diff --git a/src/storage/adapters/fileSystemStorage.ts b/src/storage/adapters/fileSystemStorage.ts
index dd0445ff..81390eab 100644
--- a/src/storage/adapters/fileSystemStorage.ts
+++ b/src/storage/adapters/fileSystemStorage.ts
@@ -265,8 +265,19 @@ export class FileSystemStorage extends BaseStorage {
 
         console.log(`✅ Migration complete - now using depth ${this.SHARDING_DEPTH} sharding`)
       } else if (detectedDepth === null) {
-        // New installation
-        console.log(`📁 New installation: using depth ${this.SHARDING_DEPTH} sharding (optimal for 1-2.5M entities)`)
+        // The legacy sharding probe inspects `entities/nouns/hnsw` — a 7.x
+        // directory the 8.0 write path never populates (8.0 stores entities in
+        // the canonical `entities/nouns/<shard>/<id>/` layout), so it returns
+        // null for EVERY 8.0 store, new or not. Decide new-vs-existing from the
+        // canonical layout the DB actually reads/writes so an established brain
+        // is not mislabeled "New installation" on every boot.
+        const established =
+          this.totalNounCount > 0 || (await this.hasCanonicalEntities())
+        console.log(
+          established
+            ? `📁 Using depth ${this.SHARDING_DEPTH} sharding (${this.totalNounCount} entities)`
+            : `📁 New installation: using depth ${this.SHARDING_DEPTH} sharding (optimal for 1-2.5M entities)`
+        )
       } else {
         // Already using correct depth
         console.log(`📁 Using depth ${this.SHARDING_DEPTH} sharding (${this.totalNounCount} entities)`)
@@ -2737,6 +2748,39 @@ export class FileSystemStorage extends BaseStorage {
     }
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Whether this store already holds canonical 8.0 entities.
+   *
+   * 8.0 writes nouns to `entities/nouns/<shard>/<id>/vectors.json` (see
+   * `getNounVectorPath`), but the legacy sharding probe
+   * ({@link detectExistingShardingDepth}) inspects `entities/nouns/hnsw` — a 7.x
+   * directory the 8.0 write path never populates. The probe therefore returns
+   * null for every 8.0 store and cannot tell an established brain from a fresh
+   * one, which mislabels established stores "New installation" on every boot.
+   * This checks the canonical shard tree the DB actually reads and writes (the
+   * same `entities/nouns/<hex>` shards `getNounsWithPagination` walks) so boot
+   * logs are truthful.
+   *
+   * @returns true if at least one 2-hex shard directory (00–ff) exists under
+   *   `entities/nouns/`, i.e. the store has previously persisted entities.
+   */
+  private async hasCanonicalEntities(): Promise<boolean> {
+    const canonicalNounsDir = path.join(this.rootDir, 'entities', 'nouns')
+    try {
+      const entries = await fs.promises.readdir(canonicalNounsDir, {
+        withFileTypes: true
+      })
+      // A populated store has ≥1 two-hex shard dir (00–ff). The vestigial
+      // `hnsw` subdir is 4 chars and correctly excluded by the hex test.
+      return entries.some(
+        (e: any) => e.isDirectory() && /^[0-9a-f]{2}$/i.test(e.name)
+      )
+    } catch {
+      // Directory absent (fresh store) or unreadable → no persisted entities.
+      return false
+    }
+  }
+
   /**
    * Get sharding depth
    * Always returns 1 (single-level sharding) for optimal balance of
diff --git a/tests/unit/storage/sharding-new-installation-log.test.ts b/tests/unit/storage/sharding-new-installation-log.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ca674137
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/storage/sharding-new-installation-log.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+/**
+ * @module tests/unit/storage/sharding-new-installation-log
+ * @description Regression for BR-8-BOOT-INDEX symptom 1. Brainy 8.0 stores
+ * entities in the canonical `entities/nouns/<shard>/<id>/vectors.json` layout,
+ * but the legacy sharding probe (`detectExistingShardingDepth`) inspected
+ * `entities/nouns/hnsw` — a 7.x directory the 8.0 write path never populates —
+ * so it returned null and logged "📁 New installation" for EVERY store on EVERY
+ * boot, including established brains holding thousands of entities. The
+ * new-vs-existing decision now consults the canonical layout the DB actually
+ * uses (`hasCanonicalEntities`), so an established brain reports its true entity
+ * count and only a genuinely empty store says "New installation".
+ */
+import { describe, it, expect, vi, afterEach } from 'vitest'
+import { mkdtempSync, rmSync } from 'fs'
+import { tmpdir } from 'os'
+import { join } from 'path'
+import { FileSystemStorage } from '../../../src/storage/adapters/fileSystemStorage.js'
+import type { NounMetadata } from '../../../src/coreTypes.js'
+
+const dirs: string[] = []
+function mkTmp(): string {
+  const d = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'brainy-newinstall-'))
+  dirs.push(d)
+  return d
+}
+afterEach(() => {
+  for (const d of dirs.splice(0)) rmSync(d, { recursive: true, force: true })
+  vi.restoreAllMocks()
+})
+
+/** Release a raw FileSystemStorage so a subsequent open of the dir is unblocked. */
+async function teardown(s: any): Promise<void> {
+  try { await s.flush?.() } catch { /* best effort */ }
+  try { s.stopFlushRequestWatcher?.() } catch { /* best effort */ }
+  try { await s.releaseWriterLock?.() } catch { /* best effort */ }
+}
+
+/** Capture everything written to console.log during `fn()`. */
+async function captureLog(fn: () => Promise<void>): Promise<string> {
+  const lines: string[] = []
+  const spy = vi
+    .spyOn(console, 'log')
+    .mockImplementation((...args: any[]) => {
+      lines.push(args.map(String).join(' '))
+    })
+  try {
+    await fn()
+  } finally {
+    spy.mockRestore()
+  }
+  return lines.join('\n')
+}
+
+const VEC = [0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8]
+async function seedOne(s: any, id: string): Promise<void> {
+  await s.saveNounMetadata(id, {
+    noun: 'thing',
+    createdAt: Date.now(),
+    updatedAt: Date.now()
+  } as NounMetadata)
+  await s.saveNoun({ id, vector: VEC, connections: new Map(), level: 0 })
+}
+
+describe('FileSystemStorage boot log: an established brain is not "New installation" (BR-8-BOOT-INDEX)', () => {
+  it('a genuinely fresh store still logs "New installation"', async () => {
+    const dir = mkTmp()
+    const storage = new FileSystemStorage(dir)
+    const out = await captureLog(() => storage.init())
+    expect(out).toContain('New installation')
+    await teardown(storage)
+  })
+
+  it('an established store (canonical entities present) does NOT log "New installation" on reopen', async () => {
+    const dir = mkTmp()
+
+    // 1. Author an entity → canonical entities/nouns/<shard>/<id>/vectors.json.
+    const first = new FileSystemStorage(dir)
+    await first.init()
+    await seedOne(first, 'a'.repeat(32))
+    await teardown(first)
+
+    // 2. Reopen: the boot log must reflect the established store, not "New installation".
+    const second = new FileSystemStorage(dir)
+    const out = await captureLog(() => second.init())
+    expect(out).not.toContain('New installation')
+    expect(out).toContain('Using depth 1 sharding')
+    await teardown(second)
+  })
+
+  it('hasCanonicalEntities() sees the canonical shard tree — independent of counts.json', async () => {
+    const dir = mkTmp()
+    const s: any = new FileSystemStorage(dir)
+    await s.init()
+
+    // Fresh: only the vestigial `hnsw` dir exists → no canonical entities.
+    expect(await s.hasCanonicalEntities()).toBe(false)
+
+    // After a canonical write the 2-hex shard dir exists → established, even if
+    // counts.json were later lost on a container restart (the fallback path).
+    await seedOne(s, 'c'.repeat(32))
+    expect(await s.hasCanonicalEntities()).toBe(true)
+
+    await teardown(s)
+  })
+})