diff --git a/src/main/wsl-background-distro-gate.test.ts b/src/main/wsl-background-distro-gate.test.ts
index 75b226a9034..c806e209b9e 100644
--- a/src/main/wsl-background-distro-gate.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/wsl-background-distro-gate.test.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import {
   isWslDistroRunningForBackgroundWork,
   noteWslDistroMayHaveStopped,
   noteWslDistrosRunning,
+  readSettledConfirmedRunningWslDistros,
   WSL_STOP_SETTLE_MS
 } from './wsl-background-distro-gate'
 import {
@@ -82,6 +83,28 @@ describe('the stop settle window', () => {
   })
 })
 
+describe('readSettledConfirmedRunningWslDistros', () => {
+  it('never answers from a probe that started inside the window, even one still in flight', async () => {
+    let finishStale: (distros: string[]) => void = () => {}
+    const probe = vi
+      .fn<() => Promise<string[]>>()
+      .mockImplementationOnce(() => new Promise((resolve) => (finishStale = resolve)))
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce([])
+    wslMocks.listRunningWslDistrosAsync.mockImplementation((options) =>
+      resolveRunningWslDistros(probe, options)
+    )
+    const stale = isWslDistroRunning('Ubuntu')
+    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(probe).toHaveBeenCalledOnce())
+
+    const settled = readSettledConfirmedRunningWslDistros('Ubuntu', performance.now())
+    finishStale(['Ubuntu'])
+
+    await expect(stale).resolves.toBe(true)
+    await expect(settled).resolves.toEqual({ status: 'confirmed', distros: [] })
+    expect(probe).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+  })
+})
+
 describe('resolveRunningWslDistros startedAfter', () => {
   it('answers from a confirmed read that started after the anchor, and reads again for a later one', async () => {
     const probe = vi.fn(async () => ['Ubuntu'])
diff --git a/src/main/wsl-background-distro-gate.ts b/src/main/wsl-background-distro-gate.ts
index 457f9b6cf3e..fbea1a44d82 100644
--- a/src/main/wsl-background-distro-gate.ts
+++ b/src/main/wsl-background-distro-gate.ts
@@ -91,6 +91,16 @@ async function settledStartedAfter(
   return anchor
 }
 
+/** A confirmed list from a probe started after `startedAfter` and after `distro`'s stop settled. */
+export async function readSettledConfirmedRunningWslDistros(
+  distro: string,
+  startedAfter?: number
+): Promise<WslRunningDistrosRead> {
+  return readConfirmedRunningWslDistros({
+    startedAfter: await settledStartedAfter(distro, startedAfter)
+  })
+}
+
 export type WslDistroRunningState = 'running' | 'stopped' | 'unverifiable'
 
 /** A failed read is 'unverifiable', never a stop; `retryUnverifiable` re-reads once past the failure backoff. */
diff --git a/src/main/wsl/wsl-orcad-liveness-state.ts b/src/main/wsl/wsl-orcad-liveness-state.ts
index b295600f3dc..d06ccd2e79e 100644
--- a/src/main/wsl/wsl-orcad-liveness-state.ts
+++ b/src/main/wsl/wsl-orcad-liveness-state.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,11 @@ export type WslOrcadLivenessDependencies = {
     WslOrcadConnectionManager,
     'ensure' | 'get' | 'publish' | 'close' | 'retireListener'
   >
-  readRunning: () => Promise<WslRunningDistrosRead>
+  /** `afterExit`: answer only from a probe started once that exit's settle window has passed. */
+  readRunning: (afterExit?: {
+    distro: string
+    exitedAt: number | null
+  }) => Promise<WslRunningDistrosRead>
   readIdentity: (distro: string, orcadPid: number | null) => Promise<WslGuestIdentity | null>
   openWatch: (connection: WslOrcadConnection) => Promise<WslOrcadWatch>
   collectCensus: (connection: WslOrcadConnection) => Promise<OrcadTerminalCensus>
diff --git a/src/main/wsl/wsl-orcad-liveness-supervisor.test.ts b/src/main/wsl/wsl-orcad-liveness-supervisor.test.ts
index 2720f26a4be..5f6667fcfa9 100644
--- a/src/main/wsl/wsl-orcad-liveness-supervisor.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/wsl/wsl-orcad-liveness-supervisor.test.ts
@@ -169,6 +169,7 @@ function harness(options: { visible?: boolean } = {}) {
     jumpClock: (ms: number) => {
       clock += ms
     },
+    clock: () => clock,
     lastWatch: () => watches.at(-1)!
   }
 }
@@ -403,6 +404,17 @@ describe('WslOrcadLivenessSupervisor', () => {
     expect(h.statuses.at(-1)).toEqual({ state: 'ready', census: null })
   })
 
+  it('re-reads after the settle only from a probe started once the exit has settled', async () => {
+    const h = harness()
+    await h.supervisor.connect('Ubuntu')
+    h.jumpClock(1_000)
+    const exitedAt = h.clock()
+    h.lastWatch().exit(1)
+    await h.advance(EXIT_SETTLE_MS)
+    // A list probe begun inside the window may still show the stopping distro; it must not answer.
+    expect(h.readRunning).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(2, { distro: 'Ubuntu', exitedAt })
+  })
+
   it('waits for a still-listed distro to settle after a failed exit before probing inside it', async () => {
     const h = harness()
     await h.supervisor.connect('Ubuntu')
diff --git a/src/main/wsl/wsl-orcad-liveness-supervisor.ts b/src/main/wsl/wsl-orcad-liveness-supervisor.ts
index cf769a4560f..f99e0ffa675 100644
--- a/src/main/wsl/wsl-orcad-liveness-supervisor.ts
+++ b/src/main/wsl/wsl-orcad-liveness-supervisor.ts
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ export class WslOrcadLivenessSupervisor {
     if (isWatchOrHolderExit(trigger) && confirmsRunning(running, entry.key)) {
       // Stopping distros can still appear running; wait before exec accidentally boots them again.
       await new Promise<void>((resolve) => this.schedule(EXIT_SETTLE_MS, resolve))
-      running = await this.deps.readRunning()
+      running = await this.deps.readRunning({ distro: entry.distro, exitedAt: entry.lastExitMs })
       if (entry.generation !== generation) {
         return
       }
diff --git a/src/main/wsl/wsl-orcad-liveness-wiring.ts b/src/main/wsl/wsl-orcad-liveness-wiring.ts
index efe2580c669..4a60617dd20 100644
--- a/src/main/wsl/wsl-orcad-liveness-wiring.ts
+++ b/src/main/wsl/wsl-orcad-liveness-wiring.ts
@@ -9,14 +9,15 @@ import { requestOrcadTerminalCensus } from '../ssh/orcad-terminal-census-client'
 import { subscribeSystemPowerLifecycle } from '../system-power-lifecycle'
 import {
   deferUntilWslDistroRunning,
-  readConfirmedRunningWslDistros
+  readConfirmedRunningWslDistros,
+  readSettledConfirmedRunningWslDistros
 } from '../wsl-background-distro-gate'
 import type { WslDistroHolder } from './wsl-distro-holder'
 import { wslDistroHolderKey } from './wsl-distro-holder-record'
 import { readWslGuestIdentity } from './wsl-guest-process-identity'
 import type { WslOrcadConnection, WslOrcadConnectionManager } from './wsl-orcad-connection'
 import { defaultWslOrcadEnvironmentId } from './wsl-orcad-deploy'
-import { confirmsRunning } from './wsl-orcad-liveness-evidence'
+import { confirmsRunning, EXIT_SETTLE_MS } from './wsl-orcad-liveness-evidence'
 import { WslOrcadLivenessSupervisor } from './wsl-orcad-liveness-supervisor'
 import { createWslOrcadHostTransport } from './wsl-orcad-host-transport'
 import { openWslOrcadWatch } from './wsl-orcad-watch'
@@ -42,7 +43,13 @@ export function createWslOrcadLivenessSupervisor(options: {
 }): WslOrcadLivenessSupervisor {
   return new WslOrcadLivenessSupervisor({
     manager: options.manager,
-    readRunning: readConfirmedRunningWslDistros,
+    readRunning: (afterExit) =>
+      afterExit
+        ? readSettledConfirmedRunningWslDistros(
+            afterExit.distro,
+            afterExit.exitedAt === null ? undefined : afterExit.exitedAt + EXIT_SETTLE_MS
+          )
+        : readConfirmedRunningWslDistros(),
     readIdentity: (distro, orcadPid) => readWslGuestIdentity(transportFor(distro), orcadPid),
     openWatch: (connection) =>
       openWslOrcadWatch(