diff --git a/cli.py b/cli.py
index 58702f1967..2edadb4966 100644
--- a/cli.py
+++ b/cli.py
@@ -2835,8 +2835,12 @@ class HermesCLI(CLIProcessNotificationsMixin, CLIAgentSetupMixin, CLICommandsMix
         self._session_db = None
         self._session_db_unavailable = False
         try:
-            from hermes_state import SessionDB
-            self._session_db = SessionDB()
+            # Registry handle, not a bare SessionDB(): goals/loops/heartbeat acquire the same
+            # path a moment later from the REPL thread, and a second writer repeats the full
+            # open (the /proc-wide deleted-WAL scan, ~4k readlinks) while the render thread
+            # holds the GIL — that repeat was the post-banner freeze before the first prompt.
+            from hermes_state_registry import acquire
+            self._session_db = acquire()
         except Exception as e:
             # Without a store the transcript is NOT persisted while the chat looks healthy,
             # so surface it prominently rather than only logging.
diff --git a/hermes_cli/cli_agent_setup_mixin.py b/hermes_cli/cli_agent_setup_mixin.py
index 93bdd481c7..606089336a 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/cli_agent_setup_mixin.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/cli_agent_setup_mixin.py
@@ -513,8 +513,8 @@ class CLIAgentSetupMixin:
             logger=logger, single_query=getattr(self, "_single_query_mode", False))
         if self._session_db is None:
             try:
-                from hermes_state import SessionDB
-                self._session_db = SessionDB()
+                from hermes_state_registry import acquire
+                self._session_db = acquire()
             except Exception as e:
                 logger.warning("SQLite session store not available — session will NOT be indexed: %s", e)
         if (
diff --git a/hermes_cli/cli_commands_mixin.py b/hermes_cli/cli_commands_mixin.py
index 625ace7d41..bcbddee47d 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/cli_commands_mixin.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/cli_commands_mixin.py
@@ -1176,8 +1176,8 @@ class CLICommandsMixin:
             return _cp("  Agent is busy. Wait for the current turn to finish, then retry /handoff.")
         if not self._session_db:
             with suppress(Exception):
-                from hermes_state import SessionDB
-                self._session_db = SessionDB()
+                from hermes_state_registry import acquire
+                self._session_db = acquire()
         if not self._session_db:
             return _cp(_db_unavailable_line())
         # Ensure the session row exists (an empty session has flushed nothing yet): the gateway
diff --git a/tests/test_cli_session_store_shared_registry.py b/tests/test_cli_session_store_shared_registry.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..625274dd58
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_cli_session_store_shared_registry.py
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+"""The CLI's session store must be the registry's shared handle for state.db.
+
+``_init_session_store`` used to construct a bare ``SessionDB()``. The goal/loop/heartbeat
+managers acquire the same path through ``hermes_state_registry`` from the REPL thread a
+moment later, so a bare handle meant a SECOND full open — including the /proc-wide
+deleted-WAL sidecar scan (~4k readlinks, each a GIL round-trip against the busy startup
+threads) — which showed up as the post-banner freeze before the first prompt.
+"""
+
+from types import SimpleNamespace
+
+import hermes_cli.goals as goals
+from cli import HermesCLI
+
+
+def test_cli_session_store_is_the_registry_handle_goals_reuse(monkeypatch):
+    import hermes_state_registry
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(goals, "_DB_CACHE", {})
+    constructed = []
+    real_open = hermes_state_registry._open_session_db
+
+    def recording_open(path):
+        constructed.append(path)
+        return real_open(path)
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(hermes_state_registry, "_open_session_db", recording_open)
+
+    cli = SimpleNamespace()
+    try:
+        HermesCLI._init_session_store(cli)
+        assert cli._session_db is not None and not cli._session_db_unavailable
+        # goals/loops/heartbeat go through the registry: same object, no second open.
+        assert goals._get_session_db() is cli._session_db
+        assert len(constructed) == 1
+    finally:
+        hermes_state_registry.close_all()