diff --git a/openspec/changes/agent-claude-phase4-perf-hoist-agents-status-git-prob-2026-06-03-13-26/.openspec.yaml b/openspec/changes/agent-claude-phase4-perf-hoist-agents-status-git-prob-2026-06-03-13-26/.openspec.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0ba725f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openspec/changes/agent-claude-phase4-perf-hoist-agents-status-git-prob-2026-06-03-13-26/.openspec.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+schema: spec-driven
+created: 2026-06-03
diff --git a/openspec/changes/agent-claude-phase4-perf-hoist-agents-status-git-prob-2026-06-03-13-26/notes.md b/openspec/changes/agent-claude-phase4-perf-hoist-agents-status-git-prob-2026-06-03-13-26/notes.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..02b2d17
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openspec/changes/agent-claude-phase4-perf-hoist-agents-status-git-prob-2026-06-03-13-26/notes.md
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+# phase4-perf-hoist-agents-status-git-prob (minimal / T1)
+
+Branch: `agent/claude/phase4-perf-hoist-agents-status-git-prob-2026-06-03-13-26`
+
+Phase 4 of the gitguardex improvement plan: perf hot-paths. No observable behavior change. 4 files, +30/-12.
+
+## Scope
+
+- **B3** `agents/inspect.js` + `agents/status.js`: hoist the invariant `git worktree list --porcelain`
+  out of the per-session loop in `buildAgentsStatusPayload`. Was fetched once per session inside
+  `worktreePathForBranch` (~6N git spawns); now fetched ONCE via new `listWorktrees(repoRoot)` and
+  threaded down through `changedFiles`/`inspectAgentBranch` via optional `options.worktrees`
+  (~6N -> ~5N+1). Backward-compatible: callers that omit it (branchDiff/branchLocks/inspect cmd)
+  fetch on demand, unchanged. Also hot via `cockpit/state.js` (re-renders each refresh).
+- **B4** `cli/main.js` + `cli/commands/misc.js`: lazy-`require('../cockpit')` inside the two
+  functions that use it (default-cockpit dispatch + `gx cockpit`), instead of eager top-level.
+  Cockpit pulls 32 modules; now loaded ONLY when the cockpit actually renders.
+
+## Deferred (not here)
+
+- **B5** finish base-branch hoist (`finish/index.js`) — optimizes `resolveFinishBaseBranch`, the exact
+  function the user's staged `detectDefaultBaseBranch` WIP rewrites. Pairs with Phase 5 once WIP lands.
+- **cockpit/index.js spread narrowing** — export-surface cleanup, re-export risk, NO perf benefit
+  (cockpit/index.js still requires control/actions when loaded). Defer to a dead-surface pass.
+
+## Verification
+
+- **B4 proven**: requiring `main.js` pulls **0** cockpit modules (was 32).
+- **B3 structural**: `listWorktrees` fetched once at `status.js:90`, threaded into `worktreePathForBranch`.
+  (Not benchmarked for N: 0 active sessions locally; e2e test `agents-status.test.js:143` exercises the
+  hoisted real-array path end-to-end and passes.)
+- `node --test`: failing set **byte-identical to base** (detached-snapshot diff, `comm` = 0 new / 0 fixed). 34 = baseline.
+- Independent review: NO BLOCKING FINDINGS (null-handling, behavior equivalence, B4 completeness verified).
+
+## Cleanup
+
+- [ ] Gate satisfied manually (clean review + no-new-failures) per baseline-red-CI policy → land via `gx branch finish --wait-for-merge --cleanup`.
+- [ ] Record PR URL + `MERGED`. Confirm sandbox pruned.
diff --git a/src/agents/inspect.js b/src/agents/inspect.js
index 0fa8c99..659280b 100644
--- a/src/agents/inspect.js
+++ b/src/agents/inspect.js
@@ -45,10 +45,22 @@ function parseWorktreeList(outputText) {
   return worktrees;
 }
 
-function worktreePathForBranch(repoRoot, branch) {
+function listWorktrees(repoRoot) {
   const result = git(repoRoot, ['worktree', 'list', '--porcelain'], { allowFailure: true });
-  if (result.status !== 0) return { worktreePath: repoRoot, worktreeFound: false };
-  const match = parseWorktreeList(result.stdout).find((entry) => entry.branch === branch);
+  return result.status === 0 ? parseWorktreeList(result.stdout) : null;
+}
+
+// `worktrees` (pre-parsed via listWorktrees) lets callers iterating many branches
+// in one pass hoist the invariant `git worktree list` out of their loop. When
+// omitted, the list is fetched on demand — unchanged behavior.
+function worktreePathForBranch(repoRoot, branch, worktrees = null) {
+  let entries = worktrees;
+  if (entries == null) {
+    const result = git(repoRoot, ['worktree', 'list', '--porcelain'], { allowFailure: true });
+    if (result.status !== 0) return { worktreePath: repoRoot, worktreeFound: false };
+    entries = parseWorktreeList(result.stdout);
+  }
+  const match = entries.find((entry) => entry.branch === branch);
   return {
     worktreePath: match?.path || repoRoot,
     worktreeFound: Boolean(match?.path),
@@ -119,7 +131,7 @@ function inspectAgentBranch(options) {
 
   const baseBranch = resolveBaseBranch(repoRoot, branch);
   const compareRef = compareRefForBase(repoRoot, baseBranch);
-  const { worktreePath, worktreeFound } = worktreePathForBranch(repoRoot, branch);
+  const { worktreePath, worktreeFound } = worktreePathForBranch(repoRoot, branch, options.worktrees);
   return { repoRoot, branch, baseBranch, compareRef, worktreePath, worktreeFound };
 }
 
@@ -179,6 +191,7 @@ module.exports = {
   branchLocks,
   changedFiles,
   inspectAgentBranch,
+  listWorktrees,
   parseWorktreeList,
   readLockRegistry,
   renderDiff,
diff --git a/src/agents/status.js b/src/agents/status.js
index a5a8461..170df3b 100644
--- a/src/agents/status.js
+++ b/src/agents/status.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 const { fs, path, LOCK_FILE_RELATIVE, TOOL_NAME } = require('../context');
-const { changedFiles } = require('./inspect');
+const { changedFiles, listWorktrees } = require('./inspect');
 const { listAgentSessions } = require('./sessions');
 
 function uniqueSorted(values) {
@@ -35,10 +35,10 @@ function readLockDetails(repoRoot) {
   return { counts, files };
 }
 
-function readChangedFiles(repoRoot, branch) {
+function readChangedFiles(repoRoot, branch, worktrees) {
   if (!branch) return [];
   try {
-    return changedFiles({ target: repoRoot, branch }).files || [];
+    return changedFiles({ target: repoRoot, branch, worktrees }).files || [];
   } catch (_error) {
     return [];
   }
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ function normalizePr(session) {
   };
 }
 
-function normalizeSessionForStatus(session, lockDetails, repoRoot) {
+function normalizeSessionForStatus(session, lockDetails, repoRoot, worktrees) {
   const branch = session.branch || '';
   const worktreePath = session.worktreePath || '';
   const claimedFiles = uniqueSorted([
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ function normalizeSessionForStatus(session, lockDetails, repoRoot) {
     worktreeExists: worktreePath ? fs.existsSync(worktreePath) : false,
     lockCount: lockDetails.counts.get(branch) || 0,
     claimedFiles,
-    changedFiles: readChangedFiles(repoRoot, branch),
+    changedFiles: readChangedFiles(repoRoot, branch, worktrees),
     metadata: session.metadata && typeof session.metadata === 'object' ? session.metadata : {},
     launchCommand: session.launchCommand || '',
     tmux: session.tmux && typeof session.tmux === 'object' ? session.tmux : null,
@@ -85,10 +85,13 @@ function normalizeSessionForStatus(session, lockDetails, repoRoot) {
 
 function buildAgentsStatusPayload(repoRoot) {
   const lockDetails = readLockDetails(repoRoot);
+  // Hoist the invariant `git worktree list` out of the per-session loop: fetch it
+  // once here instead of once inside every session's changedFiles() (~6N -> ~6+N).
+  const worktrees = listWorktrees(repoRoot);
   return {
     schemaVersion: 1,
     repoRoot,
-    sessions: listAgentSessions(repoRoot).map((session) => normalizeSessionForStatus(session, lockDetails, repoRoot)),
+    sessions: listAgentSessions(repoRoot).map((session) => normalizeSessionForStatus(session, lockDetails, repoRoot, worktrees)),
   };
 }
 
diff --git a/src/cli/commands/misc.js b/src/cli/commands/misc.js
index eaf7200..c96206d 100644
--- a/src/cli/commands/misc.js
+++ b/src/cli/commands/misc.js
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@ const {
 } = require('../../core/runtime');
 const hooksModule = require('../../hooks');
 const submoduleModule = require('../../submodule');
-const cockpitModule = require('../../cockpit');
 const {
   removeLegacyPackageScripts,
   installUserLevelAsset,
@@ -200,6 +199,8 @@ function submodule(rawArgs) {
 }
 
 function cockpit(rawArgs) {
+  // Lazy-require: cockpit pulls ~32 modules; load only for `gx cockpit`.
+  const cockpitModule = require('../../cockpit');
   cockpitModule.openCockpit(rawArgs, {
     resolveRepoRoot,
     toolName: TOOL_NAME,
diff --git a/src/cli/main.js b/src/cli/main.js
index 37cacaf..85d1114 100755
--- a/src/cli/main.js
+++ b/src/cli/main.js
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ const toolchainModule = require('../toolchain');
 const budgetModule = require('../budget');
 const ciInitModule = require('../ci-init');
 const speckitModule = require('../speckit');
-const cockpitModule = require('../cockpit');
 const { usage, startTransientSpinner } = require('../output');
 const {
   maybeSuggestCommand,
@@ -151,6 +150,8 @@ async function main() {
 
   if (args.length === 0) {
     if (isInteractiveTerminal() && !legacyDefaultStatusEnabled() && !defaultCockpitDisabled()) {
+      // Lazy-require: cockpit pulls ~32 modules; load only when actually rendering it.
+      const cockpitModule = require('../cockpit');
       cockpitModule.openDefaultCockpit({
         resolveRepoRoot,
         toolName: TOOL_NAME,