diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 408542a..a01c5b7 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -195,6 +195,14 @@ status: ## Show live security state of all hosts (UFW, fail2ban, SSH hardening)
 	cd $(ANS_DIR) && ansible all -u $(SSH_USER) -m shell -a "systemctl is-active fail2ban"
 	@echo "=== SSH hardening ==="
 	cd $(ANS_DIR) && ansible all -u $(SSH_USER) -m shell -a "grep -iE '^(PermitRootLogin|PasswordAuthentication)' /etc/ssh/sshd_config" --become
+	@echo ""
+	@echo "--- Hint: run 'make verify' for a structured pass/fail report ---"
+
+verify: ## Run Goss test suite against all hosts — exits non-zero on failure
+	@echo "Running Goss baseline assertions..."
+	@cd $(ANS_DIR) && ansible-playbook playbooks/verify.yaml -u $(SSH_USER) && \
+	  echo "All assertions passed." || \
+	  (echo "One or more assertions FAILED — see reports/ for TAP output." && exit 1)
 
 converge: ## Converge all hosts to the baseline (idempotent)
 	cd $(ANS_DIR) && ansible-playbook $(PLAY) -u $(SSH_USER)
diff --git a/ansible/playbooks/verify.yaml b/ansible/playbooks/verify.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..00fbdb5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ansible/playbooks/verify.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+---
+# verify.yaml — Deploy Goss, run baseline assertions, fetch TAP results.
+# Exit code mirrors Goss: 0 = all pass, non-zero = failures.
+#
+# Usage:
+#   ansible-playbook ansible/playbooks/verify.yaml -u admin
+#   make verify
+
+- hosts: all
+  become: true
+  gather_facts: true
+  roles:
+    - role: goss
diff --git a/ansible/roles/goss/tasks/main.yml b/ansible/roles/goss/tasks/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bfebdff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ansible/roles/goss/tasks/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+---
+# Role: goss
+# Installs the Goss binary, deploys test files, runs assertions, fetches results.
+
+- name: Set Goss version and paths
+  ansible.builtin.set_fact:
+    goss_version: "0.4.9"
+    goss_bin: /usr/local/bin/goss
+    goss_dir: /etc/goss
+
+- name: Create Goss config directory
+  ansible.builtin.file:
+    path: "{{ goss_dir }}"
+    state: directory
+    owner: root
+    group: root
+    mode: "0755"
+
+- name: Download Goss binary
+  ansible.builtin.get_url:
+    url: "https://github.com/goss-org/goss/releases/download/v{{ goss_version }}/goss-linux-amd64"
+    dest: "{{ goss_bin }}"
+    mode: "0755"
+    checksum: "sha256:https://github.com/goss-org/goss/releases/download/v{{ goss_version }}/goss-linux-amd64.sha256"
+  register: goss_download
+
+- name: Copy baseline test file
+  ansible.builtin.copy:
+    src: "{{ playbook_dir }}/../goss/baseline.yaml"
+    dest: "{{ goss_dir }}/baseline.yaml"
+    owner: root
+    group: root
+    mode: "0644"
+
+- name: Run Goss assertions (TAP output)
+  ansible.builtin.command:
+    cmd: "{{ goss_bin }} -g {{ goss_dir }}/baseline.yaml validate --format tap"
+  register: goss_result
+  failed_when: goss_result.rc != 0
+  changed_when: false
+
+- name: Ensure local reports directory exists
+  ansible.builtin.file:
+    path: "{{ playbook_dir }}/../reports"
+    state: directory
+    mode: "0755"
+  delegate_to: localhost
+  become: false
+
+- name: Write TAP report locally
+  ansible.builtin.copy:
+    content: "{{ goss_result.stdout }}"
+    dest: "{{ playbook_dir }}/../reports/goss-{{ inventory_hostname }}-{{ ansible_date_time.date }}.tap"
+    mode: "0644"
+  delegate_to: localhost
+  become: false
diff --git a/docs/adr/ADR-002-repo-boundary-hosts-vs-bootstrap.md b/docs/adr/ADR-002-repo-boundary-hosts-vs-bootstrap.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4b1e740
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/adr/ADR-002-repo-boundary-hosts-vs-bootstrap.md
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+# ADR-002 — Repository Boundary: railiance-hosts vs railiance-bootstrap
+
+**Status:** Accepted
+**Date:** 2026-03-09
+**Deciders:** Bernd Worsch
+
+---
+
+## Context
+
+Two repositories exist in the Railiance domain that both touch server
+configuration:
+
+- **`railiance-hosts`** — manages the OS baseline, security hardening,
+  inventory, secrets, and test suite for every managed node.
+- **`railiance-bootstrap`** — installs Kubernetes (k3s), Helm, GitOps
+  tooling, and platform services on top of an already-converged base node.
+
+Prior to this ADR, `railiance-bootstrap` contained Ansible playbooks
+(`harden.yml`, `bootstrap.yml`) that overlapped with OS-level tasks now
+owned by `railiance-hosts`. This created a split responsibility that could
+cause drift and conflicting configuration.
+
+---
+
+## Decision
+
+### Ownership table
+
+| Concern | Owner | Notes |
+|---------|-------|-------|
+| SSH hardening (PermitRootLogin, PasswordAuthentication) | `railiance-hosts` | Defined in `spec/server-baseline.yaml` |
+| UFW firewall rules (including k3s/Flannel ports) | `railiance-hosts` | Spec section: `firewall.rules` |
+| fail2ban installation and SSH jail | `railiance-hosts` | Spec section: `security.fail2ban_jails` |
+| Required OS packages (ufw, fail2ban, git, curl, age, sops) | `railiance-hosts` | Spec section: `packages.installed` |
+| Admin user + sudo config | `railiance-hosts` | Spec section: `users` |
+| HISTCONTROL and shell security defaults | `railiance-hosts` | Spec section: `security` |
+| SOPS/age key agent | `railiance-hosts` | `roles/sops_agent` |
+| k3s installation | `railiance-bootstrap` | Consumes a converged base node |
+| Helm + GitOps tooling | `railiance-bootstrap` | |
+| Application-layer Kubernetes resources | `railiance-bootstrap` | |
+
+### Rule
+
+> **Any item present in `spec/server-baseline.yaml` MUST NOT be managed
+> by `railiance-bootstrap`.**
+
+`railiance-bootstrap` may add UFW rules for Kubernetes components (e.g.
+NodePort ranges, cluster-internal ports) but must not remove or override
+the base rules defined in this repo's spec.
+
+### Superseded files in `railiance-bootstrap`
+
+The following files in `railiance-bootstrap` are superseded by the roles
+and spec in `railiance-hosts` and should not be used for new work:
+
+- `ansible/harden.yml`
+- `ansible/bootstrap.yml` (the OS-hardening portions)
+
+An ecosystem todo (`[repo:railiance-bootstrap]`) should be filed to
+formally retire these files or scope them down to k3s-only tasks.
+
+---
+
+## Consequences
+
+- `railiance-hosts` converge step (`make converge`) must run and pass
+  before `railiance-bootstrap` deploys anything.
+- Changes to the OS security baseline (new packages, firewall rules,
+  SSH settings) go into `spec/server-baseline.yaml` → update the Ansible
+  role → update `goss/baseline.yaml` — all in this repo.
+- `make verify` provides a machine-readable assertion that the converge
+  step produced the expected state, suitable for CI gating.
diff --git a/goss/baseline.yaml b/goss/baseline.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1bef9a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/goss/baseline.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+# Goss baseline assertions for railiance managed nodes
+# Derived from spec/server-baseline.yaml — keep in sync.
+# Run: goss -g /etc/goss/baseline.yaml validate
+
+package:
+  ufw:
+    installed: true
+  fail2ban:
+    installed: true
+  git:
+    installed: true
+  curl:
+    installed: true
+  vim:
+    installed: true
+  htop:
+    installed: true
+  age:
+    installed: true
+  sops:
+    installed: true
+
+service:
+  ufw:
+    enabled: true
+    running: true
+  fail2ban:
+    enabled: true
+    running: true
+  ssh:
+    enabled: true
+    running: true
+
+file:
+  /etc/ssh/sshd_config:
+    exists: true
+    contains:
+      - /^PermitRootLogin no/i
+      - /^PasswordAuthentication no/i
+      - /^PubkeyAuthentication yes/i
+
+user:
+  admin:
+    exists: true
+    groups:
+      - sudo
+    shell: /bin/bash
+
+command:
+  "ufw status":
+    exit-status: 0
+    stdout:
+      - "Status: active"
+      - /22\/tcp.*ALLOW/
+      - /6443\/tcp.*ALLOW/
+      - /8472\/udp.*ALLOW/
+  "grep NOPASSWD /etc/sudoers.d/admin":
+    exit-status: 0
+    stdout:
+      - "NOPASSWD"
+  "grep -r HISTCONTROL /etc/profile.d/":
+    exit-status: 0
+    stdout:
+      - "ignorespace"
+  "fail2ban-client status sshd":
+    exit-status: 0
+    stdout:
+      - "Status for the jail: sshd"
diff --git a/goss/vars/baseline-vars.yaml b/goss/vars/baseline-vars.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7743320
--- /dev/null
+++ b/goss/vars/baseline-vars.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# Parameterised values used in goss/baseline.yaml
+# Override per host group if defaults differ.
+
+firewall_ports:
+  ssh: "22/tcp"
+  k3s_api: "6443/tcp"
+  flannel_vxlan: "8472/udp"
+
+admin_user: admin
+goss_binary: /usr/local/bin/goss
+goss_tests_dir: /etc/goss
diff --git a/workplans/RAIL-HO-WP-0002-server-spec-and-test-suite.md b/workplans/RAIL-HO-WP-0002-server-spec-and-test-suite.md
index 1b74808..aa66447 100644
--- a/workplans/RAIL-HO-WP-0002-server-spec-and-test-suite.md
+++ b/workplans/RAIL-HO-WP-0002-server-spec-and-test-suite.md
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ repo: railiance-hosts
 status: active
 owner: railiance
 topic_slug: railiance
-state_hub_workstream_id: ""   # register after creating workstream in hub
+state_hub_workstream_id: "8fed53c2-4c39-4471-8bb9-61f58771fe0c"
 created: "2026-03-09"
 updated: "2026-03-09"
 ---
@@ -123,8 +123,10 @@ and tests must satisfy.
 
 ```task
 id: T03
-status: todo
+status: done
+completed: "2026-03-09"
 priority: high
+state_hub_task_id: "a34a1626-ff38-4925-a957-d94036fbded6"
 ```
 
 Create `goss/baseline.yaml` with Goss assertions that implement every item in
@@ -189,8 +191,10 @@ user:
 
 ```task
 id: T04
-status: todo
+status: done
+completed: "2026-03-09"
 priority: high
+state_hub_task_id: "c072c45b-f18d-45be-b747-6d219c3f1439"
 ```
 
 Create `ansible/roles/goss/` with tasks that:
@@ -217,8 +221,10 @@ clean node, non-zero on a deliberately broken one (test with a manual config cha
 
 ```task
 id: T05
-status: todo
+status: done
+completed: "2026-03-09"
 priority: medium
+state_hub_task_id: "a8100b8e-aed0-4bb4-a0dc-a6bdf3938b8d"
 ```
 
 Add to Makefile:
@@ -239,8 +245,10 @@ Also update `make status` to print a summary line ("All assertions passed" /
 
 ```task
 id: T06
-status: todo
+status: done
+completed: "2026-03-09"
 priority: medium
+state_hub_task_id: "c3d98022-638d-4dcb-bdc7-a9501e1b6cd9"
 ```
 
 Create `docs/adr/ADR-002-repo-boundary-hosts-vs-bootstrap.md` documenting: