diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index f4677f4..6c9a415 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ test:
 # Bench gate — runs the complete Dav1DPrometheus suite (5S + 5T + 5F
 # + 5R = 21 sub-batteries, 462+ deterministic fixtures) on every push.
 # Job fails if any fixture fails. Bench result JSON is stored as a
-# pipeline artifact so the v8-score job (below) can compare branches.
+# pipeline artifact so the substrate-score job (below) can compare branches.
 # Wall-clock ~3-5s on the in-house runner; cheaper than `make test`.
 #
 # Closes the loop from "we have a fitness substrate" (#000021,
@@ -113,17 +113,19 @@ bench-suite:
     expire_in: 30 days
 
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------
-# v8 ForkScore gate — for merge requests, score the bench delta
-# between this branch and main. ACCEPT or MARGINAL pass; REJECT fails
-# the job. Phase 1 of #000012's selection protocol; the consensus
-# layer (validators, slashing, fork-choice) lives in the v8 paper
-# itself.
+# Substrate ForkScore gate — for merge requests, score the bench
+# delta between this branch and main. ACCEPT or MARGINAL pass;
+# REJECT fails the job. Phase 1 of #000012's selection protocol; the
+# consensus layer (validators, slashing, fork-choice) lives in the
+# Merkle-AGI v8 paper itself (paper version, not module location —
+# the module is at arborist/substrate/fork_score.py per the
+# 2026-05-10 v7+v8 → substrate refactor).
 #
-# This job is `manual` for now — auto-gating waits until the v8 paper
-# pins weight-set defaults for arborist's deployment shape. Operators
-# trigger it on demand from the MR UI.
+# This job is `manual` for now — auto-gating waits until the v8
+# paper pins weight-set defaults for arborist's deployment shape.
+# Operators trigger it on demand from the MR UI.
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------
-v8-score:
+substrate-score:
   stage: test
   tags:
     - build
@@ -162,7 +164,7 @@ v8-score:
           > /tmp/parent.json || \
         echo '{"schema_version":"bench-result-v1","results":[]}' > /tmp/parent.json
     # Score child vs parent. Exit 1 on REJECT (gates the merge).
-    - .venv/bin/arborist v8 score --parent /tmp/parent.json --child "$CHILD"
+    - .venv/bin/arborist substrate score --parent /tmp/parent.json --child "$CHILD"
 
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Optional: crawler extras + crawler-tagged tests. Opt-in via the