diff --git a/docs/papers/fensalir-native-domain-reservoirs.pdf b/docs/papers/fensalir-native-domain-reservoirs.pdf
index dbf36bb..5bb08d7 100644
Binary files a/docs/papers/fensalir-native-domain-reservoirs.pdf and b/docs/papers/fensalir-native-domain-reservoirs.pdf differ
diff --git a/docs/papers/fensalir-native-domain-reservoirs.tex b/docs/papers/fensalir-native-domain-reservoirs.tex
index 5db8362..a742c62 100644
--- a/docs/papers/fensalir-native-domain-reservoirs.tex
+++ b/docs/papers/fensalir-native-domain-reservoirs.tex
@@ -389,6 +389,10 @@ temporal-owner disocclusion debug view derived from previous-UV loss,
 previous-closer history, and support-loss rejection codes, and the sequence
 measurer uses that mask before falling back to broader rejection output.  This
 is still an error-localization surface, not a high-budget reference result.
+For same-time reference checks, the capture script can also emit a native-domain
+reference at a larger reservoir work-grid scale.  Reference-error rows therefore
+compare a candidate against a higher-budget work grid without allocating a
+native-resolution reservoir buffer.
 
 \section{Required Evaluation}
 
diff --git a/docs/papers/fensalir-pipeline.pdf b/docs/papers/fensalir-pipeline.pdf
index 982ea94..5213740 100644
Binary files a/docs/papers/fensalir-pipeline.pdf and b/docs/papers/fensalir-pipeline.pdf differ
diff --git a/docs/papers/fensalir-pipeline.tex b/docs/papers/fensalir-pipeline.tex
index 7138865..e7e03d4 100644
--- a/docs/papers/fensalir-pipeline.tex
+++ b/docs/papers/fensalir-pipeline.tex
@@ -672,7 +672,9 @@ The sequence harness can now prefer a temporal-owner disocclusion mask over the
 broad rejection debug view.  That mask is derived from the reservoir rejection
 codes for previous history outside the frame, closer previous history, and
 support loss; it localizes where an eventual high-budget reference score should
-look first.
+look first.  It can also capture a same-time native-domain reference at a larger
+reservoir work-grid scale, producing reference-error rows without introducing a
+native-resolution intermediate reservoir.
 The system has cut the false ``nearest-travel-minus-coverage'' priority owner
 and the side-cache temptation.
 
diff --git a/docs/perfect-fensalir-machine-roadmap.md b/docs/perfect-fensalir-machine-roadmap.md
index 5cd30e4..3005d7e 100644
--- a/docs/perfect-fensalir-machine-roadmap.md
+++ b/docs/perfect-fensalir-machine-roadmap.md
@@ -548,6 +548,15 @@ Work packet:
     Smoke run `reservoir-sequence-20260530-000151-*` captured native final plus
     disocclusion at 320x180; the disocclusion mask covered 3.1098% of frame
     pixels and produced a masked temporal-native delta row.
+12. Partial: add same-time higher-work-grid reference scoring. The sequence
+    capture script accepts `-ReferenceFieldReservoirScale`; reference captures
+    use native-domain mode at that larger scale and are labeled `reference` in
+    the manifest. The measurer reports `reference-error-*` rows against matching
+    ready-frame counts and uses disocclusion masks when present. Smoke run
+    `reservoir-sequence-20260530-001046-*` compared native scale 0.5 against
+    reference scale 0.75 at 320x180, ready frame 2, final plus disocclusion.
+    This is a higher-budget work-grid reference, not a native-resolution escape
+    hatch.
 
 Required verification:
 
diff --git a/scripts/capture-reservoir-mode-sequence.ps1 b/scripts/capture-reservoir-mode-sequence.ps1
index be585a6..a546afe 100644
--- a/scripts/capture-reservoir-mode-sequence.ps1
+++ b/scripts/capture-reservoir-mode-sequence.ps1
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ param(
     [ValidateSet("native", "baseline", "both")]
     [string]$FieldReservoirMode = "both",
     [double]$FieldReservoirScale = 0.5,
+    [double]$ReferenceFieldReservoirScale = 0.0,
     [int[]]$RenderDebugModes = @(0, 13),
     [int]$RetainSlots = 4,
     [int]$TimeoutSeconds = 120
@@ -50,7 +51,10 @@ if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) {
 
 $exePath = Join-Path $slotPath "Aquarium.Engine.exe"
 $clientAssembly = Join-Path $slotPath "Aquarium.Fensalir.dll"
-$modes = if ($FieldReservoirMode -eq "both") { @("native", "baseline") } else { @($FieldReservoirMode) }
+$modes = @(if ($FieldReservoirMode -eq "both") { @("native", "baseline") } else { @($FieldReservoirMode) })
+if ($ReferenceFieldReservoirScale -gt 0.0) {
+    $modes += @("reference")
+}
 $captures = [System.Collections.Generic.List[object]]::new()
 
 function DebugSuffix {
@@ -81,6 +85,7 @@ function DebugSuffix {
 foreach ($mode in $modes) {
     foreach ($readyFrame in $ReadyFrames) {
         foreach ($debugMode in $RenderDebugModes) {
+            $captureScale = if ($mode -eq "reference") { $ReferenceFieldReservoirScale } else { $FieldReservoirScale }
             $suffix = DebugSuffix -Mode $debugMode
             $outputPath = Join-Path $OutputDirectory ("reservoir-sequence-$Stamp-$mode-f{0:D4}-$suffix.png" -f $readyFrame)
             $arguments = @(
@@ -91,7 +96,7 @@ foreach ($mode in $modes) {
                 "--cache", $cachePath,
                 "--shader-source", (Join-Path $slotPath "Render\Shaders\D3D12HeightField.hlsl"),
                 "--capture-frame", $outputPath,
-                "--field-reservoir-scale", $FieldReservoirScale
+                "--field-reservoir-scale", $captureScale
             )
             if ($mode -eq "baseline") {
                 $arguments += @("--field-reservoir-mode", "baseline")
@@ -106,6 +111,7 @@ foreach ($mode in $modes) {
                     Mode = $mode
                     ReadyFrames = $readyFrame
                     RenderDebugMode = $debugMode
+                    ReservoirScale = $captureScale
                     Suffix = $suffix
                     Path = $outputPath
                 })
@@ -139,6 +145,7 @@ foreach ($mode in $modes) {
                 Mode = $mode
                 ReadyFrames = $readyFrame
                 RenderDebugMode = $debugMode
+                ReservoirScale = $captureScale
                 Suffix = $suffix
                 Path = $outputPath
             })
diff --git a/scripts/measure-reservoir-sequence.ps1 b/scripts/measure-reservoir-sequence.ps1
index bb6c85e..2a15897 100644
--- a/scripts/measure-reservoir-sequence.ps1
+++ b/scripts/measure-reservoir-sequence.ps1
@@ -164,6 +164,9 @@ foreach ($group in $groups) {
     $baselineFrames = @($group.Group |
         Where-Object { $_.Mode -eq "baseline" } |
         Sort-Object { [int]$_.ReadyFrames })
+    $referenceFrames = @($group.Group |
+        Where-Object { $_.Mode -eq "reference" } |
+        Sort-Object { [int]$_.ReadyFrames })
 
     foreach ($native in $nativeFrames) {
         $baseline = $baselineFrames | Where-Object { [int]$_.ReadyFrames -eq [int]$native.ReadyFrames } | Select-Object -First 1
@@ -179,7 +182,26 @@ foreach ($group in $groups) {
         }
     }
 
-    foreach ($modeFrames in @($nativeFrames, $baselineFrames)) {
+    foreach ($reference in $referenceFrames) {
+        foreach ($candidateFrames in @($nativeFrames, $baselineFrames)) {
+            $candidateFrames = @($candidateFrames)
+            $candidate = $candidateFrames | Where-Object { [int]$_.ReadyFrames -eq [int]$reference.ReadyFrames } | Select-Object -First 1
+            if ($null -eq $candidate) {
+                continue
+            }
+
+            $results.Add((Measure-ImageDelta -APath $candidate.Path -BPath $reference.Path -Label "$suffix reference-error-$($candidate.Mode) f$($candidate.ReadyFrames)"))
+            if ($suffix -eq "final") {
+                $candidateMask = Get-PreferredMaskPath -Mode $candidate.Mode -ReadyFrames $candidate.ReadyFrames
+                $referenceMask = Get-PreferredMaskPath -Mode "reference" -ReadyFrames $reference.ReadyFrames
+                if (-not [string]::IsNullOrWhiteSpace($candidateMask) -or -not [string]::IsNullOrWhiteSpace($referenceMask)) {
+                    $results.Add((Measure-ImageDelta -APath $candidate.Path -BPath $reference.Path -Label "final masked-reference-error-$($candidate.Mode) f$($candidate.ReadyFrames)" -AMaskPath $candidateMask -BMaskPath $referenceMask))
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    foreach ($modeFrames in @($nativeFrames, $baselineFrames, $referenceFrames)) {
         $modeFrames = @($modeFrames)
         for ($index = 1; $index -lt $modeFrames.Count; $index++) {
             $previous = $modeFrames[$index - 1]
@@ -216,7 +238,7 @@ foreach ($result in $results) {
         $result.MaxChannelDelta))
 }
 $lines.Add("")
-$lines.Add("These are sequence probes, not a final ghosting score. Mode deltas show native/baseline disagreement at each sampled time. Temporal deltas show frame-to-frame output movement per mode. Masked rows prefer disocclusion-debug captures when present, otherwise rejection-debug captures; a high-budget reference is still needed before claiming quality.")
+$lines.Add("These are sequence probes, not a final ghosting score. Mode deltas show native/baseline disagreement at each sampled time. Reference-error rows compare a candidate mode against a higher-work-grid native reference at the same ready-frame count when reference captures are present. Temporal deltas show frame-to-frame output movement per mode. Masked rows prefer disocclusion-debug captures when present, otherwise rejection-debug captures.")
 Set-Content -LiteralPath $OutputPath -Value $lines -Encoding UTF8
 
 Write-Host "Reservoir sequence metrics:"
diff --git a/state/evidence.jsonl b/state/evidence.jsonl
index 83287eb..1610611 100644
--- a/state/evidence.jsonl
+++ b/state/evidence.jsonl
@@ -301,3 +301,4 @@
 {"timestamp":"2026-05-30T00:25:00+01:00","topic":"reservoir-sequence-probe","lesson":"Reservoir comparison now has a sequence-level probe instead of only single-frame deltas. scripts/capture-reservoir-mode-sequence.ps1 builds one disposable slot and captures native/baseline frames across ready-frame counts, debug modes, and reservoir work-grid scale; scripts/measure-reservoir-sequence.ps1 reports per-frame mode disagreement plus per-mode frame-to-frame temporal deltas. The first 640x360 final-only smoke sequence at reservoir-sequence-20260529-234414-* proved the harness works, but the metric remains a probe until disocclusion/rejection masks or high-budget references turn it into a real ghosting/leakage score.","files":["scripts/capture-reservoir-mode-sequence.ps1","scripts/measure-reservoir-sequence.ps1","docs/perfect-fensalir-machine-roadmap.md","state/scratch.md"],"source":"artifacts/fensalir-captures/reservoir-sequence-20260529-234414-*"}
 {"timestamp":"2026-05-30T00:40:00+01:00","topic":"reservoir-rejection-masked-sequence-probe","lesson":"The reservoir sequence harness is now resumable and mask-aware. Existing PNGs are skipped and still recorded into the manifest, which lets interrupted sequence captures continue instead of throwing away completed frames. When rejection-debug captures are present, scripts/measure-reservoir-sequence.ps1 reports masked native/baseline and temporal deltas over the union of rejection-mask pixels. The 320x180 smoke set reservoir-sequence-20260529-235031-* covered about 41% of frame pixels with the rejection mask and produced masked rows, proving the pressure signal works; it is still not a final ghosting score without a high-budget reference or explicit disocclusion mask.","files":["scripts/capture-reservoir-mode-sequence.ps1","scripts/measure-reservoir-sequence.ps1","docs/perfect-fensalir-machine-roadmap.md","state/scratch.md"],"source":"artifacts/fensalir-captures/reservoir-sequence-20260529-235031-*"}
 {"timestamp":"2026-05-30T01:05:00+01:00","topic":"reservoir-disocclusion-mask","lesson":"Temporal disocclusion is now exposed by the reservoir owner instead of inferred from broad rejection color. Debug mode 19 maps temporal rejection codes for previous UV loss, previous-closer history, and support loss into a focused disocclusion mask, and the sequence measurer prefers disocclusion masks over rejection masks when both exist. The native-only 320x180 smoke set reservoir-sequence-20260530-000151-* produced a 3.1098% frame mask and a masked temporal-native delta row, proving the mask path is live. The remaining proof gap is a high-budget reference or repeated-sample reference mode so masked deltas can become actual error scores.","files":["src/Aquarium.Engine.Contracts/GraphicsSettings.cs","src/Aquarium.Engine/Render/D3D12Renderer.cs","src/Aquarium.Engine/Render/Shaders/D3D12Post.hlsl","scripts/capture-reservoir-mode-sequence.ps1","scripts/measure-reservoir-sequence.ps1","tests/Aquarium.Engine.Tests/FieldReservoirAbiTests.cs","docs/perfect-fensalir-machine-roadmap.md","state/map.yaml","state/scratch.md"],"source":"artifacts/fensalir-captures/reservoir-sequence-20260530-000151-*"}
+{"timestamp":"2026-05-30T01:25:00+01:00","topic":"reservoir-higher-work-grid-reference","lesson":"The sequence harness can now score candidates against a same-time higher-work-grid native-domain reference without violating the no-native-reservoir-buffer rule. capture-reservoir-mode-sequence.ps1 accepts -ReferenceFieldReservoirScale, captures reference rows in native-domain mode at that larger scale, and labels them reference in the manifest. measure-reservoir-sequence.ps1 emits reference-error rows and masked reference-error rows using disocclusion/rejection masks when present. The 320x180 smoke set reservoir-sequence-20260530-001046-* compared native scale 0.5 against reference scale 0.75 at the same ready-frame count; masked reference-error-native covered 3.0468% of frame pixels and changed 42.0368%. The next architectural step is adaptive update/sample budget policy driven by these reference-error pressure signals.","files":["scripts/capture-reservoir-mode-sequence.ps1","scripts/measure-reservoir-sequence.ps1","docs/perfect-fensalir-machine-roadmap.md","state/map.yaml","state/scratch.md"],"source":"artifacts/fensalir-captures/reservoir-sequence-20260530-001046-*"}
diff --git a/state/map.yaml b/state/map.yaml
index b05b0e6..f2d4d0f 100644
--- a/state/map.yaml
+++ b/state/map.yaml
@@ -158,8 +158,12 @@ next_actions:
     temporal-owner disocclusion mask from previous UV loss, previous-closer
     history, and support loss; the sequence measurer prefers it over broad
     rejection masks, and `reservoir-sequence-20260530-000151-*` proves the
-    narrower mask path. The next cut is adding a high-budget-reference
-    leakage/ghosting score plus future exact producer SDF replay.
+    narrower mask path. The sequence harness can also capture a same-time
+    native-domain reference at a higher reservoir work-grid scale through
+    `-ReferenceFieldReservoirScale`; `reservoir-sequence-20260530-001046-*`
+    proves reference-error rows from scale 0.5 against scale 0.75. The next cut
+    is using those reference-error rows to drive adaptive sampling/update budget
+    policy plus future exact producer SDF replay.
   - Build the planetary flow organ in staged cuts: provenance manifest, static
     relief and reanalysis cube-sphere bake pipeline, stochastic advection
     contracts, synthetic runtime slice, ERA5/OSCAR baseline learning, then
diff --git a/state/scratch.md b/state/scratch.md
index 637ec10..fb25531 100644
--- a/state/scratch.md
+++ b/state/scratch.md
@@ -45,6 +45,18 @@ than expected travel, and support-overlap loss. The sequence measurer prefers
 ready frames 2 and 3, final plus disocclusion debug, produced a mask covering
 3.1098% of the frame and a masked temporal-native delta of 46.8867%.
 
+Higher-work-grid reference:
+`scripts/capture-reservoir-mode-sequence.ps1` accepts
+`-ReferenceFieldReservoirScale`, captures native-domain reference frames at that
+larger scale, and labels them `reference` in the manifest.
+`scripts/measure-reservoir-sequence.ps1` reports `reference-error-*` rows
+against matching ready-frame counts, using disocclusion masks when present.
+Smoke `artifacts/fensalir-captures/reservoir-sequence-20260530-001046-*`
+compared native scale 0.5 against reference scale 0.75 at 320x180, ready frame
+2, final plus disocclusion. Whole-frame reference-error-native changed 53.9240%;
+masked reference-error-native covered 3.0468% of frame pixels and changed
+42.0368%.
+
 ## Hot Lesson
 
 Area ReSTIR confirms that reuse over an area domain is invalid unless the
@@ -76,9 +88,9 @@ cap remain intentionally non-authoritative.
 
 Follow `docs/perfect-fensalir-machine-roadmap.md` Phase 1:
 
-1. Add a high-budget reference capture mode or repeated-sample reference path
-   so the disocclusion-masked sequence metric can score error instead of only
-   motion/disagreement.
+1. Use the same-time higher-work-grid reference rows to drive an adaptive
+   sampling/update budget policy. Do not add native-resolution reservoir
+   intermediates.
 2. Add exact SDF producer replay only when client SDF distance functions have a
    shared replay include or manifest instead of duplicating shader policy in
    post.