diff --git a/inventory/inventory-smartctl/README.md b/inventory/inventory-smartctl/README.md
index 7a4e949..d71007a 100644
--- a/inventory/inventory-smartctl/README.md
+++ b/inventory/inventory-smartctl/README.md
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ Inventory module for collecting SMART drive health, temperature, and wear data v
 
 ## Description
 
-This module collects S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology) data from storage devices and exposes it as inventory attributes in CFEngine Mission Portal. It monitors drive health status, temperature, power-on hours, and NVMe-specific metrics.
+This module collects S.M.A.R.T. (Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology) data from storage devices and exposes it as inventory attributes in CFEngine Mission Portal. It provides a rolled-up status for fleet-wide filtering (`OK`, `DEGRADED`, `SMARTCTL_MISSING`) along with per-drive health, temperature, power-on hours, and NVMe-specific metrics.
 
 SMART data helps predict drive failures before they occur and provides visibility into storage device health across your infrastructure.
 
@@ -35,13 +35,21 @@ bundle agent main
 
 The following attributes are exposed in Mission Portal:
 
-### Universal Attributes (all drive types)
+### Overall Status
+
+- **SMART status** - Rolled-up health across all drives
+  - Values: `OK`, `DEGRADED`, `SMARTCTL_MISSING`
+  - `OK`: All detected drives report PASSED
+  - `DEGRADED`: One or more drives report FAILED
+  - `SMARTCTL_MISSING`: smartctl is not installed on the system
+  - Use for fleet-wide filtering and alerting in Mission Portal
+
+### Per-Drive Attributes (all drive types)
 
 - **SMART drive health** - Per-drive health status
-  - Values: `PASSED`, `FAILED`, `SMARTCTL_MISSING`
+  - Values: `PASSED`, `FAILED`
   - Example: `/dev/sda: PASSED`, `/dev/nvme0: FAILED`
-  - `SMARTCTL_MISSING`: Indicates smartctl is not installed on the system
-  - Critical: A FAILED status indicates the drive is predicting imminent failure
+  - A FAILED status indicates the drive is predicting imminent failure
 
 - **SMART drive model** - Drive model identifier
   - Example: `/dev/sda: Samsung SSD 870 EVO`
@@ -76,9 +84,9 @@ The following attributes are exposed in Mission Portal:
 
 ## Troubleshooting
 
-### SMARTCTL_MISSING appears in inventory
+### SMART status shows SMARTCTL_MISSING
 
-The module reports `SMARTCTL_MISSING` when smartctl is not installed. To resolve:
+The `SMART status` attribute reports `SMARTCTL_MISSING` when smartctl is not installed. To resolve:
 
 **Install smartmontools package:**
 
diff --git a/inventory/inventory-smartctl/policy.cf b/inventory/inventory-smartctl/policy.cf
index 0797929..bafd762 100644
--- a/inventory/inventory-smartctl/policy.cf
+++ b/inventory/inventory-smartctl/policy.cf
@@ -9,9 +9,8 @@ bundle agent main
 # Requires smartmontools >= 7.0 (for JSON output support).
 # Runs on Linux only; silently no-ops on other platforms.
 #
-# Simplified version: reads JSON directly in main bundle, no sub-bundle needed.
-#
 # Attributes exposed in Mission Portal:
+# @inventory SMART status               - OK, DEGRADED, or SMARTCTL_MISSING
 # @inventory SMART drive health         - Per-drive PASSED/FAILED
 # @inventory SMART drive model          - Drive model per device
 # @inventory SMART drive temperatures   - Current temperature in Celsius
@@ -43,6 +42,67 @@ bundle agent main
       "_id[${_drives}]" string => canonify("${_drives}");
       "_cache[${_drives}]" string => "$(_sdir)/inventory_smartctl_${_id[${_drives}]}.json";
 
+    linux._have_smartctl::
+      # Rolled-up status: OK or DEGRADED (SMARTCTL_MISSING when smartctl absent)
+      "smartctl_status"
+        string => "DEGRADED",
+        meta => { "inventory", "attribute_name=SMART status" },
+        if => some(".*", "failed_drives");
+
+      "smartctl_status"
+        string => "OK",
+        meta => { "inventory", "attribute_name=SMART status" },
+        if => not(isvariable("failed_drives"));
+
+    linux.!_have_smartctl::
+      "smartctl_status"
+        string => "SMARTCTL_MISSING",
+        meta => { "inventory", "attribute_name=SMART status" };
+
+    linux._have_smartctl::
+      # Inventory attributes (visible in Mission Portal)
+      # Each array element is a separate variable in inventory, avoiding
+      # the ~4K truncation limit that affects slists on hosts with many drives.
+      "drive_health[${_drives}]"
+        string => "${_drives}: ${_d_${_id[${_drives}]}[health]}",
+        meta => { "inventory", "attribute_name=SMART drive health" },
+        if => isvariable("_d_${_id[${_drives}]}[health]");
+
+      "drive_model[${_drives}]"
+        string => "${_drives}: ${_d_${_id[${_drives}]}[model]}",
+        meta => { "inventory", "attribute_name=SMART drive model" },
+        if => isvariable("_d_${_id[${_drives}]}[model]");
+
+      "drive_temperatures[${_drives}]"
+        string => "${_drives}: ${_d_${_id[${_drives}]}[temp]} C",
+        meta => { "inventory", "attribute_name=SMART drive temperatures (C)" },
+        if => isvariable("_d_${_id[${_drives}]}[temp]");
+
+      "drive_power_on_hours[${_drives}]"
+        string => "${_drives}: ${_d_${_id[${_drives}]}[hours]} h",
+        meta => { "inventory", "attribute_name=SMART drive power-on hours" },
+        if => isvariable("_d_${_id[${_drives}]}[hours]");
+
+      "nvme_available_spare[${_drives}]"
+        string => "${_drives}: ${_d_${_id[${_drives}]}[nvme_spare]}%",
+        meta => { "inventory", "attribute_name=SMART NVMe available spare" },
+        if => isvariable("_d_${_id[${_drives}]}[nvme_spare]");
+
+      "nvme_percentage_used[${_drives}]"
+        string => "${_drives}: ${_d_${_id[${_drives}]}[nvme_pct_used]}%",
+        meta => { "inventory", "attribute_name=SMART NVMe percentage used" },
+        if => isvariable("_d_${_id[${_drives}]}[nvme_pct_used]");
+
+      "nvme_media_errors[${_drives}]"
+        string => "${_drives}: ${_d_${_id[${_drives}]}[nvme_media_errors]}",
+        meta => { "inventory", "attribute_name=SMART NVMe media errors" },
+        if => isvariable("_d_${_id[${_drives}]}[nvme_media_errors]");
+
+      "failed_drives[${_drives}]"
+        string => "${_drives}",
+        meta => { "inventory", "attribute_name=SMART failed drives" },
+        if => strcmp("${_d_${_id[${_drives}]}[health]}", "FAILED");
+
   classes:
     linux::
       "_have_smartctl" expression => isexecutable("$(_smartctl)");
@@ -79,79 +139,6 @@ bundle agent main
         useresult => "_d_${_id[${_drives}]}",
         if => fileexists("${_cache[${_drives}]}");
 
-  vars:
-    linux._have_smartctl::
-      # Collect results from sub-bundles into formatted entries
-      "_health_entries[${_drives}]"
-        string => "${_drives}: ${_d_${_id[${_drives}]}[health]}",
-        if => isvariable("_d_${_id[${_drives}]}[health]");
-
-      "_model_entries[${_drives}]"
-        string => "${_drives}: ${_d_${_id[${_drives}]}[model]}",
-        if => isvariable("_d_${_id[${_drives}]}[model]");
-
-      "_temp_entries[${_drives}]"
-        string => "${_drives}: ${_d_${_id[${_drives}]}[temp]} C",
-        if => isvariable("_d_${_id[${_drives}]}[temp]");
-
-      "_hours_entries[${_drives}]"
-        string => "${_drives}: ${_d_${_id[${_drives}]}[hours]} h",
-        if => isvariable("_d_${_id[${_drives}]}[hours]");
-
-      "_nvme_spare_entries[${_drives}]"
-        string => "${_drives}: ${_d_${_id[${_drives}]}[nvme_spare]}%",
-        if => isvariable("_d_${_id[${_drives}]}[nvme_spare]");
-
-      "_nvme_pct_used_entries[${_drives}]"
-        string => "${_drives}: ${_d_${_id[${_drives}]}[nvme_pct_used]}%",
-        if => isvariable("_d_${_id[${_drives}]}[nvme_pct_used]");
-
-      "_nvme_media_errors_entries[${_drives}]"
-        string => "${_drives}: ${_d_${_id[${_drives}]}[nvme_media_errors]}",
-        if => isvariable("_d_${_id[${_drives}]}[nvme_media_errors]");
-
-      "_failed_entries[${_drives}]"
-        string => "${_drives}",
-        if => strcmp("${_d_${_id[${_drives}]}[health]}", "FAILED");
-
-      # Inventory attributes (visible in Mission Portal)
-      "drive_health"
-        slist => getvalues(_health_entries),
-        meta => { "inventory", "attribute_name=SMART drive health" };
-
-      "drive_model"
-        slist => getvalues(_model_entries),
-        meta => { "inventory", "attribute_name=SMART drive model" };
-
-      "drive_temperatures"
-        slist => getvalues(_temp_entries),
-        meta => { "inventory", "attribute_name=SMART drive temperatures (C)" };
-
-      "drive_power_on_hours"
-        slist => getvalues(_hours_entries),
-        meta => { "inventory", "attribute_name=SMART drive power-on hours" };
-
-      "nvme_available_spare"
-        slist => getvalues(_nvme_spare_entries),
-        meta => { "inventory", "attribute_name=SMART NVMe available spare" };
-
-      "nvme_percentage_used"
-        slist => getvalues(_nvme_pct_used_entries),
-        meta => { "inventory", "attribute_name=SMART NVMe percentage used" };
-
-      "nvme_media_errors"
-        slist => getvalues(_nvme_media_errors_entries),
-        meta => { "inventory", "attribute_name=SMART NVMe media errors" };
-
-      "failed_drives"
-        slist => getvalues(_failed_entries),
-        meta => { "inventory", "attribute_name=SMART failed drives" };
-
-    linux.!_have_smartctl::
-      "drive_health"
-        string => "SMARTCTL_MISSING",
-        meta => { "inventory", "attribute_name=SMART drive health" };
-
   reports:
     linux._have_smartctl.verbose_mode::
       "inventory_smartctl: monitoring ${_drives}";
@@ -198,13 +185,20 @@ bundle agent parse(drive, cache_file)
         if => isvariable("_json[nvme_smart_health_information_log][media_errors]");
 
   reports:
-      "$(_health)" bundle_return_value_index => "health";
-      "$(_model)" bundle_return_value_index => "model";
-      "$(_temp)" bundle_return_value_index => "temp";
-      "$(_hours)" bundle_return_value_index => "hours";
-      "$(_nvme_spare)" bundle_return_value_index => "nvme_spare";
-      "$(_nvme_pct_used)" bundle_return_value_index => "nvme_pct_used";
-      "$(_nvme_media_errors)" bundle_return_value_index => "nvme_media_errors";
+      "$(_health)" bundle_return_value_index => "health",
+        if => isvariable("_health");
+      "$(_model)" bundle_return_value_index => "model",
+        if => isvariable("_model");
+      "$(_temp)" bundle_return_value_index => "temp",
+        if => isvariable("_temp");
+      "$(_hours)" bundle_return_value_index => "hours",
+        if => isvariable("_hours");
+      "$(_nvme_spare)" bundle_return_value_index => "nvme_spare",
+        if => isvariable("_nvme_spare");
+      "$(_nvme_pct_used)" bundle_return_value_index => "nvme_pct_used",
+        if => isvariable("_nvme_pct_used");
+      "$(_nvme_media_errors)" bundle_return_value_index => "nvme_media_errors",
+        if => isvariable("_nvme_media_errors");
 }
 
 body file control { namespace => "default"; }