diff --git a/data/mesh_ingestor/CONTRACTS.md b/data/mesh_ingestor/CONTRACTS.md
index 91fd8245..f0092e79 100644
--- a/data/mesh_ingestor/CONTRACTS.md
+++ b/data/mesh_ingestor/CONTRACTS.md
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ This repo’s ingestion pipeline is split into:
 - Python collector (`data/mesh_ingestor/*`) which normalizes packets/events and POSTs JSON to the web app.
 - Sinatra web app (`web/`) which accepts those payloads on `POST /api/*` ingest routes and persists them into SQLite tables defined under `data/*.sql`.
 
-This document records the contracts that future protocols must preserve. The intent is to enable adding new protocols (MeshCore, Reticulum, …) without changing the Ruby/DB/UI read-side.
+This document records the contracts that future protocols must preserve. New protocols (MeshCore, Reticulum, …) reuse the shared read side (`nodes`, `/api/nodes`, the stats scopes, the federation record) and extend it only additively. A read-side addition for one protocol needs its own SPEC decision and leaves the other protocols' shapes unchanged, as Reticulum's `destinations` table and `GET /api/destinations` do (SPEC Invariant IV).
 
 ### Canonical node identity
 
diff --git a/tests/test_reticulum_unit.py b/tests/test_reticulum_unit.py
index 7f23767e..5aefbf45 100644
--- a/tests/test_reticulum_unit.py
+++ b/tests/test_reticulum_unit.py
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ if str(REPO_ROOT) not in sys.path:
 from RNS.vendor import umsgpack  # noqa: E402 - path setup
 
 import data.mesh_ingestor.config as config  # noqa: E402 - path setup
+import data.mesh_ingestor.node_identity as node_identity  # noqa: E402 - path setup
 import data.mesh_ingestor.protocols.reticulum as _mod  # noqa: E402 - path setup
 from data.mesh_ingestor.protocols.reticulum import (  # noqa: E402 - path setup
     ReticulumProvider,
@@ -492,11 +493,11 @@ def test_host_node_id_uses_the_reticulum_mapping_not_the_meshtastic_one():
     registering ``!86c39940`` while its own peer row was ``!27716218``.
     """
     identity_hash = "27716218762cfd2864141ef286c39940"
-    assert ReticulumProvider().extract_host_node_id(None) is None or True
-    with_env = ReticulumProvider()
+    # The shared helper keeps the low 32 bits: the id the field run registered.
+    assert node_identity.canonical_node_id(identity_hash) == "!86c39940"
     assert _mod._reticulum_node_id(bytes.fromhex(identity_hash)) == "!27716218"
     # The provider must canonicalise a raw identity hash the same way.
-    assert with_env._canonical_host_node_id(identity_hash) == "!27716218"
+    assert ReticulumProvider()._canonical_host_node_id(identity_hash) == "!27716218"
 
 
 def test_derived_host_node_id_is_none_when_no_identity_exists(monkeypatch):