diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 87630e1..d77e051 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ Template-Only-Subset + set_tag + container declaration.
 - `list_by_template(id)`, `list_by_tag(tag)`
 - `destroy(entity)`
 - `set_tag(entity, tag, present)` — v0.2: runtime tag add/remove
+- `get_container(entity)` — v0.2: read back the container block from entity's template
 
 **Deferred (Loud-Error if attempted):**
 - `slots` block → Phase D trigger (Composite Items with Sub-Items)
@@ -180,6 +181,15 @@ when items move between world and inventory.
 destroys via `engine.entity.destroy`. Idempotent. If entity wasn't
 composition-created, falls through to `entity.destroy`.
 
+### `composition.get_container(entity)`
+
+**Syntax:** `composition.get_container(entity) -> table or nil`
+
+**Description:** Returns the `container` block from the entity's template
+(e.g. `{kind="list"}`), or `nil` if the template declared no `container`
+block. Loud-Error if `entity` was not created by composition. Used by
+`lib-core.inventory-list` to validate container entities at runtime.
+
 ### `composition.list_templates()`
 
 **Syntax:** `composition.list_templates() -> {id, ...}`
diff --git a/init.lua b/init.lua
index 2a5b4a5..027373b 100644
--- a/init.lua
+++ b/init.lua
@@ -427,4 +427,21 @@ function M.list_templates()
     return out
 end
 
+-- Returns the container block from the entity's template, or nil if the
+-- template declared no container block. Loud-Error if entity was not
+-- created by composition.
+function M.get_container(target_entity)
+    local reg_id = target_entity and target_entity:get_property("composition.reg_id")
+    if not reg_id or reg_id == 0 then
+        error("composition.get_container: entity was not created by composition")
+    end
+    local meta = entity_meta[reg_id]
+    if not meta then
+        error("composition.get_container: entity was not created by composition")
+    end
+    local tpl = templates[meta.template_id]
+    if not tpl then return nil end
+    return tpl.container  -- nil when not declared
+end
+
 return M