diff --git a/src/daemon-client/__tests__/daemon-client-lifecycle.test.ts b/src/daemon-client/__tests__/daemon-client-lifecycle.test.ts
index 7bc3b2654c..91f4da210a 100644
--- a/src/daemon-client/__tests__/daemon-client-lifecycle.test.ts
+++ b/src/daemon-client/__tests__/daemon-client-lifecycle.test.ts
@@ -490,7 +490,7 @@ test('sendToDaemon does not reuse reachable daemon metadata with mismatched vers
 
       assert.deepEqual(response, { ok: true, data: { via: 'fresh-daemon' } });
       assert.equal(mockRunCmdDetached.mock.calls.length, 1);
-      assert.deepEqual(staleDaemon.seenPaths, ['GET /health']);
+      assert.deepEqual(staleDaemon.seenPaths, []);
       assert.deepEqual(freshDaemon.seenPaths, ['GET /health', 'POST /rpc']);
       const staleVersion = fixture.version ?? readVersion();
       assert.equal(
diff --git a/src/daemon-client/__tests__/daemon-client-stalled-probe.test.ts b/src/daemon-client/__tests__/daemon-client-stalled-probe.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6005159793
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/daemon-client/__tests__/daemon-client-stalled-probe.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,315 @@
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import fs from 'node:fs';
+import net from 'node:net';
+import path from 'node:path';
+import { test, vi } from 'vitest';
+import { runCmdBackground } from '@agent-device/host-kit/command';
+import { computeDaemonCodeSignature } from '@agent-device/host-kit/code-signature';
+import {
+  isProcessAlive,
+  readProcessCommand,
+  readProcessStartTime,
+  waitForProcessExit,
+} from '@agent-device/host-kit/process';
+import { findProjectRoot, readVersion } from '@agent-device/host-kit/version';
+import { resolveDaemonPaths } from '../../daemon-resolution.ts';
+import { sendToDaemon } from '../daemon-client.ts';
+import {
+  closeLoopbackServer,
+  listenOnLoopback,
+  supportsLoopbackBind,
+} from '../../__tests__/test-utils/loopback.ts';
+import { mkdtempForTestSync } from '../../__tests__/test-utils/tmp-dir.ts';
+import { AppError } from '@agent-device/kernel/errors';
+
+const NEWER_DAEMON_VERSION = '999.0.0';
+
+// The spawned stand-in's identity is read once and pinned: a second real `ps` can miss its
+// deadline under suite load and misclassify the live process as gone.
+const { mockReadProcessStartTime, mockReadProcessCommand } = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  mockReadProcessStartTime: vi.fn<(pid: number) => string | null | undefined>(),
+  mockReadProcessCommand: vi.fn<(pid: number) => string | null | undefined>(),
+}));
+
+// Every probe's answer, in order, with the port it asked; a test can also make the next one miss.
+const { probeAnswers, probedPorts, mockMissNextProbe, mockEmitDiagnostic, mockSpawnDaemon } =
+  vi.hoisted(() => ({
+    probeAnswers: [] as boolean[],
+    probedPorts: [] as (number | undefined)[],
+    mockMissNextProbe: { value: false },
+    mockEmitDiagnostic: vi.fn(),
+    mockSpawnDaemon: vi.fn(),
+  }));
+
+vi.mock('@agent-device/host-kit/diagnostics', async (importOriginal) => {
+  const actual = await importOriginal<typeof import('@agent-device/host-kit/diagnostics')>();
+  return {
+    ...actual,
+    emitDiagnostic: (...args: Parameters<typeof actual.emitDiagnostic>) => {
+      mockEmitDiagnostic(...args);
+      actual.emitDiagnostic(...args);
+    },
+  };
+});
+
+vi.mock('@agent-device/host-kit/command', async (importOriginal) => {
+  const actual = await importOriginal<typeof import('@agent-device/host-kit/command')>();
+  return { ...actual, runCmdDetachedMonitored: mockSpawnDaemon };
+});
+
+vi.mock('../daemon-client-transport.ts', async (importOriginal) => {
+  const actual = await importOriginal<typeof import('../daemon-client-transport.ts')>();
+  return {
+    ...actual,
+    canConnect: async (...args: Parameters<typeof actual.canConnect>) => {
+      const reachable = mockMissNextProbe.value ? false : await actual.canConnect(...args);
+      mockMissNextProbe.value = false;
+      probeAnswers.push(reachable);
+      probedPorts.push(args[0].port);
+      return reachable;
+    },
+  };
+});
+
+vi.mock('@agent-device/host-kit/process', async (importOriginal) => {
+  const actual = await importOriginal<typeof import('@agent-device/host-kit/process')>();
+  return {
+    ...actual,
+    readProcessStartTime: (pid: number) =>
+      mockReadProcessStartTime(pid) ?? actual.readProcessStartTime(pid),
+    readProcessCommand: (pid: number) =>
+      mockReadProcessCommand(pid) ?? actual.readProcessCommand(pid),
+  };
+});
+
+function resolveCurrentDaemonCodeSignature(): string {
+  const root = findProjectRoot();
+  const distPath = path.join(root, 'dist', 'src', 'internal', 'daemon.js');
+  const sourcePath = path.join(root, 'src', 'daemon.ts');
+  const entryPath =
+    process.execArgv.includes('--experimental-strip-types') || !fs.existsSync(distPath)
+      ? sourcePath
+      : distPath;
+  return computeDaemonCodeSignature(entryPath, root);
+}
+
+type LiveStandIn = { stateDir: string; pid: number };
+
+/**
+ * Runs `body` against a daemon.json naming a live process that reads as an agent-device daemon
+ * and a loopback socket that answers every request, as a running daemon does.
+ */
+async function withLiveStandIn(
+  t: { skip: (reason: string) => void },
+  version: string,
+  body: (standIn: LiveStandIn) => Promise<void>,
+): Promise<void> {
+  if (!(await supportsLoopbackBind())) {
+    t.skip('loopback listeners are not permitted in this environment');
+    return;
+  }
+  const stateDir = mkdtempForTestSync('agent-device-stalled-probe-');
+  const root = mkdtempForTestSync('agent-device-stalled-probe-daemon-');
+  const daemonDir = path.join(root, 'agent-device', 'dist', 'src', 'internal');
+  const daemonScriptPath = path.join(daemonDir, 'daemon.js');
+  fs.mkdirSync(daemonDir, { recursive: true });
+  fs.writeFileSync(daemonScriptPath, 'setInterval(() => {}, 1000);\n', 'utf8');
+  const daemonProcess = runCmdBackground(process.execPath, [daemonScriptPath], {
+    stdio: 'ignore',
+    allowFailure: true,
+    captureOutput: false,
+  });
+  void daemonProcess.wait.catch(() => {});
+  const pid = daemonProcess.child.pid;
+  assert.ok(pid, 'spawned child should have a pid');
+  const server = net.createServer((socket) => {
+    let requestBody = '';
+    socket.setEncoding('utf8');
+    socket.on('data', (chunk) => {
+      requestBody += chunk;
+      if (!requestBody.includes('\n')) return;
+      socket.end(`${JSON.stringify({ ok: true, data: { via: 'live-daemon' } })}\n`);
+    });
+  });
+
+  try {
+    await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 50));
+    const processStartTime = readProcessStartTime(pid) ?? undefined;
+    const command = readProcessCommand(pid);
+    if (command === null || processStartTime === undefined) {
+      t.skip('process command/start inspection is unavailable in this environment');
+      return;
+    }
+    mockReadProcessStartTime.mockImplementation((queriedPid: number) =>
+      queriedPid === pid ? processStartTime : undefined,
+    );
+    mockReadProcessCommand.mockImplementation((queriedPid: number) =>
+      queriedPid === pid ? command : undefined,
+    );
+    const port = await listenOnLoopback(server);
+    const paths = resolveDaemonPaths(stateDir);
+    fs.mkdirSync(paths.baseDir, { recursive: true });
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      paths.infoPath,
+      `${JSON.stringify({
+        port,
+        transport: 'socket',
+        token: 'local-secret',
+        pid,
+        version,
+        codeSignature: resolveCurrentDaemonCodeSignature(),
+        processStartTime,
+      })}\n`,
+      'utf8',
+    );
+    probeAnswers.length = 0;
+    probedPorts.length = 0;
+    mockEmitDiagnostic.mockClear();
+    await body({ stateDir, pid });
+  } finally {
+    mockMissNextProbe.value = false;
+    mockSpawnDaemon.mockReset();
+    mockReadProcessStartTime.mockReset();
+    mockReadProcessCommand.mockReset();
+    await closeLoopbackServer(server);
+    if (isProcessAlive(pid)) {
+      process.kill(pid, 'SIGKILL');
+      await waitForProcessExit(pid, 1_500);
+    }
+    fs.rmSync(stateDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    fs.rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  }
+}
+
+function sendSmoke(stateDir: string) {
+  return sendToDaemon({
+    session: 'default',
+    command: 'stalled-probe-smoke',
+    positionals: [],
+    flags: { stateDir, daemonTransport: 'socket' },
+    meta: { requestId: 'req-stalled-probe' },
+  });
+}
+
+test('sendToDaemon keeps a live daemon whose first probe missed', async (t) => {
+  await withLiveStandIn(t, readVersion(), async ({ stateDir, pid }) => {
+    mockMissNextProbe.value = true;
+
+    const response = await sendSmoke(stateDir);
+
+    assert.deepEqual(probeAnswers.slice(0, 2), [false, true]);
+    assert.deepEqual(response, { ok: true, data: { via: 'live-daemon' } });
+    assert.equal(isProcessAlive(pid), true);
+    assert.ok(
+      mockEmitDiagnostic.mock.calls.some(
+        ([event]) => event.phase === 'daemon_probe_recovered' && event.data?.pid === pid,
+      ),
+      'a recovered probe names the daemon it kept',
+    );
+  });
+});
+
+test('sendToDaemon refuses a live newer daemon whose first probe missed', async (t) => {
+  await withLiveStandIn(t, NEWER_DAEMON_VERSION, async ({ stateDir, pid }) => {
+    mockMissNextProbe.value = true;
+
+    await assert.rejects(
+      () => sendSmoke(stateDir),
+      (error: unknown) => {
+        assert.ok(error instanceof AppError);
+        assert.equal(error.details?.daemonVersion, NEWER_DAEMON_VERSION);
+        return true;
+      },
+    );
+
+    assert.deepEqual(probeAnswers.slice(0, 2), [false, true]);
+    assert.equal(isProcessAlive(pid), true);
+    assert.equal(mockSpawnDaemon.mock.calls.length, 0, 'no replacement daemon is spawned');
+  });
+});
+
+async function expectDeadDaemonReplaced(
+  t: { skip: (reason: string) => void },
+  deadVersion: string,
+): Promise<void> {
+  if (!(await supportsLoopbackBind())) {
+    t.skip('loopback listeners are not permitted in this environment');
+    return;
+  }
+  const stateDir = mkdtempForTestSync('agent-device-dead-probe-');
+  const gone = runCmdBackground(process.execPath, ['-e', ''], {
+    stdio: 'ignore',
+    allowFailure: true,
+    captureOutput: false,
+  });
+  await gone.wait.catch(() => {});
+  const deadPid = gone.child.pid;
+  assert.ok(deadPid, 'spawned child should have a pid');
+  const fresh = net.createServer((socket) => {
+    socket.setEncoding('utf8');
+    socket.on('data', () => {
+      socket.end(`${JSON.stringify({ ok: true, data: { via: 'fresh-daemon' } })}\n`);
+    });
+  });
+  const writeInfo = (port: number, pid: number, version: string) => {
+    const paths = resolveDaemonPaths(stateDir);
+    fs.mkdirSync(paths.baseDir, { recursive: true });
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      paths.infoPath,
+      `${JSON.stringify({
+        port,
+        transport: 'socket',
+        token: 'local-secret',
+        pid,
+        version,
+        codeSignature: resolveCurrentDaemonCodeSignature(),
+        processStartTime: readProcessStartTime(process.pid) ?? undefined,
+      })}\n`,
+      'utf8',
+    );
+  };
+
+  try {
+    // Bound before the dead port is picked, so the port the dead daemon recorded cannot be
+    // handed back to the fresh one.
+    const freshPort = await listenOnLoopback(fresh);
+    const unused = net.createServer();
+    const deadPort = await listenOnLoopback(unused);
+    await closeLoopbackServer(unused);
+    writeInfo(deadPort, deadPid, deadVersion);
+    mockSpawnDaemon.mockImplementation(() => {
+      writeInfo(freshPort, process.pid, readVersion());
+      return { pid: process.pid, exited: new Promise(() => {}) };
+    });
+    probeAnswers.length = 0;
+    probedPorts.length = 0;
+    mockEmitDiagnostic.mockClear();
+    if (isProcessAlive(deadPid)) {
+      t.skip('the host recycled the exited stand-in pid before the probe');
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const response = await sendSmoke(stateDir);
+
+    assert.deepEqual(response, { ok: true, data: { via: 'fresh-daemon' } });
+    assert.equal(mockSpawnDaemon.mock.calls.length, 1, 'the dead daemon was replaced');
+    const deadProbes = probeAnswers.filter((_, index) => probedPorts[index] === deadPort);
+    assert.deepEqual(deadProbes, [false], 'a daemon whose pid is gone gets no patient retry');
+    assert.equal(
+      mockEmitDiagnostic.mock.calls.some(([event]) => event.phase === 'daemon_probe_recovered'),
+      false,
+    );
+  } finally {
+    mockSpawnDaemon.mockReset();
+    await closeLoopbackServer(fresh);
+    fs.rmSync(stateDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+  }
+}
+
+test('sendToDaemon replaces a daemon whose process is gone after a single probe', async (t) => {
+  await expectDeadDaemonReplaced(t, readVersion());
+});
+
+test('sendToDaemon replaces a newer daemon whose process is gone after a single probe', async (t) => {
+  await expectDeadDaemonReplaced(t, NEWER_DAEMON_VERSION);
+});
diff --git a/src/daemon-client/__tests__/daemon-launch-spec.test.ts b/src/daemon-client/__tests__/daemon-launch-spec.test.ts
index 37af703064..d69d0aa727 100644
--- a/src/daemon-client/__tests__/daemon-launch-spec.test.ts
+++ b/src/daemon-client/__tests__/daemon-launch-spec.test.ts
@@ -122,6 +122,20 @@ test('an unreachable newer daemon is replaced like any version mismatch', async
   );
 });
 
+test('a version mismatch is decided without asking the client transport', async () => {
+  let asked = false;
+  const decision = await resolveDaemonTakeover(runningDaemon({ version: '0.0.1' }), {
+    onClientTransport: async () => {
+      asked = true;
+      return false;
+    },
+    onAnyAdvertisedTransport: async () => false,
+  });
+
+  assert.equal(decision.kind, 'replace');
+  assert.equal(asked, false);
+});
+
 test('a newer daemon alive only on a transport the client does not prefer is still refused', async () => {
   assert.deepEqual(
     await resolveDaemonTakeover(runningDaemon({ version: '999.0.0' }), onlyOnAnotherTransport()),
@@ -159,15 +173,15 @@ function useClientTree(sourceCheckout: boolean): void {
 }
 
 function reachable(): DaemonReachability {
-  return { viaClientTransport: true, onAnyAdvertisedTransport: async () => true };
+  return { onClientTransport: async () => true, onAnyAdvertisedTransport: async () => true };
 }
 
 function unreachable(): DaemonReachability {
-  return { viaClientTransport: false, onAnyAdvertisedTransport: async () => false };
+  return { onClientTransport: async () => false, onAnyAdvertisedTransport: async () => false };
 }
 
 function onlyOnAnotherTransport(): DaemonReachability {
-  return { viaClientTransport: false, onAnyAdvertisedTransport: async () => true };
+  return { onClientTransport: async () => false, onAnyAdvertisedTransport: async () => true };
 }
 
 function runningDaemon(info: {
diff --git a/src/daemon-client/daemon-client-lifecycle.ts b/src/daemon-client/daemon-client-lifecycle.ts
index c4e1df3e18..f8bd690557 100644
--- a/src/daemon-client/daemon-client-lifecycle.ts
+++ b/src/daemon-client/daemon-client-lifecycle.ts
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import type { DaemonRequest, DaemonResponse } from '../daemon/daemon-request.ts'
 import { runCmdDetachedMonitored, type ExecDetachedExit } from '@agent-device/host-kit/command';
 import { shellQuoteIfNeeded } from '@agent-device/kernel/device-shell';
 import { emitDiagnostic } from '@agent-device/host-kit/diagnostics';
-import { readProcessStartTime } from '@agent-device/host-kit/process';
+import { isProcessAlive, readProcessStartTime } from '@agent-device/host-kit/process';
 import { sleep } from '@agent-device/host-kit/retry';
 
 import { findUnrecoveredRepairCommitFailure } from '../session-repair-tombstone.ts';
@@ -76,6 +76,8 @@ type DaemonStartupWaitResult =
   | { kind: 'timeout' };
 
 const DAEMON_STARTUP_TIMEOUT_MS = 15_000;
+const LIVE_DAEMON_PROBE_RETRIES = 3;
+const LIVE_DAEMON_PROBE_RETRY_DELAY_MS = 200;
 const DAEMON_STARTUP_ATTEMPTS = 2;
 const DAEMON_STARTUP_LOG_TAIL_BYTES = 64_000;
 const LOOPBACK_BLOCK_LIST = new net.BlockList();
@@ -199,11 +201,9 @@ async function readReusableLocalDaemon(settings: DaemonClientSettings): Promise<
   const existing = readDaemonInfo(settings.paths.infoPath);
   if (!existing) return null;
 
-  const viaClientTransport = await canConnectReusableDaemon(existing, settings.transportPreference);
   const decision = await resolveDaemonTakeover(existing, {
-    viaClientTransport,
-    onAnyAdvertisedTransport: async () =>
-      viaClientTransport || (await canConnectReusableDaemon(existing, 'auto')),
+    onClientTransport: () => canReachReusableDaemon(existing, settings.transportPreference),
+    onAnyAdvertisedTransport: () => canReachReusableDaemon(existing, 'auto'),
   });
   if (decision.kind === 'reuse') return existing;
   if (decision.kind === 'refuseNewer') {
@@ -216,6 +216,34 @@ async function readReusableLocalDaemon(settings: DaemonClientSettings): Promise<
   return null;
 }
 
+/**
+ * A daemon whose pid is still alive is probed again before it can be judged unreachable. A probe's
+ * budget is wall-clock time on this client's event loop, so a client that stalls past it (a large
+ * synchronous parse, a GC pause on a loaded host) reads a listening daemon as unreachable, and
+ * replacing it ends every session the daemon holds. Liveness is the signal-0 check, not the `ps`
+ * identity read: under the load that stalls the probe, `ps` misses its deadline too, and the
+ * takeover still proves identity before it signals anything.
+ */
+async function canReachReusableDaemon(
+  info: DaemonInfo,
+  preference: DaemonTransportPreference,
+): Promise<boolean> {
+  if (await canConnectReusableDaemon(info, preference)) return true;
+  for (let retry = 1; retry <= LIVE_DAEMON_PROBE_RETRIES; retry += 1) {
+    if (!isProcessAlive(info.pid)) return false;
+    await sleep(LIVE_DAEMON_PROBE_RETRY_DELAY_MS);
+    if (await canConnectReusableDaemon(info, preference)) {
+      emitDiagnostic({
+        level: 'warn',
+        phase: 'daemon_probe_recovered',
+        data: { pid: info.pid, retry },
+      });
+      return true;
+    }
+  }
+  return false;
+}
+
 /**
  * ADR 0029: a caller that names a daemon policy must not silently use a daemon that enforces a
  * different one (or none). A caller that names no policy uses whatever the daemon enforces.
diff --git a/src/daemon-client/daemon-launch-spec.ts b/src/daemon-client/daemon-launch-spec.ts
index d0cd527bb3..102cdf3332 100644
--- a/src/daemon-client/daemon-launch-spec.ts
+++ b/src/daemon-client/daemon-launch-spec.ts
@@ -119,7 +119,8 @@ export type DaemonTakeoverDecision =
  * transport preference the daemon does not serve must still see a live newer daemon.
  */
 export type DaemonReachability = {
-  viaClientTransport: boolean;
+  /** Asked last, only once version and code identity leave the decision to it. */
+  onClientTransport: () => Promise<boolean>;
   onAnyAdvertisedTransport: () => Promise<boolean>;
 };
 
@@ -152,7 +153,7 @@ export async function resolveDaemonTakeover(
   const localIdentity = await resolveLocalDaemonCodeIdentity();
   const codeMismatch = resolveCodeIdentityMismatch(localIdentity, info);
   if (codeMismatch) return { kind: 'replace', reason: codeMismatch };
-  if (!reachability.viaClientTransport) return { kind: 'replace', reason: 'unreachable' };
+  if (!(await reachability.onClientTransport())) return { kind: 'replace', reason: 'unreachable' };
   return { kind: 'reuse' };
 }