diff --git a/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/Main.kt b/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/Main.kt
index 9d802d56..8a7b1998 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/Main.kt
+++ b/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/Main.kt
@@ -296,6 +296,14 @@ fun main() {
         })
     }
     val mcpTools = mountedMcpServers.flatMap { it.tools }
+    // Index the workspace into codebase-memory (#242) off the startup path — a fast index makes its
+    // search tools usable by the first session instead of failing "not indexed"; a slow index just
+    // means the first stage or two miss it, not a blocked boot.
+    if (mcpTools.any { it.name.endsWith("__index_repository") }) {
+        Thread {
+            runBlocking { bootstrapCodebaseIndex(mcpTools, workspaceRoot, log) }
+        }.apply { isDaemon = true; name = "mcp-index-bootstrap" }.start()
+    }
     val extraTools = taskTools + toolOutputTool + mcpTools
     val toolRegistry = InfrastructureModule.createToolRegistry(
         buildToolConfig(
diff --git a/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/McpIndexBootstrap.kt b/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/McpIndexBootstrap.kt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..dbef3819
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/server/src/main/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/McpIndexBootstrap.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+package com.correx.apps.server
+
+import com.correx.core.events.events.ToolRequest
+import com.correx.core.events.types.SessionId
+import com.correx.core.events.types.StageId
+import com.correx.core.events.types.ToolInvocationId
+import com.correx.core.tools.contract.Tool
+import com.correx.core.tools.contract.ToolExecutor
+import com.correx.core.tools.contract.ToolResult
+import org.slf4j.Logger
+import java.nio.file.Path
+import java.util.UUID
+
+/**
+ * Bootstraps the codebase-memory index for the boot workspace (#242): its search tools are dead on
+ * arrival ("project not found or not indexed") until `index_repository` runs once against the repo,
+ * and nothing in a workflow calls it. If a mounted MCP server advertises an `index_repository` tool
+ * we invoke it here, at working-dir open, with the workspace root — through the normal ToolExecutor
+ * path, so no special-casing.
+ *
+ * ponytail: single-workspace boot only, "fast" mode. When per-connection working dirs land, hang
+ * this off the WS-open hook as one entry in a bootstrap registry; one action doesn't earn a registry
+ * yet. "fast" skips similarity/semantic edges — quickest to ready; upgrade the mode if search recall
+ * proves thin.
+ */
+internal suspend fun bootstrapCodebaseIndex(mcpTools: List<Tool>, workspaceRoot: Path, log: Logger) {
+    val tool = mcpTools.firstOrNull { it.name.endsWith("__index_repository") } ?: return
+    val executor = tool as? ToolExecutor ?: return
+    val request = ToolRequest(
+        invocationId = ToolInvocationId(UUID.randomUUID().toString()),
+        sessionId = SessionId("boot"),
+        stageId = StageId("boot"),
+        toolName = tool.name,
+        parameters = mapOf("repo_path" to workspaceRoot.toString(), "mode" to "fast"),
+    )
+    when (val result = executor.execute(request)) {
+        is ToolResult.Success -> log.info("Indexed workspace into codebase-memory ({})", tool.name)
+        is ToolResult.Failure -> log.warn("codebase-memory index bootstrap failed: {}", result.reason)
+    }
+}
diff --git a/apps/server/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/McpIndexBootstrapTest.kt b/apps/server/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/McpIndexBootstrapTest.kt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7268ce7d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/server/src/test/kotlin/com/correx/apps/server/McpIndexBootstrapTest.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+package com.correx.apps.server
+
+import com.correx.core.approvals.Tier
+import com.correx.core.events.events.ToolRequest
+import com.correx.core.tools.contract.Tool
+import com.correx.core.tools.contract.ToolCapability
+import com.correx.core.tools.contract.ToolExecutor
+import com.correx.core.tools.contract.ToolResult
+import com.correx.core.tools.contract.ValidationResult
+import kotlinx.coroutines.runBlocking
+import kotlinx.serialization.json.JsonObject
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory
+import java.nio.file.Path
+import kotlin.test.assertEquals
+import kotlin.test.assertNull
+
+class McpIndexBootstrapTest {
+    private val log = LoggerFactory.getLogger("test")
+
+    private class FakeTool(override val name: String) : Tool, ToolExecutor {
+        var seen: ToolRequest? = null
+        override val description = ""
+        override val parametersSchema = JsonObject(emptyMap())
+        override val tier = Tier.T2
+        override val requiredCapabilities = emptySet<ToolCapability>()
+        override fun validateRequest(request: ToolRequest) = ValidationResult.Valid
+        override suspend fun execute(request: ToolRequest): ToolResult {
+            seen = request
+            return ToolResult.Success(request.invocationId, "indexed")
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `calls index_repository with repo_path set to the workspace root`() = runBlocking {
+        val index = FakeTool("mcp__codebase-memory__index_repository")
+        bootstrapCodebaseIndex(listOf(FakeTool("mcp__x__search_code"), index), Path.of("/repo"), log)
+        assertEquals("/repo", index.seen?.parameters?.get("repo_path"))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `no-op when no index_repository tool is mounted`() = runBlocking {
+        val other = FakeTool("mcp__x__search_code")
+        bootstrapCodebaseIndex(listOf(other), Path.of("/repo"), log)
+        assertNull(other.seen)
+    }
+}