diff --git a/core/artifacts/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/artifacts/kind/JsonSchema.kt b/core/artifacts/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/artifacts/kind/JsonSchema.kt
index e55bbb58..f6e877bb 100644
--- a/core/artifacts/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/artifacts/kind/JsonSchema.kt
+++ b/core/artifacts/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/artifacts/kind/JsonSchema.kt
@@ -15,4 +15,10 @@ data class JsonSchemaProperty(
     val type: String,
     val description: String = "",
     val default: String? = null,
+    // For `type == "array"`: minimum element count (0 = unconstrained) and the element
+    // schema. Lets a schema declare a required-non-empty list — the deterministic guard
+    // behind the role pipeline's "define done" contract (an empty `requirements`/`steps`
+    // array is a misread brief, not a valid artifact).
+    val minItems: Int = 0,
+    val items: JsonSchemaProperty? = null,
 )
diff --git a/core/validation/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/validation/artifact/JsonSchemaValidator.kt b/core/validation/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/validation/artifact/JsonSchemaValidator.kt
index 8f52c9ca..65cc0643 100644
--- a/core/validation/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/validation/artifact/JsonSchemaValidator.kt
+++ b/core/validation/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/core/validation/artifact/JsonSchemaValidator.kt
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package com.correx.core.validation.artifact
 
 import com.correx.core.artifacts.kind.JsonSchema
+import com.correx.core.artifacts.kind.JsonSchemaProperty
 import kotlinx.serialization.json.JsonArray
 import kotlinx.serialization.json.JsonElement
 import kotlinx.serialization.json.JsonObject
@@ -12,7 +13,8 @@ import kotlinx.serialization.json.longOrNull
 /**
  * Minimal, deterministic validator of a JSON value against a [JsonSchema]
  * (the subset correx models: object type, typed properties, required keys,
- * additionalProperties). Returns human-readable error strings; empty = valid.
+ * additionalProperties, and array minItems/items). Returns human-readable error
+ * strings; empty = valid.
  *
  * Used to validate config-declared artifact kinds against their declared schema,
  * so an LLM-emitted custom kind is checked against its shape rather than trusted.
@@ -35,12 +37,31 @@ object JsonSchemaValidator {
             if (property == null) {
                 if (!schema.additionalProperties) errors += "unknown property '$key'"
             } else {
-                checkType(property.type, element)?.let { errors += "property '$key': $it" }
+                errors += checkProperty(key, property, element)
             }
         }
         return errors
     }
 
+    private fun checkProperty(key: String, property: JsonSchemaProperty, element: JsonElement): List<String> {
+        val typeError = checkType(property.type, element)
+        val array = element as? JsonArray
+        return when {
+            typeError != null -> listOf("property '$key': $typeError")
+            property.type != "array" || array == null -> emptyList()
+            else -> buildList {
+                if (array.size < property.minItems) {
+                    add("property '$key': expected at least ${property.minItems} item(s), got ${array.size}")
+                }
+                property.items?.let { itemSchema ->
+                    array.forEachIndexed { i, el ->
+                        checkType(itemSchema.type, el)?.let { add("property '$key'[$i]: $it") }
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     private fun checkType(type: String, value: JsonElement): String? {
         val ok = when (type) {
             "string" -> value is JsonPrimitive && value.isString
diff --git a/core/validation/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/core/validation/artifact/JsonSchemaValidatorTest.kt b/core/validation/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/core/validation/artifact/JsonSchemaValidatorTest.kt
index 56cddbe2..1b8d490c 100644
--- a/core/validation/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/core/validation/artifact/JsonSchemaValidatorTest.kt
+++ b/core/validation/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/core/validation/artifact/JsonSchemaValidatorTest.kt
@@ -53,4 +53,36 @@ class JsonSchemaValidatorTest {
     fun `non-object payload against object schema is flagged`() {
         assertEquals(1, errors("""["a","b"]""").size)
     }
+
+    private val arraySchema = JsonSchema(
+        type = "object",
+        properties = mapOf(
+            "tags" to JsonSchemaProperty(type = "array", minItems = 1, items = JsonSchemaProperty(type = "string")),
+        ),
+        required = listOf("tags"),
+        additionalProperties = true,
+    )
+
+    private fun arrayErrors(json: String) =
+        JsonSchemaValidator.validate(arraySchema, Json.parseToJsonElement(json))
+
+    @Test
+    fun `non-empty typed array passes`() {
+        assertTrue(arrayErrors("""{"tags":["a","b"]}""").isEmpty())
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `empty array violates minItems`() {
+        assertTrue(arrayErrors("""{"tags":[]}""").any { it.contains("tags") && it.contains("at least 1") })
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `wrong array element type is flagged with index`() {
+        assertTrue(arrayErrors("""{"tags":["ok",3]}""").any { it.contains("tags") && it.contains("[1]") })
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `non-array value for array property is flagged`() {
+        assertTrue(arrayErrors("""{"tags":"nope"}""").any { it.contains("tags") && it.contains("array") })
+    }
 }
diff --git a/docs/schemas/analysis.json b/docs/schemas/analysis.json
index 4c8e5fe9..9028ea2b 100644
--- a/docs/schemas/analysis.json
+++ b/docs/schemas/analysis.json
@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@
     },
     "requirements": {
       "type": "array",
-      "description": "concrete requirements / acceptance criteria, one per item"
+      "description": "concrete requirements / acceptance criteria, one per item",
+      "minItems": 1,
+      "items": { "type": "string" }
     },
     "affected_areas": {
       "type": "array",
diff --git a/docs/schemas/design.json b/docs/schemas/design.json
index b6184532..13b92b5f 100644
--- a/docs/schemas/design.json
+++ b/docs/schemas/design.json
@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@
     },
     "components": {
       "type": "array",
-      "description": "components/files to add or change, one per item"
+      "description": "components/files to add or change, one per item",
+      "minItems": 1,
+      "items": { "type": "string" }
     },
     "risks": {
       "type": "array",
diff --git a/docs/schemas/impl_plan.json b/docs/schemas/impl_plan.json
index d806bbe1..9db89377 100644
--- a/docs/schemas/impl_plan.json
+++ b/docs/schemas/impl_plan.json
@@ -3,7 +3,9 @@
   "properties": {
     "steps": {
       "type": "array",
-      "description": "ordered, individually verifiable implementation steps, one per item"
+      "description": "ordered, individually verifiable implementation steps, one per item",
+      "minItems": 1,
+      "items": { "type": "string" }
     },
     "verification": {
       "type": "array",