diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index 1e89a8e..dc1af64 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -235,6 +235,10 @@ the finished AI readable link as JSON, with no clicks, prompts, or clipboard use
   `chrome.exe` and still honor the flag), leaves the flag out, and asks for Load unpacked. On
   Chrome, `-Status` checks only the occlusion flag; `--ping` is the real check.
   `test/native-host.test.mjs` covers this with stand-in exes, through `-ShowLaunchArgs`.
+- **Load a rebuilt `dist/` with `--reload`, not a browser restart.** After
+  `npm run build:extension`, `node scripts/sourcecapsule-capture.mjs --reload` asks the worker to
+  call `chrome.runtime.reload()`, then pings until the fresh worker's host answers. An extension
+  built before this action answers `unknown_action`; that build needs one reload by hand.
 - **The host must not outlive its browser.** Node inherits the browser's stdio through the
   `.cmd`, and the host exits on stdin end/close/error or a failed stdout write
   (`test/native-host.test.mjs` covers the stdin case). Without that, a killed browser left an
diff --git a/extension-src/background.js b/extension-src/background.js
index d871fa0..98cb463 100644
--- a/extension-src/background.js
+++ b/extension-src/background.js
@@ -266,6 +266,13 @@ async function handleAutomationRequest(request) {
       extensionId: chrome.runtime.id,
     };
   }
+  if (request.action === 'reload') {
+    // Reply first: chrome.runtime.reload() tears down this worker and its native port, and
+    // the fresh worker reconnects to a new host on start. Loads a rebuilt dist/ without a
+    // browser restart.
+    setTimeout(() => chrome.runtime.reload(), 500);
+    return { ok: true, reloading: true, extensionVersion: chrome.runtime.getManifest().version };
+  }
   if (request.action === 'capture-share') return captureShare(request);
   return { ok: false, error: 'unknown_action', message: `Unsupported action: ${request.action}` };
 }
diff --git a/scripts/sourcecapsule-capture.mjs b/scripts/sourcecapsule-capture.mjs
index 4ecdbd7..e6eb020 100644
--- a/scripts/sourcecapsule-capture.mjs
+++ b/scripts/sourcecapsule-capture.mjs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 // Unattended SourceCapsule capture.
 //
 //   node scripts/sourcecapsule-capture.mjs --url "https://x.com/handle/status/123" --json
+//   node scripts/sourcecapsule-capture.mjs --reload   (load a rebuilt dist/ without a restart)
 //
 // Structured JSON goes to stdout, progress and diagnostics to stderr, nonzero exit on
 // failure. The CLI never touches X itself: it hands the URL to the extension through the
@@ -20,6 +21,8 @@ const PIPE = process.env.SOURCECAPSULE_PIPE || DEFAULT_PIPE;
 const DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MS = 5 * 60 * 1000;
 const CONNECT_RETRIES = 3;
 const CONNECT_RETRY_DELAY_MS = 750;
+// A reloaded worker reconnects at start; the 30s reconnect alarm is the backstop.
+const RELOAD_WAIT_MS = 45000;
 
 // Only a canonical post permalink is accepted. Anything else (search pages, profiles,
 // redirect shorteners) would either fail downstream or capture the wrong thing.
@@ -46,6 +49,7 @@ function parseArgs(argv) {
     if (arg === '--json') args.json = true;
     else if (arg === '--url') args.url = argv[++i];
     else if (arg === '--ping') args.ping = true;
+    else if (arg === '--reload') args.reload = true;
     else if (arg === '--timeout') {
       const seconds = numericValue('--timeout', argv[++i]);
       if (seconds < 1 || seconds > MAX_TIMEOUT_SECONDS) {
@@ -182,6 +186,42 @@ async function main() {
     return reply.ok ? 0 : 1;
   }
 
+  if (args.reload) {
+    progress('asking the extension to reload itself');
+    const ask = await request({ id, action: 'reload', timeoutMs: 15000 }, 15000);
+    if (!ask.ok) {
+      if (ask.error === 'unknown_action') {
+        ask.message =
+          'The running extension predates --reload. Reload it once from brave://extensions (or restart with the launcher); later builds can reload themselves.';
+      }
+      process.stdout.write(`${JSON.stringify(ask, null, 2)}\n`);
+      return 1;
+    }
+    // The old worker and its host go away; the new worker starts its own host. Wait for it.
+    const deadline = Date.now() + RELOAD_WAIT_MS;
+    let lastError;
+    await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 1500));
+    while (Date.now() < deadline) {
+      try {
+        const pong = await request({ id: `${id}-p`, action: 'ping', timeoutMs: 5000 }, 5000);
+        if (pong.ok) {
+          progress('extension reloaded and answering');
+          process.stdout.write(`${JSON.stringify({ ...pong, reloaded: true }, null, 2)}\n`);
+          return 0;
+        }
+        lastError = new Error(pong.message || pong.error);
+      } catch (error) {
+        lastError = error;
+      }
+      await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 1000));
+    }
+    throw new Error(
+      `The extension did not answer within ${RELOAD_WAIT_MS / 1000}s of reloading: ${
+        lastError ? lastError.message : 'no reply'
+      }`
+    );
+  }
+
   const canonical = canonicalXUrl(args.url);
   if (!canonical) {
     throw new Error(
diff --git a/test/native-host.test.mjs b/test/native-host.test.mjs
index 71a285d..304e296 100644
--- a/test/native-host.test.mjs
+++ b/test/native-host.test.mjs
@@ -259,6 +259,38 @@ async function cliChecks() {
   }
   console.log('ok  CLI fails fast when the host closes mid-request');
 
+  // --reload asks once, then waits for a worker to answer ping. A fake host answers both.
+  const reloadPipe = String.raw`\\.\pipe\sourcecapsule-reload-` + process.pid;
+  const asked = [];
+  let supportsReload = true;
+  const fakeHost = net.createServer((socket) => {
+    socket.setEncoding('utf8');
+    socket.once('data', (line) => {
+      const message = JSON.parse(line);
+      asked.push(message.action);
+      const reply =
+        message.action === 'reload' && !supportsReload
+          ? { id: message.id, ok: false, error: 'unknown_action' }
+          : { id: message.id, ok: true, extensionVersion: 'test' };
+      socket.end(`${JSON.stringify(reply)}\n`);
+    });
+  });
+  await new Promise((resolve) => fakeHost.listen(reloadPipe, resolve));
+  try {
+    const reloaded = await runCli(['--reload'], reloadPipe);
+    assert.equal(reloaded.code, 0, `--reload exit code (stderr: ${reloaded.stderr})`);
+    assert.deepEqual(asked, ['reload', 'ping']);
+    assert.equal(JSON.parse(reloaded.stdout).reloaded, true);
+
+    supportsReload = false;
+    const old = await runCli(['--reload'], reloadPipe);
+    assert.equal(old.code, 1);
+    assert.match(JSON.parse(old.stdout).message, /brave:\/\/extensions/);
+  } finally {
+    fakeHost.close();
+  }
+  console.log('ok  --reload waits for the reloaded extension and explains an old build');
+
   // Bad numeric flags are a usage error before any connection is attempted. Number('5m')
   // is NaN, and a NaN timer fires immediately, so a typo used to look like a host timeout.
   const noPipe = String.raw`\\.\pipe\sourcecapsule-absent-` + process.pid;