diff --git a/server/src/atlas/cascade.rs b/server/src/atlas/cascade.rs
index 2b2d16360..b87d3e3b7 100644
--- a/server/src/atlas/cascade.rs
+++ b/server/src/atlas/cascade.rs
@@ -506,6 +506,9 @@ mod tests {
             assert_eq!(p1.river_threshold, p2.river_threshold);
             assert_eq!(p1.tectonic_class, p2.tectonic_class);
             assert_eq!(p1.glaciation_grade, p2.glaciation_grade);
+            // basin_direction threads run_layer1 -> district_basin_dirs -> here;
+            // guard the full chain's determinism (T-1047).
+            assert_eq!(p1.basin_direction, p2.basin_direction);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/server/src/atlas/district_profile.rs b/server/src/atlas/district_profile.rs
index 7e76ddfdd..9affc8b53 100644
--- a/server/src/atlas/district_profile.rs
+++ b/server/src/atlas/district_profile.rs
@@ -1288,8 +1288,12 @@ pub fn derive_district(
     );
 
     // derive_district is the on-demand path (arbitrary DistrictPos, no L1 working
-    // grid); basin_direction defaults to North here. The batch path
-    // (derive_all_districts) threads the true D8 thalweg direction from L1.
+    // grid). basin_direction is an ACCEPTED LIMITATION here: it defaults to North
+    // (a fallback, not a computed value) because the D8 thalweg is only available
+    // from the L1 fdir grid the batch path holds. Production voxel generation runs
+    // through the batch path (derive_all_districts), which threads the true D8
+    // direction from L1; this on-demand path is the fallback for districts derived
+    // outside that pass, where a meaningful basin_direction isn't available.
     build_district_profile(
         seed,
         &params,
@@ -1505,6 +1509,40 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(districts.len(), 32, "district count mismatch");
     }
 
+    /// T-1047: the `Some(basin_dirs)` threading path — supplied per-district D8
+    /// directions propagate to `DistrictProfile.basin_direction`, and districts
+    /// not in the map fall back to the default (North). Guards the path that the
+    /// production cascade actually uses (the existing tests only exercise `None`).
+    #[test]
+    fn derive_all_districts_threads_supplied_basin_directions() {
+        use crate::atlas::scale::BasinDirection;
+        let hm = test_hm();
+        let ta = test_ta(&hm);
+        let params = BodyParams::default();
+
+        // Real DistrictPos keys from a baseline (None) run.
+        let baseline = derive_all_districts(test_seed(), &params, &ta, 8, "test_body", None);
+        let mut keys = baseline.keys().copied();
+        let pos_east = keys.next().expect("at least one district");
+        let pos_south = keys.next().expect("at least two districts");
+        let pos_unmapped = keys.next().expect("at least three districts");
+
+        let mut basin_dirs: BTreeMap<DistrictPos, BasinDirection> = BTreeMap::new();
+        basin_dirs.insert(pos_east, BasinDirection::East);
+        basin_dirs.insert(pos_south, BasinDirection::South);
+
+        let districts =
+            derive_all_districts(test_seed(), &params, &ta, 8, "test_body", Some(&basin_dirs));
+
+        assert_eq!(districts[&pos_east].basin_direction, BasinDirection::East);
+        assert_eq!(districts[&pos_south].basin_direction, BasinDirection::South);
+        // Unmapped districts fall back to the default direction (North).
+        assert_eq!(
+            districts[&pos_unmapped].basin_direction,
+            BasinDirection::North
+        );
+    }
+
     // --- derive_district (on-demand 2 km, interpolation + detail-scatter) -----
 
     fn earth_params() -> BodyParams {