diff --git a/design/followups.md b/design/followups.md
index 8c9d56f..b3a1040 100644
--- a/design/followups.md
+++ b/design/followups.md
@@ -46,7 +46,11 @@ move to `## Resolved` with a date + commit hash.
 
 **Resolves when:** F19-F26 are all closed and the four DoD bullets above pass.
 
-**Cumulative execution log.** F19 + F23 (`ed17c07`); F24 (`7611d9e`); F20 (`9dfd193`); F22 (`43c10a1`); F21 (`5f98558`); F25 step 1 (`25dbd8d`); F25 step 2 landed in this commit:
+**Cumulative execution log.** F19 + F23 (`ed17c07`); F24 (`7611d9e`); F20 (`9dfd193`); F22 (`43c10a1`); F21 (`5f98558`); F25 step 1 (`25dbd8d`); F25 step 2 (`a2b8989`); F25 step 3 landed in this commit:
+- F25 step 3: response decoder foundation. New `mxaccess-asb::contracts::ItemStatus` ports `AsbContracts.cs:639-722` — Item (ItemIdentity) + Status (AsbStatus, F24) + ErrorCode u16 + ErrorCodeSpecified bool, in the .NET-WriteToStream order (Item / Status / ErrorCode / ErrorCodeSpecified — NOT the DataMember declaration order). `encode_item_status_array` / `decode_item_status_array` follow the same int32-count + per-element pattern. New `mxaccess-asb::operations::collect_asbidata_payloads(tokens, field_name)` walks an NBFX token stream and pulls out the `<{field_name}><ASBIData>{Bytes}</ASBIData></{field_name}>` payload bytes — handles multiple payloads (e.g. ReadResponse has both Status and Values). New `decode_register_items_response` / `decode_unregister_items_response` parse SOAP bodies into typed responses. New `build_read_request_body` adds the simplest unary IASBIDataV2 request shape. Plus a typed `OperationError` for response-decode failures (missing fields, codec errors). 9 new tests cover ItemStatus round-trip + array round-trip, RegisterItems response with status array, RegisterItems response detecting ItemCapabilities presence, UnregisterItems response, multi-payload extraction (`ReadResponse`-style with Status + Values), Read request body shape (no RegisterItems-only fields), and graceful MissingField error when Status is absent.
+
+**Earlier slices:**
+- F25 step 2 (commit `a2b8989`):
 - F25 step 2: per-operation request-body builders + `IAsbCustomSerializableType` binary fast-path. F21 NBFX gains `Bytes8/16/32` text records (used by `XmlDictionaryWriter.WriteBase64` for the `<ASBIData>` content). New `mxaccess-asb::contracts::ItemIdentity` ports the binary `WriteToStream` shape from `AsbContracts.cs:594-611`: u16 kind + u16 reference_type + `AsbBinary.WriteUnicodeString` Name + ContextName + u64 Id + u8 IdSpecified. Plus `encode_item_identity_array` / `decode_item_identity_array` mirroring `WriteArrayToStream` (4-byte int32 count + items). New `mxaccess-asb::operations` builds the SOAP body NBFX token streams: `build_register_items_request_body(items, require_id, register_only)` and `build_unregister_items_request_body(items)`. The `<ASBIData>` element is wrapped with raw NBFX `Bytes` records (the binary form of WCF's `WriteBase64`). 14 new tests cover ItemIdentity round-trip (default, with id, unicode), ItemIdentity array round-trip, AsbBinary unicode-string null/empty/value semantics, byte-layout pinning (21-byte minimum for default ItemIdentity, le-int32 array count), and the full RegisterItems → SoapEnvelope → encode → decode → recover-ItemIdentity-array round-trip through the entire stack.
 
 **Earlier slices:**
diff --git a/rust/crates/mxaccess-asb/src/contracts.rs b/rust/crates/mxaccess-asb/src/contracts.rs
index bb73b50..2394002 100644
--- a/rust/crates/mxaccess-asb/src/contracts.rs
+++ b/rust/crates/mxaccess-asb/src/contracts.rs
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 //!   round-trip — so the per-type cost is small once the
 //!   [`ItemIdentity`] reference establishes it.
 
-use mxaccess_codec::CodecError;
+use mxaccess_codec::{AsbStatus, CodecError};
 
 /// `ItemIdentity` per `AsbContracts.cs:533-633`. Wire layout:
 ///
@@ -121,6 +121,104 @@ impl ItemIdentity {
     }
 }
 
+/// `ItemStatus` per `AsbContracts.cs:639-722`. Wire layout (from the
+/// `WriteToStream` method at `cs:682-688`):
+///
+/// | Field          | Codec                       |
+/// |----------------|-----------------------------|
+/// | `Item`         | [`ItemIdentity`] binary form |
+/// | `Status`       | [`AsbStatus`] binary form    |
+/// | `ErrorCode`    | u16                          |
+/// | `ErrorCodeSpecified` | u8 (bool)              |
+///
+/// Note the field order on the wire (`Item` then `Status`) is **NOT**
+/// the `[DataMember(Order = …)]` declared order — `WriteToStream`
+/// hand-picks Item-first, Status-second, then the trailing pair.
+/// We mirror that exactly.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Default)]
+pub struct ItemStatus {
+    pub item: ItemIdentity,
+    pub status: AsbStatus,
+    pub error_code: u16,
+    pub error_code_specified: bool,
+}
+
+impl ItemStatus {
+    pub fn encode_into(&self, out: &mut Vec<u8>) {
+        self.item.encode_into(out);
+        self.status.encode_into(out);
+        out.extend_from_slice(&self.error_code.to_le_bytes());
+        out.push(if self.error_code_specified { 1 } else { 0 });
+    }
+
+    pub fn encode(&self) -> Vec<u8> {
+        let mut out = Vec::new();
+        self.encode_into(&mut out);
+        out
+    }
+
+    pub fn decode(input: &[u8]) -> Result<(Self, usize), CodecError> {
+        let (item, item_consumed) = ItemIdentity::decode(input)?;
+        let mut cursor = item_consumed;
+        let status_tail = input.get(cursor..).ok_or(CodecError::ShortRead {
+            expected: 5,
+            actual: 0,
+        })?;
+        let (status, status_consumed) = AsbStatus::decode(status_tail)?;
+        cursor += status_consumed;
+        let error_code = read_u16_le(input, &mut cursor)?;
+        let error_code_specified = read_u8(input, &mut cursor)? != 0;
+        Ok((
+            Self {
+                item,
+                status,
+                error_code,
+                error_code_specified,
+            },
+            cursor,
+        ))
+    }
+}
+
+/// Decode an array of `ItemStatus`es from the WCF custom-serializer
+/// binary form (4-byte int32 count + each item's `WriteToStream`
+/// output). Mirrors `ItemStatus.InitializeArrayFromStream`
+/// (`cs:702-711`).
+pub fn decode_item_status_array(input: &[u8]) -> Result<Vec<ItemStatus>, CodecError> {
+    let mut cursor = 0usize;
+    let count = read_i32_le(input, &mut cursor)?;
+    if count < 0 {
+        return Err(CodecError::Decode {
+            offset: 0,
+            reason: "negative item-status array count",
+            buffer_len: input.len(),
+        });
+    }
+    let mut out = Vec::with_capacity(count as usize);
+    for _ in 0..count {
+        let tail = input.get(cursor..).ok_or(CodecError::ShortRead {
+            expected: 1,
+            actual: 0,
+        })?;
+        let (item, consumed) = ItemStatus::decode(tail)?;
+        cursor += consumed;
+        out.push(item);
+    }
+    Ok(out)
+}
+
+/// Encode an array of `ItemStatus`es. Mirrors `ItemStatus.WriteArrayToStream`
+/// (`cs:713-721`) — 4-byte int32 count + each element's `WriteToStream`.
+pub fn encode_item_status_array(items: &[ItemStatus]) -> Vec<u8> {
+    let mut out = Vec::new();
+    let count = i32::try_from(items.len()).unwrap_or(i32::MAX);
+    out.extend_from_slice(&count.to_le_bytes());
+    for item in items {
+        item.encode_into(&mut out);
+    }
+    out
+}
+
 /// Encode an array of `IAsbCustomSerializableType` items per
 /// `AsbDataCustomSerializer.WriteObjectContent` array branch
 /// (`AsbContracts.cs:1583-1591` — calls `WriteArrayToStream` which
@@ -360,6 +458,42 @@ mod tests {
         );
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn item_status_round_trip() {
+        let s = ItemStatus {
+            item: ItemIdentity::absolute_by_name("Tag.X"),
+            status: AsbStatus {
+                count: -1,
+                payload: vec![0xC0],
+            },
+            error_code: 0x1234,
+            error_code_specified: true,
+        };
+        let bytes = s.encode();
+        let (decoded, consumed) = ItemStatus::decode(&bytes).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(consumed, bytes.len());
+        assert_eq!(decoded, s);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn item_status_array_round_trip() {
+        let arr = vec![
+            ItemStatus::default(),
+            ItemStatus {
+                item: ItemIdentity::absolute_by_name("Tag.A"),
+                status: AsbStatus {
+                    count: 1,
+                    payload: vec![0x01, 0x02],
+                },
+                error_code: 42,
+                error_code_specified: true,
+            },
+        ];
+        let bytes = encode_item_status_array(&arr);
+        let decoded = decode_item_status_array(&bytes).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(decoded, arr);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn item_identity_array_count_is_le_int32() {
         let items = vec![ItemIdentity::default(); 7];
diff --git a/rust/crates/mxaccess-asb/src/lib.rs b/rust/crates/mxaccess-asb/src/lib.rs
index 2e8766d..80ec157 100644
--- a/rust/crates/mxaccess-asb/src/lib.rs
+++ b/rust/crates/mxaccess-asb/src/lib.rs
@@ -14,11 +14,15 @@ pub mod envelope;
 pub mod operations;
 
 pub use contracts::{
-    ItemIdentity, ItemIdentityType, ItemReferenceType, decode_item_identity_array,
-    encode_item_identity_array,
+    ItemIdentity, ItemIdentityType, ItemReferenceType, ItemStatus, decode_item_identity_array,
+    decode_item_status_array, encode_item_identity_array, encode_item_status_array,
 };
 pub use envelope::{
     ConnectionValidator, DecodedEnvelope, EnvelopeError, SoapEnvelope, actions, decode_envelope,
     encode_envelope,
 };
-pub use operations::{build_register_items_request_body, build_unregister_items_request_body};
+pub use operations::{
+    OperationError, RegisterItemsResponse, UnregisterItemsResponse, build_read_request_body,
+    build_register_items_request_body, build_unregister_items_request_body,
+    collect_asbidata_payloads, decode_register_items_response, decode_unregister_items_response,
+};
diff --git a/rust/crates/mxaccess-asb/src/operations.rs b/rust/crates/mxaccess-asb/src/operations.rs
index e4ce584..c3cdef2 100644
--- a/rust/crates/mxaccess-asb/src/operations.rs
+++ b/rust/crates/mxaccess-asb/src/operations.rs
@@ -36,8 +36,11 @@
 //!   `InitializeArrayFromStream` shape.
 
 use mxaccess_asb_nettcp::nbfx::{NbfxName, NbfxText, NbfxToken};
+use mxaccess_codec::CodecError;
 
-use crate::contracts::{ItemIdentity, encode_item_identity_array};
+use crate::contracts::{
+    ItemIdentity, ItemStatus, decode_item_status_array, encode_item_identity_array,
+};
 
 /// Build the NBFX token stream for the body of a `RegisterItemsIn`
 /// SOAP envelope. The caller wraps it via [`crate::SoapEnvelope`] +
@@ -75,6 +78,135 @@ pub fn build_register_items_request_body(
     )
 }
 
+/// Build the NBFX token stream for `ReadIn`. Mirror of
+/// `AsbContracts.cs:161-167`:
+/// ```xml
+/// <ReadRequest xmlns="urn:msg.data.asb.iom:2">
+///   <Items><ASBIData>{int32 count + each ItemIdentity}</ASBIData></Items>
+/// </ReadRequest>
+/// ```
+pub fn build_read_request_body(items: &[ItemIdentity]) -> Vec<NbfxToken> {
+    let payload = encode_item_identity_array(items);
+    asbidata_request_body("ReadRequest", &[BodyField::asbidata("Items", payload)])
+}
+
+/// Decoded `RegisterItemsResponse`. The `Status` array is binary-decoded
+/// via `decode_item_status_array`. The optional `ItemCapabilities`
+/// (`ItemRegistration[]`) field is **not** decoded here — that contract
+/// is regular WCF XML serialization rather than the binary
+/// `IAsbCustomSerializableType` fast-path, so it's deferred. Today we
+/// just count whether it appeared in the body. See follow-up F28.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
+pub struct RegisterItemsResponse {
+    pub status: Vec<ItemStatus>,
+    /// Whether the `<ItemCapabilities>` element appeared. Decoding the
+    /// individual `ItemRegistration` records is a future iteration.
+    pub item_capabilities_present: bool,
+}
+
+/// Decoded `UnregisterItemsResponse`. Single field: the per-item
+/// `Status` array (`AsbContracts.cs:153-159`).
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
+pub struct UnregisterItemsResponse {
+    pub status: Vec<ItemStatus>,
+}
+
+/// Decode a `RegisterItemsResponse` SOAP body from the NBFX token
+/// stream returned by [`crate::decode_envelope`].
+pub fn decode_register_items_response(
+    body_tokens: &[NbfxToken],
+) -> Result<RegisterItemsResponse, OperationError> {
+    let payloads = collect_asbidata_payloads(body_tokens, "Status");
+    let status_payload = payloads
+        .into_iter()
+        .next()
+        .ok_or(OperationError::MissingField { field: "Status" })?;
+    let status = decode_item_status_array(&status_payload)?;
+    let item_capabilities_present = find_element_named(body_tokens, "ItemCapabilities").is_some();
+    Ok(RegisterItemsResponse {
+        status,
+        item_capabilities_present,
+    })
+}
+
+/// Decode an `UnregisterItemsResponse` SOAP body.
+pub fn decode_unregister_items_response(
+    body_tokens: &[NbfxToken],
+) -> Result<UnregisterItemsResponse, OperationError> {
+    let payloads = collect_asbidata_payloads(body_tokens, "Status");
+    let status_payload = payloads
+        .into_iter()
+        .next()
+        .ok_or(OperationError::MissingField { field: "Status" })?;
+    let status = decode_item_status_array(&status_payload)?;
+    Ok(UnregisterItemsResponse { status })
+}
+
+/// Walk a SOAP body's NBFX token stream and pull out the
+/// `<ASBIData>{Bytes}</ASBIData>` payload bytes for any element named
+/// `field_name`. Returns `Vec<Vec<u8>>` because some response shapes
+/// have multiple ASBIData payloads (e.g. `ReadResponse` has both
+/// `Status` and `Values`).
+///
+/// Operates on token windows rather than tracking element depth — the
+/// response shapes are shallow enough that name-keyed scanning is
+/// reliable. Returns whichever payloads it finds; missing fields
+/// surface as an empty `Vec`.
+pub fn collect_asbidata_payloads(tokens: &[NbfxToken], field_name: &str) -> Vec<Vec<u8>> {
+    let mut out = Vec::new();
+    let mut idx = 0;
+    while idx < tokens.len() {
+        if let Some(NbfxToken::Element {
+            name: NbfxName::Inline(local),
+            ..
+        }) = tokens.get(idx)
+        {
+            if local == field_name {
+                // Skip attributes / namespace decls.
+                let mut inner = idx + 1;
+                while matches!(
+                    tokens.get(inner),
+                    Some(NbfxToken::Attribute { .. })
+                        | Some(NbfxToken::DefaultNamespace { .. })
+                        | Some(NbfxToken::NamespaceDeclaration { .. })
+                ) {
+                    inner += 1;
+                }
+                if let Some(NbfxToken::Element {
+                    name: NbfxName::Inline(asbidata),
+                    ..
+                }) = tokens.get(inner)
+                {
+                    if asbidata == "ASBIData" {
+                        if let Some(NbfxToken::Text(NbfxText::Bytes(payload))) =
+                            tokens.get(inner + 1)
+                        {
+                            out.push(payload.clone());
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        idx += 1;
+    }
+    out
+}
+
+fn find_element_named<'a>(tokens: &'a [NbfxToken], name: &str) -> Option<&'a NbfxToken> {
+    tokens.iter().find(|tok| {
+        matches!(tok, NbfxToken::Element { name: NbfxName::Inline(local), .. } if local == name)
+    })
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, thiserror::Error)]
+#[non_exhaustive]
+pub enum OperationError {
+    #[error("response is missing required field {field}")]
+    MissingField { field: &'static str },
+    #[error("codec error decoding response: {0}")]
+    Codec(#[from] CodecError),
+}
+
 /// Build the NBFX token stream for `UnregisterItemsIn`. Mirror of
 /// `AsbContracts.cs:145-159`:
 /// ```xml
@@ -307,6 +439,155 @@ mod tests {
         }
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn read_request_body_uses_correct_outer_element_and_no_register_fields() {
+        let body = build_read_request_body(&[ItemIdentity::absolute_by_name("Tag.X")]);
+        assert!(matches!(
+            &body[0],
+            NbfxToken::Element { name: NbfxName::Inline(s), .. } if s == "ReadRequest"
+        ));
+        // The Read contract has only `Items`. RequireId / RegisterOnly /
+        // Values are NOT present.
+        for tok in &body {
+            if let NbfxToken::Element {
+                name: NbfxName::Inline(local),
+                ..
+            } = tok
+            {
+                assert!(local != "RequireId");
+                assert!(local != "RegisterOnly");
+                assert!(local != "Values");
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn register_items_response_round_trips_status_array() {
+        use mxaccess_codec::AsbStatus;
+        let status = vec![
+            ItemStatus {
+                item: ItemIdentity::absolute_by_name("Tag.A"),
+                status: AsbStatus {
+                    count: 0,
+                    payload: vec![],
+                },
+                error_code: 0,
+                error_code_specified: true,
+            },
+            ItemStatus {
+                item: ItemIdentity::absolute_by_name("Tag.B"),
+                status: AsbStatus {
+                    count: -1,
+                    payload: vec![0xC0],
+                },
+                error_code: 7,
+                error_code_specified: true,
+            },
+        ];
+        let payload = crate::contracts::encode_item_status_array(&status);
+
+        // Build a synthetic response body matching the wire shape.
+        let body = asbidata_request_body(
+            "RegisterItemsResponse",
+            &[BodyField::asbidata("Status", payload)],
+        );
+
+        let decoded = decode_register_items_response(&body).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(decoded.status, status);
+        assert!(!decoded.item_capabilities_present);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn register_items_response_records_when_item_capabilities_appears() {
+        use mxaccess_codec::AsbStatus;
+        let status = vec![ItemStatus {
+            item: ItemIdentity::absolute_by_name("X"),
+            status: AsbStatus::default(),
+            error_code: 0,
+            error_code_specified: false,
+        }];
+        let status_payload = crate::contracts::encode_item_status_array(&status);
+
+        // Synthesise a body with both Status and ItemCapabilities elements.
+        let mut body = asbidata_request_body(
+            "RegisterItemsResponse",
+            &[BodyField::asbidata("Status", status_payload)],
+        );
+        // Splice in a synthetic ItemCapabilities element before the
+        // outer EndElement.
+        let close_idx = body.len() - 1;
+        body.insert(
+            close_idx,
+            NbfxToken::Element {
+                prefix: None,
+                name: NbfxName::Inline("ItemCapabilities".to_string()),
+            },
+        );
+        body.insert(close_idx + 1, NbfxToken::EndElement);
+
+        let decoded = decode_register_items_response(&body).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(decoded.status, status);
+        assert!(decoded.item_capabilities_present);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn unregister_items_response_round_trips() {
+        use mxaccess_codec::AsbStatus;
+        let status = vec![ItemStatus {
+            item: ItemIdentity::absolute_by_name("Tag.Y"),
+            status: AsbStatus {
+                count: 1,
+                payload: vec![0x40],
+            },
+            error_code: 0,
+            error_code_specified: false,
+        }];
+        let payload = crate::contracts::encode_item_status_array(&status);
+        let body = asbidata_request_body(
+            "UnregisterItemsResponse",
+            &[BodyField::asbidata("Status", payload)],
+        );
+        let decoded = decode_unregister_items_response(&body).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(decoded.status, status);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn collect_asbidata_payloads_returns_empty_when_field_missing() {
+        let body = vec![
+            NbfxToken::Element {
+                prefix: None,
+                name: NbfxName::Inline("Empty".to_string()),
+            },
+            NbfxToken::EndElement,
+        ];
+        assert!(collect_asbidata_payloads(&body, "Status").is_empty());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn collect_asbidata_payloads_handles_multiple_fields() {
+        let body = asbidata_request_body(
+            "ReadResponse",
+            &[
+                BodyField::asbidata("Status", vec![1, 2, 3]),
+                BodyField::asbidata("Values", vec![4, 5, 6, 7]),
+            ],
+        );
+        let status = collect_asbidata_payloads(&body, "Status");
+        let values = collect_asbidata_payloads(&body, "Values");
+        assert_eq!(status, vec![vec![1u8, 2, 3]]);
+        assert_eq!(values, vec![vec![4u8, 5, 6, 7]]);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn decode_register_items_response_returns_missing_field_when_status_absent() {
+        let body = asbidata_request_body("RegisterItemsResponse", &[]);
+        let err = decode_register_items_response(&body).unwrap_err();
+        assert!(matches!(
+            err,
+            OperationError::MissingField { field: "Status" }
+        ));
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn empty_items_array_still_produces_valid_envelope() {
         let body = build_register_items_request_body(&[], false, false);