diff --git a/packages/core/session/tests/session.spec.ts b/packages/core/session/tests/session.spec.ts
index e649214a29..f1147396c9 100644
--- a/packages/core/session/tests/session.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/core/session/tests/session.spec.ts
@@ -764,6 +764,8 @@ describe('Session', () => {
       { header: { ...base, seedLength: '1' }, error: /seedLength must be a non-negative safe integer/ },
       { header: { ...base, seedLength: 0.5 }, error: /seedLength must be a non-negative safe integer/ },
       { header: { ...base, seedLength: -1 }, error: /seedLength must be a non-negative safe integer/ },
+      { header: { ...base, sandboxMode: 1 }, error: /header sandboxMode must be a string/ },
+      { header: { ...base, approvalPolicy: 1 }, error: /header approvalPolicy must be a string/ },
     ]
 
     for (const { header, error } of cases) {
@@ -1011,6 +1013,8 @@ describe('SessionStore', () => {
       { meta: { delegationDepth: '1' }, error: /delegationDepth must be a non-negative safe integer/ },
       { meta: { delegationDepth: 0.5 }, error: /delegationDepth must be a non-negative safe integer/ },
       { meta: { delegationDepth: -1 }, error: /delegationDepth must be a non-negative safe integer/ },
+      { meta: { sandboxMode: 1 }, error: /header sandboxMode must be a string/ },
+      { meta: { approvalPolicy: 1 }, error: /header approvalPolicy must be a string/ },
     ]
 
     for (const [index, { meta, error }] of cases.entries()) {
diff --git a/packages/session-persistence/session-persistence/tests/contract.ts b/packages/session-persistence/session-persistence/tests/contract.ts
index 88d1eef68e..4508e0ccaa 100644
--- a/packages/session-persistence/session-persistence/tests/contract.ts
+++ b/packages/session-persistence/session-persistence/tests/contract.ts
@@ -84,6 +84,36 @@ export function runPersistenceContract(name: string, make: () => Promise<Contrac
       }
     })
 
+    it('round-trips the inherited policy baselines exactly and omits them when absent', async () => {
+      const { persistence, dispose } = await make()
+      try {
+        // A delegated child header: the sandbox/approval baselines must
+        // survive storage verbatim — a resumed child falling back to the
+        // deployment default would reopen the delegation bypass.
+        const child: SessionHeader = {
+          ...meta('s-baseline', '/work'),
+          delegationDepth: 1,
+          sandboxMode: 'read-only',
+          approvalPolicy: 'never',
+        }
+        await persistence.create(child)
+        await persistence.append(child.id, oneTurnLog())
+        const loaded = await persistence.load(child.id)
+        expect(loaded.meta).toMatchObject({ sandboxMode: 'read-only', approvalPolicy: 'never' })
+
+        // A top-level header: absent baselines stay ABSENT (not null/empty) —
+        // presence is the signal the policy owners branch on.
+        const top = meta('s-no-baseline', '/work')
+        await persistence.create(top)
+        await persistence.append(top.id, oneTurnLog())
+        const reloaded = await persistence.load(top.id)
+        expect('sandboxMode' in reloaded.meta).toBe(false)
+        expect('approvalPolicy' in reloaded.meta).toBe(false)
+      } finally {
+        await dispose()
+      }
+    })
+
     it('rejects a fractional creation timestamp without reserving its session id', async () => {
       const { persistence, dispose } = await make()
       try {