diff --git a/cron/lifecycle_guard.py b/cron/lifecycle_guard.py
index ee73aa6639..526ca88578 100644
--- a/cron/lifecycle_guard.py
+++ b/cron/lifecycle_guard.py
@@ -440,6 +440,13 @@ def _read_referenced_script(path: Path) -> tuple[Optional[str], bool]:
     try:
         metadata = os.fstat(descriptor)
         if not stat.S_ISREG(metadata.st_mode):
+            # Directories are not scripts. Docker Desktop writes
+            # ``fpath=(~/.docker/completions …)`` into ``~/.zshrc``; the
+            # walk then treats that dir as a referenced script and used
+            # to fail-closed, blocking ``source ~/.zshrc`` (#86753).
+            # Devices/sockets stay fail-closed.
+            if stat.S_ISDIR(metadata.st_mode):
+                return None, False
             return None, True
         # Sniff a small prefix first: files that are clearly compiled
         # binaries (executable magic, or NUL bytes in the head) are never
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_gateway_restart_loop.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_gateway_restart_loop.py
index b47139edba..a859ce5bbe 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_gateway_restart_loop.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_gateway_restart_loop.py
@@ -1204,11 +1204,55 @@ class TestLifecycleGuardNeverRaises:
         weird.write_bytes(b"\xff\xfe\x00\x01 not really a script")
         assert self._scan(f"bash {weird}") is False
 
+    def test_sourced_zshrc_docker_completions_dir_is_not_blocked(self, tmp_path):
+        """#86753: Docker Desktop writes ``fpath=(~/.docker/completions …)``
+        into ``.zshrc``. Completions is a directory. The walk must treat
+        that as nothing-to-scan, not fail-closed, or ``source ~/.zshrc``
+        is blocked on every terminal command."""
+        completions = tmp_path / ".docker" / "completions"
+        completions.mkdir(parents=True)
+        zshrc = tmp_path / ".zshrc"
+        zshrc.write_text(
+            f"fpath=({completions} /usr/local/share/zsh/site-functions $fpath)\n",
+            encoding="utf-8",
+        )
+        assert self._scan(f"source {zshrc}") is False
+
+    def test_fstat_directory_mode_is_not_unsafe(self, tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+        """#86753 Unix contract: os.open(dir) succeeds, fstat is not S_ISREG.
+
+        Windows raises OSError on os.open(dir) and already returns
+        nothing-to-scan. Linux/macOS open the directory and used to
+        return unsafe=True, blocking sourced zshrcs that mention
+        ``~/.docker/completions``.
+        """
+        import os
+        import stat as statmod
+
+        from cron.lifecycle_guard import _read_referenced_script
+
+        probe = tmp_path / "probe"
+        probe.write_text("echo hi\n", encoding="utf-8")
+        orig = os.fstat
+
+        def _dir_fstat(fd):
+            orig(fd)
+            class _DirStat:
+                st_mode = statmod.S_IFDIR | 0o755
+            return _DirStat()
+
+        monkeypatch.setattr(os, "fstat", _dir_fstat)
+        text, unsafe = _read_referenced_script(probe)
+        assert text is None
+        assert unsafe is False
+
     def test_directory_and_dev_null_fail_closed_not_crash(self, tmp_path):
-        # Non-regular files are suspicious (fail closed = blocked), but the
-        # important contract is: verdict, not exception.
-        assert self._scan(f"bash {tmp_path}") is True
-        assert self._scan("bash /dev/null") is True
+        # Directories are not scripts (#86753). Devices stay fail-closed
+        # where the OS actually exposes them (POSIX /dev/null).
+        # The important contract is: verdict, not exception.
+        assert self._scan(f"bash {tmp_path}") is False
+        if os.name != "nt":
+            assert self._scan("bash /dev/null") is True
 
     def test_magic_prefix_binaries_skipped_without_full_read(self, tmp_path):
         """Executable magic (ELF/PE/Mach-O) short-circuits the read: the
@@ -1236,8 +1280,8 @@ class TestLifecycleGuardNeverRaises:
         )
         binary = tmp_path / "prog"
         binary.write_bytes(b"\x7fELF" + bytes(128))
-        for value in ("nul\x00byte.sh", str(binary), "/nonexistent/x.sh"):
+        for value in ("nul\x00byte.sh", str(binary), "/nonexistent/x.sh", str(tmp_path)):
             check_gateway_lifecycle("clean prompt", value)  # must not raise
-        for value in ("/dev/null", str(tmp_path)):
+        if os.name != "nt":
             with pytest.raises(GatewayLifecycleBlocked):
-                check_gateway_lifecycle("clean prompt", value)
+                check_gateway_lifecycle("clean prompt", "/dev/null")