diff --git a/scripts/comfy-host-agent.mjs b/scripts/comfy-host-agent.mjs
index 760815c..9fd8314 100644
--- a/scripts/comfy-host-agent.mjs
+++ b/scripts/comfy-host-agent.mjs
@@ -183,6 +183,7 @@ function markAsleep() {
   lastHealthyPort = 0
   lastProcessUp = false
   lastLaunchAt = 0
+  probeSkipUntil.clear()
   setProxyTarget(0)
 }
 
@@ -199,6 +200,11 @@ async function syncProxy() {
   return healthyPort
 }
 
+// PowerShell -Command text used to contain the literal main.py path, so the
+// probe process matched itself and /start forever returned already/booting.
+const PS_COMFY_MAIN =
+  "Get-CimInstance Win32_Process | Where-Object { $_.Name -match '^python(w)?\\.exe$' -and $_.CommandLine -match ('ComfyUI' + '[\\\\/]main\\.py') } | Select-Object -First 1 -ExpandProperty ProcessId"
+
 async function processUp() {
   try {
     const { stdout } = await execFileAsync('tasklist', ['/FO', 'CSV', '/NH'], { windowsHide: true, timeout: 4000 })
@@ -207,7 +213,7 @@ async function processUp() {
   try {
     const { stdout } = await execFileAsync('powershell.exe', [
       '-NoProfile', '-Command',
-      "Get-CimInstance Win32_Process | Where-Object { $_.CommandLine -match 'ComfyUI\\\\main.py|ComfyUI/main.py' } | Select-Object -First 1 -ExpandProperty ProcessId"
+      PS_COMFY_MAIN
     ], { windowsHide: true, timeout: 6000 })
     return Boolean(String(stdout).trim())
   } catch {
@@ -299,7 +305,7 @@ async function pythonMainUp() {
     if (!/python(?:w)?\.exe/i.test(stdout)) return false
     const { stdout: verbose } = await execFileAsync('powershell.exe', [
       '-NoProfile', '-Command',
-      "Get-CimInstance Win32_Process | Where-Object { $_.CommandLine -match 'ComfyUI\\\\main.py|ComfyUI/main.py' } | Select-Object -First 1 -ExpandProperty ProcessId"
+      PS_COMFY_MAIN
     ], { windowsHide: true, timeout: 2500 })
     return Boolean(String(verbose).trim())
   } catch {
@@ -482,7 +488,7 @@ async function stopComfyProcesses() {
   try {
     const { stdout } = await execFileAsync('powershell.exe', [
       '-NoProfile', '-Command',
-      "Get-CimInstance Win32_Process | Where-Object { $_.CommandLine -match 'ComfyUI\\\\main.py|ComfyUI/main.py' } | ForEach-Object { Stop-Process -Id $_.ProcessId -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue; $_.ProcessId }"
+      "Get-CimInstance Win32_Process | Where-Object { $_.Name -match '^python(w)?\\.exe$' -and $_.CommandLine -match ('ComfyUI' + '[\\\\/]main\\.py') } | ForEach-Object { Stop-Process -Id $_.ProcessId -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue; $_.ProcessId }"
     ], { windowsHide: true, timeout: 8000 })
     if (String(stdout).trim()) killed.push('main.py')
   } catch { /* ignore */ }
@@ -836,10 +842,10 @@ const server = http.createServer(async (req, res) => {
       return json(res, 200, { ok: true, started: false, already: true, asleep: false, port: healthyPort, proxyPort })
     }
     const listenPort = desktopListenPort()
-    const processAlive = lastProcessUp || await processUp().catch(() => false) || await pythonMainUp().catch(() => false)
+    // Do not trust lastProcessUp alone — force-stop can leave it sticky while Comfy is dead.
+    const processAlive = await processUp().catch(() => false) || await pythonMainUp().catch(() => false)
     const portBusy = await portInUse(listenPort)
-    const recentlySlow = [...probeSkipUntil.entries()].some(([, until]) => Date.now() < until)
-    if (processAlive || portBusy || recentlySlow) {
+    if (processAlive || portBusy) {
       markWork()
       lastProcessUp = true
       if (portBusy) setProxyTarget(listenPort)
@@ -853,10 +859,12 @@ const server = http.createServer(async (req, res) => {
         proxyPort
       })
     }
-    if (lastLaunchAt && Date.now() - lastLaunchAt < 5 * 60_000) {
+    // Only honor launch cooldown if we actually spawned recently; never block a real cold start.
+    if (lastLaunchAt && Date.now() - lastLaunchAt < 45_000 && await processUp().catch(() => false)) {
       return json(res, 200, { ok: true, started: false, already: true, booting: true, asleep: false, proxyPort })
     }
     stoppedByAgent = false
+    probeSkipUntil.clear()
     lastLaunchAt = Date.now()
     const launched = await startComfy()
     if (launched.port) {