diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 96b5955904..392292c5de 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 ### Fixed
 
+- Codex: resolve control socket symlinks when checking the running daemon, so System Account switches do not silently skip its restart (#3990, #4018). Thanks @massdo!
 - Nous Portal: include Nous-billed OpenCodex ledger activity in Usage & Spend, preserving estimated or unpriced costs separately from Portal credits. Fixes #4008. Thanks @Reztahla!
 - Muse Code: optionally show the explicitly selected dev.meta.ai browser team’s quota when the login omits quotas, with cookies Off by default and team choices in settings (#4011). Fixes #4002. Thanks @enieuwy!
 ### Added
diff --git a/Sources/CodexBar/CodexAppServerDaemon.swift b/Sources/CodexBar/CodexAppServerDaemon.swift
index 422e50fdef..e7c69ec685 100644
--- a/Sources/CodexBar/CodexAppServerDaemon.swift
+++ b/Sources/CodexBar/CodexAppServerDaemon.swift
@@ -16,14 +16,13 @@ struct CodexAppServerDaemon {
     func restartIfRunning(homeURL: URL, environment: [String: String]) async -> String? {
         let home = homeURL.resolvingSymlinksInPath().standardizedFileURL
         // Codex uses separate PID records for legacy and daemon-owned installations.
-        let running = ["daemon.pid", "app-server.pid"].contains { name in
+        guard ["daemon.pid", "app-server.pid"].contains(where: { name in
             let url = home.appendingPathComponent("app-server-daemon/\(name)")
             guard let data = try? Data(contentsOf: url),
                   let record = try? JSONDecoder().decode(PIDRecord.self, from: data)
             else { return false }
             return self.isAppServerProcess(record.pid)
-        }
-        guard running else { return nil }
+        }) else { return nil }
         let env = CodexHomeScope.scopedEnvironment(base: environment, codexHome: home.path)
         let log = CodexBarLog.logger("codex-account-promotion")
         var phase = "detect"
@@ -34,6 +33,7 @@ struct CodexAppServerDaemon {
             guard version.status == "running", version.backend == "pid",
                   URL(fileURLWithPath: version.socketPath).resolvingSymlinksInPath().standardizedFileURL ==
                   home.appendingPathComponent("app-server-control/app-server-control.sock")
+                  .resolvingSymlinksInPath().standardizedFileURL
             else { return nil }
             phase = "restart"
             _ = try await self.run("restart", env)
diff --git a/Tests/CodexBarTests/CodexAppServerDaemonTests.swift b/Tests/CodexBarTests/CodexAppServerDaemonTests.swift
index a1ad6175a6..25d1365bbf 100644
--- a/Tests/CodexBarTests/CodexAppServerDaemonTests.swift
+++ b/Tests/CodexBarTests/CodexAppServerDaemonTests.swift
@@ -15,8 +15,10 @@ struct CodexAppServerDaemonTests {
         #expect(!CodexHomeScope.isAppServer(arguments: []))
     }
 
-    @Test(arguments: ["daemon.pid", "app-server.pid"])
-    func `promotion restarts the live home daemon once after publishing auth`(_ filename: String) async throws {
+    @Test(arguments: ["daemon.pid", "app-server.pid"], ["plain", "symlink", "resolved-symlink"])
+    func `promotion restarts the live home daemon once after publishing auth`(
+        _ filename: String, _ socketPath: String) async throws
+    {
         let container = try CodexAccountPromotionTestContainer(suiteName: "daemon-promotion")
         defer { container.tearDown() }
         let target = try container.createManagedAccount(
@@ -24,13 +26,14 @@ struct CodexAppServerDaemonTests {
         try container.persistAccounts([target])
         _ = try container.writeLiveOAuthAuthFile(email: "live@example.com", accountID: "acct-live")
         try Self.writePID(home: container.liveHomeURL, filename: filename)
+        if socketPath != "plain" { try Self.writeSocketSymlink(home: container.liveHomeURL) }
         var calls: [String] = []
         let daemon = CodexAppServerDaemon(isAppServerProcess: { $0 == 123 }, run: { command, env in
             calls.append(command)
             #expect(env["CODEX_HOME"] == container.liveHomeURL.resolvingSymlinksInPath().path)
             let identity = try container.identityReader.loadAccountIdentity(homePath: container.liveHomeURL.path)
             #expect(identity.email == "managed@example.com")
-            return Self.version(home: container.liveHomeURL)
+            return Self.version(home: container.liveHomeURL, resolveSocket: socketPath == "resolved-symlink")
         })
         let result = try await container.makeService(daemon: daemon).promoteManagedAccount(id: target.id)
         #expect(result.outcome == .promoted)
@@ -90,11 +93,17 @@ struct CodexAppServerDaemonTests {
         #expect(calls == (failure == "version" ? ["version"] : ["version", "restart"]))
     }
 
-    @Test(arguments: ["other-home", "unmanaged", "stopped"])
-    func `only a managed daemon answering for the promoted home can restart`(_ mismatch: String) async throws {
+    @Test(arguments: ["other-home", "unmanaged", "stopped"], [false, true])
+    func `only a managed daemon answering for the promoted home can restart`(
+        _ mismatch: String, _ symlinkedSocket: Bool) async throws
+    {
         let container = try CodexAccountPromotionTestContainer(suiteName: "daemon-home-match")
         defer { container.tearDown() }
         try Self.writePID(home: container.liveHomeURL)
+        if symlinkedSocket {
+            try Self.writeSocketSymlink(home: container.liveHomeURL)
+            try Self.writeSocketSymlink(home: container.managedHomesURL)
+        }
         var calls: [String] = []
         let daemon = CodexAppServerDaemon(isAppServerProcess: { _ in true }, run: { command, env in
             calls.append(command)
@@ -111,6 +120,50 @@ struct CodexAppServerDaemonTests {
         #expect(calls == ["version"])
     }
 
+    @Test(arguments: [false, true])
+    func `symlinked home and outside home socket retain the destination scope`(_ resolveSocket: Bool) async throws {
+        let container = try CodexAccountPromotionTestContainer(suiteName: "daemon-home-symlink")
+        defer { container.tearDown() }
+        let alias = container.rootURL.appendingPathComponent("home-alias", isDirectory: true)
+        try FileManager.default.createSymbolicLink(at: alias, withDestinationURL: container.liveHomeURL)
+        try Self.writePID(home: alias)
+        try Self.writeSocketSymlink(home: container.liveHomeURL)
+        var calls: [String] = []
+        let daemon = CodexAppServerDaemon(isAppServerProcess: { $0 == 123 }, run: { command, env in
+            calls.append(command)
+            #expect(env["CODEX_HOME"] == container.liveHomeURL.resolvingSymlinksInPath().path)
+            #expect(env["HOME"] == "/synthetic-user")
+            return Self.version(home: alias, resolveSocket: resolveSocket)
+        })
+        let note = await daemon.restartIfRunning(
+            homeURL: alias, environment: ["HOME": "/synthetic-user", "CODEX_HOME": "/wrong-home"])
+        #expect(note == nil)
+        #expect(calls == ["version", "restart"])
+    }
+
+    @Test(arguments: [false, true])
+    func `dangling socket link cannot override a failed CLI probe`(_ probeThrows: Bool) async throws {
+        let container = try CodexAccountPromotionTestContainer(suiteName: "daemon-dangling-socket")
+        defer { container.tearDown() }
+        try Self.writePID(home: container.liveHomeURL)
+        try Self.writeSocketSymlink(home: container.liveHomeURL)
+        let socket = container.liveHomeURL.appendingPathComponent("app-server-control/app-server-control.sock")
+        try FileManager.default.removeItem(at: socket.resolvingSymlinksInPath())
+        #expect(!FileManager.default.fileExists(atPath: socket.path))
+        #expect(try FileManager.default.destinationOfSymbolicLink(atPath: socket.path).hasSuffix("liveHome.sock"))
+        var calls: [String] = []
+        let daemon = CodexAppServerDaemon(isAppServerProcess: { _ in true }, run: { command, _ in
+            calls.append(command)
+            if probeThrows {
+                throw SubprocessRunnerError.nonZeroExit(code: 1, stderr: "synthetic socket unavailable")
+            }
+            return Self.version(home: container.liveHomeURL, status: "notRunning")
+        })
+        let note = await daemon.restartIfRunning(homeURL: container.liveHomeURL, environment: [:])
+        #expect((note != nil) == probeThrows)
+        #expect(calls == ["version"])
+    }
+
     private static func writePID(home: URL, filename: String = "daemon.pid") throws {
         let directory = home.appendingPathComponent("app-server-daemon")
         try FileManager.default.createDirectory(at: directory, withIntermediateDirectories: true)
@@ -118,8 +171,22 @@ struct CodexAppServerDaemonTests {
             .write(to: directory.appendingPathComponent(filename))
     }
 
-    private static func version(home: URL, backend: String = "pid", status: String = "running") -> String {
-        let socket = home.resolvingSymlinksInPath().appendingPathComponent("app-server-control/app-server-control.sock")
+    private static func writeSocketSymlink(home: URL) throws {
+        let socket = home.appendingPathComponent("app-server-control/app-server-control.sock")
+        let target = home.deletingLastPathComponent().appendingPathComponent("\(home.lastPathComponent).sock")
+        // The CLI probe is injected, but path resolution must follow a real filesystem symlink.
+        try Data().write(to: target)
+        try FileManager.default.createDirectory(
+            at: socket.deletingLastPathComponent(),
+            withIntermediateDirectories: true)
+        try FileManager.default.createSymbolicLink(at: socket, withDestinationURL: target)
+    }
+
+    private static func version(
+        home: URL, backend: String = "pid", status: String = "running", resolveSocket: Bool = false) -> String
+    {
+        var socket = home.resolvingSymlinksInPath().appendingPathComponent("app-server-control/app-server-control.sock")
+        if resolveSocket { socket = socket.resolvingSymlinksInPath().standardizedFileURL }
         return "{\"status\":\"\(status)\",\"backend\":\"\(backend)\",\"socketPath\":\"\(socket.path)\"}"
     }
 }
diff --git a/docs/codex.md b/docs/codex.md
index 0d9289af12..43ca753b88 100644
--- a/docs/codex.md
+++ b/docs/codex.md
@@ -84,6 +84,9 @@ Usage source picker:
 - After a successful System Account promotion, CodexBar restarts an already-running managed `codex app-server`
   daemon for the destination Codex home so it reloads the selected account. It checks the daemon PID, process command,
   and home-scoped control socket before running `codex app-server daemon restart` with that home's `CODEX_HOME`.
+  Both socket paths are resolved before comparison, including when the Codex home itself is a symlink. Codex's
+  control socket may point outside the home into its protected socket directory; it must match the destination
+  home's resolved socket. A dangling link does not bypass the CLI's running-daemon probe.
   Homes without a running daemon are left alone. If the installed CLI cannot verify or restart it (including older
   CLIs without daemon commands), the account remains switched and the menu/settings show a manual-restart note.
   Restarting the background server can interrupt its active work; no login flow runs.