diff --git a/decnet/cli/emailgen.py b/decnet/cli/emailgen.py
index 60e332a3..59817e81 100644
--- a/decnet/cli/emailgen.py
+++ b/decnet/cli/emailgen.py
@@ -1,13 +1,23 @@
-"""``decnet emailgen`` — second orchestrator worker.
+"""``decnet emailgen ...`` — orchestrator-sibling email generator.
 
-Sibling of :mod:`decnet.cli.orchestrator`.  Two distinct CLI entrypoints
-match the "workers are independent, never coupled" principle: a wedged
-ollama call in emailgen does not stall the SSH-flavoured orchestrator,
-and systemd supervises each loop separately.
+Sub-commands:
+
+* ``decnet emailgen run``               — start the long-running worker
+  (default when invoked with no sub-command, so the historical
+  ``decnet emailgen`` invocation still works).
+* ``decnet emailgen import-personas``   — validate a JSON file and
+  install it as the host-wide global persona pool consumed by fleet
+  (MACVLAN/IPVLAN) and SWARM-shard mail deckies.
+
+The worker itself stays in :mod:`decnet.orchestrator.emailgen.worker`;
+this module only owns the CLI surface.
 """
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import json
 import os
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Optional
 
 import typer
 
@@ -16,8 +26,26 @@ from .utils import console, log
 
 
 def register(app: typer.Typer) -> None:
-    @app.command(name="emailgen")
-    def emailgen_cmd(
+    emailgen_app = typer.Typer(
+        name="emailgen",
+        help=(
+            "Drip persona-driven fake corporate email into running "
+            "IMAP/POP3 mail deckies."
+        ),
+        invoke_without_command=True,
+        no_args_is_help=False,
+    )
+    app.add_typer(emailgen_app, name="emailgen")
+
+    @emailgen_app.callback()
+    def _default(ctx: typer.Context) -> None:
+        # Calling ``decnet emailgen`` with no sub-command defers to ``run``
+        # so the documented (and shipped) invocation stays valid.
+        if ctx.invoked_subcommand is None:
+            ctx.invoke(emailgen_run)
+
+    @emailgen_app.command("run")
+    def emailgen_run(
         interval: int = typer.Option(
             300, "--interval", "-i",
             help="Seconds between fake-email generation ticks (default 5m)",
@@ -32,7 +60,7 @@ def register(app: typer.Typer) -> None:
                  "or 'llama3.1')",
         ),
     ) -> None:
-        """Drip fake corporate emails into running IMAP/POP3 mail deckies."""
+        """Start the long-running email-generation worker."""
         import asyncio
         from decnet.orchestrator.emailgen import emailgen_worker
         from decnet.web.dependencies import repo
@@ -64,3 +92,88 @@ def register(app: typer.Typer) -> None:
             asyncio.run(_run())
         except KeyboardInterrupt:
             console.print("\n[yellow]Emailgen stopped.[/]")
+
+    @emailgen_app.command("import-personas")
+    def emailgen_import_personas(
+        path: Path = typer.Argument(
+            ..., exists=True, file_okay=True, dir_okay=False, readable=True,
+            help="JSON file containing a list of EmailPersona objects",
+        ),
+        output: Optional[Path] = typer.Option(
+            None, "--output", "-o",
+            help=(
+                "Override the destination path. Defaults to the canonical "
+                "global pool (DECNET_EMAILGEN_PERSONAS, /etc/decnet/"
+                "email_personas.json, or ~/.decnet/email_personas.json)."
+            ),
+        ),
+    ) -> None:
+        """Validate + install a personas JSON file as the global pool.
+
+        Use this when deploying with IMAP/POP3 services on fleet
+        (MACVLAN/IPVLAN) or SWARM-shard mail deckies — those have no
+        parent topology row, so they read this host-wide list.  MazeNET
+        topology mail deckies use ``Topology.email_personas`` instead and
+        this command does not touch them.
+        """
+        from decnet.orchestrator.emailgen import global_pool
+        from decnet.orchestrator.emailgen.personas import parse_personas
+
+        try:
+            raw = path.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+        except OSError as exc:
+            console.print(f"[red]Cannot read {path}:[/] {exc}")
+            raise typer.Exit(code=1) from exc
+
+        # Validate by parsing — we want operators to find out about
+        # broken personas at import time, not at the next worker tick.
+        try:
+            payload = json.loads(raw)
+        except json.JSONDecodeError as exc:
+            console.print(f"[red]Invalid JSON in {path}:[/] {exc}")
+            raise typer.Exit(code=1) from exc
+        if not isinstance(payload, list):
+            console.print(
+                f"[red]{path} must contain a JSON list of personas, "
+                f"got {type(payload).__name__}[/]"
+            )
+            raise typer.Exit(code=1)
+
+        personas = parse_personas(payload)
+        if not personas:
+            console.print(
+                f"[red]No valid personas in {path}.[/] "
+                "Check the schema (name, email, role, tone, mannerisms)."
+            )
+            raise typer.Exit(code=1)
+        if len(personas) < 2:
+            console.print(
+                f"[yellow]Warning: only {len(personas)} valid persona(s) — "
+                "the worker requires at least 2 to send mail; importing "
+                "anyway in case more are added later.[/]"
+            )
+
+        dest = output or global_pool.resolve_path()
+        dest.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        # Re-serialise from the parsed-and-validated objects rather than
+        # copying the source file: drops invalid entries, normalises
+        # whitespace, and gives operators a single canonical layout to
+        # eyeball after the import.
+        dest.write_text(
+            json.dumps(
+                [p.model_dump(exclude_none=False) for p in personas],
+                indent=2,
+                ensure_ascii=False,
+            ),
+            encoding="utf-8",
+        )
+        # Cache invalidation happens automatically on next ``load()``
+        # via the mtime check, but reset the in-process cache too in
+        # case the CLI process is the same as the worker (uncommon but
+        # cheap to be correct about).
+        global_pool.reset_cache()
+        console.print(
+            f"[green]Imported {len(personas)} personas to[/] {dest}"
+        )
+        if path != dest:
+            log.info("emailgen import-personas src=%s dest=%s", path, dest)
diff --git a/decnet/orchestrator/drivers/email.py b/decnet/orchestrator/drivers/email.py
index c30fe228..2ccd1c48 100644
--- a/decnet/orchestrator/drivers/email.py
+++ b/decnet/orchestrator/drivers/email.py
@@ -239,9 +239,17 @@ class EmailDriver:
         container = _container_for(
             action.mail_decky_name, list(action.mail_decky_services),
         )
+        # Stamp the file's mtime + atime to match the EML's Date: header
+        # so an attacker `ls -lt`'ing the spool doesn't see a wall of
+        # files all created within the worker's tick window — the cluster
+        # itself is a tell.  ``touch -d`` on GNU coreutils accepts RFC
+        # 2822 dates directly via the same formatdate() string we wrote
+        # into the header, so no extra parsing on the container side.
+        eml_date_header = formatdate(ts.timestamp(), localtime=False)
         sh_cmd = (
             f"mkdir -p {shlex.quote(eml_dir)} && "
-            f"tee {shlex.quote(eml_path)} >/dev/null"
+            f"tee {shlex.quote(eml_path)} >/dev/null && "
+            f"touch -d {shlex.quote(eml_date_header)} {shlex.quote(eml_path)}"
         )
         argv = [_DOCKER, "exec", "-i", container, "sh", "-c", sh_cmd]
         rc2, _stdout2, stderr2 = await _run_capture(
diff --git a/decnet/orchestrator/emailgen/global_pool.py b/decnet/orchestrator/emailgen/global_pool.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a5d6d4d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/decnet/orchestrator/emailgen/global_pool.py
@@ -0,0 +1,136 @@
+"""Global persona pool — non-topology mail deckies.
+
+DECNET runs in three deployment shapes that emit running deckies:
+
+* **MazeNET topologies**       — each topology owns its own
+  :attr:`Topology.email_personas` JSON list; the scheduler walks back
+  from the mail decky to its parent topology row.
+* **Unihost fleet**            — MACVLAN/IPVLAN deckies that have no
+  parent topology row at all.  They share one host-wide pool.
+* **SWARM shards**             — DeckyShard rows on enrolled workers.
+  Same shape as fleet for emailgen purposes (no parent topology row),
+  so they read the same global pool.
+
+This module owns the global pool: a JSON file on disk that operators
+populate via ``decnet emailgen import-personas <file>`` (or by editing
+the file directly).  The file is loaded lazily on first read and
+re-loaded on mtime change so a CLI import takes effect for the running
+worker without a restart.
+
+Path resolution order:
+
+1. ``DECNET_EMAILGEN_PERSONAS`` environment variable — explicit override.
+2. ``/etc/decnet/email_personas.json`` — canonical master path; this is
+   what ``decnet init`` will eventually own.
+3. ``~/.decnet/email_personas.json`` — dev fallback so a developer can
+   exercise the worker without root or ``decnet init``.
+
+When the file is missing / empty / unparseable, the pool is empty and
+the scheduler skips fleet/shard mail deckies the same way it skips a
+topology with too few personas.  No silent fallback to dummy personas;
+silence is correct when there's no opinion to convey.
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import os
+import threading
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Optional
+
+from decnet.logging import get_logger
+from decnet.orchestrator.emailgen.personas import EmailPersona, parse_personas
+
+logger = get_logger("orchestrator.emailgen")
+
+_ENV_VAR = "DECNET_EMAILGEN_PERSONAS"
+_SYSTEM_PATH = Path("/etc/decnet/email_personas.json")
+
+
+def _user_path() -> Path:
+    return Path(os.path.expanduser("~/.decnet/email_personas.json"))
+
+
+def resolve_path() -> Path:
+    """Return the path the global pool would load from right now.
+
+    The file may not exist; callers are expected to handle that.  The
+    function is pure (no I/O) so the ``decnet emailgen import-personas``
+    CLI can ask "where would I write to?" without touching the disk.
+    """
+    override = os.environ.get(_ENV_VAR, "").strip()
+    if override:
+        return Path(override)
+    if _SYSTEM_PATH.parent.exists() or _SYSTEM_PATH.exists():
+        return _SYSTEM_PATH
+    return _user_path()
+
+
+# ── Cache ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+# Lock-protected because two scheduler ticks could race on the first load,
+# and the read path is hot enough (every tick, every fleet/shard mail
+# decky) that re-parsing on every call is wasteful.
+
+_lock = threading.Lock()
+_cache: list[EmailPersona] = []
+_cache_path: Optional[Path] = None
+_cache_mtime: float = 0.0
+
+
+def load(*, language_default: str = "en") -> list[EmailPersona]:
+    """Return the parsed global persona pool.
+
+    *language_default* fills in any persona missing a ``language`` field;
+    fleet/shard sources have no topology-level default, so callers
+    should pass the worker's best guess (typically ``"en"``).
+
+    Threadsafe and cheap on the steady state (mtime check + dict lookup);
+    expensive only when the file changed since the last call.
+    """
+    path = resolve_path()
+    try:
+        st = path.stat()
+    except OSError:
+        with _lock:
+            global _cache, _cache_path, _cache_mtime
+            _cache = []
+            _cache_path = path
+            _cache_mtime = 0.0
+        return []
+
+    with _lock:
+        if (
+            _cache_path == path
+            and _cache_mtime == st.st_mtime
+            and _cache  # non-empty cache; empty re-parses cheaply anyway
+        ):
+            return _cache
+
+    try:
+        raw = path.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+    except OSError as exc:
+        logger.warning("emailgen global pool: read failed path=%s: %s", path, exc)
+        return []
+
+    parsed = parse_personas(raw, language_default=language_default)
+    with _lock:
+        _cache = parsed
+        _cache_path = path
+        _cache_mtime = st.st_mtime
+    if parsed:
+        logger.info(
+            "emailgen global pool: loaded %d personas from %s", len(parsed), path,
+        )
+    return parsed
+
+
+def reset_cache() -> None:
+    """Clear the in-process cache.
+
+    Test-only helper — avoids stale state when several tests in the
+    same process exercise different on-disk pools.
+    """
+    global _cache, _cache_path, _cache_mtime
+    with _lock:
+        _cache = []
+        _cache_path = None
+        _cache_mtime = 0.0
diff --git a/decnet/orchestrator/emailgen/scheduler.py b/decnet/orchestrator/emailgen/scheduler.py
index cbaec9c0..e0cfa276 100644
--- a/decnet/orchestrator/emailgen/scheduler.py
+++ b/decnet/orchestrator/emailgen/scheduler.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ from datetime import datetime
 from typing import Any, Optional
 
 from decnet.logging import get_logger
+from decnet.orchestrator.emailgen import global_pool
 from decnet.orchestrator.emailgen.personas import (
     EmailPersona,
     in_active_hours,
@@ -104,55 +105,81 @@ def _is_mail_decky(decky: dict[str, Any]) -> bool:
     return any(s in services for s in _MAIL_SERVICES)
 
 
+async def _resolve_personas(
+    repo: Any, mail_decky: dict[str, Any],
+) -> tuple[list[EmailPersona], str]:
+    """Pick the right persona source for *mail_decky* and return the list.
+
+    Returns ``(personas, source_label)`` so logs can disambiguate why a
+    tick was skipped.  Source label is the same string ``list_running_deckies``
+    sets on the row (``"topology" | "fleet" | "shard"``) so the logger
+    reads consistently against the rest of the orchestrator.
+
+    Resolution rules (matches the design discussion):
+    * **topology** source → walk to ``Topology.email_personas``; the
+      topology owns its own list.  Each topology can have different
+      personas.
+    * **fleet** / **shard** source → unihost MACVLAN/IPVLAN deckies and
+      SWARM shards have no parent topology row, so they share a single
+      host-wide pool loaded from disk by :mod:`global_pool`.
+    """
+    source = mail_decky.get("source") or "unknown"
+    if source == "topology":
+        topology_id = mail_decky.get("topology_id")
+        if not topology_id:
+            return [], source
+        topology = await repo.get_topology(topology_id)
+        if not topology:
+            return [], source
+        return (
+            parse_personas(
+                topology.get("email_personas"),
+                language_default=topology.get("language_default") or "en",
+            ),
+            source,
+        )
+    # Fleet / shard / anything else → global pool.
+    return global_pool.load(), source
+
+
 async def pick(
     repo: Any,
     *,
     rand: Optional[secrets.SystemRandom] = None,
     now: Optional[datetime] = None,
 ) -> Optional[EmailAction]:
-    """Pick one email action against the running fleet.
+    """Pick one email action against any running mail decky.
 
-    *repo* is a :class:`BaseRepository`; we fetch running topology
-    deckies + their parent topology row directly. *now* is the
-    wall-clock used for ``active_hours`` filtering — injected so tests
-    can pin the hour deterministically.
+    Mail-decky discovery uses the **union view** (``list_running_deckies``):
+    MazeNET topology deckies, unihost fleet deckies, and SWARM shards are
+    all eligible.  Persona source is per-decky-source; see
+    :func:`_resolve_personas`.  *now* is the wall-clock used for
+    ``active_hours`` filtering — injected so tests can pin the hour
+    deterministically.
     """
     rng = rand or secrets.SystemRandom()
     now_dt = now or datetime.now()
 
-    deckies = await repo.list_running_topology_deckies()
+    deckies = await repo.list_running_deckies()
     mail_deckies = [d for d in deckies if _is_mail_decky(d)]
     if not mail_deckies:
         logger.debug("emailgen pick: no running mail decky")
         return None
 
     mail_decky = rng.choice(mail_deckies)
-    topology_id = mail_decky.get("topology_id")
-    if not topology_id:
-        logger.debug("emailgen pick: mail decky has no topology_id")
-        return None
-
-    topology = await repo.get_topology(topology_id)
-    if not topology:
-        logger.debug("emailgen pick: topology %s not found", topology_id)
-        return None
-
-    personas = parse_personas(
-        topology.get("email_personas"),
-        language_default=topology.get("language_default") or "en",
-    )
+    personas, source = await _resolve_personas(repo, mail_decky)
     if len(personas) < 2:
         logger.debug(
-            "emailgen pick: topology=%s has only %d personas; need >=2",
-            topology_id, len(personas),
+            "emailgen pick: source=%s mail_decky=%s only %d personas; need >=2",
+            source, mail_decky.get("uuid"), len(personas),
         )
         return None
 
     active = [p for p in personas if in_active_hours(p, now_dt.hour)]
     if len(active) < 2:
         logger.debug(
-            "emailgen pick: topology=%s only %d personas in-hours",
-            topology_id, len(active),
+            "emailgen pick: source=%s mail_decky=%s only %d personas in-hours",
+            source, mail_decky.get("uuid"), len(active),
         )
         return None
 
diff --git a/decnet/web/db/sqlmodel_repo.py b/decnet/web/db/sqlmodel_repo.py
index 274c9e52..9a43eaec 100644
--- a/decnet/web/db/sqlmodel_repo.py
+++ b/decnet/web/db/sqlmodel_repo.py
@@ -2119,13 +2119,17 @@ class SQLModelRepository(BaseRepository):
 
     async def list_running_deckies(self) -> list[dict[str, Any]]:
         out: list[dict[str, Any]] = []
-        # MazeNET — already shaped {uuid, name, ip, services}
+        # MazeNET — already shaped {uuid, name, ip, services}.  We carry
+        # topology_id through so consumers (emailgen scheduler) can walk
+        # back to the parent topology row without a second round-trip;
+        # fleet/shard rows never have one, hence Optional.
         for d in await self.list_running_topology_deckies():
             out.append({
                 "uuid": d.get("uuid"),
                 "name": d.get("name"),
                 "ip": d.get("ip"),
                 "services": d.get("services") or [],
+                "topology_id": d.get("topology_id"),
                 "source": "topology",
             })
         # Fleet — column is `decky_ip`, PK is composite (host_uuid, name)
diff --git a/tests/cli/test_emailgen_import_personas.py b/tests/cli/test_emailgen_import_personas.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..326493a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/cli/test_emailgen_import_personas.py
@@ -0,0 +1,129 @@
+"""``decnet emailgen import-personas`` CLI command."""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import json
+
+import pytest
+from typer.testing import CliRunner
+
+from decnet.cli import app
+from decnet.orchestrator.emailgen import global_pool
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
+def _reset_pool():
+    global_pool.reset_cache()
+    yield
+    global_pool.reset_cache()
+
+
+_TWO = [
+    {
+        "name": "John Smith",
+        "email": "john@corp.com",
+        "role": "COO",
+        "tone": "formal",
+        "mannerisms": ["uses 'Best regards'"],
+    },
+    {
+        "name": "Sarah Johnson",
+        "email": "sarah@corp.com",
+        "role": "PM",
+        "tone": "direct",
+        "mannerisms": ["uses bullets"],
+    },
+]
+
+
+def test_import_personas_writes_canonical_file(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    src = tmp_path / "src.json"
+    src.write_text(json.dumps(_TWO))
+    dest = tmp_path / "global_pool.json"
+    monkeypatch.setenv("DECNET_EMAILGEN_PERSONAS", str(dest))
+
+    result = CliRunner().invoke(
+        app, ["emailgen", "import-personas", str(src)]
+    )
+    assert result.exit_code == 0, result.stdout
+    assert dest.exists()
+    written = json.loads(dest.read_text())
+    assert {p["email"] for p in written} == {"john@corp.com", "sarah@corp.com"}
+
+
+def test_import_personas_explicit_output_overrides_env(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    src = tmp_path / "src.json"
+    src.write_text(json.dumps(_TWO))
+    env_dest = tmp_path / "env.json"
+    explicit = tmp_path / "explicit.json"
+    monkeypatch.setenv("DECNET_EMAILGEN_PERSONAS", str(env_dest))
+
+    result = CliRunner().invoke(
+        app,
+        ["emailgen", "import-personas", str(src), "--output", str(explicit)],
+    )
+    assert result.exit_code == 0, result.stdout
+    assert explicit.exists()
+    assert not env_dest.exists()
+
+
+def test_import_personas_rejects_invalid_json(tmp_path):
+    src = tmp_path / "src.json"
+    src.write_text("{not valid")
+    result = CliRunner().invoke(
+        app, ["emailgen", "import-personas", str(src)]
+    )
+    assert result.exit_code != 0
+    assert "Invalid JSON" in result.stdout
+
+
+def test_import_personas_rejects_non_list(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    src = tmp_path / "src.json"
+    src.write_text(json.dumps({"not": "a list"}))
+    monkeypatch.setenv("DECNET_EMAILGEN_PERSONAS", str(tmp_path / "out.json"))
+    result = CliRunner().invoke(
+        app, ["emailgen", "import-personas", str(src)]
+    )
+    assert result.exit_code != 0
+    assert "list" in result.stdout.lower()
+
+
+def test_import_personas_rejects_all_invalid_entries(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    src = tmp_path / "src.json"
+    src.write_text(json.dumps([
+        {"name": "broken", "email": "no-at-symbol"},
+    ]))
+    monkeypatch.setenv("DECNET_EMAILGEN_PERSONAS", str(tmp_path / "out.json"))
+    result = CliRunner().invoke(
+        app, ["emailgen", "import-personas", str(src)]
+    )
+    assert result.exit_code != 0
+    assert "No valid personas" in result.stdout
+
+
+def test_import_personas_warns_on_single_persona(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    src = tmp_path / "src.json"
+    src.write_text(json.dumps(_TWO[:1]))
+    dest = tmp_path / "out.json"
+    monkeypatch.setenv("DECNET_EMAILGEN_PERSONAS", str(dest))
+    result = CliRunner().invoke(
+        app, ["emailgen", "import-personas", str(src)]
+    )
+    assert result.exit_code == 0, result.stdout
+    assert "Warning" in result.stdout
+    assert dest.exists()
+
+
+def test_imported_personas_load_via_global_pool(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    src = tmp_path / "src.json"
+    src.write_text(json.dumps(_TWO))
+    dest = tmp_path / "out.json"
+    monkeypatch.setenv("DECNET_EMAILGEN_PERSONAS", str(dest))
+
+    result = CliRunner().invoke(
+        app, ["emailgen", "import-personas", str(src)]
+    )
+    assert result.exit_code == 0, result.stdout
+
+    personas = global_pool.load()
+    assert len(personas) == 2
+    assert {p.email for p in personas} == {"john@corp.com", "sarah@corp.com"}
diff --git a/tests/orchestrator/emailgen/test_driver.py b/tests/orchestrator/emailgen/test_driver.py
index 5be05e84..88b8d913 100644
--- a/tests/orchestrator/emailgen/test_driver.py
+++ b/tests/orchestrator/emailgen/test_driver.py
@@ -135,6 +135,15 @@ async def test_driver_run_success_path(monkeypatch):
     # Two subprocess calls: ollama, then docker exec.
     assert calls[0][0] == "ollama"
     assert calls[1][0] == "docker"
+    # docker exec shell command must include `touch -d` so the file's
+    # mtime matches the EML's Date: header — otherwise the spool's
+    # `ls -lt` clusters every email inside the worker tick window.
+    docker_sh = calls[1][-1]
+    assert "touch -d" in docker_sh
+    assert "tee" in docker_sh
+    # And tee must come before touch so we don't touch a file that
+    # doesn't exist yet.
+    assert docker_sh.index("tee") < docker_sh.index("touch -d")
 
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
diff --git a/tests/orchestrator/emailgen/test_global_pool.py b/tests/orchestrator/emailgen/test_global_pool.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0d0cdb9c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/orchestrator/emailgen/test_global_pool.py
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+"""Global persona pool — disk-backed source for fleet/shard mail deckies."""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import json
+
+import pytest
+
+from decnet.orchestrator.emailgen import global_pool
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
+def _reset():
+    global_pool.reset_cache()
+    yield
+    global_pool.reset_cache()
+
+
+_TWO = [
+    {
+        "name": "John Smith",
+        "email": "john@corp.com",
+        "role": "COO",
+        "tone": "formal",
+        "mannerisms": ["uses 'Best regards'"],
+    },
+    {
+        "name": "Sarah Johnson",
+        "email": "sarah@corp.com",
+        "role": "PM",
+        "tone": "direct",
+        "mannerisms": ["uses bullets"],
+    },
+]
+
+
+def test_load_returns_empty_when_file_missing(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.setenv(
+        "DECNET_EMAILGEN_PERSONAS", str(tmp_path / "does-not-exist.json")
+    )
+    assert global_pool.load() == []
+
+
+def test_load_returns_parsed_personas(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    f = tmp_path / "personas.json"
+    f.write_text(json.dumps(_TWO))
+    monkeypatch.setenv("DECNET_EMAILGEN_PERSONAS", str(f))
+    personas = global_pool.load()
+    assert len(personas) == 2
+    assert {p.email for p in personas} == {"john@corp.com", "sarah@corp.com"}
+
+
+def test_load_resolves_language_default(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    f = tmp_path / "personas.json"
+    f.write_text(json.dumps(_TWO))
+    monkeypatch.setenv("DECNET_EMAILGEN_PERSONAS", str(f))
+    personas = global_pool.load(language_default="es")
+    assert all(p.language == "es" for p in personas)
+
+
+def test_load_invalid_json_returns_empty(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    f = tmp_path / "personas.json"
+    f.write_text("{not valid")
+    monkeypatch.setenv("DECNET_EMAILGEN_PERSONAS", str(f))
+    assert global_pool.load() == []
+
+
+def test_load_caches_until_mtime_changes(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    f = tmp_path / "personas.json"
+    f.write_text(json.dumps(_TWO))
+    monkeypatch.setenv("DECNET_EMAILGEN_PERSONAS", str(f))
+
+    first = global_pool.load()
+    assert len(first) == 2
+
+    # Re-write with a single persona; bump mtime so the cache invalidates.
+    import time as _time
+    _time.sleep(0.01)
+    f.write_text(json.dumps(_TWO[:1]))
+    import os
+    os.utime(f, None)
+
+    second = global_pool.load()
+    assert len(second) == 1
+
+
+def test_resolve_path_honours_env_override(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.setenv("DECNET_EMAILGEN_PERSONAS", str(tmp_path / "x.json"))
+    assert global_pool.resolve_path() == tmp_path / "x.json"
+
+
+def test_resolve_path_falls_back_to_user_path_when_system_missing(monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.delenv("DECNET_EMAILGEN_PERSONAS", raising=False)
+    # In a typical dev box /etc/decnet/ doesn't exist; the resolver
+    # should pick ~/.decnet/email_personas.json.
+    p = global_pool.resolve_path()
+    # We don't assert the exact path (depends on whether /etc/decnet
+    # exists on the test host), only that it ends with the canonical
+    # filename and isn't an empty path.
+    assert p.name == "email_personas.json"
diff --git a/tests/orchestrator/emailgen/test_scheduler.py b/tests/orchestrator/emailgen/test_scheduler.py
index a0519a3e..f3010d40 100644
--- a/tests/orchestrator/emailgen/test_scheduler.py
+++ b/tests/orchestrator/emailgen/test_scheduler.py
@@ -7,7 +7,14 @@ from typing import Any
 
 import pytest
 
-from decnet.orchestrator.emailgen import scheduler
+from decnet.orchestrator.emailgen import global_pool, scheduler
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
+def _reset_global_pool():
+    global_pool.reset_cache()
+    yield
+    global_pool.reset_cache()
 
 
 _PERSONAS_TWO = [
@@ -43,7 +50,7 @@ class _FakeRepo:
         self.threads = threads or []
         self.thread_calls = 0
 
-    async def list_running_topology_deckies(self):
+    async def list_running_deckies(self):
         return self.deckies
 
     async def get_topology(self, topology_id: str):
@@ -54,12 +61,19 @@ class _FakeRepo:
         return list(self.threads)
 
 
-def _decky(uuid="d1", name="mailhost", services=("imap",), topology_id="t1"):
+def _decky(
+    uuid="d1",
+    name="mailhost",
+    services=("imap",),
+    topology_id="t1",
+    source="topology",
+):
     return {
         "uuid": uuid,
         "name": name,
         "services": list(services),
         "topology_id": topology_id,
+        "source": source,
     }
 
 
@@ -127,6 +141,70 @@ async def test_pick_uses_pop3_decky_too():
     assert action is not None
 
 
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_pick_for_fleet_source_uses_global_pool(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    """Fleet (MACVLAN/IPVLAN) mail decky has no parent topology row;
+    personas come from the host-wide JSON file."""
+    pool_file = tmp_path / "personas.json"
+    pool_file.write_text(json.dumps(_PERSONAS_TWO))
+    monkeypatch.setenv("DECNET_EMAILGEN_PERSONAS", str(pool_file))
+
+    repo = _FakeRepo(
+        deckies=[_decky(source="fleet", topology_id=None)],
+        # No topology row — confirms we never walk back to the topology.
+    )
+    action = await scheduler.pick(repo, now=datetime(2026, 4, 26, 12, 0, 0))
+    assert action is not None
+    assert action.mail_decky_uuid == "d1"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_pick_for_shard_source_uses_global_pool(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    """SWARM shards are non-topology too — same path as fleet."""
+    pool_file = tmp_path / "personas.json"
+    pool_file.write_text(json.dumps(_PERSONAS_TWO))
+    monkeypatch.setenv("DECNET_EMAILGEN_PERSONAS", str(pool_file))
+
+    repo = _FakeRepo(
+        deckies=[_decky(source="shard", topology_id=None)],
+    )
+    action = await scheduler.pick(repo, now=datetime(2026, 4, 26, 12, 0, 0))
+    assert action is not None
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_pick_fleet_with_empty_global_pool_returns_none(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    monkeypatch.setenv("DECNET_EMAILGEN_PERSONAS", str(tmp_path / "missing.json"))
+    repo = _FakeRepo(deckies=[_decky(source="fleet", topology_id=None)])
+    assert await scheduler.pick(repo, now=datetime(2026, 4, 26, 12, 0, 0)) is None
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_topology_personas_isolated_from_global_pool(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    """A topology with its own personas must NOT leak into / pull from
+    the global pool — per-topology richness is the whole point."""
+    pool_file = tmp_path / "personas.json"
+    pool_file.write_text(json.dumps([{
+        "name": "Pool Persona",
+        "email": "pool@corp.com",
+        "role": "Pooler",
+        "tone": "casual",
+        "mannerisms": [],
+    }]))
+    monkeypatch.setenv("DECNET_EMAILGEN_PERSONAS", str(pool_file))
+
+    repo = _FakeRepo(
+        deckies=[_decky()],
+        topologies={"t1": _topology()},  # topology has _PERSONAS_TWO
+    )
+    action = await scheduler.pick(repo, now=datetime(2026, 4, 26, 12, 0, 0))
+    assert action is not None
+    # The chosen sender + recipient must come from the topology's pool,
+    # not the global one — pool@corp.com would be a leak.
+    assert action.sender.email != "pool@corp.com"
+    assert action.recipient.email != "pool@corp.com"
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_pick_reply_chain_sets_in_reply_to():
     threads = [{