diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 877716e..4094fed 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,19 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## [0.11.7] - 2026-08-23
+
+### Added
+
+- `POST /api/upgrade`: a remote client can trigger the hub's own staleness
+  check; the hub restarts onto the on-disk code only when it judges that code
+  newer than itself (a newer `package.json` version frozen-at-start
+  comparison, or any `dist/**/*.js` mtime later than process start — so a
+  rebuild without a version bump counts). The client never decides the
+  restart. The daemon re-spawns itself from disk before exiting; bridges
+  re-register on their next heartbeat, and a respawned hub starts after the
+  newest dist mtime so the check cannot loop.
+
 ## [0.11.6] - 2026-08-23
 
 ### Added
diff --git a/docs/REMOTE-CLIENTS.md b/docs/REMOTE-CLIENTS.md
index b9d19d7..78aa358 100644
--- a/docs/REMOTE-CLIENTS.md
+++ b/docs/REMOTE-CLIENTS.md
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ ACP editor ────── stdio ──────────┘
 | `GET /api/instances/{id}/status`                      | required | Real-time per-session running status of one bridge.                                          |
 | `POST /api/instances/{id}/sessions/{sessionId}/close` | required | Retire a session from remote discovery — see [Closing a session](#closing-a-session).        |
 | `GET /api/quota`                                      | required | Account-level usage stats — same payload as `account/usage_stats`, no ACP connection needed. |
+| `POST /api/upgrade`                                   | required | Trigger the hub's own staleness check — see [Hub self-upgrade](#hub-self-upgrade).           |
 
 HTTP auth: `Authorization: Bearer <token>` or `?token=<token>`.
 
@@ -291,6 +292,33 @@ Cross-instance note: if the same conversation is also registered by another
 bridge of the project, the hub's dedupe re-attaches it under that instance —
 close it there too.
 
+## Hub self-upgrade
+
+```text
+POST {hub}/api/upgrade   → 200 { "ok": true, "restarting": false, "reason": "up-to-date",
+                                    "runningVersion": "0.11.6", "diskVersion": "0.11.6" }
+```
+
+Lets a remote client pick up a hub that was rebuilt on the machine (e.g. code
+edited and `pnpm build` run through a remote agent session). The client only
+**triggers** the check — the restart decision is entirely the hub's own. The
+hub restarts onto the on-disk code only when it judges that code NEWER than
+itself, by either signal:
+
+- the on-disk `package.json` version is newer than the version frozen into
+  the running process at start, **or**
+- any `.js` under `dist/` has an mtime later than process start (a rebuild,
+  even without a version bump).
+
+When `restarting` is `true`, the hub exits ~500ms after replying, re-spawns
+itself from the on-disk dist, and bridges re-register on their next heartbeat
+(≤10s). Poll `GET /api/health` until it answers again, then refresh
+`/api/instances` and reconnect. A respawned hub starts after the newest dist
+mtime, so the condition self-negates — no restart loops, and an OLDER on-disk
+version never triggers anything.
+
+Errors: `401` bad token. `GET` (or any other method) falls through to `404`.
+
 ## Session files (read-only)
 
 Browse and download files of a session's project — served by the bridge,
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index ae86216..e15958f 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "zcode-acp-server",
-  "version": "0.11.6",
+  "version": "0.11.7",
   "description": "Agent Client Protocol (ACP) server bridging headless ZCode to editors like Zed and JetBrains.",
   "type": "module",
   "license": "Apache-2.0",
diff --git a/src/bin/hub.ts b/src/bin/hub.ts
index 2fe1c5b..3ca183e 100644
--- a/src/bin/hub.ts
+++ b/src/bin/hub.ts
@@ -14,11 +14,39 @@
  * hub already owns the port, which is the desired machine-singleton behaviour.
  */
 
+import { spawn } from "node:child_process";
 import process from "node:process";
+import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
 
 import { parseHubConfig } from "../remote/config.js";
 import { startHub } from "../remote/hub-server.js";
-import { warn } from "../utils.js";
+import { log, warn } from "../utils.js";
+
+/**
+ * Re-exec the hub from the on-disk dist (the freshest build) and exit. Runs
+ * after close() released the port, so the child binds cleanly; bridges racing
+ * to re-spawn the hub lose politely via the EADDRINUSE singleton behaviour.
+ * stdio is fully ignored — the parent exits immediately, and a piped stderr
+ * would EPIPE the child on its first log line.
+ */
+function respawnSelf(): void {
+  try {
+    // bin/hub.js → ../bin/hub.js is itself (this file's compiled location).
+    const hubJs = fileURLToPath(new URL("../bin/hub.js", import.meta.url));
+    const child = spawn(process.execPath, [hubJs], {
+      detached: true,
+      stdio: ["ignore", "ignore", "ignore"],
+    });
+    child.unref();
+    log(`hub: respawned from ${hubJs} (pid ${child.pid})`);
+  } catch (e) {
+    warn(
+      `hub: respawn failed (${e instanceof Error ? e.message : String(e)})` +
+        " — bridges will re-spawn the hub on their next heartbeat",
+    );
+  }
+  process.exit(0);
+}
 
 async function main(): Promise<void> {
   const config = parseHubConfig();
@@ -28,6 +56,7 @@ async function main(): Promise<void> {
     host: config.hubHost,
     token: config.token,
     onIdleExit: () => process.exit(0),
+    onRestart: respawnSelf,
   });
   process.on("SIGTERM", () => void hub.close().then(() => process.exit(0)));
   process.on("SIGINT", () => void hub.close().then(() => process.exit(0)));
diff --git a/src/remote/hub-server.ts b/src/remote/hub-server.ts
index 5ec0fed..59f18ae 100644
--- a/src/remote/hub-server.ts
+++ b/src/remote/hub-server.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@
  * plain-HTTP conveniences that spare clients a full ACP round-trip (ADR-0005):
  * a proxied per-instance /status, and an account-level /api/quota queried
  * directly (quota belongs to the machine's credentials, not to any instance).
+ * POST /api/upgrade lets a client TRIGGER a self-decided restart: the hub
+ * re-checks whether the on-disk build is newer than the running process and,
+ * only if so, re-spawns itself onto it — the decision is never the client's.
  * It holds no session state and understands no ACP — a proxied connection
  * stays bound to one instance for its whole lifetime.
  *
@@ -21,6 +24,8 @@
  */
 
 import { createHash, timingSafeEqual } from "node:crypto";
+import type { Dirent } from "node:fs";
+import { readdir, readFile, stat } from "node:fs/promises";
 import {
   createServer,
   get as httpGet,
@@ -30,6 +35,8 @@ import {
   type ServerResponse,
 } from "node:http";
 import net from "node:net";
+import path from "node:path";
+import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
 
 import { WebSocket, WebSocketServer, type RawData } from "ws";
 
@@ -46,6 +53,19 @@ export interface HubOptions {
   idleExitMs?: number;
   /** WebSocket keepalive ping interval (default 30s; tunnels drop idle links). */
   pingIntervalMs?: number;
+  /**
+   * Fires when the hub decided it should restart onto newer on-disk code
+   * (a newer bridge registered, or POST /api/upgrade found the dist newer).
+   * The standalone daemon re-spawns a replacement before exiting (see
+   * bin/hub.ts); falls back to onIdleExit when unset.
+   */
+  onRestart?: () => void;
+  /**
+   * Override the on-disk locations /api/upgrade checks against (tests point
+   * these at fixtures). Defaults: this package's package.json and the dist
+   * directory this module runs from.
+   */
+  codePaths?: { packageJson: string; distDir: string };
 }
 
 export interface HubHandle {
@@ -197,6 +217,81 @@ function portOpen(port: number, timeoutMs: number): Promise<boolean> {
   });
 }
 
+/**
+ * Where /api/upgrade looks for on-disk code: root package.json + dist/.
+ */
+function defaultCodePaths(): { packageJson: string; distDir: string } {
+  // dist/remote/hub-server.js → ../../package.json and dist/ (src/ in dev
+  // has no .js files, so the mtime signal simply stays silent there).
+  return {
+    packageJson: fileURLToPath(new URL("../../package.json", import.meta.url)),
+    distDir: fileURLToPath(new URL("../", import.meta.url)),
+  };
+}
+
+/** Newest mtime among .js files under dir (recursive); null when none found. */
+async function newestJsMtime(dir: string): Promise<number | null> {
+  let newest: number | null = null;
+  const walk = async (current: string): Promise<void> => {
+    let entries: Dirent[];
+    try {
+      entries = await readdir(current, { withFileTypes: true });
+    } catch {
+      return; // unreadable subtree — skip it, don't fail the check
+    }
+    for (const entry of entries) {
+      const p = path.join(current, entry.name);
+      if (entry.isDirectory()) await walk(p);
+      else if (entry.isFile() && entry.name.endsWith(".js")) {
+        try {
+          // Floor to whole ms: APFS mtimes carry sub-ms fractions while
+          // Date.now() truncates, and a same-ms write/start pair would
+          // otherwise look "newer" than a hub started after it.
+          const mtime = Math.floor((await stat(p)).mtimeMs);
+          if (newest === null || mtime > newest) newest = mtime;
+        } catch {
+          /* raced deletion */
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  };
+  await walk(dir);
+  return newest;
+}
+
+/**
+ * /api/upgrade staleness check: is the code on DISK newer than this running
+ * process? Either signal suffices — the on-disk package.json version beats
+ * the version frozen into this process at start (a release upgrade), or any
+ * .js under dist was written after process start (a rebuild, even without a
+ * version bump). A respawned process starts after the newest dist mtime, so
+ * the condition self-negates: no restart loops.
+ */
+async function diskCodeIsNewer(
+  paths: { packageJson: string; distDir: string },
+  startedAt: number,
+): Promise<{
+  newer: boolean;
+  reason: "version" | "mtime" | "up-to-date";
+  diskVersion: string | null;
+}> {
+  let diskVersion: string | null = null;
+  try {
+    const pkg = JSON.parse(await readFile(paths.packageJson, "utf8")) as { version?: unknown };
+    if (typeof pkg.version === "string") diskVersion = pkg.version;
+  } catch {
+    /* unreadable package.json — the mtime signal still applies */
+  }
+  if (diskVersion && compareVersions(diskVersion, AGENT_INFO.version) > 0) {
+    return { newer: true, reason: "version", diskVersion };
+  }
+  const newest = await newestJsMtime(paths.distDir);
+  if (newest !== null && newest > startedAt) {
+    return { newer: true, reason: "mtime", diskVersion };
+  }
+  return { newer: false, reason: "up-to-date", diskVersion };
+}
+
 /**
  * Start the hub. Resolves once listening; rejects on bind failure (including
  * EADDRINUSE when another hub already owns the port).
@@ -210,12 +305,30 @@ export function startHub(options: HubOptions & { onIdleExit?: () => void }): Pro
     idleExitMs = IDLE_EXIT_MS,
     pingIntervalMs = PING_INTERVAL_MS,
     onIdleExit,
+    onRestart,
+    codePaths = defaultCodePaths(),
   } = options;
 
+  /** Frozen at hub start — the anchor the /api/upgrade signals compare to. */
+  const startedAt = Date.now();
+
   const instances = new Map<string, InstanceEntry>();
   const proxyPairs = new Set<{ client: WebSocket; bridge: WebSocket }>();
   const timers: Array<ReturnType<typeof setInterval>> = [];
 
+  /**
+   * Reply first, then gracefully stop (close() releases the port) and hand
+   * over. `close` is declared below and hoisted — it only runs inside the
+   * timer, long after this scope is fully initialised.
+   */
+  const restartSoon = (message: string): void => {
+    log(message);
+    const restart = setTimeout(() => {
+      void close().finally(() => (onRestart ?? onIdleExit)?.());
+    }, 500);
+    restart.unref();
+  };
+
   let idleSince: number | null = null;
 
   const wss = new WebSocketServer({ noServer: true });
@@ -362,6 +475,34 @@ export function startHub(options: HubOptions & { onIdleExit?: () => void }): Pro
       }
       return;
     }
+    // POST /api/upgrade — a remote client may TRIGGER a staleness check but
+    // never decide the restart: the hub compares its frozen running version
+    // and process start time against the on-disk package.json and dist
+    // mtimes, and only restarts onto code it judged newer (diskCodeIsNewer).
+    if (url.pathname === "/api/upgrade" && req.method === "POST") {
+      if (!authorized(req, url, token)) {
+        res.writeHead(401, { "Content-Type": "text/plain" });
+        res.end("unauthorized");
+        return;
+      }
+      const check = await diskCodeIsNewer(codePaths, startedAt);
+      res.writeHead(200, { "Content-Type": "application/json" });
+      res.end(
+        JSON.stringify({
+          ok: true,
+          restarting: check.newer,
+          reason: check.reason,
+          runningVersion: AGENT_INFO.version,
+          diskVersion: check.diskVersion,
+        }),
+      );
+      if (check.newer) {
+        restartSoon(
+          `hub: on-disk code is newer (${check.reason}: ${check.diskVersion ?? "rebuilt dist"}) — restarting onto it`,
+        );
+      }
+      return;
+    }
     // /api/instances/{id}/fs/... and /status — byte-level proxy to the
     // instance's loopback file/status endpoint (ADR-0004, ADR-0005). The hub
     // routes by instance id only; sessionId, path semantics, and scope checks
@@ -499,13 +640,9 @@ export function startHub(options: HubOptions & { onIdleExit?: () => void }): Pro
       res.writeHead(200, { "Content-Type": "application/json" });
       res.end(JSON.stringify(stale ? { ok: true, restarting: true } : { ok: true }));
       if (stale) {
-        log(
+        restartSoon(
           `hub: bridge ${body.version} is newer than hub ${AGENT_INFO.version} — restarting to upgrade`,
         );
-        const restart = setTimeout(() => {
-          void close().finally(() => onIdleExit?.());
-        }, 500);
-        restart.unref();
       }
       return;
     }
diff --git a/tests/hub.test.ts b/tests/hub.test.ts
index bdcbc64..12c5ce3 100644
--- a/tests/hub.test.ts
+++ b/tests/hub.test.ts
@@ -4,8 +4,11 @@
  * idle-exit policy.
  */
 
+import { mkdir, mkdtemp, writeFile } from "node:fs/promises";
 import { createServer, type Server } from "node:http";
 import net from "node:net";
+import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
+import path from "node:path";
 
 import { WebSocket, WebSocketServer } from "ws";
 
@@ -20,6 +23,7 @@ vi.mock("../src/handlers/account.js", () => ({
 }));
 
 import { resetQuotaCacheForTest, startHub, type HubHandle } from "../src/remote/hub-server.js";
+import { AGENT_INFO } from "../src/utils.js";
 
 const TOKEN = "test-hub-token";
 const BASE_PORT = 18400; // bridge ports start here; ephemeral hub uses port 0
@@ -661,3 +665,143 @@ describe("hub version self-upgrade", () => {
     expect(health.status).toBe(200);
   });
 });
+
+describe("hub /api/upgrade (self-decided restart)", () => {
+  const upgradeUrl = (hub: HubHandle) => `http://127.0.0.1:${hub.port}/api/upgrade`;
+  const auth = { Authorization: `Bearer ${TOKEN}` };
+
+  /**
+   * Fixture on-disk code: package.json + dist/remote/hub-server.js. Written
+   * BEFORE the hub starts, so its mtimes sit below the hub's startedAt —
+   * exactly like a build that predates the running process.
+   */
+  async function writeCodeFixture(
+    version: string,
+  ): Promise<{ packageJson: string; distDir: string }> {
+    const root = await mkdtemp(path.join(tmpdir(), "hub-upgrade-"));
+    const packageJson = path.join(root, "package.json");
+    const distDir = path.join(root, "dist");
+    await mkdir(path.join(distDir, "remote"), { recursive: true });
+    await writeFile(packageJson, JSON.stringify({ version }));
+    await writeFile(path.join(distDir, "remote", "hub-server.js"), "// code\n");
+    return { packageJson, distDir };
+  }
+
+  /** Poll a flag until true or fail (the restart fires ~500ms after replying). */
+  async function until(flag: () => boolean, label: string): Promise<void> {
+    await withTimeout(
+      new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+        const check = setInterval(() => {
+          if (flag()) {
+            clearInterval(check);
+            resolve();
+          }
+        }, 50);
+      }),
+      5000,
+      label,
+    );
+  }
+
+  it("rejects /api/upgrade without or with a wrong token", async () => {
+    const hub = await startTestHub();
+    expect((await fetch(upgradeUrl(hub), { method: "POST" })).status).toBe(401);
+    expect(
+      (await fetch(upgradeUrl(hub), { method: "POST", headers: { Authorization: "Bearer nope" } }))
+        .status,
+    ).toBe(401);
+  });
+
+  it("stays put when the on-disk code matches the running version", async () => {
+    const paths = await writeCodeFixture(AGENT_INFO.version);
+    let restarted = false;
+    const hub = await startTestHub({
+      codePaths: paths,
+      onRestart: () => {
+        restarted = true;
+      },
+    });
+    const res = await fetch(upgradeUrl(hub), { method: "POST", headers: auth });
+    expect(res.status).toBe(200);
+    expect(await res.json()).toEqual({
+      ok: true,
+      restarting: false,
+      reason: "up-to-date",
+      runningVersion: AGENT_INFO.version,
+      diskVersion: AGENT_INFO.version,
+    });
+    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 800));
+    expect(restarted).toBe(false);
+    expect((await fetch(`http://127.0.0.1:${hub.port}/api/health`)).status).toBe(200);
+  });
+
+  it("does not restart onto an OLDER on-disk version", async () => {
+    const paths = await writeCodeFixture("0.0.1");
+    let restarted = false;
+    const hub = await startTestHub({
+      codePaths: paths,
+      onRestart: () => {
+        restarted = true;
+      },
+    });
+    const res = await fetch(upgradeUrl(hub), { method: "POST", headers: auth });
+    expect(await res.json()).toMatchObject({ restarting: false, reason: "up-to-date" });
+    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 800));
+    expect(restarted).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("restarts onto a newer on-disk version", async () => {
+    const paths = await writeCodeFixture("9999.0.0");
+    let restarted = false;
+    const hub = await startTestHub({
+      codePaths: paths,
+      onRestart: () => {
+        restarted = true;
+      },
+    });
+    const res = await fetch(upgradeUrl(hub), { method: "POST", headers: auth });
+    expect(res.status).toBe(200);
+    expect(await res.json()).toEqual({
+      ok: true,
+      restarting: true,
+      reason: "version",
+      runningVersion: AGENT_INFO.version,
+      diskVersion: "9999.0.0",
+    });
+    await until(() => restarted, "hub restart onto newer version");
+  });
+
+  it("restarts when dist was rebuilt without a version bump", async () => {
+    const paths = await writeCodeFixture(AGENT_INFO.version);
+    let restarted = false;
+    const hub = await startTestHub({
+      codePaths: paths,
+      onRestart: () => {
+        restarted = true;
+      },
+    });
+    // Let startedAt settle strictly below the rewrite's mtime, then "rebuild".
+    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 20));
+    await writeFile(path.join(paths.distDir, "remote", "hub-server.js"), "// rebuilt\n");
+    const res = await fetch(upgradeUrl(hub), { method: "POST", headers: auth });
+    expect(await res.json()).toMatchObject({ restarting: true, reason: "mtime" });
+    await until(() => restarted, "hub restart onto rebuilt dist");
+  });
+
+  it("checks the real repo layout safely when nothing is injected", async () => {
+    let restarted = false;
+    const hub = await startTestHub({
+      onRestart: () => {
+        restarted = true;
+      },
+    });
+    // Under vitest the defaults resolve to the repo root: package.json reads
+    // the same version frozen into AGENT_INFO, and src/ holds no .js files —
+    // so the answer must be a calm no-op, never a crash.
+    const res = await fetch(upgradeUrl(hub), { method: "POST", headers: auth });
+    expect(res.status).toBe(200);
+    expect(await res.json()).toMatchObject({ restarting: false, reason: "up-to-date" });
+    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 800));
+    expect(restarted).toBe(false);
+  });
+});