A fuel injector includes an injector housing, a check control valve assembly within the injector housing, a direct-operated check, a valve biaser supported on the injector housing, and a dry-running protection valve trapped between the valve biaser and the injector housing. The dry-running protection valve limits expelling drained actuation fluid from the fuel injector to enable filling a low-pressure volume therein in advance of filling a low pressure drain line common to a plurality of fuel injectors in an internal combustion engine system.