diff --git a/.github/workflows/hourly-commercial-readiness.yml b/.github/workflows/hourly-commercial-readiness.yml
index 44d236977..fd86cf78a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/hourly-commercial-readiness.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/hourly-commercial-readiness.yml
@@ -34,6 +34,22 @@ jobs:
           ref: ${{ github.event.repository.default_branch }}
           persist-credentials: false
 
+      - name: setup node
+        uses: actions/setup-node@48b55a011bda9f5d6aeb4c2d9c7362e8dae4041e # v6.4.0
+        with:
+          node-version: "24.19.0"
+          cache: npm
+
+      - name: verify package-manager toolchain
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          test "$(node --version)" = "v24.19.0"
+          test "$(npm --version)" = "11.17.0"
+
+      - name: install lockfile dependencies
+        run: npm ci --legacy-peer-deps=false --install-links=false
+
       - name: mint dedicated maintainer App token
         id: maintainer_app
         uses: actions/create-github-app-token@bcd2ba49218906704ab6c1aa796996da409d3eb1 # v3.2.0
@@ -49,15 +65,6 @@ jobs:
           permission-pull-requests: write
           permission-statuses: read
 
-      - name: setup node
-        uses: actions/setup-node@49933ea5288caeca8642d1e84afbd3f7d6820020 # v4.4.0
-        with:
-          node-version: "24"
-          cache: npm
-
-      - name: install lockfile dependencies
-        run: npm ci
-
       - name: verify active main governance before any write
         id: governance
         env:
@@ -125,5 +132,5 @@ jobs:
             noema-kpi-evidence.json
             exchange-30d.ndjson.provenance.json
             noema-smoke-evidence.json
-          if-no-files-found: warn
+          if-no-files-found: error
           retention-days: 90
diff --git a/test/hourly-commercial-readiness-toolchain-integrity.test.ts b/test/hourly-commercial-readiness-toolchain-integrity.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e648bd6c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/hourly-commercial-readiness-toolchain-integrity.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+import { readFileSync } from "node:fs";
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+
+const workflow = readFileSync(
+  ".github/workflows/hourly-commercial-readiness.yml",
+  "utf8",
+);
+
+type WorkflowStep = {
+  readonly name: string;
+  readonly block: string;
+  readonly index: number;
+};
+
+function workflowSteps(): readonly WorkflowStep[] {
+  const lines = workflow.split("\n");
+  const starts = lines.flatMap((line, index) => {
+    const match = /^      - name: (.+)$/.exec(line);
+    return match ? [{ name: match[1], index }] : [];
+  });
+
+  return starts.map(({ name, index }, position) => {
+    const nextIndex = starts[position + 1]?.index ?? lines.length;
+    return {
+      name,
+      block: lines.slice(index, nextIndex).join("\n"),
+      index,
+    };
+  });
+}
+
+function uniqueStep(name: string): WorkflowStep {
+  const matches = workflowSteps().filter((step) => step.name === name);
+  expect(matches, `expected exactly one workflow step named ${name}`).toHaveLength(1);
+  return matches[0];
+}
+
+describe("commercial writer toolchain integrity", () => {
+  it("uses the exact protected-CI Node/npm execution contract in the intended steps", () => {
+    const setup = uniqueStep("setup node");
+    const verify = uniqueStep("verify package-manager toolchain");
+    const install = uniqueStep("install lockfile dependencies");
+    const mint = uniqueStep("mint dedicated maintainer App token");
+
+    expect(setup.block).toContain(
+      "uses: actions/setup-node@48b55a011bda9f5d6aeb4c2d9c7362e8dae4041e # v6.4.0",
+    );
+    expect(setup.block).toContain('node-version: "24.19.0"');
+    expect(setup.block).not.toContain('node-version: "24"');
+
+    expect(verify.block).toContain('test "$(node --version)" = "v24.19.0"');
+    expect(verify.block).toContain('test "$(npm --version)" = "11.17.0"');
+
+    expect(install.block).toContain(
+      "run: npm ci --legacy-peer-deps=false --install-links=false",
+    );
+    expect(install.block).not.toMatch(/run:\s+npm ci\s*(?:\n|$)/);
+
+    expect(setup.index).toBeLessThan(verify.index);
+    expect(verify.index).toBeLessThan(install.index);
+    expect(install.index).toBeLessThan(mint.index);
+  });
+
+  it("retains exact credential isolation and bounded maintainer authority", () => {
+    const checkout = uniqueStep("checkout trusted default branch");
+    const mint = uniqueStep("mint dedicated maintainer App token");
+
+    expect(checkout.block).toContain("persist-credentials: false");
+    expect(mint.block).toContain(
+      "uses: actions/create-github-app-token@bcd2ba49218906704ab6c1aa796996da409d3eb1 # v3.2.0",
+    );
+
+    const permissionLines = mint.block
+      .split("\n")
+      .map((line) => line.trim())
+      .filter((line) => line.startsWith("permission-"));
+    expect(permissionLines).toEqual([
+      "permission-actions: read",
+      "permission-checks: read",
+      "permission-contents: write",
+      "permission-metadata: read",
+      "permission-pull-requests: write",
+      "permission-statuses: read",
+    ]);
+
+    const tokenConsumers = workflowSteps()
+      .filter((step) =>
+        step.block.includes("GH_TOKEN: ${{ steps.maintainer_app.outputs.token }}"),
+      )
+      .map((step) => step.name);
+    expect(tokenConsumers).toEqual([
+      "verify active main governance before any write",
+      "inspect, dispatch, and merge exact-head pull requests",
+    ]);
+    expect(workflow).not.toContain("GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}");
+  });
+
+  it("fails closed when no-PR commercial-readiness evidence is missing", () => {
+    const upload = uniqueStep("upload no-PR commercial-readiness evidence");
+    expect(upload.block).toContain("if-no-files-found: error");
+    expect(upload.block).not.toContain("if-no-files-found: warn");
+  });
+});