diff --git a/src/workers/continuum-core/src/genome/mod.rs b/src/workers/continuum-core/src/genome/mod.rs
index 55b655c4e..89f9a48b6 100644
--- a/src/workers/continuum-core/src/genome/mod.rs
+++ b/src/workers/continuum-core/src/genome/mod.rs
@@ -101,3 +101,5 @@ pub mod recall_impl;
 pub use recall_impl::{CandidateArtifact, CandidateSource, LocalDemandAlignedRecall};
 pub mod recall_source_working_set;
 pub use recall_source_working_set::{WorkingSetCandidateSource, NEUTRAL_FACTOR_STUB};
+pub mod recall_source_composite;
+pub use recall_source_composite::{CompositeCandidateSource, DedupPolicy};
diff --git a/src/workers/continuum-core/src/genome/recall_source_composite.rs b/src/workers/continuum-core/src/genome/recall_source_composite.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4fc790973
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/workers/continuum-core/src/genome/recall_source_composite.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,368 @@
+//! `demand-aligned-recall` PR-3e: `CompositeCandidateSource` —
+//! combines multiple `CandidateSource` impls into one, with
+//! optional deduplication by artifact id.
+//!
+//! The recall stack today has one `CandidateSource` impl
+//! (`WorkingSetCandidateSource` from PR-3d). The next several PRs
+//! will add more — genome catalog walker (Bench/Cold/Frozen tier
+//! sources), federation peer source, must-include resolver. Each
+//! could re-wire `LocalDemandAlignedRecall`, but the cleaner path
+//! is a composite that combines them — recall holds ONE composite
+//! source that fans out + merges.
+//!
+//! PR-3e ships the composite. No new substrate sources yet; just
+//! the combinator. Future PRs add sources by constructing the
+//! composite with them.
+//!
+//! ## What PR-3e ships
+//!
+//! - `CompositeCandidateSource { sources, dedup }` — holds a Vec
+//!   of `Arc<dyn CandidateSource>` and a dedup policy
+//! - `DedupPolicy::None` — return all candidates from all sources
+//!   (a single artifact may appear N times if N sources surface it)
+//! - `DedupPolicy::ByArtifactId` — keep first occurrence per
+//!   `(kind, artifact_id)` tuple; later occurrences dropped
+//! - `CandidateSource::fetch` impl fans out to all sources
+//!   concurrently via `futures::future::join_all`, merges the
+//!   results, applies the dedup policy
+//!
+//! ## What PR-3e does NOT ship
+//!
+//! - Source priority ordering — `DedupPolicy::ByArtifactId` keeps
+//!   the FIRST hit in source order. A future PR may add weighted
+//!   merging or per-source priority.
+//! - Per-source error isolation — `fetch` doesn't return errors;
+//!   the underlying CandidateSource trait method returns `Vec`
+//!   (not `Result<Vec>`). Future PRs may widen the trait.
+//! - Concurrent fan-out with bounded parallelism — `join_all`
+//!   fans out unbounded. Acceptable for the current ≤5 sources;
+//!   may need bounding when federation peer counts grow.
+
+use async_trait::async_trait;
+use std::collections::HashSet;
+use std::sync::Arc;
+
+use super::recall_impl::{CandidateArtifact, CandidateSource};
+use super::recall_trait::{CapabilityQuery, RecallContext};
+use super::working_set::{ArtifactId, PageKind};
+
+/// How a composite handles candidates surfaced by multiple sources.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq, Hash)]
+pub enum DedupPolicy {
+    /// Return all candidates from all sources. A single artifact
+    /// may appear N times in the merged Vec if N sources surface
+    /// it. Useful when source-of-truth matters for the ranking +
+    /// the caller wants the audit trail of "where this came from."
+    None,
+    /// Keep the first occurrence per `(kind, artifact_id)` tuple
+    /// in source-iteration order. Subsequent occurrences are
+    /// silently dropped. Most callers want this — it prevents
+    /// double-counting a resident page that also surfaces in a
+    /// federation lookup.
+    ByArtifactId,
+}
+
+/// Composite source combining multiple `CandidateSource` impls.
+/// `fetch` calls each source concurrently, merges the results,
+/// applies the dedup policy.
+///
+/// Thread-safe: all sources are `Arc<dyn CandidateSource>` which
+/// is `Send + Sync` by trait contract.
+pub struct CompositeCandidateSource {
+    sources: Vec<Arc<dyn CandidateSource>>,
+    dedup: DedupPolicy,
+}
+
+impl CompositeCandidateSource {
+    /// Construct from a list of sources + dedup policy. Order of
+    /// `sources` matters when `DedupPolicy::ByArtifactId` is used:
+    /// first occurrence wins. The natural priority is local-first
+    /// (working set → catalog → federation), so that's the
+    /// recommended order.
+    pub fn new(sources: Vec<Arc<dyn CandidateSource>>, dedup: DedupPolicy) -> Self {
+        Self { sources, dedup }
+    }
+
+    /// Convenience: construct with the default `ByArtifactId`
+    /// dedup. Use this unless you specifically want the audit
+    /// trail of duplicate surfaces.
+    pub fn with_default_dedup(sources: Vec<Arc<dyn CandidateSource>>) -> Self {
+        Self::new(sources, DedupPolicy::ByArtifactId)
+    }
+
+    /// How many sources are configured. Cheap O(1) — used by
+    /// tests + diagnostics.
+    pub fn source_count(&self) -> usize {
+        self.sources.len()
+    }
+
+    /// Inspect the configured dedup policy. Used by tests.
+    pub fn dedup_policy(&self) -> DedupPolicy {
+        self.dedup
+    }
+}
+
+#[async_trait]
+impl CandidateSource for CompositeCandidateSource {
+    async fn fetch(
+        &self,
+        query: &CapabilityQuery,
+        context: &RecallContext,
+    ) -> Vec<CandidateArtifact> {
+        // Fan out concurrently. Each source's fetch is independent;
+        // joining lets them run in parallel without locking.
+        // `futures::future::join_all` collects all results before
+        // returning — acceptable for the current ≤5 sources;
+        // federation peer fan-out may need bounding later.
+        let futures: Vec<_> = self
+            .sources
+            .iter()
+            .map(|src| src.fetch(query, context))
+            .collect();
+        let per_source_results = futures::future::join_all(futures).await;
+
+        let mut merged: Vec<CandidateArtifact> = per_source_results
+            .into_iter()
+            .flatten()
+            .collect();
+
+        match self.dedup {
+            DedupPolicy::None => merged,
+            DedupPolicy::ByArtifactId => {
+                let mut seen: HashSet<(PageKind, ArtifactId)> = HashSet::new();
+                merged.retain(|c| seen.insert((c.kind, c.artifact_id)));
+                merged
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    //! Pin the composite's behaviors: fan-out concurrency, merge
+    //! order, dedup policy correctness, and pass-through for
+    //! single-source / empty-source cases.
+    use super::*;
+    use crate::genome::recall::{
+        FreshnessTarget, RecallScope, ResidencyHint, TaskKind,
+    };
+    use crate::genome::recall_trait::{DomainHint, RecallBudget, RecallContext};
+    use crate::genome::tier::TierRole;
+    use crate::genome::working_set::PersonaId;
+    use parking_lot::Mutex;
+    use uuid::Uuid;
+
+    /// Fixed-result stub source — returns a pre-set Vec on each
+    /// fetch; records call count.
+    struct StubSource {
+        canned: Vec<CandidateArtifact>,
+        calls: Mutex<u32>,
+    }
+    impl StubSource {
+        fn new(canned: Vec<CandidateArtifact>) -> Arc<Self> {
+            Arc::new(Self {
+                canned,
+                calls: Mutex::new(0),
+            })
+        }
+        fn fetch_count(&self) -> u32 {
+            *self.calls.lock()
+        }
+    }
+    #[async_trait]
+    impl CandidateSource for StubSource {
+        async fn fetch(
+            &self,
+            _query: &CapabilityQuery,
+            _context: &RecallContext,
+        ) -> Vec<CandidateArtifact> {
+            *self.calls.lock() += 1;
+            self.canned.clone()
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn art(low: u128) -> ArtifactId {
+        ArtifactId::new(Uuid::from_u128(low))
+    }
+    fn cand(low: u128, kind: PageKind) -> CandidateArtifact {
+        CandidateArtifact {
+            kind,
+            artifact_id: art(low),
+            semantic_factor: 0.5,
+            outcome_history_factor: 0.5,
+            last_used_ms: 0,
+            residency: ResidencyHint::Hot { role: TierRole::Fast },
+            provenance_trust_factor: 0.5,
+        }
+    }
+    fn query() -> CapabilityQuery {
+        CapabilityQuery {
+            task_kind: TaskKind::Chat,
+            domain_hints: vec![DomainHint::new("test")],
+            budget: RecallBudget {
+                max_bytes: 1_000_000,
+                max_duration_ms: 100,
+            },
+            must_include: vec![],
+            prefer_refined: true,
+            scope: RecallScope::Local,
+            freshness_target: FreshnessTarget::BestEffort,
+        }
+    }
+    fn ctx() -> RecallContext {
+        RecallContext::cold_start(PersonaId::new(Uuid::nil()))
+    }
+
+    /// What this catches: empty composite returns empty Vec. No-
+    /// error contract: an empty composite is a legitimate
+    /// "configure later" state, not a failure.
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn empty_composite_returns_empty_vec() {
+        let composite =
+            CompositeCandidateSource::new(Vec::new(), DedupPolicy::ByArtifactId);
+        let results = composite.fetch(&query(), &ctx()).await;
+        assert!(results.is_empty());
+        assert_eq!(composite.source_count(), 0);
+    }
+
+    /// What this catches: single-source composite behaves as a
+    /// pass-through to that source (every candidate surfaces +
+    /// fetch is called exactly once on it).
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn single_source_composite_passes_through() {
+        let src = StubSource::new(vec![cand(1, PageKind::LoRALayer)]);
+        let composite =
+            CompositeCandidateSource::new(vec![src.clone()], DedupPolicy::ByArtifactId);
+        let results = composite.fetch(&query(), &ctx()).await;
+        assert_eq!(results.len(), 1);
+        assert_eq!(results[0].artifact_id, art(1));
+        assert_eq!(src.fetch_count(), 1);
+    }
+
+    /// What this catches: fan-out — all sources get called on
+    /// each composite.fetch. Concurrency is internal; the contract
+    /// is "every source's fetch is invoked exactly once per
+    /// composite call."
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn fan_out_invokes_every_source_exactly_once() {
+        let src_a = StubSource::new(vec![cand(1, PageKind::LoRALayer)]);
+        let src_b = StubSource::new(vec![cand(2, PageKind::LoRALayer)]);
+        let src_c = StubSource::new(vec![cand(3, PageKind::LoRALayer)]);
+        let composite = CompositeCandidateSource::new(
+            vec![src_a.clone(), src_b.clone(), src_c.clone()],
+            DedupPolicy::ByArtifactId,
+        );
+
+        let _ = composite.fetch(&query(), &ctx()).await;
+        assert_eq!(src_a.fetch_count(), 1);
+        assert_eq!(src_b.fetch_count(), 1);
+        assert_eq!(src_c.fetch_count(), 1);
+
+        // Second call: each source called once more.
+        let _ = composite.fetch(&query(), &ctx()).await;
+        assert_eq!(src_a.fetch_count(), 2);
+        assert_eq!(src_b.fetch_count(), 2);
+        assert_eq!(src_c.fetch_count(), 2);
+    }
+
+    /// What this catches: results from multiple sources are merged
+    /// in source-iteration order. Order matters for `ByArtifactId`
+    /// dedup (first hit wins).
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn merge_preserves_source_iteration_order() {
+        let src_a = StubSource::new(vec![cand(1, PageKind::LoRALayer), cand(2, PageKind::LoRALayer)]);
+        let src_b = StubSource::new(vec![cand(3, PageKind::LoRALayer), cand(4, PageKind::LoRALayer)]);
+        let composite =
+            CompositeCandidateSource::new(vec![src_a, src_b], DedupPolicy::None);
+
+        let results = composite.fetch(&query(), &ctx()).await;
+        assert_eq!(results.len(), 4);
+        // source_a candidates first, then source_b candidates.
+        assert_eq!(results[0].artifact_id, art(1));
+        assert_eq!(results[1].artifact_id, art(2));
+        assert_eq!(results[2].artifact_id, art(3));
+        assert_eq!(results[3].artifact_id, art(4));
+    }
+
+    /// What this catches: DedupPolicy::None preserves duplicates.
+    /// Useful for audit-trail callers that want to see EVERY
+    /// surfacing of an artifact (e.g. "this layer is in working
+    /// set AND on a grid peer — choose").
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn dedup_none_preserves_all_duplicates() {
+        let same_artifact_in_a = StubSource::new(vec![cand(7, PageKind::LoRALayer)]);
+        let same_artifact_in_b = StubSource::new(vec![cand(7, PageKind::LoRALayer)]);
+        let composite = CompositeCandidateSource::new(
+            vec![same_artifact_in_a, same_artifact_in_b],
+            DedupPolicy::None,
+        );
+        let results = composite.fetch(&query(), &ctx()).await;
+        assert_eq!(results.len(), 2, "DedupPolicy::None keeps both surfaces");
+    }
+
+    /// What this catches: DedupPolicy::ByArtifactId drops
+    /// duplicate (kind, artifact_id) tuples; keeps first occurrence
+    /// in source-iteration order. Avoids double-counting the same
+    /// layer surfaced by both working set + grid peer.
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn dedup_by_artifact_id_keeps_first_occurrence_only() {
+        let src_a = StubSource::new(vec![cand(7, PageKind::LoRALayer)]);
+        let src_b = StubSource::new(vec![cand(7, PageKind::LoRALayer), cand(8, PageKind::LoRALayer)]);
+        let src_c = StubSource::new(vec![cand(7, PageKind::LoRALayer)]);
+        let composite = CompositeCandidateSource::new(
+            vec![src_a, src_b, src_c],
+            DedupPolicy::ByArtifactId,
+        );
+        let results = composite.fetch(&query(), &ctx()).await;
+        // artifact 7 from src_a wins; artifact 8 from src_b kept;
+        // artifact 7 from src_b and src_c dropped.
+        assert_eq!(results.len(), 2);
+        assert_eq!(results[0].artifact_id, art(7));
+        assert_eq!(results[1].artifact_id, art(8));
+    }
+
+    /// What this catches: same artifact_id but different PageKind
+    /// is NOT deduped — they're distinct candidates (a layer-page
+    /// reference and an engram-page reference happen to share the
+    /// underlying artifact id; PR-3e treats them as separate).
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn dedup_treats_different_page_kinds_as_distinct() {
+        let src = StubSource::new(vec![
+            cand(7, PageKind::LoRALayer),
+            cand(7, PageKind::Engram),
+        ]);
+        let composite =
+            CompositeCandidateSource::new(vec![src], DedupPolicy::ByArtifactId);
+        let results = composite.fetch(&query(), &ctx()).await;
+        assert_eq!(
+            results.len(),
+            2,
+            "different PageKind with same artifact_id are distinct"
+        );
+    }
+
+    /// What this catches: with_default_dedup uses ByArtifactId. The
+    /// most-common callers (recall wired with multiple substrate
+    /// sources) want this behavior; the convenience constructor
+    /// reflects it.
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn with_default_dedup_uses_by_artifact_id() {
+        let src = StubSource::new(vec![cand(1, PageKind::LoRALayer)]);
+        let composite = CompositeCandidateSource::with_default_dedup(vec![src]);
+        assert_eq!(composite.dedup_policy(), DedupPolicy::ByArtifactId);
+    }
+
+    /// What this catches: object-safety — CompositeCandidateSource
+    /// itself is usable through `Arc<dyn CandidateSource>`. Lets
+    /// callers wrap a composite as just another source (composites
+    /// of composites are valid).
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn composite_is_object_safe_as_dyn_candidate_source() {
+        let src = StubSource::new(vec![cand(1, PageKind::LoRALayer)]);
+        let composite: Arc<dyn CandidateSource> = Arc::new(
+            CompositeCandidateSource::with_default_dedup(vec![src]),
+        );
+        let results = composite.fetch(&query(), &ctx()).await;
+        assert_eq!(results.len(), 1);
+    }
+}