diff --git a/app/src/lib/bootCheck/index.test.ts b/app/src/lib/bootCheck/index.test.ts
index b4c18e54b47..39dc87b0a4e 100644
--- a/app/src/lib/bootCheck/index.test.ts
+++ b/app/src/lib/bootCheck/index.test.ts
@@ -224,6 +224,94 @@ describe('runBootCheck — unset mode', () => {
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 describe('runBootCheck — port conflict auto-recovery', () => {
+  it('does not mistake a legacy SQLite upgrade failure for a port collision', async () => {
+    const recovery = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ success: false, message: 'no port owner' });
+    const transport: BootCheckTransport = {
+      callRpc: vi.fn(),
+      invokeCmd: vi
+        .fn()
+        .mockRejectedValue(
+          new Error(
+            'in-process core server exited before becoming ready: open the storage backend ' +
+              'sqlite:C:\\Users\\ACER\\.openhuman\\users\\local-desktop\\workspace\\storage: ' +
+              'invalid input: legacy sqlite storage must be upgraded by the host'
+          )
+        ),
+      recoverPortConflict: recovery,
+    };
+
+    const result = await runBootCheck({ kind: 'local' }, transport);
+
+    expect(recovery).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(result).toMatchObject({ kind: 'unreachable', portConflict: false });
+    if (result.kind === 'unreachable') {
+      expect(result.reason).toContain('legacy sqlite storage must be upgraded by the host');
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('does not reap processes for unrelated app-engine startup errors', async () => {
+    const recovery = vi.fn();
+    const result = await runBootCheck(
+      { kind: 'local' },
+      {
+        callRpc: vi.fn(),
+        invokeCmd: vi.fn().mockRejectedValue(new Error('core runtime initialization failed')),
+        recoverPortConflict: recovery,
+      }
+    );
+    expect(recovery).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(result).toEqual({
+      kind: 'unreachable',
+      reason: 'Failed to start local core: core runtime initialization failed',
+      portConflict: false,
+    });
+  });
+
+  it.each([
+    'failed to signal stale openhuman pid 123: permission denied',
+    'failed to force-kill stale openhuman pid 123: permission denied',
+  ])('keeps stale-listener recovery available after %s', async diagnostic => {
+    const recoverPortConflict = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({
+      success: false,
+      message: 'listener requires manual recovery',
+      foreign_owner: { pid: 456, name: 'another process' },
+    });
+    const result = await runBootCheck(
+      { kind: 'local' },
+      {
+        callRpc: vi.fn(),
+        invokeCmd: vi.fn().mockRejectedValue(new Error(diagnostic)),
+        recoverPortConflict,
+      }
+    );
+    expect(recoverPortConflict).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(result).toMatchObject({
+      kind: 'unreachable',
+      portConflict: true,
+      foreignOwner: { pid: 456, name: 'another process' },
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('does not run broad recovery when the port rebounds to a new owner', async () => {
+    const recovery = vi.fn();
+    const diagnostic =
+      'port 7788 rebounded to pid 456 after terminating pid 123; refusing to kill a different process';
+    const result = await runBootCheck(
+      { kind: 'local' },
+      {
+        callRpc: vi.fn(),
+        invokeCmd: vi.fn().mockRejectedValue(new Error(diagnostic)),
+        recoverPortConflict: recovery,
+      }
+    );
+    expect(recovery).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(result).toMatchObject({
+      kind: 'unreachable',
+      portConflict: true,
+      reason: expect.stringContaining('rebounded to pid 456'),
+    });
+  });
+
   it('auto-recovery succeeds: start fails, recovery succeeds, second start succeeds', async () => {
     const appVersion = (await import('../../utils/config')).APP_VERSION;
 
diff --git a/app/src/lib/bootCheck/index.ts b/app/src/lib/bootCheck/index.ts
index ee4cf82da86..4bf4c31be09 100644
--- a/app/src/lib/bootCheck/index.ts
+++ b/app/src/lib/bootCheck/index.ts
@@ -187,6 +187,27 @@ async function checkVersion(callRpc: BootCheckTransport['callRpc']): Promise<Ver
   }
 }
 
+/** Only a confirmed bind/port failure warrants reaping or port recovery.
+ * Storage, config and runtime failures must retain their original diagnosis.
+ * An arbitrary startup failure is NOT evidence that another process owns a port. */
+function isPortBindingFailure(error: string): boolean {
+  return (
+    /\b(?:eaddrinuse|addrinuse|wsaeaddrinuse|address already in use|port in use)\b/i.test(error) ||
+    /\bport\s+\d+\s+(?:is\s+)?(?:occupied|busy|in use|remained bound|did not become free)\b/i.test(
+      error
+    ) ||
+    /\b(?:no fallback ports available|no available port|port excluded by os|stale-listener pid|failed to signal stale openhuman pid|failed to force-kill stale openhuman pid|failed to bind core listener|could not determine pid bound to port|port \d+ rebounded to pid)\b/i.test(
+      error
+    )
+  );
+}
+
+/** A rebound proves a different PID now owns the port; never invoke the
+ * legacy broad process reaper in this case. Preserve the diagnostic for the UI. */
+function isPortReboundFailure(error: string): boolean {
+  return /\bport\s+\d+\s+rebounded\s+to\s+pid\b/i.test(error);
+}
+
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Main entry point
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -222,17 +243,26 @@ export async function runBootCheck(
   if (mode.kind === 'local') {
     log('[boot-check] local mode — starting core process');
 
-    let startFailed = false;
+    let startError: string | null = null;
     try {
       await invokeCmd<void>('start_core_process', {});
       log('[boot-check] start_core_process invoked successfully');
     } catch (err) {
-      startFailed = true;
+      startError = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);
       logError('[boot-check] start_core_process failed: %o', err);
+      if (!isPortBindingFailure(startError)) {
+        // Do not run a destructive port-recovery procedure for a storage
+        // migration failure, invalid configuration or any other boot error.
+        return {
+          kind: 'unreachable',
+          reason: `Failed to start local core: ${startError}`,
+          portConflict: false,
+        };
+      }
     }
 
     // If start failed, attempt port-conflict auto-recovery before giving up.
-    if (startFailed && transport.recoverPortConflict) {
+    if (startError !== null && transport.recoverPortConflict && !isPortReboundFailure(startError)) {
       log('[boot-check] start_core_process failed — attempting port-conflict auto-recovery');
       try {
         const recovery = await transport.recoverPortConflict();
@@ -261,8 +291,12 @@ export async function runBootCheck(
           portConflict: true,
         };
       }
-    } else if (startFailed) {
-      return { kind: 'unreachable', reason: `Failed to start local core` };
+    } else if (startError !== null) {
+      return {
+        kind: 'unreachable',
+        reason: `Failed to start local core: ${startError}`,
+        portConflict: true,
+      };
     }
 
     // Wait for the embedded core to be reachable.
@@ -277,7 +311,7 @@ export async function runBootCheck(
       return {
         kind: 'unreachable',
         reason: 'Local core did not respond in time',
-        portConflict: startFailed,
+        portConflict: false,
       };
     }
 
diff --git a/crates/openhuman-app/src/core_process.rs b/crates/openhuman-app/src/core_process.rs
index b253fef4ad2..3a3572a8ba6 100644
--- a/crates/openhuman-app/src/core_process.rs
+++ b/crates/openhuman-app/src/core_process.rs
@@ -401,7 +401,7 @@ impl CoreProcessHandle {
                                     }
                                 }
                                 Err(format!(
-                                    "in-process core server exited before becoming ready: {err}"
+                                    "in-process core server exited before becoming ready: {err:#}"
                                 ))
                             }
                             Err(err) => Err(format!(