diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index a64d3da8..baedea20 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@
 
 ## Unreleased
 
+- Checked Bitcoin and Electrum companion dashboards instead of backend protocol ports, preserving dashboard access during initial sync.
+- Removed web-interface waiting messages from headless services such as Phoenixd and clarified which interface is unavailable for launchable apps.
+
 - Finished runtime app-file promotion before manifest loading, preventing startup catalog refresh from forgetting disk-only apps.
 
 - Named the app in compact readiness messages and kept app-card actions aligned at the bottom.
diff --git a/core/archipelago/src/container/docker_packages.rs b/core/archipelago/src/container/docker_packages.rs
index d7bf8894..7422c6d1 100644
--- a/core/archipelago/src/container/docker_packages.rs
+++ b/core/archipelago/src/container/docker_packages.rs
@@ -172,13 +172,11 @@ impl DockerPackageScanner {
             } else {
                 // Prefer the known web UI port over arbitrary first binding
                 // (for example Gitea exposes SSH on 2222 before web on 3001).
-                let candidate = if uses_allocated_launch_port(&app_id) {
-                    extract_lan_address(&container.ports)
-                        .or_else(|| PodmanClient::lan_address_for(&app_id))
-                } else {
-                    PodmanClient::lan_address_for(&app_id)
-                        .or_else(|| extract_lan_address(&container.ports))
-                };
+                let candidate = package_launch_candidate(
+                    &app_id,
+                    &container.ports,
+                    PodmanClient::lan_address_for(&app_id),
+                );
                 reachable_lan_address(&app_id, candidate).await
             };
 
@@ -1105,6 +1103,23 @@ fn companion_lan_address(app_id: &str) -> Option<String> {
     }
 }
 
+/// Companion dashboards remain usable while their backend is syncing. Never
+/// probe a Bitcoin RPC or Electrum protocol socket as dashboard readiness.
+fn package_launch_candidate(
+    app_id: &str,
+    ports: &[String],
+    known: Option<String>,
+) -> Option<String> {
+    if let Some(companion) = companion_lan_address(app_id) {
+        return Some(companion);
+    }
+    if uses_allocated_launch_port(app_id) {
+        extract_lan_address(ports).or(known)
+    } else {
+        known.or_else(|| extract_lan_address(ports))
+    }
+}
+
 fn uses_allocated_launch_port(app_id: &str) -> bool {
     matches!(
         app_id,
@@ -1189,7 +1204,42 @@ mod tor_service_name_tests {
 
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod extract_lan_address_tests {
-    use super::extract_lan_address;
+    use super::{extract_lan_address, package_launch_candidate};
+
+    #[test]
+    fn companion_dashboard_wins_over_backend_protocol_ports() {
+        for id in ["bitcoin", "bitcoin-core", "bitcoin-knots"] {
+            assert_eq!(
+                package_launch_candidate(
+                    id,
+                    &["127.0.0.1:8332->8332/tcp".into()],
+                    Some("http://localhost:8332".into())
+                )
+                .as_deref(),
+                Some("http://localhost:8334")
+            );
+        }
+        for id in ["electrumx", "electrs", "mempool-electrs"] {
+            assert_eq!(
+                package_launch_candidate(
+                    id,
+                    &["127.0.0.1:50001->50001/tcp".into()],
+                    Some("http://localhost:50001".into())
+                )
+                .as_deref(),
+                Some("http://localhost:50002")
+            );
+        }
+        assert_eq!(
+            package_launch_candidate(
+                "filebrowser",
+                &["127.0.0.1:19080->80/tcp".into()],
+                Some("http://localhost:8080".into())
+            )
+            .as_deref(),
+            Some("http://localhost:19080")
+        );
+    }
 
     #[test]
     fn skips_ssh_port_when_web_port_is_published() {
diff --git a/docs/next-release-20260930.md b/docs/next-release-20260930.md
index ae79a744..27eab43d 100644
--- a/docs/next-release-20260930.md
+++ b/docs/next-release-20260930.md
@@ -174,3 +174,25 @@ The startup-order optimized build is logged in
 `/tmp/archy-runtime-order-live-check.py` to deploy with rollback, remove the
 candidate manifest override, and verify five normal management startups and
 managed Angor restarts. No new release version/tag, OTA or ISO has been created.
+
+## Mempool and dashboard follow-up
+
+- Deployed the Mempool alias and runtime-promotion-order backend to dev. Real
+  server state contains one healthy `mempool`; the stale `mempool-web` record
+  is gone. Real-data browser checks at 1440/390 pixels found exactly one tile
+  before and after hard refresh. Bitcoin/LND identities/start times unchanged.
+- Removed the candidate manifest override. Normal management startup passed
+  two full cycles with 62 manifests retained through both initial catalog
+  refreshes. The next cycle hit a single readiness assertion; a subsequent
+  read-only check found Angor healthy and the manifest count intact. Remaining
+  repeat coverage should use bounded polling to distinguish transient request
+  failures from loss of app definitions; do not report five cycles passed yet.
+- Bitcoin Core's dashboard was serving HTTP 200 on 8334 while readiness checked
+  RPC 8332. Companion URL selection now takes priority over protocol sockets
+  for Core/Knots and Electrum aliases, with a regression preserving allocated
+  UI ports for other apps. Backend suite: 1,609 passed, four opt-in ignored.
+  Optimized build is `/tmp/archy-dashboard-address-build.log`; deployment and
+  live IBD verification helper: `/tmp/archy-dashboard-address-deploy.py`.
+- Phoenixd has no browser UI. Headless services now omit web-readiness messages;
+  actual browser apps name their web interface rather than waiting for
+  themselves. Focused 23 UI tests and production build passed; deployed to dev.
diff --git a/neode-ui/src/views/apps/__tests__/appsConfig.test.ts b/neode-ui/src/views/apps/__tests__/appsConfig.test.ts
index 76489275..f05e1194 100644
--- a/neode-ui/src/views/apps/__tests__/appsConfig.test.ts
+++ b/neode-ui/src/views/apps/__tests__/appsConfig.test.ts
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ describe('appsConfig service filtering', () => {
     pkg.health = null
     expect(isAppReadyForLaunch(pkg)).toBe(false)
     expect(canLaunch(pkg)).toBe(false)
-    expect(launchBlockedReason(pkg.manifest.id, pkg)).toBe('Waiting for GitWorkshop…')
+    expect(launchBlockedReason(pkg.manifest.id, pkg)).toBe('Waiting for GitWorkshop’s web interface…')
     pkg.health = 'healthy'
     expect(canLaunch(pkg)).toBe(true)
   })
@@ -194,6 +194,18 @@ describe('appsConfig service filtering', () => {
   })
 })
 
+describe('headless service readiness messages', () => {
+  it('does not treat an API-only service as waiting for its own nonexistent UI', () => {
+    for (const id of ['phoenixd', 'angor-indexer', 'angor-relay', 'custom-api']) {
+      const pkg = makePkg(id, id, 'other')
+      pkg['ui-ready'] = false
+      pkg.health = 'healthy'
+      expect(canLaunch(pkg)).toBe(false)
+      expect(launchBlockedReason(id, pkg)).toBe('')
+    }
+  })
+})
+
 describe('HTTP readiness independent of container health', () => {
   it('blocks fixed launch URLs while the HTTP upstream is unavailable', () => {
     for (const id of ['gitea', 'filebrowser', 'fedimint', 'lnd']) {
@@ -202,7 +214,7 @@ describe('HTTP readiness independent of container health', () => {
       pkg.health = 'healthy'
       expect(canLaunch(pkg)).toBe(false)
       expect(isAppReadyForLaunch(pkg)).toBe(false)
-      expect(launchBlockedReason(id, pkg)).toBe(`Waiting for ${resolveAppTitle(id, pkg)}…`)
+      expect(launchBlockedReason(id, pkg)).toBe(`Waiting for ${resolveAppTitle(id, pkg)}’s web interface…`)
       pkg['ui-ready'] = true
       expect(isAppReadyForLaunch(pkg)).toBe(true)
     }
diff --git a/neode-ui/src/views/apps/appsConfig.ts b/neode-ui/src/views/apps/appsConfig.ts
index eb4e089c..73975d6f 100644
--- a/neode-ui/src/views/apps/appsConfig.ts
+++ b/neode-ui/src/views/apps/appsConfig.ts
@@ -303,9 +303,12 @@ export function isAppReadyForLaunch(pkg: PackageDataEntry): boolean {
 export function launchBlockedReason(id: string, pkg?: PackageDataEntry | null): string {
   const appId = pkg?.manifest?.id || id
   const title = pkg ? resolveAppTitle(appId, pkg) : id
+  // API-only services have no web interface to wait for. Their health badge
+  // describes service availability; a failed HTML probe is not a dependency.
+  if (pkg && isWebsitePackage(appId, pkg)) return ''
   if (pkg?.['ui-ready'] === false && !isServicePackage(appId, pkg)) {
     if (pkg.state === PackageState.Stopped || pkg.state === PackageState.Exited) return 'App is stopped. Start it to open it.'
-    return `Waiting for ${title}…`
+    return `Waiting for ${title}’s web interface…`
   }
   if (
     (appId === 'fedimint' || appId === 'fedimintd') &&
@@ -314,7 +317,7 @@ export function launchBlockedReason(id: string, pkg?: PackageDataEntry | null):
     return 'Guardian opens a wait page until Bitcoin finishes initial sync.'
   }
   if (pkg && pkg.state === PackageState.Running && !isAppReadyForLaunch(pkg)) {
-    return `Waiting for ${title}…`
+    return `Waiting for ${title}’s web interface…`
   }
   return ''
 }