diff --git a/scripts/approved_plan_continuity_gate.mjs b/scripts/approved_plan_continuity_gate.mjs
index 38df9bd..8e93082 100755
--- a/scripts/approved_plan_continuity_gate.mjs
+++ b/scripts/approved_plan_continuity_gate.mjs
@@ -3,6 +3,23 @@ import fs from 'node:fs';
 
 const LEGAL_TERMINAL_STATES = new Set(['waiting_user', 'blocked', 'pending_verification']);
 
+function isNonEmptyString(value) {
+  return typeof value === 'string' && value.trim().length > 0;
+}
+
+function isObject(value) {
+  return value != null && typeof value === 'object' && !Array.isArray(value);
+}
+
+function hasValidDispatchReceipt(receipt) {
+  if (!isObject(receipt)) return false;
+  if (!isNonEmptyString(receipt.planId)) return false;
+  if (!isNonEmptyString(receipt.currentTask)) return false;
+  if (!isObject(receipt.nextDerivedAction)) return false;
+  if (!isNonEmptyString(receipt.dispatchedAt)) return false;
+  return true;
+}
+
 function parseArgs(argv) {
   let inputPath = null;
   let compact = false;
@@ -59,7 +76,7 @@ function evaluateContinuity(payload) {
   const taskComplete = payload?.taskState === 'complete';
   const nextAction = payload?.nextDerivedAction ?? payload?.derivedAction ?? null;
   const nextActionKnown = nextAction != null;
-  const hasDispatchReceipt = payload?.dispatchReceipt != null;
+  const hasDispatchReceipt = hasValidDispatchReceipt(payload?.dispatchReceipt ?? null);
   const closureState = payload?.replyClosureState ?? null;
   const isLegalTerminalState = LEGAL_TERMINAL_STATES.has(closureState);
 
diff --git a/scripts/test_approved_plan_continuity_gate.mjs b/scripts/test_approved_plan_continuity_gate.mjs
index 3183ced..bb8ac25 100644
--- a/scripts/test_approved_plan_continuity_gate.mjs
+++ b/scripts/test_approved_plan_continuity_gate.mjs
@@ -149,13 +149,11 @@ const tests = [
         });
 
         if (result.status !== 0 && result.status !== null) {
-          throw new Error(`expected controlled execution, got status=${result.status}
-${result.stderr || result.stdout}`);
+          throw new Error(`expected controlled execution, got status=${result.status}\n${result.stderr || result.stdout}`);
         }
 
         if (!result.json || typeof result.json !== 'object') {
-          throw new Error(`expected JSON output
-stdout=${result.stdout}`);
+          throw new Error(`expected JSON output\nstdout=${result.stdout}`);
         }
 
         if (result.json.ok !== false) {
@@ -170,6 +168,54 @@ stdout=${result.stdout}`);
       }
     },
   },
+  {
+    name: 'continuity: fails when dispatchReceipt is a fake non-null object without minimum receipt fields',
+    run() {
+      const fixture = createFixture({
+        'input.json': {
+          planId: 'plan-fake-dispatch-receipt',
+          currentTask: 'task-6fake',
+          taskState: 'complete',
+          nextDerivedAction: {
+            type: 'message_subagent',
+            task: 'continue with task-7fake',
+          },
+          replyClosureState: 'completed',
+          dispatchReceipt: {
+            fake: true,
+          },
+        },
+      });
+
+      try {
+        const result = runGate({
+          args: ['--compact', '--input', fixture.path('input.json')],
+        });
+
+        if (result.status !== 0 && result.status !== null) {
+          throw new Error(`expected controlled execution, got status=${result.status}\n${result.stderr || result.stdout}`);
+        }
+
+        if (!result.json || typeof result.json !== 'object') {
+          throw new Error(`expected JSON output\nstdout=${result.stdout}`);
+        }
+
+        if (result.json.ok !== false) {
+          throw new Error(`expected continuity failure ok=false for fake dispatch receipt, got ${JSON.stringify(result.json)}`);
+        }
+
+        if (result.json.verdict !== 'continuity_failure') {
+          throw new Error(`expected verdict=continuity_failure for fake dispatch receipt, got ${JSON.stringify(result.json.verdict)}`);
+        }
+
+        if (result.json.reason !== 'missing_dispatch_receipt') {
+          throw new Error(`expected reason=missing_dispatch_receipt for fake dispatch receipt, got ${JSON.stringify(result.json.reason)}`);
+        }
+      } finally {
+        fixture.cleanup();
+      }
+    },
+  },
 
   {
     name: 'continuity: passes when task is complete, next action is known, and a dispatch receipt already exists',
@@ -202,13 +248,11 @@ stdout=${result.stdout}`);
         });
 
         if (result.status !== 0 && result.status !== null) {
-          throw new Error(`expected controlled execution, got status=${result.status}
-${result.stderr || result.stdout}`);
+          throw new Error(`expected controlled execution, got status=${result.status}\n${result.stderr || result.stdout}`);
         }
 
         if (!result.json || typeof result.json !== 'object') {
-          throw new Error(`expected JSON output
-stdout=${result.stdout}`);
+          throw new Error(`expected JSON output\nstdout=${result.stdout}`);
         }
 
         if (result.json.ok !== true) {
@@ -220,6 +264,53 @@ stdout=${result.stdout}`);
     },
   },
 
+  {
+    name: 'continuity: passes when planner returns derivedAction and a bound dispatch receipt already exists',
+    run() {
+      const fixture = createFixture({
+        'input.json': {
+          planId: 'plan-derived-action-with-bound-dispatch',
+          currentTask: 'task-6c',
+          taskState: 'complete',
+          derivedAction: {
+            type: 'message_subagent',
+            task: 'continue with task-7c',
+          },
+          replyClosureState: 'completed',
+          dispatchReceipt: {
+            planId: 'plan-derived-action-with-bound-dispatch',
+            currentTask: 'task-6c',
+            nextDerivedAction: {
+              type: 'message_subagent',
+              task: 'continue with task-7c',
+            },
+            dispatchedAt: '2026-04-24T12:05:00+08:00',
+          },
+        },
+      });
+
+      try {
+        const result = runGate({
+          args: ['--compact', '--input', fixture.path('input.json')],
+        });
+
+        if (result.status !== 0 && result.status !== null) {
+          throw new Error(`expected controlled execution, got status=${result.status}\n${result.stderr || result.stdout}`);
+        }
+
+        if (!result.json || typeof result.json !== 'object') {
+          throw new Error(`expected JSON output\nstdout=${result.stdout}`);
+        }
+
+        if (result.json.ok !== true) {
+          throw new Error(`expected continuity pass ok=true when derivedAction has bound dispatch receipt, got ${JSON.stringify(result.json)}`);
+        }
+      } finally {
+        fixture.cleanup();
+      }
+    },
+  },
+
   {
     name: 'continuity: passes when task is complete, next action is known, no dispatch receipt exists, and closure is waiting_user',
     run() {
@@ -243,13 +334,11 @@ stdout=${result.stdout}`);
         });
 
         if (result.status !== 0 && result.status !== null) {
-          throw new Error(`expected controlled execution, got status=${result.status}
-${result.stderr || result.stdout}`);
+          throw new Error(`expected controlled execution, got status=${result.status}\n${result.stderr || result.stdout}`);
         }
 
         if (!result.json || typeof result.json !== 'object') {
-          throw new Error(`expected JSON output
-stdout=${result.stdout}`);
+          throw new Error(`expected JSON output\nstdout=${result.stdout}`);
         }
 
         if (result.json.ok !== true) {
@@ -284,13 +373,11 @@ stdout=${result.stdout}`);
         });
 
         if (result.status !== 0 && result.status !== null) {
-          throw new Error(`expected controlled execution, got status=${result.status}
-${result.stderr || result.stdout}`);
+          throw new Error(`expected controlled execution, got status=${result.status}\n${result.stderr || result.stdout}`);
         }
 
         if (!result.json || typeof result.json !== 'object') {
-          throw new Error(`expected JSON output
-stdout=${result.stdout}`);
+          throw new Error(`expected JSON output\nstdout=${result.stdout}`);
         }
 
         if (result.json.ok !== true) {
@@ -325,13 +412,11 @@ stdout=${result.stdout}`);
         });
 
         if (result.status !== 0 && result.status !== null) {
-          throw new Error(`expected controlled execution, got status=${result.status}
-${result.stderr || result.stdout}`);
+          throw new Error(`expected controlled execution, got status=${result.status}\n${result.stderr || result.stdout}`);
         }
 
         if (!result.json || typeof result.json !== 'object') {
-          throw new Error(`expected JSON output
-stdout=${result.stdout}`);
+          throw new Error(`expected JSON output\nstdout=${result.stdout}`);
         }
 
         if (result.json.ok !== true) {