diff --git a/crates/tracedecay-cli/src/status_cmd.rs b/crates/tracedecay-cli/src/status_cmd.rs
index 8e11cf2940..a0cead9f6d 100644
--- a/crates/tracedecay-cli/src/status_cmd.rs
+++ b/crates/tracedecay-cli/src/status_cmd.rs
@@ -488,7 +488,7 @@ async fn handle_status_command_within(
         .unwrap_or_default();
     let github_source: Option<GitHubSourceStatusV1> = daemon_status
         .get("github_source")
-        .filter(|source| source.get("state") != Some(&Value::from("not_observed")))
+        .filter(|source| source.get("state") != Some(&Value::from("absent")))
         .cloned()
         .map(serde_json::from_value)
         .transpose()?;
diff --git a/crates/tracedecay-mcp/src/handlers/info/status.rs b/crates/tracedecay-mcp/src/handlers/info/status.rs
index 1bfdac8abe..a8324db605 100644
--- a/crates/tracedecay-mcp/src/handlers/info/status.rs
+++ b/crates/tracedecay-mcp/src/handlers/info/status.rs
@@ -451,7 +451,7 @@ pub async fn handle_status(
     output["github_source"] = match github_source_status_v1(ctx.project_root()) {
         Some(source) => serde_json::to_value(&source)?,
         None => json!({
-            "state": "not_observed",
+            "state": "absent",
             "reason": "the checkout has no GitHub origin, or its advisory owner has not mounted in this daemon",
         }),
     };
diff --git a/crates/tracedecay/tests/mcp_suite/status_behavior_test.rs b/crates/tracedecay/tests/mcp_suite/status_behavior_test.rs
index 762ce1975f..5b4dee86a5 100644
--- a/crates/tracedecay/tests/mcp_suite/status_behavior_test.rs
+++ b/crates/tracedecay/tests/mcp_suite/status_behavior_test.rs
@@ -177,6 +177,13 @@ async fn tracedecay_status_reports_the_sealed_branch_and_keeps_diagnostics_opt_i
     assert!(compact.get("node_count").is_none());
     assert_eq!(compact["server"]["errors"], 0);
     assert!(compact["server"].get("worktree_mismatch").is_none());
+    assert_eq!(
+        compact["github_source"],
+        json!({
+            "state": "absent",
+            "reason": "the checkout has no GitHub origin, or its advisory owner has not mounted in this daemon",
+        })
+    );
 
     let worktree_id = &compact["code_index_freshness"]["worktree"]["worktree_id"];
     let generation_id = &compact["graph_statistics"]["generation_id"];
@@ -280,6 +287,7 @@ async fn tracedecay_status_reports_the_sealed_branch_and_keeps_diagnostics_opt_i
             "## Project Status\n\
              **active_branch:** status-proof\n\
              **code_index_freshness.status:** current\n\
+             **github_source:** {{2 field(s)}}\n\
              **graph_statistics:** {{6 field(s)}}\n\
              **memory.status:** nominal\n\
              {owner_bullets}\
diff --git a/docs/USER-GUIDE.md b/docs/USER-GUIDE.md
index 32b8e94ebb..444bd1d59d 100644
--- a/docs/USER-GUIDE.md
+++ b/docs/USER-GUIDE.md
@@ -900,6 +900,7 @@ checkout's exact head, and a remedy when there is one:
 | `bound` | A credential authorizes the reads. |
 | `unauthenticated_public` | No credential was found, so the repository is read anonymously as a public repository. That allows 60 requests per hour. Discovery uses the REST issue search's `head:` qualifier, which also finds fork-headed pull requests. |
 | `denied_no_credential` | No credential was found and GitHub refused the anonymous read: the repository is private or absent. Run `gh auth login`, or set `GH_TOKEN` to a token with read access, then reopen the project. |
+| `absent` | No GitHub source was observed: the checkout has no GitHub `origin`, or its advisory owner has not mounted in this daemon yet. |
 
 ### Private GitHub review sources