diff --git a/database/src/CODE-LOGIC.md b/database/src/CODE-LOGIC.md
index 3501a06..166f1c4 100644
--- a/database/src/CODE-LOGIC.md
+++ b/database/src/CODE-LOGIC.md
@@ -23,6 +23,21 @@ VM values ──copy──▶ row slots (engine-owned malloc) ──copy──
   the id hash maps id → slot. Ids are never reused (per-table counter,
   shard-interleaved `S+1, S+1+N, …`), which is also what makes the hash's
   tombstone sentinel safe.
+- **Storage is per-table since databasev2 2.** `@table(durable: false)` sets
+  `WO_CLASSF_VOLATILE` in the class descriptor (`.wob` v7), and `db.c`'s
+  `table_is_durable` gates all three mutation sites: a volatile table stages
+  nothing, so it pays none of the fsync cost and is empty after a restart.
+  Measured: 50 inserts wrote 1500 WAL bytes durable, **0** volatile. The three
+  sites stayed three — the predicate is one function, not an inlined condition,
+  precisely so this file's "nothing else may mutate storage" claim keeps
+  holding.
+- **A mode mismatch refuses, it does not convert.** If the log holds records
+  for a class the loaded image now declares volatile, `apply_record` returns
+  **-2** (distinct from -1 corruption) and `wo_wal_replay_ex` reports the class
+  id so `main.c` can name it. Silently skipping those records would resurrect
+  nothing but would also hide a real migration; silently applying them would
+  load rows into a table declared not to have any. `wo_wal_replay` remains as
+  the NULL-out-param wrapper so the 156 WAL unit checks are untouched.
 - **Choke points**: `wo_row_insert` / `wo_row_remove` carry the `INDEX HOOK`
   comments where Task 4's secondary indexes attach and Task 2's WAL stages
   its record. Nothing else may mutate storage.
diff --git a/database/src/db.c b/database/src/db.c
index 58273a3..19b95bc 100644
--- a/database/src/db.c
+++ b/database/src/db.c
@@ -7,6 +7,17 @@
 #include "table.h"
 #include "wal.h"
 
+/* databasev2 2: is this table's storage durable? A `@table(durable: false)`
+ * class carries WO_CLASSF_VOLATILE and is never staged to the WAL — no
+ * record, no fsync, ack straight from RAM. One predicate for all three
+ * mutation sites below: `database/src/CODE-LOGIC.md` names those as the only
+ * places storage may be staged, and that invariant is worth more than the
+ * convenience of inlining this. cid is always loader-validated by the time a
+ * mutation has succeeded, so no bounds check is added here. */
+static int table_is_durable(const wo_db *db, uint32_t cid) {
+    return (db->classes[cid].flags & WO_CLASSF_VOLATILE) == 0u;
+}
+
 int wo_builtin_db(wo_vm *vm, uint64_t *R, uint32_t ins, const char **msg) {
     uint32_t A = wo_ins_a(ins), B = wo_ins_b(ins), C = wo_ins_c(ins);
     wo_db *db = (wo_db *)vm->rt.db;
@@ -24,7 +35,7 @@ int wo_builtin_db(wo_vm *vm, uint64_t *R, uint32_t ins, const char **msg) {
                    : ek == DB_ERR_OOM  ? WO_T_OOM
                                        : WO_T_DB;
         wo_wal *w = (wo_wal *)vm->rt.wal;
-        if (w) {
+        if (w && table_is_durable(db, cid)) {
             /* RAM applied, record staged, ONE commit before the ack (the
              * builtin's return). A failed commit is a failed write: the
              * row is removed again so RAM never claims what disk never
@@ -46,7 +57,7 @@ int wo_builtin_db(wo_vm *vm, uint64_t *R, uint32_t ins, const char **msg) {
         if (wo_row_update_field(db, cid, id, field, R[B + 3], msg, &ek) != 0)
             return ek == DB_ERR_UNIQUE ? WO_T_UNIQUE : ek == DB_ERR_OOM ? WO_T_OOM : WO_T_DB;
         wo_wal *w = (wo_wal *)vm->rt.wal;
-        if (w) {
+        if (w && table_is_durable(db, cid)) {
             if (wo_wal_append_update(w, db, cid, id) != 0 || wo_wal_commit(w) != 0) {
                 *msg = "wal commit failed"; /* RAM ahead of disk: trap, do not ack */
                 return WO_T_IO;
@@ -69,7 +80,7 @@ int wo_builtin_db(wo_vm *vm, uint64_t *R, uint32_t ins, const char **msg) {
             return WO_T_DB;
         }
         wo_wal *w = (wo_wal *)vm->rt.wal;
-        if (w) {
+        if (w && table_is_durable(db, cid)) {
             if (wo_wal_append_remove(w, cid, id) != 0 || wo_wal_commit(w) != 0) {
                 *msg = "wal commit failed";
                 return WO_T_IO;
diff --git a/database/src/wal.c b/database/src/wal.c
index 2849e2c..0cbcc8e 100644
--- a/database/src/wal.c
+++ b/database/src/wal.c
@@ -412,6 +412,12 @@ static int apply_record(wo_db *db, const uint8_t *payload, uint32_t len) {
     uint32_t cid = rd_u32(&r);
     uint64_t id = rd_u64(&r);
     if (r.bad || cid >= db->class_cnt) return -1;
+    /* databasev2 2: this log holds records for a class the CURRENT source
+     * declares `durable: false`. Not corruption — a real migration case (the
+     * table used to be durable). Refuse rather than convert, and refuse
+     * rather than silently resurrect rows into a table declared not to have
+     * any. -2 so the caller can say which of the two it is. */
+    if (db->classes[cid].flags & WO_CLASSF_VOLATILE) return -2;
     if (kind == WO_WAL_REMOVE) return wo_row_remove(db, cid, id);
     if (kind != WO_WAL_INSERT && kind != WO_WAL_UPDATE) return -1;
     if (kind == WO_WAL_UPDATE) {
@@ -444,7 +450,7 @@ static int apply_record(wo_db *db, const uint8_t *payload, uint32_t len) {
     return 0;
 }
 
-int64_t wo_wal_replay(const char *path, wo_db *db) {
+int64_t wo_wal_replay_ex(const char *path, wo_db *db, uint32_t *volatile_cid) {
     int fd = open(path, O_RDONLY);
     if (fd < 0) return errno == ENOENT ? 0 : -1; /* no WAL yet = fresh boot */
     uint64_t off = 0;
@@ -453,11 +459,17 @@ int64_t wo_wal_replay(const char *path, wo_db *db) {
         uint32_t len;
         uint8_t *payload;
         if (scan_record(fd, off, &len, &payload) != 0) break; /* intact prefix ends */
+        /* peek the class id before applying, so a -2 can name it */
+        uint32_t rec_cid = len >= 5u ? (uint32_t)payload[1] | ((uint32_t)payload[2] << 8)
+                                           | ((uint32_t)payload[3] << 16)
+                                           | ((uint32_t)payload[4] << 24)
+                                     : 0u;
         int rc = apply_record(db, payload, len);
         free(payload);
         if (rc != 0) {
             close(fd);
-            return -1;
+            if (rc == -2 && volatile_cid) *volatile_cid = rec_cid;
+            return rc == -2 ? -2 : -1;
         }
         off += 8u + len + 4u;
         applied++;
@@ -466,6 +478,10 @@ int64_t wo_wal_replay(const char *path, wo_db *db) {
     return applied;
 }
 
+int64_t wo_wal_replay(const char *path, wo_db *db) {
+    return wo_wal_replay_ex(path, db, NULL);
+}
+
 int64_t wo_wal_check(const char *path, uint64_t *intact_bytes) {
     int fd = open(path, O_RDONLY);
     if (fd < 0) return -1;
diff --git a/database/src/wal.h b/database/src/wal.h
index 4acbaf2..dfe7cf3 100644
--- a/database/src/wal.h
+++ b/database/src/wal.h
@@ -83,6 +83,14 @@ int wo_wal_commit(wo_wal *w);
  * the intact prefix and reports it. */
 int64_t wo_wal_replay(const char *path, wo_db *db);
 
+/* databasev2 2: as wo_wal_replay, but distinguishes the two failure kinds.
+ * Returns the applied count on success; -1 on corruption beyond a torn tail;
+ * -2 when the log holds records for a class the loaded image declares
+ * `durable: false`, writing that class id through [volatile_cid] if non-NULL.
+ * The plain wo_wal_replay above is this with NULL, kept so the existing
+ * callers and the 156 WAL unit checks are untouched. */
+int64_t wo_wal_replay_ex(const char *path, wo_db *db, uint32_t *volatile_cid);
+
 /* Offline verification (no engine): scan [path], count intact records.
  * *intact_bytes (optional) = where the intact prefix ends. -1 = open
  * failure. */
diff --git a/justfile b/justfile
index bd73e63..77de45f 100644
--- a/justfile
+++ b/justfile
@@ -66,6 +66,15 @@ fibers:
 db-actor:
     ./scripts/db-actor-accept.sh
 
+# residency: databasev2 2's gate — per-table storage. The corpus covers the
+# in-process half; this covers what one process cannot see: a volatile table
+# empty after restart while its durable sibling replays, volatile inserts
+# writing ZERO WAL bytes (measured against the fallocate'd file's non-zero
+# prefix, since its size proves nothing), the mode-mismatch startup refusal,
+# and the two compile-time refusals.
+residency:
+    ./scripts/residency-accept.sh
+
 # db-bench: iteration 22's campaign (docs/examples/db-bench) — OFF the
 # fast path, minutes long: ram+durable x 1/N shards, durability legs,
 # gates vs bench/baseline.json. quick = seconds, floors only.
diff --git a/runtime/src/main.c b/runtime/src/main.c
index 28e8b6f..c6eac0b 100644
--- a/runtime/src/main.c
+++ b/runtime/src/main.c
@@ -200,7 +200,36 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
     if (data_dir && data_dir[0]) {
         char wal_path[512];
         snprintf(wal_path, sizeof wal_path, "%s/shard-0.wal", data_dir);
-        if (wo_wal_replay(wal_path, &DB) < 0) {
+        uint32_t vol_cid = 0;
+        int64_t replayed = wo_wal_replay_ex(wal_path, &DB, &vol_cid);
+        if (replayed == -2) {
+            /* databasev2 2: not corruption — this log was written when the
+             * table was durable and the source now says `durable: false`.
+             * Refusing beats converting, and beats resurrecting rows into a
+             * table declared not to have any. Name the class so the fix is
+             * obvious. */
+            /* wo_str.data is NOT NUL-terminated (obj.h), so the name must be
+             * printed with an explicit length — %s here would over-read. */
+            const char *cname = "?";
+            int cnlen = 1;
+            if (vol_cid < mod.class_cnt) {
+                uint32_t k = mod.classes[vol_cid].name;
+                if (k < mod.const_cnt && mod.consts[k].s) {
+                    cname = mod.consts[k].s->data;
+                    cnlen = (int)mod.consts[k].s->len;
+                }
+            }
+            fprintf(stderr,
+                    "wovm: %s: holds records for `%.*s`, which this program declares "
+                    "`@table(durable: false)` — refusing to start. Either restore "
+                    "`durable: true` for that table, or remove the data directory.\n",
+                    wal_path, cnlen, cname);
+            wo_db_destroy(&DB);
+            wo_vm_destroy(&VM);
+            wo_module_free(&mod);
+            return 2;
+        }
+        if (replayed < 0) {
             fprintf(stderr, "wovm: %s: replay found corruption beyond a torn tail\n", wal_path);
             wo_db_destroy(&DB);
             wo_vm_destroy(&VM);
diff --git a/scripts/residency-accept.sh b/scripts/residency-accept.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..8ecd535
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/residency-accept.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,138 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# scripts/residency-accept.sh — databasev2 2's gate: per-table storage.
+#
+# The corpus proves the in-process half (tests/corpus/run/table-volatile-inprocess,
+# .../table-residency-legal, .../compile-fail/table-durable-ref-volatile). This
+# script proves the half a single process cannot observe:
+#   * a volatile table is EMPTY after a restart while its durable sibling replays
+#   * volatile inserts write ZERO bytes to the WAL — measured, not asserted,
+#     because the file is fallocate'd to 1 MiB up front so its SIZE proves
+#     nothing; what is measured is the non-zero prefix actually written
+#   * a mode mismatch (log holds records for a table the source now declares
+#     volatile) REFUSES to start, exits 2, and names the class
+#   * the compile-time refusals still fire
+set -uo pipefail
+ROOT="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")/.." && pwd)"
+cd "$ROOT"
+WOC="compiler/_build/default/bin/woc"
+WOVM="runtime/wovm"
+pass=0; fail=0
+ok()  { echo "ok   $1"; pass=$((pass + 1)); }
+bad() { echo "FAIL $1 -- $2"; fail=$((fail + 1)); }
+
+if [[ ! -x "$WOC" || ! -x "$WOVM" ]]; then
+  echo "residency-accept: build woc and wovm first (just woc-build && just wovm-build)" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+WORK="$(mktemp -d "${TMPDIR:-/tmp}/residency-accept.XXXXXX")"
+trap 'rm -rf "$WORK"' EXIT
+
+# non-zero prefix of a fallocate'd WAL = bytes actually written
+wal_bytes() {
+  python3 -c "import sys;d=open(sys.argv[1],'rb').read();print(len(d.rstrip(b'\x00')))" "$1"
+}
+
+# ---- 1. restart: durable replays, volatile does not -----------------------
+cat > "$WORK/mix.wo" <<'EOF'
+@table(name: "kept", index: [k])
+class Kept { k: Text }
+@table(name: "scratch", durable: false, index: [k])
+class Scratch { k: Text }
+fn main(args: multi Text) -> Int {
+  if len(args) > 0 and args[0] == "seed" {
+    insert Kept { k: "a" };
+    insert Scratch { k: "b" };
+    return 0;
+  }
+  let nk = 0;
+  for x in from r in Kept select r { nk = nk + 1; }
+  let ns = 0;
+  for x in from r in Scratch select r { ns = ns + 1; }
+  print("kept=${nk} scratch=${ns}");
+  return 0;
+}
+EOF
+if "$WOC" --emit "$WORK/mix.wo" -o "$WORK/mix.wob" 2>"$WORK/e"; then
+  mkdir -p "$WORK/d1"
+  WO_DATA="$WORK/d1" "$WOVM" "$WORK/mix.wob" seed >/dev/null 2>&1
+  got="$(WO_DATA="$WORK/d1" "$WOVM" "$WORK/mix.wob" 2>&1)"
+  [[ "$got" == "kept=1 scratch=0" ]] \
+    && ok "restart: durable row replays, volatile row is gone" \
+    || bad "restart: durable replays, volatile gone" "got: $got"
+else
+  bad "restart fixture compiles" "$(head -1 "$WORK/e")"
+fi
+
+# ---- 2. the write-path saving, measured ------------------------------------
+cat > "$WORK/only.wo" <<'EOF'
+@table(name: "dur", index: [k])
+class Dur { k: Text }
+@table(name: "vol", durable: false, index: [k])
+class Vol { k: Text }
+fn main(args: multi Text) -> Int {
+  let n = 0;
+  while n < 50 {
+    if args[0] == "dur" { insert Dur { k: "x" }; } else { insert Vol { k: "x" }; }
+    n = n + 1;
+  }
+  return 0;
+}
+EOF
+if "$WOC" --emit "$WORK/only.wo" -o "$WORK/only.wob" 2>"$WORK/e"; then
+  for m in dur vol; do
+    mkdir -p "$WORK/w_$m"
+    WO_DATA="$WORK/w_$m" "$WOVM" "$WORK/only.wob" "$m" >/dev/null 2>&1
+  done
+  db="$(wal_bytes "$WORK/w_dur/shard-0.wal")"
+  vb="$(wal_bytes "$WORK/w_vol/shard-0.wal")"
+  [[ "$vb" -eq 0 ]] \
+    && ok "50 volatile inserts write 0 WAL bytes (durable wrote $db)" \
+    || bad "volatile inserts write nothing" "volatile wrote $vb bytes"
+  [[ "$db" -gt 0 ]] \
+    && ok "50 durable inserts do write to the WAL ($db bytes)" \
+    || bad "durable inserts still log" "durable wrote $db bytes"
+else
+  bad "measurement fixture compiles" "$(head -1 "$WORK/e")"
+fi
+
+# ---- 3. mode mismatch refuses, exits 2, names the class --------------------
+printf '@table(name: "orders", index: [k])\nclass Orders { k: Text }\nfn main() -> Int { insert Orders { k: "a" }; return 0; }\n' > "$WORK/wasdur.wo"
+printf '@table(name: "orders", durable: false, index: [k])\nclass Orders { k: Text }\nfn main() -> Int { print("started"); return 0; }\n' > "$WORK/nowvol.wo"
+if "$WOC" --emit "$WORK/wasdur.wo" -o "$WORK/a.wob" 2>/dev/null \
+   && "$WOC" --emit "$WORK/nowvol.wo" -o "$WORK/b.wob" 2>/dev/null; then
+  mkdir -p "$WORK/d3"
+  WO_DATA="$WORK/d3" "$WOVM" "$WORK/a.wob" >/dev/null 2>&1
+  out="$(WO_DATA="$WORK/d3" "$WOVM" "$WORK/b.wob" 2>&1)"; rc=$?
+  [[ $rc -eq 2 ]] \
+    && ok "mode mismatch exits 2 (refuses to start)" \
+    || bad "mode mismatch exits 2" "exit=$rc"
+  grep -q 'Orders' <<<"$out" \
+    && ok "mode mismatch names the offending class" \
+    || bad "mode mismatch names the class" "got: $out"
+  grep -q 'corruption' <<<"$out" \
+    && bad "mismatch is not reported as corruption" "got: $out" \
+    || ok "mode mismatch is not misreported as corruption"
+else
+  bad "mismatch fixtures compile" "compile failed"
+fi
+
+# ---- 4. the compile-time refusals still fire ------------------------------
+printf '@table(name: "x", durable: false, resident: keys)\nclass X { k: Text }\nfn main() -> Int { return 0; }\n' > "$WORK/combo.wo"
+# NOTE: capture, then grep. `woc | grep` under `set -o pipefail` returns
+# woc's exit 1 (it reports diagnostics) even when grep matched, which made
+# both of these checks fail while the compiler was behaving correctly.
+combo_out="$("$WOC" "$WORK/combo.wo" 2>&1)"
+grep -q 'WO-E102' <<<"$combo_out" \
+  && ok "durable:false + resident:keys is WO-E102" \
+  || bad "combination refused" "got: $combo_out"
+
+printf '@table(name: "s", durable: false)\nclass S { t: Text }\n@table(name: "o")\nclass O { s: ref S }\nfn main() -> Int { return 0; }\n' > "$WORK/dref.wo"
+dref_out="$("$WOC" "$WORK/dref.wo" 2>&1)"
+grep -q 'WO-E224' <<<"$dref_out" \
+  && ok "durable ref into a volatile table is WO-E224" \
+  || bad "dangling ref refused" "got: $dref_out"
+
+echo
+echo "residency-accept: $((pass + fail)) checks, $fail failures"
+[[ $fail -eq 0 ]] || exit 1
diff --git a/tests/corpus/run/table-volatile-inprocess/fixture.out b/tests/corpus/run/table-volatile-inprocess/fixture.out
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..70e0ad9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/corpus/run/table-volatile-inprocess/fixture.out
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+rows 2
+unique refused
+who asha token t1
+who asha token t2
diff --git a/tests/corpus/run/table-volatile-inprocess/fixture.wo b/tests/corpus/run/table-volatile-inprocess/fixture.wo
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0b9f5a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/corpus/run/table-volatile-inprocess/fixture.wo
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+-- databasev2 2: a `durable: false` table is a FULL table for the life of the
+-- process — same indexes, same @unique enforcement, same FK restrict, same
+-- query surface. Only its survival differs, and that cannot be observed from
+-- inside one process, so this fixture pins the in-process half. The restart
+-- half is scripts/residency-accept.sh.
+
+@table(name: "sessions", durable: false, index: [who])
+class Session {
+  token: Text @unique
+  who:   Text
+}
+
+fn main() -> Int {
+  insert Session { token: "t1", who: "asha" };
+  insert Session { token: "t2", who: "asha" };
+
+  let n = 0;
+  for s in from x in Session select x { n = n + 1; }
+  print("rows ${n}");
+
+  -- @unique still bites on a volatile table
+  let dup = try insert Session { token: "t1", who: "eve" } catch (e) nil;
+  if dup == nil { print("unique refused"); }
+
+  -- the index-backed probe still works
+  for s in from x in Session where x.who == "asha" order by x.token select x {
+    print("who ${s.who} token ${s.token}");
+  }
+  return 0;
+}