diff --git a/apps/server/src/provider/Layers/ProviderHealth.ts b/apps/server/src/provider/Layers/ProviderHealth.ts
index 59f41edf81e8006371038949419b3296ab90ed69..41fc382a6ed6d5f1f3ed76b74e6552af7ce47daa 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/provider/Layers/ProviderHealth.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/provider/Layers/ProviderHealth.ts
@@ -312,9 +312,56 @@ export const checkCodexProviderStatus: Effect.Effect<
 export const ProviderHealthLive = Layer.effect(
   ProviderHealth,
   Effect.gen(function* () {
-    const codexStatus = yield* checkCodexProviderStatus;
+    const spawner = yield* ChildProcessSpawner.ChildProcessSpawner;
+    let cachedStatuses: ReadonlyArray<ServerProviderStatus> = [
+      {
+        provider: CODEX_PROVIDER,
+        status: "warning",
+        available: false,
+        authStatus: "unknown",
+        checkedAt: new Date().toISOString(),
+        message: "Checking Codex CLI availability...",
+      },
+    ];
+
+    let readyListeners: Array<(statuses: ReadonlyArray<ServerProviderStatus>) => void> = [];
+    let resolved = false;
+
+    const notifyReady = (statuses: ReadonlyArray<ServerProviderStatus>) => {
+      resolved = true;
+      cachedStatuses = statuses;
+      for (const cb of readyListeners) cb(statuses);
+      readyListeners = [];
+    };
+
+    // Run health checks in the background so they don't block server startup.
+    checkCodexProviderStatus.pipe(
+      Effect.provideService(ChildProcessSpawner.ChildProcessSpawner, spawner),
+      Effect.runPromise,
+    ).then((status) => {
+      notifyReady([status]);
+    }).catch(() => {
+      notifyReady([
+        {
+          provider: CODEX_PROVIDER,
+          status: "error",
+          available: false,
+          authStatus: "unknown",
+          checkedAt: new Date().toISOString(),
+          message: "Failed to check Codex CLI status.",
+        },
+      ]);
+    });
+
     return {
-      getStatuses: Effect.succeed([codexStatus]),
+      getStatuses: Effect.sync(() => cachedStatuses),
+      onReady: (cb) => {
+        if (resolved) {
+          cb(cachedStatuses);
+        } else {
+          readyListeners.push(cb);
+        }
+      },
     } satisfies ProviderHealthShape;
   }),
 );
diff --git a/apps/server/src/provider/Services/ProviderHealth.ts b/apps/server/src/provider/Services/ProviderHealth.ts
index 318d7e18d0ad57109a021af7329e21118c926103..3cc804a0c0e8bdc0e61756a362939257415ef13b 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/provider/Services/ProviderHealth.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/provider/Services/ProviderHealth.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,10 @@ export interface ProviderHealthShape {
    * Read provider health statuses computed at server startup.
    */
   readonly getStatuses: Effect.Effect<ReadonlyArray<ServerProviderStatus>>;
+  /**
+   * Register a callback invoked once when background health checks complete.
+   */
+  readonly onReady: (cb: (statuses: ReadonlyArray<ServerProviderStatus>) => void) => void;
 }
 
 export class ProviderHealth extends ServiceMap.Service<ProviderHealth, ProviderHealthShape>()(
diff --git a/apps/server/src/wsServer.ts b/apps/server/src/wsServer.ts
index d8859c2fa5b71a0f7c0e50b5070b19a3ee68f636..2f7ed0bc452fbfccb75ffc07169331d9e0797e9c 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/wsServer.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/wsServer.ts
@@ -268,7 +268,8 @@ export const createServer = Effect.fn(function* (): Effect.fn.Return<
     ),
   );
 
-  const providerStatuses = yield* providerHealth.getStatuses;
+  // Read provider statuses lazily so background health checks are reflected.
+  const getProviderStatuses = () => Effect.runSync(providerHealth.getStatuses);
 
   const clients = yield* Ref.make(new Set<WebSocket>());
   const logger = createLogger("ws");
@@ -631,11 +632,23 @@ export const createServer = Effect.fn(function* (): Effect.fn.Return<
       channel: WS_CHANNELS.serverConfigUpdated,
       data: {
         issues: event.issues,
-        providers: providerStatuses,
+        providers: getProviderStatuses(),
       },
     }),
   ).pipe(Effect.forkIn(subscriptionsScope));
 
+  // Push updated provider statuses to connected clients once background health checks finish.
+  providerHealth.onReady((statuses) => {
+    broadcastPush({
+      type: "push",
+      channel: WS_CHANNELS.serverConfigUpdated,
+      data: {
+        issues: [],
+        providers: statuses,
+      },
+    }).pipe(Effect.runPromise).catch(() => {});
+  });
+
   yield* Scope.provide(orchestrationReactor.start, subscriptionsScope);
 
   let welcomeBootstrapProjectId: ProjectId | undefined;
@@ -883,7 +896,7 @@ export const createServer = Effect.fn(function* (): Effect.fn.Return<
           keybindingsConfigPath,
           keybindings: keybindingsConfig.keybindings,
           issues: keybindingsConfig.issues,
-          providers: providerStatuses,
+          providers: getProviderStatuses(),
           availableEditors,
         };