diff --git a/packages/extension/opencode-plugin/stack_state.ts b/packages/extension/opencode-plugin/stack_state.ts
index 777767d9..be86dc66 100644
--- a/packages/extension/opencode-plugin/stack_state.ts
+++ b/packages/extension/opencode-plugin/stack_state.ts
@@ -221,39 +221,89 @@ function buildActiveProblemBlock(): string {
   return desc;
 }
 
-/** Compact live-runs block: one-line-per-run with status. */
+/** A run "solving" with no FINISHED marker this many hours after its
+ *  timestamped id started is a ZOMBIE (crashed server, killed process) —
+ *  report it as stale, never as live work. Run ids are rYYYYMMDD-HHMMSSZ-hash. */
+const SOLVING_STALE_HOURS = 12;
+
+/** Age in hours parsed from the run id's timestamp, else undefined. */
+function runAgeHours(runName: string): number | undefined {
+  const m = runName.match(/^r(\d{4})(\d{2})(\d{2})-(\d{2})(\d{2})(\d{2})Z-/);
+  if (!m) return undefined;
+  const t = Date.UTC(+m[1], +m[2] - 1, +m[3], +m[4], +m[5], +m[6]);
+  if (Number.isNaN(t)) return undefined;
+  return (Date.now() - t) / 3_600_000;
+}
+
+/** Compact live-runs block: LIVE runs individually (with age), zombies called
+ *  out as stale, and the finished backlog as ONE summary line (count + best
+ *  F + latest). The full history lives in the runs dir — 120 individually
+ *  listed finished runs drowned exactly the signal the greeting needs. */
 function buildLiveRunsBlock(): string {
   const root = runsRoot();
-  const lines: string[] = [];
 
   try {
     if (!fs.existsSync(root)) return "";
 
+    const live: string[] = [];
+    const stale: string[] = [];
+    const done: { name: string; lab: string; fidelity: number | undefined }[] = [];
+
     const labs = fs.readdirSync(root, { withFileTypes: true }).filter((d) => d.isDirectory());
     for (const lab of labs) {
       const labDir = path.join(root, lab.name);
       const runs = fs.readdirSync(labDir, { withFileTypes: true }).filter((d) => d.isDirectory());
       for (const run of runs) {
         const runDir = path.join(labDir, run.name);
-        const solved = !fs.existsSync(path.join(runDir, "FINISHED"));
-        let fidelity: string | undefined;
+        const finished = fs.existsSync(path.join(runDir, "FINISHED"));
+        let fidelity: number | undefined;
+        let fidelityStr: string | undefined;
         const resultPath = path.join(runDir, "result.toml");
         if (fs.existsSync(resultPath)) {
           try {
             const content = fs.readFileSync(resultPath, "utf8");
             const m = content.match(/fidelity\s*=\s*([\d.eE+-]+)/);
-            if (m) fidelity = parseFloat(m[1]).toFixed(6);
+            if (m) {
+              fidelity = parseFloat(m[1]);
+              fidelityStr = fidelity.toFixed(6);
+            }
           } catch { /* skip */ }
         }
-        const status = solved ? "solving" : fidelity ? `done (F=${fidelity})` : "done";
-        lines.push(`- ${run.name} @ ${lab.name}: ${status}`);
+        if (finished) {
+          done.push({ name: run.name, lab: lab.name, fidelity });
+        } else {
+          const ageH = runAgeHours(run.name);
+          if (ageH !== undefined && ageH > SOLVING_STALE_HOURS) {
+            const since = run.name.slice(1, 9).replace(/^(\d{4})(\d{2})(\d{2})$/, "$1-$2-$3");
+            stale.push(`- ${run.name} @ ${lab.name}: STALE — no FINISHED since ${since} (probably dead, do not present as live)`);
+          } else {
+            const age = ageH !== undefined ? (ageH < 1 ? `${Math.max(1, Math.round(ageH * 60))}m` : `${Math.round(ageH)}h`) : "age unknown";
+            live.push(`- ${run.name} @ ${lab.name}: solving (${age} old)`);
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    }
+
+    const lines: string[] = [];
+    if (live.length > 0 || stale.length > 0 || done.length > 0) {
+      lines.push("**live runs**");
+      lines.push(...live, ...stale);
+      if (done.length > 0) {
+        const best = done.reduce((acc, d) => (d.fidelity !== undefined && (acc === undefined || d.fidelity > acc) ? d.fidelity : acc), undefined);
+        const withF = done.filter((d) => d.fidelity !== undefined);
+        const latest = done[done.length - 1];
+        const bits = [
+          `${done.length} finished`,
+          best !== undefined ? `best F=${best.toFixed(6)}` : null,
+          withF.length > 0 ? `latest ${latest.name}${latest.fidelity !== undefined ? ` (F=${latest.fidelity.toFixed(6)})` : ""}` : null,
+        ].filter(Boolean);
+        lines.push(`- backlog: ${bits.join(" · ")} — full history in the runs dir`);
       }
     }
+    return lines.length > 0 ? lines.join("\n") : "";
   } catch {
     return ""; // optional — silent on error
   }
-
-  return lines.length > 0 ? "**live runs**\n" + lines.join("\n") : "";
 }
 
 // ── Fleet state ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
diff --git a/packages/extension/package.json b/packages/extension/package.json
index 4c1c7218..23f3ac80 100644
--- a/packages/extension/package.json
+++ b/packages/extension/package.json
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   "name": "amicode",
   "displayName": "Amicode",
   "description": "Open autonomous research in VS Code \u2014 vaults, fleet, and live solves for quantum control and physical intelligence.",
-  "version": "0.2.4",
+  "version": "0.2.5",
   "publisher": "harmoniqs",
   "license": "Apache-2.0",
   "icon": "media/icon.png",
diff --git a/packages/extension/src/scores/router.ts b/packages/extension/src/scores/router.ts
index 97bd938a..2c52fc01 100644
--- a/packages/extension/src/scores/router.ts
+++ b/packages/extension/src/scores/router.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,12 @@ import { Score } from "./loader";
 
 // The onset router — a meta question-tree over the visible repertoire (spec §5).
 // Pure: the caller filters by entitlement first. Score #0 (pulse-designer) renders
-// as the fixed "Start from a system" option, never as an application entry card.
+// as the "Design a new pulse" option, never as an application entry card. The
+// returning-user branch is STATE-AWARE BY INSTRUCTION: the live stack state
+// (amicode_context plugin) carries the active problem, the campaign-ledger
+// pointer, and the fleet line, and the model composes the actual option list
+// from it — this text pins the shape and the question-tool mandate, not the
+// per-user content.
 const SYSTEM_FIRST_SCORE = "pulse-designer";
 
 export function buildRouterSection(visible: Score[]): string {
@@ -10,13 +15,27 @@ export function buildRouterSection(visible: Score[]): string {
   const lines: string[] = [
     "## Onset router",
     "",
-    "When a session opens without a specific request, after your one-line Amico",
-    'intro ask exactly one question — "What do you want to do today?" — via the',
-    "native `question` tool, with these options:",
+    "When a session opens without a specific request (a greeting, \"who are",
+    "you?\", \"what is this?\"), do NOT default to the pulse-designer interview —",
+    "build the moment from the live state. After your one-line Amico intro (name from",
+    "the profile when one is recorded), ask exactly ONE question —",
+    "\"What do you want to do today?\" — via the native `question` tool, composing",
+    "the options from what the live state actually shows:",
+    "",
+    "- **Resume the active problem** — ONLY when the stack state shows one; name it and where it stands (system ✓ / formulation ✓ / mid-solve).",
+    "- **Resume your research campaign** — ONLY when a session ledger exists under the personal vault's `sessions/`; the autoresearch director re-reads the latest ledger and continues the loop.",
+    `- **Design a new pulse** — the \`${SYSTEM_FIRST_SCORE}\` interview (the platform-first interview below); one path among these, never the default.`,
+    "- **Fleet & studio ops** — ONLY when fleet state is present; status digest, sync rituals, healthcheck.",
+    "- **Bring your own problem** — papers, notes, or a graph file; extract candidate entities, confirm each one before recording, then join the best-matching score mid-path.",
+    "- **Just explore** — free-form; no rail.",
     "",
   ];
   if (cards.length > 0) {
-    lines.push("**Start from an application** — offer these entry cards:", "");
+    lines.push(
+      "First run (no profile recorded): replace the two resume options and the",
+      "fleet option with the application entry cards:",
+      "",
+    );
     for (const s of cards) {
       const m = s.manifest;
       const badge = m.device ? (m.device.qpu_runnable ? "QPU-runnable" : "emulator-only") : "";
@@ -26,18 +45,10 @@ export function buildRouterSection(visible: Score[]): string {
     lines.push("");
   }
   lines.push(
-    `**Start from a system** — run the pack's \`${SYSTEM_FIRST_SCORE}\` onboarding interview (the platform-first interview below); it is one path among these, not the spine.`,
-    "",
-    "**Bring your own problem** — the user has papers, notes, or a graph file;",
-    "extract candidate entities, confirm each one before recording, then join the",
-    "best-matching score mid-path. If nothing usable is found, say so and offer",
-    "the other options — never a dead end. If candidates match multiple scores",
-    "equally, ask; never route by silent heuristic.",
-    "",
-    "**Resume where you left off** — read the session's interview state and",
-    "continue from its stage cursor.",
-    "",
-    "**Just explore** — free-form; no interview rail.",
+    "Never a dead end: if nothing usable is found for an option, say so and offer",
+    "the others. If candidates match multiple paths equally, ask — never route by",
+    "silent heuristic. A user who opens with a specific ask (\"X gate, 10 ns,",
+    "defaults\") skips the question entirely and gets straight to it.",
   );
   return lines.join("\n");
 }
diff --git a/packages/extension/test/scores/entitlements_router.test.ts b/packages/extension/test/scores/entitlements_router.test.ts
index bfce05be..190b67f9 100644
--- a/packages/extension/test/scores/entitlements_router.test.ts
+++ b/packages/extension/test/scores/entitlements_router.test.ts
@@ -86,14 +86,15 @@ describe("buildRouterSection", () => {
   it("renders the onset question with fixed options", () => {
     const md = buildRouterSection([pub]);
     expect(md).toContain("What do you want to do today?");
-    expect(md).toContain("Start from a system");
+    expect(md).toContain("Design a new pulse");
     expect(md).toContain("Bring your own problem");
-    expect(md).toContain("Resume where you left off");
+    expect(md).toContain("Resume the active problem");
+    expect(md).toContain("Resume your research campaign");
     expect(md).toContain("Just explore");
   });
   it("pulse-designer is the fixed system option, NOT an entry card", () => {
     const md = buildRouterSection([pub, gated]);
-    const cardBlock = md.slice(md.indexOf("Start from an application"));
+    const cardBlock = md.slice(md.indexOf("application entry cards"));
     expect(cardBlock).toContain("pasqal-mis");
     // score #0 must not be duplicated as an application entry card
     expect(md.indexOf("Name of pulse-designer")).toBe(-1);
@@ -106,7 +107,7 @@ describe("buildRouterSection", () => {
   });
   it("no application scores → no empty entry-card section", () => {
     const md = buildRouterSection([pub]);
-    expect(md).not.toContain("Start from an application");
+    expect(md).not.toContain("application entry cards");
   });
   it("is deterministic", () => {
     expect(buildRouterSection([pub, gated])).toBe(buildRouterSection([pub, gated]));
diff --git a/packages/extension/test/scores/golden/router-section.md b/packages/extension/test/scores/golden/router-section.md
index d76d2327..fca1bef2 100644
--- a/packages/extension/test/scores/golden/router-section.md
+++ b/packages/extension/test/scores/golden/router-section.md
@@ -1,23 +1,26 @@
 ## Onset router
 
-When a session opens without a specific request, after your one-line Amico
-intro ask exactly one question — "What do you want to do today?" — via the
-native `question` tool, with these options:
+When a session opens without a specific request (a greeting, "who are
+you?", "what is this?"), do NOT default to the pulse-designer interview —
+build the moment from the live state. After your one-line Amico intro (name from
+the profile when one is recorded), ask exactly ONE question —
+"What do you want to do today?" — via the native `question` tool, composing
+the options from what the live state actually shows:
 
-**Start from an application** — offer these entry cards:
+- **Resume the active problem** — ONLY when the stack state shows one; name it and where it stands (system ✓ / formulation ✓ / mid-solve).
+- **Resume your research campaign** — ONLY when a session ledger exists under the personal vault's `sessions/`; the autoresearch director re-reads the latest ledger and continues the loop.
+- **Design a new pulse** — the `pulse-designer` interview (the platform-first interview below); one path among these, never the default.
+- **Fleet & studio ops** — ONLY when fleet state is present; status digest, sync rituals, healthcheck.
+- **Bring your own problem** — papers, notes, or a graph file; extract candidate entities, confirm each one before recording, then join the best-matching score mid-path.
+- **Just explore** — free-form; no rail.
+
+First run (no profile recorded): replace the two resume options and the
+fleet option with the application entry cards:
 
 - `overture` — **Welcome — let's set up your studio**: A profile Amico remembers: who you are and what you want to do · 2–3 min, then into your first task
 - `pasqal-mis` — **Solve a graph problem on a Pasqal atom array**: An optimized adiabatic waveform solving YOUR graph's MIS, validated on an emulator · 60–90 min · QPU-runnable
 
-**Start from a system** — run the pack's `pulse-designer` onboarding interview (the platform-first interview below); it is one path among these, not the spine.
-
-**Bring your own problem** — the user has papers, notes, or a graph file;
-extract candidate entities, confirm each one before recording, then join the
-best-matching score mid-path. If nothing usable is found, say so and offer
-the other options — never a dead end. If candidates match multiple scores
-equally, ask; never route by silent heuristic.
-
-**Resume where you left off** — read the session's interview state and
-continue from its stage cursor.
-
-**Just explore** — free-form; no interview rail.
\ No newline at end of file
+Never a dead end: if nothing usable is found for an option, say so and offer
+the others. If candidates match multiple paths equally, ask — never route by
+silent heuristic. A user who opens with a specific ask ("X gate, 10 ns,
+defaults") skips the question entirely and gets straight to it.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/extension/test/stack_state.test.ts b/packages/extension/test/stack_state.test.ts
index 4b659753..42dc4258 100644
--- a/packages/extension/test/stack_state.test.ts
+++ b/packages/extension/test/stack_state.test.ts
@@ -300,12 +300,84 @@ describe("caps + composition", () => {
   });
 });
 
+// ── Live-runs block: live/stale/summary ──────────────────────────────────────
+
+describe("buildLiveRunsBlock (live individually, zombies flagged, backlog summarized)", () => {
+  function mkRun(lab: string, name: string, opts: { finished?: boolean; fidelity?: number } = {}): void {
+    const dir = path.join(lab, name);
+    fs.mkdirSync(dir, { recursive: true });
+    if (opts.finished) fs.writeFileSync(path.join(dir, "FINISHED"), "");
+    if (opts.fidelity !== undefined) {
+      fs.writeFileSync(path.join(dir, "result.toml"), `fidelity = ${opts.fidelity}\n`);
+    }
+  }
+  function runsBlockWith(runs: (labDir: string) => void): string {
+    const root = mkTmp("runs-");
+    const lab = path.join(root, "default");
+    fs.mkdirSync(lab, { recursive: true });
+    runs(lab);
+    const stubs = stubAllSeams({ runsDir: root });
+    try {
+      const block = buildStackStateBlock() ?? "";
+      const m = block.match(/\*\*live runs\*\*[\s\S]*?(?=\n\n|$)/);
+      return m ? m[0] : "";
+    } finally {
+      restoreSeams(stubs);
+    }
+  }
+  const now = new Date();
+  const stamp = (hoursAgo: number): string => {
+    const t = new Date(now.getTime() - hoursAgo * 3_600_000);
+    const p = (n: number, w = 2) => String(n).padStart(w, "0");
+    return `r${t.getUTCFullYear()}${p(t.getUTCMonth() + 1)}${p(t.getUTCDate())}-${p(t.getUTCHours())}${p(t.getUTCMinutes())}${p(t.getUTCSeconds())}Z-x`;
+  };
+
+  it("a fresh unfinished run is LIVE with its age; a days-old one is STALE, never 'solving'", () => {
+    const s = runsBlockWith((lab) => {
+      mkRun(lab, stamp(0.2)); // 12 min ago
+      mkRun(lab, stamp(24 * 8)); // 8 days ago — zombie
+    });
+    expect(s).toContain("solving (");
+    expect(s).toMatch(/STALE — no FINISHED since \d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}/);
+    expect(s).toContain("do not present as live");
+    // the zombie line must NOT read as solving
+    const zombieLine = s.split("\n").find((l) => l.includes("STALE"));
+    expect(zombieLine).not.toContain("solving");
+  });
+  it("finished runs collapse to ONE backlog line: count, best F, latest", () => {
+    const s = runsBlockWith((lab) => {
+      mkRun(lab, stamp(30), { finished: true, fidelity: 0.999 });
+      mkRun(lab, stamp(20), { finished: true, fidelity: 0.999979 });
+      mkRun(lab, stamp(10), { finished: true, fidelity: 0.99 });
+      mkRun(lab, stamp(5), { finished: true }); // finished, no result.toml
+    });
+    const backlog = s.split("\n").filter((l) => l.startsWith("- backlog:"));
+    expect(backlog.length).toBe(1);
+    expect(backlog[0]).toContain("4 finished");
+    expect(backlog[0]).toContain("best F=0.999979");
+    expect(backlog[0]).toContain("full history in the runs dir");
+    // no individually listed done runs
+    expect(s.split("\n").filter((l) => l.startsWith("- ") && /: done/.test(l)).length).toBe(0);
+  });
+  it("no runs at all → no live-runs section", () => {
+    const root = mkTmp("runs-");
+    fs.mkdirSync(path.join(root, "default"), { recursive: true });
+    const stubs = stubAllSeams({ runsDir: root });
+    try {
+      expect(buildStackStateBlock() ?? "").not.toContain("**live runs**");
+    } finally {
+      restoreSeams(stubs);
+    }
+  });
+});
+
 // ── Env-seam plumbing ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 interface SeamOpts {
   vaultsRoot?: string;
   fleetConfig?: string;
   fleetStatus?: string;
+  runsDir?: string;
   /** Prebuilt fixture vault flavor for the golden-text cases. */
   vault?: "profile" | "knowledge" | "demos" | "memory";
 }
@@ -364,7 +436,7 @@ function stubAllSeams(opts: SeamOpts): Record<string, string | undefined> {
   process.env.AMICODE_OPS_DIR = ops; // no solver-mode.json → piccolo/ready → no section
   process.env.AMICODE_CONNECTIONS_FILE = path.join(conn, "absent.json"); // not connected
   process.env.AMICODE_PROBLEMS_DIR = problems; // no active problem
-  process.env.AMICODE_RUNS_DIR = runs; // no runs
+  process.env.AMICODE_RUNS_DIR = opts.runsDir ?? runs; // no runs unless a fixture is passed
   return saved;
 }