diff --git a/.voidbot/state/aetheria.cc b/.voidbot/state/aetheria.cc
index f94de5d1b..3d4d5febb 100644
Binary files a/.voidbot/state/aetheria.cc and b/.voidbot/state/aetheria.cc differ
diff --git a/Aetheria.State/README.md b/Aetheria.State/README.md
index 205a5e202..ec4d6a358 100644
--- a/Aetheria.State/README.md
+++ b/Aetheria.State/README.md
@@ -100,9 +100,10 @@ The package runtime catalog snapshot indexes items by canonical item key; Unity
 gameplay, HUD, inventory, trade, ship, and zone helper lookups use `ItemKey`
 directly instead of deriving `ItemId` and searching by legacy GUID.
 The shared runtime item catalog reader is also item-key-only now: its GUID index,
-`GetRuntimeItem(Guid)` entry point, and `AetheriaRuntimeItemReference(Guid)`
-constructor have been deleted. Legacy GUID helpers remain only as explicit
-compatibility projections.
+`GetRuntimeItem(Guid)` entry point, raw GUID string fallback,
+`AetheriaRuntimeItemReference(Guid)` constructor, and reverse legacy-GUID
+projections have been deleted. `FromLegacyId` remains only as an explicit
+migration/projection helper.
 The old generic `RuntimeCatalogLink<T>` abstraction, `ItemManager.GetData`
 hydration path, vague `ItemInstance.Data` identity field, and old
 `RuntimeItemReference.Projection` cache have been deleted; runtime item facts
diff --git a/Assets/Scripts/ServerShared/AetheriaRuntimeItemCatalog.cs b/Assets/Scripts/ServerShared/AetheriaRuntimeItemCatalog.cs
index 69d0e8042..facb6c016 100644
--- a/Assets/Scripts/ServerShared/AetheriaRuntimeItemCatalog.cs
+++ b/Assets/Scripts/ServerShared/AetheriaRuntimeItemCatalog.cs
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Linq;
 using GameCult.Aetheria.State.Unity;
@@ -10,9 +9,6 @@ public interface IRuntimeItemCatalogReader
 
 public sealed class AetheriaRuntimeItemCatalog : IRuntimeItemCatalogReader
 {
-    private const string ItemDefinitionPrefix = "aetheria.item_definition:";
-    private const string LegacyItemDefinitionPrefix = "aetheria.item_definition:legacy:";
-
     private readonly Dictionary<string, AetheriaRuntimeCatalogItem> _typedItemsByKey;
 
     public AetheriaRuntimeItemCatalog(AetheriaRuntimeCatalogSnapshot catalog)
@@ -29,21 +25,8 @@ public sealed class AetheriaRuntimeItemCatalog : IRuntimeItemCatalogReader
         if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(itemKey))
             return null;
 
-        if (_typedItemsByKey.TryGetValue(itemKey, out var item))
-            return item;
-
-        return Guid.TryParse(RemoveItemPrefix(itemKey), out var legacyId)
-            ? GetRuntimeItem(AetheriaRuntimeItemReference.FromLegacyId(legacyId))
+        return _typedItemsByKey.TryGetValue(itemKey, out var item)
+            ? item
             : null;
     }
-
-    private static string RemoveItemPrefix(string itemKey)
-    {
-        if (itemKey.StartsWith(LegacyItemDefinitionPrefix, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
-            return itemKey.Substring(LegacyItemDefinitionPrefix.Length);
-
-        return itemKey.StartsWith(ItemDefinitionPrefix, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)
-            ? itemKey.Substring(ItemDefinitionPrefix.Length)
-            : itemKey;
-    }
 }
diff --git a/Assets/Scripts/ServerShared/AetheriaRuntimeItemReference.cs b/Assets/Scripts/ServerShared/AetheriaRuntimeItemReference.cs
index 1e6eccf4a..1b7a0f24f 100644
--- a/Assets/Scripts/ServerShared/AetheriaRuntimeItemReference.cs
+++ b/Assets/Scripts/ServerShared/AetheriaRuntimeItemReference.cs
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ public interface INamedEntry
 
 public class AetheriaRuntimeItemReference
 {
-    private const string ItemDefinitionPrefix = "aetheria.item_definition:";
     private const string LegacyItemDefinitionPrefix = "aetheria.item_definition:legacy:";
 
     public string ItemKey;
@@ -26,32 +25,10 @@ public class AetheriaRuntimeItemReference
         ItemKey = itemKey;
     }
 
-    public Guid LegacyItemId => TryParseLegacyId(ItemKey, out var itemId) ? itemId : Guid.Empty;
-
     public static string FromLegacyId(Guid legacyItemId)
     {
         return legacyItemId == Guid.Empty ? "" : $"{LegacyItemDefinitionPrefix}{legacyItemId:D}";
     }
-
-    public static Guid ToLegacyId(string itemKey)
-    {
-        return TryParseLegacyId(itemKey, out var itemId) ? itemId : Guid.Empty;
-    }
-
-    private static bool TryParseLegacyId(string itemKey, out Guid itemId)
-    {
-        itemId = Guid.Empty;
-        if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(itemKey))
-            return false;
-
-        var legacyId = itemKey.StartsWith(LegacyItemDefinitionPrefix, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)
-            ? itemKey.Substring(LegacyItemDefinitionPrefix.Length)
-            : itemKey.StartsWith(ItemDefinitionPrefix, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)
-                ? itemKey.Substring(ItemDefinitionPrefix.Length)
-            : itemKey;
-
-        return Guid.TryParse(legacyId, out itemId);
-    }
 }
 
 public interface ITintInspector
diff --git a/docs/aetheria-perfect-machine-map.md b/docs/aetheria-perfect-machine-map.md
index 66394339e..31f230060 100644
--- a/docs/aetheria-perfect-machine-map.md
+++ b/docs/aetheria-perfect-machine-map.md
@@ -1232,6 +1232,9 @@ First Aetheria surfaces to publish:
    - Done: delete `Entity`/`EquippedCargoBay` cargo and consumable GUID lookup
      overloads; transfer, count, active-consumable, and first-item APIs now
      expose item-key contracts only.
+   - Done: delete the runtime catalog raw-GUID string fallback and unused
+     reverse legacy-GUID projections from `AetheriaRuntimeItemReference`; catalog
+     lookup accepts canonical item keys only.
    - Remove runtime dependency on `ItemData` DTOs as item instance owners.
 
 5. Mesh host