diff --git a/scripts/validate-qa-runtime-pair-summary.mjs b/scripts/validate-qa-runtime-pair-summary.mjs
index f8c34519b140..74b9a32babcf 100644
--- a/scripts/validate-qa-runtime-pair-summary.mjs
+++ b/scripts/validate-qa-runtime-pair-summary.mjs
@@ -14,51 +14,50 @@ const HARD_RUNTIME_ERROR_CLASSES = new Set([
   "capture-missing",
 ]);
 const EXPLICIT_CODEX_GAP_PREFIXES = ["known-harness-gap ", "codex-native-workspace "];
-const FROZEN_RUNTIME_PAIR_MANIFESTS = new Map([
-  [
-    "311047822ecdde24e824d839ab105ef08f17be00:core",
-    {
-      scenarioIds: [
-        "instruction-followthrough-repo-contract",
-        "subagent-fanout-synthesis",
-        "subagent-handoff",
-        "subagent-stale-child-links",
-        "config-restart-capability-flip",
-        "image-understanding-attachment",
-        "memory-recall",
-        "thread-memory-isolation",
-        "model-switch-tool-continuity",
-        "approval-turn-tool-followthrough",
-        "codex-plugin-pinned-new",
-        "codex-plugin-pinned-old",
-        "compaction-retry-mutating-tool",
-        "runtime-first-hour-20-turn",
-        "runtime-tool-apply-patch",
-        "runtime-tool-bash",
-        "runtime-tool-edit",
-        "runtime-tool-exec",
-        "runtime-tool-fs-list",
-        "runtime-tool-fs-read",
-        "runtime-tool-fs-write",
-        "runtime-tool-grep",
-        "runtime-tool-session-status",
-        "runtime-tool-sessions-spawn",
-        "runtime-tool-web-fetch",
-        "runtime-tool-web-search",
-        "source-docs-discovery-report",
-      ],
-      gapScenarioIds: [
-        "runtime-tool-apply-patch",
-        "runtime-tool-bash",
-        "runtime-tool-edit",
-        "runtime-tool-exec",
-        "runtime-tool-fs-list",
-        "runtime-tool-fs-read",
-        "runtime-tool-fs-write",
-        "runtime-tool-grep",
-      ],
-    },
+const FROZEN_CORE_RUNTIME_PAIR_MANIFEST = {
+  scenarioIds: [
+    "instruction-followthrough-repo-contract",
+    "subagent-fanout-synthesis",
+    "subagent-handoff",
+    "subagent-stale-child-links",
+    "config-restart-capability-flip",
+    "image-understanding-attachment",
+    "memory-recall",
+    "thread-memory-isolation",
+    "model-switch-tool-continuity",
+    "approval-turn-tool-followthrough",
+    "codex-plugin-pinned-new",
+    "codex-plugin-pinned-old",
+    "compaction-retry-mutating-tool",
+    "runtime-first-hour-20-turn",
+    "runtime-tool-apply-patch",
+    "runtime-tool-bash",
+    "runtime-tool-edit",
+    "runtime-tool-exec",
+    "runtime-tool-fs-list",
+    "runtime-tool-fs-read",
+    "runtime-tool-fs-write",
+    "runtime-tool-grep",
+    "runtime-tool-session-status",
+    "runtime-tool-sessions-spawn",
+    "runtime-tool-web-fetch",
+    "runtime-tool-web-search",
+    "source-docs-discovery-report",
   ],
+  gapScenarioIds: [
+    "runtime-tool-apply-patch",
+    "runtime-tool-bash",
+    "runtime-tool-edit",
+    "runtime-tool-exec",
+    "runtime-tool-fs-list",
+    "runtime-tool-fs-read",
+    "runtime-tool-fs-write",
+    "runtime-tool-grep",
+  ],
+};
+const FROZEN_RUNTIME_PAIR_MANIFESTS = new Map([
+  ["311047822ecdde24e824d839ab105ef08f17be00:core", FROZEN_CORE_RUNTIME_PAIR_MANIFEST],
+  ["c37af96b18776fecc9e24268f27fc89b563481bf:core", FROZEN_CORE_RUNTIME_PAIR_MANIFEST],
 ]);
 
 function isRecord(value) {
diff --git a/test/scripts/validate-qa-runtime-pair-summary.test.ts b/test/scripts/validate-qa-runtime-pair-summary.test.ts
index 01ca4cf1cf11..27dd95c3a988 100644
--- a/test/scripts/validate-qa-runtime-pair-summary.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/validate-qa-runtime-pair-summary.test.ts
@@ -224,14 +224,32 @@ describe("frozen QA runtime-pair summary validation", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it.each(["311047822ecdde24e824d839ab105ef08f17be00", "c37af96b18776fecc9e24268f27fc89b563481bf"])(
+    "accepts the exact frozen core manifest for %s",
+    (targetSha) => {
+      const fixture = frozenCoreSummary();
+      expect(
+        validateQaRuntimePairSummary(fixture, {
+          requireExplicitGap: true,
+          targetSha,
+          lane: "core",
+        }),
+      ).toMatchObject({ skipped: 8 });
+    },
+  );
+
+  it("rejects an arbitrary target with otherwise identical frozen evidence", () => {
+    expect(() =>
+      validateQaRuntimePairSummary(frozenCoreSummary(), {
+        requireExplicitGap: true,
+        targetSha: "0000000000000000000000000000000000000000",
+        lane: "core",
+      }),
+    ).toThrow("trusted frozen-lane manifest");
+  });
+
   it("pins the exact frozen scenarios that may use the explicit gap exception", () => {
-    const options = {
-      requireExplicitGap: true,
-      targetSha: "311047822ecdde24e824d839ab105ef08f17be00",
-      lane: "core",
-    };
     const fixture = frozenCoreSummary();
-    expect(validateQaRuntimePairSummary(fixture, options)).toMatchObject({ skipped: 8 });
 
     const expectedGap = fixture.scenarios.find(
       (entry) => entry.runtimeParity.scenarioId === "runtime-tool-apply-patch",
@@ -248,9 +266,13 @@ describe("frozen QA runtime-pair summary validation", () => {
     unrelated.runtimeParity.cells.codex.status = "skip";
     unrelated.runtimeParity.cells.codex.details = "known-harness-gap exec: tracked";
 
-    expect(() => validateQaRuntimePairSummary(fixture, options)).toThrow(
-      "trusted frozen-lane manifest",
-    );
+    expect(() =>
+      validateQaRuntimePairSummary(fixture, {
+        requireExplicitGap: true,
+        targetSha: "c37af96b18776fecc9e24268f27fc89b563481bf",
+        lane: "core",
+      }),
+    ).toThrow("trusted frozen-lane manifest");
   });
 
   it("cross-checks generated report JSON and Markdown", () => {