From 2d0e94e3a36cbf125d52eaf20bfb26117a6e72ca Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Cheng Wan <54331508+ch-wan@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Mon, 21 Sep 2026 12:22:59 -0700
Subject: [PATCH] Check the topology identities where the layout is written,
 and build at the published widths (#40340)

---
 benchmark/hf3fs/bench_zerocopy.py             |   9 +-
 .../all_reduce/benchmark_all_reduce.py        |   4 +-
 .../all_reduce/benchmark_fused_ar_rms_amd.py  |   4 +-
 .../benchmark_fused_ar_rms_quant_amd.py       |   4 +-
 .../kernels/all_reduce/benchmark_mscclpp.py   |   4 +-
 .../all_reduce/benchmark_torch_symm_mem.py    |   4 +-
 .../benchmark_fused_collective.py             |   7 +-
 .../benchmark_sglang_fused_moe_triton.py      |   7 +-
 ...nchmark_vllm_vs_sglang_fused_moe_triton.py |   7 +-
 .../usage/modelopt_quantize_and_export.py     |   7 +-
 python/sglang/srt/arg_groups/arg_utils.py     |   2 +-
 .../srt/disaggregation/encoder/server.py      |  28 +-
 python/sglang/srt/distributed/bootstrap.py    |  31 +-
 .../sglang/srt/distributed/parallel_state.py  |  80 +--
 python/sglang/srt/layers/dp_attention.py      |  76 ++-
 python/sglang/srt/layers/sampler.py           |   7 +-
 .../managers/scheduler_components/dp_attn.py  |   4 +-
 .../srt/model_executor/forward_batch_info.py  |   7 +-
 .../sglang/srt/models/inkling_common/moe.py   |   6 +
 python/sglang/srt/models/kimi_k3.py           |   3 +-
 python/sglang/srt/runtime_context.py          | 162 ++++++-
 python/sglang/srt/weight_cache/daemon.py      |  11 +-
 python/sglang/test/layer_ut_utils.py          |  10 +-
 python/sglang/test/test_utils.py              |  22 +
 test/manual/ep/test_flashinfer_dispatcher.py  |   7 +-
 test/manual/test_custom_allreduce.py          |   8 +-
 test/manual/test_quick_allreduce.py           |   8 +-
 test/manual/test_weight_loader_v2_equiv.py    |   4 +-
 .../cpu/test_rank_consensus_checker.py        |  13 +-
 .../e2e/pp/test_pp_spec_embed_scan.py         |   9 +-
 test/registered/eplb/test_lplb_distributed.py |   7 +-
 .../test_deterministic_reduce_scatter.py      |   4 +-
 .../ops/moe/test_fused_swiglu_epilogue.py     |   9 +-
 .../layers/mamba/test_mamba2_mixer.py         |   4 +-
 .../ops/test_aiter_allreduce_fusion_amd.py    |   5 +-
 .../unit/distributed/test_parallel_state.py   |  16 +-
 .../attention/test_vision_strided_qkv.py      |   4 +-
 .../test_dsa_layer_split_broadcast.py         |   8 +-
 .../mem_cache/test_page_interleave_shard.py   |   8 +-
 .../model_loader/test_presharded_loader.py    |   4 +-
 .../unit/models/test_glm5_next_bfg_fusion.py  |  13 +-
 .../test_shared_experts_fusion_gates.py       |  10 +-
 test/registered/unit/test_runtime_context.py  | 457 +++++++++++++++---
 43 files changed, 843 insertions(+), 261 deletions(-)

diff --git a/benchmark/hf3fs/bench_zerocopy.py b/benchmark/hf3fs/bench_zerocopy.py
index a4ed66912..8559e45b7 100644
--- a/benchmark/hf3fs/bench_zerocopy.py
+++ b/benchmark/hf3fs/bench_zerocopy.py
@@ -5,10 +5,10 @@ import torch
 from tqdm import tqdm
 
 from sglang.srt.distributed import (
-    get_world_group,
     init_distributed_environment,
     initialize_model_parallel,
 )
+from sglang.srt.distributed.parallel_state import get_world_group
 from sglang.srt.managers.cache_controller import (
     HiCacheController,
     PrefetchOperation,
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ from sglang.srt.managers.cache_controller import (
 from sglang.srt.mem_cache.allocator import TokenToKVPoolAllocator
 from sglang.srt.mem_cache.memory_pool import MHATokenToKVPool
 from sglang.srt.mem_cache.pool_host.mha import MHATokenToKVPoolHost
+from sglang.test.test_utils import publish_build_topology
 
 init_distributed_environment(
     world_size=1,
@@ -26,10 +27,8 @@ init_distributed_environment(
     backend="gloo",
 )
 
-initialize_model_parallel(
-    tensor_model_parallel_size=1,
-    pipeline_model_parallel_size=1,
-)
+publish_build_topology()
+initialize_model_parallel()
 
 group = get_world_group().cpu_group
 
diff --git a/benchmark/kernels/all_reduce/benchmark_all_reduce.py b/benchmark/kernels/all_reduce/benchmark_all_reduce.py
index 30a7733f3..41dda1930 100644
--- a/benchmark/kernels/all_reduce/benchmark_all_reduce.py
+++ b/benchmark/kernels/all_reduce/benchmark_all_reduce.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ from sglang.srt.distributed.parallel_state import (
     init_distributed_environment,
     initialize_model_parallel,
 )
+from sglang.test.test_utils import publish_build_topology
 
 
 def parse_args():
@@ -85,7 +86,8 @@ def init_dist(backend: str):
         distributed_init_method=distributed_init_method,
         local_rank=rank,
     )
-    initialize_model_parallel(tensor_model_parallel_size=world_size)
+    publish_build_topology(world_rank=rank, tp_size=world_size)
+    initialize_model_parallel()
     return dist.group.WORLD
 
 
diff --git a/benchmark/kernels/all_reduce/benchmark_fused_ar_rms_amd.py b/benchmark/kernels/all_reduce/benchmark_fused_ar_rms_amd.py
index 1fa3819cc..107533fb1 100644
--- a/benchmark/kernels/all_reduce/benchmark_fused_ar_rms_amd.py
+++ b/benchmark/kernels/all_reduce/benchmark_fused_ar_rms_amd.py
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ from sglang.srt.distributed.parallel_state import (
     initialize_model_parallel,
     set_custom_all_reduce,
 )
+from sglang.test.test_utils import publish_build_topology
 
 Shape = Tuple[int, int]
 
@@ -381,7 +382,8 @@ def main():
         distributed_init_method="env://",
         backend="nccl",
     )
-    initialize_model_parallel(tensor_model_parallel_size=world_size)
+    publish_build_topology(world_rank=rank, tp_size=world_size)
+    initialize_model_parallel()
 
     prefill_shapes = parse_shapes(args.prefill_shapes)
     decode_shapes = parse_shapes(args.decode_shapes)
diff --git a/benchmark/kernels/all_reduce/benchmark_fused_ar_rms_quant_amd.py b/benchmark/kernels/all_reduce/benchmark_fused_ar_rms_quant_amd.py
index 85cabe94c..4c02a5df4 100644
--- a/benchmark/kernels/all_reduce/benchmark_fused_ar_rms_quant_amd.py
+++ b/benchmark/kernels/all_reduce/benchmark_fused_ar_rms_quant_amd.py
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ from sglang.srt.distributed.parallel_state import (
     initialize_model_parallel,
     set_custom_all_reduce,
 )
+from sglang.test.test_utils import publish_build_topology
 
 Shape = Tuple[int, int]
 FP8_DTYPE = torch.float8_e4m3fnuz
@@ -400,7 +401,8 @@ def main() -> None:
         distributed_init_method="env://",
         backend="nccl",
     )
-    initialize_model_parallel(tensor_model_parallel_size=world_size)
+    publish_build_topology(world_rank=rank, tp_size=world_size)
+    initialize_model_parallel()
 
     if rank == 0:
         print(
diff --git a/benchmark/kernels/all_reduce/benchmark_mscclpp.py b/benchmark/kernels/all_reduce/benchmark_mscclpp.py
index 5b72d2f46..87dfd17e5 100644
--- a/benchmark/kernels/all_reduce/benchmark_mscclpp.py
+++ b/benchmark/kernels/all_reduce/benchmark_mscclpp.py
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ from sglang.srt.distributed.parallel_state import (
     initialize_model_parallel,
     set_mscclpp_all_reduce,
 )
+from sglang.test.test_utils import publish_build_topology
 
 
 def torch_allreduce(torch_input: torch.Tensor, group: ProcessGroup) -> torch.Tensor:
@@ -173,7 +174,8 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
         rank=rank,
         local_rank=rank % 8,
     )
-    initialize_model_parallel(tensor_model_parallel_size=world_size)
+    publish_build_topology(world_rank=rank, tp_size=world_size)
+    initialize_model_parallel()
     group = get_tensor_model_parallel_group().device_group
     cpu_group = get_tensor_model_parallel_group().cpu_group
     pynccl_comm = get_tensor_model_parallel_group().pynccl_comm
diff --git a/benchmark/kernels/all_reduce/benchmark_torch_symm_mem.py b/benchmark/kernels/all_reduce/benchmark_torch_symm_mem.py
index 5bdb7f5d6..3d2c65870 100644
--- a/benchmark/kernels/all_reduce/benchmark_torch_symm_mem.py
+++ b/benchmark/kernels/all_reduce/benchmark_torch_symm_mem.py
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ from sglang.srt.distributed.parallel_state import (
     initialize_model_parallel,
     set_torch_symm_mem_all_reduce,
 )
+from sglang.test.test_utils import publish_build_topology
 from sglang.utils import is_in_ci
 
 IS_CI = is_in_ci()
@@ -188,7 +189,8 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
         rank=rank,
         local_rank=rank % 8,
     )
-    initialize_model_parallel(tensor_model_parallel_size=world_size)
+    publish_build_topology(world_rank=rank, tp_size=world_size)
+    initialize_model_parallel()
     group = get_tensor_model_parallel_group().device_group
     cpu_group = get_tensor_model_parallel_group().cpu_group
     pynccl_comm = get_tensor_model_parallel_group().pynccl_comm
diff --git a/benchmark/kernels/flashinfer_allreduce_fusion/benchmark_fused_collective.py b/benchmark/kernels/flashinfer_allreduce_fusion/benchmark_fused_collective.py
index 2905a62a1..9af15ac87 100644
--- a/benchmark/kernels/flashinfer_allreduce_fusion/benchmark_fused_collective.py
+++ b/benchmark/kernels/flashinfer_allreduce_fusion/benchmark_fused_collective.py
@@ -30,14 +30,16 @@ import torch.distributed as dist  # type: ignore
 
 from sglang.kernels.ops.quantization.fp8_kernel import fp8_dtype as SGLANG_FP8_DTYPE
 from sglang.kernels.ops.quantization.fp8_kernel import static_quant_fp8
-from sglang.srt.distributed import get_tp_group, tensor_model_parallel_all_reduce
+from sglang.srt.distributed import tensor_model_parallel_all_reduce
 from sglang.srt.distributed.parallel_state import (
     cleanup_dist_env_and_memory,
+    get_tp_group,
     graph_capture,
     init_distributed_environment,
     initialize_model_parallel,
 )
 from sglang.srt.layers.layernorm import RMSNorm  # noqa
+from sglang.test.test_utils import publish_build_topology
 
 try:
     from sgl_kernel import fused_add_rmsnorm as SGL_FUSED_ADD_RMS_NORM
@@ -1178,7 +1180,8 @@ def main():
         local_rank=rank,
         backend="nccl",
     )
-    initialize_model_parallel(tensor_model_parallel_size=world_size)
+    publish_build_topology(world_rank=rank, tp_size=world_size)
+    initialize_model_parallel()
 
     # Validate world size (must be > 1 for collective operations)
     if world_size <= 1:
diff --git a/benchmark/kernels/fused_moe_triton/benchmark_sglang_fused_moe_triton.py b/benchmark/kernels/fused_moe_triton/benchmark_sglang_fused_moe_triton.py
index 4515ff53b..6934650ad 100644
--- a/benchmark/kernels/fused_moe_triton/benchmark_sglang_fused_moe_triton.py
+++ b/benchmark/kernels/fused_moe_triton/benchmark_sglang_fused_moe_triton.py
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ from sglang.srt.layers.moe.topk import (
     select_experts,
 )
 from sglang.srt.server_args import ServerArgs, set_global_server_args_for_scheduler
+from sglang.test.test_utils import publish_build_topology
 
 
 def fused_moe_triton_api(
@@ -227,10 +228,8 @@ def main():
             backend="nccl" if torch.cuda.is_available() else "gloo",
         )
 
-        initialize_model_parallel(
-            tensor_model_parallel_size=1,
-            expert_model_parallel_size=1,
-        )
+        publish_build_topology()
+        initialize_model_parallel()
 
         model_config = get_model_config(args.model, args.tp_size, args.ep_size)
         benchmark.run(
diff --git a/benchmark/kernels/fused_moe_triton/benchmark_vllm_vs_sglang_fused_moe_triton.py b/benchmark/kernels/fused_moe_triton/benchmark_vllm_vs_sglang_fused_moe_triton.py
index fc100ce50..1adecbeae 100644
--- a/benchmark/kernels/fused_moe_triton/benchmark_vllm_vs_sglang_fused_moe_triton.py
+++ b/benchmark/kernels/fused_moe_triton/benchmark_vllm_vs_sglang_fused_moe_triton.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ from sglang.srt.distributed.parallel_state import (
 from sglang.srt.layers.moe.moe_runner.triton_utils.fused_moe import (
     fused_moe as fused_moe_sglang,
 )
+from sglang.test.test_utils import publish_build_topology
 
 from .common_utils import get_model_config
 
@@ -243,10 +244,8 @@ def main():
             backend="nccl" if torch.cuda.is_available() else "gloo",
         )
 
-        initialize_model_parallel(
-            tensor_model_parallel_size=1,
-            pipeline_model_parallel_size=1,
-        )
+        publish_build_topology()
+        initialize_model_parallel()
 
         shape_configs = get_model_config(args.model, args.tp_size, args.ep_size)
         benchmark.run(
diff --git a/examples/usage/modelopt_quantize_and_export.py b/examples/usage/modelopt_quantize_and_export.py
index b3f26ede4..a8c2c8ad8 100755
--- a/examples/usage/modelopt_quantize_and_export.py
+++ b/examples/usage/modelopt_quantize_and_export.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ from sglang.srt.distributed.parallel_state import (
     initialize_model_parallel,
 )
 from sglang.srt.model_loader.loader import get_model_loader
+from sglang.test.test_utils import publish_build_topology
 
 
 def _validate_export(export_dir: str) -> bool:
@@ -113,10 +114,8 @@ def quantize_and_export_model(
             local_rank=0,
             backend="nccl" if device == "cuda" else "gloo",
         )
-        initialize_model_parallel(
-            tensor_model_parallel_size=1,
-            pipeline_model_parallel_size=1,
-        )
+        publish_build_topology()
+        initialize_model_parallel()
 
     # Configure model loading with ModelOpt quantization and export
     model_config = ModelConfig(
diff --git a/python/sglang/srt/arg_groups/arg_utils.py b/python/sglang/srt/arg_groups/arg_utils.py
index 0c54e930f..1fbf53b30 100644
--- a/python/sglang/srt/arg_groups/arg_utils.py
+++ b/python/sglang/srt/arg_groups/arg_utils.py
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ class Derived(msgspec.Struct, frozen=True):
     Every declaration carries ``fn`` today, the parallel quotients included:
     they are a function of the configured leaves, so they are computed at
     publish like the rest. What is special about them is not how they are
-    computed but that a stamp can move one afterwards -- an elastic scale-up
+    computed but that a stamp can move one afterwards -- ``initialize_dp_attention``
     restamps ``attn_dp_size`` -- which ``ParallelContext`` answers above the
     published leaf.
     """
diff --git a/python/sglang/srt/disaggregation/encoder/server.py b/python/sglang/srt/disaggregation/encoder/server.py
index b4b2aef1e..67f1abde0 100644
--- a/python/sglang/srt/disaggregation/encoder/server.py
+++ b/python/sglang/srt/disaggregation/encoder/server.py
@@ -589,10 +589,32 @@ class MMEncoder:
             distributed_init_method=dist_init_method,
             local_rank=rank,
         )
-        initialize_model_parallel(
-            tensor_model_parallel_size=get_parallel().tp_size,
-            attention_context_model_parallel_size=get_parallel().attn_cp_size,
+        # The encoder serves the vision tower on a world of its own: `tp_size`
+        # ranks wide, with no pipeline, no expert or MoE-DP dimension and no
+        # decode context parallelism, whatever the generation side published.
+        # That has always been the layout it builds; stating it is what stops
+        # the context from answering with the other side's topology while these
+        # groups answer with this one.
+        parallel = get_parallel()
+        attn_cp_size = parallel.attn_cp_size
+        attn_tp_size = parallel.tp_size // attn_cp_size
+        attn_cp_rank, attn_tp_rank = divmod(rank, attn_tp_size)
+        parallel.override_permanently(
+            tp_rank=rank,
+            pp_size=1,
+            pp_rank=0,
+            attn_dp_size=1,
+            attn_dp_rank=0,
+            attn_tp_size=attn_tp_size,
+            attn_tp_rank=attn_tp_rank,
+            attn_cp_rank=attn_cp_rank,
+            attn_dcp_size=1,
+            moe_ep_size=1,
+            moe_ep_rank=0,
+            moe_dp_size=1,
+            moe_tp_size=parallel.tp_size,
         )
+        initialize_model_parallel()
         initialize_dp_attention(server_args, self.model_config)
 
         self.model = load_model(
diff --git a/python/sglang/srt/distributed/bootstrap.py b/python/sglang/srt/distributed/bootstrap.py
index d45c48d39..6c91c1efc 100644
--- a/python/sglang/srt/distributed/bootstrap.py
+++ b/python/sglang/srt/distributed/bootstrap.py
@@ -106,15 +106,6 @@ def init_torch_distributed(
             server_args=server_args,
             model_config=model_config,
             gpu_id=ps.gpu_id,
-            tp_rank=ps.tp_rank,
-            tp_size=ps.tp_size,
-            pp_rank=ps.pp_rank,
-            pp_size=ps.pp_size,
-            attn_dp_size=ps.attn_dp_size,
-            attn_cp_size=ps.attn_cp_size,
-            moe_ep_size=ps.moe_ep_size,
-            moe_dp_size=ps.moe_dp_size,
-            dcp_size=ps.attn_dcp_size,
         )
 
         # Pre-warm NCCL/RCCL/HCCL to eliminate cold-start latency in first request
@@ -255,19 +246,13 @@ def _init_parallel_groups(
     server_args: ServerArgs,
     model_config: ModelConfig,
     gpu_id: int,
-    tp_rank: int,
-    tp_size: int,
-    pp_rank: int,
-    pp_size: int,
-    attn_dp_size: int,
-    attn_cp_size: int,
-    moe_ep_size: int,
-    moe_dp_size: int,
-    dcp_size: int,
 ) -> None:
+    parallel = get_parallel()
+    tp_size, pp_size = parallel.tp_size, parallel.pp_size
+    tp_rank, pp_rank = parallel.tp_rank, parallel.pp_rank
     is_ep_joiner = get_exec().moe.is_ep_joiner
     is_scale_joiner = get_exec().moe.is_ep_scale_joiner
-    rank_offset = get_parallel().ep_join_rank_offset if is_scale_joiner else 0
+    rank_offset = parallel.ep_join_rank_offset if is_scale_joiner else 0
     world_size = (
         rank_offset + tp_size * pp_size if is_scale_joiner else tp_size * pp_size
     )
@@ -285,14 +270,6 @@ def _init_parallel_groups(
         max_world_size=get_parallel().max_ep_size,
     )
     initialize_model_parallel(
-        tensor_model_parallel_size=tp_size,
-        attention_data_parallel_size=attn_dp_size,
-        pipeline_model_parallel_size=pp_size,
-        expert_model_parallel_size=moe_ep_size,
-        attention_context_model_parallel_size=attn_cp_size,
-        moe_data_model_parallel_size=moe_dp_size,
-        decode_context_parallel_size=dcp_size,
-        shared_experts_tensor_parallel_size=get_parallel().shared_experts_tp_size,
         duplicate_tp_group=get_disagg().enable_pdmux,
         enable_symm_mem=get_exec().comm.enable_symm_mem,
         # Only WORLD is extended during scale-up. The joiner's model-parallel
diff --git a/python/sglang/srt/distributed/parallel_state.py b/python/sglang/srt/distributed/parallel_state.py
index abf9024ca..4c02ebb21 100644
--- a/python/sglang/srt/distributed/parallel_state.py
+++ b/python/sglang/srt/distributed/parallel_state.py
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ from sglang.srt.model_executor.runner_backend_utils.tc_piecewise_cuda_graph impo
 )
 from sglang.srt.platforms.device_mixin import _DEVICE_TO_DISTRIBUTED_BACKEND
 from sglang.srt.runtime_context import (
+    _validate_parallel,
     derive_parallel_widths,
     get_global_dwdp_manager,
     get_parallel,
@@ -2515,44 +2516,41 @@ def init_distributed_environment(
 
 
 def initialize_model_parallel(
-    tensor_model_parallel_size: int = 1,
-    expert_model_parallel_size: int = 1,
-    pipeline_model_parallel_size: int = 1,
-    attention_data_parallel_size: int = 1,
-    attention_context_model_parallel_size: int = 1,
-    moe_data_model_parallel_size: int = 1,
-    decode_context_parallel_size: int = 1,
     backend: Optional[str] = None,
     duplicate_tp_group: bool = False,
     enable_symm_mem: bool = False,
     recovered_rank: bool = False,
     rank_offset: int = 0,
     max_world_size: Optional[int] = None,
-    shared_experts_tensor_parallel_size: Optional[int] = None,
 ) -> None:
     """
-    Initialize model parallel groups.
+    Initialize model parallel groups at the published widths.
 
-    Arguments:
-        tensor_model_parallel_size: number of GPUs used for tensor model
-            parallelism.
-        expert_model_parallel_size: number of GPUs used for expert model
-            parallelism.
-        pipeline_model_parallel_size: number of GPUs used for pipeline model
-            parallelism.
-        attention_data_parallel_size: number of GPUs used for attention data
-            parallelism.
-        attention_context_model_parallel_size: number of GPUs used for attention context
-            parallelism.
-        moe_data_model_parallel_size: number of GPUs used for moe data
-            parallelism.
-        decode_context_parallel_size: number of GPUs used for decode context
-            parallelism, which splits the KV cache across GPUs within each
-            tensor-parallel group during decoding. Must be a divisor of
-            tensor_model_parallel_size and is currently only supported on the
-            AMD HIP platform.
-        shared_experts_tensor_parallel_size: optional shared-expert TP width.
-            Must divide attention TP; subgroups never cross attention replicas.
+    Every width comes from the runtime context rather than from an argument:
+    the configuration already says how wide each dimension is, and a caller
+    that translates it again is a second place for the two to disagree. A
+    process that needs a narrower layout than the one it published -- the
+    media encoder is the case in the tree -- states that layout on the context
+    first, so what it builds and what it answers stay the same thing.
+
+    The remaining arguments are not topology. `backend` is decided by the
+    device, `duplicate_tp_group` and `enable_symm_mem` by other namespaces, and
+    `recovered_rank` / `rank_offset` / `max_world_size` describe this
+    particular join rather than the layout being joined.
+
+    The widths this reads:
+        tp_size: GPUs used for tensor model parallelism.
+        moe_ep_size: GPUs used for expert model parallelism.
+        pp_size: GPUs used for pipeline model parallelism.
+        attn_dp_size: GPUs used for attention data parallelism.
+        attn_cp_size: GPUs used for attention context parallelism.
+        moe_dp_size: GPUs used for MoE data parallelism.
+        attn_dcp_size: GPUs used for decode context parallelism, which splits
+            the KV cache across GPUs within each tensor-parallel group during
+            decoding. Must be a divisor of `tp_size` and is currently only
+            supported on the AMD HIP platform.
+        shared_experts_tp_size: optional shared-expert TP width. Must divide
+            attention TP; subgroups never cross attention replicas.
 
     Let's say we have a total of 8 GPUs denoted by g0 ... g7 and we
     use 2 GPUs to parallelize the model tensor, and 4 GPUs to parallelize
@@ -2589,6 +2587,16 @@ def initialize_model_parallel(
     assert torch.distributed.is_initialized()
     backend = backend or torch.distributed.get_backend(get_world_group().device_group)
 
+    parallel = get_parallel()
+    tensor_model_parallel_size = parallel.tp_size
+    expert_model_parallel_size = parallel.moe_ep_size
+    pipeline_model_parallel_size = parallel.pp_size
+    attention_data_parallel_size = parallel.attn_dp_size
+    attention_context_model_parallel_size = parallel.attn_cp_size
+    moe_data_model_parallel_size = parallel.moe_dp_size
+    decode_context_parallel_size = parallel.attn_dcp_size
+    shared_experts_tensor_parallel_size = parallel.shared_experts_tp_size
+
     # Joiners construct their local TP/PP layout in global rank space.
     world_size: int = (
         tensor_model_parallel_size * pipeline_model_parallel_size
@@ -2933,6 +2941,12 @@ def initialize_model_parallel(
             max_world_size=max_world_size,
         )
 
+    # The groups just built and the configuration they were built from are two
+    # accounts of one layout. Check them against each other here, where the
+    # disagreement is still attributable, rather than letting a collective run
+    # on the wrong peers.
+    _validate_parallel(get_parallel(), "group build")
+
 
 def create_custom_parallel_group(
     group_ranks: List[int], backend: str = "gloo"
@@ -3094,10 +3108,18 @@ def patch_tensor_parallel_group(tp_group: GroupCoordinator, *, owns_attention: b
         narrowed.update(
             attn_tp_size=tp_group.world_size,
             attn_tp_rank=tp_group.rank_in_group,
+            attn_tp_group=tp_group,
             attn_dp_size=1,
             attn_dp_rank=0,
             attn_cp_size=1,
             attn_cp_rank=0,
+            attn_cp_group=None,
+            moe_ep_size=1,
+            moe_ep_rank=0,
+            moe_ep_group=None,
+            moe_dp_size=1,
+            moe_tp_size=tp_group.world_size,
+            moe_tp_rank=tp_group.rank_in_group,
         )
     try:
         with get_parallel().override(**narrowed):
diff --git a/python/sglang/srt/layers/dp_attention.py b/python/sglang/srt/layers/dp_attention.py
index 4919c34cd..c77d916bb 100644
--- a/python/sglang/srt/layers/dp_attention.py
+++ b/python/sglang/srt/layers/dp_attention.py
@@ -15,11 +15,9 @@ from sglang.srt.arg_groups.model_override_base import (
 )
 from sglang.srt.distributed import (
     GroupCoordinator,
-    get_attn_tensor_model_parallel_world_size,
 )
 from sglang.srt.distributed import get_moe_dp_group as _get_moe_dp_group
 from sglang.srt.distributed import (
-    get_tensor_model_parallel_world_size,
     tensor_model_parallel_all_reduce,
 )
 from sglang.srt.distributed.device_communicators.pynccl_allocator import (
@@ -49,6 +47,33 @@ if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from sglang.srt.model_executor.forward_batch_info import ForwardBatch
 
 
+def dp_gather_width() -> int:
+    """How many replicas the DP sync gathers over.
+
+    The attention-DP replicas, except after an elastic-EP scale-up, when the
+    gather spans the expanded WORLD -- whose width is the `dp_size` the
+    scale-up published. Read from the context either way: a scoped width has
+    to reach this, which is the whole reason the name has one home.
+    """
+    parallel = get_parallel()
+    return parallel.dp_size if world_dp_gather_enabled() else parallel.attn_dp_size
+
+
+def dp_gather_slot() -> int:
+    """This process's index in the list the DP sync just gathered.
+
+    The gather spans the attention-DP replicas, except after an elastic-EP
+    scale-up, when it spans the expanded WORLD and the joining cohort is
+    numbered from its offset. Which list was gathered is what the flag below
+    says, so the index is read from there rather than kept as a second name on
+    the topology.
+    """
+    parallel = get_parallel()
+    if world_dp_gather_enabled():
+        return parallel.tp_rank + parallel.ep_join_rank_offset
+    return parallel.attn_dp_rank
+
+
 def world_dp_gather_enabled() -> bool:
     """Whether DP gathers should use expanded WORLD after joiner admission."""
     dp = get_flags().dp
@@ -60,9 +85,13 @@ def enable_joiner_all_gather():
 
 
 def update_dp_attention_post_scale(new_dp_size: int, new_dp_rank: int):
-    get_parallel().override_permanently(
-        attn_dp_size=new_dp_size, attn_dp_rank=new_dp_rank
-    )
+    """Point the DP gather at the expanded WORLD.
+
+    The widths themselves are not written here: the caller scales `dp_size` on
+    the published bag, and the gather reads its width and this process's slot
+    from there. The arguments are the values the caller is about to publish,
+    kept so the log says which scale-up this was.
+    """
     get_flags().dp.use_world_group_for_gather = True
     logger.debug(
         "[Elastic EP] dp_attention switched to WORLD: dp_size=%d dp_rank=%d",
@@ -92,7 +121,7 @@ class DpPaddingMode(IntEnum):
     def get_dp_padding_mode(
         cls, is_extend_in_batch, global_num_tokens: List[int]
     ) -> DpPaddingMode:
-        dp_size = get_parallel().attn_dp_size
+        dp_size = dp_gather_width()
 
         # (trangdough) pplx-kernels a2a is a symmetric collective: every EP rank
         # must dispatch the same number of tokens or the device-side handshake
@@ -374,14 +403,13 @@ def initialize_dp_attention(
     dp.enabled = enable_dp_attention
 
     tp_rank = get_parallel().tp_rank
-    tp_size = get_tensor_model_parallel_world_size()
+    tp_size = get_parallel().tp_size
 
     _, _, attn_dp_rank, attn_dp_size = compute_dp_attention_world_info(
         enable_dp_attention, tp_rank, tp_size, dp_size, attn_cp_size
     )
 
     if get_exec().moe.elastic_ep_backend is not None and get_parallel().max_ep_size:
-        attn_dp_rank = tp_rank + get_parallel().ep_join_rank_offset
         # Reads the resolution, not a bag: this runs under
         # `initialize_dp_attention`, which the weight-cache daemon calls from
         # `_init_distributed` -- and other callers reach it from processes
@@ -414,7 +442,10 @@ def is_allocation_symmetric() -> bool:
 
 def get_dp_local_info(forward_batch: ForwardBatch) -> Tuple[torch.Tensor, torch.Tensor]:
     # `get_dp_local_info` is only called in global DP gather and scatter. We use global DP rank here.
-    dp_rank = get_parallel().attn_dp_rank
+    # The slot in the list that was gathered. A scale-up widens that list
+    # to WORLD, and this process's index in it is not its index among the
+    # launch replicas.
+    dp_rank = dp_gather_slot()
 
     if forward_batch.dp_local_start_pos is None:
         cumtokens = torch.cumsum(forward_batch.global_num_tokens_gpu, dim=0)
@@ -438,7 +469,10 @@ def get_dp_local_slice_cpu(
     # CPU (start, length) slice for DP-local data in a rank-padded buffer.
     # Returns Python ints (no D2H sync) and handles the cuda-graph-padded layout.
     global_num_tokens = forward_batch.global_num_tokens_cpu
-    dp_rank = get_parallel().attn_dp_rank
+    # The slot in the list that was gathered. A scale-up widens that list
+    # to WORLD, and this process's index in it is not its index among the
+    # launch replicas.
+    dp_rank = dp_gather_slot()
     local_num_tokens = global_num_tokens[dp_rank]
     if can_run_graph:
         local_start_pos = dp_rank * cuda_graph_batch
@@ -514,7 +548,7 @@ def _dp_gather_via_all_reduce(
         NUM_GPUS_PER_NODE = 8
         if (
             not local_tokens.dtype.is_floating_point
-            and get_tensor_model_parallel_world_size() <= NUM_GPUS_PER_NODE
+            and get_parallel().tp_size <= NUM_GPUS_PER_NODE
         ):
             from sglang.srt.distributed.parallel_state import inplace_all_reduce
 
@@ -534,7 +568,7 @@ def _dp_gather_via_all_gather(
 ):
     use_world = world_dp_gather_enabled()
 
-    if get_attn_tensor_model_parallel_world_size() == 1:
+    if get_parallel().attn_tp_size == 1:
         if use_world:
             torch.distributed.all_gather_into_tensor(
                 global_tokens,
@@ -548,9 +582,9 @@ def _dp_gather_via_all_gather(
     if not is_partial:
         if get_parallel().attn_tp_rank != 0:
             local_tokens.fill_(0)
-    scattered_local_tokens = local_tokens.tensor_split(
-        get_attn_tensor_model_parallel_world_size()
-    )[get_parallel().attn_tp_rank]
+    scattered_local_tokens = local_tokens.tensor_split(get_parallel().attn_tp_size)[
+        get_parallel().attn_tp_rank
+    ]
     get_parallel().attn_tp_group.reduce_scatter_tensor(
         scattered_local_tokens, local_tokens
     )
@@ -721,8 +755,8 @@ def is_dp_gatherv_active() -> bool:
     return (
         _USE_DP_GATHERV
         and not world_dp_gather_enabled()
-        and get_attn_tensor_model_parallel_world_size() == 1
-        and get_tensor_model_parallel_world_size() == get_parallel().attn_dp_size
+        and get_parallel().attn_tp_size == 1
+        and get_parallel().tp_size == get_parallel().attn_dp_size
         and not _DpGatheredBufferWrapper.is_dp_max_padding()
     )
 
@@ -881,12 +915,12 @@ def dp_reduce_scatter_tensor(output: torch.Tensor, input: torch.Tensor):
         if sizes is not None:
             get_parallel().tp_group.reduce_scatterv(input, output=output, sizes=sizes)
             return
-    if get_tensor_model_parallel_world_size() == get_parallel().attn_dp_size:
+    if get_parallel().tp_size == get_parallel().attn_dp_size:
         get_parallel().tp_group.reduce_scatter_tensor(output, input)
     else:
-        scattered_local_tokens = input.tensor_split(
-            get_tensor_model_parallel_world_size()
-        )[get_parallel().tp_rank]
+        scattered_local_tokens = input.tensor_split(get_parallel().tp_size)[
+            get_parallel().tp_rank
+        ]
         get_parallel().tp_group.reduce_scatter_tensor(scattered_local_tokens, input)
         get_parallel().attn_tp_group.all_gather_into_tensor(
             output, scattered_local_tokens
diff --git a/python/sglang/srt/layers/sampler.py b/python/sglang/srt/layers/sampler.py
index de26d1eb6..341073e16 100644
--- a/python/sglang/srt/layers/sampler.py
+++ b/python/sglang/srt/layers/sampler.py
@@ -112,7 +112,12 @@ class Sampler(nn.Module):
         self.cp_sync_group = None
         if is_dp_attention_enabled():
             self.tp_sync_group = get_parallel().attn_tp_group.device_group
-            self.cp_sync_group = get_parallel().attn_cp_group.device_group
+            # Only when there is more than one context shard to reconcile. The
+            # sync below already short-circuits on that, and a model running on
+            # one shard -- a speculative draft, under the scope that says so --
+            # has no context-parallel communicator to name.
+            if get_parallel().attn_cp_size > 1:
+                self.cp_sync_group = get_parallel().attn_cp_group.device_group
 
         self.rl_on_policy_target = get_exec().deterministic.rl_on_policy_target
         # In RL on-policy mode, deterministic inference is automatically enabled.
diff --git a/python/sglang/srt/managers/scheduler_components/dp_attn.py b/python/sglang/srt/managers/scheduler_components/dp_attn.py
index a822d380e..1e924b179 100644
--- a/python/sglang/srt/managers/scheduler_components/dp_attn.py
+++ b/python/sglang/srt/managers/scheduler_components/dp_attn.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ from sglang.srt.configs.model_config import ModelConfig
 from sglang.srt.distributed.parallel_state_wrapper import ParallelState
 from sglang.srt.environ import envs
 from sglang.srt.layers.cp.utils import get_cp_strategy
-from sglang.srt.layers.dp_attention import world_dp_gather_enabled
+from sglang.srt.layers.dp_attention import dp_gather_width, world_dp_gather_enabled
 from sglang.srt.layers.moe.utils import get_moe_a2a_backend
 from sglang.srt.managers.schedule_batch import ScheduleBatch
 from sglang.srt.managers.scheduler_components.recv_skipper import (
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ def _resolve_elastic_world_dp_size(
 
     from sglang.srt.elastic_ep.elastic_ep import ElasticEPStateManager
 
-    live_dp_size = get_parallel().attn_dp_size
+    live_dp_size = dp_gather_width()
     effective_ep_size = ElasticEPStateManager.get_effective_ep_size()
     # The group's own membership, not the width it was built at: this is the
     # one number an out-of-process join moves, and it is the upper bound the
diff --git a/python/sglang/srt/model_executor/forward_batch_info.py b/python/sglang/srt/model_executor/forward_batch_info.py
index 998a788cb..0bf416116 100644
--- a/python/sglang/srt/model_executor/forward_batch_info.py
+++ b/python/sglang/srt/model_executor/forward_batch_info.py
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ from sglang.srt.kv_canary.req_to_expected_token_ids_manager import (
 )
 from sglang.srt.layers.dp_attention import (
     DpPaddingMode,
+    dp_gather_slot,
     set_dp_buffer_len,
     set_is_extend_in_batch,
     world_dp_gather_enabled,
@@ -1165,9 +1166,7 @@ class ForwardBatch(ForwardBatchDeepSeekMHAMixin):
         if self.global_num_tokens_cpu is not None:
             # DP / MLP-sync path: per-DP padded width.
             if require_mlp_tp_gather():
-                num_tokens_per_dp = self.global_num_tokens_cpu[
-                    get_parallel().attn_dp_rank
-                ]
+                num_tokens_per_dp = self.global_num_tokens_cpu[dp_gather_slot()]
             else:
                 num_tokens_per_dp = self.global_num_tokens_cpu[0]
         else:
@@ -1520,7 +1519,7 @@ class ForwardBatch(ForwardBatchDeepSeekMHAMixin):
             buffer_len = sum(global_num_tokens)
 
         if len(global_num_tokens) > 1:
-            num_tokens = global_num_tokens[get_parallel().attn_dp_rank]
+            num_tokens = global_num_tokens[dp_gather_slot()]
         else:
             num_tokens = global_num_tokens[0]
 
diff --git a/python/sglang/srt/models/inkling_common/moe.py b/python/sglang/srt/models/inkling_common/moe.py
index f5b6c52e5..b7644bb4c 100644
--- a/python/sglang/srt/models/inkling_common/moe.py
+++ b/python/sglang/srt/models/inkling_common/moe.py
@@ -673,9 +673,15 @@ class InklingSharedFusedMoE(FusedMoE):
     ) -> None:
         # FusedMoE.__init__ reads get_parallel() once and caches it on self, so
         # scoping the override to just this call is sufficient for the module's lifetime.
+        # The shared experts are replicated rather than sharded, so there is no
+        # expert-parallel communication here and no group to name: a width of
+        # one with the wider group still installed would describe a layout that
+        # does not exist.
         with get_parallel().override(
             moe_ep_size=1,
             moe_ep_rank=0,
+            moe_ep_group=None,
+            moe_dp_size=1,
             moe_tp_size=get_parallel().tp_size,
             moe_tp_rank=get_parallel().tp_rank,
         ):
diff --git a/python/sglang/srt/models/kimi_k3.py b/python/sglang/srt/models/kimi_k3.py
index a28f7b3fd..2bf00c929 100644
--- a/python/sglang/srt/models/kimi_k3.py
+++ b/python/sglang/srt/models/kimi_k3.py
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ from sglang.srt.configs.kimi_k3 import KimiK3Config
 from sglang.srt.configs.kimi_linear import KimiLinearConfig
 from sglang.srt.distributed import (
     divide,
-    get_shared_experts_tp_group,
     tensor_model_parallel_all_reduce,
 )
 from sglang.srt.distributed.device_communicators.pynccl_allocator import (
@@ -582,7 +581,7 @@ class KimiK3MoE(nn.Module):
             shared_experts_tp_kwargs = dict(tp_rank=0, tp_size=1)
         elif self._shared_experts_tp_comm:
             group = (
-                get_shared_experts_tp_group()
+                parallel.shared_experts_tp_group
                 if requested_shared_tp is not None
                 else parallel.attn_tp_group
             )
diff --git a/python/sglang/srt/runtime_context.py b/python/sglang/srt/runtime_context.py
index f8c424fd5..81736cabb 100644
--- a/python/sglang/srt/runtime_context.py
+++ b/python/sglang/srt/runtime_context.py
@@ -218,6 +218,7 @@ _LIVE_READS: dict = {
     "moe_tp_group": "get_moe_tp_group",
     "attn_tp_group": "get_attn_tp_group",
     "attn_cp_group": "get_attn_cp_group",
+    "shared_experts_tp_group": "get_shared_experts_tp_group",
     "dcp_group": "get_dcp_group",
 }
 
@@ -448,14 +449,138 @@ class SpawnRanks(msgspec.Struct, frozen=True):
     the rank cannot say which replica this is. `None` means "no controller",
     which is an answer rather than an absence, and it is recorded as one.
 
-    Nothing else belongs here. A device index, for instance, is a placement
-    decision rather than a position -- the launcher may reindex it, and Ray
-    assigns it from its own allocator -- so it stays an argument to whoever
-    was handed it.
+    `gpu_id` is the device the parent picked for this process. It is not a
+    position in any group -- reindexing narrows the visible devices before the
+    spawn, and Ray allocates from its own pool -- but it is the same kind of
+    fact: something only the entry that spawned the process can state. `None`
+    for a process that runs on no device.
     """
 
     world_rank: int
     dp_rank: Optional[int] = None
+    gpu_id: Optional[int] = None
+
+
+_RANK_AND_WIDTH = (
+    ("tp_rank", "tp_size"),
+    ("pp_rank", "pp_size"),
+    ("attn_tp_rank", "attn_tp_size"),
+    ("attn_dp_rank", "attn_dp_size"),
+    ("attn_cp_rank", "attn_cp_size"),
+    ("moe_ep_rank", "moe_ep_size"),
+)
+
+# `moe_dp` is absent because `initialize_model_parallel` aliases the MoE-DP
+# group to the attention-CP group when the latter is wider: there the group and
+# the name are two facts, which is the same reason `moe_dp_rank` is left off the
+# record at publish.
+_WIDTH_AND_GROUP = (
+    ("tp_size", "tp_group"),
+    ("pp_size", "pp_group"),
+    ("attn_tp_size", "attn_tp_group"),
+    ("attn_cp_size", "attn_cp_group"),
+    ("moe_ep_size", "moe_ep_group"),
+)
+
+_UNREADABLE = object()
+
+
+def _validate_parallel(parallel, source: str) -> None:
+    """Fail on a topology that cannot describe a real process layout.
+
+    Every identity holds unconditionally: a width and a rank are both
+    plausible small integers whichever way they are wrong, so an inconsistent
+    set is not caught by anything downstream -- it surfaces as a hang or a
+    wrong answer in a collective, far from the write. Stating one leaf without
+    the quotients that follow from it leaves the namespace describing no real
+    layout, and the caller that did so is the one that has to say what it meant.
+
+    Names that cannot be read are skipped rather than treated as zero: a
+    process that has published nothing can still stamp a rank, and a group that
+    has not been built answers nothing at all.
+    """
+
+    def read(name):
+        """A width or a rank, or `_UNREADABLE` for anything these identities
+        cannot be stated about -- an absent name, `None`, or a stand-in a test
+        put in a group's place. Booleans are integers in Python and are not
+        widths, so they are out too."""
+        try:
+            value = getattr(parallel, name)
+        except Exception:
+            return _UNREADABLE
+        if isinstance(value, bool) or not isinstance(value, int):
+            return _UNREADABLE
+        return value
+
+    problems = []
+
+    for rank_name, size_name in _RANK_AND_WIDTH:
+        rank, size = read(rank_name), read(size_name)
+        if _UNREADABLE in (rank, size):
+            continue
+        if not 0 <= rank < size:
+            problems.append(
+                f"0 <= {rank_name} < {size_name}\n  {rank} is not a rank of {size}"
+            )
+
+    terms = ("tp_size", "attn_tp_size", "attn_dp_size", "attn_cp_size")
+    tp_size, a_tp, a_dp, a_cp = (read(n) for n in terms)
+    if _UNREADABLE not in (tp_size, a_tp, a_dp, a_cp):
+        if tp_size != a_tp * a_dp * a_cp:
+            problems.append(
+                "tp_size == attn_tp_size * attn_dp_size * attn_cp_size\n"
+                f"  {tp_size} != {a_tp} * {a_dp} * {a_cp} (= {a_tp * a_dp * a_cp})"
+            )
+
+    moe_terms = ("tp_size", "moe_ep_size", "moe_dp_size", "moe_tp_size")
+    tp_size, m_ep, m_dp, m_tp = (read(n) for n in moe_terms)
+    if _UNREADABLE not in (tp_size, m_ep, m_dp, m_tp):
+        if tp_size != m_ep * m_dp * m_tp:
+            problems.append(
+                "tp_size == moe_ep_size * moe_dp_size * moe_tp_size\n"
+                f"  {tp_size} != {m_ep} * {m_dp} * {m_tp} (= {m_ep * m_dp * m_tp})"
+            )
+
+    layout_terms = (
+        "tp_rank",
+        "attn_dp_rank",
+        "attn_cp_rank",
+        "attn_tp_rank",
+        "attn_cp_size",
+        "attn_tp_size",
+    )
+    tp_rank, r_dp, r_cp, r_tp, w_cp, w_tp = (read(n) for n in layout_terms)
+    if _UNREADABLE not in (tp_rank, r_dp, r_cp, r_tp, w_cp, w_tp):
+        laid_out = (r_dp * w_cp + r_cp) * w_tp + r_tp
+        if tp_rank != laid_out:
+            problems.append(
+                "tp_rank == (attn_dp_rank * attn_cp_size + attn_cp_rank)"
+                " * attn_tp_size + attn_tp_rank\n"
+                f"  {tp_rank} != ({r_dp} * {w_cp} + {r_cp})"
+                f" * {w_tp} + {r_tp} (= {laid_out})"
+            )
+
+    for size_name, group_name in _WIDTH_AND_GROUP:
+        size = read(size_name)
+        if size is _UNREADABLE:
+            continue
+        try:
+            group = getattr(parallel, group_name)
+        except Exception:
+            continue
+        built = getattr(group, "world_size", _UNREADABLE)
+        if isinstance(built, int) and not isinstance(built, bool) and built != size:
+            problems.append(
+                f"{group_name}.world_size == {size_name}\n"
+                f"  built {built}, configured {size}"
+            )
+
+    if problems:
+        raise ValueError(
+            f"parallel topology is inconsistent (set by {source}):\n"
+            + "\n".join(problems)
+        )
 
 
 class ParallelContext:
@@ -561,7 +686,13 @@ class ParallelContext:
         unknown = set(values) - _parallel_fields()
         if unknown:
             raise ValueError(f"unknown parallel field(s): {sorted(unknown)}")
+        saved = dict(self._stamp)
         self._stamp.update(values)
+        try:
+            _validate_parallel(self, "override_permanently")
+        except Exception:
+            self._stamp = saved
+            raise
 
     def clear_stamp(self) -> None:
         """Drop every stamped name, ranks included."""
@@ -576,6 +707,11 @@ class ParallelContext:
             raise ValueError(f"unknown parallel field(s): {sorted(unknown)}")
         saved = dict(self._overrides)
         self._overrides.update(kwargs)
+        try:
+            _validate_parallel(self, "override")
+        except Exception:
+            self._overrides = saved
+            raise
         try:
             yield self
         finally:
@@ -1776,6 +1912,8 @@ def publish(
             ),
         )
     _CONTEXT._publish_role = role
+    if ranks is not None and ranks.gpu_id is not None:
+        _CONTEXT.override("spawn", gpu_id=ranks.gpu_id)
     if ranks is not None:
         # The placement, worked out here rather than carried: the widths are on
         # the bag a moment ago, and `world_rank` fixes the rest. A read of any
@@ -1804,8 +1942,13 @@ def publish(
         # "no controller" rather than an absence.
         placement["dp_rank"] = ranks.dp_rank
         placement["launch_world_rank"] = ranks.world_rank
+        placement.update(_attention_ranks(parallel, placement["tp_rank"]))
+        # One stamp, not two: the identities are checked on every write, and a
+        # half-placed process satisfies none of them.
         parallel.override_permanently(**placement)
-        _stamp_attention_ranks(parallel, placement["tp_rank"])
+        # Publish established the whole layout, so every identity applies here,
+        # not just the ones the stamp happened to name.
+        _validate_parallel(parallel, "publish")
     if _ROLE_NS_MODE == "record":
         # The '-' marker distinguishes a zero-read role from a process where
         # recording never ran (signal teardown skips atexit).
@@ -1820,7 +1963,7 @@ def publish(
     return _CONTEXT
 
 
-def _stamp_attention_ranks(parallel, tp_rank: int) -> None:
+def _attention_ranks(parallel, tp_rank: int) -> dict:
     """Place this process in the attention topology, from the configuration.
 
     The widths are already on the bag -- `publish` computed them a moment ago --
@@ -1829,8 +1972,9 @@ def _stamp_attention_ranks(parallel, tp_rank: int) -> None:
     that never initialises distributed, which is what `ParallelState` provided
     by being a plain frozen record.
 
-    It is a stamp rather than a bag leaf because it is a per-process fact, and
-    nothing about the configuration distinguishes one rank from another.
+    These are stamped rather than written as bag leaves because they are
+    per-process facts, and nothing about the configuration distinguishes one
+    rank from another.
     """
     attn_tp_rank, attn_dp_rank = derive_attention_ranks(
         tp_rank=tp_rank,
@@ -1838,7 +1982,7 @@ def _stamp_attention_ranks(parallel, tp_rank: int) -> None:
         attn_cp_size=parallel.attn_cp_size,
         enable_dp_attention=parallel.enable_dp_attention,
     )
-    parallel.override_permanently(attn_tp_rank=attn_tp_rank, attn_dp_rank=attn_dp_rank)
+    return {"attn_tp_rank": attn_tp_rank, "attn_dp_rank": attn_dp_rank}
 
 
 def assert_published(server_args, *, role: str) -> RuntimeContext:
diff --git a/python/sglang/srt/weight_cache/daemon.py b/python/sglang/srt/weight_cache/daemon.py
index c68af59e2..0e7ae74fc 100644
--- a/python/sglang/srt/weight_cache/daemon.py
+++ b/python/sglang/srt/weight_cache/daemon.py
@@ -232,16 +232,7 @@ class WeightCacheDaemon:
                 moe_a2a_backend=self.moe_a2a_backend,
             )
 
-        initialize_model_parallel(
-            tensor_model_parallel_size=self.tp_size,
-            pipeline_model_parallel_size=self.pp_size,
-            expert_model_parallel_size=self.ep_size,
-            attention_data_parallel_size=(
-                self.dp_size if self.enable_dp_attention else 1
-            ),
-            attention_context_model_parallel_size=self.attn_cp_size,
-            moe_data_model_parallel_size=self.moe_dp_size,
-        )
+        initialize_model_parallel()
 
         # Initialize DP attention state (required by some models like Qwen3 MoE)
         from sglang.srt.layers.dp_attention import initialize_dp_attention
diff --git a/python/sglang/test/layer_ut_utils.py b/python/sglang/test/layer_ut_utils.py
index 01a9f24fc..bd324e73b 100644
--- a/python/sglang/test/layer_ut_utils.py
+++ b/python/sglang/test/layer_ut_utils.py
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import os
 
 import torch
 
+from sglang.test.test_utils import publish_build_topology
+
 
 def init_single_process_dist(master_port: int = 29632, backend: str = "gloo"):
     """world=1 dist + model-parallel groups; srt layers require them even
@@ -29,12 +31,8 @@ def init_single_process_dist(master_port: int = 29632, backend: str = "gloo"):
     if not model_parallel_is_initialized():
         # kwargs only: a positional backend would land in the
         # attention_data_parallel_size slot and explode on int // str.
-        initialize_model_parallel(
-            tensor_model_parallel_size=1,
-            expert_model_parallel_size=1,
-            pipeline_model_parallel_size=1,
-            backend=backend,
-        )
+        publish_build_topology(tp_size=1, ep_size=1, pp_size=1)
+        initialize_model_parallel(backend=backend)
 
 
 def make_tp1_column_parallel_linear(
diff --git a/python/sglang/test/test_utils.py b/python/sglang/test/test_utils.py
index 86165aaac..aae6098b0 100644
--- a/python/sglang/test/test_utils.py
+++ b/python/sglang/test/test_utils.py
@@ -2084,6 +2084,28 @@ def published_topology(role: str = "test", *, ranks=None, **server_args_fields):
         reset_context()
 
 
+def publish_build_topology(*, world_rank: int = 0, **server_args_fields):
+    """State the widths `initialize_model_parallel` is about to build at.
+
+    The build reads every width from the runtime context, so a test that wants
+    a particular topology publishes it here rather than passing it in -- the
+    same door production uses, which also keeps the derived widths honest.
+
+    Unlike `published_topology` this is not a scope: the groups it is about to
+    build outlive any block, so the configuration describing them has to as
+    well. Callers that tear the groups down are already resetting the process.
+    """
+    from sglang.srt.runtime_context import SpawnRanks, publish, reset_context
+    from sglang.srt.server_args import ServerArgs
+
+    reset_context()
+    publish(
+        ServerArgs(model_path="dummy", **server_args_fields),
+        role="test",
+        ranks=SpawnRanks(world_rank=world_rank),
+    )
+
+
 _GPU_IDLE_TIMEOUT_SECS = 30.0
 _GPU_IDLE_POLL_INTERVAL_SECS = 2.0
 _GPU_IDLE_USED_MEMORY_THRESHOLD = 2 << 30  # 2 GiB
diff --git a/test/manual/ep/test_flashinfer_dispatcher.py b/test/manual/ep/test_flashinfer_dispatcher.py
index 707dd5449..7aeb30cf5 100644
--- a/test/manual/ep/test_flashinfer_dispatcher.py
+++ b/test/manual/ep/test_flashinfer_dispatcher.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ from sglang.srt.layers.moe.token_dispatcher.flashinfer import FlashinferDispatch
 from sglang.srt.layers.moe.utils import initialize_moe_config
 from sglang.srt.runtime_context import get_context, publish
 from sglang.srt.server_args import ServerArgs, set_global_server_args_for_scheduler
-from sglang.test.test_utils import CustomTestCase
+from sglang.test.test_utils import CustomTestCase, publish_build_topology
 
 
 class TestFlashinferDispatcher(CustomTestCase):
@@ -44,9 +44,8 @@ class TestFlashinferDispatcher(CustomTestCase):
         publish(server_args, role="scheduler")
         initialize_moe_config()
 
-        initialize_model_parallel(
-            tensor_model_parallel_size=world_size, expert_model_parallel_size=world_size
-        )
+        publish_build_topology(tp_size=world_size, ep_size=world_size, world_rank=rank)
+        initialize_model_parallel()
 
     @classmethod
     def tearDownClass(cls):
diff --git a/test/manual/test_custom_allreduce.py b/test/manual/test_custom_allreduce.py
index 8261a36dd..e1d91d690 100644
--- a/test/manual/test_custom_allreduce.py
+++ b/test/manual/test_custom_allreduce.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ from sglang.srt.distributed.parallel_state import (
     initialize_model_parallel,
 )
 from sglang.srt.server_args import ServerArgs, set_global_server_args_for_scheduler
-from sglang.test.test_utils import CustomTestCase
+from sglang.test.test_utils import CustomTestCase, publish_build_topology
 
 
 def get_open_port() -> int:
@@ -98,7 +98,8 @@ class TestCustomAllReduce(CustomTestCase):
             distributed_init_method=distributed_init_method,
             local_rank=rank,
         )
-        initialize_model_parallel(tensor_model_parallel_size=world_size)
+        publish_build_topology(tp_size=world_size, world_rank=rank)
+        initialize_model_parallel()
         group = get_tensor_model_parallel_group().device_group
 
         # Set global server args to avoid "Global server args is not set yet!" error
@@ -161,7 +162,8 @@ class TestCustomAllReduce(CustomTestCase):
             distributed_init_method=distributed_init_method,
             local_rank=rank,
         )
-        initialize_model_parallel(tensor_model_parallel_size=world_size)
+        publish_build_topology(tp_size=world_size, world_rank=rank)
+        initialize_model_parallel()
         group = get_tensor_model_parallel_group().device_group
 
         # Set global server args to avoid "Global server args is not set yet!" error
diff --git a/test/manual/test_quick_allreduce.py b/test/manual/test_quick_allreduce.py
index f88049b03..3f4e3cd0b 100644
--- a/test/manual/test_quick_allreduce.py
+++ b/test/manual/test_quick_allreduce.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ from sglang.srt.distributed.parallel_state import (
     graph_capture,
     initialize_model_parallel,
 )
-from sglang.test.test_utils import CustomTestCase
+from sglang.test.test_utils import CustomTestCase, publish_build_topology
 
 torch.manual_seed(42)
 random.seed(44)  # keep the deterministic seed
@@ -117,7 +117,8 @@ class TestQuickAllReduce(CustomTestCase):
             distributed_init_method=distributed_init_method,
             local_rank=rank,
         )
-        initialize_model_parallel(tensor_model_parallel_size=world_size)
+        publish_build_topology(tp_size=world_size, world_rank=rank)
+        initialize_model_parallel()
         group = get_tensor_model_parallel_group().device_group
 
         # A small all_reduce for warmup.
@@ -186,7 +187,8 @@ class TestQuickAllReduce(CustomTestCase):
             distributed_init_method=distributed_init_method,
             local_rank=rank,
         )
-        initialize_model_parallel(tensor_model_parallel_size=world_size)
+        publish_build_topology(tp_size=world_size, world_rank=rank)
+        initialize_model_parallel()
         group = get_tensor_model_parallel_group().device_group
 
         for sz in self.TEST_SIZES:
diff --git a/test/manual/test_weight_loader_v2_equiv.py b/test/manual/test_weight_loader_v2_equiv.py
index 1cf71c3e9..595b4339f 100644
--- a/test/manual/test_weight_loader_v2_equiv.py
+++ b/test/manual/test_weight_loader_v2_equiv.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import unittest
 import torch
 
 from sglang.srt.environ import envs
+from sglang.test.test_utils import publish_build_topology
 
 MODEL = "Qwen/Qwen2-0.5B"
 
@@ -43,7 +44,8 @@ def _init_model_parallel() -> None:
             local_rank=0,
             distributed_init_method="tcp://127.0.0.1:29634",
         )
-        initialize_model_parallel(tensor_model_parallel_size=1)
+        publish_build_topology(tp_size=1)
+        initialize_model_parallel()
         monkey_patch_vllm_parallel_state()
     except AssertionError:
         pass
diff --git a/test/registered/cpu/test_rank_consensus_checker.py b/test/registered/cpu/test_rank_consensus_checker.py
index 773c4b3ff..ebd183f5c 100644
--- a/test/registered/cpu/test_rank_consensus_checker.py
+++ b/test/registered/cpu/test_rank_consensus_checker.py
@@ -23,7 +23,11 @@ from sglang.srt.utils.rank_consensus_checker import (
     shutdown,
 )
 from sglang.test.ci.ci_register import register_cpu_ci
-from sglang.test.test_utils import CustomTestCase, find_available_port
+from sglang.test.test_utils import (
+    CustomTestCase,
+    find_available_port,
+    publish_build_topology,
+)
 
 register_cpu_ci(est_time=193, suite="stage-a-test-cpu-intel")
 
@@ -80,11 +84,8 @@ def run_distributed_test(
                 backend="gloo",
             )
 
-            initialize_model_parallel(
-                tensor_model_parallel_size=tp_size,
-                pipeline_model_parallel_size=pp_size,
-                backend="gloo",
-            )
+            publish_build_topology(tp_size=tp_size, pp_size=pp_size, world_rank=rank)
+            initialize_model_parallel(backend="gloo")
 
             fn()
         except Exception as e:
diff --git a/test/registered/e2e/pp/test_pp_spec_embed_scan.py b/test/registered/e2e/pp/test_pp_spec_embed_scan.py
index 5c8cd9c18..f42b5f85f 100644
--- a/test/registered/e2e/pp/test_pp_spec_embed_scan.py
+++ b/test/registered/e2e/pp/test_pp_spec_embed_scan.py
@@ -10,7 +10,11 @@ import torch
 from transformers import MistralConfig, PretrainedConfig
 
 from sglang.test.ci.ci_register import register_cuda_ci
-from sglang.test.test_utils import DEFAULT_SMALL_MODEL_NAME_FOR_TEST, CustomTestCase
+from sglang.test.test_utils import (
+    DEFAULT_SMALL_MODEL_NAME_FOR_TEST,
+    CustomTestCase,
+    publish_build_topology,
+)
 
 register_cuda_ci(est_time=60, stage="base-b", runner_config="1-gpu-small")
 
@@ -77,7 +81,8 @@ class TestDraftEmbedScan(CustomTestCase):
         init_distributed_environment(
             world_size=1, rank=0, local_rank=0, distributed_init_method="env://"
         )
-        initialize_model_parallel(tensor_model_parallel_size=1)
+        publish_build_topology(tp_size=1)
+        initialize_model_parallel()
         torch.set_default_dtype(torch.bfloat16)
         torch.cuda.set_device(0)
 
diff --git a/test/registered/eplb/test_lplb_distributed.py b/test/registered/eplb/test_lplb_distributed.py
index 59edf9300..5d9220d61 100644
--- a/test/registered/eplb/test_lplb_distributed.py
+++ b/test/registered/eplb/test_lplb_distributed.py
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ from sglang.srt.distributed.parallel_state import (
     initialize_model_parallel,
 )
 from sglang.test.ci.ci_register import register_cuda_ci
+from sglang.test.test_utils import publish_build_topology
 
 register_cuda_ci(est_time=18, stage="base-b", runner_config="2-gpu-large")
 
@@ -238,10 +239,10 @@ def _worker_main(local_rank: int, world_size: int):
     init_distributed_environment(
         world_size=world_size, rank=local_rank, local_rank=local_rank
     )
-    initialize_model_parallel(
-        tensor_model_parallel_size=world_size,
-        expert_model_parallel_size=world_size,
+    publish_build_topology(
+        tp_size=world_size, ep_size=world_size, world_rank=local_rank
     )
+    initialize_model_parallel()
 
     from sglang.srt.eplb.lplb_solver import clear_global_lplb_solvers
 
diff --git a/test/registered/kernels/ops/communication/test_deterministic_reduce_scatter.py b/test/registered/kernels/ops/communication/test_deterministic_reduce_scatter.py
index 703718857..9eda92e6c 100644
--- a/test/registered/kernels/ops/communication/test_deterministic_reduce_scatter.py
+++ b/test/registered/kernels/ops/communication/test_deterministic_reduce_scatter.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ from sglang.srt.distributed import parallel_state as ps
 from sglang.srt.environ import envs
 from sglang.test.ci.ci_register import register_cuda_ci
 from sglang.test.kernels.utils import multigpu_pytest_main
+from sglang.test.test_utils import publish_build_topology
 
 register_cuda_ci(est_time=45, stage="base-b-kernel-unit", runner_config="4-gpu-b200")
 
@@ -37,7 +38,8 @@ def group():
         local_rank=local_rank,
         distributed_init_method="env://",
     )
-    ps.initialize_model_parallel(tensor_model_parallel_size=world_size)
+    publish_build_topology(tp_size=world_size, world_rank=rank)
+    ps.initialize_model_parallel()
     yield ps.get_tp_group()
     ps.destroy_model_parallel()
     ps.destroy_distributed_environment()
diff --git a/test/registered/kernels/ops/moe/test_fused_swiglu_epilogue.py b/test/registered/kernels/ops/moe/test_fused_swiglu_epilogue.py
index 51e7b2340..9e483f1ff 100644
--- a/test/registered/kernels/ops/moe/test_fused_swiglu_epilogue.py
+++ b/test/registered/kernels/ops/moe/test_fused_swiglu_epilogue.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import pytest
 import torch
 
 from sglang.test.ci.ci_register import register_cuda_ci
+from sglang.test.test_utils import publish_build_topology
 
 register_cuda_ci(est_time=12, stage="base-b-kernel-unit", runner_config="1-gpu-large")
 
@@ -52,12 +53,8 @@ def _runtime_scaffolding():
     if not torch.distributed.is_initialized():
         init_distributed_environment(world_size=1, rank=0, local_rank=0, backend="gloo")
     if not model_parallel_is_initialized():
-        initialize_model_parallel(
-            tensor_model_parallel_size=1,
-            expert_model_parallel_size=1,
-            pipeline_model_parallel_size=1,
-            backend="gloo",
-        )
+        publish_build_topology(tp_size=1, ep_size=1, pp_size=1)
+        initialize_model_parallel(backend="gloo")
 
 
 def _interleave_w13_rows(w13: torch.Tensor) -> torch.Tensor:
diff --git a/test/registered/layers/mamba/test_mamba2_mixer.py b/test/registered/layers/mamba/test_mamba2_mixer.py
index 063b84f37..7ac76d0c4 100644
--- a/test/registered/layers/mamba/test_mamba2_mixer.py
+++ b/test/registered/layers/mamba/test_mamba2_mixer.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ from sglang.srt.distributed.parallel_state import (
 from sglang.srt.runtime_context import get_parallel
 from sglang.srt.utils import get_device, get_device_count
 from sglang.test.ci.ci_register import register_cuda_ci, register_xpu_ci
+from sglang.test.test_utils import publish_build_topology
 
 register_cuda_ci(est_time=30, stage="base-b", runner_config="2-gpu-large")
 register_xpu_ci(est_time=60, suite="nightly-xpu-2-gpu", nightly=True)
@@ -105,7 +106,8 @@ def mixer2_gated_norm_tensor_parallel(
         local_rank=local_rank,
         backend=get_default_distributed_backend(device.type),
     )
-    initialize_model_parallel(tensor_model_parallel_size=world_size)
+    publish_build_topology(tp_size=world_size, world_rank=local_rank)
+    initialize_model_parallel()
 
     # create random weights an inputs
     weight = torch.rand((hidden_size,), dtype=dtype, device=device)
diff --git a/test/registered/ops/test_aiter_allreduce_fusion_amd.py b/test/registered/ops/test_aiter_allreduce_fusion_amd.py
index 926e4f338..8f3edf632 100755
--- a/test/registered/ops/test_aiter_allreduce_fusion_amd.py
+++ b/test/registered/ops/test_aiter_allreduce_fusion_amd.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import torch
 from sglang.srt.layers import communicator as comm
 from sglang.srt.layers.communicator import LayerCommunicator, ScatterMode
 from sglang.test.ci.ci_register import register_amd_ci
-from sglang.test.test_utils import CustomTestCase
+from sglang.test.test_utils import CustomTestCase, publish_build_topology
 
 register_amd_ci(est_time=240, suite="stage-c-test-large-8-gpu-amd")
 
@@ -64,7 +64,8 @@ def _run_residual_accuracy_check():
         distributed_init_method="env://",
         backend="nccl",
     )
-    initialize_model_parallel(tensor_model_parallel_size=world_size)
+    publish_build_topology(tp_size=world_size, world_rank=rank)
+    initialize_model_parallel()
 
     dtype = torch.bfloat16
     eps = 1e-6
diff --git a/test/registered/unit/distributed/test_parallel_state.py b/test/registered/unit/distributed/test_parallel_state.py
index f870b19e0..edb86d654 100644
--- a/test/registered/unit/distributed/test_parallel_state.py
+++ b/test/registered/unit/distributed/test_parallel_state.py
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ import pytest
 import torch
 
 from sglang.test.ci.ci_register import register_cpu_ci
+from sglang.test.test_utils import publish_build_topology
 
 register_cpu_ci(est_time=11, suite="base-a-test-cpu")
 
@@ -232,11 +233,8 @@ def test_parallel_group_construction_tp8_attn_cp2():
             mock_world_group.return_value = mock_world
 
             # Call the actual function
-            parallel_state.initialize_model_parallel(
-                tensor_model_parallel_size=8,
-                pipeline_model_parallel_size=1,
-                attention_context_model_parallel_size=2,
-            )
+            publish_build_topology(tp_size=8, pp_size=1, attn_cp_size=2)
+            parallel_state.initialize_model_parallel()
 
             # Verify TP groups
             tp_groups = created_groups.get("tp", [])
@@ -330,12 +328,8 @@ def test_parallel_group_construction_tp8_moe_ep4_cp2():
             mock_world_group.return_value = mock_world
 
             # Call the actual function
-            parallel_state.initialize_model_parallel(
-                tensor_model_parallel_size=8,
-                expert_model_parallel_size=4,
-                pipeline_model_parallel_size=1,
-                moe_data_model_parallel_size=2,
-            )
+            publish_build_topology(tp_size=8, ep_size=4, pp_size=1, moe_dp_size=2)
+            parallel_state.initialize_model_parallel()
 
             # Verify TP groups
             tp_groups = created_groups.get("tp", [])
diff --git a/test/registered/unit/layers/attention/test_vision_strided_qkv.py b/test/registered/unit/layers/attention/test_vision_strided_qkv.py
index 380e542df..666d8d6a6 100644
--- a/test/registered/unit/layers/attention/test_vision_strided_qkv.py
+++ b/test/registered/unit/layers/attention/test_vision_strided_qkv.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ from sglang.srt.distributed.parallel_state import (
 from sglang.srt.layers.attention import vision
 from sglang.srt.runtime_context import get_context, get_parallel
 from sglang.test.ci.ci_register import register_cpu_ci
+from sglang.test.test_utils import publish_build_topology
 
 register_cpu_ci(est_time=12, suite="base-a-test-cpu")
 
@@ -52,7 +53,8 @@ def gloo_world():
         distributed_init_method=f"tcp://127.0.0.1:{port}",
         backend="gloo",
     )
-    initialize_model_parallel(tensor_model_parallel_size=1, backend="gloo")
+    publish_build_topology(tp_size=1)
+    initialize_model_parallel(backend="gloo")
     yield
     destroy_model_parallel()
     destroy_distributed_environment()
diff --git a/test/registered/unit/mem_cache/test_dsa_layer_split_broadcast.py b/test/registered/unit/mem_cache/test_dsa_layer_split_broadcast.py
index 7d2d49e93..209b7cd49 100644
--- a/test/registered/unit/mem_cache/test_dsa_layer_split_broadcast.py
+++ b/test/registered/unit/mem_cache/test_dsa_layer_split_broadcast.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import torch
 import torch.multiprocessing as mp
 
 from sglang.test.ci.ci_register import register_cuda_ci
-from sglang.test.test_utils import CustomTestCase
+from sglang.test.test_utils import CustomTestCase, publish_build_topology
 
 register_cuda_ci(est_time=28, stage="base-c", runner_config="4-gpu-b200")
 
@@ -54,10 +54,8 @@ def _run(rank: int, world: int, port: int):
         distributed_init_method=f"tcp://127.0.0.1:{port}",
         backend="nccl",
     )
-    initialize_model_parallel(
-        tensor_model_parallel_size=world,
-        attention_context_model_parallel_size=world,
-    )
+    publish_build_topology(tp_size=world, attn_cp_size=world, world_rank=rank)
+    initialize_model_parallel()
 
     from sglang.srt.mem_cache.dsa_cache_layer_split import (
         LayerSplitDSATokenToKVPool,
diff --git a/test/registered/unit/mem_cache/test_page_interleave_shard.py b/test/registered/unit/mem_cache/test_page_interleave_shard.py
index 6961f75fc..8ddcd37d4 100644
--- a/test/registered/unit/mem_cache/test_page_interleave_shard.py
+++ b/test/registered/unit/mem_cache/test_page_interleave_shard.py
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ from sglang.srt.runtime_context import get_parallel, publish
 from sglang.srt.server_args import ServerArgs
 from sglang.srt.utils import ceil_div
 from sglang.test.ci.ci_register import register_cpu_ci
-from sglang.test.test_utils import CustomTestCase
+from sglang.test.test_utils import CustomTestCase, publish_build_topology
 
 register_cpu_ci(est_time=30, suite="base-a-test-cpu")
 
@@ -1215,10 +1215,8 @@ def _dist_init(rank, world, port, attn_cp_size):
         ServerArgs(model_path="dummy", tp_size=world, attn_cp_size=attn_cp_size),
         role="scheduler",
     )
-    initialize_model_parallel(
-        tensor_model_parallel_size=world,
-        attention_context_model_parallel_size=attn_cp_size,
-    )
+    publish_build_topology(tp_size=world, attn_cp_size=attn_cp_size, world_rank=rank)
+    initialize_model_parallel()
 
 
 def _gather_make_spec(shard_rank, max_prefix_groups=16, chunk_groups=4):
diff --git a/test/registered/unit/model_loader/test_presharded_loader.py b/test/registered/unit/model_loader/test_presharded_loader.py
index bc74cd311..527259ee7 100644
--- a/test/registered/unit/model_loader/test_presharded_loader.py
+++ b/test/registered/unit/model_loader/test_presharded_loader.py
@@ -844,7 +844,9 @@ class TestShardConfig(unittest.TestCase):
         override.install()
         self.addCleanup(override.restore)
         with (
-            get_parallel().override(tp_size=8, pp_size=1, moe_dp_size=2, moe_ep_size=4),
+            get_parallel().override(
+                tp_size=8, pp_size=1, moe_dp_size=2, moe_ep_size=4, moe_tp_size=1
+            ),
             mock.patch(
                 "sglang.srt.layers.dp_attention.get_moe_cp_size",
                 return_value=2,
diff --git a/test/registered/unit/models/test_glm5_next_bfg_fusion.py b/test/registered/unit/models/test_glm5_next_bfg_fusion.py
index c7607ff6b..272c52b1e 100644
--- a/test/registered/unit/models/test_glm5_next_bfg_fusion.py
+++ b/test/registered/unit/models/test_glm5_next_bfg_fusion.py
@@ -83,8 +83,19 @@ class TestGlm5NextBfgFusion(unittest.TestCase):
             for attn_tp, rank in ((1, 0), (2, 0), (2, 1)):
                 with (
                     self.subTest(route=expected_route, attn_tp=attn_tp, rank=rank),
+                    # A width is a whole topology: the attention triple has
+                    # to factor `tp_size`, and this process has to sit where
+                    # the triple puts it.
                     get_parallel().override(
-                        tp_size=4, tp_rank=3, attn_tp_size=attn_tp, attn_tp_rank=rank
+                        tp_size=4,
+                        tp_rank=rank,
+                        attn_tp_size=attn_tp,
+                        attn_tp_rank=rank,
+                        attn_dp_size=4 // attn_tp,
+                        attn_dp_rank=0,
+                        attn_cp_size=1,
+                        attn_cp_rank=0,
+                        moe_tp_size=4,
                     ),
                 ):
                     quant = MockFp8Config(ignored)
diff --git a/test/registered/unit/models/test_shared_experts_fusion_gates.py b/test/registered/unit/models/test_shared_experts_fusion_gates.py
index 7afae42ca..96f6dbe4b 100644
--- a/test/registered/unit/models/test_shared_experts_fusion_gates.py
+++ b/test/registered/unit/models/test_shared_experts_fusion_gates.py
@@ -61,7 +61,15 @@ class _FusionGateCase(CustomTestCase):
     def _reason(self, model_class, hf_config, quant_config=None, moe_ep_size=1):
         # The gates consult the live EP size; without a group installed the
         # canonical getter asserts, so every case states a topology.
-        with get_parallel().override(moe_ep_size=moe_ep_size):
+        with get_parallel().override(
+            tp_size=moe_ep_size,
+            attn_tp_size=moe_ep_size,
+            attn_dp_size=1,
+            attn_cp_size=1,
+            moe_ep_size=moe_ep_size,
+            moe_dp_size=1,
+            moe_tp_size=1,
+        ):
             return model_class.shared_experts_fusion_disable_reason(
                 hf_config, quant_config
             )
diff --git a/test/registered/unit/test_runtime_context.py b/test/registered/unit/test_runtime_context.py
index 27e9876f2..6c50ff3c1 100644
--- a/test/registered/unit/test_runtime_context.py
+++ b/test/registered/unit/test_runtime_context.py
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ from sglang.srt.runtime_context import (
     RuntimeContext,
     SpawnRanks,
     _FlagGroupBase,
+    _validate_parallel,
     assert_published,
     derive_parallel_widths,
     get_context,
@@ -59,6 +60,56 @@ from sglang.srt.server_args import ServerArgs
 from sglang.test.test_utils import CustomTestCase
 
 _SRT = _pathlib.Path(next(iter(_sglang.__path__))).resolve() / "srt"
+_PACKAGE = _pathlib.Path(next(iter(_sglang.__path__))).resolve()
+
+
+def _sources():
+    """Every Python file this checkout ships, package and siblings alike.
+
+    The package alone is the wrong subject set for anything about entries or
+    public names: `benchmark/`, `examples/` and the top-level `test/` call the
+    same doors and are not covered by any suite that would notice them break.
+    An installed package has no siblings, and then this is the package alone."""
+    roots = [_PACKAGE]
+    checkout = _PACKAGE.parents[1]
+    roots += [
+        checkout / name
+        for name in ("benchmark", "examples", "scripts", "test")
+        if (checkout / name).is_dir()
+    ]
+    for root in roots:
+        for path in root.rglob("*.py"):
+            yield path
+
+
+def _scope_entries_that_say_nothing(paths):
+    """Draft-scope entries that do not state `owns_attention`, as `path:line`.
+
+    The scope either narrows the draft's attention and expert identity or
+    leaves the target's in place, and only the worker knows which -- so the
+    keyword has no default. Omitting it is a `TypeError`, but only on the path
+    that runs, and those paths want a GPU and a draft model.
+    """
+    import ast
+
+    missing = []
+    for path in paths:
+        try:
+            tree = ast.parse(path.read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
+        except (SyntaxError, UnicodeDecodeError):
+            continue
+        for node in ast.walk(tree):
+            if not isinstance(node, ast.Call):
+                continue
+            func = node.func
+            name = getattr(func, "attr", None) or getattr(func, "id", None)
+            if name not in ("draft_tp_context", "patch_tensor_parallel_group"):
+                continue
+            if not any(kw.arg == "owns_attention" for kw in node.keywords):
+                missing.append(f"{path}:{node.lineno}")
+    return missing
+
+
 _PS = "sglang.srt.distributed.parallel_state"
 _DP = "sglang.srt.layers.dp_attention"
 
@@ -347,9 +398,8 @@ class TestStampedRanks(_IsolatedOverrides):
     """`attn_dp_rank` comes from the stamp, and says so when there is none.
 
     It is the one rank no group answers with: `initialize_dp_attention`
-    computes it from this process's `tp_rank`, and an elastic scale-up
-    replaces it with a rank in the expanded WORLD. Falling back to anything
-    would be inventing a placement for this process.
+    computes it from this process's `tp_rank`. Falling back to anything would
+    be inventing a placement for this process.
     """
 
     def setUp(self):
@@ -407,21 +457,71 @@ class TestStampedRanks(_IsolatedOverrides):
             )
         self.assertIs(mode, DpPaddingMode.SUM_LEN)
 
-    def test_a_scale_up_stamps_the_width_and_the_rank_together(self):
-        """The two describe one topology; a reader that saw only one moved
-        would place this process in a group it is not in."""
+    def test_the_gather_slot_follows_the_list_that_was_gathered(self):
+        """The DP sync gathers over the attention-DP replicas, or over the
+        expanded WORLD once a scale-up has moved the gather there. The index
+        into that list is a property of the gather, so it is read beside the
+        flag that says which one happened rather than kept on the topology."""
+        from sglang.srt.layers.dp_attention import dp_gather_slot
+
+        self.addCleanup(reset_context)
+        dp_flags = get_flags().dp
+        saved = (
+            dp_flags.use_world_group_for_gather,
+            dp_flags.joiner_skip_all_gather,
+        )
+
+        def restore():
+            (
+                dp_flags.use_world_group_for_gather,
+                dp_flags.joiner_skip_all_gather,
+            ) = saved
+
+        self.addCleanup(restore)
+        publish(
+            ServerArgs(
+                model_path="dummy", tp_size=8, dp_size=8, enable_dp_attention=True
+            ),
+            role="test",
+            ranks=SpawnRanks(world_rank=3),
+        )
+        parallel = get_parallel()
+        dp_flags.use_world_group_for_gather = False
+        self.assertEqual(dp_gather_slot(), parallel.attn_dp_rank)
+
+        # After a scale-up the gather spans the expanded WORLD, and the joining
+        # cohort is numbered from its offset.
+        dp_flags.use_world_group_for_gather = True
+        dp_flags.joiner_skip_all_gather = False
+        parallel.override_permanently(ep_join_rank_offset=8)
+        self.assertEqual(dp_gather_slot(), 8 + parallel.tp_rank)
+        # and the topology it was read off is untouched
+        self.assertEqual(parallel.attn_dp_size, 8)
+        self.assertEqual(parallel.tp_size, 8)
+
+    def test_a_scale_up_writes_no_width(self):
+        """The identities stay unconditional because nothing overrides them:
+        the scale-up only points the gather at the expanded WORLD."""
         from sglang.srt.layers.dp_attention import update_dp_attention_post_scale
 
-        # It also flips a process-wide gather flag; put it back, or every
-        # later test in this process runs as if a scale-up had happened.
         dp_flags = get_flags().dp
         saved_gather = dp_flags.use_world_group_for_gather
         self.addCleanup(setattr, dp_flags, "use_world_group_for_gather", saved_gather)
-
+        self.addCleanup(reset_context)
+        publish(
+            ServerArgs(
+                model_path="dummy", tp_size=8, dp_size=8, enable_dp_attention=True
+            ),
+            role="test",
+            ranks=SpawnRanks(world_rank=3),
+        )
         parallel = get_parallel()
+        before = (parallel.attn_dp_size, parallel.attn_dp_rank, parallel.tp_size)
         update_dp_attention_post_scale(new_dp_size=16, new_dp_rank=11)
-        self.assertEqual(parallel.attn_dp_size, 16)
-        self.assertEqual(parallel.attn_dp_rank, 11)
+        self.assertTrue(dp_flags.use_world_group_for_gather)
+        self.assertEqual(
+            (parallel.attn_dp_size, parallel.attn_dp_rank, parallel.tp_size), before
+        )
 
 
 class TestEveryDeclaredParallelNameIsStatable(_IsolatedOverrides):
@@ -1898,14 +1998,26 @@ class TestDerivedWidths(_IsolatedOverrides):
 
     def test_a_topology_is_stated_by_naming_the_width(self):
         """Overriding a leaf does not move the quotient -- the quotient is not
-        recomputed on read. Naming it is how a test states one."""
+        recomputed on read. Naming it is how a caller states one, and naming
+        only some of them is refused: the caller owns the arithmetic, the
+        context only checks it."""
         reset_context()
         self.addCleanup(reset_context)
         publish(ServerArgs(model_path="dummy", tp_size=8), role="test")
         self.assertEqual(get_parallel().attn_tp_size, 8)
-        with get_parallel().override(tp_size=2):
-            self.assertEqual(get_parallel().attn_tp_size, 8)
-        with get_parallel().override(attn_tp_size=4):
+
+        with self.assertRaises(ValueError) as caught:
+            with get_parallel().override(tp_size=2):
+                pass
+        self.assertIn(
+            "tp_size == attn_tp_size * attn_dp_size * attn_cp_size",
+            str(caught.exception),
+        )
+
+        with get_parallel().override(tp_size=2, attn_tp_size=2, moe_tp_size=2):
+            self.assertEqual(get_parallel().tp_size, 2)
+            self.assertEqual(get_parallel().attn_tp_size, 2)
+        with get_parallel().override(attn_tp_size=4, tp_size=4, moe_tp_size=4):
             self.assertEqual(get_parallel().attn_tp_size, 4)
 
     def test_an_unstated_topology_still_fails(self):
@@ -2127,17 +2239,11 @@ class TestDerivedWidths(_IsolatedOverrides):
                 )
                 self.assertEqual(published, recomputed)
 
-    def test_initialize_model_parallel_no_longer_touches_the_bag(self):
-        """`initialize_model_parallel` used to recompute and
-        permanently override the six derived widths on `get_parallel()`
-        after building its groups; that call is gone. Publish a placeholder
-        config (tp_size defaults to 1), then build real groups at a
-        different width -- the published leaf must now stay exactly what it
-        was, because nothing corrects it. This is the behavior a caller
-        relies on being told about, loudly, the first time it publishes and
-        builds inconsistently -- see
-        `test_recomputing_from_published_leaves_matches_the_publish_bag`
-        for why every real caller must not do that.
+    def test_initialize_model_parallel_builds_at_the_published_widths(self):
+        """The build takes every width from the context rather than from an
+        argument, so "published one width, built another" is no longer a state
+        a caller can reach -- there is nothing left to translate, and nothing
+        to correct afterwards either.
         """
         from unittest.mock import Mock
 
@@ -2145,11 +2251,11 @@ class TestDerivedWidths(_IsolatedOverrides):
 
         reset_context()
         self.addCleanup(reset_context)
-        publish(ServerArgs(model_path="dummy"), role="test")
-        self.assertEqual(get_parallel().attn_tp_size, 1)
-        self.assertEqual(get_parallel().moe_ep_size, 1)
-
         world_size = 8
+        publish(ServerArgs(model_path="dummy", tp_size=world_size), role="test")
+        self.assertEqual(get_parallel().attn_tp_size, world_size)
+
+        built_at = []
         with (
             patch.object(parallel_state, "_WORLD", None),
             patch.object(parallel_state, "_TP", None),
@@ -2168,25 +2274,20 @@ class TestDerivedWidths(_IsolatedOverrides):
             patch.object(
                 parallel_state,
                 "init_model_parallel_group",
-                return_value=Mock(device_group=Mock()),
+                side_effect=lambda group_ranks, *a, **k: (
+                    built_at.append(group_ranks),
+                    Mock(device_group=Mock()),
+                )[1],
             ),
             patch.object(parallel_state, "get_world_group") as mock_world_group,
         ):
             mock_world_group.return_value = Mock(device_group=Mock(), local_rank=0)
-            parallel_state.initialize_model_parallel(
-                tensor_model_parallel_size=world_size,
-                expert_model_parallel_size=world_size,
-            )
+            parallel_state.initialize_model_parallel()
         self.addCleanup(parallel_state.destroy_model_parallel)
 
-        self.assertEqual(
-            get_parallel().attn_tp_size,
-            1,
-            "initialize_model_parallel must not touch the published leaf -- "
-            "a caller that needs it corrected must publish a config that "
-            "already matches the width it is about to build",
-        )
-        self.assertEqual(get_parallel().moe_ep_size, 1)
+        # The first group built is TP, one group spanning the published width.
+        self.assertEqual(built_at[0], [list(range(world_size))])
+        self.assertEqual(get_parallel().attn_tp_size, world_size)
 
 
 class TestTheDerivedHalfIsDeclared(CustomTestCase):
@@ -2294,6 +2395,225 @@ class TestAnEntryThatBuildsARunnerHandsOverItsPlacement(CustomTestCase):
         )
 
 
+class TestTheAccessorsHaveNoCallersOutsideTheirPackage(CustomTestCase):
+    """`parallel_state`'s getters are the definition, not a second spelling.
+
+    Business code asks `get_parallel()`; a call that goes straight to the getter
+    is a read the context cannot redirect, which is what a scope needs it to be
+    able to do. The package that defines them is exempt -- a read there would
+    go through the context back into itself -- and so is `multimodal_gen`, which
+    has its own parallel state.
+    """
+
+    #: Not topology. `get_self_pp_group` builds the single-rank group a draft
+    #: pipeline scope installs, so there is nothing for the context to answer
+    #: with until the scope has installed it.
+    ALLOWED = {
+        "get_self_pp_group",
+        "get_default_distributed_backend",
+        "get_mooncake_transfer_engine",
+    }
+
+    def _accessors(self):
+        """Derived from the source, not listed here: a guard whose subject set
+        is written by hand stops watching whatever gets added next."""
+        from sglang.srt.distributed import parallel_state as parallel_state_module
+
+        source = _pathlib.Path(parallel_state_module.__file__).read_text().splitlines()
+        return {
+            line[len("def ") : line.index("(")]
+            for line in source
+            if line.startswith("def get_") or line.startswith("def is_")
+        }
+
+    def _callers(self, name):
+        import re
+
+        from sglang.srt.distributed import parallel_state as parallel_state_module
+
+        root = _pathlib.Path(parallel_state_module.__file__).parents[2]
+        pattern = re.compile(rf"(?<![.\w]){re.escape(name)}\(")
+        hits = []
+        for path in root.rglob("*.py"):
+            rel = path.relative_to(root).as_posix()
+            if rel.startswith(("srt/distributed/", "multimodal_gen/", "test/")):
+                continue
+            for number, line in enumerate(path.read_text().splitlines(), 1):
+                if line.lstrip().startswith(("def ", "#")):
+                    continue
+                if pattern.search(line):
+                    hits.append(f"{rel}:{number}")
+        return hits
+
+    def test_no_business_code_calls_them(self):
+        offenders = {}
+        for name in sorted(self._accessors() - self.ALLOWED):
+            callers = self._callers(name)
+            if callers:
+                offenders[name] = callers
+        self.assertEqual(
+            offenders,
+            {},
+            "read these through get_parallel() instead, or say here why the "
+            "context cannot answer them",
+        )
+
+    def test_the_guard_would_notice_a_caller(self):
+        """The subject set is derived, so this checks the search finds a real
+        call rather than that the list happens to be empty: `get_self_pp_group`
+        is exempt and does have one caller."""
+        self.assertTrue(self._callers("get_self_pp_group"))
+
+
+class TestTheTopologyIdentities(CustomTestCase):
+    """One set of identities, checked wherever the layout is written.
+
+    Each one is injected in the direction that breaks it and in the direction
+    that keeps it: a guard that only ever fires is as uninformative as one that
+    never does. They hold unconditionally -- a caller that states one leaf owes
+    the quotients that follow from it, because a namespace describing no real
+    layout is what the guard exists to refuse.
+    """
+
+    def _publish_square(self):
+        """tp=4 over two attention-DP replicas of two: every identity holds."""
+        reset_context()
+        self.addCleanup(reset_context)
+        publish(
+            ServerArgs(
+                model_path="dummy", tp_size=4, dp_size=2, enable_dp_attention=True
+            ),
+            role="scheduler",
+            ranks=SpawnRanks(world_rank=3, dp_rank=1),
+        )
+
+    def test_a_published_topology_is_consistent(self):
+        """The quiet direction, and the reason publish can check everything:
+        it is the one write that establishes the whole layout."""
+        self._publish_square()
+        parallel = get_parallel()
+        self.assertEqual(parallel.tp_size, 4)
+        self.assertEqual(parallel.attn_dp_size, 2)
+        self.assertEqual(parallel.attn_tp_size, 2)
+        self.assertEqual(parallel.tp_rank, 3)
+
+    def test_a_width_that_does_not_factor_is_refused(self):
+        self._publish_square()
+        with self.assertRaises(ValueError) as caught:
+            with get_parallel().override(
+                tp_size=4, attn_tp_size=3, attn_dp_size=1, attn_cp_size=1
+            ):
+                pass
+        message = str(caught.exception)
+        self.assertIn("set by override", message)
+        self.assertIn("attn_tp_size * attn_dp_size * attn_cp_size", message)
+        self.assertIn("4 != 3 * 1 * 1", message)
+
+    def test_a_rank_at_its_width_is_refused(self):
+        self._publish_square()
+        with self.assertRaises(ValueError) as caught:
+            with get_parallel().override(tp_rank=4, tp_size=4):
+                pass
+        self.assertIn("0 <= tp_rank < tp_size", str(caught.exception))
+
+    def test_a_moe_width_that_does_not_factor_is_refused(self):
+        self._publish_square()
+        with self.assertRaises(ValueError) as caught:
+            with get_parallel().override(
+                tp_size=4, moe_ep_size=1, moe_dp_size=1, moe_tp_size=3
+            ):
+                pass
+        message = str(caught.exception)
+        self.assertIn("moe_ep_size * moe_dp_size * moe_tp_size", message)
+        self.assertIn("4 != 1 * 1 * 3", message)
+
+    def test_a_rank_the_attention_layout_cannot_produce_is_refused(self):
+        """`tp_rank` is not free of the attention ranks: the layout derives one
+        from the other, so a set that does not satisfy it places this process
+        in two different seats at once."""
+        self._publish_square()
+        with self.assertRaises(ValueError) as caught:
+            with get_parallel().override(
+                tp_rank=0,
+                attn_dp_rank=1,
+                attn_cp_rank=0,
+                attn_tp_rank=0,
+                attn_cp_size=1,
+                attn_tp_size=2,
+            ):
+                pass
+        self.assertIn("attn_tp_size + attn_tp_rank", str(caught.exception))
+
+    def test_the_published_ranks_satisfy_the_layout(self):
+        """The quiet direction for the same identity: publish derives the
+        attention ranks from `tp_rank` through that very equation, so a
+        published process always sits in one seat."""
+        self._publish_square()
+        parallel = get_parallel()
+        self.assertEqual(
+            parallel.tp_rank,
+            (parallel.attn_dp_rank * parallel.attn_cp_size + parallel.attn_cp_rank)
+            * parallel.attn_tp_size
+            + parallel.attn_tp_rank,
+        )
+
+    def test_a_refused_write_leaves_nothing_behind(self):
+        """The scope never opened, so the value it tried to state must not be
+        readable afterwards -- a half-applied override is the state this guard
+        exists to prevent."""
+        self._publish_square()
+        with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
+            with get_parallel().override(
+                tp_size=4, attn_tp_size=3, attn_dp_size=1, attn_cp_size=1
+            ):
+                pass
+        self.assertEqual(get_parallel().attn_tp_size, 2)
+
+    def test_a_group_built_at_another_width_is_refused(self):
+        """The other end of the same identity: what the configuration says and
+        what the coordinators were actually built at, checked where the
+        disagreement is still attributable to the build."""
+        from sglang.srt.distributed import parallel_state
+        from sglang.srt.distributed.parallel_state import GroupCoordinator
+
+        self._publish_square()
+        wrong = GroupCoordinator.__new__(GroupCoordinator)
+        wrong.world_size = 8
+        wrong.rank_in_group = 0
+        with patch.object(parallel_state, "_TP", wrong):
+            with self.assertRaises(ValueError) as caught:
+                _validate_parallel(get_parallel(), "group build")
+        message = str(caught.exception)
+        self.assertIn("set by group build", message)
+        self.assertIn("tp_group.world_size == tp_size", message)
+        self.assertIn("built 8, configured 4", message)
+
+    def test_a_group_built_at_the_configured_width_is_quiet(self):
+        from sglang.srt.distributed import parallel_state
+        from sglang.srt.distributed.parallel_state import GroupCoordinator
+
+        self._publish_square()
+        right = GroupCoordinator.__new__(GroupCoordinator)
+        right.world_size = 4
+        right.rank_in_group = 3
+        with patch.object(parallel_state, "_TP", right):
+            _validate_parallel(get_parallel(), "group build")
+
+    def test_a_draft_scope_states_a_consistent_topology(self):
+        """The scope narrows four names at once, so the identity applies to it
+        -- and holds, which is what step lets the guard stay on."""
+        from sglang.srt.distributed import parallel_state
+        from sglang.srt.distributed.parallel_state import GroupCoordinator
+
+        self._publish_square()
+        group = GroupCoordinator.__new__(GroupCoordinator)
+        group.world_size = 2
+        group.rank_in_group = 1
+        with patch.object(parallel_state, "_TP", group):
+            with parallel_state.patch_tensor_parallel_group(group, owns_attention=True):
+                self.assertEqual(get_parallel().attn_tp_size, 2)
+
+
 class TestWhoAnswersDuringADraftScope(CustomTestCase):
     """A draft worker runs in one process with the target, under a scope.
 
@@ -2397,29 +2717,36 @@ class TestWhoAnswersDuringADraftScope(CustomTestCase):
         worker states it, and a caller that forgets is the bug this catches --
         `owns_attention` has no default, but a missing one is a TypeError only
         on the path that runs, and these paths need a GPU and a draft model."""
-        import ast
+        self.assertEqual(
+            _scope_entries_that_say_nothing(_sources()),
+            [],
+            "these enter the draft scope without saying",
+        )
 
-        package = _pathlib.Path(next(iter(_sglang.__path__))).resolve()
-        checkout = package.parents[1]
-        roots = [package] + [
-            checkout / name for name in ("test",) if (checkout / name).is_dir()
-        ]
-        missing = []
-        for path in (q for root in roots for q in root.rglob("*.py")):
-            try:
-                tree = ast.parse(path.read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
-            except (SyntaxError, UnicodeDecodeError):
-                continue
-            for node in ast.walk(tree):
-                if not isinstance(node, ast.Call):
-                    continue
-                func = node.func
-                name = getattr(func, "attr", None) or getattr(func, "id", None)
-                if name not in ("draft_tp_context", "patch_tensor_parallel_group"):
-                    continue
-                if not any(kw.arg == "owns_attention" for kw in node.keywords):
-                    missing.append(f"{path}:{node.lineno}")
-        self.assertEqual(missing, [], "these enter the draft scope without saying")
+    def test_the_census_would_notice_one(self):
+        """Two ways for it to report zero and still be wrong: the matcher does
+        not recognise the call, or the walk never reaches the file. A draft
+        scope entered from `benchmark/` breaks the same way as one in the
+        package and no suite covers it, so the roots are part of the check."""
+        trees = {
+            part
+            for path in _sources()
+            for part in ("benchmark", "examples", "scripts", "test")
+            if f"/{part}/" in path.as_posix()
+        }
+        self.assertEqual(
+            trees,
+            {"benchmark", "examples", "scripts", "test"},
+            "the walk misses a tree that can enter the scope",
+        )
+
+        with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmp:
+            probe = _pathlib.Path(tmp) / "probe.py"
+            probe.write_text(
+                "with self.draft_tp_context(runner.tp_group):\n    pass\n",
+                encoding="utf-8",
+            )
+            self.assertEqual(_scope_entries_that_say_nothing([probe]), [f"{probe}:1"])
 
     def test_a_full_width_swap_leaves_the_attention_layout_alone(self):
         """The other caller. A draft built outside any scope carries the