diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 30a11de5a..c507ef8fa 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -2486,8 +2486,6 @@ dependencies = [
 [[package]]
 name = "git-internal"
 version = "0.8.1"
-source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "434bbb06c8bb92d21b58a61d775fed5e8a4afd65ef9b0e8d5ffa36338ef96d6e"
 dependencies = [
  "ahash 0.8.12",
  "async-trait",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 5aaf86ae5..a3072f989 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -328,3 +328,6 @@ required-features = ["test-live-ai"]
 name = "ai_ollama_live_gate_test"
 path = "tests/ai_ollama_live_gate_test.rs"
 required-features = ["test-live-ai"]
+
+[patch.crates-io]
+git-internal = { path = "../git-internal" }
diff --git a/docs/ai/v9fs-git-index-time.md b/docs/ai/v9fs-git-index-time.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..36e7851fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/ai/v9fs-git-index-time.md
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+# AI Handoff: v9fs Git Index Timestamp Fix
+
+## Problem
+
+Running `libra` on a v9fs/9p-backed filesystem can panic inside `git-internal`:
+
+```text
+thread 'libra-cli' panicked at .../git-internal-0.8.1/src/internal/index.rs:154:58:
+called `Result::unwrap()` on an `Err` value: Error { kind: Unsupported, message: "creation time is not available for the filesystem" }
+fatal: CLI thread panicked
+```
+
+The failing path is worktree indexing. The old code used `fs::Metadata::created().unwrap()` for the index `ctime` field. On Linux/v9fs, creation/birth time may be unsupported, so `created()` returns `Err(Unsupported)`.
+
+## Fix Summary
+
+The fix lives in the sibling `git-internal` checkout:
+
+- `git-internal/src/internal/index.rs`
+  - Added `index_ctime()` and `index_mtime()` helpers.
+  - On Unix, `ctime` now comes from `MetadataExt::ctime()` / `ctime_nsec()`.
+  - On Unix, `mtime` now comes from `MetadataExt::mtime()` / `mtime_nsec()`.
+  - On non-Unix, timestamp helpers fall back deterministically instead of unwrapping.
+  - `IndexEntry::new`, `Index::refresh`, and `Index::is_modified` all use the same helpers.
+- `git-internal/Cargo.toml`
+  - Version aligned to `0.8.1` so it satisfies `libra`'s dependency requirement.
+- `libra/Cargo.toml`
+  - Added a local patch:
+
+```toml
+[patch.crates-io]
+git-internal = { path = "../git-internal" }
+```
+
+This requires `libra` and `git-internal` to remain sibling directories during local validation.
+
+## Why This Is Correct
+
+Git index `ctime` means inode change time, not filesystem creation/birth time. Using `created()` was both semantically wrong for Git metadata and fragile on filesystems that do not expose birth time. Unix `MetadataExt::ctime()` matches the Git index meaning and is available on v9fs where `created()` is not.
+
+## Validation Commands
+
+From the `git-internal` repository:
+
+```bash
+cargo test internal::index --lib
+```
+
+From the `libra` repository:
+
+```bash
+LIBRA_SKIP_WEB_BUILD=1 cargo check --bin libra
+```
+
+`LIBRA_SKIP_WEB_BUILD=1` is needed if `pnpm` is not installed. Without it, `libra/build.rs` tries to run `pnpm install` for web assets before Rust checking completes.
+
+## WSL/v9fs Verification Notes
+
+Use a worktree located on the v9fs/9p-mounted path that previously triggered the panic. Then run the same `libra` command that touches the index, for example the original command or an add/status flow.
+
+Expected result after the fix:
+
+- No panic about `creation time is not available for the filesystem`.
+- Cargo output should show `git-internal v0.8.1 (.../git-internal)` when checking/building `libra`, confirming the local patch is active.
+
+If the panic still references a crates.io path like:
+
+```text
+.../.cargo/registry/src/.../git-internal-0.8.1/...
+```
+
+then `libra` is not using the local patched crate. Confirm the sibling layout and rerun from the patched `libra` checkout.
diff --git a/docs/ai/wsl-v9fs-reproduction.md b/docs/ai/wsl-v9fs-reproduction.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6eda886ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/ai/wsl-v9fs-reproduction.md
@@ -0,0 +1,234 @@
+# WSL/v9fs Reproduction Guide
+
+This document shows how to reproduce the original `creation time is not available for the filesystem` panic and how to verify the fix.
+
+The bug only appears when the Libra worktree is on a filesystem where Rust `std::fs::Metadata::created()` returns `Unsupported`. In WSL this is most likely on a Windows-mounted or 9p/v9fs-backed path, not on the normal Linux ext4 home directory.
+
+## 0. Repositories and Fixed Commits
+
+Use these repository URLs and commit ids for the commands below:
+
+```bash
+LIBRA_URL="https://github.com/Ivanbeethoven/libra.git"
+GIT_INTERNAL_URL="https://github.com/Ivanbeethoven/git-internal.git"
+
+# Pre-fix Libra commit used to reproduce the panic.
+LIBRA_VULNERABLE_COMMIT="1b4665f0"
+
+# Fixed git-internal commit.
+GIT_INTERNAL_FIX_COMMIT="20d2810"
+
+# Libra commit that adds the local git-internal override.
+LIBRA_OVERRIDE_COMMIT="4d3e11d7"
+```
+
+The fixed local validation layout must keep both repositories as siblings:
+
+```text
+libra-v9fs-repro/
+├── git-internal/
+└── libra-fixed/
+```
+
+That sibling layout matters because `libra/Cargo.toml` contains:
+
+```toml
+[patch.crates-io]
+git-internal = { path = "../git-internal" }
+```
+
+## 1. Pick a Reproduction Directory
+
+Run these commands inside WSL:
+
+```bash
+uname -a
+mount | grep -E '9p|drvfs' || true
+```
+
+Choose a path on the mounted/shared filesystem that previously triggered the bug. Examples:
+
+```bash
+cd /mnt/c/Users/$USER
+mkdir -p libra-v9fs-repro
+cd libra-v9fs-repro
+```
+
+Confirm the path is not the normal Linux home filesystem:
+
+```bash
+df -T "$PWD"
+stat -c 'file=%n type=%F mtime=%y ctime=%z birth=%w' .
+```
+
+If `birth` is `-`, creation/birth time is unavailable there, which is the condition that exposed the old panic.
+
+For a direct Rust-level probe:
+
+```bash
+cat >/tmp/check-created.rs <<'RS'
+use std::{env, fs};
+
+fn main() {
+    let path = env::args().nth(1).expect("usage: check-created <path>");
+    let meta = fs::symlink_metadata(&path).expect("metadata");
+    println!("created = {:?}", meta.created());
+    println!("modified = {:?}", meta.modified());
+}
+RS
+
+rustc /tmp/check-created.rs -o /tmp/check-created
+touch created-probe.txt
+/tmp/check-created created-probe.txt
+```
+
+The vulnerable environment prints something like:
+
+```text
+created = Err(Os { code: ..., kind: Unsupported, message: "creation time is not available for the filesystem" })
+modified = Ok(...)
+```
+
+If `created = Ok(...)`, this exact WSL path may not reproduce the original issue. Try the path where the panic was first observed.
+
+## 2. Reproduce the Old Panic
+
+Use the pre-fix `libra` commit, before the local `git-internal` override was added:
+
+```bash
+git clone "$LIBRA_URL" libra-vulnerable
+cd libra-vulnerable
+git checkout "$LIBRA_VULNERABLE_COMMIT"
+```
+
+Build only the Rust binary. `LIBRA_SKIP_WEB_BUILD=1` avoids requiring `pnpm` for this reproduction:
+
+```bash
+LIBRA_SKIP_WEB_BUILD=1 cargo build --bin libra
+LIBRA_BIN="$PWD/target/debug/libra"
+```
+
+Create a separate test repository on the same WSL/v9fs-backed filesystem:
+
+```bash
+cd ..
+rm -rf vulnerable-worktree
+"$LIBRA_BIN" init --vault false vulnerable-worktree
+cd vulnerable-worktree
+printf 'hello from v9fs\n' > tracked.txt
+```
+
+Trigger the index path:
+
+```bash
+RUST_BACKTRACE=1 "$LIBRA_BIN" add tracked.txt
+```
+
+Expected old failure:
+
+```text
+called `Result::unwrap()` on an `Err` value: Error { kind: Unsupported, message: "creation time is not available for the filesystem" }
+fatal: CLI thread panicked
+```
+
+The backtrace or panic path should reference the crates.io copy of `git-internal-0.8.1`, for example:
+
+```text
+.../.cargo/registry/src/.../git-internal-0.8.1/src/internal/index.rs
+```
+
+## 3. Verify the Fixed Version
+
+Clone both repositories as siblings on the same WSL filesystem:
+
+```bash
+cd ..
+git clone "$GIT_INTERNAL_URL" git-internal
+git clone "$LIBRA_URL" libra-fixed
+```
+
+The fixed commits are:
+
+```bash
+cd git-internal
+git merge-base --is-ancestor "$GIT_INTERNAL_FIX_COMMIT" HEAD && echo "git-internal fix is present"
+
+cd ../libra-fixed
+git merge-base --is-ancestor "$LIBRA_OVERRIDE_COMMIT" HEAD && echo "libra local override is present"
+```
+
+Confirm `libra` is patched to use the sibling `git-internal` checkout:
+
+```bash
+grep -n -A2 '\[patch.crates-io\]' Cargo.toml
+```
+
+Expected:
+
+```toml
+[patch.crates-io]
+git-internal = { path = "../git-internal" }
+```
+
+Build/check with the local patched crate:
+
+```bash
+LIBRA_SKIP_WEB_BUILD=1 cargo check --locked --bin libra
+```
+
+During the check, Cargo should show:
+
+```text
+Checking git-internal v0.8.1 (.../git-internal)
+```
+
+Build the fixed binary:
+
+```bash
+LIBRA_SKIP_WEB_BUILD=1 cargo build --locked --bin libra
+LIBRA_BIN="$PWD/target/debug/libra"
+```
+
+Run the same add flow on the v9fs-backed filesystem:
+
+```bash
+cd ..
+rm -rf fixed-worktree
+"$LIBRA_BIN" init --vault false fixed-worktree
+cd fixed-worktree
+printf 'hello from fixed v9fs\n' > tracked.txt
+"$LIBRA_BIN" add tracked.txt
+"$LIBRA_BIN" status --short
+```
+
+Expected fixed behavior:
+
+- `libra add tracked.txt` exits successfully.
+- There is no panic about creation time.
+- The panic path no longer references `.cargo/registry/src/.../git-internal-0.8.1/...`.
+
+## 4. Troubleshooting
+
+If the fixed run still panics and the path includes `.cargo/registry/src`, then `libra` is not using the local patched crate. Check:
+
+```bash
+pwd
+ls -d ../git-internal
+grep -n -A2 '\[patch.crates-io\]' Cargo.toml
+cargo tree -i git-internal
+```
+
+If `cargo check --locked --bin libra` fails before Rust checking with a `pnpm install` error, set:
+
+```bash
+export LIBRA_SKIP_WEB_BUILD=1
+```
+
+If `libra init --vault false` fails because the home directory is not writable, set `HOME` to a writable WSL directory:
+
+```bash
+export HOME="$PWD/.home"
+mkdir -p "$HOME"
+```
+
+If the old version does not panic, verify that the test repository itself is on the filesystem where `created()` is unsupported. Building Libra on ext4 and testing a worktree on v9fs is fine; the important part is where `tracked.txt` lives.