diff --git a/packages/core/vitest.config.ts b/packages/core/vitest.config.ts
index c6681f3e6e..5355cfdcd1 100644
--- a/packages/core/vitest.config.ts
+++ b/packages/core/vitest.config.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,12 @@ const quarantinedCoreTests = [
 
   FNXC:CoreTests 2026-06-15-07:39:
   FN-6486 rescued store-concurrent-writes by making the transient lock helper release independent of event-loop timer scheduling, then removed the quarantine in lockstep with scripts/lib/test-quarantine.json. Keep this array empty unless a future observed flake is mirrored in the ledger in the same commit.
+
+  FNXC:CoreTests 2026-06-17-17:21:
+  FN-6596 verification observed task-list-format and test-project timing out only in the broad changed-package core lane after the merge gate had passed; both files passed immediate isolated reruns. Quarantine the suite-load flakes without widening timeouts or weakening assertions.
   */
+  "src/__tests__/task-list-format.test.ts",
+  "src/__tests__/test-project.test.ts",
 ];
 
 export default defineConfig({
diff --git a/plugins/fusion-plugin-compound-engineering/src/__tests__/dist-freshness.test.ts b/plugins/fusion-plugin-compound-engineering/src/__tests__/dist-freshness.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..661809c6cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/fusion-plugin-compound-engineering/src/__tests__/dist-freshness.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+import { existsSync, readFileSync } from "node:fs";
+import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+
+const settingsPath = fileURLToPath(new URL("../../dist/settings.js", import.meta.url));
+const orchestratorPath = fileURLToPath(new URL("../../dist/session/orchestrator.js", import.meta.url));
+
+function readRequiredDistFile(path: string): string {
+  if (!existsSync(path)) {
+    throw new Error(`dist/ is missing — run pnpm build first (FN-6596): ${path}`);
+  }
+  return readFileSync(path, "utf8");
+}
+
+/*
+FNXC:CompoundEngineering 2026-06-17-13:15:
+The plugin loader imports dist/index.js before src/index.ts, while dist is gitignored and can drift from the fixed TypeScript source. This fast textual guard fails a stale artifact ship before ce-debug regresses to the old enabledStages allow-list.
+*/
+describe("compiled Compound Engineering dist freshness", () => {
+  it("keeps compiled settings on the disabledStages opt-out model", () => {
+    const settings = readRequiredDistFile(settingsPath);
+
+    expect(settings).toMatch(/export function getDisabledStages\s*\(\s*settings\s*\)/);
+    expect(settings).toMatch(/asStringArray\(settings,\s*["']disabledStages["'],\s*DEFAULT_DISABLED_STAGES\)/);
+    expect(settings).toMatch(/const disabled = new Set\(getDisabledStages\(settings\)\);/);
+    expect(settings).toMatch(/listStages\(\)\.map\(\(s\) => s\.stageId\)\.filter\(\(stageId\) => !disabled\.has\(stageId\)\)/);
+    expect(settings).not.toContain('asStringArray(settings, "enabledStages"');
+    expect(settings).not.toContain("asStringArray(settings, 'enabledStages'");
+  });
+
+  it("keeps compiled orchestrator launch gating on disabledStages", () => {
+    const orchestrator = readRequiredDistFile(orchestratorPath);
+
+    expect(orchestrator).toMatch(/import \{ getDefaultModelId, getDefaultProvider, getDisabledStages \} from ["']\.\.\/settings\.js["'];/);
+    expect(orchestrator).toMatch(/if \(getDisabledStages\(this\.ctx\.settings\)\.includes\(stageId\)\) \{\s*throw new Error\(`CE stage is not enabled: \$\{stageId\}`\);\s*\}/);
+    expect(orchestrator).not.toMatch(/getEnabledStages\(this\.ctx\.settings\)\.includes\(stageId\)/);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/plugins/fusion-plugin-compound-engineering/src/__tests__/stage-launch-guard.test.ts b/plugins/fusion-plugin-compound-engineering/src/__tests__/stage-launch-guard.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..131cbb7147
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/fusion-plugin-compound-engineering/src/__tests__/stage-launch-guard.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { CeOrchestrator } from "../session/orchestrator.js";
+import { makeHarness, makeScriptedSession, type TestHarness } from "./_harness.js";
+
+/*
+FNXC:CompoundEngineering 2026-06-17-13:22:
+A stale persisted enabledStages snapshot must not block any registered CE stage, including newly added stages such as debug. Keep this runnable source regression outside the quarantined skill-wiring suite so opt-out launch gating remains covered by normal test runs.
+*/
+describe("CE stage launch guard", () => {
+  let h: TestHarness;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    h = makeHarness();
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    h.close();
+  });
+
+  it.each(["strategy", "work", "debug"])(
+    "launches %s when settings only contain a stale enabledStages snapshot",
+    async (stageId) => {
+      h.ctx.settings = { enabledStages: ["strategy", "ideate", "brainstorm", "plan", "work"] };
+      const factory = vi.fn(async () => ({
+        session: makeScriptedSession([{ type: "complete", data: { artifact: `# ${stageId} done` } }]),
+      }));
+      const orch = new CeOrchestrator({
+        ctx: h.ctx,
+        createInteractiveAiSession: factory,
+        projectRoot: h.projectRoot,
+        turnTimeoutMs: 5000,
+      });
+
+      await orch.start(stageId, { openingMessage: `launch ${stageId}` });
+
+      expect(factory).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    },
+  );
+
+  it("rejects debug launch when debug is explicitly disabled", async () => {
+    h.ctx.settings = { disabledStages: ["debug"] };
+    const factory = vi.fn(async () => ({
+      session: makeScriptedSession([{ type: "complete", data: { artifact: "# debug done" } }]),
+    }));
+    const orch = new CeOrchestrator({
+      ctx: h.ctx,
+      createInteractiveAiSession: factory,
+      projectRoot: h.projectRoot,
+      turnTimeoutMs: 5000,
+    });
+
+    await expect(orch.start("debug", { openingMessage: "investigate" })).rejects.toThrow(
+      "CE stage is not enabled: debug",
+    );
+    expect(factory).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/scripts/lib/test-quarantine.json b/scripts/lib/test-quarantine.json
index e1967dddd1..eb32518055 100644
--- a/scripts/lib/test-quarantine.json
+++ b/scripts/lib/test-quarantine.json
@@ -30,6 +30,16 @@
       "file": "plugins/fusion-plugin-compound-engineering/src/__tests__/work-bridge.test.ts",
       "reason": "CE broad package verification under NODE_ENV=production fix hit a 10000ms beforeEach hook timeout only in the full @fusion-plugin-examples/compound-engineering lane, while an immediate isolated compound-engineering-node run of work-bridge.test.ts passed in 10.96s. Quarantined per deletion-ratchet policy without hookTimeout increases, retries, or assertion loosening.",
       "quarantinedAt": "2026-06-17"
+    },
+    {
+      "file": "packages/core/src/__tests__/task-list-format.test.ts",
+      "reason": "FN-6596 verification: pnpm test failed in the broad changed-package @fusion/core lane with a beforeEach hook timeout in task-list-format after the merge gate had passed; immediate isolated rerun of the file passed. Quarantined as a suite-load timeout flake without timeout bumps, retries, or assertion loosening.",
+      "quarantinedAt": "2026-06-17"
+    },
+    {
+      "file": "packages/core/src/__tests__/test-project.test.ts",
+      "reason": "FN-6596 verification: pnpm test failed in the broad changed-package @fusion/core lane with a test timeout in test-project after the merge gate had passed; immediate isolated rerun of the file passed. Quarantined as a suite-load timeout flake without timeout bumps, retries, or assertion loosening.",
+      "quarantinedAt": "2026-06-17"
     }
   ]
 }