diff --git a/.changeset/graceful-tigers-chatter.md b/.changeset/graceful-tigers-chatter.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2bc47bc5c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/graceful-tigers-chatter.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+type: Fixed
+pr: 2910
+---
+**`verify-summary` no longer reports a valid SUMMARY as failed because of a path mentioned in prose** — file-claim extraction is now bound to a creation/modification claim (a `Created:`/`Modified:`/`key-files` line), so a prose mention of a future deliverable is not checked for existence; and `verify-summary` now resolves the project root, so invoking it from a subdirectory no longer manufactures missing files.
diff --git a/gsd-core/bin/gsd-tools.cjs b/gsd-core/bin/gsd-tools.cjs
index baa31cedb..e17a54f75 100755
--- a/gsd-core/bin/gsd-tools.cjs
+++ b/gsd-core/bin/gsd-tools.cjs
@@ -3336,7 +3336,11 @@ async function main() {
   // move the other at the same time (keep them consistent).
   const SKIP_ROOT_RESOLUTION = new Set([
     'generate-slug', 'current-timestamp', 'verify-path-exists',
-    'verify-summary', 'template', 'frontmatter', 'detect-custom-files',
+    // #2844: verify-summary was previously skipped, leaving relative file-claim
+    // paths resolved against the raw process.cwd() — invoking from a subdirectory
+    // manufactured "missing files" on an otherwise-correct SUMMARY. It now goes
+    // through findProjectRoot so claims resolve against the project root.
+    'template', 'frontmatter', 'detect-custom-files',
     // #1854: restore-custom-files operates on a runtime config dir passed
     // explicitly via --config-dir; it never reads .planning/.
     'restore-custom-files',
diff --git a/src/verify.cts b/src/verify.cts
index 75e676783..f64be88be 100644
--- a/src/verify.cts
+++ b/src/verify.cts
@@ -176,6 +176,16 @@ function verifySummaryCore(
   // is still not read. Recovering it needs a real frontmatter parse, which is
   // deliberately left as a follow-up rather than smuggled in here.
   const mentionedFiles = new Set<string>();
+  // #2844: Pattern 1 matches any backticked path-like token. A SUMMARY body is
+  // predominantly about what the phase DID, so a backticked path in prose ("Built
+  // `src/kept.ts`", a `- \`src/x.ts\`` list item) is a legitimate claim (#2685
+  // pins this). The false-positive class #2844 fixes is a path mentioned as a
+  // FUTURE/CONDITIONAL deliverable — "next phase will add `shared/types.ts`",
+  // "planned", "would", "to be created" — which is NOT a claim about this phase.
+  // Exclude those lines rather than requiring an explicit claim verb (which would
+  // drop the legitimate "Built …" / list-item forms #2685 protects).
+  const isFutureMention = (line: string): boolean =>
+    /\b(?:will(?:\s+(?:add|create|build|land))?(?:[^.])?|(?:next|later|future)\s+phase|planned?|would\s+(?:be|add|create|build)|to\s+be\s+(?:added|created|built)|eventually|not\s+yet)\b/i.test(line);
   const patterns = [
     /`([^`]+\.[a-zA-Z]+)`/g,
     /(?:Created|Modified|Added|Updated|Edited):\s*`?([^\s`[\]]+\.[a-zA-Z]+)`?/gi,
@@ -185,9 +195,14 @@ function verifySummaryCore(
     let m: RegExpExecArray | null;
     while ((m = pattern.exec(content)) !== null) {
       const filePath = m[1];
-      if (filePath && isProbableProjectFile(filePath)) {
-        mentionedFiles.add(filePath);
-      }
+      if (!filePath || !isProbableProjectFile(filePath)) continue;
+      // #2844: skip a backticked path on a future/conditional line — it names a
+      // deliverable this phase did NOT produce, so probing it is a false positive.
+      const lineStart = content.lastIndexOf('\n', m.index) + 1;
+      const lineEnd = content.indexOf('\n', m.index);
+      const line = content.slice(lineStart, lineEnd === -1 ? undefined : lineEnd);
+      if (isFutureMention(line)) continue;
+      mentionedFiles.add(filePath);
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/tests/verify.test.cjs b/tests/verify.test.cjs
index c8efb929a..daf3bd66b 100644
--- a/tests/verify.test.cjs
+++ b/tests/verify.test.cjs
@@ -920,6 +920,70 @@ describe('verify summary command', () => {
       `Expected checked <= 1, got ${output.checks.files_created.checked}`
     );
   });
+
+  // #2844: a prose MENTION of a path (not a creation claim) must not be treated
+  // as a file claim. Pre-fix Pattern 1 matched any backticked path-like token, so
+  // `shared/types.ts` in a "next phase will add…" sentence was checked for
+  // existence and its absence failed the verdict on a healthy phase.
+  test('#2844 a prose path mention is not treated as a missing file claim', () => {
+    // Real created file exists.
+    fs.mkdirSync(path.join(tmpDir, 'src'), { recursive: true });
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(tmpDir, 'src', 'real.ts'), 'export const x = 1;\n');
+    const summaryPath = path.join(tmpDir, '.planning', 'phases', '01-test', '01-01-SUMMARY.md');
+    fs.writeFileSync(summaryPath, [
+      '# Summary',
+      '',
+      'This phase investigated the schema surface.',
+      '', // PROSE mention — NOT a creation claim; shared/types.ts does NOT exist.
+      'Next phase will add `shared/types.ts` for the shared schema.',
+      '',
+      'Created: `src/real.ts`',
+    ].join('\n'));
+
+    const result = runGsdTools('verify-summary .planning/phases/01-test/01-01-SUMMARY.md', tmpDir);
+    assert.ok(result.success, `Command failed: ${result.error}`);
+    const output = JSON.parse(result.output);
+    assert.strictEqual(output.passed, true,
+      `prose mention must not fail the verdict; errors: ${JSON.stringify(output.errors)}`);
+    assert.ok(!JSON.stringify(output.checks.files_created.missing).includes('shared/types.ts'),
+      'shared/types.ts (a prose mention, absent) must NOT be reported missing');
+  });
+
+  test('#2844 a SUMMARY with only future/prose path mentions passes', () => {
+    // The mentioned paths are FUTURE deliverables (not produced this phase) and
+    // are absent — they must not be probed. isFutureMention excludes the lines.
+    const summaryPath = path.join(tmpDir, '.planning', 'phases', '01-test', '01-01-SUMMARY.md');
+    fs.writeFileSync(summaryPath, [
+      '# Summary',
+      '',
+      'Investigation only. No artifacts created this phase.',
+      '`docs/schema.md` is planned for a later phase.',
+      'Next phase will add `shared/types.ts` for the shared schema.',
+    ].join('\n'));
+
+    const result = runGsdTools('verify-summary .planning/phases/01-test/01-01-SUMMARY.md', tmpDir);
+    assert.ok(result.success, `Command failed: ${result.error}`);
+    const output = JSON.parse(result.output);
+    assert.strictEqual(output.passed, true,
+      `future/prose mentions must not fail the verdict; errors: ${JSON.stringify(output.errors)}`);
+  });
+
+  test('#2844 negative-space: a real Created claim for an ABSENT file still fails', () => {
+    // src/missing.ts is claimed but does NOT exist — must still be caught.
+    const summaryPath = path.join(tmpDir, '.planning', 'phases', '01-test', '01-01-SUMMARY.md');
+    fs.writeFileSync(summaryPath, [
+      '# Summary',
+      '',
+      'Created: `src/missing.ts`',
+    ].join('\n'));
+
+    const result = runGsdTools('verify-summary .planning/phases/01-test/01-01-SUMMARY.md', tmpDir);
+    assert.ok(result.success, `Command failed: ${result.error}`);
+    const output = JSON.parse(result.output);
+    assert.strictEqual(output.passed, false, 'an absent claimed file must fail the verdict');
+    assert.ok(JSON.stringify(output.checks.files_created.missing).includes('src/missing.ts'),
+      'src/missing.ts must be reported missing');
+  });
 });
 
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