fix(ci): use absolute github.workspace paths for coverage artifact upload/download

The delphi-ci runner resolves relative paths in upload-artifact and
download-artifact from a different CWD than run: shell steps, so
'.coverage.unit' etc. were never found. Using ${{ github.workspace }}
gives an absolute path that does not depend on the JS action's CWD.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>

.coveragerc

@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 [run]
 branch = True
 source = .
+# Store paths relative to the project root so .coverage.* files produced on
+# different runners (ubuntu-latest vs self-hosted KVM) can be combined by the
+# coverage job without a [paths] remapping section.
+relative_files = True
 
 [report]
 # Coverage policy: see docs/decisions/0004-coverage-policy.md.

.gitea/workflows/lint.yml

@@ -24,8 +24,19 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Run pylint
         run: |
-          # Run pylint on all Python files in the repo
-          find . -name '*.py' -not -path './.venv/*' -not -path './.git/*' | xargs pylint --fail-under=8.0
+          # Pylint's normal exit code is nonzero for any emitted finding,
+          # regardless of --fail-under. Preserve the full report but enforce
+          # the aggregate score this workflow promises.
+          set +e
+          find . -name '*.py' -not -path './.venv/*' -not -path './.git/*' \
+            | xargs pylint --fail-under=8.0 \
+            | tee /tmp/pylint-output.txt
+          set -e
+          SCORE=$(sed -n \
+            's/^Your code has been rated at \([-0-9.]*\)\/10.*/\1/p' \
+            /tmp/pylint-output.txt | tail -1)
+          test -n "$SCORE"
+          awk -v score="$SCORE" 'BEGIN { exit !(score >= 8.0) }'
 
       - name: Run pyright
         run: |

.gitea/workflows/test.yml

@@ -9,10 +9,12 @@
 #   tests/canaries/     — upstream regression canaries; run on a separate
 #                         schedule (see canaries.yml), not here
 #
-# Integration tests run once per backend in separate jobs. Each job sets
-# BOT_BOTTLE_BACKEND explicitly so the test suite uses the right backend.
-# Backends that aren't available on the runner fail the preflight step
-# rather than silently skipping inside the test output.
+# Each test job runs once under coverage and uploads a small .coverage.*
+# artifact. The `coverage` job combines them — no test reruns, no KVM
+# dependency on that job. For main-branch pushes only, the tested rootfs
+# and matching dropbear are uploaded so `publish-infra` can publish the
+# byte-identical artifact that was tested. PRs avoid the ~194 MB rootfs
+# transfer entirely.
 
 name: test
 
@@ -25,12 +27,18 @@ on:
       - '.gitea/workflows/**.yml'
       - 'scripts/**'
       - 'README.md'
+      # Dockerfiles and pyproject.toml are baked into the infra rootfs; a
+      # change here alters what the integration/coverage jobs build locally.
+      - 'Dockerfile*'
+      - 'pyproject.toml'
   pull_request:
     paths:
       - '**.py'
       - '.gitea/workflows/**.yml'
       - 'scripts/**'
       - 'README.md'
+      - 'Dockerfile*'
+      - 'pyproject.toml'
   workflow_dispatch:
 
 jobs:
@@ -48,11 +56,17 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install dev requirements
         run: python3 -m pip install --break-system-packages -r requirements-dev.txt
 
-      - name: Run unit tests
-        run: python3 -m coverage run -m unittest discover -t . -s tests/unit -v
+      - name: Run unit tests with coverage
+        run: python3 -m coverage run --data-file=.coverage.unit -m unittest discover -t . -s tests/unit -v
 
       - name: Report unit coverage
-        run: python3 -m coverage report -m
+        run: python3 -m coverage report --data-file=.coverage.unit -m
+
+      - name: Upload unit coverage artifact
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
+        with:
+          name: coverage-unit
+          path: ${{ github.workspace }}/.coverage.unit
 
   integration-docker:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
@@ -62,6 +76,9 @@ jobs:
 
       # No actions/setup-python (see the note in the `unit` job); the
       # container's system Python 3.12 runs the stdlib test suite directly.
+      - name: Install coverage
+        run: python3 -m pip install --break-system-packages coverage
+
       - name: Show environment
         run: |
           python3 --version
@@ -71,10 +88,16 @@ jobs:
             echo "docker not on PATH — integration tests will skip"
           fi
 
-      - name: Run integration tests (docker)
+      - name: Run integration tests (docker) with coverage
         env:
           BOT_BOTTLE_BACKEND: docker
-        run: python3 -m unittest discover -t . -s tests/integration -v
+        run: python3 -m coverage run --data-file=.coverage.docker -m unittest discover -t . -s tests/integration -v
+
+      - name: Upload docker coverage artifact
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
+        with:
+          name: coverage-docker
+          path: ${{ github.workspace }}/.coverage.docker
 
   # Integration tests against the Firecracker backend. Runs on a self-hosted
   # KVM runner (label `kvm`) where /dev/kvm and the TAP/nft pool are available.
@@ -83,8 +106,16 @@ jobs:
   # PRs don't execute untrusted code on the privileged runner.
   #
   # Runner prerequisites (provision once; see README "Firecracker on Linux"):
-  # `firecracker` on PATH, `/dev/kvm` accessible, Docker, cached kernel +
-  # static dropbear, and the pool as a persistent systemd unit.
+  # `firecracker` on PATH, `/dev/kvm` accessible, cached kernel +
+  # static dropbear at /var/cache/bot-bottle-fc/dropbear, and the pool as a
+  # persistent systemd unit.
+  #
+  # The infra candidate is built here directly (no artifact download) to
+  # eliminate the ~70 s ubuntu-latest upload + ~83 s combined download that
+  # the old build-infra → integration-firecracker + coverage chain incurred.
+  # For main-branch pushes the tested rootfs and matching dropbear are
+  # uploaded so publish-infra can publish the byte-identical artifact; PRs
+  # skip those uploads entirely.
   integration-firecracker:
     runs-on: [self-hosted, kvm]
     if: >-
@@ -105,32 +136,58 @@ jobs:
           # range overlap; it prints the exact `backend setup` fix.
           python3 cli.py backend status --backend=firecracker
 
-      - name: Install dev requirements
-        run: python3 -m pip install --user -r requirements-dev.txt
+      - name: Build infra candidate from this checkout
+        env:
+          BOT_BOTTLE_FC_DROPBEAR: /var/cache/bot-bottle-fc/dropbear
+        run: python3 -m bot_bottle.backend.firecracker.publish_infra --output infra-candidate
 
-      - name: Run integration tests (firecracker)
+      - name: Replace the persistent infra VM with the candidate
+        run: python3 -c 'from bot_bottle.backend.firecracker import infra_vm; infra_vm.stop()'
+
+      # No dev-requirements install: `coverage` is already provided by the
+      # self-hosted runner's Nix python env, and that env has no `pip`
+      # module to install into anyway.
+      - name: Run integration tests (firecracker) with coverage
         env:
           BOT_BOTTLE_BACKEND: firecracker
-        run: python3 -m unittest discover -t . -s tests/integration -v
+          BOT_BOTTLE_INFRA_ARTIFACT_DIR: ${{ github.workspace }}/infra-candidate
+        run: python3 -m coverage run --data-file=.coverage.firecracker -m unittest discover -t . -s tests/integration -v
 
-  # Combined unit+integration coverage + the diff-coverage gate (the hard
-  # gate: new/changed lines >= 90%). See docs/decisions/0004-coverage-policy.md.
+      - name: Upload firecracker coverage artifact
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
+        with:
+          name: coverage-firecracker
+          path: ${{ github.workspace }}/.coverage.firecracker
+
+      # Only upload the large rootfs artifact on main-branch pushes;
+      # PRs avoid the ~194 MB transfer. publish-infra only runs on main
+      # and downloads these to publish the byte-identical tested rootfs.
+      - name: Upload tested rootfs (main branch only)
+        if: github.event_name == 'push' && github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
+        with:
+          name: infra-candidate
+          path: infra-candidate/
+
+      - name: Upload dropbear for publish verification (main branch only)
+        if: github.event_name == 'push' && github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
+        with:
+          name: firecracker-inputs
+          path: /var/cache/bot-bottle-fc/dropbear
+
+  # Combined coverage gate: aggregates .coverage.* artifacts uploaded by each
+  # test job, then runs the diff-coverage gate (new/changed lines >= 90%).
   #
-  # This runs on a self-hosted KVM runner (label `kvm`), NOT ubuntu-latest,
-  # because the Firecracker backend's subprocess/VM orchestration
-  # (launch/boot/SSH/isolation-probe) is covered by the integration suite,
-  # and that suite needs `/dev/kvm` + the provisioned TAP/nft pool — which a
-  # container-based runner doesn't have. On such a runner the firecracker
-  # integration test skips and its ~230 orchestration lines read as
-  # uncovered, so the gate can't pass there.
+  # Runs on ubuntu-latest — no KVM needed, no test reruns. Coverage files use
+  # relative_files = True (.coveragerc) so they combine cleanly across runners.
   #
-  # Restricted to the same events as integration-firecracker (same-repo PRs,
-  # push, workflow_dispatch) for the same security reason.
-  #
-  # See #414 for the planned follow-up: artifact-based coverage combination
-  # (run tests once in their respective jobs, combine .coverage files here).
+  # Restricted to the same events as integration-firecracker: it depends on
+  # that job's coverage artifact and skips for fork PRs alongside it.
   coverage:
-    runs-on: [self-hosted, kvm]
+    needs: [unit, integration-docker, integration-firecracker]
+    timeout-minutes: 15
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     if: >-
       github.event_name == 'push' ||
       github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' ||
@@ -142,24 +199,62 @@ jobs:
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
 
-      - name: Preflight — Firecracker host is ready
-        run: |
-          command -v firecracker >/dev/null || {
-            echo "firecracker not on PATH — provision the runner (README: Firecracker on Linux)"; exit 1; }
-          test -e /dev/kvm || { echo "/dev/kvm missing — KVM not available on this runner"; exit 1; }
-          # `backend status` exits non-zero unless the TAP pool is up + no
-          # range overlap; it prints the exact `backend setup` fix.
-          python3 cli.py backend status --backend=firecracker
+      - name: Install coverage
+        run: python3 -m pip install --break-system-packages coverage
 
-      - name: Install dev requirements
-        run: python3 -m pip install --user -r requirements-dev.txt
+      - name: Download unit coverage artifact
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v3
+        with:
+          name: coverage-unit
+          path: ${{ github.workspace }}
+
+      - name: Download docker coverage artifact
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v3
+        with:
+          name: coverage-docker
+          path: ${{ github.workspace }}
+
+      - name: Download firecracker coverage artifact
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v3
+        with:
+          name: coverage-firecracker
+          path: ${{ github.workspace }}
 
       - name: Combined coverage (unit + integration, incl. firecracker)
-        env:
-          BOT_BOTTLE_BACKEND: firecracker
-        run: PYTHON=python3 bash scripts/coverage.sh critical
+        run: PYTHON=python3 bash scripts/coverage.sh aggregate critical
 
       - name: Diff-coverage gate (changed lines >= 90%)
         run: |
           git fetch --no-tags origin main:refs/remotes/origin/main
           python3 scripts/diff_coverage.py --base origin/main --min 90
+
+  publish-infra:
+    needs: [unit, integration-docker, integration-firecracker, coverage]
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    if: github.event_name == 'push' && github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout the tested revision
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Download the tested rootfs
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v3
+        with:
+          name: infra-candidate
+          path: infra-candidate
+
+      # publish_infra re-derives the version from the checkout to confirm the
+      # bundle matches before uploading, and the version hashes the dropbear
+      # bytes. Download the SAME dropbear integration-firecracker used, or
+      # the recheck computes a "<missing>"-dropbear version and rejects the
+      # candidate.
+      - name: Download the staged dropbear (matches build's version)
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v3
+        with:
+          name: firecracker-inputs
+          path: firecracker-inputs
+
+      - name: Publish the tested candidate
+        env:
+          BOT_BOTTLE_INFRA_ARTIFACT_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.BOT_BOTTLE_INFRA_ARTIFACT_TOKEN }}
+          BOT_BOTTLE_FC_DROPBEAR: ${{ github.workspace }}/firecracker-inputs/dropbear
+        run: python3 -m bot_bottle.backend.firecracker.publish_infra --publish-dir infra-candidate

.gitea/workflows/tracker-policy-issues.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+name: tracker-policy-issues
+
+on:
+  issues:
+    types: [opened, unlabeled]
+
+jobs:
+  label-issue:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      issues: write
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: Ensure the issue has a label
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+        run: python3 scripts/tracker_policy.py label-issue

.gitea/workflows/tracker-policy-pr.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+name: tracker-policy-pr
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    types: [opened, edited, reopened, synchronize, labeled, unlabeled]
+
+jobs:
+  check-pr:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      issues: read
+      pull-requests: read
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: Require an unlabeled PR linked to an issue
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+        run: python3 scripts/tracker_policy.py check-pr

Dockerfile.gateway

@@ -98,6 +98,9 @@ RUN pip install --no-cache-dir /src/
 
 # mitmdump -s requires a file path, not a module. Write a one-line shim that
 # re-exports `addons` from the installed package; mitmdump finds it there.
+# WORKDIR here also creates /app so the shim + COPYs below can write into it
+# (nothing created /app before this point).
+WORKDIR /app
 RUN printf 'from bot_bottle.egress_addon import addons\n' > /app/egress_addon.py
 COPY bot_bottle/egress_entrypoint.sh /app/egress-entrypoint.sh
 RUN chmod +x /app/egress-entrypoint.sh
@@ -117,8 +120,6 @@ RUN mkdir -p \
 # subset the bottle uses.
 EXPOSE 8888 9099 9418 9420 9100
 
-WORKDIR /app
-
 # PID 1 is the supervisor. It owns signal handling and exit-code
 # propagation; no `exec` chain in the entrypoint itself.
 ENTRYPOINT ["python3", "-m", "bot_bottle.gateway_init"]

README.md

@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ BOT_BOTTLE_BACKEND=firecracker ./cli.py start <agent>
 
 > **NixOS:** enable `virtualisation.docker`, ensure the KVM module is loaded (`boot.kernelModules = [ "kvm-intel" ];` or `kvm-amd`), and add your user to the `kvm` and `docker` groups. For the network pool, consume the flake module — `imports = [ inputs.bot-bottle.nixosModules.firecracker-netpool ]; services.bot-bottle-firecracker = { enable = true; owner = "you"; };` — then `nixos-rebuild switch` (imperative nft/TAP rules don't survive a rebuild; channel users can `imports = [ <bot-bottle>/nix/firecracker-netpool.nix ]`). `firecracker` isn't in nixpkgs by default as a user binary — install the release binary (pin the version) and put it on `PATH`.
 
-> **CI:** the coverage gate (`.gitea/workflows/test.yml` → `coverage` job) runs on a self-hosted runner labelled `kvm`, because the Firecracker backend's VM/SSH orchestration is exercised only by the integration suite, which needs `/dev/kvm` + the provisioned pool (a container runner would skip it and read as uncovered). Provision that runner exactly like a normal Firecracker host — `firecracker` on `PATH`, `/dev/kvm`, Docker, the cached guest kernel + static dropbear, and the pool installed as the persistent systemd unit — then register it with the `kvm` label. The unit/lint jobs still run on `ubuntu-latest`.
+> **CI:** the coverage gate (`.gitea/workflows/test.yml` → `coverage` job) runs on a self-hosted runner labelled `kvm`, because the Firecracker backend's VM/SSH orchestration is exercised only by the integration suite, which needs `/dev/kvm` + the provisioned pool (a container runner would skip it and read as uncovered). Provision that runner exactly like a normal Firecracker host — `firecracker` on `PATH`, `/dev/kvm`, the cached guest kernel + static dropbear, and the pool installed as the persistent systemd unit — then register it with the `kvm` label. A Docker-capable hosted job builds the candidate once; KVM tests boot those exact bytes, and a successful main run publishes them. The unit/lint jobs still run on `ubuntu-latest`.
 
 ```sh
 ./cli.py start <agent>   # builds the image on first run, drops you into claude
@@ -173,6 +173,15 @@ When an outbound DLP detector matches a token, the route's `dlp.outbound_on_matc
 
 More examples in `examples/`. Full design lives under `docs/prds/`; the trust-boundary rationale is in `docs/prds/0011-per-file-md-manifest.md`.
 
+## Tracker policy
+
+Issues are the canonical work items and own all tracker labels; every issue
+must have at least one. Pull requests stay unlabeled and deliberately reference
+an issue with `Closes #…`, `Part of #…`, or another form defined in
+[`ADR 0005`](docs/decisions/0005-issues-own-tracker-metadata.md). Gitea Actions
+enforces the convention for new work from 2026-07-18 onward. Earlier closed
+PRs are grandfathered rather than given artificial retrospective issues.
+
 ## Trademarks
 
 bot-bottle is an independent project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Anthropic, PBC. "Claude" and "Claude Code" are trademarks of Anthropic, PBC; the project name uses "claude" descriptively to indicate that the tool runs Claude Code inside a sandbox.

bot_bottle/audit_store.py

@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ class AuditStore(DbStore):
         super().__init__(db_path or host_db_path(), migrations)
 
     def write_audit_entry(self, entry: AuditEntry) -> Path:
-        with self._connect() as conn:
+        with self._connection() as conn:
             conn.execute(
                 """
                 INSERT INTO supervise_audit_entries (
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ class AuditStore(DbStore):
     def read_audit_entries(self, component: str, slug: str) -> list[AuditEntry]:
         if not self.db_path.is_file():
             return []
-        with self._connect() as conn:
+        with self._connection() as conn:
             rows = conn.execute(
                 """
                 SELECT * FROM supervise_audit_entries

bot_bottle/backend/__init__.py

@@ -45,7 +45,8 @@ from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any, Generic, Sequence, TypeVar
 from ..agent_provider import AgentProvisionPlan, get_provider, build_agent_provision_plan
 from ..egress import EgressPlan
 from ..git_gate import GitGatePlan
-from ..log import die, info
+from ..log import die, info, warn
+from ..util import read_tty_line
 from ..manifest import Manifest, ManifestIndex
 from ..supervise import SupervisePlan
 from ..util import expand_tilde
@@ -648,19 +649,26 @@ def __getattr__(name: str) -> Any:
 
 def get_bottle_backend(
     name: str | None = None,
+    *,
+    prompt: bool = True,
 ) -> BottleBackend[Any, Any]:
     """Resolve the bottle backend.
 
     `name` precedence:
-      1. explicit arg (CLI `--backend=<name>` passes through here)
+      1. explicit arg (e.g. resume passes the recorded backend name)
       2. BOT_BOTTLE_BACKEND env var
-      3. `macos-container` on compatible macOS hosts
-      4. `firecracker` on KVM-capable Linux hosts
-      5. default `docker`
+      3. auto-selection: VM backend first, docker fallback with prompt
+
+    `prompt` controls whether auto-selection may block on an interactive
+    [i/d/q] prompt when falling back to docker. Pass `prompt=False` in
+    non-interactive contexts (headless launches, CI) so the call dies
+    with an actionable message instead of hanging.
 
     Dies with a pointer at the known backends if the chosen name
     isn't implemented."""
-    resolved = name or os.environ.get("BOT_BOTTLE_BACKEND") or _default_backend_name()
+    resolved = name or os.environ.get("BOT_BOTTLE_BACKEND")
+    if resolved is None:
+        resolved = _auto_select_backend(prompt=prompt)
     backends = _get_backends()
     if resolved not in backends:
         known = ", ".join(sorted(backends))
@@ -668,7 +676,35 @@ def get_bottle_backend(
     return backends[resolved]
 
 
-def _default_backend_name() -> str:
+def _platform_vm_suggestion() -> str:
+    """Platform-appropriate VM backend name for install suggestions."""
+    return "macos-container" if sys.platform == "darwin" else "firecracker"
+
+
+def _print_vm_install_instructions() -> None:
+    """Print platform-appropriate VM backend install instructions to stderr."""
+    vm = _platform_vm_suggestion()
+    if vm == "macos-container":
+        info("Install Apple Container: https://github.com/apple/container/releases")
+        info("Then start the service:  container system start")
+    else:
+        info("Install Firecracker: https://github.com/firecracker-microvm/firecracker/releases")
+        info("Configure the host:  ./cli.py backend setup")
+
+
+def _auto_select_backend(prompt: bool = True) -> str:
+    """Tier-1 / tier-2 backend auto-selection.
+
+    Tier 1: VM backend — macos-container on macOS when Apple Container is
+    installed; firecracker on KVM-capable Linux even before the binary is
+    present (its preflight prints an install pointer).
+
+    Tier 2: docker, with a security warning and an interactive prompt.
+    When `prompt=False` (headless / CI), dies with an actionable message
+    instead of blocking on a TTY read. When docker is also absent, prints
+    VM install instructions and exits.
+    """
+    # --- Tier 1: VM backend -----------------------------------------
     if has_backend("macos-container"):
         return "macos-container"
     # A KVM-capable Linux host defaults to firecracker even when the
@@ -678,7 +714,37 @@ def _default_backend_name() -> str:
     from .firecracker import FirecrackerBottleBackend
     if FirecrackerBottleBackend.is_host_capable():
         return "firecracker"
-    return "docker"
+
+    # --- Tier 2: docker fallback ------------------------------------
+    if not has_backend("docker"):
+        info("No backend available on this host.")
+        _print_vm_install_instructions()
+        die("no backend available; install a VM backend and re-run")
+
+    vm = _platform_vm_suggestion()
+    warn(
+        "docker is less secure than VM backends — "
+        "containers share the host kernel."
+    )
+    if not prompt:
+        die(
+            f"no VM backend available; set BOT_BOTTLE_BACKEND=docker to proceed "
+            f"with docker, or install the {vm!r} backend."
+        )
+    sys.stderr.write(
+        f"bot-bottle: For better isolation, install the {vm!r} backend.\n"
+        f"  [i] show {vm} install instructions and exit\n"
+        "  [d] use docker anyway\n"
+        "  [q] quit\n"
+        "bot-bottle: choice [i/d/q]: "
+    )
+    sys.stderr.flush()
+    reply = read_tty_line().strip().lower()
+    if reply == "d":
+        return "docker"
+    if reply == "i":
+        _print_vm_install_instructions()
+    die("not proceeding with docker; install a VM backend or set BOT_BOTTLE_BACKEND=docker")
 
 
 def known_backend_names() -> tuple[str, ...]:

bot_bottle/backend/docker/setup.py

@@ -27,10 +27,14 @@ def _docker_on_path() -> bool:
 def _daemon_reachable() -> bool:
     if not _docker_on_path():
         return False
-    return subprocess.run(
-        ["docker", "info"],
-        stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL, stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL, check=False,
-    ).returncode == 0
+    try:
+        return subprocess.run(
+            ["docker", "info"],
+            stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL, stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL,
+            check=False, timeout=5,
+        ).returncode == 0
+    except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
+        return False
 
 
 def _print_install_pointer() -> None:

bot_bottle/backend/firecracker/image_builder.py

@@ -38,25 +38,39 @@ _BUILD_TIMEOUT_SECONDS = 900.0
 
 
 def _dockerfile_hash(dockerfile: Path) -> str:
-    """Cache key: the Dockerfile's content. The shipped agent Dockerfiles
-    COPY nothing from the build context (see .dockerignore), so their content
-    fully determines the image; a Dockerfile that adds COPY will want the
+    """The Dockerfile's content hash. The shipped agent Dockerfiles COPY
+    nothing from the build context (see .dockerignore), so their content fully
+    determines the built image; a Dockerfile that adds COPY will want the
     context folded in here too."""
     return hashlib.sha256(dockerfile.read_bytes()).hexdigest()[:16]
 
 
+def _rootfs_digest(dockerfile: Path) -> str:
+    """Cache key for the built AND boot-injected agent rootfs. Two inputs
+    determine the on-disk rootfs: the Dockerfile (the image) and the guest init
+    injected into it (`util._GUEST_INIT`). Folding the init in means a fix to
+    it — e.g. making /tmp world-writable — busts the cache instead of silently
+    reusing a stale rootfs built with the old init."""
+    h = hashlib.sha256()
+    h.update(_dockerfile_hash(dockerfile).encode())
+    h.update(b"\0")
+    h.update(util._GUEST_INIT.encode())
+    return h.hexdigest()[:16]
+
+
 def build_agent_rootfs_dir(
     dockerfile: Path, *, image_tag: str, smoke_test: tuple[str, ...] = (),
 ) -> Path:
     """Build `dockerfile` in the infra VM (buildah, no host docker), export its
     rootfs, inject the guest boot bits, and return the cached base dir — the
-    same shape `util.build_rootfs_ext4` consumes. Cached by Dockerfile content,
-    so a repeat launch skips the rebuild.
+    same shape `util.build_rootfs_ext4` consumes. Cached by Dockerfile content
+    + injected guest init, so a repeat launch skips the rebuild but an init or
+    Dockerfile change rebuilds.
 
     `smoke_test` (the provider's declared argv, e.g. `("claude","--version")`)
     is run in the freshly built image before export, catching an npm
     silent-failure image at build time rather than at first agent use."""
-    digest = _dockerfile_hash(dockerfile)
+    digest = _rootfs_digest(dockerfile)
     base = util.cache_dir() / "rootfs" / f"agent-{digest}"
     if (base / ".bb-ready").is_file():
         info(f"using cached agent rootfs {base.name}")

bot_bottle/backend/firecracker/infra_artifact.py

@@ -85,6 +85,11 @@ def infra_artifact_version(init_script: str, *, repo_root: Path = _REPO_ROOT) ->
         h.update(name.encode())
         h.update(b"\0")
         h.update((repo_root / name).read_bytes())
+    h.update(b"pyproject.toml\0")
+    h.update((repo_root / "pyproject.toml").read_bytes())
+    h.update(b"dropbear\0")
+    dropbear = util.dropbear_path()
+    h.update(dropbear.read_bytes() if dropbear.is_file() else b"<missing>")
     h.update(b"init\0")
     h.update(init_script.encode())
     return h.hexdigest()[:16]
@@ -111,6 +116,7 @@ def artifact_url(version: str, filename: str) -> str:
 
 _GZ_NAME = "rootfs.ext4.gz"
 _SHA_NAME = "rootfs.ext4.gz.sha256"
+_CANDIDATE_DIR_ENV = "BOT_BOTTLE_INFRA_ARTIFACT_DIR"
 
 
 def _cache_root(version: str) -> Path:
@@ -160,6 +166,33 @@ def ensure_artifact_gz(version: str) -> Path:
     """The verified, cached `rootfs.ext4.gz` for `version` — downloading it (and
     its `.sha256`) once, then reusing it. Fail-closed on a checksum mismatch:
     the partial is removed and we die rather than boot an unverified rootfs."""
+    candidate_dir = os.environ.get(_CANDIDATE_DIR_ENV, "").strip()
+    if candidate_dir:
+        root = Path(candidate_dir)
+        version_file = root / "version.txt"
+        # Guard the read so a missing version.txt is a clean error, not a raw
+        # FileNotFoundError.
+        if not version_file.is_file():
+            die(f"infra candidate bundle is incomplete: {root}")
+        declared = version_file.read_text(encoding="utf-8").strip()
+        if declared != version:
+            die(
+                f"infra candidate version mismatch: expected {version}, "
+                f"bundle contains {declared or '<empty>'}"
+            )
+        gz = root / _GZ_NAME
+        sha = root / _SHA_NAME
+        if not gz.is_file() or not sha.is_file():
+            die(f"infra candidate bundle is incomplete: {root}")
+        expected = sha.read_text().split()[0].strip().lower()
+        actual = _sha256_file(gz)
+        if actual != expected:
+            die(
+                f"infra candidate checksum mismatch for {version}:\n"
+                f"    expected {expected}\n    actual   {actual}"
+            )
+        return gz
+
     root = _cache_root(version)
     root.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
     gz = root / _GZ_NAME

bot_bottle/backend/firecracker/infra_vm.py

@@ -161,20 +161,23 @@ def ensure_running() -> InfraVm:
     slot = netpool.orch_slot()
     url = f"http://{slot.guest_ip}:{CONTROL_PLANE_PORT}"
     key = _infra_dir() / "id_ed25519"
-    if key.exists() and _health_ok(url):
+    want = _expected_version()
+    if _adoptable(key, url, want):
         info(f"adopting running infra VM at {url}")
         return InfraVm(guest_ip=slot.guest_ip, private_key=key)
 
     with _singleton_lock():
         # Re-check under the lock: another launcher may have booted it while
         # we waited for the lock (double-checked, so we adopt not re-boot).
-        if key.exists() and _health_ok(url):
+        if _adoptable(key, url, want):
             info(f"adopting running infra VM at {url}")
             return InfraVm(guest_ip=slot.guest_ip, private_key=key)
-        stop()  # clear a stale/hung VM holding the link before booting fresh
+        # Clear a stale/hung/OUTDATED VM holding the link before booting fresh.
+        stop()
         ensure_built()
         infra = boot()
         wait_for_health(infra)
+        _record_booted_version(want)
         return infra
 
 
@@ -193,9 +196,15 @@ def _singleton_lock() -> Generator[None, None, None]:
 
 
 def stop() -> None:
-    """Stop the infra VM singleton (idempotent — absent is success)."""
+    """Stop the infra VM singleton (idempotent — absent is success). Reaps the
+    recorded VMM AND any orphaned firecracker still bound to the infra config —
+    the PID file drifts after crashes / out-of-band kills, and a survivor would
+    hold the orchestrator TAP so the next boot dies with "tap … Resource busy".
+    Drops the version marker so a stopped VM is never treated as adoptable."""
     _kill_pidfile()
+    _kill_infra_firecrackers()
     _pid_file().unlink(missing_ok=True)
+    _version_file().unlink(missing_ok=True)
 
 
 def boot() -> InfraVm:
@@ -238,6 +247,36 @@ def _pid_file() -> Path:
     return _infra_dir() / "vm.pid"
 
 
+def _version_file() -> Path:
+    """Records the infra-artifact version the *running* VM booted from, so a
+    later launcher can tell whether the singleton it found is the current code.
+    Without it, a healthy VM built from an older image gets adopted forever and
+    the new code never boots — every infra change would need an out-of-band
+    kill to dislodge the stale VM (and races whatever launched next)."""
+    return _infra_dir() / "booted-version"
+
+
+def _expected_version() -> str:
+    return infra_artifact.infra_artifact_version(_infra_init())
+
+
+def _adoptable(key: Path, url: str, want: str) -> bool:
+    """Adopt a running infra VM only if it booted from the CURRENT version and
+    its control plane is healthy. A missing/mismatched marker means a prior
+    launcher booted an older infra image — reboot rather than reuse stale code."""
+    if not key.exists():
+        return False
+    try:
+        booted = _version_file().read_text(encoding="utf-8").strip()
+    except OSError:
+        return False
+    return booted == want and _health_ok(url)
+
+
+def _record_booted_version(version: str) -> None:
+    _version_file().write_text(version + "\n", encoding="utf-8")
+
+
 # The registry "volume": a host-side ext4 file attached to the infra VM as a
 # second virtio-block device (guest /dev/vdb), mounted at the control plane's
 # DB dir. It outlives the ephemeral rootfs, so the bottle registry survives an
@@ -309,6 +348,28 @@ def _kill_pidfile() -> None:
         pass
 
 
+def _kill_infra_firecrackers(proc_root: Path = Path("/proc")) -> None:
+    """SIGKILL any firecracker VMM whose `--config-file` is this host's infra
+    config, independent of the PID file — reaps orphans it lost track of so the
+    orchestrator TAP is free to rebind. Scoped to the infra config path, so the
+    interactive pool's agent/infra VMs (other config paths) are untouched."""
+    cfg = str(_infra_dir() / "config.json")
+    for entry in proc_root.iterdir():
+        if not entry.name.isdigit():
+            continue
+        try:
+            if (entry / "comm").read_text().strip() != "firecracker":
+                continue
+            args = (entry / "cmdline").read_bytes().split(b"\0")
+        except OSError:
+            continue  # process vanished / not ours
+        if any(a.decode("utf-8", "replace") == cfg for a in args):
+            try:
+                os.kill(int(entry.name), signal.SIGKILL)
+            except (OSError, ValueError):
+                pass
+
+
 def _health_ok(url: str) -> bool:
     try:
         with urllib.request.urlopen(f"{url}/health", timeout=1.0) as resp:
@@ -433,7 +494,7 @@ BOT_BOTTLE_ROOT=/var/lib/bot-bottle python3 -m bot_bottle.orchestrator \\
 BOT_BOTTLE_GATEWAY_DAEMONS=egress,git-http,supervise \\
 BOT_BOTTLE_ORCHESTRATOR_URL=http://127.0.0.1:{CONTROL_PLANE_PORT} \\
 SUPERVISE_DB_PATH=/var/lib/bot-bottle/db/bot-bottle.db \\
-    python3 /app/gateway_init.py &
+    python3 -m bot_bottle.gateway_init &
 
 # Reap as PID 1; children are backgrounded, so `wait` blocks.
 while : ; do wait ; done

bot_bottle/backend/firecracker/publish_infra.py

@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@ The `<version>` is `infra_artifact.infra_artifact_version(...)`, the content
 hash of the rootfs inputs, so a launch host at the same code checkout resolves
 the exact artifact this produced.
 
-  python3 -m bot_bottle.backend.firecracker.publish_infra [--dry-run] [--force]
+  python3 -m bot_bottle.backend.firecracker.publish_infra --output DIR
+  python3 -m bot_bottle.backend.firecracker.publish_infra --publish-dir DIR
 
 Auth: a token with `write:package` on the target owner, from
 `BOT_BOTTLE_INFRA_ARTIFACT_TOKEN`.
@@ -24,7 +25,6 @@ import gzip
 import hashlib
 import shutil
 import sys
-import tempfile
 import urllib.error
 import urllib.request
 from pathlib import Path
@@ -131,36 +131,79 @@ def build_artifact(out_dir: Path) -> tuple[str, Path, Path]:
     return version, gz, sha
 
 
+def _publish_bundle(root: Path, token: str) -> str:
+    version_file = root / "version.txt"
+    # Guard the read so a missing version.txt is a clean error, not a raw
+    # FileNotFoundError.
+    if not version_file.is_file():
+        raise SystemExit(f"incomplete artifact bundle: {root}")
+    version = version_file.read_text(encoding="utf-8").strip()
+    expected = infra_artifact.infra_artifact_version(infra_vm._infra_init())
+    if version != expected:
+        raise SystemExit(
+            f"artifact bundle version {version!r} does not match checkout {expected!r}"
+        )
+    gz = root / "rootfs.ext4.gz"
+    sha = root / "rootfs.ext4.gz.sha256"
+    if not gz.is_file() or not sha.is_file():
+        raise SystemExit(f"incomplete artifact bundle: {root}")
+    expected_sha = sha.read_text().split()[0].strip().lower()
+    if _sha256(gz) != expected_sha:
+        raise SystemExit("artifact bundle checksum mismatch")
+
+    gz_url = infra_artifact.artifact_url(version, gz.name)
+    sha_url = infra_artifact.artifact_url(version, sha.name)
+    about_url = infra_artifact.artifact_url(version, _ABOUT_NAME)
+
+    # Publishing is idempotent. If this exact complete artifact is already
+    # present, a test-only main commit is a no-op. Otherwise clear any partial
+    # upload left by an interrupted prior attempt and upload the complete set.
+    try:
+        with urllib.request.urlopen(infra_artifact._open(sha_url)) as resp:
+            remote_sha = resp.read().decode("utf-8").split()[0].strip().lower()
+    except urllib.error.HTTPError as e:
+        if e.code != 404:
+            raise SystemExit(f"checking existing artifact failed (HTTP {e.code})")
+        remote_sha = ""
+    except urllib.error.URLError as e:
+        raise SystemExit(f"registry unreachable: {sha_url} ({e.reason})")
+    if remote_sha == expected_sha:
+        print(f"infra rootfs {version} already published")
+        return version
+
+    for url in (gz_url, sha_url, about_url):
+        _delete(url, token)
+    _put(gz_url, gz, token)
+    _put(sha_url, sha.read_bytes(), token)
+    _put(about_url, _ABOUT_TEXT.encode(), token)
+    return version
+
+
 def main(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> int:
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
         prog="publish_infra", description="Build + publish the infra rootfs artifact.")
-    parser.add_argument("--dry-run", action="store_true",
-                        help="build the artifact but do not upload")
-    parser.add_argument("--force", action="store_true",
-                        help="overwrite an already-published artifact of this version")
+    mode = parser.add_mutually_exclusive_group(required=True)
+    mode.add_argument("--output", type=Path,
+                      help="build a candidate bundle in DIR without publishing")
+    mode.add_argument("--publish-dir", type=Path,
+                      help="publish an already-built and tested candidate bundle")
     args = parser.parse_args(argv)
 
     _, _, token = infra_artifact._config()
-    if not args.dry_run and not token:
+    if args.publish_dir is not None and not token:
         raise SystemExit(
             "no publish token: set BOT_BOTTLE_INFRA_ARTIFACT_TOKEN to a token "
             "with write:package")
 
-    with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory(prefix="bb-publish-infra.") as tmp:
-        version, gz, sha = build_artifact(Path(tmp))
-        gz_url = infra_artifact.artifact_url(version, gz.name)
-        sha_url = infra_artifact.artifact_url(version, sha.name)
-        about_url = infra_artifact.artifact_url(version, _ABOUT_NAME)
-        if args.dry_run:
-            print(f"dry-run: would upload -> {gz_url}")
-            return 0
-        if args.force:
-            _delete(gz_url, token)
-            _delete(sha_url, token)
-            _delete(about_url, token)
-        _put(gz_url, gz, token)  # streamed from disk (hundreds of MB)
-        _put(sha_url, sha.read_bytes(), token)  # tiny, in-memory is fine
-        _put(about_url, _ABOUT_TEXT.encode(), token)  # package description
+    if args.output is not None:
+        args.output.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        version, _gz, _sha = build_artifact(args.output)
+        (args.output / "version.txt").write_text(version + "\n", encoding="utf-8")
+        print(f"built infra rootfs candidate {version}")
+        return 0
+
+    assert args.publish_dir is not None
+    version = _publish_bundle(args.publish_dir, token)
     print(f"published infra rootfs {version}")
     return 0
 

bot_bottle/backend/firecracker/util.py

@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ def require_firecracker() -> None:
     booting a VM without it."""
     if not is_linux():
         die("firecracker backend is only supported on Linux (KVM). "
-            "On macOS use --backend=macos-container.")
+            "On macOS use the macos-container backend.")
     if shutil.which("firecracker") is None:
         info("Firecracker is required but was not found on PATH.")
         info("Install: https://github.com/firecracker-microvm/firecracker/releases")
@@ -368,6 +368,11 @@ mount -t devtmpfs dev /dev 2>/dev/null
 mkdir -p /dev/pts && mount -t devpts devpts /dev/pts 2>/dev/null
 mount -o remount,rw / 2>/dev/null
 
+# /tmp must be world-writable + sticky. The rootless rootfs build can land
+# it 0755/root-owned, leaving the agent (uid 1000 node) unable to create
+# scratch dirs there — git worktrees, build temp, `git init /tmp/...`, etc.
+mkdir -p /tmp && chmod 1777 /tmp
+
 # Install the per-bottle SSH pubkey from the kernel cmdline.
 KEY=$(sed -n 's/.*bb_pubkey=\([^ ]*\).*/\1/p' /proc/cmdline | base64 -d 2>/dev/null)
 if [ -n "$KEY" ]; then

bot_bottle/backend/macos_container/bottle.py

@@ -68,9 +68,14 @@ class MacosContainerBottle(Bottle):
         # reaches the agent (PRD 0070): registration mints it *after* the
         # container exists — its source IP is the registration key and Apple
         # Container assigns that by DHCP — so it cannot be in the run-time env
-        # the way docker's compose spec does it. `container exec --env` wins
-        # over the run-time value, so the token-bearing proxy URL set here
-        # supersedes the token-less one baked in at launch.
+        # the way docker's compose spec does it.
+        #
+        # `container exec --env` does NOT override a run-time value — it
+        # appends, leaving duplicate entries in the agent's `environ` whose
+        # resolution is runtime-specific (Node last-wins, Rust first-wins). So
+        # nothing here may rely on superseding: the proxy vars are supplied
+        # *only* at exec time and are deliberately absent from the run-time
+        # env. See `launch._agent_env_entries`.
         self._exec_env = dict(exec_env or {})
         self._closed = False
 

bot_bottle/backend/macos_container/enumerate.py

@@ -8,7 +8,11 @@ from ...bottle_state import read_metadata
 from .. import ActiveAgent
 from .infra import INFRA_NAME
 
-_PREFIX = "bot-bottle-"
+# The name every agent container carries: `bot-bottle-<slug>`. Exported
+# because callers that act on a running bottle (gateway-host rewrites,
+# registry reconciliation) have to map an enumerated slug back to a
+# container name.
+CONTAINER_NAME_PREFIX = "bot-bottle-"
 # The shared per-host infra container carries the same prefix as agent
 # containers but is infrastructure, not a bottle — one control plane + gateway
 # serves every agent, so listing it as an agent would invent one per host.
@@ -26,9 +30,9 @@ def enumerate_active() -> list[ActiveAgent]:
         return []
     out: list[ActiveAgent] = []
     for name in sorted(line.strip() for line in result.stdout.splitlines()):
-        if not name.startswith(_PREFIX) or name in _INFRA_NAMES:
+        if not name.startswith(CONTAINER_NAME_PREFIX) or name in _INFRA_NAMES:
             continue
-        slug = name[len(_PREFIX):]
+        slug = name[len(CONTAINER_NAME_PREFIX):]
         metadata = read_metadata(slug)
         out.append(ActiveAgent(
             backend_name="macos-container",

bot_bottle/backend/macos_container/gateway_hosts.py

@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+"""Stable gateway name for macOS agents, via each bottle's `/etc/hosts`.
+
+The shared gateway's address is assigned by vmnet's DHCP and changes whenever
+the infra container is recreated — a source-hash bump, an image upgrade, a
+crash. Every agent-facing URL (egress proxy, git-http, supervise) embeds that
+address, and the proxy URL reaches the agent as **process environment** at
+`container exec` time. A running process's `environ` cannot be rewritten from
+outside, so a moved gateway used to strand every running bottle permanently:
+not degraded, unreachable, until the bottle was relaunched and its session
+thrown away.
+
+So the agent never learns the address. It is given a stable *name*
+(`GATEWAY_HOSTNAME`) in every URL, resolved through its own `/etc/hosts`.
+Unlike `environ`, that is a file — it can be rewritten inside a container that
+is already running, so a gateway that comes back at a new address is picked up
+by live bottles instead of orphaning them.
+
+Apple Container 1.0 offers no container-name DNS on a user network (the only
+nameserver an agent sees is vmnet's, which does not know container names) and
+`container run` has no `--add-host`, so the entry is written by exec after the
+container starts.
+
+Writing it needs root, and the agent runs as `node`: the agent therefore
+cannot repoint its own gateway name, while the host (which drives `container
+exec --user root`) can. That asymmetry is deliberate — keep it.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from ...log import warn
+from . import util as container_mod
+from .enumerate import CONTAINER_NAME_PREFIX, enumerate_active
+
+# The name every agent-facing gateway URL uses. Must not collide with a real
+# DNS name the agent might resolve; it is bottle-local by construction.
+GATEWAY_HOSTNAME = "bot-bottle-gateway"
+
+# Marker so the rewrite is idempotent and only ever touches our own line —
+# the rest of /etc/hosts (localhost, the container's own name) is preserved.
+_MARKER = "# bot-bottle gateway"
+
+
+def _rewrite_script(gateway_ip: str) -> str:
+    """A shell one-liner that replaces our managed line in `/etc/hosts`.
+
+    Rewrites in place via a temp file + `cat` rather than `mv`, so the file
+    keeps its original inode, ownership, and mode — a bind-mounted or
+    pre-created `/etc/hosts` must not be replaced by a root-owned 0644 copy
+    that the runtime then refuses to update.
+    """
+    return (
+        "set -e; "
+        f"grep -v '{_MARKER}' /etc/hosts > /tmp/.bb-hosts || true; "
+        f"printf '%s %s %s\\n' '{gateway_ip}' '{GATEWAY_HOSTNAME}' "
+        f"'{_MARKER}' >> /tmp/.bb-hosts; "
+        "cat /tmp/.bb-hosts > /etc/hosts; "
+        "rm -f /tmp/.bb-hosts"
+    )
+
+
+def set_gateway_host(container_name: str, gateway_ip: str) -> None:
+    """Point `GATEWAY_HOSTNAME` at `gateway_ip` inside one running container.
+
+    Must run before the agent is exec'd: the agent's proxy URL names the
+    gateway, so the entry has to exist for its first connection. Idempotent —
+    re-running with the same address is a no-op in effect.
+    """
+    container_mod.exec_container_as_root(
+        container_name, ["sh", "-c", _rewrite_script(gateway_ip)],
+    )
+
+
+def refresh_gateway_host(gateway_ip: str) -> list[str]:
+    """Re-point every running bottle at the current gateway address.
+
+    Called once the shared gateway is known to be up, so a bottle stranded by
+    an earlier gateway restart re-attaches instead of needing a relaunch.
+    Returns the containers updated.
+
+    Best-effort per bottle: one container that refuses the write (already
+    exiting, say) must not stop the others from being repaired, and must not
+    fail the launch that triggered the sweep.
+    """
+    updated: list[str] = []
+    for agent in enumerate_active():
+        name = f"{CONTAINER_NAME_PREFIX}{agent.slug}"
+        try:
+            set_gateway_host(name, gateway_ip)
+            updated.append(name)
+        # One bad bottle must not stop the sweep, so this is deliberately broad.
+        except Exception as e:  # noqa: BLE001  # pylint: disable=broad-exception-caught
+            warn(f"could not re-point {name} at the gateway: {e}")
+    return updated
+
+
+__all__ = ["GATEWAY_HOSTNAME", "set_gateway_host", "refresh_gateway_host"]

bot_bottle/backend/macos_container/infra.py

@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ def _init_script(port: int) -> str:
         # Gateway data plane, multi-tenant against the local control plane.
         f"( cd /app && BOT_BOTTLE_GATEWAY_DAEMONS={_GATEWAY_DAEMONS} "
         f"BOT_BOTTLE_ORCHESTRATOR_URL=http://127.0.0.1:{port} "
-        f"SUPERVISE_DB_PATH={_DB_PATH_IN_CONTAINER} python3 /app/gateway_init.py ) &\n"
+        f"SUPERVISE_DB_PATH={_DB_PATH_IN_CONTAINER} python3 -m bot_bottle.gateway_init ) &\n"
         "while : ; do wait ; done\n"
     )
 

bot_bottle/backend/macos_container/launch.py

@@ -59,6 +59,11 @@ from ..docker.egress import EGRESS_PORT
 from ..util import AGENT_CA_BUNDLE, AGENT_CA_PATH
 from . import util as container_mod
 from .bottle import MacosContainerBottle
+from .gateway_hosts import (
+    GATEWAY_HOSTNAME,
+    refresh_gateway_host,
+    set_gateway_host,
+)
 from .bottle_plan import MacosContainerBottlePlan
 from .consolidated_launch import (
     GatewayEndpoint,
@@ -100,6 +105,11 @@ def launch(
         # Step 1: the per-host singletons. Must precede the agent run — its
         # proxy env needs the gateway's address at `container run` time.
         endpoint = ensure_gateway()
+        # The gateway's address may have changed since these bottles launched
+        # (any infra recreate re-runs DHCP). They name the gateway rather than
+        # address it, so re-pointing /etc/hosts re-attaches them in place
+        # instead of leaving them stranded until relaunch.
+        refresh_gateway_host(endpoint.gateway_ip)
 
         # Step 2: mint this bottle's deploy keys, then point it at the SHARED
         # gateway's CA + git-http/supervise ports.
@@ -117,6 +127,9 @@ def launch(
         # attribution key; `--cap-drop CAP_NET_RAW` at run is what makes it
         # unforgeable. Poll: `container run --detach` can return before vmnet's
         # DHCP has assigned the address.
+        # Resolve the gateway name before anything execs: every agent-facing
+        # URL uses it, so the entry must exist for the first connection.
+        set_gateway_host(plan.container_name, endpoint.gateway_ip)
         source_ip = container_mod.wait_container_ipv4_on_network(
             plan.container_name, endpoint.network,
         )
@@ -231,13 +244,20 @@ def _stamp_agent_urls(
 ) -> MacosContainerBottlePlan:
     """Point the agent's git-gate insteadOf rewrites + supervise MCP at the
     shared gateway's ports. Both bypass the egress proxy (NO_PROXY covers the
-    gateway address)."""
+    gateway name).
+
+    Addressed by `GATEWAY_HOSTNAME`, never by IP: these URLs are baked into
+    the agent's gitconfig and MCP config at provision time, so an address here
+    would strand the bottle the moment the gateway moved. The name is resolved
+    per connection through `/etc/hosts`, which stays rewritable while the
+    bottle runs."""
+    del endpoint  # addressed by name; the address reaches the bottle via /etc/hosts
     git_gate_url = (
-        f"http://{endpoint.gateway_ip}:{_GIT_HTTP_PORT}"
+        f"http://{GATEWAY_HOSTNAME}:{_GIT_HTTP_PORT}"
         if plan.git_gate_plan.upstreams else ""
     )
     supervise_url = (
-        f"http://{endpoint.gateway_ip}:{SUPERVISE_PORT}/"
+        f"http://{GATEWAY_HOSTNAME}:{SUPERVISE_PORT}/"
         if plan.supervise_plan is not None else ""
     )
     return dataclasses.replace(
@@ -247,30 +267,43 @@ def _stamp_agent_urls(
     )
 
 
-def _proxy_url(gateway_ip: str, identity_token: str = "") -> str:
+def _proxy_url(identity_token: str = "") -> str:
     """The agent's egress proxy URL. The identity token rides as proxy
     credentials — the gateway reads Proxy-Authorization, resolves the
     (source_ip, token) pair against the control plane, and strips it before
-    upstream. Without a valid pair `/resolve` denies the request (#366)."""
+    upstream. Without a valid pair `/resolve` denies the request (#366).
+
+    Names the gateway rather than addressing it: this URL reaches the agent as
+    process environment, which cannot be rewritten once the agent is running,
+    so an address baked here is unfixable if the gateway moves."""
     cred = f"bottle:{identity_token}@" if identity_token else ""
-    return f"http://{cred}{gateway_ip}:{EGRESS_PORT}"
+    return f"http://{cred}{GATEWAY_HOSTNAME}:{EGRESS_PORT}"
 
 
-def _no_proxy(gateway_ip: str) -> str:
+def _no_proxy() -> str:
     # git-http + supervise live on the gateway and must NOT go through the
-    # egress proxy — the agent reaches them directly by its address.
-    return f"localhost,127.0.0.1,{gateway_ip}"
+    # egress proxy — the agent reaches them directly by name. Deliberately
+    # address-free: NO_PROXY is baked into the run-time env and is therefore
+    # just as unfixable as the proxy URL if the gateway moves.
+    return f"localhost,127.0.0.1,{GATEWAY_HOSTNAME}"
 
 
 def _identity_proxy_env(
     endpoint: GatewayEndpoint, identity_token: str,
 ) -> dict[str, str]:
-    """The token-bearing proxy env applied at `container exec`. It supersedes
-    the token-less run-time value (exec `--env` wins), which is the only way to
-    get the token in: it does not exist until after the container runs."""
+    """The token-bearing proxy env applied at `container exec` — the only way
+    to get the token in, since it does not exist until after the container
+    runs (registration keys on the DHCP-assigned address).
+
+    This is the *sole* source of `*_PROXY` for the agent. It deliberately does
+    not rely on overriding a run-time value: `container exec --env` appends
+    rather than replaces, so a run-time `HTTPS_PROXY` would survive alongside
+    this one and first-wins runtimes would read the wrong entry. See
+    `_agent_env_entries`."""
     if not identity_token:
         return {}
-    url = _proxy_url(endpoint.gateway_ip, identity_token)
+    del endpoint  # the gateway is named, not addressed
+    url = _proxy_url(identity_token)
     return {
         "HTTPS_PROXY": url, "HTTP_PROXY": url,
         "https_proxy": url, "http_proxy": url,
@@ -317,16 +350,23 @@ def _agent_run_argv(
 def _agent_env_entries(
     plan: MacosContainerBottlePlan, endpoint: GatewayEndpoint,
 ) -> tuple[str, ...]:
-    # Token-less at run time — the token does not exist yet (see
-    # `_identity_proxy_env`). Anything egressing before the exec-time override
-    # is denied by `/resolve`, which is the safe direction.
-    proxy_url = _proxy_url(endpoint.gateway_ip)
-    no_proxy = _no_proxy(endpoint.gateway_ip)
+    # No `*_PROXY` here on purpose. The token-bearing URL is applied at
+    # `container exec` (`_identity_proxy_env`), and Apple's `container exec
+    # --env` **appends** to the run-time environment rather than replacing it:
+    # setting a token-less value here leaves two `HTTPS_PROXY` entries in the
+    # agent's `environ`, token-less first. Which one a runtime reads is then
+    # pure luck — Node takes the last (and worked), Rust's `std::env::var`
+    # takes the first, so Codex proxied without its identity token and
+    # `/resolve` fail-closed on every request.
+    #
+    # A token-less proxy URL has no legitimate consumer anyway: the init
+    # process is `sleep` and everything that egresses arrives via exec. Its
+    # only value was a tidy 403 for unattributed callers, which is not worth
+    # silently dropping attribution for. Without it a process that egresses
+    # before the exec-time env still fails closed — the agent network is
+    # host-only, so there is no route off it except the gateway.
+    no_proxy = _no_proxy()
     env = [
-        f"HTTPS_PROXY={proxy_url}",
-        f"HTTP_PROXY={proxy_url}",
-        f"https_proxy={proxy_url}",
-        f"http_proxy={proxy_url}",
         f"NO_PROXY={no_proxy}",
         f"no_proxy={no_proxy}",
         f"NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS={AGENT_CA_PATH}",

bot_bottle/backend/macos_container/util.py

@@ -360,6 +360,21 @@ def exec_container(name: str, argv: list[str]) -> None:
         )
 
 
+def exec_container_as_root(name: str, argv: list[str]) -> None:
+    """`exec_container`, but as uid 0 inside the container.
+
+    For host-driven maintenance the agent itself must not be able to perform —
+    rewriting `/etc/hosts` to point the gateway name at an address. The agent
+    runs as `node`, so it cannot repoint its own gateway; the host can.
+    """
+    result = _run_container_op([_CONTAINER, "exec", "--user", "root", name, *argv])
+    if result.returncode != 0:
+        die(
+            f"container exec (root) in {name} failed: "
+            f"{(result.stderr or '').strip() or '<no stderr>'}"
+        )
+
+
 def _run_container_op(cmd: list[str]) -> subprocess.CompletedProcess[str]:
     result = subprocess.run(
         cmd,

bot_bottle/cli/__init__.py

@@ -38,6 +38,13 @@ COMMANDS = {
     "supervise": cmd_supervise,
 }
 
+# Commands that manage host prerequisites (or are otherwise store-free) and
+# must run before — or without — a migrated DB. `backend` provisions/probes
+# the host (TAP pool, /dev/kvm, firecracker) and never opens the store, so
+# gating it on the schema breaks preflight on a fresh CI runner where stdin
+# isn't a TTY and the migration prompt can't be answered.
+NO_MIGRATION_COMMANDS = frozenset({"backend"})
+
 
 def usage() -> None:
     sys.stderr.write(f"usage: {PROG} <command> [args...]\n\n")
@@ -80,7 +87,7 @@ def main(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> int:
         usage()
         die(f"unknown command: {command}")
     mgr = StoreManager.instance()
-    if not mgr.is_migrated():
+    if command not in NO_MIGRATION_COMMANDS and not mgr.is_migrated():
         sys.stderr.write("bot-bottle: database schema is out of date\n")
         sys.stderr.write("Migrate now? [y/N] ")
         sys.stderr.flush()

bot_bottle/cli/_common.py

@@ -3,18 +3,10 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import os
-import sys
 from pathlib import Path
 
+from ..util import read_tty_line as read_tty_line
+
 PROG = "cli.py"
 USER_CWD = os.getcwd()
 REPO_DIR = str(Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent.parent)
-
-
-def read_tty_line() -> str:
-    """Mirror `IFS= read -r REPLY </dev/tty`. Falls back to stdin."""
-    try:
-        with open("/dev/tty", "r", encoding="utf-8") as tty:
-            return tty.readline().rstrip("\n")
-    except OSError:
-        return sys.stdin.readline().rstrip("\n")

bot_bottle/cli/cleanup.py

@@ -21,16 +21,20 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 
 import sys
 
-from ..backend import get_bottle_backend, known_backend_names
+from ..backend import get_bottle_backend, has_backend, known_backend_names
 from ..log import info
 from ._common import read_tty_line
 
 
 def cmd_cleanup(_argv: list[str]) -> int:
     # Order: stable backend iteration so the y/N output is
-    # deterministic across runs.
+    # deterministic across runs. Skip backends whose runtime
+    # isn't available on this host so e.g. macos-container
+    # doesn't error on Linux.
     plans = [
-        (name, get_bottle_backend(name)) for name in known_backend_names()
+        (name, get_bottle_backend(name))
+        for name in known_backend_names()
+        if has_backend(name)
     ]
     prepared = [(name, b, b.prepare_cleanup()) for name, b in plans]
 

bot_bottle/cli/start.py

@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ from ..backend import (
     BottleSpec,
     enumerate_active_agents,
     get_bottle_backend,
-    known_backend_names,
 )
 from ..backend.docker import util as docker_mod
 from ..backend.docker.bottle_plan import DockerBottlePlan
@@ -57,15 +56,6 @@ def cmd_start(argv: list[str]) -> int:
             "into a cached layer."
         ),
     )
-    parser.add_argument(
-        "--backend",
-        choices=known_backend_names(),
-        default=None,
-        help=(
-            "backend to launch the bottle on (default: $BOT_BOTTLE_BACKEND "
-            "or host auto-selection). Overrides the env var when set."
-        ),
-    )
     parser.add_argument(
         "--headless",
         action="store_true",
@@ -115,11 +105,10 @@ def cmd_start(argv: list[str]) -> int:
         os.environ["BOT_BOTTLE_NO_CACHE"] = "1"
 
     manifest = ManifestIndex.resolve(USER_CWD)
-    backend_name: str | None = args.backend
 
     if args.headless:
         return _start_headless(
-            manifest, args, dry_run=dry_run, backend_name=backend_name
+            manifest, args, dry_run=dry_run
         )
 
     agent_name: str | None = args.name
@@ -170,7 +159,6 @@ def cmd_start(argv: list[str]) -> int:
     return _launch_bottle(
         spec,
         dry_run=dry_run,
-        backend_name=backend_name,
     )
 
 
@@ -182,7 +170,6 @@ def _start_headless(
     args: argparse.Namespace,
     *,
     dry_run: bool,
-    backend_name: str | None,
 ) -> int:
     """Non-interactive launch path for orchestrators / CI / webhooks.
 
@@ -230,7 +217,6 @@ def _start_headless(
     return _launch_bottle(
         spec,
         dry_run=dry_run,
-        backend_name=backend_name,
         assume_yes=True,
         headless_prompt_text=prompt,
     )
@@ -268,15 +254,18 @@ def prepare_with_preflight(
     injected callable, prompt y/N via the injected callable.
 
     `backend_name` selects which backend prepares the plan
-    (`None` → `$BOT_BOTTLE_BACKEND` → host auto-selection). The CLI
-    passes whatever `--backend` resolved to.
+    (`None` → `$BOT_BOTTLE_BACKEND` → host auto-selection).
+
+    When `spec.headless` is True the docker-fallback prompt is suppressed:
+    auto-selection dies with an actionable message rather than blocking
+    on a TTY read (which would hang CI, webhook dispatch, and orchestrators).
 
     Returns `(plan, identity)`. `plan` is None on dry-run or
     operator-N, but `identity` is set as soon as `backend.prepare`
     returns so callers can reap the prepare-time state dir via
     `settle_state(identity)` in their finally — exactly the existing
     semantics."""
-    backend = get_bottle_backend(backend_name)
+    backend = get_bottle_backend(backend_name, prompt=not spec.headless)
     plan = backend.prepare(spec, stage_dir=stage_dir)
     identity = _identity_from_plan(plan)
 

bot_bottle/db_store.py

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import sqlite3
+from contextlib import contextmanager
 from pathlib import Path
 
 try:
@@ -28,12 +29,21 @@ class DbStore:
         conn.row_factory = sqlite3.Row
         return conn
 
+    @contextmanager
+    def _connection(self):
+        conn = self._connect()
+        try:
+            with conn:
+                yield conn
+        finally:
+            conn.close()
+
     def is_migrated(self) -> bool:
         """Return True if the DB is fully up-to-date, False if migration is needed."""
         if not self.db_path.exists():
             return False
         try:
-            with self._connect() as conn:
+            with self._connection() as conn:
                 row = conn.execute(
                     "SELECT version FROM schema_versions WHERE module = ?",
                     (self._migrations.schema_key,),
@@ -45,7 +55,7 @@ class DbStore:
 
     def migrate(self) -> None:
         """Apply any pending migrations and set permissions on the DB file."""
-        with self._connect() as conn:
+        with self._connection() as conn:
             self._migrations.apply(conn)
         self._chmod()
 

bot_bottle/git_gate_render.py

@@ -419,18 +419,24 @@ PY
 while IFS=' ' read -r old new ref; do
   [ -z "$ref" ] && continue
   [ "$new" = "$zero" ] && continue
-  if [ "$old" = "$zero" ]; then
-    # New ref: scan only the commits this push introduces — those
-    # reachable from $new but not from any ref the gate already has.
-    # Everything already on the gate arrived via upstream mirror-fetch
-    # or a previously gitleaks-scanned push, so it's already-upstream
-    # or already-scanned; re-scanning it (the old `$new` full-ancestry
-    # range) only resurfaces historical findings and blocks every new
-    # branch. See PRD 0028 / issue #106.
-    log_opts="$new --not --all"
-  else
-    log_opts="$old..$new"
-  fi
+  # Scan only the commits this push introduces — those reachable from
+  # $new but not from any ref the gate already has. Everything already
+  # on the gate arrived via upstream mirror-fetch or a previously
+  # gitleaks-scanned push, so it's already-upstream or already-scanned;
+  # re-scanning it only resurfaces historical fixture findings.
+  #
+  # Applies to both new refs and updates. The old existing-branch range
+  # `$old..$new` walks commits reachable from the new tip but not the
+  # *old branch tip*: on a rebase/force-push onto a freshly-advanced
+  # main that pulls in all of main's new history (incl. the deliberate
+  # sandbox-escape gitleaks fixtures), blocking the push. `--not --all`
+  # excludes anything already on the gate regardless of ancestry, so it
+  # is also correct for non-fast-forward pushes (a rebase can skip
+  # commits off the direct path). Security-equivalent per PRD 0028's
+  # analysis: the bare repo's refs come only from trusted upstream
+  # mirror-fetch or gitleaks-gated pushes.
+  # See PRD 0028 (open question) / issues #106, #346.
+  log_opts="$new --not --all"
   echo "git-gate: gitleaks scanning $ref ($log_opts)" >&2
   if ! gitleaks git --log-opts="$log_opts" --no-banner --redact 1>&2; then
     echo "git-gate: gitleaks rejected push to $ref" >&2

bot_bottle/orchestrator/registry.py

@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ class RegistryStore(DbStore):
             metadata=metadata,
             policy=policy,
         )
-        with self._connect() as conn:
+        with self._connection() as conn:
             conn.execute(
                 "DELETE FROM orchestrator_bottles "
                 "WHERE source_ip = ? AND state = 'active' AND bottle_id != ?",
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ class RegistryStore(DbStore):
     def set_policy(self, bottle_id: str, policy: str) -> bool:
         """Update a bottle's policy in place (live reload). Returns True if
         the bottle exists."""
-        with self._connect() as conn:
+        with self._connection() as conn:
             cur = conn.execute(
                 "UPDATE orchestrator_bottles SET policy = ? WHERE bottle_id = ?",
                 (policy, bottle_id),
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ class RegistryStore(DbStore):
 
     def deregister(self, bottle_id: str) -> bool:
         """Remove a bottle. Returns True if a row was deleted."""
-        with self._connect() as conn:
+        with self._connection() as conn:
             cur = conn.execute(
                 "DELETE FROM orchestrator_bottles WHERE bottle_id = ?", (bottle_id,)
             )
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ class RegistryStore(DbStore):
 
     def get(self, bottle_id: str) -> BottleRecord | None:
         """Return the bottle by id, or None if absent."""
-        with self._connect() as conn:
+        with self._connection() as conn:
             row = conn.execute(
                 "SELECT * FROM orchestrator_bottles WHERE bottle_id = ?", (bottle_id,)
             ).fetchone()
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ class RegistryStore(DbStore):
 
     def all(self) -> list[BottleRecord]:
         """Every registered bottle, oldest first."""
-        with self._connect() as conn:
+        with self._connection() as conn:
             rows = conn.execute(
                 "SELECT * FROM orchestrator_bottles ORDER BY created_at"
             ).fetchall()
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ class RegistryStore(DbStore):
         source IP is unspoofable (Firecracker `/31` + nft) and the control
         plane is reachable only by the trusted gateway; pair with the
         identity token (`attribute`) elsewhere."""
-        with self._connect() as conn:
+        with self._connection() as conn:
             rows = conn.execute(
                 "SELECT * FROM orchestrator_bottles "
                 "WHERE source_ip = ? AND state = 'active'",

bot_bottle/queue_store.py

@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ class QueueStore(DbStore):
         super().__init__(resolved, migrations)
 
     def write_proposal(self, proposal: Proposal) -> Path:
-        with self._connect() as conn:
+        with self._connection() as conn:
             conn.execute(
                 """
                 INSERT OR REPLACE INTO supervise_proposals (
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ class QueueStore(DbStore):
         return self.db_path
 
     def read_proposal(self, proposal_id: str) -> Proposal:
-        with self._connect() as conn:
+        with self._connection() as conn:
             row = conn.execute(
                 """
                 SELECT * FROM supervise_proposals
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ class QueueStore(DbStore):
     def list_pending_proposals(self) -> list[Proposal]:
         if not self.db_path.is_file():
             return []
-        with self._connect() as conn:
+        with self._connection() as conn:
             rows = conn.execute(
                 """
                 SELECT p.* FROM supervise_proposals p
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ class QueueStore(DbStore):
     def list_all_pending_proposals(self) -> list[Proposal]:
         if not self.db_path.is_file():
             return []
-        with self._connect() as conn:
+        with self._connection() as conn:
             rows = conn.execute(
                 """
                 SELECT p.* FROM supervise_proposals p
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ class QueueStore(DbStore):
         return [self._row_to_proposal(row) for row in rows]
 
     def write_response(self, response: Response) -> Path:
-        with self._connect() as conn:
+        with self._connection() as conn:
             conn.execute(
                 """
                 INSERT OR REPLACE INTO supervise_responses (
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ class QueueStore(DbStore):
         return self.db_path
 
     def read_response(self, proposal_id: str) -> Response:
-        with self._connect() as conn:
+        with self._connection() as conn:
             row = conn.execute(
                 """
                 SELECT * FROM supervise_responses
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ class QueueStore(DbStore):
     def archive_proposal(self, proposal_id: str) -> None:
         if not self.db_path.is_file():
             return
-        with self._connect() as conn:
+        with self._connection() as conn:
             conn.execute(
                 """
                 UPDATE supervise_proposals SET archived = 1

bot_bottle/supervise.py

@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ from .supervise_types import (
     STATUS_MODIFIED,
     STATUS_REJECTED,
     TOOLS,
+    TOOL_CHECK_PROPOSAL,
     TOOL_EGRESS_ALLOW,
     TOOL_EGRESS_BLOCK,
     TOOL_EGRESS_TOKEN_ALLOW,
@@ -263,6 +264,7 @@ __all__ = [
     "TOOLS",
     "EGRESS_FORWARD_PROXY",
     "EGRESS_INTROSPECT_URL",
+    "TOOL_CHECK_PROPOSAL",
     "TOOL_EGRESS_ALLOW",
     "TOOL_EGRESS_BLOCK",
     "TOOL_GITLEAKS_ALLOW",

bot_bottle/supervise_server.py

@@ -2,14 +2,24 @@
 
 Per-bottle MCP server exposing tools the agent calls to propose egress
 config changes when stuck. The tools are `egress-allow`,
-`egress-block`, and `list-egress-routes`.
+`egress-block`, `list-egress-routes`, and `check-proposal`.
 
-Each queued tool call:
+Each queued proposal tool call:
 
   1. Validates the proposed file syntactically.
   2. Writes a Proposal to the host SQLite database.
-  3. Blocks polling for a matching Response row.
-  4. Returns the operator's `{status, notes}` to the agent.
+  3. Blocks polling for a matching Response row, up to a short grace
+     window (`SUPERVISE_RESPONSE_TIMEOUT_SECONDS`, default 30s).
+  4. On a decision within the window, returns the operator's
+     `{status, notes}`. On timeout, returns `status: pending` **with the
+     proposal id** and leaves the proposal queued — the flow is
+     non-blocking past the grace window (PRD prd-new / issue #412).
+
+`check-proposal` is the non-blocking companion: given a `proposal_id`
+returned by a `pending` response, it reports the current decision
+(`pending` | `approved` | `modified` | `rejected`) without re-proposing,
+so an approval made out-of-band (e.g. a web review console) can be resumed
+without holding an HTTP request open.
 
 One shared server fronts every bottle (PRD 0070) and attributes each
 proposal to the calling bottle by source IP, resolved from the orchestrator
@@ -22,7 +32,9 @@ Speaks MCP over HTTP+JSON-RPC. Methods handled:
   * `initialize`           — handshake; returns server info + caps.
   * `notifications/initialized` — ack-only.
   * `tools/list`           — returns the tool definitions.
-  * `tools/call`           — validates, queues, blocks, returns.
+  * `tools/call`           — validates, queues, waits out the grace
+                             window, returns (pending past it); or, for
+                             `check-proposal`, a non-blocking status poll.
 
 Everything else returns JSON-RPC error -32601 (method not found).
 
@@ -232,6 +244,31 @@ TOOL_DEFINITIONS: list[dict[str, object]] = [
         ),
         "inputSchema": _proposal_input_schema(),
     },
+    {
+        "name": _sv.TOOL_CHECK_PROPOSAL,
+        "description": (
+            "Poll a previously queued proposal for the operator's decision "
+            "WITHOUT blocking or re-proposing. Pass the `proposal_id` you "
+            "got back when an `egress-allow`/`egress-block` call returned "
+            "`status: pending`. Returns the current status: `pending` (no "
+            "decision yet — poll again later), `approved`, `modified`, "
+            "`rejected`, or `unknown` (no such queued proposal — wrong id, "
+            "or it was already resolved and read)."
+        ),
+        "inputSchema": {
+            "type": "object",
+            "properties": {
+                "proposal_id": {
+                    "type": "string",
+                    "description": (
+                        "The proposal id from a `pending` response."
+                    ),
+                },
+            },
+            "required": ["proposal_id"],
+            "additionalProperties": False,
+        },
+    },
 ]
 
 
@@ -353,7 +390,7 @@ def handle_tools_call(
             deadline=deadline,
         )
     except TimeoutError:
-        text = format_pending_response_text(config.response_timeout_seconds)
+        text = format_pending_response_text(proposal.id, config.response_timeout_seconds)
         return {
             "content": [{"type": "text", "text": text}],
             "isError": False,
@@ -370,6 +407,54 @@ def handle_tools_call(
     }
 
 
+def handle_check_proposal(
+    params: dict[str, object],
+    config: ServerConfig,
+) -> dict[str, object]:
+    """Non-blocking poll of a queued proposal's decision, by id.
+
+    Never creates a Proposal (so `check-proposal` isn't in `TOOLS`); it only
+    reads the queue. Resolution order mirrors the synchronous path's terminal
+    step — a decided proposal is archived here exactly as `handle_tools_call`
+    archives it after `wait_for_response`, so `pending` proposals stay visible
+    to the operator until they're both decided *and* polled."""
+    args_raw = params.get("arguments", {})
+    if not isinstance(args_raw, dict):
+        raise _RpcClientError(ERR_INVALID_PARAMS, "tools/call 'arguments' must be an object")
+    proposal_id = args_raw.get("proposal_id")
+    if not isinstance(proposal_id, str) or not proposal_id.strip():
+        raise _RpcClientError(
+            ERR_INVALID_PARAMS,
+            "check-proposal: 'proposal_id' is required and must be a non-empty string",
+        )
+    proposal_id = proposal_id.strip()
+
+    try:
+        response = _sv.read_response(config.bottle_slug, proposal_id)
+    except FileNotFoundError:
+        # No decision yet — distinguish "still queued" from "unknown id".
+        try:
+            _sv.read_proposal(config.bottle_slug, proposal_id)
+        except FileNotFoundError:
+            return {
+                "content": [{"type": "text", "text": format_unknown_proposal_text(proposal_id)}],
+                "isError": True,
+            }
+        return {
+            "content": [{"type": "text", "text": format_still_pending_text(proposal_id)}],
+            "isError": False,
+        }
+
+    try:
+        _sv.archive_proposal(config.bottle_slug, proposal_id)
+    except OSError as e:
+        raise _RpcInternalError(f"failed to archive proposal: {e}") from e
+    return {
+        "content": [{"type": "text", "text": format_response_text(response)}],
+        "isError": response.status == _sv.STATUS_REJECTED,
+    }
+
+
 def format_response_text(response: "_sv.Response") -> str:
     """Pretty-print a Response for the tool's text content. The agent
     reads the text and decides whether to retry / give up / surface."""
@@ -382,12 +467,35 @@ def format_response_text(response: "_sv.Response") -> str:
     return "\n".join(lines)
 
 
-def format_pending_response_text(timeout_seconds: float) -> str:
+def format_pending_response_text(proposal_id: str, timeout_seconds: float) -> str:
+    """Grace-window timeout: the proposal stays queued, and the agent is
+    told the id so it can `check-proposal` instead of re-proposing."""
     return "\n".join([
         "status: pending",
+        f"proposal_id: {proposal_id}",
         (
-            "notes: operator response timed out after "
-            f"{timeout_seconds:g}s; proposal remains queued"
+            f"notes: no operator decision within {timeout_seconds:g}s; the "
+            "proposal remains queued. Poll it (do not re-propose) by calling "
+            f"`check-proposal` with proposal_id={proposal_id!r}."
+        ),
+    ])
+
+
+def format_still_pending_text(proposal_id: str) -> str:
+    return "\n".join([
+        "status: pending",
+        f"proposal_id: {proposal_id}",
+        "notes: still queued; no operator decision yet. Call `check-proposal` again later.",
+    ])
+
+
+def format_unknown_proposal_text(proposal_id: str) -> str:
+    return "\n".join([
+        "status: unknown",
+        f"proposal_id: {proposal_id}",
+        (
+            "notes: no queued proposal with this id for this bottle — the id "
+            "may be wrong, or the proposal was already resolved and read."
         ),
     ])
 
@@ -482,6 +590,11 @@ class MCPHandler(http.server.BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
             # — silently dropping base routes like api.anthropic.com on approval.
             if req.params.get("name") == _sv.TOOL_LIST_EGRESS_ROUTES:
                 return self._resolved_routes_payload()
+            # `check-proposal` is a non-blocking read of the calling bottle's
+            # own queue — attributed by source IP like a proposal, but it
+            # never queues or blocks.
+            if req.params.get("name") == _sv.TOOL_CHECK_PROPOSAL:
+                return handle_check_proposal(req.params, self._attributed_config(config))
             # Attribute the proposal to the source-IP-resolved bottle, so the one
             # shared server queues each bottle's proposal under its own slug.
             return handle_tools_call(req.params, self._attributed_config(config))

bot_bottle/supervise_types.py

@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ TOOL_EGRESS_ALLOW = "egress-allow"
 TOOL_GITLEAKS_ALLOW = "gitleaks-allow"
 TOOL_EGRESS_TOKEN_ALLOW = "egress-token-allow"
 TOOL_LIST_EGRESS_ROUTES = "list-egress-routes"
+# Read-only agent tool: poll a queued proposal for the operator's decision
+# without blocking or re-proposing. It never becomes a `Proposal.tool` (no
+# queue record is created for it), so it is intentionally NOT in `TOOLS`.
+TOOL_CHECK_PROPOSAL = "check-proposal"
 TOOLS: tuple[str, ...] = (
     TOOL_EGRESS_ALLOW,
     TOOL_EGRESS_BLOCK,
@@ -156,6 +160,7 @@ __all__ = [
     "TOOLS",
     "TOOL_EGRESS_ALLOW",
     "TOOL_EGRESS_BLOCK",
+    "TOOL_CHECK_PROPOSAL",
     "TOOL_EGRESS_TOKEN_ALLOW",
     "TOOL_GITLEAKS_ALLOW",
     "TOOL_LIST_EGRESS_ROUTES",

bot_bottle/util.py

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 
 import ipaddress
 import os
+import sys
 
 
 def is_ip_literal(value: str) -> bool:
@@ -17,6 +18,15 @@ def is_ip_literal(value: str) -> bool:
     return True
 
 
+def read_tty_line() -> str:
+    """Mirror `IFS= read -r REPLY </dev/tty`. Falls back to stdin."""
+    try:
+        with open("/dev/tty", "r", encoding="utf-8") as tty:
+            return tty.readline().rstrip("\n")
+    except OSError:
+        return sys.stdin.readline().rstrip("\n")
+
+
 def expand_tilde(path: str) -> str:
     """Expand a leading '~' to $HOME. Leaves paths without a leading
     tilde unchanged. Falls back to the empty string if $HOME is unset

docs/decisions/0005-issues-own-tracker-metadata.md

@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+# ADR 0005: Keep tracker metadata on issues
+
+- **Status:** Accepted
+- **Date:** 2026-07-18
+- **Deciders:** didericis
+
+## Context
+
+Gitea exposes labels on both issues and pull requests. Applying the same labels
+to both copies planning metadata, creates a synchronization obligation, and
+makes disagreements between the two records possible. At the same time,
+unlabelled objects look accidental unless the repository states which object
+owns the metadata.
+
+The repository already uses issues as work items and PRs as implementations of
+those work items. At this decision's cutoff, all open PRs reference issues, but
+121 of 219 historically merged PRs do not. Manufacturing retrospective issues
+for that history would create records that never participated in planning and
+would make the issue history less truthful.
+
+## Decision
+
+Issues are the canonical tracker records and own labels. Every issue has at
+least one label. An issue opened or left without labels receives
+`Status/Needs Triage` automatically until it is classified.
+
+Pull requests carry no labels. Every new PR deliberately references at least
+one existing issue in its title or description with one of these forms:
+
+- `Closes #123`, `Fixes #123`, or `Resolves #123` when merging completes it.
+- `Part of #123`, `Related to #123`, `Refs #123`, or `References #123` when it
+  contributes without completing it.
+
+Gitea Actions enforces both PR rules as a status check and repairs the empty
+issue-label state. Branch protection makes the PR policy check required.
+
+The policy applies from 2026-07-18 onward. Existing issues may be labelled as
+they are encountered, but closed PRs are grandfathered: no retrospective
+issues or PR labels are created solely to make history conform.
+
+## Consequences
+
+- Classification, priority, and workflow metadata have one source of truth.
+- A PR's issue link is the navigation path to its planning metadata.
+- Multi-PR issues do not require copied or synchronized labels.
+- `Status/Needs Triage` is an intentional fallback, not a final
+  classification.
+- Direct issue creation remains convenient; automation repairs a missing label
+  immediately after creation because Gitea has no native required-label rule.
+- The required check must be configured in branch protection after this
+  workflow lands.
+
+## Links
+
+- Issue #405.
+- `.gitea/workflows/tracker-policy.yml`.
+- `scripts/tracker_policy.py`.

docs/prds/0023-smolmachines-backend.md

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # PRD 0023: smolmachines bottle backend
 
-> **Superseded (2026-07-11).** The smolmachines backend was removed — Linux now uses the Firecracker backend, macOS uses macos-container. Kept as a historical record; see the removal commit `c07ebca` and `docs/research/landscape-containerized-claude.md`.
+> **Superseded (2026-07-11).** The smolmachines backend was removed — Linux now uses the Firecracker backend, macOS uses macos-container. Kept as a historical record; see the removal commit `c07ebca` and `docs/research/agent-sandbox-landscape.md`.
 
 - **Status:** Superseded (2026-07-11) — was Active
 - **Author:** didericis

docs/prds/0032-smolmachines-launch-decomposition.md

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # PRD 0032: Decompose smolmachines launch and harden bringup sequencing
 
-> **Superseded (2026-07-11).** The smolmachines backend was removed — Linux now uses the Firecracker backend, macOS uses macos-container. Kept as a historical record; see the removal commit `c07ebca` and `docs/research/landscape-containerized-claude.md`.
+> **Superseded (2026-07-11).** The smolmachines backend was removed — Linux now uses the Firecracker backend, macOS uses macos-container. Kept as a historical record; see the removal commit `c07ebca` and `docs/research/agent-sandbox-landscape.md`.
 
 - **Status:** Superseded (2026-07-11) — was Active
 - **Author:** didericis-claude

docs/prds/0038-smolmachines-env-contract.md

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # PRD 0038: smolmachines Env Contract and Secret-Safe Injection
 
-> **Superseded (2026-07-11).** The smolmachines backend was removed — Linux now uses the Firecracker backend, macOS uses macos-container. Kept as a historical record; see the removal commit `c07ebca` and `docs/research/landscape-containerized-claude.md`.
+> **Superseded (2026-07-11).** The smolmachines backend was removed — Linux now uses the Firecracker backend, macOS uses macos-container. Kept as a historical record; see the removal commit `c07ebca` and `docs/research/agent-sandbox-landscape.md`.
 
 - **Status:** Superseded (2026-07-11) — was Active
 - **Author:** didericis-codex

docs/prds/0039-smolmachines-capability-remediation.md

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # PRD 0039: smolmachines Capability-Block Remediation
 
-> **Superseded (2026-07-11).** The smolmachines backend was removed — Linux now uses the Firecracker backend, macOS uses macos-container. Kept as a historical record; see the removal commit `c07ebca` and `docs/research/landscape-containerized-claude.md`.
+> **Superseded (2026-07-11).** The smolmachines backend was removed — Linux now uses the Firecracker backend, macOS uses macos-container. Kept as a historical record; see the removal commit `c07ebca` and `docs/research/agent-sandbox-landscape.md`.
 
 - **Status:** Superseded (2026-07-11) — was Active
 - **Author:** didericis-codex

docs/prds/0042-smolmachines-parity-tests.md

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # PRD 0042: smolmachines Cross-Backend Parity Tests
 
-> **Superseded (2026-07-11).** The smolmachines backend was removed — Linux now uses the Firecracker backend, macOS uses macos-container. Kept as a historical record; see the removal commit `c07ebca` and `docs/research/landscape-containerized-claude.md`.
+> **Superseded (2026-07-11).** The smolmachines backend was removed — Linux now uses the Firecracker backend, macOS uses macos-container. Kept as a historical record; see the removal commit `c07ebca` and `docs/research/agent-sandbox-landscape.md`.
 
 - **Status:** Superseded (2026-07-11) — was Active
 - **Author:** didericis-codex

docs/prds/0057-smolmachines-default.md

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # PRD 0057: Promote smolmachines to default backend; convert Docker to example-only
 
-> **Superseded (2026-07-11).** The smolmachines backend was removed — Linux now uses the Firecracker backend, macOS uses macos-container. Kept as a historical record; see the removal commit `c07ebca` and `docs/research/landscape-containerized-claude.md`.
+> **Superseded (2026-07-11).** The smolmachines backend was removed — Linux now uses the Firecracker backend, macOS uses macos-container. Kept as a historical record; see the removal commit `c07ebca` and `docs/research/agent-sandbox-landscape.md`.
 
 - **Status:** Superseded (2026-07-11) — was Active
 - **Author:** didericis

docs/prds/0068-smolmachines-linux.md

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # PRD 0068: smolmachines backend on Linux
 
-> **Superseded (2026-07-11).** The smolmachines backend was removed — Linux now uses the Firecracker backend, macOS uses macos-container. Kept as a historical record; see the removal commit `c07ebca` and `docs/research/landscape-containerized-claude.md`.
+> **Superseded (2026-07-11).** The smolmachines backend was removed — Linux now uses the Firecracker backend, macOS uses macos-container. Kept as a historical record; see the removal commit `c07ebca` and `docs/research/agent-sandbox-landscape.md`.
 
 - **Status:** Superseded (2026-07-11) — was Active
 - **Author:** Claude

docs/prds/prd-new-ci-artifact-coverage.md

@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+# PRD prd-new: CI artifact-based coverage and local Firecracker candidate flow
+
+- **Status:** Active
+- **Author:** Claude
+- **Created:** 2026-07-21
+- **Issue:** #446
+
+## Summary
+
+Restructure the CI test pipeline to run each test suite exactly once, upload
+small `.coverage.*` artifacts, and combine them in a lightweight aggregation
+job. Move the infra build onto the KVM runner so the ~194 MB rootfs never
+crosses the network for PRs. On main-branch pushes, publish the byte-identical
+rootfs that was tested.
+
+## Motivation
+
+The prior pipeline had two redundant costs:
+
+1. **Duplicate artifact transfers.** `build-infra` (ubuntu-latest) built and
+   uploaded the ~194 MB rootfs; `integration-firecracker` downloaded it; the
+   `coverage` job downloaded it a second time. Combined download overhead: ~83
+   seconds per run, plus the ~70-second upload.
+
+2. **Duplicate test execution.** `integration-firecracker` ran the Firecracker
+   integration suite; `coverage` ran the entire unit + integration suite again
+   on the same KVM runner to collect coverage data. Every line of Firecracker
+   code was tested twice per CI run.
+
+## Goals
+
+- Each test suite (unit, integration-docker, integration-firecracker) executes
+  exactly once per workflow run.
+- PRs incur no large artifact transfers — the rootfs stays on the KVM runner.
+- Main-branch pushes publish a byte-for-byte identical rootfs to the one that
+  passed the integration tests.
+- Concurrent workflow runs cannot cross-publish candidates (naturally enforced
+  by Gitea Actions' per-run artifact scoping).
+- Failed or cancelled runs block publication (enforced by the `needs:` chain on
+  `publish-infra`).
+
+## Non-goals
+
+- Changing test semantics or the coverage policy (ADR 0004).
+- Removing the KVM runner guard on `integration-firecracker` and `coverage`.
+- Changing how `publish_infra.py` builds or uploads the rootfs.
+
+## Design
+
+### Job graph
+
+```
+unit ──────────────────────────────────┐
+integration-docker ────────────────────┤──► coverage ──► publish-infra (main only)
+integration-firecracker (KVM) ─────────┘
+```
+
+### `unit`
+
+Unchanged except: `coverage run` writes `--data-file=.coverage.unit`; the file
+is uploaded as the `coverage-unit` artifact.
+
+### `integration-docker`
+
+Adds a `coverage` install step. `coverage run` writes `--data-file=.coverage.docker`;
+the file is uploaded as `coverage-docker`.
+
+### `integration-firecracker` (KVM runner)
+
+Replaces the old `stage-firecracker-inputs` → `build-infra` → download chain:
+
+1. Builds the infra candidate locally with
+   `BOT_BOTTLE_FC_DROPBEAR=/var/cache/bot-bottle-fc/dropbear`.
+2. Boots the candidate and runs integration tests with coverage, writing
+   `.coverage.firecracker`.
+3. Uploads the small `coverage-firecracker` artifact unconditionally.
+4. On main-branch pushes only, uploads the rootfs as `infra-candidate` and the
+   dropbear as `firecracker-inputs` so `publish-infra` can verify and publish
+   the byte-identical artifact.
+
+### `coverage`
+
+Moves from a KVM runner to `ubuntu-latest`. No tests are re-executed:
+
+1. Downloads `coverage-unit`, `coverage-docker`, and `coverage-firecracker`.
+2. Runs `scripts/coverage.sh aggregate critical`, which calls
+   `coverage combine` then `coverage report`.
+3. Runs the diff-coverage gate (`scripts/diff_coverage.py`).
+
+Coverage files use `relative_files = True` (`.coveragerc`) so they combine
+cleanly across runners with different absolute workspace paths.
+
+### `publish-infra`
+
+Depends on all four predecessor jobs (unchanged gate). Downloads `infra-candidate`
+and `firecracker-inputs` that were uploaded by `integration-firecracker` on
+main — the same byte sequence that passed the integration tests.
+
+### Eliminated jobs
+
+- `stage-firecracker-inputs`: existed only to copy the dropbear to ubuntu-latest
+  for `build-infra`. No longer needed.
+- `build-infra`: the infra candidate is now built on the KVM runner in
+  `integration-firecracker`.
+
+### Script changes
+
+`scripts/coverage.sh` gains an `aggregate` mode (`coverage.sh aggregate [critical]`)
+that combines pre-existing `.coverage.*` files instead of re-running tests.
+The existing run mode (`coverage.sh [critical]`) is preserved for local dev.

docs/prds/prd-new-nonblocking-supervise.md

@@ -0,0 +1,125 @@
+# PRD prd-new: Non-blocking supervise (async approval + proposal polling)
+
+- **Status:** Draft
+- **Author:** didericis
+- **Created:** 2026-07-18
+- **Issue:** #412
+
+## Summary
+
+The per-bottle supervise MCP server (`bot_bottle/supervise_server.py`)
+answers `tools/call` **synchronously**: it queues the agent's proposal and
+blocks the tool call polling for the operator's decision. On timeout it
+returns `status: pending` and leaves the proposal queued — but it hands the
+agent **no proposal id** and offers **no way to poll a specific pending
+proposal**, so the only way to learn the outcome is to re-propose (a
+duplicate).
+
+This PRD makes the MCP flow non-blocking and pollable, so an approval can
+happen out-of-band (a human taking minutes-to-hours in a review console)
+without holding an HTTP request open or wedging the agent:
+
+1. Include the `proposal_id` in the `pending` response.
+2. Add a `check-proposal` MCP tool: a non-blocking status lookup by
+   proposal id.
+3. Keep the short synchronous grace window for the common "operator is
+   right there" fast path.
+
+## Problem
+
+`handle_tools_call` → `_sv.wait_for_response(...)` blocks up to
+`SUPERVISE_RESPONSE_TIMEOUT_SECONDS` (default 30s). Two problems follow:
+
+- **Human latency ≠ tool-call latency.** A real review — rendered diff,
+  RBAC routing to an approver, someone tapping approve on their phone — is
+  minutes-to-hours. Holding the MCP request open that long is fragile
+  (proxy/keepalive timeouts, the mitmproxy egress hop, and the agent
+  harness's own tool-call timeout, which a long block can trip and stall
+  the whole turn).
+- **No resume path.** The pending fallback already exists, but without a
+  proposal id and a poll tool the agent can't reconnect to that specific
+  decision — it re-proposes, duplicating the queue entry.
+
+This is also the precondition for the planned web-console human-review
+flow (RBAC, audit retention, mobile) — see issue #412.
+
+**Safety note:** the MCP tools only *propose* policy changes; enforcement
+stays at the egress proxy and the git-gate. Returning early on `pending`
+therefore opens no hole — the agent still cannot egress or push anything
+unapproved.
+
+## Goals / success criteria
+
+- A `pending` MCP response carries the `proposal_id`.
+- An agent can call `check-proposal(proposal_id)` and get the current
+  state (`pending` | `approved` | `modified` | `rejected`) **without
+  blocking** and **without creating a new proposal**.
+- The synchronous fast path (operator approves within the grace window) is
+  unchanged: the first `tools/call` still returns the decision directly.
+- No change to enforcement, attribution (source-IP → bottle), or the
+  operator-side queue/response schema.
+
+## Non-goals
+
+- The git-gate `pre-receive` path (it is synchronous by nature and cannot
+  poll — its async variant is reject-fast + re-push; tracked as a
+  follow-up).
+- Backpressure / in-flight-proposal caps.
+- MCP server→client notifications (event-driven resume).
+- Any web-console UI (this PRD is the protocol groundwork it needs).
+
+## Design
+
+### `pending` response carries the id
+
+`handle_tools_call`'s timeout branch formats the pending text with the
+`proposal.id` and a pointer to `check-proposal`, so the agent knows what to
+poll.
+
+### `check-proposal` tool
+
+A new read-only MCP tool (`TOOL_CHECK_PROPOSAL = "check-proposal"`),
+attributed to the calling bottle by source IP exactly like the proposal
+tools. Input: `{ "proposal_id": string }`. Behavior:
+
+1. `read_response(slug, id)` →
+   - **found**: archive the proposal (same terminal step the synchronous
+     path takes) and return the decision via `format_response_text`;
+     `isError` iff rejected.
+2. **not found** → `read_proposal(slug, id)` →
+   - **found**: still queued → return `status: pending`.
+   - **not found**: unknown id, or already resolved-and-archived (e.g. a
+     second poll) → return `status: unknown`, `isError: true`.
+
+Both lookups already raise `FileNotFoundError` when absent
+(`queue_store.py`), so the handler needs no new store methods. `check-`
+`proposal` is the only path (besides the synchronous response) that
+archives, so a proposal that times out to `pending` stays visible to the
+operator until it is decided and then polled.
+
+### Grace window
+
+Left at the existing 30s default (`SUPERVISE_RESPONSE_TIMEOUT_SECONDS`),
+which doubles as the instant-approve fast path. Tuning it down is an
+operator setting, not a code change; noted for the console rollout.
+
+## Implementation chunks
+
+1. **(this PR)** `TOOL_CHECK_PROPOSAL` constant; `check-proposal` tool
+   definition + `handle_check_proposal`; dispatch wiring; `proposal_id` in
+   the pending text; unit tests. Files: `bot_bottle/supervise_types.py`,
+   `bot_bottle/supervise.py` (re-export), `bot_bottle/supervise_server.py`,
+   `tests/unit/test_supervise_server.py`.
+2. **(follow-up)** git-gate `pre-receive` reject-fast + re-push.
+3. **(follow-up)** per-bottle in-flight-proposal backpressure cap.
+4. **(follow-up)** MCP notifications for event-driven resume; web-console
+   review flow (RBAC, audit retention) on top.
+
+## Open questions
+
+- Should a resolved-but-unpolled proposal auto-archive after some TTL, or
+  only on poll? (Leaning: only on poll, so a decision is never lost to a
+  reaper before the agent sees it.)
+- Does the agent harness need an explicit "you have a pending proposal"
+  nudge, or is returning `pending` from the original call enough? (Deferred
+  to the notifications chunk.)

docs/research/agent-sandbox-landscape.md

@@ -1,35 +1,60 @@
 # Landscape: AI-agent sandbox tools
 
-A broader survey than [`landscape-containerized-claude.md`](landscape-containerized-claude.md),
-which focused on Claude-Code-specific containerizers. This one covers
-general AI-agent sandbox / containment projects — some Claude-specific,
-some agent-agnostic, some hosted SaaS — and contrasts them with
-bot-bottle's design.
+Survey of AI-agent sandbox and containment projects — including local
+coding-agent wrappers, agent-agnostic runtimes, hosted platforms, and
+governance layers — contrasted with bot-bottle's design. The original
+Claude-Code-specific containerizer survey was folded into this note on
+2026-07-20 so there is one landscape and one positioning verdict.
 
 Research conducted 2026-05-11. CubeSandbox added 2026-07-18 (see its
 per-project note and the addendum at the end). Also updated 2026-07-18:
 bot-bottle no longer uses **pipelock** — outbound DLP is now bot-bottle's
 own (deliberately simple) egress scanner (a mitmproxy addon with custom
-detectors, PRD 0017 / 0053), and git-push secret scanning is handled by
+detectors, PRD 0017 / 0052), and git-push secret scanning is handled by
 **gitleaks** in the git-gate. "pipelock" below has been replaced with the
 current mechanism; it survives only in older PRDs as history.
 
+Updated again 2026-07-18: six additional tools added (Cleanroom,
+container-use, Docker sbx, Anthropic srt, Microsoft AGT, Open Agent
+Passport); an **Agent-tailored policy** row added to the comparison table;
+a separate Governance layers section added for AGT and OAP. See the
+second addendum at the end.
+
+Updated 2026-07-20: the borrowable-ideas status was reconciled with the
+current implementation. In-flight credential injection and the microVM
+backends have shipped, while per-use SSH confirmation was superseded by
+keeping git credentials out of the agent entirely.
+
+Also updated 2026-07-20: **E2B and Daytona added as first-class entries.**
+Earlier revisions mentioned E2B only as the API and lifecycle model that
+CubeSandbox implements, and omitted Daytona entirely. That was a survey gap,
+not a principled scope exclusion: both are major hosted sandbox platforms and
+belong in this landscape even though they target platform builders rather than
+bot-bottle's local single-operator workflow.
+
 ## Summary
 
-Nine projects surveyed. None duplicate bot-bottle's combination of
-local VM-per-bottle isolation (Firecracker microVM on KVM Linux, Apple
-Container on macOS — Docker is now only the legacy fallback), a
-declarative JSON manifest, per-agent egress allowlist + outbound-content
-DLP via bot-bottle's own egress scanner (plus gitleaks secret-scanning on
-git push), and bottle/agent split. Two clusters stand out:
+The main table compares bot-bottle against fifteen isolation/sandbox tools.
+Governance/pre-action authorization and credential-only layers are covered
+separately because they don't provide VM or container isolation. None
+duplicate bot-bottle's combination of local
+VM-per-bottle isolation, a declarative per-role manifest, per-agent
+egress allowlist + outbound-content DLP, bottle/agent split, and the
+composable `extends:` policy model. Three clusters stand out:
 
 - **Closest neighbours** — agent-safehouse and litterbox: local,
   single-user, thin wrappers over an existing OS primitive
   (`sandbox-exec`, Podman + Landlock).
-- **Different category** — tilde.run (hosted SaaS), boxlite and
-  microsandbox (microVM libraries for platform builders), CubeSandbox
-  (self-hosted multi-tenant microVM service), endo-familiar
+- **Different category (isolation)** — tilde.run (hosted SaaS), boxlite
+  and microsandbox (microVM libraries for platform builders), E2B and Daytona
+  (hosted sandbox platforms), CubeSandbox (self-hosted multi-tenant microVM
+  service), endo-familiar
   (capability-security paradigm, no OS isolation).
+- **New: governance/pre-action layers** — Microsoft AGT and Open Agent
+  Passport (OAP): framework-embedded tool-call interceptors with
+  per-agent declarative policy. Closest competitors on agent-tailored
+  policy, but operate at the tool-call level rather than providing
+  network/filesystem isolation; they complement rather than substitute.
 
 The microVM cluster (matchlock, smolmachines, boxlite, microsandbox,
 CubeSandbox) is the most relevant for the v2 isolation discussion in
@@ -40,15 +65,17 @@ ergonomic enough that microVMs are **now bot-bottle's default backend**
 only as a legacy fallback for CI / hosts without KVM or Apple Container.
 That discussion has since shipped, not just been theorized.
 
-**The one that matters most for positioning is CubeSandbox** — it is the
-first surveyed project to ship bot-bottle's would-be wedge (default-deny
-egress allowlist + full audit logs + in-flight credential custody so keys
-never enter the sandbox) *combined with* per-sandbox microVM isolation,
+**The one that matters most for positioning is CubeSandbox** — it ships
+bot-bottle's bundle of default-deny egress allowlisting, full audit logs, and
+in-flight credential custody *combined with* per-sandbox microVM isolation,
 open-source under Apache 2.0, with Tencent Cloud behind it and 10.4k
 stars. It's a self-hosted multi-tenant service for platform builders, not
 a single-user declarative tool, so it doesn't collide head-on — but it
 narrows the "nobody else bundles egress custody + credential injection"
-claim that the monetization positioning leans on. See the addendum.
+claim that the monetization positioning leans on. Daytona now also offers
+domain/CIDR firewall policy plus in-flight header credential substitution and
+response scrubbing, although its higher tiers are not default-deny and its
+production platform is proprietary. See the addendum.
 
 ## Per-project notes
 
@@ -85,7 +112,8 @@ claim that the monetization positioning leans on. See the addendum.
 
 ### agent-safehouse
 - **Source**: https://agent-safehouse.dev/ ; https://github.com/eugene1g/agent-safehouse
-- **License**: Apache 2.0 (~1,400 stars)
+- **HN launch**: [#47301085](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47301085) (March 12 2026) — 823 points
+- **License**: Apache 2.0 (~1,781 stars at launch)
 - **Isolation**: macOS `sandbox-exec` (Seatbelt) profiles — kernel-level
   syscall interception, no container.
 - **Locality**: Local, macOS only.
@@ -95,6 +123,16 @@ claim that the monetization positioning leans on. See the addendum.
 - **Config**: Shell functions or custom `sandbox-exec` profile files;
   LLM-assisted profile generation supported.
 - **Network policy**: Not addressed.
+- **Notable from HN thread**: Creator acknowledged the project is "just a
+  policy-generator for `sandbox-exec` — no dependencies, no daemons, no
+  subscription; I did put in many hours to identify the minimum required
+  permissions for agents to continue working." Simon Willison noted that
+  evaluating whether a sandboxing tool actually works as intended is hard.
+  Top community sentiment: *"I honestly think that sandboxing is currently
+  THE major challenge that needs to be solved for the tech to fully realise
+  its potential."* The macOS Docker gap (Docker for Mac runs inside a Linux
+  VM, so `sandbox-exec` is the only native primitive for bare-metal macOS
+  processes) was the stated motivation.
 - **Maturity**: Active through March 2026.
 
 ### matchlock
@@ -177,6 +215,80 @@ claim that the monetization positioning leans on. See the addendum.
   also supported.
 - **Maturity**: Active through April 2026.
 
+### E2B *(added 2026-07-20)*
+
+- **Source**: https://github.com/e2b-dev/e2b ; https://e2b.dev/docs
+- **License**: Apache 2.0 (~12.4k stars); commercial hosted service with
+  self-hosting/BYOC support.
+- **Isolation**: Firecracker microVM per sandbox.
+- **Locality**: Cloud-hosted by default; self-hosting uses Terraform on AWS or
+  GCP (with other targets documented as works in progress).
+- **Agent integration**: LLM-agnostic Python and JavaScript/TypeScript SDKs;
+  code-interpreter and desktop-sandbox products. Platform primitive rather
+  than a coding-agent wrapper.
+- **Config**: Programmatic SDK/API plus templates. Network configuration
+  supports internet on/off, outbound allow/deny rules, and a custom egress
+  proxy.
+- **Network policy**: Configurable per sandbox, but not documented as
+  default-deny and no built-in outbound-content DLP is documented.
+- **Credentials**: Environment variables passed to the sandbox are explicitly
+  not private at the OS level. No built-in in-flight application-credential
+  injection is documented.
+- **Persistence**: Full memory + filesystem pause/resume, snapshots, and
+  auto-resume. Continuous runtime is tier-limited, while paused sandboxes are
+  retained indefinitely.
+- **Maturity**: Established hosted platform and the API compatibility target
+  used by CubeSandbox.
+
+### Daytona *(added 2026-07-20)*
+
+- **Source**: https://github.com/daytonaio/daytona ;
+  https://www.daytona.io/docs/
+- **License**: Current production platform is proprietary. The former AGPL
+  repository remains public but is no longer maintained after Daytona moved
+  production development closed-source in June 2026.
+- **Isolation**: Hosted container sandboxes by default, with separate Linux
+  and Windows VM sandbox classes for dedicated-OS workloads. Each sandbox has
+  its own filesystem and network stack; VM-only features include memory
+  pause/resume and forking.
+- **Locality**: Hosted multi-tenant service, with dedicated/custom regions and
+  customer runners available.
+- **Agent integration**: LLM/framework-agnostic SDKs (Python, TypeScript, Go,
+  Ruby, Java), API, and CLI; official agent-framework guides. Platform
+  primitive rather than a local coding-agent wrapper.
+- **Config**: Programmatic per-sandbox image/snapshot, resources, lifecycle,
+  firewall, and secrets.
+- **Network policy**: Per-sandbox IPv4/domain allowlists and block-all mode,
+  subordinate to organization/tier policy. Full internet access is the
+  default on higher tiers, so it is configurable rather than uniformly
+  default-deny.
+- **Credentials**: First-class secret manager with the same phantom-token
+  pattern as bot-bottle: the sandbox environment gets an opaque placeholder,
+  an HTTPS proxy substitutes the real secret in headers only for allowed
+  hosts, and responses are scrubbed back to the placeholder.
+- **Persistence**: Persistent filesystem for stopped container sandboxes;
+  memory + filesystem pause/resume for VM sandboxes; snapshots and configurable
+  auto-stop.
+- **Maturity**: Production commercial platform. Notable April 2026 credential
+  exposure was patched; the June 2026 closed-source transition materially
+  changes its transparency/self-hosting posture.
+
+### Other hosted runtimes carried forward from the earlier survey
+
+- **Northflank Sandboxes** — hosted or customer-cloud, microVM-backed
+  containers with SDK-managed lifecycle, optional persistent volumes, and
+  sub-second claimed boot. This is a platform primitive for untrusted code and
+  agents, not a local agent wrapper or role-policy layer.
+- **Cloudflare Sandbox SDK** — Workers/Durable Objects API over VM-isolated
+  Linux containers for command, file, process, and service execution. It is a
+  hosted TypeScript platform primitive; application authentication,
+  authorization, and credential-proxy patterns remain the integrator's job.
+
+Both belong to the same “build your agent platform on this runtime” category as
+E2B and Daytona. They were named but not analyzed in depth by the original
+Claude-specific note, so they remain outside the main comparison table rather
+than being presented with false precision.
+
 ### CubeSandbox *(added 2026-07-18)*
 - **Source**: https://github.com/TencentCloud/CubeSandbox ;
   HN launch https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47863430
@@ -210,20 +322,243 @@ claim that the monetization positioning leans on. See the addendum.
 - **Maturity**: Open-sourced July 2026 off production Tencent Cloud use;
   most-starred project in this set (~10.4k).
 
+### Cleanroom *(added 2026-07-18)*
+- **Source**: https://github.com/buildkite/cleanroom
+- **License**: Apache 2.0
+- **Isolation**: MicroVM — Firecracker on Linux, Virtualization.framework
+  on macOS. Digest-pinned OCI images.
+- **Locality**: Self-hosted server (CI-oriented).
+- **Agent integration**: Generic process sandbox; CI-first, not a
+  Claude/agent wrapper.
+- **Config**: `cleanroom.yaml` in the repo being sandboxed defines egress
+  rules, resources, and network policy. Cleanroom resolves this from the
+  commit being run.
+- **Network policy**: Default-deny + per-repo hostname allowlist (resolved
+  from DNS answers + destination IP:port). Co-hosted services on the same
+  IP:port are not distinguished. OIDC-backed auth for remote servers.
+- **Credentials**: Host-side only; not injected in-flight but not present
+  in the VM.
+- **Notable**: Policy lives in the *repo being sandboxed*, not in an
+  agent-role definition — closer to per-repo scoping than per-role.
+  Supports Docker-inside-sandbox (`services.docker.required: true`), OIDC
+  authorization, suspend/resume lifecycle.
+- **Maturity**: Active Buildkite product.
+
+### container-use *(added 2026-07-18)*
+- **Source**: https://github.com/dagger/container-use
+- **License**: Apache 2.0
+- **Isolation**: Docker container per agent + git worktree per agent.
+  Containers share the host kernel; stronger than bare host but weaker
+  than microVM.
+- **Locality**: Local.
+- **Agent integration**: MCP stdio server — Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf.
+  `claude mcp add container-use -- container-use stdio`.
+- **Config**: None for security policy. Environments are provisioned on
+  demand; no allowlist or credential config.
+- **Network policy**: Not addressed.
+- **Notable**: Per-agent git branches (`container-use/<env_name>`);
+  parallel agents without filesystem conflict; real-time log visibility
+  and terminal attach for intervention; git-based review workflow.
+  Oriented toward parallel development safety, not security containment.
+- **Maturity**: Early development, active.
+
+### Docker sbx *(added 2026-07-18)*
+- **Source**: Docker proprietary (`sbx` CLI, separate from `docker`).
+- **License**: Proprietary.
+- **Isolation**: MicroVM (Docker's own implementation) — each session gets
+  its own kernel, Docker daemon inside the VM, and filesystem.
+- **Locality**: Local (macOS and Windows; does not require Docker Desktop).
+- **Agent integration**: Explicit wrapper — Claude Code, Codex, Gemini
+  CLI, Copilot CLI, Kiro. Launches agent inside the VM with
+  `--dangerously-skip-permissions` by default.
+- **Config**: Open / Balanced / Locked Down network presets at launch. No
+  per-role manifest.
+- **Network policy**: Default-deny; preset levels control strictness. TUI
+  dashboard shows a live log of every outbound connection (allowed and
+  blocked) with point-and-click allow/block for hosts.
+- **Credentials**: OS keychain + host-side proxy injection — API keys
+  never enter the VM.
+- **Notable**: Best DX among microVM tools (one command, works like native
+  yolo Claude but inside a VM); branch mode creates a git worktree in
+  `.sbx/`. Network policy is preset-based, not role-declarative.
+- **Maturity**: GA 2026.
+
+### Anthropic srt *(added 2026-07-18)*
+- **Source**: https://github.com/anthropic-experimental/sandbox-runtime
+  (`@anthropic-ai/sandbox-runtime` on npm, `sandbox-runtime` on PyPI)
+- **License**: Apache 2.0 (experimental).
+- **Isolation**: OS-level only — Seatbelt (`sandbox-exec`) on macOS,
+  bubblewrap on Linux, WFP (Windows Filtering Platform) account-fenced on
+  Windows. **No container or VM.** Lowest overhead in the set.
+- **Locality**: Local.
+- **Agent integration**: Claude Code's sandboxed bash tool uses this
+  internally. Can wrap any arbitrary process (`srt <command>`). Cloud
+  Claude Code sessions use full microVMs instead.
+- **Config**: Programmatic per-invocation — allow/deny path lists for
+  filesystem; allow/denylist for network (HTTP proxy + SOCKS5).
+- **Network policy**: Proxy-based filtering (HTTP + SOCKS5); domain
+  allowlist/denylist enforced at proxy layer. Custom proxy supported
+  (e.g. mitmproxy for inspection + audit). Processes that ignore proxy
+  env vars may bypass filtering on some platforms.
+- **Notable**: Cross-platform (macOS/Linux/Windows); wraps any process,
+  not just agents; no role/manifest concept. Annotated as a research
+  preview — APIs may change.
+- **Maturity**: Early research preview.
+
+## Claude-specific wrappers and developer environments
+
+These projects were the focus of the original containerized-Claude survey.
+They remain useful comparisons for local developer experience, but most are
+templates or wrappers rather than policy-bearing sandbox platforms, so they
+are grouped here instead of widening the main table further.
+
+### claudebox
+
+- **Source**: https://github.com/RchGrav/claudebox
+- **Isolation**: Docker, with per-project images, authentication state, and
+  configuration.
+- **Agent integration**: Claude Code wrapper with 15+ preconfigured language
+  and task profiles.
+- **Network policy**: Per-project firewall allowlists.
+- **Closest overlap**: local one-command developer workflow and project-scoped
+  network policy.
+- **Difference**: profiles describe development toolchains, not named agent
+  roles. There is no bottle/agent split, composable role manifest, provider
+  plugin layer, or outbound-content DLP.
+
+### Spritz / claude-code-sandbox
+
+- **Source**: https://github.com/textcortex/claude-code-sandbox (archived;
+  points to its successor, Spritz).
+- **Isolation**: The original project ran Claude Code in local Docker with
+  bypass permissions; Spritz moved toward Kubernetes-native multi-agent
+  infrastructure.
+- **Difference**: the successor targets cluster orchestration rather than a
+  low-dependency local launcher. It is architecturally closer to hosted or
+  Kubernetes platform runtimes than to bot-bottle's single-operator CLI.
+
+### Trail of Bits claude-code-devcontainer
+
+- **Source**: https://github.com/trailofbits/claude-code-devcontainer
+- **Isolation**: A Docker devcontainer that exposes only project files and is
+  designed to run Claude Code with `bypassPermissions` for security audits and
+  untrusted-code review.
+- **Difference**: a hardened, reusable environment definition rather than an
+  agent launcher or fleet. It has no named-role manifest, per-role credential
+  custody, supervision plane, or multi-backend abstraction.
+
+### Smaller wrappers and official templates
+
+Projects such as `arezi/claude-sandbox`, `nkrefman/claude-sandbox`, and
+`VishalJ99/claude-docker`, plus Docker/Anthropic devcontainer templates, prove
+there is steady demand for “Claude in a container.” They are deliberately
+small launch/build configurations. They compete on setup simplicity, not on
+role-aware policy, credential custody, persistent supervision, or a fleet
+model, and are better treated as a product category than as individual rows.
+
+### SuperHQ
+
+- **Source**: https://superhq.ai/
+- **Isolation**: Apple-Silicon desktop application using local microVMs via
+  Virtualization.framework/libkrun-era components.
+- **Agent integration**: Claude Code, Codex, and Pi in a GUI, with mobile
+  remote access.
+- **Credentials and review**: host-side auth gateway injects credentials on
+  the wire; a temporary overlay stages writes for diff-and-accept review.
+- **Closest overlap**: local microVM isolation, multi-provider launching, and
+  credential custody for security-minded individual developers.
+- **Difference**: GUI desktop product on Apple Silicon rather than a
+  cross-platform declarative CLI/fleet layer. The July 2026 snapshot in the
+  original survey recorded a user request for per-run tool-call and network
+  audit logging; treat that as point-in-time rather than a permanent gap.
+
+## Credential gateway without isolation
+
+### OneCLI
+
+[OneCLI](https://onecli.sh/) is a framework-agnostic identity gateway rather
+than a sandbox. Its phantom-token design gives the agent a placeholder and
+substitutes the encrypted real credential at the network layer. It therefore
+matches bot-bottle closely on secret custody, and is more portable because it
+can sit in front of agents launched by anything, but it supplies no container
+or VM boundary, filesystem isolation, role manifest, or egress-content DLP.
+
+The positioning consequence from the earlier survey still holds: secret
+custody alone is not unique. bot-bottle's relevant combination is local
+isolation + default-deny egress + payload DLP + declarative roles + credential
+custody. OneCLI's managed tier also places custody with a third party, whereas
+bot-bottle keeps it within operator-controlled infrastructure. See
+[`agent-credential-proxy-landscape.md`](agent-credential-proxy-landscape.md)
+for the detailed build-versus-adopt analysis.
+
+## Governance / pre-action authorization layers
+
+These two tools don't provide VM or filesystem isolation; they intercept
+tool calls before execution and evaluate them against a per-agent
+declarative policy. They are the closest competitors on **agent-tailored
+policy** and complement isolation sandboxes rather than substituting for
+them.
+
+### Microsoft Agent Governance Toolkit (AGT) *(added 2026-07-18)*
+- **Source**: https://github.com/microsoft/agent-governance-toolkit
+- **License**: MIT (~3.3k stars, open-sourced April 2, 2026).
+- **Isolation**: None (OS/VM). Execution rings (0–3, inspired by CPU
+  privilege levels) control what an agent can do at the framework layer.
+  MCP security gateway treats MCP traffic as an untrusted boundary.
+- **Locality**: Embedded in the agent framework (Python, TypeScript, .NET,
+  Rust, Go; 20+ framework adapters).
+- **Agent integration**: Framework-agnostic. Plugs into Semantic Kernel,
+  AutoGen, and others as a middleware layer.
+- **Config**: YAML policy per agent — tools can be `allowed`, `denied`,
+  `sandboxed`, or routed through an `approval` step. Every action passes
+  through a governance gate checking: agent DID, trust score, risk tier,
+  requested tool, action type, and policy rules.
+- **Network policy**: Not directly — operates at tool-call level.
+- **Credentials**: Per-agent DID (Ed25519 decentralized identifier); agent
+  does not borrow a human's credentials.
+- **Notable**: Dynamic trust score (0–1,000, behavioral decay) —
+  privilege follows observed behaviour, not just provisioning. Covers all
+  10 OWASP Agentic Top 10 risks. Kill switch + SLO monitoring. Sub-ms
+  policy enforcement.
+- **Maturity**: MIT, ~3.3k ⭐, v3.7.0 May 2026.
+
+### Open Agent Passport (OAP) *(added 2026-07-18)*
+- **Source**: https://github.com/aporthq/aport-spec ; spec at
+  https://api.aport.io/spec/spec/oap/oap-spec.md/ ; arXiv 2603.20953
+- **License**: Open specification.
+- **Isolation**: None. Pre-action hook only — intercepts tool calls
+  synchronously before execution, evaluates against a cloud-registry
+  declarative policy, fails closed.
+- **Locality**: Local hook + cloud policy registry.
+- **Agent integration**: Framework-agnostic; hook pattern.
+- **Config**: Declarative policy rules in a cloud registry (evaluated in
+  order; first failing rule denies). Ed25519-signed, hash-chained audit
+  records per decision.
+- **Network policy**: Not directly.
+- **Notable**: 53ms median authorization decision (N=1,000). In an
+  adversarial testbed ($5,000 bounty, 1,151 sessions), social engineering
+  succeeded 74.6% of the time under a permissive policy; under a
+  restrictive OAP policy, 0% success across 879 attempts. Assumes
+  framework runtime is not compromised.
+- **Maturity**: Specification + reference implementation, 2026.
+
 ## Comparison table
 
-| Axis | bot-bottle | endo-familiar | litterbox | agent-safehouse | matchlock | tilde.run | boxlite | microsandbox | smolmachines | CubeSandbox |
-|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
-| Isolation | MicroVM per bottle default (Firecracker/KVM on Linux, Apple Container on macOS) + own egress DLP scanner; Docker legacy fallback, gVisor there if present | Object-capability (no OS isolation) | Podman + opt. Landlock | macOS `sandbox-exec` | MicroVM (Firecracker / Virt.fw) | Hosted container (unverified) | MicroVM (KVM / Hypervisor.fw) | MicroVM (libkrun) | MicroVM (libkrun / KVM) | MicroVM (RustVMM / KVM) |
-| Local vs hosted | Local | Local | Local (Linux) | Local (macOS) | Local | Hosted SaaS | Local | Local | Local | Self-hosted (server/cluster) |
-| Open source | Apache 2.0 | Apache 2.0 | Apache 2.0 | Apache 2.0 | MIT | No | Apache 2.0 | Apache 2.0 | Apache 2.0 | Apache 2.0 |
-| Agent target | Claude Code | Generic (demo) | Generic | Multi-agent wrapper | Generic (+ Claude/OpenAI SDKs) | Claude focus | Generic | Claude + Cursor (MCP/Skills) | Generic (AGENTS.md) | E2B-compatible (platform builders) |
-| Network policy | Default-deny via own egress scanner + per-bottle allowlist + content DLP + gitleaks on git push | Capability model only | Limited | Not addressed | Default-deny + allowlist + secret-injecting proxy | Default-deny + logging | Per-VM net (unverified) | Not documented | Off by default + allowlist | Default-deny allowlist + instant egress block + audit logs + per-sandbox tokens (eBPF) + credential vault |
-| Parallel agents | Yes (one bottle per agent) | n/a | Not addressed | One at a time | Multiple VMs | Yes (dashboard) | SDK-level | SDK-level | Architectural | Yes (2,000+/host claimed) |
-| Long-running posture | Persistent by default (named, supervised) | n/a (demo) | Session (up while in use) | Per-invocation | Ephemeral VM per run | Per-run (versioned) | Ephemeral + snapshot/fork | Ephemeral / on-demand | Named persistent by default | Ephemeral + auto pause/resume |
-| DX: run Claude yolo-style | One command → interactive yolo Claude (`start <agent>`, `--dangerously-skip-permissions` default) | n/a (lib demo) | Wizard + build, then run claude inside (Linux only) | One-command wrapper (`safehouse claude --dangerously-skip-permissions`) | CLI: run a cmd in a VM (not a Claude wrapper) | Hosted (`tilde exec`), not local-native | SDK code required (build the run yourself) | CLI/MCP: sandbox-as-a-tool for the agent, not a wrapper around it | SSH into a named machine, run claude there | Stand up a cluster + drive via E2B SDK |
-| Config | JSON manifest (bottles + agents) | Programmatic refs | CLI wizard | Profile files / shell fns | CLI / SDK | DSL + CLI + SDK | SDK | CLI / SDK / MCP | TOML Smolfile | E2B-compatible SDK |
-| Maturity | Active May 2026 | Research (2022+) | Early (~66 ⭐) | Active (~1.4k ⭐) | Experimental (~574 ⭐) | Private preview | YC, ~4.7k ⭐ | YC, ~6k ⭐, beta | ~3.1k ⭐ | Tencent, prod, ~10.4k ⭐ |
+*Isolation/sandbox tools only. AGT and OAP are governance layers — see their per-project notes above.*
+
+| Axis | bot-bottle | endo-familiar | litterbox | agent-safehouse | matchlock | tilde.run | boxlite | microsandbox | smolmachines | E2B | Daytona | CubeSandbox | Cleanroom | container-use | Docker sbx | Anthropic srt |
+|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
+| Isolation | MicroVM per bottle default (Firecracker/KVM on Linux, Apple Container on macOS) + own egress DLP scanner; Docker legacy fallback, gVisor there if present | Object-capability (no OS isolation) | Podman + opt. Landlock | macOS `sandbox-exec` | MicroVM (Firecracker / Virt.fw) | Hosted container (unverified) | MicroVM (KVM / Hypervisor.fw) | MicroVM (libkrun) | MicroVM (libkrun / KVM) | Firecracker microVM | Container or Linux/Windows VM class | MicroVM (RustVMM / KVM) | MicroVM (Firecracker / Virt.fw) | Docker container + git worktree | MicroVM (proprietary) | OS-level (Seatbelt / bubblewrap / WFP) — no container |
+| Local vs hosted | Local | Local | Local (Linux) | Local (macOS) | Local | Hosted SaaS | Local | Local | Local | Hosted; self-host/BYOC available | Hosted; dedicated/custom regions | Self-hosted (server/cluster) | Self-hosted server | Local | Local | Local |
+| Open source | Apache 2.0 | Apache 2.0 | Apache 2.0 | Apache 2.0 | MIT | No | Apache 2.0 | Apache 2.0 | Apache 2.0 | Apache 2.0 | Production closed-source; legacy AGPL repo unmaintained | Apache 2.0 | Apache 2.0 | Apache 2.0 | Proprietary | Apache 2.0 (experimental) |
+| Agent target | Claude Code, Codex, Pi, and provider plugins | Generic (demo) | Generic | Multi-agent wrapper | Generic (+ Claude/OpenAI SDKs) | Claude focus | Generic | Claude + Cursor (MCP/Skills) | Generic (AGENTS.md) | LLM-agnostic platform builders | LLM-agnostic platform builders | E2B-compatible (platform builders) | CI / generic process | Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf (MCP) | Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Copilot, Kiro | Claude Code (and any process) |
+| Network policy | Default-deny via own egress scanner + per-bottle allowlist + content DLP + gitleaks on git push | Capability model only | Limited | Not addressed | Default-deny + allowlist + secret-injecting proxy | Default-deny + logging | Per-VM net (unverified) | Not documented | Off by default + allowlist | Per-sandbox allow/deny rules and custom egress proxy; internet configurable | Per-sandbox CIDR/domain allowlist or block-all; tier policy; secret-injecting proxy | Default-deny allowlist + instant egress block + audit logs + per-sandbox tokens (eBPF) + credential vault | Default-deny + per-repo host allowlist (cleanroom.yaml) | Not addressed | Default-deny; Open / Balanced / Locked Down presets; live TUI network panel | Proxy-based allowlist/denylist (HTTP + SOCKS5); custom proxy supported |
+| Parallel agents | Yes (one bottle per agent) | n/a | Not addressed | One at a time | Multiple VMs | Yes (dashboard) | SDK-level | SDK-level | Architectural | Yes (platform service) | Yes (platform service) | Yes (2,000+/host claimed) | Yes (server model) | Yes (per-agent containers + worktrees) | Yes | Yes |
+| Long-running posture | Persistent by default (named, supervised) | n/a (demo) | Session (up while in use) | Per-invocation | Ephemeral VM per run | Per-run (versioned) | Ephemeral + snapshot/fork | Ephemeral / on-demand | Named persistent by default | Runtime tier limits + indefinite pause/resume | Persistent filesystem; VM pause/resume; configurable auto-stop | Ephemeral + auto pause/resume | Per-run + suspend/resume | Per-agent container (ephemeral) | Per-session; branch mode creates git worktree in .sbx/ | Per-invocation |
+| DX: run Claude yolo-style | One command → interactive yolo Claude (`start <agent>`, `--dangerously-skip-permissions` default) | n/a (lib demo) | Wizard + build, then run claude inside (Linux only) | One-command wrapper (`safehouse claude --dangerously-skip-permissions`) | CLI: run a cmd in a VM (not a Claude wrapper) | Hosted (`tilde exec`), not local-native | SDK code required (build the run yourself) | CLI/MCP: sandbox-as-a-tool for the agent, not a wrapper around it | SSH into a named machine, run claude there | SDK/CLI sandbox; wire the agent yourself | SDK/CLI sandbox; wire the agent yourself | Stand up a cluster + drive via E2B SDK | CI-oriented, not a Claude wrapper | MCP server: `claude mcp add container-use -- container-use stdio` | One command: `sbx` wraps claude with `--dangerously-skip-permissions` default | Library/wrapper, not a standalone CLI |
+| Config | YAML-in-Markdown manifests (bottles + agents) | Programmatic refs | CLI wizard | Profile files / shell fns | CLI / SDK | DSL + CLI + SDK | SDK | CLI / SDK / MCP | TOML Smolfile | SDK/API + templates | SDK/API/CLI + images/snapshots | E2B-compatible SDK | cleanroom.yaml in repo | None (no policy config) | Preset levels at launch | Programmatic per-invocation (allow/deny lists) |
+| Agent-tailored policy | Yes — bottle/agent split; declarative per-role egress + credentials; composable via `extends:` | Partial — capability model scopes per-agent, but no declarative role manifest | No | Partial — per-agent profile files (Seatbelt); no egress | No | Yes — per-agent DSL RBAC (allow/deny/approve per action/repo/agent) | No | No | No | No — per-sandbox SDK config | No — per-sandbox SDK config | No — per-sandbox SDK config, not role-scoped | Partial — per-repo cleanroom.yaml, not per-role | No | No — network presets only | No |
+| Maturity | Active July 2026 | Research (2022+) | Early (~66 ⭐) | Active (~1.8k ⭐) | Experimental (~574 ⭐) | Private preview | YC, ~4.7k ⭐ | YC, ~6k ⭐, beta | ~3.1k ⭐ | Established hosted platform, ~12.4k ⭐ | Production commercial; closed-source since June 2026 | Tencent, prod, ~10.4k ⭐ | Active (Buildkite product) | Early development | GA 2026 | Early research preview |
 
 ## What's closest, what's different
 
@@ -233,55 +568,121 @@ existing OS primitive, low-dep. The split is the isolation primitive —
 bot-bottle now defaults to a VM per bottle (Firecracker microVM on KVM
 Linux, Apple Container on macOS) with its own DLP-scanning egress proxy,
 keeping Docker only as a legacy fallback; agent-safehouse uses
-`sandbox-exec`; litterbox
-uses Podman + Landlock. matchlock and smolmachines are close on *both* the
-policy side (default-deny net, per-host allowlist) and — now that
-bot-bottle has moved off containers-by-default — the microVM isolation
-primitive.
+`sandbox-exec`; litterbox uses Podman + Landlock. matchlock and
+smolmachines are close on *both* the policy side (default-deny net,
+per-host allowlist) and — now that bot-bottle has moved off
+containers-by-default — the microVM isolation primitive. Note: Apple
+Container 1.0 stable shipped June 9 2026 (frozen CLI and APIs), which
+makes the macOS backend stable surface area rather than a moving target.
+
+**New closest on agent-tailored policy.** Two governance tools are the
+direct competitors on the "coarse-grained sandbox" axis. **tilde.run**
+has had per-agent DSL RBAC since its launch (though it's hosted SaaS).
+**Microsoft AGT** is the most serious new entrant: per-agent DID
+identity, YAML policy that can allow/deny/sandbox/approve individual tool
+calls per agent, and a dynamic behavioural trust score. It operates at
+the framework tool-call layer, not the network layer — so it's
+complementary to bot-bottle's network/filesystem isolation rather than a
+direct substitute, but on the "does this sandbox know what this agent is
+for?" question it is the most complete answer in the field. OAP's
+pre-action hook pattern achieves similar goals with cryptographic audit
+and a 0% adversarial-attack success rate under a restrictive policy.
+
+**New closest on DX.** **Docker sbx** is the first tool in this set that
+matches bot-bottle on the "one command, dangerously-skip-permissions safe
+by default" DX bar, at microVM isolation strength, with host-side
+credential injection. It is proprietary, preset-based (not role-
+declarative), and cloud-agent-specific, but it directly competes on the
+UX proposition. agent-safehouse was the previous DX peer; Docker sbx
+materially raises the bar.
+
+**New closest on repo-scoped policy.** **Cleanroom** (Buildkite) is the
+first tool to combine microVM isolation with a declarative egress policy
+file — though the policy lives in the repo being sandboxed
+(`cleanroom.yaml`), not in an agent-role manifest. That makes it per-
+repo rather than per-role: the same Cleanroom config applies to any
+agent running in that repo. The distinction matters for bot-bottle's
+use case (one developer running multiple agent *roles* with different
+egress footprints), but for CI/CD use cases Cleanroom is a direct
+alternative.
 
 **Solving a different problem.** tilde.run is hosted SaaS for team /
 production agent pipelines with data-versioned rollback — explicitly
-opposite to bot-bottle's "infrastructure I control" goal. boxlite,
-microsandbox, and CubeSandbox are infrastructure libraries/services aimed
-at platform builders embedding sandboxes into agent frameworks; they
+opposite to bot-bottle's "infrastructure I control" goal. E2B and Daytona
+are hosted sandbox platforms, while boxlite, microsandbox, and CubeSandbox
+are infrastructure libraries/services aimed at platform builders embedding
+sandboxes into agent frameworks; they
 would be a *backend* bot-bottle could call, not a competitor to its
 manifest layer. endo-familiar is in a different paradigm entirely:
 capability passing rather than kernel boundaries.
 
 ## Borrowable ideas
 
-What bot-bottle already has that the survey suggested as
-differentiators:
+### Already shipped or otherwise addressed
+
 - Default-deny egress with a per-agent allowlist (own egress scanner).
 - DLP scanning of outbound traffic.
 - Bottle / agent split (manifest layer above the isolation primitive).
 - gVisor auto-detection on Linux.
+- **In-flight secret injection** (suggested by matchlock) — **shipped.**
+  Real provider and git-host tokens are held outside the agent and injected
+  by the egress gateway on matching routes. The agent receives only proxy
+  URLs and, where a client requires a credential-shaped value, a placeholder;
+  `GITEA_TOKEN` and equivalent real tokens do not appear in the agent's
+  environment.
+- **MicroVM backend** — **shipped.** MicroVMs are now the default:
+  Firecracker on KVM Linux and Apple Container on macOS. Docker is the legacy
+  fallback.
+- **Per-use SSH key confirmation** (suggested by litterbox) — **addressed by
+  stronger credential custody instead.** The agent does not hold the upstream
+  git SSH key or an SSH-agent socket: git-gate holds the credential and gates
+  git operations. A confirmation wrapper inside the agent would therefore
+  protect a credential that is no longer there. Operator approval at the gate
+  remains the appropriate control point for any future per-use confirmation.
 
-Ideas worth considering, without abandoning the Python-stdlib-first /
-local, single-operator stance:
+### Still worth considering
 
-1. **Per-use SSH key confirmation** (from litterbox). Even with
-   KnownHostKey pinning and the egress DLP scanner, a wrapper SSH agent that
-   prompts on each key use (e.g. via `osascript` / `notify-send`) would
-   catch an agent doing something off-policy with a key it legitimately
-   holds. Pure-stdlib, no new deps.
-2. **In-flight secret injection** (from matchlock). The egress scanner
-   already does allowlisting and DLP; teaching it to *inject* tokens at
-   proxy time so e.g. `GITEA_TOKEN` never appears in the container's
-   env would close the "agent reads its own env and exfiltrates" path.
-   Fits the existing egress-proxy architecture.
-3. **MicroVM backend** — ~~on the radar~~ **shipped since this survey.**
-   microVMs are now bot-bottle's default (Firecracker on KVM Linux, Apple
-   Container on macOS); Docker is the legacy fallback. The libkrun / Apple
-   Virtualization.framework ergonomics that microsandbox, smolmachines,
-   and matchlock demonstrated turned out to be enough to make it the
-   default rather than an opt-in.
+- **Live network activity in the supervisor TUI** (from Docker sbx): show
+  allowed and blocked connections and let the operator propose policy changes
+  from the existing supervision surface.
+- **Tamper-evident audit records** (from OAP): sign and hash-chain egress and
+  supervision decisions for compliance-sensitive deployments.
+- **Behaviour-informed policy downgrade** (from Microsoft AGT): use repeated
+  DLP alerts or supervision holds as a signal to narrow policy or request
+  closer review. This needs a carefully specified trust model before it can be
+  more than a heuristic.
 
 Not worth borrowing: the SDK-first programmatic API style of boxlite /
 microsandbox (cuts against the declarative-manifest stance), and the
 hosted-SaaS dashboard model of tilde.run (cuts against the
 "infrastructure I control" goal).
 
+## Publishing and positioning verdict
+
+Publishing remains worthwhile, but the defensible claim is the combination,
+not any single primitive. Credential custody is matched by OneCLI, matchlock,
+Daytona, Docker sbx, and CubeSandbox; local one-command isolation is matched by
+agent-safehouse and Docker sbx; hosted microVM execution is a crowded platform
+category.
+
+bot-bottle remains unusual in combining:
+
+- local, operator-controlled execution with persistent named bottles;
+- one declarative role layer across Claude Code, Codex, Pi, and provider
+  plugins;
+- composable agent/bottle manifests, skills, and system prompts;
+- Firecracker/Apple Container isolation with a Docker fallback;
+- default-deny per-role egress, payload DLP, and git-push secret scanning;
+- credentials injected outside the agent process; and
+- supervision and audit state suited to long-running parallel agents.
+
+The practical wedge is “as easy as native yolo, with declarative role policy
+and self-hosted custody,” including scoped access to private LAN/Tailnet
+services that cloud-first runtimes cannot provide without additional network
+plumbing. The main competitive risks are a local wrapper such as claudebox or
+Docker sbx growing a role-manifest layer, and GUI products such as SuperHQ
+adding equivalent policy and audit depth.
+
 ## Caveats
 
 - Star counts and last-commit dates are point-in-time snapshots.
@@ -298,7 +699,8 @@ hosted-SaaS dashboard model of tilde.run (cuts against the
 
 CubeSandbox (Tencent Cloud, Apache 2.0, ~10.4k stars, HN launch
 [#47863430](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47863430)) is the first
-project in this survey to combine, in one open-source stack, everything
+open-source, self-hostable project in this survey to combine, in one stack,
+the main primitives
 bot-bottle treated as its differentiator:
 
 - **Egress custody (connection level)** — default-deny domain allowlist
@@ -366,7 +768,7 @@ instead of per-action prompts. On this axis the field splits cleanly:
   network egress; bot-bottle adds VM-grade isolation, egress DLP, and
   persistent/parallel bottles across macOS + Linux.
 - **Libraries / services** (you build the run yourself): boxlite,
-  microsandbox, CubeSandbox, E2B. These hand you an SDK or a cluster and
+  microsandbox, CubeSandbox, E2B, Daytona. These hand you an SDK or a cluster and
   expect you to wire the agent in — powerful for platform builders,
   heavyweight for "just run Claude on my laptop." microsandbox's MCP/Skills
   angle is *sandbox-as-a-tool the agent calls*, which is the inverse of
@@ -374,10 +776,11 @@ instead of per-action prompts. On this axis the field splits cleanly:
 - **In between:** litterbox (wizard + build, Linux only), smolmachines
   (SSH into a named machine), matchlock (run a command in a VM).
 
-So DX is a genuine bot-bottle differentiator, and the only project that
-matches it (agent-safehouse) does so with materially weaker isolation and
-no egress story. "As easy as native yolo, but actually sandboxed" is a
-defensible one-liner.
+So DX is a genuine bot-bottle differentiator. agent-safehouse matches the
+one-command wrapper with weaker isolation and no egress story; Docker sbx now
+matches it at microVM strength but remains proprietary and preset-based. "As
+easy as native yolo, with declarative role policy" is the narrower defensible
+one-liner.
 
 Why it still doesn't collide head-on:
 
@@ -385,7 +788,8 @@ Why it still doesn't collide head-on:
    builders* (drop-in E2B replacement, SDK-driven, 2,000 sandboxes on a
    box). bot-bottle is a *single-operator, declarative-manifest tool for
    the infrastructure I run*. Different buyer, different ergonomics — no
-   JSON manifest, no bottle/agent split, no "one command on my laptop."
+   declarative role manifest, no bottle/agent split, no "one command on my
+   laptop."
 2. **Backend, not competitor.** Like boxlite/microsandbox, CubeSandbox is
    something bot-bottle could sit *on top of* — a `"runtime": "microvm"`
    or `"runtime": "cubesandbox"` backend under the manifest layer — while
@@ -396,7 +800,8 @@ Why it matters anyway:
 
 - The "nobody else bundles connection-level egress allowlist + audit +
   in-flight credential custody" line is **no longer true for the
-  primitive** — a well-funded, 10k-star open-source project now ships it.
+  primitive** — CubeSandbox ships the open-source/self-hosted combination,
+  and Daytona ships a proprietary firewall + credential-substitution variant.
   But **content DLP on authorized channels is still not matched** (see
   above), and neither is the *layer above* the primitive (declarative
   manifest, cross-vendor orchestration, operator UX, the
@@ -407,5 +812,59 @@ Why it matters anyway:
   that in mind.
 - Worth a closer look at **how** CubeSandbox does credential injection
   and per-sandbox egress tokens (eBPF virtual switch vs. bot-bottle's
-  mitmproxy egress proxy) before the next iteration of bot-bottle's
-  in-flight-secret feature — see borrowable idea #2 above.
+  mitmproxy egress proxy) when hardening bot-bottle's now-shipped
+  credential-custody implementation.
+
+## Addendum 2026-07-18 (second pass) — agent-tailored policy landscape
+
+The second-pass question was: how novel is bot-bottle's per-agent,
+role-tailored sandbox relative to the expanded field?
+
+**The short answer:** on the isolation + network + role-tailoring
+combination, bot-bottle remains the only tool in this set. On
+role-tailored *policy at the tool-call level*, Microsoft AGT and OAP are
+the most complete answers, but they don't provide isolation; they
+complement rather than substitute.
+
+**The competitive picture by axis:**
+
+- *Agent-tailored egress (declarative, per-role)* — bot-bottle and
+  tilde.run. Cleanroom is per-repo, not per-role. Everyone else is
+  per-session or not addressed.
+- *Agent-tailored tool-call policy (declarative, per-agent identity)* —
+  Microsoft AGT (YAML policy + DID identity + trust score), OAP
+  (declarative policy rules + cryptographic audit). Neither provides
+  network/filesystem isolation.
+- *Composable policy (role overlays)* — bot-bottle (`extends:`). No
+  other tool surveyed supports composable role-policy inheritance.
+- *Isolation + DX (one-command safe yolo)* — bot-bottle and Docker sbx.
+  Docker sbx is proprietary, preset-based, and cloud-agent-specific;
+  it's the first DX-class competitor at microVM isolation strength.
+
+**What the HN "coarse-grained" complaint maps to:** The complaint is
+that a VM isolates the filesystem but doesn't know if the agent
+*should* be sending an email. bot-bottle's bottle/agent split is a
+structural answer to this: the bottle manifest declares exactly what
+the role can reach, and the sandbox enforces it at the network layer.
+Microsoft AGT is the most complete answer at the semantic/tool-call
+layer. The gap both leave open is *intent classification* — knowing
+whether a permitted action is consistent with the agent's actual task.
+See `hn-agent-safety-discourse-july-2026.md` for the blast-radius
+analysis.
+
+**Open ideas from new tools (also summarized above):**
+
+- **Microsoft AGT's trust-score decay** — privilege that reflects
+  observed behaviour rather than static provisioning. Applied to
+  bot-bottle: a bottle that has triggered DLP alerts or supervise holds
+  could auto-downgrade its network preset, or flag the session for
+  closer review. Fits the existing supervise-server architecture.
+- **Docker sbx's live network TUI** — real-time per-session view of
+  allowed and blocked outbound connections with point-and-click
+  allow/block. `cli.py supervise` is the right surface; adding a
+  live-connections panel would directly address the "I can't see what
+  the agent is doing" gap without any backend changes.
+- **OAP's cryptographic audit chain** — Ed25519-signed, hash-chained
+  audit records. Currently bot-bottle logs egress decisions but doesn't
+  chain them. A tamper-evident audit record per session would be useful
+  for the compliance use case the CubeSandbox positioning targets.

docs/research/hn-agent-safety-discourse-july-2026.md

@@ -43,6 +43,18 @@ surveyed what developers were actually deploying: "containers or YOLO"
 dominated. The honest community mood was that most teams hadn't solved
 this and were shipping anyway.
 
+The March 12 launch of **Agent Safehouse**
+([#47301085](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47301085), 823 points)
+crystallised the community framing: a zero-dep `sandbox-exec` wrapper for
+macOS that attracted the top comment *"I honestly think that sandboxing is
+currently THE major challenge that needs to be solved for the tech to fully
+realise its potential."* The creator's own framing — "no dependencies, no
+daemons, no subscription; the simplicity is the feature" — and Simon
+Willison's observation that evaluating whether a sandboxing tool works as
+intended is itself hard, both prefigure the June–July shift in tone. See
+[`agent-sandbox-landscape.md`](agent-sandbox-landscape.md) for a full
+per-project breakdown.
+
 ## The June–July attack cascade
 
 Six attack patterns broke in quick succession. Together they form the
@@ -204,6 +216,43 @@ MCP STDIO server from within the agent is still sandboxed by the VM, and
 any outbound calls from that server must pass the egress allowlist and
 outbound DLP scanner.
 
+**Per-agent role tailoring (the "coarse-grained sandbox" complaint)**
+
+The Feb 2026 HN thread that argued "sandboxes are too coarse-grained"
+was pointing at a real gap: a VM isolates the filesystem but doesn't
+know whether an agent *should* be sending email or calling an external
+API. bot-bottle's bottle/agent split is a structural answer at the
+network layer — the bottle manifest declares exactly what each role can
+reach (which hosts, which paths, which HTTP methods), and the egress
+scanner enforces it. A `gitea-dev` bottle that only lists
+`gitea.dideric.is` and `api.anthropic.com` structurally cannot send
+email or reach AWS, not because the model was told not to, but because
+those routes don't exist.
+
+The `extends:` composition model means provider-level policy (the Claude
+auth route) lives in one base bottle and role-specific overlays are
+stacked on top — no duplication, and changing the base propagates to all
+derived roles.
+
+Competitive position on this axis (from `agent-sandbox-landscape.md`):
+
+| Tool | Agent-tailored policy |
+|---|---|
+| **bot-bottle** | Yes — declarative per-role manifest; `extends:` composition; egress + credentials scoped to role |
+| **tilde.run** | Yes — per-agent DSL RBAC (allow/deny/approve per action/repo/agent), but hosted SaaS |
+| **Microsoft AGT** | Yes — YAML policy + per-agent DID + trust score, but tool-call level only (no network isolation) |
+| **OAP** | Yes — declarative pre-action policy + cryptographic audit, but no isolation |
+| **Cleanroom** | Partial — per-repo `cleanroom.yaml`, not per-role |
+| **Docker sbx** | No — network presets only |
+| **Anthropic srt** | No — programmatic per-invocation |
+| **matchlock / smolmachines / microsandbox** | No |
+| **agent-safehouse** | Partial — per-agent Seatbelt profiles; no egress |
+
+Two takeaways: bot-bottle and tilde.run are the only isolation tools
+with declarative role-tailored policy; Microsoft AGT and OAP are the
+closest competitors on role-tailoring but operate at the tool-call layer
+without network/filesystem isolation — complementary, not substitutes.
+
 **Outbound exfiltration (any injection class)**
 
 Whatever triggers the agent — README injection, Agentjacking, MCP

docs/research/landscape-containerized-claude.md

@@ -1,182 +0,0 @@
-# Landscape: containerized AI coding agent tools
-
-Research into whether bot-bottle is redundant with existing projects, and
-whether it's worth publishing.
-
-## Summary
-
-The "AI coding agents in isolated sandboxes" space is active but not saturated.
-bot-bottle occupies a distinct position: no surveyed project combines all five
-of its defining features. Publishing is likely worthwhile, with the main risk
-being claudebox expanding to absorb the same niche.
-
-**Updated 2026-07-09:** bot-bottle now supports three isolation backends
-(Docker, Apple `container`, smolmachines/libkrun microVMs) and three built-in
-agent providers (Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, Pi) with an open plugin system for
-arbitrary providers. This meaningfully strengthens the differentiation against
-all surveyed competitors.
-
-## Closest competitor: claudebox
-
-[RchGrav/claudebox](https://github.com/RchGrav/claudebox) is the most
-feature-complete analog. It runs Claude Code in Docker with per-project
-isolated images, 15+ pre-configured dev-language profiles, and per-project
-network firewall allowlists. Actively maintained with multiple forks.
-
-What it lacks: manifest-driven named agents, per-agent env resolution modes
-(prompt / host-forward / literal), skill directory injection, per-agent system
-prompts, SSH-agent forwarding without copying private keys, home+project
-manifest merge.
-
-## Other surveyed projects
-
-- **textcortex/claude-code-sandbox → spritz** — evolved toward
-  Kubernetes-native multi-agent infra; not stdlib-first or local-Docker.
-  Original sandbox repo is archived.
-- **trailofbits/claude-code-devcontainer** — devcontainer config for security
-  audits; not a general agent launcher.
-- **Several small solo repos** (arezi/claude-sandbox, nkrefman/claude-sandbox,
-  VishalJ99/claude-docker) — lightweight Docker wrappers with no multi-agent
-  config layer.
-- **Docker's official sandbox templates** — launch-and-run Dockerfiles plus an
-  npm-based runtime; not a manifest-driven fleet manager.
-
-## Adjacent (different model)
-
-- **dagger/container-use** (mid-2025) — exposes an MCP server so the *agent*
-  spins up its own containers with Git worktrees. Inverted model vs. bot-bottle
-  (agent controls container rather than being launched into one by a manifest).
-  Still marked early-development.
-- **E2B, Northflank, Cloudflare Sandbox SDK** — cloud-hosted SaaS sandbox
-  runtimes; fundamentally different architecture.
-- **superhq.ai / SuperHQ** (v0.4.4, April 2026) — macOS desktop app (Rust/GPUI)
-  that runs Claude Code, Codex, and Pi inside microVMs via Apple's
-  Virtualization.framework (their own shuru-sdk / libkrun). Auth gateway
-  injects API keys on the wire so the sandbox never sees them; tmpfs overlay
-  stages agent writes for diff-and-accept review; mobile remote access via
-  remote.superhq.ai. Early alpha, free on launch, Apple Silicon only.
-
-  Overlap: both projects cover agent isolation, credential proxying, and
-  multi-provider support (Claude Code / Codex / Pi). Differences: SuperHQ is a
-  GUI desktop app with no manifest layer; bot-bottle is a CLI fleet manager with
-  named agents, skills injection, per-agent system prompts, and cross-platform
-  backends (Docker, Apple `container`, smolmachines). SuperHQ's microVM
-  isolation story is now partially matched by bot-bottle's `macos_container` and
-  smolmachines backends. Worth watching — it targets the same security-minded
-  power-user audience and moves fast.
-
-  **Known gap in SuperHQ (user-requested, as of 2026-07-09):** A named user
-  (Brian Cheong, Founder, Dunialabs.io) explicitly called out the absence of
-  per-run audit logging: tool calls and network egress. Bot-bottle covers both:
-  network egress is logged by pipelock/mitmproxy, and per-run op-log/audit state
-  is persisted to SQLite.
-
-- **OneCLI** ([onecli.sh](https://onecli.sh/)) — YC-backed, GA, open-source
-  (Apache-2.0, Rust) "identity gateway for AI agents": a credential/secret
-  broker that holds API keys and OAuth tokens out of the agent's reach and
-  injects them at the network layer (phantom-token — the agent sees a
-  placeholder, the gateway swaps in the real, AES-256-GCM-encrypted credential
-  at request time). Framework-agnostic and drop-in for any HTTP-calling agent,
-  50+ app integrations, plus a hosted cloud tier with a per-agent dashboard and
-  audit logs. Full technical breakdown in
-  [`agent-credential-proxy-landscape.md`](agent-credential-proxy-landscape.md).
-
-  **How close a competitor:** near-exact on the *single axis of agent secret
-  custody* — the exact thing bot-bottle sells as "the agent never sees real
-  credentials, even via `printenv`." OneCLI does that one job well, is mature
-  and funded, and is *more portable* (it sits in front of anything; bot-bottle
-  only helps agents launched through bot-bottle). Takeaway: bot-bottle should
-  stop treating secret custody as a *unique* differentiator. But OneCLI is
-  **not** a competitor to bot-bottle's actual product — it does no agent
-  sandboxing (containers/microVMs), no fleet/manifest layer, no named agents /
-  skills / per-agent system prompts, no multi-provider launching, no egress
-  firewall.
-
-  **Our edge:** (1) *Isolation is the product, not a proxy.* OneCLI keeps the
-  key out of reach at the network layer, but the agent itself still runs
-  unsandboxed — a hijacked agent behind OneCLI has full run of its host and can
-  exfil captured data through any allowed host. bot-bottle runs the agent inside
-  a kernel/VM-enforced sandbox, injects credentials across that same
-  out-of-process boundary, *and* clamps egress with pipelock — defense in depth
-  vs. a single network layer. (2) *Fleet + manifest model* with named agents,
-  skills, per-agent system prompts, multi-provider and multi-backend — OneCLI
-  has no equivalent. (3) *Trust posture:* OneCLI's managed tier reintroduces a
-  third-party credential custodian, whereas bot-bottle's OSS-runtime +
-  paid-control-plane split keeps custody inside the operator's own boundary —
-  the stronger story for the security-minded self-hoster. (4) *Runs inside your
-  network boundary — local/internal reach.* Because bot-bottle executes the
-  agent on your own host (homelab, corporate LAN, a Tailnet) and egress is a
-  manifest field, giving an agent *scoped* access to **internal** resources — a
-  private Gitea, a LAN database, a Tailscale node — is just another egress-route
-  line, not a networking project (the same move an operator already makes to
-  reach their Tailscale services). OneCLI's OSS core can self-host too, but it's
-  a credential *broker* for outbound API calls, not an agent runtime, and its
-  managed tier + 50+ integrations are oriented at public SaaS — it doesn't put
-  the agent behind your firewall for you. This is a reach advantage, distinct
-  from the isolation ones above, and it's a wedge cloud-first agent products
-  (Devin, Copilot Workspace, OneCLI Cloud) structurally can't match. **Tactical
-  read:**
-  adopt OneCLI's OSS core for the credential slice if building is undesirable
-  (it's mature now); don't build atop its managed tier (competitor, not
-  dependency); re-position bot-bottle on isolation + fleet + self-hosted custody
-  rather than "we hide your secrets."
-
-## What no found project does
-
-None combine:
-1. Named-agent manifest with per-agent env resolution (prompt / host-forward / literal), supporting multiple providers (Claude Code, Codex, Pi, arbitrary plugins)
-2. Skills directory injection
-3. Per-agent system prompts
-4. SSH-agent key forwarding without copying private keys into the container
-5. Home + project manifest merge
-6. Pluggable isolation backends: Docker (Linux/macOS), Apple `container` (macOS microVMs), smolmachines/libkrun microVMs
-7. Per-run audit log: network egress via pipelock/mitmproxy + op-log persisted to SQLite
-
-**In-flight directions (not yet shipped):**
-
-- **Forge-native dispatch (issue #317):** Gitea webhook → orchestrator spins up a bottle
-  with the issue body as prompt → agent works → bottle freezes awaiting review comment →
-  rehydrates on comment → tears down on PR close. The issue-to-PR lifecycle concept is not
-  novel (Devin, Copilot Workspace, SWE-agent all do this as cloud services); what's
-  distinct is doing it self-hosted, manifest-driven, inside bot-bottle's isolation
-  primitives.
-- **Paid web control plane (issue #327):** Browser-based multi-host agent launch and
-  monitoring; account-scoped bottle and agent definitions; secret custody (encrypted at
-  rest, injected into the sidecar at launch, never exposed to the agent or returned by any
-  read API). Monetization model: OSS runtime free, control plane paid — a standard split
-  (HashiCorp, Grafana) applied to a self-hosted agent sandbox. The principled secret
-  custody model (agent never sees real credentials, even via printenv) is more rigorous
-  than most surveyed tools but not unprecedented.
-
-## Publishing verdict
-
-Worth publishing. Differentiators that matter to the target audience (power
-users running parallel AI coding agent sessions with distinct personas/tooling):
-
-- The Python-stdlib-first, low-dependency design — competitors are npm-based,
-  Rust/GUI, or Kubernetes-native.
-- Named agents with distinct skills and system prompts, not just language profiles.
-- Multi-backend isolation: Docker, Apple `container` microVMs, and
-  smolmachines/libkrun — single manifest works across all three.
-- Multi-provider: Claude Code, Codex, Pi, plus an open plugin system for
-  arbitrary providers.
-- SSH forwarding without key copying.
-- Per-run audit log (tool calls + network egress) — an explicitly requested gap
-  in SuperHQ as of 2026-07-09.
-- Forge-native dispatch and a paid control plane (in flight) bring bot-bottle
-  into the same product category as cloud services like Devin and Copilot
-  Workspace — but self-hosted, with stronger isolation guarantees and a
-  manifest-driven fleet model those services don't have.
-
-Main risk: claudebox adds manifest/agent config; SuperHQ is moving fast on the
-GUI / microVM side. The space is moving fast enough that publishing sooner is
-better if establishing prior art matters.
-
-Discovery will be slow without active promotion; an Anthropic Discord post or
-HN "Show HN" would do most of the work.
-
-## Caveats
-
-- GitHub search cannot surface private or very new repos comprehensively.
-- Counts (stars, forks) were not confirmed for every project.
-- Initial research conducted 2026-05-07; SuperHQ entry added 2026-07-09; the space moves fast.

docs/research/smolmachines-as-vm-backend.md

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # smolmachines as a VM backend for bot-bottle
 
-> **Superseded (2026-07-11).** The smolmachines backend was removed — Linux now uses the Firecracker backend, macOS uses macos-container. Kept as a historical record; see the removal commit `c07ebca` and `docs/research/landscape-containerized-claude.md`.
+> **Superseded (2026-07-11).** The smolmachines backend was removed — Linux now uses the Firecracker backend, macOS uses macos-container. Kept as a historical record; see the removal commit `c07ebca` and `docs/research/agent-sandbox-landscape.md`.
 
 Evaluation of whether [smolmachines](https://smolmachines.com/) would
 simplify the macOS agent-VM-isolation work spelled out in

pyproject.toml

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [build-system]
 requires = ["setuptools>=68"]
-build-backend = "setuptools.backends.legacy:build"
+build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
 
 [project]
 name = "bot-bottle"

scripts/coverage.sh

@@ -1,15 +1,19 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 # Combined unit + integration coverage (see docs/decisions/0004-coverage-policy.md).
 #
-# Runs the unit suite, then appends the integration suite (which skips
-# cleanly when Docker / the backend CLIs are unavailable), and prints one
-# combined report. The integration suite is what scores the subprocess /
-# backend orchestration modules, so the number here is the policy's
-# yardstick — not the unit-only badge.
+# Two modes:
 #
-# Usage:
-#   scripts/coverage.sh            # combined report
-#   scripts/coverage.sh critical   # also report just the critical modules
+#   scripts/coverage.sh [critical]
+#     Run mode (default, for local dev): executes the unit suite then the
+#     integration suite under coverage and prints a combined report.
+#
+#   scripts/coverage.sh aggregate [critical]
+#     Aggregate mode (used by CI): combines pre-existing .coverage.* files
+#     produced by individual test jobs and prints a combined report. No tests
+#     are re-executed; no KVM or Docker dependency.
+#
+# Pass "critical" as the last argument in either mode to also report just the
+# critical modules (ADR 0004 target: 90%).
 set -euo pipefail
 
 cd "$(dirname "$0")/.."
@@ -21,13 +25,31 @@ PY="${PYTHON:-python3}"
 # README "core coverage" badge can't drift; comma-join it for --include.
 CRITICAL=$(grep -vE '^[[:space:]]*(#|$)' scripts/critical-modules.txt | paste -sd, -)
 
+if [ "${1:-}" = "aggregate" ]; then
+    # Aggregate mode: combine .coverage.* artifacts already in the workspace.
+    echo "== combining coverage artifacts ==" >&2
+    "$PY" -m coverage combine
+
+    echo "== combined report ==" >&2
+    "$PY" -m coverage report -m
+
+    if [ "${2:-}" = "critical" ]; then
+        echo "== critical modules (ADR 0004 target: 90%) ==" >&2
+        "$PY" -m coverage report --include="$CRITICAL"
+    fi
+    exit 0
+fi
+
+# Run mode (default): execute both suites under coverage in this process.
 rm -f .coverage
 
 echo "== unit ==" >&2
 "$PY" -m coverage run -m unittest discover -t . -s tests/unit
 
-echo "== integration (skips without Docker) ==" >&2
-"$PY" -m coverage run --append -m unittest discover -t . -s tests/integration
+echo "== integration (firecracker; skips docker tests) ==" >&2
+BOT_BOTTLE_BACKEND=firecracker SKIP_DOCKER_TESTS=1 \
+    BOT_BOTTLE_INFRA_ARTIFACT_DIR="${BOT_BOTTLE_CI_INFRA_ARTIFACT_DIR:-}" \
+    "$PY" -m coverage run --append -m unittest discover -t . -s tests/integration
 
 echo "== combined report ==" >&2
 "$PY" -m coverage report -m

scripts/tracker_policy.py

@@ -0,0 +1,135 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Enforce the repository's issue/PR metadata policy in Gitea Actions."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import argparse
+import json
+import os
+import re
+import urllib.error
+import urllib.request
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Any
+
+
+ISSUE_REFERENCE = re.compile(
+    r"(?im)\b(?:close[sd]?|fix(?:e[sd])?|resolve[sd]?|part\s+of|"
+    r"related\s+to|refs?|references)\s+#(\d+)\b"
+)
+TRIAGE_LABEL = "Status/Needs Triage"
+
+
+def deliberate_issue_numbers(title: str, body: str) -> set[int]:
+    """Return same-repository issue numbers referenced intentionally."""
+    return {int(match) for match in ISSUE_REFERENCE.findall(f"{title}\n{body}")}
+
+
+class GiteaApi:
+    """Small API client using the Actions-provided repository token."""
+
+    def __init__(self, api_url: str, repository: str, token: str) -> None:
+        self.base = f"{api_url.rstrip('/')}/repos/{repository}"
+        self.token = token
+
+    def request(self, method: str, path: str, payload: object | None = None) -> Any:
+        data = None if payload is None else json.dumps(payload).encode()
+        request = urllib.request.Request(
+            f"{self.base}{path}",
+            data=data,
+            method=method,
+            headers={
+                "Authorization": f"token {self.token}",
+                "Content-Type": "application/json",
+            },
+        )
+        with urllib.request.urlopen(request, timeout=15) as response:
+            if response.status == 204:
+                return None
+            return json.load(response)
+
+
+def check_pull_request(event: dict[str, Any], api: GiteaApi) -> list[str]:
+    """Return policy violations for a pull_request event."""
+    pull = event["pull_request"]
+    errors: list[str] = []
+    labels = pull.get("labels") or []
+    if labels:
+        errors.append(
+            "PRs must be unlabeled; put tracker metadata on the linked issue "
+            f"(found: {', '.join(label['name'] for label in labels)})."
+        )
+
+    numbers = deliberate_issue_numbers(pull.get("title", ""), pull.get("body", ""))
+    if not numbers:
+        errors.append(
+            "PR must reference an issue with Closes/Fixes/Resolves #N, "
+            "Part of #N, Related to #N, Refs #N, or References #N."
+        )
+        return errors
+
+    real_issues = 0
+    for number in sorted(numbers):
+        try:
+            item = api.request("GET", f"/issues/{number}")
+        except urllib.error.HTTPError as error:
+            if error.code == 404:
+                errors.append(f"Referenced issue #{number} does not exist.")
+                continue
+            raise
+        if item.get("pull_request") is not None:
+            errors.append(f"#{number} is a pull request, not an issue.")
+        else:
+            real_issues += 1
+
+    if not real_issues and not errors:
+        errors.append("PR must reference at least one real issue.")
+    return errors
+
+
+def ensure_issue_label(event: dict[str, Any], api: GiteaApi) -> bool:
+    """Apply the triage label if an issue event leaves the issue unlabeled."""
+    issue = event["issue"]
+    if issue.get("pull_request") is not None or issue.get("labels"):
+        return False
+    labels = api.request("GET", "/labels?limit=100")
+    triage = next((label for label in labels if label["name"] == TRIAGE_LABEL), None)
+    if triage is None:
+        raise RuntimeError(f"repository label {TRIAGE_LABEL!r} does not exist")
+    api.request("POST", f"/issues/{issue['number']}/labels", {"labels": [triage["id"]]})
+    return True
+
+
+def _load_event(path: str) -> dict[str, Any]:
+    return json.loads(Path(path).read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
+
+
+def main() -> int:
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
+    parser.add_argument("command", choices=("check-pr", "label-issue"))
+    parser.add_argument("--event", default=os.environ.get("GITHUB_EVENT_PATH"))
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+    if not args.event:
+        parser.error("--event or GITHUB_EVENT_PATH is required")
+
+    api = GiteaApi(
+        os.environ["GITHUB_API_URL"],
+        os.environ["GITHUB_REPOSITORY"],
+        os.environ["GITHUB_TOKEN"],
+    )
+    event = _load_event(args.event)
+    if args.command == "check-pr":
+        errors = check_pull_request(event, api)
+        if errors:
+            print("\n".join(f"::error::{error}" for error in errors))
+            return 1
+        print("PR tracker policy passed.")
+        return 0
+
+    changed = ensure_issue_label(event, api)
+    print(f"Applied {TRIAGE_LABEL}." if changed else "Issue already has a label.")
+    return 0
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    raise SystemExit(main())

tests/_bin.py

@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+"""Resolved paths to system binaries used by subprocess-based tests.
+
+NixOS and other non-FHS hosts don't populate ``/bin`` (there is no
+``/bin/sleep``), so tests that spawn real short-lived helper processes
+must resolve the binary from ``PATH`` rather than hardcoding an FHS path.
+Import the resolved constant (e.g. ``SLEEP``) instead of writing
+``/bin/sleep`` inline.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import shutil
+
+
+def resolve(name: str, fallback: str) -> str:
+    """Absolute path to ``name`` from ``PATH``; ``fallback`` on FHS hosts
+    where the binary isn't on ``PATH`` but lives at a known ``/bin`` path."""
+    return shutil.which(name) or fallback
+
+
+# Real ``sleep`` binary. ``/bin/sleep`` is absent on NixOS; resolve from
+# PATH so subprocess tests run instead of erroring with FileNotFoundError.
+SLEEP = resolve("sleep", "/bin/sleep")

tests/_docker.py

@@ -2,24 +2,44 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import os
 import shutil
 import subprocess
 import unittest
 
 
 def docker_available() -> bool:
+    if os.environ.get("SKIP_DOCKER_TESTS"):
+        return False
     if shutil.which("docker") is None:
         return False
-    return (
-        subprocess.run(
-            ["docker", "info"],
-            stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL,
-            stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL,
-            check=False,
-        ).returncode
-        == 0
-    )
+    try:
+        return (
+            subprocess.run(
+                ["docker", "info"],
+                stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL,
+                stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL,
+                check=False,
+                timeout=5,
+            ).returncode
+            == 0
+        )
+    except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
+        return False
 
 
 def skip_unless_docker(reason: str = "docker unreachable"):
     return unittest.skipUnless(docker_available(), reason)
+
+
+def skip_unless_docker_or_firecracker(
+    reason: str = "neither Docker nor Firecracker selected",
+):
+    """Skip a backend-agnostic test unless one supported backend can run.
+
+    Firecracker does not require the host Docker daemon. The KVM coverage job
+    deliberately sets ``SKIP_DOCKER_TESTS`` to exclude Docker-only integration
+    classes while still exercising this path.
+    """
+    firecracker_selected = os.environ.get("BOT_BOTTLE_BACKEND") == "firecracker"
+    return unittest.skipUnless(firecracker_selected or docker_available(), reason)

tests/integration/test_gateway_image.py

@@ -86,13 +86,12 @@ class TestGatewayImage(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertIn("Mitmproxy", out)
 
     def test_python_imports_supervise_module(self):
-        # The bundle's supervise daemon imports `supervise` as a
-        # same-directory sibling of `supervise_server`. Probe the
-        # import resolves with `python3 -c` from /app (the
-        # Dockerfile's WORKDIR).
+        # The supervise daemon is installed as part of the bot_bottle
+        # package (5ad3449), not as flat sibling modules under /app.
+        # Probe that the package imports resolve inside the image.
         rc, out = self._run_in_image(
             "python3", "-c",
-            "import supervise; import supervise_server; print('ok')",
+            "from bot_bottle import supervise, supervise_server; print('ok')",
         )
         self.assertEqual(0, rc, msg=out)
         self.assertIn("ok", out)

tests/integration/test_sandbox_escape.py

@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ from pathlib import Path
 from bot_bottle.backend import BottleSpec, get_bottle_backend
 from bot_bottle.bottle_state import cleanup_state
 from bot_bottle.manifest import ManifestIndex
-from tests._docker import skip_unless_docker
+from tests._docker import skip_unless_docker_or_firecracker
 
 
 # Secrets planted in the bottle env as literals (agents substitute via
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ _DUMMY_HOST_KEY = (
 )
 
 
-@skip_unless_docker()
+@skip_unless_docker_or_firecracker()
 @unittest.skipIf(
     os.environ.get("GITEA_ACTIONS") == "true"
     and os.environ.get("BOT_BOTTLE_BACKEND") != "firecracker",
@@ -91,11 +91,9 @@ class TestSandboxEscape(unittest.TestCase):
 
     @classmethod
     def setUpClass(cls) -> None:
-        # Docker is always required (the agent + companion containers run under it,
-        # and VM backends still use it for the gateway); the
-        # class-level @skip_unless_docker already covers that. Pin
-        # Docker when BOT_BOTTLE_BACKEND is unset to preserve the
-        # Docker-backed CI path.
+        # Pin Docker when BOT_BOTTLE_BACKEND is unset to preserve the
+        # Docker-backed CI path. Firecracker uses its persistent infra VM for
+        # the shared gateway and therefore does not require host Docker.
         cls._backend_name = os.environ.get("BOT_BOTTLE_BACKEND", "docker")
 
         # Throwaway static key for the git-gate fixture. It need not

tests/unit/test_backend_selection.py

@@ -57,14 +57,16 @@ class TestGetBottleBackend(unittest.TestCase):
                 return self._available
 
         # No macOS container and the host can't run firecracker (no
-        # KVM / not Linux) → docker is the last resort.
+        # KVM / not Linux) → docker fallback with a prompt. Simulate
+        # the user picking "d" (use docker anyway).
         with patch.dict(os.environ, {}, clear=True), \
              patch.object(backend_mod.FirecrackerBottleBackend,
                           "is_host_capable", classmethod(lambda cls: False)), \
              patch.object(backend_mod, "_backends", {
                  "macos-container": _FakeBackend("macos-container", False),
                  "docker": _FakeBackend("docker", True),
-             }):
+             }), \
+             patch.object(backend_mod, "read_tty_line", return_value="d"):
             b = get_bottle_backend()
         self.assertEqual("docker", b.name)
 
@@ -96,6 +98,145 @@ class TestGetBottleBackend(unittest.TestCase):
             with self.assertRaises(SystemExit):
                 get_bottle_backend("nonexistent")
 
+    def test_no_backend_available_dies(self):
+        # No VM and no docker → print install instructions and die.
+        class _FakeBackend:
+            def __init__(self, name: str, available: bool) -> None:
+                self.name = name
+                self._available = available
+
+            def is_available(self) -> bool:
+                return self._available
+
+        with patch.dict(os.environ, {}, clear=True), \
+             patch.object(backend_mod.FirecrackerBottleBackend,
+                          "is_host_capable", classmethod(lambda cls: False)), \
+             patch.object(backend_mod, "_backends", {
+                 "macos-container": _FakeBackend("macos-container", False),
+                 "docker": _FakeBackend("docker", False),
+             }), \
+             patch.object(backend_mod, "die", side_effect=SystemExit("die")):
+            with self.assertRaises(SystemExit):
+                get_bottle_backend()
+
+    def test_docker_fallback_user_quits(self):
+        # VM unavailable, docker available, user picks "q" → die.
+        class _FakeBackend:
+            def __init__(self, name: str, available: bool) -> None:
+                self.name = name
+                self._available = available
+
+            def is_available(self) -> bool:
+                return self._available
+
+        with patch.dict(os.environ, {}, clear=True), \
+             patch.object(backend_mod.FirecrackerBottleBackend,
+                          "is_host_capable", classmethod(lambda cls: False)), \
+             patch.object(backend_mod, "_backends", {
+                 "macos-container": _FakeBackend("macos-container", False),
+                 "docker": _FakeBackend("docker", True),
+             }), \
+             patch.object(backend_mod, "read_tty_line", return_value="q"), \
+             patch.object(backend_mod, "die", side_effect=SystemExit("die")):
+            with self.assertRaises(SystemExit):
+                get_bottle_backend()
+
+
+    def test_docker_fallback_non_interactive_dies(self):
+        # prompt=False: headless/CI contexts must not block on a TTY read.
+        class _FakeBackend:
+            def __init__(self, name: str, available: bool) -> None:
+                self.name = name
+                self._available = available
+
+            def is_available(self) -> bool:
+                return self._available
+
+        with patch.dict(os.environ, {}, clear=True), \
+             patch.object(backend_mod.FirecrackerBottleBackend,
+                          "is_host_capable", classmethod(lambda cls: False)), \
+             patch.object(backend_mod, "_backends", {
+                 "macos-container": _FakeBackend("macos-container", False),
+                 "docker": _FakeBackend("docker", True),
+             }), \
+             patch.object(backend_mod, "die", side_effect=SystemExit("die")):
+            with self.assertRaises(SystemExit):
+                get_bottle_backend(prompt=False)
+
+    def test_docker_fallback_user_picks_install(self):
+        # User picks [i] → print install instructions then die.
+        class _FakeBackend:
+            def __init__(self, name: str, available: bool) -> None:
+                self.name = name
+                self._available = available
+
+            def is_available(self) -> bool:
+                return self._available
+
+        with patch.dict(os.environ, {}, clear=True), \
+             patch.object(backend_mod.FirecrackerBottleBackend,
+                          "is_host_capable", classmethod(lambda cls: False)), \
+             patch.object(backend_mod, "_backends", {
+                 "macos-container": _FakeBackend("macos-container", False),
+                 "docker": _FakeBackend("docker", True),
+             }), \
+             patch.object(backend_mod, "read_tty_line", return_value="i"), \
+             patch.object(backend_mod, "_print_vm_install_instructions") as mock_inst, \
+             patch.object(backend_mod, "die", side_effect=SystemExit("die")):
+            with self.assertRaises(SystemExit):
+                get_bottle_backend()
+        mock_inst.assert_called_once()
+
+
+class TestReadTtyLine(unittest.TestCase):
+    """Unit tests for the shared read_tty_line helper in bot_bottle.util."""
+
+    def test_reads_from_dev_tty(self):
+        from unittest.mock import mock_open
+        from bot_bottle.util import read_tty_line
+
+        m = mock_open(read_data="hello\n")
+        with patch("builtins.open", m):
+            result = read_tty_line()
+        self.assertEqual("hello", result)
+        m.assert_called_once_with("/dev/tty", "r", encoding="utf-8")
+
+    def test_falls_back_to_stdin_on_oserror(self):
+        import io
+        from bot_bottle.util import read_tty_line
+        import sys as _sys
+
+        with patch("builtins.open", side_effect=OSError("no tty")), \
+             patch.object(_sys, "stdin", io.StringIO("world\n")):
+            result = read_tty_line()
+        self.assertEqual("world", result)
+
+
+class TestPrintVmInstallInstructions(unittest.TestCase):
+    """Unit tests for _print_vm_install_instructions platform branches."""
+
+    def test_linux_prints_firecracker_instructions(self):
+        from bot_bottle.backend import _print_vm_install_instructions
+
+        with patch.object(backend_mod, "_platform_vm_suggestion",
+                          return_value="firecracker"), \
+             patch.object(backend_mod, "info") as mock_info:
+            _print_vm_install_instructions()
+
+        messages = [str(c[0][0]) for c in mock_info.call_args_list]
+        self.assertTrue(any("Firecracker" in m for m in messages))
+
+    def test_macos_prints_apple_container_instructions(self):
+        from bot_bottle.backend import _print_vm_install_instructions
+
+        with patch.object(backend_mod, "_platform_vm_suggestion",
+                          return_value="macos-container"), \
+             patch.object(backend_mod, "info") as mock_info:
+            _print_vm_install_instructions()
+
+        messages = [str(c[0][0]) for c in mock_info.call_args_list]
+        self.assertTrue(any("Apple Container" in m for m in messages))
+
 
 class TestKnownBackendNames(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_returns_backends_sorted(self):

tests/unit/test_backend_setup.py

@@ -215,6 +215,18 @@ class TestDockerSetupStatus(unittest.TestCase):
         with patch.object(dk.shutil, "which", return_value=None):
             self.assertFalse(dk._daemon_reachable())
 
+    def test_daemon_reachable_true_when_daemon_responds(self):
+        with patch.object(dk.shutil, "which", return_value="/usr/bin/docker"), \
+             patch.object(dk.subprocess, "run",
+                          return_value=subprocess.CompletedProcess([], 0)):
+            self.assertTrue(dk._daemon_reachable())
+
+    def test_daemon_reachable_false_on_timeout(self):
+        with patch.object(dk.shutil, "which", return_value="/usr/bin/docker"), \
+             patch.object(dk.subprocess, "run",
+                          side_effect=subprocess.TimeoutExpired(["docker", "info"], 5)):
+            self.assertFalse(dk._daemon_reachable())
+
     def test_status_reports_missing_docker(self):
         with patch.object(dk.shutil, "which", return_value=None):
             rc, out = _cap(dk.status)

tests/unit/test_cli_cleanup_cross_backend.py

@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
-"""Unit: `cli.py cleanup` walks every backend (issue follow-up).
+"""Unit: `cli.py cleanup` walks every available backend.
 
-Asserts cmd_cleanup queries each backend's `prepare_cleanup`,
-combines the y/N output, and runs each backend's `cleanup` when
-the operator confirms.  Mocks the backends and stdin."""
+Asserts cmd_cleanup queries each available backend's `prepare_cleanup`,
+combines the y/N output, and runs each backend's `cleanup` when the
+operator confirms. Unavailable backends (e.g. macos-container on Linux)
+are skipped so that `cleanup` never errors on a platform where a backend
+is not installed. Mocks the backends and stdin."""
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
@@ -21,7 +23,7 @@ def _make_backend(empty: bool = True):
 
 
 class TestCmdCleanup(unittest.TestCase):
-    def test_iterates_every_backend(self):
+    def test_iterates_every_available_backend(self):
         docker, docker_plan = _make_backend(empty=False)
         fc, fc_plan = _make_backend(empty=False)
         backends_by_name = {"docker": docker, "firecracker": fc}
@@ -32,6 +34,8 @@ class TestCmdCleanup(unittest.TestCase):
         ), patch.object(
             cmd, "get_bottle_backend",
             side_effect=lambda name: backends_by_name[name],  # type: ignore
+        ), patch.object(
+            cmd, "has_backend", return_value=True,
         ), patch.object(
             cmd, "_prompt_yes", return_value=True,
         ):
@@ -42,6 +46,32 @@ class TestCmdCleanup(unittest.TestCase):
         docker.cleanup.assert_called_once_with(docker_plan)
         fc.cleanup.assert_called_once_with(fc_plan)
 
+    def test_skips_unavailable_backends(self):
+        # macos-container is not available on Linux — must be silently skipped.
+        docker, docker_plan = _make_backend(empty=False)
+        macos = MagicMock()
+        backends_by_name = {"docker": docker}
+
+        def _has(name: str) -> bool:
+            return name == "docker"
+
+        with patch.object(
+            cmd, "known_backend_names",
+            return_value=("docker", "macos-container"),
+        ), patch.object(
+            cmd, "get_bottle_backend",
+            side_effect=lambda name: backends_by_name[name],  # type: ignore
+        ), patch.object(
+            cmd, "has_backend", side_effect=_has,
+        ), patch.object(
+            cmd, "_prompt_yes", return_value=True,
+        ):
+            self.assertEqual(0, cmd.cmd_cleanup([]))
+
+        docker.prepare_cleanup.assert_called_once()
+        docker.cleanup.assert_called_once_with(docker_plan)
+        macos.prepare_cleanup.assert_not_called()
+
     def test_short_circuits_when_all_empty(self):
         docker, _ = _make_backend(empty=True)
         fc, _ = _make_backend(empty=True)
@@ -53,6 +83,8 @@ class TestCmdCleanup(unittest.TestCase):
         ), patch.object(
             cmd, "get_bottle_backend",
             side_effect=lambda name: backends_by_name[name],  # type: ignore
+        ), patch.object(
+            cmd, "has_backend", return_value=True,
         ), patch.object(
             cmd, "_prompt_yes",
         ) as prompt:
@@ -72,6 +104,8 @@ class TestCmdCleanup(unittest.TestCase):
         ), patch.object(
             cmd, "get_bottle_backend",
             side_effect=lambda name: backends_by_name[name],  # type: ignore
+        ), patch.object(
+            cmd, "has_backend", return_value=True,
         ), patch.object(
             cmd, "_prompt_yes", return_value=False,
         ):
@@ -92,6 +126,8 @@ class TestCmdCleanup(unittest.TestCase):
         ), patch.object(
             cmd, "get_bottle_backend",
             side_effect=lambda name: backends_by_name[name],  # type: ignore
+        ), patch.object(
+            cmd, "has_backend", return_value=True,
         ), patch.object(
             cmd, "_prompt_yes", return_value=True,
         ):

tests/unit/test_cli_dispatch.py

@@ -95,5 +95,60 @@ class TestMainDispatch(unittest.TestCase):
             self.assertEqual(130, main(["x"]))
 
 
+class TestMigrationGate(unittest.TestCase):
+    """The dispatcher's schema-migration gate (cli/__init__.py)."""
+
+    def setUp(self) -> None:
+        # Force the "schema out of date" branch for every test here.
+        patcher = patch.object(StoreManager, "is_migrated", return_value=False)
+        patcher.start()
+        self.addCleanup(patcher.stop)
+        self.addCleanup(StoreManager.reset)
+
+    def test_store_command_blocks_when_stdin_cannot_confirm(self) -> None:
+        # Non-TTY stdin at EOF (as in CI): the [y/N] prompt reads "" and the
+        # command is refused rather than migrating silently.
+        ran: list[bool] = []
+
+        def handler(_rest: list[str]) -> int:
+            ran.append(True)
+            return 0
+
+        with patch.dict(climod.COMMANDS, {"list": handler}), \
+                patch("sys.stdin", io.StringIO("")), \
+                patch("sys.stderr", io.StringIO()):
+            self.assertEqual(1, main(["list"]))
+        self.assertEqual([], ran, "gated command must not dispatch")
+
+    def test_backend_command_skips_gate(self) -> None:
+        # `backend` provisions/probes the host and never opens the store, so
+        # it must run even on an unmigrated DB with unanswerable stdin.
+        ran: list[bool] = []
+
+        def handler(_rest: list[str]) -> int:
+            ran.append(True)
+            return 0
+
+        with patch.dict(climod.COMMANDS, {"backend": handler}), \
+                patch("sys.stdin", io.StringIO("")), \
+                patch("sys.stderr", io.StringIO()):
+            self.assertEqual(0, main(["backend", "status"]))
+        self.assertEqual([True], ran, "exempt command must dispatch")
+
+    def test_store_command_migrates_on_confirmation(self) -> None:
+        migrated: list[bool] = []
+
+        def handler(_rest: list[str]) -> int:
+            return 0
+
+        with patch.dict(climod.COMMANDS, {"list": handler}), \
+                patch.object(StoreManager, "migrate",
+                             side_effect=lambda: migrated.append(True)), \
+                patch("sys.stdin", io.StringIO("y\n")), \
+                patch("sys.stderr", io.StringIO()):
+            self.assertEqual(0, main(["list"]))
+        self.assertEqual([True], migrated, "confirmed gate must migrate")
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()

tests/unit/test_cli_start_backend_flag.py

@@ -1,61 +1,29 @@
-"""Unit: `cli.py start --backend=<name>` flag (issue #77).
+"""Unit: backend resolution priority — explicit name > env var.
 
-Asserts that the flag wins over the env var, that the env var is
-the fallback, and that the choices are pulled from the backend
-registry (so adding a backend lights up in argparse without code
-edits)."""
+The `--backend` flag has been removed from `cli.py start`; backend
+selection is driven by BOT_BOTTLE_BACKEND or auto-selection only.
+`get_bottle_backend` still accepts an explicit name so that `resume`
+(which records the backend from a prior session) and the `backend`
+sub-command can pass one directly."""
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-import argparse
 import os
 import unittest
 from unittest.mock import patch
 
 
-from bot_bottle.backend import known_backend_names
-
-
-class TestStartBackendFlag(unittest.TestCase):
-    """The flag is wired by `cmd_start`'s argparse and threaded
-    through `prepare_with_preflight(backend_name=...)`. Rather than
-    drive the whole start flow (which builds containers), we test
-    the argparse shape and the resolution function separately."""
-
-    def _build_parser(self):
-        # Mirror the parser definition from `cmd_start` so this
-        # test doesn't have to invoke the full command.
-        parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(prog="cb start")
-        parser.add_argument(
-            "--backend",
-            choices=known_backend_names(),
-            default=None,
-        )
-        parser.add_argument("name")
-        return parser
-
-    def test_flag_recognized(self):
-        args = self._build_parser().parse_args(["--backend=firecracker", "researcher"])
-        self.assertEqual("firecracker", args.backend)
-        self.assertEqual("researcher", args.name)
-
-    def test_flag_default_none_means_env_or_default_backend(self):
-        args = self._build_parser().parse_args(["researcher"])
-        self.assertIsNone(args.backend)
-
-    def test_invalid_backend_rejected_by_argparse(self):
-        parser = self._build_parser()
-        with self.assertRaises(SystemExit):
-            parser.parse_args(["--backend=garbage", "researcher"])
-
-    def test_resolution_priority_explicit_over_env(self):
-        # Independent assertion that get_bottle_backend (where
-        # `--backend` ultimately threads to) prefers the explicit
-        # name over BOT_BOTTLE_BACKEND.
+class TestBackendResolutionPriority(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_explicit_name_overrides_env_var(self):
         from bot_bottle.backend import get_bottle_backend
         with patch.dict(os.environ, {"BOT_BOTTLE_BACKEND": "firecracker"}):
             self.assertEqual("docker", get_bottle_backend("docker").name)
 
+    def test_env_var_used_when_no_explicit_name(self):
+        from bot_bottle.backend import get_bottle_backend
+        with patch.dict(os.environ, {"BOT_BOTTLE_BACKEND": "firecracker"}):
+            self.assertEqual("firecracker", get_bottle_backend().name)
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()

tests/unit/test_cli_start_headless.py

@@ -175,14 +175,6 @@ class TestCmdStartHeadless(unittest.TestCase):
             )
         self.assertEqual("researcher-2", self._spec().label)
 
-    # -- backend wiring ------------------------------------------------
-
-    def test_backend_flag_forwarded(self):
-        start_mod.cmd_start(
-            ["--headless", "--backend=docker", "researcher", "--bottle", "claude",
-             "--prompt", "Do it"]
-        )
-        self.assertEqual("docker", self._launch_mock.call_args[1]["backend_name"])
 
 
 class TestPrepareWithPreflight(unittest.TestCase):

tests/unit/test_cli_start_selector.py

@@ -57,6 +57,14 @@ class TestCmdStartSelector(unittest.TestCase):
         self._bottle_picker_mock = self._bottle_picker_patch.start()
         self._bottle_picker_mock.return_value = ["claude"]  # default: one bottle selected
 
+        # name_color_modal opens /dev/tty and blocks on keyboard input on
+        # self-hosted runners that have a real controlling terminal. Stub it
+        # out like the other tui pickers so tests don't wait for a keypress.
+        self._modal_patch = patch.object(
+            tui_mod, "name_color_modal", return_value=("researcher", ""),
+        )
+        self._modal_patch.start()
+
         self._env_patch = patch.dict(os.environ, {}, clear=False)
         self._env_patch.start()
         os.environ.pop("BOT_BOTTLE_BACKEND", None)
@@ -66,6 +74,7 @@ class TestCmdStartSelector(unittest.TestCase):
         self._launch_patch.stop()
         self._agent_picker_patch.stop()
         self._bottle_picker_patch.stop()
+        self._modal_patch.stop()
         self._env_patch.stop()
 
     # ------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -73,7 +82,7 @@ class TestCmdStartSelector(unittest.TestCase):
     # ------------------------------------------------------------------
 
     def test_explicit_agent_skips_agent_picker(self):
-        rc = start_mod.cmd_start(["--backend=docker", "researcher"])
+        rc = start_mod.cmd_start(["researcher"])
         self.assertEqual(0, rc)
         self._agent_picker_mock.assert_not_called()
         self._bottle_picker_mock.assert_called_once()
@@ -91,7 +100,7 @@ class TestCmdStartSelector(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def test_agent_absent_shows_agent_picker(self):
         self._agent_picker_mock.return_value = "researcher"
-        rc = start_mod.cmd_start(["--backend=docker"])
+        rc = start_mod.cmd_start([])
         self.assertEqual(0, rc)
         self._agent_picker_mock.assert_called_once()
         call_kwargs = self._agent_picker_mock.call_args
@@ -102,7 +111,7 @@ class TestCmdStartSelector(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def test_agent_picker_cancel_skips_bottle_picker(self):
         self._agent_picker_mock.return_value = None
-        rc = start_mod.cmd_start(["--backend=docker"])
+        rc = start_mod.cmd_start([])
         self.assertEqual(0, rc)
         self._bottle_picker_mock.assert_not_called()
         self._launch_mock.assert_not_called()
@@ -159,16 +168,6 @@ class TestCmdStartSelector(unittest.TestCase):
     # Backend wiring
     # ------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-    def test_explicit_backend_forwarded(self):
-        start_mod.cmd_start(["--backend=docker", "researcher"])
-        _, kwargs = self._launch_mock.call_args
-        self.assertEqual("docker", kwargs["backend_name"])
-
-    def test_absent_backend_uses_default(self):
-        start_mod.cmd_start(["researcher"])
-        _, kwargs = self._launch_mock.call_args
-        self.assertIsNone(kwargs["backend_name"])
-
     def test_bot_bottle_backend_env_skips_backend_picker(self):
         os.environ["BOT_BOTTLE_BACKEND"] = "docker"
         try:

tests/unit/test_db_store.py

@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+"""Unit: DbStore._connection() context manager and is_migrated()."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import sqlite3
+import tempfile
+import unittest
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from bot_bottle.db_store import DbStore
+from bot_bottle.migrations import TableMigrations
+
+
+def _store(tmp: Path) -> DbStore:
+    migrations = TableMigrations("test", ["CREATE TABLE items (id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY)"])
+    return DbStore(tmp / "test.db", migrations)
+
+
+class TestDbStoreIsMigrated(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_returns_false_when_db_absent(self):
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as d:
+            store = _store(Path(d))
+            self.assertFalse(store.is_migrated())
+
+    def test_returns_false_when_schema_versions_missing(self):
+        # DB file exists but has no schema_versions table → OperationalError → False.
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as d:
+            store = _store(Path(d))
+            conn = sqlite3.connect(store.db_path)
+            conn.close()
+            self.assertFalse(store.is_migrated())
+
+    def test_returns_true_after_migrate(self):
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as d:
+            store = _store(Path(d))
+            store.migrate()
+            self.assertTrue(store.is_migrated())
+
+    def test_returns_false_when_behind(self):
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as d:
+            migrations = TableMigrations(
+                "test",
+                [
+                    "CREATE TABLE items (id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY)",
+                    "ALTER TABLE items ADD COLUMN name TEXT",
+                ],
+            )
+            store = DbStore(Path(d) / "test.db", migrations)
+            # Apply only the first migration manually.
+            conn = sqlite3.connect(store.db_path)
+            with conn:
+                TableMigrations("test", [migrations.migrations[0]]).apply(conn)
+            conn.close()
+            self.assertFalse(store.is_migrated())
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    unittest.main()

tests/unit/test_docker_test_helpers.py

@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+"""Tests for integration-test backend selection helpers."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import os
+import unittest
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
+from tests._docker import skip_unless_docker_or_firecracker
+
+
+class TestSkipUnlessDockerOrFirecracker(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_firecracker_runs_when_docker_tests_are_disabled(self):
+        with patch.dict(
+            os.environ,
+            {"BOT_BOTTLE_BACKEND": "firecracker", "SKIP_DOCKER_TESTS": "1"},
+            clear=True,
+        ):
+            decorated = skip_unless_docker_or_firecracker()(type("Case", (), {}))
+
+        self.assertFalse(getattr(decorated, "__unittest_skip__", False))
+
+    def test_non_firecracker_still_skips_when_docker_tests_are_disabled(self):
+        with patch.dict(
+            os.environ,
+            {"BOT_BOTTLE_BACKEND": "docker", "SKIP_DOCKER_TESTS": "1"},
+            clear=True,
+        ):
+            decorated = skip_unless_docker_or_firecracker()(type("Case", (), {}))
+
+        self.assertTrue(getattr(decorated, "__unittest_skip__", False))
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    unittest.main()

tests/unit/test_firecracker_backend.py

@@ -35,9 +35,12 @@ class TestNetpoolSlots(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_slot_ip_math_31_pairs(self):
         with patch.dict(os.environ, {"BOT_BOTTLE_FC_IP_BASE": "100.64.0.0"}):
             s0, s1 = netpool.slot(0), netpool.slot(1)
-        self.assertEqual(("bbfc0", "100.64.0.0", "100.64.0.1"),
+        # Iface names track netpool's (env-driven) prefix — the KVM CI runner
+        # overrides it for its isolated pool, so don't hardcode "bbfc".
+        pfx = netpool.IFACE_PREFIX
+        self.assertEqual((f"{pfx}0", "100.64.0.0", "100.64.0.1"),
                          (s0.iface, s0.host_ip, s0.guest_ip))
-        self.assertEqual(("bbfc1", "100.64.0.2", "100.64.0.3"),
+        self.assertEqual((f"{pfx}1", "100.64.0.2", "100.64.0.3"),
                          (s1.iface, s1.host_ip, s1.guest_ip))
 
     def test_guest_cidr_is_31(self):
@@ -180,11 +183,14 @@ class TestNetpoolOverlap(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual("tailscale0", conflicts[0].dev)
 
     def test_ignores_own_taps_and_default(self):
+        # The "own tap" route uses netpool's (env-driven) iface name, so the
+        # test still exercises the self-ignore path on the KVM CI runner, whose
+        # BOT_BOTTLE_FC_IFACE_PREFIX differs from the default.
         with patch.dict(os.environ, {"BOT_BOTTLE_FC_IP_BASE": "10.243.0.0",
                                      "BOT_BOTTLE_FC_POOL_SIZE": "8"}), \
              self._routes([
                  {"dst": "default", "dev": "enp4s0"},
-                 {"dst": "10.243.0.0/31", "dev": "bbfc0"},
+                 {"dst": "10.243.0.0/31", "dev": netpool.slot(0).iface},
                  {"dst": "192.168.1.0/24", "dev": "enp4s0"},
              ]):
             self.assertEqual([], netpool.overlapping_routes())
@@ -203,7 +209,7 @@ class TestNetpoolAllocation(unittest.TestCase):
             # over (and here, exhaust the pool).
             slot, lock = netpool.allocate("first")
             self.addCleanup(lock.close)
-            self.assertEqual("bbfc0", slot.iface)
+            self.assertEqual(netpool.slot(0).iface, slot.iface)
             with patch.object(netpool, "die",
                               side_effect=SystemExit("exhausted")):
                 with self.assertRaises(SystemExit):
@@ -323,9 +329,14 @@ class TestNetpoolDefaultsSingleSource(unittest.TestCase):
         with patch.dict(os.environ, {}, clear=True):
             self.assertEqual(int(d["BOT_BOTTLE_FC_POOL_SIZE"]), netpool.pool_size())
             self.assertEqual(d["BOT_BOTTLE_FC_IP_BASE"], netpool.ip_base())
-        # Module constants resolve through the same shared file.
-        self.assertEqual(d["BOT_BOTTLE_FC_IFACE_PREFIX"], netpool.IFACE_PREFIX)
-        self.assertEqual(d["BOT_BOTTLE_FC_NFT_TABLE"], netpool.NFT_TABLE)
+        # The module's *defaults* come from the same shared file. Assert the
+        # parsed defaults (not IFACE_PREFIX/NFT_TABLE, which layer a live env
+        # override on top — the KVM CI runner sets those for its isolated pool,
+        # which would otherwise mask this single-source check).
+        self.assertEqual(d["BOT_BOTTLE_FC_IFACE_PREFIX"],
+                         netpool._DEFAULTS["BOT_BOTTLE_FC_IFACE_PREFIX"])
+        self.assertEqual(d["BOT_BOTTLE_FC_NFT_TABLE"],
+                         netpool._DEFAULTS["BOT_BOTTLE_FC_NFT_TABLE"])
 
     def test_env_var_overrides_the_shared_default(self):
         with patch.dict(os.environ, {"BOT_BOTTLE_FC_IP_BASE": "10.99.0.0"}):

tests/unit/test_firecracker_helpers.py

@@ -63,9 +63,12 @@ class TestNetpoolProbes(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(2, ok.call_count)
 
     def test_missing_taps(self):
+        # Derive the expected iface from netpool's (env-driven) config rather
+        # than hardcoding "bbfc1": the KVM CI runner sets BOT_BOTTLE_FC_* for
+        # its isolated pool, so the prefix there is not the default.
         with patch.dict("os.environ", {"BOT_BOTTLE_FC_POOL_SIZE": "2"}), \
              patch.object(netpool, "tap_present", side_effect=[True, False]):
-            self.assertEqual(["bbfc1"], netpool.missing_taps())
+            self.assertEqual([netpool.slot(1).iface], netpool.missing_taps())
 
     def test_orch_slot_is_top_of_ip_base_16(self):
         # Dedicated orchestrator link: /31 at the top of the IP_BASE /16,

tests/unit/test_firecracker_image_builder.py

@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ class TestBuildAgentRootfsDir(unittest.TestCase):
         self.addCleanup(self._tmp.cleanup)
 
     def test_cache_hit_skips_rebuild(self):
-        digest = image_builder._dockerfile_hash(self.dockerfile)
+        digest = image_builder._rootfs_digest(self.dockerfile)
         base = self.cache / "rootfs" / f"agent-{digest}"
         base.mkdir(parents=True)
         (base / ".bb-ready").write_text("ok\n")
@@ -55,6 +55,17 @@ class TestBuildAgentRootfsDir(unittest.TestCase):
             image_builder._dockerfile_hash(other),
         )
 
+    def test_rootfs_digest_tracks_dockerfile_and_init(self):
+        # Same Dockerfile, different injected init -> different rootfs key, so
+        # an init fix (e.g. /tmp perms) rebuilds instead of reusing a stale
+        # rootfs; different Dockerfiles also differ.
+        base = image_builder._rootfs_digest(self.dockerfile)
+        with patch.object(image_builder.util, "_GUEST_INIT", "#!/bin/sh\n# changed\n"):
+            self.assertNotEqual(base, image_builder._rootfs_digest(self.dockerfile))
+        other = self.cache / "Dockerfile2"
+        other.write_text("FROM python:3.12-slim\n")
+        self.assertNotEqual(base, image_builder._rootfs_digest(other))
+
 
 class TestSmokeTest(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_empty_argv_is_noop(self):

tests/unit/test_firecracker_infra_vm.py

@@ -38,7 +38,9 @@ class TestBuildInfraRootfs(unittest.TestCase):
         # and exports PATH so gateway_init's subprocess daemons find python3.
         init = build.call_args.kwargs["init_script"]
         self.assertIn("bot_bottle.orchestrator", init)
-        self.assertIn("gateway_init.py", init)
+        # Gateway launches via the installed package (there is no
+        # /app/gateway_init.py file since the daemons moved into bot_bottle).
+        self.assertIn("bot_bottle.gateway_init", init)
         self.assertIn("export PATH=", init)
         # Persistent registry volume mounted at the DB dir before the CP starts.
         self.assertIn("/dev/vdb", init)
@@ -98,7 +100,11 @@ class TestRegistryVolume(unittest.TestCase):
 class TestEnsureBuilt(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_default_pulls_artifact_without_docker(self):
         # PRD 0069 Stage 2: the launch host pulls the prebuilt rootfs; no Docker.
-        with patch.object(infra_vm.docker_mod, "build_image") as build, \
+        # Pin BOT_BOTTLE_INFRA_BUILD off: the coverage CI job exports it =local
+        # for the integration suite, and that ambient value would otherwise send
+        # this default-path test down the local Docker-build branch.
+        with patch.dict(os.environ, {"BOT_BOTTLE_INFRA_BUILD": ""}), \
+                patch.object(infra_vm.docker_mod, "build_image") as build, \
                 patch.object(infra_vm.infra_artifact, "ensure_artifact_gz") as pull:
             infra_vm.ensure_built()
         build.assert_not_called()
@@ -138,27 +144,58 @@ class TestWaitForHealth(unittest.TestCase):
 
 
 class TestEnsureRunningSingleton(unittest.TestCase):
-    def test_adopts_when_healthy(self):
-        # A healthy control plane + existing key -> adopt (no boot), vm=None.
-        with patch.object(infra_vm, "_health_ok", return_value=True), \
-             patch.object(infra_vm, "_infra_dir") as d, \
-             patch.object(infra_vm, "boot") as boot:
-            keydir = MagicMock()
-            (keydir / "id_ed25519").exists.return_value = True
-            d.return_value = keydir
-            infra = infra_vm.ensure_running()
+    def test_adopts_when_healthy_and_version_matches(self):
+        # Healthy control plane + existing key + matching version marker
+        # -> adopt (no boot), vm=None.
+        import tempfile
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as td:
+            d = Path(td)
+            (d / "id_ed25519").write_text("k")
+            (d / "booted-version").write_text("v-current\n")
+            with patch.object(infra_vm, "_infra_dir", return_value=d), \
+                 patch.object(infra_vm, "_expected_version", return_value="v-current"), \
+                 patch.object(infra_vm, "_health_ok", return_value=True), \
+                 patch.object(infra_vm, "boot") as boot:
+                infra = infra_vm.ensure_running()
         boot.assert_not_called()
         self.assertIsNone(infra.vm)
 
+    def test_reboots_when_version_stale(self):
+        # Healthy control plane but the running VM booted an OLDER image
+        # (marker mismatch) -> reboot rather than adopt stale code.
+        import tempfile
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as td:
+            d = Path(td)
+            (d / "id_ed25519").write_text("k")
+            (d / "booted-version").write_text("v-old\n")
+            with patch.object(infra_vm, "_infra_dir", return_value=d), \
+                 patch.object(infra_vm, "_expected_version", return_value="v-current"), \
+                 patch.object(infra_vm, "_health_ok", return_value=True), \
+                 patch.object(infra_vm, "stop") as stop, \
+                 patch.object(infra_vm, "ensure_built"), \
+                 patch.object(infra_vm, "wait_for_health"), \
+                 patch.object(infra_vm, "boot") as boot:
+                boot.return_value = infra_vm.InfraVm(
+                    guest_ip="10.243.255.1", private_key=Path("/k"), vm=MagicMock())
+                infra_vm.ensure_running()
+            stop.assert_called_once()      # dislodge the outdated VM
+            boot.assert_called_once()
+            # The fresh boot records the current version for the next launcher.
+            self.assertEqual("v-current\n", (d / "booted-version").read_text())
+
     def test_boots_when_unhealthy(self):
-        with patch.object(infra_vm, "_health_ok", return_value=False), \
-             patch.object(infra_vm, "stop") as stop, \
-             patch.object(infra_vm, "ensure_built") as built, \
-             patch.object(infra_vm, "boot") as boot, \
-             patch.object(infra_vm, "wait_for_health") as wait:
-            boot.return_value = infra_vm.InfraVm(
-                guest_ip="10.243.255.1", private_key=Path("/k"), vm=MagicMock())
-            infra_vm.ensure_running()
+        import tempfile
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as td:
+            with patch.object(infra_vm, "_infra_dir", return_value=Path(td)), \
+                 patch.object(infra_vm, "_expected_version", return_value="v-current"), \
+                 patch.object(infra_vm, "_health_ok", return_value=False), \
+                 patch.object(infra_vm, "stop") as stop, \
+                 patch.object(infra_vm, "ensure_built") as built, \
+                 patch.object(infra_vm, "boot") as boot, \
+                 patch.object(infra_vm, "wait_for_health") as wait:
+                boot.return_value = infra_vm.InfraVm(
+                    guest_ip="10.243.255.1", private_key=Path("/k"), vm=MagicMock())
+                infra_vm.ensure_running()
         stop.assert_called_once()      # clear a stale VM first
         built.assert_called_once()
         boot.assert_called_once()
@@ -185,5 +222,74 @@ class TestKillPidfile(unittest.TestCase):
             kill.assert_not_called()
 
 
+class TestAdoptable(unittest.TestCase):
+    def _dir(self, td: str, *, key: bool = True, version: str | None = None) -> Path:
+        d = Path(td)
+        if key:
+            (d / "id_ed25519").write_text("k")
+        if version is not None:
+            (d / "booted-version").write_text(version + "\n")
+        return d
+
+    def test_true_when_key_version_and_health(self):
+        import tempfile
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as td:
+            d = self._dir(td, version="v1")
+            with patch.object(infra_vm, "_infra_dir", return_value=d), \
+                 patch.object(infra_vm, "_health_ok", return_value=True):
+                self.assertTrue(infra_vm._adoptable(d / "id_ed25519", "u", "v1"))
+
+    def test_false_when_key_missing(self):
+        import tempfile
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as td:
+            d = self._dir(td, key=False, version="v1")
+            with patch.object(infra_vm, "_infra_dir", return_value=d):
+                self.assertFalse(infra_vm._adoptable(d / "id_ed25519", "u", "v1"))
+
+    def test_false_when_no_version_marker(self):
+        import tempfile
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as td:
+            d = self._dir(td)  # key present, no booted-version
+            with patch.object(infra_vm, "_infra_dir", return_value=d):
+                self.assertFalse(infra_vm._adoptable(d / "id_ed25519", "u", "v1"))
+
+    def test_false_when_version_mismatch(self):
+        import tempfile
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as td:
+            d = self._dir(td, version="v-old")
+            with patch.object(infra_vm, "_infra_dir", return_value=d), \
+                 patch.object(infra_vm, "_health_ok", return_value=True):
+                self.assertFalse(infra_vm._adoptable(d / "id_ed25519", "u", "v1"))
+
+
+class TestKillInfraFirecrackers(unittest.TestCase):
+    def _fake_proc(self, root: Path, pid: int, comm: str, cmdline: list[str]) -> None:
+        p = root / str(pid)
+        p.mkdir()
+        (p / "comm").write_text(comm + "\n")
+        (p / "cmdline").write_bytes(b"\0".join(a.encode() for a in cmdline) + b"\0")
+
+    def test_kills_only_matching_infra_firecracker(self):
+        import tempfile
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as td, \
+             tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as proc:
+            infra_dir = Path(td)
+            cfg = str(infra_dir / "config.json")
+            root = Path(proc)
+            # target: firecracker bound to the infra config -> killed
+            self._fake_proc(root, 111, "firecracker",
+                            ["firecracker", "--no-api", "--config-file", cfg])
+            # a firecracker for a different (interactive) VM -> spared
+            self._fake_proc(root, 222, "firecracker",
+                            ["firecracker", "--config-file", "/home/u/other.json"])
+            # a non-firecracker process on the same config path -> spared
+            self._fake_proc(root, 333, "python3", ["python3", cfg])
+            (root / "not-a-pid").mkdir()
+            with patch.object(infra_vm, "_infra_dir", return_value=infra_dir), \
+                 patch.object(infra_vm.os, "kill") as kill:
+                infra_vm._kill_infra_firecrackers(proc_root=root)
+            kill.assert_called_once_with(111, infra_vm.signal.SIGKILL)
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()

tests/unit/test_gateway_init.py

@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@
 
 Tests both the helper functions in `bot_bottle.gateway_init`
 and the supervisor's end-to-end signal / exit-code behavior. The
-end-to-end tests use real subprocesses (`/bin/sleep`,
-`/bin/sh -c '...'`) — short-lived, no docker required — so they
-run under `tests/unit/` rather than `tests/integration/`."""
+end-to-end tests use real subprocesses (`sleep`, `/bin/sh -c '...'`) —
+short-lived, no docker required — so they run under `tests/unit/`
+rather than `tests/integration/`."""
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ from bot_bottle.gateway_init import (
     _env_for_daemon,
     _selected_daemons,
 )
+from tests._bin import SLEEP
 
 
 class TestEnvForDaemon(unittest.TestCase):
@@ -182,7 +183,7 @@ class TestSupervisor(unittest.TestCase):
         # up and the supervisor never set shutdown_at.
         specs = [
             _DaemonSpec("crasher", ("/bin/sh", "-c", "exit 1")),
-            _DaemonSpec("longrun", ("/bin/sleep", "30")),
+            _DaemonSpec("longrun", (SLEEP, "30")),
         ]
         sup = _Supervisor(specs)
         sup.start_all()
@@ -214,7 +215,7 @@ class TestSupervisor(unittest.TestCase):
         # signal-killed longrun's negative returncode.
         specs = [
             _DaemonSpec("crasher", ("/bin/sh", "-c", "exit 1")),
-            _DaemonSpec("longrun", ("/bin/sleep", "30")),
+            _DaemonSpec("longrun", (SLEEP, "30")),
         ]
         sup = _Supervisor(specs)
         sup.start_all()
@@ -259,7 +260,7 @@ class TestSupervisor(unittest.TestCase):
         )
         specs = [
             _DaemonSpec("egress", sighup_marker),
-            _DaemonSpec("other",  ("/bin/sleep", "30")),
+            _DaemonSpec("other",  (SLEEP, "30")),
         ]
         sup = _Supervisor(specs)
         sup.start_all()
@@ -282,7 +283,7 @@ class TestSupervisor(unittest.TestCase):
         self._drive(sup)
 
     def test_forward_signal_unknown_daemon_no_op(self):
-        specs = [_DaemonSpec("a", ("/bin/sleep", "30"))]
+        specs = [_DaemonSpec("a", (SLEEP, "30"))]
         sup = _Supervisor(specs)
         sup.start_all()
         delivered = sup.forward_signal(signal.SIGHUP, "ghost")
@@ -294,8 +295,8 @@ class TestSupervisor(unittest.TestCase):
         # Restart one daemon; the other (supervise, the MCP server
         # in production) must remain untouched.
         specs = [
-            _DaemonSpec("git-gate", ("/bin/sleep", "30")),
-            _DaemonSpec("supervise", ("/bin/sleep", "30")),
+            _DaemonSpec("git-gate", (SLEEP, "30")),
+            _DaemonSpec("supervise", (SLEEP, "30")),
         ]
         sup = _Supervisor(specs)
         sup.start_all()
@@ -319,8 +320,8 @@ class TestSupervisor(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def test_request_restart_is_drained_by_tick(self):
         specs = [
-            _DaemonSpec("git-gate", ("/bin/sleep", "30")),
-            _DaemonSpec("supervise", ("/bin/sleep", "30")),
+            _DaemonSpec("git-gate", (SLEEP, "30")),
+            _DaemonSpec("supervise", (SLEEP, "30")),
         ]
         sup = _Supervisor(specs)
         sup.start_all()
@@ -343,7 +344,7 @@ class TestSupervisor(unittest.TestCase):
         self._drive(sup)
 
     def test_repeated_restart_requests_coalesce(self):
-        specs = [_DaemonSpec("git-gate", ("/bin/sleep", "30"))]
+        specs = [_DaemonSpec("git-gate", (SLEEP, "30"))]
         sup = _Supervisor(specs)
         sup.start_all()
         time.sleep(0.1)
@@ -366,7 +367,7 @@ class TestSupervisor(unittest.TestCase):
         self._drive(sup)
 
     def test_request_restart_unknown_daemon_no_op(self):
-        specs = [_DaemonSpec("a", ("/bin/sleep", "30"))]
+        specs = [_DaemonSpec("a", (SLEEP, "30"))]
         sup = _Supervisor(specs)
         sup.start_all()
         ok = sup.request_restart("ghost")
@@ -376,7 +377,7 @@ class TestSupervisor(unittest.TestCase):
         self._drive(sup)
 
     def test_restart_unknown_daemon_no_op(self):
-        specs = [_DaemonSpec("a", ("/bin/sleep", "30"))]
+        specs = [_DaemonSpec("a", (SLEEP, "30"))]
         sup = _Supervisor(specs)
         sup.start_all()
         ok = sup.restart_daemon("ghost")
@@ -385,7 +386,7 @@ class TestSupervisor(unittest.TestCase):
         self._drive(sup)
 
     def test_restart_during_shutdown_is_no_op(self):
-        specs = [_DaemonSpec("git-gate", ("/bin/sleep", "30"))]
+        specs = [_DaemonSpec("git-gate", (SLEEP, "30"))]
         sup = _Supervisor(specs)
         sup.start_all()
         sup.request_shutdown(reason="test")
@@ -395,7 +396,7 @@ class TestSupervisor(unittest.TestCase):
         self._drive(sup)
 
     def test_pending_restart_dropped_during_shutdown(self):
-        specs = [_DaemonSpec("git-gate", ("/bin/sleep", "30"))]
+        specs = [_DaemonSpec("git-gate", (SLEEP, "30"))]
         sup = _Supervisor(specs)
         sup.start_all()
         time.sleep(0.1)
@@ -413,8 +414,8 @@ class TestSupervisor(unittest.TestCase):
         # both should receive SIGTERM and exit. Signal-only
         # shutdown clamps to a zero supervisor exit code.
         specs = [
-            _DaemonSpec("a", ("/bin/sleep", "60")),
-            _DaemonSpec("b", ("/bin/sleep", "60")),
+            _DaemonSpec("a", (SLEEP, "60")),
+            _DaemonSpec("b", (SLEEP, "60")),
         ]
         sup = _Supervisor(specs)
         sup.start_all()
@@ -449,7 +450,7 @@ class TestSupervisor(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(0, rc)
 
     def test_idempotent_shutdown_requests(self):
-        specs = [_DaemonSpec("a", ("/bin/sleep", "60"))]
+        specs = [_DaemonSpec("a", (SLEEP, "60"))]
         sup = _Supervisor(specs)
         sup.start_all()
         time.sleep(0.1)
@@ -470,7 +471,7 @@ class TestMainEndToEnd(unittest.TestCase):
 
     @classmethod
     def setUpClass(cls):
-        for p in ("/bin/sh", "/bin/sleep"):
+        for p in ("/bin/sh", SLEEP):
             if not Path(p).exists():
                 raise unittest.SkipTest(f"missing {p}")
 
@@ -485,8 +486,8 @@ class TestMainEndToEnd(unittest.TestCase):
             "import os, runpy, sys\n"
             "from bot_bottle import gateway_init as si\n"
             "si._DAEMONS = (\n"
-            "  si._DaemonSpec('alpha', ('/bin/sleep','30')),\n"
-            "  si._DaemonSpec('beta',  ('/bin/sleep','30')),\n"
+            f"  si._DaemonSpec('alpha', ({SLEEP!r},'30')),\n"
+            f"  si._DaemonSpec('beta',  ({SLEEP!r},'30')),\n"
             ")\n"
             "sys.exit(si.main([]))\n"
         )

tests/unit/test_git_gate.py

@@ -168,16 +168,18 @@ class TestHookRender(unittest.TestCase):
         # Stdin is buffered to a tempfile so both phases can re-read.
         self.assertIn("refs_file=$(mktemp)", hook)
 
-    def test_new_ref_scan_scoped_to_incoming_commits(self):
-        # A new branch (old=all-zeros) must scan only commits new to the
-        # gate, not the full ancestry — otherwise historical findings
-        # block every new-branch push (PRD 0028 / issue #106).
+    def test_scan_scoped_to_incoming_commits(self):
+        # Every non-delete push scans only commits new to the gate, not
+        # the full ancestry and not the `$old..$new` delta — otherwise
+        # historical fixtures block new-branch pushes (PRD 0028 / #106)
+        # and a rebase/force-push onto an advanced main drags in main's
+        # history incl. the sandbox-escape fixtures (#346).
         hook = git_gate_render_hook()
         self.assertIn('log_opts="$new --not --all"', hook)
-        # The old over-broad full-ancestry range must be gone.
+        # Neither the full-ancestry range nor the ancestry-blind delta
+        # range may survive.
         self.assertNotIn('log_opts="$new"', hook)
-        # Existing-branch delta scan is unchanged.
-        self.assertIn('log_opts="$old..$new"', hook)
+        self.assertNotIn('log_opts="$old..$new"', hook)
 
     def test_forward_ssh_is_non_interactive_and_bounded(self):
         # No prompt (BatchMode) and a connect timeout, so an unreachable

tests/unit/test_infra_artifact.py

@@ -50,7 +50,12 @@ class _CacheMixin(unittest.TestCase):
         self._env = mock.patch.dict(
             os.environ,
             {"BOT_BOTTLE_FC_CACHE": self._tmp.name,
-             "BOT_BOTTLE_INFRA_ARTIFACT_TOKEN": ""},
+             "BOT_BOTTLE_INFRA_ARTIFACT_TOKEN": "",
+             # Pin the candidate-dir override off: the coverage CI job exports a
+             # candidate dir for the integration suite, and an ambient value
+             # would send these registry-pull tests down the local-bundle path.
+             # Cases that exercise the candidate path set it explicitly.
+             "BOT_BOTTLE_INFRA_ARTIFACT_DIR": ""},
             clear=False,
         )
         self._env.start()
@@ -93,6 +98,31 @@ class TestVersionInputs(unittest.TestCase):
         (pkg / "netpool.defaults.env").write_text("FOO=1\n")
         for name in ("Dockerfile.orchestrator", "Dockerfile.gateway", "Dockerfile.infra"):
             (root / name).write_text(f"FROM scratch  # {name}\n")
+        (root / "pyproject.toml").write_text("[project]\nname = 'bot-bottle'\n")
+
+    def test_pyproject_toml_change_bumps_version(self) -> None:
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as d:
+            root = Path(d)
+            self._fake_repo(root)
+            before = ia.infra_artifact_version("init", repo_root=root)
+            (root / "pyproject.toml").write_text(
+                "[project]\nname = 'bot-bottle'\ndependencies = ['httpx']\n")
+            after = ia.infra_artifact_version("init", repo_root=root)
+        self.assertNotEqual(before, after)
+
+    def test_dropbear_change_bumps_version(self) -> None:
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as d:
+            root = Path(d)
+            self._fake_repo(root)
+            dropbear = root / "dropbear"
+            dropbear.write_bytes(b"dropbear-v1")
+            with mock.patch.dict(os.environ, {
+                "BOT_BOTTLE_FC_DROPBEAR": str(dropbear),
+            }):
+                before = ia.infra_artifact_version("init", repo_root=root)
+                dropbear.write_bytes(b"dropbear-v2")
+                after = ia.infra_artifact_version("init", repo_root=root)
+        self.assertNotEqual(before, after)
 
     def test_non_python_file_change_bumps_version(self) -> None:
         with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as d:
@@ -118,6 +148,58 @@ class TestVersionInputs(unittest.TestCase):
 
 
 class TestEnsureArtifact(_CacheMixin):
+    def test_uses_verified_ci_candidate_without_network(self) -> None:
+        version = "deadbeef00000000"
+        gz = _gz(b"candidate ext4")
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as d:
+            root = Path(d)
+            (root / "version.txt").write_text(version + "\n")
+            (root / "rootfs.ext4.gz").write_bytes(gz)
+            digest = hashlib.sha256(gz).hexdigest()
+            (root / "rootfs.ext4.gz.sha256").write_text(
+                f"{digest}  rootfs.ext4.gz\n")
+            with mock.patch.dict(os.environ, {
+                "BOT_BOTTLE_INFRA_ARTIFACT_DIR": str(root),
+            }), mock.patch.object(ia.urllib.request, "urlopen") as net:
+                path = ia.ensure_artifact_gz(version)
+            self.assertEqual(root / "rootfs.ext4.gz", path)
+            net.assert_not_called()
+
+    def test_rejects_candidate_for_another_version(self) -> None:
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as d:
+            root = Path(d)
+            (root / "version.txt").write_text("wrong\n")
+            with mock.patch.dict(os.environ, {
+                "BOT_BOTTLE_INFRA_ARTIFACT_DIR": str(root),
+            }):
+                with self.assertRaises(Die) as ctx:
+                    ia.ensure_artifact_gz("expected")
+            self.assertIn("version mismatch", str(ctx.exception.message))
+
+    def test_rejects_incomplete_candidate(self) -> None:
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as d:
+            root = Path(d)
+            (root / "version.txt").write_text("v1\n")
+            with mock.patch.dict(os.environ, {
+                "BOT_BOTTLE_INFRA_ARTIFACT_DIR": str(root),
+            }):
+                with self.assertRaises(Die) as ctx:
+                    ia.ensure_artifact_gz("v1")
+            self.assertIn("incomplete", str(ctx.exception.message))
+
+    def test_rejects_candidate_checksum_mismatch(self) -> None:
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as d:
+            root = Path(d)
+            (root / "version.txt").write_text("v1\n")
+            (root / "rootfs.ext4.gz").write_bytes(b"bad")
+            (root / "rootfs.ext4.gz.sha256").write_text("0" * 64 + "  rootfs.ext4.gz\n")
+            with mock.patch.dict(os.environ, {
+                "BOT_BOTTLE_INFRA_ARTIFACT_DIR": str(root),
+            }):
+                with self.assertRaises(Die) as ctx:
+                    ia.ensure_artifact_gz("v1")
+            self.assertIn("checksum mismatch", str(ctx.exception.message))
+
     def test_downloads_verifies_and_caches(self) -> None:
         version = "deadbeef00000000"
         gz = _gz(b"fake ext4 bytes")

tests/unit/test_macos_container_launch_wiring.py

@@ -17,10 +17,10 @@ from unittest.mock import patch
 from bot_bottle.backend.macos_container.bottle import MacosContainerBottle
 from bot_bottle.backend.macos_container.bottle_plan import MacosContainerBottlePlan
 from bot_bottle.backend.macos_container.consolidated_launch import GatewayEndpoint
+from bot_bottle.backend.macos_container.gateway_hosts import GATEWAY_HOSTNAME
 from bot_bottle.backend.macos_container.launch import (
     _agent_run_argv,
     _identity_proxy_env,
-    _proxy_url,
 )
 from bot_bottle.manifest import ManifestIndex
 
@@ -104,19 +104,38 @@ class TestAgentRunArgv(unittest.TestCase):
         read back after start."""
         self.assertNotIn("--ip", self.argv)
 
-    def test_run_time_proxy_carries_no_identity_token(self) -> None:
-        """The token is minted by registration, which happens after this run —
-        so it cannot be here. `/resolve` denies the token-less pair (#366),
-        which is the safe direction; the real value arrives at exec time."""
-        joined = " ".join(self.argv)
-        self.assertIn(f"HTTP_PROXY={_proxy_url('192.168.128.3')}", joined)
-        self.assertNotIn("bottle:", joined)
+    def test_run_time_env_sets_no_proxy_vars_at_all(self) -> None:
+        """Regression: the proxy vars must exist *only* in the exec-time env.
+
+        `container exec --env` appends rather than replaces, so a token-less
+        `HTTPS_PROXY` here would survive next to the token-bearing one and
+        leave two entries in the agent's `environ`. Resolution is then
+        runtime-specific — Node reads the last, Rust's `std::env::var` reads
+        the first — so Codex proxied without its identity token and every
+        request fail-closed at `/resolve`.
+        """
+        for entry in self.argv:
+            self.assertFalse(
+                entry.upper().startswith(("HTTP_PROXY=", "HTTPS_PROXY=")),
+                f"run-time env must not set a proxy var, got {entry!r}",
+            )
+
+    def test_run_time_env_carries_no_identity_token(self) -> None:
+        """The token is minted by registration, which happens after this run,
+        so it cannot be here under any name."""
+        self.assertNotIn("bottle:", " ".join(self.argv))
 
     def test_gateway_bypasses_the_proxy(self) -> None:
         """git-http + supervise live on the gateway and must be reached
         directly, not through its own egress proxy."""
         entry = next(a for a in self.argv if a.startswith("NO_PROXY="))
-        self.assertIn("192.168.128.3", entry)
+        self.assertIn(GATEWAY_HOSTNAME, entry)
+
+    def test_no_proxy_names_the_gateway_and_never_addresses_it(self) -> None:
+        """NO_PROXY is baked into the run-time env, so an address here is as
+        unfixable as the proxy URL if the gateway moves."""
+        entry = next(a for a in self.argv if a.startswith("NO_PROXY="))
+        self.assertNotIn("192.168.128.3", entry)
 
     def test_forwarded_secrets_stay_off_argv(self) -> None:
         """Bare name → inherited from the run process env, so the value never
@@ -134,7 +153,7 @@ class TestIdentityTokenDelivery(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_exec_env_carries_the_token_as_proxy_credentials(self) -> None:
         env = _identity_proxy_env(_endpoint(), "s3cret")
         self.assertEqual(
-            "http://bottle:s3cret@192.168.128.3:9099", env["HTTP_PROXY"],
+            f"http://bottle:s3cret@{GATEWAY_HOSTNAME}:9099", env["HTTP_PROXY"],
         )
         self.assertEqual(env["HTTP_PROXY"], env["https_proxy"])
 
@@ -202,7 +221,7 @@ class TestPlanIdentityToken(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertIn("HTTP_PROXY", argv)
         self.assertNotIn("s3cret", " ".join(argv))
         self.assertEqual(
-            "http://bottle:s3cret@192.168.128.3:9099", kwargs["env"]["HTTP_PROXY"],
+            f"http://bottle:s3cret@{GATEWAY_HOSTNAME}:9099", kwargs["env"]["HTTP_PROXY"],
         )
 
 

tests/unit/test_macos_container_util.py

@@ -272,6 +272,30 @@ resolver #2
                 ),
             )
 
+    def test_exec_container_as_root_selects_root_user(self):
+        completed = util.subprocess.CompletedProcess(
+            args=[], returncode=0, stdout="", stderr="",
+        )
+        with patch.object(util, "_run_container_op", return_value=completed) as run:
+            util.exec_container_as_root("bot-bottle-demo", ["true"])
+
+        run.assert_called_once_with([
+            "container", "exec", "--user", "root", "bot-bottle-demo", "true",
+        ])
+
+    def test_exec_container_as_root_reports_failure(self):
+        failed = util.subprocess.CompletedProcess(
+            args=[], returncode=1, stdout="", stderr="permission denied\n",
+        )
+        with patch.object(util, "_run_container_op", return_value=failed), \
+             patch.object(util, "die", side_effect=SystemExit("die")) as die:
+            with self.assertRaises(SystemExit):
+                util.exec_container_as_root("bot-bottle-demo", ["true"])
+
+        die.assert_called_once_with(
+            "container exec (root) in bot-bottle-demo failed: permission denied",
+        )
+
 
 def _completed(stdout: str, returncode: int = 0):
     return util.subprocess.CompletedProcess(args=[], returncode=returncode, stdout=stdout, stderr="")

tests/unit/test_macos_gateway_hosts.py

@@ -0,0 +1,140 @@
+"""Unit: stable gateway name via each bottle's /etc/hosts (issue #443).
+
+The gateway's address moves whenever the infra container is recreated. Agents
+name it instead of addressing it, and the name resolves through `/etc/hosts` —
+a file, so it stays rewritable while the bottle runs, unlike the `environ` the
+proxy URL is delivered in.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import unittest
+from types import SimpleNamespace
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
+from bot_bottle.backend.macos_container.gateway_hosts import (
+    GATEWAY_HOSTNAME,
+    refresh_gateway_host,
+    set_gateway_host,
+)
+
+_MOD = "bot_bottle.backend.macos_container.gateway_hosts"
+
+
+class TestSetGatewayHost(unittest.TestCase):
+    def _script(self, exec_root: object) -> str:
+        argv = exec_root.call_args.args[1]  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
+        self.assertEqual(["sh", "-c"], argv[:2])
+        return argv[2]
+
+    def test_writes_the_address_against_the_stable_name(self) -> None:
+        with patch(f"{_MOD}.container_mod.exec_container_as_root") as ex:
+            set_gateway_host("bot-bottle-demo", "192.168.128.19")
+        self.assertEqual("bot-bottle-demo", ex.call_args.args[0])
+        script = self._script(ex)
+        self.assertIn("192.168.128.19", script)
+        self.assertIn(GATEWAY_HOSTNAME, script)
+
+    def test_runs_as_root_so_the_agent_cannot_repoint_itself(self) -> None:
+        """The agent runs as `node`. If it could rewrite /etc/hosts it could
+        aim its own gateway name elsewhere, so the write must go through the
+        root-only helper."""
+        with patch(f"{_MOD}.container_mod.exec_container_as_root") as ex:
+            set_gateway_host("bot-bottle-demo", "10.0.0.1")
+        ex.assert_called_once()
+
+    def test_is_idempotent_by_removing_its_own_line_first(self) -> None:
+        """Re-pointing must replace the managed entry, not append a second one
+        — two entries for the same name would resolve by luck of ordering."""
+        with patch(f"{_MOD}.container_mod.exec_container_as_root") as ex:
+            set_gateway_host("bot-bottle-demo", "10.0.0.1")
+        self.assertIn("grep -v", self._script(ex))
+
+    def test_preserves_the_rest_of_the_hosts_file(self) -> None:
+        """localhost and the container's own name must survive the rewrite."""
+        with patch(f"{_MOD}.container_mod.exec_container_as_root") as ex:
+            set_gateway_host("bot-bottle-demo", "10.0.0.1")
+        script = self._script(ex)
+        # Filter-and-append, never a truncating write of just our line.
+        self.assertIn("/etc/hosts >", script)
+        self.assertIn(">> /tmp/.bb-hosts", script)
+
+    def test_keeps_the_original_inode(self) -> None:
+        """`cat >` rather than `mv`: a pre-created /etc/hosts must keep its
+        ownership and mode, not be replaced by a root-owned copy."""
+        script = None
+        with patch(f"{_MOD}.container_mod.exec_container_as_root") as ex:
+            set_gateway_host("bot-bottle-demo", "10.0.0.1")
+            script = self._script(ex)
+        self.assertIn("cat /tmp/.bb-hosts > /etc/hosts", script)
+        self.assertNotIn("mv ", script)
+
+
+class TestRefreshGatewayHost(unittest.TestCase):
+    """The re-attach sweep: bottles stranded by an earlier gateway restart get
+    re-pointed in place instead of needing a relaunch."""
+
+    def _agents(self, *slugs: str) -> list[SimpleNamespace]:
+        return [SimpleNamespace(slug=s) for s in slugs]
+
+    def test_repoints_every_running_bottle(self) -> None:
+        with patch(f"{_MOD}.enumerate_active", return_value=self._agents("a", "b")), \
+                patch(f"{_MOD}.set_gateway_host") as setter:
+            updated = refresh_gateway_host("192.168.128.19")
+        self.assertEqual(["bot-bottle-a", "bot-bottle-b"], updated)
+        self.assertEqual(
+            [("bot-bottle-a", "192.168.128.19"), ("bot-bottle-b", "192.168.128.19")],
+            [c.args for c in setter.call_args_list],
+        )
+
+    def test_one_failing_bottle_does_not_stop_the_sweep(self) -> None:
+        """A container that is already exiting must not block the repair of
+        its neighbours, nor fail the launch that triggered the sweep."""
+        def _flaky(name: str, _ip: str) -> None:
+            if name == "bot-bottle-a":
+                raise RuntimeError("container is exiting")
+
+        with patch(f"{_MOD}.enumerate_active", return_value=self._agents("a", "b")), \
+                patch(f"{_MOD}.set_gateway_host", side_effect=_flaky), \
+                patch(f"{_MOD}.warn") as warn:
+            updated = refresh_gateway_host("10.0.0.1")
+        self.assertEqual(["bot-bottle-b"], updated)
+        warn.assert_called_once()
+
+    def test_no_running_bottles_is_a_clean_no_op(self) -> None:
+        with patch(f"{_MOD}.enumerate_active", return_value=[]), \
+                patch(f"{_MOD}.set_gateway_host") as setter:
+            self.assertEqual([], refresh_gateway_host("10.0.0.1"))
+        setter.assert_not_called()
+
+
+
+class TestLaunchWiring(unittest.TestCase):
+    """Ordering matters: the name must resolve before anything execs, and the
+    stranded-bottle sweep must run once the gateway is known to be up."""
+
+    def test_launch_sets_the_host_entry_before_reading_the_source_ip(self) -> None:
+        """The agent's every URL names the gateway, so the entry has to exist
+        before the first connection — which means before the agent execs."""
+        import inspect
+
+        from bot_bottle.backend.macos_container import launch
+
+        src = inspect.getsource(launch)
+        set_at = src.index("set_gateway_host(plan.container_name")
+        exec_at = src.index("wait_container_ipv4_on_network")
+        self.assertLess(set_at, exec_at)
+
+    def test_launch_refreshes_stranded_bottles_after_ensure_gateway(self) -> None:
+        import inspect
+
+        from bot_bottle.backend.macos_container import launch
+
+        src = inspect.getsource(launch)
+        ensure_at = src.index("endpoint = ensure_gateway()")
+        refresh_at = src.index("refresh_gateway_host(endpoint.gateway_ip)")
+        self.assertLess(ensure_at, refresh_at)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    unittest.main()

tests/unit/test_macos_infra.py

@@ -46,7 +46,9 @@ class TestInfraRun(unittest.TestCase):
         argv = self._run_container(MacosInfraService(repo_root=Path("/r")))
         script = argv[-1]
         self.assertIn("bot_bottle.orchestrator", script)
-        self.assertIn("gateway_init.py", script)
+        # Gateway launches via the installed package (there is no
+        # /app/gateway_init.py file since the daemons moved into bot_bottle).
+        self.assertIn("bot_bottle.gateway_init", script)
         self.assertIn("127.0.0.1", script)  # they reach each other on loopback
 
     def test_db_is_a_container_only_volume(self) -> None:

tests/unit/test_publish_infra.py

@@ -6,8 +6,11 @@ read it into memory. Network is mocked; no Docker, no real build.
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import hashlib
+from email.message import Message
 import tempfile
 import unittest
+import urllib.error
 import urllib.request
 from pathlib import Path
 from unittest import mock
@@ -58,5 +61,99 @@ class TestPut(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(b"abc123  rootfs\n", captured[0].data)
 
 
+class TestPublishBundle(unittest.TestCase):
+    def _bundle(self, root: Path, version: str) -> None:
+        payload = b"candidate"
+        (root / "version.txt").write_text(version + "\n")
+        (root / "rootfs.ext4.gz").write_bytes(payload)
+        digest = hashlib.sha256(payload).hexdigest()
+        (root / "rootfs.ext4.gz.sha256").write_text(
+            f"{digest}  rootfs.ext4.gz\n")
+
+    def test_existing_identical_artifact_is_success(self) -> None:
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as d:
+            root = Path(d)
+            self._bundle(root, "v1")
+            sha = (root / "rootfs.ext4.gz.sha256").read_bytes()
+            response = mock.MagicMock()
+            response.__enter__.return_value.read.return_value = sha
+            with mock.patch.object(
+                pub.infra_artifact, "infra_artifact_version", return_value="v1"
+            ), mock.patch.object(
+                pub.urllib.request, "urlopen", return_value=response
+            ), mock.patch.object(pub, "_put") as put:
+                self.assertEqual("v1", pub._publish_bundle(root, "token"))
+            put.assert_not_called()
+
+    def test_partial_artifact_is_replaced(self) -> None:
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as d:
+            root = Path(d)
+            self._bundle(root, "v1")
+            missing = urllib.error.HTTPError("u", 404, "missing", Message(), None)
+            with mock.patch.object(
+                pub.infra_artifact, "infra_artifact_version", return_value="v1"
+            ), mock.patch.object(
+                pub.urllib.request, "urlopen", side_effect=missing
+            ), mock.patch.object(pub, "_delete") as delete, \
+                    mock.patch.object(pub, "_put") as put:
+                pub._publish_bundle(root, "token")
+            self.assertEqual(3, delete.call_count)
+            self.assertEqual(3, put.call_count)
+
+    def test_rejects_bundle_for_different_checkout(self) -> None:
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as d:
+            root = Path(d)
+            self._bundle(root, "old")
+            with mock.patch.object(
+                pub.infra_artifact, "infra_artifact_version", return_value="new"
+            ):
+                with self.assertRaises(SystemExit) as ctx:
+                    pub._publish_bundle(root, "token")
+            self.assertIn("does not match checkout", str(ctx.exception))
+
+    def test_rejects_bad_bundle_checksum(self) -> None:
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as d:
+            root = Path(d)
+            self._bundle(root, "v1")
+            (root / "rootfs.ext4.gz").write_bytes(b"tampered")
+            with mock.patch.object(
+                pub.infra_artifact, "infra_artifact_version", return_value="v1"
+            ):
+                with self.assertRaises(SystemExit) as ctx:
+                    pub._publish_bundle(root, "token")
+            self.assertIn("checksum mismatch", str(ctx.exception))
+
+    def test_registry_lookup_failure_is_reported(self) -> None:
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as d:
+            root = Path(d)
+            self._bundle(root, "v1")
+            failure = urllib.error.URLError("offline")
+            with mock.patch.object(
+                pub.infra_artifact, "infra_artifact_version", return_value="v1"
+            ), mock.patch.object(pub.urllib.request, "urlopen", side_effect=failure):
+                with self.assertRaises(SystemExit) as ctx:
+                    pub._publish_bundle(root, "token")
+            self.assertIn("registry unreachable", str(ctx.exception))
+
+
+class TestMain(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_output_builds_candidate_and_records_version(self) -> None:
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as d:
+            root = Path(d) / "candidate"
+            with mock.patch.object(
+                pub, "build_artifact", return_value=("v1", root / "g", root / "s")
+            ) as build:
+                self.assertEqual(0, pub.main(["--output", str(root)]))
+            build.assert_called_once_with(root)
+            self.assertEqual("v1\n", (root / "version.txt").read_text())
+
+    def test_publish_dir_publishes_existing_candidate(self) -> None:
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as d, \
+                mock.patch.object(pub.infra_artifact, "_config", return_value=("", "", "t")), \
+                mock.patch.object(pub, "_publish_bundle", return_value="v1") as publish:
+            self.assertEqual(0, pub.main(["--publish-dir", d]))
+            publish.assert_called_once_with(Path(d), "t")
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()

tests/unit/test_supervise_server.py

@@ -32,7 +32,9 @@ from bot_bottle.supervise_server import (
     _RpcError,
     _RpcInternalError,
     _response_timeout_from_env,
+    format_pending_response_text,
     format_response_text,
+    handle_check_proposal,
     handle_initialize,
     handle_tools_call,
     handle_tools_list,
@@ -218,6 +220,7 @@ class TestHandleToolsList(unittest.TestCase):
                 _sv.TOOL_EGRESS_ALLOW,
                 _sv.TOOL_EGRESS_BLOCK,
                 _sv.TOOL_LIST_EGRESS_ROUTES,
+                _sv.TOOL_CHECK_PROPOSAL,
             ]),
             sorted(names),
         )
@@ -484,9 +487,10 @@ class TestFormatResponseText(unittest.TestCase):
 
 class TestFormatPendingResponseText(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_formats_timeout_message(self):
-        text = supervise_server.format_pending_response_text(12.5)
+        text = supervise_server.format_pending_response_text("prop-9", 12.5)
         self.assertIn("status: pending", text)
         self.assertIn("12.5s", text)
+        self.assertIn("proposal_id: prop-9", text)
 
 
 # --- End-to-end HTTP sanity ------------------------------------------------
@@ -685,5 +689,129 @@ class TestResolvedRoutesPayload(unittest.TestCase):
             _handler(None)._resolved_routes_payload()
 
 
+class TestNonBlockingSupervise(unittest.TestCase):
+    """PRD prd-new / issue #412: pending responses carry the proposal id, and
+    `check-proposal` polls a queued proposal without blocking or re-proposing."""
+
+    _ROUTES = "routes:\n  - host: example.com\n"
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        self._tmp = tempfile.TemporaryDirectory(prefix="supervise-nonblock-test.")
+        self._home_patch = use_bottle_root(Path(self._tmp.name) / ".bot-bottle")
+        self.config = ServerConfig(bottle_slug="dev")
+        _qs.QueueStore("dev").migrate()
+        _as.AuditStore().migrate()
+
+    def tearDown(self):
+        self._home_patch()
+        self._tmp.cleanup()
+
+    def _seed_proposal(self) -> "_sv.Proposal":
+        p = _sv.Proposal.new(
+            bottle_slug="dev",
+            tool=_sv.TOOL_EGRESS_ALLOW,
+            proposed_file=self._ROUTES,
+            justification="need example.com",
+            current_file_hash=_sv.sha256_hex(self._ROUTES),
+        )
+        _sv.write_proposal(p)
+        return p
+
+    def _check(self, proposal_id: str) -> dict[str, object]:
+        return handle_check_proposal({"arguments": {"proposal_id": proposal_id}}, self.config)
+
+    # --- pending response carries the id ---
+
+    def test_pending_text_includes_id_and_pointer(self):
+        text = format_pending_response_text("abc-123", 30.0)
+        self.assertIn("status: pending", text)
+        self.assertIn("proposal_id: abc-123", text)
+        self.assertIn("check-proposal", text)
+
+    def test_tools_call_timeout_returns_pending_with_id_and_stays_queued(self):
+        # No responder → the grace window expires → pending, not blocked forever.
+        result = handle_tools_call(
+            {
+                "name": _sv.TOOL_EGRESS_ALLOW,
+                "arguments": {"routes_yaml": self._ROUTES, "justification": "x"},
+            },
+            ServerConfig(bottle_slug="dev", response_timeout_seconds=0.05),
+        )
+        self.assertFalse(result["isError"])  # type: ignore[index]
+        text = result["content"][0]["text"]  # type: ignore[index]
+        self.assertIn("status: pending", text)
+        pending = _sv.list_pending_proposals("dev")
+        self.assertEqual(1, len(pending))  # still queued, not archived
+        self.assertIn(pending[0].id, text)  # agent got the id to poll
+
+    # --- check-proposal poll ---
+
+    def test_check_returns_approved_and_archives(self):
+        p = self._seed_proposal()
+        _sv.write_response("dev", _sv.Response(proposal_id=p.id, status=_sv.STATUS_APPROVED, notes="ok"))
+        result = self._check(p.id)
+        self.assertFalse(result["isError"])
+        text = result["content"][0]["text"]  # type: ignore[index]
+        self.assertIn("status: approved", text)
+        self.assertIn("notes: ok", text)
+        with self.assertRaises(FileNotFoundError):  # archived on read
+            _sv.read_proposal("dev", p.id)
+
+    def test_check_rejected_sets_isError(self):
+        p = self._seed_proposal()
+        _sv.write_response("dev", _sv.Response(proposal_id=p.id, status=_sv.STATUS_REJECTED, notes="no"))
+        result = self._check(p.id)
+        self.assertTrue(result["isError"])
+        self.assertIn("status: rejected", result["content"][0]["text"])  # type: ignore[index]
+
+    def test_check_pending_when_no_decision_yet(self):
+        p = self._seed_proposal()
+        result = self._check(p.id)
+        self.assertFalse(result["isError"])
+        text = result["content"][0]["text"]  # type: ignore[index]
+        self.assertIn("status: pending", text)
+        self.assertIn(p.id, text)
+        self.assertEqual(1, len(_sv.list_pending_proposals("dev")))  # not archived
+
+    def test_check_unknown_id_is_error(self):
+        result = self._check("no-such-proposal")
+        self.assertTrue(result["isError"])
+        self.assertIn("status: unknown", result["content"][0]["text"])  # type: ignore[index]
+
+    def test_check_missing_id_raises(self):
+        with self.assertRaises(_RpcClientError) as cm:
+            handle_check_proposal({"arguments": {}}, self.config)
+        self.assertEqual(ERR_INVALID_PARAMS, cm.exception.code)
+
+    def test_check_empty_id_raises(self):
+        with self.assertRaises(_RpcClientError) as cm:
+            handle_check_proposal({"arguments": {"proposal_id": "   "}}, self.config)
+        self.assertEqual(ERR_INVALID_PARAMS, cm.exception.code)
+
+    def test_check_arguments_must_be_object(self):
+        with self.assertRaises(_RpcClientError) as cm:
+            handle_check_proposal({"arguments": []}, self.config)
+        self.assertEqual(ERR_INVALID_PARAMS, cm.exception.code)
+
+    def test_full_nonblocking_round_trip(self):
+        # 1. tools/call times out → pending with id
+        result = handle_tools_call(
+            {
+                "name": _sv.TOOL_EGRESS_ALLOW,
+                "arguments": {"routes_yaml": self._ROUTES, "justification": "x"},
+            },
+            ServerConfig(bottle_slug="dev", response_timeout_seconds=0.05),
+        )
+        pid = _sv.list_pending_proposals("dev")[0].id
+        self.assertIn(pid, result["content"][0]["text"])  # type: ignore[index]
+        # 2. operator decides out-of-band
+        _sv.write_response("dev", _sv.Response(proposal_id=pid, status=_sv.STATUS_APPROVED, notes="ok"))
+        # 3. agent resumes by polling — no re-proposing
+        poll = self._check(pid)
+        self.assertFalse(poll["isError"])
+        self.assertIn("status: approved", poll["content"][0]["text"])  # type: ignore[index]
+        self.assertEqual([], _sv.list_pending_proposals("dev"))  # resolved + archived
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()

tests/unit/test_tracker_policy.py

@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+import unittest
+from unittest.mock import Mock
+
+from scripts.tracker_policy import (
+    TRIAGE_LABEL,
+    check_pull_request,
+    deliberate_issue_numbers,
+    ensure_issue_label,
+)
+
+
+class TestDeliberateIssueNumbers(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_accepts_completing_and_noncompleting_forms(self):
+        self.assertEqual(
+            deliberate_issue_numbers("Fixes #12", "Part of #14; refs #15"),
+            {12, 14, 15},
+        )
+
+    def test_does_not_treat_incidental_number_as_link(self):
+        self.assertEqual(deliberate_issue_numbers("Audit #12", "See PR #14"), set())
+
+
+class TestCheckPullRequest(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_accepts_unlabelled_pr_linked_to_real_issue(self):
+        api = Mock()
+        api.request.return_value = {"number": 12, "pull_request": None}
+        event = {"pull_request": {"title": "Change", "body": "Part of #12", "labels": []}}
+        self.assertEqual(check_pull_request(event, api), [])
+
+    def test_rejects_labels_and_pr_reference(self):
+        api = Mock()
+        api.request.return_value = {"number": 12, "pull_request": {}}
+        event = {
+            "pull_request": {
+                "title": "Change",
+                "body": "Closes #12",
+                "labels": [{"name": "Kind/Bug"}],
+            }
+        }
+        errors = check_pull_request(event, api)
+        self.assertEqual(len(errors), 2)
+        self.assertIn("unlabeled", errors[0])
+        self.assertIn("not an issue", errors[1])
+
+
+class TestEnsureIssueLabel(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_adds_triage_label_to_unlabelled_issue(self):
+        api = Mock()
+        api.request.side_effect = [[{"id": 55, "name": TRIAGE_LABEL}], None]
+        event = {"issue": {"number": 405, "labels": [], "pull_request": None}}
+        self.assertTrue(ensure_issue_label(event, api))
+        api.request.assert_any_call("POST", "/issues/405/labels", {"labels": [55]})
+
+    def test_leaves_labelled_issue_unchanged(self):
+        api = Mock()
+        event = {"issue": {"number": 405, "labels": [{"name": "Kind/Documentation"}]}}
+        self.assertFalse(ensure_issue_label(event, api))
+        api.request.assert_not_called()
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    unittest.main()