diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index d9246fdc..186bce4d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -143,3 +143,19 @@ jobs:
           CXX_aarch64_unknown_linux_gnu: aarch64-linux-gnu-g++
           AR_aarch64_unknown_linux_gnu: aarch64-linux-gnu-ar
         run: cargo check --workspace --all-features --locked --target aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu
+
+  # Advisory guard that nexum-runtime stays venue-agnostic: crate graph, symbol
+  # scan, and nexum:host WIT leaf-ness (scripts/check-venue-agnostic.sh).
+  # `continue-on-error` keeps this a signal, not a gate, until the physical
+  # host cut lands; the flip to a blocking gate is tracked for M2.
+  venue-agnostic:
+    name: venue-agnostic (advisory)
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    continue-on-error: true
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@9c091bb21b7c1c1d1991bb908d89e4e9dddfe3e0 # v7.0.0
+      - uses: ./.github/actions/rust-setup
+      - uses: taiki-e/install-action@43aecc8d72668fbcfe75c31400bc4f890f1c5853 # v2.83.2
+        with:
+          tool: wasm-tools,ripgrep
+      - run: ./scripts/check-venue-agnostic.sh
diff --git a/justfile b/justfile
index a89e8061..964bba79 100644
--- a/justfile
+++ b/justfile
@@ -71,6 +71,11 @@ build-e2e: build-m2 build-m3
 run-e2e: build-e2e build-engine
     cargo run -p nexum-cli -- --engine-config engine.e2e.toml
 
+# Assert nexum-runtime is venue-agnostic: crate graph, symbol scan, and
+# the nexum:host WIT leaf. Advisory in CI until the physical cut lands.
+check-venue-agnostic:
+    ./scripts/check-venue-agnostic.sh
+
 # Check the entire workspace
 check:
     cargo check --target wasm32-wasip2 -p example
diff --git a/scripts/check-venue-agnostic.sh b/scripts/check-venue-agnostic.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..e3feef76
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/check-venue-agnostic.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Venue-agnosticism check for nexum-runtime: the crate graph reaches no
+# videre/intent/venue/cow crate, the sources carry no venue symbol, and
+# nexum:host resolves as a leaf WIT package. Advisory in CI until the
+# physical cut lands; run locally via `just check-venue-agnostic`.
+
+set -uo pipefail
+
+SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+cd "$SCRIPT_DIR/.." || exit 2
+
+pass() { printf '\033[1;32m[l1 PASS]\033[0m %s\n' "$*" >&2; }
+fail() { printf '\033[1;31m[l1 FAIL]\033[0m %s\n' "$*" >&2; status=1; }
+
+command -v rg >/dev/null || { echo "ripgrep (rg) is required" >&2; exit 2; }
+
+status=0
+
+# 1. Crate graph: nothing venue-shaped reachable from nexum-runtime
+#    (normal + build edges; dev-deps stay local to the crate).
+if tree="$(cargo tree -p nexum-runtime -e normal,build --all-features --prefix none --locked)"; then
+    reached="$(printf '%s\n' "$tree" |
+        awk '{print $1}' | sort -u | rg -i 'videre|intent|venue|cow' || true)"
+    if [[ -n $reached ]]; then
+        fail "crate graph reaches: $(tr '\n' ' ' <<<"$reached")"
+    else
+        pass "crate graph clean"
+    fi
+else
+    fail "cargo tree failed"
+fi
+
+# 2. Symbol scan: no venue vocabulary anywhere in the crate. Word shapes
+#    skip std::borrow::Cow, ProviderError, and "intentional".
+symbols='\b[Vv]idere|\b[Ii]ntent([_A-Z-]|s?\b)|\b[Vv]enue|\bcow|CoW|\bCow[A-Z]'
+rg -n --no-heading -e "$symbols" crates/nexum-runtime
+case $? in
+    0) fail "venue symbols leak into nexum-runtime" ;;
+    1) pass "symbol scan empty" ;;
+    *) fail "symbol scan errored (crates/nexum-runtime missing?)" ;;
+esac
+
+# 3. WIT DAG: nexum:host is a leaf. No cross-package use/import, and the
+#    package resolves standalone.
+rg -n --no-heading -e '^\s*(use|import)\s+[a-z0-9-]+:' wit/nexum-host
+case $? in
+    0) fail "nexum:host references another WIT package" ;;
+    1) pass "nexum:host has no cross-package reference" ;;
+    *) fail "WIT scan errored (wit/nexum-host missing?)" ;;
+esac
+if command -v wasm-tools >/dev/null; then
+    if wasm-tools component wit wit/nexum-host >/dev/null; then
+        pass "nexum:host resolves standalone"
+    else
+        fail "nexum:host does not resolve standalone"
+    fi
+else
+    printf '\033[1;33m[l1 WARN]\033[0m wasm-tools not found; WIT resolve skipped\n' >&2
+fi
+
+exit "$status"