diff --git a/.github/workflows/self-test.yml b/.github/workflows/self-test.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b00b599
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/self-test.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,153 @@
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
+# Self-test — this action run against its own fixture corpus.
+#
+# Why this workflow exists
+# ------------------------
+# Until v1.0.0 this action had no self-test at all, and its own tree contained
+# not one `.deed` file. Its discovery glob named `*.a2ml` only, so a repository
+# holding nothing but `.deed` manifests scanned zero files, reported zero
+# errors and exited 0 — a silent total bypass that a green tick concealed.
+#
+# Two rules follow from that, and both are load-bearing here:
+#
+#   1. ASSERT ON DISCOVERY COUNT, NEVER ON EXIT CODE. A validator that finds
+#      nothing exits 0. Checking only the exit code cannot tell "all clean"
+#      apart from "saw nothing at all" — which is precisely the defect that
+#      shipped.
+#   2. ALWAYS RUN A POSITIVE CONTROL. The `invalid` job must report non-zero
+#      errors. If it ever reports zero, the run has stopped being able to see
+#      failure, and every other green result in this workflow is worthless.
+
+name: Self-test
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    branches: ['**']
+  push:
+    branches: [main, master]
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+jobs:
+  # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+  # Valid corpus — every accepted shape, including the two that broke.
+  # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+  valid-corpus:
+    name: valid corpus (strict)
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v4
+      - id: validate
+        uses: ./
+        with:
+          path: test/fixtures/valid
+          strict: 'true'
+      - name: Assert 5 files discovered and all clean
+        env:
+          SCANNED: ${{ steps.validate.outputs.files-scanned }}
+          ERRORS: ${{ steps.validate.outputs.errors }}
+          WARNINGS: ${{ steps.validate.outputs.warnings }}
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          # The count is pinned deliberately. Adding a fixture must be a
+          # conscious edit here, so that silent UNDER-discovery cannot pass.
+          if [ "${SCANNED}" != "5" ]; then
+            echo "::error::expected 5 files discovered, got ${SCANNED}"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          if [ "${ERRORS}" != "0" ] || [ "${WARNINGS}" != "0" ]; then
+            echo "::error::valid corpus must be clean, got ${ERRORS} error(s) and ${WARNINGS} warning(s)"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          echo "valid corpus: ${SCANNED} discovered, clean"
+
+  # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+  # Invalid corpus — THE POSITIVE CONTROL. This job proves the run is capable
+  # of reporting a non-zero error count. Without it, every green above is
+  # unfalsifiable.
+  #
+  # Two of the three fixtures are token-boundary controls: `(versioning` and
+  # `:registry-version` must NOT satisfy the version check. Removing the `^`
+  # anchors in v1.0.0 widened what matches, and these fixtures are what stop
+  # that widening going too far.
+  # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+  invalid-corpus:
+    name: invalid corpus (positive control)
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v4
+      - id: validate
+        continue-on-error: true   # the action is SUPPOSED to fail here
+        uses: ./
+        with:
+          path: test/fixtures/invalid
+          strict: 'true'
+      - name: Assert every invalid fixture was caught
+        env:
+          SCANNED: ${{ steps.validate.outputs.files-scanned }}
+          ERRORS: ${{ steps.validate.outputs.errors }}
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          if [ "${SCANNED}" != "3" ]; then
+            echo "::error::expected 3 files discovered, got ${SCANNED}"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          # Not merely "> 0": every fixture in this directory is invalid, so a
+          # count below 3 means one of them was wrongly accepted.
+          if [ "${ERRORS}" != "3" ]; then
+            echo "::error::positive control failed — expected 3 errors, got ${ERRORS}"
+            echo "::error::if this reads 0, the run can no longer detect failure at all"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          echo "invalid corpus: ${SCANNED} discovered, ${ERRORS} correctly rejected"
+
+  # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+  # Discovery control — a directory containing NOT ONE `.a2ml` file.
+  #
+  # This is the regression test for the original defect. Against the pre-v1.0.0
+  # glob this job reports 0 files scanned and 0 errors, and a naive exit-code
+  # check would call that a pass.
+  # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+  deed-only-discovery:
+    name: .deed-only discovery (regression)
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v4
+      - id: validate
+        uses: ./
+        with:
+          path: test/fixtures/deed-only
+          strict: 'true'
+      - name: Assert the .deed file was actually seen
+        env:
+          SCANNED: ${{ steps.validate.outputs.files-scanned }}
+          ERRORS: ${{ steps.validate.outputs.errors }}
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          if [ "${SCANNED}" != "1" ]; then
+            echo "::error::expected 1 file discovered, got ${SCANNED}"
+            echo "::error::0 here means the glob has stopped matching .deed — the v1.0.0 defect has returned"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          if [ "${ERRORS}" != "0" ]; then
+            echo "::error::expected the .deed fixture to validate cleanly, got ${ERRORS} error(s)"
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          echo "discovery control: ${SCANNED} .deed file seen and validated"
+
+  # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+  # Shell lint on the validator itself.
+  # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+  shellcheck:
+    name: shellcheck
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v4
+      - name: Lint validator scripts
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          bash -n validate-a2ml.sh
+          bash -n validate-manifest-dialect.sh
+          shellcheck -S warning validate-a2ml.sh validate-manifest-dialect.sh
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.adoc b/CHANGELOG.adoc
index ca1c652..7f1bfb5 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.adoc
+++ b/CHANGELOG.adoc
@@ -7,3 +7,59 @@ Changelog], and this project adheres to
 https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html[Semantic Versioning].
 
 === [Unreleased]
+
+=== [1.0.0] -- 2026-09-15
+
+First tagged release, and the first release in which the action can actually
+see a `.deed` file.
+
+==== Added
+
+* `.deed` discovery. The file-discovery glob now matches `*.deed` alongside the
+  superseded `*.a2ml`. Before this release the glob named `*.a2ml` only, so a
+  repository containing nothing but `.deed` manifests was scanned, found zero
+  files, reported zero errors and exited `0` -- a silent total bypass rather
+  than a visible failure.
+* Recognition of the `:canonical-name`, `:estate-authority` and `:agent-id`
+  identity keys, and of `:schema-version` as a version key.
+* Recognition of identity by head form alone for the four ruled DEED heads
+  (`estate-deed`, `estate-atlas-deed`, `repo-deed`, `praxis-deed`), which is how
+  `ATLAS.deed` identifies itself -- it carries no `:canonical-name`.
+* A self-test workflow (`.github/workflows/self-test.yml`) and a fixture corpus
+  under `test/fixtures/`. The action now runs against its own tree, which it
+  never did before -- the repository contained not one `.deed` file, so nothing
+  the action did was ever exercised against the format it is named for. The
+  jobs assert on discovery *count* rather than exit code, because a validator
+  that finds nothing exits `0`; the `invalid/` corpus is a positive control
+  proving the run can still report failure; and two fixtures pin the token
+  boundary so that removing the `^` anchors cannot widen too far.
+
+==== Fixed
+
+* Nested `(metadata ...)` and `(version ...)` forms written *inline* were not
+  detected. Both checks were anchored with `^[[:space:]]*`, so a manifest
+  written as `(state (metadata (name "x") (version "1.0.0")))` reported
+  "No identity found" and "Missing version" -- and under `strict: true` that
+  rejected a valid manifest. The anchors are gone; the `(` prefix and the
+  trailing whitespace/EOL boundary are retained, so `(versioning` and
+  `:registry-version` still correctly fail the version check.
+* `README.adoc`, which is the GitHub Marketplace landing page, carried three
+  dead or wrong references: the DEED specification link pointed at
+  `standards/tree/main/a2ml` (a 404), the usage snippet told users to write
+  `uses: hyperpolymath/standards/a2ml/actions/validate@main` (a different
+  repository entirely), and the ecosystem section used a monorepo-relative
+  `link:../../README.adoc` that resolves nowhere from a standalone repo.
+
+==== Changed
+
+* Prose and examples throughout `README.adoc` and `action.yml` now speak of DEED
+  and `.deed`, with `.a2ml` referred to as superseded rather than as the primary
+  format. A2ML is expanded as "Attestation Markup Language".
+
+==== Known limitations
+
+* Roughly 120 stamped copies of this validator exist elsewhere on a separate
+  lineage. They still carry the old glob and are not reached by fixing this
+  repository.
+* The Check-3 attestation exemption still matches bare basenames rather than
+  canonical paths.
diff --git a/README.adoc b/README.adoc
index 298f8c4..fb44c2c 100644
--- a/README.adoc
+++ b/README.adoc
@@ -1,18 +1,18 @@
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-SA-4.0
 // Copyright (c) 2026 Jonathan D.A. Jewell (hyperpolymath) <j.d.a.jewell@open.ac.uk>
 
-= Validate A2ML Manifests -- GitHub Action
+= Validate DEED Manifests -- GitHub Action
 :author: Jonathan D.A. Jewell
 :toc: preamble
 :icons: font
 
 == Overview
 
-GitHub Action that scans a repository for `.a2ml` files and validates their structure,
-required fields, and compliance with the
-https://github.com/hyperpolymath/standards/tree/main/a2ml[A2ML specification].
+GitHub Action that scans a repository for `.deed` files -- and the superseded `.a2ml`
+extension -- and validates their structure, required fields, and compliance with the
+https://github.com/hyperpolymath/standards/tree/main/deed[DEED specification].
 
-A2ML (Attested Markup Language) is the manifest format used across
+DEED -- which supersedes A2ML (Attestation Markup Language) -- is the manifest format used across
 https://github.com/hyperpolymath/standards[RSR (Rhodium Standard Repository)] projects to
 declare machine-readable metadata, AI agent instructions, attestation provenance, and
 project state.
@@ -47,18 +47,18 @@ Add this step to any GitHub Actions workflow:
 
 [source,yaml]
 ----
-name: Validate A2ML
+name: Validate DEED
 on: [push, pull_request]
 
 permissions:
   contents: read
 
 jobs:
-  validate-a2ml:
+  validate-deed:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      - uses: hyperpolymath/standards/a2ml/actions/validate@main
+      - uses: hyperpolymath/deed-validate-action@v1
         with:
           path: '.'        # Directory to scan (default: repo root)
           strict: 'false'  # Promote warnings to errors (default: false)
@@ -72,12 +72,12 @@ jobs:
 
 | `path`
 | `.`
-| Directory path to scan for `.a2ml` files. The scan is recursive, excluding `.git/`.
+| Directory path to scan for `.deed` files (and superseded `.a2ml`). The scan is recursive, excluding `.git/`.
 
 | `strict`
 | `false`
 | When `true`, all warnings are promoted to errors and the action fails on any validation
-  issue. Recommended for repositories that require full A2ML compliance.
+  issue. Recommended for repositories that require full DEED compliance.
 |===
 
 === Outputs
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ jobs:
 | Output | Description
 
 | `files-scanned`
-| Number of `.a2ml` files discovered and processed.
+| Number of DEED-family files (`.deed` and superseded `.a2ml`) discovered and processed.
 
 | `errors`
 | Count of validation errors. The action exits with code 1 if this is non-zero.
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ jobs:
 | Code | Meaning
 
 | `0`
-| All files valid (or only warnings in non-strict mode). Also returned when no `.a2ml`
+| All files valid (or only warnings in non-strict mode). Also returned when no DEED-family
   files are found (with a `::notice::` annotation).
 
 | `1`
@@ -132,8 +132,9 @@ SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
 
 See link:LICENSE[LICENSE] for the full text.
 
-== Part of the A2ML Ecosystem
+== Part of the DEED Ecosystem
 
-This action is part of the link:../../README.adoc[A2ML specification and tooling] in the
-https://github.com/hyperpolymath/standards[standards monorepo]. See the parent directory
-for language bindings, Pandoc support, editor integrations, and the CLI.
+This action is part of the https://github.com/hyperpolymath/deed-ecosystem[DEED specification
+and tooling]. The normative grammar lives in the
+https://github.com/hyperpolymath/standards/tree/main/deed[standards monorepo], with language
+bindings, Pandoc support, editor integrations, and the CLI.
diff --git a/action.yml b/action.yml
index d0a0310..3458e02 100644
--- a/action.yml
+++ b/action.yml
@@ -1,15 +1,16 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
 # Copyright (c) 2026 Jonathan D.A. Jewell (hyperpolymath) <j.d.a.jewell@open.ac.uk>
 #
-# action.yml — Validate A2ML Manifests GitHub Action
-# Scans repository for .a2ml files and validates structure, required fields,
-# SPDX headers, and attestation blocks.
+# action.yml — Validate DEED Manifests GitHub Action
+# Scans repository for .deed (and superseded .a2ml) files and validates
+# structure, required fields, SPDX headers, and attestation blocks.
 
-name: 'Validate A2ML Manifests'
+name: 'Validate DEED Manifests'
 description: >-
-  Scan and validate .a2ml manifest files in your repository.
-  Checks for required fields (agent-id/pedigree name, version),
-  SPDX headers, and attestation block structure.
+  Scan and validate .deed manifest files against the DEED grammar.
+  Checks identity (:canonical-name), version (:schema-version),
+  SPDX headers, and attestation block structure. Also reads the
+  superseded .a2ml extension.
 author: 'Jonathan D.A. Jewell'
 
 branding:
@@ -19,7 +20,7 @@ branding:
 inputs:
   path:
     description: >-
-      Directory path to scan for .a2ml files.
+      Directory path to scan for .deed files (and superseded .a2ml).
       Defaults to the repository root.
     required: false
     default: '.'
@@ -32,7 +33,7 @@ inputs:
 
 outputs:
   files-scanned:
-    description: 'Number of .a2ml files scanned'
+    description: 'Number of DEED-family files scanned'
     value: ${{ steps.validate.outputs.files_scanned }}
   errors:
     description: 'Number of validation errors found'
@@ -44,7 +45,7 @@ outputs:
 runs:
   using: 'composite'
   steps:
-    - name: Validate A2ML manifests
+    - name: Validate DEED manifests
       id: validate
       shell: bash
       env:
diff --git a/test/fixtures/README.adoc b/test/fixtures/README.adoc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1ff94ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/README.adoc
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
+= Self-test fixture corpus
+
+Fixtures for `.github/workflows/self-test.yml`, which runs this action against
+its own tree. Before v1.0.0 no such workflow existed and this directory did not
+either — the action's own repository contained not one `.deed` file, so nothing
+it did was ever exercised against the format it is named for.
+
+== The two rules this corpus enforces
+
+*Assert on discovery count, never on exit code.* A validator that finds nothing
+exits `0`. Run the pre-v1.0.0 validator against `deed-only/` and it says:
+
+----
+::notice::No .a2ml files found in test/fixtures/deed-only
+----
+
+A `::notice::`, not a warning. Exit code `0`. No outputs set. Every workflow
+downstream sees a green tick. That is the defect v1.0.0 fixes, and an exit-code
+assertion cannot detect it.
+
+*Always run a positive control.* `invalid/` must report a non-zero error count.
+If it ever reports zero, the run has lost the ability to see failure and every
+other green result in the workflow is worthless.
+
+== `valid/` — 5 files, must be clean
+
+[cols="1,3"]
+|===
+| `inline-nested.deed` | The inlined nested form, `(repo-deed (metadata (name "…") (version "…")))`. Both `(metadata` and `(version` sit mid-line. *This is the shape that silently failed* — the checks were anchored with `^[[:space:]]*`, and under `strict: true` that rejected a valid manifest.
+| `multiline-nested.deed` | The same structure written across several lines, putting `(version` at the start of its own line. This shape always passed, which is exactly why the anchor bug stayed latent: the conformance corpus contained only this variant. A corpus that passes is not proof the regex is right; it is proof the corpus does not exercise the shape.
+| `keyword-identity.deed` | Keyword identity and version — `:canonical-name` with `:schema-version`.
+| `head-form-only.deed` | Identity by *head form alone*, with no `:canonical-name` anywhere. This is how `ATLAS.deed` identifies itself. The four ruled heads are enumerated, not pattern-matched.
+| `legacy-superseded.a2ml` | The superseded `.a2ml` extension must still be discovered and validated.
+|===
+
+== `invalid/` — 3 files, must all be rejected
+
+[cols="1,3"]
+|===
+| `no-version.deed` | Identity present, version absent.
+| `versioning-is-not-version.deed` | *Token-boundary control.* `(versioning "1.0.0")` must not satisfy the version check.
+| `registry-version-is-not-version.deed` | *Token-boundary control.* `:registry-version "1.0.0"` must not satisfy the version check.
+|===
+
+The two boundary controls exist because v1.0.0 *removed* the `^` anchors, which
+widens what matches. They are what stops that widening going too far. If either
+ever passes, the regex has been loosened past the token boundary.
+
+== `deed-only/` — 1 file, the regression test
+
+A directory containing not one `.a2ml` file. Against the pre-v1.0.0 glob this
+scans zero files, reports zero errors and exits `0`. The job asserts
+`files-scanned == 1`, so the silent bypass fails the build instead of passing it.
+
+== Changing the corpus
+
+The counts in `self-test.yml` are pinned deliberately. Adding a fixture means
+editing the expected number in the same commit — so that silent *under*-discovery
+cannot slip through as a pass.
diff --git a/test/fixtures/deed-only/only.deed b/test/fixtures/deed-only/only.deed
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..865a7dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/deed-only/only.deed
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+; SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
+; DISCOVERY CONTROL: a directory containing NOT ONE .a2ml file.
+; Before v1.0.0 the glob named *.a2ml only, so this directory scanned
+; zero files, reported zero errors and exited 0 -- a silent total bypass.
+(repo-deed (metadata (name "only") (version "1.0.0")))
diff --git a/test/fixtures/invalid/no-version.deed b/test/fixtures/invalid/no-version.deed
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3c47ff1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/invalid/no-version.deed
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+; SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
+(repo-deed (metadata (name "no-version")))
diff --git a/test/fixtures/invalid/registry-version-is-not-version.deed b/test/fixtures/invalid/registry-version-is-not-version.deed
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d094364
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/invalid/registry-version-is-not-version.deed
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+; SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
+; TOKEN-BOUNDARY CONTROL: `:registry-version` must NOT satisfy the version check.
+(repo-deed (metadata (name "registry-version-is-not-version")) :registry-version "1.0.0")
diff --git a/test/fixtures/invalid/versioning-is-not-version.deed b/test/fixtures/invalid/versioning-is-not-version.deed
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..69bf3e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/invalid/versioning-is-not-version.deed
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+; SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
+; TOKEN-BOUNDARY CONTROL: `(versioning` must NOT satisfy the version check.
+; If this fixture ever passes, the anchors were loosened too far.
+(repo-deed (metadata (name "versioning-is-not-version")) (versioning "1.0.0"))
diff --git a/test/fixtures/valid/head-form-only.deed b/test/fixtures/valid/head-form-only.deed
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5d8da14
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/valid/head-form-only.deed
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+; SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
+; Identity by HEAD FORM ALONE -- no :canonical-name anywhere. This is how
+; ATLAS.deed identifies itself. One of the four ruled heads.
+(estate-atlas-deed
+  :schema-version "1.0.0")
diff --git a/test/fixtures/valid/inline-nested.deed b/test/fixtures/valid/inline-nested.deed
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d803f33
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/valid/inline-nested.deed
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+; SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
+; The INLINED nested form. This is the shape that silently failed before v1.0.0:
+; both `(metadata` and `(version` sit mid-line, so a `^[[:space:]]*` anchor missed them.
+(repo-deed (metadata (name "inline-nested") (version "1.0.0")))
diff --git a/test/fixtures/valid/keyword-identity.deed b/test/fixtures/valid/keyword-identity.deed
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d0fb0be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/valid/keyword-identity.deed
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+; SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
+; Keyword identity + keyword version.
+(repo-deed
+  :canonical-name "keyword-identity"
+  :schema-version "1.0.0")
diff --git a/test/fixtures/valid/legacy-superseded.a2ml b/test/fixtures/valid/legacy-superseded.a2ml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0e9ce1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/valid/legacy-superseded.a2ml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+; SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
+; The superseded .a2ml extension must still be discovered and validated.
+(repo-deed (metadata (name "legacy-superseded") (version "1.0.0")))
diff --git a/test/fixtures/valid/multiline-nested.deed b/test/fixtures/valid/multiline-nested.deed
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bd3afeb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/valid/multiline-nested.deed
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+; SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
+; The MULTI-LINE nested form. This shape always passed, which is precisely why
+; the anchor bug stayed latent -- the corpus only ever exercised this one.
+(repo-deed
+  (metadata
+    (name "multiline-nested")
+    (version "1.0.0")))
diff --git a/validate-a2ml.sh b/validate-a2ml.sh
index fbdd88c..43f2ae5 100755
--- a/validate-a2ml.sh
+++ b/validate-a2ml.sh
@@ -136,22 +136,68 @@ validate_a2ml() {
            || [[ "$line" =~ ^@abstract ]]; then
             has_identity=true
         fi
+        # DEED keyword identity form: `:canonical-name "..."`.  Leading colon,
+        # hyphenated, SPACE-separated — so it matches none of the forms above,
+        # which all require `=` or `:` as a separator.  Adding the `.deed` glob
+        # without this would discover every deed and then fail it.
+        if [[ "$line" =~ ^[[:space:]]*:(canonical-name|estate-authority|agent-id)[[:space:]] ]]; then
+            has_identity=true
+        fi
         # Check for version field (either separator)
         if [[ "$line" =~ ^[[:space:]]*(version|schema_version)[[:space:]]*[=:] ]]; then
             has_version=true
         fi
+        # DEED keyword version form: `:schema-version "0.1.0"`.  Matched
+        # deliberately narrowly: `:registry-version` is a DISTINCT optional
+        # field and must NOT satisfy the required-version check.
+        if [[ "$line" =~ ^[[:space:]]*:schema-version[[:space:]] ]]; then
+            has_version=true
+        fi
+        # S-expression dialect (the sanctioned fourth surface): identity and
+        # version are NESTED FORMS — `(metadata (name "…") (version "…"))` —
+        # so they match neither the TOML `key =` nor the `[metadata]` bracket
+        # patterns above.  The conformance corpus lists
+        # valid/s-expression-state.a2ml as expect="pass", and it did not.
+        # ⛔ NOT anchored to line start: the nested form is frequently INLINED
+        # as `(state (metadata (name "…") (version "…")))`, putting both
+        # `(metadata` and `(version` mid-line.  A `^[[:space:]]*` anchor here
+        # silently failed every inlined deed -- and in strict mode that
+        # rejected a VALID manifest.  The `(` prefix and the trailing
+        # whitespace/EOL keep the token boundary, so `:registry-version`
+        # and `(versioning` still do not match.
+        if [[ "$line" =~ \((metadata|scorecard)([[:space:]]|$) ]]; then
+            has_identity=true
+        fi
+        if [[ "$line" =~ \(version[[:space:]] ]]; then
+            has_version=true
+        fi
         # Template placeholder marker ({{PROJECT_NAME}}, {{VERSION}}, …)
         if [[ "$line" == *"{{"*"}}"* ]]; then
             has_placeholders=true
         fi
     done < "$file"
 
+    # DEED head form as identity.  Not every deed carries `:canonical-name` —
+    # `ATLAS.deed` identifies itself by its head alone, exactly as the six-file
+    # set identifies itself by a `[metadata]` section.  Only the FIRST
+    # s-expression in the file is consulted: a recognised head appearing after
+    # some other form is a MISPLACED head, not identity, and must still warn.
+    # The four heads are enumerated rather than matched as `*-deed` so that an
+    # invented head is not silently accepted as a fifth.
+    local first_form
+    first_form="$(grep -m1 '^(' "$file" || true)"
+    if [[ "$first_form" =~ ^\((estate-deed|estate-atlas-deed|repo-deed|praxis-deed)([[:space:]]|$) ]]; then
+        has_identity=true
+    fi
+
     # Classes that are identity-free by design (see header):
     local basename
     basename="$(basename "$file")"
     local identity_exempt=false
     # AI manifests: markdown prose (0-AI-MANIFEST.a2ml, AI.a2ml, …)
-    if [[ "$basename" == *"AI-MANIFEST"* || "$basename" == "AI.a2ml" ]]; then
+    # `AI.deed` is listed alongside `AI.a2ml` so that renaming a file does not
+    # silently TIGHTEN the gate on it.  A rename must be behaviour-preserving.
+    if [[ "$basename" == *"AI-MANIFEST"* || "$basename" == "AI.a2ml" || "$basename" == "AI.deed" ]]; then
         identity_exempt=true
     fi
     # Templates/scaffolds
@@ -234,14 +280,19 @@ validate_a2ml() {
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 echo "::group::A2ML Manifest Validation"
-echo "Scanning ${SCAN_PATH} for .a2ml files..."
+echo "Scanning ${SCAN_PATH} for .deed and .a2ml files..."
 echo ""
 
 # Find all .a2ml files, excluding .git directory
-mapfile -t a2ml_files < <(find "$SCAN_PATH" -name '*.a2ml' -not -path '*/.git/*' -type f | sort)
+# Discovery globs BOTH extensions.  `.deed` is the current format name; `.a2ml`
+# is the superseded one and is still present in the wild, so both are scanned.
+# NOTE: globbing `.a2ml` alone meant this action scanned nothing in a converted
+# repository and exited 0 — a total gate bypass that reports success.  Assert on
+# the discovery COUNT, never on the exit code.
+mapfile -t a2ml_files < <(find "$SCAN_PATH" \( -name '*.a2ml' -o -name '*.deed' \) -not -path '*/.git/*' -type f | sort)
 
 if [[ ${#a2ml_files[@]} -eq 0 ]]; then
-    echo "::notice::No .a2ml files found in ${SCAN_PATH}"
+    echo "::notice::No .deed or .a2ml files found in ${SCAN_PATH}"
     echo "files_scanned=0" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT" 2>/dev/null || true
     echo "errors=0" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT" 2>/dev/null || true
     echo "warnings=0" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT" 2>/dev/null || true
@@ -249,7 +300,7 @@ if [[ ${#a2ml_files[@]} -eq 0 ]]; then
     exit 0
 fi
 
-echo "Found ${#a2ml_files[@]} .a2ml file(s)"
+echo "Found ${#a2ml_files[@]} DEED-family file(s)"
 echo ""
 
 for file in "${a2ml_files[@]}"; do
@@ -276,9 +327,9 @@ echo "::endgroup::"
 
 # Exit with failure if errors were found
 if [[ $ERRORS -gt 0 ]]; then
-    echo "::error::A2ML validation failed with ${ERRORS} error(s)"
+    echo "::error::DEED validation failed with ${ERRORS} error(s)"
     exit 1
 fi
 
-echo "A2ML validation passed."
+echo "DEED validation passed."
 exit 0