diff --git a/src/server/docker-entrypoint.ts b/src/server/docker-entrypoint.ts
index ebcd99bcd..31ad70b1f 100644
--- a/src/server/docker-entrypoint.ts
+++ b/src/server/docker-entrypoint.ts
@@ -31,23 +31,10 @@ async function main(): Promise<void> {
 
   console.log(`✅ Server ready (milestones: ${result.completedMilestones.join(' → ')})`);
 
-  // Auto-seed database if empty (first run).
-  // In-process via Commands.execute() — zero subprocess spawns.
-  // ~200MB instead of 2GB, <5 seconds instead of 30+.
-  setTimeout(async () => {
-    try {
-      const { seedDatabase } = await import('./seed-in-process');
-      const seeded = await seedDatabase();
-      if (seeded) {
-        console.log('✅ Database seeded');
-      } else {
-        console.log('✅ Database already seeded');
-      }
-    } catch (e: unknown) {
-      const msg = e instanceof Error ? e.message : String(e);
-      console.warn(`⚠️ Auto-seed: ${msg}`);
-    }
-  }, 5000);
+  // Seed runs synchronously inside SystemOrchestrator before SERVER_READY
+  // milestone fires (see SystemOrchestrator.ts). No duplicate seed here —
+  // the previous setTimeout(5000) raced the orchestrator's setTimeout(3000)
+  // and could re-enter findOrCreateRoom on a partially-committed table.
 
   // Keep process alive — server event loop runs in background
 }
diff --git a/src/system/orchestration/SystemOrchestrator.ts b/src/system/orchestration/SystemOrchestrator.ts
index 1b6e58349..99158cff4 100644
--- a/src/system/orchestration/SystemOrchestrator.ts
+++ b/src/system/orchestration/SystemOrchestrator.ts
@@ -1110,24 +1110,24 @@ export class SystemOrchestrator extends EventEmitter {
 
     console.debug('✅ Server is ready');
 
-    // Auto-seed database if empty (first run or after data:clear).
-    // In-process via Commands.execute() — zero subprocess spawns, works in both
-    // Docker and bare metal. The old npm run data:seed approach spawns jtag CLI
-    // subprocesses that connect via WebSocket, which is fragile and slow.
-    setTimeout(async () => {
-      try {
-        const { seedDatabase } = await import('../../server/seed-in-process');
-        const seeded = await seedDatabase();
-        if (seeded) {
-          console.log('✅ Database seeded (in-process)');
-        } else {
-          console.log('✅ Database already seeded');
-        }
-      } catch (e: unknown) {
-        const msg = e instanceof Error ? e.message : String(e);
-        console.warn(`⚠️ Auto-seed failed: ${msg}`);
+    // Auto-seed database if empty BEFORE declaring SERVER_READY.
+    // Was setTimeout(3000) → fired-and-forget; orchestrator returned ready
+    // while seed was still running. carl-install-smoke probed chat/send 7-21s
+    // after install completed and intermittently hit "Room not found: general"
+    // because rooms hadn't landed yet. Awaiting seed here closes that race —
+    // by the time downstream sees SERVER_READY, rooms+personas exist.
+    try {
+      const { seedDatabase } = await import('../../server/seed-in-process');
+      const seeded = await seedDatabase();
+      if (seeded) {
+        console.log('✅ Database seeded (in-process)');
+      } else {
+        console.log('✅ Database already seeded');
       }
-    }, 3000);
+    } catch (e: unknown) {
+      const msg = e instanceof Error ? e.message : String(e);
+      console.warn(`⚠️ Auto-seed failed: ${msg}`);
+    }
 
     await milestoneEmitter.completeMilestone(
       SYSTEM_MILESTONES.SERVER_READY,