diff --git a/src/main/runtime/runtime-rpc-long-poll-transport.test.ts b/src/main/runtime/runtime-rpc-long-poll-transport.test.ts
index c17e045b466..c23b4e6b28b 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/runtime-rpc-long-poll-transport.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/runtime-rpc-long-poll-transport.test.ts
@@ -44,6 +44,25 @@ describe('OrcaRuntimeRpcServer', () => {
     ).toBe('wait')
   })
 
+  it.each(['agent.launch', 'agent.launchReplay'])(
+    'keeps a prompted %s alive while it waits for the agent to be ready',
+    (method) => {
+      const prompt = { text: 'fix the build', delivery: 'submit' }
+      expect(
+        classifyRuntimeLongPoll({
+          id: 'req_launch',
+          authToken: 'token',
+          method,
+          params: { prompt }
+        })
+      ).toBe('wait')
+      // Without a prompt nothing waits on the agent, so the launch stays a short call.
+      expect(
+        classifyRuntimeLongPoll({ id: 'req_launch', authToken: 'token', method, params: {} })
+      ).toBeNull()
+    }
+  )
+
   it('keeps agent-prompt submission sockets alive during verification', () => {
     expect(
       classifyRuntimeLongPoll({
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/runtime-rpc/runtime-rpc-long-poll.ts b/src/main/runtime/runtime-rpc/runtime-rpc-long-poll.ts
index 02d8422547e..c1ddeb78a6e 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/runtime-rpc/runtime-rpc-long-poll.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/runtime-rpc/runtime-rpc-long-poll.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,17 @@ export function classifyRuntimeLongPoll(request: RpcRequest): RuntimeLongPollCla
   if (request.method === 'orchestration.workerStart') {
     return 'wait'
   }
+  // A launch with a prompt waits for the agent's readiness before writing it, up to 60 s, and a
+  // reply lost to the 30 s idle timer reads as a dead runtime instead of an undelivered prompt.
+  if (
+    (request.method === 'agent.launch' || request.method === 'agent.launchReplay') &&
+    typeof request.params === 'object' &&
+    request.params !== null &&
+    'prompt' in request.params &&
+    request.params.prompt !== undefined
+  ) {
+    return 'wait'
+  }
   if (request.method === 'browser.clientHost.attach') {
     return 'browser-host'
   }