diff --git a/INTENT.md b/INTENT.md
index 948effe..66abaaa 100644
--- a/INTENT.md
+++ b/INTENT.md
@@ -454,6 +454,40 @@ This repository should be:
 
 ---
 
+## MVP Coordination — Code Lives Upstream
+
+During the umbrella-first MVP phase (decided 2026-05-24), **the source code
+for this subsystem does not live in this repository yet**. It lives in the
+umbrella repo at `citation-evidence/src/binder/`.
+
+This INTENT.md documents the *intended* responsibilities and boundaries.
+When the binding model and visual-guide rect-registry contract have stabilized
+through actual MVP use, the corresponding code extracts into this repository.
+
+**Shared contracts** (EvidenceLink.status enum, EvidenceLink.relation enum,
+EvidenceSet shape, rect registry contract, allowed dependency edges) are
+maintained in the umbrella repo:
+
+* `citation-evidence/wiki/SharedContracts.md`
+* `citation-evidence/wiki/DependencyMap.md`
+* `citation-evidence/docs/decisions/` (ADRs)
+
+This subsystem's eventual code must not contradict those documents. The
+target-evidence-state vocabulary in the original INTENT
+(`no-evidence|candidate|confirmed|conflicting|insufficient|verified`) is now
+canonical in `SharedContracts.md` §2.4. The relation vocabulary
+(`supports|contradicts|explains|qualifies|source-for|context-for`) is now
+canonical in `SharedContracts.md` §2.5; `derived-from` and `needs-check`
+were dropped — `derived-from` is a domain-specific extension, `needs-check`
+belongs on link status.
+
+Under the dependency map, **`evidence-binder` may depend on `citation-engine`
+and `evidence-anchor`** — but NOT on `evidence-source` or `citation-work`.
+When the binder needs source context, it asks `evidence-anchor` to resolve
+the annotation.
+
+---
+
 ## Guiding Statement
 
 **evidence-binder exists to connect cited evidence to the structured things it supports.**