diff --git a/src/shared/opencode-storage-detection.test.ts b/src/shared/opencode-storage-detection.test.ts
index 98792010c..12238e508 100644
--- a/src/shared/opencode-storage-detection.test.ts
+++ b/src/shared/opencode-storage-detection.test.ts
@@ -15,15 +15,27 @@ const SQLITE_VERSION = "1.1.53"
 // Other files (e.g., opencode-message-dir.test.ts) mock ./opencode-storage-detection globally,
 // making dynamic import unreliable. By inlining, we test the actual logic with controlled deps.
 const NOT_CACHED = Symbol("NOT_CACHED")
-let cachedResult: boolean | typeof NOT_CACHED = NOT_CACHED
+const FALSE_PENDING_RETRY = Symbol("FALSE_PENDING_RETRY")
+let cachedResult: true | false | typeof NOT_CACHED | typeof FALSE_PENDING_RETRY = NOT_CACHED
 
 function isSqliteBackend(): boolean {
-  if (cachedResult !== NOT_CACHED) return cachedResult as boolean
+  if (cachedResult === true) return true
+  if (cachedResult === false) return false
+  if (cachedResult === FALSE_PENDING_RETRY) {
+    const versionOk = (() => { versionCheckCalls.push(SQLITE_VERSION); return versionReturnValue })()
+    const dbPath = join(TEST_DATA_DIR, "opencode", "opencode.db")
+    const dbExists = existsSync(dbPath)
+    const result = versionOk && dbExists
+    cachedResult = result
+    return result
+  }
   const versionOk = (() => { versionCheckCalls.push(SQLITE_VERSION); return versionReturnValue })()
   const dbPath = join(TEST_DATA_DIR, "opencode", "opencode.db")
   const dbExists = existsSync(dbPath)
-  cachedResult = versionOk && dbExists
-  return cachedResult
+  const result = versionOk && dbExists
+  if (result) { cachedResult = true }
+  else { cachedResult = FALSE_PENDING_RETRY }
+  return result
 }
 
 function resetSqliteBackendCache(): void {
@@ -77,7 +89,7 @@ describe("isSqliteBackend", () => {
     expect(versionCheckCalls).toContain("1.1.53")
   })
 
-  it("caches the result and does not re-check on subsequent calls", () => {
+  it("caches true permanently and does not re-check", () => {
     //#given
     versionReturnValue = true
     mkdirSync(join(TEST_DATA_DIR, "opencode"), { recursive: true })
@@ -91,4 +103,59 @@ describe("isSqliteBackend", () => {
     //#then
     expect(versionCheckCalls.length).toBe(1)
   })
+
+  it("retries once when first result is false, then caches permanently", () => {
+    //#given
+    versionReturnValue = true
+
+    //#when: first call — DB does not exist
+    const first = isSqliteBackend()
+
+    //#then
+    expect(first).toBe(false)
+    expect(versionCheckCalls.length).toBe(1)
+
+    //#when: second call — DB still does not exist (retry)
+    const second = isSqliteBackend()
+
+    //#then: retried once
+    expect(second).toBe(false)
+    expect(versionCheckCalls.length).toBe(2)
+
+    //#when: third call — no more retries
+    const third = isSqliteBackend()
+
+    //#then: no further checks
+    expect(third).toBe(false)
+    expect(versionCheckCalls.length).toBe(2)
+  })
+
+  it("recovers on retry when DB appears after first false", () => {
+    //#given
+    versionReturnValue = true
+
+    //#when: first call — DB does not exist
+    const first = isSqliteBackend()
+
+    //#then
+    expect(first).toBe(false)
+
+    //#given: DB appears before retry
+    mkdirSync(join(TEST_DATA_DIR, "opencode"), { recursive: true })
+    writeFileSync(DB_PATH, "")
+
+    //#when: second call — retry finds DB
+    const second = isSqliteBackend()
+
+    //#then: recovers to true and caches permanently
+    expect(second).toBe(true)
+    expect(versionCheckCalls.length).toBe(2)
+
+    //#when: third call — cached true
+    const third = isSqliteBackend()
+
+    //#then: no further checks
+    expect(third).toBe(true)
+    expect(versionCheckCalls.length).toBe(2)
+  })
 })
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/shared/opencode-storage-detection.ts b/src/shared/opencode-storage-detection.ts
index 3e0aa4744..930f9e1f3 100644
--- a/src/shared/opencode-storage-detection.ts
+++ b/src/shared/opencode-storage-detection.ts
@@ -4,19 +4,29 @@ import { getDataDir } from "./data-path"
 import { isOpenCodeVersionAtLeast, OPENCODE_SQLITE_VERSION } from "./opencode-version"
 
 const NOT_CACHED = Symbol("NOT_CACHED")
-let cachedResult: boolean | typeof NOT_CACHED = NOT_CACHED
+const FALSE_PENDING_RETRY = Symbol("FALSE_PENDING_RETRY")
+let cachedResult: true | false | typeof NOT_CACHED | typeof FALSE_PENDING_RETRY = NOT_CACHED
 
 export function isSqliteBackend(): boolean {
-  if (cachedResult !== NOT_CACHED) {
-    return cachedResult
+  if (cachedResult === true) return true
+  if (cachedResult === false) return false
+
+  const check = (): boolean => {
+    const versionOk = isOpenCodeVersionAtLeast(OPENCODE_SQLITE_VERSION)
+    const dbPath = join(getDataDir(), "opencode", "opencode.db")
+    return versionOk && existsSync(dbPath)
   }
-  
-  const versionOk = isOpenCodeVersionAtLeast(OPENCODE_SQLITE_VERSION)
-  const dbPath = join(getDataDir(), "opencode", "opencode.db")
-  const dbExists = existsSync(dbPath)
-  
-  cachedResult = versionOk && dbExists
-  return cachedResult
+
+  if (cachedResult === FALSE_PENDING_RETRY) {
+    const result = check()
+    cachedResult = result
+    return result
+  }
+
+  const result = check()
+  if (result) { cachedResult = true }
+  else { cachedResult = FALSE_PENDING_RETRY }
+  return result
 }
 
 export function resetSqliteBackendCache(): void {