diff --git a/crates/frontend-promql/src/promql.rs b/crates/frontend-promql/src/promql.rs
index 822987f2..424666aa 100644
--- a/crates/frontend-promql/src/promql.rs
+++ b/crates/frontend-promql/src/promql.rs
@@ -731,7 +731,7 @@ fn walk_histogram_quantiles(call: &Call) -> Result<Unresolved> {
     let sketchable = histogram_arg_is_sketchable(vec_expr);
     let branches = (2..call.args.args.len())
         .map(|i| {
-            let phi = quantile_param(num_arg(call, i)?)?;
+            let phi = bounded_quantile_param(num_arg(call, i)?)?;
             let intent = if sketchable {
                 AggIntent::Quantile {
                     col: None,
@@ -2010,10 +2010,14 @@ fn ratio_param(agg: &AggregateExpr) -> Result<f64> {
     Ok(r.clamp(-1.0, 1.0))
 }
 
-/// Quantile φ — must be a finite value in `[0, 1]`. Rejects NaN/∞ and
-/// out-of-range φ (which would otherwise propagate into a bogus intent and
-/// output-column name like `quantile_NaN`).
+/// Preserve the full Prometheus quantile parameter domain, including special values.
 fn quantile_param(q: f64) -> Result<f64> {
+    // Prometheus returns NaN/-Inf/+Inf for these parameters at execution time.
+    Ok(q)
+}
+
+// The non-standard histogram_quantiles extension keeps its bounded label contract.
+fn bounded_quantile_param(q: f64) -> Result<f64> {
     if q.is_finite() && (0.0..=1.0).contains(&q) {
         Ok(q)
     } else {
diff --git a/crates/frontend-promql/tests/promql_binding_regressions.rs b/crates/frontend-promql/tests/promql_binding_regressions.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..97d177f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/frontend-promql/tests/promql_binding_regressions.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+use asap_frontend_promql::lower_promql;
+use asap_types::types::AccuracyTarget;
+
+/// Prometheus treats these quantile parameters as valid queries returning special values.
+#[test]
+fn quantile_parameters_retain_prometheus_special_value_semantics() {
+    for parameter in ["-0.1", "1.1", "NaN", "+Inf", "-Inf"] {
+        for query in [
+            format!("quantile({parameter}, smoke_gauge)"),
+            format!("quantile_over_time({parameter}, smoke_gauge[5m])"),
+            format!("histogram_quantile({parameter}, smoke_bucket)"),
+        ] {
+            assert!(
+                lower_promql(&query, AccuracyTarget::Exact).is_ok(),
+                "{query}"
+            );
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// Instant rate and extrapolated rate need different execution kernels, including subqueries.
+#[test]
+fn irate_and_rate_have_distinct_canonical_intents() {
+    for input in ["smoke_counter_total[5m]", "smoke_counter_total[5m:1m]"] {
+        let rate = lower_promql(&format!("rate({input})"), AccuracyTarget::Exact).unwrap();
+        let irate = lower_promql(&format!("irate({input})"), AccuracyTarget::Exact).unwrap();
+        assert_ne!(rate, irate, "rate and irate must not collapse: {input}");
+    }
+}
+
+/// PromQL count counts series even when two sample values are equal.
+#[test]
+fn count_is_row_count_not_distinct_sample_value_count() {
+    use asap_types::pre_asap::{AggIntent, QueryExpr};
+    let tree = lower_promql("count(smoke_gauge)", AccuracyTarget::Exact).unwrap();
+    let QueryExpr::Aggregate { measures, .. } = tree else {
+        panic!("expected aggregate")
+    };
+    assert!(matches!(measures.as_slice(), [AggIntent::Count { .. }]));
+}
diff --git a/crates/frontend-promql/tests/promql_lowering.rs b/crates/frontend-promql/tests/promql_lowering.rs
index 539c90b9..5fc02f72 100644
--- a/crates/frontend-promql/tests/promql_lowering.rs
+++ b/crates/frontend-promql/tests/promql_lowering.rs
@@ -755,15 +755,18 @@ fn fractional_or_negative_topk_k_is_rejected() {
 }
 
 #[test]
-fn out_of_range_quantile_phi_is_rejected() {
-    // φ outside [0,1] would otherwise yield a bogus `quantile_1_5` column.
-    assert!(lower_promql("quantile(1.5, up)", AccuracyTarget::Exact).is_err());
-    assert!(lower_promql("quantile_over_time(1.5, m[5m])", AccuracyTarget::Exact).is_err());
-    assert!(lower_promql(
+fn out_of_range_quantile_phi_is_accepted() {
+    // Prometheus defines out-of-range phi results; lowering must preserve it.
+    for query in [
+        "quantile(1.5, up)",
+        "quantile_over_time(1.5, m[5m])",
         "histogram_quantile(2.0, rate(b[5m]))",
-        AccuracyTarget::Exact
-    )
-    .is_err());
+    ] {
+        assert!(
+            lower_promql(query, AccuracyTarget::Exact).is_ok(),
+            "{query}"
+        );
+    }
 }
 
 #[test]