diff --git a/src/main/daemon/daemon-health-identity.ts b/src/main/daemon/daemon-health-identity.ts
index 44a1c02978e..d9add78663f 100644
--- a/src/main/daemon/daemon-health-identity.ts
+++ b/src/main/daemon/daemon-health-identity.ts
@@ -1,13 +1,5 @@
-/** What a `ptySpawnHealth` reply proves about this daemon; every field is optional on the wire. */
-export function readDaemonHealthIdentity(): {
-  coverage: 'pty-spawn' | 'handshake'
-  runtimeKind: 'node'
-  runtimeVersion: string
-} {
-  return {
-    // Why handshake on Windows: preflightPtySpawnHealth skips the spawn probe there.
-    coverage: process.platform === 'win32' ? 'handshake' : 'pty-spawn',
-    runtimeKind: 'node',
-    runtimeVersion: process.version
-  }
+/** What a `ptySpawnHealth` reply proves on this platform. */
+export function ptySpawnHealthPlatformCoverage(): 'pty-spawn' | 'handshake' {
+  // Why handshake on Windows: preflightPtySpawnHealth skips the spawn probe there.
+  return process.platform === 'win32' ? 'handshake' : 'pty-spawn'
 }
diff --git a/src/main/daemon/daemon-health.test.ts b/src/main/daemon/daemon-health.test.ts
index 5b00b7c91e5..d0d2d2f0334 100644
--- a/src/main/daemon/daemon-health.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/daemon/daemon-health.test.ts
@@ -106,11 +106,9 @@ describe('daemon health', () => {
     try {
       await expect(checkDaemonHealth(socketPath, tokenPath)).resolves.toBe('healthy')
       await expect(healthCheckDaemon(socketPath, tokenPath)).resolves.toBe(true)
-      await expect(checkDaemonHealthWithCoverage(socketPath, tokenPath)).resolves.toMatchObject({
+      await expect(checkDaemonHealthWithCoverage(socketPath, tokenPath)).resolves.toEqual({
         verdict: 'healthy',
-        coverage: process.platform === 'win32' ? 'handshake' : 'pty-spawn',
-        runtimeKind: 'node',
-        runtimeVersion: process.version
+        coverage: process.platform === 'win32' ? 'handshake' : 'pty-spawn'
       })
       expect(ptySpawnHealthCheck).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(3)
     } finally {
diff --git a/src/main/daemon/daemon-health.ts b/src/main/daemon/daemon-health.ts
index cc035c26a08..04cf322b893 100644
--- a/src/main/daemon/daemon-health.ts
+++ b/src/main/daemon/daemon-health.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { existsSync, readFileSync } from 'node:fs'
 import { connect, type Socket } from 'node:net'
 import { encodeNdjson } from './ndjson'
+import { ptySpawnHealthPlatformCoverage } from './daemon-health-identity'
 import {
   PROTOCOL_VERSION,
   type HelloMessage,
@@ -24,24 +25,6 @@ export type DaemonHealth = 'healthy' | 'unreachable' | 'rejected' | 'pty-spawn-u
 export type DaemonHealthCheck = {
   verdict: DaemonHealth
   coverage: 'pty-spawn' | 'handshake'
-  /** Optional runtime proof from newer daemons; absent on mixed-version peers. */
-  runtimeKind?: 'node'
-  runtimeVersion?: string
-}
-
-function readRuntimeIdentity(
-  payload: unknown
-): Pick<DaemonHealthCheck, 'runtimeKind' | 'runtimeVersion'> {
-  if (typeof payload !== 'object' || payload === null) {
-    return {}
-  }
-  const runtimeKind = 'runtimeKind' in payload ? payload.runtimeKind : undefined
-  const runtimeVersion = 'runtimeVersion' in payload ? payload.runtimeVersion : undefined
-  // Why drop other kinds: only a Node daemon reports here; anything else is an unknown peer.
-  return {
-    ...(runtimeKind === 'node' ? { runtimeKind } : {}),
-    ...(typeof runtimeVersion === 'string' && runtimeVersion.length > 0 ? { runtimeVersion } : {})
-  }
 }
 
 function readPtySpawnHealthCoverage(
@@ -62,7 +45,7 @@ export function checkDaemonHealthWithCoverage(
   return new Promise((resolve) => {
     // Older Windows daemons answered this RPC without spawning; an absent optional coverage
     // field must preserve that weaker meaning during adoption.
-    const fallbackCoverage = process.platform === 'win32' ? 'handshake' : 'pty-spawn'
+    const fallbackCoverage = ptySpawnHealthPlatformCoverage()
     const resolveVerdict = (verdict: DaemonHealth): void =>
       resolve({ verdict, coverage: fallbackCoverage })
     if (process.env[E2E_FORCE_DAEMON_HEALTH_UNREACHABLE_ENV] === '1') {
@@ -148,11 +131,9 @@ export function checkDaemonHealthWithCoverage(
         }
 
         if (message.id === 'health-1') {
-          const identity = readRuntimeIdentity(message.payload)
           settle({
             verdict: message.ok === true ? 'healthy' : 'pty-spawn-unhealthy',
-            coverage: readPtySpawnHealthCoverage(message.payload, fallbackCoverage),
-            ...identity
+            coverage: readPtySpawnHealthCoverage(message.payload, fallbackCoverage)
           })
           return
         }
diff --git a/src/main/daemon/daemon-launched-child-identity.test.ts b/src/main/daemon/daemon-launched-child-identity.test.ts
index 9e6a623e5ce..c34a53c2e14 100644
--- a/src/main/daemon/daemon-launched-child-identity.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/daemon/daemon-launched-child-identity.test.ts
@@ -103,6 +103,22 @@ describe('launchDaemonChild identity', () => {
   })
 })
 
+describe('launchDaemonChild startup budget', () => {
+  it('waits for readiness past the default 10 s when the caller allows it', async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers()
+    const child = fakeDaemonChild(4242)
+    spawnDaemonChildProcessMock.mockReturnValue(child)
+    try {
+      const launch = launchDaemonChild({ ...LAUNCH_OPTIONS, startupTimeoutMs: 30_000 })
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(20_000)
+      child.emit('message', { type: 'ready', pid: 4242, startedAtMs: 1_000_000 })
+      await expect(launch).resolves.toMatchObject({ identity: { pid: 4242 } })
+    } finally {
+      vi.useRealTimers()
+    }
+  })
+})
+
 describe('launchDaemonChild durable-scope fallback', () => {
   it('retries once without cgroup isolation when the scoped attempt fails', async () => {
     isDurableDaemonScopeSupportedMock.mockReturnValue(true)
diff --git a/src/main/daemon/daemon-launched-child-spawn.ts b/src/main/daemon/daemon-launched-child-spawn.ts
index 887241e2daa..1d069b70aa5 100644
--- a/src/main/daemon/daemon-launched-child-spawn.ts
+++ b/src/main/daemon/daemon-launched-child-spawn.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ export type DaemonChildSpawnOptions = {
   pidPath: string
   launchNonce: string
   macosLoginSessionWatch: boolean
+  /** Defaults to 10 s; a cold first exec on Windows can need longer. */
+  startupTimeoutMs?: number
 }
 
 function buildDaemonScriptArgs(options: DaemonChildSpawnOptions): string[] {
diff --git a/src/main/daemon/daemon-launched-child.ts b/src/main/daemon/daemon-launched-child.ts
index f5082cdc230..9ec02b88c02 100644
--- a/src/main/daemon/daemon-launched-child.ts
+++ b/src/main/daemon/daemon-launched-child.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { unlinkOwnedDaemonPidFile } from './daemon-spawner'
 const DAEMON_CHILD_TERMINATION_GRACE_MS = 5_000
 const DAEMON_CHILD_FORCE_EXIT_WAIT_MS = 1_000
 const STARTUP_STDERR_MAX_BYTES = 8192
+const DEFAULT_DAEMON_STARTUP_TIMEOUT_MS = 10_000
 
 export class DaemonEndpointUnavailableError extends Error {
   constructor(
@@ -187,7 +188,7 @@ async function launchDaemonChildAttempt(
 
     timer = setTimeout(() => {
       void fail(new Error('Daemon startup timed out'))
-    }, 10000)
+    }, options.startupTimeoutMs ?? DEFAULT_DAEMON_STARTUP_TIMEOUT_MS)
 
     child.on('message', onReadyMessage)
     child.on('error', onStartupError)
diff --git a/src/main/daemon/daemon-out-of-process-launcher.ts b/src/main/daemon/daemon-out-of-process-launcher.ts
index 80a77fe5f88..1aa811c1d5d 100644
--- a/src/main/daemon/daemon-out-of-process-launcher.ts
+++ b/src/main/daemon/daemon-out-of-process-launcher.ts
@@ -52,9 +52,11 @@ function createPreservedDaemonHandle(
   return handle
 }
 
+export type DaemonLaunchPolicy = { macosLoginSessionWatch?: boolean; startupTimeoutMs?: number }
+
 export function createOutOfProcessLauncher(
   runtimeDir: string,
-  macosLoginSessionWatch = false
+  { macosLoginSessionWatch = false, startupTimeoutMs }: DaemonLaunchPolicy = {}
 ): DaemonLauncher {
   return async (socketPath, tokenPath, suppliedPidPath, suppliedLaunchNonce) => {
     const entryPath = getDaemonEntryPath()
@@ -132,7 +134,8 @@ export function createOutOfProcessLauncher(
           tokenPath,
           pidPath,
           launchNonce,
-          macosLoginSessionWatch
+          macosLoginSessionWatch,
+          startupTimeoutMs
         })
       } catch (error) {
         if (!(error instanceof DaemonEndpointUnavailableError) || error.reason !== 'occupied') {
diff --git a/src/main/daemon/daemon-process-inspection.test.ts b/src/main/daemon/daemon-process-inspection.test.ts
index 41ea4e660b9..3d0c8309fd7 100644
--- a/src/main/daemon/daemon-process-inspection.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/daemon/daemon-process-inspection.test.ts
@@ -33,41 +33,40 @@ describe('daemon process inspection', () => {
     expect(runCommand).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
   })
 
-  it('asks PowerShell to report a failed CIM query instead of an absent process', async () => {
-    const runCommand = vi.fn(
-      async (_file: string, _args: string[], _timeoutMs: number) =>
-        '{"status":"present","cmd":"daemon","start":1}'
-    )
+  it('reads the Windows process from the process table, not a PowerShell spawn', async () => {
+    const runCommand = vi.fn()
+    const readProcessTable = vi.fn(async () => [
+      { pid: 42, ppid: 1, name: 'node.exe', command: 'daemon', creationTimeMs: 7 }
+    ])
 
-    await queryWindowsProcess(42, { runCommand })
-
-    const script = runCommand.mock.calls[0]?.[1].at(-1) ?? ''
-    expect(script).toContain("$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'")
-    expect(script).toMatch(/catch \{[^}]*query_failed/)
+    await expect(queryWindowsProcess(42, { runCommand, readProcessTable })).resolves.toEqual({
+      status: 'present',
+      commandLine: 'daemon',
+      startedAtMs: 7
+    })
+    expect(runCommand).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
   })
 
-  it('keeps a failed CIM query indeterminate instead of proving the process gone', async () => {
-    const runCommand = vi.fn(async () => '{"status":"query_failed"}')
+  it('keeps an unreadable process table indeterminate instead of proving the process gone', async () => {
+    const readProcessTable = vi.fn(async () => {
+      throw new Error('windows process table is unreadable')
+    })
 
-    await expect(queryWindowsProcess(42, { runCommand })).resolves.toEqual({
+    await expect(queryWindowsProcess(42, { readProcessTable })).resolves.toEqual({
       status: 'unavailable'
     })
   })
 
-  it('never reads a probe result without a success marker as proof of absence', async () => {
-    const runCommand = vi.fn(async () => '{"exists":false}')
+  it('reports absence only from a table that was read and lacks the PID', async () => {
+    const readProcessTable = vi.fn(async () => [
+      { pid: 7, ppid: 1, name: 'other.exe', command: '' }
+    ])
 
-    await expect(queryWindowsProcess(42, { runCommand })).resolves.toEqual({
-      status: 'unavailable'
+    await expect(queryWindowsProcess(42, { readProcessTable })).resolves.toEqual({
+      status: 'missing'
     })
   })
 
-  it('reports absence only from a CIM query that ran and found nothing', async () => {
-    const runCommand = vi.fn(async () => '{"status":"missing"}')
-
-    await expect(queryWindowsProcess(42, { runCommand })).resolves.toEqual({ status: 'missing' })
-  })
-
   it('reads the macOS start time through an async spawn', async () => {
     const runCommand = vi.fn(async () => 'Sat Jan  1 00:00:00 2028\n')
 
@@ -158,14 +157,14 @@ describe('daemon process inspection', () => {
   })
 
   it.each([0, -1, 1.5, Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER + 1, Number.NaN])(
-    'rejects unsafe Windows pid %s before command interpolation',
+    'rejects unsafe Windows pid %s before reading the process table',
     async (pid) => {
-      const runCommand = vi.fn()
+      const readProcessTable = vi.fn(async () => [])
 
-      await expect(queryWindowsProcess(pid, { runCommand })).resolves.toEqual({
+      await expect(queryWindowsProcess(pid, { readProcessTable })).resolves.toEqual({
         status: 'unavailable'
       })
-      expect(runCommand).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+      expect(readProcessTable).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
     }
   )
 })
diff --git a/src/main/daemon/daemon-process-inspection.ts b/src/main/daemon/daemon-process-inspection.ts
index 4f40090bfee..9f52625e3a6 100644
--- a/src/main/daemon/daemon-process-inspection.ts
+++ b/src/main/daemon/daemon-process-inspection.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,11 @@ import type {
   ProcessSignalEvidence,
   WindowsProcessEvidence
 } from './daemon-incarnation-evidence-types'
+import {
+  readWindowsProcessCreationTime,
+  readWindowsProcessTableFresh,
+  type WindowsProcessRow
+} from '../windows/windows-process-table'
 
 const execFileAsync = promisify(execFile)
 
@@ -16,6 +21,7 @@ type InspectionCommandRunner = (file: string, args: string[], timeoutMs: number)
 export type DaemonProcessInspectionDependencies = {
   readTextFile?: (path: string) => Promise<string>
   runCommand?: InspectionCommandRunner
+  readProcessTable?: () => Promise<WindowsProcessRow[]>
 }
 
 export function inspectProcessSignal(pid: number): ProcessSignalEvidence {
@@ -33,6 +39,12 @@ export function inspectProcessSignal(pid: number): ProcessSignalEvidence {
   }
 }
 
+/** EPERM counts as alive: it proves some process holds the PID. */
+export function isProcessAlive(pid: number): boolean {
+  const signal = inspectProcessSignal(pid)
+  return signal === 'occupied' || signal === 'permission_denied'
+}
+
 export function inspectProcessLiveness(pid: number): ProcessLivenessVerdict {
   const signal = inspectProcessSignal(pid)
   switch (signal) {
@@ -94,9 +106,7 @@ export async function readProcessCommandLine(
   }
 }
 
-// Why: Get-CimInstance errors (Winmgmt down, corrupt WMI repository, access denied) are
-// non-terminating and exit 0 with an empty $p, which is indistinguishable from "no such
-// process" — so the script reports query failure explicitly instead of asserting absence.
+// Only a table that was read and lacks the PID proves absence; the reader rejects a truncated one.
 export async function queryWindowsProcess(
   pid: number,
   dependencies: DaemonProcessInspectionDependencies = {}
@@ -104,45 +114,21 @@ export async function queryWindowsProcess(
   if (!Number.isSafeInteger(pid) || pid <= 0) {
     return { status: 'unavailable' }
   }
-  const runCommand = dependencies.runCommand ?? runInspectionCommand
+  let rows: WindowsProcessRow[]
   try {
-    const stdout = await runCommand(
-      'powershell.exe',
-      [
-        '-NoProfile',
-        '-NonInteractive',
-        '-Command',
-        `$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'; ` +
-          `try { $p = Get-CimInstance Win32_Process -Filter "ProcessId = ${pid}" } ` +
-          `catch { @{ status = 'query_failed' } | ConvertTo-Json -Compress; exit 0 }; ` +
-          `if (!$p) { @{ status = 'missing' } | ConvertTo-Json -Compress; exit 0 }; ` +
-          `$start = $null; if ($p.CreationDate) { ` +
-          `$start = [long]([DateTimeOffset]$p.CreationDate).ToUnixTimeMilliseconds() }; ` +
-          `@{ status = 'present'; cmd = $p.CommandLine; start = $start } | ConvertTo-Json -Compress`
-      ],
-      3_000
-    )
-    const parsed = JSON.parse(stdout.trim()) as {
-      status?: unknown
-      cmd?: unknown
-      start?: unknown
-    }
-    // Only a query that ran and found nothing proves absence; anything else stays indeterminate.
-    if (parsed.status === 'missing') {
-      return { status: 'missing' }
-    }
-    if (parsed.status !== 'present') {
-      return { status: 'unavailable' }
-    }
-    return {
-      status: 'present',
-      commandLine: typeof parsed.cmd === 'string' && parsed.cmd ? parsed.cmd : null,
-      startedAtMs:
-        typeof parsed.start === 'number' && Number.isFinite(parsed.start) ? parsed.start : null
-    }
+    rows = await (dependencies.readProcessTable ?? readWindowsProcessTableFresh)()
   } catch {
     return { status: 'unavailable' }
   }
+  const row = rows.find((candidate) => candidate.pid === pid)
+  if (!row) {
+    return { status: 'missing' }
+  }
+  return {
+    status: 'present',
+    commandLine: row.command || null,
+    startedAtMs: row.creationTimeMs ?? readWindowsProcessCreationTime(pid)
+  }
 }
 
 // Why: the sync procfs helper in daemon-process-start-time spawns getconf per call; CLK_TCK is fixed for
@@ -219,8 +205,6 @@ async function runInspectionCommand(
   args: string[],
   timeoutMs: number
 ): Promise<string> {
-  // powershell.exe is console-subsystem: without this it flashes a conhost and
-  // steals foreground on every inspection (#10488).
   const { stdout } = await execFileAsync(file, args, {
     encoding: 'utf8',
     timeout: timeoutMs,
@@ -229,6 +213,6 @@ async function runInspectionCommand(
   return stdout
 }
 
-function hasErrorCode(error: unknown, code: string): boolean {
+export function hasErrorCode(error: unknown, code: string): boolean {
   return typeof error === 'object' && error !== null && 'code' in error && error.code === code
 }
diff --git a/src/main/daemon/daemon-provider-init.ts b/src/main/daemon/daemon-provider-init.ts
index c1d73d95a27..9d9a1b5c3e1 100644
--- a/src/main/daemon/daemon-provider-init.ts
+++ b/src/main/daemon/daemon-provider-init.ts
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@ import {
 } from './daemon-launch-paths'
 import {
   attributeNextDaemonReplacement,
-  createOutOfProcessLauncher
+  createOutOfProcessLauncher,
+  type DaemonLaunchPolicy
 } from './daemon-out-of-process-launcher'
 import type { DaemonProvider } from './daemon-provider-routing'
 import { installDaemonProvider } from './daemon-provider-state'
@@ -46,7 +47,7 @@ function logDaemonMilestone(event: string, details: Record<string, unknown> = {}
 
 export async function initDaemonPtyProvider(
   signal?: AbortSignal,
-  options: { macosLoginSessionWatch?: boolean } = {}
+  options: DaemonLaunchPolicy = {}
 ): Promise<void> {
   logDaemonMilestone('daemon-init-start')
   // Why: e2e coverage for the startup PTY gate (#5232) needs a daemon init that deterministically outlasts the first-window timeout.
@@ -58,7 +59,7 @@ export async function initDaemonPtyProvider(
 
   const newSpawner = new DaemonSpawner({
     runtimeDir,
-    launcher: createOutOfProcessLauncher(runtimeDir, options.macosLoginSessionWatch ?? false)
+    launcher: createOutOfProcessLauncher(runtimeDir, options)
   })
 
   // Why: assign the module-level spawner/adapter only after both succeed, so a failed ensureRunning() leaves no stale spawner.
diff --git a/src/main/daemon/daemon-pty-event-subscriptions.ts b/src/main/daemon/daemon-pty-event-subscriptions.ts
index f007a734b40..d874bde8b48 100644
--- a/src/main/daemon/daemon-pty-event-subscriptions.ts
+++ b/src/main/daemon/daemon-pty-event-subscriptions.ts
@@ -121,6 +121,12 @@ export abstract class DaemonPtyEventSubscriptions extends DaemonPtySessionInvent
   private async finishIdleRetirementRequest(): Promise<DaemonIdleRetirementResult> {
     try {
       await this.client.ensureConnected()
+    } catch {
+      // Nothing was asked of the daemon, so nothing can be retiring.
+      this.reopenAfterRefusedIdleRetirement()
+      return { state: 'unverifiable' }
+    }
+    try {
       const result = await this.client.request<ShutdownIfIdleResult>('shutdownIfIdle', undefined)
       if (result.retiring) {
         this.idleRetirementState = 'retiring'
@@ -148,7 +154,12 @@ export abstract class DaemonPtyEventSubscriptions extends DaemonPtySessionInvent
 
   /** Reopens admission an idle-retirement attempt fenced without retiring the daemon. */
   releaseIdleRetirementFence(): void {
-    if (this.idleRetirementState !== 'retiring' && !this.idleRetirementPromise) {
+    // An unverifiable attempt may have been accepted, so it stays fenced like a retiring one.
+    if (
+      this.idleRetirementState !== 'retiring' &&
+      this.idleRetirementState !== 'unverifiable' &&
+      !this.idleRetirementPromise
+    ) {
       this.reopenAfterRefusedIdleRetirement()
     }
   }
diff --git a/src/main/daemon/daemon-pty-session-spawn.ts b/src/main/daemon/daemon-pty-session-spawn.ts
index e7d04f5851e..681ce2c4dd9 100644
--- a/src/main/daemon/daemon-pty-session-spawn.ts
+++ b/src/main/daemon/daemon-pty-session-spawn.ts
@@ -26,11 +26,16 @@ import { assertDaemonRecoverySpawnAdmission } from './daemon-recovery-spawn-admi
 import { addWslEnvKeys } from '../wsl-env'
 
 export abstract class DaemonPtySessionSpawn extends DaemonPtySpawnResult {
-  async spawn(opts: PtySpawnOptions): Promise<PtySpawnResult> {
+  // Checked again in doSpawn: retirement can close admission while spawn awaits.
+  private assertSpawnAdmission(opts: PtySpawnOptions): void {
     assertDaemonRecoverySpawnAdmission(this.recoveryOnly, this.protocolVersion, opts)
     if (this.idleRetirementAdmissionClosed) {
       throw new Error('Terminal daemon is decommissioning')
     }
+  }
+
+  async spawn(opts: PtySpawnOptions): Promise<PtySpawnResult> {
+    this.assertSpawnAdmission(opts)
     const spawnOpts = this.withHistoryIsolation(opts)
     const sessionId = spawnOpts.sessionId ?? mintPtySessionId(spawnOpts.worktreeId)
     const operation: PendingDaemonSpawnOperation = {
@@ -110,10 +115,7 @@ export abstract class DaemonPtySessionSpawn extends DaemonPtySpawnResult {
     operation: PendingDaemonSpawnOperation,
     historyRecovery: HistoryRecoveryContext
   ): Promise<PtySpawnResult> {
-    assertDaemonRecoverySpawnAdmission(this.recoveryOnly, this.protocolVersion, opts)
-    if (this.idleRetirementAdmissionClosed) {
-      throw new Error('Terminal daemon is decommissioning')
-    }
+    this.assertSpawnAdmission(opts)
     if (
       opts.agentSessionEnsure &&
       this.protocolVersion < AGENT_SESSION_CLAIM_DAEMON_PROTOCOL_VERSION
diff --git a/src/main/daemon/daemon-request-router.ts b/src/main/daemon/daemon-request-router.ts
index 651eaf36ab6..1184517c6dc 100644
--- a/src/main/daemon/daemon-request-router.ts
+++ b/src/main/daemon/daemon-request-router.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import type { DaemonSessionBackgroundRouting } from './daemon-session-background
 import { recordDaemonStreamBacklogEvent } from './daemon-stream-backlog-probe'
 import type { DaemonStreamDataBatcher } from './daemon-stream-data-batcher'
 import type { DaemonTerminalAdmission } from './daemon-terminal-admission'
-import { readDaemonHealthIdentity } from './daemon-health-identity'
+import { ptySpawnHealthPlatformCoverage } from './daemon-health-identity'
 import type { TerminalHistorySeedTransferRegistry } from './terminal-history-seed-transfer-registry'
 import type { TerminalHost } from './terminal-host'
 import { SessionNotFoundError, type DaemonRequest } from './types'
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ export class DaemonRequestRouter {
         return { health: await readCurrentProcessMacSystemResolverHealth() }
       case 'ptySpawnHealth':
         await this.options.ptySpawnHealthCheck()
-        return { healthy: true, ...readDaemonHealthIdentity() }
+        return { healthy: true, coverage: ptySpawnHealthPlatformCoverage() }
       case 'shutdown':
         return this.shutdown(clientId, request.id, request.payload.killSessions)
     }
diff --git a/src/main/daemon/daemon-stream-data-batcher.test.ts b/src/main/daemon/daemon-stream-data-batcher.test.ts
index 7d6f825b3f7..f10715e8711 100644
--- a/src/main/daemon/daemon-stream-data-batcher.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/daemon/daemon-stream-data-batcher.test.ts
@@ -118,20 +118,6 @@ describe('DaemonStreamDataBatcher', () => {
     })
   })
 
-  it('preserves PTY incarnation identity through stream serialization', () => {
-    const { batcher, streamSocket } = createBatcher()
-
-    batcher.enqueue('client-1', 'session-1', 'output', {
-      flushImmediately: true,
-      incarnationId: 'incarnation-1'
-    })
-
-    expect(JSON.parse(String(streamSocket.write.mock.calls[0]?.[0]))).toMatchObject({
-      event: 'data',
-      payload: { data: 'output', incarnationId: 'incarnation-1' }
-    })
-  })
-
   it('keeps large pending output batched even when an interactive redraw follows', () => {
     vi.useFakeTimers()
     try {
diff --git a/src/main/daemon/daemon-stream-data-batcher.ts b/src/main/daemon/daemon-stream-data-batcher.ts
index 202d59c4009..a562a60ee9d 100644
--- a/src/main/daemon/daemon-stream-data-batcher.ts
+++ b/src/main/daemon/daemon-stream-data-batcher.ts
@@ -246,8 +246,7 @@ export class DaemonStreamDataBatcher {
         this.maxLineBytes,
         sliceSequenceChars,
         entry.seq,
-        entry.transformed,
-        entry.incarnationId
+        entry.transformed
       )
     }
     this.updateBackpressure(clientId, batch)
diff --git a/src/main/daemon/daemon-stream-data-entry.ts b/src/main/daemon/daemon-stream-data-entry.ts
index e4159aaa88a..017d21fde8c 100644
--- a/src/main/daemon/daemon-stream-data-entry.ts
+++ b/src/main/daemon/daemon-stream-data-entry.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ import type { PendingStreamDataBatch } from './daemon-stream-keep-tail-drop'
 import { writeStreamDataEvents } from './daemon-stream-data-split'
 import { encodeNdjson } from './ndjson'
 import { accountDaemonStreamEntry } from './daemon-stream-entry-accounting'
-import type { PtyIncarnationId } from '../../shared/pty-incarnation'
 
 export type DaemonStreamEnqueueOptions = {
   flushImmediately?: boolean
@@ -10,7 +9,6 @@ export type DaemonStreamEnqueueOptions = {
   rawLength?: number
   transformed?: boolean
   seq?: number
-  incarnationId?: PtyIncarnationId
 }
 
 export function appendDaemonStreamData(
@@ -25,8 +23,7 @@ export function appendDaemonStreamData(
     last?.sessionId === sessionId &&
     !last.control &&
     !last.transformed &&
-    options.transformed !== true &&
-    last.incarnationId === options.incarnationId
+    options.transformed !== true
   ) {
     last.data += data
     const rawLengthBefore = last.sequenceChars ?? last.data.length - data.length
@@ -42,8 +39,7 @@ export function appendDaemonStreamData(
           ? {}
           : { sequenceChars: options.rawLength }),
         ...(options.transformed ? { transformed: true } : {}),
-        ...(options.seq === undefined ? {} : { seq: options.seq }),
-        ...(options.incarnationId === undefined ? {} : { incarnationId: options.incarnationId })
+        ...(options.seq === undefined ? {} : { seq: options.seq })
       })
     )
   }
@@ -95,8 +91,7 @@ export function flushDaemonStreamSession(
         maxLineBytes,
         entry.sequenceChars ?? entry.data.length,
         entry.seq,
-        entry.transformed,
-        entry.incarnationId
+        entry.transformed
       )
     }
   }
diff --git a/src/main/daemon/daemon-stream-data-split.test.ts b/src/main/daemon/daemon-stream-data-split.test.ts
index 2fe9983252a..48cf8cbc80e 100644
--- a/src/main/daemon/daemon-stream-data-split.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/daemon/daemon-stream-data-split.test.ts
@@ -18,8 +18,7 @@ function write(
   rawLength = data.length,
   seq?: number,
   transformed = false,
-  sessionId = 'session-1',
-  incarnationId?: string
+  sessionId = 'session-1'
 ): string[] {
   const lines: string[] = []
   const socket: Pick<Socket, 'write'> = {
@@ -28,16 +27,7 @@ function write(
       return true
     })
   }
-  writeStreamDataEvents(
-    socket,
-    sessionId,
-    data,
-    maxLineBytes,
-    rawLength,
-    seq,
-    transformed,
-    incarnationId
-  )
+  writeStreamDataEvents(socket, sessionId, data, maxLineBytes, rawLength, seq, transformed)
   return lines
 }
 
@@ -94,15 +84,6 @@ describe('writeStreamDataEvents serialization budget', () => {
     expect(encodeNdjson).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
   })
 
-  it('retains incarnation metadata in the single-encode fast path', () => {
-    const line = encodeStreamDataEvent('session-1', 'é🐙', undefined, undefined, false, 'epoch-1')
-    vi.mocked(encodeNdjson).mockClear()
-    expect(
-      write('é🐙', Buffer.byteLength(line), 3, undefined, false, 'session-1', 'epoch-1')
-    ).toEqual([line])
-    expect(encodeNdjson).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
-  })
-
   it('does not add a duplicate full-data sizing probe to oversized writes', () => {
     const data = '🐙\x1b[0m'.repeat(100)
     const expected = previousWrites(data, 160)
@@ -121,24 +102,6 @@ describe('writeStreamDataEvents serialization budget', () => {
 })
 
 describe('writeStreamDataEvents wire parity', () => {
-  it.each([undefined, 9000])('budgets incarnation metadata on oversized writes (seq=%s)', (seq) => {
-    const data = '🐙é中\x1b[0m"\\\n'.repeat(100)
-    const incarnationId = 'epoch-'.repeat(16)
-    const lines = write(data, 384, data.length, seq, false, 'session-1', incarnationId)
-    expect(lines.length).toBeGreaterThan(1)
-    let consumed = 0
-    const chunks = lines.map((line) => {
-      expect(Buffer.byteLength(line, 'utf8')).toBeLessThanOrEqual(384)
-      const { payload } = JSON.parse(line)
-      expect(payload.incarnationId).toBe(incarnationId)
-      expect(typeof payload.data).toBe('string')
-      consumed += payload.data.length
-      expect(payload.seq).toBe(seq === undefined ? undefined : seq - data.length + consumed)
-      return payload.data
-    })
-    expect(chunks.join('')).toBe(data)
-  })
-
   it('preserves exact frames, chunk boundaries and metadata across payloads and caps', () => {
     const payloads = [
       '',
diff --git a/src/main/daemon/daemon-stream-data-split.ts b/src/main/daemon/daemon-stream-data-split.ts
index b644d971e4b..c31c4437b84 100644
--- a/src/main/daemon/daemon-stream-data-split.ts
+++ b/src/main/daemon/daemon-stream-data-split.ts
@@ -5,15 +5,13 @@
  */
 import { resolveSynchronizedOutputSafeSplit } from '../../shared/terminal-synchronized-output-scan'
 import { encodeNdjson } from './ndjson'
-import type { PtyIncarnationId } from '../../shared/pty-incarnation'
 
 export function encodeStreamDataEvent(
   sessionId: string,
   data: string,
   rawLength?: number,
   seq?: number,
-  transformed?: boolean,
-  incarnationId?: PtyIncarnationId
+  transformed?: boolean
 ): string {
   return encodeNdjson({
     type: 'event',
@@ -21,7 +19,6 @@ export function encodeStreamDataEvent(
     sessionId,
     payload: {
       data,
-      ...(incarnationId === undefined ? {} : { incarnationId }),
       ...(seq === undefined ? {} : { seq }),
       ...(rawLength === undefined ? {} : { rawLength }),
       ...(rawLength === undefined ? {} : { sequenceChars: rawLength }),
@@ -30,16 +27,8 @@ export function encodeStreamDataEvent(
   })
 }
 
-function streamDataEventLineBytes(
-  sessionId: string,
-  data: string,
-  rawLength?: number,
-  incarnationId?: PtyIncarnationId
-): number {
-  return Buffer.byteLength(
-    encodeStreamDataEvent(sessionId, data, rawLength, undefined, false, incarnationId),
-    'utf8'
-  )
+function streamDataEventLineBytes(sessionId: string, data: string, rawLength?: number): number {
+  return Buffer.byteLength(encodeStreamDataEvent(sessionId, data, rawLength), 'utf8')
 }
 
 function isHighSurrogate(value: number): boolean {
@@ -90,28 +79,20 @@ export function splitStreamDataForNdjson(
   sessionId: string,
   data: string,
   maxLineBytes: number,
-  sequenceChars?: number,
-  incarnationId?: PtyIncarnationId
+  sequenceChars?: number
 ): string[] {
-  if (streamDataEventLineBytes(sessionId, data, sequenceChars, incarnationId) <= maxLineBytes) {
+  if (streamDataEventLineBytes(sessionId, data, sequenceChars) <= maxLineBytes) {
     return [data]
   }
 
-  return splitOversizedStreamDataForNdjson(
-    sessionId,
-    data,
-    maxLineBytes,
-    sequenceChars,
-    incarnationId
-  )
+  return splitOversizedStreamDataForNdjson(sessionId, data, maxLineBytes, sequenceChars)
 }
 
 function splitOversizedStreamDataForNdjson(
   sessionId: string,
   data: string,
   maxLineBytes: number,
-  sequenceChars?: number,
-  incarnationId?: PtyIncarnationId
+  sequenceChars?: number
 ): string[] {
   const chunks: string[] = []
   let start = 0
@@ -129,8 +110,7 @@ function splitOversizedStreamDataForNdjson(
       }
 
       if (
-        streamDataEventLineBytes(sessionId, data.slice(start, mid), sequenceChars, incarnationId) <=
-        maxLineBytes
+        streamDataEventLineBytes(sessionId, data.slice(start, mid), sequenceChars) <= maxLineBytes
       ) {
         best = mid
         low = rawMid + 1
@@ -154,36 +134,28 @@ export function writeStreamDataEvents(
   maxLineBytes: number,
   rawLength = data.length,
   seq?: number,
-  transformed = false,
-  incarnationId?: PtyIncarnationId
+  transformed = false
 ): void {
   const explicitRawLength = rawLength === data.length ? undefined : rawLength
   if (transformed) {
-    streamSocket.write(encodeStreamDataEvent(sessionId, data, rawLength, seq, true, incarnationId))
+    streamSocket.write(encodeStreamDataEvent(sessionId, data, rawLength, seq, true))
     return
   }
   const carriesMetadata = explicitRawLength !== undefined || seq !== undefined
   let chunks: string[]
   if (!carriesMetadata) {
-    const line = encodeStreamDataEvent(sessionId, data, undefined, undefined, false, incarnationId)
+    const line = encodeStreamDataEvent(sessionId, data)
     if (Buffer.byteLength(line, 'utf8') <= maxLineBytes) {
       streamSocket.write(line)
       return
     }
-    chunks = splitOversizedStreamDataForNdjson(
-      sessionId,
-      data,
-      maxLineBytes,
-      undefined,
-      incarnationId
-    )
+    chunks = splitOversizedStreamDataForNdjson(sessionId, data, maxLineBytes)
   } else {
     chunks = splitStreamDataForNdjson(
       sessionId,
       data,
       Math.max(1, maxLineBytes - 96),
-      explicitRawLength,
-      incarnationId
+      explicitRawLength
     )
   }
   let consumed = 0
@@ -191,8 +163,6 @@ export function writeStreamDataEvents(
     consumed += chunk.length
     const chunkEndSeq = seq === undefined ? undefined : seq - (data.length - consumed)
     const chunkRawLength = explicitRawLength === 0 ? 0 : carriesMetadata ? chunk.length : undefined
-    streamSocket.write(
-      encodeStreamDataEvent(sessionId, chunk, chunkRawLength, chunkEndSeq, false, incarnationId)
-    )
+    streamSocket.write(encodeStreamDataEvent(sessionId, chunk, chunkRawLength, chunkEndSeq))
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/daemon/daemon-stream-incarnation.test.ts b/src/main/daemon/daemon-stream-incarnation.test.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index e52a49c444a..00000000000
--- a/src/main/daemon/daemon-stream-incarnation.test.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,59 +0,0 @@
-import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
-import { appendDaemonStreamData, flushDaemonStreamSession } from './daemon-stream-data-entry'
-import type { PendingStreamDataBatch } from './daemon-stream-keep-tail-drop'
-import { SessionOutputPlane } from './session-output-plane'
-
-function batch(): PendingStreamDataBatch {
-  return {
-    timer: null,
-    queue: [],
-    queuedChars: 0,
-    queuedCharsBySession: new Map(),
-    queuedMetadataBytesBySession: new Map(),
-    droppableQueuedSessionIds: new Set()
-  }
-}
-
-describe('daemon stream incarnation ids', () => {
-  it('never merges output from two incarnations into one queued entry', () => {
-    const pending = batch()
-    appendDaemonStreamData(pending, 'session-1', 'old', { incarnationId: 'incarnation-1' })
-    appendDaemonStreamData(pending, 'session-1', 'more', { incarnationId: 'incarnation-1' })
-    appendDaemonStreamData(pending, 'session-1', 'new', { incarnationId: 'incarnation-2' })
-
-    expect(pending.queue.map(({ data, incarnationId }) => ({ data, incarnationId }))).toEqual([
-      { data: 'oldmore', incarnationId: 'incarnation-1' },
-      { data: 'new', incarnationId: 'incarnation-2' }
-    ])
-  })
-
-  it('writes the id on per-session flushes and omits it when absent', () => {
-    const pending = batch()
-    appendDaemonStreamData(pending, 'session-1', 'tagged', { incarnationId: 'incarnation-1' })
-    appendDaemonStreamData(pending, 'session-1', 'legacy', {})
-    const lines: string[] = []
-    flushDaemonStreamSession(pending, 'session-1', 64 * 1024, (line) => lines.push(line))
-
-    const payloads = lines.map((line) => JSON.parse(line).payload)
-    expect(payloads).toEqual([
-      { data: 'tagged', incarnationId: 'incarnation-1' },
-      { data: 'legacy' }
-    ])
-  })
-
-  it('hands the session incarnation only to identity-aware clients', () => {
-    const plane = new SessionOutputPlane({ cols: 80, rows: 24, incarnationId: 'incarnation-1' })
-    const legacy = vi.fn()
-    const aware = vi.fn()
-    const unused = vi.fn()
-    plane.attachClient({ onData: legacy, onExit: vi.fn() })
-    plane.attachClient({ onData: unused, onDataWithIncarnation: aware, onExit: vi.fn() })
-
-    plane.emit({ data: 'hi', rawStartSeq: 0, rawEndSeq: 2, transformed: false })
-
-    expect(legacy).toHaveBeenCalledWith('hi')
-    expect(aware).toHaveBeenCalledWith('hi', undefined, undefined, undefined, 'incarnation-1')
-    expect(unused).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
-    plane.disposeEmulator()
-  })
-})
diff --git a/src/main/daemon/daemon-stream-keep-tail-drop.ts b/src/main/daemon/daemon-stream-keep-tail-drop.ts
index 5fcfeed09a0..7bbd20047fe 100644
--- a/src/main/daemon/daemon-stream-keep-tail-drop.ts
+++ b/src/main/daemon/daemon-stream-keep-tail-drop.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ import {
   accountDaemonStreamEntry,
   releaseDaemonStreamEntry
 } from './daemon-stream-entry-accounting'
-import type { PtyIncarnationId } from '../../shared/pty-incarnation'
 
 // A control entry carries a whole pre-shaped stream event (background marker,
 // data gap, transient fact) that must ride at its exact position in the
@@ -28,7 +27,6 @@ export type StreamQueueEntry = {
   sequenceChars?: number
   seq?: number
   transformed?: boolean
-  incarnationId?: PtyIncarnationId
   control?: DaemonEvent
   retainedBytes?: number
 }
diff --git a/src/main/daemon/daemon-terminal-admission.ts b/src/main/daemon/daemon-terminal-admission.ts
index 984cbc87dec..f02cbdb9205 100644
--- a/src/main/daemon/daemon-terminal-admission.ts
+++ b/src/main/daemon/daemon-terminal-admission.ts
@@ -173,32 +173,23 @@ export class DaemonTerminalAdmission {
     clientId: string,
     sessionId: () => string
   ): CreateOrAttachOptions['streamClient'] {
-    const onData = (
-      data: string,
-      rawLength = data.length,
-      transformed = false,
-      seq?: number,
-      incarnationId?: string
-    ): void => {
-      const routedSessionId = sessionId()
-      this.options.transientFactRelay.onSessionData(routedSessionId, data)
-      const lastInputAt = this.options.attachments.lastInputAt(routedSessionId)
-      const isInteractiveOutput =
-        data.length <= DaemonTerminalAdmission.INTERACTIVE_OUTPUT_MAX_CHARS &&
-        lastInputAt !== undefined &&
-        performance.now() - lastInputAt <= DaemonTerminalAdmission.INTERACTIVE_OUTPUT_WINDOW_MS
-      this.options.streamDataBatcher.enqueue(clientId, routedSessionId, data, {
-        flushImmediately: isInteractiveOutput,
-        flushMaxChars: DaemonTerminalAdmission.INTERACTIVE_OUTPUT_MAX_CHARS,
-        rawLength,
-        transformed,
-        seq,
-        ...(incarnationId === undefined ? {} : { incarnationId })
-      })
-    }
     return {
-      onData,
-      onDataWithIncarnation: onData,
+      onData: (data, rawLength = data.length, transformed = false, seq) => {
+        const routedSessionId = sessionId()
+        this.options.transientFactRelay.onSessionData(routedSessionId, data)
+        const lastInputAt = this.options.attachments.lastInputAt(routedSessionId)
+        const isInteractiveOutput =
+          data.length <= DaemonTerminalAdmission.INTERACTIVE_OUTPUT_MAX_CHARS &&
+          lastInputAt !== undefined &&
+          performance.now() - lastInputAt <= DaemonTerminalAdmission.INTERACTIVE_OUTPUT_WINDOW_MS
+        this.options.streamDataBatcher.enqueue(clientId, routedSessionId, data, {
+          flushImmediately: isInteractiveOutput,
+          flushMaxChars: DaemonTerminalAdmission.INTERACTIVE_OUTPUT_MAX_CHARS,
+          rawLength,
+          transformed,
+          seq
+        })
+      },
       onExit: (code, incarnationId, cause) => {
         const routedSessionId = sessionId()
         this.options.log.log('session-exited', {
diff --git a/src/main/daemon/session-output-pipeline.ts b/src/main/daemon/session-output-pipeline.ts
index 819b9c72259..f67d2e15b92 100644
--- a/src/main/daemon/session-output-pipeline.ts
+++ b/src/main/daemon/session-output-pipeline.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 import { SessionOutputPlane } from './session-output-plane'
 import { TerminalShellRecoveryBarrier } from './terminal-shell-recovery-barrier'
 import type { SubprocessHandle } from './session-subprocess-handle'
-import type { PtyIncarnationId } from '../../shared/pty-incarnation'
 
 /** The session's ordered output pipeline: the recovery barrier feeding the
  *  output plane. Built together because the barrier's owner is what the
@@ -12,7 +11,6 @@ export function createSessionOutputPipeline(opts: {
   scrollback?: number | undefined
   wslDistro?: string | undefined
   historySeedChunks?: readonly string[] | undefined
-  incarnationId?: PtyIncarnationId | undefined
   subprocess: SubprocessHandle
   isAlive: () => boolean
 }): { output: SessionOutputPlane; recoveryBarrier: TerminalShellRecoveryBarrier } {
@@ -24,7 +22,6 @@ export function createSessionOutputPipeline(opts: {
     scrollback: opts.scrollback,
     wslDistro: opts.wslDistro,
     historySeedChunks: opts.historySeedChunks,
-    incarnationId: opts.incarnationId,
     getTerminalOwner: () => barrier?.getOwner()
   })
   const recoveryBarrier = new TerminalShellRecoveryBarrier({
diff --git a/src/main/daemon/session-output-plane.ts b/src/main/daemon/session-output-plane.ts
index d994fdf4b48..04b3f773bda 100644
--- a/src/main/daemon/session-output-plane.ts
+++ b/src/main/daemon/session-output-plane.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import { normalizePtySize } from './daemon-pty-size'
 import type { PtyIngressEmission } from '../../shared/pty-startup-ingress'
 import type { PendingOutputRecord, TakePendingOutputResult, TerminalSnapshot } from './types'
 import type { TerminalOwner } from '../../shared/terminal-owner'
-import type { PtyIncarnationId } from '../../shared/pty-incarnation'
 import type { SubprocessHandle } from './session-subprocess-handle'
 import { nudgePowerShellPromptRepaint } from './session-powershell-prompt-repaint'
 
@@ -16,14 +15,6 @@ const PENDING_OUTPUT_MAX_BYTES = 2 * 1024 * 1024
 export type AttachedClient = {
   token: symbol
   onData: (data: string, rawLength?: number, transformed?: boolean, seq?: number) => void
-  /** Identity-bearing callback used by mutation-aware consumers; legacy clients keep the old shape. */
-  onDataWithIncarnation?: (
-    data: string,
-    rawLength: number | undefined,
-    transformed: boolean | undefined,
-    seq: number | undefined,
-    incarnationId: PtyIncarnationId
-  ) => void
   onExit: (code: number, incarnationId: string, cause?: TerminalExitCause) => void
 }
 
@@ -33,7 +24,6 @@ export type SessionOutputPlaneOptions = {
   scrollback?: number | undefined
   wslDistro?: string | undefined
   historySeedChunks?: readonly string[] | undefined
-  incarnationId?: PtyIncarnationId | undefined
   /** Read from the recovery barrier at snapshot time; the barrier scans bytes
    *  before this plane receives them, so its owner never lags the emulator. */
   getTerminalOwner?: (() => TerminalOwner | undefined) | undefined
@@ -45,7 +35,6 @@ export class SessionOutputPlane {
   readonly historySeeded: boolean | undefined
   private readonly emulator: HeadlessEmulator
   private readonly readTerminalOwner: (() => TerminalOwner | undefined) | undefined
-  private readonly incarnationId: PtyIncarnationId | undefined
   private attachedClients: AttachedClient[] = []
   private pendingOutputRecords: PendingOutputRecord[] = []
   private pendingOutputBytes = 0
@@ -75,7 +64,6 @@ export class SessionOutputPlane {
         ? undefined
         : opts.historySeedChunks.every((chunk) => this.emulator.writeSync(chunk))
     this.readTerminalOwner = opts.getTerminalOwner
-    this.incarnationId = opts.incarnationId
   }
 
   get responderParser(): HeadlessEmulator['responderParser'] {
@@ -209,7 +197,9 @@ export class SessionOutputPlane {
       return
     }
     this.record({ kind: 'output', data: pending })
-    this.broadcastData(pending, 0, true, this._outputSequence)
+    for (const client of this.attachedClients) {
+      client.onData(pending, 0, true, this._outputSequence)
+    }
   }
 
   emit(emission: PtyIngressEmission): void {
@@ -226,24 +216,9 @@ export class SessionOutputPlane {
     }
 
     // Broadcast to attached clients
-    if (emission.transformed || rawLength !== data.length) {
-      this.broadcastData(data, rawLength, true, this._outputSequence)
-    } else {
-      this.broadcastData(data)
-    }
-  }
-
-  private broadcastData(
-    data: string,
-    rawLength?: number,
-    transformed?: boolean,
-    seq?: number
-  ): void {
     for (const client of this.attachedClients) {
-      if (client.onDataWithIncarnation && this.incarnationId) {
-        client.onDataWithIncarnation(data, rawLength, transformed, seq, this.incarnationId)
-      } else if (transformed || rawLength !== undefined || seq !== undefined) {
-        client.onData(data, rawLength, transformed, seq)
+      if (emission.transformed || rawLength !== data.length) {
+        client.onData(data, rawLength, true, this._outputSequence)
       } else {
         client.onData(data)
       }
diff --git a/src/main/daemon/session.ts b/src/main/daemon/session.ts
index 7c63dbd1d3f..7d113665292 100644
--- a/src/main/daemon/session.ts
+++ b/src/main/daemon/session.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,12 @@ import type { TuiAgent } from '../../shared/tui-agent'
 import { randomUUID } from 'node:crypto'
 import { PtyStartupIngress } from '../../shared/pty-startup-ingress'
 
-import type * as SessionProtocol from './types'
+import type {
+  SessionState,
+  ShellReadyState,
+  TakePendingOutputResult,
+  TerminalSnapshot
+} from './types'
 import type { PtyChildProcessVerdict } from '../../shared/terminal-process-inspection'
 import type { TerminalExitCause } from '../../shared/terminal-exit-cause'
 
@@ -23,7 +28,7 @@ export class Session {
   readonly launchAgent: TuiAgent | null
   readonly wslDistro: string | null
   readonly processNameIsSpawnFile: boolean
-  private _state: SessionProtocol.SessionState = 'running'
+  private _state: SessionState = 'running'
   private _exitCode: number | null = null
   private _disposed = false
   private subprocess: SubprocessHandle
@@ -50,8 +55,7 @@ export class Session {
       wslDistro: opts.wslDistro,
       historySeedChunks: opts.historySeedChunks,
       subprocess: this.subprocess,
-      isAlive: () => !this._disposed && this._state !== 'exited',
-      incarnationId: this.incarnationId
+      isAlive: () => !this._disposed && this._state !== 'exited'
     })
     this.output = pipeline.output
     this.recoveryBarrier = pipeline.recoveryBarrier
@@ -91,11 +95,11 @@ export class Session {
     this.subprocess.onExit((code, cause) => this.handleSubprocessExit(code, cause))
   }
 
-  get state(): SessionProtocol.SessionState {
+  get state(): SessionState {
     return this._state
   }
 
-  get shellState(): SessionProtocol.ShellReadyState {
+  get shellState(): ShellReadyState {
     return this.shellReady.state
   }
 
@@ -212,7 +216,7 @@ export class Session {
     this.producerPause.release({ resume: true })
   }
 
-  getSnapshot(opts: { scrollbackRows?: number } = {}): SessionProtocol.TerminalSnapshot | null {
+  getSnapshot(opts: { scrollbackRows?: number } = {}): TerminalSnapshot | null {
     this.startupIngress.snapshotBarrier()
     return this.output.getSnapshot(opts)
   }
@@ -228,7 +232,7 @@ export class Session {
   takePendingOutput(
     includeSnapshot: boolean,
     opts: { teardownSnapshot?: boolean } = {}
-  ): SessionProtocol.TakePendingOutputResult | null {
+  ): TakePendingOutputResult | null {
     if (this._disposed) {
       return null
     }
diff --git a/src/main/daemon/terminal-host-create-contract.ts b/src/main/daemon/terminal-host-create-contract.ts
index 654df23af81..9f6e6fbec1b 100644
--- a/src/main/daemon/terminal-host-create-contract.ts
+++ b/src/main/daemon/terminal-host-create-contract.ts
@@ -37,13 +37,6 @@ export type CreateOrAttachOptions = {
   }
   streamClient: {
     onData: (data: string, rawLength?: number, transformed?: boolean, seq?: number) => void
-    onDataWithIncarnation?: (
-      data: string,
-      rawLength: number | undefined,
-      transformed: boolean | undefined,
-      seq: number | undefined,
-      incarnationId: PtyIncarnationId
-    ) => void
     onExit: (code: number, incarnationId: PtyIncarnationId, cause?: TerminalExitCause) => void
   }
   /** Lets the daemon route output under the adopted owner's canonical id before
diff --git a/src/main/orcad/orcad-artifact-cache-retention.test.ts b/src/main/orcad/orcad-artifact-cache-retention.test.ts
index 3ce9291c12f..2533d2764e2 100644
--- a/src/main/orcad/orcad-artifact-cache-retention.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/orcad/orcad-artifact-cache-retention.test.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { afterEach, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
 import { ORCAD_LOCK_FILE_NAME } from './orcad-instance-lock'
 import {
   liveLocalOrcadServeVersion,
+  pruneDesktopOrcadArtifactCache,
   pruneOrcadArtifactCache
 } from './orcad-artifact-cache-retention'
 
@@ -94,4 +95,27 @@ describe('orcad artifact cache retention', () => {
     lock('desktop')
     expect(liveLocalOrcadServeVersion(userData)).toBeNull()
   })
+
+  it('keeps both the selected slot and the one a running orcad serve still uses', async () => {
+    const userData = cacheRoot()
+    const root = join(userData, 'orcad-artifacts')
+    const running = slot(root, 'linux-x64-glibc', '0.1.0+old', 90)
+    const selected = slot(root, 'linux-x64-glibc', '0.4.0+new', 1)
+    const others = [2, 3, 4].map((age) => slot(root, 'linux-x64-glibc', `v${age}`, age))
+    writeFileSync(
+      join(userData, ORCAD_LOCK_FILE_NAME),
+      JSON.stringify({
+        pid: process.pid,
+        startedAtMs: null,
+        nonce: 'nonce',
+        identity: 'uid',
+        version: '0.1.0+old',
+        acquiredAt: new Date().toISOString(),
+        role: 'orcad'
+      })
+    )
+    expect(await pruneDesktopOrcadArtifactCache(userData, ['0.4.0+new'])).toEqual([others[2]])
+    expect(existsSync(running)).toBe(true)
+    expect(existsSync(selected)).toBe(true)
+  })
 })
diff --git a/src/main/orcad/orcad-artifact-cache-retention.ts b/src/main/orcad/orcad-artifact-cache-retention.ts
index bb9038fee0d..193c8d78169 100644
--- a/src/main/orcad/orcad-artifact-cache-retention.ts
+++ b/src/main/orcad/orcad-artifact-cache-retention.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 /**
- * Bounds the desktop's `<userData>/orcad-artifacts` slot cache, the way VS Code bounds its
- * server downloads: per target, keep the most recently used slots and evict the rest at
- * startup. The cache survives uninstall (it lives in userData); this is what keeps it small.
+ * Bounds the desktop's `<userData>/orcad-artifacts` slot cache: per target, keep the most
+ * recently used slots and evict the rest at startup. The cache survives uninstall (it lives in userData); this is what keeps it small.
  *
  * Never evicted: a slot this process materialized (an SSH deploy may be reading it) and the
  * slot a live local orcad serve runs from, named by the profile's instance lock.
@@ -11,6 +10,7 @@ import { join } from 'node:path'
 import { NODE_RUNTIME_ASSETS } from '../../shared/node-runtime-pin'
 import { ORCAD_LOCK_FILE_NAME, readOrcadInstanceLockRecord } from './orcad-instance-lock'
 import { materializedOrcadArtifactVersions } from '../ssh/orcad-artifact-materializer'
+import { isProcessAlive } from '../daemon/daemon-process-inspection'
 
 /** The in-use slot plus the two most recent others (the newest three when none is in use). */
 export const ORCAD_ARTIFACT_CACHE_KEEP = 3
@@ -68,32 +68,30 @@ export async function pruneOrcadArtifactCache(
   return removed
 }
 
-/** The desktop's startup pass over its own `<userData>/orcad-artifacts`. */
-export function pruneDesktopOrcadArtifactCache(userDataPath: string): Promise<string[]> {
+/** A pass over `<userData>/orcad-artifacts` that never evicts a slot something still runs from. */
+export function pruneDesktopOrcadArtifactCache(
+  userDataPath: string,
+  alsoInUse: readonly string[] = []
+): Promise<string[]> {
   const live = liveLocalOrcadServeVersion(userDataPath)
   return pruneOrcadArtifactCache(join(userDataPath, 'orcad-artifacts'), {
-    inUseVersions: new Set([...materializedOrcadArtifactVersions(), ...(live ? [live] : [])])
+    inUseVersions: new Set([
+      ...materializedOrcadArtifactVersions(),
+      ...(live ? [live] : []),
+      ...alsoInUse
+    ])
   })
 }
 
 /** The slot version a live local orcad serve runs from, or null when none holds the profile. */
 export function liveLocalOrcadServeVersion(
   userDataPath: string,
-  isAlive: (pid: number) => boolean = processIsAlive
+  isAlive: (pid: number) => boolean = isProcessAlive
 ): string | null {
   const record = readOrcadInstanceLockRecord(join(userDataPath, ORCAD_LOCK_FILE_NAME))
   return record && record.role !== 'desktop' && isAlive(record.pid) ? record.version : null
 }
 
-function processIsAlive(pid: number): boolean {
-  try {
-    process.kill(pid, 0)
-    return true
-  } catch (error) {
-    return error instanceof Error && 'code' in error && error.code === 'EPERM'
-  }
-}
-
 async function listNames(directory: string): Promise<string[]> {
   try {
     return await readdir(directory)
diff --git a/src/main/orcad/orcad-completed-stop-receipt.ts b/src/main/orcad/orcad-completed-stop-receipt.ts
index aa89cce87d5..7f155df696b 100644
--- a/src/main/orcad/orcad-completed-stop-receipt.ts
+++ b/src/main/orcad/orcad-completed-stop-receipt.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { dirname, join } from 'node:path'
 import type { z } from 'zod'
 import { readNodeFileSyncWithinLimit } from '../../shared/node-bounded-file-reader'
 import { writeDurableSecureJsonFile } from '../../shared/secure-file'
+import { hasErrorCode } from '../daemon/daemon-process-inspection'
 import {
   ORCAD_STOP_RECEIPTS_DIRNAME,
   OrcadCompletedStopReceiptSchema,
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ export function readOrcadStopReceipt<T extends { request: OrcadManagedStopReques
       throw new Error('orcad_stop_receipt_unverifiable')
     }
   } catch (error) {
-    if (typeof error === 'object' && error !== null && 'code' in error && error.code === 'ENOENT') {
+    if (hasErrorCode(error, 'ENOENT')) {
       return null
     }
     throw error
diff --git a/src/main/orcad/orcad-daemon-retirement.test.ts b/src/main/orcad/orcad-daemon-retirement.test.ts
index 01c0d780da5..3c952cf9b6a 100644
--- a/src/main/orcad/orcad-daemon-retirement.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/orcad/orcad-daemon-retirement.test.ts
@@ -69,4 +69,22 @@ describe('best-effort daemon retirement', () => {
     })
     expect(unanswered.releaseFence).toHaveBeenCalledOnce()
   })
+
+  it('reopens admission again once a timed-out attempt is refused late', async () => {
+    let answer: (result: DaemonIdleRetirementResult) => void = () => {}
+    const late = ports(() => new Promise((resolve) => (answer = resolve)))
+    await retireOrcadDaemonIfIdle(late)
+    expect(late.releaseFence).toHaveBeenCalledOnce()
+    answer({ state: 'busy', liveSessions: 1 })
+    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(late.releaseFence).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2))
+  })
+
+  it('keeps the fence when a timed-out attempt turns out to retire the daemon', async () => {
+    let answer: (result: DaemonIdleRetirementResult) => void = () => {}
+    const late = ports(() => new Promise((resolve) => (answer = resolve)))
+    await retireOrcadDaemonIfIdle(late)
+    answer({ state: 'retiring' })
+    await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 10))
+    expect(late.releaseFence).toHaveBeenCalledOnce()
+  })
 })
diff --git a/src/main/orcad/orcad-daemon-retirement.ts b/src/main/orcad/orcad-daemon-retirement.ts
index c5f0bb3936f..6310cafd5d9 100644
--- a/src/main/orcad/orcad-daemon-retirement.ts
+++ b/src/main/orcad/orcad-daemon-retirement.ts
@@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ import {
   requestIdleDaemonRetirement
 } from '../daemon/daemon-init'
 import type { OrcadDaemonRetirementVerdict } from '../../shared/orcad-stop-request'
+import { ORCAD_DAEMON_RETIREMENT_TIMEOUT_MS } from './orcad-stop-deadlines'
 
-export const ORCAD_DAEMON_RETIREMENT_TIMEOUT_MS = 5_000
 
 export type OrcadDaemonRetirement = {
   retirement: OrcadDaemonRetirementVerdict
@@ -48,11 +48,12 @@ export async function retireOrcadDaemonIfIdle(
   ports: Partial<RetirementPorts> = {}
 ): Promise<OrcadDaemonRetirement> {
   const { request, releaseFence, countLiveSessions, timeoutMs } = { ...DEFAULT_PORTS, ...ports }
-  const result = await withTimeout(
-    request().catch(() => ({ state: 'unverifiable' as const })),
-    timeoutMs,
-    { state: 'timed-out' as const }
-  )
+  const attempt = request().catch(() => ({ state: 'unverifiable' as const }))
+  const result = await withTimeout(attempt, timeoutMs, { state: 'timed-out' as const })
+  if (result.state === 'timed-out') {
+    // The fence cannot reopen while the attempt is pending; reopen it once a late refusal lands.
+    void attempt.then((late) => late.state !== 'retiring' && releaseFence())
+  }
   if (result.state === 'retiring') {
     return { retirement: 'retired', liveSessions: 0, reason: null }
   }
diff --git a/src/main/orcad/orcad-daemon-supervision.test.ts b/src/main/orcad/orcad-daemon-supervision.test.ts
index 19616c9d5ef..ba5cd989ad9 100644
--- a/src/main/orcad/orcad-daemon-supervision.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/orcad/orcad-daemon-supervision.test.ts
@@ -56,6 +56,20 @@ describe('startOrcadDaemon', () => {
     })
   })
 
+  it('gives a cold Windows daemon a longer startup budget', async () => {
+    await startOrcadDaemon('win32')
+    expect(initDaemonPtyProviderMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(undefined, {
+      macosLoginSessionWatch: false,
+      startupTimeoutMs: 30_000
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('retries the daemon spawn once before falling back to in-process terminals', async () => {
+    initDaemonPtyProviderMock.mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error('Daemon startup timed out'))
+    await expect(startOrcadDaemon()).resolves.toEqual({ state: 'live', pid: 4242 })
+    expect(initDaemonPtyProviderMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+  })
+
   it('reports degraded when fresh terminals would fall back to the local provider', async () => {
     daemonOwnsFreshPersistentPtysMock.mockReturnValue(false)
     const result = await startOrcadDaemon()
@@ -71,6 +85,7 @@ describe('startOrcadDaemon', () => {
       state: 'unavailable',
       reason: 'node-pty is missing'
     })
+    expect(initDaemonPtyProviderMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
   })
 })
 
diff --git a/src/main/orcad/orcad-daemon-supervision.ts b/src/main/orcad/orcad-daemon-supervision.ts
index d35b03048d3..d0fa08cfbe9 100644
--- a/src/main/orcad/orcad-daemon-supervision.ts
+++ b/src/main/orcad/orcad-daemon-supervision.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,12 @@ import {
   readDaemonPidRecord
 } from '../daemon/daemon-init'
 
+const WINDOWS_DAEMON_STARTUP_TIMEOUT_MS = 30_000
+
+function errorMessage(error: unknown): string {
+  return error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error)
+}
+
 export type OrcadDaemonStartup =
   | { state: 'live'; pid: number | null }
   | { state: 'degraded'; reason: string }
@@ -31,13 +37,25 @@ export type OrcadDaemonStartup =
  * — `daemonOwnsFreshPersistentPtys()` is what the runtime reads for that, and it answers
  * false here without any extra bookkeeping.
  */
-export async function startOrcadDaemon(): Promise<OrcadDaemonStartup> {
+export async function startOrcadDaemon(
+  platform: NodeJS.Platform = process.platform
+): Promise<OrcadDaemonStartup> {
+  // Why no login-session watch: that retires the daemon when the spawning macOS GUI login
+  // session dies. An orcad daemon must survive its SSH session ending — that is the point.
+  const policy = {
+    macosLoginSessionWatch: false,
+    // A freshly uploaded node.exe plus conpty can take well over 10 s on its first, AV-scanned exec.
+    ...(platform === 'win32' ? { startupTimeoutMs: WINDOWS_DAEMON_STARTUP_TIMEOUT_MS } : {})
+  }
   try {
-    // Why no login-session watch: that retires the daemon when the spawning macOS GUI login
-    // session dies. An orcad daemon must survive its SSH session ending — that is the point.
-    await initDaemonPtyProvider(undefined, { macosLoginSessionWatch: false })
+    await initDaemonPtyProvider(undefined, policy).catch((error: unknown) => {
+      // One warm retry: activation refuses a daemonless candidate, so a cold-start miss would
+      // otherwise leave a first deploy serving nothing.
+      console.warn(`[orcad] The terminal daemon did not start (${errorMessage(error)}); retrying`)
+      return initDaemonPtyProvider(undefined, policy)
+    })
   } catch (error) {
-    const reason = error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error)
+    const reason = errorMessage(error)
     console.error(
       `[orcad] The terminal daemon did not start: ${reason}\n` +
         '[orcad] Terminals will run in-process and WILL NOT survive an orcad restart.'
diff --git a/src/main/orcad/orcad-instance-lock.test.ts b/src/main/orcad/orcad-instance-lock.test.ts
index 2c5071a6874..7724d54c9e7 100644
--- a/src/main/orcad/orcad-instance-lock.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/orcad/orcad-instance-lock.test.ts
@@ -2,10 +2,12 @@ import {
   chmodSync,
   mkdirSync,
   mkdtempSync,
+  readdirSync,
   readFileSync,
   renameSync,
   rmSync,
   statSync,
+  utimesSync,
   writeFileSync
 } from 'node:fs'
 import { tmpdir } from 'node:os'
@@ -146,21 +148,36 @@ describe('acquireOrcadInstanceLock', () => {
     expect(JSON.parse(readFileSync(lock.path, 'utf8')).nonce).toBe('successor')
   })
 
-  it.each([
+  const garbledLocks = [
+    ['nothing (a torn write)', ''],
     ['invalid JSON', '{'],
     ['an incomplete record', JSON.stringify({ pid: 424242, identity: 'uid-1000' })],
     ['an invalid pid', JSON.stringify(persistedRecord({ pid: -1 }))],
     ['an invalid start time', JSON.stringify({ ...persistedRecord(), startedAtMs: 'yesterday' })]
-  ])('fails closed when the existing lock contains %s', (_label, contents) => {
+  ]
+
+  it.each(garbledLocks)('leaves a lock still being written alone: %s', (_label, contents) => {
     const root = makeRoot()
     writeFileSync(join(root, ORCAD_LOCK_FILE_NAME), contents)
 
     expect(() => acquireOrcadInstanceLock(root, hooks())).toThrow(
-      expect.objectContaining({ code: 'orcad_instance_lock_unreadable' })
+      expect.objectContaining({ code: 'orcad_instance_lock_held' })
     )
     expect(readFileSync(join(root, ORCAD_LOCK_FILE_NAME), 'utf8')).toBe(contents)
   })
 
+  it.each(garbledLocks)('reclaims an abandoned lock containing %s', (_label, contents) => {
+    const root = makeRoot()
+    const lockPath = join(root, ORCAD_LOCK_FILE_NAME)
+    writeFileSync(lockPath, contents)
+    const longAgo = new Date(Date.now() - 60_000)
+    utimesSync(lockPath, longAgo, longAgo)
+
+    const lock = acquireOrcadInstanceLock(root, hooks())
+    expect(JSON.parse(readFileSync(lockPath, 'utf8')).nonce).toBe(lock.record.nonce)
+    expect(readdirSync(root).sort()).toEqual([ORCAD_LOCK_FILE_NAME])
+  })
+
   it('fails closed when the existing lock is not a regular file', () => {
     const root = makeRoot()
     mkdirSync(join(root, ORCAD_LOCK_FILE_NAME))
diff --git a/src/main/orcad/orcad-instance-lock.ts b/src/main/orcad/orcad-instance-lock.ts
index 1c8cbb88387..9f2a7d1e8bf 100644
--- a/src/main/orcad/orcad-instance-lock.ts
+++ b/src/main/orcad/orcad-instance-lock.ts
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
  * it says nothing about the daemon, which is what makes a non-destructive restart possible.
  */
 import { randomUUID } from 'node:crypto'
-import { linkSync, mkdirSync, renameSync, unlinkSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs'
+import { linkSync, mkdirSync, renameSync, statSync, unlinkSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs'
 import { userInfo } from 'node:os'
 import { join } from 'node:path'
 import process from 'node:process'
@@ -28,9 +28,12 @@ import {
   type OrcadDataRootPrivacyHooks
 } from './orcad-data-root-privacy'
 import { readNodeFileSyncWithinLimit } from '../../shared/node-bounded-file-reader'
+import { hasErrorCode, isProcessAlive } from '../daemon/daemon-process-inspection'
 
 export const ORCAD_LOCK_FILE_NAME = 'orcad.lock'
 const MAX_ORCAD_LOCK_BYTES = 64 * 1024
+// A writer finishes in milliseconds; a garbled record older than this has no live writer.
+const GARBLED_LOCK_GRACE_MS = 10_000
 
 export { OrcadInstanceLockError, type OrcadInstanceLockCode } from './orcad-data-root-privacy'
 
@@ -81,19 +84,6 @@ function defaultIdentity(): string {
     : String(process.getuid?.() ?? 'unknown')
 }
 
-function defaultProcessIsAlive(pid: number): boolean {
-  try {
-    process.kill(pid, 0)
-    return true
-  } catch (error) {
-    return isErrorCode(error, 'EPERM')
-  }
-}
-
-function isErrorCode(error: unknown, code: string): boolean {
-  return typeof error === 'object' && error !== null && 'code' in error && error.code === code
-}
-
 /** `null` for anything that is not a complete record; never a reason to treat a lock as free. */
 export function parseOrcadInstanceLockRecord(content: string): OrcadLockRecord | null {
   try {
@@ -115,7 +105,7 @@ export function acquireOrcadInstanceLock(
   hooks: OrcadInstanceLockHooks = {}
 ): OrcadInstanceLock {
   const identity = (hooks.identity ?? defaultIdentity)()
-  const isAlive = hooks.processIsAlive ?? defaultProcessIsAlive
+  const isAlive = hooks.processIsAlive ?? isProcessAlive
   const readStartedAt = hooks.startedAtMs ?? readOrcadProcessStartedAtMs
   const matchesStartTime = hooks.startTimeMatches ?? orcadProcessStartTimeMatches
 
@@ -144,18 +134,23 @@ export function acquireOrcadInstanceLock(
   }
   const serialized = JSON.stringify(record)
 
+  // Staged then hard-linked: the canonical path only ever holds a complete record, never a torn one.
   const publish = (): boolean => {
+    const staged = `${lockPath}.staged-${process.pid}-${randomUUID()}`
     try {
-      writeFileSync(lockPath, serialized, { flag: 'wx', mode: 0o600 })
+      writeFileSync(staged, serialized, { flag: 'wx', mode: 0o600 })
+      linkSync(staged, lockPath)
       return true
     } catch (error) {
-      if (isErrorCode(error, 'EEXIST')) {
+      if (hasErrorCode(error, 'EEXIST')) {
         return false
       }
       throw new OrcadInstanceLockError(
         'orcad_data_root_unusable',
         `Cannot write the orcad instance lock ${lockPath}: ${(error as Error).message}`
       )
+    } finally {
+      unlinkQuietly(staged)
     }
   }
 
@@ -163,16 +158,28 @@ export function acquireOrcadInstanceLock(
     return makeLock(lockPath, record)
   }
 
-  const existing = parseOrcadInstanceLockRecord(readBoundedLockFile(lockPath) ?? '')
-  if (!existing) {
-    // Why fail closed: an unreadable record proves nothing about its holder having exited.
+  const existingContents = readBoundedLockFile(lockPath)
+  if (existingContents === null) {
+    // Why fail closed: a record we cannot read proves nothing about its holder having exited.
     throw new OrcadInstanceLockError(
       'orcad_instance_lock_unreadable',
-      `The orcad instance lock at ${lockPath} is unreadable, malformed, or larger than ` +
+      `The orcad instance lock at ${lockPath} is unreadable or larger than ` +
         `${MAX_ORCAD_LOCK_BYTES} bytes. Refusing to reclaim it without proof that its holder ` +
         'has exited. Stop orcad and remove the stale lock manually.'
     )
   }
+  const existing = parseOrcadInstanceLockRecord(existingContents)
+  if (!existing) {
+    // Only a torn write (an older build, or a crash mid-write) leaves this; once it has aged
+    // past any live writer, no owner can be behind it.
+    if (garbledLockIsAbandoned(lockPath)) {
+      return reclaimAndPublish(lockPath, dataRoot, existingContents, publish, record)
+    }
+    throw new OrcadInstanceLockError(
+      'orcad_instance_lock_held',
+      `The orcad instance lock at ${lockPath} is still being written by another process. Retry.`
+    )
+  }
   if (existing.identity !== identity) {
     throw new OrcadInstanceLockError(
       'orcad_instance_lock_foreign_identity',
@@ -189,9 +196,21 @@ export function acquireOrcadInstanceLock(
         'before starting another, or use a different ORCA_USER_DATA.'
     )
   }
-  // Why rename-and-then-publish rather than unlink-and-write: rename claims one exact
-  // directory entry, so a replacement written between our read and our write stays at the
-  // canonical path and wins — we never delete a record we did not inspect.
+  return reclaimAndPublish(lockPath, dataRoot, existingContents, publish, record)
+}
+
+/**
+ * Why rename-and-then-publish rather than unlink-and-write: rename claims one exact directory
+ * entry, so a replacement written between our read and our write stays at the canonical path
+ * and wins — we never delete a record we did not inspect.
+ */
+function reclaimAndPublish(
+  lockPath: string,
+  dataRoot: string,
+  inspectedContents: string,
+  publish: () => boolean,
+  record: OrcadLockRecord
+): OrcadInstanceLock {
   const claimPath = `${lockPath}.stale-${process.pid}-${randomUUID()}`
   try {
     renameSync(lockPath, claimPath)
@@ -204,33 +223,42 @@ export function acquireOrcadInstanceLock(
   }
   // A contender may have replaced the entry after the liveness check; never displace its record.
   const claimedContents = readBoundedLockFile(claimPath)
-  if (parseOrcadInstanceLockRecord(claimedContents ?? '')?.nonce !== existing.nonce) {
+  if (claimedContents !== inspectedContents) {
     restoreDisplacedLock(claimPath, lockPath, claimedContents)
     throw new OrcadInstanceLockError(
       'orcad_instance_lock_held',
       `The orcad instance lock at ${lockPath} changed while reclaiming a stale record.`
     )
   }
-  if (!publish()) {
+  const published = publish()
+  // A uniquely named claim is inert either way.
+  unlinkQuietly(claimPath)
+  if (!published) {
     // Someone else claimed it first. Their record is authoritative; ours is not.
-    try {
-      unlinkSync(claimPath)
-    } catch {
-      // A uniquely named claim is inert.
-    }
     throw new OrcadInstanceLockError(
       'orcad_instance_lock_held',
       `Another orcad took the data root ${dataRoot} while this one was reclaiming a stale lock.`
     )
   }
-  try {
-    unlinkSync(claimPath)
-  } catch {
-    // The canonical record is authoritative; the claim is inert.
-  }
   return makeLock(lockPath, record)
 }
 
+function garbledLockIsAbandoned(lockPath: string): boolean {
+  try {
+    return Date.now() - statSync(lockPath).mtimeMs > GARBLED_LOCK_GRACE_MS
+  } catch {
+    return false
+  }
+}
+
+function unlinkQuietly(path: string): void {
+  try {
+    unlinkSync(path)
+  } catch {
+    // Already gone, or inert under its unique name.
+  }
+}
+
 function describeLockHolder(record: OrcadLockRecord): string {
   return record.role === 'desktop' ? 'The Orca desktop app' : 'Another orcad'
 }
diff --git a/src/main/orcad/orcad-lifecycle.ts b/src/main/orcad/orcad-lifecycle.ts
index ffcec0224a3..b59988e69e5 100644
--- a/src/main/orcad/orcad-lifecycle.ts
+++ b/src/main/orcad/orcad-lifecycle.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import type { OrcadManagedStopInstance } from '../../shared/orcad-stop-request'
 import { acquireOrcadInstanceLock } from './orcad-instance-lock'
 import { ORCAD_BUNDLED_LAUNCHER_ENV } from './orcad-bundled-runtime'
 import { resolveOrcadExitCode } from './orcad-exit-code'
+import { ORCAD_SHUTDOWN_DEADLINE_MS } from './orcad-stop-deadlines'
 import {
   acquireProfileStateRuntimeAdmission,
   type ProfileStateRuntimeAdmission
@@ -21,7 +22,7 @@ function createIdempotentOrcadCleanup(cleanup: () => Promise<void>): () => Promi
   }
 }
 
-export const ORCAD_SHUTDOWN_DEADLINE_MS = 15_000
+export { ORCAD_SHUTDOWN_DEADLINE_MS }
 
 /**
  * A launcher and its child can both receive the same process-group or service stop signal.
diff --git a/src/main/orcad/orcad-local-serve-selection-entry.ts b/src/main/orcad/orcad-local-serve-selection-entry.ts
index 1cee48d08cf..e99f1532331 100644
--- a/src/main/orcad/orcad-local-serve-selection-entry.ts
+++ b/src/main/orcad/orcad-local-serve-selection-entry.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import {
   ORCAD_LOCAL_SERVE_SELECTION_FLAGS as FLAGS
 } from '../../shared/orcad-local-serve-selection'
 import { selectServeRuntime } from './orcad-local-serve-selection'
-import { pruneOrcadArtifactCache } from './orcad-artifact-cache-retention'
+import { pruneDesktopOrcadArtifactCache } from './orcad-artifact-cache-retention'
 
 function flagValue(argv: readonly string[], flag: string): string | null {
   const index = argv.indexOf(flag)
@@ -34,9 +34,10 @@ async function run(argv: readonly string[]): Promise<void> {
     usesMacUpdateHandoff: argv.includes(FLAGS.macUpdateHandoff)
   })
   // orcad serve never starts the desktop's startup pass, so the slot cache is bounded here too.
-  await pruneOrcadArtifactCache(join(userDataPath, 'orcad-artifacts'), {
-    inUseVersions: new Set(selection.kind === 'orcad' ? [selection.version] : [])
-  }).catch(() => [])
+  await pruneDesktopOrcadArtifactCache(
+    userDataPath,
+    selection.kind === 'orcad' ? [selection.version] : []
+  ).catch(() => [])
   process.stdout.write(`${formatServeRuntimeSelection(selection)}\n`, () => process.exit(0))
 }
 
diff --git a/src/main/orcad/orcad-managed-stop-completion.ts b/src/main/orcad/orcad-managed-stop-completion.ts
index 57760dfcec6..818cc9eebac 100644
--- a/src/main/orcad/orcad-managed-stop-completion.ts
+++ b/src/main/orcad/orcad-managed-stop-completion.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import {
   startTimesWithinTolerance
 } from '../daemon/daemon-process-start-time'
 import { readOrcadProcessStartedAtMs } from './orcad-process-start-time'
+import { hasErrorCode, inspectProcessSignal } from '../daemon/daemon-process-inspection'
 import { persistOrcadCompletedStopReceipt } from './orcad-completed-stop-receipt'
 import { readOrcadManagedStopDecision } from './orcad-managed-stop-decision'
 import {
@@ -26,6 +27,10 @@ import {
   orcadManagedStopRequestPath,
   readOrcadManagedStopRequest
 } from './orcad-managed-stop-request'
+import {
+  ORCAD_STOP_COMPLETION_POLL_ATTEMPTS,
+  ORCAD_STOP_COMPLETION_POLL_MS
+} from './orcad-stop-deadlines'
 
 export type OrcadProcessProbe = (pid: number) => 'alive' | 'missing' | 'unverifiable'
 
@@ -38,14 +43,9 @@ export type OrcadManagedStopCompletionOptions = {
 }
 
 function defaultProbe(pid: number): ReturnType<OrcadProcessProbe> {
-  try {
-    process.kill(pid, 0)
-    return 'alive'
-  } catch (error) {
-    const code = typeof error === 'object' && error !== null && 'code' in error ? error.code : null
-    // EPERM proves some process holds the PID; it cannot prove ours exited.
-    return code === 'ESRCH' ? 'missing' : 'unverifiable'
-  }
+  const signal = inspectProcessSignal(pid)
+  // EPERM proves some process holds the PID; it cannot prove ours exited.
+  return signal === 'occupied' ? 'alive' : signal === 'missing' ? 'missing' : 'unverifiable'
 }
 
 function observeInstance(
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ export async function completeOrcadManagedStop(
   options: OrcadManagedStopCompletionOptions = {}
 ): Promise<OrcadManagedStopVerdict> {
   const request = OrcadManagedStopRequestSchema.parse(input)
-  const attempts = options.attempts ?? 80
+  const attempts = options.attempts ?? ORCAD_STOP_COMPLETION_POLL_ATTEMPTS
   if (!Number.isSafeInteger(attempts) || attempts < 1 || attempts > 240) {
     throw new Error('orcad_managed_stop_invalid_attempts')
   }
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ export async function completeOrcadManagedStop(
     throw new Error('orcad_managed_stop_request_permissions_unconfirmed')
   }
   for (let attempt = 0; attempt < attempts; attempt++) {
-    await (options.sleep ?? (() => delay(250)))()
+    await (options.sleep ?? (() => delay(ORCAD_STOP_COMPLETION_POLL_MS)))()
     verdict = observeInstance(request.instance, options)
     if (verdict !== 'live') {
       return verdict === 'exited' ? completed() : verdict
@@ -125,6 +125,6 @@ function existingRequestMatches(path: string, request: OrcadManagedStopRequest):
   try {
     return JSON.stringify(readOrcadManagedStopRequest(path)) === JSON.stringify(request)
   } catch (error) {
-    return typeof error === 'object' && error !== null && 'code' in error && error.code === 'ENOENT'
+    return hasErrorCode(error, 'ENOENT')
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/orcad/orcad-managed-stop-decision.ts b/src/main/orcad/orcad-managed-stop-decision.ts
index e6b9d3d029e..a5b61e3d2eb 100644
--- a/src/main/orcad/orcad-managed-stop-decision.ts
+++ b/src/main/orcad/orcad-managed-stop-decision.ts
@@ -15,13 +15,10 @@ import {
   type OrcadManagedStopRequest
 } from '../../shared/orcad-stop-request'
 import { orcadStopReceiptPath, readOrcadStopReceipt } from './orcad-completed-stop-receipt'
+import { hasErrorCode } from '../daemon/daemon-process-inspection'
 
 export type OrcadManagedStopDecisionValue = OrcadManagedStopDecision['decision']
 
-function isAlreadyDecided(error: unknown): boolean {
-  return typeof error === 'object' && error !== null && 'code' in error && error.code === 'EEXIST'
-}
-
 export function readOrcadManagedStopDecision(
   request: OrcadManagedStopRequest
 ): OrcadManagedStopDecisionValue | null {
@@ -50,7 +47,7 @@ export function claimOrcadManagedStopDecision(
     linkSync(staged, path)
     return decision
   } catch (error) {
-    if (!isAlreadyDecided(error)) {
+    if (!hasErrorCode(error, 'EEXIST')) {
       throw error
     }
     const standing = readOrcadManagedStopDecision(request)
diff --git a/src/main/orcad/orcad-managed-stop.test.ts b/src/main/orcad/orcad-managed-stop.test.ts
index 24ebce56a72..aec81754e62 100644
--- a/src/main/orcad/orcad-managed-stop.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/orcad/orcad-managed-stop.test.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,11 @@ import {
 } from './orcad-completed-stop-receipt'
 import { prepareOrcadManagedStop } from './orcad-managed-stop-admission'
 import { runOrcadManagedStopCommand } from './orcad-managed-stop-command'
+import {
+  ORCAD_DAEMON_RETIREMENT_TIMEOUT_MS,
+  ORCAD_SHUTDOWN_DEADLINE_MS,
+  ORCAD_STOP_COMPLETION_POLL_MS
+} from './orcad-stop-deadlines'
 
 const roots: string[] = []
 afterEach(() => {
@@ -165,6 +170,18 @@ describe('completing a managed stop', () => {
     expect(await completeOrcadManagedStop(request, options())).toBe('live')
   })
 
+  it('waits out daemon retirement plus the shutdown deadline before answering live', async () => {
+    const { request } = running()
+    let polls = 0
+    const exitAfterMs = 2 * ORCAD_DAEMON_RETIREMENT_TIMEOUT_MS + ORCAD_SHUTDOWN_DEADLINE_MS
+    const verdict = await completeOrcadManagedStop(request, {
+      ...options({ attempts: undefined }),
+      sleep: async () => void polls++,
+      probeProcess: () => (polls * ORCAD_STOP_COMPLETION_POLL_MS >= exitAfterMs ? 'missing' : 'alive')
+    })
+    expect(verdict).toBe('exited')
+  })
+
   it('does not address a live process that no longer holds the lock it published', async () => {
     const { lock, request } = running()
     writeFileSync(lock.path, JSON.stringify({ ...lock.record, nonce: 'successor' }))
diff --git a/src/main/orcad/orcad-stop-deadlines.ts b/src/main/orcad/orcad-stop-deadlines.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..faaf6d1ae56
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/orcad/orcad-stop-deadlines.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+/** Kept dependency-free: the short-lived stop-completion command imports these too. */
+export const ORCAD_SHUTDOWN_DEADLINE_MS = 15_000
+export const ORCAD_DAEMON_RETIREMENT_TIMEOUT_MS = 5_000
+
+export const ORCAD_STOP_COMPLETION_POLL_MS = 250
+// Retirement (request + session count, each bounded) runs before the shutdown deadline starts.
+const STOP_COMPLETION_BUDGET_MS =
+  2 * ORCAD_DAEMON_RETIREMENT_TIMEOUT_MS + ORCAD_SHUTDOWN_DEADLINE_MS + 5_000
+export const ORCAD_STOP_COMPLETION_POLL_ATTEMPTS = Math.ceil(
+  STOP_COMPLETION_BUDGET_MS / ORCAD_STOP_COMPLETION_POLL_MS
+)
diff --git a/src/main/orcad/orcad-stop-request-listener.test.ts b/src/main/orcad/orcad-stop-request-listener.test.ts
index 2563543cb95..dc98966f6c4 100644
--- a/src/main/orcad/orcad-stop-request-listener.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/orcad/orcad-stop-request-listener.test.ts
@@ -112,6 +112,27 @@ describe('orcad stop-request listeners', () => {
     expect(existsSync(path)).toBe(true)
   })
 
+  it('acts once on a managed request written before the listeners were installed', async () => {
+    const managedStop = managedContext()
+    writeFileSync(
+      orcadManagedStopRequestPath(managedStop.instance),
+      JSON.stringify({
+        schemaVersion: 1,
+        transactionId: '0b9f6a3e-9e2c-4c8e-8f58-4c0f6b1d2e3a',
+        ...managedStop
+      })
+    )
+    const onRequest = vi.fn()
+    const prepare = vi.fn(async () => {})
+    const report = vi.spyOn(console, 'error').mockImplementation(() => {})
+    listen(onRequest, { installRoot: directory(), managedStop, beforeManagedStop: prepare })
+    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(onRequest).toHaveBeenCalledOnce())
+    await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 50))
+    expect(prepare).toHaveBeenCalledOnce()
+    expect(onRequest).toHaveBeenCalledOnce()
+    expect(report).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+
   it('ignores a managed request for another runtime and reports it once', async () => {
     const managedStop = managedContext()
     const onRequest = vi.fn()
diff --git a/src/main/orcad/orcad-stop-request-listener.ts b/src/main/orcad/orcad-stop-request-listener.ts
index 1b09eeed3dc..61e67d66e4e 100644
--- a/src/main/orcad/orcad-stop-request-listener.ts
+++ b/src/main/orcad/orcad-stop-request-listener.ts
@@ -17,20 +17,17 @@ import {
   validateOrcadManagedStopRequest
 } from './orcad-managed-stop-request'
 import { claimOrcadManagedStopDecision } from './orcad-managed-stop-decision'
+import { hasErrorCode } from '../daemon/daemon-process-inspection'
 
 export type OrcadStopRequestListener = { close(): void }
 
 const DEFAULT_POLL_INTERVAL_MS = 1_000
 
-function isMissingFile(error: unknown): boolean {
-  return typeof error === 'object' && error !== null && 'code' in error && error.code === 'ENOENT'
-}
-
-/** `consume` returns true when the request should stop orcad; a missing file throws ENOENT. */
-function listenForRequest(
+/** `consume` returns the request that should stop orcad, or null; a missing file throws ENOENT. */
+function listenForRequest<T>(
   requestPath: string,
-  consume: (path: string) => boolean,
-  onRequest: () => void,
+  consume: (path: string) => T | null,
+  onRequest: (request: T) => void,
   pollIntervalMs: number
 ): OrcadStopRequestListener {
   let closed = false
@@ -39,12 +36,11 @@ function listenForRequest(
     if (closed) {
       return
     }
+    let request: T | null
     try {
-      if (!consume(requestPath)) {
-        return
-      }
+      request = consume(requestPath)
     } catch (error) {
-      if (!isMissingFile(error)) {
+      if (!hasErrorCode(error, 'ENOENT')) {
         // Polling retries every interval; report each distinct refusal once.
         const failure = error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error)
         if (failure !== lastFailure) {
@@ -54,9 +50,12 @@ function listenForRequest(
       }
       return
     }
+    if (request === null) {
+      return
+    }
     closed = true
     stop()
-    onRequest()
+    onRequest(request)
   }
   let watcher: FSWatcher | null = null
   try {
@@ -98,17 +97,24 @@ export function installOrcadStopRequestListeners(
   }
 ): OrcadStopRequestListener {
   const pollIntervalMs = options.pollIntervalMs ?? DEFAULT_POLL_INTERVAL_MS
-  const listeners = [
+  // Declared first: a listener's initial check can consume a request and close before returning.
+  const listeners: OrcadStopRequestListener[] = []
+  const close = (): void => {
+    for (const listener of listeners) {
+      listener.close()
+    }
+  }
+  listeners.push(
     listenForRequest(
       join(options.installRoot, ORCAD_STOP_REQUEST_FILENAME),
       (path) => {
         unlinkSync(path)
         return true
       },
-      onRequest,
+      () => onRequest(),
       pollIntervalMs
     )
-  ]
+  )
   const managedStop = options.managedStop
   if (managedStop) {
     const prepare = options.beforeManagedStop ?? (async () => {})
@@ -121,6 +127,9 @@ export function installOrcadStopRequestListeners(
           if (claimOrcadManagedStopDecision(request, 'dispatched') === 'canceled') {
             throw new Error('orcad_managed_stop_canceled')
           }
+          return request
+        },
+        (request) => {
           close()
           // Preparation is best effort: whatever it reports, the stop proceeds.
           void prepare(request)
@@ -128,17 +137,10 @@ export function installOrcadStopRequestListeners(
               console.error('[orcad] managed stop preparation failed:', error)
             )
             .finally(onRequest)
-          return false
         },
-        onRequest,
         pollIntervalMs
       )
     )
   }
-  const close = (): void => {
-    for (const listener of listeners) {
-      listener.close()
-    }
-  }
   return { close }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/mobile-session-editor-projection.ts b/src/main/runtime/mobile-session-editor-projection.ts
index 8510e6cc47d..a88e633dd41 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/mobile-session-editor-projection.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/mobile-session-editor-projection.ts
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ function editorTab(
   return { ...common, type: 'file', language: file.language, mode: 'edit' }
 }
 
+export const HEADLESS_EDITOR_UNSAVED_DRAFT_ERROR = 'editor_tab_has_unsaved_draft'
+
 export function buildHeadlessMobileSessionEditorTabs(
   worktreeId: string,
   session: WorkspaceSessionState
@@ -73,12 +75,18 @@ export function buildHeadlessMobileSessionEditorTabs(
 export function retireHeadlessEditorTab(
   session: WorkspaceSessionState,
   worktreeId: string,
-  tab: Pick<HeadlessEditorTab, 'id' | 'filePath'>
+  tab: Pick<HeadlessEditorTab, 'id' | 'filePath'>,
+  force = false
 ): WorkspaceSessionState | null {
   const files = session.openFilesByWorktree?.[worktreeId] ?? []
-  if (!files.some((file) => file.filePath === tab.filePath)) {
+  const file = files.find((candidate) => candidate.filePath === tab.filePath)
+  if (!file) {
     return null
   }
+  // No window here can prompt to save, and the draft lives nowhere else.
+  if (file.dirtyDraftContent !== undefined && !force) {
+    throw new Error(HEADLESS_EDITOR_UNSAVED_DRAFT_ERROR)
+  }
   const unifiedTabId = editorUnifiedTab(session, worktreeId, tab.filePath)?.id ?? tab.id
   const withoutTab = (ids: readonly string[] | undefined): string[] | undefined =>
     ids?.filter((id) => id !== unifiedTabId)
@@ -127,12 +135,13 @@ export type HeadlessEditorRetirementHost = {
 export function retireHeadlessMobileSessionEditorTab(
   host: HeadlessEditorRetirementHost,
   worktreeId: string,
-  tab: { id: string; type: string; filePath?: string }
+  tab: { id: string; type: string; filePath?: string },
+  force = false
 ): boolean {
   const session = host.getWorkspaceSessionForWorktree(worktreeId)
   const next =
     session && (tab.type === 'markdown' || tab.type === 'file') && tab.filePath
-      ? retireHeadlessEditorTab(session, worktreeId, { id: tab.id, filePath: tab.filePath })
+      ? retireHeadlessEditorTab(session, worktreeId, { id: tab.id, filePath: tab.filePath }, force)
       : null
   if (!next) {
     return false
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-close-mobile-session-tab.ts b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-close-mobile-session-tab.ts
index 3afcb4b23b3..2bfeaec2add 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-close-mobile-session-tab.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-close-mobile-session-tab.ts
@@ -306,14 +306,12 @@ export class OrcaRuntimeWithCloseMobileSessionTab extends OrcaRuntimeWithRefuseU
         tab,
         structuredAgentSessionTabCloseCause(options.reason)
       )
-    } else {
-      if (!this.notifier?.closeSessionTab) {
-        // Why: a headless host listed this editor from its own session, so it retires it there.
-        if (!retireHeadlessMobileSessionEditorTab(this, worktreeId, tab)) {
-          throw new Error('runtime_unavailable')
-        }
-        return finishCommittedClose()
+    } else if (!this.notifier?.closeSessionTab) {
+      // Why: a headless host listed this editor from its own session, so it retires it there.
+      if (!retireHeadlessMobileSessionEditorTab(this, worktreeId, tab, options.force)) {
+        throw new Error('runtime_unavailable')
       }
+    } else {
       await this.notifier.closeSessionTab(tab.id, worktreeId)
     }
     return finishCommittedClose()
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-migration-catalog.ts b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-migration-catalog.ts
index 2a5f6bd3174..3e34bf1a6fa 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-migration-catalog.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-migration-catalog.ts
@@ -2,133 +2,117 @@ import type {
   OrcadMigrationCatalogAbortResult,
   OrcadMigrationCatalogState,
   OrcadMigrationImportResult,
-  OrcadMigrationManifest
-} from '../../shared/orcad-migration-manifest'
+  OrcadMigrationManifest,
+} from "../../shared/orcad-migration-manifest";
 import type {
   OrcadMigrationSnapshotChunkRequest,
-  OrcadMigrationSnapshotChunkResult
-} from '../../shared/orcad-migration-scrollback'
+  OrcadMigrationSnapshotChunkResult,
+} from "../../shared/orcad-migration-scrollback";
 import {
   abortStagedOrcadMigrationCatalogDurably,
   commitStagedOrcadMigrationCatalogDurably,
   getOrcadMigrationCatalogState,
   importOrcadMigrationCatalogDurably,
-  stageOrcadMigrationCatalogDurably
-} from './orcad-migration-catalog-import'
-import { OrcaRuntimeWithResolveWaiter } from './orca-runtime-resolve-waiter'
+  stageOrcadMigrationCatalogDurably,
+} from "./orcad-migration-catalog-import";
+import { OrcaRuntimeWithResolveWaiter } from "./orca-runtime-resolve-waiter";
+import type { RuntimeStore } from "./runtime-store-contract";
+import type { Store } from "../persistence";
 
 /** The destination half of a dormant catalog migration; every mutation is flushed before it answers. */
 export class OrcaRuntimeWithMigrationCatalog extends OrcaRuntimeWithResolveWaiter {
   async importOrcadMigrationCatalog(
     manifest: OrcadMigrationManifest,
-    options: { signal?: AbortSignal } = {}
+    options: { signal?: AbortSignal } = {},
   ): Promise<OrcadMigrationImportResult> {
-    const store = this.store
-    const importCatalog = store?.importOrcadMigrationCatalog
-    const flushPending = store?.flushPendingOrThrowAsync
-    if (!store || !importCatalog || !flushPending) {
-      throw new Error('runtime_unavailable')
-    }
     return importOrcadMigrationCatalogDurably({
-      store: {
-        importOrcadMigrationCatalog: (input, inputOptions) =>
-          importCatalog.call(store, input, inputOptions),
-        flushPendingOrThrowAsync: (flushOptions) => flushPending.call(store, flushOptions)
-      },
+      store: this.requireMigrationStore(
+        "importOrcadMigrationCatalog",
+        "flushPendingOrThrowAsync",
+      ),
       manifest,
       signal: options.signal,
       onDurableImport: () => {
-        this.invalidateResolvedWorktreeCache()
-        this.notifyReposChanged()
-      }
-    })
+        this.invalidateResolvedWorktreeCache();
+        this.notifyReposChanged();
+      },
+    });
   }
 
   async stageOrcadMigrationCatalog(
     manifest: OrcadMigrationManifest,
-    options: { signal?: AbortSignal } = {}
+    options: { signal?: AbortSignal } = {},
   ): Promise<OrcadMigrationCatalogState> {
-    const store = this.store
-    const stage = store?.stageOrcadMigrationCatalog
-    const flush = store?.flushPendingOrThrowAsync
-    if (!store || !stage || !flush) {
-      throw new Error('runtime_unavailable')
-    }
     return stageOrcadMigrationCatalogDurably({
-      store: {
-        stageOrcadMigrationCatalog: (input, inputOptions) => stage.call(store, input, inputOptions),
-        flushPendingOrThrowAsync: (flushOptions) => flush.call(store, flushOptions)
-      },
+      store: this.requireMigrationStore(
+        "stageOrcadMigrationCatalog",
+        "flushPendingOrThrowAsync",
+      ),
       manifest,
-      signal: options.signal
-    })
+      signal: options.signal,
+    });
   }
 
   async commitStagedOrcadMigrationCatalog(
     manifest: OrcadMigrationManifest,
-    options: { signal?: AbortSignal } = {}
+    options: { signal?: AbortSignal } = {},
   ): Promise<OrcadMigrationCatalogState> {
-    const store = this.store
-    const commit = store?.commitStagedOrcadMigrationCatalog
-    const flush = store?.flushPendingOrThrowAsync
-    if (!store || !commit || !flush) {
-      throw new Error('runtime_unavailable')
-    }
     return commitStagedOrcadMigrationCatalogDurably({
-      store: {
-        commitStagedOrcadMigrationCatalog: (input, inputOptions) =>
-          commit.call(store, input, inputOptions),
-        flushPendingOrThrowAsync: (flushOptions) => flush.call(store, flushOptions)
-      },
+      store: this.requireMigrationStore(
+        "commitStagedOrcadMigrationCatalog",
+        "flushPendingOrThrowAsync",
+      ),
       manifest,
       signal: options.signal,
       onDurableCommit: () => {
-        this.invalidateResolvedWorktreeCache()
-        this.notifyReposChanged()
-      }
-    })
+        this.invalidateResolvedWorktreeCache();
+        this.notifyReposChanged();
+      },
+    });
   }
 
   stageOrcadMigrationSnapshotChunk(
-    request: OrcadMigrationSnapshotChunkRequest
+    request: OrcadMigrationSnapshotChunkRequest,
   ): OrcadMigrationSnapshotChunkResult {
-    const store = this.store
-    const stageChunk = store?.stageOrcadMigrationSnapshotChunk
-    if (!store || !stageChunk) {
-      throw new Error('runtime_unavailable')
-    }
-    return stageChunk.call(store, request)
+    return this.requireMigrationStore(
+      "stageOrcadMigrationSnapshotChunk",
+    ).stageOrcadMigrationSnapshotChunk(request);
   }
 
   async abortStagedOrcadMigrationCatalog(
     manifest: OrcadMigrationManifest,
-    options: { signal?: AbortSignal } = {}
+    options: { signal?: AbortSignal } = {},
   ): Promise<OrcadMigrationCatalogAbortResult> {
-    const store = this.store
-    const abort = store?.abortStagedOrcadMigrationCatalog
-    const flush = store?.flushPendingOrThrowAsync
-    if (!store || !abort || !flush) {
-      throw new Error('runtime_unavailable')
-    }
     return abortStagedOrcadMigrationCatalogDurably({
-      store: {
-        abortStagedOrcadMigrationCatalog: (input) => abort.call(store, input),
-        flushPendingOrThrowAsync: (flushOptions) => flush.call(store, flushOptions)
-      },
+      store: this.requireMigrationStore(
+        "abortStagedOrcadMigrationCatalog",
+        "flushPendingOrThrowAsync",
+      ),
       manifest,
-      signal: options.signal
-    })
+      signal: options.signal,
+    });
   }
 
-  getOrcadMigrationCatalogState(manifest: OrcadMigrationManifest): OrcadMigrationCatalogState {
-    const store = this.store
-    const readState = store?.getOrcadMigrationCatalogState
-    if (!store || !readState) {
-      throw new Error('runtime_unavailable')
-    }
+  getOrcadMigrationCatalogState(
+    manifest: OrcadMigrationManifest,
+  ): OrcadMigrationCatalogState {
     return getOrcadMigrationCatalogState({
-      store: { getOrcadMigrationCatalogState: (input) => readState.call(store, input) },
-      manifest
-    })
+      store: this.requireMigrationStore("getOrcadMigrationCatalogState"),
+      manifest,
+    });
+  }
+
+  /** A partial store (tests, headless hosts) lacks some optional methods; refuse rather than half-run. */
+  private requireMigrationStore<K extends keyof RuntimeStore & keyof Store>(
+    ...methods: K[]
+  ): Pick<Store, K> {
+    const store = this.store;
+    if (
+      !store ||
+      methods.some((method) => typeof store[method] !== "function")
+    ) {
+      throw new Error("runtime_unavailable");
+    }
+    return this.requireStore();
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-tests/mobile-session-tabs-part-14.spec.ts b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-tests/mobile-session-tabs-part-14.spec.ts
index 0798c3bfd30..672e75abec1 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-tests/mobile-session-tabs-part-14.spec.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-tests/mobile-session-tabs-part-14.spec.ts
@@ -97,4 +97,22 @@ describe('editor tabs a headless host persisted', () => {
     expect(getSession().unifiedTabs?.[TEST_WORKTREE_ID]).toEqual([])
     expect((await runtime.listMobileSessionTabs(`id:${TEST_WORKTREE_ID}`)).tabs).toEqual([])
   })
+
+  it('keeps an unsaved draft unless the close is forced', async () => {
+    const session = sessionWithMigratedEditor()
+    const [file] = session.openFilesByWorktree?.[TEST_WORKTREE_ID] ?? []
+    session.openFilesByWorktree = { [TEST_WORKTREE_ID]: [{ ...file, dirtyDraftContent: 'draft' }] }
+    const { runtime, getSession } = headlessRuntime(session)
+    await runtime.listMobileSessionTabs(`id:${TEST_WORKTREE_ID}`)
+
+    await expect(
+      runtime.closeMobileSessionTab(`id:${TEST_WORKTREE_ID}`, 'tab-readme')
+    ).rejects.toThrow('editor_tab_has_unsaved_draft')
+    expect(getSession().openFilesByWorktree?.[TEST_WORKTREE_ID]?.[0]?.dirtyDraftContent).toBe(
+      'draft'
+    )
+
+    await runtime.closeMobileSessionTab(`id:${TEST_WORKTREE_ID}`, 'tab-readme', { force: true })
+    expect(getSession().openFilesByWorktree?.[TEST_WORKTREE_ID]).toEqual([])
+  })
 })
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/rpc/websocket-transport-limits.ts b/src/main/runtime/rpc/websocket-transport-limits.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index e2e0b3d16ce..00000000000
--- a/src/main/runtime/rpc/websocket-transport-limits.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,5 +0,0 @@
-export const WEBSOCKET_TRANSPORT_MAX_MESSAGE_BYTES = 1024 * 1024
-// Why: one desktop remote-host client can hold many concurrent streams, so keep the cap high enough that stale streams don't starve control RPCs.
-export const WEBSOCKET_TRANSPORT_MAX_CONNECTIONS = 128
-// Why: bound pre-upgrade descriptor use above the WS cap so raw sockets can't grow without bound.
-export const WEBSOCKET_TRANSPORT_MAX_TCP_CONNECTIONS = WEBSOCKET_TRANSPORT_MAX_CONNECTIONS * 2
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/rpc/ws-transport.ts b/src/main/runtime/rpc/ws-transport.ts
index 81e76b1bb09..8ef083ff81a 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/rpc/ws-transport.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/rpc/ws-transport.ts
@@ -13,11 +13,12 @@ import {
   type WebSocketMessageHandler
 } from './node-websocket-lifecycle'
 import { RemoteRuntimeServerHeartbeat } from './remote-runtime-server-heartbeat'
-import {
-  WEBSOCKET_TRANSPORT_MAX_CONNECTIONS,
-  WEBSOCKET_TRANSPORT_MAX_MESSAGE_BYTES,
-  WEBSOCKET_TRANSPORT_MAX_TCP_CONNECTIONS
-} from './websocket-transport-limits'
+
+const WEBSOCKET_TRANSPORT_MAX_MESSAGE_BYTES = 1024 * 1024
+// Why: one desktop remote-host client can hold many concurrent streams, so keep the cap high enough that stale streams don't starve control RPCs.
+const WEBSOCKET_TRANSPORT_MAX_CONNECTIONS = 128
+// Why: bound pre-upgrade descriptor use above the WS cap so raw sockets can't grow without bound.
+const WEBSOCKET_TRANSPORT_MAX_TCP_CONNECTIONS = WEBSOCKET_TRANSPORT_MAX_CONNECTIONS * 2
 
 const PRE_AUTH_TIMEOUT_MS = 10_000
 
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/runtime-worktree-ps-unverifiable-terminals.test.ts b/src/main/runtime/runtime-worktree-ps-unverifiable-terminals.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8696b75ceba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/runtime/runtime-worktree-ps-unverifiable-terminals.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+import type { RuntimeWorktreePsSummary } from '../../shared/runtime-types'
+import { applyRuntimeWorktreePsUnverifiableTerminals } from './runtime-worktree-ps-unverifiable-terminals'
+
+describe('unverifiable terminal attribution', () => {
+  it('follows the host PTY record, not a stale pane, as the live pass does', () => {
+    const summaries = new Map<string, Partial<RuntimeWorktreePsSummary>>([
+      ['wt-old', {}],
+      ['wt-new', {}]
+    ])
+    applyRuntimeWorktreePsUnverifiableTerminals({
+      // oxlint-disable-next-line typescript/consistent-type-assertions -- SAFETY: only the counters this pass writes are read back.
+      summaries: summaries as Map<string, RuntimeWorktreePsSummary>,
+      // oxlint-disable-next-line typescript/consistent-type-assertions -- SAFETY: getSummary below ignores the index.
+      pathIndex: {} as never,
+      missingIds: new Set(),
+      countedPtyIds: new Set(),
+      // oxlint-disable-next-line typescript/consistent-type-assertions -- SAFETY: the pass reads only ptyId and worktreeId.
+      leaves: [{ ptyId: 'pty-1', worktreeId: 'wt-old' } as never],
+      // oxlint-disable-next-line typescript/consistent-type-assertions -- SAFETY: the pass reads only ptyId and worktreeId.
+      ptysById: new Map([['pty-1', { ptyId: 'pty-1', worktreeId: 'wt-new' } as never]]),
+      getLivenessVerdict: () => ({ status: 'unverifiable', reason: 'lost contact' }),
+      getSummary: (all, _index, _missing, worktreeId) => all.get(worktreeId) ?? null
+    })
+    expect(summaries.get('wt-new')?.unverifiableTerminalCount).toBe(1)
+    expect(summaries.get('wt-old')?.unverifiableTerminalCount).toBeUndefined()
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/runtime-worktree-ps-unverifiable-terminals.ts b/src/main/runtime/runtime-worktree-ps-unverifiable-terminals.ts
index 8a4ffed2bba..23ee5dcab07 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/runtime-worktree-ps-unverifiable-terminals.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/runtime-worktree-ps-unverifiable-terminals.ts
@@ -23,18 +23,16 @@ export function applyRuntimeWorktreePsUnverifiableTerminals(args: {
     worktreeId: string
   ) => RuntimeWorktreePsSummary | null
 }): void {
-  // The renderer's pane owns the PTY's worktree; the record is the fallback once no pane holds it.
+  // Like the live pass, the host's PTY record owns the worktree; a pane only fills in a PTY with no record.
   const ownerByPtyId = new Map<string, string>()
+  for (const pty of args.ptysById.values()) {
+    ownerByPtyId.set(pty.ptyId, pty.worktreeId)
+  }
   for (const leaf of args.leaves) {
     if (leaf.ptyId && !ownerByPtyId.has(leaf.ptyId)) {
       ownerByPtyId.set(leaf.ptyId, leaf.worktreeId)
     }
   }
-  for (const pty of args.ptysById.values()) {
-    if (!ownerByPtyId.has(pty.ptyId)) {
-      ownerByPtyId.set(pty.ptyId, pty.worktreeId)
-    }
-  }
   for (const [ptyId, worktreeId] of ownerByPtyId) {
     if (
       args.countedPtyIds.has(ptyId) ||
diff --git a/src/main/ssh/orcad-activation-gate.test.ts b/src/main/ssh/orcad-activation-gate.test.ts
index e3afdcd142e..43ca270448a 100644
--- a/src/main/ssh/orcad-activation-gate.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/ssh/orcad-activation-gate.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
 
 import { evaluateOrcadActivation } from './orcad-activation-gate'
+import { classifyOrcadHostUnavailable } from './orcad-host-unavailable'
 import type { ServeReadiness } from '../server/serve-readiness'
 import type { OrcadHealth, TerminalDaemonHealth } from '../orcad/orcad-health'
 
@@ -85,6 +86,8 @@ describe('evaluateOrcadActivation', () => {
       EXPECTED
     )
     expect(verdict).toMatchObject({ decision: 'reject', code: 'orcad_activation_daemon_absent' })
+    // A cold daemon start is transient: the host must stay eligible for the next connect's deploy.
+    expect(classifyOrcadHostUnavailable({ code: 'orcad_activation_daemon_absent' })).toBeNull()
   })
 
   it('refuses a degraded daemon, whose fresh terminals would not survive a restart', () => {
diff --git a/src/main/ssh/orcad-activation-gate.ts b/src/main/ssh/orcad-activation-gate.ts
index c9581919117..d514d6858e4 100644
--- a/src/main/ssh/orcad-activation-gate.ts
+++ b/src/main/ssh/orcad-activation-gate.ts
@@ -105,7 +105,8 @@ export function evaluateOrcadActivation(
       reason:
         'The candidate has no terminal daemon. Every terminal on this host would run in the ' +
         'orcad process and die with it, which is the exact regression the daemon exists to ' +
-        'prevent. Nothing was activated.'
+        "prevent. Nothing was activated; orcad.log carries the daemon's startup error, and " +
+        'the next connect retries.'
     }
   }
   if (daemon.state === 'degraded') {
diff --git a/src/main/startup/windows-app-data-path.test.ts b/src/main/startup/windows-app-data-path.test.ts
index 8cbff4f39dd..0304adfe5d1 100644
--- a/src/main/startup/windows-app-data-path.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/startup/windows-app-data-path.test.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,10 @@ import {
 
 const ERROR_MESSAGE = /could not find the Windows roaming AppData folder/
 
-function createHost(nativeAppData: string | Error): WindowsAppDataPathHost & {
+function createHost(
+  nativeAppData: string | Error,
+  switches: string[] = []
+): WindowsAppDataPathHost & {
   calls: string[]
   paths: Map<string, string>
 } {
@@ -21,6 +24,7 @@ function createHost(nativeAppData: string | Error): WindowsAppDataPathHost & {
     calls,
     paths,
     getName: () => 'orca',
+    commandLine: { hasSwitch: (name) => switches.includes(name) },
     getPath: (name) => {
       calls.push(`get:${name}`)
       const overridden = paths.get(name)
@@ -85,6 +89,12 @@ describe('ensureWindowsAppDataPath', () => {
     expect(host.paths.get('userData')).toBe('C:\\Users\\me\\AppData\\Roaming\\orca')
   })
 
+  it('leaves userData to an explicit --user-data-dir switch', () => {
+    const host = createHost('C:\\Users\\me\\AppData\\Roaming', ['user-data-dir'])
+    ensureWindowsAppDataPath(host, {}, 'win32')
+    expect(host.calls).toEqual(['get:appData'])
+  })
+
   it('creates and sets appData from the environment before userData when the lookup throws', () => {
     // Why a real dir: the fallback must mkdir a folder that a profile-less session never created.
     const root = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'orca-appdata-'))
diff --git a/src/main/startup/windows-app-data-path.ts b/src/main/startup/windows-app-data-path.ts
index 04e29d2dfc7..065d07de0cd 100644
--- a/src/main/startup/windows-app-data-path.ts
+++ b/src/main/startup/windows-app-data-path.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ export type WindowsAppDataPathHost = {
   getPath(name: 'appData'): string
   setPath(name: 'appData' | 'userData', value: string): void
   getName(): string
+  commandLine: { hasSwitch(name: string): boolean }
 }
 
 /** Derives the roaming AppData folder from the environment when the known-folder lookup fails. */
@@ -50,6 +51,10 @@ export function ensureWindowsAppDataPath(
     mkdirSync(appData, { recursive: true })
     host.setPath('appData', appData)
   }
+  // Electron already resolved userData from an explicit switch; pinning it would override that.
+  if (host.commandLine.hasSwitch('user-data-dir')) {
+    return
+  }
   // Same value Electron's own provider computes; setting it skips that provider entirely.
   host.setPath('userData', win32.join(appData, host.getName()))
 }