Release 0.4.0: auto-set RFC owner = proposer

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
Release 0.3.0: private-beta gate + anonymous read mode
2026-05-27 22:53:09 -07:00 · 2026-05-27 20:58:58 -07:00 · 2026-05-26 19:40:40 -07:00
25 changed files with 1047 additions and 98 deletions
@@ -23,6 +23,156 @@ skip versions are the composition of each intervening adjacent
 release's steps in order — no A-to-B path is pre-computed beyond
 that.

+## 0.4.0 — 2026-05-27
+
+**Minor — no operator action required beyond rebuild + restart.** The
+proposer of a new RFC is now the implicit first owner of its super-
+draft entry, set automatically at propose time from the session user.
+The §13.1 claim flow remains available for *additional* owners. No
+schema changes, no env-var changes, no API-shape changes; only newly
+proposed RFCs receive the auto-owner — existing super-drafts whose
+`owners:` is empty are unaffected and can still be claimed via §13.1
+as before. This is a §19.3 rule-2 spec correction: `SPEC.md` §9.1,
+§9.2, and §13.1 are updated to reflect the new shape.
+
+### Changed
+
+- **`POST /api/rfcs/propose`** (`backend/app/api.py`) now sets
+  `Entry.owners = [user.gitea_login]` when constructing the new
+  super-draft entry, instead of `owners=[]`. The session's
+  `gitea_login` is the canonical source; the endpoint never accepted
+  an owner field from the request payload and still doesn't.
+- **`SPEC.md` §9.1** narrowed: the "no proposed-owner or working-
+  group fields" sentence becomes a proposer-owner-auto / working-
+  group-deferred split, with a §19.3 rule-2 note.
+- **`SPEC.md` §9.2** frontmatter shape: `owners: []` → `owners:
+  [<proposer.gitea_login>]`, with a §19.3 rule-2 note.
+- **`SPEC.md` §13.1** reframed: claim flow is now a graduation-time
+  broadening for additional owners, not a precondition for the
+  proposer's own RFC. The §13.1 / §13.2 / §13.3 graduation pipeline
+  itself is unchanged — the "at least one owner" precondition for
+  graduation still holds and is now satisfied by default.
+
+### Upgrade steps (from 0.3.0)
+
+1. The deployment **MUST** rebuild and restart per the routine
+   deploy steps. No `.env` changes, no schema/migration changes, no
+   API-shape changes.
+2. Operators **SHOULD** note that newly proposed RFCs after the
+   upgrade carry the proposer in `owners:` automatically. Existing
+   super-drafts with empty `owners:` are not migrated; they remain
+   claimable via the §13.1 flow exactly as before. No deployment-
+   side data action is required.
+3. Deployments **MAY** communicate the UX shift to active proposers
+   (the "Claim ownership" affordance no longer applies to your own
+   newly proposed RFC), but the affordance simply hides on RFCs the
+   viewer already owns, so no operator-side action is required.
+
+## 0.3.0 — 2026-05-27
+
+**Minor — operator action required if a deployment wants to enable the
+private-beta gate; no action required to stay open.** This release adds
+an email allowlist that, when populated, restricts OAuth sign-in to the
+listed emails while keeping all read paths public. Anonymous visitors
+now see the full app (catalog, RFC bodies, public branch conversations)
+in read-only mode instead of the §14.1 landing-page wall.
+
+### Added
+
+- **`allowed_emails` table** (`backend/migrations/011_allowlist.sql`).
+  Empty list = gate off (any successful OAuth provisions a user, as
+  before). Any rows present = gate on (only listed emails, plus
+  users already grandfathered by `gitea_id`, may sign in).
+- **Admin → Allowlist tab** at `/admin/allowlist`. Add/remove emails,
+  see who added each row and when. Status banner shows whether the
+  gate is currently active.
+- **`/beta-pending` page** shown after a rejected OAuth callback. Free-
+  text invite-contact line is configurable via the new
+  `VITE_BETA_CONTACT` env var (optional; falls back to a generic line).
+- **Beta chips** next to the Discuss/Contribute mode toggle, the Sign
+  in link, and the header Sign-in button so anonymous viewers see
+  immediately what is gated.
+- **Anonymous read mode** in the React app: the §14.1 Landing page is
+  preserved at `/welcome` for deployments that want to link to it, but
+  the default route now renders the full app shell with write
+  affordances hidden behind a sign-in CTA.
+
+### Changed
+
+- **`/auth/callback`** now consults `auth.is_allowed_sign_in()` after
+  fetching the Gitea profile. Rejected sign-ins clear the OAuth state
+  and redirect to `/beta-pending`; the session is not populated.
+- **`Catalog`** receives a `viewer` prop. Anonymous viewers see "Sign
+  in to propose (Beta)" instead of "+ Propose New RFC".
+- **`PhilosophyWithSidebar`** now reads `authenticated` from the
+  current viewer instead of hardcoded `true`.
+
+### Fixed
+
+- **Single-finger scroll on the `/philosophy` page** (and any other
+  `.chrome-pane`-hosted view: `/admin/*`, `/settings/notifications`)
+  was broken on iOS Safari. The `.app` container used `height: 100vh`,
+  which on iOS measures the URL-bar-hidden ("largest") viewport — so
+  `.app` overflowed what's actually visible. Combined with the
+  `body { overflow: hidden }` in `index.css`, this meant single-finger
+  touches on the visible area were consumed by the (blocked) page-
+  level scroll attempt rather than reaching the nested `.chrome-pane`
+  scroll. Two-finger touches bypassed the page-level layer and
+  one-finger then worked once the URL bar had collapsed. Switched
+  `.app` to `height: 100dvh` (dynamic viewport — adjusts as the URL
+  bar shows/hides), with `100vh` retained as a fallback for browsers
+  predating iOS 15.4 / Chrome 108.
+
+### Upgrade steps (from 0.2.3)
+
+1. The deployment **MUST** rebuild the frontend with the new
+   `VITE_BETA_CONTACT` env var optionally set in `frontend/.env` (it
+   is OK to leave it blank — the `/beta-pending` page falls back to
+   a generic line).
+2. The deployment **MUST** restart the backend so migration
+   `011_allowlist.sql` runs. No data loss; the new table starts
+   empty, which keeps the gate off and preserves existing behavior.
+3. To **enable** the private-beta gate, the deployment operator
+   **SHOULD** sign in once (so their `users` row exists and they
+   grandfather in by `gitea_id`), then open `/admin/allowlist` and
+   add the first invited email. The first row added turns the gate
+   on for any user not yet in `users`.
+4. To **stay open**, do nothing — leave `allowed_emails` empty and
+   the deployment behaves exactly as 0.2.3.
+5. The deployment **MAY** customise its `/beta-pending` contact line
+   by setting `VITE_BETA_CONTACT` (an email, a URL, or a short
+   instruction) before the frontend build. Unset is fine.
+
+## 0.2.3 — 2026-05-26
+
+**Patch — no operator action required.** Rebuild and restart per the
+routine deploy steps; no `.env` changes, no schema changes, no
+behavior changes a deployment would notice in steady state beyond
+the new endpoint below.
+
+### Added
+
+- **`GET /api/health`** — an unauthenticated probe returning JSON
+  `{version, status}` for ops tooling. `version` is the running
+  framework version (the contents of `VERSION` per §20.1, read at
+  process start and cached as a module-level constant in
+  `backend/app/health.py`); `status` is `"ok"` with HTTP 200 in
+  v1. The `"degraded"` / HTTP 503 path stays reserved in the
+  response shape so a later release can wire real degradation
+  conditions without breaking the contract. The version-match
+  check is the structural value — a deploy-control-panel polling
+  the endpoint after `systemctl restart` catches the failure mode
+  where a restart did not pick up the new code. See `SPEC.md` §17
+  and the §19.2 settlement.
+
+### Upgrade steps (from 0.2.2)
+
+1. The deployment **MAY** configure its monitoring (Pingdom,
+   Healthchecks.io, the flotilla deploy control panel, etc.) to
+   probe `/api/health` and compare the returned `version` against
+   the tag last deployed. The endpoint is unauthenticated by
+   design — no PII in the payload, no session required.
+
 ## 0.2.2 — 2026-05-26

 **Patch — no operator action required.** Rebuild the frontend and
@@ -1120,12 +1120,20 @@ The modal collects four fields:
  type their own.

 No proposer name or email — the logged-in identity is canonical and
-need not be retyped. No proposed-owner or working-group fields —
-ownership flows through the post-merge claim flow (§13.1), and
+need not be retyped. No proposer-owner field either: the proposer is
+implicitly the first owner of their own RFC, set automatically at
+submit-time from the session user (see §9.2); the post-merge claim
+flow (§13.1) remains for *other* contributors to add themselves as
+owners on an RFC they didn't propose. No working-group field —
 arbiters are admin work, not the proposer's call. AI's drafting role
 is intentionally narrow: tag suggestions only. The proposer is
 making a specific claim about a specific word, and having AI propose
-the claim for them would undercut the gesture.
+the claim for them would undercut the gesture. (§19.3 rule-2
+correction: 0.4.0 narrowed this paragraph; the prior version asserted
+"no proposed-owner field" without qualification, but running code
+revealed that forcing a separate claim-flow gesture for the
+proposer's own RFC was UX friction with no benefit — the proposer
+already self-identified by proposing.)

 Primary action: **"Open proposal PR"** — naming the actual Git
 artifact produced, consistent with §10.1's *Open PR* and §13's
@@ -1141,7 +1149,13 @@ is populated from the modal and session:
 - `state: super-draft`, `id: null`, `repo: null`,
  `graduated_at: null`, `graduated_by: null` — fixed at creation.
 - `proposed_by: <session email>`, `proposed_at: <today>` — auto.
- `owners: []` — empty; the claim flow (§13.1) fills this.
+- `owners: [<proposer.gitea_login>]` — the proposer is the first
+  owner at propose time, set automatically from the session user.
+  The §13.1 claim flow remains available for *additional* owners on
+  the same entry. (§19.3 rule-2 correction: 0.4.0 changed this from
+  `owners: []`; the prior shape required a separate claim-flow
+  gesture for the proposer's own RFC, which running code surfaced
+  as needless UX friction.)
 - `arbiters: []` — empty; arbiters are admin work, not the
  proposer's call.

@@ -1718,11 +1732,20 @@ PR do not block graduation; they remain on the meta repo subject to

 ### 13.1 Claim ownership (prerequisite)

-If a super-draft has no owner, any signed-in contributor can click
-"Claim ownership," which opens a PR against the meta repo adding their
-username to the `owners:` field of the entry. Owners and admins can
-merge. (A self-merge window for un-acted claims is not enabled in v1;
-configurable later if needed.) Multiple claims simply append.
+The proposer is already the first owner of any super-draft they
+proposed (per §9.2; auto-set at propose time). The claim flow exists
+for *additional* contributors to become owners on an existing super-
+draft — typically a draft whose proposer has stepped away, or a draft
+graduating with a working group. Any signed-in contributor can click
+"Claim ownership," which opens a PR against the meta repo adding
+their username to the `owners:` field of the entry. Owners and admins
+can merge. (A self-merge window for un-acted claims is not enabled in
+v1; configurable later if needed.) Multiple claims simply append.
+(§19.3 rule-2 correction: 0.4.0 narrowed this section's framing; the
+prior version implied owners always started empty and the claim flow
+was a hard prerequisite to graduation, but with the proposer now
+auto-set as first owner, the claim flow is a graduation-time
+broadening rather than a precondition for the proposer's own RFC.)

 ### 13.2 The Graduate dialog

@@ -2416,6 +2439,17 @@ specified* and what is intentionally out of scope for v1.

 The follow-up session will refine this. A minimal starting set:

+- `GET /api/health` — unauthenticated. Returns JSON
+  `{version, status}` where `version` is the running framework
+  version (the contents of `VERSION` per §20.1, read at process
+  start) and `status` is `"ok"` (HTTP 200) or `"degraded"`
+  (HTTP 503). v1 always reports `"ok"`; the 503 / `"degraded"`
+  path is reserved scaffold for future degradation conditions.
+  Used by ops tooling (e.g. the flotilla deploy control panel)
+  as a post-flight probe — the structural check is that the
+  returned `version` matches the tag the operator just deployed,
+  catching the failure mode where a restart did not pick up the
+  new code.
 - `GET /api/rfcs` — list entries with state, id, title, slug, repo,
  owners, last_active_at, has_open_prs, starred-by-me. Supports
  search, sort, filter chips, and the `unclaimed` predicate.
@@ -3208,6 +3242,51 @@ binding.
  read-only relationship counts as active). A future session may
  settle a tighter definition (e.g., has any `actions` row on the
  RFC) if the generous proxy refuses too many legitimate mutes.
+- **Health-check endpoint for ops tooling.** *Settled in the
+  post-v1 session that picked it. The flotilla deploy control panel
+  (a sibling operator-side tool spec'd in flotilla/SPEC.md) needs a
+  small framework-side endpoint to verify a deploy landed correctly.
+  Specifically: an unauthenticated `GET /api/health` returning JSON
+  `{version, status}` where `version` is the running framework
+  version recorded at startup and `status` is `"ok"` (HTTP 200) or
+  `"degraded"` (HTTP 503). flotilla uses the endpoint as a
+  post-flight probe — after `systemctl restart` reports active,
+  flotilla polls the endpoint and verifies the returned `version`
+  matches the tag just deployed. The version-match check is the
+  structural catch for the failure mode where a restart did not
+  actually pick up the new code. Scope intentionally small: one
+  endpoint, version + status payload, no auth (no PII), ships in
+  a patch release as a §17 addition. The endpoint becomes part of
+  §20.3's versioned surface and is available to any deployment
+  without operator action — flotilla is one consumer of many
+  possible. Earns its session next: flotilla v1 is blocked on this
+  dependency.*
+
+  *Settled in this session as follows. The running process reads
+  the `VERSION` file at the repo root at import time and caches the
+  string as a module-level constant (`backend/app/health.py`),
+  mirroring `backend/app/philosophy.py`'s disk-first shape. The
+  §20.1 invariant guarantees `VERSION` and
+  `frontend/package.json#version` are equal, so the choice is
+  cleanliness rather than correctness: `VERSION` is the canonical
+  source per §20.1, lives at the repo root, is one text line. A
+  missing `VERSION` file fails loudly per §20.6 — the module raises
+  at import time rather than serving a placeholder, because the
+  whole point of the endpoint is the version-match check and a
+  silent default would defeat it. `"degraded"` is reserved scaffold
+  for v1: a healthy startup always reports `"ok"` with HTTP 200,
+  and the `"degraded"` / 503 path stays in the response shape so a
+  later release can wire real degradation conditions (reconciler
+  stuck, migrations pending, provider universe empty) without
+  breaking flotilla's parser. Probing SQLite at request time is
+  out of scope — per §4.2 the DB is colocated, so a process that
+  can respond can reach it; the check would add code for no
+  signal. The §20.4 CHANGELOG treatment is the patch shape — no
+  operator action required — with an `### Added` section naming
+  the endpoint so operators discover it and one MAY-language step
+  ("operators MAY configure their monitoring to probe `/api/health`;
+  the endpoint is unauthenticated by design"). §17 now lists the
+  endpoint in its illustrative table.*
 - **Deployment-supplied subject framing.** The framework was built
  with one deployment in mind (OHM, standardizing natural-language
  vocabulary), but the substrate generalizes to any domain that
@@ -1 +1 @@
-0.2.2
+0.4.0
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ from . import (
    entry as entry_mod,
    cache,
    funder,
+    health,
    philosophy,
    providers as providers_mod,
 )
@@ -81,6 +82,16 @@ def make_router(
    # (role, write-mute, audit-log, graduation-readiness queue).
    router.include_router(api_admin.make_router(config))

+    # ---------------------------------------------------------------
+    # §17: /api/health — unauthenticated post-flight probe.
+    # Used by ops tooling (flotilla) to verify a deploy landed via
+    # version-match. v1 always reports ok; see backend/app/health.py.
+    # ---------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    @router.get("/api/health")
+    async def get_health() -> dict[str, Any]:
+        return {"version": health.VERSION, "status": "ok"}
+
    # ---------------------------------------------------------------
    # §14.2: /api/philosophy — PHILOSOPHY.md served verbatim.
    # No auth gate; anonymous visitors reach `/philosophy` per §14.1.
@@ -287,7 +298,11 @@ def make_router(
            proposed_at=entry_mod.today(),
            graduated_at=None,
            graduated_by=None,
-            owners=[],
+            # §9.2: the proposer is the implicit first owner at propose time.
+            # The §13.1 claim flow exists for *other* contributors to become
+            # owners on an RFC they didn't propose; the proposer never needs
+            # to claim their own RFC.
+            owners=[user.gitea_login],
            arbiters=[],
            tags=[t.strip() for t in payload.tags if t.strip()],
            body=payload.pitch.strip() + "\n",
@@ -50,6 +50,11 @@ class MuteBody(BaseModel):
    muted: bool


+class AllowlistAddBody(BaseModel):
+    email: str = Field(min_length=3, max_length=320)
+    note: str | None = Field(default=None, max_length=200)
+
+
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Router
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -385,6 +390,103 @@ def make_router(config: Config) -> APIRouter:
            ]
        }

+    # ----- Private-beta allowlist (`migrations/011_allowlist.sql`) -----
+
+    @router.get("/api/admin/allowlist")
+    async def list_allowlist(request: Request) -> dict[str, Any]:
+        auth.require_admin(request)
+        rows = db.conn().execute(
+            """
+            SELECT a.email, a.note, a.created_at,
+                   u.gitea_login AS added_by_login,
+                   u.display_name AS added_by_display
+              FROM allowed_emails a
+         LEFT JOIN users u ON u.id = a.added_by_user_id
+             ORDER BY a.created_at DESC
+            """
+        ).fetchall()
+        return {
+            "active": len(rows) > 0,
+            "items": [
+                {
+                    "email": r["email"],
+                    "note": r["note"] or "",
+                    "added_by_login": r["added_by_login"],
+                    "added_by_display": r["added_by_display"],
+                    "created_at": r["created_at"],
+                }
+                for r in rows
+            ],
+        }
+
+    @router.post("/api/admin/allowlist")
+    async def add_allowlist(body: AllowlistAddBody, request: Request) -> dict[str, Any]:
+        viewer = auth.require_admin(request)
+        email = body.email.strip()
+        if "@" not in email or len(email.split("@")[-1]) < 2:
+            raise HTTPException(422, "Email looks malformed")
+        existing = db.conn().execute(
+            "SELECT 1 FROM allowed_emails WHERE email = ? LIMIT 1", (email,)
+        ).fetchone()
+        if existing is not None:
+            raise HTTPException(409, "Email already on the allowlist")
+        db.conn().execute(
+            """
+            INSERT INTO allowed_emails (email, added_by_user_id, note)
+            VALUES (?, ?, ?)
+            """,
+            (email, viewer.user_id, body.note),
+        )
+        # Audit trail: when the email already maps to a known user, emit a
+        # permission_events row so §6.5's log stays the single place to
+        # look for "who let this person in." For brand-new emails the
+        # allowed_emails row itself carries (added_by_user_id, created_at)
+        # which is sufficient until the user actually signs in.
+        subject = db.conn().execute(
+            "SELECT id FROM users WHERE email = ? COLLATE NOCASE LIMIT 1", (email,)
+        ).fetchone()
+        if subject is not None:
+            db.conn().execute(
+                """
+                INSERT INTO permission_events
+                    (actor_user_id, subject_user_id, event_kind, details)
+                VALUES (?, ?, 'allowlist_added', ?)
+                """,
+                (
+                    viewer.user_id,
+                    subject["id"],
+                    json.dumps({"email": email, "note": body.note or ""}),
+                ),
+            )
+        return {"ok": True, "email": email}
+
+    @router.delete("/api/admin/allowlist/{email}")
+    async def remove_allowlist(email: str, request: Request) -> dict[str, Any]:
+        viewer = auth.require_admin(request)
+        existing = db.conn().execute(
+            "SELECT 1 FROM allowed_emails WHERE email = ? LIMIT 1", (email,)
+        ).fetchone()
+        if existing is None:
+            raise HTTPException(404, "Email not on the allowlist")
+        db.conn().execute("DELETE FROM allowed_emails WHERE email = ?", (email,))
+        subject = db.conn().execute(
+            "SELECT id FROM users WHERE email = ? COLLATE NOCASE LIMIT 1", (email,)
+        ).fetchone()
+        if subject is not None:
+            db.conn().execute(
+                """
+                INSERT INTO permission_events
+                    (actor_user_id, subject_user_id, event_kind, details)
+                VALUES (?, ?, 'allowlist_removed', ?)
+                """,
+                (
+                    viewer.user_id,
+                    subject["id"],
+                    json.dumps({"email": email}),
+                ),
+            )
+        return {"ok": True, "email": email}
+
    return router


@@ -77,6 +77,43 @@ async def fetch_user_profile(config: Config, access_token: str) -> dict[str, Any
        return resp.json()


+def allowlist_is_active() -> bool:
+    """The private-beta gate is on iff the `allowed_emails` table has any
+    rows. Empty list means "open" — any successful OAuth provisions a
+    user; first row added flips the deployment into private-beta mode.
+    See `migrations/011_allowlist.sql` for the reasoning.
+    """
+    row = db.conn().execute("SELECT 1 FROM allowed_emails LIMIT 1").fetchone()
+    return row is not None
+
+
+def is_allowed_sign_in(profile: dict[str, Any]) -> bool:
+    """Decide whether a freshly-completed OAuth profile may sign in.
+
+    Three accept paths:
+      1. The allowlist is empty (gate off).
+      2. The Gitea profile's email is in `allowed_emails` (case-insensitive).
+      3. A `users` row already exists for this `gitea_id` — grandfather
+         per `migrations/011_allowlist.sql`.
+    """
+    gitea_id = profile.get("id")
+    if gitea_id is not None:
+        existing = db.conn().execute(
+            "SELECT 1 FROM users WHERE gitea_id = ? LIMIT 1", (gitea_id,)
+        ).fetchone()
+        if existing is not None:
+            return True
+    if not allowlist_is_active():
+        return True
+    email = (profile.get("email") or "").strip()
+    if not email:
+        return False
+    row = db.conn().execute(
+        "SELECT 1 FROM allowed_emails WHERE email = ? LIMIT 1", (email,)
+    ).fetchone()
+    return row is not None
+
+
 def provision_user(config: Config, profile: dict[str, Any]) -> SessionUser:
    """Insert or update the users row for this Gitea profile.

@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+"""§17 health-check endpoint source.
+
+A small unauthenticated probe used by ops tooling (e.g. the flotilla
+deploy control panel) to verify a deploy landed correctly. The
+structural value is the version-match check — after `systemctl
+restart` reports active, the operator polls `/api/health` and
+verifies the returned `version` equals the tag just deployed,
+catching the failure mode where a restart did not pick up the new
+code.
+
+The version is read from the `VERSION` file at the repo root at
+import time (§20.1's canonical source) and cached as a module-level
+constant. A missing `VERSION` fails loudly per §20.6 rather than
+serving a placeholder — a silent default would defeat the
+version-match check that is the entire point of the endpoint.
+
+`status` is always `"ok"` (HTTP 200) in v1. The `"degraded"` / 503
+path stays in the response shape so a later release can wire real
+degradation conditions (reconciler stuck, migrations pending,
+provider universe empty) without breaking the contract.
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from pathlib import Path
+
+
+_VERSION_PATH = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[2] / "VERSION"
+
+
+def _read_version() -> str:
+    text = _VERSION_PATH.read_text(encoding="utf-8").strip()
+    if not text:
+        raise RuntimeError(f"VERSION file at {_VERSION_PATH} is empty")
+    return text
+
+
+VERSION: str = _read_version()
@@ -107,6 +107,12 @@ def _oauth_router(config) -> APIRouter:
        if not access_token:
            raise HTTPException(400, "Token exchange failed")
        profile = await auth.fetch_user_profile(config, access_token)
+        if not auth.is_allowed_sign_in(profile):
+            # Private-beta gate: clear any partial OAuth state and bounce to
+            # the public /beta-pending page. The session is left empty so the
+            # rejected viewer continues as anonymous read-only.
+            request.session.pop(auth.SESSION_STATE_KEY, None)
+            return RedirectResponse("/beta-pending")
        user = auth.provision_user(config, profile)
        auth.store_session(request, user)
        return RedirectResponse("/")
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+-- Private-beta email allowlist.
+--
+-- The framework supports a deployment-gated sign-in mode: when this
+-- table contains rows, only emails listed here (case-insensitively)
+-- may sign in via OAuth. Users already provisioned in the `users`
+-- table are grandfathered in by gitea_id and never re-checked against
+-- this list — so the operator who allow-listed themselves, signed in
+-- once, then removed their own email from the list does not lose
+-- access.
+--
+-- An empty `allowed_emails` table is the "open" state: no allowlist
+-- gate runs, and any successful OAuth sign-in provisions a new user
+-- as before. This means a fresh framework install behaves exactly as
+-- prior versions until the operator adds the first row, at which
+-- point the gate turns on for everyone not yet in `users`.
+
+CREATE TABLE allowed_emails (
+    email            TEXT PRIMARY KEY COLLATE NOCASE,
+    added_by_user_id INTEGER REFERENCES users(id) ON DELETE SET NULL,
+    note             TEXT,
+    created_at       TEXT NOT NULL DEFAULT (datetime('now'))
+);
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+"""Integration tests for the §17 `/api/health` endpoint.
+
+The endpoint is the structural framework-side dependency for the
+flotilla deploy control panel — see SPEC.md §17 and the §19.2
+candidate-topic settlement. The tests cover the contract: HTTP 200,
+JSON `{version, status}`, `version` matches `VERSION` at the repo
+root, `status` is `"ok"` in v1, and no auth gate is in front of it.
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from test_propose_vertical import (  # noqa: F401
+    app_with_fake_gitea,
+    tmp_env,
+)
+
+
+_VERSION_PATH = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[2] / "VERSION"
+
+
+def test_health_returns_version_and_ok_status(app_with_fake_gitea):
+    from fastapi.testclient import TestClient
+
+    app, _fake = app_with_fake_gitea
+    expected_version = _VERSION_PATH.read_text(encoding="utf-8").strip()
+    with TestClient(app) as client:
+        r = client.get("/api/health")
+        assert r.status_code == 200, r.text
+        payload = r.json()
+        assert payload == {"version": expected_version, "status": "ok"}
+
+
+def test_health_is_unauthenticated(app_with_fake_gitea):
+    """flotilla polls /api/health without credentials; the endpoint
+    must not require a session cookie. The §17 entry names it
+    unauthenticated by design — no PII in the payload, version-match
+    is the whole structural value, and gating it would force ops
+    tooling to hold a long-lived token for a check that needs none.
+    """
+    from fastapi.testclient import TestClient
+
+    app, _fake = app_with_fake_gitea
+    with TestClient(app) as client:
+        # No sign-in step. A fresh client has no session cookie.
+        r = client.get("/api/health")
+        assert r.status_code == 200, r.text
+        assert "version" in r.json()
+
+
+def test_health_version_matches_VERSION_file(app_with_fake_gitea):
+    """The §20.1 invariant: VERSION at the repo root is the canonical
+    source. The endpoint reports the same string verbatim, so flotilla's
+    post-flight version-match check can compare against the tag
+    operators just deployed without a transform step.
+    """
+    from fastapi.testclient import TestClient
+
+    app, _fake = app_with_fake_gitea
+    raw = _VERSION_PATH.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+    expected = raw.strip()
+    # The file itself carries no leading "v" per §20.1, and the endpoint
+    # mirrors that — a flotilla check comparing against `v0.2.3` would
+    # need to strip the prefix on its side, not ours.
+    assert not expected.startswith("v"), "VERSION must not carry a leading v per §20.1"
+    with TestClient(app) as client:
+        r = client.get("/api/health")
+        assert r.json()["version"] == expected
@@ -496,6 +496,11 @@ def test_propose_to_super_draft_vertical(app_with_fake_gitea):
        proposal = r.json()
        assert proposal["entry"]["title"] == "Open Human Model"
        assert proposal["entry"]["state"] == "super-draft"
+        # §9.2: the proposer is the implicit first owner at propose time.
+        # The owners field is a single-element list containing exactly the
+        # session user's gitea_login — no request-supplied owner field
+        # exists or is honored.
+        assert proposal["entry"]["owners"] == ["alice"]
        assert proposal["affordances"]["merge"] is True

        # Owner merges. The catalog picks up the new super-draft.
@@ -516,6 +521,10 @@ def test_propose_to_super_draft_vertical(app_with_fake_gitea):
        view = r.json()
        assert view["state"] == "super-draft"
        assert "shared definition" in view["body"]
+        # §9.2: the auto-set proposer-owner survives the meta-repo round-trip
+        # — it's in the file's frontmatter on main after merge, not just
+        # in the pending-PR view above.
+        assert view["owners"] == ["alice"]

        # The pending-ideas list no longer carries the merged proposal.
        r = client.get("/api/proposals")
@@ -568,6 +577,37 @@ def test_anonymous_cannot_propose(app_with_fake_gitea):
        assert r.status_code == 401


+def test_proposer_is_auto_owner_request_payload_ignored(app_with_fake_gitea):
+    """§9.2: the owners field on the new entry is always exactly
+    `[session.gitea_login]`. The propose endpoint never accepts an owner
+    from the client; a request payload that smuggles one in is ignored
+    by the Pydantic body model and the auto-set value lands instead.
+    """
+    from fastapi.testclient import TestClient
+    app, _fake = app_with_fake_gitea
+    with TestClient(app) as client:
+        provision_user_row(user_id=11, login="alice", role="contributor")
+        sign_in_as(client, user_id=11, gitea_login="alice", display_name="Alice", role="contributor")
+        # Extra unknown fields like `owners` are dropped by the
+        # ProposeBody model; the session user is the only source of truth.
+        r = client.post("/api/rfcs/propose", json={
+            "title": "Spoof attempt",
+            "slug": "spoof-attempt",
+            "pitch": "p",
+            "tags": [],
+            "owners": ["mallory", "eve"],
+            "proposed_by": "mallory@test",
+        })
+        assert r.status_code == 200, r.text
+        pr_number = r.json()["pr_number"]
+        r = client.get(f"/api/proposals/{pr_number}")
+        assert r.status_code == 200, r.text
+        entry = r.json()["entry"]
+        assert entry["owners"] == ["alice"]
+        # proposed_by also comes from the session, never the body.
+        assert entry["proposed_by"] in ("alice@test", "alice")
+
+
 def test_withdraw_by_proposer_works(app_with_fake_gitea):
    from fastapi.testclient import TestClient
    app, _fake = app_with_fake_gitea
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # RFC App — Deployment Reference & New-Session Prompt

 Use this document as:
-1. A reference for the current `rfc.wiggleverse.org` deployment
+1. A reference for the current `ohm.wiggleverse.org` deployment
 2. A prompt to paste into a new Claude session to deploy a new version

 ---
@@ -36,10 +36,10 @@ For reference, the separate Gitea VM is `wiggleverse` project / `gitea` VM / 34.

 | Record | Type | Value | Proxy |
 |--------|------|-------|-------|
-| `rfc.wiggleverse.org` | A | 34.132.29.41 | DNS-only (gray cloud) |
+| `ohm.wiggleverse.org` | A | 34.132.29.41 | DNS-only (gray cloud) |
 | `_dmarc.wiggleverse.org` | TXT | `v=DMARC1; p=none; rua=mailto:ben@wiggleverse.org` | n/a |

-> Note: `rfc.wiggleverse.org` uses **Let's Encrypt via certbot** directly on the VM. Keep the A record **DNS only (gray cloud)** — Cloudflare Flexible SSL would conflict with certbot.
+> Note: `ohm.wiggleverse.org` uses **Let's Encrypt via certbot** directly on the VM. Keep the A record **DNS only (gray cloud)** — Cloudflare Flexible SSL would conflict with certbot.

 SPF (`v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all`) and DKIM (`google._domainkey`) for `wiggleverse.org` are already in place via Workspace.

@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ SPF (`v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all`) and DKIM (`google._domainkey`) for `
 | `/opt/rfc-app/backend/.env` | All secrets and config (mode 0600) |
 | `/opt/rfc-app/backend/data/rfc-app.db` | SQLite database |
 | `/opt/rfc-app/frontend/dist/` | Built React SPA (served by nginx) |
-| `/etc/nginx/sites-available/rfc.wiggleverse.org` | nginx vhost config |
+| `/etc/nginx/sites-available/ohm.wiggleverse.org` | nginx vhost config |
 | `/etc/systemd/system/rfc-app.service` | systemd unit |

 ---
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ SPF (`v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all`) and DKIM (`google._domainkey`) for `

 ## Gitea Setup (one-time)

-These are already done for `rfc.wiggleverse.org`. Document here for replication.
+These are already done for `ohm.wiggleverse.org`. Document here for replication.

 ### Bot service account

@@ -91,13 +91,13 @@ Created in Gitea as `rfc-bot`. Token scopes: `write:repository`, `write:user`, `

 ### Meta repo

-`wiggleverse/meta` — seeded by `scripts/seed_meta_repo.py`. Contains `PHILOSOPHY.md`, `README.md`, `CONTRIBUTING.md`, and `rfcs/` directory. Gitea webhook registered to `https://rfc.wiggleverse.org/api/webhooks/gitea`.
+`wiggleverse/meta` — seeded by `scripts/seed_meta_repo.py`. Contains `PHILOSOPHY.md`, `README.md`, `CONTRIBUTING.md`, and `rfcs/` directory. Gitea webhook registered to `https://ohm.wiggleverse.org/api/webhooks/gitea`.

 ### OAuth2 app

 Registered in Gitea Site Administration → Integrations → OAuth2 Applications:
 - Name: `RFC App`
- Redirect URI: `https://rfc.wiggleverse.org/auth/callback`
+- Redirect URI: `https://ohm.wiggleverse.org/auth/callback`
 - Client ID and secret stored in `.env`

 ---
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ OAUTH_CLIENT_ID=<from Gitea OAuth app>
 OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET=<from Gitea OAuth app>

 # App
-APP_URL=https://rfc.wiggleverse.org
+APP_URL=https://ohm.wiggleverse.org
 SECRET_KEY=<openssl rand -hex 32>
 DATABASE_PATH=/opt/rfc-app/backend/data/rfc-app.db
 OWNER_GITEA_LOGIN=ben.stull
@@ -182,10 +182,16 @@ sudo systemctl restart rfc-app

 For frontend changes, build on the VM directly (Node 20+ is already there):
 ```bash
-cd /opt/rfc-app/frontend && sudo -u rfc-app npm install
+cd /opt/rfc-app/frontend && sudo -u rfc-app npm ci
 sudo -u rfc-app npm run build
 ```

+`npm ci` installs strictly from the committed `package-lock.json` and
+will not regenerate it. Using `npm install` here causes the VM's npm
+to rewrite the lockfile in place (notably stripping `libc` fields on
+optional rollup native packages), which then conflicts with `git
+checkout <tag>` on the next deploy.
+
 The output lands in `/opt/rfc-app/frontend/dist/` owned by `rfc-app` — nginx serves it directly, no copy step needed.

 (Building locally and `gcloud compute scp`-ing the dist also works. Plain `rsync -e ssh` from the Mac fails because OS Login uses short-lived SSH certs that only the gcloud wrapper can mint interactively.)
@@ -197,7 +203,7 @@ Schema migrations run automatically on restart (append-only, safe to re-run).
 ## First-Time Deployment (new server)

 ### 1. Add DNS record
-Add `rfc.wiggleverse.org` → 34.132.29.41 as an A record in Cloudflare, **DNS only (gray cloud)**. Do not proxy — certbot needs to reach the VM directly.
+Add `ohm.wiggleverse.org` → 34.132.29.41 as an A record in Cloudflare, **DNS only (gray cloud)**. Do not proxy — certbot needs to reach the VM directly.

 ### 2. Host prep
 ```bash
@@ -230,15 +236,15 @@ sudo -u rfc-app -H bash -c \

 ### 6. Build the frontend (on the VM)
 ```bash
-cd /opt/rfc-app/frontend && sudo -u rfc-app npm install
+cd /opt/rfc-app/frontend && sudo -u rfc-app npm ci
 sudo -u rfc-app npm run build
 ```

 ### 7. nginx
 ```bash
-sudo cp /opt/rfc-app/deploy/nginx/rfc.wiggleverse.org.conf \
-    /etc/nginx/sites-available/rfc.wiggleverse.org
-sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/rfc.wiggleverse.org \
+sudo cp /opt/rfc-app/deploy/nginx/ohm.wiggleverse.org.conf \
+    /etc/nginx/sites-available/ohm.wiggleverse.org
+sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/ohm.wiggleverse.org \
    /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
 sudo usermod -a -G rfc-app www-data
 sudo chmod -R g+rX /opt/rfc-app/frontend/dist
@@ -247,7 +253,7 @@ sudo nginx -t && sudo systemctl reload nginx

 ### 8. Let's Encrypt
 ```bash
-sudo certbot --nginx -d rfc.wiggleverse.org
+sudo certbot --nginx -d ohm.wiggleverse.org
 ```

 ### 9. systemd
@@ -259,7 +265,7 @@ sudo systemctl status rfc-app
 ```

 ### 10. Smoke test
-Visit `https://rfc.wiggleverse.org`:
+Visit `https://ohm.wiggleverse.org`:
 1. Landing page renders with sign-in button
 2. Sign in with Gitea OAuth → catalog loads
 3. `+ Propose New RFC` opens the propose modal
@@ -301,7 +307,7 @@ Paste the following into a new Claude session to continue development:

 ---

-> I'm working on the **Wiggleverse RFC App** — a FastAPI + SQLite + React + Vite application deployed at `rfc.wiggleverse.org` on a GCP e2-small VM (`rfc-app` in the `wiggleverse-rfc` project; separate from the `gitea` VM in `wiggleverse` that runs Gitea at `git.wiggleverse.org`). The app is the primary interface for the Open Human Model (OHM) RFC working group.
+> I'm working on the **Wiggleverse RFC App** — a FastAPI + SQLite + React + Vite application deployed at `ohm.wiggleverse.org` on a GCP e2-small VM (`rfc-app` in the `wiggleverse-rfc` project; separate from the `gitea` VM in `wiggleverse` that runs Gitea at `git.wiggleverse.org`). The app is the primary interface for the Open Human Model (OHM) RFC working group.
 >
 > **Stack:**
 > - Backend: Python 3.11, FastAPI, uvicorn (single process), SQLite WAL mode
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Runbook

-Single-host deployment of the RFC app at `rfc.wiggleverse.org`, sharing
+Single-host deployment of the RFC app at `ohm.wiggleverse.org`, sharing
 infrastructure with `git.wiggleverse.org` (same Gitea instance, same nginx,
 same Let's Encrypt). The shape matches §4.2: one process, one SQLite file,
 no separate worker.
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ recover from a partial install is safe.

 - Ubuntu/Debian-style host with nginx and certbot already serving
  `git.wiggleverse.org` over HTTPS.
- DNS: an `A` record for `rfc.wiggleverse.org` pointing at the same IP as
+- DNS: an `A` record for `ohm.wiggleverse.org` pointing at the same IP as
  `git.wiggleverse.org`.
 - Python 3.11+ available system-wide (the project has no `requires-python`
  pin; the current production VM runs 3.11 on Debian bookworm). Node 20+
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ Invite → rfc-bot → Owner**.
 Integrations → OAuth2 Applications → Create Application**:

 - Name: `RFC App`
- Redirect URI: `https://rfc.wiggleverse.org/auth/callback`
+- Redirect URI: `https://ohm.wiggleverse.org/auth/callback`

 Copy the client ID and client secret. They go into `.env`.

@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ sudo -u rfc-app /opt/rfc-app/backend/.venv/bin/pip install \

 ```sh
 # On your laptop:
-cd frontend && npm install && npm run build
+cd frontend && npm ci && npm run build
 rsync -a dist/ ben.stull@<host>:/tmp/rfc-app-dist/
 # On the host:
 sudo -u rfc-app mkdir -p /opt/rfc-app/frontend/dist
@@ -104,10 +104,16 @@ sudo chown -R rfc-app:rfc-app /opt/rfc-app/frontend/dist
 Or build on the host directly if Node is installed there:

 ```sh
-cd /opt/rfc-app/frontend && sudo -u rfc-app npm install
+cd /opt/rfc-app/frontend && sudo -u rfc-app npm ci
 sudo -u rfc-app npm run build
 ```

+`npm ci` installs strictly from the committed `package-lock.json` and
+refuses to mutate it. `npm install` was previously used here but can
+regenerate the lockfile in place (e.g. stripping `libc` fields from
+optional rollup native packages), which then collides with `git
+checkout <tag>` on the next deploy.
+
 **1.3.3 Write `.env`.**

 ```sh
@@ -128,7 +134,7 @@ META_REPO=meta
 OAUTH_CLIENT_ID=<from 1.2.3>
 OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET=<from 1.2.3>

-APP_URL=https://rfc.wiggleverse.org
+APP_URL=https://ohm.wiggleverse.org
 SECRET_KEY=<openssl rand -hex 32>
 OWNER_GITEA_LOGIN=ben.stull
 GITEA_WEBHOOK_SECRET=<openssl rand -hex 32>
@@ -182,9 +188,9 @@ Re-running is safe; every step is upsert-shaped.
 **1.4.1 nginx vhost.**

 ```sh
-sudo cp /opt/rfc-app/deploy/nginx/rfc.wiggleverse.org.conf \
-    /etc/nginx/sites-available/rfc.wiggleverse.org
-sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/rfc.wiggleverse.org \
+sudo cp /opt/rfc-app/deploy/nginx/ohm.wiggleverse.org.conf \
+    /etc/nginx/sites-available/ohm.wiggleverse.org
+sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/ohm.wiggleverse.org \
    /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
 sudo nginx -t && sudo systemctl reload nginx
 ```
@@ -200,7 +206,7 @@ sudo systemctl reload nginx
 **1.4.2 Let's Encrypt cert.**

 ```sh
-sudo certbot --nginx -d rfc.wiggleverse.org
+sudo certbot --nginx -d ohm.wiggleverse.org
 ```

 ### 1.5 systemd
@@ -226,7 +232,7 @@ RFC app started — meta repo wiggleverse/meta

 ### 1.6 Smoke test

-In a browser at `https://rfc.wiggleverse.org`:
+In a browser at `https://ohm.wiggleverse.org`:

 1. The landing page renders (§14.1 — title, pitch, three-item deck,
   sign-in affordance).
@@ -384,7 +390,7 @@ say), restore from the most recent backup per §2.2.
  `rfc-app`.
 - **OAuth callback returns "Invalid state".** The redirect URI in Gitea
  must match `APP_URL/auth/callback` exactly. Confirm it's
-  `https://rfc.wiggleverse.org/auth/callback`.
+  `https://ohm.wiggleverse.org/auth/callback`.
 - **The catalog stays empty after a merge.** Check the webhook:
  `journalctl -u rfc-app | grep webhook`. Gitea's **Settings → Webhooks
  → Recent Deliveries** on the meta repo shows the delivery status; the
@@ -2,21 +2,21 @@
 # frontend served as static files from the Vite build output.
 #
 # Install:
-#   sudo cp deploy/nginx/rfc.wiggleverse.org.conf \
-#       /etc/nginx/sites-available/rfc.wiggleverse.org
-#   sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/rfc.wiggleverse.org \
+#   sudo cp deploy/nginx/ohm.wiggleverse.org.conf \
+#       /etc/nginx/sites-available/ohm.wiggleverse.org
+#   sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/ohm.wiggleverse.org \
 #       /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
 #   sudo nginx -t && sudo systemctl reload nginx
 #
 # Then add the Let's Encrypt cert:
-#   sudo certbot --nginx -d rfc.wiggleverse.org
+#   sudo certbot --nginx -d ohm.wiggleverse.org
 # Certbot will rewrite this file to add the 443 listener and certificate
 # directives; the rest of the config below stays as written.

 server {
    listen 80;
    listen [::]:80;
-    server_name rfc.wiggleverse.org;
+    server_name ohm.wiggleverse.org;

    # Static SPA assets live in the Vite build output. The systemd unit
    # runs as user `rfc-app`; make sure nginx (usually `www-data`) can
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ The shortest path from scratch:
   any deployment-identifying value; if a required variable is
   missing, the build fails loudly.

-6. **Build and run.** `cd frontend && npm install && npm run
+6. **Build and run.** `cd frontend && npm ci && npm run
   build`, then start the backend per `deploy/RUNBOOK.md`. The
   first sign-in is the OWNER login from `backend/.env`.

@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ The mechanics in practice:
 5. **Check out the framework at the target version.** `git
   fetch && git checkout <tag>`.

-6. **Rebuild.** `npm install && npm run build` for the frontend;
+6. **Rebuild.** `npm ci && npm run build` for the frontend;
   restart the backend.

 7. **Smoke-test.** Sign in, check the brand reflects your
@@ -240,6 +240,35 @@ The deployment repo does **not** hold:
  edit a framework file, the right move is to file a change against
  the framework, get a release, and pin to it.

+## Private-beta gate
+
+From `0.3.0` onward, every deployment ships with an opt-in email
+allowlist. The default state is **off**: an empty `allowed_emails`
+table behaves exactly like 0.2.x — any successful Gitea OAuth
+provisions a user.
+
+To run a closed beta:
+
+1. Sign in once as the deployment operator so your `users` row exists
+   (you will be grandfathered by `gitea_id` thereafter — adding the
+   first allowlist row does **not** lock you out).
+2. Open `/admin/allowlist` and add the first invited email. As soon as
+   any row exists, sign-in is restricted to listed emails plus
+   grandfathered users.
+3. Optionally set `VITE_BETA_CONTACT` in `frontend/.env` (an email
+   address, a URL, or a short instruction). It is shown to rejected
+   sign-ins on the `/beta-pending` page so visitors know how to
+   request an invitation.
+
+To re-open the deployment, remove all rows from `allowed_emails` (the
+admin tab has a Remove button per row) — the gate flips off as soon
+as the last row is gone.
+
+Anonymous viewers see the full app in read-only mode regardless of
+allowlist state. Write affordances (Propose, chat, Contribute, Open
+PR) are hidden behind a sign-in CTA, and the public read endpoints
+behave the same in both states.
+
 ## When something goes wrong

 If a framework behavior is wrong for your deployment, file it as a
@@ -13,3 +13,14 @@
 #   VITE_APP_NAME=Wiggleverse RFC
 #   VITE_APP_NAME=Wiggleverse Open Human Model
 VITE_APP_NAME=
+
+# Optional contact line shown on the /beta-pending page when a deployment
+# is in private-beta mode (i.e. the backend's `allowed_emails` table has
+# rows). Free-text — an email address, a URL, or a one-line instruction
+# tells visitors how to request an invitation. If unset, the page falls
+# back to a generic "contact the deployment operator" line.
+#
+# Examples:
+#   VITE_BETA_CONTACT=ben@wiggleverse.org
+#   VITE_BETA_CONTACT=DM @ben on Matrix
+VITE_BETA_CONTACT=
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
  "name": "rfc-app-frontend",
  "private": true,
-  "version": "0.2.2",
+  "version": "0.4.0",
  "type": "module",
  "scripts": {
    "dev": "vite",
@@ -5,7 +5,16 @@
  height: 100vh; color: #888; font-size: 14px;
 }

-.app { height: 100vh; display: flex; flex-direction: column; }
+/* `100dvh` is the dynamic viewport height — adjusts as iOS Safari's
+   URL bar shows/hides. Without it, `100vh` measures the URL-bar-hidden
+   ("largest") viewport, so the app overflows what's actually visible.
+   Combined with `body { overflow: hidden }` in index.css, the result
+   on iOS is that single-finger touches get consumed by the (blocked)
+   page-level scroll attempt and never reach the nested .chrome-pane;
+   two-finger touches bypass that and one-finger works thereafter.
+   The 100vh line stays as a fallback for browsers older than iOS
+   15.4 / Chrome 108 (early 2022) that don't understand dvh. */
+.app { height: 100vh; height: 100dvh; display: flex; flex-direction: column; }

 .app-header {
  height: 48px; flex-shrink: 0;
@@ -33,6 +42,31 @@
 }
 .btn-link:hover { background: rgba(255,255,255,0.25); }

+.btn-signin-header {
+  color: #fff; text-decoration: none;
+  background: rgba(255,255,255,0.15);
+  border-radius: 6px; padding: 4px 10px;
+  font-size: 13px;
+  display: inline-flex; align-items: center; gap: 6px;
+}
+.btn-signin-header:hover { background: rgba(255,255,255,0.25); }
+
+/* Beta chip — small uppercase tag sitting alongside a button label or
+ * link. Renders well on both dark headers and light surfaces. */
+.beta-chip {
+  font-size: 9px; font-weight: 700;
+  text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.08em;
+  padding: 1px 5px; border-radius: 3px;
+  background: #b45309; color: #fff;
+  line-height: 1.5;
+  vertical-align: middle;
+}
+.btn-link .beta-chip,
+.btn-mode-toggle .beta-chip,
+.btn-start-contribution-header .beta-chip {
+  margin-left: 5px;
+}
+
 .app-body { flex: 1; display: flex; overflow: hidden; }

 /* --- Catalog (left pane, §7) --- */
@@ -318,6 +352,37 @@
 }
 .landing .secondary-link:hover { color: #1a1a1a; text-decoration: underline; }

+/* --- Beta-pending page (post-OAuth-rejection) --- */
+
+.beta-pending {
+  min-height: 100vh;
+  display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;
+  padding: 40px 20px;
+}
+.beta-pending-inner {
+  max-width: 560px;
+  text-align: center;
+}
+.beta-pending h1 { font-size: 24px; margin: 0 0 16px; }
+.beta-pending p { font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.6; color: #333; margin: 0 0 14px; }
+.beta-pending-contact {
+  background: #fafafa; border: 1px solid #eee; border-radius: 8px;
+  padding: 14px 18px;
+  color: #444;
+}
+.beta-pending-actions {
+  margin-top: 24px;
+  display: flex; gap: 18px; justify-content: center; align-items: center;
+}
+.beta-pending-actions .btn-primary {
+  background: #1a1a1a; color: #fff;
+  border-radius: 8px; padding: 9px 18px;
+  font-size: 14px; font-weight: 600; text-decoration: none;
+}
+.beta-pending-actions .btn-primary:hover { background: #333; }
+.btn-link-quiet { color: #666; text-decoration: none; font-size: 13px; }
+.btn-link-quiet:hover { color: #1a1a1a; text-decoration: underline; }
+
 /* ── §8 RFC view: three-column shape ─────────────────────────────────── */

 .main-pane {
@@ -1678,6 +1743,27 @@
  padding: 1px 5px; border-radius: 3px;
 }

+.allowlist-add {
+  display: flex; gap: 8px; margin-bottom: 22px; flex-wrap: wrap;
+  align-items: center;
+}
+.allowlist-add input[type="email"] {
+  border: 1px solid #d1d5db; border-radius: 6px;
+  padding: 6px 10px; font-size: 13px; min-width: 240px;
+}
+.allowlist-add input[type="text"] {
+  border: 1px solid #d1d5db; border-radius: 6px;
+  padding: 6px 10px; font-size: 13px; flex: 1; min-width: 200px;
+}
+.allowlist-add .btn-primary {
+  background: #1a1a1a; color: #fff;
+  border: none; border-radius: 6px;
+  padding: 6px 14px; font-size: 13px; font-weight: 600;
+  cursor: pointer;
+}
+.allowlist-add .btn-primary:hover:not(:disabled) { background: #333; }
+.allowlist-add .btn-primary:disabled { opacity: 0.5; cursor: not-allowed; }
+
 .user-cell { display: flex; flex-direction: column; gap: 1px; }
 .user-handle { font-weight: 500; color: #111; }
 .mute-toggle {
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import PRView from './components/PRView.jsx'
 import ProposalView from './components/ProposalView.jsx'
 import ProposeModal from './components/ProposeModal.jsx'
 import Landing from './components/Landing.jsx'
+import BetaPending from './components/BetaPending.jsx'
 import Philosophy from './components/Philosophy.jsx'
 import NotificationSettings from './components/NotificationSettings.jsx'
 import Admin from './components/Admin.jsx'
@@ -68,17 +69,14 @@ export default function App() {
    return <div className="boot">Loading…</div>
  }

-  // §14.2: the philosophy route is reachable by anonymous visitors too.
-  // Resolve it before the authentication gate so a signed-out reader
-  // who follows the §14.1 landing link does not get bounced to sign-in.
-  if (!me?.authenticated) {
-    return (
-      <Routes>
-        <Route path="/philosophy" element={<Philosophy authenticated={false} />} />
-        <Route path="*" element={<Landing />} />
-      </Routes>
-    )
-  }
+  // The deployment is in private beta: anonymous visitors get the full
+  // app in read-only mode (viewer = null is passed through to every
+  // component), and write affordances are hidden at the component
+  // level. /beta-pending is the post-OAuth-rejection page reachable by
+  // anyone. The original §14.1 Landing surface is retained for the
+  // `/welcome` URL only, in case a deployment wants to link to it.
+  const viewer = me?.authenticated ? me.user : null
+  const isAdmin = viewer && (viewer.role === 'owner' || viewer.role === 'admin')

  return (
    <div className="app">
@@ -88,60 +86,80 @@ export default function App() {
        </div>
        <div className="header-right">
          {/* §14.3: the persistent About link. One word, no badge, no
-              state — visible from every authenticated screen so a
-              contributor mid-PR who wonders why a conversation is
-              public can reach the answer in two clicks. */}
+              state — visible from every screen so a viewer mid-PR who
+              wonders why a conversation is public can reach the answer
+              in two clicks. Anonymous viewers see it too. */}
          <Link to="/philosophy" className="header-about" title="Why this exists (§14)">
            About
          </Link>
-          <Link to="/settings/notifications" className="header-settings" title="Notification settings (§15)">
-            Settings
-          </Link>
-          {(me.user.role === 'owner' || me.user.role === 'admin') && (
+          {viewer && (
+            <Link to="/settings/notifications" className="header-settings" title="Notification settings (§15)">
+              Settings
+            </Link>
+          )}
+          {isAdmin && (
            <Link to="/admin" className="header-admin" title="Admin home base">
              Admin
            </Link>
          )}
-          <button
-            className="inbox-trigger"
-            onClick={() => setInboxOpen(o => !o)}
-            title="Notifications inbox (§15.2)"
-          >
-            <span aria-hidden>📮</span>
-            {unreadCount > 0 && (
-              <span className="badge">{unreadCount > 99 ? '99+' : unreadCount}</span>
-            )}
-          </button>
-          <span className="user-name">{me.user.display_name}</span>
-          <span className={`user-role-badge role-${me.user.role}`}>{me.user.role}</span>
-          <a className="btn-link" href="/auth/logout">Sign out</a>
+          {viewer && (
+            <button
+              className="inbox-trigger"
+              onClick={() => setInboxOpen(o => !o)}
+              title="Notifications inbox (§15.2)"
+            >
+              <span aria-hidden>📮</span>
+              {unreadCount > 0 && (
+                <span className="badge">{unreadCount > 99 ? '99+' : unreadCount}</span>
+              )}
+            </button>
+          )}
+          {viewer ? (
+            <>
+              <span className="user-name">{viewer.display_name}</span>
+              <span className={`user-role-badge role-${viewer.role}`}>{viewer.role}</span>
+              <a className="btn-link" href="/auth/logout">Sign out</a>
+            </>
+          ) : (
+            <a className="btn-signin-header" href="/auth/login" title="Private beta — only invited emails can sign in">
+              Sign in <span className="beta-chip">Beta</span>
+            </a>
+          )}
        </div>
      </header>
      <div className="app-body">
        <Routes>
-          <Route path="/philosophy" element={<PhilosophyWithSidebar viewer={me.user} />} />
-          <Route path="/settings/notifications" element={<NotificationSettingsWithSidebar viewer={me.user} />} />
-          <Route path="/admin/*" element={<AdminWithSidebar viewer={me.user} />} />
+          <Route path="/welcome" element={<Landing />} />
+          <Route path="/beta-pending" element={<BetaPending />} />
+          <Route path="/philosophy" element={<PhilosophyWithSidebar viewer={viewer} />} />
+          {viewer && (
+            <Route path="/settings/notifications" element={<NotificationSettingsWithSidebar viewer={viewer} />} />
+          )}
+          {isAdmin && (
+            <Route path="/admin/*" element={<AdminWithSidebar viewer={viewer} />} />
+          )}
          <Route path="*" element={
            <>
              <Catalog
+                viewer={viewer}
                onProposeRFC={() => setProposeOpen(true)}
                version={catalogVersion}
              />
              <main className="main-pane">
                <Routes>
-                  <Route path="/" element={<Welcome viewer={me.user} />} />
-                  <Route path="/rfc/:slug" element={<RFCView viewer={me.user} />} />
-                  <Route path="/rfc/:slug/pr/:prNumber" element={<PRView viewer={me.user} />} />
-                  <Route path="/proposals/:prNumber" element={<ProposalView viewer={me.user} onChange={() => setCatalogVersion(v => v + 1)} />} />
+                  <Route path="/" element={<Welcome viewer={viewer} />} />
+                  <Route path="/rfc/:slug" element={<RFCView viewer={viewer} />} />
+                  <Route path="/rfc/:slug/pr/:prNumber" element={<PRView viewer={viewer} />} />
+                  <Route path="/proposals/:prNumber" element={<ProposalView viewer={viewer} onChange={() => setCatalogVersion(v => v + 1)} />} />
                </Routes>
              </main>
            </>
          } />
        </Routes>
      </div>
-      {proposeOpen && (
+      {proposeOpen && viewer && (
        <ProposeModal
+          viewer={viewer}
          onClose={() => setProposeOpen(false)}
          onSubmitted={({ pr_number }) => {
            setProposeOpen(false)
@@ -150,7 +168,7 @@ export default function App() {
          }}
        />
      )}
-      {inboxOpen && (
+      {inboxOpen && viewer && (
        <Inbox onClose={() => setInboxOpen(false)} lastChangeTick={inboxTick} />
      )}
      <ToastHost />
@@ -158,14 +176,14 @@ export default function App() {
  )
 }

-function PhilosophyWithSidebar() {
+function PhilosophyWithSidebar({ viewer }) {
  // The chrome surfaces (§14.2 philosophy, §15 settings, §6/§17 admin)
  // all use the full app body — no catalog left pane, no propose modal.
  // The header carries the navigation back; the body is a single
  // reading surface.
  return (
    <main className="chrome-pane">
-      <Philosophy authenticated={true} />
+      <Philosophy authenticated={!!viewer} />
    </main>
  )
 }
@@ -187,6 +205,28 @@ function AdminWithSidebar({ viewer }) {
 }

 function Welcome({ viewer }) {
+  if (!viewer) {
+    return (
+      <div className="welcome">
+        <h1>Welcome.</h1>
+        <p>
+          The catalog on the left lists every super-draft and active RFC in the
+          framework. Open one to read the canonical body and the public
+          conversation behind each definition.
+        </p>
+        <p>
+          Discussion and contribution are in private <strong>Beta</strong> —
+          read freely, and <a href="/auth/login">sign in</a> if your email has
+          been invited.
+        </p>
+        <p>
+          Wondering why a conversation is public, why graduation costs what it
+          does, or why the model is in the chat? <Link to="/philosophy">Read the
+          philosophy</Link>.
+        </p>
+      </div>
+    )
+  }
  return (
    <div className="welcome">
      <h1>Welcome, {viewer.display_name}.</h1>
@@ -534,6 +534,24 @@ export async function listGraduationQueue() {
  return jsonOrThrow(await fetch('/api/admin/graduation-queue'))
 }

+export async function listAllowlist() {
+  return jsonOrThrow(await fetch('/api/admin/allowlist'))
+}
+
+export async function addAllowlistEmail(email, note) {
+  return jsonOrThrow(await fetch('/api/admin/allowlist', {
+    method: 'POST',
+    headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
+    body: JSON.stringify({ email, note: note || null }),
+  }))
+}
+
+export async function removeAllowlistEmail(email) {
+  return jsonOrThrow(await fetch(`/api/admin/allowlist/${encodeURIComponent(email)}`, {
+    method: 'DELETE',
+  }))
+}
+
 export async function searchUsers(q) {
  const params = new URLSearchParams()
  if (q) params.set('q', q)
@@ -19,10 +19,14 @@ import {
  listAuditLog,
  listPermissionEvents,
  listGraduationQueue,
+  listAllowlist,
+  addAllowlistEmail,
+  removeAllowlistEmail,
 } from '../api.js'

 const TABS = [
  { path: 'users', label: 'Users' },
+  { path: 'allowlist', label: 'Allowlist' },
  { path: 'graduation', label: 'Graduation queue' },
  { path: 'audit', label: 'Audit log' },
  { path: 'permissions', label: 'Permission events' },
@@ -54,6 +58,7 @@ export default function Admin({ viewer }) {
        <Routes>
          <Route index element={<UsersTab />} />
          <Route path="users" element={<UsersTab />} />
+          <Route path="allowlist" element={<AllowlistTab />} />
          <Route path="graduation" element={<GraduationTab />} />
          <Route path="audit" element={<AuditTab />} />
          <Route path="permissions" element={<PermissionsTab />} />
@@ -174,6 +179,140 @@ function UsersTab() {
  )
 }

+// ── Private-beta allowlist (`migrations/011_allowlist.sql`) ────────────────
+
+function AllowlistTab() {
+  const [data, setData] = useState(null)
+  const [error, setError] = useState(null)
+  const [draftEmail, setDraftEmail] = useState('')
+  const [draftNote, setDraftNote] = useState('')
+  const [busy, setBusy] = useState(false)
+
+  async function refresh() {
+    setError(null)
+    try {
+      setData(await listAllowlist())
+    } catch (e) {
+      setError(e.message)
+    }
+  }
+
+  useEffect(() => { refresh() }, [])
+
+  async function handleAdd(event) {
+    event.preventDefault()
+    const email = draftEmail.trim()
+    if (!email) return
+    setBusy(true); setError(null)
+    try {
+      await addAllowlistEmail(email, draftNote.trim() || null)
+      setDraftEmail(''); setDraftNote('')
+      await refresh()
+    } catch (e) {
+      setError(e.message)
+    } finally {
+      setBusy(false)
+    }
+  }
+
+  async function handleRemove(email) {
+    if (!confirm(`Remove ${email} from the allowlist?`)) return
+    setBusy(true); setError(null)
+    try {
+      await removeAllowlistEmail(email)
+      await refresh()
+    } catch (e) {
+      setError(e.message)
+    } finally {
+      setBusy(false)
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (data == null && !error) return <p className="muted">Loading allowlist…</p>
+
+  return (
+    <div className="admin-tab">
+      <header className="admin-tab-header">
+        <h2>Allowlist</h2>
+        <p className="muted">
+          When this list has any rows, OAuth sign-in is restricted: only emails
+          here (case-insensitive) may sign in. Already-provisioned users are
+          grandfathered by their Gitea ID and never re-checked. An empty list
+          turns the gate off entirely.
+        </p>
+        <p className="muted">
+          Status:{' '}
+          <strong>{data?.active ? 'Private beta — gate active' : 'Open — anyone can sign in'}</strong>
+        </p>
+      </header>
+      {error && <p className="settings-note warning">{error}</p>}
+
+      <form className="allowlist-add" onSubmit={handleAdd}>
+        <input
+          type="email"
+          placeholder="email@example.com"
+          value={draftEmail}
+          onChange={e => setDraftEmail(e.target.value)}
+          required
+          disabled={busy}
+        />
+        <input
+          type="text"
+          placeholder="Note (optional)"
+          value={draftNote}
+          onChange={e => setDraftNote(e.target.value)}
+          maxLength={200}
+          disabled={busy}
+        />
+        <button type="submit" className="btn-primary" disabled={busy || !draftEmail.trim()}>
+          Add to allowlist
+        </button>
+      </form>
+
+      {data?.items?.length > 0 ? (
+        <table className="admin-table">
+          <thead>
+            <tr>
+              <th>Email</th>
+              <th>Note</th>
+              <th>Added by</th>
+              <th>Added at</th>
+              <th></th>
+            </tr>
+          </thead>
+          <tbody>
+            {data.items.map(r => (
+              <tr key={r.email}>
+                <td><code>{r.email}</code></td>
+                <td>{r.note || <span className="muted">—</span>}</td>
+                <td>
+                  {r.added_by_login
+                    ? <span>@{r.added_by_login}</span>
+                    : <span className="muted">—</span>}
+                </td>
+                <td className="muted">{r.created_at}</td>
+                <td>
+                  <button
+                    type="button"
+                    className="btn-link-quiet"
+                    onClick={() => handleRemove(r.email)}
+                    disabled={busy}
+                  >Remove</button>
+                </td>
+              </tr>
+            ))}
+          </tbody>
+        </table>
+      ) : (
+        <p className="muted">
+          No allow-listed emails yet. Add the first one to put the deployment
+          into private-beta mode.
+        </p>
+      )}
+    </div>
+  )
+}
+
 // ── Graduation-readiness queue (§13.2) ─────────────────────────────────────

 function GraduationTab() {
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+// BetaPending.jsx — the post-OAuth-rejection page.
+//
+// When a deployment is in private-beta mode (i.e. its `allowed_emails`
+// table has any rows), the OAuth callback redirects unrecognised users
+// here instead of provisioning them. The framework cannot know the
+// deployment operator's preferred contact channel — so the deployment
+// supplies one via VITE_BETA_CONTACT (an email, URL, or short
+// instruction). If unset, we render a generic ask-the-operator line.
+
+import { Link } from 'react-router-dom'
+
+export default function BetaPending() {
+  const contact = import.meta.env.VITE_BETA_CONTACT || ''
+  return (
+    <div className="beta-pending">
+      <div className="beta-pending-inner">
+        <h1>{import.meta.env.VITE_APP_NAME} is in private Beta.</h1>
+        <p>
+          Discussion and contribution are gated to invited emails for now.
+          Reading is open — every super-draft, every active RFC, and every
+          public conversation is visible without signing in.
+        </p>
+        {contact ? (
+          <p className="beta-pending-contact">
+            To request access, contact <strong>{contact}</strong> with the
+            email address you'd like to sign in with.
+          </p>
+        ) : (
+          <p className="beta-pending-contact">
+            To request access, contact the deployment operator with the email
+            address you'd like to sign in with.
+          </p>
+        )}
+        <div className="beta-pending-actions">
+          <Link className="btn-primary" to="/">Browse as a guest</Link>
+          <Link className="btn-link-quiet" to="/philosophy">Read the philosophy →</Link>
+        </div>
+      </div>
+    </div>
+  )
+}
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ const SORT_OPTIONS = [
  { id: 'state',   label: 'State' },
 ]

-export default function Catalog({ onProposeRFC, version }) {
+export default function Catalog({ viewer, onProposeRFC, version }) {
  const [rfcs, setRfcs] = useState([])
  const [proposals, setProposals] = useState([])
  const [search, setSearch] = useState('')
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ export default function Catalog({ onProposeRFC, version }) {
        {filtered.length === 0 ? (
          <div style={{ padding: '24px 14px', color: '#999', fontSize: 13 }}>
            {rfcs.length === 0
-              ? 'No RFCs in the catalog yet. Propose one below.'
+              ? (viewer ? 'No RFCs in the catalog yet. Propose one below.' : 'No RFCs in the catalog yet.')
              : 'No matches.'}
          </div>
        ) : (
@@ -148,7 +148,13 @@ export default function Catalog({ onProposeRFC, version }) {
      </div>

      <div className="catalog-footer">
-        <button className="btn-propose" onClick={onProposeRFC}>+ Propose New RFC</button>
+        {viewer ? (
+          <button className="btn-propose" onClick={onProposeRFC}>+ Propose New RFC</button>
+        ) : (
+          <a className="btn-propose" href="/auth/login" title="Private beta — only invited emails can propose">
+            Sign in to propose <span className="beta-chip">Beta</span>
+          </a>
+        )}
      </div>
    </aside>
  )
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ function slugify(title) {
    .replace(/^-+|-+$/g, '')
 }

-export default function ProposeModal({ onClose, onSubmitted }) {
+export default function ProposeModal({ viewer, onClose, onSubmitted }) {
  const [title, setTitle] = useState('')
  const [slug, setSlug] = useState('')
  const [slugEdited, setSlugEdited] = useState(false)
@@ -131,6 +131,12 @@ export default function ProposeModal({ onClose, onSubmitted }) {
              </div>
            )}

+            {viewer && (
+              <p className="field-help" style={{ marginTop: 14, marginBottom: 0 }}>
+                Owner: <strong>{viewer.display_name || viewer.gitea_login}</strong> — you'll be the first owner of this super-draft. Additional owners can claim later (§13.1).
+              </p>
+            )}
+
            {error && <p className="field-error">{error}</p>}
          </div>
          <div className="modal-actions">
@@ -535,9 +535,10 @@ export default function RFCView({ viewer }) {
              type="button"
              className={`btn-mode-toggle ${mode}`}
              onClick={() => setMode(mode === 'discuss' ? 'contribute' : 'discuss')}
-              title={mode === 'discuss' ? 'Flip into edit mode' : 'Flip back to read-only discuss'}
+              title={mode === 'discuss' ? 'Flip into edit mode (Beta)' : 'Flip back to read-only discuss (Beta)'}
            >
              {mode === 'discuss' ? 'Contribute' : 'Discuss'}
+              <span className="beta-chip">Beta</span>
            </button>
          )}
          {(branchParam === 'main' || !canContribute) && viewer && (
@@ -547,10 +548,13 @@ export default function RFCView({ viewer }) {
              onClick={handleStartContributing}
            >
              Start Contributing
+              <span className="beta-chip">Beta</span>
            </button>
          )}
          {!viewer && (
-            <a className="btn-link" href="/auth/login">Sign in</a>
+            <a className="btn-link" href="/auth/login" title="Private beta — only invited emails can sign in">
+              Sign in <span className="beta-chip">Beta</span>
+            </a>
          )}
          {canOpenPR && (
            <button
@@ -742,7 +746,8 @@ export default function RFCView({ viewer }) {
            />
          ) : (
            <div className="readonly-bar">
-              Read-only view. <a href="/auth/login">Sign in</a> to participate.
+              Read-only view. Discussion is in private <strong>Beta</strong> —{' '}
+              <a href="/auth/login">sign in</a> if your email has been invited.
            </div>
          )}
        </div>
@@ -1 +1 @@
 .2.2
 .4.0