diff --git a/cli.py b/cli.py
index 137c2a6dc4..5d3055be67 100644
--- a/cli.py
+++ b/cli.py
@@ -972,18 +972,23 @@ class HermesCLI(CLIInitMixin, CLITuiRuntimeMixin, CLIProcessNotificationsMixin,
             return
         self._tirith_security_checked = True
         try:
-            from tools.tirith_security import ensure_installed, is_platform_supported
+            from tools.tirith_security import ensure_installed, is_platform_supported, missing_is_expected
 
             if (
                 ensure_installed(log_failures=False) is None and is_platform_supported()
                 and (self.config.get("security", {}) or {}).get("tirith_enabled", True)
             ):
-                _cprint(
-                    f"  {_DIM}⚠ tirith security scanner enabled but not available "
-                    f"— command scanning will use pattern matching only{_RST}"
-                )
-        except Exception:
-            pass
+                # First launch after install downloads tirith in the background;
+                # warning then would report a fault that resolves itself.
+                if missing_is_expected():
+                    logger.info("tirith not ready (downloading or lazy installs off); pattern matching only")
+                else:
+                    _cprint(
+                        f"  {_DIM}⚠ tirith security scanner enabled but not available "
+                        f"— command scanning will use pattern matching only{_RST}"
+                    )
+        except Exception as exc:
+            logger.debug("tirith availability check failed: %s", exc)
 
     def _show_security_advisories(self):
         """Startup banner for unacked security advisories, on stderr (piped stdout stays clean); 24h rate-limited."""
diff --git a/tests/pm/test_security_consumers.py b/tests/pm/test_security_consumers.py
index 3bc4526c58..1fa8441764 100644
--- a/tests/pm/test_security_consumers.py
+++ b/tests/pm/test_security_consumers.py
@@ -177,6 +177,7 @@ def test_tirith_opt_in_background_and_explicit_override(consumer_store, tmp_path
     monkeypatch.setenv("TIRITH_BIN", str(tmp_path / "missing"))
     assert tirith.ensure_installed(explicit=True) is None
     assert not RangeHandler.ranges_seen
+    assert not tirith.missing_is_expected(), "a missing explicit binary must be reported"
     external = tmp_path / "external-tirith"
     external.write_text(f"#!{sys.executable}\nimport json,sys\nprint(json.dumps({{'summary':'external'}}))\nsys.exit(1)\n")
     external.chmod(0o755)
@@ -201,6 +202,7 @@ def test_tirith_opt_in_background_and_explicit_override(consumer_store, tmp_path
         assert tirith.ensure_installed() is None
         assert entered.wait(10)
         assert pm.installed_package("tirith") is None
+        assert tirith.missing_is_expected(), "an in-flight first download is not a fault"
     finally:
         release.set()
         for thread in tirith._install_threads.values():
diff --git a/tools/tirith_security.py b/tools/tirith_security.py
index 8d3e8cc6fc..5dd3ce5083 100644
--- a/tools/tirith_security.py
+++ b/tools/tirith_security.py
@@ -229,6 +229,24 @@ def ensure_installed(*, log_failures: bool = True, explicit: bool = False):
     return None
 
 
+def missing_is_expected() -> bool:
+    """Whether an unresolved default tirith is by design rather than a fault.
+
+    The first launch after a PM install starts the download in the background,
+    and a lazy-install policy refusal is the operator's choice; neither is
+    actionable. A missing explicit ``tirith_path`` always is.
+    """
+    import pm
+
+    configured = _load_security_config()["tirith_path"]
+    if configured != "tirith":
+        return False
+    thread = _install_threads.get(hermes_home_key())
+    if thread is not None and thread.is_alive():
+        return True
+    return _local_tirith(configured) is not None or not pm.lazy_installs_allowed()
+
+
 # --- Main API ---
 _MAX_FINDINGS = 50
 _MAX_SUMMARY_LEN = 500