diff --git a/ci/source-shape-test-budget.json b/ci/source-shape-test-budget.json
index e9041fb0191..0a91a860de7 100644
--- a/ci/source-shape-test-budget.json
+++ b/ci/source-shape-test-budget.json
@@ -226,6 +226,11 @@
       "test": "should return actionable unknown target error",
       "category": "compatibility"
     },
+    {
+      "file": "test/e2e/support/e2e-semantic-phase-check.test.ts",
+      "test": "builds the policy boundary before semantic collection and CLI compilation",
+      "category": "compatibility"
+    },
     {
       "file": "test/e2e/support/e2e-workflow.test.ts",
       "test": "derives test selectors from code and workflow jobs from workflow metadata",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index fa4c37d2cad..8ce34c91511 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
     "test:watch": "vitest watch --project cli --project plugin --project e2e-support",
     "test:shuffle": "vitest run --project cli --project plugin --project e2e-support --sequence.shuffle.tests --coverage=false",
     "test:diagnose:leaks": "vitest run --project cli --project plugin --project e2e-support --detectAsyncLeaks --coverage=false --reporter=default --reporter=hanging-process",
-    "test:e2e-phases:check": "node --experimental-strip-types --no-warnings tools/e2e/check-semantic-phases.mts",
+    "test:e2e-phases:check": "npm run build:policy-boundary && node --experimental-strip-types --no-warnings tools/e2e/check-semantic-phases.mts",
     "test:runtime-audit": "tsx scripts/audit-test-runtime.mts",
     "test:integration": "npm run clean:cli && npm run build:cli && vitest run --project integration --project installer-integration",
     "test:package": "npm run clean:cli && npm --prefix nemoclaw run clean && npm run build:cli && npm --prefix nemoclaw run build && vitest run --project package-contract",
@@ -52,7 +52,8 @@
     "format:ts": "cd nemoclaw && npm run lint:fix && npm run format",
     "check:installer-hash": "bash scripts/check-installer-hash.sh",
     "typecheck": "tsc -p jsconfig.json",
-    "build:cli": "tsc -p nemoclaw/tsconfig.shared.json && tsc -p tsconfig.src.json && node dist/lib/cli/generate-oclif-metadata-manifest.js && if find nemoclaw-blueprint/scripts -name '*.ts' -print -quit | grep -q .; then tsc -p nemoclaw-blueprint/tsconfig.json; fi",
+    "build:policy-boundary": "tsc -p nemoclaw/tsconfig.shared.json",
+    "build:cli": "npm run build:policy-boundary && tsc -p tsconfig.src.json && node dist/lib/cli/generate-oclif-metadata-manifest.js && if find nemoclaw-blueprint/scripts -name '*.ts' -print -quit | grep -q .; then tsc -p nemoclaw-blueprint/tsconfig.json; fi",
     "clean:cli": "node -e \"require('node:fs').rmSync('dist', { recursive: true, force: true })\"",
     "typecheck:cli": "tsc -p tsconfig.cli.json",
     "validate:configs": "tsx scripts/validate-configs.mts",
diff --git a/test/e2e/support/e2e-semantic-phase-check.test.ts b/test/e2e/support/e2e-semantic-phase-check.test.ts
index 18ce989de04..e73d4e75913 100644
--- a/test/e2e/support/e2e-semantic-phase-check.test.ts
+++ b/test/e2e/support/e2e-semantic-phase-check.test.ts
@@ -31,6 +31,23 @@ const TEST_PROGRESS_SOURCE = path.join(REPO_ROOT, "test/e2e/fixtures/progress.ts
 const FAKE_OPENAI_SOURCE = path.join(REPO_ROOT, "test/e2e/fixtures/fake-openai-compatible.ts");
 
 describe("semantic E2E phase checker", () => {
+  // source-shape-contract: compatibility -- Generated policy output must precede semantic collection and remain shared with the canonical CLI build
+  test("builds the policy boundary before semantic collection and CLI compilation", () => {
+    const scripts = (
+      JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(path.join(REPO_ROOT, "package.json"), "utf8")) as {
+        scripts: Record<string, string>;
+      }
+    ).scripts;
+
+    expect(scripts["build:policy-boundary"]).toBe("tsc -p nemoclaw/tsconfig.shared.json");
+    expect(scripts["test:e2e-phases:check"]).toMatch(
+      /^npm run build:policy-boundary && node .*tools\/e2e\/check-semantic-phases\.mts$/u,
+    );
+    expect(scripts["build:cli"]).toMatch(
+      /^npm run build:policy-boundary && tsc -p tsconfig\.src\.json &&/u,
+    );
+  });
+
   test("derives coverage from registry, free-standing, shared, and forwarding workflow paths", () => {
     const modules = semanticPhaseCoverageModules(
       {