diff --git a/scripts/comfy-host-agent.mjs b/scripts/comfy-host-agent.mjs
index 7507d5a..5727dff 100644
--- a/scripts/comfy-host-agent.mjs
+++ b/scripts/comfy-host-agent.mjs
@@ -67,7 +67,6 @@ const server = http.createServer(async (req, res) => {
   }
   if (req.method === 'POST' && url.pathname === '/start') {
     if (await httpUp()) return json(res, 200, { ok: true, started: false, already: true })
-    if (await processUp()) return json(res, 200, { ok: true, started: false, booting: true })
     const launched = startComfy()
     return json(res, 200, { ok: true, ...launched })
   }
diff --git a/server/utils/comfyLifecycle.ts b/server/utils/comfyLifecycle.ts
index 048c856..3c855fd 100644
--- a/server/utils/comfyLifecycle.ts
+++ b/server/utils/comfyLifecycle.ts
@@ -223,23 +223,27 @@ async function ensureUnlocked(onStatus: StatusFn) {
       processRunning: true
     })
     const ready = await pollUntilHealthy(cfg.bootPollAttempts, cfg.bootPollDelayMs, onStatus, 'booting', 'Waiting for ComfyUI to finish booting')
-    if (!ready) {
-      throw createError({
-        statusCode: 503,
-        statusMessage: 'ComfyUI is running but port 8188 never became ready. Check the desktop instance.'
-      })
+    if (ready) {
+      await waitWhileBusy(onStatus)
+      onStatus({ state: 'online', message: 'ComfyUI online', host, processRunning: true })
+      return
     }
-    await waitWhileBusy(onStatus)
-    onStatus({ state: 'online', message: 'ComfyUI online', host, processRunning: true })
-    return
+    onStatus({
+      state: 'starting',
+      message: 'ComfyUI is running but the API never came up. Attempting a relaunch...',
+      host,
+      processRunning: true
+    })
   }
 
-  onStatus({
-    state: 'starting',
-    message: 'ComfyUI is offline. Starting the desktop instance...',
-    host,
-    processRunning: false
-  })
+  if (!running) {
+    onStatus({
+      state: 'starting',
+      message: 'ComfyUI is offline. Starting the desktop instance...',
+      host,
+      processRunning: false
+    })
+  }
   const started = await startComfy()
   if (!started.started) {
     throw createError({