diff --git a/src/ir/lower.test.zig b/src/ir/lower.test.zig
index 5cba51e..6afaa59 100644
--- a/src/ir/lower.test.zig
+++ b/src/ir/lower.test.zig
@@ -616,6 +616,121 @@ test "lower: objcTypeEncodingFromSignature emits nested structs (CGRect)" {
     try std.testing.expectEqualStrings("v@:{CGRect={CGPoint=dd}{CGSize=dd}}", e2);
 }
 
+// ── A6.1 scaffolding: pure Obj-C decision helpers ───────────────────
+// Lock selector derivation, property-kind classification, and Obj-C
+// class-pointer recognition before they move to `ffi_objc.zig`.
+
+fn objcMethod(name: []const u8) ast.ForeignMethodDecl {
+    return .{ .name = name, .params = &.{}, .param_names = &.{}, .return_type = null };
+}
+
+test "lower: deriveObjcSelector — niladic / keyword / multi-keyword / override" {
+    const alloc = std.testing.allocator;
+    var module = ir_mod.Module.init(alloc);
+    defer module.deinit();
+    var lowering = Lowering.init(&module);
+
+    // arity 0 → bare name, no colons, not an override.
+    const niladic = lowering.deriveObjcSelector(objcMethod("count"), 0);
+    try std.testing.expectEqualStrings("count", niladic.sel);
+    try std.testing.expectEqual(@as(usize, 0), niladic.keyword_count);
+    try std.testing.expectEqual(false, niladic.is_override);
+
+    // arity ≥ 1, no `_` → single trailing colon, one keyword.
+    const single = lowering.deriveObjcSelector(objcMethod("setValue"), 1);
+    defer alloc.free(single.sel);
+    try std.testing.expectEqualStrings("setValue:", single.sel);
+    try std.testing.expectEqual(@as(usize, 1), single.keyword_count);
+    try std.testing.expectEqual(false, single.is_override);
+
+    // each `_` → `:`, plus a trailing `:`; piece count = (#`_`) + 1.
+    const multi = lowering.deriveObjcSelector(objcMethod("setValue_forKey"), 2);
+    defer alloc.free(multi.sel);
+    try std.testing.expectEqualStrings("setValue:forKey:", multi.sel);
+    try std.testing.expectEqual(@as(usize, 2), multi.keyword_count);
+    try std.testing.expectEqual(false, multi.is_override);
+
+    // `#selector(...)` override: used verbatim, keyword_count = #colons.
+    var m = objcMethod("init_with_frame_style");
+    m.selector_override = "initWithFrame:style:";
+    const overridden = lowering.deriveObjcSelector(m, 2);
+    try std.testing.expectEqualStrings("initWithFrame:style:", overridden.sel);
+    try std.testing.expectEqual(@as(usize, 2), overridden.keyword_count);
+    try std.testing.expectEqual(true, overridden.is_override);
+}
+
+test "lower: isObjcClassPointer recognises pointer-to-foreign-Obj-C-class" {
+    const alloc = std.testing.allocator;
+    var module = ir_mod.Module.init(alloc);
+    defer module.deinit();
+    var lowering = Lowering.init(&module);
+
+    // *NSString where NSString is a registered Obj-C class → true.
+    const ns_name = module.types.internString("NSString");
+    const ns_struct = module.types.intern(.{ .@"struct" = .{ .name = ns_name, .fields = &.{} } });
+    const ns_ptr = module.types.ptrTo(ns_struct);
+    var ns_fcd = ast.ForeignClassDecl{
+        .name = "NSString",
+        .foreign_path = "NSString",
+        .runtime = .objc_class,
+        .members = &.{},
+        .is_foreign = true,
+        .is_main = false,
+    };
+    try lowering.program_index.foreign_class_map.put("NSString", &ns_fcd);
+    try std.testing.expect(lowering.isObjcClassPointer(ns_ptr));
+
+    // *Plain where Plain is a non-foreign struct → false.
+    const plain_name = module.types.internString("Plain");
+    const plain_struct = module.types.intern(.{ .@"struct" = .{ .name = plain_name, .fields = &.{} } });
+    try std.testing.expect(!lowering.isObjcClassPointer(module.types.ptrTo(plain_struct)));
+
+    // *void and a builtin scalar → false (not object pointers).
+    try std.testing.expect(!lowering.isObjcClassPointer(module.types.ptrTo(.void)));
+    try std.testing.expect(!lowering.isObjcClassPointer(.s32));
+}
+
+test "lower: objcPropertyKind defaults + explicit ARC modifiers" {
+    const alloc = std.testing.allocator;
+    var module = ir_mod.Module.init(alloc);
+    defer module.deinit();
+    var lowering = Lowering.init(&module);
+
+    // Register NSString so `*NSString` resolves to an object pointer.
+    const ns_name = module.types.internString("NSString");
+    _ = module.types.intern(.{ .@"struct" = .{ .name = ns_name, .fields = &.{} } });
+    var ns_fcd = ast.ForeignClassDecl{
+        .name = "NSString",
+        .foreign_path = "NSString",
+        .runtime = .objc_class,
+        .members = &.{},
+        .is_foreign = true,
+        .is_main = false,
+    };
+    try lowering.program_index.foreign_class_map.put("NSString", &ns_fcd);
+
+    // Primitive field, no modifiers → assign (the non-object default).
+    const prim = ast.ForeignFieldDecl{ .name = "count", .field_type = typeKeyword(alloc, "s32"), .is_property = true };
+    defer alloc.destroy(prim.field_type);
+    try std.testing.expect(lowering.objcPropertyKind(prim) == .assign);
+
+    // Object-pointer field, no modifiers → strong (the object default).
+    const obj_ty = typeKeyword(alloc, "*NSString");
+    defer alloc.destroy(obj_ty);
+    const obj_default = ast.ForeignFieldDecl{ .name = "title", .field_type = obj_ty, .is_property = true };
+    try std.testing.expect(lowering.objcPropertyKind(obj_default) == .strong);
+
+    // Explicit modifiers on an object pointer win over the default.
+    const weak_mods = [_][]const u8{"weak"};
+    try std.testing.expect(lowering.objcPropertyKind(.{ .name = "delegate", .field_type = obj_ty, .is_property = true, .property_modifiers = &weak_mods }) == .weak);
+
+    const copy_mods = [_][]const u8{"copy"};
+    try std.testing.expect(lowering.objcPropertyKind(.{ .name = "name", .field_type = obj_ty, .is_property = true, .property_modifiers = &copy_mods }) == .copy);
+
+    const assign_mods = [_][]const u8{"assign"};
+    try std.testing.expect(lowering.objcPropertyKind(.{ .name = "raw", .field_type = obj_ty, .is_property = true, .property_modifiers = &assign_mods }) == .assign);
+}
+
 // ── Pack projection name resolution (Feature 1, Step 2.2) ────────────
 
 const errors = @import("../errors.zig");
diff --git a/src/ir/lower.zig b/src/ir/lower.zig
index ada1672..395ba6e 100644
--- a/src/ir/lower.zig
+++ b/src/ir/lower.zig
@@ -6031,7 +6031,7 @@ pub const Lowering = struct {
     ///   - arity ≥ 1: split the sx name on `_`; each piece becomes a
     ///     keyword with a trailing `:` (`addObject` → `addObject:`,
     ///     `combine_and` → `combine:and:`).
-    fn deriveObjcSelector(self: *Lowering, method: ast.ForeignMethodDecl, arity: usize) struct { sel: []const u8, keyword_count: usize, is_override: bool } {
+    pub fn deriveObjcSelector(self: *Lowering, method: ast.ForeignMethodDecl, arity: usize) struct { sel: []const u8, keyword_count: usize, is_override: bool } {
         if (method.selector_override) |sel| {
             var colons: usize = 0;
             for (sel) |ch| {
@@ -15790,7 +15790,7 @@ pub const Lowering = struct {
     ///   - `weak` on a non-object field type → diagnostic
     ///   - `strong` (explicit or defaulted) on `*void` (ambiguous: Obj-C
     ///     object vs raw memory) → require explicit modifier
-    fn objcPropertyKind(self: *Lowering, field: ast.ForeignFieldDecl) ObjcPropertyKind {
+    pub fn objcPropertyKind(self: *Lowering, field: ast.ForeignFieldDecl) ObjcPropertyKind {
         // Survey the modifier list.
         var has_strong = false;
         var has_weak   = false;