diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index b7e0279..5e259ca 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,13 @@ All notable changes to Wirebot are documented in this file.
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Fixed
+
+- An app-server that exits on its own — an OOM kill, a stray `kill -9`, or a crash — is now
+  relaunched automatically with a short back-off (about 50 seconds across five attempts) instead
+  of staying down until someone sends `/restart`. Turns wait during the relaunch and resume on the
+  new server; `/restart` remains the fallback once the attempts are exhausted.
+
 ## [0.3.0] - 2026-09-05
 
 ### Added
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5e9ea40..19b24ae 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -229,6 +229,8 @@ Wirebot keeps the running Codex process synchronized using the [app-server mecha
 
 The runtime card in the Mini App shows the current outcome and offers **Apply changes** and **Restart Codex**. `/reload` and `/restart` provide the same private-chat controls. Restart is the fallback for startup-only state: Wirebot pauses new turns, lets active turns finish, restarts its child app-server with the same `CODEX_HOME`, reloads its resources, and lazily resumes persisted thread IDs. It does not restart the messaging bridges or discard authentication and conversation history.
 
+If the app-server exits on its own — for example the kernel OOM-killer or a stray `kill -9` takes it out — Wirebot relaunches it automatically, retrying five times over roughly 50 seconds while new turns wait. Only when those attempts fail does the runtime stay degraded and ask for a manual `/restart`.
+
 ## Source development
 
 Requirements: [Bun](https://bun.com) 1.4 or newer.
diff --git a/src/codex/runtime-service.ts b/src/codex/runtime-service.ts
index 80a0296..e621861 100644
--- a/src/codex/runtime-service.ts
+++ b/src/codex/runtime-service.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import type { RateLimitSnapshot } from "../generated/codex/v2/RateLimitSnapshot.
 import type { RateLimitWindow } from "../generated/codex/v2/RateLimitWindow.js";
 import type { SkillMetadata } from "../generated/codex/v2/SkillMetadata.js";
 import type { SkillsListResponse } from "../generated/codex/v2/SkillsListResponse.js";
-import { KeyedSerialQueue } from "../shared/async.js";
+import { delay, KeyedSerialQueue } from "../shared/async.js";
 import { BridgeError, errorMessage } from "../shared/errors.js";
 import type { Logger } from "../shared/logger.js";
 import { type CodexConfigService, findBaseUserLayer } from "./config-service.js";
@@ -79,6 +79,13 @@ interface ReconcileOptions {
   readonly freshServer: boolean;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Pauses before each automatic relaunch of an app-server that exited on its own,
+ * for example after an OOM kill or a stray `kill -9`; a manual `/restart` is the
+ * fallback once these are exhausted.
+ */
+const codexRecoveryDelaysMs: readonly number[] = [1_000, 2_000, 5_000, 10_000, 30_000];
+
 /**
  * Keeps Wirebot's long-lived app-server synchronized through Codex's native
  * config, MCP, and skill protocol surface.
@@ -102,6 +109,7 @@ export class CodexRuntimeService {
     configPath: null,
   };
   readonly #operations = new KeyedSerialQueue();
+  #recovery: Promise<void> | undefined;
   #unsubscribeNotification: (() => void) | undefined;
   #unsubscribeExit: (() => void) | undefined;
   #stopped = true;
@@ -132,6 +140,7 @@ export class CodexRuntimeService {
 
   public async stop(): Promise<void> {
     this.#stopped = true;
+    await this.#recovery;
     await this.serialize(async () => {});
     this.#unsubscribeNotification?.();
     this.#unsubscribeNotification = undefined;
@@ -400,6 +409,68 @@ export class CodexRuntimeService {
       lastError: exit.error.message,
       restartRequired: true,
     });
+    if (!exit.expected && !this.#stopped) this.startRecovery(exit);
+  }
+
+  /** Relaunch an app-server that died on its own so nobody has to send `/restart`. */
+  private startRecovery(exit: CodexAppServerExit): void {
+    if (this.#recovery !== undefined) return;
+    this.#logger.warn("Codex app-server exited unexpectedly; relaunching it automatically", {
+      code: exit.code,
+      signal: exit.signal,
+      attempts: codexRecoveryDelaysMs.length,
+    });
+    this.#recovery = this.recover().finally(() => {
+      this.#recovery = undefined;
+    });
+  }
+
+  private async recover(): Promise<void> {
+    for (const [index, delayMs] of codexRecoveryDelaysMs.entries()) {
+      await delay(delayMs);
+      if (this.#stopped) return;
+      const recovered = await this.serialize(() => this.tryRecover(index + 1));
+      if (recovered) return;
+    }
+    this.#logger.error(
+      "Codex app-server could not be relaunched automatically; a manual restart is required",
+      undefined,
+      { lastError: this.#status.lastError },
+    );
+  }
+
+  /** One relaunch attempt under the runtime lock; `true` ends the recovery loop. */
+  private async tryRecover(attempt: number): Promise<boolean> {
+    if (this.#stopped) return true;
+    // A manual restart or reload already brought the server back while we waited.
+    if (!this.#status.restartRequired) return true;
+    this.updateStatus({ state: "restarting", lastError: null });
+    this.#codex.pause();
+    try {
+      await this.#rpc.start();
+      this.#serverModelProvider = undefined;
+      const status = await this.reconcile({
+        hotReloadConfig: false,
+        reloadMcp: false,
+        freshServer: true,
+      });
+      if (status.restartRequired) return false;
+      this.#logger.info("Codex app-server relaunched", { attempt, state: status.state });
+      return true;
+    } catch (error) {
+      this.#logger.warn("Codex app-server relaunch attempt failed", {
+        attempt,
+        error: errorMessage(error),
+      });
+      this.updateStatus({
+        state: "degraded",
+        lastError: errorMessage(error),
+        restartRequired: true,
+      });
+      return false;
+    } finally {
+      this.#codex.resume();
+    }
   }
 
   private updateStatus(patch: Partial<CodexRuntimeStatus>): void {
diff --git a/src/core/bridge.ts b/src/core/bridge.ts
index 88769bd..8eb750b 100644
--- a/src/core/bridge.ts
+++ b/src/core/bridge.ts
@@ -636,10 +636,12 @@ function runtimeStatusSummary(status: CodexRuntimeStatus): {
 } {
   const degraded = status.state === "degraded" || status.restartRequired;
   const detail =
-    status.lastError ??
-    (status.restartRequired
-      ? "an app-server restart is required to apply startup-only changes"
-      : status.state);
+    status.state === "restarting" && status.restartRequired
+      ? `the app-server is being relaunched automatically${status.lastError === null ? "" : ` after: ${status.lastError}`}`
+      : (status.lastError ??
+        (status.restartRequired
+          ? "an app-server restart is required to apply startup-only changes"
+          : status.state));
   return { degraded, detail };
 }