diff --git a/Console/TeslaConsole/PodInfo.cs b/Console/TeslaConsole/PodInfo.cs
index 278886a..f537996 100644
--- a/Console/TeslaConsole/PodInfo.cs
+++ b/Console/TeslaConsole/PodInfo.cs
@@ -617,6 +617,39 @@ public class PodInfo : Component
 		asyncControlState.asyncOp.PostOperationCompleted(installProductDelegates.OnCompleted, arg);
 	}
 
+	/// <summary>
+	/// Opens the management connection if needed. A connection the launcher has
+	/// dropped still reports IsOpen (Connected is stale until an I/O fails), and
+	/// the launcher drops sessions idle for ~30s — easily hit while the operator
+	/// sits in the install dialogs — so probe an "open" connection with a Ping
+	/// and reconnect when it turns out to be dead.
+	/// </summary>
+	private void EnsureConnectionAlive()
+	{
+		if (mConnection.IsOpen)
+		{
+			try
+			{
+				mConnection.Ping(DateTime.Now);
+				return;
+			}
+			catch (Exception)
+			{
+				try
+				{
+					mConnection.Close();
+				}
+				catch
+				{
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		if (!mConnection.IsOpen)
+		{
+			mConnection.Open(new IPEndPoint(mPod.IPAddress, ManagePort), mPod.Key);
+		}
+	}
+
 	private void InstallProductWorker(string filePath, SendOrPostCallback progressCallback, AsyncOperation asyncOp, SendOrPostCallback completionMethodDelegate)
 	{
 		Exception ex = null;
@@ -624,10 +657,7 @@ public class PodInfo : Component
 		{
 			for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++)
 			{
-				if (!mConnection.IsOpen)
-				{
-					mConnection.Open(new IPEndPoint(mPod.IPAddress, 53290), mPod.Key);
-				}
+				EnsureConnectionAlive();
 				Guid guid = mConnection.InstallProduct(filePath);
 				if (guid == Guid.Empty)
 				{
@@ -709,10 +739,7 @@ public class PodInfo : Component
 		Exception ex = null;
 		try
 		{
-			if (!mConnection.IsOpen)
-			{
-				mConnection.Open(new IPEndPoint(mPod.IPAddress, 53290), mPod.Key);
-			}
+			EnsureConnectionAlive();
 			mConnection.UninstallApp(launchKey);
 			mAllApps.Expire();
 		}
diff --git a/Console/TeslaConsole/SiteManagement.cs b/Console/TeslaConsole/SiteManagement.cs
index d1cf2b7..5b9398b 100644
--- a/Console/TeslaConsole/SiteManagement.cs
+++ b/Console/TeslaConsole/SiteManagement.cs
@@ -1138,12 +1138,27 @@ public class SiteManagement : Form
 	{
 		Tuple<PodData, Guid> tuple = e.UserState as Tuple<PodData, Guid>;
 		PodData a = tuple.A;
-		foreach (LaunchData appData in BuildLaunchData(tuple.B, a))
+		Exception error = e.Error;
+		// Register the launch entries only when the transfer succeeded, and never
+		// let a pod that dropped mid-install take the console down (AddApp throws
+		// when the connection is gone).
+		if (error == null)
 		{
-			a.Conn.AddApp(appData);
+			try
+			{
+				foreach (LaunchData appData in BuildLaunchData(tuple.B, a))
+				{
+					a.Conn.AddApp(appData);
+				}
+			}
+			catch (Exception ex)
+			{
+				Program.LogException(ex, "Registering launch entries failed.");
+				error = ex;
+			}
 		}
 		a.OperationInProgress = false;
-		a.Error = e.Error;
+		a.Error = error;
 		dgvPods.InvalidateCell(colOperationProgress.Index, mPods.IndexOf(a));
 	}
 
diff --git a/Console/tests/TeslaConsole.DiffTests/VPodLauncherServerTests.cs b/Console/tests/TeslaConsole.DiffTests/VPodLauncherServerTests.cs
index db42df7..98fde8d 100644
--- a/Console/tests/TeslaConsole.DiffTests/VPodLauncherServerTests.cs
+++ b/Console/tests/TeslaConsole.DiffTests/VPodLauncherServerTests.cs
@@ -199,6 +199,27 @@ namespace TeslaConsole.DiffTests
             Assert.Empty(mLauncher.GetInstalledApps());
         }
 
+        [Fact]
+        public void Dropped_Session_Still_Reports_Open_Until_Probed_Then_Reconnect_Works()
+        {
+            // The launcher (and vPOD) drops sessions idle >30s. Simulate the drop
+            // server-side and pin the premise PodInfo.EnsureConnectionAlive relies
+            // on: the client socket still REPORTS open until an I/O fails...
+            mServer.Stop();
+            mServer.Start(mKey);
+            Thread.Sleep(100); // let the FIN arrive
+            Assert.True(mClient.IsOpen, "a dropped-but-unused connection should still report open (the stale state)");
+
+            // ...the cheap Ping probe is what exposes the dead connection...
+            Assert.ThrowsAny<Exception>(() => mClient.Ping(DateTime.UtcNow));
+
+            // ...and close + reopen (EnsureConnectionAlive's recovery) restores service.
+            mClient.Close();
+            mClient.Open(new IPEndPoint(IPAddress.Loopback, mPort), mKey);
+            var now = new DateTime(2026, 7, 9, 12, 0, 0, DateTimeKind.Utc);
+            Assert.Equal(now, mClient.Ping(now));
+        }
+
         [Fact]
         public void Installed_Apps_Persist_Across_Launcher_Restart()
         {