diff --git a/crates/tracedecay/src/daemon/connection_serving.rs b/crates/tracedecay/src/daemon/connection_serving.rs
index 8f06a42bc9..e7afe3e0b2 100644
--- a/crates/tracedecay/src/daemon/connection_serving.rs
+++ b/crates/tracedecay/src/daemon/connection_serving.rs
@@ -1277,10 +1277,17 @@ fn serve_broker_socket_client_inner(
                     &first_request,
                     || {
                         Box::pin(async {
-                            Ok(engine
-                                .cached_project_server(&handshake)
-                                .await?
-                                .is_some_and(|server| server.doctor_report_ready()))
+                            if let Some(server) = engine.cached_project_server(&handshake).await? {
+                                return Ok(server.doctor_report_ready());
+                            }
+                            // Only the project owner publishes the report, so a
+                            // Doctor asking about an unopened project admits
+                            // and opens it the way an initialize would.
+                            Box::pin(
+                                engine.schedule_project_server_warmup(handshake.clone(), None),
+                            )
+                            .await?;
+                            Ok(false)
                         })
                     },
                 ))
@@ -1444,7 +1451,7 @@ fn serve_broker_socket_client_inner(
                                         {
                                             Box::pin(engine.schedule_project_server_warmup(
                                                 handshake.clone(),
-                                                request.clone(),
+                                                Some(request.clone()),
                                             ))
                                             .await
                                             .err()
@@ -1795,14 +1802,32 @@ pub(super) async fn serve_windows_broker_client_with_class_and_invocation(
         || async {
             let (canonical_project_path, _) =
                 project_route_for_handshake(&handshake, store_administration.owner_home()?)?;
-            Ok(Box::pin(portable_cached_project_server(
+            if let Some(server) = Box::pin(portable_cached_project_server(
                 &store_administration,
                 &canonical_project_path,
                 &handshake,
                 ProjectServerRequirement::Core,
             ))
             .await?
-            .is_some_and(|server| server.doctor_report_ready()))
+            {
+                return Ok(server.doctor_report_ready());
+            }
+            // Only the project owner publishes the report, so a Doctor asking
+            // about an unopened project admits and opens it the way an
+            // initialize would.
+            Box::pin(schedule_portable_project_server_warmup(
+                lifecycle.clone(),
+                store_administration.clone(),
+                Arc::clone(&project_open_gates),
+                invocation.clone(),
+                http_application_registry.clone(),
+                handshake.clone(),
+                None,
+                #[cfg(test)]
+                project_open_attempts.clone(),
+            ))
+            .await?;
+            Ok(false)
         },
     ))
     .await?
@@ -1983,7 +2008,7 @@ pub(super) async fn serve_windows_broker_client_with_class_and_invocation(
                                 invocation.clone(),
                                 http_application_registry.clone(),
                                 handshake.clone(),
-                                request.clone(),
+                                Some(request.clone()),
                                 #[cfg(test)]
                                 project_open_attempts.clone(),
                             ))
diff --git a/crates/tracedecay/src/daemon/engine.rs b/crates/tracedecay/src/daemon/engine.rs
index cbfd75586d..99b47383c1 100644
--- a/crates/tracedecay/src/daemon/engine.rs
+++ b/crates/tracedecay/src/daemon/engine.rs
@@ -640,7 +640,7 @@ impl DaemonEngine {
     pub(super) async fn schedule_project_server_warmup(
         &self,
         handshake: DaemonHandshake,
-        initialize_request: JsonRpcRequest,
+        initialize_request: Option<JsonRpcRequest>,
     ) -> Result<()> {
         self.schedule_project_server_warmup_inner(handshake, initialize_request)
             .await
@@ -649,7 +649,7 @@ impl DaemonEngine {
     fn schedule_project_server_warmup_inner(
         &self,
         handshake: DaemonHandshake,
-        initialize_request: JsonRpcRequest,
+        initialize_request: Option<JsonRpcRequest>,
     ) -> std::pin::Pin<Box<dyn std::future::Future<Output = Result<()>> + Send + '_>> {
         // Erase the deeply nested future before it reaches the measured
         // wrapper so every profiling feature can compute its layout.
@@ -657,7 +657,7 @@ impl DaemonEngine {
             if self.cached_project_server(&handshake).await?.is_some() {
                 return Ok(());
             }
-            match Box::pin(self.begin_project_open(handshake, Some(initialize_request))).await? {
+            match Box::pin(self.begin_project_open(handshake, initialize_request)).await? {
                 ProjectOpenTaskClaim::InFlight(_) => Ok(()),
                 ProjectOpenTaskClaim::Failed(failure) => Err(failure.to_error()),
                 ProjectOpenTaskClaim::Saturated => Err(project_open_task_capacity_error()),
diff --git a/crates/tracedecay/src/daemon/project_open_orchestration.rs b/crates/tracedecay/src/daemon/project_open_orchestration.rs
index a857a8eb02..6ba5e5e569 100644
--- a/crates/tracedecay/src/daemon/project_open_orchestration.rs
+++ b/crates/tracedecay/src/daemon/project_open_orchestration.rs
@@ -423,7 +423,7 @@ pub(super) async fn schedule_portable_project_server_warmup(
     invocation: DaemonInvocationState,
     http_application_registry: http_application::DaemonHttpApplicationRegistry,
     handshake: DaemonHandshake,
-    initialize_request: JsonRpcRequest,
+    initialize_request: Option<JsonRpcRequest>,
     #[cfg(test)] project_open_attempts: Option<Arc<AtomicUsize>>,
 ) -> Result<()> {
     let (canonical_project_path, route) =
@@ -448,7 +448,7 @@ pub(super) async fn schedule_portable_project_server_warmup(
         handshake,
         canonical_project_path,
         route,
-        Some(initialize_request),
+        initialize_request,
         #[cfg(test)]
         project_open_attempts,
     ))
diff --git a/crates/tracedecay/src/daemon/tests/bootstrap.rs b/crates/tracedecay/src/daemon/tests/bootstrap.rs
index 7c957165f0..6d77311354 100644
--- a/crates/tracedecay/src/daemon/tests/bootstrap.rs
+++ b/crates/tracedecay/src/daemon/tests/bootstrap.rs
@@ -3126,7 +3126,7 @@ async fn project_server_warmup_drops_lifecycle_activity_on_draining() {
         client_identity,
         ..test_handshake_defaults()
     };
-    let initialize_request = serde_json::from_value(json!({
+    let initialize_request: tracedecay_mcp::JsonRpcRequest = serde_json::from_value(json!({
         "jsonrpc": "2.0",
         "id": 1,
         "method": "initialize",
@@ -3148,7 +3148,7 @@ async fn project_server_warmup_drops_lifecycle_activity_on_draining() {
     });
     writer_held.notified().await;
 
-    Box::pin(engine.schedule_project_server_warmup(handshake, initialize_request))
+    Box::pin(engine.schedule_project_server_warmup(handshake, Some(initialize_request)))
         .await
         .expect("schedule project warmup");
     engine.lifecycle.begin_draining();
@@ -3257,7 +3257,7 @@ async fn portable_project_warmup_rejects_after_shutdown_snapshot() {
         super::super::DaemonInvocationState::default(),
         super::super::http_application::DaemonHttpApplicationRegistry::default(),
         handshake,
-        initialize_request,
+        Some(initialize_request),
         Some(Arc::clone(&attempts)),
     ))
     .await
diff --git a/crates/tracedecay/src/doctor.rs b/crates/tracedecay/src/doctor.rs
index 2c8c661753..6ef58016e1 100644
--- a/crates/tracedecay/src/doctor.rs
+++ b/crates/tracedecay/src/doctor.rs
@@ -591,10 +591,19 @@ async fn daemon_project_status(
             Some(deadline),
         )
         .await?;
+        let warmed_up = tokio::time::Instant::now() >= warmup_deadline;
         match daemon_runtime_status(runtime)? {
-            Some(status) => return Ok(Some(status)),
-            None if tokio::time::Instant::now() >= warmup_deadline => return Ok(None),
-            None => tokio::time::sleep(RUNTIME_TELEMETRY_POLL).await,
+            // The first Doctor call starts the project open, so a warming
+            // owner is polled like missing telemetry until the report lands.
+            Some(status)
+                if warmed_up
+                    || canonical_daemon_doctor_report(&status)?
+                        != CanonicalDoctorReport::Mounting =>
+            {
+                return Ok(Some(status));
+            }
+            None if warmed_up => return Ok(None),
+            Some(_) | None => tokio::time::sleep(RUNTIME_TELEMETRY_POLL).await,
         }
     }
 }
@@ -1089,7 +1098,9 @@ async fn check_project_index_paths(
                     }
                 }
             }
-            Err(error) => dc.fail(&format!("{key} could not be read: {error}")),
+            // A reset-required or still-mounting store is already reported
+            // as its own state; a read that could not run is not an issue.
+            Err(error) => dc.warn(&format!("{key} could not be read: {error}")),
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/tracedecay/tests/transport_acceptance_suite/typed_terminal_restart_acceptance/stale_sessions_store_reset.rs b/crates/tracedecay/tests/transport_acceptance_suite/typed_terminal_restart_acceptance/stale_sessions_store_reset.rs
index b56072d7a6..0efcff64e1 100644
--- a/crates/tracedecay/tests/transport_acceptance_suite/typed_terminal_restart_acceptance/stale_sessions_store_reset.rs
+++ b/crates/tracedecay/tests/transport_acceptance_suite/typed_terminal_restart_acceptance/stale_sessions_store_reset.rs
@@ -517,7 +517,7 @@ fn refused_session_stores_serve_code_until_their_scoped_reset(refusal: &SessionS
         !doctor_text.contains("Stalled"),
         "doctor must not report project open stalled on a session store:\n{doctor_text}"
     );
-    let (exit, report, stderr) = mounted_doctor_report(&home_path, &project_path);
+    let (exit, report, stderr) = run_doctor_json(&home_path, &project_path);
     assert_eq!(
         (exit, &report["daemon_findings"]["state"], &report["issues"]),
         (Some(75), &json!("observed"), &json!(0)),
@@ -715,36 +715,49 @@ fn seed_cursor_identity_collision_refusal(db_path: &Path, project_id: &str) {
         .expect("seed the refusal");
 }
 
-/// `tracedecay doctor --json` exit code, document, and stderr once the
-/// canonical Doctor report of the project has mounted.
-fn mounted_doctor_report(home: &Path, project: &Path) -> (Option<i32>, Value, String) {
-    let started = Instant::now();
-    loop {
-        let doctor = tracedecay_command_with_home(home)
-            .args(["doctor", "--json"])
-            .current_dir(project)
-            .stdin(Stdio::null())
-            .output()
-            .expect("run doctor");
-        let stderr = String::from_utf8_lossy(&doctor.stderr).into_owned();
-        let report: Value = serde_json::from_slice(&doctor.stdout).unwrap_or_else(|error| {
-            panic!("doctor --json printed no document ({error}):\n{stderr}")
-        });
-        if report["daemon_findings"]["state"] != "mounting" {
-            return (doctor.status.code(), report, stderr);
-        }
-        assert!(
-            started.elapsed() < SERVE_TIMEOUT,
-            "the canonical Doctor report never mounted within {SERVE_TIMEOUT:?}:\n{stderr}"
-        );
-        std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(500));
-    }
+/// One `tracedecay doctor --json` run: exit code, document, and stderr.
+fn run_doctor_json(home: &Path, project: &Path) -> (Option<i32>, Value, String) {
+    let doctor = tracedecay_command_with_home(home)
+        .args(["doctor", "--json"])
+        .current_dir(project)
+        .stdin(Stdio::null())
+        .output()
+        .expect("run doctor");
+    let stderr = String::from_utf8_lossy(&doctor.stderr).into_owned();
+    let report: Value = serde_json::from_slice(&doctor.stdout)
+        .unwrap_or_else(|error| panic!("doctor --json printed no document ({error}):\n{stderr}"));
+    (doctor.status.code(), report, stderr)
+}
+
+/// A restarted daemon has no project open until something asks for one. A
+/// lone `doctor` must open the registered project itself and report the
+/// canonical findings, not a mount that never starts.
+#[test]
+fn doctor_alone_on_a_fresh_daemon_opens_the_project_and_reports_findings() {
+    let home = tempfile::TempDir::new().expect("isolated home");
+    let home_path = canonical_existing_path(home.path());
+    let project = tempfile::TempDir::new().expect("project");
+    let project_path = canonical_existing_path(project.path());
+
+    let mut daemon = spawn_tracedecay_daemon_with(&home_path, |_| {});
+    super::initialize_project(&home_path, &project_path, "cold-doctor");
+    daemon
+        .kill_and_wait()
+        .expect("stop the daemon that registered the project");
+
+    let mut daemon = spawn_tracedecay_daemon_with(&home_path, |_| {});
+    let (_, report, stderr) = run_doctor_json(&home_path, &project_path);
+    assert_eq!(
+        report["daemon_findings"]["state"], "observed",
+        "the first doctor on a fresh daemon must reach the canonical report:\n{stderr}"
+    );
+
+    let _ = daemon.kill_and_wait();
 }
 
-/// `tracedecay doctor --json` exit code and its ingest-coverage finding, once
-/// the project runtime that owns the canonical report has mounted.
+/// `tracedecay doctor --json` exit code and its ingest-coverage finding.
 fn doctor_ingest_coverage(home: &Path, project: &Path) -> (Option<i32>, Value, String) {
-    let (exit, report, stderr) = mounted_doctor_report(home, project);
+    let (exit, report, stderr) = run_doctor_json(home, project);
     let finding = report["daemon_findings"]["payload"]["entries"]
         .as_array()
         .into_iter()