diff --git a/crates/modules-interfaces/src/domain/fees/mod.rs b/crates/modules-interfaces/src/domain/fees/mod.rs
index a533d37..9a97fe3 100644
--- a/crates/modules-interfaces/src/domain/fees/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/modules-interfaces/src/domain/fees/mod.rs
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ pub struct MessageAllocationNode {
     pub recipient: Option<genlayer_calldata::Address>,
     /// `None` means any call key; the node converts the chain's wildcard sentinel.
     pub call_key: Option<crate::abi_stub::CallKey>,
-    /// Available allowance; zero is exhausted, `None` is uncapped.
+    /// Stored chain budget, or a synthetic wildcard's allowance; `None` is uncapped.
     pub budget: Option<U256>,
     pub on: On,
     pub fee_params: MessageAllocationNodeParams,
diff --git a/docs/website/src/impl-spec/04-fees.rst b/docs/website/src/impl-spec/04-fees.rst
index 86f616a..fe7724a 100644
--- a/docs/website/src/impl-spec/04-fees.rst
+++ b/docs/website/src/impl-spec/04-fees.rst
@@ -289,8 +289,8 @@ For internal messages, ``on`` is checked after the allocation key is resolved, s
 phase mismatch on an exact allocation does not fall through to a wildcard. Chain
 keys are unique across phases; only synthetic recipient-wildcard entries may
 select different fee parameters by phase. For
-external messages, an exhausted exact allocation spills to the per-recipient
-``call_key`` wildcard. If neither key has an allocation, the external message uses
+external messages, an exact allocation without room for the reservation spills to
+the per-recipient ``call_key`` wildcard. If neither key has a present allocation, the external message uses
 the legacy unallocated path and consumes only its receipt cost. Existing but exhausted
 candidates yield an allocation-budget error.
 
@@ -298,16 +298,19 @@ The default v0.3 fee expressions reject external reservations and receipts with
 ``fee below_minimum`` unless ``node.lockedReceiptGasPrice`` is positive, including
 external messages without a matching allocation
 
-Entry presence determines matching, independently of ``budget``. The host supplies
-the allowance available at execution start, optionally reduced by prior consumption.
-Zero means an exhausted allocation; ``null`` removes the per-allocation cap while
-keeping the execution's fee buckets. Local consumption is tracked separately.
-An exhausted internal exact key still wins and fails its budget check; it never
-falls through. An absent chain allocation (including a chain record whose original
-budget is zero) must be omitted, not represented by an exhausted entry.
-
-The host must preserve every existing pinned key, including exhausted keys, and
-must not add recipient wildcards to a pinned tree. An empty list restricts internal
+Chain entries, those with a concrete ``recipient``, carry the budget stored on
+chain. Consensus resolves only keys with a nonzero budget, so a chain entry whose
+``budget`` is zero is absent: the message falls through to the per-recipient
+``call_key`` wildcard, and with no wildcard left an internal message fails with
+``fee no_matching_allocation`` while an external one takes the unallocated path.
+Synthetic recipient wildcards match independently of ``budget``; zero there means
+an exhausted allocation. ``null`` removes the per-allocation cap while keeping the
+execution's fee buckets. Local consumption is tracked separately: an internal key
+exhausted by this execution's own emissions still wins and fails its budget check;
+it never falls through.
+
+The host must preserve every existing pinned key and must not add recipient
+wildcards to a pinned tree. An empty list restricts internal
 pool-funded emissions. Open-pool and view executions may supply synthetic recipient
 wildcards with concrete fee parameters and phase, and optionally uncapped budgets.
 The executor conservatively treats each emission as novel; remaining allowances
diff --git a/docs/website/src/impl-spec/appendix/manager-api.yaml b/docs/website/src/impl-spec/appendix/manager-api.yaml
index 36e5bc7..17346a3 100644
--- a/docs/website/src/impl-spec/appendix/manager-api.yaml
+++ b/docs/website/src/impl-spec/appendix/manager-api.yaml
@@ -889,7 +889,7 @@ components:
                 description: Call key bytes, or null for a wildcard.
               budget:
                 nullable: true
-                description: Available allowance at execution start; zero is exhausted, null is uncapped. Does not affect key matching.
+                description: Stored chain budget, or the allowance of a synthetic recipient wildcard; null is uncapped. A zero-budget entry with a recipient is absent, as on chain.
               on:
                 type: string
                 enum: [decided, finalized]
@@ -907,8 +907,7 @@ components:
             unchanged and meters their length. External and open allocations without a
             committed subtree use empty bytes. children_budget and subtree are required
             on every entry, including allocations without descendants.
-            Include exhausted allocations with budget zero to preserve internal key
-            precedence; omit allocations absent on-chain. Recipient wildcards are
+            Omit allocations absent on-chain. Recipient wildcards are
             synthetic entries for open-pool or view execution, not chain allocations.
         record_actions:
           type: array
diff --git a/executors/v0.3.x b/executors/v0.3.x
index 16b8173..f7f95a3 160000
--- a/executors/v0.3.x
+++ b/executors/v0.3.x
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 16b81732e12117daf7ef0335cbd32fc7d326b16d
+Subproject commit f7f95a31dddbef2aa9371e2228644f83dcce9fe3