diff --git a/cmd/cognitive-worker/main.go b/cmd/cognitive-worker/main.go
index 3544630..9e77e3f 100644
--- a/cmd/cognitive-worker/main.go
+++ b/cmd/cognitive-worker/main.go
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ func main() {
 		health.HTTPProbe(readinessClient, strings.TrimRight(envOr("CORE_RUNTIME_URL", "http://core-runtime:8080"), "/")+"/healthz"),
 		health.HTTPProbe(readinessClient, strings.TrimRight(envOr("LOCAL_CPU_PROVIDER_URL", "http://docker.cin.su:18082/v1"), "/")+"/models"),
 		health.HTTPProbe(readinessClient, lifeboatURL),
-		health.HTTPProbe(readinessClient, strings.TrimRight(envOr("LOCAL_GPU_PROVIDER_URL", "http://192.168.220.91:11434"), "/")+"/api/tags"),
+		health.OptionalHTTPProbe(readinessClient, strings.TrimRight(envOr("LOCAL_GPU_PROVIDER_URL", "http://192.168.220.91:11434"), "/")+"/api/tags"),
 	}})
 	mux.HandleFunc("POST /v1/proposals/deterministic", deterministicProposal)
 	mux.HandleFunc("POST /v1/advisory-policy", gateway.policyHandler)
diff --git a/dev/ACTIVE_TASK.json b/dev/ACTIVE_TASK.json
index 7253622..00053d3 100644
--- a/dev/ACTIVE_TASK.json
+++ b/dev/ACTIVE_TASK.json
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
-  "task_file": "dev/tasks/DEV-000115-cognitive-admission-control.json",
-  "task_id": "DEV-000115",
-  "task_revision": 6
+  "task_file": "dev/tasks/DEV-000141-optional-fleet-readiness.json",
+  "task_id": "DEV-000141",
+  "task_revision": 1
 }
diff --git a/dev/tasks/DEV-000141-optional-fleet-readiness.json b/dev/tasks/DEV-000141-optional-fleet-readiness.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cd8e517
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dev/tasks/DEV-000141-optional-fleet-readiness.json
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+{
+  "task_id": "DEV-000141",
+  "task_revision": 1,
+  "architecture_revision": "ADR-0018",
+  "base_repo_revision": "38cff16",
+  "risk_tier": "E",
+  "intent": "Keep cognitive readiness available when an optional opportunistic fleet member is unavailable while preserving typed degraded evidence.",
+  "requirement_ids": ["WP-003", "WP-203", "Fleet failover readiness"],
+  "allowed_change_scope": {"modules": ["runtime-health", "cognitive-worker"], "paths": ["runtime/health/**", "cmd/cognitive-worker/main.go", "runtime/health/server_test.go", "dev/ACTIVE_TASK.json", "dev/tasks/DEV-000141-optional-fleet-readiness.json"]},
+  "forbidden_change_scope": {"paths": ["architecture/**", "database/**", "deploy/**", "security/**", ".gitea/**"]},
+  "allowed_architecture_delta": {"new_cross_module_dependencies": 0, "new_canonical_owners": 0, "new_privileges": 0, "new_third_party_dependencies": 0, "new_database_owner_roles": 0},
+  "contracts": {"consume": ["Existing readiness Probe and typed readiness response"], "may_change": ["Optional dependency probe behavior"]},
+  "semantic_owner": "runtime-health and cognitive-worker",
+  "canonical_state": [],
+  "state_transitions": ["optional provider unavailable -> readiness remains ready with typed degraded check", "required dependency unavailable -> readiness remains degraded"],
+  "side_effects_and_privileges": ["No external mutation; no provider invocation"],
+  "persistence_and_migrations": ["None"],
+  "failure_retry_restart": ["Optional provider can recover on subsequent readiness probe"],
+  "assumptions": ["CPU/Lifeboat remains a qualified fallback when opportunistic GPU is unavailable"],
+  "acceptance_scenarios": ["GPU timeout does not hide degraded evidence or make fallback unavailable", "required dependency failure still returns 503"],
+  "required_tests": ["go test ./...", "go vet ./...", "preflight", "check-diff", "check-architecture", "independent", "git diff --check", "docker compose config"],
+  "terminal_gap_states": ["BLOCKED_BY_SPEC_GAP", "BLOCKED_BY_CONFLICT"]
+}
diff --git a/runtime/health/server.go b/runtime/health/server.go
index c55cee6..c25ceed 100644
--- a/runtime/health/server.go
+++ b/runtime/health/server.go
@@ -26,8 +26,9 @@ func (h Handler) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 }
 
 type Probe struct {
-	Name  string
-	Check func(context.Context) error
+	Name     string
+	Check    func(context.Context) error
+	Optional bool
 }
 
 type Result struct {
@@ -59,11 +60,13 @@ func (h ReadinessHandler) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 			err := probe.Check(ctx)
 			cancel()
 			if err != nil {
-				ready = false
 				result.State, result.Reason, result.Detail = "DEGRADED", "DEPENDENCY_UNAVAILABLE", err.Error()
+				if !probe.Optional {
+					ready = false
+				}
 			}
 		}
-		if result.State != "READY" {
+		if result.State != "READY" && !probe.Optional {
 			ready = false
 		}
 		results = append(results, result)
@@ -96,6 +99,15 @@ func HTTPProbe(client *http.Client, endpoint string) Probe {
 	}}
 }
 
+// OptionalHTTPProbe reports dependency degradation without making the whole
+// runtime unavailable. This is used for opportunistic fleet members when a
+// qualified local fallback remains available.
+func OptionalHTTPProbe(client *http.Client, endpoint string) Probe {
+	probe := HTTPProbe(client, endpoint)
+	probe.Optional = true
+	return probe
+}
+
 func TCPProbe(name, host, port string) Probe {
 	return Probe{Name: name, Check: func(ctx context.Context) error {
 		connection, err := (&net.Dialer{}).DialContext(ctx, "tcp", net.JoinHostPort(host, port))
diff --git a/runtime/health/server_test.go b/runtime/health/server_test.go
index 04eb5c1..e82f33a 100644
--- a/runtime/health/server_test.go
+++ b/runtime/health/server_test.go
@@ -26,3 +26,16 @@ func TestReadinessReturns200WhenAllProbesPass(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("readiness response = %d %s", recorder.Code, recorder.Body.String())
 	}
 }
+
+func TestReadinessStaysAvailableWithOptionalDependencyDegraded(t *testing.T) {
+	handler := ReadinessHandler{Runtime: "test", Probes: []Probe{
+		{Name: "lifeboat", Check: func(context.Context) error { return nil }},
+		{Name: "opportunistic-gpu", Optional: true, Check: func(context.Context) error { return errors.New("timeout") }},
+	}}
+	recorder := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	handler.ServeHTTP(recorder, httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodGet, "/readyz", nil))
+	body := recorder.Body.String()
+	if recorder.Code != http.StatusOK || !strings.Contains(body, `"status":"ready"`) || !strings.Contains(body, `"state":"DEGRADED"`) {
+		t.Fatalf("readiness response = %d %s", recorder.Code, body)
+	}
+}