diff --git a/src/content/docs/docs.mdx b/src/content/docs/docs.mdx
index dca971e..946ebb3 100644
--- a/src/content/docs/docs.mdx
+++ b/src/content/docs/docs.mdx
@@ -42,5 +42,7 @@ Protocol features that depend on the older server-initiated request model are
 outside the current fault set.
 
 :::note[Current scope]
-Failure Lab runs scenarios against its own built-in MCP server. External client orchestration, JUnit output, and additional protocol faults are not implemented yet.
+Failure Lab runs scenarios against its own built-in MCP server. A generic target-client adapter
+contract is available as the foundation for external-client support, but CLI orchestration is not
+implemented yet. JUnit output and additional protocol faults are also not implemented.
 :::
diff --git a/src/content/docs/docs/architecture.mdx b/src/content/docs/docs/architecture.mdx
index cc77711..7c4d0cf 100644
--- a/src/content/docs/docs/architecture.mdx
+++ b/src/content/docs/docs/architecture.mdx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ---
 title: Architecture
-description: How Failure Lab separates server construction, transport, tools, and scenario execution.
+description: How Failure Lab separates server construction, transports, scenarios, and target-client adapters.
 ---
 
 ## Server and transport path
@@ -95,6 +95,52 @@ flowchart TD
 
 _Figure 3. Observer verification and failure handling._
 
-:::note[Deliberate boundary]
-The current architecture is not a proxy and does not orchestrate external MCP clients. Target-client adapters remain future work.
+## Target-client adapter boundary
+
+The target-client adapter contract is the foundation for future external-client orchestration. It
+is generic: the core does not contain branches for particular MCP hosts, clients, servers, or
+transports.
+
+```mermaid
+flowchart LR
+    Orchestrator[Failure Lab orchestration] -->|setup with time budget| Adapter[Target-client adapter]
+    Adapter --> Session[Target-client session]
+    Orchestrator -->|execute scenario| Session
+    Orchestrator -->|observe post-condition| Session
+    Orchestrator -->|cancel operation| Session
+    Orchestrator -->|cleanup on every exit path| Session
+    Session --> Recording[Typed operation observation]
+```
+
+_Figure 4. The adapter owns a target-client session; orchestration owns its lifecycle._
+
+Each operation has a caller-provided, positive, finite timeout. Its recording includes the
+operation and correlation ID, monotonic start and end values, duration, and one terminal outcome:
+`success`, `error`, `timeout`, `cancelled`, or `transport_loss`. Successful recordings contain a
+typed value; unsuccessful recordings contain a structured failure.
+
+### Lifecycle and ownership
+
+Failure Lab orchestration owns operation IDs, time budgets, scenario inputs, expectation
+evaluation, and reporting. The adapter owns only the target-client resources it creates during
+setup. A successful setup returns one session through which execution, observation, cancellation,
+and cleanup occur.
+
+The orchestrator must request cleanup after every successful setup, including when execution,
+observation, or cancellation fails. Adapter cleanup must be idempotent so repeated or concurrent
+requests have the same externally visible effect as a single request.
+
+The contract and deterministic test adapter live in:
+
+```text
+src/targetClientAdapter.ts
+src/testing/deterministicFakeTargetClientAdapter.ts
+```
+
+The fake performs no I/O and models operation timing from a supplied plan. It tests the boundary
+without duplicating the server’s fault implementations.
+
+:::note[Current limitation]
+The adapter contract is available, but the CLI does not yet orchestrate external MCP clients. MCP
+Failure Lab is not a proxy, and it does not include special handling for any third-party MCP host.
 :::