diff --git a/.github/copilot-instructions.md b/.github/copilot-instructions.md
index ee737ee..2ebd295 100644
--- a/.github/copilot-instructions.md
+++ b/.github/copilot-instructions.md
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ You are operating in a multi-repo, documentation-first architecture. You MUST ST
    - Your VERY FIRST AND ONLY allowed tool calls must be `file_search` or `get_file` targeting the `.md` documentation in the relevant `docs/` folders or `README.md`.
    - Do not answer the user's core question until the `[LOADED_DOCS]` list is populated with the base architecture files.
    - **CRITICAL EXCEPTION:** Do **NOT** re-read `.md` files that are already mapped in your context or `LOADED_DOCS` list (strictly maintain rule 15).
+   - **CROSS-REPO HARD-GATE:** When navigating to an external repo (via `own-dep-repos` paths), read that repo's `docs/` and `README.md` BEFORE searching its source code. The hard-gate applies to EVERY repo you enter, not just your own.
+   - **PER-QUESTION DOC-FIRST:** Before searching source code for any user question, check whether there is a relevant `.md` file (folder `README.md`, other repo `docs/`, etc.) that has NOT yet been loaded. Read it first — it tells you where to look in the code, saving searches and tokens. Only after loading relevant docs should you search/read source files.
 
 3. **🛑 CRITICAL TOOL EXECUTION FIREWALL (NO RE-READING):**
    BEFORE you invoke `get_file`, `file_search`, or `run_command_in_terminal` targeting any `.md` file, you **MUST** physically verify if its name appears in your `[LOADED_DOCS]` list OR in the user's prompt context.
@@ -26,7 +28,7 @@ You are operating in a multi-repo, documentation-first architecture. You MUST ST
    - `docs/` (in this repository root)
 
 5. **EXPLICIT CONSENT FOR MODIFICATIONS:**
-   NEVER rewrite, create, or delete code/files without the user's explicit permission. If the user does not specifically request a code modification (e.g., using phrases like "we are just thinking," "what do you think," "let's plan"), you MUST ONLY provide text-based analysis and planning. You are FORBIDDEN from using file-modifying tools (`replace_string_in_file`, `edit_file`, `create_file`, etc.) until the user explicitly says "ok", "go ahead", "implement", or a similar unambiguous approval.
+   NEVER rewrite, create, or delete any file (code, documentation, configuration, memory, or otherwise) without the user's explicit permission. If the user does not specifically request a code modification (e.g., using phrases like "we are just thinking," "what do you think," "let's plan"), you MUST ONLY provide text-based analysis and planning. You are FORBIDDEN from using file-modifying tools (`replace_string_in_file`, `edit_file`, `create_file`, etc.) until the user explicitly says "ok", "go ahead", "implement", or a similar unambiguous approval.
 
 ## Workspace Dependencies
 # own-dep-repos: "name: path" — paths are relative to this repo root (.github/..)
diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index 577d61b..d8a5d03 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -1 +1,17 @@
 CRITICAL: Your FIRST action in every session MUST be reading `.github/copilot-instructions.md`. Execute ALL session-start instructions found there before responding to any user query. It is the single source of truth for this repo.
+
+## SEQUENTIAL EXECUTION OVERRIDE
+The AI AGENT CORE PROTOCOL in copilot-instructions.md requires STRICT SEQUENTIAL execution. This OVERRIDES your default parallelization behavior. Do NOT parallelize doc reads with code searches. The sequence is:
+1. Read copilot-instructions.md → process its rules FULLY
+2. Read ALL docs/ .md files listed in the protocol → wait for completion
+3. Output [LOADED_DOCS: ...] prefix
+4. ONLY THEN respond to the user's query or search code
+
+## Tool mapping for AI AGENT CORE PROTOCOL
+The copilot-instructions.md references Copilot tool names. Map them to Claude Code tools:
+- `get_file` / `file_search` → `Read`, `Glob`, `Grep`
+- `code_search` / `get_symbols_by_name` / `find_symbol` → `Grep`, `Glob`
+- `replace_string_in_file` / `edit_file` → `Edit`
+- `create_file` → `Write`
+
+Follow the protocol using YOUR tools. The rules (LOADED_DOCS prefix, hard-gate, no-re-read, context recovery, explicit consent) apply equally to Claude Code.