diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 0d44dd02..58631870 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -68,6 +68,11 @@ All notable changes to ForgeLM are documented here.
 
 ### Fixed
 
+- `retention.enforce` is documented for what it is: reserved. No command reads it, so `warn_on_excess` and
+  `block_on_excess` never warned or blocked anything and nothing was deleted automatically; retention is only reported,
+  read-only, by `forgelm purge --check-policy` (always exit 0). The config description, the wizard prompt, the
+  configuration reference, the GDPR erasure guide and `config_template.yaml` now say so (English and Turkish), and
+  the CLI logs a warning when a config sets a non-default `enforce` instead of staying silent (#92, #98).
 - Fix the KTO bullet on the Alignment overview user-manual page (English and Turkish): it named the
   fields `(prompt, response, good?)`, but the KTO loader reads `prompt`, `completion` and a boolean
   `label` (#965).
diff --git a/config_template.yaml b/config_template.yaml
index 8aec1398..d364836e 100644
--- a/config_template.yaml
+++ b/config_template.yaml
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ data:
 #   staging_ttl_days: 7               # final_model.staging.<run_id>/ TTL after `forgelm reject`
 #   ephemeral_artefact_retention_days: 90   # compliance bundles + audit reports
 #   raw_documents_retention_days: 90        # ingested raw docs (PDF/DOCX/EPUB/TXT/MD)
-#   enforce: "log_only"               # "log_only" | "warn_on_excess" | "block_on_excess"
+#   enforce: "log_only"               # reserved: no command acts on it yet ("log_only" | "warn_on_excess" | "block_on_excess")
 
 # Phase 14 — Multi-stage training pipeline chains (SFT → DPO → GRPO).
 # Uncomment the ``pipeline:`` block below to run multiple training stages
diff --git a/docs/guides/gdpr_erasure-tr.md b/docs/guides/gdpr_erasure-tr.md
index 64a1bb16..6f22323e 100644
--- a/docs/guides/gdpr_erasure-tr.md
+++ b/docs/guides/gdpr_erasure-tr.md
@@ -78,10 +78,10 @@ retention:
   staging_ttl_days: 7                     # `forgelm reject` üzerine aksiyon almak için bir iş haftası
   ephemeral_artefact_retention_days: 90   # üç-aylık review cadence'i
   raw_documents_retention_days: 90        # data audit yeniden çalıştırmadan önce ingestion penceresi
-  enforce: log_only                       # log_only / warn_on_excess / block_on_excess
+  enforce: log_only                       # ayrılmış: henüz hiçbir komut onu kullanmaz (log_only / warn_on_excess / block_on_excess)
 ```
 
-Herhangi bir horizon'u `0` olarak ayarlamak o artefact kind'ı için policy'yi devre dışı bırakır (sınırsız tut). `enforce`, trainer pre-flight gate'inin ihlallere nasıl tepki vereceğini kontrol eder.
+Herhangi bir horizon'u `0` olarak ayarlamak o artefact kind'ı için policy'yi devre dışı bırakır (sınırsız tut). Horizon'lar `forgelm purge --check-policy` ile raporlanır (salt-okunur, her zaman 0 ile çıkar); hiçbir şey otomatik silinmez ya da engellenmez. `enforce` ayrılmıştır: henüz hiçbir komut onu kullanmaz, bu yüzden üç değer de `log_only` gibi davranır.
 
 ## Kaldırıldı: `evaluation.staging_ttl_days`
 
diff --git a/docs/guides/gdpr_erasure.md b/docs/guides/gdpr_erasure.md
index 24941879..b5d5890e 100644
--- a/docs/guides/gdpr_erasure.md
+++ b/docs/guides/gdpr_erasure.md
@@ -78,10 +78,10 @@ retention:
   staging_ttl_days: 7                     # one work-week to act on a `forgelm reject`
   ephemeral_artefact_retention_days: 90   # quarterly review cadence
   raw_documents_retention_days: 90        # ingestion-window before re-running data audit
-  enforce: log_only                       # log_only / warn_on_excess / block_on_excess
+  enforce: log_only                       # reserved: no command acts on it yet (log_only / warn_on_excess / block_on_excess)
 ```
 
-Setting any horizon to `0` disables the policy for that artefact kind (retain indefinitely). `enforce` controls how the trainer pre-flight gate reacts to violations.
+Setting any horizon to `0` disables the policy for that artefact kind (retain indefinitely). The horizons are reported by `forgelm purge --check-policy` (read-only, always exits 0); nothing is deleted or blocked automatically. `enforce` is reserved: no command acts on it yet, so all three values behave like `log_only`.
 
 ## Removed: `evaluation.staging_ttl_days`
 
diff --git a/docs/reference/configuration-tr.md b/docs/reference/configuration-tr.md
index b78fa07f..38e6cbe6 100644
--- a/docs/reference/configuration-tr.md
+++ b/docs/reference/configuration-tr.md
@@ -270,10 +270,10 @@ training:
 
 Uyumluluk, eğitim ve değerlendirme artefaktları için saklama ufuklarını
 belirler. Ufuklar GDPR Madde 5(1)(e) "saklama sınırlaması" ve Madde 17
-"silme hakkı" tarihlerini onurlandırır. `enforce` anahtarı yalnız-loglama,
-uyarı ve sert-engelleme modları arasında geçiş yaparak regüle edilen bir CI
-kapısının saklama ufkunu eski bir çalışma alanını yeniden kullanarak sessizce
-uzatmasını engeller.
+"silme hakkı" tarihlerini onurlandırır. Ufuklar **raporlanır**, zorlanmaz:
+`forgelm purge --check-policy` ufku aşanları listeler ve her zaman 0 ile çıkar;
+hiçbir şey otomatik silinmez, engellenmez ya da zamanlanmaz. `enforce` anahtarı
+ayrılmıştır: henüz hiçbir komut onu okumaz.
 
 | Alan | Tip | Varsayılan | Açıklama |
 |------|-----|-----------|----------|
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ uzatmasını engeller.
 | `staging_ttl_days` | int | `7` | `forgelm reject` kararından sonra `final_model.staging.<run_id>/` dizininin planlı temizlenmeden önce saklanacağı gün sayısı. `0` süresiz saklama anlamına gelir. v0.8.0'da kaldırılan `evaluation.staging_ttl_days` yerine geçer. |
 | `ephemeral_artefact_retention_days` | int | `90` | Uyumluluk paketleri, veri denetim raporları ve diğer çalışma kapsamlı türetilmiş artefaktların saklanma süresi (gün). `0` süresiz saklama. |
 | `raw_documents_retention_days` | int | `90` | İngest edilmiş ham belgelerin (PDF / DOCX / EPUB / TXT / Markdown) operatörün ingestion-output dizininde saklanma süresi (gün). `0` süresiz saklama. |
-| `enforce` | string | `"log_only"` | Politika uygulama modu: `"log_only"` (yalnızca audit log), `"warn_on_excess"` (stderr'e yapılandırılmış uyarı), `"block_on_excess"` (`EXIT_EVAL_FAILURE` = 3 ile trainer ön-kontrolünü iptal eder). |
+| `enforce` | string | `"log_only"` | Ayrılmış politika modu. Henüz hiçbir komut onu okumaz: `"log_only"`, `"warn_on_excess"` ve `"block_on_excess"` kabul edilir ve aynı davranır; bir config son ikisinden birini ayarlarsa CLI uyarır. |
 
 > **Kaldırıldı:** `evaluation.staging_ttl_days` (v0.5.5 itibarıyla kullanımdan
 > kaldırılmıştı) v0.8.0'da kaldırılmıştır. Artık geçerli tek form
diff --git a/docs/reference/configuration.md b/docs/reference/configuration.md
index 0f83d16e..0762173e 100644
--- a/docs/reference/configuration.md
+++ b/docs/reference/configuration.md
@@ -270,9 +270,10 @@ across retries. Each retry attempt is logged to the audit trail.
 
 Defines maximum retention horizons for compliance, training, and evaluation
 artefacts. Horizons honour GDPR Article 5(1)(e) "storage limitation" and
-Article 17 "right to erasure" deadlines. The `enforce` knob switches between
-log-only, warning, and hard-block modes so a regulated CI gate cannot
-silently extend the retention horizon by re-using a stale workspace.
+Article 17 "right to erasure" deadlines. The horizons are **reported**, not
+enforced: `forgelm purge --check-policy` lists what is past them and always
+exits 0, and nothing is deleted, blocked or scheduled automatically. The
+`enforce` knob is reserved: no command reads it yet.
 
 | Field | Type | Default | Description |
 |-------|------|---------|-------------|
@@ -280,7 +281,7 @@ silently extend the retention horizon by re-using a stale workspace.
 | `staging_ttl_days` | int | `7` | Days to retain `final_model.staging.<run_id>/` after a `forgelm reject` decision before scheduled cleanup. Set to `0` to retain indefinitely. Replaces the removed `evaluation.staging_ttl_days` (removed in v0.8.0). |
 | `ephemeral_artefact_retention_days` | int | `90` | Days to retain compliance bundles, data audit reports, and other run-scoped derived artefacts. Set to `0` to retain indefinitely. |
 | `raw_documents_retention_days` | int | `90` | Days to retain ingested raw documents (PDF / DOCX / EPUB / TXT / Markdown) under the operator's ingestion-output directory. Set to `0` to retain indefinitely. |
-| `enforce` | string | `"log_only"` | Policy enforcement mode: `"log_only"` (audit-log only), `"warn_on_excess"` (structured stderr warning), `"block_on_excess"` (abort trainer pre-flight with `EXIT_EVAL_FAILURE` = 3). |
+| `enforce` | string | `"log_only"` | Reserved policy mode. No command reads it yet: `"log_only"`, `"warn_on_excess"` and `"block_on_excess"` are all accepted and behave the same, and the CLI warns when a config sets either of the last two. |
 
 > **Removed:** `evaluation.staging_ttl_days` (deprecated as of v0.5.5) was
 > removed in v0.8.0. `retention.staging_ttl_days` is now the only accepted form.
diff --git a/docs/usermanuals/en/reference/configuration.md b/docs/usermanuals/en/reference/configuration.md
index c4ba73c2..4d3b8f69 100644
--- a/docs/usermanuals/en/reference/configuration.md
+++ b/docs/usermanuals/en/reference/configuration.md
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ retention:
   staging_ttl_days: 7                        # days to retain staging model after forgelm reject
   ephemeral_artefact_retention_days: 90      # compliance bundles, audit reports
   raw_documents_retention_days: 90           # ingested PDF/DOCX/EPUB/TXT/Markdown
-  enforce: "log_only"                        # log_only | warn_on_excess | block_on_excess
+  enforce: "log_only"                        # reserved: no command acts on it yet (log_only | warn_on_excess | block_on_excess)
 ```
 
 ## `pipeline:`
diff --git a/docs/usermanuals/tr/reference/configuration.md b/docs/usermanuals/tr/reference/configuration.md
index 39f8e44b..d94545c9 100644
--- a/docs/usermanuals/tr/reference/configuration.md
+++ b/docs/usermanuals/tr/reference/configuration.md
@@ -371,7 +371,7 @@ retention:
   staging_ttl_days: 7                        # forgelm reject sonrası staging modelini saklama süresi
   ephemeral_artefact_retention_days: 90      # uyumluluk paketleri, denetim raporları
   raw_documents_retention_days: 90           # ingest edilen PDF/DOCX/EPUB/TXT/Markdown
-  enforce: "log_only"                        # log_only | warn_on_excess | block_on_excess
+  enforce: "log_only"                        # ayrılmış: henüz hiçbir komut onu kullanmaz (log_only | warn_on_excess | block_on_excess)
 ```
 
 ## `pipeline:`
diff --git a/forgelm/cli/_config_load.py b/forgelm/cli/_config_load.py
index 4e5ac477..111b4932 100644
--- a/forgelm/cli/_config_load.py
+++ b/forgelm/cli/_config_load.py
@@ -14,6 +14,22 @@
 from ._logging import logger
 
 
+def _warn_reserved_retention_enforce(config) -> None:
+    """``retention.enforce`` is validated and offered by both wizards, but no command reads it.
+
+    A config that sets ``warn_on_excess`` or ``block_on_excess`` is asking for a gate that does not exist; say so,
+    rather than accept it silently.  (This lives here, not in the schema, to keep ``config.py`` within its
+    deferred-split line budget.)
+    """
+    mode = getattr(getattr(config, "retention", None), "enforce", "log_only")
+    if mode != "log_only":
+        logger.warning(
+            "retention.enforce=%r is accepted but no command acts on it yet: retention horizons are only reported "
+            "by `forgelm purge --check-policy`, and the trainer is not warned or blocked.",
+            mode,
+        )
+
+
 def _load_config_or_exit(config_path: str, json_output: bool):
     """Load config and translate exceptions into the right exit code.
 
@@ -25,7 +41,9 @@ def _load_config_or_exit(config_path: str, json_output: bool):
     """
     try:
         logger.info("Loading configuration from %s...", config_path)
-        return load_config(config_path)
+        config = load_config(config_path)
+        _warn_reserved_retention_enforce(config)
+        return config
     except FileNotFoundError as e:
         msg = f"Config file not found: {e}"
     except ConfigError as e:
diff --git a/forgelm/cli/subcommands/_audit.py b/forgelm/cli/subcommands/_audit.py
index d9b4f4a1..b4e17ff7 100644
--- a/forgelm/cli/subcommands/_audit.py
+++ b/forgelm/cli/subcommands/_audit.py
@@ -55,8 +55,7 @@ def _exit_on_critical_secrets(verdict: dict, *, allow_secrets: bool, defer_exit:
       chain, GGUF sidecar); training data was never signed.
     - ``3`` fits exactly: an evaluation gate examined an artefact and said
       no.  This is the same semantics as ``forgelm safety-eval``'s
-      non-passing branch (``subcommands/_safety_eval.py``) and the
-      retention ``block_on_excess`` gate.  A new public exit code is a
+      non-passing branch (``subcommands/_safety_eval.py``).  A new public exit code is a
       permanent contract addition and this incident does not need one.
 
     ``allow_secrets`` is an explicit per-invocation escape hatch for the
diff --git a/forgelm/config.py b/forgelm/config.py
index 4114f2df..17876b9b 100644
--- a/forgelm/config.py
+++ b/forgelm/config.py
@@ -1598,12 +1598,12 @@ class RetentionConfig(BaseModel):
     days (typical ingestion-window before re-running data audit).
 
     Setting any horizon to ``0`` disables the policy for that artefact
-    kind (retain indefinitely).  ``enforce`` controls how the trainer
-    pre-flight gate reacts to violations:  ``log_only`` records a
-    notice, ``warn_on_excess`` emits a structured warning, and
-    ``block_on_excess`` aborts training with EXIT_EVAL_FAILURE so a
-    regulated CI cannot accidentally extend the retention horizon by
-    re-using a stale workspace.
+    kind (retain indefinitely).  The horizons are *reported*, not enforced:
+    ``forgelm purge --check-policy`` lists artefacts past them and always
+    exits 0; nothing is deleted, blocked or scheduled automatically.
+    ``enforce`` is reserved: no command acts on it yet, so
+    ``warn_on_excess`` and ``block_on_excess`` behave like ``log_only``
+    (the CLI logs a warning when a config sets either).
     """
 
     model_config = ConfigDict(extra="forbid")
@@ -1645,9 +1645,9 @@ class RetentionConfig(BaseModel):
     enforce: Literal["log_only", "warn_on_excess", "block_on_excess"] = Field(
         default="log_only",
         description=(
-            "Policy enforcement mode.  `log_only` records violations in the audit log without operator-visible output; "
-            "`warn_on_excess` adds a structured warning to stderr; `block_on_excess` aborts the trainer pre-flight with "
-            "EXIT_EVAL_FAILURE (3) so a regulated CI gate does not silently extend the retention horizon."
+            "Reserved: no command reads it yet.  Retention horizons are only reported, read-only, by `forgelm purge "
+            "--check-policy` (always exit 0); nothing is deleted, warned about or blocked automatically.  "
+            "`warn_on_excess` and `block_on_excess` are accepted but behave like `log_only`; the CLI warns when set."
         ),
     )
 
diff --git a/forgelm/wizard/_collectors.py b/forgelm/wizard/_collectors.py
index 83c0039a..d7574192 100644
--- a/forgelm/wizard/_collectors.py
+++ b/forgelm/wizard/_collectors.py
@@ -855,11 +855,11 @@ def _collect_retention() -> Optional[Dict[str, Any]]:
     )
     raw_docs = _prompt_int("raw_documents_retention_days (0 = retain indefinitely)", 90, min_val=0, max_val=3650)
     enforce = _prompt_choice(
-        "enforcement mode:",
+        "enforcement mode (reserved: no command acts on it yet; `forgelm purge --check-policy` only reports):",
         [
-            "log_only (record violations only)",
-            "warn_on_excess (stderr warning, run continues)",
-            "block_on_excess (abort trainer with EXIT_EVAL_FAILURE)",
+            "log_only (default; behaves the same as the other two for now)",
+            "warn_on_excess (accepted, behaves like log_only)",
+            "block_on_excess (accepted, behaves like log_only)",
         ],
         default=1,
     )
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
index a9765895..85310503 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -319,3 +319,45 @@ def test_facade_reexports_every_subcommand_registrar(self):
         ]
         for name in registrars:
             assert callable(getattr(cli, name, None)), f"{name} is not re-exported from forgelm.cli"
+
+
+class TestReservedRetentionEnforceWarning:
+    """`retention.enforce` is accepted but no command reads it; the CLI says so (#92)."""
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _config(enforce):
+        from forgelm.config import ForgeConfig
+        from tests._helpers.factories import minimal_config
+
+        return ForgeConfig(**minimal_config(retention={"enforce": enforce}))
+
+    def test_the_default_is_silent(self, caplog):
+        import logging
+
+        from forgelm.cli._config_load import _warn_reserved_retention_enforce
+
+        with caplog.at_level(logging.WARNING):
+            _warn_reserved_retention_enforce(self._config("log_only"))
+        assert not [r for r in caplog.records if "retention.enforce" in r.getMessage()]
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("mode", ["warn_on_excess", "block_on_excess"])
+    def test_a_gate_that_does_not_exist_is_called_out(self, caplog, mode):
+        import logging
+
+        from forgelm.cli._config_load import _warn_reserved_retention_enforce
+
+        with caplog.at_level(logging.WARNING):
+            _warn_reserved_retention_enforce(self._config(mode))
+        warned = [r.getMessage() for r in caplog.records if "retention.enforce" in r.getMessage()]
+        assert len(warned) == 1 and mode in warned[0] and "no command acts on it" in warned[0]
+
+    def test_loading_a_config_file_triggers_it(self, tmp_path, caplog, minimal_config):
+        import logging
+
+        from forgelm.cli._config_load import _load_config_or_exit
+
+        path = tmp_path / "c.yaml"
+        path.write_text(yaml.dump(minimal_config(retention={"enforce": "block_on_excess"})))
+        with caplog.at_level(logging.WARNING):
+            _load_config_or_exit(str(path), json_output=False)
+        assert any("retention.enforce" in r.getMessage() for r in caplog.records)
diff --git a/tests/test_config.py b/tests/test_config.py
index 10b81fd1..70296912 100644
--- a/tests/test_config.py
+++ b/tests/test_config.py
@@ -935,6 +935,17 @@ def test_legacy_evaluation_staging_ttl_days_is_rejected(self):
         with pytest.raises(ValidationError, match="staging_ttl_days"):
             ForgeConfig(**minimal_config(evaluation={"staging_ttl_days": 14}))
 
+
+class TestRetentionConfig:
+    """`retention` horizons are reported, not enforced; `enforce` is reserved (#92)."""
+
+    def test_the_description_does_not_promise_a_gate(self):
+        from forgelm.config import RetentionConfig
+
+        description = RetentionConfig.model_fields["enforce"].description or ""
+        assert "no command reads it" in description
+        assert "EXIT_EVAL_FAILURE" not in description and "aborts" not in description
+
     def test_canonical_retention_staging_ttl_days_still_works(self):
         cfg = ForgeConfig(**minimal_config(retention={"staging_ttl_days": 30}))
         assert cfg.retention.staging_ttl_days == 30