diff --git a/scripts/acquisition-readiness-audit.mjs b/scripts/acquisition-readiness-audit.mjs
index 6c6752d7c..bfa494d84 100755
--- a/scripts/acquisition-readiness-audit.mjs
+++ b/scripts/acquisition-readiness-audit.mjs
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ function validateEvidenceRefs(value, field) {
 
 function validateEvidenceMetadata(value) {
   const failures = [];
-  const updatedAt = typeof value.updated_at === "string" ? value.updated_at.trim() : "";
+  const updatedAt = typeof value.updated_at === "string" ? value.updated_at : "";
   const updatedAtMs = parseIsoDateOrTimestamp(updatedAt);
   const nowMs = Date.now();
   const maxAgeMs = evidenceMaxAgeDays * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000;
diff --git a/test/acquisition-evidence-iso-date.test.ts b/test/acquisition-evidence-iso-date.test.ts
index 036f908b1..ad9e0e767 100644
--- a/test/acquisition-evidence-iso-date.test.ts
+++ b/test/acquisition-evidence-iso-date.test.ts
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ describe("acquisition evidence timestamp integrity", () => {
     "2026-02-30",
     "2026-08-21 12:00:00",
     "2026-08-21T12:00:00+99:99",
+    " 2026-08-21T12:00:00Z ",
   ]) {
     it(`rejects non-canonical updated_at ${updatedAt}`, () => {
       const root = prepareAuditRoot("noema-acq-iso-date-");