diff --git a/SESSION-HANDOFF-PROTOCOL.md b/SESSION-HANDOFF-PROTOCOL.md
index 944e732..034f54d 100644
--- a/SESSION-HANDOFF-PROTOCOL.md
+++ b/SESSION-HANDOFF-PROTOCOL.md
@@ -86,6 +86,23 @@ Throughout the session, self-assess your context health on a 0-100 scale:
 If you've used roughly 50% of your estimated context capacity and the session shows no signs of ending soon, mention it casually: "Just a heads up — we're about halfway through my context. Plenty of room, but good to know." This gives Michael early awareness without being alarmist.
 
 
+
+### Rule 5: Commit Immediately — The "Change It, Commit It, Verify It" Rule
+**Every change gets committed to Git the moment it's made.** Do not batch. Do not defer. Do not say "I'll commit that later."
+
+**The protocol:**
+1. Make the change
+2. Commit it immediately
+3. Verify it landed
+4. Move on
+
+**Critical:** If a file needs multiple updates, combine them into ONE edit and ONE commit. Do NOT make sequential commits to the same file in rapid succession — this causes SHA conflicts where the second push overwrites the first. One file, one pass, one commit.
+
+**Why:** On Feb 12, 2026, seven updates to personality-profile.md and claude-relationship-context.md were lost because sequential commits overwrote each other. Michael caught it during final verification. If he hadn't asked "has everything been committed?" — that data would have been gone.
+
+**The rule is simple:** If it's worth changing, it's worth committing. Right now. Not later. Now.
+
+
 # PART 1: THE RELATIONSHIP
 
 This is the most important section of this document. Technical documents capture WHAT we build. This section captures WHO WE ARE to each other.