diff --git a/.changeset/fix-sys-metadata-storage-home.md b/.changeset/fix-sys-metadata-storage-home.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8ede4ab1c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/fix-sys-metadata-storage-home.md
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+---
+"@objectstack/metadata-core": patch
+"@objectstack/platform-objects": patch
+"@objectstack/metadata": patch
+"@objectstack/objectql": patch
+"@objectstack/driver-sql": patch
+---
+
+fix(metadata): home the metadata-storage objects in metadata-core and register them from ObjectQL
+
+Standalone "host config" apps boot without `@objectstack/metadata`'s MetadataPlugin, so nobody registered the metadata-storage objects (`sys_metadata`, `_history`, `_audit`, `sys_view_definition`) into ObjectQL — their tables were never schema-synced and ObjectQL's own protocol (`loadMetaFromDb` / `getMetaItems`) failed with `no such table: sys_metadata` on every read.
+
+- Move the four storage-object definitions from `@objectstack/platform-objects/metadata` to `@objectstack/metadata-core` (the lowest package shared by their real consumers); `platform-objects/metadata` now re-exports them for back-compat.
+- `ObjectQLPlugin` registers these objects itself (gated on `environmentId === undefined`, mirroring `restoreMetadataFromDb`) so their tables always sync on platform/standalone kernels.
+- Gate the SQL driver's tenant-audit warning on actual multi-tenant mode — `organization_id` now exists on every table, so column presence alone no longer implies "tenant-scoped"; single-tenant boots no longer spam the warning for system writes.
diff --git a/packages/metadata-core/package.json b/packages/metadata-core/package.json
index 4f60dc877..1fe3e679c 100644
--- a/packages/metadata-core/package.json
+++ b/packages/metadata-core/package.json
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
     "change-log"
   ],
   "dependencies": {
+    "@objectstack/spec": "workspace:*",
     "zod": "^4.4.3"
   },
   "peerDependencies": {
diff --git a/packages/metadata-core/src/index.ts b/packages/metadata-core/src/index.ts
index 43e3c84a9..3ec060346 100644
--- a/packages/metadata-core/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/metadata-core/src/index.ts
@@ -13,3 +13,4 @@ export * from './repository.js';
 export * from './in-memory-repository.js';
 export * from './cache.js';
 export * from './layered-repository.js';
+export * from './objects/index.js';
diff --git a/packages/metadata-core/src/objects/index.ts b/packages/metadata-core/src/objects/index.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7720d94c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/metadata-core/src/objects/index.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+// Copyright (c) 2025 ObjectStack. Licensed under the Apache-2.0 license.
+
+/**
+ * metadata-core/objects — Metadata Storage Object Definitions
+ *
+ * `sys_metadata` + `sys_metadata_history` + `sys_metadata_audit` are the
+ * canonical single-source-of-truth storage substrate for ALL metadata
+ * customisations (ADR-0005). `sys_view_definition` backs runtime-authored
+ * shared/personal views (ADR-0017).
+ *
+ * These definitions live HERE (the metadata core package) — not in
+ * `@objectstack/platform-objects` — because the packages that actually read
+ * and write these tables depend on metadata-core: the ObjectQL protocol
+ * (`loadMetaFromDb` / `getMetaItems` / `saveMetaItem`) and the metadata
+ * layer's `DatabaseLoader`. Keeping them in the lowest shared package lets
+ * both register/sync the tables without a cross-package dependency.
+ */
+
+export { SysMetadataObject, SysMetadataObject as SysMetadata } from './sys-metadata.object.js';
+export { SysMetadataHistoryObject } from './sys-metadata-history.object.js';
+export { SysMetadataAuditObject } from './sys-metadata-audit.object.js';
+export { SysViewDefinitionObject } from './sys-view-definition.object.js';
diff --git a/packages/platform-objects/src/metadata/sys-metadata-audit.object.ts b/packages/metadata-core/src/objects/sys-metadata-audit.object.ts
similarity index 100%
rename from packages/platform-objects/src/metadata/sys-metadata-audit.object.ts
rename to packages/metadata-core/src/objects/sys-metadata-audit.object.ts
diff --git a/packages/platform-objects/src/metadata/sys-metadata-history.object.ts b/packages/metadata-core/src/objects/sys-metadata-history.object.ts
similarity index 100%
rename from packages/platform-objects/src/metadata/sys-metadata-history.object.ts
rename to packages/metadata-core/src/objects/sys-metadata-history.object.ts
diff --git a/packages/platform-objects/src/metadata/sys-metadata.object.ts b/packages/metadata-core/src/objects/sys-metadata.object.ts
similarity index 100%
rename from packages/platform-objects/src/metadata/sys-metadata.object.ts
rename to packages/metadata-core/src/objects/sys-metadata.object.ts
diff --git a/packages/platform-objects/src/metadata/sys-view-definition.object.ts b/packages/metadata-core/src/objects/sys-view-definition.object.ts
similarity index 100%
rename from packages/platform-objects/src/metadata/sys-view-definition.object.ts
rename to packages/metadata-core/src/objects/sys-view-definition.object.ts
diff --git a/packages/metadata/src/index.ts b/packages/metadata/src/index.ts
index 31e605003..dd5ee69ec 100644
--- a/packages/metadata/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/metadata/src/index.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ export { RemoteLoader } from './loaders/remote-loader.js';
 export { DatabaseLoader, type DatabaseLoaderOptions } from './loaders/database-loader.js';
 
 // Objects
-export { SysMetadataObject, SysMetadataHistoryObject } from '@objectstack/platform-objects/metadata';
+export { SysMetadataObject, SysMetadataHistoryObject } from '@objectstack/metadata-core';
 
 // Routes
 // NOTE: `registerMetadataHistoryRoutes` (Hono-style) was removed —
diff --git a/packages/metadata/src/loaders/database-loader.ts b/packages/metadata/src/loaders/database-loader.ts
index 7c0fa71db..598f88eb1 100644
--- a/packages/metadata/src/loaders/database-loader.ts
+++ b/packages/metadata/src/loaders/database-loader.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ import type {
   MetadataRecord,
   MetadataHistoryRecord,
 } from '@objectstack/spec/system';
-import { SysMetadataObject, SysMetadataHistoryObject } from '@objectstack/platform-objects/metadata';
+import { SysMetadataObject, SysMetadataHistoryObject } from '@objectstack/metadata-core';
 import type { IDataDriver, IDataEngine } from '@objectstack/spec/contracts';
 import type { MetadataLoader } from './loader-interface.js';
 import { calculateChecksum } from '../utils/metadata-history-utils.js';
diff --git a/packages/metadata/src/plugin.ts b/packages/metadata/src/plugin.ts
index 7ade927ed..0dfc10871 100644
--- a/packages/metadata/src/plugin.ts
+++ b/packages/metadata/src/plugin.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import {
     SysMetadataHistoryObject,
     SysMetadataAuditObject,
     SysViewDefinitionObject,
-} from '@objectstack/platform-objects/metadata';
+} from '@objectstack/metadata-core';
 
 // `SysMetadataObject` + `SysMetadataHistoryObject` are the customer overlay
 // storage substrate (ADR-0005). They must always be auto-provisioned so
diff --git a/packages/objectql/src/plugin.integration.test.ts b/packages/objectql/src/plugin.integration.test.ts
index 514a9aba1..f9cf285ba 100644
--- a/packages/objectql/src/plugin.integration.test.ts
+++ b/packages/objectql/src/plugin.integration.test.ts
@@ -978,14 +978,16 @@ describe('ObjectQLPlugin - Metadata Service Integration', () => {
       // Act
       await kernel.bootstrap();
 
-      // Assert — loadMetaFromDb must appear before any syncSchema call
+      // Assert — the RESTORED object must be synced AFTER it was hydrated from
+      // sys_metadata, so its table exists. (The built-in metadata-storage
+      // objects — sys_metadata, … — are registered up-front by ObjectQLPlugin
+      // and synced in the FIRST pass, i.e. before loadMetaFromDb; only the
+      // DB-restored custom objects depend on the post-hydration second pass.)
       const loadIdx = operations.indexOf('loadMetaFromDb');
       expect(loadIdx).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(0);
 
-      const firstSync = operations.findIndex((op) => op.startsWith('syncSchema:'));
-      if (firstSync >= 0) {
-        expect(loadIdx).toBeLessThan(firstSync);
-      }
+      const restoredSyncIdx = operations.indexOf('syncSchema:restored_obj');
+      expect(restoredSyncIdx).toBeGreaterThan(loadIdx);
     });
   });
 
diff --git a/packages/objectql/src/plugin.ts b/packages/objectql/src/plugin.ts
index 87139db78..6c0e48b04 100644
--- a/packages/objectql/src/plugin.ts
+++ b/packages/objectql/src/plugin.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,12 @@ import { ObjectQL } from './engine.js';
 import { ObjectStackProtocolImplementation } from './protocol.js';
 import { Plugin, PluginContext } from '@objectstack/core';
 import { StorageNameMapping } from '@objectstack/spec/system';
+import {
+  SysMetadataObject,
+  SysMetadataHistoryObject,
+  SysMetadataAuditObject,
+  SysViewDefinitionObject,
+} from '@objectstack/metadata-core';
 
 export type { Plugin, PluginContext };
 
@@ -141,6 +147,37 @@ export class ObjectQLPlugin implements Plugin {
         services: ['objectql', 'data', 'manifest'],
     });
 
+    // Register the metadata-storage objects this engine's own protocol reads
+    // and writes — `sys_metadata` (loadMetaFromDb / getMetaItems / saveMetaItem),
+    // its history/audit siblings, and `sys_view_definition`. Doing it here
+    // guarantees their tables get schema-synced in start() even when no
+    // MetadataPlugin is present (e.g. standalone "host config" apps, where the
+    // CLI auto-registers a bare ObjectQLPlugin and nothing else owns these
+    // tables → "no such table: sys_metadata" on every read).
+    //
+    // Gated on `environmentId === undefined` — the SAME condition that gates
+    // `restoreMetadataFromDb` below: platform / standalone kernels own their
+    // local sys_metadata, whereas per-project (cloud) kernels source metadata
+    // from the control plane and must NOT provision these tables locally.
+    // Definitions live in @objectstack/metadata-core (shared by this protocol
+    // and the metadata layer's DatabaseLoader). registerApp is idempotent, so
+    // a MetadataPlugin that also registers them is harmless.
+    if (this.environmentId === undefined) {
+      this.ql.registerApp({
+        id: 'com.objectstack.metadata-objects',
+        name: 'Metadata Platform Objects',
+        version: '1.0.0',
+        type: 'plugin',
+        scope: 'system',
+        objects: [
+          SysMetadataObject,
+          SysMetadataHistoryObject,
+          SysMetadataAuditObject,
+          SysViewDefinitionObject,
+        ],
+      });
+    }
+
     // Register Protocol Implementation
     const protocolShim = new ObjectStackProtocolImplementation(
       this.ql,
diff --git a/packages/platform-objects/package.json b/packages/platform-objects/package.json
index bf59a6104..7b320b298 100644
--- a/packages/platform-objects/package.json
+++ b/packages/platform-objects/package.json
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
   "name": "@objectstack/platform-objects",
   "version": "7.6.0",
   "license": "Apache-2.0",
-  "description": "Core platform object schemas for ObjectStack — identity, security, audit, tenant, and metadata objects",
+  "description": "Core platform object schemas for ObjectStack \u2014 identity, security, audit, tenant, and metadata objects",
   "main": "dist/index.js",
   "types": "dist/index.d.ts",
   "exports": {
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@
     "test": "vitest run --passWithNoTests"
   },
   "dependencies": {
+    "@objectstack/metadata-core": "workspace:*",
     "@objectstack/spec": "workspace:*"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
diff --git a/packages/platform-objects/src/metadata/index.ts b/packages/platform-objects/src/metadata/index.ts
index 4ce1c524f..be43ea37b 100644
--- a/packages/platform-objects/src/metadata/index.ts
+++ b/packages/platform-objects/src/metadata/index.ts
@@ -1,19 +1,23 @@
 // Copyright (c) 2025 ObjectStack. Licensed under the Apache-2.0 license.
 
 /**
- * platform-objects/metadata — Metadata Storage Objects
+ * platform-objects/metadata — BACK-COMPAT RE-EXPORT.
  *
- * `sys_metadata` + `sys_metadata_history` are the canonical, single-source-of-truth
- * storage substrate for ALL metadata customisations (see ADR 0005). The previously
- * shipped per-type projection objects (`sys_object`, `sys_view`, `sys_flow`,
- * `sys_agent`, `sys_tool`) were removed in 2026-05 — they duplicated Zod schemas
- * from `@objectstack/spec` and the projection pipeline they fed has been removed
- * along with them. Out-of-box metadata lives in the compiled artifact (loaded by
- * `SchemaRegistry`); customer overrides live in `sys_metadata` as JSON.
+ * The metadata-storage object definitions (`sys_metadata`,
+ * `sys_metadata_history`, `sys_metadata_audit`, `sys_view_definition`) have
+ * MOVED to `@objectstack/metadata-core` — the lowest package shared by their
+ * actual consumers (the ObjectQL protocol that reads/writes them, and the
+ * metadata layer's `DatabaseLoader`). They no longer live in platform-objects.
+ *
+ * This module re-exports them so the legacy `@objectstack/platform-objects/metadata`
+ * import path keeps working during the migration. Prefer importing from
+ * `@objectstack/metadata-core` directly.
  */
 
-export { SysMetadataObject, SysMetadataObject as SysMetadata } from './sys-metadata.object.js';
-export { SysMetadataHistoryObject } from './sys-metadata-history.object.js';
-export { SysMetadataAuditObject } from './sys-metadata-audit.object.js';
-// Runtime view storage (shared / personal layers) — "Object has-many View".
-export { SysViewDefinitionObject } from './sys-view-definition.object.js';
+export {
+  SysMetadataObject,
+  SysMetadata,
+  SysMetadataHistoryObject,
+  SysMetadataAuditObject,
+  SysViewDefinitionObject,
+} from '@objectstack/metadata-core';
diff --git a/packages/plugins/driver-sql/src/sql-driver-tenant-scope.test.ts b/packages/plugins/driver-sql/src/sql-driver-tenant-scope.test.ts
index bf67c08d4..535c9c715 100644
--- a/packages/plugins/driver-sql/src/sql-driver-tenant-scope.test.ts
+++ b/packages/plugins/driver-sql/src/sql-driver-tenant-scope.test.ts
@@ -230,6 +230,9 @@ describe('SqlDriver tenant scope (organization_id)', () => {
       });
       // Swap logger to capture warns.
       (driver as any).logger = { warn: (msg: string, meta: any) => warnSpy.push({ msg, meta }) };
+      // The tenant-audit warning only fires in multi-tenant mode (single-tenant
+      // stacks now always have an organization_id column but no isolation).
+      (driver as any)._multiTenantMode = true;
       await driver.initObjects(objects);
 
       await driver.create('account', { id: 'x1', organization_id: 'org_a', name: 'X1' });
diff --git a/packages/plugins/driver-sql/src/sql-driver.ts b/packages/plugins/driver-sql/src/sql-driver.ts
index 3d36ab5e4..4a40b805d 100644
--- a/packages/plugins/driver-sql/src/sql-driver.ts
+++ b/packages/plugins/driver-sql/src/sql-driver.ts
@@ -1338,6 +1338,23 @@ export class SqlDriver implements IDataDriver {
     return cached ?? null;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Whether the host kernel runs in multi-tenant mode — read once from
+   * `OS_MULTI_ORG_ENABLED` (or the deprecated `OS_MULTI_TENANT`), matching how
+   * the SchemaRegistry / SecurityPlugin pick the mode. Used to gate the
+   * tenant-audit warning: it's only meaningful where tenant isolation is
+   * actually enforced (org-scoping installed).
+   */
+  private _multiTenantMode?: boolean;
+  protected isMultiTenantMode(): boolean {
+    if (this._multiTenantMode === undefined) {
+      const raw =
+        process.env.OS_MULTI_ORG_ENABLED ?? process.env.OS_MULTI_TENANT ?? 'false';
+      this._multiTenantMode = String(raw).toLowerCase() !== 'false';
+    }
+    return this._multiTenantMode;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Apply a `WHERE tenant_field = ?` clause to the given query builder
    * when:
@@ -1402,6 +1419,13 @@ export class SqlDriver implements IDataDriver {
   ): void {
     if (process.env.OS_TENANT_AUDIT === '0') return;
     if ((options as any)?.bypassTenantAudit === true) return;
+    // Only meaningful in multi-tenant deployments. Single-tenant stacks have no
+    // tenant isolation, yet the kernel now ALWAYS provisions an `organization_id`
+    // column (its existence is decoupled from the tenant flag). Column presence
+    // alone therefore no longer implies "tenant-scoped" — without this gate every
+    // system/sudo write (e.g. the notification/http delivery dispatchers' claim
+    // updates) would spam a meaningless warning on single-tenant boots.
+    if (!this.isMultiTenantMode()) return;
     const tenantId = (options as any)?.tenantId;
     if (tenantId !== undefined && tenantId !== null && tenantId !== '') return;
     const field = this.resolveTenantField(object);
diff --git a/packages/plugins/driver-sqlite-wasm/src/sqlite-wasm-driver-tenant-scope.test.ts b/packages/plugins/driver-sqlite-wasm/src/sqlite-wasm-driver-tenant-scope.test.ts
index 84e8c7a50..19a6aef4e 100644
--- a/packages/plugins/driver-sqlite-wasm/src/sqlite-wasm-driver-tenant-scope.test.ts
+++ b/packages/plugins/driver-sqlite-wasm/src/sqlite-wasm-driver-tenant-scope.test.ts
@@ -214,6 +214,9 @@ describe('SqliteWasmDriver tenant scope (organization_id)', () => {
       driver = new SqliteWasmDriver({ filename: ':memory:' });
       // Swap logger to capture warns.
       (driver as any).logger = { warn: (msg: string, meta: any) => warnSpy.push({ msg, meta }) };
+      // The tenant-audit warning only fires in multi-tenant mode (single-tenant
+      // stacks now always have an organization_id column but no isolation).
+      (driver as any)._multiTenantMode = true;
       await driver.initObjects(objects);
 
       await driver.create('account', { id: 'x1', organization_id: 'org_a', name: 'X1' });
diff --git a/pnpm-lock.yaml b/pnpm-lock.yaml
index 8724cab55..1ca1a8e5d 100644
--- a/pnpm-lock.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-lock.yaml
@@ -891,6 +891,9 @@ importers:
 
   packages/metadata-core:
     dependencies:
+      '@objectstack/spec':
+        specifier: workspace:*
+        version: link:../spec
       zod:
         specifier: ^4.4.3
         version: 4.4.3
@@ -982,6 +985,9 @@ importers:
 
   packages/platform-objects:
     dependencies:
+      '@objectstack/metadata-core':
+        specifier: workspace:*
+        version: link:../metadata-core
       '@objectstack/spec':
         specifier: workspace:*
         version: link:../spec