diff --git a/apps/x/packages/core/docs/turn-runtime-design.md b/apps/x/packages/core/docs/turn-runtime-design.md
index 620a0ad8..5f462bd1 100644
--- a/apps/x/packages/core/docs/turn-runtime-design.md
+++ b/apps/x/packages/core/docs/turn-runtime-design.md
@@ -409,6 +409,15 @@ in `config/context.json` (`elideHistoricToolResults`, default true;
 `elideHistoricImages`, default true; `elideHistoricMiddlePaneContent`,
 default true). The inspect CLI composes through the same decorated resolver.
 
+Caveat: elision makes the composed payload a function of the durable log
+PLUS the config in effect at compose time — the one deliberate exception to
+"recomposition from durable state alone" (§8.3). Within a turn this is
+harmless (policy is loaded once per execution, at resolve time), but
+inspecting an old turn after a config change may show different prefix
+bytes than were transmitted; the inspect CLI prints the active policy so
+the divergence is visible. If exact-bytes replay ever becomes a hard
+requirement, record the applied policy on the turn and compose from that.
+
 ### 6.7 Agent snapshot inheritance
 
 Session turns whose resolved system prompt and tool set are byte-identical
diff --git a/apps/x/packages/core/src/turns/inspect-cli.ts b/apps/x/packages/core/src/turns/inspect-cli.ts
index 3140148f..9326a73c 100644
--- a/apps/x/packages/core/src/turns/inspect-cli.ts
+++ b/apps/x/packages/core/src/turns/inspect-cli.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@
 // messages (user-message context, attachments, tool-result envelopes) are
 // visible; the file itself stores only structural facts and references.
 //
+// Caveat: historic-context elision reads config/context.json at compose
+// time, so recomposition is exact only while that config matches what was
+// live when the call ran. The header prints the policy in effect NOW.
+//
 // Session mode prints the session overview (title, turns, statuses, sizes);
 // pass --turns to cascade full turn inspection for every turn.
 //
@@ -27,7 +31,7 @@ import { convertFromMessages } from "../agents/runtime.js";
 import { WorkDir } from "../config/config.js";
 import { FSSessionRepo } from "../sessions/fs-repo.js";
 import { composeModelRequest } from "./compose-model-request.js";
-import { createContextResolver } from "./context-elision.js";
+import { createContextResolver, loadElisionPolicy } from "./context-elision.js";
 import { FSTurnRepo } from "./fs-repo.js";
 
 const turnRepo = new FSTurnRepo({
@@ -81,6 +85,17 @@ async function inspectTurn(
     console.log(
         `agent ${agent.agentId}  model ${agent.model.provider}/${agent.model.model}  calls ${state.modelCalls.length}${inherited}`,
     );
+    const policy = loadElisionPolicy();
+    console.log(
+        `context elision (per config/context.json NOW; transmitted bytes reflect the config live at call time): ` +
+            [
+                policy.toolResults
+                    ? `toolResults>${policy.toolResultThresholdChars}`
+                    : "toolResults off",
+                policy.images ? "images" : "images off",
+                policy.middlePaneContent ? "notes" : "notes off",
+            ].join(", "),
+    );
 
     for (const call of state.modelCalls) {
         if (onlyIndex !== undefined && call.index !== onlyIndex) continue;