diff --git a/backend/app/services/gallery_service.py b/backend/app/services/gallery_service.py
index 4cde351..94e949f 100644
--- a/backend/app/services/gallery_service.py
+++ b/backend/app/services/gallery_service.py
@@ -22,7 +22,15 @@ from sqlalchemy import Select, and_, distinct, exists, func, or_, select
 from sqlalchemy.ext.asyncio import AsyncSession
 from sqlalchemy.orm import aliased
 
-from ..models import Artist, ImageProvenance, ImageRecord, Post, Source, Tag
+from ..models import (
+    Artist,
+    ImageProvenance,
+    ImageRecord,
+    Post,
+    Source,
+    Tag,
+    TagPositiveConfirmation,
+)
 from ..models.tag import PRESENTATION_SYSTEM_TAGS, image_tag
 from .pagination import decode_cursor, encode_cursor
 from .tag_query import (
@@ -731,8 +739,14 @@ class GalleryService:
         # Self-join Tag to resolve a character's fandom NAME (not just id) so the
         # modal chip can label it without an N+1 (shared tag_query helpers).
         fandom_alias = fandom_join_alias()
+        # source drives the auto-applied badge; confirmed = operator affirmed the
+        # tag (positive + retraction-shielded, milestone 139).
+        confirmed = exists().where(
+            TagPositiveConfirmation.image_record_id == image_id,
+            TagPositiveConfirmation.tag_id == Tag.id,
+        ).label("confirmed")
         tag_stmt = (
-            select(*tag_columns(fandom_alias))
+            select(*tag_columns(fandom_alias), image_tag.c.source, confirmed)
             .select_from(
                 Tag.__table__
                 .join(image_tag, image_tag.c.tag_id == Tag.id)
diff --git a/backend/app/services/tag_query.py b/backend/app/services/tag_query.py
index 13186dc..a60340e 100644
--- a/backend/app/services/tag_query.py
+++ b/backend/app/services/tag_query.py
@@ -91,4 +91,11 @@ def serialize_tag(row) -> dict:
         "fandom_id": row.fandom_id,
         "fandom_name": row.fandom_name,
         "is_system": bool(getattr(row, "is_system", False)),
+        # Applied-tag context: only the image-scoped selects (list_for_image /
+        # get_image_with_tags) provide these; autocomplete / directory don't →
+        # default. `source` drives the auto-applied badge; `confirmed` = the
+        # operator affirmed the tag (a training positive, shielded from the
+        # retraction sweep — milestone 139).
+        "source": getattr(row, "source", None),
+        "confirmed": bool(getattr(row, "confirmed", False)),
     }
diff --git a/backend/app/services/tag_service.py b/backend/app/services/tag_service.py
index 98e1d9c..b6fe1d6 100644
--- a/backend/app/services/tag_service.py
+++ b/backend/app/services/tag_service.py
@@ -9,7 +9,14 @@ from sqlalchemy import and_, case, exists, func, select, text, update
 from sqlalchemy.dialects.postgresql import insert as pg_insert
 from sqlalchemy.ext.asyncio import AsyncSession
 
-from ..models import HeadMetric, Tag, TagHead, TagKind, image_tag
+from ..models import (
+    HeadMetric,
+    Tag,
+    TagHead,
+    TagKind,
+    TagPositiveConfirmation,
+    image_tag,
+)
 from .db_helpers import get_or_create
 from .tag_query import fandom_join_alias, tag_columns
 
@@ -288,8 +295,14 @@ class TagService:
         character chip with its fandom without an N+1 (mirrors the
         autocomplete/directory resolution)."""
         fandom_alias = fandom_join_alias()
+        # source drives the auto-applied badge; confirmed = operator affirmed the
+        # tag (positive + retraction-shielded, milestone 139).
+        confirmed = exists().where(
+            TagPositiveConfirmation.image_record_id == image_id,
+            TagPositiveConfirmation.tag_id == Tag.id,
+        ).label("confirmed")
         stmt = (
-            select(*tag_columns(fandom_alias))
+            select(*tag_columns(fandom_alias), image_tag.c.source, confirmed)
             .select_from(
                 Tag.__table__
                 .join(image_tag, image_tag.c.tag_id == Tag.id)
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/modal/TagChip.vue b/frontend/src/components/modal/TagChip.vue
index 6437255..7cf2f59 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/modal/TagChip.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/components/modal/TagChip.vue
@@ -16,8 +16,20 @@
       >mdi-shield-outline</v-icon><span
         v-if="tag.fandom_id" class="fc-tag-chip__fandom"
         :title="tag.fandom_name ? `Fandom: ${tag.fandom_name}` : 'Has a fandom'"
-      >→<template v-if="fandomLabel">&nbsp;{{ fandomLabel }}</template></span>
+      >→<template v-if="fandomLabel">&nbsp;{{ fandomLabel }}</template></span><span
+        v-if="unconfirmedAuto" class="fc-tag-chip__auto"
+        title="Auto-applied — provisional: it won't train the model and can be retracted until you confirm it."
+      >auto</span>
     </v-chip>
+    <!-- Keep/confirm an auto-applied tag: promotes it to a training positive and
+         shields it from the retraction sweep (milestone 139). Only shown for
+         provisional (unconfirmed) auto-tags. -->
+    <button
+      v-if="unconfirmedAuto" class="fc-tag-chip__confirm" type="button"
+      :title="`Keep “${tag.name}” — confirm this auto-tag so it trains the model and won't be retracted`"
+      :aria-label="`Confirm ${tag.name}`"
+      @click.stop="$emit('confirm', tag)"
+    ><v-icon size="14">mdi-check</v-icon></button>
     <!-- Modal-safe kebab is baked into KebabMenu (this chip lives in the
          teleported image modal — #711). System tags hide it entirely: rename
          is refused server-side (the hygiene machinery keys on the row) and
@@ -43,6 +55,8 @@ import { useTagStore } from '../../stores/tags.js'
 import { useApi } from '../../composables/useApi.js'
 import KebabMenu from '../common/KebabMenu.vue'
 
+const AUTO_SOURCES = ['head_auto', 'ccip_auto', 'ml_auto']
+
 const props = defineProps({
   tag: { type: Object, required: true },
   // When set (the tagging panels), hovering the chip asks the backend which crop
@@ -51,11 +65,19 @@ const props = defineProps({
   // the hover is inert (no injected target, or no image to ground against).
   imageId: { type: Number, default: null },
 })
-defineEmits(['remove', 'rename', 'set-fandom', 'navigate'])
+defineEmits(['remove', 'rename', 'set-fandom', 'navigate', 'confirm'])
 
 const store = useTagStore()
 const api = useApi()
 
+// An auto-applied tag the operator hasn't confirmed yet — provisional (milestone
+// 139): it doesn't train the model and the retraction sweep can drop it. Shows
+// the "auto" badge + a Keep/confirm button. `source`/`confirmed` come from the
+// applied-tags payload (list_for_image / get_image_with_tags).
+const unconfirmedAuto = computed(() =>
+  AUTO_SOURCES.includes(props.tag.source) && !props.tag.confirmed
+)
+
 // #1206 Step 4: applied-tag grounding. `fcSuggestionHover` is provided by the
 // image viewer / Explore host (a no-op elsewhere). Applied tags aren't scored
 // live, so we fetch the winning region on demand and cache it per (image, tag).
@@ -120,4 +142,26 @@ function iconFor (k) { return KIND_ICONS[k] || 'mdi-tag' }
 .fc-tag-chip__kebab { opacity: 0.7; }
 .fc-tag-chip:hover .fc-tag-chip__kebab { opacity: 1; }
 .fc-tag-chip__fandom { opacity: 0.7; font-size: 0.85em; }
+/* "auto" = provisional (auto-applied, unconfirmed). Quiet pill inside the chip. */
+.fc-tag-chip__auto {
+  display: inline-block; vertical-align: middle; margin-left: 4px;
+  font-size: 9px; font-weight: 700;
+  text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.04em;
+  color: rgb(var(--v-theme-on-surface-variant));
+  background: rgb(var(--v-theme-surface-light));
+  border: 1px solid rgb(var(--v-theme-on-surface-variant), 0.3);
+  padding: 0 4px; border-radius: 999px;
+}
+/* Keep/confirm — a success-tinted check next to a provisional auto-tag. */
+.fc-tag-chip__confirm {
+  flex: 0 0 auto;
+  display: inline-flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;
+  width: 20px; height: 20px; border-radius: 50%;
+  border: none; background: transparent; cursor: pointer;
+  color: rgb(var(--v-theme-success));
+}
+.fc-tag-chip__confirm:hover { background: rgb(var(--v-theme-success), 0.14); }
+.fc-tag-chip__confirm:focus-visible {
+  outline: 2px solid rgb(var(--v-theme-success)); outline-offset: 1px;
+}
 </style>
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/modal/TagPanel.vue b/frontend/src/components/modal/TagPanel.vue
index e4e7a35..ec939e2 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/modal/TagPanel.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/components/modal/TagPanel.vue
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
         v-for="tag in host.current?.tags || []"
         :key="tag.id" :tag="tag" :image-id="host.currentImageId"
         @remove="onRemove" @rename="openRename" @set-fandom="openSetFandom"
-        @navigate="onNavigate"
+        @navigate="onNavigate" @confirm="onConfirm"
       />
       <span v-if="!host.current?.tags?.length" class="text-caption">No tags yet.</span>
     </div>
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@
 <script setup>
 import { ref } from 'vue'
 import { useRouter } from 'vue-router'
+import { useApi } from '../../composables/useApi.js'
 import { useModalStore } from '../../stores/modal.js'
 import { useSuggestionsStore } from '../../stores/suggestions.js'
 import TagChip from './TagChip.vue'
@@ -83,6 +84,7 @@ const modalStore = useModalStore()
 const host = props.host || modalStore
 const suggestions = useSuggestionsStore()
 const router = useRouter()
+const api = useApi()
 const errorMsg = ref(null)
 const tagInputRef = ref(null)
 
@@ -106,6 +108,18 @@ defineExpose({ focusTagInput })
 // Every tag mutation hands focus back to the input so the operator can keep
 // typing the next tag without re-clicking — matches the accept-suggestion flow
 // (operator-asked 2026-06-26; the Explore workspace leans on this hard).
+// Confirm/keep an auto-applied tag (milestone 139): records the affirmation so
+// the tag becomes a training positive AND is shielded from the retraction sweep,
+// then reloads so the chip drops its "auto" badge + Keep button.
+async function onConfirm(tag) {
+  errorMsg.value = null
+  try {
+    await api.post(`/api/images/${host.currentImageId}/tags/${tag.id}/confirm`)
+    await host.reloadTags()
+  }
+  catch (e) { errorMsg.value = e.message }
+}
+
 async function onRemove(tagId) {
   errorMsg.value = null
   try {
diff --git a/tests/test_api_tags.py b/tests/test_api_tags.py
index 00f3b83..25d1d00 100644
--- a/tests/test_api_tags.py
+++ b/tests/test_api_tags.py
@@ -141,6 +141,38 @@ async def test_applied_tag_grounding_returns_winning_region(client, db):
     assert body["grounding"]["kind"] == "concept"
 
 
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_applied_tags_expose_source_and_confirmed(client, db):
+    # The chip UI needs each applied tag's source (auto vs manual) + confirmed
+    # state to badge auto-tags and offer Keep/confirm (milestone 139).
+    from backend.app.models import TagPositiveConfirmation
+    from backend.app.models.tag import image_tag
+
+    img = ImageRecord(
+        path="/images/srcflag.jpg", sha256="sf" * 32, size_bytes=1,
+        mime="image/jpeg", width=1, height=1, origin="imported_filesystem",
+        integrity_status="unknown",
+    )
+    db.add(img)
+    await db.flush()
+    auto = await TagService(db).find_or_create("autotag", TagKind.general)
+    manual = await TagService(db).find_or_create("manualtag", TagKind.general)
+    await db.execute(image_tag.insert().values(
+        image_record_id=img.id, tag_id=auto.id, source="head_auto"))
+    await db.execute(image_tag.insert().values(
+        image_record_id=img.id, tag_id=manual.id, source="manual"))
+    db.add(TagPositiveConfirmation(image_record_id=img.id, tag_id=manual.id))
+    await db.commit()
+
+    resp = await client.get(f"/api/images/{img.id}/tags")
+    assert resp.status_code == 200
+    by_id = {t["id"]: t for t in await resp.get_json()}
+    assert by_id[auto.id]["source"] == "head_auto"
+    assert by_id[auto.id]["confirmed"] is False
+    assert by_id[manual.id]["source"] == "manual"
+    assert by_id[manual.id]["confirmed"] is True     # has a confirmation row
+
+
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_applied_tag_grounding_no_head(client, db):
     # A tag with no head can't be localized → has_head False, grounding null; the