diff --git a/.machine_readable/Debtfile.a2ml b/.machine_readable/Debtfile.a2ml
index f337517c6..cbf5061e2 100644
--- a/.machine_readable/Debtfile.a2ml
+++ b/.machine_readable/Debtfile.a2ml
@@ -59,10 +59,10 @@ forgotten.
 - accepted-until: 2026-10-01
 
 ### todo-fixme-markers
-- description: Files carrying a TODO or FIXME marker. Advisory — a marker is a note to self, not a defect Re-baselined 2026-09-22 (round 2, issue #953): fossilized at 77, measured 80.
-- probe: git grep -I -l -E '\b(TODO|FIXME)\b' -- . ':(exclude).machine_readable/Debtfile.a2ml' ':(exclude)docs/DEBTFILE-SPEC.adoc' | wc -l
-- count: 87
-- ceiling: 85
+- description: Files carrying a TODO or FIXME marker. Advisory — a marker is a note to self, not a defect Re-baselined 2026-09-22 (round 2, issue #953): fossilized at 77, measured 80. Probe corrected 2026-10-06: `*.ncl.in` templates are excluded, because their `TODO` fields are placeholders by design (copy, then fill in every TODO), not notes to self; measured 84.
+- probe: git grep -I -l -E '\b(TODO|FIXME)\b' -- . ':(exclude).machine_readable/Debtfile.a2ml' ':(exclude)docs/DEBTFILE-SPEC.adoc' ':(exclude)*.ncl.in' | wc -l
+- count: 84
+- ceiling: 84
 - severity: low
 - policy: remediable
 - tri: control