diff --git a/run_live_paper.py b/run_live_paper.py
index 14d488a..6d2c63e 100644
--- a/run_live_paper.py
+++ b/run_live_paper.py
@@ -1053,11 +1053,15 @@ def main(argv: list[str] | None = None) -> int:
             pass
         armed = sum(1 for t in book.triggers.values() if t.state == "armed")
         n_news = sum(1 for c in candidates if c.get("catalyst"))
-        n_pm = sum(1 for c in candidates
-                   if (c.get("pm_range_pct") or 0.0) >= pm_cfg.min_range_pct)
+        # NOTE: no pm-range counter here. The arm step never emits a module_tick
+        # (verified against 2026-09-11 and 2026-09-14: only discovery, ingestion,
+        # enrichment and triggers do), so anything added to this string reaches
+        # container stdout and nothing else. Adding a tick just for it would put
+        # ~4k events/day back after the watcher filter removed 88% of them. The
+        # per-candidate pm_range_pct above is on the armed rows for the board;
+        # persist it on the approval payload if it needs to be measurable per trade.
         return (f"tracking={len(book.triggers)} armed={armed}"
-                + (f" news={n_news}" if n_news else "")
-                + (f" pm-range={n_pm}" if n_pm else ""))
+                + (f" news={n_news}" if n_news else ""))
 
     def step_quotes():
         """Record NBBO bid/ask SIZES for tracked + held names (order-book-imbalance
diff --git a/runtime/watcher.py b/runtime/watcher.py
index c039826..d608e46 100644
--- a/runtime/watcher.py
+++ b/runtime/watcher.py
@@ -143,7 +143,20 @@ class Watcher:
         never silently bench a symbol.
         """
         try:
-            open_px = float(bars["open"].iloc[0])
+            # The SESSION open is the first REGULAR-HOURS bar's open. bars[0] is a
+            # PREMARKET bar before 09:30, which produces a fabricated gap: FTFT was
+            # benched 2026-09-14 as "gap -12.5%" when its true static open gap was
+            # +14.6%, and it never recovered because the frame keeps its premarket
+            # bars all session and _transition only fires on change.
+            if "is_regular_hours" in bars:
+                rth = bars[bars["is_regular_hours"] == True]  # noqa: E712 — pandas mask
+                if len(rth) == 0:
+                    return None      # session has not opened — gap unknowable, fail open
+                open_px = float(rth["open"].iloc[0])
+            else:
+                # no session flag: the frame is already regular-hours only (tests,
+                # replay). Using bars[0] is correct there.
+                open_px = float(bars["open"].iloc[0])
         except Exception:  # noqa: BLE001
             return None
         prev_close = candidate.previous_close
diff --git a/tests/unit/runtime/test_watcher_population_gate.py b/tests/unit/runtime/test_watcher_population_gate.py
index 62e7d2f..2177aa4 100644
--- a/tests/unit/runtime/test_watcher_population_gate.py
+++ b/tests/unit/runtime/test_watcher_population_gate.py
@@ -49,16 +49,33 @@ class FakeProvider:
         return self._bars.get(symbol, pd.DataFrame())
 
 
-def _bars(open_px: float, n: int = 30, volume: int = 50_000) -> pd.DataFrame:
-    """n flat-ish minute bars starting at open_px."""
-    return pd.DataFrame({
-        "timestamp": pd.date_range("2026-09-10 13:30", periods=n, freq="1min"),
-        "open": [open_px] * n,
-        "high": [open_px * 1.01] * n,
-        "low": [open_px * 0.99] * n,
-        "close": [open_px] * n,
-        "volume": [volume] * n,
-    })
+def _bars(open_px: float, n: int = 30, volume: int = 50_000,
+          premarket_open: float | None = None) -> pd.DataFrame:
+    """n regular-hours minute bars from open_px, optionally preceded by premarket.
+
+    ``premarket_open`` prepends 5 PREMARKET bars at that price. The session open
+    must still be read off the first REGULAR-HOURS bar — reading bars[0] instead
+    fabricates a gap (FTFT, 2026-09-14).
+    """
+    rows = []
+    if premarket_open is not None:
+        rows += [{"timestamp": pd.Timestamp("2026-09-10 09:00") + pd.Timedelta(minutes=i),
+                  "is_regular_hours": False, "open": premarket_open,
+                  "high": premarket_open * 1.01, "low": premarket_open * 0.99,
+                  "close": premarket_open, "volume": volume} for i in range(5)]
+    rows += [{"timestamp": pd.Timestamp("2026-09-10 13:30") + pd.Timedelta(minutes=i),
+              "is_regular_hours": True, "open": open_px,
+              "high": open_px * 1.01, "low": open_px * 0.99,
+              "close": open_px, "volume": volume} for i in range(n)]
+    return pd.DataFrame(rows)
+
+
+def _premarket_only(open_px: float, n: int = 10) -> pd.DataFrame:
+    """Bars before the session opens — the gap is not yet knowable."""
+    return pd.DataFrame([{
+        "timestamp": pd.Timestamp("2026-09-10 09:00") + pd.Timedelta(minutes=i),
+        "is_regular_hours": False, "open": open_px, "high": open_px * 1.01,
+        "low": open_px * 0.99, "close": open_px, "volume": 1000} for i in range(n)])
 
 
 def _watcher(store, candidates, bars, population=None):
@@ -161,3 +178,39 @@ def test_dead_band_gap_is_skipped():
                                         avg_daily_volume=500_000)],
                  {"MID": _bars(3.0)}, population=GAPPER)
     assert w.tick(SESSION).skipped == 1
+
+
+# --- the FTFT bug (2026-09-14) ------------------------------------------------
+# The gap was read off bars["open"].iloc[0], which premarket is a PREMARKET bar.
+# FTFT opened 3.30 against a 2.88 previous close (+14.6%, comfortably tradeable)
+# but its premarket bars started near 2.52, so the filter computed -12.5% and
+# benched it. It never self-corrected: the frame keeps its premarket bars all
+# session, and _transition only emits on change.
+
+def test_gap_is_measured_from_the_session_open_not_a_premarket_bar():
+    """FTFT: premarket 2.52, session open 3.30, previous close 2.88 -> +14.6%."""
+    store = FakeStore()
+    w = _watcher(store, [WatchCandidate("FTFT", previous_close=2.88,
+                                        avg_daily_volume=500_000)],
+                 {"FTFT": _bars(3.30, premarket_open=2.52)}, population=GAPPER)
+    r = w.tick(SESSION)
+    assert r.skipped == 0          # +14.6% is inside the 10-35% band
+    assert r.evaluated == 1
+
+
+def test_premarket_bars_alone_fail_open():
+    """Before the session opens the static gap is unknowable — never bench on it."""
+    store = FakeStore()
+    w = _watcher(store, [WatchCandidate("FTFT", previous_close=2.88)],
+                 {"FTFT": _premarket_only(2.52)}, population=GAPPER)
+    r = w.tick(SESSION)
+    assert r.skipped == 0
+    assert store.count("SymbolStateChangedEvent") >= 0   # never out_of_population
+
+
+def test_a_genuinely_flat_name_is_still_skipped_with_premarket_present():
+    """The filter must still work when premarket bars exist — NOK opens flat."""
+    store = FakeStore()
+    w = _watcher(store, [WatchCandidate("NOK", previous_close=4.0)],
+                 {"NOK": _bars(4.0, premarket_open=3.6)}, population=GAPPER)
+    assert w.tick(SESSION).skipped == 1