diff --git a/plugins/magpie-security-tools/tools/security-management/src/security_management/cve_allocate/gate.py b/plugins/magpie-security-tools/tools/security-management/src/security_management/cve_allocate/gate.py
index cd940efca..5c8db1315 100644
--- a/plugins/magpie-security-tools/tools/security-management/src/security_management/cve_allocate/gate.py
+++ b/plugins/magpie-security-tools/tools/security-management/src/security_management/cve_allocate/gate.py
@@ -187,6 +187,13 @@ def _check(scope: str, data: Mapping[str, Any]) -> str:
     return cve_tool.command(data, "check", *flags)
 
 
+_NO_TOOL = {
+    20: "no `cve_authority.tool` declared anywhere; take the recipe path and say which key is missing",
+    21: "the configured CVE tool has no adapter; take the recipe path",
+    22: "the adapter does not implement the check operation; take the recipe path",
+}
+
+
 def preflight(data: Mapping[str, Any]) -> dict[str, Any]:
     pmc = one_line(data.get("pmc"))
     setup = cve_tool.command(data, "setup", "--pmc", pmc or "<pmc>")
@@ -213,6 +220,8 @@ def out(
         )
     if server == 3:
         return out("recipe", "network error on the server check; mention it")
+    if server in _NO_TOOL:
+        return out("recipe", _NO_TOOL[server])
     if server != 0:
         return out("recipe", f"unexpected server-check exit {server}")
     if data.get("allocate_exit") is None:
@@ -232,6 +241,8 @@ def out(
         return out(None, f"allocate token {state}: offer the setup, then re-run the check", offer_setup=True)
     if code == 4:
         return out("recipe", "unsupported: the server answers HTML")
+    if code in _NO_TOOL:
+        return out("recipe", _NO_TOOL[code])
     return out("recipe", f"allocate check failed (exit {code}); mention the error")
 
 
diff --git a/plugins/magpie-security-tools/tools/security-management/src/security_management/cve_allocate/recipe.py b/plugins/magpie-security-tools/tools/security-management/src/security_management/cve_allocate/recipe.py
index bb45de778..c7e63b56a 100644
--- a/plugins/magpie-security-tools/tools/security-management/src/security_management/cve_allocate/recipe.py
+++ b/plugins/magpie-security-tools/tools/security-management/src/security_management/cve_allocate/recipe.py
@@ -100,7 +100,8 @@ def render(data: Mapping[str, Any]) -> dict[str, Any]:
             "2. In the *Title* field, paste this:\n\n"
             f"{indented}\n\n"
             "3. Submit the allocation. The CVE tool returns a `CVE-YYYY-NNNNN` ID — for the Vulnogram "
-            "adapter, clicking *Allocate*.\n"
+            "adapter, clicking *Allocate*; for other adapters, wherever the tool delivers it "
+            "(a form result, an ID by email).\n"
             "4. Paste the allocated CVE ID back into this conversation — the skill will pick it up and "
             "update the tracker.\n"
         )
diff --git a/plugins/magpie-security/skills/cve-allocate/SKILL.md b/plugins/magpie-security/skills/cve-allocate/SKILL.md
index 52319ccbf..a3c9e1291 100644
--- a/plugins/magpie-security/skills/cve-allocate/SKILL.md
+++ b/plugins/magpie-security/skills/cve-allocate/SKILL.md
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ argument-hint: "[issue-number] [CVE-YYYY-NNNNN]"
 capability: capability:resolve
 surface_hash: sha256:c96f5623aa6c4212
 license: Apache-2.0
-measured_tokens: 7047
+measured_tokens: 7250
 ---
 
 <!-- Placeholder convention (see AGENTS.md#placeholder-convention-used-in-skill-files):
@@ -247,8 +247,14 @@ Before touching the tracker, verify:
    Plus confirm `~/.config/apache-magpie/` is writable (for the
    redactor's mapping file).
 
-5. **API allocation pre-flight** (Vulnogram adapter, governance-authorised users only).
-   Check whether the CVE tool can allocate over its API and whether an allocate token is live,
+5. **API allocation pre-flight** (governance-authorised users only, and only when the configured CVE tool can allocate over an API —
+   today that is the `vulnogram` adapter).
+   When `cve_authority.tool` is not `vulnogram`, or `cve-tool` cannot be probed — exit `20` no tool declared,
+   `21` the tool has no adapter, `22` the adapter does not implement the check (the planned adapters `mitre-form`, `cve-org-direct` and `ghsa`) —
+   **skip this item entirely and take the `recipe` path in Step 3**: print the allocation link and the stripped title and take the allocated ID by hand.
+   For a project allocating through another CNA (for example the GitHub CNA or MITRE directly), that print-the-link-and-take-the-ID flow
+   plus a plain CVE JSON 5 record *is* the default, and `api-allocation.md` does not apply to it.
+   When the tool is `vulnogram`, check whether it can allocate over its API and whether an allocate token is live,
    per [`api-allocation.md` § *Pre-flight*](api-allocation.md#pre-flight-step-0-item-5).
    `<sm> preflight` (`{governance_member, pmc, server_exit, allocate_exit, allocate_stdout}`) turns the exits into the path, the next check to run, or the setup to offer.
    The outcome picks Step 3's path (`api` or `recipe`); it never blocks the skill, since the recipe always works.
diff --git a/plugins/magpie-security/skills/cve-allocate/api-allocation.md b/plugins/magpie-security/skills/cve-allocate/api-allocation.md
index d7cd79213..d4f1c9d51 100644
--- a/plugins/magpie-security/skills/cve-allocate/api-allocation.md
+++ b/plugins/magpie-security/skills/cve-allocate/api-allocation.md
@@ -3,6 +3,10 @@
 
 # API allocation (Vulnogram adapter)
 
+This page applies only when `cve_authority.tool` is `vulnogram`.
+Any other tool, and the unset case, takes Step 3's `recipe` path instead: do not run the checks below.
+The generated CVE record stays a plain CVE JSON 5 either way.
+
 When the CVE tool can allocate over its API, Step 3 reserves the CVE ID
 itself instead of printing a form-fill recipe, so the governance-authorised
 user does not open the allocation form or paste the ID back.
diff --git a/tools/security-management/src/security_management/cve_allocate/gate.py b/tools/security-management/src/security_management/cve_allocate/gate.py
index cd940efca..5c8db1315 100644
--- a/tools/security-management/src/security_management/cve_allocate/gate.py
+++ b/tools/security-management/src/security_management/cve_allocate/gate.py
@@ -187,6 +187,13 @@ def _check(scope: str, data: Mapping[str, Any]) -> str:
     return cve_tool.command(data, "check", *flags)
 
 
+_NO_TOOL = {
+    20: "no `cve_authority.tool` declared anywhere; take the recipe path and say which key is missing",
+    21: "the configured CVE tool has no adapter; take the recipe path",
+    22: "the adapter does not implement the check operation; take the recipe path",
+}
+
+
 def preflight(data: Mapping[str, Any]) -> dict[str, Any]:
     pmc = one_line(data.get("pmc"))
     setup = cve_tool.command(data, "setup", "--pmc", pmc or "<pmc>")
@@ -213,6 +220,8 @@ def out(
         )
     if server == 3:
         return out("recipe", "network error on the server check; mention it")
+    if server in _NO_TOOL:
+        return out("recipe", _NO_TOOL[server])
     if server != 0:
         return out("recipe", f"unexpected server-check exit {server}")
     if data.get("allocate_exit") is None:
@@ -232,6 +241,8 @@ def out(
         return out(None, f"allocate token {state}: offer the setup, then re-run the check", offer_setup=True)
     if code == 4:
         return out("recipe", "unsupported: the server answers HTML")
+    if code in _NO_TOOL:
+        return out("recipe", _NO_TOOL[code])
     return out("recipe", f"allocate check failed (exit {code}); mention the error")
 
 
diff --git a/tools/security-management/src/security_management/cve_allocate/recipe.py b/tools/security-management/src/security_management/cve_allocate/recipe.py
index bb45de778..c7e63b56a 100644
--- a/tools/security-management/src/security_management/cve_allocate/recipe.py
+++ b/tools/security-management/src/security_management/cve_allocate/recipe.py
@@ -100,7 +100,8 @@ def render(data: Mapping[str, Any]) -> dict[str, Any]:
             "2. In the *Title* field, paste this:\n\n"
             f"{indented}\n\n"
             "3. Submit the allocation. The CVE tool returns a `CVE-YYYY-NNNNN` ID — for the Vulnogram "
-            "adapter, clicking *Allocate*.\n"
+            "adapter, clicking *Allocate*; for other adapters, wherever the tool delivers it "
+            "(a form result, an ID by email).\n"
             "4. Paste the allocated CVE ID back into this conversation — the skill will pick it up and "
             "update the tracker.\n"
         )
diff --git a/tools/security-management/tests/test_cve_allocate.py b/tools/security-management/tests/test_cve_allocate.py
index b8c3cbad9..5d17df193 100644
--- a/tools/security-management/tests/test_cve_allocate.py
+++ b/tools/security-management/tests/test_cve_allocate.py
@@ -266,6 +266,9 @@ def test_the_title_needs_the_project_names(capsys, tmp_path):
         ({"governance_member": True}, None, False),
         ({"governance_member": True, "server_exit": 4}, "recipe", False),
         ({"governance_member": True, "server_exit": 3}, "recipe", False),
+        ({"governance_member": True, "server_exit": 20}, "recipe", False),
+        ({"governance_member": True, "server_exit": 21}, "recipe", False),
+        ({"governance_member": True, "server_exit": 22}, "recipe", False),
         ({"governance_member": True, "server_exit": 0}, None, False),
         (
             {
@@ -290,6 +293,9 @@ def test_the_title_needs_the_project_names(capsys, tmp_path):
         ({"governance_member": True, "server_exit": 0, "allocate_exit": 1}, None, True),
         ({"governance_member": True, "server_exit": 0, "allocate_exit": 2}, None, True),
         ({"governance_member": True, "server_exit": 0, "allocate_exit": 4}, "recipe", False),
+        ({"governance_member": True, "server_exit": 0, "allocate_exit": 20}, "recipe", False),
+        ({"governance_member": True, "server_exit": 0, "allocate_exit": 21}, "recipe", False),
+        ({"governance_member": True, "server_exit": 0, "allocate_exit": 22}, "recipe", False),
     ],
 )
 def test_preflight_picks_the_step_3_path(capsys, tmp_path, data, path, setup):
@@ -303,6 +309,12 @@ def test_preflight_picks_the_step_3_path(capsys, tmp_path, data, path, setup):
         )
 
 
+def test_preflight_exit_20_names_the_missing_key(capsys, tmp_path):
+    out = ok(capsys, tmp_path, "preflight", {"pmc": "airflow", "governance_member": True, "server_exit": 20})
+    assert out["path"] == "recipe"
+    assert "cve_authority.tool" in out["reason"]
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     ("data", "next_step", "cve_id", "rerun"),
     [