diff --git a/openvino-classifier-npu/CONTRACT.md b/openvino-classifier-npu/CONTRACT.md
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+# OpenVINO NPU classifier/router dry-run contract
+
+Status: specification for dry-run prototype refresh
+Target port: `127.0.0.1:18819`
+Owner context: Atlas/Hermes local assistant sidecar evaluation
+
+This service is an advisory classifier for Atlas/Hermes automation hints. It may suggest labels such as tool-needed, memory-candidate type, urgency, workflow category, and safety-confirmation-required, but it must not make or enforce live routing, memory, tool, or safety decisions without a separate explicit approval from Will.
+
+## Recommended model and runtime
+
+Recommended v1 runtime: small local Python HTTP/CLI service backed by the existing OpenVINO NPU embeddings service on `127.0.0.1:18817`.
+
+Recommended v1 model shape:
+
+- Primary signal: `bge-base-en-v1.5-int8-ov` embeddings from the live embeddings service.
+- Classifier layer: inspectable deterministic rules plus cosine similarity against curated synthetic/prototype utterances.
+- Model label: `bge-base-en-v1.5-int8-ov/prototype-router-v0`.
+- Device proof: request-level `npu_busy_delta_us` from `:18817` plus direct sysfs before/after reads from `/sys/class/accel/accel0/device/npu_busy_time_us`.
+
+Why this is preferred for the dry run:
+
+1. It reuses the already-live NPU embeddings path rather than adding a second model conversion/runtime dependency before contract validation.
+2. Rules and prototypes are transparent enough for safety-sensitive routing hints; a reviewer can inspect why a message was labeled.
+3. It avoids fine-tuning or training on private Atlas/Hermes transcripts.
+4. It keeps the service small, localhost-only, and easy to start/stop during smoke tests.
+5. It produces NPU activity through the embeddings path while making clear that final decision logic remains advisory.
+
+Defer a dedicated NPU sequence-classification model such as TinyBERT/MiniLM until the dry-run labels and thresholds have been evaluated against synthetic fixtures and explicitly-approved non-private examples. If pursued later, use OpenVINO Runtime/Optimum export with fixed input shapes suitable for NPU, and keep the rule layer for safety gates.
+
+## Non-goals and safety invariants
+
+The service must not:
+
+- Change Hermes/Atlas model routing, gateway routing, memory writes, tool-use permissions, or safety-confirmation behavior.
+- Restart, stop, enable, or persist any live Atlas/Hermes/gateway/RAG service.
+- Bind to anything broader than `127.0.0.1` by default.
+- Mutate Chroma/vector collections, trigger reindexing, or write to RAG state.
+- Process private document/image directories or private transcript dumps for smoke testing.
+- Log raw prompts by default beyond normal foreground stderr during local review.
+- Claim NPU success from HTTP 200 alone.
+
+## Endpoint contract
+
+All HTTP endpoints are local-only by default.
+
+Base URL:
+
+```text
+http://127.0.0.1:18819
+```
+
+### GET `/healthz`, `/health`, `/readyz`, `/`
+
+Purpose: liveness/readiness metadata.
+
+Response fields:
+
+- `status`: `starting | ok`
+- `service`: `atlas-router-classifier`
+- `version`: service version string
+- `mode`: always `dry_run`
+- `model`: model/runtime label
+- `embed_url`: upstream embeddings URL
+- `device`: expected to say `NPU-via-embedding-service` or equivalent
+- `labels`: supported label names
+- `embedding_dim`: embedding dimension after warmup
+- `prototype_count`: number of synthetic prototype examples loaded
+- `prototype_npu_busy_delta_us`: warmup delta reported by upstream embeddings, if available
+- `npu_busy_time_us`: current sysfs counter value, if readable
+- `warnings`: list of non-fatal warnings
+
+A healthy service is not enough to prove NPU execution. At least one classification request must also show positive request and sysfs busy deltas.
+
+### GET `/v1/labels`
+
+Purpose: publish schema information without dumping private examples.
+
+Response fields:
+
+- `model`
+- `thresholds`
+  - `tool_needed`: recommended threshold `0.72`
+  - `memory_candidate`: recommended threshold `0.78`
+  - `safety_confirmation_required`: recommended threshold `0.80`
+  - `workflow_category`: recommended threshold `0.52`
+- `enums`
+  - `memory_candidate`: `none`, `user_preference`, `durable_user_fact`, `environment_fact`, `workflow_convention`, `skill_candidate`
+  - `urgency`: `low`, `normal`, `high`, `critical`
+  - `workflow_category`: `chat`, `research`, `coding`, `debugging`, `devops`, `smart_home`, `media`, `note_taking`, `productivity`, `kanban`, `unknown`
+- `prototype_ids`: names of curated synthetic prototype buckets
+
+### POST `/v1/classify`
+
+Purpose: classify one user/task message for advisory dry-run hints.
+
+Request:
+
+```json
+{
+  "id": "optional-trace-id",
+  "text": "Urgent: check whether port 18817 is listening and inspect systemd logs.",
+  "context": {
+    "platform": "cli",
+    "source": "user"
+  },
+  "options": {
+    "include_evidence": true,
+    "include_embedding_debug": false,
+    "dry_run": true
+  }
+}
+```
+
+Required behavior:
+
+- Reject empty text with HTTP 400.
+- Default `dry_run` to true.
+- Return no side effects other than local inference and response generation.
+- Include evidence by default unless `include_evidence=false`.
+- Include embedding/prototype scores only when explicitly requested through `include_embedding_debug=true`.
+
+Response:
+
+```json
+{
+  "id": "optional-trace-id",
+  "model": "bge-base-en-v1.5-int8-ov/prototype-router-v0",
+  "created": 1780590000,
+  "duration_ms": 12.3,
+  "npu_busy_delta_us": 1234,
+  "sysfs_npu_busy_delta_us": 1200,
+  "dry_run": true,
+  "labels": {
+    "tool_needed": {
+      "value": true,
+      "confidence": 0.84,
+      "threshold": 0.72,
+      "reason_codes": ["local_state_requested"]
+    },
+    "memory_candidate": {
+      "value": "none",
+      "confidence": 0.31,
+      "threshold": 0.78,
+      "reason_codes": []
+    },
+    "urgency": {
+      "value": "high",
+      "confidence": 0.84,
+      "scores": {"low": 0.0, "normal": 0.2, "high": 0.84, "critical": 0.0},
+      "reason_codes": ["urgent_language"]
+    },
+    "workflow_category": {
+      "value": "devops",
+      "confidence": 0.86,
+      "scores": {"devops": 0.86, "unknown": 0.14}
+    },
+    "safety_confirmation_required": {
+      "value": false,
+      "confidence": 0.0,
+      "threshold": 0.8,
+      "reason_codes": []
+    }
+  },
+  "warnings": [],
+  "evidence": []
+}
+```
+
+### POST `/v1/batch_classify`
+
+Purpose: classify a bounded batch of non-private synthetic or explicitly-approved messages.
+
+Request:
+
+```json
+{
+  "items": [
+    {"id": "m1", "text": "What time is it in Seattle right now?"},
+    {"id": "m2", "text": "Restart the live Atlas gateway and switch primary routing."}
+  ],
+  "options": {"include_evidence": false, "dry_run": true}
+}
+```
+
+Response:
+
+- `model`
+- `duration_ms`
+- aggregate `npu_busy_delta_us`
+- `results`: array of `/v1/classify` responses
+
+Batch limits for prototype review:
+
+- Keep batches small, ideally <= 32 items.
+- Use only synthetic fixtures unless Will explicitly approves a real non-private sample set.
+- Do not retain request bodies to disk.
+
+## CLI contract
+
+The same implementation should support foreground review from the service directory:
+
+```bash
+cd /home/will/lab/swarm/openvino-classifier-npu
+/home/will/.venvs/npu/bin/python router_classifier.py \
+  --host 127.0.0.1 \
+  --port 18819 \
+  --embed-url http://127.0.0.1:18817/v1/embeddings
+```
+
+Required flags/env:
+
+- `--host` / `OPENVINO_CLASSIFIER_HOST`; default `127.0.0.1`.
+- `--port` / `OPENVINO_CLASSIFIER_PORT`; default `18819`.
+- `--embed-url` / `OPENVINO_CLASSIFIER_EMBED_URL`; default `http://127.0.0.1:18817/v1/embeddings`.
+- `--timeout-s` / `OPENVINO_CLASSIFIER_TIMEOUT_S`; default `30`.
+- `--no-warmup` to defer prototype embedding until first request.
+
+A future dedicated CLI mode may be added for one-shot JSONL classification, but foreground HTTP review is sufficient for the dry-run contract.
+
+## Synthetic smoke-test plan
+
+Preconditions:
+
+1. Confirm `:18817` embeddings service is healthy.
+2. Confirm `:18819` is not already listening.
+3. Read `/sys/class/accel/accel0/device/npu_busy_time_us` before starting the request smoke.
+4. Use only synthetic fixture text such as `fixtures/atlas_hermes_messages.jsonl`.
+
+Unit/schema smoke, no NPU dependency:
+
+```bash
+cd /home/will/lab/swarm
+/home/will/.venvs/npu/bin/python -m unittest discover -s openvino-classifier-npu/tests -v
+```
+
+Foreground service smoke:
+
+```bash
+ss -ltnp | grep ':18819\b' || true
+cd /home/will/lab/swarm/openvino-classifier-npu
+/home/will/.venvs/npu/bin/python router_classifier.py --host 127.0.0.1 --port 18819
+```
+
+From another shell:
+
+```bash
+curl -fsS http://127.0.0.1:18819/healthz | jq .
+curl -fsS http://127.0.0.1:18819/v1/labels | jq .
+curl -fsS http://127.0.0.1:18819/v1/classify \
+  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
+  -d '{"id":"smoke-devops","text":"Urgent: check whether port 18817 is listening and inspect systemd logs.","options":{"include_evidence":true,"dry_run":true}}' | jq .
+curl -fsS http://127.0.0.1:18819/v1/classify \
+  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
+  -d '{"id":"smoke-safety","text":"Restart the live Atlas gateway and switch primary routing to the new classifier.","options":{"include_evidence":true,"dry_run":true}}' | jq .
+```
+
+Expected label checks:
+
+- `smoke-devops`: `tool_needed.value=true`, `urgency.value=high`, `workflow_category.value=devops`.
+- `smoke-safety`: `safety_confirmation_required.value=true`, no actual restart or routing change.
+- Health and classify responses include no raw private paths or private document content.
+
+Shutdown:
+
+- Stop the foreground server with Ctrl-C.
+- Re-run `ss -ltnp | grep ':18819\b' || true` and confirm no listener remains.
+
+## NPU busy-time verification plan
+
+Use sysfs plus service response fields; do not accept HTTP 200 alone.
+
+```bash
+BUSY=/sys/class/accel/accel0/device/npu_busy_time_us
+before=$(cat "$BUSY")
+response=$(curl -fsS http://127.0.0.1:18819/v1/classify \
+  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
+  -d '{"id":"npu-proof","text":"Check current systemd service status for the embeddings service.","options":{"include_evidence":false,"dry_run":true}}')
+after=$(cat "$BUSY")
+echo "$response" | jq '{npu_busy_delta_us, sysfs_npu_busy_delta_us, warnings}'
+echo "outer_sysfs_npu_busy_delta_us=$((after-before))"
+```
+
+Acceptance for an NPU-backed classification request:
+
+- HTTP request succeeds.
+- Response `npu_busy_delta_us > 0` from upstream embeddings.
+- Response `sysfs_npu_busy_delta_us > 0` when sysfs is readable.
+- Outer shell `after-before > 0`.
+- If any delta is missing or <= 0, mark NPU proof failed or inconclusive and do not claim NPU execution.
+
+## Docs and diagram implications
+
+If this prototype is refreshed or reviewed, update documentation to show:
+
+- Live baseline remains RAG `:18810`, RAG health `:18814`, Whisper NPU `:18816`, and embeddings `:18817`.
+- Classifier/router `:18819` is an optional prototype sidecar, not a live Atlas/Hermes routing dependency.
+- Any architecture diagram should place `:18819` under local AI/search/voice prototype sidecars with a clear `dry-run / not live routing` label.
+- Runbooks should list foreground start, health/classify smoke, sysfs NPU proof, and shutdown checks.
+- Service catalog entries should state `not installed/enabled` until Will approves persistent service enablement.
+- No docs should imply the classifier decides memory writes, tool permission, safety confirmation, or live routing.
+
+Relevant docs inventory:
+
+- `docs/swarm-infrastructure.md`
+- `docs/swarm-infrastructure.html`
+- `docs/diagram-maintenance.md`
+- `swarm-common/obsidian-vault/will/will-shared-zap/Runbooks/OpenVINO NPU Services Runbook.md`
+- `swarm-common/obsidian-vault/will/will-shared-zap/Resources/Service Catalog.md`
+
+## No-go / defer criteria
+
+Do not proceed to implementation refresh, persistent service enablement, or live integration if any of the following hold:
+
+- `:18817` embeddings is unavailable and no approved NPU embedding fallback exists.
+- `/sys/class/accel/accel0/device/npu_busy_time_us` is missing/unreadable and NPU proof cannot be independently established.
+- Classification responses cannot produce positive NPU busy-time deltas.
+- `:18819` is already occupied by an unknown or live service.
+- Smoke tests require private transcripts, private document/image directories, or production routing changes.
+- Labels are too noisy on synthetic fixtures to be useful as advisory hints.
+- The service would need to bind externally, run persistently, or integrate with live Hermes/Atlas before Will approves those gates.
+- Any implementation path requires mutating Chroma/vector collections or triggering RAG reindexing in place.
+
+## Implementation handoff notes
+
+Recommended next engineer actions:
+
+1. Verify or refresh `openvino-classifier-npu/router_classifier.py` to match this contract.
+2. Keep the service stdlib/local-first unless a dependency is already present in `/home/will/.venvs/npu`.
+3. Maintain synthetic fixtures and unit tests for label schema/threshold behavior.
+4. Run only foreground smokes; do not install or enable `openvino-router-classifier.service`.
+5. Capture changed files, unit test output, listener checks, response samples, and NPU busy-time before/after in the implementation handoff.
diff --git a/openvino-classifier-npu/README.md b/openvino-classifier-npu/README.md
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@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 
 Dry-run Atlas/Hermes message classifier/router prototype.
 
+The detailed dry-run contract is in [`CONTRACT.md`](./CONTRACT.md), including the
+recommended model/runtime, HTTP/CLI schema, smoke-test plan, NPU busy-time proof,
+docs/diagram implications, and no-go/defer criteria.
+
 It reuses the existing OpenVINO NPU embeddings service on `127.0.0.1:18817` and
 serves an inspectable stdlib HTTP API on `127.0.0.1:18819`. It does not change
 live Hermes/Atlas routing, write memory, mutate vector collections, restart