diff --git a/docs/user/remote-access.md b/docs/user/remote-access.md
index b10123ab6223..bba00e4bbcf5 100644
--- a/docs/user/remote-access.md
+++ b/docs/user/remote-access.md
@@ -135,6 +135,7 @@ Configure your version manager for non-interactive shells if this differs from
 your normal terminal. With nvm, setting a compatible default, such as
 `nvm alias default 24`, can resolve the problem.
 
+Closing the desktop app leaves the remote server and running agents active.
 If SSH reconnecting fails after an app update, retry the launch once. Removing
 the connection stops a server that T3 Code launched; a server that was already
 running is left alone.
diff --git a/packages/ssh/src/runnerProcess.test.ts b/packages/ssh/src/runnerProcess.test.ts
index 82061c0d8c84..40a0a399d8fa 100644
--- a/packages/ssh/src/runnerProcess.test.ts
+++ b/packages/ssh/src/runnerProcess.test.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,11 @@ import * as Stream from "effect/Stream";
 import { ChildProcess, ChildProcessSpawner } from "effect/unstable/process";
 import * as NodeNet from "node:net";
 
-import { buildRemoteStopScript, buildRemoteT3RunnerScript } from "./tunnel.ts";
+import {
+  buildRemoteLaunchScript,
+  buildRemoteStopScript,
+  buildRemoteT3RunnerScript,
+} from "./tunnel.ts";
 
 const Started = Schema.Struct({
   pid: Schema.Number,
@@ -166,6 +170,97 @@ if (args.includes("--package")) {
   },
 );
 
+describe.skipIf(HostProcessPlatform.defaultValue() === "win32")(
+  "remote reconnect process ownership",
+  () => {
+    it.live.each(["managed", "external"] as const)(
+      "reuses the same %s server published in the runtime file",
+      (serverKind) =>
+        Effect.gen(function* () {
+          const fs = yield* FileSystem.FileSystem;
+          const path = yield* Path.Path;
+          const spawner = yield* ChildProcessSpawner.ChildProcessSpawner;
+          const fixture = yield* fs.makeTempDirectoryScoped({ prefix: "t3-reconnect-" });
+          const runner = { nodeScriptPath: path.join(fixture, "unused-cli.mjs") };
+          const child = yield* spawner.spawn(
+            ChildProcess.make(
+              process.execPath,
+              [
+                "--input-type=module",
+                "-e",
+                `import * as http from "node:http";
+import * as fs from "node:fs";
+const server = http.createServer((_request, response) => response.end("ready"));
+process.on("SIGTERM", () => fs.writeFileSync("stopped", "SIGTERM"));
+server.listen(0, "127.0.0.1", () => {
+  process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify({ pid: process.pid, port: server.address().port, args: [] }) + "\\n");
+});
+`,
+              ],
+              { cwd: fixture, detached: false },
+            ),
+          );
+          yield* Effect.addFinalizer(() =>
+            child.kill({ killSignal: "SIGKILL" }).pipe(Effect.ignore),
+          );
+          const started = decodeStarted(
+            yield* child.stdout.pipe(
+              Stream.decodeText(),
+              Stream.splitLines,
+              Stream.take(1),
+              Stream.mkString,
+            ),
+          );
+          yield* fs.makeDirectory(path.join(fixture, "userdata"));
+          yield* fs.writeFileString(
+            path.join(fixture, "userdata", "server-runtime.json"),
+            `{"pid":${started.pid},"port":${started.port},"origin":"http://127.0.0.1:${started.port}"}`,
+          );
+          yield* fs.writeFileString(
+            path.join(fixture, "run-t3.sh"),
+            `${buildRemoteT3RunnerScript(runner)}\n`,
+          );
+          yield* fs.writeFileString(path.join(fixture, "port"), `${started.port}\n`);
+          yield* fs.writeFileString(path.join(fixture, "managed"), `${serverKind}\n`);
+          if (serverKind === "managed") {
+            yield* fs.writeFileString(path.join(fixture, "pid"), `${started.pid}\n`);
+          }
+          // Redirect state discovery and ownership files to this fixture only.
+          const script = buildRemoteLaunchScript(runner)
+            .replace(/^STATE_DIR=.*$/mu, 'STATE_DIR="$T3_TEST_STATE_DIR"')
+            .replace(/^DEFAULT_SERVER_HOME=.*$/mu, 'DEFAULT_SERVER_HOME="$T3_TEST_STATE_DIR"');
+          const launch = yield* spawner.spawn(
+            ChildProcess.make("/bin/sh", ["-s", "--", "fixture"], {
+              cwd: fixture,
+              env: { T3_TEST_STATE_DIR: fixture },
+              extendEnv: true,
+              stdin: Stream.make(new TextEncoder().encode(script)),
+            }),
+          );
+          const result = yield* Effect.all(
+            {
+              stdout: launch.stdout.pipe(Stream.decodeText(), Stream.mkString),
+              stderr: launch.stderr.pipe(Stream.decodeText(), Stream.mkString),
+              exitCode: launch.exitCode,
+            },
+            { concurrency: "unbounded" },
+          );
+          assert.equal(result.exitCode, 0, result.stderr);
+          assert.isFalse(yield* fs.exists(path.join(fixture, "stopped")));
+          assert.isTrue(yield* child.isRunning);
+          assert.equal(
+            result.stdout,
+            `{"remotePort":${started.port},"serverKind":"${serverKind}"}\n`,
+          );
+          assert.equal(yield* fs.readFileString(path.join(fixture, "managed")), `${serverKind}\n`);
+          if (serverKind === "managed") {
+            assert.equal(yield* fs.readFileString(path.join(fixture, "pid")), `${started.pid}\n`);
+          }
+        }).pipe(Effect.provide(NodeServices.layer), Effect.scoped),
+    );
+  },
+);
+
 describe.skipIf(HostProcessPlatform.defaultValue() === "win32")(
   "remote stop process ownership",
   () => {
diff --git a/packages/ssh/src/tunnel.test.ts b/packages/ssh/src/tunnel.test.ts
index e2536ba92017..fb93b52672a5 100644
--- a/packages/ssh/src/tunnel.test.ts
+++ b/packages/ssh/src/tunnel.test.ts
@@ -478,7 +478,7 @@ describe("ssh tunnel scripts", () => {
         Effect.andThen(
           Effect.sync(() => {
             assert.equal(tunnelKillCount, 2);
-            assert.equal(stopCommandCount, mode === "failed stop" ? 3 : 2);
+            assert.equal(stopCommandCount, mode === "failed stop" ? 2 : 1);
           }),
         ),
       );
diff --git a/packages/ssh/src/tunnel.ts b/packages/ssh/src/tunnel.ts
index 9cb6b25e4121..761a189accaf 100644
--- a/packages/ssh/src/tunnel.ts
+++ b/packages/ssh/src/tunnel.ts
@@ -527,7 +527,8 @@ if [ -n "$DEFAULT_RUNTIME_INFO" ]; then
   DEFAULT_RUNTIME_PID="\${DEFAULT_RUNTIME_INFO%% *}"
   DEFAULT_REMOTE_PORT="\${DEFAULT_RUNTIME_INFO#* }"
 fi
-if [ -n "$DEFAULT_REMOTE_PORT" ]; then
+# A managed server also publishes the default runtime file. Keep its ownership on reconnect.
+if [ -n "$DEFAULT_REMOTE_PORT" ] && { [ "$REMOTE_MANAGED" != "managed" ] || [ "$REMOTE_PID" != "$DEFAULT_RUNTIME_PID" ]; }; then
   REMOTE_PORT="$DEFAULT_REMOTE_PORT"
   if wait_ready "@@T3_REUSE_READY_TIMEOUT_MS@@"; then
     if [ "$REMOTE_MANAGED" = "managed" ]; then
@@ -1379,55 +1380,19 @@ const makeSshEnvironmentManager = Effect.fn("ssh/tunnel.SshEnvironmentManager.ma
       ),
     );
     tunnels.set(input.key, tunnelEntry);
-    const spawnerService = yield* ChildProcessSpawner.ChildProcessSpawner;
-    const fileSystemService = yield* FileSystem.FileSystem;
-    const pathService = yield* Path.Path;
     yield* Scope.addFinalizer(
       entryScope,
       Effect.gen(function* () {
-        const stopRemote = tunnels.get(tunnelEntry.key) === tunnelEntry;
-        if (stopRemote) {
+        if (tunnels.get(tunnelEntry.key) === tunnelEntry) {
           tunnels.delete(tunnelEntry.key);
         }
+        // Client shutdown and tunnel replacement must leave remote work running.
         yield* tunnelEntry.process
           .kill({
             killSignal: "SIGTERM",
             forceKillAfter: TUNNEL_SHUTDOWN_TIMEOUT_MS,
           })
           .pipe(Effect.ignore);
-        if (!stopRemote) {
-          return;
-        }
-        yield* Effect.logDebug("ssh.environment.tunnel.finalizer.start", {
-          ...sshTargetLogFields(tunnelEntry.target),
-          key: tunnelEntry.key,
-          localPort: tunnelEntry.localPort,
-          remotePort: tunnelEntry.remotePort,
-        });
-        const authSecret = authSecrets.get(tunnelEntry.key) ?? null;
-        yield* stopRemoteServer(
-          tunnelEntry.target,
-          authSecret === null
-            ? {
-                batchMode: "yes",
-                interactiveAuth: false,
-              }
-            : {
-                authSecret,
-                batchMode: "no",
-                interactiveAuth: true,
-              },
-        ).pipe(
-          Effect.provideService(ChildProcessSpawner.ChildProcessSpawner, spawnerService),
-          Effect.provideService(FileSystem.FileSystem, fileSystemService),
-          Effect.provideService(Path.Path, pathService),
-        );
-        yield* Effect.logDebug("ssh.environment.tunnel.finalizer.succeeded", {
-          ...sshTargetLogFields(tunnelEntry.target),
-          key: tunnelEntry.key,
-          localPort: tunnelEntry.localPort,
-          remotePort: tunnelEntry.remotePort,
-        });
       }).pipe(Effect.ignore),
     );
     yield* Effect.logDebug("ssh.environment.tunnel.create.succeeded", {
@@ -1581,11 +1546,7 @@ const makeSshEnvironmentManager = Effect.fn("ssh/tunnel.SshEnvironmentManager.ma
           hasTunnel: entry !== null,
         });
         if (entry !== null) {
-          // Explicit disconnect owns the remote stop so its failure reaches the caller.
-          yield* Effect.gen(function* () {
-            tunnels.delete(key);
-            yield* closeTunnelEntry(entry);
-          }).pipe(Effect.uninterruptible);
+          yield* closeTunnelEntry(entry);
         }
         yield* runWithSshAuth({
           key,