fix(e2e): preserve protected main dispatch identity

.github/workflows/e2e.yaml

@@ -1979,6 +1979,7 @@ jobs:
       E2E_TARGET_ID: "managed-image-multiarch-startup"
       RELEASE_E2E_ACTIVATION_PATH: ci/protected-managed-image-multiarch-activation-v1.json
       NEMOCLAW_E2E_EXPECTED_SHA: ${{ inputs.checkout_sha }}
+      NEMOCLAW_PROTECTED_MANAGED_IMAGE_HEAD_SHA: ${{ inputs.checkout_sha || github.sha }}
       NEMOCLAW_E2E_SHARD: ${{ matrix.shard }}
       NEMOCLAW_PROTECTED_MANAGED_IMAGE_BASE_SHA: ${{ inputs.base_sha || github.event.before || github.sha }}
       NEMOCLAW_PROTECTED_MANAGED_IMAGE_BUILD_CACHE: ${{ github.workspace }}/.protected-managed-image-build-cache/${{ matrix.shard }}
@@ -2401,6 +2402,7 @@ jobs:
       NEMOCLAW_E2E_EXPECTED_SHA: ${{ inputs.checkout_sha }}
       NEMOCLAW_E2E_SHARD: linux-arm64-gpu-dgx-spark-gb10
       NEMOCLAW_LLAMA_CPP_QUALIFICATION_BASE_SHA: ${{ inputs.base_sha || github.event.before || github.sha }}
+      NEMOCLAW_LLAMA_CPP_QUALIFICATION_HEAD_SHA: ${{ inputs.checkout_sha || github.sha }}
       NEMOCLAW_LLAMA_CPP_QUALIFICATION_CANDIDATE_ROOT: ${{ github.workspace }}/.candidate-llama-cpp
       NEMOCLAW_LLAMA_CPP_QUALIFICATION_EVIDENCE: ${{ github.workspace }}/e2e-artifacts/live/llama-cpp-dgx-spark-qualification/evidence.json
       NEMOCLAW_LLAMA_CPP_QUALIFICATION_PLAN: ${{ github.workspace }}/.llama-cpp-qualification/plan.json

test/e2e/live/llama-cpp-dgx-spark-qualification-helpers.ts

@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ function positiveIntegerEnvironment(name: string): number {
 export function llamaCppDgxSparkQualificationEnvironment(): LlamaCppDgxSparkQualificationEnvironment {
   const identity = {
     baseSha: requiredEnvironment("NEMOCLAW_LLAMA_CPP_QUALIFICATION_BASE_SHA"),
-    headSha: requiredEnvironment("NEMOCLAW_E2E_EXPECTED_SHA"),
+    headSha: requiredEnvironment("NEMOCLAW_LLAMA_CPP_QUALIFICATION_HEAD_SHA"),
     runAttempt: positiveIntegerEnvironment("GITHUB_RUN_ATTEMPT"),
     runId: positiveIntegerEnvironment("GITHUB_RUN_ID"),
     workflowSha: requiredEnvironment("NEMOCLAW_LLAMA_CPP_QUALIFICATION_WORKFLOW_SHA"),

test/e2e/live/managed-image-multiarch-startup-helpers.ts

@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ function positiveIntegerEnvironment(name: string): number {
 export function protectedManagedImageDispatchEnvironment(): ProtectedManagedImageDispatchEnvironment {
   const platform = requiredEnvironment("NEMOCLAW_PROTECTED_MANAGED_IMAGE_PLATFORM");
   const cohort = requiredEnvironment("NEMOCLAW_PROTECTED_MANAGED_IMAGE_COHORT");
-  const headSha = requiredEnvironment("NEMOCLAW_E2E_EXPECTED_SHA");
+  const headSha = requiredEnvironment("NEMOCLAW_PROTECTED_MANAGED_IMAGE_HEAD_SHA");
   const baseSha = requiredEnvironment("NEMOCLAW_PROTECTED_MANAGED_IMAGE_BASE_SHA");
   const workflowSha = requiredEnvironment("NEMOCLAW_PROTECTED_MANAGED_IMAGE_WORKFLOW_SHA");
 

test/e2e/support/llama-cpp-dgx-spark-qualification-workflow.test.ts

@@ -73,6 +73,16 @@ describe("llama.cpp DGX Spark qualification workflow boundary (#8260)", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it("binds qualification candidate identity on ordinary main runs", () => {
+    const value = workflow();
+    const jobEnv = job(value, "llama-cpp-dgx-spark-qualification").env as Record<string, unknown>;
+    jobEnv.NEMOCLAW_LLAMA_CPP_QUALIFICATION_HEAD_SHA = "${{ inputs.checkout_sha }}";
+
+    expect(validateLlamaCppDgxSparkQualificationWorkflow(value)).toContain(
+      "llama-cpp-dgx-spark-qualification env must bind NEMOCLAW_LLAMA_CPP_QUALIFICATION_HEAD_SHA to ${{ inputs.checkout_sha || github.sha }}",
+    );
+  });
+
   it("rejects bypassing the declarative protected-runner plan", () => {
     const value = workflow();
     job(value, "llama-cpp-dgx-spark-qualification")["runs-on"] = "self-hosted";

test/e2e/support/managed-image-multiarch-startup-helpers.test.ts

@@ -23,11 +23,11 @@ beforeEach(() => {
   vi.stubEnv("GITHUB_RUN_ATTEMPT", "1");
   vi.stubEnv("GITHUB_RUN_ID", "123");
   vi.stubEnv("GITHUB_WORKSPACE", temporaryRoot);
-  vi.stubEnv("NEMOCLAW_E2E_EXPECTED_SHA", sha);
   vi.stubEnv("NEMOCLAW_PROTECTED_MANAGED_IMAGE_BASE_SHA", sha);
   vi.stubEnv("NEMOCLAW_PROTECTED_MANAGED_IMAGE_COHORT", "protected-123-1");
   vi.stubEnv("NEMOCLAW_PROTECTED_MANAGED_IMAGE_CONTRACT", path.join(artifacts, "contract.json"));
   vi.stubEnv("NEMOCLAW_PROTECTED_MANAGED_IMAGE_EVIDENCE", path.join(artifacts, "evidence.json"));
+  vi.stubEnv("NEMOCLAW_PROTECTED_MANAGED_IMAGE_HEAD_SHA", sha);
   vi.stubEnv("NEMOCLAW_PROTECTED_MANAGED_IMAGE_PLATFORM", "linux/amd64");
   vi.stubEnv("NEMOCLAW_PROTECTED_MANAGED_IMAGE_WORKFLOW_SHA", sha);
 });
@@ -57,6 +57,15 @@ describe("protected managed-image startup helpers", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it("requires an explicit protected candidate head independent of PR risk signals", () => {
+    vi.stubEnv("NEMOCLAW_PROTECTED_MANAGED_IMAGE_HEAD_SHA", "");
+    vi.stubEnv("NEMOCLAW_E2E_EXPECTED_SHA", sha);
+
+    expect(() => protectedManagedImageDispatchEnvironment()).toThrow(
+      "NEMOCLAW_PROTECTED_MANAGED_IMAGE_HEAD_SHA is required",
+    );
+  });
+
   it("reads a bounded file through its opened descriptor and rejects a symlink", () => {
     const artifacts = path.join(temporaryRoot, "artifacts");
     const artifact = path.join(artifacts, "contract.json");

test/e2e/support/managed-image-protected-runtime-workflow.test.ts

@@ -60,6 +60,16 @@ describe("protected managed-image runtime workflow boundary", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it("binds protected candidate identity on ordinary main runs", () => {
+    const value = workflow();
+    const jobEnv = multiarchJob(value).env as Record<string, unknown>;
+    jobEnv.NEMOCLAW_PROTECTED_MANAGED_IMAGE_HEAD_SHA = "${{ inputs.checkout_sha }}";
+
+    expect(validateManagedImageMultiarchWorkflow(value)).toContain(
+      "managed-image-multiarch-startup env must bind NEMOCLAW_PROTECTED_MANAGED_IMAGE_HEAD_SHA to ${{ inputs.checkout_sha || github.sha }}",
+    );
+  });
+
   it("ships the exact activation contract consumed by the trusted lane (#7744)", () => {
     const activation = JSON.parse(
       fs.readFileSync(

tools/e2e/llama-cpp-dgx-spark-qualification-workflow-boundary.mts

@@ -258,6 +258,7 @@ export function validateLlamaCppDgxSparkQualificationWorkflow(workflow: RecordVa
     NEMOCLAW_E2E_EXPECTED_SHA: "${{ inputs.checkout_sha }}",
     NEMOCLAW_LLAMA_CPP_QUALIFICATION_BASE_SHA:
       "${{ inputs.base_sha || github.event.before || github.sha }}",
+    NEMOCLAW_LLAMA_CPP_QUALIFICATION_HEAD_SHA: "${{ inputs.checkout_sha || github.sha }}",
     NEMOCLAW_LLAMA_CPP_QUALIFICATION_PLAN:
       "${{ github.workspace }}/.llama-cpp-qualification/plan.json",
     NEMOCLAW_LLAMA_CPP_QUALIFICATION_WORKFLOW_SHA:

tools/e2e/managed-image-multiarch-workflow-boundary.mts

@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@ export function validateManagedImageMultiarchWorkflow(workflow: WorkflowRecord):
       "protected-managed-image-build-cache-${{ github.run_id }}-${{ inputs.checkout_sha || github.sha }}",
     NEMOCLAW_PROTECTED_MANAGED_IMAGE_COHORT:
       "protected-${{ github.run_id }}-${{ github.run_attempt }}",
+    NEMOCLAW_PROTECTED_MANAGED_IMAGE_HEAD_SHA: "${{ inputs.checkout_sha || github.sha }}",
     NEMOCLAW_PROTECTED_MANAGED_IMAGE_CONTRACT:
       "${{ github.workspace }}/e2e-artifacts/live/managed-image-multiarch-startup/${{ matrix.shard }}/contracts.json",
     NEMOCLAW_PROTECTED_MANAGED_IMAGE_EVIDENCE: