diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 557a174..a382fce 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ You can also set provider via environment variables:
 
 | Provider | Env Variable | Default Model |
 |---|---|---|
-| **Anthropic** | `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` | claude-sonnet-4-6-20250514 |
+| **Anthropic** | `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` | claude-sonnet-4-6 |
 | **OpenAI** | `OPENAI_API_KEY` | gpt-4o |
 | **Ollama** | (auto-detect on localhost:11434) | llama3 |
 
diff --git a/docs/provider-config.md b/docs/provider-config.md
index 9595ac1..410f07a 100644
--- a/docs/provider-config.md
+++ b/docs/provider-config.md
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ kib config provider.model gpt-4o
 
 | Feature | Anthropic | OpenAI | Ollama |
 |---------|-----------|--------|--------|
-| Default model | claude-sonnet-4-6-20250514 | gpt-4o | llama3 |
+| Default model | claude-sonnet-4-6 | gpt-4o | llama3 |
 | Fast model | claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 | gpt-4o | llama3 |
 | Vision (image ingest) | Yes | Yes | No |
 | Embeddings (vector search) | No | Yes (text-embedding-3-small) | Yes (nomic-embed-text) |
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ Run `kib init` and follow the prompts to select a provider and enter your API ke
 Used for heavy operations (compile, query, chat):
 
 ```bash
-kib config provider.model claude-sonnet-4-6-20250514
+kib config provider.model claude-sonnet-4-6
 ```
 
 ### Fast model
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ Override the model for specific operations:
 kib config compile.model gpt-4o
 
 # Use a different model for queries
-kib config query.model claude-sonnet-4-6-20250514
+kib config query.model claude-sonnet-4-6
 ```
 
 These override `provider.model` for that specific operation only.
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ All provider settings live in `.kb/config.toml`:
 ```toml
 [provider]
 default = "anthropic"
-model = "claude-sonnet-4-6-20250514"
+model = "claude-sonnet-4-6"
 fast_model = "claude-haiku-4-5-20251001"
 
 [compile]
diff --git a/docs/vault-format.md b/docs/vault-format.md
index dfcbe11..faf7dff 100644
--- a/docs/vault-format.md
+++ b/docs/vault-format.md
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ The manifest is the source of truth for vault state. Schema version: `"1"`.
     "created": "2024-01-15T10:00:00.000Z",
     "lastCompiled": "2024-01-15T12:00:00.000Z",
     "provider": "anthropic",
-    "model": "claude-sonnet-4-6-20250514"
+    "model": "claude-sonnet-4-6"
   },
   "sources": {
     "src_a1b2c3d4e5f6": {
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ Vault configuration lives at `.kb/config.toml`:
 ```toml
 [provider]
 default = "anthropic"
-model = "claude-sonnet-4-6-20250514"
+model = "claude-sonnet-4-6"
 fast_model = "claude-haiku-4-5-20251001"
 
 [compile]
diff --git a/examples/ml-research/.kb/config.toml b/examples/ml-research/.kb/config.toml
index 113004c..8498b4d 100644
--- a/examples/ml-research/.kb/config.toml
+++ b/examples/ml-research/.kb/config.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [provider]
 default = "anthropic"
-model = "claude-sonnet-4-6-20250514"
+model = "claude-sonnet-4-6"
 fast_model = "claude-haiku-4-5-20251001"
 
 [compile]
diff --git a/examples/ml-research/.kb/manifest.json b/examples/ml-research/.kb/manifest.json
index 188e980..eaddc37 100644
--- a/examples/ml-research/.kb/manifest.json
+++ b/examples/ml-research/.kb/manifest.json
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
     "created": "2026-03-01T09:00:00.000Z",
     "lastCompiled": "2026-03-15T14:30:00.000Z",
     "provider": "anthropic",
-    "model": "claude-sonnet-4-6-20250514"
+    "model": "claude-sonnet-4-6"
   },
   "sources": {
     "src_att001": {
diff --git a/examples/reading-list/.kb/config.toml b/examples/reading-list/.kb/config.toml
index eab4e09..98b0bda 100644
--- a/examples/reading-list/.kb/config.toml
+++ b/examples/reading-list/.kb/config.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [provider]
 default = "anthropic"
-model = "claude-sonnet-4-6-20250514"
+model = "claude-sonnet-4-6"
 fast_model = "claude-haiku-4-5-20251001"
 
 [compile]
diff --git a/examples/reading-list/.kb/manifest.json b/examples/reading-list/.kb/manifest.json
index b1121d2..80f77df 100644
--- a/examples/reading-list/.kb/manifest.json
+++ b/examples/reading-list/.kb/manifest.json
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
     "created": "2026-01-05T10:00:00.000Z",
     "lastCompiled": "2026-04-01T16:00:00.000Z",
     "provider": "anthropic",
-    "model": "claude-sonnet-4-6-20250514"
+    "model": "claude-sonnet-4-6"
   },
   "sources": {
     "src_tfas001": {
diff --git a/packages/cli/README.md b/packages/cli/README.md
index ac03a4f..433c2f9 100644
--- a/packages/cli/README.md
+++ b/packages/cli/README.md
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ On first use, kib walks you through provider setup interactively. Or set via env
 
 | Provider | Env Variable | Default Model |
 |----------|-------------|---------------|
-| Anthropic | `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` | claude-sonnet-4-6-20250514 |
+| Anthropic | `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` | claude-sonnet-4-6 |
 | OpenAI | `OPENAI_API_KEY` | gpt-4o |
 | Ollama | (auto-detect localhost:11434) | llama3 |
 
diff --git a/packages/core/README.md b/packages/core/README.md
index 20190c4..653097b 100644
--- a/packages/core/README.md
+++ b/packages/core/README.md
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ console.log(answer.answer);
 
 | Provider | Env Variable | Default Model |
 |----------|-------------|---------------|
-| Anthropic | `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` | claude-sonnet-4-6-20250514 |
+| Anthropic | `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` | claude-sonnet-4-6 |
 | OpenAI | `OPENAI_API_KEY` | gpt-4o |
 | Ollama | (auto-detect localhost:11434) | llama3 |
 
diff --git a/packages/core/src/compile/compiler.ts b/packages/core/src/compile/compiler.ts
index 94fa761..08cfedf 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/compile/compiler.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/compile/compiler.ts
@@ -348,11 +348,7 @@ async function compileSingleSource(
 					tags: Array.isArray(frontmatter.tags) ? (frontmatter.tags as string[]) : [],
 					summary: (frontmatter.summary as string) ?? "",
 					wordCount: countWords(body),
-					category: ((frontmatter.category as string) ?? "topic") as
-						| "concept"
-						| "topic"
-						| "reference"
-						| "output",
+					category: normalizeCategory((frontmatter.category as string) ?? "topic"),
 				};
 
 				const articleTitle = (frontmatter.title as string) ?? articleSlug;
@@ -570,11 +566,13 @@ async function compileVaultInner(
 					const msg = (result.reason as Error).message ?? String(result.reason);
 					if (
 						msg.includes("401") ||
+						msg.includes("404") ||
 						msg.includes("authentication") ||
 						msg.includes("No LLM provider")
 					) {
 						throw result.reason;
 					}
+					allWarnings.push(`Failed to compile ${sourcePath}: ${msg}`);
 					options.onProgress?.(`Failed to compile ${sourcePath}: ${msg}`);
 				}
 			}
@@ -629,11 +627,13 @@ async function compileVaultInner(
 				const msg = (err as Error).message ?? String(err);
 				if (
 					msg.includes("401") ||
+					msg.includes("404") ||
 					msg.includes("authentication") ||
 					msg.includes("No LLM provider")
 				) {
 					throw err;
 				}
+				allWarnings.push(`Failed to compile ${sourcePath}: ${msg}`);
 				options.onProgress?.(`Failed to compile ${sourcePath}: ${msg}`);
 			}
 		}
@@ -714,7 +714,7 @@ async function compileVaultInner(
 	const totalOutputTokens = perSourceUsage.reduce((sum, u) => sum + u.outputTokens, 0);
 
 	return {
-		sourcesCompiled: sourcesToCompile.length,
+		sourcesCompiled: perSourceUsage.length,
 		articlesCreated: totalCreated,
 		articlesUpdated: totalUpdated,
 		articlesDeleted: totalDeleted,
@@ -793,6 +793,23 @@ function categoryForSourceType(sourceType: string): string {
 	}
 }
 
+type ArticleCategory = "concept" | "topic" | "reference" | "output";
+
+/** Normalize category from plural directory name to singular schema value */
+function normalizeCategory(raw: string): ArticleCategory {
+	const map: Record<string, ArticleCategory> = {
+		concepts: "concept",
+		concept: "concept",
+		topics: "topic",
+		topic: "topic",
+		references: "reference",
+		reference: "reference",
+		outputs: "output",
+		output: "output",
+	};
+	return map[raw.toLowerCase()] ?? "topic";
+}
+
 /**
  * Load existing wiki articles that a source previously produced.
  */
diff --git a/packages/core/src/constants.ts b/packages/core/src/constants.ts
index a7795c8..4c7300c 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/constants.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/constants.ts
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ export const RAW_CATEGORIES = ["articles", "papers", "repos", "images", "transcr
 /** Default config values */
 export const DEFAULTS = {
 	provider: "anthropic",
-	model: "claude-sonnet-4-6-20250514",
+	model: "claude-sonnet-4-6",
 	fastModel: "claude-haiku-4-5-20251001",
 	maxSourcesPerPass: 10,
 	searchMaxResults: 20,
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ export const DEFAULTS = {
 	maxFileSizeMb: 50,
 	compileArticleMinWords: 200,
 	compileArticleMaxWords: 1000,
-	contextWindow: 200_000, // tokens — conservative default for Claude Sonnet
+	contextWindow: 200_000, // tokens — conservative default (Sonnet 4.6 supports 1M)
 	maxSourceTokens: 32_000, // auto-summarize sources larger than this
 	maxParallel: 3, // max concurrent source compilations
 	tokensPerChar: 0.25, // rough estimate: ~4 chars per token
diff --git a/scripts/smoke-test.sh b/scripts/smoke-test.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..16dc031
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/smoke-test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Smoke test — runs kib end-to-end with real API calls
+# Usage: ./scripts/smoke-test.sh
+set -uo pipefail
+
+SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
+ROOT="$SCRIPT_DIR/.."
+VAULT="/tmp/kib-smoke-test-$$"
+PASS=0
+FAIL=0
+
+kib() { cd "$VAULT" && bun run "$ROOT/packages/cli/bin/kib.ts" "$@" 2>&1; cd "$ROOT"; }
+
+green() { printf "\033[32m✓ %s\033[0m\n" "$1"; }
+red()   { printf "\033[31m✗ %s\033[0m\n" "$1"; }
+
+cleanup() { rm -rf "$VAULT"; }
+trap cleanup EXIT
+
+echo ""
+echo "=== kib smoke test ==="
+echo "vault: $VAULT"
+echo ""
+
+# -- init --
+bun run "$ROOT/packages/cli/bin/kib.ts" init "$VAULT" > /dev/null 2>&1
+if [ -f "$VAULT/.kb/manifest.json" ]; then green "init"; ((PASS++)); else red "init"; ((FAIL++)); fi
+
+# -- ingest local file --
+cat > "$VAULT/test.md" << 'EOF'
+# Neural Networks
+
+A neural network is a computational model inspired by biological neurons. It consists of layers of interconnected nodes that process information. Key types include CNNs for images, RNNs for sequences, and Transformers for attention-based processing.
+EOF
+OUTPUT=$(kib ingest "$VAULT/test.md")
+if echo "$OUTPUT" | grep -q "Ingested 1 source"; then green "ingest (local file)"; ((PASS++)); else red "ingest (local file)"; ((FAIL++)); echo "  $OUTPUT"; fi
+
+# -- ingest web --
+OUTPUT=$(kib ingest "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gradient_descent")
+if echo "$OUTPUT" | grep -q "Ingested 1 source"; then green "ingest (web)"; ((PASS++)); else red "ingest (web)"; ((FAIL++)); echo "  $OUTPUT"; fi
+
+# -- status --
+OUTPUT=$(kib status --json)
+if echo "$OUTPUT" | grep -q '"sources": 2'; then green "status"; ((PASS++)); else red "status"; ((FAIL++)); echo "  $OUTPUT"; fi
+
+# -- compile (calls LLM) --
+echo ""
+echo "Compiling (calling LLM)..."
+OUTPUT=$(kib compile)
+if echo "$OUTPUT" | grep -q "article"; then green "compile"; ((PASS++)); else red "compile"; ((FAIL++)); echo "  $OUTPUT"; fi
+echo "  $(echo "$OUTPUT" | grep 'tokens used' || echo 'no token info')"
+
+# -- search --
+OUTPUT=$(kib search "neural network")
+if echo "$OUTPUT" | grep -qi "neural"; then green "search"; ((PASS++)); else red "search"; ((FAIL++)); fi
+
+# -- query (calls LLM) --
+echo ""
+echo "Querying (calling LLM)..."
+OUTPUT=$(kib query "what is a neural network?")
+if echo "$OUTPUT" | grep -qi "neural"; then green "query"; ((PASS++)); else red "query"; ((FAIL++)); fi
+
+# -- lint --
+OUTPUT=$(kib lint)
+if echo "$OUTPUT" | grep -q "Checking articles"; then green "lint (ran)"; ((PASS++)); else red "lint"; ((FAIL++)); echo "  $OUTPUT"; fi
+
+# -- export markdown --
+OUTPUT=$(kib export --format markdown)
+if [ -f "$VAULT/export/INDEX.md" ]; then green "export (markdown)"; ((PASS++)); else red "export (markdown)"; ((FAIL++)); fi
+
+# -- export html --
+OUTPUT=$(kib export --format html --output "$VAULT/html-export")
+if [ -f "$VAULT/html-export/INDEX.html" ]; then green "export (html)"; ((PASS++)); else red "export (html)"; ((FAIL++)); fi
+
+# -- skill list --
+OUTPUT=$(kib skill list)
+if echo "$OUTPUT" | grep -q "summarize"; then green "skill list"; ((PASS++)); else red "skill list"; ((FAIL++)); fi
+
+# -- config --
+OUTPUT=$(kib config provider.model)
+if echo "$OUTPUT" | grep -q "claude-sonnet-4-6"; then green "config"; ((PASS++)); else red "config"; ((FAIL++)); echo "  $OUTPUT"; fi
+
+echo ""
+echo "=== Results: $PASS passed, $FAIL failed ==="
+[ "$FAIL" -eq 0 ] && echo "All good." || exit 1