diff --git a/work/meshai/config.py b/work/meshai/config.py
index 5dc3ae3..26e5710 100644
--- a/work/meshai/config.py
+++ b/work/meshai/config.py
@@ -803,11 +803,16 @@ class Coverage:
           Empty list means "not configured" — adapters fall back to their own scope.
     enabled: master switch; when False, adapters fall back to their own scope even
              if bbox is populated.
+    areas: multi-box list for the Shapely geometry gate (Phase 3+). Each entry is
+           {"name": str, "west": float, "south": float, "east": float, "north": float}.
+           When non-empty, takes precedence over bbox for the CoverageFilter gate.
+           When empty, CoverageFilter falls back to bbox (if set) for back-compat.
     """
 
     bbox: list = field(default_factory=list)   # [west, south, east, north]; empty = not configured
     enabled: bool = True                        # master switch for deriving adapter scope from bbox
     excluded_adapters: list = field(default_factory=list)  # adapters that OPT OUT of coverage bbox and use their own config
+    areas: list = field(default_factory=list)  # multi-box list [{name,west,south,east,north}]; empty = use bbox fallback
 
 
 @dataclass
diff --git a/work/meshai/coverage_area.py b/work/meshai/coverage_area.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..39021ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/work/meshai/coverage_area.py
@@ -0,0 +1,203 @@
+"""Geographic coverage area primitives.
+
+Attribution: MonitoringArea, build_geom_json, and classify_geom_areas are
+ported verbatim from central/src/central/monitoring_area.py (v0.14.0+).
+The data source is adapted: Central loads boxes from asyncpg; here they
+come from meshai config (plain dicts/floats).  The Shapely algorithm and
+geom-json normalization are byte-identical to Central's implementation.
+
+Uses shapely>=2.0 (manylinux wheels bundle GEOS — no apt package required
+on python:3.11-slim-bookworm).
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import json
+import logging
+from dataclasses import dataclass
+from typing import Any
+
+from shapely.geometry import box as _shapely_box
+from shapely.geometry import shape
+
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# MonitoringArea — frozen bbox dataclass (ported from central)
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+@dataclass(frozen=True)
+class MonitoringArea:
+    """Bounding box that events must intersect to pass the coverage gate."""
+
+    north: float
+    south: float
+    east: float
+    west: float
+
+    def as_box(self):
+        # shapely box(minx, miny, maxx, maxy) -> (west, south, east, north)
+        return _shapely_box(self.west, self.south, self.east, self.north)
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# build_geom_json — geo-dict → GeoJSON string (ported from central)
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+def build_geom_json(geo_data: dict[str, Any] | None) -> str | None:
+    """Build a GeoJSON string from an event's geo dict.
+
+    Priority (matches Central's v0.9.8+ rule):
+      1. full ``geometry`` dict (wins over everything)
+      2. ``bbox`` [minlon, minlat, maxlon, maxlat] — rendered as a 4-corner Polygon
+      3. ``centroid`` [lon, lat] — rendered as a Point
+
+    Returns None if no usable shape is present.
+    Ported verbatim from central.monitoring_area.build_geom_json.
+    """
+    if not geo_data:
+        return None
+
+    geometry = geo_data.get("geometry")
+    if geometry:
+        return json.dumps(geometry)
+
+    bbox = geo_data.get("bbox")
+    centroid = geo_data.get("centroid")
+
+    if bbox and len(bbox) == 4:
+        min_lon, min_lat, max_lon, max_lat = bbox
+        return json.dumps({
+            "type": "Polygon",
+            "coordinates": [[
+                [min_lon, min_lat],
+                [max_lon, min_lat],
+                [max_lon, max_lat],
+                [min_lon, max_lat],
+                [min_lon, min_lat],
+            ]],
+        })
+    if centroid and len(centroid) == 2:
+        return json.dumps({
+            "type": "Point",
+            "coordinates": centroid,
+        })
+
+    return None
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# classify_geom_areas — set-union Shapely intersection (ported from central)
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+def classify_geom_areas(
+    geom_json: str | None,
+    areas: list[MonitoringArea],
+) -> str:
+    """Classify a GeoJSON string against a list of monitoring areas (set union).
+
+    Returns one of:
+      'null-geom'     -- no geometry; always kept (fail-open)
+      'no-area'       -- empty area list; keep everything
+      'in-bounds'     -- geometry intersects AT LEAST ONE area; keep
+      'out-of-bounds' -- geometry lies entirely outside every area; drop
+      'invalid-geom'  -- geometry could not be evaluated; kept (fail-open)
+
+    An event is kept if it intersects ANY configured area (set union).
+    Uses intersects() so border-straddlers and points-on-edge are kept.
+    The filter must never drop an event because of a parse failure.
+    Ported verbatim from central.monitoring_area.classify_geom_areas (v0.14.0).
+    """
+    if geom_json is None:
+        return "null-geom"
+    if not areas:
+        return "no-area"
+    try:
+        geom = shape(json.loads(geom_json))
+        for area in areas:
+            if geom.intersects(area.as_box()):
+                return "in-bounds"
+        return "out-of-bounds"
+    except Exception:
+        return "invalid-geom"
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# areas_from_config — meshai config → MonitoringArea list
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+def areas_from_config(coverage_cfg) -> list[MonitoringArea]:
+    """Build a MonitoringArea list from meshai config.Coverage.
+
+    Uses ``coverage_cfg.areas`` (list of dicts with name/west/south/east/north)
+    if non-empty.  Falls back to synthesising a single area from the legacy
+    ``coverage_cfg.bbox`` ([w, s, e, n]) when ``areas`` is empty, so existing
+    single-bbox deployments need no config migration.
+
+    Returns an empty list when neither source is populated, which causes
+    classify_geom_areas to return 'no-area' and keep everything (pre-feature
+    default — identical to Central's NULL-bbox behaviour).
+    """
+    areas_list = getattr(coverage_cfg, "areas", None) or []
+    if areas_list:
+        result: list[MonitoringArea] = []
+        for a in areas_list:
+            if isinstance(a, dict):
+                try:
+                    result.append(MonitoringArea(
+                        north=float(a["north"]),
+                        south=float(a["south"]),
+                        east=float(a["east"]),
+                        west=float(a["west"]),
+                    ))
+                except (KeyError, TypeError, ValueError) as exc:
+                    logger.warning("Skipping malformed coverage area %r: %s", a, exc)
+        return result
+
+    # Fall back to the legacy single-bbox field
+    bbox = getattr(coverage_cfg, "bbox", None) or []
+    if bbox and len(bbox) == 4:
+        west, south, east, north = (float(v) for v in bbox)
+        return [MonitoringArea(north=north, south=south, east=east, west=west)]
+
+    return []
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# event_in_areas — convenience wrapper over build_geom_json + classify
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+def event_in_areas(event: Any, areas: list[MonitoringArea]) -> bool:
+    """Return True if the event's geometry intersects any configured area.
+
+    Geometry extraction priority (mirrors Central's archive chain):
+      1. event.data["geometry"] — full GeoJSON dict (richest, preferred)
+      2. event.data["bbox"]     — [west, south, east, north]
+      3. (event.lon, event.lat) — Point centroid [lon, lat] in GeoJSON order
+
+    Fail-open semantics (matching Central):
+      'null-geom'  (no geometry at all) → True  (keep)
+      'invalid-geom' (parse/Shapely error) → True  (keep)
+      'no-area'    (areas list empty)    → True  (keep)
+      'out-of-bounds'                    → False (drop)
+    """
+    data: dict[str, Any] = getattr(event, "data", None) or {}
+    geo: dict[str, Any] = {}
+
+    geometry = data.get("geometry")
+    if geometry:
+        geo["geometry"] = geometry
+    else:
+        bbox = data.get("bbox")
+        if bbox:
+            geo["bbox"] = bbox
+        else:
+            lat = getattr(event, "lat", None)
+            lon = getattr(event, "lon", None)
+            if lat is not None and lon is not None:
+                geo["centroid"] = [lon, lat]  # GeoJSON coordinate order: [lon, lat]
+
+    geom_json = build_geom_json(geo if geo else None)
+    result = classify_geom_areas(geom_json, areas)
+    return result != "out-of-bounds"
diff --git a/work/meshai/notifications/pipeline/__init__.py b/work/meshai/notifications/pipeline/__init__.py
index d6d2908..4add628 100644
--- a/work/meshai/notifications/pipeline/__init__.py
+++ b/work/meshai/notifications/pipeline/__init__.py
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ except ImportError:
 from meshai.notifications.pipeline.inhibitor import Inhibitor
 from meshai.notifications.pipeline.grouper import Grouper
 from meshai.notifications.pipeline.toggle_filter import ToggleFilter
+from meshai.notifications.pipeline.coverage_filter import CoverageFilter
+from meshai.coverage_area import areas_from_config
 from meshai.notifications.pipeline.digest import DigestAccumulator, Digest
 from meshai.notifications.pipeline.scheduler import DigestScheduler
 
@@ -111,8 +113,20 @@ def build_pipeline(config, llm_backend, connector=None) -> EventBus:
             sorted(enabled_toggles),
         )
 
-    toggle_filter = ToggleFilter(
+    # Coverage filter: Shapely bbox geometry gate (set-union over all areas).
+    # Inserted between toggle_filter and _tee so geographic gating runs on
+    # every event that passes the user-preference toggle check.
+    # Chain: inhibitor → grouper → toggle_filter → coverage_filter → _tee
+    _coverage_areas = areas_from_config(config.coverage)
+    coverage_filter = CoverageFilter(
         next_handler=_tee,
+        areas=_coverage_areas,
+        enabled=getattr(config.coverage, "enabled", True),
+        excluded_adapters=set(getattr(config.coverage, "excluded_adapters", None) or []),
+    )
+
+    toggle_filter = ToggleFilter(
+        next_handler=coverage_filter.handle,
         enabled_toggles=enabled_toggles,
     )
 
@@ -125,6 +139,7 @@ def build_pipeline(config, llm_backend, connector=None) -> EventBus:
         "inhibitor": inhibitor,
         "grouper": grouper,
         "toggle_filter": toggle_filter,
+        "coverage_filter": coverage_filter,
         "dispatcher": dispatcher,
         "accumulator": accumulator,
         "connector": connector,
@@ -321,6 +336,7 @@ __all__ = [
     "Inhibitor",
     "Grouper",
     "ToggleFilter",
+    "CoverageFilter",
     "DigestAccumulator",
     "Digest",
     "DigestScheduler",
diff --git a/work/meshai/notifications/pipeline/coverage_filter.py b/work/meshai/notifications/pipeline/coverage_filter.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2f74aac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/work/meshai/notifications/pipeline/coverage_filter.py
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+"""Coverage area gate — geographic event filter.
+
+Mirrors ToggleFilter's construction + integration pattern exactly:
+same base interface (a callable ``.handle(event)``), constructed from config,
+inserted in the pipeline chain adjacent to ToggleFilter.
+
+Events that lie entirely outside ALL configured bounding boxes are dropped.
+Events with no parseable geometry, or events whose source is in
+``excluded_adapters``, are kept (fail-open, matching Central's choke-point
+semantics).
+
+When coverage is disabled (``coverage.enabled`` is False) or no areas are
+configured (``areas`` is empty), the filter is a no-op and passes everything.
+"""
+
+import logging
+from typing import Callable
+
+from meshai.notifications.events import Event
+from meshai.coverage_area import MonitoringArea, event_in_areas
+
+
+class CoverageFilter:
+    """Gate events against one or more geographic bounding boxes (set union).
+
+    Construction mirrors ToggleFilter:
+        coverage_filter = CoverageFilter(
+            next_handler=_tee,
+            areas=areas_from_config(config.coverage),
+            enabled=config.coverage.enabled,
+            excluded_adapters=set(config.coverage.excluded_adapters),
+        )
+
+    Pipeline placement (inserted between ToggleFilter and _tee):
+        inhibitor → grouper → toggle_filter → coverage_filter → _tee
+    """
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        next_handler: Callable[[Event], None],
+        areas: list[MonitoringArea] | None = None,
+        enabled: bool = True,
+        excluded_adapters: set[str] | None = None,
+    ):
+        """Initialize.
+
+        Args:
+            next_handler: Callable that receives non-dropped events.
+            areas: List of MonitoringArea bounding boxes.  Empty list or None
+                means the filter is a no-op (keeps everything).
+            enabled: Master switch; False makes the filter a no-op.
+            excluded_adapters: Set of source/adapter names that bypass the gate.
+                Matching is against event.source.
+        """
+        self._next = next_handler
+        self._areas: list[MonitoringArea] = areas or []
+        self._enabled = enabled
+        self._excluded: set[str] = excluded_adapters or set()
+        self._logger = logging.getLogger("meshai.pipeline.coverage_filter")
+
+    def handle(self, event: Event) -> None:
+        """Pass the event through, or drop it if outside all coverage areas."""
+        # No-op when disabled or no areas configured
+        if not self._enabled or not self._areas:
+            self._next(event)
+            return
+
+        # Bypass for excluded adapters (opt-out list from config)
+        if event.source in self._excluded:
+            self._next(event)
+            return
+
+        if event_in_areas(event, self._areas):
+            self._next(event)
+        else:
+            self._logger.debug(
+                "DROPPED event %s — out of all coverage areas "
+                "(source=%s category=%s)",
+                event.id,
+                event.source,
+                event.category,
+            )
diff --git a/work/requirements.txt b/work/requirements.txt
index 9a24c23..c9754b1 100644
--- a/work/requirements.txt
+++ b/work/requirements.txt
@@ -15,3 +15,4 @@ uvicorn[standard]>=0.27.0
 aiomqtt>=2.0.0
 sgp4>=2.22
 tzdata
+shapely>=2.0
diff --git a/work/tests/test_coverage_area.py b/work/tests/test_coverage_area.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..086d4c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/work/tests/test_coverage_area.py
@@ -0,0 +1,517 @@
+"""Tests for meshai/coverage_area.py — Shapely geometry gate.
+
+Includes a reproduction of the LA/OR leak that originally triggered this work:
+an event whose geometry is firmly inside California must be DROPPED when only
+an Idaho coverage box is configured.
+
+Bbox/coordinate convention (GeoJSON):
+  bbox  = [west, south, east, north] = [min_lon, min_lat, max_lon, max_lat]
+  Point = [lon, lat]
+
+Idaho reference area (magic-valley to eastern border, generous):
+  west=-117, south=42, east=-111, north=44
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import json
+
+import pytest
+
+from meshai.coverage_area import (
+    MonitoringArea,
+    areas_from_config,
+    build_geom_json,
+    classify_geom_areas,
+    event_in_areas,
+)
+from meshai.notifications.events import make_event
+from meshai.notifications.pipeline.coverage_filter import CoverageFilter
+from meshai.config import Coverage
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Reference areas
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+IDAHO = MonitoringArea(north=44.0, south=42.0, east=-111.0, west=-117.0)
+# Second non-contiguous box covering Yellowstone / eastern corner of WY
+YELLOWSTONE = MonitoringArea(north=45.2, south=44.0, east=-109.5, west=-111.5)
+
+IDAHO_AREAS = [IDAHO]
+TWO_AREAS = [IDAHO, YELLOWSTONE]
+
+# A point firmly inside Idaho (Twin Falls area)
+TF_LON, TF_LAT = -114.47, 42.56
+
+# A point at downtown Los Angeles — should be OUT of Idaho
+LA_LON, LA_LAT = -118.24, 34.05
+
+# A CA polygon enclosing the LA area (4-corner box + close)
+CA_POLYGON_COORDS = [
+    [-119.0, 33.5],
+    [-117.5, 33.5],
+    [-117.5, 34.6],
+    [-119.0, 34.6],
+    [-119.0, 33.5],
+]
+CA_POLYGON_GEOJSON = json.dumps({
+    "type": "Polygon",
+    "coordinates": [CA_POLYGON_COORDS],
+})
+
+# A polygon straddling the Idaho western border (partly in Oregon, partly Idaho)
+STRADDLER_COORDS = [
+    [-117.5, 42.5],  # in Oregon
+    [-116.0, 42.5],  # in Idaho
+    [-116.0, 43.5],  # in Idaho
+    [-117.5, 43.5],  # in Oregon
+    [-117.5, 42.5],
+]
+STRADDLER_GEOJSON = json.dumps({
+    "type": "Polygon",
+    "coordinates": [STRADDLER_COORDS],
+})
+
+
+# ===========================================================================
+# MonitoringArea.as_box
+# ===========================================================================
+
+class TestMonitoringArea:
+    def test_as_box_is_shapely_polygon(self):
+        from shapely.geometry import box
+        b = IDAHO.as_box()
+        expected = box(IDAHO.west, IDAHO.south, IDAHO.east, IDAHO.north)
+        assert b.equals(expected)
+
+    def test_frozen_immutability(self):
+        with pytest.raises(Exception):
+            IDAHO.north = 99.0  # type: ignore[misc]
+
+
+# ===========================================================================
+# build_geom_json — geometry extraction priority
+# ===========================================================================
+
+class TestBuildGeomJson:
+    def test_none_input_returns_none(self):
+        assert build_geom_json(None) is None
+
+    def test_empty_dict_returns_none(self):
+        assert build_geom_json({}) is None
+
+    def test_geometry_wins_over_bbox(self):
+        geo = {
+            "geometry": {"type": "Point", "coordinates": [TF_LON, TF_LAT]},
+            "bbox": [-115.0, 42.0, -113.0, 43.0],
+        }
+        result = build_geom_json(geo)
+        assert json.loads(result) == {"type": "Point", "coordinates": [TF_LON, TF_LAT]}
+
+    def test_bbox_renders_as_polygon(self):
+        geo = {"bbox": [-115.0, 42.0, -113.0, 43.0]}
+        result = build_geom_json(geo)
+        parsed = json.loads(result)
+        assert parsed["type"] == "Polygon"
+        coords = parsed["coordinates"][0]
+        # should be a closed ring of 5 points
+        assert len(coords) == 5
+        assert coords[0] == coords[-1]
+
+    def test_centroid_renders_as_point(self):
+        geo = {"centroid": [TF_LON, TF_LAT]}
+        result = build_geom_json(geo)
+        parsed = json.loads(result)
+        assert parsed == {"type": "Point", "coordinates": [TF_LON, TF_LAT]}
+
+    def test_bbox_wins_over_centroid(self):
+        geo = {
+            "bbox": [-115.0, 42.0, -113.0, 43.0],
+            "centroid": [LA_LON, LA_LAT],
+        }
+        result = build_geom_json(geo)
+        assert "Polygon" in result
+
+    def test_returns_none_if_no_usable_shape(self):
+        geo = {"name": "irrelevant"}
+        assert build_geom_json(geo) is None
+
+
+# ===========================================================================
+# classify_geom_areas
+# ===========================================================================
+
+class TestClassifyGeomAreas:
+    def test_null_geom_returns_null_geom(self):
+        assert classify_geom_areas(None, IDAHO_AREAS) == "null-geom"
+
+    def test_no_area_returns_no_area(self):
+        geom_json = json.dumps({"type": "Point", "coordinates": [TF_LON, TF_LAT]})
+        assert classify_geom_areas(geom_json, []) == "no-area"
+
+    def test_idaho_point_in_bounds(self):
+        geom_json = json.dumps({"type": "Point", "coordinates": [TF_LON, TF_LAT]})
+        assert classify_geom_areas(geom_json, IDAHO_AREAS) == "in-bounds"
+
+    def test_la_point_out_of_bounds(self):
+        """LA repro: a point at (34.05N, 118.24W) must be OUT of an Idaho box."""
+        geom_json = json.dumps({"type": "Point", "coordinates": [LA_LON, LA_LAT]})
+        assert classify_geom_areas(geom_json, IDAHO_AREAS) == "out-of-bounds"
+
+    def test_ca_polygon_out_of_bounds(self):
+        """CA polygon straddling 34N should be fully outside Idaho."""
+        assert classify_geom_areas(CA_POLYGON_GEOJSON, IDAHO_AREAS) == "out-of-bounds"
+
+    def test_straddler_polygon_in_bounds(self):
+        """Polygon crossing the ID/OR border still intersects Idaho → in-bounds."""
+        assert classify_geom_areas(STRADDLER_GEOJSON, IDAHO_AREAS) == "in-bounds"
+
+    def test_invalid_geom_returns_invalid_geom(self):
+        assert classify_geom_areas("this is not json", IDAHO_AREAS) == "invalid-geom"
+
+    def test_empty_geom_string_returns_invalid_geom(self):
+        assert classify_geom_areas("", IDAHO_AREAS) == "invalid-geom"
+
+    def test_multi_area_union_point_in_second_box(self):
+        """A point inside the Yellowstone box (not Idaho) → in-bounds via union."""
+        # Yellowstone area: north=45.2, south=44.0, east=-109.5, west=-111.5
+        ys_point = json.dumps({"type": "Point", "coordinates": [-110.5, 44.5]})
+        assert classify_geom_areas(ys_point, TWO_AREAS) == "in-bounds"
+
+    def test_multi_area_union_point_in_neither_box(self):
+        """A point in Wyoming (but not in either box) → out-of-bounds."""
+        # Far eastern Wyoming, outside both boxes
+        wy_point = json.dumps({"type": "Point", "coordinates": [-104.0, 42.5]})
+        assert classify_geom_areas(wy_point, TWO_AREAS) == "out-of-bounds"
+
+    def test_border_edge_point_is_in_bounds(self):
+        """A point exactly on the Idaho box edge → in-bounds (intersects semantics)."""
+        # Exactly on the western edge of Idaho box (lon=-117, lat=43)
+        edge = json.dumps({"type": "Point", "coordinates": [-117.0, 43.0]})
+        assert classify_geom_areas(edge, IDAHO_AREAS) == "in-bounds"
+
+
+# ===========================================================================
+# areas_from_config
+# ===========================================================================
+
+class TestAreasFromConfig:
+    def test_from_areas_list(self):
+        cov = Coverage(areas=[
+            {"name": "Idaho", "west": -117.0, "south": 42.0, "east": -111.0, "north": 44.0}
+        ])
+        areas = areas_from_config(cov)
+        assert len(areas) == 1
+        a = areas[0]
+        assert a.west == -117.0 and a.south == 42.0
+        assert a.east == -111.0 and a.north == 44.0
+
+    def test_falls_back_to_bbox(self):
+        cov = Coverage(bbox=[-117.0, 42.0, -111.0, 44.0])
+        areas = areas_from_config(cov)
+        assert len(areas) == 1
+        assert areas[0].west == -117.0
+
+    def test_areas_takes_precedence_over_bbox(self):
+        cov = Coverage(
+            bbox=[-110.0, 30.0, -100.0, 35.0],  # TX — totally different
+            areas=[{"name": "ID", "west": -117.0, "south": 42.0, "east": -111.0, "north": 44.0}],
+        )
+        areas = areas_from_config(cov)
+        assert len(areas) == 1
+        assert areas[0].west == -117.0  # Idaho, not TX
+
+    def test_empty_config_returns_empty(self):
+        cov = Coverage()
+        assert areas_from_config(cov) == []
+
+    def test_multi_area_list(self):
+        cov = Coverage(areas=[
+            {"name": "Idaho", "west": -117.0, "south": 42.0, "east": -111.0, "north": 44.0},
+            {"name": "Yellowstone", "west": -111.5, "south": 44.0, "east": -109.5, "north": 45.2},
+        ])
+        areas = areas_from_config(cov)
+        assert len(areas) == 2
+
+    def test_malformed_area_dict_skipped(self):
+        cov = Coverage(areas=[
+            {"name": "bad"},  # missing west/south/east/north
+            {"name": "Idaho", "west": -117.0, "south": 42.0, "east": -111.0, "north": 44.0},
+        ])
+        areas = areas_from_config(cov)
+        assert len(areas) == 1  # only the valid one
+
+
+# ===========================================================================
+# event_in_areas
+# ===========================================================================
+
+class TestEventInAreas:
+    def _event_with_geom(self, geometry_dict, lat=None, lon=None):
+        return make_event(
+            source="nws", category="weather_warning", severity="priority",
+            title="Test", lat=lat, lon=lon,
+            data={"geometry": geometry_dict},
+        )
+
+    def _event_with_centroid(self, lat, lon):
+        return make_event(
+            source="nws", category="weather_warning", severity="priority",
+            title="Test", lat=lat, lon=lon,
+        )
+
+    def test_idaho_centroid_kept(self):
+        event = self._event_with_centroid(TF_LAT, TF_LON)
+        assert event_in_areas(event, IDAHO_AREAS) is True
+
+    def test_la_centroid_dropped(self):
+        """LA-repro: centroid at (34.05, -118.24) must be dropped by Idaho gate."""
+        event = self._event_with_centroid(LA_LAT, LA_LON)
+        assert event_in_areas(event, IDAHO_AREAS) is False
+
+    def test_ca_polygon_dropped(self):
+        """LA-repro: event carrying a CA polygon must be dropped by Idaho gate."""
+        ca_geom = {"type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [CA_POLYGON_COORDS]}
+        event = self._event_with_geom(ca_geom)
+        assert event_in_areas(event, IDAHO_AREAS) is False
+
+    def test_idaho_polygon_kept(self):
+        idaho_geom = {
+            "type": "Polygon",
+            "coordinates": [[
+                [-115.0, 42.5], [-113.0, 42.5], [-113.0, 43.5],
+                [-115.0, 43.5], [-115.0, 42.5],
+            ]],
+        }
+        event = self._event_with_geom(idaho_geom)
+        assert event_in_areas(event, IDAHO_AREAS) is True
+
+    def test_no_geometry_kept_fail_open(self):
+        """Event with no lat/lon and no data geometry → null-geom → kept."""
+        event = make_event(
+            source="swpc", category="kp_index", severity="priority",
+            title="No geometry event",
+        )
+        assert event_in_areas(event, IDAHO_AREAS) is True
+
+    def test_empty_areas_kept(self):
+        event = self._event_with_centroid(LA_LAT, LA_LON)
+        assert event_in_areas(event, []) is True
+
+    def test_event_with_bbox_in_data(self):
+        """Event carrying data[bbox] (not geometry) is classified via bbox polygon."""
+        event = make_event(
+            source="firms", category="wildfire_hotspot", severity="priority",
+            title="Fire",
+            data={"bbox": [-114.5, 42.5, -113.5, 43.5]},  # Idaho bbox
+        )
+        assert event_in_areas(event, IDAHO_AREAS) is True
+
+    def test_event_with_out_of_area_bbox_in_data(self):
+        event = make_event(
+            source="firms", category="wildfire_hotspot", severity="priority",
+            title="Fire",
+            data={"bbox": [-119.0, 33.5, -117.5, 34.6]},  # CA bbox
+        )
+        assert event_in_areas(event, IDAHO_AREAS) is False
+
+
+# ===========================================================================
+# CoverageFilter — unit tests
+# ===========================================================================
+
+class TestCoverageFilter:
+    def _make_filter(self, areas=None, enabled=True, excluded=None, received=None):
+        if received is None:
+            received = []
+        flt = CoverageFilter(
+            next_handler=received.append,
+            areas=areas if areas is not None else IDAHO_AREAS,
+            enabled=enabled,
+            excluded_adapters=set(excluded or []),
+        )
+        return flt, received
+
+    # -- LA leak repro -------------------------------------------------------
+
+    def test_la_event_with_polygon_dropped(self):
+        """LA-repro: event with CA polygon GeoJSON is dropped by Idaho gate."""
+        flt, received = self._make_filter()
+        ca_geom = {"type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [CA_POLYGON_COORDS]}
+        event = make_event(
+            source="nws", category="weather_warning", severity="priority",
+            title="Severe Thunderstorm Warning — Los Angeles County",
+            lat=LA_LAT, lon=LA_LON,
+            data={"geometry": ca_geom},
+        )
+        flt.handle(event)
+        assert len(received) == 0, "LA event with CA polygon must be dropped"
+
+    def test_la_event_with_centroid_dropped(self):
+        """LA-repro: event with centroid at LA is dropped by Idaho gate."""
+        flt, received = self._make_filter()
+        event = make_event(
+            source="nws", category="weather_warning", severity="priority",
+            title="LA weather alert", lat=LA_LAT, lon=LA_LON,
+        )
+        flt.handle(event)
+        assert len(received) == 0, "LA centroid event must be dropped"
+
+    # -- Idaho events pass ---------------------------------------------------
+
+    def test_idaho_event_kept(self):
+        flt, received = self._make_filter()
+        event = make_event(
+            source="nws", category="weather_warning", severity="priority",
+            title="Idaho alert", lat=TF_LAT, lon=TF_LON,
+        )
+        flt.handle(event)
+        assert len(received) == 1
+
+    # -- Disabled / no-areas pass-through ------------------------------------
+
+    def test_coverage_disabled_keeps_everything(self):
+        flt, received = self._make_filter(enabled=False)
+        event = make_event(
+            source="nws", category="weather_warning", severity="priority",
+            title="LA alert", lat=LA_LAT, lon=LA_LON,
+        )
+        flt.handle(event)
+        assert len(received) == 1
+
+    def test_empty_areas_keeps_everything(self):
+        flt, received = self._make_filter(areas=[])
+        event = make_event(
+            source="nws", category="weather_warning", severity="priority",
+            title="LA alert", lat=LA_LAT, lon=LA_LON,
+        )
+        flt.handle(event)
+        assert len(received) == 1
+
+    # -- Excluded adapter bypass ---------------------------------------------
+
+    def test_excluded_adapter_bypasses_gate(self):
+        """Events from excluded adapters pass even if out of area."""
+        flt, received = self._make_filter(excluded=["swpc"])
+        event = make_event(
+            source="swpc", category="kp_index", severity="priority",
+            title="Solar event", lat=LA_LAT, lon=LA_LON,
+        )
+        flt.handle(event)
+        assert len(received) == 1
+
+    def test_non_excluded_adapter_is_gated(self):
+        """Events from non-excluded adapters still go through the gate."""
+        flt, received = self._make_filter(excluded=["swpc"])
+        event = make_event(
+            source="nws", category="weather_warning", severity="priority",
+            title="LA alert", lat=LA_LAT, lon=LA_LON,
+        )
+        flt.handle(event)
+        assert len(received) == 0
+
+    # -- fail-open -----------------------------------------------------------
+
+    def test_no_geometry_event_kept_fail_open(self):
+        """Events with no geometry (null-geom) are kept (fail-open)."""
+        flt, received = self._make_filter()
+        event = make_event(
+            source="swpc", category="kp_index", severity="priority",
+            title="Solar storm — no location",
+        )
+        flt.handle(event)
+        assert len(received) == 1
+
+    # -- multi-area union ----------------------------------------------------
+
+    def test_multi_area_point_in_second_box_kept(self):
+        flt, received = self._make_filter(areas=TWO_AREAS)
+        # A point in the Yellowstone box (not Idaho proper)
+        event = make_event(
+            source="nws", category="weather_warning", severity="priority",
+            title="Yellowstone area alert", lat=44.5, lon=-110.5,
+        )
+        flt.handle(event)
+        assert len(received) == 1
+
+    def test_multi_area_point_in_neither_dropped(self):
+        flt, received = self._make_filter(areas=TWO_AREAS)
+        # Far eastern Wyoming — outside both boxes
+        event = make_event(
+            source="nws", category="weather_warning", severity="priority",
+            title="Wyoming alert", lat=42.5, lon=-104.0,
+        )
+        flt.handle(event)
+        assert len(received) == 0
+
+
+# ===========================================================================
+# Pipeline wiring — CoverageFilter is in the chain
+# ===========================================================================
+
+class TestCoverageFilterPipelineWiring:
+    def test_coverage_filter_wired_in_pipeline(self):
+        """build_pipeline stashes coverage_filter in _pipeline_components."""
+        from unittest.mock import MagicMock, AsyncMock
+        from meshai.notifications.pipeline import build_pipeline
+
+        config = Coverage.__new__(Coverage)  # we need a full Config below
+        from meshai.config import Config
+        config = Config()
+        config.coverage = Coverage(
+            areas=[{"name": "Idaho", "west": -117.0, "south": 42.0,
+                    "east": -111.0, "north": 44.0}],
+            enabled=True,
+        )
+        mock_backend = MagicMock()
+        mock_backend.generate = AsyncMock(return_value="stub")
+
+        bus = build_pipeline(config, mock_backend)
+        comps = bus._pipeline_components
+        assert "coverage_filter" in comps
+        cf = comps["coverage_filter"]
+        assert hasattr(cf, "handle")
+        assert isinstance(cf, CoverageFilter)
+
+    def test_coverage_filter_gate_fires_in_pipeline(self):
+        """Events emitted to the bus from out-of-area are dropped before dispatch."""
+        from unittest.mock import MagicMock, AsyncMock
+        from meshai.notifications.pipeline import build_pipeline
+        from meshai.config import Config, NotificationToggle
+
+        config = Config()
+        config.coverage = Coverage(
+            areas=[{"name": "Idaho", "west": -117.0, "south": 42.0,
+                    "east": -111.0, "north": 44.0}],
+            enabled=True,
+        )
+        # Enable weather toggle so ToggleFilter passes the event through to
+        # CoverageFilter (otherwise toggle filter swallows it first)
+        config.notifications.toggles["weather"].enabled = True
+
+        mock_backend = MagicMock()
+        mock_backend.generate = AsyncMock(return_value="stub")
+
+        received_by_tee: list = []
+        bus = build_pipeline(config, mock_backend)
+
+        # Monkeypatch the coverage_filter's next_handler to observe what reaches _tee
+        cf = bus._pipeline_components["coverage_filter"]
+        cf._next = received_by_tee.append  # type: ignore[assignment]
+
+        # Emit an out-of-area LA event
+        la_event = make_event(
+            source="nws", category="weather_warning", severity="priority",
+            title="LA Thunderstorm Warning", lat=LA_LAT, lon=LA_LON,
+        )
+        bus.emit(la_event)
+        assert len(received_by_tee) == 0, "LA event must not reach _tee"
+
+        # Emit an in-area Idaho event
+        id_event = make_event(
+            source="nws", category="weather_warning", severity="priority",
+            title="Idaho Thunderstorm Warning", lat=TF_LAT, lon=TF_LON,
+        )
+        bus.emit(id_event)
+        assert len(received_by_tee) == 1, "Idaho event must reach _tee"