diff --git a/node-graph/nodes/gcore/src/context.rs b/node-graph/nodes/gcore/src/context.rs
index e697f5c851..ee5ba9e424 100644
--- a/node-graph/nodes/gcore/src/context.rs
+++ b/node-graph/nodes/gcore/src/context.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+use core_types::gpoll::{Extent, GPoll, GraphError, Interrupt};
 use core_types::list::List;
 use core_types::{Color, ExtractVarArgs};
 use core_types::{Ctx, ExtractIndex, ExtractPosition};
@@ -46,6 +47,78 @@ fn read_gradient(ctx: impl Ctx + ExtractVarArgs) -> List<GradientStops> {
 	var_arg.downcast_ref().cloned().unwrap_or_default()
 }
 
+/// The mapped row riding as vararg 0, in the production single-item shape.
+fn vararg_list<'a, T: 'static>(ctx: &'a impl ExtractVarArgs) -> Option<&'a List<T>> {
+	let arg = ctx.vararg(0).ok()?;
+	(arg as &dyn std::any::Any).downcast_ref::<List<T>>()
+}
+
+/// Lanes of a leveled vararg source: one per item, none without a row,
+/// matching the legacy empty-list return.
+fn vararg_lanes<T: 'static>(ctx: &impl ExtractVarArgs, level: u8) -> GPoll<Extent> {
+	match level {
+		0 => GPoll::Final(Extent::Exactly(vararg_list::<T>(ctx).map_or(0, List::len))),
+		_ => GPoll::Final(Extent::Exactly(1)),
+	}
+}
+
+fn vararg_element<T: Clone + 'static>(ctx: &(impl ExtractVarArgs + ExtractIndex)) -> Result<T, Interrupt> {
+	vararg_list::<T>(ctx)
+		.and_then(|list| list.element(ctx.innermost_index() as usize))
+		.cloned()
+		.ok_or_else(|| GraphError::new("vararg row addressed past its items").into())
+}
+
+/// Rank-model vararg source: the mapped row's items as lanes, elements only.
+#[node_macro::node(category("Test"), extent_raw(read_graphic_row_extent))]
+pub fn read_graphic_row(ctx: impl Ctx + ExtractVarArgs + ExtractIndex) -> Result<IList<Graphic>, Interrupt> {
+	vararg_element(ctx)
+}
+
+fn read_graphic_row_extent<C: Ctx + ExtractVarArgs>(_: &ReadGraphicRowNode, ctx: &C, level: u8) -> GPoll<Extent> {
+	vararg_lanes::<Graphic>(ctx, level)
+}
+
+/// Rank-model vararg source: the mapped row's items as lanes, elements only.
+#[node_macro::node(category("Test"), extent_raw(read_vector_row_extent))]
+pub fn read_vector_row(ctx: impl Ctx + ExtractVarArgs + ExtractIndex) -> Result<IList<Vector>, Interrupt> {
+	vararg_element(ctx)
+}
+
+fn read_vector_row_extent<C: Ctx + ExtractVarArgs>(_: &ReadVectorRowNode, ctx: &C, level: u8) -> GPoll<Extent> {
+	vararg_lanes::<Vector>(ctx, level)
+}
+
+/// Rank-model vararg source: the mapped row's items as lanes, elements only.
+#[node_macro::node(category("Test"), extent_raw(read_raster_row_extent))]
+pub fn read_raster_row(ctx: impl Ctx + ExtractVarArgs + ExtractIndex) -> Result<IList<Raster<CPU>>, Interrupt> {
+	vararg_element(ctx)
+}
+
+fn read_raster_row_extent<C: Ctx + ExtractVarArgs>(_: &ReadRasterRowNode, ctx: &C, level: u8) -> GPoll<Extent> {
+	vararg_lanes::<Raster<CPU>>(ctx, level)
+}
+
+/// Rank-model vararg source: the mapped row's items as lanes, elements only.
+#[node_macro::node(category("Test"), extent_raw(read_color_row_extent))]
+pub fn read_color_row(ctx: impl Ctx + ExtractVarArgs + ExtractIndex) -> Result<IList<Color>, Interrupt> {
+	vararg_element(ctx)
+}
+
+fn read_color_row_extent<C: Ctx + ExtractVarArgs>(_: &ReadColorRowNode, ctx: &C, level: u8) -> GPoll<Extent> {
+	vararg_lanes::<Color>(ctx, level)
+}
+
+/// Rank-model vararg source: the mapped row's items as lanes, elements only.
+#[node_macro::node(category("Test"), extent_raw(read_gradient_row_extent))]
+pub fn read_gradient_row(ctx: impl Ctx + ExtractVarArgs + ExtractIndex) -> Result<IList<GradientStops>, Interrupt> {
+	vararg_element(ctx)
+}
+
+fn read_gradient_row_extent<C: Ctx + ExtractVarArgs>(_: &ReadGradientRowNode, ctx: &C, level: u8) -> GPoll<Extent> {
+	vararg_lanes::<GradientStops>(ctx, level)
+}
+
 #[node_macro::node(category("Context"), path(core_types::vector))]
 fn read_position(
 	ctx: impl Ctx + ExtractPosition,
diff --git a/node-graph/nodes/gcore/src/record.rs b/node-graph/nodes/gcore/src/record.rs
index e96b796594..d1a2e3ac95 100644
--- a/node-graph/nodes/gcore/src/record.rs
+++ b/node-graph/nodes/gcore/src/record.rs
@@ -1518,6 +1518,38 @@ mod tests {
 		assert_eq!(unsafe { out.rec(&value).element::<f64>() }, 42.);
 	}
 
+	#[test]
+	fn read_row_exposes_the_vararg_items_as_lanes() {
+		use core_types::Color;
+
+		let arena = Arena::new(1024).unwrap();
+		let generations = [];
+		let scope = scope_fixture(&generations, &arena);
+		let ctx = ContextImpl::root(&scope);
+
+		let node = install(crate::context::ReadColorRowNode::new(), crate::context::read_color_row_layout_meta(), &[]);
+		let out = Node::<ContextImpl>::layout(&node).clone();
+		assert_eq!(out.depth, 1);
+		// No row pushed: an empty level, matching the legacy empty-list return.
+		assert_eq!(node.extent_at(&ctx, 0), GPoll::Final(Extent::Exactly(0)));
+
+		let mut item = core_types::list::List::new_from_element(Color::BLACK);
+		item.push(core_types::list::Item::new_from_element(Color::WHITE));
+		let scoped = ctx.push_vararg(&item);
+		let base = scoped.ctx();
+		assert_eq!(node.extent_at(&base, 0), GPoll::Final(Extent::Exactly(2)));
+
+		let head = base.index_head();
+		for (lane, expected) in [(0u64, Color::BLACK), (1, Color::WHITE)] {
+			let mark = stack::sp();
+			let GPoll::Final(value) = node.eval(&base.promoted(&head, lane)) else {
+				panic!("expected a final record at lane {lane}");
+			};
+			assert_eq!(unsafe { out.rec(&value).element::<Color>() }, expected, "lane {lane}");
+			unsafe { stack::rewind(mark) };
+		}
+	}
+
 	#[test]
 	fn reducer_drains_a_lower_bound_level() {
 		let arena = Arena::new(1 << 16).unwrap();