diff --git a/src/brainy.ts b/src/brainy.ts
index 23f3d4f1..6be20683 100644
--- a/src/brainy.ts
+++ b/src/brainy.ts
@@ -3299,25 +3299,30 @@ export class Brainy<T = any> implements BrainyInterface<T> {
 
   /** Resolve the optional native graph-acceleration provider (feature-detected). */
   private graphAccelerationProvider(): GraphAccelerationProvider | undefined {
-    if (this._graphAccelProvider !== undefined) {
-      return this._graphAccelProvider ?? undefined
-    }
-    // Resolve the optional 'graphAcceleration' provider once and cache it. Accept
-    // EITHER a ready instance OR a `(storage) => provider` factory (the convention
-    // the graphIndex/metadataIndex/vector providers use) — a registered factory
-    // would otherwise fail the isGraphAccelerationProvider duck-test and the native
-    // path would silently never engage.
-    const raw = this.pluginRegistry.getProvider<unknown>('graphAcceleration')
-    let resolved: unknown = raw
-    if (typeof raw === 'function' && !isGraphAccelerationProvider(raw)) {
-      try {
-        resolved = (raw as (storage: StorageAdapter) => unknown)(this.storage)
-      } catch {
-        resolved = undefined
+    // Resolve + cache the provider INSTANCE once. Accept EITHER a ready instance OR
+    // a `(storage) => provider` factory (the convention the graphIndex/metadataIndex/
+    // vector providers use) — a registered factory would otherwise fail the
+    // isGraphAccelerationProvider duck-test and the native path would silently never engage.
+    if (this._graphAccelProvider === undefined) {
+      const raw = this.pluginRegistry.getProvider<unknown>('graphAcceleration')
+      let resolved: unknown = raw
+      if (typeof raw === 'function' && !isGraphAccelerationProvider(raw)) {
+        try {
+          resolved = (raw as (storage: StorageAdapter) => unknown)(this.storage)
+        } catch {
+          resolved = undefined
+        }
       }
+      this._graphAccelProvider = isGraphAccelerationProvider(resolved) ? resolved : null
     }
-    this._graphAccelProvider = isGraphAccelerationProvider(resolved) ? resolved : null
-    return this._graphAccelProvider ?? undefined
+    const provider = this._graphAccelProvider ?? undefined
+    // Readiness gate — checked LIVE each call, never cached: the native engine sets
+    // `isInitialized` false until its engine + cursor have loaded (the cold-start /
+    // rebuild window). Until then, route to the pure-TS path rather than calling a
+    // not-ready provider (which throws) — and re-engage the native path automatically
+    // the moment `isInitialized` flips true. Gates EVERY `brain.graph.*` route
+    // (subgraph/export/rank/communities/path + the query→expand fusion) at once.
+    return provider && provider.isInitialized ? provider : undefined
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/tests/unit/brainy/graph-native-routing.test.ts b/tests/unit/brainy/graph-native-routing.test.ts
index 5e0745c7..dfa4912f 100644
--- a/tests/unit/brainy/graph-native-routing.test.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/brainy/graph-native-routing.test.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import { NounType, VerbType } from '../../../src/types/graphTypes.js'
 import { createTestConfig } from '../../helpers/test-factory.js'
 
 /** A stateful mock GraphAccelerationProvider; the test sets the columnar payloads. */
-function makeMockAccel() {
+function makeMockAccel(opts: { isInitialized?: boolean } = {}) {
   const calls = { traverse: 0, cursorOpen: 0, cursorNext: 0, cursorClose: 0, rank: 0, communities: 0, path: 0 }
   const state: {
     calls: typeof calls
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ function makeMockAccel() {
     communityCount: 0
   }
   const provider = {
-    isInitialized: true,
+    isInitialized: opts.isInitialized ?? true,
     traverse: async (seeds: any) => {
       calls.traverse++
       state.lastTraverseSeeds = seeds
@@ -290,4 +290,45 @@ describe('brain.graph.* native routing + columnar hydration (native seam)', () =
     expect(Array.isArray(mock.state.lastTraverseSeeds)).toBe(true) // bigint[], not a Buffer
     expect(typeof (mock.state.lastTraverseSeeds as unknown[])[0]).toBe('bigint')
   })
+
+  // Readiness gate (cor boundary-audit item #1): the native engine reports
+  // isInitialized=false during its cold-start/rebuild window. Brainy must route to the
+  // pure-TS path then — NOT call the not-ready provider (which would throw) — across the
+  // whole brain.graph.* surface, and re-engage the native path once it flips true.
+  it('routes to the TS fallback (never calls the provider) while accel.isInitialized is false', async () => {
+    const notReady = makeMockAccel({ isInitialized: false })
+    const b = new Brainy(createTestConfig())
+    b.use({
+      name: 'mock-graph-accel-not-ready',
+      activate: async (ctx: any) => {
+        ctx.registerProvider('graphAcceleration', notReady.provider)
+        return true
+      }
+    } as any)
+    await b.init()
+    const p = await b.add({ type: NounType.Person, subtype: 'employee', data: 'P' })
+    const q = await b.add({ type: NounType.Person, subtype: 'employee', data: 'Q' })
+    await b.relate({ from: p, to: q, type: VerbType.RelatedTo })
+
+    // Every brain.graph.* route + the query→expand fusion must NOT throw and must serve
+    // from the TS fallback while the engine is cold.
+    const sub = await b.graph.subgraph(p, { depth: 1 })
+    const ranked = await b.graph.rank()
+    const comm = await b.graph.communities()
+    const route = await b.graph.path(p, q)
+    const fused = await b.graph.subgraph({ type: NounType.Person }, { depth: 1 })
+
+    // The provider was never touched — all served by the JS fallback.
+    expect(notReady.state.calls.traverse).toBe(0)
+    expect(notReady.state.calls.rank).toBe(0)
+    expect(notReady.state.calls.communities).toBe(0)
+    expect(notReady.state.calls.path).toBe(0)
+    // And the TS fallback returned real answers (not throws / empties from a cold engine).
+    expect(sub.nodes.some((n) => n.id === p)).toBe(true)
+    expect(ranked.length).toBeGreaterThan(0)
+    expect(comm.count).toBeGreaterThan(0)
+    expect(route?.nodes).toEqual([p, q])
+    expect(fused.nodes.some((n) => n.id === p)).toBe(true)
+    await b.close()
+  })
 })