diff --git a/internal/baseline/baseline.go b/internal/baseline/baseline.go
index 79b855b2..ec235ca7 100644
--- a/internal/baseline/baseline.go
+++ b/internal/baseline/baseline.go
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ func (d Document) Validate() error {
 		default:
 			return fmt.Errorf("baseline entry %d has unsupported policy_status %q", idx, entry.PolicyStatus)
 		}
-		if entry.Severity != "" && sdk.ParseSeverityLevel(string(entry.Severity)) != entry.Severity {
+		if !validBaselineSeverity(entry.Severity) {
 			return fmt.Errorf("baseline entry %d has unsupported severity %q", idx, entry.Severity)
 		}
 		switch entry.Reachability {
@@ -154,6 +154,24 @@ func (d Document) Validate() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func validBaselineSeverity(severity sdk.SeverityLevel) bool {
+	switch severity {
+	case "",
+		sdk.SeverityUnknown,
+		sdk.SeverityLevel("n/a"),
+		sdk.SeverityLow,
+		sdk.SeverityMedium,
+		sdk.SeverityHigh,
+		sdk.SeverityCritical,
+		sdk.SeverityNote,
+		sdk.SeverityWarning,
+		sdk.SeverityError:
+		return true
+	default:
+		return false
+	}
+}
+
 // Load reads and validates a baseline document.
 func Load(path string) (Document, error) {
 	data, err := os.ReadFile(path)
diff --git a/internal/baseline/baseline_test.go b/internal/baseline/baseline_test.go
index 12a75e14..51c99cec 100644
--- a/internal/baseline/baseline_test.go
+++ b/internal/baseline/baseline_test.go
@@ -151,6 +151,41 @@ func TestDocumentUsesFriendlyPolicyStatusField(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestDocumentRejectsUnsupportedSeverity(t *testing.T) {
+	document := NewDocument([]sdk.Finding{{
+		ID: "rule", Kind: sdk.FindingKindPackage, Auditor: "package",
+		RuleID: "rule", PackageRef: "pkg:npm/example@1.0.0",
+	}}, nil)
+	document.Entries[0].Severity = sdk.SeverityLevel("urgent")
+	if err := document.Validate(); err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), `unsupported severity "urgent"`) {
+		t.Fatalf("Validate() error = %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestDocumentAcceptsFindingSeverityVocabulary(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, severity := range []sdk.SeverityLevel{
+		"",
+		sdk.SeverityUnknown,
+		sdk.SeverityLevel("n/a"),
+		sdk.SeverityLow,
+		sdk.SeverityMedium,
+		sdk.SeverityHigh,
+		sdk.SeverityCritical,
+		sdk.SeverityNote,
+		sdk.SeverityWarning,
+		sdk.SeverityError,
+	} {
+		document := NewDocument([]sdk.Finding{{
+			ID: "rule", Kind: sdk.FindingKindPackage, Auditor: "package",
+			RuleID: "rule", PackageRef: "pkg:npm/example@1.0.0",
+		}}, nil)
+		document.Entries[0].Severity = severity
+		if err := document.Validate(); err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("severity %q rejected: %v", severity, err)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func TestResolvePathSelections(t *testing.T) {
 	root := t.TempDir()
 	sbomPath := filepath.Join(root, "bom.json")