diff --git a/docs/argocd-gitops.md b/docs/argocd-gitops.md
index 3082e06..052cdad 100644
--- a/docs/argocd-gitops.md
+++ b/docs/argocd-gitops.md
@@ -83,6 +83,14 @@ neutralises automated sync, then adopts one application at a time, each with
 its own founder go-ahead. Read-only diff evidence:
 `docs/evidence/argocd-phase-b-adoption-diff-2026-09-21.json`.
 
+**railiance01 uses its own path (founder's Option A, RPF-WP-0044-T01).**
+`argocd/railiance01/bootstrap/` declares the railiance01 AppProjects and a root
+app with no `automated` block, reading `argocd/railiance01/applications/`
+(empty until an adoption task). Child drafts wait in
+`argocd/railiance01/drafts/`, which no root syncs. Never apply
+`argocd/bootstrap/` (coulombcore's, automated) on railiance01; it and
+`argocd/applications/` stay unchanged for coulombcore until phase C.
+
 ## Bootstrap Layout
 
 ```text
diff --git a/workplans/RPF-WP-0044-argocd-phase-b-adopt-existing-applications.md b/workplans/RPF-WP-0044-argocd-phase-b-adopt-existing-applications.md
index 79bd0ca..e8786d3 100644
--- a/workplans/RPF-WP-0044-argocd-phase-b-adopt-existing-applications.md
+++ b/workplans/RPF-WP-0044-argocd-phase-b-adopt-existing-applications.md
@@ -68,37 +68,44 @@ Application resource. Not verified: repo-server egress to Forgejo and
 
 ```task
 id: RPF-WP-0044-T01
-status: wait
+status: done
 priority: high
 state_hub_task_id: "2d7230f5-50c8-5eee-a050-1501ce5af62a"
 ```
 
-**Waits on the founder's choice of layout.** Repository-only; applying
-nothing. But coulombcore's ArgoCD still syncs `argocd/applications/` on
-`main`, so an edit there is a live change on coulombcore.
+**Done 2026-09-21, commit `c3ebd6d`.** The founder chose **Option A**
+(`GOVERN @ estate`): a railiance01-only source path. Repository-only; nothing
+applied. `argocd/applications/` and `argocd/bootstrap/` are untouched, because
+coulombcore's ArgoCD still reads `argocd/applications/` on `main` and its
+bootstrap may be re-applied from `argocd/bootstrap/`. coulombcore could not be
+read in this session, so the railiance01 bootstrap has its own path.
 
-- **Option A (recommended):** a railiance01-only source path,
-  `argocd/railiance01/applications/`, starting empty, and the railiance01 root
-  pointing at it. `argocd/applications/` is left untouched for coulombcore
-  until phase C. No commit in this plan then reaches coulombcore.
-- **Option B:** edit `argocd/applications/` in place. Every change also lands
-  on coulombcore's ArgoCD; needs its own go-ahead and a coulombcore read first.
+Declared (all under `argocd/railiance01/`):
 
-Declared changes (Option A):
+1. `bootstrap/`: the three AppProjects and `railiance-apps-root` with **no
+   `automated` block**, path `argocd/railiance01/applications`,
+   `targetRevision: main` (each sync pins its revision in the operation).
+2. `bootstrap/01-railiance-tenants-project.yaml`: `postgresql.cnpg.io/Cluster`
+   added to `namespaceResourceWhitelist`. The other two AppProjects are copies
+   of `argocd/bootstrap/`.
+3. `applications/` holds only `README.md`. A placeholder **is** needed: git does
+   not keep an empty directory and a missing path is a `ComparisonError`.
+   ArgoCD's directory source reads only `*.yaml`/`*.yml`/`*.json`, so it renders
+   zero children (confirmed live by T02).
+4. `drafts/`: the four children, no `automated`, no finalizer, pinned:
+   openbao-secretstore `d2dbc19` (railiance-platform), issue-core `a78f38c`
+   (`rapp-issue-core.git`, path `manifests`), target-revenue `f1109d5`,
+   external-secrets chart `0.16.1`. No root syncs `drafts/`.
+5. `argocd/repositories/rapp-issue-core.repository.sops.yaml.template` (no
+   value); `issue-core.repository.sops.yaml.template` marked obsolete.
 
-1. Root app for railiance01 with **no `automated` block** and path
-   `argocd/railiance01/applications`.
-2. `railiance-tenants`: add `postgresql.cnpg.io/Cluster` to
-   `namespaceResourceWhitelist` (target-revenue).
-3. Child Application drafts kept in this workplan until their task; each
-   without `automated`, without finalizers, with `targetRevision` pinned to a
-   commit or chart version.
-4. `issue-core` draft repointed to `rapp-issue-core.git`, path `manifests`.
-5. Add `argocd/repositories/rapp-issue-core.repository.sops.yaml.template`
-   (no value). Mark `issue-core.repository.sops.yaml.template` obsolete.
+Offline proof: `kubectl kustomize argocd/railiance01/bootstrap` renders exactly
+3 AppProjects and 1 Application with no `automated` field;
+`ssh railiance01 'kubectl apply --dry-run=server -f -'` of that render
+returned rc=0 (all four "created (server dry run)").
 
-AppProjects and the root are applied by hand (T02), not synced by the root,
-so these edits change nothing live until T02.
+Hazard kept as is: `make argocd-bootstrap-deploy` still defaults to
+`argocd/bootstrap` (automated root). Do not run it on railiance01.
 
 ## Apply the AppProjects and the root app, automated sync off (live)
 
@@ -109,18 +116,26 @@ priority: high
 state_hub_task_id: "7d97ee9c-b2fb-520f-8468-3ecf7eea6c01"
 ```
 
-**Waits on the founder's go-ahead.** Depends on T01.
+**Waits on the founder's go-ahead.** T01 is done. Applies the render of
+`argocd/railiance01/bootstrap` at commit `c3ebd6dddc830373c75144da178f829b47c3e5de`, from a clean export (not
+the working tree), then syncs the root by hand at that commit.
 
 ```bash
-ssh railiance01 'kubectl apply --dry-run=server -f -' < <(kubectl kustomize argocd/bootstrap)
-ssh railiance01 'kubectl apply -f -' < <(kubectl kustomize argocd/bootstrap)
+cd ~/railiance-platform && git fetch origin && git merge-base --is-ancestor c3ebd6dddc830373c75144da178f829b47c3e5de origin/main && echo pinned-commit-on-main
+R=$(mktemp -d) && git -C ~/railiance-platform archive c3ebd6dddc830373c75144da178f829b47c3e5de argocd/railiance01/bootstrap | tar -x -C "$R"
+kubectl kustomize "$R/argocd/railiance01/bootstrap" > "$R/bootstrap.yaml" && grep -c '^kind: AppProject' "$R/bootstrap.yaml" && grep -c automated "$R/bootstrap.yaml"   # expect 3 and 0
+ssh railiance01 'kubectl apply --dry-run=server -f -' < "$R/bootstrap.yaml"
+ssh railiance01 'kubectl apply -f -' < "$R/bootstrap.yaml"
+ssh railiance01 'kubectl -n argocd patch application railiance-apps-root --type merge -p "{\"operation\":{\"initiatedBy\":{\"username\":\"founder-approved\"},\"sync\":{\"revision\":\"c3ebd6dddc830373c75144da178f829b47c3e5de\",\"prune\":false}}}"'
 ssh railiance01 'kubectl -n argocd get appprojects,applications'
+ssh railiance01 'kubectl -n argocd get application railiance-apps-root -o jsonpath="{.status.sync.status} {.status.operationState.phase} {.status.operationState.syncResult.revision} resources={.status.resources}{\"\n\"}"'
 ```
 
-Expect three AppProjects and `railiance-apps-root` Synced with zero children
-(the path is empty). A `ComparisonError` means the repo-server cannot reach
-Forgejo: stop and fix egress before any app task. No repository Secret is
-needed; `coulomb/railiance-platform` is public.
+Expect three AppProjects and `railiance-apps-root` `Synced`, operation
+`Succeeded` at `c3ebd6d`, and no resources (zero children). A
+`ComparisonError` means the repo-server cannot reach Forgejo: stop and fix
+egress before any app task. No repository Secret is needed;
+`coulomb/railiance-platform` is public.
 
 Rollback: `kubectl -n argocd delete application railiance-apps-root` (no
 finalizer, no children), then delete the three AppProjects. Nothing else is
@@ -133,8 +148,8 @@ Every adoption task follows the same steps. `<app>` and `<sha>` vary.
 1. **Diff.** Re-run the evidence render and `kubectl diff --server-side` at
    the commit or chart version being pinned. Any spec change, any missing
    whitelist kind, or a different image: stop.
-2. **Merge** the child Application (no `automated`) into the railiance01
-   path, then sync the root by hand so it creates the child object only:
+2. **Merge** the child Application (no `automated`) from
+   `argocd/railiance01/drafts/` into `argocd/railiance01/applications/`, then sync the root by hand so it creates the child object only:
    ```bash
    ssh railiance01 'kubectl -n argocd patch application railiance-apps-root --type merge -p "{\"operation\":{\"initiatedBy\":{\"username\":\"founder-approved\"},\"sync\":{\"revision\":\"<sha>\",\"prune\":false}}}"'
    ```
@@ -182,6 +197,33 @@ untracked (declared gap, RPF-WP-0043-T05). Live check:
 `externalsecret/issue-core-runtime` stays `SecretSynced`. Workload restore:
 `kubectl apply -f argocd/platform-addons/openbao-secretstore/openbao.clustersecretstore.yaml`.
 
+Exact commands (the root sync pins the merge commit `$SHA`; the child is
+pinned to `d2dbc19`, the last commit touching its source path):
+
+```bash
+# 1. Diff at the pinned source commit (expect no output, rc=0)
+cd ~/railiance-platform && git fetch origin && git checkout main && git pull --ff-only
+R=$(mktemp -d) && git archive d2dbc19c254247652c49fda8721c80d53bca206a argocd/platform-addons/openbao-secretstore | tar -x -C "$R"
+ssh railiance01 'kubectl diff --server-side -f -' < <(kubectl kustomize "$R/argocd/platform-addons/openbao-secretstore"); echo rc=$?
+# 2. Merge the child (drop the 3-line DRAFT header), push, sync the root at that commit
+sed '1,3d' argocd/railiance01/drafts/openbao-secretstore.application.yaml > argocd/railiance01/applications/openbao-secretstore.application.yaml
+git rm -q argocd/railiance01/drafts/openbao-secretstore.application.yaml
+git add argocd/railiance01/applications/openbao-secretstore.application.yaml
+git commit -m "Adopt openbao-secretstore on railiance01 (RPF-WP-0044-T03)" && git push origin main
+SHA=$(git rev-parse HEAD) && echo "$SHA"
+ssh railiance01 "kubectl -n argocd patch application railiance-apps-root --type merge -p '{\"operation\":{\"initiatedBy\":{\"username\":\"founder-approved\"},\"sync\":{\"revision\":\"$SHA\",\"prune\":false}}}'"
+# 3. ArgoCD's own diff (expect OutOfSync or Synced, one resource ClusterSecretStore/openbao, metadata-only)
+ssh railiance01 'kubectl -n argocd get application openbao-secretstore -o jsonpath="{.status.sync.status} {.status.health.status} {.status.resources}{\"\n\"}"'
+# 4. Manual sync, prune off, apply strategy (hooks skipped)
+ssh railiance01 'kubectl -n argocd patch application openbao-secretstore --type merge -p "{\"operation\":{\"initiatedBy\":{\"username\":\"founder-approved\"},\"sync\":{\"revision\":\"d2dbc19c254247652c49fda8721c80d53bca206a\",\"prune\":false,\"syncStrategy\":{\"apply\":{}}}}}"'
+ssh railiance01 'kubectl -n argocd get application openbao-secretstore -o jsonpath="{.status.sync.status} {.status.health.status} {.status.operationState.phase}{\"\n\"}"'
+ssh railiance01 'kubectl get clustersecretstore openbao; kubectl -n issue-core get externalsecret issue-core-runtime'
+```
+
+Rollback (R1): `git revert` the merge commit and push, then
+`ssh railiance01 'kubectl -n argocd delete application openbao-secretstore'`
+(no finalizer; the ClusterSecretStore keeps running).
+
 ## Adopt issue-core (from rapp-issue-core)
 
 ```task