diff --git a/docs/SESSION-HANDOVER-20261007.md b/docs/SESSION-HANDOVER-20261007.md
index d088088d..117abfb2 100644
--- a/docs/SESSION-HANDOVER-20261007.md
+++ b/docs/SESSION-HANDOVER-20261007.md
@@ -679,3 +679,19 @@ menu-enabled. Their broader backend/transport/inheritance work remains open and
 their end-of-backlog delivery order is retained. Companion agent is now handling
 Fleet acceptance; paid-file agent owns the next combined isolated backend run
 after the VM window. Optional archive helper was cancelled; never resume its PID.
+
+
+### Operator artwork deferral supersedes pending confirmation
+
+The user reports the notification image still does not appear after deployment,
+and explicitly requests parking it until the end of all tasks. Retain physical
+FAIL/open, background playback accepted, and stop further artwork investigation.
+Backlog task23 records the deferred follow-up after all earlier tasks.
+
+VM update requests so far hit lifecycle-lock admission before reviewed-plan
+validation. They prove no mutation, not the missing-plan gate or rollback. Indee
+agent is tracing actual lock errno/context; startup preservation is still valid.
+Root/paid agent Fleet provenance fix is isolated in
+`/tmp/archy-fleet-provenance-20261007`, companion agent Fleet alert/provenance UI
+is also isolated. Neither is live or compiled into the VM artifact. Their final
+review/integration must precede the next combined backend source freeze.
diff --git a/docs/app-media-integration.md b/docs/app-media-integration.md
index 179617f1..d64db2b6 100644
--- a/docs/app-media-integration.md
+++ b/docs/app-media-integration.md
@@ -12,8 +12,9 @@ the delivered Cloud PiP flow on2026-10-07. Audio and video use separate channels
 Native background audio is operator-confirmed on companion 0.5.37/build57 for
 the reported background playback and notification flow. The full physical
 controls, queue, task-removal and recovery matrix remains open. Notification
-artwork has a qualified dashboard correction deployed on dev and Yaya; physical
-confirmation remains open. It does not require another APK. Browser and Robolectric
+artwork remains failed on the physical phone after the qualified dashboard
+correction was deployed on dev and Yaya. The operator explicitly deferred further
+artwork work until all other tasks are finished. APK57 remains unchanged. Browser and Robolectric
 results do not establish phone acceptance.
 
 ## Declare the audio integration
@@ -194,8 +195,8 @@ remains open. No definitive cause of the earlier failure is established. USB
 access is unavailable. The artwork origin correction passes 26 focused dashboard
 tests, production browser checks at 390/1440px and two native JPEG tests on API
 28/35. Guarded dashboard deployment and deployed browser checks passed on dev
-and Yaya (receipt d23da226). Physical artwork confirmation remains pending;
-these checks do not prove the cover from a particular live track.
+and Yaya (receipt d23da226). Physical artwork acceptance failed: the operator subsequently reported that the actual phone still shows no cover.
+Further artwork work is explicitly deferred until the end of all tasks.
 
 
 Apps continue using the existing version1 app audio protocol above. They do not
diff --git a/docs/post-1.9.0-work-backlog.md b/docs/post-1.9.0-work-backlog.md
index c0932d20..90c95d97 100644
--- a/docs/post-1.9.0-work-backlog.md
+++ b/docs/post-1.9.0-work-backlog.md
@@ -694,3 +694,14 @@ no implementation or public visibility change is enabled.
 - Qualify both source choices, tree navigation, whole-library search, retained
   multi-selection/removal, Send, cross-node receipt/open/download, free and paid
   access, duplicate/reconnect recovery and responsive/accessibility behaviour.
+
+
+## 23. Companion notification artwork — operator-deferred until all other tasks
+
+The operator retested APK0.5.37 with the deployed Yaya artwork UI and reports
+that the song image still does not show. On 2026-10-07 they explicitly asked to
+park this until the end of all tasks. Background playback and notification
+presence remain accepted; artwork is failed/open, not completed by fixture tests.
+Do not spend further investigation/build/deployment work on artwork ahead of
+the other tasks. Resume the actual-track authentication/CORS/thumbnail/native
+notification investigation only at the deferred end, preserving playback.