diff --git a/apps/memos-local-plugin/agent-contract/memory-core.ts b/apps/memos-local-plugin/agent-contract/memory-core.ts
index 9c3ad826c..5566262bc 100644
--- a/apps/memos-local-plugin/agent-contract/memory-core.ts
+++ b/apps/memos-local-plugin/agent-contract/memory-core.ts
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ import type { LogRecord } from "./log-record.js";
 
 export interface CoreHealth {
   ok: boolean;
+  /** True only after init() has fully wired all pipeline subscribers. */
+  pipelineReady: boolean;
   version: string;
   uptimeMs: number;
   agent: AgentKind;
diff --git a/apps/memos-local-plugin/bridge.cts b/apps/memos-local-plugin/bridge.cts
index 4e7ea1ad4..a1d8c538a 100644
--- a/apps/memos-local-plugin/bridge.cts
+++ b/apps/memos-local-plugin/bridge.cts
@@ -404,6 +404,39 @@ async function main(): Promise<void> {
     };
     process.on("SIGINT", () => void shutdownDaemon("SIGINT"));
     process.on("SIGTERM", () => void shutdownDaemon("SIGTERM"));
+
+    // Run core.init() in the background. A dirty-episode rescore can
+    // take minutes; keeping it async lets the HTTP server stay responsive
+    // to health probes throughout and prevents ensure_viewer_daemon()
+    // from timing out and spawning a replacement daemon.
+    //
+    // Watchdog: if core.init() neither resolves nor rejects within
+    // INIT_WATCHDOG_MS, the bridge appears healthy (HTTP serving) but the
+    // scoring pipeline is never wired. Force-exit so the gateway respawns
+    // a fresh bridge rather than silently dropping all scoring for hours.
+    const INIT_WATCHDOG_MS = config.bridge.initWatchdogMs;
+    void (async () => {
+      const result = await Promise.race([
+        core.init().then(() => "done" as const),
+        new Promise<"timeout">((resolve) => {
+          const t = setTimeout(() => resolve("timeout"), INIT_WATCHDOG_MS);
+          (t as unknown as { unref?: () => void }).unref?.();
+        }),
+      ]);
+      if (result === "timeout") {
+        process.stderr.write(
+          `bridge: daemon core.init watchdog: pipeline.ready not seen within ${INIT_WATCHDOG_MS}ms — restarting\n`,
+        );
+        void shutdownDaemon("init.watchdog");
+      }
+    })().catch((err) => {
+      process.stderr.write(
+        `bridge: daemon core.init error: ${err instanceof Error ? err.stack ?? err.message : String(err)}\n`,
+      );
+      void shutdownDaemon("init.error");
+    });
+
+
     // Process stays alive via the HTTP server's ref'd socket.
     return;
   }
diff --git a/apps/memos-local-plugin/core/config/defaults.ts b/apps/memos-local-plugin/core/config/defaults.ts
index 1cf2d2cf6..fc2db1b8c 100644
--- a/apps/memos-local-plugin/core/config/defaults.ts
+++ b/apps/memos-local-plugin/core/config/defaults.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ export const DEFAULT_CONFIG: ResolvedConfig = {
   bridge: {
     port: 18911,
     mode: "stdio",
+    initWatchdogMs: 120_000,
   },
   embedding: {
     provider: "local",
diff --git a/apps/memos-local-plugin/core/config/schema.ts b/apps/memos-local-plugin/core/config/schema.ts
index 7c9ff193b..c69702bcd 100644
--- a/apps/memos-local-plugin/core/config/schema.ts
+++ b/apps/memos-local-plugin/core/config/schema.ts
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ const ViewerSchema = Type.Object({
 const BridgeSchema = Type.Object({
   port: NumberInRange(18911, 1, 65535),
   mode: Type.Union([Type.Literal("stdio"), Type.Literal("tcp")], { default: "stdio" }),
+  initWatchdogMs: NumberInRange(120_000, 30_000),
 }, { default: {} });
 
 const EmbeddingSchema = Type.Object({
diff --git a/apps/memos-local-plugin/core/pipeline/memory-core.ts b/apps/memos-local-plugin/core/pipeline/memory-core.ts
index 4974ee16d..6be3e316e 100644
--- a/apps/memos-local-plugin/core/pipeline/memory-core.ts
+++ b/apps/memos-local-plugin/core/pipeline/memory-core.ts
@@ -475,6 +475,7 @@ export function createMemoryCore(
   const log = rootLogger.child({ channel: "core.pipeline.memory-core" });
   let telemetry = options.telemetry ?? null;
   let initialized = false;
+  let pipelineReady = false;
   let shutDown = false;
   /** Per-episode monotonic step counter for tool outcomes. */
   const toolStepByEpisode = new Map<string, number>();
@@ -844,7 +845,7 @@ export function createMemoryCore(
     if (!hubRuntime) {
       hubRuntime = makeHubRuntime(config);
     }
-    await hubRuntime.start();
+    await withTimeout(hubRuntime.start(), 30_000, "hub_start_timeout");
   }
 
   async function restartHubRuntime(config: ResolvedConfig): Promise<void> {
@@ -1130,6 +1131,9 @@ export function createMemoryCore(
         }, durationSince(result.startedAt, result.completedAt), ok);
       }
     });
+
+    pipelineReady = true;
+    log.info("pipeline.ready");
   }
 
   async function recoverOpenEpisodesAsSessionEnd(
@@ -1481,6 +1485,7 @@ export function createMemoryCore(
 
     return {
       ok: initialized && !shutDown,
+      pipelineReady,
       version: pkgVersion,
       uptimeMs: Date.now() - bootAt,
       agent: handle.agent,
diff --git a/apps/memos-local-plugin/server/routes/health.ts b/apps/memos-local-plugin/server/routes/health.ts
index 9dee2774c..301ac2f29 100644
--- a/apps/memos-local-plugin/server/routes/health.ts
+++ b/apps/memos-local-plugin/server/routes/health.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ export function registerHealthRoutes(routes: Routes, deps: ServerDeps): void {
     };
     return bridge ? { ...health, ...identity, bridge } : { ...health, ...identity };
   });
-  routes.set("GET /api/v1/ping", () => ({ ok: true, ...serviceIdentity, ts: Date.now() }));
+  routes.set("GET /api/v1/ping", async () => {
+    const health = await deps.core.health();
+    return { ok: true, ...serviceIdentity, ts: Date.now(), pipelineReady: health.pipelineReady };
+  });
   void ({} as RouteContext);
 }
diff --git a/apps/memos-local-plugin/viewer/src/stores/health.ts b/apps/memos-local-plugin/viewer/src/stores/health.ts
index 48abbaf8c..189fe92ae 100644
--- a/apps/memos-local-plugin/viewer/src/stores/health.ts
+++ b/apps/memos-local-plugin/viewer/src/stores/health.ts
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ export interface ModelCallStatus {
 
 export interface HealthPayload {
   ok: boolean;
+  /** True only after core.init() has fully wired all pipeline subscribers. */
+  pipelineReady?: boolean;
   version?: string;
   uptimeMs?: number;
   agent?: string;
@@ -77,7 +79,7 @@ async function tick(): Promise<void> {
   try {
     const data = await api.get<HealthPayload>("/api/v1/health");
     health.value = data;
-    healthStatus.value = data.ok ? "ok" : "degraded";
+    healthStatus.value = !data.ok ? "degraded" : data.pipelineReady === false ? "degraded" : "ok";
   } catch {
     health.value = null;
     healthStatus.value = "down";