diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 1900ad9..9799e3f 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -12,28 +12,6 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/).
 
 <!-- towncrier release notes start -->
 
-## [v1.4.1] - 2026-06-08
-
-### Bug Fixes
-
-- The `heph` CLI and `heph-tui` now survive a daemon restart. Previously the unix-socket client connected once and never reconnected, so an opt-in self-update or `heph daemon restart` left every subsequent call failing — `heph-tui` would sit on errors until relaunched. The client now reconnects on a dropped socket: a request that never went out is retried transparently, while a reply lost mid-request is surfaced (not silently retried) so a mutation is never double-applied. A long-running TUI self-heals on its next refresh tick.
-- Quick-add popover (⌘'): hand keyboard focus back to the previously active app when it hides, and stop the (now invisible) overlay from intercepting clicks where it used to sit.
-
-
-## [v1.4.0] - 2026-06-08
-
-### Features
-
-- Spoke auth failures now tell you how to recover. When a refresh token is rejected or the hub returns 401, `hephd` records the real cause plus the exact `heph auth login --hub-url … --issuer … --client-id …` command (keyed to this spoke's hub) in its sync health. A new `heph auth status` prints that health and the re-login command, `heph sync --status`'s `last_error` carries it, and `heph-tui`'s status line points at it with a `⚠ auth · heph auth status` chip.
-- `heph daemon start`/`restart` can now bake the daemon's full runtime config into the managed service — `--mode`, `--hub-url`, `--http-addr`, `--oidc-issuer`/`--oidc-audience`/`--oidc-client-id`, and `--self-update-interval-secs` (previously only the bare `--self-update` bool was wired). Regenerating preserves whatever is already baked into the on-disk plist/unit, so a bare `start`/`restart` no longer silently drops spoke/hub or self-update config.
-- heph-tui's sync indicator now shows the last-sync age in seconds under a minute (`⟳ 26s`) instead of a flat `just now`, so the chip reads as a live heartbeat and a missed sync (the loop runs every 30s) shows up as the age climbing.
-
-### Bug Fixes
-
-- hephd no longer reports a rejected OAuth refresh as "identity provider unreachable". A reachable IdP that returns an HTTP error (e.g. `400 invalid_grant` once a refresh token expires/rotates) is now surfaced as a *rejection* — `identity provider rejected the request: HTTP 400 (invalid_grant): …` — with the OAuth error body, distinct from a genuine transport failure. This stops the wording from misdirecting incident response toward the network when the real fix is re-authentication.
-- `heph daemon restart` on macOS no longer intermittently fails with `launchctl bootstrap failed: 5: Input/output error`. The old code bootstrapped immediately after `bootout`, racing launchd's asynchronous teardown; it now waits for the service to fully unload and retries the bootstrap. When the plist is unchanged (e.g. a plain binary upgrade) it uses `launchctl kickstart -k` to restart the loaded job atomically, sidestepping the bootout→bootstrap dance entirely.
-
-
 ## [v1.2.3] - 2026-06-06
 
 ### Features
diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index cc9b3a6..be8f974 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -2237,8 +2237,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "heph-core",
  "hephd",
  "libc",
- "objc2 0.6.4",
- "objc2-app-kit 0.3.2",
  "serde_json",
  "winit",
 ]
diff --git a/crates/heph-quickadd/Cargo.toml b/crates/heph-quickadd/Cargo.toml
index 57bbb98..5b1889b 100644
--- a/crates/heph-quickadd/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/heph-quickadd/Cargo.toml
@@ -19,16 +19,7 @@ global-hotkey = "0.8"
 
 # macOS-only: winit for the accessory-mode activation policy (no Dock icon),
 # pinned to the same minor eframe carries so cargo unifies to one winit; libc
-# for getppid() (orphan detection — self-exit when the supervising daemon dies);
-# objc2 + objc2-app-kit to hand keyboard focus back to the previously active app
-# when the popover hides (NSApplication.hide:/unhide:). Pinned to the 0.6/0.3
-# line global-hotkey already pulls in, so cargo unifies to one copy.
+# for getppid() (orphan detection — self-exit when the supervising daemon dies).
 [target.'cfg(target_os = "macos")'.dependencies]
 winit = "0.30"
 libc = "0.2"
-objc2 = "0.6"
-objc2-app-kit = { version = "0.3", default-features = false, features = [
-  "std",
-  "NSApplication",
-  "NSResponder",
-] }
diff --git a/crates/heph-quickadd/src/app.rs b/crates/heph-quickadd/src/app.rs
index a334b22..b08bf03 100644
--- a/crates/heph-quickadd/src/app.rs
+++ b/crates/heph-quickadd/src/app.rs
@@ -226,9 +226,6 @@ impl QuickAdd {
     }
 
     fn show(&mut self, ctx: &egui::Context) {
-        // Undo the app-level hide from the previous `hide()` so we can take focus
-        // again (no-op the first time / off macOS).
-        app_take_focus();
         self.visible = true;
         self.focus_pending = true;
         self.current_hint = random_hint(self.current_hint);
@@ -259,13 +256,6 @@ impl QuickAdd {
             ctx.send_viewport_cmd(egui::ViewportCommand::InnerSize(egui::vec2(WIN_W, BASE_H)));
             self.win_h_applied = BASE_H;
         }
-        // Hand keyboard focus back to the app underneath us. winit's
-        // `Visible(false)` alone leaves *us* the active application, so focus
-        // never returns and the borderless always-on-top overlay can keep eating
-        // clicks where it used to sit. `NSApplication.hide:` orders our windows
-        // fully out and activates the next app in line — exactly the one the user
-        // was in (no-op off macOS).
-        app_yield_focus();
     }
 
     /// Optimistic submit: hide now, create in the background.
@@ -606,39 +596,6 @@ impl QuickAdd {
     }
 }
 
-/// Hide the popover at the *application* level so macOS hands keyboard focus
-/// back to the previously active app. `NSApplication.hide:` orders all our
-/// windows out and activates the next app in line — the one the user was in —
-/// which a plain winit `Visible(false)` does not do. No-op off macOS.
-#[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
-fn app_yield_focus() {
-    use objc2::MainThreadMarker;
-    use objc2_app_kit::NSApplication;
-    // eframe's `update` runs on the main thread, so this marker is always Some.
-    if let Some(mtm) = MainThreadMarker::new() {
-        NSApplication::sharedApplication(mtm).hide(None);
-    }
-}
-
-#[cfg(not(target_os = "macos"))]
-fn app_yield_focus() {}
-
-/// Undo [`app_yield_focus`]: clear the app-level hidden flag before re-showing,
-/// so the window the viewport `Focus` command then makes key actually appears.
-/// (`unhide:` also re-activates us; the per-window `Focus`/`Visible` viewport
-/// commands do the rest.) No-op off macOS.
-#[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
-fn app_take_focus() {
-    use objc2::MainThreadMarker;
-    use objc2_app_kit::NSApplication;
-    if let Some(mtm) = MainThreadMarker::new() {
-        NSApplication::sharedApplication(mtm).unhide(None);
-    }
-}
-
-#[cfg(not(target_os = "macos"))]
-fn app_take_focus() {}
-
 /// The current parent process id, for orphan detection. `None` off macOS (where
 /// hephd does not supervise a helper — there is no Aqua session to inherit).
 fn current_parent_pid() -> Option<i32> {
diff --git a/crates/heph-tui/src/ui.rs b/crates/heph-tui/src/ui.rs
index f6d2f37..6e15453 100644
--- a/crates/heph-tui/src/ui.rs
+++ b/crates/heph-tui/src/ui.rs
@@ -570,9 +570,7 @@ fn sync_indicator(sync: &SyncStatus, now: i64) -> Vec<Span<'static>> {
 
     let health = sync.health.clone().unwrap_or_default();
     let mut spans = vec![if health.auth_failure {
-        // Point at the recovery command — `heph auth status` prints the exact
-        // `heph auth login …` to run (the full command is too long for the bar).
-        Span::styled("⚠ auth · heph auth status", red)
+        Span::styled("⚠ auth", red)
     } else if let Some(ts) = health.last_success_ms {
         Span::styled(format!("⟳ {}", fmt_age(now, ts)), dim)
     } else if health.last_error.is_some() {
@@ -641,7 +639,7 @@ mod tests {
             },
             0,
         );
-        assert_eq!(render(&auth, NOW), "⚠ auth · heph auth status");
+        assert_eq!(render(&auth, NOW), "⚠ auth");
 
         // Errored with no prior success → offline.
         let offline = spoke(
diff --git a/crates/heph/src/main.rs b/crates/heph/src/main.rs
index 28d3b5e..c327f1d 100644
--- a/crates/heph/src/main.rs
+++ b/crates/heph/src/main.rs
@@ -344,7 +344,7 @@ enum ConflictAction {
     },
 }
 
-#[derive(Subcommand, Debug, Clone)]
+#[derive(Subcommand, Debug)]
 enum AuthAction {
     /// Log in via the device-code flow; caches the bearer token for hub sync.
     Login {
@@ -367,9 +367,6 @@ enum AuthAction {
         #[arg(long)]
         hub_url: String,
     },
-    /// Show this spoke's auth health and, if re-auth is needed, the exact
-    /// `heph auth login` command to run. Queries the daemon.
-    Status,
 }
 
 /// Run the device-code flow (or clear a token) — no daemon needed.
@@ -399,63 +396,10 @@ fn run_auth(action: AuthAction) -> Result<()> {
             KeyringTokenStore::new(hub_url.as_str()).clear()?;
             println!("Logged out of {hub_url}.");
         }
-        AuthAction::Status => unreachable!("auth status is handled via the daemon"),
     }
     Ok(())
 }
 
-/// Render `heph auth status` from a `sync.status` RPC response: hub/issuer/client
-/// id, whether auth is healthy or needs re-login, and — when it does — the exact
-/// command to run (built daemon-side, keyed under the right hub URL).
-fn print_auth_status(status: &Value) {
-    let Some(hub) = status.get("hub_url").and_then(Value::as_str) else {
-        println!("This instance is standalone (no hub configured); auth does not apply.");
-        return;
-    };
-    let auth = status.get("auth");
-    let issuer = auth.and_then(|a| a.get("issuer")).and_then(Value::as_str);
-    let client_id = auth
-        .and_then(|a| a.get("client_id"))
-        .and_then(Value::as_str);
-    let health = status.get("health");
-    let auth_failure = health
-        .and_then(|h| h.get("auth_failure"))
-        .and_then(Value::as_bool)
-        .unwrap_or(false);
-    let last_error = health
-        .and_then(|h| h.get("last_error"))
-        .and_then(Value::as_str);
-    let last_success = health
-        .and_then(|h| h.get("last_success_ms"))
-        .and_then(Value::as_i64);
-
-    println!("hub        : {hub}");
-    if let Some(iss) = issuer {
-        println!("issuer     : {iss}");
-    }
-    if let Some(cid) = client_id {
-        println!("client id  : {cid}");
-    }
-    println!(
-        "auth       : {}",
-        if auth_failure {
-            "FAILED — re-authentication required"
-        } else if last_success.is_some() {
-            "ok"
-        } else {
-            "unknown (no successful sync yet)"
-        }
-    );
-    if let Some(err) = last_error {
-        println!("last error : {err}");
-    }
-    if auth_failure {
-        if let Some(cmd) = status.get("reauth_command").and_then(Value::as_str) {
-            println!("\nTo re-authenticate, run:\n  {cmd}");
-        }
-    }
-}
-
 fn main() -> Result<()> {
     let cli = Cli::parse();
 
@@ -463,13 +407,9 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
     if let Command::Daemon { action } = &cli.command {
         return service::run(action);
     }
-    // `auth login`/`logout` run locally (device-code flow + keyring); they need
-    // no daemon. `auth status` reads live sync health, so it falls through to the
-    // connected path below.
-    if let Command::Auth { action } = &cli.command {
-        if !matches!(action, AuthAction::Status) {
-            return run_auth(action.clone());
-        }
+    // `auth` runs locally (device-code flow + keyring); it needs no daemon.
+    if let Command::Auth { action } = cli.command {
+        return run_auth(action);
     }
 
     let socket = cli.socket.unwrap_or_else(default_socket_path);
@@ -850,13 +790,7 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
             let n = result.as_u64().unwrap_or(0);
             println!("Rewrote legacy [[Name]] links to [[id]] in {n} node(s).");
         }
-        Command::Auth {
-            action: AuthAction::Status,
-        } => {
-            let result = client.call("sync.status", json!({}))?;
-            print_auth_status(&result);
-        }
-        Command::Auth { .. } => unreachable!("auth login/logout handled before connecting"),
+        Command::Auth { .. } => unreachable!("auth is handled before connecting"),
         Command::Daemon { .. } => unreachable!("daemon is handled before connecting"),
     }
     Ok(())
diff --git a/crates/heph/src/service.rs b/crates/heph/src/service.rs
index 0b8928b..1c90924 100644
--- a/crates/heph/src/service.rs
+++ b/crates/heph/src/service.rs
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
 
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 use std::process::Command;
-use std::time::{Duration, Instant};
 
 use anyhow::{bail, Context, Result};
 use clap::{Args, Subcommand};
@@ -495,51 +494,6 @@ fn launchd_loaded(domain_target: &str) -> bool {
         .unwrap_or(false)
 }
 
-/// Block until `target` is no longer loaded, up to `timeout`. `launchctl bootout`
-/// is asynchronous in effect — it requests teardown and returns, but launchd may
-/// still be killing/reaping the job and removing its label from the domain.
-/// Bootstrapping while the label lingers fails with a generic `5: Input/output
-/// error`, so we wait for the label to actually disappear before re-bootstrapping.
-fn wait_until_unloaded(target: &str, timeout: Duration) {
-    let start = Instant::now();
-    while launchd_loaded(target) {
-        if start.elapsed() >= timeout {
-            break; // fall through; bootstrap's own retry covers the residual window
-        }
-        std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(100));
-    }
-}
-
-/// Bootstrap the service, retrying briefly. Even once the old instance is gone,
-/// launchd can momentarily return EIO while the domain settles, so a couple of
-/// short retries make `start`/`restart` reliable instead of intermittently failing.
-fn launchd_bootstrap(domain: &str, plist: &str) -> Result<()> {
-    let mut last = String::new();
-    for attempt in 0..5 {
-        if attempt > 0 {
-            std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(200));
-        }
-        let (ok, err) = run_cmd("launchctl", &["bootstrap", domain, plist])?;
-        if ok {
-            return Ok(());
-        }
-        last = err;
-    }
-    bail!("launchctl bootstrap failed: {}", last.trim());
-}
-
-/// Restart an already-loaded job in place (kills it, then launchd's KeepAlive —
-/// `-k` forces the kill). This restarts the *loaded* job definition, so it does
-/// not pick up an edited plist — callers use it only when the on-disk plist is
-/// unchanged, where it sidesteps the bootout→bootstrap race entirely.
-fn launchd_kickstart(target: &str) -> Result<()> {
-    let (ok, err) = run_cmd("launchctl", &["kickstart", "-k", target])?;
-    if !ok {
-        bail!("launchctl kickstart failed: {}", err.trim());
-    }
-    Ok(())
-}
-
 fn launchd(action: &DaemonAction, p: &Paths) -> Result<()> {
     let plist = launchd_plist_path()?;
     let uid = uid()?;
@@ -558,7 +512,10 @@ fn launchd(action: &DaemonAction, p: &Paths) -> Result<()> {
             if launchd_loaded(&target) {
                 println!("heph daemon already running ({LABEL}).");
             } else {
-                launchd_bootstrap(&domain, &plist_str(&plist)?)?;
+                let (ok, err) = run_cmd("launchctl", &["bootstrap", &domain, &plist_str(&plist)?])?;
+                if !ok {
+                    bail!("launchctl bootstrap failed: {}", err.trim());
+                }
                 println!("heph daemon started ({LABEL}).");
             }
         }
@@ -570,24 +527,14 @@ fn launchd(action: &DaemonAction, p: &Paths) -> Result<()> {
             let cfg = args
                 .to_config()
                 .fill_from(existing_config(&plist, &Manager::Launchd));
-            let changed = write_if_changed(
+            write_if_changed(
                 &plist,
                 &launchd_plist(&p.hephd, &p.db, &p.socket, &p.log, &cfg),
             )?;
-            if !launchd_loaded(&target) {
-                // Not currently loaded — nothing to tear down, just bring it up.
-                launchd_bootstrap(&domain, &plist_str(&plist)?)?;
-            } else if changed {
-                // The plist changed, so launchd must re-read it: a full reload is
-                // required. bootout is async, so wait for the label to clear
-                // before bootstrapping (and bootstrap retries the residual EIO).
-                let _ = run_cmd("launchctl", &["bootout", &target])?;
-                wait_until_unloaded(&target, Duration::from_secs(5));
-                launchd_bootstrap(&domain, &plist_str(&plist)?)?;
-            } else {
-                // Same definition (e.g. binary upgraded in place) — restart the
-                // loaded job atomically, sidestepping the bootout→bootstrap race.
-                launchd_kickstart(&target)?;
+            let _ = run_cmd("launchctl", &["bootout", &target])?;
+            let (ok, err) = run_cmd("launchctl", &["bootstrap", &domain, &plist_str(&plist)?])?;
+            if !ok {
+                bail!("launchctl bootstrap failed: {}", err.trim());
             }
             println!("heph daemon restarted ({LABEL}).");
         }
diff --git a/crates/hephd/src/auth.rs b/crates/hephd/src/auth.rs
index 6b80e95..c601d90 100644
--- a/crates/hephd/src/auth.rs
+++ b/crates/hephd/src/auth.rs
@@ -38,45 +38,9 @@ pub enum AuthError {
     /// The token was present but failed validation.
     #[error("invalid token: {0}")]
     Invalid(String),
-    /// The identity provider could not be reached at all (DNS, TLS, connection
-    /// refused, timeout) — a transport failure, distinct from a rejection.
+    /// The identity provider could not be reached to fetch keys.
     #[error("identity provider unreachable: {0}")]
-    Unreachable(String),
-    /// The identity provider *was* reached but returned an HTTP error response —
-    /// e.g. `400 invalid_grant` on a refresh, meaning the token was rejected
-    /// (expired/rotated/session-invalidated), not that the IdP was down. The
-    /// distinction matters: "unreachable" sends debugging toward the network;
-    /// this points at the token/authorization.
-    #[error("identity provider rejected the request: {0}")]
-    Rejected(String),
-    /// Some other failure in the auth path that is neither a transport failure
-    /// nor an HTTP rejection — a malformed/unparseable IdP response, or a local
-    /// credential-store (keyring) error. Kept distinct so neither is mislabeled
-    /// as "unreachable".
-    #[error("auth error: {0}")]
-    Other(String),
-}
-
-impl AuthError {
-    /// Build a [`AuthError::Rejected`] from an HTTP status and the OAuth error
-    /// body (RFC 6749 §5.2), e.g. `HTTP 400 (invalid_grant): Token is expired`.
-    pub fn rejected(status: u16, error: Option<&str>, description: Option<&str>) -> AuthError {
-        let mut msg = format!("HTTP {status}");
-        if let Some(e) = error.filter(|e| !e.is_empty()) {
-            msg.push_str(&format!(" ({e})"));
-        }
-        if let Some(d) = description.filter(|d| !d.is_empty()) {
-            msg.push_str(&format!(": {d}"));
-        }
-        AuthError::Rejected(msg)
-    }
-
-    /// Whether this is an authorization-level rejection (the IdP refused the
-    /// grant) rather than a transport failure — i.e. re-authentication is the
-    /// likely fix, not network troubleshooting.
-    pub fn is_rejection(&self) -> bool {
-        matches!(self, AuthError::Rejected(_))
-    }
+    Provider(String),
 }
 
 /// Verifies a bearer token and returns its [`Claims`]. A trait so the hub can be
@@ -128,13 +92,16 @@ impl OidcVerifier {
             .http
             .get(url)
             .call()
-            .map_err(|e| AuthError::Unreachable(e.to_string()))?;
+            .map_err(|e| AuthError::Provider(e.to_string()))?;
         if !resp.status().is_success() {
-            return Err(AuthError::rejected(resp.status().as_u16(), None, None));
+            return Err(AuthError::Provider(format!(
+                "{url} returned {}",
+                resp.status()
+            )));
         }
         resp.body_mut()
             .read_json()
-            .map_err(|e| AuthError::Unreachable(e.to_string()))
+            .map_err(|e| AuthError::Provider(e.to_string()))
     }
 
     /// Resolve the JWKS URI from the provider's discovery document.
@@ -202,38 +169,3 @@ impl TokenVerifier for OidcVerifier {
         Some((&self.issuer, &self.audience))
     }
 }
-
-#[cfg(test)]
-mod tests {
-    use super::AuthError;
-
-    #[test]
-    fn rejected_formats_status_error_and_description() {
-        let e = AuthError::rejected(400, Some("invalid_grant"), Some("Token is not active"));
-        assert!(e.is_rejection());
-        assert_eq!(
-            e.to_string(),
-            "identity provider rejected the request: HTTP 400 (invalid_grant): Token is not active"
-        );
-    }
-
-    #[test]
-    fn rejected_omits_absent_or_empty_oauth_fields() {
-        // No OAuth body (e.g. a bare 503) → just the status.
-        assert_eq!(
-            AuthError::rejected(503, None, None).to_string(),
-            "identity provider rejected the request: HTTP 503"
-        );
-        // Empty strings are treated as absent, not rendered as "()" / ": ".
-        assert_eq!(
-            AuthError::rejected(400, Some(""), Some("")).to_string(),
-            "identity provider rejected the request: HTTP 400"
-        );
-    }
-
-    #[test]
-    fn unreachable_is_not_a_rejection() {
-        assert!(!AuthError::Unreachable("connection refused".into()).is_rejection());
-        assert!(!AuthError::Other("keyring locked".into()).is_rejection());
-    }
-}
diff --git a/crates/hephd/src/client.rs b/crates/hephd/src/client.rs
index 8a2bd5d..c3c008b 100644
--- a/crates/hephd/src/client.rs
+++ b/crates/hephd/src/client.rs
@@ -2,145 +2,59 @@
 //!
 //! Used by the `heph` CLI and by tests. Surfaces never touch SQLite directly
 //! (tech-spec §3) — they go through the daemon socket, which this wraps.
-//!
-//! The connection self-heals across daemon restarts (opt-in self-update, `heph
-//! daemon restart`): a [`call`](Client::call) that finds the socket dropped
-//! reconnects. It only auto-retries when the request provably never reached the
-//! daemon (a write-side failure); a reply lost *after* sending is surfaced
-//! rather than retried, so a mutation is never silently double-applied.
 
 use std::io::{BufRead, BufReader, Write};
 use std::os::unix::net::UnixStream;
-use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
+use std::path::Path;
 
-use anyhow::{anyhow, Context, Result};
+use anyhow::{bail, Context, Result};
 use serde_json::{json, Value};
 
 use crate::rpc::Response;
 
 /// A connected client. One request/response per [`call`](Client::call).
 pub struct Client {
-    socket_path: PathBuf,
     reader: BufReader<UnixStream>,
     writer: UnixStream,
     next_id: u64,
 }
 
-/// How a single request/response exchange failed — drives the retry decision.
-enum ExchangeError {
-    /// The request could not be written (broken pipe, reset): it never reached
-    /// the daemon, so retrying on a fresh connection is safe.
-    Send(anyhow::Error),
-    /// The request was sent but no reply came back (the daemon closed mid-flight,
-    /// e.g. it restarted): it may or may not have applied — do not retry.
-    Recv(anyhow::Error),
-    /// A well-formed RPC-level error (or an unparseable reply): the connection is
-    /// fine; nothing to reconnect.
-    Rpc(anyhow::Error),
-}
-
-impl ExchangeError {
-    fn into_inner(self) -> anyhow::Error {
-        match self {
-            ExchangeError::Send(e) | ExchangeError::Recv(e) | ExchangeError::Rpc(e) => e,
-        }
-    }
-}
-
 impl Client {
     /// Connect to a daemon listening at `socket_path`.
     pub fn connect(socket_path: &Path) -> Result<Client> {
-        let (reader, writer) = Self::open(socket_path)?;
+        let stream = UnixStream::connect(socket_path)
+            .with_context(|| format!("connecting to hephd at {}", socket_path.display()))?;
+        let reader = BufReader::new(stream.try_clone()?);
         Ok(Client {
-            socket_path: socket_path.to_path_buf(),
             reader,
-            writer,
+            writer: stream,
             next_id: 1,
         })
     }
 
-    /// Open a fresh reader/writer pair on the socket.
-    fn open(socket_path: &Path) -> Result<(BufReader<UnixStream>, UnixStream)> {
-        let stream = UnixStream::connect(socket_path)
-            .with_context(|| format!("connecting to hephd at {}", socket_path.display()))?;
-        let reader = BufReader::new(stream.try_clone()?);
-        Ok((reader, stream))
-    }
-
-    /// Re-establish the connection (after the daemon restarted and dropped it).
-    fn reconnect(&mut self) -> Result<()> {
-        let (reader, writer) = Self::open(&self.socket_path)?;
-        self.reader = reader;
-        self.writer = writer;
-        Ok(())
-    }
-
     /// Call `method` with `params`, returning the `result` value (or an error
     /// carrying the RPC error's code and message).
-    ///
-    /// If the daemon has restarted and dropped the socket, this reconnects: it
-    /// retries transparently when the request never went out, and otherwise
-    /// reconnects for the next call while surfacing an error for this one (so a
-    /// mutation whose reply was lost is not silently re-applied).
     pub fn call(&mut self, method: &str, params: Value) -> Result<Value> {
         let id = self.next_id;
         self.next_id += 1;
+
         let mut line = serde_json::to_string(&json!({
             "id": id,
             "method": method,
             "params": params,
         }))?;
         line.push('\n');
-
-        match self.exchange(&line) {
-            Ok(v) => Ok(v),
-            Err(ExchangeError::Rpc(e)) => Err(e),
-            Err(ExchangeError::Send(_)) => {
-                // The request never reached the daemon — reconnect and retry once.
-                self.reconnect()
-                    .context("hephd connection lost and reconnect failed")?;
-                self.exchange(&line)
-                    .map_err(ExchangeError::into_inner)
-                    .with_context(|| format!("retrying `{method}` after reconnect"))
-            }
-            Err(ExchangeError::Recv(e)) => {
-                // Sent but no reply: the daemon likely restarted mid-request. Don't
-                // retry (a mutation may have applied); reconnect for next time and
-                // surface this one.
-                let _ = self.reconnect();
-                Err(e).context(
-                    "hephd closed the connection mid-request (it likely restarted); \
-                     reconnected — re-run the action if it didn't take effect",
-                )
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
-    /// One request/response over the current connection, classifying failures.
-    fn exchange(&mut self, line: &str) -> std::result::Result<Value, ExchangeError> {
-        self.writer
-            .write_all(line.as_bytes())
-            .map_err(|e| ExchangeError::Send(e.into()))?;
-        self.writer
-            .flush()
-            .map_err(|e| ExchangeError::Send(e.into()))?;
+        self.writer.write_all(line.as_bytes())?;
+        self.writer.flush()?;
 
         let mut response_line = String::new();
-        let read = self
-            .reader
-            .read_line(&mut response_line)
-            .map_err(|e| ExchangeError::Recv(e.into()))?;
+        let read = self.reader.read_line(&mut response_line)?;
         if read == 0 {
-            return Err(ExchangeError::Recv(anyhow!("hephd closed the connection")));
+            bail!("hephd closed the connection");
         }
-        let response: Response =
-            serde_json::from_str(&response_line).map_err(|e| ExchangeError::Rpc(e.into()))?;
+        let response: Response = serde_json::from_str(&response_line)?;
         if let Some(err) = response.error {
-            return Err(ExchangeError::Rpc(anyhow!(
-                "rpc error {}: {}",
-                err.code,
-                err.message
-            )));
+            bail!("rpc error {}: {}", err.code, err.message);
         }
         Ok(response.result.unwrap_or(Value::Null))
     }
diff --git a/crates/hephd/src/oauth.rs b/crates/hephd/src/oauth.rs
index 4af704f..53ee5f0 100644
--- a/crates/hephd/src/oauth.rs
+++ b/crates/hephd/src/oauth.rs
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ impl KeyringTokenStore {
             }
         });
         keyring_core::Entry::new(&self.service, &self.account)
-            .map_err(|e| AuthError::Other(e.to_string()))
+            .map_err(|e| AuthError::Provider(e.to_string()))
     }
 }
 
@@ -119,16 +119,16 @@ impl TokenStore for KeyringTokenStore {
         serde_json::from_str(&secret).ok()
     }
     fn save(&self, token: &StoredToken) -> Result<(), AuthError> {
-        let json = serde_json::to_string(token).map_err(|e| AuthError::Other(e.to_string()))?;
+        let json = serde_json::to_string(token).map_err(|e| AuthError::Provider(e.to_string()))?;
         self.entry()?
             .set_password(&json)
-            .map_err(|e| AuthError::Other(e.to_string()))
+            .map_err(|e| AuthError::Provider(e.to_string()))
     }
     fn clear(&self) -> Result<(), AuthError> {
         match self.entry()?.delete_credential() {
             Ok(()) => Ok(()),
             Err(keyring_core::Error::NoEntry) => Ok(()),
-            Err(e) => Err(AuthError::Other(e.to_string())),
+            Err(e) => Err(AuthError::Provider(e.to_string())),
         }
     }
 }
@@ -187,9 +187,6 @@ impl TokenResponse {
 #[derive(Debug, Deserialize)]
 struct TokenErrorBody {
     error: String,
-    /// Human-readable detail the provider may include (RFC 6749 §5.2).
-    #[serde(default)]
-    error_description: Option<String>,
 }
 
 /// Drives the OAuth 2.0 device-code flow against one provider.
@@ -211,14 +208,17 @@ impl DeviceFlow {
         let mut resp = http
             .get(&url)
             .call()
-            .map_err(|e| AuthError::Unreachable(e.to_string()))?;
+            .map_err(|e| AuthError::Provider(e.to_string()))?;
         if !resp.status().is_success() {
-            return Err(AuthError::rejected(resp.status().as_u16(), None, None));
+            return Err(AuthError::Provider(format!(
+                "discovery returned {}",
+                resp.status()
+            )));
         }
         let doc: DiscoveryDoc = resp
             .body_mut()
             .read_json()
-            .map_err(|e| AuthError::Other(e.to_string()))?;
+            .map_err(|e| AuthError::Provider(e.to_string()))?;
         Ok(DeviceFlow {
             client_id: client_id.to_string(),
             http,
@@ -233,13 +233,16 @@ impl DeviceFlow {
             .http
             .post(&self.device_authorization_endpoint)
             .send_form([("client_id", self.client_id.as_str()), ("scope", scope)])
-            .map_err(|e| AuthError::Unreachable(e.to_string()))?;
+            .map_err(|e| AuthError::Provider(e.to_string()))?;
         if !resp.status().is_success() {
-            return Err(AuthError::rejected(resp.status().as_u16(), None, None));
+            return Err(AuthError::Provider(format!(
+                "device authorization returned {}",
+                resp.status()
+            )));
         }
         resp.body_mut()
             .read_json()
-            .map_err(|e| AuthError::Other(e.to_string()))
+            .map_err(|e| AuthError::Provider(e.to_string()))
     }
 
     /// Poll the token endpoint until the user authorizes, the code expires, or
@@ -264,13 +267,13 @@ impl DeviceFlow {
                     ("device_code", auth.device_code.as_str()),
                     ("client_id", self.client_id.as_str()),
                 ])
-                .map_err(|e| AuthError::Unreachable(e.to_string()))?;
+                .map_err(|e| AuthError::Provider(e.to_string()))?;
 
             if response.status().is_success() {
                 let token: TokenResponse = response
                     .body_mut()
                     .read_json()
-                    .map_err(|e| AuthError::Other(e.to_string()))?;
+                    .map_err(|e| AuthError::Provider(e.to_string()))?;
                 return Ok(token.into_stored());
             }
 
@@ -278,7 +281,7 @@ impl DeviceFlow {
             let body: TokenErrorBody = response
                 .body_mut()
                 .read_json()
-                .map_err(|e| AuthError::Other(e.to_string()))?;
+                .map_err(|e| AuthError::Provider(e.to_string()))?;
             match body.error.as_str() {
                 "authorization_pending" => {}
                 "slow_down" => interval += 5,
@@ -298,24 +301,17 @@ impl DeviceFlow {
                 ("refresh_token", refresh_token),
                 ("client_id", self.client_id.as_str()),
             ])
-            .map_err(|e| AuthError::Unreachable(e.to_string()))?;
+            .map_err(|e| AuthError::Provider(e.to_string()))?;
         if !response.status().is_success() {
-            // The IdP was reached and refused the grant (typically a `400
-            // invalid_grant` once the refresh token is expired/rotated). Report
-            // it as a *rejection* with the OAuth error body — not "unreachable",
-            // which would misdirect debugging toward the network.
-            let status = response.status().as_u16();
-            let body = response.body_mut().read_json::<TokenErrorBody>().ok();
-            return Err(AuthError::rejected(
-                status,
-                body.as_ref().map(|b| b.error.as_str()),
-                body.as_ref().and_then(|b| b.error_description.as_deref()),
-            ));
+            return Err(AuthError::Provider(format!(
+                "token refresh returned {}",
+                response.status()
+            )));
         }
         let mut token: StoredToken = response
             .body_mut()
             .read_json::<TokenResponse>()
-            .map_err(|e| AuthError::Other(e.to_string()))?
+            .map_err(|e| AuthError::Provider(e.to_string()))?
             .into_stored();
         // Providers may omit the refresh token on refresh — keep the old one.
         if token.refresh_token.is_none() {
diff --git a/crates/hephd/src/server.rs b/crates/hephd/src/server.rs
index 89dee78..30c5d5a 100644
--- a/crates/hephd/src/server.rs
+++ b/crates/hephd/src/server.rs
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ use tokio::net::{UnixListener, UnixStream};
 
 use heph_core::Store;
 
-use crate::auth::AuthError;
 use crate::oauth::{self, TokenStore};
 use crate::rpc::{self, Request, Response, RpcError, INTERNAL_ERROR, PARSE_ERROR};
 use crate::selfupdate::{self, SelfUpdateConfig};
@@ -81,25 +80,10 @@ fn is_auth_error(e: &anyhow::Error) -> bool {
         .is_some_and(|s| s == reqwest::StatusCode::UNAUTHORIZED)
 }
 
-/// The exact `heph auth login …` command that re-authenticates this spoke, built
-/// from the hub URL + issuer + client id the daemon is configured with — so the
-/// surfaced error tells the user *what to run*, not just that auth failed.
-/// `None` for an unauthenticated / standalone instance. The hub-URL string must
-/// match what the credential store is keyed under, which is exactly `hub_url`.
-fn reauth_command(hub_url: Option<&str>, auth: Option<&SpokeAuth>) -> Option<String> {
-    let (hub, auth) = (hub_url?, auth?);
-    Some(format!(
-        "heph auth login --hub-url {hub} --issuer {} --client-id {}",
-        auth.issuer, auth.client_id
-    ))
-}
-
-/// Fold one exchange outcome into the shared [`SyncHealth`]. On an auth failure
-/// (a 401 from the hub) the recorded error carries the actionable re-login
-/// command, so `heph sync --status` / `heph auth status` / the TUI show the fix.
-fn record_sync_outcome(ctx: &Ctx, result: &Result<sync::SyncReport>) {
+/// Fold one exchange outcome into the shared [`SyncHealth`].
+fn record_sync_outcome(health: &Arc<Mutex<SyncHealth>>, result: &Result<sync::SyncReport>) {
     let now = now_ms();
-    let mut h = ctx.sync_health.lock().expect("sync_health mutex poisoned");
+    let mut h = health.lock().expect("sync_health mutex poisoned");
     h.last_attempt_ms = Some(now);
     match result {
         Ok(_) => {
@@ -108,67 +92,28 @@ fn record_sync_outcome(ctx: &Ctx, result: &Result<sync::SyncReport>) {
             h.auth_failure = false;
         }
         Err(e) => {
-            let auth_failure = is_auth_error(e);
-            h.auth_failure = auth_failure;
-            h.last_error = Some(annotate_reauth(
-                e.to_string(),
-                auth_failure,
-                ctx.hub_url.as_deref(),
-                ctx.auth.as_ref(),
-            ));
+            h.auth_failure = is_auth_error(e);
+            h.last_error = Some(e.to_string());
         }
     }
 }
 
-/// Record a failure to obtain a bearer token (the refresh step, before any hub
-/// request). A *rejection* (the IdP refused the refresh) is an auth failure and
-/// gets the re-login hint; a transport failure stays a transient error. Surfacing
-/// this here means `last_error` reflects the real cause (e.g. `invalid_grant`)
-/// instead of only the downstream 401 on `/sync/pull`.
-fn record_bearer_failure(ctx: &Ctx, err: &AuthError) {
-    let now = now_ms();
-    let auth_failure = err.is_rejection();
-    let mut h = ctx.sync_health.lock().expect("sync_health mutex poisoned");
-    h.last_attempt_ms = Some(now);
-    h.auth_failure = auth_failure;
-    h.last_error = Some(annotate_reauth(
-        format!("could not obtain bearer token: {err}"),
-        auth_failure,
-        ctx.hub_url.as_deref(),
-        ctx.auth.as_ref(),
-    ));
-}
-
-/// Append the actionable re-login command to `msg` when this is an auth failure
-/// and the spoke has auth configured.
-fn annotate_reauth(
-    msg: String,
-    auth_failure: bool,
-    hub_url: Option<&str>,
-    auth: Option<&SpokeAuth>,
-) -> String {
-    match reauth_command(hub_url, auth) {
-        Some(cmd) if auth_failure => format!("{msg} — re-authenticate: {cmd}"),
-        _ => msg,
-    }
-}
-
 impl Ctx {
-    /// The current bearer token for hub sync (refreshing if expired). `Ok(None)`
-    /// means this spoke has no auth configured / no token stored (it syncs
-    /// unauthenticated); `Err` means token acquisition genuinely failed (the
-    /// caller records it and skips the attempt rather than 401ing the hub).
-    async fn bearer(&self) -> Result<Option<String>, AuthError> {
-        let Some(auth) = self.auth.clone() else {
-            return Ok(None);
-        };
-        match tokio::task::spawn_blocking(move || {
+    /// The current bearer token for hub sync (refreshing if expired), or `None`
+    /// if this spoke has no auth configured / no usable token.
+    async fn bearer(&self) -> Option<String> {
+        let auth = self.auth.clone()?;
+        let result = tokio::task::spawn_blocking(move || {
             oauth::current_bearer(auth.store.as_ref(), &auth.issuer, &auth.client_id)
         })
-        .await
-        {
-            Ok(res) => res,
-            Err(_join) => Ok(None), // the blocking task panicked; treat as no token
+        .await;
+        match result {
+            Ok(Ok(token)) => token,
+            Ok(Err(e)) => {
+                tracing::warn!("could not obtain bearer token: {e}");
+                None
+            }
+            Err(_) => None,
         }
     }
 }
@@ -278,20 +223,10 @@ impl Daemon {
             let mut tick = tokio::time::interval(interval);
             loop {
                 tick.tick().await;
-                let bearer = match ctx.bearer().await {
-                    Ok(b) => b,
-                    Err(e) => {
-                        // Couldn't get a token — record the real cause (e.g. a
-                        // rejected refresh) and skip; sending an unauthenticated
-                        // request would only 401 and mask it.
-                        record_bearer_failure(&ctx, &e);
-                        tracing::warn!("background sync: could not obtain bearer token: {e}");
-                        continue;
-                    }
-                };
+                let bearer = ctx.bearer().await;
                 let result =
                     sync::sync_once(ctx.store.clone(), &hub, &ctx.http, bearer.as_deref()).await;
-                record_sync_outcome(&ctx, &result);
+                record_sync_outcome(&ctx.sync_health, &result);
                 match result {
                     Ok(report) => tracing::debug!(?report, "background sync"),
                     Err(e) => tracing::warn!("background sync failed: {e}"),
@@ -386,25 +321,9 @@ async fn sync_now(ctx: &Ctx) -> Result<Value, RpcError> {
             message: "no hub_url configured; this instance is standalone".into(),
         });
     };
-    let bearer = match ctx.bearer().await {
-        Ok(b) => b,
-        Err(e) => {
-            // Token acquisition failed — record the real cause (with a re-login
-            // hint when it's a rejection) and surface it instead of a downstream 401.
-            record_bearer_failure(ctx, &e);
-            return Err(RpcError {
-                code: INTERNAL_ERROR,
-                message: annotate_reauth(
-                    format!("sync failed: could not obtain bearer token: {e}"),
-                    e.is_rejection(),
-                    ctx.hub_url.as_deref(),
-                    ctx.auth.as_ref(),
-                ),
-            });
-        }
-    };
+    let bearer = ctx.bearer().await;
     let result = sync::sync_once(ctx.store.clone(), &hub_url, &ctx.http, bearer.as_deref()).await;
-    record_sync_outcome(ctx, &result);
+    record_sync_outcome(&ctx.sync_health, &result);
     match result {
         Ok(report) => Ok(json!(report)),
         Err(e) => Err(RpcError {
@@ -455,22 +374,10 @@ async fn sync_status(ctx: &Ctx) -> Result<Value, RpcError> {
         .expect("sync_health mutex poisoned")
         .clone();
 
-    // Non-secret OIDC params (issuer/client-id) + the exact re-login command, so
-    // `heph auth status` can show the fix without reconstructing it client-side
-    // (and keyed under the right hub URL — see the per-URL token-keying gotcha).
-    let auth = ctx.auth.as_ref().map(|a| {
-        json!({
-            "issuer": a.issuer,
-            "client_id": a.client_id,
-        })
-    });
-
     Ok(json!({
         "hub_url": hub_url,
         "cursors": cursors,
         "conflicts": conflicts,
         "health": health,
-        "auth": auth,
-        "reauth_command": reauth_command(Some(&hub_url), ctx.auth.as_ref()),
     }))
 }
diff --git a/crates/hephd/src/sync.rs b/crates/hephd/src/sync.rs
index 9beac05..bfaa323 100644
--- a/crates/hephd/src/sync.rs
+++ b/crates/hephd/src/sync.rs
@@ -261,14 +261,8 @@ async fn require_auth(
         .await
         .map_err(|_| StatusCode::INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR)?
         .map_err(|e| match e {
-            // The token itself is missing/bad → tell the client it's unauthorized.
-            AuthError::Missing | AuthError::Invalid(_) => StatusCode::UNAUTHORIZED,
-            // We couldn't reach/process the IdP to fetch verification keys — a
-            // transient hub-side problem, not the client's token. Ask them to
-            // retry rather than claiming their token is invalid.
-            AuthError::Unreachable(_) | AuthError::Rejected(_) | AuthError::Other(_) => {
-                StatusCode::SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE
-            }
+            AuthError::Provider(_) => StatusCode::SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE,
+            _ => StatusCode::UNAUTHORIZED,
         })?;
 
     // Multi-tenancy seam: resolve the token's identity to the owner it may act
diff --git a/crates/hephd/tests/client_reconnect.rs b/crates/hephd/tests/client_reconnect.rs
deleted file mode 100644
index a4d0074..0000000
--- a/crates/hephd/tests/client_reconnect.rs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,96 +0,0 @@
-//! [`Client`] survives the daemon dropping the socket (opt-in self-update, `heph
-//! daemon restart`). A mock daemon serves exactly one request per connection
-//! then closes it, forcing the client to reconnect — without auto-reconnect,
-//! every call after the first would fail forever.
-
-use std::io::{BufRead, BufReader, Write};
-use std::os::unix::net::UnixListener;
-use std::path::PathBuf;
-use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicUsize, Ordering};
-use std::sync::Arc;
-use std::thread;
-use std::time::Duration;
-
-use hephd::Client;
-use serde_json::{json, Value};
-
-/// A mock daemon that handles ONE request per connection then closes it, looping
-/// to accept the next connection. `served` counts total requests answered.
-fn spawn_one_shot_daemon(socket: PathBuf, served: Arc<AtomicUsize>) {
-    thread::spawn(move || {
-        let listener = UnixListener::bind(&socket).unwrap();
-        for conn in listener.incoming() {
-            let Ok(mut stream) = conn else { continue };
-            let mut reader = BufReader::new(stream.try_clone().unwrap());
-            let mut line = String::new();
-            if reader.read_line(&mut line).unwrap_or(0) == 0 {
-                continue; // client opened then went away; wait for the next one
-            }
-            let req: Value = serde_json::from_str(&line).unwrap();
-            let n = served.fetch_add(1, Ordering::SeqCst) + 1;
-            let mut out = serde_json::to_string(&json!({
-                "id": req["id"],
-                "result": { "served": n },
-            }))
-            .unwrap();
-            out.push('\n');
-            let _ = stream.write_all(out.as_bytes());
-            let _ = stream.flush();
-            // `stream` drops here → the connection closes after one request.
-        }
-    });
-}
-
-fn wait_for(socket: &std::path::Path) {
-    for _ in 0..400 {
-        if socket.exists() {
-            return;
-        }
-        thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(5));
-    }
-    panic!("mock daemon socket never appeared");
-}
-
-#[test]
-fn client_reconnects_after_the_daemon_drops_the_socket() {
-    let dir = tempfile::tempdir().unwrap();
-    let socket = dir.path().join("d.sock");
-    let served = Arc::new(AtomicUsize::new(0));
-    spawn_one_shot_daemon(socket.clone(), served.clone());
-    wait_for(&socket);
-
-    let mut c = Client::connect(&socket).unwrap();
-
-    // First call works on the initial connection.
-    let r1 = c.call("ping", json!({})).unwrap();
-    assert_eq!(r1["served"], 1);
-
-    // The daemon has now closed that connection. With reconnect, the client
-    // recovers within a call or two (depending on whether the dead socket fails
-    // on write or on read); without it, every further call would fail forever.
-    let mut recovered = None;
-    for _ in 0..2 {
-        if let Ok(v) = c.call("ping", json!({})) {
-            recovered = Some(v);
-            break;
-        }
-    }
-    let r = recovered.expect("client should reconnect after the socket was dropped");
-    // The recovered call was served exactly once on the new connection — no
-    // double-serve from a spurious retry.
-    assert_eq!(r["served"], 2);
-    assert_eq!(served.load(Ordering::SeqCst), 2);
-
-    // And it keeps working across subsequent drops.
-    let r3 = {
-        let mut got = None;
-        for _ in 0..2 {
-            if let Ok(v) = c.call("ping", json!({})) {
-                got = Some(v);
-                break;
-            }
-        }
-        got.expect("client should keep reconnecting")
-    };
-    assert_eq!(r3["served"], 3);
-}
diff --git a/crates/hephd/tests/oauth.rs b/crates/hephd/tests/oauth.rs
index 0a1c709..f61c872 100644
--- a/crates/hephd/tests/oauth.rs
+++ b/crates/hephd/tests/oauth.rs
@@ -90,25 +90,11 @@ async fn token(State(s): State<IdpState>, Form(form): Form<HashMap<String, Strin
             }))
             .into_response()
         }
-        Some("refresh_token") => {
-            // A rotated/expired refresh token is refused with `400 invalid_grant`
-            // (RFC 6749 §5.2) — the case that used to be mislabeled "unreachable".
-            if form.get("refresh_token").map(String::as_str) == Some("refresh-expired") {
-                return (
-                    StatusCode::BAD_REQUEST,
-                    Json(json!({
-                        "error": "invalid_grant",
-                        "error_description": "Token is not active",
-                    })),
-                )
-                    .into_response();
-            }
-            Json(json!({
-                "access_token": "access-2",
-                "expires_in": 3600,
-            }))
-            .into_response()
-        }
+        Some("refresh_token") => Json(json!({
+            "access_token": "access-2",
+            "expires_in": 3600,
+        }))
+        .into_response(),
         _ => (
             StatusCode::BAD_REQUEST,
             Json(json!({ "error": "unsupported_grant_type" })),
@@ -143,48 +129,6 @@ fn refresh_keeps_the_old_refresh_token_when_omitted() {
     assert_eq!(refreshed.refresh_token.as_deref(), Some("refresh-1"));
 }
 
-#[test]
-fn refresh_rejected_by_idp_is_a_rejection_not_unreachable() {
-    let issuer = start_idp();
-    let flow = DeviceFlow::discover(&issuer, "heph-cli").unwrap();
-    let err = flow.refresh("refresh-expired").unwrap_err();
-    // The whole point of the fix: a reachable IdP that returns 400 is a
-    // *rejection*, carrying the OAuth error body — not "unreachable".
-    assert!(err.is_rejection(), "expected a rejection, got: {err}");
-    let msg = err.to_string();
-    assert!(
-        msg.contains("rejected"),
-        "message should say rejected: {msg}"
-    );
-    assert!(
-        msg.contains("invalid_grant"),
-        "should include the OAuth error: {msg}"
-    );
-    assert!(
-        msg.contains("Token is not active"),
-        "should include error_description: {msg}"
-    );
-    assert!(
-        !msg.contains("unreachable"),
-        "must NOT claim the IdP was unreachable: {msg}"
-    );
-}
-
-#[test]
-fn discovery_against_a_dead_idp_is_unreachable_not_a_rejection() {
-    use hephd::AuthError;
-    // Port 1 refuses the connection → a genuine transport failure.
-    let err = match DeviceFlow::discover("http://127.0.0.1:1/application/o/heph/", "heph-cli") {
-        Ok(_) => panic!("discovery should fail against a dead IdP"),
-        Err(e) => e,
-    };
-    assert!(
-        matches!(err, AuthError::Unreachable(_)),
-        "a connection failure must be Unreachable, got: {err}"
-    );
-    assert!(!err.is_rejection());
-}
-
 #[test]
 fn memory_token_store_round_trips_and_reports_expiry() {
     let store = MemoryTokenStore::default();
diff --git a/docs/changelog.d/+sync-age-seconds.feature.md b/docs/changelog.d/+sync-age-seconds.feature.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cf453c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/changelog.d/+sync-age-seconds.feature.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+heph-tui's sync indicator now shows the last-sync age in seconds under a minute (`⟳ 26s`) instead of a flat `just now`, so the chip reads as a live heartbeat and a missed sync (the loop runs every 30s) shows up as the age climbing.
diff --git a/docs/changelog.d/daemon-self-update-interval.feature.md b/docs/changelog.d/daemon-self-update-interval.feature.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b5ec9b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/changelog.d/daemon-self-update-interval.feature.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+`heph daemon start`/`restart` can now bake the daemon's full runtime config into the managed service — `--mode`, `--hub-url`, `--http-addr`, `--oidc-issuer`/`--oidc-audience`/`--oidc-client-id`, and `--self-update-interval-secs` (previously only the bare `--self-update` bool was wired). Regenerating preserves whatever is already baked into the on-disk plist/unit, so a bare `start`/`restart` no longer silently drops spoke/hub or self-update config.
diff --git a/docs/how-to/run-the-daemon.md b/docs/how-to/run-the-daemon.md
index 545b3be..cb9e56d 100644
--- a/docs/how-to/run-the-daemon.md
+++ b/docs/how-to/run-the-daemon.md
@@ -86,14 +86,6 @@ still the old binary until you restart it:
 heph daemon restart
 ```
 
-A restart (or an opt-in self-update) drops the daemon's unix socket out from
-under any connected surface. The CLI and `heph-tui` **reconnect automatically**:
-a read transparently retries on a fresh connection, and a long-running TUI
-self-heals on its next tick — so a daemon restart no longer leaves the agenda
-view stuck on errors. (A mutating action whose reply is lost mid-restart reports
-"reconnected — re-run the action if it didn't take effect" rather than risk
-applying twice.)
-
 ## Self-update (opt-in)
 
 `hephd` can keep itself current: `heph daemon start --self-update` generates a
diff --git a/docs/how-to/set-up-sync-hub.md b/docs/how-to/set-up-sync-hub.md
index 4d654a9..a5b56ea 100644
--- a/docs/how-to/set-up-sync-hub.md
+++ b/docs/how-to/set-up-sync-hub.md
@@ -130,41 +130,19 @@ spoke is visible at a glance rather than buried in the daemon log.
 
 Make a change on `gilbert`, force a sync, and confirm it appears via the hub.
 
-### When sync stops authenticating
-
-A spoke's refresh token can expire or be rotated (e.g. the IdP session lapses).
-The spoke then can't refresh on its own and needs a re-login — but this is
-**visible, not silent**:
-
-- `heph-tui` shows a red `⚠ auth · heph auth status` chip in the status line.
-- `heph auth status` prints the auth health and the **exact** re-login command,
-  pre-filled with this spoke's hub URL / issuer / client id:
-
-  ```bash
-  heph auth status
-  ```
-
-- `heph sync --status`'s `last_error` names the real cause — a refresh
-  *rejection* (e.g. `HTTP 400 (invalid_grant)`), not a misleading "identity
-  provider unreachable" — and carries the same `heph auth login …` hint.
-
-Run the printed `heph auth login …` command to restore sync.
-
 ## Current gaps (finalized by the blumeops deployment)
 
-The flag-level flow above works today; one enabler makes it a clean, managed
+The flag-level flow above works today; two enablers make it a clean, managed
 deployment rather than a hand-run process — tracked in the `Hephaestus` project:
 
+- **`heph daemon` only generates a `--mode local` service** (no `--hub-url` /
+  `--oidc-*`). So for now the hub and the spoke config are expressed as `hephd`
+  flags (run directly, or via the blumeops-managed systemd unit), not via
+  `heph daemon start`.
 - **Path A seeding is manual** (copy the store + reset the device origin). A
   small enabler — seed a hub from a snapshot with a fresh origin, or
   `hephd --owner-id` — would make this one step.
 
-> `heph daemon start`/`restart` can now bake the spoke/hub config (`--hub-url`,
-> `--mode server`, `--http-addr`, `--oidc-*`) into the generated service (see
-> [[run-the-daemon]]). The canonical hub on `indri` is still provisioned via the
-> blumeops-managed systemd unit by deployment choice, not because `heph daemon`
-> can't express it.
-
 ## Related
 
 - [[run-the-daemon]] — manage the local daemon as an OS service