diff --git a/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json b/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json
index 6fdae5f..b522862 100644
--- a/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json
+++ b/.claude-plugin/marketplace.json
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
       "name": "memware",
       "source": "./integrations/claude-code",
       "description": "Session transcripts indexed for recall; a belief ledger that only remembers the latest truth. Hooks: SessionEnd/PreCompact sync, prompt-time belief context.",
-      "version": "0.2.5",
+      "version": "0.2.6",
       "author": {
         "name": "ericwalisko"
       }
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 1c6e0aa..9db867b 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,6 +6,20 @@ All notable changes to this project are documented here. The format follows
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## [0.2.6] - 2026-09-03
+
+### Added
+- A `SessionStart` plugin hook that catches up any session whose `SessionEnd` never ran. Some
+  environments force-kill Claude Code — a worktree/pane manager can `SIGKILL` the process
+  group on close, and a `SIGKILL` cannot run `SessionEnd` — so its sync + backup were skipped.
+  On the next start, a bare `memware sync` (new: no path = catch up the configured
+  `backup.transcript_src`, default `~/.claude/projects`) plus a throttled backup run,
+  **backgrounded** so startup is never delayed. Raw transcripts were durable regardless; this
+  makes the *index* current without relying on a clean exit.
+
+### Changed
+- The store now sets `PRAGMA busy_timeout=5000`, so a concurrent writer waits and retries instead of failing with "database is locked" — the SessionStart catch-up, a session-end sync, and the backup cron can now overlap safely.
+
 ## [0.2.5] - 2026-09-03
 
 ### Added
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0f06ca6..4e1803b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ transcripts. It fills as you work (via the `remember` tool, or a derive job you
 Transcript recall is what backfill gives you immediately, and it is where most of the value is.
 
 Requires the `memware` CLI on your `PATH` (see [Install](#install)). Hooks:
-`SessionEnd`/`PreCompact` sync the transcript into the index; an optional `UserPromptSubmit`
+a `SessionStart` hook catches up any session whose `SessionEnd` was skipped (some environments force-kill Claude Code — a worktree manager may `SIGKILL` it — and a kill cannot run `SessionEnd`); `SessionEnd`/`PreCompact` sync the transcript into the index; an optional `UserPromptSubmit`
 hook injects the handful of currently valid beliefs whose subject the prompt names (beliefs
 only — transcript search is on demand through the MCP tools). Set `MEMWARE_DB` to move the
 store, and `MEMWARE_NO_CAPTURE=1` for any session you do not want indexed. See
diff --git a/docs/integrations.md b/docs/integrations.md
index 0eedb43..374376a 100644
--- a/docs/integrations.md
+++ b/docs/integrations.md
@@ -22,9 +22,12 @@ Hooks (`hooks/hooks.json`):
 
 | event | command | effect |
 |---|---|---|
+| `SessionStart` | `memware sync` (catch-up) + `memware backup --if-stale 20`, backgrounded | indexes any session whose `SessionEnd` never ran, then a throttled backup — see note |
 | `SessionEnd`, `PreCompact` | `memware sync --harness claude-code --from-hook` | indexes the session's new turns from `transcript_path` |
 | `UserPromptSubmit` (optional) | `memware context --from-hook` | injects the few currently valid beliefs relevant to the prompt as `additionalContext` |
 
+`SessionEnd` runs when Claude Code exits cleanly, but some environments **force-kill** it (a worktree/pane manager may `SIGKILL` the process group on close), and a `SIGKILL` cannot run any hook. The `SessionStart` hook covers that: it runs a bare `memware sync` — which catches up the configured `backup.transcript_src` (default `~/.claude/projects`) — plus a throttled backup, **backgrounded** so it never delays startup. So the previous session is indexed at the next start even if its `SessionEnd` was skipped; the raw transcript is durable on disk regardless.
+
 The prompt-time hook injects **beliefs only**, capped by `-k`. Transcript
 search is on demand through the MCP server. Add it at **user** scope so every
 project sees it — the default (`local`) scopes the server to the one directory
diff --git a/integrations/claude-code/.claude-plugin/plugin.json b/integrations/claude-code/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
index f64aaee..24ce2a4 100644
--- a/integrations/claude-code/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
+++ b/integrations/claude-code/.claude-plugin/plugin.json
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "memware",
   "description": "Session transcripts indexed for recall; a belief ledger that only remembers the latest truth.",
-  "version": "0.2.5",
+  "version": "0.2.6",
   "author": {
     "name": "ericwalisko"
   }
diff --git a/integrations/claude-code/hooks/hooks.json b/integrations/claude-code/hooks/hooks.json
index d61fc6e..fc2f2fc 100644
--- a/integrations/claude-code/hooks/hooks.json
+++ b/integrations/claude-code/hooks/hooks.json
@@ -1,5 +1,16 @@
 {
   "hooks": {
+    "SessionStart": [
+      {
+        "hooks": [
+          {
+            "type": "command",
+            "command": "nohup sh -c 'memware sync --harness claude-code; memware backup --if-stale 20 --quiet' >/dev/null 2>&1 & true",
+            "timeout": 10
+          }
+        ]
+      }
+    ],
     "SessionEnd": [
       {
         "hooks": [
diff --git a/src/memware/__init__.py b/src/memware/__init__.py
index 4cdd26f..0a6292c 100644
--- a/src/memware/__init__.py
+++ b/src/memware/__init__.py
@@ -22,4 +22,4 @@
     "history",
     "reject",
 ]
-__version__ = "0.2.5"
+__version__ = "0.2.6"
diff --git a/src/memware/cli.py b/src/memware/cli.py
index fc12f32..fbf8cf2 100644
--- a/src/memware/cli.py
+++ b/src/memware/cli.py
@@ -54,6 +54,15 @@ def cmd_sync(a: argparse.Namespace) -> int:
         tp = _hook_payload().get("transcript_path")
         if tp:
             paths.append(str(tp))
+    if not paths and not a.from_hook:
+        # Bare `memware sync` = catch up the configured transcript source (default
+        # ~/.claude/projects). The SessionStart hook uses this to index sessions whose
+        # SessionEnd never ran — e.g. a worktree manager that SIGKILLs the process group.
+        from memware.config import get_dotted, load_config
+
+        src = get_dotted(load_config(), "backup.transcript_src")
+        if src:
+            paths.append(str(src))
     if not paths:
         print("nothing to sync", file=sys.stderr)
         return 0
diff --git a/src/memware/store.py b/src/memware/store.py
index 422e7b1..cfe6c1a 100644
--- a/src/memware/store.py
+++ b/src/memware/store.py
@@ -144,6 +144,10 @@ def __init__(self, path: str | os.PathLike[str] | None = None) -> None:
         self.conn.row_factory = sqlite3.Row
         self.conn.execute("PRAGMA journal_mode=WAL")
         self.conn.execute("PRAGMA synchronous=NORMAL")
+        # WAL allows one writer at a time; wait-and-retry rather than failing a concurrent
+        # write with "database is locked". Several memware processes can touch the store at
+        # once — the SessionStart catch-up, a session-end sync, and the backup cron can overlap.
+        self.conn.execute("PRAGMA busy_timeout=5000")
         if not self._has_fts5():
             raise RuntimeError("this SQLite build lacks FTS5; memware requires it")
         self.conn.executescript(SCHEMA)
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
index 193eb8f..158e17c 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli.py
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -107,3 +107,22 @@ def test_setup_hint_shows_until_backups_configured(tmp_path, capsys, monkeypatch
     capsys.readouterr()
     main(["--db", db, "stats"])  # once a destination exists the tip is gone
     assert "memware setup" not in capsys.readouterr().err
+
+
+def test_bare_sync_catches_up_configured_transcript_src(tmp_path, capsys, monkeypatch):
+    """`memware sync` with no path indexes the configured transcript source — what the
+    SessionStart hook runs to catch up sessions whose SessionEnd never fired (e.g. a worktree
+    force-killed by Orca). A path or --from-hook still targets exactly what's given."""
+    monkeypatch.setenv("MEMWARE_HOME", str(tmp_path / "home"))
+    projects = tmp_path / "projects"
+    (projects / "p").mkdir(parents=True)
+    write_claude_jsonl(
+        projects / "p" / "s.jsonl",
+        "s",
+        [("assistant", "2026-08-25T00:00:00Z", "the indexer catches up on the next session start")],
+    )
+    db = str(tmp_path / "m.db")
+    main(["--db", db, "config", "backup.transcript_src", str(projects)])
+    capsys.readouterr()
+    assert main(["--db", db, "sync", "--json"]) == 0  # no path -> configured source
+    assert json.loads(capsys.readouterr().out)["added"] == 1