diff --git a/‎.changeset/22116-migrate-meta-out-snapshot.md‎
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diff --git a/‎packages/cli/src/commands/migrate/meta.ts‎
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diff --git a/‎packages/cli/test/migrate-meta-out-snapshot.test.ts‎
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@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+---
+"@objectstack/cli": patch
+---
+
+fix(cli): `os migrate meta --out FILE` writes its snapshot on a range that crosses no step (#22116)
+
+Clause-②: no
+
+`os migrate meta --from 18 --to 18 --out FILE` exited 0, printed no snapshot line and wrote no `FILE`. The same command with `--json` wrote `FILE`. The human report returned early on a run with nothing to migrate, and that return came before the `--out` write. An operator or a CI step that keeps `FILE` as the record of the run then found no file, or read an earlier run's file as this one's.
+
+- The human mode now writes `FILE` and prints the line that names it on every run. On a run with nothing to migrate, the line comes after the range answer, before `--write`'s outcome and the data migrations, the same order as on every other run.
+- The bytes are the ones `--json` writes for the same run: the stack the chain returned, which for a range with no step is the stack as loaded.
+- The fix sits in the branch both "nothing to migrate" answers share. A range with steps that applies and lists nothing takes the same branch, but no range reaches it on this build, because every major carries semantic notices and the chain lists them all.
+- Unchanged: the `--json` mode, `--write`, `--stored` and the chain. A range with steps writes `FILE` exactly as before.
@@ -251,6 +251,19 @@ function printPendingDataMigrations(pending: readonly PendingDataMigration[]): v
   console.log('');
 }
 
+/**
+ * `--out`: write the migrated stack as a JSON snapshot, and print the line that
+ * names it. The one writer for both exits of {@link printMigrationReport}: the
+ * main path, and the early return of a run with nothing to migrate (#22116).
+ * An operator or a CI step keeps this file as the record of the run, so a run
+ * that returned without it left no file, or an earlier run's file read as this
+ * one's, behind an exit 0. `--json` writes the same bytes on its own branch.
+ */
+function writeStackSnapshot(out: string, stack: Record<string, unknown>): void {
+  writeFileSync(out, JSON.stringify(stack, null, 2));
+  printInfo(`Wrote migrated stack snapshot → ${chalk.white(out)}`);
+}
+
 /** One schema refusal of the migrated stack, in the shape `formatZodIssue` renders. */
 export type MigrationRefusal = Parameters<typeof formatZodIssue>[0];
 
@@ -526,8 +539,12 @@ export function printMigrationReport(report: MigrationReport): void {
       printSuccess('Nothing to migrate — the metadata is already canonical for this range.');
     }
     // Still advertise: metadata needing no rewrite says nothing about whether
-    // this deployment's DATA has been migrated.
+    // this deployment's DATA has been migrated. And still write `--out`, in the
+    // main path's order — the snapshot, then `--write`, then the data
+    // migrations: the snapshot is this run's record whatever the run found, and
+    // `--json` writes it regardless (#22116).
     console.log('');
+    if (report.out) writeStackSnapshot(report.out, result.stack);
     if (report.write) printWriteOutcome(report.write, 0);
     printPendingDataMigrations(report.dataMigrations);
     // Returning is safe only because ① has already printed: the schema verdict
@@ -563,8 +580,7 @@ export function printMigrationReport(report: MigrationReport): void {
   }
 
   if (report.out) {
-    writeFileSync(report.out, JSON.stringify(result.stack, null, 2));
-    printInfo(`Wrote migrated stack snapshot → ${chalk.white(report.out)}`);
+    writeStackSnapshot(report.out, result.stack);
   }
 
   // ④ `--write`: the mechanical changes written into the sources, and the rest.
 
@@ -0,0 +1,326 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2026 ObjectStack. Licensed under the Apache-2.0 license.
+
+/**
+ * `os migrate meta --out FILE` writes its snapshot on a run with nothing to
+ * migrate, exactly as it does on every other run (#22116).
+ *
+ * The human report returns early when the chain applied no edit and listed no
+ * manual change, and that return used to come before the `--out` write. So a
+ * range that crosses no step (`--from 18 --to 18 --out FILE`) exited 0, printed
+ * no snapshot line and wrote no FILE, while the same run with `--json` wrote
+ * FILE. An operator or a CI step keeps FILE as the record of the run: a missing
+ * one fails the next step that opens it, and a stale one left by an earlier run
+ * is read as this run's.
+ *
+ * ## What is pinned
+ *
+ *  1. Every empty range this build accepts (`--from N --to N`, N from the
+ *     support floor to the chain's terminus) writes FILE in the human mode and
+ *     names it on exactly one line, after the range answer. The `--json` mode
+ *     writes FILE too, and the two FILEs are byte-identical. A stale FILE is
+ *     overwritten.
+ *  2. Control: a range with steps writes FILE and names it where it always
+ *     did, after the manual changes; its bytes equal the `--json` mode's.
+ *  3. Order on the early return, as on the main path: the snapshot line, then
+ *     `--write`'s outcome, then the data migrations, which stay last. The first
+ *     two through the command; the data migrations in-process on
+ *     `printMigrationReport`, because an empty range never lists any.
+ *  4. Both arms of the early return. The other arm ("Nothing to migrate": a
+ *     range WITH steps that applied and listed nothing) is not reachable
+ *     through the chain on this build. Measured on `a959493c`: every major
+ *     carries semantic entries (77 for protocol 17, 306 for protocol 18), and
+ *     the chain lists every entry of every hop it crosses, whatever the stack
+ *     holds. It is pinned in-process over a real chain result with its notices
+ *     taken away, because the write sits in the branch both arms share.
+ *
+ * In-process over the real command (`MigrateMeta.run`) against a temp project
+ * that links the real `@objectstack/spec`: no process is spawned and no kernel
+ * is booted, so this file sits in the `unit` tier.
+ */
+
+import { afterAll, afterEach, beforeAll, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+import { existsSync, mkdirSync, mkdtempSync, readFileSync, rmSync, symlinkSync, unlinkSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { tmpdir } from 'node:os';
+import { dirname, join, resolve } from 'node:path';
+import { createRequire } from 'node:module';
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
+import { stripVTControlCharacters } from 'node:util';
+import { ObjectStackDefinitionSchema, normalizeStackInput } from '@objectstack/spec';
+import {
+  applyMetaMigrations,
+  MIGRATION_MAJORS,
+  MIGRATION_SUPPORT_FLOOR,
+  type MigrationChainResult,
+} from '@objectstack/spec/migrations';
+import { PROTOCOL_MAJOR } from '@objectstack/spec/kernel';
+import MigrateMeta, {
+  printMigrationReport,
+  type MigrationReport,
+  type PendingDataMigration,
+  type WriteOutcome,
+} from '../src/commands/migrate/meta.js';
+
+const CLI_ROOT = resolve(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url), '..', '..');
+const RUN_TIMEOUT = 120_000;
+
+/** Where the chain ends by default — derived, so the file survives the next major. */
+const TERMINUS = Math.max(PROTOCOL_MAJOR, ...MIGRATION_MAJORS);
+
+/** Every empty range the command accepts: `--from N --to N`, floor to terminus. */
+const EMPTY_RANGES = Array.from(
+  { length: TERMINUS - MIGRATION_SUPPORT_FLOOR + 1 },
+  (_, i) => MIGRATION_SUPPORT_FLOOR + i,
+);
+
+/** `packages/cli` depends on `@objectstack/spec`; resolved as a package, not a source path. */
+const requireFromCli = createRequire(import.meta.url);
+const SPEC_PACKAGE_ROOT = dirname(requireFromCli.resolve('@objectstack/spec/package.json'));
+
+const MANIFEST_ID = 'com.example.out-snapshot';
+
+/** A one-object stack, already canonical — the shape of the run the defect was measured on. */
+const STACK = {
+  manifest: { id: MANIFEST_ID, name: 'Out snapshot', version: '1.0.0', type: 'app' },
+  objects: [{ name: 'os_thing', label: 'Thing', fields: { title: { type: 'text', label: 'Title' } } }],
+};
+
+let root: string;
+let specLink: string;
+let project: string;
+let fileSeq = 0;
+
+/** A fresh, absent snapshot path under the temp root. */
+function freshOut(): string {
+  return join(root, `snapshot-${++fileSeq}.json`);
+}
+
+interface Run {
+  stdout: string;
+  lines: string[];
+  exitCode: number;
+}
+
+/** Run the real command in-process, capturing stdout and any exit. */
+async function runMeta(argv: string[]): Promise<Run> {
+  const out: string[] = [];
+  const priorExitCode = process.exitCode;
+  const write = vi.spyOn(process.stdout, 'write').mockImplementation(((chunk: unknown, ...rest: unknown[]) => {
+    out.push(String(chunk));
+    const done = rest.find((r) => typeof r === 'function') as (() => void) | undefined;
+    done?.();
+    return true;
+  }) as never);
+  const log = vi.spyOn(console, 'log').mockImplementation((...a: unknown[]) => { out.push(a.join(' ')); });
+  const warn = vi.spyOn(console, 'warn').mockImplementation(() => {});
+  const error = vi.spyOn(console, 'error').mockImplementation(() => {});
+  let exitCode: number | undefined;
+  try {
+    await MigrateMeta.run([join(project, 'objectstack.config.ts'), ...argv], { root: CLI_ROOT });
+  } catch (e: any) {
+    if (typeof e?.oclif?.exit !== 'number') throw e;
+    exitCode = e.oclif.exit;
+  } finally {
+    write.mockRestore();
+    log.mockRestore();
+    warn.mockRestore();
+    error.mockRestore();
+    if (exitCode === undefined && typeof process.exitCode === 'number' && process.exitCode !== 0) {
+      exitCode = process.exitCode;
+    }
+    process.exitCode = priorExitCode;
+  }
+  const stdout = stripVTControlCharacters(out.join('\n'));
+  return { stdout, lines: stdout.split('\n'), exitCode: exitCode ?? 0 };
+}
+
+/** The indices of the lines that name `file`. */
+function linesNaming(lines: string[], file: string): number[] {
+  return lines.flatMap((l, i) => (l.includes(file) ? [i] : []));
+}
+
+function indexOf(lines: string[], re: RegExp): number {
+  return lines.findIndex((l) => re.test(l));
+}
+
+const RANGE_ANSWER_RE = /No migration step exists for protocol/;
+const SEMANTIC_HEADER_RE = /^ {2}\d+ manual change\(s\) require your judgment:$/;
+const WRITE_OUTCOME_RE = /^ {2}ℹ --write: /;
+
+beforeAll(() => {
+  root = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'os-migrate-meta-out-'));
+  mkdirSync(join(root, 'node_modules', '@objectstack'), { recursive: true });
+  specLink = join(root, 'node_modules', '@objectstack', 'spec');
+  symlinkSync(SPEC_PACKAGE_ROOT, specLink, 'dir');
+  project = join(root, 'project');
+  mkdirSync(project, { recursive: true });
+  writeFileSync(
+    join(project, 'objectstack.config.ts'),
+    `import { defineStack } from '@objectstack/spec';
+
+export default defineStack(${JSON.stringify(STACK, null, 2)});
+`,
+  );
+});
+
+afterAll(() => {
+  // Unlinked BEFORE the recursive remove, and named explicitly: this symlink
+  // points at the real `packages/spec`, and a cleanup must never follow it.
+  try { unlinkSync(specLink); } catch { /* already gone */ }
+  try { rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true }); } catch { /* ignore */ }
+});
+
+// ── 1: an empty range, through the command ─────────────────────────────────
+
+describe('os migrate meta --out over a range that crosses no step', () => {
+  it.each(EMPTY_RANGES)('--from %i --to the same writes FILE in the human mode and the --json mode alike', async (n) => {
+    const human = freshOut();
+    const machine = freshOut();
+
+    const h = await runMeta(['--from', String(n), '--to', String(n), '--out', human]);
+    expect(h.exitCode).toBe(0);
+    // Anti-vacuity: this run took the empty-range answer, not the main path.
+    const answer = indexOf(h.lines, RANGE_ANSWER_RE);
+    expect(answer, 'the run answered an empty range').toBeGreaterThan(-1);
+    expect(existsSync(human), 'the human mode wrote FILE').toBe(true);
+    const named = linesNaming(h.lines, human);
+    expect(named, 'one line names FILE').toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(named[0]!).toBeGreaterThan(answer);
+
+    const j = await runMeta(['--from', String(n), '--to', String(n), '--out', machine, '--json']);
+    expect(j.exitCode).toBe(0);
+    expect(JSON.parse(j.stdout).applied).toEqual([]);
+    expect(existsSync(machine), 'the --json mode wrote FILE').toBe(true);
+
+    // The two modes agree, byte for byte, and FILE is the stack.
+    const bytes = readFileSync(human, 'utf8');
+    expect(bytes).toBe(readFileSync(machine, 'utf8'));
+    const snapshot = JSON.parse(bytes);
+    expect(snapshot.manifest.id).toBe(MANIFEST_ID);
+    expect(snapshot.objects.map((o: { name: string }) => o.name)).toEqual(['os_thing']);
+  }, RUN_TIMEOUT);
+
+  it('overwrites a stale FILE left by an earlier run', async () => {
+    const out = freshOut();
+    writeFileSync(out, '{ "stale": true }\n');
+    const run = await runMeta(['--from', String(TERMINUS), '--to', String(TERMINUS), '--out', out]);
+    expect(run.exitCode).toBe(0);
+    const snapshot = JSON.parse(readFileSync(out, 'utf8'));
+    expect(snapshot.stale).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(snapshot.manifest.id).toBe(MANIFEST_ID);
+  }, RUN_TIMEOUT);
+
+  it('prints the snapshot line before --write\'s outcome', async () => {
+    const out = freshOut();
+    const run = await runMeta(['--from', String(TERMINUS), '--to', String(TERMINUS), '--out', out, '--write']);
+    expect(run.exitCode).toBe(0);
+    expect(existsSync(out)).toBe(true);
+    const named = linesNaming(run.lines, out);
+    expect(named).toHaveLength(1);
+    const outcome = indexOf(run.lines, WRITE_OUTCOME_RE);
+    expect(outcome, '--write printed its outcome').toBeGreaterThan(-1);
+    expect(named[0]!).toBeGreaterThan(indexOf(run.lines, RANGE_ANSWER_RE));
+    expect(named[0]!).toBeLessThan(outcome);
+  }, RUN_TIMEOUT);
+});
+
+// ── 2: control — a range with steps ────────────────────────────────────────
+
+describe('os migrate meta --out over a range with steps (control)', () => {
+  it('writes FILE and names it after the manual changes, as before; the --json mode agrees', async () => {
+    const from = TERMINUS - 1;
+    const human = freshOut();
+    const machine = freshOut();
+
+    const h = await runMeta(['--from', String(from), '--to', String(TERMINUS), '--out', human]);
+    expect(h.exitCode).toBe(0);
+    const header = indexOf(h.lines, SEMANTIC_HEADER_RE);
+    expect(header, 'anti-vacuity: the run took the main path and listed manual changes').toBeGreaterThan(-1);
+    expect(indexOf(h.lines, RANGE_ANSWER_RE)).toBe(-1);
+    expect(existsSync(human)).toBe(true);
+    const named = linesNaming(h.lines, human);
+    expect(named).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(named[0]!).toBeGreaterThan(header);
+
+    const j = await runMeta(['--from', String(from), '--to', String(TERMINUS), '--out', machine, '--json']);
+    expect(j.exitCode).toBe(0);
+    expect(readFileSync(human, 'utf8')).toBe(readFileSync(machine, 'utf8'));
+  }, RUN_TIMEOUT);
+});
+
+// ── 3–4: the early return's order, on both of its arms ─────────────────────
+
+describe('printMigrationReport on a run with nothing to migrate', () => {
+  let printed: string[] = [];
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    vi.restoreAllMocks();
+  });
+
+  /** A data migration named by a command no real one uses, so its line is found by name. */
+  const PROBE_DATA_MIGRATION: PendingDataMigration = {
+    id: 'probe_data_migration',
+    command: 'os migrate probe-data-migration',
+    unlocks: 'nothing; a probe.',
+  };
+
+  /** `--write` over a chain that applied nothing: a plan with nothing in it. */
+  const EMPTY_WRITE: WriteOutcome = {
+    plan: { projectRoot: '/nowhere', rewrites: [], written: [], manual: [], unexplained: [] },
+    status: 'written',
+  };
+
+  function report(result: MigrationChainResult, normalized: Record<string, unknown>, out: string): MigrationReport {
+    const parsed = ObjectStackDefinitionSchema.safeParse(result.stack);
+    return {
+      result,
+      normalized,
+      schemaValid: parsed.success,
+      refusals: parsed.success ? [] : parsed.error.issues,
+      dataMigrations: [PROBE_DATA_MIGRATION],
+      step: false,
+      out,
+      write: EMPTY_WRITE,
+      elapsed: '1ms',
+    };
+  }
+
+  const ARMS: Array<[string, () => { result: MigrationChainResult; normalized: Record<string, unknown> }]> = [
+    ['an empty range', () => {
+      const normalized = normalizeStackInput(STACK, { convert: false });
+      const result = applyMetaMigrations(normalized, TERMINUS, TERMINUS);
+      expect(result.hops, 'anti-vacuity: the range holds no step').toHaveLength(0);
+      return { result, normalized };
+    }],
+    ['a range with steps that applied and listed nothing', () => {
+      const normalized = normalizeStackInput(STACK, { convert: false });
+      const real = applyMetaMigrations(normalized, TERMINUS - 1, TERMINUS);
+      expect(real.applied, 'the canonical stack needs no mechanical edit').toEqual([]);
+      // Not reachable through the chain on this build (see the header): the
+      // notices are taken away so the report takes this arm.
+      const result = { ...real, todos: [], hops: real.hops.map((hop) => ({ ...hop, todos: [] })) };
+      expect(result.hops.length, 'anti-vacuity: the range holds a step').toBeGreaterThan(0);
+      return { result, normalized };
+    }],
+  ];
+
+  it.each(ARMS)('%s: writes FILE, then prints the snapshot line, --write\'s outcome and the data migrations, in that order', (_, arm) => {
+    const { result, normalized } = arm();
+    const out = freshOut();
+    printed = [];
+    vi.spyOn(console, 'log').mockImplementation((...args: unknown[]) => {
+      printed.push(args.map(String).join(' '));
+    });
+    printMigrationReport(report(result, normalized, out));
+    const lines = stripVTControlCharacters(printed.join('\n')).split('\n');
+
+    expect(readFileSync(out, 'utf8')).toBe(JSON.stringify(result.stack, null, 2));
+    const named = linesNaming(lines, out);
+    expect(named).toHaveLength(1);
+    const outcome = indexOf(lines, WRITE_OUTCOME_RE);
+    const data = lines.findIndex((l) => l.includes(PROBE_DATA_MIGRATION.command));
+    expect(outcome).toBeGreaterThan(-1);
+    expect(data).toBeGreaterThan(-1);
+    expect(named[0]!).toBeLessThan(outcome);
+    expect(outcome).toBeLessThan(data);
+  });
+});