diff --git a/ai/prompt-io/opencode/20260822T032520Z_d35c802b_prompt_io.md b/ai/prompt-io/opencode/20260822T032520Z_d35c802b_prompt_io.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..aef0a7d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ai/prompt-io/opencode/20260822T032520Z_d35c802b_prompt_io.md
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+---
+model: gpt-5.6-sol
+service: opencode
+session: tractor-addr-unpacking
+timestamp: 2026-08-22T03:25:20Z
+git_ref: d35c802b
+scope: code
+substantive: true
+raw_file: 20260822T032520Z_d35c802b_prompt_io.raw.md
+---
+
+## Prompt
+
+The human reported the explicit WireGuard verification commit done,
+asked the agent to check it, and authorized the next incremental
+Layer C change.
+
+## Response summary
+
+Verified commit `d35c802b`, made plain transport namespace behavior
+explicit, and retained each original listener declaration beside its
+peeled transport address. Endpoint and server diagnostics can now
+report a tunnel's namespace without violating the transport boundary.
+
+## Files changed
+
+- `tractor/ipc/_tcp.py` - explicit plain-address namespace property.
+- `tractor/ipc/_uds.py` - explicit plain-address namespace property.
+- `tractor/discovery/_tunnel.py` - direct overlay namespace delegation.
+- `tractor/ipc/_server.py` - retained declaration and namespace
+  diagnostics.
+- `tests/discovery/test_tunnelled_addr.py` - plain and tunnel namespace
+  behavior.
+- `tests/ipc/test_server_tunnel_boundary.py` - declaration retention
+  and diagnostic coverage.
+- `ai/tpt-backends/03_wg_tunnel_bindspace.md` - concrete endpoint
+  boundary contract.
+
+## Human edits
+
+The human selected continued incremental implementation after
+reviewing and committing the preceding verification layer. The agent
+implemented this dependency-ordered namespace slice; no direct manual
+edits or follow-up corrections were observed.
diff --git a/ai/prompt-io/opencode/20260822T032520Z_d35c802b_prompt_io.raw.md b/ai/prompt-io/opencode/20260822T032520Z_d35c802b_prompt_io.raw.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..30cdc291
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ai/prompt-io/opencode/20260822T032520Z_d35c802b_prompt_io.raw.md
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+---
+model: gpt-5.6-sol
+service: opencode
+timestamp: 2026-08-22T03:25:20Z
+git_ref: d35c802b
+diff_cmd: git diff HEAD~1..HEAD
+---
+
+# Raw output - retain endpoint namespace declarations
+
+The human reported the explicit WireGuard verification commit done,
+asked for it to be checked, and authorized the next incremental
+change.
+
+> `git diff HEAD~1..HEAD -- tractor/ipc/_tcp.py tractor/ipc/_uds.py tractor/discovery/_tunnel.py tractor/ipc/_server.py tests/discovery/test_tunnelled_addr.py tests/ipc/test_server_tunnel_boundary.py ai/tpt-backends/03_wg_tunnel_bindspace.md`
+
+Confirmed commit `d35c802b` and a clean worktree, then implemented the
+smallest dependency-ordered Layer C slice. Plain TCP and UDS addresses
+now explicitly report no namespace, allowing `TunnelledAddress` to
+delegate without an attribute fallback.
+
+Added required `Endpoint.declared_addr` metadata beside the peeled,
+resolved `Endpoint.addr`. Endpoint and server diagnostics expose the
+declaration's namespace without passing a tunnel wrapper into
+transport reflection. Updated the Layer C plan and tests for plain,
+tunnelled, endpoint and server namespace behavior.
+
+Ruff passed. Focused namespace tests passed 13 tests; combined
+discovery and IPC coverage passed 101 tests with 2 xpasses.
diff --git a/ai/tpt-backends/03_wg_tunnel_bindspace.md b/ai/tpt-backends/03_wg_tunnel_bindspace.md
index f11cb74d..2b8ad1c6 100644
--- a/ai/tpt-backends/03_wg_tunnel_bindspace.md
+++ b/ai/tpt-backends/03_wg_tunnel_bindspace.md
@@ -465,6 +465,10 @@ contract open. A concrete transport call returns a concrete overlay;
 a declaration-level call may replace the overlay and return a new
 `TunnelledAddress`. In either case wrappers remain until the final
 transport bind/dial boundary, where `strip_tunnels()` is mandatory.
+At the listener boundary, keep the split explicit:
+`Endpoint.addr` is the peeled concrete address used for transport
+reflection, while `Endpoint.declared_addr` retains the original
+wrapper for namespace diagnostics and later bindspace orchestration.
 
 Per-platform provisioning still composes one resource context per
 tunnel/bindspace layer:
@@ -501,16 +505,13 @@ required local provisioning/ownership differs (§5.4).
 
 - `TunnelledAddress.namespace` → `(kind, id)` e.g.
   `('netns', 'tractor-wg0')`.
-- **and** the existing backends should implement it as `None`
-  explicitly (they currently just don't define it), so the
-  Protocol stops lying.
-- consumers to audit: nothing reads `.namespace` today — so
-  adding it is safe, but the *point* is that
-  `Endpoint`/`Server.pformat()` should start showing it (there's
-  already a `# !TODO, always be ns aware!` +
-  `f'|_netns: {netns}\n'` placeholder sitting in
-  `Endpoint.pformat()`, `_server.py:645`). Fill that in; it's
-  the cheapest possible proof the layer is wired.
+- existing plain backends implement it explicitly as `None`, so the
+  Protocol does not lie and tunnel delegation needs no `getattr()`
+  fallback.
+- `Endpoint.namespace` reads the retained declaration rather than its
+  peeled transport addr; both `Endpoint.pformat()` and
+  `Server.pformat()` expose that value as the cheapest proof the layer
+  is wired.
 
 Use `github/ns_aware@e4688cad` as prototype evidence, not code to
 cherry-pick unchanged. Its `/proc/<pid>/ns/<type>` inode reader and
diff --git a/tests/discovery/test_tunnelled_addr.py b/tests/discovery/test_tunnelled_addr.py
index e9b6b471..e6b6e156 100644
--- a/tests/discovery/test_tunnelled_addr.py
+++ b/tests/discovery/test_tunnelled_addr.py
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ from tractor.discovery._addr import (
     wrap_address,
 )
 from tractor.ipc._tcp import TCPAddress
+from tractor.ipc._uds import UDSAddress
 
 
 # a valid-looking std-base64 `wg(8)` pubkey (32B -> 44 chars)
@@ -174,16 +175,13 @@ def test_namespace_comes_from_the_tunnel(
     overlay: TCPAddress,
 ):
     '''
-    First real consumer of `Address.namespace`, spec'd in the
-    protocol since day one and implemented by no backend.
+    Plain transport addresses explicitly select no namespace, while
+    a tunnel can select one for the same concrete overlay.
 
     '''
-    # XXX, "no backend implements it" is literal — the member
-    # isn't even declared, so this is `AttributeError` not `None`.
-    # This assert is the guard: when a backend finally declares
-    # `.namespace`, it fails and the `getattr()` fallback in
-    # `TunnelledAddress.namespace` can go.
-    assert not hasattr(overlay, 'namespace')
+    uds_addr: UDSAddress = UDSAddress('/tmp', 'tractor-test.sock')
+    assert overlay.namespace is None
+    assert uds_addr.namespace is None
 
     no_ns = TunnelledAddress(
         overlay=overlay,
diff --git a/tests/ipc/test_server_tunnel_boundary.py b/tests/ipc/test_server_tunnel_boundary.py
index 6c1f6dbb..1e5de26b 100644
--- a/tests/ipc/test_server_tunnel_boundary.py
+++ b/tests/ipc/test_server_tunnel_boundary.py
@@ -18,14 +18,15 @@ from tractor.ipc._tcp import TCPAddress
 _PUBKEY: str = 'g3x7z0AdV1rM6UQU22CC7IL3/ivn4DzrE7ikDhCZ/Dc='
 
 
-def test_server_peels_before_endpoint_construction():
+def test_server_peels_before_endpoint_construction() -> None:
     '''
     `Endpoint.start_listener()` reflects on its address's declaring
     module, so retaining a tunnel wrapper there selects `._tunnel`
     instead of the TCP backend. Start a real listener from the
     wrapper, assert the resulting `Endpoint` contains only a resolved
-    `TCPAddress`, and prove the original declaration still carries
-    its tunnel spec for the future bindspace lifecycle.
+    `TCPAddress`. Prove `Endpoint.declared_addr` still retains the
+    original tunnel namespace for diagnostics and the future
+    bindspace lifecycle.
 
     '''
     overlay = TCPAddress('127.0.0.1', 0)
@@ -34,6 +35,7 @@ def test_server_peels_before_endpoint_construction():
         tunnel=WGTunnelSpec(
             peer_pubkey=_PUBKEY,
             bearer=('192.168.1.50', 51820),
+            netns='actor-net',
         ),
     )
 
@@ -50,6 +52,16 @@ def test_server_peels_before_endpoint_construction():
             assert host == overlay.unwrap()[1]
             assert port > 0
             assert endpoint.addr is not tunnelled
+            assert endpoint.declared_addr is tunnelled
+            namespace: tuple[str, str] = ('netns', 'actor-net')
+            assert endpoint.namespace == namespace
+            endpoint_repr: str = endpoint.pformat()
+            server_repr: str = server.pformat()
+            expected_namespace: str = f'namespace: {namespace!r}'
+            assert expected_namespace in endpoint_repr
+            assert ' |_namespaces:' in server_repr
+            assert 'netns' in server_repr
+            assert 'actor-net' in server_repr
             assert tunnels_of(tunnelled) == (
                 tunnelled.tunnel,
             )
diff --git a/tractor/discovery/_tunnel.py b/tractor/discovery/_tunnel.py
index 1fb3139a..234e503c 100644
--- a/tractor/discovery/_tunnel.py
+++ b/tractor/discovery/_tunnel.py
@@ -432,20 +432,9 @@ class TunnelledAddress(
         '''
         The tunnel's netns, when it declares one.
 
-        This is the first real consumer of `Address.namespace`,
-        spec'd in the `Address` protocol since day one and
-        implemented by no backend.
-
-        XXX NOTE, "implemented by no backend" is literal: neither
-        `TCPAddress` nor `UDSAddress` defines `.namespace` at all,
-        so a plain attr access on an overlay raises
-        `AttributeError` rather than yielding `None`. Hence the
-        `getattr()` — drop it once the backends actually declare
-        the member.
-
         '''
         if (netns := self.tunnel.netns) is None:
-            return getattr(self.overlay, 'namespace', None)
+            return self.overlay.namespace
 
         return ('netns', netns)
 
diff --git a/tractor/ipc/_server.py b/tractor/ipc/_server.py
index 9155f842..f298ea57 100644
--- a/tractor/ipc/_server.py
+++ b/tractor/ipc/_server.py
@@ -631,6 +631,7 @@ class Endpoint(Struct):
 
     '''
     addr: Address
+    declared_addr: Address|TunnelledAddress
     listen_tn: Nursery
     stream_handler_tn: Nursery|None = None
 
@@ -645,15 +646,27 @@ class Endpoint(Struct):
         MsgTransport,  # handle to encoded-msg transport stream
     ] = {}
 
+    @property
+    def namespace(self) -> tuple[str, str|int]|None:
+        '''
+        Return the original address declaration's namespace.
+
+        `Endpoint.addr` is peeled to its concrete transport before
+        listener reflection, so `.declared_addr` retains bindspace
+        metadata for diagnostics and later provisioning.
+
+        '''
+        return self.declared_addr.namespace
+
     def pformat(
         self,
         indent: int = 0,
         privates: bool = False,
     ) -> str:
         type_repr: str = type(self).__name__
+        namespace: tuple[str, str|int]|None = self.namespace
         fmtstr: str = (
-            # !TODO, always be ns aware!
-            # f'|_netns: {netns}\n'
+            f' |.namespace: {namespace!r}\n'
             f' |.addr: {self.addr!r}\n'
             f' |_peers: {len(self.peer_tpts)}\n'
         )
@@ -931,9 +944,17 @@ class Server(Struct):
                 ep.addr for ep in eps
             ]
             repr_eps: str = ppfmt(addrs)
+            namespaces: list[
+                tuple[str, str|int]|None
+            ] = []
+            ep: Endpoint
+            for ep in eps:
+                namespaces.append(ep.namespace)
+            repr_namespaces: str = ppfmt(namespaces)
 
             fmtstr += (
                 f' |_endpoints: {repr_eps}\n'
+                f' |_namespaces: {repr_namespaces}\n'
                 # ^TODO? how to indent closing ']'..
             )
 
@@ -1086,6 +1107,7 @@ async def _serve_ipc_eps(
                     addr=addr,
                     listen_tn=listen_tn,
                     stream_handler_tn=stream_handler_tn,
+                    declared_addr=declared_addr,
                 )
                 try:
                     ep_sclang: str = nest_from_op(
diff --git a/tractor/ipc/_tcp.py b/tractor/ipc/_tcp.py
index dc88358c..0caf3f22 100644
--- a/tractor/ipc/_tcp.py
+++ b/tractor/ipc/_tcp.py
@@ -107,6 +107,14 @@ class TCPAddress(
     def bindspace(self) -> str:
         return self._host
 
+    @property
+    def namespace(self) -> None:
+        '''
+        Report that plain TCP uses the process's current namespace.
+
+        '''
+        return None
+
     @property
     def domain(self) -> str:
         return self._host
diff --git a/tractor/ipc/_uds.py b/tractor/ipc/_uds.py
index 72987c1f..56e84e44 100644
--- a/tractor/ipc/_uds.py
+++ b/tractor/ipc/_uds.py
@@ -165,6 +165,14 @@ class UDSAddress(
             self.def_bindspace
         )
 
+    @property
+    def namespace(self) -> None:
+        '''
+        Report that plain UDS uses the process's current namespace.
+
+        '''
+        return None
+
     @property
     def sockpath(self) -> Path:
         return Path(self.bindspace) / self.filename