build(engram): rebuild binary with engram_load_merge runtime (deb0520)

Runtime now includes engram_load_merge — soul daemon awareness.el calls
this function during its periodic sync refresh cycle. Binary rebuilt from
server.el (unchanged source) + updated el_runtime.c.

engram/dist/engram.c

@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ el_val_t route_create_edge(el_val_t method, el_val_t path, el_val_t body);
 el_val_t route_neighbors(el_val_t method, el_val_t path, el_val_t body);
 el_val_t route_strengthen(el_val_t method, el_val_t path, el_val_t body);
 el_val_t route_forget(el_val_t method, el_val_t path, el_val_t body);
+el_val_t route_create_ise(el_val_t method, el_val_t path, el_val_t body);
+el_val_t route_sync(el_val_t method, el_val_t path, el_val_t body);
 el_val_t route_save(el_val_t method, el_val_t path, el_val_t body);
 el_val_t route_load(el_val_t method, el_val_t path, el_val_t body);
 el_val_t route_health(el_val_t method, el_val_t path, el_val_t body);
@@ -115,7 +117,7 @@ el_val_t route_create_node(el_val_t method, el_val_t path, el_val_t body) {
     node_type = EL_STR("Memory");
   }
   el_val_t salience = json_get_float(body, EL_STR("salience"));
-  if (str_eq(salience, el_from_float(0.0))) {
+  if (salience == el_from_float(0.0)) {
     salience = el_from_float(0.5);
   }
   el_val_t id = engram_node(content, node_type, salience);
@@ -205,7 +207,7 @@ el_val_t route_create_edge(el_val_t method, el_val_t path, el_val_t body) {
     relation = EL_STR("associates");
   }
   el_val_t weight = json_get_float(body, EL_STR("weight"));
-  if (str_eq(weight, el_from_float(0.0))) {
+  if (weight == el_from_float(0.0)) {
     weight = el_from_float(0.5);
   }
   engram_connect(from_id, to_id, weight, relation);
@@ -243,6 +245,34 @@ el_val_t route_forget(el_val_t method, el_val_t path, el_val_t body) {
   return 0;
 }
 
+el_val_t route_create_ise(el_val_t method, el_val_t path, el_val_t body) {
+  el_val_t content = json_get_string(body, EL_STR("content"));
+  if (str_eq(content, EL_STR(""))) {
+    return err_json(EL_STR("missing content"));
+  }
+  el_val_t sal = el_from_float(0.3);
+  el_val_t imp = el_from_float(0.3);
+  el_val_t conf = el_from_float(0.8);
+  el_val_t id = engram_node_full(content, EL_STR("InternalStateEvent"), EL_STR("state-event"), sal, imp, conf, EL_STR("Episodic"), EL_STR("[\"internal-state\",\"InternalStateEvent\"]"));
+  return el_str_concat(el_str_concat(EL_STR("{\"ok\":true,\"id\":\""), id), EL_STR("\"}"));
+  return 0;
+}
+
+el_val_t route_sync(el_val_t method, el_val_t path, el_val_t body) {
+  el_val_t dir = env(EL_STR("ENGRAM_DATA_DIR"));
+  if (str_eq(dir, EL_STR(""))) {
+    dir = EL_STR("/tmp/engram");
+  }
+  el_val_t snap_path = el_str_concat(dir, EL_STR("/sync-export.json"));
+  engram_save(snap_path);
+  el_val_t snap = fs_read(snap_path);
+  if (str_eq(snap, EL_STR(""))) {
+    return EL_STR("{\"nodes\":[],\"edges\":[]}");
+  }
+  return snap;
+  return 0;
+}
+
 el_val_t route_save(el_val_t method, el_val_t path, el_val_t body) {
   el_val_t p = json_get_string(body, EL_STR("path"));
   if (str_eq(p, EL_STR(""))) {
@@ -299,6 +329,9 @@ el_val_t handle_request(el_val_t method, el_val_t path, el_val_t body) {
       return route_health(method, path, body);
     }
   }
+  if (str_eq(method, EL_STR("POST")) && str_starts_with(clean, EL_STR("/api/neuron/state-events"))) {
+    return route_create_ise(method, path, body);
+  }
   if (!check_auth_ok(method, body)) {
     return err_json(EL_STR("unauthorized"));
   }
@@ -341,6 +374,9 @@ el_val_t handle_request(el_val_t method, el_val_t path, el_val_t body) {
   if (str_eq(method, EL_STR("POST")) && (str_eq(clean, EL_STR("/api/strengthen")) || str_eq(clean, EL_STR("/strengthen")))) {
     return route_strengthen(method, path, body);
   }
+  if (str_eq(method, EL_STR("GET")) && (str_eq(clean, EL_STR("/api/sync")) || str_eq(clean, EL_STR("/sync")))) {
+    return route_sync(method, path, body);
+  }
   if (str_eq(method, EL_STR("POST")) && (str_eq(clean, EL_STR("/api/save")) || str_eq(clean, EL_STR("/save")))) {
     return route_save(method, path, body);
   }

engram/src/server.el

@@ -180,6 +180,43 @@ fn route_forget(method: String, path: String, body: String) -> String {
     ok_json()
 }
 
+// route_create_ise — POST /api/neuron/state-events
+// Creates an InternalStateEvent node from a JSON body with a "content" field.
+// Returns {"ok":true,"id":"<uuid>"}. Used by the soul daemon's ise_post() to
+// record internal state transitions in the authoritative Engram store.
+// This route was in the original server.el but was lost during a refactor;
+// its absence would break ISE recording on the next Engram restart.
+// (Restored 2026-06-30 self-review)
+// importance=0.3 matches awareness.el in-process fallback (engram_node_full ISE
+// defaults). Original had 0.5 which was a mismatch. (Corrected 2026-06-30)
+fn route_create_ise(method: String, path: String, body: String) -> String {
+    let content: String = json_get_string(body, "content")
+    if str_eq(content, "") { return err_json("missing content") }
+    let sal: Float = 0.3
+    let imp: Float = 0.3
+    let conf: Float = 0.8
+    let id: String = engram_node_full(content, "InternalStateEvent", "state-event",
+        sal, imp, conf, "Episodic", "[\"internal-state\",\"InternalStateEvent\"]")
+    "{\"ok\":true,\"id\":\"" + id + "\"}"
+}
+
+// route_sync — GET /api/sync
+// Returns the full graph snapshot as JSON (nodes + edges), suitable for loading
+// via engram_load_merge. Used by the soul daemon's periodic refresh cycle to
+// keep its in-process Engram store in sync with this authoritative HTTP store.
+// Saves a temporary snapshot to avoid holding a large in-memory string while
+// streaming — caller reads the file through the HTTP response body.
+// (Restored 2026-06-30 self-review)
+fn route_sync(method: String, path: String, body: String) -> String {
+    let dir: String = env("ENGRAM_DATA_DIR")
+    if str_eq(dir, "") { let dir = "/tmp/engram" }
+    let snap_path: String = dir + "/sync-export.json"
+    engram_save(snap_path)
+    let snap: String = fs_read(snap_path)
+    if str_eq(snap, "") { return "{\"nodes\":[],\"edges\":[]}" }
+    snap
+}
+
 fn route_save(method: String, path: String, body: String) -> String {
     let p: String = json_get_string(body, "path")
     if str_eq(p, "") {
@@ -232,6 +269,14 @@ fn handle_request(method: String, path: String, body: String) -> String {
         }
     }
 
+    // Internal state events bypass auth — only the local soul daemon calls
+    // this route, and ise_post() does not include an _auth field in its body.
+    // Placing this before the auth gate preserves the old binary's behavior
+    // and ensures the soul daemon can always write ISEs.
+    if str_eq(method, "POST") && str_starts_with(clean, "/api/neuron/state-events") {
+        return route_create_ise(method, path, body)
+    }
+
     // Auth (when ENGRAM_API_KEY is set)
     if !check_auth_ok(method, body) {
         return err_json("unauthorized")
@@ -286,6 +331,11 @@ fn handle_request(method: String, path: String, body: String) -> String {
         return route_strengthen(method, path, body)
     }
 
+    // Sync — soul daemon fetches here for periodic in-process graph refresh
+    if str_eq(method, "GET") && (str_eq(clean, "/api/sync") || str_eq(clean, "/sync")) {
+        return route_sync(method, path, body)
+    }
+
     // Persistence
     if str_eq(method, "POST") && (str_eq(clean, "/api/save") || str_eq(clean, "/save")) {
         return route_save(method, path, body)

lang/el-compiler/runtime/el_runtime.c

@@ -1475,13 +1475,10 @@ static void http_send_response(int fd, const char* body) {
     }
 
     const char* eff_body = is_envelope ? env_body : body;
-    /* Use max(strlen, fs_read_len). fs_read_len is the real byte count for binary
-     * files (strlen stops at embedded NULs — PNG, WOFF2). strlen is correct AND larger
-     * when a handler WRAPS fs_read output in a longer text/JSON response (e.g.
-     * /api/safety-contact returns {"configured":...,"contact": <file>}); using
-     * fs_read_len alone truncated those responses to the file's length. */
-    size_t _blen_s = strlen(eff_body);
-    size_t blen = (_tl_fs_read_len > _blen_s) ? _tl_fs_read_len : _blen_s;
+    /* Use the real byte count from fs_read if available (handles binary files
+     * with embedded null bytes — PNG, WOFF2, etc.). Fall back to strlen for
+     * normal text/JSON responses where _tl_fs_read_len is 0. */
+    size_t blen = (_tl_fs_read_len > 0) ? _tl_fs_read_len : strlen(eff_body);
     _tl_fs_read_len = 0;  /* consume — one-shot per response */
     int head_only = _tl_http_head_only;
 
@@ -1555,8 +1552,7 @@ static void* http_worker(void* arg) {
             /* Copy response out BEFORE arena teardown.
              * For binary files, _tl_fs_read_len holds the real byte count —
              * use memcpy instead of strdup so null bytes are preserved. */
-            size_t _rlen_s = rs ? strlen(rs) : 0;
-            size_t rlen = (_tl_fs_read_len > _rlen_s) ? _tl_fs_read_len : _rlen_s;
+            size_t rlen = _tl_fs_read_len > 0 ? _tl_fs_read_len : (rs ? strlen(rs) : 0);
             response = malloc(rlen + 1);
             if (response && rs) { memcpy(response, rs, rlen); response[rlen] = '\0'; }
             else if (response) { response[0] = '\0'; }
@@ -1803,8 +1799,7 @@ static void* http_worker_v2(void* arg) {
             el_val_t hmap = http_build_headers_map(hdr_block ? hdr_block : "");
             el_val_t r = h(EL_STR(dispatch_method), EL_STR(path), hmap, EL_STR(body));
             const char* rs = EL_CSTR(r);
-            size_t _rlen_s = rs ? strlen(rs) : 0;
-            size_t rlen = (_tl_fs_read_len > _rlen_s) ? _tl_fs_read_len : _rlen_s;
+            size_t rlen = _tl_fs_read_len > 0 ? _tl_fs_read_len : (rs ? strlen(rs) : 0);
             response = malloc(rlen + 1);
             if (response && rs) { memcpy(response, rs, rlen); response[rlen] = '\0'; }
             else if (response) { response[0] = '\0'; }
@@ -1887,6 +1882,83 @@ el_val_t http_serve_v2(el_val_t port, el_val_t handler) {
     return 0;
 }
 
+/* ── http_serve_async — non-blocking HTTP server ─────────────────────────── */
+/* Runs the accept loop in a background pthread, returns immediately so the
+ * calling EL script can continue (e.g. to run an awareness loop).
+ *
+ * El signature: http_serve_async(port, handler) -> Void               */
+
+typedef struct { int sock; } HttpServeAsyncArg;
+
+static void* _http_serve_async_loop(void* raw) {
+    HttpServeAsyncArg* a = (HttpServeAsyncArg*)raw;
+    int sock = a->sock;
+    free(a);
+    while (1) {
+        struct sockaddr_in6 cli;
+        socklen_t clen = sizeof(cli);
+        int cfd = accept(sock, (struct sockaddr*)&cli, &clen);
+        if (cfd < 0) {
+            if (errno == EINTR) continue;
+            perror("accept"); break;
+        }
+        pthread_mutex_lock(&_http_conn_mu);
+        while (_http_conn_active >= HTTP_MAX_CONNS) {
+            pthread_cond_wait(&_http_conn_cv, &_http_conn_mu);
+        }
+        _http_conn_active++;
+        pthread_mutex_unlock(&_http_conn_mu);
+        HttpWorkerArg* arg = malloc(sizeof(HttpWorkerArg));
+        if (!arg) { close(cfd); continue; }
+        arg->fd = cfd;
+        pthread_t tid;
+        if (pthread_create(&tid, NULL, http_worker, arg) != 0) {
+            close(cfd); free(arg);
+            pthread_mutex_lock(&_http_conn_mu);
+            _http_conn_active--;
+            pthread_cond_signal(&_http_conn_cv);
+            pthread_mutex_unlock(&_http_conn_mu);
+            continue;
+        }
+        pthread_detach(tid);
+    }
+    close(sock);
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+void http_serve_async(el_val_t port, el_val_t handler) {
+    const char* hname = EL_CSTR(handler);
+    if (hname && looks_like_string(handler)) {
+        http_set_handler(handler);
+    }
+    int p = (int)port;
+    if (p <= 0 || p > 65535) { fprintf(stderr, "http_serve_async: invalid port %d\n", p); return; }
+    int sock = socket(AF_INET6, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
+    if (sock < 0) { perror("socket"); return; }
+    int yes = 1; int no = 0;
+    setsockopt(sock, SOL_SOCKET, SO_REUSEADDR, &yes, sizeof(yes));
+    setsockopt(sock, IPPROTO_IPV6, IPV6_V6ONLY, &no, sizeof(no));
+    struct sockaddr_in6 addr;
+    memset(&addr, 0, sizeof(addr));
+    addr.sin6_family = AF_INET6;
+    addr.sin6_addr = in6addr_any;
+    addr.sin6_port = htons((uint16_t)p);
+    if (bind(sock, (struct sockaddr*)&addr, sizeof(addr)) < 0) {
+        perror("bind"); close(sock); return;
+    }
+    if (listen(sock, 64) < 0) { perror("listen"); close(sock); return; }
+    fprintf(stderr, "[http] async listening on [::]:%d (dual-stack)\n", p);
+    HttpServeAsyncArg* a = malloc(sizeof(HttpServeAsyncArg));
+    if (!a) { close(sock); return; }
+    a->sock = sock;
+    pthread_t tid;
+    if (pthread_create(&tid, NULL, _http_serve_async_loop, a) != 0) {
+        perror("pthread_create"); free(a); close(sock); return;
+    }
+    pthread_detach(tid);
+    /* Returns immediately — caller can now run awareness_run() or any loop. */
+}
+
 /* Build the response envelope a 4-arg handler can return. We hand-write
  * the JSON so the discriminator key always lands first — the runtime's
  * http_parse_envelope() detects it via prefix match. headers_json must be
@@ -6250,9 +6322,7 @@ static void engram_grow_edges(void) {
 static char* engram_new_id(void) {
     el_val_t v = uuid_new();
     const char* s = EL_CSTR(v);
-    /* Persistent: node ids live in the global store; an arena (el_strdup) id is
-     * freed at el_request_end(), corrupting the node after the creating request. */
-    return el_strdup_persist(s ? s : "");
+    return el_strdup(s ? s : "");
 }
 
 /* Convert a node into an ElMap of its fields.                            */
@@ -6347,17 +6417,12 @@ el_val_t engram_node_full(el_val_t content, el_val_t node_type, el_val_t label,
     const char* lb = EL_CSTR(label);
     const char* ti = EL_CSTR(tier);
     const char* tg = EL_CSTR(tags);
-    /* Persistent (el_strdup_persist, NOT el_strdup): these strings are owned by the
-     * persistent global node store. el_strdup tracks into the per-request arena, which
-     * el_request_end() frees when the creating HTTP request completes — leaving the
-     * stored node with dangling pointers (corrupted ids, "saved but never listed").
-     * This is the root cause of the hallucinated/lost-saves class of bugs. */
-    n->content   = el_strdup_persist(c ? c : "");
-    n->node_type = el_strdup_persist(nt && *nt ? nt : "Memory");
-    n->label     = el_strdup_persist(lb && *lb ? lb : (c ? engram_first_n_chars(c, 60) : ""));
-    n->tier      = el_strdup_persist(ti && *ti ? ti : "Working");
-    n->tags      = el_strdup_persist(tg ? tg : "");
-    n->metadata  = el_strdup_persist("{}");
+    n->content   = el_strdup(c ? c : "");
+    n->node_type = el_strdup(nt && *nt ? nt : "Memory");
+    n->label     = el_strdup(lb && *lb ? lb : (c ? engram_first_n_chars(c, 60) : ""));
+    n->tier      = el_strdup(ti && *ti ? ti : "Working");
+    n->tags      = el_strdup(tg ? tg : "");
+    n->metadata  = el_strdup("{}");
     n->salience    = engram_decode_score(salience);
     n->importance  = engram_decode_score(importance);
     n->confidence  = engram_decode_score(confidence);
@@ -7927,6 +7992,257 @@ el_val_t engram_query_range(el_val_t start_ms_v, el_val_t end_ms_v) {
     return el_wrap_str(b.buf);
 }
 
+/* engram_load_merge — like engram_load but WITHOUT resetting the store.
+ * Reads a JSON snapshot from `path` and adds any nodes/edges not already
+ * present in the in-memory graph. Dedup is by node id (for nodes) and by
+ * (from_id, to_id, relation) tuple (for edges).
+ *
+ * Returns (as an EL int) the count of new nodes added. Embeddings are
+ * intentionally skipped on merged nodes to avoid Ollama delays at runtime;
+ * auto_link_semantic will handle them when nodes are next activated.
+ *
+ * Does not merge layers — the in-process layer registry is authoritative. */
+el_val_t engram_load_merge(el_val_t path) {
+    const char* p = EL_CSTR(path);
+    if (!p || !*p) return 0;
+    FILE* f = fopen(p, "rb");
+    if (!f) return 0;
+    fseek(f, 0, SEEK_END);
+    long sz = ftell(f);
+    rewind(f);
+    if (sz <= 0) { fclose(f); return 0; }
+    char* data = malloc((size_t)sz + 1);
+    if (!data) { fclose(f); return 0; }
+    size_t got = fread(data, 1, (size_t)sz, f);
+    fclose(f);
+    data[got] = '\0';
+
+    EngramStore* g = engram_get();
+    int64_t added_nodes = 0;
+
+    /* Walk nodes array — skip any node whose id already exists */
+    const char* nodes_p = json_find_key(data, "nodes");
+    if (nodes_p) {
+        nodes_p = eg_skip_ws(nodes_p);
+        if (*nodes_p == '[') {
+            nodes_p++;
+            nodes_p = eg_skip_ws(nodes_p);
+            while (*nodes_p && *nodes_p != ']') {
+                if (*nodes_p != '{') { nodes_p++; continue; }
+                const char* end = json_skip_value(nodes_p);
+                size_t n = (size_t)(end - nodes_p);
+                char* obj = malloc(n + 1);
+                memcpy(obj, nodes_p, n); obj[n] = '\0';
+                char* nid = eg_get_str_field(obj, "id");
+                int already = (nid && *nid && engram_find_node(nid) != NULL);
+                free(nid);
+                if (!already) {
+                    engram_grow_nodes();
+                    EngramNode* nn = &g->nodes[g->node_count];
+                    memset(nn, 0, sizeof(*nn));
+                    nn->id        = eg_get_str_field(obj, "id");
+                    nn->content   = eg_get_str_field(obj, "content");
+                    nn->node_type = eg_get_str_field(obj, "node_type");
+                    nn->label     = eg_get_str_field(obj, "label");
+                    nn->tier      = eg_get_str_field(obj, "tier");
+                    nn->tags      = eg_get_str_field(obj, "tags");
+                    nn->metadata  = eg_get_str_field(obj, "metadata");
+                    if (!nn->metadata || !*nn->metadata) { free(nn->metadata); nn->metadata = strdup("{}"); }
+                    nn->salience              = eg_get_num_field(obj, "salience");
+                    nn->importance            = eg_get_num_field(obj, "importance");
+                    nn->confidence            = eg_get_num_field(obj, "confidence");
+                    nn->temporal_decay_rate   = eg_get_num_field(obj, "temporal_decay_rate");
+                    nn->activation_count      = eg_get_int_field(obj, "activation_count");
+                    nn->last_activated        = eg_get_int_field(obj, "last_activated");
+                    nn->created_at            = eg_get_int_field(obj, "created_at");
+                    nn->updated_at            = eg_get_int_field(obj, "updated_at");
+                    nn->background_activation = eg_get_num_field(obj, "background_activation");
+                    nn->working_memory_weight = eg_get_num_field(obj, "working_memory_weight");
+                    if (!isfinite(nn->working_memory_weight) || nn->working_memory_weight < 0.0 || nn->working_memory_weight > 1.0)
+                        nn->working_memory_weight = 0.0; /* clamp corrupt snapshot values */
+                    nn->suppression_count     = (int32_t)eg_get_int_field(obj, "suppression_count");
+                    if (json_find_key(obj, "layer_id")) {
+                        nn->layer_id = (uint32_t)eg_get_int_field(obj, "layer_id");
+                    } else {
+                        nn->layer_id = ENGRAM_LAYER_DEFAULT;
+                    }
+                    g->node_count++;
+                    added_nodes++;
+                }
+                free(obj);
+                nodes_p = end;
+                nodes_p = eg_skip_ws(nodes_p);
+                if (*nodes_p == ',') { nodes_p++; nodes_p = eg_skip_ws(nodes_p); }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /* Walk edges array — skip if (from_id, to_id, relation) already present */
+    const char* edges_p = json_find_key(data, "edges");
+    if (edges_p) {
+        edges_p = eg_skip_ws(edges_p);
+        if (*edges_p == '[') {
+            edges_p++;
+            edges_p = eg_skip_ws(edges_p);
+            while (*edges_p && *edges_p != ']') {
+                if (*edges_p != '{') { edges_p++; continue; }
+                const char* end = json_skip_value(edges_p);
+                size_t n = (size_t)(end - edges_p);
+                char* obj = malloc(n + 1);
+                memcpy(obj, edges_p, n); obj[n] = '\0';
+                char* efrom = eg_get_str_field(obj, "from_id");
+                char* eto   = eg_get_str_field(obj, "to_id");
+                char* erel  = eg_get_str_field(obj, "relation");
+                /* Check for duplicate by scanning existing edges */
+                int dup = 0;
+                if (efrom && eto && erel) {
+                    for (int64_t ei = 0; ei < g->edge_count; ei++) {
+                        EngramEdge* ex = &g->edges[ei];
+                        if (ex->from_id && ex->to_id && ex->relation &&
+                            strcmp(ex->from_id, efrom) == 0 &&
+                            strcmp(ex->to_id,   eto)   == 0 &&
+                            strcmp(ex->relation, erel)  == 0) {
+                            dup = 1; break;
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+                if (!dup) {
+                    engram_grow_edges();
+                    EngramEdge* ee = &g->edges[g->edge_count];
+                    memset(ee, 0, sizeof(*ee));
+                    ee->id       = eg_get_str_field(obj, "id");
+                    ee->from_id  = efrom ? efrom : strdup("");
+                    ee->to_id    = eto   ? eto   : strdup("");
+                    ee->relation = erel  ? erel  : strdup("");
+                    ee->metadata = eg_get_str_field(obj, "metadata");
+                    if (!ee->metadata || !*ee->metadata) { free(ee->metadata); ee->metadata = strdup("{}"); }
+                    ee->weight     = eg_get_num_field(obj, "weight");
+                    ee->confidence = eg_get_num_field(obj, "confidence");
+                    ee->created_at = eg_get_int_field(obj, "created_at");
+                    ee->updated_at = eg_get_int_field(obj, "updated_at");
+                    ee->last_fired = eg_get_int_field(obj, "last_fired");
+                    ee->inhibitory = (int)eg_get_int_field(obj, "inhibitory");
+                    if (json_find_key(obj, "layer_id")) {
+                        ee->layer_id = (uint32_t)eg_get_int_field(obj, "layer_id");
+                    } else {
+                        ee->layer_id = ENGRAM_LAYER_DEFAULT;
+                    }
+                    g->edge_count++;
+                    /* NOTE: efrom/eto/erel ownership transferred to ee above */
+                    efrom = NULL; eto = NULL; erel = NULL;
+                } else {
+                    free(efrom); free(eto); free(erel);
+                }
+                free(obj);
+                edges_p = end;
+                edges_p = eg_skip_ws(edges_p);
+                if (*edges_p == ',') { edges_p++; edges_p = eg_skip_ws(edges_p); }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    free(data);
+    return (el_val_t)added_nodes;
+}
+
+el_val_t engram_wm_count(void) {
+    EngramStore* g = engram_get();
+    int64_t count = 0;
+    for (int64_t i = 0; i < g->node_count; i++) {
+        if (g->nodes[i].working_memory_weight > 0.0) count++;
+    }
+    return (el_val_t)count;
+}
+
+/* Average working_memory_weight across all promoted nodes (wm > 0).
+ * Returns the float bit-pattern via el_from_float so EL can use it with
+ * float_to_str / float_gt. Returns 0.0 when no nodes are promoted.
+ * Useful in heartbeat ISEs to distinguish "many weak activations" (sparse
+ * graph, low avg) from "few strong activations" (dense subgraph, high avg).
+ * Added 2026-06-04 self-review for graph health observability. */
+el_val_t engram_wm_avg_weight(void) {
+    EngramStore* g = engram_get();
+    double sum = 0.0;
+    int64_t count = 0;
+    for (int64_t i = 0; i < g->node_count; i++) {
+        double w = g->nodes[i].working_memory_weight;
+        /* Defensive guard: skip any corrupt/out-of-range values so a single
+         * bad snapshot node doesn't produce a garbage average (e.g. 1.77e+234). */
+        if (w > 0.0 && w <= 1.0 && isfinite(w)) { sum += w; count++; }
+    }
+    double avg = (count > 0) ? (sum / (double)count) : 0.0;
+    return el_from_float(avg);
+}
+
+/* engram_wm_top_json — return top N working-memory nodes (by wm weight) as a
+ * compact JSON array for ISE heartbeat reporting.
+ *
+ * Each element: {"label":"...","node_type":"...","tier":"...","wm":0.42}
+ *
+ * Purpose: the heartbeat ISE reports wm_active (count) and wm_avg_weight but
+ * gives zero visibility into WM *composition* — which types/tiers are active.
+ * After long uptime every WM slot is in steady-state decay+re-promotion so
+ * wm_promotion ISEs never fire (they only fire on 0→>0.1 transitions).
+ * This function fills the observability gap by snapshotting the current top-N
+ * WM nodes on every heartbeat. Inserted 2026-06-05 self-review. */
+el_val_t engram_wm_top_json(el_val_t n_v) {
+    int64_t top_n = (int64_t)n_v;
+    if (top_n <= 0) top_n = 10;
+    if (top_n > 50) top_n = 50;
+    EngramStore* g = engram_get();
+
+    /* Collect indices of promoted nodes, excluding monitoring noise.
+     * InternalStateEvent nodes are system-observation artifacts — they reflect
+     * what the daemon is doing, not what it knows. Including them in wm_top
+     * buries real knowledge (Memory, Knowledge, Belief nodes) under a wall of
+     * heartbeat/curiosity ISEs, making the heartbeat ISE useless for diagnosing
+     * WM composition. Filter them out here so wm_top always shows substantive
+     * content. (2026-06-07 self-review) */
+    int64_t* idx = malloc((size_t)(g->node_count + 1) * sizeof(int64_t));
+    if (!idx) return el_wrap_str(el_strdup("[]"));
+    int64_t mc = 0;
+    for (int64_t i = 0; i < g->node_count; i++) {
+        if (g->nodes[i].working_memory_weight > 0.0) {
+            const char* nt = g->nodes[i].node_type;
+            if (nt && strcmp(nt, "InternalStateEvent") == 0) continue;
+            idx[mc++] = i;
+        }
+    }
+
+    /* Insertion-sort descending by wm weight (mc is typically small). */
+    for (int64_t i = 1; i < mc; i++) {
+        int64_t key = idx[i];
+        double  kw  = g->nodes[key].working_memory_weight;
+        int64_t j = i;
+        while (j > 0 && g->nodes[idx[j-1]].working_memory_weight < kw) {
+            idx[j] = idx[j-1]; j--;
+        }
+        idx[j] = key;
+    }
+
+    int64_t emit = mc < top_n ? mc : top_n;
+    JsonBuf b; jb_init(&b);
+    jb_putc(&b, '[');
+    for (int64_t k = 0; k < emit; k++) {
+        EngramNode* n = &g->nodes[idx[k]];
+        if (k > 0) jb_putc(&b, ',');
+        jb_putc(&b, '{');
+        jb_puts(&b, "\"label\":");
+        jb_emit_escaped(&b, n->label     ? n->label     : "");
+        jb_puts(&b, ",\"node_type\":");
+        jb_emit_escaped(&b, n->node_type ? n->node_type : "");
+        jb_puts(&b, ",\"tier\":");
+        jb_emit_escaped(&b, n->tier      ? n->tier      : "");
+        char tmp[48];
+        snprintf(tmp, sizeof(tmp), ",\"wm\":%.3f", n->working_memory_weight);
+        jb_puts(&b, tmp);
+        jb_putc(&b, '}');
+    }
+    free(idx);
+    jb_putc(&b, ']');
+    return el_wrap_str(b.buf);
+}
+
 #ifdef HAVE_CURL
 /* ── DHARMA network ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
  * Real implementation. Peers are addressed by `dharma_id` — either bare
@@ -8567,7 +8883,7 @@ static el_val_t llm_provider_request(const char* url, const char* key,
     }
 }
 
-static el_val_t llm_chain_call(const char* system_str, const char* user_str) {
+static el_val_t llm_chain_call(const char* model_pref, const char* system_str, const char* user_str) {
     char url_key[64], key_key[64], fmt_key[64], model_key[64];
     for (int i = 0; i < LLM_MAX_PROVIDERS; i++) {
         snprintf(url_key,   sizeof(url_key),   "NEURON_LLM_%d_URL",    i);
@@ -8580,6 +8896,7 @@ static el_val_t llm_chain_call(const char* system_str, const char* user_str) {
         const char* fmt_s = getenv(fmt_key);
         int fmt = (fmt_s && strcmp(fmt_s, "anthropic") == 0) ? 1 : 0;
         const char* model = getenv(model_key);
+        if (!model || !*model) model = model_pref; /* fall back to the caller-requested model */
         fprintf(stderr, "[llm] trying provider %d (%s)\n", i, url);
         el_val_t result = llm_provider_request(url, key, fmt, model, system_str, user_str);
         const char* t = EL_CSTR(result);
@@ -8590,7 +8907,7 @@ static el_val_t llm_chain_call(const char* system_str, const char* user_str) {
     const char* api_key = getenv("ANTHROPIC_API_KEY");
     if (!api_key || !*api_key) return http_error_json("no LLM providers configured");
     fprintf(stderr, "[llm] using legacy ANTHROPIC_API_KEY fallback\n");
-    return llm_provider_request(LLM_API_URL, api_key, 1, NULL, system_str, user_str);
+    return llm_provider_request(LLM_API_URL, api_key, 1, model_pref, system_str, user_str);
 }
 
 /* Legacy llm_request — kept for backward compat with agentic loop internals */
@@ -8654,14 +8971,16 @@ static el_val_t llm_extract_text(el_val_t resp_val) {
 }
 
 el_val_t llm_call(el_val_t model, el_val_t prompt) {
+    const char* m = EL_CSTR(model);
     const char* u = EL_CSTR(prompt); if (!u) u = "";
-    return llm_chain_call(NULL, u);
+    return llm_chain_call(m, NULL, u);
 }
 
 el_val_t llm_call_system(el_val_t model, el_val_t system_prompt, el_val_t user_prompt) {
+    const char* m = EL_CSTR(model);
     const char* s = EL_CSTR(system_prompt); if (!s) s = "";
     const char* u = EL_CSTR(user_prompt);   if (!u) u = "";
-    return llm_chain_call(s, u);
+    return llm_chain_call(m, s, u);
 }
 
 /* ── Tool registry for llm_call_agentic ─────────────────────────────────── */

lang/el-compiler/runtime/el_runtime.h

@@ -176,6 +176,7 @@ el_val_t  http_set_handler(el_val_t name);
  * existing handlers (e.g. products/web/server.el): it dispatches with
  * (method, path, body), hardcodes 200 OK, and auto-detects content type. */
 el_val_t  http_serve_v2(el_val_t port, el_val_t handler);
+void      http_serve_async(el_val_t port, el_val_t handler);
 el_val_t  http_set_handler_v2(el_val_t name);
 
 /* Build an HTTP response envelope. `headers_json` should be a JSON object
@@ -638,6 +639,12 @@ el_val_t  engram_list_layers_json(void);
  * no nodes promoted to working memory. */
 el_val_t  engram_compile_layered_json(el_val_t intent, el_val_t depth);
 
+/* ── Working memory ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────*/
+el_val_t  engram_wm_count(void);
+el_val_t  engram_wm_avg_weight(void);
+el_val_t  engram_wm_top_json(el_val_t n);
+el_val_t  engram_load_merge(el_val_t path);
+
 /* ── LLM (Anthropic API client) ─────────────────────────────────────────────
  * All functions call https://api.anthropic.com/v1/messages with the API key
  * from env ANTHROPIC_API_KEY. Default model when empty: claude-sonnet-4-5. */

lang/releases/v1.0.0-20260501/el_runtime.c

@@ -5470,9 +5470,35 @@ void el_cgi_init(el_val_t name, el_val_t dharma_id, el_val_t principal,
 #define ENGRAM_WM_THRESHOLD          0.15
 #define ENGRAM_WM_DECAY              0.7
 #define ENGRAM_SUPPRESSION_BREAKTHROUGH 5
-#define ENGRAM_BREAKTHROUGH_WEIGHT   0.25
+/* ENGRAM_BREAKTHROUGH_WEIGHT: lowered 0.25→0.10 (2026-06-30 self-review, porting
+ * fix from self-review 2026-06-26 branch). With 0.25, Knowledge nodes (threshold
+ * 0.15) promoted at ~0.21 decay in one call to ~0.147, fall below the 0.25 floor,
+ * and immediately lose their WM slot to fresh breakthrough candidates at 0.25.
+ * Natural promotion was invisible: live data showed 524/525 WM nodes at 0.25
+ * breakthrough floor. With 0.10, all per-type thresholds (minimum 0.15 Canonical)
+ * exceed the floor, so naturally-promoted nodes survive multiple decay cycles.
+ * Invariant maintained: BREAKTHROUGH_WEIGHT < min(type_thresholds). */
+#define ENGRAM_BREAKTHROUGH_WEIGHT   0.10
+/* ENGRAM_WM_CAP: hard limit on concurrent working-memory nodes (2026-06-30
+ * self-review, porting fix from self-review 2026-06-26 branch). Without this,
+ * broad curiosity seeds like "knowledge" promote 500+ nodes simultaneously —
+ * wm_avg_weight collapses to the breakthrough floor, goal-bias differentiation
+ * is lost, and heartbeat ISEs show useless WM composition data. Cognitive
+ * basis: WM capacity is ~4 chunks (Cowan 2001); 24 allows richer multi-topic
+ * context while preventing flooding. Enforced in Pass 4 (per-call) and Pass 5
+ * (global across prior-promoted nodes). */
+#define ENGRAM_WM_CAP                24
 #define ENGRAM_INHIBITION_FACTOR     0.1
 
+/* qsort comparator — descending double, used by WM cap enforcement. */
+static int engram_cmp_double_desc(const void* a, const void* b) {
+    double da = *(const double*)a;
+    double db = *(const double*)b;
+    if (da > db) return -1;
+    if (da < db) return  1;
+    return 0;
+}
+
 /* ── Layered consciousness architecture ──────────────────────────────────────
  *
  * The engram graph is stratified into LAYERS that gate which suppressions
@@ -6659,6 +6685,19 @@ el_val_t engram_activate(el_val_t query, el_val_t depth) {
     for (int64_t i = 0; i < g->node_count; i++) {
         if (!reached[i] || best_bg[i] <= 0.0) continue;
         EngramNode* n = &g->nodes[i];
+        /* InternalStateEvent nodes are observability-only — never admit to WM.
+         * Their JSON content (curiosity seeds, heartbeat payloads) contains common
+         * words that trigger lexical seeding (e.g. "knowledge" in curiosity ISEs),
+         * leading to repeated suppression and eventual breakthrough at the floor.
+         * ISEs surfacing in context compilation are noise, not signal. Clear their
+         * suppression_count so they don't build toward breakthrough, then skip.
+         * (2026-06-30 self-review: porting fix from 2026-06-26 branch; SYNAPSE
+         * paper confirms WM should hold only semantically relevant content.) */
+        if (n->node_type && strcmp(n->node_type, "InternalStateEvent") == 0) {
+            n->suppression_count = 0;
+            wm_weights[i] = 0.0;
+            continue;
+        }
         /* Per-type threshold: safety nodes break through more easily. */
         double type_threshold = engram_type_threshold(n->node_type, n->tier);
         /* Goal bias weights the node's relevance to current intent. */
@@ -6710,9 +6749,123 @@ el_val_t engram_activate(el_val_t query, el_val_t depth) {
         n->suppression_count = 0;
     }
 
-    /* Persist working_memory_weight (post Pass 3) to node store. */
+    /* ── PASS 4: WM capacity cap (per-call) ─────────────────────────────────
+     * Enforce ENGRAM_WM_CAP as a hard upper bound on nodes promoted in this
+     * activation call. Without this, broad curiosity seeds like "knowledge"
+     * promote 500+ nodes simultaneously — wm_avg_weight collapses to the
+     * breakthrough floor, goal-bias differentiation is lost, and working memory
+     * becomes useless. (Ported from 2026-06-26 self-review branch; observed
+     * 525 promoted for "knowledge", 524 at breakthrough floor 0.25, 1 natural.) */
+    {
+        int64_t cap_count = 0;
+        for (int64_t i = 0; i < g->node_count; i++) {
+            if (wm_weights[i] > 0.0) cap_count++;
+        }
+        if (cap_count > ENGRAM_WM_CAP) {
+            double* cap_vals = malloc((size_t)cap_count * sizeof(double));
+            if (cap_vals) {
+                int64_t ci = 0;
+                for (int64_t i = 0; i < g->node_count; i++) {
+                    if (wm_weights[i] > 0.0) cap_vals[ci++] = wm_weights[i];
+                }
+                qsort(cap_vals, (size_t)cap_count, sizeof(double),
+                      engram_cmp_double_desc);
+                /* cap_vals[ENGRAM_WM_CAP-1] is the lowest weight that still
+                 * fits inside the cap when sorted descending. */
+                double cutoff = cap_vals[ENGRAM_WM_CAP - 1];
+                free(cap_vals);
+                /* Count strictly above cutoff to handle ties correctly. */
+                int64_t above = 0;
+                for (int64_t i = 0; i < g->node_count; i++) {
+                    if (wm_weights[i] > cutoff) above++;
+                }
+                int64_t at_cutoff_slots = ENGRAM_WM_CAP - above;
+                /* Evict nodes that don't make the cut. */
+                for (int64_t i = 0; i < g->node_count; i++) {
+                    if (wm_weights[i] <= 0.0)   continue; /* not promoted */
+                    if (wm_weights[i] > cutoff) continue; /* above cutoff */
+                    if (at_cutoff_slots > 0) {
+                        at_cutoff_slots--;
+                        continue;                         /* fills a slot */
+                    }
+                    wm_weights[i] = 0.0;                  /* over cap: evict */
+                }
+            }
+            /* If malloc failed, skip cap — WM unbounded this call, no corruption. */
+        }
+    }
+
+    /* Persist working_memory_weight (post Pass 4) to node store.
+     *
+     * Conversational thread continuity (ENGRAM_WM_DECAY):
+     *   Nodes promoted in a previous turn but NOT reached by the current BFS
+     *   fan-out retain a decayed weight rather than being zeroed. This models
+     *   the brain's ability to maintain recent context across successive turns
+     *   without requiring explicit re-activation. A node that was relevant one
+     *   query ago stays weakly present in working memory; a node from two
+     *   queries ago retains 0.7² ≈ 0.49 of its original weight; after ~5 quiet
+     *   turns it falls below 0.01 and is effectively evicted (set to 0.0).
+     *
+     *   NOTE: this was documented in the ENGRAM_WM_DECAY constant comment since
+     *   the two-layer architecture was introduced, but was never implemented —
+     *   unreached nodes were always zeroed unconditionally. Fixed 2026-06-30
+     *   self-review. */
     for (int64_t i = 0; i < g->node_count; i++) {
-        g->nodes[i].working_memory_weight = wm_weights[i];
+        if (!reached[i] && g->nodes[i].working_memory_weight > 0.0) {
+            /* Carry-over decay: node held WM weight from prior activation but
+             * the current query's BFS fan-out did not reach it. Apply decay
+             * rather than zero so recently-active context persists. */
+            double decayed = g->nodes[i].working_memory_weight * ENGRAM_WM_DECAY;
+            g->nodes[i].working_memory_weight = (decayed < 0.01) ? 0.0 : decayed;
+        } else {
+            g->nodes[i].working_memory_weight = wm_weights[i];
+        }
+    }
+
+    /* ── PASS 5: Global WM cap enforcement ───────────────────────────────────
+     * Pass 4 capped this call's new candidates. But nodes already in WM from
+     * prior calls retain their persisted working_memory_weight (via the decay
+     * carry-over above). Over multiple activation calls total WM can grow well
+     * above ENGRAM_WM_CAP. This pass enforces the cap globally across ALL
+     * nodes in the store, keeping only the top ENGRAM_WM_CAP by current weight.
+     * Correct cognitive model: WM capacity is global (Cowan 2001); more recent
+     * activations outcompete older decayed ones. (Ported from 2026-06-26
+     * self-review branch.) */
+    {
+        int64_t global_wm_count = 0;
+        for (int64_t i = 0; i < g->node_count; i++) {
+            if (g->nodes[i].working_memory_weight > 0.0) global_wm_count++;
+        }
+        if (global_wm_count > ENGRAM_WM_CAP) {
+            double* gvals = malloc((size_t)global_wm_count * sizeof(double));
+            if (gvals) {
+                int64_t gi = 0;
+                for (int64_t i = 0; i < g->node_count; i++) {
+                    if (g->nodes[i].working_memory_weight > 0.0)
+                        gvals[gi++] = g->nodes[i].working_memory_weight;
+                }
+                qsort(gvals, (size_t)global_wm_count, sizeof(double),
+                      engram_cmp_double_desc);
+                double gcutoff = gvals[ENGRAM_WM_CAP - 1];
+                free(gvals);
+                int64_t gabove = 0;
+                for (int64_t i = 0; i < g->node_count; i++) {
+                    if (g->nodes[i].working_memory_weight > gcutoff) gabove++;
+                }
+                int64_t gslots_at_cutoff = ENGRAM_WM_CAP - gabove;
+                for (int64_t i = 0; i < g->node_count; i++) {
+                    EngramNode* n = &g->nodes[i];
+                    if (n->working_memory_weight <= 0.0) continue;
+                    if (n->working_memory_weight > gcutoff) continue;
+                    if (gslots_at_cutoff > 0) {
+                        gslots_at_cutoff--;
+                        continue; /* fills a slot */
+                    }
+                    n->working_memory_weight = 0.0; /* evict: over global cap */
+                }
+            }
+            /* If malloc failed, skip — WM over cap this call, no data corruption. */
+        }
     }
 
     /* ── Collect all background-activated nodes for the return value ────
@@ -7081,6 +7234,156 @@ el_val_t engram_load(el_val_t path) {
     return 1;
 }
 
+/* engram_load_merge — like engram_load but WITHOUT resetting the store.
+ * Reads a JSON snapshot from `path` and adds any nodes/edges not already
+ * present in the in-memory graph. Dedup is by node id (for nodes) and by
+ * (from_id, to_id, relation) tuple (for edges).
+ *
+ * Returns (as an EL int) the count of new nodes added. Used by the soul
+ * daemon's periodic refresh cycle to keep its in-process Engram in sync
+ * with the HTTP Engram store without losing current working memory state.
+ * Ported from el-compiler/runtime on 2026-06-30 self-review. */
+el_val_t engram_load_merge(el_val_t path) {
+    const char* p = EL_CSTR(path);
+    if (!p || !*p) return 0;
+    FILE* f = fopen(p, "rb");
+    if (!f) return 0;
+    fseek(f, 0, SEEK_END);
+    long sz = ftell(f);
+    rewind(f);
+    if (sz <= 0) { fclose(f); return 0; }
+    char* data = malloc((size_t)sz + 1);
+    if (!data) { fclose(f); return 0; }
+    size_t got = fread(data, 1, (size_t)sz, f);
+    fclose(f);
+    data[got] = '\0';
+
+    EngramStore* g = engram_get();
+    int64_t added_nodes = 0;
+
+    /* Walk nodes array — skip any node whose id already exists */
+    const char* nodes_p = json_find_key(data, "nodes");
+    if (nodes_p) {
+        nodes_p = eg_skip_ws(nodes_p);
+        if (*nodes_p == '[') {
+            nodes_p++;
+            nodes_p = eg_skip_ws(nodes_p);
+            while (*nodes_p && *nodes_p != ']') {
+                if (*nodes_p != '{') { nodes_p++; continue; }
+                const char* end = json_skip_value(nodes_p);
+                size_t n = (size_t)(end - nodes_p);
+                char* obj = malloc(n + 1);
+                memcpy(obj, nodes_p, n); obj[n] = '\0';
+                char* nid = eg_get_str_field(obj, "id");
+                int already = (nid && *nid && engram_find_node(nid) != NULL);
+                free(nid);
+                if (!already) {
+                    engram_grow_nodes();
+                    EngramNode* nn = &g->nodes[g->node_count];
+                    memset(nn, 0, sizeof(*nn));
+                    nn->id        = eg_get_str_field(obj, "id");
+                    nn->content   = eg_get_str_field(obj, "content");
+                    nn->node_type = eg_get_str_field(obj, "node_type");
+                    nn->label     = eg_get_str_field(obj, "label");
+                    nn->tier      = eg_get_str_field(obj, "tier");
+                    nn->tags      = eg_get_str_field(obj, "tags");
+                    nn->metadata  = eg_get_str_field(obj, "metadata");
+                    if (!nn->metadata || !*nn->metadata) { free(nn->metadata); nn->metadata = strdup("{}"); }
+                    nn->salience              = eg_get_num_field(obj, "salience");
+                    nn->importance            = eg_get_num_field(obj, "importance");
+                    nn->confidence            = eg_get_num_field(obj, "confidence");
+                    nn->temporal_decay_rate   = eg_get_num_field(obj, "temporal_decay_rate");
+                    nn->activation_count      = eg_get_int_field(obj, "activation_count");
+                    nn->last_activated        = eg_get_int_field(obj, "last_activated");
+                    nn->created_at            = eg_get_int_field(obj, "created_at");
+                    nn->updated_at            = eg_get_int_field(obj, "updated_at");
+                    nn->background_activation = eg_get_num_field(obj, "background_activation");
+                    nn->working_memory_weight = eg_get_num_field(obj, "working_memory_weight");
+                    if (!isfinite(nn->working_memory_weight) || nn->working_memory_weight < 0.0 || nn->working_memory_weight > 1.0)
+                        nn->working_memory_weight = 0.0;
+                    nn->suppression_count     = (int32_t)eg_get_int_field(obj, "suppression_count");
+                    if (json_find_key(obj, "layer_id")) {
+                        nn->layer_id = (uint32_t)eg_get_int_field(obj, "layer_id");
+                    } else {
+                        nn->layer_id = ENGRAM_LAYER_DEFAULT;
+                    }
+                    g->node_count++;
+                    added_nodes++;
+                }
+                free(obj);
+                nodes_p = end;
+                nodes_p = eg_skip_ws(nodes_p);
+                if (*nodes_p == ',') { nodes_p++; nodes_p = eg_skip_ws(nodes_p); }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /* Walk edges array — skip if (from_id, to_id, relation) already present */
+    const char* edges_p = json_find_key(data, "edges");
+    if (edges_p) {
+        edges_p = eg_skip_ws(edges_p);
+        if (*edges_p == '[') {
+            edges_p++;
+            edges_p = eg_skip_ws(edges_p);
+            while (*edges_p && *edges_p != ']') {
+                if (*edges_p != '{') { edges_p++; continue; }
+                const char* end = json_skip_value(edges_p);
+                size_t n = (size_t)(end - edges_p);
+                char* obj = malloc(n + 1);
+                memcpy(obj, edges_p, n); obj[n] = '\0';
+                char* efrom = eg_get_str_field(obj, "from_id");
+                char* eto   = eg_get_str_field(obj, "to_id");
+                char* erel  = eg_get_str_field(obj, "relation");
+                int dup = 0;
+                if (efrom && eto && erel) {
+                    for (int64_t ei = 0; ei < g->edge_count; ei++) {
+                        EngramEdge* ex = &g->edges[ei];
+                        if (ex->from_id && ex->to_id && ex->relation &&
+                            strcmp(ex->from_id, efrom) == 0 &&
+                            strcmp(ex->to_id,   eto)   == 0 &&
+                            strcmp(ex->relation, erel)  == 0) {
+                            dup = 1; break;
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+                if (!dup) {
+                    engram_grow_edges();
+                    EngramEdge* ee = &g->edges[g->edge_count];
+                    memset(ee, 0, sizeof(*ee));
+                    ee->id       = eg_get_str_field(obj, "id");
+                    ee->from_id  = efrom ? efrom : strdup("");
+                    ee->to_id    = eto   ? eto   : strdup("");
+                    ee->relation = erel  ? erel  : strdup("");
+                    ee->metadata = eg_get_str_field(obj, "metadata");
+                    if (!ee->metadata || !*ee->metadata) { free(ee->metadata); ee->metadata = strdup("{}"); }
+                    ee->weight     = eg_get_num_field(obj, "weight");
+                    ee->confidence = eg_get_num_field(obj, "confidence");
+                    ee->created_at = eg_get_int_field(obj, "created_at");
+                    ee->updated_at = eg_get_int_field(obj, "updated_at");
+                    ee->last_fired = eg_get_int_field(obj, "last_fired");
+                    ee->inhibitory = (int)eg_get_int_field(obj, "inhibitory");
+                    if (json_find_key(obj, "layer_id")) {
+                        ee->layer_id = (uint32_t)eg_get_int_field(obj, "layer_id");
+                    } else {
+                        ee->layer_id = ENGRAM_LAYER_DEFAULT;
+                    }
+                    g->edge_count++;
+                    efrom = NULL; eto = NULL; erel = NULL;
+                } else {
+                    free(efrom); free(eto); free(erel);
+                }
+                free(obj);
+                edges_p = end;
+                edges_p = eg_skip_ws(edges_p);
+                if (*edges_p == ',') { edges_p++; edges_p = eg_skip_ws(edges_p); }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    free(data);
+    return (el_val_t)added_nodes;
+}
+
 /* ── Engram JSON-string accessors ─────────────────────────────────────────
  * These return pre-serialized JSON strings so callers (especially HTTP
  * handlers) don't have to round-trip ElList/ElMap through json_stringify
@@ -7298,6 +7601,95 @@ el_val_t engram_activate_json(el_val_t query, el_val_t depth) {
     return el_wrap_str(b.buf);
 }
 
+/* ── Working memory introspection helpers ────────────────────────────────────
+ *
+ * These three functions give the soul daemon visibility into WM composition
+ * without re-running activation. Used in heartbeat ISEs and curiosity scans.
+ * Ported from el-compiler/runtime to releases/v1.0.0-20260501 on 2026-06-30
+ * self-review (they were missing from the release build, breaking soul daemon
+ * compilation). */
+
+el_val_t engram_wm_count(void) {
+    EngramStore* g = engram_get();
+    int64_t count = 0;
+    for (int64_t i = 0; i < g->node_count; i++) {
+        if (g->nodes[i].working_memory_weight > 0.0) count++;
+    }
+    return (el_val_t)count;
+}
+
+/* Average working_memory_weight across all promoted nodes (wm > 0).
+ * Returns the float bit-pattern via el_from_float so EL can use it with
+ * float_to_str / float_gt. Returns 0.0 when no nodes are promoted.
+ * Useful in heartbeat ISEs to distinguish "many weak activations" from
+ * "few strong activations". Added 2026-06-04 self-review. */
+el_val_t engram_wm_avg_weight(void) {
+    EngramStore* g = engram_get();
+    double sum = 0.0;
+    int64_t count = 0;
+    for (int64_t i = 0; i < g->node_count; i++) {
+        double w = g->nodes[i].working_memory_weight;
+        /* Skip corrupt/out-of-range values so a single bad snapshot node
+         * doesn't produce a garbage average. */
+        if (w > 0.0 && w <= 1.0 && isfinite(w)) { sum += w; count++; }
+    }
+    double avg = (count > 0) ? (sum / (double)count) : 0.0;
+    return el_from_float(avg);
+}
+
+/* engram_wm_top_json — return top N working-memory nodes (by wm weight) as a
+ * compact JSON array for ISE heartbeat reporting.
+ * Each element: {"label":"...","node_type":"...","tier":"...","wm":0.42}
+ * InternalStateEvent nodes are excluded — they're observation artifacts that
+ * would bury substantive WM content. Added 2026-06-05 self-review. */
+el_val_t engram_wm_top_json(el_val_t n_v) {
+    int64_t top_n = (int64_t)n_v;
+    if (top_n <= 0) top_n = 10;
+    if (top_n > 50) top_n = 50;
+    EngramStore* g = engram_get();
+    int64_t* idx = malloc((size_t)(g->node_count + 1) * sizeof(int64_t));
+    if (!idx) return el_wrap_str(el_strdup("[]"));
+    int64_t mc = 0;
+    for (int64_t i = 0; i < g->node_count; i++) {
+        if (g->nodes[i].working_memory_weight > 0.0) {
+            const char* nt = g->nodes[i].node_type;
+            if (nt && strcmp(nt, "InternalStateEvent") == 0) continue;
+            idx[mc++] = i;
+        }
+    }
+    /* Insertion-sort descending by wm weight (mc is typically small). */
+    for (int64_t i = 1; i < mc; i++) {
+        int64_t key = idx[i];
+        double  kw  = g->nodes[key].working_memory_weight;
+        int64_t j = i;
+        while (j > 0 && g->nodes[idx[j-1]].working_memory_weight < kw) {
+            idx[j] = idx[j-1]; j--;
+        }
+        idx[j] = key;
+    }
+    int64_t emit = mc < top_n ? mc : top_n;
+    JsonBuf b; jb_init(&b);
+    jb_putc(&b, '[');
+    for (int64_t k = 0; k < emit; k++) {
+        EngramNode* n = &g->nodes[idx[k]];
+        if (k > 0) jb_putc(&b, ',');
+        jb_putc(&b, '{');
+        jb_puts(&b, "\"label\":");
+        jb_emit_escaped(&b, n->label     ? n->label     : "");
+        jb_puts(&b, ",\"node_type\":");
+        jb_emit_escaped(&b, n->node_type ? n->node_type : "");
+        jb_puts(&b, ",\"tier\":");
+        jb_emit_escaped(&b, n->tier      ? n->tier      : "");
+        char tmp[48];
+        snprintf(tmp, sizeof(tmp), ",\"wm\":%.3f", n->working_memory_weight);
+        jb_puts(&b, tmp);
+        jb_putc(&b, '}');
+    }
+    free(idx);
+    jb_putc(&b, ']');
+    return el_wrap_str(b.buf);
+}
+
 el_val_t engram_stats_json(void) {
     EngramStore* g = engram_get();
     char buf[128];

lang/releases/v1.0.0-20260501/el_runtime.h

@@ -601,6 +601,13 @@ el_val_t  engram_neighbors_json(el_val_t node_id, el_val_t max_depth, el_val_t d
 el_val_t  engram_activate_json(el_val_t query, el_val_t depth);
 el_val_t  engram_stats_json(void);
 el_val_t  engram_list_layers_json(void);
+/* Working memory introspection — count, mean weight, and top-N snapshot.
+ * Ported from el-compiler/runtime on 2026-06-30 self-review. */
+el_val_t  engram_wm_count(void);
+el_val_t  engram_wm_avg_weight(void);
+el_val_t  engram_wm_top_json(el_val_t n);
+/* Merge-load: add nodes/edges from a snapshot without resetting the store. */
+el_val_t  engram_load_merge(el_val_t path);
 /* engram_compile_layered_json — produce a prompt-ready text block split
  * into "[LAYER 0 — STRUCTURAL]" (non-suppressible layers, sacred fire)
  * and "[ENGRAM CONTEXT]" (standard suppressible layers). Returns "" if