diff --git a/packages/cultmesh-py/tests/test_cultmesh.py b/packages/cultmesh-py/tests/test_cultmesh.py
index 8cb2801f..9a697370 100644
--- a/packages/cultmesh-py/tests/test_cultmesh.py
+++ b/packages/cultmesh-py/tests/test_cultmesh.py
@@ -4317,6 +4317,14 @@ class CultMeshTests(unittest.TestCase):
                 {"schemaVersion": "cultnet.document_delete.v0", "messageId": "bad-delete", "schemaId": "mesh.error_note.v1"},
                 expected_schema_version="cultnet.error.v0",
             )
+            # R-2, owed by Cut 1 (docs/cultnet-selection-cut.md, section 9): this v0-only Mesh server
+            # refuses a cultnet.selection.v1 carrier message through the same delegating path
+            # (_handle_connection_message -> handle_message) as any other unsupported schema, not a
+            # silent empty response.
+            unsupported_v1 = raw_client.request(
+                {"schemaVersion": "cultnet.snapshot_request.v1", "messageId": "bad-v1-selection"},
+                expected_schema_version="cultnet.error.v0",
+            )
         finally:
             server.stop()
 
@@ -4328,6 +4336,9 @@ class CultMeshTests(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(malformed_put["code"], "malformed_document_put")
         self.assertEqual(malformed_delete["messageId"], "bad-delete")
         self.assertEqual(malformed_delete["code"], "malformed_document_delete")
+        self.assertEqual(unsupported_v1["messageId"], "bad-v1-selection")
+        self.assertEqual(unsupported_v1["code"], "unsupported_schema_version")
+        self.assertEqual(unsupported_v1["details"]["schemaVersion"], "cultnet.snapshot_request.v1")
 
     def test_cultmesh_authority_lease_requires_live_matching_lease(self) -> None:
         peer = CultMeshPeerCard(
diff --git a/packages/cultnet-py/src/cultnet_py/interop_peer.py b/packages/cultnet-py/src/cultnet_py/interop_peer.py
index 2eaaf0ac..4ff89314 100644
--- a/packages/cultnet-py/src/cultnet_py/interop_peer.py
+++ b/packages/cultnet-py/src/cultnet_py/interop_peer.py
@@ -384,9 +384,25 @@ def handle_server_message(state: PeerState, message: dict[str, Any], subscriptio
         return [state.verse_catalog.create_response(message)]
     if schema_version == PEER_EXCHANGE_REQUEST:
         return [state.peer_catalog.create_response(message)]
+    if isinstance(schema_version, str) and schema_version.startswith("cultnet.") and schema_version.endswith(".v1"):
+        # R-2, owed by Cut 1 (docs/cultnet-selection-cut.md, section 9): this peer speaks
+        # cultnet.selection.v1's carrier messages (snapshot_request.v1, database_subscribe.v1) not at
+        # all - it is v0-only. A v1 message is refused loudly, not answered with a silent empty list.
+        return [unsupported_schema_version_error(message)]
     return []
 
 
+def unsupported_schema_version_error(message: dict[str, Any]) -> dict[str, Any]:
+    schema_version = message.get("schemaVersion")
+    return {
+        "schemaVersion": "cultnet.error.v0",
+        "messageId": str(message.get("messageId") or ""),
+        "error": f"Unsupported CultNet message schema: {schema_version!r}.",
+        "code": "unsupported_schema_version",
+        "details": {"schemaVersion": schema_version},
+    }
+
+
 def handle_database_subscribe(state: PeerState, message: dict[str, Any], subscriptions: dict[str, DatabaseSubscription]) -> list[dict[str, Any]]:
     subscription_id = str(message.get("subscriptionId") or message.get("messageId") or "")
     if not subscription_id:
diff --git a/packages/cultnet-py/tests/test_cultnet.py b/packages/cultnet-py/tests/test_cultnet.py
index 4c57f42b..b95686be 100644
--- a/packages/cultnet-py/tests/test_cultnet.py
+++ b/packages/cultnet-py/tests/test_cultnet.py
@@ -22,7 +22,12 @@ from cultnet_py.compare_csharp import (
     _median_result,
     _parity_status,
 )
-from cultnet_py.interop_peer import append_shard_log_put, build_state, raw_snapshot_response
+from cultnet_py.interop_peer import (
+    append_shard_log_put,
+    build_state,
+    handle_server_message,
+    raw_snapshot_response,
+)
 from cultnet_py import (
     compute_simulation_claim_hash,
     CultNetDatabaseChange,
@@ -1948,6 +1953,23 @@ class CultNetTests(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(response["shardLogSequence"], 1)
         self.assertEqual([record["recordKey"] for record in response["documents"]], ["note:logged"])
 
+    def test_python_interop_peer_refuses_v1_selection_messages(self) -> None:
+        # R-2, owed by Cut 1 (docs/cultnet-selection-cut.md, section 9): a v0-only peer refuses a v1
+        # message loudly - cultnet.error.v0 { code: "unsupported_schema_version" } - rather than
+        # silently answering with an empty list. handle_server_message never touches `state` before
+        # this refusal fires, so no PeerState fixture is needed here.
+        for schema_version in ("cultnet.snapshot_request.v1", "cultnet.database_subscribe.v1"):
+            with self.subTest(schema_version=schema_version):
+                responses = handle_server_message(
+                    None,  # type: ignore[arg-type]
+                    {"schemaVersion": schema_version, "messageId": "v1-refused"},
+                    {},
+                )
+                self.assertEqual(len(responses), 1)
+                self.assertEqual(responses[0]["schemaVersion"], "cultnet.error.v0")
+                self.assertEqual(responses[0]["code"], "unsupported_schema_version")
+                self.assertEqual(responses[0]["messageId"], "v1-refused")
+
     def test_cultnet_simulation_consensus_dedupes_witnesses_and_requires_quorum(self) -> None:
         from cultnet_py import CultNetSimulationConsensus