diff --git a/engine/MUNGA/PLAYER.cpp b/engine/MUNGA/PLAYER.cpp
index 4ca2c72..0713efa 100644
--- a/engine/MUNGA/PLAYER.cpp
+++ b/engine/MUNGA/PLAYER.cpp
@@ -415,6 +415,23 @@ void
 	//
 	Check(this);
 	Check(application);
+
+	// #156 (BT, field-caught watching the fade live): ONLY the local mission
+	// player may drive application state.  A REPLICANT player copy mirrors the
+	// remote master's simulationState through its update-record header -- so at
+	// mission end every replicant player on this node also reads
+	// MissionEndingState here, and its fadeTimeRemaining was never armed by a
+	// MissionEnding message (ctor value, already <= 0) -> it dispatched the
+	// second StopMissionMessage on its FIRST tick and Stop() killed the mission
+	// loop instantly: the 3.0s fade window (and the fade itself) never rendered.
+	// Receipts: [fade-clk] interleaving remaining=3,2.976,... with a stray
+	// remaining=-0.976 from the replicant copy.  The 1995 pod's replicant
+	// players never executed this arm; the port's replicant-executable wave
+	// made them tick, so gate the app-control arm to the owner.
+	if (GetInstance() == ReplicantInstance)
+	{
+		return;
+	}
 	switch (GetSimulationState())
 	{
 	case MissionStartingState:
@@ -442,6 +459,10 @@ void
 		}
 		break;
 	case MissionEndingState:
+		// #156 diag: the 3.0s fade window's actual clock, tick by tick.
+		if (getenv("BT_FADE_LOG"))
+			DEBUG_STREAM << "[fade-clk] slice=" << time_slice
+				<< " remaining=" << fadeTimeRemaining << "\n" << std::flush;
 		fadeTimeRemaining -= time_slice;
 		if (fadeTimeRemaining <= 0.0f)
 		{
diff --git a/engine/MUNGA_L4/L4VIDEO.cpp b/engine/MUNGA_L4/L4VIDEO.cpp
index ef1d668..faf8ae0 100644
--- a/engine/MUNGA_L4/L4VIDEO.cpp
+++ b/engine/MUNGA_L4/L4VIDEO.cpp
@@ -8504,9 +8504,21 @@ void DPLRenderer::ExecuteImplementation(RendererComplexity, RendererOrigin::Inte
 				fn = fogNear * local + kNearFloor;
 				ff = fogFar  * local + kFarFloor;
 				s_T += fdt;
-				if (local <= 0.0f) { s_phase = 0; }	// re-armed; final frame stays black
+				// FIELD-CAUGHT (first live watch): completing into phase 0 hit
+				// the restore branch -- the world POPPED BACK for the ~2s
+				// between fade end and teardown, which read as "no fade at
+				// all".  The binary's zone fog STAYS closed after the fade-out
+				// (nothing reopens it until the next mission's flash).  Hold
+				// black in a terminal phase instead; the next MissionStarting
+				// edge re-arms through it.
+				if (local <= 0.0f) { s_phase = 5; }
 				break;
 			}
+			case 5:				// held black until the next mission starts
+				r = 0.0f; g = 0.0f; b = 0.0f;
+				fn = kNearFloor; ff = kFarFloor;
+				if (st == gBTFadeStart) { s_phase = 1; s_T = 0.0f; }
+				break;
 			}
 			if (r >= 0.0f)
 			{
@@ -8516,10 +8528,10 @@ void DPLRenderer::ExecuteImplementation(RendererComplexity, RendererOrigin::Inte
 					D3DCOLOR_XRGB((int)(255 * r), (int)(255 * g), (int)(255 * b)));
 				mDevice->SetRenderState(D3DRS_FOGENABLE, TRUE);
 			}
-			else if (s_phase == 3 || s_phase == 0)
+			else if (s_phase == 3)
 			{
-				// Out of the fade: restore the style planes once so a fade that
-				// ended mid-style leaves the world exactly on its authored fog.
+				// Fade-in complete: restore the style planes once so the world
+				// lands exactly on its authored fog.
 				static int s_prev = -1;
 				if (s_prev != s_phase)
 				{