diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index f50f4f89..25327fb2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -267,18 +267,19 @@ jobs:
     # push-to-main + workflow_dispatch (full coverage), and PRs that touch ide/** or this workflow (the
     # `changes.ide` path-gate) — a pure-Python PR can't change the isolated npm project's result, so it's
     # skipped there. Not on the nightly cron: the engine heavy legs need that safety net, an isolated npm
-    # build gated on its own paths does not. The per-repo os matrix below keeps the 2x-billed windows-latest
-    # electron leg off the private repo while still running it free on the mirror.
+    # build gated on its own paths does not. The per-repo os matrix below runs the 2x-billed
+    # windows-latest electron leg here (this repo is public, so hosted runners are free) and drops it on
+    # a fork, where those minutes come out of the fork owner's own allowance.
     needs: changes
     if: github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' || needs.changes.outputs.ide == 'true'
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
-      # Per-repo os matrix (built in `changes`): ubuntu-only on the private repo; ubuntu + windows-latest
-      # on the mirror. The windows-latest leg is the 2x-billed one that runs the @vscode/test-electron
-      # integration suite — running it ONLY on the free public mirror keeps that Windows cost off the
-      # private repo without losing the coverage. `ide` is not a required check and ci-gate does not
-      # `needs` it, so dropping the windows leg here can't wedge anything.
+      # Per-repo os matrix (built in `changes`): ubuntu + windows-latest on THIS repo, ubuntu-only on a
+      # fork. The windows-latest leg is the 2x-billed one that runs the @vscode/test-electron integration
+      # suite; this repo is public so hosted minutes are free, while on a fork they are billed to the
+      # fork owner. `ide` is not a required check and ci-gate does not `needs` it, so dropping the
+      # windows leg on a fork can't wedge anything.
       matrix: ${{ fromJSON(needs.changes.outputs.ide_matrix) }}
     defaults:
       run:
@@ -304,9 +305,9 @@ jobs:
 
       # The vscode-free suites (the pure model layer: the engine link state + its two frozen boundary
       # allowlists, the settings-scope SEC-005 invariant, the graph/steps/HL7 models, …). They need no
-      # Extension Host, so they run on EVERY leg — including ubuntu on the private repo, where PRs land.
-      # Before this step they ran NOWHERE here: `npm test` is Windows-only and the private repo's ide
-      # matrix is ubuntu-only, so the entire node-side estate was type-checked and never executed.
+      # Extension Host, so they run on EVERY leg — including the ubuntu-only leg a fork gets.
+      # Before this step they ran NOWHERE on an ubuntu-only matrix: `npm test` is Windows-only, so the
+      # entire node-side estate was type-checked and never executed there.
       # ADR 0110's allowlists are only "asserted in CI" because of this line.
       - name: Unit tests (node-side, no VS Code)
         run: npm run test:unit
@@ -340,12 +341,12 @@ jobs:
       # `ide`: run the ide build job only when a PR touches ide/** or this workflow (true on
       # push/dispatch for full coverage; false on the nightly cron). Not a required check.
       ide: ${{ steps.f.outputs.ide }}
-      # `matrix`: the `test` job's include list, per-repo — ubuntu-only on the private repo (the
-      # self-hosted Windows runners are retired), full ubuntu+windows matrix on the mirror (free
-      # hosted). Consumed as `matrix: ${{ fromJSON(needs.changes.outputs.matrix) }}` in `test`.
+      # `matrix`: the `test` job's include list, per-repo — full ubuntu+windows matrix HERE (this repo is
+      # public, so hosted runners are free; the self-hosted Windows runners are retired), ubuntu-only on
+      # a fork. Consumed as `matrix: ${{ fromJSON(needs.changes.outputs.matrix) }}` in `test`.
       matrix: ${{ steps.f.outputs.matrix }}
-      # `ide_matrix`: the `ide` job's os matrix, per-repo — ubuntu-only on the private repo; ubuntu +
-      # windows-latest on the mirror, where the 2x-billed VS Code electron leg runs FREE. Consumed as
+      # `ide_matrix`: the `ide` job's os matrix, per-repo — ubuntu + windows-latest HERE, where the
+      # 2x-billed VS Code electron leg runs free; ubuntu-only on a fork. Consumed as
       # `matrix: ${{ fromJSON(needs.changes.outputs.ide_matrix) }}` in `ide`.
       ide_matrix: ${{ steps.f.outputs.ide_matrix }}
     steps:
@@ -360,9 +361,13 @@ jobs:
           BASE_SHA: ${{ github.event.pull_request.base.sha }}
         run: |
           # test matrix, per-repo — computed FIRST (independent of the event, before any early exit).
-          # Mirror (MEFORORG): full ubuntu + windows-2022 + windows-2025 on FREE hosted runners.
-          # Private repo (wshallwshall): the UBUNTU leg ONLY — the self-hosted Windows NucBox runners
-          # are retired. `hosted` = the runner labels (an array; see the `test` job's runs-on).
+          # THIS repo (MEFORORG/MessageFoundry, the source since the cutover): full ubuntu + windows-2022
+          # + windows-2025 on FREE hosted runners — free because the repo is public.
+          # Anywhere else (a FORK): the UBUNTU leg ONLY, so a contributor's own minutes are not spent on
+          # the 2x-billed Windows legs. This branch used to mean "the private source repo"; that repo is
+          # now an inactive archive with Actions disabled, so a fork is the only thing that reaches it.
+          # The self-hosted Windows NucBox runners are retired either way.
+          # `hosted` = the runner labels (an array; see the `test` job's runs-on).
           # $GITHUB_REPOSITORY is a built-in runner env var, read here as plain shell (NOT a workflow-
           # expression interpolation into the run body), so it is zizmor-safe and cannot be misparsed as
           # an Actions expression the way a literal double-brace token in a run: block would be.
@@ -375,7 +380,7 @@ jobs:
             echo "matrix={\"include\":[$U]}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
           fi
           # ide matrix, per-repo (computed here with the test matrix, before any early exit): the
-          # 2x-billed windows-latest electron leg runs ONLY on the FREE public mirror; the private repo
+          # 2x-billed windows-latest electron leg runs only HERE, where hosted minutes are free; a fork
           # builds + type-checks the extension on ubuntu only. Consumed as
           # matrix: fromJSON(needs.changes.outputs.ide_matrix) in the ide job. (No shell vars here, so a
           # single-quoted literal JSON needs no escaping and carries no run-block workflow expression.)
@@ -1075,9 +1080,10 @@ jobs:
   # re-validates a specific merge on demand.
   windows-service-smoke:
     name: windows service smoke (${{ matrix.os }}, py${{ matrix.python-version }})
-    # Mirror-only: this spins up 2x-billed hosted Windows runners on BOTH Server SKUs, so run it FREE on
-    # the public mirror's nightly schedule and never on the private repo. ci-gate `needs` this job, but a
-    # `skipped` leg counts as a pass there, so gating it off the private repo cannot wedge the gate.
+    # This repo only: it spins up 2x-billed hosted Windows runners on BOTH Server SKUs, which is free
+    # here (public) and billed to the owner of a fork. Nightly schedule + manual dispatch only. ci-gate
+    # `needs` this job, but a `skipped` leg counts as a pass there, so gating it off a fork cannot wedge
+    # the gate.
     if: (github.event_name == 'schedule' || github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch') && github.repository == 'MEFORORG/MessageFoundry'
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
     strategy:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/codeql.yml b/.github/workflows/codeql.yml
index c5d17e54..8ee0669e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/codeql.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/codeql.yml
@@ -4,19 +4,21 @@ name: CodeQL
 # rules in security.yml — it finds vulnerable flows those pattern matchers can't, e.g. untrusted
 # HL7/config data reaching a sink across function boundaries.
 #
-# WHY THIS IS GUARDED TO THE MIRROR: CodeQL uploads results to GitHub code scanning, which on a
-# PRIVATE repo requires paid GitHub Advanced Security (see security.yml's header note). This repo's
-# source of truth is private, but the OSS mirror MEFORORG/MessageFoundry is PUBLIC, where CodeQL +
-# code scanning are FREE. So the analyze job is gated on the repo slug: it is SKIPPED (a no-op) on the
-# private source repo and runs only once publish.ps1 mirrors this file to MEFORORG/MessageFoundry.
-# Nothing to pay, nothing to fail on the private side.
+# WHY THIS IS GUARDED TO THE REPO SLUG: CodeQL uploads results to GitHub code scanning, which on a
+# PRIVATE repo requires paid GitHub Advanced Security (see security.yml's header note). THIS repo is
+# PUBLIC, so CodeQL + code scanning are FREE here. The analyze job is gated on the slug so it stays a
+# skipped no-op anywhere the upload would fail or be billed — a fork, or the retired private archive.
+#
+# (Pre-cutover this described MEFORORG as "the OSS mirror" of a private source repo, and said the job
+# ran "once publish.ps1 mirrors this file". Both premises are gone: MEFORORG is the source, and the
+# publish machinery was deleted. The GUARD was already right — only its rationale had rotted.)
 #
 # PINNING CAVEAT: this repo SHA-pins every Action for supply-chain integrity. actions/checkout below
 # reuses the repo's existing v7.0.0 pin; the github/codeql-action steps are on the v3 tag for now
 # because the live commit SHA must be looked up at authoring — SHA-pin them before treating this as a
 # hardened gate (OSSF Scorecard / zizmor would flag the unpinned tags).
 #
-# ALTERNATIVE (no file): on the public mirror you can instead enable CodeQL "default setup" from
+# ALTERNATIVE (no file): you can instead enable CodeQL "default setup" from
 # Settings -> Security -> Code scanning (one toggle, auto-pinned, auto-updated). Default setup and this
 # advanced workflow are mutually exclusive — if you turn default setup ON, delete this file.
 on:
@@ -36,8 +38,9 @@ permissions:
 jobs:
   analyze:
     name: CodeQL (${{ matrix.language }})
-    # ONLY on the public mirror — code scanning is free there; on the private source repo it would need
-    # paid GHAS, so this is a skipped no-op there. (GitHub Actions string == is case-insensitive.)
+    # ONLY on this repo — it is public, so code scanning is free; anywhere else (a fork, or the retired
+    # private archive) it would need paid GHAS, so this stays a skipped no-op there. (GitHub Actions
+    # string == is case-insensitive.)
     if: github.repository == 'MEFORORG/MessageFoundry'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     permissions:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index d1938f35..cc9f868f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -228,9 +228,10 @@ jobs:
       #   gh attestation verify dist/<artifact> --repo MEFORORG/MessageFoundry
       # GATED to PUBLIC repos: the GitHub attestation API (actions/attest-build-provenance) is "not
       # available for user-owned private repositories" and FAILS there, aborting the job BEFORE the PyPI
-      # publish below. While this repo is private the step is SKIPPED (skip != fail, so the release
-      # proceeds); provenance is still covered by the Sigstore bundle (above) and the PyPI-side PEP 740
-      # attestations (publish step below). Auto-resumes if a release ever runs from the public mirror.
+      # publish below. THIS repo is public since the cutover, so the step now RUNS and every release
+      # carries SLSA provenance. The gate remains for a private fork, where it SKIPS rather than fails
+      # (skip != fail, so the release proceeds) and provenance is still covered by the Sigstore bundle
+      # above plus the PyPI-side PEP 740 attestations from the publish step.
       # `github.event.repository.private` is populated on the tag-push event.
       - name: Attest build provenance (SLSA) for sdist + wheel
         if: ${{ !github.event.repository.private }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/scorecard.yml b/.github/workflows/scorecard.yml
index e534b481..09e187d8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/scorecard.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/scorecard.yml
@@ -5,12 +5,14 @@ name: Scorecard
 # repo already does (SHA-pinned Actions, least-privilege tokens) and catches regressions, and yields a
 # public OpenSSF badge.
 #
-# WHY GUARDED TO THE MIRROR: like CodeQL, Scorecard uploads SARIF to GitHub code scanning (paid GHAS on
-# a private repo) and `publish_results: true` requires a PUBLIC repo. So this is gated to the public
-# mirror MEFORORG/MessageFoundry — a skipped no-op on the private source repo, free on the mirror after
-# publish.ps1 mirrors this file. NOTE: the Branch-Protection check then reflects the MIRROR's settings,
-# not the private repo's; the workflow-hardening checks (Pinned-Dependencies / Dangerous-Workflow /
-# Token-Permissions) assess the shared source and are the signal that transfers.
+# WHY GUARDED TO THE REPO SLUG: like CodeQL, Scorecard uploads SARIF to GitHub code scanning (paid GHAS
+# on a private repo) and `publish_results: true` requires a PUBLIC repo. THIS repo is public, so both
+# are free here; the slug gate keeps it a skipped no-op anywhere else — a fork, or the retired private
+# archive. Every check now assesses this repo directly, including Branch-Protection.
+#
+# (Pre-cutover MEFORORG was the published mirror, so the Branch-Protection score reflected the MIRROR's
+# settings rather than the private source's, and this file only ran once publish.ps1 copied it across.
+# Both caveats are obsolete: there is one repo, and the publish machinery was deleted.)
 #
 # PINNING CAVEAT: actions/checkout + actions/upload-artifact reuse this repo's existing SHA pins; the
 # ossf/scorecard-action and github/codeql-action/upload-sarif steps are on version tags pending a
@@ -28,7 +30,7 @@ permissions: read-all
 jobs:
   analysis:
     name: Scorecard analysis
-    # ONLY on the public mirror (free code scanning + public badge); skipped no-op on the private repo.
+    # ONLY on this repo — public, so code scanning and the badge are free; skipped no-op on a fork.
     if: github.repository == 'MEFORORG/MessageFoundry'
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     permissions: