diff --git a/scripts/app/install/app_install.sh b/scripts/app/install/app_install.sh
index e15c182..e2a5d9f 100644
--- a/scripts/app/install/app_install.sh
+++ b/scripts/app/install/app_install.sh
@@ -160,6 +160,21 @@ installApp()
         dockerComposeUpdateAndStartApp "$app_name" install
         _appCallHook "${app_slug}_install_post_start" "$app_name"
 
+        # Reality gate: after `up`, the app MUST have at least one container
+        # (its compose project == the app dir name). An image-pull failure
+        # creates none, yet the deep compose call chain swallows that error —
+        # without this the app is recorded as installed+active with nothing
+        # running (the silent-fail seen when a low path-MTU black-holed pulls).
+        # ps -a (not just running) so a created-but-slow-to-start container
+        # still counts; only a total absence is treated as failure.
+        if declare -F dockerCommandRun >/dev/null 2>&1 \
+           && ! dockerCommandRun "docker ps -a --filter label=com.docker.compose.project=$app_name --format '{{.Names}}' 2>/dev/null" 2>/dev/null | grep -q '[^[:space:]]'; then
+            isError "$app_name did not start — no container was created (usually the image failed to pull). NOT recording it as installed."
+            isNotice "Fix the cause (often image-registry connectivity / MTU), then re-run: libreportal app install $app_name"
+            eval "$app_slug=n"
+            return 1
+        fi
+
         ((menu_number++))
         echo ""
         echo "---- $menu_number. Running post-install integrations."
diff --git a/scripts/docker/app/compose/up_app.sh b/scripts/docker/app/compose/up_app.sh
index e222b09..6436abd 100755
--- a/scripts/docker/app/compose/up_app.sh
+++ b/scripts/docker/app/compose/up_app.sh
@@ -122,12 +122,17 @@ dockerComposeUp()
                 fi
                 if [[ $CFG_DOCKER_INSTALL_TYPE == "rootless" ]]; then
                     isNotice "Starting container for $app_name, this may take a while..."
-                    local result; result=$(dockerCommandRunInstallUser "cd $containers_dir$app_name && COMPOSE_PROGRESS=plain docker compose $setup_compose up $_compose_quiet $_compose_build_flag -d"); _rc=$?
-                    checkSuccess "Started container for $app_name"
+                    local result; result=$(dockerCommandRunInstallUser "cd $containers_dir$app_name && COMPOSE_PROGRESS=plain docker compose $setup_compose up $_compose_quiet $_compose_build_flag -d")
+                    _rc=$?
+                    # Restore $? to the compose exit code — a bare `checkSuccess`
+                    # after `_rc=$?` would read the assignment's 0 and always print
+                    # success, hiding a failed `up -d` (e.g. an image pull EOF).
+                    ( exit "$_rc" ); checkSuccess "Started container for $app_name"
                 elif [[ $CFG_DOCKER_INSTALL_TYPE == "rooted" ]]; then
                     isNotice "Starting container for $app_name, this may take a while..."
-                    local result; result=$(cd "$containers_dir$app_name" && COMPOSE_PROGRESS=plain docker compose $setup_compose up $_compose_quiet $_compose_build_flag -d); _rc=$?
-                    checkSuccess "Started container for $app_name"
+                    local result; result=$(cd "$containers_dir$app_name" && COMPOSE_PROGRESS=plain docker compose $setup_compose up $_compose_quiet $_compose_build_flag -d)
+                    _rc=$?
+                    ( exit "$_rc" ); checkSuccess "Started container for $app_name"
                 fi
             # Used for the CLI dockertype switcher.
             else