diff --git a/cue/testdata/disjunctions/errors.txtar b/cue/testdata/disjunctions/errors.txtar
index e60605ed0..03c17244b 100644
--- a/cue/testdata/disjunctions/errors.txtar
+++ b/cue/testdata/disjunctions/errors.txtar
@@ -69,9 +69,7 @@ issue3581: reduced: {
 		suberr=(code=incomplete, contains="invalid interpolation: non-concrete value", pos=[0:9]),
 	)
 	c: _
-	// TODO(inline): generator doesn't recognize the error here and prints
-	// the list with value. Probably because the erroneous node has fields.
-	@test(eq:todo, {list: _|_, c: _})
+	@test(eq, {list: _|_, c: _})
 }
 -- issue3576.cue --
 // evalv3: disjunct of definitions with identical optional fields results in
diff --git a/internal/cuetxtar/inline.go b/internal/cuetxtar/inline.go
index f0f90c2bd..01353ec69 100644
--- a/internal/cuetxtar/inline.go
+++ b/internal/cuetxtar/inline.go
@@ -891,7 +891,12 @@ func (r *inlineRunner) runEqInline(t testing.TB, path cue.Path, val cue.Value, p
 	}
 
 	// @test(eq:todo, X) — expected-to-fail form.
-	// Failures are logged but not reported as test errors; a match emits a warning.
+	// Failures are logged but not reported as test errors. A match emits a
+	// warning and, under CUE_UPDATE=1 / CUE_UPDATE=force, auto-promotes the
+	// directive by stripping the :todo qualifier so the source diff shows
+	// the promotion. The signal lives in the diff (which CI / AI tooling
+	// already inspects) rather than in test output that would risk being
+	// mistaken for a failure.
 	if pa.isTodo {
 		if exprStr == "" {
 			return
@@ -904,6 +909,9 @@ func (r *inlineRunner) runEqInline(t testing.TB, path cue.Path, val cue.Value, p
 		cmpErr := (&cmpCtx{baseLine: pa.baseLine}).astCmp(cue.Path{}, expr, val)
 		if cmpErr == nil {
 			t.Logf("WARNING: path %s: TODO eq:todo now passes — consider upgrading to @test(eq, %s)", path, exprStr)
+			if cuetest.UpdateGoldenFiles || cuetest.ForceUpdateGoldenFiles {
+				r.enqueueInlineFill(pa, promoteTodoAttr(pa))
+			}
 		} else {
 			t.Logf("path %s: TODO eq:todo still failing: %v", path, cmpErr)
 		}
@@ -1108,6 +1116,18 @@ func attrHasSkip(raw *internal.Attr) (ver string, ok bool) {
 	return "", false
 }
 
+// promoteTodoAttr returns the replacement text for an @test(eq:todo, ...)
+// attribute that now passes: the :todo qualifier is stripped from the
+// directive name, leaving the rest of pa.srcAttr.Text untouched. Replacing
+// the FIRST literal "eq:todo" is safe because parseTestAttr already
+// verified the attribute starts with that directive.
+func promoteTodoAttr(pa parsedTestAttr) string {
+	if pa.srcAttr == nil {
+		return ""
+	}
+	return strings.Replace(pa.srcAttr.Text, "eq:todo", "eq", 1)
+}
+
 // enqueueInlineFill appends a byte-level replacement for pa's @test attribute.
 // newAttrText is the full replacement text including the leading @.
 // It is a no-op when pa.srcAttr is nil (e.g. in unit tests that construct
diff --git a/internal/cuetxtar/testdata/inline/eq_todo_promote.txtar b/internal/cuetxtar/testdata/inline/eq_todo_promote.txtar
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..38cf2843c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/cuetxtar/testdata/inline/eq_todo_promote.txtar
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+# Tests that @test(eq:todo, X) auto-promotes to @test(eq, X) when the
+# todo now passes, but only under CUE_UPDATE. Plain `go test` runs are
+# silent (todo failures are not test errors and a now-passing todo emits
+# only a -v log line). The signal that "this todo can be retired" lives
+# in the source diff produced by CUE_UPDATE rather than in test output —
+# this keeps normal runs clean and avoids tripping up developers (or AI
+# tooling) that scan for failures.
+-- in/test.cue --
+// passing: this todo now matches; CUE_UPDATE must drop :todo.
+passing: 42 @test(eq:todo, 42)
+
+// stillFailing: the todo does not match and remains as-is.
+stillFailing: 1 @test(eq:todo, 2)
+-- out/status.txt --
+update: output passes run
+force:  identical to update
+-- out/update/test.cue --
+// passing: this todo now matches; CUE_UPDATE must drop :todo.
+passing: 42 @test(eq, 42)
+
+// stillFailing: the todo does not match and remains as-is.
+stillFailing: 1 @test(eq:todo, 2)
diff --git a/internal/cuetxtar/testdata/inline/todo.txtar b/internal/cuetxtar/testdata/inline/todo.txtar
index 2b88ae912..bd9d40caa 100644
--- a/internal/cuetxtar/testdata/inline/todo.txtar
+++ b/internal/cuetxtar/testdata/inline/todo.txtar
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ suppressFailingErr: 42 @test(err) @test(todo)
 eqTodoStillFailing: 42 @test(eq, 42) @test(eq:todo, 99)
 
 // @test(eq:todo, X) where value == X: warning logged, no failure
-eqTodoPassing: 42 @test(eq, 42) @test(eq:todo, 42)
+eqTodoPassing: 42 @test(eq, 42) @test(eq, 42)
 
 // @test(eq, ...) and @test(eq:todo, ...) coexist independently
 eqAndEqTodoCoexist: 42 @test(eq, 42) @test(eq:todo, 99)
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ suppressFailingErr: 42 @test(err) @test(todo)
 eqTodoStillFailing: 42 @test(eq, 42) @test(eq:todo, 99)
 
 // @test(eq:todo, X) where value == X: warning logged, no failure
-eqTodoPassing: 42 @test(eq, 42) @test(eq:todo, 42)
+eqTodoPassing: 42 @test(eq, 42) @test(eq, 42)
 
 // @test(eq, ...) and @test(eq:todo, ...) coexist independently
 eqAndEqTodoCoexist: 42 @test(eq, 42) @test(eq:todo, 99)