diff --git a/client/scripts/autoloads/sim_bridge.gd b/client/scripts/autoloads/sim_bridge.gd
index 83e9007b0..d0629fa0e 100644
--- a/client/scripts/autoloads/sim_bridge.gd
+++ b/client/scripts/autoloads/sim_bridge.gd
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ extends Node
 # Signals
 signal connection_state_changed(old_state: ConnectionState, new_state: ConnectionState)
 signal snapshot_received(snapshot: Dictionary)
+signal atlas_layers_received(response: Dictionary)
 signal handshake_complete
 signal handshake_failed(reason: String)
 
@@ -387,6 +388,22 @@ func send_named_action(action_name: String, action_data: Variant = null) -> void
 	_outbound_buffer.append(entry)
 
 
+## Request a body's generation-cascade layers from the server (#960, D-225).
+## Live mode only — sends an AtlasLayerRequest frame; the response arrives via the
+## atlas_layers_received signal. No-op in test mode (no server connection).
+func request_atlas_layers(body_id: String, up_to: String = "Topography") -> void:
+	if test_mode or _bridge == null or state != ConnectionState.CONNECTED:
+		return
+	var bytes := Protocol.encode_atlas_layer_request(body_id, up_to)
+	if bytes.is_empty():
+		return
+	var err: int = _bridge.send_message(bytes)
+	if err != OK:
+		push_error(
+			"SimBridge: failed to send atlas layer request for %s: %s" % [body_id, error_string(err)]
+		)
+
+
 # Poll for snapshot from simulation.
 # In test mode delegates to test harness. In live mode, returns the last decoded snapshot.
 func poll_snapshot() -> Variant:
@@ -412,9 +429,18 @@ func poll_snapshot() -> Variant:
 # events (monologue, dialogue) are carried forward from overwritten snapshots
 # so they aren't silently dropped when server ticks faster than client consumes.
 func receive_bytes(bytes: PackedByteArray) -> void:
-	var snapshot = Protocol.decode_snapshot(bytes)
+	# Decode once, branch by frame shape (#960, D-225): atlas layer responses and
+	# snapshots are both msgpack maps, told apart by field.
+	var inbound := Protocol.decode_inbound(bytes)
+	if inbound.kind == "atlas":
+		atlas_layers_received.emit(inbound.value)
+		return
+	if inbound.kind != "snapshot":
+		push_warning("SimBridge: undecodable frame (%d bytes)" % bytes.size())
+		return
+	var snapshot = inbound.value
 	if snapshot == null:
-		push_warning("SimBridge: decode_snapshot returned null for %d bytes" % bytes.size())
+		push_warning("SimBridge: snapshot decode returned null for %d bytes" % bytes.size())
 		return
 	if _last_snapshot != null:
 		# Carry forward one-shot events the client hasn't consumed yet.
diff --git a/client/scripts/protocol/protocol.gd b/client/scripts/protocol/protocol.gd
index 120c43676..f95d12934 100644
--- a/client/scripts/protocol/protocol.gd
+++ b/client/scripts/protocol/protocol.gd
@@ -15,17 +15,31 @@ static func _mp():
 # -- Decode: bytes from server → GDScript types --------------------------------
 
 
+## Decode a raw MessagePack frame to its top-level value (or null on error).
+## #960: lets receive_bytes decode a frame once and branch by shape before
+## committing to the heavier snapshot decode.
+static func decode_raw(bytes: PackedByteArray) -> Variant:
+	var result = _mp().decode(bytes)
+	if result.status != null:
+		push_error("Protocol: msgpack decode failed: %s" % result.status)
+		return null
+	return result.value
+
+
 ## Decode an ObserverSnapshot from MessagePack bytes.
 ## Returns decoded snapshot Dictionary or null on error.
 ## v2 fields (version, game_time, player_facing, visible_tiles) default to null/empty
 ## when decoding v1 snapshots for backward compatibility.
 static func decode_snapshot(bytes: PackedByteArray) -> Variant:
-	var result = _mp().decode(bytes)
-	if result.status != null:
-		push_error("Protocol: msgpack decode failed: %s" % result.status)
+	var raw = decode_raw(bytes)
+	if raw == null:
 		return null
+	return _decode_snapshot_from_raw(raw)
 
-	var raw = result.value
+
+## Build an ObserverSnapshot from an already-decoded raw value (the snapshot
+## body, shared by decode_snapshot and the receive-side classifier).
+static func _decode_snapshot_from_raw(raw: Variant) -> Variant:
 	if not raw is Dictionary or not raw.has("tick") or not raw.has("entities"):
 		push_error("Protocol: snapshot missing required fields")
 		return null
@@ -745,10 +759,12 @@ static func encode_atlas_layer_request(body_id: String, up_to: String = "Topogra
 ## name ("Ready"|"Pending"|"NotFound"|"Error"); error holds the message for the
 ## Error variant. layer1 is the raw decoded Layer1Output map, or null.
 static func decode_atlas_layer_response(bytes: PackedByteArray) -> Variant:
-	var result = _mp().decode(bytes)
-	if result.status != null:
-		return null
-	var raw = result.value
+	return atlas_response_from_raw(decode_raw(bytes))
+
+
+## Build an AtlasLayerResponse from an already-decoded raw value. Returns null
+## if it is not an atlas response (no "status" key).
+static func atlas_response_from_raw(raw: Variant) -> Variant:
 	if not raw is Dictionary or not raw.has("status"):
 		return null
 	var status_raw = raw["status"]
@@ -767,6 +783,20 @@ static func decode_atlas_layer_response(bytes: PackedByteArray) -> Variant:
 	}
 
 
+## Decode + classify one inbound frame (#960, D-225). Returns {kind, value} with
+## kind "snapshot" | "atlas" | "unknown" — both are msgpack maps, so they are
+## told apart by field (a response has "status"; a snapshot has "entities").
+## Lets receive_bytes decode the frame ONCE and branch, instead of double-decoding
+## the 20 Hz snapshot path.
+static func decode_inbound(bytes: PackedByteArray) -> Dictionary:
+	var raw = decode_raw(bytes)
+	if not raw is Dictionary:
+		return {"kind": "unknown", "value": null}
+	if raw.has("status") and not raw.has("entities"):
+		return {"kind": "atlas", "value": atlas_response_from_raw(raw)}
+	return {"kind": "snapshot", "value": _decode_snapshot_from_raw(raw)}
+
+
 ## Encode a ConfirmBookmark action (#614, #680).
 ## Struct variant with bookmark_id and starting_location_id.
 static func encode_confirm_bookmark(bookmark_id: String, starting_location_id: String) -> PackedByteArray:
diff --git a/client/tests/test_protocol.gd b/client/tests/test_protocol.gd
index 84cf7b8d4..915d15a04 100644
--- a/client/tests/test_protocol.gd
+++ b/client/tests/test_protocol.gd
@@ -511,3 +511,14 @@ func test_encode_atlas_request_shape() -> void:
 	assert_that(raw.value["up_to"]).is_equal("Topography")
 	# A request is a map with no "status" — must not be mistaken for a response.
 	assert_that(Protocol.decode_atlas_layer_response(bytes)).is_null()
+
+
+func test_decode_inbound_classifies_frames() -> void:
+	# The receive-side classifier: snapshot vs atlas response, decoded once.
+	var snap = Protocol.decode_inbound(_load_fixture("snapshot_empty"))
+	assert_that(snap.kind).is_equal("snapshot")
+	assert_that(snap.value).is_not_null()
+
+	var atlas = Protocol.decode_inbound(_load_fixture("atlas_response_ready"))
+	assert_that(atlas.kind).is_equal("atlas")
+	assert_that(atlas.value.status).is_equal("Ready")