diff --git a/GraphcodeKit/Sources/Sessions/ZmxSessionLauncher.swift b/GraphcodeKit/Sources/Sessions/ZmxSessionLauncher.swift
index 5aafc96f..c6a5a3fa 100644
--- a/GraphcodeKit/Sources/Sessions/ZmxSessionLauncher.swift
+++ b/GraphcodeKit/Sources/Sessions/ZmxSessionLauncher.swift
@@ -487,9 +487,44 @@ public enum ZmxSessionLauncher {
   /// prefix of another session's name cannot pass.
   static func aliveCheckCommand(zmxPath: String, forNode node: LoopNode) -> String {
     let name = SurfaceRef(id: node.id, launchesClaudeCode: true).zmxSessionName
-    return RemoteProjectLocation.shellQuoted(zmxPath)
-      + " ls 2>/dev/null | grep -v -e $'\\tended=' -e $'\\terr=' | grep -q "
-      + RemoteProjectLocation.shellQuoted("name=\(name)\t")
+    return daemonReadyCheckCommand(
+      zmxPath: zmxPath, sessionName: name,
+      executable: node.backend == .codex ? node.backend.executableName : nil)
+  }
+
+  public static func daemonReadyCheckCommand(
+    zmxPath: String, sessionName: String, executable: String?
+  ) -> String {
+    let name = RemoteProjectLocation.shellQuoted("name=\(sessionName)\t")
+    var command =
+      RemoteProjectLocation.shellQuoted(zmxPath)
+      + " ls 2>/dev/null | grep -v -e $'\\tended=' -e $'\\terr=' | grep -q " + name
+    if let executable {
+      command +=
+        " && " + RemoteProjectLocation.shellQuoted(zmxPath)
+        + " ls 2>/dev/null | grep -v -e $'\\tended=' -e $'\\terr=' | grep -q "
+        + RemoteProjectLocation.shellQuoted("name=\(sessionName)\t.*cmd=.*\(executable)")
+    }
+    return command
+  }
+
+  public static func waitingAttachCommand(
+    zmxPath: String, sessionName: String, executable: String?
+  ) -> [String] {
+    let check = daemonReadyCheckCommand(
+      zmxPath: zmxPath, sessionName: sessionName, executable: executable)
+    let attach =
+      RemoteProjectLocation.shellQuoted(zmxPath)
+      + " attach " + RemoteProjectLocation.shellQuoted(sessionName)
+    // The cap is for a session the daemon never creates — a launch that failed, a loop
+    // deleted mid-wait. Unbounded, the pane polls `zmx ls` twenty times a second
+    // forever; bounded, it says so and gives up after a minute.
+    let script =
+      "tries=0; until \(check); do tries=$((tries+1)); "
+      + "if [ \"$tries\" -ge 600 ]; then "
+      + "echo \"graphcode: '\(sessionName)' never became ready to attach\"; exit 1; fi; "
+      + "sleep 0.1; done; exec \(attach)"
+    return ["/bin/zsh", "-i", "-l", "-c", script]
   }
 
   /// Kills the session behind an id that isn't a graph node — a quick chat. Public
@@ -1317,16 +1352,19 @@ public enum ZmxSessionLauncher {
     forNode node: LoopNode, label: String, at location: RemoteProjectLocation
   ) -> [String] {
     let name = SurfaceRef(id: node.id, launchesClaudeCode: true).zmxSessionName
-    let check = quotedCommand(["zmx", "get", name])
+    let check = quotedCommand(["zmx", "ls"])
     let read = quotedCommand(["zmx", "get", name, label])
-    let history = quotedCommand(["zmx", "history", name])
+    // The pattern is a fixed string, so the tab must be a real one: `grep -F` never
+    // interprets a `\t` escape, and the two characters would match nothing — every
+    // probe would read an existing session as absent.
     let script =
-      "if \(check) >/dev/null 2>&1; then "
-      + "gc_done=$(\(history) 2>/dev/null | tail -c 4096 | "
-      + "sed -n 's/.*ZMX_TASK_COMPLETED:\\([0-9][0-9]*\\).*/\\1/p' | tail -1); "
-      + "if [ -n \"$gc_done\" ]; then echo \"\(remoteProbeMarker) exited $gc_done\"; "
-      + "else echo \"\(remoteProbeMarker) live $(\(read) 2>/dev/null)\"; fi; "
-      + "else echo '\(remoteProbeMarker) absent'; fi"
+      "gc_row=$(\(check) 2>/dev/null | grep -F \(quotedCommand(["name=\(name)\t"])) | head -1); "
+      + "if [ -z \"$gc_row\" ] || printf '%s' \"$gc_row\" | grep -q $'\\terr='; then "
+      + "echo '\(remoteProbeMarker) absent'; "
+      + "elif printf '%s' \"$gc_row\" | grep -q $'\\tended='; then "
+      + "gc_done=$(printf '%s' \"$gc_row\" | sed -n 's/.*\\texit_code=\\([0-9][0-9]*\\).*/\\1/p'); "
+      + "echo \"\(remoteProbeMarker) exited ${gc_done:-1}\"; "
+      + "else echo \"\(remoteProbeMarker) live $(\(read) 2>/dev/null)\"; fi"
     return location.sshInvocation(remoteCommand: location.remoteLoginShellCommand(script))
   }
 
diff --git a/graphcode/Sources/Infrastructure/Ghostty/GhosttyTerminalView.swift b/graphcode/Sources/Infrastructure/Ghostty/GhosttyTerminalView.swift
index cca814d5..9ed029ae 100644
--- a/graphcode/Sources/Infrastructure/Ghostty/GhosttyTerminalView.swift
+++ b/graphcode/Sources/Infrastructure/Ghostty/GhosttyTerminalView.swift
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ struct GhosttyTerminalView: NSViewRepresentable {
     return environment
   }
 
-  private func command(briefingPath: String?) -> [String] {
+  func command(briefingPath: String?) -> [String] {
     // A remote project's surfaces live on the remote host, local zmx or not.
     if let location = remoteLocation {
       return remoteCommand(at: location, settings: GraphcodeSettingsStore.load())
@@ -322,13 +322,15 @@ struct GhosttyTerminalView: NSViewRepresentable {
     // wrapper needed for a plain-shell surface.
     var command = [ZmxLocator.binaryURL.path, "attach", sessionName]
     guard launchesClaudeCode else { return command }
-    if let resuming = localResumeOrFreshCommand(agentLaunch: agentCommand) {
-      return resuming
-    }
     // Unattended Codex sessions are started by graphcoded. Attaching with the agent
     // command as well creates a race where zmx run types that command into Codex.
     if defersCodexLaunchToDaemon {
-      return command
+      return ZmxSessionLauncher.waitingAttachCommand(
+        zmxPath: ZmxLocator.binaryURL.path, sessionName: sessionName,
+        executable: backend.executableName)
+    }
+    if let resuming = localResumeOrFreshCommand(agentLaunch: agentCommand) {
+      return resuming
     }
     command += agentCommand
     return command
diff --git a/graphcode/Tests/AttachedSessionBriefingTests.swift b/graphcode/Tests/AttachedSessionBriefingTests.swift
index 7f57a5d8..fa6c417b 100644
--- a/graphcode/Tests/AttachedSessionBriefingTests.swift
+++ b/graphcode/Tests/AttachedSessionBriefingTests.swift
@@ -70,6 +70,17 @@ struct AttachedSessionBriefingTests {
     #expect(!surface(.claudeCode, loopType: .goalBased).defersCodexLaunchToDaemon)
   }
 
+  @Test
+  func unattendedCodexDoesNotResumeFromTheApp() {
+    guard ZmxLocator.isInstalled else { return }
+    let view = surface(.codex, loopType: .goalBased)
+    let command = view.command(briefingPath: briefing)
+    #expect(command.first == "/bin/zsh")
+    #expect(command.contains { $0.contains("until") && $0.contains("cmd=.*codex") })
+    #expect(command.last?.contains("exec") == true)
+    #expect(command.last?.contains("attach 's'") == true)
+  }
+
   @Test
   func noBriefingMeansTheCommandAndPromptOfBefore() {
     let command =
diff --git a/graphcode/Tests/RemoteLoopSurvivalTests.swift b/graphcode/Tests/RemoteLoopSurvivalTests.swift
index 0b967647..fae5a79c 100644
--- a/graphcode/Tests/RemoteLoopSurvivalTests.swift
+++ b/graphcode/Tests/RemoteLoopSurvivalTests.swift
@@ -51,6 +51,13 @@ struct RemoteLoopSurvivalTests {
     #expect(remoteCommand.contains(ZmxSessionLauncher.remoteProbeMarker))
     #expect(remoteCommand.contains("'get'"))
     #expect(remoteCommand.contains("presence"))
+    #expect(remoteCommand.contains("'ls'"))
+    #expect(!remoteCommand.contains("history"))
+    // `grep -F` never interprets escapes: the name pattern's tab has to be a real one.
+    // A literal `\t` would match no row and every probe would report absent.
+    let sessionName = SurfaceRef(id: node.id, launchesClaudeCode: true).zmxSessionName
+    #expect(remoteCommand.contains("name=\(sessionName)\t'"))
+    #expect(!remoteCommand.contains("'name=\(sessionName)\\t'"))
     #expect(
       remoteCommand.contains(SurfaceRef(id: node.id, launchesClaudeCode: true).zmxSessionName))
   }
diff --git a/graphcode/Tests/ZmxSessionLauncherTests.swift b/graphcode/Tests/ZmxSessionLauncherTests.swift
index d3ee62ea..cd5bf439 100644
--- a/graphcode/Tests/ZmxSessionLauncherTests.swift
+++ b/graphcode/Tests/ZmxSessionLauncherTests.swift
@@ -215,6 +215,29 @@ struct ZmxSessionLauncherTests {
     #expect(command.contains("'/usr/local/bin/zmx'"))
   }
 
+  @Test
+  func aCodexDaemonCheckRejectsABareAttachShell() {
+    let node = LoopNode(
+      title: "Codex", loopType: .goalBased, goal: GoalSpec(summary: "work"), backend: .codex)
+    let command = ZmxSessionLauncher.aliveCheckCommand(
+      zmxPath: "/usr/local/bin/zmx", forNode: node)
+    #expect(command.contains("cmd=.*codex"))
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  func appWaitsForTheDaemonBeforeAttachingCodex() {
+    let command = ZmxSessionLauncher.waitingAttachCommand(
+      zmxPath: "/usr/local/bin/zmx", sessionName: "graphcode-a", executable: "codex")
+    #expect(command.first == "/bin/zsh")
+    #expect(command.last?.contains("until") == true)
+    #expect(command.last?.contains("cmd=.*codex") == true)
+    #expect(command.last?.contains("exec '/usr/local/bin/zmx' attach 'graphcode-a'") == true)
+    // A session the daemon never creates must not be polled at 10 Hz forever: the wait
+    // gives up after a minute with a message instead of spinning.
+    #expect(command.last?.contains("-ge 600") == true)
+    #expect(command.last?.contains("exit 1") == true)
+  }
+
   @Test
   func theRemoteSeedPreTrustsClaudeCodesFolder() {
     // Issue #215's fix on the remote path: a fresh unattended `claude` exits 1 on its