--- F09-before.normalized.txt
+++ F09-after.normalized.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ROW F09 SIDE <SIDE> run=<RUN> checkout=<CHECKOUT>
 $ git -C <CHECKOUT> rev-parse HEAD
-[command stdout] 15fe2832727893cbdd2214383f9f971474849695
+[command stdout] ec84567fce5a41ff1022e7feb289351029111f35
 command wait: exit=0
 $ <NODE> --version
 [command stdout] v26.12.1
@@ -27,44 +27,167 @@
 [command stdout] {"classification":"non-busy error","stage":"constructor","name":"Error","message":"unable to open database file","code":"ERR_SQLITE_ERROR","errcode":14,"errstr":"unable to open database file"}
 [command stdout] {"existsAfter":false}
 command wait: exit=0
+F09 EXTRA helper-level no-create check before real CLI
+$ cd <CHECKOUT>/apps/server && <NODE> <DRIVER_DIR>/helper-no-create.mjs <CHECKOUT> <RUN>/base/userdata/server-runtime.json
+[command stdout] LABELLED HELPER-LEVEL NO-CREATE CHECK; not a CLI startup
+[command stdout] {"cwd":"<CHECKOUT>/apps/server","node":"v26.12.1","euid":1000,"pid":<PID>,"statePath":"<RUN>/base/userdata/server-runtime.json","lock":"<RUN>/base/userdata/server-owner.sqlite","existsBefore":false}
+[command stdout] {"isServerOwnershipHeld":false,"existsAfter":false}
+command wait: exit=0
+STATE after helper; before CLI
+R path=<RUN>/base/userdata/server-runtime.json sha256=<R-SHA256>
+R contents BEGIN
+{"version":1,"pid":<PID>,"port":<PORT>,"origin":"http://127.0.0.1:<PORT>","startedAt":"<TIMESTAMP>","ownerId":"<UUID>"}
+R contents END
+L absent: <RUN>/base/userdata/server-owner.sqlite
+target cwd exists=False path=<RUN>/new-project
 unrelated child before CLI: pid=<PID> signal-0-alive=True poll=None
 TARGET B argv=<NODE> <CHECKOUT>/apps/server/src/bin.ts start --mode web --base-dir <RUN>/base --port <PORT> --host 127.0.0.1 --no-browser <RUN>/new-project
 SPAWN B: tracked pid=<PID> euid=1000 pidns=pid:[<PIDNS>]
-[B stderr] 
-[B stderr] ERROR
-[B stderr]   A T3 Code server is already running for <RUN>/base (pid <PID>, http://127.0.0.1:<PORT>). Connect to that server, stop it before starting another, or use a different --base-dir.
-TARGET B wait: exit=1
+[B stdout] [<TIME>] INFO (#<FIBER>): Migrations ran successfully
+[B stdout]   migrations: [
+[B stdout]     '1_OrchestrationEvents',
+[B stdout]     '2_OrchestrationCommandReceipts',
+[B stdout]     '3_CheckpointDiffBlobs',
+[B stdout]     '4_ProviderSessionRuntime',
+[B stdout]     '5_Projections',
+[B stdout]     '6_ProjectionThreadSessionRuntimeModeColumns',
+[B stdout]     '7_ProjectionThreadMessageAttachments',
+[B stdout]     '8_ProjectionThreadActivitySequence',
+[B stdout]     '9_ProviderSessionRuntimeMode',
+[B stdout]     '10_ProjectionThreadsRuntimeMode',
+[B stdout]     '11_OrchestrationThreadCreatedRuntimeMode',
+[B stdout]     '12_ProjectionThreadsInteractionMode',
+[B stdout]     '13_ProjectionThreadProposedPlans',
+[B stdout]     '14_ProjectionThreadProposedPlanImplementation',
+[B stdout]     '15_ProjectionTurnsSourceProposedPlan',
+[B stdout]     '16_CanonicalizeModelSelections',
+[B stdout]     '17_ProjectionThreadsArchivedAt',
+[B stdout]     '18_ProjectionThreadsArchivedAtIndex',
+[B stdout]     '19_ProjectionSnapshotLookupIndexes',
+[B stdout]     '20_AuthAccessManagement',
+[B stdout]     '21_AuthSessionClientMetadata',
+[B stdout]     '22_AuthSessionLastConnectedAt',
+[B stdout]     '23_ProjectionThreadShellSummary',
+[B stdout]     '24_BackfillProjectionThreadShellSummary',
+[B stdout]     '25_CleanupInvalidProjectionPendingApprovals',
+[B stdout]     '26_CanonicalizeModelSelectionOptions',
+[B stdout]     '27_ProviderSessionRuntimeInstanceId',
+[B stdout]     '28_ProjectionThreadSessionInstanceId',
+[B stdout]     '29_ProjectionThreadDetailOrderingIndexes',
+[B stdout]     '30_ProjectionThreadShellArchiveIndexes',
+[B stdout]     '31_AuthAuthorizationScopes',
+[B stdout]     '32_AuthPairingProofKeyThumbprint',
+[B stdout]     '33_ProjectionThreadsSettled',
+[B stdout]     '34_ProjectionThreadsSnoozed',
+[B stdout]     '35_ProjectionThreadTitleRegeneration',
+[B stdout]     '36_ProjectionThreadsPinned',
+[B stdout]     '37_ProjectionTurnsKeysetIndex',
+[B stdout]     '38_ProjectionThreadsPinOrderKey',
+[B stdout]     '39_ProjectionProjectsDefaultThreadEnvMode',
+[B stdout]     '40_ProjectionProjectFaviconPath',
+[B stdout]     '41_AuthSessionClientConnection',
+[B stdout]     '42_ProjectionThreadLinkedPullRequest',
+[B stdout]     '43_ProjectionThreadsUnsettledAt',
+[B stdout]     '44_ClearAutomaticProjectModelDefaults',
+[B stdout]     '45_ProjectionProjectsAutoPull',
+[B stdout]     '46_RepairAutomaticSettlementTimestamps',
+[B stdout]     '47_ProjectionProjectIcon',
+[B stdout]     '48_ProjectionThreadBranchPullRequest',
+[B stdout]     '49_ProjectionThreadsActiveOrderKey',
+[B stdout]     '50_ProjectionThreadPullRequests',
+[B stdout]     '51_ProjectionThreadMessageContext',
+[B stdout]     '52_ProjectionThreadTitleState',
+[B stdout]     '53_PullRequestFilesViewed',
+[B stdout]     '54_ProjectionThreadsAutoSettleDisabledAt',
+[B stdout]     '55_OrchestrationV2',
+[B stdout]     '56_RemoveRedundantProjectionIndexes',
+[B stdout]     '57_ScheduledTaskWebhooks',
+[B stdout]     '58_WebhookRelayDeliveries',
+[B stdout]     '59_McpAppModelContext',
+[B stdout]     '60_ThreadSnapshotWindowIndexes',
+[B stdout]     '61_PullRequestReviewGuides',
+[B stdout]     '62_ThreadFailureLookupIndex',
+[B stdout]     '63_DropUnusedV1Projections',
+[B stdout]     '64_CanonicalizeThreadPullRequestLinks',
+[B stdout]     '65_CodexUsageNativeTurnIndex',
+[B stdout]     '66_RepairClientSettlementTimestamps',
+[B stdout]     '67_WebhookDedupe',
+[B stdout]     '68_ShellStopRequestIndex',
+[B stdout]     '69_ThreadMessageSearch',
+[B stdout]     '70_PeerLinks',
+[B stdout]     '71_PeerLinkFence',
+[B stdout]     '72_WaitingLinkRequestIndex',
+[B stdout]     '73_ActiveTurnItemIndexes',
+[B stdout]     '74_ExcludeAttachmentPlaceholdersFromSearch',
+[B stdout]     '75_SubagentDeliveryState',
+[B stdout]     '76_ProjectionProjectsPinArchive'
+[B stdout]   ]
+[B stdout] [<TIME>] INFO (#<FIBER>): Listening on http://127.0.0.1:<PORT>
+[B stdout] [<TIME>] INFO (#<FIBER>): agent activity publishing standby; waiting for T3 Connect link reconciliation
+[B stdout] [<TIME>] INFO (#<FIBER>): V2 orchestration recovery completed
+[B stdout]   {
+[B stdout]     terminalizedRuns: 0,
+[B stdout]     stoppedSessions: 0,
+[B stdout]     closedRequests: 0,
+[B stdout]     retiredEffects: 0,
+[B stdout]     requeuedEffects: 0
+[B stdout]   }
+[B stdout] [<TIME>] INFO (#<FIBER>): Authentication required. Open T3 Code using the pairing URL.
+READINESS B: alive + Listening line + new valid R matches pid/port with ownerId
+STATE B ready
+R path=<RUN>/base/userdata/server-runtime.json sha256=<R-SHA256>
+R contents BEGIN
+{"version":1,"pid":<PID>,"host":"127.0.0.1","port":<PORT>,"origin":"http://127.0.0.1:<PORT>","startedAt":"<TIMESTAMP>","serverVersion":"0.1.6","ownerId":"<UUID>"}
+R contents END
+L {"dev": 65024, "exists": true, "first64bytes_hex": "", "gid": 1000, "inode": <INODE>, "mode": "0o644", "path": "<RUN>/base/userdata/server-owner.sqlite", "sha256": "e3b0c44298fc1c149afbf4c8996fb92427ae41e4649b934ca495991b7852b855", "size": 0, "uid": 1000}
+target cwd exists=True path=<RUN>/new-project
+INDEPENDENT LOCK PROBE (process closes before next target launch)
+$ <NODE> <DRIVER_DIR>/probe-lock.mjs <RUN>/base/userdata/server-owner.sqlite
+[command stdout] {"probePid":<PID>,"euid":1000,"lock":"<RUN>/base/userdata/server-owner.sqlite","existsBefore":true,"readOnly":true,"timeout":0,"sql":"SELECT 1 FROM sqlite_schema"}
+[command stdout] {"classification":"busy","stage":"prepare/get","name":"Error","message":"database is locked","code":"ERR_SQLITE_ERROR","errcode":5,"errstr":"database is locked"}
+[command stdout] probe handle closed
+[command stdout] {"existsAfter":true}
+command wait: exit=0
+B ready: pid=<PID> signal-0-alive=True poll=None
 STATE after target result; before cleanup
 R path=<RUN>/base/userdata/server-runtime.json sha256=<R-SHA256>
 R contents BEGIN
-{"version":1,"pid":<PID>,"port":<PORT>,"origin":"http://127.0.0.1:<PORT>","startedAt":"<TIMESTAMP>","ownerId":"<UUID>"}
+{"version":1,"pid":<PID>,"host":"127.0.0.1","port":<PORT>,"origin":"http://127.0.0.1:<PORT>","startedAt":"<TIMESTAMP>","serverVersion":"0.1.6","ownerId":"<UUID>"}
 R contents END
-L absent: <RUN>/base/userdata/server-owner.sqlite
-target cwd exists=False path=<RUN>/new-project
+L {"dev": 65024, "exists": true, "first64bytes_hex": "", "gid": 1000, "inode": <INODE>, "mode": "0o644", "path": "<RUN>/base/userdata/server-owner.sqlite", "sha256": "e3b0c44298fc1c149afbf4c8996fb92427ae41e4649b934ca495991b7852b855", "size": 0, "uid": 1000}
+target cwd exists=True path=<RUN>/new-project
 INDEPENDENT LOCK PROBE (process closes before next target launch)
 $ <NODE> <DRIVER_DIR>/probe-lock.mjs <RUN>/base/userdata/server-owner.sqlite
-[command stdout] {"probePid":<PID>,"euid":1000,"lock":"<RUN>/base/userdata/server-owner.sqlite","existsBefore":false,"readOnly":true,"timeout":0,"sql":"SELECT 1 FROM sqlite_schema"}
-[command stdout] {"classification":"non-busy error","stage":"constructor","name":"Error","message":"unable to open database file","code":"ERR_SQLITE_ERROR","errcode":14,"errstr":"unable to open database file"}
-[command stdout] {"existsAfter":false}
+[command stdout] {"probePid":<PID>,"euid":1000,"lock":"<RUN>/base/userdata/server-owner.sqlite","existsBefore":true,"readOnly":true,"timeout":0,"sql":"SELECT 1 FROM sqlite_schema"}
+[command stdout] {"classification":"busy","stage":"prepare/get","name":"Error","message":"database is locked","code":"ERR_SQLITE_ERROR","errcode":5,"errstr":"database is locked"}
+[command stdout] probe handle closed
+[command stdout] {"existsAfter":true}
 command wait: exit=0
 unrelated child after CLI: pid=<PID> signal-0-alive=True poll=None
-OUTCOME target B EXITED exit=1; target cwd exists=False
-CLEANUP B: already exited pid=<PID>
-WAIT B: pid=<PID> returncode=1 exit=1
+OUTCOME target B STARTED; long-lived process, no exit claimed at readiness
+CLEANUP B: send SIGTERM to spawned pid=<PID>
+WAIT B: pid=<PID> returncode=130 exit=130
+[B stdout]   pairingUrl: http://127.0.0.1:<PORT>/pair#token=<redacted>
+[B stdout] [<TIME>] INFO (#<FIBER>): V2 orchestration shutdown reconciliation completed
+[B stdout]   {
+[B stdout]     terminalizedRuns: 0,
+[B stdout]     stoppedSessions: 0,
+[B stdout]     closedRequests: 0,
+[B stdout]     retiredEffects: 0,
+[B stdout]     requeuedEffects: 0
+[B stdout]   }
 CLEANUP unrelated fixture child: send SIGTERM to spawned pid=<PID>
 WAIT unrelated fixture child: pid=<PID> returncode=-15 signal=SIGTERM
 STATE after all cleanup
-R path=<RUN>/base/userdata/server-runtime.json sha256=<R-SHA256>
-R contents BEGIN
-{"version":1,"pid":<PID>,"port":<PORT>,"origin":"http://127.0.0.1:<PORT>","startedAt":"<TIMESTAMP>","ownerId":"<UUID>"}
-R contents END
-L absent: <RUN>/base/userdata/server-owner.sqlite
-target cwd exists=False path=<RUN>/new-project
+R absent: <RUN>/base/userdata/server-runtime.json
+L {"dev": 65024, "exists": true, "first64bytes_hex": "", "gid": 1000, "inode": <INODE>, "mode": "0o644", "path": "<RUN>/base/userdata/server-owner.sqlite", "sha256": "e3b0c44298fc1c149afbf4c8996fb92427ae41e4649b934ca495991b7852b855", "size": 0, "uid": 1000}
+target cwd exists=True path=<RUN>/new-project
 INDEPENDENT LOCK PROBE (process closes before next target launch)
 $ <NODE> <DRIVER_DIR>/probe-lock.mjs <RUN>/base/userdata/server-owner.sqlite
-[command stdout] {"probePid":<PID>,"euid":1000,"lock":"<RUN>/base/userdata/server-owner.sqlite","existsBefore":false,"readOnly":true,"timeout":0,"sql":"SELECT 1 FROM sqlite_schema"}
-[command stdout] {"classification":"non-busy error","stage":"constructor","name":"Error","message":"unable to open database file","code":"ERR_SQLITE_ERROR","errcode":14,"errstr":"unable to open database file"}
-[command stdout] {"existsAfter":false}
+[command stdout] {"probePid":<PID>,"euid":1000,"lock":"<RUN>/base/userdata/server-owner.sqlite","existsBefore":true,"readOnly":true,"timeout":0,"sql":"SELECT 1 FROM sqlite_schema"}
+[command stdout] {"classification":"free","stage":"prepare/get","result":null}
+[command stdout] probe handle closed
+[command stdout] {"existsAfter":true}
 command wait: exit=0
 ROW COMPLETE F09
 ALL tracked children reaped; no driver-owned process intentionally left running