diff --git a/workplans/ACTIVITY-WP-0009-intent-gap-closure.md b/workplans/ACTIVITY-WP-0009-intent-gap-closure.md
index 38877e2..c711a44 100644
--- a/workplans/ACTIVITY-WP-0009-intent-gap-closure.md
+++ b/workplans/ACTIVITY-WP-0009-intent-gap-closure.md
@@ -117,10 +117,9 @@ Acceptance criteria:
   `actcore-runtime-secret`.
 - Duplicate-handling posture: issue-core REST dedupe on `triggering_event_id`
   remains deferred; Temporal retry visibility is the current guardrail.
-- Remaining operator step for production schedules: patch
-  `actcore-runtime-secret` with the shared `ISSUE_CORE_API_KEY` value, then
-  confirm one scheduled/manual `weekly-sbom-staleness` run stores a real
-  `task_spawn_log.task_ref`.
+- Production `ISSUE_CORE_API_KEY` is ESO-managed via
+  `k8s/railiance/15-externalsecret-issue-core.yaml` (`actcore-issue-core-runtime`,
+  `creationPolicy: Merge`). Live worker POST returned 201 with real issue refs.
 
 ## Resolve Review-Required Contract Drift
 
@@ -254,7 +253,7 @@ Agent-actionable closure is complete for T03, T04, T05, and T06.
 ## Closeout - 2026-07-07
 
 All tasks are done. T02 promotion artifacts landed in-repo; production live
-emission still needs the operator-owned `ISSUE_CORE_API_KEY` patch on
+emission is confirmed via ESO-managed `ISSUE_CORE_API_KEY` on
 `actcore-runtime-secret`.
 
 Verification: