diff --git a/.agents/skills/lib.sh b/.agents/skills/lib.sh
index ee120a6..59f587f 100644
--- a/.agents/skills/lib.sh
+++ b/.agents/skills/lib.sh
@@ -2322,7 +2322,7 @@ delegate_publish_cmd() {
   pub_reg="${MAM_JOBS_DIR:-${WORKSPACE_ROOT:+$WORKSPACE_ROOT/.mam/jobs}}"
   pub_reg="${pub_reg:-.mam/jobs}"
   mkdir -p "$pub_reg" && pub_reg="$(cd -P "$pub_reg" && pwd -P)"
-  pub_logs="$(PYTHONPATH="$SKILL_DIR:${PYTHONPATH:-}" "$py_bin" -c 'import os; from lib_py.delegation.mqtt_common import get_logs_dir; print(os.path.abspath(get_logs_dir()))' 2>/dev/null || true)"
+  pub_logs="$(PYTHONPATH="$SKILL_DIR:${PYTHONPATH:-}" "$py_bin" -c 'import os, sys; from lib_py.delegation.mqtt_common import get_logs_dir; print(os.path.abspath(get_logs_dir(sys.argv[1])))' "$pub_reg" 2>/dev/null || true)"
   local -a argv=("$py_bin" "$pub_script" --registry-dir "$pub_reg" --job "$job_id")
   [ -n "$tok" ] && argv+=(--expect-dispatch-token "$tok")
   [ -n "$att" ] && argv+=(--attempt-id "$att")
@@ -2372,10 +2372,16 @@ except Exception:
 # Never the registry status: a record leaves `pending` when another writer
 # closes it or another dispatch claims it. Lines are parsed as JSON, never
 # pattern-matched. rc 0 = recorded, 1 = not (yet).
+delegate_logs_dir() {
+  PYTHONPATH="$SKILL_DIR:${PYTHONPATH:-}" "$(_delegate_py_bin)" -c 'import os, sys; from lib_py.delegation.mqtt_common import get_logs_dir; print(os.path.abspath(get_logs_dir(sys.argv[1])))' "$1" 2>/dev/null
+}
+
 delegate_started_recorded() {
   local job_id="$1" tok="${2:-}" logs_dir="${3:-}"
   local reg_dir="${MAM_JOBS_DIR:-${WORKSPACE_ROOT:-$PWD}/.mam/jobs}"
-  [ -n "$logs_dir" ] || logs_dir="${DELEGATE_JOB_LOGS_DIR:-${WORKSPACE_ROOT:-$PWD}/.mam/delegate_job_logs}"
+  # Issue #57: the audit log is resolved by the one rule (next to the registry
+  # unless DELEGATE_JOB_LOGS_DIR says otherwise); no bash copy of the default.
+  [ -n "$logs_dir" ] || logs_dir="$(delegate_logs_dir "$reg_dir")" || return 1
   local ev_log="$reg_dir/$job_id.events.log"
   local audit="$logs_dir/$job_id/events.ndjson"
   [ -f "$ev_log" ] || [ -f "$audit" ] || return 1
@@ -2431,10 +2437,12 @@ delegate_wait_started() {
   local job_id="$1" ack_s="${2:-180}" tok="${3:-}"
   [ -n "$job_id" ] || return 1
   ack_s=$(mam_int "$ack_s" 0) || { echo "WARNING: onboarding ack timeout ${2-} ignored (not a decimal integer >= 0); using 180" >&2; ack_s=180; }
-  local deadline
+  local deadline logs_dir
   deadline=$(( $(date +%s) + ack_s ))
+  # Issue #57: resolve the audit-log root once, not once per 1 s poll.
+  logs_dir="$(delegate_logs_dir "${MAM_JOBS_DIR:-${WORKSPACE_ROOT:-$PWD}/.mam/jobs}")" || logs_dir=""
   while :; do
-    if delegate_started_recorded "$job_id" "$tok"; then
+    if delegate_started_recorded "$job_id" "$tok" "$logs_dir"; then
       return 0
     fi
     if [ "$(date +%s)" -ge "$deadline" ]; then
diff --git a/.agents/skills/lib_py/control_plane.py b/.agents/skills/lib_py/control_plane.py
index 3fb41ee..2503588 100644
--- a/.agents/skills/lib_py/control_plane.py
+++ b/.agents/skills/lib_py/control_plane.py
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ import shlex
 import sys
 from typing import Dict, Optional
 
+from lib_py.delegation import mqtt_common
+
 KEYS = ("workspace_root", "agent_sessions_yaml", "mam_jobs_dir", "delegate_job_logs_dir")
 ENV = {"workspace_root": "WORKSPACE_ROOT", "agent_sessions_yaml": "AGENT_SESSIONS_YAML",
        "mam_jobs_dir": "MAM_JOBS_DIR", "delegate_job_logs_dir": "DELEGATE_JOB_LOGS_DIR"}
@@ -45,6 +47,10 @@ def from_env(env=None) -> Dict[str, str]:
         v = (env.get(var) or "").strip()
         if v:
             b[k] = _abs(v)
+    # Issue #57: without an explicit DELEGATE_JOB_LOGS_DIR the audit log is
+    # the delegate_job_logs next to the registry in use, not the workspace's.
+    if not (env.get("DELEGATE_JOB_LOGS_DIR") or "").strip():
+        b["delegate_job_logs_dir"] = _abs(mqtt_common.sibling_logs_dir(b["mam_jobs_dir"]))
     return b
 
 
diff --git a/.agents/skills/multi-agent-mux-create/scripts/worktree_prepare.sh b/.agents/skills/multi-agent-mux-create/scripts/worktree_prepare.sh
index fc81607..1677478 100755
--- a/.agents/skills/multi-agent-mux-create/scripts/worktree_prepare.sh
+++ b/.agents/skills/multi-agent-mux-create/scripts/worktree_prepare.sh
@@ -234,8 +234,10 @@ if [ -n "$CREATOR_AGENT" ]; then
   env_add=(WORKSPACE_ROOT="$MAIN"
            AGENT_SESSIONS_YAML="${AGENT_SESSIONS_YAML:-$MAIN/.mam/agent-sessions.yaml}"
            MAM_JOBS_DIR="${MAM_JOBS_DIR:-$MAIN/.mam/jobs}"
-           DELEGATE_JOB_LOGS_DIR="${DELEGATE_JOB_LOGS_DIR:-$MAIN/.mam/delegate_job_logs}"
            MAM_NO_SUBSCRIBER_DAEMON=1)
+  # Issue #57: an explicit audit-log root is passed on; otherwise create's
+  # binding derives it from MAM_JOBS_DIR (the delegate_job_logs next to it).
+  if [ -n "${DELEGATE_JOB_LOGS_DIR:-}" ]; then env_add+=(DELEGATE_JOB_LOGS_DIR="$DELEGATE_JOB_LOGS_DIR"); fi
   if [ -z "${MAM_ENV_FILE:-}" ] && [ -f "$MAIN/.mam.env" ]; then env_add+=(MAM_ENV_FILE="$MAIN/.mam.env"); fi
   rc=0
   env "${env_add[@]}" bash "$SKILL_DIR/multi-agent-mux-create/scripts/create_session.sh" "${args[@]}" || rc=$?
diff --git a/.agents/skills/multi-agent-mux-delegate-job/multi-agent-mux-delegate-job b/.agents/skills/multi-agent-mux-delegate-job/multi-agent-mux-delegate-job
index 83531b0..6fc8075 100755
--- a/.agents/skills/multi-agent-mux-delegate-job/multi-agent-mux-delegate-job
+++ b/.agents/skills/multi-agent-mux-delegate-job/multi-agent-mux-delegate-job
@@ -87,11 +87,12 @@ _abs_registry_dir() {
   export SKS_REGISTRY_DIR="$REGISTRY_DIR"
 }
 
-# The audit-log root this wrapper's own subscriber resolves (same resolver),
-# pinned into the injected commands so an agent publishing from another cwd
-# does not fall back to <cwd>/.mam/delegate_job_logs.
+# The audit-log root this wrapper's own subscriber resolves (same resolver:
+# next to $REGISTRY_DIR unless DELEGATE_JOB_LOGS_DIR says otherwise, Issue
+# #57), pinned into the injected commands so an agent publishing from another
+# cwd does not fall back to its own default.
 _logs_dir_abs() {
-  "$PY" -c 'import os, sys; sys.path.insert(0, sys.argv[1]); from lib_py.delegation.mqtt_common import get_logs_dir; print(os.path.abspath(get_logs_dir()))' "$SCRIPT_DIR/.."
+  "$PY" -c 'import os, sys; sys.path.insert(0, sys.argv[1]); from lib_py.delegation.mqtt_common import get_logs_dir; print(os.path.abspath(get_logs_dir(sys.argv[2])))' "$SCRIPT_DIR/.." "$REGISTRY_DIR"
 }
 
 # Issue #17 item 4: the wrapper's decisions are lib_py/delegation/wrapper.py;
@@ -184,7 +185,7 @@ multi-agent-mux-delegate-job <command> [options]
   list    [--registry-dir <dir>]
   verify  --job <id> --validate <script> [--registry-dir <dir>]
   wait    [--job <id>] [--timeout <sec>] [--registry-dir <dir>]
-  logs    <job_id> | --list      # persistent audit log (delegate_job_logs/)
+  logs    <job_id> | --list [--registry-dir <dir>]   # audit log next to the registry (or $DELEGATE_JOB_LOGS_DIR)
 EOF
 }
 
@@ -199,6 +200,7 @@ TIMEOUT=$(mam_int_knob MAM_JOB_TIMEOUT_S 3600 1)
 # Issue #18 liveness contract (N / K / T). An unset --idle-timeout derives K x N.
 HEARTBEAT_SEC=$(mam_int_knob MAM_HEARTBEAT_SEC 30 1); HEARTBEAT_MISSES=$(mam_int_knob MAM_HEARTBEAT_MISSES 4 1); ACK_TIMEOUT=$(mam_int_knob MAM_ACK_TIMEOUT_S 180 1)
 JOB_ID=""; REGISTRY_DIR="$REGISTRY_DIR_DEFAULT"; DELEGATE_ROLE="Worker"
+LOGS_DIR_ABS=""
 TYPE="direct"; REVIEWER="hermes"; REVIEWER_SESSION="herdr:hermes"; MAX_ITERATIONS=5
 DEFAULT_COUNTERPART_ROLE="Reviewer"
 COUNTERPART_ROLE="$DEFAULT_COUNTERPART_ROLE"
@@ -276,7 +278,10 @@ cmd_submit() {
   [[ "$PY" == */* && "$PY" != /* ]] && PY="$(pwd)/$PY"
   cd "$WORKDIR"
   _abs_registry_dir
-  LOGS_DIR_ABS="$(_logs_dir_abs 2>/dev/null || true)"
+  LOGS_DIR_ABS="$(_logs_dir_abs)" || { echo "ERROR: cannot resolve the audit-log root for $REGISTRY_DIR" >&2; exit 1; }
+  # Issue #57: every child (subscriber, registry.py, validate scripts) sees
+  # the same root this wrapper prints and pins into the injected commands.
+  export DELEGATE_JOB_LOGS_DIR="$LOGS_DIR_ABS"
 
   # Issue #34: an explicit --parent-job fails closed in the registry; the
   # $MAM_JOB_ID default may name a job of another host's registry (a remote
@@ -345,16 +350,14 @@ EOF
 
     if [[ "$DRY_RUN" == "1" ]]; then
       run_agent "$JOB_ID" "$instructions"
-      local logs_root_dry="${DELEGATE_JOB_LOGS_DIR:-$WORKDIR/delegate_job_logs}"
-      echo "$logs_root_dry/$JOB_ID"
+      echo "$LOGS_DIR_ABS/$JOB_ID"
       return 0
     fi
 
     # 1) Preflight (a remote session has no local pane to check: Issue #18)
     if ! _is_remote "$AGENT_SESSION" && ! preflight_agent "$JOB_ID" "$AGENT_SESSION" 0; then
       finalize_unfinished "$JOB_ID" "error" "$SUB_RC_ERROR" "preflight"
-      local logs_root="${DELEGATE_JOB_LOGS_DIR:-$WORKDIR/delegate_job_logs}"
-      echo "$logs_root/$JOB_ID"
+      echo "$LOGS_DIR_ABS/$JOB_ID"
       exit 5
     fi
 
@@ -368,8 +371,7 @@ EOF
       export _SKS_IDLE_RC="$idle_rc"
       if [ $idle_rc -eq 1 ] || [ $idle_rc -eq 2 ]; then
         finalize_unfinished "$JOB_ID" "error" "$idle_rc" "idle_wait"
-        local logs_root="${DELEGATE_JOB_LOGS_DIR:-$WORKDIR/delegate_job_logs}"
-        echo "$logs_root/$JOB_ID"
+        echo "$LOGS_DIR_ABS/$JOB_ID"
         exit 5
       fi
     fi
@@ -409,8 +411,7 @@ EOF
           _decided mapped_st sub-status "$sub_exit" --job "$JOB_ID" --registry-dir "$REGISTRY_DIR"
           finalize_unfinished "$JOB_ID" "$mapped_st" "$sub_exit" "subscriber"
           mapped_st="${FINAL_JOB_STATUS:-$mapped_st}"
-          local logs_root="${DELEGATE_JOB_LOGS_DIR:-$WORKDIR/delegate_job_logs}"
-          echo "$logs_root/$JOB_ID"
+          echo "$LOGS_DIR_ABS/$JOB_ID"
           _exit_for "$mapped_st"
         fi
       fi
@@ -424,8 +425,7 @@ EOF
     if ! deliver_prompt "$JOB_ID" "$instructions" "$AGENT_SESSION" "$logf"; then
       reap_subscriber "$sub_pid"
       finalize_unfinished "$JOB_ID" "error" "$SUB_RC_ERROR" "inject"
-      local logs_root="${DELEGATE_JOB_LOGS_DIR:-$WORKDIR/delegate_job_logs}"
-      echo "$logs_root/$JOB_ID"
+      echo "$LOGS_DIR_ABS/$JOB_ID"
       exit 1
     fi
     start_stall_watch "$AGENT_SESSION" "$AGENT" "$_disp_tok" "$_attempt_id"
@@ -454,8 +454,7 @@ EOF
 
     # Last stdout line: the persistent audit-log dir for this job (see SKILL.md
     # "Audit Logs"). Callers can scrape `tail -n1` to find it.
-    local logs_root="${DELEGATE_JOB_LOGS_DIR:-$WORKDIR/delegate_job_logs}"
-    echo "$logs_root/$JOB_ID"
+    echo "$LOGS_DIR_ABS/$JOB_ID"
     _exit_for "$job_status"
   else
     # Implement loop/discuss orchestrator
@@ -470,8 +469,7 @@ EOF
     if [[ "$DRY_RUN" == "1" ]]; then
       echo "[dry-run] orchestrator loop would start for job: $JOB_ID type: $TYPE"
       echo "worker session: $AGENT_SESSION, reviewer session: $REVIEWER_SESSION"
-      local logs_root_dry="${DELEGATE_JOB_LOGS_DIR:-$WORKDIR/delegate_job_logs}"
-      echo "$logs_root_dry/$JOB_ID"
+      echo "$LOGS_DIR_ABS/$JOB_ID"
       return 0
     fi
 
@@ -517,8 +515,7 @@ EOF
       # Preflight (skipped for a remote session: Issue #18)
       if ! _is_remote "$current_session" && ! preflight_agent "$JOB_ID" "$current_session" "$force_warn_only"; then
         finalize_unfinished "$JOB_ID" "error" "$SUB_RC_ERROR" "preflight"
-        local logs_root="${DELEGATE_JOB_LOGS_DIR:-$WORKDIR/delegate_job_logs}"
-        echo "$logs_root/$JOB_ID"
+        echo "$LOGS_DIR_ABS/$JOB_ID"
         exit 5
       fi
 
@@ -550,8 +547,7 @@ EOF
         export _SKS_IDLE_RC="$idle_rc"
         if [ $idle_rc -eq 1 ] || [ $idle_rc -eq 2 ]; then
           finalize_unfinished "$JOB_ID" "error" "$idle_rc" "idle_wait"
-          local logs_root="${DELEGATE_JOB_LOGS_DIR:-$WORKDIR/delegate_job_logs}"
-          echo "$logs_root/$JOB_ID"
+          echo "$LOGS_DIR_ABS/$JOB_ID"
           exit 5
         fi
       fi
@@ -587,8 +583,7 @@ EOF
             _decided mapped_st sub-status "$sub_exit" --job "$JOB_ID" --registry-dir "$REGISTRY_DIR"
             finalize_unfinished "$JOB_ID" "$mapped_st" "$sub_exit" "subscriber"
             mapped_st="${FINAL_JOB_STATUS:-$mapped_st}"
-            local logs_root="${DELEGATE_JOB_LOGS_DIR:-$WORKDIR/delegate_job_logs}"
-            echo "$logs_root/$JOB_ID"
+            echo "$LOGS_DIR_ABS/$JOB_ID"
             _exit_for "$mapped_st"
           fi
         fi
@@ -609,8 +604,7 @@ EOF
       if ! deliver_prompt "$JOB_ID" "$instructions" "$current_session" "$logf"; then
         reap_subscriber "$sub_pid"
         finalize_unfinished "$JOB_ID" "error" "$SUB_RC_ERROR" "inject"
-        local logs_root="${DELEGATE_JOB_LOGS_DIR:-$WORKDIR/delegate_job_logs}"
-        echo "$logs_root/$JOB_ID"
+        echo "$LOGS_DIR_ABS/$JOB_ID"
         exit 1
       fi
       start_stall_watch "$current_session" "$cur_agent" "$_disp_tok" "$attempt"
@@ -639,8 +633,7 @@ EOF
             echo "Worker completed during grace period. Continuing to reviewer."
             feedback="$("$PY" "$SCRIPT_DIR/scripts/registry.py" --registry-dir "$REGISTRY_DIR" get-feedback --job "$JOB_ID")"
           else
-            local logs_root="${DELEGATE_JOB_LOGS_DIR:-$WORKDIR/delegate_job_logs}"
-            echo "$logs_root/$JOB_ID"
+            echo "$LOGS_DIR_ABS/$JOB_ID"
             _exit_for "$job_status"
           fi
         fi
@@ -664,8 +657,7 @@ EOF
             echo "Reviewer completed during grace period. Continuing evaluation."
             feedback="$("$PY" "$SCRIPT_DIR/scripts/registry.py" --registry-dir "$REGISTRY_DIR" get-feedback --job "$JOB_ID")"
           else
-            local logs_root="${DELEGATE_JOB_LOGS_DIR:-$WORKDIR/delegate_job_logs}"
-            echo "$logs_root/$JOB_ID"
+            echo "$LOGS_DIR_ABS/$JOB_ID"
             _exit_for "$job_status"
           fi
         fi
@@ -720,8 +712,7 @@ EOF
     fi
 
     # Last stdout line: the persistent audit-log dir
-    local logs_root="${DELEGATE_JOB_LOGS_DIR:-$WORKDIR/delegate_job_logs}"
-    echo "$logs_root/$JOB_ID"
+    echo "$LOGS_DIR_ABS/$JOB_ID"
     exit "$final_loop_rc"
   fi
 }
@@ -868,14 +859,12 @@ _registry_wait() {
     clear) return 0 ;;
     superseded)
       echo "ERROR: job $job_id was redispatched, moved or closed by someone else while it waited for session '$sess'; this attempt is not dispatched and the record is left as it is" >&2
-      local logs_root="${DELEGATE_JOB_LOGS_DIR:-$WORKDIR/delegate_job_logs}"
-      echo "$logs_root/$job_id"
+      echo "$LOGS_DIR_ABS/$job_id"
       exit 5 ;;
     busy*)
       echo "ERROR: session '$sess' still has open jobs in the registry (${res#busy }); job $job_id is not dispatched" >&2
       finalize_unfinished "$job_id" "error" "$SUB_RC_ERROR" "registry_wait" "$sess"
-      local logs_root="${DELEGATE_JOB_LOGS_DIR:-$WORKDIR/delegate_job_logs}"
-      echo "$logs_root/$job_id"
+      echo "$LOGS_DIR_ABS/$job_id"
       exit 5 ;;
   esac
   _decision_failed wait-open-jobs "answer '$res'"
@@ -1099,16 +1088,24 @@ cmd_verify() {
 }
 
 cmd_logs() {
-  # logs <job_id> | logs --list — delegates to registry.py's logs CLI, which
-  # reads the persistent audit log under $DELEGATE_JOB_LOGS_DIR (or
-  # <cwd>/delegate_job_logs). Run from your project dir so the default resolves.
+  # logs <job_id> | logs --list [--registry-dir <dir>] — delegates to
+  # registry.py's logs CLI, which reads the audit log next to the registry
+  # (Issue #57; $DELEGATE_JOB_LOGS_DIR overrides). parse_opts is for submit's
+  # globals, so the few options are read here.
   PY="$(pick_python)"
-  if [[ "${1:-}" == "--list" ]]; then
-    "$PY" "$SCRIPT_DIR/scripts/registry.py" logs --list
+  local reg="$REGISTRY_DIR_DEFAULT" jid="" list=0
+  while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
+    case "$1" in
+      --registry-dir) reg="$2"; shift 2;;
+      --list) list=1; shift;;
+      *) jid="$1"; shift;;
+    esac
+  done
+  if [[ "$list" == "1" ]]; then
+    "$PY" "$SCRIPT_DIR/scripts/registry.py" --registry-dir "$reg" logs --list
   else
-    local jid="${1:-}"
     [[ -n "$jid" ]] || { echo "logs requires <job_id> or --list" >&2; exit 1; }
-    "$PY" "$SCRIPT_DIR/scripts/registry.py" logs "$jid"
+    "$PY" "$SCRIPT_DIR/scripts/registry.py" --registry-dir "$reg" logs "$jid"
   fi
 }