diff --git a/.github/workflows/docs-verify.yml b/.github/workflows/docs-verify.yml
index 89e1c1d1fe..f7fa3f92dc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docs-verify.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docs-verify.yml
@@ -140,10 +140,8 @@ jobs:
         # lets `wheels new` succeed, which makes fixture cwds real. See
         # #2178 for the full root-cause write-up.
         #
-        # Still soft-fail: surfaces the remaining tutorial-driver fixture
-        # issues (e.g., blog-tutorial's lucee.json emission). Drop
-        # continue-on-error once those are fixed.
-        continue-on-error: true
+        # Blocking: the last known failure, the mini-tutorial reloading before
+        # any server was started, is fixed (#4426).
         env:
           WHEELS_FRAMEWORK_PATH: ${{ github.workspace }}/vendor/wheels
         run: |
diff --git a/web/sites/guides/scripts/verify-docs/drivers/tutorial.mjs b/web/sites/guides/scripts/verify-docs/drivers/tutorial.mjs
index 3e6b789228..d6795f134a 100644
--- a/web/sites/guides/scripts/verify-docs/drivers/tutorial.mjs
+++ b/web/sites/guides/scripts/verify-docs/drivers/tutorial.mjs
@@ -160,10 +160,24 @@ export class TutorialSession {
 
   async applyCliExample(ex) {
     await this.ensureInitialised();
+    // A reader following the tutorial has the dev server running by the time a step reloads,
+    // lists live routes, migrates or runs tests, and those commands refuse without this
+    // project's own server (#4426). Start the fixture's server first, as for HTTP asserts.
+    if (needsServer(ex.attrs.cmd)) {
+      await this.ensureServer();
+    }
     return await runCliInFixture(ex);
   }
 }
 
+// `wheels` commands that talk to the project's running dev server.
+const SERVER_COMMANDS = new Set(['reload', 'routes', 'test', 'migrate', 'seed', 'console']);
+
+export function needsServer(cmd) {
+  const [program, verb] = String(cmd ?? '').trim().split(/\s+/);
+  return program === 'wheels' && SERVER_COMMANDS.has(verb);
+}
+
 async function runCliInFixture(ex) {
   const cmd = ex.attrs.cmd;
   if (!cmd) return { ok: false, message: 'missing required attr: cmd' };
diff --git a/web/sites/guides/scripts/verify-docs/test/tutorial.test.mjs b/web/sites/guides/scripts/verify-docs/test/tutorial.test.mjs
index ddb5dadee0..6985d95e76 100644
--- a/web/sites/guides/scripts/verify-docs/test/tutorial.test.mjs
+++ b/web/sites/guides/scripts/verify-docs/test/tutorial.test.mjs
@@ -91,3 +91,13 @@ test('tutorial driver walks mini-tutorial end to end', { timeout: 300_000 }, asy
     await session.stopServer();
   }
 });
+
+test('cli steps that need the dev server start it first', async () => {
+  const { needsServer } = await import('../drivers/tutorial.mjs');
+  for (const cmd of ['wheels reload', 'wheels routes', 'wheels test', 'wheels migrate latest', 'wheels seed', 'wheels console']) {
+    assert.equal(needsServer(cmd), true, cmd);
+  }
+  for (const cmd of ['wheels generate model Post', 'wheels start', 'wheels stop', 'wheels new app', 'npm test', '']) {
+    assert.equal(needsServer(cmd), false, cmd);
+  }
+});