diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/updates-overlay.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/updates-overlay.tsx
index 7c354eb171..d55f2d79c1 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/updates-overlay.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/updates-overlay.tsx
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ export function UpdatesOverlay() {
         className="max-w-sm overflow-hidden border-border/70 p-0 gap-0"
         showCloseButton={phase !== 'applying'}
       >
-        {phase === 'applying' && <ApplyingView apply={apply} />}
+        {phase === 'applying' && <ApplyingView apply={apply} isBackend={isBackend} />}
 
         {phase === 'manual' && (
           <ManualView command={apply.command ?? 'hermes update'} onDone={() => handleClose(false)} />
@@ -309,10 +309,11 @@ function ManualView({ command, onDone }: { command: string; onDone: () => void }
   )
 }
 
-function ApplyingView({ apply }: { apply: UpdateApplyState }) {
+function ApplyingView({ apply, isBackend }: { apply: UpdateApplyState; isBackend: boolean }) {
   const { t } = useI18n()
   const u = t.updates
   const label = u.stages[apply.stage as DesktopUpdateStage] ?? u.stages.idle
+  const body = isBackend ? u.applyingBodyBackend : u.applyingBody
 
   const percent =
     typeof apply.percent === 'number' && Number.isFinite(apply.percent)
@@ -326,7 +327,7 @@ function ApplyingView({ apply }: { apply: UpdateApplyState }) {
 
         <DialogTitle className="text-center text-xl">{label}</DialogTitle>
         <DialogDescription className="text-center text-sm">
-          {u.applyingBody}
+          {body}
         </DialogDescription>
       </div>
 
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/i18n/en.ts b/apps/desktop/src/i18n/en.ts
index 88dce1e4b1..b02fde4690 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/i18n/en.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/i18n/en.ts
@@ -1253,6 +1253,7 @@ export const en: Translations = {
     copied: 'Copied',
     done: 'Done',
     applyingBody: 'The Hermes updater will take over in its own window and reopen Hermes when it’s done.',
+    applyingBodyBackend: 'The remote backend is applying the update and will restart. Hermes reconnects automatically when it’s back.',
     applyingClose: 'Hermes will close to apply the update.',
     errorTitle: 'Update didn’t finish',
     errorBody: 'No worries — nothing was lost. You can try again now.',
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/i18n/ja.ts b/apps/desktop/src/i18n/ja.ts
index f0cdcaa2a7..afaf629a88 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/i18n/ja.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/i18n/ja.ts
@@ -1395,6 +1395,7 @@ export const ja = defineLocale({
     copied: 'コピーしました',
     done: '完了',
     applyingBody: 'Hermes アップデーターが独自のウィンドウで引き継ぎ、完了後に Hermes を再度開きます。',
+    applyingBodyBackend: 'リモートバックエンドが更新を適用して再起動します。復帰すると Hermes が自動的に再接続します。',
     applyingClose: 'Hermes は更新を適用するために閉じます。',
     errorTitle: '更新が完了しませんでした',
     errorBody: 'ご安心ください。何も失われていません。今すぐ再試行できます。',
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/i18n/types.ts b/apps/desktop/src/i18n/types.ts
index b7a4572a46..c32fbae451 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/i18n/types.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/i18n/types.ts
@@ -953,6 +953,7 @@ export interface Translations {
     copied: string
     done: string
     applyingBody: string
+    applyingBodyBackend: string
     applyingClose: string
     errorTitle: string
     errorBody: string
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/i18n/zh-hant.ts b/apps/desktop/src/i18n/zh-hant.ts
index cfa82d4013..8804f36cfd 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/i18n/zh-hant.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/i18n/zh-hant.ts
@@ -1360,6 +1360,7 @@ export const zhHant = defineLocale({
     copied: '已複製',
     done: '完成',
     applyingBody: 'Hermes 更新程式會在自己的視窗中接管，並在完成後重新開啟 Hermes。',
+    applyingBodyBackend: '遠端後端正在套用更新並將重新啟動。恢復後 Hermes 會自動重新連線。',
     applyingClose: 'Hermes 將關閉以套用更新。',
     errorTitle: '更新未完成',
     errorBody: '沒有資料遺失。您可以現在重試。',
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/i18n/zh.ts b/apps/desktop/src/i18n/zh.ts
index 40518aed94..e3309af7c2 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/i18n/zh.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/i18n/zh.ts
@@ -1440,6 +1440,7 @@ export const zh: Translations = {
     copied: '已复制',
     done: '完成',
     applyingBody: 'Hermes 更新器会在自己的窗口中接管，并在完成后重新打开 Hermes。',
+    applyingBodyBackend: '远程后端正在应用更新并将重启。恢复后 Hermes 会自动重新连接。',
     applyingClose: 'Hermes 将关闭以应用更新。',
     errorTitle: '更新未完成',
     errorBody: '没有数据丢失。你可以现在重试。',
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/store/updates.test.ts b/apps/desktop/src/store/updates.test.ts
index 30d1965593..3aac4004c3 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/store/updates.test.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/store/updates.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 
 import type { DesktopUpdateStatus } from '@/global'
 
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ vi.mock('@/hermes', () => ({
   getActionStatus: (...args: unknown[]) => getActionStatusSpy(...args)
 }))
 
-const { maybeNotifyUpdateAvailable, checkBackendUpdates, $backendUpdateStatus } = await import('./updates')
+const { maybeNotifyUpdateAvailable, checkBackendUpdates, $backendUpdateStatus, applyBackendUpdate, $backendUpdateApply } = await import('./updates')
 const { setConnection } = await import('./session')
 
 const status = (over: Partial<DesktopUpdateStatus> = {}): DesktopUpdateStatus => ({
@@ -155,3 +155,32 @@ describe('checkBackendUpdates', () => {
   })
 })
 
+describe('applyBackendUpdate recovery', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    storage.clear()
+    checkHermesUpdateSpy.mockReset()
+    updateHermesSpy.mockReset()
+    getActionStatusSpy.mockReset()
+    $backendUpdateApply.set({ applying: false, stage: 'idle', message: '', percent: null, error: null, command: null, log: [] })
+    vi.useFakeTimers()
+  })
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    vi.useRealTimers()
+  })
+
+  it('waits for the backend to return after the restart drops the connection, then clears the overlay', async () => {
+    updateHermesSpy.mockResolvedValue({ ok: true, name: 'update', pid: 1 })
+    getActionStatusSpy.mockRejectedValue(new Error('ECONNREFUSED'))
+    checkHermesUpdateSpy.mockResolvedValue({ install_method: 'git', current_version: '0.16.0', behind: 0, update_available: false, can_apply: true, update_command: 'hermes update', message: null })
+
+    const promise = applyBackendUpdate()
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(5000)
+    const result = await promise
+
+    expect(result.ok).toBe(true)
+    expect($backendUpdateApply.get().stage).toBe('idle')
+    expect($backendUpdateApply.get().applying).toBe(false)
+  })
+})
+
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/store/updates.ts b/apps/desktop/src/store/updates.ts
index bc78e1ecfe..c31e3e9d9f 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/store/updates.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/store/updates.ts
@@ -304,6 +304,22 @@ export async function applyUpdates(opts: DesktopUpdateApplyOptions = {}): Promis
   }
 }
 
+const BACKEND_RETURN_POLL_MS = 1500
+const BACKEND_RETURN_MAX_ATTEMPTS = 40
+
+async function waitForBackendReturn(): Promise<void> {
+  for (let attempt = 0; attempt < BACKEND_RETURN_MAX_ATTEMPTS; attempt += 1) {
+    await new Promise(resolve => globalThis.setTimeout(resolve, BACKEND_RETURN_POLL_MS))
+    try {
+      await checkHermesUpdate()
+
+      return
+    } catch {
+      continue
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 export async function applyBackendUpdate(): Promise<DesktopUpdateApplyResult> {
   dismissNotification(UPDATE_TOAST_ID)
   $backendUpdateApply.set({ ...IDLE, applying: true, stage: 'prepare', message: 'Updating backend…' })
@@ -323,19 +339,22 @@ export async function applyBackendUpdate(): Promise<DesktopUpdateApplyResult> {
 
     let last: Awaited<ReturnType<typeof getActionStatus>> | null = null
     for (let attempt = 0; attempt < 30; attempt += 1) {
-      await new Promise(resolve => window.setTimeout(resolve, 1500))
+      await new Promise(resolve => globalThis.setTimeout(resolve, 1500))
       try {
         last = await getActionStatus(started.name, 200)
       } catch {
         // The dashboard restarts mid-update, dropping this connection — expected, not a failure.
         $backendUpdateApply.set({
           ...$backendUpdateApply.get(),
-          applying: false,
+          applying: true,
           stage: 'restart',
           message: 'Backend restarting to load the update…'
         })
+        await waitForBackendReturn()
+        $backendUpdateApply.set(IDLE)
+        void checkBackendUpdates()
 
-        return { ok: true, message: 'Backend update applied; backend is restarting.' }
+        return { ok: true, message: 'Backend update applied; backend is back online.' }
       }
 
       if (last && !last.running) {
@@ -344,17 +363,24 @@ export async function applyBackendUpdate(): Promise<DesktopUpdateApplyResult> {
     }
 
     const ok = !!last && (last.exit_code ?? 1) === 0
+    if (ok) {
+      $backendUpdateApply.set({ ...$backendUpdateApply.get(), applying: true, stage: 'restart', message: 'Backend restarting to load the update…' })
+      await waitForBackendReturn()
+      $backendUpdateApply.set(IDLE)
+      void checkBackendUpdates()
+
+      return { ok: true, message: 'Backend update applied.' }
+    }
+
     $backendUpdateApply.set({
       ...$backendUpdateApply.get(),
       applying: false,
-      stage: ok ? 'restart' : 'error',
-      error: ok ? null : 'apply-failed',
-      message: ok ? 'Backend updated. Restart it to load the new code.' : 'Backend update failed.'
+      stage: 'error',
+      error: 'apply-failed',
+      message: 'Backend update failed.'
     })
 
-    return ok
-      ? { ok: true, message: 'Backend update applied.' }
-      : { ok: false, error: 'apply-failed', message: 'Backend update failed.' }
+    return { ok: false, error: 'apply-failed', message: 'Backend update failed.' }
   } catch (error) {
     const message = error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error)
     $backendUpdateApply.set({ ...$backendUpdateApply.get(), applying: false, stage: 'error', error: 'apply-failed', message })