diff --git a/bible-local/05-collectors.md b/bible-local/05-collectors.md
index 97f5997..a66c559 100644
--- a/bible-local/05-collectors.md
+++ b/bible-local/05-collectors.md
@@ -180,3 +180,10 @@ When changing collection logic:
 Status: mock scaffold only.
 
 It remains registered for protocol completeness, but it is not a real collection path.
+The project is Redfish-first for live collection:
+- Redfish already covers the current product goals for inventory, sensors, and hardware event logs
+- the live architecture depends on replayable `raw_payloads.redfish_tree`
+- a generic IPMI collector would require a separate raw snapshot and replay contract
+
+IPMI should be reconsidered only as a narrow fallback for real field cases where Redfish is
+missing or unreliable for a specific capability such as SEL, FRU, or sensors.
diff --git a/bible-local/10-decisions.md b/bible-local/10-decisions.md
index 7566f19..b2a606e 100644
--- a/bible-local/10-decisions.md
+++ b/bible-local/10-decisions.md
@@ -1154,3 +1154,29 @@ continue to inherit the exact git tag string from `git describe --tags`.
 - Future project releases have a two-component version string such as `v1.12`.
 - Release artifacts and `--version` output stay aligned with the tag shape without extra mapping.
 - Existing historical `vN.M.P` tags remain as-is unless explicitly rewritten.
+
+---
+
+## ADL-045 — Generic live IPMI collector is deferred; Redfish remains the only production live path
+
+**Date:** 2026-04-22
+**Context:** Sprint issue `#12` proposed a generic IPMI collector for SEL/FRU/sensors. By this
+point LOGPile already has a production Redfish pipeline with replayable raw snapshots, profile-
+driven acquisition, and normalized event/sensor/inventory extraction. Redfish also already covers
+the current product goals better than IPMI for live collection: richer inventory, structured
+resource relationships, and vendor log access via `LogServices`, including SEL-style logs on many
+implementations.
+
+**Decision:** Do not build a generic live IPMI collector now. Keep `ipmi_mock.go` only as a
+protocol placeholder in the registry and UI/API contract. Treat Redfish as the only production
+live collection path. Revisit IPMI only if real field evidence shows that a specific target class
+cannot provide required data over Redfish. If revisited, prefer a narrow fallback scope such as
+`IPMI SEL fallback`, `IPMI FRU fallback`, or `IPMI sensor fallback` rather than a second full
+collector architecture.
+
+**Consequences:**
+- Issue `#12` is closed as deferred/not planned, not as implemented.
+- Live collection architecture stays centered on replayable `raw_payloads.redfish_tree`.
+- The codebase avoids introducing a second generic live-ingest/replay contract for IPMI data.
+- Future IPMI work must be justified by concrete Redfish gaps on real hardware, not by protocol
+  symmetry alone.