diff --git a/skills/ocx/references/01_management_surface.md b/skills/ocx/references/01_management_surface.md
index da019297d1..4cb391504a 100644
--- a/skills/ocx/references/01_management_surface.md
+++ b/skills/ocx/references/01_management_surface.md
@@ -750,7 +750,7 @@ JSON mode: `payload`.
 
 ### `ocx system codex-restart`
 
-Restart the Codex app-server.
+Restart the Codex desktop app and app-servers.
 
 | Method | Route |
 |---|---|
@@ -758,7 +758,7 @@ Restart the Codex app-server.
 
 | Flag | Value | Meaning |
 |---|---|---|
-| `--yes` | boolean | Required: restarts the operator's running Codex app-server. |
+| `--yes` | boolean | Required: fully quits and relaunches the operator's Codex desktop app and restarts its app-servers. |
 | `--json` | boolean | Emit the restart result as JSON. |
 
 JSON mode: `payload`.
diff --git a/src/cli/capabilities.ts b/src/cli/capabilities.ts
index 36aa8124cc..309badbfd2 100644
--- a/src/cli/capabilities.ts
+++ b/src/cli/capabilities.ts
@@ -710,10 +710,10 @@ export const CAPABILITIES: readonly Capability[] = [
   },
   {
     command: ["system", "codex-restart"],
-    summary: "Restart the Codex app-server.",
+    summary: "Restart the Codex desktop app and app-servers.",
     routes: [{ method: "POST", path: "/api/system/codex-restart" }],
     flags: [
-      { name: "--yes", value: "boolean", summary: "Required: restarts the operator's running Codex app-server." },
+      { name: "--yes", value: "boolean", summary: "Required: fully quits and relaunches the operator's Codex desktop app and restarts its app-servers." },
       { name: "--json", value: "boolean", summary: "Emit the restart result as JSON." },
     ],
     mutates: true,
diff --git a/src/cli/system-command.ts b/src/cli/system-command.ts
index 03eb900887..a3b46b49d6 100644
--- a/src/cli/system-command.ts
+++ b/src/cli/system-command.ts
@@ -130,14 +130,14 @@ export async function handleSystemCommand(argv: string[], deps: RuntimeApiDeps =
       const args = [...rest]; const wantsJson = takeFlag(args, "--json"); rejectArgs(args, USAGE);
       printData(await runtimeRequest("/api/system/codex-app-server", {}, deps), wantsJson);
     } else if (sub === "codex-restart") {
-      // --yes required: this restarts the user's running Codex app-server, so it is exactly the
-      // class of action that must not happen because an agent guessed a subcommand.
+      // --yes required: this fully quits and relaunches the user's Codex desktop app as well as
+      // restarting app-servers; an agent guessing a subcommand must not interrupt that session.
       const args = [...rest];
       const wantsJson = takeFlag(args, "--json");
       const yes = takeFlag(args, "--yes");
-      if (!yes) throw new CliUsageError("system codex-restart requires --yes", USAGE);
+      if (!yes) throw new CliUsageError("system codex-restart requires --yes: this fully quits and relaunches the Codex desktop app and restarts its app-servers", USAGE);
       rejectArgs(args, USAGE);
-      printData(await runtimeRequest("/api/system/codex-restart", { method: "POST" }, deps), wantsJson, ["Codex app-server restart requested."]);
+      printData(await runtimeRequest("/api/system/codex-restart", { method: "POST" }, deps), wantsJson, ["Codex desktop app and app-server restart requested."]);
     } else if (sub === "update") await update(rest, deps);
     else throw new CliUsageError(`unknown system command ${sub}`, USAGE);
   });
diff --git a/structure/clients/claude-desktop.md b/structure/clients/claude-desktop.md
index 01a583c182..a8a7e5a719 100644
--- a/structure/clients/claude-desktop.md
+++ b/structure/clients/claude-desktop.md
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ The hub-side CLI dashboard uses the [management ingress address](../runtime.md#h
 
 Native main reauthentication follows the [CLI JSON output contract](../runtime.md#native-main-reauth-json-output).
 
+The Codex restart command follows the [CLI restart scope contract](../runtime.md#cli-codex-restart-scope).
+
 ## Connected Claude Desktop profiles
 
 The connection's local Codex readiness check follows the [selected-runtime probe contract](../runtime.md#remote-hub-hardening-ownership); general status hands its resolved command to this check instead of probing the version twice.
diff --git a/structure/config.md b/structure/config.md
index d00b36b06b..b6eef7c681 100644
--- a/structure/config.md
+++ b/structure/config.md
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ Hub management ingress also selects the [local dashboard address](runtime.md#hub
 
 Native main reauthentication follows the [CLI JSON output contract](runtime.md#native-main-reauth-json-output).
 
+The Codex restart command follows the [CLI restart scope contract](runtime.md#cli-codex-restart-scope).
+
 ## Config surface
 
 ### OpenCodex home and live process state
diff --git a/structure/ops/docs-and-release.md b/structure/ops/docs-and-release.md
index 0c0ffe38d0..65f8b7f717 100644
--- a/structure/ops/docs-and-release.md
+++ b/structure/ops/docs-and-release.md
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ The CLI default dashboard address follows the [management ingress bind](../runti
 
 Native main reauthentication follows the [CLI JSON output contract](../runtime.md#native-main-reauth-json-output).
 
+The Codex restart command follows the [CLI restart scope contract](../runtime.md#cli-codex-restart-scope).
+
 ## Public docs
 
 The public documentation site lives in `docs-site/` and is built with Astro + Starlight. English is
diff --git a/structure/runtime.md b/structure/runtime.md
index bd9ebbd561..3402619a40 100644
--- a/structure/runtime.md
+++ b/structure/runtime.md
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ Catalog-derived reasoning-level diagnostics are escaped only at the human-output
 
 `src/cli/account-main.ts` emits one JSON object to stdout when `ocx account main reauth --device --no-wait --json` succeeds. The human-readable `follow up:` line is emitted only without `--json`; `flowId` remains available for status polling. `tests/cli/cli-native-profile.test.ts` parses the complete captured stdout and preserves coverage of the human follow-up.
 
+## CLI Codex restart scope
+
+`ocx system codex-restart` requests a full Codex desktop-app restart and app-server restarts through the management endpoint. `src/cli/capabilities.ts` names that scope in its summary and `--yes` description; `src/cli/system-command.ts` explains the desktop interruption when confirmation is missing and sends no restart request. Human output says the restart was requested, while `--json` preserves the complete server result, including skipped or refused desktop outcomes.
+
 ## Hub management dashboard address
 
 When hub management ingress is enabled, `src/cli/dispatch.ts` opens the dashboard on the literal IPv4 loopback address and configured ingress port, matching the listener in `src/server/index.ts`. Other dashboard address selection is unchanged.
diff --git a/tests/cli/cli-headless-parity.test.ts b/tests/cli/cli-headless-parity.test.ts
index 9a11c696ac..a3d861d14a 100644
--- a/tests/cli/cli-headless-parity.test.ts
+++ b/tests/cli/cli-headless-parity.test.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,40 @@ import { repoPath } from "../helpers/repo-root";
 type Recorded = { path: string; method: string; body: unknown };
 const servers: Array<ReturnType<typeof Bun.serve>> = [];
 
+describe("ocx system codex-restart confirmation", () => {
+  test("names the desktop interruption before any unconfirmed request", async () => {
+    const { requests, deps } = fakeRuntime();
+    const errors = spyOn(console, "error").mockImplementation(() => {});
+    try {
+      expect(await handleSystemCommand(["codex-restart"], deps)).toBe(2);
+      expect(requests).toHaveLength(0);
+      const warning = errors.mock.calls.flat().join(" ");
+      expect(warning).toContain("requires --yes");
+      expect(warning).toContain("fully quits and relaunches the Codex desktop app");
+    } finally { errors.mockRestore(); }
+  });
+
+  test.each([false, true])("preserves requested versus completed outcomes (json=%s)", async wantsJson => {
+    // A skipped Desktop outcome must survive JSON output; this fixture cannot restart processes.
+    const result = { success: true, code: "nothing_running", requested: [], stopped: [],
+      desktopApp: { attempted: false, relaunch: "skipped", reason: "self_ancestry" } };
+    const { requests, deps } = fakeRuntime(() => result);
+    const output = spyOn(console, "log").mockImplementation(() => {});
+    try {
+      const argv = ["codex-restart", "--yes", ...(wantsJson ? ["--json"] : [])];
+      expect(await handleSystemCommand(argv, deps)).toBe(0);
+      expect(requests).toEqual([{ path: "/api/system/codex-restart", method: "POST", body: null }]);
+      const text = output.mock.calls.flat().join("\n");
+      if (wantsJson) expect(JSON.parse(text)).toEqual(result);
+      else {
+        expect(text).toContain("Codex desktop app");
+        expect(text).toContain("restart requested.");
+        expect(text).not.toContain("restarted");
+      }
+    } finally { output.mockRestore(); }
+  });
+});
+
 describe("ocx system settings client compaction", () => {
   test("persists the explicit boolean through the shared settings endpoint", async () => {
     const { requests, deps } = fakeRuntime((_req, body) => ({ ok: true, ...body }));