diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 89b7e1aca..91194379c 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,27 @@
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## [1.28.17] — 2026-07-10 — Dashboard edits stick; share scope honoured
+
+Fixes two bugs and hardens two edges.
+
+Dashboard layout changes now take effect immediately. Reordering or toggling
+tiles and pressing save could appear to revert to the previous selection for a
+few minutes: the saved layout was written correctly, but the home screen kept
+serving a cached snapshot that the save never evicted. The save now clears that
+snapshot, so the dashboard reflects the new layout on the next paint.
+
+A share link created with a narrowed set of report sections now serves exactly
+that set. Previously a link built with a reduced selection could fall back to the
+full default set of sections when viewed — the opposite of what the owner chose.
+The shared view now reads the frozen selection faithfully, so a section switched
+off stays off for the recipient. Documents-only shares were never affected.
+
+Hardening: the shared-document download path and the owner download path now use
+identical filename sanitising, and thumbnail generation enforces its size ceiling
+a second time after decoding, so a malformed image that slips past the up-front
+check still cannot exhaust memory.
+
 ## [1.28.16] — 2026-07-10 — Documents-only shares stay documents-only
 
 Hardens the "share a document, not the record" guarantee. A link created as
diff --git a/docs/api/openapi.yaml b/docs/api/openapi.yaml
index 97ef64605..731211ea3 100644
--- a/docs/api/openapi.yaml
+++ b/docs/api/openapi.yaml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 openapi: 3.1.0
 info:
   title: HealthLog API
-  version: 1.28.16
+  version: 1.28.17
   description: >-
     Self-hosted personal-health-tracking PWA — public API surface for the iOS native client and external ingest.
 
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 4f3d5e224..b98266754 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "healthlog",
-  "version": "1.28.16",
+  "version": "1.28.17",
   "description": "Self-hosted personal-health-tracking PWA with Withings integration, AI insights, and doctor-report PDF export.",
   "license": "PolyForm-Noncommercial-1.0.0",
   "homepage": "https://healthlog.dev",
diff --git a/public/sw.js b/public/sw.js
index 40a4000d5..9457b643f 100644
--- a/public/sw.js
+++ b/public/sw.js
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ try {
 // v1.4.38.4 → v1.4.42. Do not hand-edit; bump `package.json` and rebuild.
 const CACHE_VERSION =
   (typeof self !== "undefined" && self.__APP_VERSION__) ||
-  /* @sw-version-fallback */ "v1.28.16";
+  /* @sw-version-fallback */ "v1.28.17";
 const STATIC_CACHE = `healthlog-static-${CACHE_VERSION}`;
 const PAGE_CACHE = `healthlog-pages-${CACHE_VERSION}`;
 // v1.18.6 — read-only data cache for a curated allowlist of safe GET `/api/*`
diff --git a/src/app/c/[token]/d/[id]/route.ts b/src/app/c/[token]/d/[id]/route.ts
index 7e50337e5..54d050d81 100644
Binary files a/src/app/c/[token]/d/[id]/route.ts and b/src/app/c/[token]/d/[id]/route.ts differ
diff --git a/src/lib/cache/__tests__/invalidate.test.ts b/src/lib/cache/__tests__/invalidate.test.ts
index 5b21eca84..34c441cef 100644
--- a/src/lib/cache/__tests__/invalidate.test.ts
+++ b/src/lib/cache/__tests__/invalidate.test.ts
@@ -83,17 +83,25 @@ async function primeAllCaches(): Promise<void> {
   await cached(caches.dashboardWidgets, USER_B, async () => ({ d: 2 }));
 
   // v1.7.0 W6 — the unified dashboard snapshot lives under the analytics
-  // bucket keyed `${userId}|dashboard-snapshot`.
-  await cached(
-    caches.analytics,
-    dashboardSnapshotCacheKey(USER_A),
-    async () => ({ snap: 1 }),
-  );
-  await cached(
-    caches.analytics,
-    dashboardSnapshotCacheKey(USER_B),
-    async () => ({ snap: 2 }),
-  );
+  // bucket. Since v1.21.2 the real cell is keyed WITH the resolved locale
+  // (`${userId}|dashboard-snapshot|${locale}`) because the briefing prose is
+  // locale-specific. Seed the locale-suffixed cell (the production shape) so
+  // the snapshot invalidators are exercised against the key they must actually
+  // reach — a point-delete of the locale-less key silently misses it.
+  await cached(caches.analytics, snapshotCell(USER_A), async () => ({
+    snap: 1,
+  }));
+  await cached(caches.analytics, snapshotCell(USER_B), async () => ({
+    snap: 2,
+  }));
+}
+
+/**
+ * The real snapshot cache cell — the locale-less base key plus the resolved
+ * locale segment. The invalidators must sweep by prefix to reach it.
+ */
+function snapshotCell(userId: string, locale = "en"): string {
+  return `${dashboardSnapshotCacheKey(userId)}|${locale}`;
 }
 
 describe("invalidateUserMeasurements", () => {
@@ -104,15 +112,13 @@ describe("invalidateUserMeasurements", () => {
     expect(caches.analytics.get(`${USER_A}|default`)).toBeNull();
     expect(caches.analytics.get(`${USER_A}|summaries`)).toBeNull();
     // v1.7.0 W6 — the `${userId}|` prefix sweep covers the snapshot key.
-    expect(caches.analytics.get(dashboardSnapshotCacheKey(USER_A))).toBeNull();
+    expect(caches.analytics.get(snapshotCell(USER_A))).toBeNull();
     expect(caches.achievements.get(USER_A)).toBeNull();
     expect(caches.workouts.get(`${USER_A}|3|0||`)).toBeNull();
 
     // User B's caches untouched.
     expect(caches.analytics.get(`${USER_B}|default`)).not.toBeNull();
-    expect(
-      caches.analytics.get(dashboardSnapshotCacheKey(USER_B)),
-    ).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(caches.analytics.get(snapshotCell(USER_B))).not.toBeNull();
     expect(caches.achievements.get(USER_B)).not.toBeNull();
     expect(caches.workouts.get(`${USER_B}|3|0||`)).not.toBeNull();
 
@@ -132,9 +138,10 @@ describe("invalidateUserMeasurements", () => {
       value: { a: 1 },
       stale: true,
     });
-    expect(
-      caches.analytics.getAllowStale(dashboardSnapshotCacheKey(USER_A)),
-    ).toEqual({ value: { snap: 1 }, stale: true });
+    expect(caches.analytics.getAllowStale(snapshotCell(USER_A))).toEqual({
+      value: { snap: 1 },
+      stale: true,
+    });
   });
 
   it("hard-evicts the analytics bucket with { evict: true } — interactive write posture", async () => {
@@ -146,9 +153,7 @@ describe("invalidateUserMeasurements", () => {
     // back the pre-write payload. The evict drops the entries entirely.
     expect(caches.analytics.getAllowStale(`${USER_A}|default`)).toBeNull();
     expect(caches.analytics.getAllowStale(`${USER_A}|summaries`)).toBeNull();
-    expect(
-      caches.analytics.getAllowStale(dashboardSnapshotCacheKey(USER_A)),
-    ).toBeNull();
+    expect(caches.analytics.getAllowStale(snapshotCell(USER_A))).toBeNull();
 
     // User B stays warm; the non-analytics buckets evict as before.
     expect(caches.analytics.getAllowStale(`${USER_B}|default`)).not.toBeNull();
@@ -165,7 +170,7 @@ describe("invalidateUserMood", () => {
     expect(caches.moodAnalytics.get(USER_A)).toBeNull();
     expect(caches.achievements.get(USER_A)).toBeNull();
     expect(caches.analytics.get(`${USER_A}|default`)).toBeNull();
-    expect(caches.analytics.get(dashboardSnapshotCacheKey(USER_A))).toBeNull();
+    expect(caches.analytics.get(snapshotCell(USER_A))).toBeNull();
     expect(caches.moodAnalytics.get(USER_B)).not.toBeNull();
     expect(caches.analytics.get(`${USER_B}|default`)).not.toBeNull();
 
@@ -195,7 +200,7 @@ describe("invalidateUserMedications", () => {
     expect(caches.achievements.get(USER_A)).toBeNull();
     // v1.7.0 W6 — medication writes sweep the analytics bucket, which
     // covers the snapshot key.
-    expect(caches.analytics.get(dashboardSnapshotCacheKey(USER_A))).toBeNull();
+    expect(caches.analytics.get(snapshotCell(USER_A))).toBeNull();
     expect(caches.medications.get(USER_B)).not.toBeNull();
     expect(
       caches.medicationsIntake.get(`${USER_B}|compliance|30`),
@@ -232,9 +237,10 @@ describe("invalidateUserMedications", () => {
     expect(
       caches.medicationCompliance.getAllowStale(`${USER_A}|med-1|compliance`),
     ).toEqual({ value: { mc: 1 }, stale: true });
-    expect(
-      caches.analytics.getAllowStale(dashboardSnapshotCacheKey(USER_A)),
-    ).toEqual({ value: { snap: 1 }, stale: true });
+    expect(caches.analytics.getAllowStale(snapshotCell(USER_A))).toEqual({
+      value: { snap: 1 },
+      stale: true,
+    });
 
     // User B stays fresh.
     expect(caches.medications.getAllowStale(USER_B)).toEqual({
@@ -254,9 +260,7 @@ describe("invalidateUserMedications", () => {
     expect(
       caches.medicationCompliance.getAllowStale(`${USER_A}|med-1|compliance`),
     ).toBeNull();
-    expect(
-      caches.analytics.getAllowStale(dashboardSnapshotCacheKey(USER_A)),
-    ).toBeNull();
+    expect(caches.analytics.getAllowStale(snapshotCell(USER_A))).toBeNull();
 
     // User B stays warm; the non-SWR buckets evict as before.
     expect(caches.medications.getAllowStale(USER_B)).not.toBeNull();
@@ -278,11 +282,9 @@ describe("invalidateUserDashboardWidgets", () => {
     // reorder must drop the snapshot too. The widget invalidator does
     // NOT sweep the whole analytics bucket, so the slim/default cells
     // stay warm — only the point-keyed snapshot is dropped.
-    expect(caches.analytics.get(dashboardSnapshotCacheKey(USER_A))).toBeNull();
+    expect(caches.analytics.get(snapshotCell(USER_A))).toBeNull();
     expect(caches.analytics.get(`${USER_A}|default`)).not.toBeNull();
-    expect(
-      caches.analytics.get(dashboardSnapshotCacheKey(USER_B)),
-    ).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(caches.analytics.get(snapshotCell(USER_B))).not.toBeNull();
   });
 });
 
@@ -290,12 +292,10 @@ describe("invalidateUserDashboardSnapshot", () => {
   it("drops only the snapshot key, leaving the slim / default analytics cells warm", async () => {
     await primeAllCaches();
     invalidateUserDashboardSnapshot(USER_A);
-    expect(caches.analytics.get(dashboardSnapshotCacheKey(USER_A))).toBeNull();
+    expect(caches.analytics.get(snapshotCell(USER_A))).toBeNull();
     expect(caches.analytics.get(`${USER_A}|default`)).not.toBeNull();
     expect(caches.analytics.get(`${USER_A}|summaries`)).not.toBeNull();
-    expect(
-      caches.analytics.get(dashboardSnapshotCacheKey(USER_B)),
-    ).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(caches.analytics.get(snapshotCell(USER_B))).not.toBeNull();
   });
 });
 
@@ -303,10 +303,8 @@ describe("invalidateUserInsights", () => {
   it("drops the snapshot key so a fresh briefing is re-embedded", async () => {
     await primeAllCaches();
     invalidateUserInsights(USER_A);
-    expect(caches.analytics.get(dashboardSnapshotCacheKey(USER_A))).toBeNull();
-    expect(
-      caches.analytics.get(dashboardSnapshotCacheKey(USER_B)),
-    ).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(caches.analytics.get(snapshotCell(USER_A))).toBeNull();
+    expect(caches.analytics.get(snapshotCell(USER_B))).not.toBeNull();
   });
 });
 
@@ -330,9 +328,7 @@ describe("invalidateUserProfile", () => {
     expect(
       caches.insightsDerived.getAllowStale(`${USER_A}|batch|x|en`),
     ).toBeNull();
-    expect(
-      caches.analytics.getAllowStale(dashboardSnapshotCacheKey(USER_A)),
-    ).toBeNull();
+    expect(caches.analytics.getAllowStale(snapshotCell(USER_A))).toBeNull();
     expect(caches.analytics.getAllowStale(`${USER_A}|default`)).toBeNull();
 
     // The other user's cells stay warm.
diff --git a/src/lib/cache/invalidate.ts b/src/lib/cache/invalidate.ts
index 9172aaa8a..150c48b18 100644
--- a/src/lib/cache/invalidate.ts
+++ b/src/lib/cache/invalidate.ts
@@ -34,11 +34,16 @@ export function dashboardSnapshotCacheKey(userId: string): string {
 }
 
 /**
- * Drop the unified dashboard snapshot for a single user. Cheap
- * point-delete; safe to call redundantly.
+ * Drop the unified dashboard snapshot for a single user. The snapshot cell is
+ * keyed `${userId}|dashboard-snapshot|${locale}` (the briefing prose is
+ * locale-specific), so this must sweep by PREFIX — an exact point-delete of the
+ * locale-less key silently misses every real cell and the dashboard keeps
+ * serving the pre-write layout for the whole SWR window. The prefix is
+ * distinctive (nothing else in the analytics bucket starts with it), so the
+ * sweep touches only this user's snapshot variants. Safe to call redundantly.
  */
 export function invalidateUserDashboardSnapshot(userId: string): void {
-  caches.analytics.delete(dashboardSnapshotCacheKey(userId));
+  caches.analytics.deleteByPrefix(dashboardSnapshotCacheKey(userId));
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/lib/clinician-share/__tests__/share-view-data.test.ts b/src/lib/clinician-share/__tests__/share-view-data.test.ts
index 6536058bd..48aac4355 100644
--- a/src/lib/clinician-share/__tests__/share-view-data.test.ts
+++ b/src/lib/clinician-share/__tests__/share-view-data.test.ts
@@ -260,3 +260,63 @@ describe("loadShareViewData — documentOnly column is authoritative", () => {
     expect(documentOnly).toBe(true);
   });
 });
+
+/**
+ * v1.28.17 — the create schema accepts the GROUPED export sections shape
+ * (`{ vitals: { bp, weight, … }, activity: { sleep }, medications: { … } }`)
+ * and persists it raw. The clinician-view loader MUST fold that grouped shape
+ * down to the flat toggles the aggregator consumes — reading it through the
+ * flat doctor-report parser silently drops every grouped toggle and re-defaults
+ * the section back ON, re-widening a scope the owner explicitly narrowed. This
+ * pins that a section switched OFF in the grouped shape reaches the aggregator
+ * as OFF, not as a defaults-on leak.
+ */
+describe("loadShareViewData — grouped sections are folded, not silently defaulted", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.clearAllMocks();
+    collect.mockResolvedValue({ patient: { displayName: "Shared record" } });
+    findDocs.mockResolvedValue([]);
+  });
+
+  it("honours grouped OFF toggles instead of falling back to defaults-ON", async () => {
+    // Owner froze a labs-focused share: vitals OFF, but the grouped keys live
+    // under `vitals` where the flat parser cannot see them. Pre-fix, bp/weight/
+    // pulse resolved to the defaults (ON) and leaked to the clinician.
+    await loadShareViewData(
+      ctx({
+        sectionsJson: {
+          vitals: { bp: false, weight: false, pulse: false },
+          activity: { sleep: false },
+          labs: true,
+        },
+        documentOnly: false,
+      }),
+    );
+
+    expect(collect).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    const opts = collect.mock.calls[0]![2] as {
+      sections: Record<string, boolean>;
+    };
+    // The grouped OFF toggles must survive the fold.
+    expect(opts.sections.bp).toBe(false);
+    expect(opts.sections.weight).toBe(false);
+    expect(opts.sections.pulse).toBe(false);
+    expect(opts.sections.sleep).toBe(false);
+    // A toggle the owner left ON stays ON.
+    expect(opts.sections.labs).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("still resolves a flat legacy blob through the flat parser unchanged", async () => {
+    // A flat shape has no grouped-only key, so it keeps the exact legacy path.
+    await loadShareViewData(
+      ctx({ sectionsJson: { bp: false, mood: true }, documentOnly: false }),
+    );
+    const opts = collect.mock.calls[0]![2] as {
+      sections: Record<string, boolean>;
+    };
+    expect(opts.sections.bp).toBe(false);
+    expect(opts.sections.mood).toBe(true);
+    // Unspecified flat keys fall back to the documented defaults.
+    expect(opts.sections.weight).toBe(true);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/lib/clinician-share/share-view-data.ts b/src/lib/clinician-share/share-view-data.ts
index 4f09d5dfc..6c30e80e5 100644
--- a/src/lib/clinician-share/share-view-data.ts
+++ b/src/lib/clinician-share/share-view-data.ts
@@ -22,8 +22,9 @@ import { servingClassFor } from "@/lib/documents/upload-policy";
 import type { DocumentServingClass } from "@/lib/documents/upload-policy";
 import {
   hasAnyReportSection,
-  parseDoctorReportPrefs,
+  type DoctorReportPrefs,
 } from "@/lib/validations/doctor-report-prefs";
+import { resolveStoredReportSections } from "@/lib/validations/health-record-export";
 import type { ShareContext } from "@/lib/clinician-share/resolve-share-token";
 
 /**
@@ -58,7 +59,7 @@ export interface ShareViewData {
    */
   report: DoctorReportData | null;
   /** The resolved section toggles (mood opt-in, defaults otherwise). */
-  sections: ReturnType<typeof parseDoctorReportPrefs>;
+  sections: DoctorReportPrefs;
   /** v1.28 — the hand-picked documents on this link (metadata only). */
   documents: ShareViewDocument[];
   /**
@@ -92,7 +93,12 @@ function frozenRange(context: ShareContext): DoctorReportRange {
 export async function loadShareViewData(
   context: ShareContext,
 ): Promise<ShareViewData> {
-  const sections = parseDoctorReportPrefs(context.sectionsJson);
+  // The stored `sectionsJson` may be the GROUPED export shape (what the create
+  // schema accepts) or the FLAT doctor-report shape (documents-only / legacy).
+  // `resolveStoredReportSections` folds either down correctly — reading a
+  // grouped blob through the flat parser would silently drop every grouped
+  // toggle and default the section back ON, re-widening a scope the owner froze.
+  const sections = resolveStoredReportSections(context.sectionsJson);
   const range = frozenRange(context);
 
   // A documents-only share never aggregates — no health metric is read from the
diff --git a/src/lib/documents/__tests__/thumbnail.test.ts b/src/lib/documents/__tests__/thumbnail.test.ts
index e20aa0b65..59a03ab64 100644
--- a/src/lib/documents/__tests__/thumbnail.test.ts
+++ b/src/lib/documents/__tests__/thumbnail.test.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,20 @@ import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 
 vi.mock("@/lib/logging/context", () => ({ annotate: vi.fn() }));
 
+// Partial mock of the native canvas module: `loadImage` delegates to the real
+// decoder by default (so every real-fixture test below is unaffected) and can
+// be overridden per-test via `loadImageMock` to simulate a decoded image whose
+// dimensions the header sniff could not have known.
+const { loadImageMock } = vi.hoisted(() => ({ loadImageMock: vi.fn() }));
+vi.mock("@napi-rs/canvas", async (importActual) => {
+  const actual = await importActual<typeof import("@napi-rs/canvas")>();
+  return {
+    ...actual,
+    loadImage: (source: Buffer | Uint8Array) =>
+      loadImageMock(source) ?? actual.loadImage(source),
+  };
+});
+
 import { generateThumbnail, THUMB_LONG_EDGE } from "../thumbnail";
 
 /**
@@ -141,4 +155,15 @@ describe("generateThumbnail", () => {
       ok: false,
     });
   });
+
+  it("refuses an oversize image the header sniff missed (post-decode cap)", async () => {
+    // Bytes the JPEG sniffer cannot read (no SOI) → the pre-decode guard is
+    // skipped and the code falls through to `loadImage`. The decoder is forced
+    // to return 30000×30000 = 900 MP, so only the post-decode backstop can
+    // catch it. Without that backstop this would OOM the serial worker.
+    loadImageMock.mockResolvedValueOnce({ width: 30_000, height: 30_000 });
+    await expect(
+      generateThumbnail(Buffer.from("desynced jpeg bytes"), "image/jpeg"),
+    ).resolves.toEqual({ ok: false });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/lib/documents/thumbnail.ts b/src/lib/documents/thumbnail.ts
index f952de58b..d660e21d0 100644
--- a/src/lib/documents/thumbnail.ts
+++ b/src/lib/documents/thumbnail.ts
@@ -233,6 +233,21 @@ export async function generateThumbnail(
         return { ok: false };
       }
       const image = await napi.loadImage(bytes);
+      // Post-decode backstop: the header sniff returns null on any marker
+      // desync (a malformed-but-decodable JPEG), falling through to here with
+      // NO ceiling. Re-check the DECODED dimensions so such a source can't
+      // bypass the cap and OOM the serial worker.
+      if (image.width * image.height > MAX_SOURCE_PIXELS) {
+        annotate({
+          action: { name: "documents.thumbnail.rejected" },
+          meta: {
+            source: "image",
+            reason: "pixel_cap_post_decode",
+            pixels: image.width * image.height,
+          },
+        });
+        return { ok: false };
+      }
       const thumb = drawScaledJpeg(napi, image);
       if (!thumb) return { ok: false };
       annotate({
diff --git a/src/lib/mcp/auth.ts b/src/lib/mcp/auth.ts
index 7d6fb57dd..91eccc9c2 100644
--- a/src/lib/mcp/auth.ts
+++ b/src/lib/mcp/auth.ts
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ export interface McpAuthContext {
   binding: string;
   /** Whether this session may read (always true for a valid token). */
   canRead: boolean;
-  /** Whether this session may write (requires `health:write`; no write tools yet). */
+  /** Whether this session may write (requires `health:write`; gates the live write tools). */
   canWrite: boolean;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/lib/mcp/scopes.ts b/src/lib/mcp/scopes.ts
index b04d57d7e..45087e151 100644
--- a/src/lib/mcp/scopes.ts
+++ b/src/lib/mcp/scopes.ts
@@ -6,15 +6,16 @@
  * least-privilege contract:
  *
  *   - `health:read`  — read the user's own health data. The default MCP posture.
- *   - `health:write` — mutate (log a measurement / intake / mood). Reserved for
- *     the write tools, which are NOT registered in this milestone phase.
+ *   - `health:write` — mutate (log a measurement / intake / mood). Required by
+ *     the write tools, which ARE registered and live (see `write-tools.ts`).
  *
  * Read tools impose no scope requirement of their own: every underlying read
  * path is already an unscoped authenticated route, so a narrow-scope token works
- * and a wildcard token is never required (REQ-SEC-5). The strong "read-only by
- * default" guarantee (REQ-SEC-1 / ADR-003) is structural — only read tools are
- * registered — not a runtime flag a future token could flip. Write registration
- * (a later phase) gates on `health:write` via `tokenAllowsWrite`.
+ * and a wildcard token is never required (REQ-SEC-5). The "read-only by default"
+ * posture (REQ-SEC-1 / ADR-003) is preserved by the scope gate, not by omitting
+ * the write surface: write tools are registered but only reachable when the
+ * presented token carries `health:write` (or the wildcard), enforced through
+ * `tokenAllowsWrite` — a token without it sees the read surface alone.
  */
 
 /** Wildcard scope — grants every capability the token model can express. */
@@ -23,7 +24,7 @@ export const SCOPE_WILDCARD = "*";
 /** Read the authenticated user's own health data over MCP. */
 export const SCOPE_HEALTH_READ = "health:read";
 
-/** Mutate the authenticated user's data over MCP (reserved; no write tools yet). */
+/** Mutate the authenticated user's data over MCP (gates the live write tools). */
 export const SCOPE_HEALTH_WRITE = "health:write";
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/lib/validations/health-record-export.ts b/src/lib/validations/health-record-export.ts
index 3cee53573..7563e0e82 100644
--- a/src/lib/validations/health-record-export.ts
+++ b/src/lib/validations/health-record-export.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import { z } from "zod/v4";
 import { locales } from "@/lib/i18n/config";
 import {
   DEFAULT_DOCTOR_REPORT_PREFS,
+  parseDoctorReportPrefs,
   type DoctorReportPrefs,
 } from "@/lib/validations/doctor-report-prefs";
 
@@ -87,6 +88,51 @@ export const exportSectionsSchema = z
 
 export type ExportSections = z.infer<typeof exportSectionsSchema>;
 
+/**
+ * The top-level keys that exist ONLY in the grouped {@link exportSectionsSchema}
+ * (never in the flat `doctorReportPrefsSchema`). Their presence is the reliable
+ * signal that a persisted `sectionsJson` blob is the grouped shape rather than
+ * the flat one — the flat shape carries `bp` / `weight` / `pulse` at the top
+ * level, the grouped shape nests them under `vitals`.
+ */
+const GROUPED_SECTION_KEYS = [
+  "vitals",
+  "cardioFitness",
+  "activity",
+  "medications",
+  "glucose",
+] as const;
+
+/**
+ * v1.28.17 — resolve a STORED `sectionsJson` blob (from a clinician share link
+ * or any consumer that persists the export selection) to the flat
+ * {@link DoctorReportPrefs} the aggregator + PDF renderer consume.
+ *
+ * The share-link create schema accepts the GROUPED {@link exportSectionsSchema}
+ * and persists it raw, but the report aggregator speaks the FLAT shape. Reading
+ * a grouped blob through the flat parser silently DROPS every grouped toggle
+ * (`vitals.bp`, `activity.sleep`, `medications.compliance`) and falls back to
+ * defaults-ON — so a section the owner switched OFF would still be served. This
+ * resolver closes that gap: a grouped blob is folded through
+ * {@link toDoctorReportPrefs}; a flat / empty / `{}` / null blob keeps the exact
+ * legacy semantics via {@link parseDoctorReportPrefs}. Detection is by the
+ * grouped-only keys, so it can never misread a flat blob as grouped (or vice
+ * versa), and it needs no data migration — existing rows resolve correctly.
+ */
+export function resolveStoredReportSections(raw: unknown): DoctorReportPrefs {
+  if (raw != null && typeof raw === "object" && !Array.isArray(raw)) {
+    const obj = raw as Record<string, unknown>;
+    const looksGrouped = GROUPED_SECTION_KEYS.some((k) => k in obj);
+    if (looksGrouped) {
+      const parsed = exportSectionsSchema.safeParse(obj);
+      // A well-formed grouped blob folds down; a drifted one falls through to
+      // the flat parser, which itself defaults on any shape it cannot read.
+      if (parsed.success) return toDoctorReportPrefs(parsed.data);
+    }
+  }
+  return parseDoctorReportPrefs(raw);
+}
+
 /**
  * Flagship export selection. `.strict()` so unknown keys (including any
  * attempt to smuggle a `userId`) 422 via `returnAllZodIssues`.