diff --git a/plugins/career/routes.py b/plugins/career/routes.py
index 3c1e889..90be728 100644
--- a/plugins/career/routes.py
+++ b/plugins/career/routes.py
@@ -426,11 +426,19 @@ def _passports_view():
                 badge = "shown_not_judged"
             elif qualifying >= req["songs"] and len(cleared) == len(required):
                 # Bronze is earned; GOLD upgrades it when a verified improv
-                # artifact exists for this genre's jam style (exact genre key
-                # or its family — jam styleIds are the family keys). Bronze
-                # remains a standalone win; gold never becomes an obligation.
-                style = gkey if gkey in gold_improv else _genre_family(gkey)
-                badge = "gold" if style and style in gold_improv else "earned"
+                # artifact exists for this genre's jam style. Virtuoso mints
+                # under raw STYLE_PALETTES ids ('punk', 'djent', 'disco', ...),
+                # which are mostly NOT family keys — so match in family space:
+                # the same keyword bucketing genres get ('punk' and 'punk
+                # rock' both bucket to 'rock'), with the exact key as a direct
+                # hit. Bronze remains a standalone win; gold never becomes an
+                # obligation.
+                fam = _genre_family(gkey)
+                gold = any(
+                    s == gkey or (fam is not None and _genre_family(s) == fam)
+                    for s in gold_improv
+                )
+                badge = "gold" if gold else "earned"
             else:
                 badge = "in_progress"
             # Practice invitation: the non-qualifying songs closest to the
@@ -703,8 +711,18 @@ def setup(app, context):
         # drops junk entries, which must not become a size-guard bypass.
         if len(json.dumps(body["byNode"])) > DRILL_SNAPSHOT_MAX_BYTES:
             raise HTTPException(413, "Snapshot too large.")
-        gold_in = body.get("goldImprov")
-        gold_in = gold_in if isinstance(gold_in, dict) else {}
+        gold_in = body.get("goldImprov", {})
+        if not isinstance(gold_in, dict):
+            # A relay bug must be LOUD, not a silent 200 that drops gold.
+            raise HTTPException(400, "goldImprov must be an object keyed by style id.")
+        # Keep only plausible artifacts: a dict that names its verifier —
+        # an empty {} must not mint an evidence-free gold.
+        gold_in = {k: v for k, v in gold_in.items()
+                   if isinstance(v, dict) and v.get("verifier")}
+        # Same pre-merge bound byNode gets: the gained-only merge dropping
+        # junk must not become a size-guard bypass (nor lock-held CPU burn).
+        if len(json.dumps(gold_in)) > DRILL_SNAPSHOT_MAX_BYTES:
+            raise HTTPException(413, "Snapshot too large.")
         with _lock:
             _, existing, existing_gold = _drill_by_node()
             snapshot = {"mode": body.get("mode"), "xp": body.get("xp"),
diff --git a/plugins/career/screen.js b/plugins/career/screen.js
index 99d39c2..c981625 100644
--- a/plugins/career/screen.js
+++ b/plugins/career/screen.js
@@ -611,7 +611,7 @@
         const data = (_pp.instruments || {})[inst] || { passports: [] };
         host.innerHTML = ((_pp.config || {}).instruments || []).map((i) => {
             const d = (_pp.instruments || {})[i] || {};
-            const earned = (d.passports || []).filter((p) => p.badge === 'earned').length;
+            const earned = (d.passports || []).filter((p) => p.badge === 'earned' || p.badge === 'gold').length;
             const committed = !!d.committed_at;
             return `<button class="pp-inst${i === inst ? ' active' : ''}${committed ? '' : ' uncommitted'}" data-pp-inst="${esc(i)}">
                 ${esc(ppLabel(i))}${earned ? ` <span class="pp-inst-badges">⚡${earned}</span>` : ''}${committed ? '' : ' <span class="pp-inst-plus">+</span>'}
diff --git a/tests/plugins/career/test_passports.py b/tests/plugins/career/test_passports.py
index 08e4870..8687565 100644
--- a/tests/plugins/career/test_passports.py
+++ b/tests/plugins/career/test_passports.py
@@ -393,7 +393,7 @@ def test_gold_without_bronze_stays_in_progress(client, meta_db):
     meta_db.add("one.feedpak", 0, 0.9, genre="Soul", arrangements=LEAD)
     _open(client, "guitar", "Soul")
     client.post("/api/plugins/career/drill-state", json={
-        "byNode": {}, "goldImprov": {"soul": {"at": 1}}})
+        "byNode": {}, "goldImprov": {"soul": {"at": 1, "verifier": "comb"}}})
     assert _passport(client, "guitar", "soul")["badge"] == "in_progress"
 
 
@@ -407,8 +407,41 @@ def test_gold_merge_is_gained_only(client, meta_db):
     # A stale relay without the artifact never un-mints.
     client.post("/api/plugins/career/drill-state", json={"byNode": {}})
     assert _passport(client, "guitar", "soul")["badge"] == "gold"
-    # And a different artifact for the same style never overwrites the first.
+    # And a different artifact for the same style never overwrites the first —
+    # asserted against the PERSISTED snapshot (the view doesn't expose
+    # artifact contents), so a last-write-wins regression can't stay green.
     client.post("/api/plugins/career/drill-state", json={
         "byNode": {}, "goldImprov": {"soul": {"at": 999, "verifier": "yin"}}})
-    view = client.get("/api/plugins/career/passports").json()
-    # (first-artifact-wins is asserted through the intake merge)
+    _, _, gold = career_routes._drill_by_node()
+    assert gold["soul"] == {"at": 1, "verifier": "comb"}
+
+
+def test_gold_matches_raw_style_id_through_family(client, meta_db):
+    # Virtuoso mints under raw STYLE_PALETTES ids ('punk', not 'rock'): a
+    # 'punk rock' passport (family rock) must go gold from a 'punk' artifact.
+    for i in range(5):
+        meta_db.add(f"pk{i}.feedpak", 0, 0.9, genre="Punk Rock", arrangements=LEAD)
+    career_routes._state["passports_content"]["genres"]["rock"] = {}  # no drill gate
+    _open(client, "guitar", "Punk Rock")
+    client.post("/api/plugins/career/drill-state", json={
+        "byNode": {}, "goldImprov": {"punk": {"at": 1, "verifier": "comb"}}})
+    assert _passport(client, "guitar", "punk rock")["badge"] == "gold"
+
+
+def test_gold_intake_rejects_junk(client, meta_db):
+    # A non-dict goldImprov is a relay bug: loud 400, never a silent drop.
+    res = client.post("/api/plugins/career/drill-state",
+                      json={"byNode": {}, "goldImprov": ["metal"]})
+    assert res.status_code == 400
+    # Evidence-free artifacts (no verifier) never mint.
+    for i in range(5):
+        meta_db.add(f"j{i}.feedpak", 0, 0.9, genre="Soul", arrangements=LEAD)
+    _open(client, "guitar", "Soul")
+    client.post("/api/plugins/career/drill-state", json={
+        "byNode": {}, "goldImprov": {"soul": {}}})
+    assert _passport(client, "guitar", "soul")["badge"] == "earned"
+    # An oversized goldImprov is bounded BEFORE the merge, like byNode.
+    blob = {f"s{i}": {"verifier": "comb", "pad": "x" * 4096} for i in range(200)}
+    res = client.post("/api/plugins/career/drill-state",
+                      json={"byNode": {}, "goldImprov": blob})
+    assert res.status_code == 413