diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index cde10a2..9dccfa1 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@ SHARING_TEMPLATES.md
 .taskmaster/
 .atlas-ai/
 
+# walkthrough RAG runlog store — local-only by owner decision (2026-06-17)
+.i-walkthroughs/
+
 # Logs
 logs
 *.log
diff --git a/prd_taskmaster/cli.py b/prd_taskmaster/cli.py
index 41a832a..0011a7a 100644
--- a/prd_taskmaster/cli.py
+++ b/prd_taskmaster/cli.py
@@ -176,7 +176,10 @@ def build_parser() -> argparse.ArgumentParser:
 
     # engine-preflight (batched Phase 1: preflight + taskmaster + providers + capabilities)
     p = sub.add_parser("engine-preflight", help="One-call Phase 1: all probes + summary")
-    p.add_argument("--no-configure", action="store_true")
+    p.add_argument(
+        "--no-configure", action="store_true",
+        help="Skip auto-configuring providers; read-only probe (default configures providers on an existing .taskmaster project)",
+    )
 
     # detect-taskmaster
     sub.add_parser("detect-taskmaster", help="Find MCP or CLI taskmaster")
@@ -329,7 +332,7 @@ def build_parser() -> argparse.ArgumentParser:
 
     # economy-report
     p = sub.add_parser("economy-report", help="Summarize .atlas-ai/telemetry.jsonl per (op_class, model)")
-    p.add_argument("--input", default=None)
+    p.add_argument("--input", default=None, help="Telemetry JSONL path (default: .atlas-ai/telemetry.jsonl)")
 
     # context-pack
     p = sub.add_parser("context-pack", help="Extract AST-based Python signature context")
@@ -357,17 +360,20 @@ def build_parser() -> argparse.ArgumentParser:
 
     # next-task
     p = sub.add_parser("next-task", help="Select the next TaskMaster-compatible task")
-    p.add_argument("--tag")
+    p.add_argument("--tag", help="Tasks.json tag context to read (default: the active/master tag)")
 
     # claim-task
     p = sub.add_parser("claim-task", help="Atomically select and claim the next task")
-    p.add_argument("--tag")
+    p.add_argument("--tag", help="Tasks.json tag context to read (default: the active/master tag)")
 
     # set-status
     p = sub.add_parser("set-status", help="Set a task or subtask status")
-    p.add_argument("--id", required=True)
-    p.add_argument("--status", required=True)
-    p.add_argument("--tag")
+    p.add_argument("--id", required=True, help="Task or subtask id (e.g. 7 or 1.2)")
+    p.add_argument(
+        "--status", required=True,
+        help="Task status; one of: pending, in-progress, done, review, deferred, cancelled, blocked",
+    )
+    p.add_argument("--tag", help="Tasks.json tag context to write (default: the active/master tag)")
     p.add_argument(
         "--evidence-ref",
         default=None,
diff --git a/prd_taskmaster/tournament/watcher.py b/prd_taskmaster/tournament/watcher.py
index f0fc4cd..c060d60 100644
--- a/prd_taskmaster/tournament/watcher.py
+++ b/prd_taskmaster/tournament/watcher.py
@@ -429,12 +429,15 @@ def permit_enforce_slash(
                 f"permitted: {len(confirmed)} confirmed slash(es), "
                 f"concordance={concordance:.3f} over {observations} prior decisions"
             )
-        elif not to_slash:
-            reason = "blocked: no to-be-slashed submissions to confirm"
+        # Surface the most-serious finding FIRST: a discrepancy (incl. a cheating
+        # winner) or an abstain must never be masked by the benign "nothing to
+        # slash" message when to_slash happens to be empty.
         elif discrepancies:
             reason = f"blocked: {len(discrepancies)} discrepancy(ies) in the job"
         elif abstained:
             reason = f"blocked: {len(abstained)} submission(s) in the job could not be independently verified (abstain)"
+        elif not to_slash:
+            reason = "blocked: no to-be-slashed submissions to confirm"
         elif not track_record_ok:
             reason = (
                 f"blocked: thin track record — {observations}/{MIN_OBSERVATIONS} prior "
diff --git a/prd_taskmaster/validation.py b/prd_taskmaster/validation.py
index 3368ca4..b97dbe3 100644
--- a/prd_taskmaster/validation.py
+++ b/prd_taskmaster/validation.py
@@ -123,15 +123,28 @@ def run_validate_prd(input_path: str) -> dict:
     reqs_section = get_section_content(text, "Functional Requirements")
     if not reqs_section:
         reqs_section = get_section_content(text, "Requirements")
-    vague_in_reqs = VAGUE_PATTERN.findall(reqs_section)
-    checks.append({
-        "id": 6,
-        "category": "required",
-        "name": "Functional requirements are testable",
-        "passed": len(vague_in_reqs) == 0,
-        "detail": f"Vague terms found: {vague_in_reqs}" if vague_in_reqs else "All requirements are specific",
-        "points": 5,
-    })
+    if not reqs_section.strip():
+        # Fail-closed: an ABSENT requirements section must not vacuously pass and
+        # claim "all requirements are specific" — functional requirements aren't
+        # optional, so their absence is itself a testability failure.
+        checks.append({
+            "id": 6,
+            "category": "required",
+            "name": "Functional requirements are testable",
+            "passed": False,
+            "detail": "No requirements section found",
+            "points": 5,
+        })
+    else:
+        vague_in_reqs = VAGUE_PATTERN.findall(reqs_section)
+        checks.append({
+            "id": 6,
+            "category": "required",
+            "name": "Functional requirements are testable",
+            "passed": len(vague_in_reqs) == 0,
+            "detail": f"Vague terms found: {vague_in_reqs}" if vague_in_reqs else "All requirements are specific",
+            "points": 5,
+        })
 
     # Check 7: Each requirement has priority (Must/Should/Could or P0/P1/P2)
     has_priority = bool(re.search(
diff --git a/tests/core/test_cli.py b/tests/core/test_cli.py
index 8bdbf74..f681a6f 100644
--- a/tests/core/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/core/test_cli.py
@@ -390,3 +390,23 @@ def test_native_expand_and_rate_no_key_return_agent_action_json(tmp_path, monkey
     )
     assert rate["ok"] is False
     assert rate["agent_action_required"]["op"] == "rate"
+
+
+def test_cli_flags_have_discoverable_help():
+    """Walkthrough fix: previously-undocumented flags must carry help text;
+    set-status --status must reveal its valid vocabulary."""
+    from prd_taskmaster.cli import build_parser
+    p = build_parser()
+    subs = p._subparsers._group_actions[0].choices
+
+    def flag_help(cmd, flag):
+        for a in subs[cmd]._actions:
+            if flag in a.option_strings:
+                return a.help
+        return None
+
+    assert flag_help("set-status", "--status"), "set-status --status needs help"
+    assert "in-progress" in (flag_help("set-status", "--status") or ""), "status vocab must be discoverable"
+    assert flag_help("engine-preflight", "--no-configure"), "--no-configure needs help"
+    assert flag_help("next-task", "--tag"), "next-task --tag needs help"
+    assert flag_help("economy-report", "--input"), "economy-report --input needs help"
diff --git a/tests/core/test_tournament_watcher.py b/tests/core/test_tournament_watcher.py
index 74d79c7..87ecd16 100644
--- a/tests/core/test_tournament_watcher.py
+++ b/tests/core/test_tournament_watcher.py
@@ -323,6 +323,21 @@ def test_permit_blocks_on_abstained_winner(tmp_path):
     assert "ex-win" in out["abstained"]
 
 
+def test_permit_reason_surfaces_winner_discrepancy_over_empty_slash(tmp_path):
+    # A cheating winner (recorded PASS, watcher DISCREPANCY) with NO to-be-slashed
+    # subs must surface the discrepancy in the reason, not a benign 'no to-be-slashed'.
+    ledger = tmp_path / "watcher.jsonl"
+    _seed_ledger(ledger, decisions=watcher.MIN_OBSERVATIONS, confirmed=watcher.MIN_OBSERVATIONS)
+    record = {"job_id": "job-1", "submissions": [
+        _v("ex-win", agreement="DISCREPANCY", slash_grounds=True, recorded_passes_both=True),
+    ]}
+    out = watcher.permit_enforce_slash(record, ledger_path=ledger)
+    assert out["permitted"] is False
+    assert "ex-win" in out["discrepancies"]
+    assert "discrepanc" in out["reason"].lower()
+    assert "no to-be-slashed" not in out["reason"].lower()
+
+
 def test_permit_blocks_on_empty_to_slash(tmp_path):
     # No to-be-slashed submissions → never a blanket green-light.
     ledger = tmp_path / "watcher.jsonl"
diff --git a/tests/core/test_validation.py b/tests/core/test_validation.py
index a3a12ee..372860e 100644
--- a/tests/core/test_validation.py
+++ b/tests/core/test_validation.py
@@ -405,12 +405,23 @@ def test_validate_empty_prd(self, tmp_project):
         empty_prd.write_text("")
         out = run_validate_prd(str(empty_prd))
         assert out["grade"] == "NEEDS_WORK"
-        # 3 checks pass vacuously on empty PRD:
-        #   ch 5: no stories found → pass
-        #   ch 6: no vague reqs → pass
-        #   ch 10: no NFR section → pass
-        assert out["checks_passed"] == 3
-        assert out["score"] == 13  # 5 + 5 + 3
+        # 2 checks pass on absent-but-OPTIONAL sections; ch 6 (functional
+        # requirements) now FAILS-closed on an absent requirements section rather
+        # than vacuously claiming "all requirements are specific".
+        #   ch 5: no stories found → pass (user stories optional)
+        #   ch 10: no NFR section → pass (NFRs optional)
+        assert out["checks_passed"] == 2
+        assert out["score"] == 8  # 5 (ch5) + 3 (ch10)
+
+    def test_check6_fails_closed_on_absent_requirements(self, tmp_project):
+        """Check 6 must not vacuously pass (and assert specificity) when there is
+        no requirements section at all — functional requirements aren't optional."""
+        prd = tmp_project / ".taskmaster" / "docs" / "prd.md"
+        prd.write_text("# PRD: Thing\n\n## Overview\nA thing.\n")  # no requirements section
+        out = run_validate_prd(str(prd))
+        check6 = next(c for c in out["checks"] if c["id"] == 6)
+        assert check6["passed"] is False
+        assert "no requirements" in check6["detail"].lower()
 
     def test_validate_grade_boundaries(self, tmp_project):
         """Verify grade boundary calculations match documented thresholds."""