diff --git a/.machine_readable/arrival-pack/arrival-pack.ncl b/.machine_readable/arrival-pack/arrival-pack.ncl
index 309ae434..27c4289c 100644
--- a/.machine_readable/arrival-pack/arrival-pack.ncl
+++ b/.machine_readable/arrival-pack/arrival-pack.ncl
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ If you are unsure what something is, **read the canon; do not guess** (guessing
 13. **Equivalence as identity** — the estate's intellectual through-line.
 14. **Solutions at source** — fix the canonical/upstream origin, never patch the downstream symptom; trace and respect every up- and down-stream before you act.
 15. **Elegance by default** — treat the most elegant and correct long-term option as the default arm; when you put a choice to the owner, LABEL which option that is, and if you recommend another, name both arms and say why you depart. Binds unasked design calls too: report the departure, never absorb it.
+16. **Cheap models for upkeep**: CI/CD, workflow, template-drift and status-file work does not get a top-tier model. If it needs real effort, stop and say so, then open a thread on cheaper models (Sonnet and Haiku, or Opus, Sonnet and Haiku). Keep top-tier models for proof work and hard design.
 
 ## The machine-readable substrate (read in this order on arrival)
 **CHORA** → **ANCHOR** → **AGENTIC** → **ECOSYSTEM** → **STATE** -> **NEUROSYM** -> **PLAYBOOK**
diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index 08f2a3ac..43102b48 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ If you are unsure what something is, **read the canon; do not guess** (guessing
 13. **Equivalence as identity** — the estate's intellectual through-line.
 14. **Solutions at source** — fix the canonical/upstream origin, never patch the downstream symptom; trace and respect every up- and down-stream before you act.
 15. **Elegance by default** — treat the most elegant and correct long-term option as the default arm; when you put a choice to the owner, LABEL which option that is, and if you recommend another, name both arms and say why you depart. Binds unasked design calls too: report the departure, never absorb it.
+16. **Cheap models for upkeep**: CI/CD, workflow, template-drift and status-file work does not get a top-tier model. If it needs real effort, stop and say so, then open a thread on cheaper models (Sonnet and Haiku, or Opus, Sonnet and Haiku). Keep top-tier models for proof work and hard design.
 
 ## The machine-readable substrate (read in this order on arrival)
 **CHORA** → **ANCHOR** → **AGENTIC** → **ECOSYSTEM** → **STATE** -> **NEUROSYM** -> **PLAYBOOK**