diff --git a/core/framework/runner/cli.py b/core/framework/runner/cli.py
index 22d2f221..7e3d5a41 100644
--- a/core/framework/runner/cli.py
+++ b/core/framework/runner/cli.py
@@ -1561,6 +1561,21 @@ def _open_browser(url: str) -> None:
         pass  # Best-effort — don't crash if browser can't open
 
 
+def _ping_hive_gateway_availability(from_source: str) -> None:
+    """Ping Hive gateway availability for lightweight reachability logging."""
+    from urllib import error, parse, request
+
+    base_url = "https://api.adenhq.com/v1/gateway/availability"
+    query = parse.urlencode({"from": from_source})
+    url = f"{base_url}?{query}"
+
+    try:
+        with request.urlopen(url, timeout=5) as response:
+            response.read()
+    except (error.URLError, TimeoutError, ValueError):
+        pass
+
+
 def _format_subprocess_output(output: str | bytes | None, limit: int = 2000) -> str:
     """Return subprocess output as trimmed text safe for console logging."""
     if not output:
@@ -1729,5 +1744,6 @@ def cmd_serve(args: argparse.Namespace) -> int:
 
 def cmd_open(args: argparse.Namespace) -> int:
     """Start the HTTP API server and open the dashboard in the browser."""
+    _ping_hive_gateway_availability("hive-open")
     args.open = True
     return cmd_serve(args)
diff --git a/quickstart.ps1 b/quickstart.ps1
index ded9543f..31d05a57 100644
--- a/quickstart.ps1
+++ b/quickstart.ps1
@@ -23,9 +23,23 @@ $UvHelperPath = Join-Path $ScriptDir "scripts\uv-discovery.ps1"
 
 # Hive LLM router endpoint
 $HiveLlmEndpoint = "https://api.adenhq.com"
+$HiveLlmAvailabilityEndpoint = "$HiveLlmEndpoint/v1/gateway/availability"
 
 . $UvHelperPath
 
+function Test-HiveGatewayAvailability {
+    param([string]$From)
+
+    try {
+        $url = "$HiveLlmAvailabilityEndpoint?from=$From"
+        $result = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri $url -Method Get -TimeoutSec 5 -ErrorAction Stop
+        if ($result -eq $true) { return "available" }
+        return "unavailable"
+    } catch {
+        return "unknown"
+    }
+}
+
 # ============================================================
 # Colors / helpers
 # ============================================================
@@ -1119,9 +1133,17 @@ if ($PrevSubMode -or $PrevProvider) {
     }
 }
 
+$HiveGatewayAvailability = Test-HiveGatewayAvailability -From "quickstart"
+
 # ── Show unified provider selection menu ─────────────────────
 Write-Color -Text "Select your default LLM provider:" -Color White
 Write-Host ""
+switch ($HiveGatewayAvailability) {
+    "available" { Write-Ok "Hive LLM availability check: available" }
+    "unavailable" { Write-Warn "Hive LLM availability check: currently unavailable" }
+    default { Write-Warn "Hive LLM availability check: could not verify" }
+}
+Write-Host ""
 Write-Color -Text "  Subscription modes (no API key purchase needed):" -Color Cyan
 
 # 1) Claude Code
@@ -1164,6 +1186,11 @@ Write-Host "  " -NoNewline
 Write-Color -Text "6" -Color Cyan -NoNewline
 Write-Host ") Hive LLM                   " -NoNewline
 Write-Color -Text "(use your Hive API key)" -Color DarkGray -NoNewline
+switch ($HiveGatewayAvailability) {
+    "available" { Write-Color -Text "  (available)" -Color Green -NoNewline }
+    "unavailable" { Write-Color -Text "  (unavailable)" -Color Yellow -NoNewline }
+    default { Write-Color -Text "  (status unknown)" -Color Yellow -NoNewline }
+}
 if ($HiveCredDetected) { Write-Color -Text "  (credential detected)" -Color Green } else { Write-Host "" }
 
 # 7) Antigravity
diff --git a/quickstart.sh b/quickstart.sh
index 0edb2d8c..ef475db6 100755
--- a/quickstart.sh
+++ b/quickstart.sh
@@ -34,6 +34,22 @@ SCRIPT_DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" && pwd )"
 
 # Hive LLM router endpoint
 HIVE_LLM_ENDPOINT="https://api.adenhq.com"
+HIVE_LLM_AVAILABILITY_ENDPOINT="$HIVE_LLM_ENDPOINT/v1/gateway/availability"
+
+check_hive_llm_availability() {
+    local from_source="$1"
+
+    if ! command -v curl >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        return 2
+    fi
+
+    local response
+    response="$(curl -fsSL --max-time 5 "${HIVE_LLM_AVAILABILITY_ENDPOINT}?from=${from_source}" 2>/dev/null)" || return 2
+    if [ "$response" = "true" ]; then
+        return 0
+    fi
+    return 1
+}
 
 # Helper function for prompts
 prompt_yes_no() {
@@ -1151,9 +1167,24 @@ if [ -n "$PREV_SUB_MODE" ] || [ -n "$PREV_PROVIDER" ]; then
     fi
 fi
 
+HIVE_LLM_AVAILABLE="unknown"
+if check_hive_llm_availability "quickstart"; then
+    HIVE_LLM_AVAILABLE="yes"
+elif [ $? -eq 1 ]; then
+    HIVE_LLM_AVAILABLE="no"
+fi
+
 # ── Show unified provider selection menu ─────────────────────
 echo -e "${BOLD}Select your default LLM provider:${NC}"
 echo ""
+if [ "$HIVE_LLM_AVAILABLE" = "yes" ]; then
+    echo -e "${GREEN}⬢${NC} Hive LLM availability check: ${DIM}available${NC}"
+elif [ "$HIVE_LLM_AVAILABLE" = "no" ]; then
+    echo -e "${YELLOW}⬢${NC} Hive LLM availability check: ${DIM}currently unavailable${NC}"
+else
+    echo -e "${YELLOW}⬢${NC} Hive LLM availability check: ${DIM}could not verify${NC}"
+fi
+echo ""
 echo -e "  ${CYAN}${BOLD}Subscription modes (no API key purchase needed):${NC}"
 
 # 1) Claude Code
@@ -1192,10 +1223,18 @@ else
 fi
 
 # 6) Hive LLM
-if [ "$HIVE_CRED_DETECTED" = true ]; then
-    echo -e "  ${CYAN}6)${NC} Hive LLM                   ${DIM}(use your Hive API key)${NC}  ${GREEN}(credential detected)${NC}"
+if [ "$HIVE_LLM_AVAILABLE" = "yes" ]; then
+    HIVE_LLM_STATUS="${GREEN}(available)${NC}"
+elif [ "$HIVE_LLM_AVAILABLE" = "no" ]; then
+    HIVE_LLM_STATUS="${YELLOW}(unavailable)${NC}"
 else
-    echo -e "  ${CYAN}6)${NC} Hive LLM                   ${DIM}(use your Hive API key)${NC}"
+    HIVE_LLM_STATUS="${YELLOW}(status unknown)${NC}"
+fi
+
+if [ "$HIVE_CRED_DETECTED" = true ]; then
+    echo -e "  ${CYAN}6)${NC} Hive LLM                   ${DIM}(use your Hive API key)${NC}  $HIVE_LLM_STATUS  ${GREEN}(credential detected)${NC}"
+else
+    echo -e "  ${CYAN}6)${NC} Hive LLM                   ${DIM}(use your Hive API key)${NC}  $HIVE_LLM_STATUS"
 fi
 
 # 7) Antigravity