diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index f9c74446..0a37d84c 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ This guard is in `android/app/build.gradle`. Do NOT change this conditional to a
 
 `google-services.json` is intentionally excluded from git (`android/.gitignore`). Never commit it.
 
-Full details, incident history, and F-Droid notes: `doc/development/android-firebase-gms.md`
+Full details, incident history, and F-Droid notes: `doc/android-firebase-gms.md`
 
 ## Android Build — MLKit Barcode Scanner
 
diff --git a/BUILDING.md b/BUILDING.md
index 32e3d180..c0b6493c 100644
--- a/BUILDING.md
+++ b/BUILDING.md
@@ -1329,6 +1329,7 @@ npm run build:android:prod           # Production build (builds for production e
 # Auto-run builds
 npm run build:android:test:run       # Test build with auto-run (builds then runs on emulator)
 npm run build:android:prod:run       # Production build with auto-run (builds then runs on emulator)
+# Auto-run targets the one connected device; with none or several it prompts, or exits 9 without a terminal
 
 # Debug and release builds
 npm run build:android:debug          # Debug build (builds debug APK)
@@ -1454,20 +1455,15 @@ npx cap open android
 
 #### Android Build from the console
 
-```bash
-cd android
-./gradlew clean
-./gradlew build -Dlint.baselines.continue=true
-cd -
-```
+* Note that this currently fails: `./gradlew build -Dlint.baselines.continue=true`
 
-... or, to create the `aab` file, `bundle` instead of `build` (but not signed and not usable in Play Store):
+To create the `aab` file, `bundle` instead of `build` (but not signed and not usable in Play Store):
 
 ```bash
 ./gradlew bundleDebug -Dlint.baselines.continue=true
 ```
 
-... or, to create a signed `aab` release:
+So, to create a signed `aab` release:
 
 - Setup by adding the app/gradle.properties.secrets file (see properties at top
   of app/build.gradle) and the app/time-safari-upload-key-pkcs12.jks file
@@ -1843,7 +1839,7 @@ npm run build:android:assets
 - Configure signing keys
 - Check device/emulator setup
 
-## Additional Resources
+## Additional Documentation
 
 - [Electron Build Patterns](doc/electron-build-patterns.md)
 - [iOS Build Scripts](doc/ios-build-scripts.md)
diff --git a/doc/android-firebase-gms.md b/doc/android-firebase-gms.md
index be5600c8..2fde5452 100644
--- a/doc/android-firebase-gms.md
+++ b/doc/android-firebase-gms.md
@@ -42,6 +42,16 @@ This means a single Play Store AAB (`bundleRelease -PfirebaseEnabled`) covers bo
 
 **F-Droid** is stricter: their build policy rejects any APK with GMS dependencies at the binary level, even with graceful degradation. F-Droid submission would require a separate `assembleRelease` build (no flag) and a dedicated F-Droid listing.
 
+## Push registration in builds without Firebase
+
+A build without `-PfirebaseEnabled` contains the `@capacitor/push-notifications` plugin, but no Firebase config. In that build, `PushNotifications.register()` throws `Default FirebaseApp is not initialized` on the Capacitor plugin thread, which kills the app; a JS `try/catch` cannot intercept it.
+
+The JS therefore asks native code first. `NotificationInspector.isFirebaseConfigured()` (`android/app/src/main/java/app/timesafari/notifications/NotificationInspectorPlugin.java`) reports whether the `google_app_id` string resource exists; the google-services Gradle plugin generates that resource only when Firebase is enabled, and it is the same signal Firebase's auto-initialization uses. `firebaseMessagingClient.ts` skips `register()` on Android when it is absent (or when the check fails), logging `No Firebase config in this Android build; skipping push registration`. Listener setup and the notification permission request run either way, since local daily notifications need that permission.
+
+`NotificationInspector` must be listed in `scripts/restore-local-plugins.js`: `MainActivity` registers plugins after the Capacitor bridge is built, so a plugin missing from `capacitor.plugins.json` reports "not implemented on android" and the check falls back to skipping push.
+
+Any code that calls `PushNotifications.register()` or other `FirebaseMessaging` APIs on Android must go through the same check.
+
 ## The `google-services.json` file
 
 - Gitignored (`android/.gitignore` line 80) — never commit it
@@ -64,3 +74,9 @@ This is an accepted trade-off. Removing it would require either forking the plug
 Jose Olarte III's `notify-api` branch placed a production `google-services.json` in `android/` to test Firebase Cloud Messaging. The branch was never merged to `master`, but because the file is gitignored it persisted on disk after switching branches. At the time, the Gradle conditional activated Firebase based on file presence alone (no opt-in flag), so all subsequent local builds embedded Firebase and required Google Play Services. This silently broke APK/Aurora/Zapstore distribution.
 
 **Fix applied:** deleted `google-services.json` from disk, changed the Gradle conditional to require `-PfirebaseEnabled`, and documented the rule in `AGENTS.md`.
+
+## Incident: September 2026
+
+After the June fix, local builds without `-PfirebaseEnabled` (including every `scripts/build-android.sh` build and the FOSS APKs from v1.4.4 on) crashed at launch as soon as notification permission was granted, because startup code called `PushNotifications.register()` unconditionally. Found while running `npm run build:android:prod:run` on an emulator.
+
+**Fix applied:** the `isFirebaseConfigured()` gate described in "Push registration in builds without Firebase", plus adding `NotificationInspector` to `scripts/restore-local-plugins.js` so the check is reachable on Android.
diff --git a/scripts/build-android.sh b/scripts/build-android.sh
index ea0ac10b..129e94c8 100755
--- a/scripts/build-android.sh
+++ b/scripts/build-android.sh
@@ -658,7 +658,18 @@ fi
 # we already synced and ran restore-local-plugins.js above, so skip sync here.
 if [ "$AUTO_RUN" = true ]; then
     log_step "Auto-running Android app..."
-    safe_execute "Launching app" "npx cap run android --no-sync" || {
+    # With exactly one connected device, target it directly. Otherwise cap run
+    # shows an interactive picker, which without a terminal exits 0 having
+    # launched nothing, so fail instead of reporting a false success.
+    run_devices=$(adb devices | awk 'NR > 1 && $2 == "device" { print $1 }')
+    run_target=""
+    if [ "$(printf '%s\n' "$run_devices" | grep -c .)" = "1" ]; then
+        run_target="--target $run_devices"
+    elif [ ! -t 0 ]; then
+        log_error "Auto-run needs exactly one connected device when not run from a terminal (found: ${run_devices:-none})"
+        exit 9
+    fi
+    safe_execute "Launching app" "npx cap run android --no-sync $run_target" || {
         log_error "Failed to launch Android app"
         log_info "You can manually run with: npx cap run android --no-sync"
         exit 9