diff --git a/crates/omnigraph-cluster/src/lib.rs b/crates/omnigraph-cluster/src/lib.rs
index 3673194..84968a7 100644
--- a/crates/omnigraph-cluster/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/omnigraph-cluster/src/lib.rs
@@ -890,6 +890,14 @@ pub fn status_config_dir(config_dir: impl AsRef<Path>) -> StatusOutput {
             match backend.read_state(&mut observations) {
                 Ok(snapshot) => {
                     if let Some(state) = snapshot.state {
+                        // Read-only point-in-time catalog check: report the
+                        // findings as diagnostics; persisting Drifted statuses
+                        // is refresh's job. Status never writes state.
+                        for (address, finding) in
+                            verify_catalog_payloads(&parsed.config_dir, &state)
+                        {
+                            diagnostics.push(payload_finding_diagnostic(&address, &finding));
+                        }
                         resource_digests = state_resource_digests(&state);
                         resource_statuses = state.resource_statuses;
                         state_observation_records = state.observations;
@@ -1076,6 +1084,47 @@ async fn sync_config_dir(config_dir: &Path, operation: StateSyncOperation) -> St
         (StateSyncOperation::Import, None) => initial_import_state(&desired),
     };
 
+    // Catalog payload verification must run BEFORE graph observation: removing
+    // a drifted query digest first means the live-graph composite recompute
+    // below already excludes it, so the persisted graph.<id> composite stays
+    // consistent and the next plan shows exactly the create + derived update.
+    for (address, finding) in verify_catalog_payloads(&desired.config_dir, &state) {
+        diagnostics.push(payload_finding_diagnostic(&address, &finding));
+        match finding {
+            PayloadFinding::Missing => {
+                state.applied_revision.resources.remove(&address);
+                set_resource_status(
+                    &mut state,
+                    &address,
+                    ResourceLifecycleStatus::Drifted,
+                    "payload_missing",
+                    "catalog payload blob is missing; re-run `cluster apply` to republish",
+                );
+            }
+            PayloadFinding::Mismatch { .. } => {
+                state.applied_revision.resources.remove(&address);
+                set_resource_status(
+                    &mut state,
+                    &address,
+                    ResourceLifecycleStatus::Drifted,
+                    "payload_mismatch",
+                    "catalog payload blob does not match the recorded digest; re-run `cluster apply` to republish",
+                );
+            }
+            // Transient IO must not trigger a spurious republish: keep the
+            // digest, surface the error, let a later clean refresh converge.
+            PayloadFinding::ReadError(error) => {
+                set_resource_status(
+                    &mut state,
+                    &address,
+                    ResourceLifecycleStatus::Error,
+                    "payload_read_error",
+                    &error,
+                );
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     let graph_error_count = observe_declared_graphs(&desired, &mut state).await;
     if graph_error_count > 0 {
         diagnostics.push(Diagnostic::error(
@@ -2371,6 +2420,73 @@ fn payload_path(config_dir: &Path, kind: &ResourceKind, digest: &str) -> Option<
     }
 }
 
+#[derive(Debug, PartialEq, Eq)]
+enum PayloadFinding {
+    Missing,
+    Mismatch { actual_digest: String },
+    ReadError(String),
+}
+
+/// Verify every catalog-backed resource digest in state against its
+/// content-addressed blob under `__cluster/resources/`. Graph, schema, and
+/// unknown addresses have no payloads and are skipped. Read-only; findings
+/// are deterministic (BTreeMap order). Payloads are small (queries, policy
+/// bundles), so a full digest re-hash is cheap.
+fn verify_catalog_payloads(
+    config_dir: &Path,
+    state: &ClusterState,
+) -> Vec<(String, PayloadFinding)> {
+    let mut findings = Vec::new();
+    for (address, resource) in &state.applied_revision.resources {
+        let kind = resource_kind(address);
+        let Some(path) = payload_path(config_dir, &kind, &resource.digest) else {
+            continue;
+        };
+        match fs::read(&path) {
+            Ok(bytes) => {
+                let actual_digest = sha256_hex(&bytes);
+                if actual_digest != resource.digest {
+                    findings.push((address.clone(), PayloadFinding::Mismatch { actual_digest }));
+                }
+            }
+            Err(err) if err.kind() == ErrorKind::NotFound => {
+                findings.push((address.clone(), PayloadFinding::Missing));
+            }
+            Err(err) => {
+                findings.push((
+                    address.clone(),
+                    PayloadFinding::ReadError(format!(
+                        "could not read catalog payload '{}': {err}",
+                        path.display()
+                    )),
+                ));
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    findings
+}
+
+fn payload_finding_diagnostic(address: &str, finding: &PayloadFinding) -> Diagnostic {
+    match finding {
+        PayloadFinding::Missing => Diagnostic::warning(
+            "catalog_payload_missing",
+            address,
+            "catalog payload blob is missing; re-run `cluster apply` to republish",
+        ),
+        PayloadFinding::Mismatch { actual_digest } => Diagnostic::warning(
+            "catalog_payload_mismatch",
+            address,
+            format!(
+                "catalog payload blob does not match the recorded digest (actual sha256:{actual_digest}); re-run `cluster apply` to republish"
+            ),
+        ),
+        // An unverifiable blob must not report healthy.
+        PayloadFinding::ReadError(error) => {
+            Diagnostic::error("catalog_payload_read_error", address, error.clone())
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 /// Write one content-addressed payload blob. Idempotent: an existing
 /// digest-named file is trusted as-is. The digest re-check is the apply-side
 /// TOCTOU detector — the source file changing between `load_desired` and the
@@ -4317,6 +4433,171 @@ graphs:
         );
     }
 
+    // ---- catalog payload verification (Stage 3B) ----
+
+    /// Converge a fixture dir and return the query blob path.
+    fn converge_fixture(config_dir: &Path) -> std::path::PathBuf {
+        write_applyable_state(config_dir);
+        let out = apply_config_dir(config_dir);
+        assert!(out.ok && out.converged, "{:?}", out.diagnostics);
+        let desired = validate_config_dir(config_dir);
+        query_payload_path(
+            config_dir,
+            desired
+                .resource_digests
+                .get("query.knowledge.find_person")
+                .unwrap(),
+        )
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn status_reports_missing_payload_read_only() {
+        let dir = fixture();
+        let blob = converge_fixture(dir.path());
+        let state_before = fs::read_to_string(dir.path().join(CLUSTER_STATE_FILE)).unwrap();
+        fs::remove_file(&blob).unwrap();
+
+        let out = status_config_dir(dir.path());
+        assert!(out.ok, "{:?}", out.diagnostics);
+        assert!(out.diagnostics.iter().any(|diagnostic| {
+            diagnostic.code == "catalog_payload_missing"
+                && diagnostic.path == "query.knowledge.find_person"
+        }));
+        // Read-only: persisted statuses and state bytes untouched.
+        assert_eq!(
+            out.resource_statuses["query.knowledge.find_person"].status,
+            ResourceLifecycleStatus::Applied
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            fs::read_to_string(dir.path().join(CLUSTER_STATE_FILE)).unwrap(),
+            state_before
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn refresh_removes_digest_and_drifts_on_missing_payload() {
+        let dir = fixture();
+        init_derived_graph(dir.path()).await;
+        let blob = converge_fixture(dir.path());
+        fs::remove_file(&blob).unwrap();
+
+        let out = refresh_config_dir(dir.path()).await;
+        assert!(out.ok, "{:?}", out.diagnostics);
+        assert!(
+            out.diagnostics
+                .iter()
+                .any(|diagnostic| diagnostic.code == "catalog_payload_missing")
+        );
+        let status = &out.resource_statuses["query.knowledge.find_person"];
+        assert_eq!(status.status, ResourceLifecycleStatus::Drifted);
+        assert!(status.conditions.contains(&"payload_missing".to_string()));
+        let state = read_state_json(dir.path());
+        assert!(
+            state["applied_revision"]["resources"]
+                .get("query.knowledge.find_person")
+                .is_none(),
+            "{state}"
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn refresh_drifts_on_corrupted_payload() {
+        let dir = fixture();
+        init_derived_graph(dir.path()).await;
+        let blob = converge_fixture(dir.path());
+        fs::write(&blob, "corrupted content").unwrap();
+
+        let out = refresh_config_dir(dir.path()).await;
+        assert!(out.ok, "{:?}", out.diagnostics);
+        let status = &out.resource_statuses["query.knowledge.find_person"];
+        assert_eq!(status.status, ResourceLifecycleStatus::Drifted);
+        assert!(status.conditions.contains(&"payload_mismatch".to_string()));
+        let state = read_state_json(dir.path());
+        assert!(
+            state["applied_revision"]["resources"]
+                .get("query.knowledge.find_person")
+                .is_none()
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn refresh_flags_unreadable_payload_as_error() {
+        let dir = fixture();
+        init_derived_graph(dir.path()).await;
+        let blob = converge_fixture(dir.path());
+        // A same-named directory yields a non-NotFound IO error portably.
+        fs::remove_file(&blob).unwrap();
+        fs::create_dir(&blob).unwrap();
+
+        let out = refresh_config_dir(dir.path()).await;
+        assert!(!out.ok);
+        assert!(
+            out.diagnostics
+                .iter()
+                .any(|diagnostic| diagnostic.code == "catalog_payload_read_error")
+        );
+        let status = &out.resource_statuses["query.knowledge.find_person"];
+        assert_eq!(status.status, ResourceLifecycleStatus::Error);
+        assert!(status.conditions.contains(&"payload_read_error".to_string()));
+        // Transient IO keeps the digest: no spurious republish.
+        let state = read_state_json(dir.path());
+        assert!(
+            state["applied_revision"]["resources"]
+                .get("query.knowledge.find_person")
+                .is_some()
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn payload_drift_self_heals_through_refresh_plan_apply() {
+        let dir = fixture();
+        init_derived_graph(dir.path()).await;
+        let blob = converge_fixture(dir.path());
+        let original = fs::read_to_string(&blob).unwrap();
+        fs::remove_file(&blob).unwrap();
+
+        let refresh = refresh_config_dir(dir.path()).await;
+        assert!(refresh.ok, "{:?}", refresh.diagnostics);
+
+        let plan = plan_config_dir(dir.path());
+        let query_change = plan
+            .changes
+            .iter()
+            .find(|change| change.resource == "query.knowledge.find_person")
+            .expect("plan must propose recreating the query");
+        assert_eq!(query_change.operation, PlanOperation::Create);
+        assert_eq!(query_change.disposition, Some(ApplyDisposition::Applied));
+
+        let apply = apply_config_dir(dir.path());
+        assert!(apply.ok && apply.converged, "{:?}", apply.diagnostics);
+        assert_eq!(fs::read_to_string(&blob).unwrap(), original);
+
+        let status = status_config_dir(dir.path());
+        assert!(
+            !status
+                .diagnostics
+                .iter()
+                .any(|diagnostic| diagnostic.code.starts_with("catalog_payload")),
+            "{:?}",
+            status.diagnostics
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn verification_skips_graph_and_schema_resources() {
+        let dir = fixture();
+        write_applyable_state(dir.path()); // graph + schema digests only, no blobs
+
+        let out = status_config_dir(dir.path());
+        assert!(
+            !out.diagnostics
+                .iter()
+                .any(|diagnostic| diagnostic.code.starts_with("catalog_payload")),
+            "{:?}",
+            out.diagnostics
+        );
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn plan_annotates_apply_dispositions() {
         let dir = fixture();
diff --git a/docs/user/cluster-config.md b/docs/user/cluster-config.md
index 912f307..9a2597b 100644
--- a/docs/user/cluster-config.md
+++ b/docs/user/cluster-config.md
@@ -198,6 +198,16 @@ files and does not inspect live graphs. Missing `state.json` succeeds with a
 warning; invalid state JSON or an unsupported state version fails. If a lock is
 present, status reports its id, operation, creation time, pid, and age.
 
+Status also verifies the catalog payloads read-only: every query/policy digest
+recorded in state is checked against its content-addressed blob under
+`__cluster/resources/` (existence and full digest re-hash). A missing or
+mismatched blob is reported as a warning (`catalog_payload_missing` /
+`catalog_payload_mismatch`); an unreadable blob is an error
+(`catalog_payload_read_error`) because an unverifiable catalog must not report
+healthy. Status never writes state — persisting the `drifted` condition is
+refresh's job. The check runs without the state lock, so it is a point-in-time
+report.
+
 ## Refresh And Import
 
 `cluster refresh` updates an existing `state.json` from actual observations.
@@ -216,8 +226,27 @@ Invalid graph roots are recorded as errors; `refresh` persists the error
 observation and exits non-zero, while `import` exits non-zero without creating
 initial state.
 
-Refresh/import do not observe query or policy resources yet. Existing query and
-policy state digests are preserved on refresh and are not invented on import.
+Refresh also verifies the catalog payloads of every query/policy digest
+recorded in state (the same check `cluster status` reports read-only), and
+closes the loop:
+
+- a **missing** or **digest-mismatched** blob marks the resource `drifted`
+  (condition `payload_missing` / `payload_mismatch`) and removes its digest
+  from state — so the next `cluster plan` proposes a create and the next
+  `cluster apply` republishes the blob (the self-heal loop, mirroring how a
+  missing graph root is handled);
+- an **unreadable** blob (IO error other than not-found) keeps the digest,
+  marks the resource `error` (condition `payload_read_error`), and exits
+  non-zero — transient IO must not trigger a spurious republish.
+
+Upgrade note: a state ledger written before catalog publish existed records
+query/policy digests with no blobs on disk; the first refresh after upgrading
+flags them all `payload_missing`, and a single `cluster apply` republishes
+everything and converges.
+
+Refresh/import do not observe query or policy resources beyond their catalog
+payloads yet. Existing query and policy state digests are preserved on refresh
+(unless their payload drifted, above) and are not invented on import.
 
 ## Force Unlock