diff --git a/src/pki/anchor-identity.test.ts b/src/pki/anchor-identity.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..75bc6de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/pki/anchor-identity.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+import 'reflect-metadata'
+import { beforeAll, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+import * as x509 from '@peculiar/x509'
+import { makeStore, validatePath } from './path'
+import { webCrypto } from './parse'
+
+const ROOT = 'CN=Anchor Identity Test Root'
+const FOREIGN = 'CN=Untrusted Cross-Signing Issuer'
+const AT = new Date('2026-10-11T00:00:00Z')
+const BEFORE = new Date('2026-01-01T00:00:00Z')
+const AFTER = new Date('2036-01-01T00:00:00Z')
+const bytes = (buffer: ArrayBuffer): number[] => [...new Uint8Array(buffer)]
+const keys = (): Promise<CryptoKeyPair> => webCrypto.subtle.generateKey(
+  { name: 'ECDSA', namedCurve: 'P-256' }, true, ['sign', 'verify'],
+)
+
+async function mint(
+  subject: string, issuer: string, subjectKeys: CryptoKeyPair, issuerKeys: CryptoKeyPair,
+  ca: boolean, serial: string, notAfter = AFTER,
+): Promise<x509.X509Certificate> {
+  return x509.X509CertificateGenerator.create({
+    subject, issuer, serialNumber: serial, notBefore: BEFORE, notAfter,
+    signingAlgorithm: { name: 'ECDSA', hash: 'SHA-256' },
+    publicKey: subjectKeys.publicKey, signingKey: issuerKeys.privateKey,
+    extensions: [
+      new x509.BasicConstraintsExtension(ca, undefined, true),
+      new x509.KeyUsagesExtension(ca ? x509.KeyUsageFlags.keyCertSign : x509.KeyUsageFlags.digitalSignature, true),
+    ],
+  }, webCrypto)
+}
+
+describe('trust anchors require the locally held name and public key', () => {
+  let heldKeys: CryptoKeyPair, foreignKeys: CryptoKeyPair, attackerKeys: CryptoKeyPair, leafKeys: CryptoKeyPair
+  let held: x509.X509Certificate
+  let store: ReturnType<typeof makeStore>
+  beforeAll(async () => {
+    ;[heldKeys, foreignKeys, attackerKeys, leafKeys] = await Promise.all([keys(), keys(), keys(), keys()])
+    held = await mint(ROOT, ROOT, heldKeys, heldKeys, true, '01')
+    store = makeStore([{ pem: held.toString('pem'), why: 'Locally configured test anchor' }])
+  })
+
+  it('accepts a leaf genuinely signed by the held root', async () => {
+    const leaf = await mint('CN=Valid Leaf', ROOT, leafKeys, heldKeys, false, '02')
+    const result = await validatePath([leaf], store, AT)
+    expect(result.trusted).toBe(true)
+    expect(result.reachedAnchor).toBe(true)
+    expect(result.steps.filter(s => s.fromStore)).toHaveLength(1)
+    expect(bytes(result.steps.at(-1)!.cert.rawData)).toEqual(bytes(held.rawData))
+  })
+
+  it('rejects a different-key cross-signed top that copies the held root name', async () => {
+    const top = await mint(ROOT, FOREIGN, attackerKeys, foreignKeys, true, '03')
+    const leaf = await mint('CN=Attacker Leaf', ROOT, leafKeys, attackerKeys, false, '04')
+    // Every supplied signature is genuine. The missing fact is authorization
+    // by the configured key, rather than whether the attacker signed a leaf.
+    expect(await top.verify({ publicKey: foreignKeys.publicKey }, webCrypto)).toBe(true)
+    expect(await leaf.verify({ publicKey: top.publicKey }, webCrypto)).toBe(true)
+    expect(await leaf.verify({ publicKey: held.publicKey }, webCrypto)).toBe(false)
+    expect(bytes(top.publicKey.rawData)).not.toEqual(bytes(held.publicKey.rawData))
+    const result = await validatePath([leaf, top], store, AT)
+    expect(result.links.every(link => link.verified)).toBe(true)
+    expect(result.trusted).toBe(false)
+    expect(result.reachedAnchor).toBe(false)
+    expect(result.anchorWhy).toBe('')
+    expect(result.steps.some(step => step.fromStore)).toBe(false)
+    expect(result.reason).toContain('public key')
+  })
+
+  it('still rejects a different-key self-issued top through signature verification', async () => {
+    const top = await mint(ROOT, ROOT, attackerKeys, attackerKeys, true, '05')
+    const leaf = await mint('CN=Attacker Leaf', ROOT, leafKeys, attackerKeys, false, '06')
+    const result = await validatePath([leaf, top], store, AT)
+    expect(result.trusted).toBe(false)
+    expect(result.reachedAnchor).toBe(false)
+    expect(result.links.at(-1)!.verified).toBe(false)
+    expect(result.reason).toContain('does not check out')
+  })
+
+  it('accepts a same-key cross-signed top and reports the actual held certificate', async () => {
+    const top = await mint(ROOT, FOREIGN, heldKeys, foreignKeys, true, '07')
+    const leaf = await mint('CN=Valid Leaf', ROOT, leafKeys, heldKeys, false, '08')
+    expect(bytes(top.rawData)).not.toEqual(bytes(held.rawData))
+    expect(bytes(top.publicKey.rawData)).toEqual(bytes(held.publicKey.rawData))
+    const result = await validatePath([leaf, top], store, AT)
+    expect(result.trusted).toBe(true)
+    expect(result.reachedAnchor).toBe(true)
+    expect(result.anchorWhy).toBe('Locally configured test anchor')
+    const anchor = result.steps.at(-1)!
+    expect(anchor.fromStore).toBe(true)
+    expect(anchor.role).toBe('root')
+    expect(bytes(anchor.cert.rawData)).toEqual(bytes(held.rawData))
+    expect(bytes(anchor.cert.rawData)).not.toEqual(bytes(top.rawData))
+  })
+
+  it('preserves rejection of an expired served cross-signed copy', async () => {
+    const top = await mint(ROOT, FOREIGN, heldKeys, foreignKeys, true, '09', new Date('2026-10-01T00:00:00Z'))
+    const leaf = await mint('CN=Valid Leaf', ROOT, leafKeys, heldKeys, false, '10')
+    const result = await validatePath([leaf, top], store, AT)
+    expect(result.trusted).toBe(false)
+    expect(result.reason).toMatch(/expired|not valid/)
+  })
+
+  it('checks the held certificate date under the existing lab anchor-date policy', async () => {
+    const expiredHeld = await mint(ROOT, ROOT, heldKeys, heldKeys, true, '11', new Date('2026-10-01T00:00:00Z'))
+    const expiredStore = makeStore([{ pem: expiredHeld.toString('pem'), why: 'Expired local test anchor' }])
+    const top = await mint(ROOT, FOREIGN, heldKeys, foreignKeys, true, '12')
+    const leaf = await mint('CN=Valid Leaf', ROOT, leafKeys, heldKeys, false, '13')
+    const result = await validatePath([leaf, top], expiredStore, AT)
+    expect(result.trusted).toBe(false)
+    expect(result.reason).toContain('expired on 2026-10-01')
+    const anchor = result.steps.at(-1)!
+    expect(bytes(anchor.cert.rawData)).toEqual(bytes(expiredHeld.rawData))
+    expect(anchor.inDate).toBe(false)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/pki/path.ts b/src/pki/path.ts
index 3a89a15..8734dde 100644
--- a/src/pki/path.ts
+++ b/src/pki/path.ts
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ import type { Link, Role } from './types'
  */
 
 export interface AnchorStore {
-  /** The anchors, keyed by subject name, as a device store is. */
+  /** Subject-name lookup finds candidates; their held public key determines trust. */
   readonly anchors: readonly { subject: string; cert: x509.X509Certificate; why: string }[]
   find(subject: string): { subject: string; cert: x509.X509Certificate; why: string } | undefined
 }
@@ -160,22 +160,35 @@ export async function validatePath(
     reachedAnchor = link.verified
     anchorWhy = anchor.why
   } else if (store.find(top.subject)) {
-    // The device has this very certificate. The walk is already home: the
-    // served copy is redundant, which is the ordinary case for a chain that
-    // ends in a cross-signed root.
+    // A cross-signed root may have different certificate bytes and an issuer
+    // outside this store. Its name AND public key must identify the held
+    // anchor (RFC 5280 6.1.1(d)); copying the name alone grants no authority.
     const held = store.find(top.subject)!
-    steps[steps.length - 1] = { ...steps[steps.length - 1]!, role: 'root', fromStore: true }
-    reachedAnchor = true
-    anchorWhy = held.why
+    if (!sameAnchorKey(top, held.cert)) {
+      reason = reason || `${label(top)} has a name in the trusted list, but its public key does not match the trusted certificate. A matching name alone does not make its key trusted.`
+    } else {
+      // Show the actual configured certificate, not the server's different
+      // cross-signed copy mislabeled as something supplied by the store.
+      steps[steps.length - 1] = {
+        ...steps[steps.length - 1]!, role: 'root', name: label(held.cert),
+        cert: held.cert, fromStore: true,
+        inDate: validityAt(held.cert, at).inWindow,
+      }
+      reachedAnchor = true
+      anchorWhy = held.why
+    }
   } else if (isSelfIssued(top)) {
     reason = reason || `${label(top)} signed itself, and it is not in the trusted list. Anyone can sign their own certificate, so a signature from the same name it is claiming proves nothing.`
   } else {
     reason = reason || `The chain stops at ${label(top)}, which was signed by ${label2(top)} -- and that certificate is neither in the chain nor in the trusted list. The walk has nowhere left to go.`
   }
 
-  const allInDate = steps.every((s) => s.inDate)
+  // Replacing a redundant top with the actual held anchor must not forget a
+  // failed date on the served copy. Held-anchor dates remain this lab's local
+  // teaching policy, matching the ordinary issuer-anchor branch above.
+  const allInDate = validityAt(top, at).inWindow && steps.every((s) => s.inDate)
   if (!allInDate && !reason) {
-    const bad = steps.find((s) => !s.inDate)!
+    const bad = steps.find((s) => !s.inDate) || { name: label(top), cert: top }
     const v = validityAt(bad.cert, at)
     reason = v.side === 'after'
       ? `${bad.name} expired on ${v.notAfter.toISOString().slice(0, 10)}, which is before the date you are checking.`
@@ -237,3 +250,18 @@ async function judgeLink(
       : `${issuerName}'s signature over ${childName} does not check out. The bytes have been changed since it was signed, or it was never signed by this certificate at all.`,
   }
 }
+
+/** Compare the complete SPKI: key algorithm, parameters and public-key bytes. */
+function sameAnchorKey(
+  served: x509.X509Certificate,
+  held: x509.X509Certificate,
+): boolean {
+  try {
+    const a = new Uint8Array(served.publicKey.rawData)
+    const b = new Uint8Array(held.publicKey.rawData)
+    return a.length > 0 && a.length === b.length && a.every((byte, i) => byte === b[i])
+  } catch {
+    // Unreadable identity cannot establish correspondence with a held key.
+    return false
+  }
+}