diff --git a/game/reconstructed/mech4.cpp b/game/reconstructed/mech4.cpp
index cd459ed..8674b6e 100644
--- a/game/reconstructed/mech4.cpp
+++ b/game/reconstructed/mech4.cpp
@@ -5627,7 +5627,12 @@ void
 		// shooting us.  (Live damage knocks the power bus down, which is exactly
 		// the signal a respawn test is trying to read.)
 		static int s_sdSpent = 0;
-		if (IsMechDestroyed())
+		// Latch off at the VIEWPOINT mech's first death only.  (The latch used
+		// to be fed by EVERY mech's update -- a mission that generated any
+		// destroyed mech/wreck entity tripped it at frame one and the harness
+		// silently never fired; random per mission roll.)
+		if ((Entity *)this == application->GetViewpointEntity()
+			&& IsMechDestroyed())
 			s_sdSpent = 1;
 		if ((Entity *)this == application->GetViewpointEntity()
 			&& getenv("BT_SELF_DAMAGE") && !s_sdSpent
@@ -5635,6 +5640,20 @@ void
 		{
 			static float s_sdAccum = 0.0f;
 			static int   s_sdTicks = 0;
+			// BT_SELF_DAMAGE_DELAY=<s>: hold the harness off for the first n
+			// seconds of the mission (capture/demo: healthy walking first).
+			static float s_sdDelay = -1.0f;
+			if (s_sdDelay < 0.0f)
+			{
+				const char *de = getenv("BT_SELF_DAMAGE_DELAY");
+				s_sdDelay = (de != 0 && *de != '\0') ? (float)atof(de) : 0.0f;
+			}
+			if (s_sdDelay > 0.0f)
+			{
+				s_sdDelay -= dt;
+				if (s_sdDelay < 0.0f) s_sdDelay = 0.0f;	// NOT below: <0 is the
+				s_sdAccum = 0.0f;						// "read the env" sentinel --
+			}											// underflow re-armed the delay forever
 			// BT_SELF_DAMAGE_TICKS=<n>: stop after n hits (bench: ramp a leg
 			// PAST LegHalfStructure then hold, so the limp window is unbounded
 			// instead of the 1 s between half and destroyed at high dps).
diff --git a/run/limpdemo.cmd b/run/limpdemo.cmd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a3a0b7f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/run/limpdemo.cmd
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+@echo off
+rem #78 OBS capture demo: Black Hawk walks ~12 s, right leg crosses half on
+rem the FINAL damage tick (one clean trigger edge), then: klaxon, klaxon,
+rem "REVERSE DISABLED" + the limp.  Auto-walks via GOTO -- the only input
+rem needed is V (or BACKTICK) once, for the 3rd-person chase view.
+setlocal
+set BT_FE_SOLO=1
+set BT_GOTO=8000 8000
+set BT_GOTO_THR=0.9
+set BT_SELF_DAMAGE=6
+set BT_SELF_DAMAGE_ZONE=18
+set BT_SELF_DAMAGE_TICKS=12
+set BT_SELF_DAMAGE_DELAY=30
+set BT_KEY_NOFOCUS=1
+cd /d "%~dp0..\content"
+powershell -NoProfile -Command "(Get-Content DEV.EGG) -replace '^experience=.*','experience=novice' | Set-Content LIMPDEMO.EGG"
+echo [limpdemo] auto-walk, 6x12 into zone 18 (crossing on the last tick), novice
+"%~dp0..\build\Release\btl4.exe" -egg LIMPDEMO.EGG
+del LIMPDEMO.EGG 2>nul
+if errorlevel 1 pause