diff --git a/hermes_cli/doctor.py b/hermes_cli/doctor.py
index a2c7df0408717..ccb4699267eb6 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/doctor.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/doctor.py
@@ -99,6 +99,88 @@ def _sqlite_upgrade_hint(install_method: str | None = None) -> str:
     )
 
 
+def _hermes_database_paths(hermes_home: Path) -> list[tuple[str, Path]]:
+    """Return (display name, path) pairs for Hermes-managed SQLite databases."""
+    # backup.py owns the canonical list of per-profile stores; reuse it.
+    from hermes_cli.backup import _QUICK_STATE_FILES
+
+    entries = [
+        (name, hermes_home / name)
+        for name in _QUICK_STATE_FILES
+        if name.endswith(".db")
+    ]
+    # Non-default kanban boards each keep their own kanban.db.
+    for board_db in sorted((hermes_home / "kanban" / "boards").glob("*/kanban.db")):
+        entries.append((str(board_db.relative_to(hermes_home)), board_db))
+    return entries
+
+
+_SQLITE_HEADER_MAGIC = b"SQLite format 3\x00"
+
+
+def _read_journal_mode(db_path: Path) -> tuple[str | None, str | None]:
+    """Return (journal mode, error) from the file header without opening the database.
+
+    Header byte 18 is 2 for WAL and 1 for a rollback journal. Opening the
+    database through the SQLite engine — even read-only — creates -wal/-shm
+    sidecar files, which a diagnostic must not do.
+    """
+    try:
+        with open(db_path, "rb") as fh:
+            header = fh.read(20)
+    except OSError as exc:
+        return None, str(exc)
+    if len(header) == 0:
+        return None, "file is empty"
+    if len(header) < 20 or not header.startswith(_SQLITE_HEADER_MAGIC):
+        return None, "file is not a database"
+    if header[18] == 2:
+        return "wal", None
+    if header[18] == 1:
+        return "rollback", None
+    return None, f"unrecognized file-format version {header[18]}"
+
+
+def _report_database_journal_modes(
+    hermes_home: Path | None = None,
+    version_info: tuple[int, ...] | None = None,
+) -> None:
+    """List each database's journal mode; warn on WAL under a vulnerable SQLite."""
+    from hermes_state import is_sqlite_wal_reset_vulnerable
+
+    vulnerable = is_sqlite_wal_reset_vulnerable(version_info)
+    home = hermes_home if hermes_home is not None else HERMES_HOME
+    try:
+        databases = _hermes_database_paths(home)
+    except Exception as exc:
+        check_warn(f"Could not list Hermes databases: {exc}")
+        return
+    for name, path in databases:
+        if not path.is_file():
+            continue
+        mode, error = _read_journal_mode(path)
+        if error is not None:
+            if vulnerable:
+                check_warn(
+                    f"{name}: journal mode could not be read",
+                    f"({error}; cannot rule out WAL exposure)",
+                )
+            else:
+                check_info(f"{name}: journal mode could not be read ({error})")
+        elif mode == "wal":
+            if vulnerable:
+                check_warn(
+                    f"{name} is in WAL mode",
+                    "(exposed to the WAL-reset bug until SQLite is upgraded)",
+                )
+            else:
+                check_info(f"{name}: WAL journal mode")
+        elif vulnerable:
+            check_info(f"{name}: rollback journal mode (not exposed)")
+        else:
+            check_info(f"{name}: rollback journal mode")
+
+
 def _safe_which(cmd: str) -> str | None:
     """shutil.which wrapper resilient to platform monkeypatching in tests."""
     try:
@@ -965,6 +1047,7 @@ def run_doctor(args):
             check_ok(f"SQLite {_sqlite_ver}")
         if _sqlite_src_short:
             check_info(f"SQLite source id: {_sqlite_src_short}")
+        _report_database_journal_modes()
     except Exception as e:
         check_warn(f"SQLite version probe failed: {e}")
     # Check if in virtual environment
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_doctor_journal_modes.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_doctor_journal_modes.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..a9c6b77b67c2b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_doctor_journal_modes.py
@@ -0,0 +1,251 @@
+"""Tests for doctor's per-database journal-mode report.
+
+`hermes doctor` lists each Hermes-managed database with its journal mode and
+flags databases that are in WAL while the linked SQLite carries the WAL-reset
+bug (https://sqlite.org/wal.html#walresetbug). The probe reads the file header
+only — it never opens the database through the SQLite engine, because even a
+read-only engine open creates -wal/-shm sidecar files next to a WAL database.
+"""
+
+import os
+import sqlite3
+
+import pytest
+
+import hermes_cli.doctor as doctor
+
+VULNERABLE = (3, 50, 4)
+FIXED_VERSIONS = [(3, 51, 3), (3, 52, 0), (3, 50, 7), (3, 44, 6)]
+
+EXPOSED_TEXT = "exposed to the WAL-reset bug"
+
+
+def _make_db(path, journal_mode=None):
+    conn = sqlite3.connect(path)
+    try:
+        if journal_mode:
+            conn.execute(f"PRAGMA journal_mode={journal_mode}")
+        conn.execute("CREATE TABLE t (x INTEGER)")
+        conn.commit()
+    finally:
+        conn.close()
+
+
+def _sidecars(directory):
+    return sorted(
+        p.name for p in directory.iterdir() if p.name.endswith(("-wal", "-shm"))
+    )
+
+
+class TestReadJournalMode:
+    def test_reads_wal(self, tmp_path):
+        db = tmp_path / "state.db"
+        _make_db(db, journal_mode="WAL")
+
+        mode, error = doctor._read_journal_mode(db)
+
+        assert mode == "wal"
+        assert error is None
+
+    def test_reads_rollback(self, tmp_path):
+        db = tmp_path / "state.db"
+        _make_db(db)
+
+        mode, error = doctor._read_journal_mode(db)
+
+        assert mode == "rollback"
+        assert error is None
+
+    def test_probe_creates_no_wal_sidecars(self, tmp_path):
+        db = tmp_path / "state.db"
+        _make_db(db, journal_mode="WAL")
+        assert _sidecars(tmp_path) == []
+
+        assert doctor._read_journal_mode(db) == ("wal", None)
+
+        assert _sidecars(tmp_path) == []
+
+    def test_missing_file_reports_error_and_does_not_create_it(self, tmp_path):
+        db = tmp_path / "missing.db"
+
+        mode, error = doctor._read_journal_mode(db)
+
+        assert mode is None
+        assert error
+        assert not db.exists()
+
+    def test_empty_file_reports_error(self, tmp_path):
+        db = tmp_path / "state.db"
+        db.touch()
+
+        mode, error = doctor._read_journal_mode(db)
+
+        assert mode is None
+        assert error == "file is empty"
+
+    def test_short_file_reports_error(self, tmp_path):
+        db = tmp_path / "state.db"
+        db.write_bytes(b"SQLite f")
+
+        mode, error = doctor._read_journal_mode(db)
+
+        assert mode is None
+        assert "not a database" in error
+
+    def test_corrupt_file_reports_error(self, tmp_path):
+        db = tmp_path / "state.db"
+        db.write_bytes(b"this is not a sqlite database" * 4)
+
+        mode, error = doctor._read_journal_mode(db)
+
+        assert mode is None
+        assert "not a database" in error
+
+    def test_locked_database_is_still_readable(self, tmp_path):
+        db = tmp_path / "state.db"
+        _make_db(db)
+        holder = sqlite3.connect(db, isolation_level=None)
+        try:
+            holder.execute("BEGIN EXCLUSIVE")
+
+            assert doctor._read_journal_mode(db) == ("rollback", None)
+        finally:
+            holder.close()
+
+    @pytest.mark.skipif(os.name == "nt", reason="chmod is a no-op on Windows")
+    @pytest.mark.skipif(os.geteuid() == 0, reason="root ignores file permissions")
+    def test_read_only_directory_is_still_readable(self, tmp_path):
+        db = tmp_path / "state.db"
+        _make_db(db, journal_mode="WAL")
+        os.chmod(tmp_path, 0o555)
+        try:
+            assert doctor._read_journal_mode(db) == ("wal", None)
+        finally:
+            os.chmod(tmp_path, 0o755)
+        assert _sidecars(tmp_path) == []
+
+    def test_does_not_mutate_database_files(self, tmp_path):
+        wal_db = tmp_path / "wal.db"
+        rollback_db = tmp_path / "plain.db"
+        _make_db(wal_db, journal_mode="WAL")
+        _make_db(rollback_db)
+        wal_bytes = wal_db.read_bytes()
+        rollback_bytes = rollback_db.read_bytes()
+
+        assert doctor._read_journal_mode(wal_db) == ("wal", None)
+        assert doctor._read_journal_mode(rollback_db) == ("rollback", None)
+
+        assert wal_db.read_bytes() == wal_bytes
+        assert rollback_db.read_bytes() == rollback_bytes
+        assert _sidecars(tmp_path) == []
+
+
+class TestReportDatabaseJournalModes:
+    def test_vulnerable_runtime_wal_db_is_exposed(self, tmp_path, capsys):
+        _make_db(tmp_path / "state.db", journal_mode="WAL")
+
+        doctor._report_database_journal_modes(tmp_path, VULNERABLE)
+
+        out = capsys.readouterr().out
+        assert "state.db is in WAL mode" in out
+        assert EXPOSED_TEXT in out
+
+    def test_vulnerable_runtime_rollback_db_is_listed_not_exposed(self, tmp_path, capsys):
+        _make_db(tmp_path / "state.db")
+
+        doctor._report_database_journal_modes(tmp_path, VULNERABLE)
+
+        out = capsys.readouterr().out
+        assert "state.db: rollback journal mode (not exposed)" in out
+        assert EXPOSED_TEXT not in out
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("version", FIXED_VERSIONS)
+    def test_fixed_runtime_wal_db_is_not_exposed(self, tmp_path, capsys, version):
+        _make_db(tmp_path / "state.db", journal_mode="WAL")
+
+        doctor._report_database_journal_modes(tmp_path, version)
+
+        out = capsys.readouterr().out
+        assert "state.db: WAL journal mode" in out
+        assert EXPOSED_TEXT not in out
+        assert "⚠" not in out
+
+    def test_lists_every_managed_database(self, tmp_path, capsys):
+        _make_db(tmp_path / "state.db", journal_mode="WAL")
+        _make_db(tmp_path / "projects.db")
+        _make_db(tmp_path / "kanban.db")
+        board = tmp_path / "kanban" / "boards" / "myboard"
+        board.mkdir(parents=True)
+        _make_db(board / "kanban.db", journal_mode="WAL")
+
+        doctor._report_database_journal_modes(tmp_path, VULNERABLE)
+
+        out = capsys.readouterr().out
+        assert "state.db is in WAL mode" in out
+        assert "projects.db: rollback journal mode (not exposed)" in out
+        assert "kanban.db: rollback journal mode (not exposed)" in out
+        assert "kanban/boards/myboard/kanban.db is in WAL mode" in out
+
+    def test_missing_databases_are_skipped(self, tmp_path, capsys):
+        doctor._report_database_journal_modes(tmp_path, VULNERABLE)
+
+        out = capsys.readouterr().out
+        assert "state.db" not in out
+        assert EXPOSED_TEXT not in out
+
+    def test_locked_database_does_not_crash_or_block(self, tmp_path, capsys):
+        db = tmp_path / "state.db"
+        _make_db(db)
+        holder = sqlite3.connect(db, isolation_level=None)
+        try:
+            holder.execute("BEGIN EXCLUSIVE")
+
+            doctor._report_database_journal_modes(tmp_path, VULNERABLE)
+        finally:
+            holder.close()
+
+        out = capsys.readouterr().out
+        assert "state.db: rollback journal mode (not exposed)" in out
+
+    @pytest.mark.skipif(os.name == "nt", reason="chmod is a no-op on Windows")
+    @pytest.mark.skipif(os.geteuid() == 0, reason="root ignores file permissions")
+    def test_unreadable_database_does_not_crash(self, tmp_path, capsys):
+        db = tmp_path / "state.db"
+        _make_db(db)
+        os.chmod(db, 0o000)
+        try:
+            doctor._report_database_journal_modes(tmp_path, VULNERABLE)
+        finally:
+            os.chmod(db, 0o644)
+
+        out = capsys.readouterr().out
+        assert "state.db: journal mode could not be read" in out
+        assert "cannot rule out WAL exposure" in out
+
+    def test_corrupt_database_does_not_crash(self, tmp_path, capsys):
+        (tmp_path / "state.db").write_bytes(b"garbage bytes, not sqlite" * 8)
+
+        doctor._report_database_journal_modes(tmp_path, VULNERABLE)
+
+        out = capsys.readouterr().out
+        assert "state.db: journal mode could not be read" in out
+
+    def test_read_error_is_informational_on_fixed_runtime(self, tmp_path, capsys):
+        (tmp_path / "state.db").write_bytes(b"garbage bytes, not sqlite" * 8)
+
+        doctor._report_database_journal_modes(tmp_path, (3, 51, 3))
+
+        out = capsys.readouterr().out
+        assert "state.db: journal mode could not be read" in out
+        assert "cannot rule out WAL exposure" not in out
+        assert "⚠" not in out
+
+    def test_report_creates_no_wal_sidecars(self, tmp_path, capsys):
+        db = tmp_path / "state.db"
+        _make_db(db, journal_mode="WAL")
+        db_bytes = db.read_bytes()
+
+        doctor._report_database_journal_modes(tmp_path, VULNERABLE)
+
+        assert _sidecars(tmp_path) == []
+        assert db.read_bytes() == db_bytes