diff --git a/tests/README.md b/tests/README.md
index ac02643..469e296 100644
--- a/tests/README.md
+++ b/tests/README.md
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ compiles XMRig and mines. Each layer covers what the one below it has to stub.
 | **Coverage gate** | [`coverage.sh`](coverage.sh) | kcov in **Docker**. **In CI.** | Line coverage of `rigforge.sh` + `util/proposed-grub.sh` by running `run.sh` under kcov; enforces the committed floor ([`coverage-floor.txt`](coverage-floor.txt)) plus a patch-coverage gate (diff-cover) on changed lines. | `make coverage` |
 | **Release smoke (quick)** | [`smoke.sh`](smoke.sh) | Real Linux rig, **manual**. Not in CI. | The compiled binary actually starts and hashes (`xmrig --bench`, fully offline). Fast pre-tag confidence that the worker we ship runs. | `make smoke` |
 | **Release e2e (full)** | [`e2e-real.sh`](e2e-real.sh) | Real Linux rig, **manual, root**. Not in CI. | The real thing end to end: build + tune + kernel tuning + service + a real hash, the writable control path (#236) against real systemd (`control` phase), the remote-upgrade chain with real git as the root oneshot (`upgrade` phase, #322), then a clean uninstall. **The release gate.** | `make e2e-real` (see [`RELEASING.md`](../RELEASING.md)) |
-| **Release e2e (worker↔stack)** | [`e2e-pithead.sh`](e2e-pithead.sh) ([`control` phase](e2e-pithead-control.sh), [`access-tokens` phase](e2e-pithead-tokens.sh)) | Real rig + a **live Pithead stack**, **manual, root**. Not in CI (`connect`/`control`/`access-tokens` also run as a `rigforge`/`tier4-e2e` bench-ci job). | The integration contract: mining round-trip against the stack, the `:8080` API posture (open/token/`restricted`), the writable control path's DONATION apply round trip (#344/#509), a named `ACCESS_TOKENS` entry authenticating `:8081`/`:8082` while staying refused on `:8080` and after revocation (#516), stratum auth accept/reject + rotation, dashboard visibility/drop-off, dev-fee independence, and the sister-API **hashrate-impact guard** (#99 must not shave H/s under polling load). | `PITHEAD_URL=host:3333 sudo -E make e2e-pithead` (see [`RELEASING.md`](../RELEASING.md)) |
+| **Release e2e (worker↔stack)** | [`e2e-pithead.sh`](e2e-pithead.sh) ([`control` phase](e2e-pithead-control.sh), [`access-tokens` phase](e2e-pithead-tokens.sh)) | Real rig + a **live Pithead stack**, **manual, root**. Not in CI (`connect`/`control`/`access-tokens` also run as a `rigforge`/`tier4-e2e` bench-ci job). | The integration contract: the `network` phase records fixed boolean summary diagnostics (`network-summary`) before enforcing metadata and the XMRig key superset, without logging response bodies or key names; `network-sequence` reproduces the nightly `connect` → `worker-api` → `api-impact` → `network` prefix in one process/snapshot and stops there (separate phase submissions restore between phases); mining round-trip against the stack, the `:8080` API posture (open/token/`restricted`), the writable control path's DONATION apply round trip (#344/#509), a named `ACCESS_TOKENS` entry authenticating `:8081`/`:8082` while staying refused on `:8080` and after revocation (#516), stratum auth accept/reject + rotation, dashboard visibility/drop-off, dev-fee independence, and the sister-API **hashrate-impact guard** (#99 must not shave H/s under polling load). | `PITHEAD_URL=host:3333 sudo -E make e2e-pithead` (see [`RELEASING.md`](../RELEASING.md)) |
 
 The unit + black-box suite, the Linux container e2e, and the coverage gate run automatically on every
 push/PR (see [`.github/workflows/ci.yml`](../.github/workflows/ci.yml)). The native macOS e2e is
diff --git a/tests/e2e-pithead.sh b/tests/e2e-pithead.sh
index e2eafd6..fbb5469 100644
--- a/tests/e2e-pithead.sh
+++ b/tests/e2e-pithead.sh
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ RIGFORGE="$HERE/rigforge.sh"
 CFG="$HERE/config.json"
 source "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/e2e-pithead-control.sh" && source "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/e2e-pithead-tokens.sh" # phase_control (#509), phase_access_tokens (#516)
 
-source "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/e2e-control-replay.sh"
+source "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/e2e-control-replay.sh" && source "$HERE/tests/e2e-summary-diagnostics.sh"
 # bench-ci-fixture: pithead-control control-replay-thermal control-replay-pools
 PASS=0 FAIL=0 E2E_EXIT_RC=0
 ok() {
@@ -370,16 +370,15 @@ phase_network() {
     else
         bad "miner has unexpected listeners: $xl"
     fi
-    # Require the documented metadata, then compare the remaining keys exactly with XMRig's API.
     k1=$(api8080 http://127.0.0.1:8080/2/summary | jq -cS 'keys' 2>/dev/null || true)
     k2=$(api8081 http://127.0.0.1:8081/2/summary)
+    printf '%s\n' "${k1:-null}" "${k2:-null}" | summary_contract_diagnostics
     if [ -n "$k1" ] && printf '%s' "$k2" | jq -e '(.rigforge | type) == "object" and (.generated_at | type) == "string" and (.generated_at as $g | [try ($g | fromdateiso8601 | strftime("%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ")) catch empty] == [$g])' >/dev/null 2>&1 &&
         [ "$k1" = "$(printf '%s' "$k2" | jq -cS 'del(.rigforge, .generated_at) | keys' 2>/dev/null || true)" ]; then
         ok "wire superset: sister /2/summary = xmrig's keys + rigforge + generated_at"
     else
         bad "sister summary lacks valid metadata or its XMRig key superset differs"
     fi
-    # No response on either port may expose the configured token or pool password.
     set_cfg '.ACCESS_TOKEN = "tok-net1" | .pools[0].pass = "pass-net1"'
     sleep 3
     sweep=$(
@@ -534,7 +533,7 @@ summary() {
 require_preflight "$@"
 # Validate the phase against its own `phase_<name>` function: a typo dies with the rig untouched.
 # #183: the lock follows, before snapshot_config (whose _cleanup runs `apply`) and the first API touch.
-[ "${1:-all}" = all ] || declare -F "phase_${1//-/_}" >/dev/null || die "unknown phase '$1' (connect|worker-api|api-impact|network|stratum-auth|dashboard|dev-fee|control|control-replay-thermal|control-replay-pools|access-tokens|all)"
+[ "${1:-all}" = all ] || declare -F "phase_${1//-/_}" >/dev/null || die "unknown phase '$1' (connect|worker-api|api-impact|network|network-sequence|stratum-auth|dashboard|dev-fee|control|control-replay-thermal|control-replay-pools|access-tokens|all)"
 replay_lock "${1:-all}"
 
 snapshot_config
@@ -543,6 +542,7 @@ connect) phase_connect ;;
 worker-api) phase_worker_api ;;
 api-impact) phase_api_impact ;;
 network) phase_network ;;
+network-sequence) phase_network_sequence ;;
 stratum-auth) phase_stratum_auth ;;
 dashboard) phase_dashboard ;;
 dev-fee) phase_dev_fee ;;
@@ -555,7 +555,7 @@ all)
         [ "$FAIL" -eq 0 ] || break
     done
     ;;
-*) die "unknown phase '$1' (connect|worker-api|api-impact|network|stratum-auth|dashboard|dev-fee|control|control-replay-thermal|control-replay-pools|access-tokens|all)" ;;
+*) die "unknown phase '$1' (connect|worker-api|api-impact|network|network-sequence|stratum-auth|dashboard|dev-fee|control|control-replay-thermal|control-replay-pools|access-tokens|all)" ;;
 esac
 _cleanup || bad "pre-test config/runtime restoration failed; snapshot retained at $SAVED_CFG"
 trap - EXIT
diff --git a/tests/e2e-summary-diagnostics.sh b/tests/e2e-summary-diagnostics.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..469a1ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/e2e-summary-diagnostics.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+# shellcheck shell=bash
+# Fixed-schema observations only: never echo bodies, key names, timestamps or parser errors.
+summary_contract_diagnostics() {
+    local result
+    result=$(jq -cs '
+        if length != 2 then error("record count") else . end |
+        .[0] as $keys | .[1] as $body |
+        (if ($body | type) == "object" then $body else {} end) as $s |
+        {json_valid: true,
+         worker_keys: (($keys | type) == "array"),
+         sister_object: (($body | type) == "object"),
+         rigforge_object: (($s.rigforge | type) == "object"),
+         generated_at_valid: (try ($s.generated_at as $g |
+             ($g | type) == "string" and
+             [($g | fromdateiso8601 | strftime("%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ"))] == [$g]) catch false),
+         xmrig_unreachable: (try ($s.rigforge.xmrig_api == "unreachable") catch false),
+         keys_match: ($keys == ($s | del(.rigforge, .generated_at) | keys))}
+    ' 2>/dev/null) || result='{"json_valid":false}'
+    printf 'network-summary: %s\n' "$result"
+}
+# Preserve the nightly prefix in one snapshot, without running unrelated later phases.
+phase_network_sequence() {
+    local run_phase
+    for run_phase in phase_connect phase_worker_api phase_api_impact phase_network; do
+        "$run_phase"
+        [ "$FAIL" -eq 0 ] || return 1
+    done
+}
diff --git a/tests/test-e2e-gate-fail-closed.sh b/tests/test-e2e-gate-fail-closed.sh
index c78d8c6..4748591 100644
--- a/tests/test-e2e-gate-fail-closed.sh
+++ b/tests/test-e2e-gate-fail-closed.sh
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 # shellcheck disable=SC2016,SC2034,SC2329
 # Hardware-free regression for the release-gate failure plumbing (#491).
 echo "== unit: release e2e gates fail closed (#491) =="
+source "$ROOT/tests/test-summary-diagnostics.sh"
 source "$ROOT/tests/e2e-refresh-window.sh"
 T491="$(mktemp -d "$SANDBOX/gate491.XXXXXX")"
 
@@ -64,7 +65,7 @@ pit_dispatch_case() { # <phase arg> -> what-ran:rc
     out="$(
         eval "$PIT_DIE"
         FAIL=0
-        for p in connect worker_api api_impact network stratum_auth dashboard dev_fee control access_tokens; do
+        for p in connect worker_api api_impact network network_sequence stratum_auth dashboard dev_fee control access_tokens; do
             eval "phase_$p() { printf '%s ' $p; }"
         done
         set -- "$1"
@@ -73,6 +74,7 @@ pit_dispatch_case() { # <phase arg> -> what-ran:rc
     rc=$?
     printf '%s:%s\n' "${out:-nothing}" "$rc"
 }
+assert_eq "dispatch selects the network sequence" "$(pit_dispatch_case network-sequence)" "network_sequence :0"
 assert_eq "dispatch runs the named phase" "$(pit_dispatch_case worker-api)" "worker_api :0"
 assert_eq "dispatch runs every phase for 'all'" "$(pit_dispatch_case all)" "connect worker_api api_impact network stratum_auth dashboard dev_fee control access_tokens :0"
 assert_eq "an underscored typo dies instead of silently passing with nothing run" "$(pit_dispatch_case worker_api)" "nothing:2"
diff --git a/tests/test-summary-diagnostics.sh b/tests/test-summary-diagnostics.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c8c1e59
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test-summary-diagnostics.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+# shellcheck shell=bash
+# shellcheck disable=SC2034
+# Hardware-free diagnosis of #563; raw response fields must never reach the job log.
+source "$ROOT/tests/e2e-summary-diagnostics.sh"
+summary_diag_case() { printf '%s\n' "$1" "$2" | summary_contract_diagnostics; }
+DIAG_GOOD='{"hashrate":{},"rigforge":{},"generated_at":"2026-10-02T06:00:00Z"}'
+diag=$(summary_diag_case '["hashrate"]' "$DIAG_GOOD")
+assert_eq "summary diagnostics: valid superset classified" "$diag" 'network-summary: {"json_valid":true,"worker_keys":true,"sister_object":true,"rigforge_object":true,"generated_at_valid":true,"xmrig_unreachable":false,"keys_match":true}'
+assert_eq "summary diagnostics: absent record sanitized" "$(summary_diag_case '["hashrate"]' '')" 'network-summary: {"json_valid":false}'
+for payload in 'null' '[]' '"secret-marker"' 'true' '42'; do
+    diag=$(summary_diag_case '["hashrate"]' "$payload")
+    assert_contains "summary diagnostics: missing/non-object sister classified" "$diag" '"sister_object":false'
+done
+for stamp in '' 'secret-marker' '2026-10-02T06:00:00+00:00'; do
+    diag=$(summary_diag_case '["hashrate"]' "$(printf '%s' "$DIAG_GOOD" | jq --arg s "$stamp" '.generated_at=$s')")
+    assert_contains "summary diagnostics: invalid timestamp classified" "$diag" '"generated_at_valid":false'
+    assert_absent "summary diagnostics: timestamp value omitted" "$diag" 'secret-marker'
+done
+diag=$(summary_diag_case '["hashrate"]' '{"rigforge":{"xmrig_api":"unreachable","secret":"secret-marker"},"generated_at":"2026-10-02T06:00:00Z"}')
+assert_contains "summary diagnostics: unreachable snapshot distinguished" "$diag" '"xmrig_unreachable":true'
+assert_contains "summary diagnostics: missing XMRig keys distinguished" "$diag" '"keys_match":false'
+assert_absent "summary diagnostics: nested secrets omitted" "$diag" 'secret-marker'
+diag=$(summary_diag_case '["secret-marker"]' "$DIAG_GOOD")
+assert_absent "summary diagnostics: key names omitted" "$diag" 'secret-marker'
+assert_eq "summary diagnostics: malformed JSON sanitized" "$(summary_diag_case '["hashrate"]' '{secret-marker')" 'network-summary: {"json_valid":false}'
+assert_eq "summary diagnostics: multiple records refused" "$(summary_diag_case '[]' '{} {}')" 'network-summary: {"json_valid":false}'
+# Exercise phase wiring and keep the original failing assertion fatal.
+(
+    eval "$(sed -n '/^phase_network()/,/^}/p' "$ROOT/tests/e2e-pithead.sh")"
+    HERE="$ROOT" PITHEAD_URL=pool.invalid:3333
+    phase() { :; }
+    set_cfg() { :; }
+    sleep() { :; }
+    ss() {
+        case "$1" in
+        -Htnp) printf 'ESTAB 0 0 local pool.invalid:3333 xmrig\n' ;;
+        -Htln) printf 'LISTEN 0 0 *:8081 peer\n' ;;
+        -Htlnp) printf 'LISTEN 0 0 *:8080 peer xmrig\n' ;;
+        esac
+    }
+    api8080() { printf '{"hashrate":{}}'; }
+    api8081() { printf '{"rigforge":{"xmrig_api":"unreachable"}}'; }
+    ok() { :; }
+    bad() {
+        printf 'FAIL:%s\n' "$1"
+        return 1
+    }
+    set -e
+    phase_network
+) >"$SANDBOX/summary-diag-phase" 2>&1
+rc=$?
+assert_rc "summary diagnostics: wire failure remains fatal" "$rc" 1
+assert_contains "summary diagnostics: phase emits observations before failure" "$(cat "$SANDBOX/summary-diag-phase")" 'network-summary:'
+assert_contains "summary diagnostics: original failing row retained" "$(cat "$SANDBOX/summary-diag-phase")" 'FAIL:sister summary lacks valid metadata or its XMRig key superset differs'
+# No inter-phase cleanup: the same shell state must reach the network check.
+summary_sequence_case() {
+    (
+        set -e
+        FAIL=0 sequence_state=initial
+        phase_connect() {
+            sequence_state=connected
+            printf 'connect '
+        }
+        phase_worker_api() {
+            [ "$sequence_state" = connected ]
+            sequence_state=worker
+            printf 'worker-api '
+        }
+        fault=$1
+        phase_api_impact() {
+            [ "$sequence_state" = worker ]
+            sequence_state=loaded
+            printf 'api-impact '
+            case "$fault" in fatal) return 7 ;; row) FAIL=1 ;; esac
+            return 0
+        }
+        phase_network() {
+            [ "$sequence_state" = loaded ]
+            printf network
+        }
+        phase_network_sequence
+    )
+}
+assert_eq "network sequence: ordered nightly prefix shares shell state" "$(summary_sequence_case success)" 'connect worker-api api-impact network'
+sequence_out=$(summary_sequence_case fatal)
+assert_rc "network sequence: fatal phase status propagates" "$?" 7
+assert_eq "network sequence: fatal predecessor stops before network" "$sequence_out" 'connect worker-api api-impact '
+sequence_out=$(summary_sequence_case row)
+assert_rc "network sequence: failed row stops the prefix" "$?" 1
+assert_eq "network sequence: failed predecessor row stops before network" "$sequence_out" 'connect worker-api api-impact '