diff --git a/bin/fm-dod-lib.sh b/bin/fm-dod-lib.sh
index a6d299c6545..7bd4f6fd4db 100755
--- a/bin/fm-dod-lib.sh
+++ b/bin/fm-dod-lib.sh
@@ -397,6 +397,23 @@ There is no pull request, no \`gh-axi\` call, and no forge CI result to report:
 EOF
 }
 
+# fm_dod_compaction_step sets compaction_step: the pause-for-compaction paragraph
+# only when this home has idle-compact enabled (the watcher's own
+# fm_idle_compact_threshold_minutes verdict on config/idle-compact, with the
+# same FM_HOME/config resolution as bin/fm-idle-compact.sh),
+# else a line telling the worker to start validation right after its commit.
+fm_dod_compaction_step() {
+  local home config
+  home="${FM_HOME:-${FM_ROOT_OVERRIDE:-$FM_ROOT}}"
+  config="${FM_CONFIG_OVERRIDE:-${CONFIG:-$home/config}}"
+  # shellcheck source=/dev/null
+  if ( . "$(d=${BASH_SOURCE[0]%/*}; [ "$d" != "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" ] || d=.; cd "${d:-/}" && pwd)/fm-idle-compact.sh" && fm_idle_compact_threshold_minutes "$config" ) >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    compaction_step="Right after that implementation commit lands, append \`paused [at=<epoch>]: awaiting compaction before validation\` to the status file and stop for this turn - do NOT run \`no-mistakes axi run\` yet. A worker cannot self-trigger compaction (\`/compact\` is a terminal built-in, not a tool you can invoke), so firstmate's idle-compact watcher reads that line - the phrase must START the line, and any detail you want to note (your measured lane size, the commit) may follow it - compacts your context while it is still warm, then rings you with a durable inbox message telling you to start the validation run - resume from that ring instead of waiting on a reply."
+  else
+    compaction_step="Right after that implementation commit lands, start validation: measure the lane below, then run \`no-mistakes axi run\`."
+  fi
+}
+
 fm_dod_block() {  # <mode> <task-id> [branch] [<forge>]
   local mode=$1 id=$2 forge=${4:-none}
   local branch=${3:-fm/$id}
@@ -479,12 +496,13 @@ The configured merge authority approves the ready branch, then firstmate merges
 EOF
       ;;
     no-mistakes:*)
+      fm_dod_compaction_step
       cat <<EOF
 # Definition of done
 Delivery contract: mode=no-mistakes
 Ship branch: $branch
 The task is complete only when committed on your branch.
-Right after that implementation commit lands, append \`paused [at=<epoch>]: awaiting compaction before validation\` to the status file and stop for this turn - do NOT run \`no-mistakes axi run\` yet. A worker cannot self-trigger compaction (\`/compact\` is a terminal built-in, not a tool you can invoke), so firstmate's idle-compact watcher reads that line - the phrase must START the line, and any detail you want to note (your measured lane size, the commit) may follow it - compacts your context while it is still warm, then rings you with a durable inbox message telling you to start the validation run - resume from that ring instead of waiting on a reply.
+$compaction_step
 
 Before your FIRST \`no-mistakes axi run\`, measure this lane:
 \`bash $FM_ROOT/bin/fm-diff-size-check.sh .\`
diff --git a/docs/configuration.md b/docs/configuration.md
index 62bf96d0c62..6e2ce6b2891 100644
--- a/docs/configuration.md
+++ b/docs/configuration.md
@@ -601,7 +601,8 @@ Eligibility, checked for every task recorded under `state/*.meta`, is strictly t
 - A live safety gate immediately before typing anything: `bin/fm-busy-lib.sh`'s `fm_busy_classify` reports an exact `idle` verdict (never `busy` and never an unproven `unknown`) and `bin/fm-backend.sh`'s `fm_backend_composer_state` reports exactly `empty`, reusing the identical primitives the away-mode daemon's own injection boundary uses.
   A busy pane, an unproven verdict, or a non-empty composer defers to the next sweep rather than erroring.
 
-**Declared-state fast path:** a worker cannot self-trigger `/compact` (it is a terminal built-in, not a tool), so a no-mistakes ship brief tells the worker to append the status line `paused: awaiting compaction before validation` right after its implementation commit, then end its turn - before starting `no-mistakes axi run`.
+**Declared-state fast path:** a worker cannot self-trigger `/compact` (it is a terminal built-in, not a tool), so, when idle-compact is enabled, a no-mistakes ship brief tells the worker to append the status line `paused: awaiting compaction before validation` right after its implementation commit, then end its turn - before starting `no-mistakes axi run`.
+When idle-compact is off (no `config/idle-compact`, or its first content line is not a positive integer) the brief instead tells the worker to start validation right after its commit.
 The task's own latest status line is read as declaring that pause when it *starts with* that phrase on a word boundary: the same brief asks the worker to note its measured lane size, so the line that actually lands routinely carries trailing detail, and requiring whole-line equality silently dropped such workers onto the ordinary path.
 When the line declares the pause, eligibility ignores the idle-minutes threshold entirely (every other exclusion and the live safety gate still apply), and the episode skips the notes-save turn below and sends `/compact` directly, naming the branch, the brief path, and the delivery contract.
 See `bin/fm-idle-compact.sh`'s header comment for the exact mechanics and `bin/fm-dod-lib.sh`'s no-mistakes block for the worker-facing instruction.
diff --git a/tests/fm-brief.test.sh b/tests/fm-brief.test.sh
index 2479de9cbef..c7646fd1e30 100755
--- a/tests/fm-brief.test.sh
+++ b/tests/fm-brief.test.sh
@@ -551,10 +551,46 @@ test_ship_briefs_forbid_manual_issue_close_and_board_edits() {
 # Quota-efficiency worker rules (captain order 2026-09-04) belong only in the
 # no-mistakes DOD: a direct-PR or local-only brief never runs no-mistakes, and
 # a scout brief carries no delivery contract at all.
+# The compaction pause is only prescribed where idle-compact is enabled; a home
+# without config/idle-compact must send the worker straight to validation.
+test_no_mistakes_dod_compaction_pause_follows_idle_compact_config() {
+  local home brief
+  home="$TMP_ROOT/idle-compact-off-home"
+  mkdir -p "$home/data" "$home/config"
+  FM_HOME="$home" "$ROOT/bin/fm-brief.sh" brief-compact-off some-proj --mode no-mistakes >/dev/null 2>&1
+  brief="$home/data/brief-compact-off/brief.md"
+  assert_present "$brief" "brief was not scaffolded"
+  assert_no_grep "awaiting compaction before validation" "$brief" \
+    "idle-compact off: the DOD must not tell the worker to pause for compaction"
+  assert_grep "start validation: measure the lane below, then run" "$brief" \
+    "idle-compact off: the DOD must tell the worker to start validation after its commit"
+
+  : > "$home/config/idle-compact"
+  FM_HOME="$home" "$ROOT/bin/fm-brief.sh" brief-compact-on some-proj --mode no-mistakes >/dev/null 2>&1
+  brief="$home/data/brief-compact-on/brief.md"
+  assert_grep "awaiting compaction before validation" "$brief" \
+    "idle-compact on: the DOD must keep the compaction pause"
+  assert_no_grep "start validation: measure the lane below" "$brief" \
+    "idle-compact on: the DOD must not also say to start validation immediately"
+
+  local bad
+  for bad in 0 off; do
+    printf '%s\n' "$bad" > "$home/config/idle-compact"
+    FM_HOME="$home" "$ROOT/bin/fm-brief.sh" "brief-compact-bad-$bad" some-proj --mode no-mistakes >/dev/null 2>&1
+    brief="$home/data/brief-compact-bad-$bad/brief.md"
+    assert_no_grep "awaiting compaction before validation" "$brief" \
+      "idle-compact '$bad' is disabled for the watcher: the DOD must not tell the worker to pause"
+    assert_grep "start validation: measure the lane below, then run" "$brief" \
+      "idle-compact '$bad': the DOD must tell the worker to start validation after its commit"
+  done
+  pass "fm-brief.sh: no-mistakes DOD compaction pause follows config/idle-compact"
+}
+
 test_no_mistakes_dod_carries_quota_efficiency_rules() {
   local home id brief
   home="$TMP_ROOT/quota-efficiency-home"
-  mkdir -p "$home/data"
+  mkdir -p "$home/data" "$home/config"
+  : > "$home/config/idle-compact"
   id="brief-quota-nm1"
   FM_HOME="$home" "$ROOT/bin/fm-brief.sh" "$id" some-proj --mode no-mistakes >/dev/null 2>&1
   brief="$home/data/$id/brief.md"
@@ -1511,6 +1547,7 @@ test_ask_user_escalation_format
 test_ship_project_memory_wording
 test_ship_briefs_forbid_manual_issue_close_and_board_edits
 test_no_mistakes_dod_carries_quota_efficiency_rules
+test_no_mistakes_dod_compaction_pause_follows_idle_compact_config
 test_herdr_lab_contract_is_explicit_and_complete
 test_herdr_lab_contract_quotes_foreign_firstmate_path
 test_herdr_lab_omission_is_loud_for_ship_and_scout