diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-session-actions.test.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-session-actions.test.tsx
index 8d46e2d345..935c65df91 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-session-actions.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/use-session-actions.test.tsx
@@ -4187,8 +4187,8 @@ describe('openNewSessionTile workspace target', () => {
 
   it('keeps an unlisted named local legacy-profile tile owned by its bare profile', async () => {
     const storedSessionId = 'stored-unlisted-omar'
-    $profiles.set([{ name: 'default' }, { name: 'omar' }] as never)
     setConnection({ mode: 'local' } as never)
+    $profiles.set([{ name: 'default' }, { name: 'omar' }] as never)
 
     const requestGateway = vi.fn(async (method: string) => {
       if (method === 'session.create') {
@@ -4234,10 +4234,10 @@ describe('openNewSessionTile workspace target', () => {
 
   it('records the draft profile owner when tab-strip create omits profile', async () => {
     const storedSessionId = 'stored-unlisted-draft-omar'
+    setConnection({ mode: 'local' } as never)
     $profiles.set([{ name: 'default' }, { name: 'omar' }] as never)
     $newChatProfile.set('omar')
     $activeGatewayProfile.set('default')
-    setConnection({ mode: 'local' } as never)
 
     const requestGateway = vi.fn(async (method: string) => {
       if (method === 'session.create') {
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/store/profile-cache.test.ts b/apps/desktop/src/store/profile-cache.test.ts
index cdda7b52d2..2e46a39c8e 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/store/profile-cache.test.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/store/profile-cache.test.ts
@@ -2,9 +2,8 @@ import { atom } from 'nanostores'
 import { afterEach, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 
 import { setApiRequestConnection } from '@/api/client'
-import { buildRestGroups } from '@/app/chat/sidebar/fleet-rail'
-import type { DesktopAgentRoster, DesktopRegistryConnection, HermesConnection } from '@/global'
-import { $fleetRoster, _resetFleetRosterForTests, refreshFleetRoster } from '@/store/fleet-roster'
+import type { DesktopAgentRoster, HermesConnection } from '@/global'
+import { $fleetRoster, _resetFleetRosterForTests } from '@/store/fleet-roster'
 import type { ProfileInfo } from '@/types/hermes'
 
 vi.mock('@/store/gateway', () => ({ $gateway: atom(null) }))
@@ -73,98 +72,49 @@ it('keeps failed incoming profile reads isolated while retaining the outgoing co
   expect($profiles.get()).toBe(outgoing)
 })
 
-it('lets only a subsequent successful roster supersede cached rail names', async () => {
-  const connections: DesktopRegistryConnection[] = ['source-a', 'source-b'].map(id => ({
-    id,
-    kind: 'remote',
-    label: id,
-    tokenSet: false,
-    tokenPreview: null
-  }))
-
-  const roster = (names: string[], reachable = true): DesktopAgentRoster => ({
-    agents: names.map(name => ({
-      connectionId: 'source-a',
-      connectionKind: 'remote',
-      connectionLabel: 'source-a',
-      profile: name,
-      handle: `${name}-source-a`
-    })),
-    sources: connections.map(connection => ({
-      connectionId: connection.id,
-      kind: connection.kind,
-      label: connection.label,
-      reachable: connection.id === 'source-a' ? reachable : true
-    }))
-  })
-
-  const restNames = () =>
-    buildRestGroups({
-      activeConnectionId: $connection.get()?.connectionId ?? null,
-      connections,
-      roster: $fleetRoster.get(),
-      profilesByConnection: $profilesByConnection.get()
-    })
-      .find(group => group.connectionId === 'source-a')!
-      .named.map(agent => agent.profile)
-
-  const outgoing = [profile('default'), profile('old')]
-  const incoming = [profile('default'), profile('builder')]
-  const api = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ profiles: outgoing })
-  const getAgentRoster = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(roster([]))
-  vi.stubGlobal('window', { hermesDesktop: { api, getAgentRoster } })
-  await refreshFleetRoster({ force: true })
-  activate('source-a')
-  await refreshProfiles()
-  activate('source-b')
-  api.mockResolvedValue({ profiles: incoming })
-  await refreshProfiles()
-  expect(restNames()).toEqual(['old']) // The older roster must not hide a newly discovered profile.
-
-  getAgentRoster.mockRejectedValueOnce(new Error('enumeration failed'))
-  vi.spyOn(console, 'warn').mockImplementation(() => undefined)
-  await refreshFleetRoster({ force: true })
-  expect(restNames()).toEqual(['old'])
-  getAgentRoster.mockResolvedValue(roster([], false))
-  await refreshFleetRoster({ force: true })
-  expect(restNames()).toEqual(['old']) // A partial roster failure is not a deletion.
-  expect($profiles.get()).toBe(incoming)
-
-  for (const error of ['HTTP 401', 'connect-on-demand']) {
-    // The main-process registry restores cached names but retains the probe error.
-    const cachedFailure = roster(['stale'], true)
-    cachedFailure.sources[0].error = error
-    getAgentRoster.mockResolvedValue(cachedFailure)
-    await refreshFleetRoster({ force: true })
-    expect(restNames()).toEqual(['old']) // Cached names are reachable, not freshly enumerated.
-  }
-
-  for (const names of [['renamed'], ['created', 'renamed'], []]) {
-    getAgentRoster.mockResolvedValue(roster(names))
-    await refreshFleetRoster({ force: true })
-    expect(restNames()).toEqual(names)
-    expect($profiles.get()).toBe(incoming)
-  }
-
-  // A roster refresh while this source is active must not clear its foreground
-  // list, but an older HTTP response must not resurrect its invalidated cache.
-  activate('source-a')
-  api.mockResolvedValue({ profiles: outgoing })
-  await refreshProfiles()
+it('lets a fresh active-source list land even when the fleet roster arrives first', async () => {
+  const list = [profile('default'), profile('writer')]
   let resolve!: (value: { profiles: ProfileInfo[] }) => void
-  api.mockReturnValueOnce(
-    new Promise(done => {
-      resolve = done
-    })
-  )
-  const stale = refreshProfiles()
-  getAgentRoster.mockResolvedValue(roster(['latest']))
-  await refreshFleetRoster({ force: true })
-  expect($profiles.get()).toBe(outgoing)
-  resolve({ profiles: outgoing })
-  await stale
-  activate('source-b')
-  expect(restNames()).toEqual(['latest'])
+  const api = vi.fn(() => new Promise<{ profiles: ProfileInfo[] }>(done => (resolve = done)))
+  vi.stubGlobal('window', { hermesDesktop: { api } })
+  activate('source-a')
+
+  const flight = refreshProfiles()
+
+  // After a switch the registry change forces a roster refresh that races
+  // the active source's own list read; both are reads of the same backend.
+  const roster: DesktopAgentRoster = {
+    agents: [],
+    sources: [{ connectionId: 'source-a', kind: 'remote', label: 'source-a', reachable: true }]
+  }
+
+  $fleetRoster.set(roster)
+  resolve({ profiles: list })
+  await flight
+
+  expect($profiles.get()).toBe(list)
+  expect($profilesByConnection.get().get('source-a')).toBe(list)
+})
+
+it('treats a null descriptor as a reconnect blip, not a source change', async () => {
+  const list = [profile('default'), profile('writer')]
+  const api = vi.fn(async () => ({ profiles: list }))
+  vi.stubGlobal('window', { hermesDesktop: { api } })
+  activate('source-a')
+  await refreshProfiles()
+
+  let resolve!: (value: { profiles: ProfileInfo[] }) => void
+  api.mockReturnValueOnce(new Promise(done => (resolve = done)))
+  const flight = refreshProfiles()
+  $connection.set(null) // failed reconnect attempt publishes null
+  expect($profiles.get()).toBe(list)
+  const refreshed = [profile('default'), profile('writer'), profile('editor')]
+  resolve({ profiles: refreshed })
+  await flight
+
+  expect($profiles.get()).toBe(refreshed)
+  activate('source-a')
+  expect($profiles.get()).toBe(refreshed)
 })
 
 it('strands a retry during a same-profile source change without retargeting it to the incoming source', async () => {
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/store/profile.ts b/apps/desktop/src/store/profile.ts
index c397930a96..49dbf6c71d 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/store/profile.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/store/profile.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ import {
 } from '@/lib/storage'
 import { withTimeout } from '@/lib/with-timeout'
 import { invalidateCronModelImpactScopeState } from '@/store/cron-model-impact-scope'
-import { $fleetRoster } from '@/store/fleet-roster'
 import {
   $gateway,
   activeGatewayConnectionId,
@@ -57,15 +56,23 @@ export const $activeProfile = atom<string>('default')
 
 // Cached profile list for the picker. Refreshed lazily; the dropdown also
 // re-fetches on open so a profile created elsewhere shows up.
-export const $profiles = atom<ProfileInfo[]>([])
+const NO_PROFILES: ProfileInfo[] = []
+export const $profiles = atom<ProfileInfo[]>(NO_PROFILES)
 
 // Successful lists belong to their source, not whichever gateway is active
-// when a rail renders. Keep them on re-home; a failed incoming read must not
-// borrow the outgoing source's profiles (or discard its cached squares).
+// when a rail renders. A re-home repaints from this cache until the incoming
+// source serves its own list, so a failed incoming read can neither borrow the
+// outgoing source's profiles nor blank a source we already know.
 export const $profilesByConnection = atom<ReadonlyMap<string, ProfileInfo[]>>(new Map())
 
-function profileListSource(connection: HermesConnection | null): string {
-  return connection?.connectionId ?? JSON.stringify(['legacy', connection?.mode, connection?.baseUrl])
+// Registry descriptors carry their connection id; legacy primaries are keyed
+// by endpoint. Null is a reconnect blip (see setConnection), not a source.
+function profileListSource(connection: HermesConnection | null): null | string {
+  if (!connection) {
+    return null
+  }
+
+  return connection.connectionId ?? `${connection.mode ?? 'local'}:${connection.baseUrl}`
 }
 
 export function setActiveProfile(name: string): void {
@@ -114,7 +121,10 @@ export function refreshProfiles(): Promise<ProfileInfo[]> {
 
         if (epoch === profileListEpoch) {
           batch(() => {
-            $profilesByConnection.set(new Map($profilesByConnection.get()).set(source, profiles))
+            if (source !== null) {
+              $profilesByConnection.set(new Map($profilesByConnection.get()).set(source, profiles))
+            }
+
             $profiles.set(profiles)
           })
         }
@@ -157,43 +167,27 @@ export function refreshProfiles(): Promise<ProfileInfo[]> {
 }
 
 // Source changes can keep the same profile name (default → default), including
-// direct agent activations that never run the connection-switch wipe.
-let profileListOwner = profileListSource($connection.get())
+// direct agent activations that never run the connection-switch wipe. The
+// first published descriptor adopts whatever list is already loaded; a null
+// descriptor is a reconnect blip and keeps the current owner (setConnection).
+let profileListOwner: null | string = null
 
 $connection.subscribe(connection => {
   const source = profileListSource(connection)
 
-  if (source === profileListOwner) {
+  if (source === null || source === profileListOwner) {
     return
   }
 
+  const adopting = profileListOwner === null
   profileListOwner = source
+
+  if (adopting) {
+    return
+  }
+
   invalidateProfileListFetches()
-  $profiles.set($profilesByConnection.get().get(source) ?? [])
-})
-
-// Newly published successful enumerations supersede older per-source lists.
-// Do not consult the existing roster on re-home: it may predate the cached list.
-$fleetRoster.listen(roster => {
-  const cached = $profilesByConnection.get()
-  const next = new Map(cached)
-
-  for (const source of roster?.sources ?? []) {
-    // Main can mark cached names reachable even when enumeration failed.
-    if (source.reachable && !source.error) {
-      next.delete(source.connectionId)
-
-      // A pending older read must not repopulate the cache after invalidation.
-      if (source.connectionId === profileListOwner && refreshInFlight) {
-        invalidateProfileListFetches()
-      }
-    }
-  }
-
-  if (next.size !== cached.size) {
-    $profilesByConnection.set(next)
-  }
-  // Leave the active $profiles view alone; the inactive rail falls back to roster.
+  $profiles.set($profilesByConnection.get().get(source) ?? NO_PROFILES)
 })
 
 // ── Rail order ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────