diff --git a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdbot/GatewayLaunchAgentManager.swift b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdbot/GatewayLaunchAgentManager.swift
index a7b2c6003..bcb9f49de 100644
--- a/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdbot/GatewayLaunchAgentManager.swift
+++ b/apps/macos/Sources/Clawdbot/GatewayLaunchAgentManager.swift
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ enum GatewayLaunchAgentManager {
     private static let logger = Logger(subsystem: "com.clawdbot", category: "gateway.launchd")
     private static let supportedBindModes: Set<String> = ["loopback", "tailnet", "lan", "auto"]
     private static let legacyGatewayLaunchdLabel = "com.steipete.clawdbot.gateway"
+    private static let disableLaunchAgentMarker = ".clawdbot/disable-launchagent"
 
     private static var plistURL: URL {
         FileManager.default.homeDirectoryForCurrentUser
@@ -50,6 +51,10 @@ enum GatewayLaunchAgentManager {
     }
 
     static func set(enabled: Bool, bundlePath: String, port: Int) async -> String? {
+        if enabled, self.isLaunchAgentWriteDisabled() {
+            self.logger.info("launchd enable skipped (attach-only or disable marker set)")
+            return nil
+        }
         if enabled {
             _ = await Launchctl.run(["bootout", "gui/\(getuid())/\(self.legacyGatewayLaunchdLabel)"])
             try? FileManager.default.removeItem(at: self.legacyPlistURL)
@@ -301,6 +306,17 @@ enum GatewayLaunchAgentManager {
     }
 }
 
+extension GatewayLaunchAgentManager {
+    private static func isLaunchAgentWriteDisabled() -> Bool {
+        if UserDefaults.standard.bool(forKey: attachExistingGatewayOnlyKey) {
+            return true
+        }
+        let marker = FileManager.default.homeDirectoryForCurrentUser
+            .appendingPathComponent(self.disableLaunchAgentMarker)
+        return FileManager.default.fileExists(atPath: marker.path)
+    }
+}
+
 #if DEBUG
 extension GatewayLaunchAgentManager {
     static func _testGatewayExecutablePath(bundlePath: String) -> String {
diff --git a/scripts/restart-mac.sh b/scripts/restart-mac.sh
index dc21d1699..aff81fd82 100755
--- a/scripts/restart-mac.sh
+++ b/scripts/restart-mac.sh
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ LOG_PATH="${CLAWDBOT_RESTART_LOG:-/tmp/clawdbot-restart.log}"
 NO_SIGN=0
 SIGN=0
 AUTO_DETECT_SIGNING=1
+GATEWAY_WAIT_SECONDS="${CLAWDBOT_GATEWAY_WAIT_SECONDS:-0}"
 
 log()  { printf '%s\n' "$*"; }
 fail() { printf 'ERROR: %s\n' "$*" >&2; exit 1; }
@@ -85,6 +86,14 @@ for arg in "$@"; do
       log "  --no-sign Force no code signing (fastest for development)"
       log "  --sign    Force code signing (will fail if no signing key available)"
       log ""
+      log "Env:"
+      log "  CLAWDBOT_GATEWAY_WAIT_SECONDS=0  Wait time before gateway port check (unsigned only)"
+      log ""
+      log "Unsigned recovery:"
+      log "  defaults write <bundle-id> clawdbot.gateway.attachExistingOnly -bool YES"
+      log "  node dist/entry.js daemon install --force --runtime node"
+      log "  node dist/entry.js daemon restart"
+      log ""
       log "Default behavior: Auto-detect signing keys, fallback to --no-sign if none found"
       exit 0
       ;;
@@ -100,6 +109,9 @@ mkdir -p "$(dirname "$LOG_PATH")"
 rm -f "$LOG_PATH"
 exec > >(tee "$LOG_PATH") 2>&1
 log "==> Log: ${LOG_PATH}"
+if [[ "$NO_SIGN" -eq 1 ]]; then
+  log "==> Using --no-sign (unsigned flow enabled)"
+fi
 
 acquire_lock
 
@@ -150,6 +162,9 @@ fi
 if [ "$NO_SIGN" -eq 1 ]; then
   export ALLOW_ADHOC_SIGNING=1
   export SIGN_IDENTITY="-"
+  mkdir -p "${HOME}/.clawdbot"
+  run_step "disable launchagent writes (unsigned)" \
+    /usr/bin/touch "${HOME}/.clawdbot/disable-launchagent"
 elif [ "$SIGN" -eq 1 ]; then
   if ! check_signing_keys; then
     fail "No signing identity found. Use --no-sign or install a signing key."
@@ -184,6 +199,15 @@ choose_app_bundle() {
 
 choose_app_bundle
 
+# When unsigned, avoid the app overwriting the LaunchAgent with the relay binary.
+if [ "$NO_SIGN" -eq 1 ]; then
+  APP_BUNDLE_ID="$(/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Print :CFBundleIdentifier" "${APP_BUNDLE}/Contents/Info.plist" 2>/dev/null || true)"
+  if [[ -n "${APP_BUNDLE_ID}" ]]; then
+    run_step "set attach-existing-only (unsigned)" \
+      /usr/bin/defaults write "${APP_BUNDLE_ID}" clawdbot.gateway.attachExistingOnly -bool YES
+  fi
+fi
+
 # 4) Launch the installed app in the foreground so the menu bar extra appears.
 # LaunchServices can inherit a huge environment from this shell (secrets, prompt vars, etc.).
 # That can cause launchd spawn failures and is undesirable for a GUI app anyway.
@@ -203,3 +227,15 @@ if pgrep -f "${APP_PROCESS_PATTERN}" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
 else
   fail "App exited immediately. Check ${LOG_PATH} or Console.app (User Reports)."
 fi
+
+# When unsigned, launchd cannot exec the app relay binary. Ensure the gateway
+# LaunchAgent targets the repo CLI instead (after the app has launched).
+if [ "$NO_SIGN" -eq 1 ]; then
+  run_step "install gateway launch agent (unsigned)" bash -lc "cd '${ROOT_DIR}' && node dist/entry.js daemon install --force --runtime node"
+  run_step "restart gateway daemon (unsigned)" bash -lc "cd '${ROOT_DIR}' && node dist/entry.js daemon restart"
+  if [[ "${GATEWAY_WAIT_SECONDS}" -gt 0 ]]; then
+    run_step "wait for gateway (unsigned)" sleep "${GATEWAY_WAIT_SECONDS}"
+  fi
+  run_step "verify gateway port 18789 (unsigned)" bash -lc "lsof -iTCP:18789 -sTCP:LISTEN | head -n 5 || true"
+  run_step "show gateway launch agent args (unsigned)" bash -lc "/usr/bin/plutil -p '${HOME}/Library/LaunchAgents/com.clawdbot.gateway.plist' | head -n 40 || true"
+fi