diff --git a/internal/generate-tree.mjs b/internal/generate-tree.mjs
index 13ed3c5f3..8b849290f 100644
--- a/internal/generate-tree.mjs
+++ b/internal/generate-tree.mjs
@@ -851,12 +851,13 @@ const MAPLIBRE_STYLE_ORIGIN = 'https://tiles.openfreemap.org'   // useMapInstanc
  * MapLibre, keyless. The runtime can still be overridden by ?tk=/?provider=/window.MAP_PROVIDER/a stored
  * token; the hint follows the build default and the report names that miss case (one unused preconnect).
  */
-function engineFor({ isMapLibre, config, tokenUrlExpr, bakedToken }) {
-  const asked = String((config && config.provider) || '').toLowerCase().trim()
-  if (isMapLibre || asked === 'maplibre') return 'maplibre'
-  if (asked === 'mapbox') return 'mapbox'
-  const hasEndpoint = !!(tokenUrlExpr && tokenUrlExpr !== 'window.MAP_TOKEN_URL')
-  return (bakedToken || hasEndpoint) ? 'mapbox' : 'maplibre'
+function engineFor({ config }) {
+  // CORRECTED 2026-09-29 (regions executed the shipping resolver; rega's A9NET confirmed on the wire):
+  // a token no longer selects Mapbox. useMapProvider's default is MapLibre unless provider is EXPLICITLY
+  // 'mapbox'. rega measured all 8 auto leaves — which DO carry a pray.doxa.life token endpoint — loading
+  // MapLibre from jsdelivr cold. So the hint's engine is Mapbox ONLY when provider:'mapbox' is set; every
+  // other case (auto, or provider:'maplibre') is MapLibre, regardless of any baked token / tokenUrl.
+  return String((config && config.provider) || '').toLowerCase().trim() === 'mapbox' ? 'mapbox' : 'maplibre'
 }
 
 /**
@@ -866,19 +867,21 @@ function engineFor({ isMapLibre, config, tokenUrlExpr, bakedToken }) {
  * and 'mapbox' branches already carry a static engine tag (mapPageHtml's peerBlock / the embed snippet),
  * so a preload there would double-fetch — those get preconnects only. Returns '' for a non-map leaf.
  */
-function resourceHints({ isMapLibre, config, apiBaseUrl, tokenUrlExpr, bakedToken }) {
-  const engine = engineFor({ isMapLibre, config, tokenUrlExpr, bakedToken })
+function resourceHints({ isMapLibre, config, apiBaseUrl }) {
+  const engine = engineFor({ config })
   const styleOrigin = engine === 'maplibre' ? MAPLIBRE_STYLE_ORIGIN : ENGINE_ORIGIN.mapbox
   const dataOrigin = ORIGIN(apiBaseUrl)   // '' when same-origin (no build apiBaseUrl): nothing to preconnect
   const origins = [...new Set([ENGINE_ORIGIN[engine], styleOrigin, dataOrigin].filter(Boolean))]
   const lines = origins.map((o) => `  <link rel="preconnect" href="${o}" crossorigin />`)
-  // 'auto' leaf only: it emits no engine <script>, so preload the engine (URL+integrity+crossorigin from cdn.js).
-  const staticEngine = isMapLibre || (config && (config.provider === 'mapbox'))
-  if (!staticEngine) {
+  // Preload the engine UNLESS the leaf already emits a static engine <script>. Only a provider:'maplibre'
+  // leaf does (peerBlock); the 'auto' leaf and a provider:'mapbox' leaf emit no static tag (the Mapbox
+  // static tags were removed 2026-09-25), so both benefit from a preload. URL+integrity+crossorigin from
+  // cdn.js so it matches ensureEngineScript's tag exactly (a mismatched preload is not reused).
+  if (!isMapLibre) {
     const gl = engine === 'maplibre' ? CDN.maplibreGlJs : CDN.mapboxGlJs
     lines.push(`  <link rel="preload" as="script" href="${gl.url}" integrity="${gl.integrity}" crossorigin="anonymous" />`)
   }
-  return lines.length ? `  <!-- A9 hints: the map's origins, so DNS/TLS + the engine start with the bundle, not after it (dx-base/a9-leaf-hints; engine derived from the token ladder). -->\n${lines.join('\n')}\n` : ''
+  return lines.length ? `  <!-- A9 hints: the map's origins, so DNS/TLS + the engine start with the bundle, not after it (dx-base/a9-leaf-hints; engine = provider or the MapLibre default). -->\n${lines.join('\n')}\n` : ''
 }
 
 // Does a bundle's BUILT .js reference a map engine? The directly verifiable signal for A9 leaf hints
@@ -950,7 +953,7 @@ function mapPageHtml(opts) {
   // over-hints it. The engine only mounts in-page for a real map leaf (drawsMap) or a cap-4 composite
   // (isComposite) that stacks a map child; a non-map, non-composite leaf never opens the engine itself.
   const drawsMapInPage = (drawsMap || (isComposite && bundleLoadsEngine)) && !shellTokenFree
-  const hintBlock = drawsMapInPage ? resourceHints({ isMapLibre, config, apiBaseUrl, tokenUrlExpr, bakedToken }) : ''
+  const hintBlock = drawsMapInPage ? resourceHints({ isMapLibre, config, apiBaseUrl }) : ''
   const peerBlock = shellOnly
     ? `<!-- NON-MAP leaf (app-shell / composite / grid / card / chart-table): NO map peer.
        This element draws no map tiles, so it needs no Mapbox/MapLibre engine and MUST NOT