diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index 7e8bcd881de..d087793eb18 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ Extends thegent governance base. See `platforms/thegent/governance/AGENTS.base.m
 ### Project Overview
 
 - **Name**: heliosCLI
-- **Description**: Rust-based CLI for managing Helioscope applications with multi-backend support and sandboxing
+- **Description**: Rust-based CLI for managing Helios CLI applications with multi-backend support and sandboxing.
 - **Location**: `/Users/kooshapari/CodeProjects/Phenotype/repos/heliosCLI`
 - **Language Stack**: Rust (edition 2021)
 - **Published**: Internal
diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index 716e9ca6dad..a18fad42290 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ Extends thegent governance base. See `platforms/thegent/dotfiles/governance/CLAU
 ## Project Overview
 
 - **Name**: heliosCLI
-- **Description**: Rust-based CLI for managing Helioscope applications with multi-backend support and sandboxing
+- **Description**: Rust-based CLI for managing Helios CLI applications with multi-backend support and sandboxing.
 - **Location**: `/Users/kooshapari/CodeProjects/Phenotype/repos/heliosCLI`
 - **Language Stack**: Rust (edition 2021)
 - **Published**: Internal
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ fn test_feature_name() {
 
 ## Project-Specific Configuration
 
-heliosCLI provides a comprehensive CLI for Helioscope application management with multiple execution backends:
+heliosCLI provides a comprehensive CLI for Helios CLI application management with multiple execution backends:
 
 ### Architecture
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 201447d582a..4ac16abba70 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -13,7 +13,11 @@
 [![Phenotype](https://img.shields.io/badge/Phenotype-org-blueviolet)](https://github.com/KooshaPari)
 [![AI Slop Inside](https://sladge.net/badge.svg)](https://sladge.net)
 
-Rust-based CLI for managing Helioscope applications with multi-backend support and sandboxing. A community fork of [OpenAI Codex CLI](https://github.com/openai/codex) with performance optimizations, a multi-crate harness system, and Phenotype governance integration.
+Rust-based CLI for managing Helios CLI applications with multi-backend support and sandboxing. A community fork of [OpenAI Codex CLI](https://github.com/openai/codex) with performance optimizations, a multi-crate harness system, and Phenotype governance integration.
+
+> **Note:** The legacy `helioscope` fork (`KooshaPari/helioscope`) was retired 2026-06-21
+> per [the v12-20 closure rationale](https://github.com/KooshaPari/helios-cli/blob/main/docs/rationalization/helioscope-absorption.md).
+> `helios-cli` is the canonical codex fork in the Phenotype fleet.
 
 <p align="center">
   <strong>helios</strong> — run AI coding agents locally with full control over execution, sandboxing, and model backends.