diff --git a/docs/steps/step-20-stale-help-fix.md b/docs/steps/step-20-stale-help-fix.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c8ea5ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/steps/step-20-stale-help-fix.md
@@ -0,0 +1,157 @@
+---
+step: 20
+title: stale-help-fix
+depends_on: [03, 05, 07, 08, 09, 15, 16, 19]
+size: small
+references:
+  - lib/clast/clast-lib.bash
+  - bin/clast
+  - docs/cli-contract.md
+---
+
+# Step 20: drop "(planned)" labels from `clast --help`
+
+## Context
+
+Step 03 wrote the top-level usage block in `lib/clast/clast-lib.bash`
+when only `whereami` was implemented. The block tagged every other
+subcommand as `(planned)` so the help output honestly reflected the
+v0.0 state of the CLI. Subsequent steps (05 registry, 07 query, 08
+entries, 09 breadcrumb) shipped those subcommands but each missed
+updating the usage block, so `clast --help` today still labels six
+working subcommands as `(planned)`:
+
+```
+projects      List projects with activity in a window  (planned)
+sessions      List sessions in a window                (planned)
+show          Dump session metadata                    (planned)
+entries       List or read curated journal entries     (planned)
+breadcrumb    Append a one-line in-flight hint         (planned)
+registry      Manage the project registry              (planned)
+```
+
+This was flagged at the end of step 19 as a follow-up. It does not
+fall under any of the original 19 planned steps in
+`docs/build-steps.md`; step 20 is a small post-v1-plan patch.
+
+This is also the final PR in the original build series. Once it
+merges, the codebase reflects the planned end state and the human's
+next action is `contrib/release --patch` to cut v0.0.1.
+
+## Goal
+
+Drop the six `(planned)` suffixes in `lib/clast/clast-lib.bash`'s
+usage block, leaving only honest one-line descriptions of each
+shipped subcommand. Add a regression test that fails if any
+subcommand description ever regrows a `(planned)` suffix without a
+matching dispatcher stub.
+
+## References
+
+- `lib/clast/clast-lib.bash:208-232` — the usage heredoc emitted by
+  the `--help` global flag.
+- `bin/clast` — the dispatcher; every case branch corresponds to a
+  shipped subcommand. Cross-reference: every name in the help
+  output should have a `bin/clast` case branch sourcing a real
+  `.bash` file under `lib/clast/clast-subcommands/`.
+- `docs/cli-contract.md` — canonical one-line descriptions if a
+  tighter wording is needed; the existing lines are accurate, so
+  this step is just dropping the `(planned)` suffix, not rewording.
+- `test/test-dispatcher.sh` — where the regression test lands.
+
+## Tasks
+
+1. **Edit `lib/clast/clast-lib.bash`** to drop the six `(planned)`
+   tokens from the usage heredoc. Preserve column alignment so the
+   help output stays visually consistent. Touch only the six lines;
+   do not reword the descriptions.
+
+2. **Add a regression test** to `test/test-dispatcher.sh` (or a new
+   sibling test file if the dispatcher test is the wrong home). It
+   should:
+   - Invoke `bin/clast --help`.
+   - Assert the output contains no `(planned)` substring.
+   - For each subcommand listed in the help, confirm it has a
+     matching dispatcher branch in `bin/clast` (regex match on the
+     subcommand name appearing in a case pattern).
+   - Exit 0 on green, non-zero with a clear diagnostic on red.
+
+3. **Confirm `make lint`, `make test`, `make check-version-sync`
+   exit 0.** Run `make npm-pack-check` and `make nix-smoke` for
+   thoroughness; they may skip cleanly without their tooling.
+
+4. **Do NOT edit `docs/cli-contract.md`** or any other reference doc.
+   The help block is the only stale surface; the reference docs
+   describe the CLI's design, which has been correct throughout.
+
+5. **Do NOT bump the version.** The version literal stays at
+   `0.0.0`; `contrib/release --patch` is the human's release action,
+   not this step's.
+
+## Acceptance criteria
+
+- `bin/clast --help` output contains no `(planned)` substring.
+- Each subcommand listed in `bin/clast --help` has a matching
+  dispatcher case branch in `bin/clast`.
+- A test under `test/` enforces both invariants and is wired into
+  `make test`.
+- `make lint`, `make test`, and `make check-version-sync` exit 0.
+- `make npm-pack-check` and `make nix-smoke` exit 0 OR skip cleanly.
+- No other files are modified (verify with `git diff main..HEAD
+  --name-only`).
+- `package.json` and `flake.nix` remain at version `0.0.0`.
+
+## Out of scope
+
+- **Rewording subcommand descriptions.** Drop `(planned)`; do not
+  rewrite the descriptions.
+- **Adding `--help` text to individual subcommands.** Each
+  subcommand already prints its own help block (steps 05–10
+  handled per-subcommand usage). This step touches only the
+  top-level usage.
+- **Editing `docs/cli-contract.md` or other reference docs.**
+- **Bumping the version.** Reserved for `contrib/release`.
+- **Generating a new CHANGELOG entry.** `git-cliff` regenerates the
+  changelog on the next `contrib/release` invocation; this fix
+  appears under `### Fixed` in v0.0.1's auto-generated entry.
+
+## Verification
+
+```bash
+# Top-level help has no "(planned)" labels
+! bin/clast --help 2>&1 | grep -q '(planned)'
+
+# Every help-listed subcommand has a dispatcher branch
+bin/clast --help 2>&1 \
+  | awk '/^Subcommands:/{p=1; next} /^Global flags:/{p=0} p && NF{print $1}' \
+  | while read -r sub; do
+      grep -qE "^[[:space:]]*${sub}\)" bin/clast \
+        || { echo "no dispatcher branch for: $sub" >&2; exit 1; }
+    done
+
+# Gates
+make lint
+make test
+make check-version-sync
+make npm-pack-check
+make nix-smoke
+
+# Diff scope (the test file path may vary)
+git diff main..HEAD --name-only
+# expect: docs/steps/step-20-stale-help-fix.md, lib/clast/clast-lib.bash, test/test-…
+```
+
+## Notes for the implementer
+
+- **Why a regression test, not just the fix.** This kind of stale-
+  text drift is the failure mode that lets the same bug recur the
+  next time someone adds a subcommand. A two-line test means the
+  next would-be-planted `(planned)` either becomes intentional
+  (dispatcher stub gone, test updated) or fails CI immediately.
+- **Column alignment.** The current help heredoc aligns descriptions
+  in a column. Dropping `  (planned)` leaves trailing whitespace if
+  the lines were padded for alignment with the suffix; tidy that
+  trailing whitespace so `shellcheck` and any whitespace pre-commit
+  hook stay quiet.
+- **Conventional commit suggestion**: `fix(cli): drop stale "(planned)"
+  labels from --help and add regression test`.
diff --git a/lib/clast/clast-lib.bash b/lib/clast/clast-lib.bash
index 110166a..2b693bd 100644
--- a/lib/clast/clast-lib.bash
+++ b/lib/clast/clast-lib.bash
@@ -212,12 +212,12 @@ Usage:
 Subcommands:
   whereami      Show current path, registry, and journal state
   snapshot      Capture new transcripts into the journal
-  projects      List projects with activity in a window  (planned)
-  sessions      List sessions in a window                (planned)
-  show          Dump session metadata                    (planned)
-  entries       List or read curated journal entries     (planned)
-  breadcrumb    Append a one-line in-flight hint         (planned)
-  registry      Manage the project registry              (planned)
+  projects      List projects with activity in a window
+  sessions      List sessions in a window
+  show          Dump session metadata
+  entries       List or read curated journal entries
+  breadcrumb    Append a one-line in-flight hint
+  registry      Manage the project registry
   stats         Token/duration/session-count stats
   doctor        Sanity-check the journal
 
diff --git a/test/test-dispatcher.sh b/test/test-dispatcher.sh
index 2611697..280e56d 100755
--- a/test/test-dispatcher.sh
+++ b/test/test-dispatcher.sh
@@ -64,4 +64,33 @@ assert_eq "/tmp/clast-test-y" "$forwarded_projects" "--projects-dir forwards int
 env_journal="$(CLAST_JOURNAL_DIR=/tmp/clast-test-z "$CLAST_BIN" whereami --json | jq -r .journal_dir)"
 assert_eq "/tmp/clast-test-z" "$env_journal" "CLAST_JOURNAL_DIR env var honored"
 
+# --- help block stays honest -------------------------------------------
+#
+# Catches the failure mode where a subcommand ships but its help-line
+# `(planned)` suffix gets left behind, or where a new subcommand is added
+# to the help block without a matching dispatcher case.
+
+case "$help_out" in
+  *"(planned)"*) _clast_test_fail "help block has no stale (planned) labels"; printf '%s\n' "$help_out" >&2 ;;
+  *) _clast_test_pass "help block has no stale (planned) labels" ;;
+esac
+
+# Every subcommand listed under "Subcommands:" in the help block must have a
+# matching dispatcher case in bin/clast.
+help_subcommands=$(printf '%s\n' "$help_out" \
+  | awk '/^Subcommands:/{p=1; next} /^Global flags:/{p=0} p && NF{print $1}')
+missing_dispatch=""
+while IFS= read -r sub; do
+  [ -z "$sub" ] && continue
+  if ! grep -qE "^[[:space:]]*${sub}\)" "$CLAST_BIN"; then
+    missing_dispatch="${missing_dispatch}${sub} "
+  fi
+done <<<"$help_subcommands"
+if [ -z "$missing_dispatch" ]; then
+  _clast_test_pass "every help-listed subcommand has a dispatcher branch"
+else
+  _clast_test_fail "every help-listed subcommand has a dispatcher branch"
+  printf 'missing dispatcher branch for: %s\n' "$missing_dispatch" >&2
+fi
+
 clast_test_summary