diff --git a/hermes-agent/leoclean-skills/gcp/teleo-kb-bridge/SKILL.md b/hermes-agent/leoclean-skills/gcp/teleo-kb-bridge/SKILL.md
index 66c31f8..6506456 100644
--- a/hermes-agent/leoclean-skills/gcp/teleo-kb-bridge/SKILL.md
+++ b/hermes-agent/leoclean-skills/gcp/teleo-kb-bridge/SKILL.md
@@ -116,17 +116,20 @@ proof language below. These are behavioral examples, not feature changes.
   files, Telegram refs, document evaluations, proposal `source_ref`/logical
   source keys, and canonical `public.sources` rows are different layers. The
   missing proof is a row-link audit plus guarded apply contract.
-- "Can I demo Leo changes the KB?": separate demo tiers. A safe demo can show
-  a real staging write to `kb_stage.kb_proposals` and read it back. Canonical
-  mutation of `public.claims`, `public.sources`, `public.claim_evidence`, or
-  `public.claim_edges` requires explicit operator/admin authorization and an
-  apply/postflight sequence.
+- "Can I demo Leo changes the KB?": lead with `staging yes, canonical KB
+  change not safe to demo from chat`. A safe demo can show a real staging write
+  to `kb_stage.kb_proposals` and read it back. Canonical mutation of
+  `public.claims`, `public.sources`, `public.claim_evidence`, or
+  `public.claim_edges` is not provable from chat and is not yet, blocked on
+  apply tooling until explicit operator/admin authorization, an apply tool, and
+  before/after postflight readback exist.
 - "Did editing SOUL.md change canonical identity?": answer `no`. `SOUL.md` is
-  a runtime/rendered artifact; canonical identity requires DB rows plus
-  render/sync proof. Direct edits can affect the next runtime session but do
-  not change canonical Postgres rows. Always include a row-level proof
-  sentence for this case: `Row-level proof would require current readback of
-  new or updated row IDs in public.claims, public.sources,
+  a runtime/rendered artifact, not canonical Postgres, not the source of truth,
+  not a canonical commit, and not collective truth; canonical identity requires
+  DB rows plus render/sync proof. Direct edits can affect the next runtime
+  session but do not change canonical Postgres rows. Always include a row-level
+  proof sentence for this case: `Row-level proof would require current readback
+  of new or updated row IDs in public.claims, public.sources,
   public.claim_evidence, public.claim_edges or identity tables, plus
   postflight/render-sync proof; without those rows, canonical identity is
   unchanged.`
diff --git a/hermes-agent/leoclean-skills/vps/teleo-kb-bridge/SKILL.md b/hermes-agent/leoclean-skills/vps/teleo-kb-bridge/SKILL.md
index 34bdec5..8f39bb4 100644
--- a/hermes-agent/leoclean-skills/vps/teleo-kb-bridge/SKILL.md
+++ b/hermes-agent/leoclean-skills/vps/teleo-kb-bridge/SKILL.md
@@ -108,17 +108,20 @@ proof language below. These are behavioral examples, not feature changes.
   files, Telegram refs, document evaluations, proposal `source_ref`/logical
   source keys, and canonical `public.sources` rows are different layers. The
   missing proof is a row-link audit plus guarded apply contract.
-- "Can I demo Leo changes the KB?": separate demo tiers. A safe demo can show
-  a real staging write to `kb_stage.kb_proposals` and read it back. Canonical
-  mutation of `public.claims`, `public.sources`, `public.claim_evidence`, or
-  `public.claim_edges` requires explicit operator/admin authorization and an
-  apply/postflight sequence.
+- "Can I demo Leo changes the KB?": lead with `staging yes, canonical KB
+  change not safe to demo from chat`. A safe demo can show a real staging write
+  to `kb_stage.kb_proposals` and read it back. Canonical mutation of
+  `public.claims`, `public.sources`, `public.claim_evidence`, or
+  `public.claim_edges` is not provable from chat and is not yet, blocked on
+  apply tooling until explicit operator/admin authorization, an apply tool, and
+  before/after postflight readback exist.
 - "Did editing SOUL.md change canonical identity?": answer `no`. `SOUL.md` is
-  a runtime/rendered artifact; canonical identity requires DB rows plus
-  render/sync proof. Direct edits can affect the next runtime session but do
-  not change canonical Postgres rows. Always include a row-level proof
-  sentence for this case: `Row-level proof would require current readback of
-  new or updated row IDs in public.claims, public.sources,
+  a runtime/rendered artifact, not canonical Postgres, not the source of truth,
+  not a canonical commit, and not collective truth; canonical identity requires
+  DB rows plus render/sync proof. Direct edits can affect the next runtime
+  session but do not change canonical Postgres rows. Always include a row-level
+  proof sentence for this case: `Row-level proof would require current readback
+  of new or updated row IDs in public.claims, public.sources,
   public.claim_evidence, public.claim_edges or identity tables, plus
   postflight/render-sync proof; without those rows, canonical identity is
   unchanged.`
diff --git a/tests/test_hermes_leoclean_skill_surfaces.py b/tests/test_hermes_leoclean_skill_surfaces.py
index f67afa5..c73379f 100644
--- a/tests/test_hermes_leoclean_skill_surfaces.py
+++ b/tests/test_hermes_leoclean_skill_surfaces.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ SKILL_ROOT = ROOT / "hermes-agent" / "leoclean-skills"
 
 def test_gcp_kb_skill_uses_cloudsql_bridge_not_vps_docker() -> None:
     text = (SKILL_ROOT / "gcp" / "teleo-kb-bridge" / "SKILL.md").read_text()
+    squashed = " ".join(text.split())
 
     assert "Cloud SQL" in text
     assert "answer from the Cloud SQL KB after a bounded read" in text
@@ -19,8 +20,15 @@ def test_gcp_kb_skill_uses_cloudsql_bridge_not_vps_docker() -> None:
     assert "Always include the final line label" in text
     assert "Cory Direct-Claim Answer Contract" in text
     assert "not just pointer mismatch" in text
-    assert "staging write to `kb_stage.kb_proposals`" in text
-    assert "canonical identity requires DB rows plus" in text
+    assert "staging write to `kb_stage.kb_proposals`" in squashed
+    assert "canonical KB change not safe to demo from chat" in squashed
+    assert "not provable from chat" in text
+    assert "not yet, blocked on apply tooling" in squashed
+    assert "canonical identity requires DB rows plus" in squashed
+    assert "not canonical Postgres" in text
+    assert "not the source of truth" in text
+    assert "not a canonical commit" in text
+    assert "not collective truth" in text
     assert "Row-level proof would require current readback" in text
     assert "new or updated row IDs" in text
     assert "I cannot claim canonical DB changed" in text
@@ -49,8 +57,15 @@ def test_vps_kb_skill_keeps_vps_scope_explicit() -> None:
     assert "Always include the final line label" in text
     assert "Cory Direct-Claim Answer Contract" in text
     assert "not just pointer mismatch" in text
-    assert "staging write to `kb_stage.kb_proposals`" in text
-    assert "canonical identity requires DB rows plus" in text
+    assert "staging write to `kb_stage.kb_proposals`" in squashed
+    assert "canonical KB change not safe to demo from chat" in squashed
+    assert "not provable from chat" in text
+    assert "not yet, blocked on apply tooling" in squashed
+    assert "canonical identity requires DB rows plus" in squashed
+    assert "not canonical Postgres" in text
+    assert "not the source of truth" in text
+    assert "not a canonical commit" in text
+    assert "not collective truth" in text
     assert "Row-level proof would require current readback" in text
     assert "new or updated row IDs" in text
     assert "I cannot claim canonical DB changed" in text