diff --git a/Justfile b/Justfile
index 3cc9aa386..475a94f89 100644
--- a/Justfile
+++ b/Justfile
@@ -53,6 +53,14 @@ set-allowlist repository posture="selected":
 actions-policy-test:
     @bash scripts/tests/actions-policy-486-test.sh
 
+# Internal-pointer integrity: every asciidoc link:/image: and markdown
+# relative link in the repo must resolve. The September reorg moved files
+# without updating relative links (first measured census 2026-09-19: 194
+# live-canon findings, incl. inside RSR-SPEC-v2.adoc itself); this makes
+# that class a standing check. Usage: just link-rot-guard [ROOT]
+link-rot-guard root="." :
+    @bash scripts/link-rot-guard.sh "{{root}}"
+
 # Wave-0 anti-false-green regression: proves each fixed validator CAN fail
 false-green-test:
     @bash scripts/tests/wave0-false-green-test.sh
diff --git a/scripts/link-rot-guard.sh b/scripts/link-rot-guard.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..d5519ade0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/link-rot-guard.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: MPL-2.0
+#
+# link-rot-guard.sh — internal-pointer integrity check for the canon and
+# the spine (and any repo).
+#
+# Rationale: the estate has repeatedly shipped docs that point at paths a
+# reorg moved (ADR-0003 and archetypes/README.adoc cite
+# rhodium-standard-repositories/spec/SCAFFOLD-LIFECYCLE.adoc; the spec now
+# lives at 0-canon/rsr/). The deed-pointer sweep (standards f5ba975) proved
+# the pattern works when done by hand; this makes it a standing check.
+#
+# Checks real link syntax only (not code-quoted paths — too noisy):
+#   1. AsciiDoc:  link:target[label]   and   image:target[alt]
+#   2. Markdown:  [text](target)
+# Relative targets only; http(s)/mailto/absolute/fragment-stripped.
+#
+# Usage: link-rot-guard.sh [REPO_ROOT]
+
+set -uo pipefail
+ROOT="${1:-.}"
+FAIL=0
+
+# Archive exclusion: rhodium-standard-repositories/ is the LAST COPY of a
+# dead upstream (8 of 10 satellites have no external home; standards-map
+# note: "ARCHIVE, do not delete"). Its internal links are historical and
+# deliberately unmaintained; the guard polices live content.
+EXCLUDES=()
+case "$(basename "$(cd "$ROOT" && pwd)")" in
+  standards) EXCLUDES+=("-path" "$ROOT/rhodium-standard-repositories" -prune -o) ;;
+esac
+
+check_target() {
+  local src="$1" target="$2"
+  target="${target%%#*}"
+  target="${target%%\?*}"
+  [ -z "$target" ] && return 0
+  case "$target" in
+    http*|https*|mailto:*|/*) return 0 ;;
+  esac
+  local dir
+  dir="$(dirname "$src")"
+  if [ -e "$dir/$target" ] || [ -e "$ROOT/$target" ]; then
+    return 0
+  fi
+  echo "BROKEN  $src -> $target"
+  FAIL=1
+  return 0
+}
+
+# 1. AsciiDoc links and local images
+while IFS= read -r -d '' f; do
+  while IFS= read -r target; do
+    check_target "$f" "$target"
+  done < <(grep -oE '(link|image):[^][]+\[' "$f" 2>/dev/null | sed -E 's/^(link|image)://; s/\[$//')
+done < <(find "$ROOT" "${EXCLUDES[@]:-}" -path '*/.git' -prune -o -type f -name '*.adoc' -print0)
+
+# 2. Markdown relative links
+while IFS= read -r -d '' f; do
+  while IFS= read -r target; do
+    check_target "$f" "$target"
+  done < <(grep -oE '\]\([^)]+\)' "$f" 2>/dev/null | sed -E 's/^\]\(//; s/\)$//' | grep -vE '^(http|mailto|#|/)')
+done < <(find "$ROOT" "${EXCLUDES[@]:-}" -path '*/.git' -prune -o -type f -name '*.md' -print0)
+
+echo "----"
+if [ "$FAIL" -ne 0 ]; then
+  echo "link rot: findings above (exit 1)"
+  exit 1
+else
+  echo "all internal links resolve"
+fi