diff --git a/docs/release-control/v6/internal/subsystems/ai-runtime.md b/docs/release-control/v6/internal/subsystems/ai-runtime.md
index a6c37f91b..c397c9109 100644
--- a/docs/release-control/v6/internal/subsystems/ai-runtime.md
+++ b/docs/release-control/v6/internal/subsystems/ai-runtime.md
@@ -237,7 +237,11 @@ they must remain presentation-only. Prerelease banners, billing callouts, or
 other header-adjacent notices must not fork assistant open state, gate on AI
 runtime fetches, or move assistant availability logic out of
 `frontend-modern/src/stores/aiChat.ts` and `frontend-modern/src/useAppRuntimeState.ts`
-just because they share the same authenticated shell.
+just because they share the same authenticated shell. The remaining
+prerelease-shell treatment is the compact `Preview` badge on rc-channel
+builds; `frontend-modern/src/AppLayout.tsx` must not revive a standalone
+release-candidate banner, release-notes CTA, or feedback CTA that starts
+participating in assistant-shell state or modal ownership.
 That same shared shell boundary must respect blocking modal ownership.
 `frontend-modern/src/App.tsx` and `frontend-modern/src/AppLayout.tsx` may use
 the shared dialog runtime to hide the closed assistant launcher and close the
diff --git a/docs/release-control/v6/internal/subsystems/cloud-paid.md b/docs/release-control/v6/internal/subsystems/cloud-paid.md
index c25026141..d40468a51 100644
--- a/docs/release-control/v6/internal/subsystems/cloud-paid.md
+++ b/docs/release-control/v6/internal/subsystems/cloud-paid.md
@@ -625,7 +625,11 @@ That same shell framing also owns user-facing prerelease labeling for
 rc-channel builds. `frontend-modern/src/AppLayout.tsx` may still key off the
 canonical `rc` channel metadata internally, but the visible badge must frame
 those builds as a preview/prerelease experience rather than implying a
-near-ready release candidate.
+near-ready release candidate. That authenticated shell must not pair the
+preview label with a second top-of-shell release-candidate warning banner or
+release-feedback CTA in `frontend-modern/src/AppLayout.tsx`; prerelease cloud
+posture stays a subtle shell label, not a public-RC callout inside the paid
+runtime chrome.
 The shared trial-start runtime is part of that same cloud-paid boundary.
 Commercial relay, onboarding, setup, Pro settings, and shared paywall
 surfaces may customize success copy, but they must route hosted handoff,
diff --git a/docs/release-control/v6/internal/subsystems/frontend-primitives.md b/docs/release-control/v6/internal/subsystems/frontend-primitives.md
index 66f8d732e..05bc6ff37 100644
--- a/docs/release-control/v6/internal/subsystems/frontend-primitives.md
+++ b/docs/release-control/v6/internal/subsystems/frontend-primitives.md
@@ -644,15 +644,15 @@ paywall surfaces navigate those destinations. Feature shells may request a
 commercial destination, but they must not re-decide whether that destination
 opens in-app or in a new tab once the shared primitive exists.
 That same shared-primitive floor now also owns prerelease shell guidance.
-`frontend-modern/src/components/shared/ReleaseCandidateBanner.tsx` is the
-canonical low-key release-candidate callout for authenticated chrome, and
-`frontend-modern/src/AppLayout.tsx` may mount it only from resolved release
-metadata. Feature pages, settings panels, and route-local shells must not add
-duplicate RC modals, hardcoded GitHub release or feedback links, or page-local
-prerelease banners once that shared primitive exists. The shared banner copy
-must stay version-aware but RC-order-agnostic: later builds like `rc.2` and
-beyond may identify the current version, but they must not keep claiming to be
-the first public v6 RC once the release line has moved on.
+`frontend-modern/src/AppLayout.tsx` is the canonical authenticated-shell owner
+for prerelease presentation, and the remaining user-facing treatment is the
+compact `Preview` badge keyed from resolved release metadata. Feature pages,
+settings panels, shared components, and route-local shells must not add a
+second release-candidate banner, hardcoded GitHub release or feedback links,
+or page-local prerelease notices once that shared shell contract exists.
+Browser proof for that shell rule now lives in
+`tests/integration/tests/57-release-candidate-shell.spec.ts`, which must keep
+rc-channel builds banner-free while preserving the compact preview badge.
 
 The subsystem registry now also requires explicit proof-policy coverage for all
 shared runtime files, and shared-component guardrails fail if raw table
diff --git a/frontend-modern/src/AppLayout.tsx b/frontend-modern/src/AppLayout.tsx
index 4734d4b76..a0a416f86 100644
--- a/frontend-modern/src/AppLayout.tsx
+++ b/frontend-modern/src/AppLayout.tsx
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ import SettingsIcon from 'lucide-solid/icons/settings';
 import Maximize2Icon from 'lucide-solid/icons/maximize-2';
 import Minimize2Icon from 'lucide-solid/icons/minimize-2';
 import { MobileNavBar } from '@/components/shared/MobileNavBar';
-import { ReleaseCandidateBanner } from '@/components/shared/ReleaseCandidateBanner';
 import { dialogStackHasBlockingDialog } from '@/components/shared/useDialogState';
 import { OrgSwitcher } from '@/components/OrgSwitcher';
 import { PulsePatrolLogo } from '@/components/Brand/PulsePatrolLogo';
@@ -646,12 +645,6 @@ export function AppLayout(props: AppLayoutProps) {
         </div>
       </div>
 
-      <Show when={!kioskMode()}>
-        <Show when={props.versionInfo()?.channel === 'rc'}>
-          <ReleaseCandidateBanner version={props.versionInfo()?.version} />
-        </Show>
-      </Show>
-
       <Show when={!kioskMode()}>
         <div
           class="tabs mb-2 hidden md:flex items-end gap-2 overflow-x-auto overflow-y-hidden whitespace-nowrap border-b border-border scrollbar-hide"
diff --git a/frontend-modern/src/__tests__/App.architecture.test.ts b/frontend-modern/src/__tests__/App.architecture.test.ts
index b0d1d5269..7e38c4758 100644
--- a/frontend-modern/src/__tests__/App.architecture.test.ts
+++ b/frontend-modern/src/__tests__/App.architecture.test.ts
@@ -70,9 +70,6 @@ describe('App architecture', () => {
     expect(appLayoutSource).toContain(
       "import { dialogStackHasBlockingDialog } from '@/components/shared/useDialogState';",
     );
-    expect(appLayoutSource).toContain(
-      "import { ReleaseCandidateBanner } from '@/components/shared/ReleaseCandidateBanner';",
-    );
     expect(appLayoutSource).toContain('<OrgSwitcher');
     expect(appLayoutSource).toContain('const status = () => props.connectionStatus();');
     expect(appLayoutSource).toContain("status().kind === 'sync-reconnecting' || status().kind === 'reconnecting'");
@@ -81,7 +78,10 @@ describe('App architecture', () => {
     );
     expect(appLayoutSource).toContain("props.versionInfo()?.channel === 'rc'");
     expect(appLayoutSource).toContain('Preview');
-    expect(appLayoutSource).toContain(
+    expect(appLayoutSource).not.toContain(
+      "import { ReleaseCandidateBanner } from '@/components/shared/ReleaseCandidateBanner';",
+    );
+    expect(appLayoutSource).not.toContain(
       '<ReleaseCandidateBanner version={props.versionInfo()?.version} />',
     );
     expect(appLayoutSource).toContain(
diff --git a/frontend-modern/src/components/__tests__/updateVersion.test.ts b/frontend-modern/src/components/__tests__/updateVersion.test.ts
index 9c71d523a..68f111297 100644
--- a/frontend-modern/src/components/__tests__/updateVersion.test.ts
+++ b/frontend-modern/src/components/__tests__/updateVersion.test.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,9 @@
 import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
 import {
-  buildIssueTemplateUrl,
   buildDockerImageTag,
   buildLinuxAmd64DownloadCommand,
   buildLinuxAmd64TarballName,
   buildReleaseNotesUrl,
-  buildV6RcFeedbackUrl,
   formatReleaseTag,
   normalizeReleaseVersion,
 } from '@/components/updateVersion';
@@ -42,13 +40,4 @@ describe('updateVersion helpers', () => {
       'sudo tar -xzf pulse-v5.1.0-linux-amd64.tar.gz -C /usr/local/bin pulse',
     );
   });
-
-  it('builds GitHub issue template links for prerelease feedback', () => {
-    expect(buildIssueTemplateUrl('v6_rc_feedback.yml')).toBe(
-      'https://github.com/rcourtman/Pulse/issues/new?template=v6_rc_feedback.yml',
-    );
-    expect(buildV6RcFeedbackUrl()).toBe(
-      'https://github.com/rcourtman/Pulse/issues/new?template=v6_rc_feedback.yml',
-    );
-  });
 });
diff --git a/frontend-modern/src/components/shared/ReleaseCandidateBanner.tsx b/frontend-modern/src/components/shared/ReleaseCandidateBanner.tsx
deleted file mode 100644
index 8f7661ccc..000000000
--- a/frontend-modern/src/components/shared/ReleaseCandidateBanner.tsx
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,59 +0,0 @@
-import type { Component } from 'solid-js';
-import {
-  buildReleaseNotesUrl,
-  buildV6RcFeedbackUrl,
-  normalizeReleaseVersion,
-} from '@/components/updateVersion';
-
-export interface ReleaseCandidateBannerProps {
-  version?: string | null;
-}
-
-export const ReleaseCandidateBanner: Component<ReleaseCandidateBannerProps> = (props) => {
-  const versionLabel = () => normalizeReleaseVersion(props.version);
-  const title = () =>
-    versionLabel()
-      ? `Pulse ${versionLabel()} is a public v6 release candidate.`
-      : 'You’re running a Pulse v6 release candidate build.';
-
-  return (
-    <div
-      class="mb-3 rounded-md border border-amber-300 bg-amber-50 px-3 py-2 text-amber-950 dark:border-amber-800 dark:bg-amber-950/40 dark:text-amber-100"
-      role="status"
-      aria-live="polite"
-    >
-      <div class="flex flex-col gap-2 sm:flex-row sm:items-start sm:justify-between">
-        <div class="min-w-0">
-          <div class="flex flex-wrap items-center gap-2">
-            <span class="inline-flex rounded-full bg-amber-600 px-2 py-0.5 text-[10px] font-semibold uppercase tracking-[0.18em] text-white">
-              RC
-            </span>
-            <span class="text-sm font-medium">{title()}</span>
-          </div>
-          <p class="mt-1 text-xs leading-relaxed text-amber-900/85 dark:text-amber-100/85">
-            Start in a staging or non-critical environment first, then send feedback on bugs,
-            regressions, or rough edges before general availability.
-          </p>
-        </div>
-        <div class="flex flex-wrap items-center gap-x-3 gap-y-1 text-xs font-medium">
-          <a
-            href={buildReleaseNotesUrl(props.version)}
-            target="_blank"
-            rel="noopener noreferrer"
-            class="inline-flex min-h-9 items-center rounded px-1 py-1 underline underline-offset-2 hover:opacity-90"
-          >
-            View release notes
-          </a>
-          <a
-            href={buildV6RcFeedbackUrl()}
-            target="_blank"
-            rel="noopener noreferrer"
-            class="inline-flex min-h-9 items-center rounded px-1 py-1 underline underline-offset-2 hover:opacity-90"
-          >
-            Send feedback
-          </a>
-        </div>
-      </div>
-    </div>
-  );
-};
diff --git a/frontend-modern/src/components/shared/SharedPrimitives.guardrails.test.ts b/frontend-modern/src/components/shared/SharedPrimitives.guardrails.test.ts
index 6c926e4da..8ec398d75 100644
--- a/frontend-modern/src/components/shared/SharedPrimitives.guardrails.test.ts
+++ b/frontend-modern/src/components/shared/SharedPrimitives.guardrails.test.ts
@@ -72,7 +72,6 @@ import infrastructureSummaryTableModelSource from '@/components/shared/infrastru
 import infrastructureSummaryTableStateSource from '@/components/shared/useInfrastructureSummaryTableState.ts?raw';
 import monitoredSystemLimitWarningBannerSource from '@/components/shared/MonitoredSystemLimitWarningBanner.tsx?raw';
 import monitoredSystemLimitWarningBannerModelSource from '@/components/shared/monitoredSystemLimitWarningBannerModel.ts?raw';
-import releaseCandidateBannerSource from '@/components/shared/ReleaseCandidateBanner.tsx?raw';
 import selectionCardGroupSource from '@/components/shared/SelectionCardGroup.tsx?raw';
 import selectionCardGroupModelSource from '@/components/shared/selectionCardGroupModel.ts?raw';
 import summaryMetricCardSource from '@/components/shared/SummaryMetricCard.tsx?raw';
@@ -692,19 +691,6 @@ describe('shared primitive guardrails', () => {
     );
   });
 
-  it('keeps release-candidate shell guidance on shared link helpers', () => {
-    expect(releaseCandidateBannerSource).toContain('buildReleaseNotesUrl');
-    expect(releaseCandidateBannerSource).toContain('buildV6RcFeedbackUrl');
-    expect(releaseCandidateBannerSource).toContain('normalizeReleaseVersion');
-    expect(releaseCandidateBannerSource).toContain('public v6 release candidate');
-    expect(releaseCandidateBannerSource).not.toContain('first public v6 RC');
-    expect(releaseCandidateBannerSource).not.toContain('useNavigate');
-    expect(releaseCandidateBannerSource).not.toContain('createSignal');
-    expect(releaseCandidateBannerSource).not.toContain('loadCommercialPosture');
-    expect(releaseCandidateBannerSource).not.toContain('/api/license/');
-    expect(releaseCandidateBannerSource).not.toContain('window.location');
-  });
-
   it('keeps infrastructure summary table on shell, runtime, and model owners', () => {
     expect(infrastructureSummaryTableSource).toContain('useInfrastructureSummaryTableState');
     expect(infrastructureSummaryTableSource).toContain('InfrastructureSummaryTableRow');
diff --git a/frontend-modern/src/components/shared/__tests__/ReleaseCandidateBanner.test.tsx b/frontend-modern/src/components/shared/__tests__/ReleaseCandidateBanner.test.tsx
deleted file mode 100644
index 105e61d2b..000000000
--- a/frontend-modern/src/components/shared/__tests__/ReleaseCandidateBanner.test.tsx
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,30 +0,0 @@
-import { cleanup, render, screen } from '@solidjs/testing-library';
-import { afterEach, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
-import { ReleaseCandidateBanner } from '@/components/shared/ReleaseCandidateBanner';
-
-afterEach(() => {
-  cleanup();
-});
-
-describe('ReleaseCandidateBanner', () => {
-  it('renders RC guidance with release-note and feedback links', () => {
-    render(() => <ReleaseCandidateBanner version="6.0.0-rc.2" />);
-
-    expect(
-      screen.getByText('Pulse 6.0.0-rc.2 is a public v6 release candidate.'),
-    ).toBeInTheDocument();
-    expect(
-      screen.getByText(
-        /Start in a staging or non-critical environment first, then send feedback/i,
-      ),
-    ).toBeInTheDocument();
-    expect(screen.getByRole('link', { name: 'View release notes' })).toHaveAttribute(
-      'href',
-      'https://github.com/rcourtman/Pulse/releases/tag/v6.0.0-rc.2',
-    );
-    expect(screen.getByRole('link', { name: 'Send feedback' })).toHaveAttribute(
-      'href',
-      'https://github.com/rcourtman/Pulse/issues/new?template=v6_rc_feedback.yml',
-    );
-  });
-});
diff --git a/frontend-modern/src/components/updateVersion.ts b/frontend-modern/src/components/updateVersion.ts
index 5390ba063..d04b5b303 100644
--- a/frontend-modern/src/components/updateVersion.ts
+++ b/frontend-modern/src/components/updateVersion.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 const GITHUB_RELEASES_BASE_URL = 'https://github.com/rcourtman/Pulse/releases';
-const GITHUB_ISSUES_BASE_URL = 'https://github.com/rcourtman/Pulse/issues/new';
 
 export const normalizeReleaseVersion = (version?: string | null): string => {
   const trimmed = (version ?? '').trim();
@@ -19,16 +18,6 @@ export const buildReleaseNotesUrl = (version?: string | null): string => {
   return tag ? `${GITHUB_RELEASES_BASE_URL}/tag/${tag}` : GITHUB_RELEASES_BASE_URL;
 };
 
-export const buildIssueTemplateUrl = (template?: string | null): string => {
-  const trimmed = (template ?? '').trim();
-  if (!trimmed) {
-    return GITHUB_ISSUES_BASE_URL;
-  }
-  return `${GITHUB_ISSUES_BASE_URL}?template=${encodeURIComponent(trimmed)}`;
-};
-
-export const buildV6RcFeedbackUrl = (): string => buildIssueTemplateUrl('v6_rc_feedback.yml');
-
 export const buildDockerImageTag = (version?: string | null): string => {
   const normalized = normalizeReleaseVersion(version);
   return normalized || 'latest';
diff --git a/tests/integration/tests/57-release-candidate-banner.spec.ts b/tests/integration/tests/57-release-candidate-banner.spec.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index 6c90e93e4..000000000
--- a/tests/integration/tests/57-release-candidate-banner.spec.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,43 +0,0 @@
-import { expect, test } from '@playwright/test';
-import { ensureAuthenticated } from './helpers';
-
-const RC_VERSION_INFO = {
-  version: '6.0.0-rc.2',
-  build: '',
-  runtime: 'unknown',
-  channel: 'rc',
-  isDocker: false,
-  isSourceBuild: true,
-  isDevelopment: false,
-  deploymentType: 'source',
-};
-
-test.describe('Release candidate banner', () => {
-  test('renders generic RC copy with version-specific release links', async ({ page }, testInfo) => {
-    test.skip(testInfo.project.name.startsWith('mobile-'), 'Desktop runtime proof');
-
-    await page.route('**/api/version', (route) =>
-      route.fulfill({
-        status: 200,
-        contentType: 'application/json',
-        body: JSON.stringify(RC_VERSION_INFO),
-      }),
-    );
-
-    await ensureAuthenticated(page);
-    await page.goto('/dashboard', { waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded' });
-
-    const banner = page.getByRole('status').filter({
-      hasText: 'Pulse 6.0.0-rc.2 is a public v6 release candidate.',
-    });
-    await expect(banner).toContainText('Pulse 6.0.0-rc.2 is a public v6 release candidate.');
-    await expect(page.getByRole('link', { name: 'View release notes' })).toHaveAttribute(
-      'href',
-      'https://github.com/rcourtman/Pulse/releases/tag/v6.0.0-rc.2',
-    );
-    await expect(page.getByRole('link', { name: 'Send feedback' })).toHaveAttribute(
-      'href',
-      'https://github.com/rcourtman/Pulse/issues/new?template=v6_rc_feedback.yml',
-    );
-  });
-});
diff --git a/tests/integration/tests/57-release-candidate-shell.spec.ts b/tests/integration/tests/57-release-candidate-shell.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..483fbf715
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/integration/tests/57-release-candidate-shell.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+import { expect, test } from '@playwright/test';
+import { waitForPulseReady } from './helpers';
+
+const RC_VERSION_INFO = {
+  version: '6.0.0-rc.2',
+  build: '',
+  runtime: 'unknown',
+  channel: 'rc',
+  isDocker: false,
+  isSourceBuild: true,
+  isDevelopment: false,
+  deploymentType: 'source',
+};
+
+test.describe('Release candidate shell', () => {
+  test('keeps RC builds free of the public release-candidate banner', async ({ page }, testInfo) => {
+    test.skip(testInfo.project.name.startsWith('mobile-'), 'Desktop runtime proof');
+
+    await waitForPulseReady(page);
+
+    await page.addInitScript(() => {
+      localStorage.setItem('pulse_whats_new_v2_shown', 'true');
+    });
+
+    await page.route('**/api/security/status', (route) =>
+      route.fulfill({
+        status: 200,
+        contentType: 'application/json',
+        body: JSON.stringify({
+          hasAuthentication: true,
+          hideLocalLogin: false,
+          hasProxyAuth: false,
+          proxyAuthUsername: '',
+          proxyAuthLogoutURL: '',
+          publicAccess: false,
+          requiresAuth: true,
+          ssoEnabled: false,
+          ssoProviders: [],
+          ssoSessionUsername: '',
+          sessionCapabilities: {
+            assistantEnabled: true,
+            demoMode: false,
+          },
+          presentationPolicy: {
+            demoMode: false,
+            readOnly: false,
+            hideCommercial: false,
+            hideUpgrade: false,
+          },
+        }),
+      }),
+    );
+
+    await page.route('**/api/state', (route) =>
+      route.fulfill({
+        status: 200,
+        contentType: 'application/json',
+        body: JSON.stringify({}),
+      }),
+    );
+
+    await page.route('**/api/version', (route) =>
+      route.fulfill({
+        status: 200,
+        contentType: 'application/json',
+        body: JSON.stringify(RC_VERSION_INFO),
+      }),
+    );
+
+    await page.goto('/dashboard', { waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded' });
+    await page.waitForURL(/\/dashboard/, { timeout: 15_000 });
+
+    await expect(
+      page.getByRole('status').filter({ hasText: 'public v6 release candidate' }),
+    ).toHaveCount(0);
+    await expect(page.getByText('Preview', { exact: true })).toBeVisible();
+  });
+});