diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index fb97347..0419355 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -257,6 +257,7 @@ async fn process_loop(
         model: &initial_model,
         mcp_config_path: &mcp_config_path,
         allowed_tools: claude::ALLOWED_TOOLS,
+        is_initial_daemon_session: true,
     })
     .await
     {
@@ -337,6 +338,7 @@ async fn process_loop(
                 model: &model,
                 mcp_config_path: &mcp_config_path,
                 allowed_tools: claude::ALLOWED_TOOLS,
+                is_initial_daemon_session: false,
             })
             .await
             {
@@ -357,6 +359,9 @@ async fn process_loop(
         let sess = session.as_mut().unwrap();
         if sess.turn_count == 0 {
             notices.push("Session start: this is the first turn since you were (re)spawned. In-session memory is empty - rely on your notes files for prior context.".to_owned());
+            if sess.is_initial_daemon_session {
+                notices.push("Daemon startup: the damocles-daemon process itself just booted. **Read state/CHANGELOG.md FIRST** before responding - any pending updates need processing into your notes. Also: if recent events (check ts/ts_human) span hours or days, there was real downtime. Make up an in-character excuse for being gone (capitalism, hyperscaler maintenance, API key revoked, der wartungsdienst hat dich entkoppelt, whatever fits). Don't apologize sincerely - that's not in character.".to_owned());
+            }
         }
 
         let delay = queued_at.elapsed();
diff --git a/src/shard.rs b/src/shard.rs
index f2029e6..09a0a39 100644
--- a/src/shard.rs
+++ b/src/shard.rs
@@ -97,12 +97,19 @@ pub struct ShardSession {
     pub rooms_seen: HashSet<OwnedRoomId>,
     /// Mtimes of identity/CHANGELOG files at session start - for refresh.
     mtime_snapshot: Vec<(PathBuf, std::time::SystemTime)>,
+    /// True for the very first session of this daemon process.
+    pub is_initial_daemon_session: bool,
 }
 
 pub struct SpawnConfig<'a> {
     pub model: &'a str,
     pub mcp_config_path: &'a Path,
     pub allowed_tools: &'a str,
+    /// True for the very first session spawned at daemon startup. Used by
+    /// the dispatcher to emit a "daemon just booted, may have been down a
+    /// while, focus on CHANGELOG, make an excuse for being gone" notice on
+    /// the first turn. False for refresh-respawns mid-uptime.
+    pub is_initial_daemon_session: bool,
 }
 
 impl ShardSession {
@@ -195,6 +202,7 @@ impl ShardSession {
             turn_count: 0,
             rooms_seen: HashSet::new(),
             mtime_snapshot,
+            is_initial_daemon_session: cfg.is_initial_daemon_session,
         })
     }