diff --git a/core/archipelago/src/api/rpc/package/pine_ha.rs b/core/archipelago/src/api/rpc/package/pine_ha.rs
index dc1efdad..2e045ec3 100644
--- a/core/archipelago/src/api/rpc/package/pine_ha.rs
+++ b/core/archipelago/src/api/rpc/package/pine_ha.rs
@@ -123,7 +123,11 @@ rest:
   - resource: http://host.containers.internal/api/pine/status
     headers:
       Authorization: "Bearer {token}"
-    scan_interval: 30
+    # 15s: the mesh-message sensor only carries the LATEST message id, so two
+    # messages inside one poll window coalesce and only the newest announces
+    # (observed on framework-pt 2026-07-22). Halving the window halves both
+    # the announce lag and the coalescing odds; the endpoint is local + cheap.
+    scan_interval: 15
     sensor:
       - name: "Archy Block Height"
         unique_id: archy_block_height
@@ -337,7 +341,14 @@ const MESH_ANNOUNCE_AUTOMATION_ID: &str = "archy_mesh_announce";
 /// Announce new mesh messages on every Assist satellite. Only seeded into an
 /// empty/missing automations.yaml — merging into user-authored YAML risks
 /// mangling it, and anyone with existing automations can paste this one from
-/// the docs. Trigger conditions skip HA-restart transitions (unknown -> id).
+/// the docs. Trigger conditions skip HA-restart transitions (unknown -> id)
+/// but deliberately allow `None`/`unavailable` -> id: `None` is the sensor's
+/// state before the first-ever received message (and again whenever the mesh
+/// message store restarts empty), and `unavailable` follows any endpoint
+/// blip — blocking those swallowed the first DM a fresh node ever received
+/// (framework-pt, 2026-07-22). HA restarts still can't re-announce an old
+/// message: rest sensors don't restore state, so the post-restart transition
+/// is always from `unknown`.
 const MESH_ANNOUNCE_AUTOMATION: &str = r#"- id: archy_mesh_announce
   alias: Announce mesh messages on Pine
   description: Speak new mesh messages on the Pine speaker (seeded by Archipelago)
@@ -348,7 +359,7 @@ const MESH_ANNOUNCE_AUTOMATION: &str = r#"- id: archy_mesh_announce
     - condition: template
       value_template: >-
         {{ trigger.from_state is not none
-           and trigger.from_state.state not in ['unknown', 'unavailable', 'None']
+           and trigger.from_state.state != 'unknown'
            and trigger.to_state.state not in ['unknown', 'unavailable', 'None']
            and trigger.from_state.state != trigger.to_state.state }}
   actions:
@@ -371,6 +382,22 @@ async fn seed_mesh_announce_automation() -> bool {
     let path = std::path::Path::new(HA_CONFIG_DIR).join("automations.yaml");
     let existing = tokio::fs::read_to_string(&path).await.unwrap_or_default();
     if existing.contains(MESH_ANNOUNCE_AUTOMATION_ID) {
+        // v1 of the seeded condition also blocked `None`/`unavailable` -> id
+        // transitions, swallowing the first-ever received message. Upgrade by
+        // replacing exactly that clause; anything else in the file (including
+        // user-added automations) is left untouched.
+        const V1_CLAUSE: &str =
+            "trigger.from_state.state not in ['unknown', 'unavailable', 'None']";
+        const V2_CLAUSE: &str = "trigger.from_state.state != 'unknown'";
+        if existing.contains(V1_CLAUSE) {
+            let upgraded = existing.replace(V1_CLAUSE, V2_CLAUSE);
+            if let Err(e) = tokio::fs::write(&path, upgraded).await {
+                warn!("pine/HA seed: upgrading automations.yaml failed: {e}");
+                return false;
+            }
+            info!("pine/HA seed: mesh announce automation upgraded (first message announces)");
+            return true;
+        }
         return false;
     }
     let trimmed = existing.trim();