diff --git a/scripts/kb-update/lib/transform.mjs b/scripts/kb-update/lib/transform.mjs
index 14a1fdc..32066eb 100644
--- a/scripts/kb-update/lib/transform.mjs
+++ b/scripts/kb-update/lib/transform.mjs
@@ -359,6 +359,92 @@ export function insertHeaderFields(content, meta) {
   return lines.join('\n');
 }
 
+/**
+ * Surgically insert-or-update ONLY the `**Verified:**` and `**Verified by:**` header lines
+ * on an EXISTING KB file — the R7–R10 born-verified STAMP primitive. Unlike composeKbFile
+ * (which rebuilds the whole header and may insert a `## Innhold` → body diff), this touches
+ * nothing but the two stamp lines: the body is byte-identical, no TOC is ever added, and a
+ * large file's structure is otherwise unchanged. It is the mirror image of
+ * normalizeStaleVerified — that strips a stale stamp; this writes a fresh, judge-cleared one.
+ *
+ * Insert vs update: a stamp line already inside the 500-byte scan window has ONLY its value
+ * token replaced in place (so re-stamping the same value is a byte-identical no-op —
+ * idempotent, and a pipe row's sibling tokens survive); an absent stamp line is inserted
+ * immediately after the last line of the first contiguous bold-label meta run that still
+ * leaves room in the window (the same anchor + back-off discipline as insertHeaderFields),
+ * ordered `**Verified:**` then `**Verified by:**` to match buildKbHeader.
+ *
+ * THROWS if either stamp would land past the 500-byte window — a header so full the stamp
+ * would be invisible to parseVerified*Header. A silent, unparseable stamp is worse than none
+ * (the file would read as unverified while carrying a verified line); R7 treats this throw as
+ * "flagged: header-slanking kreves", never a forced stamp.
+ *
+ * @param {string} content — full existing file content
+ * @param {{verified: string, verified_by: string}} fields — both required
+ * @returns {string} content with the two stamp lines inserted/updated, body byte-identical
+ * @throws if verified/verified_by is blank, or a stamp lands past the 500-byte window
+ */
+export function insertVerifiedFields(content, fields) {
+  const s = String(content ?? '');
+  const f = fields ?? {};
+  const blank = (v) => v === undefined || v === null || String(v).trim() === '';
+  if (blank(f.verified) || blank(f.verified_by)) {
+    throw new Error('insertVerifiedFields: both verified and verified_by are required');
+  }
+  const vStr = String(f.verified).trim();
+  const vbStr = String(f.verified_by).trim();
+
+  const lines = s.split('\n');
+  let vIdx = -1; // existing **Verified:** line (update target)
+  let vbIdx = -1; // existing **Verified by:** line (update target)
+  let anchorIdx = -1; // last contiguous meta line whose insertion point still fits the window
+  let titleIdx = -1; // fallback anchor for the "no meta line" dialect
+  let cum = 0;
+  for (let i = 0; i < lines.length; i++) {
+    const line = lines[i];
+    if (/^##\s/.test(line) || /^---\s*$/.test(line)) break; // reached body / rule
+    if (titleIdx === -1 && /^#\s+\S/.test(line)) titleIdx = i;
+    if (cum < HEADER_REGION_BYTES) {
+      // Only recognise an existing stamp the parsers can actually read (inside the window).
+      // `**Verified:**` (colon straight after) never matches the `**Verified by:**` line.
+      if (vIdx === -1 && /\*\*Verified:\*\*/i.test(line)) vIdx = i;
+      if (vbIdx === -1 && /\*\*Verified by:\*\*/i.test(line)) vbIdx = i;
+    }
+    const nextCum = cum + line.length + 1; // byte offset just AFTER this line
+    if (RE_META_LINE.test(line)) {
+      if (nextCum > HEADER_REGION_BYTES) break; // back off — insertion point past the window
+      anchorIdx = i;
+    } else if (anchorIdx !== -1) {
+      break; // first non-meta line after the run — the contiguous run is over
+    }
+    cum = nextCum;
+  }
+
+  // Update present stamp lines in place — replace ONLY the value token (function replacer so a
+  // `$` in the value is never treated as a backreference); a pipe row's siblings are preserved.
+  if (vIdx !== -1) lines[vIdx] = lines[vIdx].replace(/(\*\*Verified:\*\*\s*)\S+/i, (_m, p1) => p1 + vStr);
+  if (vbIdx !== -1) lines[vbIdx] = lines[vbIdx].replace(/(\*\*Verified by:\*\*\s*)\S+/i, (_m, p1) => p1 + vbStr);
+
+  // Insert absent stamp lines after the meta-run anchor (title fallback for the no-meta
+  // dialect; -1 + 1 = 0 → very top if there is no title either), Verified then Verified by.
+  const toInsert = [];
+  if (vIdx === -1) toInsert.push(`**Verified:** ${vStr}`);
+  if (vbIdx === -1) toInsert.push(`**Verified by:** ${vbStr}`);
+  if (toInsert.length) {
+    lines.splice((anchorIdx !== -1 ? anchorIdx : titleIdx) + 1, 0, ...toInsert);
+  }
+
+  const out = lines.join('\n');
+  // Post-write invariant: both stamps must be visible to the header parsers (inside 500B).
+  // A stamp that landed past the window is a silent lie — refuse it (header-slanking needed).
+  if (parseVerifiedHeader(out) !== vStr || parseVerifiedByHeader(out) !== vbStr) {
+    throw new Error(
+      'insertVerifiedFields: stamp would land past the 500-byte header window (header-slanking required)',
+    );
+  }
+  return out;
+}
+
 /**
  * Surgically strip STALE `**Verified:**` value(s) from a legacy KB file — the bounded
  * Spor 1 carve-out for the 14 files carrying `**Verified:** MCP <date>`. That non-date
diff --git a/tests/kb-update/test-transform.test.mjs b/tests/kb-update/test-transform.test.mjs
index afb160a..59e8075 100644
--- a/tests/kb-update/test-transform.test.mjs
+++ b/tests/kb-update/test-transform.test.mjs
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import {
   composeKbFile,
   insertToc,
   insertHeaderFields,
+  insertVerifiedFields,
   normalizeStaleVerified,
   stampVerifiedMeta,
 } from '../../scripts/kb-update/lib/transform.mjs';
@@ -704,6 +705,80 @@ test('insertToc(insertHeaderFields(large)) → Type+Source+TOC, passes real chec
   assert.equal(tail(out), tail(HDR_LARGE));
 });
 
+// --- insertVerifiedFields: the R7–R10 surgical stamp primitive ---------------------
+// Insert-or-update ONLY the **Verified:** / **Verified by:** header lines in place, body
+// byte-identical, NEVER a TOC (contrast composeKbFile, which rebuilds the header + may add
+// ## Innhold → body diff). THROWS when the stamp would land past the 500-byte window so a
+// judge-cleared file is never given a silent, unparseable stamp.
+
+// A migrated reference carrying Type+Source but NOT yet Verified — the R7 stamp target.
+const HDR_UNVERIFIED =
+  '# Azure AI Foundry\n\n' +
+  '**Last updated:** 2026-06\n' +
+  '**Status:** GA\n' +
+  '**Category:** AI Services\n' +
+  '**Type:** reference\n' +
+  '**Source:** https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/ai-foundry/x\n\n' +
+  '---\n\n' +
+  '## Introduksjon\n\nBrødtekst.\n';
+
+// Same, but large (>100 lines) — proves stamping never triggers a TOC insertion.
+const HDR_LARGE_UNVERIFIED =
+  '# Big Ref\n\n' +
+  '**Last updated:** 2026-06\n' +
+  '**Status:** GA\n' +
+  '**Category:** X\n' +
+  '**Type:** reference\n' +
+  '**Source:** ' + MS_URL + '\n\n' +
+  '---\n\n' +
+  LARGE_BODY;
+
+// A header whose title line alone exceeds the 500-byte window: any stamp inserted after it
+// lands past the window → invisible to parseVerified*Header → insertVerifiedFields must THROW.
+const HDR_NO_ROOM =
+  '# ' + 'A'.repeat(520) + '\n\n' +
+  '**Type:** reference\n**Source:** ' + MS_URL + '\n\n---\n\n## Introduksjon\n\ntekst.\n';
+
+test('insertVerifiedFields stamps Verified + Verified by, body byte-identical, no TOC', () => {
+  const out = insertVerifiedFields(HDR_UNVERIFIED, { verified: '2026-07-04', verified_by: 'judge-v3.1' });
+  assert.equal(parseVerifiedHeader(out), '2026-07-04');
+  assert.equal(parseVerifiedByHeader(out), 'judge-v3.1');
+  assert.doesNotMatch(out, /## Innhold/); // never a TOC (contrast composeKbFile)
+  const tail = (s) => s.slice(s.indexOf('## Introduksjon'));
+  assert.equal(tail(out), tail(HDR_UNVERIFIED)); // body byte-identical
+});
+
+test('insertVerifiedFields updates an existing stamp in place (idempotent + re-stampable)', () => {
+  const once = insertVerifiedFields(HDR_UNVERIFIED, { verified: '2026-07-04', verified_by: 'judge-v3.1' });
+  const twice = insertVerifiedFields(once, { verified: '2026-07-04', verified_by: 'judge-v3.1' });
+  assert.equal(twice, once, 'same values → byte-identical (idempotent)');
+  const updated = insertVerifiedFields(once, { verified: '2026-08-01', verified_by: 'human' });
+  assert.equal(parseVerifiedHeader(updated), '2026-08-01');
+  assert.equal(parseVerifiedByHeader(updated), 'human');
+  assert.equal((updated.match(/\*\*Verified:\*\*/g) || []).length, 1, 'not duplicated');
+  assert.equal((updated.match(/\*\*Verified by:\*\*/g) || []).length, 1, 'not duplicated');
+});
+
+test('insertVerifiedFields never inserts a TOC into a large file (contrast composeKbFile)', () => {
+  const out = insertVerifiedFields(HDR_LARGE_UNVERIFIED, { verified: '2026-07-04', verified_by: 'judge-v3.1' });
+  assert.equal(parseVerifiedHeader(out), '2026-07-04');
+  assert.doesNotMatch(out, /## Innhold/);
+  const tail = (s) => s.slice(s.indexOf('## Introduksjon'));
+  assert.equal(tail(out), tail(HDR_LARGE_UNVERIFIED));
+});
+
+test('insertVerifiedFields throws when the stamp would land past the 500-byte window', () => {
+  assert.throws(
+    () => insertVerifiedFields(HDR_NO_ROOM, { verified: '2026-07-04', verified_by: 'judge-v3.1' }),
+    /500|window|vindu/i,
+  );
+});
+
+test('insertVerifiedFields requires both verified and verified_by', () => {
+  assert.throws(() => insertVerifiedFields(HDR_UNVERIFIED, { verified: '2026-07-04' }), /verified_by|required/i);
+  assert.throws(() => insertVerifiedFields(HDR_UNVERIFIED, { verified_by: 'judge-v3.1' }), /verified|required/i);
+});
+
 // --- normalizeStaleVerified: surgical carve-out for the 14 `**Verified:** MCP` files ---
 // Acts on EVERY stale (non-date) **Verified:** that falls inside the 500-byte scan window —
 // exactly what parseVerifiedHeader reads as the file's verified value, whether it sits in