diff --git a/scripts/orchestra_e2e_healthcheck.sh b/scripts/orchestra_e2e_healthcheck.sh
index f061566..fa05959 100755
--- a/scripts/orchestra_e2e_healthcheck.sh
+++ b/scripts/orchestra_e2e_healthcheck.sh
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ usage() {
   emit "$1" '  --quiet  Suppress the success message; still exits 0.\n'
   emit "$1" '  --json   Print a single-line JSON result; still exits 0.\n'
   emit "$1" '  --help   Print this usage text and exit 0.\n'
-  emit "$1" '  --summary  Print one line per check before the success message.\n'
+  emit "$1" '  --summary  Print a check count header and one line per check, before the success message.\n'
   emit "$1" '  --timing Print elapsed milliseconds for the run.\n'
   emit "$1" '  --strict Reject an unrecognised flag: exits 2.\n'
   emit "$1" '  --list-checks  Print the name of each check; exits 0.\n'
@@ -136,6 +136,14 @@ main() {
     exit 2
   fi
 
+  local format=text
+  [ -n "$quiet" ] && format=none
+  [ -n "$json" ] && format=json
+
+  if [ -n "$summary" ] && [ "$format" != json ]; then
+    emit "$format" 'running %s checks\n' "$(check_count)"
+  fi
+
   local name
   for name in $CHECKS; do
     if "check_$name"; then
@@ -145,10 +153,6 @@ main() {
     fi
   done
 
-  local format=text
-  [ -n "$quiet" ] && format=none
-  [ -n "$json" ] && format=json
-
   if [ "$FAILED" -gt 0 ]; then
     local entry
     for entry in $RESULTS; do
diff --git a/scripts/test_healthcheck.sh b/scripts/test_healthcheck.sh
index 3b7cfea..1fc2eb0 100755
--- a/scripts/test_healthcheck.sh
+++ b/scripts/test_healthcheck.sh
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ NAMES='repo_root_readable scripts_dir_present healthcheck_executable_bit
 selftest_present test_healthcheck_present readme_present
 no_crlf_line_endings no_tabs_in_scripts
 shebang_is_bash usage_text_mentions_every_flag'
-USAGE="$(printf 'Usage: orchestra_e2e_healthcheck.sh [--quiet] [--json] [--summary] [--timing] [--strict] [--list-checks]\n\nHealthcheck script for Orchestra E2E tests.\nExits 0 with a success message if all checks pass.\n  --quiet  Suppress the success message; still exits 0.\n  --json   Print a single-line JSON result; still exits 0.\n  --help   Print this usage text and exit 0.\n  --summary  Print one line per check before the success message.\n  --timing Print elapsed milliseconds for the run.\n  --strict Reject an unrecognised flag: exits 2.\n  --list-checks  Print the name of each check; exits 0.\n\nChecks:\n  repo_root_readable\n  scripts_dir_present\n  healthcheck_executable_bit\n  selftest_present\n  test_healthcheck_present\n  readme_present\n  no_crlf_line_endings\n  no_tabs_in_scripts\n  shebang_is_bash\n  usage_text_mentions_every_flag\n\nVersion: 1.0.0')"
+USAGE="$(printf 'Usage: orchestra_e2e_healthcheck.sh [--quiet] [--json] [--summary] [--timing] [--strict] [--list-checks]\n\nHealthcheck script for Orchestra E2E tests.\nExits 0 with a success message if all checks pass.\n  --quiet  Suppress the success message; still exits 0.\n  --json   Print a single-line JSON result; still exits 0.\n  --help   Print this usage text and exit 0.\n  --summary  Print a check count header and one line per check, before the success message.\n  --timing Print elapsed milliseconds for the run.\n  --strict Reject an unrecognised flag: exits 2.\n  --list-checks  Print the name of each check; exits 0.\n\nChecks:\n  repo_root_readable\n  scripts_dir_present\n  healthcheck_executable_bit\n  selftest_present\n  test_healthcheck_present\n  readme_present\n  no_crlf_line_endings\n  no_tabs_in_scripts\n  shebang_is_bash\n  usage_text_mentions_every_flag\n\nVersion: 1.0.0')"
 fails=0
 
 check() { # check <expected-stdout> <label> [args...]
@@ -76,6 +76,15 @@ case "$summary_out" in
   *) printf 'FAIL: --summary does not end with the success line\n'; fails=$((fails + 1)) ;;
 esac
 
+# --summary opens with a header naming how many checks will run.
+want_header="running $(set -- $NAMES; echo $#) checks"
+if [ "${summary_out%%$'\n'*}" != "$want_header" ]; then
+  printf 'FAIL: --summary header\n---got---\n%s\n---want---\n%s\n' \
+    "${summary_out%%$'\n'*}" "$want_header"
+  fails=$((fails + 1))
+fi
+check '' '--summary --quiet' --summary --quiet
+
 # --timing prints an elapsed line, and composes with --json and --quiet.
 contains 'healthchecks:' '--timing' --timing
 contains '"timings":{"healthchecks":' '--timing --json' --timing --json