diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/utils/goal-runtime.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/ui/utils/goal-runtime.test.ts
index f07a3e38725..77b9c22839e 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/utils/goal-runtime.test.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/utils/goal-runtime.test.ts
@@ -28,31 +28,43 @@ describe('waitForGoalRuntime', () => {
     expect(getGoalRuntimeReady).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
   });
 
-  it('does not hide malformed or unsupported persisted Goal state', async () => {
-    const failure = new Error('unsupported Goal lifecycle record');
-    const getGoalRuntimeReady = vi.fn().mockRejectedValue(failure);
-
-    await expect(waitForGoalRuntime({ getGoalRuntimeReady })).rejects.toBe(
-      failure,
-    );
-  });
-
-  it('allows Goal-less sessions when readiness throws synchronously', async () => {
+  it('treats a synchronous persistence-unavailable throw as settled', async () => {
+    // Config.getGoalRuntimeReady() THROWS synchronously (rather than
+    // rejecting) when chat recording is disabled, e.g. --no-chat-recording.
+    // The startup gate must swallow that throw exactly like the rejected
+    // promise above; an escaped rejection kills the AppContainer init
+    // effect and freezes the TUI on the init banner forever (#10311).
     const getGoalRuntimeReady = vi.fn((): Promise<GoalRuntime> => {
       throw new GoalPersistenceUnavailableError();
     });
 
+    await expect(waitForGoalRuntime({ getGoalRuntimeReady })).resolves.toBe(
+      true,
+    );
     await expect(
       waitForGoalRuntime({ getGoalRuntimeReady }, { timeoutMs: 100 }),
     ).resolves.toBe(true);
+    expect(getGoalRuntimeReady).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
   });
 
-  it('does not hide synchronous readiness errors', async () => {
+  it('does not hide a synchronous throw of any other error', async () => {
     const failure = new Error('unsupported Goal lifecycle record');
     const getGoalRuntimeReady = vi.fn((): Promise<GoalRuntime> => {
       throw failure;
     });
 
+    await expect(waitForGoalRuntime({ getGoalRuntimeReady })).rejects.toBe(
+      failure,
+    );
+    await expect(
+      waitForGoalRuntime({ getGoalRuntimeReady }, { timeoutMs: 100 }),
+    ).rejects.toBe(failure);
+  });
+
+  it('does not hide malformed or unsupported persisted Goal state', async () => {
+    const failure = new Error('unsupported Goal lifecycle record');
+    const getGoalRuntimeReady = vi.fn().mockRejectedValue(failure);
+
     await expect(waitForGoalRuntime({ getGoalRuntimeReady })).rejects.toBe(
       failure,
     );
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/utils/goal-runtime.ts b/packages/cli/src/ui/utils/goal-runtime.ts
index 373f3d57737..3c8810b725b 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/utils/goal-runtime.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/utils/goal-runtime.ts
@@ -56,6 +56,11 @@ export async function waitForGoalRuntime(
 ): Promise<boolean> {
   const awaitReady = async (): Promise<void> => {
     try {
+      // The call must stay inside the try: with chat recording disabled
+      // (--no-chat-recording, settings) getGoalRuntimeReady() THROWS
+      // synchronously instead of rejecting, and an escaped rejection kills
+      // the AppContainer init effect, freezing the TUI on the init banner
+      // forever.
       await config.getGoalRuntimeReady();
     } catch (error) {
       if (!(error instanceof GoalPersistenceUnavailableError)) throw error;
diff --git a/packages/core/src/agents/team/teamHelpers.test.ts b/packages/core/src/agents/team/teamHelpers.test.ts
index 5c46931c721..9a0d23e3a28 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/agents/team/teamHelpers.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/agents/team/teamHelpers.test.ts
@@ -53,9 +53,7 @@ vi.mock('../../config/storage.js', async (importOriginal) => {
 // otherwise the real readFile runs.
 vi.mock('node:fs/promises', async (importOriginal) => {
   const actual = await importOriginal<typeof import('node:fs/promises')>();
-  type ReadFileHook = (
-    ...args: Parameters<typeof actual.readFile>
-  ) => unknown;
+  type ReadFileHook = (...args: Parameters<typeof actual.readFile>) => unknown;
   let readFileHook: ReadFileHook | undefined;
   return {
     ...actual,