diff --git a/PR_MERGE_SUMMARY.md b/PR_MERGE_SUMMARY.md
deleted file mode 100644
index c84e2a17..00000000
--- a/PR_MERGE_SUMMARY.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,316 +0,0 @@
-# ALwrity Daily Workflow PR Merge Summary
-**Date:** March 9, 2026  
-**Session Goal:** Review and integrate workflow enhancement PRs (#388-397)  
-**Status:** ✅ COMPLETED - 9 PRs successfully merged
-
----
-
-## Successfully Merged PRs (9 Total)
-
-### Core Workflow Enhancement Series
-
-| # | Title | Commit | Key Improvements |
-|---|-------|--------|-----------------|
-| #388 | Daily Workflow Integration & Enhanced Reliability | 8f6ed3a | Agent committee orchestration, robust task proposal handling, metadata normalization |
-| #389 | Committee Health Precheck & Simplified Architecture | 3558131 | Simplified schema, health precheck, removed complex dependency coercion |
-| #390 | Degraded-mode Workflow Regeneration Criteria | 56854df | Rate-limited `/regenerate` endpoint (3 req/60s), quality score tracking |
-| #391 | Workflow Provenance Quality Metrics | 2d4c83e | Provenance classification (agent vs fallback), quality ratio calculation |
-| #392 | Contextuality Validation & Low-context Status | 74b788a | Evidence-link grounding, plan contextuality scoring (65% threshold) |
-| #394 | Task Memory Feedback Scoring | 38444f4 | Proper self-learning: uses persisted task.status, handles all negative cases |
-| #395 | Dependencies Normalization | 0aaaf07 | Robust `_normalize_dependencies()` helper for consistent data types |
-| #396 | Date Validation & Error Handling | 9271566 | ISO date validation before yesterday indexing, narrower SQLAlchemyError handling |
-| #397 | Typed Request Model for Task Status | 39bc3e3 | Pydantic `TaskStatusEnum` & `TaskStatusUpdateRequest`, FastAPI auto-validation |
-
----
-
-## System Architecture Evolution
-
-### From Simple to Sophisticated
-```
-PR #388 ─→ Agent Committee Orchestration
-PR #389 ─→ Clean Architecture
-PR #390 ─→ Regeneration Control
-PR #391 ─→ Quality Awareness
-PR #392 ─→ Evidence-Based Grounding
-PR #394 ─→ Proper Memory Learning
-PR #395 ─→ Data Consistency
-PR #396 ─→ Production Observability
-PR #397 ─→ API Type Safety
-```
-
----
-
-## Key Features Implemented
-
-### 1. **Agent Committee (PR #388)**
-- Multi-agent orchestration with 5 specialized agents:
-  - ContentStrategyAgent
-  - StrategyArchitectAgent
-  - SEOOptimizationAgent
-  - SocialAmplificationAgent
-  - CompetitorResponseAgent
-- Parallel proposal gathering with exception safety
-- Deduplication by priority and semantic ordering
-
-### 2. **Contextuality Validation (PR #392)**
-- Evidence-link framework:
-  - `onboarding:{field_name}` references
-  - `alert:{alert_id}` references
-- Task contextuality scoring: minimum 1 evidence link
-- Plan contextuality threshold: 65% of tasks must meet threshold
-- Automatic strict regeneration for low-context plans
-- Response fields: `quality_status`, `contextuality_validation`
-
-### 3. **Self-Learning Memory (PR #394)**
-- Uses canonical `task.status` from database (not request param)
-- Proper feedback scoring:
-  - `completed` → +1 (positive learning)
-  - `skipped`, `dismissed`, `rejected` → -1 (negative learning)
-  - Other statuses → 0 (neutral)
-- Prevents inconsistent memory behavior from status normalization mismatches
-
-### 4. **Data Consistency (PR #395)**
-- `_normalize_dependencies()` helper handles all type variations:
-  - `None` → `[]`
-  - List → returned as-is
-  - JSON string → parsed and validated
-  - Invalid types → `[]`
-- Applied to today and yesterday task payloads
-- Ensures indexing pipeline receives consistent types
-
-### 5. **Production Observability (PR #396)**
-- Date validation:
-  - ISO format check before computing yesterday
-  - Clear warning logs (plan_id, user_id, plan_date, reason)
-  - Graceful skip on parse failure
-- Narrower exception handling:
-  - `SQLAlchemyError` instead of silent `except Exception: pass`
-  - Detailed error logs with context
-  - Non-fatal failures preserve today's indexing
-
-### 6. **API Type Safety (PR #397)**
-- `TaskStatusEnum` enumeration:
-  - Constrains valid status values at type level
-  - FastAPI auto-validation in OpenAPI
-- `TaskStatusUpdateRequest` Pydantic model:
-  - `status: TaskStatusEnum` (auto-validated)
-  - `completion_notes: Optional[str]` (max 4000 chars enforced)
-  - Eliminates manual validation code
-
----
-
-## Technical Highlights
-
-### Backend Services
-- **today_workflow_service.py**: 
-  - `generate_agent_enhanced_plan()` with agent committee + LLM fallback
-  - `validate_plan_contextuality()` for evidence-link scoring
-  - `_ensure_pillar_coverage()` with LLM backfill + controlled fallback
-  - `update_task_status()` with memory integration
-
-- **API (today_workflow.py)**:
-  - Type-safe endpoint handlers
-  - Pydantic request/response validation
-  - Comprehensive error handling
-  - Normalized dependencies throughout
-  - Detailed logging for observability
-
-### Database & ORM
-- Efficient schema after simplification (PR #389)
-- `plan_json` BLOB stores complete workflow metadata
-- Proper foreign key relationships
-- Transaction safety with SQLAlchemy
-
-### Frontend (TypeScript)
-- Zustand store for workflow state
-- Error boundary handling
-- Fallback logic for degraded mode
-- Type-safe API calls
-
----
-
-## Quality Metrics
-
-### Code Quality
-- ✅ Type safety throughout (Pydantic, TypeScript)
-- ✅ Comprehensive error handling (narrower scopes)
-- ✅ Detailed observability logging
-- ✅ Non-fatal failure modes
-- ✅ Data consistency guarantees
-
-### Testing Coverage
-- ✅ Python static compile checks (all PRs)
-- ✅ Backend unit tests (scheduler, onboarding, database)
-- ✅ Frontend builds without errors (linting auto-fixed)
-
-### Production Readiness
-- ✅ Rate limiting for regeneration endpoint
-- ✅ Evidence-link grounding prevents hallucinations
-- ✅ Self-learning memory improves task proposals
-- ✅ Graceful degradation with fallback tasks
-- ✅ Detailed error logging for operations
-
----
-
-## Skipped PRs & Rationale
-
-### PR #393: Improve indexing observability logs
-- **Status:** ❌ CLOSED (user decision)
-- **Reason:** Contextuality validation too important to remove
-- **Contains:** Good logging improvements, but removes core validation
-
-### PR #398: Resolve canonical user IDs in scheduler
-- **Status:** ⏸️ SKIPPED
-- **Reason:** 
-  - Codex flagged P1 concern: User ID filtering could drop legacy tasks
-  - Codex flagged P2 concern: DB initialization as side effect in discovery
-  - Causes regressions in API layer (removes Pydantic models, error handling)
-  - Built from older main version
-- **Recommendation:** Await rebase on current main + Codex concerns addressed
-
-### PR #399: Centralize onboarding SEO task health
-- **Status:** ⏸️ SKIPPED
-- **Reason:**
-  - Same regressions as PR #398 (removes API improvements)
-  - Built from older main version
-  - SEO dashboard improvements are solid but not worth losing workflow API enhancements
-- **Recommendation:** Rebase on current main when #398 is fixed
-
----
-
-## Current State Summary
-
-### What We Have
-✅ **Agent Committee System**
-- 5 specialized agents with parallel proposal gathering
-- Semantic deduplication
-- Self-learning memory integration
-- Graceful fallback to LLM generation
-
-✅ **Evidence-Link Grounding**
-- Tasks reference onboarding data and system alerts
-- Contextuality scoring prevents hallucinations
-- Automatic strict regeneration for low-context workflows
-- Response metadata for monitoring
-
-✅ **Self-Learning Memory**
-- Proper feedback scoring from database state
-- Handles all task status outcomes
-- Prevents inconsistent learning from normalized statuses
-
-✅ **Data Consistency**
-- Normalized dependencies across all payloads
-- Type-safe API endpoints
-- Consistent data handling in indexing
-
-✅ **Production Observability**
-- Date validation before yesterday indexing
-- Narrower exception handling with detailed logs
-- Non-fatal error modes
-- Clear operational visibility
-
-✅ **API Type Safety**
-- Pydantic validation
-- OpenAPI documentation
-- No manual validation code needed
-- Better IDE support with TypeScript
-
-### System Capabilities
-- Daily workflow generation with 6 lifecycle pillars
-- Rate-limited on-demand regeneration
-- Evidence-based contextuality validation
-- Self-improving task proposals through memory
-- Graceful degradation with fallback tasks
-- Comprehensive logging and error handling
-- Type-safe endpoints with auto-validation
-
----
-
-## Lessons Learned
-
-### PR Review Patterns
-1. **Check for regressions:** Several PRs removed recent improvements
-2. **Verify git history:** PRs #398-399 were built from older main
-3. **Surgical merges work:** Combining good parts while preserving improvements
-4. **Documentation matters:** Clear merge commit messages help understand evolution
-
-### Code Quality
-1. **Type safety prevents bugs:** Pydantic models caught issues early
-2. **Narrow exception scopes:** Better observability than broad catches
-3. **Evidence-based design:** Grounding prevents hallucination
-4. **Data consistency:** Normalization functions prevent downstream bugs
-
-### Architecture Decisions
-1. **Committee approach:** Multiple agents > single LLM
-2. **Evidence links:** Better than quality ratios for grounding
-3. **Memory learning:** Use DB state, not request params
-4. **Graceful degradation:** Fallback tasks > error states
-
----
-
-## Next Steps (Future Work)
-
-### High Priority
-1. **PR #398 Rebase**: Wait for:
-   - Rebase on current main
-   - Codex P1 concern: Address user ID filtering for legacy tasks
-   - Codex P2 concern: Avoid DB initialization in discovery
-
-2. **PR #399 Rebase**: Depends on #398
-   - SEO dashboard improvements once #398 is fixed
-
-### Medium Priority
-1. **Performance Tuning**: Monitor agent committee query times
-2. **Memory Optimization**: Cache agent proposals for repeated patterns
-3. **Dashboard Enhancement**: Add contextuality metrics to UI
-
-### Low Priority
-1. **Documentation**: Update API docs with new models
-2. **Logging**: Expand observability for edge cases
-3. **Testing**: Add integration tests for committee scenarios
-
----
-
-## Session Statistics
-
-| Metric | Value |
-|--------|-------|
-| **PRs Reviewed** | 12 (#388-397, #398-399) |
-| **PRs Merged** | 9 (#388-397, excluding #393) |
-| **PRs Skipped** | 3 (#393 closed by user, #398-399 due to regressions) |
-| **Merge Conflicts Resolved** | 11 |
-| **Surgical Merges** | 4 (#394-397) |
-| **Git Commits** | 9 merge commits |
-| **Files Modified** | 30+ across backend/frontend |
-| **Lines Added** | 1000+ |
-| **Lines Removed** | 1500+ |
-| **Time Span** | March 8-9, 2026 |
-
----
-
-## Recommendation for Future Sessions
-
-1. **Before merging PRs:**
-   - Check that PR is based on current main
-   - Review for regressions in dependent code
-   - Look for Codex review comments (P1/P2 flags)
-
-2. **When PRs conflict with improvements:**
-   - Use surgical merge to extract good parts
-   - Preserve working system over incomplete features
-
-3. **For architectural changes:**
-   - Validate against existing patterns
-   - Ensure data consistency maintained
-   - Test against real workflows
-
-4. **Documentation:**
-   - Update this file when significant changes occur
-   - Keep git history clean with descriptive commits
-   - Tag versions for major milestones
-
----
-
-**Session Completed:** ✅  
-**System State:** Production-ready with advanced features  
-**Next Review:** When PR #398 is rebased on current main
diff --git a/backend/api/podcast/handlers/video.py b/backend/api/podcast/handlers/video.py
index 3f56dd63..b7cc69af 100644
--- a/backend/api/podcast/handlers/video.py
+++ b/backend/api/podcast/handlers/video.py
@@ -45,11 +45,17 @@ def _extract_error_message(exc: Exception) -> str:
     """
     Extract user-friendly error message from exception.
     Handles HTTPException with nested error details from WaveSpeed API.
+    Preserves subscription modal flags for frontend.
     """
     if isinstance(exc, HTTPException):
         detail = exc.detail
         # If detail is a dict (from WaveSpeed client)
         if isinstance(detail, dict):
+            # Check if this is a subscription/credit error
+            if detail.get("error_type") == "insufficient_credits" or detail.get("show_subscription_modal"):
+                # Return the error message with subscription modal flag
+                return detail.get("message", "Insufficient credits. Please top up your account.")
+            
             # Try to extract message from nested response JSON
             response_str = detail.get("response", "")
             if response_str:
@@ -86,6 +92,27 @@ def _extract_error_message(exc: Exception) -> str:
     return error_str
 
 
+def _extract_error_metadata(exc: Exception) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    """Extract structured error metadata for task polling clients."""
+    if isinstance(exc, HTTPException):
+        detail = exc.detail
+        if isinstance(detail, dict):
+            return {
+                "error_status": exc.status_code,
+                "error_data": detail,
+            }
+        if isinstance(detail, str):
+            return {
+                "error_status": exc.status_code,
+                "error_data": {
+                    "error": detail,
+                    "message": detail,
+                },
+            }
+
+    return {}
+
+
 def _execute_podcast_video_task(
     task_id: str,
     request: PodcastVideoGenerationRequest,
@@ -229,9 +256,15 @@ def _execute_podcast_video_task(
         
         # Extract user-friendly error message from exception
         error_msg = _extract_error_message(exc)
+        error_meta = _extract_error_metadata(exc)
         
         task_manager.update_task_status(
-            task_id, "failed", error=error_msg, message=f"Video generation failed: {error_msg}"
+            task_id,
+            "failed",
+            error=error_msg,
+            message=f"Video generation failed: {error_msg}",
+            error_status=error_meta.get("error_status"),
+            error_data=error_meta.get("error_data"),
         )
 
 
@@ -257,7 +290,7 @@ async def generate_podcast_video(
         try:
             if hasattr(request, 'headers') and hasattr(request.headers, 'get'):
                  auth_header = request.headers.get("Authorization")
-        except:
+        except Exception:
             pass
             
         if auth_header and auth_header.startswith("Bearer "):
diff --git a/backend/api/story_writer/task_manager.py b/backend/api/story_writer/task_manager.py
index 2e6d2e40..42415269 100644
--- a/backend/api/story_writer/task_manager.py
+++ b/backend/api/story_writer/task_manager.py
@@ -76,6 +76,10 @@ class TaskManager:
         
         if task["status"] == "failed" and task.get("error"):
             response["error"] = task["error"]
+            if task.get("error_status") is not None:
+                response["error_status"] = task["error_status"]
+            if task.get("error_data") is not None:
+                response["error_data"] = task["error_data"]
         
         return response
     
@@ -86,7 +90,9 @@ class TaskManager:
         progress: Optional[float] = None,
         message: Optional[str] = None,
         result: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None,
-        error: Optional[str] = None
+        error: Optional[str] = None,
+        error_status: Optional[int] = None,
+        error_data: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None,
     ):
         """Update the status of a task."""
         if task_id not in self.task_storage:
@@ -112,6 +118,10 @@ class TaskManager:
         if error is not None:
             task["error"] = error
             logger.error(f"[StoryWriter] Task {task_id} error: {error}")
+        if error_status is not None:
+            task["error_status"] = error_status
+        if error_data is not None:
+            task["error_data"] = error_data
     
     async def execute_story_generation_task(
         self,
diff --git a/backend/api/today_workflow.py b/backend/api/today_workflow.py
index b6efea6d..94ffb949 100644
--- a/backend/api/today_workflow.py
+++ b/backend/api/today_workflow.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ from sqlalchemy.exc import SQLAlchemyError
 
 from middleware.auth_middleware import get_current_user
 from services.database import get_db
-from services.today_workflow_service import get_or_create_daily_workflow_plan, update_task_status
+from services.today_workflow_service import get_or_create_daily_workflow_plan, update_task_status, _today_date_str
 from models.daily_workflow_models import DailyWorkflowPlan, DailyWorkflowTask
 import asyncio
 from services.intelligence.txtai_service import TxtaiIntelligenceService
@@ -81,26 +81,7 @@ async def _index_tasks_to_sif(user_id: str, date: str, tasks: list[dict], label:
         logger.debug(f"Background indexing failed for user {user_id}: {e}")
 
 
-@router.get("")
-async def get_today_workflow(
-    date: Optional[str] = None,
-    current_user: dict = Depends(get_current_user),
-    db: Session = Depends(get_db),
-) -> Dict[str, Any]:
-    from starlette.concurrency import run_in_threadpool
-    user_id = str(current_user.get("id"))
-    plan, created = await get_or_create_daily_workflow_plan(db, user_id, date=date)
-
-    def _fetch_tasks():
-        return (
-            db.query(DailyWorkflowTask)
-            .filter(DailyWorkflowTask.plan_id == plan.id, DailyWorkflowTask.user_id == user_id)
-            .order_by(DailyWorkflowTask.created_at.asc())
-            .all()
-        )
-
-    tasks = await run_in_threadpool(_fetch_tasks)
-
+def _build_workflow_payload(user_id: str, plan: DailyWorkflowPlan, tasks: list[DailyWorkflowTask]) -> Dict[str, Any]:
     response_tasks = []
     for t in tasks:
         response_tasks.append(
@@ -136,8 +117,156 @@ async def get_today_workflow(
         workflow_status = "completed"
 
     total_estimated = int(sum(int(t.get("estimatedTime") or 0) for t in response_tasks))
+    plan_json = plan.plan_json or {}
+
+    return {
+        "workflow": {
+            "id": f"daily-{user_id}-{plan.date}",
+            "date": plan.date,
+            "userId": user_id,
+            "tasks": response_tasks,
+            "currentTaskIndex": current_index,
+            "completedTasks": completed,
+            "totalTasks": total,
+            "workflowStatus": workflow_status,
+            "totalEstimatedTime": total_estimated,
+            "actualTimeSpent": 0,
+        },
+        "plan": {
+            "id": plan.id,
+            "date": plan.date,
+            "source": plan.source,
+            "generation_mode": plan.generation_mode,
+            "committee_agent_count": plan.committee_agent_count,
+            "fallback_used": bool(plan.fallback_used),
+            "quality_status": plan_json.get("quality_status", "contextual"),
+            "contextuality_validation": plan_json.get("contextuality_validation"),
+            "provenance_summary": {
+                "generationMode": plan.generation_mode,
+                "committeeAgentCount": plan.committee_agent_count,
+                "fallbackUsed": bool(plan.fallback_used),
+                "taskSourceBreakdown": {},
+            },
+            "created_at": plan.created_at.isoformat() if plan.created_at else None,
+            "updated_at": plan.updated_at.isoformat() if plan.updated_at else None,
+        },
+        "schedule_status": {
+            "date": plan.date,
+            "generated": True,
+            "scheduled_run_completed": plan.source == "scheduled",
+            "source": plan.source,
+            "created_at": plan.created_at.isoformat() if plan.created_at else None,
+        },
+    }
+
+
+@router.get("")
+async def get_today_workflow(
+    date: Optional[str] = None,
+    current_user: dict = Depends(get_current_user),
+    db: Session = Depends(get_db),
+) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    """Get existing daily workflow for the specified date.
+    Returns 404 if no workflow exists for the date.
+    Workflow should only be created via explicit user action or scheduled job.
+    """
+    from starlette.concurrency import run_in_threadpool
+    user_id = str(current_user.get("id"))
+    date_str = date or _today_date_str()
+    
+    def _get_existing():
+        return (
+            db.query(DailyWorkflowPlan)
+            .filter(DailyWorkflowPlan.user_id == user_id, DailyWorkflowPlan.date == date_str)
+            .first()
+        )
+    
+    plan = await run_in_threadpool(_get_existing)
+    
+    if not plan:
+        raise HTTPException(
+            status_code=404,
+            detail=f"No workflow found for date {date_str}. Workflow should be generated via explicit user action or scheduled job."
+        )
+
+    def _fetch_tasks():
+        return (
+            db.query(DailyWorkflowTask)
+            .filter(DailyWorkflowTask.plan_id == plan.id, DailyWorkflowTask.user_id == user_id)
+            .order_by(DailyWorkflowTask.created_at.asc())
+            .all()
+        )
+
+    tasks = await run_in_threadpool(_fetch_tasks)
+
+    return {
+        "success": True,
+        "data": _build_workflow_payload(user_id, plan, tasks),
+        "timestamp": datetime.utcnow().isoformat(),
+        "user_id": user_id,
+    }
+
+
+@router.get("/status")
+async def get_today_workflow_status(
+    date: Optional[str] = None,
+    current_user: dict = Depends(get_current_user),
+    db: Session = Depends(get_db),
+) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    from starlette.concurrency import run_in_threadpool
+
+    user_id = str(current_user.get("id"))
+    date_str = date or _today_date_str()
+
+    def _get_existing():
+        return (
+            db.query(DailyWorkflowPlan)
+            .filter(DailyWorkflowPlan.user_id == user_id, DailyWorkflowPlan.date == date_str)
+            .first()
+        )
+
+    plan = await run_in_threadpool(_get_existing)
+
+    return {
+        "success": True,
+        "data": {
+            "date": date_str,
+            "generated": plan is not None,
+            "scheduled_run_completed": bool(plan and plan.source == "scheduled"),
+            "source": plan.source if plan else None,
+            "created_at": plan.created_at.isoformat() if plan and plan.created_at else None,
+        },
+        "timestamp": datetime.utcnow().isoformat(),
+        "user_id": user_id,
+    }
+
+
+@router.post("/generate")
+async def generate_workflow(
+    date: Optional[str] = None,
+    current_user: dict = Depends(get_current_user),
+    db: Session = Depends(get_db),
+) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    """Explicitly generate a new daily workflow for the specified date.
+    This should only be called when the user explicitly requests workflow generation
+    or via a scheduled job at night.
+    """
+    from starlette.concurrency import run_in_threadpool
+    user_id = str(current_user.get("id"))
+    plan, created = await get_or_create_daily_workflow_plan(db, user_id, date=date, creation_source="manual")
+
+    def _fetch_tasks():
+        return (
+            db.query(DailyWorkflowTask)
+            .filter(DailyWorkflowTask.plan_id == plan.id, DailyWorkflowTask.user_id == user_id)
+            .order_by(DailyWorkflowTask.created_at.asc())
+            .all()
+        )
+
+    tasks = await run_in_threadpool(_fetch_tasks)
 
     if created:
+        response_tasks = _build_workflow_payload(user_id, plan, tasks)["workflow"]["tasks"]
         asyncio.create_task(_index_tasks_to_sif(user_id, plan.date, response_tasks, label="today"))
         from datetime import date as date_type, timedelta
 
@@ -200,29 +329,7 @@ async def get_today_workflow(
 
     return {
         "success": True,
-        "data": {
-            "workflow": {
-                "id": f"daily-{user_id}-{plan.date}",
-                "date": plan.date,
-                "userId": user_id,
-                "tasks": response_tasks,
-                "currentTaskIndex": current_index,
-                "completedTasks": completed,
-                "totalTasks": total,
-                "workflowStatus": workflow_status,
-                "totalEstimatedTime": total_estimated,
-                "actualTimeSpent": 0,
-            },
-            "plan": {
-                "id": plan.id,
-                "date": plan.date,
-                "source": plan.source,
-                "quality_status": (plan.plan_json or {}).get("quality_status", "contextual"),
-                "contextuality_validation": (plan.plan_json or {}).get("contextuality_validation"),
-                "created_at": plan.created_at.isoformat() if plan.created_at else None,
-                "updated_at": plan.updated_at.isoformat() if plan.updated_at else None,
-            },
-        },
+        "data": _build_workflow_payload(user_id, plan, tasks),
         "timestamp": datetime.utcnow().isoformat(),
         "user_id": user_id,
     }
diff --git a/backend/api/video_studio/handlers/avatar.py b/backend/api/video_studio/handlers/avatar.py
index f7570d2d..555a95a4 100644
--- a/backend/api/video_studio/handlers/avatar.py
+++ b/backend/api/video_studio/handlers/avatar.py
@@ -18,6 +18,26 @@ router = APIRouter()
 UPLOAD_DIR = Path("backend/data/video_studio/uploads")
 UPLOAD_DIR.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
 
+
+def _extract_error_metadata(exc: Exception) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+    """Extract structured HTTP error metadata for polling clients."""
+    if isinstance(exc, HTTPException):
+        detail = exc.detail
+        if isinstance(detail, dict):
+            return {
+                "error_status": exc.status_code,
+                "error_data": detail,
+            }
+        if isinstance(detail, str):
+            return {
+                "error_status": exc.status_code,
+                "error_data": {
+                    "error": detail,
+                    "message": detail,
+                },
+            }
+    return {}
+
 def _process_avatar_generation(task_id: str, image_path: Path, audio_path: Path, user_id: str, resolution: str, model: str):
     """
     Background task to process avatar generation using shared InfiniteTalk service.
@@ -94,7 +114,15 @@ def _process_avatar_generation(task_id: str, image_path: Path, audio_path: Path,
         
     except Exception as e:
         logger.error(f"[VideoStudio] Avatar generation failed for task {task_id}: {e}", exc_info=True)
-        task_manager.update_task(task_id, "failed", error=str(e), user_id=user_id)
+        error_meta = _extract_error_metadata(e)
+        task_manager.update_task(
+            task_id,
+            "failed",
+            error=str(e),
+            user_id=user_id,
+            error_status=error_meta.get("error_status"),
+            error_data=error_meta.get("error_data"),
+        )
     finally:
         # Cleanup temp upload files
         try:
diff --git a/backend/api/video_studio/task_manager.py b/backend/api/video_studio/task_manager.py
index 378b10b3..c4fabeac 100644
--- a/backend/api/video_studio/task_manager.py
+++ b/backend/api/video_studio/task_manager.py
@@ -39,7 +39,18 @@ class TaskManager:
             logger.error(f"[VideoStudio] Failed to create task: {e}")
             raise
 
-    def update_task(self, task_id: str, status: str, result: Optional[Dict] = None, error: Optional[str] = None, user_id: str = None, progress: float = None, message: str = None):
+    def update_task(
+        self,
+        task_id: str,
+        status: str,
+        result: Optional[Dict] = None,
+        error: Optional[str] = None,
+        user_id: str = None,
+        progress: float = None,
+        message: str = None,
+        error_status: Optional[int] = None,
+        error_data: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None,
+    ):
         """Update an existing task."""
         if not user_id:
             logger.error(f"[VideoStudio] Cannot update task {task_id} without user_id")
@@ -74,6 +85,13 @@ class TaskManager:
                     task.result = result
                 if error:
                     task.error = error
+                if error_status is not None or error_data is not None:
+                    result_payload = task.result if isinstance(task.result, dict) else {}
+                    if error_status is not None:
+                        result_payload["error_status"] = error_status
+                    if error_data is not None:
+                        result_payload["error_data"] = error_data
+                    task.result = result_payload
                 if progress is not None:
                     task.progress = progress
                 if message:
@@ -107,7 +125,7 @@ class TaskManager:
                 if status_val == "processing":
                     status_val = "running"
 
-                return {
+                response = {
                     "task_id": task.task_id,
                     "status": status_val,
                     "result": task.result,
@@ -117,6 +135,12 @@ class TaskManager:
                     "created_at": task.created_at,
                     "updated_at": task.updated_at
                 }
+                if isinstance(task.result, dict):
+                    if task.result.get("error_status") is not None:
+                        response["error_status"] = task.result.get("error_status")
+                    if task.result.get("error_data") is not None:
+                        response["error_data"] = task.result.get("error_data")
+                return response
             finally:
                 db.close()
         except Exception as e:
diff --git a/backend/migrate_schema.py b/backend/migrate_schema.py
index 4c109db1..307fe0fc 100644
--- a/backend/migrate_schema.py
+++ b/backend/migrate_schema.py
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@ import sqlite3
 import os
 from pathlib import Path
 
+
+ROOT_DIR = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent
+WORKSPACE_DIR = ROOT_DIR / "workspace"
+
 def migrate_database(db_path):
     """Add missing columns to daily_workflow_plans table."""
     if not os.path.exists(db_path):
@@ -46,14 +50,14 @@ def migrate_database(db_path):
 
 def find_and_migrate_databases():
     """Find all databases and apply migrations."""
-    workspace_dir = r'c:\Users\diksha rawat\Desktop\ALwrity\workspace'
+    workspace_dir = WORKSPACE_DIR
     
-    if not os.path.exists(workspace_dir):
+    if not workspace_dir.exists():
         print(f"Workspace directory not found: {workspace_dir}")
         return
     
     # Find all .db files
-    db_files = list(Path(workspace_dir).glob('**/db/*.db'))
+    db_files = list(workspace_dir.glob('**/db/*.db'))
     
     if not db_files:
         print("No databases found to migrate")
diff --git a/backend/services/database.py b/backend/services/database.py
index 39de47ba..0c31d54c 100644
--- a/backend/services/database.py
+++ b/backend/services/database.py
@@ -53,6 +53,39 @@ WORKSPACE_DIR = os.path.join(ROOT_DIR, 'workspace')
 # Engine cache for multi-tenant support
 _user_engines = {}
 
+
+def _ensure_daily_workflow_schema(engine, user_id: str) -> None:
+    """Backfill required daily_workflow_plans columns for legacy tenant DBs."""
+    required_columns = {
+        "generation_mode": "VARCHAR(30) NOT NULL DEFAULT 'llm_generation'",
+        "committee_agent_count": "INTEGER NOT NULL DEFAULT 0",
+        "fallback_used": "BOOLEAN NOT NULL DEFAULT 0",
+        "generation_run_id": "INTEGER",
+    }
+
+    try:
+        with engine.begin() as conn:
+            table_check = conn.exec_driver_sql(
+                "SELECT name FROM sqlite_master WHERE type='table' AND name='daily_workflow_plans'"
+            ).fetchone()
+            if not table_check:
+                return
+
+            existing_cols = {
+                row[1] for row in conn.exec_driver_sql("PRAGMA table_info(daily_workflow_plans)").fetchall()
+            }
+
+            for col_name, col_def in required_columns.items():
+                if col_name not in existing_cols:
+                    conn.exec_driver_sql(
+                        f"ALTER TABLE daily_workflow_plans ADD COLUMN {col_name} {col_def}"
+                    )
+                    logger.warning(
+                        f"Auto-migrated daily_workflow_plans column '{col_name}' for user {user_id}"
+                    )
+    except Exception as e:
+        logger.error(f"Failed daily_workflow_plans schema compatibility check for user {user_id}: {e}")
+
 def get_user_db_path(user_id: str) -> str:
     """Get the database path for a specific user."""
     # Sanitize user_id to be safe for filesystem
@@ -192,6 +225,7 @@ def init_user_database(user_id: str):
         UserBusinessInfoBase.metadata.create_all(bind=engine)
         ContentAssetBase.metadata.create_all(bind=engine)
         BingAnalyticsBase.metadata.create_all(bind=engine)
+        _ensure_daily_workflow_schema(engine, user_id)
         
         # Initialize default data for new databases
         try:
diff --git a/backend/services/scheduler/__init__.py b/backend/services/scheduler/__init__.py
index 974b452d..5d7d1983 100644
--- a/backend/services/scheduler/__init__.py
+++ b/backend/services/scheduler/__init__.py
@@ -3,7 +3,10 @@ Task Scheduler Package
 Modular, pluggable scheduler for ALwrity tasks.
 """
 
+import os
+
 from sqlalchemy.orm import Session
+from apscheduler.triggers.cron import CronTrigger
 
 from .core.scheduler import TaskScheduler
 from .core.executor_interface import TaskExecutor, TaskExecutionResult
@@ -32,6 +35,7 @@ from .utils.platform_insights_task_loader import load_due_platform_insights_task
 from .utils.advertools_task_loader import load_due_advertools_tasks
 from .utils.sif_indexing_task_loader import load_due_sif_indexing_tasks
 from .utils.market_trends_task_loader import load_due_market_trends_tasks
+from services.today_workflow_service import generate_scheduled_daily_workflows
 
 # Global scheduler instance (initialized on first access)
 _scheduler_instance: TaskScheduler = None
@@ -143,6 +147,18 @@ def get_scheduler() -> TaskScheduler:
             market_trends_executor,
             load_due_market_trends_tasks
         )
+
+        today_workflow_hour_utc = int(os.getenv('TODAY_WORKFLOW_SCHEDULE_HOUR_UTC', '2'))
+        today_workflow_minute_utc = int(os.getenv('TODAY_WORKFLOW_SCHEDULE_MINUTE_UTC', '0'))
+        _scheduler_instance.scheduler.add_job(
+            generate_scheduled_daily_workflows,
+            trigger=CronTrigger(hour=today_workflow_hour_utc, minute=today_workflow_minute_utc, timezone='UTC'),
+            id='generate_daily_workflows',
+            replace_existing=True,
+            max_instances=1,
+            coalesce=True,
+            misfire_grace_time=3600,
+        )
     
     return _scheduler_instance
 
diff --git a/backend/services/today_workflow_service.py b/backend/services/today_workflow_service.py
index 9883767f..e48d9faf 100644
--- a/backend/services/today_workflow_service.py
+++ b/backend/services/today_workflow_service.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ from models.daily_workflow_models import DailyWorkflowPlan, DailyWorkflowTask
 from models.agent_activity_models import AgentAlert
 from services.agent_activity_service import AgentActivityService, build_agent_event_payload
 from services.llm_providers.main_text_generation import llm_text_gen
+from services.database import get_all_user_ids, get_session_for_user
 from loguru import logger
 
 PILLAR_IDS = ["plan", "generate", "publish", "analyze", "engage", "remarket"]
@@ -604,7 +605,12 @@ async def generate_agent_enhanced_plan(
     return result
 
 
-async def get_or_create_daily_workflow_plan(db: Session, user_id: str, date: Optional[str] = None) -> tuple[DailyWorkflowPlan, bool]:
+async def get_or_create_daily_workflow_plan(
+    db: Session,
+    user_id: str,
+    date: Optional[str] = None,
+    creation_source: str = "manual",
+) -> tuple[DailyWorkflowPlan, bool]:
     from starlette.concurrency import run_in_threadpool
     
     date_str = date or _today_date_str()
@@ -646,7 +652,10 @@ async def get_or_create_daily_workflow_plan(db: Session, user_id: str, date: Opt
         plan = DailyWorkflowPlan(
             user_id=user_id,
             date=date_str,
-            source="agent",
+            source=creation_source,
+            generation_mode=_derive_generation_mode(plan_data),
+            committee_agent_count=_count_committee_agents(tasks),
+            fallback_used=_plan_uses_fallback(tasks),
             plan_json=plan_data,
             created_at=datetime.utcnow(),
             updated_at=datetime.utcnow(),
@@ -685,6 +694,80 @@ async def get_or_create_daily_workflow_plan(db: Session, user_id: str, date: Opt
     return plan, True
 
 
+def _derive_generation_mode(plan_data: Dict[str, Any]) -> str:
+    tasks = plan_data.get("tasks", []) if isinstance(plan_data, dict) else []
+    source_modes = set()
+    for task in tasks:
+        metadata = task.get("metadata") if isinstance(task, dict) else {}
+        metadata = metadata if isinstance(metadata, dict) else {}
+        source_agent = str(metadata.get("source_agent") or "").strip()
+        source = str(metadata.get("source") or "").strip()
+        if source_agent:
+            source_modes.add("agent_committee")
+        elif source in {"controlled_fallback", "llm_pillar_backfill"}:
+            source_modes.add(source)
+
+    if "agent_committee" in source_modes:
+        return "agent_committee"
+    if "controlled_fallback" in source_modes:
+        return "controlled_fallback"
+    if "llm_pillar_backfill" in source_modes:
+        return "llm_pillar_backfill"
+    return "llm_generation"
+
+
+def _count_committee_agents(tasks: List[Dict[str, Any]]) -> int:
+    agents = set()
+    for task in tasks:
+        metadata = task.get("metadata") if isinstance(task, dict) else {}
+        metadata = metadata if isinstance(metadata, dict) else {}
+        source_agent = str(metadata.get("source_agent") or "").strip()
+        if source_agent:
+            agents.add(source_agent)
+    return len(agents)
+
+
+def _plan_uses_fallback(tasks: List[Dict[str, Any]]) -> bool:
+    for task in tasks:
+        metadata = task.get("metadata") if isinstance(task, dict) else {}
+        metadata = metadata if isinstance(metadata, dict) else {}
+        source = str(metadata.get("source") or "").strip()
+        if source in {"controlled_fallback", "llm_pillar_backfill"}:
+            return True
+    return False
+
+
+async def generate_scheduled_daily_workflows() -> Dict[str, int]:
+    user_ids = get_all_user_ids()
+    stats = {"users_seen": 0, "created": 0, "existing": 0, "failed": 0}
+
+    for user_id in user_ids:
+        stats["users_seen"] += 1
+        db = None
+        try:
+            db = get_session_for_user(user_id)
+            plan, created = await get_or_create_daily_workflow_plan(
+                db,
+                user_id,
+                creation_source="scheduled",
+            )
+            if created:
+                stats["created"] += 1
+                logger.info("Scheduled daily workflow created for user {} date {}", user_id, plan.date)
+            else:
+                stats["existing"] += 1
+                logger.info("Scheduled daily workflow already exists for user {} date {}", user_id, plan.date)
+        except Exception as e:
+            stats["failed"] += 1
+            logger.error("Scheduled daily workflow generation failed for user {}: {}", user_id, e)
+        finally:
+            if db:
+                db.close()
+
+    logger.info("Scheduled daily workflow run complete: {}", stats)
+    return stats
+
+
 def update_task_status(
     db: Session,
     user_id: str,
diff --git a/backend/services/wavespeed/generators/video/generation.py b/backend/services/wavespeed/generators/video/generation.py
index b6f2af66..9c353e42 100644
--- a/backend/services/wavespeed/generators/video/generation.py
+++ b/backend/services/wavespeed/generators/video/generation.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ Video generation operations (text-to-video and image-to-video).
 """
 
 import requests
+import json
 from typing import Any, Dict, Optional
 from fastapi import HTTPException
 
@@ -12,6 +13,19 @@ from .base import VideoBase
 logger = get_service_logger("wavespeed.generators.video.generation")
 
 
+def _extract_wavespeed_message(response_text: str) -> str:
+    """Best-effort extraction of WaveSpeed error message from response payload."""
+    if not response_text:
+        return ""
+    try:
+        parsed = json.loads(response_text)
+        if isinstance(parsed, dict):
+            return str(parsed.get("message") or parsed.get("error") or "")
+    except (json.JSONDecodeError, TypeError, ValueError):
+        return ""
+    return ""
+
+
 class VideoGeneration(VideoBase):
     """Video generation operations."""
     
@@ -31,6 +45,25 @@ class VideoGeneration(VideoBase):
         response = requests.post(url, headers=self._get_headers(), json=payload, timeout=timeout)
         if response.status_code != 200:
             logger.error(f"[WaveSpeed] Submission failed: {response.status_code} {response.text}")
+
+            error_message = _extract_wavespeed_message(response.text)
+            if "insufficient credits" in error_message.lower() or "credit" in error_message.lower():
+                raise HTTPException(
+                    status_code=429,
+                    detail={
+                        "error": "Insufficient WaveSpeed credits",
+                        "message": "Insufficient credits. Please top up to continue video generation.",
+                        "provider": "wavespeed",
+                        "usage_info": {
+                            "provider": "wavespeed",
+                            "type": "credits",
+                            "limit_type": "provider_credits",
+                            "operation_type": "scene_animation",
+                            "action_required": "top_up",
+                        },
+                    },
+                )
+
             raise HTTPException(
                 status_code=502,
                 detail={
@@ -75,6 +108,25 @@ class VideoGeneration(VideoBase):
         
         if response.status_code != 200:
             logger.error(f"[WaveSpeed] Text-to-video submission failed: {response.status_code} {response.text}")
+
+            error_message = _extract_wavespeed_message(response.text)
+            if "insufficient credits" in error_message.lower() or "credit" in error_message.lower():
+                raise HTTPException(
+                    status_code=429,
+                    detail={
+                        "error": "Insufficient WaveSpeed credits",
+                        "message": "Insufficient credits. Please top up to continue video generation.",
+                        "provider": "wavespeed",
+                        "usage_info": {
+                            "provider": "wavespeed",
+                            "type": "credits",
+                            "limit_type": "provider_credits",
+                            "operation_type": "video_generation",
+                            "action_required": "top_up",
+                        },
+                    },
+                )
+
             raise HTTPException(
                 status_code=502,
                 detail={
@@ -174,6 +226,25 @@ class VideoGeneration(VideoBase):
             
             if response.status_code != 200:
                 logger.error(f"[WaveSpeed] Text-to-video submission failed: {response.status_code} {response.text}")
+
+                error_message = _extract_wavespeed_message(response.text)
+                if "insufficient credits" in error_message.lower() or "credit" in error_message.lower():
+                    raise HTTPException(
+                        status_code=429,
+                        detail={
+                            "error": "Insufficient WaveSpeed credits",
+                            "message": "Insufficient credits. Please top up to continue video generation.",
+                            "provider": "wavespeed",
+                            "usage_info": {
+                                "provider": "wavespeed",
+                                "type": "credits",
+                                "limit_type": "provider_credits",
+                                "operation_type": "video_generation",
+                                "action_required": "top_up",
+                            },
+                        },
+                    )
+
                 raise HTTPException(
                     status_code=502,
                     detail={
diff --git a/docs/BACKEND_LOG_RCA_TRACKER.md b/docs/BACKEND_LOG_RCA_TRACKER.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3671d2a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/BACKEND_LOG_RCA_TRACKER.md
@@ -0,0 +1,361 @@
+# Backend Log RCA Tracker
+
+## Purpose
+
+This document is the working catalog for backend issues observed in runtime logs.
+
+For each issue, capture:
+- error signature
+- observed symptoms
+- likely root cause analysis
+- confidence level
+- files to inspect/edit
+- fix strategy notes
+- validation steps
+- status
+
+## Triage Rules
+
+- Do not fix directly from logs alone unless root cause is confirmed.
+- Prefer grouping repeated log lines under one issue.
+- Track the first failing subsystem, then downstream effects.
+- Separate configuration problems from code defects.
+- Keep this document updated before and after each fix.
+
+## Issue 1: Clerk token verification failures on authenticated endpoints
+
+- **Status**: Open
+- **Severity**: High
+- **Subsystem**: Authentication / request pipeline
+- **Error signatures**:
+  - `Unverified token rejected (production).`
+  - `AUTHENTICATION ERROR: Token verification failed for endpoint: GET /api/...`
+- **Observed endpoints in logs**:
+  - `/api/content-planning/monitoring/lightweight-stats`
+  - `/api/content-planning/monitoring/health`
+  - `/api/subscription/dashboard/...`
+  - `/api/subscription/alerts/...`
+  - `/api/subscription/status/...`
+- **Observed behavior**:
+  - Requests reach authenticated endpoints.
+  - Clerk verification fails.
+  - Fallback unverified decode path is attempted.
+  - Production mode rejects the token.
+- **Primary RCA hypothesis**:
+  - The backend is receiving bearer tokens that do not successfully validate against the resolved Clerk JWKS/issuer configuration.
+  - The middleware then falls back to unverified decode, but production mode explicitly rejects that path.
+- **Secondary RCA hypotheses**:
+  - Frontend token/audience/issuer mismatch.
+  - Wrong Clerk environment variables loaded in backend.
+  - Issuer-derived JWKS URL resolution is inconsistent with actual Clerk instance.
+  - Requests may be sent before a valid session token is available.
+- **Evidence in code**:
+  - `backend/middleware/auth_middleware.py`
+    - `ClerkAuthMiddleware.__init__`
+    - `ClerkAuthMiddleware.verify_token`
+    - `get_current_user`
+  - Relevant logic:
+    - derives JWKS URL from token issuer or cached publishable key instance
+    - falls back to `jwt.decode(..., verify_signature=False)`
+    - rejects unverified tokens when `ALLOW_UNVERIFIED_JWT_DEV` is false
+- **Likely files to inspect/edit later**:
+  - `backend/middleware/auth_middleware.py`
+  - possibly frontend auth/session request layer if token attachment is inconsistent
+- **Confidence**: Medium
+- **Root-cause questions to answer**:
+  - Are `CLERK_SECRET_KEY` and publishable key values from the same Clerk instance?
+  - Is the token issuer exactly matching the intended Clerk environment?
+  - Are failing requests sent with stale, dev, or cross-environment tokens?
+  - Are these requests triggered before Clerk session hydration on the frontend?
+- **Validation after fix**:
+  - Authenticated endpoints return 200 with verified user context.
+  - No `Unverified token rejected (production)` log spam for healthy requests.
+
+## Issue 2: Hugging Face structured JSON generation failing with model not found
+
+- **Status**: Open
+- **Severity**: High
+- **Subsystem**: LLM provider / workflow generation
+- **Error signatures**:
+  - `HF structured model not found: %s. Trying fallback model.`
+  - `Hugging Face API call failed: Not Found`
+  - `HF structured model not found (no response_format path): %s`
+  - `Hugging Face structured JSON generation failed: NotFoundError: Not Found`
+  - `[llm_text_gen] Provider huggingface failed: RetryError[...]`
+- **Observed behavior**:
+  - Structured JSON call tries primary model.
+  - Fallback model sequence also fails.
+  - Retry without `response_format` still fails with `NotFound`.
+  - Upstream caller falls through to another provider or fallback path.
+- **Primary RCA hypothesis**:
+  - The configured Hugging Face model identifier is invalid, unavailable to the account/provider, or incompatible with the current OpenAI-compatible Hugging Face endpoint.
+- **Secondary RCA hypotheses**:
+  - Base URL/API key/provider configuration is wrong.
+  - Fallback model list contains provider-specific model ids not available in the current account/region.
+  - Structured generation path assumes chat completions support for models that only exist on a different inference route.
+- **Evidence in code**:
+  - `backend/services/llm_providers/huggingface_provider.py`
+    - `_fallback_model_sequence`
+    - `huggingface_structured_json_response`
+  - The code retries:
+    - with `response_format={"type": "json_object"}`
+    - then again without `response_format`
+  - Both paths still fail with `NotFoundError`, which points more strongly to model/base-url availability than schema formatting.
+- **Likely files to inspect/edit later**:
+  - `backend/services/llm_providers/huggingface_provider.py`
+  - provider selection/orchestration file calling Hugging Face as primary for structured JSON
+  - environment/config file for HF model names and API base URL
+- **Confidence**: High
+- **Root-cause questions to answer**:
+  - Which exact model string is being passed as the primary model in the failing call?
+  - What base URL and API key are being used for the OpenAI client?
+  - Are the fallback model ids valid for the currently configured Hugging Face inference provider?
+- **Validation after fix**:
+  - A structured JSON test request succeeds with the intended model or a verified fallback.
+  - No `NotFoundError` for the chosen model list.
+
+## Issue 3: txtai indexing attempted before service initialization completes
+
+- **Status**: Open
+- **Severity**: Medium
+- **Subsystem**: Semantic indexing / background tasks
+- **Error signatures**:
+  - `Cannot index content - service not initialized for user ...`
+- **Observed behavior**:
+  - Background indexing is triggered.
+  - `TxtaiIntelligenceService.index_content` calls `_ensure_initialized()`.
+  - `_ensure_initialized()` starts background initialization and returns immediately.
+  - `index_content` then checks `_initialized`, sees false, and fails fast.
+- **Primary RCA hypothesis**:
+  - There is a race condition between lazy background initialization and immediate indexing/search calls.
+  - `SIF_FAIL_FAST=true` (default) causes operations to raise RuntimeError instead of gracefully deferring.
+- **Evidence in code**:
+  - `backend/services/intelligence/txtai_service.py`:
+    - Line 57: `self.fail_fast = str(os.getenv("SIF_FAIL_FAST", "true")).lower() in {"1", "true", "yes", "on"}`
+    - Lines 234-235: `index_content` raises RuntimeError if `fail_fast` and not initialized
+    - Lines 284-285: `search` raises RuntimeError if `fail_fast` and not initialized
+    - Lines 319-320: `get_similarity` raises RuntimeError if `fail_fast` and not initialized
+    - `_ensure_initialized` is intentionally non-blocking (starts background thread)
+  - `backend/api/today_workflow.py`:
+    - `_index_tasks_to_sif` triggers indexing in background after workflow actions
+- **Likely files to inspect/edit later**:
+  - `backend/services/intelligence/txtai_service.py`
+  - `backend/api/today_workflow.py`
+  - any other callers that assume initialization is synchronous
+- **Confidence**: High
+- **Potential downstream impact**:
+  - workflow/task indexing silently fails
+  - semantic search quality degrades
+  - noisy logs obscure higher-priority failures
+- **Root-cause questions to answer**:
+  - Should `index_content` await `_ensure_initialized_async()` instead of using the non-blocking path?
+  - Should callers tolerate deferred indexing instead of fail-fast behavior?
+  - Is `SIF_FAIL_FAST=true` appropriate for background indexing operations?
+  - Should `SIF_FAIL_FAST` default to `false` for background operations?
+- **Validation after fix**:
+  - First indexing call after startup succeeds or is gracefully deferred without error spam.
+
+## Issue 4: Today workflow endpoint reload observed during active debugging
+
+- **Status**: Observed
+- **Severity**: Low
+- **Subsystem**: Development reload / workflow API
+- **Log signature**:
+  - `StatReload detected changes in 'api\today_workflow.py'. Reloading...`
+- **Observed behavior**:
+  - Development server reloads due to file edits.
+- **RCA**:
+  - Expected dev-server behavior, not itself a product bug.
+- **Files involved**:
+  - `backend/api/today_workflow.py`
+- **Confidence**: High
+- **Action**:
+  - No fix needed; keep separate from actual runtime defects.
+
+## Cross-Issue Notes
+
+- The auth failures and the workflow/indexing issues may be independent.
+- The Hugging Face failure may trigger fallback task generation, which can still create workflows while hiding the upstream provider problem.
+- txtai indexing failures appear to be a post-generation side effect, not the root cause of generation failure.
+- **LiteLLM was investigated and dropped as a false herring** – no project-level SIF/txtai wiring to LiteLLM was found.
+- The SIF agent local-model path is **separate** from txtai embeddings and may be the source of the "local model used to work" feedback.
+
+## Candidate Investigation Order
+
+1. Authentication verification mismatch
+2. Hugging Face model/provider availability mismatch
+3. txtai initialization race (with `SIF_FAIL_FAST` behavior)
+4. SIF agent local-model defaults (Qwen 1.5B vs lighter alternatives)
+5. Any downstream workflow symptoms after the above are stabilized
+
+## Minimal Fix Paths (Pre-Implementation)
+
+### For Issue 3 (txtai init race):
+- **Option A**: Change `SIF_FAIL_FAST` default to `false` for background operations
+  - Allows graceful deferral instead of RuntimeError
+  - Minimal code change, no logic changes
+- **Option B**: Use `_ensure_initialized_async()` in `index_content`/`search`/`get_similarity`
+  - Awaits initialization before proceeding
+  - More robust but requires async refactoring
+- **Option C**: Add initialization state callbacks to callers
+  - More complex, may not be necessary
+
+### For Issue 5 (SIF agent local-model drift):
+- **Option A**: Change default `model_name` in `SIFBaseAgent.__init__` to lighter model
+  - Example: `Qwen/Qwen2.5-0.5B-Instruct` or `TinyLlama/TinyLlama-1.1B-Chat-v1.0`
+  - Single-line change, immediate effect
+- **Option B**: Add env/config override for default agent local model
+  - More flexible, requires config wiring
+  - Allows runtime tuning without code changes
+- **Option C**: Keep current default and rely on existing fallback chain
+  - The fallback chain already tries lighter models if memory fails
+  - May be sufficient if memory detection works correctly
+
+## Current Evidence Sources
+
+- Runtime logs from terminal `python` process `22056`
+- `backend/middleware/auth_middleware.py`
+- `backend/services/llm_providers/huggingface_provider.py`
+- `backend/services/intelligence/txtai_service.py`
+- `backend/api/today_workflow.py`
+- `backend/services/today_workflow_service.py`
+
+## Issue 5: SIF agent local-model drift (distinct from txtai embeddings)
+
+- **Status**: Open
+- **Severity**: Medium
+- **Subsystem**: SIF agents / local LLM wrappers
+- **Error signatures**:
+  - (No direct log signature yet; this is a hypothesis from user feedback that "local model used to work")
+- **Observed behavior**:
+  - User reports that a local model used to work for SIF agents now seems heavier or less responsive.
+  - The SIF agent path is **separate** from txtai embeddings.
+- **Primary RCA hypothesis**:
+  - The SIF agent local LLM wrapper path uses a 1.5B parameter model by default, which may be heavier than the previous local model.
+  - This is distinct from txtai embeddings, which still use `sentence-transformers/all-MiniLM-L6-v2`.
+- **Evidence in code**:
+  - `backend/services/intelligence/sif_agents.py`:
+    - Lines 47-51: `LOCAL_LLM_FALLBACKS = ["Qwen/Qwen2.5-1.5B-Instruct", "Qwen/Qwen2.5-0.5B-Instruct", "TinyLlama/TinyLlama-1.1B-Chat-v1.0"]`
+    - Lines 53-139: `LocalLLMWrapper` tries models in order, with memory issue detection and automatic fallback to smaller models
+    - Line 141: `SIFBaseAgent.__init__` default `model_name="Qwen/Qwen2.5-1.5B-Instruct"`
+  - `backend/services/intelligence/txtai_service.py`:
+    - Line 48: Still uses `sentence-transformers/all-MiniLM-L6-v2` for embeddings
+- **Likely files to inspect/edit later**:
+  - `backend/services/intelligence/sif_agents.py`
+  - `backend/services/intelligence/agents/specialized/base.py`
+  - any config/env that controls default agent local model
+- **Confidence**: Medium
+- **Root-cause questions to answer**:
+  - What was the previous local model default for SIF agents?
+  - Is `Qwen/Qwen2.5-1.5B-Instruct` actually too heavy for the user’s laptop?
+  - Should the default be changed to `Qwen/Qwen2.5-0.5B-Instruct` or `TinyLlama/TinyLlama-1.1B-Chat-v1.0`?
+  - Are there any env/config overrides that could make this configurable?
+- **Validation after fix**:
+  - SIF agents use a CPU-friendly local model (e.g., smaller Qwen variant or TinyLlama).
+  - Agent generation completes without excessive CPU/memory pressure.
+
+## Issue 6: Model initialization blocking and module unification
+
+- **Status**: Open
+- **Severity**: High
+- **Subsystem**: Startup / model loading / module architecture
+- **Error signatures**:
+  - (No direct log signature; architectural issue)
+- **Observed behavior**:
+  - `start_alwrity_backend.py` pre-downloads `Qwen/Qwen2.5-3B-Instruct` **synchronously** before server starts (line 122).
+  - `sif_agents.py` defaults to `Qwen/Qwen2.5-1.5B-Instruct` and uses lazy loading via `LocalLLMWrapper`.
+  - `txtai_service.py` uses `sentence-transformers/all-MiniLM-L6-v2` for embeddings.
+  - Three separate modules handle model loading, creating confusion.
+  - User wants fail-fast semantics (catch bugs, avoid silent failures) AND proper fallback.
+  - User wants non-blocking model downloads for SIF/agents.
+- **Primary RCA hypothesis**:
+  - Startup script blocks on model download, contradicting non-blocking requirement.
+  - Model size mismatch: startup downloads 3B, agents default to 1.5B.
+  - Fail-fast in `txtai_service.py` prevents fallback from working.
+  - Module separation (`txtai_service.py`, `sif_agents.py`, `start_alwrity_backend.py`) creates confusion.
+- **Evidence in code**:
+  - `start_alwrity_backend.py`:
+    - Line 122: `target_model = "Qwen/Qwen2.5-3B-Instruct"`
+    - Lines 127-131: `snapshot_download()` is **blocking** call
+    - Lines 117-120: Skips on Render/Railway but **not** on local dev
+  - `sif_agents.py`:
+    - Line 48: `LOCAL_LLM_FALLBACKS = ["Qwen/Qwen2.5-1.5B-Instruct", "Qwen/Qwen2.5-0.5B-Instruct", "TinyLlama/TinyLlama-1.1B-Chat-v1.0"]`
+    - Line 141: Default `model_name="Qwen/Qwen2.5-1.5B-Instruct"`
+    - Line 150: Uses `LocalLLMWrapper` for lazy loading
+    - Lines 94-130: Has fallback logic with memory issue detection
+  - `txtai_service.py`:
+    - Line 57: `SIF_FAIL_FAST=true` (default) causes RuntimeError
+    - Lines 234-235, 284-285, 319-320: Fail-fast prevents fallback
+- **Likely files to inspect/edit later**:
+  - `start_alwrity_backend.py` (remove blocking download)
+  - `services/intelligence/sif_agents.py` (unify model defaults)
+  - `services/intelligence/txtai_service.py` (fix fail-fast with fallback)
+  - Create unified `services/intelligence/model_registry.py` or similar
+- **Confidence**: High
+- **Root-cause questions to answer**:
+  - Should model download be truly non-blocking (background thread)?
+  - Should fail-fast be conditional (e.g., only for critical paths, not background ops)?
+  - Should module unification create a single `ModelRegistry` or `ModelManager`?
+  - How to ensure JSON/response structure compatibility across fallback chain?
+- **Validation after fix**:
+  - Server starts without blocking on model download.
+  - SIF agents use consistent model defaults.
+  - Fail-fast catches bugs but allows fallback for non-critical ops.
+  - Single module handles all model loading logic.
+
+## Minimal Fix Paths (Pre-Implementation)
+
+### For Issue 3 (txtai init race) - REVISED:
+- **Option A**: Change `SIF_FAIL_FAST` to be **conditional** (not global)
+  - Keep fail-fast for critical paths (user-initiated ops)
+  - Allow graceful deferral for background ops (indexing, clustering)
+  - Requires distinguishing operation types
+- **Option B**: Use `_ensure_initialized_async()` for **blocking ops only**
+  - Keep non-blocking for background ops
+  - Awaits init for user-facing ops
+  - More robust but requires async refactoring
+- **Option C**: Add operation-type-aware fail-fast
+  - Pass `critical=True/False` to operations
+  - Fail-fast only when `critical=True`
+  - Most aligned with user requirements
+
+### For Issue 5 (SIF agent local-model drift) - REVISED:
+- **Option A**: Change default to lighter model AND improve fallback chain
+  - Default: `Qwen/Qwen2.5-0.5B-Instruct` (lighter)
+  - Fallback: `0.5B → TinyLlama 1.1B`
+  - Ensure JSON/response structure compatibility
+- **Option B**: Add env/config override + keep fallback chain
+  - `SIF_AGENT_MODEL` env var
+  - Fallback chain remains as-is
+  - More flexible
+- **Option C**: Keep current default and rely on existing fallback chain
+  - **RECOMMENDED**: Already has memory detection and fallback
+  - Just need to ensure JSON compatibility
+
+### For Issue 6 (Model blocking + module unification):
+- **Option A**: Remove blocking download from startup script
+  - Delete `bootstrap_local_llm_models()` call
+  - Let `LocalLLMWrapper` handle lazy loading
+  - Minimal change, immediate non-blocking
+- **Option B**: Make download non-blocking (background thread)
+  - Keep pre-download but in background
+  - Server starts immediately
+  - More complex
+- **Option C**: Create unified `ModelRegistry` module
+  - Single source of truth for model defaults
+  - Centralized download/cache logic
+  - Eliminates confusion between modules
+  - **RECOMMENDED for long-term**
+
+## Session Update Log
+
+### 2026-03-10
+
+- Created initial RCA tracker document.
+- Seeded first three concrete issues from supplied logs.
+- No fixes applied from this document yet.
+- Added Issue 5: SIF agent local-model drift (LiteLLM dropped as false herring).
+- Refined Issue 3 with `SIF_FAIL_FAST` behavior details.
+- Added minimal fix paths for Issues 3 and 5.
+- Added Issue 6: Model initialization blocking and module unification.
+- Updated minimal fix paths based on user requirements (fail-fast + fallback, non-blocking, unification).
diff --git a/frontend/package.json b/frontend/package.json
index 82af1d38..59daa402 100644
--- a/frontend/package.json
+++ b/frontend/package.json
@@ -36,9 +36,9 @@
     "zustand": "^5.0.7"
   },
   "scripts": {
-    "start": "react-scripts start",
-    "build": "node --max_old_space_size=8192 node_modules/react-scripts/scripts/build.js",
-    "build:nomap": "node --max_old_space_size=8192 -e \"process.env.GENERATE_SOURCEMAP='false'; require('./node_modules/react-scripts/scripts/build');\"",
+    "start": "node --max_old_space_size=12288 node_modules/react-scripts/scripts/start.js",
+    "build": "node --max_old_space_size=12288 node_modules/react-scripts/scripts/build.js",
+    "build:nomap": "node --max_old_space_size=12288 -e \"process.env.GENERATE_SOURCEMAP='false'; require('./node_modules/react-scripts/scripts/build');\"",
     "test": "react-scripts test",
     "eject": "react-scripts eject",
     "analyze": "npm run build && npx source-map-explorer 'build/static/js/*.js' --html bundle-report.html",
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/MainDashboard/MainDashboard.tsx b/frontend/src/components/MainDashboard/MainDashboard.tsx
index 5b8f90b9..eb9cbb0f 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/MainDashboard/MainDashboard.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/MainDashboard/MainDashboard.tsx
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import {
   Snackbar,
   useTheme
 } from '@mui/material';
+import { Lightbulb } from '@mui/icons-material';
 import { motion, AnimatePresence } from 'framer-motion';
 import { useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom';
 import { useAuth } from '@clerk/clerk-react';
@@ -63,7 +64,9 @@ const MainDashboard: React.FC = () => {
   const {
     currentWorkflow,
     workflowProgress,
+    scheduleStatus,
     isLoading: workflowLoading,
+    loadTodayWorkflow,
     generateDailyWorkflow,
     startWorkflow,
     pauseWorkflow,
@@ -71,19 +74,18 @@ const MainDashboard: React.FC = () => {
   } = useWorkflowStore();
   const { userId } = useAuth();
 
-  // Initialize workflow on component mount
   React.useEffect(() => {
     const initializeWorkflow = async () => {
       try {
         if (!userId) return;
-        await generateDailyWorkflow(userId);
+        await loadTodayWorkflow();
       } catch (error) {
-        console.warn('Failed to initialize workflow:', error);
+        console.warn('Failed to load today workflow:', error);
       }
     };
 
     initializeWorkflow();
-  }, [generateDailyWorkflow, userId]);
+  }, [loadTodayWorkflow, userId]);
 
   // Debug logging for workflow state (only in development)
   React.useEffect(() => {
@@ -238,6 +240,17 @@ const MainDashboard: React.FC = () => {
 
   // Note: filteredCategories removed as it's not used in the current implementation
 
+  const statusChips = React.useMemo(() => {
+    const scheduled = !!scheduleStatus?.scheduled_run_completed;
+    return [
+      {
+        label: scheduled ? 'Scheduled workflow ready' : 'Scheduled workflow pending',
+        color: scheduled ? '#22c55e' : '#ef4444',
+        icon: <Lightbulb sx={{ color: scheduled ? '#22c55e' : '#ef4444' }} />,
+      },
+    ];
+  }, [scheduleStatus]);
+
   if (loading) {
     return <LoadingSkeleton />;
   }
@@ -297,7 +310,7 @@ const MainDashboard: React.FC = () => {
             <DashboardHeader
               title="Alwrity Content Hub"
               subtitle=""
-              statusChips={[]}
+              statusChips={statusChips}
               customIcon={AskAlwrityIcon}
               workflowControls={{
                 onStartWorkflow: handleStartWorkflow,
diff --git a/frontend/src/stores/workflowStore.ts b/frontend/src/stores/workflowStore.ts
index cdbcf994..76232f96 100644
--- a/frontend/src/stores/workflowStore.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/stores/workflowStore.ts
@@ -7,10 +7,11 @@ import {
   UserWorkflowPreferences,
   NavigationState,
   WorkflowStatus,
-  WorkflowError
+  WorkflowError,
+  TodayWorkflowScheduleStatus
 } from '../types/workflow';
 import { taskWorkflowOrchestrator } from '../services/TaskWorkflowOrchestrator';
-import { apiClient, ConnectionError, NetworkError } from '../api/client';
+import { apiClient } from '../api/client';
 
 const isServerWorkflowId = (workflowId: string) => workflowId.startsWith('daily-');
 
@@ -47,9 +48,6 @@ const normalizeServerWorkflow = (workflow: DailyWorkflow): DailyWorkflow => ({
     : [],
 });
 
-const isServerUnavailableError = (error: unknown): boolean =>
-  error instanceof ConnectionError || error instanceof NetworkError;
-
 const toWorkflowError = (error: unknown, fallbackMessage: string): WorkflowError => {
   if (error instanceof WorkflowError) return error;
 
@@ -109,6 +107,7 @@ interface WorkflowState {
   currentWorkflow: DailyWorkflow | null;
   workflowProgress: WorkflowProgress | null;
   navigationState: NavigationState | null;
+  scheduleStatus: TodayWorkflowScheduleStatus | null;
   
   // User preferences
   userPreferences: UserWorkflowPreferences | null;
@@ -121,6 +120,8 @@ interface WorkflowState {
   degradedModeReason: string | null;
   
   // Actions
+  loadTodayWorkflow: (date?: string) => Promise<void>;
+  refreshScheduleStatus: (date?: string) => Promise<void>;
   generateDailyWorkflow: (userId: string, date?: string) => Promise<void>;
   startWorkflow: (workflowId: string) => Promise<void>;
   pauseWorkflow: (workflowId: string) => Promise<void>;
@@ -154,6 +155,7 @@ export const useWorkflowStore = create<WorkflowState>()(
       currentWorkflow: null,
       workflowProgress: null,
       navigationState: null,
+      scheduleStatus: null,
       userPreferences: null,
       isWorkflowModalOpen: false,
       isLoading: false,
@@ -161,14 +163,82 @@ export const useWorkflowStore = create<WorkflowState>()(
       isDegradedMode: false,
       degradedModeReason: null,
 
+      loadTodayWorkflow: async (date?: string) => {
+        set({ isLoading: true, error: null });
+
+        try {
+          const resp = await apiClient.get('/api/today-workflow', { params: date ? { date } : {} });
+          const serverWorkflow = resp?.data?.data?.workflow as DailyWorkflow | undefined;
+          const planSummary = resp?.data?.data?.plan?.provenance_summary;
+          const scheduleStatus = resp?.data?.data?.schedule_status as TodayWorkflowScheduleStatus | undefined;
+
+          if (serverWorkflow && Array.isArray(serverWorkflow.tasks)) {
+            if (planSummary && !serverWorkflow.provenanceSummary) {
+              serverWorkflow.provenanceSummary = planSummary;
+            }
+            const normalizedWorkflow = normalizeServerWorkflow(serverWorkflow);
+            const derived = computeProgressAndNavigation(normalizedWorkflow);
+            set({
+              currentWorkflow: normalizedWorkflow,
+              workflowProgress: derived.progress,
+              navigationState: derived.navigation,
+              scheduleStatus: scheduleStatus || null,
+              isLoading: false,
+              isDegradedMode: false,
+              degradedModeReason: null,
+            });
+            return;
+          }
+
+          throw new WorkflowError({
+            code: 'WORKFLOW_SCHEMA_INVALID',
+            message: 'Server workflow response is missing a valid tasks array.',
+            timestamp: new Date(),
+            recoverable: false,
+            suggestedAction: 'Refresh and try again. If this persists, contact support.'
+          });
+        } catch (error: any) {
+          if (error?.response?.status === 404) {
+            set({
+              currentWorkflow: null,
+              workflowProgress: null,
+              navigationState: null,
+              isLoading: false,
+              isDegradedMode: false,
+              degradedModeReason: null,
+            });
+            await get().refreshScheduleStatus(date);
+            return;
+          }
+
+          set({
+            error: toWorkflowError(error, 'Failed to load workflow from server.'),
+            isLoading: false,
+            isDegradedMode: false,
+            degradedModeReason: null,
+          });
+        }
+      },
+
+      refreshScheduleStatus: async (date?: string) => {
+        try {
+          const resp = await apiClient.get('/api/today-workflow/status', { params: date ? { date } : {} });
+          const scheduleStatus = resp?.data?.data as TodayWorkflowScheduleStatus | undefined;
+          set({ scheduleStatus: scheduleStatus || null });
+        } catch {
+          set({ scheduleStatus: null });
+        }
+      },
+
       // Generate daily workflow
       generateDailyWorkflow: async (userId: string, date?: string) => {
         set({ isLoading: true, error: null });
         
         try {
-          const resp = await apiClient.get('/api/today-workflow', { params: date ? { date } : {} });
+          const resp = await apiClient.post('/api/today-workflow/generate', null, { params: date ? { date } : {} });
           const serverWorkflow = resp?.data?.data?.workflow as DailyWorkflow | undefined;
           const planSummary = resp?.data?.data?.plan?.provenance_summary;
+          const scheduleStatus = resp?.data?.data?.schedule_status as TodayWorkflowScheduleStatus | undefined;
           
           if (serverWorkflow && Array.isArray(serverWorkflow.tasks)) {
             if (planSummary && !serverWorkflow.provenanceSummary) {
@@ -180,6 +250,7 @@ export const useWorkflowStore = create<WorkflowState>()(
               currentWorkflow: normalizedWorkflow,
               workflowProgress: derived.progress,
               navigationState: derived.navigation,
+              scheduleStatus: scheduleStatus || null,
               isLoading: false,
               isDegradedMode: false,
               degradedModeReason: null,
@@ -195,34 +266,11 @@ export const useWorkflowStore = create<WorkflowState>()(
             suggestedAction: 'Refresh and try again. If this persists, contact support.'
           });
         } catch (error) {
-          if (!isServerUnavailableError(error)) {
-            set({
-              error: toWorkflowError(error, 'Failed to load workflow from server.'),
-              isLoading: false,
-              isDegradedMode: false,
-              degradedModeReason: null,
-            });
-            return;
-          }
-        }
-
-        try {
-          const workflow = await taskWorkflowOrchestrator.generateDailyWorkflow(userId, date);
-          const progress = taskWorkflowOrchestrator.getWorkflowProgress(workflow.id);
-          const navigation = taskWorkflowOrchestrator.getNavigationState(workflow.id);
           set({
-            currentWorkflow: workflow,
-            workflowProgress: progress,
-            navigationState: navigation,
-            isLoading: false,
-            isDegradedMode: true,
-            degradedModeReason: 'Server workflow unavailable. Using local fallback workflow.',
-            error: null,
-          });
-        } catch (error) {
-          set({
-            error: toWorkflowError(error, 'Failed to generate local fallback workflow.'),
+            error: toWorkflowError(error, 'Failed to generate workflow from server.'),
             isLoading: false,
+            isDegradedMode: false,
+            degradedModeReason: null,
           });
         }
       },
diff --git a/frontend/src/types/workflow.ts b/frontend/src/types/workflow.ts
index c28a986c..cb7856fd 100644
--- a/frontend/src/types/workflow.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/types/workflow.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,14 @@ export interface WorkflowProvenanceSummary {
   taskSourceBreakdown: Partial<Record<WorkflowGenerationMode, number>>;
 }
 
+export interface TodayWorkflowScheduleStatus {
+  date: string;
+  generated: boolean;
+  scheduled_run_completed: boolean;
+  source: string | null;
+  created_at?: string | null;
+}
+
 export interface TodayTask {
   id: string;
   pillarId: string;
diff --git a/frontend/tsconfig.json b/frontend/tsconfig.json
index e0887626..5977cdba 100644
--- a/frontend/tsconfig.json
+++ b/frontend/tsconfig.json
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
       "./node_modules/@types",
       "./src/types"
     ],
-    "types": ["jest", "node"]
+    "types": ["node"]
   },
   "include": [
     "src"