diff --git a/workspace-server/internal/handlers/workspace_provision.go b/workspace-server/internal/handlers/workspace_provision.go
index e3e95887b..0f3b8fd08 100644
--- a/workspace-server/internal/handlers/workspace_provision.go
+++ b/workspace-server/internal/handlers/workspace_provision.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package handlers
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"database/sql"
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
 	"os"
@@ -328,6 +329,8 @@ func (h *WorkspaceHandler) buildProvisionerConfig(
 				workspaceAccess = dbAccess
 			}
 			kind = dbKind
+		} else if err != sql.ErrNoRows {
+			log.Printf("ERROR: workspace kind lookup failed for %s: %v", workspaceID, err)
 		}
 	}
 	if workspacePath == "" {
diff --git a/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/cp_provisioner.go b/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/cp_provisioner.go
index aa558fe70..ca87f659c 100644
--- a/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/cp_provisioner.go
+++ b/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/cp_provisioner.go
@@ -262,6 +262,15 @@ func (p *CPProvisioner) Start(ctx context.Context, cfg WorkspaceConfig) (string,
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("cp provisioner: collect config files: %w", err)
 	}
 
+	// Only forward kind for platform workspaces; omitempty hides it for ordinary
+	// workspaces so the wire shape is unchanged and older CPs see byte-identical
+	// requests.  Ordinary workspaces always have kind="workspace" from the DB
+	// COALESCE, so we must explicitly suppress it here (core#2498 truth-up).
+	kind := ""
+	if cfg.Kind == WorkspaceKindPlatform {
+		kind = cfg.Kind
+	}
+
 	req := cpProvisionRequest{
 		OrgID:           p.orgID,
 		WorkspaceID:     cfg.WorkspaceID,
@@ -271,7 +280,7 @@ func (p *CPProvisioner) Start(ctx context.Context, cfg WorkspaceConfig) (string,
 		DiskGB:          cfg.DiskGB,
 		DataPersistence: cfg.DataPersistence,
 		Provider:        cfg.Provider,
-		Kind:            cfg.Kind,
+		Kind:            kind,
 		Display:         cfg.Display,
 		PlatformURL:     cfg.PlatformURL,
 		Env:             env,
diff --git a/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/cp_provisioner_kind_test.go b/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/cp_provisioner_kind_test.go
index 20601c795..62670e252 100644
--- a/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/cp_provisioner_kind_test.go
+++ b/workspace-server/internal/provisioner/cp_provisioner_kind_test.go
@@ -63,9 +63,13 @@ func TestStart_ForwardsPlatformKind(t *testing.T) {
 // CPs see byte-identical requests.
 func TestStart_OmitsKindForOrdinaryWorkspace(t *testing.T) {
 	p, body := startCaptureCP(t)
+	// Ordinary workspaces have kind="workspace" from the DB COALESCE;
+	// the CP provisioner must suppress it so omitempty keeps the wire
+	// shape unchanged (core#2498 truth-up).
 	_, err := p.Start(context.Background(), WorkspaceConfig{
 		WorkspaceID: "ws-ordinary",
 		Runtime:     "claude-code",
+		Kind:        "workspace",
 		PlatformURL: "https://acme.example.com",
 	})
 	if err != nil {