diff --git a/scripts/plugin-bootstrap.js b/scripts/plugin-bootstrap.js
index 7f50af1..76e88c9 100644
--- a/scripts/plugin-bootstrap.js
+++ b/scripts/plugin-bootstrap.js
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ const crypto = require("crypto");
 const { spawn, spawnSync } = require("child_process");
 
 const { getDataDir, getClaudeHome, getSettingsPath } = require("../server/lib/claude-home");
-const { resolveAllDashboardPorts, getServerInfoPath } = require("../server/lib/server-info");
+const { getServerInfoPath } = require("../server/lib/server-info");
 const { isOurEntry } = require("./install-hooks");
 
 const PLUGIN_ROOT = path.resolve(__dirname, "..");
@@ -66,11 +66,12 @@ function writeState(state, rt = runtimeDir()) {
 
 /** A dashboard server that is actually listening (the discovery file is PID-checked). */
 function serverIsLive() {
-  try {
-    return resolveAllDashboardPorts().length > 0;
-  } catch {
-    return false;
-  }
+  // NOT resolveAllDashboardPorts(): it falls back to [DEFAULT_PORT] when the
+  // discovery file has no live entry (a reasonable guess for the CLI/hook
+  // handler), which would make bootstrap believe a server is already running
+  // when none is. livePids() only counts entries with a PID that is actually
+  // alive.
+  return livePids().length > 0;
 }
 
 /** Hash of the dependency manifest — changes mean the runtime tree must be reinstalled. */
@@ -282,21 +283,28 @@ function installDeps(rt = runtimeDir(), root = PLUGIN_ROOT) {
 /* ------------------------------------------------------------------ server */
 
 /**
- * PIDs of dashboard servers recorded in the discovery file that are still
- * running. Reads the file directly because server-info exposes ports only.
+ * Discovery-file entries whose PID is actually alive right now. Reads the file
+ * directly rather than server-info's `resolveAllDashboardPorts()`, which falls
+ * back to `[DEFAULT_PORT]` when nothing is live — a reasonable guess for the
+ * CLI/hook handler, but wrong here: it would make the bootstrap believe a
+ * server is already running when none is.
  *
- * @returns {number[]}
+ * @returns {{port:number, pid:number}[]}
  */
-function livePids() {
+function liveServers() {
   try {
     const parsed = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(getServerInfoPath(), "utf8"));
     const servers = Array.isArray(parsed.servers) ? parsed.servers : [parsed];
-    return servers.map((s) => s && s.pid).filter((pid) => isPidAlive(pid));
+    return servers.filter((s) => s && isPidAlive(s.pid));
   } catch {
     return [];
   }
 }
 
+function livePids() {
+  return liveServers().map((s) => s.pid);
+}
+
 /**
  * Stop running dashboard servers. Needed after a plugin update: the old server
  * runs from a cache directory Claude Code has already replaced, so it must be
@@ -501,6 +509,8 @@ module.exports = {
   stripLegacyHooks,
   linkCli,
   installDeps,
+  serverIsLive,
+  liveServers,
   livePids,
   stopDashboard,
   startDashboard,
diff --git a/scripts/plugin-doctor.js b/scripts/plugin-doctor.js
index 32c995d..9daf2a5 100644
--- a/scripts/plugin-doctor.js
+++ b/scripts/plugin-doctor.js
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ const path = require("path");
 const boot = require("./plugin-bootstrap");
 const { isOurEntry } = require("./install-hooks");
 const { getSettingsPath, getDataDir } = require("../server/lib/claude-home");
-const { resolveAllDashboardPorts } = require("../server/lib/server-info");
 const { mcpBuildStatus } = require("./check-mcp-build");
 
 const PLUGIN_ROOT = path.resolve(__dirname, "..");
@@ -63,18 +62,12 @@ function diagnose() {
     deps ? path.join(rt, "node_modules") : "missing — run /ccam-update"
   );
 
-  const ports = (() => {
-    try {
-      return resolveAllDashboardPorts();
-    } catch {
-      return [];
-    }
-  })();
+  const live = boot.liveServers();
   add(
-    ports.length ? "ok" : "fail",
+    live.length ? "ok" : "fail",
     "Server",
-    ports.length
-      ? `listening on ${ports.map((p) => `http://localhost:${p}`).join(", ")}`
+    live.length
+      ? `listening on ${live.map((s) => `http://localhost:${s.port}`).join(", ")}`
       : `not running — see ${path.join(rt, "server.log")}`
   );
 
diff --git a/server/__tests__/plugin-bootstrap.test.js b/server/__tests__/plugin-bootstrap.test.js
index 9f16bc7..8af7c8f 100644
--- a/server/__tests__/plugin-bootstrap.test.js
+++ b/server/__tests__/plugin-bootstrap.test.js
@@ -31,6 +31,38 @@ after(() => {
   fs.rmSync(TMP_HOME, { recursive: true, force: true });
 });
 
+describe("serverIsLive", () => {
+  const infoPath = path.join(TMP_HOME, ".agent-dashboard.json");
+
+  beforeEach(() => fs.rmSync(infoPath, { force: true }));
+  after(() => fs.rmSync(infoPath, { force: true }));
+
+  it("is false with no discovery file at all", () => {
+    // Regression: server-info's resolveAllDashboardPorts() falls back to
+    // [DEFAULT_PORT] when nothing is live (a reasonable guess for the CLI),
+    // which made the bootstrap wrongly believe a server was already running
+    // and skip starting its own.
+    assert.equal(boot.serverIsLive(), false);
+  });
+
+  it("is false when every recorded pid is dead", () => {
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      infoPath,
+      JSON.stringify({ servers: [{ port: 4820, pid: 999999, startedAt: "x" }] })
+    );
+    assert.equal(boot.serverIsLive(), false);
+  });
+
+  it("is true when a recorded pid is actually alive", () => {
+    fs.writeFileSync(
+      infoPath,
+      JSON.stringify({ servers: [{ port: 4820, pid: process.pid, startedAt: "x" }] })
+    );
+    assert.equal(boot.serverIsLive(), true);
+    assert.deepEqual(boot.liveServers(), [{ port: 4820, pid: process.pid, startedAt: "x" }]);
+  });
+});
+
 describe("runtime location", () => {
   it("lives under the shared data dir, not the plugin cache", () => {
     assert.equal(boot.runtimeDir(), RT);