diff --git a/server/src/honoUtils/handleHealthCheck.ts b/server/src/honoUtils/handleHealthCheck.ts
index fb57dd907..4755a09d2 100644
--- a/server/src/honoUtils/handleHealthCheck.ts
+++ b/server/src/honoUtils/handleHealthCheck.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,31 @@
 import type { Context } from "hono";
+import { logger } from "@/external/logtail/logtailUtils.js";
+import { redis } from "@/external/redis/initRedis.js";
+import { redisV2 } from "@/external/redis/initRedisV2.js";
 import type { HonoEnv } from "./HonoEnv";
 
+let startupReady = false;
+
+const tryLatchStartupReady = () => {
+	if (startupReady) return;
+	if (redis.status !== "ready" || redisV2.status !== "ready") return;
+	startupReady = true;
+	logger.info("[health-check] startup gate latched (Redis ready)", {
+		redis_status: redis.status,
+		redis_v2_status: redisV2.status,
+	});
+};
+
+redis.once("ready", tryLatchStartupReady);
+redisV2.once("ready", tryLatchStartupReady);
+tryLatchStartupReady();
+
 export const handleHealthCheck = async (c: Context<HonoEnv>) => {
+	if (!startupReady) {
+		tryLatchStartupReady();
+		if (!startupReady) {
+			return c.text("Redis not ready", 503);
+		}
+	}
 	return c.text("Hello from Autumn (test 1) 🍂🍂🍂");
 };
diff --git a/server/tests/unit/honoUtils/handle-health-check.test.ts b/server/tests/unit/honoUtils/handle-health-check.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..302e5c038
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/tests/unit/honoUtils/handle-health-check.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+import { describe, expect, mock, test } from "bun:test";
+import { EventEmitter } from "node:events";
+
+class FakeRedis extends EventEmitter {
+	status: "wait" | "connecting" | "ready" | "end" = "wait";
+
+	setReady() {
+		this.status = "ready";
+		this.emit("ready");
+	}
+}
+
+const fakeRedis = new FakeRedis();
+const fakeRedisV2 = new FakeRedis();
+const fakeLogger = {
+	info: mock(() => undefined),
+	warn: mock(() => undefined),
+	error: mock(() => undefined),
+	debug: mock(() => undefined),
+};
+
+mock.module("@/external/redis/initRedis.js", () => ({ redis: fakeRedis }));
+mock.module("@/external/redis/initRedisV2.js", () => ({
+	redisV2: fakeRedisV2,
+}));
+mock.module("@/external/logtail/logtailUtils.js", () => ({
+	logger: fakeLogger,
+}));
+
+const { handleHealthCheck } = await import("@/honoUtils/handleHealthCheck.js");
+
+const callHealthCheck = async () => {
+	const responses: { status: number; body: string }[] = [];
+	const ctx = {
+		text: (body: string, status = 200) => {
+			responses.push({ status, body });
+			return { status, body };
+		},
+	};
+	await handleHealthCheck(
+		ctx as unknown as Parameters<typeof handleHealthCheck>[0],
+	);
+	return responses[0]!;
+};
+
+describe("handleHealthCheck startup gate", () => {
+	test("returns 503 when both Redis clients are not ready", async () => {
+		const res = await callHealthCheck();
+		expect(res.status).toBe(503);
+		expect(res.body).toBe("Redis not ready");
+	});
+
+	test("returns 503 when only one Redis client is ready", async () => {
+		fakeRedis.setReady();
+		const res = await callHealthCheck();
+		expect(res.status).toBe(503);
+	});
+
+	test("returns 200 once both Redis clients become ready", async () => {
+		fakeRedisV2.setReady();
+		const res = await callHealthCheck();
+		expect(res.status).toBe(200);
+		expect(res.body).toContain("Autumn");
+	});
+
+	test("logs a single latch info message on flip", async () => {
+		expect(fakeLogger.info).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+		const firstCall = fakeLogger.info.mock.calls[0] as unknown as [string];
+		expect(firstCall[0]).toContain("[health-check] startup gate latched");
+	});
+
+	test("returns 200 unconditionally after latch — even if Redis regresses", async () => {
+		fakeRedis.status = "end";
+		fakeRedisV2.status = "end";
+		const res = await callHealthCheck();
+		expect(res.status).toBe(200);
+	});
+});