diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 761e90497..df74a7af3 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@
     "dev:full": "pnpm pre && concurrently -k \"pnpm run build-packages:watch\" \"pnpm run generate-sdks:watch\" \"pnpm run generate-setup-prompt-docs:watch\" \"turbo run dev --concurrency 99999\"",
     "dev": "pnpm pre && HEXCLAVE_DEV_UI=stream pnpm run dev:tasks",
     "dev:tui": "pnpm pre && HEXCLAVE_DEV_UI=tui pnpm run dev:tasks",
-    "dev:tasks": "turbo run dev build-packages:watch generate-sdks:watch generate-openapi-docs:watch generate-setup-prompt-docs:watch --ui ${HEXCLAVE_DEV_UI:?HEXCLAVE_DEV_UI must be set} --concurrency 99999 --filter=// --filter=./apps/* --filter=@hexclave/docs-mintlify --filter=./packages/* --filter=./examples/demo --filter=./examples/tanstack-start-demo",
+    "dev:tasks": "pnpm run check-deps && turbo run dev build-packages:watch generate-sdks:watch generate-openapi-docs:watch generate-setup-prompt-docs:watch --ui ${HEXCLAVE_DEV_UI:?HEXCLAVE_DEV_UI must be set} --concurrency 99999 --filter=// --filter=./apps/* --filter=@hexclave/docs-mintlify --filter=./packages/* --filter=./examples/demo --filter=./examples/tanstack-start-demo",
+    "check-deps": "bash ./scripts/check-deps.sh",
     "dev:inspect": "pnpm pre && STACK_BACKEND_DEV_EXTRA_ARGS=\"--inspect\" pnpm run dev",
     "dev:profile": "pnpm pre && STACK_BACKEND_DEV_EXTRA_ARGS=\"--experimental-cpu-prof\" pnpm run dev",
     "dev:basic": "pnpm pre && concurrently -k \"pnpm run build-packages:watch\" \"pnpm run generate-sdks:watch\" \"turbo run dev --concurrency 99999 --filter=@hexclave/backend --filter=@hexclave/bulldozer-js --filter=@hexclave/mcp --filter=@hexclave/dashboard --filter=@hexclave/mock-oauth-server\"",
diff --git a/scripts/check-deps.sh b/scripts/check-deps.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..90b3956f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/check-deps.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+expected_services="$(pnpm run --silent deps-compose config --services)"
+running_services="$(pnpm run --silent deps-compose ps --status running --services)"
+
+if [[ -z "$expected_services" ]]; then
+  echo "Error: The dependency Docker Compose configuration contains no services." >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+missing_services="$(
+  comm -23 \
+    <(printf '%s\n' "$expected_services" | LC_ALL=C sort) \
+    <(printf '%s\n' "$running_services" | LC_ALL=C sort)
+)"
+
+if [[ -n "$missing_services" ]]; then
+  echo "Error: The following development dependency containers are not running:" >&2
+  while IFS= read -r service; do
+    printf '  - %s\n' "$service" >&2
+  done <<< "$missing_services"
+  echo "Run 'pnpm restart-deps' and try again." >&2
+  exit 1
+fi