diff --git a/next-branch-files.tar.gz b/next-branch-files.tar.gz
deleted file mode 100644
index 6d4a90728..000000000
Binary files a/next-branch-files.tar.gz and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/rollout-next-phase1.sh b/rollout-next-phase1.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index 338ca4585..000000000
--- a/rollout-next-phase1.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,546 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env zsh
-# rollout-next-phase1.sh — native zsh, runs under macOS Terminal's default shell.
-# DO NOT prefix with `bash`. Run as: ./rollout-next-phase1.sh
-#
-# Phase 1 of the `next` integration-branch rollout.
-#
-# What it does (in order, on YOUR Mac, in your repo dir):
-#   1. Stashes any uncommitted work on your current branch (codex/...) with a
-#      named stash you can recover with `git stash list` + `git stash pop`.
-#   2. Switches to main, pulls --ff-only to be sure you're current.
-#   3. Creates branch: chore/introduce-next-integration-branch
-#   4. Unpacks the 5 new files from the tarball.
-#   5. Applies the 2 edits (branch-naming.yml, CONTRIBUTING.md) programmatically
-#      against the clean origin/main versions — no chance of pulling in
-#      unrelated commits from your current codex/ branch.
-#   6. Sanity-checks YAML + bash syntax.
-#   7. Commits with a conventional-commit message.
-#   8. Pushes the branch to origin.
-#   9. Files a `type: chore` issue using gh.
-#  10. Renames the ADR file XXXX-...md → <issue#>-...md and replaces XXXX in
-#      the ADR body with the real issue number.
-#  11. Amends the commit, force-pushes-with-lease.
-#  12. Opens the PR against main with `Closes #<issue#>` in the body.
-#
-# Idempotent: re-running after a failure converges. Each step checks if it's
-# already done.
-#
-# Usage:
-#   cd /Volumes/Mini\ Me/Users/trekkie/projects/gsd-core
-#   bash /path/to/rollout-next-phase1.sh
-#
-# Env overrides:
-#   TARBALL=/path/to/next-branch-files.tar.gz   (default: ./next-branch-files.tar.gz)
-#   REPO=open-gsd/gsd-core           (default: that)
-#   DRY_RUN=1                                   (skip push, issue, PR)
-
-set -euo pipefail
-
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-# Config
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-REPO="${REPO:-open-gsd/gsd-core}"
-TARBALL="${TARBALL:-./next-branch-files.tar.gz}"
-BRANCH="chore/introduce-next-integration-branch"
-DRY_RUN="${DRY_RUN:-0}"
-
-# Colors for readability (no-op if not a tty)
-if [ -t 1 ]; then
-  C_BOLD=$'\033[1m'; C_GRN=$'\033[32m'; C_YEL=$'\033[33m'; C_RED=$'\033[31m'; C_DIM=$'\033[2m'; C_RST=$'\033[0m'
-else
-  C_BOLD=''; C_GRN=''; C_YEL=''; C_RED=''; C_DIM=''; C_RST=''
-fi
-
-step()  { echo; echo "${C_BOLD}▸ $*${C_RST}"; }
-ok()    { echo "${C_GRN}  ✓${C_RST} $*"; }
-warn()  { echo "${C_YEL}  ⚠${C_RST} $*"; }
-die()   { echo "${C_RED}  ✗ $*${C_RST}" >&2; exit 1; }
-note()  { echo "${C_DIM}  $*${C_RST}"; }
-
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-# Step 0: Sanity checks
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-step "Sanity checks"
-
-[ -d .git ] || die "Not in a git repo. cd to your gsd-core checkout first."
-command -v gh >/dev/null || die "gh CLI not found. Install from https://cli.github.com/"
-command -v jq >/dev/null || die "jq not found. Install: brew install jq"
-gh auth status >/dev/null 2>&1 || die "gh not authenticated. Run: gh auth login"
-[ -f "$TARBALL" ] || die "Tarball not found at: $TARBALL  (override with TARBALL=/path/to/next-branch-files.tar.gz)"
-
-# Verify we're pointed at the right remote.
-REMOTE_URL=$(git remote get-url origin 2>/dev/null || true)
-case "$REMOTE_URL" in
-  *"$REPO"*) ok "Remote: $REMOTE_URL" ;;
-  *) die "Remote 'origin' is $REMOTE_URL — expected to contain $REPO. Wrong checkout?" ;;
-esac
-
-# Verify tarball contents look right (fail loudly if user grabbed the wrong tar).
-EXPECTED_PATHS=(
-  "docs/branching.md"
-  "docs/adr/XXXX-introduce-next-integration-branch.md"
-  ".github/workflows/auto-backmerge.yml"
-  ".github/workflows/pr-target-validator.yml"
-  "scripts/setup-branch-protection.sh"
-)
-TARLIST=$(tar tzf "$TARBALL")
-for p in "${EXPECTED_PATHS[@]}"; do
-  echo "$TARLIST" | grep -qx "$p" || die "Tarball missing expected file: $p"
-done
-ok "Tarball contains all 5 expected files"
-
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-# Step 1: Stash any uncommitted work (protecting rollout files from the sweep)
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-step "Stash any uncommitted work on current branch"
-
-CURRENT_BR=$(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD)
-note "Currently on: $CURRENT_BR"
-
-# git stash --include-untracked would otherwise grab the rollout script and
-# tarball (they're untracked). Move them aside, stash, move them back.
-# trap EXIT guarantees restore even on script failure.
-ROLLOUT_STAGE=$(mktemp -d)
-ROLLOUT_FILES=(rollout-next-phase1.sh rollout-next-phase2.sh next-branch-files.tar.gz)
-for f in "${ROLLOUT_FILES[@]}"; do
-  [ -f "./$f" ] && mv "./$f" "$ROLLOUT_STAGE/"
-done
-restore_rollout_files() {
-  # (N) is zsh's nullglob qualifier — empty match expands to nothing
-  # instead of erroring with "no matches found".
-  for f in "$ROLLOUT_STAGE"/*(N); do
-    cp "$f" ./ 2>/dev/null || true
-  done
-  rm -rf "$ROLLOUT_STAGE" 2>/dev/null || true
-}
-trap restore_rollout_files EXIT
-
-if [ -n "$(git status --porcelain)" ]; then
-  STASH_MSG="pre-next-rollout-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S) (from $CURRENT_BR)"
-  git stash push --include-untracked --message "$STASH_MSG" >/dev/null
-  ok "Stashed as: $STASH_MSG"
-  note "Recover later with: git stash list   then   git stash pop <stash@{N}>"
-else
-  ok "Working tree clean — nothing to stash"
-fi
-
-# Bring rollout files back into the working tree NOW so subsequent retries can find them.
-restore_rollout_files
-
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-# Step 2: Switch to main, pull
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-step "Switch to main and pull"
-
-git fetch origin --quiet
-git checkout main >/dev/null 2>&1 || die "Could not checkout main"
-git pull --ff-only origin main >/dev/null
-ok "main is current at $(git log -1 --format='%h %s' | head -c 80)"
-
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-# Step 3: Create or switch to rollout branch
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-step "Create branch $BRANCH"
-
-# Prune any stale worktree registrations first (e.g. from a prior aborted
-# attempt that left .git/worktrees/<name> pointing at a deleted directory).
-git worktree prune 2>/dev/null || true
-
-if git show-ref --verify --quiet "refs/heads/$BRANCH"; then
-  # Detect if a worktree still claims this branch.
-  # NB: no `exit` in awk — that would SIGPIPE git and trip pipefail/set -e
-  # silently. `head -1 || true` neutralizes the SIGPIPE we inflict ourselves.
-  CLAIMING_WT=$( { git worktree list --porcelain 2>/dev/null || true; } | awk -v br="refs/heads/$BRANCH" '
-    /^worktree / { wt=$2 }
-    $0 == "branch " br { print wt }
-  ' | head -1 || true)
-  if [ -n "$CLAIMING_WT" ] && [ "$CLAIMING_WT" != "$(pwd)" ]; then
-    die "Branch $BRANCH is held by worktree $CLAIMING_WT. Run: git worktree remove --force '$CLAIMING_WT'  (or)  git worktree prune  then re-run."
-  fi
-  warn "Branch $BRANCH already exists locally. Switching to it."
-  git checkout "$BRANCH" >/dev/null
-  if git rev-parse --verify "origin/$BRANCH" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-    warn "origin/$BRANCH already exists. Resetting to main would lose remote commits — ABORT."
-    die "Delete the remote branch first if you want a clean restart: gh api -X DELETE /repos/$REPO/git/refs/heads/$BRANCH"
-  fi
-  git reset --hard main >/dev/null
-  ok "Reset local $BRANCH to current main"
-else
-  git checkout -b "$BRANCH" >/dev/null
-  ok "Created and switched to $BRANCH"
-fi
-
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-# Step 4: Unpack the 5 new files
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-step "Unpack new files from tarball"
-
-tar xzf "$TARBALL"
-chmod +x scripts/setup-branch-protection.sh
-ok "Unpacked: $(tar tzf "$TARBALL" | wc -l | tr -d ' ') files"
-
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-# Step 5: Apply the 2 edits programmatically
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-step "Apply edit 1/2 — add 'next' to branch-naming.yml alwaysValid"
-
-NAMING=".github/workflows/branch-naming.yml"
-if grep -q "alwaysValid = \['main', 'next', 'develop'\]" "$NAMING"; then
-  ok "branch-naming.yml already has 'next' in alwaysValid (idempotent skip)"
-else
-  if ! grep -q "alwaysValid = \['main', 'develop'\]" "$NAMING"; then
-    die "Could not find the expected anchor in $NAMING. Maybe upstream changed it. Open the file and add 'next' manually."
-  fi
-  # BSD sed (macOS default) needs -i ''; GNU sed needs -i. Use -i.bak then remove.
-  sed -i.rollout-bak "s/alwaysValid = \['main', 'develop'\]/alwaysValid = ['main', 'next', 'develop']/" "$NAMING"
-  rm -f "$NAMING.rollout-bak"
-  grep -q "alwaysValid = \['main', 'next', 'develop'\]" "$NAMING" || die "sed didn't take. Aborting."
-  ok "branch-naming.yml updated"
-fi
-
-step "Apply edit 2/2 — insert 'Where Do I Open My PR?' section into CONTRIBUTING.md"
-
-CONTRIB="CONTRIBUTING.md"
-if grep -q "^## Where Do I Open My PR?" "$CONTRIB"; then
-  ok "CONTRIBUTING.md already has the section (idempotent skip)"
-else
-  # Anchor must exist exactly once.
-  ANCHOR_COUNT=$(grep -c "^## Pull Request Guidelines\$" "$CONTRIB" || true)
-  [ "$ANCHOR_COUNT" -eq 1 ] || die "Expected exactly 1 '## Pull Request Guidelines' anchor in $CONTRIB, found $ANCHOR_COUNT. Insert the section manually."
-
-  # Write section to a temp file. BSD awk (macOS default) rejects newlines in
-  # -v variable values, so we pass a filename instead and let awk read it.
-  SECTION_FILE=$(mktemp -t gsd-rollout-section.XXXXXX)
-  cat > "$SECTION_FILE" <<'EOF'
-## Where Do I Open My PR? (Branching Model)
-
-GSD uses two long-lived branches: `main` (production, what's on npm `@latest`)
-and `next` (integration for the upcoming release). **Almost every PR targets
-`next`.** Full guide: [`docs/branching.md`](docs/branching.md).
-
-| Your branch | PR target | Notes |
-|---|---|---|
-| `feat/NNN-slug` | `next` | Default for all new features |
-| `fix/NNN-slug` | `next` | Default for all bug fixes; ships in next minor or via hotfix cherry-pick |
-| `chore/`, `docs/`, `refactor/`, `test/`, `perf/`, `ci/`, `revert/` | `next` | All routine work |
-| `fix/critical-NNN-slug` | `main` | Production-down emergencies only; auto-back-merges to `next` |
-| `release/X.Y.0` | `main` | Created by `release.yml` — don't make these by hand |
-| `hotfix/X.Y.Z` | `main` | Created by `hotfix.yml` — don't make these by hand |
-| Stabilization PR for an in-flight release | `release/X.Y.0` | Fix a regression found during the RC cycle |
-
-**Day-to-day commands:**
-
-```bash
-git fetch origin
-git checkout next
-git pull --ff-only origin next
-git checkout -b fix/3187-config-corruption
-# ... commit, push
-gh pr create --base next --repo open-gsd/gsd-core
-```
-
-If you target the wrong branch by accident, the `PR Target Validator`
-workflow will post a comment with the one-line fix (click "Edit" by the PR
-title and change the base branch — no need to recreate the PR).
-
-**Why this matters:** Under the old single-branch model, every PR required
-rebasing onto `main` because branch protection required "up-to-date before
-merging" and `main` moved on every merge. With `next` as the integration
-branch and that flag disabled on `next`, concurrent PRs can merge in any
-order as long as they don't conflict on the same lines. The rebase
-treadmill is gone for the 95% case.
-
----
-EOF
-  # Trailing blank line so awk emits a blank between our closing rule and
-  # the next H2 (CommonMark requires blank before any header).
-  echo "" >> "$SECTION_FILE"
-
-  awk -v sectionfile="$SECTION_FILE" '
-    /^## Pull Request Guidelines$/ && !inserted {
-      while ((getline line < sectionfile) > 0) print line
-      close(sectionfile)
-      inserted = 1
-    }
-    { print }
-  ' "$CONTRIB" > "$CONTRIB.tmp"
-  mv "$CONTRIB.tmp" "$CONTRIB"
-  rm -f "$SECTION_FILE"
-  grep -q "^## Where Do I Open My PR?" "$CONTRIB" || die "awk insertion failed."
-  ok "CONTRIBUTING.md section inserted"
-fi
-
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-# Step 6: Sanity-check YAML + bash
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-step "Validate YAML + bash"
-
-for f in .github/workflows/auto-backmerge.yml \
-         .github/workflows/pr-target-validator.yml \
-         .github/workflows/branch-naming.yml; do
-  python3 -c "import yaml,sys; yaml.safe_load(open('$f'))" \
-    || die "YAML invalid: $f"
-done
-ok "All 3 workflow YAMLs parse"
-
-bash -n scripts/setup-branch-protection.sh || die "Bash syntax error: setup-branch-protection.sh"
-ok "setup-branch-protection.sh syntax OK"
-
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-# Step 7: Commit
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-step "Commit"
-
-git add docs/branching.md \
-        docs/adr/XXXX-introduce-next-integration-branch.md \
-        .github/workflows/auto-backmerge.yml \
-        .github/workflows/pr-target-validator.yml \
-        .github/workflows/branch-naming.yml \
-        CONTRIBUTING.md \
-        scripts/setup-branch-protection.sh
-
-if git diff --cached --quiet; then
-  warn "Nothing to commit (already committed from a previous run?)"
-else
-  git commit -m "chore: introduce \`next\` integration branch (Phase 1 — additive)
-
-Adds:
-  - docs/branching.md              — beginner contributor guide
-  - docs/adr/XXXX-...md            — ADR (will be renamed with issue#)
-  - .github/workflows/auto-backmerge.yml      — disabled in Phase 1
-  - .github/workflows/pr-target-validator.yml — warn-only in Phase 1
-  - scripts/setup-branch-protection.sh        — idempotent gh api script
-
-Modifies:
-  - .github/workflows/branch-naming.yml  — recognize 'next'
-  - CONTRIBUTING.md                       — 'Where Do I Open My PR?' section
-
-Phase 1 is additive: nothing operational changes until Phase 2 flips
-auto-backmerge.yml's if:false→true, flips pr-target-validator.yml's
-WARN_ONLY→false, creates the next branch, and switches the default
-branch. See the ADR for the migration plan."
-  ok "Committed"
-fi
-
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-# Step 8: Push
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-step "Push branch"
-
-if [ "$DRY_RUN" = "1" ]; then
-  warn "DRY_RUN=1 — skipping push"
-else
-  git push -u origin "$BRANCH"
-  ok "Pushed $BRANCH"
-fi
-
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-# Step 9: File the issue (or reuse if one already exists)
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-step "File or reuse the chore issue"
-
-ISSUE_TITLE="chore: introduce \`next\` integration branch to end rebase treadmill"
-ISSUE_BODY=$(cat <<'EOF'
-## Problem
-
-Every contributor branch is cut from `main` and PR'd back to `main`. Combined
-with branch protection's "Require branches to be up to date before merging",
-this produces a rebase treadmill: every time another PR merges, every
-in-flight PR demands a rebase. With ~315 unreleased changesets queued and
-multiple PRs at any time, this is constant.
-
-## Proposed change
-
-Introduce `next` as a long-lived integration branch. Routine PRs target
-`next`; `main` only changes on release / hotfix / emergency fix. An
-auto-back-merge workflow keeps `next` aligned with `main`.
-
-Full design: see the ADR in this PR (`docs/adr/XXXX-introduce-next-integration-branch.md`).
-Contributor-facing guide: `docs/branching.md`.
-
-## Scope
-
-This issue covers Phase 1 of the rollout (additive infrastructure — no
-operational change until the workflow flags are flipped in Phase 2).
-
-- New: `docs/branching.md`, ADR, `auto-backmerge.yml` (disabled),
-  `pr-target-validator.yml` (warn-only), `setup-branch-protection.sh`.
-- Modified: `branch-naming.yml` (recognize `next`), `CONTRIBUTING.md`
-  ("Where Do I Open My PR?" section).
-- Not yet touched: `release.yml`, `hotfix.yml`, `auto-branch.yml` — these
-  are Phase 3, with patches inlined in the ADR.
-
-## Acceptance criteria
-
-- All 7 files land via this PR.
-- CI is green.
-- `docs/branching.md` renders correctly on GitHub.
-- ADR filename is renamed from `XXXX-` to `<this-issue#>-`.
-
-## Phase 2 follow-up (separate PR)
-
-After Phase 1 merges, a small follow-up PR will:
-- Create the `next` branch from `main` HEAD.
-- Apply branch protection via the new script.
-- Switch the default branch to `next`.
-- Flip `if: false` → `if: true` in `auto-backmerge.yml`.
-- Flip `WARN_ONLY: 'true'` → `'false'` in `pr-target-validator.yml`.
-EOF
-)
-
-# Look for an existing open issue with this exact title to support idempotent re-runs.
-EXISTING_ISSUE=$(gh issue list --repo "$REPO" --search "in:title \"$ISSUE_TITLE\"" --state open --json number --jq '.[0].number' 2>/dev/null || echo "")
-
-if [ -n "$EXISTING_ISSUE" ]; then
-  ISSUE_NUM="$EXISTING_ISSUE"
-  ok "Reusing existing open issue #$ISSUE_NUM"
-elif [ "$DRY_RUN" = "1" ]; then
-  ISSUE_NUM="DRYRUN"
-  warn "DRY_RUN=1 — skipping issue creation; ISSUE_NUM=$ISSUE_NUM"
-else
-  ISSUE_URL=$(echo "$ISSUE_BODY" | gh issue create \
-    --repo "$REPO" \
-    --title "$ISSUE_TITLE" \
-    --label "type: chore" \
-    --body-file -)
-  ISSUE_NUM=$(echo "$ISSUE_URL" | sed 's|.*/||')
-  ok "Filed issue #$ISSUE_NUM — $ISSUE_URL"
-fi
-
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-# Step 10: Rename ADR with issue number, replace XXXX in body
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-step "Rename ADR and substitute issue number"
-
-OLD_ADR="docs/adr/XXXX-introduce-next-integration-branch.md"
-NEW_ADR="docs/adr/${ISSUE_NUM}-introduce-next-integration-branch.md"
-
-if [ -f "$OLD_ADR" ]; then
-  git mv "$OLD_ADR" "$NEW_ADR"
-  ok "Renamed: $OLD_ADR → $NEW_ADR"
-elif [ -f "$NEW_ADR" ]; then
-  ok "ADR already renamed (idempotent skip)"
-else
-  die "Neither $OLD_ADR nor $NEW_ADR exists. Something is off."
-fi
-
-# Replace XXXX inside ADR with real issue number (only in the placeholder context).
-if [ "$ISSUE_NUM" != "DRYRUN" ]; then
-  sed -i.rollout-bak "s/XXXX-introduce-next-integration-branch/${ISSUE_NUM}-introduce-next-integration-branch/g" "$NEW_ADR"
-  sed -i.rollout-bak "s/placeholder \`XXXX\` prefix/placeholder (now resolved to \`${ISSUE_NUM}\`)/g" "$NEW_ADR"
-  rm -f "$NEW_ADR.rollout-bak"
-  ok "Substituted XXXX → ${ISSUE_NUM} in ADR body"
-fi
-
-# Also patch the references in the new workflow files which mention XXXX-introduce-next-integration-branch.
-for f in .github/workflows/auto-backmerge.yml .github/workflows/pr-target-validator.yml docs/branching.md CONTRIBUTING.md; do
-  if [ -f "$f" ] && grep -q "XXXX-introduce-next-integration-branch" "$f"; then
-    sed -i.rollout-bak "s/XXXX-introduce-next-integration-branch/${ISSUE_NUM}-introduce-next-integration-branch/g" "$f"
-    rm -f "$f.rollout-bak"
-    ok "Updated cross-reference in $f"
-  fi
-done
-
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-# Step 11: Amend commit + force-push
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-step "Amend commit and force-push"
-
-git add -A
-if git diff --cached --quiet; then
-  ok "No changes to amend (idempotent skip)"
-else
-  git commit --amend --no-edit
-  ok "Amended commit"
-fi
-
-if [ "$DRY_RUN" = "1" ]; then
-  warn "DRY_RUN=1 — skipping force-push"
-else
-  git push --force-with-lease origin "$BRANCH"
-  ok "Force-pushed (with lease)"
-fi
-
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-# Step 12: Open the PR (or reuse if one already exists)
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-step "Open PR against main"
-
-PR_TITLE="chore: introduce \`next\` integration branch (Phase 1 — additive)"
-PR_BODY=$(cat <<EOF
-Closes #${ISSUE_NUM}
-
-Phase 1 of the \`next\` integration-branch rollout. See ADR:
-\`docs/adr/${ISSUE_NUM}-introduce-next-integration-branch.md\`.
-
-## What's in this PR
-
-**New files**
-- \`docs/branching.md\` — contributor-facing how-to-use-it guide
-- \`docs/adr/${ISSUE_NUM}-introduce-next-integration-branch.md\` — the ADR
-- \`.github/workflows/auto-backmerge.yml\` — opens \`main → next\` PR on each push to main. **Currently disabled** (\`if: false\`); flipped in Phase 2.
-- \`.github/workflows/pr-target-validator.yml\` — blocks PRs targeting main except release/hotfix/critical. **Currently warn-only**; enforced in Phase 2.
-- \`scripts/setup-branch-protection.sh\` — idempotent gh-api script that applies the two protection rule sets.
-
-**Edits**
-- \`.github/workflows/branch-naming.yml\` — adds \`next\` to \`alwaysValid\`.
-- \`CONTRIBUTING.md\` — new "Where Do I Open My PR? (Branching Model)" section above Pull Request Guidelines.
-
-## Why nothing breaks today
-
-Both new workflows ship inert (\`if: false\` on the back-merge job, \`WARN_ONLY: 'true'\` on the validator). The validator will post a friendly comment on out-of-pattern PRs but won't fail the check until Phase 2.
-
-## After this merges
-
-A small Phase 2 PR will:
-1. Create the \`next\` branch from \`main\` HEAD and push it.
-2. Apply branch protection via \`scripts/setup-branch-protection.sh\`.
-3. Switch the default branch to \`next\` (GitHub repo setting).
-4. Flip the two phase-gate flags above.
-
-Phase 3 (separate PR after a few releases under the new model) updates \`release.yml\`, \`hotfix.yml\`, and \`auto-branch.yml\` to branch from / cherry-pick from \`next\`. Inlined patches in the ADR.
-EOF
-)
-
-EXISTING_PR=$(gh pr list --repo "$REPO" --head "$BRANCH" --state open --json number --jq '.[0].number' 2>/dev/null || echo "")
-
-if [ -n "$EXISTING_PR" ]; then
-  ok "Reusing existing PR #$EXISTING_PR"
-  if [ "$DRY_RUN" != "1" ]; then
-    echo "$PR_BODY" | gh pr edit "$EXISTING_PR" --repo "$REPO" --title "$PR_TITLE" --body-file -
-    ok "Updated PR #$EXISTING_PR title and body"
-  fi
-elif [ "$DRY_RUN" = "1" ]; then
-  warn "DRY_RUN=1 — skipping PR creation"
-else
-  PR_URL=$(echo "$PR_BODY" | gh pr create \
-    --repo "$REPO" \
-    --base main \
-    --head "$BRANCH" \
-    --title "$PR_TITLE" \
-    --body-file -)
-  ok "Opened PR: $PR_URL"
-fi
-
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-# Done.
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-echo
-echo "${C_BOLD}${C_GRN}━━━ Phase 1 complete ━━━${C_RST}"
-echo
-echo "Issue:  #${ISSUE_NUM}"
-echo "Branch: $BRANCH"
-echo "PR:     $(gh pr list --repo "$REPO" --head "$BRANCH" --state open --json url --jq '.[0].url' 2>/dev/null || echo "(check gh pr list)")"
-echo
-echo "Next steps:"
-echo "  1. Review CI on the PR. The Changeset Required check may ask for a"
-echo "     changeset fragment — drop one if needed:"
-echo "       npm run changeset -- --type Changed --pr <PR#> \\"
-echo "         --body \"Introduce \\\`next\\\` integration branch (Phase 1 — additive infrastructure).\""
-echo "  2. Get an approval, merge."
-echo "  3. Run Phase 2: bash /path/to/rollout-next-phase2.sh"
-echo
-echo "Recovering your stashed work on $CURRENT_BR (if you had any):"
-echo "  git checkout $CURRENT_BR"
-echo "  git stash list   # find the 'pre-next-rollout-...' entry"
-echo "  git stash pop stash@{N}"
diff --git a/rollout-next-phase2.sh b/rollout-next-phase2.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index fb45bc52c..000000000
--- a/rollout-next-phase2.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,300 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env zsh
-# rollout-next-phase2.sh — native zsh, runs under macOS Terminal's default shell.
-# DO NOT prefix with `bash`. Run as: ./rollout-next-phase2.sh
-#
-# Phase 2 of the `next` integration-branch rollout.
-# RUN THIS ONLY AFTER THE PHASE-1 PR HAS BEEN MERGED TO main.
-#
-# What it does:
-#   1. Pulls main (which now contains Phase 1).
-#   2. Creates the `next` branch from main HEAD, pushes it.
-#   3. Applies branch protection rules via the script committed in Phase 1.
-#   4. Switches the repo's default branch to `next` via gh api.
-#   5. Flips `if: false` → `if: true` in auto-backmerge.yml.
-#   6. Flips `WARN_ONLY: 'true'` → `'false'` in pr-target-validator.yml.
-#   7. Commits the flips on a small follow-up branch, opens a PR to next.
-#
-# Idempotent: re-running converges. Each step checks if it's already done.
-#
-# Usage:
-#   cd /Volumes/Mini\ Me/Users/trekkie/projects/gsd-core
-#   bash /path/to/rollout-next-phase2.sh
-#
-# Env overrides:
-#   REPO=open-gsd/gsd-core   (default)
-#   SKIP_PROTECTION=1                   (skip running setup-branch-protection.sh)
-#   SKIP_DEFAULT_FLIP=1                 (skip switching default branch)
-#   DRY_RUN=1                           (skip all pushes, PRs, and api writes)
-
-set -euo pipefail
-
-REPO="${REPO:-open-gsd/gsd-core}"
-FLIP_BRANCH="chore/flip-next-rollout-flags"
-DRY_RUN="${DRY_RUN:-0}"
-
-if [ -t 1 ]; then
-  C_BOLD=$'\033[1m'; C_GRN=$'\033[32m'; C_YEL=$'\033[33m'; C_RED=$'\033[31m'; C_DIM=$'\033[2m'; C_RST=$'\033[0m'
-else
-  C_BOLD=''; C_GRN=''; C_YEL=''; C_RED=''; C_DIM=''; C_RST=''
-fi
-
-step()  { echo; echo "${C_BOLD}▸ $*${C_RST}"; }
-ok()    { echo "${C_GRN}  ✓${C_RST} $*"; }
-warn()  { echo "${C_YEL}  ⚠${C_RST} $*"; }
-die()   { echo "${C_RED}  ✗ $*${C_RST}" >&2; exit 1; }
-note()  { echo "${C_DIM}  $*${C_RST}"; }
-
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-# Step 0: Sanity
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-step "Sanity checks"
-
-[ -d .git ] || die "Not in a git repo. cd to your gsd-core checkout."
-command -v gh >/dev/null || die "gh not found. https://cli.github.com/"
-gh auth status >/dev/null 2>&1 || die "gh not authenticated."
-
-REMOTE_URL=$(git remote get-url origin 2>/dev/null || true)
-case "$REMOTE_URL" in
-  *"$REPO"*) ok "Remote: $REMOTE_URL" ;;
-  *) die "Remote 'origin' is $REMOTE_URL — expected to contain $REPO." ;;
-esac
-
-# Protect rollout files from the stash sweep.
-ROLLOUT_STAGE=$(mktemp -d)
-ROLLOUT_FILES=(rollout-next-phase1.sh rollout-next-phase2.sh next-branch-files.tar.gz)
-for f in "${ROLLOUT_FILES[@]}"; do
-  [ -f "./$f" ] && mv "./$f" "$ROLLOUT_STAGE/"
-done
-restore_rollout_files() {
-  for f in "$ROLLOUT_STAGE"/*; do
-    [ -e "$f" ] || continue
-    cp "$f" ./ 2>/dev/null || true
-  done
-  rm -rf "$ROLLOUT_STAGE" 2>/dev/null || true
-}
-trap restore_rollout_files EXIT
-
-# Stash any in-progress work before switching branches.
-CURRENT_BR=$(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD)
-note "Currently on: $CURRENT_BR"
-if [ -n "$(git status --porcelain)" ]; then
-  STASH_MSG="pre-next-phase2-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S) (from $CURRENT_BR)"
-  git stash push --include-untracked --message "$STASH_MSG" >/dev/null
-  ok "Stashed: $STASH_MSG"
-  STASHED=1
-else
-  STASHED=0
-fi
-
-restore_rollout_files
-
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-# Step 1: Refresh main, ensure Phase 1 is present
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-step "Switch to main and pull"
-
-git fetch origin --quiet
-git checkout main >/dev/null
-git pull --ff-only origin main >/dev/null
-ok "main is current at $(git log -1 --format='%h %s' | head -c 80)"
-
-# Phase-1 sentinel files must be on main now.
-PHASE1_FILES=(
-  "docs/branching.md"
-  ".github/workflows/auto-backmerge.yml"
-  ".github/workflows/pr-target-validator.yml"
-  "scripts/setup-branch-protection.sh"
-)
-for f in "${PHASE1_FILES[@]}"; do
-  [ -f "$f" ] || die "Phase 1 file missing on main: $f. Has the Phase 1 PR merged?"
-done
-ok "Phase 1 files present on main"
-
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-# Step 2: Create next branch (idempotent)
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-step "Create or verify the next branch"
-
-if git ls-remote --exit-code origin next >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-  ok "origin/next already exists — leaving as is"
-else
-  if [ "$DRY_RUN" = "1" ]; then
-    warn "DRY_RUN=1 — would create and push next from main HEAD"
-  else
-    # Create next from current main HEAD locally and push.
-    git checkout -b next main 2>/dev/null || git checkout next
-    git push -u origin next
-    ok "Created and pushed origin/next at $(git log -1 --format='%h')"
-    # Switch back to main so subsequent steps don't accidentally edit next.
-    git checkout main >/dev/null
-  fi
-fi
-
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-# Step 3: Apply branch protection
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-step "Apply branch protection to main and next"
-
-if [ "${SKIP_PROTECTION:-0}" = "1" ]; then
-  warn "SKIP_PROTECTION=1 — skipping. You will need to run this manually:"
-  note "  bash scripts/setup-branch-protection.sh"
-elif [ "$DRY_RUN" = "1" ]; then
-  warn "DRY_RUN=1 — would run scripts/setup-branch-protection.sh"
-  REPO="$REPO" DRY_RUN=1 bash scripts/setup-branch-protection.sh | head -40 || true
-else
-  REPO="$REPO" bash scripts/setup-branch-protection.sh
-  ok "Branch protection applied"
-fi
-
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-# Step 4: Flip default branch to next
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-step "Switch default branch to next"
-
-CURRENT_DEFAULT=$(gh api "/repos/$REPO" --jq '.default_branch')
-note "Current default: $CURRENT_DEFAULT"
-
-if [ "$CURRENT_DEFAULT" = "next" ]; then
-  ok "Default is already next — skip"
-elif [ "${SKIP_DEFAULT_FLIP:-0}" = "1" ]; then
-  warn "SKIP_DEFAULT_FLIP=1 — leaving default as $CURRENT_DEFAULT"
-  note "To flip later: Settings → Branches → Default branch → next"
-elif [ "$DRY_RUN" = "1" ]; then
-  warn "DRY_RUN=1 — would PATCH /repos/$REPO default_branch=next"
-else
-  gh api -X PATCH "/repos/$REPO" -f default_branch=next >/dev/null
-  ok "Default branch switched to next"
-fi
-
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-# Step 5 + 6: Flip the two phase-gate flags on a follow-up branch
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-step "Flip phase-gate flags (auto-backmerge.yml + pr-target-validator.yml)"
-
-# Both edits need to land on a feature branch off `next`, then PR'd back.
-# (We can't push directly to main anymore — branch protection forbids it.)
-
-# Create or switch to the flip branch off next.
-git fetch origin next --quiet 2>/dev/null || true
-if git show-ref --verify --quiet "refs/heads/$FLIP_BRANCH"; then
-  git checkout "$FLIP_BRANCH" >/dev/null
-  if git rev-parse --verify "origin/$FLIP_BRANCH" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-    warn "origin/$FLIP_BRANCH already exists — pulling to be sure"
-    git pull --ff-only origin "$FLIP_BRANCH" >/dev/null || true
-  else
-    git reset --hard origin/next >/dev/null
-  fi
-else
-  git checkout -b "$FLIP_BRANCH" origin/next >/dev/null
-fi
-
-AUTO_BM=".github/workflows/auto-backmerge.yml"
-VALID=".github/workflows/pr-target-validator.yml"
-
-# Flip auto-backmerge: `if: false` (the phase-1 gate line) → `if: true`
-# The pattern is anchored by the exact comment + indentation so we don't
-# accidentally hit a different `if:` line.
-if grep -q "    if: false" "$AUTO_BM"; then
-  # macOS-compatible in-place edit
-  sed -i.rollout-bak "s/^    if: false$/    if: true/" "$AUTO_BM"
-  rm -f "$AUTO_BM.rollout-bak"
-  grep -q "    if: true" "$AUTO_BM" || die "auto-backmerge.yml flip didn't take"
-  ok "auto-backmerge.yml: if: false → if: true"
-elif grep -q "    if: true" "$AUTO_BM"; then
-  ok "auto-backmerge.yml already flipped (idempotent skip)"
-else
-  die "Could not find phase-gate 'if:' line in $AUTO_BM"
-fi
-
-# Flip validator: WARN_ONLY: 'true' → 'false'
-if grep -q "WARN_ONLY: 'true'" "$VALID"; then
-  sed -i.rollout-bak "s/WARN_ONLY: 'true'/WARN_ONLY: 'false'/" "$VALID"
-  rm -f "$VALID.rollout-bak"
-  grep -q "WARN_ONLY: 'false'" "$VALID" || die "validator flip didn't take"
-  ok "pr-target-validator.yml: WARN_ONLY 'true' → 'false'"
-elif grep -q "WARN_ONLY: 'false'" "$VALID"; then
-  ok "pr-target-validator.yml already flipped (idempotent skip)"
-else
-  die "Could not find WARN_ONLY in $VALID"
-fi
-
-# YAML validation
-for f in "$AUTO_BM" "$VALID"; do
-  python3 -c "import yaml; yaml.safe_load(open('$f'))" || die "YAML invalid after flip: $f"
-done
-ok "YAML still valid"
-
-# Commit
-git add "$AUTO_BM" "$VALID"
-if git diff --cached --quiet; then
-  warn "Nothing to commit (already committed)"
-else
-  git commit -m "chore: enable next-branch automation (Phase 2 flips)
-
-- auto-backmerge.yml: enable the job (was if: false in Phase 1)
-- pr-target-validator.yml: enforce instead of warn-only
-
-These flips are the operational gate for the next-branch model. The
-next branch and branch protection were created/applied before this PR."
-  ok "Committed flips"
-fi
-
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-# Step 7: Push + open follow-up PR against next
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-step "Push and open follow-up PR (base = next)"
-
-if [ "$DRY_RUN" = "1" ]; then
-  warn "DRY_RUN=1 — skipping push and PR"
-else
-  git push -u origin "$FLIP_BRANCH"
-  ok "Pushed $FLIP_BRANCH"
-
-  EXISTING_PR=$(gh pr list --repo "$REPO" --head "$FLIP_BRANCH" --state open --json number --jq '.[0].number' 2>/dev/null || echo "")
-  PR_TITLE="chore: enable next-branch automation (Phase 2 flips)"
-  PR_BODY="Phase 2 follow-up to the \`next\` integration-branch rollout.
-
-This PR flips the two phase-gate flags that shipped inert in Phase 1:
-
-- \`auto-backmerge.yml\`: \`if: false\` → \`if: true\` (the back-merge job now runs on every push to main)
-- \`pr-target-validator.yml\`: \`WARN_ONLY: 'true'\` → \`'false'\` (the validator now fails the check instead of just commenting)
-
-The \`next\` branch and branch-protection rules were created/applied out-of-band by \`scripts/rollout-next-phase2.sh\` before this PR.
-
-After this merges, the model is fully live. New PRs should target \`next\` (it's the default now); the validator will catch mistakes and tell contributors how to retarget."
-
-  if [ -n "$EXISTING_PR" ]; then
-    echo "$PR_BODY" | gh pr edit "$EXISTING_PR" --repo "$REPO" --title "$PR_TITLE" --body-file -
-    ok "Updated existing PR #$EXISTING_PR"
-  else
-    PR_URL=$(echo "$PR_BODY" | gh pr create \
-      --repo "$REPO" \
-      --base next \
-      --head "$FLIP_BRANCH" \
-      --title "$PR_TITLE" \
-      --body-file -)
-    ok "Opened PR: $PR_URL"
-  fi
-fi
-
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-# Done
-# ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-echo
-echo "${C_BOLD}${C_GRN}━━━ Phase 2 complete ━━━${C_RST}"
-echo
-echo "What's live now:"
-echo "  • next branch exists, branch protection applied to main + next"
-echo "  • Default branch: next (new PRs default to it)"
-echo "  • auto-backmerge.yml: enabled — will open main→next PR after each push to main"
-echo "  • pr-target-validator.yml: enforcing — fails the check on wrong target"
-echo
-echo "Follow-up PR to merge: $(gh pr list --repo "$REPO" --head "$FLIP_BRANCH" --state open --json url --jq '.[0].url' 2>/dev/null || echo "(check gh pr list)")"
-echo
-echo "Phase 3 (when ready, weeks-to-months out): apply the release.yml /"
-echo "hotfix.yml / auto-branch.yml patches inlined in the ADR."
-if [ "$STASHED" = "1" ]; then
-  echo
-  echo "Your earlier work is stashed. Recover it with:"
-  echo "  git checkout $CURRENT_BR  &&  git stash list  &&  git stash pop stash@{0}"
-fi
diff --git a/scripts/diff-touches-shipped-paths.cjs b/scripts/diff-touches-shipped-paths.cjs
index da0943d60..ae27dc64c 100644
--- a/scripts/diff-touches-shipped-paths.cjs
+++ b/scripts/diff-touches-shipped-paths.cjs
@@ -12,11 +12,10 @@
  *   - package.json (always included by `npm pack`, regardless of `files`)
  *   - every entry in package.json `files`, treated as either an exact
  *     file match or a directory prefix (matching `npm pack` semantics).
- *   - CI-gating test paths: `tests/<anything>` plus
- *     `sdk/src/<anything>/<name>.test.<ts|cjs|mjs|js>` and `.spec.` variants
- *     — these don't ship in the tarball, but they gate the hotfix-branch
- *     test job. A test fixture update that aligns with a cherry-picked
- *     production fix MUST be pickable or CI fails on the hotfix run.
+ *   - CI-gating test paths: `tests/<anything>` — these don't ship in the
+ *     tarball, but they gate the hotfix-branch test job. A test fixture
+ *     update that aligns with a cherry-picked production fix MUST be
+ *     pickable or CI fails on the hotfix run.
  *     #3621 — root cause of the v1.42.3 hotfix red CI.
  *
  * `package-lock.json` is intentionally NOT considered shipped — `npm pack`
@@ -65,12 +64,7 @@ function loadShipPrefixes(pkgPath) {
 // in hotfix.yml, this lets `test(####):` fixture-alignment commits be
 // cherry-picked alongside their production counterparts.
 function isCiGating(diffPath) {
-  if (diffPath.startsWith('tests/')) return true;
-  // SDK vitest specs live next to source. Production source ships via
-  // sdk/dist/ (already in package.json `files`); the test files are what's
-  // missing from that surface.
-  if (diffPath.startsWith('sdk/src/') && /\.(test|spec)\.(ts|cjs|mjs|js)$/.test(diffPath)) return true;
-  return false;
+  return diffPath.startsWith('tests/');
 }
 
 function isShipped(diffPath, shipPrefixes) {
diff --git a/vitest.config.ts b/vitest.config.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index b0200d123..000000000
--- a/vitest.config.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,24 +0,0 @@
-import { defineConfig } from 'vitest/config';
-
-export default defineConfig({
-  test: {
-    projects: [
-      {
-        test: {
-          name: 'unit',
-          root: './sdk',
-          include: ['src/**/*.test.ts'],
-          exclude: ['src/**/*.integration.test.ts'],
-        },
-      },
-      {
-        test: {
-          name: 'integration',
-          root: './sdk',
-          include: ['src/**/*.integration.test.ts'],
-          testTimeout: 120_000,
-        },
-      },
-    ],
-  },
-});