diff --git a/gateway/run.py b/gateway/run.py
index 04c80279c8..b5d49dbcb3 100644
--- a/gateway/run.py
+++ b/gateway/run.py
@@ -21397,6 +21397,12 @@ class GatewayRunner(GatewayAuthorizationMixin, GatewayKanbanWatchersMixin, Gatew
         if not sid:
             return
 
+        # Warm the SessionDB cache off-loop. A cold cache at the turn
+        # boundary stalls the loop for the init duration and can drop
+        # the tick-completion write (the /goal continuation seam, one
+        # sibling over).
+        await self._warm_goals_session_db("loop completion")
+
         mgr = LoopManager(session_id=sid)
         state = mgr.state
         if state is None or not state.awaiting_response:
@@ -21435,6 +21441,11 @@ class GatewayRunner(GatewayAuthorizationMixin, GatewayKanbanWatchersMixin, Gatew
                     list_active_loops,
                 )
 
+                # Warm the cache off-loop once per scan. The scan reads
+                # every persisted loop, so a cold cache runs the state.db
+                # init on the loop thread before the first read.
+                await self._warm_goals_session_db("loop wakeup")
+
                 now = time.time()
                 for sid, state in list_active_loops():
                     if state.awaiting_response or now < state.next_due_at:
diff --git a/gateway/slash_commands.py b/gateway/slash_commands.py
index d66162fb60..78c276dcfc 100644
--- a/gateway/slash_commands.py
+++ b/gateway/slash_commands.py
@@ -3038,6 +3038,10 @@ class GatewaySlashCommandsMixin:
         except Exception as exc:
             logger.debug("loop manager unavailable: %s", exc)
             return None, None
+        # Warm the SessionDB cache off-loop. A cold cache drops the first
+        # /loop write while the reply claims the loop was set (same class
+        # as the /goal false-ack fix).
+        await self._warm_goals_session_db("loop manager")
         try:
             session_entry = await self.async_session_store.get_or_create_session(event.source)
         except Exception:
diff --git a/hermes_cli/loops.py b/hermes_cli/loops.py
index 87e07a6842..7368d85b2e 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/loops.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/loops.py
@@ -415,6 +415,12 @@ def save_loop(session_id: str, state: LoopState) -> None:
         return
     db = _get_session_db()
     if db is None:
+        logger.warning(
+            "LoopManager: loop for %s not persisted — session DB "
+            "unavailable (bootstrap window exceeded, in-memory state "
+            "still active)",
+            session_id,
+        )
         return
     try:
         db.set_meta(_meta_key(session_id), state.to_json())