diff --git a/scripts/__tests__/eager-closure-budgets.ts b/scripts/__tests__/eager-closure-budgets.ts
index 528d936b92..118558ace2 100644
--- a/scripts/__tests__/eager-closure-budgets.ts
+++ b/scripts/__tests__/eager-closure-budgets.ts
@@ -95,13 +95,14 @@ export function discoverFacadeEntryFiles(repoRoot: string): string[] {
 }
 
 /**
- * Designated hubs: entry points whose closure the whole suite or every CLI run pays for.
- * `src/platform-runtime.ts` is the ADR-0019 composition root, the one production module allowed
- * to value-import a concrete platform package; its no-growth rule is also the assertion that
- * composing the registry stays metadata-eager.
+ * Designated hubs: entry points whose closure the whole suite, every CLI run, or every daemon start
+ * pays for. `src/platform-runtime.ts` is the ADR-0019 composition root, the one production module
+ * allowed to value-import a concrete platform package; its no-growth rule is also the assertion
+ * that composing the registry stays metadata-eager.
  */
 export const HUB_ENTRY_FILES: readonly string[] = [
   'src/cli.ts',
+  'src/daemon.ts',
   'src/platform-runtime.ts',
   'src/core/interactors/register-builtins.ts',
   'src/daemon/session-teardown.ts',
diff --git a/src/daemon/__tests__/replay-device-selection.test.ts b/src/daemon/__tests__/replay-device-selection.test.ts
index 0f499d5eff..cad572140a 100644
--- a/src/daemon/__tests__/replay-device-selection.test.ts
+++ b/src/daemon/__tests__/replay-device-selection.test.ts
@@ -2,18 +2,25 @@ import { test, expect } from 'vitest';
 import fs from 'node:fs';
 import path from 'node:path';
 import { parseReplayInput } from '@agent-device/ad-script';
+import type { ReplayScriptSourceBundle } from '@agent-device/contracts/replay';
 import { buildReplayTargetDeviceResolution } from '../replay-device-selection.ts';
-import { buildReplayScriptPlatformFlags } from '@agent-device/replay-port/replay-script-selection';
+import {
+  appTargetResolutionOptions,
+  buildReplayScriptPlatformFlags,
+} from '@agent-device/replay-port/replay-script-selection';
 import { mkdtempForTestSync } from '../../__tests__/test-utils/tmp-dir.ts';
-import { replayScriptSourceBundleFor } from '../../__tests__/test-utils/replay-script-source.ts';
+import {
+  maestroScriptSourceBundleFor,
+  replayScriptSourceBundleFor,
+} from '../../__tests__/test-utils/replay-script-source.ts';
 
-test('replay leaves deep-link opens to normal device resolution', () => {
+test('replay leaves deep-link opens to normal device resolution', async () => {
   const root = mkdtempForTestSync('agent-device-replay-device-selection-');
   const replayPath = path.join(root, 'deep-link.ad');
   fs.writeFileSync(replayPath, 'open demo://checkout\n');
 
   expect(
-    buildReplayTargetDeviceResolution({
+    await buildReplayTargetDeviceResolution({
       token: 'test-token',
       session: 'default',
       command: 'replay',
@@ -36,7 +43,7 @@ test('native replay applies its authored platform before a first deep link', ()
   ).toEqual({ platform: 'ios' });
 });
 
-test('native replay uses its authored Android runtime setting without an iOS app probe', () => {
+test('native replay uses its authored Android runtime setting without an iOS app probe', async () => {
   const root = mkdtempForTestSync('agent-device-replay-device-selection-');
   const replayPath = path.join(root, 'android.ad');
   fs.writeFileSync(
@@ -44,7 +51,7 @@ test('native replay uses its authored Android runtime setting without an iOS app
     'runtime set --platform android --metro-port 8081\nopen com.example.demo\n',
   );
 
-  const resolution = buildReplayTargetDeviceResolution({
+  const resolution = await buildReplayTargetDeviceResolution({
     token: 'test-token',
     session: 'default',
     command: 'replay',
@@ -58,3 +65,55 @@ test('native replay uses its authored Android runtime setting without an iOS app
   expect(resolution?.flags.platform).toBe('android');
   expect(resolution?.options).toBeUndefined();
 });
+
+test('a replay whose wire bundle has a malformed entry stays advisory', async () => {
+  // The HTTP boundary validates `flags` only as an object, so a remote caller
+  // can deliver a bundle without a string `entry`. #1802 keeps lock binding
+  // advisory: the probe must fall back to normal device resolution, and the
+  // replay handler stays the one to reject the request.
+  const malformedBundles = [
+    // A missing entry fails the bundle read itself.
+    { entry: undefined, files: {} },
+    // A non-string entry survives the read — `files` is keyed by the coerced
+    // string — and reaches format resolution, where `path.extname` rejects it.
+    { entry: 42, files: { '42': 'open demo://checkout\n' } },
+  ] as unknown as ReplayScriptSourceBundle[];
+
+  for (const bundle of malformedBundles) {
+    await expect(
+      buildReplayTargetDeviceResolution({
+        token: 'test-token',
+        session: 'default',
+        command: 'replay',
+        positionals: [],
+        flags: {
+          replayBackend: 'maestro',
+          replayScriptSource: bundle,
+        },
+        meta: { cwd: mkdtempForTestSync('agent-device-replay-device-selection-') },
+      }),
+    ).resolves.toBeUndefined();
+  }
+});
+
+test('a Maestro flow pre-binds an iOS replay to its static appId', async () => {
+  const root = mkdtempForTestSync('agent-device-replay-device-selection-');
+  const flowPath = path.join(root, 'checkout.yaml');
+  fs.writeFileSync(flowPath, 'appId: com.example.demo\n---\n- launchApp\n');
+
+  const resolution = await buildReplayTargetDeviceResolution({
+    token: 'test-token',
+    session: 'default',
+    command: 'replay',
+    positionals: [flowPath],
+    flags: {
+      platform: 'ios',
+      replayBackend: 'maestro',
+      replayScriptSource: await maestroScriptSourceBundleFor(flowPath),
+    },
+    meta: { cwd: root },
+  });
+
+  expect(resolution?.options).toEqual(appTargetResolutionOptions('com.example.demo'));
+  expect(resolution?.options).toBeDefined();
+});
diff --git a/src/daemon/replay-device-selection.ts b/src/daemon/replay-device-selection.ts
index 4eafe33aa2..1c11e516eb 100644
--- a/src/daemon/replay-device-selection.ts
+++ b/src/daemon/replay-device-selection.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import { inspectMaestroFlow } from '@agent-device/maestro';
 import { parseReplayInput, resolveReplayFormat } from '@agent-device/ad-script';
 import type { ResolveTargetDeviceOptions } from '@agent-device/device-selection/dispatch-resolve';
 import type { CommandFlags } from '@agent-device/contracts/command';
@@ -24,40 +23,66 @@ export type ReplayTargetDeviceResolution = {
  * filesystem. Before that this opened the caller's path here too, so against a
  * remote daemon it silently no-opped (the read threw and the catch below
  * swallowed it) and every remote replay lost its pre-binding.
+ *
+ * The Maestro engine loads only once the entry resolves to a flow: request
+ * binding is in the daemon's startup closure, and most replays are `.ad`.
  */
-export function buildReplayTargetDeviceResolution(
+export async function buildReplayTargetDeviceResolution(
   req: DaemonRequest,
-): ReplayTargetDeviceResolution | undefined {
+): Promise<ReplayTargetDeviceResolution | undefined> {
   if (req.command !== 'replay' || req.flags?.replayFrom !== undefined) return undefined;
   const bundle = req.flags?.replayScriptSource;
   if (!bundle) return undefined;
 
-  try {
+  return readAdvisoryResolution(async () => {
     const resolved = bundle.entry;
     const source = readReplayScriptSourceFile(bundle, resolved);
     if (resolveReplayFormat(resolved, req.flags?.replayBackend) === 'maestro') {
-      const flow = inspectMaestroFlow(source, resolved);
-      return {
-        flags: req.flags ?? {},
-        options: buildMaestroReplayTargetDeviceResolutionOptions(
-          flow.appTarget,
-          req.flags?.platform,
-        ),
-      };
+      return await readMaestroReplayResolution(source, resolved, req.flags);
     }
-    const parsed = parseReplayInput(source, req.flags);
-    const selection = readScriptReplaySelection(parsed.actions);
-    if (!selection.appTarget) return undefined;
-    const scriptFlags = buildReplayScriptPlatformFlags(req.flags, parsed.actions);
-    const platform = scriptFlags.platform ?? parsed.metadata.platform;
-    return {
-      flags:
-        platform && scriptFlags.platform === undefined ? { ...scriptFlags, platform } : scriptFlags,
-      options: platform === 'ios' ? appTargetResolutionOptions(selection.appTarget) : undefined,
-    };
+    return readAdScriptResolution(source, req.flags);
+  });
+}
+
+async function readMaestroReplayResolution(
+  source: string,
+  resolvedPath: string,
+  flags: DaemonRequest['flags'],
+): Promise<ReplayTargetDeviceResolution> {
+  const { inspectMaestroFlow } = await import('@agent-device/maestro');
+  const flow = inspectMaestroFlow(source, resolvedPath);
+  return {
+    flags: flags ?? {},
+    options: buildMaestroReplayTargetDeviceResolutionOptions(flow.appTarget, flags?.platform),
+  };
+}
+
+function readAdScriptResolution(
+  source: string,
+  flags: DaemonRequest['flags'],
+): ReplayTargetDeviceResolution | undefined {
+  const parsed = parseReplayInput(source, flags);
+  const selection = readScriptReplaySelection(parsed.actions);
+  if (!selection.appTarget) return undefined;
+  const scriptFlags = buildReplayScriptPlatformFlags(flags, parsed.actions);
+  const platform = scriptFlags.platform ?? parsed.metadata.platform;
+  return {
+    flags:
+      platform && scriptFlags.platform === undefined ? { ...scriptFlags, platform } : scriptFlags,
+    options: platform === 'ios' ? appTargetResolutionOptions(selection.appTarget) : undefined,
+  };
+}
+
+async function readAdvisoryResolution(
+  read: () => Promise<ReplayTargetDeviceResolution | undefined>,
+): Promise<ReplayTargetDeviceResolution | undefined> {
+  try {
+    return await read();
   } catch {
     // Parsing and validation stay in the replay handler. Lock binding is only
-    // advisory, so an unreadable/invalid plan must not mask its real error.
+    // advisory, so an unreadable/invalid plan must not mask its real error. The
+    // whole probe sits behind this guard, including the wire bundle's entry and
+    // format, which the request boundary only checks as an object.
     return undefined;
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/daemon/request-binding.ts b/src/daemon/request-binding.ts
index 1c030b53c1..d536376a36 100644
--- a/src/daemon/request-binding.ts
+++ b/src/daemon/request-binding.ts
@@ -84,14 +84,15 @@ function resolveFreshSessionBindingRequest(req: DaemonRequest): DaemonRequest {
   }
 }
 
-function resolveFreshSessionDeviceLock(req: DaemonRequest):
+async function resolveFreshSessionDeviceLock(req: DaemonRequest): Promise<
   | {
       flags: NonNullable<DaemonRequest['flags']>;
       options: ReturnType<typeof buildOpenTargetDeviceResolutionOptions> | undefined;
     }
-  | undefined {
+  | undefined
+> {
   if (req.command === 'open') return resolveOpenDeviceLock(req);
-  if (req.command === 'replay') return resolveReplayDeviceLock(req);
+  if (req.command === 'replay') return await resolveReplayDeviceLock(req);
   return resolveExplicitDeviceLock(req);
 }
 
@@ -101,7 +102,7 @@ function resolveFreshSessionDeviceLock(req: DaemonRequest):
  * happens after: the locked request resolves and binds its device on its own.
  */
 async function resolveFreshSessionDevice(req: DaemonRequest): Promise<DeviceInfo | undefined> {
-  const resolution = resolveFreshSessionDeviceLock(resolveFreshSessionBindingRequest(req));
+  const resolution = await resolveFreshSessionDeviceLock(resolveFreshSessionBindingRequest(req));
   if (!resolution) return undefined;
   try {
     return await resolveTargetDevice(resolution.flags, resolution.options);
@@ -116,8 +117,8 @@ function resolveOpenDeviceLock(req: DaemonRequest) {
   return options ? { flags: req.flags ?? {}, options } : undefined;
 }
 
-function resolveReplayDeviceLock(req: DaemonRequest) {
-  return buildReplayTargetDeviceResolution(req) ?? resolveExplicitDeviceLock(req);
+async function resolveReplayDeviceLock(req: DaemonRequest) {
+  return (await buildReplayTargetDeviceResolution(req)) ?? resolveExplicitDeviceLock(req);
 }
 
 function resolveExplicitDeviceLock(req: DaemonRequest) {