test(contracts): scope command-reply fixture invariants past the CLI-40/41 authenticate-user malformed-reply fixtures

The blanket loop asserted HRESULT/Statuses/ReturnValue on every command_replies fixture, but the authenticate-user.* fixtures added for the malformed-reply and credential-redaction contracts deliberately omit them (NRE on ReturnValue.DataType). Keep universal Kind/ProtocolStatus invariants for all; apply the MXAccess-detail block only to fixtures that carry it. Test-only.
docs(archreview): record next-cycle candidate findings + pending operator actions surfaced during remediation
2026-08-07 08:48:49 -04:00 · 2026-08-07 08:48:03 -04:00 · 2026-08-07 08:47:31 -04:00 · 2026-08-07 08:11:57 -04:00 · 2026-08-07 08:10:39 -04:00 · 2026-08-07 08:09:39 -04:00
135 changed files with 6914 additions and 543 deletions
@@ -60,7 +60,19 @@ jobs:
          dotnet tool install --global PowerShell
          echo "$HOME/.dotnet/tools" >> "$GITHUB_PATH"

-      # IPC-01 / IPC-19 / IPC-20: descriptor set + Contracts/Generated must match the current protos.
+      # IPC-25 Check 4 regenerates the Go and Python client bindings and diffs them, so the pinned
+      # generators must be present. protoc 34.1 is already installed above; Go and Python are set up
+      # above. Pin protoc-gen-go / protoc-gen-go-grpc to match the committed header stamps and grpcio
+      # -tools to match the committed _pb2 stamp, or Check 4 false-fails (or masks drift) under churn.
+      - name: Install pinned client codegen generators (Check 4)
+        run: |
+          go install google.golang.org/protobuf/cmd/protoc-gen-go@v1.36.11
+          go install google.golang.org/grpc/cmd/protoc-gen-go-grpc@v1.6.2
+          echo "$(go env GOPATH)/bin" >> "$GITHUB_PATH"
+          python -m pip install 'grpcio-tools==1.80.0'
+
+      # IPC-01 / IPC-19 / IPC-20 / IPC-25: descriptor set + Contracts/Generated + Go/Python bindings
+      # must match the current protos.
      - name: Codegen / descriptor freshness
        shell: pwsh
        run: ./scripts/check-codegen.ps1
@@ -93,10 +105,12 @@ jobs:
          python -m pytest

  java:
-    # Java client runs on a JDK-17 Linux runner (the macOS dev box has no JRE). The protobuf gradle
-    # plugin rewrites MxaccessGateway.java with spurious protobuf-runtime-version churn on every
-    # build; when no .proto changed, revert that one file so checkGeneratedClean / a dirty tree does
-    # not fail the build (repo memory project_java_generated_churn).
+    # Java client runs on a JDK-17 Linux runner (the macOS dev box has no JRE). The grpc/protobuf
+    # toolchain is fully pinned (clients/java/build.gradle: grpcVersion 1.76.0 / protobufVersion
+    # 4.33.1), so a regeneration is byte-identical to the committed aggregates modulo real .proto
+    # changes — `Verify generated tree is clean` (git diff) is the true drift gate (IPC-24). The
+    # single-file Java aggregates are where message-level proto drift lands, so this job now catches
+    # a .proto edited without regenerating and committing the Java client.
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -115,13 +129,10 @@ jobs:
      - name: Gradle test
        working-directory: clients/java
        run: gradle test
-      - name: Revert spurious protobuf-version churn (no .proto changed)
-        # Both generated aggregates can pick up protobuf-runtime-version churn on regen; revert
-        # both so verify-clean still catches a real, uncommitted proto/codegen change elsewhere.
-        run: |
-          git checkout -- clients/java/src/main/generated/main/java/mxaccess_gateway/v1/MxaccessGateway.java || true
-          git checkout -- clients/java/src/main/generated/main/java/mxaccess_worker/v1/MxaccessWorker.java || true
      - name: Verify generated tree is clean
+        # IPC-24: the pinned grpc/protobuf toolchain regenerates byte-identical output, so this
+        # git-diff gate now catches message-level proto drift in the single-file Java aggregates
+        # (the old unconditional churn-revert step masked exactly that class and was deleted).
        run: git diff --exit-code -- clients/java/src/main/generated

  windows-x86:
@@ -156,8 +156,11 @@ accept a `browseSubtreeGlobs` param, so either fix is small plumbing:
   Delete mxaccessgw's own `Galaxy/GalaxyRepositoryServiceCollectionExtensions.cs` registrations.

 4. **Option validation** — the shared lib **binds only, ships no validator** (deliberate). mxaccessgw
-   already validates Galaxy options via `Configuration/GatewayOptionsValidator.cs` — **keep that**; it
-   stays the owner of fail-fast validation, exactly as HistorianGateway's `ConfigPreflight` does.
+   stays the owner of fail-fast Galaxy validation. **Updated 2026-08-07 (SEC-33):** this is now a dedicated
+   `Configuration/GalaxyRepositoryOptionsValidator.cs` (registered as `IValidateOptions<GalaxyRepositoryOptions>`
+   with `ValidateOnStart`), which enforces a valid, host-rooted `SnapshotCachePath` when `PersistSnapshot`
+   is true — exactly as HistorianGateway's `ConfigPreflight` does. (The original handoff pointed at
+   `GatewayOptionsValidator.cs`, but that validator does not see the lib-bound `GalaxyRepositoryOptions`.)

 5. **Health check** — keep mxaccessgw's existing Galaxy-SQL readiness check; read the connection
   string from the same `MxGateway:Galaxy` section the lib binds (HistorianGateway does this with a raw
@@ -189,11 +192,15 @@ be **deleted**. **Keep** the mxaccessgw-specific ones that exercise behavior the
 ## Post-adoption notes / caveats

 - **Deployment config (NSSM):** the deployed services (`MxAccessGw` on 10.100.0.48; the wonder host) read
-  config from **NSSM environment variables, not `appsettings.json`**. The lib's `SnapshotCachePath` default
-  is empty (persistence no-ops). `appsettings.json` sets `MxGateway:Galaxy:SnapshotCachePath` +
-  `PersistSnapshot`, but the deployments must carry `MxGateway__Galaxy__SnapshotCachePath` and
-  `MxGateway__Galaxy__PersistSnapshot` in their NSSM env on redeploy, or snapshot persistence silently
-  no-ops in production.
+  config from **NSSM environment variables, not `appsettings.json`**. **Updated 2026-08-07 (SEC-33):** the
+  lib's own `SnapshotCachePath` default is empty (would no-op persistence), but mxaccessgw no longer relies
+  on it. `appsettings.json` no longer sets `SnapshotCachePath` at all; instead the gateway seeds a
+  `CommonApplicationData`-derived default (`C:\ProgramData\MxGateway\galaxy-snapshot.json` on the Windows
+  hosts) when the bound value is blank, and `GalaxyRepositoryOptionsValidator` fails startup if
+  `PersistSnapshot` is true with a non-rooted/invalid path. So `MxGateway__Galaxy__SnapshotCachePath` in the
+  NSSM env is now **optional** (an override), not required — a deployment that omits it gets the rooted host
+  default and persistence works; it no longer silently no-ops. `MxGateway__Galaxy__PersistSnapshot` still
+  governs whether persistence runs at all.
 - **Pre-existing NU1903 (unrelated) — ✅ RESOLVED (2026-07-18, commit `2f0cfe3`):** adding the package surfaced a transitive `SQLitePCLRaw.lib.e_sqlite3`
  2.1.11 advisory (GHSA-2m69-gcr7-jv3q, at the time no upstream patch) that breaks the build under `TreatWarningsAsErrors`
  — already red on `main`. Initially resolved with a targeted `NuGetAuditSuppress` in `src/Directory.Build.props`
@@ -12,9 +12,9 @@ This document turns the 2026-07-12 re-review's **new** Gateway Server Core findi
 | GWC-25 | Medium | P0 | S | CLI-35/36 (coord) | Done | Empty-ring ReplayGap sentinel carries `oldest_available_sequence = 0`, dead-streaming a compliant client |
 | GWC-26 | Low | P2 | M | GWC-27 | Done | Alarm monitor attaches its subscriber after SubscribeAlarms; window transitions bypass the feed, missed Acknowledge never repaired |
 | GWC-27 | Low | P2 | S | GWC-26 | Done | `AttachInternalEventSubscriber` bypasses the readiness gate; premature attach poisons the distributor permanently |
-| GWC-28 | Low | P2 | S | GWC-10 (coord) | Not started | Gateway→worker envelope `sequence` stamped at creation, not at write — non-monotonic on the wire under concurrent invokes |
-| GWC-29 | Low | — | S | — | Not started | `Invoke` deep-clones the entire request only to discard the cloned command |
-| GWC-30 | Info | — | S | — | Not started | Frame reader allocates a fresh 4-byte length-prefix array per frame |
+| GWC-28 | Low | P2 | S | GWC-10 (coord) | Done | Gateway→worker envelope `sequence` stamped at creation, not at write — non-monotonic on the wire under concurrent invokes |
+| GWC-29 | Low | — | S | — | Done | `Invoke` deep-clones the entire request only to discard the cloned command |
+| GWC-30 | Info | — | S | — | Done | Frame reader allocates a fresh 4-byte length-prefix array per frame |

 Dependency notes: GWC-26 and GWC-27 both change the internal-subscriber attach path (`GatewaySession.AttachInternalEventSubscriber` and its `SessionManager`/alarm-monitor callers) — land GWC-27's readiness gate first (or in the same commit), then GWC-26's reorder, so the reordered monitor attach is proven against the gate. GWC-24 is the direct successor of the prior cycle's GWC-04 backpressure fix and raises the value of the still-open GWC-21 (making `EventChannelFullModeTimeout` configurable); GWC-28 is the gateway half of the worker's WRK-04 fix and must be coordinated with the still-open GWC-10 if inbound sequence enforcement is ever added. GWC-25 is server-complete on its own, but the end-to-end reconnect story also needs the client-domain CLI-35/36 fixes (Python CLI crashes on the sentinel, Go CLI destroys it).

@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ Coordinate with (do not block on) open GWC-21: if `EventChannelFullModeTimeout`

 The proto comment currently states "`oldest_available_sequence` itself IS still retained", which becomes false in the empty-ring case — per the docs-with-source rule, amend the field comment in the same commit to define the empty-ring value ("when nothing is retained, this is the next sequence that can be delivered — `highest observed + 1` — and the `oldest − 1` resume formula remains valid; the interval evicted is unchanged"). This is a comment-only proto change (no descriptor delta), but the repo's codegen rules still apply — see the steps.

-**Implementation.**
+**Implementation.** (Code + `docs/Sessions.md` landed 2026-08-07 on `fix/gwc-25-replaygap-trio`; the deferred proto-comment amendment below **landed 2026-08-07** with the IPC-23 codegen wave on `fix/ipc-24-25-codegen` — GWC-25 is fully resolved.)
 - `Sessions/SessionEventDistributor.cs:463-467`: replace `oldestAvailableSequence = 0;` with `oldestAvailableSequence = gap ? _highestSequenceSeen + 1 : 0;` plus a comment explaining the `oldest − 1` client formula this must keep valid (cite this finding).
 - `src/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Contracts/Protos/mxaccess_gateway.proto` (`ReplayGap.oldest_available_sequence`, ~line 759): append the empty-ring sentence above. Then regenerate per repo rules: delete `src/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Contracts/Generated/*.cs`, `dotnet build src/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Contracts/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Contracts.csproj`, and **commit `Generated/`** (net48 worker builds break otherwise). Sync the vendored client copies of the proto byte-identical (`clients/*/`); a comment-only edit changes no descriptor, so: Python `*_pb2*` output is unchanged (comments are not embedded — regenerate with the pinned grpcio-tools only if the files actually differ), Go/C#/Rust generated doc comments will churn — regenerate those per each client README, and revert spurious Java aggregate-file churn if no message-level delta appears (per the established Java convention).
 - `docs/Sessions.md` (~lines 228-234, ReplayGap section): document the empty-ring sentinel value and that `after_worker_sequence = oldest_available_sequence − 1` is the universal resume formula in both the retained and fully-evicted cases.
@@ -16,14 +16,14 @@ members, no positional records). The worker builds and tests only on the Windows

 | ID | Sev | Tier | Eff | Dep | Status | Title |
 |----|-----|------|-----|-----|--------|-------|
-| WRK-21 | Medium | P0 | M | IPC-23 (same defect, fix owned here); WRK-28 (same lines) | Not started | DrainEvents bound is count-based only; an oversized reply still kills the session and loses the drained events |
-| WRK-22 | Low | — | S | IPC-26 (same defect, fix owned here) | Not started | Cancelled `WriteAsync` leaves its frame queued; it is still written later |
-| WRK-23 | Low | — | S | WRK-21 (rejection path becomes backstop-only) | Not started | Rejected frames consume sequence numbers, producing wire gaps |
-| WRK-24 | Low | — | S | — | Not started | `AdoptNegotiatedMaxMessageBytes` has no lower-bound sanity check |
-| WRK-25 | Low | P2 | S | WRK-22 (both touch enqueue/dequeue) | Not started | WRK-12 flush coalescing never engages on the event hot path |
-| WRK-26 | Low | P1 | S | WRK-23 (soft — sequence prose); discharges IPC-29 | Not started | Write-priority and overflow doc drift from the WRK-07 change |
-| WRK-27 | Low | — | S | — | Not started | Alarm poll bypasses the watchdog's in-flight suppression (15 s vs 75 s) |
-| WRK-28 | Low | — | S | WRK-21 (land in the same commit cluster) | Not started | 10,000 drain cap is a duplicated magic constant with a comment-only sync contract |
+| WRK-21 | Medium | P0 | M | IPC-23 (same defect, fix owned here); WRK-28 (same lines) | Done | DrainEvents bound is count-based only; an oversized reply still kills the session and loses the drained events |
+| WRK-22 | Low | — | S | IPC-26 (same defect, fix owned here) | Done | Cancelled `WriteAsync` leaves its frame queued; it is still written later |
+| WRK-23 | Low | — | S | WRK-21 (rejection path becomes backstop-only) | Done | Rejected frames consume sequence numbers, producing wire gaps |
+| WRK-24 | Low | — | S | — | Done | `AdoptNegotiatedMaxMessageBytes` has no lower-bound sanity check |
+| WRK-25 | Low | P2 | S | WRK-22 (both touch enqueue/dequeue) | Done | WRK-12 flush coalescing never engages on the event hot path |
+| WRK-26 | Low | P1 | S | WRK-23 (soft — sequence prose); discharges IPC-29 | Done | Write-priority and overflow doc drift from the WRK-07 change |
+| WRK-27 | Low | — | S | — | Done | Alarm poll bypasses the watchdog's in-flight suppression (15 s vs 75 s) |
+| WRK-28 | Low | — | S | WRK-21 (land in the same commit cluster) | Done | 10,000 drain cap is a duplicated magic constant with a comment-only sync contract |

 ---

@@ -12,16 +12,16 @@ All `path:line` citations were re-verified against the working tree at `4f5371f`

 | ID | Sev | Tier | Eff | Dep | Status | Title |
 |----|-----|------|-----|-----|--------|-------|
-| IPC-23 | Medium | P0 | S¹ | WRK-21 | Not started | DrainEvents bound is count-based only; byte-heavy queue still builds a session-killing reply frame (contract requirements here; fix mechanics in WRK-21) |
-| IPC-24 | Medium | P0 | S | — | Not started | CI's unconditional Java churn-revert masks real generated-code drift for message-level proto changes |
-| IPC-25 | Medium | P0 | M | — | Not started | Committed Go/Python worker bindings are stale at HEAD; no guard covers them |
-| IPC-26 | Low | P2 | S¹ | WRK-22 | Not started | Cancelled write leaves a ghost frame that is still written (contract requirement here; fix mechanics in WRK-22) |
-| IPC-27 | Low | P2 | S | — | Not started | Descriptor freshness test blind to enums, enum values, services/methods, and the Galaxy contract |
-| IPC-28 | Low | — | S | — | Not started | `docs/Grpc.md` omits the `CommandTooLarge` → `ResourceExhausted` mapping |
-| IPC-29 | Low | — | S | — | Not started | Worker writer priority scheduling and write-time sequence stamping undocumented in the frame-protocol doc |
-| IPC-30 | Low | P0 | M | WRK-21 (same file/batch) | Not started | Oversized worker→gateway event frame is session-fatal — make the death deliberate, structured, and diagnosable |
+| IPC-23 | Medium | P0 | S¹ | WRK-21 | Done | DrainEvents bound is count-based only; byte-heavy queue still builds a session-killing reply frame (contract requirements here; fix mechanics in WRK-21) |
+| IPC-24 | Medium | P0 | S | — | Done | CI's unconditional Java churn-revert masks real generated-code drift for message-level proto changes |
+| IPC-25 | Medium | P0 | M | — | Done | Committed Go/Python worker bindings are stale at HEAD; no guard covers them |
+| IPC-26 | Low | P2 | S¹ | WRK-22 | Done (mechanics landed in WRK-22) | Cancelled write leaves a ghost frame that is still written (contract requirement here; fix mechanics in WRK-22) |
+| IPC-27 | Low | P2 | S | — | Done | Descriptor freshness test blind to enums, enum values, services/methods, and the Galaxy contract |
+| IPC-28 | Low | — | S | — | Done | `docs/Grpc.md` omits the `CommandTooLarge` → `ResourceExhausted` mapping |
+| IPC-29 | Low | — | S | — | Done (discharged by WRK-26) | Worker writer priority scheduling and write-time sequence stamping undocumented in the frame-protocol doc |
+| IPC-30 | Low | P0 | M | WRK-21 (same file/batch) | Done | Oversized worker→gateway event frame is session-fatal — make the death deliberate, structured, and diagnosable |
 | IPC-31 | Info | — | — | — | N/A | Gateway stamps sequence at creation, worker at write — accepted divergence; sequence is documented diagnostic-only (`gateway.md:328-330`); revisit only if sequence ever becomes load-bearing |
-| IPC-32 | Info | — | S | IPC-25 | Not started | `check-codegen.ps1` check labels miscounted (folded into the IPC-25 script edit) |
+| IPC-32 | Info | — | S | IPC-25 | Done | `check-codegen.ps1` check labels miscounted (folded into the IPC-25 script edit) |

 ¹ Effort for the work owned by *this* plan (proto comments + docs + acceptance criteria). The code mechanics are M and are tracked under WRK-21 / WRK-22 in the worker plan.

@@ -12,10 +12,10 @@ Repo rules that bind every entry: docs change in the same commit as the source (
 |----|-----|------|-----|-----|--------|-------|
 | SEC-31 | Medium | P0 | M | — | Done | Failure limiter partitions on attacker-controlled key id and blocks before verification (lockout DoS) |
 | SEC-32 | Low | P0 | S | SEC-31 | Done | Failure-limiter LRU is flushable by junk-token spray; token prefix never validated |
-| SEC-33 | Low | P1 | M | — (co-locate SEC-23) | Not started | Any-platform path-rooting acceptance re-opens SEC-01 on Unix; Galaxy `SnapshotCachePath` unvalidated |
-| SEC-34 | Low | P2 | S | — | Not started | Verification cache: expiry outlives TTL; `Invalidate` races in-flight repopulation |
-| SEC-35 | Info | — | S | — | N/A (doc-only note) | Production hard-stops key on the exact `Production` environment name |
-| SEC-36 | Low | P1 | M | cross-repo (`scadaproj/infra/glauth`) | Not started | Committed dev LDAP service-account password: remove from repo and rotate |
+| SEC-33 | Low | P1 | M | — (co-locate SEC-23) | Done | Any-platform path-rooting acceptance re-opens SEC-01 on Unix; Galaxy `SnapshotCachePath` unvalidated |
+| SEC-34 | Low | P2 | S | — | Done | Verification cache: expiry outlives TTL; `Invalidate` races in-flight repopulation |
+| SEC-35 | Info | — | S | — | N/A (doc-only note discharged 2026-08-07) | Production hard-stops key on the exact `Production` environment name |
+| SEC-36 | Low | P1 | M | cross-repo (`scadaproj/infra/glauth`) | Done (repo-side; live rotation operator-pending per runbook) | Committed dev LDAP service-account password: remove from repo and rotate |

 ---

@@ -135,6 +135,8 @@ dotnet test src/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Tests/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Tests.csproj --fil
 ```
 Post-run, verify no new `C:\*` file exists under any `bin/` (manual `find src -name 'C:*'`).

+**Outcome (2026-08-07 — Done).** Implemented as designed. `IsRootedForAnyPlatform` deleted; `AddIfNotRooted`/`AddIfInvalidPath` promoted to a shared `GatewayConfigPathRules` internal helper (used by both validators) and now use `Path.IsPathRooted` (current OS). Both Windows literals removed from `appsettings.json`; the Galaxy `SnapshotCachePath` default is applied gateway-side via a configuration value seeded before `AddZbGalaxyRepository` (the package's `SnapshotCachePath` is **init-only**, so a `PostConfigure` mutation does not compile — deviation from the design's "PostConfigure default"; same effect). New `GalaxyRepositoryOptionsValidator` registered with `ValidateOnStart`. **Stray-file root cause:** starting the full host eagerly constructs `AuthSqliteConnectionFactory`, which creates the auth DB path; with the shipped Windows literal that path is non-rooted on macOS, so SQLite materialized `C:\ProgramData\MxGateway\gateway-auth.db` as a junk-named relative file under the test's `bin/` CWD (invisible to the hygiene test's bin/obj filter). After the literal removal the code default resolves under an unwritable `/usr/share` on macOS, so the three tests that start the real host (`GatewayApplicationTests.Build_MapsMetricsEndpoint`, `.StartAsync_InvalidGatewayConfiguration_FailsStartup`, `GatewayTlsBootstrapTests`) now pin `SqlitePath` to a temp path. No stray file remains (`find src -name 'C:*'` empty).
+
 ---

 ## SEC-34 — Verification cache: expiry outlives TTL; `Invalidate` races in-flight repopulation   `Low` · `P2`
@@ -165,6 +167,8 @@ Post-run, verify no new `C:\*` file exists under any `bin/` (manual `find src -n
 dotnet test src/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Tests/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Tests.csproj --filter "FullyQualifiedName~CachingApiKeyVerifier"
 ```

+**Outcome (2026-08-07 — Done).** Window 3 (Invalidate race) implemented exactly as designed: per-key generation counter, bump-before-evict in `Invalidate`, snapshot-before-inner + set-then-recheck in `VerifyAsync`, key id parsed from the token up front. Covered by `Invalidate_DuringInFlightVerification_DiscardsStaleRepopulation`. **Window 2 (expiry cap) took the documented fallback**, not the cap: the design's confirmation step failed — the library verification identity (`ZB.MOM.WW.Auth.Abstractions.ApiKeys.ApiKeyIdentity`, the type on `ApiKeyVerification.Identity`) carries **no** `ExpiresUtc` (that property is on `ApiKeyRecord`, the store row, not the returned identity), so the cache cannot cap an entry at the key's expiry. Per the design's contingency, the ≤ TTL expiry window is documented in the class remarks and `docs/Authentication.md`, with a donor-library ask (surface expiry on the verification identity). Consequently the two expiry-cap tests (`CacheEntry_DoesNotOutliveKeyExpiry`, `AlreadyExpiredIdentity_IsNotCached`) are **not** added — they cannot be written against a type with no expiry field; window 1 (CLI) accepted and documented as before.
+
 ---

 ## SEC-35 — Production hard-stops key on the exact `Production` environment name   `Info` · `—` (N/A: doc-only)
@@ -179,6 +183,8 @@ dotnet test src/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Tests/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Tests.csproj --fil

 **Verification.** Doc-only; no build. Cross-read against `GatewayOptionsValidator.cs:23-27`.

+**Outcome (2026-08-07 — discharged).** The documentation contract landed as a rider on the SEC-33/34 commit: `docs/GatewayConfiguration.md` gained a "Production hard-stops key on the exact environment name (SEC-35)" subsection stating that both hard-stops fire only on `IHostEnvironment.IsProduction()` (unset `ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT` or the exact `Production` name) and that any other name keeps the permissive dev posture. No code change, as designed.
+
 ---

 ## SEC-36 — Committed dev LDAP service-account password: remove from repo and rotate   `Low` · `P1` · cross-repo dependency
@@ -212,3 +218,5 @@ dotnet test src/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Tests/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Tests.csproj --fil
 dotnet test src/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Tests/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Tests.csproj --filter "FullyQualifiedName~GatewayOptionsValidator"
 ```
 (asserts the blank-password validation still fires with the updated message). Manual: with user-secrets set on the dev box, `dotnet run --project src/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Server/...` and a dashboard `/login` as `multi-role` succeeds against the rotated GLAuth; the deployed-host login re-check from step 1 counts as the production verification. Live-LDAP integration tests (`MXGATEWAY_RUN_LIVE_LDAP_TESTS=1`) only where the GLAuth instance is reachable; otherwise document skipped per the testing matrix.
+
+**Outcome (2026-08-07 — Done, repo-side; live rotation operator-pending).** Landed on `fix/sec-36-ldap-secret`. **The design's baseline had already shifted:** at HEAD `appsettings.json` no longer commits the literal — it ships `"ServiceAccountPassword": "${secret:ldap/mxgateway/bind}"`, a fail-closed encrypted-store reference (documented `GatewayConfiguration.md:252`, tested by `PreHostSecretExpansionTests`) introduced by the Secrets-store adoption after this remediation was written. **Deviation from Implementation step 2:** the `${secret:}` reference was **kept, not deleted** — deleting it regresses the shipped/documented/tested store channel and the committed-plaintext finding is already resolved for `appsettings.json`. The load-bearing residual — the literal value still present in `glauth.md`'s samples (`:33,65,103,136,245`), `docs/GatewayTesting.md`, and the historical `archreview/*` SEC-06 evidence — was scrubbed to `<service-account-password>` placeholders, each with a pointer to the source of truth `scadaproj/infra/glauth/` and a rotation-required note. Steps 3–6 implemented as designed: `<UserSecretsId>mxaccessgw-server</UserSecretsId>` added (step 3); the `ValidateLdap` blank-password message now names both channels — dev `dotnet user-secrets set "MxGateway:Ldap:ServiceAccountPassword" <value>` and deployed `MxGateway__Ldap__ServiceAccountPassword` — plus a note on the `${secret:}` store default (step 4), asserted by the extended `Validate_Fails_WhenLdapEnabledAndServiceAccountPasswordBlank`; docs updated same commit (step 5); `git grep -i` for the old value is empty across tracked files (step 6). The cross-repo **step 1 (rotate GLAuth on `10.100.0.35`, pre-stage the NSSM env var on `10.100.0.48` and on `wonder-app-vd03` only if `Ldap.Enabled`, verify dashboard login)** is the operator's to execute, captured in the new runbook `docs/runbooks/SEC-36-ldap-credential-rotation.md`. Verification (macOS): `dotnet build …Server` 0 warnings/0 errors; `dotnet test --filter ~GatewayOptionsValidator` green.
@@ -20,12 +20,12 @@ Operating constraints carried from prior work:
 | CLI-36 | Medium | P0 | S | — | Done | Go CLI `stream-events` silently destroys the ReplayGap signal |
 | CLI-37 | Medium | P1 | M | CLI-38 | Done | Status-array validation must branch on `category` per the proto contract (4-vs-1 divergence) |
 | CLI-38 | Medium | P1 | S | — | Done | Align .NET/Go/Java on `hresult < 0` — lands prior CLI-08 and cures the design-doc drift |
-| CLI-39 | Medium | P1 | S | CLI-35..38, CLI-45 | Not started | Bump client versions off the already-published 0.1.2 before the next publish; add registry-collision guard |
-| CLI-40 | Low | — | M | — | Not started | Port the exact-secret credential scrub to Rust/Java/.NET |
-| CLI-41 | Low | — | M | — | Not started | Uniform malformed-reply contract for AuthenticateUser/ArchestrAUserToId/AddBufferedItem |
-| CLI-42 | Low | P1 | S | — | Not started | Document the vendored Rust proto layout (CLI-02's missing doc half) |
-| CLI-43 | Low | — | S | — | Not started | Java style guide still prescribes "Java 21 preferred" |
-| CLI-44 | Low | — | S | — | Not started | Go event goroutine can mislabel a genuine terminal error as `ErrSlowConsumer` |
+| CLI-39 | Medium | P1 | S | CLI-35..38, CLI-45 | Done | Bump client versions off the already-published 0.1.2 before the next publish; add registry-collision guard |
+| CLI-40 | Low | — | M | — | Done | Port the exact-secret credential scrub to Rust/Java/.NET |
+| CLI-41 | Low | — | M | — | Done | Uniform malformed-reply contract for AuthenticateUser/ArchestrAUserToId/AddBufferedItem |
+| CLI-42 | Low | P1 | S | — | Done | Document the vendored Rust proto layout (CLI-02's missing doc half) |
+| CLI-43 | Low | — | S | — | Done | Java style guide still prescribes "Java 21 preferred" |
+| CLI-44 | Low | — | S | — | Done | Go event goroutine can mislabel a genuine terminal error as `ErrSlowConsumer` |
 | CLI-45 | Low | P1 | M | — | Done | Standardize CLI credential env-var name and fail fast on missing/empty passwords |

 Cross-domain dependencies: **CLI-35/CLI-36 pair with GWC-25** (gateway emits `oldest_available_sequence = 0` on an empty replay ring — the server-side half of the same reconnect story; the CLI fixes here are independently landable but the end-to-end resume walk in the smoke matrix needs both). **CLI-39 pairs with the publishing process** (`scripts/pack-clients.ps1`, `scripts/tag-go-module.ps1`, Gitea package registry).
@@ -12,10 +12,10 @@ Prior-cycle open findings (TST-05..24 where still open) are tracked in the prior
 |----|-----|------|-----|-----|--------|-------|
 | TST-25 | High | P1 | M | — (unlocks TST-05, TST-24) | Done | Windows/x86 test tier has zero automation — restore via SSH-driven windev CI job |
 | TST-26 | Medium | P1 (folded into TST-25) | S | TST-25 | Done | docs/GatewayTesting.md, check-codegen.ps1, and ci.yml comments describe removed CI jobs |
-| TST-27 | Medium | P1 (doc batch) | S | — | Not started | `ShowTagValues` config row still says "Reserved" after SEC-25 made the flag live |
-| TST-28 | Low | P2 | S | relates IPC-02 | Not started | Gateway-side `max_frame_bytes` handshake field untested in the CI-run suite |
+| TST-27 | Medium | P1 (doc batch) | S | — | Done | `ShowTagValues` config row still says "Reserved" after SEC-25 made the flag live |
+| TST-28 | Low | P2 | S | relates IPC-02 | Done | Gateway-side `max_frame_bytes` handshake field untested in the CI-run suite |
 | TST-29 | Low | P2 | S | — | Done | Retire `oldtasks.md` after folding the Phase-5 governance record into DesignDecisions.md; delete root docs-review artifacts |
-| TST-30 | Low | P2 | M | — | Not started | Single shared Gitea runner is a CI throughput/availability bottleneck (cross-repo contention, no run cancel/delete) |
+| TST-30 | Low | P2 | M | — | Done (doc half; runner registration operator-pending per runbook) | Single shared Gitea runner is a CI throughput/availability bottleneck (cross-repo contention, no run cancel/delete) |

 ---

@@ -167,6 +167,8 @@ Independent of the runner count, document the **no-cancel** reality (Gitea 1.26

 **Verification.** Push two branches back-to-back and confirm their runs execute concurrently (not serially) once a second runner exists; `GET /repos/dohertj2/mxaccessgw/actions/runners` (or the instance runner list) shows ≥2 runners online; `docs/GatewayTesting.md` describes the shared-runner/no-cancel reality and the bypass. Re-run the TST-25 acceptance push and confirm queue depth is materially lower under a concurrent `lmxopcua` run.

+**Outcome (2026-08-07 — Done, doc half; runner registration operator-pending).** Landed on `fix/tst-30-runner-docs`. Implementation step 2 shipped: `docs/GatewayTesting.md`'s Continuous Integration section gained a "Runner capacity is shared and finite" subsection stating the `maxParallel=1` co-located runner is shared with `dohertj2/lmxopcua` at the instance level (not repo-scoped), the ~20–30 minute queue latency observed under cross-repo contention, and the Gitea 1.26 no-cancel/no-delete API reality; the existing "windev tier down" degraded-mode paragraph now also covers "runner contended" as a reason to use the bypass, generalized per this finding's design note. New operator runbook `docs/runbooks/TST-30-second-ci-runner.md` carries **step 1** (register a second `act_runner` on `10.100.0.35`, option (a) recommended, same `container.network: traefik` config; option (b) dedicated labelled runner as an escalation; option (c) windev-hosted runner rejected) with the verification checklist (concurrent back-to-back pushes, `GET /repos/dohertj2/mxaccessgw/actions/runners` ≥ 2) and a note that the no-cancel reality persists regardless of runner count. **Step 3 (optional workflow-level `concurrency` group)** is documented in the runbook as unverified — explicitly framed as "verify this Gitea deployment honors it before relying on it" — and left unimplemented in `ci.yml`, since it is a `ci.yml` change out of scope for this doc-only pass. **The actual runner registration (step 1) is infrastructure work outside this repo's tree and remains the operator's to execute**, tracked in the runbook. Verification performed: `grep -n 'maxParallel\|shared\|cancel' docs/GatewayTesting.md` shows the new prose; runbook file exists at the path above; no build required (doc-only change).
+
 ---

 ## Cross-domain dependencies
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+# Candidate Findings for the Next Review Cycle (surfaced during 2026-07-12 remediation)
+
+These were discovered while remediating the 2026-07-12 backlog but were **out of scope** for it — each is either pre-existing, by-design residual, or a new observation. They are recorded here (not fixed) so the next review cycle can triage them. None blocks the 2026-07-12 cycle, which is complete.
+
+| ID (proposed) | Area | Severity (est.) | Summary |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| NEXT-01 | Testing / macOS | Low | Fake-worker/e2e gateway tests fail on macOS under the default `TMPDIR` because the `CoreFxPipe_mxaccess-gateway-{pid}-{sessionId}` path exceeds the 104-char Unix-domain-socket `sun_path` limit under `/var/folders/…/T/`. Workaround today is `TMPDIR=/tmp`. Fix options: shorten the pipe name, or document the `TMPDIR=/tmp` requirement in `docs/GatewayTesting.md`. Surfaced independently by multiple remediation agents. |
+| NEXT-02 | Clients (.NET, Java) | Low | The .NET and Java CLIs render the raw `ReplayGap` sentinel `MxEvent` on `stream-events` instead of a typed gap row — Java text mode prints `0 MX_EVENT_FAMILY_UNSPECIFIED`. Same defect class as CLI-36 (Go) / CLI-35 (Python), which were fixed this cycle; the .NET/Java halves were out of scope. The cross-language smoke matrix now records this divergence honestly. |
+| NEXT-03 | Gateway alarms | Low | `GatewayAlarmMonitor.ApplyReconcile` feed-repair broadcasts (the new acked-delta from GWC-26 **and** the pre-existing Raise/Clear repair) are **at-least-once, not exactly-once**: a periodic reconcile can synthesize a transition whose matching live transition is still buffered in the alarm lease, so both broadcast as indistinguishable duplicates on the alarm feed (StreamAlarms + dashboard hub). Pre-existing (the Raise/Clear repair always had it); GWC-26 documented the at-least-once contract rather than closing the race. Closing it needs reconcile/live serialization or a monotonic dedup marker. |
+| NEXT-04 | Worker frame writer | Low | WRK-22/WRK-25 cancellation path: a frame `Claimed` by a concurrent lock-holder just before its caller's cancellation races in is never awaited by that caller; if the write then faults, `TrySetException` lands on a `Task` nobody observes (unobserved-task-exception). By-design residual, non-crash (no `UnobservedTaskException` handler registered), pre-existing to single-frame WRK-22 and amplified per-batch by WRK-25. Hygiene fix: attach a fault-observing continuation to abandoned/tombstoned frame completions. |
+| NEXT-05 | Worker frame writer | Info | A batch whose remaining frames are tombstoned by cancellation leaves dead `PendingFrame` entries in `_eventFrames`/`_controlFrames` until a future `DequeueNext` pops and skips them. Same pre-existing behavior as single-frame WRK-22, amplified per-batch; in practice heartbeats purge them promptly, so not a real leak. |
+
+## Operator actions still pending (from this cycle's runbooks)
+
+These are **live-infrastructure actions the operator must execute** — the repo-side work is complete and merged:
+
+- **SEC-36** — rotate the dev LDAP service-account credential per `docs/runbooks/SEC-36-ldap-credential-rotation.md` (generate new secret in `scadaproj/infra/glauth`, pre-stage the NSSM env var on deployed hosts, rotate GLAuth on `10.100.0.35`, verify dashboard login). The committed literal is gone from the working tree but remains recoverable from git history until rotation completes — **rotation is the load-bearing half.**
+- **TST-30** — register a second Gitea `act_runner` on `10.100.0.35` per `docs/runbooks/TST-30-second-ci-runner.md` to relieve the single-shared-runner bottleneck.
+- **TST-25 follow-ups** — old **TST-05** (scheduled live-MXAccess smoke) is now covered by the `nightly-windev` job; old **TST-24** (client wire tests in CI) is unblocked by the working Windows tier.
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ Impact: logout (`Dashboard/DashboardEndpointRouteBuilderExtensions.cs:136-155`)
 Recommendation: keep the lifetime short (or shorten to ~5 minutes given the factory refreshes per reconnect, `docs/GatewayDashboardDesign.md:497-499`), and confirm no request-path logging captures query strings (Serilog request logging is not currently enabled; keep it that way or scrub `access_token`).

 **SEC-6 · Medium — LDAP is plaintext-by-default with a committed service-account password.**
-Evidence: `src/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Server/Configuration/LdapOptions.cs:49-61` (defaults `Transport=None`, `AllowInsecure=true`, `ServiceAccountPassword = "serviceaccount123"`), `appsettings.json:21-33` (same values checked into the repo), `glauth.md:30,327` (dev LDAPS disabled; "binding sends passwords cleartext on the wire").
+Evidence: `src/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Server/Configuration/LdapOptions.cs:49-61` (defaults `Transport=None`, `AllowInsecure=true`, `ServiceAccountPassword = "<service-account-password>"` — value redacted per SEC-36), `appsettings.json:21-33` (same values checked into the repo), `glauth.md:30,327` (dev LDAPS disabled; "binding sends passwords cleartext on the wire").
 Impact: every dashboard login sends the operator's password in cleartext to `10.100.0.35:3893`, and the LDAP service-account credential is in source control. This is a documented dev posture (the shadow-options rationale at `LdapOptions.cs:20-28` is explicit that the shared library is secure-by-default), and the validator does enforce the `Transport=None ⇒ AllowInsecure` consistency rule (`GatewayOptionsValidator.cs:82-85`) — but nothing distinguishes dev from prod at runtime.
 Recommendation: for production deployment docs, require `Transport=Ldaps`/`StartTls` + `AllowInsecure=false` and move `ServiceAccountPassword` to env-var/secret configuration; consider an `IsProduction` startup check mirroring SEC-4. LDAP injection risk is delegated to the shared `ZB.MOM.WW.Auth.Ldap` provider (bind-then-search per `Dashboard/DashboardAuthenticator.cs:41-47`); its escaping cannot be verified from this repo — flag for review in the donor repo.

@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ Full design + implementation for each row lives in the linked domain doc under i
 | CLI-21 | Low | P2 | S | — | Done | Go `ClientVersion = "0.1.0-dev"` stale vs tagged releases |
 | CLI-22 | Low | — | S | — | Not started | Go `newCorrelationID` swallows `crypto/rand` error → empty id |
 | CLI-23 | Low | — | S | — | Not started | Go nil-vs-empty bulk short-circuit asymmetry |
-| CLI-24 | Low | — | S | — | Not started | Java `MxEventStream` single-consumer constraint undocumented |
+| CLI-24 | Low | — | S | — | Done | Java `MxEventStream` single-consumer constraint undocumented (closed 2026-08-07 per 2026-07-12 review old-tracker action; documented at MxEventStream.java:25 "Single consumer") |
 | CLI-25 | Low | — | S | — | Not started | Java `close()` does not await channel termination |
 | CLI-26 | Low | P2 | S | — | Done | Python `version.py` (0.1.0) ≠ `pyproject.toml` (0.1.2) |
 | CLI-27 | Low | — | S | — | Not started | Python `Session.close()` not concurrency-safe; synthesizes reply |
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ Full design + implementation for each row lives in the linked domain doc under i
 | CLI-31 | Low | — | M | — | Not started | Rust CLI is a single 2,699-line `main.rs` |
 | CLI-32 | Low | — | S | — | Not started | Client-side bulk caps differ (.NET/Java unbounded) |
 | CLI-33 | Low | — | S | CLI-01,13 | Not started | Per-language event backpressure semantics undocumented |
-| CLI-34 | Low | — | S | — | Not started | Python `build/`/`.pytest_cache/` present on disk (untracked) |
+| CLI-34 | Low | — | S | — | Done | Python `build/`/`.pytest_cache/` present on disk (untracked) (closed 2026-08-07 per 2026-07-12 review old-tracker action; both gitignored in clients/python/.gitignore) |

 ### Testing, docs & gaps — [60-testing-docs-gaps.md](60-testing-docs-gaps.md)

@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ This document turns every finding in the Security/Dashboard/Observability review

 ## SEC-06 — LDAP plaintext-by-default with a committed service password   `Medium` · `P1`

-**Finding.** *(review SEC-6)* `Configuration/LdapOptions.cs:49-61` defaults `Transport=None`, `AllowInsecure=true`, `ServiceAccountPassword="serviceaccount123"`; `appsettings.json:21-33` ships the same. `glauth.md:30,327` confirms dev LDAPS is disabled and binds send cleartext. The validator enforces the `Transport=None ⇒ AllowInsecure` consistency rule (`GatewayOptionsValidator.cs:82-85`) but nothing distinguishes dev from prod.
+**Finding.** *(review SEC-6)* `Configuration/LdapOptions.cs:49-61` defaults `Transport=None`, `AllowInsecure=true`, `ServiceAccountPassword="<service-account-password>"` (value redacted per SEC-36); `appsettings.json:21-33` ships the same. `glauth.md:30,327` confirms dev LDAPS is disabled and binds send cleartext. The validator enforces the `Transport=None ⇒ AllowInsecure` consistency rule (`GatewayOptionsValidator.cs:82-85`) but nothing distinguishes dev from prod.

 **Impact.** Every dashboard login sends the operator's password cleartext to `10.100.0.35:3893`, and a service-account credential is in source control.

@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ This document turns every finding in the Security/Dashboard/Observability review

 **Implementation.**
 - `Configuration/GatewayOptionsValidator.cs`: in `ValidateLdap`, when Production and `Transport == None`, emit an error (co-locate with SEC-04's env plumbing).
- Deployment: keep `serviceaccount123` only for local GLAuth dev; document env-var override (`MxGateway__Ldap__ServiceAccountPassword`) for the NSSM-wrapped hosts; rotate the dev credential's reuse.
+- Deployment: keep the dev service-account password only for local GLAuth dev; document env-var override (`MxGateway__Ldap__ServiceAccountPassword`) for the NSSM-wrapped hosts; rotate the dev credential's reuse.
 - Docs: `docs/GatewayConfiguration.md` Ldap section and a production hardening note referencing `glauth.md`.
 - Tests: `GatewayOptionsValidatorTests` — `Transport=None` + Production → invalid.

@@ -487,7 +487,7 @@ dotnet nuget add source https://gitea.dohertylan.com/api/packages/dohertj2/nuget
 Then add the package to your project:

 ````bash
-dotnet add package ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Client --version 0.1.1
+dotnet add package ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Client --version 0.2.0
 ````

 The `ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Contracts` package is pulled in transitively.
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+using ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Contracts.Proto;
+
+namespace ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Client.Tests;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Unit tests for <see cref="MxGatewaySecretRedaction"/> — the exact-substring scrub applied to
+/// diagnostic text and rebuilt exceptions before they leave the client on a failure path.
+/// </summary>
+public sealed class MxGatewaySecretRedactionTests
+{
+    [Fact]
+    public void Redact_ReplacesEveryOccurrenceOfSecret()
+    {
+        string result = MxGatewaySecretRedaction.Redact(
+            "pw=hunter2 retry pw=hunter2 again hunter2",
+            "hunter2");
+
+        Assert.DoesNotContain("hunter2", result, StringComparison.Ordinal);
+        Assert.Equal("pw=<redacted> retry pw=<redacted> again <redacted>", result);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void Redact_ScrubsBothSecretsWhenOneIsSubstringOfTheOther()
+    {
+        // "secret" is a substring of "secretPassword"; both must be fully scrubbed regardless of
+        // supplied order — no residual leak of either verbatim value.
+        string result = MxGatewaySecretRedaction.Redact(
+            "a=secretPassword b=secret",
+            "secret",
+            "secretPassword");
+
+        Assert.DoesNotContain("secretPassword", result, StringComparison.Ordinal);
+        Assert.DoesNotContain("secret", result, StringComparison.Ordinal);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void Redact_WithNullSecretsArray_ReturnsMessageUnchanged()
+    {
+        const string message = "nothing to scrub here";
+
+        string result = MxGatewaySecretRedaction.Redact(message, null!);
+
+        Assert.Equal(message, result);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void Redact_WithEmptySecretsArray_ReturnsMessageUnchanged()
+    {
+        const string message = "nothing to scrub here";
+
+        string result = MxGatewaySecretRedaction.Redact(message);
+
+        Assert.Equal(message, result);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void Redact_IgnoresWhitespaceOnlySecret()
+    {
+        // A whitespace-only secret must not over-redact the internal spaces of the message.
+        const string message = "user operator logged in";
+
+        string result = MxGatewaySecretRedaction.Redact(message, " ");
+
+        Assert.Equal(message, result);
+    }
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void Redacted_PreservesConcreteSubtypeAndDoesNotChainSecretBearingOriginal()
+    {
+        const string secret = "hunter2";
+        Exception transportCause = new InvalidOperationException("transport reset");
+        MxGatewaySessionException original = new(
+            $"session rejected credential '{secret}'",
+            "session-1",
+            "correlation-1",
+            new ProtocolStatus { Code = ProtocolStatusCode.SessionNotReady, Message = $"echoed '{secret}'" },
+            hResult: -1,
+            statuses: [new MxStatusProxy { DiagnosticText = $"denied '{secret}'" }],
+            innerException: transportCause);
+
+        MxGatewayException redacted = MxGatewaySecretRedaction.Redacted(original, secret);
+
+        // Concrete runtime type is preserved.
+        Assert.IsType<MxGatewaySessionException>(redacted);
+        // The secret is gone from the message and every structured accessor.
+        Assert.DoesNotContain(secret, redacted.Message, StringComparison.Ordinal);
+        Assert.DoesNotContain(secret, redacted.ToString(), StringComparison.Ordinal);
+        Assert.DoesNotContain(secret, redacted.ProtocolStatus!.Message, StringComparison.Ordinal);
+        Assert.All(redacted.Statuses, status =>
+            Assert.DoesNotContain(secret, status.DiagnosticText, StringComparison.Ordinal));
+        Assert.Contains("<redacted>", redacted.Message, StringComparison.Ordinal);
+        // The secret-bearing original is NOT chained; the original's transport cause is carried.
+        Assert.NotSame(original, redacted.InnerException);
+        Assert.Same(transportCause, redacted.InnerException);
+    }
+}
@@ -0,0 +1,165 @@
+using Google.Protobuf;
+using ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Contracts.Proto;
+
+namespace ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Client.Tests;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Tests for the credential-scrub (CLI-40) and malformed-reply (CLI-41) contracts on the
+/// credential and id-returning session helpers, driven from shared behavior fixtures.
+/// </summary>
+public sealed class MxGatewaySessionReplyContractTests
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// CLI-40: when MXAccess echoes the submitted credential back in its failure diagnostic,
+    /// the surfaced exception message must scrub it to the library redaction marker.
+    /// </summary>
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task AuthenticateUserAsync_RedactsEchoedCredentialInFailureMessage()
+    {
+        const string password = "sup3rSecretVerify9f3a2b";
+        FakeGatewayTransport transport = CreateTransport();
+        transport.AddInvokeReply(ReadReplyFixture("authenticate-user.echoed-credential.reply.json"));
+        await using MxGatewayClient client = CreateClient(transport);
+        MxGatewaySession session = await client.OpenSessionAsync();
+
+        MxAccessException exception = await Assert.ThrowsAsync<MxAccessException>(
+            async () => await session.AuthenticateUserAsync(12, "operator", password));
+
+        Assert.DoesNotContain(password, exception.Message, StringComparison.Ordinal);
+        Assert.Contains("<redacted>", exception.Message, StringComparison.Ordinal);
+        // ToString() is what logging frameworks emit; the secret-bearing original must not be
+        // chained as an inner exception where it would re-surface the credential verbatim.
+        Assert.DoesNotContain(password, exception.ToString(), StringComparison.Ordinal);
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// CLI-40: the redacted exception must not leak the echoed credential through any structured
+    /// accessor either — <see cref="MxAccessException.Reply"/> (protocol message, diagnostic
+    /// message, and each MXSTATUS_PROXY diagnostic text) and <see cref="MxGatewayException.Statuses"/>
+    /// all carry the server-echoed credential verbatim before the fix. Both the OK+negative-HRESULT
+    /// and the MXACCESS_FAILURE reply route to <see cref="MxAccessException"/>, so both must scrub.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="fixture">The echoed-credential reply fixture to drive.</param>
+    [Theory]
+    [InlineData("authenticate-user.echoed-credential.reply.json")]
+    [InlineData("authenticate-user.echoed-credential-mxaccess-failure.reply.json")]
+    public async Task AuthenticateUserAsync_RedactsEchoedCredentialInStructuredAccessors(string fixture)
+    {
+        const string password = "sup3rSecretVerify9f3a2b";
+        FakeGatewayTransport transport = CreateTransport();
+        transport.AddInvokeReply(ReadReplyFixture(fixture));
+        await using MxGatewayClient client = CreateClient(transport);
+        MxGatewaySession session = await client.OpenSessionAsync();
+
+        MxAccessException exception = await Assert.ThrowsAsync<MxAccessException>(
+            async () => await session.AuthenticateUserAsync(12, "operator", password));
+
+        Assert.DoesNotContain(password, exception.Message, StringComparison.Ordinal);
+        Assert.Contains("<redacted>", exception.Message, StringComparison.Ordinal);
+        Assert.DoesNotContain(password, exception.ToString(), StringComparison.Ordinal);
+        Assert.DoesNotContain(password, exception.Reply.ProtocolStatus.Message, StringComparison.Ordinal);
+        Assert.DoesNotContain(password, exception.Reply.DiagnosticMessage, StringComparison.Ordinal);
+        foreach (MxStatusProxy status in exception.Reply.Statuses)
+        {
+            Assert.DoesNotContain(password, status.DiagnosticText, StringComparison.Ordinal);
+        }
+
+        foreach (MxStatusProxy status in exception.Statuses)
+        {
+            Assert.DoesNotContain(password, status.DiagnosticText, StringComparison.Ordinal);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// CLI-41: an OK reply that carries neither the typed AuthenticateUser payload nor an
+    /// int32 return_value is a malformed reply, surfaced as a typed exception rather than an NRE.
+    /// </summary>
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task AuthenticateUserAsync_MissingPayloadAndReturnValue_ThrowsMalformedReply()
+    {
+        FakeGatewayTransport transport = CreateTransport();
+        transport.AddInvokeReply(ReadReplyFixture("authenticate-user.missing-payload.reply.json"));
+        await using MxGatewayClient client = CreateClient(transport);
+        MxGatewaySession session = await client.OpenSessionAsync();
+
+        await Assert.ThrowsAsync<MxGatewayMalformedReplyException>(
+            async () => await session.AuthenticateUserAsync(12, "operator", "pw"));
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// CLI-41: an OK reply that omits the typed payload but carries an int32 return_value
+    /// resolves to that return value.
+    /// </summary>
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task AuthenticateUserAsync_ReturnValueOnly_ResolvesReturnValue()
+    {
+        FakeGatewayTransport transport = CreateTransport();
+        transport.AddInvokeReply(ReadReplyFixture("authenticate-user.return-value-only.reply.json"));
+        await using MxGatewayClient client = CreateClient(transport);
+        MxGatewaySession session = await client.OpenSessionAsync();
+
+        int userId = await session.AuthenticateUserAsync(12, "operator", "pw");
+
+        Assert.Equal(7, userId);
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// CLI-41: the AddBufferedItem fallback shares the malformed-reply contract — an OK reply
+    /// with neither a typed item handle nor an int32 return_value throws the typed exception.
+    /// </summary>
+    [Fact]
+    public async Task AddBufferedItemAsync_MissingPayloadAndReturnValue_ThrowsMalformedReply()
+    {
+        FakeGatewayTransport transport = CreateTransport();
+        transport.AddInvokeReply(new MxCommandReply
+        {
+            SessionId = "session-fixture",
+            Kind = MxCommandKind.AddBufferedItem,
+            ProtocolStatus = new ProtocolStatus { Code = ProtocolStatusCode.Ok },
+        });
+        await using MxGatewayClient client = CreateClient(transport);
+        MxGatewaySession session = await client.OpenSessionAsync();
+
+        await Assert.ThrowsAsync<MxGatewayMalformedReplyException>(
+            async () => await session.AddBufferedItemAsync(12, "Area001.Pump001.Speed", "runtime"));
+    }
+
+    private static MxGatewayClient CreateClient(FakeGatewayTransport transport)
+    {
+        return new MxGatewayClient(transport.Options, transport);
+    }
+
+    private static FakeGatewayTransport CreateTransport()
+    {
+        return new FakeGatewayTransport(new MxGatewayClientOptions
+        {
+            Endpoint = new Uri("http://localhost:5000"),
+            ApiKey = "test-api-key",
+        });
+    }
+
+    private static MxCommandReply ReadReplyFixture(string fileName)
+    {
+        DirectoryInfo directory = new(AppContext.BaseDirectory);
+        while (directory is not null)
+        {
+            string path = Path.Combine(
+                directory.FullName,
+                "clients",
+                "proto",
+                "fixtures",
+                "behavior",
+                "command-replies",
+                fileName);
+
+            if (File.Exists(path))
+            {
+                return JsonParser.Default.Parse<MxCommandReply>(File.ReadAllText(path));
+            }
+
+            directory = directory.Parent!;
+        }
+
+        throw new FileNotFoundException(fileName);
+    }
+}
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@ public sealed class MxStatusProxyExtensionsTests
            MxStatusProxy status = JsonParser.Default.Parse<MxStatusProxy>(
                testCase.GetProperty("status").GetRawText());

-            Assert.Equal(status.Category is MxStatusCategory.Ok, status.IsSuccess());
+            bool wantSuccess = testCase.GetProperty("wantSuccess").GetBoolean();
+            Assert.Equal(wantSuccess, status.IsSuccess());
            Assert.Equal(
                testCase.GetProperty("status").GetProperty("rawCategory").GetInt32(),
                status.RawCategory);
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+using ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Contracts.Proto;
+
+namespace ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Client;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Exception thrown when the gateway returns a protocol-OK reply that carries neither the
+/// expected typed payload nor an int32 <c>return_value</c>, so the client cannot resolve the
+/// operation result. This replaces the historical <see cref="NullReferenceException"/> that a
+/// blind <c>reply.ReturnValue.Int32Value</c> fallback would throw.
+/// </summary>
+public sealed class MxGatewayMalformedReplyException : MxGatewayException
+{
+    /// <summary>Initializes a new instance with the given message.</summary>
+    /// <param name="message">The error message describing the malformed reply.</param>
+    public MxGatewayMalformedReplyException(string message)
+        : base(message)
+    {
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>Initializes a new instance with full diagnostic context.</summary>
+    /// <param name="message">The error message describing the malformed reply.</param>
+    /// <param name="sessionId">The session ID, if available.</param>
+    /// <param name="correlationId">The correlation ID for tracing, if available.</param>
+    /// <param name="protocolStatus">The protocol status details, if available.</param>
+    /// <param name="hResult">The HResult code, if available.</param>
+    /// <param name="statuses">The MXAccess statuses, if available.</param>
+    /// <param name="innerException">The underlying exception, if any.</param>
+    public MxGatewayMalformedReplyException(
+        string message,
+        string? sessionId = null,
+        string? correlationId = null,
+        ProtocolStatus? protocolStatus = null,
+        int? hResult = null,
+        IReadOnlyList<MxStatusProxy>? statuses = null,
+        Exception? innerException = null)
+        : base(
+            message,
+            sessionId,
+            correlationId,
+            protocolStatus,
+            hResult,
+            statuses ?? [],
+            innerException)
+    {
+    }
+}
@@ -0,0 +1,229 @@
+using ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Contracts.Proto;
+
+namespace ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Client;
+
+/// <summary>
+/// Scrubs exact secret substrings out of diagnostic text before it leaves the client on an
+/// exception path. MXAccess can echo a submitted credential or secured value back inside a
+/// failure diagnostic (protocol message, MXSTATUS_PROXY diagnostic text, HRESULT description);
+/// this helper replaces any such verbatim occurrence with <c>&lt;redacted&gt;</c> so the raw
+/// request payload never reaches a caught exception's message. The marker matches the Go, Rust,
+/// and Java clients.
+/// </summary>
+internal static class MxGatewaySecretRedaction
+{
+    private const string Marker = "<redacted>";
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Replaces every usable secret in <paramref name="secrets"/> with the redaction marker
+    /// (ordinal comparison). Returns the message unchanged when it is null or empty, or when no
+    /// usable secret is supplied. A secret that is null, empty, or whitespace-only is ignored so
+    /// it cannot over-redact ordinary separator characters in the message.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="message">The diagnostic message to scrub.</param>
+    /// <param name="secrets">The secret values to remove from the message.</param>
+    /// <returns>The scrubbed message.</returns>
+    internal static string Redact(string message, params string?[] secrets)
+    {
+        if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(message) || secrets is null)
+        {
+            return message;
+        }
+
+        string result = message;
+        foreach (string? secret in secrets)
+        {
+            if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(secret))
+            {
+                result = result.Replace(secret, Marker, StringComparison.Ordinal);
+            }
+        }
+
+        return result;
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Returns a scrubbed clone of <paramref name="reply"/>: the protocol-status message, the
+    /// reply-level diagnostic message, and each MXSTATUS_PROXY diagnostic text have every verbatim
+    /// secret replaced with the redaction marker. The original is left untouched. MXAccess can echo
+    /// a submitted credential into any of these fields, so a redacted exception must carry the
+    /// scrubbed reply rather than the secret-bearing original.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="reply">The reply to clone and scrub.</param>
+    /// <param name="secrets">The secret values to remove.</param>
+    /// <returns>A scrubbed clone of the reply.</returns>
+    internal static MxCommandReply RedactReply(MxCommandReply reply, params string?[] secrets)
+    {
+        ArgumentNullException.ThrowIfNull(reply);
+
+        MxCommandReply clone = reply.Clone();
+        if (clone.ProtocolStatus is not null)
+        {
+            clone.ProtocolStatus.Message = Redact(clone.ProtocolStatus.Message, secrets);
+        }
+
+        clone.DiagnosticMessage = Redact(clone.DiagnosticMessage, secrets);
+        foreach (MxStatusProxy status in clone.Statuses)
+        {
+            status.DiagnosticText = Redact(status.DiagnosticText, secrets);
+        }
+
+        return clone;
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Returns a scrubbed clone of <paramref name="status"/> (its message with every verbatim
+    /// secret removed), or <see langword="null"/> when the input is null.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="status">The protocol status to clone and scrub.</param>
+    /// <param name="secrets">The secret values to remove.</param>
+    /// <returns>A scrubbed clone, or <see langword="null"/>.</returns>
+    internal static ProtocolStatus? RedactStatus(ProtocolStatus? status, params string?[] secrets)
+    {
+        if (status is null)
+        {
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        ProtocolStatus clone = status.Clone();
+        clone.Message = Redact(clone.Message, secrets);
+        return clone;
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Returns a list of scrubbed clones of <paramref name="statuses"/> — each MXSTATUS_PROXY's
+    /// diagnostic text has every verbatim secret removed. The originals are left untouched.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="statuses">The statuses to clone and scrub.</param>
+    /// <param name="secrets">The secret values to remove.</param>
+    /// <returns>A list of scrubbed clones.</returns>
+    internal static IReadOnlyList<MxStatusProxy> RedactStatuses(
+        IReadOnlyList<MxStatusProxy> statuses,
+        params string?[] secrets)
+    {
+        if (statuses is null || statuses.Count is 0)
+        {
+            return statuses ?? [];
+        }
+
+        MxStatusProxy[] result = new MxStatusProxy[statuses.Count];
+        for (int i = 0; i < statuses.Count; i++)
+        {
+            MxStatusProxy clone = statuses[i].Clone();
+            clone.DiagnosticText = Redact(clone.DiagnosticText, secrets);
+            result[i] = clone;
+        }
+
+        return result;
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Returns an exception equivalent to <paramref name="ex"/> but with any verbatim secret
+    /// scrubbed from its message. When nothing changes, the original exception is returned
+    /// unchanged; otherwise a new exception of the same concrete runtime type is built and the
+    /// original reply/status context is preserved. The secret-bearing original is deliberately
+    /// <b>not</b> chained as the inner exception — doing so would let its unredacted message
+    /// re-surface through <see cref="Exception.ToString"/> (which logging frameworks call). The
+    /// original's own inner cause (a transport error, never the request payload) is carried
+    /// forward instead.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="ex">The exception to redact.</param>
+    /// <param name="secrets">The secret values to remove from the message.</param>
+    /// <returns>The redacted exception, or the original when no change was needed.</returns>
+    internal static MxGatewayException Redacted(MxGatewayException ex, params string?[] secrets)
+    {
+        ArgumentNullException.ThrowIfNull(ex);
+
+        string redacted = Redact(ex.Message, secrets);
+        bool messageChanged = !string.Equals(redacted, ex.Message, StringComparison.Ordinal);
+        Exception? cause = ex.InnerException;
+
+        // MxAccessException derives its structured fields from the raw reply, so scrubbing must
+        // clone and redact that reply — the message alone changing is not enough, because the reply
+        // can carry the echoed secret even when the message does not.
+        if (ex is MxAccessException access)
+        {
+            if (!messageChanged && !ReplyContainsSecret(access.Reply, secrets))
+            {
+                return ex;
+            }
+
+            return new MxAccessException(redacted, RedactReply(access.Reply, secrets), cause);
+        }
+
+        // Other subtypes carry the secret through ProtocolStatus.Message and Statuses[].DiagnosticText.
+        if (!messageChanged
+            && !ContainsSecret(ex.ProtocolStatus?.Message, secrets)
+            && !StatusesContainSecret(ex.Statuses, secrets))
+        {
+            return ex;
+        }
+
+        ProtocolStatus? status = RedactStatus(ex.ProtocolStatus, secrets);
+        IReadOnlyList<MxStatusProxy> statuses = RedactStatuses(ex.Statuses, secrets);
+        return ex switch
+        {
+            MxGatewaySessionException => new MxGatewaySessionException(
+                redacted, ex.SessionId, ex.CorrelationId, status, ex.HResultCode, statuses, cause),
+            MxGatewayWorkerException => new MxGatewayWorkerException(
+                redacted, ex.SessionId, ex.CorrelationId, status, ex.HResultCode, statuses, cause),
+            MxGatewayAuthenticationException => new MxGatewayAuthenticationException(
+                redacted, ex.SessionId, ex.CorrelationId, status, ex.HResultCode, statuses, cause),
+            MxGatewayAuthorizationException => new MxGatewayAuthorizationException(
+                redacted, ex.SessionId, ex.CorrelationId, status, ex.HResultCode, statuses, cause),
+            MxGatewayMalformedReplyException => new MxGatewayMalformedReplyException(
+                redacted, ex.SessionId, ex.CorrelationId, status, ex.HResultCode, statuses, cause),
+            MxGatewayCommandException => new MxGatewayCommandException(
+                redacted, ex.SessionId, ex.CorrelationId, status, ex.HResultCode, statuses, cause),
+            _ => new MxGatewayException(redacted, cause),
+        };
+    }
+
+    private static bool ContainsSecret(string? text, string?[] secrets)
+    {
+        if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(text) || secrets is null)
+        {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        foreach (string? secret in secrets)
+        {
+            if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(secret) && text.Contains(secret, StringComparison.Ordinal))
+            {
+                return true;
+            }
+        }
+
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    private static bool StatusesContainSecret(IReadOnlyList<MxStatusProxy> statuses, string?[] secrets)
+    {
+        if (statuses is null)
+        {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        foreach (MxStatusProxy status in statuses)
+        {
+            if (ContainsSecret(status.DiagnosticText, secrets))
+            {
+                return true;
+            }
+        }
+
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    private static bool ReplyContainsSecret(MxCommandReply reply, string?[] secrets)
+    {
+        if (reply is null)
+        {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        return ContainsSecret(reply.ProtocolStatus?.Message, secrets)
+            || ContainsSecret(reply.DiagnosticMessage, secrets)
+            || StatusesContainSecret(reply.Statuses, secrets);
+    }
+}
@@ -945,7 +945,7 @@ public sealed class MxGatewaySession : IAsyncDisposable
                cancellationToken)
            .ConfigureAwait(false);
        reply.EnsureProtocolSuccess().EnsureMxAccessSuccess();
-        return reply.AddBufferedItem?.ItemHandle ?? reply.ReturnValue.Int32Value;
+        return ResolveInt32Result(reply.AddBufferedItem?.ItemHandle, reply, "AddBufferedItem");
    }

    /// <summary>
@@ -1141,7 +1141,14 @@ public sealed class MxGatewaySession : IAsyncDisposable
                verifierUserId,
                cancellationToken)
            .ConfigureAwait(false);
-        reply.EnsureProtocolSuccess().EnsureMxAccessSuccess();
+        try
+        {
+            reply.EnsureProtocolSuccess().EnsureMxAccessSuccess();
+        }
+        catch (MxGatewayException ex)
+        {
+            throw MxGatewaySecretRedaction.Redacted(ex, ExtractSecretString(value));
+        }
    }

    /// <summary>
@@ -1215,7 +1222,14 @@ public sealed class MxGatewaySession : IAsyncDisposable
                verifierUserId,
                cancellationToken)
            .ConfigureAwait(false);
-        reply.EnsureProtocolSuccess().EnsureMxAccessSuccess();
+        try
+        {
+            reply.EnsureProtocolSuccess().EnsureMxAccessSuccess();
+        }
+        catch (MxGatewayException ex)
+        {
+            throw MxGatewaySecretRedaction.Redacted(ex, ExtractSecretString(value));
+        }
    }

    /// <summary>
@@ -1285,8 +1299,15 @@ public sealed class MxGatewaySession : IAsyncDisposable
                verifyUserPassword,
                cancellationToken)
            .ConfigureAwait(false);
-        reply.EnsureProtocolSuccess().EnsureMxAccessSuccess();
-        return reply.AuthenticateUser?.UserId ?? reply.ReturnValue.Int32Value;
+        try
+        {
+            reply.EnsureProtocolSuccess().EnsureMxAccessSuccess();
+            return ResolveInt32Result(reply.AuthenticateUser?.UserId, reply, "AuthenticateUser");
+        }
+        catch (MxGatewayException ex)
+        {
+            throw MxGatewaySecretRedaction.Redacted(ex, verifyUserPassword);
+        }
    }

    /// <summary>
@@ -1337,7 +1358,7 @@ public sealed class MxGatewaySession : IAsyncDisposable
        MxCommandReply reply = await ArchestraUserToIdRawAsync(serverHandle, userIdGuid, cancellationToken)
            .ConfigureAwait(false);
        reply.EnsureProtocolSuccess().EnsureMxAccessSuccess();
-        return reply.ArchestraUserToId?.UserId ?? reply.ReturnValue.Int32Value;
+        return ResolveInt32Result(reply.ArchestraUserToId?.UserId, reply, "ArchestrAUserToId");
    }

    /// <summary>
@@ -1367,6 +1388,51 @@ public sealed class MxGatewaySession : IAsyncDisposable
            cancellationToken);
    }

+    /// <summary>
+    /// Resolves the int32 result of an OK command reply: the typed payload value when present,
+    /// otherwise an int32 <c>return_value</c> when the reply carries one. A reply that provides
+    /// neither is malformed and surfaces as <see cref="MxGatewayMalformedReplyException"/>
+    /// rather than the historical <see cref="NullReferenceException"/>.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="typedValue">The typed payload value, or <see langword="null"/> when absent.</param>
+    /// <param name="reply">The OK command reply.</param>
+    /// <param name="operation">The MXAccess operation name, for the diagnostic message.</param>
+    /// <returns>The resolved int32 result.</returns>
+    private static int ResolveInt32Result(int? typedValue, MxCommandReply reply, string operation)
+    {
+        if (typedValue.HasValue)
+        {
+            return typedValue.Value;
+        }
+
+        if (reply.ReturnValue is not null
+            && reply.ReturnValue.KindCase == MxValue.KindOneofCase.Int32Value)
+        {
+            return reply.ReturnValue.Int32Value;
+        }
+
+        throw new MxGatewayMalformedReplyException(
+            $"{operation} returned a malformed reply: OK reply carried neither the typed payload nor an int32 return_value",
+            reply.SessionId,
+            reply.CorrelationId,
+            reply.ProtocolStatus,
+            reply.HasHresult ? reply.Hresult : null,
+            reply.Statuses.ToArray());
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Extracts the raw string form of a credential-bearing <see cref="MxValue"/> for redaction,
+    /// or <see langword="null"/> when the value does not carry a string.
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="value">The value written by a secured write.</param>
+    /// <returns>The string payload, or <see langword="null"/>.</returns>
+    private static string? ExtractSecretString(MxValue value)
+    {
+        return value.KindCase == MxValue.KindOneofCase.StringValue
+            ? value.StringValue
+            : null;
+    }
+
    /// <summary>
    /// Invokes an MXAccess command on this session.
    /// </summary>
@@ -30,6 +30,6 @@ public static class MxStatusProxyExtensions
            ? "no diagnostic text"
            : status.DiagnosticText;

-        return $"{status.Category} by {status.DetectedBy}; detail={status.Detail}; {diagnosticText}";
+        return $"success={status.Success}; {status.Category} by {status.DetectedBy}; detail={status.Detail}; {diagnosticText}";
    }
 }
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
  <PropertyGroup>
    <IsPackable>true</IsPackable>
    <PackageId>ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Client</PackageId>
-    <Version>0.1.2</Version>
+    <Version>0.2.0</Version>
    <Description>.NET 10 gRPC client for the MxAccessGateway service. Provides typed wrappers, retry, and a lazy-browse walker over the Galaxy Repository hierarchy.</Description>
    <PackageReadmeFile>README.md</PackageReadmeFile>
    <!-- Only the shipped library generates XML docs (matching src/Contracts). The Cli and
@@ -471,7 +471,7 @@ go run ./cmd/mxgw-go smoke -endpoint $env:MXGATEWAY_ENDPOINT -plaintext -api-key
 The module is resolved directly from the git repo — no package registry:

 ````bash
-go get gitea.dohertylan.com/dohertj2/mxaccessgw/clients/go@v0.1.1
+go get gitea.dohertylan.com/dohertj2/mxaccessgw/clients/go@v0.2.0
 ````

 Then import:
@@ -494,11 +494,13 @@ Go modules in monorepo subdirectories use prefixed tags. To tag a release
 from this repo:

 ````bash
-pwsh scripts/tag-go-module.ps1 -Version v0.1.1 -Push
+pwsh scripts/tag-go-module.ps1 -Version v0.2.0 -Push
 ````

 The script validates semver, refuses to tag with uncommitted tracked
-changes, creates an annotated tag `clients/go/v0.1.1`, and (with `-Push`)
+changes, verifies `clients/go/mxgateway/version.go`'s `ClientVersion`
+matches the requested tag version (failing the tag otherwise — CLI-21/CLI-39),
+creates an annotated tag `clients/go/v0.2.0`, and (with `-Push`)
 pushes it to origin.

 ## Related Documentation
@@ -1,6 +1,16 @@
 Set-StrictMode -Version Latest
 $ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'

+# Pinned generator baseline. The committed Go bindings stamp these plugin versions in their
+# headers (protoc-gen-go v1.36.11 / protoc-gen-go-grpc v1.6.2). Plugin-version drift rewrites
+# those header stamps, so a regeneration on an off-pin machine would churn the tree and make
+# check-codegen Check 4 false-fail (or mask real drift under churn). Assert the exact versions
+# so a regen is deterministic. protoc itself is warn-only (source_code_info is normalized out of
+# the committed bindings), matching publish-client-proto-inputs.ps1.
+$PinnedProtocGenGoVersion = 'protoc-gen-go v1.36.11'
+$PinnedProtocGenGoGrpcVersion = 'protoc-gen-go-grpc 1.6.2'
+$PinnedProtocVersion = 'libprotoc 34.1'
+
 $repoRoot = Resolve-Path (Join-Path $PSScriptRoot '..\..')
 $protoRoot = Join-Path $repoRoot 'src\ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Contracts\Protos'
 $outputRoot = Join-Path $PSScriptRoot 'internal\generated'
@@ -36,8 +46,25 @@ $wingetProtoc = if ($env:LOCALAPPDATA) {
 $goBin = if ($env:USERPROFILE) { Join-Path $env:USERPROFILE 'go\bin' } elseif ($env:HOME) { Join-Path $env:HOME 'go/bin' } else { $null }

 $protoc = Resolve-Tool -Names @('protoc', 'protoc.exe') -FallbackPaths @($wingetProtoc)
-$protocGenGo = Resolve-Tool -Names @('protoc-gen-go', 'protoc-gen-go.exe') -FallbackPaths @((if ($goBin) { Join-Path $goBin 'protoc-gen-go.exe' }), (if ($goBin) { Join-Path $goBin 'protoc-gen-go' }))
-$protocGenGoGrpc = Resolve-Tool -Names @('protoc-gen-go-grpc', 'protoc-gen-go-grpc.exe') -FallbackPaths @((if ($goBin) { Join-Path $goBin 'protoc-gen-go-grpc.exe' }), (if ($goBin) { Join-Path $goBin 'protoc-gen-go-grpc' }))
+$protocGenGo = Resolve-Tool -Names @('protoc-gen-go', 'protoc-gen-go.exe') -FallbackPaths @(($(if ($goBin) { Join-Path $goBin 'protoc-gen-go.exe' })), ($(if ($goBin) { Join-Path $goBin 'protoc-gen-go' })))
+$protocGenGoGrpc = Resolve-Tool -Names @('protoc-gen-go-grpc', 'protoc-gen-go-grpc.exe') -FallbackPaths @(($(if ($goBin) { Join-Path $goBin 'protoc-gen-go-grpc.exe' })), ($(if ($goBin) { Join-Path $goBin 'protoc-gen-go-grpc' })))
+
+# Assert the pinned plugin versions before generating so Check 4 cannot false-fail (or mask drift)
+# on an off-pin machine. protoc is warn-only.
+$protocGenGoVersion = (& $protocGenGo --version 2>&1 | Out-String).Trim()
+if ($protocGenGoVersion -ne $PinnedProtocGenGoVersion) {
+    throw "protoc-gen-go reports '$protocGenGoVersion', but regeneration is pinned to '$PinnedProtocGenGoVersion'. " +
+        "Install the pin: go install google.golang.org/protobuf/cmd/protoc-gen-go@v1.36.11"
+}
+$protocGenGoGrpcVersion = (& $protocGenGoGrpc --version 2>&1 | Out-String).Trim()
+if ($protocGenGoGrpcVersion -ne $PinnedProtocGenGoGrpcVersion) {
+    throw "protoc-gen-go-grpc reports '$protocGenGoGrpcVersion', but regeneration is pinned to '$PinnedProtocGenGoGrpcVersion'. " +
+        "Install the pin: go install google.golang.org/grpc/cmd/protoc-gen-go-grpc@v1.6.2"
+}
+$protocVersion = (& $protoc --version 2>&1 | Out-String).Trim()
+if ($protocVersion -ne $PinnedProtocVersion) {
+    Write-Warning "protoc reports '$protocVersion', pin is '$PinnedProtocVersion'. Descriptor comments are normalized out of the committed Go bindings, so patch drift is tolerated; keep CI on the pin."
+}

 # protoc discovers the plugins on PATH; prepend the directories the resolved plugins live in.
 $env:Path = (Split-Path $protocGenGo -Parent) + [System.IO.Path]::PathSeparator + (Split-Path $protocGenGoGrpc -Parent) + [System.IO.Path]::PathSeparator + $env:Path
@@ -5974,8 +5974,12 @@ func (x *WorkerInfoReply) GetMxaccessClsid() string {
 }

 type DrainEventsReply struct {
-	state         protoimpl.MessageState `protogen:"open.v1"`
-	Events        []*MxEvent             `protobuf:"bytes,1,rep,name=events,proto3" json:"events,omitempty"`
+	state protoimpl.MessageState `protogen:"open.v1"`
+	// The reply is bounded by both a server-side count cap and the negotiated
+	// worker-frame byte cap; a reply may therefore carry fewer events than
+	// `max_events` and fewer than are queued. Callers drain iteratively until an
+	// empty reply.
+	Events        []*MxEvent `protobuf:"bytes,1,rep,name=events,proto3" json:"events,omitempty"`
 	unknownFields protoimpl.UnknownFields
 	sizeCache     protoimpl.SizeCache
 }
@@ -6411,6 +6415,11 @@ type ReplayGap struct {
 	// after_worker_sequence = oldest_available_sequence - 1 in the next
 	// StreamEventsRequest, which will cause the server to replay starting at
 	// oldest_available_sequence (the first retained event).
+	// When nothing is retained (the replay ring is empty), this is the next sequence
+	// that can be delivered — `highest observed + 1` — and the `oldest - 1` resume
+	// formula remains valid: it resolves to the highest sequence already seen, so the
+	// follow-up resume replays nothing, reports no gap, and every newer live event
+	// passes. The interval evicted is unchanged.
 	OldestAvailableSequence uint64 `protobuf:"varint,2,opt,name=oldest_available_sequence,json=oldestAvailableSequence,proto3" json:"oldest_available_sequence,omitempty"`
 	unknownFields           protoimpl.UnknownFields
 	sizeCache               protoimpl.SizeCache
@@ -431,8 +431,17 @@ type GatewayHello struct {
 	SupportedProtocolVersion uint32                 `protobuf:"varint,1,opt,name=supported_protocol_version,json=supportedProtocolVersion,proto3" json:"supported_protocol_version,omitempty"`
 	Nonce                    string                 `protobuf:"bytes,2,opt,name=nonce,proto3" json:"nonce,omitempty"`
 	GatewayVersion           string                 `protobuf:"bytes,3,opt,name=gateway_version,json=gatewayVersion,proto3" json:"gateway_version,omitempty"`
-	unknownFields            protoimpl.UnknownFields
-	sizeCache                protoimpl.SizeCache
+	// Maximum worker-frame payload size, in bytes, negotiated by the gateway from its
+	// configured pipe limit. The worker adopts this as its frame-protocol MaxMessageBytes
+	// instead of a hard-coded default; 0 (an older gateway that never set the field) means
+	// "use the worker's built-in default". Sits above the public gRPC cap by an
+	// envelope-overhead margin so an accepted gRPC payload always fits one worker frame.
+	// Every worker->gateway frame — events, heartbeats, faults, and control replies
+	// including DrainEvents — must serialize within this limit; reply builders truncate
+	// to fit rather than emit an oversized frame.
+	MaxFrameBytes uint32 `protobuf:"varint,4,opt,name=max_frame_bytes,json=maxFrameBytes,proto3" json:"max_frame_bytes,omitempty"`
+	unknownFields protoimpl.UnknownFields
+	sizeCache     protoimpl.SizeCache
 }

 func (x *GatewayHello) Reset() {
@@ -486,6 +495,13 @@ func (x *GatewayHello) GetGatewayVersion() string {
 	return ""
 }

+func (x *GatewayHello) GetMaxFrameBytes() uint32 {
+	if x != nil {
+		return x.MaxFrameBytes
+	}
+	return 0
+}
+
 type WorkerHello struct {
 	state           protoimpl.MessageState `protogen:"open.v1"`
 	ProtocolVersion uint32                 `protobuf:"varint,1,opt,name=protocol_version,json=protocolVersion,proto3" json:"protocol_version,omitempty"`
@@ -1109,11 +1125,12 @@ const file_mxaccess_worker_proto_rawDesc = "" +
 	"\fworker_event\x18\x12 \x01(\v2\x1f.mxaccess_worker.v1.WorkerEventH\x00R\vworkerEvent\x12P\n" +
 	"\x10worker_heartbeat\x18\x13 \x01(\v2#.mxaccess_worker.v1.WorkerHeartbeatH\x00R\x0fworkerHeartbeat\x12D\n" +
 	"\fworker_fault\x18\x14 \x01(\v2\x1f.mxaccess_worker.v1.WorkerFaultH\x00R\vworkerFaultB\x06\n" +
-	"\x04body\"\x8b\x01\n" +
+	"\x04body\"\xb3\x01\n" +
 	"\fGatewayHello\x12<\n" +
 	"\x1asupported_protocol_version\x18\x01 \x01(\rR\x18supportedProtocolVersion\x12\x14\n" +
 	"\x05nonce\x18\x02 \x01(\tR\x05nonce\x12'\n" +
-	"\x0fgateway_version\x18\x03 \x01(\tR\x0egatewayVersion\"\xa1\x01\n" +
+	"\x0fgateway_version\x18\x03 \x01(\tR\x0egatewayVersion\x12&\n" +
+	"\x0fmax_frame_bytes\x18\x04 \x01(\rR\rmaxFrameBytes\"\xa1\x01\n" +
 	"\vWorkerHello\x12)\n" +
 	"\x10protocol_version\x18\x01 \x01(\rR\x0fprotocolVersion\x12\x14\n" +
 	"\x05nonce\x18\x02 \x01(\tR\x05nonce\x12*\n" +
@@ -10,7 +10,9 @@ import (

 	pb "gitea.dohertylan.com/dohertj2/mxaccessgw/clients/go/internal/generated"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc"
+	"google.golang.org/grpc/codes"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/metadata"
+	"google.golang.org/grpc/status"
 	"google.golang.org/grpc/test/bufconn"
 )

@@ -200,6 +202,136 @@ func TestEventsSlowConsumerYieldsErrSlowConsumerBeforeClose(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }

+func TestEventsFullBufferTerminalErrorKeepsRootCause(t *testing.T) {
+	fake := &fakeGatewayServer{
+		streamStarted:     make(chan struct{}),
+		streamDone:        make(chan struct{}),
+		streamEventCount:  eventBufferSize,
+		streamTerminalErr: status.Error(codes.Internal, "boom"),
+	}
+	client, cleanup := newBufconnClient(t, fake)
+	defer cleanup()
+	session := NewSessionForID(client, "session-1")
+
+	events, err := session.EventsAfter(context.Background(), 0)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("EventsAfter() error = %v", err)
+	}
+	<-fake.streamStarted
+
+	// Do not drain until the stream has fully ended: the server sends exactly
+	// eventBufferSize events (filling the data slots) and then returns a genuine
+	// terminal gRPC error. The client must report that error as itself, using the
+	// reserved slot, rather than mislabeling it as ErrSlowConsumer.
+	select {
+	case <-fake.streamDone:
+	case <-time.After(2 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("event stream did not stop after terminal error")
+	}
+	// streamDone fires when the server returns; the client's producer goroutine
+	// still needs a moment to drain the gRPC stream, fill all data slots, and
+	// enqueue the terminal result. Let it settle before draining so the buffer is
+	// genuinely full when the terminal error is processed (which is what makes the
+	// mislabel bug observable).
+	time.Sleep(250 * time.Millisecond)
+
+	var last EventResult
+	gotResult := false
+	for {
+		select {
+		case res, ok := <-events:
+			if !ok {
+				if !gotResult {
+					t.Fatal("events channel closed without yielding any result")
+				}
+				var gwErr *GatewayError
+				if !errors.As(last.Err, &gwErr) {
+					t.Fatalf("final event result err is %T, want *GatewayError", last.Err)
+				}
+				if code := status.Code(last.Err); code != codes.Internal {
+					t.Fatalf("final event result gRPC code = %s, want %s", code, codes.Internal)
+				}
+				if errors.Is(last.Err, ErrSlowConsumer) {
+					t.Fatalf("final event result err = %v, must not be mislabeled as ErrSlowConsumer", last.Err)
+				}
+				return
+			}
+			last = res
+			gotResult = true
+		case <-time.After(2 * time.Second):
+			t.Fatal("events channel did not close after terminal error")
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// TestSubscribeEventsFullBufferDeliversTerminalError is the CLI-44 regression for
+// the never-drop Subscribe path. SubscribeEvents/SubscribeEventsAfter use
+// cancelWhenResultBufferFull=false, so ordinary sends are blocking and uncapped and
+// can fill every slot in the results channel — including the reserved terminal slot.
+// A genuine terminal Recv error must still be delivered as the final result, never
+// silently dropped. The server sends eventBufferSize+eventBufferReservedSlots events
+// (filling every slot) and then returns a genuine gRPC error; with an unconditional
+// non-blocking terminal send the error is dropped, so this fails red until the send
+// path blocks for the never-drop mode.
+func TestSubscribeEventsFullBufferDeliversTerminalError(t *testing.T) {
+	fake := &fakeGatewayServer{
+		streamStarted:     make(chan struct{}),
+		streamDone:        make(chan struct{}),
+		streamEventCount:  eventBufferSize + eventBufferReservedSlots,
+		streamTerminalErr: status.Error(codes.Internal, "boom"),
+	}
+	client, cleanup := newBufconnClient(t, fake)
+	defer cleanup()
+	session := NewSessionForID(client, "session-1")
+
+	subscription, err := session.SubscribeEvents(context.Background())
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("SubscribeEvents() error = %v", err)
+	}
+	defer subscription.Close()
+	<-fake.streamStarted
+
+	// Wait for the server to finish sending every event and return the terminal
+	// error, so the producer goroutine has filled every buffered slot before the
+	// terminal result is processed. That is what makes the dropped-terminal bug
+	// observable: with the buffer full, an unconditional non-blocking send discards
+	// the terminal error.
+	select {
+	case <-fake.streamDone:
+	case <-time.After(2 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("event stream did not stop after terminal error")
+	}
+	time.Sleep(250 * time.Millisecond)
+
+	// Drain fully. Every data event, then the terminal gRPC error as the final
+	// result, must arrive; the channel must not close without yielding it.
+	events := subscription.Events()
+	var last EventResult
+	gotResult := false
+	for {
+		select {
+		case res, ok := <-events:
+			if !ok {
+				if !gotResult {
+					t.Fatal("events channel closed without yielding any result")
+				}
+				var gwErr *GatewayError
+				if !errors.As(last.Err, &gwErr) {
+					t.Fatalf("final event result err is %T (%v), want the terminal *GatewayError; it was dropped", last.Err, last.Err)
+				}
+				if code := status.Code(last.Err); code != codes.Internal {
+					t.Fatalf("final event result gRPC code = %s, want %s", code, codes.Internal)
+				}
+				return
+			}
+			last = res
+			gotResult = true
+		case <-time.After(2 * time.Second):
+			t.Fatal("events channel did not close after terminal error")
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func TestEventsSurfacesReplayGapSentinelAsTypedSignal(t *testing.T) {
 	fake := &fakeGatewayServer{
 		streamStarted: make(chan struct{}),
@@ -694,15 +826,16 @@ func newBufconnClient(t *testing.T, fake *fakeGatewayServer) (*Client, func()) {
 type fakeGatewayServer struct {
 	pb.UnimplementedMxAccessGatewayServer

-	openReply        *pb.OpenSessionReply
-	openAuth         string
-	streamAuth       string
-	streamStarted    chan struct{}
-	streamDone       chan struct{}
-	streamEventCount int
-	streamReplayGap  *pb.ReplayGap
-	invokeReply      *pb.MxCommandReply
-	invokeRequest    *pb.MxCommandRequest
+	openReply         *pb.OpenSessionReply
+	openAuth          string
+	streamAuth        string
+	streamStarted     chan struct{}
+	streamDone        chan struct{}
+	streamEventCount  int
+	streamReplayGap   *pb.ReplayGap
+	streamTerminalErr error
+	invokeReply       *pb.MxCommandReply
+	invokeRequest     *pb.MxCommandRequest
 }

 func (s *fakeGatewayServer) OpenSession(ctx context.Context, req *pb.OpenSessionRequest) (*pb.OpenSessionReply, error) {
@@ -772,6 +905,12 @@ func (s *fakeGatewayServer) StreamEvents(req *pb.StreamEventsRequest, stream grp
 			return err
 		}
 	}
+	if s.streamTerminalErr != nil {
+		// Return a genuine terminal stream error immediately after sending the
+		// events, without waiting on the client to cancel. This exercises the
+		// Recv-error path while the client's result buffer is still full.
+		return s.streamTerminalErr
+	}
 	<-stream.Context().Done()
 	return io.EOF
 }
@@ -0,0 +1,197 @@
+package mxgateway
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	pb "gitea.dohertylan.com/dohertj2/mxaccessgw/clients/go/internal/generated"
+	"google.golang.org/protobuf/encoding/protojson"
+)
+
+// loadCommandReplyFixture parses a shared command-reply fixture into an
+// MxCommandReply so the Go client can be driven through the same wire shapes the
+// other language clients exercise.
+func loadCommandReplyFixture(t *testing.T, name string) *pb.MxCommandReply {
+	t.Helper()
+	path := filepath.Join("..", "..", "proto", "fixtures", "behavior", "command-replies", name)
+	data, err := os.ReadFile(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("read fixture %s: %v", name, err)
+	}
+	var reply pb.MxCommandReply
+	if err := protojson.Unmarshal(data, &reply); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("parse fixture %s: %v", name, err)
+	}
+	return &reply
+}
+
+func TestAuthenticateUserMissingPayloadReturnsMalformedReplyError(t *testing.T) {
+	fake := &fakeGatewayServer{
+		invokeReply: loadCommandReplyFixture(t, "authenticate-user.missing-payload.reply.json"),
+	}
+	client, cleanup := newBufconnClient(t, fake)
+	defer cleanup()
+	session := NewSessionForID(client, "session-1")
+
+	_, err := session.AuthenticateUser(context.Background(), 12, "operator", "secret")
+	var malformed *MalformedReplyError
+	if !errors.As(err, &malformed) {
+		t.Fatalf("AuthenticateUser() error = %v (%T), want *MalformedReplyError", err, err)
+	}
+	if malformed.Op != "authenticate user" {
+		t.Fatalf("MalformedReplyError.Op = %q, want %q", malformed.Op, "authenticate user")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestAuthenticateUserReturnValueOnlyUsesInt32ReturnValue(t *testing.T) {
+	fake := &fakeGatewayServer{
+		invokeReply: loadCommandReplyFixture(t, "authenticate-user.return-value-only.reply.json"),
+	}
+	client, cleanup := newBufconnClient(t, fake)
+	defer cleanup()
+	session := NewSessionForID(client, "session-1")
+
+	userID, err := session.AuthenticateUser(context.Background(), 12, "operator", "secret")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("AuthenticateUser() error = %v", err)
+	}
+	if userID != 7 {
+		t.Fatalf("AuthenticateUser() = %d, want 7", userID)
+	}
+}
+
+// AddBufferedItem shares the prefer-payload / int32-return-value / malformed
+// fallback code path; cover both branches for one of the siblings.
+func TestAddBufferedItemFallbackHonoursReturnValueAndReportsMalformed(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("return-value-only", func(t *testing.T) {
+		fake := &fakeGatewayServer{
+			invokeReply: loadCommandReplyFixture(t, "authenticate-user.return-value-only.reply.json"),
+		}
+		client, cleanup := newBufconnClient(t, fake)
+		defer cleanup()
+		session := NewSessionForID(client, "session-1")
+
+		itemHandle, err := session.AddBufferedItem(context.Background(), 12, "Area001.Pump001.Speed", "runtime")
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("AddBufferedItem() error = %v", err)
+		}
+		if itemHandle != 7 {
+			t.Fatalf("AddBufferedItem() = %d, want 7", itemHandle)
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("missing-payload", func(t *testing.T) {
+		fake := &fakeGatewayServer{
+			invokeReply: loadCommandReplyFixture(t, "authenticate-user.missing-payload.reply.json"),
+		}
+		client, cleanup := newBufconnClient(t, fake)
+		defer cleanup()
+		session := NewSessionForID(client, "session-1")
+
+		_, err := session.AddBufferedItem(context.Background(), 12, "Area001.Pump001.Speed", "runtime")
+		var malformed *MalformedReplyError
+		if !errors.As(err, &malformed) {
+			t.Fatalf("AddBufferedItem() error = %v (%T), want *MalformedReplyError", err, err)
+		}
+		if malformed.Op != "add buffered item" {
+			t.Fatalf("MalformedReplyError.Op = %q, want %q", malformed.Op, "add buffered item")
+		}
+	})
+}
+
+// TestAuthenticateUserScrubsEchoedCredentialFromError is the CLI-40 regression:
+// a gateway diagnostic that echoes the raw credential back must never reach the
+// caller's surfaced error text.
+func TestAuthenticateUserScrubsEchoedCredentialFromError(t *testing.T) {
+	const credential = "sup3rSecretVerify9f3a2b"
+	fake := &fakeGatewayServer{
+		invokeReply: loadCommandReplyFixture(t, "authenticate-user.echoed-credential.reply.json"),
+	}
+	client, cleanup := newBufconnClient(t, fake)
+	defer cleanup()
+	session := NewSessionForID(client, "session-1")
+
+	_, err := session.AuthenticateUser(context.Background(), 12, "operator", credential)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("AuthenticateUser() error = nil, want an MXAccess failure")
+	}
+	message := err.Error()
+	if strings.Contains(message, credential) {
+		t.Fatalf("surfaced error leaked the credential: %q", message)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(message, "<redacted>") {
+		t.Fatalf("surfaced error missing redaction marker: %q", message)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestAuthenticateUserScrubsEchoedCredentialFromStructuredReply is the CLI-40
+// follow-up: redacting only the rendered Error() string is not enough. The typed
+// *MxAccessError still carries the raw command reply, whose ProtocolStatus.Message,
+// DiagnosticMessage, and Statuses[].DiagnosticText echo the credential verbatim. A
+// logger dumping structured fields would reintroduce the leak, so the reply the
+// typed error carries must be a scrubbed clone. Both the OK+negative-HRESULT and the
+// MXACCESS_FAILURE fixtures route to *MxAccessError (via EnsureProtocolSuccess), so
+// both must be scrubbed identically.
+func TestAuthenticateUserScrubsEchoedCredentialFromStructuredReply(t *testing.T) {
+	const credential = "sup3rSecretVerify9f3a2b"
+	fixtures := []string{
+		"authenticate-user.echoed-credential.reply.json",
+		"authenticate-user.echoed-credential-mxaccess-failure.reply.json",
+	}
+	for _, fixture := range fixtures {
+		t.Run(fixture, func(t *testing.T) {
+			fake := &fakeGatewayServer{
+				invokeReply: loadCommandReplyFixture(t, fixture),
+			}
+			client, cleanup := newBufconnClient(t, fake)
+			defer cleanup()
+			session := NewSessionForID(client, "session-1")
+
+			_, err := session.AuthenticateUser(context.Background(), 12, "operator", credential)
+			if err == nil {
+				t.Fatal("AuthenticateUser() error = nil, want an MXAccess failure")
+			}
+
+			var mxErr *MxAccessError
+			if !errors.As(err, &mxErr) {
+				t.Fatalf("AuthenticateUser() error = %v (%T), want *MxAccessError", err, err)
+			}
+
+			reply := mxErr.Reply
+			if reply == nil {
+				t.Fatal("MxAccessError.Reply is nil, want the scrubbed command reply")
+			}
+			if got := reply.GetProtocolStatus().GetMessage(); strings.Contains(got, credential) {
+				t.Fatalf("MxAccessError.Reply.ProtocolStatus.Message leaked the credential: %q", got)
+			}
+			if got := reply.GetDiagnosticMessage(); strings.Contains(got, credential) {
+				t.Fatalf("MxAccessError.Reply.DiagnosticMessage leaked the credential: %q", got)
+			}
+			for i, status := range reply.GetStatuses() {
+				if got := status.GetDiagnosticText(); strings.Contains(got, credential) {
+					t.Fatalf("MxAccessError.Reply.Statuses[%d].DiagnosticText leaked the credential: %q", i, got)
+				}
+			}
+
+			// The wrapped CommandError's status/reply must be scrubbed too.
+			if mxErr.Command != nil {
+				if got := mxErr.Command.Status.GetMessage(); strings.Contains(got, credential) {
+					t.Fatalf("MxAccessError.Command.Status.Message leaked the credential: %q", got)
+				}
+				if cmdReply := mxErr.Command.Reply; cmdReply != nil {
+					if got := cmdReply.GetDiagnosticMessage(); strings.Contains(got, credential) {
+						t.Fatalf("MxAccessError.Command.Reply.DiagnosticMessage leaked the credential: %q", got)
+					}
+				}
+			}
+
+			if got := err.Error(); strings.Contains(got, credential) {
+				t.Fatalf("rendered error leaked the credential: %q", got)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
@@ -51,8 +51,9 @@ func TestStatusConversionFixtures(t *testing.T) {

 	var fixture struct {
 		Cases []struct {
-			ID     string          `json:"id"`
-			Status json.RawMessage `json:"status"`
+			ID          string          `json:"id"`
+			WantSuccess bool            `json:"wantSuccess"`
+			Status      json.RawMessage `json:"status"`
 		} `json:"cases"`
 	}
 	if err := json.Unmarshal(data, &fixture); err != nil {
@@ -65,9 +66,8 @@ func TestStatusConversionFixtures(t *testing.T) {
 			if err := protojson.Unmarshal(tc.Status, &status); err != nil {
 				t.Fatalf("parse status: %v", err)
 			}
-			want := status.GetCategory() == pb.MxStatusCategory_MX_STATUS_CATEGORY_OK
-			if got := StatusSucceeded(&status); got != want {
-				t.Fatalf("StatusSucceeded() = %v, want %v", got, want)
+			if got := StatusSucceeded(&status); got != tc.WantSuccess {
+				t.Fatalf("StatusSucceeded() = %v, want %v", got, tc.WantSuccess)
 			}
 		})
 	}
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"

 	pb "gitea.dohertylan.com/dohertj2/mxaccessgw/clients/go/internal/generated"
+	"google.golang.org/protobuf/proto"
 )

 // redactedSecretMarker is the placeholder substituted for credential material in
@@ -49,20 +50,108 @@ func (e *secretRedactingError) Unwrap() error {
 	return e.err
 }

-// redactSecrets wraps err so any occurrence of a non-empty secret in the surfaced
-// message is redacted, while errors.As / errors.Is still reach the wrapped typed
-// error. It returns nil unchanged and skips wrapping when no non-empty secret is
-// supplied, so non-secret-bearing calls keep their original error verbatim.
+// scrubReplyStrings returns a clone of reply with every non-empty secret replaced
+// by redactedSecretMarker in the free-text fields a gateway diagnostic could echo a
+// credential into: ProtocolStatus.Message, DiagnosticMessage, and each
+// Statuses[].DiagnosticText. It clones with proto.Clone so the caller's original
+// reply is never mutated. A nil reply, or an empty/whitespace-only secret set, is a
+// no-op (nil in, nil out; a clone otherwise).
+func scrubReplyStrings(reply *pb.MxCommandReply, secrets []string) *pb.MxCommandReply {
+	if reply == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	clone, ok := proto.Clone(reply).(*pb.MxCommandReply)
+	if !ok {
+		return reply
+	}
+	for _, secret := range secrets {
+		if secret == "" {
+			continue
+		}
+		if clone.GetProtocolStatus() != nil {
+			clone.ProtocolStatus.Message = strings.ReplaceAll(clone.GetProtocolStatus().GetMessage(), secret, redactedSecretMarker)
+		}
+		clone.DiagnosticMessage = strings.ReplaceAll(clone.GetDiagnosticMessage(), secret, redactedSecretMarker)
+		for _, status := range clone.GetStatuses() {
+			status.DiagnosticText = strings.ReplaceAll(status.GetDiagnosticText(), secret, redactedSecretMarker)
+		}
+	}
+	return clone
+}
+
+// scrubProtocolStatusMessage returns a clone of status with every non-empty secret
+// redacted from its Message, leaving the original untouched.
+func scrubProtocolStatusMessage(status *ProtocolStatus, secrets []string) *ProtocolStatus {
+	if status == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	clone, ok := proto.Clone(status).(*ProtocolStatus)
+	if !ok {
+		return status
+	}
+	for _, secret := range secrets {
+		if secret != "" {
+			clone.Message = strings.ReplaceAll(clone.GetMessage(), secret, redactedSecretMarker)
+		}
+	}
+	return clone
+}
+
+// redactSecrets scrubs a non-empty secret set from the error it surfaces. When the
+// wrapped error is a typed *MxAccessError or *CommandError it is rebuilt carrying
+// scrubbed clones of its reply and protocol status, so a caller logging the typed
+// error's structured fields cannot reintroduce the credential the rendered message
+// hides. The rebuilt (or original, for other error types) value is then wrapped in
+// secretRedactingError as a belt-and-suspenders scrub of any remaining rendered
+// text. errors.As / errors.Is still reach the typed error through the wrapper. It
+// returns nil unchanged and skips all work when no non-empty secret is supplied, so
+// non-secret-bearing calls keep their original error verbatim.
 func redactSecrets(err error, secrets ...string) error {
 	if err == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
+	hasSecret := false
 	for _, secret := range secrets {
 		if secret != "" {
-			return &secretRedactingError{err: err, secrets: secrets}
+			hasSecret = true
+			break
 		}
 	}
-	return err
+	if !hasSecret {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	rebuilt := rebuildScrubbedError(err, secrets)
+	return &secretRedactingError{err: rebuilt, secrets: secrets}
+}
+
+// rebuildScrubbedError rebuilds the typed error carrying scrubbed clones of any
+// command reply / protocol status it holds, so credential text never survives in the
+// error's structured fields. Non-reply-bearing error types are returned unchanged.
+func rebuildScrubbedError(err error, secrets []string) error {
+	switch typed := err.(type) {
+	case *MxAccessError:
+		return &MxAccessError{
+			Command: scrubCommandError(typed.Command, secrets),
+			Reply:   scrubReplyStrings(typed.Reply, secrets),
+		}
+	case *CommandError:
+		return scrubCommandError(typed, secrets)
+	default:
+		return err
+	}
+}
+
+// scrubCommandError rebuilds a CommandError with a scrubbed Status and Reply.
+func scrubCommandError(cmd *CommandError, secrets []string) *CommandError {
+	if cmd == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	return &CommandError{
+		Op:     cmd.Op,
+		Status: scrubProtocolStatusMessage(cmd.Status, secrets),
+		Reply:  scrubReplyStrings(cmd.Reply, secrets),
+	}
 }

 // ErrSlowConsumer is the terminal error sent on the Events/EventsAfter
@@ -72,6 +161,25 @@ func redactSecrets(err error, secrets ...string) error {
 // dropping events. Match it with errors.Is.
 var ErrSlowConsumer = errors.New("mxgateway: event consumer fell behind; stream terminated")

+// MalformedReplyError reports an OK command reply that carried neither the
+// typed payload the operation expected nor a usable int32 return_value, so the
+// client cannot produce a result. It gives every affected helper one uniform,
+// inspectable failure instead of silently returning a zero value.
+type MalformedReplyError struct {
+	// Op names the operation whose reply was malformed.
+	Op string
+	// Detail explains what the reply was missing.
+	Detail string
+}
+
+// Error returns the formatted malformed-reply message.
+func (e *MalformedReplyError) Error() string {
+	if e == nil {
+		return ""
+	}
+	return fmt.Sprintf("mxgateway: %s returned a malformed reply: %s", e.Op, e.Detail)
+}
+
 // GatewayError wraps transport-level gRPC failures.
 type GatewayError struct {
 	// Op names the operation that failed (for example "dial" or "invoke").
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+package mxgateway
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	pb "gitea.dohertylan.com/dohertj2/mxaccessgw/clients/go/internal/generated"
+)
+
+// TestScrubReplyStringsRedactsEveryOccurrence covers the multi-occurrence case:
+// one secret appearing across ProtocolStatus.Message, DiagnosticMessage, and every
+// Statuses[].DiagnosticText must be fully redacted with no residue.
+func TestScrubReplyStringsRedactsEveryOccurrence(t *testing.T) {
+	const secret = "hunter2"
+	reply := &pb.MxCommandReply{
+		ProtocolStatus:    &pb.ProtocolStatus{Message: "rejected hunter2 then hunter2 again"},
+		DiagnosticMessage: "echoed hunter2 back",
+		Statuses: []*pb.MxStatusProxy{
+			{DiagnosticText: "first hunter2"},
+			{DiagnosticText: "second hunter2 and hunter2"},
+		},
+	}
+
+	scrubbed := scrubReplyStrings(reply, []string{secret})
+
+	if strings.Contains(scrubbed.GetProtocolStatus().GetMessage(), secret) {
+		t.Fatalf("ProtocolStatus.Message still contains the secret: %q", scrubbed.GetProtocolStatus().GetMessage())
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(scrubbed.GetDiagnosticMessage(), secret) {
+		t.Fatalf("DiagnosticMessage still contains the secret: %q", scrubbed.GetDiagnosticMessage())
+	}
+	for i, status := range scrubbed.GetStatuses() {
+		if strings.Contains(status.GetDiagnosticText(), secret) {
+			t.Fatalf("Statuses[%d].DiagnosticText still contains the secret: %q", i, status.GetDiagnosticText())
+		}
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(scrubbed.GetProtocolStatus().GetMessage(), redactedSecretMarker) {
+		t.Fatalf("ProtocolStatus.Message missing redaction marker: %q", scrubbed.GetProtocolStatus().GetMessage())
+	}
+
+	// The original reply must be untouched (scrubReplyStrings clones).
+	if !strings.Contains(reply.GetDiagnosticMessage(), secret) {
+		t.Fatal("scrubReplyStrings mutated the original reply instead of cloning it")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestScrubReplyStringsRedactsOverlappingSecrets covers two secrets where one is a
+// substring of the other: both must be fully redacted, with no partial leak of the
+// longer secret's non-shared remainder.
+func TestScrubReplyStringsRedactsOverlappingSecrets(t *testing.T) {
+	const shortSecret = "pass"
+	const longSecret = "password123"
+	reply := &pb.MxCommandReply{
+		DiagnosticMessage: "value was password123 and also pass",
+	}
+
+	scrubbed := scrubReplyStrings(reply, []string{longSecret, shortSecret})
+
+	got := scrubbed.GetDiagnosticMessage()
+	if strings.Contains(got, shortSecret) {
+		t.Fatalf("scrubbed message still contains a secret substring %q: %q", shortSecret, got)
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(got, longSecret) {
+		t.Fatalf("scrubbed message still contains %q: %q", longSecret, got)
+	}
+	// "123" is the longer secret's remainder past the shared "pass" prefix; it must
+	// not survive as a partial leak.
+	if strings.Contains(got, "123") {
+		t.Fatalf("scrubbed message leaked the longer secret's remainder: %q", got)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestRedactSecretsEmptyOrNilLeavesErrorUnchanged confirms the no-secret paths keep
+// the original typed error verbatim (no wrapping, no scrubbed clone).
+func TestRedactSecretsEmptyOrNilLeavesErrorUnchanged(t *testing.T) {
+	base := &MxAccessError{Reply: &pb.MxCommandReply{DiagnosticMessage: "boom"}}
+
+	if got := redactSecrets(base); got != error(base) {
+		t.Fatalf("redactSecrets with no secrets = %v, want the original error unchanged", got)
+	}
+	if got := redactSecrets(base, ""); got != error(base) {
+		t.Fatalf("redactSecrets with only an empty secret = %v, want the original error unchanged", got)
+	}
+	if got := redactSecrets(nil, "secret"); got != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("redactSecrets(nil, ...) = %v, want nil", got)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestRedactSecretsRebuildsTypedCommandError confirms a *CommandError (non-MXAccess
+// path) is rebuilt with a scrubbed Status and Reply, and errors.As still reaches it.
+func TestRedactSecretsRebuildsTypedCommandError(t *testing.T) {
+	const secret = "topSecretValue"
+	base := &CommandError{
+		Op:     "write secured",
+		Status: &pb.ProtocolStatus{Message: "rejected topSecretValue"},
+		Reply:  &pb.MxCommandReply{DiagnosticMessage: "echoed topSecretValue"},
+	}
+
+	redacted := redactSecrets(base, secret)
+
+	var cmdErr *CommandError
+	if !errors.As(redacted, &cmdErr) {
+		t.Fatalf("redactSecrets result %T does not unwrap to *CommandError", redacted)
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(cmdErr.Status.GetMessage(), secret) {
+		t.Fatalf("CommandError.Status.Message leaked the secret: %q", cmdErr.Status.GetMessage())
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(cmdErr.Reply.GetDiagnosticMessage(), secret) {
+		t.Fatalf("CommandError.Reply.DiagnosticMessage leaked the secret: %q", cmdErr.Reply.GetDiagnosticMessage())
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(redacted.Error(), secret) {
+		t.Fatalf("rendered error leaked the secret: %q", redacted.Error())
+	}
+}
@@ -812,7 +812,13 @@ func (s *Session) AuthenticateUser(ctx context.Context, serverHandle int32, veri
 	if reply.GetAuthenticateUser() != nil {
 		return reply.GetAuthenticateUser().GetUserId(), nil
 	}
-	return reply.GetReturnValue().GetInt32Value(), nil
+	if x, ok := reply.GetReturnValue().GetKind().(*pb.MxValue_Int32Value); ok {
+		return x.Int32Value, nil
+	}
+	return 0, &MalformedReplyError{
+		Op:     "authenticate user",
+		Detail: "reply carried neither an AuthenticateUser payload nor an int32 return_value",
+	}
 }

 // AuthenticateUserRaw invokes MXAccess AuthenticateUser and returns the raw
@@ -847,7 +853,13 @@ func (s *Session) ArchestrAUserToId(ctx context.Context, serverHandle int32, use
 	if reply.GetArchestraUserToId() != nil {
 		return reply.GetArchestraUserToId().GetUserId(), nil
 	}
-	return reply.GetReturnValue().GetInt32Value(), nil
+	if x, ok := reply.GetReturnValue().GetKind().(*pb.MxValue_Int32Value); ok {
+		return x.Int32Value, nil
+	}
+	return 0, &MalformedReplyError{
+		Op:     "archestra user to id",
+		Detail: "reply carried neither an ArchestrAUserToId payload nor an int32 return_value",
+	}
 }

 // ArchestrAUserToIdRaw invokes MXAccess ArchestrAUserToId and returns the raw reply.
@@ -876,7 +888,13 @@ func (s *Session) AddBufferedItem(ctx context.Context, serverHandle int32, itemD
 	if reply.GetAddBufferedItem() != nil {
 		return reply.GetAddBufferedItem().GetItemHandle(), nil
 	}
-	return reply.GetReturnValue().GetInt32Value(), nil
+	if x, ok := reply.GetReturnValue().GetKind().(*pb.MxValue_Int32Value); ok {
+		return x.Int32Value, nil
+	}
+	return 0, &MalformedReplyError{
+		Op:     "add buffered item",
+		Detail: "reply carried neither an AddBufferedItem payload nor an int32 return_value",
+	}
 }

 // AddBufferedItemRaw invokes MXAccess AddBufferedItem and returns the raw reply.
@@ -981,10 +999,12 @@ func stringSecrets(values ...*MxValue) []string {
 // context cancellation stops Recv, or a terminal error is sent.
 //
 // The returned channel is buffered. If the consumer falls behind and the buffer
-// overflows, the stream is terminated and a final EventResult carrying a
-// GatewayError that wraps ErrSlowConsumer is delivered before the channel
-// closes. Callers must match it with errors.Is(res.Err, ErrSlowConsumer) to
-// distinguish a slow-consumer drop from a graceful server end. Use
+// overflows with data, the stream is terminated and a final EventResult carrying
+// a GatewayError that wraps ErrSlowConsumer is delivered before the channel
+// closes; match it with errors.Is(res.Err, ErrSlowConsumer) to distinguish a
+// slow-consumer drop from a graceful server end. A genuine stream error is
+// reported as itself even under overflow — it is never relabeled as
+// ErrSlowConsumer, so the underlying gRPC status stays inspectable. Use
 // SubscribeEvents for a blocking, backpressured stream that never drops.
 func (s *Session) Events(ctx context.Context) (<-chan EventResult, error) {
 	return s.EventsAfter(ctx, 0)
@@ -994,7 +1014,9 @@ func (s *Session) Events(ctx context.Context) (<-chan EventResult, error) {
 //
 // Like Events, the returned channel is buffered and terminates with a final
 // EventResult wrapping ErrSlowConsumer (matchable via errors.Is) if the consumer
-// falls behind and the buffer overflows, rather than silently closing.
+// falls behind and the buffer overflows with data, rather than silently closing.
+// A genuine stream error is reported as itself even under overflow, never
+// relabeled as ErrSlowConsumer.
 func (s *Session) EventsAfter(ctx context.Context, afterWorkerSequence uint64) (<-chan EventResult, error) {
 	subscription, err := s.subscribeEventsAfter(ctx, afterWorkerSequence, true)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -1048,12 +1070,11 @@ func (s *Session) subscribeEventsAfter(ctx context.Context, afterWorkerSequence
 			if err == io.EOF || status.Code(err) == codes.Canceled || streamCtx.Err() != nil {
 				return
 			}
-			sendEventResult(
-				streamCtx,
-				results,
-				EventResult{Err: &GatewayError{Op: "stream events", Err: err}},
-				cancelWhenResultBufferFull,
-				cancel)
+			// A genuine terminal stream error must be reported as itself, even
+			// when the data slots are full. Routing it through sendEventResult
+			// would let the overflow branch substitute ErrSlowConsumer and lose
+			// the real gRPC status, so send it directly, bypassing that branch.
+			sendTerminalEventResult(streamCtx, results, EventResult{Err: &GatewayError{Op: "stream events", Err: err}}, cancelWhenResultBufferFull)
 			return
 		}
 	}()
@@ -1072,6 +1093,35 @@ func ensureBulkSize(name string, length int) error {
 	return nil
 }

+// sendTerminalEventResult enqueues a terminal EventResult, bypassing
+// sendEventResult's overflow branch so a genuine stream error is reported verbatim
+// rather than relabeled as ErrSlowConsumer. How it sends depends on the mode:
+//
+//   - cancelWhenBufferFull=true (Events/EventsAfter): ordinary data sends are capped
+//     at eventBufferSize, leaving eventBufferReservedSlots free, so a non-blocking
+//     send always lands the terminal result. Because this goroutine is the sole
+//     producer, at most one terminal send ever races for the reserved slot, so the
+//     select default only fires when the reserve is already spent — never dropping a
+//     first terminal error.
+//   - cancelWhenBufferFull=false (SubscribeEvents/SubscribeEventsAfter, never-drop):
+//     ordinary data sends are uncapped and blocking, so every slot including the
+//     reserve can hold data. A non-blocking send would then hit the full buffer and
+//     silently drop the terminal error, breaking the never-drop contract; instead
+//     block until the consumer drains a slot (or the stream context is cancelled).
+func sendTerminalEventResult(ctx context.Context, results chan<- EventResult, result EventResult, cancelWhenBufferFull bool) {
+	if cancelWhenBufferFull {
+		select {
+		case results <- result:
+		default:
+		}
+		return
+	}
+	select {
+	case results <- result:
+	case <-ctx.Done():
+	}
+}
+
 func sendEventResult(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	results chan<- EventResult,
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ package mxgateway
 const (
 	// ClientVersion is the released semantic version of this Go client module.
 	// Keep it in sync with the module tag applied by scripts/tag-go-module.ps1.
-	ClientVersion = "0.1.2"
+	ClientVersion = "0.2.0"

 	// GatewayProtocolVersion matches GatewayContractInfo.GatewayProtocolVersion
 	// in the shared .NET contracts.
@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@ repositories {
 }

 dependencies {
-    implementation 'com.zb.mom.ww.mxgateway:zb-mom-ww-mxgateway-client:0.1.2'
+    implementation 'com.zb.mom.ww.mxgateway:zb-mom-ww-mxgateway-client:0.2.1'
 }
 ````

@@ -13,7 +13,14 @@ ext {

 subprojects {
    group = 'com.zb.mom.ww.mxgateway'
-    version = '0.2.0'
+    // 0.2.0 was already published to the Gitea Maven feed on 2026-06-26,
+    // before the CLI-37/38/40/41 conformance fixes changed the client's
+    // observable behavior (status.category-based validation, hresult < 0,
+    // exact-secret redaction, typed malformed-reply errors). Bump to 0.2.1
+    // so the published coordinate matches the conformant behavior the other
+    // four clients ship at 0.2.0 for the first time. See CLI-39 and the
+    // "Versioning" section of docs/ClientPackaging.md.
+    version = '0.2.1'

    pluginManager.withPlugin('java') {
        java {
@@ -69110,24 +69110,59 @@ public final class MxaccessGateway extends com.google.protobuf.GeneratedFile {
      com.google.protobuf.MessageOrBuilder {

    /**
+     * <pre>
+     * The reply is bounded by both a server-side count cap and the negotiated
+     * worker-frame byte cap; a reply may therefore carry fewer events than
+     * `max_events` and fewer than are queued. Callers drain iteratively until an
+     * empty reply.
+     * </pre>
+     *
     * <code>repeated .mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxEvent events = 1;</code>
     */
    java.util.List<mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxaccessGateway.MxEvent> 
        getEventsList();
    /**
+     * <pre>
+     * The reply is bounded by both a server-side count cap and the negotiated
+     * worker-frame byte cap; a reply may therefore carry fewer events than
+     * `max_events` and fewer than are queued. Callers drain iteratively until an
+     * empty reply.
+     * </pre>
+     *
     * <code>repeated .mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxEvent events = 1;</code>
     */
    mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxaccessGateway.MxEvent getEvents(int index);
    /**
+     * <pre>
+     * The reply is bounded by both a server-side count cap and the negotiated
+     * worker-frame byte cap; a reply may therefore carry fewer events than
+     * `max_events` and fewer than are queued. Callers drain iteratively until an
+     * empty reply.
+     * </pre>
+     *
     * <code>repeated .mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxEvent events = 1;</code>
     */
    int getEventsCount();
    /**
+     * <pre>
+     * The reply is bounded by both a server-side count cap and the negotiated
+     * worker-frame byte cap; a reply may therefore carry fewer events than
+     * `max_events` and fewer than are queued. Callers drain iteratively until an
+     * empty reply.
+     * </pre>
+     *
     * <code>repeated .mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxEvent events = 1;</code>
     */
    java.util.List<? extends mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxaccessGateway.MxEventOrBuilder> 
        getEventsOrBuilderList();
    /**
+     * <pre>
+     * The reply is bounded by both a server-side count cap and the negotiated
+     * worker-frame byte cap; a reply may therefore carry fewer events than
+     * `max_events` and fewer than are queued. Callers drain iteratively until an
+     * empty reply.
+     * </pre>
+     *
     * <code>repeated .mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxEvent events = 1;</code>
     */
    mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxaccessGateway.MxEventOrBuilder getEventsOrBuilder(
@@ -69175,6 +69210,13 @@ public final class MxaccessGateway extends com.google.protobuf.GeneratedFile {
    @SuppressWarnings("serial")
    private java.util.List<mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxaccessGateway.MxEvent> events_;
    /**
+     * <pre>
+     * The reply is bounded by both a server-side count cap and the negotiated
+     * worker-frame byte cap; a reply may therefore carry fewer events than
+     * `max_events` and fewer than are queued. Callers drain iteratively until an
+     * empty reply.
+     * </pre>
+     *
     * <code>repeated .mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxEvent events = 1;</code>
     */
    @java.lang.Override
@@ -69182,6 +69224,13 @@ public final class MxaccessGateway extends com.google.protobuf.GeneratedFile {
      return events_;
    }
    /**
+     * <pre>
+     * The reply is bounded by both a server-side count cap and the negotiated
+     * worker-frame byte cap; a reply may therefore carry fewer events than
+     * `max_events` and fewer than are queued. Callers drain iteratively until an
+     * empty reply.
+     * </pre>
+     *
     * <code>repeated .mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxEvent events = 1;</code>
     */
    @java.lang.Override
@@ -69190,6 +69239,13 @@ public final class MxaccessGateway extends com.google.protobuf.GeneratedFile {
      return events_;
    }
    /**
+     * <pre>
+     * The reply is bounded by both a server-side count cap and the negotiated
+     * worker-frame byte cap; a reply may therefore carry fewer events than
+     * `max_events` and fewer than are queued. Callers drain iteratively until an
+     * empty reply.
+     * </pre>
+     *
     * <code>repeated .mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxEvent events = 1;</code>
     */
    @java.lang.Override
@@ -69197,6 +69253,13 @@ public final class MxaccessGateway extends com.google.protobuf.GeneratedFile {
      return events_.size();
    }
    /**
+     * <pre>
+     * The reply is bounded by both a server-side count cap and the negotiated
+     * worker-frame byte cap; a reply may therefore carry fewer events than
+     * `max_events` and fewer than are queued. Callers drain iteratively until an
+     * empty reply.
+     * </pre>
+     *
     * <code>repeated .mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxEvent events = 1;</code>
     */
    @java.lang.Override
@@ -69204,6 +69267,13 @@ public final class MxaccessGateway extends com.google.protobuf.GeneratedFile {
      return events_.get(index);
    }
    /**
+     * <pre>
+     * The reply is bounded by both a server-side count cap and the negotiated
+     * worker-frame byte cap; a reply may therefore carry fewer events than
+     * `max_events` and fewer than are queued. Callers drain iteratively until an
+     * empty reply.
+     * </pre>
+     *
     * <code>repeated .mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxEvent events = 1;</code>
     */
    @java.lang.Override
@@ -69567,6 +69637,13 @@ public final class MxaccessGateway extends com.google.protobuf.GeneratedFile {
          mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxaccessGateway.MxEvent, mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxaccessGateway.MxEvent.Builder, mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxaccessGateway.MxEventOrBuilder> eventsBuilder_;

      /**
+       * <pre>
+       * The reply is bounded by both a server-side count cap and the negotiated
+       * worker-frame byte cap; a reply may therefore carry fewer events than
+       * `max_events` and fewer than are queued. Callers drain iteratively until an
+       * empty reply.
+       * </pre>
+       *
       * <code>repeated .mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxEvent events = 1;</code>
       */
      public java.util.List<mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxaccessGateway.MxEvent> getEventsList() {
@@ -69577,6 +69654,13 @@ public final class MxaccessGateway extends com.google.protobuf.GeneratedFile {
        }
      }
      /**
+       * <pre>
+       * The reply is bounded by both a server-side count cap and the negotiated
+       * worker-frame byte cap; a reply may therefore carry fewer events than
+       * `max_events` and fewer than are queued. Callers drain iteratively until an
+       * empty reply.
+       * </pre>
+       *
       * <code>repeated .mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxEvent events = 1;</code>
       */
      public int getEventsCount() {
@@ -69587,6 +69671,13 @@ public final class MxaccessGateway extends com.google.protobuf.GeneratedFile {
        }
      }
      /**
+       * <pre>
+       * The reply is bounded by both a server-side count cap and the negotiated
+       * worker-frame byte cap; a reply may therefore carry fewer events than
+       * `max_events` and fewer than are queued. Callers drain iteratively until an
+       * empty reply.
+       * </pre>
+       *
       * <code>repeated .mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxEvent events = 1;</code>
       */
      public mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxaccessGateway.MxEvent getEvents(int index) {
@@ -69597,6 +69688,13 @@ public final class MxaccessGateway extends com.google.protobuf.GeneratedFile {
        }
      }
      /**
+       * <pre>
+       * The reply is bounded by both a server-side count cap and the negotiated
+       * worker-frame byte cap; a reply may therefore carry fewer events than
+       * `max_events` and fewer than are queued. Callers drain iteratively until an
+       * empty reply.
+       * </pre>
+       *
       * <code>repeated .mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxEvent events = 1;</code>
       */
      public Builder setEvents(
@@ -69614,6 +69712,13 @@ public final class MxaccessGateway extends com.google.protobuf.GeneratedFile {
        return this;
      }
      /**
+       * <pre>
+       * The reply is bounded by both a server-side count cap and the negotiated
+       * worker-frame byte cap; a reply may therefore carry fewer events than
+       * `max_events` and fewer than are queued. Callers drain iteratively until an
+       * empty reply.
+       * </pre>
+       *
       * <code>repeated .mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxEvent events = 1;</code>
       */
      public Builder setEvents(
@@ -69628,6 +69733,13 @@ public final class MxaccessGateway extends com.google.protobuf.GeneratedFile {
        return this;
      }
      /**
+       * <pre>
+       * The reply is bounded by both a server-side count cap and the negotiated
+       * worker-frame byte cap; a reply may therefore carry fewer events than
+       * `max_events` and fewer than are queued. Callers drain iteratively until an
+       * empty reply.
+       * </pre>
+       *
       * <code>repeated .mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxEvent events = 1;</code>
       */
      public Builder addEvents(mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxaccessGateway.MxEvent value) {
@@ -69644,6 +69756,13 @@ public final class MxaccessGateway extends com.google.protobuf.GeneratedFile {
        return this;
      }
      /**
+       * <pre>
+       * The reply is bounded by both a server-side count cap and the negotiated
+       * worker-frame byte cap; a reply may therefore carry fewer events than
+       * `max_events` and fewer than are queued. Callers drain iteratively until an
+       * empty reply.
+       * </pre>
+       *
       * <code>repeated .mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxEvent events = 1;</code>
       */
      public Builder addEvents(
@@ -69661,6 +69780,13 @@ public final class MxaccessGateway extends com.google.protobuf.GeneratedFile {
        return this;
      }
      /**
+       * <pre>
+       * The reply is bounded by both a server-side count cap and the negotiated
+       * worker-frame byte cap; a reply may therefore carry fewer events than
+       * `max_events` and fewer than are queued. Callers drain iteratively until an
+       * empty reply.
+       * </pre>
+       *
       * <code>repeated .mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxEvent events = 1;</code>
       */
      public Builder addEvents(
@@ -69675,6 +69801,13 @@ public final class MxaccessGateway extends com.google.protobuf.GeneratedFile {
        return this;
      }
      /**
+       * <pre>
+       * The reply is bounded by both a server-side count cap and the negotiated
+       * worker-frame byte cap; a reply may therefore carry fewer events than
+       * `max_events` and fewer than are queued. Callers drain iteratively until an
+       * empty reply.
+       * </pre>
+       *
       * <code>repeated .mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxEvent events = 1;</code>
       */
      public Builder addEvents(
@@ -69689,6 +69822,13 @@ public final class MxaccessGateway extends com.google.protobuf.GeneratedFile {
        return this;
      }
      /**
+       * <pre>
+       * The reply is bounded by both a server-side count cap and the negotiated
+       * worker-frame byte cap; a reply may therefore carry fewer events than
+       * `max_events` and fewer than are queued. Callers drain iteratively until an
+       * empty reply.
+       * </pre>
+       *
       * <code>repeated .mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxEvent events = 1;</code>
       */
      public Builder addAllEvents(
@@ -69704,6 +69844,13 @@ public final class MxaccessGateway extends com.google.protobuf.GeneratedFile {
        return this;
      }
      /**
+       * <pre>
+       * The reply is bounded by both a server-side count cap and the negotiated
+       * worker-frame byte cap; a reply may therefore carry fewer events than
+       * `max_events` and fewer than are queued. Callers drain iteratively until an
+       * empty reply.
+       * </pre>
+       *
       * <code>repeated .mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxEvent events = 1;</code>
       */
      public Builder clearEvents() {
@@ -69717,6 +69864,13 @@ public final class MxaccessGateway extends com.google.protobuf.GeneratedFile {
        return this;
      }
      /**
+       * <pre>
+       * The reply is bounded by both a server-side count cap and the negotiated
+       * worker-frame byte cap; a reply may therefore carry fewer events than
+       * `max_events` and fewer than are queued. Callers drain iteratively until an
+       * empty reply.
+       * </pre>
+       *
       * <code>repeated .mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxEvent events = 1;</code>
       */
      public Builder removeEvents(int index) {
@@ -69730,6 +69884,13 @@ public final class MxaccessGateway extends com.google.protobuf.GeneratedFile {
        return this;
      }
      /**
+       * <pre>
+       * The reply is bounded by both a server-side count cap and the negotiated
+       * worker-frame byte cap; a reply may therefore carry fewer events than
+       * `max_events` and fewer than are queued. Callers drain iteratively until an
+       * empty reply.
+       * </pre>
+       *
       * <code>repeated .mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxEvent events = 1;</code>
       */
      public mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxaccessGateway.MxEvent.Builder getEventsBuilder(
@@ -69737,6 +69898,13 @@ public final class MxaccessGateway extends com.google.protobuf.GeneratedFile {
        return internalGetEventsFieldBuilder().getBuilder(index);
      }
      /**
+       * <pre>
+       * The reply is bounded by both a server-side count cap and the negotiated
+       * worker-frame byte cap; a reply may therefore carry fewer events than
+       * `max_events` and fewer than are queued. Callers drain iteratively until an
+       * empty reply.
+       * </pre>
+       *
       * <code>repeated .mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxEvent events = 1;</code>
       */
      public mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxaccessGateway.MxEventOrBuilder getEventsOrBuilder(
@@ -69747,6 +69915,13 @@ public final class MxaccessGateway extends com.google.protobuf.GeneratedFile {
        }
      }
      /**
+       * <pre>
+       * The reply is bounded by both a server-side count cap and the negotiated
+       * worker-frame byte cap; a reply may therefore carry fewer events than
+       * `max_events` and fewer than are queued. Callers drain iteratively until an
+       * empty reply.
+       * </pre>
+       *
       * <code>repeated .mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxEvent events = 1;</code>
       */
      public java.util.List<? extends mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxaccessGateway.MxEventOrBuilder> 
@@ -69758,6 +69933,13 @@ public final class MxaccessGateway extends com.google.protobuf.GeneratedFile {
        }
      }
      /**
+       * <pre>
+       * The reply is bounded by both a server-side count cap and the negotiated
+       * worker-frame byte cap; a reply may therefore carry fewer events than
+       * `max_events` and fewer than are queued. Callers drain iteratively until an
+       * empty reply.
+       * </pre>
+       *
       * <code>repeated .mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxEvent events = 1;</code>
       */
      public mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxaccessGateway.MxEvent.Builder addEventsBuilder() {
@@ -69765,6 +69947,13 @@ public final class MxaccessGateway extends com.google.protobuf.GeneratedFile {
            mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxaccessGateway.MxEvent.getDefaultInstance());
      }
      /**
+       * <pre>
+       * The reply is bounded by both a server-side count cap and the negotiated
+       * worker-frame byte cap; a reply may therefore carry fewer events than
+       * `max_events` and fewer than are queued. Callers drain iteratively until an
+       * empty reply.
+       * </pre>
+       *
       * <code>repeated .mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxEvent events = 1;</code>
       */
      public mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxaccessGateway.MxEvent.Builder addEventsBuilder(
@@ -69773,6 +69962,13 @@ public final class MxaccessGateway extends com.google.protobuf.GeneratedFile {
            index, mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxaccessGateway.MxEvent.getDefaultInstance());
      }
      /**
+       * <pre>
+       * The reply is bounded by both a server-side count cap and the negotiated
+       * worker-frame byte cap; a reply may therefore carry fewer events than
+       * `max_events` and fewer than are queued. Callers drain iteratively until an
+       * empty reply.
+       * </pre>
+       *
       * <code>repeated .mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxEvent events = 1;</code>
       */
      public java.util.List<mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxaccessGateway.MxEvent.Builder> 
@@ -75305,6 +75501,11 @@ public final class MxaccessGateway extends com.google.protobuf.GeneratedFile {
     * after_worker_sequence = oldest_available_sequence - 1 in the next
     * StreamEventsRequest, which will cause the server to replay starting at
     * oldest_available_sequence (the first retained event).
+     * When nothing is retained (the replay ring is empty), this is the next sequence
+     * that can be delivered — `highest observed + 1` — and the `oldest - 1` resume
+     * formula remains valid: it resolves to the highest sequence already seen, so the
+     * follow-up resume replays nothing, reports no gap, and every newer live event
+     * passes. The interval evicted is unchanged.
     * </pre>
     *
     * <code>uint64 oldest_available_sequence = 2;</code>
@@ -75386,6 +75587,11 @@ public final class MxaccessGateway extends com.google.protobuf.GeneratedFile {
     * after_worker_sequence = oldest_available_sequence - 1 in the next
     * StreamEventsRequest, which will cause the server to replay starting at
     * oldest_available_sequence (the first retained event).
+     * When nothing is retained (the replay ring is empty), this is the next sequence
+     * that can be delivered — `highest observed + 1` — and the `oldest - 1` resume
+     * formula remains valid: it resolves to the highest sequence already seen, so the
+     * follow-up resume replays nothing, reports no gap, and every newer live event
+     * passes. The interval evicted is unchanged.
     * </pre>
     *
     * <code>uint64 oldest_available_sequence = 2;</code>
@@ -75781,6 +75987,11 @@ public final class MxaccessGateway extends com.google.protobuf.GeneratedFile {
       * after_worker_sequence = oldest_available_sequence - 1 in the next
       * StreamEventsRequest, which will cause the server to replay starting at
       * oldest_available_sequence (the first retained event).
+       * When nothing is retained (the replay ring is empty), this is the next sequence
+       * that can be delivered — `highest observed + 1` — and the `oldest - 1` resume
+       * formula remains valid: it resolves to the highest sequence already seen, so the
+       * follow-up resume replays nothing, reports no gap, and every newer live event
+       * passes. The interval evicted is unchanged.
       * </pre>
       *
       * <code>uint64 oldest_available_sequence = 2;</code>
@@ -75800,6 +76011,11 @@ public final class MxaccessGateway extends com.google.protobuf.GeneratedFile {
       * after_worker_sequence = oldest_available_sequence - 1 in the next
       * StreamEventsRequest, which will cause the server to replay starting at
       * oldest_available_sequence (the first retained event).
+       * When nothing is retained (the replay ring is empty), this is the next sequence
+       * that can be delivered — `highest observed + 1` — and the `oldest - 1` resume
+       * formula remains valid: it resolves to the highest sequence already seen, so the
+       * follow-up resume replays nothing, reports no gap, and every newer live event
+       * passes. The interval evicted is unchanged.
       * </pre>
       *
       * <code>uint64 oldest_available_sequence = 2;</code>
@@ -75823,6 +76039,11 @@ public final class MxaccessGateway extends com.google.protobuf.GeneratedFile {
       * after_worker_sequence = oldest_available_sequence - 1 in the next
       * StreamEventsRequest, which will cause the server to replay starting at
       * oldest_available_sequence (the first retained event).
+       * When nothing is retained (the replay ring is empty), this is the next sequence
+       * that can be delivered — `highest observed + 1` — and the `oldest - 1` resume
+       * formula remains valid: it resolves to the highest sequence already seen, so the
+       * follow-up resume replays nothing, reports no gap, and every newer live event
+       * passes. The interval evicted is unchanged.
       * </pre>
       *
       * <code>uint64 oldest_available_sequence = 2;</code>
@@ -3797,6 +3797,9 @@ public final class MxaccessWorker extends com.google.protobuf.GeneratedFile {
     * instead of a hard-coded default; 0 (an older gateway that never set the field) means
     * "use the worker's built-in default". Sits above the public gRPC cap by an
     * envelope-overhead margin so an accepted gRPC payload always fits one worker frame.
+     * Every worker-&gt;gateway frame — events, heartbeats, faults, and control replies
+     * including DrainEvents — must serialize within this limit; reply builders truncate
+     * to fit rather than emit an oversized frame.
     * </pre>
     *
     * <code>uint32 max_frame_bytes = 4;</code>
@@ -3941,6 +3944,9 @@ public final class MxaccessWorker extends com.google.protobuf.GeneratedFile {
     * instead of a hard-coded default; 0 (an older gateway that never set the field) means
     * "use the worker's built-in default". Sits above the public gRPC cap by an
     * envelope-overhead margin so an accepted gRPC payload always fits one worker frame.
+     * Every worker-&gt;gateway frame — events, heartbeats, faults, and control replies
+     * including DrainEvents — must serialize within this limit; reply builders truncate
+     * to fit rather than emit an oversized frame.
     * </pre>
     *
     * <code>uint32 max_frame_bytes = 4;</code>
@@ -4499,6 +4505,9 @@ public final class MxaccessWorker extends com.google.protobuf.GeneratedFile {
       * instead of a hard-coded default; 0 (an older gateway that never set the field) means
       * "use the worker's built-in default". Sits above the public gRPC cap by an
       * envelope-overhead margin so an accepted gRPC payload always fits one worker frame.
+       * Every worker-&gt;gateway frame — events, heartbeats, faults, and control replies
+       * including DrainEvents — must serialize within this limit; reply builders truncate
+       * to fit rather than emit an oversized frame.
       * </pre>
       *
       * <code>uint32 max_frame_bytes = 4;</code>
@@ -4515,6 +4524,9 @@ public final class MxaccessWorker extends com.google.protobuf.GeneratedFile {
       * instead of a hard-coded default; 0 (an older gateway that never set the field) means
       * "use the worker's built-in default". Sits above the public gRPC cap by an
       * envelope-overhead margin so an accepted gRPC payload always fits one worker frame.
+       * Every worker-&gt;gateway frame — events, heartbeats, faults, and control replies
+       * including DrainEvents — must serialize within this limit; reply builders truncate
+       * to fit rather than emit an oversized frame.
       * </pre>
       *
       * <code>uint32 max_frame_bytes = 4;</code>
@@ -4535,6 +4547,9 @@ public final class MxaccessWorker extends com.google.protobuf.GeneratedFile {
       * instead of a hard-coded default; 0 (an older gateway that never set the field) means
       * "use the worker's built-in default". Sits above the public gRPC cap by an
       * envelope-overhead margin so an accepted gRPC payload always fits one worker frame.
+       * Every worker-&gt;gateway frame — events, heartbeats, faults, and control replies
+       * including DrainEvents — must serialize within this limit; reply builders truncate
+       * to fit rather than emit an oversized frame.
       * </pre>
       *
       * <code>uint32 max_frame_bytes = 4;</code>
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ final class MxGatewayCliTests {

        assertEquals(0, run.exitCode());
        assertEquals("", run.errors());
-        assertTrue(run.output().contains("mxgateway-java 0.2.0"));
+        assertTrue(run.output().contains("mxgateway-java 0.2.1"));
        assertTrue(run.output().contains("gatewayProtocolVersion=3"));
        assertTrue(run.output().contains("workerProtocolVersion=1"));
    }
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ final class MxGatewayCliTests {
        CliRun run = execute(new FakeClientFactory(), "version", "--json");

        assertEquals(0, run.exitCode());
-        assertTrue(run.output().contains("\"clientVersion\":\"0.2.0\""));
+        assertTrue(run.output().contains("\"clientVersion\":\"0.2.1\""));
        assertTrue(run.output().contains("\"gatewayProtocolVersion\":3"));
    }

@@ -63,10 +63,11 @@ protobuf {
 // or a plugin/protobuf version bump, silently drifts the committed output. checkGeneratedClean
 // fails when the regenerated tree differs from what is committed.
 //
-// Caveat (repo memory project_java_generated_churn): the protobuf gradle plugin also rewrites
-// MxaccessGateway.java with a spurious protobuf-runtime-version delta on every build even when no
-// .proto changed. CI reverts that one file (git checkout) before invoking this task; locally, do the
-// same when you did not touch a .proto. See docs/GatewayTesting.md "Continuous Integration".
+// The grpc/protobuf toolchain is pinned (build.gradle: grpcVersion / protobufVersion), so a
+// regeneration is byte-identical to the committed single-file aggregates modulo real .proto
+// changes — no spurious protobuf-runtime-version churn (IPC-24 verified this and deleted the old
+// unconditional CI churn-revert step, which masked message-level drift). Regenerate and commit
+// after any .proto change. See docs/GatewayTesting.md "Continuous Integration".
 tasks.register('checkGeneratedClean') {
    group = 'verification'
    description = 'Fails if the committed generated Java tree differs from a fresh regeneration.'
@@ -83,9 +84,9 @@ tasks.register('checkGeneratedClean') {
        def dirty = stdout.toString().trim()
        if (!dirty.isEmpty()) {
            throw new GradleException(
-                "Generated Java is stale or churned:\n${dirty}\n" +
-                "Regenerate and commit after a .proto change, or 'git checkout' the spurious " +
-                "MxaccessGateway.java protobuf-version churn when no .proto changed.")
+                "Generated Java is stale:\n${dirty}\n" +
+                "Regenerate and commit the Java client after a .proto change " +
+                "(gradle :zb-mom-ww-mxgateway-client:generateProto).")
        }
    }
 }
@@ -29,4 +29,18 @@ public final class MxAccessException extends MxGatewayCommandException {
    public MxAccessException(String operation, MxCommandReply reply) {
        super(operation, reply == null ? null : reply.getProtocolStatus(), reply);
    }
+
+    /**
+     * Creates a new MXAccess exception with an already-built, verbatim message.
+     * Used to re-surface an MXAccess failure with a redacted message while
+     * preserving the original protocol status and reply.
+     *
+     * @param message the exact message to surface (already formatted/redacted)
+     * @param protocolStatus protocol status reported by the gateway
+     * @param reply raw command reply containing the MXAccess failure detail
+     * @param cause underlying error, or {@code null}
+     */
+    public MxAccessException(String message, ProtocolStatus protocolStatus, MxCommandReply reply, Throwable cause) {
+        super(message, protocolStatus, reply, cause);
+    }
 }
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ package com.zb.mom.ww.mxgateway.client;
 public final class MxGatewayClientVersion {
    private static final int GATEWAY_PROTOCOL_VERSION = 3;
    private static final int WORKER_PROTOCOL_VERSION = 1;
-    private static final String CLIENT_VERSION = "0.2.0";
+    private static final String CLIENT_VERSION = "0.2.1";

    private MxGatewayClientVersion() {
    }
@@ -25,6 +25,23 @@ public class MxGatewayCommandException extends MxGatewayException {
        this.reply = reply;
    }

+    /**
+     * Creates a new command exception with an already-built, verbatim message.
+     * Used to re-surface a failure with a redacted message while preserving the
+     * original protocol status and reply.
+     *
+     * @param message the exact message to surface (already formatted/redacted)
+     * @param protocolStatus protocol status returned by the gateway
+     * @param reply raw command reply, or {@code null} when none was produced
+     * @param cause underlying error, or {@code null}
+     */
+    protected MxGatewayCommandException(
+            String message, ProtocolStatus protocolStatus, MxCommandReply reply, Throwable cause) {
+        super(message, cause);
+        this.protocolStatus = protocolStatus;
+        this.reply = reply;
+    }
+
    /**
     * Returns the gateway protocol status that triggered this exception.
     *
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+package com.zb.mom.ww.mxgateway.client;
+
+/**
+ * Thrown when the gateway returns a protocol-OK command reply that carries
+ * neither the expected typed payload nor a usable {@code return_value}.
+ *
+ * <p>A successful reply for a value-returning command (for example
+ * {@code AuthenticateUser}, {@code ArchestrAUserToId}, or {@code AddBufferedItem})
+ * must supply either the command's typed payload or an int32 {@code return_value}.
+ * A reply that satisfies neither is malformed, and the client surfaces this
+ * distinct failure rather than silently returning a default {@code 0}.
+ */
+public final class MxGatewayMalformedReplyException extends MxGatewayException {
+    /**
+     * Creates a new malformed-reply exception with the supplied message.
+     *
+     * @param message human-readable description of the malformed reply
+     */
+    public MxGatewayMalformedReplyException(String message) {
+        super(message);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Creates a new malformed-reply exception with the supplied message and cause.
+     *
+     * @param message human-readable description of the malformed reply
+     * @param cause underlying error that triggered the failure
+     */
+    public MxGatewayMalformedReplyException(String message, Throwable cause) {
+        super(message, cause);
+    }
+}
@@ -54,4 +54,34 @@ public final class MxGatewaySecrets {
        }
        return String.join(" ", parts);
    }
+
+    /**
+     * Replaces every occurrence of each supplied secret with the redaction
+     * marker {@code "<redacted>"}. Unlike {@link #redactCredentials(String)},
+     * which scrubs by pattern, this performs an exact-substring scrub of the
+     * caller-known secrets — used to strip a credential the gateway echoed back
+     * into a free-form failure message.
+     *
+     * @param message the message to scrub, may be {@code null}
+     * @param secrets the exact secret substrings to remove; {@code null}, empty,
+     *     and blank (whitespace-only) entries and a {@code null} array are ignored
+     * @return {@code message} unchanged when it is {@code null} or no non-blank
+     *     secret is supplied, otherwise the message with every secret occurrence
+     *     replaced by {@code "<redacted>"}
+     */
+    public static String redactExact(String message, String... secrets) {
+        if (message == null || secrets == null) {
+            return message;
+        }
+
+        String result = message;
+        for (String secret : secrets) {
+            if (secret == null || secret.isBlank()) {
+                // A blank "secret" would over-redact real whitespace; skip it.
+                continue;
+            }
+            result = result.replace(secret, "<redacted>");
+        }
+        return result;
+    }
 }
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxaccessGateway.MxSparseElement;
 import mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxaccessGateway.MxStatusProxy;
 import mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxaccessGateway.MxValue;
 import mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxaccessGateway.OpenSessionReply;
+import mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxaccessGateway.ProtocolStatus;
 import mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxaccessGateway.ReadBulkCommand;
 import mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxaccessGateway.RegisterCommand;
 import mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxaccessGateway.RemoveItemBulkCommand;
@@ -782,15 +783,17 @@ public final class MxGatewaySession implements AutoCloseable {
     */
    public MxCommandReply writeSecuredRaw(
            int serverHandle, int itemHandle, int currentUserId, int verifierUserId, MxValue value) {
-        return invokeCommand(MxCommand.newBuilder()
-                .setKind(MxCommandKind.MX_COMMAND_KIND_WRITE_SECURED)
-                .setWriteSecured(WriteSecuredCommand.newBuilder()
-                        .setServerHandle(serverHandle)
-                        .setItemHandle(itemHandle)
-                        .setCurrentUserId(currentUserId)
-                        .setVerifierUserId(verifierUserId)
-                        .setValue(value))
-                .build());
+        return invokeCommandRedacted(
+                MxCommand.newBuilder()
+                        .setKind(MxCommandKind.MX_COMMAND_KIND_WRITE_SECURED)
+                        .setWriteSecured(WriteSecuredCommand.newBuilder()
+                                .setServerHandle(serverHandle)
+                                .setItemHandle(itemHandle)
+                                .setCurrentUserId(currentUserId)
+                                .setVerifierUserId(verifierUserId)
+                                .setValue(value))
+                        .build(),
+                secretStringOf(value));
    }

    /**
@@ -837,16 +840,18 @@ public final class MxGatewaySession implements AutoCloseable {
            int verifierUserId,
            MxValue value,
            MxValue timestampValue) {
-        return invokeCommand(MxCommand.newBuilder()
-                .setKind(MxCommandKind.MX_COMMAND_KIND_WRITE_SECURED2)
-                .setWriteSecured2(WriteSecured2Command.newBuilder()
-                        .setServerHandle(serverHandle)
-                        .setItemHandle(itemHandle)
-                        .setCurrentUserId(currentUserId)
-                        .setVerifierUserId(verifierUserId)
-                        .setValue(value)
-                        .setTimestampValue(timestampValue))
-                .build());
+        return invokeCommandRedacted(
+                MxCommand.newBuilder()
+                        .setKind(MxCommandKind.MX_COMMAND_KIND_WRITE_SECURED2)
+                        .setWriteSecured2(WriteSecured2Command.newBuilder()
+                                .setServerHandle(serverHandle)
+                                .setItemHandle(itemHandle)
+                                .setCurrentUserId(currentUserId)
+                                .setVerifierUserId(verifierUserId)
+                                .setValue(value)
+                                .setTimestampValue(timestampValue))
+                        .build(),
+                secretStringOf(value));
    }

    /**
@@ -866,17 +871,24 @@ public final class MxGatewaySession implements AutoCloseable {
     * @throws MxAccessException when MXAccess rejects the credential
     */
    public int authenticateUser(int serverHandle, String verifyUser, String verifyUserPassword) {
-        MxCommandReply reply = invokeCommand(MxCommand.newBuilder()
-                .setKind(MxCommandKind.MX_COMMAND_KIND_AUTHENTICATE_USER)
-                .setAuthenticateUser(AuthenticateUserCommand.newBuilder()
-                        .setServerHandle(serverHandle)
-                        .setVerifyUser(verifyUser)
-                        .setVerifyUserPassword(verifyUserPassword))
-                .build());
+        MxCommandReply reply = invokeCommandRedacted(
+                MxCommand.newBuilder()
+                        .setKind(MxCommandKind.MX_COMMAND_KIND_AUTHENTICATE_USER)
+                        .setAuthenticateUser(AuthenticateUserCommand.newBuilder()
+                                .setServerHandle(serverHandle)
+                                .setVerifyUser(verifyUser)
+                                .setVerifyUserPassword(verifyUserPassword))
+                        .build(),
+                verifyUserPassword);
        if (reply.hasAuthenticateUser()) {
            return reply.getAuthenticateUser().getUserId();
        }
-        return reply.getReturnValue().getInt32Value();
+        if (reply.hasReturnValue() && reply.getReturnValue().getKindCase() == MxValue.KindCase.INT32_VALUE) {
+            return reply.getReturnValue().getInt32Value();
+        }
+        throw new MxGatewayMalformedReplyException(
+                "AuthenticateUser returned a malformed reply: OK reply carried neither "
+                        + "the typed payload nor an int32 return_value");
    }

    /**
@@ -899,7 +911,12 @@ public final class MxGatewaySession implements AutoCloseable {
        if (reply.hasArchestraUserToId()) {
            return reply.getArchestraUserToId().getUserId();
        }
-        return reply.getReturnValue().getInt32Value();
+        if (reply.hasReturnValue() && reply.getReturnValue().getKindCase() == MxValue.KindCase.INT32_VALUE) {
+            return reply.getReturnValue().getInt32Value();
+        }
+        throw new MxGatewayMalformedReplyException(
+                "ArchestrAUserToId returned a malformed reply: OK reply carried neither "
+                        + "the typed payload nor an int32 return_value");
    }

    /**
@@ -925,7 +942,12 @@ public final class MxGatewaySession implements AutoCloseable {
        if (reply.hasAddBufferedItem()) {
            return reply.getAddBufferedItem().getItemHandle();
        }
-        return reply.getReturnValue().getInt32Value();
+        if (reply.hasReturnValue() && reply.getReturnValue().getKindCase() == MxValue.KindCase.INT32_VALUE) {
+            return reply.getReturnValue().getInt32Value();
+        }
+        throw new MxGatewayMalformedReplyException(
+                "AddBufferedItem returned a malformed reply: OK reply carried neither "
+                        + "the typed payload nor an int32 return_value");
    }

    /**
@@ -1027,6 +1049,162 @@ public final class MxGatewaySession implements AutoCloseable {
                .build());
    }

+    /**
+     * Invokes a credential-bearing command, scrubbing any exact secret the
+     * gateway may have echoed back into a surfaced failure message. The secret
+     * lives only in the request, but a non-parity gateway or provider can copy
+     * it into a diagnostic; this guarantees it never survives in the exception
+     * text a caller might log.
+     *
+     * <p>On failure both the exception's message <em>and</em> its structured
+     * context (the {@link ProtocolStatus} and {@link MxCommandReply} a caller can
+     * inspect and log) are scrubbed with {@link MxGatewaySecrets#redactExact}: the
+     * gateway echoes the credential into {@code protocolStatus.message},
+     * {@code reply.diagnosticMessage}, and each {@code statuses[i].diagnosticText}.
+     * If nothing carried the secret (the common case) the original exception is
+     * rethrown untouched. Otherwise it is re-thrown as the same concrete type
+     * carrying the redacted message and scrubbed context; the secret-bearing
+     * original is not chained as a cause, so it cannot leak through a printed
+     * stack trace.
+     */
+    private MxCommandReply invokeCommandRedacted(MxCommand command, String... secrets) {
+        try {
+            return invokeCommand(command);
+        } catch (MxGatewayException ex) {
+            String original = ex.getMessage();
+            String redactedMessage = MxGatewaySecrets.redactExact(original, secrets);
+            boolean messageChanged = redactedMessage != null && !redactedMessage.equals(original);
+
+            ProtocolStatus status = protocolStatusOf(ex);
+            ProtocolStatus scrubbedStatus = scrubProtocolStatus(status, secrets);
+            boolean statusChanged = status != null && !status.equals(scrubbedStatus);
+
+            MxCommandReply reply = replyOf(ex);
+            MxCommandReply scrubbedReply = scrubReply(reply, secrets);
+            boolean replyChanged = reply != null && !reply.equals(scrubbedReply);
+
+            if (!messageChanged && !statusChanged && !replyChanged) {
+                throw ex;
+            }
+
+            String message = messageChanged ? redactedMessage : original;
+            throw rebuildRedacted(ex, message, scrubbedStatus, scrubbedReply);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Extracts the {@link ProtocolStatus} an exception carries, if any, so it can
+     * be scrubbed and re-attached to the rebuilt exception.
+     */
+    private static ProtocolStatus protocolStatusOf(MxGatewayException ex) {
+        if (ex instanceof MxGatewayCommandException command) {
+            return command.protocolStatus();
+        }
+        if (ex instanceof MxGatewaySessionException session) {
+            return session.protocolStatus();
+        }
+        if (ex instanceof MxGatewayWorkerException worker) {
+            return worker.protocolStatus();
+        }
+        return null;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Extracts the raw {@link MxCommandReply} an exception carries, if any.
+     */
+    private static MxCommandReply replyOf(MxGatewayException ex) {
+        if (ex instanceof MxGatewayCommandException command) {
+            return command.reply();
+        }
+        return null;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Rebuilds a gateway exception of the same concrete type with a redacted
+     * message and already-scrubbed context, mirroring the .NET client's
+     * type-switch. Only a truly-unknown subtype collapses to the base
+     * {@link MxGatewayException}. The original (secret-bearing) exception is
+     * deliberately not chained as a cause.
+     */
+    private static MxGatewayException rebuildRedacted(
+            MxGatewayException ex, String message, ProtocolStatus status, MxCommandReply reply) {
+        if (ex instanceof MxAccessException) {
+            return new MxAccessException(message, status, reply, null);
+        }
+        if (ex instanceof MxGatewayCommandException) {
+            return new MxGatewayCommandException(message, status, reply, null);
+        }
+        if (ex instanceof MxGatewaySessionException) {
+            return new MxGatewaySessionException(message, status, null);
+        }
+        if (ex instanceof MxGatewayWorkerException) {
+            return new MxGatewayWorkerException(message, status, null);
+        }
+        if (ex instanceof MxGatewayMalformedReplyException) {
+            return new MxGatewayMalformedReplyException(message);
+        }
+        if (ex instanceof MxGatewayAuthenticationException) {
+            return new MxGatewayAuthenticationException(message, null);
+        }
+        if (ex instanceof MxGatewayAuthorizationException) {
+            return new MxGatewayAuthorizationException(message, null);
+        }
+        return new MxGatewayException(message);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Produces a scrubbed clone of a command reply, removing any exact secret the
+     * gateway echoed into {@code protocolStatus.message},
+     * {@code diagnosticMessage}, or a status's {@code diagnosticText}.
+     *
+     * @param reply the reply to scrub, or {@code null}
+     * @param secrets the exact secrets to strip
+     * @return {@code null} when {@code reply} is {@code null}, otherwise a clone
+     *     with every echoed secret replaced by the redaction marker
+     */
+    private static MxCommandReply scrubReply(MxCommandReply reply, String... secrets) {
+        if (reply == null) {
+            return null;
+        }
+        MxCommandReply.Builder builder = reply.toBuilder();
+        if (builder.hasProtocolStatus()) {
+            builder.setProtocolStatus(scrubProtocolStatus(builder.getProtocolStatus(), secrets));
+        }
+        builder.setDiagnosticMessage(MxGatewaySecrets.redactExact(builder.getDiagnosticMessage(), secrets));
+        for (int index = 0; index < builder.getStatusesCount(); index++) {
+            MxStatusProxy.Builder status = builder.getStatuses(index).toBuilder();
+            status.setDiagnosticText(MxGatewaySecrets.redactExact(status.getDiagnosticText(), secrets));
+            builder.setStatuses(index, status);
+        }
+        return builder.build();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Produces a scrubbed clone of a protocol status, removing any exact secret
+     * the gateway echoed into its free-form {@code message}.
+     */
+    private static ProtocolStatus scrubProtocolStatus(ProtocolStatus status, String... secrets) {
+        if (status == null) {
+            return null;
+        }
+        return status.toBuilder()
+                .setMessage(MxGatewaySecrets.redactExact(status.getMessage(), secrets))
+                .build();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Extracts the string payload of a secured-write value so it can be scrubbed
+     * from an echoed failure message. Only string-kind values carry a
+     * credential-shaped secret worth redacting; other kinds return {@code null}
+     * (ignored by {@link MxGatewaySecrets#redactExact}).
+     */
+    private static String secretStringOf(MxValue value) {
+        if (value != null && value.getKindCase() == MxValue.KindCase.STRING_VALUE) {
+            return value.getStringValue();
+        }
+        return null;
+    }
+
    private static String newCorrelationId() {
        byte[] bytes = new byte[16];
        RANDOM.nextBytes(bytes);
@@ -20,6 +20,20 @@ public final class MxGatewaySessionException extends MxGatewayException {
        this.protocolStatus = protocolStatus;
    }

+    /**
+     * Creates a new session exception with an already-built, verbatim message.
+     * Used to re-surface a failure with a redacted message while preserving the
+     * (already scrubbed) protocol status.
+     *
+     * @param message the exact message to surface (already formatted/redacted)
+     * @param protocolStatus protocol status returned by the gateway
+     * @param cause underlying error, or {@code null}
+     */
+    protected MxGatewaySessionException(String message, ProtocolStatus protocolStatus, Throwable cause) {
+        super(message, cause);
+        this.protocolStatus = protocolStatus;
+    }
+
    /**
     * Returns the gateway protocol status that triggered this exception.
     *
@@ -20,6 +20,20 @@ public final class MxGatewayWorkerException extends MxGatewayException {
        this.protocolStatus = protocolStatus;
    }

+    /**
+     * Creates a new worker exception with an already-built, verbatim message.
+     * Used to re-surface a failure with a redacted message while preserving the
+     * (already scrubbed) protocol status.
+     *
+     * @param message the exact message to surface (already formatted/redacted)
+     * @param protocolStatus protocol status returned by the gateway
+     * @param cause underlying error, or {@code null}
+     */
+    protected MxGatewayWorkerException(String message, ProtocolStatus protocolStatus, Throwable cause) {
+        super(message, cause);
+        this.protocolStatus = protocolStatus;
+    }
+
    /**
     * Returns the gateway protocol status that triggered this exception.
     *
@@ -0,0 +1,201 @@
+package com.zb.mom.ww.mxgateway.client;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertFalse;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertNotNull;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertThrows;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
+
+import com.google.protobuf.util.JsonFormat;
+import io.grpc.ManagedChannel;
+import io.grpc.Server;
+import io.grpc.inprocess.InProcessChannelBuilder;
+import io.grpc.inprocess.InProcessServerBuilder;
+import io.grpc.stub.StreamObserver;
+import java.nio.file.Files;
+import java.nio.file.Path;
+import java.time.Duration;
+import java.util.UUID;
+import mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxAccessGatewayGrpc;
+import mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxaccessGateway.MxCommandReply;
+import mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxaccessGateway.MxCommandRequest;
+import mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxaccessGateway.MxValue;
+import mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxaccessGateway.ProtocolStatus;
+import mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxaccessGateway.ProtocolStatusCode;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+
+final class MxGatewayCredentialReplyTests {
+    private static final String CREDENTIAL = "sup3rSecretVerify9f3a2b";
+
+    @Test
+    void authenticateUserRedactsEchoedCredentialFromReplyDrivenError() throws Exception {
+        assertCredentialFullyRedacted(
+                "authenticate-user.echoed-credential.reply.json", "auth-echo-session");
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void authenticateUserRedactsEchoedCredentialFromMxAccessFailureReply() throws Exception {
+        assertCredentialFullyRedacted(
+                "authenticate-user.echoed-credential-mxaccess-failure.reply.json",
+                "auth-echo-failure-session");
+    }
+
+    private static void assertCredentialFullyRedacted(String fixture, String sessionId) throws Exception {
+        MxCommandReply reply = loadReply(fixture);
+
+        try (InProcessGateway gateway = InProcessGateway.startReturning(reply);
+                MxGatewayClient client = gateway.client()) {
+            MxGatewaySession session = MxGatewaySession.forSessionId(client, sessionId);
+
+            MxAccessException error = assertThrows(
+                    MxAccessException.class,
+                    () -> session.authenticateUser(12, "operator", CREDENTIAL));
+
+            assertFalse(error.getMessage().contains(CREDENTIAL),
+                    "credential echoed by the gateway must not survive in the surfaced message");
+            assertTrue(error.getMessage().contains("<redacted>"),
+                    "the echoed credential must be replaced with the redaction marker");
+
+            // The rebuilt exception must not re-expose the credential through the
+            // structured reply/protocolStatus a caller can inspect and log.
+            MxCommandReply surfaced = error.reply();
+            assertNotNull(surfaced, "the redacted exception must preserve a reply for inspection");
+            assertFalse(surfaced.getProtocolStatus().getMessage().contains(CREDENTIAL),
+                    "reply protocol status message must not leak the echoed credential");
+            assertFalse(surfaced.getDiagnosticMessage().contains(CREDENTIAL),
+                    "reply diagnostic message must not leak the echoed credential");
+            for (int index = 0; index < surfaced.getStatusesCount(); index++) {
+                assertFalse(surfaced.getStatusesList().get(index).getDiagnosticText().contains(CREDENTIAL),
+                        "reply status diagnostic text must not leak the echoed credential");
+            }
+            assertNotNull(error.protocolStatus(), "the redacted exception must preserve a protocol status");
+            assertFalse(error.protocolStatus().getMessage().contains(CREDENTIAL),
+                    "exception protocol status must not leak the echoed credential");
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void authenticateUserMissingPayloadThrowsMalformedReply() throws Exception {
+        MxCommandReply reply = loadReply("authenticate-user.missing-payload.reply.json");
+
+        try (InProcessGateway gateway = InProcessGateway.startReturning(reply);
+                MxGatewayClient client = gateway.client()) {
+            MxGatewaySession session = MxGatewaySession.forSessionId(client, "auth-missing-session");
+
+            assertThrows(
+                    MxGatewayMalformedReplyException.class,
+                    () -> session.authenticateUser(3, "operator", "pw"));
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void authenticateUserReturnValueOnlyReplyReturnsInt32Fallback() throws Exception {
+        MxCommandReply reply = loadReply("authenticate-user.return-value-only.reply.json");
+
+        try (InProcessGateway gateway = InProcessGateway.startReturning(reply);
+                MxGatewayClient client = gateway.client()) {
+            MxGatewaySession session = MxGatewaySession.forSessionId(client, "auth-return-session");
+
+            assertEquals(7, session.authenticateUser(3, "operator", "pw"));
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void addBufferedItemReturnValueOnlyReplyReturnsInt32Fallback() throws Exception {
+        MxCommandReply reply = MxCommandReply.newBuilder()
+                .setProtocolStatus(ok())
+                .setReturnValue(MxValue.newBuilder().setInt32Value(55))
+                .build();
+
+        try (InProcessGateway gateway = InProcessGateway.startReturning(reply);
+                MxGatewayClient client = gateway.client()) {
+            MxGatewaySession session = MxGatewaySession.forSessionId(client, "buffered-return-session");
+
+            assertEquals(55, session.addBufferedItem(3, "Tank01.Level", "galaxy"));
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void addBufferedItemMissingPayloadThrowsMalformedReply() throws Exception {
+        MxCommandReply reply = MxCommandReply.newBuilder().setProtocolStatus(ok()).build();
+
+        try (InProcessGateway gateway = InProcessGateway.startReturning(reply);
+                MxGatewayClient client = gateway.client()) {
+            MxGatewaySession session = MxGatewaySession.forSessionId(client, "buffered-malformed-session");
+
+            assertThrows(
+                    MxGatewayMalformedReplyException.class,
+                    () -> session.addBufferedItem(3, "Tank01.Level", "galaxy"));
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static ProtocolStatus ok() {
+        return ProtocolStatus.newBuilder()
+                .setCode(ProtocolStatusCode.PROTOCOL_STATUS_CODE_OK)
+                .build();
+    }
+
+    private static MxCommandReply loadReply(String fixture) throws Exception {
+        MxCommandReply.Builder builder = MxCommandReply.newBuilder();
+        JsonFormat.parser().merge(
+                Files.readString(fixtureRoot().resolve("command-replies/" + fixture)),
+                builder);
+        return builder.build();
+    }
+
+    private static Path fixtureRoot() {
+        Path current = Path.of(System.getProperty("user.dir")).toAbsolutePath();
+        for (Path path = current; path != null; path = path.getParent()) {
+            Path candidate = path.resolve("clients/proto/fixtures/behavior");
+            if (Files.exists(candidate)) {
+                return candidate;
+            }
+            candidate = path.resolve("../proto/fixtures/behavior").normalize();
+            if (Files.exists(candidate)) {
+                return candidate;
+            }
+        }
+        throw new IllegalStateException("could not locate behavior fixtures from " + current);
+    }
+
+    private record InProcessGateway(Server server, ManagedChannel channel) implements AutoCloseable {
+        static InProcessGateway startReturning(MxCommandReply reply) throws Exception {
+            String serverName = "mxgw-java-cred-" + UUID.randomUUID();
+            MxAccessGatewayGrpc.MxAccessGatewayImplBase service =
+                    new MxAccessGatewayGrpc.MxAccessGatewayImplBase() {
+                        @Override
+                        public void invoke(
+                                MxCommandRequest request, StreamObserver<MxCommandReply> responseObserver) {
+                            responseObserver.onNext(reply);
+                            responseObserver.onCompleted();
+                        }
+                    };
+            Server server = InProcessServerBuilder.forName(serverName)
+                    .directExecutor()
+                    .addService(service)
+                    .build()
+                    .start();
+            ManagedChannel channel = InProcessChannelBuilder.forName(serverName)
+                    .directExecutor()
+                    .build();
+            return new InProcessGateway(server, channel);
+        }
+
+        MxGatewayClient client() {
+            return new MxGatewayClient(
+                    channel,
+                    MxGatewayClientOptions.builder()
+                            .endpoint("in-process")
+                            .apiKey("")
+                            .plaintext(true)
+                            .callTimeout(Duration.ofSeconds(5))
+                            .build());
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void close() {
+            channel.shutdownNow();
+            server.shutdownNow();
+        }
+    }
+}
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+package com.zb.mom.ww.mxgateway.client;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertFalse;
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertNull;
+
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+
+final class MxGatewaySecretsTests {
+    @Test
+    void redactExactReplacesEveryOccurrenceOfASecret() {
+        String message = "verify s3cr3t, retry s3cr3t, done s3cr3t";
+
+        String result = MxGatewaySecrets.redactExact(message, "s3cr3t");
+
+        assertFalse(result.contains("s3cr3t"), "no occurrence of the secret may survive");
+        assertEquals("verify <redacted>, retry <redacted>, done <redacted>", result);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void redactExactFullyRedactsOverlappingSecretsWhenOneIsASubstringOfTheOther() {
+        String message = "password=hunter2 token=hunter2extra";
+
+        String result = MxGatewaySecrets.redactExact(message, "hunter2extra", "hunter2");
+
+        assertFalse(result.contains("hunter2"), "both the secret and its superstring must be fully redacted");
+        assertEquals("password=<redacted> token=<redacted>", result);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void redactExactWithNoSecretsReturnsMessageUnchanged() {
+        String message = "nothing to scrub here";
+
+        assertEquals(message, MxGatewaySecrets.redactExact(message));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void redactExactToleratesNullMessage() {
+        assertNull(MxGatewaySecrets.redactExact(null, "secret"));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void redactExactIgnoresBlankSecretSoRealSpacesAreNotOverRedacted() {
+        String message = "keep these spaces intact";
+
+        String result = MxGatewaySecrets.redactExact(message, " ", "");
+
+        assertEquals(message, result);
+    }
+}
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+{
+  "sessionId": "session-fixture",
+  "correlationId": "gateway-correlation-authenticate-echoed-mxaccess-failure",
+  "kind": "MX_COMMAND_KIND_AUTHENTICATE_USER",
+  "protocolStatus": {
+    "code": "PROTOCOL_STATUS_CODE_MXACCESS_FAILURE",
+    "message": "MXAccess AuthenticateUser rejected credential 'sup3rSecretVerify9f3a2b'."
+  },
+  "hresult": -2147024891,
+  "statuses": [
+    {
+      "success": 0,
+      "category": "MX_STATUS_CATEGORY_SECURITY_ERROR",
+      "detectedBy": "MX_STATUS_SOURCE_RESPONDING_NMX",
+      "detail": 5,
+      "rawCategory": 8,
+      "rawDetectedBy": 5,
+      "diagnosticText": "Authentication failed for password 'sup3rSecretVerify9f3a2b'."
+    }
+  ],
+  "diagnosticMessage": "MXAccess echoed the credential 'sup3rSecretVerify9f3a2b' back in its failure diagnostic."
+}
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+{
+  "sessionId": "session-fixture",
+  "correlationId": "gateway-correlation-authenticate-echoed",
+  "kind": "MX_COMMAND_KIND_AUTHENTICATE_USER",
+  "protocolStatus": {
+    "code": "PROTOCOL_STATUS_CODE_OK",
+    "message": "MXAccess AuthenticateUser rejected credential 'sup3rSecretVerify9f3a2b'."
+  },
+  "hresult": -2147024891,
+  "statuses": [
+    {
+      "success": 0,
+      "category": "MX_STATUS_CATEGORY_SECURITY_ERROR",
+      "detectedBy": "MX_STATUS_SOURCE_RESPONDING_NMX",
+      "detail": 5,
+      "rawCategory": 8,
+      "rawDetectedBy": 5,
+      "diagnosticText": "Authentication failed for password 'sup3rSecretVerify9f3a2b'."
+    }
+  ],
+  "diagnosticMessage": "MXAccess echoed the credential 'sup3rSecretVerify9f3a2b' back in its failure diagnostic."
+}
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{
+  "sessionId": "session-fixture",
+  "correlationId": "gateway-correlation-authenticate-missing-payload",
+  "kind": "MX_COMMAND_KIND_AUTHENTICATE_USER",
+  "protocolStatus": {
+    "code": "PROTOCOL_STATUS_CODE_OK",
+    "message": "AuthenticateUser reached MXAccess."
+  },
+  "diagnosticMessage": "Malformed: the OK reply carried neither an AuthenticateUser payload nor a return_value."
+}
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+{
+  "sessionId": "session-fixture",
+  "correlationId": "gateway-correlation-authenticate-return-value-only",
+  "kind": "MX_COMMAND_KIND_AUTHENTICATE_USER",
+  "protocolStatus": {
+    "code": "PROTOCOL_STATUS_CODE_OK",
+    "message": "AuthenticateUser reached MXAccess."
+  },
+  "returnValue": {
+    "dataType": "MX_DATA_TYPE_INTEGER",
+    "variantType": "VT_I4",
+    "int32Value": 7
+  },
+  "diagnosticMessage": "Legacy worker populated only return_value; the typed AuthenticateUser payload is absent."
+}
@@ -48,6 +48,34 @@
      "path": "command-replies/write.hresult-e-fail.reply.json",
      "expectation": "A negative HRESULT fails the reply even when every status entry reports MX_STATUS_CATEGORY_OK."
    },
+    {
+      "id": "command-reply.authenticate-user.echoed-credential",
+      "category": "command_replies",
+      "messageType": "mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxCommandReply",
+      "path": "command-replies/authenticate-user.echoed-credential.reply.json",
+      "expectation": "When a gateway/MXAccess diagnostic echoes the caller's credential back (OK envelope, negative HRESULT), the surfaced error redacts the exact secret from both the rendered message and the structured reply accessors."
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "command-reply.authenticate-user.echoed-credential-mxaccess-failure",
+      "category": "command_replies",
+      "messageType": "mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxCommandReply",
+      "path": "command-replies/authenticate-user.echoed-credential-mxaccess-failure.reply.json",
+      "expectation": "The same echoed-credential redaction holds when the reply is coded PROTOCOL_STATUS_CODE_MXACCESS_FAILURE, which every client routes to its MXAccess error type."
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "command-reply.authenticate-user.missing-payload",
+      "category": "command_replies",
+      "messageType": "mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxCommandReply",
+      "path": "command-replies/authenticate-user.missing-payload.reply.json",
+      "expectation": "An OK reply with neither the typed AuthenticateUser payload nor a return_value raises a typed malformed-reply error, never a proto3 default 0 and never an NRE."
+    },
+    {
+      "id": "command-reply.authenticate-user.return-value-only",
+      "category": "command_replies",
+      "messageType": "mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxCommandReply",
+      "path": "command-replies/authenticate-user.return-value-only.reply.json",
+      "expectation": "An OK reply missing the typed AuthenticateUser payload but carrying an int32 return_value falls back to the return_value (legacy-worker compatibility)."
+    },
    {
      "id": "event-stream.session-ordered",
      "category": "event_streams",
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
  "cases": [
    {
      "id": "ok.responding-lmx",
+      "wantSuccess": true,
      "status": {
        "success": 1,
        "category": "MX_STATUS_CATEGORY_OK",
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@
    },
    {
      "id": "security-error.requesting-lmx",
+      "wantSuccess": false,
      "status": {
        "success": 0,
        "category": "MX_STATUS_CATEGORY_SECURITY_ERROR",
@@ -27,6 +29,7 @@
    },
    {
      "id": "raw-unknown-category",
+      "wantSuccess": false,
      "status": {
        "success": 0,
        "category": "MX_STATUS_CATEGORY_UNKNOWN",
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"

 [project]
 name = "zb-mom-ww-mxaccess-gateway-client"
-version = "0.1.2"
+version = "0.2.0"
 description = "Async Python client for MXAccess Gateway."
 readme = "README.md"
 requires-python = ">=3.12"
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ from .generated.galaxy_repository_pb2 import (
 )
 from .events import ReplayGap
 from .errors import (
+    MalformedReplyError,
    MxAccessError,
    MxGatewayAuthenticationError,
    MxGatewayAuthorizationError,
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ __all__ = [
    "GalaxyRepositoryClient",
    "GatewayClient",
    "LazyBrowseNode",
+    "MalformedReplyError",
    "MxAccessError",
    "MxGatewayAuthenticationError",
    "MxGatewayAuthorizationError",
@@ -53,6 +53,10 @@ class MxAccessError(MxGatewayCommandError):
    """MXAccess HRESULT or status failure."""


+class MalformedReplyError(MxGatewayError):
+    """Raised when an OK reply lacks the expected typed payload and any usable return_value fallback."""
+
+
 def map_rpc_error(operation: str, error: grpc.RpcError) -> MxGatewayTransportError:
    """Map a generated gRPC exception to the client exception hierarchy."""

@@ -153,8 +157,18 @@ def ensure_mxaccess_success(operation: str, reply: pb.MxCommandReply) -> pb.MxCo
 def _mxaccess_message(operation: str, reply: pb.MxCommandReply) -> str:
    status_text = reply.protocol_status.message or "MXAccess command failed"
    hresult = reply.hresult if reply.HasField("hresult") else None
-    return (
+    message = (
        f"{operation} failed: {status_text}; "
        f"session={reply.session_id}; correlation={reply.correlation_id}; "
        f"hresult={hresult}; statuses={len(reply.statuses)}"
    )
+    # Append a per-status breakdown that carries the raw `success` COM member
+    # verbatim for diagnostic parity with the other clients. `category` remains
+    # the authoritative verdict; `success` is diagnostics only.
+    for status in reply.statuses:
+        category = pb.MxStatusCategory.Name(status.category)
+        message += (
+            f" [success={status.success}, category={category}, "
+            f"detail={status.detail}, {status.diagnostic_text}]"
+        )
+    return message
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ from google.protobuf import timestamp_pb2 as google_dot_protobuf_dot_timestamp__
 import mxaccess_gateway_pb2 as mxaccess__gateway__pb2


-DESCRIPTOR = _descriptor_pool.Default().AddSerializedFile(b'\n\x15mxaccess_worker.proto\x12\x12mxaccess_worker.v1\x1a\x1egoogle/protobuf/duration.proto\x1a\x1fgoogle/protobuf/timestamp.proto\x1a\x16mxaccess_gateway.proto\"\x95\x06\n\x0eWorkerEnvelope\x12\x18\n\x10protocol_version\x18\x01 \x01(\r\x12\x12\n\nsession_id\x18\x02 \x01(\t\x12\x10\n\x08sequence\x18\x03 \x01(\x04\x12\x16\n\x0e\x63orrelation_id\x18\x04 \x01(\t\x12\x39\n\rgateway_hello\x18\n \x01(\x0b\x32 .mxaccess_worker.v1.GatewayHelloH\x00\x12\x37\n\x0cworker_hello\x18\x0b \x01(\x0b\x32\x1f.mxaccess_worker.v1.WorkerHelloH\x00\x12\x37\n\x0cworker_ready\x18\x0c \x01(\x0b\x32\x1f.mxaccess_worker.v1.WorkerReadyH\x00\x12;\n\x0eworker_command\x18\r \x01(\x0b\x32!.mxaccess_worker.v1.WorkerCommandH\x00\x12\x46\n\x14worker_command_reply\x18\x0e \x01(\x0b\x32&.mxaccess_worker.v1.WorkerCommandReplyH\x00\x12\x39\n\rworker_cancel\x18\x0f \x01(\x0b\x32 .mxaccess_worker.v1.WorkerCancelH\x00\x12=\n\x0fworker_shutdown\x18\x10 \x01(\x0b\x32\".mxaccess_worker.v1.WorkerShutdownH\x00\x12\x44\n\x13worker_shutdown_ack\x18\x11 \x01(\x0b\x32%.mxaccess_worker.v1.WorkerShutdownAckH\x00\x12\x37\n\x0cworker_event\x18\x12 \x01(\x0b\x32\x1f.mxaccess_worker.v1.WorkerEventH\x00\x12?\n\x10worker_heartbeat\x18\x13 \x01(\x0b\x32#.mxaccess_worker.v1.WorkerHeartbeatH\x00\x12\x37\n\x0cworker_fault\x18\x14 \x01(\x0b\x32\x1f.mxaccess_worker.v1.WorkerFaultH\x00\x42\x06\n\x04\x62ody\"Z\n\x0cGatewayHello\x12\"\n\x1asupported_protocol_version\x18\x01 \x01(\r\x12\r\n\x05nonce\x18\x02 \x01(\t\x12\x17\n\x0fgateway_version\x18\x03 \x01(\t\"i\n\x0bWorkerHello\x12\x18\n\x10protocol_version\x18\x01 \x01(\r\x12\r\n\x05nonce\x18\x02 \x01(\t\x12\x19\n\x11worker_process_id\x18\x03 \x01(\x05\x12\x16\n\x0eworker_version\x18\x04 \x01(\t\"\x8e\x01\n\x0bWorkerReady\x12\x19\n\x11worker_process_id\x18\x01 \x01(\x05\x12\x17\n\x0fmxaccess_progid\x18\x02 \x01(\t\x12\x16\n\x0emxaccess_clsid\x18\x03 \x01(\t\x12\x33\n\x0fready_timestamp\x18\x04 \x01(\x0b\x32\x1a.google.protobuf.Timestamp\"w\n\rWorkerCommand\x12/\n\x07\x63ommand\x18\x01 \x01(\x0b\x32\x1e.mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxCommand\x12\x35\n\x11\x65nqueue_timestamp\x18\x02 \x01(\x0b\x32\x1a.google.protobuf.Timestamp\"\x81\x01\n\x12WorkerCommandReply\x12\x32\n\x05reply\x18\x01 \x01(\x0b\x32#.mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxCommandReply\x12\x37\n\x13\x63ompleted_timestamp\x18\x02 \x01(\x0b\x32\x1a.google.protobuf.Timestamp\"\x1e\n\x0cWorkerCancel\x12\x0e\n\x06reason\x18\x01 \x01(\t\"Q\n\x0eWorkerShutdown\x12/\n\x0cgrace_period\x18\x01 \x01(\x0b\x32\x19.google.protobuf.Duration\x12\x0e\n\x06reason\x18\x02 \x01(\t\"H\n\x11WorkerShutdownAck\x12\x33\n\x06status\x18\x01 \x01(\x0b\x32#.mxaccess_gateway.v1.ProtocolStatus\":\n\x0bWorkerEvent\x12+\n\x05\x65vent\x18\x01 \x01(\x0b\x32\x1c.mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxEvent\"\xa5\x02\n\x0fWorkerHeartbeat\x12\x19\n\x11worker_process_id\x18\x01 \x01(\x05\x12.\n\x05state\x18\x02 \x01(\x0e\x32\x1f.mxaccess_worker.v1.WorkerState\x12?\n\x1blast_sta_activity_timestamp\x18\x03 \x01(\x0b\x32\x1a.google.protobuf.Timestamp\x12\x1d\n\x15pending_command_count\x18\x04 \x01(\r\x12\"\n\x1aoutbound_event_queue_depth\x18\x05 \x01(\r\x12\x1b\n\x13last_event_sequence\x18\x06 \x01(\x04\x12&\n\x1e\x63urrent_command_correlation_id\x18\x07 \x01(\t\"\xf4\x01\n\x0bWorkerFault\x12\x39\n\x08\x63\x61tegory\x18\x01 \x01(\x0e\x32\'.mxaccess_worker.v1.WorkerFaultCategory\x12\x16\n\x0e\x63ommand_method\x18\x02 \x01(\t\x12\x14\n\x07hresult\x18\x03 \x01(\x05H\x00\x88\x01\x01\x12\x16\n\x0e\x65xception_type\x18\x04 \x01(\t\x12\x1a\n\x12\x64iagnostic_message\x18\x05 \x01(\t\x12<\n\x0fprotocol_status\x18\x06 \x01(\x0b\x32#.mxaccess_gateway.v1.ProtocolStatusB\n\n\x08_hresult*\x97\x02\n\x0bWorkerState\x12\x1c\n\x18WORKER_STATE_UNSPECIFIED\x10\x00\x12\x19\n\x15WORKER_STATE_STARTING\x10\x01\x12\x1c\n\x18WORKER_STATE_HANDSHAKING\x10\x02\x12!\n\x1dWORKER_STATE_INITIALIZING_STA\x10\x03\x12\x16\n\x12WORKER_STATE_READY\x10\x04\x12\"\n\x1eWORKER_STATE_EXECUTING_COMMAND\x10\x05\x12\x1e\n\x1aWORKER_STATE_SHUTTING_DOWN\x10\x06\x12\x18\n\x14WORKER_STATE_STOPPED\x10\x07\x12\x18\n\x14WORKER_STATE_FAULTED\x10\x08*\xc7\x04\n\x13WorkerFaultCategory\x12%\n!WORKER_FAULT_CATEGORY_UNSPECIFIED\x10\x00\x12+\n\'WORKER_FAULT_CATEGORY_INVALID_ARGUMENTS\x10\x01\x12\x37\n3WORKER_FAULT_CATEGORY_GATEWAY_AUTHENTICATION_FAILED\x10\x02\x12+\n\'WORKER_FAULT_CATEGORY_PROTOCOL_MISMATCH\x10\x03\x12,\n(WORKER_FAULT_CATEGORY_PROTOCOL_VIOLATION\x10\x04\x12+\n\'WORKER_FAULT_CATEGORY_PIPE_DISCONNECTED\x10\x05\x12\x32\n.WORKER_FAULT_CATEGORY_MXACCESS_CREATION_FAILED\x10\x06\x12\x31\n-WORKER_FAULT_CATEGORY_MXACCESS_COMMAND_FAILED\x10\x07\x12:\n6WORKER_FAULT_CATEGORY_MXACCESS_EVENT_CONVERSION_FAILED\x10\x08\x12\"\n\x1eWORKER_FAULT_CATEGORY_STA_HUNG\x10\t\x12(\n$WORKER_FAULT_CATEGORY_QUEUE_OVERFLOW\x10\n\x12*\n&WORKER_FAULT_CATEGORY_SHUTDOWN_TIMEOUT\x10\x0b\x42&\xaa\x02#ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Contracts.Protob\x06proto3')
+DESCRIPTOR = _descriptor_pool.Default().AddSerializedFile(b'\n\x15mxaccess_worker.proto\x12\x12mxaccess_worker.v1\x1a\x1egoogle/protobuf/duration.proto\x1a\x1fgoogle/protobuf/timestamp.proto\x1a\x16mxaccess_gateway.proto\"\x95\x06\n\x0eWorkerEnvelope\x12\x18\n\x10protocol_version\x18\x01 \x01(\r\x12\x12\n\nsession_id\x18\x02 \x01(\t\x12\x10\n\x08sequence\x18\x03 \x01(\x04\x12\x16\n\x0e\x63orrelation_id\x18\x04 \x01(\t\x12\x39\n\rgateway_hello\x18\n \x01(\x0b\x32 .mxaccess_worker.v1.GatewayHelloH\x00\x12\x37\n\x0cworker_hello\x18\x0b \x01(\x0b\x32\x1f.mxaccess_worker.v1.WorkerHelloH\x00\x12\x37\n\x0cworker_ready\x18\x0c \x01(\x0b\x32\x1f.mxaccess_worker.v1.WorkerReadyH\x00\x12;\n\x0eworker_command\x18\r \x01(\x0b\x32!.mxaccess_worker.v1.WorkerCommandH\x00\x12\x46\n\x14worker_command_reply\x18\x0e \x01(\x0b\x32&.mxaccess_worker.v1.WorkerCommandReplyH\x00\x12\x39\n\rworker_cancel\x18\x0f \x01(\x0b\x32 .mxaccess_worker.v1.WorkerCancelH\x00\x12=\n\x0fworker_shutdown\x18\x10 \x01(\x0b\x32\".mxaccess_worker.v1.WorkerShutdownH\x00\x12\x44\n\x13worker_shutdown_ack\x18\x11 \x01(\x0b\x32%.mxaccess_worker.v1.WorkerShutdownAckH\x00\x12\x37\n\x0cworker_event\x18\x12 \x01(\x0b\x32\x1f.mxaccess_worker.v1.WorkerEventH\x00\x12?\n\x10worker_heartbeat\x18\x13 \x01(\x0b\x32#.mxaccess_worker.v1.WorkerHeartbeatH\x00\x12\x37\n\x0cworker_fault\x18\x14 \x01(\x0b\x32\x1f.mxaccess_worker.v1.WorkerFaultH\x00\x42\x06\n\x04\x62ody\"s\n\x0cGatewayHello\x12\"\n\x1asupported_protocol_version\x18\x01 \x01(\r\x12\r\n\x05nonce\x18\x02 \x01(\t\x12\x17\n\x0fgateway_version\x18\x03 \x01(\t\x12\x17\n\x0fmax_frame_bytes\x18\x04 \x01(\r\"i\n\x0bWorkerHello\x12\x18\n\x10protocol_version\x18\x01 \x01(\r\x12\r\n\x05nonce\x18\x02 \x01(\t\x12\x19\n\x11worker_process_id\x18\x03 \x01(\x05\x12\x16\n\x0eworker_version\x18\x04 \x01(\t\"\x8e\x01\n\x0bWorkerReady\x12\x19\n\x11worker_process_id\x18\x01 \x01(\x05\x12\x17\n\x0fmxaccess_progid\x18\x02 \x01(\t\x12\x16\n\x0emxaccess_clsid\x18\x03 \x01(\t\x12\x33\n\x0fready_timestamp\x18\x04 \x01(\x0b\x32\x1a.google.protobuf.Timestamp\"w\n\rWorkerCommand\x12/\n\x07\x63ommand\x18\x01 \x01(\x0b\x32\x1e.mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxCommand\x12\x35\n\x11\x65nqueue_timestamp\x18\x02 \x01(\x0b\x32\x1a.google.protobuf.Timestamp\"\x81\x01\n\x12WorkerCommandReply\x12\x32\n\x05reply\x18\x01 \x01(\x0b\x32#.mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxCommandReply\x12\x37\n\x13\x63ompleted_timestamp\x18\x02 \x01(\x0b\x32\x1a.google.protobuf.Timestamp\"\x1e\n\x0cWorkerCancel\x12\x0e\n\x06reason\x18\x01 \x01(\t\"Q\n\x0eWorkerShutdown\x12/\n\x0cgrace_period\x18\x01 \x01(\x0b\x32\x19.google.protobuf.Duration\x12\x0e\n\x06reason\x18\x02 \x01(\t\"H\n\x11WorkerShutdownAck\x12\x33\n\x06status\x18\x01 \x01(\x0b\x32#.mxaccess_gateway.v1.ProtocolStatus\":\n\x0bWorkerEvent\x12+\n\x05\x65vent\x18\x01 \x01(\x0b\x32\x1c.mxaccess_gateway.v1.MxEvent\"\xa5\x02\n\x0fWorkerHeartbeat\x12\x19\n\x11worker_process_id\x18\x01 \x01(\x05\x12.\n\x05state\x18\x02 \x01(\x0e\x32\x1f.mxaccess_worker.v1.WorkerState\x12?\n\x1blast_sta_activity_timestamp\x18\x03 \x01(\x0b\x32\x1a.google.protobuf.Timestamp\x12\x1d\n\x15pending_command_count\x18\x04 \x01(\r\x12\"\n\x1aoutbound_event_queue_depth\x18\x05 \x01(\r\x12\x1b\n\x13last_event_sequence\x18\x06 \x01(\x04\x12&\n\x1e\x63urrent_command_correlation_id\x18\x07 \x01(\t\"\xf4\x01\n\x0bWorkerFault\x12\x39\n\x08\x63\x61tegory\x18\x01 \x01(\x0e\x32\'.mxaccess_worker.v1.WorkerFaultCategory\x12\x16\n\x0e\x63ommand_method\x18\x02 \x01(\t\x12\x14\n\x07hresult\x18\x03 \x01(\x05H\x00\x88\x01\x01\x12\x16\n\x0e\x65xception_type\x18\x04 \x01(\t\x12\x1a\n\x12\x64iagnostic_message\x18\x05 \x01(\t\x12<\n\x0fprotocol_status\x18\x06 \x01(\x0b\x32#.mxaccess_gateway.v1.ProtocolStatusB\n\n\x08_hresult*\x97\x02\n\x0bWorkerState\x12\x1c\n\x18WORKER_STATE_UNSPECIFIED\x10\x00\x12\x19\n\x15WORKER_STATE_STARTING\x10\x01\x12\x1c\n\x18WORKER_STATE_HANDSHAKING\x10\x02\x12!\n\x1dWORKER_STATE_INITIALIZING_STA\x10\x03\x12\x16\n\x12WORKER_STATE_READY\x10\x04\x12\"\n\x1eWORKER_STATE_EXECUTING_COMMAND\x10\x05\x12\x1e\n\x1aWORKER_STATE_SHUTTING_DOWN\x10\x06\x12\x18\n\x14WORKER_STATE_STOPPED\x10\x07\x12\x18\n\x14WORKER_STATE_FAULTED\x10\x08*\xc7\x04\n\x13WorkerFaultCategory\x12%\n!WORKER_FAULT_CATEGORY_UNSPECIFIED\x10\x00\x12+\n\'WORKER_FAULT_CATEGORY_INVALID_ARGUMENTS\x10\x01\x12\x37\n3WORKER_FAULT_CATEGORY_GATEWAY_AUTHENTICATION_FAILED\x10\x02\x12+\n\'WORKER_FAULT_CATEGORY_PROTOCOL_MISMATCH\x10\x03\x12,\n(WORKER_FAULT_CATEGORY_PROTOCOL_VIOLATION\x10\x04\x12+\n\'WORKER_FAULT_CATEGORY_PIPE_DISCONNECTED\x10\x05\x12\x32\n.WORKER_FAULT_CATEGORY_MXACCESS_CREATION_FAILED\x10\x06\x12\x31\n-WORKER_FAULT_CATEGORY_MXACCESS_COMMAND_FAILED\x10\x07\x12:\n6WORKER_FAULT_CATEGORY_MXACCESS_EVENT_CONVERSION_FAILED\x10\x08\x12\"\n\x1eWORKER_FAULT_CATEGORY_STA_HUNG\x10\t\x12(\n$WORKER_FAULT_CATEGORY_QUEUE_OVERFLOW\x10\n\x12*\n&WORKER_FAULT_CATEGORY_SHUTDOWN_TIMEOUT\x10\x0b\x42&\xaa\x02#ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Contracts.Protob\x06proto3')

 _globals = globals()
 _builder.BuildMessageAndEnumDescriptors(DESCRIPTOR, _globals)
@@ -35,32 +35,32 @@ _builder.BuildTopDescriptorsAndMessages(DESCRIPTOR, 'mxaccess_worker_pb2', _glob
 if not _descriptor._USE_C_DESCRIPTORS:
  _globals['DESCRIPTOR']._loaded_options = None
  _globals['DESCRIPTOR']._serialized_options = b'\252\002#ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Contracts.Proto'
-  _globals['_WORKERSTATE']._serialized_start=2316
-  _globals['_WORKERSTATE']._serialized_end=2595
-  _globals['_WORKERFAULTCATEGORY']._serialized_start=2598
-  _globals['_WORKERFAULTCATEGORY']._serialized_end=3181
+  _globals['_WORKERSTATE']._serialized_start=2341
+  _globals['_WORKERSTATE']._serialized_end=2620
+  _globals['_WORKERFAULTCATEGORY']._serialized_start=2623
+  _globals['_WORKERFAULTCATEGORY']._serialized_end=3206
  _globals['_WORKERENVELOPE']._serialized_start=135
  _globals['_WORKERENVELOPE']._serialized_end=924
  _globals['_GATEWAYHELLO']._serialized_start=926
-  _globals['_GATEWAYHELLO']._serialized_end=1016
-  _globals['_WORKERHELLO']._serialized_start=1018
-  _globals['_WORKERHELLO']._serialized_end=1123
-  _globals['_WORKERREADY']._serialized_start=1126
-  _globals['_WORKERREADY']._serialized_end=1268
-  _globals['_WORKERCOMMAND']._serialized_start=1270
-  _globals['_WORKERCOMMAND']._serialized_end=1389
-  _globals['_WORKERCOMMANDREPLY']._serialized_start=1392
-  _globals['_WORKERCOMMANDREPLY']._serialized_end=1521
-  _globals['_WORKERCANCEL']._serialized_start=1523
-  _globals['_WORKERCANCEL']._serialized_end=1553
-  _globals['_WORKERSHUTDOWN']._serialized_start=1555
-  _globals['_WORKERSHUTDOWN']._serialized_end=1636
-  _globals['_WORKERSHUTDOWNACK']._serialized_start=1638
-  _globals['_WORKERSHUTDOWNACK']._serialized_end=1710
-  _globals['_WORKEREVENT']._serialized_start=1712
-  _globals['_WORKEREVENT']._serialized_end=1770
-  _globals['_WORKERHEARTBEAT']._serialized_start=1773
-  _globals['_WORKERHEARTBEAT']._serialized_end=2066
-  _globals['_WORKERFAULT']._serialized_start=2069
-  _globals['_WORKERFAULT']._serialized_end=2313
+  _globals['_GATEWAYHELLO']._serialized_end=1041
+  _globals['_WORKERHELLO']._serialized_start=1043
+  _globals['_WORKERHELLO']._serialized_end=1148
+  _globals['_WORKERREADY']._serialized_start=1151
+  _globals['_WORKERREADY']._serialized_end=1293
+  _globals['_WORKERCOMMAND']._serialized_start=1295
+  _globals['_WORKERCOMMAND']._serialized_end=1414
+  _globals['_WORKERCOMMANDREPLY']._serialized_start=1417
+  _globals['_WORKERCOMMANDREPLY']._serialized_end=1546
+  _globals['_WORKERCANCEL']._serialized_start=1548
+  _globals['_WORKERCANCEL']._serialized_end=1578
+  _globals['_WORKERSHUTDOWN']._serialized_start=1580
+  _globals['_WORKERSHUTDOWN']._serialized_end=1661
+  _globals['_WORKERSHUTDOWNACK']._serialized_start=1663
+  _globals['_WORKERSHUTDOWNACK']._serialized_end=1735
+  _globals['_WORKEREVENT']._serialized_start=1737
+  _globals['_WORKEREVENT']._serialized_end=1795
+  _globals['_WORKERHEARTBEAT']._serialized_start=1798
+  _globals['_WORKERHEARTBEAT']._serialized_end=2091
+  _globals['_WORKERFAULT']._serialized_start=2094
+  _globals['_WORKERFAULT']._serialized_end=2338
 # @@protoc_insertion_point(module_scope)
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 from collections.abc import AsyncIterator, Sequence

 from .auth import redact_secret
-from .errors import MxGatewayError, ensure_mxaccess_success
+from .errors import MalformedReplyError, MxGatewayError, ensure_mxaccess_success
 from .events import ReplayGap
 from .generated import mxaccess_gateway_pb2 as pb
 from .values import MxValueInput, to_mx_value
@@ -710,7 +710,15 @@ class Session:
            correlation_id=correlation_id,
            secrets=[verify_user_password],
        )
-        return reply.authenticate_user.user_id
+        if reply.HasField("authenticate_user"):
+            return reply.authenticate_user.user_id
+        if reply.HasField("return_value") and reply.return_value.WhichOneof("kind") == "int32_value":
+            return reply.return_value.int32_value
+        raise MalformedReplyError(
+            "authenticate_user returned a malformed reply: OK reply carried "
+            "neither the typed payload nor an int32 return_value",
+            raw_reply=reply,
+        )

    async def archestra_user_to_id(
        self,
@@ -730,7 +738,15 @@ class Session:
            ),
            correlation_id=correlation_id,
        )
-        return reply.archestra_user_to_id.user_id
+        if reply.HasField("archestra_user_to_id"):
+            return reply.archestra_user_to_id.user_id
+        if reply.HasField("return_value") and reply.return_value.WhichOneof("kind") == "int32_value":
+            return reply.return_value.int32_value
+        raise MalformedReplyError(
+            "archestra_user_to_id returned a malformed reply: OK reply carried "
+            "neither the typed payload nor an int32 return_value",
+            raw_reply=reply,
+        )

    async def add_buffered_item(
        self,
@@ -752,7 +768,15 @@ class Session:
            ),
            correlation_id=correlation_id,
        )
-        return reply.add_buffered_item.item_handle
+        if reply.HasField("add_buffered_item"):
+            return reply.add_buffered_item.item_handle
+        if reply.HasField("return_value") and reply.return_value.WhichOneof("kind") == "int32_value":
+            return reply.return_value.int32_value
+        raise MalformedReplyError(
+            "add_buffered_item returned a malformed reply: OK reply carried "
+            "neither the typed payload nor an int32 return_value",
+            raw_reply=reply,
+        )

    async def set_buffered_update_interval(
        self,
@@ -895,19 +919,47 @@ def _value_secrets(value: MxValueInput) -> list[str]:


 def _redact_error(error: MxGatewayError, secrets: Sequence[str | None]) -> None:
-    """Scrub secret substrings from a raised error's message in place.
+    """Scrub secret substrings from a raised error's message and reply in place.

    Rewrites ``error.args[0]`` (the message returned by ``str(error)``) through
    the shared :func:`~zb_mom_ww_mxgateway.auth.redact_secret` seam so credential
-    text can never reach logs or be re-raised to a caller. The
-    ``protocol_status`` / ``raw_reply`` context is left untouched — those hold the
-    gateway's own fields, which never echo the client-supplied secret.
+    text can never reach logs or be re-raised to a caller.
+
+    A misbehaving MXAccess provider can echo the client-supplied credential back
+    verbatim in its failure diagnostics, so ``error.raw_reply`` (the protobuf
+    reply) can carry the secret in ``protocol_status.message``,
+    ``diagnostic_message``, and each ``statuses[].diagnostic_text``. A logger
+    dumping those structured fields would reintroduce the leak the message scrub
+    closes. When there is a secret to scrub and a reply is attached, this rebinds
+    ``error.raw_reply`` to a scrubbed deep copy so the raised exception carries no
+    credential text on any surface. The clone leaves the original reply untouched.
    """
    scrubbed = [secret for secret in secrets if secret]
    if not scrubbed:
        return
    if error.args and isinstance(error.args[0], str):
        error.args = (redact_secret(error.args[0], scrubbed), *error.args[1:])
+    if error.raw_reply is not None:
+        error.raw_reply = _redact_reply(error.raw_reply, scrubbed)
+
+
+def _redact_reply(reply: pb.MxCommandReply, secrets: Sequence[str]) -> pb.MxCommandReply:
+    """Return a deep copy of *reply* with credential text scrubbed from diagnostics.
+
+    Operates on a clone so the caller's original reply object is never mutated.
+    Only the free-text diagnostic fields that can echo a client-supplied secret
+    are scrubbed; the structured/enum fields the gateway itself sets are left as-is.
+    """
+    clone = type(reply)()
+    clone.CopyFrom(reply)
+    if clone.protocol_status.message:
+        clone.protocol_status.message = redact_secret(clone.protocol_status.message, secrets)
+    if clone.diagnostic_message:
+        clone.diagnostic_message = redact_secret(clone.diagnostic_message, secrets)
+    for status in clone.statuses:
+        if status.diagnostic_text:
+            status.diagnostic_text = redact_secret(status.diagnostic_text, secrets)
+    return clone


 from .client import GatewayClient  # noqa: E402
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 """Package version information."""

-__version__ = "0.1.2"
+__version__ = "0.2.0"
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 """Tests for the Python CLI."""

 import json
+import tomllib
+from pathlib import Path

 import pytest
 from click.testing import CliRunner
@@ -12,6 +14,21 @@ from zb_mom_ww_mxgateway_cli.commands import main
 _BATCH_EOR = "__MXGW_BATCH_EOR__"


+def test_version_matches_pyproject_toml() -> None:
+    """`__version__` must track `pyproject.toml`'s `[project].version`.
+
+    The existing `version` command tests only assert self-consistency against
+    `__version__` (the two hardcoded literals could still drift from each
+    other without either test catching it — the CLI-26 residual drift mode).
+    This test pins `__version__` to the single source of truth instead.
+    """
+    pyproject_path = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent / "pyproject.toml"
+    with pyproject_path.open("rb") as handle:
+        pyproject = tomllib.load(handle)
+
+    assert __version__ == pyproject["project"]["version"]
+
+
 def test_require_certificate_validation_flag_flows_through_connect(
    monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch,
 ) -> None:
@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+"""Tests for the uniform malformed-reply contract (CLI-41) and the CLI-40
+credential-redaction regression, driven through the shared fixtures.
+
+CLI-41: an OK reply that carries neither the expected typed payload nor a usable
+``return_value`` int32 fallback raises :class:`MalformedReplyError`; a legacy
+reply that populates only ``return_value`` falls back to that int32.
+
+CLI-40: an OK reply whose diagnostics echo the caller's credential must never
+surface that credential in the raised error message.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import json
+from pathlib import Path
+
+import pytest
+from google.protobuf.json_format import ParseDict
+
+from zb_mom_ww_mxgateway import MalformedReplyError, MxAccessError
+from zb_mom_ww_mxgateway.generated import mxaccess_gateway_pb2 as pb
+
+from test_typed_command_helpers import _session_with
+
+FIXTURE_ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[2] / "proto" / "fixtures" / "behavior"
+
+
+def _load_reply(relative: str) -> pb.MxCommandReply:
+    path = FIXTURE_ROOT / relative
+    return ParseDict(json.loads(path.read_text()), pb.MxCommandReply())
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_authenticate_user_missing_payload_raises_malformed_reply() -> None:
+    reply = _load_reply("command-replies/authenticate-user.missing-payload.reply.json")
+    session, _ = await _session_with([reply])
+
+    with pytest.raises(MalformedReplyError) as captured:
+        await session.authenticate_user(12, "operator", "any-password")
+
+    assert captured.value.raw_reply is reply
+    assert "malformed reply" in str(captured.value)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_authenticate_user_return_value_only_falls_back_to_int32() -> None:
+    reply = _load_reply("command-replies/authenticate-user.return-value-only.reply.json")
+    session, _ = await _session_with([reply])
+
+    user_id = await session.authenticate_user(12, "operator", "any-password")
+
+    assert user_id == 7
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_add_buffered_item_falls_back_to_return_value_int32() -> None:
+    reply = pb.MxCommandReply(
+        session_id="session-1",
+        kind=pb.MX_COMMAND_KIND_ADD_BUFFERED_ITEM,
+        protocol_status=pb.ProtocolStatus(code=pb.PROTOCOL_STATUS_CODE_OK),
+        return_value=pb.MxValue(int32_value=99),
+    )
+    session, _ = await _session_with([reply])
+
+    item_handle = await session.add_buffered_item(12, "Object.Attribute", "ctx")
+
+    assert item_handle == 99
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_add_buffered_item_missing_payload_raises_malformed_reply() -> None:
+    reply = pb.MxCommandReply(
+        session_id="session-1",
+        kind=pb.MX_COMMAND_KIND_ADD_BUFFERED_ITEM,
+        protocol_status=pb.ProtocolStatus(code=pb.PROTOCOL_STATUS_CODE_OK),
+    )
+    session, _ = await _session_with([reply])
+
+    with pytest.raises(MalformedReplyError) as captured:
+        await session.add_buffered_item(12, "Object.Attribute", "ctx")
+
+    assert captured.value.raw_reply is reply
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "fixture",
+    [
+        "command-replies/authenticate-user.echoed-credential.reply.json",
+        "command-replies/authenticate-user.echoed-credential-mxaccess-failure.reply.json",
+    ],
+)
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_authenticate_user_echoed_credential_is_scrubbed(fixture: str) -> None:
+    credential = "sup3rSecretVerify9f3a2b"
+    reply = _load_reply(fixture)
+    session, _ = await _session_with([reply])
+
+    with pytest.raises(MxAccessError) as captured:
+        await session.authenticate_user(12, "operator", credential)
+
+    exc = captured.value
+    message = str(exc)
+    assert credential not in message
+    assert "[redacted]" in message
+
+    # The credential must not survive in the structured protobuf context either:
+    # a logger dumping raw_reply's fields would otherwise reintroduce the leak.
+    assert exc.raw_reply is not None
+    assert credential not in exc.raw_reply.protocol_status.message
+    assert credential not in exc.raw_reply.diagnostic_message
+    for status in exc.raw_reply.statuses:
+        assert credential not in status.diagnostic_text
@@ -140,10 +140,19 @@ async def test_write_secured_surfaces_native_failure_without_prior_authenticate(
    with pytest.raises(MxAccessError) as captured:
        await session.write_secured(12, 34, secret_value, current_user_id=5, verifier_user_id=6)

-    # Native failure is surfaced (not "fixed") and the raw reply is preserved...
-    assert captured.value.raw_reply is failure
-    # ...but the credential-sensitive value is scrubbed from the surfaced message.
+    # Native failure is surfaced (not "fixed"): the raw reply's structure is
+    # preserved so callers still see the native verdict...
+    raw = captured.value.raw_reply
+    assert raw is not None
+    assert raw.kind == pb.MX_COMMAND_KIND_WRITE_SECURED
+    assert raw.hresult == -2147217407
+    assert raw.protocol_status.code == pb.PROTOCOL_STATUS_CODE_MXACCESS_FAILURE
+    # ...but the credential-sensitive value is scrubbed from the surfaced message
+    # AND from the reply's echoed diagnostics, so a logger dumping raw_reply's
+    # structured fields cannot reintroduce the leak.
    assert secret_value not in str(captured.value)
+    assert secret_value not in raw.protocol_status.message
+    assert "[redacted]" in raw.protocol_status.message
    command = stub.invoke.requests[0].command
    assert command.kind == pb.MX_COMMAND_KIND_WRITE_SECURED
    assert command.write_secured.current_user_id == 5
@@ -590,7 +590,7 @@ checksum = "1d87ecb2933e8aeadb3e3a02b828fed80a7528047e68b4f424523a0981a3a084"

 [[package]]
 name = "mxgw-cli"
-version = "0.1.2"
+version = "0.2.0"
 dependencies = [
 "clap",
 "futures-util",
@@ -1490,7 +1490,7 @@ dependencies = [

 [[package]]
 name = "zb-mom-ww-mxgateway-client"
-version = "0.1.2"
+version = "0.2.0"
 dependencies = [
 "futures-core",
 "futures-util",
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "zb-mom-ww-mxgateway-client"
-version = "0.1.2"
+version = "0.2.0"
 edition = "2021"
 authors = ["Joseph Doherty"]
 description = "Async Rust client for the MxAccessGateway gRPC service, including a lazy-browse walker over the Galaxy Repository hierarchy."
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ resolver = "2"

 [workspace.package]
 edition = "2021"
-version = "0.1.2"
+version = "0.2.0"
 authors = ["Joseph Doherty"]
 license = "Proprietary"
 repository = "https://gitea.dohertylan.com/dohertj2/mxaccessgw"
@@ -18,9 +18,22 @@ clients/rust/
  crates/mxgw-cli/
 ```

-`build.rs` reads the `.proto` files from
-`../../src/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Contracts/Protos` and generates `tonic`/`prost` bindings
-into Cargo build output. `src/generated.rs` declares the Rust modules that
+`build.rs` resolves the `.proto` inputs repo-path-first: it prefers the
+canonical protos at `../../src/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Contracts/Protos` (two
+levels above `clients/rust`) so a local in-repo `.proto` edit is picked up
+live without any extra step, and falls back to the vendored copies checked
+into `clients/rust/protos/` only when that canonical directory is absent —
+the case for a consumer building the crate unpacked from a published
+tarball, where the rest of the mxaccessgw repo does not exist. The vendored
+copies are shipped in the published `.crate` via `Cargo.toml`'s `include`
+list, which is what makes the crate buildable standalone; they are build
+inputs only, never a second source of truth. **Refresh rule:** any commit
+that edits a Contracts proto (`mxaccess_gateway.proto`, `mxaccess_worker.proto`,
+`galaxy_repository.proto`) must copy the changed file(s) into
+`clients/rust/protos/` in that same commit — `scripts/check-codegen.ps1`
+Check 3 fails the build on byte drift between the vendored copies and the
+canonical Contracts protos. `tonic`/`prost` bindings are generated into
+Cargo build output. `src/generated.rs` declares the Rust modules that
 include those generated files. `src/generated` remains reserved for checked-in
 generator output if the crate later changes to source-tree generation.

@@ -423,5 +436,5 @@ Then add the dependency:

 ```toml
 [dependencies]
-zb-mom-ww-mxgateway-client = { version = "0.1.1", registry = "dohertj2-gitea" }
+zb-mom-ww-mxgateway-client = { version = "0.2.0", registry = "dohertj2-gitea" }
 ```
@@ -676,6 +676,10 @@ message WorkerInfoReply {
 }

 message DrainEventsReply {
+  // The reply is bounded by both a server-side count cap and the negotiated
+  // worker-frame byte cap; a reply may therefore carry fewer events than
+  // `max_events` and fewer than are queued. Callers drain iteratively until an
+  // empty reply.
  repeated MxEvent events = 1;
 }

@@ -760,6 +764,11 @@ message ReplayGap {
  // after_worker_sequence = oldest_available_sequence - 1 in the next
  // StreamEventsRequest, which will cause the server to replay starting at
  // oldest_available_sequence (the first retained event).
+  // When nothing is retained (the replay ring is empty), this is the next sequence
+  // that can be delivered — `highest observed + 1` — and the `oldest - 1` resume
+  // formula remains valid: it resolves to the highest sequence already seen, so the
+  // follow-up resume replays nothing, reports no gap, and every newer live event
+  // passes. The interval evicted is unchanged.
  uint64 oldest_available_sequence = 2;
 }

@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@ message GatewayHello {
  // instead of a hard-coded default; 0 (an older gateway that never set the field) means
  // "use the worker's built-in default". Sits above the public gRPC cap by an
  // envelope-overhead margin so an accepted gRPC payload always fits one worker frame.
+  // Every worker->gateway frame — events, heartbeats, faults, and control replies
+  // including DrainEvents — must serialize within this limit; reply builders truncate
+  // to fit rather than emit an oversized frame.
  uint32 max_frame_bytes = 4;
 }

@@ -193,17 +193,43 @@ impl std::error::Error for CommandError {}
 /// The wrapper is heap-allocated inside [`Error::MxAccess`] to keep the
 /// containing enum small. Callers can recover the reply with
 /// [`MxAccessError::reply`] or [`MxAccessError::into_reply`]. Its `Display`
-/// summarizes the `hresult` and status entries and scrubs any credential-like
-/// tokens from diagnostic text before it reaches a caller.
-#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
+/// summarizes the `hresult` and status entries and scrubs credentials from the
+/// rendered text before it reaches a caller: credential-*shaped* tokens
+/// (`mxgw_...`, `bearer`) via a pattern scrub, plus any exact caller-supplied
+/// secrets registered with [`MxAccessError::with_secrets`] — the latter catches
+/// a password MXAccess echoed back verbatim even though it has no token shape.
+///
+/// `Debug` is hand-written (not derived) so the attached exact secrets never
+/// reach `{:?}` output either: it scrubs them from the reply rendering and
+/// prints only the count of attached secrets, never their values.
+#[derive(Clone)]
 pub struct MxAccessError {
    reply: MxCommandReply,
+    /// Exact caller-supplied secrets (e.g. an `AuthenticateUser` password or a
+    /// `WriteSecured` string value) scrubbed from the rendered message. Empty
+    /// unless a helper attaches them via [`Self::with_secrets`].
+    secrets: Vec<String>,
 }

 impl MxAccessError {
    /// Wrap a reply whose MXAccess-level result reported a failure.
    pub fn new(reply: MxCommandReply) -> Self {
-        Self { reply }
+        Self {
+            reply,
+            secrets: Vec::new(),
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Register exact caller-supplied secrets to scrub from the rendered
+    /// message, returning the updated error.
+    ///
+    /// A credential MXAccess echoes back into its diagnostic text has no
+    /// `mxgw_`/`bearer` shape, so the pattern scrub cannot catch it. Attaching
+    /// the exact secret lets `Display` replace every occurrence with
+    /// `<redacted>`.
+    pub fn with_secrets(mut self, secrets: Vec<String>) -> Self {
+        self.secrets = secrets;
+        self
    }

    /// Borrow the underlying reply (correlation id, hresult, statuses).
@@ -217,15 +243,43 @@ impl MxAccessError {
    }
 }

+impl std::fmt::Debug for MxAccessError {
+    fn fmt(&self, formatter: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
+        // Render the reply, scrub any exact caller secret from it, and never
+        // print the raw secrets themselves — only how many are attached.
+        let mut reply = format!("{:?}", self.reply);
+        for secret in &self.secrets {
+            if !secret.is_empty() {
+                reply = reply.replace(secret.as_str(), "<redacted>");
+            }
+        }
+
+        formatter
+            .debug_struct("MxAccessError")
+            .field("reply", &format_args!("{reply}"))
+            .field(
+                "secrets",
+                &format_args!("[{} redacted]", self.secrets.len()),
+            )
+            .finish()
+    }
+}
+
 impl std::fmt::Display for MxAccessError {
    fn fmt(&self, formatter: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
+        use std::fmt::Write as _;
+
        let hresult = match self.reply.hresult {
            Some(value) => value.to_string(),
            None => "none".to_owned(),
        };

+        // Render the whole body first so the exact-secret scrub can sweep every
+        // field — including diagnostic text that already went through the
+        // credential-shape scrub — before any of it reaches the caller.
+        let mut body = String::new();
        write!(
-            formatter,
+            body,
            "hresult={hresult}, {} status entr{}",
            self.reply.statuses.len(),
            if self.reply.statuses.len() == 1 {
@@ -233,20 +287,28 @@ impl std::fmt::Display for MxAccessError {
            } else {
                "ies"
            }
-        )?;
+        )
+        .expect("writing to a String is infallible");

        for status in &self.reply.statuses {
            let category = MxStatusCategory::try_from(status.category)
                .unwrap_or(MxStatusCategory::Unspecified);
            let diagnostic = redact_credentials(&status.diagnostic_text);
            write!(
-                formatter,
+                body,
                "; [success={}, category={category:?}, detail={}, {}]",
                status.success, status.detail, diagnostic
-            )?;
+            )
+            .expect("writing to a String is infallible");
        }

-        Ok(())
+        for secret in &self.secrets {
+            if !secret.is_empty() {
+                body = body.replace(secret.as_str(), "<redacted>");
+            }
+        }
+
+        formatter.write_str(&body)
    }
 }

@@ -284,10 +346,17 @@ impl From<tonic::Status> for Error {
 /// Promote a non-OK protocol status carried inside an [`MxCommandReply`]
 /// to an [`Error::Command`].
 ///
+/// [`ProtocolStatusCode::MxaccessFailure`] is deliberately **not** a
+/// command-level failure here: it signals an MXAccess-level rejection, so it
+/// falls through to [`ensure_mxaccess_success`] and surfaces as
+/// [`Error::MxAccess`] — matching the .NET, Java, Go, and Python clients. Every
+/// other non-`Ok` code stays [`Error::Command`].
+///
 /// # Errors
 ///
 /// Returns [`Error::Command`] when `reply.protocol_status` is missing or
-/// reports any code other than [`ProtocolStatusCode::Ok`].
+/// reports any code other than [`ProtocolStatusCode::Ok`] or
+/// [`ProtocolStatusCode::MxaccessFailure`].
 pub fn ensure_command_success(reply: MxCommandReply) -> Result<MxCommandReply, Error> {
    let code = reply
        .protocol_status
@@ -295,7 +364,7 @@ pub fn ensure_command_success(reply: MxCommandReply) -> Result<MxCommandReply, E
        .and_then(|status| ProtocolStatusCode::try_from(status.code).ok())
        .unwrap_or(ProtocolStatusCode::Unspecified);

-    if code == ProtocolStatusCode::Ok {
+    if code == ProtocolStatusCode::Ok || code == ProtocolStatusCode::MxaccessFailure {
        Ok(reply)
    } else {
        Err(Box::new(CommandError::new(reply)).into())
@@ -306,9 +375,12 @@ pub fn ensure_command_success(reply: MxCommandReply) -> Result<MxCommandReply, E
 /// [`MxCommandReply`] to an [`Error::MxAccess`].
 ///
 /// This is the second reply check applied to the typed command path, after
-/// [`ensure_command_success`] confirms the protocol envelope is `Ok`. It
-/// enforces MXAccess parity: a reply can carry an `Ok` protocol envelope while
-/// MXAccess itself rejected the operation. Following COM semantics, only a
+/// [`ensure_command_success`] confirms the protocol envelope is `Ok` (or a
+/// [`ProtocolStatusCode::MxaccessFailure`] the first check lets fall through).
+/// It enforces MXAccess parity: a reply can carry an `Ok` protocol envelope
+/// while MXAccess itself rejected the operation, and a
+/// [`ProtocolStatusCode::MxaccessFailure`] envelope is itself an MXAccess-level
+/// failure regardless of `hresult`. Following COM semantics, only a
 /// **negative** `hresult` is a failure — positive codes such as `S_FALSE = 1`
 /// are success. A `MXSTATUS_PROXY` entry is treated as a failure when its
 /// `category` is not [`MxStatusCategory::Ok`]; the `success` member mirrors the
@@ -321,17 +393,24 @@ pub fn ensure_command_success(reply: MxCommandReply) -> Result<MxCommandReply, E
 ///
 /// # Errors
 ///
-/// Returns [`Error::MxAccess`] when `reply.hresult` is negative or any
+/// Returns [`Error::MxAccess`] when the reply's protocol code is
+/// [`ProtocolStatusCode::MxaccessFailure`], `reply.hresult` is negative, or any
 /// `reply.statuses` entry reports a category other than
 /// [`MxStatusCategory::Ok`].
 pub fn ensure_mxaccess_success(reply: MxCommandReply) -> Result<MxCommandReply, Error> {
+    let protocol_code = reply
+        .protocol_status
+        .as_ref()
+        .and_then(|status| ProtocolStatusCode::try_from(status.code).ok())
+        .unwrap_or(ProtocolStatusCode::Unspecified);
+    let mxaccess_failure = protocol_code == ProtocolStatusCode::MxaccessFailure;
    let hresult_failure = reply.hresult.is_some_and(|hresult| hresult < 0);
    let status_failure = reply
        .statuses
        .iter()
        .any(|status| status.category != MxStatusCategory::Ok as i32);

-    if hresult_failure || status_failure {
+    if mxaccess_failure || hresult_failure || status_failure {
        Err(Box::new(MxAccessError::new(reply)).into())
    } else {
        Ok(reply)
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicU64, Ordering};

 use crate::client::{EventStream, GatewayClient};
-use crate::error::{ensure_protocol_success, Error};
+use crate::error::{ensure_protocol_success, Error, MxAccessError};
 use crate::generated::mxaccess_gateway::v1::mx_command::Payload;
 use crate::generated::mxaccess_gateway::v1::mx_command_reply;
 use crate::generated::mxaccess_gateway::v1::{
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ use crate::generated::mxaccess_gateway::v1::{
    WriteSecured2BulkCommand, WriteSecured2BulkEntry, WriteSecured2Command,
    WriteSecuredBulkCommand, WriteSecuredBulkEntry, WriteSecuredCommand,
 };
-use crate::value::{MxStatus, MxValue};
+use crate::value::{MxStatus, MxValue, MxValueProjection};

 const MAX_BULK_ITEMS: usize = 1_000;

@@ -801,6 +801,7 @@ impl Session {
        verifier_user_id: i32,
        value: MxValue,
    ) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        let secrets = string_secret(&value);
        self.invoke(
            MxCommandKind::WriteSecured,
            Payload::WriteSecured(WriteSecuredCommand {
@@ -811,7 +812,8 @@ impl Session {
                value: Some(value.into_proto()),
            }),
        )
-        .await?;
+        .await
+        .map_err(|error| attach_secrets(error, secrets))?;
        Ok(())
    }

@@ -831,6 +833,7 @@ impl Session {
        value: MxValue,
        timestamp_value: MxValue,
    ) -> Result<(), Error> {
+        let secrets = string_secret(&value);
        self.invoke(
            MxCommandKind::WriteSecured2,
            Payload::WriteSecured2(WriteSecured2Command {
@@ -842,7 +845,8 @@ impl Session {
                timestamp_value: Some(timestamp_value.into_proto()),
            }),
        )
-        .await?;
+        .await
+        .map_err(|error| attach_secrets(error, secrets))?;
        Ok(())
    }

@@ -882,7 +886,8 @@ impl Session {
                    verify_user_password: verify_user_password.to_owned(),
                }),
            )
-            .await?;
+            .await
+            .map_err(|error| attach_secrets(error, vec![verify_user_password.to_owned()]))?;

        authenticate_user_id(&reply)
    }
@@ -1074,18 +1079,81 @@ fn add_buffered_item_handle(reply: &MxCommandReply) -> Result<i32, Error> {
 fn authenticate_user_id(reply: &MxCommandReply) -> Result<i32, Error> {
    match reply.payload.as_ref() {
        Some(mx_command_reply::Payload::AuthenticateUser(authenticate)) => Ok(authenticate.user_id),
-        _ => Err(Error::MalformedReply {
-            detail: "authenticate_user reply lacked an AuthenticateUser payload".to_owned(),
-        }),
+        _ => reply
+            .return_value
+            .as_ref()
+            .and_then(int32_reply_value)
+            .ok_or_else(|| Error::MalformedReply {
+                detail:
+                    "authenticate_user reply lacked an AuthenticateUser payload or int32 return_value"
+                        .to_owned(),
+            }),
    }
 }

 fn archestra_user_id(reply: &MxCommandReply) -> Result<i32, Error> {
    match reply.payload.as_ref() {
        Some(mx_command_reply::Payload::ArchestraUserToId(archestra)) => Ok(archestra.user_id),
-        _ => Err(Error::MalformedReply {
-            detail: "archestra_user_to_id reply lacked an ArchestraUserToId payload".to_owned(),
-        }),
+        _ => reply
+            .return_value
+            .as_ref()
+            .and_then(int32_reply_value)
+            .ok_or_else(|| Error::MalformedReply {
+                detail:
+                    "archestra_user_to_id reply lacked an ArchestraUserToId payload or int32 return_value"
+                        .to_owned(),
+            }),
+    }
+}
+
+/// Extract an exact string secret from a credential-sensitive [`MxValue`] so a
+/// failing `WriteSecured`/`WriteSecured2` can scrub it from the surfaced error.
+/// Non-string values carry no scrubbable secret and yield an empty vector.
+fn string_secret(value: &MxValue) -> Vec<String> {
+    match value.projection() {
+        MxValueProjection::String(text) if !text.is_empty() => vec![text.clone()],
+        _ => Vec::new(),
+    }
+}
+
+/// Attach caller-supplied exact secrets to an [`Error::MxAccess`] before it
+/// propagates. This both scrubs the stored reply's caller-readable string
+/// fields (so `reply()`/`into_reply()` cannot recover a credential MXAccess
+/// echoed back verbatim) and keeps the secrets on the error as a
+/// belt-and-suspenders for `Display`/`Debug`. Any other error variant is
+/// returned unchanged.
+fn attach_secrets(error: Error, secrets: Vec<String>) -> Error {
+    match error {
+        Error::MxAccess(boxed) => {
+            let mut reply = boxed.into_reply();
+            scrub_reply_strings(&mut reply, &secrets);
+            Error::MxAccess(Box::new(MxAccessError::new(reply).with_secrets(secrets)))
+        }
+        other => other,
+    }
+}
+
+/// Replace every non-empty secret occurrence with `<redacted>` in the reply's
+/// caller-readable string fields — `protocol_status.message`,
+/// `diagnostic_message`, and each `statuses[i].diagnostic_text`. A caller
+/// reading the structured reply back off an [`Error::MxAccess`] would otherwise
+/// reintroduce the leak that `Display`/`Debug` already close.
+fn scrub_reply_strings(reply: &mut MxCommandReply, secrets: &[String]) {
+    for secret in secrets {
+        if secret.is_empty() {
+            continue;
+        }
+        if let Some(status) = reply.protocol_status.as_mut() {
+            status.message = status.message.replace(secret.as_str(), "<redacted>");
+        }
+        reply.diagnostic_message = reply
+            .diagnostic_message
+            .replace(secret.as_str(), "<redacted>");
+        for status in &mut reply.statuses {
+            status.diagnostic_text = status
+                .diagnostic_text
+                .replace(secret.as_str(), "<redacted>");
+        }
    }
 }

@@ -84,8 +84,10 @@ async fn session_helpers_build_commands_and_preserve_command_errors() {
        .write(12, 34, ClientMxValue::int32(123), 0)
        .await
        .unwrap_err();
-    let Error::Command(error) = error else {
-        panic!("write failure should preserve the raw command reply: {error:?}");
+    // A MXACCESS_FAILURE-coded reply is an MXAccess-level failure, routed to
+    // Error::MxAccess (matching .NET/Java/Go/Python) rather than Error::Command.
+    let Error::MxAccess(error) = error else {
+        panic!("MXACCESS_FAILURE reply should route to Error::MxAccess: {error:?}");
    };
    assert_eq!(
        error.reply().protocol_status.as_ref().unwrap().code,
@@ -804,6 +806,179 @@ async fn authenticate_user_keeps_credentials_out_of_surfaced_errors() {
    );
 }

+#[tokio::test]
+async fn authenticate_user_scrubs_exact_caller_credential_echoed_in_diagnostic() {
+    // CLI-40: MXAccess can echo the supplied credential back inside its failure
+    // diagnostic (here in statuses[0].diagnostic_text). The token has no
+    // mxgw_/bearer shape, so the pattern scrub alone cannot catch it — the
+    // exact-secret scrub must replace the caller's password with <redacted>.
+    let credential = "sup3rSecretVerify9f3a2b";
+    let state = Arc::new(FakeState::default());
+    *state.invoke_override.lock().await = Some(InvokeOverride::CannedReply(Box::new(
+        command_reply_fixture("authenticate-user.echoed-credential.reply.json"),
+    )));
+    let endpoint = spawn_fake_gateway(state.clone()).await;
+    let client = GatewayClient::connect(ClientOptions::new(endpoint))
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+    let session = client.session("session-fixture");
+
+    let error = session
+        .authenticate_user(7, "verifier", credential)
+        .await
+        .unwrap_err();
+
+    assert!(
+        matches!(error, Error::MxAccess(_)),
+        "OK protocol + negative hresult must route to Error::MxAccess: {error:?}"
+    );
+    let rendered = error.to_string();
+    assert!(
+        !rendered.contains(credential),
+        "exact caller credential leaked into the surfaced error: {rendered}"
+    );
+    assert!(
+        rendered.contains("<redacted>"),
+        "credential occurrence must be replaced with <redacted>: {rendered}"
+    );
+}
+
+/// Drive `authenticate_user` against a canned reply that echoes the caller's
+/// credential in every string field, then assert the surfaced
+/// [`Error::MxAccess`] leaks it nowhere — neither through the structured reply a
+/// caller can read back (`reply().protocol_status.message`,
+/// `reply().diagnostic_message`, `reply().statuses[i].diagnostic_text`) nor
+/// through `Display`/`Debug`.
+async fn assert_authenticate_user_scrubs_structured_reply(fixture: &str) {
+    let credential = "sup3rSecretVerify9f3a2b";
+    let state = Arc::new(FakeState::default());
+    *state.invoke_override.lock().await = Some(InvokeOverride::CannedReply(Box::new(
+        command_reply_fixture(fixture),
+    )));
+    let endpoint = spawn_fake_gateway(state.clone()).await;
+    let client = GatewayClient::connect(ClientOptions::new(endpoint))
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+    let session = client.session("session-fixture");
+
+    let error = session
+        .authenticate_user(7, "verifier", credential)
+        .await
+        .unwrap_err();
+
+    let Error::MxAccess(mx_access) = &error else {
+        panic!("{fixture}: credential-echoed reply must route to Error::MxAccess, got {error:?}");
+    };
+
+    // The structured reply a caller can read back must be scrubbed too — the raw
+    // MxCommandReply otherwise reintroduces the leak Display/Debug already close.
+    let reply = mx_access.reply();
+    if let Some(status) = reply.protocol_status.as_ref() {
+        assert!(
+            !status.message.contains(credential),
+            "{fixture}: credential leaked via reply().protocol_status.message: {}",
+            status.message
+        );
+    }
+    assert!(
+        !reply.diagnostic_message.contains(credential),
+        "{fixture}: credential leaked via reply().diagnostic_message: {}",
+        reply.diagnostic_message
+    );
+    for (index, status) in reply.statuses.iter().enumerate() {
+        assert!(
+            !status.diagnostic_text.contains(credential),
+            "{fixture}: credential leaked via reply().statuses[{index}].diagnostic_text: {}",
+            status.diagnostic_text
+        );
+    }
+
+    let display = error.to_string();
+    let debug = format!("{error:?}");
+    assert!(
+        !display.contains(credential),
+        "{fixture}: credential leaked into Display: {display}"
+    );
+    assert!(
+        !debug.contains(credential),
+        "{fixture}: credential leaked into Debug: {debug}"
+    );
+    assert!(
+        display.contains("<redacted>"),
+        "{fixture}: Display must mark the redaction: {display}"
+    );
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn authenticate_user_scrubs_credential_from_structured_reply_ok_protocol_variant() {
+    // OK protocol envelope + negative hresult: already Error::MxAccess before
+    // ISSUE 2, but the stored reply's string fields still leaked the credential.
+    assert_authenticate_user_scrubs_structured_reply(
+        "authenticate-user.echoed-credential.reply.json",
+    )
+    .await;
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn authenticate_user_scrubs_credential_from_structured_reply_mxaccess_failure_variant() {
+    // PROTOCOL_STATUS_CODE_MXACCESS_FAILURE: before ISSUE 2 this landed in
+    // Error::Command (unscrubbed, raw Display/Debug) — the red-first case.
+    assert_authenticate_user_scrubs_structured_reply(
+        "authenticate-user.echoed-credential-mxaccess-failure.reply.json",
+    )
+    .await;
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn authenticate_user_maps_missing_payload_reply_to_malformed_reply() {
+    // CLI-41: an OK reply with neither a typed AuthenticateUser payload nor a
+    // return_value is malformed.
+    let state = Arc::new(FakeState::default());
+    *state.invoke_override.lock().await = Some(InvokeOverride::CannedReply(Box::new(
+        command_reply_fixture("authenticate-user.missing-payload.reply.json"),
+    )));
+    let endpoint = spawn_fake_gateway(state.clone()).await;
+    let client = GatewayClient::connect(ClientOptions::new(endpoint))
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+    let session = client.session("session-fixture");
+
+    let error = session
+        .authenticate_user(7, "verifier", "pw")
+        .await
+        .unwrap_err();
+
+    assert!(
+        matches!(error, Error::MalformedReply { .. }),
+        "missing payload + missing return_value must be MalformedReply, got {error:?}"
+    );
+}
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn authenticate_user_falls_back_to_return_value_when_typed_payload_absent() {
+    // CLI-41: an OK reply that carries only a return_value (legacy worker) must
+    // resolve the user id from it, mirroring add_buffered_item's fallback.
+    let state = Arc::new(FakeState::default());
+    *state.invoke_override.lock().await = Some(InvokeOverride::CannedReply(Box::new(
+        command_reply_fixture("authenticate-user.return-value-only.reply.json"),
+    )));
+    let endpoint = spawn_fake_gateway(state.clone()).await;
+    let client = GatewayClient::connect(ClientOptions::new(endpoint))
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+    let session = client.session("session-fixture");
+
+    let user_id = session
+        .authenticate_user(7, "verifier", "pw")
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+
+    assert_eq!(
+        user_id, 7,
+        "user id must resolve from the int32 return_value"
+    );
+}
+
 #[tokio::test]
 async fn stream_alarms_emits_snapshot_then_complete_then_transition_in_order() {
    let state = Arc::new(FakeState::default());
@@ -955,6 +1130,11 @@ enum InvokeOverride {
    /// `AuthenticateUser` rejected by MXAccess) so the client's
    /// `ensure_mxaccess_success` check is exercised on the typed helper path.
    MxAccessFailure,
+    /// Reply with a caller-supplied canned [`MxCommandReply`]. Lets a test
+    /// drive a helper with a shared behavior fixture (e.g. the
+    /// echoed-credential / missing-payload / return-value-only
+    /// authenticate-user replies). Boxed to keep the enum small.
+    CannedReply(Box<MxCommandReply>),
 }

 #[derive(Clone)]
@@ -1057,6 +1237,7 @@ impl MxAccessGateway for FakeGateway {
                    payload: None,
                    ..MxCommandReply::default()
                })),
+                InvokeOverride::CannedReply(reply) => Ok(Response::new(*reply)),
                InvokeOverride::WriteOk => {
                    // Extract and capture the WriteCommand payload so the test
                    // can assert on server_handle, item_handle, user_id, and value.
@@ -1443,15 +1624,48 @@ fn command_reply_fixture(file_name: &str) -> MxCommandReply {
        })
        .collect();

+    // The fixtures that exercise the return_value fallback path carry a typed
+    // `returnValue` (VT_I4). Project it so a canned reply can drive the
+    // helper's payload -> return_value -> MalformedReply precedence.
+    let return_value = fixture.get("returnValue").and_then(|value| {
+        value["int32Value"].as_i64().map(|int32| MxValue {
+            data_type: MxDataType::Integer as i32,
+            variant_type: value["variantType"].as_str().unwrap_or("VT_I4").to_owned(),
+            kind: Some(Kind::Int32Value(int32 as i32)),
+            ..MxValue::default()
+        })
+    });
+
+    // Honor the fixture's real protocol status (code + message) so a canned
+    // reply can drive the MXACCESS_FAILURE routing path, not just an OK
+    // envelope. Falls back to an OK envelope when the fixture omits it.
+    let protocol_status = fixture.get("protocolStatus").map_or_else(
+        || ok_status("command ok"),
+        |status| {
+            let code_name = status["code"].as_str().unwrap_or("PROTOCOL_STATUS_CODE_OK");
+            ProtocolStatus {
+                code: ProtocolStatusCode::from_str_name(code_name)
+                    .unwrap_or_else(|| panic!("unknown protocol status code {code_name}"))
+                    as i32,
+                message: status["message"].as_str().unwrap_or_default().to_owned(),
+            }
+        },
+    );
+
    MxCommandReply {
        session_id: fixture["sessionId"].as_str().unwrap_or_default().to_owned(),
        correlation_id: fixture["correlationId"]
            .as_str()
            .unwrap_or_default()
            .to_owned(),
-        protocol_status: Some(ok_status("command ok")),
+        protocol_status: Some(protocol_status),
        hresult: fixture["hresult"].as_i64().map(|hresult| hresult as i32),
        statuses,
+        diagnostic_message: fixture["diagnosticMessage"]
+            .as_str()
+            .unwrap_or_default()
+            .to_owned(),
+        return_value,
        ..MxCommandReply::default()
    }
 }
@@ -99,9 +99,20 @@ library:
  are skipped. Only successes are cached; failures always reach the inner verifier.
  On a gateway-initiated revoke/rotate/delete the dashboard admin service calls
  `IApiKeyCacheInvalidator.Invalidate(keyId)`, evicting the cached entry
-  immediately. The short TTL is the backstop for out-of-band mutations (a direct DB
-  edit, or a revoke run by the separate `apikey` CLI process, whose in-memory cache
-  is not the running gateway's cache).
+  immediately. `Invalidate` bumps a per-key generation counter **before** it evicts,
+  and `VerifyAsync` snapshots that generation before the inner verify and re-checks
+  it after writing the cache entry (set-then-recheck); a revoke that lands while a
+  verification is still in flight in the inner library therefore discards that
+  verification's repopulation instead of re-caching the just-revoked identity for a
+  full TTL (SEC-34). The short TTL remains the backstop for two bounded-staleness
+  windows it cannot close directly: (1) out-of-band mutations (a direct DB edit, or a
+  revoke run by the separate `apikey` CLI process, whose in-memory cache is not the
+  running gateway's cache); and (2) a key whose `ExpiresUtc` passes while cached keeps
+  authenticating until the entry's TTL elapses — expiry is enforced by the inner
+  library verifier, which a cache hit never reaches, and the verification identity the
+  library returns carries no expiry timestamp, so the cache cannot cap an entry at the
+  key's expiry (capping it needs the donor library to surface expiry on the
+  verification identity). The default 15 s TTL bounds both windows.
 - **`CoalescingMarkApiKeyStore`** wraps the library `IApiKeyStore` and forwards at
  most one `MarkUsed` write per key per
  `MxGateway:Security:ApiKeyLastUsedCoalesceSeconds` (default 60 s), so even under a
@@ -148,10 +159,14 @@ is derived from `Environment.GetFolderPath(SpecialFolder.CommonApplicationData)`
 (`C:\ProgramData\MxGateway\gateway-auth.db` on Windows,
 `/usr/share/MxGateway/gateway-auth.db` or the container equivalent elsewhere) so the
 credential store is never written relative to the launch working directory on a
-non-Windows host. The production hosts pin the explicit Windows path in
-`appsettings.json`. `GatewayOptionsValidator` rejects a non-rooted (relative)
-`SqlitePath` so a bad override fails fast at startup rather than scattering the store
-by launch CWD (SEC-01).
+non-Windows host. `appsettings.json` no longer ships an explicit path (SEC-33): the
+removed Windows literal matched the Windows code default and, being non-rooted on a
+Unix host, would have resolved against the CWD there; deployed hosts override it
+through the NSSM environment (`MxGateway__Authentication__SqlitePath`).
+`GatewayOptionsValidator` rejects a `SqlitePath` that is not rooted **on the host
+running the gateway** (`Path.IsPathRooted`, current OS) — a relative filename or a
+foreign-platform literal fails fast at startup rather than scattering the store by
+launch CWD (SEC-01, SEC-33).

 The library owns the SQLite schema and connection factory. The `api_keys` table
 carries the key id, key prefix, secret-hash blob, display name, serialized scopes,
@@ -70,6 +70,40 @@ The rules those fixtures lock in are:
  negative. Positive COM success codes such as `S_FALSE` pass, matching COM
  semantics.

+### Malformed-Reply And Credential-Redaction Conformance
+
+Three further command reply fixtures pin the id/handle-extraction and
+credential-redaction contracts for the credential-bearing helpers:
+
+| Fixture | Reply | Expected behavior |
+|---|---|---|
+| `authenticate-user.echoed-credential.reply.json` | OK envelope, negative `hresult`, and the caller's credential echoed into `protocolStatus.message`, `statuses[0].diagnosticText`, and `diagnosticMessage` | the surfaced error redacts the exact secret from **both** the rendered message and the structured reply accessors (never leaks the verbatim value) |
+| `authenticate-user.echoed-credential-mxaccess-failure.reply.json` | the same echo, but coded `PROTOCOL_STATUS_CODE_MXACCESS_FAILURE` | identical redaction; confirms every client routes the MXAccess-failure protocol code to its MXAccess error type and scrubs it |
+| `authenticate-user.missing-payload.reply.json` | OK envelope, no `AuthenticateUser` payload, no `return_value` | a typed malformed-reply error, never a proto3 default `0` and never an NRE |
+| `authenticate-user.return-value-only.reply.json` | OK envelope, `return_value.int32_value = 7`, no typed payload | the id resolves to `7` via the legacy `return_value` compatibility path |
+
+The rules those fixtures lock in are:
+
+- **Malformed-reply extraction (CLI-41).** Every helper that extracts a scalar
+  id/handle (`AuthenticateUser`, `ArchestrAUserToId`, `AddBufferedItem`, and the
+  handle extractors) prefers the typed payload; when it is absent it falls back
+  to `return_value` **only** when `return_value` is present with the expected
+  int32 variant; when neither is present it raises a typed malformed-reply error.
+  It never surfaces a proto3 default `0` and never throws a null-reference.
+- **Credential redaction (CLI-40).** The credential-bearing helpers
+  (`AuthenticateUser`, `WriteSecured`/`WriteSecured2`) scrub the exact secret
+  values they were called with from any surfaced error — both the rendered
+  message text **and** the structured reply the error still exposes (a
+  server-echoed credential lives in `protocolStatus.message` and
+  `statuses[].diagnosticText`, which the error's raw-reply accessor would
+  otherwise re-expose to a logger dumping structured fields). The redacted error
+  therefore carries a scrubbed clone of the reply. This is defense-in-depth on
+  top of the by-construction guarantee that exceptions carry reply-derived text,
+  not the request. The marker is `<redacted>` in the Go, Rust, and Java clients
+  and `[redacted]` in the Python client and the .NET CLI; each suite asserts that
+  neither the surfaced message nor the exposed reply still contains the
+  credential, and that the message contains the client's marker.
+
 ## Event Streams

 Event stream fixtures live in
@@ -100,6 +134,12 @@ behavior. A language helper may expose native booleans, integers, strings,
 arrays, and timestamps, but it must keep `rawDiagnostic`, raw data type fields,
 and raw byte payloads accessible when conversion is incomplete.

+Each status case also carries an independent `wantSuccess` boolean alongside its
+`status` object. The success/failure conformance tests assert the helper's
+verdict against this fixture-declared expectation rather than recomputing it from
+`category` (the same formula under test), so a regression in the verdict rule
+cannot hide behind a self-consistent computation.
+
 ## Auth, Timeout, And Cancel Behavior

 Authentication fixtures live in `clients/proto/fixtures/behavior/auth/`. They
@@ -126,11 +126,28 @@ rules across all five clients (see
 failing before a prior `AuthenticateUser` + `AdviseSupervisory` surfaces the
 native failure unchanged — the helper does not pre-validate or reorder it.

+**Malformed-reply extraction:** the id/handle-returning helpers
+(`AuthenticateUser`, `ArchestrAUserToId`, `AddBufferedItem`, and the handle
+extractors) follow one contract across all five clients — prefer the typed
+payload; fall back to `return_value` only when it is present with the expected
+int32 variant; when neither is present, raise a typed malformed-reply error.
+They never surface a proto3 default `0` and never throw a null-reference (CLI-41).
+
 **Credential handling:** `AuthenticateUser` credentials and `WriteSecured`
 secured payloads route through each client's secret-redaction seam so they never
 reach logs, exception text, or `ToString`/`Debug`/`Display` — the value is carried
-only on the wire. Each client's test suite asserts a distinctive credential is
-absent from any surfaced error.
+only on the wire. In addition to that by-construction guarantee (exceptions carry
+reply-derived text, not the request), every client scrubs the **exact** secret
+values it was called with from any surfaced error as defense-in-depth, so a
+gateway or MXAccess diagnostic that echoes a credential back cannot leak it
+(CLI-40). The scrub covers **both** the rendered message and the structured reply
+the error still exposes (`protocolStatus.message`, `statuses[].diagnosticText`,
+`diagnosticMessage`): the redacted error carries a scrubbed clone of the reply so
+a logger dumping the exception's structured fields cannot reintroduce the leak.
+This holds regardless of whether the reply is coded `OK` (with a failing HRESULT)
+or `MXACCESS_FAILURE` — every client routes both to its MXAccess error type. Each
+client's test suite asserts the distinctive credential is absent from both the
+surfaced message and the exposed reply, and that the redaction marker is present.

 Shipped in all five clients (.NET / Go / Rust / Python / Java).

@@ -32,6 +32,73 @@ $env:MXGATEWAY_TEST_ITEM = 'TestObject.TestInt'
 Use plaintext only for a local gateway. Use TLS when the gateway crosses a
 machine boundary or uses a production certificate.

+## Versioning
+
+Every client's version lives in its own manifest: `clients/rust/Cargo.toml`
+(`[package]` and `[workspace.package]`, both must match — `crates/mxgw-cli`
+inherits via `version.workspace = true`), `clients/python/pyproject.toml`
+(`[project].version`) and `clients/python/src/zb_mom_ww_mxgateway/version.py`
+(`__version__`, must match `pyproject.toml`), `clients/go/mxgateway/version.go`
+(`ClientVersion`), `clients/dotnet/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Client/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Client.csproj`
+(`<Version>`), and `clients/java/build.gradle` (`subprojects { version = ... }`,
+mirrored by the hand-maintained `MxGatewayClientVersion.CLIENT_VERSION`
+constant — the two have drifted before and there is no build-time link
+between them, so bump both together).
+
+`src/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Contracts/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Contracts.csproj`
+(`<Version>`) is a fifth, easy-to-miss manifest: it is not itself a
+language client, but `Invoke-PackDotnet` in `scripts/pack-clients.ps1`
+packs and publishes it in lockstep with the .NET Client (both
+`ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.*` nupkgs go through the same `-Publish` loop), and
+Contracts and the .NET Client have always released at the same version.
+Bump Contracts' `<Version>` alongside the .NET Client's — leaving it behind
+means the next `-Publish` packs a stale Contracts version, the collision
+guard below correctly refuses to re-publish it, and the loop aborts
+mid-way with the Client possibly already pushed (nupkgs are enumerated
+alphabetically, and `Client` sorts before `Contracts`). This is distinct
+from `src/Directory.Build.props`'s repo-wide `<Version>` default, which
+stamps the Server/Worker/test assemblies and is not part of the published
+client package set — see the comment there.
+
+**Bump the version before every publish, never after.** A Gitea package feed
+rejects re-uploading an existing name+version, and `scripts/pack-clients.ps1`
+enforces this before it ever attempts a push: each per-language `-Publish`
+step queries the Gitea package API
+(`GET /api/v1/packages/dohertj2/{type}/{name}/{version}`) for the version
+about to be published and aborts with a clear error if it already exists —
+the script never force-overwrites a published artifact. `scripts/tag-go-module.ps1`
+carries the equivalent guard for the Go module: it refuses to create a
+`clients/go/vX.Y.Z` tag unless `clients/go/mxgateway/version.go`'s
+`ClientVersion` already equals `X.Y.Z` (CLI-21/CLI-39), so a forgotten
+version bump fails the tag instead of shipping a mismatched module.
+
+As of 2026-08-07 (CLI-39) all five clients — plus `ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Contracts`,
+which releases in lockstep with the .NET Client — moved to **0.2.0**,
+converging on one number after four of the five had drifted onto the
+*already-published* 0.1.2/0.1.1 while their public APIs kept changing
+underneath it (see `archreview/2026-07-12/remediation/50-clients.md` CLI-39).
+A code-review follow-up on the same branch caught that the initial CLI-39
+pass bumped the .NET Client but left `Contracts.csproj` at 0.1.2 — since
+both publish through the same `Invoke-PackDotnet` `-Publish` loop, that
+would have made the very next `.NET` publish abort on the new collision
+guard partway through (Client already pushed, Contracts refused as a
+re-publish of the already-published 0.1.2). Fixed in the same branch.
+Verified against the live Gitea package API at that time: `nuget` had
+`ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Client` and `.Contracts` published through 0.1.2; `pypi` (`zb-mom-ww-mxaccess-gateway-client`)
+and `cargo` (`zb-mom-ww-mxgateway-client`) had only reached 0.1.1 despite their
+source pinning 0.1.2; **`maven`
+(`com.zb.mom.ww.mxgateway:zb-mom-ww-mxgateway-client`) had already published
+0.2.0 on 2026-06-26** — before the CLI-37/38/40/41 conformance fixes changed
+the client's observable behavior (`category`-based status validation,
+`hresult < 0`, exact-secret redaction, typed malformed-reply errors). Reusing
+0.2.0 for the conformant Java build would have labeled two different APIs
+with the same coordinate, so **Java is the one exception: it shipped as
+0.2.1**, not 0.2.0. Operators publishing a future release must re-check the
+target version against the live registry before assuming any of these
+numbers are still unclaimed — the guards above do this automatically at
+publish time, but a version bump in the source is still a manual step per
+client.
+
 ## .NET

 The .NET client uses .NET 10 and references
@@ -117,6 +184,22 @@ The Rust workspace builds the `mxgateway-client` library crate and the `mxgw`
 CLI crate. `build.rs` generates `tonic` and `prost` modules into Cargo build
 output on each build that needs updated protobuf output.

+`build.rs` resolves its `.proto` inputs repo-path-first, then vendored: it
+prefers the canonical protos under `src/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Contracts/Protos`
+so an in-repo edit is live immediately, and falls back to the copies vendored
+into `clients/rust/protos/` only when the canonical directory is absent — the
+case for a published crate unpacked outside this repo. The vendored copies
+are declared in `Cargo.toml`'s `include` list, so `cargo package`/`cargo
+publish` ship them inside the `.crate`, making the crate buildable standalone
+with no access to the rest of the mxaccessgw repo. Any Contracts proto change
+must refresh `clients/rust/protos/` in the same commit; `scripts/check-codegen.ps1`
+Check 3 byte-compares the vendored copies against the canonical protos and
+fails on drift. Because the vendored protos make a standalone build possible,
+`cargo package`/`cargo publish` run **with** verification (no `--no-verify`) —
+a `cargo package` that cannot build from the vendored tree alone would mean
+the vendored copies are stale, and verification is what catches that before
+publish.
+
 Regenerate and compile Rust bindings:

 ```powershell
@@ -74,10 +74,12 @@ protoc-version encoding drift and does not false-fail across protoc releases
 (it warns, rather than fails, when protoc is off the pin).

 The gateway test project carries an independent, protoc-free freshness guard:
-`ClientProtoInputTests.Descriptor_ContainsEveryContractMessageAndField` reflects
-over the in-process contract descriptors and fails if any contract message or
-field is missing from the committed protoset. This is the primary CI gate for
-descriptor staleness; a red test means "regenerate and commit the protoset."
+`ClientProtoInputTests.Descriptor_ContainsEveryContractSymbol` reflects over the
+in-process contract descriptors — `mxaccess_gateway.proto`, `mxaccess_worker.proto`,
+and `galaxy_repository.proto` — and fails if any contract message, field, enum,
+enum value, service, or method is missing from the committed protoset. This is
+the primary CI gate for descriptor staleness; a red test means "regenerate and
+commit the protoset."

 ### Pinned generator versions

@@ -88,15 +90,23 @@ scripts assert the pin and resolve tools from `PATH`:
 | Generator | Pinned version | Guard |
 |-----------|----------------|-------|
 | protoc (descriptor set) | 34.1 | version assertion in `scripts/publish-client-proto-inputs.ps1` |
-| `Grpc.Tools` (C# `Generated/`) | 2.80.0 (contracts csproj) | `scripts/check-codegen.ps1` git-diff of `Generated/` |
-| `grpcio-tools` (Python) | 1.80.0 (protobuf runtime 6.31.1) | version assertion in `clients/python/generate-proto.ps1` |
-| protobuf / grpc-java (Java) | `protobufVersion` / `grpcVersion` in `clients/java/build.gradle` | `checkGeneratedClean` gradle task |
+| `Grpc.Tools` (C# `Generated/`) | 2.80.0 (contracts csproj) | `scripts/check-codegen.ps1` git-diff of `Generated/` (Check 2) |
+| `protoc-gen-go` (Go) | v1.36.11 | version assertion in `clients/go/generate-proto.ps1`; `check-codegen.ps1` Check 4 |
+| `protoc-gen-go-grpc` (Go) | 1.6.2 | version assertion in `clients/go/generate-proto.ps1`; `check-codegen.ps1` Check 4 |
+| `grpcio-tools` (Python) | 1.80.0 (protobuf runtime 6.31.1) | version assertion in `clients/python/generate-proto.ps1`; `check-codegen.ps1` Check 4 |
+| protobuf / grpc-java (Java) | `protobufVersion` / `grpcVersion` in `clients/java/build.gradle` | CI `git diff --exit-code` over `clients/java/src/main/generated` after `gradle test` (the `checkGeneratedClean` gradle task is the equivalent local check) |

 A newer `grpcio-tools` stamps a `GRPC_GENERATED_VERSION` above the pinned grpcio
-runtime and breaks Python `pytest`; the Java protobuf plugin rewrites
-`MxaccessGateway.java` with spurious protobuf-runtime-version churn on every build
-(revert that one file when no `.proto` changed — see
-[Gateway Testing](./GatewayTesting.md) "Continuous Integration").
+runtime and breaks Python `pytest`, so the Python and Go scripts assert their
+generator pins before regenerating. Under the pinned grpc/protobuf toolchain the
+Java protobuf plugin regenerates byte-identical output (modulo real `.proto`
+changes), so CI enforces Java freshness with a direct `git diff --exit-code -- clients/java/src/main/generated`
+step after `gradle test` (which transitively regenerates via `generateProto`); the
+`checkGeneratedClean` gradle task is the equivalent check for local/manual use. The
+old unconditional churn-revert CI step (which masked message-level drift in the
+single-file Java aggregates) was deleted (IPC-24). Go and Python committed
+bindings are guarded by `check-codegen.ps1` **Check 4**, which regenerates both
+and fails on any diff.

 ## Output Directories

@@ -114,7 +114,11 @@ dotnet build src/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Contracts/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Contracts.csp
 `scripts/check-codegen.ps1` enforces this in CI (it force-regenerates and fails on any
 `git diff` against the committed `Generated/`) — that regeneration diff in the `portable`
 job is the primary guard. The SSH-driven `windows-x86` job's net48 worker build is the
-secondary guard (a stale `Generated/` also breaks the x86 build with `CS0246`).
+secondary guard (a stale `Generated/` also breaks the x86 build with `CS0246`). The same
+script runs four checks in total: the committed client descriptor set (Check 1), the C#
+`Generated/` (Check 2), the Rust vendored protos (Check 3), and the Go/Python client bindings
+(Check 4) each regenerate and fail on any diff. See
+[Client Proto Generation](./ClientProtoGeneration.md) for the pinned generator versions.

 Client generation inputs are published through
 `clients/proto/proto-inputs.json` and the descriptor set under
@@ -152,10 +156,11 @@ pwsh -File scripts/publish-client-proto-inputs.ps1

 Freshness is guarded two ways so a skipped regeneration cannot ship silently:

- `ClientProtoInputTests.Descriptor_ContainsEveryContractMessageAndField` (gateway test project)
-  reflects over the in-process contract descriptors and fails if any message or field is missing
-  from the committed protoset. It is semantic (symbol presence), needs no protoc, and runs in the
-  Linux CI. A red test means "regenerate and commit the protoset."
+- `ClientProtoInputTests.Descriptor_ContainsEveryContractSymbol` (gateway test project)
+  reflects over the in-process contract descriptors — including `galaxy_repository.proto` — and
+  fails if any message, field, enum, enum value, service, or method is missing from the committed
+  protoset. It is semantic (symbol presence), needs no protoc, and runs in the Linux CI. A red
+  test means "regenerate and commit the protoset."
 - `pwsh -File scripts/publish-client-proto-inputs.ps1 -Check` rebuilds the descriptor and compares
  it to the committed one. The comparison normalizes both sides through the same protoc with
  `source_code_info` stripped, so it does not false-fail across protoc releases.
@@ -163,8 +163,13 @@ working across that gap, the cache persists its dataset to disk:

 - After every successful **heavy** refresh (a deploy change), the raw
  hierarchy and attribute rowsets are written to
-  `MxGateway:Galaxy:SnapshotCachePath`
-  (default `C:\ProgramData\MxGateway\galaxy-snapshot.json`). The write is
+  `MxGateway:Galaxy:SnapshotCachePath`. `appsettings.json` no longer ships an
+  explicit value (SEC-33): the gateway supplies a `CommonApplicationData`-derived
+  default when the bound value is blank — `C:\ProgramData\MxGateway\galaxy-snapshot.json`
+  on Windows, `/usr/share/MxGateway/galaxy-snapshot.json` (or the container
+  equivalent) elsewhere — and `GalaxyRepositoryOptionsValidator` rejects a
+  non-rooted or invalid path at startup when persistence is on, so the snapshot
+  can never land relative to the launch working directory. The write is
  atomic — a temp file plus rename — so a crash mid-write cannot corrupt the
  snapshot. Cheap no-change ticks write nothing; the file is already current.
 - On the **first** refresh after startup, before any SQL runs, the cache
@@ -404,7 +409,7 @@ Bound to `MxGateway:Galaxy` via `GalaxyRepositoryOptions`.
 | `MxGateway:Galaxy:ConnectionString` | `Server=localhost;Database=ZB;Integrated Security=True;TrustServerCertificate=True;Encrypt=False;` | SQL Server connection string for the Galaxy Repository. Integrated Security against `localhost` is the dev default; production deployments should override this through the standard double-underscore environment variable form, e.g. `MxGateway__Galaxy__ConnectionString`. |
 | `MxGateway:Galaxy:CommandTimeoutSeconds` | `60` | Per-command SQL timeout. Applies to all three RPCs. |
 | `MxGateway:Galaxy:PersistSnapshot` | `true` | Persists each successful browse dataset to disk and reloads it at startup. See [On-disk snapshot](#on-disk-snapshot). |
-| `MxGateway:Galaxy:SnapshotCachePath` | `C:\ProgramData\MxGateway\galaxy-snapshot.json` | File path for the persisted browse snapshot. Ignored when `PersistSnapshot` is `false`. |
+| `MxGateway:Galaxy:SnapshotCachePath` | derived from `CommonApplicationData` (`C:\ProgramData\MxGateway\galaxy-snapshot.json` on Windows, `/usr/share/MxGateway/galaxy-snapshot.json` or the container equivalent elsewhere) | File path for the persisted browse snapshot. Ignored when `PersistSnapshot` is `false`. `appsettings.json` no longer ships an explicit value (SEC-33): the gateway seeds the `CommonApplicationData`-derived default when the bound value is blank, and `GalaxyRepositoryOptionsValidator` enforces — when `PersistSnapshot` is `true` — that the path is non-blank, valid, and **rooted on the host running the gateway** (`Path.IsPathRooted`, current OS). A bare filename or a foreign-platform literal fails startup. |

 The connection string is not treated as a secret in dev (`Integrated
 Security`), but production deployments that use SQL authentication should set
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ paths, timeouts, queue sizes, enum values, or protocol values are invalid.
  "MxGateway": {
    "Authentication": {
      "Mode": "ApiKey",
-      "SqlitePath": "C:\\ProgramData\\MxGateway\\gateway-auth.db",
      "PepperSecretName": "MxGateway:ApiKeyPepper",
      "RunMigrationsOnStartup": true
    },
@@ -71,8 +70,7 @@ paths, timeouts, queue sizes, enum values, or protocol values are invalid.
      "ConnectionString": "Server=localhost;Database=ZB;Integrated Security=True;TrustServerCertificate=True;Encrypt=False;",
      "CommandTimeoutSeconds": 60,
      "DashboardRefreshIntervalSeconds": 30,
-      "PersistSnapshot": true,
-      "SnapshotCachePath": "C:\\ProgramData\\MxGateway\\galaxy-snapshot.json"
+      "PersistSnapshot": true
    },
    "Alarms": {
      "Enabled": false,
@@ -93,15 +91,17 @@ Environment variables use the normal .NET double-underscore form. For example,
 | Option | Default | Description |
 |--------|---------|-------------|
 | `MxGateway:Authentication:Mode` | `ApiKey` | Selects public gRPC authentication. Supported values are `ApiKey` and `Disabled`. `Disabled` bypasses API-key verification and is for local development only. |
-| `MxGateway:Authentication:SqlitePath` | derived from `CommonApplicationData` (`C:\ProgramData\MxGateway\gateway-auth.db` on Windows, `/usr/share/MxGateway/gateway-auth.db` or the container equivalent elsewhere) | SQLite database path for API-key records and audit rows when API-key authentication is enabled. The code default is built from `Environment.GetFolderPath(SpecialFolder.CommonApplicationData)` so the credential store never lands in the launch working directory on a non-Windows host; the production hosts pin the explicit Windows path in `appsettings.json`, which overrides the code default. |
+| `MxGateway:Authentication:SqlitePath` | derived from `CommonApplicationData` (`C:\ProgramData\MxGateway\gateway-auth.db` on Windows, `/usr/share/MxGateway/gateway-auth.db` or the container equivalent elsewhere) | SQLite database path for API-key records and audit rows when API-key authentication is enabled. The code default is built from `Environment.GetFolderPath(SpecialFolder.CommonApplicationData)` so the credential store never lands in the launch working directory on a non-Windows host. `appsettings.json` no longer ships an explicit value (SEC-33): the removed Windows literal was byte-identical to the Windows code default, and a Windows-absolute literal is **not** rooted on a Unix host, so it would have resolved against the CWD there. Deployed hosts still override the path through the NSSM environment (`MxGateway__Authentication__SqlitePath`). |
 | `MxGateway:Authentication:PepperSecretName` | `MxGateway:ApiKeyPepper` | Configuration key used to read the HMAC pepper for API-key secret hashing. The dashboard effective configuration redacts this value. |
 | `MxGateway:Authentication:RunMigrationsOnStartup` | `true` | Runs SQLite auth schema migrations at gateway startup when API-key authentication is enabled. |

 When `Mode` is `ApiKey`, `SqlitePath` and `PepperSecretName` must be present.
-`SqlitePath` must be a valid filesystem path and must be **rooted** (absolute):
-the validator rejects a non-rooted path so a relative override cannot silently
-resolve against the working directory and scatter the credential store by launch
-CWD (SEC-01).
+`SqlitePath` must be a valid filesystem path and must be **rooted** (absolute)
+**on the host running the gateway**: the validator uses `Path.IsPathRooted`
+(current OS), so a bare filename — or a foreign-platform literal such as a
+Windows `C:\...` path on a Unix host — fails fast at startup instead of silently
+resolving against the working directory and scattering the credential store by
+launch CWD (SEC-01, SEC-33).

 ## Worker Options

@@ -149,13 +149,15 @@ All numeric session options must be greater than zero.

 | Option | Default | Description |
 |--------|---------|-------------|
-| `MxGateway:Events:QueueCapacity` | `10000` | Capacity for bounded per-session event queues used by the gateway worker event channel and the public gRPC event stream queue. Gateway-side buffering per session is at most `3 ×` this value: the bounded worker event channel plus the read loop's staging channel, which is bounded at `2 ×` it. Overflow of either bound faults the session with `ProtocolViolation` and kills its worker. |
+| `MxGateway:Events:QueueCapacity` | `10000` | Capacity for bounded per-session event queues used by the gateway worker event channel and the public gRPC event stream queue. Gateway-side buffering per session is at most `3 ×` this value: the bounded worker event channel plus the read loop's staging channel, which is bounded at `2 ×` it. Overflow of either bound faults the session with `ProtocolViolation` and kills its worker. Must be between `1` and `int.MaxValue / 2` so the derived `2 ×` staging bound cannot overflow when a worker client is created. |
 | `MxGateway:Events:BackpressurePolicy` | `FailFast` | Per-subscriber event backpressure behavior when a subscriber's bounded event channel overflows. Overflow is isolated to the offending subscriber: it is always disconnected with an `EventQueueOverflow` fault while the session pump and other subscribers keep running. `FailFast` additionally faults the whole session only in the legacy single-subscriber case (the current default mode); with multiple subscribers it degrades to a per-subscriber disconnect so one slow consumer never faults a shared session. `DisconnectSubscriber` disconnects only the slow subscriber in all cases. |
 | `MxGateway:Events:ReplayBufferCapacity` | `1024` | Maximum number of events retained per session in the replay ring buffer, used to re-deliver events a returning subscriber missed (reconnect/reattach). The oldest retained event is evicted once this count is exceeded. `0` disables replay retention. |
 | `MxGateway:Events:ReplayRetentionSeconds` | `300` | Maximum age, in seconds, of an event retained in the replay ring buffer. Entries older than this are evicted regardless of capacity. `0` disables age-based eviction. |
 | `MxGateway:Events:MaxSparseArrayLength` | `1000000` | Maximum `total_length` a sparse-array write (`MxSparseArray`) may declare. A write above this cap is rejected with `InvalidArgument` before the full array is materialized, guarding against a single write forcing a multi-GB allocation. Must be between `1` and `Array.MaxLength`. |

-`QueueCapacity` must be greater than zero; it bounds each per-subscriber event
+`QueueCapacity` must be greater than zero and no greater than `int.MaxValue / 2`
+(the validator rejects a larger value so the derived `2 ×` staging bound cannot
+throw `OverflowException` at session creation); it bounds each per-subscriber event
 channel fed by the session's single event pump, and — at `2 ×` — the worker
 read loop's event staging channel, so a consumer that drains slower than its
 worker produces faults the session at a fixed ceiling instead of growing gateway
@@ -184,7 +186,7 @@ events (a "gap") and must re-snapshot; whatever is still retained is replayed.
 | `MxGateway:Dashboard:SnapshotIntervalMilliseconds` | `1000` | Dashboard snapshot refresh interval used by the snapshot SignalR hub and the pages that subscribe to it. |
 | `MxGateway:Dashboard:RecentFaultLimit` | `100` | Maximum number of fault summaries projected into each dashboard snapshot. |
 | `MxGateway:Dashboard:RecentSessionLimit` | `200` | Maximum number of session summaries projected into each dashboard snapshot. |
-| `MxGateway:Dashboard:ShowTagValues` | `false` | Reserved display control for tag values. The dashboard does not show full tag values by default. |
+| `MxGateway:Dashboard:ShowTagValues` | `false` | Controls whether tag values reach the dashboard's SignalR events hub mirror. `false` (default): `DashboardEventBroadcaster` blanks tag values from a deep-cloned copy of each `MxEvent` before it reaches any hub subscriber — event metadata (tag reference, quality, status, timestamps) still renders; see `docs/GatewayDashboardDesign.md`'s `EventsHub` row for the mechanism. Security-relevant because the per-session hub ACL that would scope a Viewer to specific sessions does not exist yet: with no per-session scoping, this redaction is currently the only thing standing between a low-trust Viewer and other sessions' tag values, so setting this `true` exposes every session's tag values to every authenticated dashboard viewer. The flag gates only the SignalR hub mirror — it does **not** cover the `/browse` live-value display, which remains a separate, still-open residual. |
 | `MxGateway:Dashboard:GroupToRole` | _(empty)_ | LDAP group → dashboard role mapping. Keys are LDAP group names (short CN or full DN — leading-RDN match). Values must be `Admin` (read/write, API-key CRUD) or `Viewer` (read-only). A user whose LDAP groups don't intersect this map cannot sign in; with no mapping at all, only the loopback bypass admits anyone. |
 | `MxGateway:Dashboard:DisableLogin` | `false` | Dev/test only. When `true`, replaces the cookie authentication handler with `DashboardAutoLoginAuthenticationHandler`, which auto-authenticates every dashboard request — including requests from remote browsers, not just loopback — as `AutoLoginUser` holding both `Administrator` and `Viewer` roles. No login form, LDAP bind, or cookie is involved. A loud one-time startup warning is logged. Differs from `AllowAnonymousLocalhost`: `DisableLogin` mints a real authenticated principal (so role-gated write affordances appear), whereas `AllowAnonymousLocalhost` satisfies the authorization requirement on loopback only without minting a principal (write affordances stay hidden). Never enable in production. **Production hard-stop (SEC-04):** when the host runs in the `Production` environment and `DisableLogin` is `true`, startup validation fails and the process aborts — the flag is only accepted outside Production, where the one-time startup warning still fires. |
 | `MxGateway:Dashboard:AutoLoginUser` | `(null)` | Username stamped on the synthetic principal when `DisableLogin` is `true`. Default `(null)` — a null or blank value falls back to `multi-role`. Has no effect when `DisableLogin` is `false`. |
@@ -247,7 +249,7 @@ dev/test GLAuth posture (`glauth.md`), not a production posture.
 | `MxGateway:Ldap:AllowInsecure` | `true` | Permits a plaintext bind. Must be `true` when `Transport` is `None`; set `false` (with `Ldaps`/`StartTls`) in production. |
 | `MxGateway:Ldap:SearchBase` | `dc=zb,dc=local` | Search base DN. |
 | `MxGateway:Ldap:ServiceAccountDn` | `cn=serviceaccount,dc=zb,dc=local` | Bind DN for the search account. |
-| `MxGateway:Ldap:ServiceAccountPassword` | `${secret:ldap/mxgateway/bind}` | Search-account password. **No longer a committed plaintext value:** `appsettings.json` ships the reference `${secret:ldap/mxgateway/bind}`, which the pre-host `${secret:}` expander resolves at startup from the encrypted secrets store (the code-side design default is now blank, so a missing/unresolved value fails closed rather than falling back to a leaked credential). Seed the value once with `secret set ldap/mxgateway/bind <value>` (the store's master key must be present via `ZB_SECRETS_MASTER_KEY`); startup aborts with `SecretNotFoundException` if the secret is absent. An operator may instead override it directly with the env var `MxGateway__Ldap__ServiceAccountPassword` (double-underscore form) — a plain literal there is used as-is and the secret lookup is skipped. |
+| `MxGateway:Ldap:ServiceAccountPassword` | `${secret:ldap/mxgateway/bind}` | Search-account password. **Never a committed plaintext value (SEC-36):** the shared GLAuth bind credential is supplied out-of-band through one of three channels, all binding to this key. **(1) Encrypted secrets store (shipped default):** `appsettings.json` ships the reference `${secret:ldap/mxgateway/bind}`, which the pre-host `${secret:}` expander resolves at startup from the encrypted secrets store (the code-side design default is blank, so a missing/unresolved value fails closed rather than falling back to a leaked credential). Seed it once with `secret set ldap/mxgateway/bind <value>` (the store's master key must be present via `ZB_SECRETS_MASTER_KEY`); startup aborts with `SecretNotFoundException` if the secret is absent. **(2) Deployed hosts — env var:** override directly with `MxGateway__Ldap__ServiceAccountPassword` (double-underscore form) in the NSSM service environment — a plain literal there is used as-is and the store lookup is skipped. **(3) Dev boxes — user-secrets:** `dotnet user-secrets set "MxGateway:Ldap:ServiceAccountPassword" <value>` (the server carries `<UserSecretsId>mxaccessgw-server</UserSecretsId>`; user-secrets load automatically in the Development environment and live under the user profile, outside the tree). The value comes from the GLAuth source of truth `scadaproj/infra/glauth/`, never from a repo file. **Rotation:** because the credential was historically committed, rotating it in `scadaproj/infra/glauth/` (and redeploying the shared GLAuth on `10.100.0.35`) is required — see `docs/runbooks/SEC-36-ldap-credential-rotation.md` for the cutover order. A blank/unresolved value fails startup validation with a message naming the two supported channels. |
 | `MxGateway:Ldap:UserNameAttribute` | `cn` | LDAP attribute holding the login user name. |
 | `MxGateway:Ldap:DisplayNameAttribute` | `cn` | LDAP attribute holding the display name. |
 | `MxGateway:Ldap:GroupAttribute` | `memberOf` | LDAP attribute enumerating group membership (mapped to dashboard roles via `MxGateway:Dashboard:GroupToRole`). |
@@ -257,6 +259,20 @@ When LDAP is enabled, `Server`, `SearchBase`, `ServiceAccountDn`,
 must be in range. See `glauth.md` for the shared dev instance and the
 dev→production hardening posture.

+### Production hard-stops key on the exact environment name (SEC-35)
+
+Both production hard-stops above — `Dashboard:DisableLogin` and the plaintext
+`Ldap:Transport=None` guard — fire only when `IHostEnvironment.IsProduction()` is
+true, i.e. `ASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT` is unset (it defaults to `Production`, which
+covers the NSSM-deployed hosts) or is set to the exact string `Production`. This
+is ASP.NET Core's environment-name convention. A host launched under any other
+name — `Staging`, `Prod`, or a custom label — keeps the permissive dev posture
+and these guards do **not** fire, by design (inverting to "anything but
+Development is production-like" would refuse to boot a legitimate permissive
+staging rig, e.g. one pointed at the plaintext shared GLAuth). A production-like
+deployment must therefore run with the literal `Production` environment name for
+the hard-stops to apply.
+
 ## Secrets Master Key

 `${secret:...}` tokens in configuration — currently just
@@ -377,7 +393,7 @@ model requires otherwise.
 | `MxGateway:Galaxy:CommandTimeoutSeconds` | `60` | Per-command SQL timeout for all Galaxy browse RPCs. |
 | `MxGateway:Galaxy:DashboardRefreshIntervalSeconds` | `30` | Interval between background refreshes of the dashboard Galaxy summary cache. SQL is hit at most once per interval regardless of dashboard render rate. |
 | `MxGateway:Galaxy:PersistSnapshot` | `true` | Persists the latest successful Galaxy browse dataset to disk. When `true`, the cache reloads that snapshot at startup so clients can still browse last-known data while the Galaxy database is unreachable. The restored data is served with `Stale` status until a live query confirms it. |
-| `MxGateway:Galaxy:SnapshotCachePath` | `C:\ProgramData\MxGateway\galaxy-snapshot.json` | File path for the persisted Galaxy browse snapshot. Ignored when `PersistSnapshot` is `false`. The snapshot is written atomically (temp file plus rename). Set an **absolute** path — this option is bound by the shared `ZB.MOM.WW.GalaxyRepository` package (not by `GatewayOptions`), so the gateway validator does not enforce rooting on it; a relative value would resolve against the launch working directory (SEC-01). |
+| `MxGateway:Galaxy:SnapshotCachePath` | derived from `CommonApplicationData` (`C:\ProgramData\MxGateway\galaxy-snapshot.json` on Windows, `/usr/share/MxGateway/galaxy-snapshot.json` or the container equivalent elsewhere) | File path for the persisted Galaxy browse snapshot. Ignored when `PersistSnapshot` is `false`. The snapshot is written atomically (temp file plus rename). `appsettings.json` no longer ships an explicit value (SEC-33): the option is bound by the shared `ZB.MOM.WW.GalaxyRepository` package, so the gateway supplies the `CommonApplicationData`-derived default when the bound value is blank and registers `GalaxyRepositoryOptionsValidator` to enforce that — when `PersistSnapshot` is `true` — the path is non-blank, valid, and **rooted on the host running the gateway** (`Path.IsPathRooted`, current OS). A bare filename or a foreign-platform literal fails startup instead of resolving against the launch working directory (SEC-01, SEC-33). |

 See [Galaxy Repository Browse](./GalaxyRepository.md) for the RPC surface and
 behavior.
@@ -241,14 +241,15 @@ an unreachable LDAP server is absorbed into a failed result rather than throwing
 pre-host secrets expander, which this suite's bare `ConfigurationBuilder`
 does not run). Before running the live LDAP suite, set
 `MxGateway__Ldap__ServiceAccountPassword` to the real GLAuth service-account
-password (dev value `serviceaccount123` for the shared GLAuth) so the suite
-binds with the real password instead of the literal token.
+password so the suite binds with the real password instead of the literal
+token. Obtain the current value from the GLAuth source of truth
+`scadaproj/infra/glauth/` (per `glauth.md`); it is not committed here.

 Run the LDAP live tests explicitly:

 ```bash
 $env:MXGATEWAY_RUN_LIVE_LDAP_TESTS = "1"
-$env:MxGateway__Ldap__ServiceAccountPassword = "serviceaccount123"
+$env:MxGateway__Ldap__ServiceAccountPassword = "<service-account-password>"
 dotnet test src/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.IntegrationTests/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.IntegrationTests.csproj --filter FullyQualifiedName~DashboardLdapLiveTests
 ```

@@ -428,10 +429,13 @@ runtime because the x86 Worker cannot build on Linux:
  gateway fake-worker tests, and builds/tests the clients that run on Linux: .NET client
  build, Go (`gofmt` + `go build` + `go test`), Rust (`cargo fmt --check` + `cargo test`
  + `cargo clippy -D warnings`), and Python (`pytest`).
- **`java`** (Linux, JDK 17) — `gradle test`. The protobuf gradle plugin rewrites
-  `MxaccessGateway.java` with spurious protobuf-runtime-version churn on every build, so
-  when no `.proto` changed the job reverts that one file (`git checkout`) before asserting
-  the generated tree is clean. The dev Mac has no JRE, so Java verification is CI-only.
+- **`java`** (Linux, JDK 17) — `gradle test`, then `git diff --exit-code` over the generated
+  tree. The grpc/protobuf toolchain is pinned (`clients/java/build.gradle`), so a regeneration
+  is byte-identical to the committed single-file aggregates modulo real `.proto` changes; the
+  git-diff is therefore a true drift gate that now catches message-level proto drift in the Java
+  client (IPC-24 deleted the old unconditional churn-revert step, which masked exactly that
+  class). The dev Mac has a Homebrew JDK 17, so `gradle generateProto` can be run there to refresh
+  the Java aggregates when a `.proto` changes.
 - **`windows-x86`** (Linux runner, per push/PR) — builds the **x86 / net48 Worker and
  Worker.Tests**, which are Windows-only and out of scope for the Linux jobs. It runs on a
  Linux runner that always schedules and SSHes to windev (`10.100.0.48`), where
@@ -449,21 +453,53 @@ runtime because the x86 Worker cannot build on Linux:
  `xUnit1030`). Gated `if: github.event_name == 'schedule'`, so it never gates a push. On
  failure it opens a Gitea issue via the Actions token, since nobody watches the Actions page.

-The freshness guard `scripts/check-codegen.ps1` fails the build when the committed
-client descriptor set or the C# `Generated/` no longer matches the current `.proto`
-sources — the codegen drift class this repo has hit repeatedly (stale client
-descriptors, net48 `CS0246` on unregenerated protos). The **primary** guard for the
+### Runner capacity is shared and finite
+
+All CI runs on a co-located `gitea-runner` container on docker host `10.100.0.35` with
+`maxParallel=1`, and that runner instance is **shared across repos** — it interleaves
+`dohertj2/mxaccessgw` and `dohertj2/lmxopcua` jobs on the single slot rather than being
+scoped to this repo (`GET /repos/dohertj2/mxaccessgw/actions/runners` returns
+`total_count: 0`; the runner is registered at the instance level). Every job in a run
+(`portable`, `java`, `windows-x86`) executes serially, so queue latency is additive within
+a run and an active `lmxopcua` run blocks `mxaccessgw` entirely — expect ~20–30 minutes of
+queue depth under cross-repo contention, not a stuck pipeline. This Gitea version (1.26)
+also exposes **no run cancel or delete via the API** (`POST .../actions/runs/{id}/cancel`
+returns 404, `DELETE .../actions/runs/{id}` returns 400), so a superseded or hung run cannot
+be cleared and holds the slot until it finishes or times out. See
+`docs/runbooks/TST-30-second-ci-runner.md` for the operator runbook that registers a second
+runner to relieve this; until that lands, treat single-runner contention as expected, not a
+CI outage.
+
+When queue depth (or the missing-cancel reality) makes waiting impractical, verify a
+specific commit out of band instead of waiting behind the queue: run
+`CI_SHA=<sha> scripts/ci/run-windev-ci.sh <build|test|live>` from a machine with SSH access
+to windev (the same script the SSH-driven `windows-x86`/`nightly-windev` jobs use — see
+`scripts/ci/README.md`), or fall back to the manual windev worktree procedure below. This is
+the same escape hatch used when the windev tier itself is down — TST-30 generalizes it from
+"tier down" to "runner contended": either way, a stuck or slow shared runner should not
+block verifying a commit.
+
+The freshness guard `scripts/check-codegen.ps1` runs four checks and fails the build when the
+committed client descriptor set (Check 1), the C# `Generated/` (Check 2), the Rust vendored
+protos (Check 3), or the Go/Python client bindings (Check 4, IPC-25) no longer match the current
+`.proto` sources — the codegen drift class this repo has hit repeatedly (stale client
+descriptors, net48 `CS0246` on unregenerated protos, silently stale Go/Python worker bindings).
+Check 4 regenerates the Go and Python bindings with their pinned generators (`protoc-gen-go`
+v1.36.11 / `protoc-gen-go-grpc` 1.6.2, `grpcio-tools` 1.80.0) and fails on any diff; a missing
+generator fails the check rather than skipping it. The **primary** guard for the
 "regenerate and commit `Generated/`" rule is that regeneration diff in the `portable` job;
 the `windows-x86` net48 compile is the **secondary** guard (a stale `Generated/` also breaks
 the x86 build with `CS0246`). See [Client Proto Generation](./ClientProtoGeneration.md) and
 [Contracts](./Contracts.md).

 If the SSH-driven Windows tier is unavailable for infrastructure reasons (windev down, CI
-key/secret rotation in flight), fall back to the manual windev worktree procedure as a
-degraded mode: on windev, fast-forward an isolated `origin/main` worktree under `C:\build`
-(never the dirty Desktop checkout), then run the x86 Worker build and `Worker.Tests`
-(`-p:Platform=x86`) there by hand. Do this per merge for worker-touching changes until the
-`windows-x86` job is green again.
+key/secret rotation in flight) **or** the shared Gitea runner is contended and the queue is
+impractical to wait behind (see "Runner capacity is shared and finite" above), fall back to
+the manual windev worktree procedure as a degraded mode: on windev, fast-forward an isolated
+`origin/main` worktree under `C:\build` (never the dirty Desktop checkout), then run the x86
+Worker build and `Worker.Tests` (`-p:Platform=x86`) there by hand. Do this per merge for
+worker-touching changes until the `windows-x86` job is green again (tier-down case) or the
+queue clears (contention case).

 ## Related Documentation

@@ -82,6 +82,8 @@ return mapper.MapCommandReply(workerReply);

 Carrying the enqueue timestamp into the worker layer is what lets queue-wait time be measured separately from worker-side execution time when troubleshooting timeouts.

+An accepted gRPC command payload can still be too large for the worker pipe: the envelope built around it must fit `MxGateway:Worker:MaxMessageBytes`, which is validated at startup to sit at least a fixed envelope-overhead reserve above `MaxGrpcMessageBytes` (see the headroom rule in [Gateway Configuration](./GatewayConfiguration.md)) so this should not occur for a conformant payload, but if it does, `WorkerClient` raises `WorkerClientException(CommandTooLarge)` and `Invoke` reports `ResourceExhausted` for that command — the session is not faulted, so a client can retry with a smaller payload without reopening the session.
+
 ### `StreamEvents`

 `StreamEvents` is a server-streaming RPC. The handler delegates the full pipeline to `IEventStreamService` and just forwards each `MxEvent` onto the response stream. Keeping the channel and producer/consumer machinery out of the handler means cancellation, exception mapping, and metric bookkeeping live in one place.
@@ -247,7 +249,7 @@ StatusCode statusCode = exception.ErrorCode switch
 };
 ```

-`WorkerClientException` follows the same pattern: `CommandTimeout` becomes `DeadlineExceeded`, `GatewayShutdown` becomes `Cancelled`, `InvalidState` becomes `FailedPrecondition`, `ProtocolViolation` becomes `Internal`, and unmapped codes fall through to `Unavailable`.
+`WorkerClientException` follows the same pattern: `CommandTimeout` becomes `DeadlineExceeded`, `GatewayShutdown` becomes `Cancelled`, `InvalidState` becomes `FailedPrecondition`, `ProtocolViolation` becomes `Internal`, `CommandTooLarge` becomes `ResourceExhausted`, and unmapped codes fall through to `Unavailable`.

 ## Event Streaming Model

@@ -378,6 +378,20 @@ If event conversion throws, catch it inside the event handler, record a
 structured `WorkerFault`, and keep the worker alive only if the fault policy
 allows it.

+The event drain loop streams queued events as `WorkerEvent` frames. A single
+event whose envelope exceeds the negotiated frame maximum is **undeliverable end
+to end** — the pipe maximum sits only the envelope-overhead reserve above the
+public gRPC cap, so a frame the pipe rejects would also be rejected on the
+client-facing stream. The session therefore faults on it rather than dropping it
+(a silent drop makes the event stream unfaithful, and a synthesized placeholder
+is barred by the no-synthesized-events rule), but the death is structured: the
+worker logs the event's identity — family, handles, worker sequence, and sizes,
+never the value — writes a `WorkerFault` with category `ProtocolViolation` and
+command method `EventDrain` carrying the same identity, and only then exits.
+Operator remediation is configuration: raise `MxGateway:Worker:MaxMessageBytes`
+for that workload. Other per-frame rejection codes keep their previous behavior
+because they indicate worker bugs, not workload size.
+
 ## Command Queue

 The pipe reader converts `WorkerCommand` messages into `StaCommand` entries.
@@ -440,6 +454,29 @@ Diagnostics:
 - `DrainEvents`
 - `ShutdownWorker`

+`DrainEvents` is answered on the message-loop thread, not the STA, and its reply
+is bounded on **two** axes because no diagnostics command may be session-fatal:
+
+- **Count** — `GatewayContractInfo.MaxDrainEventsPerCommand` (10,000) is the
+  single home of the ceiling, shared by the gateway's request validator (which
+  rejects a larger `max_events` at the public boundary) and this worker clamp
+  (which also interprets `max_events = 0`, "as many as available").
+- **Bytes** — the count cap alone is not sufficient: byte-heavy events (large
+  string or array `MxValue`s) overshoot the negotiated frame maximum long before
+  10,000 events. The drain is therefore byte-budgeted against the negotiated
+  maximum less a 64 KiB envelope/reply-wrapper reserve, and the size decision
+  happens inside the event queue's lock, so an event is dequeued only once it is
+  known to fit. An event that does not fit stays at the head of the queue and is
+  never lost.
+
+Truncation is reported in the reply's existing `DiagnosticMessage`
+("N events returned, M remain; repeat DrainEvents for the rest") rather than in a
+new field, so the contract is unchanged and callers drain iteratively until a
+reply comes back empty. In the degenerate case where the head event alone exceeds
+the budget, the reply returns whatever fit before it (possibly nothing) and names
+the blocked event's worker sequence so an operator can find the offending tag;
+that event needs a larger `MxGateway:Worker:MaxMessageBytes` to move at all.
+
 Implement method-specific dispatch instead of a generic string method invoker.
 Parity tests need stable command-specific request and reply shapes.

@@ -601,27 +638,42 @@ Rules:

 ## Outbound Queues

-The worker should use bounded outbound queues for replies, events, heartbeats,
-and faults.
+`WorkerFrameWriter` is a two-class cooperative priority scheduler, not the
+five-level queue an earlier design draft called for. Every outbound frame is
+enqueued at one of two `WorkerFrameWritePriority` values:

-Priority order when writing:
+- **Control** — hello, ready, command replies, faults, heartbeats, shutdown
+  acknowledgements.
+- **Event** — MXAccess events drained from the queue.

-1. faults,
-2. command replies,
-3. shutdown acknowledgements,
-4. heartbeats,
-5. events.
+A caller enqueues its frame under a lock, then contends for a single write
+lock; whichever caller wins drains **every** currently-queued frame before
+releasing the lock, so a reply, fault, or heartbeat enqueued while a large
+event backlog is draining still gets written on the very next drain pass
+rather than waiting behind it. Within a class the queue is strict FIFO — a
+fault does not jump ahead of an already-queued heartbeat or reply. This
+collapses the originally-specified five-level order (faults > replies >
+shutdown acks > heartbeats > events) into two classes; the decision is
+deliberate, not a shortfall: the control queue is shallow in practice (faults
+and shutdown acks are rare, replies and heartbeats are the steady traffic), so
+the FIFO delay within it is bounded, and a two-class scheduler is simpler to
+reason about and test than a five-level one for that same bound. See
+`docs/WorkerFrameProtocol.md`'s "Write scheduling and sequencing" section for
+the wire-level detail (sequence stamping, per-frame vs. stream-failure
+semantics, flush coalescing).

-Event overflow policy defaults to fail-fast for parity testing. If the event
-queue fills:
-
-1. Capture overflow metrics.
-2. Send `WorkerFault` if possible.
-3. Stop accepting new commands.
-4. Let the gateway close or kill the worker.
-
-Production coalescing may be added later, but it must be explicit and tested.
-Do not drop or coalesce events in v1.
+Event overflow policy is fail-fast, not "stop accepting new commands and let
+the gateway close or kill the worker." When `MxAccessEventQueue.Enqueue` finds
+the queue full, it throws and the queue self-records a `WorkerFault` with
+category `QueueOverflow`. The event drain loop's next pass observes the fault
+through `DrainFault()`, writes the fault frame — a Control-priority frame, so
+it is not stuck behind a queued event backlog — and then throws to unwind
+`RunAsync`: the worker process exits rather than continuing in a state where
+events are being silently lost. The exit currently uses the generic
+`WorkerExitCode.UnexpectedFailure` rather than a dedicated overflow code; a
+distinct exit code remains open (tracked separately). Do not drop or coalesce
+events to avoid this exit — that is explicitly out of scope for v1. Production
+coalescing may be added later, but it must be explicit and tested.

 The gateway side of the event path is bounded to match. `WorkerClient` buffers
 inbound events in a bounded consumer channel plus a staging channel bounded at
@@ -634,6 +686,13 @@ consumer that merely drains slower than this worker produces (the staging bound,
 metric `QueueOverflow("worker-event-staging")`). See
 `docs/GatewayProcessDesign.md`. A worker that outruns its consumer therefore
 dies loudly rather than growing gateway memory silently.
+No control reply is session-fatal on size. Reply builders size their payloads
+against the negotiated frame maximum, and the two reply-write seams (the
+control-command path and the STA command path) additionally catch a
+`MessageTooLarge` per-frame rejection and answer that correlation with a small
+`InvalidRequest` reply instead of unwinding the session. Oversized *event*
+frames keep the opposite policy — see Event Sink — because an event above the
+frame maximum cannot be delivered to the client at all.

 ## Heartbeat And Watchdog

@@ -688,6 +747,23 @@ heartbeat fields until dedicated thresholds own those warnings. The worker
 reports stale STA activity, but the gateway owns the final kill decision
 through its existing heartbeat and worker lifecycle policy.

+The alarm poll runs outside the command dispatcher — `RunAlarmPollLoopAsync`
+invokes `PollOnce` directly on the STA rather than through
+`StaCommandDispatcher`, so it does not inflate `PendingCommandCount` or perturb
+dispatch ordering for real gateway commands. Because it is not a dispatched
+command it has no `CurrentCommandCorrelationId`, so a healthy-but-slow poll (a
+large `GetXmlCurrentAlarms2` against a busy provider) blocking the STA past
+`HeartbeatGrace` would otherwise fault a healthy session at 15 s while a
+dispatched command gets the 75 s ceiling. To close that asymmetry (WRK-27) the
+poll advertises itself on the heartbeat snapshot's `StaCallInProgress` flag —
+set on the STA thread for exactly the span of the COM call — and the watchdog
+suppression honors that flag alongside `CurrentCommandCorrelationId`. The poll
+therefore receives the same grace-to-ceiling treatment as a dispatched command:
+suppressed up to `HeartbeatStuckCeiling`, faulted past it (a poll that blocks
+the STA more than 75 s without pumping *should* fault — that is the ceiling's
+contract). The flag is named generically so any future non-dispatcher STA work
+reuses it.
+
 The in-flight-command suppression itself is bounded by
 `WorkerPipeSessionOptions.HeartbeatStuckCeiling` (default 75 seconds = 5 ×
 `HeartbeatGrace`). The motivating case for the suppression is a legitimately
@@ -29,6 +29,40 @@ default. A `max_frame_bytes` of 0 (an older gateway that never set the field)
 means "use the worker's built-in default". This keeps both ends framing to the
 same limit rather than depending on matched compile-time constants.

+The worker accepts a negotiated value in the closed range [1024, 256 MiB]
+(`MinNegotiableFrameBytes` .. `MaxNegotiableFrameBytes`); 0 keeps the default.
+A value outside that range is rejected at the handshake with a fault frame
+rather than adopted, because a nonsensical maximum — a gateway bug or a
+foreign/old peer — would otherwise leave a session that handshakes cleanly and
+then fails every subsequent frame with per-frame size errors, the worst
+diagnostic shape for an operator. The 1024-byte floor matches the gateway's own
+`GatewayOptionsValidator.MinimumMaxMessageBytes`, so the worker never rejects a
+value the gateway's validator accepts as legal configuration, and 1024 still
+guarantees hellos, heartbeats, acks, and faults fit.
+
+Every worker-to-gateway frame must serialize within this limit, control replies
+included, so reply builders truncate to fit rather than emit a frame the writer
+will reject. `WorkerPipeSession` pre-sizes a `DrainEvents` reply below the
+negotiated maximum (less a fixed envelope/reply-wrapper reserve) and reports the
+truncation in the reply's `DiagnosticMessage`; the caller contract is to repeat
+`DrainEvents` until it returns an empty reply. Should a reply still overshoot,
+`MessageTooLarge` at the reply-write seam is answered with a small
+`InvalidRequest` reply for that correlation, not with session teardown — no
+diagnostics command may kill a session.
+
+An oversized *event* frame is the deliberate exception. Such an event is
+undeliverable end to end (the pipe maximum sits only the envelope-overhead
+reserve above the public gRPC cap), so the session faults: the worker logs the
+event's identity and sizes — never its value — writes a `WorkerFault` with
+category `ProtocolViolation` and command method `EventDrain`, then exits.
+Remediation is raising `MxGateway:Worker:MaxMessageBytes` for that workload.
+
+A per-frame rejection does not consume an envelope `sequence`. The writer stamps
+a candidate sequence, runs the empty-payload and size checks against the stamped
+envelope, and commits the counter only immediately before the stream write, so
+the sequences observed on the wire stay contiguous across rejections and an
+operator reading a pipe capture never sees a phantom gap.
+
 ## Envelope Validation

 `WorkerFrameReader` and `WorkerFrameWriter` validate each envelope against the
@@ -42,6 +76,77 @@ Protocol violations throw `WorkerFrameProtocolException` with a
 `WorkerFrameProtocolErrorCode` so callers can distinguish malformed frames,
 oversized frames, protocol version mismatches, and session mismatches.

+## Write Scheduling And Sequencing
+
+This section covers write scheduling (priority classes, enqueue-then-contend,
+flush coalescing) and sequencing (write-time stamping) together, because both
+are properties of the same single write lock.
+
+`WorkerFrameWriter` is a two-class cooperative priority scheduler
+(`WorkerFrameWritePriority.Control` and `.Event`), not a strict per-kind
+priority order. A caller enqueues its frame into the control or event queue
+under a lock, then contends for a single write lock; whichever caller wins
+drains every frame queued at that moment, control frames first and each class
+in FIFO order, so a command reply, fault, heartbeat, or shutdown
+acknowledgement is never delayed behind a backlog of queued events. Priority
+only reorders *which frame writes next* — it does not affect the sequence
+value a frame receives (see below), so a caller cannot infer priority class
+from the wire sequence.
+
+The envelope `Sequence` is stamped by the draining lock-holder at the actual
+moment of writing, not when the frame is enqueued, so the on-wire order and
+the stamped sequence always agree regardless of caller concurrency or
+priority reordering. Stamping uses peek-stamp-commit: a candidate sequence is
+assigned and the frame is validated (size, non-empty payload) against that
+stamped value, but the counter is committed only immediately before the
+stream write. A per-frame rejection therefore leaves the counter untouched —
+the next accepted frame reuses the candidate number, so the wire sequence
+stays contiguous across rejections and an operator reading a pipe capture
+never sees a phantom gap from a rejected frame.
+
+Two failure shapes are distinguished during a drain pass:
+
+- **Per-frame rejection** (`InvalidEnvelope`, `MessageTooLarge`,
+  `ProtocolVersionMismatch`, `SessionMismatch`) is specific to the one frame
+  that failed validation or sizing. Nothing was written for it, so it fails
+  only that frame's completion and draining continues with the next queued
+  frame.
+- **Stream failure** (anything else — a broken pipe, an I/O error) means the
+  underlying stream itself is no longer trustworthy. It fails the frame that
+  triggered it, every frame already written this batch but not yet flushed,
+  and every frame still queued, then stops draining entirely so no caller
+  waits forever on a stream that will not recover.
+
+Flushes are coalesced across a drained batch: each frame in the batch is
+written to the stream without an individual flush, then one `FlushAsync`
+runs after the whole batch, and only then does every successfully-written
+frame's completion resolve — so a caller's `WriteAsync` still does not
+complete until its bytes are both written *and* flushed, but a batch that
+happened to contain several queued frames pays one flush instead of one per
+frame. The event drain loop (`WorkerPipeSession.RunEventDrainLoopAsync`)
+submits a whole drained event batch through `WriteBatchAsync`, which enqueues
+every frame under one `_gate` acquisition, takes the write lock once, and
+drains them together, so a burst of N events costs one flush rather than N —
+the coalescing the batch machinery was built for now engages on the event hot
+path, not only when independent producers happen to queue behind a blocked
+write. Intra-batch order is preserved (FIFO enqueue under one lock), and a
+concurrently queued control frame is still drained ahead of the batch. A
+per-frame rejection inside a batch (for example one oversized event) surfaces
+from the batch's awaited completions as that frame's
+`WorkerFrameProtocolException`; the remaining completions are still observed
+so none faults unobserved.
+
+Cancellation of a `WriteAsync`/`WriteBatchAsync` call that is still waiting
+for the write lock when its token fires tombstones the queued frame: the
+cancelled caller marks its frame under `_gate`, and the draining lock-holder's
+`DequeueNext` skips any tombstoned frame, so a cancelled call is guaranteed
+never to reach the wire — *unless* a lock-holder has already claimed the frame
+to write it. Claiming and cancelling are interlocked under `_gate`, so exactly
+one wins; a frame already claimed is mid-write and can no longer be recalled,
+so the caller observes `OperationCanceledException` while that one frame still
+reaches the wire. That residual window is by design: blocking the canceller
+behind the very write it is abandoning would defeat the point of cancellation.
+
 ## Verification

 The frame protocol lives in `ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Worker.Ipc` (`WorkerFrameReader`,
@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+# SEC-36 — LDAP Service-Account Credential Rotation (Operator Runbook)
+
+Operator steps to rotate the shared GLAuth service-account password after the repo-side
+removal landed (SEC-36). The repo change (removal of the committed value, the two supported
+secret channels, and this runbook) is already merged; the live rotation below is the
+load-bearing half and is yours to execute.
+
+> **Never put the old or new password in this repo, in a commit, in a chat, or in this file.**
+> The value lives only in the GLAuth source of truth and in each host's out-of-band channel.
+
+## Why
+
+The dev GLAuth service-account password (`cn=serviceaccount,dc=zb,dc=local`) was historically
+committed to this repo. Removal alone is insufficient — the old value is permanently recoverable
+from git history — so **rotation is required**. Until the shared GLAuth on `10.100.0.35:3893`
+stops honoring the old value, the repo history discloses a live directory account with LDAP
+search capability over `dc=zb,dc=local`.
+
+## Where the credential lives now (three channels, all bind `MxGateway:Ldap:ServiceAccountPassword`)
+
+- **Source of truth:** `scadaproj/infra/glauth/config.toml` on host `10.100.0.35` (the `serviceaccount`
+  user's `passsha256`). `scadaproj` is a shared monorepo — stage only the explicit glauth paths.
+- **Encrypted secrets store (gateway default):** `appsettings.json` ships `${secret:ldap/mxgateway/bind}`,
+  resolved from the local encrypted store (seed with `secret set ldap/mxgateway/bind <value>`).
+- **Deployed hosts:** env var `MxGateway__Ldap__ServiceAccountPassword` in the NSSM service environment.
+- **Dev boxes:** `dotnet user-secrets set "MxGateway:Ldap:ServiceAccountPassword" <value>`
+  (the server carries `<UserSecretsId>mxaccessgw-server</UserSecretsId>`).
+
+See `docs/GatewayConfiguration.md` (the `ServiceAccountPassword` row) and `glauth.md`.
+
+## Preconditions
+
+- SSH access to the GLAuth docker host `10.100.0.35` and to the deployed gateway host(s).
+- Write access to `scadaproj/infra/glauth/`.
+- Know which deployed hosts run LDAP-backed dashboard login:
+  - **`10.100.0.48`** (`windev`) — primary; verify here.
+  - **`wonder-app-vd03`** — its dashboard is disabled. **Check `MxGateway:Ldap:Enabled` there first.**
+    If LDAP is disabled (`Enabled=false`), it has nothing to bind and needs no env var — skip it.
+- A generated replacement secret (see step 1). Generate the `passsha256` per `glauth.md`
+  ("Generate `passsha256` from a plaintext password").
+
+## Cutover order
+
+Follow this order so no window opens where the deployed dashboard cannot bind. **Do not rotate
+GLAuth before the deployed hosts already carry the new value.**
+
+1. **Generate the new secret in `scadaproj/infra/glauth/`.** Pick a new password, compute its
+   `passsha256`, and stage the change to the `serviceaccount` user in `config.toml` (do not
+   `docker compose up` yet — the directory must keep honoring the OLD value until the deployed
+   hosts carry the NEW one).
+
+2. **Pre-stage the NEW value on every LDAP-enabled deployed host** via the env-var channel, so the
+   host is ready the instant GLAuth flips:
+   ```powershell
+   nssm get MxAccessGw AppEnvironmentExtra
+   nssm set MxAccessGw AppEnvironmentExtra MxGateway__Ldap__ServiceAccountPassword=<new-value>
+   # restart the service so the new environment is picked up
+   nssm restart MxAccessGw
+   ```
+   Do this on `10.100.0.48`, and on `wonder-app-vd03` **only if** `MxGateway:Ldap:Enabled=true` there.
+   (Alternatively seed the encrypted store with `secret set ldap/mxgateway/bind <new-value>`; the
+   env var overrides the store and is the simplest per-host mechanism.)
+   At this moment the deployed host holds the NEW value but GLAuth still honors the OLD one — binds
+   still fail closed against the old directory, which is expected and brief; proceed immediately.
+
+3. **Rotate GLAuth on `10.100.0.35`** to honor the new value:
+   ```bash
+   ssh 10.100.0.35
+   cd ~/Desktop/scadaproj/infra/glauth
+   docker compose up -d --force-recreate
+   docker compose logs -f          # confirm clean startup, no TOML parse error
+   ```
+
+4. **Verify dashboard login on the deployed host(s).** Browse to the gateway dashboard on
+   `10.100.0.48` and log in as `multi-role` / `password` (Administrator) — a successful login proves
+   the search bind used the new service-account credential end-to-end. If `wonder-app-vd03` runs
+   LDAP, verify it too; if its dashboard/LDAP is disabled, no check is needed.
+
+5. **The repo change is already landed** (removal of the committed value, `<UserSecretsId>`, the
+   validator message naming the two channels, and doc/scrub updates). Nothing more to commit for
+   the cutover.
+
+6. **Developers set user-secrets on next pull.** After pulling, a dev box with no secret configured
+   will fail startup with a validation message naming the exact command. One-time per machine:
+   ```bash
+   dotnet user-secrets set "MxGateway:Ldap:ServiceAccountPassword" <new-value>
+   ```
+   (value from `scadaproj/infra/glauth/`, never from a repo file).
+
+## Verifying the rotation
+
+- **Primary:** dashboard `/login` as `multi-role` on `10.100.0.48` succeeds (step 4).
+- **`wonder-app-vd03`:** only if `MxGateway:Ldap:Enabled=true`; otherwise no action.
+- **Live-LDAP integration tests** (opt-in, only where the GLAuth instance is reachable):
+  ```bash
+  $env:MXGATEWAY_RUN_LIVE_LDAP_TESTS = "1"
+  $env:MxGateway__Ldap__ServiceAccountPassword = "<new-value>"   # shell env only, never committed
+  dotnet test src/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.IntegrationTests/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.IntegrationTests.csproj `
+    --filter FullyQualifiedName~DashboardLdapLiveTests
+  ```
+  A green `DashboardLdapLiveTests` run confirms the new credential binds and searches. Where GLAuth
+  is unreachable, document the suite as skipped per the `docs/GatewayTesting.md` opt-in matrix.
+- **Old value is dead:** after step 3, a bind with the old password must fail. Do not test this from
+  a shared-NAT box — GLAuth's 3-fail / 10-minute per-IP lockout can lock the whole office.
+
+## Rollback
+
+If dashboard login breaks after step 3, restore the previous `passsha256` in
+`scadaproj/infra/glauth/config.toml`, `docker compose up -d --force-recreate`, and re-point the
+deployed hosts' env var / store back to the previous value. Because the deployed hosts were
+pre-staged in step 2, the exposure window is only steps 2→4.
+
+## Done criteria
+
+- GLAuth on `10.100.0.35` honors only the new value.
+- Every LDAP-enabled deployed host binds with the new value (dashboard login verified).
+- The source of truth `scadaproj/infra/glauth/config.toml` carries the new `passsha256`.
+- No repo file (this one included) contains the old or new value.
+- The SEC-36 tracker rows are `Done` with this runbook cited for the operator action.
@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+# TST-30 — Register A Second CI Runner (Operator Runbook)
+
+Operator steps to relieve the single shared Gitea Actions runner that CI depends on. The
+repo-side half of TST-30 (documenting the shared-runner/no-cancel reality and the
+`run-windev-ci.sh` bypass) is already landed in `docs/GatewayTesting.md`; registering the
+second runner below is infrastructure work outside this repo's tree and is yours to execute.
+
+## Why
+
+All CI for this repo runs on one co-located `gitea-runner` container on docker host
+`10.100.0.35` with `maxParallel=1`. That runner is registered at the **instance** level, not
+scoped to this repo (`GET /repos/dohertj2/mxaccessgw/actions/runners` returns
+`total_count: 0`), so it is shared with `dohertj2/lmxopcua` and every job in every run across
+both repos executes serially on the single slot. A `mxaccessgw` push fans out to `portable`,
+`java`, `windows-x86`, and an active `lmxopcua` run blocks all of them — queue depth of
+~20–30 minutes was observed during TST-25 acceptance under cross-repo contention. Gitea 1.26
+also exposes **no run cancel or delete via the API**
+(`POST .../actions/runs/{id}/cancel` → 404, `DELETE .../actions/runs/{id}` → 400), so a
+superseded or hung run cannot be cleared and holds the slot until it finishes or times out.
+This is not a correctness problem — every job still reports accurately — but it undercuts the
+fast-feedback purpose of the TST-25 Windows tier and makes CI fragile to a single host: if
+`10.100.0.35` wedges or goes down, CI for both repos stops with no failover.
+
+## Options (cheapest first)
+
+- **(a) Register a second `act_runner` instance on `10.100.0.35` — recommended.** The host
+  already runs `gitea-runner`; add a second `act_runner` container (or raise the existing
+  runner's `maxParallel` where the docker-in-docker/resource budget allows) so at least two
+  jobs run concurrently. Cheapest change, and it keeps the runner co-located on the
+  `container.network: traefik` network that resolves `gitea:3000` — the property TST-03
+  depended on. **Use the same `container.network: traefik` config as the existing runner.**
+- **(b) Dedicate a labelled runner to `mxaccessgw`.** Cleaner isolation — `lmxopcua` load
+  never blocks this repo — but needs label wiring: register the new runner with a distinct
+  label (e.g. `mxgw`) and change `.gitea/workflows/ci.yml`'s `runs-on:` for this repo's jobs
+  to gate on that label (e.g. `runs-on: [ubuntu-latest, mxgw]`). Only do this if (a) proves
+  insufficient — it is more moving parts for the same throughput gain, and it means `ci.yml`
+  changes, which is out of scope for the doc-only half of TST-30.
+- **(c) Put the runner on windev / a second host — rejected as the primary fix.** windev is
+  the Windows build target (`10.100.0.48`), not a CI host, and co-locating a Linux runner
+  there loses the `gitea:3000` name resolution TST-03 relies on. Only consider if
+  `10.100.0.35` genuinely runs out of capacity for a second instance.
+
+Default to **(a)**. Escalate to (b) only if `lmxopcua` contention persists after a second
+instance is online (i.e., (a) is not sufficient because the two repos' combined load exceeds
+two slots).
+
+## Preconditions
+
+- SSH/docker access to `10.100.0.35`.
+- The existing `gitea-runner` container's compose/run config, to copy its
+  `container.network: traefik` setting and registration token flow (repo memory
+  `project_gitea_ci` records this configuration).
+- Admin access to Gitea (`gitea.dohertylan.com`) to mint a new runner registration token.
+
+## Steps — option (a): second runner instance
+
+1. On `10.100.0.35`, locate the existing `gitea-runner` container/compose definition and copy
+   its configuration for a new instance (same `container.network: traefik`, same Docker
+   socket mount if it uses docker-in-docker, a distinct container name/data volume).
+2. In Gitea, generate a new runner registration token (instance-level, since the existing
+   runner is registered at the instance level too — Admin → Actions → Runners, or
+   `POST /admin/actions/runners/registration-token`).
+3. Register and start the second `act_runner` instance with that token, pointed at the same
+   Gitea origin.
+4. Confirm both runners show online: instance runner list in the Gitea admin UI, or the
+   equivalent API listing.
+
+## Verification
+
+- Push two branches to `mxaccessgw` back-to-back (or trigger one `mxaccessgw` push while an
+  `lmxopcua` run is in flight) and confirm both runs execute **concurrently**, not serially —
+  the second run's jobs should start before the first finishes, not queue behind it.
+- `GET /repos/dohertj2/mxaccessgw/actions/runners` (or the instance runner listing) shows
+  **≥2** runners online.
+- Re-run the TST-25 acceptance push (a plain push to a scratch branch) and confirm queue depth
+  is materially lower than the ~20–30 minute baseline observed under a concurrent `lmxopcua`
+  run.
+- Confirm `windows-x86` still resolves `gitea:3000` correctly from a job scheduled on the new
+  runner instance (the `traefik` network property must hold for both instances).
+
+## The no-cancel reality does not go away
+
+A second runner relieves contention; it does not add a cancel/delete API — Gitea 1.26 still
+returns 404/400 for both. A stale or hung run on either runner still holds its slot until it
+finishes or times out. Two runners just means one stale run blocks at most half the capacity
+instead of all of it. Do not treat the second runner as a substitute for the escape hatch: a
+specific commit can still be verified out of band without waiting on either runner via
+`CI_SHA=<sha> scripts/ci/run-windev-ci.sh <build|test|live>` (Linux, needs SSH access to
+windev) or the manual windev worktree flow — see the "Runner capacity is shared and finite"
+section in `docs/GatewayTesting.md`.
+
+## Optional: workflow-level `concurrency` group
+
+As belt-and-suspenders against the missing cancel API, `.gitea/workflows/ci.yml` could add a
+top-level `concurrency` group (e.g. keyed on `${{ github.ref }}`) so a newer push to the same
+branch automatically supersedes an in-flight run instead of both running to completion.
+**Verify this Gitea deployment actually honors `concurrency` and cancels the superseded run
+before relying on it** — Gitea Actions' YAML surface does not track GitHub Actions feature
+parity release-for-release, and a `concurrency` block that is silently ignored would look like
+a working safeguard while doing nothing. If verified working, this is a `ci.yml` change (not
+covered by this runbook) and should land as its own small change with its own verification
+(push twice to the same branch quickly, confirm the first run's jobs cancel).
+
+## Done criteria
+
+- A second `act_runner` instance (or raised `maxParallel`) is online on `10.100.0.35` with the
+  same `container.network: traefik` configuration as the existing runner.
+- `GET /repos/dohertj2/mxaccessgw/actions/runners` (or the instance listing) shows ≥2 runners.
+- Two concurrent runs (one `mxaccessgw`, one `lmxopcua`, or two `mxaccessgw` pushes) execute
+  in parallel rather than serially.
+- `docs/GatewayTesting.md`'s shared-runner/no-cancel prose and the `run-windev-ci.sh` bypass
+  remain accurate (they describe the bypass as still valid, which it is regardless of runner
+  count).
@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@ library, CLI, and tests.

 ## Baseline

- Target the Java version defined by the client build, with Java 21 preferred.
+- Target Java 17 (the Ignition 8.3 baseline; the client build enforces
+  `options.release = 17` with a Gradle toolchain 17). Code must compile and
+  run on 17; newer JDKs may host the build.
 - Use Gradle unless the repository standardizes on Maven.
 - Apply a formatter such as Spotless or Google Java Format when configured.
 - Keep generated protobuf code separate from handwritten wrappers.
@@ -348,9 +348,13 @@ messages, tagged from 10 upward:

 Rules:

- `sequence` is a monotonic per-sender counter used as a diagnostic aid; it is
-  not validated for gaps or ordering on receive (the named pipe already
-  guarantees FIFO delivery).
+- `sequence` is a monotonic per-sender counter used as a diagnostic aid. Both
+  sides stamp it at the point of writing, inside their single write path — the
+  gateway on its outbound-channel write loop, the worker on its own writer — so
+  the numbers stay monotonic in wire order no matter how concurrent callers
+  interleave while building envelopes. It is not validated for gaps or ordering
+  on receive (the named pipe already guarantees FIFO delivery); if inbound
+  enforcement is ever added, this is the property it will rely on.
 - `correlation_id` links a command to its reply; it is authoritative on the
  envelope, and the inner `MxCommandReply.correlation_id` echoes it for
  MXAccess parity.
@@ -470,10 +474,14 @@ Optional diagnostics:
 - `Ping`
 - `GetSessionState`
 - `GetWorkerInfo`
- `DrainEvents` — diagnostic; `max_events` is bounded (the gateway rejects requests
-  above a public ceiling, and the worker caps each reply at its own per-reply limit,
-  treating `max_events = 0` as "the default cap") so one drain cannot pack an
-  unbounded, session-killing reply frame.
+- `DrainEvents` — diagnostic; the reply is bounded on two axes so one drain cannot
+  pack an unbounded, session-killing reply frame. By **count**: the gateway rejects
+  requests above the shared ceiling `GatewayContractInfo.MaxDrainEventsPerCommand`
+  and the worker clamps to the same value, treating `max_events = 0` as "the default
+  cap". By **bytes**: the worker sizes the reply while draining, against the
+  negotiated worker-frame maximum, so a byte-heavy queue truncates instead of
+  overshooting and events that do not fit stay queued. Truncation is reported in the
+  reply's `DiagnosticMessage`; callers drain iteratively until an empty reply.
 - `ShutdownWorker`

 Do not compress MXAccess semantics into generic verbs too early. A command enum
@@ -30,10 +30,19 @@ gw-specific role.
 | LDAPS | disabled in dev (`Transport=None`, `AllowInsecure=true`) |
 | Base DN | `dc=zb,dc=local` |
 | Bind DN format | `cn={username},dc=zb,dc=local` |
-| Service account DN | `cn=serviceaccount,dc=zb,dc=local` / `serviceaccount123` |
+| Service account DN | `cn=serviceaccount,dc=zb,dc=local` (password: `<service-account-password>`) |
 | Group OU | `ou=<groupname>,ou=groups,dc=zb,dc=local` |
 | Failed-bind throttle | 3 fails → 10-minute IP lockout (per `[behaviors]`) |

+> **Service-account password is not committed (SEC-36).** The samples below show
+> `<service-account-password>` as a placeholder, not the real value. The single source of
+> truth is **`scadaproj/infra/glauth/config.toml`** on host `10.100.0.35`; the gateway consumes
+> it out-of-band (encrypted secrets store reference `${secret:ldap/mxgateway/bind}`, the
+> `MxGateway__Ldap__ServiceAccountPassword` env var on deployed hosts, or `dotnet user-secrets`
+> on dev boxes — see `docs/GatewayConfiguration.md`). The credential was historically committed
+> to this repo (and remains recoverable from git history), so **rotation is required**; the
+> operator runbook is `docs/runbooks/SEC-36-ldap-credential-rotation.md`.
+
 ## Pre-existing groups (LmxOpcUa role taxonomy)

 These map cleanly onto MxAccess capability boundaries — mxaccessgw
@@ -62,7 +71,7 @@ group below).
 | `writeconfig` | `writeconfig123` | 5006 | WriteConfigure | — | + WriteSecured (Configure) |
 | `alarmack` | `alarmack123` | 5003 | AlarmAck | — | Alarm acknowledgment |
 | `admin` | `admin123` | 5004 | ReadOnly | WriteOperate, AlarmAck, WriteTune, WriteConfigure | All roles |
-| `serviceaccount` | `serviceaccount123` | 5999 | ReadOnly | — | LDAP search capability (for bind-then-search) |
+| `serviceaccount` | `<service-account-password>` | 5999 | ReadOnly | — | LDAP search capability (for bind-then-search) |

 For mxaccessgw dev, `admin` covers every gw-side capability test;
 `readonly` is the right "negative" case for proving Browse-OK /
@@ -100,7 +109,7 @@ by `sAMAccountName`, not `cn`. Use this only for dev convenience.

 ```
 1. Bind as the service account (cn=serviceaccount,dc=zb,dc=local
-   / serviceaccount123).
+   / <service-account-password>).
 2. Search under dc=zb,dc=local with filter
   (uid=<entered-username>) — or any attribute the deployment
   identifies users by. GLAuth populates uid + cn.
@@ -133,7 +142,7 @@ ldap:
  allowInsecureLdap: true       # dev only
  searchBase: "dc=zb,dc=local"
  serviceAccountDn: "cn=serviceaccount,dc=zb,dc=local"
-  serviceAccountPassword: "serviceaccount123"
+  serviceAccountPassword: "<service-account-password>"   # not committed; see source-of-truth note
  userNameAttribute: "uid"      # GLAuth populates this; AD uses sAMAccountName
  displayNameAttribute: "cn"
  groupAttribute: "memberOf"
@@ -242,7 +251,7 @@ Or via `ldapsearch` if you have OpenLDAP CLI tools:

 ```bash
 ldapsearch -x -H ldap://10.100.0.35:3893 \
-  -D "cn=serviceaccount,dc=zb,dc=local" -w serviceaccount123 \
+  -D "cn=serviceaccount,dc=zb,dc=local" -w '<service-account-password>' \
  -b "dc=zb,dc=local" "(uid=multi-role)"
 ```

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env pwsh
-# Codegen freshness guard for CI (IPC-01, IPC-19, IPC-20, CLI-02).
+# Codegen freshness guard for CI (IPC-01, IPC-19, IPC-20, IPC-25, CLI-02).
 #
-# Three checks, all Linux/macOS-runnable (no Server build, no x86 worker):
+# Four checks, all Linux/macOS-runnable (no Server build, no x86 worker):
 #   1. Published client descriptor set matches the current .proto sources (delegates to
 #      publish-client-proto-inputs.ps1 -Check, which normalizes source_code_info so it is
 #      protoc-version tolerant).
@@ -13,6 +13,12 @@
 #      crate buildable outside the repo, CLI-02) are byte-identical to the canonical Contracts
 #      protos. A drift means a .proto was edited without refreshing the vendored copies, which would
 #      publish a stale wire contract to crate consumers while the in-repo build stays correct.
+#   4. The committed Go and Python client bindings match a fresh regeneration (IPC-25). The two
+#      per-client generate-proto.ps1 scripts pin their generators (protoc-gen-go v1.36.11 /
+#      protoc-gen-go-grpc v1.6.2 for Go; grpcio-tools 1.80.0 for Python), so a clean checkout
+#      regenerates deterministic output; a non-empty git diff means a .proto was edited without
+#      regenerating and committing those bindings. A missing generator FAILS the check (a skipped
+#      guard is the exact silent-drift hole IPC-25 closes), never skips it.
 #
 # The x86 Worker + Worker.Tests are Windows-only and are guarded by the SSH-driven `windows-x86`
 # CI job (see docs/GatewayTesting.md, Continuous Integration), not here.
@@ -28,7 +34,7 @@ $generatedDir = Join-Path $repoRoot 'src/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Contracts/Generated
 $contractsProject = Join-Path $repoRoot 'src/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Contracts/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Contracts.csproj'
 $failures = New-Object System.Collections.Generic.List[string]

-Write-Host '== Check 1/2: client descriptor set freshness =='
+Write-Host '== Check 1/4: client descriptor set freshness =='
 try {
    & (Join-Path $PSScriptRoot 'publish-client-proto-inputs.ps1') -Check
    if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) {
@@ -40,7 +46,7 @@ catch {
 }

 Write-Host ''
-Write-Host '== Check 2/2: Contracts/Generated matches a fresh regeneration =='
+Write-Host '== Check 2/4: Contracts/Generated matches a fresh regeneration =='
 try {
    # Force a full regeneration: Grpc.Tools skips regen when the committed .cs look up to date, so
    # remove them first (the documented "del Generated/*.cs to force regen" trick).
@@ -66,7 +72,7 @@ catch {
 }

 Write-Host ''
-Write-Host '== Check 3/3: Rust vendored protos match canonical Contracts protos =='
+Write-Host '== Check 3/4: Rust vendored protos match canonical Contracts protos =='
 try {
    $canonicalProtoDir = Join-Path $repoRoot 'src/ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Contracts/Protos'
    $vendoredProtoDir = Join-Path $repoRoot 'clients/rust/protos'
@@ -87,6 +93,28 @@ catch {
    $failures.Add("Rust vendored proto check failed: $($_.Exception.Message)")
 }

+Write-Host ''
+Write-Host '== Check 4/4: Go and Python client bindings match a fresh regeneration =='
+try {
+    # Regenerate both binding sets with their pinned generators, then diff. The per-client scripts
+    # throw on a missing or off-pin generator, so any failure here FAILS the check rather than
+    # skipping it (a skipped guard is exactly the silent-drift hole IPC-25 closes).
+    $goBindingDir = 'clients/go/internal/generated'
+    $pyBindingDir = 'clients/python/src/zb_mom_ww_mxgateway/generated'
+
+    & (Join-Path $repoRoot 'clients/go/generate-proto.ps1') | Out-Host
+    & (Join-Path $repoRoot 'clients/python/generate-proto.ps1') | Out-Host
+
+    $bindingDiff = (& git -C $repoRoot status --porcelain -- $goBindingDir $pyBindingDir | Out-String).Trim()
+    if (-not [string]::IsNullOrEmpty($bindingDiff)) {
+        Write-Host $bindingDiff
+        $failures.Add("Go/Python client bindings differ from a fresh regeneration. Run clients/go/generate-proto.ps1 and clients/python/generate-proto.ps1 with the pinned generators and commit $goBindingDir and $pyBindingDir.")
+    }
+}
+catch {
+    $failures.Add("Go/Python codegen check failed (tool missing or regeneration error): $($_.Exception.Message)")
+}
+
 Write-Host ''
 if ($failures.Count -gt 0) {
    Write-Host 'Codegen freshness check FAILED:' -ForegroundColor Red
@@ -87,6 +87,12 @@ $GiteaNugetFeed = 'https://gitea.dohertylan.com/api/packages/dohertj2/nuget/inde
 $GiteaPypiFeed  = 'https://gitea.dohertylan.com/api/packages/dohertj2/pypi'
 $JavaHome       = '/Users/dohertj2/.local/jdks/jdk-21.0.11+10/Contents/Home'

+# Generic Gitea package registry API (https://gitea.dohertylan.com/api/v1/packages/{owner}/{type}/{name}/{version}):
+# returns 200 when that exact name+version already exists in the given feed
+# type, 404 when it does not. Used as a pre-publish collision guard (CLI-39)
+# so a re-run of this script can never silently overwrite a published artifact.
+$GiteaPackageApiBase = 'https://gitea.dohertylan.com/api/v1/packages/dohertj2'
+
 function Write-Header {
    param([string]$Text)
    Write-Host ''
@@ -94,6 +100,64 @@ function Write-Header {
    Write-Host $Text -ForegroundColor Cyan
 }

+function Test-GiteaPackageExists {
+    <#
+    .SYNOPSIS
+        Queries the Gitea package API for an existing name+version in a feed.
+    .OUTPUTS
+        $true if the package/version already exists, $false if it does not.
+        Throws if the registry cannot be reached or returns anything other
+        than 200/404 — callers must treat "cannot verify" as "do not publish".
+    #>
+    param(
+        [Parameter(Mandatory)][string]$Type,
+        [Parameter(Mandatory)][string]$Name,
+        [Parameter(Mandatory)][string]$Version
+    )
+
+    $uri = "$GiteaPackageApiBase/$Type/$Name/$Version"
+    $headers = @{}
+    if (-not [string]::IsNullOrEmpty($env:GITEA_TOKEN)) {
+        $user = if ([string]::IsNullOrEmpty($env:GITEA_USERNAME)) { 'dohertj2' } else { $env:GITEA_USERNAME }
+        $pair = "$($user):$($env:GITEA_TOKEN)"
+        $basic = [Convert]::ToBase64String([System.Text.Encoding]::ASCII.GetBytes($pair))
+        $headers['Authorization'] = "Basic $basic"
+    }
+
+    try {
+        $response = Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $uri -Headers $headers -Method Get -UseBasicParsing -ErrorAction Stop
+        return ($response.StatusCode -eq 200)
+    } catch {
+        $statusCode = $null
+        if ($_.Exception.PSObject.Properties['Response'] -and $_.Exception.Response) {
+            $statusCode = [int]$_.Exception.Response.StatusCode
+        }
+        if ($statusCode -eq 404) {
+            return $false
+        }
+        throw "Unable to query the Gitea package API for '$Type/$Name/$Version' ($uri): $($_.Exception.Message). Refusing to publish without a collision check — verify manually (or check GITEA_USERNAME/GITEA_TOKEN/network) and retry."
+    }
+}
+
+function Assert-GiteaPackageNotPublished {
+    <#
+    .SYNOPSIS
+        Aborts the script if $Name/$Version already exists in the $Type feed.
+        Never force-overwrites a published artifact (CLI-39).
+    #>
+    param(
+        [Parameter(Mandatory)][string]$Type,
+        [Parameter(Mandatory)][string]$Name,
+        [Parameter(Mandatory)][string]$Version
+    )
+
+    Write-Host "Checking Gitea '$Type' feed for existing '$Name' $Version..."
+    if (Test-GiteaPackageExists -Type $Type -Name $Name -Version $Version) {
+        throw "Gitea package '$Name' version '$Version' already exists in the '$Type' feed. Bump the client version before publishing — this script never force-overwrites a published artifact."
+    }
+    Write-Host "  Not found in the '$Type' feed — safe to publish '$Name' $Version." -ForegroundColor Green
+}
+
 # -------- .NET --------

 function Invoke-PackDotnet {
@@ -121,6 +185,15 @@ function Invoke-PackDotnet {
    if ($Publish) {
        Write-Host 'Publishing .NET packages to Gitea...' -ForegroundColor Yellow
        Get-ChildItem $OutputDir -Filter 'ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.*.nupkg' | ForEach-Object {
+            # nupkg filenames are '<PackageId>.<Version>.nupkg'; the id itself contains
+            # dots (e.g. 'ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Client'), so the id capture is lazy and the
+            # version capture anchors on the leading digit to split at the right dot.
+            $fileBaseName = [System.IO.Path]::GetFileNameWithoutExtension($_.Name)
+            if ($fileBaseName -notmatch '^(?<id>.+?)\.(?<version>\d+\.\d+\.\d+(?:[-+][0-9A-Za-z.-]+)?)$') {
+                throw "Could not parse a NuGet package id/version out of '$($_.Name)'."
+            }
+            Assert-GiteaPackageNotPublished -Type 'nuget' -Name $Matches.id -Version $Matches.version
+
            & dotnet nuget push $_.FullName --source $GiteaNugetFeed --api-key $env:GITEA_TOKEN
            if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { throw "dotnet nuget push failed for '$($_.Name)'." }
        }
@@ -159,6 +232,20 @@ function Invoke-PackPython {
    Write-Host "Packed Python artifacts -> $OutputDir" -ForegroundColor Green

    if ($Publish) {
+        $pyprojectPath = Join-Path $RepoRoot 'clients/python/pyproject.toml'
+        $pyprojectContent = Get-Content $pyprojectPath -Raw
+        # Scope to the [project] section (not just the first "version = ..." line
+        # in the file) — [build-system]/[tool.*] sections can carry their own
+        # version-shaped keys, and matching the file's first hit would be luck
+        # of ordering, not correctness.
+        if ($pyprojectContent -notmatch '(?ms)^\[project\](?<section>.*?)(?=^\[|\z)') {
+            throw "Could not find a [project] section in '$pyprojectPath'."
+        }
+        if ($Matches.section -notmatch '(?m)^\s*version\s*=\s*"([^"]+)"') {
+            throw "Could not find [project].version in '$pyprojectPath'."
+        }
+        Assert-GiteaPackageNotPublished -Type 'pypi' -Name 'zb-mom-ww-mxaccess-gateway-client' -Version $Matches[1]
+
        Write-Host 'Publishing Python distribution to Gitea...' -ForegroundColor Yellow
        $wheels = @(Get-ChildItem $OutputDir -Filter 'zb_mom_ww_mxaccess_gateway_client-*.whl')
        $sdists = @(Get-ChildItem $OutputDir -Filter 'zb_mom_ww_mxaccess_gateway_client-*.tar.gz')
@@ -206,6 +293,20 @@ function Invoke-PackRust {
    Write-Host "Packed Rust artifacts -> $OutputDir" -ForegroundColor Green

    if ($Publish) {
+        $cargoTomlPath = Join-Path $rustDir 'Cargo.toml'
+        $cargoTomlContent = Get-Content $cargoTomlPath -Raw
+        # Scope to the [package] section specifically — Cargo.toml also carries a
+        # [workspace.package] section with its own "version = ..." line (today
+        # identical, by convention, not by anything this regex can rely on), and
+        # matching whichever comes first in the file is luck of ordering.
+        if ($cargoTomlContent -notmatch '(?ms)^\[package\](?<section>.*?)(?=^\[|\z)') {
+            throw "Could not find a [package] section in '$cargoTomlPath'."
+        }
+        if ($Matches.section -notmatch '(?m)^\s*version\s*=\s*"([^"]+)"') {
+            throw "Could not find [package] version in '$cargoTomlPath'."
+        }
+        Assert-GiteaPackageNotPublished -Type 'cargo' -Name 'zb-mom-ww-mxgateway-client' -Version $Matches[1]
+
        Write-Host 'Publishing Rust crate to Gitea...' -ForegroundColor Yellow
        Push-Location (Join-Path $RepoRoot 'clients/rust')
        try {
@@ -269,6 +370,21 @@ function Invoke-PackJava {
    Write-Host "Packed Java artifacts -> $OutputDir" -ForegroundColor Green

    if ($Publish) {
+        $buildGradlePath = Join-Path $javaDir 'build.gradle'
+        $buildGradleContent = Get-Content $buildGradlePath -Raw
+        if ($buildGradleContent -notmatch "(?m)^\s*group\s*=\s*'([^']+)'") {
+            throw "Could not find subprojects { group = '...' } in '$buildGradlePath'."
+        }
+        $javaGroup = $Matches[1]
+        if ($buildGradleContent -notmatch "(?m)^\s*version\s*=\s*'([^']+)'") {
+            throw "Could not find subprojects { version = '...' } in '$buildGradlePath'."
+        }
+        $javaVersion = $Matches[1]
+        # Gitea's Maven package API identifies the package as "groupId:artifactId",
+        # not the bare artifact id — passing just the artifact id here would query
+        # a name that never exists and silently defeat the guard.
+        Assert-GiteaPackageNotPublished -Type 'maven' -Name "$javaGroup`:zb-mom-ww-mxgateway-client" -Version $javaVersion
+
        Write-Host 'Publishing Java artifacts to Gitea Maven feed...' -ForegroundColor Yellow
        Push-Location $javaDir
        try {
@@ -36,6 +36,23 @@ if ($Version -notmatch '^v\d+\.\d+\.\d+(-[A-Za-z0-9.-]+)?$') {
    throw "Version '$Version' must match semver vX.Y.Z (optionally with -prerelease suffix)."
 }

+# CLI-21 guard: the tag must match what the module itself reports via
+# ClientVersion, or `go get <module>@vX.Y.Z` resolves a tag whose module
+# code disagrees with its own version constant.
+$versionGoPath = Join-Path $PSScriptRoot '..' 'clients/go/mxgateway/version.go'
+if (-not (Test-Path $versionGoPath)) {
+    throw "Could not find '$versionGoPath' to verify ClientVersion before tagging."
+}
+$versionGoContent = Get-Content $versionGoPath -Raw
+if ($versionGoContent -notmatch 'ClientVersion\s*=\s*"([^"]+)"') {
+    throw "Could not find a ClientVersion = `"...`" constant in '$versionGoPath'."
+}
+$clientVersion = $Matches[1]
+$tagVersion = $Version.TrimStart('v')
+if ($clientVersion -ne $tagVersion) {
+    throw "clients/go/mxgateway/version.go ClientVersion is '$clientVersion' but the requested tag is '$tagVersion'. Update ClientVersion to match before tagging."
+}
+
 $tag = "clients/go/$Version"
 Write-Host "Creating Go-module tag: $tag" -ForegroundColor Cyan

@@ -11,10 +11,14 @@

  <!-- TST-11: single-source the .NET-side version for Server, Worker, Contracts, and tests
       (they otherwise stamp the SDK default 1.0.0, so a deployed gateway cannot be correlated
-       to a release). Kept at 0.1.2 to match the Contracts package and the aligned Python/Rust/
-       Go clients; the Java client leads at 0.2.0 after its JDK-17 retarget. The git short SHA is
-       appended to InformationalVersion (0.1.2+<sha>) so support can map a running binary to a
-       commit; the query is guarded so a build outside a git checkout still succeeds. -->
+       to a release). Server/Worker/Tests stay at this default. CLI-39 (2026-08-07) moved the
+       published `ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Contracts` and `.Client` nuget packages to 0.2.0 via an
+       explicit <Version> override in Contracts.csproj (MSBuild property-last-write-wins over
+       this Directory.Build.props default) — Server/Worker assembly stamping and the published
+       client packages are deliberately decoupled; a broader 0.2.0 alignment for Server/Worker
+       is a separate, not-yet-made decision. The git short SHA is appended to
+       InformationalVersion (0.1.2+<sha>) so support can map a running binary to a commit; the
+       query is guarded so a build outside a git checkout still succeeds. -->
  <PropertyGroup>
    <Version>0.1.2</Version>
  </PropertyGroup>
@@ -17,6 +17,21 @@ public static class GatewayContractInfo
    /// <summary>Default backend name identifying the MXAccess worker process type.</summary>
    public const string DefaultBackendName = "mxaccess-worker";

+    /// <summary>
+    /// Ceiling on how many events one <c>DrainEvents</c> command may move in a single reply.
+    /// Shared so the gateway's request-validation ceiling
+    /// (<c>MxAccessGrpcRequestValidator</c>, which rejects a larger <c>max_events</c> loudly at
+    /// the public boundary) and the worker's per-reply clamp
+    /// (<c>WorkerPipeSession.CreateDrainEventsReply</c>, the backstop that also interprets
+    /// <c>max_events = 0</c>) cannot drift apart. A count cap alone is necessary but not
+    /// sufficient: the worker additionally caps the reply by serialized bytes against the
+    /// negotiated frame maximum (WRK-21), so a reply may carry fewer events than this ceiling
+    /// and fewer than are queued. Callers drain iteratively until an empty reply.
+    /// This is a documented behavioral bound, not wire schema — it is deliberately a C#
+    /// constant and not a <c>.proto</c> field.
+    /// </summary>
+    public const uint MaxDrainEventsPerCommand = 10_000;
+
    /// <summary>
    /// Environment variable name that opts an xUnit suite into running live
    /// MXAccess COM tests. Single source of truth shared by both
@@ -22796,6 +22796,12 @@ namespace ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Contracts.Proto {
    private static readonly pb::FieldCodec<global::ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Contracts.Proto.MxEvent> _repeated_events_codec
        = pb::FieldCodec.ForMessage(10, global::ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Contracts.Proto.MxEvent.Parser);
    private readonly pbc::RepeatedField<global::ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Contracts.Proto.MxEvent> events_ = new pbc::RepeatedField<global::ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Contracts.Proto.MxEvent>();
+    /// <summary>
+    /// The reply is bounded by both a server-side count cap and the negotiated
+    /// worker-frame byte cap; a reply may therefore carry fewer events than
+    /// `max_events` and fewer than are queued. Callers drain iteratively until an
+    /// empty reply.
+    /// </summary>
    [global::System.Diagnostics.DebuggerNonUserCodeAttribute]
    [global::System.CodeDom.Compiler.GeneratedCode("protoc", null)]
    public pbc::RepeatedField<global::ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Contracts.Proto.MxEvent> Events {
@@ -24510,6 +24516,11 @@ namespace ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Contracts.Proto {
    /// after_worker_sequence = oldest_available_sequence - 1 in the next
    /// StreamEventsRequest, which will cause the server to replay starting at
    /// oldest_available_sequence (the first retained event).
+    /// When nothing is retained (the replay ring is empty), this is the next sequence
+    /// that can be delivered — `highest observed + 1` — and the `oldest - 1` resume
+    /// formula remains valid: it resolves to the highest sequence already seen, so the
+    /// follow-up resume replays nothing, reports no gap, and every newer live event
+    /// passes. The interval evicted is unchanged.
    /// </summary>
    [global::System.Diagnostics.DebuggerNonUserCodeAttribute]
    [global::System.CodeDom.Compiler.GeneratedCode("protoc", null)]
@@ -1164,6 +1164,9 @@ namespace ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Contracts.Proto {
    /// instead of a hard-coded default; 0 (an older gateway that never set the field) means
    /// "use the worker's built-in default". Sits above the public gRPC cap by an
    /// envelope-overhead margin so an accepted gRPC payload always fits one worker frame.
+    /// Every worker->gateway frame — events, heartbeats, faults, and control replies
+    /// including DrainEvents — must serialize within this limit; reply builders truncate
+    /// to fit rather than emit an oversized frame.
    /// </summary>
    [global::System.Diagnostics.DebuggerNonUserCodeAttribute]
    [global::System.CodeDom.Compiler.GeneratedCode("protoc", null)]
@@ -676,6 +676,10 @@ message WorkerInfoReply {
 }

 message DrainEventsReply {
+  // The reply is bounded by both a server-side count cap and the negotiated
+  // worker-frame byte cap; a reply may therefore carry fewer events than
+  // `max_events` and fewer than are queued. Callers drain iteratively until an
+  // empty reply.
  repeated MxEvent events = 1;
 }

@@ -760,6 +764,11 @@ message ReplayGap {
  // after_worker_sequence = oldest_available_sequence - 1 in the next
  // StreamEventsRequest, which will cause the server to replay starting at
  // oldest_available_sequence (the first retained event).
+  // When nothing is retained (the replay ring is empty), this is the next sequence
+  // that can be delivered — `highest observed + 1` — and the `oldest - 1` resume
+  // formula remains valid: it resolves to the highest sequence already seen, so the
+  // follow-up resume replays nothing, reports no gap, and every newer live event
+  // passes. The interval evicted is unchanged.
  uint64 oldest_available_sequence = 2;
 }

@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@ message GatewayHello {
  // instead of a hard-coded default; 0 (an older gateway that never set the field) means
  // "use the worker's built-in default". Sits above the public gRPC cap by an
  // envelope-overhead margin so an accepted gRPC payload always fits one worker frame.
+  // Every worker->gateway frame — events, heartbeats, faults, and control replies
+  // including DrainEvents — must serialize within this limit; reply builders truncate
+  // to fit rather than emit an oversized frame.
  uint32 max_frame_bytes = 4;
 }

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
  <PropertyGroup>
    <IsPackable>true</IsPackable>
    <PackageId>ZB.MOM.WW.MxGateway.Contracts</PackageId>
-    <Version>0.1.2</Version>
+    <Version>0.2.0</Version>
    <Authors>Joseph Doherty</Authors>
    <Company>ZB MOM WW</Company>
    <Copyright>Copyright (c) ZB MOM WW. All rights reserved.</Copyright>
--- a/Show More
+++ b/Show More