diff --git a/policies/default/caller_allowlist.rego b/policies/default/caller_allowlist.rego
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7948b29
--- /dev/null
+++ b/policies/default/caller_allowlist.rego
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+# caller_allowlist.rego — optional policy for restricting chain-writing callers.
+#
+# Activate by editing the set below and removing (or overriding) the
+# `default allow := true` rule in writ.rego.
+#
+# writ passes input.caller_id on every gate evaluation. Only callers in the
+# set below will be permitted to execute LLM calls (and write to the chain).
+#
+# Example (uncomment to activate):
+#
+# package writ.gate
+#
+# import rego.v1
+#
+# _allowed_callers := {"my-agent-v1", "my-agent-v2"}
+#
+# deny if {
+#     count(_allowed_callers) > 0
+#     not _allowed_callers[input.caller_id]
+# }
+#
+# allow if {
+#     not deny
+# }
diff --git a/protect_linux.go b/protect_linux.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3506d34
--- /dev/null
+++ b/protect_linux.go
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+//go:build linux
+
+package writ
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"syscall"
+	"unsafe" //#nosec G103 -- ioctl for FS_APPEND_FL; unsafe.Pointer is the only available interface
+)
+
+// FS ioctl constants for 64-bit Linux (_IOR/'f'/1/sizeof(long) and _IOW/'f'/2/sizeof(long)).
+const (
+	_fsIOCGetFlags = uintptr(0x80086601)
+	_fsIOCSetFlags = uintptr(0x40086602)
+	_fsAppendFL    = int64(0x00000020)
+)
+
+// trySetAppendOnly attempts to set the FS_APPEND_FL attribute (chattr +a) on
+// the file at path. Returns true if the flag was already set or successfully
+// applied. Returns false on unsupported filesystems or insufficient privilege.
+func trySetAppendOnly(path string) bool {
+	f, err := os.Open(path) //#nosec G304 -- construction-time path
+	if err != nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	defer func() { _ = f.Close() }()
+
+	var flags int64
+	if _, _, errno := syscall.Syscall(syscall.SYS_IOCTL, f.Fd(), _fsIOCGetFlags, uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&flags))); errno != 0 { //#nosec G103
+		return false
+	}
+	if flags&_fsAppendFL != 0 {
+		return true
+	}
+	flags |= _fsAppendFL
+	_, _, errno := syscall.Syscall(syscall.SYS_IOCTL, f.Fd(), _fsIOCSetFlags, uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&flags))) //#nosec G103
+	return errno == 0
+}
diff --git a/protect_other.go b/protect_other.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bd6e431
--- /dev/null
+++ b/protect_other.go
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+//go:build !linux
+
+package writ
+
+// trySetAppendOnly returns false on non-Linux platforms where FS_APPEND_FL
+// is not available. Use chattr +a manually on Linux to harden the chain file.
+func trySetAppendOnly(_ string) bool {
+	return false
+}
diff --git a/store.go b/store.go
index f86dcf5..c6ed2ff 100644
--- a/store.go
+++ b/store.go
@@ -52,6 +52,16 @@ func newJSONLStore(path string) (AuditStore, error) {
 	if err := f.Close(); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	// Verify or restore 0600 — protects against umask drift and manual changes.
+	fi, err := os.Stat(path)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("writ: stat chain file: %w", err)
+	}
+	if fi.Mode().Perm() != 0o600 {
+		if err := os.Chmod(path, 0o600); err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("writ: chain file has insecure permissions (%#o) and chmod failed: %w", fi.Mode().Perm(), err)
+		}
+	}
 	return &jsonlStore{path: path}, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/writ.go b/writ.go
index 12e3506..ec5f968 100644
--- a/writ.go
+++ b/writ.go
@@ -48,6 +48,11 @@ type Config struct {
 	// fails Merkle verification. A ChainSegmentBoundary entry is written
 	// recording the recovery event. Default false: corrupt chain → ErrCorruptChain.
 	AllowCorruptChainRecovery bool
+
+	// AllowedCallers restricts which CallerID values may open a writ.Client
+	// that writes to this chain. Nil or empty allows any CallerID.
+	// writ.New returns an error if CallerID is not in the list when it is set.
+	AllowedCallers []string
 }
 
 // ErrCorruptChain is returned by New() when the existing chain fails Merkle
@@ -77,6 +82,19 @@ func NewWithContext(ctx context.Context, cfg Config) (*Client, error) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("writ: Config.PolicyPath is required")
 	}
 
+	if len(cfg.AllowedCallers) > 0 {
+		permitted := false
+		for _, id := range cfg.AllowedCallers {
+			if id == cfg.CallerID {
+				permitted = true
+				break
+			}
+		}
+		if !permitted {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("writ: caller %q not in AllowedCallers", cfg.CallerID)
+		}
+	}
+
 	var store AuditStore
 	if cfg.Store != nil {
 		store = cfg.Store
@@ -202,6 +220,19 @@ func (c *Client) Audit(event AuditEvent) error {
 	return c.chain.Append(entry)
 }
 
+// ChainProtected attempts to set the FS_APPEND_FL attribute (equivalent to
+// chattr +a) on the chain file, preventing in-place overwrites at the
+// filesystem level. Returns true if the flag is set or was successfully
+// applied. Returns false if no AuditPath is configured, the filesystem does
+// not support the attribute, or the process lacks sufficient privilege.
+// On non-Linux platforms this always returns false.
+func (c *Client) ChainProtected() bool {
+	if c.cfg.AuditPath == "" {
+		return false
+	}
+	return trySetAppendOnly(c.cfg.AuditPath)
+}
+
 // Verify reads the chain at chainPath and verifies the Merkle hash links.
 // Returns nil if the chain is intact, or an error describing the first broken link.
 // Also available as the `writ verify` CLI command.
diff --git a/writ_test.go b/writ_test.go
index 0c13c76..91d1915 100644
--- a/writ_test.go
+++ b/writ_test.go
@@ -1,12 +1,33 @@
 package writ_test
 
 import (
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/opskernel-io/writ"
 )
 
+// testConfig creates a minimal writ.Config backed by a temp directory.
+func testConfig(t *testing.T) writ.Config {
+	t.Helper()
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	policyPath := filepath.Join(dir, "policy")
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(policyPath, 0o700); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("mkdir policy: %v", err)
+	}
+	const policy = "package writ.gate\nimport rego.v1\ndefault allow := true\ndefault tier := 2\ndefault denial_reason := \"\""
+	if err := os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(policyPath, "writ.rego"), []byte(policy), 0o600); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("write test policy: %v", err)
+	}
+	return writ.Config{
+		PolicyPath: policyPath,
+		AuditPath:  filepath.Join(dir, "audit.chain"),
+		CallerID:   "test-agent",
+	}
+}
+
 func TestMemoryStoreAppendAndVerify(t *testing.T) {
 	store := writ.NewMemoryStore()
 
@@ -58,3 +79,45 @@ func TestDenialErrorMessage(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal("DenialError.Error() returned empty string")
 	}
 }
+
+// PR 1: AllowedCallers and ChainProtected tests.
+
+func TestAllowedCallersPermitsKnownCaller(t *testing.T) {
+	cfg := testConfig(t)
+	cfg.AllowedCallers = []string{"test-agent", "other-agent"}
+	c, err := writ.New(cfg)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("want success for known caller, got: %v", err)
+	}
+	_ = c
+}
+
+func TestAllowedCallersDeniesUnknownCaller(t *testing.T) {
+	cfg := testConfig(t)
+	cfg.AllowedCallers = []string{"allowed-agent"}
+	cfg.CallerID = "unknown-agent"
+	if _, err := writ.New(cfg); err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("want error for unknown caller, got nil")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestAllowedCallersNilPermitsAnyCaller(t *testing.T) {
+	cfg := testConfig(t)
+	cfg.AllowedCallers = nil
+	cfg.CallerID = "any-agent"
+	c, err := writ.New(cfg)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("want success for nil allowlist, got: %v", err)
+	}
+	_ = c
+}
+
+func TestChainProtectedReturnsBool(t *testing.T) {
+	cfg := testConfig(t)
+	c, err := writ.New(cfg)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("New: %v", err)
+	}
+	// Return value is platform/filesystem-dependent; just verify the call succeeds.
+	_ = c.ChainProtected()
+}