diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 8bbd11e..a27d8d9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -67,6 +67,8 @@ jobs:
         run: make setup-dev-env-ci-scripts
       - name: Run non-network script unit tests
         run: make test-scripts
+      - name: Validate marker debt policy
+        run: make todo-debt-check
       - name: Run benchmark script smoke
         run: bash scripts/run-all.sh
       - name: Generate report from raw results
diff --git a/METHODOLOGY.md b/METHODOLOGY.md
index a34f8ef..779bc0d 100644
--- a/METHODOLOGY.md
+++ b/METHODOLOGY.md
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 - shell scripts in `scripts/` for orchestration
 - `hyperfine` benchmark engine (optional via `BENCH_ENGINE=hyperfine`)
 - `benchstat` statistical comparison for quality gates
-- policy file: `stats-policy.json` (`stats-policy.yaml` accepted for backward compatibility)
+- policy file: `stats-policy.json`
 - Python 3 report and normalization tooling in `scripts/`
 
 ## Baseline benchmark profile
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 65d62b2..108ce94 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ GOPATH ?= $(shell $(GO) env GOPATH)
 GO_PATCH_COVER ?= $(GOPATH)/bin/go-patch-cover
 MODULES = $(shell find . -type f -name "go.mod" -not -path "*/.*/*" -not -path "*/vendor/*" -exec dirname {} \;)
 
-.PHONY: benchmark benchmark-modkit benchmark-nestjs benchmark-baseline benchmark-wire benchmark-fx benchmark-do report test test-go test-python test-shell test-scripts test-coverage test-coverage-go test-coverage-python test-patch-coverage tools setup-dev-env setup-dev-env-ci setup-dev-env-ci-scripts parity-check parity-check-modkit parity-check-nestjs benchmark-fingerprint-check benchmark-limits-check benchmark-manifest-check benchmark-raw-schema-check benchmark-summary-schema-check benchmark-schema-validate benchmark-stats-check benchmark-variance-check benchmark-benchstat-check ci-benchmark-quality-check workflow-concurrency-check workflow-budget-check workflow-inputs-check report-disclaimer-check methodology-changelog-check publication-sync-check
+.PHONY: benchmark benchmark-modkit benchmark-nestjs benchmark-baseline benchmark-wire benchmark-fx benchmark-do report test test-go test-python test-shell test-scripts test-coverage test-coverage-go test-coverage-python test-patch-coverage tools setup-dev-env setup-dev-env-ci setup-dev-env-ci-scripts parity-check parity-check-modkit parity-check-nestjs benchmark-fingerprint-check benchmark-limits-check benchmark-manifest-check benchmark-raw-schema-check benchmark-summary-schema-check benchmark-schema-validate benchmark-stats-check benchmark-variance-check benchmark-benchstat-check ci-benchmark-quality-check workflow-concurrency-check workflow-budget-check workflow-inputs-check todo-debt-check report-disclaimer-check methodology-changelog-check publication-sync-check
 
 benchmark:
 	bash scripts/run-all.sh
@@ -169,3 +169,6 @@ workflow-budget-check:
 
 workflow-inputs-check:
 	$(PYTHON) scripts/workflow-policy-check.py inputs-check
+
+todo-debt-check:
+	$(PYTHON) scripts/todo-debt-check.py
diff --git a/docs/architecture.md b/docs/architecture.md
index deb4663..9bb9515 100644
--- a/docs/architecture.md
+++ b/docs/architecture.md
@@ -38,9 +38,9 @@ results/latest/          benchmark outputs and generated report
 2. Run parity checks per target
 3. Run load benchmarks for parity-passing targets (`legacy` engine or `hyperfine`)
 4. Normalize and save raw outputs
-5. Run policy quality gates (`stats-policy.json` + benchstat)
-6. Build `summary.json`
-7. Generate `report.md`
+5. Build `summary.json` and generate `report.md` from raw outputs
+6. Validate result schemas for generated artifacts
+7. Run policy quality gates (`stats-policy.json` + benchstat) and publication checks
 
 ## Failure model
 
diff --git a/docs/design/003-benchmark-statistics-oss-migration.md b/docs/design/003-benchmark-statistics-oss-migration.md
index 75ecc7c..46066dd 100644
--- a/docs/design/003-benchmark-statistics-oss-migration.md
+++ b/docs/design/003-benchmark-statistics-oss-migration.md
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ Replace custom statistical processing logic with OSS benchmark/statistics toolin
 In:
 1. Integrate `hyperfine` as the benchmark measurement engine.
 2. Integrate `benchstat` for statistical pass/fail checks.
-3. Add a versioned policy file (`stats-policy.yaml`) for thresholds and rules.
+3. Add a versioned policy file (`stats-policy.json`) for thresholds and rules.
 4. Keep `results/latest/*` artifacts stable for summary/report consumers.
 5. Update docs to reflect the new measurement and quality gate model.
 
@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ Out:
 1. **Parity Gate (existing behavior):** health check -> parity check per target.
 2. **Measurement:** run benchmark samples using `hyperfine`.
 3. **Normalization:** transform tool-native output into repo raw schema.
-4. **Quality Gate:** run `benchstat`-based policy checks.
-5. **Reporting:** generate `summary.json` and `report.md` from normalized artifacts.
+4. **Reporting:** generate `summary.json` and `report.md` from normalized artifacts.
+5. **Quality Gate:** run policy checks (`benchstat`, variance thresholds, publication checks) on generated artifacts.
 
 ### 4.2. What Remains Custom
 1. Framework matrix orchestration and target routing.
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ Out:
 
 ## 5. Policy Design
 
-### 5.1. `stats-policy.yaml` (single source of truth)
+### 5.1. `stats-policy.json` (single source of truth)
 Policy fields:
 - significance (`alpha`), default `0.05`
 - minimum run count per target
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ CI keeps `make ci-benchmark-quality-check` as the primary gate and:
 ## 8. Migration Plan
 
 ### Phase A: Policy + Interfaces
-1. Add `stats-policy.yaml`.
+1. Add `stats-policy.json`.
 2. Define normalized schema compatibility contract.
 3. Add adapter interfaces without changing default execution path.
 
diff --git a/docs/guides/benchmark-workflow.md b/docs/guides/benchmark-workflow.md
index 4edaf38..dc0878f 100644
--- a/docs/guides/benchmark-workflow.md
+++ b/docs/guides/benchmark-workflow.md
@@ -78,12 +78,13 @@ make benchmark-stats-check
 make benchmark-variance-check
 make benchmark-benchstat-check
 make ci-benchmark-quality-check
+make todo-debt-check
 make report-disclaimer-check
 make methodology-changelog-check
 make publication-sync-check
 ```
 
-Quality thresholds and required metrics are versioned in `stats-policy.json` (with `stats-policy.yaml` backward-compatibility support).
+Quality thresholds and required metrics are versioned in `stats-policy.json`.
 
 ## Reproducibility notes
 
diff --git a/scripts/todo-debt-check.py b/scripts/todo-debt-check.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..606c891
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/todo-debt-check.py
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import re
+from pathlib import Path
+
+
+ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent
+
+CHECK_DIRS = [
+    ROOT / "scripts",
+    ROOT / "docs",
+    ROOT / ".github",
+]
+
+CHECK_FILES = [
+    ROOT / "Makefile",
+]
+
+INCLUDE_SUFFIXES = {
+    ".py",
+    ".sh",
+    ".md",
+    ".yml",
+    ".yaml",
+}
+
+
+def build_marker_pattern() -> re.Pattern[str]:
+    markers = ["TO" + "DO", "FIX" + "ME", "HA" + "CK", "X" * 3]
+    return re.compile(r"\\b(" + "|".join(markers) + r")\\b")
+
+
+def iter_candidate_files():
+    for directory in CHECK_DIRS:
+        if not directory.exists():
+            continue
+        for path in sorted(directory.rglob("*")):
+            if not path.is_file():
+                continue
+            if path.suffix in INCLUDE_SUFFIXES:
+                yield path
+
+    for path in CHECK_FILES:
+        if path.exists() and path.is_file():
+            yield path
+
+
+def main() -> None:
+    pattern = build_marker_pattern()
+    violations: list[tuple[Path, int, str]] = []
+
+    for path in iter_candidate_files():
+        rel = path.relative_to(ROOT)
+        for line_no, line in enumerate(path.read_text(encoding="utf-8", errors="replace").splitlines(), start=1):
+            if pattern.search(line):
+                violations.append((rel, line_no, line.strip()))
+
+    if violations:
+        preview = "\n".join(f"- {path}:{line_no}: {line}" for path, line_no, line in violations[:20])
+        extra = "" if len(violations) <= 20 else f"\n... and {len(violations) - 20} more"
+        raise SystemExit(
+            "todo-debt-check failed: first-party marker debt detected\n"
+            "Remove marker text from first-party scripts/docs/workflows before merge.\n"
+            f"{preview}{extra}"
+        )
+
+    print("todo-debt-check: no marker debt detected in first-party scripts/docs/workflows")
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()