diff --git a/guard-lib/guardctl b/guard-lib/guardctl
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..d19c5a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/guard-lib/guardctl
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# guardctl - unified CLI for guard-lib's file-guard and package-block primitives.
+set -euo pipefail
+
+GUARD_LIB_ROOT="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+# When installed to /usr/local/bin, lib/ lives alongside it at
+# /usr/local/lib/guard-lib; fall back to the repo layout for local runs.
+if [[ -d "$GUARD_LIB_ROOT/lib" ]]; then
+    LIB_DIR="$GUARD_LIB_ROOT/lib"
+elif [[ -d "/usr/local/lib/guard-lib" ]]; then
+    LIB_DIR="/usr/local/lib/guard-lib"
+else
+    echo "guardctl: error: cannot locate lib/ directory" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+# shellcheck source=lib/common.sh
+source "$LIB_DIR/common.sh"
+# shellcheck source=lib/file_guard.sh
+source "$LIB_DIR/file_guard.sh"
+# shellcheck source=lib/package_block.sh
+source "$LIB_DIR/package_block.sh"
+
+usage() {
+    cat <<'EOF'
+Usage: guardctl <primitive> <subcommand> [args...]
+
+Primitives:
+  file-guard install <name> --target <path> [--canonical <path>] [--bind-mount] [--plugin <script>] [--also-watch <path>]...
+  file-guard enforce <name>
+  file-guard unlock <name>
+  file-guard uninstall <name> [--keep-canonical]
+  file-guard status <name>
+  file-guard canonical-path <name>
+  file-guard bind-mount <name>
+
+  package-block start <name> --package <pkg> --lock-file <path> --days <N>
+  package-block check <name>
+  package-block status <name>
+  package-block end <name>
+EOF
+}
+
+main() {
+    if [[ $# -lt 1 ]]; then
+        usage
+        exit 1
+    fi
+    local primitive="$1"
+    shift
+    case "$primitive" in
+        file-guard) file_guard_main "$@" ;;
+        package-block) package_block_main "$@" ;;
+        -h|--help) usage ;;
+        *) usage; die "unknown primitive '$primitive'" ;;
+    esac
+}
+
+main "$@"
diff --git a/guard-lib/install.sh b/guard-lib/install.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..95d3f5d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/guard-lib/install.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# Installs guard-lib: guardctl to /usr/local/bin, its lib/ to
+# /usr/local/lib/guard-lib, systemd unit templates, and the generic
+# unlock-all/relock-all pacman hooks. Safe to re-run (idempotent copy).
+set -euo pipefail
+
+if [[ $EUID -ne 0 ]]; then
+    echo "install.sh must be run as root (it writes to /usr/local, /etc/systemd, /etc/pacman.d)" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+
+for tool in jq chattr lsattr systemctl; do
+    command -v "$tool" >/dev/null 2>&1 || {
+        echo "install.sh: required tool '$tool' not found on PATH" >&2
+        exit 1
+    }
+done
+
+echo "Installing guardctl to /usr/local/bin ..."
+install -m 755 "$SCRIPT_DIR/guardctl" /usr/local/bin/guardctl
+
+echo "Installing lib/ to /usr/local/lib/guard-lib ..."
+install -d -m 755 /usr/local/lib/guard-lib
+install -m 644 "$SCRIPT_DIR"/lib/*.sh /usr/local/lib/guard-lib/
+
+echo "Installing systemd unit templates ..."
+install -m 644 "$SCRIPT_DIR"/systemd/guard-file@.path /etc/systemd/system/
+install -m 644 "$SCRIPT_DIR"/systemd/guard-file@.service /etc/systemd/system/
+install -m 644 "$SCRIPT_DIR"/systemd/guard-bind-mount@.service /etc/systemd/system/
+systemctl daemon-reload
+
+echo "Installing generic pacman unlock-all/relock-all hooks ..."
+install -d -m 755 /etc/guard-lib/pacman-hooks
+install -m 755 "$SCRIPT_DIR/pacman-hooks/guard-lib-unlock-all.sh" /etc/guard-lib/pacman-hooks/
+install -m 755 "$SCRIPT_DIR/pacman-hooks/guard-lib-relock-all.sh" /etc/guard-lib/pacman-hooks/
+install -d -m 755 /etc/pacman.d/hooks
+install -m 644 "$SCRIPT_DIR/pacman-hooks/10-guard-lib-unlock-all.hook" /etc/pacman.d/hooks/
+install -m 644 "$SCRIPT_DIR/pacman-hooks/90-guard-lib-relock-all.hook" /etc/pacman.d/hooks/
+
+install -d -m 755 /etc/guard-lib/targets /etc/guard-lib/blocks /etc/guard-lib/canonical
+
+echo "guard-lib installed. Try: guardctl file-guard install dummy-test --target /etc/guard-test-file"
diff --git a/guard-lib/lib/common.sh b/guard-lib/lib/common.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3d4c73a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/guard-lib/lib/common.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# Shared helpers for guardctl subcommands. Sourced, never executed directly.
+
+GUARD_LIB_CONF_DIR="${GUARD_LIB_CONF_DIR:-/etc/guard-lib}"
+GUARD_LIB_TARGETS_DIR="$GUARD_LIB_CONF_DIR/targets"
+GUARD_LIB_BLOCKS_DIR="$GUARD_LIB_CONF_DIR/blocks"
+GUARD_LIB_LOG="${GUARD_LIB_LOG:-/var/log/guard-lib.log}"
+GUARD_LIB_BIN="${GUARD_LIB_BIN:-/usr/local/bin/guardctl}"
+GUARD_LIB_SYSTEMD_DIR="${GUARD_LIB_SYSTEMD_DIR:-/etc/systemd/system}"
+GUARD_LIB_PACMAN_HOOKS_DIR="${GUARD_LIB_PACMAN_HOOKS_DIR:-/etc/pacman.d/hooks}"
+
+die() {
+    echo "guardctl: error: $*" >&2
+    exit 1
+}
+
+require_root() {
+    if [[ "${EUID:-$(id -u)}" -ne 0 ]]; then
+        die "must be run as root"
+    fi
+}
+
+log_hook() {
+    # Best-effort log write; never fail the caller because logging failed.
+    local msg="$1"
+    mkdir -p "$(dirname "$GUARD_LIB_LOG")" 2>/dev/null || true
+    printf '%s %s\n' "$(date -Is)" "$msg" >>"$GUARD_LIB_LOG" 2>/dev/null || true
+}
+
+require_name() {
+    local name="$1"
+    [[ -n "$name" ]] || die "instance name is required"
+    [[ "$name" =~ ^[A-Za-z0-9._-]+$ ]] || die "instance name '$name' has invalid characters"
+}
+
+target_conf_path() {
+    printf '%s/%s.conf' "$GUARD_LIB_TARGETS_DIR" "$1"
+}
+
+block_conf_path() {
+    printf '%s/%s.conf' "$GUARD_LIB_BLOCKS_DIR" "$1"
+}
+
+# Populates TARGET, CANONICAL, BIND_MOUNT, PLUGIN, ALSO_WATCH from a target
+# conf file. Fails loudly if the instance is not registered - callers must
+# not silently no-op on a missing config, since that is exactly the
+# silent-loss-of-protection failure mode this tool exists to avoid.
+# Sets these as global output vars for callers in file_guard.sh - shellcheck
+# can't see the cross-file usage, hence the disables below.
+# shellcheck disable=SC2034
+load_target_conf() {
+    local name="$1"
+    local conf
+    conf="$(target_conf_path "$name")"
+    [[ -f "$conf" ]] || die "no such file-guard instance: $name (missing $conf)"
+    TARGET=""
+    CANONICAL=""
+    BIND_MOUNT="no"
+    PLUGIN=""
+    ALSO_WATCH=""
+    # shellcheck source=/dev/null
+    source "$conf"
+    [[ -n "$TARGET" ]] || die "$conf did not set TARGET"
+    [[ -n "$CANONICAL" ]] || CANONICAL="$GUARD_LIB_CONF_DIR/canonical/$name"
+}
+
+# Sets global output vars PACKAGE/LOCK_FILE/FILE_GUARD_NAME for callers in
+# package_block.sh - same cross-file contract as load_target_conf above.
+# shellcheck disable=SC2034
+load_block_conf() {
+    local name="$1"
+    local conf
+    conf="$(block_conf_path "$name")"
+    [[ -f "$conf" ]] || die "no such package-block instance: $name (missing $conf)"
+    PACKAGE=""
+    LOCK_FILE=""
+    FILE_GUARD_NAME=""
+    # shellcheck source=/dev/null
+    source "$conf"
+    [[ -n "$PACKAGE" ]] || die "$conf did not set PACKAGE"
+    [[ -n "$LOCK_FILE" ]] || die "$conf did not set LOCK_FILE"
+}
+
+# Runs a plugin function if the plugin script defines it. No-op otherwise.
+plugin_call() {
+    local fn="$1"
+    if declare -f "$fn" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        "$fn"
+    fi
+}
+
+load_plugin() {
+    local plugin="$1"
+    if [[ -n "$plugin" ]]; then
+        [[ -f "$plugin" ]] || die "plugin script not found: $plugin"
+        # shellcheck source=/dev/null
+        source "$plugin"
+    fi
+}
+
+unlock_file() {
+    local path="$1"
+    [[ -e "$path" ]] || return 0
+    chattr -i -a "$path" 2>/dev/null || true
+}
+
+lock_file() {
+    local path="$1"
+    [[ -e "$path" ]] || return 0
+    chattr +i "$path" 2>/dev/null || log_hook "WARNING: chattr +i failed on $path (unsupported filesystem?)"
+}
+
+# Tears down a self-bind-mount read-only layer (see fg_bind_mount) so the
+# underlying file becomes writable again. A read-only bind mount blocks
+# writes and metadata changes (chattr included) at the VFS layer
+# regardless of the inode's own permissions/attributes, so this must run
+# before any write to a bind-mounted target - chattr alone is not enough.
+collapse_bind_mount() {
+    local path="$1"
+    local i=0
+    while mountpoint -q "$path" 2>/dev/null; do
+        umount -l "$path" 2>/dev/null || break
+        i=$((i + 1))
+        ((i > 20)) && break
+    done
+    # A while loop that exits via its (now-false) condition returns
+    # non-zero, which - combined with `set -e` and callers using
+    # `[[ COND ]] && collapse_bind_mount ...` - would silently abort the
+    # calling function right after a successful collapse. This is
+    # best-effort teardown; always report success to the caller.
+    return 0
+}
diff --git a/guard-lib/lib/file_guard.sh b/guard-lib/lib/file_guard.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fcb91fb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/guard-lib/lib/file_guard.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,350 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# guardctl file-guard subcommands. Sourced by guardctl, never executed directly.
+
+restore_from_canonical() {
+    local name="$1"
+    [[ -e "$CANONICAL" ]] || return 1
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2153 # BIND_MOUNT set by load_target_conf, not a typo
+    [[ "$BIND_MOUNT" == "yes" ]] && collapse_bind_mount "$TARGET"
+    unlock_file "$TARGET"
+    mkdir -p "$(dirname "$TARGET")"
+    cp --preserve=mode,ownership,timestamps "$CANONICAL" "$TARGET"
+    log_hook "file-guard $name: restored $TARGET from canonical (drift/missing detected)"
+}
+
+snapshot_canonical() {
+    local name="$1"
+    mkdir -p "$(dirname "$CANONICAL")"
+    unlock_file "$CANONICAL"
+    cp --preserve=mode,ownership,timestamps "$TARGET" "$CANONICAL"
+    lock_file "$CANONICAL"
+    log_hook "file-guard $name: snapshotted $TARGET as new canonical"
+}
+
+fg_ensure_templates_installed() {
+    for unit in guard-file@.path guard-file@.service guard-bind-mount@.service; do
+        [[ -f "$GUARD_LIB_SYSTEMD_DIR/$unit" ]] || \
+            die "missing $GUARD_LIB_SYSTEMD_DIR/$unit - run guard-lib's install.sh first"
+    done
+}
+
+fg_install() {
+    local name="$1"
+    shift
+    require_name "$name"
+    local target="" canonical="" bind_mount="no" plugin="" also_watch=()
+    while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
+        case "$1" in
+            --target) target="$2"; shift 2 ;;
+            --canonical) canonical="$2"; shift 2 ;;
+            --bind-mount) bind_mount="yes"; shift ;;
+            --plugin) plugin="$2"; shift 2 ;;
+            --also-watch) also_watch+=("$2"); shift 2 ;;
+            *) die "file-guard install: unknown argument '$1'" ;;
+        esac
+    done
+    [[ -n "$target" ]] || die "file-guard install: --target is required"
+    target="$(realpath -m "$target")"
+    [[ -n "$plugin" ]] && plugin="$(realpath -m "$plugin")"
+    require_root
+    fg_ensure_templates_installed
+
+    local conf
+    conf="$(target_conf_path "$name")"
+    [[ -f "$conf" ]] && die "file-guard instance '$name' already installed (uninstall it first)"
+    [[ -n "$canonical" ]] || canonical="$GUARD_LIB_CONF_DIR/canonical/$name"
+
+    mkdir -p "$GUARD_LIB_TARGETS_DIR" "$(dirname "$canonical")"
+    cat >"$conf" <<EOF
+TARGET="$target"
+CANONICAL="$canonical"
+BIND_MOUNT="$bind_mount"
+PLUGIN="$plugin"
+ALSO_WATCH="${also_watch[*]}"
+EOF
+
+    TARGET="$target"
+    CANONICAL="$canonical"
+    if [[ ! -e "$canonical" ]]; then
+        [[ -e "$target" ]] || die "file-guard install: target '$target' does not exist and no canonical to seed from"
+        snapshot_canonical "$name"
+    fi
+
+    mkdir -p "$GUARD_LIB_SYSTEMD_DIR/guard-file@$name.path.d"
+    {
+        echo "[Path]"
+        echo "PathModified=$target"
+        for w in "${also_watch[@]}"; do
+            echo "PathModified=$w"
+        done
+    } >"$GUARD_LIB_SYSTEMD_DIR/guard-file@$name.path.d/override.conf"
+
+    systemctl daemon-reload
+    systemctl enable --now "guard-file@$name.path"
+
+    if [[ "$bind_mount" == "yes" ]]; then
+        systemctl enable --now "guard-bind-mount@$name.service"
+    fi
+
+    fg_enforce "$name"
+    log_hook "file-guard $name: installed (target=$target bind_mount=$bind_mount)"
+    echo "installed file-guard '$name' for $target"
+}
+
+fg_enforce() {
+    local name="$1"
+    load_target_conf "$name"
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2153 # PLUGIN is set by load_target_conf, not a typo of local `plugin`
+    load_plugin "$PLUGIN"
+
+    plugin_call pre_action
+
+    if [[ ! -e "$TARGET" ]]; then
+        restore_from_canonical "$name" || die "cannot restore $TARGET: no canonical copy exists"
+    fi
+
+    local validated=1
+    if declare -f validate >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        if ! validate "$TARGET"; then
+            validated=0
+            if [[ -e "$CANONICAL" ]]; then
+                restore_from_canonical "$name"
+            else
+                plugin_call emergency_fix
+            fi
+            plugin_call post_restore_action
+        fi
+    fi
+
+    if [[ "$validated" -eq 1 ]]; then
+        if [[ -e "$CANONICAL" ]]; then
+            if ! cmp -s "$TARGET" "$CANONICAL"; then
+                restore_from_canonical "$name"
+                plugin_call post_restore_action
+            fi
+        else
+            snapshot_canonical "$name"
+        fi
+    fi
+
+    # Collapse before the final chattr dance too, not just for restores:
+    # if this instance is bind-mounted and already mounted read-only
+    # (e.g. every time enforce runs with no drift to restore), chattr
+    # itself fails against a read-only mount - silently leaving the
+    # target with no immutable flag at all.
+    [[ "$BIND_MOUNT" == "yes" ]] && collapse_bind_mount "$TARGET"
+    unlock_file "$TARGET"
+    lock_file "$TARGET"
+    [[ "$BIND_MOUNT" == "yes" ]] && _reapply_bind_mount "$name"
+    log_hook "file-guard $name: enforce ok"
+}
+
+fg_unlock() {
+    local name="$1"
+    require_root
+    load_target_conf "$name"
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2153 # PLUGIN set by load_target_conf, not a typo
+    load_plugin "$PLUGIN"
+    echo "About to unlock file-guard '$name' ($TARGET) for editing."
+    read -rp "Reason for unlocking: " reason
+    [[ -n "$reason" ]] || die "a reason is required"
+    log_hook "file-guard $name: UNLOCK requested by ${SUDO_USER:-$(whoami)}: $reason"
+    echo "Unlocking in 45s (Ctrl-C to abort)..."
+    sleep 45
+    # Stop the watcher before unlocking: chattr alone (no content write)
+    # fires PathModified, and the resulting enforce pass unconditionally
+    # re-locks the target even with no drift - which would silently
+    # re-lock this file out from under the editor. Confirmed live during
+    # the shutdown-schedule migration (see guard-lib project notes).
+    systemctl stop "guard-file@${name}.path" 2>/dev/null || true
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2153 # BIND_MOUNT set by load_target_conf, not a typo
+    [[ "$BIND_MOUNT" == "yes" ]] && collapse_bind_mount "$TARGET"
+    unlock_file "$TARGET"
+    log_hook "file-guard $name: unlocked for editing"
+
+    local before after
+    before="$(sha256sum "$TARGET" 2>/dev/null | awk '{print $1}')"
+    # Deliberately unquoted: $EDITOR commonly carries arguments (e.g.
+    # "code --wait", "emacsclient -t") that must be word-split.
+    ${EDITOR:-vi} "$TARGET"
+    after="$(sha256sum "$TARGET" 2>/dev/null | awk '{print $1}')"
+
+    if [[ "$before" != "$after" ]]; then
+        if declare -f validate >/dev/null 2>&1 && ! validate "$TARGET"; then
+            echo "New content fails this instance's validate() check - reverting your edit; canonical unchanged." >&2
+            log_hook "file-guard $name: edit REJECTED (failed validate), reverting to canonical"
+            [[ -e "$CANONICAL" ]] && cp --preserve=mode,ownership,timestamps "$CANONICAL" "$TARGET"
+        else
+            # Update canonical to match: without this, re-locking below
+            # fires the watcher, which would see the new content as
+            # "drift" against the stale canonical and silently revert
+            # this legitimate edit.
+            log_hook "file-guard $name: content changed, updating canonical"
+            unlock_file "$CANONICAL"
+            cp --preserve=mode,ownership,timestamps "$TARGET" "$CANONICAL"
+            lock_file "$CANONICAL"
+        fi
+    else
+        log_hook "file-guard $name: no content change"
+    fi
+
+    lock_file "$TARGET"
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2153 # BIND_MOUNT set by load_target_conf, not a typo
+    [[ "$BIND_MOUNT" == "yes" ]] && _reapply_bind_mount "$name"
+    systemctl start "guard-file@${name}.path" 2>/dev/null || true
+    log_hook "file-guard $name: re-locked after edit"
+    echo "Re-locked '$name'."
+}
+
+fg_uninstall() {
+    local name="$1"
+    shift
+    local keep_canonical=0
+    while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
+        case "$1" in
+            --keep-canonical) keep_canonical=1; shift ;;
+            *) die "file-guard uninstall: unknown argument '$1'" ;;
+        esac
+    done
+    require_root
+    load_target_conf "$name"
+    systemctl disable --now "guard-file@$name.path" 2>/dev/null || true
+    systemctl disable --now "guard-bind-mount@$name.service" 2>/dev/null || true
+    rm -rf "${GUARD_LIB_SYSTEMD_DIR:?}/guard-file@$name.path.d"
+    systemctl daemon-reload
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2153 # BIND_MOUNT set by load_target_conf, not a typo
+    [[ "$BIND_MOUNT" == "yes" ]] && collapse_bind_mount "$TARGET"
+    unlock_file "$TARGET"
+    if [[ "$keep_canonical" -eq 0 ]]; then
+        unlock_file "$CANONICAL"
+        rm -f "$CANONICAL"
+    fi
+    rm -f "$(target_conf_path "$name")"
+    log_hook "file-guard $name: uninstalled (keep_canonical=$keep_canonical)"
+    echo "uninstalled file-guard '$name'"
+}
+
+fg_status() {
+    local name="$1"
+    load_target_conf "$name"
+    echo "name: $name"
+    echo "target: $TARGET"
+    echo "canonical: $CANONICAL"
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2153 # BIND_MOUNT/PLUGIN/ALSO_WATCH set by load_target_conf, not typos
+    echo "bind_mount: $BIND_MOUNT"
+    echo "plugin: ${PLUGIN:-<none>}"
+    echo "also_watch: ${ALSO_WATCH:-<none>}"
+    if [[ -e "$TARGET" ]]; then
+        local attrs
+        attrs="$(lsattr "$TARGET" 2>/dev/null | awk '{print $1}')"
+        echo "target attrs: ${attrs:-unknown}"
+    else
+        echo "target: MISSING"
+    fi
+    local unit_state
+    unit_state="$(systemctl is-active "guard-file@$name.path" 2>/dev/null || true)"
+    echo "path unit: ${unit_state:-unknown}"
+}
+
+fg_canonical_path() {
+    # Machine-readable single-value output: the canonical path for an
+    # instance, so consumers with bespoke unlock flows (that can't go
+    # through `unlock`/`enforce` directly) don't have to hardcode or
+    # duplicate guard-lib's canonical-path convention.
+    local name="$1"
+    load_target_conf "$name"
+    echo "$CANONICAL"
+}
+
+fg_pacman_unlock() {
+    # Quiet, non-interactive unlock used only by the generic pacman
+    # PreTransaction hook - no typed reason, no editor. The pacman
+    # transaction itself is the sanctioned reason.
+    #
+    # Stops the path unit, not just chattr -i's the target: chattr alone
+    # fires PathModified, and if the watcher's enforce pass wins the race
+    # against pacman's own write, it silently re-locks the file before
+    # pacman gets to it, breaking the very transaction this hook exists
+    # to allow. Matches the pre-existing hosts-guard pacman hooks, which
+    # stop hosts-guard.path/nsswitch-guard.path/resolved-guard.path for
+    # the same reason.
+    local name="$1"
+    load_target_conf "$name"
+    systemctl stop "guard-file@${name}.path" 2>/dev/null || true
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2153 # BIND_MOUNT set by load_target_conf, not a typo
+    [[ "$BIND_MOUNT" == "yes" ]] && collapse_bind_mount "$TARGET"
+    unlock_file "$TARGET"
+    log_hook "file-guard $name: pacman-unlock (pre-transaction)"
+}
+
+fg_pacman_relock() {
+    # Counterpart to fg_pacman_unlock, used only by the generic pacman
+    # PostTransaction hook: re-enforce (drift-restore + chattr +i, and -
+    # if this instance is bind-mounted - re-establish the read-only
+    # bind mount, since fg_enforce does that itself now) then restart
+    # the path unit that pacman-unlock stopped.
+    local name="$1"
+    fg_enforce "$name"
+    systemctl start "guard-file@${name}.path" 2>/dev/null || true
+    log_hook "file-guard $name: pacman-relock (post-transaction)"
+}
+
+fg_sync_canonical() {
+    # Counterpart to fg_pacman_unlock for callers that legitimately EDITED
+    # the target (not pacman's own hook flow, which wants drift reverted).
+    # Adopts the target's current content as the new canonical, instead of
+    # fg_enforce's drift-check-and-revert - which would otherwise silently
+    # undo the very edit the caller just made. Assumes the watcher was
+    # already stopped by a prior fg_pacman_unlock; does not stop it itself.
+    local name="$1"
+    load_target_conf "$name"
+    snapshot_canonical "$name"
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2153 # BIND_MOUNT set by load_target_conf, not a typo
+    [[ "$BIND_MOUNT" == "yes" ]] && collapse_bind_mount "$TARGET"
+    unlock_file "$TARGET"
+    lock_file "$TARGET"
+    [[ "$BIND_MOUNT" == "yes" ]] && _reapply_bind_mount "$name"
+    systemctl start "guard-file@${name}.path" 2>/dev/null || true
+    log_hook "file-guard $name: synced canonical to current content"
+}
+
+# Self-bind-mounts TARGET over itself, then remounts that layer
+# read-only. This is a mount-level lock independent of chattr: even a
+# successful `chattr -i` bypass still can't write through a read-only
+# mount. Deliberately does NOT bind CANONICAL over TARGET - that would
+# merge them onto the same inode, so chattr/writes to either would hit
+# both and "restore from canonical" would become meaningless.
+_reapply_bind_mount() {
+    local name="$1"
+    if mountpoint -q "$TARGET" 2>/dev/null; then
+        return 0
+    fi
+    mount --bind "$TARGET" "$TARGET"
+    mount -o remount,ro,bind "$TARGET"
+    log_hook "file-guard $name: bind-mounted $TARGET read-only"
+}
+
+fg_bind_mount() {
+    local name="$1"
+    require_root
+    load_target_conf "$name"
+    _reapply_bind_mount "$name"
+}
+
+file_guard_main() {
+    local sub="$1"
+    shift || true
+    case "$sub" in
+        install) fg_install "$@" ;;
+        enforce) fg_enforce "$@" ;;
+        unlock) fg_unlock "$@" ;;
+        pacman-unlock) fg_pacman_unlock "$@" ;;
+        uninstall) fg_uninstall "$@" ;;
+        status) fg_status "$@" ;;
+        canonical-path) fg_canonical_path "$@" ;;
+        bind-mount) fg_bind_mount "$@" ;;
+        pacman-relock) fg_pacman_relock "$@" ;;
+        sync) fg_sync_canonical "$@" ;;
+        *) die "file-guard: unknown subcommand '$sub' (expected install|enforce|unlock|pacman-unlock|pacman-relock|sync|uninstall|status|canonical-path|bind-mount)" ;;
+    esac
+}
diff --git a/guard-lib/lib/package_block.sh b/guard-lib/lib/package_block.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d510f25
--- /dev/null
+++ b/guard-lib/lib/package_block.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,148 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# guardctl package-block subcommands. Sourced by guardctl, never executed directly.
+
+pb_hook_path() {
+    printf '%s/guard-lib-block-%s.hook' "$GUARD_LIB_PACMAN_HOOKS_DIR" "$1"
+}
+
+pb_start() {
+    local name="$1"
+    shift
+    require_name "$name"
+    local package="" lock_file="" days="" bind_mount_args=()
+    while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
+        case "$1" in
+            --package) package="$2"; shift 2 ;;
+            --lock-file) lock_file="$2"; shift 2 ;;
+            --days) days="$2"; shift 2 ;;
+            --bind-mount) bind_mount_args=(--bind-mount); shift ;;
+            *) die "package-block start: unknown argument '$1'" ;;
+        esac
+    done
+    [[ -n "$package" ]] || die "package-block start: --package is required"
+    [[ -n "$lock_file" ]] || die "package-block start: --lock-file is required"
+    [[ "$days" =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]] || die "package-block start: --days must be a positive integer"
+    require_root
+
+    local conf
+    conf="$(block_conf_path "$name")"
+    [[ -f "$conf" ]] && die "package-block instance '$name' already active (end it first)"
+
+    lock_file="$(realpath -m "$lock_file")"
+    local started_at until
+    started_at="$(date +%s)"
+    until=$((started_at + days * 86400))
+
+    mkdir -p "$(dirname "$lock_file")"
+    jq -n --argjson started_at "$started_at" --argjson until "$until" --argjson days "$days" \
+        '{started_at: $started_at, until: $until, days: $days}' >"$lock_file"
+
+    local fg_name="${name}-lock"
+    fg_install "$fg_name" --target "$lock_file" "${bind_mount_args[@]}"
+
+    mkdir -p "$GUARD_LIB_BLOCKS_DIR"
+    cat >"$conf" <<EOF
+PACKAGE="$package"
+LOCK_FILE="$lock_file"
+FILE_GUARD_NAME="$fg_name"
+EOF
+
+    mkdir -p "$GUARD_LIB_PACMAN_HOOKS_DIR"
+    cat >"$(pb_hook_path "$name")" <<EOF
+[Trigger]
+Operation = Install
+Operation = Upgrade
+Type = Package
+Target = $package
+
+[Action]
+Description = guard-lib: package-block '$name' guarding $package
+When = PreTransaction
+Exec = $GUARD_LIB_BIN package-block check $name
+AbortOnFail
+EOF
+
+    log_hook "package-block $name: started, blocking '$package' until $(date -d "@$until" -Is)"
+    echo "package-block '$name' active: '$package' blocked until $(date -d "@$until")"
+}
+
+pb_check() {
+    local name="$1"
+    local conf
+    conf="$(block_conf_path "$name")"
+    if [[ ! -f "$conf" ]]; then
+        log_hook "package-block $name: WARNING check ran with no registered instance, allowing (fail-open)"
+        return 0
+    fi
+    load_block_conf "$name"
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2153 # LOCK_FILE/PACKAGE set by load_block_conf, not typos
+    if [[ ! -f "$LOCK_FILE" ]]; then
+        log_hook "package-block $name: WARNING lock file missing, allowing (fail-open)"
+        return 0
+    fi
+    local until
+    until="$(jq -r '.until // empty' "$LOCK_FILE" 2>/dev/null)"
+    if [[ ! "$until" =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]]; then
+        log_hook "package-block $name: WARNING lock file malformed, allowing (fail-open)"
+        return 0
+    fi
+    local now
+    now="$(date +%s)"
+    if [[ "$now" -lt "$until" ]]; then
+        # shellcheck disable=SC2153 # PACKAGE set by load_block_conf, not a typo
+        echo "guard-lib: '$PACKAGE' is blocked by package-block '$name' until $(date -d "@$until")." >&2
+        echo "guard-lib: this is intentional and cannot be lifted by a pacman transaction." >&2
+        log_hook "package-block $name: BLOCKED transaction against $PACKAGE (until $until)"
+        return 1
+    fi
+    log_hook "package-block $name: lock expired ($until <= $now), allowing"
+    return 0
+}
+
+pb_status() {
+    local name="$1"
+    load_block_conf "$name"
+    echo "name: $name"
+    echo "package: $PACKAGE"
+    echo "lock file: $LOCK_FILE"
+    if [[ -f "$LOCK_FILE" ]]; then
+        local until now
+        until="$(jq -r '.until // empty' "$LOCK_FILE" 2>/dev/null)"
+        now="$(date +%s)"
+        if [[ "$until" =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]]; then
+            if [[ "$now" -lt "$until" ]]; then
+                echo "status: active, blocked until $(date -d "@$until")"
+            else
+                echo "status: expired at $(date -d "@$until") (run 'package-block end $name' to clean up)"
+            fi
+        else
+            echo "status: lock file malformed"
+        fi
+    else
+        echo "status: lock file missing"
+    fi
+}
+
+pb_end() {
+    local name="$1"
+    require_root
+    load_block_conf "$name"
+    rm -f "$(pb_hook_path "$name")"
+    fg_uninstall "$FILE_GUARD_NAME"
+    rm -f "$LOCK_FILE"
+    rm -f "$(block_conf_path "$name")"
+    log_hook "package-block $name: ended (package=$PACKAGE)"
+    echo "package-block '$name' ended; '$PACKAGE' is no longer blocked by guard-lib"
+}
+
+package_block_main() {
+    local sub="$1"
+    shift || true
+    case "$sub" in
+        start) pb_start "$@" ;;
+        check) pb_check "$@" ;;
+        status) pb_status "$@" ;;
+        end) pb_end "$@" ;;
+        *) die "package-block: unknown subcommand '$sub' (expected start|check|status|end)" ;;
+    esac
+}
diff --git a/guard-lib/pacman-hooks/10-guard-lib-unlock-all.hook b/guard-lib/pacman-hooks/10-guard-lib-unlock-all.hook
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6818b45
--- /dev/null
+++ b/guard-lib/pacman-hooks/10-guard-lib-unlock-all.hook
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+[Trigger]
+Operation = Upgrade
+Operation = Install
+Operation = Remove
+Type = Package
+Target = *
+
+[Action]
+Description = guard-lib: unlocking protected files before pacman transaction
+When = PreTransaction
+Exec = /bin/bash /etc/guard-lib/pacman-hooks/guard-lib-unlock-all.sh
+NeedsTargets
diff --git a/guard-lib/pacman-hooks/90-guard-lib-relock-all.hook b/guard-lib/pacman-hooks/90-guard-lib-relock-all.hook
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d8292b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/guard-lib/pacman-hooks/90-guard-lib-relock-all.hook
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+[Trigger]
+Operation = Upgrade
+Operation = Install
+Operation = Remove
+Type = Package
+Target = *
+
+[Action]
+Description = guard-lib: re-locking protected files after pacman transaction
+When = PostTransaction
+Exec = /bin/bash /etc/guard-lib/pacman-hooks/guard-lib-relock-all.sh
+NeedsTargets
diff --git a/guard-lib/pacman-hooks/guard-lib-relock-all.sh b/guard-lib/pacman-hooks/guard-lib-relock-all.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..b0248e5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/guard-lib/pacman-hooks/guard-lib-relock-all.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# PostTransaction hook script: re-enforce every registered file-guard
+# instance (restores drift if pacman legitimately rewrote the file, then
+# re-locks it). Same fail-open discipline as guard-lib-unlock-all.sh - a
+# single broken instance logs a warning and the loop continues.
+set -uo pipefail
+
+TARGETS_DIR="${GUARD_LIB_TARGETS_DIR:-/etc/guard-lib/targets}"
+GUARDCTL="${GUARD_LIB_BIN:-/usr/local/bin/guardctl}"
+
+if [[ -d "$TARGETS_DIR" ]]; then
+    for conf in "$TARGETS_DIR"/*.conf; do
+        [[ -e "$conf" ]] || continue
+        name="$(basename "$conf" .conf)"
+        "$GUARDCTL" file-guard pacman-relock "$name" 2>/dev/null || \
+            echo "guard-lib: WARNING failed to re-lock '$name' after transaction (continuing)" >&2
+    done
+fi
+
+exit 0
diff --git a/guard-lib/pacman-hooks/guard-lib-unlock-all.sh b/guard-lib/pacman-hooks/guard-lib-unlock-all.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..dd6f71a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/guard-lib/pacman-hooks/guard-lib-unlock-all.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# PreTransaction hook script: quiet-unlock every registered file-guard
+# instance so pacman can write through to files it legitimately manages
+# (e.g. nsswitch.conf on a glibc upgrade, resolved.conf on a systemd
+# upgrade). Deliberately never aborts: one broken instance config must not
+# block every pacman transaction on the system, which is a much worse
+# outcome than a guarded file briefly going unprotected mid-transaction
+# (relock-all in PostTransaction restores it).
+set -uo pipefail
+
+TARGETS_DIR="${GUARD_LIB_TARGETS_DIR:-/etc/guard-lib/targets}"
+GUARDCTL="${GUARD_LIB_BIN:-/usr/local/bin/guardctl}"
+
+if [[ -d "$TARGETS_DIR" ]]; then
+    for conf in "$TARGETS_DIR"/*.conf; do
+        [[ -e "$conf" ]] || continue
+        name="$(basename "$conf" .conf)"
+        "$GUARDCTL" file-guard pacman-unlock "$name" 2>/dev/null || \
+            echo "guard-lib: WARNING failed to unlock '$name' before transaction (continuing)" >&2
+    done
+fi
+
+exit 0
diff --git a/guard-lib/systemd/guard-bind-mount@.service b/guard-lib/systemd/guard-bind-mount@.service
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6b0a02a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/guard-lib/systemd/guard-bind-mount@.service
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=guard-lib bind-mount enforcement for %i
+After=local-fs.target
+Before=network-pre.target
+
+[Service]
+Type=oneshot
+RemainAfterExit=yes
+ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/guardctl file-guard bind-mount %i
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=multi-user.target
diff --git a/guard-lib/systemd/guard-file@.path b/guard-lib/systemd/guard-file@.path
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8bfd821
--- /dev/null
+++ b/guard-lib/systemd/guard-file@.path
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=guard-lib file-guard watcher for %i
+# PathModified= for this instance is supplied by a drop-in written at
+# `guardctl file-guard install` time, under guard-file@%i.path.d/override.conf.
+# This template unit is never started directly without that drop-in.
+
+[Path]
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=multi-user.target
diff --git a/guard-lib/systemd/guard-file@.service b/guard-lib/systemd/guard-file@.service
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4883880
--- /dev/null
+++ b/guard-lib/systemd/guard-file@.service
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+[Unit]
+Description=guard-lib file-guard enforcement for %i
+
+[Service]
+Type=oneshot
+ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/guardctl file-guard enforce %i
diff --git a/guard-lib/verify-stage1.sh b/guard-lib/verify-stage1.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..6a21891
--- /dev/null
+++ b/guard-lib/verify-stage1.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,183 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# Live root verification for guard-lib Stage 1: proves file-guard and
+# package-block actually work against a real target and real pacman
+# transactions before Stage 2 touches anything in /etc that matters
+# (hosts, nsswitch, resolved). Must be run as root. Always cleans up
+# after itself (throwaway target + test packages), whether checks pass
+# or fail, so it is safe to re-run.
+set -uo pipefail
+
+if [[ $EUID -ne 0 ]]; then
+    echo "verify-stage1.sh must be run as root: sudo $0" >&2
+    exit 1
+fi
+
+SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
+TEST_TARGET=/etc/guard-test-file
+FG_NAME=dummy-test
+PB_NAME=steam-test
+PB_LOCK=/etc/guard-lib/blocks/steam-test-lock.json
+HARMLESS_PKG=cowsay
+BLOCKED_TEST_PKG=sl
+
+PASS_COUNT=0
+FAIL_COUNT=0
+FAILURES=()
+CLEANUP_DONE=0
+
+step() {
+    echo
+    echo "=== $1 ==="
+}
+
+pass() {
+    PASS_COUNT=$((PASS_COUNT + 1))
+    echo "  PASS: $1"
+}
+
+fail() {
+    FAIL_COUNT=$((FAIL_COUNT + 1))
+    FAILURES+=("$1")
+    echo "  FAIL: $1"
+}
+
+cleanup() {
+    [[ "$CLEANUP_DONE" -eq 1 ]] && return
+    CLEANUP_DONE=1
+    step "Cleanup"
+    guardctl package-block end "$PB_NAME" >/dev/null 2>&1 && echo "  ended package-block '$PB_NAME'" || true
+    guardctl file-guard uninstall "$FG_NAME" >/dev/null 2>&1 && echo "  uninstalled file-guard '$FG_NAME'" || true
+    rm -f "$TEST_TARGET"
+    pacman -Qi "$BLOCKED_TEST_PKG" >/dev/null 2>&1 && pacman -R --noconfirm "$BLOCKED_TEST_PKG" >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+    pacman -Qi "$HARMLESS_PKG" >/dev/null 2>&1 && pacman -R --noconfirm "$HARMLESS_PKG" >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+    echo "  removed $TEST_TARGET, $HARMLESS_PKG, $BLOCKED_TEST_PKG"
+}
+trap cleanup EXIT INT TERM
+
+step "1. Install guard-lib"
+if "$SCRIPT_DIR/install.sh"; then
+    pass "install.sh ran cleanly"
+else
+    fail "install.sh failed"
+fi
+
+step "2. Install file-guard on a throwaway target"
+echo "hello" >"$TEST_TARGET"
+if guardctl file-guard install "$FG_NAME" --target "$TEST_TARGET"; then
+    pass "file-guard install succeeded"
+else
+    fail "file-guard install failed"
+fi
+
+attrs="$(lsattr "$TEST_TARGET" 2>/dev/null | awk '{print $1}')"
+if [[ "$attrs" == *i* ]]; then
+    pass "target is immutable after install (attrs: $attrs)"
+else
+    fail "target is NOT immutable after install (attrs: $attrs)"
+fi
+
+step "3. Tamper the target and confirm auto-revert"
+chattr -i "$TEST_TARGET" 2>/dev/null || true
+echo "TAMPERED" >"$TEST_TARGET"
+sleep 2
+content="$(cat "$TEST_TARGET" 2>/dev/null || echo '<missing>')"
+if [[ "$content" == "hello" ]]; then
+    pass "content auto-reverted to canonical after tamper"
+else
+    fail "content did NOT revert (got: '$content')"
+fi
+
+attrs="$(lsattr "$TEST_TARGET" 2>/dev/null | awk '{print $1}')"
+if [[ "$attrs" == *i* ]]; then
+    pass "target re-locked (immutable) after revert"
+else
+    fail "target NOT re-locked after revert (attrs: $attrs)"
+fi
+
+step "3b. file-guard unlock: legitimate edit updates canonical and survives re-enforce"
+FAKE_EDITOR="$(mktemp)"
+cat >"$FAKE_EDITOR" <<'EOF'
+#!/bin/bash
+echo "hello-edited" >"$1"
+EOF
+chmod +x "$FAKE_EDITOR"
+if EDITOR="$FAKE_EDITOR" guardctl file-guard unlock "$FG_NAME" <<<"verify-stage1 test"; then
+    pass "file-guard unlock completed"
+else
+    fail "file-guard unlock exited non-zero"
+fi
+content="$(cat "$TEST_TARGET" 2>/dev/null || echo '<missing>')"
+if [[ "$content" == "hello-edited" ]]; then
+    pass "unlock edit applied to target"
+else
+    fail "unlock edit NOT applied to target (got: '$content')"
+fi
+canonical_content="$(cat "$(guardctl file-guard canonical-path "$FG_NAME")" 2>/dev/null || echo '<missing>')"
+if [[ "$canonical_content" == "hello-edited" ]]; then
+    pass "unlock updated canonical to match edit"
+else
+    fail "canonical NOT updated after unlock (got: '$canonical_content') - legitimate edits would be reverted by the watcher"
+fi
+sleep 2
+content_after_wait="$(cat "$TEST_TARGET" 2>/dev/null || echo '<missing>')"
+if [[ "$content_after_wait" == "hello-edited" ]]; then
+    pass "edit survives after re-enforce (not reverted)"
+else
+    fail "edit was reverted after unlock (got: '$content_after_wait')"
+fi
+rm -f "$FAKE_EDITOR"
+
+step "4. Confirm a harmless pacman transaction still works (critical: generic hook must not brick pacman)"
+echo "  (showing pacman's own output live - a slow mirror can take a minute or two, this is not a hang)"
+if pacman -S --noconfirm --needed "$HARMLESS_PKG"; then
+    pass "pacman -S $HARMLESS_PKG succeeded"
+else
+    fail "pacman -S $HARMLESS_PKG FAILED - the generic unlock-all/relock-all hook may be broken"
+fi
+if pacman -R --noconfirm "$HARMLESS_PKG"; then
+    pass "pacman -R $HARMLESS_PKG succeeded (cleanup)"
+else
+    fail "pacman -R $HARMLESS_PKG failed (test package may be left installed)"
+fi
+
+step "5. package-block: block install of a throwaway package"
+if guardctl package-block start "$PB_NAME" --package "$BLOCKED_TEST_PKG" --lock-file "$PB_LOCK" --days 1; then
+    pass "package-block start succeeded"
+else
+    fail "package-block start failed"
+fi
+
+echo "  (expecting this install to be ABORTED by the package-block hook)"
+if pacman -S --noconfirm "$BLOCKED_TEST_PKG"; then
+    fail "pacman -S $BLOCKED_TEST_PKG succeeded while blocked (should have been aborted)"
+else
+    pass "pacman -S $BLOCKED_TEST_PKG was blocked as expected"
+fi
+
+step "6. package-block: end restores normal installs"
+if guardctl package-block end "$PB_NAME"; then
+    pass "package-block end succeeded"
+else
+    fail "package-block end failed"
+fi
+
+if pacman -S --noconfirm --needed "$BLOCKED_TEST_PKG"; then
+    pass "pacman -S $BLOCKED_TEST_PKG succeeded after block ended"
+else
+    fail "pacman -S $BLOCKED_TEST_PKG FAILED after block ended (should be allowed now)"
+fi
+
+cleanup
+
+echo
+echo "=================================================="
+echo "Stage 1 live verification: $PASS_COUNT passed, $FAIL_COUNT failed"
+if [[ "$FAIL_COUNT" -gt 0 ]]; then
+    echo "Failures:"
+    for f in "${FAILURES[@]}"; do
+        echo "  - $f"
+    done
+    exit 1
+fi
+echo "ALL STAGE 1 LIVE CHECKS PASSED"
+exit 0