diff --git a/bundle/.claude/hooks/gitnexus-context-pressure.mjs b/bundle/.claude/hooks/gitnexus-context-pressure.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7ddb8c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bundle/.claude/hooks/gitnexus-context-pressure.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+// Claude Code PostToolUse → estimate how full the context window is; when auto-compaction is
+// NEAR, nudge the agent to refresh its TASK-CORE (dense AI save-state) BEFORE the summary drops
+// detail. PreCompact can't inject context or make the agent act, so this PostToolUse hook is
+// where the pre-compaction "migrate the task" trigger lives (additionalContext is valid here).
+import path from "node:path";
+import { pathToFileURL } from "node:url";
+
+let raw = "";
+for await (const c of process.stdin) raw += c;
+let input = {};
+try {
+  input = JSON.parse(raw || "{}");
+} catch {
+  /* empty */
+}
+
+const root = process.env.CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR || input.cwd || process.cwd();
+const transcript = input.transcript_path || "";
+if (!transcript) process.exit(0);
+
+const lib = (rel) => import(pathToFileURL(path.join(root, ".gnkit/lib", rel)).href);
+const { loadHookConfig } = await lib("hook-helpers.mjs");
+const { contextPressure } = await lib("context-pressure.mjs");
+const { emitContext } = await lib("claude-emit.mjs");
+const { taskCoreExists, isPressureNudged, setPressureNudged, bumpScore } =
+  await lib("session-primer.mjs");
+
+const config = loadHookConfig(root);
+if (!(config.contextPressureThreshold > 0)) process.exit(0); // feature disabled
+
+const p = contextPressure(transcript, config);
+
+if (p.over) {
+  // Nudge once per pressure zone (flag) — but keep nudging while there's still NO task-core,
+  // since compacting with no core is straight data loss. Once a core exists, go quiet.
+  if (!isPressureNudged(root) || !taskCoreExists(root)) {
+    const pct = Math.round(p.ratio * 100);
+    const kt = Math.round(p.tokens / 1000);
+    emitContext(
+      `⚠ CONTEXT ~${pct}% full (~${kt}k tok) — auto-compaction is NEAR. Refresh your TASK-CORE ` +
+        "**now**, before the summary drops load-bearing detail: write `.gnkit/.gitnexus-task-core.md` " +
+        "as a DENSE, AI-facing save-state of THIS TASK — GOAL · CONSTRAINTS · DECISIONS(+why) · " +
+        "STATE(done/now/NEXT/todo) · ANCHORS(file:line) · GOTCHAS(failed approaches, traps) · " +
+        "OPEN-Qs · this-task USER-PREFS. Terse, no prose — it's for you, not humans. It is the ONE " +
+        "thing guaranteed to survive compaction; SessionStart reads it back on recovery. " +
+        "(Format: the `gitnexus-taskcore` skill.)",
+      "PostToolUse",
+    );
+    setPressureNudged(root, true);
+    bumpScore(root, "contextPressureNudges");
+  }
+} else if (p.ratio < config.contextPressureThreshold - 0.1) {
+  // Pressure fell well below the line (a compaction shrank the transcript) → re-arm the nudge.
+  setPressureNudged(root, false);
+}
+// otherwise: stay silent (hysteresis band, or over-threshold with a fresh core already written)
diff --git a/bundle/.claude/hooks/gitnexus-session.mjs b/bundle/.claude/hooks/gitnexus-session.mjs
index 8534866..bcdccf0 100644
--- a/bundle/.claude/hooks/gitnexus-session.mjs
+++ b/bundle/.claude/hooks/gitnexus-session.mjs
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ const {
   isDetectUsed,
   memoryPath,
   fallbackGrant,
+  taskCorePath,
+  taskCoreExists,
 } = await lib("session-primer.mjs");
 
 const source = input.source || "startup";
@@ -43,8 +45,13 @@ const staleLine = grant
 let lines;
 if (recovering) {
   const hasMem = existsSync(memoryPath(root));
+  const hasCore = taskCoreExists(root);
+  const tcp = taskCorePath(root);
   lines = [
     `GitNexus: context was ${source === "compact" ? "COMPACTED" : "resumed"} — the task CONTINUES; enforcement and this session's satisfied gates are PRESERVED.`,
+    hasCore
+      ? `READ your TASK-CORE FIRST — \`${tcp}\`: a dense save-state of THIS task (goal/constraints/decisions/state/anchors/gotchas/next). Reconstruct from it, verify against reality, then continue — do not re-derive what it already settles.`
+      : `No TASK-CORE saved — reconstruct THIS task (goal/decisions/state/next) from your memory + the code before acting, and write \`.gnkit/.gitnexus-task-core.md\` next time so compaction can't drift you.`,
     // Graph-first discipline MUST be re-stated here, not only on fresh start: post-compaction is
     // exactly where agents drift back to grep/blind-read. "Gates preserved" ≠ "stop using the graph".
     "Graph-first STILL applies — do NOT fall back to grep or blind Read: orient with gitnexus_query, drill with gitnexus_context, cypher for structure, impact before edits, detect_changes before commit.",
diff --git a/bundle/.cursor/rules/00-gitnexus-enforcement.mdc b/bundle/.cursor/rules/00-gitnexus-enforcement.mdc
index f68d4db..d2661a4 100644
--- a/bundle/.cursor/rules/00-gitnexus-enforcement.mdc
+++ b/bundle/.cursor/rules/00-gitnexus-enforcement.mdc
@@ -159,6 +159,18 @@ At a **milestone** — feature done / big-task checkpoint / shared-code refactor
 
 Maintain your **Claude Code project memory** — `~/.claude/projects/<this-project>/memory/MEMORY.md` (Claude Code's native memory; **all agents share this one file** — Claude refers to its own, other agents mirror it). Record task, key decisions, findings, open items, important `file:line`. Update it at milestones and whenever you conclude something that must outlive the current transcript. Context compaction and new sessions drop the conversation; this file does not. On recovery (post-compaction/resume) READ it first and reconcile it with reality — **nothing important may be lost.**
 
+## Task-core (survive compaction without drift)
+
+Long tasks get **compacted** — the transcript is summarized and dropped, and detail drifts. Keep a **task-core**: a dense, **AI-facing** save-state of the CURRENT TASK at **`.gnkit/.gitnexus-task-core.md`**. When a PostToolUse nudge says context is filling (~90%), or at a milestone / before a risky pivot, **write or refresh it** — terse, for *you* not humans, no prose tax:
+
+```
+GOAL <what "done" is> · CONSTRAINTS <must/never> · DECISIONS <choice→why (settled)>
+STATE done<✓+anchor> / now / NEXT<exact> / todo<ordered> · ANCHORS <file:line→what/why>
+GOTCHAS <failed approaches, traps, non-obvious> · OPEN-Qs · USER-PREFS(this task)
+```
+
+On recovery **READ the task-core FIRST** and reconstruct from it — it's the one thing guaranteed to survive with full detail. It's distinct from `MEMORY.md` (durable, cross-session, human-shared): the task-core is the *hot working-set for THIS task*, overwritten when the task changes. Full routine: the **`gitnexus-taskcore`** skill.
+
 ## Fallback
 
 **Stale index** → run `agent-refresh` first; classical Grep/Read stay denied until it succeeds. **If refresh fails** (or MCP down): classical Grep/Read OK — one-sentence why.
diff --git a/bundle/.gnkit/lib/context-pressure.mjs b/bundle/.gnkit/lib/context-pressure.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ccd352c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bundle/.gnkit/lib/context-pressure.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env node
+/**
+ * Context-pressure estimation for the TASK-CORE compaction-migration routine.
+ *
+ * Claude Code auto-compacts (summarizes + drops the transcript) when the context window
+ * fills. The PreCompact hook CANNOT make the agent act or inject context, so we can't wait
+ * for it. Instead a PostToolUse hook estimates how full the window is and, past a threshold,
+ * nudges the agent to write/refresh its TASK-CORE *before* the summary lands — the only thing
+ * guaranteed to survive compaction with full detail.
+ *
+ * This module is the estimator: it reads the CURRENT context size from the transcript cheaply
+ * (tail-read, no full-file parse) and accurately (the last assistant message's usage = the
+ * exact prompt size the model saw), with a byte-size fallback.
+ */
+import fs from "node:fs";
+
+const TAIL_BYTES = 131072; // 128 KB tail — enough to hold the last usage record
+
+/**
+ * Estimate the current context size in tokens from a Claude Code transcript (JSONL).
+ * @param {string} transcriptPath
+ * @returns {number} estimated context tokens (0 if unknown/unreadable)
+ */
+export function estimateContextTokens(transcriptPath) {
+  let size = 0;
+  try {
+    size = fs.statSync(transcriptPath).size;
+  } catch {
+    return 0;
+  }
+  if (!size) return 0;
+
+  let text = "";
+  try {
+    const readBytes = Math.min(size, TAIL_BYTES);
+    const fd = fs.openSync(transcriptPath, "r");
+    try {
+      const buf = Buffer.alloc(readBytes);
+      fs.readSync(fd, buf, 0, readBytes, size - readBytes);
+      text = buf.toString("utf8");
+    } finally {
+      fs.closeSync(fd);
+    }
+  } catch {
+    return Math.round(size / 3.5); // couldn't read tail → byte estimate
+  }
+
+  // Accurate: the LAST assistant message's usage is the prompt size in the window
+  // (non-cached input + cache read + cache creation = everything sent to the model).
+  const lines = text.split("\n");
+  for (let i = lines.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
+    const line = lines[i].trim();
+    if (!line || line[0] !== "{") continue;
+    let obj;
+    try {
+      obj = JSON.parse(line);
+    } catch {
+      continue; // partial line (tail cut mid-record) or non-JSON — skip
+    }
+    const u = obj?.message?.usage || obj?.usage;
+    if (u && typeof u.input_tokens === "number") {
+      return (
+        (u.input_tokens || 0) +
+        (u.cache_read_input_tokens || 0) +
+        (u.cache_creation_input_tokens || 0)
+      );
+    }
+  }
+  // No usage record in the tail → rough byte estimate (JSONL overhead ~3.5 bytes/token).
+  return Math.round(size / 3.5);
+}
+
+/**
+ * @param {string} transcriptPath
+ * @param {{ contextWindowTokens?: number, contextPressureThreshold?: number }} config
+ * @returns {{ tokens: number, window: number, threshold: number, ratio: number, over: boolean }}
+ */
+export function contextPressure(transcriptPath, config = {}) {
+  const window = Number(config.contextWindowTokens) > 0 ? Number(config.contextWindowTokens) : 200000;
+  const threshold =
+    Number(config.contextPressureThreshold) > 0 ? Number(config.contextPressureThreshold) : 0.9;
+  const tokens = estimateContextTokens(transcriptPath);
+  const ratio = window > 0 ? tokens / window : 0;
+  return { tokens, window, threshold, ratio, over: ratio >= threshold };
+}
diff --git a/bundle/.gnkit/lib/hook-helpers.mjs b/bundle/.gnkit/lib/hook-helpers.mjs
index 84223a4..55cf18a 100644
--- a/bundle/.gnkit/lib/hook-helpers.mjs
+++ b/bundle/.gnkit/lib/hook-helpers.mjs
@@ -92,6 +92,11 @@ export function loadHookConfig(root) {
     // Working-tree drift: after this many uncommitted source edits since the index,
     // graph query tools require a fast incremental refresh. 0 disables the drift gate.
     driftRefreshThreshold: 3,
+    // TASK-CORE compaction migration: nudge the agent to refresh its task-core once context
+    // reaches contextPressureThreshold of contextWindowTokens. Set contextWindowTokens to your
+    // model's window (200k default; 1M-context sessions → 1000000). 0 threshold disables.
+    contextWindowTokens: 200000,
+    contextPressureThreshold: 0.9,
   };
 
   const cfgPath = path.join(root, CONFIG_FILE);
@@ -106,6 +111,10 @@ export function loadHookConfig(root) {
       cfg.stalenessCacheTtlMs = file.stalenessCacheTtlMs;
     if (typeof file.driftRefreshThreshold === "number")
       cfg.driftRefreshThreshold = file.driftRefreshThreshold;
+    if (typeof file.contextWindowTokens === "number")
+      cfg.contextWindowTokens = file.contextWindowTokens;
+    if (typeof file.contextPressureThreshold === "number")
+      cfg.contextPressureThreshold = file.contextPressureThreshold;
     if (Array.isArray(file.sourceGlobs) && file.sourceGlobs.length) {
       cfg.sourcePathRes = file.sourceGlobs.map((g) => globToRegExp(g));
     }
diff --git a/bundle/.gnkit/lib/session-primer.mjs b/bundle/.gnkit/lib/session-primer.mjs
index 181e7fe..5fb990d 100644
--- a/bundle/.gnkit/lib/session-primer.mjs
+++ b/bundle/.gnkit/lib/session-primer.mjs
@@ -21,9 +21,60 @@ export function sessionPaths(root) {
     stalenessCacheFile: path.join(stateDir, '.gitnexus-staleness-cache.json'),
     scorecardFile: path.join(stateDir, '.gitnexus-scorecard.json'),
     fallbackFlag: path.join(stateDir, '.gitnexus-fallback.json'),
+    pressureNudgedFlag: path.join(stateDir, '.gitnexus-pressure-nudged.flag'),
   };
 }
 
+// ── TASK-CORE (compaction-migration save-state) ──────────────────────────────
+// A dense, AI-facing save-state of the CURRENT TASK (goal/constraints/decisions/state/
+// anchors/gotchas/next). The context-pressure hook nudges the agent to refresh it before
+// auto-compaction; the SessionStart(compact) recovery brief reads it back — so the task
+// survives the summary without drift. Lives under .gnkit/ (gitignored, survives compaction
+// AND new sessions since a task can span both; the agent overwrites it when the task changes).
+
+/** @param {string} root */
+export function taskCorePath(root) {
+  return path.join(root, '.gnkit', '.gitnexus-task-core.md');
+}
+
+/** @param {string} root @returns {boolean} does a task-core exist + have content? */
+export function taskCoreExists(root) {
+  try {
+    return fs.statSync(taskCorePath(root)).size > 0;
+  } catch {
+    return false;
+  }
+}
+
+/** Age of the task-core in ms (Infinity if none) — the pressure hook nudges harder when stale. */
+export function taskCoreAgeMs(root) {
+  try {
+    return Date.now() - fs.statSync(taskCorePath(root)).mtimeMs;
+  } catch {
+    return Infinity;
+  }
+}
+
+/** @param {string} root @param {boolean} on — remember we already nudged this pressure zone. */
+export function setPressureNudged(root, on) {
+  const { stateDir, pressureNudgedFlag } = sessionPaths(root);
+  try {
+    if (on) {
+      fs.mkdirSync(stateDir, { recursive: true });
+      fs.writeFileSync(pressureNudgedFlag, new Date().toISOString());
+    } else {
+      fs.unlinkSync(pressureNudgedFlag);
+    }
+  } catch {
+    /* best effort */
+  }
+}
+
+/** @param {string} root */
+export function isPressureNudged(root) {
+  return fs.existsSync(sessionPaths(root).pressureNudgedFlag);
+}
+
 // ── Classical fallback escape hatch ──────────────────────────────────────────
 // When GitNexus returns wrong / suspicious / incomplete info while the index is
 // FRESH, graph-first enforcement would otherwise trap the agent. grantClassicalFallback
@@ -362,6 +413,7 @@ export function clearSessionState(root) {
     stalenessCacheFile,
     scorecardFile,
     fallbackFlag,
+    pressureNudgedFlag,
   } = sessionPaths(root);
   fs.mkdirSync(stateDir, { recursive: true });
   // Archive the finishing session's tally BEFORE wiping the scorecard.
@@ -376,6 +428,7 @@ export function clearSessionState(root) {
     stalenessCacheFile,
     scorecardFile,
     fallbackFlag,
+    pressureNudgedFlag,
   ]) {
     try {
       fs.unlinkSync(f);
diff --git a/bundle/scripts/gitnexus-agent.mjs b/bundle/scripts/gitnexus-agent.mjs
index eed312b..25fee26 100644
--- a/bundle/scripts/gitnexus-agent.mjs
+++ b/bundle/scripts/gitnexus-agent.mjs
@@ -527,6 +527,7 @@ if (cmd === "scorecard") {
     compactions: "Context compactions",
     classicalFallbackGranted: "Classical-fallback grants (GN distrusted)",
     driftRefreshBlocks: "Graph-drift refresh blocks (edited since index)",
+    contextPressureNudges: "Context-pressure task-core nudges (near compaction)",
   };
   console.log("GitNexus enforcement scorecard (this session)");
   console.log(
diff --git a/bundle/scripts/pack-gitnexus-teaching.sh b/bundle/scripts/pack-gitnexus-teaching.sh
index 9be535d..edcd2db 100755
--- a/bundle/scripts/pack-gitnexus-teaching.sh
+++ b/bundle/scripts/pack-gitnexus-teaching.sh
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ BUNDLE_PATHS=(
   .gnkit/lib/cursor-emit.mjs
   .gnkit/lib/claude-emit.mjs
   .gnkit/lib/session-primer.mjs
+  .gnkit/lib/context-pressure.mjs
   .gnkit/lib/first-nudge.mjs
   .gnkit/lib/clear-session.mjs
   .gnkit/lib/set-refresh-pending.mjs
diff --git a/bundle/scripts/sync-cursor-gitnexus-teaching.sh b/bundle/scripts/sync-cursor-gitnexus-teaching.sh
index abf4e88..7890176 100755
--- a/bundle/scripts/sync-cursor-gitnexus-teaching.sh
+++ b/bundle/scripts/sync-cursor-gitnexus-teaching.sh
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ HOOK_LIBS=(
   ".gnkit/lib/cursor-emit.mjs"
   ".gnkit/lib/claude-emit.mjs"
   ".gnkit/lib/session-primer.mjs"
+  ".gnkit/lib/context-pressure.mjs"
   ".gnkit/lib/first-nudge.mjs"
   ".gnkit/lib/clear-session.mjs"
   ".gnkit/lib/set-refresh-pending.mjs"
diff --git a/bundle/skills/gitnexus-taskcore/SKILL.md b/bundle/skills/gitnexus-taskcore/SKILL.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..369b5f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bundle/skills/gitnexus-taskcore/SKILL.md
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+---
+name: gitnexus-taskcore
+description: "Maintain a dense, AI-facing TASK-CORE save-state so a long task survives context COMPACTION without drift. Load it when: a PostToolUse nudge says context is ~90% full, at a milestone / before a risky pivot / when the task shifts, OR on recovery after a compaction (read it back first). The core is for the model, not humans — terse, anchors over prose. Examples: \"context is filling — save state\", \"checkpoint the task before compaction\", \"recover the task after compaction\"."
+---
+
+# Task-core — a compaction save-state that kills drift
+
+When a long task runs, Claude Code **compacts**: it summarizes the conversation and drops the transcript. The generic summary keeps the gist but loses load-bearing detail — a constraint the user gave, a decision's *why*, the exact file:line you were mid-edit on, a dead-end you already ruled out. After compaction the agent **drifts**: re-litigates settled calls, repeats failed approaches, forgets requirements.
+
+The fix: **you** decide what survives. Keep a **task-core** — a dense, machine-facing save-state of the CURRENT TASK — and read it back on recovery. It's the one artifact guaranteed to survive with full fidelity.
+
+**File:** `.gnkit/.gitnexus-task-core.md` (gitignored; survives compaction *and* new sessions — a task can span both; overwrite it when the task changes).
+
+## When to write / refresh it
+
+- **Context-pressure nudge** — a PostToolUse hook estimates the window and, at ~90% (`contextPressureThreshold` × `contextWindowTokens`, tunable in `.gnkit/gitnexus-hooks.json`), tells you compaction is near. **Refresh the core immediately** — this is the last reliable window before the summary lands.
+- **Milestones** — a sub-goal done, a decision settled, a pivot. Cheap insurance so a *sudden* auto-compact never catches you with a stale core.
+- **Task start / task shift** — seed a fresh core when a new task begins (don't carry the old one).
+
+You don't need to rewrite it every turn — that wastes tokens. Refresh on the nudge and at real checkpoints.
+
+## The format (dense, for the model — not humans)
+
+Terse. No prose transitions, no politeness, no restating the obvious. **Anchors over narrative.** Optimize signal-per-token — the only reader is you, post-compaction.
+
+```
+# TASK-CORE — <one-line task> (refreshed @ <marker>)
+GOAL:        <what "done" looks like, measurable>
+CONSTRAINTS: <hard invariants — must / never; the user's non-negotiables>
+DECISIONS:   <choice → why>   (settled — so you don't re-litigate them)
+STATE:
+  DONE: <✓ fact + file:line anchor>
+  NOW:  <current sub-step>
+  NEXT: <the exact next action(s)>
+  TODO: <remaining, ordered>
+ANCHORS:  <file:line → what's there / why it matters>   (your map to resume fast)
+GOTCHAS:  <failed approaches, traps, non-obvious facts — so you don't repeat them>
+OPEN-Qs:  <unresolved / needs a decision>
+USER-PREFS(this task): <corrections + constraints the user gave THIS task>
+```
+
+**Include** the things a summary drops: the *why* behind decisions, dead-ends already ruled out, exact anchors, the user's precise wording on constraints, the immediate next action. **Exclude** narrative recap, tool-by-tool history, and anything re-derivable from the code in seconds.
+
+## On recovery (post-compaction / resume)
+
+The SessionStart brief points you here. **Read the task-core FIRST**, before acting:
+1. Reconstruct the task from it — goal, constraints, decisions, state, next.
+2. **Verify against reality** (the core is a point-in-time snapshot; a file may have moved). Don't trust an anchor blindly — confirm it.
+3. Continue from `NEXT`. Do **not** re-derive what the core already settles, and do **not** repeat anything in `GOTCHAS`.
+
+## Task-core vs. MEMORY.md
+
+- **MEMORY.md** — durable, cross-session, human-shared *project* memory (who/what/why of the project over time).
+- **Task-core** — the *hot working-set for THIS task*, machine-optimized, ephemeral, overwritten per task.
+
+They complement: on recovery, read the **task-core first** (it's the current task), then reconcile with MEMORY.md for durable context.
+
+## Anti-patterns
+
+- Writing it human-pretty (headings, prose, hedging) — wastes the token budget it exists to save.
+- Only writing it once at the start — refresh at the nudge and milestones or it goes stale.
+- Dumping the whole transcript — the point is *distillation*: decisions, state, anchors, gotchas, next. If it reads like a diary, it's wrong.
+- Trusting it blindly on recovery — always verify anchors against the live code.
diff --git a/bundle/skills/gitnexus-workspace/SKILL.md b/bundle/skills/gitnexus-workspace/SKILL.md
index f66c8e4..566e5bb 100644
--- a/bundle/skills/gitnexus-workspace/SKILL.md
+++ b/bundle/skills/gitnexus-workspace/SKILL.md
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ Run `npm run gitnexus:detect-api` to refresh the profile after major server chan
 | Work across layers (controller→service→repo→model) | `gitnexus-layered-systems` |
 | Structured task (pre-commit, PR, cross-module) | `gitnexus-scenarios` |
 | Milestone deep audit (feature done, pre-ship, big refactor) | **`gitnexus-microscope`** — multi-lens, opinionated, verified |
+| Context filling / near compaction / recover after compaction | **`gitnexus-taskcore`** — dense AI save-state, survives compaction without drift |
 | PR or branch review | `gitnexus-pr-review` |
 | Security / taint / injection review | `gitnexus-security-review` |
 | Research HTTP API change | See **HTTP API routing** above |
diff --git a/bundle/templates/AGENTS.gitnexus.md b/bundle/templates/AGENTS.gitnexus.md
index 10fa90b..a873318 100644
--- a/bundle/templates/AGENTS.gitnexus.md
+++ b/bundle/templates/AGENTS.gitnexus.md
@@ -154,6 +154,18 @@ At a **milestone** — feature done / big-task checkpoint / shared-code refactor
 
 Maintain your **Claude Code project memory** — `~/.claude/projects/<this-project>/memory/MEMORY.md` (Claude Code's native memory; **all agents share this one file** — Claude refers to its own, other agents mirror it). Record task, key decisions, findings, open items, important `file:line`. Update it at milestones and whenever you conclude something that must outlive the current transcript. Context compaction and new sessions drop the conversation; this file does not. On recovery (post-compaction/resume) READ it first and reconcile it with reality — **nothing important may be lost.**
 
+## Task-core (survive compaction without drift)
+
+Long tasks get **compacted** — the transcript is summarized and dropped, and detail drifts. Keep a **task-core**: a dense, **AI-facing** save-state of the CURRENT TASK at **`.gnkit/.gitnexus-task-core.md`**. When a PostToolUse nudge says context is filling (~90%), or at a milestone / before a risky pivot, **write or refresh it** — terse, for *you* not humans, no prose tax:
+
+```
+GOAL <what "done" is> · CONSTRAINTS <must/never> · DECISIONS <choice→why (settled)>
+STATE done<✓+anchor> / now / NEXT<exact> / todo<ordered> · ANCHORS <file:line→what/why>
+GOTCHAS <failed approaches, traps, non-obvious> · OPEN-Qs · USER-PREFS(this task)
+```
+
+On recovery **READ the task-core FIRST** and reconstruct from it — it's the one thing guaranteed to survive with full detail. It's distinct from `MEMORY.md` (durable, cross-session, human-shared): the task-core is the *hot working-set for THIS task*, overwritten when the task changes. Full routine: the **`gitnexus-taskcore`** skill.
+
 ## Fallback
 
 **Stale index** → run `agent-refresh` first; classical Grep/Read stay denied until it succeeds. **If refresh fails** (or MCP down): classical Grep/Read OK — one-sentence why.
diff --git a/bundle/templates/CLAUDE.gitnexus.md b/bundle/templates/CLAUDE.gitnexus.md
index b3a0127..77f85a1 100644
--- a/bundle/templates/CLAUDE.gitnexus.md
+++ b/bundle/templates/CLAUDE.gitnexus.md
@@ -154,6 +154,18 @@ At a **milestone** — feature done / big-task checkpoint / shared-code refactor
 
 Maintain your **Claude Code project memory** — `~/.claude/projects/<this-project>/memory/MEMORY.md` (Claude Code's native memory; **all agents share this one file** — Claude refers to its own, other agents mirror it). Record task, key decisions, findings, open items, important `file:line`. Update it at milestones and whenever you conclude something that must outlive the current transcript. Context compaction and new sessions drop the conversation; this file does not. On recovery (post-compaction/resume) READ it first and reconcile it with reality — **nothing important may be lost.**
 
+## Task-core (survive compaction without drift)
+
+Long tasks get **compacted** — the transcript is summarized and dropped, and detail drifts. Keep a **task-core**: a dense, **AI-facing** save-state of the CURRENT TASK at **`.gnkit/.gitnexus-task-core.md`**. When a PostToolUse nudge says context is filling (~90%), or at a milestone / before a risky pivot, **write or refresh it** — terse, for *you* not humans, no prose tax:
+
+```
+GOAL <what "done" is> · CONSTRAINTS <must/never> · DECISIONS <choice→why (settled)>
+STATE done<✓+anchor> / now / NEXT<exact> / todo<ordered> · ANCHORS <file:line→what/why>
+GOTCHAS <failed approaches, traps, non-obvious> · OPEN-Qs · USER-PREFS(this task)
+```
+
+On recovery **READ the task-core FIRST** and reconstruct from it — it's the one thing guaranteed to survive with full detail. It's distinct from `MEMORY.md` (durable, cross-session, human-shared): the task-core is the *hot working-set for THIS task*, overwritten when the task changes. Full routine: the **`gitnexus-taskcore`** skill.
+
 ## Fallback
 
 **Stale index** → run `agent-refresh` first; classical Grep/Read stay denied until it succeeds. **If refresh fails** (or MCP down): classical Grep/Read OK — one-sentence why.
diff --git a/lib/adapters/claude.mjs b/lib/adapters/claude.mjs
index df0d709..a1b7702 100644
--- a/lib/adapters/claude.mjs
+++ b/lib/adapters/claude.mjs
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ const CLAUDE_HOOKS = {
   ],
   SessionStart: [[null, "gitnexus-session.mjs"]],
   PreCompact: [[null, "gitnexus-precompact.mjs"]],
+  // Estimate context fullness after each tool; near auto-compaction, nudge a TASK-CORE refresh.
+  PostToolUse: [[null, "gitnexus-context-pressure.mjs"]],
 };
 
 /** A hook group is "ours" if any of its commands runs a gitnexus-* hook script. */
diff --git a/lib/kit.test.mjs b/lib/kit.test.mjs
index ed5911e..4fc5bcf 100644
--- a/lib/kit.test.mjs
+++ b/lib/kit.test.mjs
@@ -1810,6 +1810,49 @@ describe("gitnexus-agent-kit", () => {
     fs.rmSync(tmp, { recursive: true, force: true });
   });
 
+  it("context-pressure estimates window fullness; task-core survives session clear", async () => {
+    const cp = await import(
+      new URL("../bundle/.gnkit/lib/context-pressure.mjs", import.meta.url).href
+    );
+    const sp = await import(
+      new URL("../bundle/.gnkit/lib/session-primer.mjs", import.meta.url).href
+    );
+    const tmp = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "gn-pressure-"));
+    const transcript = path.join(tmp, "t.jsonl");
+
+    // Estimate = the last assistant message's input + cache usage (the real prompt size).
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      transcript,
+      '{"type":"user","message":{"role":"user","content":"hi"}}\n' +
+        '{"type":"assistant","message":{"role":"assistant","usage":{"input_tokens":5000,"cache_read_input_tokens":175000,"cache_creation_input_tokens":2000,"output_tokens":100}}}\n',
+    );
+    assert.equal(cp.estimateContextTokens(transcript), 182000);
+    assert.equal(
+      cp.contextPressure(transcript, { contextWindowTokens: 200000, contextPressureThreshold: 0.9 }).over,
+      true,
+    );
+    // Same fill but a 1M-token window → NOT near (window is per-model configurable).
+    assert.equal(
+      cp.contextPressure(transcript, { contextWindowTokens: 1000000, contextPressureThreshold: 0.9 }).over,
+      false,
+    );
+    // No usage record → byte-size fallback; missing file → 0.
+    fs.writeFileSync(transcript, "x".repeat(35000));
+    assert.equal(cp.estimateContextTokens(transcript), 10000);
+    assert.equal(cp.estimateContextTokens(path.join(tmp, "nope")), 0);
+
+    // Task-core survives clearSessionState (a task can span sessions); the nudge flag re-arms.
+    fs.mkdirSync(path.join(tmp, ".gnkit"), { recursive: true });
+    fs.writeFileSync(sp.taskCorePath(tmp), "# TASK-CORE\nGOAL: x\n");
+    sp.setPressureNudged(tmp, true);
+    assert.equal(sp.taskCoreExists(tmp), true);
+    assert.equal(sp.isPressureNudged(tmp), true);
+    sp.clearSessionState(tmp);
+    assert.equal(sp.isPressureNudged(tmp), false, "new session re-arms the nudge");
+    assert.equal(sp.taskCoreExists(tmp), true, "task-core survives a session clear");
+    fs.rmSync(tmp, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  });
+
   it("session-health-audit builds agent context and user message", async () => {
     const auditMod = await import(
       new URL(
diff --git a/scripts/contract/enforcement-contract.md b/scripts/contract/enforcement-contract.md
index 93cf26e..912859e 100644
--- a/scripts/contract/enforcement-contract.md
+++ b/scripts/contract/enforcement-contract.md
@@ -150,6 +150,18 @@ At a **milestone** — feature done / big-task checkpoint / shared-code refactor
 
 Maintain your **Claude Code project memory** — `~/.claude/projects/<this-project>/memory/MEMORY.md` (Claude Code's native memory; **all agents share this one file** — Claude refers to its own, other agents mirror it). Record task, key decisions, findings, open items, important `file:line`. Update it at milestones and whenever you conclude something that must outlive the current transcript. Context compaction and new sessions drop the conversation; this file does not. On recovery (post-compaction/resume) READ it first and reconcile it with reality — **nothing important may be lost.**
 
+## Task-core (survive compaction without drift)
+
+Long tasks get **compacted** — the transcript is summarized and dropped, and detail drifts. Keep a **task-core**: a dense, **AI-facing** save-state of the CURRENT TASK at **`.gnkit/.gitnexus-task-core.md`**. When a PostToolUse nudge says context is filling (~90%), or at a milestone / before a risky pivot, **write or refresh it** — terse, for *you* not humans, no prose tax:
+
+```
+GOAL <what "done" is> · CONSTRAINTS <must/never> · DECISIONS <choice→why (settled)>
+STATE done<✓+anchor> / now / NEXT<exact> / todo<ordered> · ANCHORS <file:line→what/why>
+GOTCHAS <failed approaches, traps, non-obvious> · OPEN-Qs · USER-PREFS(this task)
+```
+
+On recovery **READ the task-core FIRST** and reconstruct from it — it's the one thing guaranteed to survive with full detail. It's distinct from `MEMORY.md` (durable, cross-session, human-shared): the task-core is the *hot working-set for THIS task*, overwritten when the task changes. Full routine: the **`gitnexus-taskcore`** skill.
+
 ## Fallback
 
 **Stale index** → run `agent-refresh` first; classical Grep/Read stay denied until it succeeds. **If refresh fails** (or MCP down): classical Grep/Read OK — one-sentence why.