diff --git a/packages/test-system/ci/preserve-refresh.mjs b/packages/test-system/ci/preserve-refresh.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d74eeaae2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/test-system/ci/preserve-refresh.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import { chmodSync, mkdirSync, readFileSync, readdirSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { createHash } from 'node:crypto';
+import { dirname, join, relative } from 'node:path';
+
+// Exercise startup's real refresh in the existing restart case's disposable HOME.
+export async function preserveRefresh(daemon, home, rigBin) {
+  const plugin = join(home, 'plugins/openrig-core');
+  const recovery = join(home, 'backups/managed-refresh');
+  const shipped = join(dirname(rigBin), '../daemon/assets/plugins/openrig-core');
+  const edited = Buffer.from([0xff, 0, ...Buffer.from('unique owner edit\r\n')]);
+  const sha = bytes => createHash('sha256').update(bytes).digest('hex');
+  const files = dir => readdirSync(dir, { recursive: true, withFileTypes: true })
+    .filter(entry => entry.isFile()).map(entry => join(entry.parentPath, entry.name));
+  const snapshot = () => Object.fromEntries(files(plugin).sort()
+    .map(file => [relative(plugin, file), sha(readFileSync(file))]));
+
+  await daemon.sigterm();
+  writeFileSync(join(plugin, 'README.md'), edited);
+  for (const harness of ['.claude-plugin', '.codex-plugin']) {
+    const path = join(plugin, harness, 'plugin.json');
+    const manifest = JSON.parse(readFileSync(path, 'utf8'));
+    writeFileSync(path, JSON.stringify({ ...manifest, version: '0.0.1' }));
+  }
+  const before = snapshot();
+  mkdirSync(recovery, { recursive: true });
+  chmodSync(recovery, 0o500); // Non-root fixture: fail backup before any target write.
+  try {
+    await daemon.restart();
+    assert.deepEqual(snapshot(), before, 'failed backup changed plugin bytes/version');
+    assert.ok(readFileSync(join(home, 'daemon.log'), 'utf8').split('\n').some(line =>
+      line.includes(`preservation failed for ${plugin}:`) && line.includes('refresh skipped')),
+    'missing skipped-refresh warning for this plugin');
+  } finally {
+    chmodSync(recovery, 0o700);
+  }
+  await daemon.restart();
+  const backup = files(recovery).find(file => readFileSync(file).equals(edited));
+  assert.ok(backup, 'refresh lost the exact binary edit');
+  assert.deepEqual(readFileSync(join(plugin, 'README.md')), readFileSync(join(shipped, 'README.md')));
+  const version = dir => JSON.parse(readFileSync(join(dir, '.claude-plugin/plugin.json'), 'utf8')).version;
+  assert.equal(version(plugin), version(shipped), 'managed version did not advance');
+  assert.notEqual(version(plugin), '0.0.1');
+  return { failedBackupUnchanged: true, editedSha256: sha(edited), backedUpSha256: sha(readFileSync(backup)),
+    targetFilesChecked: Object.keys(before).length, version: version(plugin), shippedVersion: version(shipped) };
+}
diff --git a/packages/test-system/ci/result.mjs b/packages/test-system/ci/result.mjs
index 0e9e54623..6d13b327f 100644
--- a/packages/test-system/ci/result.mjs
+++ b/packages/test-system/ci/result.mjs
@@ -36,6 +36,15 @@ export function verifyPassingRun(exitCode, report, caseName) {
   assert.deepEqual(report.records[0], report.result);
   assert.equal(exitCode, 0);
   assert.equal(report.result.verdict, 'PASS');
+  if (caseName === 'daemon-restart') {
+    const proof = report.preservation;
+    assert.equal(proof?.failedBackupUnchanged, true);
+    assert.match(proof.editedSha256, /^[0-9a-f]{64}$/);
+    assert.equal(proof.backedUpSha256, proof.editedSha256);
+    assert.ok(proof.targetFilesChecked > 0);
+    assert.equal(proof.version, proof.shippedVersion);
+    assert.notEqual(proof.version, '0.0.1');
+  }
   if (selected.kind === 'hook') {
     verifyHookOutput(report.hook);
     for (const text of selected.includes) assert.ok(report.hook.additionalContext.includes(text), text);
diff --git a/packages/test-system/ci/run.mjs b/packages/test-system/ci/run.mjs
index 070686b4e..6abf2afee 100644
--- a/packages/test-system/ci/run.mjs
+++ b/packages/test-system/ci/run.mjs
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import { networkInterfaces } from 'node:os';
 import { join } from 'node:path';
 import { defaultHostDaemon, runScenarioFile } from '../../daemon/test/helpers/scenario-pipeline.ts';
 import { CASES, PASSING_CASES, RESULT_PREFIX } from './result.mjs';
+import { preserveRefresh } from './preserve-refresh.mjs';
 
 assert.equal(process.platform, 'linux', 'container execution only');
 assert.notEqual(process.getuid(), 0, 'run as the unprivileged testbed user');
@@ -77,6 +78,10 @@ sys.exit(r.returncode)
     },
     daemon: async (scaffold, options) => {
       const daemon = await defaultHostDaemon(scaffold, options);
+      if (caseName === 'daemon-restart') return {
+        ...daemon,
+        restart: async () => { report.preservation = await preserveRefresh(daemon, scaffold.openrigHome, rigBin); },
+      };
       if (mode === 'healthy' || selected.kind === 'hook') return daemon;
       return {
         ...daemon,
diff --git a/scripts/build-testbed-cli-pack.test.mjs b/scripts/build-testbed-cli-pack.test.mjs
index 5c3e5ddd1..4bcea03df 100644
--- a/scripts/build-testbed-cli-pack.test.mjs
+++ b/scripts/build-testbed-cli-pack.test.mjs
@@ -30,6 +30,19 @@ const DAEMON_SURFACES = [
   "daemon/dist/gateway-slack-surface.js",
 ];
 
+function assertReleaseGuidance(version, note) {
+  const [heading, intro] = note.trim().split(/\n\s*\n/, 2);
+  assert.equal(heading, `# What changed in OpenRig ${version}`, 'packaged whats-new heading is stale');
+  assert.ok(intro.includes(`just upgraded to ${version}.`), 'packaged whats-new introduction is stale');
+}
+
+test("whats-new names its package version, and rejects stale heading or introduction", () => {
+  const note = '# What changed in OpenRig 0.7.0\n\nThis note is for an agent on an install that was just upgraded to 0.7.0.';
+  assertReleaseGuidance('0.7.0', note);
+  assert.throws(() => assertReleaseGuidance('0.7.0', note.replace('OpenRig 0.7.0', 'OpenRig 0.6.12')), /heading is stale/);
+  assert.throws(() => assertReleaseGuidance('0.7.0', note.replace('upgraded to 0.7.0', 'upgraded to 0.6.12')), /introduction is stale/);
+});
+
 test("pre-check: @openrig/cli, ships the `rig` bin, and does not depend on the unpublished @openrig/daemon", () => {
   const pkg = JSON.parse(readFileSync(join(CLI_DIR, "package.json"), "utf8"));
   assert.equal(pkg.name, "@openrig/cli", "must pack @openrig/cli, not the root openrig");
@@ -61,6 +74,8 @@ test("package proof: the tarball ships the daemon surfaces and no packaged JS im
         `the shipped daemon must include ${surface} (a value-import resolution target)`);
     }
     const packed = JSON.parse(execFileSync("tar", ["-xzOf", tgzPath, "package/package.json"], { encoding: "utf8" }));
+    const note = execFileSync("tar", ["-xzOf", tgzPath, "package/daemon/context-packs/reference/whats-new.md"], { encoding: "utf8" });
+    assertReleaseGuidance(packed.version, note);
     assert.equal(packed.dependencies?.["@openrig/daemon"], undefined, "the packed manifest must not depend on @openrig/daemon");
     assert.equal(packed.bundledDependencies, undefined, "the packed manifest must not bundle dependencies");
 
diff --git a/scripts/pr-scenarios.test.mjs b/scripts/pr-scenarios.test.mjs
index 1c71324e4..db4728a99 100644
--- a/scripts/pr-scenarios.test.mjs
+++ b/scripts/pr-scenarios.test.mjs
@@ -81,6 +81,14 @@ test('a passing-only case admits only a clean PASS of its own scenario', () => {
     const text = (PASSING_CASES[caseName].includes ?? []).join('\n');
     const hook = { rawOutput: JSON.stringify({ hookSpecificOutput: { hookEventName: 'UserPromptSubmit', additionalContext: text } }), additionalContext: text };
     const pass = { ...(PASSING_CASES[caseName].kind === 'hook' ? { hook } : {}), mode: 'healthy', caseName, scenarioSha256: 'a'.repeat(64), result, records: [result], fault: null };
+    if (caseName === 'daemon-restart') {
+      pass.preservation = { failedBackupUnchanged: true, editedSha256: 'b'.repeat(64), backedUpSha256: 'b'.repeat(64),
+        targetFilesChecked: 2, version: '0.1.17', shippedVersion: '0.1.17' };
+      for (const changed of [undefined, { ...pass.preservation, failedBackupUnchanged: false },
+        { ...pass.preservation, backedUpSha256: 'c'.repeat(64) }, { ...pass.preservation, version: '0.0.1' }]) {
+        assert.throws(() => verifyPassingRun(0, { ...pass, preservation: changed }, caseName));
+      }
+    }
     verifyPassingRun(0, pass, caseName);
     const fail = { ...result, verdict: 'FAIL', failedStep: 2 };
     for (const [exitCode, bad] of [