diff --git a/selfdrive/monitoring/dmonitoringd.py b/selfdrive/monitoring/dmonitoringd.py
index 12addef..020a201 100755
--- a/selfdrive/monitoring/dmonitoringd.py
+++ b/selfdrive/monitoring/dmonitoringd.py
@@ -44,7 +44,18 @@ def dmonitoringd_thread():
     # Get data from dmonitoringmodeld
     events = Events()
 
-    if sm.all_checks() and len(sm['liveCalibration'].rpyCalib):
+    # CLEARPILOT: narrow update_states gate. The original sm.all_checks() also
+    # required modelV2 fresh (stops at standstill in two-state modeld) and
+    # liveCalibration.valid (calibrationd cascades its own freq_ok to valid, which
+    # flaps). Both made DM freeze pose → face_detected stuck False → awareness
+    # decayed to 0 within 6s of engagement. Narrow the gate to the subs
+    # update_states actually reads, and only to alive+valid (skip freq_ok and
+    # skip liveCalibration.valid). rpyCalib presence is sufficient to know
+    # calibration has produced output.
+    if (sm.alive['driverStateV2'] and sm.valid['driverStateV2'] and
+        sm.alive['carState'] and sm.valid['carState'] and
+        sm.alive['controlsState'] and sm.valid['controlsState'] and
+        sm.alive['liveCalibration'] and len(sm['liveCalibration'].rpyCalib) > 0):
       driver_status.update_states(sm['driverStateV2'], sm['liveCalibration'].rpyCalib, sm['carState'].vEgo, sm['controlsState'].enabled)
 
     # Block engaging after max number of distrations