diff --git a/catalog_console.py b/catalog_console.py
index 0d6f007..0438379 100644
--- a/catalog_console.py
+++ b/catalog_console.py
@@ -15,10 +15,16 @@ Flow: Load -> Review -> Sign.
                 blob SHA for the rest of this review pass.
   2. Review  -- a semantic diff (catalog_review.diff_catalogs), one card per
                 changed entry, with risk annotations
-                (catalog_review.entry_risk_findings) and a live registry
-                lookup. Every changed entry must be individually
-                acknowledged (its checkbox ticked) before Sign unlocks.
-                There is no "acknowledge all" -- see catalog_review.py.
+                (catalog_review.entry_risk_findings). A registry lookup for
+                each entry's npm/PyPI package kicks off automatically, one
+                worker thread per entry, the moment the cards are built --
+                it is the one check a reviewer can't do by eye, so it must
+                never depend on a click. It fails soft (a dead registry
+                shows "unavailable", never blocks review or Sign) and a
+                per-card "Re-check" button covers manual retries. Every
+                changed entry must be individually acknowledged (its
+                checkbox ticked) before Sign unlocks. There is no
+                "acknowledge all" -- see catalog_review.py.
   3. Sign    -- re-fetches the current blob SHA and refuses to sign unless
                 it still matches the pinned SHA from step 1 (TOCTOU fix:
                 catalog_review.can_sign). On success, writes
@@ -497,11 +503,11 @@ class EntryCard(QWidget):
                 flabel.setStyleSheet("color: #1565c0;")
             layout.addWidget(flabel)
 
-        self.registry_label = plain_label("Registry lookup: not checked yet.")
+        self.registry_label = plain_label("Registry lookup: loading...")
         layout.addWidget(self.registry_label)
-        check_btn = QPushButton("Check registry")
-        check_btn.clicked.connect(self._run_registry_lookup)
-        layout.addWidget(check_btn)
+        recheck_btn = QPushButton("Re-check")
+        recheck_btn.clicked.connect(self._run_registry_lookup)
+        layout.addWidget(recheck_btn)
 
         self.blocking = any(f.severity == "blocking" for f in findings)
         self.checkbox = QCheckBox(
@@ -519,13 +525,24 @@ class EntryCard(QWidget):
         )
         layout.addWidget(self.checkbox)
 
+        # Registry lookup is the one check a reviewer can't do by eye -- it's
+        # what catches a typosquatted/hijacked package (it already caught
+        # firecrawl-mcp in the seed data). It must run automatically as soon
+        # as the card exists, not wait on a click a tired maintainer might
+        # skip at 11pm. Off the GUI thread (RegistryLookupWorker is a
+        # QThread) and fails soft: a dead/slow registry can never gate
+        # review or signing, it just leaves this entry's lookup showing
+        # "unavailable". The "Re-check" button above stays for retrying a
+        # failed/unavailable lookup by hand.
+        self._run_registry_lookup()
+
     def _run_registry_lookup(self):
         entry = self.change.new or {}
         refs = review.extract_package_refs(entry)
         if not refs:
             self.registry_label.setText("Registry lookup: no npm/PyPI package in this entry.")
             return
-        self.registry_label.setText("Registry lookup: checking...")
+        self.registry_label.setText("Registry lookup: loading...")
         self._worker = RegistryLookupWorker(refs, self._all_entry_ids)
         self._worker.done.connect(self._on_registry_result)
         self._worker.start()