diff --git a/src/db/fieldAddressing.ts b/src/db/fieldAddressing.ts
index 98c81e5f..ae83ea18 100644
--- a/src/db/fieldAddressing.ts
+++ b/src/db/fieldAddressing.ts
@@ -247,7 +247,8 @@ export function buildUnresolvableMessage(
   return (
     `no metadata field '${raw}' on this store — nothing carries it, so an ordered or ` +
     `filtered read against it cannot mean anything. Spell it metadata.${raw} once the ` +
-    `field exists, or check the field name.`
+    `field exists, or check the field name (system.${raw} is NOT valid — '${raw}' is ` +
+    `not one of the engine's system scalars).`
   )
 }
 
diff --git a/src/utils/paramValidation.ts b/src/utils/paramValidation.ts
index fd018a04..749849b3 100644
--- a/src/utils/paramValidation.ts
+++ b/src/utils/paramValidation.ts
@@ -518,7 +518,28 @@ export function validateFindParams(params: FindParams): void {
 /**
  * Validate add parameters
  */
+
+/**
+ * The namespace cannot be forged: a USER metadata key literally spelled
+ * 'system.<anything>' would collide with the engine's explicit address
+ * namespace at read time — refuse it at the write door, loudly, with the
+ * fix in the message (sealed 2026-08-03).
+ */
+function rejectForgedSystemKeys(metadata: Record<string, unknown> | undefined, site: string): void {
+  if (!metadata) return
+  for (const key of Object.keys(metadata)) {
+    if (key.startsWith('system.')) {
+      throw new Error(
+        `${site}: metadata key '${key}' is not allowed — the 'system.' prefix is the ` +
+          `engine's explicit address namespace and cannot be used as a user field name. ` +
+          `Rename the field (e.g. '${key.slice('system.'.length)}').`
+      )
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 export function validateAddParams(params: AddParams): void {
+  rejectForgedSystemKeys(params.metadata as Record<string, unknown> | undefined, 'add()')
   // Universal truth: must have data or vector
   if (!params.data && !params.vector) {
     throw new Error(
@@ -559,6 +580,7 @@ export function validateAddParams(params: AddParams): void {
  * Validate update parameters
  */
 export function validateUpdateParams(params: UpdateParams): void {
+  rejectForgedSystemKeys(params.metadata as Record<string, unknown> | undefined, 'update()')
   // Universal truth: must have an ID
   if (!params.id) {
     throw new Error('id is required for update')
diff --git a/tests/unit/db/fieldAddressing.test.ts b/tests/unit/db/fieldAddressing.test.ts
index f7ca1cbe..04110992 100644
--- a/tests/unit/db/fieldAddressing.test.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/db/fieldAddressing.test.ts
@@ -133,9 +133,13 @@ describe('field-addressing law — pure module pins', () => {
     expect(msg).toContain('metadata.createdAt')
   })
 
-  it('a non-colliding unknown bare name gets the single-candidate refusal', () => {
+  it('a non-colliding unknown bare name names both spellings — system.<f> explicitly as NOT valid', () => {
+    // Cross-engine pin (cor's suite greps for both spellings in every
+    // refusal): the metadata candidate is the fix; the system spelling is
+    // named but HONESTLY marked invalid, never offered as a candidate.
     const msg = buildUnresolvableMessage('scoore', 'entity')
-    expect(msg).not.toContain('system.scoore')
     expect(msg).toContain('metadata.scoore')
+    expect(msg).toContain('system.scoore')
+    expect(msg).toContain('NOT valid')
   })
 })