diff --git a/src/paired-execution-context.test.ts b/src/paired-execution-context.test.ts
index 6e52f51..ed1b54c 100644
--- a/src/paired-execution-context.test.ts
+++ b/src/paired-execution-context.test.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ vi.mock('./db.js', () => {
   return {
     cancelPairedTurn: vi.fn(),
     createPairedTask: vi.fn(),
+    getEffectiveRuntimeRoomMode: vi.fn(() => 'tribunal'),
     getLatestPairedTaskForChat: vi.fn(),
     getLatestOpenPairedTaskForChat: vi.fn(),
     getPairedTaskById: vi.fn(),
@@ -33,6 +34,9 @@ vi.mock('./db.js', () => {
 });
 
 vi.mock('./paired-workspace-manager.js', () => ({
+  ensurePairedWorkspaceProvisioned: vi.fn(
+    () => '/repo/self-healed-canonical',
+  ),
   isOwnerWorkspaceRepairNeededError: vi.fn(() => false),
   markPairedTaskReviewReady: vi.fn(),
   prepareReviewerWorkspaceForExecution: vi.fn(),
@@ -312,6 +316,54 @@ describe('paired execution context', () => {
     expect(db.insertPairedTurnOutput).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
+  it('self-heals a tribunal room with no work_dir by provisioning the canonical workspace', () => {
+    // Reproduces the silent-room incident: a tribunal room whose work_dir was
+    // never provisioned would return a null task and never run the owner.
+    const noWorkDirGroup: RegisteredGroup = { ...group, workDir: undefined };
+    vi.mocked(db.getEffectiveRuntimeRoomMode).mockReturnValue('tribunal');
+    vi.mocked(
+      pairedWorkspaceManager.ensurePairedWorkspaceProvisioned,
+    ).mockReturnValue('/repo/self-healed-canonical');
+    vi.mocked(db.getLatestOpenPairedTaskForChat).mockReturnValue(undefined);
+    vi.mocked(db.getLatestPairedTaskForChat).mockReturnValue(undefined);
+
+    const result = resolveOwnerTaskForHumanMessage({
+      group: noWorkDirGroup,
+      chatJid: 'dc:test',
+      roomRoleContext: ownerContext,
+      existingTask: null,
+    });
+
+    expect(
+      pairedWorkspaceManager.ensurePairedWorkspaceProvisioned,
+    ).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      chatJid: 'dc:test',
+      groupFolder: noWorkDirGroup.folder,
+    });
+    expect(result.task).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(db.createPairedTask).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
+  it('does not provision a workspace for a single-mode room with no work_dir', () => {
+    const noWorkDirGroup: RegisteredGroup = { ...group, workDir: undefined };
+    vi.mocked(db.getEffectiveRuntimeRoomMode).mockReturnValue('single');
+    vi.mocked(db.getLatestOpenPairedTaskForChat).mockReturnValue(undefined);
+    vi.mocked(db.getLatestPairedTaskForChat).mockReturnValue(undefined);
+
+    const result = resolveOwnerTaskForHumanMessage({
+      group: noWorkDirGroup,
+      chatJid: 'dc:test',
+      roomRoleContext: ownerContext,
+      existingTask: null,
+    });
+
+    expect(
+      pairedWorkspaceManager.ensurePairedWorkspaceProvisioned,
+    ).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(result.task).toBeNull();
+    expect(db.createPairedTask).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
   it('records a quick reopen when a new owner task starts shortly after TASK_DONE completion', () => {
     const previousTask = buildPairedTask({
       id: 'task-completed',
diff --git a/src/paired-execution-context.ts b/src/paired-execution-context.ts
index 9a24f5f..6f641a6 100644
--- a/src/paired-execution-context.ts
+++ b/src/paired-execution-context.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import {
 import {
   cancelPairedTurn,
   createPairedTask,
+  getEffectiveRuntimeRoomMode,
   getLatestPairedTaskForChat,
   getLatestOpenPairedTaskForChat,
   getPairedTaskById,
@@ -48,6 +49,7 @@ import {
 } from './paired-task-status.js';
 import { resolveCanonicalSourceRef } from './paired-source-ref.js';
 import {
+  ensurePairedWorkspaceProvisioned,
   isOwnerWorkspaceRepairNeededError,
   prepareReviewerWorkspaceForExecution,
   provisionOwnerWorkspaceForPairedTask,
@@ -74,7 +76,21 @@ function ensurePairedProject(
   chatJid: string,
 ): string | null {
   if (!group.workDir) {
-    return null;
+    // Self-heal: a tribunal room whose work_dir was never provisioned (null)
+    // makes resolveOwnerTaskForHumanMessage return a null task, so the owner
+    // never runs and the room goes completely silent — the user's messages get
+    // no reply at all. Provision the canonical workspace on demand so the owner
+    // can always start. Guarded to tribunal rooms so a single-mode room never
+    // gets a spurious paired workspace. Idempotent: ensurePairedWorkspace-
+    // Provisioned skips git init/commit when they already exist and upserts the
+    // paired project itself.
+    if (getEffectiveRuntimeRoomMode(chatJid) !== 'tribunal') {
+      return null;
+    }
+    return ensurePairedWorkspaceProvisioned({
+      chatJid,
+      groupFolder: group.folder,
+    });
   }
 
   const now = new Date().toISOString();