diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 440b557..702b0de 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ Each entry links the GitHub issue (the canonical spec) and the merge PR (the shi
 
 ### Changed
 
+- **Doctor advisory checks and dead lib.js readers deleted** — `backlog-doctor.js` drops `in_flight_staleness` (`--stale-days`) and `context_bloat`; both re-derive from `status.sh --json` `age_days` and `wc -l` and nothing consumed them. `lib.js` drops `parseMarkerMonth` and the triage config readers orphaned by #433 (259 lines with tests). The three guard checks and their JSON shapes are unchanged. Closes [#458](https://github.com/sungjunlee/dev-backlog/issues/458).
 - **status.sh trailing sections deleted** — the Local Files block (counted `tasks/*.md` mirrors by a Backlog.md `status:` field, a format parked at `v0.11.0`), the Relay Runs block (re-derived another tool's run-directory slug and grepped its manifests), and the Past sprints line are gone (54 lines with their smoke fixture); each was one command away and nothing consumed them. Output now ends after the Active Sprint block; `--json` and `--track` are unchanged. Closes [#459](https://github.com/sungjunlee/dev-backlog/issues/459).
 
 ## [0.12.0] — 2026-09-17
diff --git a/skills/dev-backlog/scripts/backlog-doctor.js b/skills/dev-backlog/scripts/backlog-doctor.js
index d659301..2f01ba4 100644
--- a/skills/dev-backlog/scripts/backlog-doctor.js
+++ b/skills/dev-backlog/scripts/backlog-doctor.js
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@
 /**
  * Aggregate deterministic dev-backlog health checks into one CI-ready probe.
  * Each check normalizes to one verdict: active-sprint invariant, sprint shape,
- * in-flight trace/staleness, _context.md bloat. Reassess is a human call at
- * sprint close, not a counter (charter rev 19, #446).
+ * in-flight trace. Reassess is a human call at sprint close, not a counter
+ * (charter rev 19, #446).
  */
 
 const fs = require("fs");
@@ -24,23 +24,19 @@ const {
 const { repoDisplayPath } = require("./portable-path.js");
 
 const SCHEMA_VERSION = 1;
-const DEFAULT_STALE_DAYS = 7;
-const CONTEXT_BLOAT_LINE_THRESHOLD = 200;
 const REQUIRED_ACTIVE_SECTIONS = ["Goal", "Plan", "Running Context", "Progress"];
 
 function usage() {
   return [
-    "Usage: backlog-doctor.js [--json] [--stale-days N] [backlog-dir]",
+    "Usage: backlog-doctor.js [--json] [backlog-dir]",
     "",
-    "Runs active-sprint, sprint-shape, in-flight trace/staleness,",
-    "and _context.md bloat checks.",
+    "Runs active-sprint, sprint-shape, and in-flight trace checks.",
   ].join("\n");
 }
 
 function parseArgs(args) {
   const options = {
     backlogDir: DEFAULT_BACKLOG_DIR,
-    staleDays: DEFAULT_STALE_DAYS,
     json: false,
   };
   let backlogDirSet = false;
@@ -52,21 +48,6 @@ function parseArgs(args) {
       options.json = true;
       continue;
     }
-    if (arg === "--stale-days") {
-      const next = args[i + 1];
-      if (!next) return { ...options, error: `Missing value for --stale-days. ${usage()}` };
-      const parsed = parseStaleDays(next);
-      if (parsed.error) return { ...options, error: parsed.error };
-      options.staleDays = parsed.value;
-      i += 1;
-      continue;
-    }
-    if (arg.startsWith("--stale-days=")) {
-      const parsed = parseStaleDays(arg.slice("--stale-days=".length));
-      if (parsed.error) return { ...options, error: parsed.error };
-      options.staleDays = parsed.value;
-      continue;
-    }
     if (arg.startsWith("--")) {
       return { ...options, error: `Unknown argument: ${arg}. ${usage()}` };
     }
@@ -80,19 +61,10 @@ function parseArgs(args) {
   return options;
 }
 
-function parseStaleDays(raw) {
-  if (!/^\d+$/.test(raw)) {
-    return { error: `Invalid --stale-days value: ${raw}. Expected a non-negative integer.` };
-  }
-  return { value: Number.parseInt(raw, 10) };
-}
-
 function runDoctor({
   repoRoot = process.cwd(),
   backlogDir = DEFAULT_BACKLOG_DIR,
-  staleDays = DEFAULT_STALE_DAYS,
   today = new Date(),
-  contextLineThreshold = CONTEXT_BLOAT_LINE_THRESHOLD,
 } = {}) {
   const root = path.resolve(repoRoot);
   const backlogPath = resolvePath(root, backlogDir);
@@ -115,10 +87,6 @@ function runDoctor({
         tag,
       ),
       in_flight_trace: tagTrack(checkInFlightTrace({ sprintState, activeStatus: active.status }), tag),
-      in_flight_staleness: tagTrack(
-        checkInFlightStaleness({ sprintState, activeStatus: active.status, staleDays }),
-        tag,
-      ),
     };
   });
 
@@ -126,8 +94,6 @@ function runDoctor({
     active,
     ...perTrack.map((run) => run.sprint_shape),
     ...perTrack.map((run) => run.in_flight_trace),
-    ...perTrack.map((run) => run.in_flight_staleness),
-    checkContextBloat({ repoRoot: root, sprintsDir, threshold: contextLineThreshold }),
   ];
 
   return {
@@ -348,71 +314,6 @@ function checkInFlightTrace({ sprintState, activeStatus }) {
   });
 }
 
-function checkInFlightStaleness({ sprintState, activeStatus, staleDays }) {
-  if (sprintState.error) {
-    return verdict("in_flight_staleness", activeStatus === "fail" ? "warn" : "fail", {
-      summary: `Skipped in-flight staleness check: ${sprintState.error.message}`,
-      stale_days: staleDays,
-    });
-  }
-  if (!sprintState.state || !sprintState.state.active_sprint) {
-    return verdict("in_flight_staleness", "pass", {
-      summary: "No active sprint; no in-flight age to check.",
-      stale_days: staleDays,
-    });
-  }
-
-  const stale = sprintState.state.in_flight
-    .filter((item) => item.age_days !== null && item.age_days > staleDays);
-  if (stale.length > 0) {
-    return verdict("in_flight_staleness", "warn", {
-      summary: `${stale.length} in-flight item(s) are older than ${staleDays} day(s).`,
-      stale_days: staleDays,
-      items: stale.map(publicPlanItem),
-    });
-  }
-
-  return verdict("in_flight_staleness", "pass", {
-    summary: `No in-flight items are older than ${staleDays} day(s).`,
-    stale_days: staleDays,
-    in_flight_count: sprintState.state.in_flight.length,
-  });
-}
-
-function checkContextBloat({ repoRoot, sprintsDir, threshold }) {
-  const contextPath = path.join(sprintsDir, "_context.md");
-  if (!fs.existsSync(contextPath)) {
-    return verdict("context_bloat", "pass", {
-      summary: "_context.md is absent; no cross-sprint context bloat detected.",
-      threshold_lines: threshold,
-      line_count: 0,
-    });
-  }
-
-  const content = fs.readFileSync(contextPath, "utf-8");
-  const lineCount = countLines(content);
-  if (lineCount > threshold) {
-    return verdict("context_bloat", "warn", {
-      summary: `_context.md is ${lineCount} lines, above the ${threshold}-line bloat threshold.`,
-      context_path: displayPath(repoRoot, contextPath),
-      threshold_lines: threshold,
-      line_count: lineCount,
-    });
-  }
-
-  return verdict("context_bloat", "pass", {
-    summary: `_context.md is within the ${threshold}-line bloat threshold.`,
-    context_path: displayPath(repoRoot, contextPath),
-    threshold_lines: threshold,
-    line_count: lineCount,
-  });
-}
-
-function countLines(content) {
-  if (content === "") return 0;
-  return content.split(/\r?\n/).length;
-}
-
 // Whitelist (order-stable) of the plan-item fields a verdict may publish.
 const PUBLIC_PLAN_FIELDS = [
   "line", "tracker", "id", "ref", "issue_number",
@@ -477,8 +378,6 @@ if (require.main === module) main();
 module.exports = {
   SCHEMA_VERSION,
   DEFAULT_BACKLOG_DIR,
-  DEFAULT_STALE_DAYS,
-  CONTEXT_BLOAT_LINE_THRESHOLD,
   REQUIRED_ACTIVE_SECTIONS,
   parseArgs,
   runDoctor,
diff --git a/skills/dev-backlog/scripts/lib.js b/skills/dev-backlog/scripts/lib.js
index 2ea1e21..5218a14 100644
--- a/skills/dev-backlog/scripts/lib.js
+++ b/skills/dev-backlog/scripts/lib.js
@@ -1,9 +1,5 @@
-/**
- * Shared library for dev-backlog Node scripts.
- */
+/** Shared library for dev-backlog Node scripts. */
 
-const fs = require("fs");
-const path = require("path");
 const { DEFAULT_BACKLOG_DIR } = require("./execution-root.js");
 
 const GH_EXEC_DEFAULTS = Object.freeze({
@@ -49,11 +45,6 @@ function containsIssueRef(text, identity) {
   return false;
 }
 
-// Progress-issue publication was removed (#340); this marker survives only to
-// recognize leftover machine-managed issue bodies in triage-collect.
-const PROGRESS_MARKER_PREFIX = "<!-- dev-backlog:progress-issue month=";
-const MARKER_SUFFIX = " -->";
-
 function slugify(text) {
   return text
     .replace(/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/g, "-")
@@ -62,24 +53,6 @@ function slugify(text) {
     .toLowerCase();
 }
 
-function parseMarkerMonth(body) {
-  if (!body) return null;
-  const start = body.indexOf(PROGRESS_MARKER_PREFIX);
-  if (start === -1) return null;
-  const valueStart = start + PROGRESS_MARKER_PREFIX.length;
-  const end = body.indexOf(MARKER_SUFFIX, valueStart);
-  return end === -1 ? null : body.slice(valueStart, end).trim();
-}
-
-const TRIAGE_CONFIG_DEFAULTS = {
-  theme_keywords: {},
-  activity_days: {
-    warm: 14,
-    cold: 60,
-  },
-  stale_days: 60,
-};
-
 function stripQuotes(text) {
   if (
     (text.startsWith('"') && text.endsWith('"')) ||
@@ -89,13 +62,11 @@ function stripQuotes(text) {
   }
   return text;
 }
-
 function parseInlineArray(raw) {
   const inner = raw.slice(1, -1).trim();
   if (!inner) return [];
   return inner.split(",").map((part) => stripQuotes(part.trim()));
 }
-
 function stripYamlSeparationComment(raw) {
   let quote = null;
   const firstNonSpace = raw.search(/\S/);
@@ -123,7 +94,6 @@ function stripYamlSeparationComment(raw) {
   }
   return raw;
 }
-
 function parseYamlScalar(raw) {
   const value = stripYamlSeparationComment(raw).trim();
   if (!value) return "";
@@ -143,12 +113,10 @@ function parseYamlScalar(raw) {
   if (value === "false") return false;
   return value;
 }
-
 function isBlockScalarValue(raw) {
   const value = stripYamlSeparationComment(raw).trim();
   return /^(?:(?:[&!]\S+)\s+)*(?:[>|](?:[1-9][+-]?|[+-][1-9]?)?)$/.test(value);
 }
-
 function quotedScalarCloses(text, quote, start = 0) {
   for (let index = start; index < text.length; index += 1) {
     if (quote === "'" && text[index] === "'" && text[index + 1] === "'") {
@@ -161,7 +129,6 @@ function quotedScalarCloses(text, quote, start = 0) {
   }
   return false;
 }
-
 function parseSimpleYaml(raw) {
   const root = {};
   const stack = [{ indent: -1, value: root }];
@@ -212,38 +179,6 @@ function parseSimpleYaml(raw) {
   return root;
 }
 
-function isPlainObject(value) {
-  return value !== null && typeof value === "object" && !Array.isArray(value);
-}
-
-function mergeConfig(defaults, parsed) {
-  const merged = { ...defaults };
-  for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(parsed || {})) {
-    if (isPlainObject(value) && isPlainObject(defaults[key])) {
-      merged[key] = mergeConfig(defaults[key], value);
-      continue;
-    }
-    merged[key] = value;
-  }
-  return merged;
-}
-
-function readYamlConfig(configPath, defaults) {
-  try {
-    const raw = fs.readFileSync(configPath, "utf-8");
-    return mergeConfig(defaults, parseSimpleYaml(raw));
-  } catch {
-    return mergeConfig(defaults, {});
-  }
-}
-
-function readTriageConfig(backlogDir) {
-  return readYamlConfig(
-    path.join(backlogDir || DEFAULT_BACKLOG_DIR, "triage-config.yml"),
-    TRIAGE_CONFIG_DEFAULTS
-  );
-}
-
 /**
  * Resolve a sprint's scope key from its frontmatter (multi-track partitioning).
  * Priority: non-empty `component:` wins; else `scope:` path globs; else none.
@@ -260,8 +195,7 @@ function sprintScopeKey(frontmatter) {
   return { kind: "none" };
 }
 
-// Reduce a path glob to a comparable directory prefix:
-// "src/auth/**" -> "src/auth", "src/auth/*" -> "src/auth", "src/auth/" -> "src/auth".
+// Path glob -> directory prefix: "src/auth/**" / "src/auth/*" / "src/auth/" -> "src/auth".
 function normalizeScopePrefix(glob) {
   return String(glob).replace(/\/+\**$/, "").replace(/\/+$/, "");
 }
@@ -293,16 +227,13 @@ function scopesOverlap(frontmatterA, frontmatterB) {
 
 module.exports = {
   slugify,
-  parseMarkerMonth,
   parseSimpleYaml,
   sprintScopeKey,
   scopesOverlap,
-  readTriageConfig,
   ISSUE_REF_RE,
   parseIssueRef,
   parsePlanCheckbox,
   containsIssueRef,
-  TRIAGE_CONFIG_DEFAULTS,
   DEFAULT_BACKLOG_DIR,
   GH_EXEC_DEFAULTS,
 };
diff --git a/tests/dev-backlog/backlog-doctor.test.js b/tests/dev-backlog/backlog-doctor.test.js
index 1bbce7d..62d7ffa 100644
--- a/tests/dev-backlog/backlog-doctor.test.js
+++ b/tests/dev-backlog/backlog-doctor.test.js
@@ -112,19 +112,17 @@ describe("parseArgs", () => {
   it("uses the documented defaults", () => {
     const parsed = parseArgs([]);
     assert.equal(parsed.backlogDir, ".dev-backlog");
-    assert.equal(parsed.staleDays, 7);
     assert.equal(parsed.json, false);
   });
 
-  it("accepts --json, --stale-days, and a backlog directory", () => {
-    const parsed = parseArgs(["--json", "--stale-days", "3", "custom-backlog"]);
+  it("accepts --json and a backlog directory", () => {
+    const parsed = parseArgs(["--json", "custom-backlog"]);
     assert.equal(parsed.json, true);
-    assert.equal(parsed.staleDays, 3);
     assert.equal(parsed.backlogDir, "custom-backlog");
   });
 
-  it("rejects invalid stale-day values", () => {
-    assert.match(parseArgs(["--stale-days", "soon"]).error, /Invalid --stale-days/);
+  it("rejects --stale-days as an unknown argument", () => {
+    assert.match(parseArgs(["--stale-days"]).error, /Unknown argument: --stale-days/);
   });
 });
 
@@ -154,8 +152,6 @@ describe("runDoctor", () => {
       "active_sprint",
       "sprint_shape",
       "in_flight_trace",
-      "in_flight_staleness",
-      "context_bloat",
     ]);
     assert.ok(formatHumanSummary(report).includes("[PASS] active_sprint"));
     // G4: a single active track never grows track tags (text and JSON alike).
@@ -218,7 +214,7 @@ describe("runDoctor", () => {
     assert.match(check(report, "active_sprint").detail.summary, /2 active tracks, scopes disjoint/);
     assert.equal(exitCodeFor(report), 0);
 
-    for (const name of ["sprint_shape", "in_flight_trace", "in_flight_staleness"]) {
+    for (const name of ["sprint_shape", "in_flight_trace"]) {
       const fanned = report.checks.filter((item) => item.name === name);
       assert.equal(fanned.length, 2, `${name} should run once per track`);
       assert.deepEqual(fanned.map((item) => item.track), ["2026-07-auth", "2026-07-billing"]);
@@ -412,42 +408,4 @@ describe("runDoctor", () => {
     assert.equal(exitCodeFor(report), 0);
     assert.equal(report.exit_hint, "warn");
   });
-
-  it("warns on stale in-flight work beyond --stale-days without failing", () => {
-    seedCleanRepo(
-      repoRoot,
-      sprint({
-        started: "2026-07-01",
-        plan: "- [~] #1 Needs follow-up [branch:doctor-test]",
-      }),
-    );
-
-    const report = runDoctor({
-      repoRoot,
-      staleDays: 3,
-      today: new Date("2026-07-05T00:00:00Z"),
-    });
-
-    assert.equal(check(report, "in_flight_staleness").status, "warn");
-    assert.equal(check(report, "in_flight_staleness").detail.stale_days, 3);
-    assert.deepEqual(
-      check(report, "in_flight_staleness").detail.items.map((item) => item.issue_number),
-      [1],
-    );
-    assert.equal(exitCodeFor(report), 0);
-  });
-
-  it("warns when _context.md exceeds the documented line threshold without failing", () => {
-    seedCleanRepo(repoRoot);
-    write(
-      path.join(repoRoot, ".dev-backlog", "sprints", "_context.md"),
-      Array.from({ length: 201 }, (_, i) => `line ${i + 1}`).join("\n"),
-    );
-
-    const report = runDoctor({ repoRoot });
-
-    assert.equal(check(report, "context_bloat").status, "warn");
-    assert.equal(check(report, "context_bloat").detail.threshold_lines, 200);
-    assert.equal(exitCodeFor(report), 0);
-  });
 });
diff --git a/tests/dev-backlog/lib.test.js b/tests/dev-backlog/lib.test.js
index bab5e74..ea4f74f 100644
--- a/tests/dev-backlog/lib.test.js
+++ b/tests/dev-backlog/lib.test.js
@@ -1,17 +1,14 @@
-const { describe, it, beforeEach, afterEach } = require("node:test");
+const { describe, it } = require("node:test");
 const assert = require("node:assert/strict");
-const fs = require("fs");
 const path = require("path");
 const SKILL_SCRIPTS = path.resolve(__dirname, "../../skills/dev-backlog/scripts");
 const {
   slugify,
   scopesOverlap,
-  readTriageConfig,
   parseSimpleYaml,
   parseIssueRef,
   parsePlanCheckbox,
   containsIssueRef,
-  TRIAGE_CONFIG_DEFAULTS,
 } = require(path.join(SKILL_SCRIPTS, "lib.js"));
 
 // --- slugify ---
@@ -188,50 +185,6 @@ describe("parseSimpleYaml", () => {
   });
 });
 
-describe("readTriageConfig", () => {
-  const tmpDir = path.join(__dirname, "__tmp_triage_config_test__");
-
-  beforeEach(() => {
-    fs.mkdirSync(tmpDir, { recursive: true });
-  });
-
-  afterEach(() => {
-    fs.rmSync(tmpDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
-  });
-
-  it("returns nested defaults when the config file is missing", () => {
-    const config = readTriageConfig(path.join(tmpDir, "missing"));
-    assert.deepEqual(config, TRIAGE_CONFIG_DEFAULTS);
-  });
-
-  it("reads nested theme keywords and activity thresholds", () => {
-    fs.writeFileSync(
-      path.join(tmpDir, "triage-config.yml"),
-      [
-        "theme_keywords:",
-        "  auth: [auth, oauth, token]",
-        "  docs: [docs, readme]",
-        "activity_days:",
-        "  warm: 10",
-        "  cold: 45",
-        "stale_days: 75",
-        "closed_issue_days: 30",
-        "",
-      ].join("\n")
-    );
-
-    const config = readTriageConfig(tmpDir);
-
-    assert.deepEqual(config.theme_keywords, {
-      auth: ["auth", "oauth", "token"],
-      docs: ["docs", "readme"],
-    });
-    assert.deepEqual(config.activity_days, { warm: 10, cold: 45 });
-    assert.equal(config.stale_days, 75);
-    assert.equal(config.closed_issue_days, 30);
-  });
-});
-
 describe("scopesOverlap", () => {
   it("component: overlaps only on exact equality", () => {
     assert.equal(scopesOverlap({ component: "auth" }, { component: "auth" }), true);