diff --git a/scripts/check-doc-metrics.mjs b/scripts/check-doc-metrics.mjs
index 0e817c48..eec622b6 100644
--- a/scripts/check-doc-metrics.mjs
+++ b/scripts/check-doc-metrics.mjs
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ const ANY_HEADING = /^#{1,6}\s+/;
 const HISTORICAL_MARKER =
   /(✅|\bRELEASED\b|\bDELIVERED\b|\bCompleted\b|\[\d+\.\d+\.\d+\]|\(\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2})/i;
 const DONE_BULLET = /^\s*-\s*✅/;
+// QNBS-v3: mirrors DONE_BULLET's "always present-tense regardless of section" rule for open bullets, so a stale ⬜ can't hide in a historical section
+const OPEN_BULLET = /^\s*-\s*⬜/;
 // QNBS-v3: how many lines below a heading to look for a "**Status:** ✅ Released …" marker that
 // applies to the whole section (this repo puts it on its own line, not in the heading text).
 const STATUS_LOOKAHEAD = 5;
@@ -65,7 +67,12 @@ export function stripHistoricalSections(markdown) {
     }
   }
 
-  return lines.map((line, i) => (historical[i] || DONE_BULLET.test(line) ? '' : line)).join('\n');
+  return lines
+    .map((line, i) => {
+      if (OPEN_BULLET.test(line)) return line; // never strip — see OPEN_BULLET comment above
+      return historical[i] || DONE_BULLET.test(line) ? '' : line;
+    })
+    .join('\n');
 }
 
 /** Actual locale count = directories under locales/ (translation-glossary.json is a file, not a locale). */
@@ -187,6 +194,20 @@ export function scanForDrift(content, filePath, { localeCount, keyCount, latestV
           );
         }
       }
+      // QNBS-v3: catches a stale "⬜ Tag/Release/publish vX.Y.Z" bullet that should have flipped to ✅ once that version shipped
+      if (
+        OPEN_BULLET.test(line) &&
+        /\b(?:tag|tagging|release|releasing|publish|publishing)\b/i.test(line)
+      ) {
+        for (const m of line.matchAll(/v(\d+\.\d+\.\d+)/gi)) {
+          const mentioned = m[1];
+          if (semverLte(mentioned, latestVersion)) {
+            findings.push(
+              `${filePath}:${i + 1} — open "⬜" bullet mentions tag/release/publish of v${mentioned}, but v${mentioned} <= latest released v${latestVersion}: "${line.trim()}"`,
+            );
+          }
+        }
+      }
     }
   });
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/checkDocMetrics.test.ts b/tests/unit/checkDocMetrics.test.ts
index ff0b5c6c..004612dd 100644
--- a/tests/unit/checkDocMetrics.test.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/checkDocMetrics.test.ts
@@ -62,6 +62,25 @@ describe('stripHistoricalSections', () => {
     expect(stripped).not.toMatch(/Historical/);
     expect(stripped).toContain('Present: 17 locales.');
   });
+
+  // QNBS-v3: regression guard for the dc14bc0-shaped drift — a stale open bullet was invisible to the gate inside a historical section
+  it('preserves an open "⬜" bullet even inside a dated/historical section', () => {
+    const md = [
+      '## v1.24.2 — CSP/crypto/doc-truth hardening (2026-07-29)',
+      '',
+      '- ⬜ **Tag `v1.24.2` + publish the GitHub Release** — maintainer action.',
+    ].join('\n');
+    const stripped = stripHistoricalSections(md);
+    expect(stripped).toContain('⬜ **Tag `v1.24.2`');
+  });
+
+  it('still blanks a "✅" bullet even inside a live, non-historical section', () => {
+    const md = ['## Current status', '', '- ✅ Already-done item that should not be scanned.'].join(
+      '\n',
+    );
+    const stripped = stripHistoricalSections(md);
+    expect(stripped).not.toContain('Already-done item');
+  });
 });
 
 describe('scanForDrift', () => {
@@ -102,6 +121,37 @@ describe('scanForDrift', () => {
     const findings = scanForDrift(content, 'FAKE.md', actual);
     expect(findings).toHaveLength(0);
   });
+
+  // QNBS-v3: the OPEN_BULLET_VERSION check — a stale open tag/release bullet for an already-released version must be flagged
+  it('flags an open "⬜" bullet for tagging/releasing a version <= the latest release', () => {
+    const content = '- ⬜ **Tag `v1.24.1` + publish the GitHub Release** — maintainer action.';
+    const findings = scanForDrift(content, 'FAKE.md', actual);
+    expect(findings.some((f) => f.includes('v1.24.1'))).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it.each(['Tagging', 'Releasing', 'Publishing'])(
+    'flags an open "⬜" bullet using the inflected form "%s"',
+    (verb) => {
+      const content = `- ⬜ **${verb} \`v1.24.1\`** — maintainer action.`;
+      const findings = scanForDrift(content, 'FAKE.md', actual);
+      expect(findings.some((f) => f.includes('v1.24.1'))).toBe(true);
+    },
+  );
+
+  it('does not flag an open "⬜" bullet for tagging a version newer than the latest release', () => {
+    const content = '- ⬜ **Tag `v1.25.0` + publish the GitHub Release** — maintainer action.';
+    const findings = scanForDrift(content, 'FAKE.md', actual);
+    expect(findings).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
+
+  it('does not flag any version-based drift when latestVersion is null (shallow/tagless checkout)', () => {
+    const content = [
+      '- ⬜ **Tag `v1.24.1` + publish the GitHub Release** — maintainer action.',
+      '## Upcoming — v1.0 (PLANNED)',
+    ].join('\n');
+    const findings = scanForDrift(content, 'FAKE.md', { ...actual, latestVersion: null });
+    expect(findings).toHaveLength(0);
+  });
 });
 
 // QNBS-v3 (F-10): regression guard for the dead worldscript-studio-indol.vercel.app URL that had