diff --git a/packages/client/src/effect/service.ts b/packages/client/src/effect/service.ts
index b079c0dd5c..eb83145344 100644
--- a/packages/client/src/effect/service.ts
+++ b/packages/client/src/effect/service.ts
@@ -87,6 +87,10 @@ const discoverLocal = Effect.fnUntraced(function* (options: Options) {
 // version-mismatched one, and otherwise spawns small contenders until a server
 // becomes discoverable. A contender is never killed merely for slow startup.
 export const start = Effect.fn("service.start")(function* (options: StartOptions = {}) {
+  return yield* startInternal(options)
+})
+
+const startInternal = Effect.fnUntraced(function* (options: StartOptions, stale?: Info) {
   const contenders = new Set<Contender>()
   let announced = false
   let reported: Status | undefined
@@ -139,7 +143,10 @@ export const start = Effect.fn("service.start")(function* (options: StartOptions
       yield* kill(service, options, options.version).pipe(Effect.ignore)
       lastSpawn = 0
       return Option.none<LocalService>()
-    } else if (lastSpawn === 0 && info !== undefined) lastSpawn = Date.now()
+    } else if (lastSpawn === 0 && info !== undefined) {
+      // A process observed exiting cannot still own its unchanged registration.
+      if (stale === undefined || !same(info, stale)) lastSpawn = Date.now()
+    }
 
     const failure = [...contenders].map(contenderFailure).find((error): error is Error => error !== undefined)
     if (failure !== undefined) return yield* Effect.fail(failure)
@@ -203,16 +210,16 @@ export const stop = Effect.fn("service.stop")(function* (options: Options = {},
 // registered process that no longer answers authenticated health checks.
 export const restart = Effect.fn("service.restart")(function* (options: StartOptions = {}) {
   const existing = yield* registered(options.file, true)
-  if (existing.service !== undefined) {
-    const result = yield* kill(existing.service, options, options.version)
-    if (result === "rejected") return yield* Effect.fail(new Error("Background service rejected restart"))
-    if (result === "changed") {
-      const current = yield* read(options.file)
-      if (current !== undefined && same(current, existing.info))
-        yield* terminate(existing.info, read(options.file), true)
-    }
-  } else if (existing.info !== undefined) yield* terminate(existing.info, read(options.file), true)
-  return yield* start(options)
+  if (existing.info === undefined) return yield* startInternal(options)
+
+  const requested = existing.service === undefined ? "unsupported" : yield* requestStop(existing.service, options.version)
+  if (requested === "rejected") return yield* Effect.fail(new Error("Background service rejected restart"))
+  const result = yield* terminate(
+    existing.info,
+    read(options.file),
+    requested === "unsupported" ? "signal" : "requested",
+  )
+  return yield* startInternal(options, result === "stopped" ? existing.info : undefined)
 })
 
 function fallback() {
@@ -264,10 +271,10 @@ const probe = Effect.fnUntraced(function* (info: Info, allowLegacy = false) {
         ? undefined
         : { type: "basic" as const, username: "opencode", password: info.password },
   } satisfies Endpoint
-  const response = yield* Effect.tryPromise(() =>
+  const response = yield* Effect.tryPromise((signal) =>
     fetch(new URL("/api/health", info.url), {
       headers: headers(endpoint),
-      signal: AbortSignal.timeout(2_000),
+      signal: AbortSignal.any([signal, AbortSignal.timeout(2_000)]),
     }),
   ).pipe(Effect.option, Effect.map(Option.getOrUndefined))
   if (response === undefined) return undefined
@@ -325,9 +332,9 @@ const stopped = Effect.fnUntraced(function* (pid: number) {
 const terminate = Effect.fnUntraced(function* (
   info: Info,
   current: Effect.Effect<Info | undefined, never, FileSystem.FileSystem>,
-  graceful: boolean,
+  mode: "requested" | "signal",
 ) {
-  if (graceful) {
+  if (mode === "signal") {
     const owner = yield* current
     if (owner === undefined || !same(owner, info)) return "changed" as const
     yield* signal(info.pid, "SIGTERM")
@@ -348,7 +355,7 @@ const kill = Effect.fnUntraced(function* (service: LocalService, options: Option
   return yield* terminate(
     service.info,
     registered(options.file, true).pipe(Effect.map((result) => result.service?.info)),
-    requested === "unsupported",
+    requested === "unsupported" ? "signal" : "requested",
   )
 })
 
@@ -356,12 +363,12 @@ const decodeStopResponse = Schema.decodeUnknownOption(ServiceStatus.StopResponse
 
 const requestStop = Effect.fnUntraced(function* (service: LocalService, targetVersion?: string) {
   if (service.info.id === undefined || service.legacy) return "unsupported" as const
-  const response = yield* Effect.tryPromise(() =>
+  const response = yield* Effect.tryPromise((signal) =>
     fetch(new URL("/api/service/stop", service.info.url), {
       method: "POST",
       headers: { ...headers(service.endpoint), "content-type": "application/json" },
       body: JSON.stringify({ instanceID: service.info.id, targetVersion }),
-      signal: AbortSignal.timeout(2_000),
+      signal: AbortSignal.any([signal, AbortSignal.timeout(2_000)]),
     }),
   ).pipe(Effect.option, Effect.map(Option.getOrUndefined))
   if (response === undefined || response.status === 404 || response.status === 405) return "unsupported" as const
diff --git a/packages/client/test/service.test.ts b/packages/client/test/service.test.ts
index 9e2fcdc4b2..6c352cd97a 100644
--- a/packages/client/test/service.test.ts
+++ b/packages/client/test/service.test.ts
@@ -120,6 +120,35 @@ test("explicit restart replaces an unresponsive registered process", async () =>
   }
 }, 15_000)
 
+test("restart waits for accepted shutdown before starting a replacement", async () => {
+  const directory = await temp()
+  const registration = join(directory, "service.json")
+  const existing = spawn(registration, "graceful")
+  await waitForFile(registration)
+  const original = await Bun.file(registration).json()
+
+  const endpoint = await run(
+    Service.restart({
+      file: registration,
+      version: "test",
+      command: [process.execPath, fixture, registration, "ready"],
+    }),
+  )
+  await existing.exited
+  const info = await Bun.file(registration).json()
+
+  try {
+    expect(endpoint.url).toBe(info.url)
+    expect(info.pid).not.toBe(existing.pid)
+    expect(await Bun.file(registration + ".stop").json()).toEqual({
+      instanceID: original.id,
+      targetVersion: "test",
+    })
+  } finally {
+    await run(Service.stop({ file: registration }))
+  }
+})
+
 test("restart recovers when a healthy owner stops responding during shutdown", async () => {
   const directory = await temp()
   const registration = join(directory, "service.json")
diff --git a/packages/tui/src/context/client.tsx b/packages/tui/src/context/client.tsx
index 58308d0302..6dc21e2cf2 100644
--- a/packages/tui/src/context/client.tsx
+++ b/packages/tui/src/context/client.tsx
@@ -141,6 +141,19 @@ export const { use: useClient, provider: ClientProvider } = createSimpleContext(
       events.clear()
     })
 
+    const reloadService = props.reload
+    const reload =
+      reloadService === undefined
+        ? undefined
+        : async (signal?: AbortSignal) => {
+            stream?.abort()
+            try {
+              await reloadService(signal)
+            } finally {
+              if (!abort.signal.aborted) start()
+            }
+          }
+
     return {
       get api() {
         return api
@@ -168,7 +181,7 @@ export const { use: useClient, provider: ClientProvider } = createSimpleContext(
           },
         },
       },
-      reload: props.reload,
+      reload,
     }
   },
 })
diff --git a/packages/tui/test/cli/tui/use-event.test.tsx b/packages/tui/test/cli/tui/use-event.test.tsx
index 542f33b3d1..ed47e8f5b0 100644
--- a/packages/tui/test/cli/tui/use-event.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/tui/test/cli/tui/use-event.test.tsx
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ function update(version: string): OpenCodeEvent {
 async function mount(
   reconnect?: (onStatus: (status: Service.Status) => void, signal: AbortSignal) => Promise<{ api: OpenCodeClient }>,
   log?: LogSink,
+  reload?: (signal?: AbortSignal) => Promise<void>,
 ) {
   const events = createEventStream()
   const calls = createFetch(undefined, events)
@@ -70,7 +71,7 @@ async function mount(
 
   const app = await testRender(() => (
     <TestTuiContexts log={log}>
-      <ClientProvider api={createApi(calls.fetch)} reconnect={reconnect}>
+      <ClientProvider api={createApi(calls.fetch)} reconnect={reconnect} reload={reload}>
         <ProjectProvider>
           <Probe
             onReady={async (ctx) => {
@@ -349,4 +350,38 @@ describe("useEvent", () => {
     app.renderer.destroy()
     await wait(() => aborted)
   })
+
+  test("cancels pending endpoint resolution before explicit restart", async () => {
+    let aborted = false
+    let restarts = 0
+    const { app, events, client } = await mount(
+      (_onStatus, signal) =>
+        new Promise((_, reject) => {
+          signal.addEventListener(
+            "abort",
+            () => {
+              aborted = true
+              reject(signal.reason)
+            },
+            { once: true },
+          )
+        }),
+      undefined,
+      async () => {
+        restarts += 1
+      },
+    )
+
+    try {
+      await wait(() => client.connection.status() === "connected")
+      events.disconnect()
+      await wait(() => client.connection.status() === "reconnecting")
+      await client.reload?.()
+      await wait(() => aborted && client.connection.status() === "connected")
+
+      expect(restarts).toBe(1)
+    } finally {
+      app.renderer.destroy()
+    }
+  })
 })
diff --git a/packages/www/content/docs/build/client.mdx b/packages/www/content/docs/build/client.mdx
index 0c251ca386..a29c49c7c9 100644
--- a/packages/www/content/docs/build/client.mdx
+++ b/packages/www/content/docs/build/client.mdx
@@ -115,6 +115,10 @@ Node application:
   a process.
 - `Service.start()` reuses a compatible service or starts one when needed.
 - `Service.stop()` stops the registered service.
+- `Service.restart()` explicitly replaces the registered service, including
+  signaling an unchanged registered PID that no longer answers health checks.
+  Reserve it for deliberate user recovery; automatic reconnect should use
+  `Service.start()` to avoid the narrow stale-PID reuse risk.
 - `Service.headers(endpoint)` creates the authentication headers for a client.
 
 ```sh