diff --git a/src/lib/actions/sandbox/connect-lifecycle-lock.test.ts b/src/lib/actions/sandbox/connect-lifecycle-lock.test.ts
index c3c1d65828b..74390fa5b2e 100644
--- a/src/lib/actions/sandbox/connect-lifecycle-lock.test.ts
+++ b/src/lib/actions/sandbox/connect-lifecycle-lock.test.ts
@@ -26,9 +26,44 @@ describe("connectSandbox lifecycle lock", () => {
       value: originalStdoutIsTty,
     });
     delete process.env.NEMOCLAW_TEST_NO_SLEEP;
+    delete process.env.NEMOCLAW_GATEWAY_PORT;
     delete require.cache[requireDist.resolve(connectModulePath)];
   });
 
+  it("uses the host-scoped lifecycle lock for interactive Hermes connect", async () => {
+    process.env.NEMOCLAW_GATEWAY_PORT = "18080";
+    const harness = createConnectHarness({
+      agentName: "hermes",
+      sessionAgent: { name: "hermes" },
+      registryEntry: {
+        openshellDriver: "docker",
+        gatewayName: "nemoclaw",
+        lifecycleGeneration: "generation-1",
+      },
+      portableReceiptDisposition: { kind: "hermes", phase: "active" },
+      portableRecoveryResult: { kind: "already-running" },
+    });
+    const gatewayState = requireDist(
+      "../../src/lib/actions/sandbox/gateway-state.js",
+    ) as typeof import("./gateway-state");
+
+    await expect(harness.connectSandbox("alpha")).rejects.toThrow("process.exit(0)");
+
+    expect(gatewayState.withConnectSandboxLifecycleLock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+    expect(gatewayState.withConnectSandboxLifecycleLock).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(
+      1,
+      "alpha",
+      expect.any(Function),
+      { stateDir: "/home/test/.nemoclaw/state" },
+    );
+    expect(gatewayState.withConnectSandboxLifecycleLock).toHaveBeenNthCalledWith(
+      2,
+      "alpha",
+      expect.any(Function),
+      { stateDir: "/home/test/.nemoclaw/state" },
+    );
+  });
+
   it("releases the lifecycle lock before waiting on the interactive shell (#9737)", async () => {
     const harness = createConnectHarness();
     const gatewayState = requireDist(
diff --git a/src/lib/actions/sandbox/connect.ts b/src/lib/actions/sandbox/connect.ts
index cf2bd0c428c..f7eed4faa3e 100644
--- a/src/lib/actions/sandbox/connect.ts
+++ b/src/lib/actions/sandbox/connect.ts
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ import {
   defaultPortableDemoStateDir,
   type HermesPortableActiveLifecycleAuthority,
   getNamedGatewayLifecycleState,
+  hermesPortableLifecycleLockOptions,
   printGatewayLifecycleHint,
   qualifyHermesPortableAcceptedReadinessAuthority,
   qualifyPortableAgentLifecycleAuthority,
@@ -1957,6 +1958,17 @@ export async function waitForSandboxReadyOrExit(
  * the express-vLLM model preflight, the owning-gateway pin, and the Docker
  * outage fast-fail. Runs before any probe or interactive work.
  */
+function withPortableConnectSandboxLifecycleLock<T>(
+  sandboxName: string,
+  operation: () => Promise<T> | T,
+): Promise<T> {
+  return withConnectSandboxLifecycleLock(
+    sandboxName,
+    operation,
+    hermesPortableLifecycleLockOptions(sandboxName, process.env),
+  );
+}
+
 async function runConnectEntryPreflight(
   sandboxName: string,
   {
@@ -1984,7 +1996,7 @@ async function runConnectEntryPreflight(
     probeTiming ? probeTiming.measure(stage, operation) : operation();
   const measureAsync = <T>(stage: "gateway", operation: () => Promise<T>): Promise<T> =>
     probeTiming ? probeTiming.measureAsync(stage, operation) : operation();
-  await withConnectSandboxLifecycleLock(sandboxName, async () => {
+  await withPortableConnectSandboxLifecycleLock(sandboxName, async () => {
     let hermesPortable = false;
     let requalify = () => undefined;
     try {
@@ -2340,7 +2352,7 @@ export async function connectSandbox(
   };
   if (probeTiming) process.once("exit", finishOnExit);
   try {
-    const started = await withConnectSandboxLifecycleLock(sandboxName, async () => {
+    const started = await withPortableConnectSandboxLifecycleLock(sandboxName, async () => {
       const prepared = await prepareConnectSandboxWithinLifecycleFence(
         sandboxName,
         options,
diff --git a/src/lib/actions/sandbox/gateway-state.ts b/src/lib/actions/sandbox/gateway-state.ts
index 9f2cd082344..650a012398e 100644
--- a/src/lib/actions/sandbox/gateway-state.ts
+++ b/src/lib/actions/sandbox/gateway-state.ts
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ import {
   buildHermesPortableCommandEnvironment,
   buildHermesPortableCommandAuthority,
   defaultPortableDemoStateDir,
+  hermesPortableLifecycleLockOptions,
   inspectPortableAgentReceiptDisposition,
   qualifyHermesPortableAcceptedReadinessAuthority,
   qualifyPortableAgentLifecycleAuthority,
@@ -134,6 +135,7 @@ export {
   buildHermesPortableCommandAuthority,
   buildHermesPortableCommandEnvironment,
   defaultPortableDemoStateDir,
+  hermesPortableLifecycleLockOptions,
   inspectPortableAgentReceiptDisposition,
   qualifyHermesPortableAcceptedReadinessAuthority,
   qualifyPortableAgentLifecycleAuthority,
diff --git a/src/lib/actions/sandbox/start.ts b/src/lib/actions/sandbox/start.ts
index bd60d59c2c2..912ad8539b8 100644
--- a/src/lib/actions/sandbox/start.ts
+++ b/src/lib/actions/sandbox/start.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import {
   READINESS_INFERENCE_INVOCATION_TIMEOUT_MS,
   type SandboxInferenceInvocationResult,
 } from "./inference-invocation-probe";
-import { withSandboxLifecycleLock } from "./gateway-state";
+import { hermesPortableLifecycleLockOptions, withSandboxLifecycleLock } from "./gateway-state";
 import { getPersistedSandboxTargetGatewayName } from "./gateway-target";
 import {
   resolveSandboxLifecycleProvider,
@@ -161,8 +161,11 @@ export async function startSandbox(
   sandboxName: string,
   deps: SandboxStartDeps = {},
 ): Promise<SandboxLifecycleResult> {
-  return (deps.withLifecycleLock ?? withSandboxLifecycleLock)(sandboxName, () =>
-    startSandboxWithinLifecycleFence(sandboxName, deps),
+  const environment = deps.environment ?? process.env;
+  return (deps.withLifecycleLock ?? withSandboxLifecycleLock)(
+    sandboxName,
+    () => startSandboxWithinLifecycleFence(sandboxName, deps),
+    hermesPortableLifecycleLockOptions(sandboxName, environment),
   );
 }
 
diff --git a/src/lib/actions/sandbox/stop.ts b/src/lib/actions/sandbox/stop.ts
index b45932489d5..f2a7ec11aa7 100644
--- a/src/lib/actions/sandbox/stop.ts
+++ b/src/lib/actions/sandbox/stop.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import { stopSandboxChannels } from "../../tunnel/sandbox-gateway-stop";
 import { teardownSandboxDashboardForward } from "./forward-recovery";
 import {
   captureSandboxOwnershipPhases,
+  hermesPortableLifecycleLockOptions,
   resolvePersistedSandboxOwnershipGateway,
   withSandboxLifecycleLockSync,
 } from "./gateway-state";
@@ -263,8 +264,11 @@ export function stopSandbox(
   sandboxName: string,
   deps: SandboxStopDeps = {},
 ): SandboxLifecycleResult {
-  return (deps.withLifecycleLockSync ?? withSandboxLifecycleLockSync)(sandboxName, () =>
-    stopSandboxWithinLifecycleFence(sandboxName, deps),
+  const environment = deps.environment ?? process.env;
+  return (deps.withLifecycleLockSync ?? withSandboxLifecycleLockSync)(
+    sandboxName,
+    () => stopSandboxWithinLifecycleFence(sandboxName, deps),
+    hermesPortableLifecycleLockOptions(sandboxName, environment),
   );
 }
 
diff --git a/src/lib/cli/nemoclaw-oclif-command.test.ts b/src/lib/cli/nemoclaw-oclif-command.test.ts
index 26332d8b8fd..091ace99ef3 100644
--- a/src/lib/cli/nemoclaw-oclif-command.test.ts
+++ b/src/lib/cli/nemoclaw-oclif-command.test.ts
@@ -168,6 +168,28 @@ class PortableStartCommand extends NemoClawCommand {
   }
 }
 
+class PortableStopCommand extends NemoClawCommand {
+  static id = "sandbox:stop";
+  static args = { sandboxName: Args.string({ required: true }) };
+  static flags = {};
+  static observed = { host: false, lifecycle: false, portableLifecycle: false };
+
+  public async run(): Promise<void> {
+    const { args } = await this.parse(PortableStopCommand);
+    const sandboxName = args.sandboxName!;
+    PortableStopCommand.observed = {
+      host: fs.existsSync(
+        portableHostAuthority.portableHostFencePath(process.env.HOME || os.homedir()),
+      ),
+      lifecycle: isMcpLifecycleLockHeld(sandboxName),
+      portableLifecycle: isMcpLifecycleLockHeld(
+        sandboxName,
+        path.join(portableHostAuthority.defaultPortableStateDir(process.env), "state"),
+      ),
+    };
+  }
+}
+
 function useHermesPortableAuthority(): void {
   vi.spyOn(receiptAuthority, "hasHermesPortableReceiptCandidate").mockReturnValue(true);
   vi.spyOn(
@@ -214,6 +236,7 @@ describe("NemoClawCommand", () => {
     GlobalUseMutationCommand.ran = false;
     ProbeOnlyConnectCommand.operation = () => undefined;
     PortableStartCommand.observed = { host: false, lifecycle: false, portableLifecycle: false };
+    PortableStopCommand.observed = { host: false, lifecycle: false, portableLifecycle: false };
   });
 
   it("records status-like command results without throwing", () => {
@@ -364,6 +387,19 @@ describe("NemoClawCommand", () => {
     });
   });
 
+  it("uses the Portable lifecycle lock for stop without broadening the host fence", async () => {
+    vi.stubEnv("NEMOCLAW_GATEWAY_PORT", "18080");
+    useHermesPortableAuthority();
+
+    await PortableStopCommand.run(["alpha"], process.cwd());
+
+    expect(PortableStopCommand.observed).toEqual({
+      host: false,
+      lifecycle: false,
+      portableLifecycle: true,
+    });
+  });
+
   it("does not create the Portable host fence when a lifecycle command has no Hermes receipt candidate", async () => {
     vi.stubEnv("HOME", stateDir);
     vi.stubEnv("NEMOCLAW_TEST_BASE_HOME", stateDir);
diff --git a/src/lib/cli/nemoclaw-oclif-command.ts b/src/lib/cli/nemoclaw-oclif-command.ts
index 5eb6c3aa55c..b0bdf51def0 100644
--- a/src/lib/cli/nemoclaw-oclif-command.ts
+++ b/src/lib/cli/nemoclaw-oclif-command.ts
@@ -2,15 +2,14 @@
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
 import { Command, Flags, type Interfaces } from "@oclif/core";
-import path from "node:path";
 import {
   assertHermesPortableCommandSupported,
   assertHermesPortableCommandUnavailable,
   classifyHermesPortableCommand,
+  hermesPortableLifecycleLockOptions,
   HERMES_PORTABLE_UNSUPPORTED_COMMAND_MESSAGE,
   HERMES_PORTABLE_UNSUPPORTED_DOCTOR_FIX_MESSAGE,
 } from "../onboard/experimental/portable-agent-lifecycle";
-import { hasHermesPortableReceiptCandidate } from "../onboard/experimental/hermes-portable-receipt";
 import { defaultPortableDemoStateDir } from "../onboard/experimental/portable-runtime-receipt-readiness";
 import { redactForLog } from "../security/redact";
 import {
@@ -143,17 +142,15 @@ export abstract class NemoClawCommand extends Command {
       }
       return super._run<T>();
     };
+    const portableLifecycleLockOptions = hermesPortableLifecycleLockOptions(
+      sandboxName,
+      process.env,
+    );
     const usesHermesPortableHostAuthority =
       (commandId === "sandbox:start" || this.isProbeOnlyConnect(commandId)) &&
-      hasHermesPortableReceiptCandidate(sandboxName, defaultPortableDemoStateDir(process.env));
+      portableLifecycleLockOptions !== undefined;
     const runWithLifecycleFence = async () => {
-      return await withMcpLifecycleLock(
-        sandboxName,
-        runLocked,
-        usesHermesPortableHostAuthority
-          ? { stateDir: path.join(defaultPortableDemoStateDir(process.env), "state") }
-          : {},
-      );
+      return await withMcpLifecycleLock(sandboxName, runLocked, portableLifecycleLockOptions);
     };
     if (usesHermesPortableHostAuthority) {
       return await withCurrentPortableHostFence(runWithLifecycleFence);
diff --git a/src/lib/onboard/experimental/hermes-portable-lifecycle.test.ts b/src/lib/onboard/experimental/hermes-portable-lifecycle.test.ts
index f426ac30f5a..fdc52b4d7a7 100644
--- a/src/lib/onboard/experimental/hermes-portable-lifecycle.test.ts
+++ b/src/lib/onboard/experimental/hermes-portable-lifecycle.test.ts
@@ -235,6 +235,7 @@ function lifecycleDeps(
     readonly sandboxPhase?: (running: boolean) => string;
     readonly sandboxIdentity?: (running: boolean) => string | undefined;
     readonly failPostStartInspectOnce?: boolean;
+    readonly startStatus?: number;
   } = {},
 ) {
   let running = initiallyRunning,
@@ -293,7 +294,7 @@ function lifecycleDeps(
       "sandbox:start": () => {
         running = true;
         postStartInspectFailurePending = options.failPostStartInspectOnce === true;
-        return { status: 0, stdout: "", stderr: "" };
+        return { status: options.startStatus ?? 0, stdout: "", stderr: "start failed" };
       },
       "sandbox:stop": () => {
         running = false;
@@ -1063,23 +1064,22 @@ describe("Hermes portable lifecycle", () => {
     expect(openshellMutationCalls(captureOpenShell, "start")).toHaveLength(1);
     expect(openshellMutationCalls(captureOpenShell, "stop")).toHaveLength(1);
   });
-
-  it("reconciles and rolls back a start whose post-start inspection fails (#9203)", () => {
+  it.each([
+    ["post-start inspection fails", { failPostStartInspectOnce: true }, "exact inspect failed"],
+    ["OpenShell reports failure", { startStatus: 1 }, "OpenShell start failed with status 1"],
+  ])("reconciles and rolls back when %s (#9203)", (_case, options, failure) => {
     const receipt = activeReceipt();
-    const { deps, captureOpenShell } = lifecycleDeps(receipt, false, {
-      failPostStartInspectOnce: true,
-    });
+    const { deps, captureOpenShell } = lifecycleDeps(receipt, false, options);
     expect(() =>
       withMcpLifecycleLockSync(
         SANDBOX,
         () => recoverHermesPortableSandboxLifecycle(SANDBOX, lifecycleContext(), deps),
         { stateDir: path.join(stateDir, "state") },
       ),
-    ).toThrow("exact inspect failed with status 1");
+    ).toThrow(failure);
     expect(openshellMutationCalls(captureOpenShell, "start")).toHaveLength(1);
     expect(openshellMutationCalls(captureOpenShell, "stop")).toHaveLength(1);
   });
-
   it("does not stop an already-running container after a health failure (#9203)", () => {
     const receipt = activeReceipt();
     const { deps, podman, captureOpenShell, launchOpenShell } = lifecycleDeps(receipt);
diff --git a/src/lib/onboard/experimental/hermes-portable-lifecycle.ts b/src/lib/onboard/experimental/hermes-portable-lifecycle.ts
index 1144a0b1c1a..5f42f286010 100644
--- a/src/lib/onboard/experimental/hermes-portable-lifecycle.ts
+++ b/src/lib/onboard/experimental/hermes-portable-lifecycle.ts
@@ -1430,7 +1430,15 @@ export function recoverHermesPortableSandboxLifecycle(
             OPENSHELL_LIFECYCLE_MUTATION_TIMEOUT_MS,
           ),
         );
-        startedByRecovery = startResult.status === 0 && !startResult.error;
+        if (startResult.status !== 0 || startResult.error) {
+          throw (
+            startResult.error ??
+            new Error(
+              `Hermes portable OpenShell start failed with status ${String(startResult.status)}`,
+            )
+          );
+        }
+        startedByRecovery = true;
         primaryFailureClass = "post-start-authority";
         if (qualified.hasTransactionAuthority) {
           timing.increment("transactionCurrentness");
diff --git a/src/lib/onboard/experimental/portable-agent-lifecycle.ts b/src/lib/onboard/experimental/portable-agent-lifecycle.ts
index 7151a8655a8..b201de5d84d 100644
--- a/src/lib/onboard/experimental/portable-agent-lifecycle.ts
+++ b/src/lib/onboard/experimental/portable-agent-lifecycle.ts
@@ -39,6 +39,18 @@ import { defaultPortableDemoStateDir } from "./portable-runtime-receipt-readines
 
 export { defaultPortableDemoStateDir };
 
+/** Resolve the shared lifecycle-lock root for a retained Hermes portable sandbox. */
+export function hermesPortableLifecycleLockOptions(
+  sandboxName: string,
+  env: NodeJS.ProcessEnv = process.env,
+  hasReceiptCandidate: typeof hasHermesPortableReceiptCandidate = hasHermesPortableReceiptCandidate,
+): { readonly stateDir: string } | undefined {
+  if (!hasReceiptCandidate(sandboxName, defaultPortableDemoStateDir(env))) {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+  return { stateDir: path.join(defaultPortableDemoStateDir(env), "state") };
+}
+
 export type PortableAgentLifecycleDeps = PortableDemoLifecycleDeps & HermesPortableLifecycleDeps;
 export type PortableAgentLifecycleStopResult = PortableDemoLifecycleStopResult & {
   readonly portableAgent?: "hermes";
diff --git a/src/lib/onboard/runtime-provider/docker.ts b/src/lib/onboard/runtime-provider/docker.ts
index 86ec73a846c..68859edf054 100644
--- a/src/lib/onboard/runtime-provider/docker.ts
+++ b/src/lib/onboard/runtime-provider/docker.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 // SPDX-FileCopyrightText: Copyright (c) 2026 NVIDIA CORPORATION & AFFILIATES. All rights reserved.
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
-import path from "node:path";
-
 import { captureHostCommand } from "../../actions/sandbox/doctor-host-command";
 import { dockerCapture, dockerRun } from "../../adapters/docker/run";
 import {
@@ -28,12 +26,12 @@ import {
 } from "../experimental/docker-network-authority";
 import {
   hasPortableAgentSandboxLifecycleReceipt,
+  hermesPortableLifecycleLockOptions,
   recoverPortableAgentSandboxLifecycle,
   requalifyPortableAgentSandboxAuthority,
   stopPortableAgentSandboxLifecycle,
 } from "../experimental/portable-agent-lifecycle";
 import { withMcpLifecycleLockSync } from "../../state/mcp-lifecycle-lock-acquisition";
-import { defaultPortableStateDir } from "../../state/portable-uninstall-retirement";
 import { queryOpenShellDockerSandboxRuntimeSnapshot } from "../openshell-docker-sandbox-containers";
 import { validateSandboxGpuPreflight } from "../sandbox-gpu-preflight";
 import {
@@ -309,13 +307,13 @@ function dockerLifecycleLockOptions(
   input: RuntimeProviderLifecycleInput,
   deps: DockerRuntimeProviderDependencies,
 ): { readonly stateDir: string } | undefined {
-  if (
-    input.sandbox.agent !== "hermes" ||
-    !deps.hasPortableLifecycleReceipt(input.sandboxName, input.environment)
-  ) {
-    return undefined;
-  }
-  return { stateDir: path.join(defaultPortableStateDir(input.environment), "state") };
+  return hermesPortableLifecycleLockOptions(
+    input.sandboxName,
+    input.environment,
+    () =>
+      input.sandbox.agent === "hermes" &&
+      deps.hasPortableLifecycleReceipt(input.sandboxName, input.environment),
+  );
 }
 
 function startDockerSandboxUnlocked(
diff --git a/test/support/connect-flow-test-harness.ts b/test/support/connect-flow-test-harness.ts
index 6fb9ff72478..73285002573 100644
--- a/test/support/connect-flow-test-harness.ts
+++ b/test/support/connect-flow-test-harness.ts
@@ -289,6 +289,11 @@ export function createConnectHarness(options: ConnectHarnessOptions = {}): Conne
     () => undefined,
   );
   const requestedPortableDisposition = options.portableReceiptDisposition ?? { kind: "absent" };
+  vi.spyOn(gatewayState, "hermesPortableLifecycleLockOptions").mockReturnValue(
+    requestedPortableDisposition.kind === "hermes"
+      ? { stateDir: "/home/test/.nemoclaw/state" }
+      : undefined,
+  );
   const portableDisposition =
     requestedPortableDisposition.kind === "hermes"
       ? {