diff --git a/hermes_cli/doctor_platform.py b/hermes_cli/doctor_platform.py
index 33fb7fccad..bbf84c7591 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/doctor_platform.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/doctor_platform.py
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ def _report_database_holders(name: str, db_path: Path) -> None:
     """Name the processes holding ``db_path`` (or a WAL sidecar) so the operator knows what to stop before the
     offline journal-mode conversion; a partial or unavailable scan is reported as "cannot prove quiet", never as
     an all-clear (the scan is the same fail-closed authority repair/VACUUM/checkpoint admission uses)."""
-    from hermes_state_holders import _read_proc_argv, foreign_state_db_holders, psutil
+    from hermes_state_holders import describe_holder_pid, foreign_state_db_holders
     if sys.platform == "win32":
         check_warn(f"{name}: cannot prove the database is quiet", "(holder scan is unavailable on Windows)")
         return
@@ -105,14 +105,7 @@ def _report_database_holders(name: str, db_path: Path) -> None:
         else:
             by_pid.setdefault(pid, set()).add(Path(target.removesuffix(" (deleted)")).name)
     for pid in sorted(by_pid):
-        argv = _read_proc_argv(pid)  # /proc only; macOS holders come from psutil
-        if argv is None and psutil is not None:
-            try:
-                argv = psutil.Process(pid).cmdline() or None
-            except Exception:
-                argv = None
-        who = " ".join([Path(argv[0]).name, *argv[1:]])[:80] if argv else "command line unavailable"
-        check_info(f"{name} is held by PID {pid} ({who}): {', '.join(sorted(by_pid[pid]))}")
+        check_info(f"{name} is held by {describe_holder_pid(pid)}: {', '.join(sorted(by_pid[pid]))}")
     if unknown:
         check_warn(f"{name}: cannot prove the database is quiet",
                    f"(holder scan incomplete: {unknown[0][:120]}" + (f"; +{len(unknown) - 1} more" if len(unknown) > 1 else "") + ")")
diff --git a/hermes_cli/doctor_state.py b/hermes_cli/doctor_state.py
index 0a038c64de..0df11bb5fe 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/doctor_state.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/doctor_state.py
@@ -350,15 +350,16 @@ def _retired_wal_holders(f: Finding, state_db_path: Path, _DHH: str) -> bool:
     "0 holding the DB open" beside a green state.db line — the opposite of the truth."""
     from hermes_constants import profile_cli_selector
     from hermes_state_dbfile import iter_deleted_sqlite_sidecar_holders
+    from hermes_state_holders import describe_holder_pid
     pids = list(dict.fromkeys(pid for pid, _ in iter_deleted_sqlite_sidecar_holders(state_db_path)))
     if not pids:
         return False
-    rendered = ", ".join(f"pid {pid}" for pid in pids)
+    rendered = ", ".join(describe_holder_pid(pid) for pid in pids)
     check_warn(f"{_DHH}/state.db: {len(pids)} process(es) still hold a retired WAL generation ({rendered})",
                "(every new session refuses to open until they exit; health/stats probes skipped)")
-    f.issues.append(f"state.db retired WAL generation held by {rendered} — stop them: "
-                    f"'hermes {profile_cli_selector()}gateway stop', quit the Desktop app / dashboard, "
-                    "then rerun 'hermes doctor'")
+    f.issues.append(f"state.db retired WAL generation held by {rendered} — stop the gateway, dashboard and "
+                    f"cron writers among them ('hermes {profile_cli_selector()}gateway stop', quit the Desktop "
+                    "app), do not delete the WAL yourself, then rerun 'hermes doctor'")
     return True
 
 
diff --git a/hermes_state_holders.py b/hermes_state_holders.py
index 794dffa301..1f1fe4c246 100644
--- a/hermes_state_holders.py
+++ b/hermes_state_holders.py
@@ -54,6 +54,18 @@ def _read_proc_argv(pid: int) -> Optional[List[str]]:
         return None
 
 
+def describe_holder_pid(pid: int) -> str:
+    """``PID 123 (hermes gateway run)`` for operator-facing holder lists; /proc argv first, psutil elsewhere."""
+    argv = _read_proc_argv(pid)
+    if argv is None and psutil is not None:
+        try:
+            argv = psutil.Process(pid).cmdline() or None
+        except Exception:
+            argv = None
+    who = " ".join(" ".join([os.path.basename(argv[0]), *argv[1:]]).split())[:80] if argv else "command line unavailable"
+    return f"PID {pid} ({who})"
+
+
 def _looks_like_python_executable(program: str) -> bool:
     name = os.path.basename(program).lower().removesuffix(".exe")
     for prefix in ("python", "pypy"):
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_doctor_wal_holder_guard.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_doctor_wal_holder_guard.py
index a66f0b0d38..6007c142ff 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_doctor_wal_holder_guard.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_doctor_wal_holder_guard.py
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ def test_doctor_names_retired_wal_holders_instead_of_healthy_state_db(tmp_path,
                         lambda path: [(4242, f"{path}-wal"), (4242, f"{path}-shm")])
     probed = []
     monkeypatch.setattr(doctor_state, "_state_db_health", lambda *a, **k: probed.append(a))
+    monkeypatch.setattr(doctor_state, "_state_db_stats", lambda *a, **k: probed.append(a))
     monkeypatch.setattr(doctor_state, "_state_db_wal", lambda *a, **k: probed.append(a))
 
     finding = doctor_state._check_state_db(True)