diff --git a/docs/credential-change-approval.md b/docs/credential-change-approval.md
index 95413b3..8dc31e8 100644
--- a/docs/credential-change-approval.md
+++ b/docs/credential-change-approval.md
@@ -325,6 +325,11 @@ still goes to the `railiance-platform` inbox.
 Run these in a railiance-platform checkout that is up to date with `main`:
 
 ```bash
+# 0. Generate the policy instead of writing it, so it is byte-equal by construction.
+python3 scripts/credential-change.py render-policy --kv-path <platform/...> > <policy.hcl>
+#    Optional: plan_ref: {repo, path, commit} in the draft links the client's
+#    construction plan; submit keeps it and review-standard only checks its shape.
+
 # 1. File the draft. Allocates the CCR id, copies the policy, runs the review.
 python3 scripts/credential-change.py submit \
   --ccr <draft.yaml> --policy <policy.hcl> --slug <slug> \
@@ -342,7 +347,11 @@ git commit -m "<id>: request founder decision" -- credential-change-requests/<id
 git push origin main
 ```
 
-After step 3, the client waits. The **founder** resolves the State Hub decision.
+After step 3, the client waits and does not edit `status` or `review.comments`
+itself. Approvals reach the file only through `sync-decision`, even when the
+founder approved the client's plan elsewhere. The hub decision is the single
+approval record for both the client plan and the CCR; clients copy their plan
+approval *from* it after the sync. The **founder** resolves the State Hub decision.
 Then a **platform session or the founder** runs `sync-decision <id>`. Clients do
 not run `sync-decision` on their own CCRs. State Hub does not authenticate who
 resolved a decision (`decided_by` is free text). Until founder approval can be
diff --git a/scripts/ccr_intake.py b/scripts/ccr_intake.py
index 0fa7c10..bf26783 100644
--- a/scripts/ccr_intake.py
+++ b/scripts/ccr_intake.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import json
 import re
 import shutil
 import subprocess
+import sys
 import urllib.request
 from collections import defaultdict
 from datetime import datetime, timezone
@@ -126,6 +127,13 @@ def standard_violations(
     risk = (ccr.get("risk") or {}).get("classification")
     if risk not in profile["allowed_risk_classifications"]:
         v.append(f"risk classification {risk!r} needs a platform review")
+    plan_ref = ccr.get("plan_ref")
+    if plan_ref is not None and not (
+        isinstance(plan_ref, dict)
+        and all(isinstance(plan_ref.get(k), str) and plan_ref.get(k) for k in ("repo", "path", "commit"))
+        and re.match(r"^[0-9a-f]{7,40}$", plan_ref["commit"])
+    ):
+        v.append("plan_ref must have non-empty repo, path and a hex commit")
     conflicts = reader_conflicts(ccr, directory, profile, cc)
     if conflicts:
         v.append(f"kv_path already has a reader: {', '.join(conflicts)}")
@@ -338,6 +346,23 @@ def command_request_decision(args: argparse.Namespace, cc: Any) -> int:
     return 0
 
 
+def standard_policy_hcl(kv_path: str, cc: Any) -> str:
+    """The exact HCL review-standard compares against, for a standard-lane path."""
+    return cc.generated_policy_hcl({
+        "request_type": "workload-kv-read",
+        "openbao": {"mount": kv_path.split("/", 1)[0], "kv_path": kv_path,
+                    "metadata_read": False, "token_self_lifecycle": True},
+    })
+
+
+def command_render_policy(args: argparse.Namespace, cc: Any) -> int:
+    profile, _digest = load_profile(Path(args.profile))
+    if not any(re.match(p, args.kv_path) for p in profile["kv_path_patterns"]):
+        cc.fail(f"kv_path {args.kv_path!r} is outside the standard workload/supplier prefixes")
+    sys.stdout.write(standard_policy_hcl(args.kv_path, cc))
+    return 0
+
+
 def git(*argv: str) -> None:
     subprocess.run(["git", "-C", str(REPO_DIR), *argv], check=True)
 
@@ -426,6 +451,13 @@ def add_parsers(sub: Any, cc: Any, state_hub_url: str) -> None:
     decision_p.add_argument("--state-hub-url", default=state_hub_url)
     decision_p.set_defaults(func=lambda args: command_request_decision(args, cc))
 
+    render_policy = sub.add_parser(
+        "render-policy", help="Print the standard-lane policy HCL for a KV path (what review-standard expects)"
+    )
+    render_policy.add_argument("--kv-path", required=True)
+    render_policy.add_argument("--profile", default=str(DEFAULT_PROFILE))
+    render_policy.set_defaults(func=lambda args: command_render_policy(args, cc))
+
     submit_p = sub.add_parser(
         "submit",
         help="File a client CCR draft under the next CCR id and run the standard review",
diff --git a/tests/test_ccr_intake.py b/tests/test_ccr_intake.py
index 80af7c5..3569e7d 100644
--- a/tests/test_ccr_intake.py
+++ b/tests/test_ccr_intake.py
@@ -277,6 +277,20 @@ class CcrIntakeTests(unittest.TestCase):
         with mock.patch.object(cc, "state_hub_post_json", return_value=resolved), self.assertRaises(SystemExit):
             ccr_intake.request_decision(self.path, cc, "http://hub")
 
+    def test_render_policy_matches_reviewed_policy_file(self) -> None:
+        rendered = ccr_intake.standard_policy_hcl("platform/suppliers/scaleway/mas-tem-relay", cc)
+        self.assertEqual(rendered, (REPO_DIR / POLICY).read_text())
+
+    def test_plan_ref_passes_through_submit_and_is_shape_checked(self) -> None:
+        args = self.submit_args()
+        draft = cc.load_yaml(Path(args.ccr))
+        draft["plan_ref"] = {"repo": "ops-mason", "path": "plans/x.md", "commit": "d19e6b1"}
+        cc.dump_yaml(Path(args.ccr), draft)
+        destination, violations = ccr_intake.submit(args, cc)
+        self.assertEqual(violations, [])
+        self.assertEqual(cc.load_yaml(destination)["plan_ref"]["commit"], "d19e6b1")
+        self.assert_violation(lambda d: d.update(plan_ref={"repo": "ops-mason"}), "plan_ref")
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()