diff --git a/spec/README.md b/spec/README.md
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--- a/spec/README.md
+++ b/spec/README.md
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ Background on document types: InfoTechPrimers on coulomb.social.
 | `CoreArchitectureBlueprint.md` | draft for review | **Whole-system architecture** — layers, abstractions, load-bearing decisions (synthesised from all research) |
 | `FederationArchitecture.md` | draft for review | federation design — *what the union does*: T1–T10 decision records + the federation-model taxonomy (SHARD-WP-0002) |
 | `WikiEngineCoreArchitecture.md` | draft for review | the native **headless, API-first wiki engine** — small page-store kernel + typed-extension framework, as a canonical-mode shard backend (SHARD-WP-0013) |
+| `adr/` | living | Architecture Decision Records (ADR-0001: engine activation via feature-control) |
 | `FederationRequirements.md` | draft for review | yawex-derived union/federation design notes — resolution, namespace, derived views, provenance, overlay, links (ADR-01…06; SHARD-WP-0001) |
 | `ProductRequirementsDocument.md` | draft scaffold | What the product must deliver |
 | `TechnicalSpecificationDocument.md` | draft + §A | How the system is built; **§A = the normative shard adapter contract** (T11–T16, T18; SHARD-WP-0002) |
diff --git a/spec/adr/ADR-0001-engine-activation-via-feature-control.md b/spec/adr/ADR-0001-engine-activation-via-feature-control.md
new file mode 100644
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@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+# ADR-0001 — Engine extension activation via feature-control (OpenFeature)
+
+Status: **Accepted** · Date: 2026-06-15 · Deciders: tegwick · Source: SHARD-WP-0013 follow-up
+(feature-control assessment)
+
+> First repo-level ADR. (Note: `FederationRequirements.md` contains document-internal
+> "ADR-01…06" design notes — those are scoped to that spec; this `spec/adr/` series is the
+> repository's standalone architecture decision log, starting here.)
+
+## Context
+
+`WikiEngineCoreArchitecture.md` (SHARD-WP-0013 T5) defines the engine as a small kernel plus a
+**typed-extension framework** where each shard **activates only the extensions it needs**
+(invariants E-4 activation, E-8 reuse-not-reinvent). It needs a mechanism to decide, per shard
+(and per tenant/context), which extensions/features are active — without baking a bespoke flag
+system into the engine, and without breaking the **standalone, zero-external-dependency** L0
+posture shard-wiki guarantees.
+
+The helix_forge sibling **`feature-control`** (`capability.feature-control.evaluate`, registered
+at **D5 / A4 / C3 / R3**) provides exactly this: an **OpenFeature**-based feature-availability
+control plane with a working SDK (`feature_control_sdk`: `FeatureControlClient`, `Resolver`, a
+static `LocalProvider`), context-scoped evaluation (`tenant_id`/scope), explainable decisions,
+and graceful degradation when OpenFeature is absent. shard-wiki already proposed this as a T3
+*consumption* (reuse, don't rebuild).
+
+## Decision
+
+**Adopt `feature-control` (via the OpenFeature standard) as the engine's per-shard extension/
+feature activation mechanism** — *availability only* — with these constraints:
+
+1. **OpenFeature-shaped, provider-pluggable.** The engine evaluates activation through an
+   OpenFeature-style client. A static **`LocalProvider`** is the **standalone/L0 default**
+   (zero external dependency); a `feature-control`/remote provider is plugged in for governed
+   deployments. This mirrors shard-wiki's existing **identity-provider ladder** (null/local
+   default → external when present).
+2. **Availability ≠ authorization.** feature-control decides *which extensions are active*,
+   never *who may read/write*. Authorization stays in core (X-AUTHZ / `authorization.policy-
+   evaluate`). The two are composed but never conflated. (feature-control's own INTENT requires
+   this.)
+3. **Engine layer, not the orchestrator foundation.** Integration lives in
+   `engine/activation.py`; the current `src/shard_wiki/` core stays dependency-free. OpenFeature/
+   feature-control is an optional extra, kept out of the standalone path by the `LocalProvider`.
+4. **Thin slice only.** Consume `feature-control.evaluate` (mature, A4). Do **not** take a
+   dependency on the heavier control-plane governance / `rollout` / `visibility` (A2) until a
+   concrete need appears.
+
+Activation keys = extension ids; evaluation context = `{tenant_id: root-entity, shard_id, …}`;
+the resulting active-extension set then **derives** the shard's §A capability profile (E-5).
+
+## Consequences
+
+**Positive**
+- No bespoke flag system; reuses a mature (D5/A4) capability — reuse-surface aligned.
+- Standalone stays zero-dep (LocalProvider); governed deployments get real runtime control,
+  multi-tenant scoping, and **explainable** decisions that feed the engine's agent-introspection
+  API (E-7: "why is extension X off for this shard?").
+- "Activate only what you need" + compute control become first-class and reversible at runtime.
+- Clean layering: availability (feature-control) vs authorization (core) vs identity (provider).
+
+**Negative / risks (mitigated by the constraints)**
+- An optional OpenFeature dependency at the engine layer (mitigated: out of the standalone path).
+- Coupling to an external control plane in governed mode (mitigated: provider-pluggable, degrade
+  to LocalProvider).
+- Temptation to route authz through it (mitigated: constraint 2, hard boundary).
+
+## Alternatives considered
+
+- **Bespoke per-shard flag/config in the engine** — rejected: reinvents feature-control, no
+  standard, no multi-tenant/explainability, violates reuse-not-reinvent (E-8).
+- **No activation (all extensions always on)** — rejected: defeats "small core + activate only
+  what you need" (E-2/E-4) and the compute-control goal.
+- **Build on the heavier feature-control control-plane now** — deferred: over-scoping a single
+  engine's activation; revisit if rollout/governance needs emerge.
+
+## Related
+
+`WikiEngineCoreArchitecture.md` (E-4/E-8, §4 activation), `UseCaseCatalog.md` capability-structure
+layer (X-AUTHZ vs activation), `history/260615-reuse-surface-contributions.md` (T3 consumption),
+reuse-surface `capability.feature-control.evaluate`, INTENT amendment decision `84ffdb48`.
diff --git a/spec/adr/README.md b/spec/adr/README.md
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+# spec/adr/ — Architecture Decision Records
+
+Repository-level ADRs: one decision per file, `ADR-NNNN-<slug>.md`, status
+**Proposed / Accepted / Superseded**. Each records Context · Decision · Consequences ·
+Alternatives. These are the standalone, numbered decision log; design-note "ADRs" embedded
+inside a spec (e.g. `FederationRequirements.md` ADR-01…06) are scoped to that document and are
+not part of this series.
+
+| ADR | Status | Subject |
+|-----|--------|---------|
+| [ADR-0001](ADR-0001-engine-activation-via-feature-control.md) | Accepted | Engine extension activation via feature-control (OpenFeature), availability-only, LocalProvider standalone default |