diff --git a/nix/templates/harness-base.nix b/nix/templates/harness-base.nix
index 274c5346..3a8eb1f5 100644
--- a/nix/templates/harness-base.nix
+++ b/nix/templates/harness-base.nix
@@ -745,6 +745,30 @@
       '';
     };
 
+    # Path-trigger sibling so matrix-avatar-sync fires the moment
+    # `<state>/matrix-token` appears (#571 closes argus's first-boot
+    # ordering nag on #567). On a clean boot hive-c0re's matrix
+    # provisioning runs concurrently with the agent container coming
+    # up; without this the oneshot would skip silently because the
+    # token didn't exist yet, and avatar would only land on the next
+    # restart. With the path watcher the appearance of the token
+    # triggers a re-fire of the service so the avatar is set in the
+    # same boot cycle as provisioning completes.
+    #
+    # `PathExists=` fires at activation if the file is already there
+    # (covers re-deploys + restarts after first provisioning); the
+    # underlying inotify watch picks up subsequent creates (covers
+    # first-boot race). Manager mounts state at `/state` (legacy
+    # path), sub-agents at `/agents/<label>/state` (per
+    # lifecycle.rs's `notes_mount`); `PathExistsGlob=` matches both
+    # without needing the agent name at module-eval time.
+    systemd.paths.matrix-avatar-sync = {
+      description = "trigger matrix-avatar-sync when matrix-token appears";
+      wantedBy = [ "multi-user.target" ];
+      pathConfig.PathExists = "/state/matrix-token";
+      pathConfig.PathExistsGlob = "/agents/*/state/matrix-token";
+    };
+
     # One-shot: upload the agent's configured icon to its matrix profile
     # avatar so the icon shows up next to messages in matrix rooms (#548
     # phase 2.5). Mirrors the forge-avatar-sync flow above, only differs
@@ -753,6 +777,11 @@
     # by hive-c0re's `matrix::ensure_user_for`. No-op when the icon
     # isn't configured, the matrix token isn't present, or the
     # homeserver isn't reachable. *Always* exits 0.
+    #
+    # Triggered by EITHER boot (`wantedBy = multi-user.target`) OR
+    # the path-watcher above (`matrix-avatar-sync.path`) firing on
+    # token appearance (#571). Both paths re-run the oneshot
+    # idempotently — running the avatar set twice is harmless.
     systemd.services.matrix-avatar-sync = {
       description = "sync agent icon to matrix profile avatar (best-effort)";
       wantedBy = [ "multi-user.target" ];
@@ -760,7 +789,12 @@
       # equivalent prerequisite; we just need the homeserver up.
       serviceConfig = {
         Type = "oneshot";
-        RemainAfterExit = true;
+        # NB: NOT `RemainAfterExit = true` — we want re-runs from
+        # the path trigger to actually re-execute. With
+        # RemainAfterExit, systemd treats the service as "still
+        # running" after the first exit and the second trigger
+        # becomes a no-op.
+        RemainAfterExit = false;
       };
       path = [
         pkgs.curl