Thank you sandalcandal for the early reply.
I'm not able to post a schematic right now, however, the entire end-to-end solution looks just like the ME2149 data sheet typical application circuit, except that Rl is in parallel with a 1.6F 16V capacitor with low (and unspecified) ESR.
The boost converter is exactly represented by the datasheet page 2 ("typical application circuit"). I do not know right now the parameters of the inductor L (I'll be working with a small module sourced online), however, it seems that there would be risk to the inductor (at least) when the converter is working into a short circuit (which it would see - at least approximately - at cold start.) From what I've been able to gather, this type of circuit is not intended to work into a direct short (i.e., supplying some finite current into a short circuit.) I am uncertain of this scenario (hence my posting.)
Assuming that the boost converter can't work into a short circuit (posing some in-range current to the supply on the left, and delivering current into an approximately zero-ohm load on the right), I was wondering if I could identify some circuit that would pose a low voltage drop (unspecified) when current flow is below some threshold (500 mA in my example) and increases when current flow tries to exceed the threshold (so that the total current flow does not exceed 500 mA), that seems like it would solve the problem. The element would dissipate the energy it absorbs during the start-up phase, which is OK.
Thanks again,
Dave