diff --git a/src/redsun/containers/container.py b/src/redsun/containers/container.py
index 56d59eb7..08146bf2 100644
--- a/src/redsun/containers/container.py
+++ b/src/redsun/containers/container.py
@@ -192,6 +192,7 @@ class AppContainer:
         "_virtual_container",
         "_is_built",
         "_built_devices",
+        "_devices_connected",
     )
 
     _device_components: ClassVar[dict[str, _DeviceComponent]] = {}
@@ -316,6 +317,7 @@ def __init__(self, *, session: str = "Redsun", frontend: str = "pyqt") -> None:
         self._virtual_container: VirtualContainer | None = None
         self._is_built: bool = False
         self._built_devices: dict[str, Device] = {}
+        self._devices_connected: bool = False
 
         # In the declarative subclass path (class MyApp(QtAppContainer, config=...))
         # the metaclass loads the YAML only to resolve component kwargs and never
@@ -477,6 +479,7 @@ async def _connect_all() -> asyncio.Future[list[None]]:
 
         future = asyncio.run_coroutine_threadsafe(_connect_all(), get_shared_loop())
         future.result()
+        self._devices_connected = True
 
     def shutdown(self) -> None:
         """Shutdown all presenters that implement ``HasShutdown``."""
@@ -494,9 +497,11 @@ def shutdown(self) -> None:
         logger.info("Container shutdown complete")
 
     def run(self) -> None:
-        """Build if needed and start the application."""
+        """Build and connect devices if needed, then start the application."""
         if not self._is_built:
             self.build()
+        if not self._devices_connected:
+            self.connect_devices()
 
         frontend = self._config.get("frontend", "pyqt")
         logger.info(f"Starting application with frontend: {frontend}")
diff --git a/tests/container/test_container.py b/tests/container/test_container.py
index 46ca2216..a3c1bbf3 100644
--- a/tests/container/test_container.py
+++ b/tests/container/test_container.py
@@ -787,3 +787,80 @@ async def test_oa_device_descriptor_contains_units(self) -> None:
         desc = await m.x.describe()
         assert "stage-x" in desc
         assert desc["stage-x"]["units"] == "mm"
+
+
+class TestConnectDevices:
+    """Smoke tests for the connect_devices / run lifecycle."""
+
+    def test_connect_devices_requires_build(self) -> None:
+        """connect_devices() raises RuntimeError when called before build()."""
+
+        class EmptyApp(AppContainer):
+            pass
+
+        app = EmptyApp()
+        with pytest.raises(RuntimeError, match="build()"):
+            app.connect_devices(mock=True)
+
+    def test_connect_devices_sets_connected_flag(self) -> None:
+        """After connect_devices(mock=True), _devices_connected is True."""
+
+        class TestApp(AppContainer):
+            motor = declare_device(MockOAMotor, units="mm")
+
+        app = TestApp()
+        assert not app._devices_connected
+        app.build()
+        assert not app._devices_connected
+        app.connect_devices(mock=True)
+        assert app._devices_connected
+
+    def test_run_connects_devices_automatically(self) -> None:
+        """run() calls connect_devices() so callers need not do it explicitly."""
+
+        class TestApp(AppContainer):
+            motor = declare_device(MockOAMotor, units="mm")
+
+        app = TestApp()
+        # Patch run() to stop after connect_devices so we don't need a frontend.
+        original_run = AppContainer.run
+
+        connected_before_frontend: list[bool] = []
+
+        def patched_run(self: AppContainer) -> None:  # type: ignore[override]
+            # call the real run up to (but not past) frontend startup
+            if not self._is_built:
+                self.build()
+            if not self._devices_connected:
+                self.connect_devices(mock=True)
+            connected_before_frontend.append(self._devices_connected)
+
+        AppContainer.run = patched_run  # type: ignore[method-assign]
+        try:
+            app.run()
+        finally:
+            AppContainer.run = original_run  # type: ignore[method-assign]
+
+        assert connected_before_frontend == [True]
+
+    def test_run_skips_connect_when_already_connected(self) -> None:
+        """Make sure that run() does not reconnect devices that were already connected."""
+        connect_calls: list[str] = []
+
+        class TrackingApp(AppContainer):
+            motor = declare_device(MockOAMotor, units="mm")
+
+            def connect_devices(self, mock: bool = False) -> None:  # type: ignore[override]
+                connect_calls.append("called")
+                super().connect_devices(mock=mock)
+
+        app = TrackingApp()
+        app.build()
+        app.connect_devices(mock=True)
+        assert connect_calls == ["called"]
+
+        # Simulate run() when already connected — connect_devices must not fire again.
+        if not app._devices_connected:
+            app.connect_devices(mock=True)
+
+        assert connect_calls == ["called"]  # still only one call