diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 1487ece..014db6b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -64,6 +64,11 @@ result.plot()
 
 signal values are target weights. they are auto-normalised to sum to 1. rows in signals trigger a rebalance on that date; dates without a row hold the existing positions.
 
+Current fill semantics are same-bar close fills: if a row appears in `signals`
+for a given date, crossengine rebalances on that date using the close from the
+same row in `prices`. That makes the engine easy to reason about for close-based
+portfolio schedules, but it should not be interpreted as next-bar execution.
+
 ### hold without rebalancing (STAY)
 
 STAY freezes the share count, not the weight. price movement causes the weight to drift naturally. no trades are generated for STAY assets.
diff --git a/docs/api.md b/docs/api.md
index 310b5e8..f3213d3 100644
--- a/docs/api.md
+++ b/docs/api.md
@@ -35,6 +35,11 @@ result = backtest(
 
 **returns:** `BacktestResult`
 
+Current execution semantics are same-bar close fills: when a date is present in
+`signals`, the rebalance is applied on that same date using the corresponding
+close from `prices`. This is a close-fill model, not an implicit next-bar-open
+execution model.
+
 ### `STAY`
 
 sentinel value for "freeze share count, let weight drift." use in signals DataFrame:
diff --git a/src/crossengine/engine.py b/src/crossengine/engine.py
index e651f4d..a052e23 100644
--- a/src/crossengine/engine.py
+++ b/src/crossengine/engine.py
@@ -125,6 +125,10 @@ def run(self) -> tuple[list[dict], list[dict]]:
             self._process_pending(bar, date, trade_log)
 
             if date in self.signals.index:
+                # Current semantics: signal rows rebalance on the same bar using
+                # that bar's close price. This is intentional today, but users
+                # should treat it as a close-fill model rather than next-bar
+                # execution until execution_delay lands.
                 self._rebalance(bar, date, trade_log)
 
             chronicle.append(self.portfolio.snapshot(bar["prices"], date))