diff --git a/packages/desktop/src/daemon/daemon-manager.test.ts b/packages/desktop/src/daemon/daemon-manager.test.ts
index 4da4e5319e..d18a8cd48c 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/src/daemon/daemon-manager.test.ts
+++ b/packages/desktop/src/daemon/daemon-manager.test.ts
@@ -125,6 +125,36 @@ describe("daemon-manager commands", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("reports a stopped daemon without launching the CLI when no local daemon runs", async () => {
+    mkdirSync(mocks.paseoHome);
+    writeFileSync(path.join(mocks.paseoHome, "server-id"), "srv_existing\n");
+    mocks.runExternalCliJsonCommand.mockResolvedValue({
+      home: mocks.paseoHome,
+      pid: null,
+      startedAt: null,
+      listen: null,
+      hostname: null,
+      localDaemon: "stopped",
+      desktopManaged: false,
+      connectedDaemon: "not_probed",
+    });
+
+    const status = await createDaemonCommandHandlers().desktop_daemon_status();
+
+    expect(status).toMatchObject({ serverId: "", status: "stopped", pid: null });
+    expect(mocks.runExternalCliJsonCommand).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it("reports an errored daemon when the local daemon state cannot be read", async () => {
+    mkdirSync(mocks.paseoHome);
+    writeFileSync(path.join(mocks.paseoHome, "paseo.pid"), "garbage");
+
+    const status = await createDaemonCommandHandlers().desktop_daemon_status();
+
+    expect(status).toMatchObject({ serverId: "", status: "errored", pid: null });
+    expect(status.error).toBeTruthy();
+  });
+
   it("returns a local credential only for its live managed daemon listen", async () => {
     mkdirSync(mocks.paseoHome);
     const token = "a".repeat(43);
diff --git a/packages/desktop/src/daemon/daemon-manager.ts b/packages/desktop/src/daemon/daemon-manager.ts
index 8c1cf8dcc8..5f3f5394c6 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/src/daemon/daemon-manager.ts
+++ b/packages/desktop/src/daemon/daemon-manager.ts
@@ -224,6 +224,12 @@ export async function resolveDesktopDaemonStatus(): Promise<DesktopDaemonStatus>
   const home = getPaseoHome();
 
   try {
+    // The app polls this while no local daemon runs. Answer that case in-process,
+    // since launching the CLI once per poll keeps spawning processes while idle.
+    if (!(await readDaemonInstance(home))) {
+      return statusFromDaemonProbe({ localDaemon: "stopped" }, home);
+    }
+
     const payload = (await runExternalCliJsonCommand([
       "daemon",
       "status",
@@ -234,7 +240,7 @@ export async function resolveDesktopDaemonStatus(): Promise<DesktopDaemonStatus>
     return statusFromDaemonProbe(payload, home);
   } catch (error) {
     const errorMessage = error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error);
-    logDesktopDaemonLifecycle("resolveStatus CLI command failed", { error: errorMessage });
+    logDesktopDaemonLifecycle("resolveStatus failed", { error: errorMessage });
     return {
       serverId: "",
       status: "errored",