diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 99a0b5e36..dc38707cd 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.clawd.bot
 - Control UI: resolve local avatar URLs with basePath across injection + identity RPC. (#1457) Thanks @dlauer.
 - Agents: surface concrete API error details instead of generic AI service errors.
 - Docs: fix gog auth services example to include docs scope. (#1454) Thanks @zerone0x.
+- macOS: prefer linked channels in gateway summary to avoid false “not linked” status.
 
 ## 2026.1.21-2
 
diff --git a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdbot/GatewayProcessManager.swift b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdbot/GatewayProcessManager.swift
index a4e7d72a7..4dc02593b 100644
--- a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdbot/GatewayProcessManager.swift
+++ b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdbot/GatewayProcessManager.swift
@@ -242,13 +242,12 @@ final class GatewayProcessManager {
     private func describe(details instance: String?, port: Int, snap: HealthSnapshot?) -> String {
         let instanceText = instance ?? "pid unknown"
         if let snap {
-            let linkId = snap.channelOrder?.first(where: {
-                if let summary = snap.channels[$0] { return summary.linked != nil }
-                return false
-            }) ?? snap.channels.keys.first(where: {
-                if let summary = snap.channels[$0] { return summary.linked != nil }
-                return false
-            })
+            let order = snap.channelOrder ?? Array(snap.channels.keys)
+            let linkId = order.first(where: { snap.channels[$0]?.linked == true })
+                ?? order.first(where: { snap.channels[$0]?.linked != nil })
+            guard let linkId else {
+                return "port \(port), health probe succeeded, \(instanceText)"
+            }
             let linked = linkId.flatMap { snap.channels[$0]?.linked } ?? false
             let authAge = linkId.flatMap { snap.channels[$0]?.authAgeMs }.flatMap(msToAge) ?? "unknown age"
             let label =
diff --git a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdbot/HealthStore.swift b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdbot/HealthStore.swift
index cc3d5e136..44ebcc053 100644
--- a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdbot/HealthStore.swift
+++ b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdbot/HealthStore.swift
@@ -166,6 +166,11 @@ final class HealthStore {
         _ snap: HealthSnapshot) -> (id: String, summary: HealthSnapshot.ChannelSummary)?
     {
         let order = snap.channelOrder ?? Array(snap.channels.keys)
+        for id in order {
+            if let summary = snap.channels[id], summary.linked == true {
+                return (id: id, summary: summary)
+            }
+        }
         for id in order {
             if let summary = snap.channels[id], summary.linked != nil {
                 return (id: id, summary: summary)