diff --git a/contracts/examples/applied-fix.valid.json b/contracts/examples/applied-fix.valid.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b3ff703
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contracts/examples/applied-fix.valid.json
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+{
+  "id": "urn:srcos:workstation-action-boundary:applied-fix-shell-20260718",
+  "specVersion": "0.1.0",
+  "artifact_kind": "applied_fix",
+  "requested_action": "fix shell",
+  "mutation_planned": true,
+  "mutation_performed": true,
+  "performed_by": "sourceos-cli/mdheller",
+  "policy_decision_refs": ["urn:srcos:policy-decision:fix-shell-admission-20260718"],
+  "before_refs": ["urn:srcos:evidence:shell-config-before-20260718"],
+  "after_refs": ["urn:srcos:evidence:shell-config-after-20260718"],
+  "evidence_refs": ["urn:srcos:evidence:doctor-report-20260718"],
+  "reversible": true,
+  "rollback_refs": ["urn:srcos:rollback:fix-shell-rollback-20260718"],
+  "sensitive_data_excluded": true,
+  "downstream_consumers": ["agentplane", "sociosphere", "prophet-cli"]
+}
diff --git a/contracts/examples/doctor-report.INVALID-mutation-claimed.json b/contracts/examples/doctor-report.INVALID-mutation-claimed.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..132b364
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contracts/examples/doctor-report.INVALID-mutation-claimed.json
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+{
+  "_invalid": "doctor_report must not claim mutation_performed=true",
+  "id": "urn:srcos:workstation-action-boundary:bad-doctor-20260718",
+  "specVersion": "0.1.0",
+  "artifact_kind": "doctor_report",
+  "requested_action": "doctor workstation-v0",
+  "mutation_planned": false,
+  "mutation_performed": true,
+  "evidence_refs": ["urn:srcos:evidence:doctor-sh-output-20260718"],
+  "sensitive_data_excluded": true
+}
diff --git a/contracts/examples/doctor-report.valid.json b/contracts/examples/doctor-report.valid.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..436b489
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contracts/examples/doctor-report.valid.json
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+{
+  "id": "urn:srcos:workstation-action-boundary:doctor-report-workstation-v0-20260718",
+  "specVersion": "0.1.0",
+  "artifact_kind": "doctor_report",
+  "requested_action": "doctor workstation-v0",
+  "mutation_planned": false,
+  "mutation_performed": false,
+  "evidence_refs": ["urn:srcos:evidence:doctor-sh-output-20260718"],
+  "sensitive_data_excluded": true,
+  "downstream_consumers": ["agentplane", "sociosphere"]
+}
diff --git a/contracts/examples/fix-plan.INVALID-no-policy-refs.json b/contracts/examples/fix-plan.INVALID-no-policy-refs.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eb73c7d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contracts/examples/fix-plan.INVALID-no-policy-refs.json
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+{
+  "_invalid": "applied_fix without policy_decision_refs — forbidden",
+  "id": "urn:srcos:workstation-action-boundary:bad-fix-no-policy-20260718",
+  "specVersion": "0.1.0",
+  "artifact_kind": "applied_fix",
+  "requested_action": "fix shell",
+  "mutation_planned": true,
+  "mutation_performed": true,
+  "performed_by": "some-agent",
+  "before_refs": ["urn:srcos:evidence:before"],
+  "after_refs": ["urn:srcos:evidence:after"],
+  "policy_decision_refs": [],
+  "evidence_refs": [],
+  "sensitive_data_excluded": true
+}
diff --git a/contracts/validate-workstation-boundary.py b/contracts/validate-workstation-boundary.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cb62f46
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contracts/validate-workstation-boundary.py
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Validate WorkstationActionBoundary records against the lifecycle-boundary contract.
+
+Usage:
+    python3 contracts/validate-workstation-boundary.py <record.json> [<record.json> ...]
+
+Exits 0 if all records pass. Exits 1 if any fail.
+"""
+
+import json
+import sys
+
+MUTATION_FREE_KINDS = {"doctor_report", "fix_plan"}
+MUTATION_REQUIRED_KINDS = {"applied_fix"}
+POLICY_REQUIRED_KINDS = {"applied_fix", "admission_decision"}
+
+
+def validate(path):
+    errors = []
+    try:
+        with open(path) as f:
+            r = json.load(f)
+    except Exception as e:
+        return [f"parse error: {e}"]
+
+    kind = r.get("artifact_kind", "")
+    mutation_performed = r.get("mutation_performed", False)
+    mutation_planned = r.get("mutation_planned", False)
+
+    # doctor/report/fix-plan must never claim mutation_performed
+    if kind in MUTATION_FREE_KINDS and mutation_performed:
+        errors.append(
+            f"FAIL [{kind}]: mutation_performed=true is forbidden for {kind}. "
+            "A doctor/report/fix-plan artifact must not imply a mutation was executed."
+        )
+
+    # applied_fix must claim mutation_performed
+    if kind in MUTATION_REQUIRED_KINDS and not mutation_performed:
+        errors.append(
+            f"FAIL [{kind}]: mutation_performed=false for applied_fix. "
+            "An applied_fix record must confirm the mutation occurred."
+        )
+
+    # mutation requires policy refs
+    if mutation_performed and not r.get("policy_decision_refs"):
+        errors.append(
+            "FAIL: mutation_performed=true but policy_decision_refs is empty. "
+            "Every mutation requires an explicit policy/admission decision ref."
+        )
+
+    # mutation requires before/after evidence
+    if mutation_performed and not r.get("before_refs"):
+        errors.append("FAIL: mutation_performed=true but before_refs is empty.")
+    if mutation_performed and not r.get("after_refs"):
+        errors.append("FAIL: mutation_performed=true but after_refs is empty.")
+
+    # mutation requires performed_by
+    if mutation_performed and not r.get("performed_by"):
+        errors.append("FAIL: mutation_performed=true but performed_by is missing.")
+
+    # fix_plan without policy refs is fine — it's a plan, not a decision
+    # but fix_plan claiming mutation_planned=false is suspicious
+    if kind == "fix_plan" and not mutation_planned:
+        errors.append(
+            "WARN [fix_plan]: mutation_planned=false on a fix_plan. "
+            "A fix plan that proposes no mutation is likely a doctor_report."
+        )
+
+    # sensitive data must be excluded
+    if r.get("sensitive_data_excluded") is not True:
+        errors.append(
+            "FAIL: sensitive_data_excluded must be true. "
+            "Raw credentials, prompt content, and private keys must not appear in boundary records."
+        )
+
+    return errors
+
+
+def main():
+    if len(sys.argv) < 2:
+        print(f"Usage: {sys.argv[0]} <record.json> [...]")
+        sys.exit(2)
+
+    overall_pass = True
+    for path in sys.argv[1:]:
+        errors = validate(path)
+        if errors:
+            overall_pass = False
+            print(f"\n{path}: FAIL")
+            for e in errors:
+                print(f"  {e}")
+        else:
+            print(f"{path}: OK")
+
+    sys.exit(0 if overall_pass else 1)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()
diff --git a/contracts/workstation-action-boundary.schema.json b/contracts/workstation-action-boundary.schema.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7dffb58
--- /dev/null
+++ b/contracts/workstation-action-boundary.schema.json
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+{
+  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
+  "$id": "urn:srcos:source-os:schema:workstation-action-boundary:v0.1.0",
+  "title": "WorkstationActionBoundary",
+  "description": "Records the boundary between observation, planning, policy, and mutation in SourceOS workstation flows. Prevents doctor/report artifacts from implying mutations were performed, and prevents fix plans from implying policy admission.",
+  "type": "object",
+  "additionalProperties": false,
+  "required": [
+    "id",
+    "specVersion",
+    "artifact_kind",
+    "requested_action",
+    "mutation_planned",
+    "mutation_performed",
+    "evidence_refs"
+  ],
+  "properties": {
+    "id": {
+      "type": "string",
+      "description": "URN of this boundary record.",
+      "pattern": "^urn:srcos:workstation-action-boundary:.+"
+    },
+    "specVersion": {
+      "type": "string",
+      "const": "0.1.0"
+    },
+    "artifact_kind": {
+      "type": "string",
+      "description": "Which stage of the workstation flow produced this record.",
+      "enum": [
+        "doctor_report",
+        "fix_plan",
+        "admission_decision",
+        "applied_fix",
+        "post_fix_report"
+      ]
+    },
+    "evidence_refs": {
+      "type": "array",
+      "description": "URNs of evidence artifacts this record is based on (observations, probes, receipts).",
+      "items": { "type": "string" }
+    },
+    "policy_decision_refs": {
+      "type": "array",
+      "description": "URNs of policy/admission decisions that authorized any mutation. Required when mutation_performed is true.",
+      "items": { "type": "string" }
+    },
+    "requested_action": {
+      "type": "string",
+      "description": "The action that was requested (e.g., fix-shell, apply-profile, re-index)."
+    },
+    "mutation_planned": {
+      "type": "boolean",
+      "description": "Whether a mutation was proposed in this artifact (true for fix_plan, admission_decision, applied_fix)."
+    },
+    "mutation_performed": {
+      "type": "boolean",
+      "description": "Whether a mutation was actually executed. Must be false for doctor_report and fix_plan."
+    },
+    "performed_by": {
+      "type": "string",
+      "description": "Identity of the actor that performed the mutation. Required when mutation_performed is true."
+    },
+    "before_refs": {
+      "type": "array",
+      "description": "URNs of evidence capturing system state before mutation. Required when mutation_performed is true.",
+      "items": { "type": "string" }
+    },
+    "after_refs": {
+      "type": "array",
+      "description": "URNs of evidence capturing system state after mutation. Required when mutation_performed is true.",
+      "items": { "type": "string" }
+    },
+    "reversible": {
+      "type": "boolean",
+      "description": "Whether this mutation can be rolled back."
+    },
+    "rollback_refs": {
+      "type": "array",
+      "description": "URNs of rollback artifacts or procedures if reversible is true.",
+      "items": { "type": "string" }
+    },
+    "downstream_consumers": {
+      "type": "array",
+      "description": "Repos/services that consume this artifact (e.g., agentplane, sociosphere, prophet-cli). These are consumers, not implicit authorities.",
+      "items": { "type": "string" }
+    },
+    "sensitive_data_excluded": {
+      "type": "boolean",
+      "description": "Confirms that raw sensitive local data (credentials, raw prompt content, private keys) is not included in this record.",
+      "const": true
+    }
+  },
+  "if": {
+    "properties": { "mutation_performed": { "const": true } }
+  },
+  "then": {
+    "required": ["policy_decision_refs", "performed_by", "before_refs", "after_refs"]
+  }
+}
diff --git a/workstation/bin/sourceos b/workstation/bin/sourceos
index 267ee47..cd16609 100755
--- a/workstation/bin/sourceos
+++ b/workstation/bin/sourceos
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ Usage:
   sourceos profile list
   sourceos profile apply <profile>
   sourceos doctor [<profile>]
+  sourceos index status [--json]
+  sourceos index explain --file <path>
 
 Notes:
   - This CLI is the implementation surface. Design/RFCs live in SociOS-Linux/enhancements.
@@ -50,6 +52,50 @@ doctor() {
   exec "$doc"
 }
 
+index_status() {
+  local json_mode=0
+  [[ "${1:-}" == "--json" ]] && json_mode=1
+
+  local queue_depth=0
+  local generation="stub-v0"
+  local failed_extractors=0
+  local paused_lanes=0
+  local policy_denied_count=0
+  local status="stub"
+  local note="sourceos-indexd is not yet running. This is the stub surface (issue #162)."
+
+  if [[ "$json_mode" -eq 1 ]]; then
+    printf '{"status":"%s","generation":"%s","queue_depth":%d,"failed_extractors":%d,"paused_lanes":%d,"policy_denied_count":%d,"note":"%s"}\n' \
+      "$status" "$generation" "$queue_depth" "$failed_extractors" "$paused_lanes" "$policy_denied_count" "$note"
+  else
+    printf "SourceOS Index Status\n"
+    printf "  status:              %s\n" "$status"
+    printf "  generation:          %s\n" "$generation"
+    printf "  queue_depth:         %d\n" "$queue_depth"
+    printf "  failed_extractors:   %d\n" "$failed_extractors"
+    printf "  paused_lanes:        %d\n" "$paused_lanes"
+    printf "  policy_denied_count: %d\n" "$policy_denied_count"
+    printf "  note:                %s\n" "$note"
+  fi
+}
+
+index_explain() {
+  local file=""
+  while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
+    case "$1" in
+      --file) shift; file="${1:-}"; shift ;;
+      *) err "unknown option: $1"; exit 2 ;;
+    esac
+  done
+  [[ -n "$file" ]] || { err "--file <path> required"; exit 2; }
+
+  local abs_path
+  abs_path="$(realpath "$file" 2>/dev/null || echo "$file")"
+
+  printf '{"file":"%s","last_observed_event":"never","path_policy":"unknown","extractor_identity":"stub","receipt_status":"absent","generation_membership":"none","semantic_indexing_enabled":false,"cloud_exposure_enabled":false,"note":"sourceos-indexd stub (issue #162). Full explain requires indexd daemon."}\n' \
+    "$abs_path"
+}
+
 main() {
   local cmd=${1:-}
   case "$cmd" in
@@ -78,6 +124,25 @@ main() {
       shift
       doctor "${1:-workstation-v0}"
       ;;
+    index)
+      shift
+      local sub=${1:-}
+      case "$sub" in
+        status)
+          shift
+          index_status "${@}"
+          ;;
+        explain)
+          shift
+          index_explain "${@}"
+          ;;
+        *)
+          err "unknown index subcommand: $sub"
+          usage
+          exit 2
+          ;;
+      esac
+      ;;
     *)
       err "unknown command: $cmd"
       usage