diff --git a/src/main/ssh/ssh-relay-deploy.ts b/src/main/ssh/ssh-relay-deploy.ts
index fc65af35c0a..18c013ed779 100644
--- a/src/main/ssh/ssh-relay-deploy.ts
+++ b/src/main/ssh/ssh-relay-deploy.ts
@@ -826,7 +826,7 @@ async function probeRequiredNativeDeps(
           hostPlatform,
           nodePath,
           remoteDir,
-          `try { & ${powerShellLiteral(nodePath)} -e ${powerShellNativeArg(probeJs)} } catch { 'MISSING' }`
+          `try { & ${powerShellLiteral(nodePath)} -e ${powerShellNativeArg(probeJs)}; if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { 'MISSING' } } catch { 'MISSING' }`
         )
       : // Why: no `2>/dev/null` — it discarded the only line that says why node never reached the
         // script. stderr stays its own stream so it can't be mistaken for the verdict, mirroring
diff --git a/src/main/ssh/ssh-relay-exec-command.ts b/src/main/ssh/ssh-relay-exec-command.ts
index fb0a4fee012..bec41c8d43e 100644
--- a/src/main/ssh/ssh-relay-exec-command.ts
+++ b/src/main/ssh/ssh-relay-exec-command.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,16 @@ type SshCommandTerminationError = Error & {
   sshChannelCloseConfirmed: boolean
 }
 
+// Why: callers must tell "the host answered no" from "the host never answered". Matching the
+// message text is what let an unanswered probe be read as a definitive negative.
+export const SSH_EXEC_TIMEOUT_CODE = 'SSH_EXEC_TIMEOUT'
+
+export function isSshExecTimeout(error: unknown): boolean {
+  return (
+    error instanceof Error && (error as Partial<{ code: string }>).code === SSH_EXEC_TIMEOUT_CODE
+  )
+}
+
 export function isUnconfirmedSshCommandTermination(
   error: unknown
 ): error is SshCommandTerminationError {
@@ -164,8 +174,13 @@ export async function execCommand(
     }
     const timeout = setTimeout(() => {
       requestTermination(
-        new Error(
-          `Command "${redactRelayInstallMarkerTokens(command)}" timed out after ${timeoutMs / 1000}s`
+        Object.assign(
+          new Error(
+            `Command "${redactRelayInstallMarkerTokens(command)}" timed out after ${
+              timeoutMs / 1000
+            }s`
+          ),
+          { code: SSH_EXEC_TIMEOUT_CODE }
         )
       )
     }, timeoutMs)
diff --git a/src/main/ssh/ssh-relay-native-deps-install.test.ts b/src/main/ssh/ssh-relay-native-deps-install.test.ts
index 01625816170..edf19b1251b 100644
--- a/src/main/ssh/ssh-relay-native-deps-install.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/ssh/ssh-relay-native-deps-install.test.ts
@@ -394,6 +394,31 @@ describe('installNativeDeps (via deployAndLaunchRelay)', () => {
     }
   })
 
+  it('does not rewrite node_modules when the health probe never answered', async () => {
+    // Why (#14830): a wedged `require("node-pty")` makes the probe time out. Reading that silence
+    // as "every native dep is missing" sent a healthy install through npm install + rebuild that
+    // could not help, and the retry loop burned the whole deploy budget at "Deploying relay…".
+    const conn = makeMockConnection(sftpCapture)
+    vi.mocked(isRelayAlreadyInstalled).mockResolvedValue(true)
+    feed([
+      '__ORCA_REMOTE_PLATFORM__ Linux x86_64',
+      '/home/u',
+      { reject: 'Command "node -e ..." timed out after 30s' } // health probe never answered
+    ])
+
+    await deployAndLaunchRelay(conn).catch(() => {})
+
+    const execCalls = vi.mocked(execCommand).mock.calls.map(([, c]) => c)
+    expect(execCalls.some((c) => c.includes('npm install'))).toBe(false)
+    expect(execCalls.some((c) => c.includes('npm rebuild'))).toBe(false)
+
+    const warnMessages = warnSpy.mock.calls.map((args) => String(args[0] ?? ''))
+    expect(warnMessages.some((m) => m.includes('Repairing missing native deps'))).toBe(false)
+    // Why no log assertion: the behavioural claim above is the real one. Asserting on warn text
+    // pinned wording that main's landed probe verdict does not use, and #18000 adds its own.
+    expect(execCalls.some((c) => c.includes("rm -rf 'node_modules/node-pty'"))).toBe(false)
+  })
+
   it('lets a probe SSH-channel failure bubble up rather than silently mapping to MISSING', async () => {
     const conn = makeMockConnection(sftpCapture)
     feed(