diff --git a/workers/src/index.ts b/workers/src/index.ts
index 58fb122..045fd92 100644
--- a/workers/src/index.ts
+++ b/workers/src/index.ts
@@ -449,6 +449,8 @@ Time filter example: WHERE timestamp > NOW() - INTERVAL '30' DAY`,
       openWorldHint: true,
     },
     async ({ sql }) => {
+      const startTime = Date.now();
+
       if (!env.CF_ACCOUNT_ID || !env.CF_API_TOKEN) {
         return {
           content: [{
@@ -456,6 +458,9 @@ Time filter example: WHERE timestamp > NOW() - INTERVAL '30' DAY`,
             text: JSON.stringify({
               action: "telemetry_public",
               result: { error: "Telemetry queries not configured. CF_ACCOUNT_ID and CF_API_TOKEN required." },
+              server_time: new Date().toISOString(),
+              assistant_text: "Telemetry queries not configured. Set CF_ACCOUNT_ID and CF_API_TOKEN.",
+              debug: { duration_ms: Date.now() - startTime },
             }, null, 2),
           }],
         };
@@ -482,12 +487,26 @@ Time filter example: WHERE timestamp > NOW() - INTERVAL '30' DAY`,
         result = { error: "Query execution failed." };
       }
 
+      // Derive row count for assistant_text when the result carries data rows
+      let assistantText = "Telemetry query completed.";
+      if (typeof result === 'object' && result !== null) {
+        if ('error' in result) {
+          assistantText = "Telemetry query completed with errors.";
+        } else if ('data' in result && Array.isArray((result as Record<string, unknown>).data)) {
+          const rows = ((result as Record<string, unknown>).data as unknown[]).length;
+          assistantText = `Telemetry query returned ${rows} row${rows === 1 ? "" : "s"}.`;
+        }
+      }
+
       return {
         content: [{
           type: "text" as const,
           text: JSON.stringify({
             action: "telemetry_public",
             result: { data: result, generated_at: new Date().toISOString() },
+            server_time: new Date().toISOString(),
+            assistant_text: assistantText,
+            debug: { duration_ms: Date.now() - startTime },
           }, null, 2),
         }],
       };
diff --git a/workers/src/orchestrate.ts b/workers/src/orchestrate.ts
index 96c55b5..f2ba00b 100644
--- a/workers/src/orchestrate.ts
+++ b/workers/src/orchestrate.ts
@@ -1742,7 +1742,8 @@ async function runCatalog(
     debug: {
       knowledge_base_url: knowledgeBaseUrl,
       baseline_url: index.baseline_url,
-      generated_at: index.generated_at,
+      generated_at: new Date().toISOString(),   // response time — consistent with all other handlers
+      index_built_at: index.generated_at,       // preserve cache-freshness diagnostic under accurate name
       duration_ms: Date.now() - startMs,
     },
   };
diff --git a/workers/test/canon-tool-envelope.smoke.mjs b/workers/test/canon-tool-envelope.smoke.mjs
index a73eb3d..89ce465 100644
--- a/workers/test/canon-tool-envelope.smoke.mjs
+++ b/workers/test/canon-tool-envelope.smoke.mjs
@@ -129,7 +129,14 @@ async function run() {
     `got: ${policyOverride.debug?.knowledge_base_url}`,
   );
 
-  // Tool 4: oddkit_encode — canon-driven, DOLCHEO-aware. Full envelope +
+  // Tool 4: telemetry_public — should have full envelope (no governance_source)
+  console.log("\n─── Testing: telemetry_public ───");
+  const telemetryPublicResult = await callTool("telemetry_public", {
+    sql: "SELECT 1 AS probe FROM oddkit_telemetry WHERE timestamp > NOW() - INTERVAL '1' HOUR LIMIT 1"
+  });
+  expectFullEnvelope("telemetry_public", telemetryPublicResult);
+
+  // Tool 5: oddkit_encode — canon-driven, DOLCHEO-aware. Full envelope +
   // governance_source + DOLCHEO prefix-tag batch mode + Open facet + back-
   // compat for unprefixed input.
   console.log(`\n─── oddkit_encode: envelope + governance_source ───`);
@@ -596,6 +603,28 @@ async function run() {
     `got: met=${prereqPass.result?.prerequisites?.required_met} total=${prereqPass.result?.prerequisites?.required_total}`,
   );
 
+  // Tool: oddkit_catalog — debug.generated_at must be response time, not cached index time
+  console.log("\n─── Testing: oddkit_catalog ───");
+  const catalogResult = await callTool("oddkit", { action: "catalog", input: "recent" });
+  expectFullEnvelope("oddkit_catalog", catalogResult);
+
+  // debug.generated_at must be recent (under 60s) — not the cached index build time
+  const generatedAt = catalogResult.debug?.generated_at;
+  ok(`oddkit_catalog: debug.generated_at present`,
+    typeof generatedAt === "string" && /^\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}T/.test(generatedAt),
+    `got: ${generatedAt}`);
+  if (typeof generatedAt === "string") {
+    const ageMs = Date.now() - Date.parse(generatedAt);
+    ok(`oddkit_catalog: debug.generated_at is response time (age < 60s)`,
+      ageMs < 60_000 && ageMs >= 0,
+      `ageMs=${ageMs}`);
+  }
+
+  // index_built_at is the separate, accurately-named cache-freshness diagnostic
+  ok(`oddkit_catalog: debug.index_built_at present`,
+    typeof catalogResult.debug?.index_built_at === "string",
+    `got: ${catalogResult.debug?.index_built_at}`);
+
   console.log(`\n${passed} passed, ${failed} failed`);
   process.exit(failed === 0 ? 0 : 1);
 }