diff --git a/bin/box b/bin/box
index 6fbf3bb..a57d6ec 100755
--- a/bin/box
+++ b/bin/box
@@ -236,9 +236,10 @@ being told.
   --name <box>           Required. The box's name.
   --template <t>         Template to mint from; 'box templates' lists them.
                          A template sets image, user, resources and boot
-                         demands (a server-class one insists on VM mode and
-                         autostart) — never the network: every template gets
-                         the same isolation.
+                         demands (independently: BOX_REQUIRE_VM insists on
+                         VM mode, BOX_AUTOSTART survives host reboots) —
+                         never the network: every template gets the same
+                         isolation.
   --from <src>[/<snap>]  Clone src's live state, or its snapshot <snap>.
   --cpu <n>              CPUs for this mint (limits.cpu, verbatim to Incus).
   --memory <size>        RAM for this mint, e.g. 3GiB (limits.memory).
diff --git a/test/cli.sh b/test/cli.sh
index fb8ae33..78f793c 100644
--- a/test/cli.sh
+++ b/test/cli.sh
@@ -165,6 +165,15 @@ check "load_template: an unknown key dies (no template grows a network)" 1 "unkn
   tpl "$EVILROOT" evil
 printf 'BOX_USER="dev"\n' > "$EVILROOT/templates/evil/box.env"
 check "load_template: a missing BOX_IMAGE dies" 1 "required" tpl "$EVILROOT" evil
+# The green path the two new keys exist for: no in-tree template sets them yet
+# (the seed lands after rig#31), so without this fixture the case arms could be
+# deleted and the suite would stay green while the keys silently died as
+# "unknown key" at first use. Accepted AND surfaced, through the real parser.
+mkdir -p "$EVILROOT/templates/server"
+printf 'BOX_IMAGE="images:debian/13/cloud"\nBOX_USER="ops"\nBOX_REQUIRE_VM="1"\nBOX_AUTOSTART="1"\n' \
+  > "$EVILROOT/templates/server/box.env"
+check "load_template: REQUIRE_VM and AUTOSTART round-trip (accepted + surfaced)" \
+  0 "REQUIRE_VM=1 AUTOSTART=1" tpl "$EVILROOT" server
 rm -rf "$EVILROOT"
 
 # YAML well-formedness needs python3 + pyyaml; the CI runner has both. Skip
@@ -211,6 +220,14 @@ check "new: the REQUIRE_VM refusal orders after pick_mode" 0 "" bash -c '
   pick="$(printf "%s\n" "$fn" | grep -n "pick_mode"    | head -1 | cut -d: -f1)"
   guard="$(printf "%s\n" "$fn" | grep -n "T_REQUIRE_VM" | head -1 | cut -d: -f1)"
   [ -n "$pick" ] && [ -n "$guard" ] && [ "$pick" -lt "$guard" ]'
+# Order is necessary, not sufficient: a regression to the RAW flag
+# ([ "$mode" != vm ]) would still sit after pick_mode — and would refuse every
+# auto mint on a valid VM host. Pin the guard to the EFFECTIVE operand: the
+# T_REQUIRE_VM line itself must compare $m, the pick_mode result.
+# shellcheck disable=SC2016  # the $-strings are literals in the target file
+check "new: the REQUIRE_VM guard compares the effective mode (\$m)" 0 "" bash -c '
+  awk "/^cmd_new\(\) \{/,/^\}/" "'"$ROOT"'/bin/box" \
+    | grep "T_REQUIRE_VM" | grep -qF "\"\$m\" != vm"'
 check "new: boot.autostart is stamped under the T_AUTOSTART guard" 0 "" bash -c '
   awk "/^cmd_new\(\) \{/,/^\}/" "'"$ROOT"'/bin/box" \
     | grep -F "boot.autostart=true" | grep -q "T_AUTOSTART"'