diff --git a/tools/validate_v16.py b/tools/validate_v16.py
index a4a1645e..5b97e946 100644
--- a/tools/validate_v16.py
+++ b/tools/validate_v16.py
@@ -20,17 +20,17 @@ for p in root.rglob('*.json'):
 for p in (root/'frontend/src').rglob('*.vue'):
     t=p.read_text(encoding='utf-8')
     if t.count('<template')!=t.count('</template>'): fail(f'unbalanced SFC template {p.relative_to(root)}')
-for base in [root/'frontend/src',root/'src',root/'db/migrations',root/'docs/v16_0']:
+for base in [root/'frontend/src',root/'src',root/'db/migrations',root/'docs/CURRENT']:
     for p in base.rglob('*'):
         if p.is_file() and p.suffix.lower() in {'.ts','.vue','.cs','.sql','.md'} and re.search(r'__[A-Z][A-Z0-9_]+__',p.read_text(encoding='utf-8')): fail(f'unresolved token {p.relative_to(root)}')
-checks={'docs/v16_0/08_DETAILED_WBS_MASTER.csv':(664,'WBS_ID'),'docs/v16_0/TECH_DEBT_REGISTER.csv':(148,'ID'),'docs/v16_0/DECISION_LOG.csv':(96,'Decision_ID'),'docs/v16_0/TRACEABILITY_MATRIX.csv':(121,'Requirement_ID'),'docs/v16_0/FE_COMPONENT_CATALOGUE.csv':(58,'ID'),'docs/v16_0/JOB_CATALOGUE.csv':(28,'Job_ID'),'docs/v16_0/SOURCE_COVERAGE_MATRIX.csv':(4,'File')}
+checks={'docs/CURRENT/CATALOGS/WBS_MASTER.csv':(664,'WBS_ID'),'docs/CURRENT/CATALOGS/TECH_DEBT_REGISTER.csv':(148,'ID'),'docs/CURRENT/CATALOGS/DECISION_LOG.csv':(96,'Decision_ID'),'docs/CURRENT/CATALOGS/TRACEABILITY_MATRIX.csv':(121,'Requirement_ID'),'docs/CURRENT/CATALOGS/FE_COMPONENT.csv':(58,'ID'),'docs/CURRENT/CATALOGS/JOB_CATALOGUE.csv':(28,'Job_ID'),'docs/CURRENT/CATALOGS/SOURCE_COVERAGE_MATRIX.csv':(4,'File')}
 for rel,(count,key) in checks.items():
     _,data=rows(rel)
     if len(data)!=count: fail(f'{rel} count {len(data)} != {count}')
     vals=[x.get(key,'').strip() for x in data]
     if any(not x for x in vals): fail(f'{rel} blank {key}')
     if key!='Requirement_ID' and len(vals)!=len(set(vals)): fail(f'{rel} duplicate {key}')
-_,wbs=rows('docs/v16_0/08_DETAILED_WBS_MASTER.csv')
+_,wbs=rows('docs/CURRENT/CATALOGS/WBS_MASTER.csv')
 for col in ['Task','Artifact','Acceptance_Evidence','Primary_Owner','Secondary','PD','Dependency','Gate','Evidence_Class','Risk','Status']:
     if any(not x.get(col,'').strip() for x in wbs): fail(f'blank WBS {col}')
 if sum(x['WBS_ID'].startswith('AEG-V16-') for x in wbs)!=88: fail('v16 WBS delta must be 88')
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ for rel in ['src/KArtSell.Host/appsettings.json','src/KArtSell.Host/appsettings.
 idx=root/'attachments/current_session/SOURCE_INDEX_V16_0.json'
 if not idx.exists(): fail('missing source index')
 else:
-    data=json.loads(idx.read_text())
+    data=json.loads(idx.read_text(encoding='utf-8'))
     if len(data.get('files',[]))!=4 or data.get('all_match') is not True: fail('source index incomplete')
     for item in data.get('files',[]):
         p=root/item['Relative_Path']