diff --git a/nemoclaw/src/blueprint/verify.test.ts b/nemoclaw/src/blueprint/verify.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c0e4cdfa428
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nemoclaw/src/blueprint/verify.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,290 @@
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2026 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach } from "vitest";
+import { createHash } from "node:crypto";
+import type { BlueprintManifest } from "./resolve.js";
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Mocks
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+vi.mock("node:fs", () => ({
+  readFileSync: vi.fn(),
+  readdirSync: vi.fn(),
+  statSync: vi.fn(),
+}));
+
+const { readFileSync, readdirSync, statSync } = await import("node:fs");
+const { verifyBlueprintDigest, checkCompatibility } = await import("./verify.js");
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Helpers
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+interface MockFile {
+  path: string;
+  content: string;
+}
+
+function expectedDigest(files: MockFile[]): string {
+  const hash = createHash("sha256");
+  const sorted = [...files].sort((a, b) =>
+    a.path < b.path ? -1 : a.path > b.path ? 1 : 0,
+  );
+  for (const f of sorted) {
+    hash.update(f.path);
+    hash.update(f.content);
+  }
+  return hash.digest("hex");
+}
+
+function mockDirectory(files: MockFile[]): void {
+  vi.mocked(readdirSync).mockReturnValue(
+    files.map((f) => f.path) as unknown as ReturnType<typeof readdirSync>,
+  );
+  vi.mocked(statSync).mockReturnValue({
+    isDirectory: () => false,
+  } as ReturnType<typeof statSync>);
+  vi.mocked(readFileSync).mockImplementation((filePath: unknown) => {
+    const p = String(filePath);
+    const file = files.find((f) => p.endsWith(f.path));
+    return Buffer.from(file?.content ?? "");
+  });
+}
+
+function makeManifest(overrides: Partial<BlueprintManifest> = {}): BlueprintManifest {
+  return {
+    version: "1.0.0",
+    minOpenShellVersion: "0.1.0",
+    minOpenClawVersion: "0.1.0",
+    profiles: ["default"],
+    digest: "placeholder",
+    ...overrides,
+  };
+}
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Setup
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+const MOCK_FILES: MockFile[] = [
+  { path: "blueprint.yaml", content: "version: 1.0.0\ndigest: abc" },
+  { path: "runner.py", content: "print('hello')" },
+];
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  vi.resetAllMocks();
+});
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// verifyBlueprintDigest
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+describe("verifyBlueprintDigest", () => {
+  describe("happy path", () => {
+    it("returns valid: true when digest matches", () => {
+      mockDirectory(MOCK_FILES);
+      const digest = expectedDigest(MOCK_FILES);
+      const manifest = makeManifest({ digest });
+
+      const result = verifyBlueprintDigest("/fake/path", manifest);
+
+      expect(result.valid).toBe(true);
+      expect(result.errors).toEqual([]);
+      expect(result.actualDigest).toBe(digest);
+      expect(result.expectedDigest).toBe(digest);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe("digest mismatch", () => {
+    it("returns valid: false when digest does not match", () => {
+      mockDirectory(MOCK_FILES);
+      const actual = expectedDigest(MOCK_FILES);
+      // A valid-format but wrong digest
+      const wrong = "a".repeat(64);
+      const manifest = makeManifest({ digest: wrong });
+
+      const result = verifyBlueprintDigest("/fake/path", manifest);
+
+      expect(result.valid).toBe(false);
+      expect(result.errors).toHaveLength(1);
+      expect(result.errors[0]).toContain("Digest mismatch");
+      expect(result.errors[0]).toContain(wrong);
+      expect(result.errors[0]).toContain(actual);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe("empty digest — bypass prevention", () => {
+    it("rejects empty string digest", () => {
+      mockDirectory(MOCK_FILES);
+      const manifest = makeManifest({ digest: "" });
+
+      const result = verifyBlueprintDigest("/fake/path", manifest);
+
+      expect(result.valid).toBe(false);
+      expect(result.errors).toEqual([
+        "Blueprint manifest is missing a digest — cannot verify integrity",
+      ]);
+    });
+
+    it("rejects undefined digest", () => {
+      mockDirectory(MOCK_FILES);
+      const manifest = makeManifest({ digest: undefined as unknown as string });
+
+      const result = verifyBlueprintDigest("/fake/path", manifest);
+
+      expect(result.valid).toBe(false);
+      expect(result.errors).toEqual([
+        "Blueprint manifest is missing a digest — cannot verify integrity",
+      ]);
+    });
+
+    it("rejects whitespace-only digest", () => {
+      mockDirectory(MOCK_FILES);
+      const manifest = makeManifest({ digest: "   " });
+
+      const result = verifyBlueprintDigest("/fake/path", manifest);
+
+      expect(result.valid).toBe(false);
+      expect(result.errors).toEqual([
+        "Blueprint manifest is missing a digest — cannot verify integrity",
+      ]);
+    });
+
+    it("skips directory hashing when digest is missing", () => {
+      mockDirectory(MOCK_FILES);
+      const manifest = makeManifest({ digest: "" });
+
+      verifyBlueprintDigest("/fake/path", manifest);
+
+      expect(readdirSync).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe("digest format validation", () => {
+    it("rejects truncated hex string", () => {
+      mockDirectory(MOCK_FILES);
+      const manifest = makeManifest({ digest: "abcdef1234" });
+
+      const result = verifyBlueprintDigest("/fake/path", manifest);
+
+      expect(result.valid).toBe(false);
+      expect(result.errors[0]).toContain("format is invalid");
+    });
+
+    it("rejects uppercase hex characters", () => {
+      mockDirectory(MOCK_FILES);
+      const manifest = makeManifest({ digest: "A".repeat(64) });
+
+      const result = verifyBlueprintDigest("/fake/path", manifest);
+
+      expect(result.valid).toBe(false);
+      expect(result.errors[0]).toContain("format is invalid");
+    });
+
+    it("rejects non-hex characters", () => {
+      mockDirectory(MOCK_FILES);
+      const manifest = makeManifest({ digest: "g".repeat(64) });
+
+      const result = verifyBlueprintDigest("/fake/path", manifest);
+
+      expect(result.valid).toBe(false);
+      expect(result.errors[0]).toContain("format is invalid");
+    });
+
+    it("rejects digest with sha256: prefix", () => {
+      mockDirectory(MOCK_FILES);
+      const manifest = makeManifest({ digest: "sha256:" + "a".repeat(64) });
+
+      const result = verifyBlueprintDigest("/fake/path", manifest);
+
+      expect(result.valid).toBe(false);
+      expect(result.errors[0]).toContain("format is invalid");
+    });
+
+    it("skips directory hashing when format is invalid", () => {
+      mockDirectory(MOCK_FILES);
+      const manifest = makeManifest({ digest: "not-a-digest" });
+
+      verifyBlueprintDigest("/fake/path", manifest);
+
+      expect(readdirSync).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe("multi-file directory", () => {
+    it("computes digest across all files sorted by path", () => {
+      const unsortedFiles: MockFile[] = [
+        { path: "c.txt", content: "third" },
+        { path: "a.txt", content: "first" },
+        { path: "b.txt", content: "second" },
+      ];
+      mockDirectory(unsortedFiles);
+      const digest = expectedDigest(unsortedFiles);
+      const manifest = makeManifest({ digest });
+
+      const result = verifyBlueprintDigest("/fake/path", manifest);
+
+      expect(result.valid).toBe(true);
+      expect(result.actualDigest).toBe(digest);
+    });
+  });
+});
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// checkCompatibility
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+describe("checkCompatibility", () => {
+  it("returns no errors when all versions meet minimums", () => {
+    const manifest = makeManifest({
+      minOpenShellVersion: "1.0.0",
+      minOpenClawVersion: "2.0.0",
+    });
+
+    const errors = checkCompatibility(manifest, "1.2.0", "2.5.0");
+
+    expect(errors).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it("returns no errors when actual equals minimum", () => {
+    const manifest = makeManifest({
+      minOpenShellVersion: "1.0.0",
+      minOpenClawVersion: "2.0.0",
+    });
+
+    const errors = checkCompatibility(manifest, "1.0.0", "2.0.0");
+
+    expect(errors).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it("returns error when openshell version is too old", () => {
+    const manifest = makeManifest({ minOpenShellVersion: "1.0.0" });
+
+    const errors = checkCompatibility(manifest, "0.9.0", "99.0.0");
+
+    expect(errors).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(errors[0]).toContain("OpenShell");
+  });
+
+  it("returns error when openclaw version is too old", () => {
+    const manifest = makeManifest({ minOpenClawVersion: "2.0.0" });
+
+    const errors = checkCompatibility(manifest, "99.0.0", "1.9.0");
+
+    expect(errors).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(errors[0]).toContain("OpenClaw");
+  });
+
+  it("skips check when minimum version is empty", () => {
+    const manifest = makeManifest({
+      minOpenShellVersion: "",
+      minOpenClawVersion: "",
+    });
+
+    const errors = checkCompatibility(manifest, "0.0.1", "0.0.1");
+
+    expect(errors).toEqual([]);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/nemoclaw/src/blueprint/verify.ts b/nemoclaw/src/blueprint/verify.ts
index bd94b71ffeb..88bd29aefa0 100644
--- a/nemoclaw/src/blueprint/verify.ts
+++ b/nemoclaw/src/blueprint/verify.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
 // SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2026 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
-import { createHash } from "node:crypto";
+import { createHash, timingSafeEqual } from "node:crypto";
 import { readFileSync, readdirSync, statSync } from "node:fs";
 import { join } from "node:path";
 import type { BlueprintManifest } from "./resolve.js";
 
+// SHA-256 hex digest: exactly 64 lowercase hex characters
+const DIGEST_PATTERN = /^[a-f0-9]{64}$/;
+
 export interface VerificationResult {
   valid: boolean;
   expectedDigest: string;
@@ -18,15 +21,27 @@ export function verifyBlueprintDigest(
   manifest: BlueprintManifest,
 ): VerificationResult {
   const errors: string[] = [];
-  const actualDigest = computeDirectoryDigest(blueprintPath);
+  let actualDigest = "";
 
-  if (manifest.digest && manifest.digest !== actualDigest) {
-    errors.push(`Digest mismatch: expected ${manifest.digest}, got ${actualDigest}`);
+  // A missing digest means "cannot verify", not "verification unnecessary".
+  // This is distinct from minOpenShellVersion/minOpenClawVersion where missing
+  // means "no requirement" and the falsy guard is correct.
+  if (!manifest.digest || !manifest.digest.trim()) {
+    errors.push("Blueprint manifest is missing a digest — cannot verify integrity");
+  } else if (!DIGEST_PATTERN.test(manifest.digest)) {
+    errors.push(
+      `Blueprint digest format is invalid: "${manifest.digest}". Expected: 64 lowercase hex characters (SHA-256)`,
+    );
+  } else {
+    actualDigest = computeDirectoryDigest(blueprintPath);
+    if (!digestsEqual(manifest.digest, actualDigest)) {
+      errors.push(`Digest mismatch: expected ${manifest.digest}, got ${actualDigest}`);
+    }
   }
 
   return {
     valid: errors.length === 0,
-    expectedDigest: manifest.digest,
+    expectedDigest: manifest.digest ?? "",
     actualDigest,
     errors,
   };
@@ -68,6 +83,13 @@ function satisfiesMinVersion(actual: string, minimum: string): boolean {
   return true; // equal
 }
 
+function digestsEqual(a: string, b: string): boolean {
+  const bufA = Buffer.from(a, "utf-8");
+  const bufB = Buffer.from(b, "utf-8");
+  if (bufA.length !== bufB.length) return false;
+  return timingSafeEqual(bufA, bufB);
+}
+
 function computeDirectoryDigest(dirPath: string): string {
   const hash = createHash("sha256");
   const files = collectFiles(dirPath).sort();