diff --git a/internal/controlplane/database_manager.go b/internal/controlplane/database_manager.go
index 05d1ab3..6daf415 100644
--- a/internal/controlplane/database_manager.go
+++ b/internal/controlplane/database_manager.go
@@ -164,12 +164,20 @@ func OpenDatabaseManager(configPathOverride string) (*DatabaseManager, error) {
 		manager.profiles[profile.ID] = profile
 		manager.order = append(manager.order, profile.ID)
 	}
+	manager.mu.Lock()
+	if err := manager.ensureStartupBootstrapDatabaseLocked(context.Background()); err != nil {
+		manager.mu.Unlock()
+		_ = manager.catalog.Close()
+		return nil, err
+	}
 	manager.ensureDefaultDatabaseLocked()
 
 	if err := manager.saveRegistryLocked(); err != nil {
+		manager.mu.Unlock()
 		_ = manager.catalog.Close()
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	manager.mu.Unlock()
 	if err := manager.refreshWorkspaceCatalog(context.Background()); err != nil {
 		manager.Close()
 		return nil, err
@@ -398,11 +406,47 @@ func (m *DatabaseManager) ensureBootstrapDatabase(ctx context.Context) error {
 	return m.ensureBootstrapDatabaseLocked(ctx)
 }
 
+func (m *DatabaseManager) ensureStartupBootstrapDatabaseLocked(ctx context.Context) error {
+	profile, ok := m.bootstrapDatabaseProfile(ctx)
+	if !ok {
+		return nil
+	}
+	profile, hasWorkspaces := adoptBootstrapWorkspaceIdentity(ctx, profile)
+	if !hasWorkspaces {
+		return nil
+	}
+	if err := validateDatabaseProfile(profile); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	changed := false
+	if updated := m.normalizeBootstrapProfilesLocked(profile); updated {
+		changed = true
+	}
+	if existing, exists := m.profiles[profile.ID]; exists {
+		if existing != profile {
+			m.profiles[profile.ID] = profile
+			changed = true
+		}
+		if changed {
+			m.ensureDefaultDatabaseLocked()
+			return m.saveRegistryLocked()
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	m.profiles[profile.ID] = profile
+	m.order = append(m.order, profile.ID)
+	m.ensureDefaultDatabaseLocked()
+	return m.saveRegistryLocked()
+}
+
 func (m *DatabaseManager) ensureBootstrapDatabaseLocked(ctx context.Context) error {
 	profile, ok := m.bootstrapDatabaseProfile(ctx)
 	if !ok {
 		return nil
 	}
+	profile, _ = adoptBootstrapWorkspaceIdentity(ctx, profile)
 	if err := validateDatabaseProfile(profile); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -435,6 +479,47 @@ func (m *DatabaseManager) ensureBootstrapDatabaseLocked(ctx context.Context) err
 	return nil
 }
 
+func adoptBootstrapWorkspaceIdentity(ctx context.Context, profile databaseProfile) (databaseProfile, bool) {
+	if normalizedDatabaseManagementType(profile.ManagementType) != databaseManagementUserManaged {
+		return profile, false
+	}
+
+	runtime, err := openDatabaseRuntime(ctx, profile)
+	if err != nil {
+		return profile, false
+	}
+	defer runtime.closeFn()
+
+	metas, err := runtime.store.ListWorkspaces(ctx)
+	if err != nil || len(metas) == 0 {
+		return profile, false
+	}
+
+	var databaseID string
+	var databaseName string
+	for _, meta := range metas {
+		meta = applyWorkspaceMetaDefaults(runtime.cfg, meta)
+		if strings.TrimSpace(meta.DatabaseID) == "" || strings.TrimSpace(meta.DatabaseName) == "" {
+			return profile, true
+		}
+		if databaseID == "" {
+			databaseID = strings.TrimSpace(meta.DatabaseID)
+			databaseName = strings.TrimSpace(meta.DatabaseName)
+			continue
+		}
+		if strings.TrimSpace(meta.DatabaseID) != databaseID || strings.TrimSpace(meta.DatabaseName) != databaseName {
+			return profile, true
+		}
+	}
+	if databaseID == "" || databaseName == "" {
+		return profile, true
+	}
+
+	profile.ID = databaseID
+	profile.Name = databaseName
+	return profile, true
+}
+
 func (m *DatabaseManager) bootstrapDatabaseProfile(ctx context.Context) (databaseProfile, bool) {
 	if profile, ok := bootstrapDatabaseProfileFromContext(ctx); ok {
 		return profile, true
diff --git a/internal/controlplane/database_manager_registry_test.go b/internal/controlplane/database_manager_registry_test.go
index fd46d91..a1cf008 100644
--- a/internal/controlplane/database_manager_registry_test.go
+++ b/internal/controlplane/database_manager_registry_test.go
@@ -12,14 +12,15 @@ import (
 	"github.com/alicebob/miniredis/v2"
 )
 
-func TestOpenDatabaseManagerStartsWithEmptyRegistry(t *testing.T) {
+func TestOpenDatabaseManagerLeavesEmptyConfigStoreUnregisteredOnStartup(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Helper()
 
 	dir := t.TempDir()
 	configPath := filepath.Join(dir, "afs.config.json")
+	mr := miniredis.RunT(t)
 	cfg := Config{
 		RedisConfig: RedisConfig{
-			RedisAddr: "localhost:6380",
+			RedisAddr: mr.Addr(),
 			RedisDB:   0,
 		},
 	}
@@ -42,11 +43,61 @@ func TestOpenDatabaseManagerStartsWithEmptyRegistry(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("ListDatabaseProfiles() returned error: %v", err)
 	}
 	if len(profiles) != 0 {
-		t.Fatalf("len(ListDatabaseProfiles()) = %d, want 0 (control plane should start empty)", len(profiles))
+		t.Fatalf("len(ListDatabaseProfiles()) = %d, want 0", len(profiles))
+	}
+}
+
+func TestOpenDatabaseManagerListsExistingWorkspacesWithoutManualDatabaseCreate(t *testing.T) {
+	mr := miniredis.RunT(t)
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	configPath := filepath.Join(dir, "afs.config.json")
+	cfg := Config{
+		RedisConfig: RedisConfig{
+			RedisAddr: mr.Addr(),
+			RedisDB:   0,
+		},
+	}
+
+	data, err := json.Marshal(cfg)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("json.Marshal(cfg) returned error: %v", err)
+	}
+	if err := os.WriteFile(configPath, append(data, '\n'), 0o600); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("WriteFile(config) returned error: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	if _, err := os.Stat(filepath.Join(dir, "afs.databases.json")); !os.IsNotExist(err) {
-		t.Fatalf("afs.databases.json should not be written, stat err = %v", err)
+	store, closeFn, err := OpenStore(context.Background(), cfg)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("OpenStore() returned error: %v", err)
+	}
+	t.Cleanup(closeFn)
+
+	if err := createWorkspaceWithMetadata(context.Background(), cfg, store, "repo", workspaceCreateSpec{
+		Description: "Preexisting local workspace.",
+		Source:      sourceBlank,
+	}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("createWorkspaceWithMetadata() returned error: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	manager, err := OpenDatabaseManager(configPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("OpenDatabaseManager() returned error: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer manager.Close()
+
+	wantDatabaseID, _ := activeDatabaseIdentity(cfg)
+	workspaces, err := manager.ListAllWorkspaceSummaries(context.Background())
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("ListAllWorkspaceSummaries() returned error: %v", err)
+	}
+	if len(workspaces.Items) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("len(ListAllWorkspaceSummaries().Items) = %d, want 1", len(workspaces.Items))
+	}
+	if workspaces.Items[0].Name != "repo" {
+		t.Fatalf("workspaces.Items[0].Name = %q, want %q", workspaces.Items[0].Name, "repo")
+	}
+	if workspaces.Items[0].DatabaseID != wantDatabaseID {
+		t.Fatalf("workspaces.Items[0].DatabaseID = %q, want %q", workspaces.Items[0].DatabaseID, wantDatabaseID)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/internal/controlplane/http_test.go b/internal/controlplane/http_test.go
index 021d8ff..dac79d7 100644
--- a/internal/controlplane/http_test.go
+++ b/internal/controlplane/http_test.go
@@ -2455,8 +2455,6 @@ func newTestManager(t *testing.T) (*DatabaseManager, string) {
 
 	if err := createWorkspaceWithMetadata(ctx, cfg, store, "repo", workspaceCreateSpec{
 		Description:  "Control plane demo workspace.",
-		DatabaseID:   "db-demo",
-		DatabaseName: "demo-db-us-test-1",
 		CloudAccount: "Redis Cloud / Test",
 		Region:       "us-test-1",
 		Source:       sourceGitImport,
diff --git a/internal/controlplane/quickstart.go b/internal/controlplane/quickstart.go
index 67008a8..39e035a 100644
--- a/internal/controlplane/quickstart.go
+++ b/internal/controlplane/quickstart.go
@@ -162,18 +162,7 @@ func bootstrapDatabaseProfileFromEnv() (databaseProfile, bool) {
 
 func bootstrapDatabaseProfileFromContext(_ context.Context) (databaseProfile, bool) {
 	if cfg, ok := redisConfigFromAFSEnv(); ok {
-		return databaseProfile{
-			ID:             "local-development",
-			Name:           quickstartLocalDBName,
-			Description:    "Configured from AFS_REDIS_* environment variables.",
-			ManagementType: databaseManagementUserManaged,
-			RedisAddr:      cfg.RedisAddr,
-			RedisUsername:  cfg.RedisUsername,
-			RedisPassword:  cfg.RedisPassword,
-			RedisDB:        cfg.RedisDB,
-			RedisTLS:       cfg.RedisTLS,
-			IsDefault:      true,
-		}, true
+		return bootstrapUserManagedDatabaseProfile(Config{RedisConfig: cfg}, "Configured from AFS_REDIS_* environment variables."), true
 	}
 
 	if cfg, ok := redisConfigFromURL(strings.TrimSpace(os.Getenv("REDIS_URL"))); ok {
@@ -201,10 +190,15 @@ func bootstrapDatabaseProfileFromConfigPath(configPathOverride string) (database
 	if err != nil || !present || strings.TrimSpace(cfg.RedisAddr) == "" {
 		return databaseProfile{}, false
 	}
+	return bootstrapUserManagedDatabaseProfile(cfg, "Configured from afs.config.json."), true
+}
+
+func bootstrapUserManagedDatabaseProfile(cfg Config, description string) databaseProfile {
+	databaseID, _ := activeDatabaseIdentity(cfg)
 	return databaseProfile{
-		ID:             "local-development",
+		ID:             databaseID,
 		Name:           quickstartLocalDBName,
-		Description:    "Configured from afs.config.json.",
+		Description:    description,
 		ManagementType: databaseManagementUserManaged,
 		RedisAddr:      cfg.RedisAddr,
 		RedisUsername:  cfg.RedisUsername,
@@ -212,7 +206,7 @@ func bootstrapDatabaseProfileFromConfigPath(configPathOverride string) (database
 		RedisDB:        cfg.RedisDB,
 		RedisTLS:       cfg.RedisTLS,
 		IsDefault:      true,
-	}, true
+	}
 }
 
 // quickstartWithDatabase creates the getting-started workspace on an existing database.