diff --git a/src/main/ssh/ssh-relay-deploy.test.ts b/src/main/ssh/ssh-relay-deploy.test.ts
index 3134461fda1..d93fc3b8975 100644
--- a/src/main/ssh/ssh-relay-deploy.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/ssh/ssh-relay-deploy.test.ts
@@ -186,27 +186,6 @@ describe('deployAndLaunchRelay', () => {
     expect(progress).toContain('Starting relay...')
   })
 
-  it('does not launch fresh after unconfirmed stale-socket cleanup', async () => {
-    const conn = makeMockConnection()
-    const unconfirmedCleanup = Object.assign(new Error('socket cleanup still running'), {
-      sshChannelCloseConfirmed: false
-    })
-    vi.mocked(waitForSentinel).mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error('stale relay reconnect failed'))
-    vi.mocked(execCommand)
-      .mockResolvedValueOnce('__ORCA_REMOTE_PLATFORM__ Linux x86_64')
-      .mockResolvedValueOnce('/home/user')
-      .mockResolvedValueOnce('ORCA-NATIVE-DEPS-OK')
-      .mockResolvedValueOnce('') // launch namespace marker
-      .mockResolvedValueOnce('ALIVE')
-      .mockRejectedValueOnce(unconfirmedCleanup)
-
-    await expect(deployAndLaunchRelay(conn)).rejects.toBe(unconfirmedCleanup)
-
-    const commands = vi.mocked(conn.exec).mock.calls.map(([command]) => command)
-    expect(commands).toHaveLength(1)
-    expect(commands.some((command) => command.includes('--detached'))).toBe(false)
-  })
-
   it('resolves the remote node path once per deploy', async () => {
     const conn = makeMockConnection()
     const mockExecCommand = vi.mocked(execCommand)
diff --git a/src/main/ssh/ssh-relay-deploy.ts b/src/main/ssh/ssh-relay-deploy.ts
index 7590e9817f2..054d0edc8e2 100644
--- a/src/main/ssh/ssh-relay-deploy.ts
+++ b/src/main/ssh/ssh-relay-deploy.ts
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ import {
 import { detectRemoteHostPlatform } from './ssh-remote-platform-detection'
 import { powerShellCommand, powerShellLiteral, powerShellNativeArg } from './ssh-remote-powershell'
 import { relaySocketNameForInstanceId } from './ssh-relay-instance-id'
+import { isRelaySocketOwnerLiveError, removeUnownedRelaySocket } from './ssh-relay-socket-owner'
 import { isSshSessionLimitError } from './ssh-session-limit-error'
 import {
   isWindowsRelayPipePath,
@@ -1436,22 +1437,20 @@ async function launchRelay(
       } catch (err) {
         signal?.throwIfAborted()
         console.warn(
-          '[ssh-relay] Socket reconnect failed, launching fresh relay:',
+          '[ssh-relay] Socket reconnect failed:',
           err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err)
         )
-        // Why: stale socket from a crashed relay — remove it so the fresh launch can bind at the same path.
-        await execCommand(conn, `rm -f ${shellEscape(sockFile)}`, { signal }).catch(
-          (cleanupErr) => {
-            if (isUnconfirmedSshCommandTermination(cleanupErr)) {
-              throw cleanupErr
-            }
-          }
-        )
-        signal?.throwIfAborted()
+        // Why: a refused --connect is loss of contact, never proof the relay died, so the socket is
+        // removed only once a probe shows nothing is listening. Unlinking a live owner's path cannot
+        // stop it — it just hides it from the fresh launch's EADDRINUSE check and orphans it and its
+        // PTYs forever (STA-1756). See docs/reference/ssh-execution-boundary.md.
+        await removeUnownedRelaySocket(conn, nodePath, sockFile, { signal, cause: err })
       }
     }
   } catch (err) {
-    if (isUnconfirmedSshCommandTermination(err)) {
+    if (isUnconfirmedSshCommandTermination(err) || isRelaySocketOwnerLiveError(err)) {
+      // Why rethrow: falling through would launch a fresh relay over a socket path whose
+      // owner is still listening, which is exactly the displacement this branch refused.
       throw err
     }
     signal?.throwIfAborted()
diff --git a/src/main/ssh/ssh-relay-live-daemon-harness.ts b/src/main/ssh/ssh-relay-live-daemon-harness.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..dea87d8e2a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/ssh/ssh-relay-live-daemon-harness.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,279 @@
+// Runs real relay daemons on the host that runs the test, so socket-ownership
+// claims are settled by actual processes rather than by mocked exec output.
+//
+// Needs `pnpm build:relay` — callers skip when relayBundleDirForHost() is null.
+
+import { spawn, type ChildProcess } from 'node:child_process'
+import { randomBytes } from 'node:crypto'
+import { EventEmitter } from 'node:events'
+import { cpSync, existsSync, mkdirSync, symlinkSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs'
+import { connect } from 'node:net'
+import { join } from 'node:path'
+import type { SshConnection } from './ssh-connection'
+
+const FRAME_HEADER_BYTES = 13
+const MESSAGE_TYPE_REGULAR = 1
+
+export function relayBundleDirForHost(repoRoot: string): string | null {
+  const dir = join(repoRoot, 'out', 'relay', `${process.platform}-${process.arch}`)
+  return existsSync(join(dir, 'relay.js')) ? dir : null
+}
+
+export function delay(ms: number): Promise<void> {
+  return new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, ms))
+}
+
+export function isProcessAlive(pid: number): boolean {
+  try {
+    process.kill(pid, 0)
+    return true
+  } catch {
+    return false
+  }
+}
+
+export class LiveRelayFixture {
+  readonly sockPath: string
+  readonly credentialFile: string
+  private readonly children = new Set<ChildProcess>()
+  private readonly daemonPids = new Set<number>()
+
+  constructor(
+    readonly relayDir: string,
+    bundleDir: string,
+    repoRoot: string
+  ) {
+    mkdirSync(relayDir, { recursive: true })
+    cpSync(bundleDir, relayDir, { recursive: true })
+    // Why: node-pty is external to the relay bundle and must resolve beside relay.js.
+    symlinkSync(join(repoRoot, 'node_modules'), join(relayDir, 'node_modules'))
+    this.sockPath = join(relayDir, 'relay-ownership.sock')
+    this.credentialFile = join(relayDir, 'relay-ownership.credential')
+    writeFileSync(this.credentialFile, randomBytes(32).toString('base64url'), { mode: 0o600 })
+  }
+
+  /** Launch a detached daemon exactly as ssh-relay-deploy does: --detached --grace-time 0. */
+  launchDaemon(label: string): ChildProcess {
+    const child = spawn(
+      process.execPath,
+      [
+        join(this.relayDir, 'relay.js'),
+        '--detached',
+        '--grace-time',
+        '0',
+        '--sock-path',
+        this.sockPath,
+        '--credential-file',
+        this.credentialFile,
+        '--log-file',
+        join(this.relayDir, `relay-${label}.log`)
+      ],
+      {
+        cwd: this.relayDir,
+        detached: true,
+        stdio: 'ignore',
+        env: { ...process.env, ORCA_DISABLE_MACOS_LOGIN_SHELL: '1' }
+      }
+    )
+    child.unref()
+    if (child.pid) {
+      this.daemonPids.add(child.pid)
+    }
+    this.children.add(child)
+    return child
+  }
+
+  /** 'READY' when a listener accepted, otherwise the connect error code. */
+  connectProbe(): Promise<string> {
+    return new Promise((resolve) => {
+      const sock = connect(this.sockPath)
+      sock.once('connect', () => {
+        sock.destroy()
+        resolve('READY')
+      })
+      sock.once('error', (err: NodeJS.ErrnoException) => resolve(err.code ?? 'ERROR'))
+    })
+  }
+
+  async waitForSocket(timeoutMs = 20_000): Promise<boolean> {
+    const start = Date.now()
+    while (Date.now() - start < timeoutMs) {
+      if ((await this.connectProbe()) === 'READY') {
+        return true
+      }
+      await delay(100)
+    }
+    return false
+  }
+
+  openBridge(): RelayBridge {
+    const bridge = new RelayBridge(this.relayDir, this.sockPath, this.credentialFile)
+    this.children.add(bridge.process)
+    return bridge
+  }
+
+  dispose(): void {
+    for (const child of this.children) {
+      try {
+        child.kill('SIGKILL')
+      } catch {
+        /* already gone */
+      }
+    }
+    for (const pid of this.daemonPids) {
+      try {
+        process.kill(pid, 'SIGKILL')
+      } catch {
+        /* already gone */
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+/** A `relay.js --connect` bridge, driven over its stdio like the SSH exec channel does. */
+export class RelayBridge {
+  readonly process: ChildProcess
+  private buffer = Buffer.alloc(0)
+  private sentinelSeen = false
+  private nextId = 1
+  private readonly pending = new Map<
+    number,
+    { resolve: (value: never) => void; reject: (error: Error) => void }
+  >()
+
+  constructor(relayDir: string, sockPath: string, credentialFile: string) {
+    this.process = spawn(
+      process.execPath,
+      [
+        join(relayDir, 'relay.js'),
+        '--connect',
+        '--sock-path',
+        sockPath,
+        '--credential-file',
+        credentialFile
+      ],
+      { cwd: relayDir, stdio: ['pipe', 'pipe', 'pipe'] }
+    )
+    this.process.stderr?.resume()
+    this.process.stdout?.on('data', (chunk: Buffer) => this.ingest(chunk))
+  }
+
+  private ingest(chunk: Buffer): void {
+    this.buffer = Buffer.concat([this.buffer, chunk])
+    if (!this.sentinelSeen) {
+      const newline = this.buffer.indexOf('\n')
+      if (newline === -1) {
+        return
+      }
+      this.sentinelSeen = true
+      this.buffer = this.buffer.subarray(newline + 1)
+    }
+    while (this.buffer.length >= FRAME_HEADER_BYTES) {
+      const length = this.buffer.readUInt32BE(9)
+      if (this.buffer.length < FRAME_HEADER_BYTES + length) {
+        return
+      }
+      const type = this.buffer[0]
+      const payload = this.buffer.subarray(FRAME_HEADER_BYTES, FRAME_HEADER_BYTES + length)
+      this.buffer = this.buffer.subarray(FRAME_HEADER_BYTES + length)
+      if (type !== MESSAGE_TYPE_REGULAR) {
+        continue
+      }
+      let message: { id?: number; result?: unknown; error?: unknown }
+      try {
+        message = JSON.parse(payload.toString('utf-8'))
+      } catch {
+        continue
+      }
+      const waiter = message.id === undefined ? undefined : this.pending.get(message.id)
+      if (!waiter || message.id === undefined) {
+        continue
+      }
+      this.pending.delete(message.id)
+      if (message.error) {
+        waiter.reject(new Error(JSON.stringify(message.error)))
+      } else {
+        waiter.resolve(message.result as never)
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  async waitForSentinel(timeoutMs = 20_000): Promise<void> {
+    const start = Date.now()
+    while (Date.now() - start < timeoutMs) {
+      if (this.sentinelSeen) {
+        return
+      }
+      await delay(50)
+    }
+    throw new Error('relay --connect never emitted its sentinel')
+  }
+
+  request<T>(method: string, params: Record<string, unknown> = {}, timeoutMs = 20_000): Promise<T> {
+    const id = this.nextId++
+    const payload = Buffer.from(JSON.stringify({ jsonrpc: '2.0', id, method, params }), 'utf-8')
+    const header = Buffer.alloc(FRAME_HEADER_BYTES)
+    header[0] = MESSAGE_TYPE_REGULAR
+    header.writeUInt32BE(0, 1)
+    header.writeUInt32BE(0, 5)
+    header.writeUInt32BE(payload.length, 9)
+    return new Promise<T>((resolve, reject) => {
+      const timer = setTimeout(() => {
+        this.pending.delete(id)
+        reject(new Error(`${method} timed out`))
+      }, timeoutMs)
+      this.pending.set(id, {
+        resolve: ((value: T) => {
+          clearTimeout(timer)
+          resolve(value)
+        }) as (value: never) => void,
+        reject: (error: Error) => {
+          clearTimeout(timer)
+          reject(error)
+        }
+      })
+      this.process.stdin?.write(Buffer.concat([header, payload]))
+    })
+  }
+
+  close(): void {
+    this.process.kill('SIGKILL')
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * An SshConnection whose exec runs on this machine, so production command
+ * strings and production execCommand parsing are both exercised for real.
+ */
+export function createLocalShellConnection(): SshConnection {
+  return {
+    usesSystemSshTransport: () => false,
+    canRunConcurrentExecCommands: () => true,
+    exec: (command: string) => Promise.resolve(createLocalShellChannel(command))
+  } as unknown as SshConnection
+}
+
+function createLocalShellChannel(command: string): EventEmitter & {
+  stderr: EventEmitter
+  close: () => void
+  resume: () => void
+} {
+  const channel = new EventEmitter() as EventEmitter & {
+    stderr: EventEmitter & { resume: () => void }
+    close: () => void
+    resume: () => void
+  }
+  const stderr = new EventEmitter() as EventEmitter & { resume: () => void }
+  stderr.resume = (): void => {}
+  channel.stderr = stderr
+  channel.resume = (): void => {}
+  const child = spawn('/bin/sh', ['-c', command])
+  channel.close = (): void => {
+    child.kill('SIGKILL')
+  }
+  child.stdout.on('data', (chunk: Buffer) => channel.emit('data', chunk))
+  child.stderr.on('data', (chunk: Buffer) => stderr.emit('data', chunk))
+  child.on('error', (error: Error) => channel.emit('error', error))
+  child.on('close', (code: number | null) => channel.emit('close', code ?? 0))
+  return channel
+}
diff --git a/src/main/ssh/ssh-relay-socket-displacement.test.ts b/src/main/ssh/ssh-relay-socket-displacement.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0ce93b56257
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/ssh/ssh-relay-socket-displacement.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,193 @@
+// STA-1756: a failed --connect used to `rm -f` the relay socket and launch a fresh
+// detached relay over the same path. Unlinking cannot stop a relay that already bound
+// that path — it only hides the live owner from the fresh launch's EADDRINUSE check,
+// so the old relay keeps running forever with its PTYs and every agent inside them.
+//
+// These pin the shipping wiring: deploy must not remove a socket, and must not launch
+// a replacement, unless the owner probe proves nothing is listening.
+
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+
+vi.mock('electron', () => ({
+  app: { getAppPath: () => '/mock/app' }
+}))
+
+vi.mock('fs', () => ({
+  existsSync: vi.fn().mockReturnValue(true),
+  readFileSync: vi.fn().mockReturnValue('0.1.0+abcdef012345')
+}))
+
+vi.mock('./relay-protocol', () => ({
+  RELAY_VERSION: '0.1.0',
+  RELAY_REMOTE_DIR: '.orca-remote',
+  parseUnameToRelayPlatform: vi.fn().mockReturnValue('linux-x64'),
+  RELAY_SENTINEL: 'ORCA-RELAY v0.1.0 READY\n',
+  RELAY_SENTINEL_TIMEOUT_MS: 10_000
+}))
+
+vi.mock('./ssh-relay-deploy-helpers', () => ({
+  uploadDirectory: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
+  waitForSentinel: vi.fn(),
+  isUnconfirmedSshCommandTermination: (error: unknown) =>
+    error instanceof Error &&
+    (error as Error & { sshChannelCloseConfirmed?: boolean }).sshChannelCloseConfirmed === false,
+  execCommand: vi.fn()
+}))
+
+vi.mock('./ssh-remote-node-resolution', () => ({
+  resolveRemoteNodePath: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue('/usr/bin/node')
+}))
+
+vi.mock('./ssh-relay-endpoint-credential', () => ({
+  writeRelayEndpointCredential: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined)
+}))
+
+vi.mock('./ssh-relay-versioned-install', () => ({
+  readLocalFullVersion: vi.fn().mockReturnValue('0.1.0+abcdef012345'),
+  computeRemoteRelayDir: (home: string, v: string) => `${home}/.orca-remote/relay-${v}`,
+  isRelayAlreadyInstalled: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(true),
+  finalizeInstall: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
+  abandonInstall: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
+  gcOldRelayVersions: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined)
+}))
+
+vi.mock('./ssh-relay-install-lock', () => ({
+  acquireInstallLock: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
+  RELAY_INSTALL_LOCK_NAME: '.install-lock'
+}))
+
+vi.mock('./ssh-relay-repair-lock', () => ({
+  tryAcquireRelayRepairLock: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue('acquired')
+}))
+
+import { deployAndLaunchRelay } from './ssh-relay-deploy'
+import { execCommand, waitForSentinel } from './ssh-relay-deploy-helpers'
+import { writeRelayEndpointCredential } from './ssh-relay-endpoint-credential'
+import { isRelaySocketOwnerLiveError } from './ssh-relay-socket-owner'
+import type { SshConnection } from './ssh-connection'
+
+function makeMockConnection(): SshConnection {
+  return {
+    canRunConcurrentExecCommands: vi.fn().mockReturnValue(true),
+    exec: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({
+      on: vi.fn(),
+      stderr: { on: vi.fn() },
+      stdin: {},
+      stdout: { on: vi.fn() },
+      close: vi.fn()
+    }),
+    writeFile: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
+    sftp: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({
+      mkdir: vi.fn((_p: string, cb: (err: Error | null) => void) => cb(null)),
+      end: vi.fn()
+    })
+  } as unknown as SshConnection
+}
+
+/** Queue the exec replies deploy makes before it decides what to do with an occupied socket. */
+function queueDeployUpToOccupiedSocket(): void {
+  vi.mocked(execCommand)
+    .mockResolvedValueOnce('__ORCA_REMOTE_PLATFORM__ Linux x86_64')
+    .mockResolvedValueOnce('/home/user')
+    .mockResolvedValueOnce('ORCA-NATIVE-DEPS-OK')
+    .mockResolvedValueOnce('') // launch namespace marker
+    .mockResolvedValueOnce('ALIVE') // test -S: a socket inode is present
+}
+
+function execCommands(): string[] {
+  return vi.mocked(execCommand).mock.calls.map(([, command]) => command)
+}
+
+function execChannelCommands(conn: SshConnection): string[] {
+  return vi.mocked(conn.exec).mock.calls.map(([command]) => command)
+}
+
+describe('deployAndLaunchRelay socket displacement', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.clearAllMocks()
+    // Why: an ordered queue drives the probes below; the default only absorbs the
+    // best-effort teardown commands deploy issues after the decision under test.
+    vi.mocked(execCommand).mockReset().mockResolvedValue('')
+    vi.mocked(waitForSentinel)
+      .mockReset()
+      .mockResolvedValue({ write: vi.fn(), onData: vi.fn(), onClose: vi.fn() } as never)
+  })
+
+  it('never removes or replaces a socket a live relay still owns', async () => {
+    const conn = makeMockConnection()
+    vi.mocked(waitForSentinel).mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error('relay reconnect refused'))
+    queueDeployUpToOccupiedSocket()
+    vi.mocked(execCommand).mockResolvedValueOnce('LIVE') // owner probe
+
+    await expect(deployAndLaunchRelay(conn)).rejects.toSatisfy(isRelaySocketOwnerLiveError)
+
+    expect(execCommands().some((command) => command.startsWith('rm -f'))).toBe(false)
+    expect(execChannelCommands(conn).some((command) => command.includes('--detached'))).toBe(false)
+    // Why: the credential is rotated per fresh launch, so writing one would lock the
+    // surviving relay out of every later --connect even if the socket were left alone.
+    expect(writeRelayEndpointCredential).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+
+  it('never removes or replaces a socket whose owner it could not probe', async () => {
+    const conn = makeMockConnection()
+    vi.mocked(waitForSentinel).mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error('relay reconnect refused'))
+    queueDeployUpToOccupiedSocket()
+    vi.mocked(execCommand).mockResolvedValueOnce('') // owner probe produced no verdict
+
+    await expect(deployAndLaunchRelay(conn)).rejects.toSatisfy(isRelaySocketOwnerLiveError)
+
+    expect(execCommands().some((command) => command.startsWith('rm -f'))).toBe(false)
+    expect(execChannelCommands(conn).some((command) => command.includes('--detached'))).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  it('still clears a stale socket whose owner is proven gone', async () => {
+    const conn = makeMockConnection()
+    vi.mocked(waitForSentinel)
+      .mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error('relay reconnect refused'))
+      .mockResolvedValue({ write: vi.fn(), onData: vi.fn(), onClose: vi.fn() } as never)
+    queueDeployUpToOccupiedSocket()
+    vi.mocked(execCommand)
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce('EXITED') // owner probe: connect refused
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce('') // rm -f
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce('READY') // socket readiness poll
+
+    await expect(deployAndLaunchRelay(conn)).resolves.toMatchObject({ nodePath: '/usr/bin/node' })
+
+    const removals = execCommands().filter((command) => command.startsWith('rm -f'))
+    expect(removals).toHaveLength(1)
+    expect(removals[0]).toContain('.sock')
+    expect(execChannelCommands(conn).some((command) => command.includes('--detached'))).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  // Moved here from ssh-relay-deploy.test.ts: the removal it guards now lives behind the owner probe.
+  it('does not launch fresh after unconfirmed stale-socket cleanup', async () => {
+    const conn = makeMockConnection()
+    const unconfirmedCleanup = Object.assign(new Error('socket cleanup still running'), {
+      sshChannelCloseConfirmed: false
+    })
+    vi.mocked(waitForSentinel).mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error('stale relay reconnect failed'))
+    queueDeployUpToOccupiedSocket()
+    vi.mocked(execCommand)
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce('EXITED') // owner probe
+      .mockRejectedValueOnce(unconfirmedCleanup)
+
+    await expect(deployAndLaunchRelay(conn)).rejects.toBe(unconfirmedCleanup)
+
+    expect(execChannelCommands(conn)).toHaveLength(1)
+    expect(execChannelCommands(conn).some((command) => command.includes('--detached'))).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  it('probes the socket by connecting to it, not by testing the inode again', async () => {
+    const conn = makeMockConnection()
+    vi.mocked(waitForSentinel).mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error('relay reconnect refused'))
+    queueDeployUpToOccupiedSocket()
+    vi.mocked(execCommand).mockResolvedValueOnce('LIVE')
+
+    await expect(deployAndLaunchRelay(conn)).rejects.toSatisfy(isRelaySocketOwnerLiveError)
+
+    const ownerProbe = execCommands().at(-1) ?? ''
+    expect(ownerProbe).toContain('/usr/bin/node')
+    expect(ownerProbe).toContain('connect')
+    expect(ownerProbe).not.toContain('test -S')
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/main/ssh/ssh-relay-socket-owner.integration.test.ts b/src/main/ssh/ssh-relay-socket-owner.integration.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3e518efe3d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/ssh/ssh-relay-socket-owner.integration.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,128 @@
+// STA-1756 oracle, run against real relay daemons rather than mocked exec output.
+//
+// The reported defect: a failed `--connect` unlinked the relay socket and launched a
+// fresh detached relay over the same path. Unlinking cannot stop a daemon that already
+// bound that path, so the old relay stayed alive forever with its PTYs and every agent
+// inside them — invisible to the app, and never reaped (`--grace-time 0` arms no timer
+// while a PTY is held).
+//
+// The control case below is latest-main's behaviour: it performs the raw `rm -f` and
+// asserts the orphan appears. The guarded case asserts removeUnownedRelaySocket refuses
+// the same displacement, which restores the relay's own EADDRINUSE interlock.
+//
+// Requires `pnpm build:relay`; skipped when the bundle for this host is absent.
+
+import { mkdtempSync, rmSync, existsSync } from 'node:fs'
+import { tmpdir } from 'node:os'
+import { join } from 'node:path'
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+import {
+  LiveRelayFixture,
+  createLocalShellConnection,
+  delay,
+  isProcessAlive,
+  relayBundleDirForHost
+} from './ssh-relay-live-daemon-harness'
+import {
+  isRelaySocketOwnerLiveError,
+  probeRelaySocketOwner,
+  removeUnownedRelaySocket
+} from './ssh-relay-socket-owner'
+
+const REPO_ROOT = process.cwd()
+const BUNDLE_DIR = relayBundleDirForHost(REPO_ROOT)
+
+type RelayStatus = {
+  pid: number
+  ptys: { active: number }
+  socket: { path: string; owned: boolean; listening: boolean }
+}
+
+describe.skipIf(!BUNDLE_DIR || process.platform === 'win32')('relay socket ownership', () => {
+  let fixture: LiveRelayFixture | null = null
+  let root: string | null = null
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    fixture?.dispose()
+    fixture = null
+    if (root) {
+      rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true })
+      root = null
+    }
+  })
+
+  async function startRelayHoldingAPty(): Promise<{ fixture: LiveRelayFixture; pid: number }> {
+    root = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'orca-relay-ownership-'))
+    const live = new LiveRelayFixture(join(root, 'relay'), BUNDLE_DIR!, REPO_ROOT)
+    fixture = live
+    live.launchDaemon('incumbent')
+    expect(await live.waitForSocket()).toBe(true)
+
+    const bridge = live.openBridge()
+    await bridge.waitForSentinel()
+    await bridge.request('pty.spawn', { cwd: root, cols: 80, rows: 24 })
+    const status = await bridge.request<RelayStatus>('relay.status')
+    expect(status.ptys.active).toBe(1)
+    // Why: the app walking away is what starts the incumbent's grace window; with
+    // --grace-time 0 and a live PTY that window arms no timer, so nothing reaps it.
+    bridge.close()
+    await delay(500)
+    return { fixture: live, pid: status.pid }
+  }
+
+  it('reports a daemon that is listening as live, and a socket nobody holds as exited', async () => {
+    const { fixture: live, pid } = await startRelayHoldingAPty()
+    const conn = createLocalShellConnection()
+
+    await expect(probeRelaySocketOwner(conn, process.execPath, live.sockPath)).resolves.toBe('live')
+
+    // A crashed relay leaves the inode behind; that, and only that, is a stale socket.
+    process.kill(pid, 'SIGKILL')
+    await delay(500)
+    expect(existsSync(live.sockPath)).toBe(true)
+    await expect(probeRelaySocketOwner(conn, process.execPath, live.sockPath)).resolves.toBe(
+      'exited'
+    )
+  })
+
+  it('refuses to unlink the socket of a relay that still holds a PTY', async () => {
+    const { fixture: live, pid } = await startRelayHoldingAPty()
+    const conn = createLocalShellConnection()
+
+    await expect(removeUnownedRelaySocket(conn, process.execPath, live.sockPath)).rejects.toSatisfy(
+      isRelaySocketOwnerLiveError
+    )
+
+    expect(existsSync(live.sockPath)).toBe(true)
+    expect(isProcessAlive(pid)).toBe(true)
+
+    // The socket kept its owner, so a fresh daemon hits EADDRINUSE, finds a live
+    // listener, and refuses to start — the interlock the unconditional rm -f defeated.
+    live.launchDaemon('replacement')
+    await delay(2_000)
+    const bridge = live.openBridge()
+    await bridge.waitForSentinel()
+    const status = await bridge.request<RelayStatus>('relay.status')
+    expect(status.pid).toBe(pid)
+    expect(status.ptys.active).toBe(1)
+    bridge.close()
+  })
+
+  it('control: unlinking first orphans the incumbent relay and its PTY', async () => {
+    const { fixture: live, pid } = await startRelayHoldingAPty()
+
+    rmSync(live.sockPath, { force: true })
+    live.launchDaemon('replacement')
+    expect(await live.waitForSocket()).toBe(true)
+    const bridge = live.openBridge()
+    await bridge.waitForSentinel()
+    const status = await bridge.request<RelayStatus>('relay.status')
+
+    // The socket path now answers for a different daemon that owns no PTYs, while the
+    // incumbent is still running with the user's shell and no way to ever be reached.
+    expect(status.pid).not.toBe(pid)
+    expect(status.ptys.active).toBe(0)
+    expect(isProcessAlive(pid)).toBe(true)
+    bridge.close()
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/main/ssh/ssh-relay-socket-owner.test.ts b/src/main/ssh/ssh-relay-socket-owner.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..920a6247f6d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/ssh/ssh-relay-socket-owner.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+
+vi.mock('./ssh-relay-deploy-helpers', () => ({
+  execCommand: vi.fn(),
+  isUnconfirmedSshCommandTermination: (error: unknown) =>
+    error instanceof Error &&
+    (error as Error & { sshChannelCloseConfirmed?: boolean }).sshChannelCloseConfirmed === false
+}))
+
+import type { SshConnection } from './ssh-connection'
+import { execCommand } from './ssh-relay-deploy-helpers'
+import {
+  isRelaySocketOwnerLiveError,
+  parseRelaySocketOwnerProbe,
+  probeRelaySocketOwner,
+  relaySocketOwnerProbeCommand,
+  removeUnownedRelaySocket
+} from './ssh-relay-socket-owner'
+
+const SOCK = '/home/u/.orca-remote/relay-0.1.0+abc/relay-deadbeef.sock'
+const NODE = '/usr/bin/node'
+const conn = {} as SshConnection
+
+function commands(): string[] {
+  return vi.mocked(execCommand).mock.calls.map(([, command]) => command)
+}
+
+describe('relay socket owner probe', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.mocked(execCommand).mockReset()
+  })
+
+  it('probes by connecting, not by testing the inode', () => {
+    const command = relaySocketOwnerProbeCommand(NODE, SOCK)
+    expect(command).toContain('net')
+    expect(command).toContain('connect')
+    // Why: `test -S` is what the deploy probe already does, and it cannot tell a
+    // listening owner from an inode a crashed relay left behind.
+    expect(command).not.toContain('test -S')
+    expect(command).toContain(`'${SOCK}'`)
+  })
+
+  it('reads ECONNREFUSED and ENOENT as the only proof of an absent owner', () => {
+    expect(parseRelaySocketOwnerProbe('LIVE')).toBe('live')
+    expect(parseRelaySocketOwnerProbe('EXITED\n')).toBe('exited')
+    expect(parseRelaySocketOwnerProbe('UNVERIFIABLE')).toBe('unverifiable')
+  })
+
+  it('refuses to guess from ambiguous or empty probe output', () => {
+    expect(parseRelaySocketOwnerProbe('')).toBe('unverifiable')
+    expect(parseRelaySocketOwnerProbe('LIVE\nEXITED')).toBe('unverifiable')
+    expect(parseRelaySocketOwnerProbe('command not found: node')).toBe('unverifiable')
+  })
+
+  it('answers unverifiable when the probe cannot run at all', async () => {
+    vi.mocked(execCommand).mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error('channel open failure'))
+    await expect(probeRelaySocketOwner(conn, NODE, SOCK)).resolves.toBe('unverifiable')
+  })
+
+  it('propagates an abort instead of reporting a verdict', async () => {
+    const controller = new AbortController()
+    vi.mocked(execCommand).mockImplementationOnce(() => {
+      controller.abort()
+      return Promise.reject(new Error('aborted'))
+    })
+    await expect(probeRelaySocketOwner(conn, NODE, SOCK, controller.signal)).rejects.toThrow()
+  })
+})
+
+describe('removeUnownedRelaySocket', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.mocked(execCommand).mockReset()
+  })
+
+  it('removes the socket once the probe proves nothing is listening', async () => {
+    vi.mocked(execCommand).mockResolvedValueOnce('EXITED').mockResolvedValueOnce('')
+
+    await removeUnownedRelaySocket(conn, NODE, SOCK)
+
+    expect(commands()[1]).toBe(`rm -f '${SOCK}'`)
+  })
+
+  it('leaves the socket of a live owner in place', async () => {
+    vi.mocked(execCommand).mockResolvedValueOnce('LIVE')
+
+    await expect(removeUnownedRelaySocket(conn, NODE, SOCK)).rejects.toSatisfy(
+      isRelaySocketOwnerLiveError
+    )
+
+    expect(commands().some((command) => command.startsWith('rm -f'))).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  it('leaves the socket in place when ownership is merely unverifiable', async () => {
+    vi.mocked(execCommand).mockResolvedValueOnce('UNVERIFIABLE')
+
+    await expect(removeUnownedRelaySocket(conn, NODE, SOCK)).rejects.toSatisfy(
+      isRelaySocketOwnerLiveError
+    )
+
+    expect(commands().some((command) => command.startsWith('rm -f'))).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  it('rethrows an unconfirmed removal so no fresh relay launches over it', async () => {
+    const unconfirmed = Object.assign(new Error('socket cleanup still running'), {
+      sshChannelCloseConfirmed: false
+    })
+    vi.mocked(execCommand).mockResolvedValueOnce('EXITED').mockRejectedValueOnce(unconfirmed)
+
+    await expect(removeUnownedRelaySocket(conn, NODE, SOCK)).rejects.toBe(unconfirmed)
+  })
+
+  it('names the socket and the recovery action in the error', async () => {
+    vi.mocked(execCommand).mockResolvedValueOnce('LIVE')
+    const cause = new Error('handshake refused')
+
+    const error = await removeUnownedRelaySocket(conn, NODE, SOCK, { cause }).catch((err) => err)
+
+    expect(error.sockPath).toBe(SOCK)
+    expect(error.verdict).toBe('live')
+    expect(error.cause).toBe(cause)
+    expect(error.message).toContain('Reset remote relay')
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/main/ssh/ssh-relay-socket-owner.ts b/src/main/ssh/ssh-relay-socket-owner.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..666dfa6ad9b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/ssh/ssh-relay-socket-owner.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+import type { SshConnection } from './ssh-connection'
+import { shellEscape } from './ssh-connection-utils'
+import { execCommand, isUnconfirmedSshCommandTermination } from './ssh-relay-deploy-helpers'
+
+/**
+ * Who owns a relay socket path, as observed from the client.
+ *
+ * The vocabulary is pinned by docs/reference/ssh-execution-boundary.md:
+ * `exited` requires positive evidence of absence, and anything we could not
+ * observe stays `unverifiable` — never collapsed into either neighbour.
+ * Here the subject is the socket path: `exited` means the connect attempt was
+ * actively refused, so no process is listening at that path any more.
+ */
+export type RelaySocketOwnerVerdict = 'live' | 'exited' | 'unverifiable'
+
+const PROBE_TIMEOUT_MS = 3_000
+
+// Why: probe via node (guaranteed present on the host — it is what runs the relay)
+// rather than lsof/fuser/socat, which vary by distro and are often absent.
+// Why: `test -S` only proves the inode exists; a connect-and-close is the only
+// thing that separates a listening owner from an inode a crashed relay left behind.
+const RELAY_SOCKET_OWNER_PROBE_SCRIPT =
+  'var net=require("net"),done=false,' +
+  'say=function(v){if(done)return;done=true;clearTimeout(t);process.stdout.write(v);s.destroy()},' +
+  's=net.connect(process.argv[1]),' +
+  `t=setTimeout(function(){say("UNVERIFIABLE")},${PROBE_TIMEOUT_MS});` +
+  's.on("connect",function(){say("LIVE")});' +
+  's.on("error",function(e){say(e.code==="ECONNREFUSED"||e.code==="ENOENT"?"EXITED":"UNVERIFIABLE")})'
+
+export function relaySocketOwnerProbeCommand(nodePath: string, sockPath: string): string {
+  // Why: pass the socket path as argv[1] rather than interpolating it into -e, to dodge quoting issues.
+  return `${shellEscape(nodePath)} -e ${shellEscape(RELAY_SOCKET_OWNER_PROBE_SCRIPT)} ${shellEscape(sockPath)}`
+}
+
+export function parseRelaySocketOwnerProbe(output: string): RelaySocketOwnerVerdict {
+  const markers = new Set(
+    output
+      .split(/\r?\n/)
+      .map((line) => line.trim())
+      .filter((line) => line === 'LIVE' || line === 'EXITED' || line === 'UNVERIFIABLE')
+  )
+  if (markers.size !== 1) {
+    return 'unverifiable'
+  }
+  if (markers.has('LIVE')) {
+    return 'live'
+  }
+  return markers.has('EXITED') ? 'exited' : 'unverifiable'
+}
+
+export async function probeRelaySocketOwner(
+  conn: SshConnection,
+  nodePath: string,
+  sockPath: string,
+  signal?: AbortSignal
+): Promise<RelaySocketOwnerVerdict> {
+  try {
+    return parseRelaySocketOwnerProbe(
+      await execCommand(conn, relaySocketOwnerProbeCommand(nodePath, sockPath), { signal })
+    )
+  } catch {
+    // Why: a probe we could not run answers nothing about the owner, and the
+    // caller must not treat that silence as death.
+    signal?.throwIfAborted()
+    return 'unverifiable'
+  }
+}
+
+export class RelaySocketOwnerLiveError extends Error {
+  readonly name = 'RelaySocketOwnerLiveError'
+
+  constructor(
+    readonly sockPath: string,
+    readonly verdict: Exclude<RelaySocketOwnerVerdict, 'exited'>,
+    readonly cause?: unknown
+  ) {
+    super(
+      `Could not reach the relay at ${sockPath}, and its socket is ${
+        verdict === 'live' ? 'still owned by a running relay' : 'of unproven ownership'
+      }. Leaving it in place — replacing it would strand that relay and every terminal it holds. ` +
+        'Retry, or use "Reset remote relay" on the SSH target to stop it.'
+    )
+  }
+}
+
+export function isRelaySocketOwnerLiveError(err: unknown): err is RelaySocketOwnerLiveError {
+  return err instanceof RelaySocketOwnerLiveError
+}
+
+/**
+ * Remove a relay socket so a fresh daemon can bind the same path — but only
+ * once the probe proves nothing is listening there.
+ *
+ * Why this gate: unlinking cannot stop a relay that already bound the path. It
+ * only hides the live owner from the fresh launch's EADDRINUSE stale-socket
+ * check, which is the one interlock that refuses to displace a running daemon.
+ * A failed `--connect` is loss of contact, never proof of death (STA-1756).
+ */
+export async function removeUnownedRelaySocket(
+  conn: SshConnection,
+  nodePath: string,
+  sockPath: string,
+  options?: { signal?: AbortSignal; cause?: unknown }
+): Promise<void> {
+  const signal = options?.signal
+  const verdict = await probeRelaySocketOwner(conn, nodePath, sockPath, signal)
+  signal?.throwIfAborted()
+  if (verdict !== 'exited') {
+    throw new RelaySocketOwnerLiveError(sockPath, verdict, options?.cause)
+  }
+  await execCommand(conn, `rm -f ${shellEscape(sockPath)}`, { signal }).catch((cleanupErr) => {
+    if (isUnconfirmedSshCommandTermination(cleanupErr)) {
+      throw cleanupErr
+    }
+  })
+  signal?.throwIfAborted()
+}