diff --git a/client/test/public-surface.test.mjs b/client/test/public-surface.test.mjs
index c0586bb..816c817 100644
--- a/client/test/public-surface.test.mjs
+++ b/client/test/public-surface.test.mjs
@@ -4,13 +4,50 @@ import fs from "node:fs";
 import os from "node:os";
 import path from "node:path";
 import { execFileSync } from "node:child_process";
+import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
 
 import { dirtyWorktreeFiles, scanPublicSurface } from "../public-surface.mjs";
 
+const repositoryRoot = path.resolve(path.dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url)), "..", "..");
+
 function makeTempDir() {
   return fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "simbroker-public-surface-test-"));
 }
 
+test("public surface scan accepts the runner-neutral spec on a hosted Ubuntu home", () => {
+  const hostedRunnerHome = path.posix.join(path.posix.sep, "home", "runner");
+
+  const report = scanPublicSurface({
+    files: ["spec/build-and-test.md"],
+    homePath: hostedRunnerHome,
+    root: repositoryRoot,
+  });
+
+  assert.equal(report.ok, true, JSON.stringify(report.issues));
+  assert.deepEqual(report.issues, []);
+  assert.equal(report.filesScanned, 1);
+});
+
+test("public surface scan still rejects an actual hosted Ubuntu home leak", () => {
+  const root = makeTempDir();
+  const hostedRunnerHome = path.posix.join(path.posix.sep, "home", "runner");
+  fs.writeFileSync(path.join(root, "README.md"), `artifact: ${hostedRunnerHome}/work/private.log\n`);
+
+  const report = scanPublicSurface({
+    files: ["README.md"],
+    homePath: hostedRunnerHome,
+    root,
+  });
+
+  assert.equal(report.ok, false);
+  assert.deepEqual(report.issues, [{
+    line: 1,
+    path: "README.md",
+    rule: "local-home-path",
+  }]);
+  assert.equal(JSON.stringify(report).includes(hostedRunnerHome), false);
+});
+
 test("public surface scan reports a local home path without echoing the matched value", () => {
   const root = makeTempDir();
   const localHome = path.join(root, "private-home");
diff --git a/spec/build-and-test.md b/spec/build-and-test.md
index f68b5df..e74bbd7 100644
--- a/spec/build-and-test.md
+++ b/spec/build-and-test.md
@@ -92,13 +92,14 @@ A first extracted implementation slice now exists:
   `test:harness-adoption` with a 10-minute budget; macOS runs `test:client`
   with a 15-minute budget. Neither job runs `test:app` or
   `verify:public-surface`. Home-path leak scanning
-  uses `os.homedir()` of the current machine, so GitHub-hosted runners would
-  search for `/home/runner` or `/Users/runner`, not the operator home. The
-  full-repo scan stays on local `npm test`. Do not raise those budgets to
-  hide a hung `simctl` or `brokerd` wait. Broker tests that build an
-  app snapshot, including in-process `startBrokerService`, must inject the
-  fixture `simctl` adapter (`SIMBROKER_SIMCTL_FIXTURE_STATE` or an explicit
-  adapter / snapshot writer). macOS CI runs client tests with
+  uses `os.homedir()` of the current machine, so each runner searches its own
+  account home, not the operator home. Keep runner-home examples symbolic:
+  an environment-specific absolute path can match the runner's real home and
+  correctly fail closed. The full-repo scan stays on local `npm test`. Do not
+  raise those budgets to hide a hung `simctl` or `brokerd` wait. Broker tests
+  that build an app snapshot, including in-process `startBrokerService`, must
+  inject the fixture `simctl` adapter (`SIMBROKER_SIMCTL_FIXTURE_STATE` or an
+  explicit adapter / snapshot writer). macOS CI runs client tests with
   `node --test --test-concurrency=1 --test-timeout=120000` so client files
   cannot interleave and a hung test cannot consume
   `serviceStartupTimeoutMs`. Do not add `--test-force-exit`: on Node 20 it