diff --git a/src/cli.ts b/src/cli.ts
index d8906a0da..c8560c2eb 100644
--- a/src/cli.ts
+++ b/src/cli.ts
@@ -646,6 +646,25 @@ async function connectEngine(): Promise<BrainEngine> {
                   process.env.GBRAIN_NO_RETRY_CONNECT === '1';
   const { connectWithRetry } = await import('./core/db.ts');
   await connectWithRetry(engine, toEngineConfig(config), { noRetry });
+
+  // Auto-apply pending schema migrations on connect (#651). Cheap probe
+  // first so already-migrated brains don't pay the bootstrap-probe +
+  // SCHEMA_SQL replay + ledger-check cost on every short-lived CLI call.
+  // This is the conditional version of #652 (oyi77's investigation):
+  // same correctness, no perf regression on the hot path.
+  try {
+    const { hasPendingMigrations } = await import('./core/migrate.ts');
+    if (await hasPendingMigrations(engine)) {
+      await engine.initSchema();
+    }
+  } catch (err) {
+    // Non-fatal: if probe or initSchema fails, surface a hint and continue
+    // with the connected engine. Subsequent operations will surface the
+    // real schema error in context.
+    console.warn(`  Schema probe/migrate failed: ${(err as Error).message}`);
+    console.warn('  Try: gbrain init --migrate-only');
+  }
+
   return engine;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/core/migrate.ts b/src/core/migrate.ts
index 10afefd2e..09ce97301 100644
--- a/src/core/migrate.ts
+++ b/src/core/migrate.ts
@@ -1649,6 +1649,32 @@ async function runMigrationSQL(
   }
 }
 
+/**
+ * Cheap probe: does this engine have schema migrations pending?
+ *
+ * Reads the `version` config row in a single round-trip (no schema replay,
+ * no migration apply). Used by `connectEngine` to gate `initSchema()` so
+ * short-lived CLI invocations on already-migrated brains don't pay the
+ * full bootstrap-probe + SCHEMA_SQL replay + ledger-check cost on every
+ * `gbrain stats` / `gbrain query` / `gbrain doctor`.
+ *
+ * Defensive: treats a getConfig failure (config table missing, query error)
+ * as "yes pending" so the caller falls through to the full initSchema path.
+ * Worst case on a wedged brain is one extra schema replay — same as before.
+ *
+ * Closes #651 in cooperation with the post-upgrade auto-apply hook (X1)
+ * without the perf cost #652 would have introduced on every CLI call.
+ */
+export async function hasPendingMigrations(engine: BrainEngine): Promise<boolean> {
+  try {
+    const currentStr = await engine.getConfig('version');
+    const current = parseInt(currentStr || '1', 10);
+    return current < LATEST_VERSION;
+  } catch {
+    return true;
+  }
+}
+
 export async function runMigrations(engine: BrainEngine): Promise<{ applied: number; current: number }> {
   const currentStr = await engine.getConfig('version');
   const current = parseInt(currentStr || '1', 10);
diff --git a/test/migrate.test.ts b/test/migrate.test.ts
index 88dda1b05..55b102d81 100644
--- a/test/migrate.test.ts
+++ b/test/migrate.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { describe, test, expect, beforeAll, afterAll, spyOn } from 'bun:test';
-import { LATEST_VERSION, runMigrations, MIGRATIONS, getIdleBlockers } from '../src/core/migrate.ts';
+import { LATEST_VERSION, runMigrations, MIGRATIONS, getIdleBlockers, hasPendingMigrations } from '../src/core/migrate.ts';
 import type { IdleBlocker } from '../src/core/migrate.ts';
 import type { BrainEngine } from '../src/core/engine.ts';
 import { PGLiteEngine } from '../src/core/pglite-engine.ts';
@@ -20,6 +20,49 @@ describe('migrate', () => {
   // and are covered in the E2E suite (test/e2e/mechanical.test.ts)
 });
 
+// v0.28.5 — A1: cheap probe used by `connectEngine` to gate `initSchema()`
+// so already-migrated brains don't pay the schema-replay cost on every
+// short-lived CLI invocation. Closes #651 in cooperation with X1's
+// post-upgrade auto-apply, without #652's perf regression.
+describe('hasPendingMigrations', () => {
+  test('returns false on a fully-migrated brain (version === LATEST)', async () => {
+    const engine = new PGLiteEngine();
+    await engine.connect({});
+    try {
+      await engine.initSchema(); // applies all migrations through LATEST_VERSION
+      expect(await hasPendingMigrations(engine)).toBe(false);
+    } finally {
+      await engine.disconnect();
+    }
+  }, 30000);
+
+  test('returns true when version config is behind LATEST_VERSION', async () => {
+    const engine = new PGLiteEngine();
+    await engine.connect({});
+    try {
+      await engine.initSchema();
+      // Simulate an older brain by rewinding the version row.
+      await engine.setConfig('version', '1');
+      expect(await hasPendingMigrations(engine)).toBe(true);
+    } finally {
+      await engine.disconnect();
+    }
+  }, 30000);
+
+  test('returns true when version config is missing entirely (defensive default)', async () => {
+    const engine = new PGLiteEngine();
+    await engine.connect({});
+    try {
+      // Don't call initSchema. Probe against an empty PGlite — getConfig should
+      // either return null (treated as version=1) or throw on missing config
+      // table; either way the probe must say "yes pending."
+      expect(await hasPendingMigrations(engine)).toBe(true);
+    } finally {
+      await engine.disconnect();
+    }
+  }, 30000);
+});
+
 // ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 // v0.18.0 — v16 sources_table_additive (Step 1, Lane A)
 // ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────