diff --git a/app/jobs/sync_journal_job.rb b/app/jobs/sync_journal_job.rb
index d4c98878..d2702900 100644
--- a/app/jobs/sync_journal_job.rb
+++ b/app/jobs/sync_journal_job.rb
@@ -27,10 +27,6 @@ def perform(project_id, clear: false)
 
     entries = parse_journal_entries(journal_content)
 
-    if entries.empty?
-      entries = parse_with_ai(journal_content)
-    end
-
     return if entries.empty?
 
     current_titles = entries.map { |e| e[:title] }
@@ -368,44 +364,4 @@ def build_entry(title, body)
       time_spent: time_spent
     }
   end
-
-  def parse_with_ai(content)
-    prompt = <<~PROMPT
-      Parse this JOURNAL.md file into individual devlog entries. Each entry should have a date/title, the content, and time spent.
-
-      Journal content:
-      #{content.truncate(4000)}
-
-      Respond in valid JSON only, no markdown fences:
-      [{"title": "entry title with date", "content": "the entry content", "time_spent": "time if mentioned or null"}]
-    PROMPT
-
-    response = Net::HTTP.post(
-      URI("https://ai.hackclub.com/proxy/v1/chat/completions"),
-      { model: "qwen/qwen3-32b", messages: [ { role: "user", content: prompt } ] }.to_json,
-      "Content-Type" => "application/json",
-      "Authorization" => "Bearer #{ENV['HACKCLUB_AI_API_KEY']}"
-    )
-
-    if response.is_a?(Net::HTTPSuccess)
-      ai_content = JSON.parse(response.body).dig("choices", 0, "message", "content") || ""
-      json_match = ai_content.match(/\[[\s\S]*\]/)
-      if json_match
-        data = JSON.parse(json_match[0])
-        return data.filter_map do |entry|
-          next if entry["title"].blank?
-          {
-            title: entry["title"],
-            content: entry["content"] || "",
-            time_spent: entry["time_spent"]
-          }
-        end
-      end
-    end
-
-    []
-  rescue StandardError => e
-    Rails.logger.error("AI journal parsing failed: #{e.message}")
-    []
-  end
 end
diff --git a/lib/tasks/audit_fabricated_devlogs.rake b/lib/tasks/audit_fabricated_devlogs.rake
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..309e4d30
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/tasks/audit_fabricated_devlogs.rake
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+def diagnose_format(content)
+  body = content.sub(/\A---\s*\n.*?\n---\s*\n/m, "")
+  levels = body.scan(/^(\#+)\s+.+$/).map { |h| h.first.length }.tally.sort.to_h
+
+  return "empty after frontmatter" if body.strip.empty?
+  return "bold date lines, no headings" if levels.empty? && body.match?(/^\s*\*\*.+\*\*\s*$/)
+  return "plain text, no headings" if levels.empty?
+  return "deep headings only (#{levels.keys.join(', ')}) - parser only reads 1, 2" if (levels.keys & [ 1, 2 ]).empty?
+
+  "headings " + levels.map { |lvl, n| "#{'#' * lvl}x#{n}" }.join(" ")
+end
+
+namespace :devlogs do
+  desc "Report git-journal devlogs with no matching heading in the current JOURNAL.md"
+  task audit_fabricated: :environment do
+    delay = ENV.fetch("AUDIT_DELAY", "0.3").to_f
+    job = SyncJournalJob.new
+
+    fully_fabricated = []
+    partial = []
+    unreachable = []
+
+    scope = Project.kept
+      .where(devlog_mode: "git")
+      .where.not(repo_link: [ nil, "" ])
+      .where.not(status: :rejected)
+      .joins(:devlogs)
+      .distinct
+
+    total = scope.count
+    puts "Auditing #{total} git-mode projects with devlogs\n\n"
+
+    scope.find_each(batch_size: 50).with_index do |project, i|
+      print "\r[#{i + 1}/#{total}] project #{project.id}".ljust(60)
+
+      parsed_repo = job.send(:parse_repo_url, project.repo_link)
+      unless parsed_repo
+        unreachable << { project: project, reason: "unparseable repo_link" }
+        next
+      end
+
+      content = job.send(:fetch_journal, parsed_repo, project.journal_branch.presence)
+      if content.blank?
+        unreachable << { project: project, reason: "JOURNAL.md not fetchable" }
+        next
+      end
+
+      heading_titles = job.send(:parse_journal_entries, content).map { |e| e[:title] }
+      devlogs = project.devlogs.to_a
+      orphans = devlogs.reject { |d| heading_titles.include?(d.title) }
+
+      next if orphans.empty?
+
+      record = {
+        project: project,
+        owner: project.user,
+        orphans: orphans,
+        heading_count: heading_titles.size,
+        journal_format: diagnose_format(content),
+        hours: orphans.sum { |d| d.time_hours.to_f }
+      }
+
+      heading_titles.empty? ? fully_fabricated << record : partial << record
+    ensure
+      sleep delay if delay.positive?
+    end
+
+    puts "\r".ljust(60)
+
+    report = lambda do |label, rows|
+      next if rows.empty?
+
+      puts "\n#{label} (#{rows.size} projects)"
+      puts "=" * 70
+      rows.sort_by { |r| -r[:hours] }.each do |r|
+        puts "project #{r[:project].id}  #{r[:project].name}"
+        puts "  owner: #{r[:owner].display_name} <#{r[:owner].email}>  tier: #{r[:project].tier}  status: #{r[:project].status}"
+        puts "  repo: #{r[:project].repo_link}"
+        puts "  orphan devlogs: #{r[:orphans].size}  headings in journal: #{r[:heading_count]}  hours: #{r[:hours].round(2)}"
+        puts "  journal format: #{r[:journal_format]}"
+        r[:orphans].each do |d|
+          flag = d.lapse_url.present? ? " [has lapse_url]" : ""
+          puts "    ##{d.id}  #{d.entry_date}  #{d.time_hours.to_f.round(2)}h  #{d.title.truncate(60).inspect}#{flag}"
+        end
+        puts
+      end
+    end
+
+    report.call("FULLY FABRICATED - journal has no headings at all", fully_fabricated)
+    report.call("PARTIAL - some devlog titles match no heading (fabricated or renamed)", partial)
+
+    if unreachable.any?
+      puts "\nCOULD NOT CHECK (#{unreachable.size} projects)"
+      puts "=" * 70
+      unreachable.each { |u| puts "  project #{u[:project].id}: #{u[:reason]}" }
+    end
+
+    puts "\n" + "=" * 70
+    puts "Projects audited:        #{total}"
+    puts "Fully fabricated:        #{fully_fabricated.size} projects, #{fully_fabricated.sum { |r| r[:orphans].size }} devlogs, #{fully_fabricated.sum { |r| r[:hours] }.round(2)}h"
+    puts "Partial orphans:         #{partial.size} projects, #{partial.sum { |r| r[:orphans].size }} devlogs, #{partial.sum { |r| r[:hours] }.round(2)}h"
+    puts "Could not check:         #{unreachable.size} projects"
+    puts "\nRead-only. Nothing was modified."
+  end
+end
diff --git a/test/jobs/sync_journal_job_test.rb b/test/jobs/sync_journal_job_test.rb
index da1f41a5..3348a795 100644
--- a/test/jobs/sync_journal_job_test.rb
+++ b/test/jobs/sync_journal_job_test.rb
@@ -17,6 +17,26 @@ def run_job(journal, commit_date: nil, clear: false)
     job.perform(@project.id, clear: clear)
   end
 
+  test "a journal with no entry headings creates no devlogs" do
+    run_job(<<~MD, commit_date: @today)
+      ---
+      title: "Hackpad"
+      author: "Amy"
+      description: "A fairly basic macropad held togther with hopes and dreams"
+      created_at: "2026-09-05"
+      ---
+    MD
+
+    assert_equal 0, @project.devlogs.count
+  end
+
+  test "an empty journal creates no devlogs" do
+    run_job("", commit_date: @today)
+    run_job("   \n\n", commit_date: @today)
+
+    assert_equal 0, @project.devlogs.count
+  end
+
   test "an undated entry is credited to the day JOURNAL.md was last pushed" do
     run_job("# Built the enclosure\n\n**Total time spent: 2h**\n", commit_date: @today - 1)