diff --git a/docs/operations.md b/docs/operations.md
index 45f1e677..de284a5b 100644
--- a/docs/operations.md
+++ b/docs/operations.md
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ Effect classes used below:
 | Read exact material/resources | CLI `read` / `resource`; Python `KnowledgeReader.read` / `KnowledgeReader.resource` | Read-only | Returns the requested revision or an explicit unavailable/stale error; never substitutes newer bytes |
 | Export legacy cited material | CLI `context` | Read-only | Cited package export for manual use with a coding agent; not a conversation store and not a full Collect equivalent |
 | Create/update a store candidate | Python `KnowledgeStore.create` / `KnowledgeStore.update` | Candidate-writing | One explicitly authorized local store; expected-revision updates with reason and evidence; retained history; no promotion and no edits to package/checkout content |
+| Inspect a store candidate's history | Python `open_knowledge_store(...).history` | Read-only | Opens an existing store and reads the revision lineage for one store ID |
 | Amend repository-owned knowledge | Scoped repository PR | — | Repository review and integration authority apply; this is not a runtime store Update |
 | Inspect/prepare experiments | CLI `doctor`; `plan` or `--dry-run` | Read-only inspection / preview | `doctor` may invoke bounded probes and does not certify target compatibility; `plan` previews a specification without persisting a campaign or authorizing execution |
 | Execute/inspect experiments | CLI `run`; `status`; `report` | Experiment-executing / read-only / report-generating | `run` executes caller-supplied commands and records evidence; `status` reads recorded progress; `report` generates HTML from recorded evidence |
@@ -194,6 +195,11 @@ for scoring, provenance and accounting. For example:
 
 ## Store candidates (Python)
 
+Open the store with `inferrsi.apps.knowledge.open_knowledge_store`. Pass the
+authorized `store_root` and the store's reserved `skill_root`, if configured.
+The default opens an existing store read-only for history. Pass
+`writable=True` explicitly to create or update candidates.
+
 ### Create / Update — `KnowledgeStore.create` / `.update`
 
 - **Inputs:** a complete candidate `Bundle`; Update additionally requires the expected current revision, a reason and an explicit evidence list.
diff --git a/src/inferrsi/apps/knowledge.py b/src/inferrsi/apps/knowledge.py
index 3c7d240d..881a70cb 100644
--- a/src/inferrsi/apps/knowledge.py
+++ b/src/inferrsi/apps/knowledge.py
@@ -6,12 +6,21 @@
 from inferrsi.knowledge.knowledge_store import KnowledgeStore
 
 
+def open_knowledge_store(
+    *, store_root: Path, skill_root: Path | None = None, writable: bool = False,
+) -> KnowledgeStore:
+    """Open one caller-authorized local store for history or an explicit write."""
+    if type(writable) is not bool:
+        raise ValueError("writable must be a boolean")
+    return KnowledgeStore(store_root, skill_root=skill_root, read_only=not writable)
+
+
 def knowledge_reader(
     *, skill_root: Path | None = None, store_root: Path | None = None,
 ) -> KnowledgeReader:
     """Select a Knowledge reader without enabling store writes."""
     store = (
-        KnowledgeStore(store_root, skill_root=skill_root, read_only=True)
+        open_knowledge_store(store_root=store_root, skill_root=skill_root)
         if store_root is not None
         else None
     )
diff --git a/tests/test_apps_knowledge.py b/tests/test_apps_knowledge.py
index eabfda07..5aceaf69 100644
--- a/tests/test_apps_knowledge.py
+++ b/tests/test_apps_knowledge.py
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@
 
 import pytest
 
-from inferrsi.apps.knowledge import knowledge_reader, read
-from inferrsi.knowledge.knowledge_operations import RevisionConflict
+from inferrsi.apps.knowledge import knowledge_reader, open_knowledge_store, read
+from inferrsi.knowledge.knowledge_operations import Bundle, RevisionConflict
 from inferrsi.knowledge.knowledge_store import KnowledgeStore
 
 _IDENTITY = "inferrsi.common.skills.audit_h3_runtime_residency"
@@ -51,3 +51,43 @@ def count_owners():
     assert revision == view["revision"]
     assert view["content"].endswith("Example\n")
     assert len(scans) == 1
+
+
+def test_apps_store_requires_explicit_write_and_retains_fixed_history(tmp_path):
+    root = tmp_path / "candidate-store"
+    root.mkdir()
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="requires an existing database"):
+        open_knowledge_store(store_root=root)
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="boolean"):
+        open_knowledge_store(store_root=root, writable="yes")
+    assert not list(root.iterdir())
+
+    source = knowledge_reader().read(_IDENTITY)
+    source_ref = f"package:{_IDENTITY}"
+    identity = "apps-example-candidate"
+    metadata = {
+        **source.metadata,
+        "id": identity,
+        "state": "candidate",
+        "derived_from": [{"ref": source_ref, "revision": source.revision}],
+    }
+    bundle = Bundle(metadata, source.content, source.dependencies)
+    store = open_knowledge_store(store_root=root, writable=True)
+    first = store.create(bundle)
+    updated = Bundle(
+        {**metadata, "title": "Revised candidate"}, bundle.content, bundle.dependencies,
+    )
+    second = store.update(updated, expected=first, reason="clarify title", evidence=[])
+    with pytest.raises(RevisionConflict, match="Stale"):
+        store.update(bundle, expected=first, reason="stale write", evidence=[])
+
+    viewer = open_knowledge_store(store_root=root)
+    assert viewer.history(identity) == [
+        {"revision": first, "parent": None, "reason": "create", "evidence": []},
+        {"revision": second, "parent": first, "reason": "clarify title", "evidence": []},
+    ]
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="read-only"):
+        viewer.update(bundle, expected=second, reason="read-only write", evidence=[])
+    reader = knowledge_reader(store_root=root)
+    assert read(reader, f"store:{identity}")[1] == second
+    assert read(reader, f"store:{identity}", revision=first)[1] == first