diff --git a/docs/guide/migration-0.7.md b/docs/guide/migration-0.7.md
index d0bd7d8..9e6f386 100644
--- a/docs/guide/migration-0.7.md
+++ b/docs/guide/migration-0.7.md
@@ -72,6 +72,6 @@ const view = createJsonRenderView(ctx, {
 })
 ```
 
-`@devframes/hub` still exports `defineJsonRenderSpec` as a deprecated identity function (same for the `JsonRenderSpec` / `JsonRenderElement` / `JsonRenderer` types), so existing imports keep compiling — but it no longer registers anything with the hub on its own. Move call sites over to `createJsonRenderView` now rather than waiting for the alias's removal in a future major release.
+`@devframes/hub` still exports `defineJsonRenderSpec` as a deprecated identity function (same for the `JsonRenderSpec` / `JsonRenderElement` / `JsonRenderer` types) and still runs `ctx.createJsonRenderer` (against its own pre-0.7 shared-state implementation, not `@devframes/json-render`), so existing call sites keep working through 0.7 unmodified — but it no longer registers anything with the hub's dock union on its own, and won't gain the new dock projection or `registerRenderer()` support that `createJsonRenderView` gets. Move call sites over to `createJsonRenderView` now; `ctx.createJsonRenderer` and the other aliases above are removed in 0.8.
 
 See [JSON-Render](./json-render) for the full integration reference.
diff --git a/packages/hub/src/define.ts b/packages/hub/src/define.ts
index 39a0931..fe68081 100644
--- a/packages/hub/src/define.ts
+++ b/packages/hub/src/define.ts
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@ export function defineDockEntry<
  * @deprecated json-render moved out of the hub into the opt-in
  * `@devframes/json-render` integration in 0.7. This identity helper is kept
  * so existing imports keep compiling — pass your spec directly to
- * `createJsonRenderView` (from `@devframes/json-render/node`) instead. Will
- * be removed in a future major release.
+ * `createJsonRenderView` (from `@devframes/json-render/node`) instead.
+ * Removed in 0.8.
  */
 export function defineJsonRenderSpec(spec: JsonRenderSpec): JsonRenderSpec {
   return spec
diff --git a/packages/hub/src/node/__tests__/context.test.ts b/packages/hub/src/node/__tests__/context.test.ts
index 919e24a..3774322 100644
--- a/packages/hub/src/node/__tests__/context.test.ts
+++ b/packages/hub/src/node/__tests__/context.test.ts
@@ -59,6 +59,38 @@ describe('createHubContext dock activation', () => {
   })
 })
 
+describe('createHubContext createJsonRenderer (deprecated 0.7 compatibility factory)', () => {
+  it('seeds shared state with the initial spec and applies updateSpec/updateState', async () => {
+    const context = await createHubContext({
+      cwd: process.cwd(),
+      mode: 'build',
+      host: createHost(),
+    })
+
+    const renderer = context.createJsonRenderer({ root: 'panel', elements: {} })
+    const state = await context.rpc.sharedState.get<any>(renderer._stateKey)
+    expect(state.value()).toEqual({ root: 'panel', elements: {} })
+
+    await renderer.updateSpec({ root: 'panel', elements: {}, state: { count: 1 } })
+    expect(state.value()).toEqual({ root: 'panel', elements: {}, state: { count: 1 } })
+
+    await renderer.updateState({ count: 2, label: 'hi' })
+    expect(state.value()).toEqual({ root: 'panel', elements: {}, state: { count: 2, label: 'hi' } })
+  })
+
+  it('gives each renderer its own stable, distinct state key', async () => {
+    const context = await createHubContext({
+      cwd: process.cwd(),
+      mode: 'build',
+      host: createHost(),
+    })
+
+    const first = context.createJsonRenderer({ root: 'a', elements: {} })
+    const second = context.createJsonRenderer({ root: 'b', elements: {} })
+    expect(first._stateKey).not.toEqual(second._stateKey)
+  })
+})
+
 describe('startHttpAndWs remote endpoint metadata', () => {
   it('sets and clears the internal websocket endpoint', async () => {
     const context = await createHostContext({
diff --git a/packages/hub/src/node/context.ts b/packages/hub/src/node/context.ts
index 8489af4..dc8984f 100644
--- a/packages/hub/src/node/context.ts
+++ b/packages/hub/src/node/context.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import type { CreateHostContextOptions } from 'devframe/node'
 import type { DevframeHost, DevframeNodeContext } from 'devframe/types'
 import type { DevframeCommandsHost } from '../types/commands'
 import type { DevframeDockActivation, DevframeDocksActiveState, DevframeDocksHost } from '../types/docks'
+import type { JsonRenderer, JsonRenderSpec } from '../types/json-render'
 import type { DevframeMessageEntry, DevframeMessageEntryInput, DevframeMessagesHost } from '../types/messages'
 import type { DevframeTerminalsHost } from '../types/terminals'
 import { createHostContext } from 'devframe/node'
@@ -84,14 +85,17 @@ declare module 'devframe/types' {
 /**
  * Hub-augmented node context — extends devframe's framework-neutral
  * `DevframeNodeContext` with the hub-level subsystems (`docks`,
- * `terminals`, `messages`, `commands`).
+ * `terminals`, `messages`, `commands`) and the deprecated
+ * `createJsonRenderer` compatibility factory.
  *
  * Framework kits further extend this with their own slots (e.g.
  * `viteConfig`, `viteServer`). Host-specific capabilities (editor open,
  * filesystem reveal, etc.) ship as kit-registered RPC functions rather
- * than as part of this surface. JSON-render is not part of the hub: it is
- * an opt-in integration (`@devframes/json-render`) that augments any
- * devframe context and contributes its own dock type.
+ * than as part of this surface. JSON-render itself is not part of the hub:
+ * it is an opt-in integration (`@devframes/json-render`) that augments any
+ * devframe context and contributes its own dock type — prefer
+ * `createJsonRenderView` from `@devframes/json-render/node` over the
+ * deprecated factory below.
  */
 export interface DevframeHubContext extends DevframeNodeContext {
   readonly host: DevframeHost
@@ -99,6 +103,16 @@ export interface DevframeHubContext extends DevframeNodeContext {
   terminals: DevframeTerminalsHost
   messages: DevframeMessagesHost
   commands: DevframeCommandsHost
+  /**
+   * Create a `JsonRenderer` handle for building json-render powered UIs.
+   *
+   * @deprecated json-render moved out of the hub into the opt-in
+   * `@devframes/json-render` integration in 0.7. This factory is kept
+   * working (not just type-compatible) for the 0.7 series so existing call
+   * sites don't break — use `createJsonRenderView(ctx, { id, spec })` from
+   * `@devframes/json-render/node` instead. Will be removed in 0.8.
+   */
+  createJsonRenderer: (spec: JsonRenderSpec) => JsonRenderer
 }
 
 /**
@@ -136,6 +150,36 @@ export async function createHubContext(options: CreateHubContextOptions): Promis
 
   await docks.init()
 
+  // Deprecated pre-0.7 compatibility factory — restored as a working (not
+  // merely type-compatible) shim so 0.7 only *deprecates* it rather than
+  // breaking it outright; see the `createJsonRenderer` JSDoc above. Kept
+  // self-contained against `context.rpc.sharedState` (as it was pre-0.7)
+  // rather than delegating to `@devframes/json-render`'s
+  // `createJsonRenderView`, so the hub still carries no dependency — direct
+  // or peer — on that opt-in package. Removed in 0.8: migrate call sites to
+  // `createJsonRenderView` before then.
+  let jsonRenderCounter = 0
+  context.createJsonRenderer = (initialSpec: JsonRenderSpec): JsonRenderer => {
+    const stateKey = `devframe:json-render:${jsonRenderCounter++}`
+    const statePromise = context.rpc.sharedState.get(stateKey as any, {
+      initialValue: initialSpec as any,
+    })
+
+    return {
+      _stateKey: stateKey,
+      async updateSpec(spec) {
+        const state = await statePromise
+        state.mutate(() => spec as any)
+      },
+      async updateState(newState) {
+        const state = await statePromise
+        state.mutate((draft: any) => {
+          draft.state = { ...draft.state, ...newState }
+        })
+      },
+    }
+  }
+
   const debounceMs = options.mode === 'build' ? 0 : 10
 
   const docksSharedState = await context.rpc.sharedState.get('devframe:docks', { initialValue: [] })
diff --git a/packages/hub/src/types/docks.ts b/packages/hub/src/types/docks.ts
index 49b5c7e..fba10e0 100644
--- a/packages/hub/src/types/docks.ts
+++ b/packages/hub/src/types/docks.ts
@@ -259,10 +259,11 @@ export interface DevframeViewBuiltin extends DevframeDockEntryBase {
  * `JsonRenderer` handle) to {@link DevframeDockEntryRegistry} via declaration
  * merging. This type is kept for compatibility but is no longer a member of
  * {@link DevframeDockUserEntry} — use `@devframes/json-render/hub` instead.
+ * Removed in 0.8.
  */
 export interface DevframeViewJsonRender extends DevframeDockEntryBase {
   type: 'json-render'
-  /** JsonRenderer handle created by ctx.createJsonRenderer() */
+  /** JsonRenderer handle created by the deprecated ctx.createJsonRenderer() */
   ui: JsonRenderer
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/hub/src/types/json-render.ts b/packages/hub/src/types/json-render.ts
index 6fdfc8c..5c583f3 100644
--- a/packages/hub/src/types/json-render.ts
+++ b/packages/hub/src/types/json-render.ts
@@ -3,10 +3,10 @@
 // 0.7 moved json-render out of the hub into the opt-in `@devframes/json-render`
 // integration — use its `DevframeJsonRenderSpec` (from `@devframes/json-render`)
 // and `createJsonRenderView` (from `@devframes/json-render/node`) instead. These
-// types are kept so existing imports keep compiling; they will be removed in a
-// future major release.
+// types are kept so existing imports keep compiling through the 0.7 series;
+// they are removed in 0.8.
 
-/** @deprecated Use `DevframeJsonRenderSpec`'s element shape from `@devframes/json-render` instead. */
+/** @deprecated Use `DevframeJsonRenderSpec`'s element shape from `@devframes/json-render` instead. Removed in 0.8. */
 export interface JsonRenderElement {
   type: string
   props?: Record<string, unknown>
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ export interface JsonRenderElement {
   [key: string]: unknown
 }
 
-/** @deprecated Use `DevframeJsonRenderSpec` from `@devframes/json-render` instead. */
+/** @deprecated Use `DevframeJsonRenderSpec` from `@devframes/json-render` instead. Removed in 0.8. */
 export interface JsonRenderSpec {
   root: string
   elements: Record<string, JsonRenderElement>
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ export interface JsonRenderSpec {
   state?: Record<string, unknown>
 }
 
-/** @deprecated Use `JsonRenderView` from `@devframes/json-render` instead. */
+/** @deprecated Use `JsonRenderView` from `@devframes/json-render` instead. Removed in 0.8. */
 export interface JsonRenderer {
   /** Replace the entire spec */
   updateSpec: (spec: JsonRenderSpec) => void | Promise<void>