diff --git a/.kiro/specs/ha-commit-durability/tasks.md b/.kiro/specs/ha-commit-durability/tasks.md
index 1b6e03e6..81e44300 100644
--- a/.kiro/specs/ha-commit-durability/tasks.md
+++ b/.kiro/specs/ha-commit-durability/tasks.md
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
   - _Depends: 2.1_
 
 - [ ] 3. Recovery integrity (no silent truncate; durable floor)
-- [ ] 3.1 Return a recovery integrity verdict and mark a truncated member non-promotable
+- [x] 3.1 Return a recovery integrity verdict and mark a truncated member non-promotable
   - Make WAL replay distinguish a clean log end from a corruption-stopped end (CRC chain break / mismatch / short read) and surface that verdict; a corruption-truncated recovery is never reported as a clean recovery and sets a member-level "recovery-truncated" flag that the promotion gate (4.3) consumes.
   - Observable: a unit test injecting a CRC break at the first entry yields a TRUNCATED verdict and sets the non-promotable flag, while an intact log yields CLEAN; an empty first-boot WAL is CLEAN (not corruption).
   - _Requirements: 2.1_
@@ -127,3 +127,4 @@
 - 2.2: `majority_candidate_locked` (commit.c:93) self-cap = `persist_durable_lsn(ce->p)` (was `highest_appended_lsn`); appended tip kept only for the `assert(cand <= highest_appended_lsn)` never-beyond-log check. So `committed_lsn` cannot advance over an entry until it is durable locally (Req 1.2/1.4). Durable-advance WAKE (the wire 2.1 deferred): persist defines a callback hook `on_durable_advance(void*)`/`durable_cb_ctx` + `persist_set_durable_cb()`; commit registers `commit_on_durable_advance` (ctx=engine) in `commit_engine_init`, unregisters in `commit_engine_fini`. Flusher invokes it ONLY when `durable_lsn` advanced, AFTER releasing `p->lock` → callback takes `ce->lock` + broadcasts `ce->cond`. Respects commit→persist dependency direction (persist never includes commit). Lock order p->lock→ce->lock only (cycle-free). Lost-wakeup-free: broadcast follows the release-store; waiter re-reads durable under ce->lock; timedwait backstop. Shutdown UAF closed: `persist_stop` JOINS the flusher BEFORE `commit_engine_fini` (cluster.c:1675 vs 1695); final stop-flush does NOT fire the callback; fini also unregisters defensively. GOTCHA (bug-704): self-cap broke 4 existing commit-path fixtures (test_repl_majority/coldstart_lsn0/commit_barrier_rollout/demotion_convergence) that primed `current_lsn` but not `durable_lsn` — fix = prime `durable_lsn = appended tip` in any in-memory fixture that sets current_lsn without writing real WAL bytes (the flusher can't advance durable for a fake log). Any future commit-engine test must prime durable_lsn too.
 - 2.3: Standby persist-before-ACK pinned + Req-1.3 hole closed. `persist_wal_write_replicated` (persist.c:741) now rc-gates the inline `fdatasync`: on failure (or `flusher_fsync_forced_fail`) it logs ERROR + `return -EIO` (symmetric with the 2.1 flusher gate) — the standby will NOT ACK a non-durable entry. Caller `ha_apply_single_entry` (ha.c:1135-1166) ALREADY routes a negative return to no-apply/no-ACK (`ha_send_wal_ack_reply` reached only on rc==0), so NO ha.c change was needed (boundary stayed persistence-only). Ordering pin = `#ifdef XCE_TESTING atomic_uint test_replicated_fdatasync_count` incremented at the sync site; `test_replicated_persist_syncs_before_return` asserts it increments inside the call (page-cache means a disk re-read can't prove fsync — use the counter). `test_replicated_sync_failure_no_ack` REDs without the gate. Seam production-excluded (nm-verified). HOUSEKEEPING: controller tests `mkdtemp` into `/tmp/xce_*` and don't clean up — thousands accumulate and eventually make `mkdtemp` fail → misleading suite-wide "Expected Non-NULL" cascade. Run `rm -rf /tmp/xce_*` if that appears (pre-existing test pattern, not a regression).
 - 2.4: SPEC INACCURACY corrected — `persist_wal_sync_append` is NOT dormant; it is the LIVE job-submit path (`persist_job_hook_fun` calls it at persist.c:1911). Took the "route through durable-majority eval" option (delete infeasible). Production path (ce!=NULL, lsn!=0) was already durable-safe via 2.2's `majority_candidate_locked` self-cap. Closed the hazard in the LEGACY branch: the former unconditional `atomic_store(committed_lsn, written_lsn)` on majority ACK is now `sync_append_legacy_commit_store()` which advances ONLY when `written_lsn <= persist_durable_lsn(p)` (LSN-0 edge: store of 0 valid). Added the design's debug invariant `committed_lsn <= durable_lsn` (`#ifdef XCE_TESTING` assert at commit.c:162 + inside the legacy store) as the future-proof guard. Fixed the stale "after local fsync via persist_wal_async" comment (2.1 deferred the fsync). CODE-SEARCH (authoritative): the ONLY `committed_lsn` stores are — engine advance (commit.c, durable-capped by 2.2), legacy sync_append (now gated), and the two `persist_truncate_wal_above` cutoff stores (NOT ACK-driven; each immediately `clamp_durable_lsn_locked`). ha.c/ha_convergence.c stores are `last_known_committed_lsn` (DIFFERENT field). So no path advances commit on ACK without the durable precondition. Seam `persist_test_sync_append_legacy_commit_store` is production-excluded.
+- 3.1: `recover_verdict_t {RECOVER_CLEAN, RECOVER_TRUNCATED}` (persist.h) + `persist_t.recovery_verdict` field + accessors `persist_recovery_verdict()`/`persist_recovery_truncated()` (NOT XCE_TESTING-gated — 4.3 consumes them in production). `replay_wal` classifies: CRC chain break / CRC mismatch / short header/payload read → TRUNCATED; clean entry boundary / pre-allocated-zero tail / empty WAL / snapshot-sentinel+clean-replay → CLEAN. Verdict is monotonic (init CLEAN once; only ever set TRUNCATED; a later clean segment can't un-set it). Verdict = STRUCTURAL integrity, NOT "behind the cluster" (the behind-high-water case is 4.2/4.3). 3.1 ONLY sets state + WARNs — does NOT FATAL (3.3) or fence (4.3). DRY: did NOT extract a shared scanner (replay_wal mutates persist_t; the 1.2 seam is read-only) — no third copy added. ENV FINDING (see cerebrum 2026-06-18): this sandbox's /tmp can be an overlay that EIOs on fdatasync; because committed_lsn is now durable-gated (2.x), an fdatasync EIO correctly HOLDS committed_lsn, which makes `test_fact_hook_append_is_retained_and_nonblocking` (commit_barrier_rollout) FAIL on overlay /tmp — confirmed pre-existing (fails identically on the clean pre-spec baseline), NOT a regression. Final validation (5.x) must run on a real fsync-able fs.
diff --git a/src/controller/persist.c b/src/controller/persist.c
index 70b2e228..82088358 100644
--- a/src/controller/persist.c
+++ b/src/controller/persist.c
@@ -434,6 +434,11 @@ int persist_init(persist_t* p, persist_config_t* cfg, cluster_t* c)
      * flusher thread after a successful fdatasync (ha-commit-durability 2.1). */
     atomic_store(&p->durable_lsn, 0);
 
+    /* Recovery-integrity verdict defaults to CLEAN (ha-commit-durability 3.1):
+     * a fresh store has no corruption. persist_recover overwrites this with the
+     * replay outcome (RECOVER_TRUNCATED only on a structural log corruption). */
+    p->recovery_verdict = RECOVER_CLEAN;
+
     /* Durable-advance wake hook starts unregistered (ha-commit-durability 2.2):
      * the commit engine registers it in commit_engine_init. Until then every
      * flusher durable advance is a no-op wake. */
@@ -1357,13 +1362,26 @@ int apply_wal_entry(persist_t* p, const wal_entry_hdr_t* hdr, const void* payloa
  * CRC chain: hdr.prev_crc must match last_crc (WAL_CRC_NONE for first entry
  * in a segment). If prev_crc mismatches, stop at last good entry and log WARN.
  *
+ * Recovery-integrity verdict (ha-commit-durability task 3.1, Req 2.1):
+ * *verdict_out (when non-NULL) is set to RECOVER_TRUNCATED iff replay stopped
+ * on a STRUCTURAL corruption — a CRC chain break, a CRC mismatch, or a
+ * short/partial entry read — and RECOVER_CLEAN otherwise (clean EOF,
+ * pre-allocated-zero tail, empty WAL, or all entries replayed). The verdict is
+ * about the STRUCTURE of the local log, not about being behind the cluster: a
+ * clean log that simply ends below the cluster high-water is still CLEAN.
+ *
  * Returns number of entries replayed (>= 0) or negative errno on I/O error. */
-static int replay_wal(persist_t* p, uint64_t from_lsn)
+static int replay_wal(persist_t* p, uint64_t from_lsn,
+                      recover_verdict_t* verdict_out)
 {
+    /* Default to CLEAN; only a structural corruption flips it to TRUNCATED. */
+    if (verdict_out)
+        *verdict_out = RECOVER_CLEAN;
+
     /* --- Collect and sort segment filenames by start LSN --- */
     DIR* d = opendir(p->wal_path);
     if (!d)
-        return 0; /* no WAL dir → first boot, nothing to replay */
+        return 0; /* no WAL dir → first boot, nothing to replay (CLEAN) */
 
     /* Collect up to 4096 segment names */
     uint64_t seg_lsns[4096];
@@ -1415,16 +1433,27 @@ static int replay_wal(persist_t* p, uint64_t from_lsn)
             wal_entry_hdr_t hdr;
             ssize_t         hn = pread(fd, &hdr, sizeof(hdr), (off_t)seg_off);
             if (hn == 0)
-                break; /* clean end of segment */
+                break; /* clean end of segment (CLEAN) */
             if (hn < (ssize_t)sizeof(hdr)) {
+                /* A partial header (or read error) is a SHORT READ — the log
+                 * stops mid-entry, so it cannot be reconstructed contiguously
+                 * (RECOVER_TRUNCATED, Req 2.1). Distinct from clean EOF above. */
                 if (hn < 0)
                     WARN("persist_recover: read error in %s at offset %u: %s",
                          seg_path, seg_off, strerror(errno));
-                break; /* truncated or pre-allocated zeros */
+                else
+                    WARN("persist_recover: short header read in %s at offset %u "
+                         "(got %zd of %zu bytes); stopping replay",
+                         seg_path, seg_off, hn, sizeof(hdr));
+                if (verdict_out)
+                    *verdict_out = RECOVER_TRUNCATED;
+                break;
             }
 
             /* Detect pre-allocated zero region (no valid entry starts with
-             * all-zero header: lsn == 0 && type == 0 && payload_len == 0) */
+             * all-zero header: lsn == 0 && type == 0 && payload_len == 0).
+             * This is the normal fallocate'd tail after the last valid entry —
+             * a clean stop, NOT corruption (stays RECOVER_CLEAN). */
             if (hdr.lsn == 0 && hdr.type == 0 && hdr.payload_len == 0)
                 break;
 
@@ -1438,6 +1467,8 @@ static int replay_wal(persist_t* p, uint64_t from_lsn)
                     WARN("persist_recover: CRC chain break at start of %s "
                          "(prev_crc=%08x expected=%08x); stopping replay",
                          seg_path, hdr.prev_crc, last_crc);
+                    if (verdict_out)
+                        *verdict_out = RECOVER_TRUNCATED;
                     break;
                 }
             } else {
@@ -1445,6 +1476,8 @@ static int replay_wal(persist_t* p, uint64_t from_lsn)
                     WARN("persist_recover: CRC chain break in %s at offset %u "
                          "(prev_crc=%08x expected=%08x); stopping replay at last good entry",
                          seg_path, seg_off, hdr.prev_crc, last_crc);
+                    if (verdict_out)
+                        *verdict_out = RECOVER_TRUNCATED;
                     break;
                 }
             }
@@ -1464,6 +1497,8 @@ static int replay_wal(persist_t* p, uint64_t from_lsn)
                 if (pn != (ssize_t)hdr.payload_len) {
                     WARN("persist_recover: short payload read in %s at offset %u",
                          seg_path, seg_off);
+                    if (verdict_out)
+                        *verdict_out = RECOVER_TRUNCATED;
                     free(payload);
                     break;
                 }
@@ -1474,6 +1509,8 @@ static int replay_wal(persist_t* p, uint64_t from_lsn)
                 WARN("persist_recover: CRC mismatch in %s at offset %u "
                      "(got=%08x expected=%08x); stopping replay",
                      seg_path, seg_off, hdr.crc, expected_crc);
+                if (verdict_out)
+                    *verdict_out = RECOVER_TRUNCATED;
                 free(payload);
                 break;
             }
@@ -1571,15 +1608,40 @@ int persist_recover(persist_t* p)
     }
 
     /* --- Step 3: replay WAL entries after checkpoint_lsn --- */
-    int replayed = replay_wal(p, p->checkpoint_lsn);
+    /* Recovery-integrity verdict (ha-commit-durability task 3.1, Req 2.1):
+     * replay distinguishes a clean log end from a corruption-truncated end.
+     * We CLASSIFY + record the verdict here; we do NOT FATAL (task 3.3) and do
+     * NOT fence promotion (task 4.3 consumes p->recovery_verdict). A clean
+     * replay over a loaded snapshot-sentinel (no entries below the sentinel) is
+     * CLEAN — the sentinel established the committed position; replay only adds
+     * entries above it. */
+    recover_verdict_t verdict = RECOVER_CLEAN;
+    int replayed = replay_wal(p, p->checkpoint_lsn, &verdict);
     if (replayed < 0)
         return replayed;
 
+    p->recovery_verdict = verdict;
+    if (verdict == RECOVER_TRUNCATED)
+        WARN("persist_recover: RECOVER_TRUNCATED — local WAL is structurally "
+             "corrupt (CRC break / mismatch / short read); member marked "
+             "recovery-truncated (non-promotable until caught up)");
+
     /* --- Step 4: retention pass (TTL check) — no-op in P0 (no entities) --- */
 
     return 0;
 }
 
+/* Recovery-integrity accessors (ha-commit-durability task 3.1, Req 2.1). */
+recover_verdict_t persist_recovery_verdict(persist_t* p)
+{
+    return p ? p->recovery_verdict : RECOVER_CLEAN;
+}
+
+bool persist_recovery_truncated(persist_t* p)
+{
+    return p && p->recovery_verdict == RECOVER_TRUNCATED;
+}
+
 /* Advance committed_lsn to `written_lsn` on a majority ACK — but ONLY if that
  * entry is already durable on local stable storage (ha-commit-durability task
  * 2.4, Req 1.1/1.2). This is the legacy (engine-less / LSN-0) sibling of the
diff --git a/src/controller/testsuite/test_commit_durability.c b/src/controller/testsuite/test_commit_durability.c
index b0cc1e1a..c0cf9d10 100644
--- a/src/controller/testsuite/test_commit_durability.c
+++ b/src/controller/testsuite/test_commit_durability.c
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 #define _GNU_SOURCE
+#include <fcntl.h>
+#include <inttypes.h>
 #include <pthread.h>
 #include <stdatomic.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
@@ -11,6 +13,7 @@
 #include "commit.h"
 #include "config.h"
 #include "persist.h"
+#include "wal_types.h"
 
 /* ------------------------------------------------------------------ *
  * ha-commit-durability — task 1.2: durability-verification test seam  *
@@ -775,6 +778,218 @@ static void test_commit_never_exceeds_durable_invariant(void)
     printf("test_commit_never_exceeds_durable_invariant: PASS\n");
 }
 
+/* ================================================================== *
+ * task 3.1 — recovery integrity verdict (Req 2.1)                     *
+ *                                                                     *
+ * persist_recover/replay_wal must distinguish a CLEAN log end (EOF,   *
+ * pre-allocated-zero tail, snapshot-sentinel + clean replay, empty    *
+ * first-boot WAL) from a corruption-TRUNCATED end (CRC chain break,   *
+ * CRC mismatch, short/partial entry read). A corruption-truncated     *
+ * recovery is NEVER reported as a clean recovery and sets a           *
+ * member-level recovery_truncated flag the promotion gate (4.3)       *
+ * consumes. 3.1 only SETS the verdict/flag — it does NOT FATAL and    *
+ * does NOT fence (3.3 / 4.3 own those).                               *
+ *                                                                     *
+ * NB the verdict is about STRUCTURAL integrity of the local log, not  *
+ * about being behind the cluster: a clean log that ends below the     *
+ * cluster high-water is still CLEAN (the freshness/promotion fence    *
+ * catches "behind", not this verdict).                                *
+ * ------------------------------------------------------------------ */
+
+/* The persist paths derive as <workdir>/<name>/data/wal; make_durability_persist
+ * uses name "ctrl-test" (see persist_set_workdir call above). */
+#define DUR_WAL_SEG_FMT "%s/ctrl-test/data/wal/seg-%016" PRIx64 ".wal"
+
+/* Open the first WAL segment (starts at LSN 1; LSN 0 reserved) for the
+ * given tmpdir and return its fd, or -1. */
+static int open_first_seg_rw(const char* tmpdir)
+{
+    char seg_path[512];
+    /* The first-ever entry is LSN 1, so the first segment is seg-...0001. */
+    snprintf(seg_path, sizeof(seg_path), DUR_WAL_SEG_FMT, tmpdir,
+             (uint64_t)1);
+    return open(seg_path, O_RDWR);
+}
+
+/* Open a SECOND persist instance over the same on-disk WAL with NO
+ * in-memory writer state, run recovery, and return the recovery verdict
+ * (via persist_recovery_truncated). The writer must already be torn down
+ * so the segments are closed and on disk. */
+
+/* ------------------------------------------------------------------ *
+ * Test 3.1a: an intact log yields RECOVER_CLEAN (flag NOT set).       *
+ * ------------------------------------------------------------------ */
+static void test_recover_verdict_clean_intact_log(void)
+{
+    char tmp[256];
+    strcpy(tmp, "/tmp/xce_recclean_XXXXXX");
+    TEST_ASSERT_NOT_NULL(mkdtemp(tmp));
+
+    /* Writer: append + flush three entries, then "die". */
+    {
+        persist_t* p = make_durability_persist(tmp);
+        TEST_ASSERT_NOT_NULL(p);
+        TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0, persist_wal_async(p, WAL_JOB_UPDATE, "a", 1));
+        TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0, persist_wal_async(p, WAL_JOB_UPDATE, "b", 1));
+        TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0, persist_wal_async(p, WAL_JOB_UPDATE, "c", 1));
+        TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0, persist_flush(p));
+        teardown_durability_persist(p);
+    }
+
+    /* Recover into a fresh instance: an intact CRC chain must be CLEAN. */
+    {
+        persist_t* p2 = make_durability_persist(tmp);
+        TEST_ASSERT_NOT_NULL(p2);
+        int rc = persist_recover(p2);
+        TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0, rc);
+        TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT_MESSAGE(
+            RECOVER_CLEAN, persist_recovery_verdict(p2),
+            "an intact CRC chain must recover CLEAN");
+        TEST_ASSERT_FALSE_MESSAGE(
+            persist_recovery_truncated(p2),
+            "a clean recovery must NOT set the recovery_truncated flag");
+        /* current_lsn advanced past the three replayed entries. */
+        TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_UINT64(4, p2->current_lsn);
+        teardown_durability_persist(p2);
+    }
+    printf("test_recover_verdict_clean_intact_log: PASS\n");
+}
+
+/* ------------------------------------------------------------------ *
+ * Test 3.1b: an empty first-boot WAL is CLEAN, not corruption.        *
+ * ------------------------------------------------------------------ */
+static void test_recover_verdict_empty_first_boot_clean(void)
+{
+    char tmp[256];
+    strcpy(tmp, "/tmp/xce_recempty_XXXXXX");
+    TEST_ASSERT_NOT_NULL(mkdtemp(tmp));
+
+    persist_t* p = make_durability_persist(tmp);
+    TEST_ASSERT_NOT_NULL(p);
+
+    /* No appends: a first-boot WAL has nothing to replay — that is a clean
+     * (empty) recovery, never a corruption-truncated one. */
+    int rc = persist_recover(p);
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0, rc);
+    TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT_MESSAGE(
+        RECOVER_CLEAN, persist_recovery_verdict(p),
+        "an empty first-boot WAL must be CLEAN (no entries != corruption)");
+    TEST_ASSERT_FALSE(persist_recovery_truncated(p));
+
+    teardown_durability_persist(p);
+    printf("test_recover_verdict_empty_first_boot_clean: PASS\n");
+}
+
+/* ------------------------------------------------------------------ *
+ * Test 3.1c (core RED): a CRC break injected at the FIRST entry yields *
+ * RECOVER_TRUNCATED and SETS the recovery_truncated flag.              *
+ *                                                                     *
+ * We append+flush two entries, then corrupt the on-disk `crc` field of *
+ * the FIRST entry (LSN 1). On recovery the CRC verification at LSN 1   *
+ * fails, replay stops before any clean boundary, and the verdict must  *
+ * be TRUNCATED — never silently accepted as a complete clean recovery. *
+ * ------------------------------------------------------------------ */
+static void test_recover_verdict_crc_break_first_entry_truncated(void)
+{
+    char tmp[256];
+    strcpy(tmp, "/tmp/xce_recbreak_XXXXXX");
+    TEST_ASSERT_NOT_NULL(mkdtemp(tmp));
+
+    /* Writer: two durable entries, then die. */
+    {
+        persist_t* p = make_durability_persist(tmp);
+        TEST_ASSERT_NOT_NULL(p);
+        TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0, persist_wal_async(p, WAL_JOB_UPDATE, "a", 1));
+        TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0, persist_wal_async(p, WAL_JOB_UPDATE, "b", 1));
+        TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0, persist_flush(p));
+        teardown_durability_persist(p);
+    }
+
+    /* Corrupt the FIRST entry's CRC field on disk: read its header at
+     * offset 0, flip the crc, write it back. This breaks the chain at
+     * LSN 1 — replay cannot reach any clean boundary. */
+    {
+        int fd = open_first_seg_rw(tmp);
+        TEST_ASSERT_TRUE_MESSAGE(fd >= 0, "first WAL segment must exist");
+        wal_entry_hdr_t hdr;
+        TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT((int)sizeof(hdr),
+                              (int)pread(fd, &hdr, sizeof(hdr), 0));
+        hdr.crc ^= 0xDEADBEEFu; /* corrupt the entry CRC */
+        TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT((int)sizeof(hdr),
+                              (int)pwrite(fd, &hdr, sizeof(hdr), 0));
+        fsync(fd);
+        close(fd);
+    }
+
+    /* Recover: the corruption at LSN 1 must yield TRUNCATED + set the flag. */
+    {
+        persist_t* p2 = make_durability_persist(tmp);
+        TEST_ASSERT_NOT_NULL(p2);
+        int rc = persist_recover(p2);
+        /* persist_recover still returns 0 (no I/O error); the VERDICT is the
+         * signal — 3.1 classifies, it does not FATAL (that is task 3.3). */
+        TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0, rc);
+        TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT_MESSAGE(
+            RECOVER_TRUNCATED, persist_recovery_verdict(p2),
+            "a CRC break at the first entry must yield RECOVER_TRUNCATED");
+        TEST_ASSERT_TRUE_MESSAGE(
+            persist_recovery_truncated(p2),
+            "a corruption-truncated recovery must SET the recovery_truncated "
+            "flag (consumed by the promotion gate, task 4.3)");
+        teardown_durability_persist(p2);
+    }
+    printf("test_recover_verdict_crc_break_first_entry_truncated: PASS\n");
+}
+
+/* ------------------------------------------------------------------ *
+ * Test 3.1d (snapshot-sentinel edge): a member that recovered from a   *
+ * 16-byte LSN-sentinel snapshot has a committed position at the        *
+ * sentinel LSN but NO log entries below it. A clean replay over that   *
+ * sentinel snapshot must classify CLEAN, never TRUNCATED — the absence  *
+ * of sub-sentinel entries is normal, not corruption (design Open       *
+ * Questions / snapshot-recovery edge).                                 *
+ *                                                                     *
+ * We checkpoint (writes the sentinel snapshot + trims the WAL), append  *
+ * + flush one fresh entry above the checkpoint, then recover in a fresh *
+ * instance: snapshot-sentinel + clean replay ⇒ CLEAN.                   *
+ * ------------------------------------------------------------------ */
+static void test_recover_verdict_snapshot_sentinel_clean(void)
+{
+    char tmp[256];
+    strcpy(tmp, "/tmp/xce_recsnap_XXXXXX");
+    TEST_ASSERT_NOT_NULL(mkdtemp(tmp));
+
+    /* Writer: a couple of entries, a checkpoint (sentinel snapshot), then a
+     * further entry above the checkpoint, all flushed; then die. */
+    {
+        persist_t* p = make_durability_persist(tmp);
+        TEST_ASSERT_NOT_NULL(p);
+        TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0, persist_wal_async(p, WAL_JOB_UPDATE, "a", 1));
+        TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0, persist_wal_async(p, WAL_JOB_UPDATE, "b", 1));
+        TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0, persist_flush(p));
+        /* Sentinel snapshot at the current committed/checkpoint position. */
+        TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0, persist_checkpoint(p));
+        TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0, persist_wal_async(p, WAL_JOB_UPDATE, "c", 1));
+        TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0, persist_flush(p));
+        teardown_durability_persist(p);
+    }
+
+    /* Recover: load_snapshot sets checkpoint_lsn from the sentinel, replay
+     * picks up entries above it cleanly — verdict CLEAN, flag NOT set. */
+    {
+        persist_t* p2 = make_durability_persist(tmp);
+        TEST_ASSERT_NOT_NULL(p2);
+        int rc = persist_recover(p2);
+        TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT(0, rc);
+        TEST_ASSERT_EQUAL_INT_MESSAGE(
+            RECOVER_CLEAN, persist_recovery_verdict(p2),
+            "snapshot-sentinel + clean replay must be CLEAN, not TRUNCATED");
+        TEST_ASSERT_FALSE(persist_recovery_truncated(p2));
+        teardown_durability_persist(p2);
+    }
+    printf("test_recover_verdict_snapshot_sentinel_clean: PASS\n");
+}
+
 #endif /* XCE_TESTING */
 
 /* ------------------------------------------------------------------ */
@@ -797,6 +1012,10 @@ void test_commit_durability(void)
     RUN_TEST(test_legacy_sync_append_holds_committed_at_durable);
     RUN_TEST(test_legacy_sync_append_lsn0_edge_valid);
     RUN_TEST(test_commit_never_exceeds_durable_invariant);
+    RUN_TEST(test_recover_verdict_clean_intact_log);
+    RUN_TEST(test_recover_verdict_empty_first_boot_clean);
+    RUN_TEST(test_recover_verdict_crc_break_first_entry_truncated);
+    RUN_TEST(test_recover_verdict_snapshot_sentinel_clean);
 #else
     printf("test_commit_durability: skipped (no XCE_TESTING)\n");
 #endif
diff --git a/src/include/persist.h b/src/include/persist.h
index b651c197..3fa69b08 100644
--- a/src/include/persist.h
+++ b/src/include/persist.h
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include <pthread.h>
 #include <stdarg.h>
 #include <stdatomic.h>
+#include <stdbool.h>
 #include <stddef.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 
@@ -12,6 +13,28 @@
 /* Forward declaration */
 typedef struct cluster_s cluster_t;
 
+/* ============================================================
+ * Recovery-integrity verdict (ha-commit-durability task 3.1, Req 2.1)
+ *
+ * The outcome of WAL replay at startup, distinguishing a structurally
+ * intact log from one whose chain is broken. It is about the STRUCTURE
+ * of the local log, NOT about being behind the cluster: a clean log that
+ * simply ends below the cluster's committed high-water mark is still
+ * RECOVER_CLEAN (the freshness/promotion fence handles "behind"). A
+ * corruption-truncated recovery is NEVER reported as a clean recovery.
+ * ============================================================ */
+typedef enum {
+    RECOVER_CLEAN     = 0, /* WAL forms a valid CRC chain to a clean entry
+                            * boundary: clean EOF, pre-allocated-zero tail,
+                            * snapshot-sentinel + clean replay, or an empty
+                            * first-boot WAL (no entries != corruption). */
+    RECOVER_TRUNCATED = 1, /* replay stopped on structural corruption: a CRC
+                            * chain break, a CRC mismatch, or a short/partial
+                            * entry read — the log cannot be reconstructed
+                            * contiguously. Marks the member non-promotable
+                            * (consumed by the promotion gate, task 4.3). */
+} recover_verdict_t;
+
 /* ============================================================
  * Persistence configuration (Part 2.6)
  * ============================================================ */
@@ -97,6 +120,22 @@ struct persist_s {
     uint64_t        total_wal_bytes;
     char            seg_path[4096];
 
+    /* Recovery-integrity verdict (ha-commit-durability task 3.1, Req 2.1).
+     * Set by persist_recover/replay_wal at startup: RECOVER_CLEAN when the
+     * local WAL forms a valid CRC chain to a clean entry boundary (incl. an
+     * empty first-boot WAL, a snapshot-sentinel + clean replay, and a
+     * pre-allocated-zero tail), RECOVER_TRUNCATED when replay stopped on a
+     * structural corruption — a CRC chain break, a CRC mismatch, or a
+     * short/partial entry read — so the on-disk log cannot be reconstructed
+     * contiguously. A node that cleanly ends BELOW the cluster high-water is
+     * still CLEAN here (the freshness/promotion fence catches "behind", task
+     * 4.2/4.3 — not this verdict). 3.1 only CLASSIFIES + sets this; it does
+     * NOT FATAL (task 3.3) and does NOT fence promotion (task 4.3, which
+     * CONSUMES this verdict). Defaults to RECOVER_CLEAN before recovery runs
+     * (a fresh store is clean). Written single-threaded during recovery
+     * before the node participates; read by the promotion gate thereafter. */
+    recover_verdict_t recovery_verdict;
+
     /* Paths (derived from workdir + name via persist_set_workdir) */
     char            wal_path[4096];
     char            snap_path[4096];
@@ -227,6 +266,16 @@ int persist_flush(persist_t* p);
  * any thread. Returns 0 when nothing is yet durable. */
 uint64_t persist_durable_lsn(persist_t* p);
 
+/* Recovery-integrity verdict + flag (ha-commit-durability task 3.1, Req 2.1).
+ * persist_recovery_verdict returns the RECOVER_CLEAN / RECOVER_TRUNCATED
+ * verdict computed by the last persist_recover (RECOVER_CLEAN on a fresh
+ * store before recovery runs). persist_recovery_truncated is the convenience
+ * flag form (true iff the verdict is RECOVER_TRUNCATED) the promotion gate
+ * (task 4.3) consumes to mark the member non-promotable. Both are pure reads
+ * of recovery state established single-threaded at startup. */
+recover_verdict_t persist_recovery_verdict(persist_t* p);
+bool persist_recovery_truncated(persist_t* p);
+
 /* Register a durable-advance wake callback (ha-commit-durability task 2.2).
  * The group-commit flusher calls fn(ctx) after it advances durable_lsn and
  * after releasing p->lock, so a consumer (the commit engine) can re-evaluate