Dwell semantics

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests/Program/LifecycleEmittersRemoteConfigTests.cs

@@ -256,8 +256,8 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Program
                 RemoteConfigFetchOutcome outcome,
                 int configVersion = 0,
                 int attempts = 1,
-                string failureType = null,
-                string failureMessage = null,
+                string? failureType = null,
+                string? failureMessage = null,
                 int? authStatusCode = null)
             {
                 // CurrentConfig is set via the protected SetConfig path — easiest:

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests/SignalAdapters/EspFailureDetectedHResultTests.cs

@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.SignalAdapters
         [InlineData("Network connections (1 of 1 added)", null)]
         [InlineData("", null)]
         [InlineData(null, null)]
-        public void TryExtractErrorCode_extracts_parenthesised_hex_tail(string statusText, string expected)
+        public void TryExtractErrorCode_extracts_parenthesised_hex_tail(string? statusText, string? expected)
         {
             var actual = ProvisioningStatusTracker.TryExtractErrorCode(statusText);
             Assert.Equal(expected, actual);

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests/SignalAdapters/ImeLogTrackerAdapterTimingTests.cs

@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.SignalAdapters
             var all = f.InfoEvents(SharedEventTypes.ScriptCompleted);
             Assert.Equal(2, all.Count);
             Assert.Equal("65.00", all[1].Payload!["durationSeconds"]);
-            Assert.Equal("cycle_including_reporting_latency", all[1].Payload["durationBasis"]);
+            Assert.Equal("cycle_including_reporting_latency", all[1].Payload!["durationBasis"]);
         }
 
         [Fact]

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests/SignalAdapters/RealmJoinWatcherAdapterTests.cs

@@ -151,17 +151,23 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.SignalAdapters
         }
 
         [Fact]
-        public void TriggerPhaseChangedFromTest_emits_informational_only_no_decision_signal()
+        public void TriggerPhaseChangedFromTest_emits_typed_signal_and_informational_event()
         {
             using var f = new Fixture();
             using var adapter = new RealmJoinWatcherAdapter(f.Watcher, f.Ingress, f.Clock);
 
             adapter.TriggerPhaseChangedFromTest(prev: 100, curr: 200);
 
-            // Phase change is observability-only. There is no DecisionSignalKind.RealmJoinPhaseChanged.
+            // 1) Typed signal — persists LastDeploymentPhase and drives the aborted-RJ-ESP
+            //    detection in the reducer (session 224b2087). Not Detected/Resolved.
             Assert.DoesNotContain(f.Ingress.Posted, p => p.Kind == DecisionSignalKind.RealmJoinDetected);
             Assert.DoesNotContain(f.Ingress.Posted, p => p.Kind == DecisionSignalKind.RealmJoinResolved);
+            var decision = f.Ingress.Posted.Single(p => p.Kind == DecisionSignalKind.RealmJoinPhaseChanged);
+            Assert.Equal("RealmJoinWatcher", decision.SourceOrigin);
+            Assert.Equal("200", decision.Payload![DecisionEngine.RealmJoinPayloadKeys.DeploymentPhase]);
+            Assert.Equal("100", decision.Payload[DecisionEngine.RealmJoinPayloadKeys.PreviousPhase]);
 
+            // 2) Dual-emit informational event keeps the existing timeline entry.
             var info = f.Ingress.Posted.Single(p =>
                 p.Kind == DecisionSignalKind.InformationalEvent
                 && p.Payload != null

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests/Telemetry/BandwidthEstimatorTests.cs

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-using System;
+using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Telemetry.Periodic;
 using Xunit;
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Telemetry
         private static List<BandwidthJobSample> Jobs(params BandwidthJobSample[] jobs)
             => new List<BandwidthJobSample>(jobs);
 
-        private static BandwidthJobSample Job(string fileId, long wan, long lan = 0)
+        private static BandwidthJobSample Job(string? fileId, long wan, long lan = 0)
             => new BandwidthJobSample { FileId = fileId, WanBytes = wan, LanBytes = lan };
 
         [Fact]
@@ -43,8 +43,8 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Telemetry
             var estimate = estimator.TryBuildEstimate();
             Assert.NotNull(estimate);
             Assert.Equal(1, estimate.WanSampleCount);
-            Assert.Equal(16.0, estimate.WanMbpsP90.Value, 3);
-            Assert.Equal(16.0, estimate.WanMbpsMax.Value, 3);
+            Assert.Equal(16.0, estimate.WanMbpsP90!.Value, 3);
+            Assert.Equal(16.0, estimate.WanMbpsMax!.Value, 3);
             Assert.Equal(6_000_000, estimate.WanBytesObserved);
             Assert.Equal("10-50", estimate.Bucket);
         }
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Telemetry
             estimator.AddSnapshot(T0.AddSeconds(3), Jobs(Job("a", 3_000_000), Job("b", 3_000_000)));
 
             var estimate = estimator.TryBuildEstimate();
-            Assert.Equal(16.0, estimate.WanMbpsP90.Value, 3);
+            Assert.Equal(16.0, estimate.WanMbpsP90!.Value, 3);
         }
 
         [Fact]
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Telemetry
 
             var estimate = estimator.TryBuildEstimate();
             Assert.Equal(2, estimate.WanSampleCount);
-            Assert.Equal(16.0, estimate.WanMbpsMax.Value, 3);
+            Assert.Equal(16.0, estimate.WanMbpsMax!.Value, 3);
         }
 
         [Fact]
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Telemetry
             estimator.AddSnapshot(T0.AddSeconds(63), Jobs(Job("a", 106_000_000)));
             var estimate = estimator.TryBuildEstimate();
             Assert.Equal(1, estimate.WanSampleCount);
-            Assert.Equal(16.0, estimate.WanMbpsP90.Value, 3);
+            Assert.Equal(16.0, estimate.WanMbpsP90!.Value, 3);
         }
 
         [Fact]
@@ -130,8 +130,8 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Telemetry
             estimator.AddSnapshot(T0.AddSeconds(3), Jobs(Job("a", wan: 6_000_000, lan: 375_000_000)));
 
             var estimate = estimator.TryBuildEstimate();
-            Assert.Equal(16.0, estimate.WanMbpsP90.Value, 3);
-            Assert.Equal(1000.0, estimate.LanMbpsP90.Value, 3);
+            Assert.Equal(16.0, estimate.WanMbpsP90!.Value, 3);
+            Assert.Equal(1000.0, estimate.LanMbpsP90!.Value, 3);
             Assert.Equal("10-50", estimate.Bucket); // bucket keyed to WAN, not LAN
         }
 
@@ -182,8 +182,8 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Telemetry
 
             var estimate = estimator.TryBuildEstimate();
             Assert.Equal(20, estimate.WanSampleCount);
-            Assert.Equal(16.0, estimate.WanMbpsP90.Value, 3); // p90 stays on the steady plateau
-            Assert.Equal(160.0, estimate.WanMbpsMax.Value, 3);
+            Assert.Equal(16.0, estimate.WanMbpsP90!.Value, 3); // p90 stays on the steady plateau
+            Assert.Equal(160.0, estimate.WanMbpsMax!.Value, 3);
         }
 
         [Fact]
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Telemetry
 
             var estimate = estimator.TryBuildEstimate();
             Assert.Equal(1, estimate.WanSampleCount); // only the finite positive sample survived
-            Assert.Equal(16.0, estimate.WanMbpsP90.Value, 3);
+            Assert.Equal(16.0, estimate.WanMbpsP90!.Value, 3);
             Assert.Equal(0, estimate.WanBytesObserved);
         }
 

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests/Telemetry/Events/TelemetryEventEmitterTests.cs

@@ -17,13 +17,25 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Telemetry.Events
             FakeTelemetryTransport transport,
             out EventSequenceCounter counter,
             string sessionId = "sess-1",
-            string tenantId = "tenant-1")
+            string tenantId = "tenant-1",
+            Func<bool>? traceEventsEnabled = null)
         {
             var tmp = new TempDirectory();
             counter = new EventSequenceCounter(new EventSequencePersistence(tmp.File("seq.json")));
-            return new TelemetryEventEmitter(transport, counter, sessionId, tenantId);
+            return new TelemetryEventEmitter(transport, counter, sessionId, tenantId, traceEventsEnabled);
         }
 
+        private static EnrollmentEvent NewTraceEvent(string eventType = "outbound_ip") =>
+            new EnrollmentEvent
+            {
+                EventType = eventType,
+                Severity = EventSeverity.Trace,
+                Source = "test",
+                Timestamp = At,
+                Phase = EnrollmentPhase.Unknown,
+                Message = "trace message",
+            };
+
         private static EnrollmentEvent NewTestEvent(string eventType = "enrollment_complete") =>
             new EnrollmentEvent
             {
@@ -49,6 +61,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Telemetry.Events
             Assert.Equal("sess-1", evt.SessionId);
             Assert.Equal("tenant-1", evt.TenantId);
 
+            Assert.NotNull(item);
             Assert.Equal(TelemetryItemKind.Event, item.Kind);
             Assert.Equal("tenant-1_sess-1", item.PartitionKey);
             Assert.Equal(evt.RowKey, item.RowKey);
@@ -174,5 +187,86 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Tests.Telemetry.Events
             Assert.Equal("test-reason", (string?)data["reason"]);
             Assert.Equal("Strong", (string?)data["wgConfidence"]);
         }
+
+        // ============================================================ Trace-event gate
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Trace_event_is_dropped_when_gate_is_off()
+        {
+            var transport = new FakeTelemetryTransport();
+            var emitter = Build(transport, out _, traceEventsEnabled: () => false);
+
+            var item = emitter.Emit(NewTraceEvent());
+
+            Assert.Null(item);
+            Assert.Equal(0, transport.EnqueueCount);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Trace_event_flows_when_gate_is_on()
+        {
+            var transport = new FakeTelemetryTransport();
+            var emitter = Build(transport, out _, traceEventsEnabled: () => true);
+
+            Assert.NotNull(emitter.Emit(NewTraceEvent()));
+            Assert.Equal(1, transport.EnqueueCount);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Trace_event_flows_when_no_gate_is_wired()
+        {
+            var transport = new FakeTelemetryTransport();
+            var emitter = Build(transport, out _);
+
+            Assert.NotNull(emitter.Emit(NewTraceEvent()));
+            Assert.Equal(1, transport.EnqueueCount);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Gate_off_does_not_suppress_non_trace_events()
+        {
+            var transport = new FakeTelemetryTransport();
+            var emitter = Build(transport, out _, traceEventsEnabled: () => false);
+
+            foreach (var severity in new[] { EventSeverity.Info, EventSeverity.Warning, EventSeverity.Error })
+            {
+                var evt = NewTestEvent();
+                evt.Severity = severity;
+                Assert.NotNull(emitter.Emit(evt));
+            }
+
+            Assert.Equal(3, transport.EnqueueCount);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Dropped_trace_event_does_not_consume_a_sequence_number()
+        {
+            var transport = new FakeTelemetryTransport();
+            var traceAllowed = true;
+            // ReSharper disable once AccessToModifiedClosure — deliberate: the gate is read
+            // per event, mirroring a mid-session remote-config merge.
+            var emitter = Build(transport, out _, traceEventsEnabled: () => traceAllowed);
+
+            emitter.Emit(NewTestEvent());          // seq 1
+            traceAllowed = false;
+            emitter.Emit(NewTraceEvent());         // dropped — must not burn seq 2
+            emitter.Emit(NewTestEvent());          // seq 2
+
+            Assert.Equal(2, transport.EnqueueCount);
+            var first = JObject.Parse(transport.Enqueued[0].PayloadJson);
+            var second = JObject.Parse(transport.Enqueued[1].PayloadJson);
+            Assert.Equal(1, (long)first["Sequence"]!);
+            Assert.Equal(2, (long)second["Sequence"]!);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Throwing_gate_fails_open_so_diagnostics_are_never_silently_lost()
+        {
+            var transport = new FakeTelemetryTransport();
+            var emitter = Build(transport, out _, traceEventsEnabled: () => throw new InvalidOperationException("boom"));
+
+            Assert.NotNull(emitter.Emit(NewTraceEvent()));
+            Assert.Equal(1, transport.EnqueueCount);
+        }
     }
 }

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core/Monitoring/Enrollment/SystemSignals/DesktopArrivalDetector.cs

@@ -61,6 +61,15 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals
         internal Func<int, string> SessionOwnerResolver { get; set; }
         internal Func<int, string> ProcessOwnerResolver { get; set; }
 
+        // Test seam for the WinRT OOBE-state sample (null = OobeStateReader.Read).
+        internal Func<string> OobeStateProvider { get; set; }
+
+        // OOBE-state flip tracking (observational only — see OobeStateReader contract).
+        // _oobeCompletedEmitted is one-shot per agent lifetime and deliberately NOT reset
+        // by ResetForRealUserSwitch: the OOBE flip is a global OS transition, not per-user.
+        private string _lastOobeState;
+        private bool _oobeCompletedEmitted;
+
         /// <summary>
         /// System/service account names that should NOT be considered real users.
         /// </summary>
@@ -161,6 +170,10 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals
         {
             _startedAtUtc = DateTime.UtcNow;
 
+            // Baseline OOBE-state sample so the first poll can already detect a flip
+            // (self-contained try/catch inside, like the Emit* helpers).
+            CheckOobeStateFlip();
+
             _pollingTimer?.Dispose();
             _pollingTimer = new Timer(
                 PollForDesktop,
@@ -186,6 +199,8 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals
 
             _pollCount++;
 
+            CheckOobeStateFlip();
+
             try
             {
                 var explorerProcesses = Process.GetProcessesByName("explorer");
@@ -381,6 +396,66 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals
             catch (Exception ex) { _logger.Verbose($"DesktopArrivalDetector: detector-started emit failed: {ex.Message}"); }
         }
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Samples the WinRT OOBE state (<see cref="OobeStateReader"/>) and emits the one-shot
+        /// <c>oobe_state_completed</c> trace event on the in_progress-&gt;completed flip.
+        /// Observational only — an owner-independent desktop corroboration for sessions where
+        /// WTS+WMI owner resolution starves and <c>desktop_arrived</c> never fires. Often absent
+        /// in healthy sessions: the polling timer is disposed at desktop arrival, which is when
+        /// the flip lands (empirical probe, session 9c404ae9).
+        /// <para>
+        /// Self-contained try/catch: a throw here must NOT reach <see cref="PollForDesktop"/>'s
+        /// outer catch, which would inflate <see cref="_wmiErrorCountSinceStart"/> and skew the
+        /// session-4d5a0b78 liveness diagnostics. "unavailable" readings never overwrite the last
+        /// known state, so a transient reflection failure between two polls cannot mask the flip.
+        /// One-shot flag survives <see cref="ResetForRealUserSwitch"/> — the flip is a global OS
+        /// transition, not per-user.
+        /// </para>
+        /// </summary>
+        private void CheckOobeStateFlip()
+        {
+            try
+            {
+                var current = (OobeStateProvider ?? OobeStateReader.Read)();
+                if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(current) || current == OobeStateReader.Unavailable)
+                    return;
+
+                if (!_oobeCompletedEmitted
+                    && _lastOobeState == "in_progress"
+                    && current == "completed")
+                {
+                    _oobeCompletedEmitted = true;
+                    var minutesSinceStart = Math.Round((DateTime.UtcNow - _startedAtUtc).TotalMinutes, 1);
+                    _logger.Info("DesktopArrivalDetector: OOBE state flipped in_progress->completed (WinRT SystemSetupInfo)");
+                    OnTraceEvent?.Invoke(
+                        SharedEventTypes.OobeStateCompleted,
+                        $"OOBE state flipped in_progress->completed (WinRT SystemSetupInfo, poll {_pollCount}) — owner-independent desktop corroboration.",
+                        new Dictionary<string, object>
+                        {
+                            { "previousState", "in_progress" },
+                            { "pollCount", _pollCount },
+                            { "minutesSinceStart", minutesSinceStart },
+                            { "desktopArrived", _desktopArrived },
+                            { "wmiErrorCount", _wmiErrorCountSinceStart },
+                            { "wtsErrorCount", _wtsErrorCountSinceStart },
+                        });
+                }
+
+                _lastOobeState = current;
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex)
+            {
+                _logger.Verbose($"DesktopArrivalDetector: OOBE state check failed: {ex.Message}");
+            }
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Drives a single synchronous poll for unit tests — the production poll is private and
+        /// timer-driven with a fixed 30 s interval (precedent: <see cref="ResolveOwner"/> is
+        /// likewise internal for direct testing).
+        /// </summary>
+        internal void PollOnceForTest() => PollForDesktop(null);
+
         /// <summary>
         /// Resolves the owning user of an explorer.exe candidate. Session 4d5a0b78 fix
         /// (2026-06-11): the WMI <c>Win32_Process.GetOwner</c> call failed on every poll on

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core/Monitoring/Enrollment/SystemSignals/EspFailureDetectedEventArgs.cs

@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
 
 namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals
 {
@@ -38,16 +39,30 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals
         /// </summary>
         public string Category { get; }
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Session 4910a5a5: names of the tracked apps most likely behind an Apps-subcategory
+        /// failure (capped, never-started apps ranked first — those starve ESP's app gate
+        /// without ever producing an IME install event). Snapshot from
+        /// <c>ProvisioningStatusTracker.SnapshotTrackedAppsNotCompleted</c> at failure-arming
+        /// time; empty for non-Apps failures and event-log-derived failures. Propagated onto
+        /// the EspTerminalFailure signal payload so the DecisionEngine's
+        /// <c>esp_failure_advisory</c> / <c>enrollment_failed</c> events can name the culprit
+        /// directly.
+        /// </summary>
+        public IReadOnlyList<string> LikelyCulpritApps { get; }
+
         public EspFailureDetectedEventArgs(
             string failureType,
             string errorCode = null,
             string failedSubcategory = null,
-            string category = null)
+            string category = null,
+            IReadOnlyList<string> likelyCulpritApps = null)
         {
             FailureType = string.IsNullOrEmpty(failureType) ? "unknown" : failureType;
             ErrorCode = string.IsNullOrEmpty(errorCode) ? null : errorCode;
             FailedSubcategory = string.IsNullOrEmpty(failedSubcategory) ? null : failedSubcategory;
             Category = string.IsNullOrEmpty(category) ? null : category;
+            LikelyCulpritApps = likelyCulpritApps ?? Array.Empty<string>();
         }
     }
 }

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core/Monitoring/Enrollment/SystemSignals/EspPolicyProviderProbe.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,301 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Globalization;
+using System.Linq;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Logging;
+using Microsoft.Win32;
+
+namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Session 5d735290 (2026-07-23) — reads the ESP's registered policy providers from
+    /// <c>HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Autopilot\EnrollmentStatusTracking</c>, the registry
+    /// mirror of the EnrollmentStatusTracking CSP
+    /// (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/client-management/mdm/enrollmentstatustracking-csp).
+    /// <para>
+    /// CSP contract the ESP enforces (quotes from the doc above):
+    /// <list type="bullet">
+    ///   <item><c>Setup/Apps/PolicyProviders/&lt;Name&gt;</c> — "Existence of this node indicates
+    ///     to the ESP that it shouldn't show the tracking status message until the
+    ///     TrackingPoliciesCreated node has been set to true." This wait has NO timeout: a
+    ///     registered provider that never sets <c>TrackingPoliciesCreated=1</c> parks the ESP at
+    ///     "Apps (Identifying)" indefinitely (observed for days in the field).</item>
+    ///   <item><c>DevicePreparation/PolicyProviders/&lt;Name&gt;/InstallationState</c> — must reach
+    ///     2 (NotRequired) or 3 (Completed); 1=NotInstalled, 4=Error. ESP applies a default
+    ///     15-minute timeout here, so stalls in this stage are self-surfacing — still reported
+    ///     for the diagnostic trail.</item>
+    /// </list>
+    /// Registry layout: <c>Device</c> subkey for device scope, <c>S-&lt;SID&gt;</c> subkeys for user
+    /// scope (appear at sign-in), each containing <c>Setup\Apps\PolicyProviders\&lt;Name&gt;</c>;
+    /// <c>DevicePreparation\PolicyProviders</c> exists in device scope only.
+    /// </para>
+    /// <para>
+    /// Known provider names: <c>Sidecar</c> is the Intune Management Extension ("Intune's agents,
+    /// such as SideCar" per the CSP doc); <c>ConfigMgr</c> is the Configuration Manager client
+    /// (registered during Autopilot-into-co-management, see the troubleshooting registry paths in
+    /// https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/intune/configmgr/comanage/autopilot-enrollment). Microsoft
+    /// warns that ESP policy providers are not aware of each other and that pre-provisioning is
+    /// unsupported with co-management. Field case that motivated this probe: a pre-provisioned
+    /// device with the ConfigMgr client installed as a blocking app ended up with ONLY
+    /// <c>ConfigMgr</c> registered under <c>Device\Setup\Apps\PolicyProviders</c> (no
+    /// <c>Sidecar</c>) and <c>TrackingPoliciesCreated</c> never set — the user ESP hung at
+    /// "Apps (Identifying)" for hours to days; manually renaming the key to <c>Sidecar</c>
+    /// unblocked it immediately. <see cref="EspPolicyProviderStallDetector"/> turns this contract
+    /// into the <c>esp_policy_provider_stalled</c> tripwire.
+    /// </para>
+    /// <para>
+    /// Fail-soft like <see cref="EspTrackingInfoProbe"/>: any failure is Debug-logged and yields
+    /// <see cref="EspPolicyProviderSnapshot.Empty"/>; a missing root key (early enrollment,
+    /// non-Autopilot device) is not an error. Values are parsed defensively — a missing or
+    /// unparseable value counts as incomplete (fail-toward-observation).
+    /// </para>
+    /// </summary>
+    internal static class EspPolicyProviderProbe
+    {
+        internal const string TrackingRootKeyPath =
+            @"SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Autopilot\EnrollmentStatusTracking";
+
+        /// <summary>Provider kind: <c>Setup\Apps\PolicyProviders</c> (TrackingPoliciesCreated wait, no timeout).</summary>
+        internal const string KindSetupApps = "setupApps";
+
+        /// <summary>Provider kind: <c>DevicePreparation\PolicyProviders</c> (InstallationState wait, 15-min OS timeout).</summary>
+        internal const string KindDevicePreparation = "devicePreparation";
+
+        /// <summary>The IME's provider name — its absence while other providers are registered is the field-case signature.</summary>
+        internal const string SidecarProviderName = "Sidecar";
+
+        internal const string DeviceScope = "device";
+
+        private const string TrackingPoliciesCreatedValueName = "TrackingPoliciesCreated";
+        private const string InstallationStateValueName = "InstallationState";
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Test seam — when non-null, <see cref="Read"/> delegates to this func instead of
+        /// touching the live registry. Use <see cref="ScopedOverride"/> to guarantee cleanup.
+        /// </summary>
+        internal static Func<AgentLogger, EspPolicyProviderSnapshot> TestOverride;
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Reads all registered ESP policy providers. <see cref="EspPolicyProviderSnapshot.HasData"/>
+        /// is <c>true</c> when the EnrollmentStatusTracking root key existed and was readable
+        /// (even with no providers registered); <see cref="EspPolicyProviderSnapshot.Empty"/> otherwise.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="logger">Optional logger — Debug-level trace only; no warn/error.</param>
+        public static EspPolicyProviderSnapshot Read(AgentLogger logger = null)
+        {
+            var probe = TestOverride;
+            if (probe != null) return probe(logger);
+
+            try
+            {
+                using (var rootKey = Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey(TrackingRootKeyPath))
+                {
+                    if (rootKey == null)
+                    {
+                        logger?.Debug("EspPolicyProviderProbe: EnrollmentStatusTracking registry key not found");
+                        return EspPolicyProviderSnapshot.Empty;
+                    }
+
+                    var providers = new List<PolicyProviderState>();
+
+                    foreach (var scopeName in rootKey.GetSubKeyNames())
+                    {
+                        var isDevice = string.Equals(scopeName, "Device", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
+                        // User scope repeats the Setup structure under the signed-in user's SID.
+                        var isUserSid = scopeName.StartsWith("S-", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
+                        if (!isDevice && !isUserSid) continue;
+
+                        var scopeLabel = isDevice ? DeviceScope : "user:" + scopeName;
+                        using (var scopeKey = rootKey.OpenSubKey(scopeName))
+                        {
+                            if (scopeKey == null) continue;
+
+                            CollectProviders(
+                                scopeKey, @"Setup\Apps\PolicyProviders", scopeLabel, KindSetupApps,
+                                TrackingPoliciesCreatedValueName, providers, logger);
+
+                            if (isDevice)
+                            {
+                                CollectProviders(
+                                    scopeKey, @"DevicePreparation\PolicyProviders", scopeLabel, KindDevicePreparation,
+                                    InstallationStateValueName, providers, logger);
+                            }
+                        }
+                    }
+
+                    return new EspPolicyProviderSnapshot(providers);
+                }
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex)
+            {
+                logger?.Debug($"EspPolicyProviderProbe: read threw: {ex.Message}");
+                return EspPolicyProviderSnapshot.Empty;
+            }
+        }
+
+        private static void CollectProviders(
+            RegistryKey scopeKey,
+            string providersSubPath,
+            string scopeLabel,
+            string kind,
+            string stateValueName,
+            List<PolicyProviderState> providers,
+            AgentLogger logger)
+        {
+            try
+            {
+                using (var providersKey = scopeKey.OpenSubKey(providersSubPath))
+                {
+                    if (providersKey == null) return;
+
+                    foreach (var providerName in providersKey.GetSubKeyNames())
+                    {
+                        using (var providerKey = providersKey.OpenSubKey(providerName))
+                        {
+                            if (providerKey == null) continue;
+                            var value = TryReadInt(providerKey.GetValue(stateValueName));
+                            providers.Add(new PolicyProviderState(
+                                name: providerName,
+                                scope: scopeLabel,
+                                kind: kind,
+                                trackingPoliciesCreated: kind == KindSetupApps ? value : null,
+                                installationState: kind == KindDevicePreparation ? value : null));
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex)
+            {
+                logger?.Debug($"EspPolicyProviderProbe: '{providersSubPath}' ({scopeLabel}) read threw: {ex.Message}");
+            }
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Defensive value parse: REG_DWORD expected per CSP (booleans stored as 0/1), but string
+        /// forms are tolerated. Anything missing or unparseable is <c>null</c> — which the
+        /// completion rule treats as incomplete.
+        /// </summary>
+        internal static int? TryReadInt(object rawValue)
+        {
+            switch (rawValue)
+            {
+                case null: return null;
+                case int i: return i;
+                case long l when l >= int.MinValue && l <= int.MaxValue: return (int)l;
+                case string s when int.TryParse(s.Trim(), NumberStyles.Integer, CultureInfo.InvariantCulture, out var parsed):
+                    return parsed;
+                case bool b: return b ? 1 : 0;
+                default: return null;
+            }
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Pure completion rule per the CSP contract: <c>setupApps</c> providers are complete when
+        /// <c>TrackingPoliciesCreated == 1</c>; <c>devicePreparation</c> providers when
+        /// <c>InstallationState</c> is 2 (NotRequired) or 3 (Completed).
+        /// </summary>
+        internal static bool IsProviderComplete(string kind, int? trackingPoliciesCreated, int? installationState)
+            => kind == KindSetupApps
+                ? trackingPoliciesCreated == 1
+                : installationState == 2 || installationState == 3;
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Disposable scope that sets <see cref="TestOverride"/> for the lifetime of the scope
+        /// and restores the previous value on Dispose. Nestable. Internal test-only helper.
+        /// </summary>
+        internal sealed class ScopedOverride : IDisposable
+        {
+            private readonly Func<AgentLogger, EspPolicyProviderSnapshot> _previous;
+            private int _disposed;
+
+            public ScopedOverride(Func<AgentLogger, EspPolicyProviderSnapshot> probe)
+            {
+                _previous = TestOverride;
+                TestOverride = probe;
+            }
+
+            public void Dispose()
+            {
+                if (System.Threading.Interlocked.Exchange(ref _disposed, 1) == 1) return;
+                TestOverride = _previous;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// One registered ESP policy provider with its completion-relevant state.
+    /// <see cref="Key"/> is the stable identity used for dwell tracking and one-shot latching.
+    /// </summary>
+    internal readonly struct PolicyProviderState
+    {
+        public PolicyProviderState(string name, string scope, string kind, int? trackingPoliciesCreated, int? installationState)
+        {
+            Name = name ?? string.Empty;
+            Scope = scope ?? string.Empty;
+            Kind = kind ?? string.Empty;
+            TrackingPoliciesCreated = trackingPoliciesCreated;
+            InstallationState = installationState;
+            IsComplete = EspPolicyProviderProbe.IsProviderComplete(kind, trackingPoliciesCreated, installationState);
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>Provider key name, e.g. "Sidecar" or "ConfigMgr".</summary>
+        public string Name { get; }
+
+        /// <summary><c>"device"</c> or <c>"user:S-1-5-21-…"</c>.</summary>
+        public string Scope { get; }
+
+        /// <summary><see cref="EspPolicyProviderProbe.KindSetupApps"/> or <see cref="EspPolicyProviderProbe.KindDevicePreparation"/>.</summary>
+        public string Kind { get; }
+
+        /// <summary>Raw <c>TrackingPoliciesCreated</c> value (setupApps only); <c>null</c> when missing/unparseable.</summary>
+        public int? TrackingPoliciesCreated { get; }
+
+        /// <summary>Raw <c>InstallationState</c> value (devicePreparation only); <c>null</c> when missing/unparseable.</summary>
+        public int? InstallationState { get; }
+
+        /// <summary>Completion per <see cref="EspPolicyProviderProbe.IsProviderComplete"/>.</summary>
+        public bool IsComplete { get; }
+
+        /// <summary>Stable dwell/latch identity: <c>kind|scope|name</c>.</summary>
+        public string Key => Kind + "|" + Scope + "|" + Name;
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Snapshot of all registered ESP policy providers. <see cref="HasData"/> is <c>false</c> only
+    /// when the EnrollmentStatusTracking root key was missing or unreadable — an empty provider
+    /// list with <see cref="HasData"/> = <c>true</c> is valid data (nothing registered yet).
+    /// </summary>
+    internal readonly struct EspPolicyProviderSnapshot
+    {
+        public static readonly EspPolicyProviderSnapshot Empty = default;
+
+        public EspPolicyProviderSnapshot(IReadOnlyList<PolicyProviderState> providers)
+        {
+            HasData = true;
+            Providers = providers ?? Array.Empty<PolicyProviderState>();
+        }
+
+        /// <summary><c>true</c> when the EnrollmentStatusTracking root key existed and was readable.</summary>
+        public bool HasData { get; }
+
+        /// <summary>All registered providers across scopes and kinds; empty when none registered.</summary>
+        public IReadOnlyList<PolicyProviderState> Providers { get; }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// <c>true</c> when a <c>Setup\Apps</c> provider named "Sidecar" (the IME) is registered in
+        /// any scope — its absence while other providers are registered is the co-management
+        /// field-case signature.
+        /// </summary>
+        public bool SidecarRegistered
+        {
+            get
+            {
+                var providers = Providers;
+                if (providers == null) return false;
+                return providers.Any(p =>
+                    p.Kind == EspPolicyProviderProbe.KindSetupApps &&
+                    string.Equals(p.Name, EspPolicyProviderProbe.SidecarProviderName, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase));
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core/Monitoring/Enrollment/SystemSignals/EspPolicyProviderStallDetector.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,226 @@
+#nullable enable
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Linq;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Logging;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Orchestration;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Persistence;
+using AutopilotMonitor.DecisionCore.Engine;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Shared;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Shared.Models;
+
+namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Turns the ESP policy-provider contract read by <see cref="EspPolicyProviderProbe"/> into
+    /// the one-shot <c>esp_policy_provider_stalled</c> Warning: a registered provider that stays
+    /// continuously incomplete for <see cref="DwellMinutes"/> minutes is reported once, with the
+    /// full provider table in the payload. See the probe's header for the CSP contract, the
+    /// official sources, and the co-management field case (ConfigMgr registered without Sidecar
+    /// → user ESP parked at "Apps (Identifying)" with no OS timeout) this tripwire exists for.
+    /// <para>
+    /// Dwell semantics: the dwell clock per provider starts when it is first observed incomplete
+    /// and RESETS when the provider completes or disappears — only <i>continuously</i> incomplete
+    /// providers fire. A missing root key / empty provider list is normal early enrollment and
+    /// clears all dwell state (probe D4). Purely observational: emission goes through
+    /// <see cref="InformationalEventPost"/> (InformationalEvent pass-through, dispatch-guard
+    /// exempt), never into decision state.
+    /// </para>
+    /// <para>
+    /// Duplicate suppression: in-process one-shot per provider key, plus a
+    /// <see cref="StartupEventGate"/> fingerprint over the sorted set of currently-stalled keys so
+    /// an agent restart into the same stall does not re-report it — while a NEW provider joining
+    /// the stall changes the fingerprint and is reported (the event carries the full list).
+    /// </para>
+    /// </summary>
+    internal sealed class EspPolicyProviderStallDetector
+    {
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Wall-clock minutes a provider must stay continuously incomplete before it is reported.
+        /// Mirrors the CSP's own DevicePreparation default timeout; the Setup/Apps wait this
+        /// tripwire mainly targets has no OS timeout at all.
+        /// </summary>
+        internal const int DwellMinutes = 15;
+
+        internal const string SourceLabel = "EspPolicyProviderStallDetector";
+
+        private readonly string _sessionId;
+        private readonly string _tenantId;
+        private readonly InformationalEventPost _post;
+        private readonly AgentLogger _logger;
+        private readonly IClock _clock;
+        private readonly StartupEventGate? _startupGate;
+        private readonly TimeSpan _dwell;
+
+        private readonly Dictionary<string, DateTime> _firstSeenIncompleteUtc =
+            new Dictionary<string, DateTime>(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
+        private readonly HashSet<string> _firedKeys =
+            new HashSet<string>(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
+
+        public EspPolicyProviderStallDetector(
+            string sessionId,
+            string tenantId,
+            InformationalEventPost post,
+            AgentLogger logger,
+            IClock clock,
+            StartupEventGate? startupGate = null,
+            TimeSpan? dwell = null)
+        {
+            _sessionId = sessionId;
+            _tenantId = tenantId;
+            _post = post ?? throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(post));
+            _logger = logger;
+            _clock = clock ?? throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(clock));
+            _startupGate = startupGate;
+            _dwell = dwell ?? TimeSpan.FromMinutes(DwellMinutes);
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>Host timer callback and test seam — one probe + evaluation round.</summary>
+        internal void Tick()
+        {
+            var snapshot = EspPolicyProviderProbe.Read(_logger);
+            var eval = EvaluateStallTransition(snapshot, _firstSeenIncompleteUtc, _firedKeys, _clock.UtcNow, _dwell);
+
+            _firstSeenIncompleteUtc.Clear();
+            foreach (var kv in eval.UpdatedFirstSeenUtc)
+                _firstSeenIncompleteUtc[kv.Key] = kv.Value;
+
+            if (eval.NewlyStalled.Count > 0)
+                EmitStalled(snapshot, eval);
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Pure evaluation of one probe round — the entire detection decision, testable without
+        /// registry, timer, or ingress (pattern: <c>PerformanceCollector.EvaluateDiskLowTransition</c>).
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="snapshot">Current provider snapshot.</param>
+        /// <param name="firstSeenIncompleteUtc">Dwell state from the previous round (provider key → first-seen-incomplete).</param>
+        /// <param name="alreadyFired">Provider keys already reported this run (never re-report).</param>
+        /// <param name="nowUtc">Evaluation timestamp.</param>
+        /// <param name="dwell">Continuous-incompleteness threshold.</param>
+        internal static StallEvaluation EvaluateStallTransition(
+            EspPolicyProviderSnapshot snapshot,
+            IReadOnlyDictionary<string, DateTime> firstSeenIncompleteUtc,
+            ISet<string> alreadyFired,
+            DateTime nowUtc,
+            TimeSpan dwell)
+        {
+            var result = new StallEvaluation();
+
+            // Missing root key or no registered providers = normal early enrollment: clear all
+            // dwell state (a provider must be continuously OBSERVED incomplete to accrue dwell).
+            if (!snapshot.HasData || snapshot.Providers.Count == 0)
+                return result;
+
+            foreach (var provider in snapshot.Providers)
+            {
+                if (provider.IsComplete)
+                    continue; // completed → falls out of the dwell map (reset)
+
+                var firstSeen = firstSeenIncompleteUtc.TryGetValue(provider.Key, out var seen)
+                    ? seen
+                    : nowUtc;
+                result.UpdatedFirstSeenUtc[provider.Key] = firstSeen;
+
+                var stalledFor = nowUtc - firstSeen;
+                if (stalledFor >= dwell && !alreadyFired.Contains(provider.Key))
+                    result.NewlyStalled.Add(new StalledProvider(provider, stalledFor.TotalMinutes));
+            }
+
+            return result;
+        }
+
+        private void EmitStalled(EspPolicyProviderSnapshot snapshot, StallEvaluation eval)
+        {
+            foreach (var stalled in eval.NewlyStalled)
+                _firedKeys.Add(stalled.Provider.Key);
+
+            // Cross-restart dedup: fingerprint = sorted set of all fired keys that are still
+            // incomplete. A restart into the same stall re-accrues dwell and lands on the same
+            // fingerprint → suppressed; a new provider joining the stall changes it → re-emitted.
+            var currentlyStalledKeys = snapshot.Providers
+                .Where(p => !p.IsComplete && _firedKeys.Contains(p.Key))
+                .Select(p => p.Key)
+                .OrderBy(k => k, StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase)
+                .ToList();
+            var fingerprint = StartupEventGate.HashString(string.Join(";", currentlyStalledKeys));
+            if (_startupGate != null &&
+                !_startupGate.ShouldEmit(Constants.EventTypes.EspPolicyProviderStalled, fingerprint))
+            {
+                _logger?.Debug(
+                    "EspPolicyProviderStallDetector: stalled provider set already reported by a " +
+                    "previous agent run (fingerprint match) — suppressed.");
+                return;
+            }
+
+            var stalledNames = string.Join(", ",
+                eval.NewlyStalled.Select(s => $"{s.Provider.Name} ({s.Provider.Scope}/{s.Provider.Kind})"));
+
+            var data = new Dictionary<string, object>(StringComparer.Ordinal)
+            {
+                ["dwellMinutes"] = DwellMinutes,
+                ["sidecarRegistered"] = snapshot.SidecarRegistered,
+                ["providers"] = snapshot.Providers.Select(p => new Dictionary<string, object?>(StringComparer.Ordinal)
+                {
+                    ["name"] = p.Name,
+                    ["scope"] = p.Scope,
+                    ["kind"] = p.Kind,
+                    ["trackingPoliciesCreated"] = p.TrackingPoliciesCreated,
+                    ["installationState"] = p.InstallationState,
+                    ["complete"] = p.IsComplete,
+                }).ToList(),
+                ["stalledProviders"] = eval.NewlyStalled.Select(s => new Dictionary<string, object>(StringComparer.Ordinal)
+                {
+                    ["name"] = s.Provider.Name,
+                    ["scope"] = s.Provider.Scope,
+                    ["kind"] = s.Provider.Kind,
+                    ["stalledForMinutes"] = Math.Round(s.StalledForMinutes, 1),
+                }).ToList(),
+            };
+
+            _post.Emit(new EnrollmentEvent
+            {
+                SessionId = _sessionId,
+                TenantId = _tenantId,
+                Timestamp = _clock.UtcNow,
+                EventType = Constants.EventTypes.EspPolicyProviderStalled,
+                Severity = EventSeverity.Warning,
+                Source = SourceLabel,
+                Phase = EnrollmentPhase.Unknown,
+                ImmediateUpload = true,
+                Message = $"ESP policy provider(s) incomplete for >= {DwellMinutes} min: {stalledNames} " +
+                          $"(sidecarRegistered={snapshot.SidecarRegistered}) — the ESP waits on " +
+                          "Setup/Apps providers without any timeout",
+                Data = data
+            });
+            _startupGate?.MarkEmitted(Constants.EventTypes.EspPolicyProviderStalled);
+
+            _logger?.Warning(
+                $"EspPolicyProviderStallDetector: {stalledNames} incomplete for >= {DwellMinutes} min " +
+                $"(sidecarRegistered={snapshot.SidecarRegistered}).");
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>Result of one <see cref="EvaluateStallTransition"/> round.</summary>
+        internal sealed class StallEvaluation
+        {
+            /// <summary>Next round's dwell state — only currently-incomplete providers survive.</summary>
+            public Dictionary<string, DateTime> UpdatedFirstSeenUtc { get; } =
+                new Dictionary<string, DateTime>(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
+
+            /// <summary>Providers that crossed the dwell threshold this round and were not yet reported.</summary>
+            public List<StalledProvider> NewlyStalled { get; } = new List<StalledProvider>();
+        }
+
+        internal readonly struct StalledProvider
+        {
+            public StalledProvider(PolicyProviderState provider, double stalledForMinutes)
+            {
+                Provider = provider;
+                StalledForMinutes = stalledForMinutes;
+            }
+
+            public PolicyProviderState Provider { get; }
+            public double StalledForMinutes { get; }
+        }
+    }
+}

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core/Monitoring/Enrollment/SystemSignals/MdmRebootPolicyTracker.cs

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ using System.Diagnostics.Eventing.Reader;
 using System.IO;
 using System.Linq;
 using System.Text.RegularExpressions;
+using System.Threading;
 using System.Xml.Linq;
 using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Logging;
 using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Orchestration;
@@ -15,31 +16,25 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals
 {
     /// <summary>
     /// Watches <c>Microsoft-Windows-DeviceManagement-Enterprise-Diagnostics-Provider/Admin</c> for
-    /// EventID 2800 — logged once per device-assigned MDM policy whose CSP URI matches the OS
-    /// reboot-required catalog — and forwards each as a <c>mdm_policy_reboot_required</c> event
-    /// carrying the reboot-forcing URI.
+    /// EventID 2800 — logged once per MDM policy URI that matches the OS reboot-required catalog —
+    /// and emits ONE aggregated <c>mdm_policy_reboot_required</c> event per burst carrying the URI
+    /// list (<c>rebootUris</c>, <c>uriCount</c>, <c>firstRebootUri</c>).
     /// <para>
-    /// This attributes the "unexpected reboot + second sign-in screen" pattern (PMPC research):
-    /// device-assigned policies applied during ESP DeviceSetup can demand a reboot; Windows
-    /// coalesces them into one restart at the end of DeviceSetup, forcing the user through a second
-    /// sign-in before AccountSetup. Admins are blind to this in the Intune console — the attributed
-    /// URIs make it actionable (reassign the profiles to user groups and the reboot disappears).
+    /// Verified against session b2e890c1 (2026-07-20): the 2800 description reads
+    /// <c>The following URI has triggered a reboot: (./Device/...).</c> and records arrive in
+    /// sub-second bursts during policy sync — hence the debounce aggregation instead of per-record
+    /// events. CRITICAL semantics: only URIs applied DURING ESP DeviceSetup cause the coalesced
+    /// mid-ESP reboot ("second sign-in", PMPC research); later syncs (AccountSetup and beyond)
+    /// merely flag the requirement with no forced reboot. The event is therefore a NEUTRAL
+    /// observation (Info) — the reboot claim lives in ANALYZE-ESP-005, which requires an
+    /// actually-observed <c>system_reboot_detected</c> before attributing anything.
     /// </para>
     /// <para>
-    /// <b>Backfill.</b> Device policies can apply before the agent starts, so a startup backfill
-    /// scans the lookback window. The .evtx persists across the coalesced reboot, so the
-    /// post-reboot agent restart re-reads the same records — which is why the
-    /// <b>cross-restart RecordId watermark</b> (WindowsUpdateTracker pattern) is mandatory here:
-    /// without it every reboot-forcing URI would be re-emitted after the very reboot it caused.
-    /// </para>
-    /// <para>
-    /// <b>Tolerant matching.</b> The exact 2800 message text is unverified (validated post-deploy on
-    /// the E2E VM): emission is gated on the EventID only, never on message wording. URI extraction
-    /// prefers structured EventData values that look like an OMA-DM URI (<c>./…</c>) and falls back
-    /// to a permissive regex over the formatted description. Events with an unparseable URI are
-    /// still emitted (with the captured description) so the timeline shows them and the captured
-    /// text tells us how to fix the extraction — the analyze rule keys on <c>rebootUri exists</c>
-    /// and simply stays silent for those.
+    /// <b>Backfill + watermark.</b> Device policies can apply before the agent starts, and a
+    /// genuine coalesced reboot kills the agent BEFORE the debounced emit — in both cases the
+    /// post-(re)start backfill re-reads the .evtx and emits the aggregate then (historical
+    /// timestamps). The cross-restart RecordId watermark is persisted only at successful flush, so
+    /// a pre-emit death loses nothing and a completed emit is never repeated.
     /// </para>
     /// </summary>
     internal sealed class MdmRebootPolicyTracker : IDisposable
@@ -49,12 +44,18 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals
 
         internal const string WatermarkStateFileName = "mdm-reboot-watermark.json";
 
+        /// <summary>Cap for the emitted <c>rebootUris</c> list — <c>uriCount</c> always carries the uncapped distinct total.</summary>
+        internal const int MaxUrisPerEvent = 20;
+
+        /// <summary>Default quiet-period before a burst of 2800 records is flushed as one event.</summary>
+        internal const int DefaultDebounceMilliseconds = 10000;
+
         /// <summary>Registry key whose <c>RebootRequired</c> value/subkey flags a pending OMA-DM coalesced reboot.</summary>
         internal const string OmadmSyncMlKeyPath = @"SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Provisioning\OMADM\SyncML";
 
-        // Permissive OMA-DM URI shape: "./Device/Vendor/MSFT/...", "./User/...", "./Vendor/...".
-        // Kept deliberately broad — the exact 2800 text is unverified; post-deploy E2E validates
-        // and tightens this against real records if needed.
+        // Permissive OMA-DM URI shape ("./Device/Vendor/MSFT/...", "./User/..."). The verified 2800
+        // text wraps the URI in parentheses — ')' is deliberately outside the class so the match
+        // stops cleanly; trailing sentence punctuation is trimmed after the match.
         private static readonly Regex UriPattern = new Regex(
             @"\./[A-Za-z0-9_\-./\[\]{}%~+]+", RegexOptions.Compiled);
 
@@ -65,16 +66,30 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals
         private readonly bool _backfillEnabled;
         private readonly int _backfillLookbackMinutes;
         private readonly string _stateDirectory;
+        private readonly int _debounceMilliseconds;
 
         private EventLogWatcher _watcher;
+        private Timer _debounceTimer;
 
-        // Dedup — same contract as WindowsUpdateTracker (see its field docs): immutable
-        // cross-restart boundary from disk + intra-run HashSet (NOT a high-water mark, because the
-        // live watcher is armed before the backfill scan and can deliver higher RecordIds first).
+        private sealed class PendingRecord
+        {
+            public long RecordId;
+            public DateTime TimeUtc;
+            public string Uri;          // null when extraction failed
+            public string Description;  // may be null
+            public bool IsBackfill;
+        }
+
+        // Pending burst buffer + dedup state, all guarded by _stateLock. Same claim contract as
+        // WindowsUpdateTracker (immutable cross-restart boundary + intra-run HashSet), with ONE
+        // deliberate difference: the watermark is persisted at FLUSH time, not at claim time —
+        // records buffered but never flushed (process killed by the very reboot they announce)
+        // must be re-read and emitted by the post-restart backfill.
+        private readonly List<PendingRecord> _pending = new List<PendingRecord>();
         private long _restartWatermark = -1;
         private readonly HashSet<long> _seenThisRun = new HashSet<long>();
-        private long _maxEmittedRecordId = -1;
-        private readonly object _watermarkLock = new object();
+        private long _maxPersistedRecordId = -1;
+        private readonly object _stateLock = new object();
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Fail-soft corroboration probe for the OMA-DM RebootRequired flag — null = unknown
@@ -89,7 +104,8 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals
             AgentLogger logger,
             bool backfillEnabled = true,
             int backfillLookbackMinutes = 60,
-            string stateDirectory = null)
+            string stateDirectory = null,
+            int debounceMilliseconds = DefaultDebounceMilliseconds)
         {
             _sessionId = sessionId ?? throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(sessionId));
             _tenantId = tenantId ?? throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(tenantId));
@@ -98,6 +114,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals
             _backfillEnabled = backfillEnabled;
             _backfillLookbackMinutes = backfillLookbackMinutes;
             _stateDirectory = stateDirectory != null ? Environment.ExpandEnvironmentVariables(stateDirectory) : null;
+            _debounceMilliseconds = debounceMilliseconds;
         }
 
         public void Start()
@@ -106,13 +123,30 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals
             StartWatcher();
 
             if (_backfillEnabled && _backfillLookbackMinutes > 0)
+            {
                 BackfillRecentEvents();
+                // The backfill batch is complete — flush immediately instead of waiting out the
+                // debounce (live records that raced in are simply included).
+                FlushPending();
+            }
             else
+            {
                 _logger.Info("MdmRebootPolicy backfill disabled by config");
+            }
         }
 
         public void Stop()
         {
+            // Flush any un-emitted burst before tearing down (normal agent shutdown path).
+            try { FlushPending(); }
+            catch (Exception ex) { _logger.Warning($"MdmRebootPolicy flush on stop failed: {ex.Message}"); }
+
+            var timer = Interlocked.Exchange(ref _debounceTimer, null);
+            if (timer != null)
+            {
+                try { timer.Dispose(); } catch { }
+            }
+
             if (_watcher == null) return;
             try
             {
@@ -168,7 +202,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals
             $"*[System[(EventID={EventId_PolicyRebootRequired})]]";
 
         // -----------------------------------------------------------------------
-        // Event processing
+        // Event processing — buffer + debounce
         // -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
         private void OnEventRecordWritten(object sender, EventRecordWrittenEventArgs e)
@@ -212,9 +246,9 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals
         }
 
         /// <summary>
-        /// Core processing extracted to primitive inputs so tests can drive it without synthesizing
-        /// an abstract, Windows-only <see cref="EventRecord"/>. Mirrors the WindowsUpdateTracker
-        /// test-seam pattern.
+        /// Buffers one 2800 record into the pending burst (primitive-input test seam, mirroring the
+        /// WindowsUpdateTracker pattern). The aggregated event is emitted by <see cref="FlushPending"/>
+        /// — after the debounce quiet-period, at backfill completion, or at <see cref="Stop"/>.
         /// </summary>
         internal void ProcessEvent(
             int eventId,
@@ -224,53 +258,155 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals
             string formattedDescription,
             bool isBackfill)
         {
-            if (!MarkProcessed(recordId))
-                return; // already emitted (cross-restart or duplicate delivery)
+            lock (_stateLock)
+            {
+                if (recordId >= 0)
+                {
+                    // Already emitted in a prior run, or already buffered/emitted this run.
+                    if (recordId <= _restartWatermark || !_seenThisRun.Add(recordId))
+                        return;
+                }
+
+                _pending.Add(new PendingRecord
+                {
+                    RecordId = recordId,
+                    TimeUtc = timeCreatedUtc ?? DateTime.UtcNow,
+                    Uri = string.IsNullOrEmpty(rebootUri) ? null : rebootUri,
+                    Description = formattedDescription,
+                    IsBackfill = isBackfill,
+                });
+            }
+
+            ArmDebounce();
+        }
+
+        private void ArmDebounce()
+        {
+            if (_debounceMilliseconds <= 0) return; // manual-flush mode (tests; backfill/Stop flush explicitly)
+
+            var timer = _debounceTimer;
+            if (timer == null)
+            {
+                var created = new Timer(_ =>
+                {
+                    try { FlushPending(); }
+                    catch (Exception ex) { _logger.Warning($"MdmRebootPolicy debounce flush failed: {ex.Message}"); }
+                }, null, Timeout.Infinite, Timeout.Infinite);
+
+                timer = Interlocked.CompareExchange(ref _debounceTimer, created, null) ?? created;
+                if (!ReferenceEquals(timer, created))
+                {
+                    try { created.Dispose(); } catch { }
+                }
+            }
+
+            try { timer.Change(_debounceMilliseconds, Timeout.Infinite); }
+            catch (ObjectDisposedException) { /* raced Stop() — Stop's flush covers the buffer */ }
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Emits the pending burst as ONE aggregated <c>mdm_policy_reboot_required</c> event and
+        /// persists the watermark. No-op when nothing is pending. Internal for tests.
+        /// </summary>
+        internal void FlushPending()
+        {
+            List<PendingRecord> batch;
+            long watermarkToPersist = -1;
+
+            lock (_stateLock)
+            {
+                if (_pending.Count == 0) return;
+                batch = new List<PendingRecord>(_pending);
+                _pending.Clear();
+
+                foreach (var r in batch)
+                {
+                    if (r.RecordId > _maxPersistedRecordId)
+                        _maxPersistedRecordId = r.RecordId;
+                }
+                watermarkToPersist = _maxPersistedRecordId;
+            }
+
+            if (watermarkToPersist >= 0) PersistWatermark(watermarkToPersist);
+
+            batch.Sort((a, b) => a.TimeUtc.CompareTo(b.TimeUtc));
+
+            var distinctUris = batch
+                .Where(r => r.Uri != null)
+                .Select(r => r.Uri)
+                .Distinct(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase)
+                .ToList();
+            var firstUri = batch.FirstOrDefault(r => r.Uri != null)?.Uri;
+            var unparsedCount = batch.Count(r => r.Uri == null);
+            var allBackfill = batch.All(r => r.IsBackfill);
+            var earliest = batch[0].TimeUtc;
 
             var data = new Dictionary<string, object>
             {
-                { "windowsEventId", eventId },
-                { "backfilled", isBackfill },
+                { "windowsEventId", EventId_PolicyRebootRequired },
                 { "eventLogChannel", Channel },
+                { "recordCount", batch.Count },
+                { "uriCount", distinctUris.Count },
+                { "backfilled", allBackfill },
             };
-            if (recordId >= 0) data["recordId"] = recordId;
-            if (timeCreatedUtc.HasValue) data["eventTime"] = timeCreatedUtc.Value.ToString("o");
-            if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(rebootUri)) data["rebootUri"] = rebootUri;
-            if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(formattedDescription))
+            if (distinctUris.Count > 0)
             {
-                data["description"] = formattedDescription.Length > 1000
-                    ? formattedDescription.Substring(0, 1000) + "…"
-                    : formattedDescription;
+                data["rebootUris"] = distinctUris
+                    .OrderBy(u => u, StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase)
+                    .Take(MaxUrisPerEvent)
+                    .ToList();
+                data["firstRebootUri"] = firstUri;
+            }
+            if (unparsedCount > 0)
+            {
+                data["unparsedCount"] = unparsedCount;
+                var sample = batch.FirstOrDefault(r => r.Uri == null && !string.IsNullOrEmpty(r.Description))?.Description;
+                if (sample != null)
+                    data["sampleDescription"] = sample.Length > 500 ? sample.Substring(0, 500) + "…" : sample;
             }
 
             var flag = SafeProbeRebootRequiredFlag();
             if (flag.HasValue) data["omadmRebootRequiredFlag"] = flag.Value;
 
+            string message;
+            if (distinctUris.Count == 1)
+                message = $"Windows flagged an MDM policy URI as reboot-required: {firstUri}";
+            else if (distinctUris.Count > 1)
+                message = $"Windows flagged {distinctUris.Count} MDM policy URIs as reboot-required: {firstUri} (+{distinctUris.Count - 1} more)";
+            else
+                message = $"Windows flagged {batch.Count} MDM policy record(s) as reboot-required (URI not parsed — see sampleDescription)";
+
             _post.Emit(new EnrollmentEvent
             {
                 SessionId = _sessionId,
                 TenantId = _tenantId,
-                // The record's own time, not UtcNow: backfilled pre-agent (and post-reboot re-read)
-                // records must land on the timeline at when the policy actually demanded the reboot.
-                Timestamp = timeCreatedUtc ?? DateTime.UtcNow,
+                // Earliest record time, not UtcNow: backfilled (and post-reboot re-read) bursts
+                // must land on the timeline at when the policies were actually flagged.
+                Timestamp = earliest,
                 EventType = Constants.EventTypes.MdmPolicyRebootRequired,
-                Severity = EventSeverity.Warning,
+                // Neutral observation — reboot-required flags outside ESP DeviceSetup have no
+                // immediate effect. The reboot CLAIM is ANALYZE-ESP-005's job, gated on an
+                // actually-observed system_reboot_detected.
+                Severity = EventSeverity.Info,
                 Source = "MdmRebootPolicyWatcher",
                 Phase = EnrollmentPhase.Unknown,
-                Message = !string.IsNullOrEmpty(rebootUri)
-                    ? $"MDM policy requires a reboot during ESP: {rebootUri}"
-                    : "MDM policy requires a reboot during ESP (URI not parsed from event — see description)",
+                Message = message,
                 Data = data,
-                // The reboot this event announces will kill the agent — flush now.
+                // Cheap (one event per burst) and still time-critical: a burst DURING DeviceSetup
+                // precedes a coalesced reboot that kills the agent.
                 ImmediateUpload = true,
             });
+
+            _logger.Info($"MdmRebootPolicy: flushed {batch.Count} record(s) as one event " +
+                $"(uris={distinctUris.Count}, unparsed={unparsedCount}, backfilled={allBackfill})");
         }
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Extracts the reboot-forcing OMA-DM URI. Preference order: (1) a structured EventData
-        /// value that starts with <c>./</c> (the CSP-URI shape), (2) a permissive regex over the
-        /// formatted description. Returns null when nothing URI-like is found — the caller still
-        /// emits, just without the <c>rebootUri</c> field.
+        /// value that starts with <c>./</c>, (2) a permissive regex over the formatted description
+        /// (verified shape: <c>The following URI has triggered a reboot: (./Device/...).</c>).
+        /// Returns null when nothing URI-like is found — the record still counts into the
+        /// aggregate (<c>unparsedCount</c> + <c>sampleDescription</c>).
         /// </summary>
         internal static string ExtractRebootUri(Dictionary<string, string> eventData, string description)
         {
@@ -289,8 +425,8 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals
                 var match = UriPattern.Match(description);
                 if (match.Success)
                 {
-                    // The permissive pattern can swallow sentence punctuation trailing the URI
-                    // ("...Security."). OMA-DM URI segments never end in punctuation — trim it.
+                    // The permissive pattern can swallow sentence punctuation trailing the URI.
+                    // OMA-DM URI segments never end in punctuation — trim it.
                     var candidate = match.Value.TrimEnd('.', ',', ';', ':', '\'', '"', ')');
                     if (candidate.Length > 2) return candidate;
                 }
@@ -349,8 +485,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals
         }
 
         /// <summary>
-        /// Reads the pending-reboot flag under <see cref="OmadmSyncMlKeyPath"/>. The exact shape is
-        /// unverified (PMPC research names the key, not the value type), so both a value and a
+        /// Reads the pending-reboot flag under <see cref="OmadmSyncMlKeyPath"/>. Both a value and a
         /// subkey named <c>RebootRequired</c> count as "pending". Fail-soft: null = unknown
         /// (key absent / unreadable), matching the EspSkipConfigurationProbe convention.
         /// </summary>
@@ -424,44 +559,18 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals
         }
 
         // -----------------------------------------------------------------------
-        // Watermark dedup (cross-restart) — WindowsUpdateTracker pattern verbatim
+        // Watermark dedup (cross-restart) — persisted at flush, not at claim
         // -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
         private bool IsAlreadyProcessed(long recordId)
         {
             if (recordId < 0) return false; // no RecordId → cannot dedup, let it through
-            lock (_watermarkLock)
+            lock (_stateLock)
             {
                 return recordId <= _restartWatermark || _seenThisRun.Contains(recordId);
             }
         }
 
-        /// <summary>
-        /// Atomically claims <paramref name="recordId"/>. Returns true if this is the first time we
-        /// see it (caller should emit), false if it was already processed — either in a PRIOR run
-        /// (at/below the restart watermark) or already this run (in the seen-set). Records without
-        /// a RecordId (-1) are always emitted, never tracked or persisted.
-        /// </summary>
-        private bool MarkProcessed(long recordId)
-        {
-            if (recordId < 0) return true;
-
-            long toPersist = -1;
-            lock (_watermarkLock)
-            {
-                if (recordId <= _restartWatermark || !_seenThisRun.Add(recordId))
-                    return false;
-
-                if (recordId > _maxEmittedRecordId)
-                {
-                    _maxEmittedRecordId = recordId;
-                    toPersist = _maxEmittedRecordId;
-                }
-            }
-            if (toPersist >= 0) PersistWatermark(toPersist);
-            return true;
-        }
-
         internal void LoadWatermark()
         {
             if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(_stateDirectory)) return;
@@ -475,10 +584,10 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals
                 var state = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<WatermarkState>(json);
                 if (state != null)
                 {
-                    lock (_watermarkLock)
+                    lock (_stateLock)
                     {
                         _restartWatermark = state.LastRecordId;
-                        _maxEmittedRecordId = state.LastRecordId;
+                        _maxPersistedRecordId = state.LastRecordId;
                     }
                     _logger.Info($"MdmRebootPolicy watermark loaded: lastRecordId={state.LastRecordId} (persisted {state.PersistedUtc:O})");
                 }

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core/Monitoring/Enrollment/SystemSignals/ProvisioningStatusTracker.cs

@@ -116,6 +116,15 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals
         // failure details that fire after the settle window expires.
         private Dictionary<string, Timer> _provisioningFailureSettleTimers;
         private Dictionary<string, EspFailureDetectedEventArgs> _provisioningFailureSettleArgs;
+        // Session 4910a5a5 — post-terminal recovery story. Populated when the settle window
+        // expires and EspFailureDetected actually fires (terminal path); consumed by the
+        // esp_failure_retry_detected / esp_failure_recovered emitters so a late "Try again"
+        // recovery (23 min after the failure in the field session) is visible on the timeline
+        // instead of hiding inside a generic subcategory_state_change. Keyed by category-name.
+        private Dictionary<string, EspFailureDetectedEventArgs> _provisioningFailureTerminalArgs;
+        private Dictionary<string, DateTime> _provisioningFailureTerminalUtc;
+        private HashSet<string> _postFailureRetryEmitted;
+        private HashSet<string> _postFailureRecoveredEmitted;
         // Session 2bc884b6: AppX enrichment scan seams + fire-once guard. The scanner and the
         // dispatcher are injectable so tests never touch the real event log or the threadpool.
         private readonly IAppxDeploymentFailureScanner _appxScanner;
@@ -285,6 +294,10 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals
             _lastSubcategoryStates = new Dictionary<string, Dictionary<string, string>>(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
             _provisioningFailureSettleTimers = new Dictionary<string, Timer>(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
             _provisioningFailureSettleArgs = new Dictionary<string, EspFailureDetectedEventArgs>(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
+            _provisioningFailureTerminalArgs = new Dictionary<string, EspFailureDetectedEventArgs>(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
+            _provisioningFailureTerminalUtc = new Dictionary<string, DateTime>(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
+            _postFailureRetryEmitted = new HashSet<string>(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
+            _postFailureRecoveredEmitted = new HashSet<string>(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
             _deviceSetupProvisioningCompleteFired = false;
             _deviceSetupFallbackTimer = null;
             _accountSetupProvisioningCompleteFired = false;
@@ -665,6 +678,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals
                     // null-ing here is correctness-neutral on the start-condition side.
                     ResetAccountSetupFallbackTimer();
                     _accountSetupProvisioningCompleteFired = true;
+                    MaybeEmitPostFailureRecovered("AccountSetupCategory.Status", "AccountSetup");
                     try { AccountSetupProvisioningComplete?.Invoke(this, EventArgs.Empty); }
                     catch (Exception ex) { _logger.Error("AccountSetupProvisioningComplete handler failed (fallback path)", ex); }
                 }
@@ -833,6 +847,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals
                     // null-ing here is correctness-neutral on the start-condition side.
                     ResetDeviceSetupFallbackTimer();
                     _deviceSetupProvisioningCompleteFired = true;
+                    MaybeEmitPostFailureRecovered("DeviceSetupCategory.Status", "DeviceSetup");
                     try { DeviceSetupProvisioningComplete?.Invoke(this, EventArgs.Empty); }
                     catch (Exception ex) { _logger.Error("DeviceSetupProvisioningComplete handler failed (fallback path)", ex); }
                 }
@@ -946,12 +961,25 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals
                         var severity = categorySucceeded == false ? EventSeverity.Warning : EventSeverity.Info;
                         EmitProvisioningEvent(categoryLabel, categorySucceeded, statusText, subcategories, severity);
                         EmitRawRegistryDump(categoryLabel, jsonValue, $"category_resolved_{(categorySucceeded == true ? "success" : "failed")}");
+
+                        // Session 4910a5a5: category resolving to success after a terminally
+                        // fired failure = the failure recovered (fallback-path successes call
+                        // this from their own timer handlers).
+                        if (categorySucceeded == true)
+                        {
+                            MaybeEmitPostFailureRecovered(categoryName, categoryLabel);
+                        }
                     }
                     else
                     {
                         var transitions = DetectSubcategoryTransitions(categoryName, subcategories);
                         StoreSubcategoryStates(categoryName, subcategories);
 
+                        // Session 4910a5a5: after a terminally fired failure, the failed
+                        // subcategory leaving "failed" is the ESP re-running the step —
+                        // consistent with the user pressing "Try again" on the failure page.
+                        MaybeEmitPostFailureRetry(categoryName, categoryLabel, transitions);
+
                         var failureTransitions = transitions.Where(t => t.IsFailure).ToList();
                         if (transitions.Count > 0)
                         {
@@ -1025,6 +1053,21 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals
                 $"escalating as {failureTypeName} (errorCode={errorCode ?? "n/a"})");
             _logger.Warning($"Provisioning failure detected: {failureTypeName}");
 
+            // Session 4910a5a5: name the likely culprit app(s) directly on the failure args so
+            // the DecisionEngine's advisory/terminal events carry them — never-started apps
+            // first (they starve ESP's app gate without ever producing an IME install event),
+            // capped at 3 names.
+            IReadOnlyList<string> likelyCulpritApps = null;
+            if (string.Equals(failedSubcategoryName, "Apps", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
+            {
+                likelyCulpritApps = SnapshotTrackedAppsNotCompleted()
+                    .OrderBy(a => a["everStartedInstalling"] is bool started && started ? 1 : 0)
+                    .Select(a => a["appName"]?.ToString())
+                    .Where(n => !string.IsNullOrEmpty(n))
+                    .Take(3)
+                    .ToList();
+            }
+
             // Caller already holds _stateLock.
             ArmFailureSettleTimer(
                 categoryName: categoryName,
@@ -1032,7 +1075,8 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals
                     failureType: failureTypeName,
                     errorCode: errorCode,
                     failedSubcategory: failedSubcategoryName,
-                    category: categoryLabel));
+                    category: categoryLabel,
+                    likelyCulpritApps: likelyCulpritApps));
 
             // Settle-window owns the actual EspFailureDetected fire. The legacy "fire-after-emit"
             // path in CheckProvisioningStatus is now a no-op for this code-path; it stays in place
@@ -1292,6 +1336,15 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals
                             _provisioningCategoriesResolved.Remove(categoryName);
                         }
                     }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        // Session 4910a5a5: remember the terminally fired failure so a LATE
+                        // recovery (outside the settle window — e.g. user pressing "Try again"
+                        // minutes later) can be told as esp_failure_retry_detected /
+                        // esp_failure_recovered instead of hiding in a generic state-change.
+                        _provisioningFailureTerminalArgs[categoryName] = args;
+                        _provisioningFailureTerminalUtc[categoryName] = DateTime.UtcNow;
+                    }
                 }
 
                 if (recovered)
@@ -1382,6 +1435,133 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals
             });
         }
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Session 4910a5a5: after a terminally fired failure (settle window expired,
+        /// EspFailureDetected raised), the failed subcategory leaving the <c>failed</c> state
+        /// means the ESP re-ran the step — consistent with the user pressing "Try again" on
+        /// the ESP failure page (the agent cannot observe the click itself). Emits
+        /// <c>esp_failure_retry_detected</c> once per terminally fired category. Caller holds
+        /// <see cref="_stateLock"/>.
+        /// </summary>
+        private void MaybeEmitPostFailureRetry(string categoryName, string categoryLabel, List<SubcategoryTransition> transitions)
+        {
+            if (transitions == null || transitions.Count == 0) return;
+            if (_postFailureRetryEmitted.Contains(categoryName)) return;
+            if (_provisioningFailureTerminalArgs == null
+                || !_provisioningFailureTerminalArgs.TryGetValue(categoryName, out var terminalArgs))
+            {
+                return; // No terminal fire on record — in-window recovery is settle_recovered's job.
+            }
+
+            SubcategoryTransition? retryTransition = null;
+            foreach (var t in transitions)
+            {
+                if (string.Equals(t.OldState, "failed", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)
+                    && !string.Equals(t.NewState, "failed", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
+                {
+                    retryTransition = t;
+                    break;
+                }
+            }
+            if (retryTransition == null) return;
+            var retry = retryTransition.Value;
+
+            _postFailureRetryEmitted.Add(categoryName);
+
+            var minutesSinceFailure = MinutesSinceTerminalFailure(categoryName);
+            var data = new Dictionary<string, object>
+            {
+                { "category", categoryLabel },
+                { "subcategory", retry.SubcategoryName },
+                { "previousState", retry.OldState },
+                { "newState", retry.NewState },
+                { "failureType", terminalArgs.FailureType },
+                { "minutesSinceFailure", minutesSinceFailure },
+            };
+            if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(terminalArgs.ErrorCode))
+                data["errorCode"] = terminalArgs.ErrorCode;
+
+            _post.Emit(new EnrollmentEvent
+            {
+                SessionId = _sessionId,
+                TenantId = _tenantId,
+                EventType = Constants.EventTypes.EspFailureRetryDetected,
+                Severity = EventSeverity.Info,
+                Source = "EspAndHelloTracker",
+                Phase = EnrollmentPhase.Unknown,
+                Message = $"ESP retry detected — {categoryLabel}/{retry.SubcategoryName} left the failed state " +
+                          $"({retry.OldState} → {retry.NewState}) {minutesSinceFailure} min after the failure — " +
+                          "consistent with the user pressing 'Try again' on the ESP failure page.",
+                Data = data,
+                ImmediateUpload = true
+            });
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Session 4910a5a5: the category behind a terminally fired failure reached success
+        /// (categorySucceeded=true or the all-subcategories-succeeded fallback) — the failure
+        /// demonstrably recovered. Emits <c>esp_failure_recovered</c> once per terminally
+        /// fired category so the timeline tells "failed → retried → recovered" instead of
+        /// leaving the stale failure as the last word. Caller holds <see cref="_stateLock"/>.
+        /// </summary>
+        private void MaybeEmitPostFailureRecovered(string categoryName, string categoryLabel)
+        {
+            if (_postFailureRecoveredEmitted == null || _postFailureRecoveredEmitted.Contains(categoryName)) return;
+            if (_provisioningFailureTerminalArgs == null
+                || !_provisioningFailureTerminalArgs.TryGetValue(categoryName, out var terminalArgs))
+            {
+                return;
+            }
+
+            _postFailureRecoveredEmitted.Add(categoryName);
+
+            var minutesSinceFailure = MinutesSinceTerminalFailure(categoryName);
+            string subcategoryStatus = null;
+            if (terminalArgs.FailedSubcategory != null
+                && _lastSubcategoryStates != null
+                && _lastSubcategoryStates.TryGetValue(categoryName, out var subs)
+                && subs.TryGetValue(terminalArgs.FailedSubcategory, out var currentState))
+            {
+                subcategoryStatus = currentState;
+            }
+
+            var data = new Dictionary<string, object>
+            {
+                { "category", categoryLabel },
+                { "failedSubcategory", terminalArgs.FailedSubcategory ?? "category-level" },
+                { "failureType", terminalArgs.FailureType },
+                { "minutesSinceFailure", minutesSinceFailure },
+            };
+            if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(terminalArgs.ErrorCode))
+                data["errorCode"] = terminalArgs.ErrorCode;
+            if (subcategoryStatus != null)
+                data["subcategoryState"] = subcategoryStatus;
+
+            _post.Emit(new EnrollmentEvent
+            {
+                SessionId = _sessionId,
+                TenantId = _tenantId,
+                EventType = Constants.EventTypes.EspFailureRecovered,
+                Severity = EventSeverity.Info,
+                Source = "EspAndHelloTracker",
+                Phase = EnrollmentPhase.Unknown,
+                Message = $"ESP failure recovered — {categoryLabel}/{terminalArgs.FailedSubcategory ?? "category-level"} " +
+                          $"completed successfully {minutesSinceFailure} min after the failure; the earlier ESP failure no longer applies.",
+                Data = data,
+                ImmediateUpload = true
+            });
+        }
+
+        private int MinutesSinceTerminalFailure(string categoryName)
+        {
+            if (_provisioningFailureTerminalUtc != null
+                && _provisioningFailureTerminalUtc.TryGetValue(categoryName, out var firedAt))
+            {
+                return Math.Max(0, (int)Math.Round((DateTime.UtcNow - firedAt).TotalMinutes));
+            }
+            return 0;
+        }
+
         private void EmitFailureSettleStarted(EspFailureDetectedEventArgs args)
         {
             var data = new Dictionary<string, object>
@@ -1863,6 +2043,14 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals
                 _provisioningFailureSettleTimers = new Dictionary<string, Timer>(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
             if (_provisioningFailureSettleArgs == null)
                 _provisioningFailureSettleArgs = new Dictionary<string, EspFailureDetectedEventArgs>(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
+            if (_provisioningFailureTerminalArgs == null)
+                _provisioningFailureTerminalArgs = new Dictionary<string, EspFailureDetectedEventArgs>(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
+            if (_provisioningFailureTerminalUtc == null)
+                _provisioningFailureTerminalUtc = new Dictionary<string, DateTime>(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
+            if (_postFailureRetryEmitted == null)
+                _postFailureRetryEmitted = new HashSet<string>(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
+            if (_postFailureRecoveredEmitted == null)
+                _postFailureRecoveredEmitted = new HashSet<string>(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
         }
     }
 

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core/Monitoring/Enrollment/SystemSignals/ShellCoreTracker.cs

@@ -16,9 +16,12 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals
     ///             CommercialOOBE_ESPProgress_Page_Exiting       — normal ESP exit
     ///             CommercialOOBE_ESPProgress_WhiteGlove_Success — WhiteGlove complete
     ///             CommercialOOBE_ESPProgress_Failure/_Timeout/_Abort/WhiteGlove_Failed — ESP failure
-    ///             "RebootCoalescing" (DeviceSetup)              — ESP-initiated coalesced reboot
-    ///                 (MDM policies forced a mid-ESP restart → second sign-in; corroborates the
-    ///                 MdmRebootPolicyTracker's per-URI 2800 attribution events)
+    ///
+    /// NOTE (session b2e890c1, 2026-07-20): a bare "RebootCoalescing" substring match on 62407 was
+    /// tried and REMOVED — the token appears in the ROUTINE SubcategoryProcessing_Started marker
+    /// ("Starting subcategory DeviceSetup.RebootCoalescing...") on every enrollment, so it proves
+    /// nothing about an actual coalesced reboot. Policy-reboot attribution lives entirely in
+    /// MdmRebootPolicyTracker (EventID 2800) + the ANALYZE-ESP-005 rule gated on an observed reboot.
     ///
     /// Raises <see cref="FinalizingSetupPhaseTriggered"/>, <see cref="WhiteGloveCompleted"/>,
     /// and <see cref="EspFailureDetected"/>. Cross-notifies the <see cref="HelloTracker"/>
@@ -50,7 +53,6 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals
         private bool _espExitDetected;
         private bool _whiteGloveDetected;
         private bool _helloWizardStartDetected;
-        private bool _rebootCoalescingDetected;
         private readonly object _stateLock = new object();
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -251,27 +253,6 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals
 
                         _logger.Info("ESP phase exit detected - detected via Shell-Core event 62407");
                     }
-                    else if (description.IndexOf("RebootCoalescing", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase) >= 0)
-                    {
-                        // ESP-initiated coalesced reboot (end of DeviceSetup): MDM policies forced a
-                        // restart, the user will see a second sign-in screen. Checked AFTER the
-                        // WhiteGlove/failure/exiting patterns so their semantics stay untouched even
-                        // if a description ever carried both tokens. Fire-once per process run — the
-                        // reboot restarts the agent, and the fresh run re-observes it via backfill.
-                        lock (_stateLock)
-                        {
-                            if (_rebootCoalescingDetected) return;
-                            _rebootCoalescingDetected = true;
-                        }
-
-                        eventType = Constants.EventTypes.EspRebootCoalescing;
-                        severity = EventSeverity.Warning;
-                        message = "ESP initiated a coalesced reboot (RebootCoalescing) — device will restart and show a second sign-in";
-                        // No FinalizingSetup transition, no C# event raise — pure informational
-                        // corroboration for the MdmRebootPolicyTracker's per-URI attribution.
-
-                        _logger.Warning("ESP coalesced reboot detected via Shell-Core event 62407 (RebootCoalescing)");
-                    }
                     else
                     {
                         return;
@@ -446,29 +427,6 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals
                 return;
             }
 
-            if (description.IndexOf("RebootCoalescing", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase) >= 0)
-            {
-                // DELIBERATE deviation from the other 62407 backfill branches (which only raise C#
-                // events): this is a pure informational type with no reducer/subscriber — the
-                // emission IS the signal, and the live emit races the very reboot that kills the
-                // process. Re-emitting after the restart is the only reliable delivery path. A
-                // live+backfill cross-process duplicate is possible (no watermark here); accepted:
-                // the analyze rule uses exists-semantics, both copies carry the identical historical
-                // timestamp, and the backfill copy is marked backfilled:true.
-                bool shouldEmit;
-                lock (_stateLock)
-                {
-                    shouldEmit = !_rebootCoalescingDetected;
-                    _rebootCoalescingDetected = true;
-                }
-                if (shouldEmit)
-                {
-                    _logger.Info($"Backfill: ESP coalesced reboot (RebootCoalescing) found in recent Shell-Core logs (originalAt={occurredAtUtc:o})");
-                    EmitRebootCoalescing(description, occurredAtUtc, isBackfill: true);
-                }
-                return; // a RebootCoalescing record is not an ESP exit/failure — stop here
-            }
-
             if (EspExitingPattern.IsMatch(description))
             {
                 bool shouldNotify = false;
@@ -507,39 +465,6 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals
             }
         }
 
-        /// <summary>
-        /// Emits the <c>esp_reboot_coalescing</c> event with the standard Shell-Core eventData
-        /// shape. Used by the backfill path (the live path flows through the shared emit tail in
-        /// <see cref="ProcessEvent"/>); <paramref name="isBackfill"/> adds the
-        /// <c>backfilled</c> marker that distinguishes an accepted post-restart re-emission.
-        /// </summary>
-        private void EmitRebootCoalescing(string description, DateTime occurredAtUtc, bool isBackfill)
-        {
-            var eventData = new Dictionary<string, object>
-            {
-                { "windowsEventId", EventId_ShellCore_WebAppEvent },
-                { "providerName", "" },
-                { "description", description },
-                { "eventLogChannel", ShellCoreEventLogChannel },
-                { "eventTime", occurredAtUtc.ToString("o") },
-                { "backfilled", isBackfill }
-            };
-
-            _post.Emit(new EnrollmentEvent
-            {
-                SessionId = _sessionId,
-                TenantId = _tenantId,
-                Timestamp = occurredAtUtc,
-                EventType = Constants.EventTypes.EspRebootCoalescing,
-                Severity = EventSeverity.Warning,
-                Source = "EspAndHelloTracker",
-                Phase = EnrollmentPhase.Unknown,
-                Message = "ESP initiated a coalesced reboot (RebootCoalescing) — device will restart and show a second sign-in",
-                Data = eventData,
-                ImmediateUpload = true
-            });
-        }
-
         // =====================================================================
         // Pattern helpers
         // =====================================================================

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core/Monitoring/Interop/OobeStateReader.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+using System;
+using System.Reflection;
+
+namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Interop
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Reads WinRT <c>Windows.System.Profile.SystemSetupInfo.OutOfBoxExperienceState</c>
+    /// (NotStarted=0 / InProgress=1 / Completed=2) via the CLR's built-in WinRT projection —
+    /// no NuGet package, no winmd reference; the type is resolved at runtime with
+    /// <c>ContentType=WindowsRuntime</c>, the same mechanism the bootstrap script uses from
+    /// PowerShell 5.1.
+    /// <para>
+    /// <b>Contract:</b> observational only — never feed this into decision-engine logic.
+    /// Requires Windows 10 1809+ (build 17763, UniversalApiContract 7.0) and is callable
+    /// from the SYSTEM service context (empirically validated, probe session 9c404ae9).
+    /// On older builds or SKUs without the contract the type resolves to null and
+    /// <see cref="Read"/> returns <c>"unavailable"</c>. <see cref="Read"/> never throws.
+    /// </para>
+    /// <para>
+    /// Empirical timing (Win11 24H2 probe): the state flips InProgress→Completed at desktop
+    /// arrival — it is a corroboration signal, not an early one. WDP reseal and placeholder
+    /// (fooUser) flip semantics are unverified; another reason this must stay observational.
+    /// </para>
+    /// </summary>
+    internal static class OobeStateReader
+    {
+        public const string Unavailable = "unavailable";
+
+        // Resolved once per process. Benign race: concurrent first calls resolve the same
+        // PropertyInfo and the assignment is idempotent — no lock needed.
+        private static PropertyInfo _stateProperty;
+        private static bool _initTried;
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Returns <c>"not_started"</c> / <c>"in_progress"</c> / <c>"completed"</c>,
+        /// <c>"unknown_&lt;n&gt;"</c> for unexpected enum values, or <c>"unavailable"</c>
+        /// when the WinRT contract is absent or any part of the read fails. Never throws.
+        /// </summary>
+        public static string Read()
+        {
+            try
+            {
+                if (!_initTried)
+                {
+                    var type = Type.GetType(
+                        "Windows.System.Profile.SystemSetupInfo, Windows.System.Profile, ContentType=WindowsRuntime",
+                        throwOnError: false);
+                    _stateProperty = type?.GetProperty(
+                        "OutOfBoxExperienceState",
+                        BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.Static);
+                    _initTried = true;
+                }
+
+                if (_stateProperty == null)
+                    return Unavailable;
+
+                var value = Convert.ToInt32(_stateProperty.GetValue(null));
+                switch (value)
+                {
+                    case 0: return "not_started";
+                    case 1: return "in_progress";
+                    case 2: return "completed";
+                    default: return "unknown_" + value;
+                }
+            }
+            catch
+            {
+                return Unavailable;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core/Monitoring/Interop/UefiSecureBootCertReader.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,316 @@
+using System;
+using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
+
+namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Interop
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Reads the UEFI Secure Boot signature databases <c>db</c> and <c>KEK</c> directly from
+    /// firmware via <c>GetFirmwareEnvironmentVariableExW</c> and checks which Microsoft
+    /// signing certificates they contain. This is the authoritative source for the 2023
+    /// certificate rollout state — the <c>SecureBoot\Servicing</c> registry key only reflects
+    /// whether the *Windows Update* rollout ran and verified, and lags behind when the
+    /// certificate reached the firmware another way (OEM factory image, WinCS, manual).
+    /// <para>
+    /// The certificate subject CNs are stored as ASCII bytes inside the DER-encoded
+    /// signature lists, so a plain byte-substring search is sufficient — the same check
+    /// Microsoft documents via <c>Get-SecureBootUEFI</c> (which wraps this exact API).
+    /// </para>
+    /// <para>
+    /// <b>Contract:</b> observational only — never feed this into decision-engine logic.
+    /// <see cref="Read"/> never throws. Reading firmware variables requires
+    /// <c>SeSystemEnvironmentPrivilege</c>, which SYSTEM holds but must be enabled on the
+    /// process token first; the previous privilege state is restored after the read.
+    /// On legacy BIOS the API fails with <c>ERROR_INVALID_FUNCTION</c> → status
+    /// <c>not_uefi</c>; every failure maps to a status string instead of an exception.
+    /// </para>
+    /// </summary>
+    internal static class UefiSecureBootCertReader
+    {
+        public const string StatusOk = "ok";
+        public const string StatusNotUefi = "not_uefi";
+        public const string StatusVariableNotFound = "variable_not_found";
+        public const string StatusPrivilegeDenied = "privilege_denied";
+
+        // EFI_IMAGE_SECURITY_DATABASE_GUID — namespace of the "db" variable.
+        private const string DbVariableGuid = "{d719b2cb-3d3a-4596-a3bc-dad00e67656f}";
+        // EFI_GLOBAL_VARIABLE — namespace of the "KEK" variable.
+        private const string KekVariableGuid = "{8be4df61-93ca-11d2-aa0d-00e098032b8c}";
+
+        // Subject CNs searched for in db. 2023 set per Microsoft's June-2026 expiry guidance;
+        // 2011 set kept for context (which legacy CAs are still present).
+        internal const string CertWindowsUefiCa2023 = "Windows UEFI CA 2023";
+        internal const string CertMicrosoftUefiCa2023 = "Microsoft UEFI CA 2023";
+        internal const string CertMicrosoftOptionRomCa2023 = "Microsoft Option ROM UEFI CA 2023";
+        internal const string CertWindowsProductionPca2011 = "Microsoft Windows Production PCA 2011";
+        internal const string CertMicrosoftUefiCa2011 = "Microsoft Corporation UEFI CA 2011";
+        // Subject CNs searched for in KEK.
+        internal const string CertMicrosoftKek2kCa2023 = "Microsoft Corporation KEK 2K CA 2023";
+        internal const string CertMicrosoftKekCa2011 = "Microsoft Corporation KEK CA 2011";
+
+        private const int ErrorInvalidFunction = 1;      // legacy BIOS / no UEFI
+        private const int ErrorInsufficientBuffer = 122;
+        private const int ErrorEnvvarNotFound = 203;
+        private const int ErrorPrivilegeNotHeld = 1314;
+        private const int ErrorNotAllAssigned = 1300;
+
+        private const int InitialBufferSize = 64 * 1024;
+        private const int RetryBufferSize = 256 * 1024;
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Reads db and KEK and evaluates the certificate presence flags. Never throws;
+        /// per-variable failures surface as <see cref="UefiSecureBootCertSnapshot.DbStatus"/> /
+        /// <see cref="UefiSecureBootCertSnapshot.KekStatus"/>. Certificate flags are only
+        /// meaningful when the corresponding status is <see cref="StatusOk"/>.
+        /// </summary>
+        public static UefiSecureBootCertSnapshot Read()
+        {
+            var snapshot = new UefiSecureBootCertSnapshot();
+            try
+            {
+                using (var privilege = SystemEnvironmentPrivilege.TryEnable())
+                {
+                    if (!privilege.Enabled)
+                    {
+                        snapshot.DbStatus = StatusPrivilegeDenied;
+                        snapshot.KekStatus = StatusPrivilegeDenied;
+                        return snapshot;
+                    }
+
+                    byte[] db;
+                    snapshot.DbStatus = TryReadVariable("db", DbVariableGuid, out db);
+                    if (snapshot.DbStatus == StatusOk)
+                    {
+                        snapshot.DbHasWindowsUefiCa2023 = ContainsAscii(db, CertWindowsUefiCa2023);
+                        snapshot.DbHasMicrosoftUefiCa2023 = ContainsAscii(db, CertMicrosoftUefiCa2023);
+                        snapshot.DbHasMicrosoftOptionRomCa2023 = ContainsAscii(db, CertMicrosoftOptionRomCa2023);
+                        snapshot.DbHasWindowsProductionPca2011 = ContainsAscii(db, CertWindowsProductionPca2011);
+                        snapshot.DbHasMicrosoftUefiCa2011 = ContainsAscii(db, CertMicrosoftUefiCa2011);
+                    }
+
+                    byte[] kek;
+                    snapshot.KekStatus = TryReadVariable("KEK", KekVariableGuid, out kek);
+                    if (snapshot.KekStatus == StatusOk)
+                    {
+                        snapshot.KekHasMicrosoftKek2kCa2023 = ContainsAscii(kek, CertMicrosoftKek2kCa2023);
+                        snapshot.KekHasMicrosoftKekCa2011 = ContainsAscii(kek, CertMicrosoftKekCa2011);
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex)
+            {
+                var status = "error_" + ex.GetType().Name;
+                if (snapshot.DbStatus == null) snapshot.DbStatus = status;
+                if (snapshot.KekStatus == null) snapshot.KekStatus = status;
+            }
+            return snapshot;
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Reads one firmware variable into <paramref name="bytes"/> (trimmed to the actual
+        /// length). Returns a status string; <paramref name="bytes"/> is null unless the
+        /// status is <see cref="StatusOk"/>.
+        /// </summary>
+        private static string TryReadVariable(string name, string guid, out byte[] bytes)
+        {
+            bytes = null;
+            var buffer = new byte[InitialBufferSize];
+            var length = NativeMethods.GetFirmwareEnvironmentVariableExW(name, guid, buffer, (uint)buffer.Length, IntPtr.Zero);
+            if (length == 0)
+            {
+                var error = Marshal.GetLastWin32Error();
+                if (error == ErrorInsufficientBuffer)
+                {
+                    buffer = new byte[RetryBufferSize];
+                    length = NativeMethods.GetFirmwareEnvironmentVariableExW(name, guid, buffer, (uint)buffer.Length, IntPtr.Zero);
+                    if (length == 0)
+                        error = Marshal.GetLastWin32Error();
+                }
+
+                if (length == 0)
+                {
+                    switch (error)
+                    {
+                        case ErrorInvalidFunction: return StatusNotUefi;
+                        case ErrorEnvvarNotFound: return StatusVariableNotFound;
+                        case ErrorPrivilegeNotHeld: return StatusPrivilegeDenied;
+                        default: return "error_" + error;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+
+            bytes = new byte[length];
+            Array.Copy(buffer, bytes, (int)length);
+            return StatusOk;
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Byte-level ASCII substring search (ordinal, case-sensitive). The signature lists
+        /// are at most a few hundred KB and read once per agent start — a naive scan is fine.
+        /// </summary>
+        internal static bool ContainsAscii(byte[] haystack, string needle)
+        {
+            if (haystack == null || string.IsNullOrEmpty(needle) || needle.Length > haystack.Length)
+                return false;
+
+            for (var i = 0; i <= haystack.Length - needle.Length; i++)
+            {
+                var j = 0;
+                while (j < needle.Length && haystack[i + j] == (byte)needle[j])
+                    j++;
+                if (j == needle.Length)
+                    return true;
+            }
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Enables <c>SeSystemEnvironmentPrivilege</c> on the process token for the lifetime
+        /// of the instance and restores the previous privilege state on dispose. SYSTEM holds
+        /// the privilege (default-disabled); without elevation <see cref="Enabled"/> stays
+        /// false and the caller reports <see cref="StatusPrivilegeDenied"/>.
+        /// </summary>
+        private sealed class SystemEnvironmentPrivilege : IDisposable
+        {
+            public bool Enabled { get; private set; }
+
+            private IntPtr _token = IntPtr.Zero;
+            private NativeMethods.TOKEN_PRIVILEGES _previousState;
+            private bool _restoreNeeded;
+
+            public static SystemEnvironmentPrivilege TryEnable()
+            {
+                var instance = new SystemEnvironmentPrivilege();
+                try
+                {
+                    if (!NativeMethods.OpenProcessToken(NativeMethods.GetCurrentProcess(),
+                            NativeMethods.TOKEN_ADJUST_PRIVILEGES | NativeMethods.TOKEN_QUERY, out instance._token))
+                        return instance;
+
+                    NativeMethods.LUID luid;
+                    if (!NativeMethods.LookupPrivilegeValueW(null, "SeSystemEnvironmentPrivilege", out luid))
+                        return instance;
+
+                    var newState = new NativeMethods.TOKEN_PRIVILEGES
+                    {
+                        PrivilegeCount = 1,
+                        Luid = luid,
+                        Attributes = NativeMethods.SE_PRIVILEGE_ENABLED
+                    };
+
+                    uint returnLength;
+                    if (!NativeMethods.AdjustTokenPrivileges(instance._token, false, ref newState,
+                            (uint)Marshal.SizeOf(typeof(NativeMethods.TOKEN_PRIVILEGES)),
+                            out instance._previousState, out returnLength))
+                        return instance;
+
+                    // AdjustTokenPrivileges returns TRUE even when the privilege is not held —
+                    // the real verdict is ERROR_NOT_ALL_ASSIGNED in the last error.
+                    if (Marshal.GetLastWin32Error() == ErrorNotAllAssigned)
+                        return instance;
+
+                    // Restore only when the privilege was not already enabled before.
+                    instance._restoreNeeded = instance._previousState.PrivilegeCount > 0
+                        && (instance._previousState.Attributes & NativeMethods.SE_PRIVILEGE_ENABLED) == 0;
+                    instance.Enabled = true;
+                }
+                catch
+                {
+                    // Fail-soft: Enabled stays false.
+                }
+                return instance;
+            }
+
+            public void Dispose()
+            {
+                if (_token != IntPtr.Zero)
+                {
+                    try
+                    {
+                        if (_restoreNeeded)
+                        {
+                            NativeMethods.TOKEN_PRIVILEGES ignored;
+                            uint returnLength;
+                            NativeMethods.AdjustTokenPrivileges(_token, false, ref _previousState,
+                                (uint)Marshal.SizeOf(typeof(NativeMethods.TOKEN_PRIVILEGES)),
+                                out ignored, out returnLength);
+                        }
+                    }
+                    catch
+                    {
+                        // Best effort — the process token privilege state is not load-bearing
+                        // for anything else the agent does.
+                    }
+                    NativeMethods.CloseHandle(_token);
+                    _token = IntPtr.Zero;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        private static class NativeMethods
+        {
+            public const uint TOKEN_ADJUST_PRIVILEGES = 0x0020;
+            public const uint TOKEN_QUERY = 0x0008;
+            public const uint SE_PRIVILEGE_ENABLED = 0x0002;
+
+            [StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)]
+            public struct LUID
+            {
+                public uint LowPart;
+                public int HighPart;
+            }
+
+            // Single-privilege variant of the variable-length native struct — sufficient here
+            // because exactly one privilege is adjusted per call.
+            [StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)]
+            public struct TOKEN_PRIVILEGES
+            {
+                public uint PrivilegeCount;
+                public LUID Luid;
+                public uint Attributes;
+            }
+
+            [DllImport("kernel32.dll", SetLastError = true, CharSet = CharSet.Unicode)]
+            public static extern uint GetFirmwareEnvironmentVariableExW(
+                string lpName, string lpGuid, byte[] pBuffer, uint nSize, IntPtr pdwAttributes);
+
+            [DllImport("kernel32.dll")]
+            public static extern IntPtr GetCurrentProcess();
+
+            [DllImport("advapi32.dll", SetLastError = true)]
+            [return: MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.Bool)]
+            public static extern bool OpenProcessToken(IntPtr processHandle, uint desiredAccess, out IntPtr tokenHandle);
+
+            [DllImport("advapi32.dll", SetLastError = true, CharSet = CharSet.Unicode)]
+            [return: MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.Bool)]
+            public static extern bool LookupPrivilegeValueW(string lpSystemName, string lpName, out LUID lpLuid);
+
+            [DllImport("advapi32.dll", SetLastError = true)]
+            [return: MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.Bool)]
+            public static extern bool AdjustTokenPrivileges(IntPtr tokenHandle, bool disableAllPrivileges,
+                ref TOKEN_PRIVILEGES newState, uint bufferLength, out TOKEN_PRIVILEGES previousState, out uint returnLength);
+
+            [DllImport("kernel32.dll", SetLastError = true)]
+            [return: MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.Bool)]
+            public static extern bool CloseHandle(IntPtr handle);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Result of one firmware read. Certificate flags are only meaningful when the
+    /// corresponding status equals <see cref="UefiSecureBootCertReader.StatusOk"/>.
+    /// </summary>
+    internal sealed class UefiSecureBootCertSnapshot
+    {
+        public string DbStatus { get; set; }
+        public string KekStatus { get; set; }
+
+        public bool DbHasWindowsUefiCa2023 { get; set; }
+        public bool DbHasMicrosoftUefiCa2023 { get; set; }
+        public bool DbHasMicrosoftOptionRomCa2023 { get; set; }
+        public bool DbHasWindowsProductionPca2011 { get; set; }
+        public bool DbHasMicrosoftUefiCa2011 { get; set; }
+
+        public bool KekHasMicrosoftKek2kCa2023 { get; set; }
+        public bool KekHasMicrosoftKekCa2011 { get; set; }
+    }
+}

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core/Monitoring/Runtime/CleanupService.cs

@@ -31,84 +31,18 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Runtime
             {
                 _logger.Info($"Executing FULL SELF-DESTRUCT (Scheduled Task + Files{(_configuration.RebootOnComplete ? " + Reboot" : "")})");
 
-                var currentProcessId = Process.GetCurrentProcess().Id;
+                var currentProcess = Process.GetCurrentProcess();
                 var agentBasePath = Path.GetFullPath(Path.Combine(
                     Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.CommonApplicationData),
                     "AutopilotMonitor"
                 ));
 
-                var logDir = Path.GetFullPath(Path.Combine(agentBasePath, "Logs"));
-                var keepLogs = _configuration.KeepLogFile;
-
-                // Create a self-deleting PowerShell script
-                var cleanupScript = $@"
-$scriptPath = $MyInvocation.MyCommand.Path
-
-# Wait for agent process to exit
-Start-Sleep -Seconds 2
-Wait-Process -Id {currentProcessId} -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue -Timeout 30
-Start-Sleep -Seconds 1
-
-# Remove Scheduled Task — verify removal BEFORE deleting files (LIFE-F6). An orphan task firing
-# against a deleted exe spams Task Scheduler errors every boot forever and, once the files (incl.
-# the enrollment-complete marker) are gone, has no cleanup-retry path. So confirm the task is gone
-# first; if it cannot be removed, SKIP the file deletion and leave everything intact for a clean
-# cleanup retry on the next boot (the marker survives, so bootstrap re-runs cleanup).
-$taskName = '{_configuration.ScheduledTaskName}'
-$taskGone = $false
-for ($i = 1; $i -le 5; $i++) {{
-    try {{ Stop-ScheduledTask -TaskName $taskName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue }} catch {{ }}
-    try {{ Unregister-ScheduledTask -TaskName $taskName -Confirm:$false -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue }} catch {{ }}
-    $still = $null
-    try {{ $still = Get-ScheduledTask -TaskName $taskName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue }} catch {{ }}
-    if (-not $still) {{ $taskGone = $true; break }}
-    Start-Sleep -Seconds 1
-}}
-if (-not $taskGone) {{
-    # Fallback: schtasks.exe /Delete does not depend on the ScheduledTasks PowerShell module.
-    try {{ & schtasks.exe /Delete /TN $taskName /F 2>$null | Out-Null }} catch {{ }}
-    try {{ $taskGone = -not (Get-ScheduledTask -TaskName $taskName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) }} catch {{ }}
-}}
-
-{(keepLogs ? $@"
-if ($taskGone) {{
-    # Delete everything except Logs directory
-    Get-ChildItem -Path '{agentBasePath}' -Exclude 'Logs' | ForEach-Object {{
-        $dest = $_.FullName + '.del'
-        try {{ Rename-Item -Path $_.FullName -NewName $dest -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue }} catch {{ }}
-        Remove-Item -Path $dest -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
-    }}
-}}
-" : $@"
-if ($taskGone) {{
-    # Rename folder then delete. Retry a few times to let the OS release handles.
-    $renamedPath = '{agentBasePath}.del'
-    $renamed = $false
-    for ($i = 1; $i -le 10; $i++) {{
-        try {{
-            Rename-Item -Path '{agentBasePath}' -NewName $renamedPath -Force -ErrorAction Stop
-            $renamed = $true
-            break
-        }} catch {{
-            Start-Sleep -Seconds 2
-        }}
-    }}
-    if ($renamed) {{
-        Remove-Item -Path $renamedPath -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
-    }} else {{
-        Remove-Item -Path '{agentBasePath}' -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
-    }}
-}}
-")}
-{(_configuration.RebootOnComplete ? @"
-# shutdown.exe (NOT Restart-Computer): Restart-Computer has no -Comment parameter and -Delay is
-# only honoured with -Wait, so the previous invocation failed parameter binding and the device
-# silently never rebooted. shutdown.exe /r /t 10 mirrors the standalone reboot path and reboots
-# after a 10 s delay (lets this script finish + the agent exit). Review LIFE-F2.
-shutdown.exe /r /t 10 /c 'Autopilot enrollment completed - Autopilot Monitor is rebooting'
-" : "")}
-Remove-Item -Path $scriptPath -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
-";
+                var cleanupScript = BuildCleanupScript(
+                    agentProcessName: currentProcess.ProcessName,
+                    agentBasePath: agentBasePath,
+                    keepLogs: _configuration.KeepLogFile,
+                    scheduledTaskName: _configuration.ScheduledTaskName,
+                    rebootOnComplete: _configuration.RebootOnComplete);
 
                 // Write cleanup script to temp location (outside of agent folder)
                 var tempScriptPath = Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(), $"AutopilotMonitor-Cleanup-{Guid.NewGuid()}.ps1");
@@ -143,5 +77,171 @@ Remove-Item -Path $scriptPath -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
             }
         }
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Builds the self-deleting cleanup PowerShell script. Extracted (internal static, pure)
+        /// so tests can pin the hardened invariants without launching processes.
+        /// <para>
+        /// LIFE-F7 hardening (incident 2026-07-22 — exe + loaded DLLs orphaned forever):
+        /// </para>
+        /// <list type="number">
+        ///   <item><b>Single-flight lock</b> — the enrollment-complete marker is written BEFORE
+        ///     cleanup launches, so any agent start during an in-flight cleanup spawns a SECOND
+        ///     cleanup script. Two unsynchronized scripts interleave their rename/delete phases
+        ///     and leave partial trees behind. A CreateNew lock file in the SYSTEM temp dir
+        ///     serializes them; a stale lock (&gt;10 min) is taken over.</item>
+        ///   <item><b>Wait by process NAME, not launcher PID</b> — marker-retry instances,
+        ///     self-update restarts and manual runs all load the same images but have PIDs the
+        ///     old <c>Wait-Process -Id</c> never saw (and an already-freed PID can be reused by
+        ///     an unrelated boot-time process). After the deadline any straggler is force-killed:
+        ///     its images are about to be deleted anyway.</item>
+        ///   <item><b>Probe-rename BEFORE task removal, never delete the original path</b> — the
+        ///     rename is the atomic lock probe. If it fails, something still holds the tree: abort
+        ///     with task + files + marker intact so the next boot retries (file-side symmetry to
+        ///     the LIFE-F6 task-side rule). If the task cannot be removed afterwards, rename BACK
+        ///     and abort for the same reason. Only a fully renamed tree with the task gone is
+        ///     deleted — the old <c>Remove-Item</c>-on-original fallback deleted marker + state
+        ///     around locked binaries AFTER the task was gone, converting a transient lock into a
+        ///     permanently orphaned exe.</item>
+        /// </list>
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <remarks>
+        /// The timing parameters exist ONLY so integration tests can replay the incident
+        /// scenarios (locked tree, straggler process) in seconds instead of minutes —
+        /// production call sites always use the defaults.
+        /// </remarks>
+        internal static string BuildCleanupScript(
+            string agentProcessName,
+            string agentBasePath,
+            bool keepLogs,
+            string scheduledTaskName,
+            bool rebootOnComplete,
+            int initialDelaySeconds = 2,
+            int processWaitSeconds = 60,
+            int renameRetries = 10,
+            int renameRetryDelaySeconds = 2)
+        {
+            return $@"
+$scriptPath = $MyInvocation.MyCommand.Path
+
+# Single-flight lock (LIFE-F7 #1): serialize concurrent cleanup scripts. CreateNew is
+# atomic; the loser backs off and lets the winner own the deletion.
+$lockPath = Join-Path ([System.IO.Path]::GetTempPath()) 'AutopilotMonitor-Cleanup.lock'
+$lockStream = $null
+try {{
+    if (Test-Path $lockPath) {{
+        $lockAge = (Get-Date) - (Get-Item $lockPath -ErrorAction Stop).LastWriteTime
+        if ($lockAge.TotalMinutes -gt 10) {{ Remove-Item -Path $lockPath -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue }}
+    }}
+    $lockStream = [System.IO.File]::Open($lockPath, [System.IO.FileMode]::CreateNew, [System.IO.FileAccess]::Write, [System.IO.FileShare]::None)
+}} catch {{
+    Remove-Item -Path $scriptPath -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
+    exit 0
+}}
+
+try {{
+    # Wait for EVERY agent process to exit, by NAME (LIFE-F7 #2) — covers marker-retry
+    # instances, self-update restarts and manual runs, and is immune to PID reuse.
+    Start-Sleep -Seconds {initialDelaySeconds}
+    $deadline = (Get-Date).AddSeconds({processWaitSeconds})
+    while ((Get-Date) -lt $deadline) {{
+        if (-not (Get-Process -Name '{agentProcessName}' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)) {{ break }}
+        Start-Sleep -Seconds 2
+    }}
+    # Backstop: force-kill stragglers — their images are about to be deleted anyway.
+    Get-Process -Name '{agentProcessName}' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Stop-Process -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
+    Start-Sleep -Seconds 1
+
+{(keepLogs ? $@"
+    # Probe-rename all children except Logs (LIFE-F7 #3). Any failure ⇒ rename back and
+    # abort with the Scheduled Task intact so the next boot retries cleanly.
+    $renamed = @()
+    $probeOk = $true
+    foreach ($item in @(Get-ChildItem -Path '{agentBasePath}' -Exclude 'Logs' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)) {{
+        $dest = $item.FullName + '.del-' + [Guid]::NewGuid().ToString('N')
+        $itemOk = $false
+        for ($i = 1; $i -le {renameRetries}; $i++) {{
+            try {{
+                Rename-Item -Path $item.FullName -NewName $dest -Force -ErrorAction Stop
+                $itemOk = $true
+                break
+            }} catch {{
+                Start-Sleep -Seconds {renameRetryDelaySeconds}
+            }}
+        }}
+        if ($itemOk) {{ $renamed += @{{ Original = $item.FullName; Renamed = $dest }} }}
+        else {{ $probeOk = $false; break }}
+    }}
+" : $@"
+    # Probe-rename the whole tree (LIFE-F7 #3). Failure ⇒ abort with task + files + marker
+    # intact so the next boot retries cleanly. GUID suffix avoids collisions with leftovers
+    # of earlier attempts.
+    $renamedPath = '{agentBasePath}.del-' + [Guid]::NewGuid().ToString('N')
+    $probeOk = $false
+    for ($i = 1; $i -le {renameRetries}; $i++) {{
+        try {{
+            Rename-Item -Path '{agentBasePath}' -NewName $renamedPath -Force -ErrorAction Stop
+            $probeOk = $true
+            break
+        }} catch {{
+            Start-Sleep -Seconds {renameRetryDelaySeconds}
+        }}
+    }}
+    $renamed = @(@{{ Original = '{agentBasePath}'; Renamed = $renamedPath }})
+")}
+    if ($probeOk) {{
+        # Remove Scheduled Task — verify removal BEFORE deleting files (LIFE-F6). An orphan
+        # task firing against a deleted exe spams Task Scheduler errors every boot forever
+        # and, once the files (incl. the enrollment-complete marker) are gone, has no
+        # cleanup-retry path.
+        $taskName = '{scheduledTaskName}'
+        $taskGone = $false
+        for ($i = 1; $i -le 5; $i++) {{
+            try {{ Stop-ScheduledTask -TaskName $taskName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue }} catch {{ }}
+            try {{ Unregister-ScheduledTask -TaskName $taskName -Confirm:$false -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue }} catch {{ }}
+            $still = $null
+            try {{ $still = Get-ScheduledTask -TaskName $taskName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue }} catch {{ }}
+            if (-not $still) {{ $taskGone = $true; break }}
+            Start-Sleep -Seconds 1
+        }}
+        if (-not $taskGone) {{
+            # Fallback: schtasks.exe /Delete does not depend on the ScheduledTasks PowerShell module.
+            try {{ & schtasks.exe /Delete /TN $taskName /F 2>$null | Out-Null }} catch {{ }}
+            try {{ $taskGone = -not (Get-ScheduledTask -TaskName $taskName -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) }} catch {{ }}
+        }}
+
+        if ($taskGone) {{
+            # Task gone + tree renamed ⇒ safe to delete. Never touches the original path.
+            foreach ($entry in $renamed) {{
+                Remove-Item -Path $entry.Renamed -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
+            }}
+        }} else {{
+            # Task survived ⇒ rename back and leave everything for the next-boot retry
+            # (the marker survives, so bootstrap re-runs cleanup).
+            foreach ($entry in $renamed) {{
+                try {{ Rename-Item -Path $entry.Renamed -NewName $entry.Original -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue }} catch {{ }}
+            }}
+        }}
+    }} else {{
+        # Probe failed ⇒ something still holds the tree. Rename back whatever succeeded and
+        # abort WITHOUT deleting anything — task + marker stay, next boot retries.
+        foreach ($entry in $renamed) {{
+            try {{ Rename-Item -Path $entry.Renamed -NewName $entry.Original -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue }} catch {{ }}
+        }}
+    }}
+{(rebootOnComplete ? @"
+    # shutdown.exe (NOT Restart-Computer): Restart-Computer has no -Comment parameter and -Delay is
+    # only honoured with -Wait, so the previous invocation failed parameter binding and the device
+    # silently never rebooted. shutdown.exe /r /t 10 mirrors the standalone reboot path and reboots
+    # after a 10 s delay (lets this script finish + the agent exit). Review LIFE-F2.
+    shutdown.exe /r /t 10 /c 'Autopilot enrollment completed - Autopilot Monitor is rebooting'
+" : "")}
+}} finally {{
+    if ($lockStream) {{ $lockStream.Dispose() }}
+    Remove-Item -Path $lockPath -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
+    Remove-Item -Path $scriptPath -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
+}}
+";
+        }
+
     }
 }

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core/Monitoring/Runtime/SelfUpdater.cs

@@ -370,7 +370,9 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Runtime
         {
             try
             {
-                var versionUrl = $"{Constants.AgentBlobBaseUrl}/{Constants.AgentVersionFileNameForLine(2)}";
+                // Download alias, not the legacy blob account: the legacy mirror in the
+                // release pipeline is fail-soft, so it can silently lag behind eu.
+                var versionUrl = $"{Constants.AgentDownloadBaseUrl}/{Constants.AgentVersionFileNameForLine(2)}";
 
                 using (var handler = new HttpClientHandler())
                 using (var client = new HttpClient(handler) { Timeout = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(VersionCheckTimeoutMs) })
@@ -497,7 +499,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Runtime
         {
             try
             {
-                var zipUrl = $"{Constants.AgentBlobBaseUrl}/{Constants.AgentZipFileNameForLine(2)}";
+                var zipUrl = $"{Constants.AgentDownloadBaseUrl}/{Constants.AgentZipFileNameForLine(2)}";
 
                 // Clean up any previous download (fragment from aborted run, or symlink/junction).
                 // Pre-delete + FileMode.CreateNew below: CreateNew refuses to open an existing

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core/Monitoring/Telemetry/Analyzers/LocalAdminAnalyzer.cs

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.IO;
 using System.Linq;
 using System.Management;
+using System.Text.RegularExpressions;
 using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Logging;
 using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Interop;
 using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Orchestration;
@@ -28,6 +29,9 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Telemetry.Analyzers
     ///
     /// Emits a single "local_admin_analysis" event at startup and at shutdown,
     /// enabling delta detection between pre- and post-enrollment state.
+    ///
+    /// Tenant-supplied allowed accounts may contain glob wildcards (e.g. "adm-*");
+    /// see <see cref="MatchesAllowedEntry"/>.
     /// </summary>
     public class LocalAdminAnalyzer : IAgentAnalyzer
     {
@@ -246,6 +250,43 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Telemetry.Analyzers
             }
         }
 
+        // -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+        // Allowed-list matching
+        // -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Matches an account or profile-folder name against one allowed-list entry.
+        /// Entries containing <c>*</c> or <c>?</c> are glob patterns (same semantics as the
+        /// hardware whitelist: <c>*</c> = any run, <c>?</c> = one char, case-insensitive);
+        /// all other entries match exactly. No ambiguity with literal names — <c>*</c> and
+        /// <c>?</c> are invalid characters in Windows account names.
+        /// Internal for direct unit-testing via InternalsVisibleTo.
+        /// </summary>
+        internal static bool MatchesAllowedEntry(string name, string entry)
+        {
+            if (entry.IndexOf('*') < 0 && entry.IndexOf('?') < 0)
+                return string.Equals(entry, name, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
+
+            var regexPattern = "^" + Regex.Escape(entry)
+                .Replace("\\*", ".*")
+                .Replace("\\?", ".") + "$";
+
+            try
+            {
+                // Timeout guards against pathological patterns (ReDoS)
+                return Regex.IsMatch(name, regexPattern, RegexOptions.IgnoreCase, TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(100));
+            }
+            catch (RegexMatchTimeoutException)
+            {
+                return false;
+            }
+        }
+
+        private static bool IsAllowed(string name, List<string> allowedAccounts)
+        {
+            return allowedAccounts.Any(a => MatchesAllowedEntry(name, a));
+        }
+
         // -----------------------------------------------------------------------
         // Individual checks
         // -----------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -308,8 +349,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Telemetry.Analyzers
                         if (disabled)
                             continue;
 
-                        if (!allowedAccounts.Any(a =>
-                            string.Equals(a, name, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)))
+                        if (!IsAllowed(name, allowedAccounts))
                         {
                             unexpected.Add(name);
                             _logger.Debug($"{Name}: Unexpected local account: {name}");
@@ -349,8 +389,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Telemetry.Analyzers
 
                     allFound.Add(folderName);
 
-                    if (!allowedAccounts.Any(a =>
-                        string.Equals(a, folderName, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)))
+                    if (!IsAllowed(folderName, allowedAccounts))
                     {
                         unexpected.Add(folderName);
                         _logger.Debug($"{Name}: Unexpected profile folder: {folderName}");

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core/Monitoring/Telemetry/DeviceInfo/DeviceInfoCollector.NetworkAndSecurity.cs

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ using System.Text.Json;
 using System.Threading.Tasks;
 using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Logging;
 using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Interop;
 using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Orchestration;
 using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Security;
 using AutopilotMonitor.DecisionCore.Engine;
@@ -493,7 +494,16 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Telemetry.DeviceInfo
                     }
                 }
 
-                EmitDeviceInfoEvent(Constants.EventTypes.SecureBootStatus, $"SecureBoot: {data["uefiSecureBootEnabled"]}, CA2023: {data["uefiCA2023Status"]}", data);
+                // Direct firmware evidence (UEFI db/KEK variables) — authoritative for the
+                // CA-2023 rollout state. The Servicing key above only mirrors whether the
+                // Windows Update rollout ran; it lags behind when the certificate reached
+                // the firmware another way (OEM factory image, WinCS, manual deployment).
+                var firmware = UefiSecureBootCertReader.Read();
+                AppendFirmwareCertFields(data, firmware);
+
+                EmitDeviceInfoEvent(Constants.EventTypes.SecureBootStatus,
+                    $"SecureBoot: {data["uefiSecureBootEnabled"]}, CA2023: {data["uefiCA2023Status"]}, firmware: {DescribeFirmwareVerdict(firmware)}",
+                    data);
             }
             catch (Exception ex)
             {
@@ -501,6 +511,50 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Telemetry.DeviceInfo
             }
         }
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Maps a <see cref="UefiSecureBootCertSnapshot"/> onto the <c>secureboot_status</c>
+        /// payload. Certificate booleans are only emitted when the respective variable read
+        /// succeeded — an absent boolean means "firmware state unknown", never "missing".
+        /// </summary>
+        internal static void AppendFirmwareCertFields(Dictionary<string, object> data, UefiSecureBootCertSnapshot firmware)
+        {
+            if (firmware == null) return;
+
+            data["uefiFirmwareReadStatus"] = firmware.DbStatus != UefiSecureBootCertReader.StatusOk
+                ? firmware.DbStatus
+                : firmware.KekStatus;
+
+            if (firmware.DbStatus == UefiSecureBootCertReader.StatusOk)
+            {
+                data["uefiDbHasWindowsUefiCa2023"] = firmware.DbHasWindowsUefiCa2023;
+                data["uefiDbHasMicrosoftUefiCa2023"] = firmware.DbHasMicrosoftUefiCa2023;
+                data["uefiDbHasMicrosoftOptionRomCa2023"] = firmware.DbHasMicrosoftOptionRomCa2023;
+                data["uefiDbHasWindowsProductionPca2011"] = firmware.DbHasWindowsProductionPca2011;
+                data["uefiDbHasMicrosoftUefiCa2011"] = firmware.DbHasMicrosoftUefiCa2011;
+
+                // One-sided marker consumed by ANALYZE-SEC-001's not_exists precondition.
+                // The engine's not_exists passes only while the field is absent/empty, so the
+                // marker must be OMITTED (never emitted as false) unless the firmware db
+                // positively confirms the 2023 certificate — old agents and unconfirmed
+                // devices then keep evaluating the rule.
+                if (firmware.DbHasWindowsUefiCa2023)
+                    data["uefiCa2023FirmwareConfirmed"] = true;
+            }
+
+            if (firmware.KekStatus == UefiSecureBootCertReader.StatusOk)
+            {
+                data["uefiKekHasMicrosoftKek2kCa2023"] = firmware.KekHasMicrosoftKek2kCa2023;
+                data["uefiKekHasMicrosoftKekCa2011"] = firmware.KekHasMicrosoftKekCa2011;
+            }
+        }
+
+        internal static string DescribeFirmwareVerdict(UefiSecureBootCertSnapshot firmware)
+        {
+            if (firmware == null) return "unavailable";
+            if (firmware.DbStatus != UefiSecureBootCertReader.StatusOk) return firmware.DbStatus ?? "unavailable";
+            return firmware.DbHasWindowsUefiCa2023 ? "CA2023 confirmed" : "CA2023 missing";
+        }
+
         private void CollectBitLockerStatus()
         {
             try

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core/Monitoring/Telemetry/Gather/Collectors/CommandCollector.cs

@@ -12,6 +12,24 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Telemetry.Gather.Collectors
     {
         public string CollectorType => "command_allowlisted";
 
+        private const int CommandTimeoutMs = 30000;
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Returns what the reader captured, or an empty string if it did not finish
+        /// (a killed process can leave the read faulted or still pending).
+        /// </summary>
+        private static string DrainOrEmpty(System.Threading.Tasks.Task<string> readTask)
+        {
+            try
+            {
+                return readTask.Wait(2000) ? readTask.Result : string.Empty;
+            }
+            catch
+            {
+                return string.Empty;
+            }
+        }
+
         public Dictionary<string, object> Execute(GatherRule rule, GatherRuleContext context)
         {
             var data = new Dictionary<string, object>();
@@ -81,12 +99,29 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Telemetry.Gather.Collectors
 
                 using (var process = Process.Start(psi))
                 {
-                    var output = process.StandardOutput.ReadToEnd();
-                    var error = process.StandardError.ReadToEnd();
-                    process.WaitForExit(30000); // 30 second timeout
+                    // Read asynchronously: a synchronous ReadToEnd() blocks until the pipe
+                    // closes, which only happens when the process exits — the WaitForExit
+                    // timeout below would never be reached and a hung command would pin
+                    // this worker forever.
+                    var outputTask = process.StandardOutput.ReadToEndAsync();
+                    var errorTask = process.StandardError.ReadToEndAsync();
+
+                    var exited = process.WaitForExit(CommandTimeoutMs);
+                    if (!exited)
+                    {
+                        context.Logger.Warning(
+                            $"Command timed out after {CommandTimeoutMs / 1000}s, killing: {command} (Rule: {rule.RuleId})");
+                        try { process.Kill(); } catch { /* already gone */ }
+                        // Give the readers a moment to drain once the pipes close.
+                        try { process.WaitForExit(5000); } catch { /* best effort */ }
+                        data["timed_out"] = true;
+                    }
 
                     data["command"] = command;
-                    data["exit_code"] = process.ExitCode;
+                    data["exit_code"] = exited ? process.ExitCode : -1;
+
+                    var output = DrainOrEmpty(outputTask);
+                    var error = DrainOrEmpty(errorTask);
 
                     if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(output))
                     {

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core/Monitoring/Telemetry/Gather/Collectors/EventLogCollector.cs

@@ -17,6 +17,10 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Telemetry.Gather.Collectors
             if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(logName))
                 return data;
 
+            // Guard: only allow enrollment-relevant channels
+            if (!GatherRuleGuards.IsEventLogChannelAllowed(logName, context.UnrestrictedMode))
+                return context.EmitSecurityWarning(rule, "eventlog", logName);
+
             // Optional: escalate severity when matching entries are found
             string severityIfFound = null;
             rule.Parameters?.TryGetValue("severityIfFound", out severityIfFound);

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core/Monitoring/Telemetry/Gather/Collectors/LogParserCollector.cs

@@ -34,11 +34,30 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Telemetry.Gather.Collectors
             if (filePath == null)
                 return null; // Token present but no user logged on — skip silently
 
-            // Apply IME log path override if set
+            // Apply IME log path override if set. The override comes from the local
+            // --ime-log-path flag only (never from remote config), so the operator
+            // running it is already a local admin — it relaxes the allowlist the same
+            // way unrestricted mode does, while the hard blocks below still apply.
+            var localOverride = false;
             if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(context.ImeLogPathOverride))
             {
                 var fileName = Path.GetFileName(filePath);
                 filePath = Path.Combine(context.ImeLogPathOverride, fileName);
+                localOverride = true;
+            }
+
+            var relaxAllowlist = context.UnrestrictedMode || localOverride;
+
+            // Guard: only allow enrollment-relevant file paths. Checked before resolution
+            // so a blocked target is reported even when no file matches it. A wildcard
+            // target is checked by its directory — Path.GetFullPath rejects '*' and '?'.
+            var guardPath = HasWildcard(Path.GetFileName(filePath))
+                ? Path.GetDirectoryName(filePath)
+                : filePath;
+            if (!GatherRuleGuards.IsFilePathAllowed(guardPath, relaxAllowlist, userProfilePath))
+            {
+                context.EmitSecurityWarning(rule, "logparser", filePath);
+                return null;
             }
 
             // Get parameters
@@ -87,18 +106,30 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Telemetry.Gather.Collectors
 
             foreach (var resolvedPath in resolvedPaths)
             {
+                // Re-check each resolved path: wildcard expansion can surface files
+                // reached through a junction that the directory check did not cover.
+                if (!GatherRuleGuards.IsFilePathAllowed(resolvedPath, relaxAllowlist, userProfilePath))
+                {
+                    context.EmitSecurityWarning(rule, "logparser", resolvedPath);
+                    continue;
+                }
+
                 ProcessLogFile(resolvedPath, rule, pattern, trackPosition, maxLines, isTextMode, context);
             }
 
             return null;
         }
 
+        private static bool HasWildcard(string fileNamePart)
+            => !string.IsNullOrEmpty(fileNamePart) &&
+               (fileNamePart.Contains("*") || fileNamePart.Contains("?"));
+
         private static List<string> ResolveLogPaths(string filePath, string ruleId, GatherRuleContext context)
         {
             var fileNamePart = Path.GetFileName(filePath);
 
             // No wildcards — single file
-            if (!fileNamePart.Contains("*") && !fileNamePart.Contains("?"))
+            if (!HasWildcard(fileNamePart))
             {
                 if (File.Exists(filePath))
                     return new List<string> { filePath };

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core/Monitoring/Telemetry/Gather/GatherRuleExecutor.cs

@@ -176,12 +176,59 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Telemetry.Gather
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Called when a phase change event occurs - executes rules triggered by phase changes
+        /// (<c>phase_change</c> on entering the new phase, <c>phase_exit</c> on leaving the old one).
         /// </summary>
         public void OnPhaseChanged(EnrollmentPhase newPhase)
         {
             var phaseName = newPhase.ToString();
 
-            // Update the phase + from-phase latches FIRST so deferred startup activation and
+            // phase_exit runs FIRST and against the phase being LEFT: both the TriggerPhase match
+            // and the scope gate must see the old phase, so this block has to complete before
+            // _currentPhase moves below. A transition INTO Failed still fires the exit rules of the
+            // phase that failed — that snapshot is the whole point at a failure boundary.
+            List<GatherRule> exitRules = null;
+            lock (_scopeLock)
+            {
+                var previousPhase = _currentPhase;
+                if (previousPhase != EnrollmentPhase.Unknown && previousPhase != newPhase)
+                {
+                    var previousPhaseName = previousPhase.ToString();
+                    exitRules = new List<GatherRule>();
+
+                    foreach (var rule in _activeRules)
+                    {
+                        if (rule.Trigger != "phase_exit") continue;
+                        if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(rule.TriggerPhase)
+                            && !string.Equals(rule.TriggerPhase, previousPhaseName, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
+                            continue;
+
+                        // Scope gate before the dedup add — an out-of-scope pass must not consume
+                        // the once-per-(rule, phase) slot. IsRuleInScopeLocked still sees the old phase.
+                        if (!IsRuleInScopeLocked(rule)) continue;
+
+                        // "exit:" prefix keeps this key space disjoint from the phase_change keys.
+                        if (!_phaseRulesExecuted.Add($"exit:{rule.RuleId}|{previousPhaseName}"))
+                        {
+                            _logger.Debug($"Phase-exit rule {rule.RuleId} already executed for exit of {previousPhaseName}, skipping");
+                            continue;
+                        }
+
+                        _logger.Info($"Phase exit triggered rule {rule.RuleId} (left phase: {previousPhaseName}, now: {phaseName})");
+                        exitRules.Add(rule);
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+
+            if (exitRules != null)
+            {
+                foreach (var rule in exitRules)
+                {
+                    var exitRule = rule;
+                    ThreadPool.QueueUserWorkItem(_ => ExecuteRule(exitRule));
+                }
+            }
+
+            // Update the phase + from-phase latches so deferred startup activation and
             // the phase_change rules below all evaluate against the NEW phase.
             List<GatherRule> deferredStartup;
             lock (_scopeLock)

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core/Monitoring/Telemetry/Gather/GatherRuleGuards.cs

@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Telemetry.Gather
         public static readonly IReadOnlyList<string> AllowedFilePrefixes;
         public static readonly IReadOnlyList<string> AllowedWmiQueryPrefixes;
         public static readonly IReadOnlyCollection<string> AllowedCommands;
+        public static readonly IReadOnlyList<string> AllowedEventLogChannels;
 
         // Hard blocks: never allowed, even in unrestricted mode
         private static readonly string BlockedUsersPrefix = Path.GetFullPath(@"C:\Users");
@@ -51,6 +52,19 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Telemetry.Gather
         // Hard limit: maximum command length (even in unrestricted mode)
         private const int MaxCommandLength = 2000;
 
+        // Event log channels that are never readable, even in unrestricted mode.
+        // Security carries the audit trail of user behaviour; the PowerShell channels
+        // carry script-block logging, which routinely contains secrets in clear text.
+        // Mirrored in rules/guardrails.json ("blockedEventLogChannels") for the portal
+        // to display — enforcement lives here so a parse error cannot lift it.
+        private static readonly string[] HardBlockedEventLogChannels = new[]
+        {
+            "Security",
+            "Microsoft-Windows-PowerShell",
+            "Windows PowerShell",
+            "Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon",
+        };
+
         // Hard-blocked command patterns: never allowed, even in unrestricted mode.
         // These prevent privilege escalation, persistence, and data exfiltration.
         private static readonly string[] HardBlockedCommandPatterns = new[]
@@ -85,6 +99,8 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Telemetry.Gather
 
                     var commands = FlattenCategorized(obj, "allowedCommands", "commands");
                     AllowedCommands = new HashSet<string>(commands, StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
+
+                    AllowedEventLogChannels = FlattenCategorized(obj, "eventLogChannels", "channels");
                     return;
                 }
             }
@@ -98,6 +114,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Telemetry.Gather
             AllowedFilePrefixes = new List<string>();
             AllowedWmiQueryPrefixes = new List<string>();
             AllowedCommands = new HashSet<string>(StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
+            AllowedEventLogChannels = new List<string>();
         }
 
         private static string LoadEmbeddedGuardrails()
@@ -257,6 +274,44 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Telemetry.Gather
                 (trimmed.Length == prefix.Length || char.IsWhiteSpace(trimmed[prefix.Length])));
         }
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Returns true if the event log channel matches an allowed entry with
+        /// boundary matching (next char must be '/' or end of string), so that
+        /// "Microsoft-Windows-AAD" admits "Microsoft-Windows-AAD/Operational"
+        /// but not "Microsoft-Windows-AADSomethingElse".
+        /// </summary>
+        public static bool IsEventLogChannelAllowed(string channel)
+            => IsEventLogChannelAllowed(channel, unrestrictedMode: false);
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Returns true if the event log channel is allowed.
+        /// When unrestrictedMode is true, all channels are allowed except the
+        /// hard-blocked ones (audit trail and script-block logging).
+        /// </summary>
+        public static bool IsEventLogChannelAllowed(string channel, bool unrestrictedMode)
+        {
+            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(channel))
+                return false;
+
+            var trimmed = channel.Trim();
+
+            // Hard blocks apply even in unrestricted mode
+            foreach (var blocked in HardBlockedEventLogChannels)
+            {
+                if (MatchesChannel(trimmed, blocked))
+                    return false;
+            }
+
+            if (unrestrictedMode)
+                return true;
+
+            return AllowedEventLogChannels.Any(allowed => MatchesChannel(trimmed, allowed));
+        }
+
+        private static bool MatchesChannel(string channel, string prefix)
+            => channel.StartsWith(prefix, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase) &&
+               (channel.Length == prefix.Length || channel[prefix.Length] == '/');
+
         /// <summary>
         /// Returns true if the command (trimmed) exactly matches an entry in the allowlist.
         /// Exact matching is intentional — no prefix spoofing possible.

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core/Monitoring/Telemetry/Periodic/NetworkChangeDetector.cs

@@ -45,10 +45,10 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Telemetry.Periodic
         /// </summary>
         private static readonly (string Name, string Url)[] MdmEndpoints =
         {
-            ("Entra ID", "https://login.microsoftonline.com"),
+            ("Entra ID", Constants.EntraLoginBaseUrl),
             ("Device Registration", "https://enterpriseregistration.windows.net"),
             ("Intune Portal", "https://portal.manage.microsoft.com"),
-            ("Microsoft Graph", "https://graph.microsoft.com"),
+            ("Microsoft Graph", Constants.GraphBaseUrl),
         };
 
         public NetworkChangeDetector(

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core/Monitoring/Transport/BackendApiClient.cs

@@ -169,9 +169,16 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Transport
         /// <summary>
         /// Sends a critical error report to the emergency channel endpoint.
         /// Fire-and-forget: swallows all exceptions so a failure here never cascades.
-        /// Uses a 5-second per-request timeout so it cannot block the upload loop.
+        /// Default 5-second per-request timeout so it cannot block the upload loop; the
+        /// emergency-break path passes a longer <paramref name="timeout"/> because its first
+        /// request of a freshly booted process pays cold TLS + DNS + a possible backend
+        /// cold start (observed 503s take well over 5 s).
+        /// Returns <c>true</c> when the HTTP round-trip completed (the endpoint always
+        /// answers 200), <c>false</c> on timeout/transport failure — the caller-side
+        /// anti-flood layer uses this to decide whether the report counts as delivered.
+        /// Virtual for tests.
         /// </summary>
-        public async Task ReportAgentErrorAsync(AgentErrorReport report)
+        public virtual async Task<bool> ReportAgentErrorAsync(AgentErrorReport report, TimeSpan? timeout = null)
         {
             try
             {
@@ -190,16 +197,18 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Transport
                     httpRequest.Headers.Add("X-Tenant-Id", report.TenantId);
                     AddSecurityHeaders(httpRequest);
 
-                    using (var cts = new CancellationTokenSource(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5)))
+                    using (var cts = new CancellationTokenSource(timeout ?? TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5)))
                     using (var response = await _httpClient.SendAsync(httpRequest, cts.Token).ConfigureAwait(false))
                     {
                         // Response status is deliberately ignored — endpoint always returns 200.
+                        return true;
                     }
                 }
             }
             catch (Exception ex)
             {
                 _logger?.Debug($"ReportAgentErrorAsync: emergency channel failed: {ex.Message}");
+                return false;
             }
         }
 

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core/Monitoring/Transport/EmergencyReporter.cs

@@ -57,19 +57,33 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Transport
         /// (intended to be called as fire-and-forget via <c>_ = reporter.TrySendAsync(...)</c>).
         ///
         /// All anti-flood checks are applied synchronously before the async HTTP call,
-        /// so repeated calls are cheap when suppressed.
+        /// so repeated calls are cheap when suppressed. The anti-flood reservation is
+        /// taken up front (so concurrent same-key calls cannot double-send) but ROLLED
+        /// BACK when every attempt fails: the budget and the once-per-session dedup are
+        /// meant to count DELIVERED reports — the previous mark-before-send made the very
+        /// first transport failure permanently suppress that error key for the session
+        /// (found via the 48h emergency-break report, which is a single shot at boot).
+        ///
+        /// <paramref name="attempts"/>/<paramref name="perAttemptTimeout"/>/<paramref name="retryDelay"/>
+        /// exist for callers whose process is about to exit and cannot come back later
+        /// (emergency break): retries stay INSIDE the one reservation, so they never
+        /// multiply against the per-session budget.
         /// </summary>
         public virtual async Task TrySendAsync(
             AgentErrorType errorType,
             string message,
             int? httpStatusCode = null,
-            long? sequenceNumber = null)
+            long? sequenceNumber = null,
+            int attempts = 1,
+            TimeSpan? perAttemptTimeout = null,
+            TimeSpan? retryDelay = null)
         {
             // Deduplicate by error type + status code: same failure category sent only once per session.
             // All anti-flood checks are protected by a lock to prevent race conditions when
             // TrySendAsync is called concurrently (fire-and-forget from multiple threads).
             var key = $"{errorType}:{httpStatusCode}";
             int currentReportCount;
+            DateTime? previousLastReportTime;
 
             lock (_antiFloodLock)
             {
@@ -92,6 +106,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Transport
                     return;
                 }
 
+                previousLastReportTime = _lastReportTime;
                 _reportedKeys.Add(key);
                 _reportCount++;
                 _lastReportTime = DateTime.UtcNow;
@@ -113,15 +128,40 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Transport
                 Timestamp = DateTime.UtcNow
             };
 
+            var delivered = false;
+            var totalAttempts = attempts < 1 ? 1 : attempts;
             try
             {
-                await _apiClient.ReportAgentErrorAsync(report);
+                for (var attempt = 1; attempt <= totalAttempts && !delivered; attempt++)
+                {
+                    if (attempt > 1 && retryDelay.HasValue)
+                    {
+                        await Task.Delay(retryDelay.Value).ConfigureAwait(false);
+                    }
+
+                    delivered = await _apiClient.ReportAgentErrorAsync(report, perAttemptTimeout).ConfigureAwait(false);
+                    if (!delivered && totalAttempts > 1)
+                    {
+                        _logger?.Debug($"[EmergencyChannel] Attempt {attempt}/{totalAttempts} failed: {key}");
+                    }
+                }
             }
             catch (Exception ex)
             {
                 // Swallow — emergency channel must never cascade failures into the caller
                 _logger?.Debug($"[EmergencyChannel] Failed to send report: {ex.Message}");
             }
+
+            if (!delivered)
+            {
+                lock (_antiFloodLock)
+                {
+                    _reportedKeys.Remove(key);
+                    _reportCount--;
+                    _lastReportTime = previousLastReportTime;
+                }
+                _logger?.Debug($"[EmergencyChannel] Report not delivered — reservation rolled back: {key}");
+            }
         }
     }
 }

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core/Orchestration/DefaultComponentFactory.cs

@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Orchestration
     ///   <item><b>StallProbeHost</b> — <see cref="StallProbeCollector"/> +
     ///     <see cref="StallProbeCollectorAdapter"/>. Owns its 60-s idle-check timer (the
     ///     collector itself has no timer — it's a pure probe invoked from outside).</item>
+    ///   <item><b>EspPolicyProviderStallHost</b> — always-on 60-s wall-clock tick for the
+    ///     <c>esp_policy_provider_stalled</c> tripwire (registered EnrollmentStatusTracking CSP
+    ///     provider continuously incomplete ≥ 15 min — the no-timeout ESP wait).</item>
     /// </list>
     /// Optional peripheral hosts (driven by <see cref="CollectorConfiguration"/> toggles):
     /// <list type="bullet">
@@ -303,6 +306,20 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Orchestration
                     harmlessModernDeploymentEventIds: collectors.ModernDeploymentHarmlessEventIds));
             }
 
+            // ESP policy-provider stall tripwire — always-on kernel host (no config gate, like
+            // disk_space_low): a registered EnrollmentStatusTracking CSP provider that never
+            // completes (e.g. co-management "ConfigMgr" without "Sidecar" on a pre-provisioned
+            // device) parks the user ESP at "Apps (Identifying)" WITHOUT any OS timeout. Wall-clock
+            // dwell, deliberately outside the StallProbe gate: the idle clock there resets on any
+            // session activity, and the stall must accrue regardless of it.
+            hosts.Add(new EspPolicyProviderStallHost(
+                sessionId: sessionId,
+                tenantId: tenantId,
+                logger: logger,
+                ingress: ingress,
+                clock: clock,
+                startupGate: _startupEventGate));
+
             // Deterministic update corroboration — compares the persisted OS build (CurrentBuild.UBR)
             // across agent restarts and emits os_build_changed when it differs (session 7443317c:
             // build jump proved an OOBE quality update the WU channel never showed). Must be added

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core/Orchestration/EnrollmentOrchestrator.cs

@@ -86,6 +86,11 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Orchestration
         // Production always passes null → Start() creates the real DeadlineScheduler.
         private readonly IDeadlineScheduler? _schedulerOverride;
 
+        // Live accessor for TenantConfiguration.SendTraceEvents — read per event by the
+        // TelemetryEventEmitter so a mid-session remote-config merge takes effect. Null
+        // (tests / legacy callers) means trace events always flow.
+        private readonly Func<bool>? _traceEventsEnabled;
+
         // Max-lifetime watchdog (M4.6.α). Timer is armed in Start() when _agentMaxLifetime != null.
         private System.Threading.Timer? _maxLifetimeTimer;
         private int _terminatedFired;
@@ -166,7 +171,8 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Orchestration
             TimeSpan? terminalDrainTimeout = null,
             TimeSpan? agentMaxLifetime = null,
             int uploadBatchSize = 100,
-            IDeadlineScheduler? schedulerOverride = null)
+            IDeadlineScheduler? schedulerOverride = null,
+            Func<bool>? traceEventsEnabled = null)
         {
             if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(sessionId)) throw new ArgumentException("SessionId is mandatory.", nameof(sessionId));
             if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(tenantId)) throw new ArgumentException("TenantId is mandatory.", nameof(tenantId));
@@ -206,6 +212,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Orchestration
             _uploadBatchSize = uploadBatchSize;
 
             _schedulerOverride = schedulerOverride;
+            _traceEventsEnabled = traceEventsEnabled;
         }
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -402,7 +409,8 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Orchestration
             //    strukturelle Abhängigkeit erlischt damit, Architektur-Baseline-Test gate
             //    shrinks to exactly two permitted callers.
             _eventSequenceCounter = new EventSequenceCounter(_eventSequencePersistence);
-            var eventEmitter = new TelemetryEventEmitter(_transport, _eventSequenceCounter, _sessionId, _tenantId);
+            var eventEmitter = new TelemetryEventEmitter(
+                _transport, _eventSequenceCounter, _sessionId, _tenantId, _traceEventsEnabled);
             _signalEmitter = new TelemetrySignalEmitter(_transport, _sessionId, _tenantId);
             _transitionEmitter = new TelemetryTransitionEmitter(_transport, _sessionId, _tenantId);
             _timelineEmitter = new EventTimelineEmitter(eventEmitter);

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core/Orchestration/Hosts/EspPolicyProviderStallHost.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+#nullable enable
+using System;
+using System.Threading;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Logging;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Persistence;
+using AutopilotMonitor.DecisionCore.Engine;
+using AutopilotMonitor.DecisionCore.Signals;
+
+namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Orchestration
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Drives the <see cref="EspPolicyProviderStallDetector"/> from a 60-s wall-clock tick.
+    /// Deliberately NOT idle-coupled (a policy-provider stall coexists with a chatty session —
+    /// <see cref="StallProbeHost"/>'s idle clock would keep resetting) and NOT idle-stopped
+    /// (<see cref="PeriodicCollectorLifecycleHost"/> would sleep through exactly the dormant
+    /// window the dwell must observe). Always-on kernel host, no config gate — precedent:
+    /// the <c>disk_space_low</c> tripwire.
+    /// <para>
+    /// First tick fires after 60 s, not at Start: the EnrollmentStatusTracking key legitimately
+    /// doesn't exist at agent start, and nothing can be 15 min stale at t=0.
+    /// </para>
+    /// </summary>
+    internal sealed class EspPolicyProviderStallHost : ICollectorHost
+    {
+        public string Name => "EspPolicyProviderStallDetector";
+
+        private static readonly TimeSpan PollInterval = TimeSpan.FromSeconds(60);
+
+        private readonly EspPolicyProviderStallDetector _detector;
+        private readonly AgentLogger _logger;
+        private Timer? _tickTimer;
+        private int _disposed;
+
+        public EspPolicyProviderStallHost(
+            string sessionId,
+            string tenantId,
+            AgentLogger logger,
+            ISignalIngressSink ingress,
+            IClock clock,
+            StartupEventGate? startupGate)
+        {
+            if (ingress == null) throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(ingress));
+            if (clock == null) throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(clock));
+            _logger = logger;
+            var post = new InformationalEventPost(ingress, clock);
+            _detector = new EspPolicyProviderStallDetector(
+                sessionId: sessionId,
+                tenantId: tenantId,
+                post: post,
+                logger: logger,
+                clock: clock,
+                startupGate: startupGate);
+        }
+
+        public void Start()
+        {
+            _tickTimer = new Timer(
+                _ => SafeTick(),
+                state: null,
+                dueTime: PollInterval,
+                period: PollInterval);
+            _logger.Info($"EspPolicyProviderStallHost: started (tick every {PollInterval.TotalSeconds}s).");
+        }
+
+        public void Stop()
+        {
+            try
+            {
+                _tickTimer?.Dispose();
+                _tickTimer = null;
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex) { _logger.Warning($"EspPolicyProviderStallHost: timer dispose failed: {ex.Message}"); }
+        }
+
+        public void Dispose()
+        {
+            if (Interlocked.Exchange(ref _disposed, 1) == 1) return;
+            Stop();
+        }
+
+        private void SafeTick()
+        {
+            try
+            {
+                _detector.Tick();
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex)
+            {
+                _logger.Error("EspPolicyProviderStallHost: tick failed.", ex);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core/SignalAdapters/EspAndHelloTrackerAdapter.cs

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #nullable enable
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Globalization;
 using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.SystemSignals;
 using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Orchestration;
 using AutopilotMonitor.DecisionCore.Engine;
@@ -267,6 +268,14 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.SignalAdapters
                 payload["failedSubcategory"] = failedSubcategory!;
             if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(category))
                 payload["category"] = category!;
+            // Session 4910a5a5: culprit-app names ride the signal so the DecisionEngine's
+            // esp_failure_advisory / enrollment_failed events can name them directly.
+            var culprits = args?.LikelyCulpritApps;
+            if (culprits != null && culprits.Count > 0)
+            {
+                payload["likelyCulpritApps"] = string.Join(", ", culprits);
+                payload["likelyCulpritAppCount"] = culprits.Count.ToString(CultureInfo.InvariantCulture);
+            }
 
             _ingress.Post(
                 kind: DecisionSignalKind.EspTerminalFailure,

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core/SignalAdapters/RealmJoinWatcherAdapter.cs

@@ -137,7 +137,24 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.SignalAdapters
 
         private void OnPhaseChanged(object? sender, RealmJoinPhaseChangedEventArgs e)
         {
-            // Phase change is observability-only: no DecisionSignalKind, just a timeline event.
+            // Dual-emission like OnDetected/OnResolved: (1) the typed signal persists the phase
+            // into RealmJoinFacts.LastDeploymentPhase (restart-safe) and lets the reducer detect
+            // the aborted-RJ-ESP shape (phase left 100/101 for 200/210 without 110 — session
+            // 224b2087); (2) the InformationalEvent keeps the existing timeline entry.
+            var payload = new Dictionary<string, string>(StringComparer.Ordinal)
+            {
+                [DecisionEngine.RealmJoinPayloadKeys.DeploymentPhase] = e.CurrentPhase.ToString(),
+                [DecisionEngine.RealmJoinPayloadKeys.PreviousPhase] = e.PreviousPhase.ToString(),
+            };
+            _ingress.Post(
+                kind: DecisionSignalKind.RealmJoinPhaseChanged,
+                occurredAtUtc: _clock.UtcNow,
+                sourceOrigin: SourceLabel,
+                evidence: BuildEvidence(
+                    "realmjoin-phase-changed-v1",
+                    $"RealmJoin DeploymentPhase {e.PreviousPhase} -> {e.CurrentPhase}"),
+                payload: payload);
+
             // Both raw int (deploymentPhase / previousPhase) and human-readable name
             // (deploymentPhaseName / previousPhaseName) flow through — int stays for downstream
             // filters / KQL, name fields make the message + UI rows readable without a lookup.

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core/Telemetry/Events/TelemetryEventEmitter.cs

@@ -30,12 +30,14 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Telemetry.Events
         private readonly string _sessionId;
         private readonly string _tenantId;
         private readonly string _partitionKey;
+        private readonly Func<bool>? _traceEventsEnabled;
 
         public TelemetryEventEmitter(
             ITelemetryTransport transport,
             EventSequenceCounter sequenceCounter,
             string sessionId,
-            string tenantId)
+            string tenantId,
+            Func<bool>? traceEventsEnabled = null)
         {
             if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(sessionId)) throw new ArgumentException("SessionId is mandatory.", nameof(sessionId));
             if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(tenantId)) throw new ArgumentException("TenantId is mandatory.", nameof(tenantId));
@@ -44,13 +46,18 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Telemetry.Events
             _sessionId = sessionId;
             _tenantId = tenantId;
             _partitionKey = $"{tenantId}_{sessionId}";
+            _traceEventsEnabled = traceEventsEnabled;
         }
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Weist Sequence zu, serialisiert im Legacy-Wire-Format und enqueued via Transport.
         /// Thread-safe (EventSequenceCounter + ITelemetryTransport.Enqueue beide unter Lock).
+        /// <para>
+        /// Returns <c>null</c> when the event was suppressed by the trace-event gate — the
+        /// only drop path. Both permitted callers ignore the return value.
+        /// </para>
         /// </summary>
-        internal TelemetryItem Emit(EnrollmentEvent evt)
+        internal TelemetryItem? Emit(EnrollmentEvent evt)
         {
             if (evt == null) throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(evt));
             if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(evt.EventType))
@@ -58,6 +65,16 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Telemetry.Events
                 throw new ArgumentException("EnrollmentEvent.EventType is mandatory.", nameof(evt));
             }
 
+            // Trace-event gate (TenantConfiguration.SendTraceEvents, default on). Dropped
+            // before the sequence counter advances, so suppression leaves no gaps in the
+            // per-session sequence and the timeline stays contiguous. Evaluated per event
+            // rather than captured at construction: remote config is merged into the live
+            // AgentConfiguration mid-session, and the gate must follow it.
+            if (evt.Severity == EventSeverity.Trace && !TraceEventsEnabled())
+            {
+                return null;
+            }
+
             evt.Sequence = _sequenceCounter.Next();
             if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(evt.SessionId)) evt.SessionId = _sessionId;
             if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(evt.TenantId)) evt.TenantId = _tenantId;
@@ -77,5 +94,23 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Telemetry.Events
 
             return _transport.Enqueue(draft);
         }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Fail-open: no gate wired (legacy ctor / tests) or a throwing accessor means trace
+        /// events flow. The gate suppresses diagnostics, so a broken accessor must not be able
+        /// to silently blind the timeline.
+        /// </summary>
+        private bool TraceEventsEnabled()
+        {
+            if (_traceEventsEnabled == null) return true;
+            try
+            {
+                return _traceEventsEnabled();
+            }
+            catch
+            {
+                return true;
+            }
+        }
     }
 }

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core/Termination/EnrollmentTerminationHandler.cs

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ using System.Threading.Tasks;
 using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Configuration;
 using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Logging;
 using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Enrollment.Ime;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Interop;
 using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Runtime;
 using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Orchestration;
 using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Runtime;
@@ -93,6 +94,9 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Termination
         // correction between agent start and termination no longer skews bootToStartSeconds.
         private readonly ulong _bootAnchorTickMs;
         private readonly DateTime _bootAnchorUtc;
+        // WinRT OOBE state at construction (handler is built at agent start) — corroborates
+        // the late-start heuristic: "completed" here means OOBE was already over on arrival.
+        private readonly string _oobeStateAtAgentStart;
         private int _handled;
 
         public EnrollmentTerminationHandler(
@@ -129,6 +133,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Termination
 
             _bootAnchorTickMs = ObservationCoverage.CurrentTickMs();
             _bootAnchorUtc = DateTime.UtcNow;
+            _oobeStateAtAgentStart = OobeStateReader.Read();
         }
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -658,6 +663,7 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Termination
                         { "agentUptimeSeconds", Math.Round(uptimeSeconds, 1) },
                         { "deviceBootUtc", deviceBootUtc.ToString("o") },
                         { "agentStartUtc", _agentStartTimeUtc.ToString("o") },
+                        { "oobeStateAtAgentStart", _oobeStateAtAgentStart },
                         { "outcome", args.Outcome.ToString() },
                         { "note", "The agent's bootstrap (an Intune platform script) ran only near the end of the enrollment, so the agent observed the already-decided end-state rather than the failure window. Treat the diagnosis as a post-mortem; check for a platform/remediation script that hung ahead of the bootstrap (see script_timeout_suspected)." },
                     },

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2/Runtime/AgentRuntimeHost.cs

@@ -132,7 +132,10 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Runtime
                 whiteGloveSealingPatternIds: whiteGloveSealingPatternIds,
                 drainInterval: drainInterval,
                 agentMaxLifetime: agentMaxLifetime,
-                uploadBatchSize: uploadBatchSize))
+                uploadBatchSize: uploadBatchSize,
+                // Live read: remote config is merged into agentConfig mid-session, so the
+                // trace-event gate must follow it rather than snapshot at construction.
+                traceEventsEnabled: () => agentConfig.SendTraceEvents))
             {
                 using (var shutdown = new ManualResetEventSlim(false))
                 using (var shutdownComplete = new ManualResetEventSlim(false))

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2/Runtime/EmergencyBreakReporter.cs

@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 using System;
+using System.Net.NetworkInformation;
+using System.Threading;
 using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Configuration;
 using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Logging;
 using AutopilotMonitor.Shared.Models;
@@ -15,28 +17,78 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Runtime
     /// classifier terminalize the session instead of waiting out the grace. Fully swallowed — a send
     /// failure (no network, no cert) must never delay the cleanup/exit the break exists to perform.
     /// See tasks/enrollment-status-reclassification.md.
+    /// <para>
+    /// Delivery hardening (2026-07-23): this is the FIRST request of a freshly booted process and
+    /// the process never comes back — a miss is gone forever. The old single shot with a 5 s cap
+    /// died on boot-time realities (NIC still associating, cold TLS/DNS, backend cold starts
+    /// observed as &gt;5 s 503s). Now: wait briefly for the NIC, then up to
+    /// <see cref="SendAttempts"/> attempts with a per-attempt timeout that survives a Functions
+    /// cold start. The session is 48 h dead — spending up to ~75 s here is irrelevant, losing the
+    /// only signal that the agent gave up is not.
+    /// </para>
     /// </summary>
     internal static class EmergencyBreakReporter
     {
+        private static readonly TimeSpan NetworkWaitMax = TimeSpan.FromSeconds(15);
+        private const int SendAttempts = 3;
+        private static readonly TimeSpan PerAttemptTimeout = TimeSpan.FromSeconds(15);
+        private static readonly TimeSpan RetryDelay = TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5);
+        // Upper bound for the blocking wait: NIC wait + 3×15s attempts + 2×5s delays + slack.
+        private static readonly TimeSpan OverallBudget = TimeSpan.FromSeconds(75);
+
         public static void TrySend(AgentConfiguration agentConfig, string agentVersion, AgentLogger logger)
         {
             try
             {
+                WaitForNetwork(logger);
+
                 var auth = BackendClientFactory.BuildAuthClients(agentConfig, agentVersion, logger);
                 var message =
                     $"Agent absolute session-age emergency break fired (cap {agentConfig.AbsoluteMaxSessionHours}h) — cleaning up and exiting.";
 
-                // The process is about to exit, so block briefly on the otherwise fire-and-forget send
-                // rather than let it be abandoned mid-flight. TrySendAsync swallows its own HTTP errors;
-                // the auth bundle's HttpClients are intentionally left for process teardown.
+                // The process is about to exit, so block on the otherwise fire-and-forget send
+                // rather than let it be abandoned mid-flight. TrySendAsync swallows its own HTTP
+                // errors and keeps the retries inside one anti-flood reservation; the auth
+                // bundle's HttpClients are intentionally left for process teardown.
                 auth.EmergencyReporter
-                    .TrySendAsync(AgentErrorType.SessionAgeEmergencyBreak, message)
-                    .Wait(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(5));
+                    .TrySendAsync(
+                        AgentErrorType.SessionAgeEmergencyBreak,
+                        message,
+                        attempts: SendAttempts,
+                        perAttemptTimeout: PerAttemptTimeout,
+                        retryDelay: RetryDelay)
+                    .Wait(OverallBudget);
             }
             catch (Exception ex)
             {
                 logger?.Debug($"Emergency-break report send failed (best-effort): {ex.Message}");
             }
         }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Boot-time NIC grace: the break fires during bootstrap, often seconds after boot while
+        /// Wi-Fi is still associating. Polls the cheap link-level signal — it cannot prove backend
+        /// reachability (the send attempts handle that), it only avoids burning the first attempts
+        /// into a known-dead link. Best-effort: probe errors abort the wait, never the send.
+        /// </summary>
+        private static void WaitForNetwork(AgentLogger logger)
+        {
+            try
+            {
+                if (NetworkInterface.GetIsNetworkAvailable()) return;
+
+                logger?.Info($"Emergency-break report: no network link yet — waiting up to {NetworkWaitMax.TotalSeconds:F0}s.");
+                var deadline = DateTime.UtcNow + NetworkWaitMax;
+                while (DateTime.UtcNow < deadline)
+                {
+                    Thread.Sleep(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(1));
+                    if (NetworkInterface.GetIsNetworkAvailable()) return;
+                }
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex)
+            {
+                logger?.Debug($"Emergency-break report: network probe failed ({ex.Message}) — sending anyway.");
+            }
+        }
     }
 }

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2/Runtime/LifecycleEmitters.cs

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Configuration;
 using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Logging;
+using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Interop;
 using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Monitoring.Runtime;
 using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Orchestration;
 using AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Core.Security;
@@ -68,6 +69,10 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.Agent.V2.Runtime
                     { "configVersion", configVersion },
                     { "remoteConfigFetched", outcome == RemoteConfigFetchOutcome.Succeeded },
                     { "remoteConfigOutcome", outcome.ToString() },
+                    // WinRT OOBE state sampled at this start. Together with previousExitType
+                    // this makes late starts provable: "completed" on a first_run means OOBE
+                    // was already over when the agent arrived (e.g. IME queue blocked).
+                    { "oobeStateAtAgentStart", OobeStateReader.Read() },
                 };
 
                 if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(previousExit?.CrashExceptionType))

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.DecisionCore.Tests/AdvisoryRecoveryTests.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,382 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Linq;
+using AutopilotMonitor.DecisionCore.Engine;
+using AutopilotMonitor.DecisionCore.Serialization;
+using AutopilotMonitor.DecisionCore.Signals;
+using AutopilotMonitor.DecisionCore.State;
+using Xunit;
+
+namespace AutopilotMonitor.DecisionCore.Tests
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Session 4910a5a5 (2026-07-23) — advisory recovery. Field failure: DeviceSetup/Apps
+    /// failed (culprit app never started installing), the advisory defang armed the
+    /// <c>advisory_completion</c> window, the user pressed "Try again" ~23 min later, the apps
+    /// re-ran to 10/10 and <c>DeviceSetupProvisioningComplete</c> arrived — yet the window
+    /// fired 30 min after the advisory and un-defanged the stale failure
+    /// (<c>enrollment_failed: esp_terminal_failure</c>) on a live enrollment mid-AccountSetup,
+    /// because the advisory variant was exempt from ALL re-arm/rebase guards. Coverage:
+    /// <list type="bullet">
+    ///   <item>The advisory records the failed category + culprit apps.</item>
+    ///   <item>A ProvisioningComplete of the SAME category sets the resolved fact + emits
+    ///         <c>esp_failure_advisory_resolved</c>; a different category does not.</item>
+    ///   <item>Deadline fire after recovery + enforcement progress → re-arm, not Failed.</item>
+    ///   <item>Deadline fire after recovery without progress → Failed with the truthful
+    ///         <c>esp_recovered_without_completion_evidence</c> reason and
+    ///         LastFailureTrigger=DeadlineFired (likely-stuck promotion off).</item>
+    ///   <item>Unrecovered advisory keeps the legacy un-defang exactly (regression guard).</item>
+    ///   <item>Reboot re-bases a recovered-advisory window (and still does NOT touch an
+    ///         unrecovered one).</item>
+    ///   <item>Snapshot round-trip + census surfacing of the new facts.</item>
+    /// </list>
+    /// </summary>
+    public sealed class AdvisoryRecoveryTests
+    {
+        private static readonly DateTime T0 = new DateTime(2026, 7, 23, 3, 30, 0, DateTimeKind.Utc);
+
+        private static DecisionSignal MakeSignal(
+            long ordinal,
+            DecisionSignalKind kind,
+            DateTime occurredAtUtc,
+            IReadOnlyDictionary<string, string>? payload = null)
+        {
+            return new DecisionSignal(
+                sessionSignalOrdinal: ordinal,
+                sessionTraceOrdinal: ordinal,
+                kind: kind,
+                kindSchemaVersion: 1,
+                occurredAtUtc: occurredAtUtc,
+                sourceOrigin: "test",
+                evidence: new Evidence(EvidenceKind.Synthetic, $"{kind}-{ordinal}", "test"),
+                payload: payload);
+        }
+
+        private static DecisionSignal DeadlineFired(long ordinal, DateTime occurredAtUtc) =>
+            MakeSignal(ordinal, DecisionSignalKind.DeadlineFired, occurredAtUtc,
+                new Dictionary<string, string> { [SignalPayloadKeys.Deadline] = DeadlineNames.AdvisoryCompletion });
+
+        private static DecisionEffect? FindTimelineEffect(DecisionStep step, string eventType) =>
+            step.Effects.FirstOrDefault(e =>
+                e.Kind == DecisionEffectKind.EmitEventTimelineEntry
+                && e.Parameters != null
+                && e.Parameters.TryGetValue("eventType", out var et)
+                && et == eventType);
+
+        private static ActiveDeadline? FindDeadline(DecisionState state, string name) =>
+            state.Deadlines.FirstOrDefault(d => d.Name == name);
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Replays the session-4910a5a5 shape up to (but excluding) the ESP terminal failure:
+        /// Classic UserDriven, ContinueAnyway profile, Hello disabled, DeviceSetup entered,
+        /// AccountSetup entered (04:18, BEFORE the 04:34 DeviceSetup/Apps failure — the IME
+        /// phase line landed while device apps were still at 9/10).
+        /// </summary>
+        private static DecisionState SetupSession(DecisionEngine engine)
+        {
+            var state = DecisionState.CreateInitial("sess-4910a5a5", "tenant-e46bc88e", T0);
+            state = engine.Reduce(state, MakeSignal(0, DecisionSignalKind.SessionStarted, T0)).NewState;
+            state = engine.Reduce(state, MakeSignal(
+                5, DecisionSignalKind.EspConfigDetected, T0.AddMinutes(1),
+                new Dictionary<string, string>
+                {
+                    [SignalPayloadKeys.SkipUserEsp] = "false",
+                    [SignalPayloadKeys.SkipDeviceEsp] = "false",
+                    [SignalPayloadKeys.EspSyncFailureTimeoutMinutes] = "60",
+                    [SignalPayloadKeys.EspAllowContinueAnyway] = "true",
+                })).NewState;
+            state = engine.Reduce(state, MakeSignal(
+                8, DecisionSignalKind.HelloPolicyDetected, T0.AddMinutes(2),
+                new Dictionary<string, string> { [SignalPayloadKeys.HelloEnabled] = "false" })).NewState;
+            state = engine.Reduce(state, MakeSignal(
+                10, DecisionSignalKind.EspPhaseChanged, T0.AddMinutes(6),
+                new Dictionary<string, string> { [SignalPayloadKeys.EspPhase] = "DeviceSetup" })).NewState;
+            state = engine.Reduce(state, MakeSignal(
+                20, DecisionSignalKind.EspPhaseChanged, T0.AddMinutes(48),
+                new Dictionary<string, string> { [SignalPayloadKeys.EspPhase] = "AccountSetup" })).NewState;
+            return state;
+        }
+
+        private static DecisionStep ApplyDeviceSetupAppsFailure(DecisionEngine engine, DecisionState state, long ordinal = 50) =>
+            engine.Reduce(state, MakeSignal(
+                ordinal, DecisionSignalKind.EspTerminalFailure, T0.AddMinutes(64),
+                new Dictionary<string, string>
+                {
+                    ["failureType"] = "Provisioning_DeviceSetup_Apps_Failed",
+                    ["failedSubcategory"] = "Apps",
+                    ["category"] = "DeviceSetup",
+                    ["likelyCulpritApps"] = "Oriflame Cosmectics - Teams Backgroundsv v2",
+                    ["likelyCulpritAppCount"] = "1",
+                }));
+
+        private static DecisionStep ApplyDeviceSetupResolved(DecisionEngine engine, DecisionState state, long ordinal = 60) =>
+            engine.Reduce(state, MakeSignal(
+                ordinal, DecisionSignalKind.DeviceSetupProvisioningComplete, T0.AddMinutes(87)));
+
+        // ================================================== advisory arming context ====
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Advisory_RecordsFailedCategory_AndCulpritApps()
+        {
+            var engine = new DecisionEngine();
+            var state = SetupSession(engine);
+
+            var step = ApplyDeviceSetupAppsFailure(engine, state);
+
+            Assert.NotNull(step.NewState.EspAdvisoryFailureRecordedUtc);
+            Assert.Equal("DeviceSetup", step.NewState.EspAdvisoryFailureCategory?.Value);
+            Assert.Null(step.NewState.EspAdvisoryFailureResolvedUtc);
+
+            var advisory = FindTimelineEffect(step, "esp_failure_advisory");
+            Assert.NotNull(advisory);
+            Assert.Equal("Oriflame Cosmectics - Teams Backgroundsv v2", advisory!.Parameters!["likelyCulpritApps"]);
+        }
+
+        // ===================================================== recovery hook ====
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void DeviceSetupComplete_SameCategory_ResolvesAdvisory_AndEmitsStoryEvent()
+        {
+            var engine = new DecisionEngine();
+            var state = SetupSession(engine);
+            state = ApplyDeviceSetupAppsFailure(engine, state).NewState;
+
+            var step = ApplyDeviceSetupResolved(engine, state);
+
+            Assert.NotNull(step.NewState.EspAdvisoryFailureResolvedUtc);
+            Assert.Equal(60, step.NewState.EspAdvisoryFailureResolvedUtc!.SourceSignalOrdinal);
+            // The anchor itself stays — the advisory happened; it just no longer blocks.
+            Assert.NotNull(step.NewState.EspAdvisoryFailureRecordedUtc);
+
+            var resolved = FindTimelineEffect(step, "esp_failure_advisory_resolved");
+            Assert.NotNull(resolved);
+            Assert.Equal("DeviceSetup", resolved!.Parameters!["category"]);
+            Assert.Equal("23", resolved.Parameters["minutesSinceAdvisory"]);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void DeviceSetupComplete_DifferentCategory_DoesNotResolve()
+        {
+            var engine = new DecisionEngine();
+            var state = SetupSession(engine);
+            // Advisory for AccountSetup — DeviceSetup resolving must not defuse it.
+            state = engine.Reduce(state, MakeSignal(
+                50, DecisionSignalKind.EspTerminalFailure, T0.AddMinutes(64),
+                new Dictionary<string, string>
+                {
+                    ["failureType"] = "Provisioning_AccountSetup_Apps_Failed",
+                    ["failedSubcategory"] = "Apps",
+                    ["category"] = "AccountSetup",
+                })).NewState;
+
+            var step = ApplyDeviceSetupResolved(engine, state);
+
+            Assert.Null(step.NewState.EspAdvisoryFailureResolvedUtc);
+            Assert.Null(FindTimelineEffect(step, "esp_failure_advisory_resolved"));
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void DeviceSetupComplete_Duplicate_ResolvesOnlyOnce()
+        {
+            var engine = new DecisionEngine();
+            var state = SetupSession(engine);
+            state = ApplyDeviceSetupAppsFailure(engine, state).NewState;
+            state = ApplyDeviceSetupResolved(engine, state).NewState;
+
+            // Post-reboot duplicate (AnchorAlreadySet passthrough branch).
+            var duplicate = engine.Reduce(state, MakeSignal(
+                65, DecisionSignalKind.DeviceSetupProvisioningComplete, T0.AddMinutes(92)));
+
+            Assert.Equal(60, duplicate.NewState.EspAdvisoryFailureResolvedUtc!.SourceSignalOrdinal);
+            Assert.Null(FindTimelineEffect(duplicate, "esp_failure_advisory_resolved"));
+        }
+
+        // ================================================ deadline fire semantics ====
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void DeadlineFire_AfterRecovery_WithEnforcementProgress_ReArmsInsteadOfFailing()
+        {
+            var engine = new DecisionEngine();
+            var state = SetupSession(engine);
+            state = ApplyDeviceSetupAppsFailure(engine, state).NewState;
+            state = ApplyDeviceSetupResolved(engine, state).NewState;
+            // Post-reboot IME re-assert of AccountSetup (session shape: 05:02:59, ordinal 654)
+            // — user-phase enforcement demonstrably progressed since the arming at ordinal 50.
+            state = engine.Reduce(state, MakeSignal(
+                70, DecisionSignalKind.EspPhaseChanged, T0.AddMinutes(92),
+                new Dictionary<string, string> { [SignalPayloadKeys.EspPhase] = "AccountSetup" })).NewState;
+
+            var step = engine.Reduce(state, DeadlineFired(80, T0.AddMinutes(94)));
+
+            // Not failed — the window re-arms with fresh baselines instead.
+            Assert.Null(step.NewState.Outcome);
+            Assert.NotEqual(SessionStage.Failed, step.NewState.Stage);
+            var rearmed = FindDeadline(step.NewState, DeadlineNames.AdvisoryCompletion);
+            Assert.NotNull(rearmed);
+            Assert.Equal(T0.AddMinutes(94).AddMinutes(30), rearmed!.DueAtUtc);
+            Assert.Contains(step.Effects, e => e.Kind == DecisionEffectKind.ScheduleDeadline);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void DeadlineFire_AfterRecovery_NoProgress_FailsWithRecoveredReason()
+        {
+            var engine = new DecisionEngine();
+            var state = SetupSession(engine);
+            state = ApplyDeviceSetupAppsFailure(engine, state).NewState;
+            state = ApplyDeviceSetupResolved(engine, state).NewState;
+
+            var step = engine.Reduce(state, DeadlineFired(80, T0.AddMinutes(94)));
+
+            Assert.Equal(SessionStage.Failed, step.NewState.Stage);
+            Assert.Equal(SessionOutcome.EnrollmentFailed, step.NewState.Outcome);
+
+            var failed = FindTimelineEffect(step, "enrollment_failed");
+            Assert.NotNull(failed);
+            // Truthful reason: the original failure recovered — do not blame it.
+            Assert.Equal("esp_recovered_without_completion_evidence", failed!.Parameters!["reason"]);
+            Assert.Equal("true", failed.Parameters["failureRecovered"]);
+            Assert.Equal("advisory_recovered_window_expired_without_completion_evidence", failed.Parameters["advisoryReason"]);
+            // Likely-stuck app promotion stays off: apps are not stuck, they succeeded.
+            Assert.Equal(nameof(DecisionSignalKind.DeadlineFired), step.NewState.LastFailureTrigger?.Value);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void DeadlineFire_WithoutRecovery_KeepsLegacyUndefang()
+        {
+            var engine = new DecisionEngine();
+            var state = SetupSession(engine);
+            state = ApplyDeviceSetupAppsFailure(engine, state).NewState;
+            // No recovery — even with enforcement progress the advisory variant must
+            // un-defang exactly as before (its anchor failure never un-happened).
+            state = engine.Reduce(state, MakeSignal(
+                70, DecisionSignalKind.EspPhaseChanged, T0.AddMinutes(92),
+                new Dictionary<string, string> { [SignalPayloadKeys.EspPhase] = "AccountSetup" })).NewState;
+
+            var step = engine.Reduce(state, DeadlineFired(80, T0.AddMinutes(94)));
+
+            Assert.Equal(SessionStage.Failed, step.NewState.Stage);
+            var failed = FindTimelineEffect(step, "enrollment_failed");
+            Assert.NotNull(failed);
+            Assert.Equal("esp_terminal_failure", failed!.Parameters!["reason"]);
+            Assert.Equal(nameof(DecisionSignalKind.EspTerminalFailure), step.NewState.LastFailureTrigger?.Value);
+        }
+
+        // ======================================================= reboot rebase ====
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Reboot_AfterRecovery_RebasesAdvisoryWindow()
+        {
+            var engine = new DecisionEngine();
+            var state = SetupSession(engine);
+            state = ApplyDeviceSetupAppsFailure(engine, state).NewState;
+            state = ApplyDeviceSetupResolved(engine, state).NewState;
+
+            var step = engine.Reduce(state, MakeSignal(
+                70, DecisionSignalKind.SystemRebootObserved, T0.AddMinutes(92)));
+
+            Assert.Contains(step.Effects, e =>
+                e.Kind == DecisionEffectKind.CancelDeadline
+                && e.CancelDeadlineName == DeadlineNames.AdvisoryCompletion);
+            var rebased = FindDeadline(step.NewState, DeadlineNames.AdvisoryCompletion);
+            Assert.NotNull(rebased);
+            Assert.Equal(T0.AddMinutes(92).AddMinutes(30), rebased!.DueAtUtc);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Reboot_WithoutRecovery_DoesNotTouchAdvisoryWindow()
+        {
+            var engine = new DecisionEngine();
+            var state = SetupSession(engine);
+            state = ApplyDeviceSetupAppsFailure(engine, state).NewState;
+            var originalDue = FindDeadline(state, DeadlineNames.AdvisoryCompletion)!.DueAtUtc;
+
+            var step = engine.Reduce(state, MakeSignal(
+                70, DecisionSignalKind.SystemRebootObserved, T0.AddMinutes(92)));
+
+            Assert.DoesNotContain(step.Effects, e => e.Kind == DecisionEffectKind.CancelDeadline);
+            Assert.Equal(originalDue, FindDeadline(step.NewState, DeadlineNames.AdvisoryCompletion)!.DueAtUtc);
+        }
+
+        // ============================================== full session-4910a5a5 replay ====
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Session4910a5a5_FailureRecoveryRebootFire_DoesNotFailTheLiveEnrollment()
+        {
+            // Field ordinals: 527 EspTerminalFailure → 611 DeviceSetupProvisioningComplete
+            // (post "Try again", apps 10/10) → 635 SystemRebootObserved → 654 AccountSetup
+            // re-assert → 671 DeadlineFired. Pre-fix outcome: enrollment_failed at the fire.
+            var engine = new DecisionEngine();
+            var state = SetupSession(engine);
+            state = ApplyDeviceSetupAppsFailure(engine, state, ordinal: 527).NewState;
+            state = ApplyDeviceSetupResolved(engine, state, ordinal: 611).NewState;
+            state = engine.Reduce(state, MakeSignal(
+                635, DecisionSignalKind.SystemRebootObserved, T0.AddMinutes(92))).NewState;
+            state = engine.Reduce(state, MakeSignal(
+                654, DecisionSignalKind.EspPhaseChanged, T0.AddMinutes(93),
+                new Dictionary<string, string> { [SignalPayloadKeys.EspPhase] = "AccountSetup" })).NewState;
+
+            var step = engine.Reduce(state, DeadlineFired(671, T0.AddMinutes(94)));
+
+            Assert.Null(step.NewState.Outcome);
+            Assert.NotEqual(SessionStage.Failed, step.NewState.Stage);
+            Assert.NotNull(FindDeadline(step.NewState, DeadlineNames.AdvisoryCompletion));
+        }
+
+        // =============================================== serialization + census ====
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void SnapshotRoundTrip_PreservesRecoveryFacts()
+        {
+            var engine = new DecisionEngine();
+            var state = SetupSession(engine);
+            state = ApplyDeviceSetupAppsFailure(engine, state).NewState;
+            state = ApplyDeviceSetupResolved(engine, state).NewState;
+
+            var roundtripped = StateSerializer.Deserialize(StateSerializer.Serialize(state));
+
+            Assert.Equal("DeviceSetup", roundtripped.EspAdvisoryFailureCategory?.Value);
+            Assert.Equal(state.EspAdvisoryFailureResolvedUtc!.Value, roundtripped.EspAdvisoryFailureResolvedUtc?.Value);
+            Assert.Equal(state.EspAdvisoryFailureResolvedUtc.SourceSignalOrdinal, roundtripped.EspAdvisoryFailureResolvedUtc?.SourceSignalOrdinal);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void LegacySnapshot_WithoutRecoveryFacts_DeserializesToNull()
+        {
+            // Simulate a snapshot written by a pre-fix agent: strip the new properties from
+            // the JSON entirely — deserialization must default them to null (additive compat).
+            var engine = new DecisionEngine();
+            var state = SetupSession(engine);
+            state = ApplyDeviceSetupAppsFailure(engine, state).NewState;
+            state = ApplyDeviceSetupResolved(engine, state).NewState;
+
+            var legacy = Newtonsoft.Json.Linq.JObject.Parse(StateSerializer.Serialize(state));
+            foreach (var prop in legacy.Properties()
+                .Where(p => p.Name.IndexOf("EspAdvisoryFailureResolved", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase) >= 0
+                         || p.Name.IndexOf("EspAdvisoryFailureCategory", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase) >= 0)
+                .ToList())
+            {
+                prop.Remove();
+            }
+
+            var roundtripped = StateSerializer.Deserialize(legacy.ToString());
+            Assert.Null(roundtripped.EspAdvisoryFailureResolvedUtc);
+            Assert.Null(roundtripped.EspAdvisoryFailureCategory);
+            // The pre-existing advisory anchor still round-trips.
+            Assert.NotNull(roundtripped.EspAdvisoryFailureRecordedUtc);
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void Census_SurfacesAdvisoryResolved()
+        {
+            var engine = new DecisionEngine();
+            var state = SetupSession(engine);
+            state = ApplyDeviceSetupAppsFailure(engine, state).NewState;
+            state = ApplyDeviceSetupResolved(engine, state).NewState;
+
+            var census = DecisionStateSignalCensus.Build(state);
+
+            Assert.Contains("esp_advisory_failure_resolved", census.SignalsSeen);
+            Assert.True(census.SignalTimestamps.ContainsKey("espAdvisoryFailureResolved"));
+        }
+    }
+}

src/Agent/AutopilotMonitor.DecisionCore.Tests/DecisionStateSnapshotBuilderTests.cs

@@ -114,7 +114,10 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.DecisionCore.Tests
             // state-change-only dedupe anchor for the completion_waiting event → 17.
             // Session 772fe502 (2026-07-13) added `helloWizardStartedUtc` — genuine
             // Shell-Core 62404 wizard launch; vetoes the policy-disabled Hello skip → 18.
-            Assert.Equal(18, facts.Count);
+            // Session 4910a5a5 (2026-07-23) added `espAdvisoryFailureResolvedUtc` (the failed
+            // category recovered — lifts the advisory's re-arm/rebase guard exemption) and
+            // `espAdvisoryFailureCategory` (which category the advisory was for) → 20.
+            Assert.Equal(20, facts.Count);
             Assert.All(facts.Values, v => Assert.Null(v));
         }
 
@@ -236,10 +239,12 @@ namespace AutopilotMonitor.DecisionCore.Tests
             // `completionWaitingFingerprint` as the state-change-only dedupe anchor for
             // the completion_waiting event → 17. Session 772fe502 (2026-07-13) added
             // `helloWizardStartedUtc` — the genuine Shell-Core 62404 wizard-launch fact
-            // that vetoes/retracts the policy-disabled Hello skip → 18. If this number
-            // ever changes, both the count expectation AND the actual snapshot output
-            // need to evolve in lockstep.
-            Assert.Equal(18, expectedFactKeys.Count);
+            // that vetoes/retracts the policy-disabled Hello skip → 18. Session 4910a5a5
+            // (2026-07-23) added `espAdvisoryFailureResolvedUtc` + `espAdvisoryFailureCategory`
+            // — advisory-recovery facts that lift the AdvisoryCompletion guard exemption → 20.
+            // If this number ever changes, both the count expectation AND the actual snapshot
+            // output need to evolve in lockstep.
+            Assert.Equal(20, expectedFactKeys.Count);
 
             var snapshot = DecisionStateSnapshotBuilder.Build(DecisionState.CreateInitial("s", "t"));
             var facts = (Dictionary<string, object?>)snapshot["facts"]!;