diff --git a/shared/tests/static.no-sort.test.js b/shared/tests/static.no-sort.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a3d7239
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shared/tests/static.no-sort.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+// STATIC GUARD: no `.sort(` introduced in shared/turn.js outside the ONE
+// allowed function (sortParticipantsByInitiative, used by startEncounter to
+// freeze the list once). Slot-not-sort design (docs/INITIATIVE_ORDERING.md):
+// mutations = insert/move, never wholesale re-sort. A stray `.sort(` after
+// start destroys drag tie-break order.
+//
+// This test errs the moment someone adds `.sort(` anywhere but the allowlist.
+// Maintenance: add a function to ALLOWED only if it runs at startEncounter
+// (one-time freeze), NOT in add/update/reorder/nextTurn paths.
+
+'use strict';
+
+const fs = require('fs');
+const path = require('path');
+
+const SRC = fs.readFileSync(path.join(__dirname, '..', 'turn.js'), 'utf8');
+
+// Functions permitted to call .sort(. Listed so intent is explicit + reviewed.
+const ALLOWED_SORT_FUNCTIONS = new Set([
+  'sortParticipantsByInitiative',
+]);
+
+// Collect top-level function bodies by brace counting.
+// Matches `function NAME(` decls AND `const NAME = ... =>` arrow fns.
+// Returns [{ name, body }].
+function collectBody(src, fromIdx) {
+  let i = fromIdx;
+  while (i < src.length && src[i] !== '{') i++;
+  let depth = 0;
+  const start = i;
+  for (; i < src.length; i++) {
+    if (src[i] === '{') depth++;
+    else if (src[i] === '}') { depth--; if (depth === 0) break; }
+  }
+  return src.slice(start, i + 1);
+}
+
+function extractFunctions(src) {
+  const out = [];
+  const fnRe = /\bfunction\s+([A-Za-z0-9_$]+)\s*\(/g;
+  const arrowRe = /(?:const|let|var)\s+([A-Za-z0-9_$]+)\s*=\s*[^=;]*?=>/g;
+  let m;
+  while ((m = fnRe.exec(src)) !== null) {
+    out.push({ name: m[1], body: collectBody(src, m.index + m[0].length) });
+  }
+  while ((m = arrowRe.exec(src)) !== null) {
+    out.push({ name: m[1], body: collectBody(src, m.index + m[0].length) });
+  }
+  return out;
+}
+
+describe('STATIC: no .sort( outside allowlist (slot-not-sort design)', () => {
+  test('every .sort( call lives in an allowed function', () => {
+    const fns = extractFunctions(SRC);
+    const offenders = [];
+    for (const { name, body } of fns) {
+      if (!ALLOWED_SORT_FUNCTIONS.has(name) && /\.sort\(/.test(body)) {
+        offenders.push(name);
+      }
+    }
+    expect(offenders).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  test('allowed sort function is declared (no silent allowlist drift)', () => {
+    const declared = new Set(extractFunctions(SRC).map(f => f.name));
+    for (const name of ALLOWED_SORT_FUNCTIONS) {
+      expect(declared.has(name)).toBe(true);
+    }
+  });
+});
diff --git a/shared/tests/turn.slot-not-sort.test.js b/shared/tests/turn.slot-not-sort.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4d3ec40
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shared/tests/turn.slot-not-sort.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+// SLOT-NOT-SORT invariant: addParticipant + updateParticipant must PRESERVE
+// manually-dragged tie order (same-initiative participants).
+//
+// Design doc (docs/INITIATIVE_ORDERING.md):
+//   "Re-slotting on add/edit must preserve drag-established tie order."
+//   "Tie-break = original add order. Later additions slot AFTER existing
+//    same-init participants. Stable insertion."
+//
+// Current code uses sortParticipantsByInitiative (stable sort, tie-break =
+// original array index). That is NOT stable insertion: it re-sorts the whole
+// list, destroying drag order when a drag moved a same-init pair.
+//
+// RED now: drag tie order survives neither add nor edit.
+
+'use strict';
+
+const shared = require('@ttrpg/shared');
+const {
+  makeParticipant,
+  startEncounter, addParticipant, updateParticipant, reorderParticipants,
+} = shared;
+
+function p(id, init, extra = {}) {
+  return makeParticipant({ id, name: id, type: 'monster',
+    initiative: init, maxHp: 100, currentHp: 100, ...extra });
+}
+function enc(ps, extra = {}) {
+  return { name:'t', participants:ps, isStarted:false, isPaused:false,
+    round:0, currentTurnParticipantId:null, turnOrderIds:[], ...extra };
+}
+const apply = (e, r) => r && r.patch ? { ...e, ...r.patch } : e;
+
+describe('SLOT-NOT-SORT: drag tie order survives add/edit', () => {
+  test('addParticipant preserves existing drag tie order', () => {
+    // Two same-init participants. DM drags b BEFORE a (tie override).
+    let e = enc([p('a', 10), p('b', 10)]);
+    e = apply(e, reorderParticipants(e, 'b', 'a')); // drag b ahead of a → [b,a]
+    expect(e.participants.map(x => x.id)).toEqual(['b', 'a']);
+
+    // Add unrelated participant (different init). Tie order [b,a] MUST survive.
+    e = apply(e, addParticipant(e, p('c', 5)));
+    const ids = e.participants.map(x => x.id);
+    // c slots last (init 5 < 10). b,a tie order preserved.
+    expect(ids).toEqual(['b', 'a', 'c']);
+  });
+
+  test('addParticipant with same init as dragged pair slots AFTER tie group', () => {
+    // DM drags b before a (both init 10). Then add d also init 10.
+    // d must slot AFTER existing same-init pair (stable insertion), not re-sort.
+    let e = enc([p('a', 10), p('b', 10)]);
+    e = apply(e, reorderParticipants(e, 'b', 'a')); // [b,a]
+    e = apply(e, addParticipant(e, p('d', 10))); // init 10, after tie group
+    const ids = e.participants.map(x => x.id);
+    expect(ids).toEqual(['b', 'a', 'd']);
+  });
+
+  test('updateParticipant preserves drag tie order on unrelated field edit', () => {
+    let e = enc([p('a', 10), p('b', 10)]);
+    e = apply(e, reorderParticipants(e, 'b', 'a')); // [b,a]
+    // Edit a's name (not initiative). Tie order MUST survive.
+    e = apply(e, updateParticipant(e, 'a', { name: 'A2' }));
+    expect(e.participants.map(x => x.id)).toEqual(['b', 'a']);
+  });
+
+  test('updateParticipant init change slots, preserves OTHER tie group order', () => {
+    // Two tie groups: [a,b] init 10, [c,d] init 5. DM drags b before a.
+    let e = enc([p('a', 10), p('b', 10), p('c', 5), p('d', 5)]);
+    e = apply(e, reorderParticipants(e, 'b', 'a')); // [b,a,c,d]
+    // Edit c's initiative to 10 — slots into top group. [c] order within its
+    // own old group irrelevant (it leaves that group). But [b,a] tie MUST stay.
+    e = apply(e, updateParticipant(e, 'c', { initiative: 10 }));
+    const topTwo = e.participants.filter(x => x.initiative === 10).map(x => x.id);
+    // b before a preserved. c joins the 10-group (exact slot less critical
+    // than b,a order surviving).
+    expect(topTwo.indexOf('b')).toBeLessThan(topTwo.indexOf('a'));
+  });
+});
diff --git a/shared/turn.js b/shared/turn.js
index 5c766dd..1888d0d 100644
--- a/shared/turn.js
+++ b/shared/turn.js
@@ -31,9 +31,18 @@ const formatInitMod = (mod) => {
   return mod >= 0 ? `+${mod}` : `${mod}`;
 };
 
-// Sort used ONLY at insert points (startEncounter, addParticipant) to position
-// participants by initiative. Once positioned, turnOrderIds = participants.map(id)
-// (1-list model). No re-sort after start — drag/edit are manual overrides.
+// SLOT, NEVER SORT. 1-list model (docs/INITIATIVE_ORDERING.md).
+//
+// `sortParticipantsByInitiative` exists for ONE call site: startEncounter
+// (freeze list once by init). After that, mutations = insert/move ops that
+// PRESERVE existing array order. No wholesale re-sort ever — destroys drag
+// tie-break order.
+//
+// slotIndexForInit: pure insert position. Scans existing list, returns index
+// of first participant with init STRICTLY LESS than target. New participant
+// splices there. Same-init participants stay ahead (stable). Existing tie
+// order (incl. drag-established) untouched because scan reads current array,
+// not original add-order.
 const sortParticipantsByInitiative = (participants, originalOrder) => {
   return [...participants].sort((a, b) => {
     if (a.initiative === b.initiative) {
@@ -45,6 +54,17 @@ const sortParticipantsByInitiative = (participants, originalOrder) => {
   });
 };
 
+// Find splice index for a single participant by initiative. List assumed
+// already initiative-descending (startEncounter freezes it; add/edit maintain).
+// Returns position to insert so list stays descending, ties go AFTER existing
+// same-init (stable insertion). Current array order = source of truth.
+function slotIndexForInit(list, init) {
+  for (let i = 0; i < list.length; i++) {
+    if (init > list[i].initiative) return i;
+  }
+  return list.length;
+}
+
 // 1-LIST SYNC: turnOrderIds always mirrors participants[].map(id).
 // Call after any participants[] mutation. Returns turnOrderIds patch.
 const syncTurnOrder = (participants) => ({
@@ -311,12 +331,12 @@ function addParticipant(encounter, participant) {
   if ((encounter.participants || []).some(p => p.id === participant.id)) {
     throw new Error(`Participant with id "${participant.id}" already exists in encounter.`);
   }
-  // FEAT-3: reslot by initiative on add (stable sort, tie-break original index).
-  // Pre-combat: list reflects init order immediately. Post-combat: slots into running order.
-  const updatedParticipants = sortParticipantsByInitiative(
-    [...(encounter.participants || []), participant],
-    encounter.participants || []
-  );
+  // SLOT (not sort): insert by initiative into current list. Preserves
+  // existing array order incl. drag-established tie order.
+  const base = [...(encounter.participants || [])];
+  const idx = slotIndexForInit(base, participant.initiative);
+  base.splice(idx, 0, participant);
+  const updatedParticipants = base;
   return {
     patch: { participants: updatedParticipants, ...syncTurnOrder(updatedParticipants) },
     log: {
@@ -339,13 +359,21 @@ function addParticipants(encounter, newParticipants) {
 
 // UPDATE_PARTICIPANT — edit modal save (name/initiative/hp/isNpc).
 function updateParticipant(encounter, participantId, updatedData) {
-  const updatedParticipants = (encounter.participants || []).map(p =>
-    p.id === participantId ? { ...p, ...updatedData } : p
-  );
-  // FEAT-3: reslot by initiative so any init change reflects in list order
-  // immediately (stable sort, tie-break = original array index).
-  const reslotted = sortParticipantsByInitiative(updatedParticipants, encounter.participants || []);
-  return { patch: { participants: reslotted, ...syncTurnOrder(reslotted) }, log: null };
+  const existing = encounter.participants || [];
+  const target = existing.find(p => p.id === participantId);
+  if (!target) throw new Error(`Participant "${participantId}" not found.`);
+  const merged = { ...target, ...updatedData };
+  // SLOT only if initiative changed. Other edits (name/hp/notes/isNpc) = no
+  // position change (design doc). Re-slots on unrelated edits shuffle the
+  // list mid-round → rotation dupes.
+  if (!('initiative' in updatedData) || updatedData.initiative === target.initiative) {
+    const sameSlot = existing.map(p => p.id === participantId ? merged : p);
+    return { patch: { participants: sameSlot, ...syncTurnOrder(sameSlot) }, log: null };
+  }
+  const without = existing.filter(p => p.id !== participantId);
+  const idx = slotIndexForInit(without, merged.initiative);
+  without.splice(idx, 0, merged);
+  return { patch: { participants: without, ...syncTurnOrder(without) }, log: null };
 }
 
 // REMOVE_PARTICIPANT — verbatim from ParticipantManager.confirmDeleteParticipant