diff --git a/src/gui/main_window.py b/src/gui/main_window.py
index e71c663..2081c88 100644
--- a/src/gui/main_window.py
+++ b/src/gui/main_window.py
@@ -1158,25 +1158,63 @@ class MainWindow(ctk.CTk):
         if uart_alive and _uart_src:
             self._log_message(f"  ⏳ Waiting for UART boot signal (max {boot_delay}s)...")
             elapsed = 0.0
+            boot_seen = False  # Phase 1 guard — log once, keep waiting for IP
             while elapsed < boot_delay:
-                info = _uart_src.latest_info if hasattr(_uart_src, 'latest_info') else _uart_src.get_latest_info()
-                if info and (info.ip_address or info.version):
+                info = (
+                    _uart_src.latest_info
+                    if hasattr(_uart_src, "latest_info")
+                    else _uart_src.get_latest_info()
+                )
+                # Phase 2: IP address found — definitive boot confirmation
+                if info and info.ip_address:
                     self._log_message(
                         f"  ✓ Boot detected after {elapsed:.1f}s"
                         f" (IP={info.ip_address}, Ver={info.version})"
                     )
                     discovered_ip = info.ip_address
                     break
+                # Phase 1: boot signal (version) seen but no IP yet — keep polling
+                if info and info.version and not boot_seen:
+                    boot_seen = True
+                    self._log_message(
+                        f"  ✓ Boot signal after {elapsed:.1f}s"
+                        f" (Ver={info.version}), waiting for IP..."
+                    )
                 time.sleep(0.5)
                 elapsed += 0.5
             else:
-                self._log_message(f"  ⏱ UART timeout — no boot signal in {boot_delay}s")
+                self._log_message(f"  ⏱ UART timeout — no IP in {boot_delay}s")
+                # Final check: IP may have arrived after the last poll
+                info = (
+                    _uart_src.latest_info
+                    if hasattr(_uart_src, "latest_info")
+                    else _uart_src.get_latest_info()
+                )
+                if info and info.ip_address:
+                    self._log_message(f"  IP recovered from latest UART info: {info.ip_address}")
+                    discovered_ip = info.ip_address
         else:
             self._log_message(f"  ⏳ UART unavailable — sleeping {boot_delay}s for boot...")
             time.sleep(boot_delay)
 
+        # Fallback: parse IP from accumulated UART buffer (lines may arrive
+        # after boot wait loop exited — e.g. "Board IP: 192.168.100.13")
+        if not discovered_ip and _uart_src:
+            all_lines = (
+                _uart_src.all_lines
+                if hasattr(_uart_src, "all_lines")
+                else []
+            )
+            if all_lines:
+                parsed = parse_boot_output(all_lines)
+                if parsed.ip_address:
+                    discovered_ip = parsed.ip_address
+                    self._log_message(f"  IP from UART buffer: {discovered_ip}")
+
         # Discover actual IP after reboot (may have changed via DHCP)
         if not discovered_ip:
+            self._log_message("  ⏳ Network stack — waiting 3s...")
+            time.sleep(3)
             self._log_message("  Scanning for Zynq IP (192.168.100.11–30)...")
             discovered_ip = self._discover_zynq_ip()
             if discovered_ip: