diff --git a/scripts/affected_set.sh b/scripts/affected_set.sh
index f1fe6eb006..fb476ae92a 100755
--- a/scripts/affected_set.sh
+++ b/scripts/affected_set.sh
@@ -9,9 +9,10 @@
 #   crates/<pkg>/...        the package + its reverse-dependency closure (cargo metadata)
 #   a CORE crate            ALL (its closure is the workspace; naming it would only hide that)
 #   Cargo.toml of a crate   ALL (a manifest edit changes features/deps, which no path can bound)
-#   docs/, root *.md, ci/ (sections.yml, explicit-test-commands.d/, ...), Cargo.lock, root Cargo.toml,
-#   rust-toolchain.toml, .cargo/, .github/, Makefile, any other path outside a crate
-#                           ALL (tests read README.md, CLAUDE.md, ci/sections.yml and docs/ at run time)
+#   ci/ (sections.yml, explicit-test-commands.d/, ...), Cargo.lock, root Cargo.toml, rust-toolchain.toml, .cargo/, .github/, Makefile,
+#   any other path outside a crate            ALL
+#   docs/, contracts/, root *.md              READERS only (FLOW-010 b): their run-time readers are all in READERS. Exceptions, ALL:
+#                           contracts binding.yaml, contracts model-families and the BUILD_CONTRACTS files (compiled into a crate)
 #   docs/findings/, .claude/, ci/shard-step-costs.tsv
 #                           NO-READER list (#5809): the only run-time readers of these paths (grep of crates/**/*.rs: contracts-cli,
 #                           orchestrate, core, mcp, apr-cli) are all in READERS, so the set is READERS alone. Alone or
@@ -32,7 +33,7 @@ set -euo pipefail
 CORE="${AFFECTED_CORE:-aprender-core aprender-compute aprender-contracts apr-cli aprender-quant}"
 # READERS = crates whose tests read OTHER crates' files at run time (CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR/.., crates/, ../<crate>). CORE ones are ALL on touch, but that does not put them in a non-ALL set; every non-ALL set includes them, because the touched crate may be what they read. scripts/check_affected_readers.sh
 # goes RED on a reader this list (or CORE) lacks.
-READERS="${AFFECTED_READERS:-apr-cli aprender-build-sha aprender-cbtop aprender-cgp aprender-ci-tools aprender-compute aprender-compute-xtask aprender-contracts aprender-contracts-cli aprender-contrastive-data aprender-core aprender-data aprender-db aprender-decide aprender-distribute aprender-explain aprender-gpu aprender-mcp aprender-orchestrate aprender-present-cli aprender-present-core aprender-present-lib aprender-present-terminal aprender-present-yaml aprender-profile aprender-qa-certify aprender-qa-cli aprender-qa-gen aprender-qa-report aprender-qa-runner aprender-quant aprender-rag aprender-registry aprender-review-experiment aprender-rollup aprender-serve aprender-shell aprender-simulate aprender-test-cli aprender-test-lib aprender-train aprender-train-distill aprender-train-inspect aprender-train-shell aprender-tsp aprender-update aprender-verify-ml aprender-viz aprender-viz-ttop facades}"
+READERS="${AFFECTED_READERS:-apr-cli apr-format aprender-build-sha aprender-cbtop aprender-cgp aprender-ci-tools aprender-compute aprender-compute-xtask aprender-contracts aprender-contracts-cli aprender-contracts-macros aprender-contrastive-data aprender-core aprender-data aprender-db aprender-decide aprender-distribute aprender-explain aprender-gpu aprender-graph aprender-mcp aprender-orchestrate aprender-present-cli aprender-present-core aprender-present-layout aprender-present-lib aprender-present-terminal aprender-present-widgets aprender-present-yaml aprender-profile aprender-ptx-debug aprender-qa-certify aprender-qa-cli aprender-qa-gen aprender-qa-report aprender-qa-runner aprender-quant aprender-rag aprender-rag-cli aprender-registry aprender-review-experiment aprender-rollup aprender-serve aprender-shell aprender-simulate aprender-test-cli aprender-test-lib aprender-train aprender-train-bench aprender-train-distill aprender-train-inspect aprender-train-lora aprender-train-shell aprender-tsp aprender-update aprender-verify-ml aprender-viz aprender-viz-ttop aprender-zram aprender-zram-cli aprender-zram-generator facades}"
 filter=0 from=""
 while [ $# -gt 0 ]; do
   case "$1" in
@@ -54,10 +55,18 @@ else meta="$(cargo metadata --no-deps --format-version 1 --offline 2>/dev/null |
 root="${AFFECTED_ROOT:-$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)}"
 dirs="$(jq -r --arg root "$root/" '.packages[] | [.name, (.manifest_path | sub($root;"") | sub("/?Cargo.toml$";""))] | @tsv' <<<"$meta")" || { emit ALL; exit 0; }
 [ -n "$dirs" ] || { emit ALL; exit 0; }
+# Root contracts/ files that build.rs or include_str!/include! turn into compiled code or constants (aprender-serve build.rs generates
+# arch/tensor-name code from three of them; apr-cli and mcp embed others). A change reaches dependents of the compiling crate, so these are ALL.
+# check_affected_readers.sh derives this list from the tree and is RED on a file it omits.
+BUILD_CONTRACTS="${AFFECTED_BUILD_CONTRACTS:-apr-mcp-tool-schemas-v1.yaml apr-model-capability-v1.yaml arch-constraints-v1.yaml architecture-requirements-v1.yaml kernel-fusion-v1.yaml layer-parity-v1.yaml softmax-kernel-v1.yaml tensor-names-v1.yaml thinking-budgets-v1.yaml}"
 touched="" skipped=0
 while IFS= read -r f; do
+  case "$f" in */*) ;; *.md) skipped=1; continue ;; esac   # root *.md: its run-time readers are in READERS
+  case "$f" in contracts/*) case " $BUILD_CONTRACTS " in *" ${f#contracts/} "*) emit ALL; exit 0 ;; esac ;; esac
   case "$f" in
     '') continue ;;
+    contracts/binding.yaml | contracts/*/binding.yaml | contracts/model-families/* | contracts/*/model-families/*) emit ALL; exit 0 ;;   # build inputs of core/compute/contracts/simulate/train: their generated code reaches dependents
+    contracts/* | docs/*) skipped=1; continue ;;   # FLOW-010(b): run-time readers are in READERS
     docs/findings/* | .claude/* | ci/shard-step-costs.tsv) skipped=1; continue ;;
     crates/*/build.rs) emit ALL; exit 0 ;;
     crates/*.rs) ;;
diff --git a/scripts/check_affected_readers.sh b/scripts/check_affected_readers.sh
index 4ae41274d5..d2230943eb 100755
--- a/scripts/check_affected_readers.sh
+++ b/scripts/check_affected_readers.sh
@@ -18,9 +18,18 @@ hits() { # $1 = crates dir; prints crate names
     | grep -vE '^[^:]*/target/' | grep -vE '^[^:]+:[0-9]+:[[:space:]]*//' \
     | awk -F: -v allow=" $ALLOW " '{ k = $1 ":" $2; if (index(allow, " " k " ")) next; n = split($1, a, "/"); print a[2] }' | sort -u
 }
+build_listed() { sed -n 's/^BUILD_CONTRACTS="\${AFFECTED_BUILD_CONTRACTS:-\(.*\)}"$/\1/p' "$SET" | tr ' ' '\n' | grep -v '^$' | sort -u; }
+# Root contracts/<file> that a build.rs names (any quoted *-vN.yaml) or an include*! macro embeds: compiled into a crate, so ALL.
+build_inputs() { # $1 = crates dir; root contracts dir = ${CONTRACTS_DIR:-contracts}
+  { grep -rhE --include=build.rs '[A-Za-z0-9_-]+\.yaml"' "$1" 2>/dev/null | grep -vE '^\s*//' | grep -oE '[A-Za-z0-9_-]+\.yaml"' | tr -d '"'
+    grep -rhE --include='*.rs' 'include(_str|_bytes)?!' "$1" 2>/dev/null | grep -vE '^\s*//' | grep -oE 'contracts/[A-Za-z0-9_-]+\.yaml' | sed 's#contracts/##'
+  } | sort -u | while read -r f; do [ -f "${CONTRACTS_DIR:-contracts}/$f" ] && echo "$f"; done | grep -v 'binding\.yaml$' || true
+}
 check() {
   local bad="" l c; l="$(listed)"
   for c in $(hits "$1"); do printf '%s\n' "$l" | grep -qx "$c" || bad="$bad $c"; done
+  local bl; bl="$(build_listed)"
+  for c in $(build_inputs "$1"); do printf '%s\n' "$bl" | grep -qx "$c" || bad="$bad contracts/$c(BUILD_CONTRACTS)"; done
   if [ -n "$bad" ]; then echo "RED: crates can reach other crates' files but are not in READERS (scripts/affected_set.sh):$bad"; return 1; fi
   echo "ok: every crate with a path-escape form is in READERS"
 }
diff --git a/scripts/check_affected_set.sh b/scripts/check_affected_set.sh
index b0e642c779..0f5d0e0c15 100755
--- a/scripts/check_affected_set.sh
+++ b/scripts/check_affected_set.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 # FLOW-010 E5 RED rows for scripts/affected_set.sh. Oracle for the closure is
 # `cargo tree -i` (a different code path from the tool's cargo-metadata jq).
 set -euo pipefail
+export LC_ALL=C   # sort order must match jq's codepoint order (apr-format vs aprender-*)
 # the CI container runs as root over a host-owned checkout: git would refuse it (dubious ownership)
 export GIT_CONFIG_COUNT=1 GIT_CONFIG_KEY_0=safe.directory GIT_CONFIG_VALUE_0='*'
 A=scripts/affected_set.sh
@@ -47,12 +48,21 @@ row "docs/findings ledger alone -> READERS only, not ALL (#5809)" "$(printf '%s\
 row ".claude agent-memory alone -> READERS only" "$(printf '%s\n' $readers | sort -u)" "$(run .claude/agent-memory/x/MEMORY.md | sort -u)"
 row "shard cost table alone -> READERS only" "$(printf '%s\n' $readers | sort -u)" "$(run ci/shard-step-costs.tsv | sort -u)"
 row "no-reader path next to a leaf .rs -> leaf + READERS" "$lc" "$(run docs/findings/s1.jsonl "$ld/src/lib.rs" | sort -u)"
-row "no-reader path next to docs/x.md -> ALL" ALL "$(run docs/findings/s1.jsonl docs/x.md)"
+row "no-reader path next to docs/x.md -> READERS only (FLOW-010 b)" "$(printf '%s\n' $readers | sort -u)" "$(run docs/findings/s1.jsonl docs/x.md | sort -u)"
 row "no-reader path next to a CORE crate -> ALL" ALL "$(run .claude/x docs/findings/s1.jsonl crates/aprender-core/src/lib.rs)"
-row "docs/findings lookalike (docs/findings-x.md) -> ALL" ALL "$(run docs/findings-x.md)"
-row "docs file -> ALL (tests read docs/ at run time)" ALL "$(run docs/x.md)"
-row "root README.md -> ALL" ALL "$(run README.md)"
-row "root CLAUDE.md -> ALL" ALL "$(run CLAUDE.md)"
+row "docs/findings lookalike (docs/findings-x.md) -> READERS only" "$(printf '%s\n' $readers | sort -u)" "$(run docs/findings-x.md | sort -u)"
+row "docs file -> READERS only (their run-time readers are in READERS)" "$(printf '%s\n' $readers | sort -u)" "$(run docs/x.md | sort -u)"
+row "contracts yaml -> READERS only" "$(printf '%s\n' $readers | sort -u)" "$(run contracts/foo-v1.yaml | sort -u)"
+row "contracts/<x>/binding.yaml -> ALL (build input of core/compute/contracts/simulate/train)" ALL "$(run contracts/aprender/binding.yaml)"
+row "serve build.rs input contracts/tensor-names-v1.yaml -> ALL" ALL "$(run contracts/tensor-names-v1.yaml)"
+row "serve build.rs input contracts/architecture-requirements-v1.yaml -> ALL" ALL "$(run contracts/architecture-requirements-v1.yaml)"
+row "serve build.rs input contracts/arch-constraints-v1.yaml -> ALL" ALL "$(run contracts/arch-constraints-v1.yaml)"
+row "BUILD_CONTRACTS file next to a leaf .rs -> ALL" ALL "$(run contracts/tensor-names-v1.yaml "$ld/src/lib.rs")"
+row "contracts/binding.yaml -> ALL" ALL "$(run contracts/binding.yaml)"
+row "contracts/model-families -> ALL (aprender-core build.rs generates code from it)" ALL "$(run contracts/model-families/q.yaml)"
+row "contracts yaml next to a leaf .rs -> leaf + READERS" "$lc" "$(run contracts/foo-v1.yaml "$ld/src/lib.rs" | sort -u)"
+row "root README.md -> READERS only" "$(printf '%s\n' $readers | sort -u)" "$(run README.md | sort -u)"
+row "root CLAUDE.md -> READERS only" "$(printf '%s\n' $readers | sort -u)" "$(run CLAUDE.md | sort -u)"
 row "ci/sections.yml -> ALL (it holds the CI job bodies: editing it changes what CI runs, not only what tests read)" ALL "$(run ci/sections.yml)"
 row "ci/explicit-test-commands.d fragment -> ALL" ALL "$(run ci/explicit-test-commands.d/815-affected-set-rows.cmd)"
 row "a crate's own Cargo.toml -> ALL" ALL "$(run "$ld/Cargo.toml")"
@@ -98,17 +108,22 @@ else row "MUTANT: letting git detect renames is caught by the rename row" "c" "$
 sed '/^    crates\/\*\/build.rs)/d' "$A" >"$t/mut-build.sh"
 if cmp -s "$A" "$t/mut-build.sh"; then echo "FAIL build.rs mutant did not apply"; fail=1
 else printf '%s\n' "$ld/build.rs" >"$t/db"; row "MUTANT: dropping the build.rs arm is caught by the build.rs row" "$lc" "$(bash "$t/mut-build.sh" --diff-from "$t/db" | sort -u || true)"; fi
-# mutants: the skip list that used to exist (docs/*, *.md) must be caught by the ALL rows above.
-sed 's#^    crates/\*.rs) ;;#    docs/* | *.md) continue ;;\n    crates/*.rs) ;;#' "$A" >"$t/mut-docs.sh"
-if cmp -s "$A" "$t/mut-docs.sh"; then echo "FAIL docs-skip mutant did not apply"; fail=1
-else printf '%s\n%s\n' docs/x.md "$ld/src/lib.rs" >"$t/dd"; row "MUTANT: skipping docs/*.md is caught by the docs-ALL row" "$lc" "$(bash "$t/mut-docs.sh" --diff-from "$t/dd" | sort -u || true)"; fi
+# mutant: dropping the contracts build-input arm must be caught by the binding/model-families ALL rows
+sed '/^    contracts\/binding.yaml /d' "$A" >"$t/mut-bind.sh"
+if cmp -s "$A" "$t/mut-bind.sh"; then echo "FAIL binding mutant did not apply"; fail=1
+else printf '%s\n' contracts/aprender/binding.yaml >"$t/db2"; row "MUTANT: dropping the binding/model-families ALL arm is caught" "$(printf '%s\n' $readers | sort -u)" "$(bash "$t/mut-bind.sh" --diff-from "$t/db2" | sort -u)"; fi
+# mutant: the checker must go RED when a build.rs-read root contract is missing from BUILD_CONTRACTS
+sed 's/ tensor-names-v1.yaml//' "$A" >"$t/mut-bc.sh"
+if cmp -s "$A" "$t/mut-bc.sh"; then echo "FAIL build-contracts mutant did not apply"; fail=1
+elif AFFECTED_SET_SH="$t/mut-bc.sh" bash scripts/check_affected_readers.sh >/dev/null 2>&1; then echo "FAIL MUTANT: a build.rs-read contract missing from BUILD_CONTRACTS is not caught"; fail=1
+else echo "ok   MUTANT: a build.rs-read contract missing from BUILD_CONTRACTS is caught by check_affected_readers.sh"; fi
+# mutant: root-md arm that also skips crate-level .md must be caught by the leaf README row
+sed 's#case "\$f" in \*/\*) ;; \*.md)#case "\$f" in *.md)#' "$A" >"$t/mut-md.sh"
+if cmp -s "$A" "$t/mut-md.sh"; then echo "FAIL md mutant did not apply"; fail=1
+else printf '%s\n%s\n' "$ld/README.md" "$ld/src/lib.rs" >"$t/dmd"; row "MUTANT: skipping crate-level .md is caught by the leaf README row" "$lc" "$(bash "$t/mut-md.sh" --diff-from "$t/dmd" | sort -u)"; fi
 sed 's#^    crates/\*) emit ALL.*#    crates/*) continue ;;#' "$A" >"$t/mut-toml.sh"
 if cmp -s "$A" "$t/mut-toml.sh"; then echo "FAIL manifest mutant did not apply"; fail=1
 else printf '%s\n%s\n' "$ld/Cargo.toml" "$ld/src/lib.rs" >"$t/dt"; row "MUTANT: skipping non-.rs crate files is caught by the manifest row" "$lc" "$(bash "$t/mut-toml.sh" --diff-from "$t/dt" | sort -u || true)"; fi
-# mutant: a no-reader arm that also skips docs/* must be seen by the docs-next-to-no-reader row
-sed 's#^    docs\/findings\/\* #    docs/* | docs/findings/* #' "$A" >"$t/mut-nr.sh"
-if cmp -s "$A" "$t/mut-nr.sh"; then echo "FAIL no-reader mutant did not apply"; fail=1
-else printf '%s\n%s\n' docs/findings/s1.jsonl docs/x.md >"$t/dnr"; row "MUTANT: widening the no-reader list to docs/* is caught by the docs-next-to-no-reader row" "not-ALL" "$([ "$(bash "$t/mut-nr.sh" --diff-from "$t/dnr" | head -n1)" != ALL ] && echo not-ALL || echo ALL)"; fi
 # CORE crates: each must give ALL, and dropping each from CORE must be seen (its dependents alone are not the workspace)
 for c in aprender-compute aprender-contracts aprender-quant; do
   cd_=$(jq -r --arg p "$c" '.packages[]|select(.name==$p)|.manifest_path' <<<"$meta" | sed "s|$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)/||; s|/Cargo.toml||")