diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 1d1cef2..d18183e 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,54 @@ All notable changes to `cloverleaf-larry` / `larry-anywhere` are recorded here.
 Versioning is loose-semver; bumps trigger the in-process self-update on every
 running client via `LARRY_BASE_URL` + `MANIFEST`.
 
+## v0.8.14 — 2026-05-28
+
+Locked-down-box survivability (Clover): make the full toolkit usable BY HAND
+with no API/LLM, and turn a blocked-API failure from a raw error dump into
+honest, actionable guidance. Both deliverables are graceful degradation only —
+**ZERO traffic-bypass, masking, proxy-hiding, or block-circumvention primitives
+were added** (hard security line: larry must not try to defeat a corporate
+security control on a PHI box).
+
+1. **`larry tools` — manual-tools dispatcher.** A discoverable, low-friction
+   entry point so all 24 operator-facing Cloverleaf/HL7 tools in `lib/` are
+   listable and runnable by hand with no REPL, no API, and no LLM. `larry tools
+   list` prints every tool grouped (NetConfig read/write, diff & regression,
+   HL7, site-iteration/format) with a one-line description and a `(missing)`
+   flag for any registry entry absent on disk; `larry tools <name> [args]` runs
+   a tool (no args → its own `--help`); `larry tools help` explains the mode.
+   It dispatches at the very top of `larry.sh` — BEFORE bootstrap, self-update,
+   the jq gate, and any network call — so it works on a fresh install with the
+   API unreachable. Only requirement is a `lib/` dir next to `larry.sh` (or in
+   `$LARRY_HOME/lib`). Internal plumbing (oauth/phi/fetch-safe/cygwin-safe/
+   ssh-helper/journal/lessons/etc.) is intentionally NOT listed — those are
+   REPL/agent support, not operator-facing tools. The registry descriptions are
+   the SSOT for `tools list`.
+2. **`_diagnose_api_block` — honest blocked-API detection + guidance.** On a
+   locked-down box where `api.anthropic.com` is blocked, larry no longer dumps a
+   bare network error. It inspects the last call's curl exit code, curl stderr,
+   the response body, and the response headers for block signatures — TLS
+   interception / MITM cert (`unable to get local issuer certificate`, self-
+   signed, `certificate verify failed`), DNS-filter / refused / timed-out / TLS-
+   handshake exit codes, `Could not resolve host` / `Connection refused`,
+   HTML-where-JSON-was-expected 403/interstitial pages, and explicit Cisco
+   Umbrella fingerprints in body or headers (`Server: Cisco`, `X-Cisco`,
+   `Cisco Umbrella`, `This site is blocked`, …). When it recognizes a block it
+   prints what happened, the target URL, the path into manual-tools mode
+   (`larry tools list` / `<name> --help` / a worked `nc-parse` example), and the
+   correct remedy — ask IT to allowlist the API host, or run from a permitting
+   network. It states plainly that this is a corporate control on a PHI box and
+   that larry will not, and must not, try to bypass it. Wired into both the
+   non-streaming and streaming API paths; reads its diagnostics from the
+   deterministic `$LARRY_HOME/.last-curl-*` / `.last-stream-*` files that
+   `call_api` persists (the call runs in a subshell, so in-memory globals don't
+   reach the diagnoser).
+
+Fires before bootstrap/network; compatible with bash 3.2 / Cygwin; no
+regression to the v0.8.13 paths.
+
+---
+
 ## v0.8.13 — 2026-05-28
 
 Proactive both-mode Cloverleaf-env detection + the `$HCIROOT` login-shell fix +
diff --git a/MANIFEST b/MANIFEST
index f8888ce..8f55c6d 100644
--- a/MANIFEST
+++ b/MANIFEST
@@ -23,16 +23,16 @@
 # scripts/make-manifest.sh and bump VERSION.
 
 # Top-level scripts
-larry.sh	fabb64714cc0b910805f9d2fdaf8de4a903ce546ef1b3a8923fe0bcb980b9b7e
+larry.sh	2c10a738cd3fc14012b4d67fcdc58be40147593f604a3ddc66b19b6b4b0ea081
 larry-tunnel.sh	6b050e4eeab15669f4858eaf3b807f168f211ced07815db9521bc40a093f6aaa
 larry-auth.sh	a220cdf7878569dc3028951ee57fc8d5e706a8ca5c6aa45347b58facb386f831
 larry-rollback.sh	91b5e9aa6c79266bf306dcfba4ca791c07971bd6924d67a779037531648aa6d0
 install-larry.sh	e97da4e12a0d8863ca18d79b12f6c4294c72fa6d4b11dffeab66504236bb4eb1
 
 # Metadata
-VERSION	414f2b8d3ed8f7c983632c4765179167948b1519b0cfc3596c68db66c9617dc3
-MANUAL.md	755d98b802cb16a5d2d207d423b12c6ca632f118ee372cb5093fe2320a6515ce
-CHANGELOG.md	bc695402eaafd52bb718e1852355d01a50da7cb86320df980178489de1c683fb
+VERSION	af0c015a6470ca542b68d7084a55652bee7798013d87487cd05fac1484a25980
+MANUAL.md	666128a086b59ff3c31a574aec0c5dd681666d66319da9f078451bf9013ca5e1
+CHANGELOG.md	aa0bd56caf29a0939a7b7d676bec9daed01606f9ac29f0180c0ac72c990d49be
 
 # Agent personas (system-prompt overlays)
 agents/larry.md	11ea905fa7cac6fa7baeb11b2d62af07b15a666ce90cfe36491bcbc555244397
diff --git a/MANUAL.md b/MANUAL.md
index a87a1d7..1e653ef 100644
--- a/MANUAL.md
+++ b/MANUAL.md
@@ -6,6 +6,40 @@ This page documents every command with copy-paste examples. Print it.
 
 ---
 
+## The front door: `larry tools` (v0.8.14)
+
+You don't have to memorize the `lib/` paths. The `larry` command itself is the discoverable entry point for manual-tools mode — it works with **no REPL, no API, no LLM**, so it's the lifeline on a locked-down box where the model API is blocked:
+
+```bash
+larry tools list                 # every tool + a one-line description, grouped
+larry tools <name> [args]         # run a tool by hand (no args → its --help)
+larry tools <name> --help         # usage, flags, expected input/output + example
+larry tools help                  # what manual-tools mode is
+
+# Examples — the name is the script minus ".sh":
+larry tools nc-parse list-protocols "$HCISITEDIR/NetConfig"
+larry tools hl7-field PID.3 /tmp/sample.hl7
+larry tools nc-status sites
+```
+
+`larry tools …` runs **before** any self-update or network call, so a fresh install with the API blocked still gives you the full toolkit. Equivalent to calling `lib/<name>.sh …` directly (documented below) — use whichever you prefer.
+
+### When the API is blocked
+
+If you launch the interactive REPL on a box where corporate security blocks `api.anthropic.com` (e.g. Cisco Umbrella returns a 403, TLS inspection trips `unable to get local issuer certificate`, or egress is refused), Larry **detects the block and guides you into manual-tools mode** instead of dumping a raw curl error:
+
+```
+Can't reach the model API — looks like a corporate network block.
+What happened: TLS interception (an untrusted/MITM certificate ...).
+The Cloverleaf tools still work — run them by hand (no API/LLM needed):
+   larry tools list
+To use the AI brain: ask IT to allowlist api.anthropic.com, or run from a network that permits it.
+```
+
+This is graceful degradation and honest guidance only. Larry will **not** try to bypass, mask, proxy around, or otherwise circumvent a corporate security control on a PHI box — that is off the table by design. The fix is to get the endpoint allowlisted by IT, or run from a permitted network.
+
+---
+
 ## Conventions
 
 - `$LARRY_HOME` defaults to `~/.larry/`. Lib scripts live at `$LARRY_HOME/lib/`.
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index c2f73c6..832bad2 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-0.8.13
+0.8.14
diff --git a/larry.sh b/larry.sh
index 9f89580..243ca51 100755
--- a/larry.sh
+++ b/larry.sh
@@ -5,10 +5,16 @@
 # Usage:
 #   larry.sh                              # interactive in $PWD
 #   larry.sh /path/to/cloverleaf/root     # interactive, cd into that path first
+#   larry.sh tools list                   # list the manual Cloverleaf/HL7 tools
+#   larry.sh tools <name> [args]          # run a tool by hand (no API/LLM needed)
 #   larry.sh --no-update                  # skip self-update
 #   larry.sh --version                    # print version and exit
 #   larry.sh --help                       # print help and exit
 #
+# Manual-tools mode (v0.8.14): `larry tools …` runs the lib/ toolkit standalone,
+# with NO REPL, NO API and NO self-update — the operator's lifeline on a
+# locked-down box where the model API is blocked. See `larry tools help`.
+#
 # Env vars:
 #   LARRY_HOME           where to cache config/sessions (default: ~/.larry)
 #   LARRY_BASE_URL       root URL of the bundle on the server (default
@@ -72,7 +78,7 @@ set -o pipefail
 # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 # Config
 # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-LARRY_VERSION="0.8.13"
+LARRY_VERSION="0.8.14"
 LARRY_HOME="${LARRY_HOME:-$HOME/.larry}"
 
 # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -138,6 +144,14 @@ LARRY_MAX_TOKENS="${LARRY_MAX_TOKENS:-8192}"
 LARRY_API_URL="${LARRY_API_URL:-https://api.anthropic.com/v1/messages}"
 LARRY_NO_UPDATE="${LARRY_NO_UPDATE:-0}"
 
+# v0.8.14: last-call diagnostics for API-block detection (graceful degradation
+# into manual-tools mode on locked-down boxes). Set by call_api after each
+# request; read by _diagnose_api_block. NOTHING here circumvents a block — it
+# only RECOGNIZES one and guides the operator to run the tools manually.
+LARRY_LAST_CURL_RC=""
+LARRY_LAST_CURL_STDERR=""
+LARRY_LAST_RESP_HEADERS=""
+
 # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 # v0.8.10: API key is the DEFAULT / primary auth rail (Bryan's decision,
 # 2026-05-27)
@@ -289,6 +303,150 @@ fetch_validate() {
 }
 # <<< fetch-safe inline <<<
 
+# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+# `larry tools` — manual-tools mode (v0.8.14)
+#
+# A discoverable, low-friction entry point for the lib/ toolkit so a human can
+# run any Cloverleaf/HL7 tool BY HAND — no REPL, no API, no LLM. This is the
+# operator's lifeline on a locked-down box where the Anthropic API is blocked.
+#
+#   larry tools list             — every manual tool + a one-line description
+#   larry tools <name> [args]    — run a tool (no args → its --help/usage)
+#   larry tools help             — this help
+#
+# It runs HERE, before bootstrap / self-update / jq-check / any network call,
+# so it works on a fresh install with the API unreachable. Only requirement:
+# the lib/ directory next to larry.sh (or in $LARRY_HOME/lib).
+# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+# Resolve the lib/ dir using ONLY what's defined this early (no $LARRY_LIB_DIR
+# yet — that's set ~1000 lines down, after self-update). Mirrors the later
+# _resolve_lib_dir but standalone-safe.
+_tools_resolve_lib_dir() {
+  local self_dir; self_dir=$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" 2>/dev/null && pwd)
+  local candidate
+  for candidate in "$self_dir/lib" "$LARRY_HOME/lib"; do
+    [ -d "$candidate" ] && [ -f "$candidate/nc-parse.sh" ] && { printf '%s' "$candidate"; return 0; }
+  done
+  return 1
+}
+
+# Registry of the human-runnable manual tools, grouped. Each entry is
+# "file.sh|one-line description". Internal plumbing (oauth.sh, phi-*.sh,
+# fetch-safe.sh, cygwin-safe.sh, hl7-schema.sh, headers-sync.sh, journal.sh,
+# lessons.sh, ssh-helper.sh, each.sh) is intentionally NOT listed — those are
+# REPL/agent support, not operator-facing manual tools. Descriptions are the
+# SSOT for `tools list`; keep them in sync when a tool's purpose changes.
+_tools_registry() {
+  cat <<'REG'
+#NetConfig (read)
+nc-parse.sh|Parse a NetConfig: list/inspect protocols & processes, fields, routes, xlate refs, thread chains
+nc-find.sh|Cross-site search for threads/protocols by name/host/port/xlate across every site under $HCIROOT
+nc-inbound.sh|List the inbound (server/listener) threads in a NetConfig
+nc-status.sh|Engine runtime status (sites/threads/not-up/queued/connections) — wraps the shipped tstat binaries
+nc-engine.sh|Engine process control (start/stop/cycle/status) — wraps the shipped hcienginerun binaries
+nc-xlate.sh|Visualize and explore a Cloverleaf xlate (.xlt) file — the TCL nested mapping tree
+nc-table.sh|Read and modify Cloverleaf lookup tables (.tbl) — every write is backed up and auditable
+#NetConfig (write)
+nc-create-thread.sh|High-level: create a new thread in a NetConfig (and optionally wire its route)
+nc-insert-protocol.sh|Low-level write side: insert/replace a protocol block in a NetConfig
+nc-make-jump.sh|Generate the 3-thread "jump" pattern for cross-environment data replay
+nc-tclgen.sh|Generate annotated TCL UPOC scaffolding (skeletons for common Cloverleaf proc patterns)
+nc-document.sh|Generate a markdown knowledge entry documenting a Cloverleaf subsystem/interface
+#Diff & regression
+nc-diff-interface.sh|Diff one Cloverleaf interface across two environments
+nc-smat-diff.sh|Diff smat (message-archive) content across two environments
+nc-regression.sh|End-to-end regression test orchestrator between two Cloverleaf environments
+nc-msgs.sh|Native smat query: search/inspect archived messages without hcidbdump
+#HL7
+hl7-field.sh|Extract a field by path (PID.3, MSH.10, PV1-3-4 …) from an HL7 v2 message
+hl7-diff.sh|HL7-aware diff with field-level normalization between two messages
+len2nl.sh|Convert length-prefixed / MLLP-framed HL7 to newline-readable form
+hl7-sanitize.sh|Tokenize PHI fields in HL7 v2 messages ([[CATEGORY_NNNN]] tokens)
+hl7-desanitize.sh|Reverse hl7-sanitize: restore original values from a token map
+#Site iteration & format
+each-site.sh|Run a command once per site under $HCIROOT (exposes $HCISITE / $HCISITEDIR)
+csv-to-table.sh|Convert a 2-column CSV into Cloverleaf .tbl format
+table-to-csv.sh|Convert a Cloverleaf .tbl file to CSV
+REG
+}
+
+_tools_list() {
+  local lib; lib=$(_tools_resolve_lib_dir || echo "")
+  printf '%sLarry manual tools%s — run any of these by hand (no API/LLM needed):\n\n' "$C_BOLD" "$C_RESET"
+  printf '  %slarry tools <name> [args]%s     run a tool   (no args prints its --help)\n' "$C_CYAN" "$C_RESET"
+  printf '  %slarry tools <name> --help%s     usage, flags, expected input/output + an example\n\n' "$C_CYAN" "$C_RESET"
+  local group="" name desc line
+  while IFS= read -r line; do
+    case "$line" in
+      '#'*) group="${line#\#}"; printf '%s%s%s\n' "$C_BOLD" "$group" "$C_RESET" ;;
+      *)
+        name="${line%%|*}"; desc="${line#*|}"
+        # Flag a tool the registry lists but that isn't present on disk.
+        local mark="" base="${name%.sh}"
+        if [ -n "$lib" ] && [ ! -f "$lib/$name" ]; then mark=" ${C_YELLOW}(missing)${C_RESET}"; fi
+        printf '  %s%-22s%s %s%s\n' "$C_GREEN" "$base" "$C_RESET" "$desc" "$mark"
+        ;;
+    esac
+  done < <(_tools_registry)
+  printf '\n'
+  if [ -z "$lib" ]; then
+    printf '%swarn:%s lib/ not found next to larry.sh or in %s/lib — the tools are not installed here.\n' "$C_YELLOW" "$C_RESET" "$LARRY_HOME"
+    printf '       Run install-larry.sh, or scp the larry-anywhere/lib/ directory next to larry.sh.\n'
+  else
+    printf '%sTip:%s the name is the script minus ".sh" (e.g. %slarry tools nc-parse list-protocols /path/NetConfig%s).\n' "$C_DIM" "$C_RESET" "$C_CYAN" "$C_RESET"
+  fi
+}
+
+# Map a user-typed tool name to a lib file. Accepts "nc-parse" or "nc-parse.sh".
+_tools_resolve_name() {
+  local want="$1"
+  [ -z "$want" ] && return 1
+  case "$want" in *.sh) : ;; *) want="$want.sh" ;; esac
+  printf '%s' "$want"
+}
+
+larry_tools_main() {
+  local sub="${1:-list}"; shift 2>/dev/null || true
+  case "$sub" in
+    ''|list|ls)
+      _tools_list; return 0 ;;
+    help|-h|--help)
+      sed -n '/^# `larry tools` — manual-tools mode/,/^# ───*$/p' "$0" | sed 's/^# \{0,1\}//'
+      printf '\n'
+      _tools_list
+      return 0 ;;
+    *)
+      local lib; lib=$(_tools_resolve_lib_dir || echo "")
+      if [ -z "$lib" ]; then
+        err "lib/ tools not found. Looked next to larry.sh and in $LARRY_HOME/lib."
+        err "Run install-larry.sh, or scp the larry-anywhere/lib/ directory next to larry.sh."
+        return 1
+      fi
+      local file; file=$(_tools_resolve_name "$sub")
+      if [ ! -f "$lib/$file" ]; then
+        err "no such tool: $sub"
+        err "run 'larry tools list' to see available tools."
+        return 2
+      fi
+      # No args → show the tool's own --help so a human can learn it without
+      # reading source. Otherwise pass args straight through.
+      if [ "$#" -eq 0 ]; then
+        bash "$lib/$file" --help 2>&1 || bash "$lib/$file" help 2>&1 || true
+        printf '\n%s(no args given — showed --help. Re-run with arguments to execute.)%s\n' "$C_DIM" "$C_RESET" >&2
+        return 0
+      fi
+      exec bash "$lib/$file" "$@"
+      ;;
+  esac
+}
+
+if [ "${1:-}" = "tools" ]; then
+  shift
+  larry_tools_main "$@"
+  exit $?
+fi
+
 # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 # CLI args
 # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -4031,26 +4189,67 @@ call_api() {
   local _hdrs_file; _hdrs_file=$(mktemp 2>/dev/null || echo "")
   local _curl_args=( -sS --max-time 180 )
   [ -n "$_hdrs_file" ] && _curl_args+=( -D "$_hdrs_file" )
+  # v0.8.14: capture curl's STDERR (cert/DNS/connect-refused diagnostics) so the
+  # caller's block-detection (_diagnose_api_block) can tell a corporate block
+  # apart from a transient network blip. Body still goes to stdout untouched.
+  local _err_file; _err_file=$(mktemp 2>/dev/null || echo "")
   if [ "$LARRY_AUTH_MODE" = "apikey" ]; then
     # Key travels in the curl config on stdin, NOT in argv.
-    _curl_config_apikey | curl "${_curl_args[@]}" --config - \
-      "${auth_args[@]}" \
-      -H "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \
-      -H "content-type: application/json" \
-      --data-binary "@$payload_file" \
-      "$LARRY_API_URL"
+    if [ -n "$_err_file" ]; then
+      _curl_config_apikey | curl "${_curl_args[@]}" --config - \
+        "${auth_args[@]}" \
+        -H "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \
+        -H "content-type: application/json" \
+        --data-binary "@$payload_file" \
+        "$LARRY_API_URL" 2>"$_err_file"
+    else
+      _curl_config_apikey | curl "${_curl_args[@]}" --config - \
+        "${auth_args[@]}" \
+        -H "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \
+        -H "content-type: application/json" \
+        --data-binary "@$payload_file" \
+        "$LARRY_API_URL"
+    fi
   else
-    curl "${_curl_args[@]}" \
-      "${auth_args[@]}" \
-      -H "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \
-      -H "content-type: application/json" \
-      --data-binary "@$payload_file" \
-      "$LARRY_API_URL"
+    if [ -n "$_err_file" ]; then
+      curl "${_curl_args[@]}" \
+        "${auth_args[@]}" \
+        -H "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \
+        -H "content-type: application/json" \
+        --data-binary "@$payload_file" \
+        "$LARRY_API_URL" 2>"$_err_file"
+    else
+      curl "${_curl_args[@]}" \
+        "${auth_args[@]}" \
+        -H "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \
+        -H "content-type: application/json" \
+        --data-binary "@$payload_file" \
+        "$LARRY_API_URL"
+    fi
   fi
   local _curl_rc=$?
+  # Stash rc + the response-header dump + curl's stderr for block-detection.
+  # call_api is usually invoked as `resp=$(call_api ...)` — a command-sub
+  # SUBSHELL — so in-memory global assignments do NOT reach the parent. We ALSO
+  # persist to deterministic files so _diagnose_api_block (running in the
+  # parent) can read them. (Same subshell-survival pattern as the stream path.)
+  LARRY_LAST_CURL_RC="$_curl_rc"
+  printf '%s' "$_curl_rc" > "$LARRY_HOME/.last-curl-rc" 2>/dev/null || true
+  LARRY_LAST_CURL_STDERR=""
+  : > "$LARRY_HOME/.last-curl-stderr" 2>/dev/null || true
+  if [ -n "$_err_file" ]; then
+    LARRY_LAST_CURL_STDERR=$(cat "$_err_file" 2>/dev/null)
+    cp "$_err_file" "$LARRY_HOME/.last-curl-stderr" 2>/dev/null || true
+    # Still surface curl's own diagnostic on stderr (preserves prior -sS UX).
+    [ -s "$_err_file" ] && cat "$_err_file" >&2
+    rm -f "$_err_file"
+  fi
+  LARRY_LAST_RESP_HEADERS=""
   # Parse headers regardless of whether the body parse will succeed; headers
   # carry rate-limit info even on 429s.
   if [ -n "$_hdrs_file" ] && [ -s "$_hdrs_file" ]; then
+    LARRY_LAST_RESP_HEADERS=$(cat "$_hdrs_file" 2>/dev/null)
+    cp "$_hdrs_file" "$LARRY_HOME/.last-curl-headers" 2>/dev/null || true
     _parse_response_headers "$_hdrs_file" 2>/dev/null || true
     rm -f "$_hdrs_file"
   fi
@@ -4102,6 +4301,12 @@ call_api_stream() {
   # doesn't need to share a variable across the subshell boundary.
   local _hdrs_file="$LARRY_HOME/.last-stream-headers"
   : > "$_hdrs_file" 2>/dev/null || _hdrs_file=""
+  # v0.8.14: persist curl's stderr to a deterministic path so the parent shell
+  # can run block-detection after the subshell pipe exits (same pattern as the
+  # header file above — the streaming curl runs in a subshell and can't set
+  # parent globals directly).
+  local _err_file="$LARRY_HOME/.last-stream-curlerr"
+  : > "$_err_file" 2>/dev/null || _err_file=""
   local _curl_args=( -sN --max-time 300 )
   [ -n "$_hdrs_file" ] && _curl_args+=( -D "$_hdrs_file" )
   if [ "$LARRY_AUTH_MODE" = "apikey" ]; then
@@ -4111,7 +4316,7 @@ call_api_stream() {
       -H "content-type: application/json" \
       -H "accept: text/event-stream" \
       --data-binary "@$payload_file" \
-      "$LARRY_API_URL"
+      "$LARRY_API_URL" ${_err_file:+2>"$_err_file"}
   else
     curl "${_curl_args[@]}" \
       "${auth_args[@]}" \
@@ -4119,7 +4324,7 @@ call_api_stream() {
       -H "content-type: application/json" \
       -H "accept: text/event-stream" \
       --data-binary "@$payload_file" \
-      "$LARRY_API_URL"
+      "$LARRY_API_URL" ${_err_file:+2>"$_err_file"}
   fi
 }
 
@@ -4153,6 +4358,110 @@ build_system_prompt() {
   printf '%s' "$sys"
 }
 
+# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+# v0.8.14: API-block detection → guide into manual-tools mode (NO bypass).
+#
+# On a locked-down Cloverleaf/PHI box, corporate security (e.g. Cisco Umbrella)
+# blocks api.anthropic.com — Bryan's Gundersen environment returns a 403
+# interstitial, or TLS inspection trips "unable to get local issuer
+# certificate", or the egress is simply refused. When that happens we must NOT
+# dump a raw curl error; we DETECT the situation and GUIDE the operator to run
+# the toolkit by hand.
+#
+# IMPORTANT — this is graceful degradation + honest guidance ONLY. There is
+# DELIBERATELY no traffic-masking, no proxy-hiding, no obfuscation, no
+# block-circumvention of any kind. Bypassing a corporate security control on a
+# PHI box is off the table. We recognize the block and tell the truth.
+#
+# _diagnose_api_block BODY — inspect the last call's curl rc + stderr + the
+# response body/headers for block signatures. If it looks like a block (vs a
+# transient blip), print the guidance to STDERR and return 0. Else return 1.
+_diagnose_api_block() {
+  local body="${1:-}"
+  local rc="${LARRY_LAST_CURL_RC:-}"
+  local cerr="${LARRY_LAST_CURL_STDERR:-}"
+  local hdrs="${LARRY_LAST_RESP_HEADERS:-}"
+  # call_api / call_api_stream both run in subshells (a command-sub, or the LHS
+  # of a pipe), so their in-memory globals don't reach us here. Both persist
+  # their diagnostics to deterministic files; read those as the source of truth.
+  if [ -z "$rc" ] && [ -f "$LARRY_HOME/.last-curl-rc" ]; then
+    rc=$(cat "$LARRY_HOME/.last-curl-rc" 2>/dev/null)
+  fi
+  if [ -z "$cerr" ]; then
+    if [ -f "$LARRY_HOME/.last-curl-stderr" ]; then
+      cerr=$(cat "$LARRY_HOME/.last-curl-stderr" 2>/dev/null)
+    elif [ -f "$LARRY_HOME/.last-stream-curlerr" ]; then
+      cerr=$(cat "$LARRY_HOME/.last-stream-curlerr" 2>/dev/null)
+    fi
+  fi
+  if [ -z "$hdrs" ]; then
+    if [ -f "$LARRY_HOME/.last-curl-headers" ]; then
+      hdrs=$(cat "$LARRY_HOME/.last-curl-headers" 2>/dev/null)
+    elif [ -f "$LARRY_HOME/.last-stream-headers" ]; then
+      hdrs=$(cat "$LARRY_HOME/.last-stream-headers" 2>/dev/null)
+    fi
+  fi
+
+  local reason=""
+  # 1) TLS interception (corporate MITM proxy presents an untrusted cert).
+  case "$cerr" in
+    *"unable to get local issuer certificate"*|*"self signed certificate"*|*"self-signed certificate"*|*"certificate verify failed"*|*"SSL certificate problem"*)
+      reason="TLS interception (an untrusted/MITM certificate on the egress path — typical of a corporate proxy doing SSL inspection)" ;;
+  esac
+  # 2) curl exit codes that mean "couldn't get there".
+  if [ -z "$reason" ]; then
+    case "$rc" in
+      6)  reason="DNS resolution failed (the host name didn't resolve — often a security DNS filter like Umbrella)" ;;
+      7)  reason="connection refused/blocked (egress to the API host is being denied)" ;;
+      28) reason="the request timed out with no response (egress may be silently dropped)" ;;
+      35|53|54|58|59|60|66|77|80|82|83|91) reason="a TLS/SSL handshake failure (consistent with a proxy intercepting HTTPS)" ;;
+    esac
+  fi
+  # 3) curl stderr text signatures (when rc didn't already name it).
+  if [ -z "$reason" ]; then
+    case "$cerr" in
+      *"Could not resolve host"*|*"Couldn't resolve host"*) reason="DNS resolution failed (the API host name didn't resolve)" ;;
+      *"Connection refused"*|*"Failed to connect"*|*"Connection timed out"*) reason="egress to the API host is being blocked/refused" ;;
+      *[Uu]mbrella*|*"Cisco"*) reason="a Cisco Umbrella block (the corporate web-security gateway intercepted the request)" ;;
+    esac
+  fi
+  # 4) Block-page BODY signatures: a 403/interstitial HTML page where we expected
+  #    JSON. The API only ever returns JSON, so HTML here means something on the
+  #    path answered instead (a proxy/block page).
+  if [ -z "$reason" ] && [ -n "$body" ]; then
+    case "$body" in
+      *[Uu]mbrella*|*"Cisco Umbrella"*|*"This site is blocked"*|*"blocked by"*|*"access has been blocked"*|*"web policy"*|*"content filter"*)
+        reason="the egress returned a block/interstitial page instead of the API (a corporate web filter)" ;;
+      "<!DOCTYPE"*|"<!doctype"*|"<html"*|"<HTML"*|*"<title>"*403*|*"403 Forbidden"*|*"Access Denied"*)
+        # HTML where JSON was expected — only treat as a block if it isn't our
+        # API's JSON error shape (which _humanize handles). HTML => not the API.
+        reason="the egress returned an HTML page (likely a 403/proxy block) instead of the API's JSON" ;;
+    esac
+  fi
+  # 5) Response-header signatures (proxy fingerprints).
+  if [ -z "$reason" ] && [ -n "$hdrs" ]; then
+    case "$hdrs" in
+      *[Uu]mbrella*|*"Server: Cisco"*|*"X-Cisco"*) reason="a Cisco Umbrella / corporate-proxy response (per the response headers)" ;;
+    esac
+  fi
+
+  [ -z "$reason" ] && return 1
+
+  # Emit the guidance. Honest, actionable, zero-bypass.
+  printf '\n%sCan'\''t reach the model API — looks like a corporate network block.%s\n' "$C_YELLOW$C_BOLD" "$C_RESET" >&2
+  printf '%sWhat happened:%s %s.\n' "$C_DIM" "$C_RESET" "$reason" >&2
+  printf '   Target: %s\n' "$LARRY_API_URL" >&2
+  printf '\n' >&2
+  printf '%sThe Cloverleaf tools still work — run them by hand (no API/LLM needed):%s\n' "$C_BOLD" "$C_RESET" >&2
+  printf '   %slarry tools list%s              see every tool + what it does\n' "$C_CYAN" "$C_RESET" >&2
+  printf '   %slarry tools <name> --help%s     usage for one tool\n' "$C_CYAN" "$C_RESET" >&2
+  printf '   %slarry tools nc-parse list-protocols /path/to/NetConfig%s   (example)\n' "$C_CYAN" "$C_RESET" >&2
+  printf '\n' >&2
+  printf '%sTo use the AI brain%s: ask IT to allowlist %s, or run larry from a network that permits it.\n' "$C_BOLD" "$C_RESET" "$LARRY_API_URL" >&2
+  printf '%s(This is a corporate security control on a PHI box — larry will not, and must not, try to bypass it.)%s\n\n' "$C_DIM" "$C_RESET" >&2
+  return 0
+}
+
 # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 # Agent turn — loop until stop_reason != tool_use
 # ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -4746,11 +5055,28 @@ agent_turn() {
     rm -f "$payload_file" "$resp_file"
 
     if [ -z "$resp" ]; then
+      # v0.8.14: empty body usually means curl never got a response (cert/DNS/
+      # connect failure). If that smells like a corporate block, GUIDE into
+      # manual-tools mode instead of dumping a bare network error.
+      if _diagnose_api_block ""; then
+        rm -f "$tools_file" "$system_file"
+        return 1
+      fi
       err "Network error: empty response from $LARRY_API_URL (timeout, DNS, or connection reset). Check connectivity."
       rm -f "$tools_file" "$system_file"
       return 1
     fi
 
+    # v0.8.14: a non-empty body that isn't our API's JSON (e.g. a 403 block page
+    # or proxy interstitial in HTML) means something on the egress answered
+    # instead of the API. Detect → guide into manual-tools mode (no bypass).
+    if ! printf '%s' "$resp" | jq -e . >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+      if _diagnose_api_block "$resp"; then
+        rm -f "$tools_file" "$system_file"
+        return 1
+      fi
+    fi
+
     local err_type; err_type=$(strip_cr "$(printf '%s' "$resp" | jq -r '.error.type // empty' 2>/dev/null)")
     if [ -n "$err_type" ]; then
       # v0.8.5: on a rate_limit/overloaded error, retry with backoff (honoring
@@ -5037,6 +5363,11 @@ ${C_BOLD}Larry-Anywhere v$LARRY_VERSION${C_RESET}
   Session:  $SESSION_ID
   Log:      $LOG_FILE
 
+Manual tools (work even when the API is blocked — run from the shell, not here):
+  larry tools list             list every Cloverleaf/HL7 tool + a one-line desc
+  larry tools <name> [args]    run a tool by hand (no args → its --help)
+  larry tools <name> --help    usage, flags, expected input/output + an example
+
 Slash commands:
   /quit /exit /q     exit
   /clear             clear the terminal screen (distinct from /reset)