diff --git a/cluster/platform/openviking/application.yaml b/cluster/platform/openviking/application.yaml
index aa61a52..bba9165 100644
--- a/cluster/platform/openviking/application.yaml
+++ b/cluster/platform/openviking/application.yaml
@@ -13,7 +13,11 @@ metadata:
   name: openviking
   namespace: argocd
   annotations:
-    argocd.argoproj.io/sync-wave: "8"
+    # Wave 8 (platform-level, apps-of-apps view): OpenViking Application syncs after Harbor (Wave 7)
+    # NOTE: This annotation controls the Application's position in the apps-of-apps rollout,
+    # NOT the ordering of resources within the Application. Internal resource ordering is
+    # controlled by sync-wave annotations on individual resources (ExternalSecret, etc.).
+    # argocd.argoproj.io/sync-wave: "8"  # Platform-level docs - NOT needed as annotation
     description: |
       OpenViking Platform Knowledge Infrastructure pilot deployment
       Pilot scope: Two corpora (hermes/ skills library, personal/homelab/)
diff --git a/cluster/platform/openviking/externalsecret.yaml b/cluster/platform/openviking/externalsecret.yaml
index 91be7e8..5afd2ea 100644
--- a/cluster/platform/openviking/externalsecret.yaml
+++ b/cluster/platform/openviking/externalsecret.yaml
@@ -13,7 +13,9 @@ metadata:
   name: openviking-credentials
   namespace: openviking
   annotations:
-    argocd.argoproj.io/sync-wave: "8"
+    # Wave -1: Ensure ExternalSecret syncs BEFORE the Deployment (wave 0)
+    # This guarantees the secret exists before the pod tries to mount it
+    argocd.argoproj.io/sync-wave: "-1"
     description: "Phase 1 secrets for OpenViking deployment"
 spec:
   refreshInterval: "1h"
diff --git a/cluster/platform/openviking/namespace.yaml b/cluster/platform/openviking/namespace.yaml
index 88f443e..090fe8d 100644
--- a/cluster/platform/openviking/namespace.yaml
+++ b/cluster/platform/openviking/namespace.yaml
@@ -3,6 +3,6 @@ kind: Namespace
 metadata:
   name: openviking
   annotations:
-    # Wave 8: OpenViking deployment (after Harbor at Wave 7)
+    # Wave 8 (platform-level): OpenViking deployment (after Harbor at Wave 7)
+    # This is documentation only - sync-wave at Application level, not resource level
     # Depends on: cert-manager, nginx-ingress, External Secrets Operator
-    argocd.argoproj.io/sync-wave: "8"