diff --git a/internal/router/decisiontrace.go b/internal/router/decisiontrace.go
index f66ac2a..140ec20 100644
--- a/internal/router/decisiontrace.go
+++ b/internal/router/decisiontrace.go
@@ -14,12 +14,15 @@ import (
 	"github.com/kami/maven/internal/decision"
 )
 
-// The two routing engines, named as claimants. They are one stage and not two,
-// because only one of them ever runs: the classifier is reached when the model
-// is absent or errored, never alongside it.
+// The three routing engines, named as claimants. The model and the classifier
+// are one stage and not two, because only one of them ever runs: the classifier
+// is reached when the model is absent or errored, never alongside it. The heads
+// run before both and decline on low confidence, so they can appear beside
+// either one in a record.
 const (
 	claimantLLM        = "llm-router"
 	claimantClassifier = "classifier"
+	claimantHeads      = "routing-heads"
 )
 
 // thinReason names which arm of gateLLMDecision cut the confidence. The gate
diff --git a/internal/router/router.go b/internal/router/router.go
index 2a6415d..3ad9653 100644
--- a/internal/router/router.go
+++ b/internal/router/router.go
@@ -31,6 +31,12 @@ type Config struct {
 	// error/parse failure, falls through to the classifier (never fails the
 	// turn on the model).
 	LLM *LLMRouter
+	// Heads — optional routing heads over the fine-tuned embedder copy. When
+	// set, Route consults them after stage 0 and before the LLM router. They
+	// decline below their own confidence threshold, so a low-confidence turn
+	// reaches the model exactly as it does today. Nil is the shipped-before
+	// behaviour and costs nothing.
+	Heads *RouterHeads
 }
 
 // Router — the deterministic cascade. Route never guesses: stage 0 wins
@@ -42,6 +48,7 @@ type Router struct {
 	extractor  Extractor
 	threshold  float64
 	llm        *LLMRouter
+	heads      *RouterHeads
 }
 
 func New(cfg Config) *Router {
@@ -51,6 +58,7 @@ func New(cfg Config) *Router {
 		extractor:  cfg.Extractor,
 		threshold:  cfg.Threshold,
 		llm:        cfg.LLM,
+		heads:      cfg.Heads,
 	}
 }
 
@@ -98,6 +106,60 @@ func (r *Router) Route(ctx context.Context, utterance string, now time.Time) (De
 	}
 	r.noteGrammarOutcomes(ctx, len(r.grammars), declinedBuild, "", "")
 
+	// stage 0b — routing heads (when wired). A softmax over the label set, so
+	// it cannot name an intent or a destination that does not exist, and its
+	// max is a real confidence. It runs before the model because it is three
+	// orders of magnitude faster and scores better on both halves of the route.
+	//
+	// It declines below its threshold rather than clarifying. A declined turn
+	// carries on to the model and then the classifier, which is what a box with
+	// no weights file does on every turn.
+	if r.heads != nil {
+		res, ok, err := r.heads.Route(ctx, utterance)
+		switch {
+		case err != nil:
+			log.Printf("router: heads fell through to the rest of the cascade: %v", err)
+			decision.Note(ctx, decision.Claim{
+				Stage: decision.StageRoute, Claimant: claimantHeads,
+				Outcome: decision.Declined, Reason: "error: " + err.Error(),
+			})
+		case !ok:
+			decision.Note(ctx, decision.Scored(decision.StageRoute, claimantHeads,
+				string(res.Intent), res.Confidence, decision.Declined,
+				"below the heads confidence threshold"))
+		default:
+			d := Decision{
+				Utterance:  utterance,
+				Stage:      2,
+				Intent:     res.Intent,
+				Confidence: res.Confidence,
+				Source:     res.Source,
+				Clarify:    res.Clarify,
+			}
+			r.fillSlots(ctx, &d, now)
+			decision.Note(ctx, decision.Claim{
+				Stage: decision.StageRoute, Claimant: claimantLLM,
+				Outcome: decision.NeverAsked, Reason: "the routing heads answered",
+			})
+			decision.Note(ctx, decision.Claim{
+				Stage: decision.StageRoute, Claimant: claimantClassifier,
+				Outcome: decision.NeverAsked, Reason: "the routing heads answered",
+			})
+			outcome, reason := decision.Won, ""
+			if d.Clarify {
+				outcome, reason = decision.Thinned, "the clarify head says there is too little here to act on"
+			}
+			decision.Note(ctx, decision.Scored(decision.StageRoute, claimantHeads,
+				string(d.Intent), d.Confidence, outcome, reason))
+			return d, nil
+		}
+	} else {
+		decision.Note(ctx, decision.Claim{
+			Stage: decision.StageRoute, Claimant: claimantHeads,
+			Outcome: decision.NeverAsked, Reason: "no routing heads are wired",
+		})
+	}
+
 	// stage 1a — LLM router (when wired). It reasons over the utterance instead
 	// of nearest-centroid guessing. On any error/parse-fail, fall through to the
 	// classifier cascade (never fail the turn on the model).