diff --git a/.needle-predispatch-sha b/.needle-predispatch-sha
index 644542e..9e7f862 100644
--- a/.needle-predispatch-sha
+++ b/.needle-predispatch-sha
@@ -1 +1 @@
-c251db8228b93881476bb9dcdeb2748fa9be1f23
+0e466a5ceaaef3e5b3d0d650730bf6ce84c35982
diff --git a/crates/pdftract-core/benches/table_detection.rs b/crates/pdftract-core/benches/table_detection.rs
index a1994da..522a1ce 100644
--- a/crates/pdftract-core/benches/table_detection.rs
+++ b/crates/pdftract-core/benches/table_detection.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // Benchmark for table detection.
 //
-// Tests the performance of line-based table detection on pages with
-// varying numbers of path segments.
+// Tests the performance of line-based and borderless table detection
+// on pages with varying numbers of path segments and text positions.
 
 use criterion::{black_box, criterion_group, criterion_main, Criterion, BenchmarkId};
 use pdftract_core::table::{TableDetector, PageContext};
@@ -54,6 +54,35 @@ fn generate_grid_content(num_horiz: usize, num_vert: usize) -> Vec<u8> {
     content
 }
 
+/// Generate content with text positions for borderless tables.
+/// Creates a grid-like pattern of text at aligned positions.
+fn generate_borderless_content(num_rows: usize, num_cols: usize) -> Vec<u8> {
+    let mut content = Vec::new();
+
+    let y_start = 700.0;
+    let y_end = 100.0;
+    let x_start = 50.0;
+    let x_spacing = 100.0;
+
+    // Start text block
+    content.extend(b"BT ");
+
+    // Generate text positions in a grid pattern
+    for row in 0..num_rows {
+        let y = y_start - (row as f32 * (y_start - y_end) / (num_rows.max(1) - 1) as f32);
+        for col in 0..num_cols {
+            let x = x_start + (col as f32 * x_spacing);
+            // Move to position and show text
+            content.extend(format!("{} {} Td (R{}C{}) Tj ", x, y, row, col).as_bytes());
+        }
+    }
+
+    // End text block
+    content.extend(b"ET");
+
+    content
+}
+
 fn bench_table_detection(c: &mut Criterion) {
     let detector = TableDetector::new();
     let page = make_page();
@@ -90,5 +119,31 @@ fn bench_table_detection(c: &mut Criterion) {
     group.finish();
 }
 
-criterion_group!(benches, bench_table_detection);
+fn bench_borderless_detection(c: &mut Criterion) {
+    let detector = TableDetector::new();
+    let page = make_page();
+
+    let mut group = c.benchmark_group("borderless_detection");
+
+    // Test with increasing numbers of text positions (rows * cols)
+    for (num_rows, num_cols) in [(3, 3), (5, 5), (10, 10), (20, 20), (50, 50), (70, 72)] {
+        let total_positions = num_rows * num_cols;
+        group.bench_with_input(
+            BenchmarkId::new("text_positions", total_positions),
+            &total_positions,
+            |b, _| {
+                let content = generate_borderless_content(num_rows, num_cols);
+                let ctx = PageContext::new(&page, &content);
+
+                b.iter(|| {
+                    black_box(detector.detect_borderless(black_box(&ctx)))
+                });
+            },
+        );
+    }
+
+    group.finish();
+}
+
+criterion_group!(benches, bench_table_detection, bench_borderless_detection);
 criterion_main!(benches);
diff --git a/notes/pdftract-3nwz.md b/notes/pdftract-3nwz.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f950324
--- /dev/null
+++ b/notes/pdftract-3nwz.md
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+# Verification Note: pdftract-3nwz (Borderless Table Detection)
+
+## Summary
+Implemented borderless table detection using x0-aligned span heuristic. The implementation was already present in the codebase and all tests pass.
+
+## Changes Made
+1. Added benchmark for borderless detection to verify performance
+2. Verified all acceptance criteria are met
+
+## Acceptance Criteria Status
+
+### PASS
+- **Critical test**: 3x3 borderless table detected via alignment heuristic
+  - `test_detect_borderless_3x3_table_accepted` passes
+- **Unit test - paragraph rejected**: Single-column text is rejected
+  - `test_detect_borderless_paragraph_rejected` passes
+- **Unit test - one-row pseudo-table rejected**: Single row with multiple columns rejected
+  - `test_detect_borderless_one_row_pseudo_table_rejected` passes
+- **Unit test - 3-row 3-column borderless table accepted**: Core table detection works
+  - `test_detect_borderless_3x3_table_accepted` passes
+- **Unit test - vertical-gap test**: Two separate tables with >100 pt gap detected separately
+  - `test_detect_borderless_vertical_gap_test` passes
+- **Public API**: `TableDetector::detect_borderless(&PageContext) -> Vec<GridCandidate>` exists
+- **Performance**: 1.56 ms for 5040 text positions (well below 10 ms requirement)
+
+## Implementation Details
+The borderless detector in `crates/pdftract-core/src/table/detector.rs`:
+- Collects text positions from content stream (Tm, Td, TD, T*, Tj, TJ, ', " operators)
+- Groups by x0 positions within 2.0 pt tolerance using clustering
+- Finds column candidates (3+ spans at same x0 on different y positions)
+- Finds row candidates (y positions where >= 2 column candidates have spans)
+- Validates: 3+ rows AND 3+ columns, contiguous y range, no gap > 100 pt
+- Constructs GridCandidate with empty segments (no ruling lines)
+- Rejects single-column paragraph reflow patterns
+
+## Test Results
+```bash
+cargo test -p pdftract-core --lib table::detector::tests::test_detect_borderless
+# running 6 tests
+# test table::detector::tests::test_detect_borderless_empty_content ... ok
+# test table::detector::tests::test_detect_borderless_no_text_block ... ok
+# test table::detector::tests::test_detect_borderless_3x3_table_accepted ... ok
+# test table::detector::tests::test_detect_borderless_one_row_pseudo_table_rejected ... ok
+# test table::detector::tests::test_detect_borderless_paragraph_rejected ... ok
+# test table::detector::tests::test_detect_borderless_vertical_gap_test ... ok
+# test result: ok. 6 passed; 0 failed; 0 ignored; 0 measured
+```
+
+## Benchmark Results
+```
+borderless_detection/text_positions/5040
+                        time:   [1.5457 ms 1.5595 ms 1.5755 ms]
+```
+Performance target: < 10 ms on 5000-span page
+Actual: ~1.56 ms (well within requirement)
+
+## Files Modified
+- `crates/pdftract-core/benches/table_detection.rs`: Added borderless detection benchmark
+
+## Files Reviewed (no changes needed)
+- `crates/pdftract-core/src/table/detector.rs`: Borderless detection already implemented
+- `crates/pdftract-core/src/table/mod.rs`: Public API exported
+- `crates/pdftract-core/src/lib.rs`: Re-exports for public API
+
+## Integration Notes
+Per task description, borderless detection should run only when line-based detection (7.2.1) returns no GridCandidate covering a region. This is a usage pattern for the caller, not enforced within the detector itself. The detector provides both methods independently:
+- `TableDetector::detect_line_based()` - for bordered tables
+- `TableDetector::detect_borderless()` - for borderless tables
+
+Callers can orchestrate the fallback logic as needed.