diff --git a/packages/errors/__tests__/parse.test.ts b/packages/errors/__tests__/parse.test.ts
index da301fd44e..7af662c9dc 100644
--- a/packages/errors/__tests__/parse.test.ts
+++ b/packages/errors/__tests__/parse.test.ts
@@ -226,11 +226,10 @@ describe('generated registry (full constructive-db audit)', () => {
     // require_step_up() raises one code per factor so the client knows which
     // re-verification to prompt for; a humanized code would prompt for the
     // wrong one, so each needs its own copy.
-    // STEP_UP_REQUIRED_PASSWORD_OR_MFA is deliberately absent: constructive-db
-    // split it into the per-factor codes below (require_step_up.sql).
     const factors = [
       'STEP_UP_REQUIRED_PASSWORD',
       'STEP_UP_REQUIRED_MFA',
+      'STEP_UP_REQUIRED_PASSWORD_OR_MFA',
       'STEP_UP_REQUIRED_FRESH_AUTH'
     ];
     for (const code of factors) {
@@ -238,8 +237,8 @@ describe('generated registry (full constructive-db audit)', () => {
       expect(generatedRegistry[code].http).toBe(403);
       expect(format(code)).not.toMatch(/^Step up required/);
     }
-    expect(format('STEP_UP_REQUIRED_MFA')).not.toBe(
-      format('STEP_UP_REQUIRED_PASSWORD')
+    expect(new Set(factors.map((code) => format(code))).size).toBe(
+      factors.length
     );
     // An unrecognized posture fails closed rather than passing the mutation.
     expect(classify('STEP_UP_INVALID_TYPE')).toBe('public');
diff --git a/packages/errors/scripts/db-error-inventory.json b/packages/errors/scripts/db-error-inventory.json
index cc8a2ee768..52ac883359 100644
--- a/packages/errors/scripts/db-error-inventory.json
+++ b/packages/errors/scripts/db-error-inventory.json
@@ -5825,6 +5825,13 @@
     "n_generated": 3,
     "class": "public"
   },
+  "STEP_UP_REQUIRED_PASSWORD_OR_MFA": {
+    "count": 2,
+    "dynamic": false,
+    "sample": "STEP_UP_REQUIRED_PASSWORD_OR_MFA",
+    "n_source": 1,
+    "n_generated": 1
+  },
   "STORAGE_API_NOT_PROVISIONED": {
     "count": 2,
     "dynamic": false,
diff --git a/packages/errors/scripts/generate-registry.py b/packages/errors/scripts/generate-registry.py
index 59ad7b84ef..4f136e1eb7 100644
--- a/packages/errors/scripts/generate-registry.py
+++ b/packages/errors/scripts/generate-registry.py
@@ -74,7 +74,8 @@ def add_copy(code, msg):
     'STEP_UP_REQUIRED_FRESH_AUTH':
         'Please verify your identity to continue.',
     'STEP_UP_REQUIRED_PASSWORD_OR_MFA':
-        'Please verify your identity to continue.',
+        'Please re-enter your password or enter a code from your '
+        'authenticator app to continue.',
     'STEP_UP_INVALID_TYPE':
         'This action requires verification that is not configured correctly. '
         'Please contact support.',
diff --git a/packages/errors/src/generated/registry.generated.ts b/packages/errors/src/generated/registry.generated.ts
index babfb07571..063e20a511 100644
--- a/packages/errors/src/generated/registry.generated.ts
+++ b/packages/errors/src/generated/registry.generated.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 /**
  * GENERATED FILE — DO NOT EDIT BY HAND.
  *
- * Source of truth: the constructive-db error audit (817 distinct codes
+ * Source of truth: the constructive-db error audit (818 distinct codes
  * raised via EXCEPTION/THROW across deploy sources + generated output).
  * Regenerate with `python3 scripts/generate-registry.py` (see README.md).
  *
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
  * codes carry their raw message (with %-args rendered as {{argN}}). Curated
  * entries in `registry.ts` override anything here (typed context + refined copy).
  *
- * Counts: 817 total, 598 public, 219 internal.
+ * Counts: 818 total, 599 public, 219 internal.
  */
 import { defineError, type DefinedError } from '../define';
 import type { ErrorContext } from '../types';
@@ -763,6 +763,7 @@ export const generatedRegistry: Record<string, DefinedError<ErrorContext>> = {
   'STEP_UP_REQUIRED_FRESH_AUTH': defineError({ code: 'STEP_UP_REQUIRED_FRESH_AUTH', class: 'public', http: 403, message: 'Please verify your identity to continue.' }),
   'STEP_UP_REQUIRED_MFA': defineError({ code: 'STEP_UP_REQUIRED_MFA', class: 'public', http: 403, message: 'Please enter a code from your authenticator app to continue.' }),
   'STEP_UP_REQUIRED_PASSWORD': defineError({ code: 'STEP_UP_REQUIRED_PASSWORD', class: 'public', http: 403, message: 'Please re-enter your password to continue.' }),
+  'STEP_UP_REQUIRED_PASSWORD_OR_MFA': defineError({ code: 'STEP_UP_REQUIRED_PASSWORD_OR_MFA', class: 'public', http: 403, message: 'Please re-enter your password or enter a code from your authenticator app to continue.' }),
   'STORAGE_API_NOT_PROVISIONED': defineError({ code: 'STORAGE_API_NOT_PROVISIONED', class: 'public', http: 400, message: 'Storage api not provisioned.' }),
   'STORAGE_DESTINATION_REQUIRES_TEMP': defineError({ code: 'STORAGE_DESTINATION_REQUIRES_TEMP', class: 'internal', http: 500, message: 'Storage destination requires temp.' }),
   'STORAGE_FILE_BUCKET_IMMUTABLE': defineError({ code: 'STORAGE_FILE_BUCKET_IMMUTABLE', class: 'internal', http: 500, message: 'Storage file bucket immutable.' }),
@@ -1584,6 +1585,7 @@ export const GENERATED_CODE_META: Record<string, GeneratedCodeMeta> = {
   'STEP_UP_REQUIRED_FRESH_AUTH': { class: 'public', dynamic: false, generatedOnly: false },
   'STEP_UP_REQUIRED_MFA': { class: 'public', dynamic: false, generatedOnly: false },
   'STEP_UP_REQUIRED_PASSWORD': { class: 'public', dynamic: false, generatedOnly: false },
+  'STEP_UP_REQUIRED_PASSWORD_OR_MFA': { class: 'public', dynamic: false, generatedOnly: false },
   'STORAGE_API_NOT_PROVISIONED': { class: 'public', dynamic: false, generatedOnly: false },
   'STORAGE_DESTINATION_REQUIRES_TEMP': { class: 'internal', dynamic: false, generatedOnly: false },
   'STORAGE_FILE_BUCKET_IMMUTABLE': { class: 'internal', dynamic: false, generatedOnly: false },
@@ -1665,4 +1667,4 @@ export const GENERATED_CODE_META: Record<string, GeneratedCodeMeta> = {
 };
 
 /** Total number of codes collected from constructive-db. */
-export const GENERATED_CODE_COUNT = 817;
+export const GENERATED_CODE_COUNT = 818;
diff --git a/packages/node-type-registry/src/blueprint-types.generated.ts b/packages/node-type-registry/src/blueprint-types.generated.ts
index 39b8908023..ff5a878666 100644
--- a/packages/node-type-registry/src/blueprint-types.generated.ts
+++ b/packages/node-type-registry/src/blueprint-types.generated.ts
@@ -349,7 +349,7 @@ export interface DataLockParams {
   /* How a guarded verb is stopped while locked. step_up requires recent strong verification (needs a provisioned user_auth_module); block refuses the verb outright with ROW_LOCKED until unlocked. */
   enforcement?: 'step_up' | 'block';
   /* Verification method satisfying the step-up requirement, for the guarded verbs in step_up mode and for clearing the lock */
-  step_up_type?: 'password' | 'mfa' | 'fresh_auth';
+  step_up_type?: 'password' | 'mfa' | 'fresh_auth' | 'password_or_mfa';
   /* Require step-up to change the lock column itself, so a locked row cannot be quietly unlocked and then deleted. Redundant (and therefore skipped) in step_up mode when UPDATE is already guarded. */
   guard_unlock?: boolean;
   /* For a guarded UPDATE, restrict the guard to changes touching these columns. Empty guards the whole row. */
@@ -565,7 +565,7 @@ export interface EventTrackerParams {
 ;
 /** Attaches a BEFORE trigger that calls require_step_up() to enforce recent strong verification (password, MFA, or identity-provider assertion) before allowing mutations. Requires a provisioned sessions_module (with app_settings_auth) for the target database. The step_up_window is read from app_settings_auth at runtime (default 30 minutes). Supports compound conditions (AND/OR/NOT), watch_fields (fire only when specific fields change), and simple condition_field/condition_value leaf conditions. */
 export interface GuardStepUpParams {
-  /* Which verification method satisfies the step-up requirement (password_or_mfa is the legacy spelling of fresh_auth) */
+  /* Which recent proof satisfies the step-up requirement: password (password re-entry), mfa (second factor), password_or_mfa (either factor; an SSO sign-in alone does not count), or fresh_auth (any recent sign-in or re-verification, including SSO, magic link and OTP) */
   step_up_type?: 'password' | 'mfa' | 'fresh_auth' | 'password_or_mfa';
   /* Which DML events require step-up verification */
   events?: ('INSERT' | 'UPDATE' | 'DELETE')[];
diff --git a/packages/node-type-registry/src/data/data-lock.ts b/packages/node-type-registry/src/data/data-lock.ts
index f9530682b4..8d18a1c9d4 100644
--- a/packages/node-type-registry/src/data/data-lock.ts
+++ b/packages/node-type-registry/src/data/data-lock.ts
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ export const DataLock: NodeTypeDefinition = {
       },
       step_up_type: {
         type: 'string',
-        enum: ['password', 'mfa', 'fresh_auth'],
+        enum: ['password', 'mfa', 'fresh_auth', 'password_or_mfa'],
         description:
           'Verification method satisfying the step-up requirement, for the ' +
           'guarded verbs in step_up mode and for clearing the lock',
diff --git a/packages/node-type-registry/src/guard/step-up.ts b/packages/node-type-registry/src/guard/step-up.ts
index 5e4d9fa71b..b21d4bbdcf 100644
--- a/packages/node-type-registry/src/guard/step-up.ts
+++ b/packages/node-type-registry/src/guard/step-up.ts
@@ -22,8 +22,10 @@ export const GuardStepUp: NodeTypeDefinition = {
         type: 'string',
         enum: ['password', 'mfa', 'fresh_auth', 'password_or_mfa'],
         description:
-          'Which verification method satisfies the step-up requirement ' +
-          '(password_or_mfa is the legacy spelling of fresh_auth)',
+          'Which recent proof satisfies the step-up requirement: password ' +
+          '(password re-entry), mfa (second factor), password_or_mfa (either ' +
+          'factor; an SSO sign-in alone does not count), or fresh_auth (any ' +
+          'recent sign-in or re-verification, including SSO, magic link and OTP)',
         default: 'fresh_auth',
       },
       events: {