diff --git a/src/Drivers/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Driver.Historian.Gateway/Recorder/GatewayHistorianValueWriter.cs b/src/Drivers/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Driver.Historian.Gateway/Recorder/GatewayHistorianValueWriter.cs
index af80f717..3fa9106a 100644
--- a/src/Drivers/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Driver.Historian.Gateway/Recorder/GatewayHistorianValueWriter.cs
+++ b/src/Drivers/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Driver.Historian.Gateway/Recorder/GatewayHistorianValueWriter.cs
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ namespace ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Driver.Historian.Gateway.Recorder;
 ///         durably queued must not be re-drained.
 ///     </para>
 /// </remarks>
-public sealed class GatewayHistorianValueWriter : IHistorianValueWriter
+public sealed class GatewayHistorianValueWriter : IHistorianValueWriter, IAsyncDisposable
 {
     private readonly IHistorianGatewayClient _client;
     private readonly ILogger<GatewayHistorianValueWriter> _logger;
@@ -86,4 +86,10 @@ public sealed class GatewayHistorianValueWriter : IHistorianValueWriter
             return false;
         }
     }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    ///     Disposes the underlying gateway client (and its gRPC channel). The DI container owns this
+    ///     writer as a singleton, so this fires once at host shutdown — closing the channel gracefully.
+    /// </summary>
+    public ValueTask DisposeAsync() => _client.DisposeAsync();
 }
diff --git a/src/Server/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Runtime/Historian/ContinuousHistorizationOptions.cs b/src/Server/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Runtime/Historian/ContinuousHistorizationOptions.cs
index 1c729eef..74313a71 100644
--- a/src/Server/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Runtime/Historian/ContinuousHistorizationOptions.cs
+++ b/src/Server/ZB.MOM.WW.OtOpcUa.Runtime/Historian/ContinuousHistorizationOptions.cs
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ public sealed class ContinuousHistorizationOptions
         var warnings = new List<string>();
         if (!Enabled) return warnings;
         if (string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(OutboxPath))
-            warnings.Add("ContinuousHistorization:OutboxPath is empty while historization is enabled — the durable outbox has no directory to persist to; the recorder cannot be wired.");
+            warnings.Add("ContinuousHistorization:OutboxPath is empty while historization is enabled — the durable outbox has no directory to persist to; host startup will fail when the outbox is constructed. Set an absolute path on durable storage.");
         if (string.Equals(CommitMode, "Periodic", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase) && CommitIntervalMs <= 0)
             warnings.Add($"ContinuousHistorization:CommitIntervalMs is {CommitIntervalMs} — must be > 0 in Periodic commit mode; the periodic-commit loop cannot run.");
         return warnings;