diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/container_view.rs b/hive-c0re/src/container_view.rs
index 655693a2..53ba20d9 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/container_view.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/container_view.rs
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ pub async fn build_all(hive: &crate::coordinator::HiveEnv) -> anyhow::Result<Vec
             .map(std::string::String::as_str);
         let needs_update =
             crate::auto_update::agent_config_pending(logical.as_str(), deployed_full).await;
-        let deployed_sha = deployed_full.map(|s| s[..s.len().min(12)].to_owned());
+        let deployed_sha = deployed_full.map(short_rev);
         // One `systemctl` call for both facts: `unit_state` is the same
         // shell-out `is_running` makes, minus `--quiet`. Asking twice would
         // double the per-agent subprocess count on every SSE scan.
@@ -449,9 +449,28 @@ fn parse_locked_revs(raw: &str) -> HashMap<String, String> {
     out
 }
 
+/// First 12 characters of a rev. Counts chars, not bytes: the value comes
+/// from `flake.lock` JSON, and a byte slice at 12 can split a multi-byte char.
+fn short_rev(rev: &str) -> String {
+    rev.chars().take(12).collect()
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod tests {
-    use super::parse_locked_revs;
+    use super::{parse_locked_revs, short_rev};
+
+    #[test]
+    fn short_rev_truncates_and_keeps_short() {
+        assert_eq!(short_rev("0123456789abcdef"), "0123456789ab");
+        assert_eq!(short_rev("abc123"), "abc123");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn short_rev_survives_multibyte_at_boundary() {
+        // 'é' is 2 bytes and straddles byte index 12.
+        let rev = "0123456789aébcdef";
+        assert_eq!(short_rev(rev), "0123456789aé");
+    }
 
     /// Shape of a real `meta/flake.lock`: `root` names a node whose
     /// `inputs` map alias → node name, and each node carries `locked.rev`.
diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/forge/mod.rs b/hive-c0re/src/forge/mod.rs
index 676aaf1d..7e1741bd 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/forge/mod.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/forge/mod.rs
@@ -37,7 +37,8 @@ const FORGE_CONTAINER: &str = "hive-forge";
 ///
 /// # Panics
 ///
-/// When `HIVE_FORGE_URL` is unset. That is deliberate: this daemon only
+/// When `HIVE_FORGE_URL` is unset (`validate_env` rejects that at startup, so
+/// the daemon never reaches this). That is deliberate: this daemon only
 /// runs under the NixOS module, which always sets it, so an unset var
 /// means the deployment is broken. There is no loopback fallback,
 /// because a guess is wrong in exactly the cases that matter — the
@@ -55,6 +56,22 @@ pub(crate) fn forge_http_base() -> &'static str {
     })
 }
 
+/// Check the env the forge integration cannot run without: `HIVE_FORGE_URL`
+/// set and a valid URL, `HIVE_ASSETS_DIR` set. Called once from `main`
+/// before any worker is spawned, so a missing or malformed value fails the
+/// unit start naming the variable; the lazy accessors then never hit their
+/// `expect`s.
+pub(crate) fn validate_env() -> Result<()> {
+    let url = std::env::var("HIVE_FORGE_URL").context(
+        "HIVE_FORGE_URL is unset (the hyperhive NixOS module sets it on the hive-c0re unit)",
+    )?;
+    Url::parse(&url).with_context(|| format!("HIVE_FORGE_URL is not a valid URL: {url:?}"))?;
+    std::env::var("HIVE_ASSETS_DIR").context(
+        "HIVE_ASSETS_DIR is unset (the hyperhive NixOS module sets it on the hive-c0re unit)",
+    )?;
+    Ok(())
+}
+
 /// Git remote for `repo` (e.g. `"core/meta"`) — **credential-free**.
 ///
 /// The token does not go here. A URL is a process argument, and `argv` is
diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/main.rs b/hive-c0re/src/main.rs
index 06eb05eb..ec9666ef 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/main.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/main.rs
@@ -219,6 +219,9 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
             // succeeded.
             lifecycle::network_isolation_from_env()
                 .context("network isolation settings are required at startup")?;
+            // The forge integration is mandatory (the NixOS module sets both
+            // vars unconditionally), so check them before any worker starts.
+            forge::validate_env()?;
             cmd_serve(sc.env, sc.model_prices, sc.build_slots, db, &cli.socket).await
         }
     }
diff --git a/hive-forge/src/verbs/pr_status.rs b/hive-forge/src/verbs/pr_status.rs
index 3802f6cf..226b3b3b 100644
--- a/hive-forge/src/verbs/pr_status.rs
+++ b/hive-forge/src/verbs/pr_status.rs
@@ -263,9 +263,15 @@ fn status_mark(status: &str) -> &'static str {
     }
 }
 
+/// First 12 characters of a sha. Counts chars, not bytes, so a multi-byte
+/// char at the cut cannot panic.
+fn short_sha(sha: &str) -> String {
+    sha.chars().take(12).collect()
+}
+
 /// Render the CI section (overall verdict + per-context rows).
 fn print_ci(sha: &str, state: &str, statuses: &[Value]) {
-    let short = &sha[..sha.len().min(12)];
+    let short = short_sha(sha);
     if statuses.is_empty() {
         println!("{short}: no CI statuses reported (CI may not have started)");
         return;
@@ -462,12 +468,17 @@ mod tests {
     #[test]
     fn short_sha_truncates() {
         let sha = "0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef";
-        assert_eq!(&sha[..sha.len().min(12)], "0123456789ab");
+        assert_eq!(short_sha(sha), "0123456789ab");
     }
 
     #[test]
     fn short_sha_handles_already_short() {
-        assert_eq!(&"abc123"[.."abc123".len().min(12)], "abc123");
+        assert_eq!(short_sha("abc123"), "abc123");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn short_sha_survives_multibyte_at_boundary() {
+        assert_eq!(short_sha("0123456789aébcdef"), "0123456789aé");
     }
 
     #[test]