diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 1dfaecb..c74b083 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -96,6 +96,12 @@ adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
   immutable policy with a context that disables hostname or certificate
   verification; private trust, mTLS, and explicit TLS 1.2 compatibility remain
   available through the documented declarative fields.
+- Seal TLS trust-path, inline CA, and direct private-key-password scalars before
+  trusted configuration is retained. Path-like inputs must yield exact built-in
+  text, `ca_data` must be exact built-in text or bytes, direct passwords must be
+  exact built-in text/bytes/bytearray, and mutable bytearrays are copied to
+  immutable bytes. Callers that relied on scalar subclasses must migrate to the
+  supported built-in values or the explicit zero-argument password callback.
 - Reject non-exact integer subclasses in shared policy integer fields before
   retaining trusted configuration state. Exact built-in integers and existing
   ASCII decimal strings remain supported, preserving defaults and ranges while
diff --git a/docs/research/tls-configuration.md b/docs/research/tls-configuration.md
index e9cd100..5a536f8 100644
--- a/docs/research/tls-configuration.md
+++ b/docs/research/tls-configuration.md
@@ -40,15 +40,25 @@ that mutable object would make the transport's security properties depend on
 external object lifetime and mutation order.
 
 `TLSConfiguration` instead stores declarative inputs in a frozen value object.
-Path-like values are normalized to deterministic text without expanding or
-resolving them, and filesystem or certificate parsing is deferred to context
-construction. Secret-bearing client-key passwords are excluded from
-representations and equality comparisons. Mutable password bytearrays are copied
-to immutable bytes at construction so later caller mutation cannot change the
-identity used to build a transport. A zero-argument callback remains an explicit
-trusted integration point for deferred secret retrieval. Every transport owns
-the fresh context that results, eliminating post-validation caller mutation as
-an authority channel.
+Path-like values are observed through `os.fspath()` exactly once and accepted
+only when the result is the exact built-in `str` type; ordinary `pathlib.Path`
+values therefore remain supported without retaining a polymorphic text object.
+Inline `ca_data` is likewise restricted to exact built-in PEM text or DER bytes
+before emptiness checks or retention. Direct private-key passwords must be exact
+built-in text, bytes, or bytearray values; an exact bytearray is copied to bytes
+before retention. These scalar requirements prevent subclass-defined text
+normalization, byte-length, or conversion behavior from participating in trusted
+TLS state while deliberately avoiding path expansion, resolution, or filesystem
+access during construction.
+
+Secret-bearing client-key passwords are excluded from representations and
+equality comparisons. Built-in subclasses are rejected from the direct password
+path, and an exact mutable password bytearray is copied to immutable bytes at
+construction so later caller mutation cannot change the identity used to build a
+transport. A zero-argument callback remains an explicit trusted integration
+point for deferred secret retrieval and may execute only when Python's TLS
+loader requests the password. Every transport owns the fresh context that
+results, eliminating post-validation caller mutation as an authority channel.
 
 The public context helper accepts only the exact `TLSConfiguration` type before
 it invokes `create_ssl_context()`. Subclassing this security value object is not
@@ -71,10 +81,13 @@ ignoring environment-controlled certificate configuration:
   `ssl.create_default_context(cafile=..., capath=..., cadata=...)` path with only
   the explicit custom CA source and requires at least one such source.
 
-Empty, binary path, malformed type, and ambiguous custom-only configurations
-fail at startup. Trust configuration is provider-neutral and can be injected by
-a standalone application, naruon adapter, or another CWL service without
-embedding provider-specific certificate logic in the transport.
+Exact text paths, standard path-like objects that yield exact text, and exact
+PEM text or DER bytes remain supported. Empty values, binary paths, built-in
+subclasses, malformed types, and ambiguous custom-only configurations fail at
+startup before subclass-controlled scalar behavior can enter frozen trust state.
+Trust configuration is provider-neutral and can be injected by a standalone
+application, naruon adapter, or another CWL service without embedding
+provider-specific certificate logic in the transport.
 
 ## Service identity binding
 
@@ -93,10 +106,11 @@ URL policy or DNS-pinned transport.
 
 `client_certificate_file` enables a client certificate identity. The private key
 may be contained in the same PEM file or supplied through
-`client_private_key_file`. `client_private_key_password` accepts the same secret
-shapes supported by Python's certificate loader, including a zero-argument
-callable for deferred secret retrieval. A supplied bytearray is copied to bytes
-before it is retained.
+`client_private_key_file`. A direct `client_private_key_password` must be exact
+built-in text, bytes, or bytearray; the bytearray form is copied to immutable
+bytes before retention. A zero-argument callable remains a separately explicit
+trusted contract for deferred secret retrieval by Python's certificate loader.
+Built-in subclasses are not accepted as direct password scalars.
 
 A private key or password without a certificate is rejected before filesystem
 access. Certificate and key loading errors remain startup/operator errors rather
@@ -113,10 +127,13 @@ default. An existing endpoint that cannot yet negotiate TLS 1.3 can opt into
 `minimum_version=ssl.TLSVersion.TLSv1_2`; this is an explicit compatibility
 exception that should be inventoried and removed after the peer is upgraded.
 
-Applications that previously subclassed `TLSConfiguration` must migrate to an
-exact instance using the documented declarative fields. Private trust roots,
-mutual-TLS identities, deferred private-key passwords, and the explicit TLS 1.2
-compatibility floor remain supported without subclassing.
+Applications that previously supplied `str`, `bytes`, or `bytearray` subclasses
+for trust, identity, or direct private-key password scalars must migrate to exact
+built-in values. Standard `pathlib.Path` objects, exact private trust roots,
+mutual-TLS identities, exact direct passwords, explicit deferred password
+callbacks, and the TLS 1.2 compatibility floor remain supported. Applications
+that previously subclassed `TLSConfiguration` must likewise use an exact
+instance with the documented declarative fields.
 
 The configuration is threaded through both public builders and both
 already-validated pinned-client builders. It changes only TLS trust and client
diff --git a/src/egressweave/tls.py b/src/egressweave/tls.py
index e242b37..7b3e388 100644
--- a/src/egressweave/tls.py
+++ b/src/egressweave/tls.py
@@ -40,42 +40,51 @@ def _normalize_path(
     field_name: str,
     value: str | os.PathLike[str] | None,
 ) -> str | None:
-    """Return one non-empty text path without expanding or resolving it."""
+    """Return one non-empty exact text path without expanding or resolving it.
+
+    ``os.fspath`` is observed exactly once so ordinary ``pathlib.Path`` values
+    remain supported. Its result must be the exact built-in ``str`` type before
+    text inspection or retention; a text subclass is executable behavior rather
+    than an immutable declarative path value.
+    """
     if value is None:
         return None
     try:
         normalized = os.fspath(value)
     except TypeError as exc:
         raise TypeError(f"{field_name} must be a string or path-like object") from exc
-    if not isinstance(normalized, str):
-        raise TypeError(f"{field_name} must resolve to a text path")
+    if type(normalized) is not str:
+        raise TypeError(f"{field_name} must resolve to an exact text path")
     if not normalized.strip():
         raise ValueError(f"{field_name} must not be empty")
     return normalized
 
 
 def _normalize_ca_data(value: str | bytes | None) -> str | bytes | None:
-    """Return non-empty PEM text or DER bytes for a custom trust anchor."""
+    """Return exact non-empty PEM text or DER bytes for a custom trust anchor."""
     if value is None:
         return None
-    if isinstance(value, str):
+    if type(value) is str:
         if not value.strip():
             raise ValueError("ca_data must not be empty")
         return value
-    if isinstance(value, bytes):
+    if type(value) is bytes:
         if not value:
             raise ValueError("ca_data must not be empty")
         return value
-    raise TypeError("ca_data must be PEM text or DER bytes")
+    raise TypeError("ca_data must be exact PEM text or DER bytes")
 
 
 def _validate_private_key_password(password: _PrivateKeyPassword) -> None:
-    """Reject password values that Python's TLS loader cannot consume safely."""
+    """Accept exact secret scalars or an explicit deferred password callback."""
     if password is None or callable(password):
         return
-    if isinstance(password, (str, bytes, bytearray)):
+    if type(password) in {str, bytes, bytearray}:
         return
-    raise TypeError("client_private_key_password must be text, bytes, or a callable")
+    raise TypeError(
+        "client_private_key_password must be exact text, bytes, bytearray, "
+        "or a callable"
+    )
 
 
 @dataclass(frozen=True, slots=True)
@@ -93,10 +102,10 @@ class TLSConfiguration:
 
     ``client_certificate_file`` enables mutual TLS. The private key can be in
     that PEM file or supplied separately through ``client_private_key_file``.
-    An optional password may be text, bytes, a bytearray, or a zero-argument
-    callable accepted by :meth:`ssl.SSLContext.load_cert_chain`. Mutable
-    bytearrays are copied to immutable bytes during construction. Password
-    values are deliberately excluded from representations and equality
+    An optional password may be exact text, exact bytes, an exact bytearray, or a
+    zero-argument callable accepted by :meth:`ssl.SSLContext.load_cert_chain`.
+    Mutable bytearrays are copied to immutable bytes during construction.
+    Password values are deliberately excluded from representations and equality
     comparisons.
     """
 
@@ -135,7 +144,7 @@ def __post_init__(self) -> None:
             )
         object.__setattr__(self, "ca_data", _normalize_ca_data(self.ca_data))
         _validate_private_key_password(self.client_private_key_password)
-        if isinstance(self.client_private_key_password, bytearray):
+        if type(self.client_private_key_password) is bytearray:
             object.__setattr__(
                 self,
                 "client_private_key_password",
diff --git a/tests/test_tls_configuration_scalar_integrity.py b/tests/test_tls_configuration_scalar_integrity.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4f4d123
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_tls_configuration_scalar_integrity.py
@@ -0,0 +1,149 @@
+"""Regression coverage for exact TLS trust and identity scalar values."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from pathlib import Path
+
+import pytest
+
+from egressweave.tls import TLSConfiguration
+
+
+class _HostileText(str):
+    """Expose any subclass-controlled text normalization at the TLS boundary."""
+
+    def strip(self, *args: object, **kwargs: object) -> str:
+        """Fail if trusted configuration invokes this polymorphic method."""
+        del args, kwargs
+        raise AssertionError("TLS configuration invoked hostile text normalization")
+
+
+class _HostileBytes(bytes):
+    """Expose any subclass-controlled truth-value check on CA bytes."""
+
+    def __len__(self) -> int:
+        """Fail if trusted configuration inspects polymorphic byte length."""
+        raise AssertionError("TLS configuration invoked hostile byte length")
+
+
+class _HostilePasswordText(str):
+    """Represent executable behavior hidden inside password text."""
+
+
+class _HostilePasswordBytes(bytes):
+    """Represent executable behavior hidden inside password bytes."""
+
+
+class _HostilePasswordBuffer(bytearray):
+    """Expose conversion of a mutable password subclass before retention."""
+
+    def __bytes__(self) -> bytes:
+        """Fail if trusted construction converts a polymorphic buffer."""
+        raise AssertionError("TLS configuration invoked hostile password conversion")
+
+
+class _HostileTextPath:
+    """Return a non-exact text path from the standard path protocol."""
+
+    def __fspath__(self) -> str:
+        """Return a text subclass that must be rejected before use."""
+        return _HostileText("trust/private-ca.pem")
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "field_name",
+    [
+        "ca_file",
+        "ca_path",
+        "client_certificate_file",
+        "client_private_key_file",
+    ],
+)
+def test_tls_paths_reject_direct_text_subclasses_before_normalization(
+    field_name: str,
+) -> None:
+    """Require exact path text before any subclass-defined text method runs."""
+    with pytest.raises(TypeError, match="text path"):
+        TLSConfiguration(**{field_name: _HostileText("identity.pem")})  # type: ignore[arg-type]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "field_name",
+    [
+        "ca_file",
+        "ca_path",
+        "client_certificate_file",
+        "client_private_key_file",
+    ],
+)
+def test_tls_paths_reject_pathlike_text_subclasses_before_normalization(
+    field_name: str,
+) -> None:
+    """Detach one path-protocol value but reject a polymorphic text result."""
+    with pytest.raises(TypeError, match="text path"):
+        TLSConfiguration(**{field_name: _HostileTextPath()})  # type: ignore[arg-type]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "ca_data",
+    [
+        _HostileText("-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----"),
+        _HostileBytes(b"deferred-der-certificate"),
+    ],
+)
+def test_ca_data_rejects_builtin_subclasses_before_inspection(ca_data: object) -> None:
+    """Keep polymorphic text or bytes outside immutable trust state."""
+    with pytest.raises(TypeError, match="ca_data"):
+        TLSConfiguration(ca_data=ca_data)  # type: ignore[arg-type]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "password",
+    [
+        _HostilePasswordText("secret"),
+        _HostilePasswordBytes(b"secret"),
+        _HostilePasswordBuffer(b"secret"),
+    ],
+)
+def test_private_key_password_rejects_builtin_subclasses_before_retention(
+    password: object,
+) -> None:
+    """Keep polymorphic secret scalars outside immutable TLS identity state."""
+    with pytest.raises(TypeError, match="client_private_key_password"):
+        TLSConfiguration(
+            client_certificate_file="identity/client.pem",
+            client_private_key_password=password,  # type: ignore[arg-type]
+        )
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("password", ["secret", b"secret", bytearray(b"secret")])
+def test_exact_private_key_password_scalars_remain_supported(password: object) -> None:
+    """Preserve Python TLS loader password shapes while freezing bytearrays."""
+    configuration = TLSConfiguration(
+        client_certificate_file="identity/client.pem",
+        client_private_key_password=password,  # type: ignore[arg-type]
+    )
+
+    expected = bytes(password) if type(password) is bytearray else password
+    assert configuration.client_private_key_password == expected
+    assert type(configuration.client_private_key_password) is type(expected)
+
+
+def test_exact_tls_scalar_values_and_standard_paths_remain_supported() -> None:
+    """Preserve reviewed exact values and ordinary pathlib integration."""
+    password_callback = lambda: "secret"
+    configuration = TLSConfiguration(
+        ca_file=Path("trust/roots.pem"),
+        ca_path="trust/roots",
+        ca_data=b"deferred-der-certificate",
+        client_certificate_file=Path("identity/client.pem"),
+        client_private_key_file="identity/client.key",
+        client_private_key_password=password_callback,
+    )
+
+    assert configuration.ca_file == "trust/roots.pem"
+    assert configuration.ca_path == "trust/roots"
+    assert configuration.ca_data == b"deferred-der-certificate"
+    assert configuration.client_certificate_file == "identity/client.pem"
+    assert configuration.client_private_key_file == "identity/client.key"
+    assert configuration.client_private_key_password is password_callback