diff --git a/module/service.sh b/module/service.sh
index 5def5641..b80c2102 100755
--- a/module/service.sh
+++ b/module/service.sh
@@ -42,6 +42,94 @@ start_daemon() {
 # Log: /data/local/tmp/awl_pulse.log (root-owned fd, inherited by the child).
 # Every skip path writes its reason there — a silent skip is what made "no
 # sound" undiagnosable after a reflash.
+PULSE_PROBE_TIMEOUT=3
+PULSE_PROBE_POLLS=6
+PULSE_START_RETRIES=3
+
+stop_pulse() {
+  # The runtime copy is disposable, but the process must be stopped before it
+  # is replaced.  Otherwise an old instance can keep the old UID/audio state
+  # alive across a module update or an APK reinstall.
+  if pkill -f "$PAR/bin/pulseaudio" 2>/dev/null; then
+    sleep 1
+    # A stuck instance must not survive into the next attempt and race the
+    # new server for the socket or AudioFlinger track.
+    pkill -KILL -f "$PAR/bin/pulseaudio" 2>/dev/null || true
+  fi
+  rm -f "$RT/pulse.sock"
+}
+
+pulse_query() {
+  # pactl in the staged tree is dynamically linked against the staged libpulse;
+  # use the same runtime environment as the server.  timeout is provided by
+  # Android toybox and prevents a half-created socket from blocking boot.
+  PULSE_SERVER="unix:$RT/pulse.sock" \
+  HOME="$PH" TMPDIR="$PH" \
+  LD_LIBRARY_PATH="$PAR/lib:$PAR/lib/pulseaudio:$PAR/lib/pulseaudio/modules" \
+  timeout "$PULSE_PROBE_TIMEOUT" "$PAR/bin/pactl" "$@"
+}
+
+pulse_is_ready() {
+  [ -S "$RT/pulse.sock" ] || return 1
+  [ -x "$PAR/bin/pactl" ] || {
+    echo "anland: pulse probe unavailable ($PAR/bin/pactl missing)" >> "$LOG"
+    return 1
+  }
+
+  SINKS=$(pulse_query list short sinks 2>>"$LOG")
+  status=$?
+  if [ "$status" -ne 0 ]; then
+    echo "anland: pulse probe failed (pactl status $status)" >> "$LOG"
+    return 1
+  fi
+
+  {
+    echo "anland: pulse sinks:"
+    printf '%s\n' "$SINKS"
+  } >> "$LOG"
+
+  # A native socket and a successful pactl connection are insufficient: the
+  # daemon can otherwise fall back to module-always-sink/auto_null after
+  # OpenSL ES rejects the stream.  SUSPENDED is valid here when idle.
+  printf '%s\n' "$SINKS" | awk \
+    '$2 == "android" && $3 == "module-sles-sink.c" { found = 1 }
+     END { exit(found ? 0 : 1) }'
+}
+
+wait_for_pulse() {
+  probe=1
+  while [ "$probe" -le "$PULSE_PROBE_POLLS" ]; do
+    if pulse_is_ready; then
+      return 0
+    fi
+    if [ "$probe" -lt "$PULSE_PROBE_POLLS" ]; then
+      sleep 1
+    fi
+    probe=$((probe + 1))
+  done
+  return 1
+}
+
+launch_pulse() {
+  attempt="$1"
+  rm -rf "$PH"
+  mkdir -p "$PH/run" "$PH/state" || {
+    echo "anland: pulse attempt $attempt failed (cannot create $PH)" >> "$LOG"
+    return 1
+  }
+  chown -R "$PAUID:$PAUID" "$PH"
+  chmod 700 "$PH" "$PH/run" "$PH/state"
+  rm -f "$RT/pulse.sock"
+  echo "anland: pulse starting as uid $PAUID (attempt $attempt/$PULSE_START_RETRIES; tree $PAR, socket $RT/pulse.sock)" >> "$LOG"
+  nohup su "$PAUID" -c "export HOME='$PH' TMPDIR='$PH' PULSE_RUNTIME_PATH='$PH/run' \
+PULSE_STATE_PATH='$PH/state' PULSE_CONFIG_PATH='$PAR/etc/pulse' \
+LD_LIBRARY_PATH='$PAR/lib:$PAR/lib/pulseaudio:$PAR/lib/pulseaudio/modules'; \
+exec '$PAR/bin/pulseaudio' --daemonize=no --exit-idle-time=-1 --disallow-exit \
+--log-target=stderr -n -F '$PAR/etc/pulse/default.pa' \
+-L 'module-native-protocol-unix auth-anonymous=1 socket=$RT/pulse.sock'" \
+    >> "$LOG" 2>&1 &
+}
+
 start_pulse() {
   PA="$MODDIR/pulse"
   LOG=/data/local/tmp/awl_pulse.log
@@ -58,25 +146,43 @@ start_pulse() {
   PAR="$RT/pulse"
   # a previous instance (repair path, or an app reinstall that changed the
   # uid) still holds the old tree and socket — replace it whole
-  pkill -f "$PAR/bin/pulseaudio" 2>/dev/null && sleep 1
+  PH="$RT/pulse-home"
+  stop_pulse
   rm -rf "$PAR"
-  cp -r "$PA" "$PAR"
+  cp -r "$PA" "$PAR" || {
+    echo "anland: pulse failed (cannot copy $PA to $PAR)" > "$LOG"
+    return 1
+  }
   chmod -R 755 "$PAR"
   chcon u:object_r:awl_daemon_exec:s0 "$PAR/bin/pulseaudio" 2>/dev/null
   # module lookup: daemon.conf is read from PULSE_CONFIG_PATH (this copy)
   echo "dl-search-path = $PAR/lib/pulseaudio/modules" >> "$PAR/etc/pulse/daemon.conf"
-  PH="$RT/pulse-home"
-  rm -rf "$PH"; mkdir -p "$PH/run" "$PH/state"
-  chown -R "$PAUID:$PAUID" "$PH"; chmod 700 "$PH" "$PH/run" "$PH/state"
+
+  attempt=1
+  while [ "$attempt" -le "$PULSE_START_RETRIES" ]; do
+    stop_pulse
+    launch_pulse "$attempt"
+    if wait_for_pulse; then
+      echo "anland: pulse ready (android/module-sles-sink.c)" >> "$LOG"
+      return 0
+    fi
+
+    echo "anland: pulse attempt $attempt/$PULSE_START_RETRIES did not produce an Android sink" >> "$LOG"
+    stop_pulse
+    if [ "$attempt" -lt "$PULSE_START_RETRIES" ]; then
+      case "$attempt" in
+        1) delay=1 ;;
+        2) delay=2 ;;
+        *) delay=4 ;;
+      esac
+      sleep "$delay"
+    fi
+    attempt=$((attempt + 1))
+  done
+
   rm -f "$RT/pulse.sock"
-  echo "anland: pulse starting as uid $PAUID (tree $PAR, socket $RT/pulse.sock)" > "$LOG"
-  nohup su "$PAUID" -c "export HOME='$PH' TMPDIR='$PH' PULSE_RUNTIME_PATH='$PH/run' \
-PULSE_STATE_PATH='$PH/state' PULSE_CONFIG_PATH='$PAR/etc/pulse' \
-LD_LIBRARY_PATH='$PAR/lib:$PAR/lib/pulseaudio:$PAR/lib/pulseaudio/modules'; \
-exec '$PAR/bin/pulseaudio' --daemonize=no --exit-idle-time=-1 --disallow-exit \
---log-target=stderr -n -F '$PAR/etc/pulse/default.pa' \
--L 'module-native-protocol-unix auth-anonymous=1 socket=$RT/pulse.sock'" \
-    >> "$LOG" 2>&1 &
+  echo "anland: pulse failed after $PULSE_START_RETRIES attempts (no android/module-sles-sink.c)" >> "$LOG"
+  return 1
 }
 
 case "${1:-}" in