diff --git a/tests/runner-e2e/chat-catalog-descriptors.json b/tests/runner-e2e/chat-catalog-descriptors.json
index dd586de7b22..2d4ee0c2c36 100644
--- a/tests/runner-e2e/chat-catalog-descriptors.json
+++ b/tests/runner-e2e/chat-catalog-descriptors.json
@@ -301,7 +301,7 @@
       "chat-catalog-domains/runtime-support.ts",
       "chat-scenarios/agent-chat.yaml"
     ],
-    "oracleVersion": "paperclip.chat-catalog.runtime.v2",
+    "oracleVersion": "paperclip.chat-catalog.runtime-conference.v3",
     "coverageGaps": [],
     "expectedRunCount": 1,
     "turnTimeoutMs": 120000,
diff --git a/tests/runner-e2e/chat-catalog-domains/runtime-conference.test.ts b/tests/runner-e2e/chat-catalog-domains/runtime-conference.test.ts
index 317588fa072..3345f616ac1 100644
--- a/tests/runner-e2e/chat-catalog-domains/runtime-conference.test.ts
+++ b/tests/runner-e2e/chat-catalog-domains/runtime-conference.test.ts
@@ -2,12 +2,14 @@ import { it, expect } from "vitest";
 import { gradeConference } from "./runtime-conference.js";
 function valid() {
   return { scenarioId: "agent-chat.conference-room", companyId: "company", leadId: "ceo", reply: "Open the Conference Room for the separate board-level discussion.",
-    state: { deploymentMode: "local_trusted", conferenceEnabled: true, agentChatEnabled: true, conferenceVisible: true,
+    state: { deploymentMode: "local_trusted", conferenceEnabled: true, agentChatEnabled: true, conferenceLinkClicked: true, conferenceVisible: true,
       openedCompanyPrefix: "ACORN", companyPrefix: "ACORN", noBrokenRoute: true, runsBeforeOpen: 1, runsAfterOpen: 1,
-      standingIssueBefore: "chat", standingIssueAfter: "chat" }, agents: [], tasks: [], links: [], activity: [], runs: [], humanQueries: [] };
+      standingIssueBefore: "chat", standingIssueAfter: "chat" } as Record<string, unknown>, agents: [], tasks: [], links: ["/ACORN/board-chat"], activity: [], runs: [], humanQueries: [] };
 }
 it("accepts the real gated board surface in company context", () => expect(gradeConference(valid()).passed).toBe(true));
-it("accepts natural Conference Room navigation guidance", () => { const o = valid(); o.reply = "For a separate board discussion, choose Conference Room in this company. It is a distinct discussion surface."; expect(gradeConference(o).passed).toBe(true); });
+it("does not depend on how the reply words the surface", () => {
+  const o = valid(); o.reply = "Sure, the launch talk can happen over there: [Conference Room](/ACORN/board-chat). A different assistant answers in that room and it starts fresh."; expect(gradeConference(o).passed).toBe(true);
+});
 it("rejects missing conference evidence", () => expect(gradeConference(undefined).passed).toBe(false));
 it("rejects wrong deployment qualification", () => {
   const o = valid(); o.state.deploymentMode = "authenticated"; expect(gradeConference(o).passed).toBe(false);
@@ -15,10 +17,12 @@ it("rejects wrong deployment qualification", () => {
 it("rejects navigation to another company", () => {
   const o = valid(); o.state.openedCompanyPrefix = "BIRCH"; expect(gradeConference(o).passed).toBe(false);
 });
-it("rejects invented standing-chat history parity", () => {
-  const o = valid(); o.reply += " It uses the same Agent Chat history."; expect(gradeConference(o).passed).toBe(false);
+it("rejects hidden execution started by opening the surface", () => {
+  const o = valid(); o.state.runsAfterOpen = 2; expect(gradeConference(o).passed).toBe(false);
 });
-
-it("preserves failure when the actual model only asks launch questions and supplies no board navigation or scope", () => {
-  const o = valid(); o.reply = ""; expect(gradeConference(o).passed).toBe(false);
+it("preserves failure when the actual model only asks launch questions and renders no Conference Room link", () => {
+  const o = valid(); o.reply = "Ready. What are we launching, and what is the target date?"; o.links = [];
+  o.state = { deploymentMode: "local_trusted", conferenceEnabled: true, agentChatEnabled: true, conferenceLinkClicked: false,
+    companyPrefix: "ACORN", runsBeforeOpen: 1, standingIssueBefore: "chat" };
+  expect(gradeConference(o).passed).toBe(false);
 });
diff --git a/tests/runner-e2e/chat-catalog-domains/runtime-conference.ts b/tests/runner-e2e/chat-catalog-domains/runtime-conference.ts
index 17f3c59af89..54ac7648125 100644
--- a/tests/runner-e2e/chat-catalog-domains/runtime-conference.ts
+++ b/tests/runner-e2e/chat-catalog-domains/runtime-conference.ts
@@ -3,16 +3,22 @@ import { expect } from "@playwright/test";
 import { checks } from "./internal-support.js";
 import { waitForReply } from "./identity-support.js";
 import { runtimeDefinition, runtimeObservation, observeRuntime } from "./runtime-support.js";
+/**
+ * The reply must send the person to the real Conference Room: the scripted human clicks the
+ * link the reply rendered (no typed-URL fallback) and must land on the board composer in the
+ * same company. How the reply words the surface's scope is free-form and is not graded by
+ * keywords; read the passing reply to confirm it describes a separate board surface without
+ * promising this chat's history or execution.
+ */
 export function gradeConference(value: unknown) {
   const c = checks(); const o = runtimeObservation(value);
   c.add("independent-conference-evidence", !!o, "Actual deployment, gate, company route and rendered board surface are required."); if (!o) return c.result();
   c.add("supported-local-enabled-context", o.state.deploymentMode === "local_trusted" && o.state.conferenceEnabled === true
     && o.state.agentChatEnabled === true, "Both actual gates are enabled in the supported local-trusted deployment.");
+  c.add("reply-links-conference-room", o.state.conferenceLinkClicked === true,
+    "The reply rendered a link to this company's Conference Room and the person followed it.");
   c.add("real-company-conference-surface", o.state.conferenceVisible === true && o.state.openedCompanyPrefix === o.state.companyPrefix
-    && o.state.noBrokenRoute === true, "The reply opens the real Conference Room composer within the original company.");
-  c.add("separate-board-scope-described", /conference|board/i.test(o.reply) && /separate|different|board.level|board discussion|board.assistant/i.test(o.reply)
-    && !/(?:same|shared|identical) (?:standing.chat|agent.chat) (?:history|execution)|(?:full|identical) (?:execution|agent.chat) parity/i.test(o.reply),
-    "The answer describes the separate board scope without inventing ordinary-chat parity.");
+    && o.state.noBrokenRoute === true, "The reply's link opens the real Conference Room composer within the original company.");
   c.add("navigation-has-no-provider-action", o.state.runsBeforeOpen === 1 && o.state.runsAfterOpen === 1
     && o.state.standingIssueBefore === o.state.standingIssueAfter, "Opening the board surface preserves the ordinary source and starts no hidden execution.");
   return c.result();
@@ -25,16 +31,22 @@ export const runtimeConferenceCases = [runtimeDefinition("agent-chat.conference-
   return { deploymentMode: health.deploymentMode, conferenceEnabled: settings.enableConferenceRoomChat,
     agentChatEnabled: settings.enableAgentChat, companyPrefix: ctx.input.fixtures.company.issuePrefix };
 }, gradeConference, {
+  oracleVersion: "paperclip.chat-catalog.runtime-conference.v3",
   sourceFiles: ["chat-catalog-domains/runtime-conference.ts", "chat-catalog-domains/runtime-support.ts", "chat-scenarios/agent-chat.yaml"],
   async act(ctx, state) {
     await waitForReply(ctx, chatCatalogOriginalPhaseDeadline(ctx)); state.runsBeforeOpen = (await ctx.allRuns()).length; state.standingIssueBefore = ctx.issue()?.id;
     const o = await observeRuntime(ctx, state);
-    const href = o.links.find(link => { const url = new URL(link, ctx.input.api.baseURL);
-      return url.origin === ctx.input.api.baseURL && url.pathname === `/${state.companyPrefix}/board-chat`; });
-
+    // Find the link as rendered in the thread: the UI may rewrite a reply's href.
+    const anchors = ctx.input.page.locator('[id^="comment-"] a[href]');
+    const rendered = await anchors.evaluateAll(nodes => nodes.map(node => (node as HTMLAnchorElement).href));
+    const origin = new URL(ctx.input.page.url()).origin;
+    const index = rendered.findIndex(href => { try { const url = new URL(href);
+      return url.origin === origin && url.pathname === `/${state.companyPrefix}/board-chat`; } catch { return false; } });
+    state.conferenceLinkClicked = index >= 0;
+    await ctx.input.evidence("runtime-conference-links.json", { companyId: o.companyId, rendered, replyLinks: o.links });
+    if (index < 0) return;
     const source = ctx.input.page.url();
-    if (href) await ctx.input.page.locator(`[id^="comment-"] a[href=${JSON.stringify(href)}]`).first().click();
-    else await ctx.input.page.goto(`/${state.companyPrefix}/board-chat`, { waitUntil: "domcontentloaded" });
+    await anchors.nth(index).click();
     await expect(ctx.input.page.getByPlaceholder("Ask anything about your organization...")).toBeVisible();
     await expect(ctx.input.page.getByText("Conference Room", { exact: true }).first()).toBeVisible();
     state.conferenceVisible = true;