diff --git a/crates/rusty_esp_mid-core/src/lib.rs b/crates/rusty_esp_mid-core/src/lib.rs
index 26e44da..ccf6026 100644
--- a/crates/rusty_esp_mid-core/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/rusty_esp_mid-core/src/lib.rs
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ pub mod nonce;
 pub mod seal;
 pub mod setup;
 pub mod signer;
+pub mod status;
 
 #[cfg(feature = "alloc")]
 pub mod jws;
diff --git a/crates/rusty_esp_mid-core/src/status.rs b/crates/rusty_esp_mid-core/src/status.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..73460a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/rusty_esp_mid-core/src/status.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,383 @@
+//! **The signed status** — how a device proves, on a local network, who it is
+//! and who it belongs to, in answer to a verifier's fresh nonce.
+//!
+//! A home's hub (Apollo's server, or the MATA box) finds a device and asks
+//! `GET /v1/status?nonce=<64 lowercase hex>`. The device answers with its
+//! claims and a signature, by its own key, over this message:
+//!
+//! ```text
+//! "janus-status-v1\n"
+//! version (1)                       = 1
+//! nonce (32)                        the verifier's, raw
+//! len16(device_did)    device_did
+//! len16(owner_did)     owner_did    empty when not adopted
+//! len16(adoption_kind) adoption_kind
+//!                                   "janus-adoption-v1" | "mata-statement-v1" | empty
+//! adoption_hash (32)                sha256 of the adoption's decoded bytes (the
+//!                                   v1 envelope, or the statement container's
+//!                                   UTF-8 JSON);
+//!                                   32 zero bytes when not adopted
+//! ```
+//!
+//! `len16` is a 2-byte big-endian length, as in the adoption envelope. The
+//! signature is [`DeviceSigner::sign_prehash`] over `sha256(message)`: P-256,
+//! 64-byte `r || s`, low-s, RFC 6979 deterministic. A verifier must reject
+//! high-s, which [`verify_prehash`] (and so [`StatusProof::verify`]) does.
+//!
+//! One signature covers the adoption too, through its hash: the verifier
+//! checks the adoption itself (its owner's signature) and that its hash and
+//! owner match what the device signed, so a device cannot sign for one owner
+//! while carrying another's grant.
+//!
+//! No allocation: the message is hashed as it is laid out, and written out in
+//! full only when asked ([`StatusProof::write`]).
+
+use rusty_esp_core::error::{Error, Result};
+use sha2::Digest;
+
+use crate::did::Did;
+use crate::signer::{DeviceSigner, verify_prehash};
+
+/// Domain separator.
+pub const STATUS_DOMAIN: &[u8] = b"janus-status-v1\n";
+
+/// The layout's version byte.
+pub const STATUS_VERSION: u8 = 1;
+
+/// `adoption_kind` for a raw `janus-adoption-v1` envelope.
+pub const KIND_ADOPTION_V1: &str = "janus-adoption-v1";
+
+/// `adoption_kind` for a MATA wallet signed statement: base64url of the JSON
+/// container `{"content":…,"jws":…}` (the wallet's `signStatement`, context
+/// `janus-adoption-v1`).
+pub const KIND_MATA_STATEMENT: &str = "mata-statement-v1";
+
+/// `adoption_hash` when the device holds no adoption.
+pub const NO_ADOPTION: [u8; 32] = [0; 32];
+
+/// The claims a device signs in answer to a nonce.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub struct StatusProof<'a> {
+    /// The verifier's nonce.
+    pub nonce: &'a [u8; 32],
+    /// The device's own `did:mata`.
+    pub device_did: &'a str,
+    /// The owner as the device accepted it; empty when not adopted.
+    pub owner_did: &'a str,
+    /// [`KIND_ADOPTION_V1`], [`KIND_MATA_STATEMENT`], or empty when not adopted.
+    pub adoption_kind: &'a str,
+    /// `sha256` of the adoption's raw bytes, or [`NO_ADOPTION`].
+    pub adoption_hash: [u8; 32],
+}
+
+impl<'a> StatusProof<'a> {
+    /// A device that holds no adoption.
+    #[must_use]
+    pub const fn unadopted(nonce: &'a [u8; 32], device_did: &'a str) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            nonce,
+            device_did,
+            owner_did: "",
+            adoption_kind: "",
+            adoption_hash: NO_ADOPTION,
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// A device adopted by `owner_did` through `adoption` (its decoded bytes:
+    /// the v1 envelope, or the statement container's UTF-8 JSON) of
+    /// `adoption_kind`.
+    #[must_use]
+    pub fn adopted(
+        nonce: &'a [u8; 32],
+        device_did: &'a str,
+        owner_did: &'a str,
+        adoption_kind: &'a str,
+        adoption: &[u8],
+    ) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            nonce,
+            device_did,
+            owner_did,
+            adoption_kind,
+            adoption_hash: crate::sha256(adoption),
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// The message's length in bytes.
+    #[must_use]
+    pub fn len(&self) -> usize {
+        STATUS_DOMAIN.len()
+            + 1
+            + 32
+            + 2
+            + self.device_did.len()
+            + 2
+            + self.owner_did.len()
+            + 2
+            + self.adoption_kind.len()
+            + 32
+    }
+
+    /// Never empty: the domain alone is 16 bytes.
+    #[must_use]
+    pub fn is_empty(&self) -> bool {
+        false
+    }
+
+    /// Lay the message out field by field, in order.
+    fn fields(&self, mut put: impl FnMut(&[u8])) -> Result<()> {
+        let str16 = |s: &str| -> Result<[u8; 2]> {
+            let n = u16::try_from(s.len()).map_err(|_| Error::InvalidFormat)?;
+            Ok(n.to_be_bytes())
+        };
+        let (dev, own, kind) = (
+            str16(self.device_did)?,
+            str16(self.owner_did)?,
+            str16(self.adoption_kind)?,
+        );
+        put(STATUS_DOMAIN);
+        put(&[STATUS_VERSION]);
+        put(self.nonce);
+        put(&dev);
+        put(self.device_did.as_bytes());
+        put(&own);
+        put(self.owner_did.as_bytes());
+        put(&kind);
+        put(self.adoption_kind.as_bytes());
+        put(&self.adoption_hash);
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    /// Write the message into `out`; its length.
+    pub fn write(&self, out: &mut [u8]) -> Result<usize> {
+        let needed = self.len();
+        if out.len() < needed {
+            return Err(Error::BufferTooSmall { needed });
+        }
+        let mut at = 0;
+        self.fields(|b| {
+            out[at..at + b.len()].copy_from_slice(b);
+            at += b.len();
+        })?;
+        Ok(at)
+    }
+
+    /// `sha256(message)`, the prehash the device signs.
+    pub fn prehash(&self) -> Result<[u8; 32]> {
+        let mut h = sha2::Sha256::new();
+        self.fields(|b| h.update(b))?;
+        Ok(h.finalize().into())
+    }
+
+    /// The device's signature over the message.
+    pub fn sign(&self, signer: &impl DeviceSigner) -> Result<[u8; 64]> {
+        Ok(signer.sign_prehash(&self.prehash()?))
+    }
+
+    /// Verify `signature` under the key `device_did` names (high-s refused).
+    pub fn verify(&self, signature: &[u8; 64]) -> Result<()> {
+        let did = Did::parse(self.device_did)?;
+        verify_prehash(did.pubkey(), &self.prehash()?, signature)
+    }
+}
+
+/// The query's nonce: exactly 64 lowercase hex characters, to 32 bytes.
+pub fn parse_nonce_hex(s: &str) -> Result<[u8; 32]> {
+    let b = s.as_bytes();
+    if b.len() != 64 {
+        return Err(Error::InvalidFormat);
+    }
+    let nibble = |c: u8| -> Result<u8> {
+        match c {
+            b'0'..=b'9' => Ok(c - b'0'),
+            b'a'..=b'f' => Ok(c - b'a' + 10),
+            _ => Err(Error::InvalidFormat),
+        }
+    };
+    let mut out = [0u8; 32];
+    for (i, o) in out.iter_mut().enumerate() {
+        *o = (nibble(b[2 * i])? << 4) | nibble(b[2 * i + 1])?;
+    }
+    Ok(out)
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use crate::key::DeviceKey;
+
+    const NONCE: [u8; 32] = [
+        0x00, 0x01, 0x02, 0x03, 0x04, 0x05, 0x06, 0x07, 0x08, 0x09, 0x0a, 0x0b, 0x0c, 0x0d, 0x0e,
+        0x0f, 0x10, 0x11, 0x12, 0x13, 0x14, 0x15, 0x16, 0x17, 0x18, 0x19, 0x1a, 0x1b, 0x1c, 0x1d,
+        0x1e, 0x1f,
+    ];
+
+    fn did_of(key: &DeviceKey) -> ([u8; 64], usize) {
+        let mut buf = [0u8; 64];
+        let n = key.did().write(&mut buf).expect("did fits").len();
+        (buf, n)
+    }
+
+    /// The message laid out by hand, independently of `fields`.
+    fn by_hand(device: &str, owner: &str, kind: &str, hash: &[u8; 32]) -> Vec<u8> {
+        let mut m = Vec::new();
+        m.extend_from_slice(b"janus-status-v1\n");
+        m.push(1);
+        m.extend_from_slice(&NONCE);
+        for s in [device, owner, kind] {
+            m.extend_from_slice(&(s.len() as u16).to_be_bytes());
+            m.extend_from_slice(s.as_bytes());
+        }
+        m.extend_from_slice(hash);
+        m
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn the_message_is_laid_out_as_the_contract_says() {
+        let key = DeviceKey::from_seed_for_tests("status-vector-device", "dev-1");
+        let (buf, n) = did_of(&key);
+        let device = core::str::from_utf8(&buf[..n]).unwrap();
+        let owner = "did:mata:owner-for-the-layout-test";
+        let adoption = b"an adoption's raw bytes";
+        let p = StatusProof::adopted(&NONCE, device, owner, KIND_ADOPTION_V1, adoption);
+        let mut out = [0u8; 256];
+        let len = p.write(&mut out).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(len, p.len());
+        let expected = by_hand(device, owner, KIND_ADOPTION_V1, &crate::sha256(adoption));
+        assert_eq!(&out[..len], &expected[..]);
+        assert_eq!(p.prehash().unwrap(), crate::sha256(&expected));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn unadopted_is_empty_strings_and_a_zero_hash() {
+        let p = StatusProof::unadopted(&NONCE, "did:mata:x");
+        let mut out = [0u8; 128];
+        let len = p.write(&mut out).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(&out[..len], &by_hand("did:mata:x", "", "", &[0; 32])[..]);
+        // not the hash of an empty adoption: "none" and "empty" never collide
+        assert_ne!(NO_ADOPTION, crate::sha256(b""));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn a_short_buffer_says_what_it_needed() {
+        let p = StatusProof::unadopted(&NONCE, "did:mata:x");
+        assert_eq!(
+            p.write(&mut [0u8; 8]),
+            Err(Error::BufferTooSmall { needed: p.len() })
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn signed_by_the_device_verifies_and_nothing_else_does() {
+        let key = DeviceKey::from_seed_for_tests("status-vector-device", "dev-1");
+        let (buf, n) = did_of(&key);
+        let device = core::str::from_utf8(&buf[..n]).unwrap();
+        let p = StatusProof::adopted(&NONCE, device, "did:mata:o", KIND_MATA_STATEMENT, b"h.p.s");
+        let sig = p.sign(&key).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(p.verify(&sig), Ok(()));
+        // any field changed: refused
+        let other_nonce = [9u8; 32];
+        assert!(
+            StatusProof {
+                nonce: &other_nonce,
+                ..p
+            }
+            .verify(&sig)
+            .is_err()
+        );
+        assert!(
+            StatusProof {
+                owner_did: "did:mata:p",
+                ..p
+            }
+            .verify(&sig)
+            .is_err()
+        );
+        assert!(
+            StatusProof {
+                adoption_kind: KIND_ADOPTION_V1,
+                ..p
+            }
+            .verify(&sig)
+            .is_err()
+        );
+        assert!(
+            StatusProof {
+                adoption_hash: NO_ADOPTION,
+                ..p
+            }
+            .verify(&sig)
+            .is_err()
+        );
+        // another device's key: refused
+        let other = DeviceKey::from_seed_for_tests("someone-else", "dev-2");
+        assert!(p.verify(&p.sign(&other).unwrap()).is_err());
+        // the high-s twin of a good signature: refused
+        use p256::elliptic_curve::PrimeField;
+        let mut high = sig;
+        let mut s_bytes = p256::FieldBytes::default();
+        s_bytes.copy_from_slice(&sig[32..]);
+        let s = p256::Scalar::from_repr(s_bytes).into_option().unwrap();
+        high[32..].copy_from_slice(&(-s).to_bytes());
+        assert!(p.verify(&high).is_err());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn the_nonce_is_64_lowercase_hex() {
+        let hex: String = NONCE.iter().map(|b| format!("{b:02x}")).collect();
+        assert_eq!(parse_nonce_hex(&hex), Ok(NONCE));
+        assert!(parse_nonce_hex(&hex.to_uppercase()).is_err());
+        assert!(parse_nonce_hex(&hex[..62]).is_err());
+        assert!(parse_nonce_hex(&format!("{hex}00")).is_err());
+        assert!(parse_nonce_hex(&format!("{}zz", &hex[..62])).is_err());
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod vector {
+    //! The vector both sides pin (`janus-status-v1`, Track 1 of Apollo's
+    //! hard-toys): the chip's bytes, so a verifier's implementation is checked
+    //! against them rather than against itself. Cross-checked 2026-10-17 with
+    //! an independent ECDSA (Python `cryptography`): the message rebuilt from
+    //! the contract by hand, the DID derived from the key, the signature low-s
+    //! and verifying.
+    use super::*;
+    use crate::key::DeviceKey;
+
+    /// The device's secret scalar (`DeviceKey::from_seed_for_tests(
+    /// "janus-status-v1-vector", "vector")`).
+    pub const SECRET: &str = "b2f00d8c0abf7e2cffa4dcad2d2b27cf47656e2b97eb19e787c5f69ec0572e67";
+    pub const DEVICE_DID: &str = "did:mata:huF8W8oTSzSJybQztujeQc5BLiiMXYG7xUtXgkEkXjYj";
+    /// Bytes 0..32.
+    pub const NONCE: [u8; 32] = [
+        0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24,
+        25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31,
+    ];
+    pub const OWNER_DID: &str = "did:mata:zOwnerForTheVector";
+    /// The adoption's raw bytes the vector hashes (a stand-in, not an envelope).
+    pub const ADOPTION: &[u8] = b"janus-adoption-v1 vector bytes";
+    pub const MESSAGE: &str = "6a616e75732d7374617475732d76310a01000102030405060708090a0b0c0d0e0f101112131415161718191a1b1c1d1e1f00356469643a6d6174613a6875463857386f54537a534a7962517a74756a65516335424c69694d5859473778557458676b456b586a596a001b6469643a6d6174613a7a4f776e6572466f72546865566563746f7200116a616e75732d61646f7074696f6e2d7631cc0fe955facc03fe83d5c98365c445eea2f021139e78ec8cfbd120c991f9bb1e";
+    pub const PREHASH: &str = "ff77b0f7d0d4433bac8c76ddafbb4c1f9257a803a59fdc4efb3622c5567079ba";
+    pub const SIGNATURE: &str = "af346d509a8ec6e32161250a41c9ee4f88197c136c3f977132964f4d542a9ffb068d86182fafa42a2a44787f0c107f71ec553f1a0414292948848ae8bf4d25df";
+
+    fn hex(b: &[u8]) -> String {
+        b.iter().map(|x| format!("{x:02x}")).collect()
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn the_chip_produces_exactly_the_vector() {
+        let key = DeviceKey::from_seed_for_tests("janus-status-v1-vector", "vector");
+        assert_eq!(hex(&key.secret_bytes()), SECRET);
+        let mut buf = [0u8; 64];
+        assert_eq!(key.did().write(&mut buf).unwrap(), DEVICE_DID);
+        let p = StatusProof::adopted(&NONCE, DEVICE_DID, OWNER_DID, KIND_ADOPTION_V1, ADOPTION);
+        let mut out = [0u8; 256];
+        let n = p.write(&mut out).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(hex(&out[..n]), MESSAGE);
+        assert_eq!(hex(&p.prehash().unwrap()), PREHASH);
+        // RFC 6979: the same key and message give the same signature
+        let sig = p.sign(&key).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(hex(&sig), SIGNATURE);
+        assert_eq!(p.verify(&sig), Ok(()));
+    }
+}