diff --git a/backend/Cargo.lock b/backend/Cargo.lock
index 7891cd5..949e167 100644
--- a/backend/Cargo.lock
+++ b/backend/Cargo.lock
@@ -1517,7 +1517,7 @@ checksum = "c41e0c4fef86961ac6d6f8a82609f55f31b05e4fce149ac5710e439df7619ba4"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "mangalord"
-version = "0.87.17"
+version = "0.87.18"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "argon2",
diff --git a/backend/Cargo.toml b/backend/Cargo.toml
index 4a9cc54..f99d493 100644
--- a/backend/Cargo.toml
+++ b/backend/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "mangalord"
-version = "0.87.17"
+version = "0.87.18"
 edition = "2021"
 default-run = "mangalord"
 
diff --git a/backend/src/app.rs b/backend/src/app.rs
index 4abc76c..2eb63ad 100644
--- a/backend/src/app.rs
+++ b/backend/src/app.rs
@@ -1425,9 +1425,15 @@ mod tests {
         .await
         .unwrap();
 
-        let storage: Arc<dyn Storage> = Arc::new(LocalStorage::new(
-            tempfile::tempdir().unwrap().path(),
-        ));
+        // Bind to a local so the TempDir lives for the rest of the test.
+        // `tempfile::tempdir().unwrap().path()` would drop the TempDir
+        // at end-of-expression and `LocalStorage` would hold a path to
+        // a deleted directory. (Today this is fine because the dispatch
+        // fails before storage is touched, but it makes the test fragile
+        // to any future code rearrangement.)
+        let storage_dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
+        let storage: Arc<dyn Storage> =
+            Arc::new(LocalStorage::new(storage_dir.path()));
         let mut cfg = crate::config::AnalysisConfig::default();
         cfg.workers = 1;
         cfg.job_timeout = Duration::from_secs(1);
diff --git a/frontend/package.json b/frontend/package.json
index 110db96..748ca0c 100644
--- a/frontend/package.json
+++ b/frontend/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "mangalord-frontend",
-  "version": "0.87.17",
+  "version": "0.87.18",
   "private": true,
   "type": "module",
   "scripts": {
diff --git a/vision-manager/manager.sh b/vision-manager/manager.sh
index b888da5..0921acc 100644
--- a/vision-manager/manager.sh
+++ b/vision-manager/manager.sh
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ MEM_POLL_INTERVAL="${MEM_POLL_INTERVAL:-5}"             # mem sub-poll cadence,
 
 PSQL=(psql "$DATABASE_URL" -At -v ON_ERROR_STOP=1)
 
-log() { echo "[vision-manager] $(date -u +%FT%TZ) $*"; }
+log() { echo "[vision-manager] $(date -u +%FT%TZ) $*" >&2; }
 
 # ---- Queries ---------------------------------------------------------------
 # Pending analysis work: pending OR currently-leased analyze_page jobs. Note
@@ -178,10 +178,14 @@ mem_check_and_stop() {
   local vr; vr="$(vision_running)"
   case "$vr" in
     ERR)
-      log "WARNING: memory-yield wanted to stop vision (used ${used}% >= ${MEM_HIGH_WATERMARK_PCT}%), but vision_running returned ERR — deferring to next tick"
+      if [ "${mem_check_err_logged:-0}" != "1" ]; then
+        log "WARNING: memory-yield wanted to stop vision (used ${used}% >= ${MEM_HIGH_WATERMARK_PCT}%), but vision_running returned ERR — deferring to next tick"
+        mem_check_err_logged=1
+      fi
       return 0
       ;;
     true)
+      mem_check_err_logged=0
       if stop_vision "memory-yield: used ${used}% >= ${MEM_HIGH_WATERMARK_PCT}% high watermark"; then
         mem_yield_until=$(( $(date +%s) + MEM_YIELD_COOLDOWN ))
         idle_for=0
@@ -190,10 +194,42 @@ mem_check_and_stop() {
       ;;
     *)
       # Not running — nothing to yield from. Cheap no-op.
+      mem_check_err_logged=0
       ;;
   esac
 }
 
+# Refresh the cached vision_running after `mem_check_and_stop` may have
+# stopped the container. Sets the global `REFRESH_RUNNING_RESULT` to the
+# new running value (the literal `ERR` sentinel when docker inspect
+# fails) so the caller can short-circuit the tick instead of falling
+# through into branches whose `[ "$running" = "true" ]` test would treat
+# ERR as "stopped" (and then reset `up_for=0`, defeating MAX_UPTIME).
+# Logs the underlying error only on TRANSITION via the loop-scope
+# `inspect_err_logged` flag so a long-running docker-socket-proxy outage
+# doesn't flood the log.
+#
+# We set a global instead of echoing because the test harness drives
+# this via direct call (not `$()` subshell); preserving the loop-scope
+# log-on-flip flag requires staying in the caller's shell. Production
+# also avoids the subshell hop, which is a small perf win on every tick.
+#
+# Extracted from inline so test_manager.sh can drive each branch with
+# stubbed `docker` on PATH without entering the production loop.
+refresh_running_after_mem_check() {
+  local r
+  r="$(vision_running)"
+  if [ "$r" = "ERR" ]; then
+    if [ "${inspect_err_logged:-0}" != "1" ]; then
+      log "WARNING: docker inspect failed after mem_check_and_stop; will retry next tick"
+      inspect_err_logged=1
+    fi
+  else
+    inspect_err_logged=0
+  fi
+  REFRESH_RUNNING_RESULT="$r"
+}
+
 # Start inhibit: echo 1 while a cooldown is in effect OR used% is at/above the
 # LOW watermark. The two distinct watermarks give the mandatory hysteresis; the
 # cooldown gives whatever needed the RAM room to finish before vision restarts.
@@ -214,6 +250,8 @@ crawl_deferred=0  # 1 while a start is held off by the crawl mutex (log on flip
 analysis_off=0    # 1 while analysis is disabled in settings (log on flip only)
 mem_yield_until=0 # epoch deadline of the active memory-yield cooldown (0 = none)
 mem_inhibited=0   # 1 while starts are inhibited by memory pressure (log on flip only)
+inspect_err_logged=0  # 1 once a docker inspect ERR has been warned about (log on flip only)
+mem_check_err_logged=0  # 1 once mem_check_and_stop has deferred on ERR (log on flip only)
 
 # Tests source this script with `MANAGER_TEST_NO_MAIN=1` set so they can
 # exercise the helper functions above with stubbed `docker`/`psql` on PATH
@@ -275,15 +313,9 @@ while true; do
   #     LOW (idle stack + LLM ≈ 80% here). LOW is a START gate, not a stop
   #     threshold.
   mem_check_and_stop
-  # Refresh: the active stop may have just flipped vision_running.
-  # Symmetric ERR handling with the top-of-loop check — without this,
-  # a docker-socket-proxy hiccup between mem_check_and_stop and here
-  # makes `running=ERR`, the next `[ "$running" = "true" ]` test is
-  # false, and `up_for=0` resets — defeating MAX_UPTIME exactly the
-  # way the top-of-loop guard was meant to prevent.
-  running="$(vision_running)"
+  refresh_running_after_mem_check
+  running="$REFRESH_RUNNING_RESULT"
   if [ "$running" = "ERR" ]; then
-    log "WARNING: docker inspect failed after mem_check_and_stop; will retry next tick"
     sleep "$POLL_INTERVAL"
     continue
   fi
diff --git a/vision-manager/test_manager.sh b/vision-manager/test_manager.sh
index 1a1bb01..94f1318 100755
--- a/vision-manager/test_manager.sh
+++ b/vision-manager/test_manager.sh
@@ -6,11 +6,17 @@
 #
 # Run: `vision-manager/test_manager.sh` (no arguments).
 #
-# This is intentionally pragmatic — a full bats setup adds a dependency
-# the project doesn't otherwise carry. The smoke tests cover the three
-# behaviours the 0.87.8 commit claims, plus the two ERR-guard gaps the
-# adversarial review flagged (mem_check_and_stop ERR symmetry, post-
-# mem_check loop refresh).
+# Covers:
+#   * vision_running's three exit shapes (true / false / ERR)
+#   * mem_check_and_stop's ERR symmetry — including a positive grep on
+#     the "deferring to next tick" warning that DISTINGUISHES the fix
+#     from the bug (the prior version of this file only asserted
+#     `docker stop` was absent, which is true for BOTH branches)
+#   * refresh_running_after_mem_check (extracted in 0.87.18) — the
+#     post-mem_check ERR guard that was structurally untestable in the
+#     0.87.15 harness because MANAGER_TEST_NO_MAIN=1 skips the loop
+#   * log-on-flip gating for the new WARNING lines so a long outage
+#     doesn't flood the log
 set -euo pipefail
 
 script_dir="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
@@ -27,6 +33,12 @@ trap 'rm -rf "$stub_dir"' EXIT
 state_file="$stub_dir/.state"
 : > "$state_file"
 
+# `log_file` captures everything `log` emits during a single test so the
+# bug-vs-fix-distinguishing tests can grep for the WARNING line that the
+# 0.87.15 test failed to assert.
+log_file="$stub_dir/.log"
+: > "$log_file"
+
 # Configurable stubs: each stub looks for a per-call env var and emits
 # whatever the test set. Stubs append to $state_file so a test can assert
 # "stop_vision called N times" etc.
@@ -103,8 +115,49 @@ assert_eq() {
 
 reset() {
   : > "$state_file"
+  : > "$log_file"
   unset STUB_DOCKER_INSPECT_OUT STUB_DOCKER_INSPECT_RC STUB_DOCKER_RC
   unset STUB_PSQL_OUT STUB_PSQL_RC STUB_CURL_RC
+  # Reset the loop-scope log-on-flip flags so each test starts from a
+  # clean slate. Initially zero per manager.sh's main-loop init block.
+  mem_check_err_logged=0
+  inspect_err_logged=0
+}
+
+# Capture stdout from a function call so a test can assert on what the
+# manager logged, not just on what it didn't do. `log` writes to stdout
+# (see manager.sh:46); redirect it through this helper to a file and
+# return the function's exit code so the chained `$?` is preserved.
+run_and_capture_log() {
+  "$@" >>"$log_file" 2>&1
+}
+
+assert_log_contains() {
+  local want="$1" desc="$2"
+  if grep -qF -- "$want" "$log_file"; then
+    pass=$((pass + 1))
+    echo "  ok: $desc"
+  else
+    fail=$((fail + 1))
+    echo "  FAIL: $desc"
+    echo "    expected log to contain: ${want}"
+    echo "    log was:"
+    sed 's/^/      /' "$log_file"
+  fi
+}
+
+assert_log_count() {
+  local pattern="$1" want="$2" desc="$3"
+  local got
+  got="$(grep -cF -- "$pattern" "$log_file" || true)"
+  if [ "$got" = "$want" ]; then
+    pass=$((pass + 1))
+    echo "  ok: $desc"
+  else
+    fail=$((fail + 1))
+    echo "  FAIL: $desc"
+    echo "    pattern '${pattern}' expected count ${want}, got ${got}"
+  fi
 }
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -138,20 +191,35 @@ read_mem_used_pct() { echo "95"; }
 
 reset
 export STUB_DOCKER_INSPECT_OUT="Cannot connect to the Docker daemon" STUB_DOCKER_INSPECT_RC=2
-MEM_YIELD_ENABLED=1 MEM_HIGH_WATERMARK_PCT=90 mem_check_and_stop
-# Stub state should NOT contain a `docker stop` line — the inspect error
-# must defer, not silently no-op the SIGTERM.
+MEM_YIELD_ENABLED=1 MEM_HIGH_WATERMARK_PCT=90 run_and_capture_log mem_check_and_stop
+# Two distinct assertions: no docker stop (the absence) AND the
+# "deferring to next tick" warning (the presence). The 0.87.15 test
+# checked only the first, which both buggy AND fixed branches satisfy.
+# Without the warning assertion, mechanical revert of the ERR carve-out
+# to `[ "$vr" = "true" ]` ships green — the rereview verified this.
 if grep -q "^docker stop " "$state_file"; then
   fail=$((fail + 1))
   echo "  FAIL: mem_check_and_stop must NOT call docker stop when vision_running returns ERR"
 else
   pass=$((pass + 1))
-  echo "  ok: mem_check_and_stop defers stop on inspect ERR (no silent no-op)"
+  echo "  ok: mem_check_and_stop defers stop on inspect ERR (no SIGTERM)"
 fi
+assert_log_contains \
+  "but vision_running returned ERR — deferring to next tick" \
+  "mem_check_and_stop logs the deferral warning on ERR (distinguishes fix from bug)"
+
+# Log-on-flip: a second mem_check_and_stop call with the same ERR must
+# NOT re-log the warning. Mirrors the sibling mem_inhibited/crawl_deferred
+# pattern in the production code.
+run_and_capture_log mem_check_and_stop
+assert_log_count \
+  "but vision_running returned ERR — deferring to next tick" \
+  "1" \
+  "mem_check_and_stop log-on-flip: WARNING doesn't repeat across ticks"
 
 reset
 export STUB_DOCKER_INSPECT_OUT="true" STUB_DOCKER_INSPECT_RC=0
-MEM_YIELD_ENABLED=1 MEM_HIGH_WATERMARK_PCT=90 mem_check_and_stop
+MEM_YIELD_ENABLED=1 MEM_HIGH_WATERMARK_PCT=90 run_and_capture_log mem_check_and_stop
 if grep -q "^docker stop " "$state_file"; then
   pass=$((pass + 1))
   echo "  ok: mem_check_and_stop stops vision when vision_running='true' and pressure"
@@ -162,7 +230,7 @@ fi
 
 reset
 export STUB_DOCKER_INSPECT_OUT="false" STUB_DOCKER_INSPECT_RC=0
-MEM_YIELD_ENABLED=1 MEM_HIGH_WATERMARK_PCT=90 mem_check_and_stop
+MEM_YIELD_ENABLED=1 MEM_HIGH_WATERMARK_PCT=90 run_and_capture_log mem_check_and_stop
 if grep -q "^docker stop " "$state_file"; then
   fail=$((fail + 1))
   echo "  FAIL: mem_check_and_stop should NOT call docker stop when vision isn't running"
@@ -171,6 +239,50 @@ else
   echo "  ok: mem_check_and_stop no-ops when vision isn't running"
 fi
 
+echo
+echo "refresh_running_after_mem_check: post-mem ERR guard (extracted helper)"
+
+reset
+export STUB_DOCKER_INSPECT_OUT="true" STUB_DOCKER_INSPECT_RC=0
+run_and_capture_log refresh_running_after_mem_check
+assert_eq "$REFRESH_RUNNING_RESULT" "true" "refresh_running_after_mem_check sets 'true' when running"
+if grep -q "WARNING" "$log_file"; then
+  fail=$((fail + 1))
+  echo "  FAIL: refresh_running_after_mem_check must not log on the happy path"
+else
+  pass=$((pass + 1))
+  echo "  ok: refresh_running_after_mem_check is quiet on the happy path"
+fi
+
+reset
+export STUB_DOCKER_INSPECT_OUT="Cannot connect to the Docker daemon" STUB_DOCKER_INSPECT_RC=2
+run_and_capture_log refresh_running_after_mem_check
+assert_eq "$REFRESH_RUNNING_RESULT" "ERR" "refresh_running_after_mem_check sets 'ERR' on docker inspect failure"
+assert_log_contains \
+  "docker inspect failed after mem_check_and_stop" \
+  "refresh_running_after_mem_check warns on ERR (distinguishes fix from bug)"
+
+# Log-on-flip: second ERR call must NOT re-log.
+run_and_capture_log refresh_running_after_mem_check
+assert_eq "$REFRESH_RUNNING_RESULT" "ERR" "second ERR also sets 'ERR'"
+assert_log_count \
+  "docker inspect failed after mem_check_and_stop" \
+  "1" \
+  "refresh_running_after_mem_check log-on-flip: WARNING doesn't repeat across ticks"
+
+# Transition back to OK must reset the flip-flag so a future ERR
+# re-logs.
+export STUB_DOCKER_INSPECT_OUT="true" STUB_DOCKER_INSPECT_RC=0
+run_and_capture_log refresh_running_after_mem_check
+assert_eq "$REFRESH_RUNNING_RESULT" "true" "transition to OK resets the helper"
+export STUB_DOCKER_INSPECT_OUT="Cannot connect" STUB_DOCKER_INSPECT_RC=2
+run_and_capture_log refresh_running_after_mem_check
+assert_eq "$REFRESH_RUNNING_RESULT" "ERR" "re-ERR after recovery sets 'ERR'"
+assert_log_count \
+  "docker inspect failed after mem_check_and_stop" \
+  "2" \
+  "refresh_running_after_mem_check log-on-flip: re-ERR after recovery DOES log"
+
 echo
 echo "Result: ${pass} pass, ${fail} fail"
 [ "$fail" -eq 0 ]