diff --git a/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json b/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json
index ab8dcd7..dbf98e8 100644
--- a/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json
+++ b/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
       "name": "lore",
       "source": "./",
       "description": "Shared memory for Claude Code, Codex, and DOXA: capped curated facts, evidence-backed beliefs, FTS5 session search, staged review, learned skills, and signed sync.",
-      "version": "0.62.26"
+      "version": "0.62.27"
     }
   ]
 }
diff --git a/.claude-plugin/plugin.json b/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
index 8e8e8d7..64c6f1c 100644
--- a/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
+++ b/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "lore",
   "description": "Memory for Claude Code that reasons about you and improves itself: Honcho-pattern belief store with deriver, dreamer and dialectic (/lore:ask), automatic skillification with a closed judge/update/retire loop, on a Hermes-pattern core \u2014 hard-capped curated memory, FTS5 session search, staged review.",
-  "version": "0.62.26",
+  "version": "0.62.27",
   "author": {
     "name": "Fabian Wilde",
     "email": "docwilde@proton.me"
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 66ff257..84de141 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,13 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## 0.62.27 — 2026-11-12
+
+**Startup memory**
+
+- Keep curated memory available in startup and refresh snapshots when pending
+  proposal enumeration fails. Report the pending count as unknown with its
+  diagnostic code. Pending listings retain their bounded scan and review checks.
+
 ## 0.62.26 — 2026-11-12
 
 **Empty memory replacements**
diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 9c30df6..0125864 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -612,7 +612,7 @@ checksum = "f9f8bd3e56ce4dfc153cf470fffbfa98c7620958b312ca5c3a4b8d5181fd13c6"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lore-core"
-version = "0.62.26"
+version = "0.62.27"
 dependencies = [
  "fancy-regex",
  "hmac",
diff --git a/plugin.json b/plugin.json
index fb1f607..0e2e334 100644
--- a/plugin.json
+++ b/plugin.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "$schema": "https://agent-plugins.org/schemas/1.0.0/plugin.schema.json",
   "name": "lore",
-  "version": "0.62.26",
+  "version": "0.62.27",
   "description": "Unified user, repo, and session memory for Claude Code, Codex, and DOXA",
   "author": {
     "name": "Dr. Fabian Wilde",
diff --git a/rust/lore-core/Cargo.toml b/rust/lore-core/Cargo.toml
index 8553f2b..62062d3 100644
--- a/rust/lore-core/Cargo.toml
+++ b/rust/lore-core/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "lore-core"
-version = "0.62.26"
+version = "0.62.27"
 edition = "2021"
 license = "AGPL-3.0-only"
 description = "Native LORE memory, beliefs, review and session index"
diff --git a/rust/lore-core/src/context.rs b/rust/lore-core/src/context.rs
index bbb1fff..6a758a6 100644
--- a/rust/lore-core/src/context.rs
+++ b/rust/lore-core/src/context.rs
@@ -226,10 +226,19 @@ pub fn build_context(
             parts.push(String::new());
         }
     }
-    let pending = crate::pending::ids(cfg)?.len();
-    if pending > 0 {
-        parts.push(format!("{pending} staged proposal(s) from background review — surface this to the user once early in the session and suggest pending review."));
-        parts.push(String::new());
+    match crate::pending::ids(cfg) {
+        Ok(ids) if !ids.is_empty() => {
+            parts.push(format!("{} staged proposal(s) from background review — surface this to the user once early in the session and suggest pending review.", ids.len()));
+            parts.push(String::new());
+        }
+        Ok(_) => {}
+        Err(error) => {
+            parts.push(format!(
+                "Pending review status unavailable ({}); pending count is unknown.",
+                error.code()
+            ));
+            parts.push(String::new());
+        }
     }
     if matches!(scope, "all" | "project") {
         let count = crate::store::connect(cfg)
@@ -676,6 +685,39 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(graph_awareness_op(&cfg, &json!({})).unwrap().is_null());
     }
     #[test]
+    fn pending_scan_overflow_keeps_curated_context_and_reports_an_unknown_count() {
+        let temp = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let cfg = Config::for_root(temp.path().join("lore"));
+        memory::write_entries(
+            &cfg.root.join("USER.md"),
+            &["Curated memory survives a pending backlog".into()],
+            1000,
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+        let render = || build_context(
+            &cfg,
+            temp.path(),
+            "all",
+            "claude",
+            RefreshPolicy { interval_secs: None, on_change: true },
+        );
+        let pending = cfg.root.join("pending");
+        files::private_dir(&pending).unwrap();
+        for index in 0..3 {
+            fs::write(pending.join(format!("fixture-{index}.json")), b"{}").unwrap();
+        }
+        assert!(render().unwrap().contains("3 staged proposal(s)"));
+        for index in 3..4097 {
+            fs::write(pending.join(format!("fixture-{index}.json")), b"{}").unwrap();
+        }
+        assert_eq!(crate::pending::ids(&cfg), Err(Error::TooLarge));
+        let context = render().unwrap();
+        assert!(context.contains("Curated memory survives a pending backlog"));
+        assert!(context.contains("Pending review status unavailable (output_too_large)"));
+        assert!(!context.contains("staged proposal(s) from background review"));
+        assert_eq!(fs::read_dir(&pending).unwrap().count(), 4097);
+    }
+    #[test]
     fn context_keeps_filemap_body_and_other_host_facts_out_of_snapshot() {
         let temp = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
         let cfg = Config::for_root(temp.path().join("lore"));
diff --git a/rust/lore-core/tests/native_admin.rs b/rust/lore-core/tests/native_admin.rs
index fae2db7..e0c8f22 100644
--- a/rust/lore-core/tests/native_admin.rs
+++ b/rust/lore-core/tests/native_admin.rs
@@ -288,6 +288,43 @@ fn native_hook_injection_never_calls_provider() {
         .unwrap()
         .contains("Hook fixture memory"));
 }
+#[test]
+fn native_startup_hook_keeps_memory_when_pending_scan_exceeds_its_limit() {
+    let (t, cfg) = config();
+    let pending = cfg.root.join("pending");
+    lore_core::files::private_dir(&pending).unwrap();
+    std::fs::write(cfg.root.join("USER.md"), "- Startup memory survives overflow\n").unwrap();
+    for index in 0..4097 {
+        std::fs::write(pending.join(format!("fixture-{index}.json")), b"{}").unwrap();
+    }
+    for engine in ["claude", "codex"] {
+        let mut child = Command::new(env!("CARGO_BIN_EXE_lore-rs"))
+            .args(["hook", "--engine", engine, "--event", "session-start"])
+            .env_clear()
+            .env("HOME", t.path())
+            .env("LORE_ROOT", &cfg.root)
+            .env("LORE_DISABLE_SYNC", "1")
+            .env("LORE_CLAUDE_BIN", "/this/provider/must/never/be/launched")
+            .stdin(std::process::Stdio::piped())
+            .stdout(std::process::Stdio::piped())
+            .stderr(std::process::Stdio::piped())
+            .spawn()
+            .unwrap();
+        use std::io::Write;
+        write!(child.stdin.as_mut().unwrap(), "{}", json!({"cwd":t.path(),"session_id":"overflow-fixture"})).unwrap();
+        drop(child.stdin.take());
+        let output = child.wait_with_output().unwrap();
+        assert!(output.status.success(), "{engine}: {}", String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr));
+        assert!(output.stderr.is_empty());
+        let frame: Value = serde_json::from_slice(&output.stdout).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(frame["hookSpecificOutput"]["hookEventName"], "SessionStart");
+        let context = frame["hookSpecificOutput"]["additionalContext"].as_str().unwrap();
+        assert!(context.contains("Startup memory survives overflow"));
+        assert!(context.contains("Pending review status unavailable (output_too_large)"));
+        assert_eq!(lore_core::pending::ids(&cfg), Err(lore_core::Error::TooLarge));
+        assert_eq!(std::fs::read_dir(&pending).unwrap().count(), 4097);
+    }
+}
 fn interactive() -> Authority {
     Authority::Interactive {
         agent: "fixture-reviewer".into(),