diff --git a/.machine_readable/template-capability-gates.toml b/.machine_readable/template-capability-gates.toml
index 0f6a6194..d99d652d 100644
--- a/.machine_readable/template-capability-gates.toml
+++ b/.machine_readable/template-capability-gates.toml
@@ -46,6 +46,8 @@ paths = ["README.adoc", "EXPLAINME.adoc", "LICENSE", "SECURITY.md", "CONTRIBUTIN
 "MAINTAINERS.adoc" = "governance-tier"
 
 [presets]
+# OPTIONAL shorthands. A profile may declare `capabilities = [...]` directly
+# instead of a preset; presets are pure sugar that expands to a capability set.
 # preset name = [ base capabilities ]
 rust-cli = ["rust", "cli", "library"]
 rust-ffi-lib = ["rust", "zig", "ffi", "abi", "library"]
diff --git a/TEMPLATE-APPLICABILITY-POLICY.adoc b/TEMPLATE-APPLICABILITY-POLICY.adoc
index 72e73895..8addb6bd 100644
--- a/TEMPLATE-APPLICABILITY-POLICY.adoc
+++ b/TEMPLATE-APPLICABILITY-POLICY.adoc
@@ -27,20 +27,20 @@ makes "carry it only if you need it" a *rule with a test*, not a judgement call.
 
 == Model
 
-Three layers:
-
 . *Universal baseline* — modules every repo carries unconditionally (identity,
   community-health, machine-readable state, the licence invariant).
-. *Capability gates* — every other template module is tagged with the
-  *capability* it serves. A repo carries the module **iff** it declares that
-  capability.
-. *Presets* — named capability bundles (`rust-cli`, `rust-ffi-lib`,
-  `rust-service`, `formal-proof-lib`, `docs-site`, …) a repo adopts as its base,
-  then adjusts with explicit per-capability `add` / `remove`. (The "hybrid"
-  layer: presets for ergonomics, gates for precision.)
-
-A repo's *profile* (`.machine_readable/rsr-profile.a2ml`) declares its preset
-and any adjustments. Its effective capability set drives everything else.
+. *Capability gates (the model)* — every other template module is tagged with
+  the *capability* it serves. A repo *declares its capabilities* and carries a
+  module **iff** it declares that module's gating capability.
+. *Presets (optional sugar)* — named capability bundles (`rust-cli`,
+  `rust-ffi-lib`, `rust-service`, `formal-proof-lib`, `docs-site`, …). A repo
+  *may* adopt a preset as a shorthand for its base capabilities instead of
+  listing them, then adjust with `add` / `remove`. Presets are pure ergonomics
+  over the gate model — never required.
+
+A repo's *profile* (`.machine_readable/rsr-profile.a2ml`) declares its
+capabilities (directly, or via a preset + adjustments). Its effective
+capability set drives everything else.
 
 == Capability taxonomy
 
@@ -114,7 +114,10 @@ and the SPDX licence invariant (`LICENCE-POLICY.adoc`).
 | `.github/workflows/release.yml`, registry metadata | `published-package`
 |===
 
-== Presets
+== Presets (optional)
+
+Presets are optional shorthands — a repo can always declare `capabilities`
+directly instead. Each expands to a base capability set:
 
 [cols="1,3"]
 |===
@@ -153,21 +156,33 @@ that justifies it. That is the thing this policy removes.
 
 == Per-repo profile
 
-`.machine_readable/rsr-profile.a2ml` (A2ML, TOML-like; SPDX `MPL-2.0`):
+`.machine_readable/rsr-profile.a2ml` (A2ML, TOML-like; SPDX `MPL-2.0`). Declare
+capabilities directly (primary form):
 
 [source,toml]
 ----
 [profile]
-preset = "rust-cli"
-add = []                       # extra capabilities beyond the preset
-remove = []                    # preset capabilities this repo does NOT have
+capabilities = ["rust", "cli", "library"]
 
 [rationale]
-# One line per non-obvious add/remove or declined capability.
+# One line per non-obvious capability or declined module.
 no-abi = "language-agnostic engine; no C-ABI seam, no Idris2 ABI proofs"
 no-formal-proofs = "consumes Agda (shells out); contains no in-tree proofs"
 ----
 
+Or, equivalently, adopt a preset (optional shorthand) and adjust:
+
+[source,toml]
+----
+[profile]
+preset = "rust-cli"          # = ["rust", "cli", "library"]
+add = ["published-package"]  # extra capabilities beyond the preset
+remove = []                  # preset capabilities this repo does NOT have
+----
+
+`preset`, `capabilities`, `add`, and `remove` all union (then `remove`
+subtracts); at least one of `capabilities` / `preset` is required.
+
 == Enforcement (how this evolves the existing machinery)
 
 `root-allow.txt` becomes *derived*, not hand-maintained as one shape:
diff --git a/scripts/check-rsr-profile.sh b/scripts/check-rsr-profile.sh
index 6f9396b0..35d34e78 100755
--- a/scripts/check-rsr-profile.sh
+++ b/scripts/check-rsr-profile.sh
@@ -30,18 +30,25 @@ section() { awk -v s="[$1]" '$0==s{f=1;next} /^\[/{f=0} f && !/^[[:space:]]*#/ &
 quoted_on_key() { grep -E "^[[:space:]]*$1[[:space:]]*=" | grep -oE '"[^"]+"' | tr -d '"' || true; }
 
 # --- target profile ---
+# Capability declaration is primary: a profile may list `capabilities = [...]`
+# directly. `preset` is optional sugar — a named bundle expanded from the gate
+# data. A profile must provide at least one of the two.
 PBODY="$(section profile "$PROFILE")"
 PRESET="$(printf '%s\n' "$PBODY" | quoted_on_key preset | sed -n 1p)"
+DIRECT="$(printf '%s\n' "$PBODY" | quoted_on_key capabilities)"
 ADD="$(printf '%s\n' "$PBODY" | quoted_on_key add)"
 REMOVE="$(printf '%s\n' "$PBODY" | quoted_on_key remove)"
-[ -n "$PRESET" ] || { echo "ERROR: profile declares no preset" >&2; exit 2; }
+[ -n "$PRESET$DIRECT" ] || { echo "ERROR: profile declares neither 'capabilities' nor 'preset'" >&2; exit 2; }
 
-# --- preset's base capabilities (from the gate data) ---
-PRESETCAPS="$(section presets "$GATES" | quoted_on_key "$PRESET")"
-[ -n "$PRESETCAPS" ] || { echo "ERROR: unknown preset '$PRESET' (not in $GATES [presets])" >&2; exit 2; }
+# --- preset's base capabilities, if a preset is named ---
+PRESETCAPS=""
+if [ -n "$PRESET" ]; then
+  PRESETCAPS="$(section presets "$GATES" | quoted_on_key "$PRESET")"
+  [ -n "$PRESETCAPS" ] || { echo "ERROR: unknown preset '$PRESET' (not in $GATES [presets])" >&2; exit 2; }
+fi
 
-# --- effective capabilities = presetcaps + add - remove ---
-EFFECTIVE="$(printf '%s\n%s\n' "$PRESETCAPS" "$ADD" | sort -u | sed '/^$/d')"
+# --- effective capabilities = capabilities + presetcaps + add - remove ---
+EFFECTIVE="$(printf '%s\n%s\n%s\n' "$DIRECT" "$PRESETCAPS" "$ADD" | sort -u | sed '/^$/d')"
 if [ -n "$REMOVE" ]; then
   EFFECTIVE="$(comm -23 <(printf '%s\n' "$EFFECTIVE") <(printf '%s\n' "$REMOVE" | sort -u))"
 fi
@@ -58,7 +65,7 @@ present() {
 }
 
 echo "repo:    $REPO"
-echo "preset:  $PRESET"
+echo "profile: ${PRESET:+preset=$PRESET }${DIRECT:+direct-capabilities}"
 echo "effective capabilities: $(printf '%s ' $EFFECTIVE)"
 echo