diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 6d85635a..2741d602 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@ product overview.
 
 ## Unreleased
 
+- Fix the agent directory returning an empty list on a connected Slack deployment: register
+  the live Slack client for discovery and follow disconnect/reconnect. Preserve native Slack
+  automation delivery, including image uploads, menus and reminder permalinks.
+
 - Update Claude Code to 2.1.306 and offer Sonnet 5.5 in the model picker, with its
   native 1M context window and verified external-usage cache rates. Existing saved models remain valid.
 
diff --git a/FEATURES.md b/FEATURES.md
index c8289cd5..2c9d10ab 100644
--- a/FEATURES.md
+++ b/FEATURES.md
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@
 - Built-in reconciliation refreshes channel metadata at startup and nightly at 03:00 in the host
   local timezone without an engine turn or user schedule. Metadata caches narrow keyword searches;
   returned recommendations still verify live metadata/membership and fresh gateway access.
+  The daemon registers its existing Slack lifecycle manager in the live connector registry;
+  disconnects fail closed and reconnects resolve the current client without retaining old readers.
 - Visibility protects the reply's audience as well as its requester. DMs, group DMs, hidden,
   archived and Lean agents are excluded. Private destinations cannot appear in public/shared
   sources; other results require the whole current source roster to belong to the destination.
diff --git a/TEST-PLAN.md b/TEST-PLAN.md
index e187e6ea..568a8e8a 100644
--- a/TEST-PLAN.md
+++ b/TEST-PLAN.md
@@ -2,6 +2,14 @@
 
 ## Channel agent directory (2026-10-21)
 
+- [x] Production boot integration: `test/agent-directory-slack-boot.test.js` uses the real Slack
+  manager and `createPlatformTransports({ slack })` with a scratch store and simulated provider.
+  Search uses its default verifier (no directory/connector override), returns the current channel
+  and eligible specialist after connect, fails closed after disconnect despite cached metadata,
+  and uses the replacement client after reconnect. Native automation retains the raw Slack
+  WebClient for menus, images, prefixes and permalink APIs. Live acceptance must exercise the
+  actual daemon boot registration, not just an injected membership provider.
+
 - [x] Regression: `test/agent-directory.test.js`, `test/agent-directory-refresh.test.js` and
   `test/agent-directory-tools.test.js` exercise live shared grant/template/dependency resolution,
   source and destination authorization, personal dependency suppression, audience proof,
diff --git a/scripts/security-coverage.mjs b/scripts/security-coverage.mjs
index 60e5a89e..11aab5eb 100644
--- a/scripts/security-coverage.mjs
+++ b/scripts/security-coverage.mjs
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ const areas = [
   {
     name: "agent-directory", floor: [98, 83, 95],
     include: ["src/gateway/agent-directory.js", "src/gateway/agent-directory-refresh.js", "src/slack/agent-directory.js", "src/mcp/tools/agent-directory.js"],
-    tests: ["test/agent-directory.test.js", "test/agent-directory-refresh.test.js", "test/agent-directory-tools.test.js"],
+    tests: ["test/agent-directory.test.js", "test/agent-directory-refresh.test.js", "test/agent-directory-tools.test.js", "test/agent-directory-slack-boot.test.js"],
   },
   {
     name: "plugin-packages", floor: [95, 85, 90],
diff --git a/src/platforms/boot.js b/src/platforms/boot.js
index f2e826be..0b3d0261 100644
--- a/src/platforms/boot.js
+++ b/src/platforms/boot.js
@@ -59,7 +59,18 @@ async function startTeamsTransport(config, log) {
   return startTeams({ ...config, capabilities, getActivationReactions: () => getMentionReactions('msteams'), getActivationVersion: getTeamsMentionReactionsUpdatedAt, onMessage: ingest, onInvoke: controls.onInvoke, onStop: controls.stop, log, deps: { auth, api, connector } });
 }
 
-export function createPlatformTransports({ log = console } = {}) {
+export function createPlatformTransports({ slack, log = console } = {}) {
+  // Slack retains its existing lifecycle manager, but also supplies the live connector seam
+  // used by read-only agent discovery. Resolve the CURRENT client on every access so a
+  // disconnect or credential rotation can never retain an old metadata/membership reader.
+  if (slack) registerTransport("slack", {
+    snapshot: () => slack.snapshot(),
+    getConnector: () => {
+      const client = slack.snapshot().connected ? slack.getClient() : null;
+      const adapter = requirePlatform("slack");
+      return client ? adapter.createConnector(client, { capabilities: adapter.capabilities }) : null;
+    },
+  });
   const googlechat = createTransportManager({ platform: "googlechat", log, start: (config, lifecycle) => startGoogleChatTransport(config, log, lifecycle) });
   const msteams = createTransportManager({ platform: "msteams", log, start: (config) => startTeamsTransport(config, log) });
   registerTransport("googlechat", googlechat);
diff --git a/src/platforms/notify.js b/src/platforms/notify.js
index ceeea766..a1f36048 100644
--- a/src/platforms/notify.js
+++ b/src/platforms/notify.js
@@ -79,8 +79,11 @@ export async function postDirectMessage(target, { userId, text, blocks = null }
 // Chat/Teams result, and a Slack client must never receive a namespaced foreign conversation id.
 export function automationTarget(slackManager, conversationId) {
   const platform = platformOfConversation(conversationId);
+  // Keep native Slack delivery (menus, images, trusted prefixes and permalink APIs) on its
+  // WebClient path even when Slack also registers a live connector for directory reads.
+  const client = slackManager?.snapshot?.().connected ? slackManager.getClient?.() : null;
+  if (asConnector(client)?.platform === platform) return client;
   const live = liveConnector(platform);
   if (live && live.ready?.() !== false) return live;
-  const client = slackManager?.snapshot?.().connected ? slackManager.getClient?.() : null;
-  return asConnector(client)?.platform === platform ? client : null;
+  return null;
 }
diff --git a/src/server.js b/src/server.js
index 4768f634..7befc113 100644
--- a/src/server.js
+++ b/src/server.js
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ process.env.MCP_TOOL_TIMEOUT ||= "300000";
 const slack = createSlackManager();
 // Google Chat + Teams. Created at module scope alongside Slack so the managers exist (and are
 // registered as the platforms' live-connector source) before anything can ask for a connector.
-const transports = createPlatformTransports();
+const transports = createPlatformTransports({ slack });
 
 // A long-running gateway must survive a bad integration (e.g. an invalid Slack token producing
 // an async error). Log and keep running rather than exiting on these.
diff --git a/test/agent-directory-slack-boot.test.js b/test/agent-directory-slack-boot.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ab50ba87
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/agent-directory-slack-boot.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+import test from "node:test";
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { ensureTestEnv } from "./helpers.js";
+
+ensureTestEnv();
+const { createSlackManager } = await import("../src/slack/manager.js");
+const { createPlatformTransports } = await import("../src/platforms/boot.js");
+const { liveConnector, resetTransports } = await import("../src/platforms/live.js");
+const { automationTarget } = await import("../src/platforms/notify.js");
+const { reconcileAgentDirectory, readAgentDirectoryMetadata } = await import("../src/gateway/agent-directory-refresh.js");
+const { searchAgentDirectory } = await import("../src/gateway/agent-directory.js");
+const { setUser, upsertChannelEntry, defaultChannelMeta, saveChannelMeta } = await import("../src/config/store.js");
+const sourceId = "C_BOOT_SOURCE";
+const specialistId = "C_BOOT_SPECIALIST";
+const authorId = "U_BOOT_READER";
+
+function webClient(purpose) {
+  const calls = [];
+  return { calls,
+    chat: { postMessage: async () => ({ channel: sourceId, ts: "1.1" }), getPermalink: async () => ({ permalink: "https://slack.example/thread" }) },
+    conversations: {
+      info: async ({ channel }) => {
+        calls.push(channel);
+        return { ok: true, channel: { id: channel, name: channel === sourceId ? "boot-source" : "boot-specialist", is_channel: true, is_private: true, purpose: { value: purpose } } };
+      },
+      members: async () => ({ ok: true, members: [authorId, "U_BOOT_BOT"], response_metadata: {} }),
+    },
+  };
+}
+
+test("daemon transport boot exposes Slack discovery and follows disconnect/reconnect without changing native automation delivery", async () => {
+  resetTransports();
+  await setUser(authorId, { approved: true });
+  for (const [channelId, name] of [[sourceId, "boot-source"], [specialistId, "boot-specialist"]]) {
+    const entry = await upsertChannelEntry(channelId, { name, type: "group", isDM: false });
+    await saveChannelMeta(entry.slug, defaultChannelMeta({ channelId, name, type: "group", isDM: false }));
+  }
+  const first = webClient("Presentation specialist");
+  const second = webClient("Updated presentation specialist");
+  let next = first;
+  const manager = createSlackManager({ start: async () => ({ app: { client: next, stop: async () => {} }, teamId: "T_BOOT", botUserId: "U_BOOT_BOT" }) });
+  // This is the same boot entry the daemon calls, not an injected directory verifier/provider.
+  createPlatformTransports({ slack: manager });
+  const lookup = () => searchAgentDirectory({ createdBy: authorId, channelId: sourceId, limit: 50 });
+  try {
+    assert.equal(liveConnector("slack"), null);
+    assert.equal((await lookup()).returned, 0);
+    await manager.connect({});
+    assert.equal(liveConnector("slack").client, first);
+    assert.equal(automationTarget(manager, sourceId), first, "native Slack delivery keeps menus, images and getPermalink");
+    const initial = await lookup();
+    assert.deepEqual(initial.agents.map((entry) => entry.channelId).sort(), [sourceId, specialistId].sort());
+    assert.equal(initial.agents.find((entry) => entry.channelId === specialistId).description, "Presentation specialist");
+    assert.match(initial.agents[0].url, /^https:\/\/slack\.com\/app_redirect/);
+    const refresh = await reconcileAgentDirectory();
+    assert.equal(refresh.updated, 2);
+    assert.equal(readAgentDirectoryMetadata()[specialistId].purpose, "Presentation specialist");
+    await manager.disconnect();
+    assert.equal(liveConnector("slack"), null);
+    assert.equal(automationTarget(manager, sourceId), null);
+    assert.equal((await lookup()).returned, 0, "cache never substitutes for disconnected live proof");
+    const oldReads = first.calls.length;
+    next = second;
+    await manager.connect({});
+    assert.equal(automationTarget(manager, sourceId), second);
+    const updated = await lookup();
+    assert.equal(updated.agents.find((entry) => entry.channelId === specialistId).description, "Updated presentation specialist");
+    assert.equal(first.calls.length, oldReads, "old credentials/client are not retained by the registry");
+  } finally {
+    await manager.disconnect();
+    resetTransports();
+  }
+});