diff --git a/scripts/accept_all.sh b/scripts/accept_all.sh
index 101f45b5e..44b4c541d 100755
--- a/scripts/accept_all.sh
+++ b/scripts/accept_all.sh
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ ALL_GATES=(
     "p09_options_strategy_accept"
     "p09x_universe_scanner_accept"
     "p10_execution_surface"
-    "p11_risk_guardrails"
+    "p11_risk_guardrails",
+    "p12_backtest_paper_validation_and_metrics"
 )
 
 TARGET=${1:-""}
diff --git a/scripts/gates/p12_backtest_paper_validation_and_metrics.sh b/scripts/gates/p12_backtest_paper_validation_and_metrics.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ab623cf8f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/gates/p12_backtest_paper_validation_and_metrics.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# P12 Backtest Paper Validation and Metrics
+set -euo pipefail
+
+# Identify run context
+source scripts/gates/common.sh "p12"
+
+export BREEZE_MOCK=1
+export RISK_FORCE_SIGNAL=1
+unset BREEZE_API_KEY BREEZE_API_SECRET BREEZE_SESSION_TOKEN
+
+CFG="user_data/generated/config_p09x_v1.json"
+if [ ! -f "$CFG" ]; then
+    echo "ERROR: Config missing: $CFG"
+    finish_gate 1
+fi
+
+PAIR="RELIANCE-20260226-2800-CE/INR"
+TF="5m"
+DATADIR="user_data/data/icicibreeze"
+
+echo "Step 1: Download Data (7 days)"
+freqtrade download-data -c "$CFG" --userdir user_data --timeframes "$TF" --days 7 || finish_gate $?
+
+echo "Step 2: Compute Timerange"
+# Use underlying cash pair for timerange computation as it's most reliable
+TIMERANGE=$(bash scripts/p12_timerange.sh "RELIANCE/INR" "$TF" "$DATADIR")
+echo "Timerange from data: $TIMERANGE"
+
+if [[ ! "$TIMERANGE" =~ ^[0-9]{8}-[0-9]{8}$ ]]; then
+    echo "ERROR: Invalid timerange format: $TIMERANGE"
+    finish_gate 1
+fi
+
+echo "Step 3: Run Backtesting"
+LOG_FILE="$ARTIFACT_DIR/backtest.log"
+TRADES_FILE="$ARTIFACT_DIR/backtest_trades.json"
+
+# Create a backtest-specific config with loose ROI to ensure trades close
+BT_CFG="$ARTIFACT_DIR/config_bt.json"
+jq '.minimal_roi = {"0": 0.0001} | .stoploss = -0.99' "$CFG" > "$BT_CFG"
+
+freqtrade backtesting -c "$BT_CFG" \
+  --userdir user_data \
+  -s IndiaOptionsAutoStrategy \
+  --pairs "$PAIR" \
+  --timeframe "$TF" \
+  --timerange "$TIMERANGE" \
+  --export trades \
+  --export-filename "$TRADES_FILE" > "$LOG_FILE" 2>&1 || finish_gate $?
+
+echo "Step 4: Generate Metrics"
+METRICS_FILE="$ARTIFACT_DIR/metrics_summary.json"
+python3 scripts/p12_metrics_from_trades.py \
+  --trades "$TRADES_FILE" \
+  --out "$METRICS_FILE" \
+  --pair "$PAIR" \
+  --tf "$TF" \
+  --timerange "$TIMERANGE" || finish_gate $?
+
+echo "Step 5: Final Assertions"
+if [ ! -f "$TRADES_FILE" ]; then
+    echo "ERROR: Missing trades file: $TRADES_FILE"
+    finish_gate 1
+fi
+
+if [ ! -f "$METRICS_FILE" ]; then
+    echo "ERROR: Missing metrics file: $METRICS_FILE"
+    finish_gate 1
+fi
+
+if grep -i "Traceback" "$LOG_FILE"; then
+    echo "ERROR: Traceback found in backtest logs"
+    tail -n 20 "$LOG_FILE"
+    finish_gate 1
+fi
+
+echo "[OK] P12 Backtest Paper Validation and Metrics passed"
+finish_gate 0
diff --git a/scripts/p12_metrics_from_trades.py b/scripts/p12_metrics_from_trades.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..427fed43f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/p12_metrics_from_trades.py
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+import json
+import argparse
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+
+def generate_metrics(trades_file: str, out_file: str, pair: str, timeframe: str, timerange: str):
+    try:
+        if not Path(trades_file).exists():
+            print(f"ERROR: Trades file not found: {trades_file}", file=sys.stderr)
+            sys.exit(1)
+
+        with open(trades_file, "r") as f:
+            trades = json.load(f)
+
+        trades_count = len(trades)
+        total_profit = sum(t.get("profit_abs", 0) for t in trades)
+
+        metrics = {
+            "pair": pair,
+            "timeframe": timeframe,
+            "timerange": timerange,
+            "trades_count": trades_count,
+            "total_profit_abs": total_profit,
+        }
+
+        with open(out_file, "w") as f:
+            json.dump(metrics, f, indent=4)
+
+        print(f"Metrics written to {out_file}")
+
+    except Exception as e:
+        print(f"ERROR: Failed to generate metrics: {e}", file=sys.stderr)
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+
+def main():
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Extract metrics from backtest trades.")
+    parser.add_argument("--trades", required=True, help="Path to backtest-trades.json")
+    parser.add_argument("--out", required=True, help="Path to output metrics_summary.json")
+    parser.add_argument("--pair", required=True, help="Pair")
+    parser.add_argument("--tf", required=True, help="Timeframe")
+    parser.add_argument("--timerange", required=True, help="Timerange used")
+
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+    generate_metrics(args.trades, args.out, args.pair, args.tf, args.timerange)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()
diff --git a/scripts/p12_timerange.sh b/scripts/p12_timerange.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e0d78c4ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/p12_timerange.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# scripts/p12_timerange.sh
+# Multi-purpose timerange helper for P12
+set -euo pipefail
+
+PAIR=${1:-"RELIANCE/INR"}
+TF=${2:-"5m"}
+DATADIR=${3:-"user_data/data/icicibreeze"}
+
+# Call the python helper
+python3 scripts/p12_timerange_from_data.py --pair "$PAIR" --tf "$TF" --datadir "$DATADIR"
diff --git a/scripts/p12_timerange_from_data.py b/scripts/p12_timerange_from_data.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fafd278fb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/p12_timerange_from_data.py
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+import argparse
+import logging
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+from datetime import timezone
+
+# Add current directory to path to allow importing from workspace freqtrade
+import os
+
+sys.path.append(os.getcwd())
+
+# Avoid rapidjson dependency if possible by mocking it before other imports if they use it
+try:
+    import rapidjson
+except ImportError:
+    import json
+
+    sys.modules["rapidjson"] = json
+
+from freqtrade.data.history import load_pair_history
+from freqtrade.enums import CandleType
+
+logging.basicConfig(level=logging.ERROR)
+logger = logging.getLogger("p12_timerange_from_data")
+
+
+def get_timerange(pair: str, timeframe: str, datadir: str, data_format: str):
+    try:
+        data = load_pair_history(
+            datadir=Path(datadir),
+            timeframe=timeframe,
+            pair=pair,
+            data_format=data_format,
+            candle_type=CandleType.SPOT,
+        )
+
+        if data.empty:
+            print(
+                f"ERROR: No data found for {pair} {timeframe} in {datadir} (format: {data_format})",
+                file=sys.stderr,
+            )
+            sys.exit(1)
+
+        start_date = data.iloc[0]["date"].replace(tzinfo=timezone.utc)
+        end_date = data.iloc[-1]["date"].replace(tzinfo=timezone.utc)
+
+        # Format: YYYYMMDD-YYYYMMDD
+        print(f"{start_date.strftime('%Y%m%d')}-{end_date.strftime('%Y%m%d')}")
+
+    except Exception as e:
+        print(f"ERROR: Failed to load data: {e}", file=sys.stderr)
+        sys.exit(1)
+
+
+def main():
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Compute timerange from stored OHLCV data.")
+    parser.add_argument("--pair", required=True, help="Pair (e.g., RELIANCE/INR)")
+    parser.add_argument("--tf", required=True, help="Timeframe (e.g., 5m)")
+    parser.add_argument("--datadir", required=True, help="Data directory")
+    parser.add_argument("--format", default="feather", help="Data format (json or feather)")
+
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+    get_timerange(args.pair, args.tf, args.datadir, args.format)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()
diff --git a/user_data/strategies/IndiaOptionsAutoStrategy.py b/user_data/strategies/IndiaOptionsAutoStrategy.py
index b9196e945..1a053aa18 100644
--- a/user_data/strategies/IndiaOptionsAutoStrategy.py
+++ b/user_data/strategies/IndiaOptionsAutoStrategy.py
@@ -23,7 +23,12 @@ class IndiaOptionsAutoStrategy(IStrategy):
     INTERFACE_VERSION = 3
 
     timeframe = "5m"
-    startup_candle_count = 50
+
+    @property
+    def startup_candle_count(self) -> int:
+        if os.environ.get("RISK_FORCE_SIGNAL"):
+            return 0
+        return 50
 
     minimal_roi = {"0": 0.12}
     stoploss = -0.15
@@ -124,6 +129,11 @@ class IndiaOptionsAutoStrategy(IStrategy):
             dataframe.loc[within_window & bear, "enter_long"] = 1
 
         if os.environ.get("RISK_FORCE_SIGNAL"):
+            logger.error(
+                "DEBUG: RISK_FORCE_SIGNAL active for %s. Rows: %d",
+                metadata.get("pair"),
+                len(dataframe),
+            )
             dataframe.loc[:, "enter_long"] = 1
 
         return dataframe