diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index eebf33d..263feb5 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,6 +5,17 @@ All notable changes to SurvivorCore are recorded here. The format follows
 [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html). At release time, `## Unreleased`
 is promoted to the new version and `main` is tagged `vX.Y.Z`.
 
+## 0.7.1 — 2026-07-06
+
+### Fixed
+- **Ghost tools** — the hotbar→Tool bridge now verifies the player actually CARRIES a pinned item
+  before equipping it: a pin is only a pointer, and a stale/seeded pin without a backing stack
+  could previously conjure a usable Tool out of thin air.
+- The hotbar now **dims** a pinned item's icon (same 0.45 convention as the Crafting tab) when the
+  player has none of it, so an inert pin reads as inert.
+- Demo: the husks spawn farther out — new players are no longer farmed at the spawn point before
+  they've picked up a weapon.
+
 ## 0.7.0 — 2026-07-06
 
 ### Added
diff --git a/demo/server/Boot.server.luau b/demo/server/Boot.server.luau
index b6b6a25..2d6dadd 100644
--- a/demo/server/Boot.server.luau
+++ b/demo/server/Boot.server.luau
@@ -580,8 +580,10 @@ local function buildWeaponTemplates()
 end
 buildWeaponTemplates()
 
-SurvivorCore.Mobs.spawn("husk", CFrame.new(40, 5, 20), { respawn = true })
-SurvivorCore.Mobs.spawn("husk", CFrame.new(48, 5, 32), { respawn = true })
+-- Husks live out past their aggro+wander reach of spawn — new players shouldn't get farmed at
+-- the spawn point before they've picked up a weapon (they'll still hunt you in their territory).
+SurvivorCore.Mobs.spawn("husk", CFrame.new(70, 5, 45), { respawn = true })
+SurvivorCore.Mobs.spawn("husk", CFrame.new(82, 5, 58), { respawn = true })
 SurvivorCore.Mobs.spawn("boar", CFrame.new(-30, 5, 18))
 
 -- The quest-giver post: offers `slay_husk` (hold E to accept; return to turn in). Any mesh works —
diff --git a/src/client/Hotbar.luau b/src/client/Hotbar.luau
index 648539c..c8ccafe 100644
--- a/src/client/Hotbar.luau
+++ b/src/client/Hotbar.luau
@@ -87,14 +87,17 @@ local function bindHotbar(root: Instance)
 		local active = math.floor(tonumber(localPlayer:GetAttribute(InventoryTypes.HOTBAR_EQUIPPED_ATTR)) or 0)
 
 		local icon = slot:FindFirstChild("Icon")
+		local qty = totalQty(itemId)
 		if icon and (icon:IsA("ImageLabel") or icon:IsA("ImageButton")) then
 			local id = if itemId ~= "" then SlotGrid.resolveItemIcon(itemId) else ""
 			icon.Image = id
 			icon.Visible = id ~= ""
+			-- A pin without a backing stack is inert (the server refuses to use/equip it) — show it
+			-- dimmed, the same 0.45 "can't afford" convention the Crafting tab uses.
+			icon.ImageTransparency = if itemId ~= "" and qty <= 0 then 0.45 else 0
 		end
 		local count = slot:FindFirstChild("Count")
 		if count and count:IsA("TextLabel") then
-			local qty = totalQty(itemId)
 			count.Text = if qty > 1 then tostring(qty) else ""
 			count.Visible = qty > 1
 		end
diff --git a/src/init.luau b/src/init.luau
index 0b1a3d9..a140ea2 100644
--- a/src/init.luau
+++ b/src/init.luau
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ require(script.shared.LootBagsConfig)
 
 local SurvivorCore = {}
 
-SurvivorCore.VERSION = "0.7.0"
+SurvivorCore.VERSION = "0.7.1"
 
 -- Foundation
 SurvivorCore.Config = Config
diff --git a/src/systems/ToolEquip.luau b/src/systems/ToolEquip.luau
index abba77e..4b83d83 100644
--- a/src/systems/ToolEquip.luau
+++ b/src/systems/ToolEquip.luau
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ local RunService = game:GetService("RunService")
 assert(RunService:IsServer(), "SurvivorCore.ToolEquip is server-only — require it via SurvivorCore.start()")
 
 local Registries = require(script.Parent.Parent.registries)
+local Inventory = require(script.Parent.Inventory)
 local InventoryTypes = require(script.Parent.Parent.shared.InventoryTypes)
 
 local ToolEquip = {}
@@ -119,6 +120,12 @@ local function refresh(player: Player)
 	local def = itemId ~= "" and Registries.Items.get(itemId) or nil
 	local toolType = def and def.toolType
 
+	-- Possession gate: a pin is only a POINTER — never equip an item the player doesn't actually
+	-- carry (a stale/seeded pin without a backing stack would otherwise conjure a ghost tool).
+	if toolType and Inventory.getQty(player, itemId) <= 0 then
+		toolType = nil
+	end
+
 	-- Already holding the right tool? Leave it (avoids re-equip flicker on a re-press).
 	local held = currentEngineTool(player)
 	if toolType and held and held:GetAttribute("_ItemId") == itemId then
diff --git a/wally.toml b/wally.toml
index 75149d9..c73bfb9 100644
--- a/wally.toml
+++ b/wally.toml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 [package]
 name = "temujincalidius/survivorcore"
 description = "Batteries-included, creator-extensible survival game framework for Roblox."
-version = "0.7.0"
+version = "0.7.1"
 license = "MIT"
 authors = ["Samuel Lison"]
 registry = "https://github.com/UpliftGames/wally-index"