diff --git a/.claude/settings.json b/.claude/settings.json
index f20ea4d..d8a3d47 100644
--- a/.claude/settings.json
+++ b/.claude/settings.json
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@
       "Bash(python -c \"import ast;[ast.parse\\(open\\(f,encoding='utf-8'\\).read\\(\\)\\) for f in ['app/enrollment/mailer.py','app/enrollment/schema.py']];print\\('parses OK'\\)\")",
       "Bash(python -c \"import ast;ast.parse\\(open\\('app/enrollment/mailer.py',encoding='utf-8'\\).read\\(\\)\\);print\\('parses OK'\\)\")",
       "Bash(grep -n \"\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\n\" app/enrollment/mailer.py)",
-      "Bash(git stash *)"
+      "Bash(git stash *)",
+      "Bash(python -c \"import ast;ast.parse\\(open\\('app/routes/auth.py',encoding='utf-8'\\).read\\(\\)\\);print\\('parses OK'\\)\")"
     ]
   }
 }
diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index 676165b..e0f5651 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -203,6 +203,8 @@ users: id, username (unique, indexed), full_name, email (unique, indexed),
 
 The two roles are distinguished by **display only**. `User.INSPECTOR_ROLES = ('inspector', 'external_inspector')` and the `User.is_inspector` property are the single definition — **every** capability/scoping check tests `is_inspector`, never `role == 'inspector'` (rule 87). `User.is_external_inspector` and `User.role_label` (backed by the `ROLE_LABELS` map) drive the "External" badges: users list, dashboard **Inspector Activity**, **Inspector Performance** report (HTML + the Excel export, where the name cell is suffixed `(External)` rather than gaining a column so the index-based cell styling stays correct), and every assignee dropdown (`(External)` suffix — issues create/update, issue-list quick-assign, inspection flag-issue).
 
+**Invited, not provisioned (Aug 2026).** An external inspector works outside the business, so an admin never sets their password. Creating one at `/auth/users/new` follows the customer invitation flow instead: the account is stored with `password_set=False` and a random placeholder hash, a 72-hour `set_password_token` is minted, and `customers._send_invite_email()` (reused unchanged — its copy already fits any invited account) sends a link to **`/customers/set-password/<token>`**, where they choose their own **username and password**. `login()` refuses `password_set=False` until they finish. `POST /auth/users/<id>/resend-invite` (admin-only) mints a fresh token and re-sends — without it a bounced or expired invitation would leave the account permanently unusable. The users list shows an **"Invite pending"** badge and the resend button while `password_set` is false. Every other role is unaffected: they are still created with an admin-set password, and `create_user()` now **rejects a blank password** for them rather than storing the hash of an empty string.
+
 Assignable (rule 80 set becomes `director`/`inspector`/`external_inspector`/`auditor`, plus `project_manager` on the inspection flag-issue dropdown), included in Inspector Performance and Inspector Activity, and has **mobile-API access** — `external_inspector` is in the `_ALLOWED_ROLES` of every `app/api/*` module and falls into the inspector branch of every scoping check there. It gets its **own Notification Matrix column** (`external_inspector`), whose defaults mirror the Inspector column (see §11).
 
 **`auditor` (Phase 40):** A staff role with the **same access as `project_manager`** (it is included in `@project_manager_required` and everywhere `project_manager` is checked) **plus full issue-management powers** — create, assign, quick-assign, handler/vendor triage, request-verification, and verify/bulk-verify/verification-queue (via the new `@issue_manager_required` decorator). **Auditor does NOT get issue deletion** (that stays admin/director via `@supervisor_required`), nor any other admin/director-only area PM lacks (users, audit trail, notification matrix, customers, templates). Auditors are **assignable** as an issue/inspection assignee; **admin was removed** from the assignable set at the same time (assignee dropdowns are now `director`/`inspector`/`auditor`, plus `project_manager` on the inspection flag-issue dropdown). The issue-update route defensively keeps any pre-existing out-of-set assignee (e.g. a legacy admin assignment) in the dropdown so saving never silently unassigns. Auditor **has mobile-API access** — it is included in the `_ALLOWED_ROLES` set of every `app/api/*` module (comments, inspections, issues, photos, scheduled, stats, templates), so the iPad app accepts auditor logins. In every API endpoint that scopes by role, auditor falls into the non-inspector/non-customer (privileged) branch — org-wide data, same as admin/director/PM.
diff --git a/app/routes/auth.py b/app/routes/auth.py
index 15444f8..677475a 100644
--- a/app/routes/auth.py
+++ b/app/routes/auth.py
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ def profile():
     form = ProfileForm(user=current_user, obj=current_user)
 
     if form.validate_on_submit():
-        current_user.full_name = form.full_name.data.strip() or None
+        current_user.full_name = (form.full_name.data or '').strip() or None
         current_user.email = form.email.data.strip().lower()
 
         if form.new_password.data:
@@ -282,20 +282,63 @@ def create_user():
 
     if form.validate_on_submit():
         role = 'inspector' if director_editing else form.role.data
+
+        # phase51 — an external inspector works for the customer or a third
+        # party, so we never set a password on their behalf. They are invited
+        # exactly like a customer: created with password_set=False (which the
+        # login route refuses until they finish), given a one-time token, and
+        # emailed a link to choose their own username and password.
+        invite = (role == 'external_inspector')
+
+        # UserForm.password is Optional() because the same form is used for
+        # EDIT, where blank means "keep current". On CREATE a blank password
+        # would otherwise store the hash of an empty string, so require one
+        # unless the account is being invited to choose their own.
+        if not invite and not form.password.data:
+            flash('Please set a password, or choose the External Inspector role '
+                  'to send an invitation instead.', 'danger')
+            return render_template('auth/user_form.html', form=form, user=None,
+                                   title='Create User',
+                                   director_editing=director_editing)
+
         user = User(
             username=form.username.data,
-            full_name=form.full_name.data.strip() or None,
+            full_name=(form.full_name.data or '').strip() or None,
             email=form.email.data.strip().lower(),
-            role=role
+            role=role,
+            password_set=not invite,
         )
-        user.set_password(form.password.data)
+        if invite:
+            # A random unguessable placeholder — password_set=False already
+            # blocks login, but never leave an account holding a known or
+            # empty-string hash.
+            user.set_password(secrets.token_hex(32))
+        else:
+            user.set_password(form.password.data)
         db.session.add(user)
+        db.session.flush()          # need user.id before minting the token
+
+        token = user.generate_set_password_token(expires_hours=72) if invite else None
         db.session.commit()
-        logger.info('AUTH | user_create | admin_id=%s admin=%s new_user=%s role=%s',
-                    current_user.id, current_user.username, user.username, user.role)
+
+        logger.info('AUTH | user_create | admin_id=%s admin=%s new_user=%s role=%s invite=%s',
+                    current_user.id, current_user.username, user.username,
+                    user.role, invite)
         log_action(ACTION_CREATE, 'User', user.id, user.username,
-                   f'role={user.role}; email={user.email}')
-        flash(f'User {user.username} created successfully.', 'success')
+                   f'role={user.role}; email={user.email}; invite_sent={invite}')
+
+        if invite:
+            # Reuses the customer invitation email — the copy ("an account has
+            # been created for you… set your password") is already correct for
+            # any invited account. Imported inside the function to keep the
+            # auth ↔ customers import graph acyclic.
+            from app.routes.customers import _send_invite_email
+            _send_invite_email(user, token, base_url=request.host_url)
+            flash(f'External inspector {user.display_name} created. An invitation '
+                  f'email has been sent to {user.email} with a link to set their '
+                  f'username and password.', 'success')
+        else:
+            flash(f'User {user.username} created successfully.', 'success')
         return redirect(url_for('auth.list_users'))
 
     return render_template('auth/user_form.html', form=form, title='Create User',
@@ -318,7 +361,7 @@ def edit_user(user_id):
 
     if form.validate_on_submit():
         user.username  = form.username.data
-        user.full_name = form.full_name.data.strip() or None
+        user.full_name = (form.full_name.data or '').strip() or None
         user.email     = form.email.data.strip().lower()
 
         if not director_editing:
@@ -339,6 +382,41 @@ def edit_user(user_id):
                            title='Edit User', director_editing=director_editing)
 
 
+@bp.route('/users/<int:user_id>/resend-invite', methods=['POST'])
+@login_required
+@admin_required
+def resend_invite(user_id):
+    """Re-send the set-password invitation for an account still awaiting setup.
+
+    Without this an invitation that bounces, is deleted or expires leaves the
+    account permanently unusable — password_set=False blocks login and only a
+    valid token can clear it. Mirrors customers.resend_invite for staff-side
+    accounts (currently only external inspectors are ever invited this way).
+    """
+    user = db.session.get(User, user_id)
+    if user is None:
+        abort(404)
+    if user.password_set:
+        flash(f'{user.display_name} has already completed their account setup.',
+              'info')
+        return redirect(url_for('auth.list_users'))
+
+    # A fresh token invalidates the previous link.
+    token = user.generate_set_password_token(expires_hours=72)
+    db.session.commit()
+
+    logger.info('AUTH | resend_invite | admin=%s user=%s',
+                current_user.username, user.username)
+    log_action(ACTION_UPDATE, 'User', user.id, user.username,
+               'invitation email resent')
+
+    from app.routes.customers import _send_invite_email
+    _send_invite_email(user, token, base_url=request.host_url)
+
+    flash(f'Invitation resent to {user.email}.', 'success')
+    return redirect(url_for('auth.list_users'))
+
+
 @bp.route('/users/<int:user_id>/assign-contracts', methods=['GET', 'POST'])
 @login_required
 @admin_required
diff --git a/app/templates/auth/user_form.html b/app/templates/auth/user_form.html
index 1d0658d..38ff652 100644
--- a/app/templates/auth/user_form.html
+++ b/app/templates/auth/user_form.html
@@ -79,7 +79,20 @@
                         </div>
                     </div>
 
-                    <div class="row">
+                    {# phase51 — an External Inspector is invited by email and chooses
+                       their own username and password, so the admin never sets one.
+                       The JS at the foot of this page swaps these two blocks when the
+                       role changes; the server decides independently of the JS. #}
+                    <div id="inviteNotice" class="alert alert-info d-none">
+                        <i class="bi bi-envelope me-1"></i>
+                        <strong>This account will be invited by email.</strong>
+                        External inspectors work outside the business, so we do not set
+                        a password for them. On save, an invitation is sent to the email
+                        address above with a link to choose their own username and
+                        password. The link is valid for 72 hours.
+                    </div>
+
+                    <div class="row" id="passwordFields">
                         <div class="col-md-6 mb-3">
                             {{ form.password.label(class="form-label") }}
                             {{ form.password(class="form-control", placeholder="Leave blank to keep current" if user else "") }}
@@ -127,4 +140,27 @@
         </div>
     </div>
 </div>
+
+<script>
+(function () {
+  'use strict';
+  var roleSel  = document.getElementById('role');
+  var pwBlock  = document.getElementById('passwordFields');
+  var notice   = document.getElementById('inviteNotice');
+  if (!roleSel || !pwBlock || !notice) return;   // director view has no role select
+
+  function sync() {
+    var invited = roleSel.value === 'external_inspector';
+    pwBlock.classList.toggle('d-none', invited);
+    notice.classList.toggle('d-none', !invited);
+    // Clear anything already typed so an invited account can never be created
+    // with an admin-chosen password sitting in the POST body.
+    if (invited) {
+      pwBlock.querySelectorAll('input').forEach(function (i) { i.value = ''; });
+    }
+  }
+  roleSel.addEventListener('change', sync);
+  sync();
+})();
+</script>
 {% endblock %}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/templates/auth/users.html b/app/templates/auth/users.html
index d7b5907..c7229d8 100644
--- a/app/templates/auth/users.html
+++ b/app/templates/auth/users.html
@@ -55,10 +55,17 @@
                         </td>
                         <td>{{ user.created_at.strftime('%Y-%m-%d') }}</td>
                         <td>
-                            {% if user.active %}
-                            <span class="badge bg-success">Active</span>
-                            {% else %}
+                            {% if not user.active %}
                             <span class="badge bg-secondary">Disabled</span>
+                            {% elif not user.password_set %}
+                            {# phase51 — invited but has not chosen a password yet;
+                               the login route refuses them until they do. #}
+                            <span class="badge bg-warning text-dark"
+                                  title="Invitation sent — this person has not set their password yet">
+                              <i class="bi bi-envelope"></i> Invite pending
+                            </span>
+                            {% else %}
+                            <span class="badge bg-success">Active</span>
                             {% endif %}
                         </td>
                         <td>
@@ -71,6 +78,17 @@
                                 <i class="bi bi-briefcase"></i>
                             </a>
                             {% endif %}
+                            {% if not user.password_set %}
+                            <form method="POST" action="{{ url_for('auth.resend_invite', user_id=user.id) }}"
+                                  class="d-inline"
+                                  onsubmit="return confirm('Resend the invitation email to {{ user.email }}? The previous link will stop working.');">
+                                <input type="hidden" name="csrf_token" value="{{ csrf_token() }}">
+                                <button type="submit" class="btn btn-sm btn-outline-warning"
+                                        title="Resend invitation email">
+                                    <i class="bi bi-envelope-arrow-up"></i>
+                                </button>
+                            </form>
+                            {% endif %}
                             {% if user.id != current_user.id %}
                             <form method="POST" action="{{ url_for('auth.toggle_active', user_id=user.id) }}" class="d-inline">
                                 <input type="hidden" name="csrf_token" value="{{ csrf_token() }}">