diff --git a/crates/fbuild-cli/src/cli/serial_probe.rs b/crates/fbuild-cli/src/cli/serial_probe.rs
index a107050a8..89e14ec59 100644
--- a/crates/fbuild-cli/src/cli/serial_probe.rs
+++ b/crates/fbuild-cli/src/cli/serial_probe.rs
@@ -232,12 +232,14 @@ fn read_port(port_name: &str, baud: u32, seconds: f64, send: Option<&str>) -> Re
         .timeout(Duration::from_millis(100))
         .open()
         .map_err(|e| FbuildError::SerialError(format!("open `{port_name}` @ {baud}: {e}")))?;
-    handle
-        .write_data_terminal_ready(dtr)
-        .map_err(|e| FbuildError::SerialError(format!("set DTR={dtr} on `{port_name}`: {e}")))?;
+    // RTS before DTR: clearing DTR first passes through (DTR=0, RTS=1),
+    // which resets ESP USB-Serial-JTAG chips (FastLED/fbuild#1617).
     handle
         .write_request_to_send(rts)
         .map_err(|e| FbuildError::SerialError(format!("set RTS={rts} on `{port_name}`: {e}")))?;
+    handle
+        .write_data_terminal_ready(dtr)
+        .map_err(|e| FbuildError::SerialError(format!("set DTR={dtr} on `{port_name}`: {e}")))?;
 
     output::progress(format!(
         "probe read: port={port_name} baud={baud} family={family:?} \
diff --git a/crates/fbuild-serial/src/esp_reset.rs b/crates/fbuild-serial/src/esp_reset.rs
index 75407b6c7..63d5578b3 100644
--- a/crates/fbuild-serial/src/esp_reset.rs
+++ b/crates/fbuild-serial/src/esp_reset.rs
@@ -77,6 +77,25 @@ impl<T: serialport::SerialPort + ?Sized> DtrRtsControl for T {
     }
 }
 
+/// Drive a freshly opened port to its idle `(dtr, rts)` state.
+///
+/// The OS asserts DTR=1, RTS=1 on open. RTS is written first: clearing
+/// DTR first would pass through `(DTR=0, RTS=1)`, which the ESP
+/// USB-Serial-JTAG reads as "hold the chip in reset" and releases into a
+/// reboot (on the ESP32-P4 a full USB re-enumeration). Going via
+/// `(DTR=1, RTS=0)` only sets the boot strap (FastLED/fbuild#1617).
+/// Failures are logged and ignored — some adapters reject control-line
+/// writes but the port is still usable.
+pub fn apply_idle_control_lines<P: DtrRtsControl + ?Sized>(port: &mut P, dtr: bool, rts: bool) {
+    if let Err(e) = port.write_request_to_send(rts) {
+        tracing::warn!("failed to set RTS={rts}: {e}");
+    }
+    if let Err(e) = port.write_data_terminal_ready(dtr) {
+        tracing::warn!("failed to set DTR={dtr}: {e}");
+    }
+    tracing::debug!("open-time idle lines applied: RTS={rts} then DTR={dtr}");
+}
+
 /// Hold time for the RTS=high (EN=low) pulse, in milliseconds.
 ///
 /// Matches `esptool`'s classic-hardware `hard_reset` timing: long enough to
@@ -250,6 +269,23 @@ mod tests {
         }
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn idle_lines_clear_rts_before_dtr() {
+        let mut port = RecordedPort::default();
+        apply_idle_control_lines(&mut port, false, false);
+        assert_eq!(port.events, vec![("RTS", false), ("DTR", false)]);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn idle_lines_still_set_dtr_when_rts_write_fails() {
+        let mut port = RecordedPort {
+            fail_on: Some("rts"),
+            ..RecordedPort::default()
+        };
+        apply_idle_control_lines(&mut port, true, true);
+        assert_eq!(port.events, vec![("DTR", true)]);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn esp_hard_reset_emits_canonical_sequence() {
         let mut port = RecordedPort::default();
diff --git a/crates/fbuild-serial/src/manager.rs b/crates/fbuild-serial/src/manager.rs
index a53286eee..585d29413 100644
--- a/crates/fbuild-serial/src/manager.rs
+++ b/crates/fbuild-serial/src/manager.rs
@@ -248,20 +248,7 @@ impl SharedSerialManager {
                 let (dtr, rts) = family_for_open
                     .map(|f| f.idle_dtr_rts())
                     .unwrap_or((true, true));
-                match serial.write_data_terminal_ready(dtr) {
-                    Ok(()) => tracing::debug!(
-                        family = ?family_for_open,
-                        "manager: open-time DTR={dtr} asserted"
-                    ),
-                    Err(e) => tracing::warn!("failed to set DTR={dtr}: {}", e),
-                }
-                match serial.write_request_to_send(rts) {
-                    Ok(()) => tracing::debug!(
-                        family = ?family_for_open,
-                        "manager: open-time RTS={rts} asserted"
-                    ),
-                    Err(e) => tracing::warn!("failed to set RTS={rts}: {}", e),
-                }
+                crate::esp_reset::apply_idle_control_lines(serial.as_mut(), dtr, rts);
                 Ok(serial)
             })
             .await;
@@ -1214,20 +1201,7 @@ impl SharedSerialManager {
                 let mut serial = serialport::new(&port_for_open, baud_rate)
                     .timeout(SERIAL_READ_TIMEOUT)
                     .open()?;
-                match serial.write_data_terminal_ready(dtr) {
-                    Ok(()) => tracing::debug!(
-                        family = ?family_for_open,
-                        "manager: open-time DTR={dtr} asserted"
-                    ),
-                    Err(e) => tracing::warn!("failed to set DTR: {}", e),
-                }
-                match serial.write_request_to_send(rts) {
-                    Ok(()) => tracing::debug!(
-                        family = ?family_for_open,
-                        "manager: open-time RTS={rts} asserted"
-                    ),
-                    Err(e) => tracing::warn!("failed to set RTS: {}", e),
-                }
+                crate::esp_reset::apply_idle_control_lines(serial.as_mut(), dtr, rts);
                 Ok(serial)
             })
             .await;