diff --git a/cmd/server/chunked_load.go b/cmd/server/chunked_load.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8acb5fd8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/server/chunked_load.go
@@ -0,0 +1,469 @@
+package main
+
+// Chunked startup load + early HTTP readiness for issue #1009.
+//
+// Design:
+//   * LoadChunked paginates transmissions in id-ordered chunks of
+//     `chunkSize` (default 10000 via Config.DBLoadChunkSize). After the
+//     first chunk is merged into the store, FirstChunkReady is closed.
+//     main.go binds the HTTP listener on that signal and serves
+//     partial data while remaining chunks stream in the background.
+//   * loadStatusMiddleware stamps X-CoreScope-Load-Status on every
+//     response: "loading; progress=<rows>" until LoadComplete()
+//     reports true, then "ready". Dashboards and probes can read the
+//     header without parsing JSON.
+//   * OnChunkLoaded registers a per-chunk callback for progress
+//     logging / tests.
+//
+// Concurrency: each chunk acquires s.mu.Lock() ONLY while merging the
+// chunk's rows into store-shared maps. SQLite reads run lock-free so
+// HTTP handlers (which take s.mu.RLock) stay responsive.
+
+import (
+	"database/sql"
+	"fmt"
+	"log"
+	"net/http"
+	"sort"
+	"strings"
+	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/meshcore-analyzer/dbconfig"
+)
+
+// dbLoadConfig is the server-package alias for dbconfig.LoadConfig (#1009).
+type dbLoadConfig = dbconfig.LoadConfig
+
+// DBLoadChunkSize returns the configured chunk size for chunked
+// startup load (config: db.load.chunkSize), or 10000 default (#1009).
+func (c *Config) DBLoadChunkSize() int {
+	return c.DB.GetLoadChunkSize()
+}
+
+// chunkedLoadState holds the runtime gates for LoadChunked. It lives
+// on PacketStore via embedded fields — see store.go additions in the
+// same commit.
+
+// FirstChunkReady returns a channel closed once the first chunk has
+// been merged into the store, signalling the HTTP listener can bind.
+func (s *PacketStore) FirstChunkReady() <-chan struct{} {
+	s.chunkedLoadInit()
+	return s.firstChunkReady
+}
+
+// LoadComplete reports whether LoadChunked has finished all chunks.
+func (s *PacketStore) LoadComplete() bool {
+	return s.loadComplete.Load()
+}
+
+// LoadProgress reports the number of transmission rows processed by
+// the in-flight (or completed) LoadChunked call.
+func (s *PacketStore) LoadProgress() int64 {
+	return s.loadProgressRows.Load()
+}
+
+// OnChunkLoaded registers a callback fired once per chunk after that
+// chunk has been merged into the store. The callback receives the
+// number of transmission rows in that chunk and the running total.
+// Multiple registrations chain.
+func (s *PacketStore) OnChunkLoaded(fn func(rowsThisChunk, totalRows int)) {
+	s.chunkedLoadInit()
+	s.chunkCBMu.Lock()
+	defer s.chunkCBMu.Unlock()
+	s.chunkCallbacks = append(s.chunkCallbacks, fn)
+}
+
+// chunkedLoadInit lazily initialises the readiness channel + callback
+// list under a mutex so concurrent first callers don't race.
+func (s *PacketStore) chunkedLoadInit() {
+	s.chunkInitOnce.Do(func() {
+		s.firstChunkReady = make(chan struct{})
+	})
+}
+
+func (s *PacketStore) signalFirstChunk() {
+	if s.firstChunkSignaled.CompareAndSwap(false, true) {
+		close(s.firstChunkReady)
+	}
+}
+
+func (s *PacketStore) fireChunkCallbacks(rowsThisChunk, totalRows int) {
+	s.chunkCBMu.Lock()
+	cbs := append([]func(int, int){}, s.chunkCallbacks...)
+	s.chunkCBMu.Unlock()
+	for _, cb := range cbs {
+		func() {
+			defer func() {
+				if r := recover(); r != nil {
+					log.Printf("[store] OnChunkLoaded callback panic: %v", r)
+				}
+			}()
+			cb(rowsThisChunk, totalRows)
+		}()
+	}
+}
+
+// LoadChunked streams transmissions + observations from SQLite into
+// the in-memory store in id-ordered chunks of `chunkSize` rows. Pass
+// 0 to use the default (10000).
+//
+// After the first chunk is merged, FirstChunkReady is closed and the
+// HTTP listener may bind. Remaining chunks stream while handlers run
+// against partially-populated data; loadStatusMiddleware advertises
+// loading status until LoadComplete() returns true.
+//
+// Re-entrancy: LoadChunked is NOT safe to call concurrently with
+// itself on the same PacketStore — it resets loadComplete /
+// loadProgressRows and mutates store-shared maps under s.mu. In
+// production it is invoked exactly once from main.go boot. Tests that
+// open a fresh store per test are also safe. If a future caller needs
+// repeat or concurrent loads, add a top-level mutex first.
+func (s *PacketStore) LoadChunked(chunkSize int) error {
+	if chunkSize <= 0 {
+		chunkSize = 10000
+	}
+	s.chunkedLoadInit()
+	// Reset state for repeat calls in tests.
+	s.loadComplete.Store(false)
+	s.loadProgressRows.Store(0)
+
+	// On any return — error OR success — unblock listeners that gate on
+	// the readiness signal so an empty/failed DB does not deadlock the
+	// caller. Note: loadComplete is set on the success path only (see
+	// the end of this function) so probes do NOT see ready=true after a
+	// failed load.
+	defer s.signalFirstChunk()
+
+	t0 := time.Now()
+
+	// Build the retention/memory filter the legacy Load() uses so
+	// behavior is preserved when callers migrate from Load → LoadChunked.
+	// Built against the `t2` alias used inside the chunk subquery so we
+	// don't need brittle post-hoc string rewrites.
+	var loadConditions []string
+	hotCutoffHours := s.retentionHours
+	if s.hotStartupHours > 0 {
+		hotCutoffHours = s.hotStartupHours
+	}
+	var hotCutoffStr string
+	if hotCutoffHours > 0 {
+		hotCutoffStr = time.Now().UTC().Add(-time.Duration(hotCutoffHours * float64(time.Hour))).Format(time.RFC3339)
+		loadConditions = append(loadConditions, fmt.Sprintf("t2.first_seen >= '%s'", hotCutoffStr))
+	}
+
+	// COUNT honours the same retention/hot-startup filter the chunk
+	// loop applies, so the logged "DB total" matches the rows the
+	// loop will actually walk. Use a `t2` alias to share the WHERE
+	// builder above. If the count fails (e.g. empty DB, locked WAL),
+	// fall through with -1 — it's only used for the post-load log line.
+	totalInDB := -1
+	countSQL := "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM transmissions t2"
+	if len(loadConditions) > 0 {
+		countSQL += " WHERE " + strings.Join(loadConditions, " AND ")
+	}
+	if err := s.db.conn.QueryRow(countSQL).Scan(&totalInDB); err != nil {
+		totalInDB = -1
+	}
+
+	// Memory cap honoured by clamping the maximum cursor walk.
+	var maxPackets int64
+	if s.maxMemoryMB > 0 {
+		avgBytes := int64(1000)
+		if sample := estimateStoreTxBytesTypical(10); sample > avgBytes {
+			avgBytes = sample
+		}
+		maxPackets = (int64(s.maxMemoryMB) * 1048576) / avgBytes
+		if maxPackets < 1000 {
+			maxPackets = 1000
+		}
+	}
+
+	chunkIdx := 0
+	totalLoaded := 0
+	// Start the id cursor BELOW the minimum possible row id so the
+	// first chunk's `t2.id > cursorID` predicate includes id=0. The
+	// e2e fixture seed for issue #1486 inserts the grouped-packet row
+	// with id=0 (so it sorts LAST in the default packets view via
+	// `ORDER BY id DESC` / oldest first_seen). Seeding the cursor at
+	// 0 silently excluded that row, leaving the page with no
+	// tr[data-hash] and timing out the playwright wait. Legacy Load()
+	// had no id cursor and loaded id=0 unconditionally — we restore
+	// that semantic by starting one below SQLite's minimum rowid (-1).
+	var cursorID int64 = -1
+
+	for {
+		conds := append([]string{}, loadConditions...)
+		conds = append(conds, fmt.Sprintf("t2.id > %d", cursorID))
+		whereClause := "WHERE " + strings.Join(conds, " AND ")
+
+		rpCol := ""
+		if s.db.hasResolvedPath {
+			rpCol = ", o.resolved_path"
+		}
+		obsRawHexCol := ""
+		if s.db.hasObsRawHex {
+			obsRawHexCol = ", o.raw_hex"
+		}
+
+		var chunkSQL string
+		if s.db.isV3 {
+			chunkSQL = `SELECT t.id, t.raw_hex, t.hash, t.first_seen, t.route_type,
+					t.payload_type, t.payload_version, t.decoded_json,
+					o.id, obs.id, obs.name, COALESCE(obs.iata, ''), o.direction,
+					o.snr, o.rssi, o.score, o.path_json, strftime('%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%fZ', o.timestamp, 'unixepoch')` + obsRawHexCol + rpCol + `
+				FROM (SELECT * FROM transmissions t2 ` + whereClause + ` ORDER BY t2.id ASC LIMIT ` + fmt.Sprintf("%d", chunkSize) + `) AS t
+				LEFT JOIN observations o ON o.transmission_id = t.id
+				LEFT JOIN observers obs ON obs.rowid = o.observer_idx
+				ORDER BY t.id ASC, o.timestamp DESC`
+		} else {
+			chunkSQL = `SELECT t.id, t.raw_hex, t.hash, t.first_seen, t.route_type,
+					t.payload_type, t.payload_version, t.decoded_json,
+					o.id, o.observer_id, o.observer_name, COALESCE(obs.iata, ''), o.direction,
+					o.snr, o.rssi, o.score, o.path_json, o.timestamp` + obsRawHexCol + rpCol + `
+				FROM (SELECT * FROM transmissions t2 ` + whereClause + ` ORDER BY t2.id ASC LIMIT ` + fmt.Sprintf("%d", chunkSize) + `) AS t
+				LEFT JOIN observations o ON o.transmission_id = t.id
+				LEFT JOIN observers obs ON obs.id = o.observer_id
+				ORDER BY t.id ASC, o.timestamp DESC`
+		}
+
+		rows, err := s.db.conn.Query(chunkSQL)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("chunk %d: query: %w", chunkIdx, err)
+		}
+
+		chunkTxCount, lastID, err := s.scanAndMergeChunk(rows)
+		rows.Close()
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("chunk %d: scan: %w", chunkIdx, err)
+		}
+
+		if chunkTxCount == 0 {
+			break
+		}
+
+		cursorID = lastID
+		totalLoaded += chunkTxCount
+		chunkIdx++
+		s.loadProgressRows.Store(int64(totalLoaded))
+		s.signalFirstChunk()
+		s.fireChunkCallbacks(chunkTxCount, totalLoaded)
+
+		if maxPackets > 0 && int64(totalLoaded) >= maxPackets {
+			break
+		}
+		if chunkTxCount < chunkSize {
+			break
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Post-load: pick best observation, build indexes — same shape as
+	// legacy Load().
+	s.mu.Lock()
+	for _, tx := range s.packets {
+		pickBestObservation(tx)
+		s.indexByNode(tx)
+	}
+	// Restore the "s.packets sorted oldest-first by FirstSeen" invariant
+	// that legacy Load() got for free from "ORDER BY t.first_seen ASC".
+	// LoadChunked walks chunks in id-ASC order so the slice ends up
+	// id-ordered, which only equals first_seen-ordered when ids and
+	// timestamps are correlated. After tools/freshen-fixture.sh (or any
+	// real-world out-of-order ingest) they're not, leaving
+	// s.packets[0].FirstSeen pointing at the newest row — which then
+	// poisons oldestLoaded below and routes legitimate in-memory queries
+	// to the SQL fallback. GetTimestamps (store.go) and QueryPackets
+	// both rely on this invariant. See PR #1596 / mobile e2e regression.
+	sort.SliceStable(s.packets, func(i, j int) bool {
+		return s.packets[i].FirstSeen < s.packets[j].FirstSeen
+	})
+	s.buildSubpathIndex()
+	s.buildPathHopIndex()
+	s.buildDistanceIndex()
+	if s.hotStartupHours > 0 {
+		s.oldestLoaded = hotCutoffStr
+	} else if len(s.packets) > 0 {
+		s.oldestLoaded = s.packets[0].FirstSeen
+	}
+	s.loaded = true
+	s.mu.Unlock()
+
+	// #1009 / PR #1596: flip the subpath + pathHop ready flags now that
+	// the chunk loader has built both indexes synchronously above.
+	// Without this, WaitIndexesReady (used by
+	// StartRepeaterEnrichmentRecomputer at boot) blocks for up to
+	// repeaterEnrichmentPrewarmWait (60s), delaying HTTP listener bind
+	// past CI's 30s /api/healthz deadline.
+	s.markIndexesReadySync()
+
+	elapsed := time.Since(t0)
+	log.Printf("[store] LoadChunked: %d transmissions (%d observations) across %d chunk(s) in %v (chunkSize=%d, DB total=%d)",
+		totalLoaded, s.totalObs, chunkIdx, elapsed, chunkSize, totalInDB)
+	s.loadMultibyteCapFromDB()
+	// Mark complete on the success path only — see the function-level
+	// defer above for why this is NOT in a deferred call. Probes that
+	// read LoadComplete()==true after a failed load would otherwise
+	// see ready=true for a half-loaded store.
+	s.loadComplete.Store(true)
+	return nil
+}
+
+// scanAndMergeChunk consumes one chunk's rows under s.mu.Lock and
+// returns the number of distinct transmissions seen + the max
+// transmission id (cursor for the next chunk).
+func (s *PacketStore) scanAndMergeChunk(rows *sql.Rows) (int, int64, error) {
+	s.mu.Lock()
+	defer s.mu.Unlock()
+
+	hopsSeen := make(map[string]bool)
+	seenTxIDs := make(map[int]bool)
+	var maxID int64
+
+	for rows.Next() {
+		var txID int
+		var rawHex, hash, firstSeen, decodedJSON sql.NullString
+		var routeType, payloadType, payloadVersion sql.NullInt64
+		var obsID sql.NullInt64
+		var observerID, observerName, observerIATA, direction, pathJSON, obsTimestamp sql.NullString
+		var snr, rssi sql.NullFloat64
+		var score sql.NullInt64
+		var obsRawHex sql.NullString
+		var resolvedPathStr sql.NullString
+
+		scanArgs := []interface{}{&txID, &rawHex, &hash, &firstSeen, &routeType, &payloadType,
+			&payloadVersion, &decodedJSON,
+			&obsID, &observerID, &observerName, &observerIATA, &direction,
+			&snr, &rssi, &score, &pathJSON, &obsTimestamp}
+		if s.db.hasObsRawHex {
+			scanArgs = append(scanArgs, &obsRawHex)
+		}
+		if s.db.hasResolvedPath {
+			scanArgs = append(scanArgs, &resolvedPathStr)
+		}
+		if err := rows.Scan(scanArgs...); err != nil {
+			log.Printf("[store] LoadChunked scan error: %v", err)
+			continue
+		}
+
+		if int64(txID) > maxID {
+			maxID = int64(txID)
+		}
+		seenTxIDs[txID] = true
+
+		hashStr := nullStrVal(hash)
+		tx := s.byHash[hashStr]
+		if tx == nil {
+			tx = &StoreTx{
+				ID:          txID,
+				RawHex:      nullStrVal(rawHex),
+				Hash:        hashStr,
+				FirstSeen:   nullStrVal(firstSeen),
+				LatestSeen:  nullStrVal(firstSeen),
+				RouteType:   nullIntPtr(routeType),
+				PayloadType: nullIntPtr(payloadType),
+				DecodedJSON: nullStrVal(decodedJSON),
+				obsKeys:     make(map[string]bool),
+				observerSet: make(map[string]bool),
+			}
+			s.byHash[hashStr] = tx
+			s.packets = append(s.packets, tx)
+			s.byTxID[txID] = tx
+			if txID > s.maxTxID {
+				s.maxTxID = txID
+			}
+			s.indexByNode(tx)
+			if tx.PayloadType != nil {
+				pt := *tx.PayloadType
+				s.byPayloadType[pt] = append(s.byPayloadType[pt], tx)
+			}
+			s.trackAdvertPubkey(tx)
+			s.trackedBytes += estimateStoreTxBytes(tx)
+		}
+
+		if obsID.Valid {
+			oid := int(obsID.Int64)
+			obsIDStr := nullStrVal(observerID)
+			obsPJ := nullStrVal(pathJSON)
+
+			dk := obsIDStr + "|" + obsPJ
+			if tx.obsKeys[dk] {
+				continue
+			}
+
+			obs := &StoreObs{
+				ID:             oid,
+				TransmissionID: txID,
+				ObserverID:     obsIDStr,
+				ObserverName:   nullStrVal(observerName),
+				ObserverIATA:   nullStrVal(observerIATA),
+				Direction:      nullStrVal(direction),
+				SNR:            nullFloatPtr(snr),
+				RSSI:           nullFloatPtr(rssi),
+				Score:          nullIntPtr(score),
+				PathJSON:       obsPJ,
+				RawHex:         nullStrVal(obsRawHex),
+				Timestamp:      normalizeTimestamp(nullStrVal(obsTimestamp)),
+			}
+
+			rpStr := nullStrVal(resolvedPathStr)
+			if rpStr != "" {
+				rp := unmarshalResolvedPath(rpStr)
+				pks := extractResolvedPubkeys(rp)
+				s.indexResolvedPathHops(tx, pks, hopsSeen)
+			}
+
+			tx.Observations = append(tx.Observations, obs)
+			tx.obsKeys[dk] = true
+			if obs.ObserverID != "" && !tx.observerSet[obs.ObserverID] {
+				tx.observerSet[obs.ObserverID] = true
+				tx.UniqueObserverCount++
+			}
+			tx.ObservationCount++
+			if obs.Timestamp > tx.LatestSeen {
+				tx.LatestSeen = obs.Timestamp
+			}
+
+			s.byObsID[oid] = obs
+			if oid > s.maxObsID {
+				s.maxObsID = oid
+			}
+			if obsIDStr != "" {
+				s.byObserver[obsIDStr] = append(s.byObserver[obsIDStr], obs)
+			}
+			s.totalObs++
+			s.trackedBytes += estimateStoreObsBytes(obs)
+		}
+	}
+	if err := rows.Err(); err != nil {
+		return len(seenTxIDs), maxID, err
+	}
+	return len(seenTxIDs), maxID, nil
+}
+
+// loadStatusMiddleware sets X-CoreScope-Load-Status on every response.
+// While LoadChunked is in flight the header reports
+// "loading; progress=<rows>"; after completion it reports "ready".
+// The header is set BEFORE calling the next handler so probes can
+// observe it on any response (including streaming bodies).
+func loadStatusMiddleware(s *PacketStore, next http.Handler) http.Handler {
+	return http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		if s != nil && s.LoadComplete() {
+			w.Header().Set("X-CoreScope-Load-Status", "ready")
+		} else if s != nil {
+			w.Header().Set("X-CoreScope-Load-Status",
+				fmt.Sprintf("loading; progress=%d", s.LoadProgress()))
+		} else {
+			w.Header().Set("X-CoreScope-Load-Status", "loading")
+		}
+		next.ServeHTTP(w, r)
+	})
+}
+
+// --- runtime state stitched into PacketStore via store_chunked.go ---
+
+// Forward declarations of the new PacketStore fields used above. The
+// actual struct fields live in store.go; placing them here as a
+// reminder keeps the chunked-load surface easy to audit.
+var _ = sync.Once{}
+var _ atomic.Bool
diff --git a/cmd/server/chunked_load_fixes_test.go b/cmd/server/chunked_load_fixes_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4a93526e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/server/chunked_load_fixes_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+package main
+
+// Issue #1009 follow-up tests for PR #1596:
+//
+//   (A) LoadChunked must flip subpath + pathHop index ready flags
+//       after building those indexes. Otherwise WaitIndexesReady (used
+//       by StartRepeaterEnrichmentRecomputer at boot) blocks the
+//       caller for up to repeaterEnrichmentPrewarmWait (60s), which is
+//       why CI's "Start Go server" step times out before /api/healthz
+//       can answer within its 30s deadline.
+//
+//   (B) LoadChunked must NOT report LoadComplete()==true when it
+//       returns an error. Today a defer unconditionally calls
+//       s.loadComplete.Store(true), so a failed load appears "ready"
+//       to probes and the load-status middleware.
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// (A) Indexes must be marked ready by LoadChunked.
+func TestLoadChunked_MarksIndexesReady(t *testing.T) {
+	store := openChunkedTestStore(t, 100)
+	defer store.db.conn.Close()
+
+	if store.SubpathIndexReady() || store.PathHopIndexReady() {
+		t.Fatal("indexes must start NOT ready")
+	}
+
+	if err := store.LoadChunked(50); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("LoadChunked: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if !store.SubpathIndexReady() {
+		t.Fatal("SubpathIndexReady() must be true after LoadChunked builds the index")
+	}
+	if !store.PathHopIndexReady() {
+		t.Fatal("PathHopIndexReady() must be true after LoadChunked builds the index")
+	}
+}
+
+// (B) LoadChunked errors must not flip LoadComplete=true.
+func TestLoadChunked_ErrorDoesNotMarkComplete(t *testing.T) {
+	store := openChunkedTestStore(t, 100)
+
+	// Close the underlying DB so the very first chunk query fails.
+	if err := store.db.conn.Close(); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("close DB: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	err := store.LoadChunked(50)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("LoadChunked must return an error when the DB query fails")
+	}
+	if !errors.Is(err, err) { // satisfy linters; the assertion below is what matters
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error shape: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if store.LoadComplete() {
+		t.Fatal("LoadComplete() must remain false after LoadChunked returns an error")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cmd/server/chunked_load_id_zero_test.go b/cmd/server/chunked_load_id_zero_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e6cf74bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/server/chunked_load_id_zero_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+package main
+
+// Regression for PR #1596 / issue #1486 e2e: LoadChunked uses
+// `cursorID = 0` with a `t2.id > cursorID` predicate, which silently
+// excludes any transmission with id=0. The e2e seed for #1486 inserts
+// the grouped-packet row with id=0 (so it sorts LAST in the default
+// packets view), and the page deep-links to /packets?hash=<seed>.
+// With the chunked loader skipping id=0, the in-memory store never
+// learns about the row; QueryGroupedPackets returns 0; the page
+// renders no `tr[data-hash]` and the e2e times out at 12s.
+//
+// Legacy Load() walked all transmissions unconditionally (no id
+// cursor) and therefore included id=0. Restoring that semantic — by
+// using a non-existent sentinel (-1) on the first iteration, or by
+// switching the predicate to `>=` for the initial pass — fixes the
+// regression.
+//
+// This test inserts a transmission with id=0 plus a handful of
+// id>=1 transmissions and asserts that LoadChunked loads the id=0
+// row into s.byHash.
+
+import (
+	"database/sql"
+	"fmt"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+func createTestDBWithIDZero(tb testing.TB, dbPath string, extraTx int) {
+	tb.Helper()
+	conn, err := sql.Open("sqlite", dbPath+"?_journal_mode=WAL")
+	if err != nil {
+		tb.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer conn.Close()
+
+	stmts := []string{
+		`CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS transmissions (
+			id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
+			raw_hex TEXT, hash TEXT, first_seen TEXT,
+			route_type INTEGER, payload_type INTEGER,
+			payload_version INTEGER, decoded_json TEXT
+		)`,
+		`CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS observations (
+			id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
+			transmission_id INTEGER, observer_id TEXT, observer_name TEXT,
+			direction TEXT, snr REAL, rssi REAL, score INTEGER,
+			path_json TEXT, timestamp TEXT, raw_hex TEXT
+		)`,
+		`CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS observers (rowid INTEGER PRIMARY KEY, id TEXT, name TEXT, iata TEXT)`,
+		`CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS nodes (
+			pubkey TEXT PRIMARY KEY, name TEXT, role TEXT, lat REAL, lon REAL,
+			last_seen TEXT, first_seen TEXT, frequency REAL
+		)`,
+		`CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS schema_version (version INTEGER)`,
+		`INSERT INTO schema_version (version) VALUES (1)`,
+		`CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_tx_first_seen ON transmissions(first_seen)`,
+	}
+	for _, s := range stmts {
+		if _, err := conn.Exec(s); err != nil {
+			tb.Fatalf("setup exec: %v\nSQL: %s", err, s)
+		}
+	}
+
+	txStmt, _ := conn.Prepare("INSERT INTO transmissions (id, raw_hex, hash, first_seen, route_type, payload_type, payload_version, decoded_json) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)")
+	obsStmt, _ := conn.Prepare("INSERT INTO observations (id, transmission_id, observer_id, observer_name, direction, snr, rssi, score, path_json, timestamp) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)")
+	defer txStmt.Close()
+	defer obsStmt.Close()
+
+	now := time.Now().UTC().Truncate(time.Second)
+	// id=0: the #1486-style seed row, within retention window.
+	txStmt.Exec(0, "1500", "fae0c9e6d357a814", now.Add(-1*time.Minute).Format(time.RFC3339), 1, 5, 0, `{"type":"CHAN"}`)
+	obsStmt.Exec(0, 0, "obs1", "Obs1", "rx", 5.0, -95.0, 0, `["AA"]`, now.Add(-1*time.Minute).Unix())
+
+	for i := 1; i <= extraTx; i++ {
+		ts := now.Add(-time.Duration(i+1) * time.Minute).Format(time.RFC3339)
+		unixTs := now.Add(-time.Duration(i+1) * time.Minute).Unix()
+		hash := fmt.Sprintf("h%04d", i)
+		txStmt.Exec(i, "aabb", hash, ts, 0, 4, 1, fmt.Sprintf(`{"pubKey":"pk%04d"}`, i))
+		obsStmt.Exec(i, i, "obs1", "Obs1", "rx", -10.0, -80.0, 5, `["aa","bb"]`, unixTs)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestLoadChunked_IncludesIDZero: LoadChunked must load transmissions
+// with id=0. The legacy Load() (since-replaced by LoadChunked) walked
+// transmissions unconditionally; LoadChunked uses an id-cursor that
+// starts at 0 with a strict `t2.id > cursorID` predicate, so id=0
+// rows are silently dropped. This breaks the #1486 e2e fixture seed
+// which uses id=0 to sort the grouped row last in the default view.
+func TestLoadChunked_IncludesIDZero(t *testing.T) {
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	dbPath := filepath.Join(dir, "idzero.db")
+	createTestDBWithIDZero(t, dbPath, 10)
+
+	db, err := OpenDB(dbPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("OpenDB: %v", err)
+	}
+	cfg := &PacketStoreConfig{}
+	store := NewPacketStore(db, cfg)
+	defer store.db.conn.Close()
+
+	if err := store.LoadChunked(5); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("LoadChunked: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if _, ok := store.byHash["fae0c9e6d357a814"]; !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("LoadChunked dropped the id=0 transmission: "+
+			"byHash[fae0c9e6d357a814] missing; loaded %d packets total "+
+			"(id-cursor starts at 0 with strict `t2.id > cursorID`, "+
+			"so id=0 is excluded — this is the #1486 e2e regression)",
+			len(store.packets))
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cmd/server/chunked_load_oldest_test.go b/cmd/server/chunked_load_oldest_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8b9a5f82
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/server/chunked_load_oldest_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,154 @@
+package main
+
+// Regression for PR #1596 (issue #1009) chunked load: when transmission
+// ids are anti-correlated with first_seen (e.g. id=1 has the NEWEST
+// timestamp), LoadChunked walks id-ASC and the post-load
+// `s.oldestLoaded = s.packets[0].FirstSeen` line set oldestLoaded to
+// the NEWEST first_seen. QueryPackets then mis-routed any
+// `since>=oldestLoaded` query to the SQL fallback, hiding fresh
+// in-memory rows. This shows up in real life on the e2e fixture after
+// tools/freshen-fixture.sh shifts timestamps so id=1 (originally
+// loaded first) carries the most recent first_seen.
+//
+// The mobile e2e test test-observer-iata-1188-e2e.js fails as a
+// result: with the default 15-minute time window, /api/packets returns
+// 0 rows and the mobile DOM has no `tr[data-hash]` to tap.
+//
+// This test asserts the in-memory invariant: after LoadChunked,
+// oldestLoaded must equal the actual oldest FirstSeen across loaded
+// transmissions, not the FirstSeen of the first row in s.packets.
+
+import (
+	"database/sql"
+	"fmt"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+// createTestDBReverseTime builds numTx transmissions whose ids run
+// 1..numTx ASC while first_seen runs newest..oldest (id=1 = newest).
+// This mirrors the freshen-fixture-shifted e2e DB exactly.
+func createTestDBReverseTime(tb testing.TB, dbPath string, numTx int) {
+	tb.Helper()
+	conn, err := sql.Open("sqlite", dbPath+"?_journal_mode=WAL")
+	if err != nil {
+		tb.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer conn.Close()
+
+	stmts := []string{
+		`CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS transmissions (
+			id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
+			raw_hex TEXT, hash TEXT, first_seen TEXT,
+			route_type INTEGER, payload_type INTEGER,
+			payload_version INTEGER, decoded_json TEXT
+		)`,
+		`CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS observations (
+			id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
+			transmission_id INTEGER, observer_id TEXT, observer_name TEXT,
+			direction TEXT, snr REAL, rssi REAL, score INTEGER,
+			path_json TEXT, timestamp TEXT, raw_hex TEXT
+		)`,
+		`CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS observers (rowid INTEGER PRIMARY KEY, id TEXT, name TEXT, iata TEXT)`,
+		`CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS nodes (
+			pubkey TEXT PRIMARY KEY, name TEXT, role TEXT, lat REAL, lon REAL,
+			last_seen TEXT, first_seen TEXT, frequency REAL
+		)`,
+		`CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS schema_version (version INTEGER)`,
+		`INSERT INTO schema_version (version) VALUES (1)`,
+		`CREATE INDEX IF NOT EXISTS idx_tx_first_seen ON transmissions(first_seen)`,
+	}
+	for _, s := range stmts {
+		if _, err := conn.Exec(s); err != nil {
+			tb.Fatalf("setup exec: %v\nSQL: %s", err, s)
+		}
+	}
+
+	txStmt, _ := conn.Prepare("INSERT INTO transmissions (id, raw_hex, hash, first_seen, route_type, payload_type, payload_version, decoded_json) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)")
+	obsStmt, _ := conn.Prepare("INSERT INTO observations (id, transmission_id, observer_id, observer_name, direction, snr, rssi, score, path_json, timestamp) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)")
+	defer txStmt.Close()
+	defer obsStmt.Close()
+
+	// id=1 is the NEWEST (now); id=numTx is the OLDEST (numTx minutes ago).
+	now := time.Now().UTC().Truncate(time.Second)
+	for i := 1; i <= numTx; i++ {
+		ts := now.Add(-time.Duration(i-1) * time.Minute).Format(time.RFC3339)
+		unixTs := now.Add(-time.Duration(i-1) * time.Minute).Unix()
+		hash := fmt.Sprintf("h%04d", i)
+		txStmt.Exec(i, "aabb", hash, ts, 0, 4, 1, fmt.Sprintf(`{"pubKey":"pk%04d"}`, i))
+		obsStmt.Exec(i, i, "obs1", "Obs1", "RX", -10.0, -80.0, 5, `["aa","bb"]`, unixTs)
+	}
+}
+
+func openReverseTimeStore(t *testing.T, numTx int) *PacketStore {
+	t.Helper()
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	dbPath := filepath.Join(dir, "rev.db")
+	createTestDBReverseTime(t, dbPath, numTx)
+
+	db, err := OpenDB(dbPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("OpenDB: %v", err)
+	}
+	cfg := &PacketStoreConfig{}
+	return NewPacketStore(db, cfg)
+}
+
+// TestLoadChunked_OldestLoadedIsActualOldest: when LoadChunked walks
+// transmissions in id-ASC order but timestamps are anti-correlated
+// with id (PR #1596 regression scenario), oldestLoaded MUST be the
+// minimum FirstSeen across loaded packets, not the first row's
+// FirstSeen. Otherwise QueryPackets routes "since=15min ago" to SQL
+// fallback, hiding fresh rows.
+func TestLoadChunked_OldestLoadedIsActualOldest(t *testing.T) {
+	store := openReverseTimeStore(t, 50)
+	defer store.db.conn.Close()
+
+	if err := store.LoadChunked(20); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("LoadChunked: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Compute the actual oldest first_seen across what got loaded.
+	if len(store.packets) == 0 {
+		t.Fatal("no packets loaded")
+	}
+	actualOldest := store.packets[0].FirstSeen
+	for _, p := range store.packets {
+		if p.FirstSeen < actualOldest {
+			actualOldest = p.FirstSeen
+		}
+	}
+
+	if store.oldestLoaded != actualOldest {
+		t.Fatalf("oldestLoaded=%q must equal actual MIN(FirstSeen)=%q "+
+			"(id-ordered chunk walk with anti-correlated timestamps "+
+			"left oldestLoaded pointing at the newest row, which makes "+
+			"QueryPackets mis-route since-windowed queries to SQL fallback "+
+			"and the mobile e2e test renders 0 rows)",
+			store.oldestLoaded, actualOldest)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestLoadChunked_PacketsSortedByFirstSeenASC: QueryPackets and
+// GetTimestamps both assume s.packets is "sorted oldest-first" (see
+// store.go:2125 comment on GetTimestamps). LoadChunked walks rows
+// id-ASC which only equals first_seen-ASC when ids and timestamps
+// are correlated — not true after fixture freshen, not true after
+// any out-of-order ingest. Assert the invariant directly.
+func TestLoadChunked_PacketsSortedByFirstSeenASC(t *testing.T) {
+	store := openReverseTimeStore(t, 25)
+	defer store.db.conn.Close()
+
+	if err := store.LoadChunked(10); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("LoadChunked: %v", err)
+	}
+	for i := 1; i < len(store.packets); i++ {
+		if store.packets[i-1].FirstSeen > store.packets[i].FirstSeen {
+			t.Fatalf("s.packets must be sorted by FirstSeen ASC; "+
+				"packets[%d].FirstSeen=%q > packets[%d].FirstSeen=%q",
+				i-1, store.packets[i-1].FirstSeen,
+				i, store.packets[i].FirstSeen)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cmd/server/chunked_load_test.go b/cmd/server/chunked_load_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..512a8da3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/server/chunked_load_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,150 @@
+package main
+
+// Issue #1009: chunked Load with early HTTP readiness.
+//
+// These tests gate three behaviors:
+//   (a) FirstChunkReady() unblocks BEFORE LoadChunked returns, so the
+//       HTTP listener can bind after the first chunk completes while
+//       remaining rows continue loading in the background.
+//   (b) loadStatusMiddleware stamps an X-CoreScope-Load-Status header
+//       with "loading" + progress while a load is in flight, flipping
+//       to "ready" once LoadComplete() reports true.
+//   (c) LoadChunked honors the configured chunkSize: the per-chunk
+//       progress callback fires once per chunk, so a 2500-row DB with
+//       chunkSize=1000 must yield 3 callbacks (1000 + 1000 + 500).
+//
+// Each subtest fails on an assertion (not a build error) when the
+// production code is absent — that is the red-commit contract.
+
+import (
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+func openChunkedTestStore(t *testing.T, numTx int) *PacketStore {
+	t.Helper()
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	dbPath := filepath.Join(dir, "chunked.db")
+	createTestDBAt(t, dbPath, numTx)
+	t.Cleanup(func() { os.RemoveAll(dir) })
+
+	db, err := OpenDB(dbPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("OpenDB: %v", err)
+	}
+	cfg := &PacketStoreConfig{}
+	return NewPacketStore(db, cfg)
+}
+
+// (a) FirstChunkReady fires before LoadChunked returns.
+func TestLoadChunked_FirstChunkReadyBeforeComplete(t *testing.T) {
+	store := openChunkedTestStore(t, 2500)
+	defer store.db.conn.Close()
+
+	doneCh := make(chan error, 1)
+	go func() { doneCh <- store.LoadChunked(500) }()
+
+	select {
+	case <-store.FirstChunkReady():
+		// Good: first chunk signaled. Load may or may not have completed
+		// for tiny test DBs, but the gate must have fired without
+		// requiring the full load.
+	case err := <-doneCh:
+		// If load completed before we could observe the signal, the
+		// signal still must be closed.
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("LoadChunked: %v", err)
+		}
+		select {
+		case <-store.FirstChunkReady():
+		default:
+			t.Fatal("FirstChunkReady channel must be closed after LoadChunked completes")
+		}
+	case <-time.After(10 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("FirstChunkReady did not fire within 10s — listener would never bind")
+	}
+
+	// Drain background completion.
+	select {
+	case err := <-doneCh:
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("LoadChunked returned error: %v", err)
+		}
+	case <-time.After(30 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("LoadChunked never returned")
+	}
+
+	if !store.LoadComplete() {
+		t.Fatal("LoadComplete() must report true after LoadChunked returns")
+	}
+}
+
+// (b) Middleware stamps X-CoreScope-Load-Status correctly across the
+//     loading→ready transition.
+func TestLoadStatusMiddleware_HeaderTransition(t *testing.T) {
+	store := openChunkedTestStore(t, 100)
+	defer store.db.conn.Close()
+
+	handler := loadStatusMiddleware(store, http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusOK)
+	}))
+
+	// Pre-load: header must report "loading".
+	req := httptest.NewRequest("GET", "/api/healthz", nil)
+	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	handler.ServeHTTP(w, req)
+	if got := w.Header().Get("X-CoreScope-Load-Status"); got == "" || got == "ready" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected loading status header before Load, got %q", got)
+	}
+
+	if err := store.LoadChunked(50); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("LoadChunked: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Post-load: header must report "ready".
+	req2 := httptest.NewRequest("GET", "/api/healthz", nil)
+	w2 := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	handler.ServeHTTP(w2, req2)
+	if got := w2.Header().Get("X-CoreScope-Load-Status"); got != "ready" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected X-CoreScope-Load-Status=ready after load, got %q", got)
+	}
+}
+
+// (c) LoadChunked honors the chunkSize argument — progress callback
+//     fires once per chunk.
+func TestLoadChunked_ChunkSizeHonored(t *testing.T) {
+	store := openChunkedTestStore(t, 2500)
+	defer store.db.conn.Close()
+
+	var chunks []int
+	store.OnChunkLoaded(func(rowsThisChunk, totalRows int) {
+		chunks = append(chunks, rowsThisChunk)
+	})
+
+	if err := store.LoadChunked(1000); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("LoadChunked: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if len(chunks) != 3 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected 3 chunks for 2500 rows @ chunkSize=1000, got %d (sizes=%v)", len(chunks), chunks)
+	}
+	if chunks[0] != 1000 || chunks[1] != 1000 || chunks[2] != 500 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected chunk sizes [1000,1000,500], got %v", chunks)
+	}
+}
+
+// (d) Config plumbing: DB.Load.ChunkSize threads through.
+func TestConfig_DBLoadChunkSize(t *testing.T) {
+	c := &Config{}
+	if got := c.DBLoadChunkSize(); got != 10000 {
+		t.Fatalf("DBLoadChunkSize() default = %d, want 10000", got)
+	}
+	c.DB = &DBConfig{Load: &dbLoadConfig{ChunkSize: 2500}}
+	if got := c.DBLoadChunkSize(); got != 2500 {
+		t.Fatalf("DBLoadChunkSize() configured = %d, want 2500", got)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/cmd/server/main.go b/cmd/server/main.go
index e6a5ee82..fa7f905f 100644
--- a/cmd/server/main.go
+++ b/cmd/server/main.go
@@ -198,9 +198,30 @@ func main() {
 	// In-memory packet store
 	store := NewPacketStore(database, cfg.PacketStore, cfg.CacheTTL)
 	store.config = cfg
-	if err := store.Load(); err != nil {
-		log.Fatalf("[store] failed to load: %v", err)
+	// #1009: chunked Load with early HTTP readiness. LoadChunked runs
+	// asynchronously and signals FirstChunkReady after the first chunk
+	// is merged so the HTTP listener can bind without waiting for the
+	// full multi-minute scan to finish. loadStatusMiddleware (wired
+	// below) advertises loading|ready via X-CoreScope-Load-Status.
+	chunkSize := cfg.DBLoadChunkSize()
+	loadErrCh := make(chan error, 1)
+	go func() {
+		loadErrCh <- store.LoadChunked(chunkSize)
+	}()
+	select {
+	case <-store.FirstChunkReady():
+		log.Printf("[store] first chunk ready (chunkSize=%d) — HTTP listener may bind", chunkSize)
+	case err := <-loadErrCh:
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Fatalf("[store] LoadChunked failed before first chunk: %v", err)
+		}
+		log.Printf("[store] LoadChunked completed before first-chunk signal (empty DB?)")
 	}
+	go func() {
+		if err := <-loadErrCh; err != nil {
+			log.Printf("[store] LoadChunked background error: %v", err)
+		}
+	}()
 	if store.hotStartupHours > 0 {
 		log.Printf("[store] starting background load: filling retentionHours=%gh from hotStartupHours=%gh",
 			store.retentionHours, store.hotStartupHours)
@@ -395,6 +416,10 @@ func main() {
 		handler = gzipMiddlewareWithConfig(cfg.Compression, router)
 		log.Printf("[server] HTTP gzip compression enabled")
 	}
+	// #1009: stamp X-CoreScope-Load-Status on every response so probes
+	// and dashboards can see when the chunked Load is still in flight.
+	// Outermost wrap so the header is set regardless of gzip/etc.
+	handler = loadStatusMiddleware(store, handler)
 	if cfg.WSCompressionEnabled() {
 		log.Printf("[server] WebSocket permessage-deflate compression enabled")
 	}
diff --git a/cmd/server/store.go b/cmd/server/store.go
index 2fc4f8bd..8233191d 100644
--- a/cmd/server/store.go
+++ b/cmd/server/store.go
@@ -403,6 +403,19 @@ type PacketStore struct {
 	// Async hash migration state: set after migrateContentHashesAsync completes.
 	hashMigrationComplete atomic.Bool
 
+	// Chunked startup load state (#1009). LoadChunked closes
+	// firstChunkReady after the first chunk is merged so the HTTP
+	// listener can bind. loadComplete flips true after all chunks have
+	// been processed; loadProgressRows is updated per-chunk so
+	// loadStatusMiddleware can emit progress.
+	chunkInitOnce      sync.Once
+	firstChunkReady    chan struct{}
+	firstChunkSignaled atomic.Bool
+	loadComplete       atomic.Bool
+	loadProgressRows   atomic.Int64
+	chunkCBMu          sync.Mutex
+	chunkCallbacks     []func(rowsThisChunk, totalRows int)
+
 	// Eviction config and stats
 	retentionHours   float64        // 0 = unlimited
 	maxMemoryMB      int            // 0 = unlimited (packet store memory budget)
diff --git a/config.example.json b/config.example.json
index ba717af2..d136b593 100644
--- a/config.example.json
+++ b/config.example.json
@@ -14,7 +14,11 @@
   "db": {
     "vacuumOnStartup": false,
     "incrementalVacuumPages": 1024,
-    "_comment": "vacuumOnStartup: run one-time full VACUUM to enable incremental auto-vacuum on existing DBs. Executed by the INGESTOR at startup, BEFORE the MQTT subscriber starts (#1283), so there is no contention with concurrent writes. Blocks ingestor startup for minutes on large DBs; requires 2x DB file size in free disk space. incrementalVacuumPages: free pages returned to OS after each retention reaper cycle (default 1024). See #919.",
+    "load": {
+      "chunkSize": 10000,
+      "_comment": "chunkSize: rows fetched per chunk by PacketStore.LoadChunked during startup (#1009). Default 10000. Lower values surface the early-HTTP-readiness signal sooner (the listener binds after the first chunk) at the cost of more SQL round-trips. Higher values reduce per-chunk overhead but delay first-chunk readiness. The X-CoreScope-Load-Status response header reports loading|ready and progress=<rows> until the load completes."
+    },
+    "_comment": "vacuumOnStartup: run one-time full VACUUM to enable incremental auto-vacuum on existing DBs. Executed by the INGESTOR at startup, BEFORE the MQTT subscriber starts (#1283), so there is no contention with concurrent writes. Blocks ingestor startup for minutes on large DBs; requires 2x DB file size in free disk space. incrementalVacuumPages: free pages returned to OS after each retention reaper cycle (default 1024). See #919. load.chunkSize: see nested _comment (#1009).",
     "_comment_slowWriterMs": "#1340 — SQLite writer-lock log threshold (default 500). Any wrapped writer call (tagged neighbor_builder, mqtt_handler, prune_packets, prune_observers, prune_metrics, vacuum) whose hold_ms exceeds this emits a single [db-slow-writer] log line. Configured per-process via the CORESCOPE_DB_SLOW_WRITER_MS environment variable on the INGESTOR (e.g. CORESCOPE_DB_SLOW_WRITER_MS=200 for tighter alerting). Per-component wait_ms / hold_ms / contention_total histograms are surfaced via /api/perf/write-sources under .writer_perf regardless of this threshold."
   },
   "listLimits": {
diff --git a/internal/dbconfig/dbconfig.go b/internal/dbconfig/dbconfig.go
index ef9f7eac..7526fa67 100644
--- a/internal/dbconfig/dbconfig.go
+++ b/internal/dbconfig/dbconfig.go
@@ -6,6 +6,16 @@ package dbconfig
 type DBConfig struct {
 	VacuumOnStartup        bool `json:"vacuumOnStartup"`        // one-time full VACUUM on startup if auto_vacuum is not INCREMENTAL
 	IncrementalVacuumPages int  `json:"incrementalVacuumPages"` // pages returned to OS per reaper cycle (default 1024)
+
+	// Load controls chunked startup loading (#1009).
+	Load *LoadConfig `json:"load,omitempty"`
+}
+
+// LoadConfig controls the chunked startup-load behavior (#1009).
+type LoadConfig struct {
+	// ChunkSize is the number of transmission rows fetched per chunk
+	// during PacketStore.LoadChunked. 0/unset → 10000.
+	ChunkSize int `json:"chunkSize"`
 }
 
 // GetIncrementalVacuumPages returns the configured pages or 1024 default.
@@ -15,3 +25,11 @@ func (c *DBConfig) GetIncrementalVacuumPages() int {
 	}
 	return 1024
 }
+
+// GetLoadChunkSize returns the configured chunk size or 10000 default (#1009).
+func (c *DBConfig) GetLoadChunkSize() int {
+	if c != nil && c.Load != nil && c.Load.ChunkSize > 0 {
+		return c.Load.ChunkSize
+	}
+	return 10000
+}