diff --git a/src/memory/index.test.ts b/src/memory/index.test.ts
index 44fcea59954..950346bd3e4 100644
--- a/src/memory/index.test.ts
+++ b/src/memory/index.test.ts
@@ -432,6 +432,30 @@ describe("memory index", () => {
     await statusManager.close?.();
   });
 
+  it("does not cache builtin status-only managers across repeated requests", async () => {
+    const cfg = createCfg({
+      storePath: path.join(workspaceDir, `index-status-${randomUUID()}.sqlite`),
+    });
+
+    const first = await getMemorySearchManager({
+      cfg,
+      agentId: "main",
+      purpose: "status",
+    });
+    const second = await getMemorySearchManager({
+      cfg,
+      agentId: "main",
+      purpose: "status",
+    });
+
+    const firstManager = requireManager(first, "first status manager missing");
+    const secondManager = requireManager(second, "second status manager missing");
+    expect(secondManager).not.toBe(firstManager);
+
+    await firstManager.close?.();
+    await secondManager.close?.();
+  });
+
   it("reindexes sessions when source config adds sessions to an existing index", async () => {
     const stateDir = sourceChangeStateDir;
     const sessionDir = path.join(stateDir, "agents", "main", "sessions");
diff --git a/src/memory/manager.ts b/src/memory/manager.ts
index 26bdb64eaeb..5d14c7b968c 100644
--- a/src/memory/manager.ts
+++ b/src/memory/manager.ts
@@ -174,16 +174,8 @@ export class MemoryIndexManager extends MemoryManagerEmbeddingOps implements Mem
     const purpose = params.purpose === "status" ? "status" : "default";
     const key = `${agentId}:${workspaceDir}:${JSON.stringify(settings)}:${purpose}`;
     const statusOnly = params.purpose === "status";
-    const existing = INDEX_CACHE.get(key);
-    if (existing) {
-      return existing;
-    }
-    const pending = INDEX_CACHE_PENDING.get(key);
-    if (pending) {
-      return pending;
-    }
     if (statusOnly) {
-      const manager = new MemoryIndexManager({
+      return new MemoryIndexManager({
         cacheKey: key,
         cfg,
         agentId,
@@ -191,8 +183,14 @@ export class MemoryIndexManager extends MemoryManagerEmbeddingOps implements Mem
         settings,
         purpose: params.purpose,
       });
-      INDEX_CACHE.set(key, manager);
-      return manager;
+    }
+    const existing = INDEX_CACHE.get(key);
+    if (existing) {
+      return existing;
+    }
+    const pending = INDEX_CACHE_PENDING.get(key);
+    if (pending) {
+      return pending;
     }
     const createPromise = (async () => {
       const providerResult = await MemoryIndexManager.loadProviderResult({