diff --git a/clients/chrome-extension/background/worker.ts b/clients/chrome-extension/background/worker.ts
index 5ba89b21d3c..966d3eebb03 100644
--- a/clients/chrome-extension/background/worker.ts
+++ b/clients/chrome-extension/background/worker.ts
@@ -619,6 +619,10 @@ function createSseConnection(mode: SseMode): SseConnection {
       );
       if (authError) {
         shouldConnect = false;
+        // Auth-required is a hard stop: no automatic reconnect will
+        // succeed until the user re-signs-in, so let the worker idle
+        // out instead of waking every 30 s.
+        void clearKeepaliveAlarm();
         setConnectionHealth("auth_required", {
           lastErrorMessage: authError,
         });
@@ -896,6 +900,54 @@ function disconnect(): void {
   }
 }
 
+// ── Keep-alive (MV3 service-worker liveness) ─────────────────────────
+
+const KEEPALIVE_ALARM_NAME = "vellum-relay-keepalive";
+const KEEPALIVE_PERIOD_MIN = 0.5;
+
+async function ensureKeepaliveAlarm(): Promise<void> {
+  const existing = await chrome.alarms.get(KEEPALIVE_ALARM_NAME);
+  if (existing) return;
+  await chrome.alarms.create(KEEPALIVE_ALARM_NAME, {
+    periodInMinutes: KEEPALIVE_PERIOD_MIN,
+  });
+}
+
+async function clearKeepaliveAlarm(): Promise<void> {
+  await chrome.alarms.clear(KEEPALIVE_ALARM_NAME);
+}
+
+chrome.alarms.onAlarm.addListener((alarm) => {
+  if (alarm.name !== KEEPALIVE_ALARM_NAME) return;
+  if (shouldConnect && !(sseConnection?.isOpen() ?? false)) {
+    void connect({ interactive: false }).catch((err) => {
+      const detail = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);
+      console.warn(`[vellum-relay] Keepalive reconnect failed: ${detail}`);
+    });
+  }
+});
+
+// On install/update, only register the alarm if we already have an
+// active auto-connect intent (e.g. an update installing over a
+// connected install). For a fresh install with no prior connect,
+// the alarm is created when the user first presses Connect — that
+// avoids burning a wake-up every 30 s on installs that never connect.
+chrome.runtime.onInstalled.addListener(() => {
+  void chrome.storage.local.get(AUTO_CONNECT_KEY).then((result) => {
+    if (result[AUTO_CONNECT_KEY] === true) {
+      void ensureKeepaliveAlarm();
+    }
+  });
+});
+
+chrome.runtime.onStartup.addListener(() => {
+  void chrome.storage.local.get(AUTO_CONNECT_KEY).then((result) => {
+    if (result[AUTO_CONNECT_KEY] === true) {
+      void ensureKeepaliveAlarm();
+    }
+  });
+});
+
 // ── Extension message listener (from popup) ─────────────────────────
 
 chrome.runtime.onMessage.addListener((message, _sender, sendResponseFn) => {
@@ -910,6 +962,7 @@ chrome.runtime.onMessage.addListener((message, _sender, sendResponseFn) => {
         // was in-flight — their pause intent takes precedence.
         if (shouldConnect) {
           await setAutoConnect(true);
+          await ensureKeepaliveAlarm();
         }
         sendResponseFn({ ok: true });
       })
@@ -922,6 +975,7 @@ chrome.runtime.onMessage.addListener((message, _sender, sendResponseFn) => {
         // must not leave the flag set, otherwise the next bootstrap
         // would retry a doomed connect.
         await setAutoConnect(false);
+        await clearKeepaliveAlarm();
         const serializedError = serializeWorkerError(err);
         const errorMessage = serializedError.error;
         // Classify the failure: auth-related errors (MissingTokenError)
@@ -947,6 +1001,7 @@ chrome.runtime.onMessage.addListener((message, _sender, sendResponseFn) => {
   if (message.type === "pause" || message.type === "disconnect") {
     shouldConnect = false;
     setConnectionHealth("paused");
+    void clearKeepaliveAlarm();
     // Await the storage write so MV3 can't terminate the worker before
     // the autoConnect flag is persisted to false.
     setAutoConnect(false)
@@ -1238,6 +1293,7 @@ chrome.runtime.onMessage.addListener((message, _sender, sendResponseFn) => {
       disconnect();
       setConnectionHealth("paused");
       clearEventLog();
+      await clearKeepaliveAlarm();
       await setAutoConnect(false);
       await clearSession();
       await clearSelectedAssistant();
@@ -1253,6 +1309,7 @@ chrome.runtime.onMessage.addListener((message, _sender, sendResponseFn) => {
       disconnect();
       setConnectionHealth("paused");
       clearEventLog();
+      await clearKeepaliveAlarm();
       await setAutoConnect(false);
       await clearStoredUserMode();
       sendResponseFn({ ok: true });
@@ -1325,6 +1382,7 @@ async function bootstrap(): Promise<void> {
   const result = await chrome.storage.local.get(AUTO_CONNECT_KEY);
   if (result[AUTO_CONNECT_KEY] !== true) return;
   shouldConnect = true;
+  await ensureKeepaliveAlarm();
   try {
     await connect({ interactive: false });
   } catch (err) {
@@ -1333,6 +1391,7 @@ async function bootstrap(): Promise<void> {
     // sign in / pair to try again. Persist the error detail exactly
     // once so the popup can surface it, then stop retrying.
     shouldConnect = false;
+    void clearKeepaliveAlarm();
     if (err instanceof MissingTokenError) {
       console.warn(`[vellum-relay] Skipping auto-connect: ${err.message}`);
       setConnectionHealth("auth_required", {
diff --git a/clients/chrome-extension/manifest.json b/clients/chrome-extension/manifest.json
index 5927d78425a..f7d663a1c6e 100644
--- a/clients/chrome-extension/manifest.json
+++ b/clients/chrome-extension/manifest.json
@@ -2,10 +2,11 @@
   "manifest_version": 3,
   "name": "Vellum Assistant",
   "version": "0.8.0",
-  "minimum_chrome_version": "116",
+  "minimum_chrome_version": "120",
   "description": "Bridges the Vellum assistant to your live browser session via Chrome DevTools Protocol (CDP) through chrome.debugger.",
   "homepage_url": "https://www.vellum.ai",
   "permissions": [
+    "alarms",
     "debugger",
     "identity",
     "storage",
diff --git a/clients/chrome-extension/types/chrome-globals.d.ts b/clients/chrome-extension/types/chrome-globals.d.ts
index 5918c7f4a1b..5f867cf52ae 100644
--- a/clients/chrome-extension/types/chrome-globals.d.ts
+++ b/clients/chrome-extension/types/chrome-globals.d.ts
@@ -115,12 +115,34 @@ interface ChromeRuntimeManifest {
   [key: string]: unknown;
 }
 
+interface ChromeRuntimeOnInstalledDetails {
+  reason: "install" | "update" | "chrome_update" | "shared_module_update";
+  previousVersion?: string;
+  id?: string;
+}
+
+interface ChromeRuntimeOnInstalledEvent {
+  addListener(
+    listener: (details: ChromeRuntimeOnInstalledDetails) => void,
+  ): void;
+  removeListener(
+    listener: (details: ChromeRuntimeOnInstalledDetails) => void,
+  ): void;
+}
+
+interface ChromeRuntimeOnStartupEvent {
+  addListener(listener: () => void): void;
+  removeListener(listener: () => void): void;
+}
+
 interface ChromeRuntimeNamespace {
   /** The ID of the extension. */
   readonly id: string;
   readonly lastError: ChromeRuntimeLastError | undefined;
   connectNative(application: string): ChromeRuntimePort;
   onMessage: ChromeRuntimeOnMessageEvent;
+  onInstalled: ChromeRuntimeOnInstalledEvent;
+  onStartup: ChromeRuntimeOnStartupEvent;
   // Generic over the response type so callers can narrow the callback
   // argument without casting. Matches the de-facto shape used by the
   // official @types/chrome package.
@@ -133,6 +155,30 @@ interface ChromeRuntimeNamespace {
   getURL(path: string): string;
 }
 
+interface ChromeAlarm {
+  name: string;
+  scheduledTime: number;
+  periodInMinutes?: number;
+}
+
+interface ChromeAlarmCreateInfo {
+  when?: number;
+  delayInMinutes?: number;
+  periodInMinutes?: number;
+}
+
+interface ChromeAlarmsOnAlarmEvent {
+  addListener(listener: (alarm: ChromeAlarm) => void): void;
+  removeListener(listener: (alarm: ChromeAlarm) => void): void;
+}
+
+interface ChromeAlarmsNamespace {
+  create(name: string, alarmInfo: ChromeAlarmCreateInfo): Promise<void>;
+  get(name: string): Promise<ChromeAlarm | undefined>;
+  clear(name: string): Promise<boolean>;
+  onAlarm: ChromeAlarmsOnAlarmEvent;
+}
+
 interface ChromeTab {
   id?: number;
   windowId?: number;
@@ -276,6 +322,7 @@ interface ChromeActionNamespace {
 
 interface ChromeGlobal {
   action: ChromeActionNamespace;
+  alarms: ChromeAlarmsNamespace;
   storage: ChromeStorageNamespace;
   identity: ChromeIdentityNamespace;
   runtime: ChromeRuntimeNamespace;