diff --git a/.kilo_workflow/learnings/maestro-remote-exit-flow.md b/.kilo_workflow/learnings/maestro-remote-exit-flow.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9017d4ecf61
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.kilo_workflow/learnings/maestro-remote-exit-flow.md
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+# Driving remote `/exit` on iOS via Maestro (remote-cli E2E)
+
+Learned 2026-07-28 during plan 1.7 (Defect A) round r3 verification.
+
+1. **`hideKeyboard` fails in the chat composer.** Maestro reports "Couldn't hide
+   the keyboard... app uses a custom input". Omit `hideKeyboard`; the "Send
+   message" button sits above the keyboard and the tap lands fine (contrast
+   with `maestro-tap-swallowed-by-ios-keyboard.md`, which covers taps *under*
+   the keyboard window).
+2. **Exact-typed `/exit` does not exit immediately.** The app shows a native
+   confirmation dialog "Exit session?" with buttons "Exit session" and
+   "Keep session running" ("This stops the running session but keeps its
+   history."). A flow must tap "Exit session" before asserting the
+   "Session exited" success toast.
+3. **`inputText: "/exit"` lands as `/exit ` (trailing space)** — the slash
+   suggestion UI commits a trailing space. Harmless: the composer parser
+   trims input before matching, so it still routes to `exit-session`.
+4. **Selecting a remote CLI instance collapses the new-session form** to just
+   "Run on" + "Start session" (`RemoteSpawnComposer`): model / mode / repo /
+   prompt are hidden by design, so no model selection or prompt typing step
+   exists for remote CLI spawns. The session composer later shows the CLI's
+   own model (observed "Auto Efficient").
+5. **Instance row label format**: the Run-on sheet rows are
+   `<Host> on <worktree>` (e.g. `Igor-MacBook.local on remote-cli-69f6`)
+   while the collapsed form value is `Run on: <Host> · <worktree>` (`·`
+   separator). Maestro `text:` matching is full-string — match the exact
+   label including the separator.
+6. After a successful exit the app routes to the Agents tab; the exited
+   session stays listed ("... from CLI" row). Assert "New session" visible +
+   `assertNotVisible` "Session owner changed" and "Try again" to prove the
+   Defect-A regression is gone.
diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/app/(app)/agent-chat/instance-picker.tsx b/apps/mobile/src/app/(app)/agent-chat/instance-picker.tsx
index 8cda6869ddc..36e33b777e2 100644
--- a/apps/mobile/src/app/(app)/agent-chat/instance-picker.tsx
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/app/(app)/agent-chat/instance-picker.tsx
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ export default function InstancePickerScreen() {
               icon={Server}
               placement="top"
               title="No CLI instances connected"
-              description="Run `kilo remote` in a project on your computer to connect one."
+              description="Run `kilo remote` in a project on your computer, or update Kilo CLI if one is already running."
               action={
                 <Button
                   variant="outline"
diff --git a/services/session-ingest/src/dos/UserConnectionDO.test.ts b/services/session-ingest/src/dos/UserConnectionDO.test.ts
index e2f3863a3eb..5f6ac2017c1 100644
--- a/services/session-ingest/src/dos/UserConnectionDO.test.ts
+++ b/services/session-ingest/src/dos/UserConnectionDO.test.ts
@@ -3045,6 +3045,171 @@ describe('UserConnectionDO', () => {
 
       expect(parseSent(webWs)).toEqual({ type: 'response', id: 'cmd-1', result });
     });
+
+    it('resolves exit_cli successfully when heartbeat drops the session', () => {
+      const { doInstance, mockCtx } = setup();
+      const cliWs = addCliSocket(mockCtx, 'cli-1');
+      const webWs = addWebSocket(mockCtx, 'web-1');
+
+      sendHeartbeat(doInstance, cliWs, [makeSession('s1')]);
+      cliWs.send.mockClear();
+      webWs.send.mockClear();
+      sendCommand(doInstance, webWs, {
+        id: 'cmd-1',
+        command: 'exit_cli',
+        sessionId: 's1',
+        connectionId: 'cli-1',
+        data: { protocolVersion: 1 },
+      });
+      const correlationId = getCorrelationId(cliWs);
+      webWs.send.mockClear();
+
+      // Exit's own effect: CLI heartbeat no longer lists the session.
+      sendHeartbeat(doInstance, cliWs, []);
+
+      expect(allSent(webWs).find(m => m.type === 'response' && m.id === 'cmd-1')).toEqual({
+        type: 'response',
+        id: 'cmd-1',
+        result: {},
+      });
+      expect(
+        allSent(webWs).some(
+          m =>
+            m.type === 'response' &&
+            m.id === 'cmd-1' &&
+            isRecord(m.error) &&
+            m.error.code === 'SESSION_OWNER_CHANGED'
+        )
+      ).toBe(false);
+
+      // CLI's late ACK must not produce a second cmd-1 response.
+      const responsesBeforeLateAck = allSent(webWs).filter(
+        m => m.type === 'response' && m.id === 'cmd-1'
+      ).length;
+      sendCliResponse(doInstance, cliWs, { id: correlationId, result: {} });
+      expect(allSent(webWs).filter(m => m.type === 'response' && m.id === 'cmd-1')).toHaveLength(
+        responsesBeforeLateAck
+      );
+    });
+
+    it('resolves exit_cli successfully when the owning socket closes', async () => {
+      const { doInstance, mockCtx } = setup();
+      const cliWs = addCliSocket(mockCtx, 'cli-1');
+      const webWs = addWebSocket(mockCtx, 'web-1');
+
+      sendHeartbeat(doInstance, cliWs, [makeSession('s1')]);
+      sendCommand(doInstance, webWs, {
+        id: 'cmd-1',
+        command: 'exit_cli',
+        sessionId: 's1',
+        connectionId: 'cli-1',
+        data: { protocolVersion: 1 },
+      });
+      webWs.send.mockClear();
+
+      mockCtx.removeSocket(cliWs);
+      await disconnectCli(doInstance, cliWs);
+
+      expect(parseSent(webWs)).toEqual({
+        type: 'response',
+        id: 'cmd-1',
+        result: {},
+      });
+    });
+
+    it.each(['list_models', 'send_message'] as const)(
+      'still fails %s with SESSION_OWNER_CHANGED when heartbeat drops the session',
+      command => {
+        const { doInstance, mockCtx } = setup();
+        const cliWs = addCliSocket(mockCtx, 'cli-1');
+        const webWs = addWebSocket(mockCtx, 'web-1');
+
+        sendHeartbeat(doInstance, cliWs, [makeSession('s1')]);
+        cliWs.send.mockClear();
+        webWs.send.mockClear();
+        sendCommand(doInstance, webWs, {
+          id: 'cmd-1',
+          command,
+          sessionId: 's1',
+          connectionId: 'cli-1',
+        });
+        webWs.send.mockClear();
+
+        sendHeartbeat(doInstance, cliWs, []);
+
+        expect(allSent(webWs).find(m => m.type === 'response' && m.id === 'cmd-1')).toEqual({
+          type: 'response',
+          id: 'cmd-1',
+          error: {
+            source: 'relay',
+            code: 'SESSION_OWNER_CHANGED',
+            message: 'Session owner changed',
+          },
+        });
+      }
+    );
+
+    it('still fails exit_cli with SESSION_OWNER_CHANGED on genuine takeover', () => {
+      const { doInstance, mockCtx } = setup();
+      const firstOwner = addCliSocket(mockCtx, 'cli-1');
+      const nextOwner = addCliSocket(mockCtx, 'cli-2');
+      const webWs = addWebSocket(mockCtx, 'web-1');
+
+      sendHeartbeat(doInstance, firstOwner, [makeSession('s1')]);
+      sendHeartbeat(doInstance, nextOwner, []);
+      firstOwner.send.mockClear();
+      webWs.send.mockClear();
+      sendCommand(doInstance, webWs, {
+        id: 'cmd-1',
+        command: 'exit_cli',
+        sessionId: 's1',
+        connectionId: 'cli-1',
+        data: { protocolVersion: 1 },
+      });
+      webWs.send.mockClear();
+
+      sendHeartbeat(doInstance, nextOwner, [makeSession('s1')]);
+
+      expect(allSent(webWs).find(m => m.type === 'response' && m.id === 'cmd-1')).toEqual({
+        type: 'response',
+        id: 'cmd-1',
+        error: {
+          source: 'relay',
+          code: 'SESSION_OWNER_CHANGED',
+          message: 'Session owner changed',
+        },
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('still fails exit_cli with SESSION_OWNER_CHANGED when socket is replaced by reconnect', () => {
+      const { doInstance, mockCtx } = setup();
+      const firstCli = connectCliSocket(doInstance, 'cli-1');
+      const webWs = addWebSocket(mockCtx, 'web-1');
+
+      sendHeartbeat(doInstance, firstCli, [makeSession('s1')]);
+      firstCli.send.mockClear();
+      sendCommand(doInstance, webWs, {
+        id: 'cmd-1',
+        command: 'exit_cli',
+        sessionId: 's1',
+        connectionId: 'cli-1',
+        data: { protocolVersion: 1 },
+      });
+      webWs.send.mockClear();
+
+      connectCliSocket(doInstance, 'cli-1');
+
+      expect(firstCli.close).toHaveBeenCalledWith(1000, 'replaced by reconnect');
+      expect(parseSent(webWs)).toEqual({
+        type: 'response',
+        id: 'cmd-1',
+        error: {
+          source: 'relay',
+          code: 'SESSION_OWNER_CHANGED',
+          message: 'Session owner changed',
+        },
+      });
+    });
   });
 
   // -------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/services/session-ingest/src/dos/UserConnectionDO.ts b/services/session-ingest/src/dos/UserConnectionDO.ts
index ab1c52306f5..0197e787358 100644
--- a/services/session-ingest/src/dos/UserConnectionDO.ts
+++ b/services/session-ingest/src/dos/UserConnectionDO.ts
@@ -860,7 +860,7 @@ export class UserConnectionDO extends DurableObject<Env> {
     });
 
     // Fail pending commands that targeted this specific socket
-    this.failPendingCommandsForSocket(disconnectedWs);
+    this.failPendingCommandsForSocket(disconnectedWs, !replaced);
 
     if (replaced) {
       console.log('Stale CLI socket closed (already replaced)', { connectionId });
@@ -1083,7 +1083,7 @@ export class UserConnectionDO extends DurableObject<Env> {
       const att = ws.deserializeAttachment() as WSAttachment | null;
       if (att?.role === 'cli' && att.connectionId === connectionId) {
         console.log('Closing stale CLI socket for reconnect', { connectionId });
-        this.failPendingCommandsForSocket(ws);
+        this.failPendingCommandsForSocket(ws, false);
         // Preserve session ownership — the reconnecting CLI still owns these sessions
         ws.close(1000, 'replaced by reconnect');
         return true;
@@ -1132,16 +1132,25 @@ export class UserConnectionDO extends DurableObject<Env> {
     return undefined;
   }
 
-  private failPendingCommandsForSocket(targetWs: WebSocket): void {
+  private failPendingCommandsForSocket(targetWs: WebSocket, cliGone: boolean): void {
     for (const [id, entry] of this.pendingCommands) {
-      if (entry.targetCliWs === targetWs) {
-        this.sendToWeb(entry.ws, {
-          type: 'response',
-          id: entry.originalId,
-          error: entry.expectedOwnerConnectionId ? SESSION_OWNER_CHANGED_ERROR : 'CLI disconnected',
-        });
-        this.pendingCommands.delete(id);
-      }
+      if (entry.targetCliWs !== targetWs) continue;
+      // The owning CLI is really gone, so a forwarded `exit_cli` got what it
+      // asked for: this session is no longer owned by anyone.
+      const exited = cliGone && entry.command === 'exit_cli';
+      this.sendToWeb(
+        entry.ws,
+        exited
+          ? { type: 'response', id: entry.originalId, result: {} }
+          : {
+              type: 'response',
+              id: entry.originalId,
+              error: entry.expectedOwnerConnectionId
+                ? SESSION_OWNER_CHANGED_ERROR
+                : 'CLI disconnected',
+            }
+      );
+      this.pendingCommands.delete(id);
     }
   }
 
@@ -1154,11 +1163,15 @@ export class UserConnectionDO extends DurableObject<Env> {
         continue;
       }
       this.pendingCommands.delete(id);
-      this.sendToWeb(entry.ws, {
-        type: 'response',
-        id: entry.originalId,
-        error: SESSION_OWNER_CHANGED_ERROR,
-      });
+      // `exit_cli` asked for exactly this: the session is no longer owned.
+      // Ownership moving to another CLI is a genuine owner change and still fails.
+      const exited = entry.command === 'exit_cli' && nextOwnerConnectionId === undefined;
+      this.sendToWeb(
+        entry.ws,
+        exited
+          ? { type: 'response', id: entry.originalId, result: {} }
+          : { type: 'response', id: entry.originalId, error: SESSION_OWNER_CHANGED_ERROR }
+      );
     }
   }