diff --git a/hermes_startup_watchdog.py b/hermes_startup_watchdog.py
index 3bfb34ebd5..88eae506af 100644
--- a/hermes_startup_watchdog.py
+++ b/hermes_startup_watchdog.py
@@ -304,16 +304,16 @@ class StartupWatchdogHandle:
                 "exit_code": self.exit_code,
             }
         )
-        try:
-            faulthandler.dump_traceback(all_threads=True)
-        except Exception:
-            logger.debug("Startup watchdog faulthandler dump failed", exc_info=True)
-        # Also dump into the log file: detached/windowless runs (pythonw, some
-        # service managers) may have no stderr, and forensics are the point.
+        # Write the durable copy first. A detached service can have a blocked
+        # stderr, and the exit escort bounds the whole forensic path to 10s.
         _append_dump(
             lambda fh: faulthandler.dump_traceback(file=fh, all_threads=True),
             "Startup watchdog file-based faulthandler dump failed",
         )
+        try:
+            faulthandler.dump_traceback(all_threads=True)
+        except Exception:
+            logger.debug("Startup watchdog faulthandler dump failed", exc_info=True)
         # Ledger write on a helper thread (it imports application code; the
         # wedged main thread may hold the import lock). Bounded join, then exit
         # regardless — NS-608 classification is best-effort; the respawn is not.
diff --git a/tests/gateway/test_startup_watchdog.py b/tests/gateway/test_startup_watchdog.py
index 5aec6ccd0b..cd6e1e5bbe 100644
--- a/tests/gateway/test_startup_watchdog.py
+++ b/tests/gateway/test_startup_watchdog.py
@@ -483,6 +483,24 @@ class TestFire:
         # absent on detached runs).
         assert "Thread" in content or "Current thread" in content
 
+    def test_file_dump_precedes_stderr_dump(self, monkeypatch):
+        """A blocked stderr must not hide the durable stack dump."""
+        writes = []
+
+        def _dump(*, file=None, all_threads=True):
+            writes.append("file" if file is not None else "stderr")
+
+        monkeypatch.setattr(sw.faulthandler, "dump_traceback", _dump)
+        monkeypatch.setattr(
+            StartupWatchdogHandle, "_exit", staticmethod(lambda code: None)
+        )
+
+        StartupWatchdogHandle(
+            timeout_s=60, exit_code=SERVICE_RESTART_EXIT_CODE
+        )._fire()
+
+        assert writes[:2] == ["file", "stderr"]
+
     def test_fire_marks_lifecycle_exit(self, exit_capture, monkeypatch):
         marked = {}