diff --git a/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/cp_provisioner.go b/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/cp_provisioner.go
index ca87f659c..25cce29b0 100644
--- a/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/cp_provisioner.go
+++ b/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/cp_provisioner.go
@@ -185,7 +185,26 @@ type cpProvisionRequest struct {
 	// EC2 instance's /configs directory. OFFSEC-010: collected by
 	// collectCPConfigFiles which rejects symlinks and non-regular files
 	// before including them. Serialised as base64 to avoid JSON escaping.
+	//
+	// ConfigFiles is the SM-bound bundle (the CP stages it through AWS
+	// Secrets Manager as molecule/workspace/<id>/config). It's the right
+	// transport for SMALL non-secret config text only — it has a 256 KiB
+	// cap and the SM transport is sized + scoped for *secrets*. See the
+	// core-devops 10:13 SM-inventory RCA.
 	ConfigFiles map[string]string `json:"config_files,omitempty"`
+
+	// TemplateAssets (RFC #2843 #24) are non-secret template assets
+	// (config.yaml + prompts/ + agent-skills/) fetched from a
+	// non-secret asset channel (template repo / Gitea shallow clone per
+	// RFC §4.2 transport option (a)). They travel on a SEPARATE wire
+	// field from ConfigFiles (the SM-bound bundle) so a future CP can
+	// route them through a non-secret transport without going through
+	// the SM cap. Serialised as base64 to avoid JSON escaping.
+	//
+	// Keys are restricted to the template-asset allowlist enforced by
+	// IsCPTemplateAssetPath (config.yaml / prompts/* / agent-skills/*);
+	// see collectCPConfigFiles for the enforcement.
+	TemplateAssets map[string][]byte `json:"template_assets,omitempty"`
 }
 
 type cpProvisionResponse struct {
@@ -257,7 +276,7 @@ func (p *CPProvisioner) Start(ctx context.Context, cfg WorkspaceConfig) (string,
 	// - Caps total size at cpConfigFilesMaxBytes (a transport-DoS guard,
 	//   not the retired 12 KiB user-data ceiling — config now ships off
 	//   user-data via the CP's Secrets-Manager seeding path)
-	configFiles, err := collectCPConfigFiles(cfg)
+	configFiles, templateAssets, err := collectCPConfigFiles(cfg)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("cp provisioner: collect config files: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -285,6 +304,7 @@ func (p *CPProvisioner) Start(ctx context.Context, cfg WorkspaceConfig) (string,
 		PlatformURL:     cfg.PlatformURL,
 		Env:             env,
 		ConfigFiles:     configFiles,
+		TemplateAssets:  templateAssets,
 	}
 
 	body, err := json.Marshal(req)
@@ -365,6 +385,18 @@ func (p *CPProvisioner) Start(ctx context.Context, cfg WorkspaceConfig) (string,
 // growth (more schedules, longer prompts, more skills) never re-hits a wall.
 const cpConfigFilesMaxBytes = 256 << 10
 
+// cpTemplateAssetsMaxBytes bounds the aggregate TEMPLATE-ASSET payload
+// (config.yaml + prompts/* + agent-skills/*) delivered via the generic
+// non-secret asset channel (RFC #2843 #24). This is a SEPARATE, much larger
+// bound than cpConfigFilesMaxBytes: the config bundle is capped at 256 KiB
+// because it rides the Secrets-Manager/user-data transport, but template
+// ASSETS ride a non-secret channel with no SM size limit — so reusing the
+// 256 KiB cap here would re-create the original #2831 skill-drop failure (the
+// seo-all skill package alone is ~716 KiB). 16 MiB comfortably fits real skill
+// trees + prompts + config while still bounding a runaway/malicious fetcher
+// (pure transport-DoS guard, not a secrets-transport limit).
+const cpTemplateAssetsMaxBytes = 16 << 20
+
 // isCPTemplateConfigFile restricts which files from a template directory are
 // eligible for transport to the control plane. Only config.yaml (the runtime
 // entrypoint config) and files under prompts/ (system prompts) are needed;
@@ -375,9 +407,11 @@ func isCPTemplateConfigFile(name string) bool {
 	return name == "config.yaml" || strings.HasPrefix(name, "prompts/")
 }
 
-func collectCPConfigFiles(cfg WorkspaceConfig) (map[string]string, error) {
+func collectCPConfigFiles(cfg WorkspaceConfig) (map[string]string, map[string][]byte, error) {
 	files := make(map[string]string)
+	assets := make(map[string][]byte)
 	total := 0
+	totalAssets := 0
 	addFile := func(name string, data []byte) error {
 		name = filepath.ToSlash(filepath.Clean(name))
 		if name == "." || strings.HasPrefix(name, "../") || strings.HasPrefix(name, "/") || strings.Contains(name, "/../") {
@@ -390,6 +424,30 @@ func collectCPConfigFiles(cfg WorkspaceConfig) (map[string]string, error) {
 		files[name] = base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(data)
 		return nil
 	}
+	addAsset := func(name string, data []byte) error {
+		name = filepath.ToSlash(filepath.Clean(name))
+		if name == "." || strings.HasPrefix(name, "../") || strings.HasPrefix(name, "/") || strings.Contains(name, "/../") {
+			return fmt.Errorf("invalid template asset path %q", name)
+		}
+		// Blast-radius guard (RC #11690): a fetcher that returns
+		// paths outside the template-asset namespace is either
+		// a programming error or an attack. Either way, fail closed.
+		// Specifically excluded: MEMORY.md, USER.md, CLAUDE.md
+		// (curated durable memory — agent-owned state, reconciled by
+		// the boot entrypoint, NOT by this collect path), .claude/sessions/
+		// (Claude Code session dir, agent-owned), and any other
+		// agent-state path. The PM-flagged in #24_clarify invariant
+		// is enforced here in code, not in comments.
+		if !IsCPTemplateAssetPath(name) {
+			return fmt.Errorf("template asset path %q rejected: not in template-asset allowlist (config.yaml / prompts/* / agent-skills/*) — see IsCPTemplateAssetPath", name)
+		}
+		totalAssets += len(data)
+		if totalAssets > cpTemplateAssetsMaxBytes {
+			return fmt.Errorf("template assets exceed %d bytes", cpTemplateAssetsMaxBytes)
+		}
+		assets[name] = append([]byte(nil), data...)
+		return nil
+	}
 
 	if cfg.TemplatePath != "" {
 		// Reject symlinks on the root itself — WalkDir follows symlinks,
@@ -397,10 +455,10 @@ func collectCPConfigFiles(cfg WorkspaceConfig) (map[string]string, error) {
 		// would bypass the subsequent path-relativization checks below.
 		rootInfo, err := os.Lstat(cfg.TemplatePath)
 		if err != nil {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("collectCPConfigFiles: lstat template path: %w", err)
+			return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("collectCPConfigFiles: lstat template path: %w", err)
 		}
 		if rootInfo.Mode()&os.ModeSymlink != 0 {
-			return nil, fmt.Errorf("collectCPConfigFiles: template path must not be a symlink")
+			return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("collectCPConfigFiles: template path must not be a symlink")
 		}
 		err = filepath.WalkDir(cfg.TemplatePath, func(path string, d os.DirEntry, walkErr error) error {
 			if walkErr != nil {
@@ -438,18 +496,56 @@ func collectCPConfigFiles(cfg WorkspaceConfig) (map[string]string, error) {
 			return addFile(rel, data)
 		})
 		if err != nil {
-			return nil, err
+			return nil, nil, err
 		}
 	}
 	for name, data := range cfg.ConfigFiles {
 		if err := addFile(name, data); err != nil {
-			return nil, err
+			return nil, nil, err
 		}
 	}
-	if len(files) == 0 {
-		return nil, nil
+
+	// RFC #2843 #24 — generic template-asset channel. When
+	// cfg.TemplateAssetFetcher is wired (SaaS) and
+	// cfg.TemplateIdentity is set, fetch the template's
+	// config.yaml + prompts/ + agent_skills/ via the
+	// non-secret asset channel (template repo, Gitea shallow
+	// clone per §4.2 transport option (a)) and land them in
+	// the SEPARATE TemplateAssets field of the provision
+	// request — NOT in ConfigFiles (the SM-bound bundle).
+	// The split is load-bearing: ConfigFiles is the bundle
+	// the CP stages through AWS Secrets Manager, which is
+	// sized + scoped for *secrets* and caps at 256 KiB. The
+	// 716 KiB SEO skill package can't ride SM and shouldn't
+	// try to (core-devops 10:13 SM-inventory RCA).
+	//
+	// The fetch is OPT-IN: nil fetcher = no-op (self-host
+	// default; falls through to the local TemplatePath path
+	// above). Every key in the fetcher's output is gated by
+	// IsCPTemplateAssetPath at the addAsset boundary above —
+	// paths outside the template-asset namespace abort the
+	// provision rather than silently sneaking MEMORY.md /
+	// CLAUDE.md / .claude/sessions/ into the bundle.
+	//
+	// The fetch is fail-closed: a transport error aborts
+	// the provision rather than regressing to stub-mode
+	// /configs (the same contract as the persisted-bundle
+	// provider in #2831 PIECE 1).
+	if cfg.TemplateAssetFetcher != nil && cfg.TemplateIdentity != "" {
+		fetchedAssets, fetchErr := cfg.TemplateAssetFetcher.Load(context.Background(), cfg.TemplateIdentity)
+		if fetchErr != nil {
+			return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("collectCPConfigFiles: fetch template assets (RFC #2843 #24): %w", fetchErr)
+		}
+		for name, data := range fetchedAssets {
+			if err := addAsset(name, data); err != nil {
+				return nil, nil, err
+			}
+		}
 	}
-	return files, nil
+	if len(files) == 0 && len(assets) == 0 {
+		return nil, nil, nil
+	}
+	return files, assets, nil
 }
 
 // Stop terminates the workspace's EC2 instance via the control plane.
diff --git a/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/cp_provisioner_config_size_test.go b/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/cp_provisioner_config_size_test.go
index e52bf8a44..112cb2d11 100644
--- a/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/cp_provisioner_config_size_test.go
+++ b/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/cp_provisioner_config_size_test.go
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ func TestCollectCPConfigFiles_DoSGuardStillBounds(t *testing.T) {
 	for i := range huge {
 		huge[i] = 'a'
 	}
-	_, err := collectCPConfigFiles(WorkspaceConfig{
+	_, _, err := collectCPConfigFiles(WorkspaceConfig{
 		ConfigFiles: map[string][]byte{"config.yaml": huge},
 	})
 	if err == nil {
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ func TestCollectCPConfigFiles_AcceptsSEOSizedBundle(t *testing.T) {
 	for i := range promptBlob {
 		promptBlob[i] = 'p'
 	}
-	files, err := collectCPConfigFiles(WorkspaceConfig{
+	files, _, err := collectCPConfigFiles(WorkspaceConfig{
 		ConfigFiles: map[string][]byte{
 			"config.yaml":       cfgBlob,
 			"prompts/system.md": promptBlob,
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ func TestCollectCPConfigFiles_AcceptsSEOSizedBundle(t *testing.T) {
 	if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(tmpl, "config.yaml"), cfgBlob, 0o600); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	if _, err := collectCPConfigFiles(WorkspaceConfig{TemplatePath: tmpl}); err != nil {
+	if _, _, err := collectCPConfigFiles(WorkspaceConfig{TemplatePath: tmpl}); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("collectCPConfigFiles rejected an SEO-sized template config.yaml: %v", err)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/cp_provisioner_test.go b/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/cp_provisioner_test.go
index acb4146b5..20169f0ca 100644
--- a/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/cp_provisioner_test.go
+++ b/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/cp_provisioner_test.go
@@ -437,6 +437,107 @@ func TestStart_CollectsConfigFiles(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestStart_SendsTemplateAssetsOnSeparateField — the load-bearing
+// wire-shape test (RFC #2843 #24, Reviewer-CR2 addendum). When
+// cfg.TemplateAssetFetcher is wired, fetched assets travel on the
+// SEPARATE TemplateAssets field, NOT merged into ConfigFiles.
+// This split lets a future CP route non-secret assets through a
+// non-SM transport without going through the 256 KiB SM cap
+// (the core-devops 10:13 SM-inventory RCA). The test exercises
+// the Start → cpProvisionRequest path end-to-end so a future
+// refactor that re-merges the two transports would be caught.
+func TestStart_SendsTemplateAssetsOnSeparateField(t *testing.T) {
+	prov := &fakeTemplateAssetFetcher{
+		bundle: map[string][]byte{
+			"config.yaml":                    []byte("# from template repo"),
+			"prompts/system.md":              []byte("# template system prompt"),
+			"agent-skills/seo-audit/SKILL.md": []byte("# 716 KiB SEO skill goes here"),
+		},
+	}
+
+	var gotBody cpProvisionRequest
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		_ = json.NewDecoder(r.Body).Decode(&gotBody)
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusCreated)
+		_, _ = io.WriteString(w, `{"instance_id":"i-abc123","state":"pending"}`)
+	}))
+	defer srv.Close()
+
+	p := &CPProvisioner{baseURL: srv.URL, orgID: "org-1", httpClient: srv.Client()}
+	_, err := p.Start(context.Background(), WorkspaceConfig{
+		WorkspaceID:         "ws-1",
+		Runtime:             "claude-code",
+		Tier:                2,
+		PlatformURL:         "http://tenant",
+		TemplateIdentity:    "seo-agent-v1.2.3",
+		TemplateAssetFetcher: prov,
+		// No cfg.ConfigFiles — pure fetcher path. If the wire
+		// shape is right, TemplateAssets is non-empty and
+		// ConfigFiles is empty.
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Start: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// 1. TemplateAssets must contain the fetched files.
+	if got, want := len(gotBody.TemplateAssets), 3; got != want {
+		t.Errorf("TemplateAssets length = %d, want %d (fetcher output must reach the wire)", got, want)
+	}
+	if got, want := string(gotBody.TemplateAssets["config.yaml"]), "# from template repo"; got != want {
+		t.Errorf("TemplateAssets[config.yaml] = %q, want %q", got, want)
+	}
+	if got, want := string(gotBody.TemplateAssets["prompts/system.md"]), "# template system prompt"; got != want {
+		t.Errorf("TemplateAssets[prompts/system.md] = %q, want %q", got, want)
+	}
+	if got, want := string(gotBody.TemplateAssets["agent-skills/seo-audit/SKILL.md"]), "# 716 KiB SEO skill goes here"; got != want {
+		t.Errorf("TemplateAssets[agent-skills/seo-audit/SKILL.md] = %q, want %q", got, want)
+	}
+
+	// 2. ConfigFiles must be empty — the transport split.
+	if got, want := len(gotBody.ConfigFiles), 0; got != want {
+		t.Errorf("ConfigFiles length = %d, want %d (transport split — fetched assets must NOT leak into the SM-bound ConfigFiles)", got, want)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestStart_AbortsOnFetcherAssetOutsideAllowlist — the
+// load-bearing blast-radius test (RC #11690). A fetcher
+// returning a path outside the template-asset allowlist
+// MUST abort the provision at the Start level (the
+// transport-DoS-and-blast-radius contract).
+func TestStart_AbortsOnFetcherAssetOutsideAllowlist(t *testing.T) {
+	prov := &fakeTemplateAssetFetcher{
+		bundle: map[string][]byte{
+			"MEMORY.md": []byte("# hostile — agent-owned curated memory must not be transported by the provision path"),
+		},
+	}
+
+	srv := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		t.Errorf("CP should not be called when fetcher returns a path outside the allowlist; got request: %+v", r)
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusCreated)
+		_, _ = io.WriteString(w, `{"instance_id":"i-abc123","state":"pending"}`)
+	}))
+	defer srv.Close()
+
+	p := &CPProvisioner{baseURL: srv.URL, orgID: "org-1", httpClient: srv.Client()}
+	_, err := p.Start(context.Background(), WorkspaceConfig{
+		WorkspaceID:         "ws-1",
+		Runtime:             "claude-code",
+		Tier:                2,
+		PlatformURL:         "http://tenant",
+		TemplateIdentity:    "seo-agent-v1.2.3",
+		TemplateAssetFetcher: prov,
+	})
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected Start to abort on fetcher-returned MEMORY.md path, got nil")
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "MEMORY.md") {
+		t.Errorf("expected error to mention the rejected path MEMORY.md, got: %v", err)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "allowlist") {
+		t.Errorf("expected error to mention the allowlist, got: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
 // TestStart_SymlinkTemplatePathError — a symlink TemplatePath should cause
 // collectCPConfigFiles to return an error, which Start must propagate.
 // Without this wiring, OFFSEC-010's root-symlink guard is dead code.
@@ -1176,7 +1277,7 @@ func TestCollectCPConfigFiles_SkipsSymlinks(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	files, err := collectCPConfigFiles(WorkspaceConfig{TemplatePath: tmpl})
+	files, _, err := collectCPConfigFiles(WorkspaceConfig{TemplatePath: tmpl})
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("collectCPConfigFiles: %v", err)
 	}
@@ -1210,7 +1311,7 @@ func TestCollectCPConfigFiles_RejectsRootSymlink(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	_, err := collectCPConfigFiles(WorkspaceConfig{TemplatePath: link})
+	_, _, err := collectCPConfigFiles(WorkspaceConfig{TemplatePath: link})
 	if err == nil {
 		t.Error("collectCPConfigFiles with symlink TemplatePath should return error")
 	}
diff --git a/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/provisioner.go b/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/provisioner.go
index 71d08a3ac..40df2a3bd 100644
--- a/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/provisioner.go
+++ b/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/provisioner.go
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ const (
 type WorkspaceConfig struct {
 	WorkspaceID     string
 	TemplatePath    string            // Host path to template dir to copy from (e.g. claude-code-default/)
+	TemplateIdentity string           // RFC #2843 #24: opaque token the TemplateAssetFetcher resolves to the template repo+ref (e.g. "claudius-v1.2.3" or a sha). Used by SaaS; ignored by the local-dir TemplatePath path.
 	ConfigFiles     map[string][]byte // Generated config files to write into /configs volume
 	PluginsPath     string            // Host path to plugins directory (mounted at /plugins)
 	WorkspacePath   string            // Host path to bind-mount as /workspace (if empty, uses Docker named volume)
@@ -132,6 +133,21 @@ type WorkspaceConfig struct {
 	WorkspaceAccess     string // #65: "none" (default), "read_only", or "read_write"
 	ResetClaudeSession  bool   // #12: if true, discard the claude-sessions volume before start (fresh session dir)
 
+	// TemplateAssetFetcher (RFC #2843 #24) is the generic
+	// non-secret asset channel for template assets
+	// (config.yaml + prompts/ + agent-skills/). The fetcher
+	// resolves cfg.TemplateIdentity to a shallow clone of the
+	// template repo (Gitea per RFC §4.2 transport option (a))
+	// and returns the asset file map. nil = no provider wired
+	// (self-host default; falls through to the local TemplatePath
+	// path for the config bundle). For SaaS workspaces, main.go
+	// wires a real impl (Gitea shallow clone). When the fetcher
+	// is set, it MERGES with cfg.ConfigFiles (caller wins on
+	// conflict, like the prior PersistedBundleProvider pattern
+	// in #2831 PIECE 1) so the existing TemplatePath+ConfigFiles
+	// path keeps working for callers that don't opt in.
+	TemplateAssetFetcher TemplateAssetFetcher
+
 	// Kind is the workspace kind: "" / "workspace" (ordinary) or "platform"
 	// (the org-level concierge / platform agent). When "platform", the local
 	// Docker provisioner prefers the platform-agent image variant (which bakes
diff --git a/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/template_assets.go b/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/template_assets.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0cb298fb0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/template_assets.go
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+package provisioner
+
+// template_assets.go — generic template-asset channel (RFC #2843 #24).
+//
+// This is the "generic, non-secret asset channel" the RFC proposes:
+// a workspace's template assets (config.yaml + prompts/ + agent-skills/)
+// are materialized from a template identity (resolved by the caller —
+// the template repo path, a cached ref, etc.) rather than forced
+// through the AWS Secrets Manager config bundle path that caps at
+// cpConfigFilesMaxBytes (256 KiB) and silently drops any skill over
+// the cap.
+//
+// The fetcher is interface-typed so tests inject fakes and the real
+// implementation (in main.go) wires the Gitea shallow-clone per
+// RFC §4.2 transport option (a). The interface is NARROW (Load only)
+// to keep the abstraction minimal — the template identity resolution
+// and fetch are both the caller's job.
+//
+// Blast-radius / isolation (Reviewer-CR2 RC #11690 on the prior
+// head): the fetcher ONLY materializes TEMPLATE ASSETS. Every
+// path the fetcher returns is gated by IsCPTemplateAssetPath
+// (this file) BEFORE it lands in the wire payload. Paths outside
+// the allowlist — MEMORY.md, USER.md, CLAUDE.md, .claude/sessions/,
+// /etc/passwd, traversal sequences — are REJECTED (the provision
+// aborts with a structured error) rather than silently admitted.
+// This is the load-bearing guard: a fetcher that returns a path
+// outside the template-asset namespace is a programming error or
+// an attack, and either way the safe response is to fail closed.
+//
+// Transport split (Reviewer-CR2 addendum on the prior head):
+// fetched assets go to a SEPARATE wire field (TemplateAssets on
+// cpProvisionRequest) rather than being merged into ConfigFiles.
+// ConfigFiles is the bundle the CP stages through AWS Secrets
+// Manager — the wrong layer for non-secret assets per the
+// core-devops 10:13 SM-inventory RCA. The split lets a future CP
+// route TemplateAssets through a non-secret channel (Gitea asset
+// pin, S3 non-secret bucket, etc.) without a wire-shape change.
+//
+// Concurrency: the fetcher's Load is called from prepareProvisionContext,
+// which serializes per-workspace (the existing per-workspace
+// restart/provision gate at workspace_dispatchers.go:439 holds the
+// mutex). No additional locking needed.
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"strings"
+)
+
+// TemplateAssetFetcher materializes a template's
+// config.yaml + prompts/ + agent-skills/ from a non-secret
+// asset channel (template repo, Gitea shallow clone per
+// RFC #2843 §4.2). Returned paths are RELATIVE to the
+// template asset root (e.g. "config.yaml", "prompts/system.md",
+// "agent-skills/seo-audit/SKILL.md") and the bytes are raw
+// file contents (not base64-encoded — the generic channel
+// does not require encoding; the wire format encodes per
+// its own transport).
+//
+// Returned errors: a transport / resolution failure is
+// returned as a non-nil error so the caller can abort the
+// provision rather than silently regressing to stub-mode
+// /configs (the same fail-closed contract as the persisted-
+// bundle provider in #2831 PIECE 1).
+//
+// CONTRACT: every key in the returned map MUST match
+// IsCPTemplateAssetPath. Keys that don't match are rejected
+// by the caller (the provision aborts). Implementations that
+// can't constrain their output to the allowlist must filter
+// before returning.
+type TemplateAssetFetcher interface {
+	Load(ctx context.Context, templateIdentity string) (map[string][]byte, error)
+}
+
+// IsCPTemplateAssetPath reports whether a path returned by a
+// TemplateAssetFetcher is eligible for transport to the workspace.
+//
+// Allowlist (load-bearing blast-radius guard — see RC #11690):
+//
+//   - "config.yaml" — the runtime entrypoint config
+//   - "prompts/*"   — system prompts
+//   - "agent-skills/*" — the agent's skill packages
+//
+// Everything else is REJECTED. Specifically excluded:
+// MEMORY.md / USER.md (curated durable memory — agent-owned
+// state, reconciled by the boot entrypoint, not by this
+// collect path), CLAUDE.md (runtime memory file, agent-owned),
+// .claude/sessions/* (Claude Code session dir, agent-owned),
+// anything outside the template-asset namespace.
+//
+// Path normalization: the function applies filepath.ToSlash
+// + filepath.Clean before matching, so Windows-style
+// separators, redundant "./" segments, and trailing slashes
+// are normalized. Traversal sequences (".." or paths
+// containing "/../") are NOT explicitly stripped here —
+// callers must check for traversal before calling this
+// function (the existing addFile in cp_provisioner.go does).
+// This function only validates the namespace; the traversal
+// check is a separate invariant.
+func IsCPTemplateAssetPath(name string) bool {
+	name = filepath.ToSlash(filepath.Clean(name))
+	return name == "config.yaml" ||
+		strings.HasPrefix(name, "prompts/") ||
+		strings.HasPrefix(name, "agent-skills/")
+}
diff --git a/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/template_assets_test.go b/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/template_assets_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..950f9ff4e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/template_assets_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,530 @@
+package provisioner
+
+// template_assets_test.go — generic template-asset channel tests
+// (RFC #2843 #24). Verifies:
+//   1. The fetcher wires into collectCPConfigFiles when both
+//      cfg.TemplateAssetFetcher and cfg.TemplateIdentity are set.
+//   2. Fetched assets land in the SEPARATE TemplateAssets field
+//      (NOT merged into ConfigFiles) — the transport split that
+//      Reviewer-CR2 addendum called out as the load-bearing fix
+//      (a fetcher must not push 716 KiB skills through the 256 KiB
+//      SM-bound ConfigFiles).
+//   3. Every key in the fetcher's output is gated by
+//      IsCPTemplateAssetPath. Paths outside the template-asset
+//      allowlist (config.yaml / prompts/* / agent-skills/*) ABORT
+//      the provision — Reviewer-CR2 RC #11690's load-bearing
+//      blast-radius guard.
+//   4. A transport error on the fetcher ABORTS the provision
+//      (fail-closed; never regresses to stub /configs).
+//   5. Nil fetcher = no-op (self-host default; the existing
+//      TemplatePath local-dir path still works).
+//   6. Empty TemplateIdentity with a non-nil fetcher = no-op
+//      (the fetcher is only called when there's an identity
+//      to resolve).
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"encoding/base64"
+	"errors"
+	"runtime"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// fakeTemplateAssetFetcher is a capture-only stub satisfying
+// TemplateAssetFetcher. Returns the configured bundle+err;
+// records the template identities the handler asked for.
+type fakeTemplateAssetFetcher struct {
+	bundle map[string][]byte
+	err    error
+	calls  []string
+}
+
+func (f *fakeTemplateAssetFetcher) Load(_ context.Context, templateIdentity string) (map[string][]byte, error) {
+	f.calls = append(f.calls, templateIdentity)
+	return f.bundle, f.err
+}
+
+// TestCollectCPConfigFiles_MergesFetcherAssets is the
+// happy path: fetcher returns assets, the assets land in
+// TemplateAssets (the SEPARATE wire field — the transport
+// split per Reviewer-CR2 addendum). Fails if a future
+// refactor stops calling cfg.TemplateAssetFetcher.Load
+// from collectCPConfigFiles when the fetcher + identity
+// are set, or re-merges assets into ConfigFiles.
+func TestCollectCPConfigFiles_MergesFetcherAssets(t *testing.T) {
+	prov := &fakeTemplateAssetFetcher{
+		bundle: map[string][]byte{
+			"config.yaml":                    []byte("# from template repo"),
+			"prompts/system.md":              []byte("# template system prompt"),
+			"agent-skills/seo-audit/SKILL.md": []byte("# seo skill"),
+		},
+	}
+	cfg := WorkspaceConfig{
+		TemplateIdentity:     "seo-agent-v1.2.3",
+		TemplateAssetFetcher: prov,
+	}
+
+	files, assets, err := collectCPConfigFiles(cfg)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("collectCPConfigFiles: %v", err)
+	}
+	// All 3 fetched assets land in TemplateAssets (the
+	// non-secret transport), NOT in ConfigFiles (the SM-bound
+	// bundle). The transport split is the load-bearing fix.
+	wantKeys := []string{
+		"config.yaml",
+		"prompts/system.md",
+		"agent-skills/seo-audit/SKILL.md",
+	}
+	for _, wk := range wantKeys {
+		if _, ok := assets[wk]; !ok {
+			t.Errorf("expected %q in TemplateAssets, got keys: %v", wk, keysOfAssetMap(assets))
+		}
+		if _, ok := files[wk]; ok {
+			t.Errorf("did NOT expect %q in ConfigFiles (transport split — TemplateAssets is the non-secret channel)", wk)
+		}
+	}
+	// Fetcher was called once with the right identity.
+	if len(prov.calls) != 1 || prov.calls[0] != "seo-agent-v1.2.3" {
+		t.Errorf("expected one Load call with identity=seo-agent-v1.2.3, got calls=%v", prov.calls)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestCollectCPConfigFiles_CallerWinsOnConfigFiles asserts
+// the caller's cfg.ConfigFiles entry lands in the ConfigFiles
+// field (the SM-bound bundle) even when a fetcher is wired.
+// The two fields are independent transports — caller-provided
+// files are still the SM-bound bundle (small non-secret config
+// text only), fetcher-provided assets ride the non-secret
+// TemplateAssets field.
+func TestCollectCPConfigFiles_CallerWinsOnConfigFiles(t *testing.T) {
+	prov := &fakeTemplateAssetFetcher{
+		bundle: map[string][]byte{
+			"config.yaml": []byte("# from template repo"),
+		},
+	}
+	cfg := WorkspaceConfig{
+		TemplateIdentity:     "seo-agent-v1.2.3",
+		TemplateAssetFetcher: prov,
+		ConfigFiles: map[string][]byte{
+			"config.yaml": []byte("# caller override"),
+		},
+	}
+
+	files, assets, err := collectCPConfigFiles(cfg)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("collectCPConfigFiles: %v", err)
+	}
+	// Caller's ConfigFiles["config.yaml"] is base64-encoded into
+	// the SM-bound ConfigFiles field. The fetcher's same-key
+	// result lands in TemplateAssets (separate transport) — no
+	// conflict because they're on different fields.
+	decoded, decErr := base64.StdEncoding.DecodeString(files["config.yaml"])
+	if decErr != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("decode config.yaml from ConfigFiles: %v", decErr)
+	}
+	if string(decoded) != "# caller override" {
+		t.Errorf("expected caller override in ConfigFiles, got %q", string(decoded))
+	}
+	if got := string(assets["config.yaml"]); got != "# from template repo" {
+		t.Errorf("expected fetcher asset in TemplateAssets, got %q", got)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestCollectCPConfigFiles_FetcherErrorAborts is the
+// fail-closed assertion: a transport error from the fetcher
+// must abort the provision rather than regressing to stub
+// /configs (the same fail-closed contract as the
+// persisted-bundle provider in #2831 PIECE 1). If a future
+// refactor swallows the fetch error, the bundle would
+// silently miss the agent-skills/ files and the workspace
+// would boot with a stub config — the exact regression
+// this test guards against.
+func TestCollectCPConfigFiles_FetcherErrorAborts(t *testing.T) {
+	prov := &fakeTemplateAssetFetcher{err: errors.New("gitea 503")}
+	cfg := WorkspaceConfig{
+		TemplateIdentity:     "seo-agent-v1.2.3",
+		TemplateAssetFetcher: prov,
+	}
+
+	_, _, err := collectCPConfigFiles(cfg)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected collectCPConfigFiles to abort on fetcher error, got nil")
+	}
+	if !stringsContains(err.Error(), "gitea 503") {
+		t.Errorf("expected error to surface the underlying gitea 503, got: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestCollectCPConfigFiles_NilFetcherIsNoop asserts the
+// self-host default: a WorkspaceConfig without a fetcher
+// does NOT call anything (the existing TemplatePath +
+// ConfigFiles path is unchanged). The RFC's opt-in
+// contract: nil fetcher = no asset channel, no behavior
+// change for self-host callers.
+func TestCollectCPConfigFiles_NilFetcherIsNoop(t *testing.T) {
+	cfg := WorkspaceConfig{
+		TemplateIdentity: "seo-agent-v1.2.3", // set but no fetcher wired
+	}
+	_, _, err := collectCPConfigFiles(cfg)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("collectCPConfigFiles with nil fetcher: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestCollectCPConfigFiles_EmptyIdentityNoop asserts that
+// even a wired fetcher is NOT called when TemplateIdentity is
+// empty (the Gitea fetcher needs an identity to resolve; an
+// empty identity would be a programming error and should
+// be a no-op rather than a fetch-with-empty-identity call).
+func TestCollectCPConfigFiles_EmptyIdentityNoop(t *testing.T) {
+	prov := &fakeTemplateAssetFetcher{
+		bundle: map[string][]byte{"config.yaml": []byte("# unexpected")},
+	}
+	cfg := WorkspaceConfig{
+		TemplateIdentity:     "", // empty
+		TemplateAssetFetcher: prov, // wired but no identity
+	}
+	_, _, err := collectCPConfigFiles(cfg)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("collectCPConfigFiles with empty identity: %v", err)
+	}
+	if len(prov.calls) != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("expected fetcher NOT to be called with empty identity, got calls=%v", prov.calls)
+	}
+}
+
+// --- Blast-radius allowlist tests (Reviewer-CR2 RC #11690) ---
+
+// TestIsCPTemplateAssetPath_AllowsConfigYaml pins the happy
+// path: a fetcher returning "config.yaml" passes the
+// allowlist.
+func TestIsCPTemplateAssetPath_AllowsConfigYaml(t *testing.T) {
+	if !IsCPTemplateAssetPath("config.yaml") {
+		t.Error("expected config.yaml to be allowed")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestIsCPTemplateAssetPath_AllowsPromptsPrefix pins the
+// prompts/* namespace. Note: "prompts/" (with trailing slash)
+// is normalized to "prompts" by filepath.Clean, and the
+// allowlist requires the "prompts/" prefix on a non-empty
+// path — the literal "prompts" string is rejected (it's a
+// directory name, not a file). The test pins file-shaped
+// paths under prompts/.
+func TestIsCPTemplateAssetPath_AllowsPromptsPrefix(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, ok := range []string{"prompts/system.md", "prompts/sub/foo.md"} {
+		if !IsCPTemplateAssetPath(ok) {
+			t.Errorf("expected %q to be allowed", ok)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// TestIsCPTemplateAssetPath_AllowsAgentSkillsPrefix pins
+// the agent-skills/* namespace (the load-bearing addition
+// for the 716 KiB SEO skill package per core-devops 10:13).
+func TestIsCPTemplateAssetPath_AllowsAgentSkillsPrefix(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, ok := range []string{
+		"agent-skills/seo-audit/SKILL.md",
+		"agent-skills/seo-audit/manifest.yaml",
+		"agent-skills/index.json",
+	} {
+		if !IsCPTemplateAssetPath(ok) {
+			t.Errorf("expected %q to be allowed", ok)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// TestIsCPTemplateAssetPath_RejectsMemoryMd pins the
+// curated-memory exclusion. MEMORY.md is agent-owned
+// durable state — reconciled by the boot entrypoint, NOT
+// by the provision path.
+func TestIsCPTemplateAssetPath_RejectsMemoryMd(t *testing.T) {
+	if IsCPTemplateAssetPath("MEMORY.md") {
+		t.Error("MEMORY.md must NOT be allowed (agent-owned curated memory, reconciled by boot entrypoint)")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestIsCPTemplateAssetPath_RejectsUserMd pins the
+// curated-memory exclusion for USER.md.
+func TestIsCPTemplateAssetPath_RejectsUserMd(t *testing.T) {
+	if IsCPTemplateAssetPath("USER.md") {
+		t.Error("USER.md must NOT be allowed (agent-owned curated memory, reconciled by boot entrypoint)")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestIsCPTemplateAssetPath_RejectsClaudeMd pins the
+// runtime-memory exclusion. CLAUDE.md is the runtime's
+// memory file (Claude Code reads it at session start).
+func TestIsCPTemplateAssetPath_RejectsClaudeMd(t *testing.T) {
+	if IsCPTemplateAssetPath("CLAUDE.md") {
+		t.Error("CLAUDE.md must NOT be allowed (runtime memory file, agent-owned state)")
+	}
+}
+
+// TestIsCPTemplateAssetPath_RejectsClaudeSessionsPath
+// pins the Claude Code session-dir exclusion. Sessions
+// live on their own volume; pushing them into the
+// template-asset channel would clobber or duplicate them.
+func TestIsCPTemplateAssetPath_RejectsClaudeSessionsPath(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, bad := range []string{
+		".claude/sessions/abc.json",
+		".claude/sessions",
+		".claude/settings.json",
+	} {
+		if IsCPTemplateAssetPath(bad) {
+			t.Errorf("%q must NOT be allowed (Claude Code agent-owned state)", bad)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// TestIsCPTemplateAssetPath_RejectsAbsoluteAndTraversal
+// pins the path-shape guards. The function applies
+// filepath.Clean + filepath.ToSlash before matching, so
+// ".." and absolute paths normalize to non-matching
+// shapes. The addFile/addAsset callsite separately
+// rejects traversal sequences; this is a belt-and-braces
+// assertion that the allowlist itself doesn't admit
+// weird shapes.
+func TestIsCPTemplateAssetPath_RejectsAbsoluteAndTraversal(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, bad := range []string{
+		"../etc/passwd",
+		"prompts/../secrets",
+		"/etc/passwd",
+		"..",
+		".",
+		"",
+	} {
+		if IsCPTemplateAssetPath(bad) {
+			t.Errorf("%q must NOT be allowed", bad)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// TestIsCPTemplateAssetPath_NormalizesSlashes pins the
+// Windows-separator normalization for the file path
+// pre-processing. On Windows, filepath.ToSlash converts
+// backslashes to forward slashes BEFORE the match, so a
+// fetcher returning "prompts\\system.md" is treated as
+// "prompts/system.md" (allowed). On Linux/macOS, the
+// backslash is a valid filename character (not a
+// separator), so the same input would be rejected as a
+// literal filename. This is intentional — the
+// normalization matches the OS's notion of a path
+// separator, so a malicious fetcher can't smuggle a
+// backslash-as-separator past the allowlist on Windows
+// by relying on case-insensitive or platform-specific
+// matching.
+//
+// Test executes the normalization contract on whatever
+// host runs the test: a path that already uses forward
+// slashes (the Linux/macOS case) must pass.
+func TestIsCPTemplateAssetPath_NormalizesSlashes(t *testing.T) {
+	if !IsCPTemplateAssetPath("prompts/system.md") {
+		t.Error("expected forward-slash path to pass the allowlist (the canonical case)")
+	}
+	// Backslashes: only normalize to slashes on Windows.
+	// On Linux, a backslash is part of the literal name and
+	// is rejected (which is the correct behavior — a
+	// fetcher returning Windows-style paths on a Linux host
+	// is either a misconfigured fetcher or an attack, and
+	// either way failing closed is the safe response).
+	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+		if !IsCPTemplateAssetPath(`prompts\system.md`) {
+			t.Error("expected backslash-separated path to normalize and pass the allowlist on Windows")
+		}
+	} else {
+		if IsCPTemplateAssetPath(`prompts\system.md`) {
+			t.Error("backslash is a literal character on non-Windows hosts and must NOT be treated as a path separator by the allowlist")
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// TestCollectCPConfigFiles_RejectsFetcherAssetOutsideAllowlist
+// is the load-bearing test for RC #11690. A fetcher that
+// returns a path outside the template-asset allowlist
+// (MEMORY.md / USER.md / CLAUDE.md / .claude/sessions/*)
+// MUST abort the provision. If a future refactor weakens
+// the addAsset gate, this test catches the regression.
+func TestCollectCPConfigFiles_RejectsFetcherAssetOutsideAllowlist(t *testing.T) {
+	cases := []struct {
+		name        string
+		badKey      string
+		expectedSub string
+	}{
+		{"MEMORY.md", "MEMORY.md", "MEMORY.md"},
+		{"USER.md", "USER.md", "USER.md"},
+		{"CLAUDE.md", "CLAUDE.md", "CLAUDE.md"},
+		{"claude-sessions", ".claude/sessions/abc.json", ".claude/sessions/abc.json"},
+		{"absolute-path", "/etc/passwd", "/etc/passwd"},
+		{"adapter.py", "adapter.py", "adapter.py"},
+		{"Dockerfile", "Dockerfile", "Dockerfile"},
+	}
+	for _, c := range cases {
+		t.Run(c.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			prov := &fakeTemplateAssetFetcher{
+				bundle: map[string][]byte{c.badKey: []byte("hostile content")},
+			}
+			cfg := WorkspaceConfig{
+				TemplateIdentity:     "seo-agent-v1.2.3",
+				TemplateAssetFetcher: prov,
+			}
+			_, _, err := collectCPConfigFiles(cfg)
+			if err == nil {
+				t.Fatalf("expected provision to abort on fetcher-returned path %q outside template-asset allowlist, got nil error", c.badKey)
+			}
+			if !stringsContains(err.Error(), c.expectedSub) {
+				t.Errorf("expected error to mention %q, got: %v", c.expectedSub, err)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestCollectCPConfigFiles_FetcherAssetsBase64EncodedOnWire
+// pins the wire-format invariant for the new TemplateAssets
+// field: assets travel base64-encoded over JSON (same as
+// ConfigFiles), to avoid JSON escaping issues with binary
+// content (manifests, SKILL.md files, etc.). The collect
+// function returns the raw bytes; the marshal step in
+// Start does the encoding. This test documents the
+// invariant at the collect boundary.
+func TestCollectCPConfigFiles_FetcherAssetsRawBytes(t *testing.T) {
+	prov := &fakeTemplateAssetFetcher{
+		bundle: map[string][]byte{
+			"config.yaml":                    []byte("# raw bytes, will be base64 by marshaler"),
+			"agent-skills/seo-audit/SKILL.md": []byte("raw-skill"),
+		},
+	}
+	cfg := WorkspaceConfig{
+		TemplateIdentity:     "seo-agent-v1.2.3",
+		TemplateAssetFetcher: prov,
+	}
+	_, assets, err := collectCPConfigFiles(cfg)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("collectCPConfigFiles: %v", err)
+	}
+	if got := string(assets["config.yaml"]); got != "# raw bytes, will be base64 by marshaler" {
+		t.Errorf("expected raw bytes in TemplateAssets, got %q (encoding happens at marshal time, not at collect time)", got)
+	}
+	if got := string(assets["agent-skills/seo-audit/SKILL.md"]); got != "raw-skill" {
+		t.Errorf("expected raw skill bytes in TemplateAssets, got %q", got)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestCollectCPConfigFiles_NoAssetsWhenNoFetcher pins the
+// non-fetcher case: when no fetcher is wired (self-host
+// default), the TemplateAssets field is nil/empty. A
+// future refactor that always populates TemplateAssets
+// (even with empty data) would inflate the wire payload
+// for every self-host workspace — this test catches that.
+func TestCollectCPConfigFiles_NoAssetsWhenNoFetcher(t *testing.T) {
+	cfg := WorkspaceConfig{
+		TemplateIdentity: "seo-agent-v1.2.3",
+		// TemplateAssetFetcher is nil
+	}
+	_, assets, err := collectCPConfigFiles(cfg)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("collectCPConfigFiles: %v", err)
+	}
+	if len(assets) != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("expected nil/empty TemplateAssets when no fetcher wired, got %d entries: %v", len(assets), keysOfAssetMap(assets))
+	}
+}
+
+// TestCollectCPConfigFiles_PreservesCallerConfigFiles pins
+// the existing TemplatePath + ConfigFiles path: when a
+// fetcher is NOT wired, the SM-bound ConfigFiles field
+// behaves exactly as before (TemplatePath walk +
+// cfg.ConfigFiles entries). The transport split is
+// additive — it doesn't disturb the existing self-host
+// path.
+func TestCollectCPConfigFiles_PreservesCallerConfigFiles(t *testing.T) {
+	cfg := WorkspaceConfig{
+		ConfigFiles: map[string][]byte{
+			"config.yaml":        []byte("# caller"),
+			"generated.secret":   []byte("not really a secret"),
+		},
+	}
+	files, assets, err := collectCPConfigFiles(cfg)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("collectCPConfigFiles: %v", err)
+	}
+	if _, ok := files["config.yaml"]; !ok {
+		t.Error("expected config.yaml in ConfigFiles (caller-provided)")
+	}
+	if _, ok := files["generated.secret"]; !ok {
+		t.Error("expected generated.secret in ConfigFiles (caller-provided)")
+	}
+	if len(assets) != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("expected empty TemplateAssets when no fetcher wired, got %d entries", len(assets))
+	}
+}
+
+// keysOfAssetMap returns the sorted keys of a map for stable
+// test output. Local helper so test output doesn't depend on
+// Go's randomized map iteration order.
+func keysOfAssetMap(m map[string][]byte) []string {
+	out := make([]string, 0, len(m))
+	for k := range m {
+		out = append(out, k)
+	}
+	return out
+}
+
+// stringsContains is a tiny shim so the test doesn't need
+// the strings import elsewhere (it does already, but this
+// keeps the dependency local). Existence is asserted via
+// string comparison.
+func stringsContains(s, substr string) bool {
+	return strings.Contains(s, substr)
+}
+
+// TestCollectCPConfigFiles_AssetsAllowLargeSkillPackage is the regression for
+// Reviewer-CR2's size-cap RC on head 7bcc3b5f: template ASSETS ride a
+// NON-secret channel and must NOT be bound by the 256 KiB SM/config-bundle cap
+// (cpConfigFilesMaxBytes). Reusing that cap re-creates the original #2831
+// skill-drop — the motivating 716 KiB seo-all package would abort client-side.
+// A >256 KiB asset payload must SUCCEED on TemplateAssets (bounded only by the
+// far larger cpTemplateAssetsMaxBytes DoS guard) while ConfigFiles stays capped.
+func TestCollectCPConfigFiles_AssetsAllowLargeSkillPackage(t *testing.T) {
+	// 716 KiB skill blob — over the old 256 KiB cap, well under the asset bound.
+	big := make([]byte, 716<<10)
+	for i := range big {
+		big[i] = 'x'
+	}
+	prov := &fakeTemplateAssetFetcher{
+		bundle: map[string][]byte{
+			"config.yaml":                         []byte("# from template repo"),
+			"agent-skills/seo-audit/big-skill.md": big,
+		},
+	}
+	cfg := WorkspaceConfig{
+		TemplateIdentity:     "seo-agent-v1.2.3",
+		TemplateAssetFetcher: prov,
+	}
+
+	_, assets, err := collectCPConfigFiles(cfg)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("a %d-byte skill package must succeed on the non-secret asset channel (no SM cap), got error: %v", len(big), err)
+	}
+	if got := len(assets["agent-skills/seo-audit/big-skill.md"]); got != len(big) {
+		t.Errorf("expected the full %d-byte skill in TemplateAssets, got %d", len(big), got)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestCollectCPConfigFiles_ConfigFilesStillCappedAt256K pins that lifting the
+// asset cap did NOT relax the SM/user-data transport limit: the SM-bound
+// ConfigFiles bundle keeps its 256 KiB cap (cpConfigFilesMaxBytes).
+func TestCollectCPConfigFiles_ConfigFilesStillCappedAt256K(t *testing.T) {
+	big := make([]byte, (256<<10)+1)
+	for i := range big {
+		big[i] = 'y'
+	}
+	cfg := WorkspaceConfig{
+		ConfigFiles: map[string][]byte{"system-prompt.md": big},
+	}
+	if _, _, err := collectCPConfigFiles(cfg); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("ConfigFiles over 256 KiB must still be rejected (SM/user-data transport cap unchanged)")
+	}
+}