diff --git a/test/e2e/suite-no-workspace/noWorkspace.test.ts b/test/e2e/suite-no-workspace/noWorkspace.test.ts
index b6c1cb5..b36ddc0 100644
--- a/test/e2e/suite-no-workspace/noWorkspace.test.ts
+++ b/test/e2e/suite-no-workspace/noWorkspace.test.ts
@@ -1,21 +1,27 @@
 import * as assert from "assert";
 import * as vscode from "vscode";
+import type { CowritingApi } from "../../../src/extension";
 
-// Regression for #8: with NO workspace folder open, activate() used to return
-// before registering the F2/F3 commands, so the palette errored with
-// "command 'cowriting.editSelection' not found". The fix registers warning
-// stubs instead. This suite runs in a second EDH pass launched WITHOUT a
-// folder (see runTest.ts).
+// F8: with NO workspace folder open, authoring used to be stubbed (#8 registered
+// warning stubs and activate() returned undefined). F8 makes the authoring
+// commands REAL folder-less (the F6 #19 precedent), routing every doc to global
+// storage — so activate() returns a real API and propose→accept works on an
+// untitled buffer with no folder. This suite runs in a second EDH pass launched
+// WITHOUT a folder (see runTest.ts).
 
-suite("no-workspace activation (#8)", () => {
+suite("no-workspace authoring (F8 — real folder-less, #8 lineage)", () => {
   test("EDH really has no workspace folder", () => {
     assert.strictEqual(vscode.workspace.workspaceFolders, undefined);
   });
 
-  test("all contributed coauthoring commands are registered as warning stubs", async () => {
+  test("activate returns a real API even with no workspace folder (F8)", async () => {
     const ext = vscode.extensions.getExtension("benstull.vscode-cowriting-plugin")!;
-    const api = await ext.activate();
-    assert.strictEqual(api, undefined, "no-root activation returns no API");
+    const api = (await ext.activate()) as CowritingApi;
+    assert.ok(api?.proposalController, "no-folder activation returns the authoring API (F8)");
+    assert.ok(api?.sidecarRouter, "router exposed");
+  });
+
+  test("all contributed coauthoring commands are registered (real, not stubs)", async () => {
     const all = await vscode.commands.getCommands(true);
     for (const command of [
       "cowriting.createThread",
@@ -33,9 +39,32 @@ suite("no-workspace activation (#8)", () => {
     }
   });
 
-  test("invoking a stub does not throw (shows a warning instead)", async () => {
-    await vscode.commands.executeCommand("cowriting.editSelection");
-    await vscode.commands.executeCommand("cowriting.createThread");
+  test("authoring works folder-less: propose→accept on an untitled buffer routes to global storage (F8)", async () => {
+    const ext = vscode.extensions.getExtension("benstull.vscode-cowriting-plugin")!;
+    const api = (await ext.activate()) as CowritingApi;
+    const untitled = await vscode.workspace.openTextDocument({
+      content: "Edit this scratch sentence please.\n",
+      language: "markdown",
+    });
+    await vscode.window.showTextDocument(untitled);
+    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 300));
+    const key = untitled.uri.toString();
+    const target = "Edit this scratch sentence please.";
+    const start = untitled.getText().indexOf(target);
+    const id = await vscode.commands.executeCommand<string>("cowriting.proposeAgentEdit", {
+      uri: key,
+      start,
+      end: start + target.length,
+      newText: "REPLACED scratch sentence.",
+      model: "sonnet",
+      sessionId: "e2e-nf",
+      turnId: "turn-nf",
+    });
+    assert.ok(id, "propose returns an id for an untitled buffer with no folder");
+    assert.ok(await api.proposalController.acceptById(key, id!), "accept applies");
+    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 300));
+    assert.ok(untitled.getText().includes("REPLACED scratch sentence."), "replacement landed in the untitled buffer");
+    assert.strictEqual(api.sidecarRouter.sidecarPath(key), undefined, "untitled artifact is in-memory only (no disk)");
   });
 
   // F6 (#19) is workspace-INDEPENDENT: its commands are real (not stubs) even
diff --git a/test/e2e/suite/outOfWorkspace.test.ts b/test/e2e/suite/outOfWorkspace.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f75de0c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/e2e/suite/outOfWorkspace.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,126 @@
+import * as assert from "assert";
+import * as fs from "fs";
+import * as os from "os";
+import * as path from "path";
+import * as vscode from "vscode";
+import type { CowritingApi } from "../../../src/extension";
+
+const WS = process.env.E2E_WORKSPACE!;
+const settle = () => new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 300));
+
+async function getApi(): Promise<CowritingApi> {
+  const ext = vscode.extensions.getExtension("benstull.vscode-cowriting-plugin")!;
+  const api = (await ext.activate()) as CowritingApi;
+  assert.ok(api?.proposalController && api?.sidecarRouter, "extension exports the authoring API + router");
+  return api;
+}
+async function proposeViaCommand(uri: string, text: string, target: string, newText: string, turnId: string): Promise<string> {
+  const start = text.indexOf(target);
+  assert.ok(start >= 0, `text contains "${target}"`);
+  const id = await vscode.commands.executeCommand<string>("cowriting.proposeAgentEdit", {
+    uri, start, end: start + target.length, newText, model: "sonnet", sessionId: "e2e-oow", turnId,
+  });
+  assert.ok(id, "propose returns the proposal id");
+  return id!;
+}
+
+// F8 host E2E (no LLM): authoring on a file OUTSIDE the workspace folder and on
+// an untitled buffer, plus an in-workspace byte-for-byte regression. Runs in the
+// WITH-workspace EDH pass (a folder is open; the out-of-folder file lives in a
+// temp dir outside it — exactly like diffView's out-of-folder test).
+suite("F8 out-of-workspace authoring (host E2E — programmatic seam, no LLM)", () => {
+  test("out-of-folder file: propose→accept lands Claude-attributed; persisted in GLOBAL storage, no .threads (PUC-1, INV-9/24/25)", async () => {
+    const outsideDir = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "cowriting-oow-"));
+    const outsidePath = path.join(outsideDir, "sibling.md");
+    const TARGET = "The sibling-repo sentence Claude edits.";
+    fs.writeFileSync(outsidePath, `# Sibling\n\n${TARGET}\n`, "utf8");
+    const uri = vscode.Uri.file(outsidePath);
+    const doc = await vscode.workspace.openTextDocument(uri);
+    await vscode.window.showTextDocument(doc);
+    await settle();
+    const api = await getApi();
+    const key = uri.toString();
+
+    const id = await proposeViaCommand(key, doc.getText(), TARGET, "The sibling sentence CLAUDE REWROTE.", "turn-oow1");
+    await settle();
+    // routed to global storage, never the repo
+    const sidecar = api.sidecarRouter.sidecarPath(key)!;
+    assert.ok(sidecar && fs.existsSync(sidecar), `global sidecar exists at ${sidecar}`);
+    assert.ok(sidecar.includes(`${path.sep}sidecars${path.sep}`), "lives under <globalStorage>/sidecars/");
+    assert.ok(!sidecar.includes(`${path.sep}.threads${path.sep}`), "NOT in a .threads/ tree (INV-25)");
+    assert.ok(!fs.existsSync(path.join(outsideDir, ".threads")), "no .threads/ written beside the out-of-folder file");
+
+    assert.ok(await api.proposalController.acceptById(key, id), "accept applies via the seam");
+    await settle();
+    assert.ok(doc.getText().includes("The sibling sentence CLAUDE REWROTE."), "replacement landed");
+    const agent = api.attributionController.getSpans(key).find((s) => s.turnId === "turn-oow1");
+    assert.ok(agent && agent.authorKind === "agent", "accepted text is Claude-attributed");
+    assert.strictEqual(api.proposalController.getRendered(key).length, 0, "proposal gone (INV-13)");
+
+    // a thread can be opened on the out-of-folder doc
+    await vscode.window.showTextDocument(doc);
+    const editor = vscode.window.activeTextEditor!;
+    editor.selection = new vscode.Selection(doc.positionAt(0), doc.positionAt(8));
+    const threadId = await api.threadController.createThreadOnSelection("thread on a sibling file");
+    assert.ok(threadId, "a thread opens on the out-of-folder doc");
+
+    // reload-restore from the GLOBAL sidecar (re-anchor content-based)
+    fs.writeFileSync(outsidePath, "PREPENDED\n\n" + doc.getText(), "utf8");
+    const reloaded = await vscode.workspace.openTextDocument(uri);
+    await vscode.window.showTextDocument(reloaded);
+    await vscode.commands.executeCommand("workbench.action.files.revert");
+    await settle();
+    api.threadController.renderAll(reloaded);
+    assert.strictEqual(api.threadController.getRendered(key).length, 1, "thread restored from the global sidecar after reload");
+
+    fs.rmSync(outsideDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  });
+
+  test("untitled buffer: propose→accept works in-session, state in-memory only (PUC-2)", async () => {
+    const TARGET = "The untitled draft sentence.";
+    const untitled = await vscode.workspace.openTextDocument({ content: `${TARGET}\n`, language: "markdown" });
+    await vscode.window.showTextDocument(untitled);
+    await settle();
+    const api = await getApi();
+    const key = untitled.uri.toString();
+    assert.strictEqual(untitled.uri.scheme, "untitled", "really untitled");
+
+    const id = await proposeViaCommand(key, untitled.getText(), TARGET, "The untitled draft, CLAUDE-EDITED.", "turn-oow2");
+    await settle();
+    assert.strictEqual(api.sidecarRouter.sidecarPath(key), undefined, "untitled artifact is in-memory only (no disk)");
+    assert.ok(await api.proposalController.acceptById(key, id), "accept applies");
+    await settle();
+    assert.ok(untitled.getText().includes("The untitled draft, CLAUDE-EDITED."), "replacement landed in the untitled buffer");
+    const agent = api.attributionController.getSpans(key).find((s) => s.turnId === "turn-oow2");
+    assert.ok(agent && agent.authorKind === "agent", "untitled accepted text is Claude-attributed");
+  });
+
+  test("in-workspace regression: artifact still lands at <root>/.threads/<repo-rel>.json with the repo-relative document.path (INV-2)", async () => {
+    const DOC_REL = "docs/f8regression.md";
+    const TARGET = "An in-folder sentence for the F8 regression.";
+    const abs = path.join(WS, DOC_REL);
+    fs.mkdirSync(path.dirname(abs), { recursive: true });
+    fs.writeFileSync(abs, `# F8 regression\n\n${TARGET}\n`, "utf8");
+    const uri = vscode.Uri.file(abs);
+    const doc = await vscode.workspace.openTextDocument(uri);
+    await vscode.window.showTextDocument(doc);
+    await settle();
+    const api = await getApi();
+
+    // the in-workspace key is the repo-relative path, not the URI string
+    assert.strictEqual(
+      api.sidecarRouter.keyOf({ uri: uri.toString(), fsPath: abs, scheme: "file" }),
+      DOC_REL,
+      "in-folder key is the repo-relative path",
+    );
+    const id = await proposeViaCommand(uri.toString(), doc.getText(), TARGET, "An in-folder sentence, EDITED.", "turn-oow3");
+    await settle();
+    assert.ok(await api.proposalController.acceptById(DOC_REL, id), "accept by the repo-relative key");
+    await settle();
+    const sidecar = api.sidecarRouter.sidecarPath(DOC_REL)!;
+    assert.strictEqual(sidecar, path.join(WS, ".threads", "docs", "f8regression.md.json"), "committable .threads/ path unchanged (INV-2)");
+    assert.ok(fs.existsSync(sidecar), "sidecar written in the repo");
+    const onDisk = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(sidecar, "utf8"));
+    assert.strictEqual(onDisk.document.path, DOC_REL, "document.path is the repo-relative path (byte-for-byte)");
+  });
+});