diff --git a/internal/cli/orient_test.go b/internal/cli/orient_test.go
index 6395a31..27e0989 100644
--- a/internal/cli/orient_test.go
+++ b/internal/cli/orient_test.go
@@ -267,6 +267,10 @@ func setupCLIDaybook(t *testing.T, notes ...cliNote) (string, string) {
 	if writer == "" {
 		t.Fatalf("publisher writer missing in %s", writers)
 	}
+	code, body, _ = runMain(t, "", "get", "notes/missing.md", "--cortex", "vault")
+	if code != 1 || body["error"] != "not_found" {
+		t.Fatalf("missing get: exit=%d body=%v", code, body)
+	}
 	return human, writer
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/kernel/clean_writer_test.go b/internal/kernel/clean_writer_test.go
index 58ee1bc..a151180 100644
--- a/internal/kernel/clean_writer_test.go
+++ b/internal/kernel/clean_writer_test.go
@@ -24,11 +24,6 @@ func (f *fixture) noOriginClone(t *testing.T, name string) string {
 	return dir
 }
 
-// Proof 15 (sole publisher): the kernel-owned writer clone is the sole
-// publisher for daybook cortices. Writes land, commit, and push from
-// the writer clone without touching the registered human checkout,
-// even when the human checkout carries uncommitted edits, staged work,
-// or a dirty heartbeat. Reads immediately resolve from the publisher clone.
 func TestProof15SolePublisherIsolatesFromHumanCheckout(t *testing.T) {
 	f := newFixture(t)
 
@@ -88,8 +83,6 @@ func TestProof15SolePublisherIsolatesFromHumanCheckout(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-// A LEFTOVER-DIRTY PUBLISHER clone must abort the write at the publisher-
-// root scan — the publisher repository must always be clean.
 func TestDirtyPublisherAborts(t *testing.T) {
 	f := newFixture(t)
 
@@ -118,8 +111,6 @@ func TestDirtyPublisherAborts(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-// Proof 16: publisher pins the registered checkout's actual tracked branch
-// (e.g. feature-vault), not the remote's default branch (master).
 func TestPublisherPinsNonDefaultTrackedBranch(t *testing.T) {
 	f := newFixture(t)
 	// Create and checkout non-default branch on hosta
@@ -149,8 +140,6 @@ func TestPublisherPinsNonDefaultTrackedBranch(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-// Proof 17: Get on a freshly registered cortex provisions the publisher clone
-// and reads clean committed state, never uncommitted human dirt on c.Path.
 func TestProof17FreshRegistrationReadsCommittedStateNotHumanDirt(t *testing.T) {
 	testConfigEnv(t)
 	base := t.TempDir()
@@ -199,8 +188,6 @@ func TestProof17FreshRegistrationReadsCommittedStateNotHumanDirt(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-// Proof 18: provisioning failure fails closed — Get/Log/Lint return cortex_unavailable,
-// never silently falling back to uncommitted bytes on c.Path.
 func TestProof18ProvisioningFailureFailsClosed(t *testing.T) {
 	testConfigEnv(t)
 	base := t.TempDir()
@@ -233,9 +220,6 @@ func TestProof18ProvisioningFailureFailsClosed(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-// Proof 19: completely missing origin remote on a daybook cortex fails closed
-// across reads and writes — Put returns writer_unavailable; Get/Log/Lint return
-// cortex_unavailable; zero fallback to c.Path.
 func TestProof19MissingOriginFailsClosedAcrossReadsAndWrites(t *testing.T) {
 	testConfigEnv(t)
 	base := t.TempDir()
diff --git a/internal/kernel/mcp_test.go b/internal/kernel/mcp_test.go
index 7652307..ab89ba0 100644
--- a/internal/kernel/mcp_test.go
+++ b/internal/kernel/mcp_test.go
@@ -13,8 +13,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/modelcontextprotocol/go-sdk/mcp"
 )
 
-// binPath is the built exocortex binary used for the MCP stdio
-// round-trip; TestMain builds it once for the package.
 var binPath string
 
 func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
@@ -35,8 +33,6 @@ func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 	os.Exit(code)
 }
 
-// Proof 7: MCP face round-trip — get → put(expectedRevision) → get
-// bumps the revision and preserves the payload apart from the stamp.
 func TestProof7MCPRoundTrip(t *testing.T) {
 	f := newFixture(t)
 	ctx := context.Background()
@@ -84,6 +80,11 @@ func TestProof7MCPRoundTrip(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("get mismatch: isErr=%v body=%v", isErr, got)
 	}
 
+	missing, isErr := call("exocortex_get", map[string]any{"path": "notes/missing.md", "cortex": "hosta"})
+	if !isErr || missing["error"] != "not_found" {
+		t.Fatalf("missing get: isErr=%v body=%v", isErr, missing)
+	}
+
 	updated := mkNote("note", "mcp roundtrip v2")
 	body, isErr = call("exocortex_put", map[string]any{
 		"path": "notes/mcp.md", "content": updated,
@@ -105,7 +106,6 @@ func TestProof7MCPRoundTrip(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("provenance stamp missing:\n%s", disk)
 	}
 
-	// Stale expectedRevision surfaces the pinned conflict as an error result.
 	body, isErr = call("exocortex_put", map[string]any{
 		"path": "notes/mcp.md", "content": updated,
 		"expectedRevision": rev1, "cortex": "hosta",
diff --git a/internal/kernel/read.go b/internal/kernel/read.go
index 5e8ff42..2d175bb 100644
--- a/internal/kernel/read.go
+++ b/internal/kernel/read.go
@@ -40,6 +40,9 @@ func (s readSnapshot) read(path string) ([]byte, error) {
 	if s.sha != "" {
 		raw, err := git(s.repo, "show", s.sha+":"+path)
 		if err != nil {
+			if tree, treeErr := git(s.repo, "ls-tree", "-z", s.sha, "--", path); treeErr == nil && tree == "" {
+				return nil, fs.ErrNotExist
+			}
 			return nil, err
 		}
 		return []byte(raw), nil
@@ -363,13 +366,13 @@ func conflictForRequest(source *Conflict, operation, path string) *Conflict {
 }
 
 func snapshotReadConflict(c *Cortex, operation, path string, err error) *Conflict {
-	if c.VCS == "daybook" {
-		return snapshotUnavailable(operation, path, err)
-	}
 	if errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist) {
 		return conflict("not_found", operation, path,
 			"check the path; search the cortex to locate the note", nil)
 	}
+	if c.VCS == "daybook" {
+		return snapshotUnavailable(operation, path, err)
+	}
 	return conflict("read_failed", operation, path, "fix filesystem access and retry",
 		map[string]any{"detail": err.Error()})
 }
diff --git a/internal/kernel/read_refresh_test.go b/internal/kernel/read_refresh_test.go
index b8dbe1e..b6958de 100644
--- a/internal/kernel/read_refresh_test.go
+++ b/internal/kernel/read_refresh_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ package kernel
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"io/fs"
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -106,6 +108,17 @@ func TestReadFailsWithoutUpstream(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestGetClassifiesMissingCommittedPath(t *testing.T) {
+	f := newFixture(t)
+	got, conf := Get(f.cs, "hosta", "notes/missing.md")
+	if got != nil || conf == nil || conf.Code != "not_found" || conf.Path != "notes/missing.md" {
+		t.Fatalf("got=%+v conflict=%#v", got, conf)
+	}
+	if _, err := (readSnapshot{repo: mustEffectiveRoot(&f.cs[0]), sha: "missing-commit"}).read("README.md"); errors.Is(err, fs.ErrNotExist) {
+		t.Fatalf("invalid snapshot classified as missing path: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestGetManyDoesNotMixRevisionsAfterOriginAdvance(t *testing.T) {
 	f := newFixture(t)
 	notes := []struct {