diff --git a/bin/gstack-config b/bin/gstack-config
index 70bcf27ce..c92befed8 100755
--- a/bin/gstack-config
+++ b/bin/gstack-config
@@ -434,11 +434,14 @@ case "${1:-}" in
     fi
 
     case "$STATUS" in
-      ok|timeout|thin-client)
+      ok|timeout|thin-client|engine-locked)
         # "timeout" = slow-but-healthy engine (#1964); "thin-client" =
-        # remote-HTTP MCP brain, no local engine by design (#2051) — same
-        # treatment as "ok", matching gstack-gbrain-detect --is-ok and
-        # gen-skill-docs.
+        # remote-HTTP MCP brain, no local engine by design (#2051);
+        # "engine-locked" = same class (#2456): PGLite is single-writer, so a
+        # live `gbrain serve` (typically an MCP server) holds the embedded DB.
+        # gbrain is installed and healthy; a transient lock must not strip
+        # brain blocks out of every SKILL.md. All get the same treatment as
+        # "ok", matching gstack-gbrain-detect --is-ok and gen-skill-docs.
         echo "Detected gbrain v$VERSION (local-status: $STATUS)."
         # Render brain-aware blocks into an UNTRACKED out-dir (#2569) and
         # repoint the installed skills at it — the old in-place render wrote
diff --git a/bin/gstack-gbrain-detect b/bin/gstack-gbrain-detect
index 19797a495..4ec4f239d 100755
--- a/bin/gstack-gbrain-detect
+++ b/bin/gstack-gbrain-detect
@@ -288,17 +288,23 @@ function main(): void {
 }
 
 // --is-ok: live engine-status gate. Exits 0 iff gbrain is usable ("ok";
-// "timeout" — a slow-but-healthy engine, #1964; or "thin-client" — remote-HTTP
-// MCP brain with no local engine by design, #2051 — neither slow nor remote
-// must silently suppress brain features), 1 otherwise. Runs detection live
-// (never reads the possibly-stale gbrain-detection.json), so callers — setup,
-// bin/dev-setup, and `gstack-config gbrain-refresh` — can decide whether to
-// render the gbrain :user variant without duplicating the JSON grep.
-// Prints nothing on stdout.
+// "timeout" — a slow-but-healthy engine, #1964; "thin-client" — remote-HTTP
+// MCP brain with no local engine by design, #2051; or "engine-locked" —
+// PGLite is single-writer, so a live `gbrain serve` (typically an MCP
+// server) holds the embedded DB, #2456 — gbrain is installed and healthy in
+// all four; none must silently suppress brain features), 1 otherwise. Runs
+// detection live (never reads the possibly-stale gbrain-detection.json), so
+// callers — setup, bin/dev-setup, and `gstack-config gbrain-refresh` — can
+// decide whether to render the gbrain :user variant without duplicating the
+// JSON grep. Prints nothing on stdout.
 if (process.argv.includes("--is-ok")) {
   const noCache = process.env.GSTACK_DETECT_NO_CACHE === "1";
   const status = localEngineStatus({ noCache });
-  process.exit(status === "ok" || status === "timeout" || status === "thin-client" ? 0 : 1);
+  process.exit(
+    status === "ok" || status === "timeout" || status === "thin-client" || status === "engine-locked"
+      ? 0
+      : 1,
+  );
 }
 
 main();
diff --git a/scripts/gen-skill-docs.ts b/scripts/gen-skill-docs.ts
index 0f7ac97dd..9596466f6 100644
--- a/scripts/gen-skill-docs.ts
+++ b/scripts/gen-skill-docs.ts
@@ -44,14 +44,14 @@ function loadGbrainOverride(): { detected: boolean } {
   try {
     const json = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(detectionPath, 'utf-8')) as { gbrain_local_status?: string };
     // "timeout" = slow-but-healthy engine (#1964); "thin-client" = remote-HTTP
-    // MCP brain with no local engine by design (#2051). Both usable — same
-    // treatment as "ok", matching gstack-gbrain-detect --is-ok.
-    return {
-      detected:
-        json.gbrain_local_status === 'ok' ||
-        json.gbrain_local_status === 'timeout' ||
-        json.gbrain_local_status === 'thin-client',
-    };
+    // MCP brain with no local engine by design (#2051); "engine-locked" = same
+    // class (#2456): PGLite is single-writer, so a live `gbrain serve` (e.g.
+    // an MCP server) owns the embedded DB — gbrain is installed and healthy,
+    // a legitimate holder has the lock, so a transient lock must not silently
+    // strip brain blocks from every SKILL.md. All usable — same treatment as
+    // "ok", matching gstack-gbrain-detect --is-ok.
+    const USABLE = ['ok', 'timeout', 'thin-client', 'engine-locked'];
+    return { detected: USABLE.includes(json.gbrain_local_status ?? '') };
   } catch {
     return { detected: false };
   }
diff --git a/test/gbrain-detection-override.test.ts b/test/gbrain-detection-override.test.ts
index c4905d897..7ecae820b 100644
--- a/test/gbrain-detection-override.test.ts
+++ b/test/gbrain-detection-override.test.ts
@@ -157,6 +157,33 @@ describe('gbrain detection override → gen-skill-docs', () => {
     }
   });
 
+  test('with status "engine-locked" (PGLite single-writer, #2456), brain blocks render like "ok"', () => {
+    const { tmpHome, cleanup } = makeFixture(
+      JSON.stringify({
+        gbrain_local_status: 'engine-locked',
+        gbrain_on_path: true,
+        gbrain_version: 'test-0.42.26',
+      }),
+    );
+    try {
+      const snap = regenAndSnapshot({
+        respectDetection: true,
+        tmpHome,
+        files: PROBE_FILES,
+      });
+      const content = probeUnion(snap);
+
+      // PGLite is single-writer: a live `gbrain serve` (the recommended
+      // /setup-gbrain default spawns one at session start) legitimately owns
+      // the embedded DB. gbrain is installed and healthy — a transient lock
+      // must not silently strip brain blocks (same reasoning as "timeout").
+      expect(content).toContain('## Save Results to Brain');
+      expect(content).toContain('gbrain put "office-hours/');
+    } finally {
+      cleanup();
+    }
+  });
+
   test('with detected:false (status != "ok"), brain blocks stay suppressed', () => {
     const { tmpHome, cleanup } = makeFixture(
       JSON.stringify({ gbrain_local_status: 'no-cli', gbrain_on_path: false, gbrain_version: null }),