diff --git a/RELEASES.md b/RELEASES.md
index 759fcfeb..a90dcce4 100644
--- a/RELEASES.md
+++ b/RELEASES.md
@@ -10,6 +10,39 @@ Full auto-generated changelog: `CHANGELOG.md` · Releases: https://github.com/so
 
 ---
 
+## v8.2.8 — 2026-07-13 (honest index readiness — no more silently-empty queries on a cold index)
+
+Closes the last of the three spine anti-patterns: the "dishonest readiness proxy," where `size() > 0`
+was treated as "this index actually serves queries." On a cold open (fresh boot, restart, crash
+recovery) a native index can load its **count** before its **serving structure** — so for a brief
+window it has data but cannot answer, and a query returned a silent empty result indistinguishable
+from "no such data." Every fix here asks the index whether it can *actually serve*, and if not,
+self-heals or fails loudly instead of returning `[]`.
+
+- **Semantic search no longer returns a silent `[]` on a cold vector index.** A pure semantic
+  `find({ query })` has no filter, so nothing previously guarded the vector index. A new one-shot
+  guard verifies the vector index serves a known persisted vector on the first semantic/proximity
+  search — preferring the provider's honest `isReady()` signal, else a known-vector self-match probe.
+  It rebuilds from canonical records if the serving structure did not load, and throws the new
+  **`VectorIndexNotReadyError`** only if a rebuild still cannot serve — never a silent empty result.
+
+- **Relationship reads fall back to the canonical scan instead of an empty result on a cold graph
+  index.** `getVerbsBySource`/`getVerbsByTarget` (used by relationship queries and virtual-filesystem
+  traversal) skipped the fast path only on `isInitialized` — which reads true once the manifest loaded
+  even if the source→target adjacency did not. They now consult the honest readiness signal and, when
+  the adjacency is not serving, take the correct-but-slower canonical shard scan. A one-shot self-heal
+  probe covers providers that expose no readiness signal.
+
+- **`getIndexStatus()` tells the truth for readiness probes.** It reported `populated: size>0` only, so
+  a Kubernetes readiness check could route traffic to a brain still warming up. It now folds in the
+  honest per-index `ready` signal (making `populated` honest), plus the degraded states already
+  surfaced by `checkHealth()`/`validateIndexConsistency()` (`rebuildFailed`/`rebuildError` and a
+  `degradedIds` count) — so a probe never reports 200-ready over a known-degraded index.
+
+This completes the write/index-spine hardening end to end. New export: **`VectorIndexNotReadyError`**;
+`getIndexStatus()` gains additive fields (`rebuildFailed`, `rebuildError?`, `degradedIds`, per-index
+`ready?`). No breaking API change. Each fix ships with a dedicated regression test.
+
 ## v8.2.7 — 2026-07-13 (loadBinaryBlob fault-propagation — the lockstep completion of 8.2.6)
 
 Completes the Pass-1 spine hardening. `loadBinaryBlob` (the raw-blob read a native accelerator mmaps
diff --git a/src/brainy.ts b/src/brainy.ts
index 32b8757b..72cd6fa3 100644
--- a/src/brainy.ts
+++ b/src/brainy.ts
@@ -175,7 +175,8 @@ import {
 } from './events/changeFeed.js'
 import { isDeterministicEmbedMode } from './embeddings/deterministicEmbedMode.js'
 import { GenerationConflictError, StoreInconsistentError } from './db/errors.js'
-import { BrainyError, GraphIndexNotReadyError, MetadataIndexNotReadyError, MigrationInProgressError } from './errors/brainyError.js'
+import { BrainyError, GraphIndexNotReadyError, MetadataIndexNotReadyError, MigrationInProgressError, VectorIndexNotReadyError } from './errors/brainyError.js'
+import { assessIndexReadiness } from './utils/indexReadiness.js'
 import { MemoryStorage } from './storage/adapters/memoryStorage.js'
 import type {
   CompactHistoryOptions,
@@ -500,6 +501,10 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
   private _metadataVerified = false
   /** Re-entrancy guard for {@link verifyMetadataLive}. */
   private _metadataVerifying = false
+  /** Vector-index cold-read guard: verified-serving this session (one-shot). */
+  private _vectorVerified = false
+  /** Re-entrancy guard for {@link verifyVectorLive}. */
+  private _vectorVerifying = false
   /**
    * Coordinated migration LOCK (#18): dedup guards so the "upgrading, blocking"
    * and "upgrade complete, resumed" lines each log once per migration window,
@@ -3523,6 +3528,142 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
     return null
   }
 
+  /**
+   * @description The vector-index counterpart of {@link verifyGraphAdjacencyLive}
+   * / {@link verifyMetadataLive}. On a cold open a native vector provider can
+   * report a non-zero `size()` (its persisted COUNT loaded) yet not have loaded
+   * its serving structure (the mmap/DiskANN graph) — so a pure semantic
+   * `find({ query })` silently returns `[]`. A pure semantic query has
+   * `hasFilterCriteria === false`, so the metadata guard never fires; this guard
+   * closes that gap. Run one-shot on the first vector/proximity search:
+   *  - **Preferred (honest signal):** the provider exposes `isReady()`. `false`
+   *    → rebuild from storage, re-check; if still `false`, throw
+   *    {@link VectorIndexNotReadyError} rather than serving `[]`.
+   *  - **Fallback (no `isReady()`):** a KNOWN persisted vector (sampled +
+   *    hydrated) is searched against the index; if it does not self-match, the
+   *    serving structure did not load — rebuild + re-probe, else throw.
+   * Inconclusive cases (empty store, no probeable vector, `size()===0` — where
+   * the JS baseline's cold load is `ensureIndexesLoaded`'s job) are treated as
+   * live: never a false rebuild. A migrating provider is skipped (it owns its
+   * locked rebuild).
+   * @returns `'live'` when the index serves, `'rebuilt'` when a rebuild restored it.
+   */
+  private async verifyVectorLive(): Promise<'live' | 'rebuilt'> {
+    if (this._vectorVerified) return 'live'
+    // Migration LOCK (#18): a migrating provider owns its in-place rebuild.
+    if (this.providerIsMigrating(this.index)) return 'live'
+    // Re-entrancy: rebuild() can trigger reads that call back into this guard.
+    if (this._vectorVerifying) return 'live'
+    this._vectorVerifying = true
+    try {
+      // ── Strategy 1: honest isReady() signal (native provider) ──────────────
+      const readiness = assessIndexReadiness(this.index)
+      if (readiness !== 'unknown') {
+        if (readiness === 'ready') {
+          this._vectorVerified = true
+          return 'live'
+        }
+        // Not ready: the serving structure did not load on open. Rebuild.
+        if (!this.config.silent) {
+          console.warn(
+            `[Brainy] Vector index reports not-ready (isReady() === false) — the persisted ` +
+              `vector index did not load on open. Rebuilding from storage…`
+          )
+        }
+        await this.index.rebuild()
+        if (assessIndexReadiness(this.index) === 'ready') {
+          this._vectorVerified = true
+          return 'rebuilt'
+        }
+        throw new VectorIndexNotReadyError(
+          `Vector index reports not-ready even after a rebuild — semantic find({ query }) and ` +
+            `proximity search cannot be served reliably for this brain (a silent empty result ` +
+            `would misrepresent existing data).`
+        )
+      }
+
+      // ── Strategy 2: known-vector probe (providers without isReady()) ───────
+      const claimed = this.index.size()
+      if (!claimed || claimed <= 0) return 'live' // JS cold path is ensureIndexesLoaded's job
+
+      const probe = await this.pickVectorProbe()
+      if (!probe) {
+        // Empty store, or nothing with a probeable vector — inconclusive.
+        this._vectorVerified = true
+        return 'live'
+      }
+      const p = probe
+
+      const probeServes = async (): Promise<boolean> => {
+        // The failure mode we guard is the SILENT EMPTY result: a cold index that
+        // loaded its COUNT but not its serving structure returns `[]` for a
+        // known-present vector, while a warm index returns at least one hit. We
+        // check for a NON-EMPTY result, NOT an exact self-match — HNSW is
+        // approximate and `get()` may return a re-hydrated/normalized vector, so
+        // demanding the exact self as top-1 would false-positive on a perfectly
+        // healthy index (and wrongly rebuild → throw).
+        const hits = await this.index.search(p.vector, 1)
+        return hits.length > 0
+      }
+      void p.id // probe keyed on the vector; id retained for diagnostics only
+
+      if (await probeServes()) {
+        this._vectorVerified = true
+        return 'live' // serving structure is live — the common case
+      }
+
+      if (!this.config.silent) {
+        console.warn(
+          `[Brainy] Vector index reports ${claimed} vector(s) but a known persisted vector ` +
+            `returns no results — the serving structure did not load on open. Rebuilding…`
+        )
+      }
+      await this.index.rebuild()
+
+      if (await probeServes()) {
+        this._vectorVerified = true
+        return 'rebuilt'
+      }
+      throw new VectorIndexNotReadyError(
+        `Vector index reports ${claimed} vector(s) but a known persisted vector returns no ` +
+          `results even after a rebuild — semantic find({ query }) cannot be served reliably ` +
+          `for this brain (a silent empty result would misrepresent existing data).`
+      )
+    } catch (err) {
+      if (err instanceof VectorIndexNotReadyError) throw err
+      // A transient probe/rebuild failure must not break the query NOR mask as
+      // "no data". Allow a re-check on the next vector read and fall through.
+      this._vectorVerified = false
+      if (!this.config.silent) {
+        console.warn(`[Brainy] Vector consistency check skipped (transient): ${err}`)
+      }
+      return 'live'
+    } finally {
+      this._vectorVerifying = false
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * @description Sample a KNOWN persisted noun and hydrate its vector, to probe
+   * the vector index with. `get()` omits vectors by default, so this passes
+   * `{ includeVectors: true }`. Samples a few (a system-only / vectorless entity
+   * must not make every open inconclusive). Returns `null` when nothing has a
+   * probeable vector.
+   */
+  private async pickVectorProbe(): Promise<{ id: string; vector: number[] } | null> {
+    const sample = await this.storage.getNouns({ pagination: { limit: 5, offset: 0 } })
+    for (const noun of sample.items ?? []) {
+      const id = (noun as { id?: string }).id
+      if (!id) continue
+      const full = await this.get(id, { includeVectors: true })
+      const vector = (full as { vector?: number[] } | null)?.vector
+      if (Array.isArray(vector) && vector.length > 0) {
+        return { id, vector }
+      }
+    }
+    return null
+  }
+
   // -------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
   /**
@@ -10175,17 +10316,32 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
     migrating: boolean
     /** Structured progress while {@link migrating}; absent otherwise. */
     migration?: MigrationProgress
+    /** `true` when a non-fatal index rebuild failed at init() (degraded — queries
+     *  may be incomplete). Folds in the same `_indexRebuildFailed` signal that
+     *  {@link validateIndexConsistency} / {@link checkHealth} already expose. */
+    rebuildFailed: boolean
+    /** The rebuild failure message when {@link rebuildFailed}; absent otherwise. */
+    rebuildError?: string
+    /** Count of records committed via adopt-forward failed-rollback recovery whose
+     *  derived index may be incomplete until repairIndex() (the 8.2.6 degraded
+     *  set). Non-zero = degraded — a readiness probe should not report 200-ready. */
+    degradedIds: number
     hnswIndex: {
       size: number
+      /** Honest "serving" — the provider's `isReady()` when exposed, else `size>0`. */
       populated: boolean
+      /** The provider's honest `isReady()` signal; absent when unexposed. */
+      ready?: boolean
     }
     metadataIndex: {
       entries: number
       populated: boolean
+      ready?: boolean
     }
     graphIndex: {
       relationships: number
       populated: boolean
+      ready?: boolean
     }
     storage: {
       totalEntities: number
@@ -10200,6 +10356,9 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
         lazyRebuildCompleted: this.lazyRebuildCompleted,
         disableAutoRebuild: this.config.disableAutoRebuild || false,
         migrating: false,
+        rebuildFailed: this._indexRebuildFailed != null,
+        ...(this._indexRebuildFailed ? { rebuildError: this._indexRebuildFailed.message } : {}),
+        degradedIds: this._indexDegradedIds.size,
         hnswIndex: { size: 0, populated: false },
         metadataIndex: { entries: 0, populated: false },
         graphIndex: { relationships: 0, populated: false },
@@ -10211,6 +10370,20 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
     const hnswSize = this.index.size()
     const graphSize = await this.graphIndex.size()
 
+    // Honest readiness: when a provider exposes isReady(), it is the truth of
+    // whether the index actually SERVES (a native index can report a non-zero
+    // size/count yet not have loaded its serving structure). `populated` reflects
+    // that honest signal when present, falling back to size>0 only for providers
+    // that do not expose isReady(). Mirrors validateIndexConsistency/checkHealth,
+    // which already fold in the same signals.
+    const readyOf = (p: unknown): boolean | undefined => {
+      const r = assessIndexReadiness(p)
+      return r === 'unknown' ? undefined : r === 'ready'
+    }
+    const hnswReady = readyOf(this.index)
+    const metadataReady = readyOf(this.metadataIndex)
+    const graphReady = readyOf(this.graphIndex)
+
     // Check storage entity count
     let storageEntityCount = 0
     try {
@@ -10224,18 +10397,29 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
       initialized: this.initialized,
       lazyRebuildCompleted: this.lazyRebuildCompleted,
       disableAutoRebuild: this.config.disableAutoRebuild || false,
+      // A non-fatal index-rebuild failure recorded at init(), or adopt-forward
+      // degraded ids, are degraded states (queries may be incomplete) — surface
+      // them here alongside the same signals validateIndexConsistency()/
+      // checkHealth() already expose, so a readiness probe never reports 200-ready
+      // over a known-degraded index.
+      rebuildFailed: this._indexRebuildFailed != null,
+      ...(this._indexRebuildFailed ? { rebuildError: this._indexRebuildFailed.message } : {}),
+      degradedIds: this._indexDegradedIds.size,
       ...this.migrationSnapshot(),
       hnswIndex: {
         size: hnswSize,
-        populated: hnswSize > 0
+        populated: hnswReady ?? hnswSize > 0,
+        ...(hnswReady !== undefined ? { ready: hnswReady } : {})
       },
       metadataIndex: {
         entries: metadataStats.totalEntries,
-        populated: metadataStats.totalEntries > 0
+        populated: metadataReady ?? metadataStats.totalEntries > 0,
+        ...(metadataReady !== undefined ? { ready: metadataReady } : {})
       },
       graphIndex: {
         relationships: graphSize,
-        populated: graphSize > 0
+        populated: graphReady ?? graphSize > 0,
+        ...(graphReady !== undefined ? { ready: graphReady } : {})
       },
       storage: {
         totalEntities: storageEntityCount
@@ -12863,6 +13047,14 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
     candidateIds?: string[],
     allowedIds?: OpaqueIdSet
   ): Promise<Result<T>[]> {
+    // Vector cold-read guard: before trusting a semantic/vector result, verify the
+    // vector index actually SERVES a known persisted vector (one-shot per brain).
+    // A pure semantic find({ query }) has no filter, so verifyMetadataLive never
+    // fires — a cold native index that loaded its COUNT but not its serving
+    // structure would return a silent []. This self-heals (rebuild) or throws
+    // VectorIndexNotReadyError instead.
+    await this.verifyVectorLive()
+
     const vector = params.vector || (await this.embed(params.query!))
     const limit = params.limit || 10
 
@@ -12903,6 +13095,10 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
   private async executeProximitySearch(params: FindParams<T>): Promise<Result<T>[]> {
     if (!params.near) return []
 
+    // Vector cold-read guard (see executeVectorSearch): proximity search also
+    // hits this.index.search — verify it serves before trusting an empty result.
+    await this.verifyVectorLive()
+
     // Teaching error: without an anchor id the constraint is meaningless, and
     // letting it fall through produces an opaque storage-layer sharding error.
     if (!params.near.id) {
@@ -14157,8 +14353,15 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
       return
     }
 
-    // If indexes already populated, mark as complete and skip
-    if (this.index.size() > 0) {
+    // If indexes already populated AND honestly serving, mark complete and skip.
+    // Honest gate: when the provider exposes isReady(), that REPLACES the size()>0
+    // proxy (a native index can report a non-zero size while its serving structure
+    // is not loaded — the silent-empty cold-load class). A not-ready provider falls
+    // through so the rebuild path can load it; verifyVectorLive() is the query-time
+    // backstop either way. Providers without isReady() keep the size() heuristic
+    // (the JS index's size()>0 genuinely means loaded).
+    const vectorReadiness = assessIndexReadiness(this.index)
+    if (vectorReadiness === 'ready' || (vectorReadiness === 'unknown' && this.index.size() > 0)) {
       this.lazyRebuildCompleted = true
       return
     }
diff --git a/src/errors/brainyError.ts b/src/errors/brainyError.ts
index f627ba00..c2667009 100644
--- a/src/errors/brainyError.ts
+++ b/src/errors/brainyError.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ export type BrainyErrorType =
   | 'FIELD_NOT_INDEXED'
   | 'GRAPH_INDEX_NOT_READY'
   | 'METADATA_INDEX_NOT_READY'
+  | 'VECTOR_INDEX_NOT_READY'
   | 'MIGRATION_IN_PROGRESS'
 
 /**
@@ -280,6 +281,32 @@ export class MetadataIndexNotReadyError extends BrainyError {
     }
 }
 
+/**
+ * Thrown when the vector index reports vectors (`size() > 0` or, on a native
+ * provider, `isReady() === false`) but cannot return a KNOWN persisted vector
+ * even after a rebuild — i.e. the semantic serving structure did not load on a
+ * cold open and could not be restored. The vector-search counterpart of
+ * {@link GraphIndexNotReadyError} / {@link MetadataIndexNotReadyError}: it
+ * replaces the silent-empty failure mode (a cold `find({ query })` returning
+ * `[]` indistinguishable from "no similar data") with a loud, catchable error,
+ * so a consumer never renders "nothing found" over data that is simply
+ * not-yet-warm.
+ *
+ * Detected once per brain by a known-vector serving probe on the first
+ * semantic / proximity `find()`; brainy self-heals (rebuilds the index from the
+ * canonical records) first and only raises this if the rebuild still cannot
+ * serve the known vector.
+ */
+export class VectorIndexNotReadyError extends BrainyError {
+    constructor(message: string, originalError?: Error) {
+        super(message, 'VECTOR_INDEX_NOT_READY', false, originalError)
+        this.name = 'VectorIndexNotReadyError'
+        if (Error.captureStackTrace) {
+            Error.captureStackTrace(this, VectorIndexNotReadyError)
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 /**
  * Thrown when a data-plane read or write is issued against a brain that is
  * running its one-time, automatic 7.x → 8.0 on-disk upgrade — the coordinated
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 63a07690..619a3470 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ export { EntityNotFoundError, RelationNotFoundError } from './errors/notFound.js
 
 // Base error + typed migration-lock error — thrown by any data-plane call while a
 // brain runs its one-time 7.x→8.0 upgrade; catch to answer HTTP 503 + Retry-After.
-export { BrainyError, MigrationInProgressError, GraphIndexNotReadyError, MetadataIndexNotReadyError } from './errors/brainyError.js'
+export { BrainyError, MigrationInProgressError, GraphIndexNotReadyError, MetadataIndexNotReadyError, VectorIndexNotReadyError } from './errors/brainyError.js'
 export type { BrainyErrorType } from './errors/brainyError.js'
 
 // ============= 8.0 Db API — generational MVCC =============
diff --git a/src/storage/baseStorage.ts b/src/storage/baseStorage.ts
index 41ebeb45..159a0593 100644
--- a/src/storage/baseStorage.ts
+++ b/src/storage/baseStorage.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 import { GraphAdjacencyIndex } from '../graph/graphAdjacencyIndex.js'
 import type { GraphEntityIdResolver } from '../graph/graphAdjacencyIndex.js'
+import { assessIndexReadiness } from '../utils/indexReadiness.js'
 
 import {
   GraphVerb,
@@ -248,6 +249,8 @@ function isCountedVisibility(visibility: unknown): boolean {
  */
 export abstract class BaseStorage extends BaseStorageAdapter {
   protected isInitialized = false
+  /** One-shot guard so the graph fast-path cold-load probe runs once per adapter. */
+  private _graphFastPathProbed = false
   protected graphIndex?: GraphAdjacencyIndex
   protected graphIndexPromise?: Promise<GraphAdjacencyIndex>
   /**
@@ -2681,6 +2684,61 @@ export abstract class BaseStorage extends BaseStorageAdapter {
 
     return this.graphIndex
   }
+
+  /**
+   * @description One-shot cold-load self-heal for a graph provider that does NOT
+   * expose the honest `isReady()` signal. A native provider wired via
+   * {@link setGraphIndex} bypasses `_initializeGraphIndex`'s `size()===0`
+   * self-heal, so a cold-open that loaded the COUNT but not the source→target
+   * adjacency would let the fast path return a silent `[]`. This probe (run once,
+   * before the fast path) samples ONE known persisted edge: if the index claims
+   * relationships (`size() > 0`) yet that edge's source resolves to no verb ints,
+   * the adjacency did not load → rebuild once from storage. Providers that expose
+   * `isReady()` are covered by the honest gate in
+   * getVerbsBy{Source,Target}_internal and skip this probe; the JS index (which
+   * self-heals in `_initializeGraphIndex`) resolves its known edge and no-ops.
+   */
+  private async ensureGraphFastPathProbed(): Promise<void> {
+    if (this._graphFastPathProbed) return
+    const index = this.graphIndex
+    const resolver = this.graphEntityIdResolver
+    if (!index || !index.isInitialized || !resolver) return
+    // isReady()-capable providers report serving honestly — the gate handles them.
+    if (assessIndexReadiness(index) !== 'unknown') {
+      this._graphFastPathProbed = true
+      return
+    }
+    if (index.size() <= 0) {
+      this._graphFastPathProbed = true
+      return // no edges claimed — nothing to verify
+    }
+    try {
+      const sample = await this.getVerbs({ pagination: { limit: 1 } })
+      const verb = sample.items?.[0]
+      if (!verb || !verb.sourceId) {
+        this._graphFastPathProbed = true
+        return // no edges in storage — stale count, harmless
+      }
+      const sourceInt = resolver.getInt(verb.sourceId)
+      if (sourceInt === undefined) {
+        this._graphFastPathProbed = true
+        return // foreign / unmapped sample — inconclusive, never a false rebuild
+      }
+      const verbInts = await index.getVerbIdsBySource(BigInt(sourceInt))
+      if (verbInts.length === 0) {
+        prodLog.warn(
+          `[BaseStorage] Graph fast path: index reports ${index.size()} relationship(s) but a ` +
+            `known persisted edge resolves to none — the persisted adjacency did not load. ` +
+            `Rebuilding once from storage.`
+        )
+        await index.rebuild()
+      }
+      this._graphFastPathProbed = true
+    } catch (error) {
+      // Transient probe/rebuild failure must not break the read; re-arm for next call.
+      prodLog.debug(`[BaseStorage] Graph fast-path probe skipped (transient): ${error}`)
+    }
+  }
   /**
    * Clear all data from storage
    * This method should be implemented by each specific adapter
@@ -4199,13 +4257,22 @@ export abstract class BaseStorage extends BaseStorageAdapter {
     sourceId: string
   ): Promise<HNSWVerbWithMetadata[]> {
     await this.ensureInitialized()
+    await this.ensureGraphFastPathProbed()
 
     prodLog.debug(`[BaseStorage] getVerbsBySource_internal: sourceId=${sourceId}, graphIndex=${!!this.graphIndex}, isInitialized=${this.graphIndex?.isInitialized}`)
 
     // Fast path - use GraphAdjacencyIndex if available (lazy-loaded).
     // 8.0 BigInt boundary: convert the UUID to an entity int up front and
     // resolve returned verb ints back to verb-id strings.
-    if (this.graphIndex && this.graphIndex.isInitialized && this.graphEntityIdResolver) {
+    // Honest gate: a provider that exposes isReady() and reports not-ready
+    // (count/manifest loaded but source→target edges NOT) is SKIPPED so we fall
+    // to the correct-but-slower canonical shard scan below instead of a silent [].
+    if (
+      this.graphIndex &&
+      this.graphIndex.isInitialized &&
+      this.graphEntityIdResolver &&
+      assessIndexReadiness(this.graphIndex) !== 'not-ready'
+    ) {
       try {
         const sourceInt = this.graphEntityIdResolver.getInt(sourceId)
         if (sourceInt === undefined) {
@@ -4424,11 +4491,19 @@ export abstract class BaseStorage extends BaseStorageAdapter {
     targetId: string
   ): Promise<HNSWVerbWithMetadata[]> {
     await this.ensureInitialized()
+    await this.ensureGraphFastPathProbed()
 
     // Fast path - use GraphAdjacencyIndex if available (lazy-loaded).
     // 8.0 BigInt boundary: convert the UUID to an entity int up front and
     // resolve returned verb ints back to verb-id strings.
-    if (this.graphIndex && this.graphIndex.isInitialized && this.graphEntityIdResolver) {
+    // Honest gate: a not-ready provider (count loaded but edges NOT) is SKIPPED so
+    // we fall to the correct-but-slower canonical shard scan instead of a silent [].
+    if (
+      this.graphIndex &&
+      this.graphIndex.isInitialized &&
+      this.graphEntityIdResolver &&
+      assessIndexReadiness(this.graphIndex) !== 'not-ready'
+    ) {
       try {
         const targetInt = this.graphEntityIdResolver.getInt(targetId)
         if (targetInt === undefined) {
diff --git a/src/utils/indexReadiness.ts b/src/utils/indexReadiness.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..16266bec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/indexReadiness.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+/**
+ * @module indexReadiness
+ * @description The single honest-readiness classifier shared by the vector,
+ * graph and metadata index sites. It exists to kill "Pattern A" — the dishonest
+ * readiness proxy where `size() > 0` / `isInitialized` is treated as "this index
+ * actually serves queries." A cold native index that loaded its COUNT but not its
+ * SERVING structure passes those proxies and silently returns `[]`.
+ *
+ * This classifier reads ONLY the provider's OPTIONAL, honest `isReady()` signal
+ * (see {@link import('../plugin.js').VectorIndexProvider.isReady},
+ * {@link import('../plugin.js').GraphIndexProvider.isReady},
+ * {@link import('../plugin.js').MetadataIndexProvider.isReady}). It NEVER inspects
+ * `size()` or `isInitialized`. When `isReady()` is absent, callers must fall back
+ * to a KNOWN-ITEM PROBE (a real search/lookup that must return a known-present
+ * datum) before trusting an empty result — never a `size()` proxy.
+ */
+
+/** A provider that MAY expose the honest cold-load readiness signal. */
+export interface MaybeReadyProvider {
+  isReady?: () => boolean
+}
+
+/** Three-valued honest-readiness verdict. */
+export type IndexReadiness = 'ready' | 'not-ready' | 'unknown'
+
+/**
+ * @description Classify an index provider's honest readiness.
+ * @param provider - Any index provider (vector / graph / metadata) or `null`.
+ * @returns
+ *  - `'ready'`     when `isReady() === true`  (serving structure loaded — trust it);
+ *  - `'not-ready'` when `isReady() === false` (count/manifest loaded, NOT serving — rebuild);
+ *  - `'unknown'`   when the provider exposes no `isReady()` (caller must probe / keep the JS heuristic).
+ */
+export function assessIndexReadiness(provider: unknown): IndexReadiness {
+  const p = provider as MaybeReadyProvider | null | undefined
+  if (p == null || typeof p.isReady !== 'function') return 'unknown'
+  return p.isReady() ? 'ready' : 'not-ready'
+}
diff --git a/tests/unit/get-index-status-readiness.test.ts b/tests/unit/get-index-status-readiness.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7f82ec5d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/get-index-status-readiness.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+/**
+ * @module tests/unit/get-index-status-readiness
+ * @description Pattern-A / Finding 9: getIndexStatus reported `populated: size>0`
+ * and only `migrating`, so a native index that loaded its count but not its
+ * serving structure reported populated:true — a k8s readiness probe would 200 a
+ * brain that serves []. It now folds in the honest isReady() signal + the
+ * _indexRebuildFailed / _indexDegradedIds degraded states (mirroring
+ * validateIndexConsistency / checkHealth).
+ */
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from 'vitest'
+import { Brainy, NounType } from '../../src/index.js'
+
+describe('getIndexStatus honest readiness (Finding 9)', () => {
+  let brain: any
+  beforeEach(async () => {
+    process.env.BRAINY_DETERMINISTIC_EMBEDDINGS = 'true'
+    brain = new Brainy({ requireSubtype: false, storage: { type: 'memory' }, dimensions: 384 })
+    await brain.init()
+    await brain.add({ data: 'x', type: NounType.Concept })
+    await brain.flush()
+  })
+
+  it('a not-ready provider makes populated honest (false) and exposes ready:false', async () => {
+    brain.index.isReady = () => false // count present, serving structure NOT loaded
+    const status = await brain.getIndexStatus()
+    expect(status.hnswIndex.populated).toBe(false)
+    expect(status.hnswIndex.ready).toBe(false)
+    delete brain.index.isReady
+  })
+
+  it('a ready provider reports populated:true + ready:true', async () => {
+    brain.index.isReady = () => true
+    const status = await brain.getIndexStatus()
+    expect(status.hnswIndex.populated).toBe(true)
+    expect(status.hnswIndex.ready).toBe(true)
+    delete brain.index.isReady
+  })
+
+  it('rebuildFailed / rebuildError surface the init-degraded state', async () => {
+    brain._indexRebuildFailed = new Error('boom')
+    const status = await brain.getIndexStatus()
+    expect(status.rebuildFailed).toBe(true)
+    expect(status.rebuildError).toBe('boom')
+    brain._indexRebuildFailed = null
+  })
+
+  it('degradedIds surfaces the adopt-forward degraded set', async () => {
+    brain._indexDegradedIds.add('00000000-0000-4000-8000-0000000000de')
+    const status = await brain.getIndexStatus()
+    expect(status.degradedIds).toBe(1)
+    brain._indexDegradedIds.clear()
+  })
+
+  it('a JS-baseline provider (no isReady) omits ready and falls back to size>0', async () => {
+    const status = await brain.getIndexStatus()
+    expect(status.hnswIndex.ready).toBeUndefined()
+    expect(status.hnswIndex.populated).toBe(brain.index.size() > 0)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/tests/unit/graph/graph-fastpath-honest-readiness.test.ts b/tests/unit/graph/graph-fastpath-honest-readiness.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..46d318b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/graph/graph-fastpath-honest-readiness.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+/**
+ * @module tests/unit/graph/graph-fastpath-honest-readiness
+ * @description Pattern-A / Finding 2: getVerbsBySource/ByTarget gated the graph
+ * fast path on `graphIndex.isInitialized` (a proxy that reads true once the
+ * manifest/count loaded even if the source→target adjacency did NOT → the fast
+ * path then returned a silent []). The honest gate skips the fast path when the
+ * provider reports isReady()===false, falling to the correct canonical shard
+ * scan; and a one-shot probe self-heals a no-isReady provider whose adjacency
+ * did not cold-load.
+ */
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from 'vitest'
+import { Brainy, NounType, VerbType } from '../../../src/index.js'
+
+describe('graph fast-path honest readiness (Finding 2)', () => {
+  let brain: any
+  let storage: any
+  let a: string
+  let b: string
+  let c: string
+
+  beforeEach(async () => {
+    process.env.BRAINY_DETERMINISTIC_EMBEDDINGS = 'true'
+    brain = new Brainy({ requireSubtype: false, storage: { type: 'memory' }, dimensions: 384 })
+    await brain.init()
+    a = await brain.add({ data: 'a', type: NounType.Concept })
+    b = await brain.add({ data: 'b', type: NounType.Concept })
+    c = await brain.add({ data: 'c', type: NounType.Concept })
+    await brain.relate({ from: a, to: b, type: VerbType.Contains })
+    await brain.relate({ from: a, to: c, type: VerbType.Contains })
+    await brain.flush()
+    storage = brain.storage
+    // Warm + wire the storage graph index (lazy) so we can stub it.
+    await storage.getVerbsBySource(a)
+  })
+
+  it('not-ready provider → shard scan returns the REAL edges, not a silent []', async () => {
+    const gi = storage.graphIndex
+    // Simulate a cold native provider: count/manifest loaded (isInitialized) but
+    // the source→target adjacency is NOT (isReady false; fast-path lookup empty).
+    gi.isReady = () => false
+    const origBySource = gi.getVerbIdsBySource.bind(gi)
+    gi.getVerbIdsBySource = async () => [] // cold adjacency — old fast path trusted this
+    storage._graphFastPathProbed = true // isolate the GATE (probe skips isReady-capable anyway)
+    try {
+      const verbs = await storage.getVerbsBySource(a)
+      // Honest gate skipped the cold fast path → canonical shard scan → real edges.
+      expect(verbs.length).toBe(2)
+    } finally {
+      delete gi.isReady
+      gi.getVerbIdsBySource = origBySource
+    }
+  })
+
+  it('ready provider → fast path is used and an empty result is trusted', async () => {
+    const gi = storage.graphIndex
+    gi.isReady = () => true
+    let fastPathCalls = 0
+    const origBySource = gi.getVerbIdsBySource.bind(gi)
+    gi.getVerbIdsBySource = async (...args: any[]) => { fastPathCalls++; return origBySource(...args) }
+    storage._graphFastPathProbed = true
+    try {
+      // `c` has no OUTGOING edges — a genuinely empty result via the fast path.
+      const verbs = await storage.getVerbsBySource(c)
+      expect(verbs).toEqual([])
+      expect(fastPathCalls).toBeGreaterThan(0) // fast path was taken, not a shard scan
+    } finally {
+      delete gi.isReady
+      gi.getVerbIdsBySource = origBySource
+    }
+  })
+
+  it('no-isReady provider whose adjacency did not cold-load → probe rebuilds once', async () => {
+    const gi = storage.graphIndex
+    if ('isReady' in gi) delete gi.isReady // force the "unknown" (no honest signal) path
+    // Force the probe to see a cold adjacency: a known edge resolves to no ints.
+    const origBySource = gi.getVerbIdsBySource.bind(gi)
+    let cold = true
+    gi.getVerbIdsBySource = async (...args: any[]) => (cold ? [] : origBySource(...args))
+    let rebuilds = 0
+    const origRebuild = gi.rebuild.bind(gi)
+    gi.rebuild = async (...args: any[]) => { rebuilds++; cold = false; return origRebuild(...args) }
+    storage._graphFastPathProbed = false // re-arm the one-shot probe
+    try {
+      await storage.getVerbsBySource(a)
+      expect(rebuilds).toBe(1)                    // probe detected cold adjacency + rebuilt once
+      expect(storage._graphFastPathProbed).toBe(true) // latched — no second rebuild
+      rebuilds = 0
+      await storage.getVerbsByTarget(b)
+      expect(rebuilds).toBe(0)                    // probe does not re-run
+    } finally {
+      gi.getVerbIdsBySource = origBySource
+      gi.rebuild = origRebuild
+    }
+  })
+})
diff --git a/tests/unit/vector-cold-read-guard.test.ts b/tests/unit/vector-cold-read-guard.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..49ca6426
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/vector-cold-read-guard.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+/**
+ * @module tests/unit/vector-cold-read-guard
+ * @description Pattern-A / Finding 1: a pure semantic find({ query }) has no
+ * filter, so verifyMetadataLive never fires — nothing guarded the vector index.
+ * A cold native vector index that loaded its COUNT but not its serving structure
+ * returned a silent []. verifyVectorLive() closes that: honest isReady() first,
+ * else a known-vector self-match probe; self-heal (rebuild) or throw
+ * VectorIndexNotReadyError — never a silent empty result.
+ */
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from 'vitest'
+import { Brainy, NounType, VectorIndexNotReadyError } from '../../src/index.js'
+
+const V = (): number[] => Array.from({ length: 384 }, (_, i) => Math.sin(i * 0.1) + 0.001)
+
+describe('Vector cold-read guard (verifyVectorLive) — silent-[] on cold semantic find', () => {
+  let brain: any
+  beforeEach(async () => {
+    process.env.BRAINY_DETERMINISTIC_EMBEDDINGS = 'true'
+    brain = new Brainy({ requireSubtype: false, storage: { type: 'memory' }, dimensions: 384 })
+    await brain.init()
+    await brain.add({ vector: V(), type: NounType.Concept, metadata: { status: 'active' } })
+    await brain.add({ vector: V(), type: NounType.Concept, metadata: { status: 'archived' } })
+    await brain.flush()
+  })
+
+  it('warm brain: semantic find is correct and the guard does not rebuild', async () => {
+    const vi = brain.index
+    let rebuilds = 0
+    const origRebuild = vi.rebuild.bind(vi)
+    vi.rebuild = async (...a: any[]) => { rebuilds++; return origRebuild(...a) }
+    await brain.find({ query: 'anything', searchMode: 'semantic', limit: 100 })
+    expect(rebuilds).toBe(0)
+    expect(brain._vectorVerified).toBe(true)
+    vi.rebuild = origRebuild
+  })
+
+  it('cold index: verifyVectorLive self-heals via rebuild — semantic find is correct, NOT silent []', async () => {
+    const vi = brain.index
+    const origSearch = vi.search.bind(vi)
+    const origRebuild = vi.rebuild.bind(vi)
+    let cold = true
+    brain._vectorVerified = false
+    // size()>0 (count present) but search returns nothing until a rebuild warms it.
+    vi.search = async (...a: any[]) => (cold ? [] : origSearch(...a))
+    vi.rebuild = async (...a: any[]) => { await origRebuild(...a); cold = false }
+    try {
+      const res = await brain.find({ query: 'x', searchMode: 'semantic', limit: 100 })
+      expect(res.length).toBeGreaterThan(0) // self-healed
+    } finally {
+      vi.search = origSearch; vi.rebuild = origRebuild
+    }
+  })
+
+  it('unrecoverably cold index: semantic find throws VectorIndexNotReadyError', async () => {
+    const vi = brain.index
+    const origSearch = vi.search.bind(vi)
+    const origRebuild = vi.rebuild.bind(vi)
+    brain._vectorVerified = false
+    vi.search = async () => []      // always cold; rebuild can't fix it
+    vi.rebuild = async () => {}
+    try {
+      await expect(
+        brain.find({ query: 'x', searchMode: 'semantic', limit: 100 })
+      ).rejects.toBeInstanceOf(VectorIndexNotReadyError)
+    } finally {
+      vi.search = origSearch; vi.rebuild = origRebuild
+    }
+  })
+
+  it('native provider reporting isReady()===false rebuilds, then serves', async () => {
+    const vi = brain.index
+    const origRebuild = vi.rebuild.bind(vi)
+    let ready = false
+    brain._vectorVerified = false
+    vi.isReady = () => ready
+    vi.rebuild = async (...a: any[]) => { await origRebuild(...a); ready = true }
+    try {
+      const res = await brain.find({ query: 'x', searchMode: 'semantic', limit: 100 })
+      expect(ready).toBe(true) // rebuild ran because isReady() was false
+      expect(res).toBeDefined()
+    } finally {
+      delete vi.isReady; vi.rebuild = origRebuild
+    }
+  })
+
+  it('a text-only query does not trigger the vector guard', async () => {
+    brain._vectorVerified = false
+    await brain.find({ query: 'active', searchMode: 'text', limit: 5 })
+    expect(brain._vectorVerified).toBe(false) // executeVectorSearch never called
+  })
+
+  // Regression: the probe must check "returns ANY hit", not an exact self-match —
+  // HNSW is approximate and get() may re-hydrate the vector, so a healthy
+  // many-entity index would false-positive under an exact-self check, wrongly
+  // rebuild, and throw VectorIndexNotReadyError on working data.
+  it('a healthy many-entity brain with distinct vectors serves semantic find, never throws/rebuilds', async () => {
+    const many = new Brainy({ requireSubtype: false, storage: { type: 'memory' }, dimensions: 384 })
+    await many.init()
+    for (let i = 0; i < 25; i++) {
+      const v = Array.from({ length: 384 }, (_, j) => Math.sin((i * 7 + j) * 0.13) + 0.001)
+      await many.add({ vector: v, type: NounType.Concept, metadata: { n: i } })
+    }
+    await many.flush()
+    let rebuilds = 0
+    const vi = (many as any).index
+    const origRebuild = vi.rebuild.bind(vi)
+    vi.rebuild = async (...a: any[]) => { rebuilds++; return origRebuild(...a) }
+    const res = await many.find({ query: 'x', searchMode: 'semantic', limit: 10 })
+    expect(res.length).toBeGreaterThan(0)
+    expect(rebuilds).toBe(0)
+    expect((many as any)._vectorVerified).toBe(true)
+    vi.rebuild = origRebuild
+    await many.close()
+  })
+})