diff --git a/notes/pr6_update_summary.md b/notes/pr6_update_summary.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7d217ae15a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/notes/pr6_update_summary.md
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+# PR #6 Update Summary
+
+## What this PR adds
+
+- an external-handoff intake plan for the selected Runpod path
+- a resume contract that preserves the unchanged TPI-004 execution commands
+- a handoff decision surface for whether execution can resume immediately
+- an explicit absent-state record when no new provider handoff arrives
+
+## What still remains
+
+- concrete external provider handoff data
+- verified landing in `/workspace/parameter-golf`
+- actual resume of the TPI-004 evidence pass
+
+## First required external handoff
+
+The next turn should begin from the exact provider-supplied attach / SSH route and immediately try to verify landing in `/workspace/parameter-golf`.
+
+## This turn's outcome
+
+- no new external handoff data was present
+- no attach or landing verification was attempted
+- no local provider discovery was reopened
+- TPI-004 remains paused behind the same external handoff requirement
diff --git a/notes/tpi_007_handoff_decision.md b/notes/tpi_007_handoff_decision.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3afc2b58a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/notes/tpi_007_handoff_decision.md
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+# TPI-007 Handoff Decision
+
+## Status
+
+absent
+
+## Objective
+
+Record whether concrete external provider handoff data has been received and whether the unchanged TPI-004 evidence pass can now resume.
+
+## Required decision fields
+
+- handoff package received or not: not received
+- landing path verified or not: not verified
+- TPI-004 resume ready or not: not ready
+
+## Classification
+
+- `accepted`
+- `partial`
+- `absent`
+
+## External handoff package received
+
+- no
+
+## Concrete handoff data received
+
+- none in this turn
+
+## Landing verification
+
+- attempted: no
+- `/workspace/parameter-golf` verified: no
+
+## Resume readiness
+
+- `resume_ready: false`
+
+## Classification result
+
+- `absent`
+
+## Interpretation
+
+- No new provider-supplied attach command, SSH tuple, endpoint, username, port, or pod id was provided in this turn.
+- TPI-007 therefore stops at intake gating rather than reopening local discovery.
+- TPI-004 remains suspended behind the same external handoff requirement.
+
+## Minimum package required for acceptance
+
+- exact provider-supplied attach command, or
+- exact SSH tuple with host, username, and port, plus
+- pod identifier or display name, and
+- expected landing path confirmation for `/workspace/parameter-golf`
+
+## Resume condition
+
+TPI-004 should resume immediately once the handoff package is concrete enough to attach and verify `/workspace/parameter-golf`.
diff --git a/notes/tpi_007_handoff_intake.md b/notes/tpi_007_handoff_intake.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9e10f78d7b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/notes/tpi_007_handoff_intake.md
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+# TPI-007 Handoff Intake
+
+## Objective
+
+Accept concrete external provider handoff data and use it immediately to resume the suspended TPI-004 evidence pass.
+
+## Public-facing name
+
+`MonkeyModel_EvalFirst_HandoffIntake`
+
+## Required external handoff fields
+
+- pod identifier or display name
+- host / endpoint
+- exact attach or SSH command
+- username
+- port (if needed)
+- expected landing path
+
+## Acceptance rule
+
+Only concrete provider-supplied handoff data counts as progress in this loop. Repeating local discovery without new external data does not.
+
+## Intake result for this turn
+
+- external handoff package received: no
+- concrete provider-supplied attach command received: no
+- concrete SSH tuple received: no
+- landing-path verification attempted: no
+
+## Interpretation
+
+- No new external handoff data was present in this turn's user request.
+- No new concrete attach route was embedded in the current branch notes.
+- Per TPI-007 scope, no new local discovery was started.
+
+## Resume target
+
+If the handoff is sufficient, the next immediate action is:
+1. attach
+2. verify landing in `/workspace/parameter-golf`
+3. resume the unchanged TPI-004 baseline/candidate evidence pass
diff --git a/notes/tpi_007_resume_contract.md b/notes/tpi_007_resume_contract.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a1c43e158b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/notes/tpi_007_resume_contract.md
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+# TPI-007 Resume Contract
+
+## Objective
+
+Describe the minimum concrete external handoff needed to resume the unchanged TPI-004 evidence pass.
+
+## Required handoff package
+
+- pod identifier or display name
+- host / endpoint
+- exact attach or SSH command
+- username
+- port (if needed)
+- expected landing path
+
+## First commands after successful handoff
+
+```bash
+pwd
+ls /workspace
+cd /workspace/parameter-golf
+git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD
+python3 -c "import torch, datasets, sentencepiece; print('deps-ok')"
+nvidia-smi
+```
+
+## Resume commands after verification
+
+### Baseline
+```bash
+RUN_ID=tpi004_baseline_stride1024 \
+DATA_PATH=/workspace/parameter-golf/data/datasets/fineweb10B_sp1024/ \
+TOKENIZER_PATH=/workspace/parameter-golf/data/tokenizers/fineweb_1024_bpe.model \
+VOCAB_SIZE=1024 \
+TRAIN_SEQ_LEN=1024 \
+EVAL_STRIDE=1024 \
+MAX_WALLCLOCK_SECONDS=600 \
+TRAIN_LOG_EVERY=50 \
+VAL_LOSS_EVERY=200 \
+torchrun --standalone --nproc_per_node=1 train_gpt.py
+```
+
+### Candidate
+```bash
+RUN_ID=tpi004_candidate_stride128 \
+DATA_PATH=/workspace/parameter-golf/data/datasets/fineweb10B_sp1024/ \
+TOKENIZER_PATH=/workspace/parameter-golf/data/tokenizers/fineweb_1024_bpe.model \
+VOCAB_SIZE=1024 \
+TRAIN_SEQ_LEN=1024 \
+EVAL_STRIDE=128 \
+MAX_WALLCLOCK_SECONDS=600 \
+TRAIN_LOG_EVERY=50 \
+VAL_LOSS_EVERY=200 \
+torchrun --standalone --nproc_per_node=1 train_gpt.py
+```
+
+## Gate
+
+Do not reopen environment-selection or provider-discovery work if the concrete handoff package is provided and valid. Resume execution immediately.
+
+## Current turn status
+
+- handoff package present: no
+- attach may be attempted this turn: no
+- landing verification may be attempted this turn: no
+- TPI-004 unchanged resume may start this turn: no
+
+## Absence rule
+
+If the turn contains no new provider-supplied handoff data, stop at the decision note and preserve the unchanged TPI-004 execution contract for the next intake turn.
diff --git a/runs/TPI-004/run_notes.md b/runs/TPI-004/run_notes.md
index 140882f7f5..517f3463cf 100644
--- a/runs/TPI-004/run_notes.md
+++ b/runs/TPI-004/run_notes.md
@@ -110,3 +110,13 @@ blocked before pod attachment
   - no username or port found
 - implication:
   - TPI-004 remains blocked on external provider handoff, not on the eval-first monkey-model branch itself
+
+## TPI-007 external handoff gate update
+
+- branch checked for intake gate: `exp/eval-first-007`
+- current local commit during intake gating: `fd91b709ee29c7126a76ddc7a8df594eb769c6e7`
+- new external handoff package in this turn: no
+- attach attempted: no
+- landing verification attempted: no
+- implication:
+  - TPI-004 remains paused unchanged until one concrete provider-supplied attach route is handed in