diff --git a/src/adapters/cli/codex-app.ts b/src/adapters/cli/codex-app.ts
index 61e4499b..30472164 100644
--- a/src/adapters/cli/codex-app.ts
+++ b/src/adapters/cli/codex-app.ts
@@ -27,7 +27,9 @@ export function createCodexAppAdapter(pathOverride?: string): CliAdapter {
   let cachedCodexBin: string | undefined;
   return {
     id: 'codex-app',
-    authPaths: ['~/.codex/auth.json'],
+    // Whole ~/.codex kept REAL (see codex.ts): its SQLite state/log DBs can't get
+    // fcntl locks on the sandbox home overlay, so codex hangs ~57s then exits 1.
+    authPaths: ['~/.codex'],
     resolvedBin: process.execPath,
 
     // resolvedBin is node-running-the-runner; the REAL codex is spawned later for
diff --git a/src/adapters/cli/codex.ts b/src/adapters/cli/codex.ts
index 6cf7b40f..3907f748 100644
--- a/src/adapters/cli/codex.ts
+++ b/src/adapters/cli/codex.ts
@@ -125,7 +125,13 @@ export function createCodexAdapter(pathOverride?: string): CliAdapter {
   let cachedBin: string | undefined;
   return {
     id: 'codex',
-    authPaths: ['~/.codex/auth.json'],
+    // Whole ~/.codex kept REAL, not just auth.json: codex opens SQLite state/log
+    // DBs there (state_*.sqlite / logs_*.sqlite). Under the file sandbox the home
+    // is an overlayfs merge, and overlayfs (kernel + fuse) doesn't support the
+    // POSIX fcntl locks SQLite needs — the connection pool blocks ~57s then codex
+    // exits 1 ("pool timed out"). Binding the dir real gives working locks and
+    // keeps login/history persistent (same rationale as auth.json).
+    authPaths: ['~/.codex'],
     get resolvedBin(): string { return (cachedBin ??= resolveCommand(rawBin)); },
 
     buildArgs({ sessionId, resume, resumeSessionId, workingDir, model, disableCliBypass }) {
diff --git a/test/cli-adapters.test.ts b/test/cli-adapters.test.ts
index 61581b80..60d9676f 100644
--- a/test/cli-adapters.test.ts
+++ b/test/cli-adapters.test.ts
@@ -308,9 +308,12 @@ describe('codex buildArgs', () => {
     expect(args.join('\n')).not.toContain('BOTMUX_TURN_ID');
   });
 
-  it('keeps Codex home untouched', () => {
+  it('keeps the whole ~/.codex real in the sandbox (SQLite needs fcntl locks the home overlay lacks)', () => {
     expect(adapter.buildSpawnEnv).toBeUndefined();
-    expect(adapter.authPaths).toEqual(['~/.codex/auth.json']);
+    // Not just auth.json: codex's state_*.sqlite / logs_*.sqlite live under
+    // ~/.codex and time out (~57s → exit 1) if the dir is on the overlayfs home,
+    // which doesn't support POSIX byte-range locks. Bind the whole dir real.
+    expect(adapter.authPaths).toEqual(['~/.codex']);
     // skillsDir resolves under CODEX_HOME (default ~/.codex) so it tracks where
     // Codex actually scans skills when CODEX_HOME is overridden.
     expect(adapter.skillsDir).toBe(join(codexHome(), 'skills'));