diff --git a/gateway/run.py b/gateway/run.py
index 3569d49b27..405217d4cf 100644
--- a/gateway/run.py
+++ b/gateway/run.py
@@ -9488,7 +9488,8 @@ class GatewayRunner(GatewayAuthorizationMixin, GatewayKanbanWatchersMixin, Gatew
         # process refreshes on every WS frame (gateway/scale_to_zero.py). Fold
         # it into the inbound clock rather than adding a conjunct: the client
         # then gets the same idle_timeout grace after it disconnects as a chat
-        # message does, and a lingering marker cannot pin the box (stale -> None).
+        # message does, and a lingering marker cannot pin the box (an old mtime
+        # is outside idle_timeout just like an old _last_inbound_at).
         last_inbound = self._last_inbound_at
         try:
             from gateway.scale_to_zero import dashboard_client_last_seen
diff --git a/gateway/scale_to_zero.py b/gateway/scale_to_zero.py
index 5a95e3dae8..bebb31fec1 100644
--- a/gateway/scale_to_zero.py
+++ b/gateway/scale_to_zero.py
@@ -167,15 +167,19 @@ def is_idle(
 # Dashboard-client liveness marker. The dashboard process (tui_gateway/ws.py,
 # a DIFFERENT process from the gateway on hosted instances) touches this file
 # on every /api/ws connect and inbound frame — the desktop app, web dashboard
-# and TUI all send `gateway.ping` every 15s and treat 45s of silence as dead
-# (apps/shared/src/json-rpc-gateway.ts, ui-tui/src/gatewayClient.ts). The
-# gateway reads the mtime and counts a fresh marker as inbound activity, so an
-# open client holds the box awake exactly like a chat message does. Without
-# this the box suspends under the open client, the client's reconnect loop
-# re-pokes the Fly-proxied hostname, autostart resumes it, and the instance
-# flaps every ~60s (13 of 72 active opted-in prod instances, 2026-09-02).
+# and TUI all send `gateway.ping` every 15s (apps/shared/src/json-rpc-gateway.ts,
+# ui-tui/src/gatewayClient.ts). The gateway folds the mtime into its inbound
+# clock, so an open client holds the box awake exactly like a chat message does
+# and gets the same idle_timeout grace after it disconnects. Without this the
+# box suspends under the open client, the client's reconnect loop re-pokes the
+# Fly-proxied hostname, autostart resumes it, and the instance flaps every ~60s
+# (13 of 72 active opted-in prod instances, 2026-09-02).
+#
+# There is deliberately NO staleness cutoff here: the mtime is a timestamp of
+# real inbound, and is_idle already decides whether it is recent enough. A
+# lingering marker cannot pin the box — once it is older than idle_timeout it
+# no longer counts, exactly like an old _last_inbound_at.
 DASHBOARD_CLIENT_HEARTBEAT_REL = os.path.join("state", "dashboard_clients.heartbeat")
-DASHBOARD_CLIENT_STALE_SECONDS = 45.0
 
 
 def dashboard_client_heartbeat_path(hermes_home: Optional[os.PathLike | str] = None):
@@ -207,29 +211,23 @@ def dashboard_client_last_seen(
     path: Optional[os.PathLike | str] = None,
     *,
     now: Optional[float] = None,
-    stale_seconds: float = DASHBOARD_CLIENT_STALE_SECONDS,
 ) -> Optional[float]:
-    """Epoch seconds a dashboard client was last seen, or None when no live client.
+    """Epoch seconds a dashboard client last sent a WS frame, or None if never.
 
     Missing marker -> None (the steady state on a box nobody has the dashboard
-    open on — NOT fail-awake, or every instance would never sleep). A marker
-    older than ``stale_seconds`` -> None (client gone; the file just lingers).
-    An unreadable marker -> ``now`` (fail-awake: an unreadable source counts as
+    open on — NOT fail-awake, or every instance would never sleep). An
+    unreadable marker -> ``now`` (fail-awake: an unreadable source counts as
     activity, same rule as the work counters in ``is_idle``).
     """
     import time
 
-    current = time.time() if now is None else now
     p = dashboard_client_heartbeat_path() if path is None else path
     try:
-        mtime = os.stat(p).st_mtime
+        return os.stat(p).st_mtime
     except FileNotFoundError:
         return None
     except OSError:
-        return current
-    if current - mtime >= stale_seconds:
-        return None
-    return mtime
+        return time.time() if now is None else now
 
 
 def self_suspend_available(environ: Optional[dict] = None) -> bool:
diff --git a/tests/gateway/test_scale_to_zero_dashboard_client.py b/tests/gateway/test_scale_to_zero_dashboard_client.py
index d1cdfea7c6..e49c8c1621 100644
--- a/tests/gateway/test_scale_to_zero_dashboard_client.py
+++ b/tests/gateway/test_scale_to_zero_dashboard_client.py
@@ -64,15 +64,15 @@ def test_touch_creates_state_dir_and_marker(hermes_home):
     assert seen is not None and abs(seen - time.time()) < 5
 
 
-def test_last_seen_fresh_then_stale(hermes_home):
+def test_last_seen_returns_raw_mtime_without_staleness_cutoff(hermes_home):
+    # No liveness cutoff here on purpose: is_idle decides recency. A 1h-old
+    # marker still reports its mtime; the gateway then finds it outside
+    # idle_timeout, same as an old _last_inbound_at.
     s2z.touch_dashboard_client_heartbeat()
     p = s2z.dashboard_client_heartbeat_path()
     mtime = os.stat(p).st_mtime
     assert s2z.dashboard_client_last_seen(now=mtime + 10) == mtime
-    assert s2z.dashboard_client_last_seen(now=mtime + 44.9) == mtime
-    # A client that stopped pinging 45s ago is gone (client heartbeat deadline).
-    assert s2z.dashboard_client_last_seen(now=mtime + 45) is None
-    assert s2z.dashboard_client_last_seen(now=mtime + 3600) is None
+    assert s2z.dashboard_client_last_seen(now=mtime + 3600) == mtime
 
 
 def test_last_seen_unreadable_marker_fails_awake(hermes_home, monkeypatch):
@@ -116,20 +116,40 @@ def test_attached_dashboard_client_blocks_idle(hermes_home, monkeypatch):
     assert r._scale_to_zero_is_idle() is False
 
 
-def test_stale_marker_hands_back_to_the_gateway_clock(hermes_home, monkeypatch):
-    """Marker 100s old (> 45s staleness) => the client is gone; a lingering file
-    must NOT extend the inbound clock. The gateway's own _last_inbound_at (600s
-    ago) decides, so the box is idle."""
+def test_client_gets_the_same_idle_grace_as_a_message(hermes_home, monkeypatch):
+    """Last WS frame 100s ago with a 120s idle_timeout => still inside the
+    window => NOT idle. This is the 2-minute-after-the-app-closes contract; an
+    earlier draft cut the marker off at 45s and suspended ~50s after
+    disconnect (observed live on staging)."""
     r = _runner(monkeypatch, last_inbound_at=time.time() - 600)
     s2z.touch_dashboard_client_heartbeat()
     p = s2z.dashboard_client_heartbeat_path()
     old = time.time() - 100
     os.utime(p, (old, old))
+    assert r._scale_to_zero_is_idle() is False
+
+
+def test_client_gone_longer_than_idle_timeout_is_idle(hermes_home, monkeypatch):
+    r = _runner(monkeypatch, last_inbound_at=time.time() - 600)
+    s2z.touch_dashboard_client_heartbeat()
+    p = s2z.dashboard_client_heartbeat_path()
+    old = time.time() - 121
+    os.utime(p, (old, old))
+    assert r._scale_to_zero_is_idle() is True
+
+
+def test_marker_predating_gateway_inbound_does_not_matter(hermes_home, monkeypatch):
+    # Ancient marker from a client that left hours ago, gateway idle 600s.
+    r = _runner(monkeypatch, last_inbound_at=time.time() - 600)
+    s2z.touch_dashboard_client_heartbeat()
+    p = s2z.dashboard_client_heartbeat_path()
+    old = time.time() - 7200
+    os.utime(p, (old, old))
     assert r._scale_to_zero_is_idle() is True
 
 
 def test_dashboard_client_seen_recently_extends_inbound_clock(hermes_home, monkeypatch):
-    # Marker 30s old (fresh, < 45s): inbound clock moves to 30s ago, which is
+    # Marker 30s old: inbound clock moves to 30s ago, which is
     # inside the 120s window => not idle, even though the gateway's own
     # _last_inbound_at is ancient.
     r = _runner(monkeypatch, last_inbound_at=time.time() - 600)
@@ -141,13 +161,13 @@ def test_dashboard_client_seen_recently_extends_inbound_clock(hermes_home, monke
 
 
 def test_newer_gateway_inbound_wins_over_older_marker(hermes_home, monkeypatch):
-    # Marker fresh at 40s ago, but a chat message landed 5s ago: max() keeps the
-    # message; either way the box stays awake. Pin no regression on the path.
     r = _runner(monkeypatch, last_inbound_at=time.time() - 5)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(r, "_scale_to_zero_idle_timeout_seconds", lambda: 10.0, raising=False)
     s2z.touch_dashboard_client_heartbeat()
     p = s2z.dashboard_client_heartbeat_path()
     t = time.time() - 40
     os.utime(p, (t, t))
+    # Picking the marker (40s > 10s) would read idle; the chat message (5s) wins.
     assert r._scale_to_zero_is_idle() is False
     # _last_inbound_at itself is not mutated by the read.
     assert time.time() - r._last_inbound_at < 10
diff --git a/tui_gateway/ws.py b/tui_gateway/ws.py
index 0eab4e29df..145aa70b69 100644
--- a/tui_gateway/ws.py
+++ b/tui_gateway/ws.py
@@ -370,6 +370,9 @@ async def handle_ws(
         else:
             await ws.accept()
         disconnect_reason = "connected"
+        # A client is attached from the moment the upgrade is accepted — mark it
+        # before the (possibly slow) ready/skin setup so scale-to-zero sees it.
+        _note_dashboard_client_activity(force=True)
         # Push small streamed frames out immediately instead of letting Nagle
         # batch them — keeps the live token cadence intact for GUI clients.
         _disable_nagle(ws)
@@ -417,7 +420,6 @@ async def handle_ws(
             # Track this peer for session-less global broadcasts (skin.changed
             # from the background watcher) — write_json can't route those.
             server.register_live_transport(transport)
-            _note_dashboard_client_activity(force=True)
         # Cross-backend liveness (#94895): register a heartbeat row so
         # the startup orphan sweep can distinguish "row owned by a live
         # but idle backend" from "row truly orphaned". The stdio TUI's