diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 6b7bc66..a1136cb 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,20 @@
 
 ## Unreleased
 
+- State that background pickup needs `runtime.run(signal)`
+  ([#22](https://github.com/cardmagic/solid-objects-js/issues/22)). The
+  README's programming-model example works without it because the caller's
+  own path executes the call, and nothing on that page said that a process
+  which installs and then waits claims nothing. An external prober built a
+  two-process harness from the README and read the unclaimed messages as
+  stranded. The README and `docs/operations.md` now state it, and
+  `test/background-pickup.test.ts` pins it: a sent message reads `ready`
+  after `install()`, and `completed` once `run(signal)` starts the roles.
+- Build the same example with `configure()` and address the actor as
+  `Cart.ref("cart-123")`, matching every other reference example in the
+  documentation. `createRuntime()` deliberately leaves the process default
+  unset, so the static form needs `configure()`.
+
 - Add `examples/at-least-once` and `pnpm run test:at-least-once`
   ([#23](https://github.com/cardmagic/solid-objects-js/issues/23)): an
   executable proof that the at-least-once clause fires and that the
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 99a58ac..d557c5d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ contract. See [Solid Objects in the browser](#solid-objects-in-the-browser).
 ## The programming model
 
 ```typescript
-import { Actor, createRuntime } from "solid-objects"
+import { Actor, configure } from "solid-objects"
 import { sqlite } from "solid-objects/database/sqlite"
 
 class Cart extends Actor {
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ class Cart extends Actor {
   }
 }
 
-const runtime = createRuntime({
+const runtime = configure({
   database: sqlite({ path: "cart.sqlite3" }),
   authorizeMessage: () => true,
   authorizeQuery: () => true,
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ const runtime = createRuntime({
 await runtime.install()
 
 try {
-  const cart = runtime.ref(Cart, "cart-123")
+  const cart = Cart.ref("cart-123")
   await Promise.all([cart.add({ sku: "blue-shirt" }), cart.add({ sku: "green-hat" })])
 } finally {
   await runtime.close()
@@ -73,6 +73,18 @@ Both calls enter the durable mailbox for `cart-123`. They execute in order and
 commit one state transition at a time, even when different requests or Node.js
 processes submit them concurrently.
 
+`install()` prepares the database and starts nothing. The example above finishes
+because the caller's own path executes each call. A process serves background
+work only after `runtime.run(signal)` starts its roles, so a process that
+installs and then waits never claims a ready message. Nothing is lost while no
+process runs. The message stays ready until one does.
+
+```typescript
+const controller = new AbortController()
+process.on("SIGTERM", () => controller.abort())
+await runtime.run(controller.signal)
+```
+
 ## Run it now with SQLite
 
 Node.js 24.4.0 or newer is required. Node.js 24.15 or newer is preferred,
diff --git a/docs/operations.md b/docs/operations.md
index 89b4199..e17def4 100644
--- a/docs/operations.md
+++ b/docs/operations.md
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
 # Operations
 
+`install()` prepares the database and starts nothing. A process serves
+background work only after `runtime.run(signal)` starts its roles. A process
+that registers actors, installs, and then waits never claims a ready message,
+and work enqueued with `send` stays ready until some process runs the roles.
+A direct call or an explicit `sync` needs no running role, because the caller's
+own path executes it.
+
 Runtime roles use durable polling as the correctness fallback. Consecutive
 empty passes double each role's wait from `pollingIntervalMilliseconds` to
 `idlePollingIntervalMilliseconds`, which defaults to one second. Processed
diff --git a/test/background-pickup.test.ts b/test/background-pickup.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9efec19
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/background-pickup.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it } from "vitest"
+import { Actor } from "../src/actor.js"
+import { sqlite } from "../src/database/sqlite.js"
+import type { MessageReference } from "../src/reference.js"
+import type { MessageStatus } from "../src/types.js"
+import { createRuntime, type SolidObjectsRuntime } from "../src/runtime.js"
+
+class Mailbox extends Actor {
+  static override readonly actorType = "BackgroundPickupMailbox"
+
+  delivered = 0
+
+  receive(): number {
+    this.delivered += 1
+    return this.delivered
+  }
+}
+
+let runtime: SolidObjectsRuntime | undefined
+
+afterEach(async () => {
+  await runtime?.close()
+  runtime = undefined
+})
+
+function startedRuntime(): SolidObjectsRuntime {
+  return createRuntime({
+    database: sqlite({ path: ":memory:" }),
+    pollingIntervalMilliseconds: 10,
+    workerCount: 1,
+    effectWorkerCount: 0,
+    reminderSchedulerCount: 0,
+    retentionIntervalMilliseconds: 0,
+    deadProcessCleanupIntervalMilliseconds: 0,
+    authorizeMessage: () => true,
+    authorizeQuery: () => true,
+  })
+}
+
+describe("background pickup", () => {
+  it("leaves a message ready until run() starts the roles", async () => {
+    runtime = startedRuntime()
+    runtime.register(Mailbox)
+    await runtime.install()
+
+    const message = await runtime.ref(Mailbox, "inbox").send.receive()
+    await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 200))
+
+    expect(await message.status()).toBe("ready")
+
+    const controller = new AbortController()
+    const running = runtime.run(controller.signal)
+    let observed: MessageStatus
+    try {
+      observed = await pollStatus({ message, timeoutMilliseconds: 2_000 })
+    } finally {
+      controller.abort()
+      await running
+    }
+
+    expect(observed).toBe("completed")
+  })
+})
+
+async function pollStatus(options: {
+  message: MessageReference<number>
+  timeoutMilliseconds: number
+}): Promise<MessageStatus> {
+  const deadline = performance.now() + options.timeoutMilliseconds
+  let status = await options.message.status()
+  while (status !== "completed" && performance.now() < deadline) {
+    await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 10))
+    status = await options.message.status()
+  }
+  return status
+}