diff --git a/cldk/analysis/typescript/neo4j/reconstruct.py b/cldk/analysis/typescript/neo4j/reconstruct.py
index 986e503..8c68765 100644
--- a/cldk/analysis/typescript/neo4j/reconstruct.py
+++ b/cldk/analysis/typescript/neo4j/reconstruct.py
@@ -173,11 +173,12 @@ def enum_member(name: str, value: str | None) -> TSEnumMember:
 
 
 def external(props: Props) -> TSExternalSymbol:
+    # Slim by design (#231): the model carries name+module only. The graph node's
+    # ``signature`` is its merge key and becomes the ``external_symbols`` map key at the
+    # call site; ``kind`` does not exist in the analyzer's published Neo4j schema.
     return TSExternalSymbol(
-        signature=props.get("signature", ""),
         name=props.get("name", ""),
         module=props.get("module", ""),
-        kind=props.get("kind", "unknown"),
     )
 
 
diff --git a/tests/analysis/typescript/test_typescript_external_reconstruct.py b/tests/analysis/typescript/test_typescript_external_reconstruct.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..016a308
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/analysis/typescript/test_typescript_external_reconstruct.py
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+################################################################################
+# Copyright IBM Corporation 2024, 2025
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+################################################################################
+
+"""Regression tests for #231: reconstructing External (phantom) nodes from Neo4j
+properties must conform to the slim TSExternalSymbol model (name + module only) —
+the graph node legitimately carries signature/kind properties, and the
+reconstructor must not forward them into an extra='forbid' model."""
+
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
+from cldk.analysis.typescript.neo4j import reconstruct as R
+from cldk.analysis.typescript.neo4j.neo4j_backend import TSNeo4jBackend
+from cldk.models.typescript import TSExternalSymbol
+
+
+def test_external_reconstructs_from_full_graph_props():
+    """A real External node's property bag (signature, kind, _module included) reconstructs."""
+    sym = R.external(
+        {
+            "signature": "commander.parse",
+            "name": "parse",
+            "module": "commander",
+            "kind": "external",
+            "_module": "app",
+        }
+    )
+    assert isinstance(sym, TSExternalSymbol)
+    assert sym.name == "parse"
+    assert sym.module == "commander"
+
+
+def test_external_reconstructs_with_empty_signature():
+    """The reported repro: an empty-signature External node must not raise."""
+    sym = R.external({"signature": "", "name": "", "module": "", "kind": "unknown"})
+    assert isinstance(sym, TSExternalSymbol)
+
+
+def test_get_external_symbols_end_to_end_via_stubbed_run():
+    """Backend-level: get_external_symbols reconstructs every returned row, keyed by signature."""
+    rows = [
+        {"p": {"signature": "commander.parse", "name": "parse", "module": "commander", "kind": "external"}},
+        {"p": {"signature": "fs.readFileSync", "name": "readFileSync", "module": "fs", "kind": "external"}},
+    ]
+    backend = TSNeo4jBackend.__new__(TSNeo4jBackend)
+    backend._modules = ["app"]
+    with patch.object(TSNeo4jBackend, "_run", return_value=rows):
+        out = backend.get_external_symbols()
+    assert set(out) == {"commander.parse", "fs.readFileSync"}
+    assert out["commander.parse"].module == "commander"