diff --git a/crates/nuncio-cal/src/nlp.rs b/crates/nuncio-cal/src/nlp.rs
index e4f6819..4be50cc 100644
--- a/crates/nuncio-cal/src/nlp.rs
+++ b/crates/nuncio-cal/src/nlp.rs
@@ -1,101 +1,705 @@
-//! Natural Language Calendar Booking NLP Parser.
+//! A deliberately small, exact natural-language scheduling parser.
+//!
+//! The grammar below is the *entire* set of phrasings this parser understands.
+//! Anything outside it returns an error. That is the point: a scheduler that
+//! guesses produces a plausible-looking event at the wrong instant, and the user
+//! only discovers the mistake by missing the meeting. Refusing is recoverable;
+//! silently booking the wrong time is not.
+//!
+//! # Grammar
+//!
+//! ```text
+//! <summary> <day> at <time> for <duration>
+//! ```
+//!
+//! * `<summary>` — free text, must be non-empty. The `at`/`for` separators are
+//!   matched from the right, so a summary may itself contain them
+//!   ("Prep for review tomorrow at 9am for 30 minutes").
+//! * `<day>` — `today`, `tomorrow`, or an ISO calendar date `YYYY-MM-DD`.
+//! * `<time>` — `noon`, `midnight`, `3pm`, `3:15pm`, `9am`, `9:05am`, or a
+//!   24-hour `HH:MM`. A bare number (`at 3`) is rejected as ambiguous.
+//! * `<duration>` — `<n> minute(s)|min(s)` or `<n> hour(s)|hr(s)`, non-zero and
+//!   no longer than 24 hours.
+//!
+//! Both `at <time>` and `for <duration>` are mandatory. Without a time there is
+//! no instant to resolve, and a defaulted duration is a guess about the user's
+//! intent, so neither is invented.
+//!
+//! # Deliberately unsupported
+//!
+//! Weekday phrasings (`next Tuesday`, `this Friday`, `on Tuesday`) are rejected
+//! as ambiguous rather than resolved. English speakers do not agree on whether
+//! "next Tuesday" means the Tuesday that is coming or the Tuesday of the
+//! following week, and the two readings differ by a whole week. There is no
+//! interpretation this parser could pick that would not be wrong for a large
+//! share of users, so it asks instead.
+//!
+//! # Time zones
+//!
+//! Resolution requires an explicit IANA time zone: "3pm" is not an instant until
+//! you know where the user is, and a Unix timestamp alone does not carry that.
+//! Wall-clock times are resolved through the zone's DST rules, and the two
+//! local-time anomalies are reported rather than papered over:
+//!
+//! * A time inside a spring-forward gap does not exist → [`NlpError::NonexistentLocalTime`].
+//! * A time inside a fall-back overlap occurs twice → [`NlpError::AmbiguousLocalTime`].
+//!
+//! Durations are added as absolute elapsed seconds, so an event that spans a DST
+//! transition keeps its real length and its wall-clock end time shifts, which is
+//! what a physical meeting actually does.
 
-use nuncio_core::model::CalendarEvent;
+use chrono::{Duration, LocalResult, NaiveDate, TimeZone};
+use chrono_tz::Tz;
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 use thiserror::Error;
 
-/// Parsed natural language scheduling intent result.
-#[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+/// The longest event this parser will accept, in minutes.
+const MAX_DURATION_MINUTES: u32 = 24 * 60;
+
+/// A successfully parsed scheduling request.
+///
+/// This is a parse result, not a calendar event: it deliberately carries no
+/// account or calendar identity, because the parser has no way to know which
+/// calendar the user meant and must not invent one.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub struct ParsedSchedulingIntent {
+    /// Event title, with the trailing scheduling phrase removed.
     pub summary: String,
+    /// Start instant, Unix seconds UTC.
     pub start_time: i64,
+    /// End instant, Unix seconds UTC (`start_time` plus the parsed duration).
     pub end_time: i64,
+    /// Parsed duration in minutes.
     pub duration_minutes: u32,
-    pub location: Option<String>,
-    pub attendees: Vec<String>,
 }
 
-/// Errors originating from natural language scheduling parsing.
-#[derive(Error, Debug, PartialEq, Eq)]
+/// Why a scheduling string could not be resolved to an exact instant.
+#[derive(Error, Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
 pub enum NlpError {
-    #[error("failed to parse scheduling string: {0}")]
-    ParseFailed(String),
-
     #[error("empty scheduling query provided")]
     EmptyQuery,
+
+    #[error("no event title found before the scheduling phrase")]
+    MissingSummary,
+
+    #[error("no time of day given; expected `... at <time> ...`")]
+    MissingTime,
+
+    #[error("no duration given; expected `... for <n> minutes`")]
+    MissingDuration,
+
+    #[error(
+        "`{0}` is ambiguous: it can mean either the coming weekday or the one a \
+         week later. Use `today`, `tomorrow`, or an explicit YYYY-MM-DD date"
+    )]
+    AmbiguousWeekday(String),
+
+    #[error("unsupported day `{0}`; expected `today`, `tomorrow`, or YYYY-MM-DD")]
+    UnsupportedDay(String),
+
+    #[error("unsupported time `{0}`; expected `noon`, `midnight`, `3pm`, `3:15pm`, or `HH:MM`")]
+    UnsupportedTime(String),
+
+    #[error("unsupported duration `{0}`; expected `<n> minutes` or `<n> hours`, up to 24 hours")]
+    UnsupportedDuration(String),
+
+    #[error("{date} {time} does not exist in {zone}: the clocks skip forward over it")]
+    NonexistentLocalTime {
+        date: String,
+        time: String,
+        zone: String,
+    },
+
+    #[error("{date} {time} occurs twice in {zone}: the clocks fall back over it")]
+    AmbiguousLocalTime {
+        date: String,
+        time: String,
+        zone: String,
+    },
+
+    #[error("the reference timestamp {0} is not a representable instant")]
+    InvalidReference(i64),
+
+    #[error("the resolved instant overflows the representable range")]
+    InstantOutOfRange,
 }
 
-/// Natural Language Scheduling NLP Parser.
+/// Parser for the small scheduling grammar documented at the module level.
 pub struct NaturalLanguageScheduler;
 
 impl NaturalLanguageScheduler {
-    /// Parse human input string (e.g. "Coffee with Bob next Tuesday at 2pm for 45 minutes") into [`CalendarEvent`].
-    pub fn parse(input: &str, reference_timestamp: i64) -> Result<CalendarEvent, NlpError> {
-        let clean = input.trim();
-        if clean.is_empty() {
+    /// Resolve `input` to an exact instant, relative to `reference_timestamp`
+    /// (Unix seconds) interpreted in `zone`.
+    ///
+    /// `zone` is required rather than defaulted: relative days and wall-clock
+    /// times are meaningless without it, and assuming a zone is the specific
+    /// mistake that produces confidently wrong bookings.
+    ///
+    /// Returns [`NlpError`] for every phrasing outside the documented grammar.
+    /// It never falls back to an approximation.
+    pub fn parse(
+        input: &str,
+        reference_timestamp: i64,
+        zone: Tz,
+    ) -> Result<ParsedSchedulingIntent, NlpError> {
+        let original = input.trim();
+        if original.is_empty() {
             return Err(NlpError::EmptyQuery);
         }
 
-        // Extract duration if specified (e.g., "45 minutes", "1 hour")
-        let duration_secs = if clean.contains("45 min") || clean.contains("45 minutes") {
-            45 * 60
-        } else if clean.contains("30 min") || clean.contains("30 minutes") {
-            30 * 60
-        } else if clean.contains("1 hour") || clean.contains("60 minutes") {
-            60 * 60
-        } else {
-            30 * 60 // Default 30 minutes
-        };
+        // ASCII lowercasing preserves byte length, so byte offsets found in the
+        // lowered copy stay valid in `original` and the summary keeps its case.
+        let lowered = original.to_ascii_lowercase();
 
-        // Determine summary (strip timing phrases)
-        let summary = if let Some((head, _)) = clean.split_once(" next ") {
-            head.to_string()
-        } else if let Some((head, _)) = clean.split_once(" tomorrow ") {
-            head.to_string()
-        } else if let Some((head, _)) = clean.split_once(" at ") {
-            head.to_string()
-        } else {
-            clean.to_string()
-        };
+        let (head, duration_text) =
+            split_last(&lowered, original, " for ").ok_or(NlpError::MissingDuration)?;
+        let duration_minutes = parse_duration(&duration_text.to_ascii_lowercase())?;
 
-        // Standard 24h offset calculation for "next" / "tomorrow"
-        let start = reference_timestamp + 86400;
-        let end = start + duration_secs;
+        let lowered_head = head.to_ascii_lowercase();
+        let (summary_and_day, time_text) =
+            split_last(&lowered_head, head, " at ").ok_or(NlpError::MissingTime)?;
+        let (hour, minute) = parse_time_of_day(&time_text.to_ascii_lowercase())?;
 
-        Ok(CalendarEvent {
-            id: format!("nlp-evt-{}", uuid_or_timestamp(start)),
-            account_id: "default".to_string(),
-            calendar_id: "default".to_string(),
-            summary: summary.trim().to_string(),
-            start_time: start,
-            end_time: end,
-            rrule: None,
-            location: None,
+        let reference = zone
+            .timestamp_opt(reference_timestamp, 0)
+            .single()
+            .ok_or(NlpError::InvalidReference(reference_timestamp))?;
+
+        let (summary, date) = split_day(summary_and_day, reference.date_naive())?;
+        if summary.is_empty() {
+            return Err(NlpError::MissingSummary);
+        }
+
+        let start = resolve_local(zone, date, hour, minute)?;
+        let end = start
+            .checked_add_signed(Duration::minutes(i64::from(duration_minutes)))
+            .ok_or(NlpError::InstantOutOfRange)?;
+
+        Ok(ParsedSchedulingIntent {
+            summary,
+            start_time: start.timestamp(),
+            end_time: end.timestamp(),
+            duration_minutes,
         })
     }
 }
 
-fn uuid_or_timestamp(ts: i64) -> String {
-    format!("evt-{ts}")
+/// Split `original` at the last occurrence of `sep` located in `lowered`.
+///
+/// `lowered` must be the ASCII-lowercased form of `original` so their byte
+/// offsets line up.
+fn split_last<'a>(lowered: &str, original: &'a str, sep: &str) -> Option<(&'a str, &'a str)> {
+    let at = lowered.rfind(sep)?;
+    Some((&original[..at], &original[at + sep.len()..]))
+}
+
+/// Turn the trailing day word of `text` into a concrete date, returning the
+/// remaining text as the summary.
+fn split_day(text: &str, reference_date: NaiveDate) -> Result<(String, NaiveDate), NlpError> {
+    let trimmed = text.trim_end();
+    let (head, last) = match trimmed.rsplit_once(char::is_whitespace) {
+        Some((head, last)) => (head, last),
+        None => ("", trimmed),
+    };
+    let lowered = last.to_ascii_lowercase();
+
+    let date = match lowered.as_str() {
+        "today" => reference_date,
+        "tomorrow" => reference_date
+            .succ_opt()
+            .ok_or(NlpError::InstantOutOfRange)?,
+        other => {
+            if let Ok(explicit) = NaiveDate::parse_from_str(other, "%Y-%m-%d") {
+                explicit
+            } else if is_weekday(other) {
+                // Rebuild the phrase with any qualifier ("next", "this", "on")
+                // so the error quotes back what the user actually wrote.
+                let qualifier = head
+                    .rsplit_once(char::is_whitespace)
+                    .map_or(head, |(_, word)| word);
+                let phrase = if matches!(
+                    qualifier.to_ascii_lowercase().as_str(),
+                    "next" | "this" | "on" | "coming"
+                ) {
+                    format!("{qualifier} {last}")
+                } else {
+                    last.to_string()
+                };
+                return Err(NlpError::AmbiguousWeekday(phrase));
+            } else {
+                return Err(NlpError::UnsupportedDay(last.to_string()));
+            }
+        }
+    };
+
+    Ok((head.trim().to_string(), date))
+}
+
+fn is_weekday(word: &str) -> bool {
+    matches!(
+        word,
+        "monday"
+            | "mon"
+            | "tuesday"
+            | "tue"
+            | "tues"
+            | "wednesday"
+            | "wed"
+            | "thursday"
+            | "thu"
+            | "thurs"
+            | "friday"
+            | "fri"
+            | "saturday"
+            | "sat"
+            | "sunday"
+            | "sun"
+    )
+}
+
+/// Parse `noon`, `midnight`, a 12-hour `am`/`pm` time, or a 24-hour `HH:MM`.
+///
+/// A bare number is rejected: "at 3" gives no way to tell 03:00 from 15:00.
+fn parse_time_of_day(text: &str) -> Result<(u32, u32), NlpError> {
+    let raw = text.trim();
+    let compact: String = raw.chars().filter(|c| !c.is_whitespace()).collect();
+    let unsupported = || NlpError::UnsupportedTime(raw.to_string());
+
+    match compact.as_str() {
+        "noon" => return Ok((12, 0)),
+        "midnight" => return Ok((0, 0)),
+        _ => {}
+    }
+
+    if let Some(clock) = compact
+        .strip_suffix("am")
+        .map(|c| (c, false))
+        .or_else(|| compact.strip_suffix("pm").map(|c| (c, true)))
+    {
+        let (digits, is_pm) = clock;
+        let (hour, minute) = split_clock(digits, 1..=12, unsupported)?;
+        let hour = match (hour, is_pm) {
+            (12, false) => 0,
+            (12, true) => 12,
+            (h, false) => h,
+            (h, true) => h + 12,
+        };
+        return Ok((hour, minute));
+    }
+
+    // 24-hour form must carry the colon, so a bare hour never parses.
+    if !compact.contains(':') {
+        return Err(unsupported());
+    }
+    split_clock(&compact, 0..=23, unsupported)
+}
+
+/// Split `H`, `H:MM`, or `HH:MM` into an hour within `hours` and a minute.
+fn split_clock(
+    text: &str,
+    hours: std::ops::RangeInclusive<u32>,
+    unsupported: impl Fn() -> NlpError,
+) -> Result<(u32, u32), NlpError> {
+    let (hour_text, minute_text) = match text.split_once(':') {
+        Some((h, m)) => (h, m),
+        None => (text, "0"),
+    };
+    if hour_text.is_empty() || !hour_text.chars().all(|c| c.is_ascii_digit()) {
+        return Err(unsupported());
+    }
+    // A minute field is always exactly two digits; "3:5" is a typo, not 03:05.
+    if text.contains(':')
+        && (minute_text.len() != 2 || !minute_text.bytes().all(|b| b.is_ascii_digit()))
+    {
+        return Err(unsupported());
+    }
+    let hour: u32 = hour_text.parse().map_err(|_| unsupported())?;
+    let minute: u32 = minute_text.parse().map_err(|_| unsupported())?;
+    if !hours.contains(&hour) || minute > 59 {
+        return Err(unsupported());
+    }
+    Ok((hour, minute))
+}
+
+/// Parse `<n> minutes` / `<n> hours` into a minute count.
+fn parse_duration(text: &str) -> Result<u32, NlpError> {
+    let raw = text.trim();
+    let unsupported = || NlpError::UnsupportedDuration(raw.to_string());
+
+    let mut parts = raw.split_whitespace();
+    let (Some(count_text), Some(unit), None) = (parts.next(), parts.next(), parts.next()) else {
+        return Err(unsupported());
+    };
+
+    let count: u32 = count_text.parse().map_err(|_| unsupported())?;
+    let minutes = match unit {
+        "minute" | "minutes" | "min" | "mins" => count,
+        "hour" | "hours" | "hr" | "hrs" => count.checked_mul(60).ok_or_else(unsupported)?,
+        _ => return Err(unsupported()),
+    };
+
+    if minutes == 0 || minutes > MAX_DURATION_MINUTES {
+        return Err(unsupported());
+    }
+    Ok(minutes)
+}
+
+/// Resolve a wall-clock time in `zone`, reporting both DST anomalies honestly.
+fn resolve_local(
+    zone: Tz,
+    date: NaiveDate,
+    hour: u32,
+    minute: u32,
+) -> Result<chrono::DateTime<Tz>, NlpError> {
+    let local = date
+        .and_hms_opt(hour, minute, 0)
+        .ok_or(NlpError::InstantOutOfRange)?;
+
+    match zone.from_local_datetime(&local) {
+        LocalResult::Single(instant) => Ok(instant),
+        LocalResult::None => Err(NlpError::NonexistentLocalTime {
+            date: date.to_string(),
+            time: format!("{hour:02}:{minute:02}"),
+            zone: zone.name().to_string(),
+        }),
+        LocalResult::Ambiguous(_, _) => Err(NlpError::AmbiguousLocalTime {
+            date: date.to_string(),
+            time: format!("{hour:02}:{minute:02}"),
+            zone: zone.name().to_string(),
+        }),
+    }
 }
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
     use super::*;
+    use chrono_tz::{America::New_York, Europe::London};
+
+    // 2026-03-05 10:00 EST — a plain winter weekday, well clear of any DST edge.
+    const REF_NY: i64 = 1_772_722_800;
+    // 2026-03-07 12:00 EST — the day before US DST begins (2026-03-08 02:00).
+    const REF_NY_BEFORE_SPRING_FORWARD: i64 = 1_772_902_800;
+    // 2026-10-31 12:00 EDT — the day before US DST ends (2026-11-01 02:00).
+    const REF_NY_BEFORE_FALL_BACK: i64 = 1_793_462_400;
+    // 2026-03-05 10:00 GMT — same wall clock as REF_NY, a different instant.
+    const REF_LONDON: i64 = 1_772_704_800;
+
+    fn parse(input: &str, reference: i64, zone: Tz) -> ParsedSchedulingIntent {
+        NaturalLanguageScheduler::parse(input, reference, zone).unwrap()
+    }
+
+    fn err(input: &str, reference: i64, zone: Tz) -> NlpError {
+        NaturalLanguageScheduler::parse(input, reference, zone).unwrap_err()
+    }
+
+    // --- supported grammar: exact instants -------------------------------
 
     #[test]
-    fn parse_valid_nlp_string_creates_event() {
-        let input = "Coffee with Bob next Tuesday at 2pm for 45 minutes";
-        let ref_ts = 1700000000;
-        let event = NaturalLanguageScheduler::parse(input, ref_ts).unwrap();
-
-        assert_eq!(event.summary, "Coffee with Bob");
-        assert_eq!(event.end_time - event.start_time, 45 * 60);
+    fn tomorrow_at_a_pm_time_resolves_to_the_exact_instant() {
+        let intent = parse(
+            "Coffee with Bob tomorrow at 2pm for 45 minutes",
+            REF_NY,
+            New_York,
+        );
+        assert_eq!(intent.summary, "Coffee with Bob");
+        // 2026-03-06 14:00 EST.
+        assert_eq!(intent.start_time, 1_772_823_600);
+        assert_eq!(intent.end_time, 1_772_823_600 + 45 * 60);
+        assert_eq!(intent.duration_minutes, 45);
     }
 
     #[test]
-    fn parse_empty_query_returns_error() {
-        let err = NaturalLanguageScheduler::parse("   ", 1700000000).unwrap_err();
-        assert_eq!(err, NlpError::EmptyQuery);
+    fn noon_and_midnight_resolve_to_the_exact_instant() {
+        let noon = parse("Lunch tomorrow at noon for 1 hour", REF_NY, New_York);
+        assert_eq!(noon.start_time, 1_772_816_400); // 2026-03-06 12:00 EST
+        assert_eq!(noon.duration_minutes, 60);
+
+        let midnight = parse("Deploy tomorrow at midnight for 30 mins", REF_NY, New_York);
+        assert_eq!(midnight.start_time, 1_772_773_200); // 2026-03-06 00:00 EST
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn today_resolves_against_the_reference_date_not_the_wall_clock() {
+        let intent = parse("Retro today at 9:30am for 30 minutes", REF_NY, New_York);
+        assert_eq!(intent.summary, "Retro");
+        // 2026-03-05 09:30 EST — before the reference instant, and still exact.
+        assert_eq!(intent.start_time, 1_772_721_000);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn an_explicit_iso_date_resolves_to_the_exact_instant() {
+        let intent = parse(
+            "Standup 2026-03-08 at 01:30 for 120 minutes",
+            REF_NY,
+            New_York,
+        );
+        assert_eq!(intent.summary, "Standup");
+        assert_eq!(intent.start_time, 1_772_951_400); // 2026-03-08 01:30 EST
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn separators_are_matched_from_the_right_so_summaries_may_contain_them() {
+        let intent = parse(
+            "Prep for review at HQ tomorrow at 2pm for 45 minutes",
+            REF_NY,
+            New_York,
+        );
+        assert_eq!(intent.summary, "Prep for review at HQ");
+        assert_eq!(intent.start_time, 1_772_823_600);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn every_documented_duration_unit_is_accepted() {
+        for (phrase, expected) in [
+            ("15 minutes", 15),
+            ("15 minute", 15),
+            ("15 mins", 15),
+            ("15 min", 15),
+            ("2 hours", 120),
+            ("1 hour", 60),
+            ("2 hrs", 120),
+            ("1 hr", 60),
+        ] {
+            let input = format!("Sync tomorrow at 2pm for {phrase}");
+            assert_eq!(
+                parse(&input, REF_NY, New_York).duration_minutes,
+                expected,
+                "{phrase}"
+            );
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn every_documented_time_form_is_accepted() {
+        for (phrase, expected_hour, expected_minute) in [
+            ("3pm", 15, 0),
+            ("3:15pm", 15, 15),
+            ("9am", 9, 0),
+            ("9:05am", 9, 5),
+            ("12am", 0, 0),
+            ("12pm", 12, 0),
+            ("00:00", 0, 0),
+            ("23:59", 23, 59),
+            ("noon", 12, 0),
+            ("midnight", 0, 0),
+        ] {
+            let input = format!("Sync tomorrow at {phrase} for 30 minutes");
+            let intent = parse(&input, REF_NY, New_York);
+            let expected = New_York
+                .with_ymd_and_hms(2026, 3, 6, expected_hour, expected_minute, 0)
+                .unwrap()
+                .timestamp();
+            assert_eq!(intent.start_time, expected, "{phrase}");
+        }
+    }
+
+    // --- time zones -------------------------------------------------------
+
+    #[test]
+    fn the_same_phrase_in_a_different_zone_is_a_different_instant() {
+        let input = "Sync tomorrow at 2pm for 30 minutes";
+        let ny = parse(input, REF_NY, New_York);
+        let london = parse(input, REF_LONDON, London);
+
+        assert_eq!(ny.start_time, 1_772_823_600); // 2026-03-06 14:00 EST
+        assert_eq!(london.start_time, 1_772_805_600); // 2026-03-06 14:00 GMT
+                                                      // Same wall clock, five hours apart — the zone is load-bearing, so a
+                                                      // parser that ignored it would be wrong for one of these callers.
+        assert_eq!(ny.start_time - london.start_time, 5 * 3600);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn a_time_inside_the_spring_forward_gap_is_refused() {
+        let error = err(
+            "Sync tomorrow at 2:30am for 30 minutes",
+            REF_NY_BEFORE_SPRING_FORWARD,
+            New_York,
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            error,
+            NlpError::NonexistentLocalTime {
+                date: "2026-03-08".to_string(),
+                time: "02:30".to_string(),
+                zone: "America/New_York".to_string(),
+            }
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn a_time_just_after_the_spring_forward_gap_resolves_exactly() {
+        let intent = parse(
+            "Sync tomorrow at 3am for 30 minutes",
+            REF_NY_BEFORE_SPRING_FORWARD,
+            New_York,
+        );
+        // 2026-03-08 03:00 EDT — one hour of real time after 01:00 EST, not two.
+        assert_eq!(intent.start_time, 1_772_953_200);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn a_time_inside_the_fall_back_overlap_is_refused() {
+        let error = err(
+            "Sync tomorrow at 1:30am for 30 minutes",
+            REF_NY_BEFORE_FALL_BACK,
+            New_York,
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            error,
+            NlpError::AmbiguousLocalTime {
+                date: "2026-11-01".to_string(),
+                time: "01:30".to_string(),
+                zone: "America/New_York".to_string(),
+            }
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn a_duration_spanning_a_dst_transition_keeps_its_real_length() {
+        let intent = parse(
+            "Standup 2026-03-08 at 01:30 for 120 minutes",
+            REF_NY,
+            New_York,
+        );
+        // Elapsed time is exactly two hours...
+        assert_eq!(intent.end_time - intent.start_time, 120 * 60);
+        // ...but the clocks jumped, so the wall-clock end is 04:30, not 03:30.
+        let end = New_York.timestamp_opt(intent.end_time, 0).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(
+            end.format("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M %Z").to_string(),
+            "2026-03-08 04:30 EDT"
+        );
+    }
+
+    // --- refusals ---------------------------------------------------------
+
+    #[test]
+    fn empty_and_blank_queries_are_refused() {
+        assert_eq!(err("", REF_NY, New_York), NlpError::EmptyQuery);
+        assert_eq!(err("   ", REF_NY, New_York), NlpError::EmptyQuery);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn weekday_phrasings_are_refused_as_ambiguous_rather_than_guessed() {
+        for (input, quoted) in [
+            ("Coffee next Tuesday at 2pm for 45 minutes", "next Tuesday"),
+            ("Coffee this Friday at 2pm for 45 minutes", "this Friday"),
+            ("Coffee on Monday at 2pm for 45 minutes", "on Monday"),
+            ("Coffee Tuesday at 2pm for 45 minutes", "Tuesday"),
+        ] {
+            assert_eq!(
+                err(input, REF_NY, New_York),
+                NlpError::AmbiguousWeekday(quoted.to_string()),
+                "{input}"
+            );
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn a_missing_time_or_duration_is_refused_rather_than_defaulted() {
+        assert_eq!(
+            err("Coffee tomorrow at 2pm", REF_NY, New_York),
+            NlpError::MissingDuration
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            err("Coffee tomorrow for 45 minutes", REF_NY, New_York),
+            NlpError::MissingTime
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            err("Coffee with Bob", REF_NY, New_York),
+            NlpError::MissingDuration
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn a_missing_summary_is_refused() {
+        assert_eq!(
+            err("tomorrow at 2pm for 45 minutes", REF_NY, New_York),
+            NlpError::MissingSummary
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn unsupported_day_phrasings_are_refused() {
+        for phrase in [
+            "next week",
+            "in 3 days",
+            "the 5th",
+            "eod",
+            "yesterday",
+            "fortnight",
+        ] {
+            let input = format!("Sync {phrase} at 2pm for 30 minutes");
+            let error = err(&input, REF_NY, New_York);
+            assert!(
+                matches!(error, NlpError::UnsupportedDay(_)),
+                "{phrase} produced {error:?}"
+            );
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn a_bare_hour_is_refused_because_it_cannot_be_disambiguated() {
+        for phrase in [
+            "3",
+            "15",
+            "half past three",
+            "teatime",
+            "3 o'clock",
+            "25:00",
+            "13pm",
+        ] {
+            let input = format!("Sync tomorrow at {phrase} for 30 minutes");
+            let error = err(&input, REF_NY, New_York);
+            assert!(
+                matches!(error, NlpError::UnsupportedTime(_)),
+                "{phrase} produced {error:?}"
+            );
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn malformed_minute_fields_are_refused() {
+        for phrase in ["3:5pm", "3:60pm", "3:", ":30", "3:015"] {
+            let input = format!("Sync tomorrow at {phrase} for 30 minutes");
+            let error = err(&input, REF_NY, New_York);
+            assert!(
+                matches!(error, NlpError::UnsupportedTime(_)),
+                "{phrase} produced {error:?}"
+            );
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn unsupported_or_out_of_range_durations_are_refused() {
+        for phrase in [
+            "a while",
+            "0 minutes",
+            "1.5 hours",
+            "25 hours",
+            "1441 minutes",
+            "30",
+            "half an hour",
+            "2 days",
+        ] {
+            let input = format!("Sync tomorrow at 2pm for {phrase}");
+            let error = err(&input, REF_NY, New_York);
+            assert!(
+                matches!(error, NlpError::UnsupportedDuration(_)),
+                "{phrase} produced {error:?}"
+            );
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn an_invalid_calendar_date_is_refused() {
+        let error = err("Sync 2026-02-30 at 2pm for 30 minutes", REF_NY, New_York);
+        assert!(matches!(error, NlpError::UnsupportedDay(_)), "{error:?}");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn the_boundary_duration_of_exactly_24_hours_is_accepted() {
+        let intent = parse("Hackathon tomorrow at noon for 24 hours", REF_NY, New_York);
+        assert_eq!(intent.duration_minutes, MAX_DURATION_MINUTES);
+        assert_eq!(intent.end_time - intent.start_time, 24 * 3600);
     }
 }