diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5749108..6b10e8c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -472,10 +472,14 @@ The LLM Attack (option 12) uses Ollama to generate password candidates. Configur
 - **`ollamaModel`** — The Ollama model used for candidate generation (default: `qwen2.5:32b`). The LLM attack uses structured (JSON) output, so choose a model with good tool/JSON support.
 - **`ollamaNumCtx`** — Context window size for the model (default: `2048`).
 - **`ollamaTimeout`** — Seconds to wait for a generation response before giving up (default: `300`). Raise this if a large model is still loading into VRAM on the first request, which can otherwise exceed the timeout; hate_crack prints the elapsed timeout and this setting's name when it fires.
-- **`ollamaMaxSampleLines`** — Maximum number of lines drawn from the source wordlist and included in the LLM prompt when using **Wordlist** mode (default: `500`). Lines are sampled evenly across the whole file so the prompt reflects the wordlist's full character range rather than just the head. Set to a larger value if the model has a big context window (`ollamaNumCtx`) and you want richer coverage; set it lower to reduce prompt size and generation latency. Values ≤ 0 are treated as 500.
+- **`ollamaMaxSampleLines`** — Maximum number of lines drawn from the source file and included in the LLM prompt when using **Wordlist** or **Cracked passwords** mode (default: `500`). Lines are sampled evenly across the whole file so the prompt reflects the wordlist's full character range rather than just the head. Set to a larger value if the model has a big context window (`ollamaNumCtx`) and you want richer coverage; set it lower to reduce prompt size and generation latency. Values ≤ 0 are treated as 500.
 - The Ollama URL defaults to `http://localhost:11434` (override via the `OLLAMA_HOST` env var). Ensure Ollama is running and the model is pulled (`ollama pull qwen2.5:32b`) before using the LLM Attack — hate_crack no longer auto-pulls missing models.
 
-The attack offers two generation modes: **Target info** (company / industry / location) and **Wordlist** (derive denylist basewords from a sample wordlist).
+The attack offers three generation modes:
+
+1. **Target info** — company / industry / location; the model derives candidates from those details.
+2. **Wordlist** — derive basewords from a sample wordlist.
+3. **Cracked passwords** — feed the plaintexts already recovered this session (`<hashfile>.out`) back to the model so it can infer the target organization's own password conventions (basewords, seasons, years, suffixes, leetspeak) and generate *new* candidates in the same style. This option is only listed once at least one hash has been cracked; the sample is capped by `ollamaMaxSampleLines` exactly like Wordlist mode.
 
 ### Notifications (menu option 82)
 
@@ -825,6 +829,7 @@ Uses a local Ollama instance to generate password candidates for a capture-the-f
 * Requires a running Ollama instance (default: `http://localhost:11434`)
 * Configurable model and context window via `config.json` (see Ollama Configuration below)
 * Prompts for target company name, industry, and location
+* Alternatively derives basewords from a sample **wordlist**, or from the **cracked passwords** of the current session (`<hashfile>.out`) so the model mirrors the target organization's own password conventions and produces new candidates in that style (only offered once something has been cracked)
 
 #### OMEN Attack
 Uses the Ordered Markov ENumerator (OMEN) to train a statistical password model from a wordlist and generate password candidates. This attack learns patterns from known passwords and generates new candidates based on those patterns.
diff --git a/hate_crack/attacks.py b/hate_crack/attacks.py
index b63b17c..c6252e2 100644
--- a/hate_crack/attacks.py
+++ b/hate_crack/attacks.py
@@ -515,6 +515,12 @@ def ollama_attack(ctx: Any) -> None:
     print("\n\tLLM Attack")
     print("\t1. Target info (company / industry / location)")
     print("\t2. Wordlist (generate basewords from a sample wordlist)")
+    # Cracked-password mode is only offered when this session actually has
+    # plaintexts to learn from, matching _markov_pick_training_source.
+    out_path = f"{ctx.hcatHashFile}.out"
+    has_cracked = os.path.isfile(out_path) and os.path.getsize(out_path) > 0
+    if has_cracked:
+        print("\t3. Cracked passwords (current session)")
     choice = input("\n\tSelect generation mode: ").strip()
 
     if choice == "1":
@@ -532,6 +538,10 @@ def ollama_attack(ctx: Any) -> None:
         if not path:
             return
         ctx.hcatOllama(ctx.hcatHashType, ctx.hcatHashFile, "wordlist", path)
+    elif choice == "3" and has_cracked:
+        ctx.hcatOllama(ctx.hcatHashType, ctx.hcatHashFile, "cracked", out_path)
+    elif choice == "3":
+        print("\t[!] No cracked passwords yet — crack some hashes first.")
     else:
         print("\t[!] Invalid selection.")
 
diff --git a/hate_crack/llm.py b/hate_crack/llm.py
index 184d4b0..f4cf5f5 100644
--- a/hate_crack/llm.py
+++ b/hate_crack/llm.py
@@ -74,6 +74,37 @@ _WORDLIST_PROMPT = SystemPromptGenerator(
     ],
 )
 
+_CRACKED_PROMPT = SystemPromptGenerator(
+    background=[
+        "You are a security professional generating password candidates during an "
+        "authorized penetration test.",
+        "The passwords you are shown were already recovered from this specific "
+        "target organization, so they reveal that organization's real password "
+        "conventions.",
+    ],
+    steps=[
+        "Study the recovered plaintexts for the organization's conventions: "
+        "basewords, capitalization, seasons and months, years, separators, "
+        "suffixes, and leetspeak substitutions.",
+        "Infer the naming habits behind them (company and product names, local "
+        "sports teams, site or department names, keyboard walks).",
+        "Generate NEW candidates that follow the same conventions, varying the "
+        "basewords, years, and suffixes the organization clearly favours.",
+    ],
+    output_instructions=[
+        "Return only candidate passwords in the candidates list.",
+        "Do not repeat any password that appears in the input — those are already "
+        "cracked and retrying them is wasted work.",
+        "Do not include explanations, numbering, or duplicate entries.",
+    ],
+)
+
+_PROMPTS = {
+    "target": _TARGET_PROMPT,
+    "wordlist": _WORDLIST_PROMPT,
+    "cracked": _CRACKED_PROMPT,
+}
+
 
 def _build_request(mode: str, context_data: dict) -> str:
     """Build the natural-language request string for the given mode."""
@@ -93,6 +124,14 @@ def _build_request(mode: str, context_data: dict) -> str:
             "Here are sample passwords. Study their patterns and generate basewords "
             "for a denylist:\n" + sample
         )
+    if mode == "cracked":
+        sample = context_data.get("sample", "")
+        return (
+            "These passwords were already cracked from the target organization. "
+            "Study the conventions they reveal and generate as many NEW password "
+            "candidates as you can that follow the same conventions. Do not repeat "
+            "any of these:\n" + sample
+        )
     raise ValueError(f"Unknown LLM generation mode: {mode}")
 
 
@@ -121,7 +160,8 @@ def generate_candidates(
         OpenAI(base_url=f"{url}/v1", api_key="ollama", timeout=timeout),
         mode=instructor.Mode.JSON,
     )
-    prompt_generator = _TARGET_PROMPT if mode == "target" else _WORDLIST_PROMPT
+    # _build_request has already rejected unknown modes, so this lookup is safe.
+    prompt_generator = _PROMPTS[mode]
 
     agent = AtomicAgent[GenerationInput, PasswordCandidatesOutput](
         config=AgentConfig(
diff --git a/hate_crack/main.py b/hate_crack/main.py
index 2cce2d2..b0818eb 100755
--- a/hate_crack/main.py
+++ b/hate_crack/main.py
@@ -2055,6 +2055,74 @@ def hcatBandrel(hcatHashType, hcatHashFile):
         _run_hcat_cmd(cmd, attack_name="Bandrel", hash_file=hcatHashFile)
 
 
+def _sample_plaintext_file(path, cap, source_label="wordlist"):
+    """Return an evenly-spaced sample of usable plaintexts from ``path``.
+
+    ``cap`` is the maximum number of lines to keep (values <= 0 fall back to the
+    built-in default of 500).  ``source_label`` is used only in the progress and
+    error messages so callers can say "wordlist" or "cracked passwords".
+
+    Returns a list of plaintexts (possibly empty when the file has no usable
+    lines), or ``None`` if the file could not be read — in which case an error
+    has already been printed.
+    """
+    # Two-pass evenly-spaced sample: first count usable lines so we can
+    # stride-select across the whole file rather than taking a head slice.
+    # A head-only sample misses the pattern variation across large wordlists
+    # (e.g. rockyou.txt becomes more random further in).
+    try:
+        total_usable = 0
+        with open(path, "r", errors="ignore") as f:
+            for raw in f:
+                if _usable_plaintext(raw):
+                    total_usable += 1
+    except Exception as e:
+        print(f"Error reading {source_label}: {e}")
+        return None
+
+    # Invalid cap (zero or negative): fall back to the built-in default of 500.
+    if cap <= 0:
+        cap = 500
+
+    if total_usable <= cap:
+        # No capping needed — collect all usable lines.
+        try:
+            sampled: list[str] = []
+            with open(path, "r", errors="ignore") as f:
+                for raw in f:
+                    w = _usable_plaintext(raw)
+                    if w:
+                        sampled.append(w)
+        except Exception as e:
+            print(f"Error reading {source_label}: {e}")
+            return None
+        print(f"Loaded {len(sampled):,} passwords from {source_label}.")
+        return sampled
+
+    # Evenly-spaced sample: the k-th pick targets index floor(k * total / cap),
+    # which yields EXACTLY cap distinct indices spanning the full range for any
+    # 1 <= cap <= total_usable.
+    try:
+        pick_set = {(k * total_usable) // cap for k in range(cap)}
+        sampled = []
+        usable_idx = 0
+        with open(path, "r", errors="ignore") as f:
+            for raw in f:
+                w = _usable_plaintext(raw)
+                if not w:
+                    continue
+                if usable_idx in pick_set:
+                    sampled.append(w)
+                usable_idx += 1
+    except Exception as e:
+        print(f"Error reading {source_label}: {e}")
+        return None
+    print(
+        f"Sampled {len(sampled):,} of {total_usable:,} passwords from {source_label}."
+    )
+    return sampled
+
+
 # LLM Ollama Attack
 def hcatOllama(hcatHashType, hcatHashFile, mode, context_data):
     candidates_path = f"{hcatHashFile}.ollama_candidates"
@@ -2066,60 +2134,29 @@ def hcatOllama(hcatHashType, hcatHashFile, mode, context_data):
             print(f"Error: Wordlist not found: {wordlist_path}")
             return
 
-        # Two-pass evenly-spaced sample: first count usable lines so we can
-        # stride-select across the whole file rather than taking a head slice.
-        # A head-only sample misses the pattern variation across large wordlists
-        # (e.g. rockyou.txt becomes more random further in).
-        try:
-            total_usable = 0
-            with open(wordlist_path, "r", errors="ignore") as f:
-                for raw in f:
-                    if _usable_plaintext(raw):
-                        total_usable += 1
-        except Exception as e:
-            print(f"Error reading wordlist: {e}")
+        sampled = _sample_plaintext_file(wordlist_path, ollamaMaxSampleLines)
+        if sampled is None:
+            return
+        gen_context = {"sample": "\n".join(sampled)}
+    elif mode == "cracked":
+        # context_data may carry an explicit path; default to this session's
+        # cracked-output file.
+        cracked_path = context_data or f"{hcatHashFile}.out"
+        if not os.path.isfile(cracked_path):
+            print(f"Error: No cracked passwords found: {cracked_path}")
             return
 
-        cap = ollamaMaxSampleLines
-        # Invalid cap (zero or negative): fall back to the built-in default of 500.
-        if cap <= 0:
-            cap = 500
-        if total_usable <= cap:
-            # No capping needed — collect all usable lines.
-            try:
-                sampled: list[str] = []
-                with open(wordlist_path, "r", errors="ignore") as f:
-                    for raw in f:
-                        w = _usable_plaintext(raw)
-                        if w:
-                            sampled.append(w)
-            except Exception as e:
-                print(f"Error reading wordlist: {e}")
-                return
-            print(f"Loaded {len(sampled):,} passwords from wordlist.")
-        else:
-            # Evenly-spaced sample: the k-th pick targets index floor(k * total / cap),
-            # which yields EXACTLY cap distinct indices spanning the full range for any
-            # 1 <= cap <= total_usable.
-            try:
-                pick_set = {
-                    (k * total_usable) // cap for k in range(cap)
-                }
-                sampled = []
-                usable_idx = 0
-                with open(wordlist_path, "r", errors="ignore") as f:
-                    for raw in f:
-                        w = _usable_plaintext(raw)
-                        if not w:
-                            continue
-                        if usable_idx in pick_set:
-                            sampled.append(w)
-                        usable_idx += 1
-            except Exception as e:
-                print(f"Error reading wordlist: {e}")
-                return
-            print(f"Sampled {len(sampled):,} of {total_usable:,} passwords from wordlist.")
-
+        sampled = _sample_plaintext_file(
+            cracked_path, ollamaMaxSampleLines, source_label="cracked passwords"
+        )
+        if sampled is None:
+            return
+        if not sampled:
+            print(
+                "Error: No cracked passwords yet — crack some hashes first, then "
+                "use this mode to generate more candidates in the same style."
+            )
+            return
         gen_context = {"sample": "\n".join(sampled)}
     elif mode == "target":
         gen_context = context_data
diff --git a/tests/test_attacks_behavior.py b/tests/test_attacks_behavior.py
index 2ce1bab..edee3aa 100644
--- a/tests/test_attacks_behavior.py
+++ b/tests/test_attacks_behavior.py
@@ -394,3 +394,65 @@ class TestOllamaAttack:
         with patch("builtins.input", side_effect=["2", "nonsense"]):
             ollama_attack(ctx)
         ctx.hcatOllama.assert_not_called()
+
+    def test_cracked_mode_offered_when_out_file_has_content(
+        self, tmp_path: Path, capsys
+    ) -> None:
+        hash_file = tmp_path / "hashes.txt"
+        hash_file.touch()
+        out_file = tmp_path / "hashes.txt.out"
+        out_file.write_text("hash:Summer2024!\n")
+        ctx = _make_ctx(hash_file=str(hash_file))
+
+        with patch("builtins.input", side_effect=["3"]):
+            ollama_attack(ctx)
+
+        assert "3. Cracked passwords" in capsys.readouterr().out
+        ctx.hcatOllama.assert_called_once_with(
+            ctx.hcatHashType, str(hash_file), "cracked", str(out_file)
+        )
+
+    def test_cracked_mode_not_offered_when_out_file_missing(
+        self, tmp_path: Path, capsys
+    ) -> None:
+        hash_file = tmp_path / "hashes.txt"
+        hash_file.touch()
+        ctx = _make_ctx(hash_file=str(hash_file))
+
+        with patch("builtins.input", side_effect=["3"]):
+            ollama_attack(ctx)
+
+        out = capsys.readouterr().out
+        assert "3. Cracked passwords" not in out
+        assert "No cracked passwords yet" in out
+        ctx.hcatOllama.assert_not_called()
+
+    def test_cracked_mode_not_offered_when_out_file_empty(
+        self, tmp_path: Path, capsys
+    ) -> None:
+        hash_file = tmp_path / "hashes.txt"
+        hash_file.touch()
+        (tmp_path / "hashes.txt.out").touch()  # exists but zero bytes
+        ctx = _make_ctx(hash_file=str(hash_file))
+
+        with patch("builtins.input", side_effect=["3"]):
+            ollama_attack(ctx)
+
+        out = capsys.readouterr().out
+        assert "3. Cracked passwords" not in out
+        assert "No cracked passwords yet" in out
+        ctx.hcatOllama.assert_not_called()
+
+    def test_target_and_wordlist_modes_unaffected_by_cracked_option(
+        self, tmp_path: Path
+    ) -> None:
+        """Existing modes still work when a cracked file is present."""
+        hash_file = tmp_path / "hashes.txt"
+        hash_file.touch()
+        (tmp_path / "hashes.txt.out").write_text("hash:Summer2024!\n")
+        ctx = _make_ctx(hash_file=str(hash_file))
+
+        with patch("builtins.input", side_effect=["1", "ACME", "tech", "NYC"]):
+            ollama_attack(ctx)
+
+        assert ctx.hcatOllama.call_args[0][2] == "target"
diff --git a/tests/test_hcat_ollama.py b/tests/test_hcat_ollama.py
index 7786535..95b0a5a 100644
--- a/tests/test_hcat_ollama.py
+++ b/tests/test_hcat_ollama.py
@@ -228,3 +228,89 @@ def test_unknown_mode_prints_error(ollama_env, capsys):
     captured = capsys.readouterr()
     assert "Unknown LLM generation mode" in captured.out
     gen.assert_not_called()
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# cracked mode
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def test_cracked_mode_samples_out_file(ollama_env):
+    """cracked mode reads <hashfile>.out and passes the plaintexts as the sample."""
+    with open(f"{ollama_env.hash_file}.out", "w") as f:
+        f.write("aad3b435:Summer2024!\nbbccddee:Acme2023\n")
+
+    with ollama_globals(ollama_env.tmp_path), \
+         mock.patch("hate_crack.main.llm.generate_candidates",
+                    return_value=["Winter2025!"]) as gen, \
+         mock.patch("subprocess.Popen", return_value=_make_proc()):
+        hc_main.hcatOllama("1000", ollama_env.hash_file, "cracked", None)
+
+    args = gen.call_args[0]
+    assert args[3] == "cracked"
+    sample = args[4]["sample"].splitlines()
+    assert sample == ["Summer2024!", "Acme2023"]
+    # Hash portions must not leak into the prompt.
+    assert "aad3b435" not in args[4]["sample"]
+
+
+def test_cracked_mode_accepts_explicit_path(ollama_env):
+    """An explicit path in context_data is honoured (what attacks.py passes)."""
+    out_path = f"{ollama_env.hash_file}.out"
+    with open(out_path, "w") as f:
+        f.write("hash:Falcons2024\n")
+
+    with ollama_globals(ollama_env.tmp_path), \
+         mock.patch("hate_crack.main.llm.generate_candidates",
+                    return_value=["Falcons2025"]) as gen, \
+         mock.patch("subprocess.Popen", return_value=_make_proc()):
+        hc_main.hcatOllama("1000", ollama_env.hash_file, "cracked", out_path)
+
+    assert "Falcons2024" in gen.call_args[0][4]["sample"]
+
+
+def test_cracked_mode_missing_out_file_prints_error(ollama_env, capsys):
+    with ollama_globals(ollama_env.tmp_path), \
+         mock.patch("hate_crack.main.llm.generate_candidates") as gen, \
+         mock.patch("subprocess.Popen") as popen:
+        hc_main.hcatOllama("0", ollama_env.hash_file, "cracked", None)
+    captured = capsys.readouterr()
+    assert "No cracked passwords found" in captured.out
+    gen.assert_not_called()
+    popen.assert_not_called()
+
+
+def test_cracked_mode_empty_out_file_prints_error(ollama_env, capsys):
+    """An existing but empty/blank .out must abort before calling the LLM."""
+    with open(f"{ollama_env.hash_file}.out", "w") as f:
+        f.write("\n   \n")
+
+    with ollama_globals(ollama_env.tmp_path), \
+         mock.patch("hate_crack.main.llm.generate_candidates") as gen, \
+         mock.patch("subprocess.Popen") as popen:
+        hc_main.hcatOllama("0", ollama_env.hash_file, "cracked", None)
+    captured = capsys.readouterr()
+    assert "No cracked passwords yet" in captured.out
+    gen.assert_not_called()
+    popen.assert_not_called()
+
+
+def test_cracked_mode_writes_candidates_to_separate_file(ollama_env):
+    """The candidate file must be distinct from the .out file it samples."""
+    out_path = f"{ollama_env.hash_file}.out"
+    with open(out_path, "w") as f:
+        f.write("hash:Summer2024!\n")
+
+    with ollama_globals(ollama_env.tmp_path), \
+         mock.patch("hate_crack.main.llm.generate_candidates",
+                    return_value=["Winter2025!"]), \
+         mock.patch("subprocess.Popen", return_value=_make_proc()):
+        hc_main.hcatOllama("1000", ollama_env.hash_file, "cracked", None)
+
+    candidates_path = f"{ollama_env.hash_file}.ollama_candidates"
+    assert candidates_path != out_path
+    with open(candidates_path) as f:
+        assert f.read().splitlines() == ["Winter2025!"]
+    # The sampled source file is untouched by candidate writing.
+    with open(out_path) as f:
+        assert f.read() == "hash:Summer2024!\n"
diff --git a/tests/test_llm.py b/tests/test_llm.py
index f34b3b8..70c58ed 100644
--- a/tests/test_llm.py
+++ b/tests/test_llm.py
@@ -70,6 +70,71 @@ def test_wordlist_mode_includes_sample_in_request():
     assert "letmein" in run_arg.request
 
 
+def test_cracked_mode_includes_sample_in_request():
+    p_instr, p_openai, p_agent, agent_cls, agent_instance = _patch_agent(["Winter2025!"])
+    with p_instr, p_openai, p_agent:
+        out = llm.generate_candidates(
+            "http://localhost:11434",
+            "qwen2.5:32b",
+            2048,
+            "cracked",
+            {"sample": "Summer2024!\nAcme2023\nP@ssw0rd1"},
+        )
+    assert out == ["Winter2025!"]
+    run_arg = agent_instance.run.call_args[0][0]
+    assert "Acme2023" in run_arg.request
+    # The request must tell the model not to regenerate what is already cracked.
+    assert "NEW" in run_arg.request
+    assert "Do not repeat" in run_arg.request
+
+
+def test_cracked_mode_uses_its_own_prompt_not_the_denylist_one():
+    """cracked mode must select _CRACKED_PROMPT, never the denylist _WORDLIST_PROMPT."""
+    p_instr, p_openai, p_agent, agent_cls, agent_instance = _patch_agent(["x"])
+    with p_instr, p_openai, p_agent:
+        llm.generate_candidates(
+            "http://localhost:11434", "qwen2.5:32b", 2048,
+            "cracked", {"sample": "Summer2024!"},
+        )
+    config = agent_cls.__getitem__.return_value.call_args.kwargs["config"]
+    assert config.system_prompt_generator is llm._CRACKED_PROMPT
+    assert config.system_prompt_generator is not llm._WORDLIST_PROMPT
+
+
+def test_wordlist_mode_still_uses_wordlist_prompt():
+    p_instr, p_openai, p_agent, agent_cls, agent_instance = _patch_agent(["x"])
+    with p_instr, p_openai, p_agent:
+        llm.generate_candidates(
+            "http://localhost:11434", "qwen2.5:32b", 2048,
+            "wordlist", {"sample": "password"},
+        )
+    config = agent_cls.__getitem__.return_value.call_args.kwargs["config"]
+    assert config.system_prompt_generator is llm._WORDLIST_PROMPT
+
+
+def test_target_mode_still_uses_target_prompt():
+    p_instr, p_openai, p_agent, agent_cls, agent_instance = _patch_agent(["x"])
+    with p_instr, p_openai, p_agent:
+        llm.generate_candidates(
+            "http://localhost:11434", "qwen2.5:32b", 2048,
+            "target", {"company": "X", "industry": "Y", "location": "Z"},
+        )
+    config = agent_cls.__getitem__.return_value.call_args.kwargs["config"]
+    assert config.system_prompt_generator is llm._TARGET_PROMPT
+
+
+def test_cracked_prompt_is_offensive_not_denylist():
+    """_CRACKED_PROMPT's objective is candidate generation, not denylist building."""
+    rendered = llm._CRACKED_PROMPT.generate_prompt()
+    assert "denylist" not in rendered.lower()
+    assert "authorized penetration test" in rendered.lower()
+    assert "already recovered" in rendered.lower()
+
+
+def test_prompts_map_covers_every_supported_mode():
+    assert set(llm._PROMPTS) == {"target", "wordlist", "cracked"}
+
+
 def test_dedupes_and_caps_length():
     long_pw = "A" * 129
     p_instr, p_openai, p_agent, agent_cls, agent_instance = _patch_agent(
diff --git a/tests/test_ollama_wordlist_sampling.py b/tests/test_ollama_wordlist_sampling.py
index b123247..d4e193a 100644
--- a/tests/test_ollama_wordlist_sampling.py
+++ b/tests/test_ollama_wordlist_sampling.py
@@ -373,3 +373,89 @@ def test_usable_plaintext_multiple_colons():
 def test_usable_plaintext_hash_colon_empty():
     """A hash: line with no plaintext after the colon returns empty string."""
     assert hc_main._usable_plaintext("aabbcc:") == ""
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Shared sampling helper — used by both wordlist and cracked modes
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def test_sample_helper_is_module_level():
+    """The sampling logic lives in one shared, module-level helper."""
+    assert callable(hc_main._sample_plaintext_file)
+
+
+def test_sample_helper_caps_and_labels_source(tmp_path, capsys):
+    src = tmp_path / "src.txt"
+    src.write_text("\n".join(f"p{i:04d}" for i in range(100)) + "\n")
+
+    sampled = hc_main._sample_plaintext_file(str(src), 10, source_label="cracked passwords")
+
+    assert sampled is not None
+    assert len(sampled) == 10
+    captured = capsys.readouterr()
+    assert "Sampled 10 of 100 passwords from cracked passwords." in captured.out
+
+
+def test_sample_helper_returns_none_on_read_error(tmp_path, capsys):
+    missing = tmp_path / "nope.txt"
+    with mock.patch("builtins.open", side_effect=OSError("boom")):
+        assert hc_main._sample_plaintext_file(str(missing), 10) is None
+    assert "Error reading wordlist: boom" in capsys.readouterr().out
+
+
+def test_sample_helper_empty_file_returns_empty_list(tmp_path):
+    src = tmp_path / "empty.txt"
+    src.write_text("\n\n")
+    assert hc_main._sample_plaintext_file(str(src), 10) == []
+
+
+def test_cracked_mode_uses_shared_sampling_helper(env):
+    """cracked mode must route through _sample_plaintext_file, not its own copy."""
+    out_path = env.hash_file + ".out"
+    with open(out_path, "w") as f:
+        f.write("hash:Summer2024!\n")
+
+    with _ollama_globals(env.tmp_path, max_sample=123), mock.patch.object(
+        hc_main, "_sample_plaintext_file", return_value=["Summer2024!"]
+    ) as sampler, mock.patch.object(
+        hc_main.llm, "generate_candidates", return_value=["Winter2025!"]
+    ), mock.patch("subprocess.Popen", return_value=_make_proc()):
+        hc_main.hcatOllama("0", env.hash_file, "cracked", None)
+
+    sampler.assert_called_once_with(
+        out_path, 123, source_label="cracked passwords"
+    )
+
+
+def test_wordlist_mode_uses_shared_sampling_helper(env):
+    wl = env.tmp_path / "wl.txt"
+    wl.write_text("alpha\n")
+
+    with _ollama_globals(env.tmp_path, max_sample=77), mock.patch.object(
+        hc_main, "_sample_plaintext_file", return_value=["alpha"]
+    ) as sampler, mock.patch.object(
+        hc_main.llm, "generate_candidates", return_value=["x"]
+    ), mock.patch("subprocess.Popen", return_value=_make_proc()):
+        hc_main.hcatOllama("0", env.hash_file, "wordlist", str(wl))
+
+    sampler.assert_called_once_with(str(wl), 77)
+
+
+def test_cracked_mode_caps_large_out_file(env, capsys):
+    """A large .out file gets the same evenly-spaced capping as a wordlist."""
+    out_path = env.hash_file + ".out"
+    with open(out_path, "w") as f:
+        f.write("\n".join(f"h{i}:pw{i:06d}" for i in range(1000)) + "\n")
+
+    with _ollama_globals(env.tmp_path, max_sample=25), mock.patch.object(
+        hc_main.llm, "generate_candidates", return_value=["x"]
+    ) as gen, mock.patch("subprocess.Popen", return_value=_make_proc()):
+        hc_main.hcatOllama("0", env.hash_file, "cracked", None)
+
+    sample_lines = gen.call_args[0][4]["sample"].splitlines()
+    assert len(sample_lines) == 25
+    indices = [int(w.replace("pw", "")) for w in sample_lines]
+    assert min(indices) < 100
+    assert max(indices) >= 900
+    assert "Sampled 25 of 1,000 passwords from cracked passwords." in capsys.readouterr().out