diff --git a/hive-matrix-mcp/src/bin/mcp.rs b/hive-matrix-mcp/src/bin/mcp.rs
index fc1b39ae..e4c8e426 100644
--- a/hive-matrix-mcp/src/bin/mcp.rs
+++ b/hive-matrix-mcp/src/bin/mcp.rs
@@ -576,28 +576,16 @@ async fn main() -> Result<()> {
         .with_writer(std::io::stderr)
         .init();
 
-    // Standalone-degraded boot: matrix isn't provisioned for this agent
-    // (no token file) → exit 0 cleanly so claude doesn't register a
-    // matrix MCP server it can never use.
-    //
-    // Gate on the TOKEN, not the daemon socket. The daemon binds its
-    // socket only AFTER restoring its matrix session (~10s on a cold
-    // boot), so an exists-check on the socket here raced the daemon's
-    // startup: during that window the socket was absent, the bridge
-    // exited, and claude lost the matrix tools for the WHOLE session
-    // (the bridge isn't respawned mid-turn). The token, by contrast, is
-    // written by hive-c0re at provisioning time and is present well
-    // before the daemon finishes booting — so it cleanly distinguishes
-    // "matrix not set up for this agent" (token absent → exit) from
-    // "daemon still coming up" (token present → keep serving). When the
-    // token exists we serve regardless of socket state: tool calls
-    // `connect()` per-call and simply error until the daemon is up, but
-    // the tools stay registered for the session.
-    let token_file = paths::token_file();
-    if !tokio::fs::try_exists(&token_file).await.unwrap_or(false) {
+    // Standalone-degraded boot: missing daemon socket → exit 0
+    // cleanly so claude doesn't see an MCP startup error when matrix
+    // hasn't been provisioned for this agent yet. The daemon will
+    // appear once hive-c0re writes the token + systemd starts the
+    // daemon unit.
+    let socket = paths::daemon_socket();
+    if !tokio::fs::try_exists(&socket).await.unwrap_or(false) {
         tracing::warn!(
-            path = %token_file.display(),
-            "matrix not provisioned (no token file); exiting cleanly so MCP startup doesn't fail"
+            path = %socket.display(),
+            "matrix daemon socket absent; exiting cleanly so MCP startup doesn't fail"
         );
         return Ok(());
     }