diff --git a/apps/ade-cli/src/serviceManager/common.ts b/apps/ade-cli/src/serviceManager/common.ts
index 23c231b05..e0b0a5ed1 100644
--- a/apps/ade-cli/src/serviceManager/common.ts
+++ b/apps/ade-cli/src/serviceManager/common.ts
@@ -261,9 +261,12 @@ export async function terminatePidGracefullyAsync(
   const deadline = Date.now() + (deps.graceTimeoutMs ?? 1_500);
   while (Date.now() < deadline) {
     if (!pidAlive(pid)) return;
+    // This timer is awaited: it must stay referenced, or a standalone CLI
+    // (e.g. `ade serve --install-service` repairing a wedged brain) can run
+    // out of referenced work and exit before the SIGKILL escalation and the
+    // subsequent `launchctl load` ever happen.
     await new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
-      const timer = setTimeout(resolve, 50);
-      timer.unref?.();
+      setTimeout(resolve, 50);
     });
   }
   try {
diff --git a/apps/ade-cli/src/serviceManager/installLaunchd.ts b/apps/ade-cli/src/serviceManager/installLaunchd.ts
index 7da721e50..252fa63ff 100644
--- a/apps/ade-cli/src/serviceManager/installLaunchd.ts
+++ b/apps/ade-cli/src/serviceManager/installLaunchd.ts
@@ -211,9 +211,11 @@ function pidAlive(pid: number): boolean {
 }
 
 async function sleepAsync(ms: number): Promise<void> {
+  // Awaited lifecycle delays must stay referenced: in a standalone CLI the
+  // handover polling can be the only pending work, and an unref'd timer lets
+  // the process exit mid-repair (before SIGKILL escalation / launchctl load).
   await new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
-    const timer = setTimeout(resolve, ms);
-    timer.unref?.();
+    setTimeout(resolve, ms);
   });
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/ade-cli/src/services/account/accountAuthService.ts b/apps/ade-cli/src/services/account/accountAuthService.ts
index f6863a097..23a662c9b 100644
--- a/apps/ade-cli/src/services/account/accountAuthService.ts
+++ b/apps/ade-cli/src/services/account/accountAuthService.ts
@@ -1817,21 +1817,22 @@ export function createAccountAuthService(args: {
           return refreshed.accessToken;
         })().finally(() => {
           clearTimeout(envSharedTimer);
+          // Single-flight must be released by the SHARED exchange settling,
+          // never by an individual caller aborting out of the join below —
+          // otherwise a second caller starts a competing OAuth exchange with
+          // the same rotating refresh token.
+          if (envRefreshInFlight === refreshPromise) envRefreshInFlight = null;
         });
         envRefreshInFlight = refreshPromise;
       }
       const refreshPromise = envRefreshInFlight;
-      try {
-        // Race the caller's own signal; the shared exchange keeps running for
-        // every other caller when this one aborts.
-        return await runWithAbortSignal(
-          () => refreshPromise,
-          signal ?? undefined,
-          "The account token request was aborted.",
-        );
-      } finally {
-        if (envRefreshInFlight === refreshPromise) envRefreshInFlight = null;
-      }
+      // Race the caller's own signal; the shared exchange keeps running for
+      // every other caller when this one aborts.
+      return await runWithAbortSignal(
+        () => refreshPromise,
+        signal ?? undefined,
+        "The account token request was aborted.",
+      );
     }
 
     if (!record?.accessToken || !record.userId) {
@@ -1879,7 +1880,7 @@ export function createAccountAuthService(args: {
             token = await postTokenForm({
               fetchImpl,
               tokenUrl: `${config.issuer}/oauth/token`,
-              signal,
+              signal: sharedSignal,
               body: {
                 grant_type: "refresh_token",
                 refresh_token: refreshRecord.refreshToken!,