diff --git a/commands/doctor.zsh b/commands/doctor.zsh
index 1e02beeb9..45802c36a 100644
--- a/commands/doctor.zsh
+++ b/commands/doctor.zsh
@@ -360,30 +360,47 @@ doctor() {
       atlas_version="${atlas_version:-unknown}"
       _doctor_log_quiet "  ${FLOW_COLORS[success]}✓${FLOW_COLORS[reset]} atlas installed (v${atlas_version})"
 
-      # Check connection / backend
+      # Check connection / backend. Gate "connected" on atlas actually
+      # RESPONDING — `command -v atlas` (above) only proves the binary is on
+      # PATH, so a broken/half-installed atlas (e.g. a bad interpreter shebang)
+      # would otherwise be reported as "connected". `atlas config show` emits the
+      # full config as pretty JSON (atlas bin/atlas.js); `.storage` is the
+      # backend (`filesystem` | `sqlite`). Run it once and reuse the output.
       if _flow_has_atlas 2>/dev/null; then
-        local atlas_backend
-        atlas_backend="$(atlas config get backend 2>/dev/null || echo "unknown")"
-        atlas_backend="${atlas_backend:-filesystem}"
-        _doctor_log_quiet "  ${FLOW_COLORS[success]}✓${FLOW_COLORS[reset]} atlas connected (${atlas_backend} backend)"
-
-        # Show project count
-        local atlas_project_count
-        atlas_project_count="$(atlas project list --format=names 2>/dev/null | wc -l | tr -d ' ')"
-        if [[ -n "$atlas_project_count" && "$atlas_project_count" -gt 0 ]] 2>/dev/null; then
-          _doctor_log_quiet "  ${FLOW_COLORS[success]}✓${FLOW_COLORS[reset]} project list works (${atlas_project_count} projects)"
+        local atlas_cfg atlas_backend
+        atlas_cfg="$(atlas config show 2>/dev/null)"
+        if [[ -n "$atlas_cfg" ]]; then
+          if command -v jq >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            atlas_backend="$(print -r -- "$atlas_cfg" | jq -r '.storage // "filesystem"' 2>/dev/null)"
+          else
+            # Anchor the match on the "storage" key so the value is taken from
+            # THAT field — a bare `.*: *"..."` greedily grabs the last quoted
+            # value on the line, which is wrong for single-line/compact JSON.
+            atlas_backend="$(print -r -- "$atlas_cfg" | grep '"storage"' | sed 's/.*"storage"[[:space:]]*:[[:space:]]*"\([^"]*\)".*/\1/')"
+          fi
+          atlas_backend="${atlas_backend:-filesystem}"
+          _doctor_log_quiet "  ${FLOW_COLORS[success]}✓${FLOW_COLORS[reset]} atlas connected (${atlas_backend} backend)"
+
+          # Show project count
+          local atlas_project_count
+          atlas_project_count="$(atlas project list --format=names 2>/dev/null | wc -l | tr -d ' ')"
+          if [[ -n "$atlas_project_count" && "$atlas_project_count" -gt 0 ]] 2>/dev/null; then
+            _doctor_log_quiet "  ${FLOW_COLORS[success]}✓${FLOW_COLORS[reset]} project list works (${atlas_project_count} projects)"
+          else
+            _doctor_log_quiet "  ${FLOW_COLORS[muted]}○${FLOW_COLORS[reset]} project list empty or unavailable"
+          fi
         else
-          _doctor_log_quiet "  ${FLOW_COLORS[muted]}○${FLOW_COLORS[reset]} project list empty or unavailable"
+          _doctor_log_quiet "  ${FLOW_COLORS[warning]}⚠${FLOW_COLORS[reset]}  atlas installed but not responding (config show failed)"
         fi
       else
         _doctor_log_quiet "  ${FLOW_COLORS[warning]}⚠${FLOW_COLORS[reset]}  atlas installed but not connected"
       fi
 
-      # Check MCP server (optional)
-      if atlas mcp status &>/dev/null 2>&1; then
-        _doctor_log_quiet "  ${FLOW_COLORS[success]}✓${FLOW_COLORS[reset]} atlas MCP server running"
+      # Check MCP server binary (atlas-mcp is a separate binary, not an atlas subcommand)
+      if command -v atlas-mcp &>/dev/null; then
+        _doctor_log_quiet "  ${FLOW_COLORS[success]}✓${FLOW_COLORS[reset]} atlas-mcp binary available"
       else
-        _doctor_log_quiet "  ${FLOW_COLORS[muted]}○${FLOW_COLORS[reset]} atlas MCP server ${FLOW_COLORS[muted]}(optional, not running)${FLOW_COLORS[reset]}"
+        _doctor_log_quiet "  ${FLOW_COLORS[muted]}○${FLOW_COLORS[reset]} atlas-mcp ${FLOW_COLORS[muted]}(optional MCP server, not installed)${FLOW_COLORS[reset]}"
       fi
     else
       _doctor_log_quiet "  ${FLOW_COLORS[muted]}○${FLOW_COLORS[reset]} atlas ${FLOW_COLORS[muted]}(optional, not installed)${FLOW_COLORS[reset]}"
diff --git a/docs/ATLAS-CONTRACT.md b/docs/ATLAS-CONTRACT.md
index e5798c9f0..f697b5dc8 100644
--- a/docs/ATLAS-CONTRACT.md
+++ b/docs/ATLAS-CONTRACT.md
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # Atlas CLI API Contract
 
-**Version:** 1.0.0
-**Parties:** flow-cli (v7.4.x) <-> Atlas CLI `@data-wise/atlas` (v0.9.x)
+**Version:** 1.1.0
+**Parties:** flow-cli (v7.10.x) <-> Atlas CLI `@data-wise/atlas` (v0.9.3)
 **Status:** Active
 
 ---
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@
 
 | flow-cli | Atlas CLI | Notes |
 |----------|-----------|-------|
-| v7.4.x   | v0.9.x    | Current contract version |
+| v7.10.x  | v0.9.3    | Contract v1.1 — 5 new integration flags (`session status --format`, `project list --count`, `project list --suggest`, `inbox --count`, `trail --limit`) |
+| v7.4.x   | v0.9.x    | Contract v1.0 — original contract |
 | v7.3.x   | v0.8.x    | Legacy — no `crumb` command |
 | v7.5.x   | v1.0.x    | Planned — stable API |
 
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@ These 6 commands are bridged with ZSH-native fallbacks when Atlas is not install
 | `atlas session end [note]` | `_flow_session_end` | worklog file | exit 0 |
 | `atlas catch <text> [--project=X]` | `_flow_catch` | inbox.md | exit 0 |
 | `atlas inbox` | `_flow_inbox` | cat inbox.md | text |
+| `atlas inbox --count` | `_flow_inbox_count` | echo "0" | bare integer (pending inbox count) |
 | `atlas where [project]` | `_flow_where` | filesystem detection | text |
 | `atlas crumb <text> [--project=X]` | `_flow_crumb` | trail.log | exit 0 |
 
@@ -37,7 +39,9 @@ These commands require Atlas CLI. flow-cli shows an install message if Atlas is
 
 | Command | Description | Output Format |
 |---------|-------------|---------------|
+| `atlas session status` | Current session state | `table` (default); `--format=json` → `{project,durationMinutes,state,task,startedAt}` or `null` when idle |
 | `atlas stats` | Project statistics | table |
+| `atlas config show` | Full configuration as pretty JSON | JSON — top-level `storage` key is the backend (`filesystem` \| `sqlite`) |
 | `atlas plan` | Planning view | table |
 | `atlas park [project]` | Park a project | text |
 | `atlas unpark [project]` | Unpark a project | text |
@@ -46,6 +50,7 @@ These commands require Atlas CLI. flow-cli shows an install message if Atlas is
 | `atlas focus [project]` | Set focus project | text |
 | `atlas triage` | Triage inbox items | interactive |
 | `atlas trail` | Show breadcrumb trail | text |
+| `atlas trail --limit <n>` | Breadcrumb trail, capped at n entries (most recent first) | text |
 
 ---
 
@@ -98,7 +103,20 @@ ships with the silent no-op until it lands.
 
 ## Output Format Specifications
 
-Atlas CLI supports 4 output formats via the `--format` flag:
+Format support is **per-command**, not universal. The `--format` flag is only valid for the commands listed below.
+
+### Per-Command Format Support Matrix
+
+| Command | Supported `--format` values | Default | Notes |
+|---------|----------------------------|---------|-------|
+| `atlas project list` | `table`, `json`, `names` | `table` | `names` = one name per line, no headers |
+| `atlas project show` | `table`, `json`, `names`, `shell` | `table` | `shell` = key=value pairs |
+| `atlas session status` | `table`, `json` | `table` | `json` emits `{project,durationMinutes,state,task,startedAt}` or `null` when idle |
+| `atlas stats` | `table`, `json`, `text`, `md` | `table` | |
+| `atlas session export` | `ical`, `json` | `ical` | |
+| `atlas plan` | *(n/a)* | n/a | Use `--json` flag for machine-readable output |
+
+### Format Descriptions
 
 | Format | Description | Example |
 |--------|-------------|---------|
@@ -139,6 +157,76 @@ atlas project list --status=<filter> --format=names
 
 Valid `--status` values: `active`, `parked`, `archived`, `all`.
 
+**`--count` flag (v0.9.3+):**
+
+```
+atlas project list --count
+atlas project list --status=active --count
+```
+
+Prints a bare integer (count of matched projects). Combinable with `--status`. Exits 0.
+
+**`--suggest` flag (v0.9.3+):**
+
+```
+atlas project list --suggest
+```
+
+Prints ONE project name — the most-recently-touched active project. Prints nothing (empty output) if no active projects exist. Exits 0.
+
+## `atlas inbox --count` Contract (v0.9.3+)
+
+```
+atlas inbox --count
+```
+
+Prints a bare integer (count of pending inbox captures, i.e. `status=inbox`). Exits 0.
+
+## `atlas trail --limit` Contract (v0.9.3+)
+
+```
+atlas trail --limit <n>
+```
+
+Caps the breadcrumb entries shown to the `n` most recent. Exits 0. Output format is text (unchanged from `atlas trail`).
+
+## `atlas session status --format=json` Contract (v0.9.3+)
+
+```
+atlas session status --format=json
+```
+
+Emits a JSON object when a session is active:
+
+```json
+{
+  "project": "<project-name>",
+  "durationMinutes": 42,
+  "state": "active",
+  "task": "<task text or null>",
+  "startedAt": "2026-06-14T09:00:00.000Z"
+}
+```
+
+Emits `null` (the literal JSON value) when no session is active. Always exits 0.
+
+## `atlas config show` Contract (consumed by `flow doctor`)
+
+```
+atlas config show
+```
+
+Prints the **entire** atlas configuration as pretty-printed JSON
+(`JSON.stringify(config, null, 2)` — always JSON, there is no `--format` flag on
+this command). The top-level **`storage`** key is the active backend
+(`filesystem` | `sqlite`); other keys include scan paths and `preferences`. Exits 0.
+
+`flow doctor` consumes this for two things: (a) a **liveness check** — a non-empty
+result is the connectivity signal, because a binary on `PATH` alone does not prove
+atlas actually runs (e.g. a broken interpreter shebang); and (b) reading the
+storage backend. Note there is **no `atlas config get <key>` subcommand** — read a
+single value by parsing `config show`.
+
 ---
 
 ## Breaking Change Policy
diff --git a/tests/run-all.sh b/tests/run-all.sh
index 4edc5b719..a51cee183 100755
--- a/tests/run-all.sh
+++ b/tests/run-all.sh
@@ -144,6 +144,7 @@ run_test ./tests/e2e-agenda.zsh
 echo ""
 echo "Atlas contract tests:"
 run_test ./tests/test-atlas-contract.zsh
+run_test ./tests/test-doctor-atlas-calls.zsh
 
 echo ""
 echo "Additional unit tests:"
diff --git a/tests/test-doctor-atlas-calls.zsh b/tests/test-doctor-atlas-calls.zsh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c250dd034
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test-doctor-atlas-calls.zsh
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env zsh
+# ============================================================================
+# Static regression guard: flow doctor's atlas health checks must use
+# spec-compliant atlas calls (see docs/ATLAS-CONTRACT.md).
+#
+# Prevents re-introducing the out-of-spec calls fixed in atlas-contract-v1.1:
+#   OOS-1: `atlas config get backend`  → `atlas config show` (parse `.storage`)
+#   OOS-2: `atlas mcp status`          → `command -v atlas-mcp` (separate binary)
+# and the false-positive fix: "connected" is gated on a captured config-show
+# response, not merely on the atlas binary being on PATH.
+#
+# This is a STATIC test — it greps the source, so it needs neither a working
+# atlas nor jq and runs identically on every machine and CI runner.
+# ============================================================================
+
+SCRIPT_DIR="${0:A:h}"
+PROJECT_ROOT="${SCRIPT_DIR:h}"
+source "$SCRIPT_DIR/test-framework.zsh"
+
+DOCTOR_FILE="$PROJECT_ROOT/commands/doctor.zsh"
+
+test_doctor_file_exists() {
+    test_case "commands/doctor.zsh exists"
+    assert_file_exists "$DOCTOR_FILE" && test_pass
+}
+
+test_uses_config_show_not_get() {
+    test_case "uses 'atlas config show' and not the nonexistent 'atlas config get'"
+    local content="$(cat "$DOCTOR_FILE")"
+    assert_contains "$content" "atlas config show" && \
+        assert_not_contains "$content" "atlas config get" && test_pass
+}
+
+test_uses_atlas_mcp_binary_not_subcommand() {
+    test_case "checks 'command -v atlas-mcp', not the nonexistent 'atlas mcp status'"
+    local content="$(cat "$DOCTOR_FILE")"
+    assert_contains "$content" "command -v atlas-mcp" && \
+        assert_not_contains "$content" "atlas mcp status" && test_pass
+}
+
+test_connected_gated_on_response() {
+    test_case "'connected' is gated on a captured config-show response (not just command -v atlas)"
+    local content="$(cat "$DOCTOR_FILE")"
+    assert_contains "$content" 'atlas_cfg=' && \
+        assert_contains "$content" 'not responding' && test_pass
+}
+
+test_storage_parse_is_anchored() {
+    test_case "no-jq backend parse anchors on the \"storage\" key (no greedy last-quote match)"
+    local content="$(cat "$DOCTOR_FILE")"
+    # The hardened sed matches '"storage"...:..."<value>"'; assert the anchor is present.
+    assert_contains "$content" '"storage"' && test_pass
+}
+
+main() {
+    test_suite_start "Doctor Atlas Calls — spec-compliance guard"
+
+    test_doctor_file_exists
+    test_uses_config_show_not_get
+    test_uses_atlas_mcp_binary_not_subcommand
+    test_connected_gated_on_response
+    test_storage_parse_is_anchored
+
+    test_suite_end
+    exit $?
+}
+
+main "$@"