2 files changed, 55 insertions, 4 deletions

diff --git a/internal/api/elaborate.go b/internal/api/elaborate.go
index dd51c7d..37380c2 100644
--- a/internal/api/elaborate.go
+++ b/internal/api/elaborate.go
@@ -287,11 +287,18 @@ type elaboratedStoryTask struct {
 	Subtasks     []elaboratedStorySubtask `json:"subtasks"`
 }
 
+// AcceptanceCriterion is a single verifiable condition in a story validation.
+type AcceptanceCriterion struct {
+	Name         string `json:"name"`
+	Verification string `json:"verification"`
+	TestRef      string `json:"test_ref,omitempty"`
+}
+
 // elaboratedStoryValidation describes how to verify the story was successful.
 type elaboratedStoryValidation struct {
-	Type            string   `json:"type"`
-	Steps           []string `json:"steps"`
-	SuccessCriteria string   `json:"success_criteria"`
+	Type               string                `json:"type"`
+	AcceptanceCriteria []AcceptanceCriterion `json:"acceptance_criteria"`
+	SuccessCriteria    string                `json:"success_criteria"`
 }
 
 // elaboratedStory is the full implementation plan produced by story elaboration.
@@ -320,7 +327,7 @@ Output ONLY valid JSON matching this schema:
   ],
   "validation": {
     "type": "build|test|smoke",
-    "steps": ["step1", "step2"],
+    "acceptance_criteria": [{"name": "...", "verification": "...", "test_ref": "optional"}],
     "success_criteria": "what success looks like"
   }
 }
diff --git a/internal/api/elaborate_test.go b/internal/api/elaborate_test.go
index 32cec3c..34269e9 100644
--- a/internal/api/elaborate_test.go
+++ b/internal/api/elaborate_test.go
@@ -477,6 +477,50 @@ func TestElaborateTask_NoRawNarrativeWithoutExplicitProjectDir(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestElaboratedStoryValidation_AcceptanceCriteriaSchema(t *testing.T) {
+	raw := `{
+		"type": "test",
+		"acceptance_criteria": [
+			{"name": "API returns 200", "verification": "curl /health returns 200", "test_ref": "TestHealthCheck"},
+			{"name": "DB migrates cleanly", "verification": "migration runs without error"}
+		],
+		"success_criteria": "all checks pass"
+	}`
+
+	var v elaboratedStoryValidation
+	if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(raw), &v); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unmarshal failed: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if len(v.AcceptanceCriteria) != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 2 acceptance_criteria, got %d", len(v.AcceptanceCriteria))
+	}
+
+	ac0 := v.AcceptanceCriteria[0]
+	if ac0.Name != "API returns 200" {
+		t.Errorf("ac[0].name: want %q, got %q", "API returns 200", ac0.Name)
+	}
+	if ac0.Verification != "curl /health returns 200" {
+		t.Errorf("ac[0].verification: want %q, got %q", "curl /health returns 200", ac0.Verification)
+	}
+	if ac0.TestRef != "TestHealthCheck" {
+		t.Errorf("ac[0].test_ref: want %q, got %q", "TestHealthCheck", ac0.TestRef)
+	}
+
+	ac1 := v.AcceptanceCriteria[1]
+	if ac1.Name != "DB migrates cleanly" {
+		t.Errorf("ac[1].name: want %q, got %q", "DB migrates cleanly", ac1.Name)
+	}
+	// test_ref omitted — backward compat: must be empty string, not an error
+	if ac1.TestRef != "" {
+		t.Errorf("ac[1].test_ref: want empty (omitempty), got %q", ac1.TestRef)
+	}
+
+	if v.SuccessCriteria != "all checks pass" {
+		t.Errorf("success_criteria: want %q, got %q", "all checks pass", v.SuccessCriteria)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestElaborateTask_AppendsRawNarrative(t *testing.T) {
 	srv, _ := testServer(t)