diff --git a/app/igneum-app/src/engine.rs b/app/igneum-app/src/engine.rs
index 887b6d75..22b7b714 100644
--- a/app/igneum-app/src/engine.rs
+++ b/app/igneum-app/src/engine.rs
@@ -1858,6 +1858,11 @@ impl Engine {
         match procs::spawn(Source::Miner(card_idx), &self.bins.miner, &args, cwd.as_deref(), &log, &self.lines_tx, &envs) {
             Ok(p) => {
                 self.shared.log(&format!("miner {} started (pid {}): {}", self.miners[i].label, p.pid(), p.cmdline));
+                if self.miners[i].starts == 1 {
+                    // one Activity line per card at its first start (an OTA relaunch shows every card coming back)
+                    let name = self.st().mining.cards.get(self.miners[i].card).map(|c| c.name.clone()).unwrap_or_else(|| self.miners[i].label.clone());
+                    self.shared.event("info", &format!("{name}: worker starting (pid {})", p.pid()));
+                }
                 let mut st = self.st();
                 if let Some(c) = st.mining.cards.get_mut(card_idx) {
                     c.pid = p.pid();
@@ -4114,7 +4119,15 @@ impl Engine {
         }
         if synced && !was_synced {
             self.shared.event("ok", &format!("node synced: {blocks} blocks, {peers} peer(s)"));
+            let t = self.secs(now);
+            let names: Vec<String> = self.st().mining.cards.iter().map(|c| c.name.clone()).collect();
             for m in self.miners.iter_mut() {
+                // a card faulted for silence while the node was not ready starts again now (PC 1, 7 October 2026)
+                if m.watch.faulted_by_node() {
+                    m.watch.event(t, crate::watchdog::Event::NodeSynced);
+                    let name = names.get(m.card).cloned().unwrap_or_else(|| m.label.clone());
+                    self.shared.event("info", &format!("{name}: starts again now the node is synced (it was faulted for silence while the node was syncing)"));
+                }
                 if m.proc.is_none() && m.restart_at.is_none() && m.watch.faulted().is_none() {
                     m.restart_at = Some(now);
                 }
diff --git a/app/igneum-app/src/watchdog.rs b/app/igneum-app/src/watchdog.rs
index 369ad822..ded5fd83 100644
--- a/app/igneum-app/src/watchdog.rs
+++ b/app/igneum-app/src/watchdog.rs
@@ -17,6 +17,11 @@
 
 /// No status line from a running miner for this long: restart it.
 pub const NO_STATUS_S: f64 = 90.0;
+/// A worker that gives no status within this many seconds of its start, with the node synced, is one restart then
+/// faulted (PC 1, 7 October 2026 04:51Z: the row asks for a fault line at 60 s).
+pub const START_S: f64 = 60.0;
+/// The start of a fault reason the node's readiness, not the card, explains: released when the node syncs.
+const NODE_FAULTS: [&str; 2] = ["no status line from the miner", "the worker gave no status within"];
 /// Hash rate 0 while the node is synced and the worker is ready for this long: restart the miner.
 pub const ZERO_RATE_S: f64 = 60.0;
 /// The miner is restarting its own worker: the app waits this long for `ready` before it steps in.
@@ -86,6 +91,9 @@ pub enum Event<'a> {
     Stopped,
     /// The user changed the card's settings: a faulted card may try again.
     Reset,
+    /// The node became synced: a card faulted for silence while the node was not ready tries again (PC 1, 7 October
+    /// 2026 04:51Z: every card faulted "no status line" during the post-relaunch sync and never came back).
+    NodeSynced,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq)]
@@ -207,9 +215,20 @@ impl CardWatch {
                 *self = Self::default();
                 Action::None
             }
+            Event::NodeSynced => {
+                if self.faulted.as_deref().map(|f| NODE_FAULTS.iter().any(|p| f.starts_with(p))).unwrap_or(false) {
+                    *self = Self::default();
+                }
+                Action::None
+            }
         }
     }
 
+    /// True when the card is faulted for a reason the node's readiness explains (released by Event::NodeSynced).
+    pub fn faulted_by_node(&self) -> bool {
+        self.faulted.as_deref().map(|f| NODE_FAULTS.iter().any(|p| f.starts_with(p))).unwrap_or(false)
+    }
+
     /// Called every engine tick while the miner process is alive.
     pub fn tick(&mut self, now_s: f64, node_synced: bool) -> Action {
         if self.faulted.is_some() {
@@ -223,14 +242,23 @@ impl CardWatch {
             }
             return Action::None;
         }
+        if !node_synced {
+            // a miner is judged only while the node is synced: with no template it cannot print status, so the silence
+            // clocks (start, no status, zero rate) hold at now until the node is back (PC 1, 7 October 2026)
+            self.started_s = Some(now_s);
+            if self.last_status_s.is_some() {
+                self.last_status_s = Some(now_s);
+            }
+            self.zero_since = None;
+            return Action::None;
+        }
+        if !self.ready && self.last_status_s.is_none() && now_s - started > START_S {
+            return self.escalate(format!("the worker gave no status within {} s of starting", START_S as u64));
+        }
         let last = self.last_status_s.unwrap_or(started);
         if now_s - last > NO_STATUS_S {
             return self.escalate(format!("no status line from the miner for {} s", NO_STATUS_S as u64));
         }
-        if !node_synced {
-            // a zero rate while the node syncs is expected; the timer starts again once it is synced
-            self.zero_since = None;
-        }
         if node_synced && self.ready {
             if let Some(z) = self.zero_since {
                 if now_s - z >= ZERO_RATE_S {
@@ -488,6 +516,48 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(matches!(w.tick(240.0, true), Action::Restart(_)));
     }
 
+    /// PC 1, 7 October 2026 04:51:43Z (docs/plans/release-0.3.17.md, the PC 1 row): the app relaunched after the OTA
+    /// apply, started its workers while the node was still syncing, and every card ended "faulted: no status line from
+    /// the miner for 90 s (restarted once already)", pid 0, 0.0 MH/s from then on. Today's watchdog clocks the silence
+    /// while the node is not synced and never releases the fault.
+    #[test]
+    fn a_worker_started_while_the_node_syncs_is_not_faulted_and_a_faulted_one_returns_at_sync() {
+        let mut w = CardWatch::new();
+        w.event(0.0, Event::Started);
+        // the node reads unsynced for 200 s (the relaunch's sync): no verdict at all
+        let mut t = 5.0;
+        while t <= 200.0 {
+            assert_eq!(w.tick(t, false), Action::None, "at {t}: a miner is judged only while the node is synced");
+            t += 10.0;
+        }
+        // the node syncs; the worker answers inside 60 s and is healthy
+        assert_eq!(w.tick(210.0, true), Action::None);
+        w.event(230.0, Event::Ready);
+        healthy(&mut w, 240.0, 400.0);
+        assert_eq!(w.faulted(), None);
+        // the recorded state: a card faulted for silence while the node was not ready
+        let mut f = CardWatch::new();
+        f.event(0.0, Event::Started);
+        assert!(matches!(f.tick(100.0, true), Action::Restart(_)));
+        f.event(101.0, Event::Started);
+        let a = f.tick(200.0, true);
+        assert!(matches!(a, Action::Fault(ref r) if (r.starts_with("no status line from the miner") || r.starts_with("the worker gave no status within")) && r.contains("restarted once already")), "{a:?}");
+        assert!(f.faulted_by_node());
+        f.event(300.0, Event::NodeSynced);
+        assert_eq!(f.faulted(), None, "the node syncing releases a silence fault");
+        assert_eq!(f.watchdog_restarts(), 0);
+        // a fault the card owns (zero rate while synced) stays through NodeSynced
+        let mut z = CardWatch::new();
+        z.event(0.0, Event::Started);
+        z.event(1.0, Event::Ready);
+        let zero = parse_status(STATUS_OK.replace("now=124.10 MH/s", "now=0.00 MH/s").as_str()).unwrap();
+        for t in [10.0, 20.0, 30.0, 40.0, 50.0, 60.0, 70.0, 80.0] { z.event(t, Event::Status(&zero)); z.tick(t, true); }
+        assert!(z.faulted().is_none() || !z.faulted_by_node());
+        let before = z.faulted().map(|s| s.to_string());
+        z.event(500.0, Event::NodeSynced);
+        assert_eq!(z.faulted().map(|s| s.to_string()), before);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn no_status_for_90s_restarts() {
         let mut w = CardWatch::new();
@@ -502,10 +572,11 @@ mod tests {
 
     #[test]
     fn no_status_from_the_start() {
+        // a worker silent from its start, with the node synced, is judged at START_S (60 s), not NO_STATUS_S
         let mut w = CardWatch::new();
         w.event(0.0, Event::Started);
-        assert_eq!(w.tick(89.0, true), Action::None);
-        assert!(matches!(w.tick(91.0, true), Action::Restart(_)));
+        assert_eq!(w.tick(59.0, true), Action::None);
+        assert!(matches!(w.tick(61.0, true), Action::Restart(ref r) if r.contains("gave no status within 60 s")));
     }
 
     #[test]
diff --git a/docs/plans/miner-ui-4.md b/docs/plans/miner-ui-4.md
index c0a781bb..533e3386 100644
--- a/docs/plans/miner-ui-4.md
+++ b/docs/plans/miner-ui-4.md
@@ -107,3 +107,9 @@ Tests: UI 39; the app crate on the box 152 passed (the N4 pair, the shot path, t
 - UI: nodeWords' behind case names the cause. 42 UI tests, 172 box tests. Nothing of this on the Mac tonight.
 - Decided (main, 7 October 2026, 05:00 UK): `igneum_getPeers` stays on 0.3.19; the observer-based merge check ships in 0.3.18. The Mac check when it takes 0.3.18: the hands moved to the build box at 00:18 UK, so hand node 1 no longer holds 26610; the app, left in external mode, reads "node stopped" and starts its own node only on relaunch (the apply). Check after the apply: own node on 26610/26611, api/state node.mode own, digest_source rpc, synced; the miner stays paused. Read-only; nothing else that night.
 - Node side landed: 6e4ace3f on build/ca3-v4-0318 (04:53 UK) adds `blockrate: { bps, ghostdagK, mergeDepth, finalityDepth, pruningDepth }` to igneum_getNodeInfo (devnet: bps 1, ghostdagK 18, mergeDepth 3600). The app reads blockrate.mergeDepth (b7d33e8e) and keeps the 3,600 fallback, since whether 6e4ace3f rides in 0.3.18 is the shipper's call. `igneum_getPeers` (lastDeliveredBlueScore) stays on 0.3.19.
+
+## 11. Workers after an OTA relaunch (7 October 2026, 05:20 UK; 0.3.18)
+
+- Known-failed case: PC 1 at the 0.3.17 relaunch (04:51:43Z, docs/plans/release-0.3.17.md PC 1 row): the app started its workers while the node was still syncing; the card watchdog clocked the silence anyway (a miner with no template prints no status), restarted each once, then faulted every card "no status line from the miner for 90 s (restarted once already)", pid 0, 0.0 MH/s on; faulted cards were never restarted, including at the synced transition.
+- Fix (src/watchdog.rs, src/engine.rs): a miner is judged only while the node is synced (the start, no-status and zero-rate clocks hold at now while it is not); a worker silent from its start with the node synced is one restart then a fault at 60 s (`START_S`), 90 s stays for a running one; a fault the node's readiness explains (`faulted_by_node`) is released by `Event::NodeSynced` when the node syncs, the card starts again with an Activity line; one Activity line per card at its first worker start. Test `a_worker_started_while_the_node_syncs_is_not_faulted_and_a_faulted_one_returns_at_sync` (recorded state), 173 box tests.
+- The pre-apply card set already persists (cards' enabled flags live in settings and the relaunch planned every enabled card); the fault, not the plan, was the failure.