diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index e217dea..7b84b66 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -43,6 +43,23 @@ jobs:
       - name: Provider component fixture inventory
         run: cargo +"${{ matrix.rust-version }}" xtask provider-component-fixtures --check
 
+  release-dates:
+    name: release-dates (git tag reconciliation)
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      # The reconciliation compares recorded dates against the tags that
+      # published them, so this job needs the tags. The default shallow
+      # checkout fetches none, which is why this cannot ride along on the
+      # matrix job above.
+      - uses: actions/checkout@9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0
+        with:
+          persist-credentials: false
+          fetch-depth: 0
+      - name: Install Rust
+        run: rustup toolchain install stable --profile minimal
+      - name: Reconcile release dates against git tags
+        run: cargo +stable xtask release-dates --check
+
   supply-chain:
     name: supply-chain (cargo-deny)
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 73faba3..381519a 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -28,6 +28,132 @@ versions still track specification maturity rather than a released product.
   target obstructions, exact verifier acceptance, safe provider roles, shared
   domain-framed artifact identities, and rollback-safe package/report
   publication.
+- Release dates across `CHANGELOG.md`, `docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml`,
+  `docs/releases/*.md`, and the `xtask` release guards now record the actual git
+  tag dates (2026-06-21 through 2026-06-30) instead of the planned biweekly
+  schedule that ran to 2026-11-04. The `target_date` field keeps its name but now
+  holds the date the release was tagged, so `RELEASE-REQ-008` is restated
+  accordingly. The tag date is not the GitHub Release publication timestamp:
+  `v0.4.0-alpha.1` was tagged 2026-06-25 and published later the same day, and
+  release notes keep that publication timestamp separately. Tag dates are read in
+  UTC so a local run and a CI run agree; `v0.4.0-alpha.1` is the one tag where
+  that matters, resolving to 2026-06-24 in PDT and 2026-06-25 in UTC.
+- `cargo xtask release-prep` no longer derives the scaffolded date by adding
+  fourteen days to the last recorded release. That extrapolation assumed
+  `target_date` held a planned date on a biweekly cadence; now that it records
+  when a release was tagged, extrapolating produced a date in the past. The
+  command takes `--date YYYY-MM-DD` and otherwise uses today's UTC date.
+- The local `cargo xtask verify` gate now schedules one default workspace test
+  pass, which already includes doctests, instead of repeating every workspace
+  doctest in a second Cargo invocation.
+- Selected provider component identities now borrow their validated manifest
+  directly rather than the temporary proof handle used to authorize selection,
+  so callers can discard that handle after obtaining the opaque selection.
+- Canonical-CBOR encoding and decoding now accept at most 128 nested values and
+  return the stable `NestingLimitExceeded` kind beyond that bound. Provider
+  artifact validation uses the same bounded decoder before digest computation.
+- The parser now accepts first-class obstruction-strand source syntax:
+  `require ... else continue obstructed { reason: ... }`. The form is preserved
+  as a distinct `RequireElseArm::ContinueObstructed` source AST arm, requires
+  exactly one `reason` field, rejects duplicate `reason` fields, and remains
+  contextual to a `require ... else` arm. Helper-shaped constructors such as
+  `continueInObstructedStrand(...)` remain ordinary terminal obstruction
+  targets. Echo receipts, runtime execution, and editor projection remain
+  deferred.
+- Core lowering now represents `require` statements as explicit Core require
+  nodes with terminal and preserved-obstruction failure arms. The canonical Core
+  preimage distinguishes `else <obstruction>` from
+  `else continue obstructed { ... }`, binds stable reason kinds and canonical
+  payload fields, rejects duplicate payload fields before Core digesting, and
+  keeps non-semantic formatting out of Core digests. Runtime receipt behavior
+  for obstruction strands remains deferred.
+- Echo Target IR lowering now represents supported Core `require` guards as
+  explicit Target IR requirements with terminal and `continueObstructed` failure
+  dispositions. Canonical Target IR bytes and digests now bind requirement
+  predicates, reason kinds, reason payload values, and terminal-vs-preserved
+  disposition, while targets without requirement support reject with a stable
+  `UnsupportedTargetFeature` failure before artifact emission. Requirements
+  after a target step, including requirements whose predicate or reason payload
+  reads a target step output, reject until Target IR owns an ordered or
+  step-attached guard shape. Echo runtime receipts, admission, scheduler
+  counterfactuals, and editor projection remain deferred.
+- The obstruction-strands design note now formalizes the cross-project taxonomy
+  separating not-admitted scheduler counterfactuals, admitted obstructed strands,
+  and hard rejections. The taxonomy records authority boundaries only; it does
+  not add Edict-owned runtime execution, scheduler exploration, Graft
+  projection, jedit display, Continuum settlement, or XYPH settlement behavior.
+- Added the `edict` CLI `project` operation for editor-facing JSONL
+  projection over dirty source records. It can emit syntax spans, diagnostics,
+  Core review JSON plus canonical Core digest, and Echo Target IR review JSON
+  plus canonical Target IR digest without requiring the source to exist on disk;
+  compiler and lowering failures are structured projection data on stdout, not
+  CLI transport failures. The projection review JSON is not a canonical hash
+  contract. Syntax-only lexical failures now emit visible diagnostics projection
+  data, and CLI-input failures for known `project` requests report
+  `command: "project"` in their diagnostic and status records. Explicit `null`
+  values for object-valued compiler settings such as `compilerContext` and
+  `target` are rejected before serde can treat them as absent values, and the
+  settings schema now rejects empty `project` emit lists. The help record now
+  scopes exit code `1` to `check` diagnostics because `project` compiler
+  diagnostics are projection data and exit `0`.
+- The `edict` CLI now bounds stdin before request parsing with a default 8 MiB
+  cap and an `EDICT_CLI_MAX_STDIN_BYTES` override. Over-limit input fails with
+  the stable `InputTooLarge` CLI diagnostic and exit 2, pinned by
+  `CLI-REQ-010` / `CLI-TP-016` and `fixtures/cli/12-input-too-large`.
+- The `edict` CLI now documents its trusted local request boundary and accepts
+  optional compiler setting `inputRoot` to confine path, path-list, directory,
+  and glob inputs. Inputs resolving outside that root fail with
+  `InputPathOutsideRoot`, exit 2, and are pinned by `CLI-REQ-011` /
+  `CLI-TP-017` plus `fixtures/cli/13-input-root-outside`; explicit JSON `null`
+  for `inputRoot` is rejected as `InvalidSettings`, and non-file glob matches
+  are skipped before root-confined canonicalization.
+- The `edict` CLI now builds its JSONL check-result, diagnostic, status, and
+  info records from typed `Serialize` structs instead of post-construction
+  `serde_json::Value` mutation, while preserving the existing byte-for-byte
+  golden output.
+- The `edict-cli` production targets now deny `clippy::unwrap_used` and
+  `clippy::expect_used`, and the parser's `self.expect` helper is documented as
+  a fallible token-matching combinator rather than a panic primitive.
+- CI now includes a dedicated `cargo deny check` supply-chain job backed by
+  `deny.toml`, enforcing RustSec advisories, yanked crates, license allowlisting,
+  duplicate-version warnings, and source restrictions.
+- Raised the Rust MSRV to 1.94 for Wasmtime 46.0.1, with every workspace package
+  inheriting that value into Cargo metadata. Wasmtime is isolated to the private
+  provider host with default features disabled, no `wasmtime-wasi`, an executable
+  direct/resolved feature ratchet, reviewed permissive license additions, and
+  cargo-deny coverage for both the root and nested fixture guest lockfiles.
+- Directory expansion in the `edict` CLI no longer allocates a temporary dotted
+  extension string per visited file; behavior and golden output are unchanged.
+- Added `cargo xtask cli-goldens --check/--write` and wired check mode into
+  `cargo xtask verify`, giving the CLI golden corpus the same check/write
+  regeneration path as the Core, Target IR, and bundle goldens. The CLI golden
+  runner resolves the `edict` binary through Cargo metadata so custom target
+  directories are honored.
+- Added `cargo xtask release-prep <version>` to scaffold the mechanical release
+  prep surfaces that must move together: workspace package versions, lockfile
+  package versions, dated changelog section, release policy boundary block,
+  release notes stub, boundary test stub, changelog date guard entry, and paired
+  release-process test-plan rows. Generated boundary tests now require operators
+  to replace scaffolded scope/non-goal placeholders before the branch can pass.
+- Added a root `ARCHITECTURE.md` workspace map covering current crate
+  responsibilities, dependency direction, the `edict-syntax` crate-scope caveat,
+  and current non-claims.
+- Added a Core IR canonical encoding explainer covering the canonical value
+  model, canonical CBOR subset, Core digest frame, reviewed golden fixtures, and
+  byte/hash change discipline.
+- Recorded the crate-scope decision to prefer an eventual layered split behind
+  an umbrella crate over a simple `edict-syntax` rename, while documenting the
+  current crate-scope caveat in `ARCHITECTURE.md`.
+- Recorded the schema-as-source-of-truth codegen decision: defer generator work
+  until cross-language drift or fixture-authoring pain is measurable, and do not
+  reintroduce GraphQL semantics as the contract source.
+- Split `xtask` out of its former single-file shape: command dispatch,
+  contract checks, golden management, release scaffolding, shared utilities, and
+  harness tests now live in focused `xtask/src/*.rs` modules with command
+  behavior preserved.
+- Marked `v0.11.0-alpha.1` as published in the release-process contract and
+  release notes, recording the immutable tag, workflow evidence, milestone
+  closure, release URL, and no-crates publication evidence.
 
 ### Added
 
@@ -238,121 +364,7 @@ versions still track specification maturity rather than a released product.
   and malformed canonical-ABI lifting. Both Rust CI matrix jobs check the
   inventory explicitly.
 
-### Changed
-
-- The local `cargo xtask verify` gate now schedules one default workspace test
-  pass, which already includes doctests, instead of repeating every workspace
-  doctest in a second Cargo invocation.
-- Selected provider component identities now borrow their validated manifest
-  directly rather than the temporary proof handle used to authorize selection,
-  so callers can discard that handle after obtaining the opaque selection.
-- Canonical-CBOR encoding and decoding now accept at most 128 nested values and
-  return the stable `NestingLimitExceeded` kind beyond that bound. Provider
-  artifact validation uses the same bounded decoder before digest computation.
-- The parser now accepts first-class obstruction-strand source syntax:
-  `require ... else continue obstructed { reason: ... }`. The form is preserved
-  as a distinct `RequireElseArm::ContinueObstructed` source AST arm, requires
-  exactly one `reason` field, rejects duplicate `reason` fields, and remains
-  contextual to a `require ... else` arm. Helper-shaped constructors such as
-  `continueInObstructedStrand(...)` remain ordinary terminal obstruction
-  targets. Echo receipts, runtime execution, and editor projection remain
-  deferred.
-- Core lowering now represents `require` statements as explicit Core require
-  nodes with terminal and preserved-obstruction failure arms. The canonical Core
-  preimage distinguishes `else <obstruction>` from
-  `else continue obstructed { ... }`, binds stable reason kinds and canonical
-  payload fields, rejects duplicate payload fields before Core digesting, and
-  keeps non-semantic formatting out of Core digests. Runtime receipt behavior
-  for obstruction strands remains deferred.
-- Echo Target IR lowering now represents supported Core `require` guards as
-  explicit Target IR requirements with terminal and `continueObstructed` failure
-  dispositions. Canonical Target IR bytes and digests now bind requirement
-  predicates, reason kinds, reason payload values, and terminal-vs-preserved
-  disposition, while targets without requirement support reject with a stable
-  `UnsupportedTargetFeature` failure before artifact emission. Requirements
-  after a target step, including requirements whose predicate or reason payload
-  reads a target step output, reject until Target IR owns an ordered or
-  step-attached guard shape. Echo runtime receipts, admission, scheduler
-  counterfactuals, and editor projection remain deferred.
-- The obstruction-strands design note now formalizes the cross-project taxonomy
-  separating not-admitted scheduler counterfactuals, admitted obstructed strands,
-  and hard rejections. The taxonomy records authority boundaries only; it does
-  not add Edict-owned runtime execution, scheduler exploration, Graft
-  projection, jedit display, Continuum settlement, or XYPH settlement behavior.
-- Added the `edict` CLI `project` operation for editor-facing JSONL
-  projection over dirty source records. It can emit syntax spans, diagnostics,
-  Core review JSON plus canonical Core digest, and Echo Target IR review JSON
-  plus canonical Target IR digest without requiring the source to exist on disk;
-  compiler and lowering failures are structured projection data on stdout, not
-  CLI transport failures. The projection review JSON is not a canonical hash
-  contract. Syntax-only lexical failures now emit visible diagnostics projection
-  data, and CLI-input failures for known `project` requests report
-  `command: "project"` in their diagnostic and status records. Explicit `null`
-  values for object-valued compiler settings such as `compilerContext` and
-  `target` are rejected before serde can treat them as absent values, and the
-  settings schema now rejects empty `project` emit lists. The help record now
-  scopes exit code `1` to `check` diagnostics because `project` compiler
-  diagnostics are projection data and exit `0`.
-- The `edict` CLI now bounds stdin before request parsing with a default 8 MiB
-  cap and an `EDICT_CLI_MAX_STDIN_BYTES` override. Over-limit input fails with
-  the stable `InputTooLarge` CLI diagnostic and exit 2, pinned by
-  `CLI-REQ-010` / `CLI-TP-016` and `fixtures/cli/12-input-too-large`.
-- The `edict` CLI now documents its trusted local request boundary and accepts
-  optional compiler setting `inputRoot` to confine path, path-list, directory,
-  and glob inputs. Inputs resolving outside that root fail with
-  `InputPathOutsideRoot`, exit 2, and are pinned by `CLI-REQ-011` /
-  `CLI-TP-017` plus `fixtures/cli/13-input-root-outside`; explicit JSON `null`
-  for `inputRoot` is rejected as `InvalidSettings`, and non-file glob matches
-  are skipped before root-confined canonicalization.
-- The `edict` CLI now builds its JSONL check-result, diagnostic, status, and
-  info records from typed `Serialize` structs instead of post-construction
-  `serde_json::Value` mutation, while preserving the existing byte-for-byte
-  golden output.
-- The `edict-cli` production targets now deny `clippy::unwrap_used` and
-  `clippy::expect_used`, and the parser's `self.expect` helper is documented as
-  a fallible token-matching combinator rather than a panic primitive.
-- CI now includes a dedicated `cargo deny check` supply-chain job backed by
-  `deny.toml`, enforcing RustSec advisories, yanked crates, license allowlisting,
-  duplicate-version warnings, and source restrictions.
-- Raised the Rust MSRV to 1.94 for Wasmtime 46.0.1, with every workspace package
-  inheriting that value into Cargo metadata. Wasmtime is isolated to the private
-  provider host with default features disabled, no `wasmtime-wasi`, an executable
-  direct/resolved feature ratchet, reviewed permissive license additions, and
-  cargo-deny coverage for both the root and nested fixture guest lockfiles.
-- Directory expansion in the `edict` CLI no longer allocates a temporary dotted
-  extension string per visited file; behavior and golden output are unchanged.
-- Added `cargo xtask cli-goldens --check/--write` and wired check mode into
-  `cargo xtask verify`, giving the CLI golden corpus the same check/write
-  regeneration path as the Core, Target IR, and bundle goldens. The CLI golden
-  runner resolves the `edict` binary through Cargo metadata so custom target
-  directories are honored.
-- Added `cargo xtask release-prep <version>` to scaffold the mechanical release
-  prep surfaces that must move together: workspace package versions, lockfile
-  package versions, dated changelog section, release policy boundary block,
-  release notes stub, boundary test stub, changelog date guard entry, and paired
-  release-process test-plan rows. Generated boundary tests now require operators
-  to replace scaffolded scope/non-goal placeholders before the branch can pass.
-- Added a root `ARCHITECTURE.md` workspace map covering current crate
-  responsibilities, dependency direction, the `edict-syntax` crate-scope caveat,
-  and current non-claims.
-- Added a Core IR canonical encoding explainer covering the canonical value
-  model, canonical CBOR subset, Core digest frame, reviewed golden fixtures, and
-  byte/hash change discipline.
-- Recorded the crate-scope decision to prefer an eventual layered split behind
-  an umbrella crate over a simple `edict-syntax` rename, while documenting the
-  current crate-scope caveat in `ARCHITECTURE.md`.
-- Recorded the schema-as-source-of-truth codegen decision: defer generator work
-  until cross-language drift or fixture-authoring pain is measurable, and do not
-  reintroduce GraphQL semantics as the contract source.
-- Split `xtask` out of its former single-file shape: command dispatch,
-  contract checks, golden management, release scaffolding, shared utilities, and
-  harness tests now live in focused `xtask/src/*.rs` modules with command
-  behavior preserved.
-- Marked `v0.11.0-alpha.1` as published in the release-process contract and
-  release notes, recording the immutable tag, workflow evidence, milestone
-  closure, release URL, and no-crates publication evidence.
-
-## [v0.11.0-alpha.1] - 2026-11-04
+## [v0.11.0-alpha.1] - 2026-06-30
 
 ### Added
 
@@ -406,7 +418,7 @@ versions still track specification maturity rather than a released product.
   recorded durable release evidence for its tag, workflow runs, milestone
   closure, and no-crates publication boundary.
 
-## [v0.10.0-alpha.1] - 2026-10-21
+## [v0.10.0-alpha.1] - 2026-06-29
 
 ### Added
 
@@ -446,7 +458,7 @@ versions still track specification maturity rather than a released product.
   recorded durable release evidence for its tag, workflow runs, milestone
   closure, and no-crates publication boundary.
 
-## [v0.9.0-alpha.1] - 2026-10-07
+## [v0.9.0-alpha.1] - 2026-06-28
 
 ### Added
 
@@ -477,7 +489,7 @@ versions still track specification maturity rather than a released product.
   recorded durable release evidence for its tag, workflow runs, milestone
   closure, and no-crates publication boundary.
 
-## [v0.8.0-alpha.1] - 2026-09-23
+## [v0.8.0-alpha.1] - 2026-06-28
 
 ### Added
 
@@ -495,7 +507,7 @@ versions still track specification maturity rather than a released product.
   recorded durable release evidence for its tag, workflow runs, milestone
   closure, and no-crates publication boundary.
 
-## [v0.7.0-alpha.1] - 2026-09-09
+## [v0.7.0-alpha.1] - 2026-06-27
 
 ### Added
 
@@ -518,7 +530,7 @@ versions still track specification maturity rather than a released product.
 - Added the review-process topic shelf and structured CodeRabbit-to-Codex
   fallback policy for review-bot outages, rate limits, and credit exhaustion.
 
-## [v0.6.0-alpha.1] - 2026-08-26
+## [v0.6.0-alpha.1] - 2026-06-26
 
 ### Added
 
@@ -542,7 +554,7 @@ versions still track specification maturity rather than a released product.
 - Added a release-prep topic-shelf audit gate requiring `docs/topics/` coverage
   and accuracy to both meet at least 90% before release.
 
-## [v0.5.0-alpha.1] - 2026-08-12
+## [v0.5.0-alpha.1] - 2026-06-25
 
 ### Added
 
@@ -559,7 +571,7 @@ versions still track specification maturity rather than a released product.
 - Added the admission topic shelf for the Edict/Continuum admission-boundary
   contract and verification matrix.
 
-## [v0.4.0-alpha.1] - 2026-07-29
+## [v0.4.0-alpha.1] - 2026-06-25
 
 ### Added
 
@@ -596,7 +608,7 @@ versions still track specification maturity rather than a released product.
   native support, exactly one direct adapter, or unsupported. General composite
   adapter-chain search remains future v2 design work.
 
-## [v0.3.0-alpha.1] - 2026-07-15
+## [v0.3.0-alpha.1] - 2026-06-24
 
 ### Added
 
@@ -645,7 +657,7 @@ versions still track specification maturity rather than a released product.
   parameter renaming stays hash-invariant while Core local identity mutations
   still change canonical bytes and digests.
 
-## [v0.2.0-alpha.1] - 2026-07-01
+## [v0.2.0-alpha.1] - 2026-06-21
 
 ### Added
 
@@ -664,7 +676,7 @@ versions still track specification maturity rather than a released product.
 - Relaxed Markdown heading duplication checks to allow changelog section
   headings to repeat across different release versions.
 
-## [v0.1.0-alpha.1] - 2026-06-24
+## [v0.1.0-alpha.1] - 2026-06-21
 
 ### Added
 
diff --git a/docs/releases/v0.1.0-alpha.1.md b/docs/releases/v0.1.0-alpha.1.md
index a1519f7..5dd9605 100644
--- a/docs/releases/v0.1.0-alpha.1.md
+++ b/docs/releases/v0.1.0-alpha.1.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # v0.1.0-alpha.1 Release Notes
 
-Target date: 2026-06-24
+Target date: 2026-06-21
 
 Status: published as a GitHub prerelease from the signed `v0.1.0-alpha.1` tag
 on 2026-06-21.
diff --git a/docs/releases/v0.10.0-alpha.1.md b/docs/releases/v0.10.0-alpha.1.md
index c3f453c..363c4e9 100644
--- a/docs/releases/v0.10.0-alpha.1.md
+++ b/docs/releases/v0.10.0-alpha.1.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # v0.10.0-alpha.1 Release Notes
 
-Target date: 2026-10-21
+Target date: 2026-06-29
 
 Status: published GitHub prerelease notes for `v0.10.0-alpha.1`, with
 post-publication evidence recorded on `main`.
diff --git a/docs/releases/v0.11.0-alpha.1.md b/docs/releases/v0.11.0-alpha.1.md
index 705a282..4612dbb 100644
--- a/docs/releases/v0.11.0-alpha.1.md
+++ b/docs/releases/v0.11.0-alpha.1.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # v0.11.0-alpha.1 Release Notes
 
-Target date: 2026-11-04
+Target date: 2026-06-30
 
 Status: published GitHub prerelease notes for `v0.11.0-alpha.1`, with
 post-publication evidence recorded on `main`.
diff --git a/docs/releases/v0.2.0-alpha.1.md b/docs/releases/v0.2.0-alpha.1.md
index e378a24..7302ef9 100644
--- a/docs/releases/v0.2.0-alpha.1.md
+++ b/docs/releases/v0.2.0-alpha.1.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # v0.2.0-alpha.1 Release Notes
 
-Target date: 2026-07-01
+Target date: 2026-06-21
 
 Status: published as a GitHub prerelease from the signed `v0.2.0-alpha.1` tag
 on 2026-06-21.
diff --git a/docs/releases/v0.3.0-alpha.1.md b/docs/releases/v0.3.0-alpha.1.md
index 90dd52d..bf023ba 100644
--- a/docs/releases/v0.3.0-alpha.1.md
+++ b/docs/releases/v0.3.0-alpha.1.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # v0.3.0-alpha.1 Release Notes
 
-Target date: 2026-07-15
+Target date: 2026-06-24
 
 Status: published as a GitHub prerelease from the signed `v0.3.0-alpha.1` tag
 targeting `4ea3d993f74490b495fe6e6a9ec2d52f889ccceb`.
diff --git a/docs/releases/v0.4.0-alpha.1.md b/docs/releases/v0.4.0-alpha.1.md
index 3b71ab3..769500b 100644
--- a/docs/releases/v0.4.0-alpha.1.md
+++ b/docs/releases/v0.4.0-alpha.1.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # v0.4.0-alpha.1 Release Notes
 
-Target date: 2026-07-29
+Target date: 2026-06-25
 
 Status: published as a GitHub prerelease from the signed `v0.4.0-alpha.1` tag
 targeting `65c80ce4660b384ebf9fd482c59fff402f34d47b`.
diff --git a/docs/releases/v0.5.0-alpha.1.md b/docs/releases/v0.5.0-alpha.1.md
index 148659a..7c7354e 100644
--- a/docs/releases/v0.5.0-alpha.1.md
+++ b/docs/releases/v0.5.0-alpha.1.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # v0.5.0-alpha.1 Release Notes
 
-Target date: 2026-08-12
+Target date: 2026-06-25
 
 Status: published as a GitHub prerelease from the `v0.5.0-alpha.1` tag
 targeting `e680adf0a3ccc72559d1c4710e81010738918532`.
diff --git a/docs/releases/v0.6.0-alpha.1.md b/docs/releases/v0.6.0-alpha.1.md
index d05ac7b..3f2a0ed 100644
--- a/docs/releases/v0.6.0-alpha.1.md
+++ b/docs/releases/v0.6.0-alpha.1.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # v0.6.0-alpha.1 Release Notes
 
-Target date: 2026-08-26
+Target date: 2026-06-26
 
 Status: published as a GitHub prerelease from the `v0.6.0-alpha.1` tag
 targeting `ec1ce8a5186801caa3c627c6714cedff7fdf43bc`.
diff --git a/docs/releases/v0.7.0-alpha.1.md b/docs/releases/v0.7.0-alpha.1.md
index 4a52d46..57671d5 100644
--- a/docs/releases/v0.7.0-alpha.1.md
+++ b/docs/releases/v0.7.0-alpha.1.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # v0.7.0-alpha.1 Release Notes
 
-Target date: 2026-09-09
+Target date: 2026-06-27
 
 Status: published GitHub prerelease notes for `v0.7.0-alpha.1`, with
 post-publication evidence recorded on `main`.
diff --git a/docs/releases/v0.8.0-alpha.1.md b/docs/releases/v0.8.0-alpha.1.md
index a8fd272..12f77bd 100644
--- a/docs/releases/v0.8.0-alpha.1.md
+++ b/docs/releases/v0.8.0-alpha.1.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # v0.8.0-alpha.1 Release Notes
 
-Target date: 2026-09-23
+Target date: 2026-06-28
 
 Status: published GitHub prerelease notes for `v0.8.0-alpha.1`, with
 post-publication evidence recorded on `main`.
diff --git a/docs/releases/v0.9.0-alpha.1.md b/docs/releases/v0.9.0-alpha.1.md
index d762a30..fa295fc 100644
--- a/docs/releases/v0.9.0-alpha.1.md
+++ b/docs/releases/v0.9.0-alpha.1.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # v0.9.0-alpha.1 Release Notes
 
-Target date: 2026-10-07
+Target date: 2026-06-28
 
 Status: published GitHub prerelease notes for `v0.9.0-alpha.1`, with
 post-publication evidence recorded on `main`.
diff --git a/docs/topics/release-process/README.md b/docs/topics/release-process/README.md
index f5bb357..44bdcab 100644
--- a/docs/topics/release-process/README.md
+++ b/docs/topics/release-process/README.md
@@ -55,10 +55,37 @@ captured in [`policy.toml`](./policy.toml). [RELEASE-REQ-009]
 `cargo xtask release-prep <version>` scaffolds the mechanical release-prep
 surfaces that must move together: workspace package versions, lockfile package
 versions, a dated changelog section, release policy boundary block, release
-notes stub, release boundary test stub, changelog date guard entry, and paired
-release-process test-plan rows. The command does not write the release thesis,
-replace topic-shelf audits, or decide scope/non-goals; reviewers must replace
-the scaffold placeholders before release. [RELEASE-REQ-024]
+notes stub, and paired release-process test-plan rows. The command does not
+write the release thesis, replace topic-shelf audits, decide scope/non-goals, or
+generate Rust test stubs; reviewers must replace the scaffold placeholders
+before release. [RELEASE-REQ-024]
+
+`cargo xtask release-dates` reconciles the dates recorded in the release policy,
+`CHANGELOG.md`, and `docs/releases/*.md` against the git tags that published
+them. Those three surfaces are written from one field at scaffold time, so
+comparing them against each other only proves the copy succeeded; the tags are
+the independent authority for when a release happened. The check runs inside
+`cargo xtask verify` and reports uncovered surfaces separately from date drift.
+A clone without tags fails rather than passing silently, because a missing
+independent authority is not approval. [RELEASE-REQ-008]
+
+For a published release, `target_date` in [`policy.toml`](./policy.toml) and
+`Target date:` in `docs/releases/*.md` record the date the release was tagged,
+not a date it was planned for and not the GitHub Release publication timestamp.
+`v0.4.0-alpha.1` shows the difference: tagged 2026-06-24, published 2026-06-25.
+The field keeps its scaffold-era name because the reconciliation parses that
+exact literal. [RELEASE-REQ-008]
+
+Tag dates are read in UTC. `%(taggerdate)` renders in the reading machine's
+timezone by default, so a tag created near midnight resolves to different days
+for different operators. `v0.4.0-alpha.1` is such a tag: 2026-06-24 in PDT and
+2026-06-25 in UTC. The recorded date is the UTC one, so a local run and a CI run
+agree. [RELEASE-REQ-008]
+
+Release tags must be annotated. A lightweight tag has no tagger date, so the
+check would fall back to the tagged commit's committer date and a tag placed on
+an older commit would report a date that never corresponded to a release. The
+reconciliation rejects lightweight `v*` tags instead. [RELEASE-REQ-008]
 
 Every release-prep branch must audit `docs/topics/` coverage and accuracy before
 the release-prep pull request opens. Coverage is audited topic shelves divided
diff --git a/docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml b/docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml
index b03dd22..e40b4f4 100644
--- a/docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml
+++ b/docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml
@@ -44,8 +44,6 @@ scaffold_outputs = [
   "dated_changelog_section",
   "release_policy_boundary_block",
   "release_notes_stub",
-  "release_boundary_test_stub",
-  "alpha_changelog_date_guard_entry",
   "release_process_test_plan_rows",
 ]
 steps = [
@@ -146,7 +144,7 @@ required_evidence = [
 
 [release_notes.v0_2_0_alpha_1]
 tag = "v0.2.0-alpha.1"
-target_date = "2026-07-01"
+target_date = "2026-06-21"
 status = "published"
 release_issue = 28
 scope = [
@@ -166,7 +164,7 @@ non_goals = [
 
 [release_notes.v0_3_0_alpha_1]
 tag = "v0.3.0-alpha.1"
-target_date = "2026-07-15"
+target_date = "2026-06-24"
 status = "published"
 release_issue = 35
 scope = [
@@ -191,7 +189,7 @@ non_goals = [
 
 [release_notes.v0_4_0_alpha_1]
 tag = "v0.4.0-alpha.1"
-target_date = "2026-07-29"
+target_date = "2026-06-25"
 status = "published"
 release_issue = 39
 scope = [
@@ -213,7 +211,7 @@ non_goals = [
 
 [release_notes.v0_5_0_alpha_1]
 tag = "v0.5.0-alpha.1"
-target_date = "2026-08-12"
+target_date = "2026-06-25"
 status = "published"
 release_issue = 42
 scope = [
@@ -240,7 +238,7 @@ non_goals = [
 
 [release_notes.v0_6_0_alpha_1]
 tag = "v0.6.0-alpha.1"
-target_date = "2026-08-26"
+target_date = "2026-06-26"
 status = "published"
 release_issue = 50
 scope = [
@@ -271,7 +269,7 @@ non_goals = [
 
 [release_notes.v0_7_0_alpha_1]
 tag = "v0.7.0-alpha.1"
-target_date = "2026-09-09"
+target_date = "2026-06-27"
 status = "published"
 release_issue = 59
 published_at = "2026-06-27T22:31:49Z"
@@ -316,7 +314,7 @@ non_goals = [
 
 [release_notes.v0_8_0_alpha_1]
 tag = "v0.8.0-alpha.1"
-target_date = "2026-09-23"
+target_date = "2026-06-28"
 status = "published"
 release_issue = 62
 published_at = "2026-06-28T01:41:16Z"
@@ -365,7 +363,7 @@ non_goals = [
 
 [release_notes.v0_9_0_alpha_1]
 tag = "v0.9.0-alpha.1"
-target_date = "2026-10-07"
+target_date = "2026-06-28"
 status = "published"
 release_issue = 70
 published_at = "2026-06-28T07:04:06Z"
@@ -407,7 +405,7 @@ non_goals = [
 
 [release_notes.v0_10_0_alpha_1]
 tag = "v0.10.0-alpha.1"
-target_date = "2026-10-21"
+target_date = "2026-06-29"
 status = "published"
 release_issue = 76
 published_at = "2026-06-29T04:21:11Z"
@@ -446,7 +444,7 @@ non_goals = [
 
 [release_notes.v0_11_0_alpha_1]
 tag = "v0.11.0-alpha.1"
-target_date = "2026-11-04"
+target_date = "2026-06-30"
 status = "published"
 release_issue = 109
 published_at = "2026-06-30T07:58:29Z"
diff --git a/docs/topics/release-process/test-plan.md b/docs/topics/release-process/test-plan.md
index 79e64c9..7adf0e8 100644
--- a/docs/topics/release-process/test-plan.md
+++ b/docs/topics/release-process/test-plan.md
@@ -38,24 +38,25 @@ Out of scope:
 | RELEASE-REQ-004 | implemented | SemVer prerelease tags publish as GitHub prereleases. | .github/workflows/release.yml |
 | RELEASE-REQ-005 | implemented | The current release workflow does not publish crates or other package artifacts. | .github/workflows/release.yml |
 | RELEASE-REQ-006 | implemented | Pushed release tags are durable; recovery must not move, delete, or recreate release tags. | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml |
-| RELEASE-REQ-007 | implemented | Structured release policy captures the `v0.2.0-alpha.1` Core schema scope and explicit non-goals. | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml |
-| RELEASE-REQ-008 | implemented | Scheduled alpha release changelog dates match their structured release policy target dates. | CHANGELOG.md, docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml |
+| RELEASE-REQ-007 | policy | Structured release policy captures the `v0.2.0-alpha.1` Core schema scope and explicit non-goals. | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml |
+| RELEASE-REQ-008 | implemented | Release dates recorded in the structured release policy, `CHANGELOG.md`, and release notes are reconciled against the annotated git tags that published them, rather than against each other. Missing tags, lightweight tags, and absent date-bearing surfaces fail; only allowlisted pre-policy omissions and the pre-publication `prep` window are advisory. The reconciliation runs in required CI. | CHANGELOG.md, docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml, xtask/src/release_dates.rs, .github/workflows/ci.yml |
 | RELEASE-REQ-009 | implemented | Release preparation follows a documented runbook with branch prep, local verification, PR merge gate, tag publication, workflow watch, evidence capture, and non-mutating recovery phases. | docs/topics/release-process/runbook.md, docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml |
-| RELEASE-REQ-010 | implemented | Structured release policy captures the `v0.3.0-alpha.1` compiler-spine, canonical encoder, reviewed golden fixture, exact digest, and explicit non-goal boundaries. | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml |
-| RELEASE-REQ-011 | implemented | Structured release policy captures the `v0.4.0-alpha.1` target-profile, lowerability, contract-bundle validation, and explicit non-goal boundaries. | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml |
+| RELEASE-REQ-010 | policy | Structured release policy captures the `v0.3.0-alpha.1` compiler-spine, canonical encoder, reviewed golden fixture, exact digest, and explicit non-goal boundaries. | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml |
+| RELEASE-REQ-011 | policy | Structured release policy captures the `v0.4.0-alpha.1` target-profile, lowerability, contract-bundle validation, and explicit non-goal boundaries. | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml |
 | RELEASE-REQ-012 | implemented | Successful `main` CI on a merged `release/vX.Y.Z-alpha.N-prep` pull request creates an immutable `vX.Y.Z-alpha.N` tag and dispatches release publication. | .github/workflows/auto-release-tag.yml, docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml |
 | RELEASE-REQ-013 | implemented | Release publication closes the matching GitHub milestone only after the release exists and the milestone has zero open issues. | .github/workflows/release.yml, docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml |
-| RELEASE-REQ-014 | implemented | Structured release policy captures the `v0.5.0-alpha.1` Gate C admission-boundary scope, release automation, and explicit Continuum-owned non-goal boundaries. | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml |
+| RELEASE-REQ-014 | policy | Structured release policy captures the `v0.5.0-alpha.1` Gate C admission-boundary scope, release automation, and explicit Continuum-owned non-goal boundaries. | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml |
 | RELEASE-REQ-015 | implemented | Manual auto-release recovery must only tag a requested `v*` release when the provided SHA is reachable from `origin/main`, has successful `main` CI, came from exactly one merged `release/*-prep` pull request, and derives the requested tag. | .github/workflows/auto-release-tag.yml, docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml |
 | RELEASE-REQ-016 | implemented | Release preparation must audit `docs/topics/` coverage and accuracy, and releases are blocked unless both metrics are at least 90%. | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml, docs/topics/release-process/runbook.md |
-| RELEASE-REQ-017 | implemented | Structured release policy captures the `v0.6.0-alpha.1` developer-tooling scope, supported editor integration boundary, topic-shelf audit, and explicit non-goal boundaries. | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml |
+| RELEASE-REQ-017 | policy | Structured release policy captures the `v0.6.0-alpha.1` developer-tooling scope, supported editor integration boundary, topic-shelf audit, and explicit non-goal boundaries. | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml |
 | RELEASE-REQ-018 | implemented | Release preparation must record a release thesis, previous-tag diff reconciliation, zero-open milestone evidence before tag creation, no-crates publication evidence, and a release report with plan-versus-actual, fallout, and next-thesis sections. | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml, docs/topics/release-process/runbook.md |
-| RELEASE-REQ-019 | implemented | Structured release policy captures the `v0.7.0-alpha.1` file-backed authority-facts scope, governance-design boundary, policy hardening, review fallback, and explicit non-goal boundaries. | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml |
-| RELEASE-REQ-020 | implemented | Structured release policy captures the `v0.8.0-alpha.1` minimal effectful compiler-spine scope, Core effect-node boundary, unsupported-form rejection boundary, pure-golden stability boundary, and explicit non-goal boundaries. | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml |
-| RELEASE-REQ-021 | implemented | Structured release policy captures the `v0.9.0-alpha.1` first Target IR scope, Echo and git-warp target artifact boundaries, lowerability bridge, stable failure boundary, and explicit non-goal boundaries. | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml |
-| RELEASE-REQ-022 | implemented | Structured release policy captures the `v0.10.0-alpha.1` first public CLI scope, JSONL check workflow, stream record schemas, stable diagnostic kind codes, golden fixture corpus, and explicit non-goal boundaries. | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml |
-| RELEASE-REQ-023 | implemented | Structured release policy captures the `v0.11.0-alpha.1` contract-bundle assembly and canonical Target IR artifact freeze scope, checked digest/byte goldens, computed bundle integration, and explicit non-goal boundaries. | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml |
-| RELEASE-REQ-024 | implemented | `cargo xtask release-prep <version>` scaffolds the mechanical release-prep files that have drifted before: workspace package versions, lockfile package versions, a dated changelog section, the release policy boundary block, release notes stub, boundary test stub, changelog date guard entry, and paired release-process test-plan rows. | xtask/src/release_prep.rs |
+| RELEASE-REQ-019 | policy | Structured release policy captures the `v0.7.0-alpha.1` file-backed authority-facts scope, governance-design boundary, policy hardening, review fallback, and explicit non-goal boundaries. | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml |
+| RELEASE-REQ-020 | policy | Structured release policy captures the `v0.8.0-alpha.1` minimal effectful compiler-spine scope, Core effect-node boundary, unsupported-form rejection boundary, pure-golden stability boundary, and explicit non-goal boundaries. | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml |
+| RELEASE-REQ-021 | policy | Structured release policy captures the `v0.9.0-alpha.1` first Target IR scope, Echo and git-warp target artifact boundaries, lowerability bridge, stable failure boundary, and explicit non-goal boundaries. | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml |
+| RELEASE-REQ-022 | policy | Structured release policy captures the `v0.10.0-alpha.1` first public CLI scope, JSONL check workflow, stream record schemas, stable diagnostic kind codes, golden fixture corpus, and explicit non-goal boundaries. | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml |
+| RELEASE-REQ-023 | policy | Structured release policy captures the `v0.11.0-alpha.1` contract-bundle assembly and canonical Target IR artifact freeze scope, checked digest/byte goldens, computed bundle integration, and explicit non-goal boundaries. | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml |
+| RELEASE-REQ-024 | implemented | `cargo xtask release-prep <version>` scaffolds the mechanical release-prep files that have drifted before: workspace package versions, lockfile package versions, a changelog section dated `--date` or today's UTC date, the release policy boundary block, release notes stub, and paired release-process test-plan rows. It does not scaffold Rust test stubs and does not extrapolate the date from release history. | xtask/src/release_prep.rs |
+| RELEASE-REQ-025 | implemented | Every `[release_notes.*]` policy block is structurally complete and uniquely keyed, with per-block field lookup rather than whole-file substring matching. | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml, xtask/src/release_dates.rs |
 
 ## Fixtures
 
@@ -73,7 +74,7 @@ Out of scope:
 | docs/releases/v0.9.0-alpha.1.md | Published release notes for the first Target IR alpha. | The release workflow looked up this file by full tag name after the release-prep PR merged. |
 | docs/releases/v0.11.0-alpha.1.md | Published notes for the contract-bundle assembly and canonical Target IR artifact freeze alpha. | The release workflow looked up this file by full tag name after the release-prep PR merged. |
 | .github/workflows/auto-release-tag.yml | Successful main-CI release-prep merges create immutable release tags and dispatch publication. | The workflow derives tags only from merged `release/*-prep` branches and refuses tag mutation. |
-| CHANGELOG.md | Release history for published and release-prep alpha releases. | Scheduled alpha release sections use the matching release target date. |
+| CHANGELOG.md | Release history for published and release-prep alpha releases. | Published alpha release sections use the creation date of the annotated git tag that published them, checked by `cargo xtask release-dates`. |
 | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml | Structured release-tag, runbook, and alpha boundary policy. | Tag mutation is forbidden, runbook phases are named, and release scope/non-goals are structured. |
 | docs/topics/release-process/runbook.md | Operator steps for preparing, tagging, publishing, and recovering releases. | The structured policy names the phases and checks the runbook must cover. |
 | `cargo xtask release-prep <version>` | Mechanical scaffold for the next release-prep branch. | The xtask regression exercises the writer against a temp repo skeleton and checks every generated file surface. |
@@ -84,23 +85,28 @@ Out of scope:
 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
 | RELEASE-TP-001 | implemented | Golden path | RELEASE-REQ-001, RELEASE-REQ-002, RELEASE-REQ-003, RELEASE-REQ-004, RELEASE-REQ-005 | The workflow contains the tag trigger, main reachability guard, full-tag release-notes path, verified GitHub Release creation, prerelease flag, and no package publish command. | release_workflow_publishes_only_main_reachable_tags | docs/releases/v0.1.0-alpha.1.md | Static workflow contract regression. |
 | RELEASE-TP-002 | implemented | Policy guard | RELEASE-REQ-006 | Structured policy forbids tag mutation and names existing-valid-tag publication as recovery. | release_tag_recovery_policy_is_structured | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml | Policy evidence is structured, not prose. |
-| RELEASE-TP-003 | implemented | Boundary guard | RELEASE-REQ-007 | Structured policy captures the v0.2 Core schema scope and non-goals for lowering, encoder, bytes, digests, targets, and admission. | release_policy_tracks_v0_2_boundary | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml | Prevents the release metadata from overclaiming the Core milestone. |
-| RELEASE-TP-004 | implemented | Consistency guard | RELEASE-REQ-008 | Scheduled alpha changelog section dates equal their target dates in structured release policy. | alpha_changelog_dates_match_release_policy | CHANGELOG.md, docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml | Prevents release chronology drift across release prep and publication. |
+| RELEASE-TP-003 | policy | Boundary guard | RELEASE-REQ-007 | Review confirms structured policy captures the v0.2 Core schema scope and non-goals for lowering, encoder, bytes, digests, targets, and admission. | - | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml | Prevents the release metadata from overclaiming the Core milestone. Frozen historical record; reviewed, not string-tested. Block structure is covered by `release_policy_blocks_are_structurally_complete`. |
+| RELEASE-TP-004 | implemented | Consistency guard | RELEASE-REQ-008 | Reconciliation reports drift when a release's policy, changelog, and release-notes dates agree with each other but contradict the git tag, and reports uncovered surfaces separately from drift. | release_date_reconciliation_reports_internally_consistent_wrong_dates, release_date_reconciliation_accepts_dates_matching_their_tags | CHANGELOG.md, docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml | The previous guard compared changelog against policy, which release-prep writes from one field, so both drifted together undetected. |
 | RELEASE-TP-005 | implemented | Runbook guard | RELEASE-REQ-009 | Structured policy names the release-prep phases and required checks for local verification, PR checks, and release existence. | release_runbook_policy_is_structured | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml, docs/topics/release-process/runbook.md | Keeps the human runbook tied to a stable release contract. |
-| RELEASE-TP-006 | implemented | Boundary guard | RELEASE-REQ-010 | Structured policy captures the v0.3 compiler-spine, canonical encoder, reviewed golden fixture, exact digest, target-lowering, and admission boundaries. | release_policy_tracks_v0_3_boundary | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml | Prevents the release metadata from overclaiming the compiler-spine milestone. |
-| RELEASE-TP-007 | implemented | Boundary guard | RELEASE-REQ-011 | Structured policy captures the v0.4 target-profile, lowerability, contract-bundle validation, target-lowering, admission, and publication boundaries. | release_policy_tracks_v0_4_boundary | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml | Prevents the release metadata from overclaiming the target-profile and lowerability milestone. |
+| RELEASE-TP-006 | policy | Boundary guard | RELEASE-REQ-010 | Review confirms structured policy captures the v0.3 compiler-spine, canonical encoder, reviewed golden fixture, exact digest, target-lowering, and admission boundaries. | - | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml | Prevents the release metadata from overclaiming the compiler-spine milestone. Frozen historical record; reviewed, not string-tested. Block structure is covered by `release_policy_blocks_are_structurally_complete`. |
+| RELEASE-TP-007 | policy | Boundary guard | RELEASE-REQ-011 | Review confirms structured policy captures the v0.4 target-profile, lowerability, contract-bundle validation, target-lowering, admission, and publication boundaries. | - | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml | Prevents the release metadata from overclaiming the target-profile and lowerability milestone. Frozen historical record; reviewed, not string-tested. Block structure is covered by `release_policy_blocks_are_structurally_complete`. |
 | RELEASE-TP-008 | implemented | Automation guard | RELEASE-REQ-012, RELEASE-REQ-013 | The auto-release workflow watches successful `main` CI, derives tags from merged release-prep PRs, refuses tag moves, dispatches release publication, and the Release workflow closes zero-open milestones after publication. | release_automation_policy_is_structured, auto_release_tag_workflow_is_guarded, release_workflow_supports_dispatch_and_milestone_closure | .github/workflows/auto-release-tag.yml, .github/workflows/release.yml, docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml | Keeps release automation deterministic and non-mutating. |
-| RELEASE-TP-009 | implemented | Boundary guard | RELEASE-REQ-014 | Structured policy captures the v0.5 admission-boundary scope and explicit non-goals for Continuum-owned policy, identity, delegation, revocation, ledger persistence, signature verification, target lowering, and crates.io publication. | release_policy_tracks_v0_5_boundary | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml | Prevents the release metadata from overclaiming the Gate C admission milestone. |
+| RELEASE-TP-009 | policy | Boundary guard | RELEASE-REQ-014 | Review confirms structured policy captures the v0.5 admission-boundary scope and explicit non-goals for Continuum-owned policy, identity, delegation, revocation, ledger persistence, signature verification, target lowering, and crates.io publication. | - | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml | Prevents the release metadata from overclaiming the Gate C admission milestone. Frozen historical record; reviewed, not string-tested. Block structure is covered by `release_policy_blocks_are_structurally_complete`. |
 | RELEASE-TP-010 | implemented | Recovery guard | RELEASE-REQ-015 | The manual auto-release recovery path requires a successful main-CI release-prep merge, derives the tag from the merged release-prep PR, and rejects mismatched operator tag input before writing release outputs. | auto_release_tag_manual_dispatch_checks_verified_main_sha, auto_release_tag_workflow_is_guarded | .github/workflows/auto-release-tag.yml, docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml | Keeps manual recovery idempotent without allowing arbitrary tag/SHA pairing. |
 | RELEASE-TP-011 | implemented | Audit guard | RELEASE-REQ-016 | Structured policy defines the `docs/topics/` coverage and accuracy formulas, requires issue-or-PR evidence before merge, records release-blocking evidence fields, requires stale current-truth claims to be corrected or removed before counting as accurate, and sets both floors to at least 90%. | release_topic_audit_policy_sets_minimums | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml | Keeps release preparation from shipping stale or under-reviewed topic shelves. |
-| RELEASE-TP-012 | implemented | Boundary guard | RELEASE-REQ-017 | Structured policy captures the v0.6 developer-tooling scope, supported VS Code/Cursor integration, topic-shelf audit, and explicit non-goals for compiler CLI, language-server diagnostics, marketplace publication, target lowering, and admission tooling. | release_policy_tracks_v0_6_boundary | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml | Prevents the release metadata from overclaiming the developer-tooling milestone. |
+| RELEASE-TP-012 | policy | Boundary guard | RELEASE-REQ-017 | Review confirms structured policy captures the v0.6 developer-tooling scope, supported VS Code/Cursor integration, topic-shelf audit, and explicit non-goals for compiler CLI, language-server diagnostics, marketplace publication, target lowering, and admission tooling. | - | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml | Prevents the release metadata from overclaiming the developer-tooling milestone. Frozen historical record; reviewed, not string-tested. Block structure is covered by `release_policy_blocks_are_structurally_complete`. |
 | RELEASE-TP-013 | implemented | Runbook guard | RELEASE-REQ-018 | Structured policy requires release thesis, previous-tag diff reconciliation, milestone-zero evidence at tag time, no-crates verification, release-report sections, and next-release thesis evidence. | release_runbook_policy_is_structured | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml | Makes release claim integrity durable before and after publication. |
-| RELEASE-TP-014 | implemented | Boundary guard | RELEASE-REQ-019 | Structured policy captures the v0.7 file-backed authority-facts scope, first compiler fact classes, governance design note, policy hardening, review fallback, and explicit non-goals for trusted authorship, full manifests, broader fact corpora, target IR, admission execution, and crates.io publication. | release_policy_tracks_v0_7_boundary | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml | Prevents the release metadata from overclaiming the authority-facts milestone. |
-| RELEASE-TP-015 | implemented | Boundary guard | RELEASE-REQ-020 | Structured policy captures the v0.8 minimal effectful compiler-spine scope, Core effect-node model, file-backed fact dependency, unsupported-form rejection boundary, pure Core golden stability, and explicit non-goals for target IR, runtime execution, CLI, admission, governance, and crates.io publication. | release_policy_tracks_v0_8_boundary | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml | Prevents the release metadata from overclaiming the effectful compiler-spine milestone. |
-| RELEASE-TP-016 | implemented | Boundary guard | RELEASE-REQ-021 | Structured policy captures the v0.9 first Target IR scope, Echo and git-warp review-artifact boundary, lowerability bridge, stable target-lowering failure boundary, and explicit non-goals for runtime execution, canonical target bytes, bundles, admission, v2 adapters, CLI, and crates.io publication. | release_policy_tracks_v0_9_boundary | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml | Prevents the release metadata from overclaiming the first Target IR milestone. |
-| RELEASE-TP-017 | implemented | Boundary guard | RELEASE-REQ-022 | Structured policy captures the v0.10 first public CLI scope, JSONL check workflow, deterministic input expansion, stream record schemas, stable diagnostic kind codes, golden fixture corpus, and explicit non-goals for compile/lower/explain/bundle/admission commands, human-pretty output, embedded schema validation, language server, marketplace packaging, participant policy, and crates.io publication. | release_policy_tracks_v0_10_boundary | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml | Prevents the release metadata from overclaiming the first public CLI milestone. |
-| RELEASE-TP-018 | implemented | Boundary guard | RELEASE-REQ-023 | Structured policy captures the v0.11 contract-bundle assembly and canonical Target IR artifact freeze scope, including semantic/release bundle digest goldens, Target IR byte/digest goldens, computed bundle integration, and explicit non-goals for runtime execution, admission execution, participant policy logic, Echo verifier completeness, git-warp commit creation, git-warp CRDT reducer verification, general target plugin dispatch, additional target profiles, extra source-to-target fixtures, canonical bundle-manifest bytes, and crates.io publication. | release_policy_tracks_v0_11_boundary | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml | Prevents the release metadata from overclaiming the v0.11 cryptographic freeze. |
-| RELEASE-TP-019 | implemented | Scaffolding guard | RELEASE-REQ-024 | Given a temp repo skeleton with the current release-process surfaces, `cargo xtask release-prep <version>` writes the version bump, lockfile package versions, dated changelog section, release policy boundary block, release notes stub, boundary test stub, changelog date guard entry, and paired planned release-process rows deterministically. | release_prep_scaffolds_version_policy_changelog_and_test_stub | xtask/src/release_prep.rs, xtask/src/tests.rs | Keeps release-prep setup mechanical so review focuses on release thesis, scope, non-goals, and evidence rather than missed boilerplate. |
+| RELEASE-TP-014 | policy | Boundary guard | RELEASE-REQ-019 | Review confirms structured policy captures the v0.7 file-backed authority-facts scope, first compiler fact classes, governance design note, policy hardening, review fallback, and explicit non-goals for trusted authorship, full manifests, broader fact corpora, target IR, admission execution, and crates.io publication. | - | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml | Prevents the release metadata from overclaiming the authority-facts milestone. Frozen historical record; reviewed, not string-tested. Block structure is covered by `release_policy_blocks_are_structurally_complete`. |
+| RELEASE-TP-015 | policy | Boundary guard | RELEASE-REQ-020 | Review confirms structured policy captures the v0.8 minimal effectful compiler-spine scope, Core effect-node model, file-backed fact dependency, unsupported-form rejection boundary, pure Core golden stability, and explicit non-goals for target IR, runtime execution, CLI, admission, governance, and crates.io publication. | - | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml | Prevents the release metadata from overclaiming the effectful compiler-spine milestone. Frozen historical record; reviewed, not string-tested. Block structure is covered by `release_policy_blocks_are_structurally_complete`. |
+| RELEASE-TP-016 | policy | Boundary guard | RELEASE-REQ-021 | Review confirms structured policy captures the v0.9 first Target IR scope, Echo and git-warp review-artifact boundary, lowerability bridge, stable target-lowering failure boundary, and explicit non-goals for runtime execution, canonical target bytes, bundles, admission, v2 adapters, CLI, and crates.io publication. | - | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml | Prevents the release metadata from overclaiming the first Target IR milestone. Frozen historical record; reviewed, not string-tested. Block structure is covered by `release_policy_blocks_are_structurally_complete`. |
+| RELEASE-TP-017 | policy | Boundary guard | RELEASE-REQ-022 | Review confirms structured policy captures the v0.10 first public CLI scope, JSONL check workflow, deterministic input expansion, stream record schemas, stable diagnostic kind codes, golden fixture corpus, and explicit non-goals for compile/lower/explain/bundle/admission commands, human-pretty output, embedded schema validation, language server, marketplace packaging, participant policy, and crates.io publication. | - | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml | Prevents the release metadata from overclaiming the first public CLI milestone. Frozen historical record; reviewed, not string-tested. Block structure is covered by `release_policy_blocks_are_structurally_complete`. |
+| RELEASE-TP-018 | policy | Boundary guard | RELEASE-REQ-023 | Review confirms structured policy captures the v0.11 contract-bundle assembly and canonical Target IR artifact freeze scope, including semantic/release bundle digest goldens, Target IR byte/digest goldens, computed bundle integration, and explicit non-goals for runtime execution, admission execution, participant policy logic, Echo verifier completeness, git-warp commit creation, git-warp CRDT reducer verification, general target plugin dispatch, additional target profiles, extra source-to-target fixtures, canonical bundle-manifest bytes, and crates.io publication. | - | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml | Prevents the release metadata from overclaiming the v0.11 cryptographic freeze. Frozen historical record; reviewed, not string-tested. Block structure is covered by `release_policy_blocks_are_structurally_complete`. |
+| RELEASE-TP-019 | implemented | Scaffolding guard | RELEASE-REQ-024 | Given a temp repo skeleton with the current release-process surfaces, `cargo xtask release-prep <version>` writes the version bump, lockfile package versions, dated changelog section, release policy boundary block, release notes stub, and paired planned release-process rows deterministically, and writes no Rust test stub. | release_prep_scaffolds_version_policy_changelog_and_notes | xtask/src/release_prep.rs, xtask/src/tests.rs | Keeps release-prep setup mechanical so review focuses on release thesis, scope, non-goals, and evidence rather than missed boilerplate. |
+| RELEASE-TP-020 | implemented | Consistency guard | RELEASE-REQ-025 | Every `[release_notes.*]` block parses with a unique section and tag, an ISO `target_date`, a known status, and `scope`/`non_goals` lists, and published blocks retain no scaffold placeholders. | release_policy_blocks_are_structurally_complete | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml | Replaces eleven near-duplicate per-release guards with one data-driven check. |
+| RELEASE-TP-022 | implemented | Boundary guard | RELEASE-REQ-008 | A lightweight release tag fails reconciliation, because it has no tagger date and would otherwise report the tagged commit's committer date. | release_date_reconciliation_rejects_lightweight_release_tags | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml | Tag placement on an older commit must not silently redate a release. |
+| RELEASE-TP-023 | implemented | Boundary guard | RELEASE-REQ-008 | A tag whose policy block still reads `prep` reports an advisory gap rather than failing, covering the window before the post-publication change flips the status. | release_date_reconciliation_tolerates_prep_status_for_a_fresh_tag | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml | Keeps `verify` green on `main` for unrelated branches between tagging and the evidence change. |
+| RELEASE-TP-024 | implemented | Boundary guard | RELEASE-REQ-008 | Deleting a covered release's changelog heading, policy block, or release-notes file fails the gate, while the pre-policy `v0.1.0-alpha.1` omission stays advisory. | release_date_reconciliation_fails_when_a_covered_surface_disappears, release_date_reconciliation_allowlists_the_prepolicy_release | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml | Removing the evidence must not be a way to make the check pass. |
+| RELEASE-TP-021 | implemented | Boundary guard | RELEASE-REQ-025 | Block-scoped parsing reports a release's own `target_date` even when a different release in the same file carries the expected date string. | release_policy_block_parsing_scopes_fields_to_their_own_release | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml | Regression guard: whole-file substring matching passed a wrong per-release date whenever any other release shared the expected string, which is normal for releases tagged the same day. |
 
 ## Determinism Obligations
 
@@ -125,3 +131,12 @@ Out of scope:
 - The current checker proves workflow contract structure, not GitHub API
   availability.
 - No crates.io policy exists; package publication remains intentionally absent.
+- The scaffolded release date is `--date` or today's UTC date. It is still a
+  prediction: a release-prep branch that sits unmerged past its scaffold date
+  records a date earlier than its eventual tag, and `release-dates` only detects
+  that once the tag exists. Flipping the block to `published` is what binds the
+  recorded date to the tag.
+- Per-release scope and non-goal content is reviewed rather than string-tested.
+  `release_policy_blocks_are_structurally_complete` proves each block is present
+  and complete, but nothing mechanically checks that a block's declared scope
+  matches what the release actually shipped.
diff --git a/xtask/src/main.rs b/xtask/src/main.rs
index 0355c31..725f6f3 100644
--- a/xtask/src/main.rs
+++ b/xtask/src/main.rs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ mod lawpack_goldens;
 mod provider_components;
 mod provider_contract_pack;
 mod provider_dependencies;
+mod release_dates;
 mod release_prep;
 mod util;
 
@@ -27,6 +28,7 @@ use lawpack_goldens::{lawpack_goldens, LawpackGoldenMode};
 use provider_components::{provider_component_fixtures, ProviderComponentFixtureMode};
 use provider_contract_pack::{provider_contract_pack, ProviderContractPackMode};
 use provider_dependencies::provider_runtime_dependencies;
+use release_dates::release_dates;
 use release_prep::release_prep;
 use util::{diff_check_base, repo_root, run_cmd, run_cmd_slice};
 
@@ -93,15 +95,7 @@ fn run() -> Result<(), String> {
             target_ir_goldens(&repo_root()?, mode)
         }
         Some("lawpack-goldens") => run_lawpack_goldens(&mut args),
-        Some("release-prep") => {
-            let version = args
-                .next()
-                .ok_or_else(|| "usage: cargo xtask release-prep <version>".to_owned())?;
-            if let Some(extra) = args.next() {
-                return Err(format!("unexpected release-prep argument `{extra}`"));
-            }
-            release_prep(&repo_root()?, &version)
-        }
+        Some("release-prep") => run_release_prep(&mut args),
         Some("provider-component-fixtures") => {
             let mode = match args.next().as_deref() {
                 Some("--write") => ProviderComponentFixtureMode::Write,
@@ -128,15 +122,44 @@ fn run() -> Result<(), String> {
             }
             provider_runtime_dependencies(&repo_root()?)
         }
+        Some("release-dates") => run_release_dates(&mut args),
         Some("verify") => verify(&repo_root()?),
         Some(cmd) => Err(format!("unknown xtask command `{cmd}`")),
         None => Err(
-            "usage: cargo xtask <verify|contract-check|authority-facts-goldens|target-profile-resource-goldens|core-goldens|bundle-goldens|cli-goldens|target-ir-goldens|lawpack-goldens|provider-component-fixtures|provider-contract-pack|provider-runtime-dependencies|release-prep>"
+            "usage: cargo xtask <verify|contract-check|release-dates|authority-facts-goldens|target-profile-resource-goldens|core-goldens|bundle-goldens|cli-goldens|target-ir-goldens|lawpack-goldens|provider-component-fixtures|provider-contract-pack|provider-runtime-dependencies|release-prep [--date YYYY-MM-DD]>"
                 .into(),
         ),
     }
 }
 
+fn run_release_prep(args: &mut impl Iterator<Item = String>) -> Result<(), String> {
+    const USAGE: &str = "usage: cargo xtask release-prep <version> [--date YYYY-MM-DD]";
+    let version = args.next().ok_or_else(|| USAGE.to_owned())?;
+    let date = match args.next().as_deref() {
+        None => None,
+        Some("--date") => Some(
+            args.next()
+                .ok_or_else(|| "release-prep `--date` requires YYYY-MM-DD".to_owned())?,
+        ),
+        Some(flag) => return Err(format!("unknown release-prep flag `{flag}`; {USAGE}")),
+    };
+    if let Some(extra) = args.next() {
+        return Err(format!("unexpected release-prep argument `{extra}`"));
+    }
+    release_prep(&repo_root()?, &version, date.as_deref())
+}
+
+fn run_release_dates(args: &mut impl Iterator<Item = String>) -> Result<(), String> {
+    match args.next().as_deref() {
+        Some("--check") | None => {}
+        Some(flag) => return Err(format!("unknown release-dates flag `{flag}`")),
+    }
+    if let Some(extra) = args.next() {
+        return Err(format!("unexpected release-dates argument `{extra}`"));
+    }
+    release_dates(&repo_root()?)
+}
+
 fn run_authority_facts_goldens(args: &mut impl Iterator<Item = String>) -> Result<(), String> {
     let mode = match args.next().as_deref() {
         Some("--write") => AuthorityFactsGoldenMode::Write,
@@ -210,6 +233,7 @@ fn verify(root: &Path) -> Result<(), String> {
     provider_contract_pack(root, ProviderContractPackMode::Check)?;
     provider_runtime_dependencies(root)?;
     contract_check(root)?;
+    release_dates(root)?;
     let base = diff_check_base(root)?;
     run_cmd(root, "git", ["diff", "--check", &format!("{base}...HEAD")])?;
     Ok(())
diff --git a/xtask/src/release_dates.rs b/xtask/src/release_dates.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a6e0365
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xtask/src/release_dates.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,408 @@
+//! Reconcile recorded release dates against the git tags that published them.
+//!
+//! The structured release policy, `CHANGELOG.md`, and `docs/releases/*.md` all
+//! record a date per release. Those three surfaces are written by
+//! `cargo xtask release-prep` from a single field, so comparing them against
+//! each other only proves the copy succeeded. This check compares them against
+//! `git for-each-ref refs/tags/v*`, which is the independent authority for when
+//! a release was tagged.
+//!
+//! The recorded date is the tag date, not the GitHub Release publication
+//! timestamp. Those can differ: `v0.4.0-alpha.1` was tagged 2026-06-24 while the
+//! prerelease was published 2026-06-25. Release notes record the publication
+//! timestamp separately.
+
+use std::collections::BTreeMap;
+use std::path::Path;
+use std::process::Command;
+
+use crate::util::read_to_string;
+
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub(crate) enum Surface {
+    PolicyBlock,
+    PolicyTargetDate,
+    PolicyScope,
+    ChangelogSection,
+    ReleaseNotesFile,
+    ReleaseNotesDate,
+}
+
+/// Surfaces that legitimately do not exist for a given tag.
+///
+/// Only releases that predate a surface belong here. Every other absent surface
+/// is a regression, so deleting a date-bearing surface fails the gate instead of
+/// silently downgrading to an advisory line.
+const LEGACY_UNCOVERED: &[(&str, Surface)] = &[
+    // The first release predates the structured release policy entirely.
+    ("v0.1.0-alpha.1", Surface::PolicyBlock),
+];
+
+/// Route an absent surface to the failing or advisory bucket.
+///
+/// Taking both vectors as arguments avoids a closure that would hold them
+/// mutably borrowed across the rest of the comparison.
+fn record_absent(
+    tag: &str,
+    surface: Surface,
+    message: String,
+    drift: &mut Vec<String>,
+    gaps: &mut Vec<String>,
+) {
+    if is_legacy_uncovered(tag, surface) {
+        gaps.push(message);
+    } else {
+        drift.push(message);
+    }
+}
+
+fn is_legacy_uncovered(tag: &str, surface: Surface) -> bool {
+    LEGACY_UNCOVERED
+        .iter()
+        .any(|(legacy_tag, legacy_surface)| *legacy_tag == tag && *legacy_surface == surface)
+}
+
+/// One `[release_notes.*]` block parsed from the structured release policy.
+///
+/// Parsing into blocks keeps every field lookup scoped to the release that owns
+/// it. A whole-file substring search cannot distinguish one release's
+/// `target_date` from another's, which matters because releases tagged on the
+/// same day legitimately share a date string.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub(crate) struct ReleasePolicyBlock {
+    pub(crate) section: String,
+    pub(crate) tag: Option<String>,
+    pub(crate) target_date: Option<String>,
+    pub(crate) status: Option<String>,
+    pub(crate) body: String,
+}
+
+pub(crate) fn parse_release_policy_blocks(policy: &str) -> Vec<ReleasePolicyBlock> {
+    let mut blocks = Vec::new();
+    let mut current: Option<ReleasePolicyBlock> = None;
+    for line in policy.lines() {
+        let trimmed = line.trim();
+        if trimmed.starts_with('[') {
+            if let Some(block) = current.take() {
+                blocks.push(block);
+            }
+            if let Some(section) = trimmed
+                .strip_prefix("[release_notes.")
+                .and_then(|rest| rest.strip_suffix(']'))
+            {
+                current = Some(ReleasePolicyBlock {
+                    section: section.to_owned(),
+                    tag: None,
+                    target_date: None,
+                    status: None,
+                    body: String::new(),
+                });
+            }
+            continue;
+        }
+        if let Some(block) = current.as_mut() {
+            block.body.push_str(line);
+            block.body.push('\n');
+            if let Some(value) = quoted_field(trimmed, "tag") {
+                block.tag = Some(value);
+            } else if let Some(value) = quoted_field(trimmed, "target_date") {
+                block.target_date = Some(value);
+            } else if let Some(value) = quoted_field(trimmed, "status") {
+                block.status = Some(value);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    if let Some(block) = current.take() {
+        blocks.push(block);
+    }
+    blocks
+}
+
+fn quoted_field(line: &str, name: &str) -> Option<String> {
+    let rest = line.strip_prefix(name)?.trim_start();
+    let rest = rest.strip_prefix('=')?.trim_start();
+    let rest = rest.strip_prefix('"')?;
+    let end = rest.find('"')?;
+    Some(rest[..end].to_owned())
+}
+
+/// The `[release_notes.*]` key a tag must own: `v0.9.0-alpha.1` maps to
+/// `v0_9_0_alpha_1`.
+pub(crate) fn policy_section_key(tag: &str) -> String {
+    tag.replace(['.', '-'], "_")
+}
+
+pub(crate) fn changelog_release_date(changelog: &str, tag: &str) -> Option<String> {
+    let needle = format!("## [{tag}] - ");
+    changelog.lines().find_map(|line| {
+        line.trim_end()
+            .strip_prefix(&needle)
+            .map(|date| date.trim().to_owned())
+    })
+}
+
+pub(crate) fn release_notes_date(notes: &str) -> Option<String> {
+    notes.lines().find_map(|line| {
+        line.trim_end()
+            .strip_prefix("Target date: ")
+            .map(|date| date.trim().to_owned())
+    })
+}
+
+/// A release tag and the date it was created.
+///
+/// `annotated` distinguishes a tag object, whose `taggerdate` records when the
+/// tag was made, from a lightweight tag, which has no tagger and would fall back
+/// to the tagged commit's committer date. That fallback would let a tag placed
+/// on an older commit report a date that never corresponded to a release, so
+/// lightweight release tags are rejected rather than trusted.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub(crate) struct TagRecord {
+    pub(crate) date: Option<String>,
+    pub(crate) annotated: bool,
+}
+
+fn git_tag_dates(root: &Path) -> Result<BTreeMap<String, TagRecord>, String> {
+    let output = Command::new("git")
+        .args([
+            "for-each-ref",
+            // `format-local` renders in the TZ set below, so the rendered day
+            // does not shift with an operator's local timezone.
+            "--format=%(refname:short)\t%(objecttype)\t%(taggerdate:format-local:%Y-%m-%d)",
+            // Release tags only; scratch tags would otherwise report permanent
+            // uncovered lines on every run.
+            "refs/tags/v*",
+        ])
+        .env("TZ", "UTC")
+        .current_dir(root)
+        .output()
+        .map_err(|err| format!("failed to run `git for-each-ref`: {err}"))?;
+    if !output.status.success() {
+        return Err(format!(
+            "`git for-each-ref refs/tags/v*` failed: {}",
+            String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr).trim()
+        ));
+    }
+    let text = String::from_utf8(output.stdout)
+        .map_err(|err| format!("`git for-each-ref` output is not utf-8: {err}"))?;
+    let mut tags = BTreeMap::new();
+    for line in text.lines() {
+        let mut fields = line.split('\t');
+        let (Some(tag), Some(object_type)) = (fields.next(), fields.next()) else {
+            continue;
+        };
+        let tag = tag.trim();
+        if tag.is_empty() {
+            continue;
+        }
+        let date = fields.next().map(str::trim).filter(|date| !date.is_empty());
+        tags.insert(
+            tag.to_owned(),
+            TagRecord {
+                date: date.map(ToOwned::to_owned),
+                annotated: object_type.trim() == "tag",
+            },
+        );
+    }
+    Ok(tags)
+}
+
+/// Outcome of comparing recorded dates against tag dates.
+///
+/// `drift` fails the gate: a recorded date contradicts its tag, or a surface
+/// that should exist is absent. `gaps` are advisory and cover only the two cases
+/// that are not contradictions: surfaces that predate a release, and the window
+/// between tag creation and the post-publication change that flips a block from
+/// `prep` to `published`.
+#[derive(Debug, Default, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub(crate) struct ReleaseDateReport {
+    pub(crate) drift: Vec<String>,
+    pub(crate) gaps: Vec<String>,
+}
+
+/// Compare one tag against the policy block that should own it.
+///
+/// Split out of `reconcile_release_dates` so each comparison stays readable.
+fn reconcile_policy_block(
+    tag: &str,
+    tag_date: &str,
+    blocks: &[ReleasePolicyBlock],
+    drift: &mut Vec<String>,
+    gaps: &mut Vec<String>,
+) {
+    match blocks
+        .iter()
+        .find(|block| block.tag.as_deref() == Some(tag))
+    {
+        Some(block) => {
+            let section = &block.section;
+            let expected_section = policy_section_key(tag);
+            if *section != expected_section {
+                drift.push(format!(
+                    "policy.toml [release_notes.{section}] declares tag {tag}, which belongs in [release_notes.{expected_section}]"
+                ));
+            }
+            match block.target_date.as_deref() {
+                Some(date) if date == tag_date => {}
+                Some(date) => drift.push(format!(
+                    "policy.toml [release_notes.{section}] target_date is {date}, but tag {tag} was created {tag_date}"
+                )),
+                None => record_absent(
+                    tag,
+                    Surface::PolicyTargetDate,
+                    format!(
+                        "policy.toml [release_notes.{section}] has no target_date for tag {tag}"
+                    ),
+                    drift,
+                    gaps,
+                ),
+            }
+            match block.status.as_deref() {
+                Some("published") => {}
+                // The tag is created before the post-publication evidence
+                // change flips the status, so `prep` is a lagging surface
+                // rather than a contradiction. Failing here would make
+                // `verify` red on `main` for every unrelated branch until
+                // that second change lands.
+                Some("prep") => gaps.push(format!(
+                    "policy.toml [release_notes.{section}] still has status `prep` for existing tag {tag}"
+                )),
+                other => {
+                    let status = other.unwrap_or("<missing>");
+                    drift.push(format!(
+                        "policy.toml [release_notes.{section}] has status `{status}`, but tag {tag} exists"
+                    ));
+                }
+            }
+            for field in ["scope = [", "non_goals = ["] {
+                if !block.body.contains(field) {
+                    record_absent(
+                        tag,
+                        Surface::PolicyScope,
+                        format!(
+                            "policy.toml [release_notes.{section}] is missing `{field}` for tag {tag}"
+                        ),
+                        drift,
+                        gaps,
+                    );
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        None => record_absent(
+            tag,
+            Surface::PolicyBlock,
+            format!("policy.toml has no [release_notes.*] block for tag {tag}"),
+            drift,
+            gaps,
+        ),
+    }
+}
+
+/// Pure comparison over already-read inputs.
+///
+/// `release_notes` maps a tag to the date parsed from its release notes; an
+/// absent key means the notes file itself is missing, and a `None` value means
+/// the file exists without a `Target date:` line.
+pub(crate) fn reconcile_release_dates(
+    tags: &BTreeMap<String, TagRecord>,
+    policy: &str,
+    changelog: &str,
+    release_notes: &BTreeMap<String, Option<String>>,
+) -> ReleaseDateReport {
+    let blocks = parse_release_policy_blocks(policy);
+    let mut drift = Vec::new();
+    let mut gaps = Vec::new();
+
+    for (tag, record) in tags {
+        if !record.annotated {
+            drift.push(format!(
+                "release tag {tag} is lightweight; release tags must be annotated so the tag date records the release"
+            ));
+            continue;
+        }
+        let Some(tag_date) = record.date.as_deref() else {
+            drift.push(format!("release tag {tag} has no tagger date"));
+            continue;
+        };
+
+        reconcile_policy_block(tag, tag_date, &blocks, &mut drift, &mut gaps);
+
+        match changelog_release_date(changelog, tag) {
+            Some(date) if date == tag_date => {}
+            Some(date) => drift.push(format!(
+                "CHANGELOG.md `## [{tag}]` is dated {date}, but the tag was created {tag_date}"
+            )),
+            None => record_absent(
+                tag,
+                Surface::ChangelogSection,
+                format!("CHANGELOG.md has no `## [{tag}]` section"),
+                &mut drift,
+                &mut gaps,
+            ),
+        }
+
+        match release_notes.get(tag) {
+            Some(Some(date)) if date == tag_date => {}
+            Some(Some(date)) => drift.push(format!(
+                "docs/releases/{tag}.md records `Target date: {date}`, but the tag was created {tag_date}"
+            )),
+            Some(None) => record_absent(
+                tag,
+                Surface::ReleaseNotesDate,
+                format!("docs/releases/{tag}.md has no `Target date:` line"),
+                &mut drift,
+                &mut gaps,
+            ),
+            None => record_absent(
+                tag,
+                Surface::ReleaseNotesFile,
+                format!("docs/releases/{tag}.md is missing"),
+                &mut drift,
+                &mut gaps,
+            ),
+        }
+    }
+
+    ReleaseDateReport { drift, gaps }
+}
+
+pub(crate) fn release_dates(root: &Path) -> Result<(), String> {
+    let tags = git_tag_dates(root)?;
+    if tags.is_empty() {
+        // A missing tag authority is not approval. Fail closed rather than
+        // reporting a vacuous pass in a clone that never fetched tags.
+        return Err(
+            "no `v*` release tags are present, so recorded dates cannot be reconciled; fetch tags with `git fetch --tags` before running this check"
+                .to_owned(),
+        );
+    }
+
+    let policy = read_to_string(&root.join("docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml"))?;
+    let changelog = read_to_string(&root.join("CHANGELOG.md"))?;
+    let mut release_notes = BTreeMap::new();
+    for tag in tags.keys() {
+        let notes_path = root.join(format!("docs/releases/{tag}.md"));
+        if notes_path.is_file() {
+            release_notes.insert(
+                tag.clone(),
+                release_notes_date(&read_to_string(&notes_path)?),
+            );
+        }
+    }
+
+    let report = reconcile_release_dates(&tags, &policy, &changelog, &release_notes);
+    for gap in &report.gaps {
+        println!("release-dates: uncovered - {gap}");
+    }
+    if report.drift.is_empty() {
+        let (count, gap_count) = (tags.len(), report.gaps.len());
+        println!(
+            "release-dates: {count} tag(s) reconciled against git, {gap_count} uncovered surface(s)"
+        );
+        return Ok(());
+    }
+    Err(format!(
+        "release dates disagree with git tags:\n  {}",
+        report.drift.join("\n  ")
+    ))
+}
diff --git a/xtask/src/release_prep.rs b/xtask/src/release_prep.rs
index ebcfcea..6563435 100644
--- a/xtask/src/release_prep.rs
+++ b/xtask/src/release_prep.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 use std::collections::BTreeSet;
 use std::fs;
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
+use std::time::{SystemTime, UNIX_EPOCH};
 
 use crate::util::read_to_string;
 
@@ -9,7 +10,6 @@ struct ReleasePrepVersion {
     tag: String,
     package_version: String,
     policy_key: String,
-    boundary_test_name: String,
 }
 
 impl ReleasePrepVersion {
@@ -29,16 +29,10 @@ impl ReleasePrepVersion {
         }
         let alpha = parse_decimal(alpha, "alpha")?;
         let policy_key = format!("v{major}_{minor}_{patch}_alpha_{alpha}");
-        let boundary_key = if patch == 0 && alpha == 1 {
-            format!("v{major}_{minor}")
-        } else {
-            policy_key.clone()
-        };
         Ok(Self {
             tag: input.to_owned(),
             package_version: package_version.to_owned(),
             policy_key,
-            boundary_test_name: format!("release_policy_tracks_{boundary_key}_boundary"),
         })
     }
 
@@ -60,7 +54,7 @@ fn parse_decimal(part: &str, name: &str) -> Result<u16, String> {
         .map_err(|err| format!("parse release-prep {name} version part `{part}`: {err}"))
 }
 
-pub(crate) fn release_prep(root: &Path, input: &str) -> Result<(), String> {
+pub(crate) fn release_prep(root: &Path, input: &str, date: Option<&str>) -> Result<(), String> {
     let version = ReleasePrepVersion::parse(input)?;
     let cli_manifest_path = root.join("crates/edict-cli/Cargo.toml");
     let syntax_manifest_path = root.join("crates/edict-syntax/Cargo.toml");
@@ -68,7 +62,6 @@ pub(crate) fn release_prep(root: &Path, input: &str) -> Result<(), String> {
     let changelog_path = root.join("CHANGELOG.md");
     let policy_path = root.join("docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml");
     let test_plan_path = root.join("docs/topics/release-process/test-plan.md");
-    let xtask_tests_path = root.join("xtask/src/tests.rs");
     let release_notes_path = release_notes_path(root, &version);
 
     if release_notes_path.exists() {
@@ -79,7 +72,7 @@ pub(crate) fn release_prep(root: &Path, input: &str) -> Result<(), String> {
     }
 
     let policy = read_to_string(&policy_path)?;
-    let target_date = next_release_target_date(&policy)?;
+    let target_date = scaffold_release_date(date)?;
     let cli_manifest = replace_first_version_line(
         &read_to_string(&cli_manifest_path)?,
         &version.package_version,
@@ -98,11 +91,6 @@ pub(crate) fn release_prep(root: &Path, input: &str) -> Result<(), String> {
     let policy = append_release_policy_block(&policy, &version, &target_date)?;
     let release_notes = render_release_notes_stub(&version, &target_date);
     let test_plan = insert_release_test_plan_rows(&read_to_string(&test_plan_path)?, &version)?;
-    let xtask_tests = insert_release_boundary_test_stub(
-        &read_to_string(&xtask_tests_path)?,
-        &version,
-        &target_date,
-    )?;
 
     write_file(&cli_manifest_path, &cli_manifest)?;
     write_file(&syntax_manifest_path, &syntax_manifest)?;
@@ -111,7 +99,6 @@ pub(crate) fn release_prep(root: &Path, input: &str) -> Result<(), String> {
     write_file(&policy_path, &policy)?;
     write_file(&release_notes_path, &release_notes)?;
     write_file(&test_plan_path, &test_plan)?;
-    write_file(&xtask_tests_path, &xtask_tests)?;
 
     println!(
         "release-prep: scaffolded {} with target date {}",
@@ -300,7 +287,7 @@ fn insert_release_test_plan_rows(
     test_plan: &str,
     version: &ReleasePrepVersion,
 ) -> Result<String, String> {
-    if test_plan.contains(&version.tag) || test_plan.contains(&version.boundary_test_name) {
+    if test_plan.contains(&version.tag) {
         return Err(format!(
             "release-process test plan already contains {}",
             version.tag
@@ -330,99 +317,13 @@ fn insert_release_test_plan_rows(
         &with_fixture,
         "\n## Determinism Obligations\n",
         &format!(
-            "| {tp_id} | planned | Boundary guard | {req_id} | Structured policy captures the `{tag}` scope and non-goal boundary after scaffold placeholders are replaced. | {test_name} | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml, docs/releases/{tag}.md | Scaffolded by `cargo xtask release-prep {tag}`; reviewers must replace TODO scope/non-goal values before release. |\n",
+            "| {tp_id} | planned | Boundary guard | {req_id} | Review confirms structured policy captures the `{tag}` scope and non-goal boundary after scaffold placeholders are replaced. | - | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml, docs/releases/{tag}.md | Scaffolded by `cargo xtask release-prep {tag}`; reviewers must replace TODO scope/non-goal values before release. Block structure is checked by `release_policy_blocks_are_structurally_complete`; dates are reconciled against git tags by `cargo xtask release-dates`. |\n",
             tag = version.tag,
-            test_name = version.boundary_test_name,
         ),
         "release-process test case table",
     )
 }
 
-fn insert_release_boundary_test_stub(
-    source: &str,
-    version: &ReleasePrepVersion,
-    target_date: &str,
-) -> Result<String, String> {
-    if source.contains(&format!("fn {}()", version.boundary_test_name)) {
-        return Err(format!(
-            "xtask source already contains {}",
-            version.boundary_test_name
-        ));
-    }
-    let date_case = format!("            (\"{}\", \"{target_date}\"),\n", version.tag);
-    let with_date = insert_in_alpha_changelog_date_cases(source, &date_case)?;
-    let alpha_marker =
-        if with_date.contains("    #[test]\n    fn alpha_changelog_dates_match_release_policy()") {
-            "    #[test]\n    fn alpha_changelog_dates_match_release_policy()"
-        } else {
-            "fn alpha_changelog_dates_match_release_policy()"
-        };
-    insert_before_once(
-        &with_date,
-        alpha_marker,
-        &format!(
-            "\
-    #[test]
-    fn {test_name}() {{
-        let root = repo_root().expect(\"repo root\");
-        let policy = fs::read_to_string(root.join(\"docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml\"))
-            .expect(\"release policy\");
-        let release_policy = toml_section(&policy, \"{section}\");
-        for required in [
-            \"{section}\",
-            \"tag = \\\"{tag}\\\"\",
-            \"target_date = \\\"{target_date}\\\"\",
-            \"status = \\\"prep\\\"\",
-            \"scope = [\",
-            \"non_goals = [\",
-        ] {{
-            assert!(
-                release_policy.contains(required),
-                \"{tag} release policy missing structured field: {{required}}\"
-            );
-        }}
-        for forbidden in [
-            \"TODO_release_scope\",
-            \"TODO_release_non_goal\",
-        ] {{
-            assert!(
-                !release_policy.contains(forbidden),
-                \"{tag} release policy must replace scaffold placeholder: {{forbidden}}\"
-            );
-        }}
-    }}
-
-",
-            test_name = version.boundary_test_name,
-            section = version.policy_section(),
-            tag = version.tag,
-        ),
-        "xtask alpha changelog date guard",
-    )
-}
-
-fn insert_in_alpha_changelog_date_cases(source: &str, date_case: &str) -> Result<String, String> {
-    if source.contains(date_case.trim()) {
-        return Err("alpha changelog date guard already contains release".into());
-    }
-    let function_start = source
-        .find("fn alpha_changelog_dates_match_release_policy()")
-        .ok_or_else(|| {
-            "xtask source missing alpha_changelog_dates_match_release_policy".to_owned()
-        })?;
-    let tail = &source[function_start..];
-    let list_end = tail
-        .find("] {")
-        .ok_or_else(|| "alpha changelog date guard missing tuple list terminator".to_owned())?;
-    let line_start = tail[..list_end].rfind('\n').map_or(0, |index| index + 1);
-    let insert_at = function_start + line_start;
-    let mut output = String::with_capacity(source.len() + date_case.len());
-    output.push_str(&source[..insert_at]);
-    output.push_str(date_case);
-    output.push_str(&source[insert_at..]);
-    Ok(output)
-}
-
 fn next_numbered_id(text: &str, prefix: &str) -> Result<String, String> {
     let mut max_id = None;
     let mut width = 3usize;
@@ -470,40 +371,67 @@ fn replace_once(
     Ok(text.replacen(needle, replacement, 1))
 }
 
-fn next_release_target_date(policy: &str) -> Result<String, String> {
-    let latest = policy
-        .lines()
-        .filter_map(|line| {
-            line.trim()
-                .strip_prefix("target_date = ")
-                .and_then(parse_quoted_string)
-        })
-        .next_back()
-        .ok_or_else(|| "release policy contains no target_date fields".to_owned())?;
-    add_days_to_iso_date(&latest, 14)
+/// The date a release-prep scaffold records.
+///
+/// This used to be the last `target_date` plus fourteen days, from an era when
+/// the field held a planned date on a biweekly cadence. Now that `target_date`
+/// records the date a release was actually tagged, extrapolating from history
+/// produces a date in the past: seeded from the realigned record, the next value
+/// would be 2026-07-14. An explicit `--date` wins; otherwise today's UTC date is
+/// used, so the scaffold is at least current when it is written.
+fn scaffold_release_date(explicit: Option<&str>) -> Result<String, String> {
+    match explicit {
+        Some(date) => {
+            validate_iso_date(date)?;
+            Ok(date.to_owned())
+        }
+        None => today_utc(),
+    }
 }
 
-fn add_days_to_iso_date(date: &str, days: u8) -> Result<String, String> {
+fn validate_iso_date(date: &str) -> Result<(), String> {
     let mut parts = date.split('-');
-    let mut year = parse_date_part(parts.next(), "year")?;
-    let mut month = parse_date_part(parts.next(), "month")?;
-    let mut day = parse_date_part(parts.next(), "day")?;
-    if parts.next().is_some() || month == 0 || month > 12 || day == 0 {
+    let year = parse_date_part(parts.next(), "year")?;
+    let month = parse_date_part(parts.next(), "month")?;
+    let day = parse_date_part(parts.next(), "day")?;
+    if parts.next().is_some() || date.len() != 10 || month == 0 || month > 12 || day == 0 {
         return Err(format!("invalid ISO date `{date}`"));
     }
-    for _ in 0..days {
-        day += 1;
-        let month_days = days_in_month(year, month)?;
-        if day > month_days {
-            day = 1;
-            month += 1;
-            if month > 12 {
-                month = 1;
-                year += 1;
-            }
-        }
+    if day > days_in_month(year, month)? {
+        return Err(format!("invalid ISO date `{date}`"));
     }
-    Ok(format!("{year:04}-{month:02}-{day:02}"))
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+fn today_utc() -> Result<String, String> {
+    let seconds = SystemTime::now()
+        .duration_since(UNIX_EPOCH)
+        .map_err(|err| format!("read system clock: {err}"))?
+        .as_secs();
+    let days = i64::try_from(seconds / 86_400)
+        .map_err(|err| format!("system clock out of range: {err}"))?;
+    Ok(iso_date_from_days_since_epoch(days))
+}
+
+/// Civil date from a day count since 1970-01-01, using Howard Hinnant's
+/// `civil_from_days`. Avoids taking a date-library dependency for one call.
+fn iso_date_from_days_since_epoch(days: i64) -> String {
+    let z = days + 719_468;
+    let era = if z >= 0 { z } else { z - 146_096 } / 146_097;
+    let day_of_era = z - era * 146_097;
+    let year_of_era =
+        (day_of_era - day_of_era / 1460 + day_of_era / 36_524 - day_of_era / 146_096) / 365;
+    let year = year_of_era + era * 400;
+    let day_of_year = day_of_era - (365 * year_of_era + year_of_era / 4 - year_of_era / 100);
+    let month_position = (5 * day_of_year + 2) / 153;
+    let day = day_of_year - (153 * month_position + 2) / 5 + 1;
+    let month = if month_position < 10 {
+        month_position + 3
+    } else {
+        month_position - 9
+    };
+    let year = if month <= 2 { year + 1 } else { year };
+    format!("{year:04}-{month:02}-{day:02}")
 }
 
 fn parse_date_part(part: Option<&str>, name: &str) -> Result<u16, String> {
diff --git a/xtask/src/tests.rs b/xtask/src/tests.rs
index f7efca2..eaffa36 100644
--- a/xtask/src/tests.rs
+++ b/xtask/src/tests.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use std::collections::BTreeSet;
+use std::collections::{BTreeMap, BTreeSet};
 use std::fs;
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 use std::process::Command;
@@ -1701,8 +1701,6 @@ fn release_runbook_policy_is_structured() {
         "dated_changelog_section",
         "release_policy_boundary_block",
         "release_notes_stub",
-        "release_boundary_test_stub",
-        "alpha_changelog_date_guard_entry",
         "release_process_test_plan_rows",
     ] {
         assert!(
@@ -1713,10 +1711,12 @@ fn release_runbook_policy_is_structured() {
 }
 
 #[test]
-fn release_prep_scaffolds_version_policy_changelog_and_test_stub() {
+fn release_prep_scaffolds_version_policy_changelog_and_notes() {
     let root = temp_root("release-prep-scaffold");
     write_release_prep_scaffold_fixture(&root);
-    release_prep(&root, "v0.12.0-alpha.1").expect("release prep scaffold");
+    let xtask_source_before =
+        fs::read_to_string(root.join("xtask/src/tests.rs")).expect("xtask tests before");
+    release_prep(&root, "v0.12.0-alpha.1", Some("2026-08-04")).expect("release prep scaffold");
 
     let package_version = "version = \"0.12.0-alpha.1\"";
     assert!(
@@ -1740,7 +1740,7 @@ fn release_prep_scaffolds_version_policy_changelog_and_test_stub() {
     let changelog = fs::read_to_string(root.join("CHANGELOG.md")).expect("changelog");
     assert!(
             changelog.contains(
-                "## [Unreleased]\n\n## [v0.12.0-alpha.1] - 2026-11-18\n\n### Changed\n\n- Pending release note."
+                "## [Unreleased]\n\n## [v0.12.0-alpha.1] - 2026-08-04\n\n### Changed\n\n- Pending release note."
             ),
             "release prep must move pending changelog content under the dated release section"
         );
@@ -1749,7 +1749,7 @@ fn release_prep_scaffolds_version_policy_changelog_and_test_stub() {
     for required in [
         "[release_notes.v0_12_0_alpha_1]",
         "tag = \"v0.12.0-alpha.1\"",
-        "target_date = \"2026-11-18\"",
+        "target_date = \"2026-08-04\"",
         "status = \"prep\"",
         "TODO_release_scope",
         "TODO_release_non_goal",
@@ -1768,21 +1768,19 @@ fn release_prep_scaffolds_version_policy_changelog_and_test_stub() {
     let test_plan = fs::read_to_string(root.join("docs/topics/release-process/test-plan.md"))
         .expect("test plan");
     assert!(
-        test_plan.contains("RELEASE-REQ-025")
-            && test_plan.contains("RELEASE-TP-020")
-            && test_plan.contains("release_policy_tracks_v0_12_boundary"),
+        test_plan.contains("RELEASE-REQ-025") && test_plan.contains("RELEASE-TP-020"),
         "release prep must add paired requirement and test-plan rows"
     );
+    // Release prep no longer writes Rust test stubs. Per-release policy content
+    // is reviewed, block structure is covered by one data-driven test, and
+    // dates are reconciled against git tags by `cargo xtask release-dates`.
+    // Comparing the whole file against the seeded fixture is what makes this
+    // assertion able to fail: searching for a stub name the fixture never
+    // contained would pass no matter what release-prep wrote.
     let xtask_source = fs::read_to_string(root.join("xtask/src/tests.rs")).expect("xtask tests");
-    assert!(
-        xtask_source.contains("fn release_policy_tracks_v0_12_boundary()")
-            && xtask_source.contains("(\"v0.12.0-alpha.1\", \"2026-11-18\")"),
-        "release prep must add the boundary test stub and changelog date case"
-    );
-    assert!(
-        xtask_source.contains("!release_policy.contains(forbidden)")
-            && xtask_source.contains("release policy must replace scaffold placeholder"),
-        "release boundary test must fail while scaffold placeholders remain"
+    assert_eq!(
+        xtask_source, xtask_source_before,
+        "release prep must not modify xtask/src/tests.rs"
     );
 }
 
@@ -1815,7 +1813,8 @@ fn release_prep_rejects_existing_release_notes_before_writing() {
         })
         .collect::<Vec<_>>();
 
-    let error = release_prep(&root, "v0.12.0-alpha.1").expect_err("existing notes reject");
+    let error = release_prep(&root, "v0.12.0-alpha.1", Some("2026-08-04"))
+        .expect_err("existing notes reject");
     assert!(
         error.contains("release notes already exist"),
         "duplicate release notes must be rejected before writes: {error}"
@@ -1876,7 +1875,7 @@ fn write_release_prep_policy_fixture(root: &Path) {
 fn write_release_prep_test_plan_fixture(root: &Path) {
     fs::write(
             root.join("docs/topics/release-process/test-plan.md"),
-            "# Release Process Test Plan\n\n## Requirements\n\n| ID | Status | Requirement | Source |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| RELEASE-REQ-023 | implemented | Existing release boundary. | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml |\n| RELEASE-REQ-024 | implemented | Release prep scaffolding exists. | xtask/src/main.rs |\n\n## Fixtures\n\n| Fixture | Purpose | Oracle |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml | Structured release policy. | Checked by xtask. |\n\n## Test Cases\n\n| ID | Status | Category | Requirement | Oracle | Evidence | Fixtures | Notes |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| RELEASE-TP-018 | implemented | Boundary guard | RELEASE-REQ-023 | Existing release boundary is pinned. | release_policy_tracks_v0_11_boundary | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml | Existing row. |\n| RELEASE-TP-019 | implemented | Scaffolding guard | RELEASE-REQ-024 | Release prep scaffolding is pinned. | release_prep_scaffolds_version_policy_changelog_and_test_stub | xtask/src/main.rs | Existing row. |\n\n## Determinism Obligations\n",
+            "# Release Process Test Plan\n\n## Requirements\n\n| ID | Status | Requirement | Source |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| RELEASE-REQ-023 | implemented | Existing release boundary. | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml |\n| RELEASE-REQ-024 | implemented | Release prep scaffolding exists. | xtask/src/main.rs |\n\n## Fixtures\n\n| Fixture | Purpose | Oracle |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml | Structured release policy. | Checked by xtask. |\n\n## Test Cases\n\n| ID | Status | Category | Requirement | Oracle | Evidence | Fixtures | Notes |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| RELEASE-TP-018 | implemented | Boundary guard | RELEASE-REQ-023 | Existing release boundary is pinned. | release_policy_tracks_v0_11_boundary | docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml | Existing row. |\n| RELEASE-TP-019 | implemented | Scaffolding guard | RELEASE-REQ-024 | Release prep scaffolding is pinned. | release_prep_scaffolds_version_policy_changelog_and_notes | xtask/src/main.rs | Existing row. |\n\n## Determinism Obligations\n",
         )
         .expect("test plan");
 }
@@ -2764,412 +2763,333 @@ fn release_automation_policy_is_structured() {
 }
 
 #[test]
-fn release_policy_tracks_v0_3_boundary() {
+fn release_policy_blocks_are_structurally_complete() {
     let root = repo_root().expect("repo root");
     let policy = fs::read_to_string(root.join("docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml"))
         .expect("release policy");
-    for required in [
-        "[release_notes.v0_3_0_alpha_1]",
-        "tag = \"v0.3.0-alpha.1\"",
-        "target_date = \"2026-07-15\"",
-        "status = \"published\"",
-        "compiler_spine",
-        "surface_validation_split",
-        "canonical_core_encoder",
-        "reviewed_core_golden_fixture",
-        "exact_core_digest_fixture",
-        "no_target_lowering",
-        "no_bundle_admission",
-    ] {
+    let blocks = crate::release_dates::parse_release_policy_blocks(&policy);
+
+    // Exact, not a lower bound: a lower bound lets a historical block be
+    // deleted silently, which is the failure class this check exists to stop.
+    assert_eq!(
+        blocks.len(),
+        10,
+        "release policy must retain exactly one block per release from v0.2.0-alpha.1 onward"
+    );
+
+    let mut seen_sections = BTreeSet::new();
+    let mut seen_tags = BTreeSet::new();
+    for block in &blocks {
+        let section = &block.section;
         assert!(
-            policy.contains(required),
-            "v0.3 release policy missing structured field: {required}"
+            seen_sections.insert(section.clone()),
+            "duplicate release policy section [release_notes.{section}]"
         );
-    }
-}
-
-#[test]
-fn release_policy_tracks_v0_4_boundary() {
-    let root = repo_root().expect("repo root");
-    let policy = fs::read_to_string(root.join("docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml"))
-        .expect("release policy");
-    for required in [
-        "[release_notes.v0_4_0_alpha_1]",
-        "tag = \"v0.4.0-alpha.1\"",
-        "target_date = \"2026-07-29\"",
-        "status = \"published\"",
-        "target_profile_conformance",
-        "lowerability_direct_adapter",
-        "contract_bundle_manifest_validation",
-        "no_target_lowerer_execution",
-        "no_admission_policy",
-        "no_crates_io_publish",
-    ] {
+        let Some(tag) = block.tag.as_deref() else {
+            panic!("[release_notes.{section}] has no tag");
+        };
         assert!(
-            policy.contains(required),
-            "v0.4 release policy missing structured field: {required}"
+            seen_tags.insert(tag.to_owned()),
+            "duplicate release policy tag {tag} in [release_notes.{section}]"
         );
-    }
-}
-
-#[test]
-fn release_policy_tracks_v0_5_boundary() {
-    let root = repo_root().expect("repo root");
-    let policy = fs::read_to_string(root.join("docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml"))
-        .expect("release policy");
-    for required in [
-        "[release_notes.v0_5_0_alpha_1]",
-        "tag = \"v0.5.0-alpha.1\"",
-        "target_date = \"2026-08-12\"",
-        "status = \"published\"",
-        "edict_owned_continuum_participation_boundary",
-        "gate_c_admission_request_validation",
-        "gate_c_admission_receipt_validation",
-        "admission_request_digest_binding",
-        "policy_epoch_receipt_binding",
-        "invocation_capability_evidence_validation",
-        "release_automation_after_main_ci",
-        "no_participant_policy_evaluation",
-        "no_participant_identity_delegation_or_revocation",
-        "no_admission_ledger_persistence",
-        "no_signature_verification",
-        "no_target_lowerer_execution",
-        "no_bundle_digest_recomputation",
-        "no_crates_io_publish",
-    ] {
+        assert_eq!(
+            *section,
+            crate::release_dates::policy_section_key(tag),
+            "[release_notes.{section}] declares tag {tag}, which belongs in a differently keyed section"
+        );
+        let Some(date) = block.target_date.as_deref() else {
+            panic!("[release_notes.{section}] has no target_date");
+        };
         assert!(
-            policy.contains(required),
-            "v0.5 release policy missing structured field: {required}"
+            is_iso_date(date),
+            "[release_notes.{section}] target_date `{date}` is not an ISO date"
         );
-    }
-}
-
-#[test]
-fn release_policy_tracks_v0_6_boundary() {
-    let root = repo_root().expect("repo root");
-    let policy = fs::read_to_string(root.join("docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml"))
-        .expect("release policy");
-    let v0_6_policy = toml_section(&policy, "[release_notes.v0_6_0_alpha_1]");
-    for required in [
-        "[release_notes.v0_6_0_alpha_1]",
-        "tag = \"v0.6.0-alpha.1\"",
-        "target_date = \"2026-08-26\"",
-        "status = \"published\"",
-        "editor_highlight_roles",
-        "tree_sitter_grammar_source",
-        "textmate_grammar_artifact",
-        "vscode_cursor_extension_package",
-        "topic_shelf_coverage_audit",
-        "no_compiler_cli",
-        "no_language_server",
-        "no_marketplace_publication",
-        "no_target_lowering",
-        "no_admission_tooling",
-        "no_crates_io_publish",
-    ] {
+        let Some(status) = block.status.as_deref() else {
+            panic!("[release_notes.{section}] has no status");
+        };
         assert!(
-            v0_6_policy.contains(required),
-            "v0.6 release policy missing structured field: {required}"
+            matches!(status, "published" | "planned" | "prep"),
+            "[release_notes.{section}] has unexpected status `{status}`"
         );
+        for field in ["scope = [", "non_goals = ["] {
+            assert!(
+                block.body.contains(field),
+                "[release_notes.{section}] is missing `{field}`"
+            );
+        }
+        // Applies to `prep` too: auto-release-tag publishes from a merged
+        // release-prep branch, so a placeholder that survives to merge would
+        // ship in the release.
+        for placeholder in ["TODO_release_scope", "TODO_release_non_goal"] {
+            assert!(
+                !block.body.contains(placeholder),
+                "[release_notes.{section}] still has scaffold placeholder `{placeholder}`"
+            );
+        }
     }
 }
 
+/// Regression guard for the substring-matching flaw this test file used to
+/// have. The previous per-release guards asserted
+/// `policy.contains("target_date = \"...\"")` against the whole file, so a
+/// release carrying a wrong date still passed whenever any other release
+/// happened to carry the expected string. Releases tagged on the same day
+/// share a date, so that is the normal case, not a corner case.
 #[test]
-fn release_policy_tracks_v0_7_boundary() {
-    let root = repo_root().expect("repo root");
-    let policy = fs::read_to_string(root.join("docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml"))
-        .expect("release policy");
-    let v0_7_policy = toml_section(&policy, "[release_notes.v0_7_0_alpha_1]");
-    for required in [
-        "[release_notes.v0_7_0_alpha_1]",
-        "tag = \"v0.7.0-alpha.1\"",
-        "target_date = \"2026-09-09\"",
-        "status = \"published\"",
-        "release_issue = 59",
-        "published_at = \"2026-06-27T22:31:49Z\"",
-        "release_url = \"https://github.com/flyingrobots/edict/releases/tag/v0.7.0-alpha.1\"",
-        "tag_object = \"f7888160f7f9a0d7b9b82d4f78bb38b886856a1e\"",
-        "peeled_commit = \"6f9c731b4f36d3283dcb448b14761832ab916b07\"",
-        "release_notes_source_commit = \"6f9c731b4f36d3283dcb448b14761832ab916b07\"",
-        "post_publication_evidence_pr = 61",
-        "main_ci_run = 28303787401",
-        "auto_release_tag_run = 28303801200",
-        "release_workflow_run = 28303809157",
-        "milestone_number = 8",
-        "milestone_closed_at = \"2026-06-27T22:31:50Z\"",
-        "milestone_open_issues = 0",
-        "release_assets = 0",
-        "crates_io_published = false",
-        "file_backed_authority_facts",
-        "operation_profile_facts",
-        "profile_write_class_allowances",
-        "effect_write_classes",
-        "budget_facts",
-        "lawpack_source_identity",
-        "target_profile_source_identity",
-        "deterministic_loaded_fact_harness",
-        "stable_load_failure_kinds",
-        "authority_fact_governance_design_note",
-        "release_policy_and_rust_standards_hardening",
-        "review_bot_fallback_policy",
-        "no_trusted_lawpack_or_target_profile_authorship",
-        "no_full_lawpack_manifest_loading",
-        "no_full_target_profile_manifest_loading",
-        "no_obstruction_obligation_adapter_footprint_cost_or_target_capability_corpus_loading",
-        "no_global_registry_trust_root_identity_system_or_revocation_model",
-        "no_target_ir_generation",
-        "no_full_effectful_source_lowering",
-        "no_admission_execution_workflow",
-        "no_crates_io_publish",
-    ] {
-        assert!(
-            v0_7_policy.contains(required),
-            "v0.7 release policy missing structured field: {required}"
-        );
-    }
+fn release_policy_block_parsing_scopes_fields_to_their_own_release() {
+    let policy = concat!(
+        "[release_notes.v0_3_0_alpha_1]\n",
+        "tag = \"v0.3.0-alpha.1\"\n",
+        "target_date = \"1999-01-01\"\n",
+        "status = \"published\"\n",
+        "scope = [\n  \"first_scope\",\n]\n",
+        "non_goals = [\n  \"first_non_goal\",\n]\n",
+        "\n",
+        "[release_notes.v0_4_0_alpha_1]\n",
+        "tag = \"v0.4.0-alpha.1\"\n",
+        "target_date = \"2026-06-24\"\n",
+        "status = \"published\"\n",
+        "scope = [\n  \"second_scope\",\n]\n",
+        "non_goals = [\n  \"second_non_goal\",\n]\n",
+    );
+    let blocks = crate::release_dates::parse_release_policy_blocks(policy);
+    assert_eq!(blocks.len(), 2, "both release blocks must parse");
+
+    let first = blocks
+        .iter()
+        .find(|block| block.tag.as_deref() == Some("v0.3.0-alpha.1"))
+        .expect("v0.3 block");
+
+    // A whole-file substring search finds the correct-looking date here...
+    assert!(policy.contains("target_date = \"2026-06-24\""));
+    // ...but it belongs to v0.4, and block-scoped parsing reports v0.3's own.
+    assert_eq!(first.target_date.as_deref(), Some("1999-01-01"));
+    assert_eq!(first.status.as_deref(), Some("published"));
+    assert!(first.body.contains("first_scope"));
+    assert!(!first.body.contains("second_scope"));
+}
+
+/// The reconciliation compares recorded dates against git tag dates, which is
+/// the check the previous guard could not perform: it compared `CHANGELOG.md`
+/// against `policy.toml`, and release-prep writes both from one field, so the
+/// two agreed even while both disagreed with the tags.
+#[test]
+fn release_date_reconciliation_reports_internally_consistent_wrong_dates() {
+    let policy = concat!(
+        "[release_notes.v0_9_0_alpha_1]\n",
+        "tag = \"v0.9.0-alpha.1\"\n",
+        "target_date = \"2026-10-07\"\n",
+        "status = \"published\"\n",
+        "scope = [\n  \"only_scope\",\n]\n",
+        "non_goals = [\n  \"only_non_goal\",\n]\n",
+    );
+    let changelog =
+        "# Changelog\n\n## [v0.9.0-alpha.1] - 2026-10-07\n\n## [v0.8.0-alpha.1] - 2026-06-28\n";
+    let tags = BTreeMap::from([
+        ("v0.9.0-alpha.1".to_owned(), annotated_tag("2026-06-28")),
+        ("v0.8.0-alpha.1".to_owned(), annotated_tag("2026-06-28")),
+    ]);
+    let notes = BTreeMap::from([("v0.9.0-alpha.1".to_owned(), Some("2026-10-07".to_owned()))]);
+
+    let report = crate::release_dates::reconcile_release_dates(&tags, policy, changelog, &notes);
+
+    // v0.9 is internally consistent across all three surfaces and still wrong,
+    // which is precisely what comparing copies against each other cannot see.
+    // v0.8 contributes two more findings: its policy block and release notes are
+    // absent, and absence of a covered surface is a failure, not an advisory.
+    assert_eq!(
+        report.drift.len(),
+        5,
+        "three contradicting surfaces plus two absent ones: {:?}",
+        report.drift
+    );
+    assert!(report
+        .drift
+        .iter()
+        .any(|entry| entry.contains("target_date is 2026-10-07")
+            && entry.contains("created 2026-06-28")));
+    assert!(report
+        .drift
+        .iter()
+        .any(|entry| entry.contains("CHANGELOG.md `## [v0.9.0-alpha.1]` is dated 2026-10-07")));
+
+    // v0.8's date agrees with its tag, but its absent surfaces still fail:
+    // deleting the evidence must not be a way to pass.
+    assert!(report
+        .drift
+        .iter()
+        .any(|entry| entry.contains("no [release_notes.*] block for tag v0.8.0-alpha.1")));
+    assert!(report
+        .drift
+        .iter()
+        .any(|entry| entry.contains("docs/releases/v0.8.0-alpha.1.md is missing")));
+    assert!(
+        report.gaps.is_empty(),
+        "nothing here is allowlisted or mid-publication: {:?}",
+        report.gaps
+    );
 }
 
 #[test]
-fn release_policy_tracks_v0_8_boundary() {
-    let root = repo_root().expect("repo root");
-    let policy = fs::read_to_string(root.join("docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml"))
-        .expect("release policy");
-    let v0_8_policy = toml_section(&policy, "[release_notes.v0_8_0_alpha_1]");
-    for required in [
-        "[release_notes.v0_8_0_alpha_1]",
-        "tag = \"v0.8.0-alpha.1\"",
-        "target_date = \"2026-09-23\"",
-        "status = \"published\"",
-        "release_issue = 62",
-        "published_at = \"2026-06-28T01:41:16Z\"",
-        "release_url = \"https://github.com/flyingrobots/edict/releases/tag/v0.8.0-alpha.1\"",
-        "tag_object = \"32e843c5e5f7b9252078c2b8a99afa23daeab411\"",
-        "peeled_commit = \"c6a166ccea0fcb61fff9b8d76bfb5d51d613e2eb\"",
-        "release_notes_source_commit = \"c6a166ccea0fcb61fff9b8d76bfb5d51d613e2eb\"",
-        "main_ci_run = 28307840316",
-        "auto_release_tag_run = 28307856119",
-        "release_workflow_run = 28307864582",
-        "milestone_number = 9",
-        "milestone_closed_at = \"2026-06-28T01:41:16Z\"",
-        "milestone_open_issues = 0",
-        "release_assets = 0",
-        "crates_io_published = false",
-        "minimal_effectful_compiler_spine",
-        "core_effect_node_model",
-        "core_obstruction_arm_model",
-        "canonical_effect_node_encoding",
-        "file_backed_effectful_compiler_context",
-        "annotated_effectful_let_lowering",
-        "deterministic_obstruction_map_lowering",
-        "source_order_stable_obstruction_binders",
-        "unsupported_effectful_branch_yield_rejection",
-        "chained_effect_call_rejection",
-        "typed_effect_call_rejection",
-        "duplicate_obstruction_failure_rejection",
-        "pure_core_golden_stability",
-        "no_target_ir_generation",
-        "no_target_runtime_execution",
-        "no_adapter_composition",
-        "no_public_cli",
-        "no_admission_execution_workflow",
-        "no_lawpack_governance_implementation",
-        "no_crates_io_publish",
-    ] {
-        assert!(
-            v0_8_policy.contains(required),
-            "v0.8 release policy missing structured field: {required}"
-        );
-    }
+fn release_date_reconciliation_accepts_dates_matching_their_tags() {
+    let policy = concat!(
+        "[release_notes.v0_8_0_alpha_1]\n",
+        "tag = \"v0.8.0-alpha.1\"\n",
+        "target_date = \"2026-06-28\"\n",
+        "status = \"published\"\n",
+        "scope = [\n  \"only_scope\",\n]\n",
+        "non_goals = [\n  \"only_non_goal\",\n]\n",
+    );
+    let changelog = "# Changelog\n\n## [v0.8.0-alpha.1] - 2026-06-28\n";
+    let tags = BTreeMap::from([("v0.8.0-alpha.1".to_owned(), annotated_tag("2026-06-28"))]);
+    let notes = BTreeMap::from([("v0.8.0-alpha.1".to_owned(), Some("2026-06-28".to_owned()))]);
+
+    let report = crate::release_dates::reconcile_release_dates(&tags, policy, changelog, &notes);
+    assert!(
+        report.drift.is_empty(),
+        "unexpected drift: {:?}",
+        report.drift
+    );
+    assert!(report.gaps.is_empty(), "unexpected gaps: {:?}", report.gaps);
 }
 
+/// A lightweight tag has no tagger, so `creatordate` would silently fall back
+/// to the tagged commit's committer date. Tagging an older commit would then
+/// report a date that never corresponded to a release, so the tag is rejected
+/// rather than trusted.
 #[test]
-fn release_policy_tracks_v0_9_boundary() {
-    let root = repo_root().expect("repo root");
-    let policy = fs::read_to_string(root.join("docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml"))
-        .expect("release policy");
-    let v0_9_policy = toml_section(&policy, "[release_notes.v0_9_0_alpha_1]");
-    for required in [
-        "[release_notes.v0_9_0_alpha_1]",
-        "tag = \"v0.9.0-alpha.1\"",
-        "target_date = \"2026-10-07\"",
-        "status = \"published\"",
-        "release_issue = 70",
-        "published_at = \"2026-06-28T07:04:06Z\"",
-        "release_url = \"https://github.com/flyingrobots/edict/releases/tag/v0.9.0-alpha.1\"",
-        "tag_object = \"c6a4ea6b10d438cd407cd7f273fecf1fd012b2d3\"",
-        "peeled_commit = \"81bacc5a240bd3ea50af934a3611ce6b3f505043\"",
-        "release_notes_source_commit = \"81bacc5a240bd3ea50af934a3611ce6b3f505043\"",
-        "main_ci_run = 28314566818",
-        "auto_release_tag_run = 28314582826",
-        "release_workflow_run = 28314590143",
-        "milestone_number = 10",
-        "milestone_closed_at = \"2026-06-28T07:04:06Z\"",
-        "milestone_open_issues = 0",
-        "release_assets = 0",
-        "crates_io_published = false",
-        "first_target_ir_alpha",
-        "echo_span_ir_review_artifact",
-        "gitwarp_commit_reducer_ir_review_artifact",
-        "lowerability_to_target_ir_bridge",
-        "explicit_target_profile_selection",
-        "stable_target_lowering_failure_kinds",
-        "core_obligation_preservation",
-        "target_ir_topic_shelf",
-        "no_runtime_execution",
-        "no_echo_verifier",
-        "no_gitwarp_commit_creation",
-        "no_gitwarp_crdt_reducer_verification",
-        "no_general_target_plugin_dispatch",
-        "no_canonical_target_ir_bytes_or_digests",
-        "no_bundle_or_admission_generation",
-        "no_v2_adapter_composition",
-        "no_public_cli",
-        "no_crates_io_publish",
-    ] {
-        assert!(
-            v0_9_policy.contains(required),
-            "v0.9 release policy missing structured field: {required}"
-        );
-    }
+fn release_date_reconciliation_rejects_lightweight_release_tags() {
+    let policy = concat!(
+        "[release_notes.v0_8_0_alpha_1]\n",
+        "tag = \"v0.8.0-alpha.1\"\n",
+        "target_date = \"2026-06-28\"\n",
+        "status = \"published\"\n",
+        "scope = [\n  \"only_scope\",\n]\n",
+        "non_goals = [\n  \"only_non_goal\",\n]\n",
+    );
+    let changelog = "# Changelog\n\n## [v0.8.0-alpha.1] - 2026-06-28\n";
+    let tags = BTreeMap::from([(
+        "v0.8.0-alpha.1".to_owned(),
+        crate::release_dates::TagRecord {
+            date: Some("2026-06-28".to_owned()),
+            annotated: false,
+        },
+    )]);
+    let notes = BTreeMap::from([("v0.8.0-alpha.1".to_owned(), Some("2026-06-28".to_owned()))]);
+
+    let report = crate::release_dates::reconcile_release_dates(&tags, policy, changelog, &notes);
+    assert!(
+        report
+            .drift
+            .iter()
+            .any(|entry| entry.contains("is lightweight")),
+        "lightweight release tags must fail: {:?}",
+        report.drift
+    );
 }
 
+/// A tag exists before the post-publication change flips its block from `prep`
+/// to `published`. That window is a lagging surface, not a contradiction;
+/// failing it would make `verify` red on `main` for unrelated branches.
 #[test]
-fn release_policy_tracks_v0_10_boundary() {
-    let root = repo_root().expect("repo root");
-    let policy = fs::read_to_string(root.join("docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml"))
-        .expect("release policy");
-    let v0_10_policy = toml_section(&policy, "[release_notes.v0_10_0_alpha_1]");
-    for required in [
-        "[release_notes.v0_10_0_alpha_1]",
-        "tag = \"v0.10.0-alpha.1\"",
-        "target_date = \"2026-10-21\"",
-        "status = \"published\"",
-        "release_issue = 76",
-        "published_at = \"2026-06-29T04:21:11Z\"",
-        "release_url = \"https://github.com/flyingrobots/edict/releases/tag/v0.10.0-alpha.1\"",
-        "tag_object = \"11e516c8ea8be5fa6739efd545c5b8fb40cbc46d\"",
-        "peeled_commit = \"622834138af249e70d717d6b7a940e4b01e23f4d\"",
-        "release_notes_source_commit = \"622834138af249e70d717d6b7a940e4b01e23f4d\"",
-        "main_ci_run = 28348355987",
-        "auto_release_tag_run = 28348383070",
-        "release_workflow_run = 28348397035",
-        "milestone_number = 11",
-        "milestone_closed_at = \"2026-06-29T04:21:11Z\"",
-        "milestone_open_issues = 0",
-        "release_assets = 0",
-        "crates_io_published = false",
-        "first_public_cli_surface",
-        "jsonl_check_workflow",
-        "deterministic_input_expansion",
-        "compiler_settings_json_schema",
-        "cli_stream_record_schemas",
-        "structured_cli_diagnostics",
-        "stable_diagnostic_kind_codes",
-        "golden_cli_fixture_corpus",
-        "cli_topic_shelf",
-        "no_compile_lower_explain_bundle_or_admission_commands",
-        "no_human_pretty_output",
-        "no_embedded_json_schema_validation_engine",
-        "no_language_server",
-        "no_marketplace_packaging",
-        "no_participant_policy_execution",
-        "no_crates_io_publish",
-    ] {
-        assert!(
-            v0_10_policy.contains(required),
-            "v0.10 release policy missing structured field: {required}"
-        );
-    }
+fn release_date_reconciliation_tolerates_prep_status_for_a_fresh_tag() {
+    let policy = concat!(
+        "[release_notes.v0_12_0_alpha_1]\n",
+        "tag = \"v0.12.0-alpha.1\"\n",
+        "target_date = \"2026-08-04\"\n",
+        "status = \"prep\"\n",
+        "scope = [\n  \"only_scope\",\n]\n",
+        "non_goals = [\n  \"only_non_goal\",\n]\n",
+    );
+    let changelog = "# Changelog\n\n## [v0.12.0-alpha.1] - 2026-08-04\n";
+    let tags = BTreeMap::from([("v0.12.0-alpha.1".to_owned(), annotated_tag("2026-08-04"))]);
+    let notes = BTreeMap::from([("v0.12.0-alpha.1".to_owned(), Some("2026-08-04".to_owned()))]);
+
+    let report = crate::release_dates::reconcile_release_dates(&tags, policy, changelog, &notes);
+    assert!(
+        report.drift.is_empty(),
+        "a freshly tagged prep release must not fail the gate: {:?}",
+        report.drift
+    );
+    assert!(
+        report
+            .gaps
+            .iter()
+            .any(|entry| entry.contains("still has status `prep`")),
+        "the lagging status must still be reported: {:?}",
+        report.gaps
+    );
 }
 
+/// Deleting a date-bearing surface must fail rather than downgrade to an
+/// advisory gap, otherwise removing the evidence makes the gate pass.
 #[test]
-fn release_policy_tracks_v0_11_boundary() {
-    let root = repo_root().expect("repo root");
-    let policy = fs::read_to_string(root.join("docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml"))
-        .expect("release policy");
-    let v0_11_policy = toml_section(&policy, "[release_notes.v0_11_0_alpha_1]");
-    for required in [
-        "[release_notes.v0_11_0_alpha_1]",
-        "tag = \"v0.11.0-alpha.1\"",
-        "target_date = \"2026-11-04\"",
-        "status = \"published\"",
-        "release_issue = 109",
-        "published_at = \"2026-06-30T07:58:29Z\"",
-        "release_url = \"https://github.com/flyingrobots/edict/releases/tag/v0.11.0-alpha.1\"",
-        "tag_object = \"e5d207527d737131e54a8d2614765e63ff7218e6\"",
-        "peeled_commit = \"3eb71f6127e31b68ea4e0bb766623930ce24ae46\"",
-        "release_notes_source_commit = \"3eb71f6127e31b68ea4e0bb766623930ce24ae46\"",
-        "main_ci_run = 28429259737",
-        "auto_release_tag_run = 28429294814",
-        "release_workflow_run = 28429313876",
-        "milestone_number = 12",
-        "milestone_closed_at = \"2026-06-30T07:58:29Z\"",
-        "milestone_open_issues = 0",
-        "release_assets = 0",
-        "crates_io_published = false",
-        "contract_bundle_assembly",
-        "semantic_bundle_digest_preimage",
-        "release_bundle_digest_preimage",
-        "bundle_digest_goldens",
-        "canonical_target_ir_value_model",
-        "canonical_target_ir_cbor_bytes",
-        "target_ir_artifact_digest_frame",
-        "target_ir_byte_digest_goldens",
-        "computed_target_ir_bundle_assembly",
-        "xtask_core_target_ir_bundle_golden_checks",
-        "no_runtime_execution",
-        "no_admission_execution",
-        "no_participant_policy_logic",
-        "no_verifier_completeness",
-        "no_echo_verifier_completeness",
-        "no_git_warp_commit_creation",
-        "no_git_warp_crdt_reducer_verification",
-        "no_general_target_plugin_dispatch",
-        "no_additional_target_profiles",
-        "no_extra_source_to_target_fixtures",
-        "no_canonical_contract_bundle_manifest_bytes",
-        "no_crates_io_publish",
+fn release_date_reconciliation_fails_when_a_covered_surface_disappears() {
+    let tags = BTreeMap::from([("v0.8.0-alpha.1".to_owned(), annotated_tag("2026-06-28"))]);
+    let report =
+        crate::release_dates::reconcile_release_dates(&tags, "", "# Changelog\n", &BTreeMap::new());
+    for expected in [
+        "no [release_notes.*] block for tag v0.8.0-alpha.1",
+        "CHANGELOG.md has no `## [v0.8.0-alpha.1]` section",
+        "docs/releases/v0.8.0-alpha.1.md is missing",
     ] {
         assert!(
-            v0_11_policy.contains(required),
-            "v0.11 release policy missing structured field: {required}"
+            report.drift.iter().any(|entry| entry.contains(expected)),
+            "missing surface must be drift, not a gap: {expected} not in {:?}",
+            report.drift
         );
     }
+    assert!(
+        report.gaps.is_empty(),
+        "no surface here is allowlisted: {:?}",
+        report.gaps
+    );
 }
 
+/// The one release that predates the structured policy stays advisory.
 #[test]
-fn alpha_changelog_dates_match_release_policy() {
-    let root = repo_root().expect("repo root");
-    let changelog = fs::read_to_string(root.join("CHANGELOG.md")).expect("changelog");
-    let policy = fs::read_to_string(root.join("docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml"))
-        .expect("release policy");
-    for (tag, target) in [
-        ("v0.2.0-alpha.1", "2026-07-01"),
-        ("v0.3.0-alpha.1", "2026-07-15"),
-        ("v0.4.0-alpha.1", "2026-07-29"),
-        ("v0.5.0-alpha.1", "2026-08-12"),
-        ("v0.6.0-alpha.1", "2026-08-26"),
-        ("v0.7.0-alpha.1", "2026-09-09"),
-        ("v0.8.0-alpha.1", "2026-09-23"),
-        ("v0.9.0-alpha.1", "2026-10-07"),
-        ("v0.10.0-alpha.1", "2026-10-21"),
-        ("v0.11.0-alpha.1", "2026-11-04"),
-    ] {
-        assert!(
-            policy.contains(&format!("tag = \"{tag}\"")),
-            "release policy missing tag {tag}"
-        );
-        assert!(
-            policy.contains(&format!("target_date = \"{target}\"")),
-            "release policy missing target date {target}"
-        );
-        assert!(
-            changelog.contains(&format!("## [{tag}] - {target}")),
-            "{tag} changelog date must match release policy target date {target}"
-        );
+fn release_date_reconciliation_allowlists_the_prepolicy_release() {
+    let tags = BTreeMap::from([("v0.1.0-alpha.1".to_owned(), annotated_tag("2026-06-21"))]);
+    let notes = BTreeMap::from([("v0.1.0-alpha.1".to_owned(), Some("2026-06-21".to_owned()))]);
+    let report = crate::release_dates::reconcile_release_dates(
+        &tags,
+        "",
+        "# Changelog\n\n## [v0.1.0-alpha.1] - 2026-06-21\n",
+        &notes,
+    );
+    assert!(
+        report.drift.is_empty(),
+        "the pre-policy release must not fail the gate: {:?}",
+        report.drift
+    );
+    assert!(
+        report
+            .gaps
+            .iter()
+            .any(|entry| entry.contains("no [release_notes.*] block for tag v0.1.0-alpha.1")),
+        "the allowlisted omission must still be reported: {:?}",
+        report.gaps
+    );
+}
+
+fn annotated_tag(date: &str) -> crate::release_dates::TagRecord {
+    crate::release_dates::TagRecord {
+        date: Some(date.to_owned()),
+        annotated: true,
     }
 }
 
+fn is_iso_date(value: &str) -> bool {
+    let bytes = value.as_bytes();
+    bytes.len() == 10
+        && bytes[4] == b'-'
+        && bytes[7] == b'-'
+        && bytes
+            .iter()
+            .enumerate()
+            .all(|(index, byte)| index == 4 || index == 7 || byte.is_ascii_digit())
+}
+
 fn wit_named_type(interface: &Interface, name: &str) -> TypeId {
     *interface
         .types
@@ -4025,31 +3945,6 @@ fn legacy_target_profile_wit_is_not_provider_envelope() {
         .contains_key(&WorldKey::Name("verify".to_owned())));
 }
 
-#[test]
-fn release_policy_tracks_v0_2_boundary() {
-    let root = repo_root().expect("repo root");
-    let policy = fs::read_to_string(root.join("docs/topics/release-process/policy.toml"))
-        .expect("release policy");
-    for required in [
-        "[release_notes.v0_2_0_alpha_1]",
-        "tag = \"v0.2.0-alpha.1\"",
-        "target_date = \"2026-07-01\"",
-        "core_semantic_model",
-        "normative_core_schema",
-        "no_source_to_core_lowering",
-        "no_canonical_encoder",
-        "no_golden_core_bytes",
-        "no_exact_core_digests",
-        "no_target_lowering",
-        "no_bundle_admission",
-    ] {
-        assert!(
-            policy.contains(required),
-            "v0.2 release policy missing structured field: {required}"
-        );
-    }
-}
-
 #[test]
 fn core_cddl_declares_v1_semantic_model() {
     let root = repo_root().expect("repo root");