diff --git a/hermes_cli/config_defaults.py b/hermes_cli/config_defaults.py
index 8c1733d551..8ee4e5c931 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/config_defaults.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/config_defaults.py
@@ -3223,6 +3223,16 @@ DEFAULT_CONFIG = {
         "loop_watchdog_probe_timeout_s": 10.0,
         "loop_watchdog_max_strikes": 3,
 
+        # Startup-liveness watchdog (OOF-298): plain daemon thread armed at
+        # process entry for gateway runs, hard-exits 75 if the event loop is
+        # not confirmed live within the deadline. The watchdog module itself
+        # is stdlib-only and armed before config can load, so these keys are
+        # BRIDGED to the internal HERMES_STARTUP_WATCHDOG /
+        # HERMES_STARTUP_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT_S env vars by the gateway
+        # launchers — config.yaml is the user-facing surface.
+        "startup_watchdog": True,
+        "startup_watchdog_timeout_seconds": 300,
+
         # Whether the gateway keeps writing the legacy sessions.json mirror of
         # its routing index. The primary copy lives in state.db (the
         # gateway_routing table). Default True for backward compatibility with
diff --git a/hermes_cli/gateway.py b/hermes_cli/gateway.py
index bf111ac3d7..d81ff4bfe0 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/gateway.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/gateway.py
@@ -6448,8 +6448,32 @@ def run_gateway(verbose: int = 0, quiet: bool = False, replace: bool = False, fo
     # process-conflict guards: a --replace loser exiting above must not have
     # armed a watchdog first. Disarmed by GatewayRunner once the event loop
     # is confirmed live.
+    #
+    # config.yaml is the user-facing surface (gateway.startup_watchdog /
+    # gateway.startup_watchdog_timeout_seconds); the env vars are the
+    # internal bridge, needed because the argv fast-path arms before config
+    # can load. Explicit env values (operator override) are respected.
     try:
-        from hermes_startup_watchdog import arm_startup_watchdog
+        from hermes_startup_watchdog import (
+            ENV_STARTUP_WATCHDOG,
+            ENV_STARTUP_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT_S,
+            arm_startup_watchdog,
+        )
+        try:
+            from hermes_cli.config import load_config as _sw_load_config
+            _gw_cfg = (_sw_load_config() or {}).get("gateway", {}) or {}
+            if ENV_STARTUP_WATCHDOG not in os.environ and not _gw_cfg.get(
+                "startup_watchdog", True
+            ):
+                os.environ[ENV_STARTUP_WATCHDOG] = "0"
+            _sw_timeout = _gw_cfg.get("startup_watchdog_timeout_seconds")
+            if (
+                ENV_STARTUP_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT_S not in os.environ
+                and _sw_timeout is not None
+            ):
+                os.environ[ENV_STARTUP_WATCHDOG_TIMEOUT_S] = str(_sw_timeout)
+        except Exception:
+            pass
         arm_startup_watchdog()
     except Exception:
         pass
diff --git a/hermes_cli/main.py b/hermes_cli/main.py
index d1f084d5b7..82e3933255 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/main.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/main.py
@@ -107,11 +107,21 @@ except Exception:
 # init, contended import lock) is exactly the "wedged before the event loop,
 # no logs, live PID" class this watchdog exists for. ``hermes_startup_watchdog``
 # is stdlib-only, so importing it here cannot itself wedge on application
-# code. argv sniffing is deliberately crude: over-arming is harmless (any
-# non-gateway command either exits well inside the deadline or... should be
-# covered anyway if it wedges), while under-arming recreates OOF-298.
-# GatewayRunner disarms once the event loop is confirmed live.
-if "gateway" in sys.argv[1:] and "run" in sys.argv[1:]:
+# code. The match requires the ADJACENT token pair ``gateway run`` (the
+# subcommand shape, wherever global flags like ``-p <profile>`` put it) so
+# unrelated commands that merely mention both words in different arguments
+# never arm a 300s hard-exit timer, while flag-carrying invocations still
+# do — under-arming recreates OOF-298. Foreground `hermes gateway run`
+# still arms — a pre-loop wedge is just as dead without a supervisor, and
+# the stack dump plus exit beats a silent hang; GatewayRunner disarms once
+# the event loop is confirmed live.
+def _argv_is_gateway_run(argv: list) -> bool:
+    return any(
+        a == "gateway" and b == "run" for a, b in zip(argv, argv[1:])
+    )
+
+
+if _argv_is_gateway_run(sys.argv[1:]):
     try:
         from hermes_startup_watchdog import arm_startup_watchdog as _arm_sw