diff --git a/artifacts/requirements.yaml b/artifacts/requirements.yaml
index 48954181..52e9f97b 100644
--- a/artifacts/requirements.yaml
+++ b/artifacts/requirements.yaml
@@ -7601,7 +7601,7 @@ artifacts:
   - id: REQ-241
     type: requirement
     title: validate and validate --direct must produce identical results
-    status: proposed
+    status: verified
     description: "A user reported `rivet validate` and `rivet validate --direct` returning different results on the same project (one with errors, one without). The self-link case was fixed in #627, but the reporter's broader example (salsa path vs library path divergence) may remain. Reproduce and close the remaining divergence so the two paths never disagree. #620, relates to REQ-089."
     provenance:
       created-by: ai-assisted
diff --git a/rivet-cli/src/main.rs b/rivet-cli/src/main.rs
index 86819c39..8d2f0a60 100644
--- a/rivet-cli/src/main.rs
+++ b/rivet-cli/src/main.rs
@@ -5810,8 +5810,15 @@ fn cmd_validate(
         .filter(|a| !a.id.contains(':'))
         .cloned()
         .collect();
-    let lifecycle_gaps =
+    let mut lifecycle_gaps =
         rivet_core::lifecycle::check_lifecycle_completeness(&all_artifacts, &schema, &graph);
+    // Sort by artifact id so the printed gap list AND the `--explain <id>`
+    // hint (which uses `.first()`) are deterministic regardless of the
+    // upstream artifact iteration order. Without this the default (salsa)
+    // and `--direct` paths, which collect artifacts in different orders,
+    // name a different example artifact in the hint — the last observable
+    // divergence between the two validate paths (#620, REQ-241).
+    lifecycle_gaps.sort_by(|a, b| a.artifact_id.cmp(&b.artifact_id));
 
     // REQ-082: external (prefixed `prefix:ID`) artifacts are loaded into
     // the store only so the consumer's `prefix:ID` cross-links resolve.
diff --git a/rivet-cli/tests/cli_commands.rs b/rivet-cli/tests/cli_commands.rs
index d1387f5f..f766be33 100644
--- a/rivet-cli/tests/cli_commands.rs
+++ b/rivet-cli/tests/cli_commands.rs
@@ -679,6 +679,68 @@ fn validate_surfaces_parse_error_on_malformed_artifact_file() {
     );
 }
 
+/// #620 (REQ-241): `rivet validate` (default salsa path) and
+/// `rivet validate --direct` (library path) must produce IDENTICAL results
+/// on the same project. A user reported them disagreeing — one flagging
+/// errors the other didn't. The substantive divergence (self-links counted
+/// as closing a rule) was fixed in #627; the last residual difference was
+/// the `--explain <id>` hint naming a different example artifact because the
+/// two paths collect artifacts in different orders. Both are now covered.
+///
+/// rivet: verifies REQ-241
+#[test]
+fn validate_and_direct_produce_identical_output() {
+    let tmp = tempfile::tempdir().expect("create temp dir");
+    let dir = tmp.path();
+    let dirs = dir.to_str().unwrap();
+    assert!(
+        Command::new(rivet_bin())
+            .args(["init", "--preset", "dev", "--dir", dirs])
+            .output()
+            .expect("init")
+            .status
+            .success()
+    );
+    // A project that exercises coverage gaps, a self-satisfying link (the
+    // #627 case), and multiple artifacts (so any order-dependent hint or
+    // list would diverge between the two paths).
+    std::fs::write(
+        dir.join("artifacts").join("reqs.yaml"),
+        "artifacts:\n  \
+         - id: REQ-001\n    type: requirement\n    title: self-sat\n    status: approved\n    \
+           links:\n      - type: satisfies\n        target: REQ-001\n  \
+         - id: REQ-002\n    type: requirement\n    title: second\n    status: approved\n  \
+         - id: REQ-003\n    type: requirement\n    title: third\n    status: approved\n",
+    )
+    .unwrap();
+
+    let run = |extra: &[&str]| -> String {
+        let mut args = vec!["--project", dirs, "validate"];
+        args.extend_from_slice(extra);
+        let out = Command::new(rivet_bin())
+            .args(&args)
+            .output()
+            .expect("validate");
+        // Drop the `Schemas:` provenance footer (identical here, but not the
+        // subject of the test) and sort so ordering of independent diagnostic
+        // lines is not itself the assertion — the content must match.
+        let mut lines: Vec<String> = String::from_utf8_lossy(&out.stdout)
+            .lines()
+            .filter(|l| !l.starts_with("Schemas:"))
+            .map(str::to_string)
+            .collect();
+        lines.sort();
+        lines.join("\n")
+    };
+
+    let salsa = run(&[]);
+    let direct = run(&["--direct"]);
+    assert_eq!(
+        salsa, direct,
+        "`validate` and `validate --direct` must produce identical results (#620)"
+    );
+}
+
 /// REQ-064: a `derives-from-external` link (the cross-org variant of
 /// `derives-from`, terminating at an `external-anchor`) must satisfy a
 /// required `derives-from` link-field. Before the fix the cardinality