diff --git a/scripts/ci/contextual_orchestrator_review_sidecar.sh b/scripts/ci/contextual_orchestrator_review_sidecar.sh
index a83becf67b..965e6b4876 100755
--- a/scripts/ci/contextual_orchestrator_review_sidecar.sh
+++ b/scripts/ci/contextual_orchestrator_review_sidecar.sh
@@ -113,6 +113,11 @@ log "installing hash-pinned orchestrator dependencies at ${checked_out}"
 PYTHONPATH="$ORCHESTRATOR_SOURCE:$ORG_REPO_ROOT" "$sidecar_python" -c \
   'from contextual_orchestrator.credentials import get_credential; from contextual_orchestrator.model_discovery import discover_all_models, free_discovered_models; from contextual_orchestrator.orchestrator import ModelClient, TaskOrchestrator, load_agents; from contextual_orchestrator.review_gateway import register_review_credentials; from contextual_orchestrator.server import SecurityConfig, serve'
 PYTHONPATH="$ORCHESTRATOR_SOURCE:$ORG_REPO_ROOT" "$sidecar_python" - <<'PY'
+import faulthandler
+
+# Fatal startup diagnostics contain stack locations, never frame locals.
+faulthandler.enable()
+
 import contextlib
 import http.client
 import io
diff --git a/tests/test_contextual_orchestrator_review_sidecar_contract.py b/tests/test_contextual_orchestrator_review_sidecar_contract.py
index e602f19268..3db35662d1 100644
--- a/tests/test_contextual_orchestrator_review_sidecar_contract.py
+++ b/tests/test_contextual_orchestrator_review_sidecar_contract.py
@@ -397,6 +397,9 @@ def test_strix_gateway_uses_provider_neutral_reasoning_effort() -> None:
 def test_sidecar_probes_the_pinned_server_body_limit_at_http_boundary() -> None:
     """The exact vendored SHA must enforce the review limit at its HTTP boundary."""
     text = _read(SIDECAR)
+    assert text.index("faulthandler.enable()") < text.index(
+        "from contextual_orchestrator.server import SecurityConfig, build_server"
+    )
     assert "from contextual_orchestrator.server import SecurityConfig, build_server" in text
     assert '"POST",' in text
     assert '"/v1/chat/completions",' in text