diff --git a/apps/desktop/electron/connection-config.test.ts b/apps/desktop/electron/connection-config.test.ts
index 4361678cb8fe..5bae2e8e708a 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/electron/connection-config.test.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/electron/connection-config.test.ts
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ import {
   profileRemoteOverride,
   profileSshOverride,
   resolveAuthMode,
+  resolveProfileBackendRoute,
   resolveTestWsUrl,
   RT_COOKIE_VARIANTS,
   savedProfileSsh,
@@ -187,6 +188,65 @@ test('saved SSH drafts are inactive and explicit overrides take precedence', ()
   assert.equal(profileHasRemoteConnection(config, 'coder'), true)
 })
 
+// --- resolveProfileBackendRoute ---
+
+const ROUTES = [
+  {
+    name: 'the primary profile owns the window backend',
+    profile: 'default',
+    opts: { primaryProfile: 'default' },
+    expected: { backend: 'primary', descriptorProfile: null, scopePath: false }
+  },
+  {
+    name: 'a renamed primary profile still owns the window backend',
+    profile: ' coder ',
+    opts: { primaryProfile: 'coder', globalRemote: true },
+    expected: { backend: 'primary', descriptorProfile: null, scopePath: false }
+  },
+  {
+    name: 'an unset profile resolves to the primary',
+    profile: '',
+    opts: { primaryProfile: 'default', globalRemote: true },
+    expected: { backend: 'primary', descriptorProfile: null, scopePath: false }
+  },
+  {
+    name: 'a profile inheriting the app-global remote shares the primary backend, scoped per request',
+    profile: 'coder',
+    opts: { primaryProfile: 'default', globalRemote: true, profileRemoteOverride: false },
+    expected: { backend: 'primary', descriptorProfile: 'coder', scopePath: true }
+  },
+  {
+    name: 'a profile with its own remote override gets a pooled descriptor for that host',
+    profile: 'coder',
+    opts: { primaryProfile: 'default', globalRemote: true, profileRemoteOverride: true },
+    expected: { backend: 'pool', descriptorProfile: null, scopePath: false }
+  },
+  {
+    name: 'a local non-primary profile gets its own pooled backend',
+    profile: 'coder',
+    opts: { primaryProfile: 'default', globalRemote: false, profileRemoteOverride: false },
+    expected: { backend: 'pool', descriptorProfile: null, scopePath: false }
+  }
+]
+
+for (const route of ROUTES) {
+  test(`resolveProfileBackendRoute: ${route.name}`, () => {
+    assert.deepEqual(resolveProfileBackendRoute(route.profile, route.opts), route.expected)
+  })
+}
+
+test('resolveProfileBackendRoute only tags a descriptor when the backend is shared', () => {
+  // A pooled backend is already scoped to its profile, so tagging it would
+  // imply a second scope the caller must reconcile. Only the shared
+  // global-remote route carries one.
+  for (const route of ROUTES) {
+    const resolved = resolveProfileBackendRoute(route.profile, route.opts)
+
+    assert.equal(Boolean(resolved.descriptorProfile), resolved.scopePath)
+    assert.ok(!resolved.descriptorProfile || resolved.backend === 'primary')
+  }
+})
+
 // --- pathWithGlobalRemoteProfile ---
 
 test('pathWithGlobalRemoteProfile appends profile in global remote mode', () => {
@@ -199,6 +259,17 @@ test('pathWithGlobalRemoteProfile appends profile in global remote mode', () =>
   )
 })
 
+test('pathWithGlobalRemoteProfile skips the primary profile, which the remote already serves', () => {
+  assert.equal(
+    pathWithGlobalRemoteProfile('/api/model/info', 'coder', {
+      globalRemote: true,
+      primaryProfile: 'coder',
+      profileRemoteOverride: false
+    }),
+    '/api/model/info'
+  )
+})
+
 test('pathWithGlobalRemoteProfile preserves existing query params', () => {
   assert.equal(
     pathWithGlobalRemoteProfile('/api/model/options?force=1', 'iris', {
diff --git a/apps/desktop/electron/connection-config.ts b/apps/desktop/electron/connection-config.ts
index f7b1ac2e0d42..c15644b112a0 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/electron/connection-config.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/electron/connection-config.ts
@@ -350,16 +350,68 @@ function profileRemoteOverride(config, profile) {
   return { url, authMode: normAuthMode(entry.authMode), token: entry.token }
 }
 
+export interface ProfileRouteOptions {
+  globalRemote?: boolean
+  primaryProfile?: null | string
+  profileRemoteOverride?: boolean
+}
+
+export interface ProfileBackendRoute {
+  /** Which backend serves this profile: the window backend, or a pooled one. */
+  backend: 'pool' | 'primary'
+  /**
+   * Profile to tag on the returned descriptor when the backend is shared and
+   * therefore not itself scoped to that profile. Null when the backend already
+   * belongs to the profile.
+   */
+  descriptorProfile: null | string
+  /** Whether REST paths on this route must carry `?profile=` to be scoped. */
+  scopePath: boolean
+}
+
 /**
- * In global-remote mode one backend serves every Desktop profile, so REST calls
- * that are scoped by renderer-side `request.profile` must carry that scope as a
- * query parameter. Local pooled backends and per-profile remote overrides do not
- * need this: they already run against a backend scoped to the target profile.
+ * The one place that answers "which backend serves profile P, and does its
+ * REST path need a profile scope?". Four routes, in precedence order:
+ *
+ *  1. The primary profile owns the window backend outright.
+ *  2. A profile with its own remote override gets a pooled descriptor for that
+ *     host, which is already scoped to it.
+ *  3. A profile inheriting the app-global remote shares the primary backend —
+ *     one host serves every profile — so it is scoped per request instead.
+ *  4. Any other local profile gets its own pooled backend, spawned with
+ *     `--profile`, so its `HERMES_HOME` scopes it.
+ *
+ * Routing used to be spread across three overlapping predicates that each
+ * re-derived part of this table, which is how case 3 ended up registering
+ * reapable pool entries for backends it never owned.
  */
-function pathWithGlobalRemoteProfile(path, profile, opts: any = {}) {
+function resolveProfileBackendRoute(profile, opts: ProfileRouteOptions = {}): ProfileBackendRoute {
+  const scopedProfile = connectionScopeKey(profile)
+  const primaryProfile = connectionScopeKey(opts.primaryProfile) || 'default'
+
+  if (!scopedProfile || scopedProfile === primaryProfile) {
+    return { backend: 'primary', descriptorProfile: null, scopePath: false }
+  }
+
+  if (opts.profileRemoteOverride) {
+    return { backend: 'pool', descriptorProfile: null, scopePath: false }
+  }
+
+  if (opts.globalRemote) {
+    return { backend: 'primary', descriptorProfile: scopedProfile, scopePath: true }
+  }
+
+  return { backend: 'pool', descriptorProfile: null, scopePath: false }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Add renderer-side `request.profile` to a REST path when the route says the
+ * serving backend is not already scoped to that profile.
+ */
+function pathWithGlobalRemoteProfile(path, profile, opts: ProfileRouteOptions = {}) {
   const scopedProfile = connectionScopeKey(profile)
 
-  if (!scopedProfile || !opts.globalRemote || opts.profileRemoteOverride) {
+  if (!resolveProfileBackendRoute(profile, opts).scopePath) {
     return path
   }
 
@@ -506,6 +558,7 @@ export {
   profileRemoteOverride,
   profileSshOverride,
   resolveAuthMode,
+  resolveProfileBackendRoute,
   resolveTestWsUrl,
   RT_COOKIE_VARIANTS,
   savedProfileSsh,
diff --git a/apps/desktop/electron/crash-forensics.test.ts b/apps/desktop/electron/crash-forensics.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ea53493b4c1f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/desktop/electron/crash-forensics.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+
+import { describeCrashReason, installCrashForensics } from './crash-forensics'
+
+const harness = () => {
+  const listeners = new Map<string, (value: unknown) => void>()
+  const flush = vi.fn()
+  const log = vi.fn()
+
+  installCrashForensics({
+    flush,
+    log,
+    target: { on: (event, listener) => listeners.set(event, listener) }
+  })
+
+  return { flush, listeners, log }
+}
+
+describe('describeCrashReason', () => {
+  it('prefers a stack, then a message, for thrown errors', () => {
+    const withStack = new Error('boom')
+    withStack.stack = 'Error: boom\n    at somewhere'
+
+    expect(describeCrashReason(withStack)).toBe('Error: boom\n    at somewhere')
+
+    const withoutStack = new Error('boom')
+    withoutStack.stack = ''
+
+    expect(describeCrashReason(withoutStack)).toBe('boom')
+  })
+
+  it('renders non-error rejections without throwing', () => {
+    expect(describeCrashReason('plain string')).toBe('plain string')
+    expect(describeCrashReason({ code: 'ECONNRESET' })).toBe('{"code":"ECONNRESET"}')
+    expect(describeCrashReason(undefined)).toBe('undefined')
+
+    const circular: Record<string, unknown> = {}
+    circular.self = circular
+
+    expect(describeCrashReason(circular)).toBe('[object Object]')
+  })
+})
+
+describe('installCrashForensics', () => {
+  it('records and synchronously flushes an uncaught exception', () => {
+    const { flush, listeners, log } = harness()
+    const error = new Error('renderer gone')
+    error.stack = 'Error: renderer gone\n    at main'
+
+    listeners.get('uncaughtException')?.(error)
+
+    expect(log).toHaveBeenCalledWith('[main] Uncaught exception: Error: renderer gone\n    at main')
+    expect(flush).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+  })
+
+  it('records and synchronously flushes an unhandled rejection', () => {
+    const { flush, listeners, log } = harness()
+
+    listeners.get('unhandledRejection')?.('gateway ticket mint failed')
+
+    expect(log).toHaveBeenCalledWith('[main] Unhandled rejection: gateway ticket mint failed')
+    expect(flush).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+  })
+
+  it('registers both handlers', () => {
+    const { listeners } = harness()
+
+    expect([...listeners.keys()].sort()).toEqual(['uncaughtException', 'unhandledRejection'])
+  })
+})
diff --git a/apps/desktop/electron/crash-forensics.ts b/apps/desktop/electron/crash-forensics.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..7ee0aedd48f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/desktop/electron/crash-forensics.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+/**
+ * Last-chance forensics for the Electron main process.
+ *
+ * Electron installs its own `uncaughtException` listener and only warns on
+ * unhandled rejections, so the app usually survives — but the reason lands on
+ * stderr alone, which is discarded entirely when the app is launched from
+ * Finder or the Start menu. Without a record in desktop.log, a main-process
+ * fault is invisible in a `hermes debug share` bundle and the user is left
+ * describing symptoms instead of showing a stack.
+ */
+
+export interface CrashForensicsTarget {
+  on: (event: 'uncaughtException' | 'unhandledRejection', listener: (value: unknown) => void) => unknown
+}
+
+export interface CrashForensicsOptions {
+  flush: () => void
+  log: (message: string) => void
+  target?: CrashForensicsTarget
+}
+
+/** Render a thrown value for the log, preferring a stack over a bare message. */
+export function describeCrashReason(reason: unknown): string {
+  if (reason instanceof Error) {
+    return reason.stack || reason.message || reason.name || 'Error'
+  }
+
+  if (typeof reason === 'string') {
+    return reason
+  }
+
+  try {
+    return JSON.stringify(reason) ?? String(reason)
+  } catch {
+    return String(reason)
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Record main-process faults to desktop.log and flush synchronously, since a
+ * fault that does prove fatal leaves no chance for the batched async flush.
+ */
+export function installCrashForensics({ flush, log, target = process }: CrashForensicsOptions): void {
+  const record = (label: string) => (reason: unknown) => {
+    log(`[main] ${label}: ${describeCrashReason(reason)}`)
+    flush()
+  }
+
+  target.on('uncaughtException', record('Uncaught exception'))
+  target.on('unhandledRejection', record('Unhandled rejection'))
+}
diff --git a/apps/desktop/electron/main.ts b/apps/desktop/electron/main.ts
index 5f6ba957ff8c..d88e1f787601 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/electron/main.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/electron/main.ts
@@ -64,10 +64,12 @@ import {
   profileRemoteOverride,
   profileSshOverride,
   resolveAuthMode,
+  resolveProfileBackendRoute,
   resolveTestWsUrl,
   savedProfileSsh,
   tokenPreview
 } from './connection-config'
+import { describeCrashReason, installCrashForensics } from './crash-forensics'
 import { adoptServedDashboardToken } from './dashboard-token'
 import { loadOrCreateInstallationId, sshOwnershipId } from './desktop-installation'
 import {
@@ -142,9 +144,15 @@ import { createKeepAwake } from './power-save'
 import { FirstRunSetupResetError, runPrimaryBackendStartup } from './primary-backend-startup'
 import { rehomePrimaryConnection } from './primary-connection-rehome'
 import { decideProfileDeleteAction, profileNameFromDeleteRequest, resolveRouteProfile } from './profile-delete-routing'
+import { fetchPrimaryProfileSessions } from './profile-session-routing'
 import { createQuickEntryShortcut, quickEntryWindowBounds, sanitizeQuickEntrySettings } from './quick-entry'
 import * as remoteLifecycle from './remote-lifecycle'
-import { RemoteLivenessTracker, RemoteRevalidationCoordinator, revalidateRemoteConnection } from './remote-liveness'
+import {
+  RemoteLivenessTracker,
+  RemoteRevalidationCoordinator,
+  revalidatePooledRemoteBackends,
+  revalidateRemoteConnection
+} from './remote-liveness'
 import {
   buildSessionWindowUrl,
   chatWindowWebPreferences,
@@ -1212,6 +1220,14 @@ function rememberLog(chunk) {
   scheduleDesktopLogFlush()
 }
 
+installCrashForensics({ flush: flushDesktopLogBufferSync, log: rememberLog })
+
+// A rejected loadURL leaves a blank window and, unhandled, no trace anywhere
+// the user can send us. `label` names the surface so the log says which one.
+function loadWindowUrl(win, url, label) {
+  win.loadURL(url).catch(error => rememberLog(`${label} failed to load: ${describeCrashReason(error)}`))
+}
+
 function openExternalUrl(rawUrl) {
   const raw = String(rawUrl || '').trim()
 
@@ -7726,15 +7742,28 @@ function primaryProfileKey() {
   return readActiveDesktopProfile() || 'default'
 }
 
-// Resolve a backend connection for the given profile. Routes the primary
-// profile to startHermes() (the window backend: boot UI, bootstrap, remote
-// mode), and any OTHER profile to a lazily-spawned pool backend. An empty /
-// unknown profile resolves to the primary, so all legacy callers are unchanged.
+// Options describing the current connection setup for `resolveProfileBackendRoute`.
+function profileRouteOptions(profile) {
+  return {
+    globalRemote: globalRemoteActive(),
+    primaryProfile: primaryProfileKey(),
+    profileRemoteOverride: Boolean(profileHasRemoteOverride(profile))
+  }
+}
+
+// Resolve a backend connection for the given profile, per the routing table in
+// resolveProfileBackendRoute(). An empty / unknown profile resolves to the
+// primary, so legacy callers are unchanged.
 async function ensureBackend(profile) {
   const key = profile && String(profile).trim() ? String(profile).trim() : primaryProfileKey()
+  const route = resolveProfileBackendRoute(key, profileRouteOptions(key))
 
-  if (key === primaryProfileKey()) {
-    return startHermes()
+  if (route.backend === 'primary') {
+    const connection = await startHermes()
+
+    // A shared backend still owes the caller its profile scope, so renderer-side
+    // WebSocket, filesystem, and cache routing target the selected profile.
+    return route.descriptorProfile ? { ...connection, profile: route.descriptorProfile } : connection
   }
 
   const existing = backendPool.get(key)
@@ -7747,7 +7776,15 @@ async function ensureBackend(profile) {
 
   evictLruPoolBackends(POOL_MAX_BACKENDS - 1)
 
-  const entry = { process: null, port: null, token: null, connectionPromise: null, lastActiveAt: Date.now() }
+  const entry = {
+    process: null,
+    port: null,
+    token: null,
+    connectionPromise: null,
+    lastActiveAt: Date.now(),
+    remoteBaseUrl: null
+  }
+
   entry.connectionPromise = spawnPoolBackend(key, entry).catch(error => {
     backendPool.delete(key)
     throw error
@@ -7844,6 +7881,10 @@ async function spawnPoolBackend(profile, entry) {
   if (remote) {
     await waitForHermes(remote.baseUrl, remote.token, undefined, remote.authMode)
 
+    // Recorded on the entry so revalidation can probe this descriptor without
+    // awaiting connectionPromise, which may still be pending for a sibling.
+    entry.remoteBaseUrl = remote.baseUrl
+
     return {
       ...remote,
       profile,
@@ -8434,12 +8475,14 @@ function spawnSecondaryWindow({ sessionId, watch }: { sessionId?: string; watch?
 
   wireCommonWindowHandlers(win, zoomWiringForWindowKind('chat'))
 
-  win.loadURL(
+  loadWindowUrl(
+    win,
     buildSessionWindowUrl(sessionId, {
       devServer: DEV_SERVER,
       rendererIndexPath: DEV_SERVER ? undefined : resolveRendererIndex(),
       watch
-    })
+    }),
+    'Session window'
   )
 
   return win
@@ -8519,11 +8562,7 @@ function createInstanceWindow() {
     instanceWindows.delete(win)
   })
 
-  if (DEV_SERVER) {
-    win.loadURL(DEV_SERVER)
-  } else {
-    win.loadURL(pathToFileURL(resolveRendererIndex()).toString())
-  }
+  loadWindowUrl(win, DEV_SERVER || pathToFileURL(resolveRendererIndex()).toString(), 'Instance window')
 
   return win
 }
@@ -8635,7 +8674,7 @@ function spawnPetOverlayWindow(bounds) {
     }
   })
 
-  win.loadURL(petOverlayUrl())
+  loadWindowUrl(win, petOverlayUrl(), 'Pet overlay')
 
   return win
 }
@@ -8787,7 +8826,7 @@ function spawnQuickEntryWindow() {
     }
   })
 
-  win.loadURL(quickEntryUrl())
+  loadWindowUrl(win, quickEntryUrl(), 'Quick entry')
 
   return win
 }
@@ -9081,11 +9120,7 @@ function createWindow() {
     rememberLog(`[renderer console] ${text} (${src}:${lineNo})`)
   })
 
-  if (DEV_SERVER) {
-    mainWindow.loadURL(DEV_SERVER)
-  } else {
-    mainWindow.loadURL(pathToFileURL(resolveRendererIndex()).toString())
-  }
+  loadWindowUrl(mainWindow, DEV_SERVER || pathToFileURL(resolveRendererIndex()).toString(), 'Renderer')
 
   // Start the Python backend NOW, in parallel with the renderer load — not on
   // did-finish-load. The backend cold boot (spawn → port announce → /api/status)
@@ -9117,6 +9152,8 @@ ipcMain.handle('hermes:connection:revalidate', async () => {
   const connectionPromise = backendConnectionState.getPromise()
 
   if (!connectionPromise) {
+    await revalidatePool()
+
     return { ok: true, rebuilt: false }
   }
 
@@ -9124,14 +9161,17 @@ ipcMain.handle('hermes:connection:revalidate', async () => {
   // share this primary connection. Coalesce simultaneous requests so one outage
   // produces one failure observation rather than exhausting the whole streak.
   return remoteRevalidation.run(connectionPromise, async () => {
-    const result = await revalidateRemoteConnection({
-      connectionPromise,
-      currentConnectionPromise: () => backendConnectionState.getPromise(),
-      log: rememberLog,
-      probe: fetchPublicJson,
-      resetConnection: resetHermesConnection,
-      tracker: remoteLiveness
-    })
+    const [result] = await Promise.all([
+      revalidateRemoteConnection({
+        connectionPromise,
+        currentConnectionPromise: () => backendConnectionState.getPromise(),
+        log: rememberLog,
+        probe: fetchPublicJson,
+        resetConnection: resetHermesConnection,
+        tracker: remoteLiveness
+      }),
+      revalidatePool()
+    ])
 
     // A rebuilt SSH connection must also tear down its tunnel/master before the
     // renderer re-dials (which only happens after this handler resolves), so the
@@ -9149,6 +9189,20 @@ ipcMain.handle('hermes:connection:revalidate', async () => {
     return result
   })
 })
+
+// Pooled remote descriptors get the same treatment as the primary: they have no
+// child process to signal their host's death, and the renderer's keepalive touch
+// spares them from the idle reaper, so nothing else can retire a dead one.
+function revalidatePool() {
+  return revalidatePooledRemoteBackends({
+    entries: backendPool.entries(),
+    log: rememberLog,
+    probe: fetchPublicJson,
+    stopBackend: stopPoolBackend,
+    tracker: remoteLiveness
+  })
+}
+
 ipcMain.handle('hermes:backend:touch', async (_event, profile) => {
   touchPoolBackend(profile)
 
@@ -9775,12 +9829,7 @@ async function fetchProfilesSessionSlice(searchParams, remoteProfiles) {
       return remoteSessionList(requested, searchParams)
     }
 
-    const primary = await ensureBackend(null)
-
-    return fetchJson(`${primary.baseUrl}/api/profiles/sessions?${searchParams}`, primary.token, {
-      method: 'GET',
-      timeoutMs: DEFAULT_FETCH_TIMEOUT_MS
-    }).catch(() => ({ sessions: [], total: 0, profile_totals: {} }))
+    return fetchPrimaryProfileSessions(searchParams, fetchJsonForProfile)
   }
 
   return mergeRemoteProfileSessions(searchParams, remoteProfiles)
@@ -9795,12 +9844,7 @@ async function mergeRemoteProfileSessions(searchParams, remoteProfiles) {
   const offset = Math.max(0, Number(searchParams.get('offset')) || 0)
   const order = searchParams.get('order') === 'created' ? 'started_at' : 'last_active'
 
-  const primary = await ensureBackend(null)
-
-  const base = (await fetchJson(`${primary.baseUrl}/api/profiles/sessions?${searchParams}`, primary.token, {
-    method: 'GET',
-    timeoutMs: DEFAULT_FETCH_TIMEOUT_MS
-  }).catch(() => ({ sessions: [], total: 0, profile_totals: {} }))) as any
+  const base = (await fetchPrimaryProfileSessions(searchParams, fetchJsonForProfile)) as any
 
   // Over-fetch each remote from offset 0 (limit+offset rows) so the merged window
   // is correct for this page — mirrors the primary's per-profile over-fetch.
@@ -9859,10 +9903,7 @@ ipcMain.handle('hermes:api', async (_event, request) => {
   const connection = await ensureBackend(routeProfile)
   const timeoutMs = resolveTimeoutMs(request?.timeoutMs, DEFAULT_FETCH_TIMEOUT_MS)
 
-  const requestPath = pathWithGlobalRemoteProfile(request.path, profile, {
-    globalRemote: globalRemoteActive(),
-    profileRemoteOverride: profileHasRemoteOverride(profile)
-  })
+  const requestPath = pathWithGlobalRemoteProfile(request.path, profile, profileRouteOptions(profile))
 
   const url = `${connection.baseUrl}${requestPath}`
 
diff --git a/apps/desktop/electron/profile-session-routing.test.ts b/apps/desktop/electron/profile-session-routing.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..199740519bd6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/desktop/electron/profile-session-routing.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict'
+
+import { test } from 'vitest'
+
+import { fetchPrimaryProfileSessions } from './profile-session-routing'
+
+test('primary session reads use the profile-aware request path', async () => {
+  const calls: Array<{ profile: string | null; path: string }> = []
+  const expected = { sessions: [{ id: 'session-1' }], total: 1, profile_totals: { default: 1 } }
+
+  const result = await fetchPrimaryProfileSessions(
+    new URLSearchParams({ profile: 'default', limit: '20' }),
+    async (profile, path) => {
+      calls.push({ profile, path })
+
+      return expected
+    }
+  )
+
+  assert.deepEqual(calls, [{ profile: null, path: '/api/profiles/sessions?profile=default&limit=20' }])
+  assert.equal(result, expected)
+})
+
+test('primary session reads preserve the empty-list fallback', async () => {
+  const result = await fetchPrimaryProfileSessions(new URLSearchParams({ profile: 'all' }), async () => {
+    throw new Error('remote unavailable')
+  })
+
+  assert.deepEqual(result, { sessions: [], total: 0, profile_totals: {} })
+})
diff --git a/apps/desktop/electron/profile-session-routing.ts b/apps/desktop/electron/profile-session-routing.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..f31e22ca52a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/desktop/electron/profile-session-routing.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+export interface ProfileSessionsResponse {
+  sessions: unknown[]
+  total: number
+  profile_totals: Record<string, number>
+  [key: string]: unknown
+}
+
+type FetchJsonForProfile = (profile: string | null, path: string) => Promise<unknown>
+
+export async function fetchPrimaryProfileSessions(
+  searchParams: URLSearchParams,
+  fetchJsonForProfile: FetchJsonForProfile
+): Promise<ProfileSessionsResponse> {
+  try {
+    return (await fetchJsonForProfile(null, `/api/profiles/sessions?${searchParams}`)) as ProfileSessionsResponse
+  } catch {
+    return { sessions: [], total: 0, profile_totals: {} }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/apps/desktop/electron/remote-liveness.test.ts b/apps/desktop/electron/remote-liveness.test.ts
index 6c52e11f69f9..950d6fb1f58a 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/electron/remote-liveness.test.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/electron/remote-liveness.test.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import {
   REMOTE_LIVENESS_TIMEOUT_MS,
   RemoteLivenessTracker,
   RemoteRevalidationCoordinator,
+  revalidatePooledRemoteBackends,
   revalidateRemoteConnection
 } from './remote-liveness'
 
@@ -251,3 +252,102 @@ describe('revalidateRemoteConnection', () => {
     expect(rejected.probe).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
   })
 })
+
+describe('revalidatePooledRemoteBackends', () => {
+  const harness = (entries: Array<[string, { process?: unknown; remoteBaseUrl?: null | string }]>) => {
+    const unreachable = new Set<string>()
+    const log = vi.fn()
+    const stopBackend = vi.fn()
+
+    const probe = vi.fn(async (url: string) => {
+      if ([...unreachable].some(base => url.startsWith(base))) {
+        throw new Error('unreachable')
+      }
+
+      return {}
+    })
+
+    return {
+      log,
+      probe,
+      stopBackend,
+      unreachable,
+      run: (tracker: RemoteLivenessTracker) =>
+        revalidatePooledRemoteBackends({ entries, log, probe, stopBackend, tracker })
+    }
+  }
+
+  it('probes only pooled entries backed by a remote host', async () => {
+    const local = { process: {}, remoteBaseUrl: null }
+    const spawning = { process: null, remoteBaseUrl: null }
+    const remote = { process: null, remoteBaseUrl: 'https://remote.example.com' }
+
+    const pool = harness([
+      ['local', local],
+      ['spawning', spawning],
+      ['remote', remote]
+    ])
+
+    await pool.run(new RemoteLivenessTracker())
+
+    expect(pool.probe).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+    expect(pool.probe).toHaveBeenCalledWith('https://remote.example.com/api/status', {
+      timeoutMs: REMOTE_LIVENESS_TIMEOUT_MS
+    })
+    expect(pool.stopBackend).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+
+  it('drops a descriptor only after the shared failure limit', async () => {
+    const pool = harness([['coder', { process: null, remoteBaseUrl: 'https://remote.example.com/' }]])
+    pool.unreachable.add('https://remote.example.com')
+
+    const tracker = new RemoteLivenessTracker()
+
+    for (let attempt = 1; attempt < REMOTE_LIVENESS_FAILURE_LIMIT; attempt += 1) {
+      await expect(pool.run(tracker)).resolves.toEqual({ dropped: [] })
+      expect(pool.stopBackend).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    }
+
+    await expect(pool.run(tracker)).resolves.toEqual({ dropped: ['coder'] })
+    expect(pool.stopBackend).toHaveBeenCalledWith('coder')
+  })
+
+  it('clears the streak when the host answers again', async () => {
+    const pool = harness([['coder', { process: null, remoteBaseUrl: 'https://remote.example.com' }]])
+    const tracker = new RemoteLivenessTracker()
+
+    pool.unreachable.add('https://remote.example.com')
+    await pool.run(tracker)
+
+    pool.unreachable.clear()
+    await pool.run(tracker)
+
+    pool.unreachable.add('https://remote.example.com')
+
+    for (let attempt = 1; attempt < REMOTE_LIVENESS_FAILURE_LIMIT; attempt += 1) {
+      await expect(pool.run(tracker)).resolves.toEqual({ dropped: [] })
+    }
+
+    expect(pool.stopBackend).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    await expect(pool.run(tracker)).resolves.toEqual({ dropped: ['coder'] })
+  })
+
+  it('keeps a healthy sibling when another profile on a different host dies', async () => {
+    const pool = harness([
+      ['coder', { process: null, remoteBaseUrl: 'https://dead.example.com' }],
+      ['writer', { process: null, remoteBaseUrl: 'https://live.example.com' }]
+    ])
+
+    pool.unreachable.add('https://dead.example.com')
+
+    const tracker = new RemoteLivenessTracker()
+
+    for (let attempt = 1; attempt < REMOTE_LIVENESS_FAILURE_LIMIT; attempt += 1) {
+      await pool.run(tracker)
+    }
+
+    await expect(pool.run(tracker)).resolves.toEqual({ dropped: ['coder'] })
+    expect(pool.stopBackend).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+    expect(pool.stopBackend).toHaveBeenCalledWith('coder')
+  })
+})
diff --git a/apps/desktop/electron/remote-liveness.ts b/apps/desktop/electron/remote-liveness.ts
index eedc16682e7d..6e29b395c483 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/electron/remote-liveness.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/electron/remote-liveness.ts
@@ -117,6 +117,68 @@ export class RemoteLivenessTracker {
   }
 }
 
+export interface PooledRemoteEntry {
+  process?: unknown
+  remoteBaseUrl?: null | string
+}
+
+export interface RevalidatePooledRemoteBackendsOptions {
+  entries: Iterable<[string, PooledRemoteEntry]>
+  log: (message: string) => void
+  probe: (url: string, options: { timeoutMs: number }) => Promise<unknown>
+  stopBackend: (profile: string) => void
+  tracker: RemoteLivenessTracker
+}
+
+/**
+ * Probe pooled REMOTE descriptors and drop the dead ones.
+ *
+ * A pooled entry backed by a remote host has no child process, so the 'exit'
+ * handler that clears a dead local backend never fires, and the renderer's
+ * keepalive touch keeps the idle reaper off it. Without this the pool serves a
+ * descriptor for an unreachable host indefinitely.
+ *
+ * Entries share the primary's failure policy, keyed per base URL, so a profile
+ * pointing at the same host as another does not burn the streak twice as fast.
+ */
+export async function revalidatePooledRemoteBackends({
+  entries,
+  log,
+  probe,
+  stopBackend,
+  tracker
+}: RevalidatePooledRemoteBackendsOptions): Promise<{ dropped: string[] }> {
+  const remotes = [...entries].filter(([, entry]) => !entry.process && entry.remoteBaseUrl)
+  const dropped: string[] = []
+
+  await Promise.all(
+    remotes.map(async ([profile, entry]) => {
+      const baseUrl = String(entry.remoteBaseUrl).replace(/\/+$/, '')
+
+      try {
+        await probe(`${baseUrl}/api/status`, { timeoutMs: REMOTE_LIVENESS_TIMEOUT_MS })
+        tracker.recordSuccess(baseUrl)
+      } catch {
+        const failure = tracker.recordFailure(baseUrl)
+
+        if (!failure.shouldReset) {
+          log(
+            `Pooled remote backend for profile "${profile}" failed liveness probe (${failure.failures}/${REMOTE_LIVENESS_FAILURE_LIMIT}); keeping descriptor for retry.`
+          )
+
+          return
+        }
+
+        log(`Pooled remote backend for profile "${profile}" failed liveness probe; dropping stale descriptor.`)
+        stopBackend(profile)
+        dropped.push(profile)
+      }
+    })
+  )
+
+  return { dropped }
+}
+
 /**
  * Probe the cached primary remote connection and apply the failure policy.
  * The caller owns single-flight coordination; identity checks here ensure an