fix(claude): retain configured model metadata before a turn

Rebuilding an idle session cleared its observed model and published null despite retaining an explicit model in its configuration. Fall back to that configuration until the next turn supplies an observed model.

docs/connected-hosts.md

@@ -74,7 +74,10 @@ registrations remain inspectable; a changed destination requires explicit identi
 
 Both daemons advertise `connectedHosts`; the shared link additionally requires `hostMultiplexing`.
 A completes capability and pinned-identity checks on each physical recovery before admitting channels. There is no local fallback. An older daemon continues to serve existing local
-operations; requesting this feature gives update guidance.
+operations; requesting this feature gives update guidance. The registry retries an older destination
+with capped backoff, so it comes online once updated. Self, duplicate, changed-identity, and
+authentication failures stay in `error` until an update changes the connection, `enabled`, or
+`replaceIdentity`, or A restarts.
 
 Disposing a routed API releases its observations and session. It does not remove the saved host or
 affect sibling API scopes. Disposing the origin cascades to its derived scopes. Observations restore

packages/app/e2e/browser/composer-recall.spec.ts

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import {
   composerLocator,
   expectComposerDraft,
   expectComposerVisible,
-  fillComposerDraft,
+  submitMessage,
   typeIntoFocusedComposer,
 } from "../support/helpers/composer";
 import { openAgentRoute, seedMockAgentWorkspace } from "../support/helpers/mock-agent";
@@ -12,14 +12,8 @@ function userMessages(page: Page) {
   return page.getByTestId("user-message");
 }
 
-async function sendDraftWhenReady(page: Page) {
-  await expect(page.getByRole("button", { name: "Send message", exact: true })).toBeEnabled();
-  await pressInComposer(page, "Enter");
-}
-
 async function sendAndWaitForMessage(page: Page, text: string, expectedCount: number) {
-  await fillComposerDraft(page, text);
-  await sendDraftWhenReady(page);
+  await submitMessage(page, text);
   await expect(userMessages(page)).toHaveCount(expectedCount, { timeout: 30_000 });
   await expectComposerDraft(page, "");
 }
@@ -55,7 +49,7 @@ test.describe("Composer recall", () => {
       await pressInComposer(page, "ArrowUp");
       await expectComposerDraft(page, "add tests for login");
 
-      await sendDraftWhenReady(page);
+      await pressInComposer(page, "Enter");
       await expect(userMessages(page)).toHaveCount(3, { timeout: 30_000 });
       await expect(userMessages(page).last()).toContainText("add tests for login");
     } finally {

packages/app/src/terminal/runtime/terminal-emulator-runtime.browser.test.ts

@@ -717,11 +717,13 @@ describe("terminal emulator runtime in a real browser", () => {
     { name: "DA1-zero", bytes: "\x1b[0c" },
     { name: "DA2", bytes: "\x1b[>c" },
     { name: "DA3", bytes: "\x1b[=c" },
+    { name: "XTVERSION", bytes: "\x1b[>q" },
     { name: "DSR-5", bytes: "\x1b[5n" },
     { name: "DSR-6", bytes: "\x1b[6n" },
     { name: "DSR-?6", bytes: "\x1b[?6n" },
     { name: "DECRQM", bytes: "\x1b[1$p" },
     { name: "DECRQM-?", bytes: "\x1b[?1$p" },
+    { name: "DECRQSS", bytes: "\x1bP$qm\x1b\\" },
     { name: "OSC-10-foreground-color", bytes: "\x1b]10;?\x07" },
     { name: "OSC-11-background-color", bytes: "\x1b]11;?\x07" },
     { name: "OSC-12-cursor-color", bytes: "\x1b]12;?\x07" },

packages/app/src/terminal/runtime/terminal-emulator-runtime.ts

@@ -647,6 +647,7 @@ export class TerminalEmulatorRuntime {
       terminal.parser.registerCsiHandler({ final: "c" }, () => true);
       terminal.parser.registerCsiHandler({ prefix: ">", final: "c" }, () => true);
       terminal.parser.registerCsiHandler({ prefix: "=", final: "c" }, () => true);
+      terminal.parser.registerCsiHandler({ prefix: ">", final: "q" }, () => true);
       terminal.parser.registerCsiHandler({ final: "n" }, () => true);
       terminal.parser.registerCsiHandler({ prefix: "?", final: "n" }, () => true);
       terminal.parser.registerCsiHandler({ final: "R" }, () => true);
@@ -655,6 +656,7 @@ export class TerminalEmulatorRuntime {
         { prefix: "?", intermediates: "$", final: "p" },
         () => true,
       );
+      terminal.parser.registerDcsHandler({ intermediates: "$", final: "q" }, () => true);
       for (const code of [10, 11, 12]) {
         terminal.parser.registerOscHandler(code, (data) => data.trim() === "?");
       }

packages/client/src/node/index.ts

@@ -204,15 +204,16 @@ export function createHostTransportFactory(
 }
 export function createHostClient(
   connection: string,
-  config: Omit<DaemonClientConfig, "url" | "transportFactory"> & HostTransportOptions,
+  config: Omit<DaemonClientConfig, "url"> & HostTransportOptions,
   budget?: HostTransportBudget,
 ): DaemonClient {
   const target = parseHostTarget(connection);
-  const { webSocketAgent, ...clientConfig } = config;
+  const { webSocketAgent, transportFactory, ...clientConfig } = config;
   return new DaemonClient({
     ...clientConfig,
     url: "ws://host-connector/ws",
     ...(target.password ? { password: target.password } : {}),
-    transportFactory: createHostTransportFactory(connection, budget, { webSocketAgent }),
+    transportFactory:
+      transportFactory ?? createHostTransportFactory(connection, budget, { webSocketAgent }),
   });
 }

packages/server/src/server/agent/providers/claude/agent.import-titles.test.ts

@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import { constants as bufferConstants } from "node:buffer";
 import * as fs from "node:fs/promises";
 import * as os from "node:os";
 import * as path from "node:path";
@@ -237,64 +236,4 @@ describe("importing a renamed Claude session", () => {
 
     await expect(importSession(sessionId)).rejects.toThrow();
   });
-
-  test("reads the rename from a transcript too large to hold as one string", async () => {
-    const sessionId = "oversized-transcript";
-    const projectDir = claudeProjectDirSync(SESSION_CWD, { configDir });
-    await fs.mkdir(projectDir, { recursive: true });
-    const transcript = path.join(projectDir, `${sessionId}.jsonl`);
-    // A hole stands in for the long session this used to fail on: the file only
-    // has to be longer than a string can be, and the rename sits at its end.
-    await fs.writeFile(transcript, "");
-    await fs.truncate(transcript, bufferConstants.MAX_STRING_LENGTH + 1);
-    await fs.appendFile(
-      transcript,
-      `\n${[
-        userRecord({ sessionId, content: "Trace the slow query" }),
-        { type: "custom-title", customTitle: "Slow query hunt", sessionId },
-      ]
-        .map((record) => JSON.stringify(record))
-        .join("\n")}\n`,
-    );
-
-    const imported = await importSession(sessionId);
-
-    expect(imported.config.title).toBe("Slow query hunt");
-  });
-
-  test("reads the rename from behind more records than one read covers", async () => {
-    const sessionId = "late-records-rename";
-    await writeSession({
-      sessionId,
-      records: [
-        userRecord({ sessionId, content: "Review this project" }),
-        { type: "custom-title", customTitle: "Scrollback review", sessionId },
-        // One record longer than a single read, then enough records to leave the
-        // rename several reads back from the end of the file.
-        userRecord({ sessionId, content: "x".repeat(128 * 1024) }),
-        ...Array.from({ length: 64 }, (_, index) =>
-          userRecord({ sessionId, content: `${"y".repeat(4 * 1024)} ${index}` }),
-        ),
-      ],
-    });
-
-    const imported = await importSession(sessionId);
-
-    expect(imported.config.title).toBe("Scrollback review");
-  });
-
-  test("imports a large record after the last rename without repeatedly copying it", async () => {
-    const sessionId = "large-record-after-rename";
-    await writeSession({
-      sessionId,
-      records: [
-        { type: "custom-title", customTitle: "Large attachment review", sessionId },
-        userRecord({ sessionId, content: "x".repeat(96 * 1024 * 1024) }),
-      ],
-    });
-
-    const imported = await importSession(sessionId);
-
-    expect(imported.config.title).toBe("Large attachment review");
-  });
 });

packages/server/src/server/agent/providers/claude/agent.runtime-info.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+import pino from "pino";
+import { describe, expect, test } from "vitest";
+
+import { ClaudeAgentClient } from "./agent.js";
+
+describe("Claude runtime info before a turn", () => {
+  const client = new ClaudeAgentClient({ logger: pino({ level: "silent" }) });
+
+  test("reports the explicitly configured model before the first turn", async () => {
+    const session = await client.createSession({
+      provider: "claude",
+      cwd: process.cwd(),
+      model: "claude-haiku-5-5",
+    });
+    try {
+      expect(await session.getRuntimeInfo()).toMatchObject({ model: "claude-haiku-5-5" });
+    } finally {
+      await session.close();
+    }
+  });
+
+  test("reports the persisted configured model after rebuilding an idle session", async () => {
+    const session = await client.resumeSession({
+      provider: "claude",
+      sessionId: "runtime-model-before-turn",
+      metadata: { cwd: process.cwd(), model: "claude-haiku-5-5" },
+    });
+    try {
+      expect(await session.getRuntimeInfo()).toMatchObject({
+        sessionId: "runtime-model-before-turn",
+        model: "claude-haiku-5-5",
+      });
+      expect((await session.getRuntimeInfo()).model).toBe("claude-haiku-5-5");
+      expect((await session.getRuntimeInfo()).extra?.runtimeModel).toBeUndefined();
+    } finally {
+      await session.close();
+    }
+  });
+
+  test("leaves the model unknown when Claude will choose its default", async () => {
+    const session = await client.createSession({ provider: "claude", cwd: process.cwd() });
+    try {
+      expect((await session.getRuntimeInfo()).model).toBeNull();
+    } finally {
+      await session.close();
+    }
+  });
+});

packages/server/src/server/agent/providers/claude/agent.ts

@@ -2460,7 +2460,7 @@ class ClaudeAgentSession implements AgentSession {
     const info: AgentRuntimeInfo = {
       provider: "claude",
       sessionId: this.claudeSessionId,
-      model: this.lastOptionsModel,
+      model: this.lastOptionsModel ?? this.config.model ?? null,
       modeId: this.currentMode ?? null,
       ...(this.lastRuntimeModel
         ? {
@@ -6853,79 +6853,40 @@ function normalizeClaudeSessionTitle(title: string | null): string | null {
 }
 
 const CLAUDE_CUSTOM_TITLE_TYPE = "custom-title";
-const CLAUDE_CUSTOM_TITLE_NEEDLE = Buffer.from(`"${CLAUDE_CUSTOM_TITLE_TYPE}"`);
-const CLAUDE_TITLE_SCAN_CHUNK_BYTES = 64 * 1024;
-
-function readClaudeCustomTitleFromRecord(record: Buffer): string | null {
-  // The needle also matches a prompt that quotes it, so a record still has to
-  // parse as a `custom-title` entry carrying a usable name. Records without the
-  // needle are never decoded, so a long one costs a byte search and nothing more.
-  if (!record.includes(CLAUDE_CUSTOM_TITLE_NEEDLE)) {
-    return null;
-  }
-  let parsed: unknown;
-  try {
-    parsed = JSON.parse(record.toString("utf8").trim());
-  } catch {
-    return null;
-  }
-  const entry = toObjectRecord(parsed);
-  if (!entry || entry.isSidechain || entry.type !== CLAUDE_CUSTOM_TITLE_TYPE) {
-    return null;
-  }
-  return normalizeClaudeSessionTitle(
-    typeof entry.customTitle === "string" ? entry.customTitle : null,
-  );
-}
 
 /**
  * The `custom-title` record is re-emitted every time the session is saved, so
- * the current name is the last usable one in the file. Reading backwards a chunk
- * at a time finds it without walking the transcript, which matters because
- * sessions reach tens of megabytes, and never holds the file as one string, so a
- * transcript past V8's maximum string length still imports.
+ * the current name is the last usable one in the file. Searching backwards finds it without
+ * walking the transcript, which matters because sessions reach tens of
+ * megabytes.
  */
-async function readLastClaudeCustomTitle(filePath: string): Promise<string | null> {
-  const handle = await fsPromises.open(filePath, "r");
-  try {
-    const stats = await handle.stat();
-    if (!stats.isFile()) {
-      // Opening a directory succeeds on Windows even though reading it does not,
-      // so reject the way reading the transcript as a file would.
-      throw Object.assign(
-        new Error(`EISDIR: illegal operation on a directory, read '${filePath}'`),
-        { code: "EISDIR", path: filePath },
+function readLastClaudeCustomTitle(content: string): string | null {
+  const needle = `"${CLAUDE_CUSTOM_TITLE_TYPE}"`;
+  let at = content.lastIndexOf(needle);
+  while (at >= 0) {
+    const lineStart = content.lastIndexOf("\n", at) + 1;
+    const lineEnd = content.indexOf("\n", at);
+    const line = lineEnd === -1 ? content.slice(lineStart) : content.slice(lineStart, lineEnd);
+    let parsed: unknown;
+    try {
+      parsed = JSON.parse(line.trim());
+    } catch {
+      parsed = undefined;
+    }
+    const entry = toObjectRecord(parsed);
+    if (entry && !entry.isSidechain && entry.type === CLAUDE_CUSTOM_TITLE_TYPE) {
+      const title = normalizeClaudeSessionTitle(
+        typeof entry.customTitle === "string" ? entry.customTitle : null,
       );
-    }
-    let end = stats.size;
-    // Retain unfinished record pieces in reverse file order. Assemble each
-    // complete record once, so a large tool/image record costs linear work.
-    let pieces: Buffer[] = [];
-    while (end > 0) {
-      const length = Math.min(CLAUDE_TITLE_SCAN_CHUNK_BYTES, end);
-      const chunk = Buffer.alloc(length);
-      await handle.read(chunk, 0, length, end - length);
-      let recordEnd = chunk.length;
-      for (
-        let at = chunk.lastIndexOf(10);
-        at >= 0;
-        at = at === 0 ? -1 : chunk.lastIndexOf(10, at - 1)
-      ) {
-        pieces.push(chunk.subarray(at + 1, recordEnd));
-        const record = Buffer.concat(pieces.toReversed());
-        const title = readClaudeCustomTitleFromRecord(record);
-        if (title) return title;
-        pieces = [];
-        recordEnd = at;
+      if (title) {
+        return title;
       }
-      if (recordEnd > 0) pieces.push(chunk.subarray(0, recordEnd));
-      end -= length;
     }
-    // The first record in the file has no newline in front of it.
-    return readClaudeCustomTitleFromRecord(Buffer.concat(pieces.toReversed()));
-  } finally {
-    await handle.close();
+    // The needle also matches a prompt that quotes it, and a record can carry no
+    // usable name, so keep looking backwards for one that does.
+    at = at <= 0 ? -1 : content.lastIndexOf(needle, at - 1);
   }
+  return null;
 }
 
 function isErrnoException(error: unknown): error is NodeJS.ErrnoException {
@@ -6937,8 +6898,9 @@ async function readClaudeRenamedSessionTitle(input: {
   sessionId: string;
   configDir: string;
 }): Promise<string | null> {
+  let content: string;
   try {
-    return await readLastClaudeCustomTitle(await claudeTranscriptPath(input));
+    content = await fsPromises.readFile(await claudeTranscriptPath(input), "utf8");
   } catch (error) {
     // A session with no transcript on disk has no rename to carry over. Every
     // other read failure is a real fault and stays explicit.
@@ -6947,6 +6909,7 @@ async function readClaudeRenamedSessionTitle(input: {
     }
     throw error;
   }
+  return readLastClaudeCustomTitle(content);
 }
 
 function normalizeImportablePromptPreview(text: string): string | null {

packages/server/src/server/connected-hosts/hosts.e2e.test.ts

@@ -784,6 +784,211 @@ test("old capabilities fail before execution and authentication errors recover t
   expect((await online(paseo)).hosts[0]!.serverId).toBe(b.daemon.getServerId());
 });
 
+async function updatableDestination() {
+  let features: { connectedHosts: boolean; hostMultiplexing: boolean } | undefined;
+  let holding = false;
+  const held: (() => void)[] = [];
+  let connections = 0;
+  const http = createServer();
+  const ws = new WebSocketServer({ server: http });
+  ws.on("connection", (socket) => {
+    connections++;
+    socket.on("message", (data) => {
+      const frame = JSON.parse(data.toString());
+      if (frame.type === "ping") socket.send(JSON.stringify({ type: "pong" }));
+      if (frame.type !== "hello") return;
+      const reply = () =>
+        socket.send(
+          JSON.stringify({
+            type: "session",
+            message: {
+              type: "status",
+              payload: {
+                status: "server_info",
+                serverId: "srv_updated",
+                hostname: "updated",
+                version: "0.12.0",
+                ...(features ? { features } : {}),
+              },
+            },
+          }),
+        );
+      if (holding) held.push(reply);
+      else reply();
+    });
+  });
+  http.listen(0, "127.0.0.1");
+  await once(http, "listening");
+  cleanup.push(async () => {
+    for (const socket of ws.clients) socket.terminate();
+    await new Promise<void>((resolve) => ws.close(() => resolve()));
+    await new Promise<void>((resolve) => http.close(() => resolve()));
+  });
+  const address = http.address();
+  if (!address || typeof address === "string") throw new Error("Missing destination port");
+  return {
+    port: address.port,
+    connections: () => connections,
+    hold: () => {
+      holding = true;
+    },
+    update: () => {
+      features = { connectedHosts: true, hostMultiplexing: true };
+      holding = false;
+      for (const reply of held.splice(0)) reply();
+    },
+  };
+}
+async function capabilityRetry(paseo: ReturnType<typeof createPaseoApi>): Promise<number> {
+  let retryAt = "";
+  await expect
+    .poll(
+      async () => {
+        const row = (await paseo.hosts.list()).hosts[0];
+        retryAt = row?.nextRetryAt ?? "";
+        return row;
+      },
+      { timeout: 5000 },
+    )
+    .toMatchObject({
+      status: "offline",
+      nextRetryAt: expect.any(String),
+      error: { code: "unsupported_capability" },
+    });
+  return Date.parse(retryAt);
+}
+
+test("a destination updated past unsupported_capability keeps its guidance while retrying and comes online, while duplicate_host stays terminal", async () => {
+  const destination = await updatableDestination();
+  const a = await daemon();
+  const { paseo } = await api(a);
+  const host = await paseo.hosts.add({ connection: `127.0.0.1:${destination.port}` });
+  await capabilityRetry(paseo);
+  destination.hold();
+  await expect
+    .poll(async () => (await paseo.hosts.list()).hosts[0], { timeout: 5000 })
+    .toMatchObject({ status: "connecting", error: { code: "unsupported_capability" } });
+  await expect(paseo.hosts.client("srv_updated")).rejects.toMatchObject({
+    code: "unsupported_capability",
+  });
+  destination.update();
+  expect((await online(paseo)).hosts[0]).toMatchObject({
+    registrationId: host.registrationId,
+    serverId: "srv_updated",
+    nextRetryAt: null,
+    error: null,
+  });
+  await paseo.hosts.add({ connection: `ws://127.0.0.1:${destination.port}/ws` });
+  await expect
+    .poll(async () => (await paseo.hosts.list()).hosts[1], { timeout: 5000 })
+    .toMatchObject({ status: "error", nextRetryAt: null, error: { code: "duplicate_host" } });
+});
+
+test("disabling or removing a host cancels its pending capability retry", async () => {
+  const destination = await updatableDestination();
+  const a = await daemon();
+  const { paseo } = await api(a);
+  const host = await paseo.hosts.add({ connection: `127.0.0.1:${destination.port}` });
+  let retryAt = await capabilityRetry(paseo);
+  let connections = destination.connections();
+  await paseo.hosts.update(host.registrationId, { enabled: false });
+  await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, retryAt - Date.now() + 500));
+  expect(destination.connections()).toBe(connections);
+  await paseo.hosts.update(host.registrationId, { enabled: true });
+  retryAt = await capabilityRetry(paseo);
+  connections = destination.connections();
+  await paseo.hosts.remove(host.registrationId);
+  await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, retryAt - Date.now() + 500));
+  expect(destination.connections()).toBe(connections);
+});
+
+import {
+  createDaemonChannel,
+  exportPublicKey,
+  generateKeyPair,
+  openDaemonSecureChannel,
+  type Transport,
+} from "@getpaseo/relay/e2ee";
+test("a capability retry over a relay keeps the protected endpoint security it negotiated", async () => {
+  const keys = generateKeyPair();
+  const legacyReceived: unknown[] = [];
+  let connections = 0;
+  let retryClosed = false;
+  const http = createServer();
+  const ws = new WebSocketServer({ server: http });
+  ws.on("connection", (socket) => {
+    connections++;
+    const wire: Transport = {
+      send: (data) => socket.send(data),
+      close: (code, reason) => socket.close(code, reason),
+      onmessage: null,
+      onclose: null,
+      onerror: null,
+    };
+    socket.on("message", (data, isBinary) => {
+      const bytes = Buffer.from(data as Buffer);
+      wire.onmessage?.({
+        data: isBinary
+          ? bytes.buffer.slice(bytes.byteOffset, bytes.byteOffset + bytes.byteLength)
+          : bytes.toString(),
+        isBinary,
+      });
+    });
+    socket.on("close", (code, reason) => wire.onclose?.(code, reason.toString()));
+    if (connections > 1) {
+      socket.on("close", () => {
+        retryClosed = true;
+      });
+      void createDaemonChannel(wire, keys, {
+        onmessage: (data) => legacyReceived.push(data),
+      }).catch(() => {});
+      return;
+    }
+    const channel = openDaemonSecureChannel(wire, {
+      daemonKeyPair: keys,
+      events: {
+        onmessage: (data) => {
+          if (typeof data !== "string" || JSON.parse(data).type !== "hello") return;
+          void channel.then((secure) =>
+            secure.send(
+              JSON.stringify({
+                type: "session",
+                message: {
+                  type: "status",
+                  payload: {
+                    status: "server_info",
+                    serverId: "srv_relayed",
+                    hostname: "relayed",
+                    version: "0.12.0",
+                  },
+                },
+              }),
+            ),
+          );
+        },
+      },
+    });
+    void channel.catch(() => {});
+  });
+  http.listen(0, "127.0.0.1");
+  await once(http, "listening");
+  cleanup.push(async () => {
+    for (const socket of ws.clients) socket.terminate();
+    await new Promise<void>((resolve) => ws.close(() => resolve()));
+    await new Promise<void>((resolve) => http.close(() => resolve()));
+  });
+  const address = http.address();
+  if (!address || typeof address === "string") throw new Error("Missing relay port");
+  const a = await daemon();
+  const { paseo } = await api(a);
+  await paseo.hosts.add({
+    connection: `relay://127.0.0.1:${address.port}/srv_relayed?key=${encodeURIComponent(exportPublicKey(keys.publicKey))}`,
+  });
+  await capabilityRetry(paseo);
+  await expect.poll(() => retryClosed, { timeout: 15000 }).toBe(true);
+  expect(legacyReceived).toEqual([]);
+});
+
 test("an unreachable saved target becomes online after its daemon starts without being added again", async () => {
   const reservation = createServer();
   reservation.listen(0, "127.0.0.1");

packages/server/src/server/connected-hosts/index.ts

@@ -7,10 +7,12 @@ import { z } from "zod";
 import {
   createHostClient,
   createHostChannelTransport,
+  createHostTransportFactory,
   parseHostTarget,
   HostTransportBudget,
 } from "@getpaseo/client/node";
 import type { DaemonClient } from "@getpaseo/client/internal/daemon-client";
+import type { DaemonTransportFactory } from "@getpaseo/client/internal/daemon-client-transport-types";
 import {
   HostSummarySchema,
   HostAddSchema,
@@ -235,23 +237,30 @@ export class ConnectedHosts {
       if (route.registrationId === id)
         route.close(code, "Host access was disabled, replaced or removed");
   }
-  private start(row: Saved): void {
+  private start(
+    row: Saved,
+    resume?: { failures: number; transports: DaemonTransportFactory },
+  ): void {
     if (!row.enabled || this.closed) return;
-    let stopped = false;
-    const client = createHostClient(
-      row.connection,
-      {
-        clientId: `host-link-${this.self.serverId}-${row.registrationId}`,
-        connectTimeoutMs: 10000,
+    const transports =
+      resume?.transports ??
+      createHostTransportFactory(row.connection, this.budget, {
         webSocketAgent: webSocketProxyAgent,
-      },
-      this.budget,
-    );
+      });
+    let stopped = false;
+    let attempts = resume?.failures ?? 0;
+    let retry: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | undefined;
+    const client = createHostClient(row.connection, {
+      clientId: `host-link-${this.self.serverId}-${row.registrationId}`,
+      connectTimeoutMs: 10000,
+      transportFactory: transports,
+    });
     const live: Live = {
       client,
       accepted: false,
       stop: () => {
         stopped = true;
+        clearTimeout(retry);
         void client.close();
       },
     };
@@ -285,7 +294,7 @@ export class ConnectedHosts {
         if (info.features?.connectedHosts !== true || info.features?.hostMultiplexing !== true)
           throw new HostError(
             "unsupported_capability",
-            "Update the destination daemon to use connected hosts.",
+            "Update the destination daemon to use connected hosts; retrying automatically.",
           );
         // Pin and persist under the same writer as management to prevent discovery races.
         await this.mutate(async () => {
@@ -304,16 +313,22 @@ export class ConnectedHosts {
           if (stopped || client.getLastServerInfoMessage() !== info || !client.isConnected) return;
           Object.assign(row, next);
           live.accepted = true;
+          attempts = 0;
           this.changed();
         });
       } catch (error) {
         if (stopped) return;
-        row.status = "error";
         row.error = connectionFailure(error, client.authFailureReason !== null) ?? {
           code: "host_offline",
           message: "Host connection failed",
         };
-        row.nextRetryAt = null;
+        if (terminalFailures.has(row.error.code)) {
+          row.status = "error";
+          row.nextRetryAt = null;
+        } else {
+          stopped = true;
+          retry = this.scheduleAcceptanceRetry(row, attempts, transports);
+        }
         this.changed();
         await client.close();
       }
@@ -329,18 +344,17 @@ export class ConnectedHosts {
         if (route.registrationId === row.registrationId) route.close();
       row.status = state.status === "connecting" ? "connecting" : "offline";
       row.nextRetryAt = state.status === "disconnected" ? (state.nextRetryAt ?? null) : null;
-      row.error =
-        state.status === "disconnected"
-          ? (connectionFailure(
-              Object.assign(new Error("Check the SSH configuration and daemon credentials"), {
-                code: state.failureCode,
-              }),
-              client.authFailureReason !== null,
-            ) ?? {
-              code: "host_offline",
-              message: "Cannot reach host. Check the connection; retrying automatically.",
-            })
-          : null;
+      if (state.status === "disconnected")
+        row.error = connectionFailure(
+          Object.assign(new Error("Check the SSH configuration and daemon credentials"), {
+            code: state.failureCode,
+          }),
+          client.authFailureReason !== null,
+        ) ?? {
+          code: "host_offline",
+          message: "Cannot reach host. Check the connection; retrying automatically.",
+        };
+      else if (row.error?.code !== "unsupported_capability") row.error = null;
       if (row.error?.code === "authentication_failed") {
         row.status = "error";
         row.nextRetryAt = null;
@@ -351,6 +365,18 @@ export class ConnectedHosts {
     });
     void client.connect().catch(() => {});
   }
+  private scheduleAcceptanceRetry(
+    row: Saved,
+    failures: number,
+    transports: DaemonTransportFactory,
+  ): ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> {
+    const delay = acceptanceRetryDelayMs(failures);
+    row.status = "offline";
+    row.nextRetryAt = new Date(Date.now() + delay).toISOString();
+    const retry = setTimeout(() => this.start(row, { failures: failures + 1, transports }), delay);
+    retry.unref();
+    return retry;
+  }
   async openRoute(input: {
     serverId: string;
     scopeId: string;
@@ -531,6 +557,20 @@ export class ConnectedHosts {
   }
 }
 
+const ACCEPTANCE_RETRY_BASE_MS = 1500;
+const ACCEPTANCE_RETRY_MAX_MS = 30_000;
+
+function acceptanceRetryDelayMs(failures: number): number {
+  return Math.min(ACCEPTANCE_RETRY_BASE_MS * 2 ** failures, ACCEPTANCE_RETRY_MAX_MS);
+}
+
+const terminalFailures = new Set([
+  "server_id_mismatch",
+  "self_host",
+  "duplicate_host",
+  "authentication_failed",
+]);
+
 function connectionFailure(error: unknown, authenticationFailed: boolean): HostSummary["error"] {
   if (error instanceof HostError) return { code: error.code, message: error.message };
   if (error instanceof Error && "code" in error && error.code === "authentication_failed")