diff --git a/build.cfg b/build.cfg
index d339d056..c092f308 100644
--- a/build.cfg
+++ b/build.cfg
@@ -90,9 +90,13 @@ COLIBRI_COST_MODE="${COLIBRI_COST_MODE:-smart}"
 #       cargo build --release -p clawdie)
 # Leave them blank to ship a "bring your own key" binary configured via the
 # rc.d env file (/usr/local/etc/clawdie/clawdie.env) at runtime instead.
+# CLAWDIE_ENABLE defaults NO: stage the binary + rc.d but do not auto-start at
+# boot until rc.d supervision is proven on the target image (same caution as
+# COLIBRI_DAEMON_ENABLE), so clawdie cannot interfere with SDDM/live boot.
+# Start it manually with `service clawdie start`, then flip to YES once proven.
 FEATURE_CLAWDIE="${FEATURE_CLAWDIE:-NO}"
 CLAWDIE_ARTIFACT_DIR="${CLAWDIE_ARTIFACT_DIR:-}"
-CLAWDIE_ENABLE="${CLAWDIE_ENABLE:-YES}"
+CLAWDIE_ENABLE="${CLAWDIE_ENABLE:-NO}"
 
 # Local LLM runtime (optional)
 # Choices: none | ollama | llama_cpp
diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
index 00a89bd1..1f96f51f 100755
--- a/build.sh
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ echo "    Pkg     : ${DEFAULT_PKG_BRANCH}"
 echo "    GPU     : ${GPU_DRIVER:-auto-detect}"
 echo "    Target  : ${TARGET:-baremetal}"
 echo "    Colibri : ${FEATURE_COLIBRI:-NO}"
-echo "    Clawdie : ${FEATURE_CLAWDIE:-NO}"
+echo "    Clawdie agent : ${FEATURE_CLAWDIE:-NO}"
 echo ""
 
 # Name the output for the thing we are actually building.
@@ -794,18 +794,16 @@ install_clawdie_service() {
     env \
         COLIBRI_REPO="${_resolved_clawdie_repo}" \
         CLAWDIE_ARTIFACT_DIR="${_resolved_clawdie_artifact_dir}" \
-        CLAWDIE_STAGE_ENABLE="${CLAWDIE_ENABLE:-YES}" \
+        CLAWDIE_STAGE_ENABLE="${CLAWDIE_ENABLE:-NO}" \
         "${SCRIPT_DIR}/scripts/stage-clawdie-iso.sh" "${MOUNT_POINT}"
 
-    if ! /usr/sbin/pw -R "${MOUNT_POINT}" groupshow clawdie >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-        /usr/sbin/pw -R "${MOUNT_POINT}" groupadd clawdie
-    fi
+    # The clawdie agent runs as the operator `clawdie` account (same pattern as
+    # Clawdie-AI). configure_live_operator_session() creates that user/group
+    # earlier in the build, so we reuse it rather than re-creating a conflicting
+    # nologin account here. Assert it exists instead of silently diverging.
     if ! /usr/sbin/pw -R "${MOUNT_POINT}" usershow clawdie >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-        /usr/sbin/pw -R "${MOUNT_POINT}" useradd clawdie \
-            -g clawdie \
-            -d /var/db/clawdie \
-            -s /usr/sbin/nologin \
-            -c "Clawdie Agent"
+        echo "ERROR: clawdie user missing — configure_live_operator_session must run before install_clawdie_service"
+        exit 1
     fi
 
     mkdir -p \
@@ -821,7 +819,7 @@ install_clawdie_service() {
         "${MOUNT_POINT}/var/run/clawdie" \
         "${MOUNT_POINT}/var/log/clawdie"
 
-    set_config_line "${MOUNT_POINT}/etc/rc.conf" "clawdie_enable=\"${CLAWDIE_ENABLE:-YES}\""
+    set_config_line "${MOUNT_POINT}/etc/rc.conf" "clawdie_enable=\"${CLAWDIE_ENABLE:-NO}\""
     set_config_line "${MOUNT_POINT}/etc/rc.conf" 'clawdie_user="clawdie"'
     set_config_line "${MOUNT_POINT}/etc/rc.conf" 'clawdie_group="clawdie"'
     set_config_line "${MOUNT_POINT}/etc/rc.conf" 'clawdie_data_dir="/var/db/clawdie"'
diff --git a/doc/CLAWDIE-CODEX-HANDOFF.md b/doc/CLAWDIE-CODEX-HANDOFF.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f9c7d143
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/CLAWDIE-CODEX-HANDOFF.md
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+# Clawdie agent — Codex ISO Builder handoff
+
+**From:** Claude Reviewer (Linux) · **To:** Codex ISO Builder (FreeBSD 15 host)
+**Subject:** stage + validate the simplified `clawdie` agent on the operator USB
+
+The `clawdie` binary is the simplified, operator-friendly Colibri agent: one
+small Rust binary (glasspane + herdr supervision + a DeepSeek-backed Telegram
+bot). All quota/cost-mode/provider-fallback complexity is lifted. It is wired
+into the ISO behind `FEATURE_CLAWDIE` (default `NO`) and runs as an rc.d service
+like Clawdie-AI.
+
+## Precondition (blocking)
+
+Two PRs must be merged to `main` **before** step 1 — until colibri `main` has
+the `clawdie` crate, the workspace build won't produce the binary:
+
+- colibri: `feat/clawdie-agent` → main
+- clawdie-iso: `fix/clawdie-prebuild-hardening` → main (this branch)
+
+## Task checklist
+
+- [ ] 1. Build colibri release artifacts (incl. `clawdie`) on the FreeBSD host.
+- [ ] 2. Run ISO preflight syntax checks.
+- [ ] 3. Build the image with `FEATURE_CLAWDIE=YES` (staged, NOT auto-started).
+- [ ] 4. Inspect the mounted image.
+- [ ] 5. Validate on real hardware (SDDM/XFCE first, then start clawdie).
+- [ ] 6. Cleanup only after the ISO build consumed the artifacts.
+
+### 1. Build colibri (do NOT `cargo clean` afterward — the ISO consumes `target/release`)
+
+```sh
+cd /home/clawdie/colibri
+git fetch origin && git pull --ff-only
+# Baked creds are compiled into the binary and are extractable from the image.
+# For a distributable image, OMIT both flags and use the rc.d env file instead
+# (/usr/local/etc/clawdie/clawdie.env at runtime).
+CLAWDIE_TG_TOKEN="<telegram-bot-token>" \
+CLAWDIE_DEEPSEEK_KEY="<deepseek-key>" \
+  cargo build --workspace --release
+ls -lh target/release/clawdie && file target/release/clawdie
+```
+
+### 2. ISO preflight
+
+```sh
+cd /home/clawdie/clawdie-iso
+git fetch origin && git pull --ff-only
+sh -n build.sh
+sh -n scripts/stage-clawdie-iso.sh
+```
+
+### 3. Build with the clawdie lane on (staged but disabled at boot)
+
+`build.cfg` ships `FEATURE_CLAWDIE=NO` / `CLAWDIE_ENABLE=NO`. Enable staging for
+this image; leave `CLAWDIE_ENABLE=NO` so clawdie cannot interfere with SDDM/live
+boot until rc.d supervision is proven on hardware. Use the standard
+`clawdie:3` / `iso` tmux pane per the `iso-build` skill.
+
+```sh
+FEATURE_CLAWDIE=YES /usr/bin/script -q \
+  tmp/operator-usb-$(git rev-parse --short HEAD)-build.log \
+  ./build.sh --skip-memstick-fetch --live-default-password
+```
+
+### 4. Mounted-image inspection (before flashing)
+
+- `/usr/local/bin/clawdie` present + executable
+- `/usr/local/etc/rc.d/clawdie` present
+- `etc/rc.conf` → `clawdie_enable="NO"` (staged-disabled is intentional)
+- `clawdie` is the **operator** account (reused, not a second nologin user)
+- `/var/db/clawdie`, `/var/run/clawdie`, `/var/log/clawdie` owned
+  `clawdie:clawdie`, mode 0750
+
+### 5. Hardware validation (final proof — bhyve/static inspection is not enough)
+
+1. Boot real hardware; confirm **SDDM → XFCE** first (clawdie disabled, so it
+   can't be blamed for any boot issue).
+2. `service clawdie start` → `service clawdie status`
+3. `sockstat | grep clawdie` (Herdr socket bound); tail
+   `/var/log/clawdie/clawdie.log`
+4. Message the Telegram bot → expect a DeepSeek reply.
+5. If clean, flip `CLAWDIE_ENABLE=YES` for the next image so it boots as a
+   service.
+
+### 6. Cleanup (only after the ISO build consumed the artifacts)
+
+```sh
+cd /home/clawdie/colibri && cargo clean && rm -rf /tmp/colibri-*
+```
+
+## Notes / caveats
+
+- The clawdie daemon runs as the operator `clawdie` user (same pattern as
+  Clawdie-AI's rc.d service). `install_clawdie_service` reuses that account and
+  errors if it is missing rather than creating a conflicting nologin user.
+- No new FreeBSD system deps: `reqwest`/`rustls`/`tokio`/`portable-pty`/`rusqlite`
+  are already in the colibri workspace. Build proof so far was Linux-only — this
+  handoff covers the first FreeBSD build.
+- Reference docs on colibri `main` after merge: `docs/CLAWDIE-BUILD.md`,
+  `docs/CLAWDIE-AGENT-WIKI.md`.
+
+## Deletion criteria
+
+Delete this handoff once the first `FEATURE_CLAWDIE=YES` image has booted on real
+hardware, clawdie has been started and confirmed (socket + Telegram reply), and
+the result is recorded below.
+
+## Results
+
+_(Codex: record build host, commit SHAs, binary size, mounted-image findings,
+and hardware validation outcome here.)_