diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/lifecycle/mod.rs b/hive-c0re/src/lifecycle/mod.rs
index 15633a7c..f2654c70 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/lifecycle/mod.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/lifecycle/mod.rs
@@ -801,6 +801,21 @@ fn make_log_callback(
     }
 }
 
+/// Put a failed non-streaming op's error into its build-log row, which has no
+/// other output: `start` runs through `call`, not the streaming protocol. The
+/// error carries `nixos-container`'s stderr.
+fn record_failure(
+    logs: Option<&crate::build_logs::BuildLogs>,
+    log_id: Option<i64>,
+    err: &anyhow::Error,
+) {
+    if let (Some(h), Some(id)) = (logs, log_id) {
+        for line in format!("{err:#}").lines() {
+            h.append_stderr(id, line);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 /// A `create` or `update` asked for without a closure. The
 /// public entry points take the closure, so this guards the string dispatch
 /// below only.
@@ -867,7 +882,13 @@ async fn priv_run_inner(
             }
             None => Err(missing_toplevel(kind, name)),
         },
-        "start" => crate::priv_client::start_container(name).await,
+        "start" => {
+            let started = crate::priv_client::start_container(name).await;
+            if let Err(e) = &started {
+                record_failure(logs.as_deref(), log_id, e);
+            }
+            started
+        }
         "stop" => crate::priv_client::stop_container(name).await,
         "kill" => crate::priv_client::kill_container(name).await,
         "destroy" => crate::priv_client::destroy_container(name).await,
diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/lifecycle/tests.rs b/hive-c0re/src/lifecycle/tests.rs
index 1124da33..56632b51 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/lifecycle/tests.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/lifecycle/tests.rs
@@ -514,3 +514,20 @@ fn hive_facts_leave_unset_values_out() {
     assert_eq!(facts.egress_no_proxy, None);
     assert_eq!(facts.name, None);
 }
+
+/// A failed `start` leaves its error in the op's build-log row; without it the
+/// row is empty. A missing row id records nothing and does not panic.
+#[test]
+fn a_failed_start_puts_its_error_in_the_op_output() {
+    let dir = tempfile::tempdir().expect("tempdir");
+    let logs = crate::build_logs::BuildLogs::open(dir.path()).expect("open");
+    let id = logs
+        .start("updo", "start", "nixos-container start h-updo", None)
+        .expect("start");
+    let err = anyhow::anyhow!("nixos-container start h-updo failed (exit status: 1): Job failed");
+    record_failure(Some(&logs), Some(id), &err);
+    let full = logs.get_full(id).expect("get").expect("row");
+    assert!(full.stderr.contains("Job failed"), "{}", full.stderr);
+    record_failure(Some(&logs), None, &err);
+    record_failure(None, Some(id), &err);
+}
diff --git a/hive-priv/src/container_config.rs b/hive-priv/src/container_config.rs
index 197747c7..8c3e083a 100644
--- a/hive-priv/src/container_config.rs
+++ b/hive-priv/src/container_config.rs
@@ -345,12 +345,22 @@ fn validate_bind_path(path: &str) -> Result<()> {
 /// flags so nspawn mounts them on top of the already-mounted trees.
 /// Config mounts are matched by shape, not by a name list: the set is
 /// dynamic, growing with each child bound into a parent.
+///
+/// Only a bind whose host source has a `.git` entry gets the overlay: nspawn
+/// must create the mount point inside the read-only bind, which fails
+/// (`EROFS`) where there is nothing to mount over. An archetype agent's
+/// config is an empty directory. The entry is looked up without following a
+/// symlink, and a symlink named `.git` counts as present, so a path that
+/// leads somewhere else is still hidden.
 fn git_overlay_flags(binds: &[BindMount]) -> Vec<String> {
     binds
         .iter()
-        .map(|b| b.container_path.as_str())
-        .filter(|p| *p == "/knowledge" || (p.starts_with("/agents/") && p.ends_with("/config")))
-        .map(|p| format!("--tmpfs={p}/.git"))
+        .filter(|b| {
+            let p = b.container_path.as_str();
+            p == "/knowledge" || (p.starts_with("/agents/") && p.ends_with("/config"))
+        })
+        .filter(|b| std::fs::symlink_metadata(Path::new(&b.host_path).join(".git")).is_ok())
+        .map(|b| format!("--tmpfs={}/.git", b.container_path))
         .collect()
 }
 
@@ -641,6 +651,20 @@ mod tests {
         }
     }
 
+    /// A source dir holding a `.git` directory, as a repo checkout does.
+    fn repo_source() -> String {
+        let dir = scratch();
+        std::fs::create_dir(dir.join(".git")).unwrap();
+        dir.to_string_lossy().into_owned()
+    }
+
+    fn bind_from(host_path: &str, container_path: &str) -> BindMount {
+        BindMount {
+            host_path: host_path.to_owned(),
+            ..bind(container_path)
+        }
+    }
+
     /// Every bound git repo gets its `.git` overlaid — the knowledge tree
     /// and *each* config mount, an agent's own plus every child's.
     ///
@@ -649,10 +673,11 @@ mod tests {
     /// silently stop covering new ones.
     #[test]
     fn every_bound_git_repo_gets_its_dot_git_hidden() {
+        let src = repo_source();
         let flags = git_overlay_flags(&[
-            bind("/knowledge"),
-            bind("/agents/atlas/config"),
-            bind("/agents/kiddo/config"),
+            bind_from(&src, "/knowledge"),
+            bind_from(&src, "/agents/atlas/config"),
+            bind_from(&src, "/agents/kiddo/config"),
         ]);
         assert_eq!(
             flags,
@@ -669,15 +694,41 @@ mod tests {
     /// keeps working clones of its own.
     #[test]
     fn non_repo_mounts_are_left_alone() {
+        let src = repo_source();
         let flags = git_overlay_flags(&[
-            bind("/agents/atlas/state"),
-            bind("/work"),
-            bind("/applied"),
-            bind("/agents/atlas/config-notes"),
+            bind_from(&src, "/agents/atlas/state"),
+            bind_from(&src, "/work"),
+            bind_from(&src, "/applied"),
+            bind_from(&src, "/agents/atlas/config-notes"),
         ]);
         assert!(flags.is_empty(), "overlaid a non-repo mount: {flags:?}");
     }
 
+    /// A config mount whose source has no `.git` (an archetype agent's empty
+    /// directory) gets no overlay: nspawn cannot create the mount point in a
+    /// read-only bind. The sibling with a `.git` is the presence control.
+    #[test]
+    fn a_source_without_dot_git_gets_no_overlay() {
+        let empty = scratch().to_string_lossy().into_owned();
+        let flags = git_overlay_flags(&[
+            bind_from(&empty, "/agents/updo/config"),
+            bind_from(&empty, "/knowledge"),
+            bind_from(&repo_source(), "/agents/atlas/config"),
+        ]);
+        assert_eq!(flags, ["--tmpfs=/agents/atlas/config/.git"]);
+    }
+
+    /// A symlink named `.git` is not followed: it counts as present, even
+    /// dangling, so the path it leads to is hidden rather than skipped.
+    #[test]
+    fn a_symlinked_dot_git_is_not_followed() {
+        let dir = scratch();
+        std::os::unix::fs::symlink("/nonexistent-target", dir.join(".git")).unwrap();
+        let src = dir.to_string_lossy().into_owned();
+        let flags = git_overlay_flags(&[bind_from(&src, "/agents/atlas/config")]);
+        assert_eq!(flags, ["--tmpfs=/agents/atlas/config/.git"]);
+    }
+
     /// The whole rendered body, pinned literally — including the values,
     /// so changing the restart policy is a visible test edit rather than a
     /// silent one.