diff --git a/pyroengine/engine.py b/pyroengine/engine.py
index e7aa0eb3..d9fbca82 100644
--- a/pyroengine/engine.py
+++ b/pyroengine/engine.py
@@ -132,11 +132,14 @@ def __init__(
         # Local backup
         self._backup_size = backup_size
 
-        # Augment states with API-specific fields
+        # Augment states with API-specific fields. Anchor the daily pose timestamp at
+        # construction so a startup after noon does not trigger an immediate send;
+        # the next noon crossing is the first one that fires.
+        init_now = datetime.now()
         for state in self._states.values():
             state["last_image_sent"] = None
             state["last_bbox_mask_fetch"] = None
-            state["last_pose_image_sent"] = None
+            state["last_pose_image_sent"] = init_now
 
         # Occlusion masks: cam_id -> dict of bboxes (keyed by mask id)
         self.occlusion_masks: Dict[str, Dict[Any, Any]] = {}
@@ -151,7 +154,7 @@ def _new_state(self) -> Dict[str, Any]:
         state = super()._new_state()
         state["last_image_sent"] = None
         state["last_bbox_mask_fetch"] = None
-        state["last_pose_image_sent"] = None
+        state["last_pose_image_sent"] = datetime.now()
         return state
 
     def heartbeat(self, cam_id: str) -> Response:
@@ -216,7 +219,7 @@ def predict(
                 now = datetime.now()
                 today_noon = now.replace(hour=12, minute=0, second=0, microsecond=0)
                 last_pose_sent = self._states[cam_key]["last_pose_image_sent"]
-                if now >= today_noon and (last_pose_sent is None or last_pose_sent < today_noon):
+                if now >= today_noon and last_pose_sent < today_noon:
                     _, pose_id = self.cam_creds[cam_id]
                     ip = cam_id.split("_")[0]
                     if ip in self.api_client:
diff --git a/tests/test_engine.py b/tests/test_engine.py
index 6d2ed194..d359a711 100644
--- a/tests/test_engine.py
+++ b/tests/test_engine.py
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 import os
 import tempfile
 import time
-from datetime import datetime, timezone
+from datetime import datetime, timedelta, timezone
 from pathlib import Path
-from unittest.mock import patch
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock, patch
 
 import onnx
 import pytest
@@ -266,6 +266,82 @@ def test_fill_empty_bboxes_all_empty_for_cam(tmp_path):
     assert all(not alert["bboxes"] for alert in engine._alerts)
 
 
+def _build_engine_with_pose_stub(tmp_path, init_clock):
+    """Build an Engine with the api_client stubbed and datetime.now() pinned to init_clock."""
+    cam_id = "169.254.7.3_3"
+    cam_creds = {cam_id: ("dummy_token", 7)}
+
+    class _FrozenDateTime(datetime):
+        @classmethod
+        def now(cls, tz=None) -> datetime:
+            return init_clock if tz is None else init_clock.replace(tzinfo=tz)
+
+    fake_client = MagicMock()
+    fake_client.update_pose_image.return_value = MagicMock(text="ok")
+    fake_client.update_last_image.return_value = MagicMock(text="ok")
+    fake_client.list_pose_masks.return_value = MagicMock(
+        raise_for_status=MagicMock(),
+        json=MagicMock(return_value=[]),
+    )
+    fake_client.heartbeat.return_value = MagicMock()
+
+    with (
+        patch("pyroengine.engine.datetime", _FrozenDateTime),
+        patch("pyroengine.engine.client.Client", return_value=fake_client),
+    ):
+        engine = Engine(api_url="http://stub", cache_folder=str(tmp_path), cam_creds=cam_creds)
+
+    return engine, fake_client, cam_id
+
+
+def _run_predict_at(engine, cam_id, image, run_clock):
+    class _RunDateTime(datetime):
+        @classmethod
+        def now(cls, tz=None) -> datetime:
+            return run_clock if tz is None else run_clock.replace(tzinfo=tz)
+
+    with patch("pyroengine.engine.datetime", _RunDateTime):
+        engine.predict(image, cam_id)
+
+
+def test_pose_image_skipped_when_engine_starts_after_noon(tmp_path, mock_forest_image):
+    init_clock = datetime(2026, 5, 1, 14, 0, 0)
+    engine, fake_client, cam_id = _build_engine_with_pose_stub(tmp_path, init_clock)
+
+    _run_predict_at(engine, cam_id, mock_forest_image, init_clock + timedelta(seconds=1))
+
+    fake_client.update_pose_image.assert_not_called()
+
+
+def test_pose_image_sent_at_noon_crossing(tmp_path, mock_forest_image):
+    init_clock = datetime(2026, 5, 1, 11, 30, 0)
+    engine, fake_client, cam_id = _build_engine_with_pose_stub(tmp_path, init_clock)
+
+    # Before noon: no send.
+    _run_predict_at(engine, cam_id, mock_forest_image, datetime(2026, 5, 1, 11, 59, 0))
+    fake_client.update_pose_image.assert_not_called()
+
+    # After noon: one send.
+    _run_predict_at(engine, cam_id, mock_forest_image, datetime(2026, 5, 1, 12, 0, 5))
+    assert fake_client.update_pose_image.call_count == 1
+
+    # Same day, no resend.
+    _run_predict_at(engine, cam_id, mock_forest_image, datetime(2026, 5, 1, 13, 0, 0))
+    assert fake_client.update_pose_image.call_count == 1
+
+
+def test_pose_image_sent_again_next_day(tmp_path, mock_forest_image):
+    init_clock = datetime(2026, 5, 1, 9, 0, 0)
+    engine, fake_client, cam_id = _build_engine_with_pose_stub(tmp_path, init_clock)
+
+    _run_predict_at(engine, cam_id, mock_forest_image, datetime(2026, 5, 1, 12, 0, 5))
+    assert fake_client.update_pose_image.call_count == 1
+
+    # Next day at noon: another send.
+    _run_predict_at(engine, cam_id, mock_forest_image, datetime(2026, 5, 2, 12, 0, 5))
+    assert fake_client.update_pose_image.call_count == 2
+
+
 def test_engine_occlusion(tmpdir_factory, mock_wildfire_stream, mock_wildfire_image):
     # Cache
     folder = str(tmpdir_factory.mktemp("engine_cache"))