diff --git a/scripts/mutation-gate.mjs b/scripts/mutation-gate.mjs
index 67f3825d..2eaae100 100644
--- a/scripts/mutation-gate.mjs
+++ b/scripts/mutation-gate.mjs
@@ -203,7 +203,8 @@ const MUTANT_DEFINITIONS = [
   },
   {
     id: 'version-recovery-ignores-editor-state',
-    guard: 'node demo/smoke_version_recovery.mjs',
+    guard: 'node --test --test-name-pattern="card adapter maps editor state" '
+      + 'test/version-recovery-card.test.mjs',
     because: 'a kiosk card in an editor must preserve unsaved work instead of silently reloading '
       + 'when its versions differ (#462 AC8)',
     patches: [{
@@ -214,7 +215,8 @@ const MUTANT_DEFINITIONS = [
   },
   {
     id: 'version-recovery-ignores-dialog-state',
-    guard: 'node demo/smoke_version_recovery.mjs',
+    guard: 'node --test --test-name-pattern="card adapter maps blocking surfaces" '
+      + 'test/version-recovery-card.test.mjs',
     because: 'a first-class dialog or contextual surface must block the kiosk auto-reload '
       + 'rather than disappear underneath it (#462 AC8)',
     patches: [{
@@ -225,7 +227,8 @@ const MUTANT_DEFINITIONS = [
   },
   {
     id: 'version-recovery-ignores-pending-config-write',
-    guard: 'node demo/smoke_version_recovery.mjs',
+    guard: 'node --test --test-name-pattern="card adapter maps config writes" '
+      + 'test/version-recovery-card.test.mjs',
     because: 'a pending configuration write must block kiosk reload so an accepted edit cannot '
       + 'be lost during version recovery (#462 AC8)',
     patches: [{
@@ -236,7 +239,8 @@ const MUTANT_DEFINITIONS = [
   },
   {
     id: 'version-recovery-ignores-interaction-pause',
-    guard: 'node demo/smoke_version_recovery.mjs',
+    guard: 'node --test --test-name-pattern="card adapter maps interaction pause" '
+      + 'test/version-recovery-card.test.mjs',
     because: 'recent pointer, keyboard, touch and native more-info interaction must defer the '
       + 'silent kiosk reload by the same shared pause contract (#462 AC8)',
     patches: [{
diff --git a/test/version-recovery-card-contract.test.mjs b/test/version-recovery-card-contract.test.mjs
index 5f55c96c..2cedf7d3 100644
--- a/test/version-recovery-card-contract.test.mjs
+++ b/test/version-recovery-card-contract.test.mjs
@@ -11,15 +11,17 @@ const controller = read('src/version-recovery.ts');
 const styles = read('src/styles/base.styles.ts');
 
 const occurrences = (source, fragment) => source.split(fragment).length - 1;
+const matches = (source, pattern) => source.match(pattern)?.length || 0;
 
 test('one host seam owns every full-card config/get request', () => {
-  const direct = "callWS({ type: 'houseplan/config/get'";
-  assert.equal(occurrences(adapter, direct), 1, 'the adapter is the only WS request owner');
-  assert.equal(occurrences(card, direct), 0, 'card flows must use the authoritative seam');
-  assert.equal(occurrences(editor, direct), 0, 'lazy editor flows must use the host seam');
-  assert.equal(occurrences(onboarding, direct), 0, 'onboarding flows must use the host seam');
+  const direct = /callWS(?:<[^>]+>)?\(\{ type: 'houseplan\/config\/get'/g;
+  assert.equal(matches(adapter, direct), 1, 'the adapter is the only WS request owner');
+  assert.equal(matches(card, direct), 0, 'card flows must use the authoritative seam');
+  assert.equal(matches(editor, direct), 0, 'lazy editor flows must use the host seam');
+  assert.equal(matches(onboarding, direct), 0, 'onboarding flows must use the host seam');
 
-  assert.match(card, /private _getAuthoritativeConfig\(\): Promise<any>/);
+  assert.match(card,
+    /private _getAuthoritativeConfig\(\): Promise<AuthoritativeConfigResponse>/);
   assert.equal(occurrences(card, 'this._getAuthoritativeConfig()'), 2,
     'initial load and config-only reload both use the seam');
   assert.equal(occurrences(editor, 'this.host._getAuthoritativeConfig()'), 3,
diff --git a/test/version-recovery-card.test.mjs b/test/version-recovery-card.test.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..dffd3ada
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/version-recovery-card.test.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
+import test from 'node:test';
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+
+import { cardVersionReloadSafetySnapshot } from '../test-build/version-recovery-card.js';
+
+const pending = (size = 0) => ({ size });
+const debounce = (value = false) => ({ pending: () => value });
+
+function safeHost(overrides = {}) {
+  return {
+    ownerDocument: { defaultView: null },
+    isConnected: true,
+    _config: { kiosk: true },
+    _mode: 'view',
+    _editing: false,
+    _loadOk: true,
+    _loading: false,
+    _continuityDataReady: true,
+    _resumeSettling: false,
+    _connectionWasLost: false,
+    _booting: false,
+    _bootFading: false,
+    _bootSettling: false,
+    _bootSoft: false,
+    _continuity: {
+      hasCompleteFrame: true,
+      state: 'steady',
+      overlayBlocksInteraction: false,
+    },
+    _stageEl: { clientWidth: 800, clientHeight: 600 },
+    _pointers: pending(),
+    _touchContacts: pending(),
+    _touchSequenceMultitouch: false,
+    _roomPointer: null,
+    _panStart: null,
+    _panLock: null,
+    _pinchStart: null,
+    _swipeStart: null,
+    _tabDrag: null,
+    _tabDragRelease: null,
+    _drag: null,
+    _deviceDrag: null,
+    _rlResize: null,
+    _resize: null,
+    _physicalDrag: null,
+    _physicalRotate: null,
+    _opDrag: null,
+    _decorDraft: null,
+    _decorMove: null,
+    _dtDrag: null,
+    _bdDrag: null,
+    _furnTouchPending: null,
+    _compassDrag: null,
+    _viewportGestureDirty: false,
+    _devicePositionBusy: false,
+    _modeTransitionBusy: false,
+    _cameraTransition: { active: false },
+    _slide: '',
+    _warmModeRequest: 0,
+    _writesPending: 0,
+    _saveConfigDebounced: debounce(),
+    _pendingPhysicalWrites: pending(),
+    _persistLayout: debounce(),
+    _dirtyPos: pending(),
+    _sentPos: pending(),
+    _cyclePausedUntil: 0,
+    _zoom: 1,
+    _editorSecondaryDialogBlocked: false,
+    _partitionDeleteDialog: null,
+    _roomDeleteDialog: null,
+    _backdropGuard: null,
+    _vacFit: null,
+    _editorSecondary: null,
+    _furnPalette: null,
+    _decorImagePalette: null,
+    ...overrides,
+  };
+}
+
+test('card adapter baseline is safe only after the full rendered card settles', () => {
+  assert.deepEqual(cardVersionReloadSafetySnapshot(safeHost()), {
+    connected: true,
+    initialFrameSettled: true,
+    viewOnly: true,
+    surfacesIdle: true,
+    configWritesIdle: true,
+    physicalWritesIdle: true,
+    layoutWritesIdle: true,
+    gesturesIdle: true,
+    interactionPauseElapsed: true,
+    baseZoom: true,
+  });
+});
+
+test('card adapter maps editor state into the kiosk reload guard', () => {
+  for (const overrides of [
+    { _config: { kiosk: false } },
+    { _mode: 'plan' },
+    { _editing: true },
+  ]) {
+    assert.equal(cardVersionReloadSafetySnapshot(safeHost(overrides)).viewOnly, false);
+  }
+});
+
+test('card adapter maps blocking surfaces into the kiosk reload guard', () => {
+  for (const overrides of [
+    { _editorSecondaryDialogBlocked: true },
+    { _partitionDeleteDialog: {} },
+    { _roomDeleteDialog: {} },
+    { _backdropGuard: {} },
+    { _vacFit: {} },
+    { _editorSecondary: { hasOpenGroup: true } },
+    { _furnPalette: {} },
+    { _decorImagePalette: {} },
+  ]) {
+    assert.equal(cardVersionReloadSafetySnapshot(safeHost(overrides)).surfacesIdle, false);
+  }
+});
+
+test('card adapter maps config writes into the kiosk reload guard', () => {
+  assert.equal(cardVersionReloadSafetySnapshot(safeHost({ _writesPending: 1 })).configWritesIdle,
+    false);
+  assert.equal(cardVersionReloadSafetySnapshot(safeHost({
+    _saveConfigDebounced: debounce(true),
+  })).configWritesIdle, false);
+});
+
+test('card adapter maps interaction pause into the kiosk reload guard', () => {
+  assert.equal(cardVersionReloadSafetySnapshot(safeHost({
+    _cyclePausedUntil: Date.now() + 60_000,
+  })).interactionPauseElapsed, false);
+});
diff --git a/tsconfig.test.json b/tsconfig.test.json
index de3014dc..3a4635dd 100644
--- a/tsconfig.test.json
+++ b/tsconfig.test.json
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
     "src/space-geometry.ts", "src/junction-limits.ts",
     "src/space-order.ts", "src/card-editor-validation.ts",
     "src/signing.ts", "src/initial-load.ts", "src/space-model-selection.ts", "src/space-dialog.ts",
-    "src/visual-continuity.ts", "src/version-recovery.ts", "src/mode-transition.ts", "src/viewport-transition.ts", "src/room-fit.ts", "src/editor-runtime-loader.ts", "src/editor-secondary.ts", "src/pointer-modality.ts",
+    "src/visual-continuity.ts", "src/version-recovery.ts", "src/version-recovery-card.ts", "src/mode-transition.ts", "src/viewport-transition.ts", "src/room-fit.ts", "src/editor-runtime-loader.ts", "src/editor-secondary.ts", "src/pointer-modality.ts",
     "src/render-device-snapshot.ts", "src/render-invalidation.ts", "src/houseplan-render-lifecycle.ts", "src/live-interaction-runtime.ts", "src/live-viewport.ts", "src/live-hover.ts", "src/live-editor.ts", "src/pointer-move-queue.ts",
     "src/command-stack.ts", "src/device-position-history.ts",
     "src/coordinate-canonicalization.ts",