diff --git a/apps/ambient-inventory-agent/README.md b/apps/ambient-inventory-agent/README.md
index b6c0bb4..4883b53 100644
--- a/apps/ambient-inventory-agent/README.md
+++ b/apps/ambient-inventory-agent/README.md
@@ -154,6 +154,12 @@ or instance role).
 
 ### Run
 
+```bash
+./setup_demo.sh          # reseeds, then runs the app on :8008
+```
+
+Equivalent by hand, in this order — the reseed has to land while the server is down:
+
 ```bash
 python seed_demo.py --reset
 uvicorn app.main:app --port 8008
@@ -166,21 +172,26 @@ the first chat message from stalling on stage. Check it worked:
 curl -s localhost:8008/api/health | python -m json.tool
 ```
 
-`mcp.ready` must be `true`. Then open `http://localhost:8008/?fresh=1` for a
-clean run — it resets the scenario and starts a new delayed alert. The `fresh=1`
-parameter is stripped from the URL immediately, so an accidental refresh
-mid-demo will not wipe the scenario.
+`mcp.ready` must be `true`. Then open `http://localhost:8008/` and press **Start
+demo** when you begin.
+
+Reseeding is a pre-flight step, not something the page does, which is why
+`setup_demo.sh` does it before starting the server. Neither loading the page nor
+pressing **Start demo** reseeds — `/api/demo/start` mints a new `session_id`, which
+leaves the previous run's alert and transcript behind but does *not* clear
+`purchase_orders`. That matters, because a leftover order for the shared component
+makes the next sweep decide no alert is needed, so run `./setup_demo.sh` again
+between runs. Refreshing mid-demo is safe.
 
 Avoid `--reload` during a rehearsal: the pending alert lives in an in-process
 task and a reload cancels it.
 
 ## Stage flow
 
-Seed first, then open the app and walk away:
+Start it, then open the app and walk away:
 
 ```bash
-python seed_demo.py --reset
-uvicorn app.main:app --port 8008     # wait for [mcp] connected
+./setup_demo.sh                      # wait for [mcp] connected
 open http://localhost:8008/
 ```
 
diff --git a/apps/ambient-inventory-agent/setup_demo.sh b/apps/ambient-inventory-agent/setup_demo.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..9b26818
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/ambient-inventory-agent/setup_demo.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#
+# Reseed, then run the app on :8008. Ctrl+C stops it.
+#
+#   ./setup_demo.sh
+#
+# Reseeding every run is required: approving the order writes a purchase_orders doc for
+# the shared component, and the next sweep skips the alert because an order is already
+# inbound. Pressing "Start demo" in the UI does not reseed.
+set -euo pipefail
+cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")"
+
+PY=${PY:-.venv/bin/python}
+[[ -x "$PY" ]] || PY=python3
+
+[[ -n "${1:-}" ]] && { echo "ERROR: unknown option '$1' (takes none)" >&2; exit 1; }
+
+echo "==> Reseeding the demo database"
+"$PY" seed_demo.py --reset
+
+echo "==> App: http://localhost:8008/  (wait for '[mcp] connected'; Ctrl+C to stop)"
+exec "$PY" -m uvicorn app.main:app --port 8008
diff --git a/apps/remote-mcp-perf-triage/README.md b/apps/remote-mcp-perf-triage/README.md
index fdba1c0..bf02878 100644
--- a/apps/remote-mcp-perf-triage/README.md
+++ b/apps/remote-mcp-perf-triage/README.md
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ would normally require a developer who knows exactly where to look.
 
 | File | Purpose |
 |------|---------|
+| `setup_demo.sh` | Resets the demo, then runs the checkout page. `--drop` for a full reseed. |
+| `trickle.sh` | `start`/`stop`/`status` for the Performance Advisor trickle. |
 | `checkout_app.py` | The Leafy Electronics checkout page. Really hangs on the slow poll, then fires the incident to ChatGPT. |
 | `seed_payments.py` | Seeds a large, realistic `payments` collection (no index on `session_id`); `--drop-index` resets the demo. |
 | `generate_load.py` | Runs the checkout status-poll query repeatedly to feed Performance Advisor. |
@@ -144,7 +146,7 @@ serves a Leafy Electronics checkout that runs the **real** status-poll query aga
 unindexed collection — so the hang isn't staged, it's the bug:
 
 ```bash
-python checkout_app.py                 # http://127.0.0.1:8000
+./setup_demo.sh                        # resets, then serves http://127.0.0.1:8000
 python checkout_app.py --no-incident   # rehearse without paging the agent
 ```
 
@@ -245,19 +247,35 @@ completes sub-millisecond — well under any checkout timeout.
 
 ## Reset (to re-run the demo)
 
+`setup_demo.sh` does the reset and then runs the checkout page, so one command per
+demo run is enough:
+
+```bash
+./setup_demo.sh          # light reset: drops the index, keeps the 300k docs
+./setup_demo.sh --drop   # full reseed: fresh 300k, several minutes
+```
+
+The trickle is managed separately, since it runs for hours across many demo runs:
+
+```bash
+./trickle.sh start       # kills any existing trickle, then starts one fresh
+./trickle.sh status
+./trickle.sh stop        # end of day
+```
+
 ### Light reset (usual case)
 
-If the collection is intact and you just created the index during the demo, drop the
-index so the slow condition returns:
+If the collection is intact and you just created the index during the demo, dropping
+the index restores the slow condition — that is all `./setup_demo.sh` does. By hand:
 
 ```bash
 python seed_payments.py --drop-index      # drops the index, keeps the 300k docs
 ```
 
-This exits before the insert loop, so your data is untouched. (Equivalent by hand:
+This exits before the insert loop, so your data is untouched. (Equivalent in the shell:
 `db.payments.dropIndex("session_id_1_status_1")`.)
 
-Then make sure the trickle is running again ahead of the next run:
+Keep the trickle running ahead of the next run — `./trickle.sh start`, or by hand:
 
 ```bash
 nohup python generate_load.py > load.log 2>&1 &   # background; tail -f load.log to watch
@@ -265,7 +283,7 @@ nohup python generate_load.py > load.log 2>&1 &   # background; tail -f load.log
 
 ### Full reseed ritual (fresh data)
 
-If you need to rebuild the collection from scratch:
+To rebuild the collection from scratch, `./setup_demo.sh --drop`. By hand:
 
 ```bash
 python seed_payments.py --drop                    # drop, then seed a fresh 300k
diff --git a/apps/remote-mcp-perf-triage/setup_demo.sh b/apps/remote-mcp-perf-triage/setup_demo.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..eedc55f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/remote-mcp-perf-triage/setup_demo.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#
+# Reset, then run the checkout page on :8000. Ctrl+C stops it.
+#
+#   ./setup_demo.sh          # drop the index, keep the 300k docs (usual case)
+#   ./setup_demo.sh --drop   # full reseed: fresh 300k, several minutes
+#
+# Dropping the index the agent created is what restores the slow COLLSCAN. The documents
+# stay because nothing in the demo mutates them.
+#
+# The Advisor trickle is separate: ./trickle.sh start, well before showtime.
+set -euo pipefail
+cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")"
+
+PY=${PY:-.venv/bin/python}
+[[ -x "$PY" ]] || PY=python3
+
+case "${1:-}" in
+  "")     echo "==> Dropping the demo index (restores the slow COLLSCAN)"
+          "$PY" seed_payments.py --drop-index ;;
+  --drop) echo "==> Full reseed — several minutes"
+          "$PY" seed_payments.py --drop
+          echo "!   Cache is cold and the Advisor recommendation reset; allow ~15-30 min of trickle" ;;
+  *)      echo "ERROR: unknown option '$1' (only --drop)" >&2; exit 1 ;;
+esac
+
+pgrep -f 'generate_load\.py' >/dev/null \
+  || echo "!   Advisor trickle NOT running — ./trickle.sh start (allow ~15-30 min)"
+
+echo "==> Checkout page: http://127.0.0.1:8000  (Ctrl+C to stop)"
+exec "$PY" checkout_app.py
diff --git a/apps/remote-mcp-perf-triage/trickle.sh b/apps/remote-mcp-perf-triage/trickle.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..526e83c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/remote-mcp-perf-triage/trickle.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#
+# The Performance Advisor trickle — generate_load.py, backgrounded.
+#
+#   ./trickle.sh start   # kills any existing trickle, then starts one fresh
+#   ./trickle.sh stop
+#   ./trickle.sh status
+#
+# Separate from setup because it runs on a different clock: the Advisor takes ~15-30 min
+# to first surface its recommendation, and only holds it while slow queries keep recurring
+# AND the index is still absent. Start it well before showtime and leave it up across demo
+# runs. Stop it at end of day.
+#
+# Watch it with: tail -f load.log
+set -euo pipefail
+cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")"
+
+PY=${PY:-.venv/bin/python}
+[[ -x "$PY" ]] || PY=python3
+
+# pgrep exits 1 with no matches, which would abort the script under `set -e`.
+pids() { pgrep -f 'generate_load\.py' | tr '\n' ' ' || true; }
+
+kill_all() {
+  local p
+  p=$(pids)
+  [[ -z "$p" ]] && return 0
+  echo "Killing existing trickle: $p"
+  kill $p 2>/dev/null || true
+  sleep 2
+  p=$(pids)
+  [[ -n "$p" ]] && kill -9 $p 2>/dev/null || true
+  return 0
+}
+
+case "${1:-}" in
+  start)
+    kill_all
+    nohup "$PY" generate_load.py >>load.log 2>&1 &
+    pid=$!
+    sleep 2
+    if ! kill -0 "$pid" 2>/dev/null; then
+      echo "ERROR: exited immediately — last lines of load.log:" >&2
+      tail -5 load.log >&2
+      exit 1
+    fi
+    echo "Started (pid $pid). Allow ~15-30 min, then confirm with"
+    echo "atlas-get-performance-advisor: expect { session_id: 1, status: 1 } on ecommerce.payments"
+    ;;
+  stop)
+    [[ -z "$(pids)" ]] && { echo "Not running"; exit 0; }
+    kill_all
+    echo "Stopped"
+    ;;
+  status)
+    p=$(pids)
+    if [[ -z "$p" ]]; then
+      echo "NOT running — the Advisor recommendation will go stale. ./trickle.sh start"
+      exit 1
+    fi
+    # Uptime is the thing that matters: the Advisor cares how long this has been
+    # running, not that it is alive this second.
+    ps -o pid=,lstart=,args= -p $p | sed 's/^ *//'
+    # Plain `if`, not a trailing `&&` — as the last command in this branch a false test
+    # would become the exit status and report a healthy trickle as a failure.
+    if [[ -f load.log ]]; then
+      tail -3 load.log | sed 's/^/  /'
+    fi
+    ;;
+  *)
+    echo "Usage: ./trickle.sh {start|stop|status}" >&2
+    exit 1
+    ;;
+esac