diff --git a/docs/mutation-testing.md b/docs/mutation-testing.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6a6983a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/mutation-testing.md
@@ -0,0 +1,156 @@
+# Mutation testing with cargo-mutants
+
+This document captures rivet's mutation-testing pattern so other
+pulseengine repos can adopt it consistently. It is the canonical
+reference for the [`templates/cargo-mutants`](../templates/cargo-mutants/)
+template files.
+
+## Why mutation testing
+
+Mutation testing measures **test-suite adequacy**: it perturbs the
+code under test and counts how many perturbations the suite catches.
+A test suite that achieves high line/branch coverage but kills few
+mutants is a suite full of assertions that don't actually constrain
+behaviour.
+
+Mutation score is recognised under:
+
+- **IEC 61508 Annex C.5.12** — table C.13 lists "mutation analysis"
+  as a recommended technique for verifying test-case completeness.
+- **ISO 26262-6 Table 13** — recommended for ASIL C/D unit-test
+  coverage assessment.
+- **EN 50128** and **DO-178C** treat mutation analysis as
+  acceptable evidence of structural-coverage robustness.
+
+For Rust specifically, mutation score is the most credible answer to
+the open MC/DC-for-Rust problem: Rust has no production MC/DC tooling,
+and mutation analysis fills the same evidentiary slot.
+
+## When to run
+
+| Stage | Cost | Recommendation |
+|---|---|---|
+| Pre-commit | Too slow (minutes per file) | Skip |
+| Pre-push (smoke) | 1–5 min on one crate | Optional; rivet does this |
+| CI nightly | 30–90 min per crate | Required for ASIL ≥ B / DAL ≥ C |
+| Pre-release | Hours, full workspace | Required for ASIL D / DAL A |
+
+The nightly CI gate is the load-bearing one — it is the only level at
+which a meaningful mutation score is computed and recorded. The
+pre-push smoke is just a sanity check that mutation testing still
+runs at all.
+
+## Score targets per safety level
+
+These are PulseEngine internal targets. They are stricter than any
+single standard requires because we apply mutation-score as the
+primary structural-coverage gate for Rust.
+
+| Safety level | Mutation-score floor | Rationale |
+|---|---|---|
+| QM / DAL E | no requirement | Mutation testing optional |
+| ASIL A / DAL D | ≥ 0.70 | Catch obvious assertion gaps |
+| ASIL B / DAL C | ≥ 0.80 | Match IEC 61508 SIL 2 expectations |
+| ASIL C / DAL B | ≥ 0.85 | |
+| ASIL D / DAL A | ≥ 0.90 | Closes the MC/DC-for-Rust gap |
+
+Record the target on the relevant `test-spec` artifact via
+`mutation-score-target` and the measured value on each `test-exec` via
+`mutation-score`. `rivet validate` will (in a future change tracked
+under #188) compare measured vs. target and surface drift.
+
+## Recording results in rivet
+
+The schema fields land in `schemas/score.yaml`:
+
+```yaml
+- id: TEST-SPEC-007
+  type: test-spec
+  title: rivet-core unit tests
+  fields:
+    safety-level: ASIL_C
+    mutation-score-target: 0.85
+
+- id: TEST-EXEC-2026-04-27
+  type: test-exec
+  fields:
+    version: v0.5.0
+    commit: 92ad95d
+    timestamp: 2026-04-27T02:00:00Z
+    mutation-score: 0.872
+    mutants-tested: 481
+    mutants-killed: 419
+    mutants-missed: 49
+    mutants-timeout: 8
+    mutants-unviable: 5
+  links:
+    - type: belongs-to
+      target: TEST-SPEC-007
+```
+
+`mutants-tested = mutants-killed + mutants-missed + mutants-timeout
++ mutants-unviable`. cargo-mutants treats `timeout` as caught and
+`unviable` (didn't compile) as excluded, so:
+
+```
+mutation-score = (killed + timeout) / (tested - unviable)
+```
+
+## Marking unreachable mutants
+
+Some mutants are unreachable by construction (defensive `assert!` on
+type-system invariants, debug-only `tracing::debug!` calls that have
+no observable effect, etc.). Skipping them is fine if you can justify
+the rationale — record the rationale alongside the skip so an
+auditor can read both together.
+
+### Per-call skip via `mutants.toml`
+
+For pattern-wide skips (e.g., all `tracing::debug!` calls), use the
+`skip_calls` array in `mutants.toml`. The template ships with
+`tracing::trace` and `tracing::debug` excluded by default.
+
+### Per-function skip via attribute
+
+For ad-hoc skips on a specific function, add an attribute and a
+comment justifying it:
+
+```rust
+// cargo-mutants: defensive bounds check; mutating the comparison
+// would corrupt unrelated proofs that rely on this invariant.
+#[cfg_attr(test, mutants::skip)]
+fn assert_index_in_bounds(i: usize, len: usize) {
+    assert!(i < len);
+}
+```
+
+The cfg_attr scoping keeps the attribute out of release builds.
+
+## Adopting in another pulseengine repo
+
+1. Copy the template files:
+   ```sh
+   cp rivet/templates/cargo-mutants/mutants.toml .
+   cp rivet/templates/cargo-mutants/mutants.yml .github/workflows/
+   ```
+2. Edit `.github/workflows/mutants.yml` — replace the `matrix.crate`
+   list with your crates.
+3. Edit `mutants.toml` — tighten `exclude_globs` and `skip_calls` for
+   crate-specific noise.
+4. Add (or update) a `test-spec` artifact that names the suite under
+   test and sets `mutation-score-target` per the table above.
+5. After the first nightly run, file `test-exec` artifacts to record
+   measured scores. Automate this in your CI workflow.
+
+## Open questions / non-goals
+
+- **Cross-repo aggregation** is tracked separately in
+  [#188](https://github.com/pulseengine/rivet/issues/188). The schema
+  fields above are designed to feed that dashboard; rendering belongs
+  to the coverage-matrix initiative.
+- **Mutation testing of proof code** (Verus, Rocq, Lean) is out of
+  scope. The proofs verify, by definition, the property they
+  state — there is no "test suite" to mutate against them.
+- **Differential mutation** (testing mutants against a delta rather
+  than a full suite) is not yet templated; cargo-mutants supports it
+  via `--in-diff` but our nightly schedule runs full suites today.
diff --git a/schemas/score.yaml b/schemas/score.yaml
index cd1d212..4272ac0 100644
--- a/schemas/score.yaml
+++ b/schemas/score.yaml
@@ -545,6 +545,14 @@ artifact-types:
       - name: expected-result
         type: text
         required: false
+      - name: mutation-score-target
+        type: number
+        required: false
+        description: >
+          Target mutation-kill rate for this test spec, as a fraction in
+          [0.0, 1.0]. Per-ASIL/DAL recommendations live in
+          docs/mutation-testing.md. Compared against the measured
+          `mutation-score` on the corresponding test-exec.
     link-fields:
       - name: fully-verifies
         link-type: fully-verifies
@@ -588,6 +596,38 @@ artifact-types:
         type: structured
         required: false
         description: OS, toolchain, hardware configuration
+      - name: mutation-score
+        type: number
+        required: false
+        description: >
+          Measured mutation-kill rate for this execution, as a fraction in
+          [0.0, 1.0]. Recorded by the cargo-mutants run that produced this
+          test-exec. See docs/mutation-testing.md for ASIL/DAL targets.
+      - name: mutants-tested
+        type: number
+        required: false
+        description: >
+          Total number of mutants generated and tested in this run.
+          Optional but useful for understanding the basis of `mutation-score`.
+      - name: mutants-killed
+        type: number
+        required: false
+        description: Number of mutants caught by the test suite.
+      - name: mutants-missed
+        type: number
+        required: false
+        description: >
+          Number of mutants that survived the test suite. Each missed
+          mutant is a coverage gap. Should equal `mutants-tested -
+          mutants-killed - mutants-timeout - mutants-unviable`.
+      - name: mutants-timeout
+        type: number
+        required: false
+        description: Number of mutants that timed out (treated as killed by cargo-mutants).
+      - name: mutants-unviable
+        type: number
+        required: false
+        description: Number of mutants that did not compile (excluded from score).
     link-fields:
       - name: belongs-to
         link-type: belongs-to
diff --git a/templates/cargo-mutants/README.md b/templates/cargo-mutants/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aa2d701
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/cargo-mutants/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+# cargo-mutants template
+
+Reusable cargo-mutants configuration extracted from rivet's pre-push hook.
+
+## Files
+
+- `mutants.toml` — base config (timeouts, exclusions, skip calls).
+- `mutants.yml` — nightly + manual-dispatch GitHub Actions workflow.
+
+## Quickstart for adopters
+
+```sh
+# From the root of the adopting repo:
+mkdir -p .github/workflows
+cp .../rivet/templates/cargo-mutants/mutants.toml ./mutants.toml
+cp .../rivet/templates/cargo-mutants/mutants.yml .github/workflows/mutants.yml
+
+# Edit mutants.yml and replace the matrix `crate` list with your crates.
+# Edit mutants.toml and tighten exclusions / skip_calls per crate.
+```
+
+## Three operating modes
+
+| Mode | Where | Cost | When |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| Pre-commit (off) | Local | Too slow for `pre-commit` | Skip; mutation testing should not block local edits. |
+| Pre-push smoke | Local `.pre-commit-config.yaml`, `stages: [pre-push]` | ~1–5 min | Optional, against a single crate's lib. |
+| CI nightly | `mutants.yml` | 30–90 min per crate | Required gate for safety-critical crates. |
+
+## Score targets
+
+See [`docs/mutation-testing.md`](../../docs/mutation-testing.md) for
+ASIL/DAL targets and the procedure for marking unreachable mutants.
+The schema field `mutation-score` on `test-exec` (in
+`schemas/score.yaml`) is the place to record measured scores so they
+flow into rivet traceability.
diff --git a/templates/cargo-mutants/mutants.toml b/templates/cargo-mutants/mutants.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dd15945
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/cargo-mutants/mutants.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+# cargo-mutants configuration template
+#
+# Reusable starting point for pulseengine repos that adopt mutation testing.
+# Copy to the repo root as `mutants.toml`. Tune per-crate as needed; the
+# defaults below match rivet's pre-push smoke profile.
+#
+# Reference: https://mutants.rs/mutants_toml.html
+# Schema field counterpart: see `mutation-score` on `test-exec` in
+# schemas/score.yaml; record measured scores there for traceability.
+
+# Per-mutant test timeout, in seconds. cargo-mutants kills the test process
+# if a mutant takes longer than (baseline_test_time * timeout_multiplier),
+# clamped to at least `minimum_test_timeout`. 60s is the rivet smoke value.
+minimum_test_timeout = 60
+
+# Skip generated, vendored, and proof-only paths. Mutating these costs CI
+# time without exercising real code paths.
+exclude_globs = [
+    "target/**",
+    "vendor/**",
+    "**/generated/**",
+    "proofs/**",
+    "verus/**",
+    "fuzz/fuzz_targets/**",
+]
+
+# Pass `--lib` to the underlying `cargo test`. Mutation testing typically
+# targets library code; integration / E2E tests are too slow to be useful
+# as kill criteria. Override per-crate if you need to include `--tests`.
+additional_cargo_test_args = ["--lib"]
+
+# Functions cargo-mutants should not touch. Common cases:
+#   - `Drop::drop` (mutating Drop usually corrupts unrelated tests)
+#   - logging / tracing macros (no behavioural effect)
+# Add patterns specific to your crate.
+skip_calls = [
+    "tracing::trace",
+    "tracing::debug",
+]
diff --git a/templates/cargo-mutants/mutants.yml b/templates/cargo-mutants/mutants.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2098f52
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/cargo-mutants/mutants.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+# cargo-mutants nightly mutation-testing workflow template.
+#
+# Adopters copy this file to `.github/workflows/mutants.yml` and adjust:
+#   - the matrix `crate` list to the crates they want covered
+#   - the schedule cron (default: 02:00 UTC nightly)
+#   - the `MUTANTS_TIMEOUT` if their crate's test suite needs more headroom
+#
+# See docs/mutation-testing.md (in rivet) for the rationale, ASIL/DAL
+# score targets, and how to mark unreachable mutants.
+#
+# This workflow is deliberately separate from CI:
+#   - CI runs on every PR and must stay fast (minutes).
+#   - cargo-mutants is slow (often >30 min for a non-trivial crate) and
+#     belongs on a nightly schedule + manual dispatch only.
+
+name: Mutants
+
+on:
+  schedule:
+    # Nightly at 02:00 UTC. Adjust to your maintenance window.
+    - cron: '0 2 * * *'
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      crate:
+        description: 'Crate to mutate (default: all)'
+        required: false
+        default: ''
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+env:
+  CARGO_TERM_COLOR: always
+  # Per-mutant timeout in seconds. Should match `minimum_test_timeout`
+  # in mutants.toml or be slightly higher.
+  MUTANTS_TIMEOUT: '60'
+
+jobs:
+  mutants:
+    name: cargo mutants (${{ matrix.crate }})
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    # Mutation runs are intentionally slow. 90 minutes is a reasonable
+    # ceiling per crate; bump if your suite is larger.
+    timeout-minutes: 90
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        # CUSTOMIZE: list one entry per crate to mutate. Splitting per crate
+        # lets the matrix parallelise and keeps each shard under timeout.
+        crate:
+          - rivet-core
+          - rivet-cli
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v6
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 1
+
+      - uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
+
+      - uses: Swatinem/rust-cache@v2
+        with:
+          # Mutation runs invalidate caches frequently; keep a separate key.
+          key: mutants-${{ matrix.crate }}
+
+      - name: Install cargo-mutants
+        run: cargo install --locked cargo-mutants
+
+      - name: Run mutation tests
+        run: |
+          cargo mutants \
+            --jobs 4 \
+            --minimum-test-timeout "${MUTANTS_TIMEOUT}" \
+            -p "${{ matrix.crate }}" \
+            --in-place \
+            --no-shuffle
+
+      - name: Upload mutants.out
+        if: always()
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: mutants-${{ matrix.crate }}
+          path: mutants.out/
+          retention-days: 14