diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/main/__tests__/runtime-host-local-remote-access.test.ts b/apps/desktop/src/main/__tests__/runtime-host-local-remote-access.test.ts
index faa04a1a05..c1c9214a53 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/main/__tests__/runtime-host-local-remote-access.test.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/main/__tests__/runtime-host-local-remote-access.test.ts
@@ -404,6 +404,7 @@ test('replaces a conflicting supervised Host with the requested active-work poli
     resolveManagedDeploymentAuthority: async () => ({
       kind: 'active',
       lifecycleMode: 'supervised',
+      deploymentRoot: join(base, 'deployment'),
       target: {
         schemaVersion: 2,
         serviceId: rootId,
@@ -513,14 +514,14 @@ test('does not persist recoverable setup authority before Desktop ownership comm
   assert.equal(setupCalls, 0);
 });
 
-test('adopts committed managed authority from a released handoff without replaying setup', async (t) => {
+test('adopts a released handoff through its existing legacy operator', async (t) => {
   const base = await mkdtemp(join(tmpdir(), 'maka-local-remote-access-prestart-'));
   t.after(() => rm(base, { recursive: true, force: true }));
   const clientDataRoot = join(base, 'client');
   const rootPath = join(clientDataRoot, 'workspaces', 'default');
   const rootId = 'a'.repeat(64);
   const deploymentId = '22222222-2222-4222-8222-222222222222';
-  const installedOperator = testOperator(join(base, 'installed', 'operator.mjs'));
+  const deploymentRoot = join(base, 'installed');
   await mkdir(rootPath, { recursive: true });
   await writeFile(
     join(clientDataRoot, 'runtime-host-local-service.json'),
@@ -543,10 +544,11 @@ test('adopts committed managed authority from a released handoff without replayi
     resolveManagedDeploymentAuthority: async () => ({
       kind: 'active',
       lifecycleMode: 'supervised',
+      deploymentRoot,
       target: {
         schemaVersion: 2,
         serviceId: rootId,
-        operator: installedOperator,
+        operator: testOperator(join(deploymentRoot, 'operator.mjs')),
         rootPath,
         rootId,
         deploymentId,
@@ -570,7 +572,10 @@ test('adopts committed managed authority from a released handoff without replayi
       schemaVersion: 2,
       state: 'managed',
       serviceId: rootId,
-      operator: installedOperator,
+      operator: {
+        kind: 'legacy_posix_executable',
+        executablePath: join(deploymentRoot, 'operator'),
+      },
       rootPath,
       rootId,
       deploymentId,
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/main/runtime-host-local-remote-access.ts b/apps/desktop/src/main/runtime-host-local-remote-access.ts
index 06bcf4e414..268fa68dee 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/main/runtime-host-local-remote-access.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/main/runtime-host-local-remote-access.ts
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ type LocalManagedDeploymentAuthority =
   | {
       readonly kind: 'active';
       readonly lifecycleMode: 'on_demand' | 'supervised';
+      readonly deploymentRoot: string;
       readonly target: LocalServiceTarget;
     }
   | { readonly kind: 'transition' };
@@ -205,6 +206,7 @@ export function createDesktopLocalRuntimeHostRemoteAccess(input: {
       return {
         kind: 'active',
         lifecycleMode: authority.record.lifecycle.mode,
+        deploymentRoot: authority.record.deploymentRoot,
         target: requireServiceTarget(
           {
             schemaVersion: 2,
@@ -223,7 +225,7 @@ export function createDesktopLocalRuntimeHostRemoteAccess(input: {
     });
 
   const adoptCommittedSetup = async (
-    setup: LocalServiceSetupPending,
+    setup: LocalServiceSetupPending | LocalServiceLegacyHandoff,
   ): Promise<
     | { readonly kind: 'absent' | 'transition' }
     | { readonly kind: 'managed'; readonly managed: LocalServiceManaged }
@@ -231,7 +233,16 @@ export function createDesktopLocalRuntimeHostRemoteAccess(input: {
     const authority = await resolveManagedDeploymentAuthority(setup.rootId);
     if (!authority) return { kind: 'absent' };
     if (authority.kind === 'transition') return authority;
-    const managed = managedLifecycle(authority.target);
+    const target =
+      setup.schemaVersion === 1
+        ? {
+            ...authority.target,
+            operator: createRuntimeHostLegacyPosixOperatorCommand(
+              join(authority.deploymentRoot, 'operator'),
+            ),
+          }
+        : authority.target;
+    const managed = managedLifecycle(target);
     await writeDocument(lifecyclePath, managed);
     return { kind: 'managed', managed };
   };
@@ -472,7 +483,7 @@ export function createDesktopLocalRuntimeHostRemoteAccess(input: {
     | { readonly kind: 'complete'; readonly managed: LocalServiceManaged }
   > => {
     const pending = pendingSetup(legacy);
-    const authority = await adoptCommittedSetup(pending);
+    const authority = await adoptCommittedSetup(legacy);
     if (authority.kind === 'managed') {
       return { kind: 'complete', managed: authority.managed };
     }
@@ -487,7 +498,7 @@ export function createDesktopLocalRuntimeHostRemoteAccess(input: {
     );
     if (retirement.kind === 'active_tasks') return { kind: 'active_tasks' };
     if (retirement.kind === 'not_owned') {
-      const raced = await adoptCommittedSetup(pending);
+      const raced = await adoptCommittedSetup(legacy);
       if (raced.kind === 'managed') {
         return { kind: 'complete', managed: raced.managed };
       }
@@ -857,7 +868,7 @@ export function createDesktopLocalRuntimeHostRemoteAccess(input: {
         const pending = await readLifecycle(lifecyclePath, input.rootPath, input.rootId);
         if (pending?.state !== 'setupPending' && pending?.state !== 'handoff') return false;
         const current = pendingSetup(pending);
-        const authority = await adoptCommittedSetup(current);
+        const authority = await adoptCommittedSetup(pending);
         if (authority.kind === 'absent') return false;
         if (authority.kind === 'managed') return true;
         if (pending.state === 'handoff') await writeDocument(lifecyclePath, current);
@@ -882,7 +893,7 @@ export function createDesktopLocalRuntimeHostRemoteAccess(input: {
           return;
         }
         if (lifecycle.state === 'handoff' || lifecycle.state === 'setupPending') {
-          const committed = await adoptCommittedSetup(pendingSetup(lifecycle));
+          const committed = await adoptCommittedSetup(lifecycle);
           if (committed.kind === 'managed') return;
           if (!supported(input.directPeerAvailable)) return;
           if (lifecycle.state === 'handoff') await recoverLegacyHandoff(lifecycle);