diff --git a/docs/source/reference/release_gate_geotiff.rst b/docs/source/reference/release_gate_geotiff.rst
index 1e64bc9b..b7f8f720 100644
--- a/docs/source/reference/release_gate_geotiff.rst
+++ b/docs/source/reference/release_gate_geotiff.rst
@@ -71,6 +71,16 @@ Local GeoTIFF read and write
        coords, and ``attrs`` as the eager numpy read.
      - ``xrspatial/geotiff/tests/test_backend_parity_matrix.py``,
        ``xrspatial/geotiff/tests/test_backend_full_parity_2211.py``
+   * - ``reader.eager_dask_parity``
+     - stable
+     - ``open_geotiff(path)`` and ``read_geotiff_dask(path)`` return the
+       same pixels, ``dims``, ``coords``, and the seven release-attr
+       keys (``transform``, ``crs``, ``crs_wkt``, ``nodata``,
+       ``masked_nodata``, ``georef_status``, ``raster_type``) across
+       four scenarios: integer-nodata, float-NaN-nodata, MinIsWhite,
+       and the ``mask_nodata=False`` raw-sentinel branch of the
+       nodata lifecycle.
+     - ``xrspatial/geotiff/tests/test_release_gate_eager_dask_parity_2341.py``
    * - ``writer.local_file``
      - stable
      - ``to_geotiff`` writes a file that ``open_geotiff`` reads back
diff --git a/xrspatial/geotiff/tests/test_release_gate_eager_dask_parity_2341.py b/xrspatial/geotiff/tests/test_release_gate_eager_dask_parity_2341.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..326c0651
--- /dev/null
+++ b/xrspatial/geotiff/tests/test_release_gate_eager_dask_parity_2341.py
@@ -0,0 +1,317 @@
+"""Release gate: eager-vs-dask raster equivalence (PR 1 of 5 of epic #2341).
+
+Epic #2341 calls out the highest release risk for the GeoTIFF surface:
+pixels matching while ``attrs``, ``coords``, or ``dims`` silently disagree
+between the eager (``open_geotiff``) and lazy (``read_geotiff_dask``)
+entry points. Today both paths are documented as ``stable``, but no
+single regression test asserts full raster equivalence -- pixels + dims +
+coords + the seven release-attr keys -- across the two paths on the same
+files.
+
+This module reads each fixture in a representative corpus list once
+through ``open_geotiff`` (eager) and once through ``read_geotiff_dask``
+(materialised via ``.compute()``), then asserts:
+
+* ``.values`` bit-exact (NaN-aware via ``np.array_equal(..., equal_nan=True)``)
+* ``.dims`` equal
+* ``.coords`` element-wise equal (dtype + bytes match per axis)
+* seven release-attr keys equal:
+  ``transform``, ``crs``, ``crs_wkt``, ``nodata``, ``masked_nodata``,
+  ``georef_status``, ``raster_type``
+
+The assertions are inlined as small helpers in this module. The four
+sibling PRs of epic #2341 (windowed-shifted-transform, overview / sidecar
+metadata, stable-codec round-trip, ambiguous-metadata negatives) ship
+independently; consolidating the helpers into a shared module is a
+follow-up once all five have landed and the common shape has settled.
+
+The corpus covers the four scenarios called out in the issue:
+
+* integer dtype with explicit integer nodata sentinel
+* float dtype with NaN nodata
+* MinIsWhite photometric (no explicit nodata tag)
+* masked-nodata lifecycle: the same integer-sentinel fixture read with
+  ``mask_nodata=False`` so the raw uint sentinel branch is pinned in
+  parity against the default ``mask_nodata=True`` branch (which the
+  integer-nodata row above already covers)
+
+Out of scope (sibling PRs of epic #2341):
+
+* Windowed-read shifted-transform parity (PR 2 of 5).
+* Overview / sidecar metadata survival (PR 3 of 5).
+* Stable-codec round-trip (PR 4 of 5).
+* Negative tests for ambiguous metadata (PR 5 of 5).
+"""
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import pathlib
+from typing import Any
+
+import numpy as np
+import pytest
+import xarray as xr
+
+pytest.importorskip("dask")
+
+from xrspatial.geotiff import open_geotiff, read_geotiff_dask  # noqa: E402
+
+# Corpus fixtures live under ``golden_corpus/fixtures``; the same
+# directory the wider parity matrix and the per-backend golden tests
+# already use.
+_FIXTURES_DIR = (
+    pathlib.Path(__file__).resolve().parent / "golden_corpus" / "fixtures"
+)
+
+# Chunk size for the dask reads. The corpus fixtures used here are
+# 64x64 or smaller, so a chunk of 32 produces either a 2x2 chunk grid
+# or a single chunk depending on the fixture. Either way the dask
+# plumbing fires.
+_CHUNK_SIZE = 32
+
+# The seven release-attr keys the parity contract pins. Drift on any
+# of these between the eager and dask paths is a release blocker; see
+# the module docstring for the rationale.
+_RELEASE_ATTR_KEYS: tuple[str, ...] = (
+    "transform",
+    "crs",
+    "crs_wkt",
+    "nodata",
+    "masked_nodata",
+    "georef_status",
+    "raster_type",
+)
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Corpus selection
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+# One ``pytest.param`` per fixture scenario. ``open_kwargs`` carries
+# any extra kwargs (e.g. ``mask_nodata=False``) applied to both the
+# eager and dask reads so the masked-nodata-lifecycle row exercises
+# the same masking semantics on both paths.
+_CORPUS = [
+    pytest.param(
+        "nodata_int_sentinel_uint16",
+        {},
+        id="int-dtype-nodata",
+    ),
+    pytest.param(
+        "nodata_nan_float32",
+        {},
+        id="float-dtype-nan-nodata",
+    ),
+    pytest.param(
+        "nodata_miniswhite_uint8",
+        {},
+        id="miniswhite",
+    ),
+    # ``mask_nodata=False`` is the contrast cell to the first row's
+    # default ``mask_nodata=True``: the raw uint16 sentinel is preserved
+    # and ``masked_nodata`` flips to ``False``. Together the two cells
+    # pin both sides of the nodata lifecycle on the same fixture, which
+    # is the silent-disagreement case the issue calls out.
+    pytest.param(
+        "nodata_int_sentinel_uint16",
+        {"mask_nodata": False},
+        id="masked-nodata-lifecycle",
+    ),
+]
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Inlined helpers (per issue: no new shared helper module in this PR)
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+def _materialise(da: xr.DataArray) -> np.ndarray:
+    """Return a host-side numpy view of ``da.values``.
+
+    For an eager numpy-backed DataArray this is a straight ``np.asarray``;
+    for a dask-backed DataArray ``.values`` triggers ``.compute()`` so
+    the result is the materialised numpy array. The eager / lazy split
+    is hidden here so the assertion call sites stay symmetric. Kept as
+    a named helper (rather than inlined) so the sibling PRs of epic
+    #2341 can copy the same shape when they land their own gates.
+    """
+    return np.asarray(da.values)
+
+
+def _assert_values_equal(eager: xr.DataArray, lazy: xr.DataArray) -> None:
+    """Bit-exact NaN-aware comparison of pixel values.
+
+    Integer dtypes go through ``np.array_equal`` directly; float dtypes
+    use ``equal_nan=True`` so a NaN-marked nodata cell compares equal to
+    itself across paths. A dtype mismatch fails first with an explicit
+    message because the float / int divergence is the single most
+    informative diff when ``mask_nodata=True`` flips a row.
+    """
+    assert eager.dtype == lazy.dtype, (
+        f"pixel dtype differs: eager={eager.dtype} lazy={lazy.dtype}"
+    )
+    eager_px = _materialise(eager)
+    lazy_px = _materialise(lazy)
+    assert eager_px.shape == lazy_px.shape, (
+        f"pixel shape differs: eager={eager_px.shape} lazy={lazy_px.shape}"
+    )
+    equal_nan = eager_px.dtype.kind == "f"
+    if not np.array_equal(eager_px, lazy_px, equal_nan=equal_nan):
+        raise AssertionError(
+            "pixel values differ between eager and dask reads "
+            f"(dtype={eager_px.dtype}, equal_nan={equal_nan})"
+        )
+
+
+def _assert_dims_equal(eager: xr.DataArray, lazy: xr.DataArray) -> None:
+    """Dims tuple matches exactly between the two paths."""
+    assert eager.dims == lazy.dims, (
+        f"dims differ: eager={eager.dims!r} lazy={lazy.dims!r}"
+    )
+
+
+def _assert_coords_equal(eager: xr.DataArray, lazy: xr.DataArray) -> None:
+    """Per-axis coord dtype + byte-level equality.
+
+    Coords drive transform reconstruction downstream, so a sub-ULP
+    divergence still means a different transform. The bytewise compare
+    catches a dtype-preserving rounding regression that ``allclose``
+    would let through.
+    """
+    eager_coord_names = set(eager.coords)
+    lazy_coord_names = set(lazy.coords)
+    assert eager_coord_names == lazy_coord_names, (
+        f"coord name set differs: "
+        f"only-in-eager={sorted(eager_coord_names - lazy_coord_names)} "
+        f"only-in-lazy={sorted(lazy_coord_names - eager_coord_names)}"
+    )
+    for axis in eager_coord_names:
+        eager_c = np.asarray(eager.coords[axis].values)
+        lazy_c = np.asarray(lazy.coords[axis].values)
+        assert eager_c.dtype == lazy_c.dtype, (
+            f"coord {axis!r} dtype differs: "
+            f"eager={eager_c.dtype} lazy={lazy_c.dtype}"
+        )
+        assert eager_c.shape == lazy_c.shape, (
+            f"coord {axis!r} shape differs: "
+            f"eager={eager_c.shape} lazy={lazy_c.shape}"
+        )
+        assert eager_c.tobytes() == lazy_c.tobytes(), (
+            f"coord {axis!r} bytes differ between eager and dask reads"
+        )
+
+
+def _is_nan_sentinel(value: Any) -> bool:
+    """True when ``value`` is a NaN, regardless of scalar type.
+
+    ``float('nan') != float('nan')`` by IEEE-754, so the nodata
+    comparison needs an explicit NaN-aware branch. Accepts python
+    floats, numpy scalars, and anything castable to ``float``; returns
+    ``False`` for non-numeric values (including ``None``) so the
+    caller falls through to the strict ``==`` branch.
+    """
+    if value is None:
+        return False
+    try:
+        return bool(np.isnan(float(value)))
+    except (TypeError, ValueError):
+        return False
+
+
+def _attr_equal(a: Any, b: Any) -> bool:
+    """Compare two attr values, treating NaN as equal to NaN.
+
+    Notable divergence from ``test_backend_full_parity_2211.py``: the
+    transform 6-tuple of floats is compared bit-exact here (via the
+    tuple-recursion branch below), where the sibling gate allows a
+    1e-9 ULP tolerance. Bit-exact is the contract the issue calls for
+    on the same-file eager-vs-dask axis; the wider gate has to absorb
+    a hypothetical future cross-backend float-rounding op (e.g. a GPU
+    decode path) that does not exist on either of the two paths here.
+    """
+    if _is_nan_sentinel(a) and _is_nan_sentinel(b):
+        return True
+    if isinstance(a, np.ndarray) or isinstance(b, np.ndarray):
+        return (
+            isinstance(a, np.ndarray)
+            and isinstance(b, np.ndarray)
+            and np.array_equal(a, b)
+        )
+    if isinstance(a, (tuple, list)) and isinstance(b, (tuple, list)):
+        if len(a) != len(b):
+            return False
+        return all(_attr_equal(x, y) for x, y in zip(a, b))
+    return a == b
+
+
+def _assert_release_attrs_equal(
+    eager: xr.DataArray, lazy: xr.DataArray,
+) -> None:
+    """Each of the seven release-attr keys agrees on presence + value.
+
+    An attr absent on the eager read must also be absent on the dask
+    read, and vice versa. This catches the silent-disagreement case the
+    issue calls out: pixels and dims line up while one path stamps an
+    attr the other omits.
+    """
+    for key in _RELEASE_ATTR_KEYS:
+        in_eager = key in eager.attrs
+        in_lazy = key in lazy.attrs
+        assert in_eager == in_lazy, (
+            f"release attr {key!r} presence differs: "
+            f"eager={in_eager} lazy={in_lazy}"
+        )
+        if not in_eager:
+            continue
+        eager_v = eager.attrs[key]
+        lazy_v = lazy.attrs[key]
+        assert _attr_equal(eager_v, lazy_v), (
+            f"release attr {key!r} value differs: "
+            f"eager={eager_v!r} lazy={lazy_v!r}"
+        )
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# The parity gate
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+@pytest.mark.release_gate
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("fixture_id, open_kwargs", _CORPUS)
+def test_release_gate_eager_dask_full_parity(
+    fixture_id: str, open_kwargs: dict,
+) -> None:
+    """Eager and dask reads of the same file agree on the full contract.
+
+    Reads ``fixture_id`` once via ``open_geotiff`` and once via
+    ``read_geotiff_dask``, then asserts pixel values, dims, coords, and
+    the seven release-attr keys all match. The dask result is
+    materialised via ``.values`` so the comparison is between concrete
+    arrays, not between graph-vs-array.
+    """
+    path = _FIXTURES_DIR / f"{fixture_id}.tif"
+    if not path.exists():
+        pytest.skip(
+            f"fixture {fixture_id!r} has no .tif on disk; run "
+            f"`python -m xrspatial.geotiff.tests.golden_corpus.generate`"
+        )
+
+    eager = open_geotiff(str(path), **open_kwargs)
+    lazy = read_geotiff_dask(str(path), chunks=_CHUNK_SIZE, **open_kwargs)
+
+    _assert_values_equal(eager, lazy)
+    _assert_dims_equal(eager, lazy)
+    _assert_coords_equal(eager, lazy)
+    _assert_release_attrs_equal(eager, lazy)
+
+
+def test_release_gate_corpus_is_non_empty() -> None:
+    """The corpus list must not silently shrink to zero rows.
+
+    A parametrize argument list that empties out (e.g. a bad refactor
+    that filters every entry) would cause pytest to collect zero cells
+    and the matrix would pass vacuously. Pin the row count so a stale
+    refactor surfaces here instead.
+    """
+    assert len(_CORPUS) == 4, (
+        f"corpus row count drifted: expected 4 scenarios "
+        f"(int-nodata, float-nan-nodata, miniswhite, masked-nodata-lifecycle), "
+        f"got {len(_CORPUS)}"
+    )