diff --git a/src/authorization/AuthorizationChecker.js b/src/authorization/AuthorizationChecker.js
index 06b11b4..940039c 100644
--- a/src/authorization/AuthorizationChecker.js
+++ b/src/authorization/AuthorizationChecker.js
@@ -211,12 +211,24 @@ export class AuthorizationChecker {
               ? valueManager._isValueExpired(directRel, options.now !== undefined && options.now !== null ? options.now : null)
               : false;
             if (!expired) {
+              // Standard collected-value shape (parity with the rule
+              // paths): value, possibility, path, source, metadata with a
+              // caller-clock-honoring timestamp.
+              const ts = directRel.changed_last_at || directRel.updated_last_at ||
+                (options.now !== undefined && options.now !== null ? options.now : Date.now());
               result.collectedValues = [{
                 value: directRel.value,
-                source: 'direct_relation',
-                relation: relation,
-                userKey: userKey,
-                objectKey: objectKey
+                possibility: directRel.possibility ?? 1.0,
+                path: [userKey, objectKey],
+                source: {
+                  entityKey: userKey,
+                  relation: relation,
+                  step: 0
+                },
+                metadata: {
+                  timestamp: ts,
+                  reliability: directRel.reliability !== undefined ? directRel.reliability : 1.0
+                }
               }];
             }
           }
diff --git a/src/authorization/rules/BaseRule.js b/src/authorization/rules/BaseRule.js
index c426e4d..186e457 100644
--- a/src/authorization/rules/BaseRule.js
+++ b/src/authorization/rules/BaseRule.js
@@ -177,6 +177,9 @@ export class BaseRule {
    * @protected
    */
   _createCollectedValue(value, possibility, path, source, metadata = {}) {
+    // Timestamps honor the caller's pinned clock when present; the wall
+    // clock is only the fallback for unpinned callers.
+    const clockNow = (typeof metadata._now === 'number') ? metadata._now : Date.now();
     return {
       value: value,
       possibility: possibility ?? 1.0,
@@ -188,7 +191,7 @@ export class BaseRule {
         step: source.step !== undefined ? source.step : 0
       },
       metadata: {
-        timestamp: metadata.timestamp || Date.now(),
+        timestamp: metadata.timestamp || clockNow,
         reliability: metadata.reliability !== undefined ? metadata.reliability : 1.0,
         decay: metadata.decay || null,
         ...metadata
diff --git a/src/authorization/rules/ChainRule.js b/src/authorization/rules/ChainRule.js
index 1d37878..b6ed495 100644
--- a/src/authorization/rules/ChainRule.js
+++ b/src/authorization/rules/ChainRule.js
@@ -539,7 +539,8 @@ export class ChainRule extends BaseRule {
             source: relation.source || 'persistent'
           },
           {
-            timestamp: relation.changed_last_at || relation.updated_last_at || Date.now(),
+            timestamp: relation.changed_last_at || relation.updated_last_at ||
+              (options && options.now !== undefined && options.now !== null ? options.now : Date.now()),
             reliability: blurred.reliability,
             pathPossibility: currentPath.possibility,
             relationPossibility: relation.possibility ?? 1.0,
diff --git a/src/authorization/rules/TupleToUsersetRule.js b/src/authorization/rules/TupleToUsersetRule.js
index c1dc311..443ee77 100644
--- a/src/authorization/rules/TupleToUsersetRule.js
+++ b/src/authorization/rules/TupleToUsersetRule.js
@@ -188,7 +188,8 @@ export class TupleToUsersetRule extends BaseRule {
           [tupleSrcKey, intermediateKey],
           { entityKey: tupleSrcKey, relation: rule.tuplesetRelation, step: 0 },
           {
-            timestamp: tupleEdge.changed_last_at || tupleEdge.updated_last_at || Date.now(),
+            timestamp: tupleEdge.changed_last_at || tupleEdge.updated_last_at ||
+              (options && options.now !== undefined && options.now !== null ? options.now : Date.now()),
             reliability: tupleEdge.reliability || 1.0,
             source: tupleEdge.source || 'persistent'
           }
diff --git a/tests/rigor/ttl-contract.test.js b/tests/rigor/ttl-contract.test.js
index 6990c0c..d83039b 100644
--- a/tests/rigor/ttl-contract.test.js
+++ b/tests/rigor/ttl-contract.test.js
@@ -91,6 +91,28 @@ describe('TTL contract (rigor)', () => {
     assert.equal(atWrite.possibility, 1);
   });
 
+  it('CONTRACT: collected values carry the standard shape and honor the caller clock', () => {
+    // Value consumers (comparators, chains) rely on collected values being
+    // self-describing: value, possibility, path, source, and a timestamp.
+    // The direct fast path must emit the same shape as the rule paths, and
+    // the timestamp must honor the pinned clock — never the wall clock.
+    const a = new Arbiter();
+    a.addNode('u:1', 'user');
+    a.addNode('doc:9', 'doc');
+    a.setRelationConfig('can_read', { type: 'direct' });
+    const T0 = 1_000_000_000_000;
+    a.addRelation('u:1', 'can_read', 'doc:9', { possibility: 0.7, value: 42, changed_last_at: T0, reliability: 0.8 });
+    const cv = a.check('u:1', 'can_read', 'doc:9', { now: T0, collectValues: true }).collectedValues[0];
+    assert.equal(cv.value, 42);
+    assert.equal(cv.possibility, 0.7);
+    assert.ok(Array.isArray(cv.path) && cv.path[0] === 'u:1' && cv.path[1] === 'doc:9');
+    assert.equal(cv.source.entityKey, 'u:1');
+    assert.equal(cv.source.relation, 'can_read');
+    assert.equal(cv.source.step, 0);
+    assert.equal(cv.metadata.timestamp, T0, 'timestamp must honor changed_last_at under a pinned clock');
+    assert.equal(cv.metadata.reliability, 0.8);
+  });
+
   it('CONTRACT: value-carrying direct results are not served stale from the decision cache', () => {
     // The direct-check cache must never serve a result whose collected
     // values were captured before expiry: values are TTL-gated evidence.