diff --git a/GraphcodeKit/Sources/CLI/GraphcodeCommand.swift b/GraphcodeKit/Sources/CLI/GraphcodeCommand.swift
index 969e08f7..08097e7b 100644
--- a/GraphcodeKit/Sources/CLI/GraphcodeCommand.swift
+++ b/GraphcodeKit/Sources/CLI/GraphcodeCommand.swift
@@ -678,7 +678,9 @@ extension GraphcodeCommand {
     }
     for node in graph.nodes {
       var line = "  \(node.id)  \(node.displayState)  \(node.loopType)  \(node.title)"
-      if let reason = AttentionRollup.reason(for: node) {
+      if let exitCode = node.presence?.exitCode {
+        line += "  ← session exited (\(exitCode))"
+      } else if let reason = AttentionRollup.reason(for: node) {
         line += "  ← \(reason.displayName)"
       }
       lines.append(line)
diff --git a/GraphcodeKit/Sources/Domain/LoopNode.swift b/GraphcodeKit/Sources/Domain/LoopNode.swift
index bc45717e..f5c4c41a 100644
--- a/GraphcodeKit/Sources/Domain/LoopNode.swift
+++ b/GraphcodeKit/Sources/Domain/LoopNode.swift
@@ -335,6 +335,7 @@ public struct LoopNode: Identifiable, Codable, Equatable, Sendable {
   /// `nil` and `.unknown` count as no: opening is what could *start* a session, and a
   /// gate deciding whether that's safe must not treat "don't know" as "yes".
   public var presenceShowsLiveSession: Bool {
+    if presence?.exitCode != nil { return false }
     switch presence?.presence {
     case .busy, .idle, .awaitingInput: return true
     case .absent, .unknown, nil: return false
@@ -366,6 +367,9 @@ public struct LoopNode: Identifiable, Codable, Equatable, Sendable {
   /// untouched, which is exactly the behaviour every surface had before presence existed.
   public var displayState: LoopState {
     guard state == .running, let presence = presence?.presence else { return state }
+    if let exitCode = self.presence?.exitCode {
+      return exitCode == 0 ? .idle : .failed
+    }
     switch presence {
     case .busy: return .running
     case .idle: return hasActiveDependents ? .waiting : .idle
diff --git a/GraphcodeKit/Sources/Domain/Presence.swift b/GraphcodeKit/Sources/Domain/Presence.swift
index bd6a6641..3b956781 100644
--- a/GraphcodeKit/Sources/Domain/Presence.swift
+++ b/GraphcodeKit/Sources/Domain/Presence.swift
@@ -43,10 +43,12 @@ public enum PresenceConfidence: String, Codable, Equatable, Sendable {
 public struct PresenceReading: Codable, Equatable, Sendable {
   public var presence: Presence
   public var confidence: PresenceConfidence
+  public var exitCode: Int?
 
-  public init(presence: Presence, confidence: PresenceConfidence) {
+  public init(presence: Presence, confidence: PresenceConfidence, exitCode: Int? = nil) {
     self.presence = presence
     self.confidence = confidence
+    self.exitCode = exitCode
   }
 
   public static let absent = PresenceReading(presence: .absent, confidence: .reported)
diff --git a/GraphcodeKit/Sources/Sessions/ClaudeCodeTrust.swift b/GraphcodeKit/Sources/Sessions/ClaudeCodeTrust.swift
index 62c3da9e..ccee90c4 100644
--- a/GraphcodeKit/Sources/Sessions/ClaudeCodeTrust.swift
+++ b/GraphcodeKit/Sources/Sessions/ClaudeCodeTrust.swift
@@ -18,7 +18,9 @@ public enum ClaudeCodeTrust {
   }
 
   /// Sets `projects[directory].hasTrustDialogAccepted = true` unless it is already set.
-  /// Never throws and never clobbers: a config it cannot parse is left exactly as found.
+  /// Never throws and never clobbers: a config it cannot parse is left exactly as found,
+  /// and so is a config whose `projects` (or the project's own entry) holds something
+  /// other than the expected object — replacing it would trade one known value for a guess.
   public static func ensureTrusted(directory: String, configURL: URL = configURL) {
     guard !directory.isEmpty else { return }
     let fileManager = FileManager.default
@@ -30,7 +32,9 @@ public enum ClaudeCodeTrust {
       else { return }
       config = dictionary
     }
+    if let value = config["projects"], !(value is [String: Any]) { return }
     var projects = config["projects"] as? [String: Any] ?? [:]
+    if let value = projects[directory], !(value is [String: Any]) { return }
     var entry = projects[directory] as? [String: Any] ?? [:]
     guard (entry["hasTrustDialogAccepted"] as? Bool) != true else { return }
     entry["hasTrustDialogAccepted"] = true
diff --git a/GraphcodeKit/Sources/Sessions/CopilotSessionLog.swift b/GraphcodeKit/Sources/Sessions/CopilotSessionLog.swift
index edaa7835..fcd2f704 100644
--- a/GraphcodeKit/Sources/Sessions/CopilotSessionLog.swift
+++ b/GraphcodeKit/Sources/Sessions/CopilotSessionLog.swift
@@ -466,6 +466,8 @@ public enum CopilotSessionLog {
     switch status {
     case .unreachable: return .unknown
     case .absent: return .absent
+    case .exited(let code):
+      return PresenceReading(presence: .idle, confidence: .scanned, exitCode: code)
     case .live(let label):
       guard let label, let event = parseCopilotEventLabel(label),
         let p = presence(forEvent: event)
diff --git a/GraphcodeKit/Sources/Sessions/ZmxSessionLauncher.swift b/GraphcodeKit/Sources/Sessions/ZmxSessionLauncher.swift
index 33c4d6a7..5aafc96f 100644
--- a/GraphcodeKit/Sources/Sessions/ZmxSessionLauncher.swift
+++ b/GraphcodeKit/Sources/Sessions/ZmxSessionLauncher.swift
@@ -313,14 +313,30 @@ public enum ZmxSessionLauncher {
         of: node, at: remote,
         liveWithoutLabel: PresenceReading(presence: .idle, confidence: .heuristic))
     }
-    guard ZmxLocator.isInstalled, await sessionExists(node) else { return .absent }
+    guard ZmxLocator.isInstalled else { return .absent }
+    // The task state, not the session record, is the truth a husk hides: `zmx ls`
+    // prints `ended=`/`exit_code=` only for a completed task (`sessionTaskState`), so
+    // an exit read here is zmx's own bookkeeping — never a marker a transcript could
+    // have quoted. An exited task's code rides the reading; the wrapper shell left
+    // behind has nothing to say.
+    switch await sessionTaskState(node) {
+    case .absent: return .absent
+    case .exited(let code):
+      return PresenceReading(presence: .idle, confidence: .scanned, exitCode: code)
+    case .alive: break
+    }
     guard
       let session = try? PTYProcessSession(
         executable: ZmxLocator.binaryURL.path,
         arguments: presenceLabelArguments(forNode: node))
-    else { return PresenceReading(presence: .idle, confidence: .heuristic) }
+    else {
+      return PresenceReading(presence: .idle, confidence: .heuristic)
+    }
 
     let (succeeded, output) = await session.waitCollectingOutput()
+    if succeeded, let reported = parsePresenceLabel(output), reported == .busy {
+      return PresenceReading(presence: reported, confidence: .reported)
+    }
     guard succeeded, let reported = parsePresenceLabel(output) else {
       return PresenceReading(presence: .idle, confidence: .heuristic)
     }
@@ -353,7 +369,13 @@ public enum ZmxSessionLauncher {
         of: node, at: remote,
         liveWithoutLabel: PresenceReading(presence: .busy, confidence: .scanned))
     }
-    guard ZmxLocator.isInstalled, await sessionExists(node) else { return .absent }
+    guard ZmxLocator.isInstalled else { return .absent }
+    switch await sessionTaskState(node) {
+    case .absent: return .absent
+    case .exited(let code):
+      return PresenceReading(presence: .idle, confidence: .scanned, exitCode: code)
+    case .alive: break
+    }
     guard
       let session = try? PTYProcessSession(
         executable: ZmxLocator.binaryURL.path,
@@ -1275,6 +1297,7 @@ public enum ZmxSessionLauncher {
   enum RemoteSessionStatus: Equatable {
     case unreachable
     case absent
+    case exited(code: Int)
     case live(label: String?)
   }
 
@@ -1296,9 +1319,13 @@ public enum ZmxSessionLauncher {
     let name = SurfaceRef(id: node.id, launchesClaudeCode: true).zmxSessionName
     let check = quotedCommand(["zmx", "get", name])
     let read = quotedCommand(["zmx", "get", name, label])
+    let history = quotedCommand(["zmx", "history", name])
     let script =
       "if \(check) >/dev/null 2>&1; then "
-      + "echo \"\(remoteProbeMarker) live $(\(read) 2>/dev/null)\"; "
+      + "gc_done=$(\(history) 2>/dev/null | tail -c 4096 | "
+      + "sed -n 's/.*ZMX_TASK_COMPLETED:\\([0-9][0-9]*\\).*/\\1/p' | tail -1); "
+      + "if [ -n \"$gc_done\" ]; then echo \"\(remoteProbeMarker) exited $gc_done\"; "
+      + "else echo \"\(remoteProbeMarker) live $(\(read) 2>/dev/null)\"; fi; "
       + "else echo '\(remoteProbeMarker) absent'; fi"
     return location.sshInvocation(remoteCommand: location.remoteLoginShellCommand(script))
   }
@@ -1329,6 +1356,11 @@ public enum ZmxSessionLauncher {
     let status = marked.dropFirst(remoteProbeMarker.count)
       .trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespaces)
     if status == "absent" { return .absent }
+    if status.hasPrefix("exited "),
+      let code = Int(status.dropFirst("exited ".count).trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespaces))
+    {
+      return .exited(code: code)
+    }
     guard status.hasPrefix("live") else { return .unreachable }
     let label = status.dropFirst("live".count).trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespaces)
     return .live(label: label.isEmpty ? nil : label)
@@ -1352,6 +1384,8 @@ public enum ZmxSessionLauncher {
     switch status {
     case .unreachable: return .unknown
     case .absent: return .absent
+    case .exited(let code):
+      return PresenceReading(presence: .idle, confidence: .scanned, exitCode: code)
     case .live(let label):
       guard let label, let reported = parsePresenceLabel(label) else { return liveWithoutLabel }
       return PresenceReading(presence: reported, confidence: .reported)
diff --git a/graphcode/Sources/Infrastructure/Ghostty/GhosttyTerminalView.swift b/graphcode/Sources/Infrastructure/Ghostty/GhosttyTerminalView.swift
index 7f3f3710..cca814d5 100644
--- a/graphcode/Sources/Infrastructure/Ghostty/GhosttyTerminalView.swift
+++ b/graphcode/Sources/Infrastructure/Ghostty/GhosttyTerminalView.swift
@@ -78,6 +78,11 @@ struct GhosttyTerminalView: NSViewRepresentable {
   /// view showing it.
   func makeNSView(context: Context) -> TerminalSurfaceHostView {
     let host = TerminalSurfaceHostView()
+    if launchesClaudeCode, backend == .claudeCode, remoteLocation == nil {
+      if let workingDirectory {
+        ClaudeCodeTrust.ensureTrusted(directory: workingDirectory)
+      }
+    }
     let view = TerminalSurfaceStore.shared.surface(for: surfaceID) {
       // A remote surface needs the daemon's socket present on its host before the
       // delivered CLI can reach the graph — same forward the daemon's own launches
@@ -320,10 +325,20 @@ struct GhosttyTerminalView: NSViewRepresentable {
     if let resuming = localResumeOrFreshCommand(agentLaunch: agentCommand) {
       return resuming
     }
+    // Unattended Codex sessions are started by graphcoded. Attaching with the agent
+    // command as well creates a race where zmx run types that command into Codex.
+    if defersCodexLaunchToDaemon {
+      return command
+    }
     command += agentCommand
     return command
   }
 
+  var defersCodexLaunchToDaemon: Bool {
+    backend == .codex && launchesClaudeCode
+      && (loopType == .goalBased || loopType == .timeBased)
+  }
+
   /// Opening a loop whose session is gone used to start the agent **fresh**, prompt and
   /// all, because this was the one launch path that could not resume — `agentCommand`
   /// carries `sessionPrompt`, and only the daemon knew about `SessionIDStore`.
diff --git a/graphcode/Tests/AttachedSessionBriefingTests.swift b/graphcode/Tests/AttachedSessionBriefingTests.swift
index 9e086618..7f57a5d8 100644
--- a/graphcode/Tests/AttachedSessionBriefingTests.swift
+++ b/graphcode/Tests/AttachedSessionBriefingTests.swift
@@ -17,11 +17,11 @@ struct AttachedSessionBriefingTests {
 
   private func surface(
     _ backend: CLISessionBackendKind, launchesClaudeCode: Bool = true,
-    initialPrompt: String? = "go"
+    initialPrompt: String? = "go", loopType: LoopType = .turnBased
   ) -> GhosttyTerminalView {
     GhosttyTerminalView(
       surfaceID: UUID(), sessionName: "s", launchesClaudeCode: launchesClaudeCode,
-      backend: backend, initialPrompt: initialPrompt, workingDirectory: nil,
+      backend: backend, loopType: loopType, initialPrompt: initialPrompt, workingDirectory: nil,
       projectPath: "/tmp/proj", onProcessExited: { _ in })
   }
 
@@ -62,6 +62,14 @@ struct AttachedSessionBriefingTests {
     #expect(prompt.contains(briefing))
   }
 
+  @Test
+  func unattendedCodexLeavesFirstLaunchToTheDaemon() {
+    #expect(surface(.codex, loopType: .goalBased).defersCodexLaunchToDaemon)
+    #expect(surface(.codex, loopType: .timeBased).defersCodexLaunchToDaemon)
+    #expect(!surface(.codex).defersCodexLaunchToDaemon)
+    #expect(!surface(.claudeCode, loopType: .goalBased).defersCodexLaunchToDaemon)
+  }
+
   @Test
   func noBriefingMeansTheCommandAndPromptOfBefore() {
     let command =
diff --git a/graphcode/Tests/ClaudeCodeTrustTests.swift b/graphcode/Tests/ClaudeCodeTrustTests.swift
index a7a8911c..8fa32efc 100644
--- a/graphcode/Tests/ClaudeCodeTrustTests.swift
+++ b/graphcode/Tests/ClaudeCodeTrustTests.swift
@@ -79,6 +79,16 @@ struct ClaudeCodeTrustTests {
     #expect(try String(contentsOf: url, encoding: .utf8) == "{not json at all")
   }
 
+  /// A `projects` value the seed does not understand is left exactly as found too:
+  /// replacing it with a dictionary would trade the user's real state for a guess.
+  @Test
+  func anUnexpectedProjectsShapeIsLeftUntouched() throws {
+    let url = temporaryConfig(#"{"projects":"unexpected"}"#)
+    defer { try? FileManager.default.removeItem(at: url.deletingLastPathComponent()) }
+    ClaudeCodeTrust.ensureTrusted(directory: "/tmp/project", configURL: url)
+    #expect(try String(contentsOf: url, encoding: .utf8) == #"{"projects":"unexpected"}"#)
+  }
+
   @Test
   func anEmptyDirectoryIsNeverWritten() throws {
     let url = temporaryConfig(#"{"projects":{}}"#)
diff --git a/graphcode/Tests/GraphcodeCommandTests.swift b/graphcode/Tests/GraphcodeCommandTests.swift
index 1b821e5d..8d2705b2 100644
--- a/graphcode/Tests/GraphcodeCommandTests.swift
+++ b/graphcode/Tests/GraphcodeCommandTests.swift
@@ -106,12 +106,14 @@ struct GraphcodeCommandTests {
   func aDaemonBackedCodexTimeLoopIsAccepted() throws {
     // Codex has no in-session recurrence, but a leading simple directive is converted to
     // the graphcode daemon cadence rather than rejected as an unsupported pairing.
-    #expect(throws: Never.self, performing: {
-      try GraphcodeCommand.parse([
-        "node", "create", "/tmp/x", "--title", "Poll", "--type", "time",
-        "--prompt", "/loop 1h Check", "--backend", "codex",
-      ])
-    })
+    #expect(
+      throws: Never.self,
+      performing: {
+        try GraphcodeCommand.parse([
+          "node", "create", "/tmp/x", "--title", "Poll", "--type", "time",
+          "--prompt", "/loop 1h Check", "--backend", "codex",
+        ])
+      })
     // And the pairing that is fine now, which is the point of the change.
     #expect(
       throws: Never.self,
@@ -314,6 +316,21 @@ struct GraphcodeCommandTests {
     #expect(output.contains("Failed"))
   }
 
+  @Test
+  func renderingAGraphShowsTheBackendExitCode() {
+    let node = LoopNode(
+      title: "Trust dialog", loopType: .goalBased, goal: GoalSpec(summary: "work"),
+      presence: PresenceReading(presence: .idle, confidence: .scanned, exitCode: 1),
+      state: .running)
+    let graph = LoopGraph(
+      project: ProjectRef(path: "/tmp/x", name: "x"), nodes: [node])
+
+    let output = GraphcodeCommand.render(graph)
+
+    #expect(output.contains("failed"))
+    #expect(output.contains("session exited (1)"))
+  }
+
   @Test
   func renderingAnEmptyGraphSaysSoRatherThanPrintingNothing() {
     let output = GraphcodeCommand.render(
diff --git a/graphcode/Tests/PresenceReportingTests.swift b/graphcode/Tests/PresenceReportingTests.swift
index d250d79e..e4cd15bd 100644
--- a/graphcode/Tests/PresenceReportingTests.swift
+++ b/graphcode/Tests/PresenceReportingTests.swift
@@ -319,6 +319,16 @@ struct PresenceReportingTests {
     #expect(node(.running, .absent).displayState == .idle)
   }
 
+  @Test
+  func aNonzeroBackendExitIsSurfacedAsFailureWithoutResolvingTheLoop() {
+    var exited = node(.running, .idle)
+    exited.presence = PresenceReading(presence: .idle, confidence: .scanned, exitCode: 1)
+
+    #expect(exited.displayState == .failed)
+    #expect(exited.state == .running)
+    #expect(!exited.presenceShowsLiveSession)
+  }
+
   @Test
   func aGoneSessionOnAnUnattendedLoopPastTheGraceIsFailed() {
     // Issue #215: a goal loop whose agent exited on its first turn showed IDLE — the
@@ -404,6 +414,13 @@ struct PresenceReportingTests {
 
     #expect(idleDecoded.presence?.presence == .idle)
     #expect(idleDecoded.displayState == .idle)
+
+    var exited = node(.running, .idle)
+    exited.presence = PresenceReading(presence: .idle, confidence: .scanned, exitCode: 1)
+    let exitDecoded = try JSONDecoder().decode(
+      LoopNode.self, from: JSONEncoder().encode(exited))
+    #expect(exitDecoded.presence?.exitCode == 1)
+    #expect(exitDecoded.displayState == .failed)
   }
 
   // MARK: - Remote Copilot event-log presence
diff --git a/graphcode/Tests/RemoteSessionLaunchTests.swift b/graphcode/Tests/RemoteSessionLaunchTests.swift
index ca521190..89b9b825 100644
--- a/graphcode/Tests/RemoteSessionLaunchTests.swift
+++ b/graphcode/Tests/RemoteSessionLaunchTests.swift
@@ -107,12 +107,28 @@ struct RemoteSessionLaunchTests {
     #expect(invocation.first == "/usr/bin/ssh")
     let remoteCommand = try #require(invocation.last)
     #expect(remoteCommand.contains("send"))
+    // The send is gated on the husk-aware alive check (#215): a session whose task has
+    // ended must fail it, or the keystrokes land at the husk's shell prompt.
+    #expect(remoteCommand.contains("ls 2>/dev/null"))
+    #expect(remoteCommand.contains("ended="))
     #expect(remoteCommand.contains("task done"))
     #expect(remoteCommand.contains("sleep"))
     #expect(
       remoteCommand.contains(SurfaceRef(id: node.id, launchesClaudeCode: true).zmxSessionName))
   }
 
+  @Test
+  func aRemoteCompletedTaskCarriesItsExitCode() {
+    let status = ZmxSessionLauncher.parseRemoteStatus(
+      succeeded: true, output: "graphcode-status: exited 1")
+    #expect(status == .exited(code: 1))
+    let reading = ZmxSessionLauncher.presenceReading(
+      from: status,
+      liveWithoutLabel: PresenceReading(presence: .idle, confidence: .heuristic))
+    #expect(reading.exitCode == 1)
+    #expect(reading.confidence == .scanned)
+  }
+
   @Test
   func aRemoteCodexMessageClearsItsIdleLabelAfterSubmission() throws {
     let node = LoopNode(