diff --git a/cmd/orchestra/main.go b/cmd/orchestra/main.go
index 62893d6..77d2fc1 100644
--- a/cmd/orchestra/main.go
+++ b/cmd/orchestra/main.go
@@ -45,7 +45,24 @@ func main() {
 					continue
 				}
 				client := herdr.New(h.Address)
-				adapters[h.ID] = herdr.Codex(client, 200000)
+				protocol := h.Protocol
+				if protocol == "" {
+					protocol = os.Getenv("ORCHESTRA_HERDR_PROTOCOL")
+				}
+				if err := client.CheckProtocol(context.Background(), protocol); err != nil {
+					log.Printf("herdr %s unavailable: %v", h.ID, err)
+					continue
+				}
+				switch h.Harness {
+				case "claude":
+					adapters[h.ID] = herdr.Claude(client, 200000)
+				case "opencode":
+					adapters[h.ID] = herdr.OpenCode(client, 200000)
+				case "codex", "":
+					adapters[h.ID] = herdr.Codex(client, 200000)
+				default:
+					log.Printf("herdr %s has unsupported harness %q", h.ID, h.Harness)
+				}
 			}
 			coordinator := &orchestrator.Coordinator{Store: s, Worktrees: orchestrator.GitWorktrees{Root: root, Repo: repo}, Adapters: orchestrator.AdapterFactory{Herdrs: adapters}}
 			rt.OnLease = func(e domain.Event) error { return coordinator.Start(context.Background(), e) }
diff --git a/internal/registry/registry.go b/internal/registry/registry.go
index eae749b..1b22f28 100644
--- a/internal/registry/registry.go
+++ b/internal/registry/registry.go
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ type Herdr struct {
 	ID           string   `json:"id"`
 	MachineID    string   `json:"machine_id"`
 	Address      string   `json:"address,omitempty"`
+	Harness      string   `json:"harness,omitempty"`
+	Protocol     string   `json:"protocol,omitempty"`
 	Capabilities []string `json:"capabilities"`
 	Concurrency  int      `json:"concurrency"`
 }
diff --git a/progress.md b/progress.md
index f521a7e..63b80bb 100644
--- a/progress.md
+++ b/progress.md
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ The lifecycle API contract pass now requires callers to provide explicit release
 
 Item 1 substrate hardening pass: newly appended events use schema envelope version 1; replay rejects unsupported versions and non-object payloads; and `TaskLeased` carries an `expected_version` guard that is checked before append. Legacy envelope events remain readable for tolerant replay.
 
+Harness registration now uses configured `harness` and `protocol` fields, pings each configured herdr before exposing it to orchestration, selects Claude/Codex/opencode adapters accordingly, and skips unavailable or unsupported deployments at startup. This is an initial discovery/health slice; active-session discovery and ongoing heartbeats remain open.
+
 Recommended order:
 
 1. Add the orchestration coordinator: lease → worktree → harness session → bootstrap → lifecycle events.