diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/ci.yaml b/.gitea/workflows/ci.yaml
index 8508781..4d6a9dc 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/ci.yaml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/ci.yaml
@@ -63,6 +63,16 @@ jobs:
           cp vendor/el-runtime/v1.0.0-20260501/el_runtime.h /opt/el/runtime/el_runtime.h
           echo "El runtime PINNED to v1.0.0-20260501: $(ls /opt/el/runtime/)"
 
+      # neuron#133: CI compiles dist/soul.c, NOT the .el sources. On 2026-08-07 a
+      # build off main would have shipped an engine with none of five merged fixes,
+      # including a P0 safety fix, while main's source read as correct. The runner
+      # cannot regenerate the amalgam (elc needs 24GB+ virtual memory), but it can
+      # refuse to compile a stale one. Fails loudly with the recipe in the message.
+      - name: Verify dist/soul.c matches the sources
+        run: |
+          chmod +x tools/soulc-stamp.sh
+          ./tools/soulc-stamp.sh --check
+
       - name: Build neuron soul binary
         run: |
           RUNTIME=/opt/el/runtime
diff --git a/dist/soul.c b/dist/soul.c
index bb7814c..b864151 100644
--- a/dist/soul.c
+++ b/dist/soul.c
@@ -974,6 +974,10 @@ el_val_t wt_commit(el_val_t id);
 el_val_t tier_working(void);
 el_val_t tier_episodic(void);
 el_val_t tier_canonical(void);
+el_val_t mem_assoc_skip_label(el_val_t label);
+el_val_t mem_assoc_ok(el_val_t cand_id, el_val_t cand_label, el_val_t self_id);
+el_val_t mem_assoc_slot(el_val_t results, el_val_t idx, el_val_t new_id);
+el_val_t mem_associate(el_val_t new_id, el_val_t content, el_val_t label);
 el_val_t mem_store(el_val_t content, el_val_t label, el_val_t tags);
 el_val_t mem_remember(el_val_t content, el_val_t tags);
 el_val_t mem_recall(el_val_t query, el_val_t depth);
@@ -25573,6 +25577,97 @@ el_val_t tier_canonical(void) {
   return 0;
 }
 
+el_val_t mem_assoc_skip_label(el_val_t label) {
+  if (str_contains(label, EL_STR("state-event"))) {
+    return 1;
+  }
+  if (str_contains(label, EL_STR("soul-response"))) {
+    return 1;
+  }
+  if (str_contains(label, EL_STR("soul-outbox"))) {
+    return 1;
+  }
+  if (str_contains(label, EL_STR("boot_count"))) {
+    return 1;
+  }
+  if (str_contains(label, EL_STR("loop-outcome"))) {
+    return 1;
+  }
+  if (str_contains(label, EL_STR("search-result"))) {
+    return 1;
+  }
+  return 0;
+  return 0;
+}
+
+el_val_t mem_assoc_ok(el_val_t cand_id, el_val_t cand_label, el_val_t self_id) {
+  if (str_eq(cand_id, EL_STR(""))) {
+    return 0;
+  }
+  if (str_eq(cand_id, self_id)) {
+    return 0;
+  }
+  el_val_t lab = str_lower(cand_label);
+  if (str_starts_with(lab, EL_STR("self"))) {
+    return 0;
+  }
+  if (str_starts_with(lab, EL_STR("value"))) {
+    return 0;
+  }
+  if (str_contains(lab, EL_STR("values"))) {
+    return 0;
+  }
+  if (str_contains(lab, EL_STR("identity"))) {
+    return 0;
+  }
+  if (mem_assoc_skip_label(cand_label)) {
+    return 0;
+  }
+  return 1;
+  return 0;
+}
+
+el_val_t mem_assoc_slot(el_val_t results, el_val_t idx, el_val_t new_id) {
+  if (idx >= json_array_len(results)) {
+    return 0;
+  }
+  el_val_t cand = json_array_get(results, idx);
+  el_val_t cid = json_get(cand, EL_STR("id"));
+  el_val_t clabel = json_get(cand, EL_STR("label"));
+  el_val_t ctype = json_get(cand, EL_STR("node_type"));
+  if (str_eq(ctype, EL_STR("Value"))) {
+    return 0;
+  }
+  if (str_eq(ctype, EL_STR("DharmaSelf"))) {
+    return 0;
+  }
+  if (str_eq(ctype, EL_STR("Safety"))) {
+    return 0;
+  }
+  if (mem_assoc_ok(cid, clabel, new_id)) {
+    wt_edge(new_id, cid, el_from_float(0.5), EL_STR("related"));
+  }
+  return 0;
+}
+
+el_val_t mem_associate(el_val_t new_id, el_val_t content, el_val_t label) {
+  if (str_eq(new_id, EL_STR(""))) {
+    return 0;
+  }
+  if (mem_assoc_skip_label(label)) {
+    return 0;
+  }
+  el_val_t probe = str_slice(content, 0, 400);
+  el_val_t results = engram_recall_json(probe, 4);
+  if (str_eq(results, EL_STR(""))) {
+    return 0;
+  }
+  mem_assoc_slot(results, 0, new_id);
+  mem_assoc_slot(results, 1, new_id);
+  mem_assoc_slot(results, 2, new_id);
+  return 0;
+}
+
 el_val_t mem_store(el_val_t content, el_val_t label, el_val_t tags) {
   el_val_t id = wt_node(content, EL_STR("Memory"), label, el_from_float(0.5), el_from_float(0.5), el_from_float(0.8), EL_STR("Working"), tags);
   if (str_eq(id, EL_STR(""))) {
@@ -25580,6 +25675,7 @@ el_val_t mem_store(el_val_t content, el_val_t label, el_val_t tags) {
     return EL_STR("");
   }
   el_val_t durable = wt_commit(id);
+  mem_associate(id, content, label);
   if (durable) {
     println(el_str_concat(el_str_concat(el_str_concat(EL_STR("[memory] write persisted at owner: "), id), EL_STR(" label=")), label));
   } else {
@@ -29709,7 +29805,9 @@ el_val_t handle_api_begin_session(el_val_t body) {
   el_val_t state_events = api_compact_node_array(state_events_raw, 5, 500);
   el_val_t recent_raw = engram_scan_nodes_json(10, 0);
   el_val_t recent = api_compact_node_array(recent_raw, 10, 240);
-  return el_str_concat(el_str_concat(el_str_concat(el_str_concat(el_str_concat(el_str_concat(el_str_concat(el_str_concat(el_str_concat(EL_STR("{\"stats\":"), stats), EL_STR(",\"recent\":")), recent), EL_STR(",\"activated\":")), activated), EL_STR(",\"self_neighbors\":[]")), EL_STR(",\"recent_state_events\":")), state_events), EL_STR("}"));
+  el_val_t self_raw = engram_neighbors_json(EL_STR("kn-efeb4a5b-5aff-4759-8a97-7233099be6ee"), 1, EL_STR("both"));
+  el_val_t self_slice = api_compact_node_array(self_raw, 24, 240);
+  return el_str_concat(el_str_concat(el_str_concat(el_str_concat(el_str_concat(el_str_concat(el_str_concat(el_str_concat(el_str_concat(el_str_concat(EL_STR("{\"stats\":"), stats), EL_STR(",\"recent\":")), recent), EL_STR(",\"activated\":")), activated), EL_STR(",\"self_neighbors\":")), self_slice), EL_STR(",\"recent_state_events\":")), state_events), EL_STR("}"));
   return 0;
 }
 
@@ -29739,6 +29837,7 @@ el_val_t handle_api_remember(el_val_t body) {
   if (!api_persisted(id)) {
     return api_not_persisted(id);
   }
+  mem_associate(id, content, EL_STR("memory:remembered"));
   return el_str_concat(el_str_concat(EL_STR("{\"id\":\""), id), EL_STR("\",\"ok\":true}"));
   return 0;
 }
@@ -29830,7 +29929,7 @@ el_val_t handle_api_recall(el_val_t method, el_val_t path, el_val_t body) {
   if (str_eq(eff_q, EL_STR(""))) {
     return api_or_empty(engram_scan_nodes_json(limit, 0));
   }
-  el_val_t results = engram_search_json(eff_q, limit);
+  el_val_t results = engram_recall_json(eff_q, limit);
   return api_or_empty(results);
   return 0;
 }
diff --git a/dist/soul.c.stamp b/dist/soul.c.stamp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7bbbf80
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dist/soul.c.stamp
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# soul.c.stamp — fingerprint of the .el sources dist/soul.c was generated from.
+# Written by tools/soulc-stamp.sh --write. Do not hand-edit.
+# generated_amalgam_sha256 e31f760de5f6629cd37bcfd26172f92be3ca5d6ff36480f6adafa1d4a1de5a66
+# generated_amalgam_bytes  1179122
+f8597e10546654bce3fbbe40461b2da59d0e06dbf1b038d1d362d24f949e3911  awareness.el
+b6f3d14ca0c26017a2d617399a6d3754dabb0905e4d5f52eb75d25c4ad18d3c5  chat.el
+42288c212cbf72fb1e8ecbd4d9900e4e9ee1cfa475b7974295c7637f1bf2939f  elp-input.el
+b3f77f49d6086932c38bd17fe7a5eaf8bce25685f6fc3e1750f05729c6b49b9e  imprint.el
+fba8ffdb9ba72bca5b09ca1c93a520edc52f3f4d8aec2c7585fe9b17e06420b2  manifest.el
+550a72e234ae8cec1f33e02108fd365353f45edd88513da90b792e79b6c0e5f0  memory.el
+77640783df5c38066149dcd11a11aea7e36f66e40e3df6aedf6723be8b9e0e1e  neuron-api.el
+03c47c451e0e87f2c252cadb4b765867943962a804f548dd53adeef0520912c8  persist.el
+541b9309c59c33ee619d393714871b820ec4151b721d8b2aebcfdb7ce8eb2ffa  routes.el
+c28e36952ec56525963a0bdf29455ab097d3b0c5653d19c25fbb005e1069a1f7  safety.el
+fd3ab91d0ae0ea26639e21bef2f8f94054dc4b02eae68b19e3fe689d2769aad4  sessions.el
+0f1cf43904a98a5a646cce5a07e0e96162ced662692fbc13357d9b67d9a8ac3d  soul.el
+30337940905171a9645b0929f0a412ce6b3dccb1246495070c553bca0bbae6cd  stewardship.el
+e105dc5990e6adbf39db9dc0462cd8bcf6e6c3dfd03709059227ecfad2bbab29  studio.el
diff --git a/tools/soulc-stamp.sh b/tools/soulc-stamp.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..de83273
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/soulc-stamp.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# soulc-stamp.sh — make it impossible for dist/soul.c to drift from the sources
+# in silence.
+#
+# THE PROBLEM (neuron#133, and its own words): "Nothing in the tree regenerates
+# this file. Only a human running the recipe. It lags in batches, never
+# per-change, and it will drift again."
+#
+# It drifted. On 2026-08-07 a CI or GKE build off main would have shipped an
+# engine with NONE of five merged fixes — including a P0 safety fix — while
+# main's source read as correct. CI compiles dist/soul.c, not the .el files, so
+# the source being right is not the same as the build being right.
+#
+# WHY A STAMP AND NOT AUTO-REGENERATION: the CI workflow says elc cannot run on
+# the runner ("elb on Linux would OOM the runner (elc uses 24GB+ virtual memory
+# on a 16GB host)"). So the build cannot regenerate the file itself. What it CAN
+# do, for free and with no compiler, is refuse to compile a stale one.
+#
+# The stamp records a fingerprint of every .el source that feeds the amalgam at
+# the moment it was generated. --check recomputes and compares. Divergence is a
+# build failure with the recipe in the message, not a silent ship.
+#
+#   soulc-stamp.sh --write   after regenerating dist/soul.c (records the fingerprint)
+#   soulc-stamp.sh --check   in CI, before the compile (fails on drift)
+set -u
+MODE="${1:---check}"
+ROOT="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/.." && pwd)"
+STAMP="$ROOT/dist/soul.c.stamp"
+AMALGAM="$ROOT/dist/soul.c"
+
+# Every .el at the repo root is an input to the amalgam. Sorted so the hash is
+# order-independent; content-only so timestamps and checkouts do not perturb it.
+fingerprint() {
+  (
+    cd "$ROOT" || exit 1
+    for f in $(ls -1 *.el 2>/dev/null | sort); do
+      printf '%s  %s\n' "$(shasum -a 256 "$f" | awk '{print $1}')" "$f"
+    done
+  )
+}
+
+case "$MODE" in
+  --write)
+    [ -f "$AMALGAM" ] || { echo "no dist/soul.c to stamp — regenerate it first" >&2; exit 2; }
+    {
+      echo "# soul.c.stamp — fingerprint of the .el sources dist/soul.c was generated from."
+      echo "# Written by tools/soulc-stamp.sh --write. Do not hand-edit."
+      echo "# generated_amalgam_sha256 $(shasum -a 256 "$AMALGAM" | awk '{print $1}')"
+      echo "# generated_amalgam_bytes  $(wc -c < "$AMALGAM" | tr -d ' ')"
+      fingerprint
+    } > "$STAMP"
+    echo "stamped $(fingerprint | wc -l | tr -d ' ') sources -> dist/soul.c.stamp"
+    ;;
+
+  --check)
+    if [ ! -f "$STAMP" ]; then
+      echo "FAIL: dist/soul.c.stamp is missing — the build input is unverifiable." >&2
+      echo "      Regenerate the amalgam, then: tools/soulc-stamp.sh --write" >&2
+      exit 1
+    fi
+    RECORDED="$(grep -v '^#' "$STAMP")"
+    CURRENT="$(fingerprint)"
+    if [ "$RECORDED" = "$CURRENT" ]; then
+      echo "soulc-stamp: OK — dist/soul.c matches the .el sources"
+      exit 0
+    fi
+    echo "FAIL: dist/soul.c is STALE. It does not match the current .el sources." >&2
+    echo "" >&2
+    echo "CI compiles dist/soul.c, not the .el files. Shipping this means shipping" >&2
+    echo "an engine that does not contain the merged source. That is neuron#133," >&2
+    echo "which once hid five merged fixes including a P0 safety fix." >&2
+    echo "" >&2
+    echo "Sources that changed since the amalgam was generated:" >&2
+    diff <(printf '%s\n' "$RECORDED") <(printf '%s\n' "$CURRENT") \
+      | grep -E '^[<>]' | awk '{print "  " $1 " " $3}' | sort -u >&2
+    echo "" >&2
+    echo "Fix: regenerate the amalgam, then tools/soulc-stamp.sh --write" >&2
+    exit 1
+    ;;
+
+  *)
+    echo "usage: soulc-stamp.sh [--check|--write]" >&2; exit 2 ;;
+esac