diff --git a/.data/snapshots/state_AgentA.json.meta b/.data/snapshots/state_AgentA.json.meta
index dfdbfd7..5a62852 100644
--- a/.data/snapshots/state_AgentA.json.meta
+++ b/.data/snapshots/state_AgentA.json.meta
@@ -1 +1 @@
-{"created_at": "2025-10-10T08:23:58Z", "schema_version": "v1"}
+{"created_at": "2025-10-10T10:21:34Z", "schema_version": "v1"}
diff --git a/.data/snapshots/state_Ambrose.json.meta b/.data/snapshots/state_Ambrose.json.meta
index 4c28666..5a62852 100644
--- a/.data/snapshots/state_Ambrose.json.meta
+++ b/.data/snapshots/state_Ambrose.json.meta
@@ -1 +1 @@
-{"created_at": "2025-10-10T08:23:57Z", "schema_version": "v1"}
+{"created_at": "2025-10-10T10:21:34Z", "schema_version": "v1"}
diff --git a/.data/snapshots/state_agent.json.meta b/.data/snapshots/state_agent.json.meta
index 56f8530..7145988 100644
--- a/.data/snapshots/state_agent.json.meta
+++ b/.data/snapshots/state_agent.json.meta
@@ -1 +1 @@
-{"created_at": "2025-10-10T08:23:55Z", "schema_version": "v1"}
+{"created_at": "2025-10-10T10:21:31Z", "schema_version": "v1"}
diff --git a/.data/snapshots/state_smoke.json.meta b/.data/snapshots/state_smoke.json.meta
index dfdbfd7..5a62852 100644
--- a/.data/snapshots/state_smoke.json.meta
+++ b/.data/snapshots/state_smoke.json.meta
@@ -1 +1 @@
-{"created_at": "2025-10-10T08:23:58Z", "schema_version": "v1"}
+{"created_at": "2025-10-10T10:21:34Z", "schema_version": "v1"}
diff --git a/.logs/apply.jsonl b/.logs/apply.jsonl
index be144ed..0e1ea73 100644
--- a/.logs/apply.jsonl
+++ b/.logs/apply.jsonl
@@ -1 +1 @@
-{"turn": "demo-1", "agent": "AgentA", "applied": 0, "clamps": 0, "version_etag": "46", "snapshot": "./.data/snapshots/state_AgentA.json", "cache_invalidations": 0, "ms": 0.777}
+{"turn": "demo-1", "agent": "AgentA", "applied": 0, "clamps": 0, "version_etag": "46", "snapshot": "./.data/snapshots/state_AgentA.json", "cache_invalidations": 0, "ms": 0.88}
diff --git a/.logs/t1.jsonl b/.logs/t1.jsonl
index 103f387..a519dfe 100644
--- a/.logs/t1.jsonl
+++ b/.logs/t1.jsonl
@@ -1 +1 @@
-{"turn": "demo-1", "agent": "AgentA", "pops": 5, "iters": 1, "propagations": 3, "radius_cap_hits": 0, "layer_cap_hits": 0, "node_budget_hits": 0, "max_delta": 1.0, "graphs_touched": 1, "cache_hits": 0, "cache_misses": 1, "cache_used": false, "cache_enabled": true, "ms": 0.278, "now": "2025-10-10T08:23:58.151083+00:00"}
+{"turn": "demo-1", "agent": "AgentA", "pops": 5, "iters": 1, "propagations": 3, "radius_cap_hits": 0, "layer_cap_hits": 0, "node_budget_hits": 0, "max_delta": 1.0, "graphs_touched": 1, "cache_hits": 0, "cache_misses": 1, "cache_used": false, "cache_enabled": true, "ms": 0.381, "now": "2025-10-10T10:21:34.762491+00:00"}
diff --git a/.logs/t2.jsonl b/.logs/t2.jsonl
index b156d97..db31324 100644
--- a/.logs/t2.jsonl
+++ b/.logs/t2.jsonl
@@ -1 +1 @@
-{"turn": "demo-1", "agent": "AgentA", "tier_sequence": ["exact_semantic", "cluster_semantic", "archive"], "k_returned": 0, "k_used": 0, "k_residual": 0, "sim_stats": {"mean": 0.0, "max": 0.0}, "score_stats": {"mean": 0.0, "max": 0.0}, "owner_scope": "any", "caps": {"residual_cap": 32}, "cache_enabled": true, "cache_used": true, "cache_hits": 0, "cache_misses": 2, "backend": "inmemory", "backend_fallback": false, "hybrid_used": false, "cache_hit": false, "cache_size": 1, "ms": 0.145, "now": "2025-10-10T08:23:58.151083+00:00"}
+{"turn": "demo-1", "agent": "AgentA", "tier_sequence": ["exact_semantic", "cluster_semantic", "archive"], "k_returned": 0, "k_used": 0, "k_residual": 0, "sim_stats": {"mean": 0.0, "max": 0.0}, "score_stats": {"mean": 0.0, "max": 0.0}, "owner_scope": "any", "caps": {"residual_cap": 32}, "cache_enabled": true, "cache_used": true, "cache_hits": 0, "cache_misses": 2, "backend": "inmemory", "backend_fallback": false, "hybrid_used": false, "cache_hit": false, "cache_size": 1, "ms": 0.126, "now": "2025-10-10T10:21:34.762491+00:00"}
diff --git a/.logs/t3.jsonl b/.logs/t3.jsonl
index a40f842..13bd6e3 100644
--- a/.logs/t3.jsonl
+++ b/.logs/t3.jsonl
@@ -1 +1 @@
-{"turn": "demo-1", "agent": "AgentA", "backend": "rulebased", "ops_counts": {"Speak": 1, "RequestRetrieve": 1}, "requested_retrieve": true, "rag_used": true, "ms_plan": 0.032, "ms_rag": 0.055, "ms_speak": 0.036, "now": "2025-10-10T08:23:58.151083+00:00"}
+{"turn": "demo-1", "agent": "AgentA", "backend": "rulebased", "ops_counts": {"Speak": 1, "RequestRetrieve": 1}, "requested_retrieve": true, "rag_used": true, "ms_plan": 0.029, "ms_rag": 0.053, "ms_speak": 0.038, "now": "2025-10-10T10:21:34.762491+00:00"}
diff --git a/.logs/t3_dialogue.jsonl b/.logs/t3_dialogue.jsonl
index a17e739..1cb5d01 100644
--- a/.logs/t3_dialogue.jsonl
+++ b/.logs/t3_dialogue.jsonl
@@ -1 +1 @@
-{"turn": "demo-1", "agent": "AgentA", "tokens": 7, "truncated": false, "style_prefix_used": false, "snippet_count": 0, "ms": 0.036, "backend": "rulebased", "now": "2025-10-10T08:23:58.151083+00:00"}
+{"turn": "demo-1", "agent": "AgentA", "tokens": 7, "truncated": false, "style_prefix_used": false, "snippet_count": 0, "ms": 0.038, "backend": "rulebased", "now": "2025-10-10T10:21:34.762491+00:00"}
diff --git a/.logs/t3_plan.jsonl b/.logs/t3_plan.jsonl
index 48e7b80..17164f6 100644
--- a/.logs/t3_plan.jsonl
+++ b/.logs/t3_plan.jsonl
@@ -1 +1 @@
-{"turn": "demo-1", "agent": "AgentA", "policy_backend": "rulebased", "backend": "rulebased", "ops_counts": {"Speak": 1, "RequestRetrieve": 1}, "requested_retrieve": true, "rag_used": true, "reflection": false, "ms_deliberate": 0.032, "ms_rag": 0.055, "now": "2025-10-10T08:23:58.151083+00:00"}
+{"turn": "demo-1", "agent": "AgentA", "policy_backend": "rulebased", "backend": "rulebased", "ops_counts": {"Speak": 1, "RequestRetrieve": 1}, "requested_retrieve": true, "rag_used": true, "reflection": false, "ms_deliberate": 0.029, "ms_rag": 0.053, "now": "2025-10-10T10:21:34.762491+00:00"}
diff --git a/.logs/t4.jsonl b/.logs/t4.jsonl
index cba737c..d370cc4 100644
--- a/.logs/t4.jsonl
+++ b/.logs/t4.jsonl
@@ -1 +1 @@
-{"turn": "demo-1", "agent": "AgentA", "counts": {"input": 0, "after_cooldown": 0, "after_novelty": 0, "after_l2": 0, "approved": 0, "dropped_tail": 0}, "clamps": {"novelty_clamped": 0, "l2_scale": 1.0}, "cooldowns": {"blocked_ops": 0}, "caps": {"delta_norm_cap_l2": 1.5, "novelty_cap_per_node": 0.3, "churn_cap_edges": 64}, "approved": 0, "rejected": 0, "reasons": [], "ms": 0.006, "now": "2025-10-10T08:23:58.151083+00:00"}
+{"turn": "demo-1", "agent": "AgentA", "counts": {"input": 0, "after_cooldown": 0, "after_novelty": 0, "after_l2": 0, "approved": 0, "dropped_tail": 0}, "clamps": {"novelty_clamped": 0, "l2_scale": 1.0}, "cooldowns": {"blocked_ops": 0}, "caps": {"delta_norm_cap_l2": 1.5, "novelty_cap_per_node": 0.3, "churn_cap_edges": 64}, "approved": 0, "rejected": 0, "reasons": [], "ms": 0.006, "now": "2025-10-10T10:21:34.762491+00:00"}
diff --git a/.logs/turn.jsonl b/.logs/turn.jsonl
index da59683..802719a 100644
--- a/.logs/turn.jsonl
+++ b/.logs/turn.jsonl
@@ -1 +1 @@
-{"turn": "demo-1", "agent": "AgentA", "durations_ms": {"t1": 0.278, "t2": 0.145, "t4": 0.006, "apply": 0.777, "total": 2.955}, "t1": {"pops": 5, "iters": 1, "graphs_touched": 1}, "t2": {"k_returned": 0, "k_used": 0, "cache_hit": false}, "t4": {"approved": 0, "rejected": 0}, "now": "2025-10-10T08:23:58.151083+00:00"}
+{"turn": "demo-1", "agent": "AgentA", "durations_ms": {"t1": 0.381, "t2": 0.126, "t4": 0.006, "apply": 0.88, "total": 3.376}, "t1": {"pops": 5, "iters": 1, "graphs_touched": 1}, "t2": {"k_returned": 0, "k_used": 0, "cache_hit": false}, "t4": {"approved": 0, "rejected": 0}, "now": "2025-10-10T10:21:34.762491+00:00"}
diff --git a/clematis/VERSION b/clematis/VERSION
index 5eef0f1..a3f5a8e 100644
--- a/clematis/VERSION
+++ b/clematis/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-0.10.2
+0.10.3
diff --git a/clematis/engine/types.py b/clematis/engine/types.py
index 2911163..8045edd 100644
--- a/clematis/engine/types.py
+++ b/clematis/engine/types.py
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ class Config:
         }
     )
     flags: Dict[str, Any] = field(
-        default_factory=lambda: {"enable_world_memory": True, "allow_reflection": True}
+        default_factory=lambda: {"enable_world_memory": False, "allow_reflection": False}
     )
 
     # M5: scheduler config (feature-flagged; defaults merged by validate.py)
diff --git a/clematis/errors.py b/clematis/errors.py
index 8f85a0c..46819da 100644
--- a/clematis/errors.py
+++ b/clematis/errors.py
@@ -28,18 +28,13 @@ class ClematisError(Exception):
 
 
 
-# NOTE(backcompat): For v3 we also inherit from ValueError so older tests/consumers
-# that catch ValueError keep working.
-# TODO(v4): Drop ValueError parent and migrate callers to catch ConfigError/ClematisError.
-class ConfigError(ClematisError, ValueError):
+# Typed errors no longer inherit from ValueError; callers should catch the specific subclasses.
+class ConfigError(ClematisError):
     """Configuration invalid, unknown keys, wrong version, etc."""
     pass
 
 
-
-# NOTE(backcompat): For v3 we also inherit from ValueError for legacy callers/tests.
-# TODO(v4): Drop ValueError parent and migrate callers to catch SnapshotError/ClematisError.
-class SnapshotError(ClematisError, ValueError):
+class SnapshotError(ClematisError):
     """Snapshot missing schema, mismatched version, corrupted header, etc."""
     pass
 
diff --git a/clematis/scripts/validate.py b/clematis/scripts/validate.py
index 91608f6..3751e09 100644
--- a/clematis/scripts/validate.py
+++ b/clematis/scripts/validate.py
@@ -25,6 +25,15 @@
 except Exception:  # PyYAML optional
     yaml = None  # type: ignore
 
+try:
+    from clematis.errors import ConfigError
+except ModuleNotFoundError:
+    HERE = os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(__file__))
+    ROOT = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(HERE, ".."))
+    if ROOT not in sys.path:
+        sys.path.insert(0, ROOT)
+    from clematis.errors import ConfigError
+
 # Ensure the project root (parent of scripts/) is importable when run directly
 try:
     from configs.validate import validate_config_verbose, validate_config  # type: ignore
@@ -127,8 +136,8 @@ def main(argv: list[str]) -> int:
         else:
             normalized = validate_config(cfg)
             warnings = []
-    except ValueError as ve:
-        print("CONFIG INVALID\n" + str(ve))
+    except ConfigError as err:
+        print("CONFIG INVALID\n" + str(err))
         return 1
 
     # --strict: treat warnings as errors
diff --git a/configs/config.yaml b/configs/config.yaml
index 802d7e6..2f292b1 100644
--- a/configs/config.yaml
+++ b/configs/config.yaml
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+version: "v1"
 k_surface: 32
 surface_method: PCA
 t1:
@@ -48,10 +49,10 @@ t3:
   tokens: 256
   temp: 0.2
   max_ops_per_turn: 3
-  allow_reflection: true
-  backend: llm
+  allow_reflection: false
+  backend: rulebased
   reflection:
-    backend: llm        # deterministic summariser; "llm" requires fixtures (see PR84)
+    backend: rulebased        # deterministic summariser; switch to "llm" via overlay
     summary_tokens: 128       # whitespace-tokenised cap
     embed: true               # embed the reflection summary deterministically
     log: true                 # write t3_reflection.jsonl (not part of identity logs)
@@ -65,15 +66,15 @@ t3:
     epsilon_edit: 0.10
   llm:
     # M3-07 LLM adapter scaffolding — defaults OFF and fixture-driven in CI
-    provider: ollama           # "fixture" | "ollama"
+    provider: fixture          # "fixture" | "ollama"
     model: qwen3:4b-instruct
     endpoint: http://localhost:11434/api/generate
     max_tokens: 256
     temp: 0.2
     timeout_ms: 10000
     fixtures:
-      enabled: true            # fixtures-only mode for deterministic LLM reflection
-      path: tests/fixtures/llm_cassettes/reflection.jsonl
+      enabled: false           # enable in overlays/examples; requires non-empty path
+      path: null
 t4:
   enabled: true
   delta_norm_cap_l2: 1.5
@@ -94,7 +95,9 @@ t4:
     ttl_sec: 600
 # budgets: ...
 budgets: {time_ms: 1000, ops: 1000, tokens: 1024, time_ms_reflection: 6000}
-flags: {enable_world_memory: true, allow_reflection: true}
+flags:
+  enable_world_memory: false
+  allow_reflection: false
 
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # M9 Deterministic Parallelism (defaults OFF)
diff --git a/dist_local/clematis-0.10.3-py3-none-any.whl b/dist_local/clematis-0.10.3-py3-none-any.whl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..482be2e
Binary files /dev/null and b/dist_local/clematis-0.10.3-py3-none-any.whl differ
diff --git a/dist_local/numpy-2.3.3-cp313-cp313-macosx_14_0_arm64.whl b/dist_local/numpy-2.3.3-cp313-cp313-macosx_14_0_arm64.whl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6ebb5d4
Binary files /dev/null and b/dist_local/numpy-2.3.3-cp313-cp313-macosx_14_0_arm64.whl differ
diff --git a/dist_local/pyyaml-6.0.3-cp313-cp313-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl b/dist_local/pyyaml-6.0.3-cp313-cp313-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..84a9022
Binary files /dev/null and b/dist_local/pyyaml-6.0.3-cp313-cp313-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl differ
diff --git a/docs/m13/error_taxonomy.md b/docs/m13/error_taxonomy.md
index 35489d9..b7e91f7 100644
--- a/docs/m13/error_taxonomy.md
+++ b/docs/m13/error_taxonomy.md
@@ -44,3 +44,4 @@ When an error has an empty message, `format_error(e)` renders only the class nam
 **Notes**
 - Error messages are deterministic and concise; avoid stack traces in operator paths.
 - Identity is preserved in v3; enabling quality/perf/reflection features may change behavior and should remain off by default.
+- Typed errors inherit only from `ClematisError`; update callers to catch the specific subclasses instead of `ValueError`.
diff --git a/docs/m3/llm_adapter.md b/docs/m3/llm_adapter.md
index adcfee8..8517462 100644
--- a/docs/m3/llm_adapter.md
+++ b/docs/m3/llm_adapter.md
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ pytest -q
   Ensure each line is valid JSON; no trailing commas; UTF‑8 encoding.
 - **`LLMAdapterError: No fixture for prompt hash`**
   The prompt string used at runtime must match the one hashed in the JSONL (after newline normalization).
-- **Config validation failures (ValueError)**
+- **Config validation failures (ConfigError)**
   - `t3.llm.provider` must be one of `{fixture, ollama}`
   - `t3.llm.temp` in `[0, 1]`
   - `t3.llm.max_tokens ≥ 1`
diff --git a/healthcheck.md b/healthcheck.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8251df6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/healthcheck.md
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+# Clematis v3 Healthcheck
+
+## Repository Reality & Dossier Update
+- Version metadata now consistently reports **0.10.3** across `pyproject.toml`, `clematis/VERSION`, `clematis.egg-info/PKG-INFO`, CLI man pages, and help goldens (`tests/cli/goldens/help/top.txt`).
+- Deterministic turn loop (T1→T4) and staging remain intact; identity CI continues to rely on fixed env vars and normalized LF logs. GEL (`graph.enabled`) and deterministic parallelism (`perf.parallel`) are present but default **OFF**.
+- Config schema v1 is enforced via `configs/validate.py`; snapshots remain schema v1 with strict inspector semantics. CLI (`python -m clematis …`) still emits one-line typed errors.
+- Default config (`configs/config.yaml`) now mirrors the identity baseline: `t3.allow_reflection=false`, `t3.backend=rulebased`, LLM fixtures disabled, and `flags.allow_reflection=false`. Optional features stay opt-in through overlays/examples.
+
+## Observed Gaps (carried into v4 planning)
+- Native kernels, GEL-informed nudge planner, retrieval quality defaults, and CLI/frontend evolution remain unimplemented; existing scaffolding is deterministic but dormant.
+
+## Hardening & Maintenance Steps Completed
+- Audited defaults and flipped identity gates OFF by editing `configs/config.yaml` (reflection + LLM fixtures now opt-in; added explicit `version: "v1"` header).
+- Updated `clematis/engine/types.Config.flags` to default both `enable_world_memory` and `allow_reflection` to `False` to keep in-process defaults consistent with config files and docs.
+- Validated the adjusted config with `python3 -m clematis validate -- --config configs/config.yaml` (passes with reflection/quality gates reported as disabled).
+- Bumped project version markers to 0.10.3 and refreshed CLI artifacts: updated `pyproject.toml`, `clematis/VERSION`, `clematis.egg-info/PKG-INFO`, `man/*.1`, and `tests/cli/goldens/help/top.txt`.
+- Identity marker suite verified (`pytest -q -m identity`), and full test suite passes locally (`pytest -q`).
+- Built wheels into `dist_local/` and captured deterministic hashes via `shasum -a 256 dist_local/* | sort` as part of the packaging parity check.
+- Removed `ValueError` inheritance from typed errors, updated validators/scripts/tests to catch `ConfigError`/`SnapshotError`, and refreshed docs to match the cleaned taxonomy.
+
+## Recommended Next Actions
+- Re-run the identity and packaging matrices once the version/doc alignment is settled, ensuring the refreshed defaults keep byte-identical outputs.
+- Keep overlays/examples (e.g., `examples/reflection/*.yaml`, GEL demos) up to date with the new defaults so operators enable gates explicitly.
+- For v4 kickoff, formalize the migration doc covering schema v2, error taxonomy cleanup, native acceleration strategy, and GEL-driven planner roadmap.
+
+## Suggested Verification Commands
+- Run in order: `python3 -m clematis validate -- --config configs/config.yaml`
+- `pytest -q -m identity` *(sequential vs parallel/disabled-path matches)*
+- `pytest -q tests/config/test_validate_reflection.py` *(reflection gate defaults + fixtures contract)*
+- `python3 -m pip wheel . -w dist_local` **then** `shasum -a 256 dist_local/* | sort`
+- `python3 -m clematis --help > /tmp/help.txt` and compare against `tests/cli/goldens/help/top.txt`
diff --git a/man/clematis-bench-t4.1 b/man/clematis-bench-t4.1
index 8f2f94c..b2355db 100644
--- a/man/clematis-bench-t4.1
+++ b/man/clematis-bench-t4.1
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-.TH clematis-bench-t4 1 "2024-01-01" "Clematis 0.10.2" "User Commands"
+.TH clematis-bench-t4 1 "2024-01-01" "Clematis 0.10.3" "User Commands"
 .SH NAME
 clematis\-bench\-t4 \\\- Delegates to scripts/ for 'bench\-t4'
 .SH SYNOPSIS
diff --git a/man/clematis-chat.1 b/man/clematis-chat.1
index 617430f..e6d7708 100644
--- a/man/clematis-chat.1
+++ b/man/clematis-chat.1
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-.TH clematis-chat 1 "2024-01-01" "Clematis 0.10.2" "User Commands"
+.TH clematis-chat 1 "2024-01-01" "Clematis 0.10.3" "User Commands"
 .SH NAME
 clematis\-chat \\\- Delegates to scripts/ for 'chat'
 .SH SYNOPSIS
diff --git a/man/clematis-console.1 b/man/clematis-console.1
index 156d36f..f12c406 100644
--- a/man/clematis-console.1
+++ b/man/clematis-console.1
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-.TH clematis-console 1 "2024-01-01" "Clematis 0.10.2" "User Commands"
+.TH clematis-console 1 "2024-01-01" "Clematis 0.10.3" "User Commands"
 .SH NAME
 clematis\-console \\\- Delegates to scripts/ for 'console'
 .SH SYNOPSIS
diff --git a/man/clematis-demo.1 b/man/clematis-demo.1
index cdd0834..d12d931 100644
--- a/man/clematis-demo.1
+++ b/man/clematis-demo.1
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-.TH clematis-demo 1 "2024-01-01" "Clematis 0.10.2" "User Commands"
+.TH clematis-demo 1 "2024-01-01" "Clematis 0.10.3" "User Commands"
 .SH NAME
 clematis\-demo \\\- Delegates to scripts/ for 'demo'
 .SH SYNOPSIS
diff --git a/man/clematis-export-logs.1 b/man/clematis-export-logs.1
index a4d3ed9..3f537e6 100644
--- a/man/clematis-export-logs.1
+++ b/man/clematis-export-logs.1
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-.TH clematis-export-logs 1 "2024-01-01" "Clematis 0.10.2" "User Commands"
+.TH clematis-export-logs 1 "2024-01-01" "Clematis 0.10.3" "User Commands"
 .SH NAME
 clematis\-export\-logs \\\- Delegates to scripts/ for 'export\-logs'
 .SH SYNOPSIS
diff --git a/man/clematis-inspect-snapshot.1 b/man/clematis-inspect-snapshot.1
index 2ba6f65..5d8ed60 100644
--- a/man/clematis-inspect-snapshot.1
+++ b/man/clematis-inspect-snapshot.1
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-.TH clematis-inspect-snapshot 1 "2024-01-01" "Clematis 0.10.2" "User Commands"
+.TH clematis-inspect-snapshot 1 "2024-01-01" "Clematis 0.10.3" "User Commands"
 .SH NAME
 clematis\-inspect\-snapshot \\\- Delegates to scripts/ for 'inspect\-snapshot'
 .SH SYNOPSIS
diff --git a/man/clematis-rotate-logs.1 b/man/clematis-rotate-logs.1
index 868c790..b84c19c 100644
--- a/man/clematis-rotate-logs.1
+++ b/man/clematis-rotate-logs.1
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-.TH clematis-rotate-logs 1 "2024-01-01" "Clematis 0.10.2" "User Commands"
+.TH clematis-rotate-logs 1 "2024-01-01" "Clematis 0.10.3" "User Commands"
 .SH NAME
 clematis\-rotate\-logs \\\- Delegates to scripts/ for 'rotate\-logs'
 .SH SYNOPSIS
diff --git a/man/clematis-seed-lance-demo.1 b/man/clematis-seed-lance-demo.1
index 9e4867b..b099feb 100644
--- a/man/clematis-seed-lance-demo.1
+++ b/man/clematis-seed-lance-demo.1
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-.TH clematis-seed-lance-demo 1 "2024-01-01" "Clematis 0.10.2" "User Commands"
+.TH clematis-seed-lance-demo 1 "2024-01-01" "Clematis 0.10.3" "User Commands"
 .SH NAME
 clematis\-seed\-lance\-demo \\\- Delegates to scripts/ for 'seed\-lance\-demo'
 .SH SYNOPSIS
diff --git a/man/clematis-validate.1 b/man/clematis-validate.1
index b198e83..970c4eb 100644
--- a/man/clematis-validate.1
+++ b/man/clematis-validate.1
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-.TH clematis-validate 1 "2024-01-01" "Clematis 0.10.2" "User Commands"
+.TH clematis-validate 1 "2024-01-01" "Clematis 0.10.3" "User Commands"
 .SH NAME
 clematis\-validate \\\- Delegates to scripts/ for 'validate'
 .SH SYNOPSIS
diff --git a/man/clematis.1 b/man/clematis.1
index b95067b..2f01396 100644
--- a/man/clematis.1
+++ b/man/clematis.1
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-.TH clematis 1 "2024-01-01" "Clematis 0.10.2" "User Commands"
+.TH clematis 1 "2024-01-01" "Clematis 0.10.3" "User Commands"
 .SH NAME
 clematis \\\- umbrella CLI for Clematis
 .SH SYNOPSIS
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ umbrella CLI for Clematis
 .nf
 usage: clematis [\-h] [\-\-version] <cmd> ...
 
-Clematis umbrella CLI (v0.10.2)
+Clematis umbrella CLI (v0.10.3)
 
 options:
   \-h, \-\-help          show this help message and exit
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index e14aa1e..2830489 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [project]
 name = "clematis"
-version = "0.10.2"
+version = "0.10.3"
 description = "Clematis — deterministic mind-like simulation engine (M1–M8 baseline)"
 readme = "README.md"
 requires-python = ">=3.11,<3.14"
diff --git a/scripts/examples_smoke.py b/scripts/examples_smoke.py
index ae21268..cae29b1 100644
--- a/scripts/examples_smoke.py
+++ b/scripts/examples_smoke.py
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@
 except Exception:
     # Best-effort; fall back to user-provided PYTHONPATH or editable install
     pass
+
+from clematis.errors import ConfigError
 from typing import Any, Dict, Iterable, List, Mapping, Optional, Sequence, Tuple
 
 # ------------------------------ imports ------------------------------------
@@ -138,7 +140,7 @@ def _run_example(
     cfg = _load_yaml(path)
     try:
         normalized, warnings = validate_config_verbose(cfg)
-    except ValueError as e:
+    except ConfigError as e:
         return False, f"validation errors: {str(e)}"
     cfg = normalized
 
diff --git a/scripts/validate_config.py b/scripts/validate_config.py
index e485514..feb0000 100644
--- a/scripts/validate_config.py
+++ b/scripts/validate_config.py
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@
 if ROOT not in sys.path:
     sys.path.insert(0, ROOT)
 
+from clematis.errors import ConfigError
+
 
 def _load_validator():
     """Import the configs.validate module lazily to avoid circular imports.
@@ -135,8 +137,8 @@ def main(argv: list[str]) -> int:
         else:
             normalized = validate_config_func(cfg)
             warnings = []
-    except ValueError as ve:
-        print("CONFIG INVALID\n" + str(ve))
+    except ConfigError as err:
+        print("CONFIG INVALID\n" + str(err))
         return 1
 
     # --strict: treat warnings as errors
diff --git a/tests/cli/goldens/help/top.txt b/tests/cli/goldens/help/top.txt
index 05be092..260d1f7 100644
--- a/tests/cli/goldens/help/top.txt
+++ b/tests/cli/goldens/help/top.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 usage: clematis [-h] [--version]
 
-Clematis umbrella CLI (v0.10.2)
+Clematis umbrella CLI (v0.10.3)
 
 options:
   -h, --help show this help message and exit
diff --git a/tests/config/test_config_version_lock.py b/tests/config/test_config_version_lock.py
index e30483a..e6d72ac 100644
--- a/tests/config/test_config_version_lock.py
+++ b/tests/config/test_config_version_lock.py
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
 
 
 from __future__ import annotations
-
 import pytest
 
 from configs.validate import validate_config, CONFIG_VERSION
+from clematis.errors import ConfigError
 
 
 def _base_cfg() -> dict:
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ def test_accepts_v1_version():
 def test_rejects_wrong_version():
   cfg = _base_cfg()
   cfg["version"] = "v999"
-  with pytest.raises(ValueError) as e:
+  with pytest.raises(ConfigError) as e:
     validate_config(cfg)
   # Message should be explicit but avoid overfitting exact text
   assert "must be" in str(e.value)
@@ -37,5 +37,5 @@ def test_rejects_wrong_version():
 def test_rejects_unknown_top_level_keys():
   cfg = _base_cfg()
   cfg["whaaat"] = {}
-  with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+  with pytest.raises(ConfigError):
     validate_config(cfg)
diff --git a/tests/config/test_validate_perf_snapshots.py b/tests/config/test_validate_perf_snapshots.py
index 89f875a..203cbd4 100644
--- a/tests/config/test_validate_perf_snapshots.py
+++ b/tests/config/test_validate_perf_snapshots.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import pytest
+from clematis.errors import ConfigError
 
 try:
     from configs.validate import validate_config, validate_config_verbose
@@ -34,7 +35,7 @@ def test_rejects_bad_level_and_codec():
             },
         }
     }
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError) as e:
+    with pytest.raises(ConfigError) as e:
         validate_config(cfg)
     msg = str(e.value).lower()
     assert "perf.snapshots.compression" in msg or "compression" in msg
diff --git a/tests/config/test_validate_reflection.py b/tests/config/test_validate_reflection.py
index a3b89df..d097ee9 100644
--- a/tests/config/test_validate_reflection.py
+++ b/tests/config/test_validate_reflection.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 import pytest
 
 import importlib
+from clematis.errors import ConfigError
 _val_mod = importlib.import_module("configs.validate")
 for _name in ("validate", "validate_and_normalize", "validate_config", "validate_cfg"):
     if hasattr(_val_mod, _name):
@@ -76,7 +77,7 @@ def test_types_enforced_and_nonneg_ints():
 def test_ops_reflection_negative_raises():
     cfg = base_cfg()
     cfg["scheduler"]["budgets"]["ops_reflection"] = -1
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+    with pytest.raises(ConfigError):
         _validate(copy.deepcopy(cfg))
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("coerce_in", ["5", 3.14])
@@ -101,12 +102,12 @@ def test_unknown_key_rejected_in_reflection():
             "surprise": 42,  # not allowed
         },
     }
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+    with pytest.raises(ConfigError):
         _validate(copy.deepcopy(cfg))
 
 
 def test_backend_choice_restricted():
     cfg = base_cfg()
     cfg["t3"] = {"allow_reflection": True, "reflection": {"backend": "nope"}}
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+    with pytest.raises(ConfigError):
         _validate(copy.deepcopy(cfg))
diff --git a/tests/reflection/test_reflection_llm_requires_fixtures.py b/tests/reflection/test_reflection_llm_requires_fixtures.py
index 33f1572..1e8b506 100644
--- a/tests/reflection/test_reflection_llm_requires_fixtures.py
+++ b/tests/reflection/test_reflection_llm_requires_fixtures.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import pytest
 
 from configs.validate import validate_config
+from clematis.errors import ConfigError
 
 
 def test_llm_requires_fixtures_enabled():
@@ -18,7 +19,7 @@ def test_llm_requires_fixtures_enabled():
         },
         "scheduler": {"budgets": {"time_ms_reflection": 6000, "ops_reflection": 5}},
     }
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+    with pytest.raises(ConfigError):
         validate_config(cfg)
 
 
@@ -37,5 +38,5 @@ def test_llm_requires_path_when_enabled():
         },
         "scheduler": {"budgets": {"time_ms_reflection": 6000, "ops_reflection": 5}},
     }
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+    with pytest.raises(ConfigError):
         validate_config(cfg)
diff --git a/tests/test_config_perf_quality.py b/tests/test_config_perf_quality.py
index 4cf2e54..9583074 100644
--- a/tests/test_config_perf_quality.py
+++ b/tests/test_config_perf_quality.py
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 
 import pytest
 
+from clematis.errors import ConfigError
+
 # Import the validator(s) under test
 from configs.validate import validate_config, validate_config_verbose
 
@@ -87,7 +89,7 @@ def test_quality_prep_inert_variations():
 
 def test_perf_validation_bounds_and_types():
     """
-    perf.* accepts only bounded values; invalid settings raise ValueError with precise paths.
+    perf.* accepts only bounded values; invalid settings raise ConfigError with precise paths.
     """
     bads = [
         ({"perf": {"t1": {"queue_cap": 0}}}, "perf.t1.queue_cap"),
@@ -101,7 +103,7 @@ def test_perf_validation_bounds_and_types():
         ({"perf": {"snapshots": {"every_n_turns": 0}}}, "perf.snapshots.every_n_turns"),
     ]
     for cfg, needle in bads:
-        with pytest.raises(ValueError) as ei:
+        with pytest.raises(ConfigError) as ei:
             validate_config(cfg)
         assert needle in str(ei.value)
 
@@ -124,7 +126,7 @@ def test_warnings_fp16_without_norms_and_kfinal_gt_k():
 
 def test_quality_value_bounds_and_types_errors():
     """
-    Certain invalid values in quality subkeys should raise validation errors even if enabled:false.
+    Certain invalid values in quality subkeys should raise ConfigError even if enabled:false.
     (Bounds/type checks are independent of wiring.)
     """
     bads = [
@@ -145,7 +147,7 @@ def test_quality_value_bounds_and_types_errors():
         ({"t2": {"quality": {"mmr": {"k_final": 0}}}}, "t2.quality.mmr.k_final"),
     ]
     for cfg, needle in bads:
-        with pytest.raises(ValueError) as ei:
+        with pytest.raises(ConfigError) as ei:
             validate_config(cfg)
         assert needle in str(ei.value)
 
diff --git a/tests/test_config_validate.py b/tests/test_config_validate.py
index c7b9d5f..b24c759 100644
--- a/tests/test_config_validate.py
+++ b/tests/test_config_validate.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import pytest
 
 from configs.validate import validate_config, validate_config_verbose
+from clematis.errors import ConfigError
 
 
 def test_validate_happy_defaults():
@@ -25,7 +26,7 @@ def test_validate_happy_defaults():
     ],
 )
 def test_validate_raises_on_bad_values(bad_cfg, needle):
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError) as ei:
+    with pytest.raises(ConfigError) as ei:
         validate_config(bad_cfg)
     msg = str(ei.value)
     assert needle in msg
@@ -41,7 +42,7 @@ def test_t4_cache_ttl_alias_and_priority():
 
 
 def test_t4_cache_namespaces_must_be_list_of_str():
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError) as ei:
+    with pytest.raises(ConfigError) as ei:
         validate_config({"t4": {"cache": {"namespaces": "oops"}}})
     assert "t4.cache.namespaces" in str(ei.value)
 
@@ -73,7 +74,7 @@ def test_t2_backend_enum_and_threshold():
     out = validate_config({"t2": {"backend": "inmemory", "sim_threshold": 0.0}})
     assert out["t2"]["backend"] == "inmemory"
     # bad backend
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError) as ei:
+    with pytest.raises(ConfigError) as ei:
         validate_config({"t2": {"backend": "duckdb"}})
     assert "t2.backend" in str(ei.value)
 
@@ -83,7 +84,7 @@ def test_t4_cooldowns_nonnegative_and_string_keys():
     out = validate_config({"t4": {"cooldowns": {"EditGraph": 2, "CreateGraph": 0}}})
     assert out["t4"]["cooldowns"]["EditGraph"] == 2
     # negative value
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError) as ei:
+    with pytest.raises(ConfigError) as ei:
         validate_config({"t4": {"cooldowns": {"EditGraph": -1}}})
     assert "t4.cooldowns[EditGraph]" in str(ei.value)
 
@@ -92,7 +93,7 @@ def test_t4_cooldowns_nonnegative_and_string_keys():
 def test_unknown_key_suggestion():
     # Typo should raise with a suggestion in the error message
     bad = {"t2": {"backnd": "inmemory"}}
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError) as ei:
+    with pytest.raises(ConfigError) as ei:
         validate_config(bad)
     msg = str(ei.value)
     assert "t2.backnd" in msg
@@ -123,7 +124,7 @@ def test_duplicate_cache_namespace_warns_in_verbose():
 def test_t4_cache_namespace_membership():
     # Invalid namespace should error with allowed set indicated
     cfg = {"t4": {"cache": {"namespaces": ["t2:semantics"]}}}
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError) as ei:
+    with pytest.raises(ConfigError) as ei:
         validate_config(cfg)
     msg = str(ei.value)
     assert "t4.cache.namespaces[t2:semantics]" in msg
@@ -133,14 +134,14 @@ def test_t4_cache_namespace_membership():
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("bad", [1.2, -1.2])
 def test_t2_sim_threshold_bounds(bad):
     cfg = {"t2": {"sim_threshold": bad}}
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError) as ei:
+    with pytest.raises(ConfigError) as ei:
         validate_config(cfg)
     assert "t2.sim_threshold" in str(ei.value)
 
 
 def test_snapshot_every_n_turns_must_be_positive():
     cfg = {"t4": {"snapshot_every_n_turns": 0, "cache": {"namespaces": ["t2:semantic"]}}}
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError) as ei:
+    with pytest.raises(ConfigError) as ei:
         validate_config(cfg)
     assert "t4.snapshot_every_n_turns" in str(ei.value)
 
@@ -163,19 +164,19 @@ def test_graph_merge_defaults_and_bounds():
 
 def test_graph_merge_invalid_values():
     # min_size < 2
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError) as ei:
+    with pytest.raises(ConfigError) as ei:
         validate_config({"graph": {"merge": {"min_size": 1}}})
     assert "graph.merge.min_size" in str(ei.value)
     # min_avg_w out of range
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError) as ei:
+    with pytest.raises(ConfigError) as ei:
         validate_config({"graph": {"merge": {"min_avg_w": 1.5}}})
     assert "graph.merge.min_avg_w" in str(ei.value)
     # max_diameter < 1
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError) as ei:
+    with pytest.raises(ConfigError) as ei:
         validate_config({"graph": {"merge": {"max_diameter": 0}}})
     assert "graph.merge.max_diameter" in str(ei.value)
     # cap_per_turn negative
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError) as ei:
+    with pytest.raises(ConfigError) as ei:
         validate_config({"graph": {"merge": {"cap_per_turn": -1}}})
     assert "graph.merge.cap_per_turn" in str(ei.value)
 
@@ -191,15 +192,15 @@ def test_graph_split_defaults_and_bounds():
 
 def test_graph_split_invalid_values():
     # weak_edge_thresh out of range
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError) as ei:
+    with pytest.raises(ConfigError) as ei:
         validate_config({"graph": {"split": {"weak_edge_thresh": -0.1}}})
     assert "graph.split.weak_edge_thresh" in str(ei.value)
     # min_component_size < 2
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError) as ei:
+    with pytest.raises(ConfigError) as ei:
         validate_config({"graph": {"split": {"min_component_size": 1}}})
     assert "graph.split.min_component_size" in str(ei.value)
     # cap_per_turn negative
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError) as ei:
+    with pytest.raises(ConfigError) as ei:
         validate_config({"graph": {"split": {"cap_per_turn": -2}}})
     assert "graph.split.cap_per_turn" in str(ei.value)
 
@@ -216,19 +217,19 @@ def test_graph_promotion_defaults_and_bounds():
 
 def test_graph_promotion_invalid_values():
     # bad label_mode
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError) as ei:
+    with pytest.raises(ConfigError) as ei:
         validate_config({"graph": {"promotion": {"label_mode": "weird"}}})
     assert "graph.promotion.label_mode" in str(ei.value)
     # topk_label_ids < 1
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError) as ei:
+    with pytest.raises(ConfigError) as ei:
         validate_config({"graph": {"promotion": {"topk_label_ids": 0}}})
     assert "graph.promotion.topk_label_ids" in str(ei.value)
     # attach_weight out of range
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError) as ei:
+    with pytest.raises(ConfigError) as ei:
         validate_config({"graph": {"promotion": {"attach_weight": 2}}})
     assert "graph.promotion.attach_weight" in str(ei.value)
     # cap_per_turn negative
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError) as ei:
+    with pytest.raises(ConfigError) as ei:
         validate_config({"graph": {"promotion": {"cap_per_turn": -1}}})
     assert "graph.promotion.cap_per_turn" in str(ei.value)
 
@@ -241,7 +242,7 @@ def test_graph_cross_field_consistency():
             "split": {"weak_edge_thresh": 0.50},
         }
     }
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError) as ei:
+    with pytest.raises(ConfigError) as ei:
         validate_config(bad)
     msg = str(ei.value)
     assert "graph.split.weak_edge_thresh" in msg
@@ -250,7 +251,7 @@ def test_graph_cross_field_consistency():
 
 def test_graph_unknown_keys_under_promotion():
     bad = {"graph": {"promotion": {"speed": 1}}}
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError) as ei:
+    with pytest.raises(ConfigError) as ei:
         validate_config(bad)
     msg = str(ei.value)
     assert "graph.promotion.speed" in msg
diff --git a/tests/test_scheduler_config_validate.py b/tests/test_scheduler_config_validate.py
index beca598..0ef70c2 100644
--- a/tests/test_scheduler_config_validate.py
+++ b/tests/test_scheduler_config_validate.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
     validate_config,
     validate_config_verbose,
 )
+from clematis.errors import ConfigError
 
 
 def _expect_valid(user_cfg):
@@ -16,8 +17,8 @@ def _expect_valid(user_cfg):
 
 
 def _expect_error(user_cfg, substr: str):
-    """Validate and expect a ValueError mentioning substr."""
-    with pytest.raises(ValueError) as ei:
+    """Validate and expect a ConfigError mentioning substr."""
+    with pytest.raises(ConfigError) as ei:
         validate_config(user_cfg)
     msg = str(ei.value)
     assert substr in msg, f"Expected error message to contain '{substr}', got: {msg}"