diff --git a/TODO.md b/TODO.md
index 536e480..00ab9d8 100644
--- a/TODO.md
+++ b/TODO.md
@@ -638,6 +638,22 @@ AFP Get/Scan AccessPrivileges convergence:
   fallback AFP IDs because the existing directory-number reverse mapper is not
   a reliable file-entry reverse mapper on DOS namespace volumes.
 
+
+### AFP file fork handle lifecycle
+
+AFP Open File Fork returns a normal mars_nwe/NetWare file handle for the data
+fork.  File I/O uses the existing NetWare read/write handlers, and handle
+lifetime is closed through the normal `NCP 0x42 Close File` path backed by
+`nw_close_file()`.  There is no separate AFP-private close operation and no
+parallel POSIX close path in the AFP frontend.
+
+Runtime status: the full AFP smoke suite is verified with `failures=0` after
+adding close-lifecycle probes.  The suite opens the AFP data fork, performs a
+read or write through the returned NetWare handle, closes that handle through
+`NCP 0x42`, and verifies that later I/O on the old handle is rejected.  The
+same run keeps Resource Fork opens unsupported with the existing completion
+code.
+
 ### Final AFP endpoint audit before declaring compatibility slice complete
 
 After the current AFP smoke-covered endpoint set is otherwise complete, perform
diff --git a/tests/afp/README.md b/tests/afp/README.md
index aaa72ca..4438f16 100644
--- a/tests/afp/README.md
+++ b/tests/afp/README.md
@@ -1250,6 +1250,31 @@ NCP and verify that later reads or writes on the old handle fail.  Resource Fork
 opens remain covered by the separate negative smoke and continue to return the
 unsupported completion.
 
+
+## AFP File Fork Close lifecycle smoke success
+
+AFP does not need a separate close-fork endpoint in the current compatibility
+slice.  AFP Open File Fork returns a normal mars_nwe/NetWare file handle, and
+that handle is closed through the existing `NCP 0x42 Close File` implementation
+which routes to `nw_close_file()`.
+
+Verified smoke run:
+
+```text
+AFP File Fork Close rejects old read handle
+AFP File Fork I/O read path=SYS:PUBLIC/pmdflts.ini entry_id=0x00000000 offset=0 requested=16 read=16 fork_len=8161 close-verified
+
+AFP File Fork Close rejects old write handle
+AFP File Fork I/O write path=SYS:PUBLIC/atst3 entry_id=0x00000000 offset=0 size=14 verified close-verified
+
+Summary: failures=0
+```
+
+The helper verifies the close by attempting I/O with the old handle after the
+close call and requiring that operation to fail.  This confirms that the AFP
+fork handle participates in the normal mars_nwe handle lifecycle instead of
+requiring an AFP-specific close path.
+
 ## Final AFP endpoint audit TODO
 
 Before the AFP compatibility slice is marked complete, do one last audit of all