diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 62c9357ac..8f8317f04 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 ### Fixes
 - macOS: Voice Wake now fully tears down the Speech pipeline when disabled (cancel pending restarts, drop stale callbacks) to avoid high CPU in the background.
 - macOS menu: add a Talk Mode action alongside the Open Dashboard/Chat/Canvas entries.
+- macOS Debug: hide “Restart Gateway” when the app won’t start a local gateway (remote mode / attach-only).
 - macOS Talk Mode: orb overlay refresh, ElevenLabs request logging, API key status in settings, and auto-select first voice when none is configured.
 - iOS/Android nodes: enable scrolling for loaded web pages in the Canvas WebView (default scaffold stays touch-first).
 - macOS menu: device list now uses `node.list` (devices only; no agent/tool presence entries).
diff --git a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/CommandResolver.swift b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/CommandResolver.swift
index d418cd5e0..2e8b5c6ce 100644
--- a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/CommandResolver.swift
+++ b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/CommandResolver.swift
@@ -16,6 +16,10 @@ enum CommandResolver {
         RuntimeLocator.resolve(searchPaths: self.preferredPaths())
     }
 
+    static func runtimeResolution(searchPaths: [String]?) -> Result<RuntimeResolution, RuntimeResolutionError> {
+        RuntimeLocator.resolve(searchPaths: searchPaths ?? self.preferredPaths())
+    }
+
     static func makeRuntimeCommand(
         runtime: RuntimeResolution,
         entrypoint: String,
@@ -152,8 +156,8 @@ enum CommandResolver {
         return paths
     }
 
-    static func findExecutable(named name: String) -> String? {
-        for dir in self.preferredPaths() {
+    static func findExecutable(named name: String, searchPaths: [String]? = nil) -> String? {
+        for dir in (searchPaths ?? self.preferredPaths()) {
             let candidate = (dir as NSString).appendingPathComponent(name)
             if FileManager.default.isExecutableFile(atPath: candidate) {
                 return candidate
@@ -162,8 +166,14 @@ enum CommandResolver {
         return nil
     }
 
-    static func clawdisExecutable() -> String? {
-        self.findExecutable(named: self.helperName)
+    static func clawdisExecutable(searchPaths: [String]? = nil) -> String? {
+        self.findExecutable(named: self.helperName, searchPaths: searchPaths)
+    }
+
+    static func projectClawdisExecutable(projectRoot: URL? = nil) -> String? {
+        let root = projectRoot ?? self.projectRoot()
+        let candidate = root.appendingPathComponent("node_modules/.bin").appendingPathComponent(self.helperName).path
+        return FileManager.default.isExecutableFile(atPath: candidate) ? candidate : nil
     }
 
     static func nodeCliPath() -> String? {
@@ -171,17 +181,18 @@ enum CommandResolver {
         return FileManager.default.isReadableFile(atPath: candidate) ? candidate : nil
     }
 
-    static func hasAnyClawdisInvoker() -> Bool {
-        if self.clawdisExecutable() != nil { return true }
-        if self.findExecutable(named: "pnpm") != nil { return true }
-        if self.findExecutable(named: "node") != nil, self.nodeCliPath() != nil { return true }
+    static func hasAnyClawdisInvoker(searchPaths: [String]? = nil) -> Bool {
+        if self.clawdisExecutable(searchPaths: searchPaths) != nil { return true }
+        if self.findExecutable(named: "pnpm", searchPaths: searchPaths) != nil { return true }
+        if self.findExecutable(named: "node", searchPaths: searchPaths) != nil, self.nodeCliPath() != nil { return true }
         return false
     }
 
     static func clawdisNodeCommand(
         subcommand: String,
         extraArgs: [String] = [],
-        defaults: UserDefaults = .standard) -> [String]
+        defaults: UserDefaults = .standard,
+        searchPaths: [String]? = nil) -> [String]
     {
         let settings = self.connectionSettings(defaults: defaults)
         if settings.mode == .remote, let ssh = self.sshNodeCommand(
@@ -192,25 +203,29 @@ enum CommandResolver {
             return ssh
         }
 
-        let runtimeResult = self.runtimeResolution()
+        let runtimeResult = self.runtimeResolution(searchPaths: searchPaths)
 
         switch runtimeResult {
         case let .success(runtime):
-            if let clawdisPath = self.clawdisExecutable() {
+            let root = self.projectRoot()
+            if let clawdisPath = self.projectClawdisExecutable(projectRoot: root) {
                 return [clawdisPath, subcommand] + extraArgs
             }
 
-            if let entry = self.gatewayEntrypoint(in: self.projectRoot()) {
+            if let entry = self.gatewayEntrypoint(in: root) {
                 return self.makeRuntimeCommand(
                     runtime: runtime,
                     entrypoint: entry,
                     subcommand: subcommand,
                     extraArgs: extraArgs)
             }
-            if let pnpm = self.findExecutable(named: "pnpm") {
+            if let pnpm = self.findExecutable(named: "pnpm", searchPaths: searchPaths) {
                 // Use --silent to avoid pnpm lifecycle banners that would corrupt JSON outputs.
                 return [pnpm, "--silent", "clawdis", subcommand] + extraArgs
             }
+            if let clawdisPath = self.clawdisExecutable(searchPaths: searchPaths) {
+                return [clawdisPath, subcommand] + extraArgs
+            }
 
             let missingEntry = """
             clawdis entrypoint missing (looked for dist/index.js or bin/clawdis.js); run pnpm build.
@@ -226,9 +241,10 @@ enum CommandResolver {
     static func clawdisCommand(
         subcommand: String,
         extraArgs: [String] = [],
-        defaults: UserDefaults = .standard) -> [String]
+        defaults: UserDefaults = .standard,
+        searchPaths: [String]? = nil) -> [String]
     {
-        self.clawdisNodeCommand(subcommand: subcommand, extraArgs: extraArgs, defaults: defaults)
+        self.clawdisNodeCommand(subcommand: subcommand, extraArgs: extraArgs, defaults: defaults, searchPaths: searchPaths)
     }
 
     // MARK: - SSH helpers
diff --git a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/DebugSettings.swift b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/DebugSettings.swift
index a730d5ef1..a30cf917a 100644
--- a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/DebugSettings.swift
+++ b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/DebugSettings.swift
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 import AppKit
+import Observation
 import SwiftUI
 import UniformTypeIdentifiers
 
 struct DebugSettings: View {
+    @Bindable var state: AppState
     private let isPreview = ProcessInfo.processInfo.isPreview
     private let labelColumnWidth: CGFloat = 140
     @AppStorage(modelCatalogPathKey) private var modelCatalogPath: String = ModelCatalogLoader.defaultPath
@@ -36,6 +38,10 @@ struct DebugSettings: View {
     @State private var canvasEvalResult: String?
     @State private var canvasSnapshotPath: String?
 
+    init(state: AppState = AppStateStore.shared) {
+        self.state = state
+    }
+
     var body: some View {
         ScrollView(.vertical) {
             VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 14) {
@@ -194,7 +200,9 @@ struct DebugSettings: View {
                     .overlay(RoundedRectangle(cornerRadius: 6).stroke(Color.secondary.opacity(0.2)))
 
                     HStack(spacing: 8) {
-                        Button("Restart Gateway") { DebugActions.restartGateway() }
+                        if self.canRestartGateway {
+                            Button("Restart Gateway") { DebugActions.restartGateway() }
+                        }
                         Button("Clear log") { GatewayProcessManager.shared.clearLog() }
                         Spacer(minLength: 0)
                     }
@@ -762,6 +770,10 @@ struct DebugSettings: View {
         CommandResolver.connectionSettings().mode == .remote
     }
 
+    private var canRestartGateway: Bool {
+        self.state.connectionMode == .local && !self.attachExistingGatewayOnly
+    }
+
     private func configURL() -> URL {
         FileManager.default.homeDirectoryForCurrentUser
             .appendingPathComponent(".clawdis")
@@ -902,7 +914,7 @@ private struct PlainSettingsGroupBoxStyle: GroupBoxStyle {
 #if DEBUG
 struct DebugSettings_Previews: PreviewProvider {
     static var previews: some View {
-        DebugSettings()
+        DebugSettings(state: .preview)
             .frame(width: SettingsTab.windowWidth, height: SettingsTab.windowHeight)
     }
 }
@@ -910,7 +922,7 @@ struct DebugSettings_Previews: PreviewProvider {
 @MainActor
 extension DebugSettings {
     static func exerciseForTesting() async {
-        let view = DebugSettings()
+        let view = DebugSettings(state: .preview)
         view.modelsCount = 3
         view.modelsLoading = false
         view.modelsError = "Failed to load models"
diff --git a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/MenuContentView.swift b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/MenuContentView.swift
index c43986925..7cb1d420b 100644
--- a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/MenuContentView.swift
+++ b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/MenuContentView.swift
@@ -209,10 +209,12 @@ struct MenuContent: View {
                     Label("Send Test Notification", systemImage: "bell")
                 }
                 Divider()
-                Button {
-                    DebugActions.restartGateway()
-                } label: {
-                    Label("Restart Gateway", systemImage: "arrow.clockwise")
+                if self.state.connectionMode == .local, !AppStateStore.attachExistingGatewayOnly {
+                    Button {
+                        DebugActions.restartGateway()
+                    } label: {
+                        Label("Restart Gateway", systemImage: "arrow.clockwise")
+                    }
                 }
                 Button {
                     DebugActions.restartApp()
diff --git a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/SettingsRootView.swift b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/SettingsRootView.swift
index 9ede06efb..8cfd39ae5 100644
--- a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/SettingsRootView.swift
+++ b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdis/SettingsRootView.swift
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ struct SettingsRootView: View {
                 .tag(SettingsTab.permissions)
 
             if self.state.debugPaneEnabled {
-                DebugSettings()
+                DebugSettings(state: self.state)
                     .tabItem { Label("Debug", systemImage: "ant") }
                     .tag(SettingsTab.debug)
             }
diff --git a/apps/macos/Tests/ClawdisIPCTests/CommandResolverTests.swift b/apps/macos/Tests/ClawdisIPCTests/CommandResolverTests.swift
index f0a543a87..9a4a650aa 100644
--- a/apps/macos/Tests/ClawdisIPCTests/CommandResolverTests.swift
+++ b/apps/macos/Tests/ClawdisIPCTests/CommandResolverTests.swift
@@ -52,12 +52,17 @@ import Testing
         try FileManager.default.setAttributes([.posixPermissions: 0o755], ofItemAtPath: nodePath.path)
         try self.makeExec(at: scriptPath)
 
-        let cmd = CommandResolver.clawdisCommand(subcommand: "rpc", defaults: defaults)
+        let cmd = CommandResolver.clawdisCommand(
+            subcommand: "rpc",
+            defaults: defaults,
+            searchPaths: [tmp.appendingPathComponent("node_modules/.bin").path])
 
         #expect(cmd.count >= 3)
-        #expect(cmd[0] == nodePath.path)
-        #expect(cmd[1] == scriptPath.path)
-        #expect(cmd[2] == "rpc")
+        if cmd.count >= 3 {
+            #expect(cmd[0] == nodePath.path)
+            #expect(cmd[1] == scriptPath.path)
+            #expect(cmd[2] == "rpc")
+        }
     }
 
     @Test func fallsBackToPnpm() async throws {
diff --git a/apps/macos/Tests/ClawdisIPCTests/ConnectionsSettingsSmokeTests.swift b/apps/macos/Tests/ClawdisIPCTests/ConnectionsSettingsSmokeTests.swift
index 4941b0524..a9ba93a5f 100644
--- a/apps/macos/Tests/ClawdisIPCTests/ConnectionsSettingsSmokeTests.swift
+++ b/apps/macos/Tests/ClawdisIPCTests/ConnectionsSettingsSmokeTests.swift
@@ -43,7 +43,8 @@ struct ConnectionsSettingsSmokeTests {
                     elapsedMs: 120,
                     bot: ProvidersStatusSnapshot.TelegramBot(id: 123, username: "clawdisbot"),
                     webhook: ProvidersStatusSnapshot.TelegramWebhook(url: "https://example.com/hook", hasCustomCert: false)),
-                lastProbeAt: 1_700_000_050_000))
+                lastProbeAt: 1_700_000_050_000),
+            discord: nil)
 
         store.whatsappLoginMessage = "Scan QR"
         store.whatsappLoginQrDataUrl =
@@ -92,7 +93,8 @@ struct ConnectionsSettingsSmokeTests {
                     elapsedMs: 120,
                     bot: nil,
                     webhook: nil),
-                lastProbeAt: 1_700_000_100_000))
+                lastProbeAt: 1_700_000_100_000),
+            discord: nil)
 
         let view = ConnectionsSettings(store: store)
         _ = view.body