diff --git a/deploy/kubernetes/ql3-cluster/README.md b/deploy/kubernetes/ql3-cluster/README.md
index c9ea1ff8..9e4421c8 100644
--- a/deploy/kubernetes/ql3-cluster/README.md
+++ b/deploy/kubernetes/ql3-cluster/README.md
@@ -967,8 +967,12 @@ and is fixed to `verify-full` in the committed deployment. The servername is
 mandatory, must be an explicit DNS name rather than an IP literal, and must
 match the endpoint certificate SAN. Only
 `postgres-ca.crt` and `api-credential-pepper-keyring.json` are projected from
-this Secret into the runtime private mount; only the URL and servername remain
-environment values. The keyring is a canonical, bounded 1–2 generation file;
+this Secret only into a hardened init container. It resolves one kubelet
+`..data` generation, copies both values without replacement into a Pod-private
+memory volume, and changes each regular file to `0400`; the long-running
+container can read only that materialized volume, never the symlink-backed
+Secret projection. Only the URL and servername remain environment values. The
+keyring is a canonical, bounded 1–2 generation file;
 the singleton above is the bootstrap form. The CA loader requires an absolute
 path to a regular file that is not group/world writable, 1–256 KiB, and
 contains 1–16 unique PEM X.509 CA certificates with no trailing data.
diff --git a/deploy/kubernetes/ql3-cluster/base/deployment.yaml b/deploy/kubernetes/ql3-cluster/base/deployment.yaml
index 98d798cb..6b15f953 100644
--- a/deploy/kubernetes/ql3-cluster/base/deployment.yaml
+++ b/deploy/kubernetes/ql3-cluster/base/deployment.yaml
@@ -45,6 +45,42 @@ spec:
                 matchLabels:
                   app.kubernetes.io/name: ql3-cluster-control
                   app.kubernetes.io/component: control-plane
+      initContainers:
+        - name: materialize-runtime-files
+          image: qinglong3-cluster-control:3.0.0-alpha.1
+          imagePullPolicy: IfNotPresent
+          command:
+            - node
+            - -e
+            - |
+              const fs = require('node:fs');
+              const path = require('node:path');
+              const source = fs.realpathSync('/var/run/secrets/qinglong3/postgres-runtime-projected/..data');
+              const target = '/var/run/secrets/qinglong3/postgres-runtime';
+              for (const name of ['ca.crt', 'api-credential-pepper-keyring.json']) {
+                const output = path.join(target, name);
+                fs.copyFileSync(path.join(source, name), output, fs.constants.COPYFILE_EXCL);
+                fs.chmodSync(output, 0o400);
+              }
+          securityContext:
+            allowPrivilegeEscalation: false
+            readOnlyRootFilesystem: true
+            capabilities:
+              drop:
+                - ALL
+          resources:
+            requests:
+              cpu: 10m
+              memory: 32Mi
+            limits:
+              cpu: 100m
+              memory: 64Mi
+          volumeMounts:
+            - name: postgres-runtime-projected
+              mountPath: /var/run/secrets/qinglong3/postgres-runtime-projected
+              readOnly: true
+            - name: postgres-runtime-private
+              mountPath: /var/run/secrets/qinglong3/postgres-runtime
       containers:
         - name: cluster-control
           image: qinglong3-cluster-control:3.0.0-alpha.1
@@ -223,7 +259,7 @@ spec:
           volumeMounts:
             - name: tmp
               mountPath: /tmp
-            - name: postgres-runtime-ca
+            - name: postgres-runtime-private
               mountPath: /var/run/secrets/qinglong3/postgres-runtime
               readOnly: true
             - name: postgres-worker-ingress-ca
@@ -240,7 +276,7 @@ spec:
           emptyDir:
             medium: Memory
             sizeLimit: 16Mi
-        - name: postgres-runtime-ca
+        - name: postgres-runtime-projected
           secret:
             secretName: ql3-cluster-control-runtime
             defaultMode: 292
@@ -249,6 +285,10 @@ spec:
                 path: ca.crt
               - key: api-credential-pepper-keyring.json
                 path: api-credential-pepper-keyring.json
+        - name: postgres-runtime-private
+          emptyDir:
+            medium: Memory
+            sizeLimit: 1Mi
         - name: postgres-worker-ingress-ca
           secret:
             secretName: ql3-cluster-worker-ingress
diff --git a/scripts/ql3-cluster-deployment-audit.cjs b/scripts/ql3-cluster-deployment-audit.cjs
index 25e1effc..537d1ad5 100644
--- a/scripts/ql3-cluster-deployment-audit.cjs
+++ b/scripts/ql3-cluster-deployment-audit.cjs
@@ -846,18 +846,66 @@ function assertKubernetes(readFile, root, findings) {
       ),
     );
   }
-  const runtimeCaMount = namedEntry(
-    container?.volumeMounts,
-    'postgres-runtime-ca',
+  const runtimeFileMaterializer = namedEntry(
+    pod?.initContainers,
+    'materialize-runtime-files',
   );
-  const runtimeCaVolume = namedEntry(pod?.volumes, 'postgres-runtime-ca');
+  const runtimePrivateMount = namedEntry(
+    container?.volumeMounts,
+    'postgres-runtime-private',
+  );
+  const projectedMount = namedEntry(
+    runtimeFileMaterializer?.volumeMounts,
+    'postgres-runtime-projected',
+  );
+  const materializedMount = namedEntry(
+    runtimeFileMaterializer?.volumeMounts,
+    'postgres-runtime-private',
+  );
+  const projectedVolume = namedEntry(
+    pod?.volumes,
+    'postgres-runtime-projected',
+  );
+  const privateVolume = namedEntry(pod?.volumes, 'postgres-runtime-private');
+  const materializerSource = runtimeFileMaterializer?.command?.[2];
   if (
-    runtimeCaMount?.mountPath !==
+    runtimePrivateMount?.mountPath !==
       '/var/run/secrets/qinglong3/postgres-runtime' ||
-    runtimeCaMount?.readOnly !== true ||
-    runtimeCaVolume?.secret?.secretName !== 'ql3-cluster-control-runtime' ||
-    runtimeCaVolume?.secret?.defaultMode !== 0o444 ||
-    JSON.stringify(runtimeCaVolume?.secret?.items) !==
+    runtimePrivateMount?.readOnly !== true ||
+    container?.volumeMounts?.some(
+      (mount) => mount?.name === 'postgres-runtime-projected',
+    ) ||
+    runtimeFileMaterializer?.image !== container?.image ||
+    runtimeFileMaterializer?.imagePullPolicy !== container?.imagePullPolicy ||
+    JSON.stringify(runtimeFileMaterializer?.command?.slice(0, 2)) !==
+      JSON.stringify(['node', '-e']) ||
+    typeof materializerSource !== 'string' ||
+    !materializerSource.includes(
+      "realpathSync('/var/run/secrets/qinglong3/postgres-runtime-projected/..data')",
+    ) ||
+    !materializerSource.includes('COPYFILE_EXCL') ||
+    !materializerSource.includes('chmodSync(output, 0o400)') ||
+    materializerSource.includes('console.') ||
+    runtimeFileMaterializer?.securityContext?.allowPrivilegeEscalation !==
+      false ||
+    runtimeFileMaterializer?.securityContext?.readOnlyRootFilesystem !== true ||
+    JSON.stringify(
+      runtimeFileMaterializer?.securityContext?.capabilities?.drop,
+    ) !== JSON.stringify(['ALL']) ||
+    runtimeFileMaterializer?.resources?.requests?.cpu !== '10m' ||
+    runtimeFileMaterializer?.resources?.requests?.memory !== '32Mi' ||
+    runtimeFileMaterializer?.resources?.limits?.cpu !== '100m' ||
+    runtimeFileMaterializer?.resources?.limits?.memory !== '64Mi' ||
+    runtimeFileMaterializer?.volumeMounts?.length !== 2 ||
+    projectedMount?.mountPath !==
+      '/var/run/secrets/qinglong3/postgres-runtime-projected' ||
+    projectedMount?.readOnly !== true ||
+    materializedMount?.mountPath !==
+      '/var/run/secrets/qinglong3/postgres-runtime' ||
+    materializedMount?.readOnly === true ||
+    projectedVolume?.secret?.secretName !== 'ql3-cluster-control-runtime' ||
+    projectedVolume?.secret?.defaultMode !== 0o444 ||
+    JSON.stringify(projectedVolume?.secret?.items) !==
       JSON.stringify([
         { key: 'postgres-ca.crt', path: 'ca.crt' },
         {
@@ -865,12 +913,14 @@ function assertKubernetes(readFile, root, findings) {
           path: 'api-credential-pepper-keyring.json',
         },
       ]) ||
+    privateVolume?.emptyDir?.medium !== 'Memory' ||
+    privateVolume?.emptyDir?.sizeLimit !== '1Mi' ||
     env.has('QL3_API_CREDENTIAL_PEPPER')
   ) {
     findings.push(
       finding(
         'QL3_CLUSTER_KUBERNETES_POSTGRES_CA_BINDING',
-        'runtime PostgreSQL trust must use the reviewed read-only projected CA file',
+        'runtime trust and API credential keyring must be copied from one projected Secret generation into bounded Pod-private regular files before the control process starts',
       ),
     );
   }
diff --git a/scripts/ql3-deployment-lock-contract.cjs b/scripts/ql3-deployment-lock-contract.cjs
index fe1e7840..9b4954ed 100644
--- a/scripts/ql3-deployment-lock-contract.cjs
+++ b/scripts/ql3-deployment-lock-contract.cjs
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ const IMAGE_NAMES = Object.freeze({
   worker: 'qinglong3-worker',
 });
 const EXPECTED_SOURCE_SURFACES = Object.freeze({
-  control: 2,
+  control: 3,
   'control-ai': 1,
   admin: 28,
   worker: 2,
diff --git a/scripts/ql3-security-administration-kubernetes-live-contract.cjs b/scripts/ql3-security-administration-kubernetes-live-contract.cjs
index d7018474..9381f0e9 100644
--- a/scripts/ql3-security-administration-kubernetes-live-contract.cjs
+++ b/scripts/ql3-security-administration-kubernetes-live-contract.cjs
@@ -731,6 +731,27 @@ async function runCustodyEvidence({
   }
 }
 
+function runtimeFileMaterializationSource({
+  postgresDirectory = '/var/run/secrets/qinglong3/postgres-projected',
+  keyringDirectory = '/var/run/secrets/qinglong3/api-credential-projected',
+  targetDirectory = '/var/run/secrets/qinglong3/runtime',
+} = {}) {
+  for (const value of [
+    postgresDirectory,
+    keyringDirectory,
+    targetDirectory,
+  ]) {
+    assert.equal(path.isAbsolute(value), true);
+  }
+  return [
+    "const fs=require('node:fs')",
+    "const path=require('node:path')",
+    `const target=${JSON.stringify(targetDirectory)}`,
+    `const files=[[${JSON.stringify(postgresDirectory + '/..data')},'ca.crt'],[${JSON.stringify(keyringDirectory + '/..data')},'keyring.json']]`,
+    "for(const [directory,name] of files){const source=fs.realpathSync(directory);const output=path.join(target,name);fs.copyFileSync(path.join(source,name),output,fs.constants.COPYFILE_EXCL);fs.chmodSync(output,0o400)}",
+  ].join(';');
+}
+
 function clusterControlResources(controlImage) {
   const labels = Object.freeze({
     'app.kubernetes.io/name': CONTROL_NAME,
@@ -803,7 +824,7 @@ function clusterControlResources(controlImage) {
                 { name: 'QL3_POSTGRES_TLS_MODE', value: 'verify-full' },
                 {
                   name: 'QL3_POSTGRES_TLS_CA_FILE',
-                  value: '/var/run/secrets/qinglong3/postgres/ca.crt',
+                  value: '/var/run/secrets/qinglong3/runtime/ca.crt',
                 },
                 {
                   name: 'QL3_POSTGRES_TLS_SERVERNAME',
@@ -834,7 +855,7 @@ function clusterControlResources(controlImage) {
                 },
                 {
                   name: 'QL3_API_CREDENTIAL_PEPPER_KEYRING_FILE',
-                  value: '/var/run/secrets/qinglong3/api-credential/keyring.json',
+                  value: '/var/run/secrets/qinglong3/runtime/keyring.json',
                 },
               ],
               ports: [{ name: 'http', containerPort: 5800 }],
@@ -857,15 +878,45 @@ function clusterControlResources(controlImage) {
               volumeMounts: [
                 { name: 'tmp', mountPath: '/tmp' },
                 {
-                  name: 'postgres-ca',
-                  mountPath: '/var/run/secrets/qinglong3/postgres',
+                  name: 'runtime-private',
+                  mountPath: '/var/run/secrets/qinglong3/runtime',
+                  readOnly: true,
+                },
+              ],
+            }],
+            initContainers: [{
+              name: 'materialize-runtime-files',
+              image: controlImage,
+              imagePullPolicy: 'Never',
+              command: [
+                'node',
+                '-e',
+                runtimeFileMaterializationSource(),
+              ],
+              securityContext: {
+                allowPrivilegeEscalation: false,
+                readOnlyRootFilesystem: true,
+                capabilities: { drop: ['ALL'] },
+              },
+              resources: {
+                requests: { cpu: '10m', memory: '32Mi' },
+                limits: { cpu: '100m', memory: '64Mi' },
+              },
+              volumeMounts: [
+                {
+                  name: 'postgres-ca-projected',
+                  mountPath: '/var/run/secrets/qinglong3/postgres-projected',
                   readOnly: true,
                 },
                 {
-                  name: 'api-credential-keyring',
-                  mountPath: '/var/run/secrets/qinglong3/api-credential',
+                  name: 'api-credential-keyring-projected',
+                  mountPath: '/var/run/secrets/qinglong3/api-credential-projected',
                   readOnly: true,
                 },
+                {
+                  name: 'runtime-private',
+                  mountPath: '/var/run/secrets/qinglong3/runtime',
+                },
               ],
             }],
             volumes: [
@@ -874,7 +925,7 @@ function clusterControlResources(controlImage) {
                 emptyDir: { medium: 'Memory', sizeLimit: '16Mi' },
               },
               {
-                name: 'postgres-ca',
+                name: 'postgres-ca-projected',
                 secret: {
                   secretName: 'ql3-postgres-ca',
                   defaultMode: 292,
@@ -882,7 +933,7 @@ function clusterControlResources(controlImage) {
                 },
               },
               {
-                name: 'api-credential-keyring',
+                name: 'api-credential-keyring-projected',
                 secret: {
                   secretName: CONTROL_RUNTIME_SECRET,
                   defaultMode: 292,
@@ -892,6 +943,10 @@ function clusterControlResources(controlImage) {
                   }],
                 },
               },
+              {
+                name: 'runtime-private',
+                emptyDir: { medium: 'Memory', sizeLimit: '1Mi' },
+              },
             ],
           },
         },
@@ -2353,6 +2408,7 @@ if (require.main === module) {
 module.exports = {
   auditListCommand,
   clusterControlResources,
+  runtimeFileMaterializationSource,
   controlRolloutFailureEvidence,
   controlTerminationFact,
   credentialAuthenticationProbeSource,
diff --git a/test/back/ql3ClusterDeploymentAudit.test.cjs b/test/back/ql3ClusterDeploymentAudit.test.cjs
index 1f8bd182..95efc4e0 100644
--- a/test/back/ql3ClusterDeploymentAudit.test.cjs
+++ b/test/back/ql3ClusterDeploymentAudit.test.cjs
@@ -47,6 +47,44 @@ test('accepts the exact locked non-root multi-replica cluster deployment', () =>
   ]);
 });
 
+test('rejects exposing symlink-backed runtime keyring projections to Cluster Control', () => {
+  const withoutMaterializer = auditClusterDeployment({
+    root: ROOT,
+    readFile: intercept(
+      'deploy/kubernetes/ql3-cluster/base/deployment.yaml',
+      (source) => source.replace(
+        '        - name: materialize-runtime-files\n',
+        '        - name: materialize-runtime-files-disabled\n',
+      ),
+    ),
+  });
+  assert.equal(withoutMaterializer.compatible, false);
+  assert.equal(
+    withoutMaterializer.findings.some(
+      ({ code }) => code === 'QL3_CLUSTER_KUBERNETES_POSTGRES_CA_BINDING',
+    ),
+    true,
+  );
+
+  const projectedIntoRuntime = auditClusterDeployment({
+    root: ROOT,
+    readFile: intercept(
+      'deploy/kubernetes/ql3-cluster/base/deployment.yaml',
+      (source) => source.replace(
+        '            - name: postgres-runtime-private\n              mountPath: /var/run/secrets/qinglong3/postgres-runtime\n              readOnly: true\n',
+        '            - name: postgres-runtime-projected\n              mountPath: /var/run/secrets/qinglong3/postgres-runtime\n              readOnly: true\n',
+      ),
+    ),
+  });
+  assert.equal(projectedIntoRuntime.compatible, false);
+  assert.equal(
+    projectedIntoRuntime.findings.some(
+      ({ code }) => code === 'QL3_CLUSTER_KUBERNETES_POSTGRES_CA_BINDING',
+    ),
+    true,
+  );
+});
+
 test('keeps Cluster Copilot MCP external, digest-pinned and resource-bounded', () => {
   const widened = auditClusterDeployment({
     root: ROOT,
@@ -237,7 +275,7 @@ test('keeps Cluster AI optional with projected authority and an independent dige
     readFile: intercept(
       'deploy/kubernetes/ql3-cluster/base/deployment.yaml',
       (source) =>
-        source.replace(
+        source.replaceAll(
           `image: qinglong3-cluster-control:${VERSION}`,
           `image: qinglong3-cluster-control-ai:${VERSION}`,
         ),
@@ -1261,7 +1299,7 @@ test('rejects inline runtime credentials and a privileged container', () => {
             /valueFrom:\n\s+secretKeyRef:\n\s+name: ql3-cluster-control-runtime\n\s+key: postgres-runtime-url/,
             'value: postgresql://inline-secret',
           )
-          .replace(
+          .replaceAll(
             'allowPrivilegeEscalation: false',
             'allowPrivilegeEscalation: true',
           ),
diff --git a/test/back/ql3DeploymentLockContract.test.cjs b/test/back/ql3DeploymentLockContract.test.cjs
index 2e33d303..e6c686e6 100644
--- a/test/back/ql3DeploymentLockContract.test.cjs
+++ b/test/back/ql3DeploymentLockContract.test.cjs
@@ -921,7 +921,7 @@ test('source-surface audit freezes every reviewed cluster and worker authority',
     schemaVersion: 1,
     deploymentYamlFiles: 241,
     imageOccurrences: {
-      control: 2,
+      control: 3,
       'control-ai': 1,
       admin: 28,
       worker: 2,
diff --git a/test/back/ql3SecurityAdministrationKubernetesLiveContract.test.cjs b/test/back/ql3SecurityAdministrationKubernetesLiveContract.test.cjs
index f998c32b..e2a779b6 100644
--- a/test/back/ql3SecurityAdministrationKubernetesLiveContract.test.cjs
+++ b/test/back/ql3SecurityAdministrationKubernetesLiveContract.test.cjs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 const assert = require('node:assert/strict');
 const { spawnSync } = require('node:child_process');
 const fs = require('node:fs');
+const os = require('node:os');
 const path = require('node:path');
 const { test } = require('node:test');
 
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@ const {
   inputAuthorityEvidenceSource,
   migrationFailureEvidence,
   networkPolicyReadinessSource,
+  runtimeFileMaterializationSource,
 } = require('../../scripts/ql3-security-administration-kubernetes-live-contract.cjs');
 
 const values = Object.freeze({
@@ -205,6 +207,21 @@ test('runs the credential ceremony against two real anti-affine control replicas
     deployment.spec.template.spec.containers[0].terminationMessagePolicy,
     'FallbackToLogsOnError',
   );
+  const materializer = deployment.spec.template.spec.initContainers[0];
+  assert.equal(materializer.name, 'materialize-runtime-files');
+  assert.deepEqual(materializer.command.slice(0, 2), ['node', '-e']);
+  assert.match(materializer.command[2], /realpathSync/);
+  assert.match(materializer.command[2], /COPYFILE_EXCL/);
+  assert.match(materializer.command[2], /chmodSync\(output,0o400\)/);
+  assert.equal(materializer.securityContext.runAsNonRoot, undefined);
+  assert.equal(materializer.securityContext.readOnlyRootFilesystem, true);
+  assert.deepEqual(materializer.securityContext.capabilities.drop, ['ALL']);
+  assert.equal(
+    deployment.spec.template.spec.containers[0].volumeMounts.some(
+      (mount) => mount.name.includes('projected'),
+    ),
+    false,
+  );
   assert.equal(
     deployment.spec.template.spec.affinity.podAntiAffinity
       .requiredDuringSchedulingIgnoredDuringExecution[0].topologyKey,
@@ -215,7 +232,7 @@ test('runs the credential ceremony against two real anti-affine control replicas
     environment.some(
       (entry) =>
         entry.name === 'QL3_API_CREDENTIAL_PEPPER_KEYRING_FILE' &&
-        entry.value.endsWith('/keyring.json'),
+        entry.value === '/var/run/secrets/qinglong3/runtime/keyring.json',
     ),
   );
   assert.equal(
@@ -224,6 +241,44 @@ test('runs the credential ceremony against two real anti-affine control replicas
   );
 });
 
+test('materializes kubelet symlink projections as private regular files', (context) => {
+  const directory = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'ql3-runtime-files-'));
+  context.after(() => fs.rmSync(directory, { recursive: true, force: true }));
+  const postgresDirectory = path.join(directory, 'postgres-projected');
+  const keyringDirectory = path.join(directory, 'keyring-projected');
+  const targetDirectory = path.join(directory, 'runtime');
+  for (const [projectedDirectory, name, value] of [
+    [postgresDirectory, 'ca.crt', 'test-ca'],
+    [keyringDirectory, 'keyring.json', '{"schemaVersion":1}'],
+  ]) {
+    const generation = path.join(projectedDirectory, '..2026_08_26');
+    fs.mkdirSync(generation, { recursive: true });
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(generation, name), value);
+    fs.symlinkSync('..2026_08_26', path.join(projectedDirectory, '..data'));
+  }
+  fs.mkdirSync(targetDirectory);
+  const result = spawnSync(
+    process.execPath,
+    ['-e', runtimeFileMaterializationSource({
+      postgresDirectory,
+      keyringDirectory,
+      targetDirectory,
+    })],
+    { encoding: 'utf8' },
+  );
+  assert.equal(result.status, 0, result.stderr);
+  for (const [name, value] of [
+    ['ca.crt', 'test-ca'],
+    ['keyring.json', '{"schemaVersion":1}'],
+  ]) {
+    const output = path.join(targetDirectory, name);
+    assert.equal(fs.lstatSync(output).isFile(), true);
+    assert.equal(fs.lstatSync(output).isSymbolicLink(), false);
+    assert.equal(fs.statSync(output).mode & 0o777, 0o400);
+    assert.equal(fs.readFileSync(output, 'utf8'), value);
+  }
+});
+
 test('keeps failed control rollout evidence bounded and content-free', () => {
   const failure = JSON.stringify({
     schemaVersion: 1,
diff --git a/test/back/ql3VersionTransition.test.cjs b/test/back/ql3VersionTransition.test.cjs
index 153c1d26..1e44e32e 100644
--- a/test/back/ql3VersionTransition.test.cjs
+++ b/test/back/ql3VersionTransition.test.cjs
@@ -103,8 +103,8 @@ test('audits one source-derived QingLong 3 release identity', () => {
     workspacePackageCount: 18,
     containerRootCount: 4,
     deploymentFileCount: 260,
-    deploymentImageReferences: 34,
-    deploymentVersionOccurrences: 38,
+    deploymentImageReferences: 35,
+    deploymentVersionOccurrences: 39,
     compatible: true,
   });
 });
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ test('plans the exact governed version surface without touching legacy 2.x', ()
     targetVersion: TARGET_VERSION,
   });
   assert.equal(plan.fileCount, 66);
-  assert.equal(plan.replacementCount, 85);
+  assert.equal(plan.replacementCount, 86);
   assert.equal(plan.legacyRootPackageVersion, LEGACY_VERSION);
   assert.equal(plan.legacyRootExcluded, true);
   assert.equal(