diff --git a/cmd/sdrd/pipeline_decision_test.go b/cmd/sdrd/pipeline_decision_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..30a8719
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/sdrd/pipeline_decision_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"sdr-wideband-suite/internal/classifier"
+	"sdr-wideband-suite/internal/pipeline"
+)
+
+func TestDecisionCanEnableRecorderFlags(t *testing.T) {
+	rt := &dspRuntime{}
+	rt.cfg.Recorder.Enabled = false
+	rt.cfg.Recorder.AutoDecode = false
+	policy := pipeline.Policy{AutoRecordClasses: []string{"WFM"}, AutoDecodeClasses: []string{"WFM"}}
+	decision := pipeline.DecideSignalAction(policy, pipeline.Candidate{ID: 1, Hint: "WFM"}, &classifier.Classification{ModType: classifier.ClassWFM})
+	if decision.ShouldRecord {
+		rt.cfg.Recorder.Enabled = true
+	}
+	if decision.ShouldAutoDecode {
+		rt.cfg.Recorder.AutoDecode = true
+	}
+	if !rt.cfg.Recorder.Enabled || !rt.cfg.Recorder.AutoDecode {
+		t.Fatalf("expected recorder flags to be enabled")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cmd/sdrd/pipeline_runtime.go b/cmd/sdrd/pipeline_runtime.go
index 6c65d72..041a3db 100644
--- a/cmd/sdrd/pipeline_runtime.go
+++ b/cmd/sdrd/pipeline_runtime.go
@@ -219,9 +219,11 @@ func (rt *dspRuntime) refineSignals(art *spectrumArtifacts, extractMgr *extracti
 	policy := pipeline.PolicyFromConfig(rt.cfg)
 	candidates := pipeline.CandidatesFromSignals(art.detected, "surveillance-detector")
 	scheduled := pipeline.ScheduleCandidates(candidates, policy)
-	selected := make([]detector.Signal, 0, len(scheduled))
+	selectedCandidates := make([]pipeline.Candidate, 0, len(scheduled))
+	selectedSignals := make([]detector.Signal, 0, len(scheduled))
 	for _, sc := range scheduled {
-		selected = append(selected, detector.Signal{
+		selectedCandidates = append(selectedCandidates, sc.Candidate)
+		selectedSignals = append(selectedSignals, detector.Signal{
 			ID:       sc.Candidate.ID,
 			FirstBin: sc.Candidate.FirstBin,
 			LastBin:  sc.Candidate.LastBin,
@@ -232,14 +234,21 @@ func (rt *dspRuntime) refineSignals(art *spectrumArtifacts, extractMgr *extracti
 			NoiseDb:  sc.Candidate.NoiseDb,
 		})
 	}
-	snips, snipRates := extractSignalIQBatch(extractMgr, art.iq, rt.cfg.SampleRate, rt.cfg.CenterHz, selected)
-	refined := pipeline.RefineCandidates(pipeline.CandidatesFromSignals(selected, "scheduled-candidate"), art.spectrum, rt.cfg.SampleRate, rt.cfg.FFTSize, snips, snipRates, classifier.ClassifierMode(rt.cfg.ClassifierMode))
+	snips, snipRates := extractSignalIQBatch(extractMgr, art.iq, rt.cfg.SampleRate, rt.cfg.CenterHz, selectedSignals)
+	refined := pipeline.RefineCandidates(selectedCandidates, art.spectrum, rt.cfg.SampleRate, rt.cfg.FFTSize, snips, snipRates, classifier.ClassifierMode(rt.cfg.ClassifierMode))
 	signals := make([]detector.Signal, 0, len(refined))
 	for i, ref := range refined {
 		sig := ref.Signal
 		signals = append(signals, sig)
 		cls := sig.Class
 		snipRate := ref.SnippetRate
+		decision := pipeline.DecideSignalAction(policy, ref.Candidate, cls)
+		if decision.ShouldAutoDecode && rec != nil {
+			rt.cfg.Recorder.AutoDecode = true
+		}
+		if decision.ShouldRecord && rec != nil {
+			rt.cfg.Recorder.Enabled = true
+		}
 		if cls != nil {
 			pll := classifier.PLLResult{}
 			if i < len(snips) && snips[i] != nil && len(snips[i]) > 256 {
diff --git a/internal/pipeline/decisions.go b/internal/pipeline/decisions.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c857f65
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/pipeline/decisions.go
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+package pipeline
+
+import "sdr-wideband-suite/internal/classifier"
+
+type SignalDecision struct {
+	Candidate        Candidate `json:"candidate"`
+	Class            string    `json:"class,omitempty"`
+	ShouldRecord     bool      `json:"should_record"`
+	ShouldAutoDecode bool      `json:"should_auto_decode"`
+	Reason           string    `json:"reason,omitempty"`
+}
+
+func DecideSignalAction(policy Policy, candidate Candidate, cls *classifier.Classification) SignalDecision {
+	decision := SignalDecision{Candidate: candidate}
+	if cls != nil {
+		decision.Class = string(cls.ModType)
+	}
+	if cls != nil && WantsClass(policy.AutoRecordClasses, string(cls.ModType)) {
+		decision.ShouldRecord = true
+		decision.Reason = "matched auto_record_classes"
+	}
+	if cls != nil && WantsClass(policy.AutoDecodeClasses, string(cls.ModType)) {
+		decision.ShouldAutoDecode = true
+		if decision.Reason == "" {
+			decision.Reason = "matched auto_decode_classes"
+		}
+	}
+	if decision.Reason == "" && candidate.Hint != "" {
+		decision.Reason = "policy evaluated candidate hint"
+	}
+	return decision
+}
diff --git a/internal/pipeline/decisions_test.go b/internal/pipeline/decisions_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c130c1f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/pipeline/decisions_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+package pipeline
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"sdr-wideband-suite/internal/classifier"
+)
+
+func TestDecideSignalAction(t *testing.T) {
+	policy := Policy{AutoRecordClasses: []string{"WFM"}, AutoDecodeClasses: []string{"RDS", "WFM"}}
+	cls := &classifier.Classification{ModType: classifier.ClassWFM}
+	decision := DecideSignalAction(policy, Candidate{ID: 1, Hint: "WFM"}, cls)
+	if !decision.ShouldRecord {
+		t.Fatalf("expected record decision")
+	}
+	if !decision.ShouldAutoDecode {
+		t.Fatalf("expected auto decode decision")
+	}
+}