diff --git a/gateway/run.py b/gateway/run.py
index 2ff17be402..59a9afab97 100644
--- a/gateway/run.py
+++ b/gateway/run.py
@@ -3602,6 +3602,12 @@ class GatewayRunner(
         if self._session_db is not None:
             try:
                 from hermes_cli.config import load_config as _load_full_config
+                from hermes_startup_watchdog import report_startup_progress as _report_startup_progress
+                # Startup-watchdog lease (#111092): construction-time maintenance is I/O-bound
+                # with near-zero CPU, which the watchdog misreads as a parked deadlock. The
+                # maintenance functions renew per long step; this covers the block as a whole.
+                # No-op when the watchdog is not armed; never raises.
+                _report_startup_progress(900.0, phase="gateway_startup_state_maintenance")
                 _sess_cfg = (_load_full_config().get("sessions") or {})
                 if _sess_cfg.get("auto_archive", False):
                     self._session_db._db.maybe_auto_archive(
diff --git a/hermes_state_maintenance.py b/hermes_state_maintenance.py
index e3e86cab14..680a2d3fd6 100644
--- a/hermes_state_maintenance.py
+++ b/hermes_state_maintenance.py
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional, Tuple
 from hermes_state_common import (
     AUTO_VACUUM_MIN_FREELIST_RATIO, _id_chunks, _placeholders, _sql_session_last_active, escape_like as _escape_like
 )
+from hermes_startup_watchdog import report_startup_progress
 
 # caplog tests pin the "hermes_state" logger name.
 logger = logging.getLogger("hermes_state")
@@ -397,8 +398,14 @@ class SessionMaintenanceMixin:
                 result["skipped"] = True
                 return result
             # Prune first: orphans closed below get a full retention window.
+            # Startup-watchdog leases: each long step is I/O-bound (near-zero CPU), which the
+            # watchdog's CPU fallback misreads as a parked deadlock. Leases are clamped to
+            # _MAX_LEASE_S=900 per call, so a multi-minute step renews per step rather than
+            # once at entry. No-op when the watchdog is not armed; never raises.
+            report_startup_progress(900.0, phase="state_db_auto_prune")
             result["pruned"] = pruned = self.prune_sessions(
                 older_than_days=retention_days, sessions_dir=sessions_dir, exclude_active_write_guards=True)
+            report_startup_progress(900.0, phase="state_db_auto_sweep")
             closed = self.sweep_orphaned_sessions(
                 max_idle_seconds=float(retention_days) * 86400.0,
                 sources=self._AUTO_PRUNE_STALE_OPEN_SOURCES, exclude_pinned=True,
@@ -413,6 +420,9 @@ class SessionMaintenanceMixin:
                 result["freelist_ratio"] = ratio = self._freelist_ratio()
                 if ratio is None or ratio > min_vacuum_freelist_ratio:
                     try:
+                        # VACUUM rewrites every page with ~zero CPU: renew the lease here so
+                        # a multi-minute rewrite on a large state.db never outlives the clamp.
+                        report_startup_progress(900.0, phase="state_db_auto_vacuum")
                         self.vacuum()
                         result["vacuumed"] = True
                         self.set_meta("last_vacuum", str(now))
diff --git a/hermes_state_sessions.py b/hermes_state_sessions.py
index cfd7811fdf..aee9e0caa0 100644
--- a/hermes_state_sessions.py
+++ b/hermes_state_sessions.py
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ from typing import Any, Callable, Dict, List, Optional, Tuple
 from agent.session_activity import (
     ActivityProvenance, bound_activity_description, normalize_activity_provenance,
 )
+from hermes_startup_watchdog import report_startup_progress
 from hermes_state_common import (
     _LISTABLE_CHILD_SQL, _PREVIEW_ELIGIBLE_SQL, _PREVIEW_RAW_SELECT, _RECOVERABLE_END_REASONS,
     _RECOVERABLE_END_REASONS_SQL, _RESET_END_REASONS, _legacy_reset_child_sql, _shape_preview,
@@ -1614,6 +1615,10 @@ class SessionSessionsMixin:
             if last and now - last < min_interval_hours * 3600:
                 result["skipped"] = True
                 return result
+            # Startup-watchdog lease: the archive sweep is I/O-bound (near-zero CPU),
+            # which the watchdog's CPU fallback misreads as a parked deadlock.
+            # No-op when the watchdog is not armed; never raises.
+            report_startup_progress(900.0, phase="state_db_auto_archive")
             archived = result["archived"] = self.archive_stale_sessions(idle_days, exclude_pinned=exclude_pinned)
             # Record even a zero-archive run so we don't re-sweep every call.
             self.set_meta("last_auto_archive", str(now))
diff --git a/tests/hermes_state/test_startup_maintenance_lease.py b/tests/hermes_state/test_startup_maintenance_lease.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..419cc999b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/hermes_state/test_startup_maintenance_lease.py
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+"""Startup-watchdog progress leases across state.db auto-maintenance.
+
+Regression for #111092: gateway restart live-lock on large installs. The construction-time
+maintenance block (auto-archive, auto-prune, orphan sweep, VACUUM) is I/O-bound with
+near-zero CPU, which the startup watchdog misreads as a parked deadlock and kills with
+exit 75. Each long synchronous step must hold a ``report_startup_progress`` lease; leases
+are clamped to 900 s per call, so the lease is renewed per step rather than once at
+entry.
+
+Invariant (not a change-detector): every long maintenance step reports a progress lease.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from hermes_state import SessionDB
+
+import hermes_state_maintenance
+import hermes_state_sessions
+
+
+def _make_db(tmp_path: Path) -> SessionDB:
+    return SessionDB(db_path=tmp_path / "state.db")
+
+
+def test_prune_sweep_and_vacuum_each_hold_a_lease(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    leases: list[str] = []
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        hermes_state_maintenance,
+        "report_startup_progress",
+        lambda expected_s, phase="": leases.append(phase),
+    )
+    db = _make_db(tmp_path)
+    try:
+        # Simulate a large-DB sweep where every step does long I/O-bound work.
+        monkeypatch.setattr(db, "prune_sessions", lambda **kw: 120)
+        monkeypatch.setattr(db, "sweep_orphaned_sessions", lambda **kw: [])
+        monkeypatch.setattr(db, "_freelist_ratio", lambda: 1.0)
+        monkeypatch.setattr(db, "vacuum", lambda: 0)
+
+        result = db.maybe_auto_prune_and_vacuum(
+            retention_days=90,
+            min_interval_hours=0,
+            vacuum=True,
+            min_vacuum_interval_days=0,
+        )
+        assert result["pruned"] == 120
+        assert result["vacuumed"] is True
+        # A lease must be held across EACH long step: without them the watchdog
+        # fires exit 75 mid-sweep on a large state.db (#111092).
+        assert "state_db_auto_prune" in leases
+        assert "state_db_auto_sweep" in leases
+        assert "state_db_auto_vacuum" in leases
+    finally:
+        db.close()
+
+
+def test_auto_archive_holds_a_lease(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    leases: list[str] = []
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        hermes_state_sessions,
+        "report_startup_progress",
+        lambda expected_s, phase="": leases.append(phase),
+    )
+    db = _make_db(tmp_path)
+    try:
+        monkeypatch.setattr(db, "archive_stale_sessions", lambda *a, **kw: 7)
+        result = db.maybe_auto_archive(idle_days=3, min_interval_hours=0)
+        assert result["archived"] == 7
+        assert "state_db_auto_archive" in leases
+    finally:
+        db.close()