diff --git a/worker/admin/allowlist.ts b/worker/admin/allowlist.ts
index 18a8080c..338fb481 100644
--- a/worker/admin/allowlist.ts
+++ b/worker/admin/allowlist.ts
@@ -3,56 +3,107 @@
  * session. Checked on every admin request, after (never instead of) cryptographic
  * verification of the identity.
  *
- * SHIPS EMPTY AND FAILS CLOSED. Zero admins exist until identities are deliberately
- * committed here and deployed; there is no self-registration, no environment
- * override, and no dev/test bypass. An empty list rejects everyone — including a
- * request carrying a perfectly valid signature.
+ * FAILS CLOSED. There is no self-registration, no environment override, and no
+ * dev/test bypass. An identity absent from this list is rejected — including a
+ * request carrying a perfectly valid signature — and removal revokes any live
+ * session on its next request (per-request enforcement in worker/admin/router.ts).
  *
- * Downstream deployers (this is AGPL software — run your own instance): constitute
- * your own admin set by editing the two arrays below in your fork and deploying.
- *   - nostrPubkeys: 64-char lowercase HEX pubkeys (NOT npub…). To convert an npub,
- *     use any NIP-19 decoder (e.g. `nostr-tools/nip19` decode) or your signer's
- *     settings page, which usually shows both forms.
- *   - blueskyDids: full DIDs (did:plc:… or did:web:…), NOT handles. Handles can be
- *     re-registered by someone else; DIDs are stable. Find yours at
- *     https://bsky.social settings or by resolving your handle.
+ * GOVERNANCE (the role field is genesis DATA, not a runtime capability switch):
+ *   - role: "superadmin" — governance authority over THIS list, exercised through
+ *     repository merge rights (add/remove admin = PR; revocation = commit +
+ *     deploy). Never an in-app power: there is NO runtime write-path to the admin
+ *     set. Also the highest capability tier when Phases 5–6 (catalog management,
+ *     moderation) differentiate capabilities.
+ *   - role: "admin" — assigned by superadmins via PR.
+ *   TODAY all allowlisted identities pass the same gate; differentiated
+ *   enforcement lands with the features that need it — nothing speculative here.
+ *
+ * Downstream deployers (this is AGPL software — run your own instance):
+ * constitute your own admin set by editing the two arrays below in your fork.
+ *   - nostr: 64-char lowercase HEX pubkeys (NOT npub…). Convert an npub with any
+ *     NIP-19 decoder (e.g. `nostr-tools/nip19` decode) or your signer's settings.
+ *   - bluesky: full DIDs (did:plc:… / did:web:…), NOT handles — handles are
+ *     mutable pointers someone else can later hold; DIDs are stable.
  * Review additions like code (they are code): one identity per line, a comment
- * saying who it is, and two-person review before merge.
+ * saying who it is, and review before merge.
  */
 
+export type AdminRole = 'superadmin' | 'admin';
+
+export interface AdminNostrEntry {
+  /** 64-hex Nostr pubkey (lowercase). */
+  readonly pubkey: string;
+  readonly role: AdminRole;
+}
+
+export interface AdminBlueskyEntry {
+  /** AT-Proto DID (did:plc:… / did:web:…). */
+  readonly did: string;
+  readonly role: AdminRole;
+}
+
 export interface AdminAllowlist {
-  /** 64-hex Nostr pubkeys (lowercase). */
-  readonly nostrPubkeys: readonly string[];
-  /** AT-Proto DIDs (did:plc:… / did:web:…). */
-  readonly blueskyDids: readonly string[];
+  readonly nostr: readonly AdminNostrEntry[];
+  readonly bluesky: readonly AdminBlueskyEntry[];
 }
 
-/** The committed allowlist. EMPTY by design — the operator adds real identities in
- *  their own reviewed commit; the code never invents or defaults any. */
+/** The committed allowlist — the constituted admin set of THIS deployment
+ *  (wecanjustbuildthings.dev). Every entry is owner-declared and multi-source
+ *  verified before landing; changes enter only through reviewed commits. */
 export const ADMIN_ALLOWLIST: AdminAllowlist = {
-  nostrPubkeys: [
-    // '<64-hex admin pubkey>', // who this is
+  nostr: [
+    // Martin Montero (site operator). npub1kdve3xh5l4xnuwx87zff9pyrq044kx9pd6lsxwdfgpy0xklhv5qs96rgqv
+    // Verified three ways: in-repo nip19 decode (round-tripped), independent decode,
+    // and the NIP-98-proven subject of his live sign-in in the production auth store.
+    { pubkey: 'b359989af4fd4d3e38c7f09292848303eb5b18a16ebf0339a94048f35bf76501', role: 'superadmin' },
   ],
-  blueskyDids: [
-    // 'did:plc:<id>', // who this is
+  bluesky: [
+    // Martin Montero (site operator). Handle monteroxr.bsky.social — the DID (not the
+    // mutable handle) is stored, taken from his completed AT-Proto OAuth session in
+    // the production auth store and confirmed via live resolveHandle.
+    { did: 'did:plc:nli4gouip2eswhsrzqbiatyz', role: 'superadmin' },
   ],
 };
 
 const HEX_PUBKEY = /^[0-9a-f]{64}$/;
 const DID = /^did:(plc|web):[a-zA-Z0-9._:%-]+$/;
+const ROLES: readonly AdminRole[] = ['superadmin', 'admin'];
 
-/** True only for a well-formed pubkey present in the list. Malformed ENTRIES are
- *  ignored (a typo in the allowlist must never accidentally match), and matching is
+/** True only for a well-formed entry (malformed entries can never match — a typo
+ *  in the allowlist must never accidentally grant access). */
+export function isWellFormedNostrEntry(entry: AdminNostrEntry): boolean {
+  return HEX_PUBKEY.test(entry.pubkey) && ROLES.includes(entry.role);
+}
+export function isWellFormedBlueskyEntry(entry: AdminBlueskyEntry): boolean {
+  return DID.test(entry.did) && ROLES.includes(entry.role);
+}
+
+/** True only for a well-formed pubkey present in the list. Matching is
  *  case-insensitive on hex. */
 export function isAllowedNostrPubkey(list: AdminAllowlist, pubkey: string): boolean {
   if (typeof pubkey !== 'string' || !HEX_PUBKEY.test(pubkey.toLowerCase())) return false;
   const needle = pubkey.toLowerCase();
-  return list.nostrPubkeys.some((entry) => HEX_PUBKEY.test(entry) && entry === needle);
+  return list.nostr.some((entry) => isWellFormedNostrEntry(entry) && entry.pubkey === needle);
 }
 
 /** True only for a well-formed DID present in the list (exact match — DIDs are
  *  identifiers, not user input to normalize). */
 export function isAllowedBlueskyDid(list: AdminAllowlist, did: string): boolean {
   if (typeof did !== 'string' || !DID.test(did)) return false;
-  return list.blueskyDids.some((entry) => DID.test(entry) && entry === did);
+  return list.bluesky.some((entry) => isWellFormedBlueskyEntry(entry) && entry.did === did);
+}
+
+/** The role recorded for an allowlisted identity, or null if not a member. Today
+ *  this is informational (whoami/audit); Phases 5–6 gate capabilities on it. */
+export function adminRoleFor(
+  list: AdminAllowlist,
+  provider: 'nostr' | 'bluesky',
+  subject: string,
+): AdminRole | null {
+  if (provider === 'nostr') {
+    if (!isAllowedNostrPubkey(list, subject)) return null;
+    return list.nostr.find((e) => e.pubkey === subject.toLowerCase())?.role ?? null;
+  }
+  if (!isAllowedBlueskyDid(list, subject)) return null;
+  return list.bluesky.find((e) => e.did === subject)?.role ?? null;
 }
diff --git a/worker/tests/admin-auth.test.ts b/worker/tests/admin-auth.test.ts
index 97ddfa81..481aa36b 100644
--- a/worker/tests/admin-auth.test.ts
+++ b/worker/tests/admin-auth.test.ts
@@ -4,16 +4,20 @@
  * AdminCoordinator class behind a hand-fake DurableObjectNamespace — no miniflare,
  * no new dependencies.
  *
- * The allowlist used here is injected through routeAdmin's compile-time deps seam;
- * the COMMITTED allowlist stays empty and its fail-closed behavior is asserted
- * explicitly (a valid signature with the shipped config must be rejected).
+ * The allowlist used here is injected through routeAdmin's compile-time deps seam.
+ * Fails-closed is proven against an EMPTY FIXTURE (EMPTY_ALLOWLIST below) so the
+ * proof is invariant to whichever identities the operator has constituted in the
+ * committed list; the committed list itself is validated for well-formedness.
  */
 import { test } from 'node:test';
 import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
 import { generateSecretKey, getPublicKey, finalizeEvent } from 'nostr-tools/pure';
 import { routeAdmin } from '../admin/router.ts';
 import { AdminCoordinator } from '../admin/coordinator.ts';
-import { ADMIN_ALLOWLIST, isAllowedNostrPubkey, isAllowedBlueskyDid } from '../admin/allowlist.ts';
+import {
+  ADMIN_ALLOWLIST, isAllowedNostrPubkey, isAllowedBlueskyDid, adminRoleFor,
+  isWellFormedNostrEntry, isWellFormedBlueskyEntry, type AdminAllowlist,
+} from '../admin/allowlist.ts';
 import {
   ADMIN_SESSION_COOKIE, ADMIN_IDLE_SECONDS, ADMIN_ABSOLUTE_SECONDS,
   putAdminSession, resolveAdminSessionId, adminSessionCookie, newAdminSessionId,
@@ -163,47 +167,80 @@ const sessionIdOf = (res: Response) => /__Host-wcjbt_admin=([0-9a-f]{64})/.exec(
 const withAdminCookie = (path: string, id: string, init?: RequestInit) =>
   req(path, { ...init, headers: { ...(init?.headers as Record<string, string> ?? {}), cookie: `${ADMIN_SESSION_COOKIE}=${id}` } });
 
-// ---- the committed allowlist is EMPTY and fails closed ----
+// ---- fails-closed, proven against an EMPTY FIXTURE ----
+// The fixture — not the committed list — carries the fails-closed proof, so these
+// tests stay valid regardless of which identities the operator has constituted.
 
-test('the COMMITTED allowlist ships empty', () => {
-  assert.equal(ADMIN_ALLOWLIST.nostrPubkeys.length, 0);
-  assert.equal(ADMIN_ALLOWLIST.blueskyDids.length, 0);
-});
+const EMPTY_ALLOWLIST: AdminAllowlist = { nostr: [], bluesky: [] };
 
-test('EMPTY allowlist rejects a perfectly VALID signature (fail closed, generic 401)', async () => {
+test('an EMPTY allowlist rejects a perfectly VALID signature (fail closed, generic 401)', async () => {
   const env = fakeEnv();
-  const res = await nostrLogin(env, generateSecretKey()); // default deps = committed empty list
+  const res = await nostrLogin(env, generateSecretKey(), { allowlist: EMPTY_ALLOWLIST });
   assert.equal(res.status, 401);
   assert.deepEqual(await res.json(), { error: 'authentication failed' }); // no oracle
   assert.equal(cookieOf(res), ''); // and no cookie
 });
 
+test('routeAdmin DEFAULTS to the committed allowlist: an uncommitted key is rejected', async () => {
+  // No deps passed → the committed ADMIN_ALLOWLIST is in force. A fresh random key
+  // is (probabilistically) never a member, so this pins the default wiring without
+  // depending on whether the operator has constituted identities yet.
+  const env = fakeEnv();
+  const res = await nostrLogin(env, generateSecretKey());
+  assert.equal(res.status, 401);
+});
+
+test('every COMMITTED allowlist entry is well-formed with a valid role', () => {
+  for (const entry of ADMIN_ALLOWLIST.nostr) {
+    assert.ok(isWellFormedNostrEntry(entry), `malformed nostr entry: ${entry.pubkey}`);
+  }
+  for (const entry of ADMIN_ALLOWLIST.bluesky) {
+    assert.ok(isWellFormedBlueskyEntry(entry), `malformed bluesky entry: ${entry.did}`);
+  }
+});
+
 test('a NON-allowlisted pubkey is rejected exactly like a bad signature', async () => {
   const env = fakeEnv();
   const admin = generateSecretKey();
   const intruder = generateSecretKey();
-  const deps = { allowlist: { nostrPubkeys: [getPublicKey(admin)], blueskyDids: [] } };
+  const deps = { allowlist: { nostr: [{ pubkey: getPublicKey(admin), role: 'admin' }], bluesky: [] } };
   const res = await nostrLogin(env, intruder, deps);
   assert.equal(res.status, 401);
   assert.deepEqual(await res.json(), { error: 'authentication failed' });
 });
 
 test('allowlist matchers reject malformed subjects and malformed ENTRIES', () => {
-  const list = { nostrPubkeys: ['ABC', 'f'.repeat(64)], blueskyDids: ['not-a-did', 'did:plc:ok123'] };
+  const list: AdminAllowlist = {
+    nostr: [{ pubkey: 'ABC', role: 'admin' }, { pubkey: 'f'.repeat(64), role: 'admin' }],
+    bluesky: [{ did: 'not-a-did', role: 'admin' }, { did: 'did:plc:ok123', role: 'admin' }],
+  };
   assert.equal(isAllowedNostrPubkey(list, 'F'.repeat(64)), true); // hex case-insensitive
   assert.equal(isAllowedNostrPubkey(list, 'abc'), false);         // malformed subject
-  assert.equal(isAllowedNostrPubkey({ nostrPubkeys: ['ABC'], blueskyDids: [] }, 'abc'), false); // malformed entry never matches
+  assert.equal(isAllowedNostrPubkey({ nostr: [{ pubkey: 'ABC', role: 'admin' }], bluesky: [] }, 'abc'), false); // malformed entry never matches
   assert.equal(isAllowedBlueskyDid(list, 'did:plc:ok123'), true);
   assert.equal(isAllowedBlueskyDid(list, 'not-a-did'), false);
 });
 
+test('adminRoleFor returns the recorded role for members, null otherwise (role is genesis DATA)', () => {
+  const pk = 'a'.repeat(64);
+  const list: AdminAllowlist = {
+    nostr: [{ pubkey: pk, role: 'superadmin' }],
+    bluesky: [{ did: 'did:plc:member1', role: 'admin' }],
+  };
+  assert.equal(adminRoleFor(list, 'nostr', pk), 'superadmin');
+  assert.equal(adminRoleFor(list, 'nostr', pk.toUpperCase()), 'superadmin'); // hex case-insensitive
+  assert.equal(adminRoleFor(list, 'bluesky', 'did:plc:member1'), 'admin');
+  assert.equal(adminRoleFor(list, 'nostr', 'b'.repeat(64)), null);
+  assert.equal(adminRoleFor(list, 'bluesky', 'did:plc:stranger'), null);
+});
+
 // ---- Nostr login happy path + session cookie contract ----
 
 test('allowlisted NIP-98 login mints a Strict __Host- admin session + csrf', async () => {
   const env = fakeEnv();
   const sk = generateSecretKey();
   const pk = getPublicKey(sk);
-  const deps = { allowlist: { nostrPubkeys: [pk], blueskyDids: [] } };
+  const deps = { allowlist: { nostr: [{ pubkey: pk, role: 'admin' }], bluesky: [] } };
   const res = await nostrLogin(env, sk, deps);
   assert.equal(res.status, 200);
   const body = (await res.json()) as { identity: string; method: string; csrf: string };
@@ -230,11 +267,11 @@ test('mid-session REVOCATION (Nostr): de-listing an identity kills its live cook
   const env = fakeEnv();
   const sk = generateSecretKey();
   const pk = getPublicKey(sk);
-  const allowed = { allowlist: { nostrPubkeys: [pk], blueskyDids: [] } };
+  const allowed = { allowlist: { nostr: [{ pubkey: pk, role: 'admin' }], bluesky: [] } };
   const id = sessionIdOf(await nostrLogin(env, sk, allowed));
   // While the session is still well within its idle+absolute bounds, the identity
   // is removed from the allowlist (simulating a revocation commit+deploy).
-  const revoked = { allowlist: { nostrPubkeys: [], blueskyDids: [] } };
+  const revoked = { allowlist: EMPTY_ALLOWLIST };
   assert.equal((await routeAdmin(withAdminCookie('/api/admin/whoami', id), env, revoked)).status, 401);
   // …and the session is destroyed, not merely rejected: even the ORIGINAL (still-
   // allowlisted) deps can't resurrect it.
@@ -244,14 +281,14 @@ test('mid-session REVOCATION (Nostr): de-listing an identity kills its live cook
 test('mid-session REVOCATION (Bluesky): de-listing a DID kills its elevated cookie session next request', async () => {
   const env = fakeEnv();
   const did = 'did:plc:revokeme';
-  const allowed = { allowlist: { nostrPubkeys: [], blueskyDids: [did] } };
+  const allowed = { allowlist: { nostr: [], bluesky: [{ did: did, role: 'admin' }] } };
   const sid = await blueskyUserSession(env, did);
   const elevated = await routeAdmin(req('/api/admin/elevate/bluesky', {
     method: 'POST', headers: { cookie: `${SESSION_COOKIE}=${sid}` },
   }), env, allowed);
   const id = sessionIdOf(elevated);
   assert.equal((await routeAdmin(withAdminCookie('/api/admin/whoami', id), env, allowed)).status, 200);
-  const revoked = { allowlist: { nostrPubkeys: [], blueskyDids: [] } };
+  const revoked = { allowlist: EMPTY_ALLOWLIST };
   assert.equal((await routeAdmin(withAdminCookie('/api/admin/whoami', id), env, revoked)).status, 401);
   assert.equal((await routeAdmin(withAdminCookie('/api/admin/whoami', id), env, allowed)).status, 401); // destroyed
 });
@@ -259,7 +296,7 @@ test('mid-session REVOCATION (Bluesky): de-listing a DID kills its elevated cook
 test('a replayed login (same challenge + token) fails: challenges are single-use', async () => {
   const env = fakeEnv();
   const sk = generateSecretKey();
-  const deps = { allowlist: { nostrPubkeys: [getPublicKey(sk)], blueskyDids: [] } };
+  const deps = { allowlist: { nostr: [{ pubkey: getPublicKey(sk), role: 'admin' }], bluesky: [] } };
   const cRes = await routeAdmin(req('/api/admin/login/nostr/challenge', { method: 'POST' }), env, deps);
   const { challenge } = (await cRes.json()) as { challenge: string };
   const body = JSON.stringify({ challenge });
@@ -349,7 +386,7 @@ test('the final <60 s before the absolute bound skips the rewrite (KV min window
 test('logout demands the coordinator-held CSRF token and a same-site request', async () => {
   const env = fakeEnv();
   const sk = generateSecretKey();
-  const deps = { allowlist: { nostrPubkeys: [getPublicKey(sk)], blueskyDids: [] } };
+  const deps = { allowlist: { nostr: [{ pubkey: getPublicKey(sk), role: 'admin' }], bluesky: [] } };
   const login = await nostrLogin(env, sk, deps);
   const id = sessionIdOf(login);
   const { csrf } = (await login.json()) as { csrf: string };
@@ -391,7 +428,7 @@ test('per-request NIP-98 whoami: allowlisted GET signature works once, replay di
   const env = fakeEnv();
   const sk = generateSecretKey();
   const pk = getPublicKey(sk);
-  const deps = { allowlist: { nostrPubkeys: [pk], blueskyDids: [] } };
+  const deps = { allowlist: { nostr: [{ pubkey: pk, role: 'admin' }], bluesky: [] } };
   const token = tokenFor(sk, { url: `${ORIGIN}/api/admin/whoami`, method: 'GET' }); // bodyless: no payload tag
   const call = () => routeAdmin(req('/api/admin/whoami', { headers: { authorization: token } }), env, deps);
   const first = await call();
@@ -404,7 +441,7 @@ test('per-request NIP-98 negatives: bad sig, wrong url, wrong method, stale, fut
   const env = fakeEnv();
   const sk = generateSecretKey();
   const pk = getPublicKey(sk);
-  const deps = { allowlist: { nostrPubkeys: [pk], blueskyDids: [] } };
+  const deps = { allowlist: { nostr: [{ pubkey: pk, role: 'admin' }], bluesky: [] } };
   const url = `${ORIGIN}/api/admin/whoami`;
   const call = (authorization: string, d = deps) =>
     routeAdmin(req('/api/admin/whoami', { headers: { authorization } }), env, d);
@@ -436,7 +473,7 @@ async function blueskyUserSession(env: ReturnType<typeof fakeEnv>, did: string)
 test('an allowlisted DID elevates its user session into an admin session', async () => {
   const env = fakeEnv();
   const did = 'did:plc:adminxyz';
-  const deps = { allowlist: { nostrPubkeys: [], blueskyDids: [did] } };
+  const deps = { allowlist: { nostr: [], bluesky: [{ did: did, role: 'admin' }] } };
   const sid = await blueskyUserSession(env, did);
   const res = await routeAdmin(req('/api/admin/elevate/bluesky', {
     method: 'POST', headers: { cookie: `${SESSION_COOKIE}=${sid}` },
@@ -453,7 +490,7 @@ test('an allowlisted DID elevates its user session into an admin session', async
 
 test('elevation rejects: no user session, non-allowlisted DID, nostr-only user, cross-site', async () => {
   const env = fakeEnv();
-  const deps = { allowlist: { nostrPubkeys: [], blueskyDids: ['did:plc:someoneelse'] } };
+  const deps = { allowlist: { nostr: [], bluesky: [{ did: 'did:plc:someoneelse', role: 'admin' }] } };
   // no session cookie
   assert.equal((await routeAdmin(req('/api/admin/elevate/bluesky', { method: 'POST' }), env, deps)).status, 401);
   // session exists but the DID is not allowlisted → same generic 401