diff --git a/Aetheria.State.Verify/Program.cs b/Aetheria.State.Verify/Program.cs
index 6ace3f084..9d4fb2c08 100644
--- a/Aetheria.State.Verify/Program.cs
+++ b/Aetheria.State.Verify/Program.cs
@@ -6347,6 +6347,8 @@ static void RequireClientTargetBootAuthority(string root)
     {
         "CurrentStateBoot()",
         "LatestDaemonFrame(AetheriaRuntimeStateBootReport stateBoot)",
+        "AetheriaRuntimeVerseClient",
+        "GetLatestAuthoritativeRunFrameAsync()",
         "LatestVerseHostSettings(AetheriaRuntimeStateBootReport stateBoot)",
         "AetheriaState.At(ActionGameManager.GameDataDirectory)",
         ".ClientTarget",
@@ -8117,6 +8119,8 @@ static void RequireAetheriaRuntimeVerseClientContract(string root)
         "WatchDaemonGameTuiSurfaces()",
         "WatchDaemonEditorTuiSurfaces()",
         "AetheriaRuntimeVerseDocument<EveSurfaceState>",
+        "GetLatestAuthoritativeRunFrameAsync()",
+        "GetObservedDaemonStateAsync()",
         "SubmitDaemonCommandAsync(",
         "AetheriaRuntimeVerseRecordKeys.DaemonCommand(command.CommandId)",
         "DaemonGameTuiSurface { get; }",
@@ -8708,9 +8712,8 @@ static void RequireMainMenuContinueRunState(string root)
     var requiredMenuSymbols = new[]
     {
         "LatestDaemonFrame",
-        "AetheriaRuntimeStateReader",
-        "TryReadDaemonFrame(stateBoot.StateFilePath, out var frame)",
-        "frame.IsAuthoritative",
+        "AetheriaRuntimeVerseClient",
+        "GetLatestAuthoritativeRunFrameAsync()",
         "ContinueGame()",
         "ActionGameManager.ObservedGalaxy = Galaxy.ProjectObservedDaemonRun(",
         "SceneManager.LoadScene(\"ARPG\")"
@@ -9691,8 +9694,8 @@ static void RequireUnityObserverDoesNotTickLocalSimulation(string root)
     var requiredMenuSymbols = new[]
     {
         "TryStartDaemonObservedGame",
-        "TryReadDaemonFrame(stateBoot.StateFilePath, out var frame)",
-        "frame.IsAuthoritative",
+        "LatestDaemonFrame(stateBoot)",
+        "GetLatestAuthoritativeRunFrameAsync()",
         "ActionGameManager.ObservedGalaxy = Galaxy.ProjectObservedDaemonRun(",
         "frame.Run",
         "SceneManager.LoadScene(\"ARPG\")"
@@ -10335,11 +10338,17 @@ static void RequireRuntimeStateReaderOwnsUnityStateAcquisition(string root)
             "AetheriaDaemonObserver still spelunks observed daemon state through the runtime file reader instead of the Verse client.");
     }
 
-    if (!mainMenu.Contains("AetheriaRuntimeStateReader", StringComparison.Ordinal) ||
-        !mainMenu.Contains("TryReadDaemonFrame(stateBoot.StateFilePath, out var frame)", StringComparison.Ordinal))
+    if (!mainMenu.Contains("AetheriaRuntimeVerseClient", StringComparison.Ordinal) ||
+        !mainMenu.Contains("GetLatestAuthoritativeRunFrameAsync()", StringComparison.Ordinal))
     {
         throw new InvalidOperationException(
-            "MainMenu no longer routes daemon-frame lookup through the shared runtime state reader.");
+            "MainMenu no longer routes daemon-frame lookup through the shared runtime Verse client.");
+    }
+
+    if (mainMenu.Contains("AetheriaRuntimeStateReader.TryReadDaemonFrame", StringComparison.Ordinal))
+    {
+        throw new InvalidOperationException(
+            "MainMenu still reads daemon frames through the runtime file reader instead of the Verse client.");
     }
 
     if (!eveSurfacePresenter.Contains("AetheriaRuntimeVerseClient.OpenAsync(", StringComparison.Ordinal) ||
diff --git a/Assets/Scripts/UI/MainMenu.cs b/Assets/Scripts/UI/MainMenu.cs
index e9d90bf1a..b0b7a4ef7 100644
--- a/Assets/Scripts/UI/MainMenu.cs
+++ b/Assets/Scripts/UI/MainMenu.cs
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ public class MainMenu : MonoBehaviour
     public bool InGame;
 
     private UIDocument _menuSurfaceDocument;
+    private AetheriaRuntimeVerseClient _verseClient;
+    private string _verseClientStatePath;
     private readonly AetheriaEveUnitySurfaceChrome _menuSurfaceChrome = new AetheriaEveUnitySurfaceChrome
     {
         RootAlignItems = Align.Center,
@@ -108,14 +110,10 @@ public class MainMenu : MonoBehaviour
     private bool TryStartDaemonObservedGame(string title)
     {
         var stateBoot = CurrentStateBoot();
-        if (!AetheriaRuntimeStateReader.TryReadDaemonFrame(stateBoot.StateFilePath, out var frame) ||
-            frame == null ||
-            !frame.IsAuthoritative ||
-            frame.Run == null ||
-            frame.Run.Zones == null ||
-            frame.Run.Zones.Count == 0)
+        var frame = LatestDaemonFrame(stateBoot);
+        if (frame == null)
         {
-            Debug.LogWarning($"Cannot start Aetheria observer scene without an authoritative daemon frame at {AetheriaRuntimeDaemonFrameStore.GetFramePath(stateBoot.StateFilePath)}.");
+            Debug.LogWarning($"Cannot start Aetheria observer scene without an authoritative daemon frame in {stateBoot.StateFilePath}.");
             return false;
         }
 
@@ -146,19 +144,25 @@ public class MainMenu : MonoBehaviour
         return AetheriaRuntimeStateBoot.Inspect(ActionGameManager.GameDataDirectory);
     }
 
-    private static AetheriaRuntimeDaemonFrameDocument LatestDaemonFrame(AetheriaRuntimeStateBootReport stateBoot)
+    private AetheriaRuntimeDaemonFrameDocument LatestDaemonFrame(AetheriaRuntimeStateBootReport stateBoot)
     {
-        if (!AetheriaRuntimeStateReader.TryReadDaemonFrame(stateBoot.StateFilePath, out var frame) ||
-            frame == null ||
-            !frame.IsAuthoritative ||
-            frame.Run == null ||
-            frame.Run.Zones == null ||
-            frame.Run.Zones.Count == 0)
+        if (!stateBoot.SupportsLocalStateFileRead || !stateBoot.StateFileExists)
         {
             return null;
         }
 
-        return frame;
+        try
+        {
+            return ResolveVerseClient(stateBoot)
+                .GetLatestAuthoritativeRunFrameAsync()
+                .GetAwaiter()
+                .GetResult();
+        }
+        catch (Exception ex)
+        {
+            Debug.LogError($"Failed to read authoritative Aetheria daemon frame for the main menu: {ex}");
+            return null;
+        }
     }
 
     private static AetheriaRuntimePlayerSettingsSnapshot LatestPlayerSettings(AetheriaRuntimeStateBootReport stateBoot)
@@ -454,8 +458,33 @@ public class MainMenu : MonoBehaviour
         return true;
     }
 
+    private AetheriaRuntimeVerseClient ResolveVerseClient(AetheriaRuntimeStateBootReport stateBoot)
+    {
+        var statePath = stateBoot.StateFilePath;
+        if (_verseClient != null && string.Equals(_verseClientStatePath, statePath, StringComparison.Ordinal))
+        {
+            return _verseClient;
+        }
+
+        DisposeVerseClient();
+        _verseClient = AetheriaRuntimeVerseClient
+            .OpenAsync(statePath, "unity-main-menu", startServer: false, pullOnOpen: true)
+            .GetAwaiter()
+            .GetResult();
+        _verseClientStatePath = statePath;
+        return _verseClient;
+    }
+
+    private void DisposeVerseClient()
+    {
+        _verseClient?.Dispose();
+        _verseClient = null;
+        _verseClientStatePath = null;
+    }
+
     private void OnDestroy()
     {
+        DisposeVerseClient();
         if (_menuSurfaceDocument != null)
         {
             Destroy(_menuSurfaceDocument.gameObject);
diff --git a/Packages/org.gamecult.aetheria.state/Runtime/AetheriaRuntimeVerseClient.cs b/Packages/org.gamecult.aetheria.state/Runtime/AetheriaRuntimeVerseClient.cs
index 88b3d2ee4..bb36f39b9 100644
--- a/Packages/org.gamecult.aetheria.state/Runtime/AetheriaRuntimeVerseClient.cs
+++ b/Packages/org.gamecult.aetheria.state/Runtime/AetheriaRuntimeVerseClient.cs
@@ -265,6 +265,23 @@ namespace GameCult.Aetheria.State.Verse
                 AetheriaRuntimeDaemonSoaViewStore.GetViewPath(StatePath));
         }
 
+        public async Task<AetheriaRuntimeDaemonFrameDocument?> GetLatestAuthoritativeRunFrameAsync()
+        {
+            ThrowIfDisposed();
+
+            var frame = await GetLatestFrameAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);
+            if (frame == null ||
+                !frame.IsAuthoritative ||
+                frame.Run == null ||
+                frame.Run.Zones == null ||
+                frame.Run.Zones.Count == 0)
+            {
+                return null;
+            }
+
+            return frame;
+        }
+
         public Task<EveSurfaceState?> GetDaemonGameSurfaceAsync()
         {
             ThrowIfDisposed();