diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 7424b14d..0f4b1b26 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -68,6 +68,11 @@ per-file diff commands.
 
 ### Fixed
 
+- **`job_key.py --audit` reports a state file that is not an object of entries** (`tools/job_key.py`,
+  `tests/test_job_key.py`) - a top-level JSON array, or an entry that is a string or number, crashed the
+  audit with an `AttributeError` traceback on `.get`, although the function already had a one-line error
+  for an unusable `seen` value. Both now print a one-line message naming the problem and exit 1.
+
 - **`freehire-search` emits the contract's `YYYY-MM-DD` date instead of the API's ISO timestamp**
   (`.agents/skills/freehire-search/cli/src/helpers.ts`, `tests/parsing.test.ts`,
   `tests/commands.test.ts`, `SKILL.md`) - `toResult` passed `posted_at` through verbatim, so
diff --git a/tests/test_job_key.py b/tests/test_job_key.py
index 16f5a862..543bc70b 100644
--- a/tests/test_job_key.py
+++ b/tests/test_job_key.py
@@ -256,6 +256,28 @@ class AuditCLI(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(code, 0)
         self.assertIn("acme_soc-analyst_athens", report["legacy_three_part_keys"])
 
+    def run_audit_raw(self, document) -> subprocess.CompletedProcess:
+        import tempfile
+
+        with tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile("w", suffix=".json", delete=False) as fh:
+            json.dump(document, fh)
+            path = fh.name
+        return subprocess.run(
+            [sys.executable, str(TOOL), "--audit", path], capture_output=True, text=True, encoding="utf-8"
+        )
+
+    def test_non_object_state_file_is_reported_not_a_traceback(self):
+        proc = self.run_audit_raw([])
+        self.assertEqual(proc.returncode, 1)
+        self.assertIn("expected an object of job entries", proc.stderr)
+        self.assertNotIn("Traceback", proc.stderr)
+
+    def test_non_object_entry_is_reported_not_a_traceback(self):
+        proc = self.run_audit_raw({"seen": {"acme_soc-analyst": "oops"}})
+        self.assertEqual(proc.returncode, 1)
+        self.assertIn("entry is not an object: acme_soc-analyst", proc.stderr)
+        self.assertNotIn("Traceback", proc.stderr)
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     unittest.main()
diff --git a/tools/job_key.py b/tools/job_key.py
index 64964113..377c5fe9 100644
--- a/tools/job_key.py
+++ b/tools/job_key.py
@@ -183,10 +183,14 @@ def audit(path: Path) -> int:
     except (OSError, json.JSONDecodeError) as exc:
         print(f"cannot read {path}: {exc}", file=sys.stderr)
         return 1
-    seen = doc.get("seen", doc)
+    seen = doc.get("seen", doc) if isinstance(doc, dict) else doc
     if not isinstance(seen, dict):
         print(f"{path}: expected an object of job entries", file=sys.stderr)
         return 1
+    not_objects = [k for k, v in seen.items() if not isinstance(v, dict)]
+    if not_objects:
+        print(f"{path}: entry is not an object: {not_objects[0]}", file=sys.stderr)
+        return 1
 
     malformed = [k for k in seen if not is_canonical(k) and not is_legacy_shape(k)]
     legacy = [k for k in seen if is_legacy_shape(k)]