diff --git a/cast_context.py b/cast_context.py
index b9c28e5..755a4f0 100644
--- a/cast_context.py
+++ b/cast_context.py
@@ -2,6 +2,11 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 
 from typing import Any, Callable
 
+try:
+    from . import character_config as character_policy
+except ImportError:  # Allows local smoke tests with top-level imports.
+    import character_config as character_policy
+
 
 Choose = Callable[[Any, list[tuple[str, str, str]]], tuple[str, str, str]]
 
@@ -37,6 +42,30 @@ def cast_summary_phrase(women_count: int, men_count: int) -> str:
     return f"{women_count} {women_label}, {men_count} {men_label}, {person_count} total adults"
 
 
+def explicit_character_slot_label(slot: dict[str, Any]) -> str:
+    label = str(slot.get("label") or "").strip().upper()
+    if label in character_policy.CHARACTER_LABEL_CHOICES and label != "AUTO_CHAIN":
+        return label
+    return ""
+
+
+def character_slot_label_map(slots: list[dict[str, Any]]) -> dict[str, dict[str, Any]]:
+    label_map: dict[str, dict[str, Any]] = {}
+    letters = "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ"
+    for subject_type, prefix in (("woman", "Woman"), ("man", "Man")):
+        subject_slots = [slot for slot in slots if slot.get("subject_type") == subject_type]
+        auto_slots = [slot for slot in subject_slots if not explicit_character_slot_label(slot)]
+        for index, slot in enumerate(reversed(auto_slots)):
+            if index >= len(letters):
+                break
+            label_map[f"{prefix} {letters[index]}"] = slot
+        for slot in subject_slots:
+            explicit = explicit_character_slot_label(slot)
+            if explicit:
+                label_map[f"{prefix} {explicit}"] = slot
+    return label_map
+
+
 def configured_cast_context(women_count: int, men_count: int) -> dict[str, str]:
     women_count = max(0, int(women_count))
     men_count = max(0, int(men_count))
diff --git a/docs/prompt-architecture-improvement-plan.md b/docs/prompt-architecture-improvement-plan.md
index f642b60..dcd2393 100644
--- a/docs/prompt-architecture-improvement-plan.md
+++ b/docs/prompt-architecture-improvement-plan.md
@@ -130,9 +130,10 @@ Already isolated:
   parsers live in `category_cast_config.py`; `prompt_builder.py` keeps public
   delegate wrappers for existing nodes and tests.
 - generation-time cast count phrases, configured-cast context metadata,
-  scene-kind labels, cast-summary wording, and couple count normalization live
-  in `cast_context.py`; `prompt_builder.py` keeps delegate wrappers where
-  existing generation paths still call the old helper names.
+  character-slot label assignment, scene-kind labels, cast-summary wording, and
+  couple count normalization live in `cast_context.py`; `prompt_builder.py`
+  keeps delegate wrappers where existing generation paths still call the old
+  helper names.
 - ethnicity/filter choices, advanced filter JSON, ethnicity-list JSON, filter
   parsing, and ethnicity normalization live in `filter_config.py`; character
   routes and builder filters use `prompt_builder.py` delegate wrappers.
diff --git a/docs/prompt-pool-routing-map.md b/docs/prompt-pool-routing-map.md
index 2cedb31..1ef57d0 100644
--- a/docs/prompt-pool-routing-map.md
+++ b/docs/prompt-pool-routing-map.md
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ Core helper ownership:
 | `category_library.py` | JSON category loading, subcategory normalization, named scene/expression/composition pool loading, cast compatibility filtering, exact subcategory lookup, and inheritance-based pool merging. |
 | `category_template_metadata.py` | Object-style item-template metadata extraction, action/position family normalization, position-key normalization, key merging, and audit validation errors. |
 | `category_cast_config.py` | Category preset and cast preset schemas, category/cast config JSON builders, choice lists, and config parsers used by route nodes. |
-| `cast_context.py` | Generation-time cast count phrases, configured-cast context metadata, cast-summary wording, scene-kind labels, and couple count normalization. |
+| `cast_context.py` | Generation-time cast count phrases, configured-cast context metadata, character-slot label assignment, cast-summary wording, scene-kind labels, and couple count normalization. |
 | `camera_config.py` | Camera option schema, direct/orbit/Qwen camera JSON builders, camera config parsing, plain camera directive text, and camera caption labels. |
 | `character_config.py` | Character choice lists, descriptor detail/presence/slot-seed normalization, characteristic-list JSON builders/parsers, eye labels, hair config builders/parsers, and hair phrase helpers. |
 | `character_profile.py` | Character manual-detail config, profile name/path policy, profile JSON normalization, descriptor assembly, save/load/rename/delete operations, fallback profile loading, and context override application. |
@@ -390,7 +390,8 @@ Important behavior:
 Edit targets:
 
 - Appearance field generation: `_context_from_character_slot`,
-  `_character_context_for_label`; pair cast descriptor entry assembly:
+  `_character_context_for_label`; character-slot label assignment:
+  `cast_context.character_slot_label_map`; pair cast descriptor entry assembly:
   `pair_cast.cast_descriptor_entries`.
 - Profile save/load: `SxCPCharacterProfileSave`,
   `SxCPCharacterProfileLoad`, profile policy in `character_profile.py`, and
diff --git a/prompt_builder.py b/prompt_builder.py
index 320acc0..62beab0 100644
--- a/prompt_builder.py
+++ b/prompt_builder.py
@@ -2432,27 +2432,11 @@ def build_character_slot_json(
 
 
 def _slot_explicit_label(slot: dict[str, Any]) -> str:
-    label = str(slot.get("label") or "").strip().upper()
-    if label in CHARACTER_LABEL_CHOICES and label != "AUTO_CHAIN":
-        return label
-    return ""
+    return cast_context_policy.explicit_character_slot_label(slot)
 
 
 def _character_slot_label_map(slots: list[dict[str, Any]]) -> dict[str, dict[str, Any]]:
-    label_map: dict[str, dict[str, Any]] = {}
-    letters = "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ"
-    for subject_type, prefix in (("woman", "Woman"), ("man", "Man")):
-        subject_slots = [slot for slot in slots if slot.get("subject_type") == subject_type]
-        auto_slots = [slot for slot in subject_slots if not _slot_explicit_label(slot)]
-        for index, slot in enumerate(reversed(auto_slots)):
-            if index >= len(letters):
-                break
-            label_map[f"{prefix} {letters[index]}"] = slot
-        for slot in subject_slots:
-            explicit = _slot_explicit_label(slot)
-            if explicit:
-                label_map[f"{prefix} {explicit}"] = slot
-    return label_map
+    return cast_context_policy.character_slot_label_map(slots)
 
 
 def _pov_character_labels(
diff --git a/tools/prompt_smoke.py b/tools/prompt_smoke.py
index 21a0663..03ecba8 100644
--- a/tools/prompt_smoke.py
+++ b/tools/prompt_smoke.py
@@ -682,6 +682,25 @@ def smoke_category_cast_config_policy() -> None:
         == ("two women", "two women", "close affectionate couple pose", 2, 0),
         "Couple type count override for two women changed",
     )
+    label_slots = [
+        {"subject_type": "woman", "label": "auto_chain", "name": "older auto"},
+        {"subject_type": "woman", "label": "auto_chain", "name": "newer auto"},
+        {"subject_type": "man", "label": "B", "name": "explicit man"},
+    ]
+    label_map = cast_context.character_slot_label_map(label_slots)
+    _expect(
+        label_map.get("Woman A", {}).get("name") == "newer auto"
+        and label_map.get("Woman B", {}).get("name") == "older auto",
+        "Character slot auto-chain label order changed",
+    )
+    _expect(
+        label_map.get("Man B", {}).get("name") == "explicit man",
+        "Character slot explicit label mapping changed",
+    )
+    _expect(
+        pb._character_slot_label_map(label_slots) == label_map,
+        "Prompt builder character slot label map should delegate to cast_context",
+    )
 
     category_config = json.loads(pb.build_category_config_json("hardcore_pose", "Foreplay and teasing"))
     _expect(category_config.get("category") == "Hardcore sexual poses", "Category config lost hardcore category mapping")