diff --git a/src/github_repo_auditor/portfolio_truth_publish.py b/src/github_repo_auditor/portfolio_truth_publish.py
index 2f8f65f..45622b5 100644
--- a/src/github_repo_auditor/portfolio_truth_publish.py
+++ b/src/github_repo_auditor/portfolio_truth_publish.py
@@ -566,18 +566,8 @@ def _publish_portfolio_truth_locked(
         build_result.snapshot, latest_name
     )
 
-    with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(
-        "w", delete=False, dir=output_dir, suffix=".registry-check.md"
-    ) as handle:
-        temp_registry_path = Path(handle.name)
-    try:
-        validate_registry_markdown(
-            registry_markdown, build_result.snapshot, temp_registry_path
-        )
-        validate_portfolio_report_markdown(report_markdown)
-    finally:
-        if temp_registry_path.exists():
-            temp_registry_path.unlink()
+    validate_registry_markdown(registry_markdown, build_result.snapshot)
+    validate_portfolio_report_markdown(report_markdown)
 
     targets = {
         snapshot_path: snapshot_json,
diff --git a/src/github_repo_auditor/portfolio_truth_validate.py b/src/github_repo_auditor/portfolio_truth_validate.py
index ab4952e..aa92d9a 100644
--- a/src/github_repo_auditor/portfolio_truth_validate.py
+++ b/src/github_repo_auditor/portfolio_truth_validate.py
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@
     SecurityFields,
 )
 from github_repo_auditor.producer_preflight import ProducerEvidence
-from github_repo_auditor.registry_parser import _normalize, parse_registry
+from github_repo_auditor.registry_parser import _normalize, parse_registry_markdown
 from github_repo_auditor.security_admission import derive_security_admission
 
 
@@ -2323,14 +2323,9 @@ def validate_publish_targets(
 
 
 def validate_registry_markdown(
-    markdown: str, snapshot: PortfolioTruthSnapshot, temp_path: Path
+    markdown: str, snapshot: PortfolioTruthSnapshot, temp_path: Path | None = None
 ) -> None:
-    temp_path.write_text(markdown)
-    try:
-        parsed = parse_registry(temp_path)
-    finally:
-        if temp_path.exists():
-            temp_path.unlink()
+    parsed = parse_registry_markdown(markdown)
     expected_labels = registry_project_labels(snapshot.projects).values()
     expected = {_normalize(label.strip()) for label in expected_labels}
     parsed_names = {_normalize(name) for name in parsed}
diff --git a/src/github_repo_auditor/registry_parser.py b/src/github_repo_auditor/registry_parser.py
index f7177ba..a0d157b 100644
--- a/src/github_repo_auditor/registry_parser.py
+++ b/src/github_repo_auditor/registry_parser.py
@@ -28,13 +28,12 @@ def _normalize(name: str) -> str:
     return n
 
 
-def parse_registry(path: Path) -> dict[str, str]:
-    """Parse project-registry.md into {project_name: status} mapping.
+def parse_registry_markdown(content: str) -> dict[str, str]:
+    """Parse registry markdown into {project_name: status} mapping.
 
     Handles variable-column markdown tables across multiple sections.
     Column 1 is always Project, Column 2 is always Status.
     """
-    content = path.read_text(errors="replace")
     projects: dict[str, str] = {}
 
     for line in content.splitlines():
@@ -76,6 +75,11 @@ def parse_registry(path: Path) -> dict[str, str]:
     return projects
 
 
+def parse_registry(path: Path) -> dict[str, str]:
+    """Parse project-registry.md into {project_name: status} mapping."""
+    return parse_registry_markdown(path.read_text(errors="replace"))
+
+
 @dataclass
 class RegistryReconciliation:
     on_github_not_registry: list[str]
diff --git a/tests/test_portfolio_truth.py b/tests/test_portfolio_truth.py
index da43ce2..5c885e1 100644
--- a/tests/test_portfolio_truth.py
+++ b/tests/test_portfolio_truth.py
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@
     _same_repository_path,
     canonicalize_prior_security_truth_payload,
     validate_portfolio_report_markdown,
+    validate_registry_markdown,
     validate_truth_snapshot,
 )
 from github_repo_auditor.project_registry import build_project_registry
@@ -4766,6 +4767,26 @@ def test_rendered_registry_round_trips_through_parser(
     assert "## Cowork Task Notes" in markdown
 
 
+def test_registry_validation_does_not_write_temp_markdown(
+    portfolio_workspace: Path,
+    portfolio_catalog: Path,
+    legacy_registry: Path,
+    tmp_path: Path,
+) -> None:
+    result = build_portfolio_truth_snapshot(
+        workspace_root=portfolio_workspace,
+        catalog_path=portfolio_catalog,
+        legacy_registry_path=legacy_registry,
+        include_notion=False,
+    )
+    markdown = render_registry_markdown(result.snapshot)
+    temp_path = tmp_path / "registry-check.md"
+
+    validate_registry_markdown(markdown, result.snapshot, temp_path)
+
+    assert not temp_path.exists()
+
+
 def test_registry_render_surfaces_security_and_round_trips(
     portfolio_workspace: Path,
     portfolio_catalog: Path,
diff --git a/tests/test_registry_parser.py b/tests/test_registry_parser.py
index a7085fa..0feb5eb 100644
--- a/tests/test_registry_parser.py
+++ b/tests/test_registry_parser.py
@@ -3,7 +3,12 @@
 from datetime import datetime, timezone
 
 from github_repo_auditor.models import RepoAudit, RepoMetadata
-from github_repo_auditor.registry_parser import _normalize, parse_registry, reconcile
+from github_repo_auditor.registry_parser import (
+    _normalize,
+    parse_registry,
+    parse_registry_markdown,
+    reconcile,
+)
 
 
 def _make_audit(name: str, tier: str = "functional", score: float = 0.6) -> RepoAudit:
@@ -47,7 +52,7 @@ def test_strips_readiness_suffix(self):
 class TestParseRegistry:
     def test_parses_simple_table(self, tmp_path):
         registry = tmp_path / "registry.md"
-        registry.write_text(
+        markdown = (
             "# Projects\n\n"
             "| Project | Status | Notes |\n"
             "|---------|--------|-------|\n"
@@ -55,8 +60,10 @@ def test_parses_simple_table(self, tmp_path):
             "| Beta | parked | Stale |\n"
             "| Gamma | archived | Legacy |\n"
         )
+        registry.write_text(markdown)
         result = parse_registry(registry)
         assert result == {"Alpha": "active", "Beta": "parked", "Gamma": "archived"}
+        assert parse_registry_markdown(markdown) == result
 
     def test_skips_invalid_status(self, tmp_path):
         registry = tmp_path / "registry.md"