diff --git a/docs/QINGLONG_3_0_ARCHITECTURE_RFC.md b/docs/QINGLONG_3_0_ARCHITECTURE_RFC.md
index eca2b602..0c826302 100644
--- a/docs/QINGLONG_3_0_ARCHITECTURE_RFC.md
+++ b/docs/QINGLONG_3_0_ARCHITECTURE_RFC.md
@@ -11,6 +11,19 @@
 
 最新增量证据（2026-08-13）：
 
+- D-303/ADR-0391（已接受）
+  Cluster operator context 在离线 `validate` 之后增加显式、只读的 `ql3-cluster-admin context probe`。probe 先完整预检全部
+  context entry，任何晚出现的配置错误都会在首个网络请求前失败关闭；随后才按固定 catalog 顺序，以 production TLS 1.3、CA、
+  servername、mTLS client certificate 或 Kubernetes PortForward 配置逐项 `GET /readyz`。探针不读取 command/assertion，不发送
+  Authorization、body 或业务 management POST，不重试、不切换 Pod，响应限 1 KiB，只接受精确 `200/ready` 或 `503/not_ready`。
+  输出仅含 command、transport、ready 状态及 `mutation:false`；配置错误退出 78，不可达/协议错误或任一 not-ready 退出 69。
+  TLS preparation 与六类 management route/client-certificate policy 收敛为一个 package-private 真源，既有 mutation client 的公开
+  subpath 与请求语义不变。能力仍只存在于短生命周期 Cluster Admin，不新增 package、依赖、binary、listener、timer、controller、
+  workload 或 sidecar；Local/Edge、Cluster Control 与 Worker 零导入。Cluster Admin 完整 302 pass/2 条件 skip，18-package clean
+  build/test 退出 0，backend 1,188 pass/2 skip；五项边界审计零 finding。真实 arm64 Admin image 为 330,487,296 bytes，并在
+  `10001:10001`、network none、read-only root、drop ALL、128 MiB/32 PIDs 下完成本地 TLS readiness 契约。14 个 Local Profile
+  artifact 与 D-302 对应字节数一致；PostgreSQL 18.4 arm64 HA 123 项 gate 全绿、timeline `1→2`，证据 SHA-256 为
+  `e7c1743e932f2d7c35dc9153cdf5bc4a03356a38d93fce5507354652aa207a05`，独立审计与 Docker 清理通过。完整验证证据见 ADR-0391。
 - D-302/ADR-0390（已接受）
   Cluster operator context 增加无网络、无 mutation 的内建 `ql3-cluster-admin context validate` 预检。它先复用 owner-private context
   reader，再让每个 entry 经过与真实请求相同的 production HTTPS/Kubernetes configuration preparation，验证精确 route、hostname、CA、
diff --git a/docs/adr/ADR-0391-read-only-cluster-operator-context-readiness.md b/docs/adr/ADR-0391-read-only-cluster-operator-context-readiness.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..35fa4f3a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/adr/ADR-0391-read-only-cluster-operator-context-readiness.md
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+# ADR-0391：Read-only Cluster Operator Context Readiness
+
+- 状态：Accepted
+- 日期：2026-08-13
+- 关联 RFC：QL-RFC-0001 D-303
+- 前置决策：ADR-0247、ADR-0250、ADR-0388、ADR-0389、ADR-0390
+
+## 上下文
+
+ADR-0390 的 `context validate` 能在完全离线状态证明 context、TLS、mTLS 与 Kubernetes 配置可解析，但不能证明发布窗口中的目标进程已就绪、证书链仍被线上端点接受或 Kubernetes tunnel 可建立。用任一 management POST 试探会读取短生命周期 assertion 和 command，并可能进入认证、审计、quota 或 mutation 路径；在工作站另写 curl/kubectl 流程则会绕过生产 client 的 hostname、TLS 1.3、mTLS 与 PortForward 约束。
+
+## 决策
+
+1. 在既有 Cluster Admin facade 内增加 `context probe --context=/absolute/operator-context.json`。它不是第八个远程业务命令，不新增 binary、package、依赖、常驻进程或部署 authority。
+2. probe 必须先调用完整离线 `context validate`。所有 entry 均通过后才能产生第一个网络请求，避免前项已访问而后项配置错误的部分探测。
+3. 每项只使用与 production client 相同的 config preparation、CA、servername、TLS 1.3 和 mTLS client certificate。Kubernetes 项复用受审 kubeconfig preparation、单个 ready Pod 选择与 PortForward tunnel；不得读取 ambient kubeconfig。
+4. 唯一请求为 `GET /readyz`，无 Authorization、Content-Type 或 body。它不读取 command/assertion，不调用 management route，不查询数据库，不产生 mutation，不重试，也不在连接失败后切换 Pod。
+5. 响应硬限 1 KiB、identity encoding、精确 JSON content type/schema；只接受 `200 {schemaVersion:1,status:"ready"}` 或 `503 {schemaVersion:1,status:"not_ready"}`，拒绝 redirect、额外字段、重复/错误长度、压缩、畸形 UTF-8/JSON 和其他状态。
+6. 输出只包含固定 command 名、`https|kubernetes-port-forward`、`ready|not_ready`、固定 method/path 与 `mutation:false`。不得输出 endpoint、port、namespace、Pod、路径、证书主体或错误对象。全部 ready 退出 0；任一 not-ready、连接或协议失败退出 69；离线配置错误仍退出 78；语法错误退出 64。
+7. management route 与 client-certificate class 只有一个 package-private policy 真源。配置 preparation 和 readiness 实现不从 package manifest 导出；既有公开 client subpath、POST 语义、错误码与调用方保持不变。
+8. 能力只存在于短生命周期 Cluster Admin image。Local/Edge、Cluster Control、Worker 的依赖闭包、文件、RSS、listener、timer、数据库与制品不得变化。
+
+## 不采用方案
+
+- **直接执行一条 inspect 命令**：仍需 assertion/command，会留下认证或审计事实，且把 readiness 与业务授权混为一体。
+- **通用 URL/方法探针**：扩大 SSRF 与 authority 面，无法约束到受审 endpoint 和固定路径。
+- **自动重试或多 Pod failover**：隐藏单次现场状态、增加窗口时间，并把短生命周期诊断工具变成控制器。
+- **把 probe 放进 Cluster Control 或 sidecar**：会给常驻运行时增加网络、定时器和依赖成本，低配 Local/Edge 也没有该需求。
+- **为 readiness 新建 package**：只有 Cluster Admin 一个制品消费者，拆包会复制 manifest、发布和供应链表面。
+
+## 操作顺序
+
+1. `ql3-cluster-admin context validate --context=/absolute/operator-context.json`
+2. `ql3-cluster-admin context probe --context=/absolute/operator-context.json`
+3. 只有前两步符合维护计划，操作者才另行提供精确 command 与短生命周期 assertion 执行业务命令。
+
+probe 不是持续监控、负载均衡健康检查或 mutation 成功保证；退出 0 只表示这一时刻全部受审 readiness 端点返回 ready。
+
+## 验收门
+
+- 无证书 TLS 与 mTLS 真实握手、ready/not-ready、不可达、redirect、畸形与超限响应；
+- Kubernetes 单 Pod tunnel、连接丢失时无重试/切换，以及低敏错误映射；
+- context 全量离线先验、固定顺序、无 command/assertion/Authorization/body 与输出 secret scan；
+- 真实 Admin image 在 non-root、read-only root、network none 容器内启动本地 TLS fixture，证明固定 GET 契约及资源上限；
+- Cluster Admin、18-package clean build/test、backend、package/dependency/deployment/image/Local image、14 Local Profile artifact 与 PostgreSQL HA 全量不回归。
+
+## 当前证据
+
+- readiness/TLS/mTLS/Kubernetes tunnel、context product 与 release 定向契约 93/93。Cluster Admin 完整 304 tests、302 pass/2 条外部服务条件 skip/0 fail；18-package clean build/test 退出 0；backend 1,190 tests、1,188 pass/2 skip/0 fail。
+- workspace 保持 18 package；Cluster Admin 99 source 中 98 nested/1 个既有 root binary，无 single-source/shallow package且未增加依赖或公开 subpath。package/dependency/deployment/image release/Local image 五项边界审计均 compatible、零 finding。
+- 当前源码真实 arm64 Admin image 为 330,487,296 bytes，较 D-302 增加 23,768 bytes；在 `10001:10001`、read-only root、network none、drop ALL、no-new-privileges、0.25 CPU、128 MiB/32 PIDs 下启动同容器 loopback TLS fixture，报告 `contextReadiness=true`，并证明精确 `GET /readyz`、无 Authorization、0-byte body。
+- 14 个 Local Profile artifact 全部 compatible 且与 D-302 字节数一致：最小 Edge 为 2,467,343 bytes/295 files/53 modules，最大 Standalone MCP 为 7,168,978 bytes/778 files/213 modules，证明 Router/Edge 闭包零增量。
+- PostgreSQL 18.4 arm64 HA 123 项 gate 全绿，timeline `1→2`；私有报告 SHA-256 为 `e7c1743e932f2d7c35dc9153cdf5bc4a03356a38d93fce5507354652aa207a05`，独立 evidence audit `compatible=true`、零 finding，测试容器、网络与卷均零残留。
diff --git a/docs/adr/README.md b/docs/adr/README.md
index 024800f1..115a2600 100644
--- a/docs/adr/README.md
+++ b/docs/adr/README.md
@@ -394,6 +394,7 @@
 | [ADR-0388](./ADR-0388-bounded-unified-cluster-product-cli.md)                                                  | 有界统一 Cluster Operator 产品 CLI                                                                                                  | Accepted |
 | [ADR-0389](./ADR-0389-owner-private-cluster-operator-context.md)                                               | Owner-private Cluster Operator Context                                                                                               | Accepted |
 | [ADR-0390](./ADR-0390-offline-cluster-operator-context-preflight.md)                                          | Offline Cluster Operator Context Preflight                                                                                           | Accepted |
+| [ADR-0391](./ADR-0391-read-only-cluster-operator-context-readiness.md)                                        | Read-only Cluster Operator Context Readiness                                                                                         | Accepted |
 
 ## 规则
 
diff --git a/docs/operations/ql3-cluster-operator-context.md b/docs/operations/ql3-cluster-operator-context.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cb16e6ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/operations/ql3-cluster-operator-context.md
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# QingLong 3.0 Cluster Operator Context
+
+Cluster operator context 只为短生命周期 `ql3-cluster-admin` 复用受审 client 与 Kubernetes 配置路径。它不是 credential store，不得包含 assertion、command、token、private key、endpoint 内容或默认业务操作；context 及引用的私有文件必须是 absolute、canonical、当前 UID 所有、非 symlink 的 `0600` regular file。
+
+维护窗口按固定顺序执行：
+
+```sh
+ql3-cluster-admin context validate \
+  --context=/secure/qinglong3/operator-context.json
+
+ql3-cluster-admin context probe \
+  --context=/secure/qinglong3/operator-context.json
+```
+
+`validate` 完全离线，验证所有 context entry、TLS/mTLS 与 Kubernetes 配置，不建立连接。`probe` 会再次先完成全量离线验证，然后按固定 catalog 顺序使用 production TLS 1.3 或 Kubernetes PortForward 发送无 Authorization、无 body 的 `GET /readyz`；它不会执行 management POST、读取 assertion/command、重试或切换 Pod。
+
+- `validate` 成功退出 0；配置错误输出低敏 `QL3_CLUSTER_PRODUCT_CONTEXT_INVALID` 并退出 78。
+- `probe` 全部 ready 退出 0；明确 not-ready、不可达或响应协议错误退出 69。not-ready 会输出各 command 的低敏状态；连接/协议失败只输出 `QL3_CLUSTER_PRODUCT_CONTEXT_PROBE_FAILED`。
+- 退出 0 只证明探测时刻 readiness，不代表后续 mutation 一定成功。业务命令仍需单独、显式提供精确 command 与短生命周期 assertion。
+
+不要把 probe 放进 cron、sidecar、router/Edge Profile 或 Cluster Control。持续监控应使用独立、最小权限的可观测性面；该命令保留为人工发布/维护窗口的有界诊断工具。
diff --git a/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/src/management-support/managementClientConfiguration.ts b/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/src/management-support/managementClientConfiguration.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1836d0c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/src/management-support/managementClientConfiguration.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,426 @@
+/** Package-private configuration preparation shared by management clients. */
+import { createPrivateKey, X509Certificate } from 'node:crypto';
+import {
+  closeSync,
+  constants,
+  fstatSync,
+  lstatSync,
+  openSync,
+  readSync,
+  realpathSync,
+} from 'node:fs';
+import { isIP } from 'node:net';
+import { isAbsolute } from 'node:path';
+import { TextDecoder } from 'node:util';
+
+export type ClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientKind =
+  | 'package'
+  | 'worker-credential'
+  | 'automation'
+  | 'approval'
+  | 'model-credential'
+  | 'run';
+
+const MANAGEMENT_CLIENT_POLICIES: Readonly<
+  Record<
+    ClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientKind,
+    Readonly<{
+      managementPath: string;
+      clientCertificate: 'forbidden' | 'required';
+    }>
+  >
+> = Object.freeze({
+  package: Object.freeze({
+    managementPath: '/api/v3/plugin-packages/management',
+    clientCertificate: 'forbidden',
+  }),
+  'worker-credential': Object.freeze({
+    managementPath: '/api/v3/worker-credentials/management',
+    clientCertificate: 'required',
+  }),
+  automation: Object.freeze({
+    managementPath: '/api/v3/automations/management',
+    clientCertificate: 'required',
+  }),
+  approval: Object.freeze({
+    managementPath: '/api/v3/approvals/management',
+    clientCertificate: 'required',
+  }),
+  'model-credential': Object.freeze({
+    managementPath: '/api/v3/provider-credentials/management',
+    clientCertificate: 'required',
+  }),
+  run: Object.freeze({
+    managementPath: '/api/v3/runs/management',
+    clientCertificate: 'required',
+  }),
+});
+
+const MAXIMUM_CONFIG_BYTES = 16 * 1024;
+const MAXIMUM_CA_BYTES = 256 * 1024;
+const MAXIMUM_CLIENT_CERTIFICATE_BYTES = 256 * 1024;
+const MAXIMUM_CLIENT_PRIVATE_KEY_BYTES = 256 * 1024;
+const CONTROL_PATTERN = /[\u0000-\u001f\u007f]/;
+const DNS_NAME_PATTERN =
+  /^(?=.{1,253}$)[A-Za-z0-9](?:[A-Za-z0-9-]{0,61}[A-Za-z0-9])?(?:\.[A-Za-z0-9](?:[A-Za-z0-9-]{0,61}[A-Za-z0-9])?)*$/;
+
+type JsonObject = Record<string, unknown>;
+
+export interface ClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientConfigurationSummary {
+  readonly schemaVersion: 1;
+  readonly managementPath: string;
+  readonly transport: 'https';
+  readonly clientCertificate: 'forbidden' | 'required';
+}
+
+export interface PreparedClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientConfiguration {
+  readonly endpoint: URL;
+  readonly servername: string;
+  readonly port: number;
+  readonly requestTimeoutMs: number;
+  readonly caBytes: Buffer;
+  readonly clientCertificateBytes?: Buffer;
+  readonly clientPrivateKeyBytes?: Buffer;
+  dispose(): void;
+}
+
+export class ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientConfigurationError extends TypeError {
+  readonly code = 'QL3_PLUGIN_PACKAGE_MANAGEMENT_CLIENT_CONFIG_INVALID';
+
+  constructor() {
+    super('Plugin Package management client configuration is invalid');
+    this.name = 'ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientConfigurationError';
+  }
+}
+
+function configurationFailure(): ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientConfigurationError {
+  return new ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientConfigurationError();
+}
+
+function exactObject(
+  value: unknown,
+  expectedKeys: readonly string[],
+): asserts value is JsonObject {
+  if (!value || typeof value !== 'object' || Array.isArray(value)) {
+    throw configurationFailure();
+  }
+  const actual = Object.keys(value).sort();
+  const expected = [...expectedKeys].sort();
+  if (
+    actual.length !== expected.length ||
+    actual.some((key, index) => key !== expected[index])
+  ) {
+    throw configurationFailure();
+  }
+}
+
+function currentUid(): number {
+  if (typeof process.getuid !== 'function') throw configurationFailure();
+  const uid = process.getuid();
+  if (!Number.isSafeInteger(uid) || uid < 0) throw configurationFailure();
+  return uid;
+}
+
+export function readCanonicalFile(
+  filePath: string,
+  maximumBytes: number,
+  mode: 'private' | 'public-integrity',
+): Buffer {
+  if (
+    typeof filePath !== 'string' ||
+    !isAbsolute(filePath) ||
+    filePath.length > 4_096 ||
+    CONTROL_PATTERN.test(filePath)
+  ) {
+    throw configurationFailure();
+  }
+  let before;
+  try {
+    before = lstatSync(filePath);
+    if (
+      !before.isFile() ||
+      before.isSymbolicLink() ||
+      before.size < 1 ||
+      before.size > maximumBytes ||
+      realpathSync(filePath) !== filePath
+    ) {
+      throw configurationFailure();
+    }
+  } catch (error) {
+    if (error instanceof ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientConfigurationError) {
+      throw error;
+    }
+    throw configurationFailure();
+  }
+  const uid = currentUid();
+  const permissions = before.mode & 0o777;
+  if (
+    (mode === 'private' && (before.uid !== uid || permissions !== 0o600)) ||
+    (mode === 'public-integrity' && before.uid !== uid && before.uid !== 0) ||
+    (mode === 'public-integrity' && (permissions & 0o022) !== 0)
+  ) {
+    throw configurationFailure();
+  }
+
+  let descriptor = -1;
+  let bytes: Buffer | undefined;
+  try {
+    descriptor = openSync(
+      filePath,
+      constants.O_RDONLY |
+        ((constants as unknown as Readonly<Record<string, number>>).O_CLOEXEC ??
+          0) |
+        (constants.O_NOFOLLOW ?? 0),
+    );
+    const opened = fstatSync(descriptor);
+    if (
+      !opened.isFile() ||
+      opened.dev !== before.dev ||
+      opened.ino !== before.ino ||
+      opened.uid !== before.uid ||
+      opened.mode !== before.mode ||
+      opened.size !== before.size
+    ) {
+      throw configurationFailure();
+    }
+    bytes = Buffer.alloc(opened.size);
+    let offset = 0;
+    while (offset < bytes.length) {
+      const count = readSync(
+        descriptor,
+        bytes,
+        offset,
+        bytes.length - offset,
+        offset,
+      );
+      if (count < 1) throw configurationFailure();
+      offset += count;
+    }
+    const after = fstatSync(descriptor);
+    if (
+      after.dev !== opened.dev ||
+      after.ino !== opened.ino ||
+      after.uid !== opened.uid ||
+      after.mode !== opened.mode ||
+      after.size !== opened.size
+    ) {
+      throw configurationFailure();
+    }
+    return bytes;
+  } catch (error) {
+    bytes?.fill(0);
+    if (error instanceof ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientConfigurationError) {
+      throw error;
+    }
+    throw configurationFailure();
+  } finally {
+    if (descriptor >= 0) closeSync(descriptor);
+  }
+}
+
+function parseJson(bytes: Buffer): unknown {
+  try {
+    return JSON.parse(new TextDecoder('utf-8', { fatal: true }).decode(bytes));
+  } catch {
+    throw configurationFailure();
+  }
+}
+
+export function isReviewedClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientProtocol(
+  managementPath: string,
+  clientCertificate: 'forbidden' | 'required',
+): boolean {
+  return Object.values(MANAGEMENT_CLIENT_POLICIES).some(
+    (policy) =>
+      policy.managementPath === managementPath &&
+      policy.clientCertificate === clientCertificate,
+  );
+}
+
+export function prepareClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientConfiguration(
+  configFile: string,
+  managementPath: string,
+  clientCertificate: 'forbidden' | 'required',
+): PreparedClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientConfiguration {
+  if (
+    !isReviewedClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientProtocol(
+      managementPath,
+      clientCertificate,
+    )
+  ) {
+    throw configurationFailure();
+  }
+  let configBytes: Buffer | undefined;
+  let caBytes: Buffer | undefined;
+  let clientCertificateBytes: Buffer | undefined;
+  let clientPrivateKeyBytes: Buffer | undefined;
+  try {
+    configBytes = readCanonicalFile(
+      configFile,
+      MAXIMUM_CONFIG_BYTES,
+      'private',
+    );
+    const config = parseJson(configBytes);
+    exactObject(
+      config,
+      clientCertificate === 'required'
+        ? [
+            'schemaVersion',
+            'endpoint',
+            'servername',
+            'caFile',
+            'clientCertificateFile',
+            'clientPrivateKeyFile',
+            'requestTimeoutMs',
+          ]
+        : [
+            'schemaVersion',
+            'endpoint',
+            'servername',
+            'caFile',
+            'requestTimeoutMs',
+          ],
+    );
+    if (
+      config.schemaVersion !== 1 ||
+      typeof config.endpoint !== 'string' ||
+      typeof config.servername !== 'string' ||
+      !DNS_NAME_PATTERN.test(config.servername) ||
+      isIP(config.servername) !== 0 ||
+      typeof config.caFile !== 'string' ||
+      (clientCertificate === 'required' &&
+        (typeof config.clientCertificateFile !== 'string' ||
+          typeof config.clientPrivateKeyFile !== 'string')) ||
+      !Number.isSafeInteger(config.requestTimeoutMs) ||
+      (config.requestTimeoutMs as number) < 1_000 ||
+      (config.requestTimeoutMs as number) > 30_000
+    ) {
+      throw configurationFailure();
+    }
+    const servername = config.servername;
+    const requestTimeoutMs = config.requestTimeoutMs as number;
+    let endpoint: URL;
+    try {
+      endpoint = new URL(config.endpoint);
+    } catch {
+      throw configurationFailure();
+    }
+    if (
+      endpoint.protocol !== 'https:' ||
+      endpoint.username !== '' ||
+      endpoint.password !== '' ||
+      endpoint.search !== '' ||
+      endpoint.hash !== '' ||
+      endpoint.pathname !== managementPath ||
+      endpoint.hostname !== servername ||
+      isIP(endpoint.hostname) !== 0
+    ) {
+      throw configurationFailure();
+    }
+    const port = endpoint.port === '' ? 443 : Number(endpoint.port);
+    if (!Number.isSafeInteger(port) || port < 1 || port > 65_535) {
+      throw configurationFailure();
+    }
+    caBytes = readCanonicalFile(
+      config.caFile as string,
+      MAXIMUM_CA_BYTES,
+      'public-integrity',
+    );
+    try {
+      new X509Certificate(caBytes);
+    } catch {
+      throw configurationFailure();
+    }
+    if (clientCertificate === 'required') {
+      clientCertificateBytes = readCanonicalFile(
+        config.clientCertificateFile as string,
+        MAXIMUM_CLIENT_CERTIFICATE_BYTES,
+        'public-integrity',
+      );
+      clientPrivateKeyBytes = readCanonicalFile(
+        config.clientPrivateKeyFile as string,
+        MAXIMUM_CLIENT_PRIVATE_KEY_BYTES,
+        'private',
+      );
+      try {
+        const certificate = new X509Certificate(clientCertificateBytes);
+        const privateKey = createPrivateKey(clientPrivateKeyBytes);
+        if (!certificate.checkPrivateKey(privateKey)) {
+          throw configurationFailure();
+        }
+      } catch (error) {
+        if (error instanceof ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientConfigurationError) {
+          throw error;
+        }
+        throw configurationFailure();
+      }
+    }
+    let disposed = false;
+    return Object.freeze({
+      endpoint,
+      servername,
+      port,
+      requestTimeoutMs,
+      caBytes,
+      ...(clientCertificateBytes === undefined
+        ? {}
+        : {
+            clientCertificateBytes,
+            clientPrivateKeyBytes: clientPrivateKeyBytes!,
+          }),
+      dispose() {
+        if (disposed) return;
+        disposed = true;
+        caBytes?.fill(0);
+        clientCertificateBytes?.fill(0);
+        clientPrivateKeyBytes?.fill(0);
+      },
+    });
+  } catch (error) {
+    caBytes?.fill(0);
+    clientCertificateBytes?.fill(0);
+    clientPrivateKeyBytes?.fill(0);
+    if (error instanceof ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientConfigurationError) {
+      throw error;
+    }
+    throw configurationFailure();
+  } finally {
+    configBytes?.fill(0);
+  }
+}
+
+export function prepareClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientKindConfiguration(
+  configFile: string,
+  kind: ClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientKind,
+): PreparedClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientConfiguration {
+  const policy = MANAGEMENT_CLIENT_POLICIES[kind];
+  if (policy === undefined) throw configurationFailure();
+  return prepareClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientConfiguration(
+    configFile,
+    policy.managementPath,
+    policy.clientCertificate,
+  );
+}
+
+export function validateClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientConfiguration(
+  configFile: string,
+  kind: ClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientKind,
+): Readonly<ClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientConfigurationSummary> {
+  const policy = MANAGEMENT_CLIENT_POLICIES[kind];
+  if (policy === undefined) throw configurationFailure();
+  const prepared =
+    prepareClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientKindConfiguration(
+      configFile,
+      kind,
+    );
+  try {
+    return Object.freeze({
+      schemaVersion: 1,
+      managementPath: policy.managementPath,
+      transport: 'https',
+      clientCertificate: policy.clientCertificate,
+    });
+  } finally {
+    prepared.dispose();
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/src/management-support/managementReadinessProbe.ts b/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/src/management-support/managementReadinessProbe.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5ffe459d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/src/management-support/managementReadinessProbe.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,300 @@
+/** Bounded read-only readiness probe for reviewed cluster management clients. */
+import { Agent as HttpsAgent, request as httpsRequest } from 'node:https';
+import { Duplex } from 'node:stream';
+import { connect as tlsConnect } from 'node:tls';
+import { TextDecoder } from 'node:util';
+
+import {
+  ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientRequestError,
+  type ClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientKind,
+  type ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientConnectionOptions,
+  type ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientRawConnection,
+} from './pluginPackageManagementClient';
+import {
+  ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientConfigurationError,
+  prepareClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientKindConfiguration,
+  type PreparedClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientConfiguration,
+} from './managementClientConfiguration';
+
+const MAXIMUM_RESPONSE_BYTES = 1_024;
+
+export interface ClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientReadiness {
+  readonly schemaVersion: 1;
+  readonly transport: 'https';
+  readonly ready: boolean;
+}
+
+function configurationFailure(): ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientConfigurationError {
+  return new ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientConfigurationError();
+}
+
+function rawHeaderCount(rawHeaders: readonly string[], name: string): number {
+  let count = 0;
+  for (let index = 0; index < rawHeaders.length; index += 2) {
+    if (rawHeaders[index]?.toLowerCase() === name) count += 1;
+  }
+  return count;
+}
+
+function readinessEnvelope(
+  value: unknown,
+): Readonly<{ schemaVersion: unknown; status: unknown }> {
+  if (!value || typeof value !== 'object' || Array.isArray(value)) {
+    throw new ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientRequestError();
+  }
+  const keys = Object.keys(value).sort();
+  if (
+    keys.length !== 2 ||
+    keys[0] !== 'schemaVersion' ||
+    keys[1] !== 'status'
+  ) {
+    throw new ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientRequestError();
+  }
+  return value as Readonly<{ schemaVersion: unknown; status: unknown }>;
+}
+
+function connectionOptionsValid(
+  value: ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientConnectionOptions | undefined,
+): boolean {
+  return (
+    value === undefined ||
+    (!!value &&
+      typeof value === 'object' &&
+      !Array.isArray(value) &&
+      Object.keys(value).length === 1 &&
+      typeof value.connect === 'function')
+  );
+}
+
+export async function probeClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientReadiness(
+  configFile: string,
+  kind: ClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientKind,
+  connectionOptions?: ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientConnectionOptions,
+): Promise<Readonly<ClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientReadiness>> {
+  if (!connectionOptionsValid(connectionOptions)) throw configurationFailure();
+  let prepared:
+    | PreparedClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientConfiguration
+    | undefined;
+  let rawConnection:
+    | ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientRawConnection
+    | undefined;
+  let connectionAgent: HttpsAgent | undefined;
+  try {
+    prepared = prepareClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientKindConfiguration(
+      configFile,
+      kind,
+    );
+    const {
+      endpoint,
+      servername,
+      port,
+      requestTimeoutMs,
+      caBytes,
+      clientCertificateBytes,
+      clientPrivateKeyBytes,
+    } = prepared;
+    if (connectionOptions) {
+      rawConnection = await connectionOptions.connect(
+        Object.freeze({ hostname: endpoint.hostname, port }),
+      );
+      if (
+        !rawConnection ||
+        typeof rawConnection !== 'object' ||
+        !(rawConnection.stream instanceof Duplex) ||
+        typeof rawConnection.close !== 'function'
+      ) {
+        throw new ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientRequestError();
+      }
+      const establishedConnection = rawConnection;
+      connectionAgent = new HttpsAgent({
+        keepAlive: false,
+        maxSockets: 1,
+        maxFreeSockets: 0,
+      });
+      connectionAgent.createConnection = (_options, callback) => {
+        const socket = tlsConnect({
+          socket: establishedConnection.stream,
+          ca: caBytes,
+          ...(clientCertificateBytes === undefined
+            ? {}
+            : {
+                cert: clientCertificateBytes,
+                key: clientPrivateKeyBytes,
+              }),
+          servername,
+          minVersion: 'TLSv1.3',
+          maxVersion: 'TLSv1.3',
+          rejectUnauthorized: true,
+        });
+        if (callback) {
+          let reported = false;
+          socket.once('secureConnect', () => {
+            if (reported) return;
+            reported = true;
+            callback(null, socket);
+          });
+          socket.once('error', (error) => {
+            if (reported) return;
+            reported = true;
+            callback(error, socket);
+          });
+        }
+        return socket;
+      };
+    }
+    return await new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+      let settled = false;
+      const chunks: Buffer[] = [];
+      let length = 0;
+      const clearChunks = () => {
+        for (const chunk of chunks) chunk.fill(0);
+      };
+      const finish = (
+        error: unknown,
+        result?: Readonly<ClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientReadiness>,
+      ) => {
+        if (settled) return;
+        settled = true;
+        if (error) reject(error);
+        else resolve(result!);
+      };
+      const request = httpsRequest(
+        {
+          protocol: 'https:',
+          hostname: endpoint.hostname,
+          port,
+          path: '/readyz',
+          method: 'GET',
+          servername,
+          ca: caBytes,
+          ...(clientCertificateBytes === undefined
+            ? {}
+            : {
+                cert: clientCertificateBytes,
+                key: clientPrivateKeyBytes,
+              }),
+          minVersion: 'TLSv1.3',
+          maxVersion: 'TLSv1.3',
+          rejectUnauthorized: true,
+          agent: connectionAgent ?? false,
+          headers: {
+            accept: 'application/json',
+            'accept-encoding': 'identity',
+            connection: 'close',
+          },
+        },
+        (response) => {
+          response.once('aborted', () => {
+            clearChunks();
+            finish(new ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientRequestError());
+          });
+          response.once('error', (error) => {
+            clearChunks();
+            finish(
+              new ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientRequestError(error),
+            );
+          });
+          response.on('data', (chunk: Buffer | string) => {
+            const bytes = Buffer.isBuffer(chunk) ? chunk : Buffer.from(chunk);
+            length += bytes.length;
+            if (length > MAXIMUM_RESPONSE_BYTES) {
+              const error =
+                new ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientRequestError();
+              bytes.fill(0);
+              clearChunks();
+              response.destroy();
+              request.destroy(error);
+              finish(error);
+              return;
+            }
+            chunks.push(bytes);
+          });
+          response.once('end', () => {
+            try {
+              if (
+                rawHeaderCount(response.rawHeaders, 'content-type') !== 1 ||
+                response.headers['content-type'] !==
+                  'application/json; charset=utf-8' ||
+                response.headers['content-encoding'] !== undefined ||
+                rawHeaderCount(response.rawHeaders, 'content-length') > 1 ||
+                (response.headers['content-length'] !== undefined &&
+                  (!/^(?:0|[1-9][0-9]*)$/.test(
+                    response.headers['content-length'],
+                  ) ||
+                    Number(response.headers['content-length']) !== length))
+              ) {
+                throw new ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientRequestError();
+              }
+              const bytes = Buffer.concat(chunks, length);
+              let parsed: unknown;
+              try {
+                parsed = JSON.parse(
+                  new TextDecoder('utf-8', { fatal: true }).decode(bytes),
+                );
+              } finally {
+                bytes.fill(0);
+                clearChunks();
+              }
+              const record = readinessEnvelope(parsed);
+              const ready =
+                response.statusCode === 200 && record.status === 'ready';
+              const notReady =
+                response.statusCode === 503 &&
+                record.status === 'not_ready';
+              if (record.schemaVersion !== 1 || (!ready && !notReady)) {
+                throw new ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientRequestError();
+              }
+              finish(
+                undefined,
+                Object.freeze({
+                  schemaVersion: 1,
+                  transport: 'https',
+                  ready,
+                }),
+              );
+            } catch (error) {
+              finish(
+                error instanceof
+                  ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientRequestError
+                  ? error
+                  : new ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientRequestError(
+                      error,
+                    ),
+              );
+            }
+          });
+        },
+      );
+      request.setTimeout(requestTimeoutMs, () => {
+        request.destroy(
+          new ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientRequestError(),
+        );
+      });
+      request.once('error', (error) => {
+        clearChunks();
+        finish(
+          error instanceof ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientRequestError
+            ? error
+            : new ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientRequestError(error),
+        );
+      });
+      request.end();
+    });
+  } catch (error) {
+    if (
+      error instanceof ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientConfigurationError ||
+      error instanceof ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientRequestError
+    ) {
+      throw error;
+    }
+    throw new ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientRequestError(error);
+  } finally {
+    connectionAgent?.destroy();
+    try {
+      await rawConnection?.close();
+    } catch {
+      // Probe outcome remains authoritative after bounded resource cleanup.
+    }
+    prepared?.dispose();
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/src/management-support/pluginPackageManagementClient.ts b/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/src/management-support/pluginPackageManagementClient.ts
index def78f09..745fb6dd 100644
--- a/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/src/management-support/pluginPackageManagementClient.ts
+++ b/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/src/management-support/pluginPackageManagementClient.ts
@@ -1,20 +1,28 @@
 /** Shared one-shot authenticated client boundary for cluster management planes. */
-import {
-  closeSync,
-  constants,
-  fstatSync,
-  lstatSync,
-  openSync,
-  readSync,
-  realpathSync,
-} from 'node:fs';
 import { Agent as HttpsAgent, request as httpsRequest } from 'node:https';
-import { isIP } from 'node:net';
-import { isAbsolute } from 'node:path';
 import { Duplex } from 'node:stream';
 import { connect as tlsConnect } from 'node:tls';
 import { TextDecoder } from 'node:util';
-import { createPrivateKey, X509Certificate } from 'node:crypto';
+import {
+  ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientConfigurationError,
+  isReviewedClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientProtocol,
+  prepareClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientConfiguration,
+  readCanonicalFile,
+  validateClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientConfiguration,
+  type ClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientConfigurationSummary,
+  type ClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientKind,
+  type PreparedClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientConfiguration,
+} from './managementClientConfiguration';
+
+export {
+  ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientConfigurationError,
+  readCanonicalFile,
+  validateClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientConfiguration,
+};
+export type {
+  ClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientConfigurationSummary,
+  ClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientKind,
+};
 
 import {
   normalizeClusterPluginPackageManagementCommand,
@@ -23,59 +31,11 @@ import {
 } from '../plugin-package/management/pluginPackageManagementTransport';
 
 const MANAGEMENT_PATH = '/api/v3/plugin-packages/management';
-export type ClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientKind =
-  | 'package'
-  | 'worker-credential'
-  | 'automation'
-  | 'approval'
-  | 'model-credential'
-  | 'run';
-
-const MANAGEMENT_CLIENT_POLICIES: Readonly<
-  Record<
-    ClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientKind,
-    Readonly<{
-      managementPath: string;
-      clientCertificate: 'forbidden' | 'required';
-    }>
-  >
-> = Object.freeze({
-  package: Object.freeze({
-    managementPath: MANAGEMENT_PATH,
-    clientCertificate: 'forbidden',
-  }),
-  'worker-credential': Object.freeze({
-    managementPath: '/api/v3/worker-credentials/management',
-    clientCertificate: 'required',
-  }),
-  automation: Object.freeze({
-    managementPath: '/api/v3/automations/management',
-    clientCertificate: 'required',
-  }),
-  approval: Object.freeze({
-    managementPath: '/api/v3/approvals/management',
-    clientCertificate: 'required',
-  }),
-  'model-credential': Object.freeze({
-    managementPath: '/api/v3/provider-credentials/management',
-    clientCertificate: 'required',
-  }),
-  run: Object.freeze({
-    managementPath: '/api/v3/runs/management',
-    clientCertificate: 'required',
-  }),
-});
-const MAX_CONFIG_BYTES = 16 * 1024;
 const MAX_ASSERTION_BYTES = 16 * 1024;
 const MAX_COMMAND_BYTES = 256 * 1024;
-const MAX_CA_BYTES = 256 * 1024;
-const MAX_CLIENT_CERTIFICATE_BYTES = 256 * 1024;
-const MAX_CLIENT_PRIVATE_KEY_BYTES = 256 * 1024;
 const MAX_RESPONSE_BYTES = 128 * 1024;
 const CONTROL_PATTERN = /[\u0000-\u001f\u007f]/;
 const PACKAGE_NAME_PATTERN = /^[a-z0-9](?:[a-z0-9-]{0,61}[a-z0-9])?$/;
-const DNS_NAME_PATTERN =
-  /^(?=.{1,253}$)[A-Za-z0-9](?:[A-Za-z0-9-]{0,61}[A-Za-z0-9])?(?:\.[A-Za-z0-9](?:[A-Za-z0-9-]{0,61}[A-Za-z0-9])?)*$/;
 const ASSERTION_PATTERN = /^[A-Za-z0-9_-]+\.[A-Za-z0-9_-]+\.[A-Za-z0-9_-]+$/;
 const TOKEN_PATTERN = /^[A-Za-z0-9][A-Za-z0-9._:-]{0,255}$/;
 const DIGEST_PATTERN = /^[0-9a-f]{64}$/;
@@ -123,15 +83,6 @@ export interface ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientConnectionOptions {
   ): Promise<ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientRawConnection>;
 }
 
-export class ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientConfigurationError extends TypeError {
-  readonly code = 'QL3_PLUGIN_PACKAGE_MANAGEMENT_CLIENT_CONFIG_INVALID';
-
-  constructor() {
-    super('Plugin Package management client configuration is invalid');
-    this.name = 'ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientConfigurationError';
-  }
-}
-
 export class ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientRequestError extends Error {
   readonly code = 'QL3_PLUGIN_PACKAGE_MANAGEMENT_CLIENT_REQUEST_FAILED';
 
@@ -176,114 +127,6 @@ function exactObject(
   }
 }
 
-function currentUid(): number {
-  if (typeof process.getuid !== 'function') throw configurationFailure();
-  const uid = process.getuid();
-  if (!Number.isSafeInteger(uid) || uid < 0) throw configurationFailure();
-  return uid;
-}
-
-export function readCanonicalFile(
-  filePath: string,
-  maximumBytes: number,
-  mode: 'private' | 'public-integrity',
-): Buffer {
-  if (
-    typeof filePath !== 'string' ||
-    !isAbsolute(filePath) ||
-    filePath.length > 4_096 ||
-    CONTROL_PATTERN.test(filePath)
-  ) {
-    throw configurationFailure();
-  }
-  let before;
-  try {
-    before = lstatSync(filePath);
-    if (
-      !before.isFile() ||
-      before.isSymbolicLink() ||
-      before.size < 1 ||
-      before.size > maximumBytes ||
-      realpathSync(filePath) !== filePath
-    ) {
-      throw configurationFailure();
-    }
-  } catch (error) {
-    if (
-      error instanceof ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientConfigurationError
-    ) {
-      throw error;
-    }
-    throw configurationFailure();
-  }
-  const uid = currentUid();
-  const permissions = before.mode & 0o777;
-  if (
-    (mode === 'private' && (before.uid !== uid || permissions !== 0o600)) ||
-    (mode === 'public-integrity' && before.uid !== uid && before.uid !== 0) ||
-    (mode === 'public-integrity' && (permissions & 0o022) !== 0)
-  ) {
-    throw configurationFailure();
-  }
-
-  let descriptor = -1;
-  let bytes: Buffer | undefined;
-  try {
-    descriptor = openSync(
-      filePath,
-      constants.O_RDONLY |
-        ((constants as unknown as Readonly<Record<string, number>>).O_CLOEXEC ??
-          0) |
-        (constants.O_NOFOLLOW ?? 0),
-    );
-    const opened = fstatSync(descriptor);
-    if (
-      !opened.isFile() ||
-      opened.dev !== before.dev ||
-      opened.ino !== before.ino ||
-      opened.uid !== before.uid ||
-      opened.mode !== before.mode ||
-      opened.size !== before.size
-    ) {
-      throw configurationFailure();
-    }
-    bytes = Buffer.alloc(opened.size);
-    let offset = 0;
-    while (offset < bytes.length) {
-      const count = readSync(
-        descriptor,
-        bytes,
-        offset,
-        bytes.length - offset,
-        offset,
-      );
-      if (count < 1) throw configurationFailure();
-      offset += count;
-    }
-    const after = fstatSync(descriptor);
-    if (
-      after.dev !== opened.dev ||
-      after.ino !== opened.ino ||
-      after.uid !== opened.uid ||
-      after.mode !== opened.mode ||
-      after.size !== opened.size
-    ) {
-      throw configurationFailure();
-    }
-    return bytes;
-  } catch (error) {
-    bytes?.fill(0);
-    if (
-      error instanceof ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientConfigurationError
-    ) {
-      throw error;
-    }
-    throw configurationFailure();
-  } finally {
-    if (descriptor >= 0) closeSync(descriptor);
-  }
-}
-
 function decodeUtf8(bytes: Buffer): string {
   try {
     return new TextDecoder('utf-8', { fatal: true }).decode(bytes);
@@ -812,201 +655,6 @@ function rawHeaderCount(rawHeaders: readonly string[], name: string): number {
   return count;
 }
 
-export interface ClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientConfigurationSummary {
-  readonly schemaVersion: 1;
-  readonly managementPath: string;
-  readonly transport: 'https';
-  readonly clientCertificate: 'forbidden' | 'required';
-}
-
-interface PreparedClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientConfiguration {
-  readonly endpoint: URL;
-  readonly servername: string;
-  readonly port: number;
-  readonly requestTimeoutMs: number;
-  readonly caBytes: Buffer;
-  readonly clientCertificateBytes?: Buffer;
-  readonly clientPrivateKeyBytes?: Buffer;
-  dispose(): void;
-}
-
-function prepareClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientConfiguration(
-  configFile: string,
-  managementPath: string,
-  clientCertificate: 'forbidden' | 'required',
-): PreparedClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientConfiguration {
-  if (
-    !Object.values(MANAGEMENT_CLIENT_POLICIES).some(
-      (policy) =>
-        policy.managementPath === managementPath &&
-        policy.clientCertificate === clientCertificate,
-    )
-  ) {
-    throw configurationFailure();
-  }
-  let configBytes: Buffer | undefined;
-  let caBytes: Buffer | undefined;
-  let clientCertificateBytes: Buffer | undefined;
-  let clientPrivateKeyBytes: Buffer | undefined;
-  try {
-    configBytes = readCanonicalFile(configFile, MAX_CONFIG_BYTES, 'private');
-    const config = parseJson(configBytes);
-    exactObject(
-      config,
-      clientCertificate === 'required'
-        ? [
-            'schemaVersion',
-            'endpoint',
-            'servername',
-            'caFile',
-            'clientCertificateFile',
-            'clientPrivateKeyFile',
-            'requestTimeoutMs',
-          ]
-        : [
-            'schemaVersion',
-            'endpoint',
-            'servername',
-            'caFile',
-            'requestTimeoutMs',
-          ],
-    );
-    if (
-      config.schemaVersion !== 1 ||
-      typeof config.endpoint !== 'string' ||
-      typeof config.servername !== 'string' ||
-      !DNS_NAME_PATTERN.test(config.servername) ||
-      isIP(config.servername) !== 0 ||
-      typeof config.caFile !== 'string' ||
-      (clientCertificate === 'required' &&
-        (typeof config.clientCertificateFile !== 'string' ||
-          typeof config.clientPrivateKeyFile !== 'string')) ||
-      !Number.isSafeInteger(config.requestTimeoutMs) ||
-      (config.requestTimeoutMs as number) < 1_000 ||
-      (config.requestTimeoutMs as number) > 30_000
-    ) {
-      throw configurationFailure();
-    }
-    const servername = config.servername;
-    const requestTimeoutMs = config.requestTimeoutMs as number;
-    let endpoint: URL;
-    try {
-      endpoint = new URL(config.endpoint);
-    } catch {
-      throw configurationFailure();
-    }
-    if (
-      endpoint.protocol !== 'https:' ||
-      endpoint.username !== '' ||
-      endpoint.password !== '' ||
-      endpoint.search !== '' ||
-      endpoint.hash !== '' ||
-      endpoint.pathname !== managementPath ||
-      endpoint.hostname !== servername ||
-      isIP(endpoint.hostname) !== 0
-    ) {
-      throw configurationFailure();
-    }
-    const port = endpoint.port === '' ? 443 : Number(endpoint.port);
-    if (!Number.isSafeInteger(port) || port < 1 || port > 65_535) {
-      throw configurationFailure();
-    }
-    caBytes = readCanonicalFile(
-      config.caFile as string,
-      MAX_CA_BYTES,
-      'public-integrity',
-    );
-    try {
-      new X509Certificate(caBytes);
-    } catch {
-      throw configurationFailure();
-    }
-    if (clientCertificate === 'required') {
-      clientCertificateBytes = readCanonicalFile(
-        config.clientCertificateFile as string,
-        MAX_CLIENT_CERTIFICATE_BYTES,
-        'public-integrity',
-      );
-      clientPrivateKeyBytes = readCanonicalFile(
-        config.clientPrivateKeyFile as string,
-        MAX_CLIENT_PRIVATE_KEY_BYTES,
-        'private',
-      );
-      try {
-        const certificate = new X509Certificate(clientCertificateBytes);
-        const privateKey = createPrivateKey(clientPrivateKeyBytes);
-        if (!certificate.checkPrivateKey(privateKey)) {
-          throw configurationFailure();
-        }
-      } catch (error) {
-        if (
-          error instanceof
-          ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientConfigurationError
-        ) {
-          throw error;
-        }
-        throw configurationFailure();
-      }
-    }
-    let disposed = false;
-    return Object.freeze({
-      endpoint,
-      servername,
-      port,
-      requestTimeoutMs,
-      caBytes,
-      ...(clientCertificateBytes === undefined
-        ? {}
-        : {
-            clientCertificateBytes,
-            clientPrivateKeyBytes: clientPrivateKeyBytes!,
-          }),
-      dispose() {
-        if (disposed) return;
-        disposed = true;
-        caBytes?.fill(0);
-        clientCertificateBytes?.fill(0);
-        clientPrivateKeyBytes?.fill(0);
-      },
-    });
-  } catch (error) {
-    caBytes?.fill(0);
-    clientCertificateBytes?.fill(0);
-    clientPrivateKeyBytes?.fill(0);
-    if (
-      error instanceof ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientConfigurationError
-    ) {
-      throw error;
-    }
-    throw configurationFailure();
-  } finally {
-    configBytes?.fill(0);
-  }
-}
-
-export function validateClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientConfiguration(
-  configFile: string,
-  kind: ClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientKind,
-): Readonly<ClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientConfigurationSummary> {
-  const policy = MANAGEMENT_CLIENT_POLICIES[kind];
-  if (policy === undefined) throw configurationFailure();
-  const prepared = prepareClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientConfiguration(
-    configFile,
-    policy.managementPath,
-    policy.clientCertificate,
-  );
-  try {
-    return Object.freeze({
-      schemaVersion: 1,
-      managementPath: policy.managementPath,
-      transport: 'https',
-      clientCertificate: policy.clientCertificate,
-    });
-  } finally {
-    prepared.dispose();
-  }
-}
-
 export async function executeClusterAuthenticatedManagementClient<
   Command,
   Result,
@@ -1030,10 +678,9 @@ export async function executeClusterAuthenticatedManagementClient<
           'validateResult',
         ].includes(key),
     ) ||
-    !Object.values(MANAGEMENT_CLIENT_POLICIES).some(
-      (policy) =>
-        policy.managementPath === protocol.managementPath &&
-        policy.clientCertificate === protocol.clientCertificate,
+    !isReviewedClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientProtocol(
+      protocol.managementPath,
+      protocol.clientCertificate,
     ) ||
     typeof protocol.normalizeCommand !== 'function' ||
     typeof protocol.validateResult !== 'function' ||
diff --git a/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/src/plugin-package/management/pluginPackageManagementKubernetesClient.ts b/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/src/plugin-package/management/pluginPackageManagementKubernetesClient.ts
index 3501e776..dc212838 100644
--- a/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/src/plugin-package/management/pluginPackageManagementKubernetesClient.ts
+++ b/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/src/plugin-package/management/pluginPackageManagementKubernetesClient.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,10 @@ import {
   type ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientRawConnection,
   type ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientResult,
 } from '../../management-support/pluginPackageManagementClient';
+import {
+  probeClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientReadiness,
+  type ClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientReadiness,
+} from '../../management-support/managementReadinessProbe';
 
 const MAX_KUBERNETES_CONFIG_BYTES = 16 * 1024;
 const MAX_KUBECONFIG_BYTES = 256 * 1024;
@@ -874,3 +878,94 @@ export async function executeClusterPluginPackageManagementKubernetesClient(
     prepared?.dispose();
   }
 }
+
+export async function probeClusterPluginPackageManagementKubernetesReadiness(
+  configFile: string,
+  kubernetesFile: string,
+  options: ClusterPluginPackageManagementKubernetesClientOptions = {},
+): Promise<Readonly<ClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientReadiness>> {
+  if (
+    !options ||
+    typeof options !== 'object' ||
+    Array.isArray(options) ||
+    Object.keys(options).some((key) => key !== 'createRuntime') ||
+    (options.createRuntime !== undefined &&
+      typeof options.createRuntime !== 'function')
+  ) {
+    throw configurationFailure();
+  }
+  let prepared: PreparedKubernetesClientConfiguration | undefined;
+  try {
+    prepared = await prepareKubernetesClientConfiguration(kubernetesFile);
+    const { config, kubeConfig, kubernetes } = prepared;
+    const runtime = (options.createRuntime ?? productionRuntime)(
+      kubeConfig,
+      kubernetes,
+    );
+    if (
+      !runtime ||
+      typeof runtime !== 'object' ||
+      typeof runtime.pods?.listNamespacedPod !== 'function' ||
+      typeof runtime.openPortForward !== 'function'
+    ) {
+      throw configurationFailure();
+    }
+    const expectedHostname = `${MANAGEMENT_NAME}.${config.namespace}.svc`;
+    return await probeClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientReadiness(
+      configFile,
+      'package',
+      {
+        async connect(target) {
+          if (
+            target.hostname !== expectedHostname ||
+            target.port !== MANAGEMENT_PORT
+          ) {
+            throw configurationFailure();
+          }
+          const list = await deadline(
+            runtime.pods.listNamespacedPod({
+              namespace: config.namespace,
+              labelSelector: MANAGEMENT_LABEL_SELECTOR,
+              limit: 3,
+              timeoutSeconds: Math.ceil(config.apiTimeoutMs / 1_000),
+              watch: false,
+            }),
+            config.apiTimeoutMs,
+          );
+          const podName = selectManagementPod(list, config.namespace);
+          return await deadline(
+            runtime.openPortForward({
+              namespace: config.namespace,
+              podName,
+              port: MANAGEMENT_PORT,
+            }),
+            config.apiTimeoutMs,
+            async (connection) => {
+              await connection.close();
+            },
+          );
+        },
+      },
+    );
+  } catch (error) {
+    if (
+      error instanceof ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientRequestError &&
+      error.cause instanceof
+        ClusterPluginPackageManagementKubernetesClientTunnelError
+    ) {
+      throw error.cause;
+    }
+    if (
+      error instanceof
+        ClusterPluginPackageManagementKubernetesClientConfigurationError ||
+      error instanceof ClusterPluginPackageManagementKubernetesClientTunnelError ||
+      error instanceof ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientConfigurationError ||
+      error instanceof ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientRequestError
+    ) {
+      throw error;
+    }
+    throw new ClusterPluginPackageManagementKubernetesClientTunnelError(error);
+  } finally {
+    prepared?.dispose();
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/src/product-cli/cli.ts b/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/src/product-cli/cli.ts
index ae55a299..d964d3c3 100644
--- a/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/src/product-cli/cli.ts
+++ b/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/src/product-cli/cli.ts
@@ -4,8 +4,12 @@ import { spawn, type ChildProcess } from 'node:child_process';
 import { constants } from 'node:os';
 
 import { resolveQingLong3ClusterProductCommand } from './productCommand';
-import { QingLong3ClusterProductContextError } from './productContext';
-import { validateQingLong3ClusterProductContext } from './productContext';
+import {
+  probeQingLong3ClusterProductContext,
+  QingLong3ClusterProductContextError,
+  QingLong3ClusterProductContextProbeError,
+  validateQingLong3ClusterProductContext,
+} from './productContext';
 
 const FORWARDED_SIGNALS = Object.freeze([
   'SIGINT',
@@ -132,6 +136,14 @@ async function main(argv: readonly string[]): Promise<void> {
       process.stdout.write(`${JSON.stringify(result)}\n`);
       return;
     }
+    if (resolution.kind === 'context-probe') {
+      const result = await probeQingLong3ClusterProductContext(
+        resolution.contextFile,
+      );
+      process.stdout.write(`${JSON.stringify(result)}\n`);
+      if (!result.allReady) process.exitCode = 69;
+      return;
+    }
     invoke(resolution.targetFilePath, resolution.argv);
   } catch (error) {
     if (
@@ -152,6 +164,24 @@ async function main(argv: readonly string[]): Promise<void> {
       process.exitCode = 78;
       return;
     }
+    if (
+      error instanceof QingLong3ClusterProductContextProbeError ||
+      (error !== null &&
+        typeof error === 'object' &&
+        'code' in error &&
+        error.code === 'QL3_CLUSTER_PRODUCT_CONTEXT_PROBE_FAILED')
+    ) {
+      process.stderr.write(
+        `${JSON.stringify(
+          lowSensitivityFailure(
+            'QL3_CLUSTER_PRODUCT_CONTEXT_PROBE_FAILED',
+            'QingLong 3.0 Cluster operator context probe failed',
+          ),
+        )}\n`,
+      );
+      process.exitCode = 69;
+      return;
+    }
     process.stderr.write(
       `${JSON.stringify(
         lowSensitivityFailure(
diff --git a/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/src/product-cli/productCommand.ts b/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/src/product-cli/productCommand.ts
index a86d6054..dbfffc62 100644
--- a/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/src/product-cli/productCommand.ts
+++ b/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/src/product-cli/productCommand.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ export type QingLong3ClusterProductCommandResolution =
   | Readonly<{ kind: 'help'; output: string }>
   | Readonly<{ kind: 'version'; output: string }>
   | Readonly<{ kind: 'context-validation'; contextFile: string }>
+  | Readonly<{ kind: 'context-probe'; contextFile: string }>
   | Readonly<{
       kind: 'invoke';
       command: QingLong3ClusterProductCommandDefinition;
@@ -175,6 +176,7 @@ export function qingLong3ClusterProductHelp(): string {
     '',
     'Local operator commands:',
     '  context validate --context=/absolute/operator-context.json',
+    '  context probe    --context=/absolute/operator-context.json',
     '',
     'Use `ql3-cluster-admin <command> --help` for command-specific usage.',
     'Use `--context=/absolute/operator-context.json` to inject only stable client paths.',
@@ -200,7 +202,7 @@ export function resolveQingLong3ClusterProductCommand(
   if (argv[0] === 'context') {
     if (
       argv.length !== 3 ||
-      argv[1] !== 'validate' ||
+      (argv[1] !== 'validate' && argv[1] !== 'probe') ||
       !argv[2]!.startsWith('--context=') ||
       argv[2] === '--context='
     ) {
@@ -215,7 +217,7 @@ export function resolveQingLong3ClusterProductCommand(
       resolveInstalledTarget(distRoot, definition);
     }
     return Object.freeze({
-      kind: 'context-validation',
+      kind: argv[1] === 'validate' ? 'context-validation' : 'context-probe',
       contextFile: argv[2]!.slice('--context='.length),
     });
   }
diff --git a/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/src/product-cli/productContext.ts b/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/src/product-cli/productContext.ts
index 3e902e85..8faebaf9 100644
--- a/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/src/product-cli/productContext.ts
+++ b/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/src/product-cli/productContext.ts
@@ -10,9 +10,15 @@ import {
 import { isAbsolute } from 'node:path';
 import { TextDecoder } from 'node:util';
 
-import { validateClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientConfiguration } from '../management-support/pluginPackageManagementClient';
+import {
+  validateClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientConfiguration,
+} from '../management-support/pluginPackageManagementClient';
 import type { ClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientKind } from '../management-support/pluginPackageManagementClient';
-import { validateClusterPluginPackageManagementKubernetesConfiguration } from '../plugin-package/management/pluginPackageManagementKubernetesClient';
+import { probeClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientReadiness } from '../management-support/managementReadinessProbe';
+import {
+  probeClusterPluginPackageManagementKubernetesReadiness,
+  validateClusterPluginPackageManagementKubernetesConfiguration,
+} from '../plugin-package/management/pluginPackageManagementKubernetesClient';
 
 const MAXIMUM_CONTEXT_BYTES = 64 * 1024;
 const MAXIMUM_PATH_BYTES = 4_096;
@@ -57,6 +63,22 @@ export interface QingLong3ClusterProductContextValidation {
   readonly mutation: false;
 }
 
+export interface QingLong3ClusterProductContextProbe {
+  readonly schemaVersion: 1;
+  readonly component: 'qinglong3-cluster-product-cli';
+  readonly event: 'context_probed';
+  readonly commandCount: number;
+  readonly commands: readonly Readonly<{
+    name: ContextCommandName;
+    transport: 'https' | 'kubernetes-port-forward';
+    status: 'ready' | 'not_ready';
+  }>[];
+  readonly allReady: boolean;
+  readonly requestMethod: 'GET';
+  readonly requestPath: '/readyz';
+  readonly mutation: false;
+}
+
 const CONTEXT_COMMAND_CLIENT_KINDS: Readonly<
   Record<ContextCommandName, ClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientKind>
 > = Object.freeze({
@@ -78,6 +100,15 @@ export class QingLong3ClusterProductContextError extends TypeError {
   }
 }
 
+export class QingLong3ClusterProductContextProbeError extends Error {
+  readonly code = 'QL3_CLUSTER_PRODUCT_CONTEXT_PROBE_FAILED';
+
+  constructor() {
+    super('QingLong 3.0 Cluster operator context probe failed');
+    this.name = 'QingLong3ClusterProductContextProbeError';
+  }
+}
+
 function invalid(): never {
   throw new QingLong3ClusterProductContextError();
 }
@@ -328,3 +359,62 @@ export async function validateQingLong3ClusterProductContext(
     throw new QingLong3ClusterProductContextError();
   }
 }
+
+export async function probeQingLong3ClusterProductContext(
+  contextFile: string,
+): Promise<Readonly<QingLong3ClusterProductContextProbe>> {
+  try {
+    await validateQingLong3ClusterProductContext(contextFile);
+    const context = loadQingLong3ClusterProductContext(contextFile);
+    const commands: Array<
+      QingLong3ClusterProductContextProbe['commands'][number]
+    > = [];
+    for (const name of CONTEXT_COMMANDS) {
+      const command = context.commands[name];
+      if (command === undefined) continue;
+      const result =
+        name === 'package-kubernetes'
+          ? await probeClusterPluginPackageManagementKubernetesReadiness(
+              command.configFile,
+              command.kubernetesFile!,
+            )
+          : await probeClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientReadiness(
+              command.configFile,
+              CONTEXT_COMMAND_CLIENT_KINDS[name],
+            );
+      commands.push(
+        Object.freeze({
+          name,
+          transport:
+            name === 'package-kubernetes'
+              ? 'kubernetes-port-forward'
+              : result.transport,
+          status: result.ready ? 'ready' : 'not_ready',
+        }),
+      );
+    }
+    return Object.freeze({
+      schemaVersion: 1,
+      component: 'qinglong3-cluster-product-cli',
+      event: 'context_probed',
+      commandCount: commands.length,
+      commands: Object.freeze(commands),
+      allReady: commands.every(({ status }) => status === 'ready'),
+      requestMethod: 'GET',
+      requestPath: '/readyz',
+      mutation: false,
+    });
+  } catch (error) {
+    if (error instanceof QingLong3ClusterProductContextError) throw error;
+    if (
+      error !== null &&
+      typeof error === 'object' &&
+      'code' in error &&
+      typeof error.code === 'string' &&
+      error.code.endsWith('CONFIG_INVALID')
+    ) {
+      throw new QingLong3ClusterProductContextError();
+    }
+    throw new QingLong3ClusterProductContextProbeError();
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/test/pluginPackageManagementClient.test.cjs b/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/test/pluginPackageManagementClient.test.cjs
index d7f6237e..681a1ef5 100644
--- a/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/test/pluginPackageManagementClient.test.cjs
+++ b/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/test/pluginPackageManagementClient.test.cjs
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ const {
   ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientRequestError,
   executeClusterPluginPackageManagementClient,
 } = require('@qinglong/cluster-admin/plugin-package-management-client');
+const publicClientModule = require('@qinglong/cluster-admin/plugin-package-management-client');
+const {
+  probeClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientReadiness,
+} = require('../dist/management-support/managementReadinessProbe.js');
 
 const CA_CERT = resolve(
   __dirname,
@@ -33,12 +37,35 @@ const SERVER_CERT = resolve(
   __dirname,
   '../../ql3-cluster-control/test/fixtures/mtls/server-cert.pem',
 );
+const CLIENT_KEY = resolve(
+  __dirname,
+  '../../ql3-cluster-control/test/fixtures/mtls/client-key.pem',
+);
+const CLIENT_CERT = resolve(
+  __dirname,
+  '../../ql3-cluster-control/test/fixtures/mtls/client-cert.pem',
+);
 const CLIENT_CLI = resolve(
   __dirname,
   '../dist/plugin-package/management/pluginPackageManagementClientCli.js',
 );
 const ASSERTION = 'eyJhbGciOiJFUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJvcGVyYXRvciJ9.c2ln';
 
+test('keeps owned TLS preparation out of the public client subpath', () => {
+  assert.equal(
+    publicClientModule.prepareClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientConfiguration,
+    undefined,
+  );
+  assert.equal(
+    publicClientModule.prepareClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientKindConfiguration,
+    undefined,
+  );
+  assert.equal(
+    publicClientModule.probeClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientReadiness,
+    undefined,
+  );
+});
+
 function inspectCommand(operation = 'plugin-package.inspect') {
   return {
     schemaVersion: 1,
@@ -392,13 +419,14 @@ function createClientFiles(port, command = inspectCommand()) {
   };
 }
 
-async function startServer(handler) {
+async function startServer(handler, options = {}) {
   const server = createServer(
     {
       key: readFileSync(SERVER_KEY),
       cert: readFileSync(SERVER_CERT),
       minVersion: 'TLSv1.3',
       maxVersion: 'TLSv1.3',
+      ...options,
     },
     handler,
   );
@@ -475,6 +503,142 @@ test('sends one TLS 1.3 management command and validates the low-sensitive resul
   }
 });
 
+test('probes only the fixed TLS readiness endpoint without management authority', async () => {
+  const received = [];
+  let ready = true;
+  const fixture = await startServer((request, response) => {
+    const chunks = [];
+    request.on('data', (chunk) => chunks.push(chunk));
+    request.once('end', () => {
+      received.push({
+        method: request.method,
+        path: request.url,
+        authorization: request.headers.authorization,
+        contentType: request.headers['content-type'],
+        bodyBytes: Buffer.concat(chunks).length,
+        protocol: request.socket.getProtocol(),
+      });
+      sendJson(response, ready ? 200 : 503, {
+        schemaVersion: 1,
+        status: ready ? 'ready' : 'not_ready',
+      });
+    });
+  });
+  const files = createClientFiles(fixture.port);
+  try {
+    assert.deepEqual(
+      await probeClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientReadiness(
+        files.paths.configFile,
+        'package',
+      ),
+      { schemaVersion: 1, transport: 'https', ready: true },
+    );
+    ready = false;
+    assert.deepEqual(
+      await probeClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientReadiness(
+        files.paths.configFile,
+        'package',
+      ),
+      { schemaVersion: 1, transport: 'https', ready: false },
+    );
+    assert.deepEqual(received, [
+      {
+        method: 'GET',
+        path: '/readyz',
+        authorization: undefined,
+        contentType: undefined,
+        bodyBytes: 0,
+        protocol: 'TLSv1.3',
+      },
+      {
+        method: 'GET',
+        path: '/readyz',
+        authorization: undefined,
+        contentType: undefined,
+        bodyBytes: 0,
+        protocol: 'TLSv1.3',
+      },
+    ]);
+  } finally {
+    await fixture.close();
+    rmSync(files.directory, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  }
+});
+
+test('presents the reviewed client certificate for mTLS readiness', async () => {
+  let authorized = false;
+  const fixture = await startServer(
+    (request, response) => {
+      authorized = request.socket.authorized;
+      sendJson(response, 200, { schemaVersion: 1, status: 'ready' });
+    },
+    {
+      ca: readFileSync(CA_CERT),
+      requestCert: true,
+      rejectUnauthorized: true,
+    },
+  );
+  const files = createClientFiles(fixture.port);
+  const clientKeyFile = join(files.directory, 'client-key.pem');
+  privateWrite(clientKeyFile, readFileSync(CLIENT_KEY, 'utf8'));
+  privateWrite(files.paths.configFile, {
+    schemaVersion: 1,
+    endpoint: `https://localhost:${fixture.port}/api/v3/runs/management`,
+    servername: 'localhost',
+    caFile: CA_CERT,
+    clientCertificateFile: CLIENT_CERT,
+    clientPrivateKeyFile: clientKeyFile,
+    requestTimeoutMs: 1_000,
+  });
+  try {
+    assert.deepEqual(
+      await probeClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientReadiness(
+        files.paths.configFile,
+        'run',
+      ),
+      { schemaVersion: 1, transport: 'https', ready: true },
+    );
+    assert.equal(authorized, true);
+  } finally {
+    await fixture.close();
+    rmSync(files.directory, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  }
+});
+
+test('readiness probe rejects unreviewed status and bounded response drift', async () => {
+  let behavior = 'wrong-status';
+  const fixture = await startServer((_request, response) => {
+    if (behavior === 'wrong-status') {
+      sendJson(response, 200, { schemaVersion: 1, status: 'live' });
+      return;
+    }
+    if (behavior === 'redirect') {
+      sendJson(response, 302, { schemaVersion: 1, status: 'ready' });
+      return;
+    }
+    response.writeHead(200, {
+      'content-type': 'application/json; charset=utf-8',
+    });
+    response.end(Buffer.alloc(1_025, 0x61));
+  });
+  const files = createClientFiles(fixture.port);
+  try {
+    for (const next of ['wrong-status', 'redirect', 'oversized']) {
+      behavior = next;
+      await assert.rejects(
+        probeClusterAuthenticatedManagementClientReadiness(
+          files.paths.configFile,
+          'package',
+        ),
+        ClusterPluginPackageManagementClientRequestError,
+      );
+    }
+  } finally {
+    await fixture.close();
+    rmSync(files.directory, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  }
+});
+
 test('permits and validates exactly the fourteen public management operations', async () => {
   const received = [];
   const fixture = await startServer((request, response) => {
diff --git a/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/test/pluginPackageManagementKubernetesClient.test.cjs b/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/test/pluginPackageManagementKubernetesClient.test.cjs
index c03ef61e..5ed65003 100644
--- a/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/test/pluginPackageManagementKubernetesClient.test.cjs
+++ b/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/test/pluginPackageManagementKubernetesClient.test.cjs
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ const {
   ClusterPluginPackageManagementKubernetesClientTunnelError,
   executeClusterPluginPackageManagementKubernetesClient,
   openClusterPluginPackageManagementPortForward,
+  probeClusterPluginPackageManagementKubernetesReadiness,
 } = require(
   '@qinglong/cluster-admin/plugin-package-management-kubernetes-client'
 );
@@ -302,6 +303,85 @@ test('uses one ready Pod tunnel and preserves end-to-end TLS 1.3 hostname verifi
   }
 });
 
+test('probes readiness through one reviewed Pod tunnel without an assertion or command', async () => {
+  const requests = [];
+  const server = await startServer((request, response) => {
+    const chunks = [];
+    request.on('data', (chunk) => chunks.push(chunk));
+    request.once('end', () => {
+      requests.push({
+        method: request.method,
+        path: request.url,
+        authorization: request.headers.authorization,
+        bodyBytes: Buffer.concat(chunks).length,
+        protocol: request.socket.getProtocol(),
+        servername: request.socket.servername,
+      });
+      sendJson(response, { schemaVersion: 1, status: 'ready' });
+    });
+  });
+  const files = createClientFiles();
+  const calls = { lists: 0, tunnels: 0, closes: 0 };
+  try {
+    const result =
+      await probeClusterPluginPackageManagementKubernetesReadiness(
+        files.paths.configFile,
+        files.paths.kubernetesFile,
+        {
+          createRuntime() {
+            return {
+              pods: {
+                async listNamespacedPod() {
+                  calls.lists += 1;
+                  return {
+                    items: [
+                      readyPod(
+                        'ql3-plugin-package-management-aaaaa-11111',
+                      ),
+                    ],
+                  };
+                },
+              },
+              async openPortForward() {
+                calls.tunnels += 1;
+                const stream = connectTcp({
+                  host: '127.0.0.1',
+                  port: server.port,
+                });
+                return {
+                  stream,
+                  close() {
+                    calls.closes += 1;
+                    stream.end();
+                  },
+                };
+              },
+            };
+          },
+        },
+      );
+    assert.deepEqual(result, {
+      schemaVersion: 1,
+      transport: 'https',
+      ready: true,
+    });
+    assert.deepEqual(calls, { lists: 1, tunnels: 1, closes: 1 });
+    assert.deepEqual(requests, [
+      {
+        method: 'GET',
+        path: '/readyz',
+        authorization: undefined,
+        bodyBytes: 0,
+        protocol: 'TLSv1.3',
+        servername: SERVICE_HOST,
+      },
+    ]);
+  } finally {
+    await server.close();
+    rmSync(files.directory, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  }
+});
+
 test('rejects ambient, executable, proxied, insecure, and file-backed kubeconfig authority', async () => {
   const cases = [
     kubeconfig({ cluster: { 'insecure-skip-tls-verify': true } }),
diff --git a/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/test/productCli.test.cjs b/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/test/productCli.test.cjs
index 88298b17..fd61d57c 100644
--- a/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/test/productCli.test.cjs
+++ b/packages/ql3-cluster-admin/test/productCli.test.cjs
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 const assert = require('node:assert/strict');
-const { spawnSync } = require('node:child_process');
+const { spawn, spawnSync } = require('node:child_process');
 const { EventEmitter } = require('node:events');
 const fs = require('node:fs');
 const os = require('node:os');
 const path = require('node:path');
 const { test } = require('node:test');
+const { createServer } = require('node:https');
 
 const packageRoot = path.resolve(__dirname, '..');
 const moduleDirectory = path.join(packageRoot, 'dist', 'product-cli');
@@ -21,6 +22,18 @@ const privateKeyFixture = path.join(
   'fixtures',
   'management-service-key.pem',
 );
+const localhostCertificateFixture = path.resolve(
+  packageRoot,
+  '../ql3-cluster-control/test/fixtures/mtls/server-cert.pem',
+);
+const localhostCaFixture = path.resolve(
+  packageRoot,
+  '../ql3-cluster-control/test/fixtures/mtls/ca-cert.pem',
+);
+const localhostPrivateKeyFixture = path.resolve(
+  packageRoot,
+  '../ql3-cluster-control/test/fixtures/mtls/server-key.pem',
+);
 const manifest = JSON.parse(
   fs.readFileSync(path.join(packageRoot, 'package.json'), 'utf8'),
 );
@@ -49,6 +62,65 @@ function runCli(args) {
   });
 }
 
+function runCliAsync(args) {
+  return new Promise((resolvePromise, reject) => {
+    const child = spawn(process.execPath, [cliPath, ...args], {
+      cwd: packageRoot,
+      stdio: ['ignore', 'pipe', 'pipe'],
+    });
+    const stdout = [];
+    const stderr = [];
+    child.stdout.on('data', (chunk) => stdout.push(chunk));
+    child.stderr.on('data', (chunk) => stderr.push(chunk));
+    child.once('error', reject);
+    child.once('close', (status, signal) => {
+      resolvePromise({
+        status,
+        signal,
+        stdout: Buffer.concat(stdout).toString('utf8'),
+        stderr: Buffer.concat(stderr).toString('utf8'),
+      });
+    });
+  });
+}
+
+async function startReadinessServer(status) {
+  const server = createServer(
+    {
+      key: fs.readFileSync(localhostPrivateKeyFixture),
+      cert: fs.readFileSync(localhostCertificateFixture),
+      minVersion: 'TLSv1.3',
+      maxVersion: 'TLSv1.3',
+    },
+    (request, response) => {
+      assert.equal(request.method, 'GET');
+      assert.equal(request.url, '/readyz');
+      assert.equal(request.headers.authorization, undefined);
+      const body = Buffer.from(
+        JSON.stringify({ schemaVersion: 1, status: status.value }),
+      );
+      response.writeHead(status.value === 'ready' ? 200 : 503, {
+        'content-type': 'application/json; charset=utf-8',
+        'content-length': String(body.length),
+      });
+      response.end(body);
+    },
+  );
+  await new Promise((resolvePromise, reject) => {
+    server.once('error', reject);
+    server.listen(0, '127.0.0.1', resolvePromise);
+  });
+  return {
+    port: server.address().port,
+    close: () =>
+      new Promise((resolvePromise, reject) => {
+        server.close((error) =>
+          error ? reject(error) : resolvePromise(),
+        );
+      }),
+  };
+}
+
 function privateFile(directory, name, contents) {
   const filePath = path.join(directory, name);
   fs.writeFileSync(filePath, contents, { mode: 0o600 });
@@ -521,6 +593,84 @@ test('validates the complete operator context offline without operational author
   assert.equal(validated.stdout.includes('bounded-token'), false);
 });
 
+test('probes a context with fixed read-only readiness semantics and exit status', async (t) => {
+  const status = { value: 'ready' };
+  const server = await startReadinessServer(status);
+  t.after(() => server.close());
+  const directory = fs.realpathSync(
+    fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'ql3-cluster-probe-context-')),
+  );
+  t.after(() => fs.rmSync(directory, { recursive: true, force: true }));
+  const caFile = privateFile(
+    directory,
+    'ca.pem',
+    fs.readFileSync(localhostCaFixture),
+  );
+  const configFile = privateFile(
+    directory,
+    'package.json',
+    JSON.stringify({
+      schemaVersion: 1,
+      endpoint: `https://localhost:${server.port}/api/v3/plugin-packages/management`,
+      servername: 'localhost',
+      caFile,
+      requestTimeoutMs: 1_000,
+    }),
+  );
+  const contextFile = privateFile(
+    directory,
+    'operator-context.json',
+    JSON.stringify({
+      schemaVersion: 1,
+      commands: { package: { configFile } },
+    }),
+  );
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    resolveQingLong3ClusterProductCommand(
+      ['context', 'probe', `--context=${contextFile}`],
+      moduleDirectory,
+    ),
+    { kind: 'context-probe', contextFile },
+  );
+
+  const ready = await runCliAsync([
+    'context',
+    'probe',
+    `--context=${contextFile}`,
+  ]);
+  assert.equal(
+    ready.status,
+    0,
+    JSON.stringify({ stdout: ready.stdout, stderr: ready.stderr }),
+  );
+  assert.equal(ready.stderr, '');
+  assert.deepEqual(JSON.parse(ready.stdout), {
+    schemaVersion: 1,
+    component: 'qinglong3-cluster-product-cli',
+    event: 'context_probed',
+    commandCount: 1,
+    commands: [{ name: 'package', transport: 'https', status: 'ready' }],
+    allReady: true,
+    requestMethod: 'GET',
+    requestPath: '/readyz',
+    mutation: false,
+  });
+  assert.equal(ready.stdout.includes(directory), false);
+  assert.equal(ready.stdout.includes('localhost'), false);
+
+  status.value = 'not_ready';
+  const notReady = await runCliAsync([
+    'context',
+    'probe',
+    `--context=${contextFile}`,
+  ]);
+  assert.equal(notReady.status, 69);
+  assert.equal(notReady.stderr, '');
+  const fact = JSON.parse(notReady.stdout);
+  assert.equal(fact.allReady, false);
+  assert.equal(fact.commands[0].status, 'not_ready');
+});
+
 test('context validation fails closed for invalid client configuration and syntax', (t) => {
   const fixture = validContextFixture(t);
   fs.writeFileSync(fixture.commands.run.configFile, '{}', { mode: 0o600 });
@@ -544,6 +694,8 @@ test('context validation fails closed for invalid client configuration and synta
     ['context', 'validate'],
     ['context', 'validate', '--context'],
     ['context', 'validate', '--context='],
+    ['context', 'probe'],
+    ['context', 'probe', '--context='],
     ['context', 'inspect', `--context=${fixture.contextFile}`],
   ]) {
     const rejected = resolveQingLong3ClusterProductCommand(
diff --git a/scripts/ql3-cluster-admin-product-live-contract.cjs b/scripts/ql3-cluster-admin-product-live-contract.cjs
index 244da915..e806cf66 100644
--- a/scripts/ql3-cluster-admin-product-live-contract.cjs
+++ b/scripts/ql3-cluster-admin-product-live-contract.cjs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 'use strict';
 
 const { execFileSync } = require('node:child_process');
+const { resolve } = require('node:path');
 
 const IMAGE_PATTERN = /^[A-Za-z0-9][A-Za-z0-9._/:@-]{0,255}$/u;
 const ENTRYPOINT = [
@@ -77,9 +78,29 @@ function runImage(image, args) {
 }
 
 function runOperatorContextContract(image) {
+  const fixtureRoot = resolve(
+    __dirname,
+    '../packages/ql3-cluster-control/test/fixtures/mtls',
+  );
+  const readinessServerSource = String.raw`
+const { readFileSync, writeFileSync } = require('node:fs');
+const { createServer } = require('node:https');
+const server = createServer({ key: readFileSync('/evidence/server-key.pem'), cert: readFileSync('/evidence/server-cert.pem'), minVersion: 'TLSv1.3', maxVersion: 'TLSv1.3' }, (request, response) => {
+  const chunks = [];
+  request.on('data', (chunk) => chunks.push(chunk));
+  request.once('end', () => {
+    writeFileSync('/tmp/readiness-observation.json', JSON.stringify({ method: request.method, path: request.url, authorization: request.headers.authorization ?? null, bodyBytes: Buffer.concat(chunks).length }), { mode: 0o600 });
+    const body = Buffer.from(JSON.stringify({ schemaVersion: 1, status: 'ready' }));
+    response.writeHead(200, { 'content-type': 'application/json; charset=utf-8', 'content-length': String(body.length) });
+    response.end(body);
+  });
+});
+server.listen(0, '127.0.0.1', () => writeFileSync('/tmp/readiness-port', String(server.address().port), { mode: 0o600 }));
+process.once('SIGTERM', () => server.close(() => process.exit(0)));
+`;
   const source = String.raw`
-const { spawnSync } = require('node:child_process');
-const { writeFileSync } = require('node:fs');
+const { spawn, spawnSync } = require('node:child_process');
+const { existsSync, readFileSync, writeFileSync } = require('node:fs');
 const { rootCertificates } = require('node:tls');
 const facade = '/opt/qinglong/node_modules/@qinglong/cluster-admin/dist/product-cli/cli.js';
 const config = '/tmp/run-client.json';
@@ -104,12 +125,27 @@ const validated = spawnSync(process.execPath, [facade, 'context', 'validate', '-
 let validationFact;
 try { validationFact = JSON.parse(validated.stdout); } catch { process.exit(25); }
 if (validated.status !== 0 || validated.stderr !== '' || validationFact.event !== 'context_valid' || validationFact.commandCount !== 1 || validationFact.networkAccess !== false || validationFact.mutation !== false || JSON.stringify(validationFact.commands) !== JSON.stringify([{ name: 'package', transport: 'https', clientCertificate: 'forbidden' }]) || validated.stdout.includes('/tmp/') || validated.stdout.includes('manager.example.test')) process.exit(26);
+const readinessServer = spawn(process.execPath, ['-e', ${JSON.stringify(readinessServerSource)}], { stdio: 'ignore' });
+const waitArray = new Int32Array(new SharedArrayBuffer(4));
+for (let attempt = 0; attempt < 200 && !existsSync('/tmp/readiness-port'); attempt += 1) Atomics.wait(waitArray, 0, 0, 10);
+if (!existsSync('/tmp/readiness-port')) process.exit(27);
+const readinessPort = Number(readFileSync('/tmp/readiness-port', 'utf8'));
+writeFileSync(ca, readFileSync('/evidence/ca-cert.pem'), { mode: 0o600 });
+writeFileSync(config, JSON.stringify({ schemaVersion: 1, endpoint: 'https://localhost:' + readinessPort + '/api/v3/plugin-packages/management', servername: 'localhost', caFile: ca, requestTimeoutMs: 1000 }), { mode: 0o600 });
+const probed = spawnSync(process.execPath, [facade, 'context', 'probe', '--context=' + context], { encoding: 'utf8' });
+readinessServer.kill('SIGTERM');
+let probeFact;
+try { probeFact = JSON.parse(probed.stdout); } catch { process.exit(28); }
+if (probed.status !== 0 || probed.stderr !== '' || probeFact.event !== 'context_probed' || probeFact.commandCount !== 1 || probeFact.allReady !== true || probeFact.requestMethod !== 'GET' || probeFact.requestPath !== '/readyz' || probeFact.mutation !== false || JSON.stringify(probeFact.commands) !== JSON.stringify([{ name: 'package', transport: 'https', status: 'ready' }]) || probed.stdout.includes('/tmp/') || probed.stdout.includes('localhost')) process.exit(29);
+let readinessObservation;
+try { readinessObservation = JSON.parse(readFileSync('/tmp/readiness-observation.json', 'utf8')); } catch { process.exit(30); }
+if (JSON.stringify(readinessObservation) !== JSON.stringify({ method: 'GET', path: '/readyz', authorization: null, bodyBytes: 0 })) process.exit(31);
 writeFileSync(context, JSON.stringify({ schemaVersion: 1, commands: { run: { configFile: config, assertionFile: assertion } } }), { mode: 0o600 });
 const rejected = spawnSync(process.execPath, [facade, 'run', '--context=' + context, '--command=' + command, '--assertion=' + assertion], { encoding: 'utf8' });
 let rejectedFailure;
 try { rejectedFailure = JSON.parse(rejected.stderr); } catch { process.exit(23); }
 if (rejected.status !== 78 || rejectedFailure.code !== 'QL3_CLUSTER_PRODUCT_CONTEXT_INVALID' || rejected.stdout !== '' || rejected.stderr.includes('/tmp/') || rejected.stderr.includes('assertion.jwt')) process.exit(24);
-process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify({ schemaVersion: 1, injected: true, contextPreflight: true, secretFieldsRejected: true }));
+process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify({ schemaVersion: 1, injected: true, contextPreflight: true, contextReadiness: true, secretFieldsRejected: true }));
 `;
   const output = docker([
     'run',
@@ -131,6 +167,12 @@ process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify({ schemaVersion: 1, injected: true, contextP
     '0.25',
     '--tmpfs',
     '/tmp:rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,size=8m,mode=700,uid=10001,gid=10001',
+    '--volume',
+    `${resolve(fixtureRoot, 'ca-cert.pem')}:/evidence/ca-cert.pem:ro`,
+    '--volume',
+    `${resolve(fixtureRoot, 'server-cert.pem')}:/evidence/server-cert.pem:ro`,
+    '--volume',
+    `${resolve(fixtureRoot, 'server-key.pem')}:/evidence/server-key.pem:ro`,
     '--entrypoint',
     'node',
     image,
@@ -147,6 +189,7 @@ process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify({ schemaVersion: 1, injected: true, contextP
     result?.schemaVersion !== 1 ||
     result?.injected !== true ||
     result?.contextPreflight !== true ||
+    result?.contextReadiness !== true ||
     result?.secretFieldsRejected !== true
   ) {
     fail('operator context contract drifted');
@@ -203,6 +246,7 @@ function main() {
       commandCount: COMMANDS.length,
       operatorContext: true,
       contextPreflight: true,
+      contextReadiness: true,
       isolation: Object.freeze({
         readOnlyRoot: true,
         network: 'none',
diff --git a/scripts/ql3-cluster-image-release-audit.cjs b/scripts/ql3-cluster-image-release-audit.cjs
index 14c687fe..16fd6d57 100644
--- a/scripts/ql3-cluster-image-release-audit.cjs
+++ b/scripts/ql3-cluster-image-release-audit.cjs
@@ -289,8 +289,8 @@ function auditClusterImageCiWorkflow(
   );
   requirePattern(
     adminProductLiveContract,
-    /runOperatorContextContract\(image\);[\s\S]*operatorContext: true,[\s\S]*contextPreflight: true/,
-    'native admin image contract must verify owner-private operator context injection and offline preflight',
+    /runOperatorContextContract\(image\);[\s\S]*operatorContext: true,[\s\S]*contextPreflight: true,[\s\S]*contextReadiness: true/,
+    'native admin image contract must verify owner-private operator context injection, offline preflight and read-only readiness',
   );
   requirePattern(
     source,
@@ -335,6 +335,7 @@ function auditClusterImageCiWorkflow(
     clusterAdminProductFacade: true,
     clusterAdminOperatorContext: true,
     clusterAdminContextPreflight: true,
+    clusterAdminContextReadiness: true,
     ociAttestations: true,
     osVulnerabilityScan: {
       scanner: 'trivy@0.70.0',
diff --git a/test/back/ql3ClusterImageReleaseAudit.test.cjs b/test/back/ql3ClusterImageReleaseAudit.test.cjs
index d259095e..1abf209b 100644
--- a/test/back/ql3ClusterImageReleaseAudit.test.cjs
+++ b/test/back/ql3ClusterImageReleaseAudit.test.cjs
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ test('accepts the reviewed native CI and digest release contracts', () => {
       clusterAdminProductFacade: true,
       clusterAdminOperatorContext: true,
       clusterAdminContextPreflight: true,
+      clusterAdminContextReadiness: true,
       ociAttestations: true,
       osVulnerabilityScan: {
         scanner: 'trivy@0.70.0',
@@ -145,6 +146,24 @@ test('rejects a Cluster Admin live gate that omits offline context preflight', (
   );
 });
 
+test('rejects a Cluster Admin live gate that omits read-only context readiness', () => {
+  const contract = fs.readFileSync(
+    path.join(root, 'scripts/ql3-cluster-admin-product-live-contract.cjs'),
+    'utf8',
+  );
+  assert.throws(
+    () =>
+      auditClusterImageCiWorkflow(
+        ciSource,
+        contract.replace(
+          'contextPreflight: true,\n      contextReadiness: true',
+          'contextPreflight: true,\n      contextReadiness: false',
+        ),
+      ),
+    /read-only readiness/,
+  );
+});
+
 test('rejects removal of the native cluster-admin image gate', () => {
   const mutated = ciSource.replace(
     'image_arch: arm64\n            image: admin',
diff --git a/test/back/ql3PackageBoundaryAudit.test.cjs b/test/back/ql3PackageBoundaryAudit.test.cjs
index 7a15544c..be394ab7 100644
--- a/test/back/ql3PackageBoundaryAudit.test.cjs
+++ b/test/back/ql3PackageBoundaryAudit.test.cjs
@@ -340,10 +340,10 @@ test('current QL3 workspace has exactly eighteen reviewed package boundaries', (
       rootSourceFileRoles: clusterAdmin.rootSourceFileRoles,
     },
     {
-      sourceFiles: 97,
+      sourceFiles: 99,
       rootSourceFiles: 1,
       rootSourceLines: 61,
-      nestedSourceFiles: 96,
+      nestedSourceFiles: 98,
       rootSourceFileRoles: {
         'modelInvocationMigrationCli.ts': 'binary_entry',
       },