diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c3dec5a46..7478d452f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Impeccable
 
-Design guidance for AI coding agents. 1 skill, 23 commands, live browser iteration, and 60 deterministic detector rules for AI-generated frontend design.
+Design guidance for AI coding agents. 1 skill, 23 commands, live browser iteration, and 59 deterministic detector rules for AI-generated frontend design.
 
 > **Quick start:** From your project root, run `npx impeccable install`, then run `/impeccable init` inside your AI coding tool. Full docs: [impeccable.style](https://impeccable.style).
 
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ Every model trained on the same SaaS templates. Skip the guidance and you get th
 Impeccable adds:
 - **One setup flow.** `/impeccable init` writes `PRODUCT.md` and offers `DESIGN.md`, so later commands know the audience, brand/product lane, voice, anti-references, colors, type, and components.
 - **23 commands.** A shared design vocabulary with your AI: `polish`, `audit`, `critique`, `distill`, `animate`, `bolder`, `quieter`, and more.
-- **60 deterministic detector rules** plus LLM-only critique checks. The CLI and browser extension run the deterministic rules with no LLM and no API key.
+- **59 deterministic detector rules** plus LLM-only critique checks. The CLI and browser extension run the deterministic rules with no LLM and no API key.
 
 ## What's Included
 
@@ -377,7 +377,7 @@ npx impeccable ignores add-file "src/legacy/**"
 npx impeccable ignores add-value overused-font Inter --reason "Brand font"
 ```
 
-The detector catches 60 deterministic issues across AI slop (side-tab borders, purple gradients, bounce easing, dark glows) and general design quality (line length, cramped padding, small touch targets, skipped headings, and more).
+The detector catches 59 deterministic issues across AI slop (side-tab borders, purple gradients, bounce easing, dark glows) and general design quality (line length, cramped padding, small touch targets, skipped headings, and more).
 
 By default, `detect` respects the same `.impeccable/config.json` and `.impeccable/config.local.json` detector config as the design hook: `detector.ignoreRules`, `detector.ignoreFiles`, `detector.ignoreValues`, and `detector.designSystem.enabled`. Hook lifecycle settings such as `hook.enabled` only affect automatic hook execution.
 
diff --git a/README.npm.md b/README.npm.md
index 5aa7077e1..ec00a1d2a 100644
--- a/README.npm.md
+++ b/README.npm.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Impeccable CLI
 
-Detect UI anti-patterns and design quality issues from the command line. Scans HTML, CSS, JSX, TSX, Vue, and Svelte files for 60 deterministic rules, including AI-generated UI tells, accessibility violations, and general design quality problems.
+Detect UI anti-patterns and design quality issues from the command line. Scans HTML, CSS, JSX, TSX, Vue, and Svelte files for 59 deterministic rules, including AI-generated UI tells, accessibility violations, and general design quality problems.
 
 ## Quick Start
 
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ npx impeccable detect --fast src/
 
 **Quality**: tiny body text, cramped padding, long line lengths, small touch targets
 
-60 deterministic detector rules in total. See the full catalog at [impeccable.style/slop](https://impeccable.style/slop).
+59 deterministic detector rules in total. See the full catalog at [impeccable.style/slop](https://impeccable.style/slop).
 
 ## Exit Codes
 
diff --git a/scripts/build.js b/scripts/build.js
index e099eb280..8e66e2121 100644
--- a/scripts/build.js
+++ b/scripts/build.js
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ function generateCounts(rootDir, skills, buildDir) {
   const filesToCheck = [
     'site/pages/index.astro',
     'README.md',
+    'README.npm.md',
     'AGENTS.md',
     '.claude-plugin/plugin.json',
     '.claude-plugin/marketplace.json',
@@ -86,9 +87,13 @@ function generateCounts(rootDir, skills, buildDir) {
     // Check for stale detection counts. Use the changelog-stripped content
     // so historical counts in changelog entries (e.g. "28 rules" from an
     // older release) don't flag against the current detector total.
-    const detectPattern = /\b(\d+)\s+(deterministic\s+)?(checks|patterns|rules|detections)/gi;
+    // "detector" as an infix ("60 deterministic detector rules") and
+    // qualified "issues" both evaded the old pattern, which is how five
+    // stale counts shipped while the validator reported clean.
+    const detectPattern = /\b(\d+)\s+(deterministic\s+)?(detector\s+)?(checks|patterns|rules|detections|issues)\b/gi;
     for (const match of strippedContent.matchAll(detectPattern)) {
       const num = parseInt(match[1]);
+      if (match[4] === 'issues' && !match[2]) continue; // plain "issues" is prose, not a count claim
       if (num !== detectionCount && num > 10) { // ignore small numbers like "3 patterns"
         console.error(`  ❌ ${relPath}: found "${match[0]}" but detection count is ${detectionCount}`);
         errors++;