diff --git a/src/claim-evidence.test.ts b/src/claim-evidence.test.ts
index 1bdab1c..554e6e7 100644
--- a/src/claim-evidence.test.ts
+++ b/src/claim-evidence.test.ts
@@ -248,6 +248,37 @@ describe('verdictFor — a check that cannot fail is refused at the checkable ru
   })
 })
 
+describe('gradeFor — a nonzero exit does not outrank the observation the claim promised', () => {
+  it('verifies a refusal control that exits nonzero and prints the refusal it promised', () => {
+    // A gate that must REFUSE when an artifact is absent exits 3 and prints REFUSED=1; the exit
+    // status alone read that correct refusal as a contradiction (agent-knowledge#192).
+    expect(
+      verdictFor(
+        { rung: 3, check: 'python3 check_c1_locate.py', expect: 'REFUSED=1' },
+        { exitCode: 3, stdout: 'REFUSAL_JSON REFUSED=1 reason=ARTIFACT_ABSENT', stderr: '' },
+      ),
+    ).toBe('verified')
+  })
+
+  it('does not rescue a run that never reached its input with a coincidental substring', () => {
+    expect(
+      verdictFor(
+        { rung: 3, check: 'python3 check_c1_locate.py', expect: 'REFUSED=1' },
+        { exitCode: 1, stdout: 'REFUSED=1', stderr: 'FileNotFoundError: k3.json' },
+      ),
+    ).toBe('unrunnable')
+  })
+
+  it('still contradicts a nonzero exit whose output lacks the expectation', () => {
+    expect(
+      verdictFor(
+        { rung: 3, check: 'python3 check_c1_locate.py', expect: 'REFUSED=1' },
+        { exitCode: 3, stdout: 'REFUSED=0 reason=ARTIFACT_PRESENT', stderr: '' },
+      ),
+    ).toBe('contradicted')
+  })
+})
+
 describe('gradeFor — the refusal says which shape it refused', () => {
   it('names the missing expectation', () => {
     const grade = gradeFor({ rung: 4, check: 'pnpm test' }, { ...PASSED, stdout: 'ok' })
diff --git a/src/claim-evidence.ts b/src/claim-evidence.ts
index fe8c3a5..101b14f 100644
--- a/src/claim-evidence.ts
+++ b/src/claim-evidence.ts
@@ -297,7 +297,27 @@ export function gradeFor(
   // the condition it caused must not have to spell it in words a regex happens to know.
   if (execution.killedBySignal) return { verdict: 'unrunnable', note: ABORTED_NOTE }
   if (execution.outputTruncated) return { verdict: 'unrunnable', note: TRUNCATED_OUTPUT_NOTE }
-  if (execution.exitCode !== 0) return refutation(output, evidence.expect)
+  if (execution.exitCode !== 0) {
+    // The expectation is the claim's own statement of what settles it, so a nonzero exit does
+    // not refute a claim whose promised observation is in the output: a negative control that
+    // correctly refuses exits nonzero and prints the refusal it promised, and refuting it for
+    // the status made `expect` dead code on every such claim. An unreached-input signature in
+    // the output still outranks the substring, and an expectation that itself names a
+    // signature keeps the guard's own rule below, so a run that never happened is not rescued.
+    if (
+      evidence.expect &&
+      output.includes(evidence.expect) &&
+      !UNRUNNABLE_SIGNATURES.test(evidence.expect) &&
+      !UNRUNNABLE_SIGNATURES.test(output)
+    ) {
+      if (mustBeCheckable) {
+        const note = expectationRefusalNote(evidence.expect)
+        if (note) return { verdict: 'uncheckable', note }
+      }
+      return { verdict: 'verified' }
+    }
+    return refutation(output, evidence.expect)
+  }
   if (mustBeCheckable) {
     const note = expectationRefusalNote(evidence.expect)
     if (note) return { verdict: 'uncheckable', note }