diff --git a/.gittensory-miner.yml.example b/.gittensory-miner.yml.example
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4f7452f19f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gittensory-miner.yml.example
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+# ============================================================================
+# .gittensory-miner.yml - per-repo miner configuration (EXAMPLE)
+# ============================================================================
+# A repo owner drops this file in to tell an autonomous Gittensory miner what to
+# look for and how to behave when targeting their repo. It is the MINER-side
+# analogue of `.gittensory.yml` (the review-side focus manifest).
+#
+# Every field is OPTIONAL and has a safe default (shown as "Default: X" below).
+# The file is parsed tolerantly: an unknown key is ignored, and a single
+# malformed field falls back to its default with a warning - a broken file never
+# hard-fails the miner, it just falls back to the defaults.
+#
+# Discovery order (first match wins):
+#   .gittensory-miner.yml -> .github/gittensory-miner.yml
+#   -> .gittensory-miner.json -> .github/gittensory-miner.json
+#
+# Copy to `.gittensory-miner.yml` and edit. YAML or JSON are both accepted.
+
+# Whether this repo permits autonomous miners at all. Explicit OPT-OUT: a public
+# repo with no file is still minable. Set false to halt all miner targeting.
+# Boolean. Default: true.
+minerEnabled: true
+
+# Work areas you want a miner to focus on; a candidate touching these is preferred.
+# Glob list. Default: [] (no preference).
+wantedPaths:
+  - "src/**"
+
+# Paths off-limits to a miner; a candidate touching one should be skipped.
+# Glob list. Default: [] (nothing blocked).
+blockedPaths:
+  - "vendor/**"
+  - ".github/workflows/**"
+
+# Issue/PR labels you prefer a miner to target; a candidate carrying one is favored.
+# String list. Default: [] (no preference).
+preferredLabels:
+  - bug
+  - enhancement
+
+# Maximum issues a single miner may hold claimed on this repo at once, so one
+# miner cannot monopolize the queue. A positive integer (>= 1); a non-integer is
+# floored. Default: 1.
+maxConcurrentClaims: 1
+
+# How strongly this repo encourages a miner to open discovery issues.
+# Values: encouraged | neutral | discouraged. Default: neutral.
+issueDiscoveryPolicy: neutral
diff --git a/packages/gittensory-engine/README.md b/packages/gittensory-engine/README.md
index 3d4ae77e2c..fe29f83787 100644
--- a/packages/gittensory-engine/README.md
+++ b/packages/gittensory-engine/README.md
@@ -73,3 +73,8 @@ explicit opt-out), no path/label preferences, one concurrent claim, `neutral` di
 `parseMinerGoalSpec(raw)` and `parseMinerGoalSpecContent(content)` are the tolerant parser pair for that file. They
 never throw on malformed JSON/YAML; instead they return `{ present, spec, warnings }`, where `spec` is normalized to
 safe defaults and `warnings` explains any dropped or invalid fields.
+
+`discoverMinerGoalSpecPath(exists)` returns the first present file in the documented order (`MINER_GOAL_SPEC_FILENAMES`:
+`.gittensory-miner.yml` → `.github/gittensory-miner.yml` → the `.json` variants). It is IO-free — the caller injects
+the existence check — so a caller reads the returned path and feeds its content to `parseMinerGoalSpecContent`. See
+`.gittensory-miner.yml.example` for the documented fields.
diff --git a/packages/gittensory-engine/src/index.ts b/packages/gittensory-engine/src/index.ts
index bfd54a096f..500be3e59d 100644
--- a/packages/gittensory-engine/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/gittensory-engine/src/index.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ export {
   DEFAULT_MINER_GOAL_SPEC,
   parseMinerGoalSpec,
   parseMinerGoalSpecContent,
+  discoverMinerGoalSpecPath,
+  MINER_GOAL_SPEC_FILENAMES,
   type MinerGoalSpec,
   type MinerIssueDiscoveryPolicy,
   type ParsedMinerGoalSpec,
diff --git a/packages/gittensory-engine/src/miner-goal-spec.ts b/packages/gittensory-engine/src/miner-goal-spec.ts
index 9bc433bd3c..757414b86b 100644
--- a/packages/gittensory-engine/src/miner-goal-spec.ts
+++ b/packages/gittensory-engine/src/miner-goal-spec.ts
@@ -246,3 +246,24 @@ export function parseMinerGoalSpecContent(content: string | null | undefined): P
   }
   return parseMinerGoalSpec(parsed);
 }
+
+/**
+ * The documented `.gittensory-miner` file-discovery order (first match wins), mirroring how `.gittensory.yml` is
+ * discovered: repo-root YAML, then `.github/` YAML, then the JSON variants.
+ */
+export const MINER_GOAL_SPEC_FILENAMES = [
+  ".gittensory-miner.yml",
+  ".github/gittensory-miner.yml",
+  ".gittensory-miner.json",
+  ".github/gittensory-miner.json",
+] as const;
+
+/**
+ * The first {@link MINER_GOAL_SPEC_FILENAMES} candidate that exists, or null. Pure: the caller injects the existence
+ * check (e.g. `fs.existsSync`) so this module stays IO-free and unit-testable. A caller reads the returned path and
+ * feeds its content to {@link parseMinerGoalSpecContent}.
+ */
+export function discoverMinerGoalSpecPath(exists: (path: string) => boolean): string | null {
+  for (const name of MINER_GOAL_SPEC_FILENAMES) if (exists(name)) return name;
+  return null;
+}
diff --git a/packages/gittensory-engine/test/miner-goal-spec-discovery.test.ts b/packages/gittensory-engine/test/miner-goal-spec-discovery.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5890c7d8f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/gittensory-engine/test/miner-goal-spec-discovery.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+// Tests for MinerGoalSpec file discovery (#2294). The tolerant parser itself is covered by
+// miner-goal-spec-parse.test.ts / miner-goal-spec-parser.test.ts; this covers only the discovery order. Pure —
+// the existence check is injected, so no filesystem is touched. Runs against compiled dist/.
+import { test } from "node:test";
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { discoverMinerGoalSpecPath, MINER_GOAL_SPEC_FILENAMES } from "../dist/index.js";
+
+test("MINER_GOAL_SPEC_FILENAMES lists the documented discovery order", () => {
+  assert.deepEqual([...MINER_GOAL_SPEC_FILENAMES], [
+    ".gittensory-miner.yml",
+    ".github/gittensory-miner.yml",
+    ".gittensory-miner.json",
+    ".github/gittensory-miner.json",
+  ]);
+});
+
+test("discoverMinerGoalSpecPath: returns the first existing candidate, first match wins", () => {
+  assert.equal(discoverMinerGoalSpecPath(() => true), ".gittensory-miner.yml");
+  // repo-root yml missing but the .github yml present → that one is chosen
+  assert.equal(
+    discoverMinerGoalSpecPath((p) => p !== ".gittensory-miner.yml"),
+    ".github/gittensory-miner.yml",
+  );
+  // only a JSON variant present
+  assert.equal(discoverMinerGoalSpecPath((p) => p === ".gittensory-miner.json"), ".gittensory-miner.json");
+});
+
+test("discoverMinerGoalSpecPath: short-circuits — stops probing once a candidate matches", () => {
+  const probed: string[] = [];
+  const result = discoverMinerGoalSpecPath((p) => {
+    probed.push(p);
+    return p === ".github/gittensory-miner.yml"; // the 2nd candidate matches
+  });
+  assert.equal(result, ".github/gittensory-miner.yml");
+  // only the first two candidates are probed; the later .json variants are never reached
+  assert.deepEqual(probed, [".gittensory-miner.yml", ".github/gittensory-miner.yml"]);
+});
+
+test("discoverMinerGoalSpecPath: returns null when no candidate exists, and never probes unlisted paths", () => {
+  const probed: string[] = [];
+  const result = discoverMinerGoalSpecPath((p) => {
+    probed.push(p);
+    return false;
+  });
+  assert.equal(result, null);
+  assert.deepEqual(probed, [...MINER_GOAL_SPEC_FILENAMES]); // exactly the listed candidates, in order
+});