diff --git a/system/kernel/ipc-synchronous.zig b/system/kernel/ipc-synchronous.zig
index dfbfab8..b6f3a27 100644
--- a/system/kernel/ipc-synchronous.zig
+++ b/system/kernel/ipc-synchronous.zig
@@ -173,9 +173,18 @@ pub fn createSharedMemory(phys: u64, pages: usize) ?*SharedMemoryObject {
     return shared_memory;
 }
 
-/// Drop a shared-memory reference; when the last one goes, return its frames to the
-/// allocator and free the object. (The mappings themselves are torn down with each
-/// sharer's address space; `device_grant` keeps that from freeing the frames early.)
+/// Take a shared-memory reference — a MAPPING's reference (docs/shared-fate-plan.md
+/// M3): each address space that maps the region holds one, recorded on the space
+/// and dropped at its destruction. Caller holds the big kernel lock.
+pub fn retainSharedMemory(shared_memory: *SharedMemoryObject) void {
+    shared_memory.refcount += 1;
+}
+
+/// Drop a shared-memory reference; when the last one goes — no handles AND no
+/// mappings left — return its frames to the allocator and free the object.
+/// (The mappings themselves are torn down with each sharer's address space;
+/// `device_grant` keeps that sweep from freeing the frames, and the space's
+/// recorded mapping references keep this drop from freeing them early.)
 pub fn dropSharedMemoryReference(shared_memory: *SharedMemoryObject) void {
     if (shared_memory.refcount > 1) {
         shared_memory.refcount -= 1;
diff --git a/system/kernel/process.zig b/system/kernel/process.zig
index 314e029..30e6bd6 100644
--- a/system/kernel/process.zig
+++ b/system/kernel/process.zig
@@ -168,6 +168,7 @@ pub fn init() void {
     scheduler.reap_task_hook = reapTaskLocked;
     scheduler.timer_tick_hook = timerSweepLocked;
     scheduler.group_exit_hook = groupExitLocked;
+    scheduler.space_mapping_release_hook = dropSpaceMappingHook;
 }
 
 /// Return -1 (as an unsigned bit pattern) in the system_call result register.
@@ -570,9 +571,26 @@ fn systemSharedMemoryCreate(state: *architecture.CpuState) void {
         for (0..pages) |i| pmm.free(phys + i * page_size);
         return fail(state);
     };
+    // The creator's mapping holds its own reference, recorded on the space
+    // (docs/shared-fate-plan.md M3): frames must outlive every MAPPING, not just
+    // every handle — a sibling thread keeps using the region after the
+    // handle-holding thread dies.
+    {
+        const flags = sync.enter();
+        if (!scheduler.recordSpaceMappingLocked(t.address_space, @ptrCast(shared_memory))) {
+            sync.leave(flags);
+            ipc.dropSharedMemoryReference(shared_memory); // last ref: frees the object AND its frames
+            return fail(state);
+        }
+        ipc.retainSharedMemory(shared_memory);
+        sync.leave(flags);
+    }
     const handle = ipc.installSharedMemoryHandle(t, shared_memory);
     if (handle < 0) {
-        ipc.dropSharedMemoryReference(shared_memory); // last ref: frees the object and its frames
+        // The mapping record keeps one reference; drop only the creator's. The
+        // object (and frames) now live until this space is destroyed — the
+        // region was never named, so nothing else can reach it.
+        ipc.dropSharedMemoryReference(shared_memory);
         return fail(state);
     }
 
@@ -597,6 +615,18 @@ fn systemSharedMemoryMap(state: *architecture.CpuState) void {
     const size = shared_memory.pages * page_size;
     if (base_v + size > shared_memory_arena_end) return fail(state);
 
+    // This mapping holds its own reference, recorded on the space and dropped at
+    // its destruction (docs/shared-fate-plan.md M3) — the handle's reference is
+    // separate and may be closed while the mapping lives on.
+    {
+        const flags = sync.enter();
+        if (!scheduler.recordSpaceMappingLocked(t.address_space, @ptrCast(shared_memory))) {
+            sync.leave(flags);
+            return fail(state); // mapping table full: refuse rather than map unrecorded
+        }
+        ipc.retainSharedMemory(shared_memory);
+        sync.leave(flags);
+    }
     architecture.mapUserSharedInto(t.address_space, base_v, shared_memory.phys, size);
     t.shared_memory_map_next = base_v + size;
     architecture.setSystemCallResult(state, base_v);
@@ -1126,6 +1156,13 @@ fn groupExitLocked(leader: u32, supervisor: u32, reason: abi.ExitReason, exit_en
     }
 }
 
+/// scheduler.space_mapping_release_hook: drop one shared-memory MAPPING
+/// reference when the space that held it is destroyed (docs/shared-fate-plan.md
+/// M3). Lock held by the release path.
+fn dropSpaceMappingHook(object: *anyopaque) void {
+    ipc.dropSharedMemoryReference(@ptrCast(@alignCast(object)));
+}
+
 /// Overwrite dead task `id`'s exit record with the group reason, or re-append it
 /// if the group's death burst already evicted it — a supervisor must always be
 /// able to read the reason for a notification it just received. Lock held.
diff --git a/system/kernel/scheduler.zig b/system/kernel/scheduler.zig
index 313e5aa..34dcef8 100644
--- a/system/kernel/scheduler.zig
+++ b/system/kernel/scheduler.zig
@@ -185,7 +185,18 @@ const AddressSpaceRef = struct {
     group_supervisor: u32 = 0,
     group_reason: abi.ExitReason = .exited,
     group_exit_endpoint: ?*anyopaque = null,
+    // Shared-memory objects mapped into this space (docs/shared-fate-plan.md M3).
+    // Each mapping holds one reference to its object, dropped through
+    // `space_mapping_release_hook` when the space is destroyed — so "last
+    // reference" means no handles AND no mappings, and frames can never be freed
+    // while a live space still maps them. Opaque: the object type is the IPC
+    // layer's.
+    mappings: [maximum_space_mappings]?*anyopaque = .{null} ** maximum_space_mappings,
 };
+
+/// Shared-memory mappings one address space can hold — matches the per-task
+/// handle table's order of magnitude; `shared_memory_map` fails when full.
+const maximum_space_mappings = 16;
 var address_space_refs = [_]AddressSpaceRef{.{}} ** maximum_tasks;
 var address_space_destroy_count: u64 = 0;
 
@@ -265,11 +276,19 @@ fn releaseAddressSpace(root: u64) void {
             const supervisor = entry.group_supervisor;
             const reason = entry.group_reason;
             const endpoint = entry.group_exit_endpoint;
+            const mappings = entry.mappings;
             entry.* = .{};
             architecture.destroyAddressSpace(root);
             address_space_destroy_count += 1;
+            // Release the mapping references now that no mapping exists —
+            // `device_grant`-tagged leaves kept destroyAddressSpace's sweep off
+            // the frames, so this drop is what may actually free them (M3).
+            if (space_mapping_release_hook) |release| {
+                for (mappings) |slot| if (slot) |object| release(object);
+            }
             // The group-death moment: the space is gone, every member is dead.
-            // process.zig posts the leader's deferred exit publication here.
+            // process.zig posts the leader's deferred exit publication here —
+            // last, so the supervisor's notification postdates every release.
             if (was_dying) if (group_exit_hook) |hook| hook(leader, supervisor, reason, endpoint);
         }
         return;
@@ -304,6 +323,30 @@ pub fn markGroupDyingLocked(root: u64, leader: u32, supervisor: u32, reason: abi
     return false;
 }
 
+/// Called (lock held) once per recorded shared-memory mapping when an address
+/// space is destroyed — drops the mapping's object reference. Registered by
+/// process.zig (the object type lives in the IPC layer).
+pub var space_mapping_release_hook: ?*const fn (*anyopaque) void = null;
+
+/// Record a shared-memory mapping on `root`'s space; its reference is dropped
+/// via `space_mapping_release_hook` at space destruction. Returns false —
+/// recording nothing — if the space has no live entry or its mapping table is
+/// full. On true, the caller has transferred one object reference to the space.
+/// Caller holds the lock.
+pub fn recordSpaceMappingLocked(root: u64, object: *anyopaque) bool {
+    for (&address_space_refs) |*entry| {
+        if (entry.count == 0 or entry.root != root) continue;
+        for (&entry.mappings) |*slot| {
+            if (slot.* == null) {
+                slot.* = object;
+                return true;
+            }
+        }
+        return false;
+    }
+    return false;
+}
+
 /// Whether `root`'s group is already dying. Caller holds the lock.
 pub fn groupDyingLocked(root: u64) bool {
     for (&address_space_refs) |*entry| {