diff --git a/plans/agent-briefings/sx-gate-loop.md b/plans/agent-briefings/sx-gate-loop.md
index 8fd5f450..1649a08e 100644
--- a/plans/agent-briefings/sx-gate-loop.md
+++ b/plans/agent-briefings/sx-gate-loop.md
@@ -50,7 +50,8 @@ Pin each confirmed-and-fixed finding with a minimal repro. Add suites to
 - [x] K49 [W8] — five void elements (area/base/embed/param/track) renderable
       (spec side; native regen drift → see Blocked). NB: the depth/cycle guard
       is K16 [W8], still OPEN — not a W14 pin target until its fix lands
-- [ ] crit-2 [W1] — signal-return frame key (verify the pin is non-vacuous)
+- [x] crit-2 [W1] — signal-return kont pinned NON-VACUOUSLY (side-effect
+      sentinel across two tests; a plain assert would inherit the vacuity)
 - [ ] C1/C1b [W3] — HTTP-mode concurrency fixes, pin
 - [ ] S4 [conformance] — housekeeping repro, pin
 
@@ -79,6 +80,16 @@ Pin each confirmed-and-fixed finding with a minimal repro. Add suites to
 
 ## Progress log (newest first)
 
+- 2026-07-04 — **crit-2 non-vacuous pin (item A.5)**. The original bug's
+  signature — handler value becomes the WHOLE program result, discarding
+  every outer frame *including the covering test's own assert* — means a
+  plain `(assert= repro expected)` pin would pass vacuously on regression.
+  Added suite `gate-crit2-signal-return-kont` with a **side-effect sentinel**:
+  test 1 runs both repros (`("outer" 43 "end")` list shape + `raise-continuable`
+  → 143) then `set!`s a top-level flag; test 2 independently asserts the flag
+  — if the continuation is ever dropped again, test 1 "passes" but test 2
+  fails loudly. Third test pins the exact shipped-test expr (51). Verified
+  both repro shapes live via sx_eval first. 267 passed / 0 failed. Test-only.
 - 2026-07-03 — **K49 void-elements pin (item A.4) + regen-drift DISCOVERY**.
   Corrected the checklist label first: K49 is "five void elements
   unrenderable" (core.md:335), not the depth guard (that's K16, OPEN). Added
diff --git a/spec/tests/test-gate-pins.sx b/spec/tests/test-gate-pins.sx
index 30fc3191..13f87945 100644
--- a/spec/tests/test-gate-pins.sx
+++ b/spec/tests/test-gate-pins.sx
@@ -161,3 +161,59 @@
         (quote (embed))
         (quote (param))
         (quote (track))))))
+
+;; --------------------------------------------------------------------------
+;; crit-2 [W1, critical] signal-return frame stored the saved kont under :f
+;; but the reader looked up "saved-kont" — the resume kont was always nil,
+;; so the handler value became the WHOLE program's result and every frame
+;; outside the signal site (including the covering test's own assert!) was
+;; silently discarded. The shipped test "signal returns handler value to
+;; call site" passed VACUOUSLY — the bug defeated its own test.
+;;
+;; A plain assert around the repro would inherit the same vacuity on
+;; regression (the dropped continuation includes the assert frame). So this
+;; pin uses a side-effect sentinel: test 1 runs the repro and then sets a
+;; flag; test 2 independently asserts the flag was reached. If crit-2
+;; regresses, test 1 still "passes" (vacuously) but test 2 FAILS.
+;; Repro (core.md).
+;; --------------------------------------------------------------------------
+(define *gate-crit2-after-signal* false)
+(define *gate-crit2-result* nil)
+(define *gate-crit2-rc-result* nil)
+
+(defsuite
+  "gate-crit2-signal-return-kont"
+  (deftest
+    "continuable signal resumes at the raise site"
+    (do
+      (set!
+        *gate-crit2-result*
+        (list
+          "outer"
+          (handler-bind
+            (((fn (c) true) (fn (c) 42)))
+            (+ 1 (signal-condition 5)))
+          "end"))
+      (set!
+        *gate-crit2-rc-result*
+        (handler-bind
+          (((fn (c) true) (fn (c) (+ c 100))))
+          (+ 1 (raise-continuable 42))))
+      (set! *gate-crit2-after-signal* true)
+      (assert= *gate-crit2-result* (list "outer" 43 "end"))
+      (assert= *gate-crit2-rc-result* 143)))
+  (deftest
+    "non-vacuity sentinel: the continuation after the signal actually ran"
+    (do
+      (assert
+        *gate-crit2-after-signal*
+        "continuation dropped — crit-2 regressed (previous test passed vacuously)")
+      (assert= *gate-crit2-result* (list "outer" 43 "end"))
+      (assert= *gate-crit2-rc-result* 143)))
+  (deftest
+    "handler value feeds the arithmetic frame, not the program result"
+    (assert=
+      (handler-bind
+        (((fn (c) true) (fn (c) (* c 10))))
+        (+ 1 (signal-condition 5)))
+      51)))