diff --git a/Cleanup). b/Cleanup).
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/doc/changelog/CHANGELOG.md b/doc/changelog/CHANGELOG.md
index 679b23b..92f4b57 100644
--- a/doc/changelog/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/doc/changelog/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -479,6 +479,21 @@ not deferred to release. `release-tag.sh` promotes `[Unreleased]` →
 
 ### Fixed
 
+- **`cowsay` doctor/verify no longer falsely fail when cowsay lives at
+  `/usr/games`** (adversarial-review finding): the Debian/Ubuntu `cowsay`
+  package installs its binary at `/usr/games/cowsay`, and `/usr/games` is absent
+  from the default non-login PATH used by `bash -c`, `docker exec ... bash -c`,
+  and cron. The `doctor()` probe and `TEST_VERIFY_CMD` used a bare
+  `command -v cowsay`, so on a correctly-installed cowsay both reported failure
+  while dpkg-based `is_installed` still reported installed — an internally
+  inconsistent `installed=yes / doctor=fail` state. Both probes now try PATH
+  first (`command -v cowsay`) and fall back to the packaged path
+  (`[ -x /usr/games/cowsay ]`, overridable via `COWSAY_GAMES_BIN`); the PATH
+  branch stays first so a PATH-resolvable cowsay still wins. Regression covered
+  by `test/unit/module/cowsay_spec.bats` (doctor + verify pass when cowsay
+  exists only at `/usr/games`, and still fail when absent from both). Only
+  `cowsay` installs under `/usr/games` among landed modules; `cmatrix`
+  (`/usr/bin`) and `figlet` (`/usr/bin`) are unaffected.
 - **`setup_ubuntu doctor` now invokes each module's `doctor()` override**
   (architecture-review F1): previously the Engine `doctor` subcommand ran only
   the state.json-vs-reality drift report and never called a module's `doctor()`,
diff --git a/module/cowsay.module.sh b/module/cowsay.module.sh
index df4d540..2929546 100644
--- a/module/cowsay.module.sh
+++ b/module/cowsay.module.sh
@@ -51,7 +51,14 @@ SUPPORTS_USER_HOME=false
 RISK_LEVEL="low"
 REBOOT_REQUIRED=false
 INSTALL_TARGET_DEFAULT="sudo"
-TEST_VERIFY_CMD="command -v cowsay"
+# The Debian/Ubuntu cowsay package installs its binary at /usr/games/cowsay,
+# and /usr/games is absent from the default non-login PATH used by `bash -c`,
+# `docker exec ... bash -c`, and cron. Probe PATH first (command -v), then fall
+# back to the packaged location so a correctly-installed cowsay verifies even
+# when /usr/games is off PATH. COWSAY_GAMES_BIN overrides the packaged path
+# (tests inject a stub). The command -v branch stays first so a PATH-resolvable
+# cowsay still wins.
+TEST_VERIFY_CMD="command -v cowsay >/dev/null 2>&1 || [ -x \"${COWSAY_GAMES_BIN:-/usr/games/cowsay}\" ]"
 
 # Engine-consumed metadata: the registry/runner read these post-source, and
 # the i18n arrays are dereferenced indirectly via module_i18n_get. Reference
@@ -74,11 +81,17 @@ is_recommended() {
     ! is_installed
 }
 
-# doctor: real runtime health check — the cowsay binary must resolve on PATH.
+# doctor: real runtime health check — the cowsay binary must resolve on PATH
+# or at its packaged location. The Debian/Ubuntu package installs
+# /usr/games/cowsay, and /usr/games is not on the default non-login PATH, so a
+# bare `command -v cowsay` probe falsely fails while dpkg-based is_installed
+# still reports installed. Probe PATH first, then fall back to the packaged
+# path (COWSAY_GAMES_BIN overrides it for tests).
 doctor() {
     is_installed || { log_warn "[${NAME}] doctor: not installed"; return 1; }
-    command -v cowsay >/dev/null 2>&1 || {
-        log_warn "[${NAME}] doctor: 'cowsay' not found on PATH"
+    local _games_bin="${COWSAY_GAMES_BIN:-/usr/games/cowsay}"
+    command -v cowsay >/dev/null 2>&1 || [ -x "${_games_bin}" ] || {
+        log_warn "[${NAME}] doctor: 'cowsay' not found on PATH or at ${_games_bin}"
         return 1
     }
     return 0
diff --git a/test/unit/module/cowsay_spec.bats b/test/unit/module/cowsay_spec.bats
index 53e6178..54d1e83 100644
--- a/test/unit/module/cowsay_spec.bats
+++ b/test/unit/module/cowsay_spec.bats
@@ -69,6 +69,18 @@ _fake_bin() {
     chmod +x "${INIT_UBUNTU_TEST_SCRATCH}/bin/${1}"
 }
 
+# Simulate the Debian/Ubuntu cowsay package location. The real package drops
+# the binary at /usr/games/cowsay, and /usr/games is NOT on the default
+# non-login PATH used by bash -c / docker exec / cron. Tests point the module's
+# COWSAY_GAMES_BIN override at this stub so the probe exercises the packaged
+# path without faking cowsay onto PATH (which masked the original bug).
+_fake_games_cowsay() {
+    local _games="${INIT_UBUNTU_TEST_SCRATCH}/usr-games"
+    mkdir -p "${_games}"
+    printf '#!/usr/bin/env bash\nprintf "the cow says moo\\n"\n' > "${_games}/cowsay"
+    chmod +x "${_games}/cowsay"
+}
+
 # ── Smoke ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 @test "cowsay module file parses (bash -n)" {
@@ -331,6 +343,29 @@ _fake_bin() {
     assert_success
 }
 
+@test "verify passes via real probe when cowsay exists only at /usr/games" {
+    # verify runs the module's real TEST_VERIFY_CMD through module_default_verify
+    # (bash -c). Set the override before sourcing so it bakes into the probe.
+    # The test image has no cowsay on PATH, so the command -v branch fails and
+    # success must come from the packaged /usr/games location.
+    _fake_games_cowsay
+    COWSAY_GAMES_BIN="${INIT_UBUNTU_TEST_SCRATCH}/usr-games/cowsay"
+    _load_module
+    MOCK_IS_INSTALLED_RC=0
+    _mock_is_installed
+    run verify
+    assert_success
+}
+
+@test "verify fails via real probe when cowsay is absent from PATH and /usr/games" {
+    COWSAY_GAMES_BIN="${INIT_UBUNTU_TEST_SCRATCH}/nope/cowsay"
+    _load_module
+    MOCK_IS_INSTALLED_RC=0
+    _mock_is_installed
+    run verify
+    assert_failure
+}
+
 @test "doctor fails when not installed" {
     _load_module
     MOCK_IS_INSTALLED_RC=1
@@ -339,20 +374,38 @@ _fake_bin() {
     assert_failure
 }
 
-@test "doctor passes when the cowsay probe binary is available" {
+@test "doctor passes when cowsay resolves on PATH (command -v branch)" {
     _load_module
     MOCK_IS_INSTALLED_RC=0
     _mock_is_installed
     _fake_bin cowsay 'printf "the cow says moo\n"'
-    PATH="${INIT_UBUNTU_TEST_SCRATCH}/bin:${PATH}" run doctor
+    # /usr/games override points nowhere: success must come from the PATH probe.
+    COWSAY_GAMES_BIN="${INIT_UBUNTU_TEST_SCRATCH}/nope/cowsay" \
+        PATH="${INIT_UBUNTU_TEST_SCRATCH}/bin:${PATH}" run doctor
+    assert_success
+}
+
+@test "doctor passes when cowsay exists only at /usr/games, absent from PATH" {
+    # Regression: the Debian/Ubuntu cowsay package installs /usr/games/cowsay,
+    # and /usr/games is not on the default non-login PATH used by bash -c /
+    # docker exec / cron. A bare `command -v cowsay` probe falsely fails here
+    # while dpkg-based is_installed still reports installed (issue: inconsistent
+    # installed=yes / doctor=fail state).
+    _load_module
+    MOCK_IS_INSTALLED_RC=0
+    _mock_is_installed
+    _fake_games_cowsay
+    COWSAY_GAMES_BIN="${INIT_UBUNTU_TEST_SCRATCH}/usr-games/cowsay" \
+        PATH="${INIT_UBUNTU_TEST_SCRATCH}/empty" run doctor
     assert_success
 }
 
-@test "doctor fails when the cowsay probe binary is missing even though installed" {
+@test "doctor fails when cowsay is absent from both PATH and /usr/games" {
     _load_module
     MOCK_IS_INSTALLED_RC=0
     _mock_is_installed
-    PATH="${INIT_UBUNTU_TEST_SCRATCH}/empty" run doctor
+    COWSAY_GAMES_BIN="${INIT_UBUNTU_TEST_SCRATCH}/nope/cowsay" \
+        PATH="${INIT_UBUNTU_TEST_SCRATCH}/empty" run doctor
     assert_failure
 }