diff --git a/src/codex/commands.ts b/src/codex/commands.ts
index d9f0ede6..570b710f 100644
--- a/src/codex/commands.ts
+++ b/src/codex/commands.ts
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ export function collectCodexStatus(fsPort: HeadroomFs, paths: LayoutPaths, isRun
     usageSnapshotPath: codexUsageSnapshotPath(),
     usageSnapshotExists: fsPort.readFileUtf8(codexUsageSnapshotPath()) !== undefined,
     logPath: paths.frontdoorLogPath,
-    logExists: fsPort.readFileUtf8(paths.frontdoorLogPath) !== undefined,
+    logExists: fsPort.lstat(paths.frontdoorLogPath) !== undefined,
   };
 }
 
diff --git a/src/frontdoor/server.ts b/src/frontdoor/server.ts
index de02c1d8..4a1147ed 100644
--- a/src/frontdoor/server.ts
+++ b/src/frontdoor/server.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,10 @@ const HEALTH_TIMEOUT_MS = 2_000;
 const HEALTH_START_BUDGET_MS = 5_000;
 const HEALTH_RETRY_MS = 50;
 
+/** How many attempts listenFrontDoor makes to bind preferredPort before falling back to an ephemeral port. */
+const PREFERRED_PORT_MAX_ATTEMPTS = 6;
+const PREFERRED_PORT_RETRY_MS = 50;
+
 /** A front-door listener: plain HTTP for the direct listener only headroom reaches, HTTPS for the provider listener every provider session's child connects to. */
 export type FrontDoorServer = http.Server | https.Server;
 
@@ -166,17 +170,26 @@ export async function listenFrontDoor(server: FrontDoorServer, options: Readonly
         resolve(bound);
       });
     });
-  let bound: number;
-  if (preferredPort !== undefined) {
-    try {
-      bound = await tryListen(preferredPort);
-    } catch {
-      // The sticky port was taken between generations; any free port will do, and the supervisor logs the move.
-      bound = await tryListen(0);
+  const bindListener = async (): Promise<number> => {
+    if (preferredPort === undefined) {
+      return await tryListen(0);
     }
-  } else {
-    bound = await tryListen(0);
-  }
+    for (let attempt = 1; attempt <= PREFERRED_PORT_MAX_ATTEMPTS; attempt += 1) {
+      try {
+        return await tryListen(preferredPort);
+      } catch {
+        if (attempt === PREFERRED_PORT_MAX_ATTEMPTS) {
+          // The sticky port was taken between generations; any free port will do, and the supervisor logs the move.
+          return await tryListen(0);
+        }
+        await new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+          setTimeout(resolve, PREFERRED_PORT_RETRY_MS);
+        });
+      }
+    }
+    return await tryListen(0);
+  };
+  const bound = await bindListener();
   options.onBound?.(bound);
   if (options.onError !== undefined) {
     server.on("error", options.onError);
diff --git a/src/frontdoor/status.ts b/src/frontdoor/status.ts
index c0ddb327..ad3632a7 100644
--- a/src/frontdoor/status.ts
+++ b/src/frontdoor/status.ts
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ export function collectFrontDoorStatus(fsPort: HeadroomFs, socketTrust: Headroom
     sessions: listFrontDoorSessions(fsPort, paths.frontdoorSessionsDir).map((session) => ({ ...session, alive: isRunning(session.pid) })),
     headroomSocket: headroomSocketTarget(fsPort, socketTrust, paths),
     logPath: paths.frontdoorLogPath,
-    logExists: fsPort.readFileUtf8(paths.frontdoorLogPath) !== undefined,
+    logExists: fsPort.lstat(paths.frontdoorLogPath) !== undefined,
   };
 }
 
diff --git a/src/headroom/commands.ts b/src/headroom/commands.ts
index 25c96308..61102f3f 100644
--- a/src/headroom/commands.ts
+++ b/src/headroom/commands.ts
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ export function collectHeadroomStatus(fsPort: HeadroomFs, paths: LayoutPaths, pr
     settings,
     settingsDrifted: state.settingsHash !== undefined && state.settingsHash !== hashSettings(settings),
     logPath: paths.headroomLogPath,
-    logExists: fsPort.readFileUtf8(paths.headroomLogPath) !== undefined,
+    logExists: fsPort.lstat(paths.headroomLogPath) !== undefined,
   };
 }
 
diff --git a/src/headroom/state.ts b/src/headroom/state.ts
index 58317577..3e8c7017 100644
--- a/src/headroom/state.ts
+++ b/src/headroom/state.ts
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ export type HeadroomState = z.infer<typeof HeadroomStateSchema>;
 /** The filesystem operations headroom coordination needs: the same shape as `FarmFs`, injected so every decision over state, sessions, and the start lock runs against an in-memory fake in tests. */
 export type HeadroomFs = Pick<
   FarmFs,
-  "mkdirp" | "mkdirPrivate" | "readFileUtf8" | "writeFileUtf8" | "writeFilePrivate" | "writeFileExclusive" | "readdir" | "removeRecursive"
+  "lstat" | "mkdirp" | "mkdirPrivate" | "readFileUtf8" | "writeFileUtf8" | "writeFilePrivate" | "writeFileExclusive" | "readdir" | "removeRecursive"
 >;
 
 /**