diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index c4fc41dca..2fb8b3778 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ build-backend = "setuptools.build_meta"
 
 [project]
 name = "solstone"
-version = "0.3.0"
+version = "0.3.1"
 description = "Navigate Life Intelligently"
 readme = "README.md"
 requires-python = ">=3.11"
diff --git a/solstone/think/service.py b/solstone/think/service.py
index 8fe72a78c..08344a6d4 100644
--- a/solstone/think/service.py
+++ b/solstone/think/service.py
@@ -559,7 +559,15 @@ def _up(port: int = DEFAULT_SERVICE_PORT) -> int:
         print(_ready_timeout_message(), file=sys.stderr)
         return 1
 
-    return _status()
+    # wait_ready() succeeding is the authoritative readiness signal per the
+    # readiness primitive contract. _status() is invoked for human-readable
+    # output, but its return code (which folds in health_check()'s 10s callosum
+    # status probe) is NOT the gate. The callosum bus warms up over ~30-90s
+    # post-readiness while convey/cortex/link come online; allowing _status()
+    # to fail _up() here re-introduces the same premature-failure that the
+    # readiness primitive was meant to retire.
+    _status()
+    return 0
 
 
 def _down() -> int:
diff --git a/uv.lock b/uv.lock
index 0713ea36b..2f843af53 100644
--- a/uv.lock
+++ b/uv.lock
@@ -2668,7 +2668,7 @@ wheels = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "solstone"
-version = "0.3.0"
+version = "0.3.1"
 source = { editable = "." }
 dependencies = [
     { name = "anthropic" },