diff --git a/rein_aharness/repository_artifact.py b/rein_aharness/repository_artifact.py
index 8a5166f..f8f5950 100644
--- a/rein_aharness/repository_artifact.py
+++ b/rein_aharness/repository_artifact.py
@@ -119,10 +119,14 @@ class RepositoryArtifactTransfer:
             raise RepositoryArtifactError(
                 "artifact transfer requires the active repository transaction"
             )
-        if grant.min_commits != 1 or grant.max_commits != 1 or grant.publish:
+        if grant.min_commits != 1 or grant.max_commits != 1:
             raise RepositoryArtifactError(
                 "artifact transfer v1 requires exactly one local commit"
             )
+        # A publish grant (v2) only marks the imported commit for Activity
+        # Core's publisher; this transfer never pushes.
+        if grant.publish and grant.publish_scope is None:
+            raise RepositoryArtifactError("publish grant has no publish_scope")
         self.transaction = transaction
         self.grant = grant
         self.cancel = resolve_cancel(cancel)
@@ -284,7 +288,16 @@ class RepositoryArtifactTransfer:
                 _git(
                     staging, "merge", "--ff-only", "--no-edit", "--no-stat", self._head
                 )
-                inspection.validate_acceptance(self.grant.acceptance_policy())
+                inspected = inspection.validate_acceptance(
+                    self.grant.acceptance_policy()
+                )
+                scope = self.grant.publish_scope
+                if scope is not None and not all(
+                    scope.covers_path(path) for path in inspected.changed_paths
+                ):
+                    raise RepositoryArtifactError(
+                        "artifact changes paths outside the publish scope"
+                    )
             self._check()
             _git(
                 baseline.repo_root,
@@ -316,5 +329,7 @@ class RepositoryArtifactTransfer:
             "head": accepted.head,
             "imported": True,
         }
+        if self.grant.publish:
+            evidence["published"] = False
         self._bundle = None
         return evidence
diff --git a/tests/test_repository_artifact.py b/tests/test_repository_artifact.py
index 62eaba1..a35e9b9 100644
--- a/tests/test_repository_artifact.py
+++ b/tests/test_repository_artifact.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ from rein_aharness.execution_cancel import ExecutionCancel, ExecutionCancelled
 from rein_aharness.repository_artifact import (
     RepositoryArtifactError,
     RepositoryArtifactTransfer,
+    _git as _git_spy,
 )
 from rein_aharness.repository_grant import RepositoryGrant
 from rein_aharness.repository_transaction import (
@@ -310,3 +311,45 @@ def test_ignored_sandbox_cache_is_not_imported(tmp_path):
         transfer.import_after_teardown(head)
         assert not (source / "cache").exists()
         assert tx.acceptance.changed_paths == ("result.txt",)
+
+
+def _publish_grant():
+    return RepositoryGrant.from_mapping(
+        {
+            "version": "2",
+            "allowed_paths": ["out/"],
+            "commit_count": {"min": 1, "max": 1},
+            "publish": True,
+            "publish_scope": {
+                "remote": "origin",
+                "branch": "main",
+                "path_prefixes": ["out/pub/"],
+                "fast_forward_only": True,
+            },
+        }
+    )
+
+
+def test_publish_grant_imports_locally_and_leaves_push_to_publisher(tmp_path):
+    source, sandbox, _ = fixture(tmp_path)
+    with RepositoryTransaction(source, state_dir=tmp_path / "state") as tx:
+        transfer = RepositoryArtifactTransfer(tx, _publish_grant())
+        head = commit(sandbox, "out/pub/brief.md")
+        capture(transfer, sandbox, head)
+        with patch("rein_aharness.repository_artifact._git", wraps=_git_spy) as spy:
+            result = transfer.import_after_teardown(head)
+        assert not any("push" in call.args for call in spy.call_args_list)
+        assert result["imported"] and result["published"] is False
+        assert git(source, "rev-parse", "HEAD") == head
+
+
+def test_publish_grant_refuses_paths_outside_publish_scope(tmp_path):
+    source, sandbox, _ = fixture(tmp_path)
+    with RepositoryTransaction(source, state_dir=tmp_path / "state") as tx:
+        baseline = tx.baseline.head
+        transfer = RepositoryArtifactTransfer(tx, _publish_grant())
+        head = commit(sandbox, "out/private.md")
+        capture(transfer, sandbox, head)
+        with pytest.raises(RepositoryArtifactError, match="publish scope"):
+            transfer.import_after_teardown(head)
+        assert git(source, "rev-parse", "HEAD") == baseline