diff --git a/src/daemon/seed_wallet_creator.cpp b/src/daemon/seed_wallet_creator.cpp
index 53dd0f8..2a4fa61 100644
--- a/src/daemon/seed_wallet_creator.cpp
+++ b/src/daemon/seed_wallet_creator.cpp
@@ -64,8 +64,9 @@ SeedWalletResult SeedWalletCreator::create(bool keepDatadir,
     const std::string user = randomToken(16);
     const std::string pass = randomToken(32);
 
-    // 3. Minimal conf for the isolated node (own creds/port; -tls=only comes from the chain args,
-    //    so the RPC client below connects with TLS just like the main daemon does).
+    // 3. Minimal conf for the isolated node (own creds/port). The DRAGONX RPC is plaintext HTTP on
+    //    localhost — `-tls=only` applies to P2P, not the RPC — so the client below connects without
+    //    TLS, exactly as the main GUI does (its conf has no rpctls key either).
     const std::string conf = "rpcuser=" + user + "\n"
                              "rpcpassword=" + pass + "\n"
                              "rpcport=" + std::to_string(port) + "\n"
@@ -94,7 +95,7 @@ SeedWalletResult SeedWalletCreator::create(bool keepDatadir,
     rpc::RPCClient cli;
     bool ready = false;
     for (int i = 0; i < 90 && !ready; ++i) {
-        if (cli.connect("127.0.0.1", std::to_string(port), user, pass, /*useTls=*/true)) {
+        if (cli.connect("127.0.0.1", std::to_string(port), user, pass, /*useTls=*/false)) {
             try { cli.call("getinfo"); ready = true; }   // succeeds only once past warmup (-28)
             catch (...) { cli.disconnect(); }
         }
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index e0872a9..5f70a87 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -25,7 +25,9 @@
 #include "ui/effects/theme_effects.h"
 #include "util/texture_loader.h"
 #include "util/platform.h"
+#include "daemon/seed_wallet_creator.h"
 #include "resources/embedded_resources.h"
+#include <sodium.h>
 
 // Backend-specific headers
 #ifdef DRAGONX_USE_DX11
@@ -652,6 +654,22 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
     DEBUG_LOGF("Built with Dear ImGui %s\n", IMGUI_VERSION);
     fflush(stdout);
 
+    // Env-gated headless smoke for the isolated seed-wallet creator (migrate-to-seed Phase 1).
+    // Exercises SeedWalletCreator::create() end-to-end without the GUI, then exits. Secret-safe:
+    // it never prints the seed words — only ok/word-count/address/error. Run with an isolated HOME.
+    if (const char* smk = std::getenv("DRAGONX_SEED_CREATE_SMOKE"); smk && std::string(smk) == "1") {
+        sodium_init();
+        printf("[seed-create-smoke] starting isolated create...\n"); fflush(stdout);
+        auto r = dragonx::daemon::SeedWalletCreator::create(/*keepDatadir=*/false,
+            [](const std::string& m) { printf("[seed-create-smoke] %s\n", m.c_str()); fflush(stdout); });
+        int words = 0; bool inWord = false;
+        for (char c : r.seedPhrase) { bool sp = (c == ' '); if (!sp && !inWord) { inWord = true; ++words; } else if (sp) inWord = false; }
+        printf("[seed-create-smoke] ok=%d words=%d addr=%s err=%s\n",
+               r.ok ? 1 : 0, words, r.destAddress.c_str(), r.error.c_str());
+        if (!r.seedPhrase.empty()) sodium_memzero(&r.seedPhrase[0], r.seedPhrase.size());
+        return r.ok ? 0 : 1;
+    }
+
     // Check for existing instance
     if (!g_single_instance.tryLock()) {
         fprintf(stderr, "Another instance of ObsidianDragon is already running.\n");