diff --git a/src/domain/apple/machoCpuIdentity.ts b/src/domain/apple/machoCpuIdentity.ts
index cee540aec3..f7739d7f70 100644
--- a/src/domain/apple/machoCpuIdentity.ts
+++ b/src/domain/apple/machoCpuIdentity.ts
@@ -38,6 +38,32 @@ export const machoHostSubtypeRank = (
 export const machoCpuSubtypeBase = (cpuSubtype: number): number =>
   cpuSubtype & ~CPU_SUBTYPE_CAPABILITY_MASK;
 
+// XNU osfmk/mach/machine.h CPU_SUBTYPE_ARM_* identities. Keep the generic
+// display fallback separate: an unlisted subtype does not establish agreement.
+const ARM32_SUBTYPES: ReadonlyMap<number, string> = new Map([
+  [0, "arm"],
+  [5, "armv4t"],
+  [6, "armv6"],
+  [7, "armv5tej"],
+  [8, "xscale"],
+  [9, "armv7"],
+  [10, "armv7f"],
+  [11, "armv7s"],
+  [12, "armv7k"],
+  [13, "armv8"],
+  [14, "armv6m"],
+  [15, "armv7m"],
+  [16, "armv7em"],
+  [17, "armv8m.main"],
+  [18, "armv8m.base"],
+  [19, "armv8.1m.main"],
+]);
+
+/** Known ARM32 identity without changing the family name used for display. */
+export const machoKnownArm32Subtype = (
+  cpuSubtype: number,
+): string | undefined => ARM32_SUBTYPES.get(machoCpuSubtypeBase(cpuSubtype));
+
 /** Known ARM64 subtype identity, distinct from the family display fallback. */
 export const machoKnownArm64Subtype = (
   cpuSubtype: number,
diff --git a/src/native/apple/AppleIpsMachOJoin.ts b/src/native/apple/AppleIpsMachOJoin.ts
index c98806238d..b0e247693a 100644
--- a/src/native/apple/AppleIpsMachOJoin.ts
+++ b/src/native/apple/AppleIpsMachOJoin.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { FieldReader } from "./AppleIpsFieldReader.js";
 import {
   machoArchitectureFamily,
   machoArchitectureName,
+  machoKnownArm32Subtype,
   machoKnownArm64Subtype,
   machoKnownX86_64Subtype,
 } from "../../domain/apple/machoCpuIdentity.js";
@@ -204,6 +205,15 @@ const architectureRelation = (
 ): "match" | "mismatch" | "unknown" => {
   const left = REPORTED_FAMILIES.get(comparableArch(recorded));
   if (left === undefined) return "unknown";
+  if (slice.cpuType === 12) {
+    const right = machoKnownArm32Subtype(slice.cpuSubtype);
+    const arm32 = ["arm", "armv7", "armv7s"].includes(left);
+    if (!arm32) return "mismatch";
+    if (right === undefined) return "unknown";
+    // A generic ARM report keeps its family meaning; explicit subtypes must
+    // agree with byte-header identity rather than the shared "arm" display.
+    return left === "arm" || left === right ? "match" : "mismatch";
+  }
   const leftFamily = machoArchitectureFamily(left);
   const exact = left === leftFamily ? undefined : left;
   if (
diff --git a/tests/acceptance/appleIpsArmJoinCli.test.ts b/tests/acceptance/appleIpsArmJoinCli.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..14d9c1e1fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/acceptance/appleIpsArmJoinCli.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,116 @@
+import { writeFile } from "node:fs/promises";
+import { join } from "node:path";
+import { expect } from "vitest";
+import {
+  fatImage,
+  machoImage,
+} from "../../src/artifacts/apple/MachoImage.fixture.js";
+import { toolContract } from "../../src/contracts/toolContracts.js";
+import { appleIpsBytes } from "../fixtures/binaryDiagnostics/appleIps.js";
+import { createTestTempDirectory } from "../fixtures/temporaryDirectory.js";
+import { cliTest, runFileCli } from "../support/cli/cliFixture.js";
+
+/** Actual 32-bit framing; the displayed family alone cannot identify its subtype. */
+const armImage = (subtype: number, withUuid = true): Uint8Array => {
+  const text = Buffer.alloc(56);
+  text.writeUInt32LE(1, 0); // LC_SEGMENT, not LC_SEGMENT_64.
+  text.writeUInt32LE(text.length, 4);
+  text.write("__TEXT", 8);
+  text.writeUInt32LE(0x1000, 24);
+  text.writeUInt32LE(0x4000, 28);
+  const uuid = Buffer.alloc(24, 0xaa);
+  uuid.writeUInt32LE(0x1b, 0);
+  uuid.writeUInt32LE(uuid.length, 4);
+  return machoImage({
+    cpu: { type: 12, subtype },
+    wide: false,
+    commands: withUuid ? [text, uuid] : [text],
+  });
+};
+
+cliTest.for([
+  { arch: "armv7", subtype: 9, outcome: "joined" },
+  { arch: "armv7s", subtype: 11, outcome: "joined" },
+  { arch: "armv7", subtype: 0x80000009, outcome: "joined" },
+  { arch: "armv7s", subtype: 0x8000000b, outcome: "joined" },
+  { arch: "arm", subtype: 0, outcome: "joined" },
+  { arch: "armv7", subtype: 11, outcome: "mismatch" },
+  { arch: "armv7s", subtype: 9, outcome: "mismatch" },
+  { arch: "arm", subtype: 9, outcome: "joined" },
+  { arch: "arm", subtype: 6, outcome: "joined" },
+  { arch: "arm", subtype: 99, outcome: "unknown" },
+  { arch: "armv7", subtype: 99, outcome: "unknown" },
+  { arch: "x86_64", subtype: 99, outcome: "mismatch" },
+])(
+  "joins IPS $arch with ARM subtype $subtype only on established identity ($outcome)",
+  async ({ arch, subtype, outcome }, { cli }) => {
+    const root = await createTestTempDirectory("rea-ips-arm-identity-");
+    const path = join(root, "report.ips");
+    const image = join(root, "image.bin");
+    await writeFile(path, appleIpsBytes({ arch, base: 0x8000 }));
+    await writeFile(image, armImage(subtype));
+    const result = await runFileCli(cli, {
+      arguments: ["inspect-apple-ips", path, "--join-path", image, "--json"],
+    });
+    expect(result.exitCode, result.stderr).toBe(0);
+    const report = toolContract("inspect_apple_ips").outputSchema.parse(
+      result.json,
+    ).normalized_result;
+    expect(report.images[0]?.arch).toBe(arch);
+    expect(report.join?.status).toBe("selected");
+    if (report.join?.status !== "selected") throw new Error("Missing join");
+    expect(report.join.slices[0]).toMatchObject({
+      arch: "arm",
+      cpu_type: "0xc",
+      cpu_subtype: `0x${subtype.toString(16)}`,
+    });
+    expect(report.join.image_matches).toHaveLength(
+      outcome === "joined" ? 1 : 0,
+    );
+    expect(report.join.frames[0]).toMatchObject(
+      outcome === "joined"
+        ? {
+            status: "joined",
+            static_address: { decimal: "4920", hex: "0x1338" },
+          }
+        : { status: "unjoined", static_address: null },
+    );
+    if (outcome !== "joined")
+      expect(report.join.limitations.join(" ")).toContain(
+        outcome === "unknown" ? "architecture is unknown" : "does not match",
+      );
+  },
+);
+
+cliTest.for([11, 99])(
+  "keeps UUID-less ARM subtype %s relevant unless its identity rules out a match",
+  async (subtype, { cli }) => {
+    const root = await createTestTempDirectory("rea-ips-arm-uuid-");
+    const path = join(root, "report.ips");
+    const image = join(root, "universal.bin");
+    await writeFile(path, appleIpsBytes({ arch: "armv7", base: 0x8000 }));
+    await writeFile(
+      image,
+      fatImage([
+        { cpu: { type: 12, subtype: 9 }, bytes: armImage(9) },
+        { cpu: { type: 12, subtype }, bytes: armImage(subtype, false) },
+      ]),
+    );
+    const result = await runFileCli(cli, {
+      arguments: ["inspect-apple-ips", path, "--join-path", image, "--json"],
+    });
+    expect(result.exitCode, result.stderr).toBe(0);
+    const report = toolContract("inspect_apple_ips").outputSchema.parse(
+      result.json,
+    ).normalized_result;
+    if (report.join?.status !== "selected") throw new Error("Missing join");
+    expect(report.join.slices).toHaveLength(2);
+    expect(report.join.slices[1]?.uuid).toBeNull();
+    expect(report.join.image_matches).toHaveLength(subtype === 11 ? 1 : 0);
+    expect(report.join.frames[0]?.status).toBe(
+      subtype === 11 ? "joined" : "unjoined",
+    );
+    if (subtype === 99)
+      expect(report.join.limitations.join(" ")).toContain("UUID is unknown");
+  },
+);