diff --git a/packages/web/server/index.js b/packages/web/server/index.js
index 8086e562..c4783f4e 100644
--- a/packages/web/server/index.js
+++ b/packages/web/server/index.js
@@ -1635,11 +1635,19 @@ async function main(options = {}) {
     // Relay demand = any paired device or pending pairing session that uses the
     // relay transport. Drives the auto on/off lifecycle.
     hasRelayDemand: async () => {
-      const [pendingRelay, deviceRelay] = await Promise.all([
-        clientPairingRuntime.hasActiveRelaySession().catch(() => false),
-        remoteClientAuthRuntime.hasActiveRelayClients().catch(() => false),
+      // A store read failure must NOT masquerade as "no demand": reconcile
+      // persists enabled=false and severs paired devices. Any affirmative
+      // answer wins; otherwise a failed check aborts reconcile (throw) so the
+      // relay keeps its current state until a trustworthy read succeeds.
+      const [pendingRelay, deviceRelay] = await Promise.allSettled([
+        clientPairingRuntime.hasActiveRelaySession(),
+        remoteClientAuthRuntime.hasActiveRelayClients(),
       ]);
-      return pendingRelay || deviceRelay;
+      if (pendingRelay.status === 'fulfilled' && pendingRelay.value) return true;
+      if (deviceRelay.status === 'fulfilled' && deviceRelay.value) return true;
+      if (pendingRelay.status === 'rejected') throw pendingRelay.reason;
+      if (deviceRelay.status === 'rejected') throw deviceRelay.reason;
+      return false;
     },
   });
   relayServiceInstance = relayService;
diff --git a/packages/web/server/lib/client-auth/remote-clients.js b/packages/web/server/lib/client-auth/remote-clients.js
index dcb26751..171dca56 100644
--- a/packages/web/server/lib/client-auth/remote-clients.js
+++ b/packages/web/server/lib/client-auth/remote-clients.js
@@ -138,13 +138,16 @@ export const createRemoteClientAuthRuntime = ({ fsPromises, path, crypto, storeP
   };
 
   // Relay-transport demand from paired devices: any non-revoked, non-expired
-  // client that was paired over the relay.
+  // client that was paired over the relay OR was actually observed connecting
+  // through the relay tunnel (lastTransport). The observed transport is the
+  // authoritative signal — it covers records written before usesRelay existed
+  // and devices re-paired via a QR that carried no relay candidate.
   const hasActiveRelayClients = async () => {
     return withStoreMutation(async () => {
       const store = await readStore();
       const now = Date.now();
       return store.clients.some((client) => {
-        if (client.usesRelay !== true) return false;
+        if (client.usesRelay !== true && client.lastTransport !== 'relay') return false;
         if (client.revokedAt) return false;
         const expires = Date.parse(client.expiresAt || '');
         return !Number.isFinite(expires) || expires > now;
@@ -237,7 +240,9 @@ export const createRemoteClientAuthRuntime = ({ fsPromises, path, crypto, storeP
     }
     // Which transport carried this request: the relay tunnel proxy stamps every
     // forwarded request with x-openchamber-relay-connection; anything else is a
-    // direct (local/LAN/tunnel-URL) request. Display-only device metadata.
+    // direct (local/LAN/tunnel-URL) request. Feeds device display AND relay
+    // demand (hasActiveRelayClients), so a relay request must never be
+    // misclassified as direct.
     const transport = req?.headers?.['x-openchamber-relay-connection'] ? 'relay' : 'direct';
     return withStoreMutation(async () => {
       const tokenHash = hashToken(token);
@@ -247,9 +252,15 @@ export const createRemoteClientAuthRuntime = ({ fsPromises, path, crypto, storeP
       if (client.expiresAt && Date.parse(client.expiresAt) <= Date.now()) return null;
       const now = Date.now();
       const lastUsedAt = Date.parse(client.lastUsedAt || '');
+      // Self-heal the paired-over-relay flag from the authoritative signal: a
+      // request that arrived through the tunnel proves this device uses the
+      // relay, regardless of what the pairing-time snapshot recorded. Sticky on
+      // purpose — a later LAN request must not turn the relay host off again.
+      const healUsesRelay = transport === 'relay' && client.usesRelay !== true;
+      if (healUsesRelay) client.usesRelay = true;
       // Write on the throttle interval — or immediately when the transport
       // changed, so a LAN⇄relay switch is visible right away, not a minute late.
-      if (!Number.isFinite(lastUsedAt) || now - lastUsedAt >= LAST_USED_WRITE_INTERVAL_MS || client.lastTransport !== transport) {
+      if (healUsesRelay || !Number.isFinite(lastUsedAt) || now - lastUsedAt >= LAST_USED_WRITE_INTERVAL_MS || client.lastTransport !== transport) {
         client.lastUsedAt = new Date(now).toISOString();
         client.lastTransport = transport;
         await writeStore(store);
diff --git a/packages/web/server/lib/client-auth/remote-clients.test.js b/packages/web/server/lib/client-auth/remote-clients.test.js
index c6207fe8..68b220d1 100644
--- a/packages/web/server/lib/client-auth/remote-clients.test.js
+++ b/packages/web/server/lib/client-auth/remote-clients.test.js
@@ -94,6 +94,50 @@ describe('remote client auth runtime', () => {
     }
   });
 
+  it('self-heals usesRelay when a request arrives through the relay tunnel', async () => {
+    const { dir, runtime } = await createRuntime();
+    try {
+      // Pairing-time snapshot said "no relay" (pre-pairing-v2 record, or a QR
+      // without a relay candidate).
+      const created = await runtime.createClient({ label: 'Phone' });
+      expect(created.client.usesRelay).toBe(false);
+      expect(await runtime.hasActiveRelayClients()).toBe(false);
+
+      // A tunneled request is the authoritative proof the device uses the relay.
+      const relayReq = { headers: { 'x-openchamber-relay-connection': 'conn-1' } };
+      const authenticated = await runtime.authenticateBearerToken(created.token, relayReq);
+      expect(authenticated?.ok).toBe(true);
+      expect(authenticated?.client.usesRelay).toBe(true);
+      expect(await runtime.hasActiveRelayClients()).toBe(true);
+
+      // Sticky: a later direct request must not clear relay demand.
+      await runtime.authenticateBearerToken(created.token, { headers: {} });
+      const listed = await runtime.listClients();
+      expect(listed[0].usesRelay).toBe(true);
+      expect(listed[0].lastTransport).toBe('direct');
+      expect(await runtime.hasActiveRelayClients()).toBe(true);
+    } finally {
+      await fs.rm(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+
+  it('counts an observed relay transport as relay demand even without the pairing flag', async () => {
+    const { dir, runtime } = await createRuntime();
+    try {
+      const created = await runtime.createClient({ label: 'Tablet' });
+      // Simulate a store written by a build that tracked lastTransport but not
+      // the healed usesRelay flag.
+      const storePath = path.join(dir, 'remote-clients.json');
+      const store = JSON.parse(await fs.readFile(storePath, 'utf8'));
+      store.clients[0].lastTransport = 'relay';
+      await fs.writeFile(storePath, JSON.stringify(store));
+      expect(created.client.usesRelay).toBe(false);
+      expect(await runtime.hasActiveRelayClients()).toBe(true);
+    } finally {
+      await fs.rm(dir, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  });
+
   it('does not resurrect revoked clients after concurrent auth traffic', async () => {
     const { dir, runtime } = await createRuntime();
     try {