diff --git a/apps/memos-local-plugin/adapters/hermes/memos_provider/__init__.py b/apps/memos-local-plugin/adapters/hermes/memos_provider/__init__.py
index fd9d0d827..b94502c67 100644
--- a/apps/memos-local-plugin/adapters/hermes/memos_provider/__init__.py
+++ b/apps/memos-local-plugin/adapters/hermes/memos_provider/__init__.py
@@ -63,8 +63,8 @@
 if str(_PLUGIN_DIR) not in sys.path:
     sys.path.insert(0, str(_PLUGIN_DIR))
 
-from bridge_client import BridgeError, MemosBridgeClient  # noqa: E402
-from daemon_manager import ensure_bridge_running, ensure_viewer_daemon  # noqa: E402
+from bridge_client import BridgeError, MemosBridgeClient, MemosHttpClient  # noqa: E402
+from daemon_manager import ensure_bridge_running, ensure_viewer_daemon, probe_viewer_status, kill_zombie_bridges, startup_lock_active  # noqa: E402
 
 
 try:  # pragma: no cover — host-provided base class, absent in unit tests
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ class MemTensorProvider(MemoryProvider):
     """
 
     def __init__(self) -> None:
-        self._bridge: MemosBridgeClient | None = None
+        self._bridge: MemosBridgeClient | MemosHttpClient | None = None
         self._reconnect_lock = threading.Lock()
         self._session_id: str = ""
         self._episode_id: str = ""
@@ -293,6 +293,23 @@ def is_available(self) -> bool:  # type: ignore[override]
 
     # ─── Lifecycle ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
+    def _connect_http_bridge(self, session_id: str, *, timeout: float = 60.0) -> bool:
+        """Try to connect via HTTP bridge. Sets self._bridge on success."""
+        http_bridge: MemosHttpClient | None = None
+        try:
+            http_bridge = MemosHttpClient()
+            http_bridge.register_host_handler("host.llm.complete", self._handle_host_llm_complete)
+            self._bridge = http_bridge
+            self._open_session(session_id, timeout=timeout)
+            return True
+        except Exception as err:
+            logger.warning("MemOS: HTTP bridge failed, falling back to stdio — %s", err)
+            if http_bridge is not None:
+                with contextlib.suppress(Exception):
+                    http_bridge.close()
+            self._bridge = None
+            return False
+
     def initialize(self, session_id: str, **kwargs: Any) -> None:  # type: ignore[override]
         """Called once at agent startup.
 
@@ -314,34 +331,73 @@ def initialize(self, session_id: str, **kwargs: Any) -> None:  # type: ignore[ov
         except Exception as err:
             logger.warning("MemOS: failed to start bridge — %s", err)
             return
+
+        # Kill zombie bridges from previous sessions before deciding
+        # how to connect.
         try:
-            ensure_viewer_daemon()
-        except Exception as err:
-            logger.warning("MemOS: viewer daemon check failed — %s", err)
-        new_bridge: MemosBridgeClient | None = None
-        try:
-            new_bridge = MemosBridgeClient()
-            # Register the fallback LLM handler BEFORE we open the
-            # session so it is available the very first time the
-            # plugin's facade asks for help (e.g. on the first
-            # `turn.start` retrieval call).
-            new_bridge.register_host_handler(
-                "host.llm.complete",
-                self._handle_host_llm_complete,
-            )
-            self._bridge = new_bridge
-            self._open_session(session_id)
-            logger.info(
-                "MemOS: bridge ready session=%s platform=%s (episode deferred)",
-                self._session_id,
-                self._platform,
-            )
-        except Exception as err:
-            logger.warning("MemOS: bridge init failed — %s", err)
-            if new_bridge is not None:
-                with contextlib.suppress(Exception):
-                    new_bridge.close()
-            self._bridge = None
+            zombies = kill_zombie_bridges()
+            if zombies:
+                logger.info("MemOS: killed %d zombie bridge(s)", zombies)
+        except Exception:
+            pass
+
+        # If the daemon is already running on the viewer port, connect
+        # to it over HTTP instead of spawning a new stdio bridge. This
+        # eliminates zombie bridge accumulation.
+        viewer_status = probe_viewer_status()
+        if viewer_status == "running_memos":
+            if self._connect_http_bridge(session_id):
+                logger.info(
+                    "MemOS: bridge ready (HTTP) session=%s platform=%s (episode deferred)",
+                    self._session_id,
+                    self._platform,
+                )
+            else:
+                viewer_status = "free"  # force stdio fallback below
+        elif viewer_status == "free":
+            # Re-probe after a short wait only when another process may be
+            # mid-startup (startup lock is held). On a cold first-launch the
+            # lock doesn't exist, so we skip the delay entirely.
+            if startup_lock_active():
+                time.sleep(1.0)
+                viewer_status = probe_viewer_status()
+            if viewer_status == "running_memos":
+                if self._connect_http_bridge(session_id):
+                    logger.info(
+                        "MemOS: bridge ready (HTTP, late probe) session=%s platform=%s (episode deferred)",
+                        self._session_id,
+                        self._platform,
+                    )
+
+        if self._bridge is None:
+            try:
+                ensure_viewer_daemon()
+            except Exception as err:
+                logger.warning("MemOS: viewer daemon check failed — %s", err)
+            new_bridge: MemosBridgeClient | None = None
+            try:
+                new_bridge = MemosBridgeClient()
+                # Register the fallback LLM handler BEFORE we open the
+                # session so it is available the very first time the
+                # plugin's facade asks for help (e.g. on the first
+                # `turn.start` retrieval call).
+                new_bridge.register_host_handler(
+                    "host.llm.complete",
+                    self._handle_host_llm_complete,
+                )
+                self._bridge = new_bridge
+                self._open_session(session_id, timeout=60.0)
+                logger.info(
+                    "MemOS: bridge ready (stdio) session=%s platform=%s (episode deferred)",
+                    self._session_id,
+                    self._platform,
+                )
+            except Exception as err:
+                logger.warning("MemOS: bridge init failed — %s", err)
+                if new_bridge is not None:
+                    with contextlib.suppress(Exception):
+                        new_bridge.close()
+                self._bridge = None
         # Register a Hermes plugin hook to capture tool calls as they
         # happen. The `post_tool_call` hook fires after every tool
         # dispatch (write_file, terminal, search_files, etc.) with the
@@ -1746,6 +1802,13 @@ def _reconnect_bridge(self, session_id: str = "", *, timeout: float = 30.0) -> N
                 logger.info("MemOS: old bridge closed (pid=%s)", old_pid)
 
             ensure_bridge_running()
+            # Try HTTP first if daemon is running
+            viewer_status = probe_viewer_status()
+            if viewer_status == "running_memos":
+                if self._connect_http_bridge(session_id, timeout=timeout):
+                    logger.info("MemOS: reconnected via HTTP")
+                    return
+
             try:
                 ensure_viewer_daemon()
             except Exception as err:
diff --git a/apps/memos-local-plugin/adapters/hermes/memos_provider/daemon_manager.py b/apps/memos-local-plugin/adapters/hermes/memos_provider/daemon_manager.py
index 19c8a7be0..4bb67f3f9 100644
--- a/apps/memos-local-plugin/adapters/hermes/memos_provider/daemon_manager.py
+++ b/apps/memos-local-plugin/adapters/hermes/memos_provider/daemon_manager.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 import contextlib
 import logging
 import os
+import re
 import shutil
 import signal
 import subprocess
@@ -304,7 +305,10 @@ def ensure_viewer_daemon(*, probe_only: bool = False) -> bool:
                 logger.warning("MemOS: failed to start viewer daemon — %s", err)
                 return False
 
-            deadline = time.time() + 15.0
+            # 45s is generous for cold Node.js starts (tsx compile + SQLite
+            # open + FTS warmup). Fast probes for the first 15s, then back
+            # off to 2s to avoid hammering a slow-starting daemon.
+            deadline = time.time() + 45.0
             while time.time() < deadline:
                 if _viewer_process.poll() is not None:
                     logger.warning(
@@ -324,8 +328,8 @@ def ensure_viewer_daemon(*, probe_only: bool = False) -> bool:
                         HERMES_VIEWER_PORT,
                     )
                     return False
-                time.sleep(0.5)
-            logger.warning("MemOS: viewer daemon did not become healthy within 15s")
+                time.sleep(0.5 if (deadline - time.time()) > 30 else 2.0)
+            logger.warning("MemOS: viewer daemon did not become healthy within 45s")
             return False
 
 
@@ -336,6 +340,108 @@ def shutdown_bridge() -> None:
         _bridge_ok = None
 
 
+def probe_viewer_status() -> str:
+    """Return the current viewer daemon status without side effects.
+
+    Returns one of: ``"running_memos"``, ``"free"``, ``"blocked"``.
+    This is a cheap, lock-free probe suitable for deciding whether to
+    spawn a new stdio bridge or connect to the existing daemon over HTTP.
+    """
+    return _probe_viewer()
+
+
+def startup_lock_active() -> bool:
+    """Return True when the viewer-start.lock directory exists.
+
+    Used by the provider to skip the cold-start sleep when there is no
+    concurrent daemon launch in progress.
+    """
+    return (_plugin_root() / "daemon" / "viewer-start.lock").exists()
+
+
+def kill_zombie_bridges() -> int:
+    """Kill all bridge.cjs processes that are NOT the daemon on port 18800.
+
+    Returns the number of zombies killed. The daemon (the process that
+    owns port 18800) is left alone. This should be called early in the
+    provider's lifecycle to clean up leftovers from crashed sessions.
+    """
+    # Find the PID that owns port 18800 (the real daemon).
+    # ss(8) is Linux-only; fall back to lsof on macOS.
+    daemon_pid: int | None = None
+    try:
+        ss_out = subprocess.check_output(
+            ["ss", "-tlnp"],
+            timeout=2.0,
+            text=True,
+        )
+        for line in ss_out.splitlines():
+            if ":18800" in line:
+                # ss output: users:(("node",pid=21246,fd=24))
+                m = re.search(r"pid=(\d+)", line)
+                if m:
+                    daemon_pid = int(m.group(1))
+                    break
+    except Exception:
+        pass
+
+    if daemon_pid is None:
+        # macOS fallback — lsof is available on both Linux and macOS.
+        try:
+            lsof_out = subprocess.check_output(
+                ["lsof", "-iTCP:18800", "-sTCP:LISTEN", "-n", "-P"],
+                timeout=2.0,
+                text=True,
+            )
+            for line in lsof_out.splitlines()[1:]:  # skip header
+                parts = line.split()
+                if len(parts) >= 2:
+                    try:
+                        daemon_pid = int(parts[1])
+                        break
+                    except ValueError:
+                        continue
+        except Exception:
+            pass
+
+    # If we still can't identify the daemon PID, skip killing entirely to
+    # avoid terminating the daemon itself.
+    if daemon_pid is None:
+        logger.debug("MemOS: zombie scan skipped — could not identify daemon PID on port 18800")
+        return 0
+
+    # Find all bridge.cjs processes
+    killed = 0
+    try:
+        ps_out = subprocess.check_output(
+            ["ps", "aux"],
+            timeout=2.0,
+            text=True,
+        )
+        for line in ps_out.splitlines():
+            if "bridge.cjs" not in line or "grep" in line:
+                continue
+            parts = line.split()
+            if len(parts) < 2:
+                continue
+            try:
+                pid = int(parts[1])
+            except ValueError:
+                continue
+            if pid == daemon_pid:
+                continue
+            try:
+                os.kill(pid, signal.SIGTERM)
+                killed += 1
+                logger.info("MemOS: killed zombie bridge pid=%d", pid)
+            except (OSError, ProcessLookupError):
+                pass
+    except Exception as err:
+        logger.debug("MemOS: zombie scan failed — %s", err)
+
+    return killed
+
+
 def wait_for_process_exit(pid: int, timeout: float = 5.0) -> bool:
     """Wait for a process to exit.
 
diff --git a/apps/memos-local-plugin/core/capture/capture.ts b/apps/memos-local-plugin/core/capture/capture.ts
index 9d52f749e..85430a551 100644
--- a/apps/memos-local-plugin/core/capture/capture.ts
+++ b/apps/memos-local-plugin/core/capture/capture.ts
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import { extractSteps } from "./step-extractor.js";
 import { createSummarizer, type Summarizer } from "./summarizer.js";
 import { tagsForStep } from "./tagger.js";
 import { extractErrorSignatures } from "./error-signature.js";
+import { RECOVERY_REASONS } from "../pipeline/recovery-constants.js";
 import type {
   CaptureConfig,
   CaptureEvent,
@@ -396,33 +397,47 @@ export function createCaptureRunner(deps: CaptureDeps): CaptureRunner {
     for (const tr of existing) traceByTs.set(tr.ts, tr);
     const orphan = normalized.filter((s) => !traceByTs.has(s.ts));
     if (orphan.length > 0) {
-      log.warn("reflect.orphan_steps", {
-        episodeId: input.episode.id,
-        count: orphan.length,
-        action: "fallback_insert",
-      });
-      // These steps never went through runLite (likely a test path or a
-      // dropped event). Insert them now with reflection=null so the
-      // batch pass below can patch them like the rest.
-      const summStart = now();
-      const { summaries } = await runSummarize(
-        orphan.map((s) => ({
+      // During dirty-reward recovery (recoverDirtyClosedEpisodes), the episode
+      // snapshot is rebuilt from trace_ids_json. Any "orphan" steps here are
+      // artifact mismatches between snapshot timestamps and DB rows — NOT
+      // genuinely missing traces. Inserting them would grow trace_ids_json,
+      // keep reward.traceCount !== traceIds.length, and restart the recovery
+      // loop on every bridge start.
+      if (input.episode.meta?.recoveryReason === RECOVERY_REASONS.DIRTY_REWARD_RESCORE) {
+        log.warn("reflect.orphan_steps_skipped_recovery", {
+          episodeId: input.episode.id,
+          count: orphan.length,
+          reason: "dirty_reward_rescore — skipping insert to break recovery loop",
+        });
+      } else {
+        log.warn("reflect.orphan_steps", {
+          episodeId: input.episode.id,
+          count: orphan.length,
+          action: "fallback_insert",
+        });
+        // These steps never went through runLite (likely a test path or a
+        // dropped event). Insert them now with reflection=null so the
+        // batch pass below can patch them like the rest.
+        const summStart = now();
+        const { summaries } = await runSummarize(
+          orphan.map((s) => ({
+            ...s,
+            reflection: { text: null, alpha: 0, usable: false, source: "none" },
+          })),
+          summStart,
+          llmCalls,
+          warnings,
+          { episodeId: input.episode.id, phase: "reflect" },
+        );
+        const orphanScored: ScoredStep[] = orphan.map((s) => ({
           ...s,
           reflection: { text: null, alpha: 0, usable: false, source: "none" },
-        })),
-        summStart,
-        llmCalls,
-        warnings,
-        { episodeId: input.episode.id, phase: "reflect" },
-      );
-      const orphanScored: ScoredStep[] = orphan.map((s) => ({
-        ...s,
-        reflection: { text: null, alpha: 0, usable: false, source: "none" },
-      }));
-      const { vecs } = await runEmbed(orphanScored, summaries, warnings);
-      const orphanRows = buildRows(orphanScored, summaries, vecs, input.episode);
-      await persistRows(orphanRows, input, warnings);
-      for (const r of orphanRows) traceByTs.set(r.ts, r);
+        }));
+        const { vecs } = await runEmbed(orphanScored, summaries, warnings);
+        const orphanRows = buildRows(orphanScored, summaries, vecs, input.episode);
+        await persistRows(orphanRows, input, warnings);
+        for (const r of orphanRows) traceByTs.set(r.ts, r);
+      }
     }
 
     if (normalized.length === 0) {
diff --git a/apps/memos-local-plugin/core/pipeline/memory-core.ts b/apps/memos-local-plugin/core/pipeline/memory-core.ts
index 4974ee16d..3755805cb 100644
--- a/apps/memos-local-plugin/core/pipeline/memory-core.ts
+++ b/apps/memos-local-plugin/core/pipeline/memory-core.ts
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ import {
 } from "../llm/host-bridge.js";
 
 import { createPipeline } from "./orchestrator.js";
+import { RECOVERY_REASONS } from "./recovery-constants.js";
 import { wrapRetrievalRepos } from "./retrieval-repos.js";
 import type { PipelineDeps, PipelineHandle } from "./types.js";
 import {
@@ -1248,10 +1249,10 @@ export function createMemoryCore(
       handle.repos.episodes.updateMeta(episodeId, {
         closeReason: "finalized",
         recoveredAtStartup: endedAt,
-        recoveryReason: "dirty_reward_rescore",
+        recoveryReason: RECOVERY_REASONS.DIRTY_REWARD_RESCORE,
       });
       const snapshot = snapshotFromRecoveredEpisode(ep, endedAt, {
-        recoveryReason: "dirty_reward_rescore",
+        recoveryReason: RECOVERY_REASONS.DIRTY_REWARD_RESCORE,
       });
       handle.buses.session.emit({
         kind: "episode.finalized",
diff --git a/apps/memos-local-plugin/core/pipeline/recovery-constants.ts b/apps/memos-local-plugin/core/pipeline/recovery-constants.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7ddc0b99c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/memos-local-plugin/core/pipeline/recovery-constants.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+/**
+ * Shared string constants for episode recovery reasons.
+ *
+ * Both `memory-core.ts` (which sets recoveryReason) and `capture.ts`
+ * (which checks it) import from here so a rename can't silently
+ * break the orphan-skip guard.
+ */
+export const RECOVERY_REASONS = {
+  DIRTY_REWARD_RESCORE: "dirty_reward_rescore",
+} as const;
+
+export type RecoveryReason = (typeof RECOVERY_REASONS)[keyof typeof RECOVERY_REASONS];
diff --git a/apps/memos-local-plugin/server/routes/auth.ts b/apps/memos-local-plugin/server/routes/auth.ts
index bb6dc63a4..d8cb1a5fe 100644
--- a/apps/memos-local-plugin/server/routes/auth.ts
+++ b/apps/memos-local-plugin/server/routes/auth.ts
@@ -410,10 +410,27 @@ export function requireSession(
   agent?: string | null,
 ): boolean {
   // Public: auth endpoints + health (so the viewer can tell whether
-  // the backend is up BEFORE unlocking). Other API routes, including
-  // ping, fall through and are only open when no password is configured.
+  // the backend is up BEFORE unlocking). RPC endpoint is exempt for
+  // loopback callers only (local Python adapter, same machine, no
+  // browser session). Remote callers on the hub's 0.0.0.0 binding
+  // must still hold a valid session cookie.
+  //
+  // ASSUMPTION: the server binds directly (no reverse proxy). If a
+  // reverse proxy is ever added, socket.remoteAddress will be the
+  // proxy address and X-Forwarded-For must be consulted instead, or
+  // this loopback exemption will bypass auth for all proxy traffic.
   if (pathname.startsWith("/api/v1/auth/")) return true;
   if (pathname === "/api/v1/health") return true;
+  if (pathname === "/api/v1/rpc") {
+    const remote =
+      (req as unknown as { socket?: { remoteAddress?: string } }).socket
+        ?.remoteAddress ?? "";
+    const isLoopback =
+      remote === "127.0.0.1" ||
+      remote === "::1" ||
+      remote === "::ffff:127.0.0.1";
+    if (isLoopback) return true;
+  }
 
   const state = readAuthState(homeDir);
   if (!state) return true; // password protection off → open
diff --git a/apps/memos-local-plugin/tests/unit/pipeline/memory-core.test.ts b/apps/memos-local-plugin/tests/unit/pipeline/memory-core.test.ts
index 88d5cbbd4..50240cc1c 100644
--- a/apps/memos-local-plugin/tests/unit/pipeline/memory-core.test.ts
+++ b/apps/memos-local-plugin/tests/unit/pipeline/memory-core.test.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import {
   __resetHostLlmBridgeForTests,
   type HostLlmBridge,
 } from "../../../core/llm/index.js";
+import { RECOVERY_REASONS } from "../../../core/pipeline/recovery-constants.js";
 import { makeTmpDb, type TmpDbHandle } from "../../helpers/tmp-db.js";
 import { makeTmpHome, type TmpHomeContext } from "../../helpers/tmp-home.js";
 import { fakeEmbedder } from "../../helpers/fake-embedder.js";
@@ -1363,7 +1364,7 @@ algorithm:
       reward?: { traceCount?: number; traceIds?: string[] };
     };
     expect(meta.rewardDirty).toBeUndefined();
-    expect(meta.recoveryReason).toBe("dirty_reward_rescore");
+    expect(meta.recoveryReason).toBe(RECOVERY_REASONS.DIRTY_REWARD_RESCORE);
     expect(meta.reward?.traceCount).toBe(1);
     expect(meta.reward?.traceIds).toEqual(["tr_dirty"]);
   });
@@ -1452,7 +1453,7 @@ algorithm:
       recoveryReason?: string;
       reward?: { traceCount?: number; traceIds?: string[] };
     };
-    expect(meta.recoveryReason).toBe("dirty_reward_rescore");
+    expect(meta.recoveryReason).toBe(RECOVERY_REASONS.DIRTY_REWARD_RESCORE);
     expect(meta.reward?.traceCount).toBe(1);
     expect(meta.reward?.traceIds).toEqual(["tr_missing_reward"]);
   });