jokim1 · jokim1 · Aug 18, 2026 · Aug 17, 2026
diff --git a/bin/fm-classify-lib.sh b/bin/fm-classify-lib.sh
@@ -195,11 +195,74 @@ status_is_paused_or_captain_held() {  # <status-line>
 # the historical one-open-decision-per-task behavior (a bare "resolved:" closes
 # "default"). A stated key whose slug fails the charset below is rejected (the
 # folds skip the line), never rewritten to "default".
-# The parsers are pure reads of a single line; the verb parser strips any key
-# token before the colon so the leading word is recovered cleanly.
+# The parsers are pure reads of a single line. Status metadata may carry any
+# number of complete whitespace-separated "[name=value]" tags before the colon
+# (any name, typically corr= and key=). Verb recovery strips that suffix only
+# when every token is strictly well-formed: no whitespace or '[' in a token
+# body, and a locale-independent ASCII slug name (explicit A-Za-z0-9._-
+# allowlist, not locale-widened ranges). Incomplete or malformed bracket
+# material keeps the verb glued so the line stays inert. When the complete-tag
+# check fails, the historical peel from the first "[key=" is preserved so
+# key-led stray and unclosed-key lines keep folding as they do today.
+# head=${v%%\[*} below is only a candidate prefix assigned when the complete-tag
+# predicate passes - not an unconditional first-bracket peel.
+# 0 when <s> is empty or a whitespace-separated run of complete
+# "[name=value]" metadata tags with locale-independent ASCII slug names.
+_fm_is_wholly_complete_metadata_tags() {  # <before-colon-tag-suffix>
+  local s=$1 token rest name
+  while [ -n "$s" ]; do
+    s=${s#"${s%%[![:space:]]*}"}
+    [ -n "$s" ] || return 0
+    case "$s" in
+      \[*) ;;
+      *) return 1 ;;
+    esac
+    case "$s" in
+      *\]*) ;;
+      *) return 1 ;;
+    esac
+    rest=${s#\[}
+    token=${rest%%\]*}
+    rest=${rest#*\]}
+    # Fail-closed: token body may not contain whitespace or another '['.
+    case "$token" in
+      *[[:space:]]*|*\[*) return 1 ;;
+    esac
+    case "$token" in
+      *=*)
+        name=${token%%=*}
+        # Locale-independent ASCII slug name (explicit allowlist; no A-Z ranges).
+        case "$name" in
+          ''|*[!ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789._-]*) return 1 ;;
+        esac
+        ;;
+      *) return 1 ;;
+    esac
+    if [ -n "$rest" ]; then
+      case "$rest" in
+        [[:space:]]*) ;;
+        *) return 1 ;;
+      esac
+    fi
+    s=$rest
+  done
+  return 0
+}
 status_line_verb() {  # <status-line> -> leading verb word
-  local v=${1%%:*}
-  v=${v%%\[key=*}
+  local v=${1%%:*} head tags_region
+  case "$v" in
+    *\[*)
+      head=${v%%\[*}
+      tags_region=${v#"$head"}
+      if _fm_is_wholly_complete_metadata_tags "$tags_region"; then
+        v=$head
+      else
+        case "$v" in
+          *\[key=*) v=${v%%\[key=*} ;;
+        esac
+      fi
+      ;;
+  esac
   v=${v#"${v%%[![:space:]]*}"}
   v=${v%"${v##*[![:space:]]}"}
   printf '%s' "$v"
@@ -454,7 +517,7 @@ _fm_open_decisions_cursor_path() {  # <status-file>
   printf '%s/.%s.open-decisions-cursor' "$dir" "${base%.status}"
 }
 
-FM_OPEN_DECISIONS_FOLD_VERSION=3
+FM_OPEN_DECISIONS_FOLD_VERSION=4
 
 # Portable device:inode identity for the rotation/recreation check below.
 _fm_open_decisions_file_ident() {  # <file> -> "dev:inode", empty on I/O failure

diff --git a/tests/fm-classify-decision-key.test.sh b/tests/fm-classify-decision-key.test.sh
@@ -171,6 +171,140 @@ test_incremental_agrees_with_full_fold_across_appends() {
   pass "the incremental fold matches the full fold across appends in both key positions"
 }
 
+# Metadata-tag verb recovery: complete before-colon [name=value] tags (any
+# well-formed name, typically corr=) must not glue onto the verb. Fail-closed
+# on malformed bodies/names so phantom keys never open. Key-led stray still
+# peels via the historical [key= fallback.
+test_corr_then_key_opens_and_closes_under_stated_key() {
+  local dir expected
+  dir=$(case_dir corr-then-key)
+  printf 'needs-decision [corr=d448ea86afa4bf67] [key=project-registration-path]: no proven path\n' \
+    > "$dir/t.status"
+  expected=$(printf 'project-registration-path\tneeds-decision\tno proven path\n')
+  assert_fold "$dir/t.status" "$expected" "corr-then-key open"
+
+  printf 'resolved [corr=deadbeef] [key=project-registration-path]: answered: courier\n' \
+    >> "$dir/t.status"
+  assert_fold "$dir/t.status" "" "corr-tagged resolved closes stated key"
+  pass "corr-then-key opens and closes under the stated key"
+}
+
+test_shape_i_corr_before_colon_key_at_note_head() {
+  local dir expected
+  dir=$(case_dir shape-i)
+  printf 'needs-decision [corr=d448ea86afa4bf67]: [key=project-registration-path] pick path\n' \
+    > "$dir/t.status"
+  expected=$(printf 'project-registration-path\tneeds-decision\tpick path\n')
+  assert_fold "$dir/t.status" "$expected" "shape I open"
+  printf 'resolved [corr=d448ea86afa4bf67] [key=project-registration-path]: answered: courier\n' \
+    >> "$dir/t.status"
+  assert_fold "$dir/t.status" "" "shape I close"
+  pass "corr before colon with key at note head opens and closes the stated key"
+}
+
+test_key_led_stray_and_unclosed_still_fold() {
+  local dir
+  dir=$(case_dir key-led-preserve)
+  printf 'needs-decision [key=stray-slug] stray prose: keep key open\n' > "$dir/a.status"
+  assert_fold "$dir/a.status" \
+    "$(printf 'stray-slug\tneeds-decision\tkeep key open\n')" "key-led stray open"
+
+  printf 'needs-decision [key=k1]: open\n' > "$dir/b.status"
+  printf 'resolved [key=k1] stray prose: answered\n' >> "$dir/b.status"
+  assert_fold "$dir/b.status" "" "key-led stray close"
+
+  printf 'needs-decision [key=unclosed-slug: missing close\n' > "$dir/c.status"
+  assert_fold "$dir/c.status" \
+    "$(printf 'default\tneeds-decision\tmissing close\n')" "unclosed key peels to default"
+  pass "key-led stray and unclosed-key lines keep today's fold behavior"
+}
+
+test_malformed_metadata_never_opens_phantom_keys() {
+  local dir
+  dir=$(case_dir malformed-meta)
+  # Cross-token invalid+valid (round-2 codex).
+  printf 'needs-decision [draft] [corr=x]: must stay inert\n' > "$dir/mixed.status"
+  assert_fold "$dir/mixed.status" "" "draft then corr"
+  printf 'needs-decision [draft] [corr=x] [key=phantom]: must stay inert\n' > "$dir/mixedk.status"
+  assert_fold "$dir/mixedk.status" "" "draft then corr then key"
+
+  # Malformed bodies with embedded [key=...] (round-3).
+  printf 'needs-decision [corr=abc [key=phantom]: truncated corr\n' > "$dir/trunc.status"
+  assert_fold "$dir/trunc.status" "" "truncated corr embeds key"
+  printf 'needs-decision [[key=phantom]: doubled bracket\n' > "$dir/dbl.status"
+  assert_fold "$dir/dbl.status" "" "doubled open bracket"
+  printf 'needs-decision [draft[corr=x] [key=phantom]: nested open\n' > "$dir/nest.status"
+  assert_fold "$dir/nest.status" "" "nested open bracket"
+  printf 'needs-decision [draft status=review] [key=phantom]: spaced name\n' > "$dir/space.status"
+  assert_fold "$dir/space.status" "" "spaced name body"
+
+  # Punctuated / locale-widened names (round-4/5).
+  printf 'needs-decision [draft!status=review] [key=phantom]: punct bang\n' > "$dir/bang.status"
+  assert_fold "$dir/bang.status" "" "punctuated name bang"
+  printf 'needs-decision [dräft=review] [key=phantom]: unicode name\n' > "$dir/uni.status"
+  assert_fold "$dir/uni.status" "" "latin-extended name"
+
+  # Close-side twin: malformed closer must not close a real open key.
+  printf 'needs-decision [key=realc]: keep open\n' > "$dir/close.status"
+  printf 'resolved [drop!name=x] [key=realc]: must not close\n' >> "$dir/close.status"
+  assert_fold "$dir/close.status" \
+    "$(printf 'realc\tneeds-decision\tkeep open\n')" "malformed closer leaves realc open"
+
+  # Adjacent tags and empty name stay inert on the complete-tag path.
+  printf 'needs-decision [corr=x][key=adj]: adjacent\n' > "$dir/adj.status"
+  assert_fold "$dir/adj.status" "" "adjacent tags"
+  printf 'needs-decision [[=x]: empty-ish name\n' > "$dir/eq.status"
+  assert_fold "$dir/eq.status" "" "degenerate body"
+
+  # Shape C grammar control: end-of-note key is prose, opens default only.
+  printf 'needs-decision: no proven path [key=project-registration-path]\n' > "$dir/end.status"
+  assert_fold "$dir/end.status" \
+    "$(printf 'default\tneeds-decision\tno proven path [key=project-registration-path]\n')" \
+    "end-of-note key prose"
+
+  pass "malformed metadata never opens phantom keys; key-end grammar and close twin hold"
+}
+
+test_shared_verb_recovery_for_valid_corr_tags() {
+  local line
+  line='needs-decision [corr=d448ea86afa4bf67] [key=project-registration-path]: path'
+  status_is_captain_relevant "$line" \
+    || fail "corr-tagged needs-decision should be captain-relevant"
+  status_frees_capacity "$line" \
+    || fail "corr-tagged needs-decision should free capacity"
+
+  line='resolved [draft]: prose'
+  status_frees_capacity "$line" \
+    && fail "resolved [draft] must not free capacity"
+  line='resolved [draft] [corr=x]: prose'
+  status_frees_capacity "$line" \
+    && fail "resolved [draft] [corr=x] must not free capacity"
+
+  line='paused [corr=d448ea86afa4bf67]: waiting'
+  status_is_paused "$line" \
+    || fail "corr-tagged paused should match the pause verb"
+
+  local dir
+  dir=$(case_dir activity)
+  printf 'working [corr=abc] [key=work-slug]: phase one\n' > "$dir/a.status"
+  [ "$(status_open_activities "$dir/a.status")" = "$(printf 'work-slug\tworking\tphase one\n')" ] \
+    || fail "activity should open under corr-tagged working: $(status_open_activities "$dir/a.status")"
+  printf 'done [corr=x] [key=work-slug]: finished\n' >> "$dir/a.status"
+  [ -z "$(status_open_activities "$dir/a.status")" ] \
+    || fail "activity should close under corr-tagged done: $(status_open_activities "$dir/a.status")"
+
+  pass "valid corr tags recover shared classifiers; malformed draft tags stay inert"
+}
+
+test_captain_held_with_corr_closes() {
+  local dir
+  dir=$(case_dir captain-held-corr)
+  printf 'needs-decision [key=api-shape]: pick REST or RPC\n' > "$dir/t.status"
+  printf 'captain-held [corr=aaaa] [key=api-shape]: tracked by hold-1\n' >> "$dir/t.status"
+  assert_fold "$dir/t.status" "" "captain-held with corr closes"
+  pass "captain-held with a leading corr tag closes the stated key"
+}
+
 test_stated_key_is_honored_in_both_positions
 test_bare_keyless_line_still_folds_to_default
 test_resolution_closes_across_positions
@@ -179,3 +313,9 @@ test_two_colon_form_decisions_stay_distinct
 test_mid_note_prose_mention_is_not_a_stated_key
 test_malformed_stated_key_never_collapses_to_default
 test_incremental_agrees_with_full_fold_across_appends
+test_corr_then_key_opens_and_closes_under_stated_key
+test_shape_i_corr_before_colon_key_at_note_head
+test_key_led_stray_and_unclosed_still_fold
+test_malformed_metadata_never_opens_phantom_keys
+test_shared_verb_recovery_for_valid_corr_tags
+test_captain_held_with_corr_closes
diff --git a/tests/fm-send-resolve-key.test.sh b/tests/fm-send-resolve-key.test.sh
@@ -452,6 +452,90 @@ test_flag_misuse_refuses() {
   pass "fm-send --resolve-key: --key, empty message, explicit targets, and malformed keys refuse loudly"
 }
 
+# Filed adopted-stack regression: corr-tagged open key must be answerable.
+test_corr_tagged_open_key_is_answerable() {
+  local dir fb log home rc out
+  dir="$TMP_ROOT/corr-tagged"; mkdir -p "$dir"
+  fb=$(make_stubs "$dir"); log="$dir/send.log"
+  home=$(setup_home corr-tagged)
+  fm_write_meta "$home/state/t-corr.meta" "window=sess:fm-t-corr" "kind=ship"
+  printf 'needs-decision [corr=d448ea86afa4bf67] [key=project-registration-path]: no proven IPC path\n' \
+    > "$home/state/t-corr.status"
+
+  out=$(drain_out "$home")
+  printf '%s' "$out" | grep -F '[key=project-registration-path]' >/dev/null \
+    || fail "precondition: corr-tagged decision should list as open: $out"
+
+  run_send "$fb" "$home" "$log" t-corr --resolve-key project-registration-path "use courier UI path"; rc=$?
+  expect_code 0 "$rc" "answering a corr-tagged open key should succeed"
+  assert_contains "$(cat "$log")" "use courier UI path" "the answer text should reach the worker"
+  grep -F 'resolved [key=project-registration-path]: answered: use courier UI path' \
+    "$home/state/t-corr.status" >/dev/null \
+    || fail "missing closing resolved line:"$'\n'"$(cat "$home/state/t-corr.status")"
+
+  out=$(drain_out "$home")
+  if printf '%s' "$out" | grep -F 'OPEN DECISIONS' >/dev/null; then
+    fail "answered corr-tagged decision still lists as open: $out"
+  fi
+  pass "fm-send --resolve-key: a corr-tagged open key is answerable end to end"
+}
+
+# Fail-closed: malformed metadata must not invent a phantom open key that sends.
+test_malformed_metadata_refuses_phantom_resolve_key() {
+  local dir fb log home err rc
+  dir="$TMP_ROOT/phantom-refuse"; mkdir -p "$dir"
+  fb=$(make_stubs "$dir"); log="$dir/send.log"; err="$dir/send.err"
+  home=$(setup_home phantom-refuse)
+  fm_write_meta "$home/state/t-ph.meta" "window=sess:fm-t-ph" "kind=ship"
+
+  refuse_case() {  # <status-line> <label>
+    printf '%s\n' "$1" > "$home/state/t-ph.status"
+    : > "$log"
+    env PATH="$fb:$PATH" FM_ROOT_OVERRIDE="$home" FM_HOME="$home" FM_SEND_LOG="$log" FM_SEND_SETTLE=0 \
+      "$SEND" t-ph --resolve-key phantom "this must not send" >/dev/null 2>"$err"; rc=$?
+    [ "$rc" -ne 0 ] || fail "$2: expected refuse, got rc=0"
+    [ ! -s "$log" ] || fail "$2: transport received bytes: $(cat "$log")"
+    if grep -F 'resolved [key=phantom]' "$home/state/t-ph.status" >/dev/null; then
+      fail "$2: resolved line was appended: $(cat "$home/state/t-ph.status")"
+    fi
+  }
+
+  refuse_case 'needs-decision [draft] [corr=d448ea86afa4bf67] [key=phantom]: mixed' "mixed invalid+valid"
+  refuse_case 'needs-decision [corr=abc [key=phantom]: truncated corr' "truncated corr body"
+  refuse_case 'needs-decision [[key=phantom]: doubled bracket' "doubled bracket"
+  refuse_case 'needs-decision [draft!status=review] [key=phantom]: punct bang' "punctuated name"
+  refuse_case 'needs-decision [dräft=review] [key=phantom]: unicode name' "unicode name"
+
+  # Stock macOS Bash 3.2 + en_US.UTF-8: range patterns widen; allowlist must still refuse.
+  if [ -x /bin/bash ]; then
+    printf 'needs-decision [dräft=review] [key=phantom]: stock-bash unicode\n' > "$home/state/t-ph.status"
+    : > "$log"
+    env LC_ALL=en_US.UTF-8 PATH="$fb:$PATH" FM_ROOT_OVERRIDE="$home" FM_HOME="$home" \
+      FM_SEND_LOG="$log" FM_SEND_SETTLE=0 \
+      /bin/bash "$SEND" t-ph --resolve-key phantom "this must not send" >/dev/null 2>"$err"; rc=$?
+    [ "$rc" -ne 0 ] || fail "stock bash UTF-8 unicode name should refuse"
+    [ ! -s "$log" ] || fail "stock bash UTF-8 unicode name still sent: $(cat "$log")"
+  fi
+
+  pass "fm-send --resolve-key: malformed metadata never invents a sendable phantom key"
+}
+
+# Key-led stray preserve: still answerable under the historical peel.
+test_key_led_stray_preserve_is_answerable() {
+  local dir fb log home rc
+  dir="$TMP_ROOT/key-stray"; mkdir -p "$dir"
+  fb=$(make_stubs "$dir"); log="$dir/send.log"
+  home=$(setup_home key-stray)
+  fm_write_meta "$home/state/t-ks.meta" "window=sess:fm-t-ks" "kind=ship"
+  printf 'needs-decision [key=stray-slug] stray prose: keep\n' > "$home/state/t-ks.status"
+
+  run_send "$fb" "$home" "$log" t-ks --resolve-key stray-slug "answered stray"; rc=$?
+  expect_code 0 "$rc" "key-led stray should remain answerable"
+  grep -F 'resolved [key=stray-slug]: answered: answered stray' "$home/state/t-ks.status" >/dev/null \
+    || fail "missing close for key-led stray:"$'\n'"$(cat "$home/state/t-ks.status")"
+  pass "fm-send --resolve-key: key-led stray preserve remains answerable"
+}
+
 test_answer_send_closes_open_decision
 test_colon_first_key_position_is_answerable
 test_rejected_close_fails_after_delivery
@@ -464,3 +548,6 @@ test_local_secondmate_answer_marked_and_closed
 test_remote_secondmate_answer_closes_locally
 test_remote_transport_failure_does_not_close
 test_flag_misuse_refuses
+test_corr_tagged_open_key_is_answerable
+test_malformed_metadata_refuses_phantom_resolve_key
+test_key_led_stray_preserve_is_answerable
diff --git a/tests/fm-wake-drain-open-decisions-cursor.test.sh b/tests/fm-wake-drain-open-decisions-cursor.test.sh
@@ -311,9 +311,50 @@ test_previous_fold_cache_is_refolded_under_current_semantics() {
   pass "an old fold cache is rebuilt once before same-version incremental reads resume"
 }
 
+# Fold-version bump (3->4) must invalidate a pre-fix cursor that sat at EOF
+# with an empty open set over a corr-tagged open decision, and re-surface it.
+test_pre_fix_cursor_refolds_corr_tagged_decision() {
+  local dir state status cursor out probe status_bytes ident probe_bytes
+  dir=$(make_case cursor-corr-tag-migration)
+  state="$dir/state"
+  status="$state/task7.status"
+  cursor="$state/.task7.open-decisions-cursor"
+  out="$dir/drain.out"
+  probe="$dir/probe.tsv"
+
+  printf 'needs-decision [corr=d448ea86afa4bf67] [key=project-registration-path]: no proven path\n' \
+    > "$status"
+  FM_STATE_OVERRIDE="$state" "$DRAIN" > "$out" \
+    || fail "bootstrap drain for the corr-tag cursor migration failed"
+  grep -F 'task7 [key=project-registration-path] needs-decision: no proven path' "$out" >/dev/null \
+    || fail "bootstrap drain should surface the corr-tagged decision: $(cat "$out")"
+  ident=$(sed -n 's/^ident=//p' "$cursor")
+  [ -n "$ident" ] || fail "bootstrap drain did not persist a file identity"
+  status_bytes=$(LC_ALL=C wc -c < "$status" | tr -d '[:space:]')
+  {
+    printf 'version=3\n'
+    printf 'offset=%s\n' "$status_bytes"
+    printf 'ident=%s\n' "$ident"
+  } > "$cursor"
+  : > "$probe"
+
+  FM_STATE_OVERRIDE="$state" FM_OPEN_DECISIONS_READ_PROBE="$probe" "$DRAIN" > "$out" \
+    || fail "drain failed while migrating the pre-fix corr-tag cursor"
+  grep -F 'task7 [key=project-registration-path] needs-decision: no proven path' "$out" >/dev/null \
+    || fail "the pre-fix cursor hid the corr-tagged decision after migration: $(cat "$out")"
+  probe_bytes=$(last_probe_bytes "$probe" "$status")
+  [ "$probe_bytes" = "$status_bytes" ] \
+    || fail "migration should re-fold all $status_bytes bytes, got $probe_bytes"
+  grep -F 'version=4' "$cursor" >/dev/null \
+    || fail "cursor should rewrite at fold version 4: $(cat "$cursor")"
+
+  pass "a pre-fix v3 cursor refolds a corr-tagged open decision at version 4"
+}
+
 test_truncated_log_falls_back_to_a_full_refold_not_a_dropped_decision
 test_same_size_rewrite_is_detected_via_inode_identity
 test_read_failure_never_silently_returns_empty
 test_cursor_cache_read_failure_refolds_authoritative_status
 test_previous_fold_cache_is_refolded_under_current_semantics
 test_buried_decision_survives_many_growing_drains_and_resolution_clears_it
+test_pre_fix_cursor_refolds_corr_tagged_decision