diff --git a/src/cli/daemon-cli.ts b/src/cli/daemon-cli.ts
index 55a8a1450..793b1ea5b 100644
--- a/src/cli/daemon-cli.ts
+++ b/src/cli/daemon-cli.ts
@@ -993,7 +993,12 @@ export async function runDaemonStop() {
   }
 }
 
-export async function runDaemonRestart() {
+/**
+ * Restart the gateway daemon service.
+ * @returns `true` if restart succeeded, `false` if the service was not loaded.
+ * Throws/exits on check or restart failures.
+ */
+export async function runDaemonRestart(): Promise<boolean> {
   const service = resolveGatewayService();
   let loaded = false;
   try {
@@ -1001,20 +1006,22 @@ export async function runDaemonRestart() {
   } catch (err) {
     defaultRuntime.error(`Gateway service check failed: ${String(err)}`);
     defaultRuntime.exit(1);
-    return;
+    return false;
   }
   if (!loaded) {
     defaultRuntime.log(`Gateway service ${service.notLoadedText}.`);
     for (const hint of renderGatewayServiceStartHints()) {
       defaultRuntime.log(`Start with: ${hint}`);
     }
-    return;
+    return false;
   }
   try {
     await service.restart({ stdout: process.stdout });
+    return true;
   } catch (err) {
     defaultRuntime.error(`Gateway restart failed: ${String(err)}`);
     defaultRuntime.exit(1);
+    return false;
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/cli/update-cli.test.ts b/src/cli/update-cli.test.ts
index cf555a6fd..a29d8b1ac 100644
--- a/src/cli/update-cli.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/update-cli.test.ts
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ describe("update-cli", () => {
     };
 
     vi.mocked(runGatewayUpdate).mockResolvedValue(mockResult);
-    vi.mocked(runDaemonRestart).mockResolvedValue();
+    vi.mocked(runDaemonRestart).mockResolvedValue(true);
 
     await updateCommand({ restart: true });
 
diff --git a/src/cli/update-cli.ts b/src/cli/update-cli.ts
index 8ae2872f5..8d6f0d4bb 100644
--- a/src/cli/update-cli.ts
+++ b/src/cli/update-cli.ts
@@ -156,8 +156,8 @@ export async function updateCommand(opts: UpdateCommandOptions): Promise<void> {
       defaultRuntime.log(theme.heading("Restarting daemon..."));
     }
     try {
-      await runDaemonRestart();
-      if (!opts.json) {
+      const restarted = await runDaemonRestart();
+      if (!opts.json && restarted) {
         defaultRuntime.log(theme.success("Daemon restarted successfully."));
       }
     } catch (err) {