diff --git a/app/src-tauri/build.rs b/app/src-tauri/build.rs
index d860e1e..817559d 100644
--- a/app/src-tauri/build.rs
+++ b/app/src-tauri/build.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,28 @@
+use std::process::Command;
+
+// Stamp the GUI with the same git build id as the bundled daemon so the bridge
+// can detect and restart a stale running daemon. Matches crates/spaceshd/build.rs.
 fn main() {
+    println!("cargo:rustc-env=SPACESH_BUILD={}", git_build());
+    println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed=../../.git/HEAD");
+    println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed=../../.git/index");
     tauri_build::build()
 }
+
+fn git_build() -> String {
+    let sha = Command::new("git")
+        .args(["rev-parse", "--short=12", "HEAD"])
+        .output()
+        .ok()
+        .filter(|o| o.status.success())
+        .map(|o| String::from_utf8_lossy(&o.stdout).trim().to_string())
+        .filter(|s| !s.is_empty());
+    let Some(sha) = sha else { return "dev".into() };
+    let dirty = Command::new("git")
+        .args(["status", "--porcelain"])
+        .output()
+        .ok()
+        .map(|o| !o.stdout.is_empty())
+        .unwrap_or(false);
+    if dirty { format!("{sha}-dirty") } else { sha }
+}
diff --git a/app/src-tauri/src/bridge.rs b/app/src-tauri/src/bridge.rs
index 904941b..4e3c592 100644
--- a/app/src-tauri/src/bridge.rs
+++ b/app/src-tauri/src/bridge.rs
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ impl Bridge {
         let pending: Arc<Mutex<HashMap<u64, oneshot::Sender<Envelope>>>> = Arc::default();
         let out_channels: Arc<Mutex<HashMap<String, Channel<Vec<u8>>>>> = Arc::default();
         let (tx, reader) = spawn_connection(&sock, &app, pending.clone(), out_channels.clone()).await?;
-        Ok(Self {
+        let bridge = Self {
             next_id: AtomicU64::new(1),
             app,
             sock,
@@ -130,7 +130,34 @@ impl Bridge {
             reader: Mutex::new(reader),
             pending,
             out_channels,
-        })
+        };
+        bridge.ensure_matching_daemon().await;
+        Ok(bridge)
+    }
+
+    /// If a previously-running daemon is a different build than the one bundled
+    /// with this GUI (the daemon outlives the GUI, so an old one can still be
+    /// serving the socket), restart it so our matching daemon takes over. No-op
+    /// for unstamped dev builds or when the daemon is too old to report a build.
+    async fn ensure_matching_daemon(&self) {
+        let want = option_env!("SPACESH_BUILD").unwrap_or("dev");
+        if want == "dev" {
+            return;
+        }
+        let got = match self.request(Cmd::Health).await {
+            Ok(env) => data_of(env)
+                .ok()
+                .and_then(|v| v.get("build").and_then(|b| b.as_str()).map(str::to_string))
+                .unwrap_or_default(),
+            Err(_) => return,
+        };
+        if got.is_empty() || got == want {
+            return;
+        }
+        // Stale daemon — stop it and respawn our bundled one (matching code).
+        let seen = self.gen.load(Ordering::Acquire);
+        let _ = self.request(Cmd::Shutdown).await; // daemon exits; reply may not arrive
+        let _ = self.reconnect(seen).await; // ensure_daemon respawns the bundled daemon
     }
 
     /// Re-establish the daemon connection. Single-flight: callers pass the `gen`
diff --git a/app/src/Settings.tsx b/app/src/Settings.tsx
index 37e6807..3f3e07c 100644
--- a/app/src/Settings.tsx
+++ b/app/src/Settings.tsx
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ function DaemonSection({ health, onReload }: { health: DaemonHealth | null; onRe
       <div style={{ fontSize: 12, color: COLORS.textSecondary, marginBottom: 8 }}>Daemon</div>
       <div style={{ fontFamily: FONT.mono, fontSize: 12, color: COLORS.textSecondary, lineHeight: 1.7 }}>
         {health ? (<>
-          <div>version {health.version} · pid {health.pid}</div>
+          <div>version {health.version}{health.build ? ` · ${health.build}` : ""} · pid {health.pid}</div>
           <div>uptime {fmtUptime(health.started_at_ms)}</div>
         </>) : <div>offline</div>}
       </div>
diff --git a/app/src/socketBridge.ts b/app/src/socketBridge.ts
index 5cffde0..9bae7ff 100644
--- a/app/src/socketBridge.ts
+++ b/app/src/socketBridge.ts
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ export async function closeSurfaceCmd(surfaceId: string): Promise<void> {
   await invoke("close_surface", { surfaceId });
 }
 
-export interface DaemonHealth { version: string; pid: number; started_at_ms: number }
+export interface DaemonHealth { version: string; build?: string; pid: number; started_at_ms: number }
 
 export async function getHealth(): Promise<DaemonHealth> {
   return await invoke<DaemonHealth>("health");
diff --git a/crates/spaceshd/build.rs b/crates/spaceshd/build.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bda237d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/spaceshd/build.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+use std::process::Command;
+
+// Stamp the binary with the current git build id so the GUI can detect a stale
+// running daemon (different code) and restart it. Matches app/src-tauri/build.rs.
+fn main() {
+    println!("cargo:rustc-env=SPACESH_BUILD={}", git_build());
+    println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed=../../.git/HEAD");
+    println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed=../../.git/index");
+}
+
+fn git_build() -> String {
+    let sha = Command::new("git")
+        .args(["rev-parse", "--short=12", "HEAD"])
+        .output()
+        .ok()
+        .filter(|o| o.status.success())
+        .map(|o| String::from_utf8_lossy(&o.stdout).trim().to_string())
+        .filter(|s| !s.is_empty());
+    let Some(sha) = sha else { return "dev".into() };
+    let dirty = Command::new("git")
+        .args(["status", "--porcelain"])
+        .output()
+        .ok()
+        .map(|o| !o.stdout.is_empty())
+        .unwrap_or(false);
+    if dirty { format!("{sha}-dirty") } else { sha }
+}
diff --git a/crates/spaceshd/src/server.rs b/crates/spaceshd/src/server.rs
index 04a4bdd..7cb7319 100644
--- a/crates/spaceshd/src/server.rs
+++ b/crates/spaceshd/src/server.rs
@@ -622,6 +622,7 @@ async fn handle_request(
         Cmd::Health => {
             let _ = out.send(ok(id, serde_json::json!({
                 "version": env!("CARGO_PKG_VERSION"),
+                "build": option_env!("SPACESH_BUILD").unwrap_or("dev"),
                 "pid": std::process::id(),
                 "started_at_ms": started_at_ms,
             }))).await;