diff --git a/chat.el b/chat.el
index d78a579..e76e245 100644
--- a/chat.el
+++ b/chat.el
@@ -1535,6 +1535,134 @@ fn resolve_in_root(path: String, root: String) -> String {
     return root + "/" + path
 }
 
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// BUG-8: server-side risk tiers + a real fence for run_command.
+//
+// Before this block, the ONLY thing deciding whether a tool call paused for
+// user consent was is_builtin_tool() — a destructive shell command and a
+// read-only file read were treated identically (both auto-ran), and the
+// client's approval UI was the sole line of defense. Enforcement now lives
+// where the tools execute:
+//
+//   "read"       observes only — runs silently.
+//   "reversible" workspace-confined writes with a client undo path — runs,
+//                lands on the run receipt.
+//   "escalate"   irreversible / outward / shell — NEVER auto-runs. The loop
+//                suspends to the client's consent flow; the /approve
+//                round-trip IS the approval token, because the engine only
+//                executes an escalated tool inside handle_session_approve.
+//
+// "Always allow" can never bypass the escalate tier (irreversible actions
+// always confirm — the value line). Unknown tools default to escalate.
+// The run_command fence refuses parent traversal, ~, command substitution,
+// and absolute paths outside the workspace — refusal, not a cwd suggestion.
+// Still lexical underneath (symlinks; see the LIMITATION note above): tiered
+// consent + the fence raise the floor a second and third rung; OS-level
+// confinement in el_runtime.c remains the ceiling, flagged for Will.
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+// Read-only shell commands may auto-run (still fenced); anything with shell
+// plumbing (pipes, redirects, chaining) or an unknown head word escalates.
+fn run_command_is_readonly(cmd: String) -> Bool {
+    if str_contains(cmd, "|") || str_contains(cmd, ">") || str_contains(cmd, "<") {
+        return false
+    }
+    if str_contains(cmd, ";") || str_contains(cmd, "&") {
+        return false
+    }
+    let sp: Int = str_index_of(cmd, " ")
+    let first: String = if sp < 0 { cmd } else { str_slice(cmd, 0, sp) }
+    if str_eq(first, "ls") || str_eq(first, "cat") || str_eq(first, "head") || str_eq(first, "tail") {
+        return true
+    }
+    if str_eq(first, "grep") || str_eq(first, "wc") || str_eq(first, "find") || str_eq(first, "pwd") {
+        return true
+    }
+    if str_eq(first, "echo") || str_eq(first, "date") || str_eq(first, "which") || str_eq(first, "file") || str_eq(first, "stat") {
+        return true
+    }
+    return false
+}
+
+// True if the command references an absolute path (introduced by `needle`,
+// whose last char is the "/") that does NOT stay inside the workspace root.
+fn cmd_abs_escape_at(cmd: String, root: String, needle: String) -> Bool {
+    let rest: String = cmd
+    let found: Bool = false
+    while !found && str_contains(rest, needle) {
+        let idx: Int = str_index_of(rest, needle)
+        let slash_at: Int = idx + str_len(needle) - 1
+        let after: String = str_slice(rest, slash_at, str_len(rest))
+        let ok: Bool = str_starts_with(after, root + "/") || str_starts_with(after, root + " ") || str_eq(after, root)
+        let found = if !ok { true } else { found }
+        let rest = str_slice(rest, slash_at + 1, str_len(rest))
+    }
+    return found
+}
+
+// The run_command fence. Returns "" when the command may run, else the denial
+// message (sent back to the model as the tool result, same pattern as the
+// path tools). Root is REQUIRED for shell: no workspace, no commands.
+fn run_command_guard(cmd: String, root: String) -> String {
+    if str_eq(root, "") {
+        return "denied: no workspace folder is set — the user must choose a workspace folder in the Agent panel before shell commands can run"
+    }
+    if str_contains(cmd, "..") {
+        return "denied: parent-directory traversal ('..') is not allowed"
+    }
+    if str_contains(cmd, "~") {
+        return "denied: home-directory references ('~') are not allowed"
+    }
+    if str_contains(cmd, "$(") || str_contains(cmd, "`") {
+        return "denied: command substitution is not allowed"
+    }
+    if str_starts_with(cmd, "/") && !str_starts_with(cmd, root + "/") {
+        return "denied: absolute paths outside the workspace are not allowed"
+    }
+    if cmd_abs_escape_at(cmd, root, " /") || cmd_abs_escape_at(cmd, root, "\"/") || cmd_abs_escape_at(cmd, root, "'/") {
+        return "denied: absolute paths outside the workspace are not allowed"
+    }
+    if cmd_abs_escape_at(cmd, root, "=/") || cmd_abs_escape_at(cmd, root, ">/") || cmd_abs_escape_at(cmd, root, "</") || cmd_abs_escape_at(cmd, root, "(/") {
+        return "denied: absolute paths outside the workspace are not allowed"
+    }
+    return ""
+}
+
+// The engine's own risk classification for a tool call. Client UI renders it;
+// the engine ENFORCES it.
+fn classify_tool_risk(tool_name: String, tool_input: String) -> String {
+    if str_eq(tool_name, "read_file") || str_eq(tool_name, "list_files") || str_eq(tool_name, "grep") {
+        return "read"
+    }
+    if str_eq(tool_name, "search_memory") || str_eq(tool_name, "recall") || str_eq(tool_name, "web_get") {
+        return "read"
+    }
+    if str_eq(tool_name, "remember") || str_eq(tool_name, "neuron_remember") {
+        return "reversible"
+    }
+    if str_starts_with(tool_name, "neuron_") {
+        return "read"
+    }
+    if str_eq(tool_name, "write_file") || str_eq(tool_name, "edit_file") {
+        let root: String = agent_workspace_root()
+        // Unscoped writes (no workspace chosen) are not "reversible" — escalate.
+        if str_eq(root, "") {
+            return "escalate"
+        }
+        return "reversible"
+    }
+    if str_eq(tool_name, "run_command") {
+        let cmd: String = json_get(tool_input, "command")
+        let root: String = agent_workspace_root()
+        if !str_eq(root, "") && run_command_is_readonly(cmd) {
+            return "read"
+        }
+        return "escalate"
+    }
+    // Unknown tool = escalate. Default-deny, never default-allow.
+    return "escalate"
+}
+
 fn dispatch_tool(tool_name: String, tool_input: String) -> String {
     if str_eq(tool_name, "read_file") {
         let path: String = json_get(tool_input, "path")
@@ -1557,6 +1685,10 @@ fn dispatch_tool(tool_name: String, tool_input: String) -> String {
     }
     if str_eq(tool_name, "web_get") {
         let url: String = json_get(tool_input, "url")
+        // BUG-8: scheme guard — web_get had no guard at all (file:// etc).
+        if !str_starts_with(url, "http://") && !str_starts_with(url, "https://") {
+            return json_safe("denied: only http(s) URLs can be fetched")
+        }
         let result: String = http_get(url)
         return json_safe(result)
     }
@@ -1568,7 +1700,14 @@ fn dispatch_tool(tool_name: String, tool_input: String) -> String {
     if str_eq(tool_name, "run_command") {
         let cmd: String = json_get(tool_input, "command")
         let root: String = agent_workspace_root()
-        let scoped: String = if str_eq(root, "") { cmd } else { "cd " + root + " && ( " + cmd + " )" }
+        // BUG-8(B): the fence — refusal, not a cwd suggestion. Applies on EVERY
+        // execution path (auto-run in the loop AND post-consent dispatch from
+        // handle_session_approve), because both land here.
+        let denial: String = run_command_guard(cmd, root)
+        if !str_eq(denial, "") {
+            return json_safe(denial)
+        }
+        let scoped: String = "cd " + root + " && ( " + cmd + " )"
         let result: String = exec_capture(scoped)
         return json_safe(result)
     }
@@ -1998,6 +2137,7 @@ fn agentic_loop(session_id: String, model: String, safe_sys: String, tools_json:
     let pend_tool_id: String = ""
     let pend_tool_name: String = ""
     let pend_tool_input: String = ""
+    let pend_tool_tier: String = ""
 
     while keep_going && iteration < 8 {
         let req_body: String = "{\"model\":\"" + model + "\""
@@ -2054,7 +2194,13 @@ fn agentic_loop(session_id: String, model: String, safe_sys: String, tools_json:
         let always_key: String = "always_allow_" + session_id
         let always_list: String = if !str_eq(session_id, "") { state_get(always_key) } else { "" }
         let is_always_allowed: Bool = !str_eq(tool_name, "") && !str_eq(always_list, "") && str_contains(always_list, tool_name)
-        let needs_bridge: Bool = is_tool_turn && !is_builtin_tool(tool_name) && !is_always_allowed
+        // BUG-8(A): the engine classifies every tool call and REFUSES to auto-run
+        // the escalate tier — being a builtin is no longer a free pass, and
+        // "always allow" can never bypass escalate (irreversible actions always
+        // confirm). Escalated calls suspend to the client's consent flow; the
+        // /approve round-trip is the only path that executes them.
+        let risk_tier: String = if is_tool_turn { classify_tool_risk(tool_name, tool_input) } else { "" }
+        let needs_bridge: Bool = is_tool_turn && (str_eq(risk_tier, "escalate") || (!is_builtin_tool(tool_name) && !is_always_allowed))
 
         // Built-in tools dispatch locally; bridged tools yield "" (never sent upstream).
         let tool_result_raw: String = if is_tool_turn && !needs_bridge { dispatch_tool(tool_name, tool_input) } else { "" }
@@ -2090,6 +2236,7 @@ fn agentic_loop(session_id: String, model: String, safe_sys: String, tools_json:
         let pend_tool_id = if needs_bridge { tool_id } else { pend_tool_id }
         let pend_tool_name = if needs_bridge { tool_name } else { pend_tool_name }
         let pend_tool_input = if needs_bridge { tool_input } else { pend_tool_input }
+        let pend_tool_tier = if needs_bridge { risk_tier } else { pend_tool_tier }
         // Stash messages-with-the-assistant-request so resume only needs to append the
         // client's tool_result block. messages_with_assistant is only meaningful when a
         // tool was requested, so guard on needs_bridge before persisting.
@@ -2110,6 +2257,7 @@ fn agentic_loop(session_id: String, model: String, safe_sys: String, tools_json:
             + ",\"call_id\":\"" + pend_tool_id + "\""
             + ",\"tool_name\":\"" + pend_tool_name + "\""
             + ",\"tool_input\":" + safe_in
+            + ",\"risk_tier\":\"" + pend_tool_tier + "\""
             + ",\"model\":\"" + model + "\""
             + ",\"agentic\":true"
             + ",\"tools_used\":" + tools_arr + "}"