diff --git a/nb-vectordata/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/vectordata/binding/PredicateBinder.java b/nb-vectordata/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/vectordata/binding/PredicateBinder.java
index bf75a5840..2d32cc9e9 100644
--- a/nb-vectordata/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/vectordata/binding/PredicateBinder.java
+++ b/nb-vectordata/src/main/java/io/nosqlbench/vectordata/binding/PredicateBinder.java
@@ -70,6 +70,11 @@ public final class PredicateBinder {
     /// The conditions, in order. Read once, to build the filter.
     public List<Condition> conditions() { return conditions; }
 
+    /// The shape this binder was compiled against, in the display
+    /// grammar with every comparand replaced by its type default — the
+    /// identity a caller keys one binder per shape by.
+    public String shape() { return shape.display(); }
+
     /// Receives one condition's comparands from a bound predicate.
     @FunctionalInterface
     public interface ConditionSink { void accept(Condition condition, List<Comparand> comparands); }
@@ -91,9 +96,17 @@ public final class PredicateBinder {
         // template cannot make an MNode into a predicate.
         if (!(node instanceof ANode.P p))
             throw BindException.record("this record is not a predicate — its dialect byte says MNode, and a form does not override what a record is");
-        if (!p.node().isCongruent(shape))
+        bindEach(p.node(), sink);
+    }
+
+    /// Binds one already-decoded predicate, for a caller that decoded
+    /// the record itself — to read its fingerprint and choose the
+    /// binder, say — so the node is not decoded twice. The shape check
+    /// is the same.
+    public void bindEach(PNode predicate, ConditionSink sink) {
+        if (!predicate.isCongruent(shape))
             throw BindException.record("this predicate's shape differs from the one this binder was compiled against; its values would bind to the wrong conditions");
-        List<Scan.FlatCondition> flat = Scan.flattenAnd(p.node());
+        List<Scan.FlatCondition> flat = Scan.flattenAnd(predicate);
         if (flat == null) throw BindException.record("predicate is not a flat conjunction");
         for (int i = 0; i < conditions.size() && i < flat.size(); i++) sink.accept(conditions.get(i), flat.get(i).comparands());
     }
diff --git a/nb-vectordata/src/test/java/io/nosqlbench/vectordata/RecordBindingTest.java b/nb-vectordata/src/test/java/io/nosqlbench/vectordata/RecordBindingTest.java
index 306b61ebf..398e32244 100644
--- a/nb-vectordata/src/test/java/io/nosqlbench/vectordata/RecordBindingTest.java
+++ b/nb-vectordata/src/test/java/io/nosqlbench/vectordata/RecordBindingTest.java
@@ -374,6 +374,24 @@ class RecordBindingTest {
         assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("flat conjunction"), e.getMessage());
     }
 
+    /// A caller that decoded the record itself — to read its fingerprint
+    /// and pick one binder per shape — binds the node directly, with the
+    /// same shape check, and the binder names the shape it was compiled
+    /// against.
+    @Test void aDecodedPredicateBindsWithoutASecondDecode() throws IOException {
+        Layout layout = typedLayout("decoded");
+        PNode template = and(pred("created", OpType.GE, new Comparand.Int(0)), pred("tag", OpType.EQ, new Comparand.Text("")));
+        PredicateBinder binder = PredicateBinder.compile(template, layout);
+        assertEquals("(created >= 0 AND tag = '')", binder.shape());
+        PNode actual = and(pred("created", OpType.GE, new Comparand.Int(7)), pred("tag", OpType.EQ, new Comparand.Text("red")));
+        assertEquals(binder.shape(), actual.fingerprint().display(), "the same shape keys the same binder");
+        List<Comparand> bound = new ArrayList<>();
+        binder.bindEach(actual, (cond, cs) -> bound.add(cs.get(0)));
+        assertEquals(List.of(new Comparand.Int(7), new Comparand.Text("red")), bound);
+        PNode other = pred("id", OpType.EQ, new Comparand.Int(1));
+        assertTrue(assertThrows(BindException.class, () -> binder.bindEach(other, (c, cs) -> { })).getMessage().contains("shape differs"));
+    }
+
     // ── error paths and the small surface ──────────────────────────
 
     /// A facet with no records has no layout to learn, and says so