diff --git a/src/daemon/wallet/coco-client.test.ts b/src/daemon/wallet/coco-client.test.ts
index 38f9143..49d2667 100644
--- a/src/daemon/wallet/coco-client.test.ts
+++ b/src/daemon/wallet/coco-client.test.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,12 @@
-import { describe, expect, it, mock } from "bun:test";
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, mock } from "bun:test";
+import { gunzipSync } from "bun";
+import { mkdtempSync, mkdirSync, readFileSync, rmSync, writeFileSync } from "fs";
+import { tmpdir } from "os";
+import { join } from "path";
 import {
   assertLegacyCocodNotRunning,
   claimLegacyCocodPidFile,
+  createCocoClient,
 } from "./coco-client";
 
 type GuardOptions = NonNullable<
@@ -11,11 +16,67 @@ type LegacyFetch = NonNullable<GuardOptions["fetchImpl"]>;
 
 const SOCKET_PATH = "/tmp/routstrd-test/cocod.sock";
 const PID_FILE_PATH = "/tmp/routstrd-test/cocod.pid";
+const tempDirs: string[] = [];
+
+function makeTempDir(): string {
+  const dir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "routstrd-coco-migration-test-"));
+  tempDirs.push(dir);
+  return dir;
+}
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  for (const dir of tempDirs.splice(0)) {
+    rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  }
+});
 
 function socketOnly(path: string): boolean {
   return path === SOCKET_PATH;
 }
 
+describe("legacy cocod wallet migration", () => {
+  it("opens an existing unencrypted config and preserves database balances", async () => {
+    const walletDir = join(makeTempDir(), ".cocod");
+    const mintUrl = "https://mint.example.com";
+    mkdirSync(walletDir, { recursive: true });
+    writeFileSync(
+      join(walletDir, "config.json"),
+      JSON.stringify({
+        version: 1,
+        mnemonic:
+          "abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon abandon about",
+        encrypted: false,
+      }),
+    );
+
+    // This fixture was generated with @routstr/cocod 0.0.24 using its
+    // coco-cashu-sqlite-bun 1.1.2-rc.50 adapter. Keeping it frozen prevents
+    // this test from accidentally creating its "legacy" database with the
+    // same current adapter that createCocoClient uses to read it.
+    const fixture = readFileSync(
+      join(import.meta.dir, "fixtures", "cocod-0.0.24-wallet.db.gz"),
+    );
+    writeFileSync(join(walletDir, "coco.db"), gunzipSync(fixture));
+
+    const client = await createCocoClient({ configDir: walletDir });
+    try {
+      expect(await client.getStatus()).toBe("UNLOCKED");
+      expect(await client.getBalances()).toEqual({ [mintUrl]: 10 });
+    } finally {
+      await client.dispose?.();
+    }
+
+    // Prove the migrated schema remains reopenable and the pre-existing
+    // proofs survive a complete in-process wallet restart.
+    const reopenedClient = await createCocoClient({ configDir: walletDir });
+    try {
+      expect(await reopenedClient.getBalances()).toEqual({ [mintUrl]: 10 });
+    } finally {
+      await reopenedClient.dispose?.();
+    }
+  });
+});
+
 describe("assertLegacyCocodNotRunning", () => {
   it("does not probe when the legacy socket and PID file do not exist", async () => {
     const fetchImpl = mock<LegacyFetch>(async () => new Response("pong"));
diff --git a/src/daemon/wallet/coco-client.ts b/src/daemon/wallet/coco-client.ts
index cac507f..d16f130 100644
--- a/src/daemon/wallet/coco-client.ts
+++ b/src/daemon/wallet/coco-client.ts
@@ -64,13 +64,13 @@ interface CocodConfig {
   encrypted: boolean;
 }
 
-function loadMnemonic(): string {
-  if (!existsSync(CONFIG_FILE)) {
+function loadMnemonic(configFile: string = CONFIG_FILE): string {
+  if (!existsSync(configFile)) {
     throw new Error(
-      `Config file not found at ${CONFIG_FILE}. Run 'routstrd onboard' first.`,
+      `Config file not found at ${configFile}. Run 'routstrd onboard' first.`,
     );
   }
-  const config = JSON.parse(readFileSync(CONFIG_FILE, "utf-8")) as CocodConfig;
+  const config = JSON.parse(readFileSync(configFile, "utf-8")) as CocodConfig;
   if (config.encrypted) {
     throw new Error(
       "Encrypted wallets are not supported yet. Please use an unencrypted wallet.",
@@ -79,11 +79,6 @@ function loadMnemonic(): string {
   return config.mnemonic;
 }
 
-async function seedGetter(): Promise<Uint8Array> {
-  const mnemonic = loadMnemonic();
-  return mnemonicToSeedSync(mnemonic);
-}
-
 function defaultIsProcessRunning(pid: number): boolean {
   try {
     process.kill(pid, 0);
@@ -282,21 +277,41 @@ export function claimLegacyCocodPidFile(
   };
 }
 
-export async function createCocoClient(): Promise<CocodClient> {
-  await assertLegacyCocodNotRunning();
-  const releaseLegacyPidClaim = claimLegacyCocodPidFile();
+export interface CreateCocoClientOptions {
+  /** Override the wallet directory, primarily for migration tests and tooling. */
+  configDir?: string;
+  socketPath?: string;
+  pidFilePath?: string;
+}
+
+export async function createCocoClient(
+  options: CreateCocoClientOptions = {},
+): Promise<CocodClient> {
+  const configDir = options.configDir || CONFIG_DIR;
+  const configFile = join(configDir, "config.json");
+  const dbPath = join(configDir, "coco.db");
+  const socketPath = options.socketPath ||
+    (options.configDir ? join(configDir, "cocod.sock") : LEGACY_COCOD_SOCKET);
+  const pidFilePath = options.pidFilePath ||
+    (options.configDir ? join(configDir, "cocod.pid") : LEGACY_COCOD_PID_FILE);
+
+  await assertLegacyCocodNotRunning({ socketPath, pidFilePath });
+  const releaseLegacyPidClaim = claimLegacyCocodPidFile({ pidFilePath });
 
   let database: Database | undefined;
   let coco: Awaited<ReturnType<typeof initializeCoco>> | undefined;
 
   try {
-    database = new Database(DB_PATH);
+    // Read and validate the existing cocod config during startup rather than
+    // deferring failure until coco-core first needs wallet key material.
+    const seed = mnemonicToSeedSync(loadMnemonic(configFile));
+    database = new Database(dbPath);
     const repo = new SqliteRepositories({ database });
     await repo.init();
 
     coco = await initializeCoco({
       repo,
-      seedGetter,
+      seedGetter: async () => seed,
     });
   } catch (error) {
     database?.close();
diff --git a/src/daemon/wallet/fixtures/cocod-0.0.24-wallet.db.gz b/src/daemon/wallet/fixtures/cocod-0.0.24-wallet.db.gz
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a7fc1aa
Binary files /dev/null and b/src/daemon/wallet/fixtures/cocod-0.0.24-wallet.db.gz differ