diff --git a/get-shit-done/bin/lib/verify.cjs b/get-shit-done/bin/lib/verify.cjs
index d7721bffa..30b4c6ff3 100644
--- a/get-shit-done/bin/lib/verify.cjs
+++ b/get-shit-done/bin/lib/verify.cjs
@@ -655,52 +655,55 @@ function cmdValidateHealth(cwd, options, raw) {
     } catch { /* intentionally empty */ }
   }
 
-  // ─── Check 6: Phase directory naming (NN-name format) ─────────────────────
+  // ─── Read phase directories once for checks 6, 7, 7b, and 8 (#1973) ──────
+  let phaseDirEntries = [];
+  const phaseDirFiles = new Map(); // phase dir name → file list
   try {
-    const entries = fs.readdirSync(phasesDir, { withFileTypes: true });
-    for (const e of entries) {
-      if (e.isDirectory() && !e.name.match(/^\d{2}(?:\.\d+)*-[\w-]+$/)) {
-        addIssue('warning', 'W005', `Phase directory "${e.name}" doesn't follow NN-name format`, 'Rename to match pattern (e.g., 01-setup)');
-      }
+    phaseDirEntries = fs.readdirSync(phasesDir, { withFileTypes: true }).filter(e => e.isDirectory());
+    for (const e of phaseDirEntries) {
+      try {
+        phaseDirFiles.set(e.name, fs.readdirSync(path.join(phasesDir, e.name)));
+      } catch { phaseDirFiles.set(e.name, []); }
     }
   } catch { /* intentionally empty */ }
 
+  // ─── Check 6: Phase directory naming (NN-name format) ─────────────────────
+  for (const e of phaseDirEntries) {
+    if (!e.name.match(/^\d{2}(?:\.\d+)*-[\w-]+$/)) {
+      addIssue('warning', 'W005', `Phase directory "${e.name}" doesn't follow NN-name format`, 'Rename to match pattern (e.g., 01-setup)');
+    }
+  }
+
   // ─── Check 7: Orphaned plans (PLAN without SUMMARY) ───────────────────────
-  try {
-    const entries = fs.readdirSync(phasesDir, { withFileTypes: true });
-    for (const e of entries) {
-      if (!e.isDirectory()) continue;
-      const phaseFiles = fs.readdirSync(path.join(phasesDir, e.name));
-      const plans = phaseFiles.filter(f => f.endsWith('-PLAN.md') || f === 'PLAN.md');
-      const summaries = phaseFiles.filter(f => f.endsWith('-SUMMARY.md') || f === 'SUMMARY.md');
-      const summaryBases = new Set(summaries.map(s => s.replace('-SUMMARY.md', '').replace('SUMMARY.md', '')));
+  for (const e of phaseDirEntries) {
+    const phaseFiles = phaseDirFiles.get(e.name) || [];
+    const plans = phaseFiles.filter(f => f.endsWith('-PLAN.md') || f === 'PLAN.md');
+    const summaries = phaseFiles.filter(f => f.endsWith('-SUMMARY.md') || f === 'SUMMARY.md');
+    const summaryBases = new Set(summaries.map(s => s.replace('-SUMMARY.md', '').replace('SUMMARY.md', '')));
 
-      for (const plan of plans) {
-        const planBase = plan.replace('-PLAN.md', '').replace('PLAN.md', '');
-        if (!summaryBases.has(planBase)) {
-          addIssue('info', 'I001', `${e.name}/${plan} has no SUMMARY.md`, 'May be in progress');
-        }
+    for (const plan of plans) {
+      const planBase = plan.replace('-PLAN.md', '').replace('PLAN.md', '');
+      if (!summaryBases.has(planBase)) {
+        addIssue('info', 'I001', `${e.name}/${plan} has no SUMMARY.md`, 'May be in progress');
       }
     }
-  } catch { /* intentionally empty */ }
+  }
 
   // ─── Check 7b: Nyquist VALIDATION.md consistency ────────────────────────
-  try {
-    const phaseEntries = fs.readdirSync(phasesDir, { withFileTypes: true });
-    for (const e of phaseEntries) {
-      if (!e.isDirectory()) continue;
-      const phaseFiles = fs.readdirSync(path.join(phasesDir, e.name));
-      const hasResearch = phaseFiles.some(f => f.endsWith('-RESEARCH.md'));
-      const hasValidation = phaseFiles.some(f => f.endsWith('-VALIDATION.md'));
-      if (hasResearch && !hasValidation) {
-        const researchFile = phaseFiles.find(f => f.endsWith('-RESEARCH.md'));
+  for (const e of phaseDirEntries) {
+    const phaseFiles = phaseDirFiles.get(e.name) || [];
+    const hasResearch = phaseFiles.some(f => f.endsWith('-RESEARCH.md'));
+    const hasValidation = phaseFiles.some(f => f.endsWith('-VALIDATION.md'));
+    if (hasResearch && !hasValidation) {
+      const researchFile = phaseFiles.find(f => f.endsWith('-RESEARCH.md'));
+      try {
         const researchContent = fs.readFileSync(path.join(phasesDir, e.name, researchFile), 'utf-8');
         if (researchContent.includes('## Validation Architecture')) {
           addIssue('warning', 'W009', `Phase ${e.name}: has Validation Architecture in RESEARCH.md but no VALIDATION.md`, 'Re-run /gsd-plan-phase with --research to regenerate');
         }
-      }
+      } catch { /* intentionally empty */ }
     }
-  } catch { /* intentionally empty */ }
+  }
 
   // ─── Check 7c: Agent installation (#1371) ──────────────────────────────────
   // Verify GSD agents are installed. Missing agents cause Task(subagent_type=...)
@@ -733,15 +736,10 @@ function cmdValidateHealth(cwd, options, raw) {
     }
 
     const diskPhases = new Set();
-    try {
-      const entries = fs.readdirSync(phasesDir, { withFileTypes: true });
-      for (const e of entries) {
-        if (e.isDirectory()) {
-          const dm = e.name.match(/^(\d+[A-Z]?(?:\.\d+)*)/i);
-          if (dm) diskPhases.add(dm[1]);
-        }
-      }
-    } catch { /* intentionally empty */ }
+    for (const e of phaseDirEntries) {
+      const dm = e.name.match(/^(\d+[A-Z]?(?:\.\d+)*)/i);
+      if (dm) diskPhases.add(dm[1]);
+    }
 
     // Build a set of phases explicitly marked not-yet-started in the ROADMAP
     // summary list (- [ ] **Phase N:**). These phases are intentionally absent
diff --git a/tests/verify-health.test.cjs b/tests/verify-health.test.cjs
index 50aa0dc75..ddeea35f0 100644
--- a/tests/verify-health.test.cjs
+++ b/tests/verify-health.test.cjs
@@ -767,3 +767,47 @@ describe('validate health --repair command', () => {
     assert.strictEqual(output.repairable_count, 0, `Expected no repairable issues for W002: ${JSON.stringify(output)}`);
   });
 });
+
+// ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+// Graceful degradation when phasesDir is missing (#1973)
+// ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+describe('validate health — missing phasesDir', () => {
+  let tmpDir;
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    tmpDir = createTempProject();
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    cleanup(tmpDir);
+  });
+
+  test('completes without throwing and emits zero phase-directory warnings when phasesDir does not exist', () => {
+    // Setup: valid PROJECT, ROADMAP, STATE, config but NO phases directory
+    writeMinimalProjectMd(tmpDir);
+    writeMinimalRoadmap(tmpDir, ['1', '2']);
+    writeMinimalStateMd(tmpDir);
+    writeValidConfigJson(tmpDir);
+
+    // Remove the phases directory if it exists
+    const phasesDir = path.join(tmpDir, '.planning', 'phases');
+    if (fs.existsSync(phasesDir)) {
+      fs.rmSync(phasesDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+
+    // Should complete without throwing
+    const result = runGsdTools('validate health', tmpDir);
+    assert.ok(result.success, `Command should succeed when phasesDir is missing: ${result.error}`);
+
+    const output = JSON.parse(result.output);
+
+    // Assert no phase-directory warnings fired
+    const phaseDirCodes = ['W005', 'W006', 'W007', 'W009', 'I001'];
+    const issues = output.issues || [];
+    for (const code of phaseDirCodes) {
+      const matches = issues.filter(i => i.code === code);
+      assert.strictEqual(matches.length, 0, `Expected no ${code} issues when phasesDir is missing, got: ${JSON.stringify(matches)}`);
+    }
+  });
+});