diff --git a/services/comms/atlasbot-deployment.yaml b/services/comms/atlasbot-deployment.yaml
index aa91dcb..d5d8f06 100644
--- a/services/comms/atlasbot-deployment.yaml
+++ b/services/comms/atlasbot-deployment.yaml
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ spec:
       labels:
         app: atlasbot
       annotations:
-        checksum/atlasbot-configmap: manual-atlasbot-13
+        checksum/atlasbot-configmap: manual-atlasbot-14
         vault.hashicorp.com/agent-inject: "true"
         vault.hashicorp.com/role: "comms"
         vault.hashicorp.com/agent-inject-secret-turn-secret: "kv/data/atlas/comms/turn-shared-secret"
diff --git a/services/comms/scripts/atlasbot/bot.py b/services/comms/scripts/atlasbot/bot.py
index f4182cd..57549b3 100644
--- a/services/comms/scripts/atlasbot/bot.py
+++ b/services/comms/scripts/atlasbot/bot.py
@@ -441,7 +441,7 @@ def metrics_query_context(prompt: str, *, allow_tools: bool) -> tuple[str, str]:
         return "", f"{panel}: matched dashboard panel but VictoriaMetrics did not return data."
     summary = "\n".join(rendered_parts)
     context = f"Metrics (from {dashboard} / {panel}):\n{summary}"
-    fallback = f"{panel}: {summary}"
+    fallback = _metrics_fallback_summary(panel, summary)
     return context, fallback
 
 def jetson_nodes_from_kb() -> list[str]:
@@ -654,6 +654,115 @@ def vm_render_result(res: dict | None, limit: int = 12) -> str:
         out.append(f"- {labels}: {val}")
     return "\n".join(out)
 
+def _parse_metric_lines(summary: str) -> dict[str, str]:
+    parsed: dict[str, str] = {}
+    for line in (summary or "").splitlines():
+        line = line.strip()
+        if not line.startswith("-"):
+            continue
+        try:
+            label, value = line.lstrip("-").split(":", 1)
+        except ValueError:
+            continue
+        parsed[label.strip()] = value.strip()
+    return parsed
+
+def _metrics_fallback_summary(panel: str, summary: str) -> str:
+    parsed = _parse_metric_lines(summary)
+    panel_l = (panel or "").lower()
+    if panel_l.startswith("postgres connections"):
+        used = parsed.get("conn=used")
+        maxv = parsed.get("conn=max")
+        if used and maxv:
+            try:
+                used_i = int(float(used))
+                max_i = int(float(maxv))
+            except ValueError:
+                return f"Postgres connections: {summary}"
+            free = max_i - used_i
+            return f"Postgres connections: {used_i}/{max_i} used ({free} free)."
+    if panel_l.startswith("postgres hottest"):
+        if parsed:
+            label, value = next(iter(parsed.items()))
+            return f"Most Postgres connections: {label} = {value}."
+    return f"{panel}: {summary}"
+
+def _node_ready_status(node: dict) -> bool | None:
+    conditions = node.get("status", {}).get("conditions") or []
+    for cond in conditions if isinstance(conditions, list) else []:
+        if cond.get("type") == "Ready":
+            if cond.get("status") == "True":
+                return True
+            if cond.get("status") == "False":
+                return False
+            return None
+    return None
+
+def _node_is_worker(node: dict) -> bool:
+    labels = (node.get("metadata") or {}).get("labels") or {}
+    if labels.get("node-role.kubernetes.io/control-plane") is not None:
+        return False
+    if labels.get("node-role.kubernetes.io/master") is not None:
+        return False
+    if labels.get("node-role.kubernetes.io/worker") is not None:
+        return True
+    return True
+
+def worker_nodes_status() -> tuple[list[str], list[str]]:
+    try:
+        data = k8s_get("/api/v1/nodes?limit=500")
+    except Exception:
+        return ([], [])
+    items = data.get("items") or []
+    ready_nodes: list[str] = []
+    not_ready_nodes: list[str] = []
+    for node in items if isinstance(items, list) else []:
+        if not _node_is_worker(node):
+            continue
+        name = (node.get("metadata") or {}).get("name") or ""
+        if not name:
+            continue
+        ready = _node_ready_status(node)
+        if ready is True:
+            ready_nodes.append(name)
+        elif ready is False:
+            not_ready_nodes.append(name)
+    return (sorted(ready_nodes), sorted(not_ready_nodes))
+
+def expected_nodes_from_kb() -> set[str]:
+    if not _NODE_CLASS_INDEX:
+        return set()
+    nodes = set().union(*_NODE_CLASS_INDEX.values())
+    return {n for n in nodes if n and n not in _NODE_CLASS_EXTERNAL}
+
+def missing_nodes_answer(cluster_name: str) -> str:
+    expected = expected_nodes_from_kb()
+    if not expected:
+        return ""
+    current = set()
+    try:
+        data = k8s_get("/api/v1/nodes?limit=500")
+        items = data.get("items") or []
+        for node in items if isinstance(items, list) else []:
+            name = (node.get("metadata") or {}).get("name") or ""
+            if name:
+                current.add(name)
+    except Exception:
+        return ""
+    missing = sorted(expected - current)
+    if not missing:
+        return f"{cluster_name}: no missing nodes versus KB inventory."
+    return f"{cluster_name} missing nodes versus KB inventory: {', '.join(missing)}."
+
+def _should_short_circuit(prompt: str, fallback: str) -> bool:
+    if not fallback:
+        return False
+    lower = (prompt or "").lower()
+    for word in ("why", "explain", "architecture", "breakdown", "root cause", "plan"):
+        if word in lower:
+            return False
+    return True
+
 def vm_top_restarts(hours: int = 1) -> str:
     q = f"topk(5, sum by (namespace,pod) (increase(kube_pod_container_status_restarts_total[{hours}h])))"
     res = vm_query(q)
@@ -984,6 +1093,32 @@ def sync_loop(token: str, room_id: str):
                             continue
                         send_msg(token, rid, summary)
                         continue
+                if "worker" in lower_body and "node" in lower_body:
+                    ready_nodes, not_ready_nodes = worker_nodes_status()
+                    total = len(ready_nodes) + len(not_ready_nodes)
+                    if total:
+                        if any(word in lower_body for word in ("ready", "not ready", "unready")):
+                            if not_ready_nodes:
+                                send_msg(
+                                    token,
+                                    rid,
+                                    f"Worker nodes not Ready: {', '.join(not_ready_nodes)}.",
+                                )
+                            else:
+                                send_msg(token, rid, f"All {len(ready_nodes)} worker nodes are Ready.")
+                            continue
+                        if any(word in lower_body for word in ("how many", "should")):
+                            send_msg(
+                                token,
+                                rid,
+                                f"Atlas has {total} worker nodes; {len(ready_nodes)} Ready, {len(not_ready_nodes)} NotReady.",
+                            )
+                            continue
+                if "missing" in lower_body and "node" in lower_body:
+                    missing = missing_nodes_answer("Atlas")
+                    if missing:
+                        send_msg(token, rid, missing)
+                        continue
                 inventory_answer = node_inventory_answer("Atlas", lower_body)
                 if inventory_answer:
                     send_msg(token, rid, inventory_answer)
@@ -1046,6 +1181,9 @@ def sync_loop(token: str, room_id: str):
                     fallback = node_inventory_answer("Atlas", lower_body)
                 if metrics_fallback and not fallback:
                     fallback = metrics_fallback
+                if _should_short_circuit(body, fallback):
+                    send_msg(token, rid, fallback)
+                    continue
                 reply = ollama_reply_with_thinking(
                     token,
                     rid,