diff --git a/tests/tools/test_computer_use_display_count_guard.py b/tests/tools/test_computer_use_display_count_guard.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e45dd66387
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/tools/test_computer_use_display_count_guard.py
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+"""macOS ScreenCaptureKit display_count=0 diagnosability.
+
+Composed from PR #52949 (sujeet111, doctor guard) and PR #67259
+(webtecnica, actionable-hint direction): a headless Mac or asleep panel
+leaves SCK with zero shareable displays while TCC grants pass, so
+health_report says ok and every capture returns 0x0 silently. The guard
+turns that into a failed check + degraded overall + recovery hint.
+"""
+
+from tools.computer_use.doctor import _apply_display_count_guard
+
+
+def _report(status="pass", count=0, overall="ok", name="screen_capture_capability"):
+    return {
+        "overall": overall,
+        "checks": [
+            {
+                "name": name,
+                "status": status,
+                "message": "ScreenCaptureKit reachable",
+                "data": {"display_count": count},
+            }
+        ],
+    }
+
+
+def test_zero_displays_downgrades_ok_to_degraded():
+    out = _apply_display_count_guard(_report(count=0))
+    assert out["overall"] == "degraded"
+    assert out["checks"][0]["status"] == "fail"
+    assert "0 shareable" in out["checks"][0]["message"]
+    assert "dongle" in out["checks"][0]["hint"]
+
+
+def test_positive_display_count_untouched():
+    out = _apply_display_count_guard(_report(count=1))
+    assert out["overall"] == "ok"
+    assert out["checks"][0]["status"] == "pass"
+
+
+def test_already_failed_check_not_rewritten():
+    out = _apply_display_count_guard(_report(status="fail", count=0, overall="degraded"))
+    # Guard only flips pass->fail; an existing failure keeps its message.
+    assert out["checks"][0]["message"] == "ScreenCaptureKit reachable"
+
+
+def test_missing_data_and_other_checks_ignored():
+    out = _apply_display_count_guard(
+        {"overall": "ok", "checks": [{"name": "binary_version", "status": "pass"}]}
+    )
+    assert out["overall"] == "ok"
+    out2 = _apply_display_count_guard({"overall": "ok", "checks": "bogus"})
+    assert out2["overall"] == "ok"
+
+
+def test_overall_failed_not_upgraded():
+    out = _apply_display_count_guard(_report(count=0, overall="failed"))
+    # fail-worse states are never softened to degraded.
+    assert out["overall"] == "failed"
+    assert out["checks"][0]["status"] == "fail"
diff --git a/tools/computer_use/cua_backend.py b/tools/computer_use/cua_backend.py
index 4dec67ea14..2067684cfa 100644
--- a/tools/computer_use/cua_backend.py
+++ b/tools/computer_use/cua_backend.py
@@ -357,6 +357,15 @@ def _empty_discovery_reason() -> str:
         )
     if sys.platform == "linux" and not os.environ.get("DISPLAY"):
         return "no DISPLAY is set — X11/XWayland is not reachable from this process"
+    if sys.platform == "darwin":
+        # Headless Mac / asleep panel: ScreenCaptureKit has 0 shareable
+        # displays while TCC grants look fine (#67165, #52925 lineage).
+        return (
+            "window discovery returned no windows; on macOS this usually "
+            "means no shareable display (headless Mac or panel asleep) — "
+            "wake the display or attach a monitor/HDMI dummy, then run "
+            "`hermes computer-use doctor`"
+        )
     return (
         "window discovery returned no windows; run `hermes computer-use "
         "doctor` (display reachability, AX capability)"
diff --git a/tools/computer_use/doctor.py b/tools/computer_use/doctor.py
index 865a1df0e9..1379c8d95c 100644
--- a/tools/computer_use/doctor.py
+++ b/tools/computer_use/doctor.py
@@ -693,13 +693,53 @@ def _drive_health_report_or_fallback(
 ) -> Dict[str, Any]:
     """Prefer real health_report; on denial/non-schema, synthesize via probes."""
     try:
-        return _drive_health_report(
+        report = _drive_health_report(
             binary, include=include, skip=skip, timeout=timeout,
         )
     except HealthReportUnavailable as e:
-        return _compose_fallback_report(
+        report = _compose_fallback_report(
             binary, reason=str(e), timeout=timeout,
         )
+    return _apply_display_count_guard(report)
+
+
+def _apply_display_count_guard(report: Dict[str, Any]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    """Downgrade an 'ok' report whose screen capture has zero displays.
+
+    macOS ScreenCaptureKit reports ``display_count=0`` on headless Macs and
+    when the built-in panel is asleep — TCC grants are fine, health_report
+    can still say pass/ok, but every capture will come back 0x0. Marking
+    the check failed (with the recovery actions) turns an undiagnosable
+    silent failure into an actionable one. Applied at the report seam so
+    the real health_report path and the composed fallback both get it.
+
+    Composed from PR #52949 (sujeet111) and PR #67259 (webtecnica).
+    """
+    checks = report.get("checks")
+    if not isinstance(checks, list):
+        return report
+    for check in checks:
+        if not isinstance(check, dict):
+            continue
+        if check.get("name") != "screen_capture_capability":
+            continue
+        data = check.get("data")
+        count = data.get("display_count") if isinstance(data, dict) else None
+        if count == 0 and check.get("status") == "pass":
+            check["status"] = "fail"
+            check["message"] = (
+                "ScreenCaptureKit reachable but 0 shareable display(s) — "
+                "every capture will return 0x0."
+            )
+            check["hint"] = (
+                "Wake the built-in display, connect a monitor or HDMI dummy "
+                "dongle (e.g. Headless Ghost), or enable a virtual display "
+                "(Screen Sharing/VNC, BetterDisplay). Verify with "
+                "`system_profiler SPDisplaysDataType`."
+            )
+            if report.get("overall") == "ok":
+                report["overall"] = "degraded"
+    return report
 
 
 def _print_text_report(