diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index d86f6d2..4eb3e39 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -66,5 +66,5 @@ packages = [
 
 [tool.setuptools.package-data]
 "*" = ["*.json", "*.yaml"]
-"ctx_retriever.hooks" = ["*.py", "ctx-telemetry"]
+"ctx_retriever.hooks" = ["*.py", "*.sh", "ctx-telemetry"]
 "ctx_retriever.dashboard" = ["*.py", "static/*.html", "static/*.js", "static/*.css"]
diff --git a/src/cli/install.py b/src/cli/install.py
index ec61d0d..8afac86 100644
--- a/src/cli/install.py
+++ b/src/cli/install.py
@@ -48,20 +48,32 @@
 # Daemon scripts shipped in wheel → deployed to ~/.local/share/claude-vault/
 CTX_DAEMONS = ["vec-daemon.py", "bge-daemon.py"]
 
-# The 5 production hooks CTX ships. Each entry: (filename, event, async).
+# The CTX hooks ctx-install ships. Each entry: (filename, event, async[, extra_args]).
 # Matched against current ~/.claude/settings.json structure.
+#
+# SessionStart hook (ensure-claude-vault-daemons.sh) handles vec-daemon /
+# bge-daemon autostart so a fresh `pip install ctx-retriever && ctx-install`
+# matches the daemon-autostart behaviour the plugin Setup path provides.
+# Async so session start isn't blocked by daemon model load.
 CTX_HOOKS = [
-    ("chat-memory.py",            "UserPromptSubmit", False),
-    ("bm25-memory.py",            "UserPromptSubmit", False, ["--rich"]),
-    ("memory-keyword-trigger.py", "UserPromptSubmit", False),
-    ("g2-fallback.py",            "PostToolUse",      False),
-    ("utility-rate.py",           "Stop",             True),   # telemetry — async
+    ("chat-memory.py",                  "UserPromptSubmit", False),
+    ("bm25-memory.py",                  "UserPromptSubmit", False, ["--rich"]),
+    ("memory-keyword-trigger.py",       "UserPromptSubmit", False),
+    ("g2-fallback.py",                  "PostToolUse",      False),
+    ("utility-rate.py",                 "Stop",             True),   # telemetry — async
+    ("ensure-claude-vault-daemons.sh",  "SessionStart",     True),   # daemon autostart — async
 ]
 
 
 def _hook_entry(filename: str, extra_args: list[str] | None = None) -> dict:
-    """Build the JSON hook entry for settings.json."""
-    cmd = f"python3 $HOME/.claude/hooks/{filename}"
+    """Build the JSON hook entry for settings.json.
+
+    Shell scripts (`.sh`) are invoked via `bash`; Python hooks via `python3`.
+    """
+    if filename.endswith(".sh"):
+        cmd = f"bash $HOME/.claude/hooks/{filename}"
+    else:
+        cmd = f"python3 $HOME/.claude/hooks/{filename}"
     if extra_args:
         cmd = cmd + " " + " ".join(extra_args)
     return {"type": "command", "command": cmd}
diff --git a/src/hooks/ensure-claude-vault-daemons.sh b/src/hooks/ensure-claude-vault-daemons.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..b10342e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/hooks/ensure-claude-vault-daemons.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# Idempotent autostart for vec-daemon + bge-daemon (SessionStart hook).
+# Wired into ~/.claude/settings.json by ctx-install.
+# Spawns missing daemons in background; exits immediately so session start isn't blocked.
+#
+# Python interpreter detection (priority order):
+#   1. pipx env:     ~/.local/pipx/venvs/ctx-retriever/bin/python    (pip install path)
+#   2. venv:         ~/.local/share/claude-vault/venv/bin/python     (plugin Setup path)
+#   3. (none)        graceful exit — hook stays BM25-only
+# Daemon spawn requires `sentence_transformers` importable in the chosen interpreter.
+#
+# Liveness check: pgrep is the source of truth. A stale socket file alone (e.g.
+# from a daemon SIGKILL'd, system reboot, or terminal close) does not count as
+# "alive" — we unlink it and respawn. This avoids the "dead daemon, stale sock,
+# script silently skips spawn forever" failure mode.
+
+set -u
+DAEMON_DIR="$HOME/.local/share/claude-vault"
+LOG_DIR="$HOME/.cache/claude-vault-daemons"
+mkdir -p "$LOG_DIR"
+
+PIPX_PY="$HOME/.local/pipx/venvs/ctx-retriever/bin/python"
+VENV_PY="$DAEMON_DIR/venv/bin/python"
+
+PY=""
+if [ -x "$PIPX_PY" ] && "$PIPX_PY" -c "import sentence_transformers" 2>/dev/null; then
+  PY="$PIPX_PY"
+elif [ -x "$VENV_PY" ] && "$VENV_PY" -c "import sentence_transformers" 2>/dev/null; then
+  PY="$VENV_PY"
+fi
+
+# Graceful degradation: no usable interpreter → BM25-only, no spawn
+if [ -z "$PY" ]; then
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+# vec-daemon — spawn if process not alive (pgrep authoritative, socket can be stale)
+if ! pgrep -f "vec-daemon.py" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  rm -f "$DAEMON_DIR/vec-daemon.sock" "$DAEMON_DIR/vec-daemon.pid"
+  if [ -f "$DAEMON_DIR/vec-daemon.py" ]; then
+    nohup "$PY" "$DAEMON_DIR/vec-daemon.py" \
+      >"$LOG_DIR/vec-daemon.log" 2>&1 &
+    disown
+  fi
+fi
+
+# bge-daemon — opt-in via CTX_BGE_ENABLE=1 (semantic rerank, ~58s first-run model load)
+if [ "${CTX_BGE_ENABLE:-0}" = "1" ]; then
+  if ! pgrep -f "bge-daemon.py" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    rm -f "$DAEMON_DIR/bge-daemon.sock" "$DAEMON_DIR/bge-daemon.pid"
+    if [ -f "$DAEMON_DIR/bge-daemon.py" ]; then
+      nohup "$PY" "$DAEMON_DIR/bge-daemon.py" \
+        >"$LOG_DIR/bge-daemon.log" 2>&1 &
+      disown
+    fi
+  fi
+fi
+
+exit 0