diff --git a/.github/workflows/dogfood-gate.yml b/.github/workflows/dogfood-gate.yml
index 065e9c4..9e6ea0c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/dogfood-gate.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/dogfood-gate.yml
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ jobs:
           # Checks for: zero-width spaces, zero-width joiners, BOM, soft hyphens,
           # non-breaking spaces, null bytes, and other invisible Unicode in source files.
           set +e
-          PATTERNS='\xc2\xa0|\xe2\x80\x8b|\xe2\x80\x8c|\xe2\x80\x8d|\xef\xbb\xbf|\xc2\xad|\xe2\x80\x8e|\xe2\x80\x8f|\xe2\x80\xaa|\xe2\x80\xab|\xe2\x80\xac|\xe2\x80\xad|\xe2\x80\xae|\x00'
+          PATTERNS='(*UTF)[\x00-\x08\x0B\x0C\x0E-\x1F\x{a0}\x{ad}\x{200b}-\x{200f}\x{202a}-\x{202f}\x{2060}\x{2066}-\x{2069}\x{feff}]'
           find "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE" \
             -not -path '*/.git/*' -not -path '*/node_modules/*' \
             -not -path '*/.deno/*' -not -path '*/target/*' \
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ jobs:
               -o -name '*.yml' -o -name '*.yaml' -o -name '*.md' -o -name '*.adoc' \
               -o -name '*.idr' -o -name '*.zig' -o -name '*.v' -o -name '*.jl' \
               -o -name '*.gleam' -o -name '*.hs' -o -name '*.ml' -o -name '*.sh' \) \
-            -exec grep -Prl "$PATTERNS" {} \; > /tmp/empty-lint-results.txt 2>/dev/null
+            -exec grep -alP "$PATTERNS" {} + > /tmp/empty-lint-results.txt
           EL_EXIT=$?
           set -e
 
diff --git a/.machine_readable/arrival-pack/claude-md.k9.ncl b/.machine_readable/arrival-pack/claude-md.k9.ncl
index bd9a8da..969e8bf 100644
--- a/.machine_readable/arrival-pack/claude-md.k9.ncl
+++ b/.machine_readable/arrival-pack/claude-md.k9.ncl
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+K9!
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
 # Copyright (c) 2026 Jonathan D.A. Jewell (hyperpolymath) <j.d.a.jewell@open.ac.uk>
 #
diff --git a/.machine_readable/coaptation/coapt.k9.ncl b/.machine_readable/coaptation/coapt.k9.ncl
index 7006844..7cdc7ed 100644
--- a/.machine_readable/coaptation/coapt.k9.ncl
+++ b/.machine_readable/coaptation/coapt.k9.ncl
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+K9!
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
 # Copyright (c) 2026 Jonathan D.A. Jewell (hyperpolymath) <j.d.a.jewell@open.ac.uk>
 #
diff --git a/.machine_readable/contractiles/adjust/adjust.k9.ncl b/.machine_readable/contractiles/adjust/adjust.k9.ncl
index 9ff26c9..513a6e3 100644
--- a/.machine_readable/contractiles/adjust/adjust.k9.ncl
+++ b/.machine_readable/contractiles/adjust/adjust.k9.ncl
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+K9!
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
 # adjust.k9.ncl — K9 trust-tier component of the adjust trident
 # Author: Jonathan D.A. Jewell <j.d.a.jewell@open.ac.uk>
diff --git a/.machine_readable/contractiles/bust/bust.k9.ncl b/.machine_readable/contractiles/bust/bust.k9.ncl
index c60a0ae..a9fb9cf 100644
--- a/.machine_readable/contractiles/bust/bust.k9.ncl
+++ b/.machine_readable/contractiles/bust/bust.k9.ncl
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+K9!
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
 # bust.k9.ncl — K9 trust-tier component of the bust trident
 # Author: Jonathan D.A. Jewell <j.d.a.jewell@open.ac.uk>
diff --git a/.machine_readable/contractiles/dust/dust.k9.ncl b/.machine_readable/contractiles/dust/dust.k9.ncl
index ef21668..f19cdd4 100644
--- a/.machine_readable/contractiles/dust/dust.k9.ncl
+++ b/.machine_readable/contractiles/dust/dust.k9.ncl
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+K9!
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
 # dust.k9.ncl — K9 trust-tier component of the dust trident
 # Author: Jonathan D.A. Jewell <j.d.a.jewell@open.ac.uk>
diff --git a/.machine_readable/contractiles/intend/intend.k9.ncl b/.machine_readable/contractiles/intend/intend.k9.ncl
index 5b0c295..22af0b8 100644
--- a/.machine_readable/contractiles/intend/intend.k9.ncl
+++ b/.machine_readable/contractiles/intend/intend.k9.ncl
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+K9!
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
 # intend.k9.ncl — K9 trust-tier component of the intend trident
 # Author: Jonathan D.A. Jewell <j.d.a.jewell@open.ac.uk>
diff --git a/.machine_readable/contractiles/must/must.k9.ncl b/.machine_readable/contractiles/must/must.k9.ncl
index 6bb51fc..2c653dc 100644
--- a/.machine_readable/contractiles/must/must.k9.ncl
+++ b/.machine_readable/contractiles/must/must.k9.ncl
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+K9!
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
 # must.k9.ncl — K9 trust-tier component of the must trident
 # Author: Jonathan D.A. Jewell <j.d.a.jewell@open.ac.uk>
diff --git a/.machine_readable/contractiles/trust/trust.k9.ncl b/.machine_readable/contractiles/trust/trust.k9.ncl
index 6e61ed3..104d2e3 100644
--- a/.machine_readable/contractiles/trust/trust.k9.ncl
+++ b/.machine_readable/contractiles/trust/trust.k9.ncl
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+K9!
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
 # trust.k9.ncl — K9 trust-tier component of the trust trident
 # Author: Jonathan D.A. Jewell <j.d.a.jewell@open.ac.uk>
diff --git a/container/stapeln/deploy.k9.ncl b/container/stapeln/deploy.k9.ncl
index 02b7df4..8182fe8 100644
--- a/container/stapeln/deploy.k9.ncl
+++ b/container/stapeln/deploy.k9.ncl
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+K9!
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
 # deploy.k9.ncl — {{PROJECT_NAME}} deployment component (Hunt level)
 #