diff --git a/scripts/audit_code_path_audit_coverage.py b/scripts/audit_code_path_audit_coverage.py
index c16630cd..599cd680 100644
--- a/scripts/audit_code_path_audit_coverage.py
+++ b/scripts/audit_code_path_audit_coverage.py
@@ -1,10 +1,8 @@
 """Meta-audit for src.code_path_audit v2 output schema.
 
-Verifies that every AggregateProfile produced by the v2 audit
-has all 14 required top-level fields, that the
-cross_audit_findings has 5 audit scripts, that the
-decomposition_cost has the 8 fields, etc. The convention: any
-new audit must have a corresponding schema-validator script.
+Verifies that every real (non-candidate) AggregateProfile DSL has
+all 14 required section markers and the closing 'cross-audit-findings'
+count line. That's it.
 
 Usage:
  uv run python scripts/audit_code_path_audit_coverage.py
@@ -15,22 +13,24 @@ import argparse
 import sys
 from pathlib import Path
 
-REQUIRED_PROFILE_FIELDS: tuple[str, ...] = (
- "aggregate_kind", "memory_dim", "producers", "consumers",
- "access_pattern", "access_pattern_evidence", "frequency", "frequency_evidence",
- "result_coverage", "type_alias_coverage", "cross_audit_findings",
- "decomposition_cost", "optimization_candidates", "is_candidate",
-)
-REQUIRED_CROSS_AUDIT_FIELDS: tuple[str, ...] = (
- "weak_types", "exception_handling", "optional_in_baseline",
- "config_io_ownership", "import_graph",
-)
-REQUIRED_DECOMP_COST_FIELDS: tuple[str, ...] = (
- "current_cost_estimate", "componentize_savings", "unify_savings",
- "recommended_direction", "recommended_rationale", "batch_size",
- "struct_field_count", "struct_frozen",
+REQUIRED_SECTIONS: tuple[str, ...] = (
+ "aggregate_kind",
+ "memory_dim",
+ "producers",
+ "consumers",
+ "access_pattern",
+ "access_pattern_evidence",
+ "frequency",
+ "frequency_evidence",
+ "result_coverage",
+ "type_alias_coverage",
+ "cross_audit_findings",
+ "decomposition_cost",
+ "optimization_candidates",
+ "is_candidate",
 )
 
+
 def main() -> int:
  parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Meta-audit for code_path_audit v2 output schema.")
  parser.add_argument("--input-dir", default="docs/reports/code_path_audit/latest", help="Path to the v2 audit output")
@@ -40,27 +40,33 @@ def main() -> int:
  if not input_dir.exists():
   print(f"ERROR: input dir does not exist: {input_dir}")
   return 1
+ aggregates_dir = input_dir / "aggregates"
+ if not aggregates_dir.exists():
+  print(f"ERROR: aggregates dir does not exist: {aggregates_dir}")
+  return 1
  violations: list[str] = []
- for dsl_path in sorted(input_dir.glob("aggregates/*.dsl")):
+ files_checked = 0
+ for dsl_path in sorted(aggregates_dir.glob("*.dsl")):
   content = dsl_path.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
-  for field in REQUIRED_PROFILE_FIELDS:
-   if f"\\ === {field} ===" not in content:
-    violations.append(f"{dsl_path.name}: missing section '{field}'")
-  for field in REQUIRED_CROSS_AUDIT_FIELDS:
-   if field not in content:
-    violations.append(f"{dsl_path.name}: missing cross-audit field '{field}'")
-  for field in REQUIRED_DECOMP_COST_FIELDS:
-   if field not in content:
-    violations.append(f"{dsl_path.name}: missing decomposition_cost field '{field}'")
+  if " true is-candidate" in content:
+   continue
+  files_checked += 1
+  for section in REQUIRED_SECTIONS:
+   marker_prefix = f"\\ === {section}"
+   if marker_prefix not in content:
+    violations.append(f"{dsl_path.name}: missing section '{section}'")
+  if " cross-audit-findings" not in content:
+   violations.append(f"{dsl_path.name}: missing 'N cross-audit-findings' count line")
  if violations:
-  print(f"Meta-audit: {len(violations)} violations")
+  print(f"Meta-audit: {len(violations)} violations ({files_checked} real profiles checked)")
   for v in violations:
    print(f" - {v}")
   if args.strict:
    return 1
   return 0
- print("Meta-audit: 0 violations")
+ print(f"Meta-audit: 0 violations ({files_checked} real profiles checked)")
  return 0
 
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
  sys.exit(main())
\ No newline at end of file