diff --git a/src/resources/extensions/sf/tests/doctor-plan-dir-normalization.test.mjs b/src/resources/extensions/sf/tests/doctor-plan-dir-normalization.test.mjs
index 986842db4..0f2d70612 100644
--- a/src/resources/extensions/sf/tests/doctor-plan-dir-normalization.test.mjs
+++ b/src/resources/extensions/sf/tests/doctor-plan-dir-normalization.test.mjs
@@ -13,12 +13,7 @@ import {
 	checkEngineHealth,
 	normalizeLegacyPlanSlugDirectories,
 } from "../doctor-engine-checks.js";
-import {
-	closeDatabase,
-	insertMilestone,
-	insertSlice,
-	openDatabase,
-} from "../sf-db.js";
+import { closeDatabase, openDatabase } from "../sf-db.js";
 
 const tmpDirs = [];
 
@@ -133,43 +128,4 @@ describe("doctor plan directory normalization", () => {
 			false,
 		);
 	});
-
-	test("checkEngineHealth_when_planning_records_lack_purpose_reports_db_purpose_errors", async () => {
-		const project = makeProject();
-		const dbPath = join(project, ".sf", "sf.db");
-		assert.equal(openDatabase(dbPath), true);
-		insertMilestone({
-			id: "M001",
-			title: "Missing purpose milestone",
-			status: "active",
-			planning: { vision: "   " },
-		});
-		insertSlice({
-			milestoneId: "M001",
-			id: "S01",
-			title: "Missing purpose slice",
-			status: "active",
-			sequence: 1,
-			planning: { goal: "   " },
-		});
-		closeDatabase();
-		const issues = [];
-
-		await checkEngineHealth(project, issues, [], () => false);
-
-		assert.deepEqual(
-			issues
-				.filter((issue) =>
-					[
-						"db_milestone_missing_vision",
-						"db_slice_missing_goal",
-					].includes(issue.code),
-				)
-				.map((issue) => [issue.code, issue.scope, issue.unitId]),
-			[
-				["db_milestone_missing_vision", "milestone", "M001"],
-				["db_slice_missing_goal", "slice", "M001/S01"],
-			],
-		);
-	});
 });
diff --git a/src/resources/extensions/sf/tests/doctor-purpose-gate.test.mjs b/src/resources/extensions/sf/tests/doctor-purpose-gate.test.mjs
index 5558c4d0b..6f2c12989 100644
--- a/src/resources/extensions/sf/tests/doctor-purpose-gate.test.mjs
+++ b/src/resources/extensions/sf/tests/doctor-purpose-gate.test.mjs
@@ -1,56 +1,86 @@
+/**
+ * doctor-purpose-gate.test.mjs — doctor catches DB planning records that lack purpose.
+ *
+ * Purpose: prove that DB-first planning cannot advance through autonomous
+ * health checks when milestone vision or slice goal fields are blank.
+ */
 import assert from "node:assert/strict";
-import { mkdirSync, mkdtempSync, rmSync, writeFileSync } from "node:fs";
+import { mkdirSync, mkdtempSync, rmSync } from "node:fs";
 import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
 import { join } from "node:path";
 import { afterEach, test } from "vitest";
 import { checkEngineHealth } from "../doctor-engine-checks.js";
-import { closeDatabase, openDatabase } from "../sf-db.js";
+import {
+	closeDatabase,
+	insertMilestone,
+	insertSlice,
+	openDatabase,
+} from "../sf-db.js";
 
 const tmpDirs = [];
 
-afterEach(() => {
-  closeDatabase();
-  while (tmpDirs.length > 0) {
-    const dir = tmpDirs.pop();
-    if (dir) rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
-  }
-});
-
 function makeProject() {
-  const dir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "sf-purpose-gate-"));
-  tmpDirs.push(dir);
-  mkdirSync(join(dir, ".sf"), { recursive: true });
-  writeFileSync(join(dir, "package.json"), JSON.stringify({ name: "singularity-forge" }));
-  openDatabase(join(dir, ".sf", "sf.db"));
-  return dir;
+	const dir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "sf-purpose-gate-"));
+	tmpDirs.push(dir);
+	mkdirSync(join(dir, ".sf"), { recursive: true });
+	openDatabase(join(dir, ".sf", "sf.db"));
+	return dir;
 }
 
-test("checkEngineHealth_flags_milestones_without_vision", async () => {
-  const dir = makeProject();
-  const db = new (await import("node:sqlite")).DatabaseSync(join(dir, ".sf", "sf.db"));
-  db.prepare('INSERT INTO milestones (id, title, status, depends_on, vision, success_criteria, key_risks, proof_strategy, verification_contract, verification_integration, verification_operational, verification_uat, definition_of_done, requirement_coverage, boundary_map_markdown, vision_meeting_json, product_research_json) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)')
-    .run("M001", "Test", "active", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
-  
-  const issues = [];
-  await checkEngineHealth(dir, issues, [], () => false);
-  
-  const missingVision = issues.find(i => i.code === "db_milestone_missing_vision");
-  assert.ok(missingVision, "expected db_milestone_missing_vision issue");
-  assert.equal(missingVision.scope, "milestone");
+afterEach(() => {
+	closeDatabase();
+	while (tmpDirs.length > 0) {
+		const dir = tmpDirs.pop();
+		if (dir) rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+	}
 });
 
-test("checkEngineHealth_flags_slices_without_goal", async () => {
-  const dir = makeProject();
-  const db = new (await import("node:sqlite")).DatabaseSync(join(dir, ".sf", "sf.db"));
-  db.prepare('INSERT INTO milestones (id, title, status, depends_on, vision, success_criteria, key_risks, proof_strategy, verification_contract, verification_integration, verification_operational, verification_uat, definition_of_done, requirement_coverage, boundary_map_markdown, vision_meeting_json, product_research_json) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)')
-    .run("M001", "Test", "active", "", "vision text", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
-  db.prepare('INSERT INTO slices (milestone_id, id, title, status, goal, sequence) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)')
-    .run("M001", "S01", "Slice", "pending", "", 1);
-  
-  const issues = [];
-  await checkEngineHealth(dir, issues, [], () => false);
-  
-  const missingGoal = issues.find(i => i.code === "db_slice_missing_goal");
-  assert.ok(missingGoal, "expected db_slice_missing_goal issue");
-  assert.equal(missingGoal.scope, "slice");
+test("checkEngineHealth_when_milestone_vision_is_blank_reports_purpose_error", async () => {
+	const dir = makeProject();
+	insertMilestone({
+		id: "M001",
+		title: "Missing purpose milestone",
+		status: "active",
+		planning: { vision: "   " },
+	});
+	closeDatabase();
+	const issues = [];
+
+	await checkEngineHealth(dir, issues, [], () => false);
+
+	assert.deepEqual(
+		issues
+			.filter((issue) => issue.code === "db_milestone_missing_vision")
+			.map((issue) => [issue.scope, issue.unitId]),
+		[["milestone", "M001"]],
+	);
+});
+
+test("checkEngineHealth_when_slice_goal_is_blank_reports_purpose_error", async () => {
+	const dir = makeProject();
+	insertMilestone({
+		id: "M001",
+		title: "Purposeful milestone",
+		status: "active",
+		planning: { vision: "Protect DB-backed planning purpose gates." },
+	});
+	insertSlice({
+		milestoneId: "M001",
+		id: "S01",
+		title: "Missing purpose slice",
+		status: "active",
+		sequence: 1,
+		planning: { goal: "   " },
+	});
+	closeDatabase();
+	const issues = [];
+
+	await checkEngineHealth(dir, issues, [], () => false);
+
+	assert.deepEqual(
+		issues
+			.filter((issue) => issue.code === "db_slice_missing_goal")
+			.map((issue) => [issue.scope, issue.unitId]),
+		[["slice", "M001/S01"]],
+	);
 });