diff --git a/auditor/README.md b/auditor/README.md
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+# Lakehouse Claim Auditor
+
+A Bun sub-agent that watches open PRs on Gitea, reads the ship-claims
+in commit messages and PR bodies, and **hard-blocks** merges when the
+code doesn't back the claim.
+
+Rationale: when "compiles + one curl works" gets called "phase shipped,"
+placeholder code accumulates. This auditor runs every 90s, fetches
+each open PR, and subjects it to four checks:
+
+1. **Static diff** — grep/parse looking for placeholder patterns
+2. **Dynamic** — runs the never-before-executed hybrid test fixture
+3. **Cloud inference** — asks `gpt-oss:120b` via `/v1/chat` to
+   identify gaps in the diff
+4. **KB query** — looks up `data/_kb/` + observer for prior failure
+   patterns on similar claims
+
+Verdict is assembled, posted to Gitea as:
+- A **failing commit status** (hard block — branch protection
+  prevents merge)
+- A **review comment** explaining every finding
+
+## Run manually
+
+```bash
+cd /home/profit/lakehouse
+bun run auditor/index.ts
+```
+
+Defaults: polls every 90s, stops on `auditor.paused` file present.
+
+## State
+
+- `data/_auditor/state.json` — last-audited head SHA per PR
+- `data/_auditor/verdicts/{pr}-{sha}.json` — per-run verdict record
+
+## Where YOU edit
+
+`auditor/policy.ts` — the verdict assembler. Controls which findings
+block vs warn vs inform. All other code is mechanical: fetching,
+running checks, posting to Gitea.
+
+## Hard-block mechanism
+
+1. Commit status is posted as `failure` with context `lakehouse/auditor`
+2. If `main` branch protection requires `lakehouse/auditor` status
+   to pass, Gitea prevents merge
+3. When code is fixed and re-audit passes, status flips to `success`,
+   merge unblocks
+
+Enable branch protection (one-time, via Gitea UI or API):
+- `POST /repos/profit/lakehouse/branch_protections`
+- `{"branch_name": "main", "required_status_checks": {"contexts": ["lakehouse/auditor"]}}`
diff --git a/auditor/gitea.ts b/auditor/gitea.ts
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+// Gitea API client. Minimal surface — only what the auditor needs:
+// list open PRs, get commits + files for a PR, fetch a diff, post a
+// commit status, post a review.
+//
+// Auth: reads PAT from ~/.git-credentials (set up by the credential
+// helper flow in 2026-04-22 session). Gitea's "token" auth scheme
+// matches what `git fetch` is already using.
+
+import { readFile } from "node:fs/promises";
+import type { PrSnapshot } from "./types.ts";
+
+const HOST = process.env.GITEA_HOST ?? "https://git.agentview.dev";
+const OWNER = "profit";
+const REPO = "lakehouse";
+const CRED_FILE = "/home/profit/.git-credentials";
+
+let cachedPat: string | null = null;
+
+async function getPat(): Promise<string> {
+  if (cachedPat) return cachedPat;
+  const raw = await readFile(CRED_FILE, "utf8");
+  for (const line of raw.split("\n")) {
+    const m = line.match(/^https:\/\/[^:]+:([^@]+)@git\.agentview\.dev/);
+    if (m) { cachedPat = m[1]; return m[1]; }
+  }
+  throw new Error(`no Gitea PAT in ${CRED_FILE}`);
+}
+
+async function giteaFetch(path: string, init: RequestInit = {}): Promise<Response> {
+  const pat = await getPat();
+  const url = `${HOST}/api/v1${path}`;
+  const headers = new Headers(init.headers);
+  headers.set("Authorization", `token ${pat}`);
+  if (init.body && !headers.has("content-type")) {
+    headers.set("content-type", "application/json");
+  }
+  return fetch(url, { ...init, headers, signal: AbortSignal.timeout(20000) });
+}
+
+export async function listOpenPrs(): Promise<PrSnapshot[]> {
+  const r = await giteaFetch(`/repos/${OWNER}/${REPO}/pulls?state=open&page=1&limit=50`);
+  if (!r.ok) throw new Error(`listOpenPrs ${r.status}: ${await r.text()}`);
+  const rows = (await r.json()) as any[];
+  return Promise.all(rows.map(row => snapshotFromPr(row)));
+}
+
+export async function getPrSnapshot(num: number): Promise<PrSnapshot> {
+  const r = await giteaFetch(`/repos/${OWNER}/${REPO}/pulls/${num}`);
+  if (!r.ok) throw new Error(`getPr ${num} ${r.status}: ${await r.text()}`);
+  return snapshotFromPr((await r.json()) as any);
+}
+
+async function snapshotFromPr(row: any): Promise<PrSnapshot> {
+  const num = row.number;
+  const commitsResp = await giteaFetch(`/repos/${OWNER}/${REPO}/pulls/${num}/commits`);
+  const commits = commitsResp.ok ? ((await commitsResp.json()) as any[]) : [];
+  const filesResp = await giteaFetch(`/repos/${OWNER}/${REPO}/pulls/${num}/files`);
+  const files = filesResp.ok ? ((await filesResp.json()) as any[]) : [];
+  return {
+    number: num,
+    head_sha: row.head?.sha ?? "",
+    base_sha: row.base?.sha ?? "",
+    title: row.title ?? "",
+    body: row.body ?? "",
+    state: row.state === "open" ? "open" : (row.merged ? "merged" : "closed"),
+    author: row.user?.login ?? "",
+    commits: commits.map(c => ({
+      sha: (c.sha ?? "").slice(0, 12),
+      message: c.commit?.message ?? "",
+      author: c.commit?.author?.name ?? "",
+    })),
+    files: files.map(f => ({
+      path: f.filename ?? "",
+      additions: f.additions ?? 0,
+      deletions: f.deletions ?? 0,
+    })),
+  };
+}
+
+/// Returns the unified diff text of the PR. Used by static checks.
+export async function getPrDiff(num: number): Promise<string> {
+  const r = await giteaFetch(`/repos/${OWNER}/${REPO}/pulls/${num}.diff`);
+  if (!r.ok) throw new Error(`getDiff ${num} ${r.status}: ${await r.text()}`);
+  return await r.text();
+}
+
+/// Hard-block mechanism: post a failing commit status on the PR head
+/// SHA. Branch protection (if enabled on `main`) treats this as a
+/// required-check fail and prevents merge. The description is shown
+/// in the Gitea UI next to the red X.
+export async function postCommitStatus(args: {
+  sha: string;
+  state: "success" | "pending" | "failure" | "error";
+  context: string;
+  description: string;
+  target_url?: string;
+}): Promise<void> {
+  const r = await giteaFetch(`/repos/${OWNER}/${REPO}/statuses/${args.sha}`, {
+    method: "POST",
+    body: JSON.stringify({
+      state: args.state,
+      context: args.context,
+      description: args.description.slice(0, 140),
+      target_url: args.target_url ?? "",
+    }),
+  });
+  if (!r.ok) throw new Error(`postCommitStatus ${r.status}: ${await r.text()}`);
+}
+
+/// Post a review comment. Type: "REQUEST_CHANGES" for block,
+/// "COMMENT" for non-blocking, "APPROVE" for green.
+export async function postReview(args: {
+  pr_number: number;
+  commit_id: string;
+  body: string;
+  event: "APPROVE" | "REQUEST_CHANGES" | "COMMENT";
+}): Promise<void> {
+  const r = await giteaFetch(`/repos/${OWNER}/${REPO}/pulls/${args.pr_number}/reviews`, {
+    method: "POST",
+    body: JSON.stringify({
+      commit_id: args.commit_id,
+      body: args.body,
+      event: args.event,
+    }),
+  });
+  if (!r.ok) throw new Error(`postReview ${r.status}: ${await r.text()}`);
+}
diff --git a/auditor/policy.ts b/auditor/policy.ts
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+// ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+// YOU WRITE THIS FILE. Policy decides what blocks vs what's a comment.
+// Defaults are opinionated on the "stop clicking past placeholder"
+// side — easier to loosen than to tighten when you're watching the
+// auditor behave in live PRs.
+// ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+
+import type { Finding, Verdict } from "./types.ts";
+
+/// Translate the four-check output into a single verdict. This is the
+/// single pane of glass the auditor operates on — tune thresholds here.
+export function assembleVerdict(
+  findings: Finding[],
+  metrics: Record<string, number>,
+  pr_number: number,
+  head_sha: string,
+): Verdict {
+  const blocking = findings.filter(f => f.severity === "block");
+  const warning = findings.filter(f => f.severity === "warn");
+
+  let overall: Verdict["overall"];
+  let one_liner: string;
+
+  if (blocking.length > 0) {
+    overall = "block";
+    one_liner = `${blocking.length} blocking issue${blocking.length > 1 ? "s" : ""}: ${blocking[0].summary}`;
+  } else if (warning.length >= 3) {
+    // Three or more warnings is a block — death by a thousand cuts.
+    overall = "request_changes";
+    one_liner = `${warning.length} warnings — see review`;
+  } else if (warning.length > 0) {
+    overall = "request_changes";
+    one_liner = warning[0].summary;
+  } else {
+    overall = "approve";
+    one_liner = `all checks passed (${findings.length} findings, all info)`;
+  }
+
+  return {
+    pr_number,
+    head_sha,
+    audited_at: new Date().toISOString(),
+    overall,
+    findings,
+    metrics,
+    one_liner,
+  };
+}
+
+/// Which strength-of-claim warrants which severity when evidence is
+/// weak? A "Phase X shipped" claim with zero integration tests is a
+/// blocker. A "should work" claim with no test is a warn.
+export function severityFromClaimEvidence(
+  claim_strength: "weak" | "moderate" | "strong",
+  evidence_grade: "none" | "partial" | "full",
+): "info" | "warn" | "block" {
+  if (evidence_grade === "full") return "info";
+  if (claim_strength === "strong" && evidence_grade === "none") return "block";
+  if (claim_strength === "strong" && evidence_grade === "partial") return "warn";
+  if (claim_strength === "moderate" && evidence_grade === "none") return "warn";
+  return "info";
+}
diff --git a/auditor/types.ts b/auditor/types.ts
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+// Shared types for the claim-auditor. Every field exists for a reason;
+// if something can't be verified from a check, it goes into `evidence`
+// so the verdict is inspectable, not a black box.
+
+export type CheckKind = "static" | "dynamic" | "inference" | "kb_query";
+
+export type Severity = "info" | "warn" | "block";
+
+export interface Claim {
+  // Verbatim phrase that raised the claim — e.g. "Phase 38 shipped",
+  // "verified end-to-end", "works after restart". Used as the "what
+  // does the author assert" input to downstream checks.
+  text: string;
+  // Where it came from. `commit_sha` is the short hash; `location`
+  // is a file:line for in-diff claims, or "pr_body" / "commit_message".
+  commit_sha: string;
+  location: string;
+  // Heuristic rating of how strong the claim is. "green+tested"
+  // is strong; "should work" is weak. Drives sensitivity — stronger
+  // claims get harder-blocked on weak evidence.
+  strength: "weak" | "moderate" | "strong";
+}
+
+export interface Finding {
+  check: CheckKind;
+  severity: Severity;
+  claim_text?: string;
+  // Free-form short description: "field added but never read", "no
+  // test covers this code path", "cloud model says placeholder".
+  summary: string;
+  // Concrete evidence: file paths, line numbers, log excerpts, test
+  // output, cloud-model verdict. No handwaving.
+  evidence: string[];
+}
+
+export interface Verdict {
+  pr_number: number;
+  head_sha: string;
+  audited_at: string;
+  overall: "approve" | "request_changes" | "block";
+  findings: Finding[];
+  // Real numbers that downstream policy can gate on. e.g. if the
+  // hybrid test produced latency numbers or token counts, they
+  // surface here so /auditor/history is queryable.
+  metrics: Record<string, number>;
+  // Short one-line justification for the `overall` verdict. What
+  // gets posted as the commit-status description in Gitea (max 140
+  // chars) must fit here.
+  one_liner: string;
+}
+
+export interface PrSnapshot {
+  number: number;
+  head_sha: string;
+  base_sha: string;
+  title: string;
+  body: string;
+  state: "open" | "closed" | "merged";
+  author: string;
+  // Array of commit messages in the PR (not diffs — those are
+  // fetched on-demand per-check).
+  commits: Array<{ sha: string; message: string; author: string }>;
+  // File paths touched by the PR, with lines-added / lines-removed.
+  files: Array<{ path: string; additions: number; deletions: number }>;
+}