diff --git a/desktop/src/features/agents/lib/managedAgentControlActions.test.mjs b/desktop/src/features/agents/lib/managedAgentControlActions.test.mjs
index 020c02d9d..81899aa4e 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/agents/lib/managedAgentControlActions.test.mjs
+++ b/desktop/src/features/agents/lib/managedAgentControlActions.test.mjs
@@ -39,23 +39,33 @@ function agent(overrides = {}) {
   };
 }
 
-test("relay-mesh agents cannot be manually started without a fresh target", async () => {
-  let called = false;
+test("relay-mesh agents delegate start to the backend preflight", async () => {
+  const meshAgent = agent({
+    envVars: {
+      SPROUT_AGENT_PROVIDER: "openai",
+      OPENAI_COMPAT_BASE_URL: "http://127.0.0.1:9337/v1/",
+    },
+  });
+
+  let calledWith = null;
+  await startManagedAgentWithRules({
+    agent: meshAgent,
+    startManagedAgent: async (pubkey) => {
+      calledWith = pubkey;
+    },
+  });
+  assert.equal(calledWith, meshAgent.pubkey);
+
+  // Backend preflight failures (e.g. no live serve target) propagate as-is.
   await assert.rejects(
     startManagedAgentWithRules({
-      agent: agent({
-        envVars: {
-          SPROUT_AGENT_PROVIDER: "openai",
-          OPENAI_COMPAT_BASE_URL: "http://127.0.0.1:9337/v1/",
-        },
-      }),
+      agent: meshAgent,
       startManagedAgent: async () => {
-        called = true;
+        throw new Error("no live serve target is available for this model");
       },
     }),
-    /Relay-mesh agents need a fresh serve target/,
+    /no live serve target/,
   );
-  assert.equal(called, false);
 });
 
 test("ordinary local agents still start normally", async () => {
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/agents/lib/managedAgentControlActions.ts b/desktop/src/features/agents/lib/managedAgentControlActions.ts
index 9b658c22a..0bf30b70d 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/agents/lib/managedAgentControlActions.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/features/agents/lib/managedAgentControlActions.ts
@@ -75,18 +75,6 @@ export function resolveManagedAgentChannelId(
   return matches.length === 1 ? matches[0].id : null;
 }
 
-function relayMeshAgentError(agent: ManagedAgent): string | null {
-  if (agent.backend.type !== "local") return null;
-  if (agent.envVars.SPROUT_AGENT_PROVIDER !== "openai") return null;
-  if (
-    agent.envVars.OPENAI_COMPAT_BASE_URL?.replace(/\/+$/, "") !==
-    "http://127.0.0.1:9337/v1"
-  ) {
-    return null;
-  }
-  return "Relay-mesh agents need a fresh serve target before start. Create a new agent with Run on relay mesh selected.";
-}
-
 export async function startManagedAgentWithRules({
   agent,
   startManagedAgent,
@@ -94,8 +82,9 @@ export async function startManagedAgentWithRules({
   agent: ManagedAgent;
   startManagedAgent: StartManagedAgent;
 }) {
-  const relayMeshError = relayMeshAgentError(agent);
-  if (relayMeshError) throw new Error(relayMeshError);
+  // Relay-mesh agents are no longer blocked here: the backend start preflight
+  // (ensure_relay_mesh_for_record) re-resolves a live serve target and dials
+  // it, failing with an actionable error when no peer serves the model.
   await startManagedAgent(agent.pubkey);
 }
 
@@ -108,8 +97,6 @@ export async function respawnManagedAgentWithRules({
   startManagedAgent: StartManagedAgent;
   stopManagedAgent: StopManagedAgent;
 }) {
-  const relayMeshError = relayMeshAgentError(agent);
-  if (relayMeshError) throw new Error(relayMeshError);
   if (agent.backend.type === "local" && isManagedAgentActive(agent)) {
     await stopManagedAgent(agent.pubkey);
   }
diff --git a/desktop/src/testing/e2eBridge.ts b/desktop/src/testing/e2eBridge.ts
index f851ab514..7414a9715 100644
--- a/desktop/src/testing/e2eBridge.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/testing/e2eBridge.ts
@@ -4765,9 +4765,18 @@ async function handleStartManagedAgent(args: {
 }): Promise<RawManagedAgent> {
   const agent = getMockManagedAgent(args.pubkey);
   if (isRelayMeshManagedAgent(agent)) {
-    throw new Error(
-      "relay mesh agents cannot be started from saved state because the selected serve target is not persisted. Create a new agent with Run on relay mesh selected to refresh the target for http://127.0.0.1:9337/v1.",
-    );
+    // Model the backend start preflight (ensure_relay_mesh_for_record): a
+    // saved relay-mesh agent re-resolves a live serve target for its model
+    // and only fails when no peer currently serves it.
+    const modelId = agent.env_vars?.OPENAI_COMPAT_MODEL;
+    const hasLiveTarget =
+      mockMeshState.admitted &&
+      mockMeshState.models.some((model) => model.id === modelId);
+    if (!hasLiveTarget) {
+      throw new Error(
+        "relay mesh agents cannot be started from saved state because no live serve target is available for this model. Start serving on a mesh peer, or create a new agent with Run on relay mesh selected to refresh the target for http://127.0.0.1:9337/v1.",
+      );
+    }
   }
 
   const now = new Date().toISOString();
diff --git a/desktop/tests/e2e/mesh-compute.spec.ts b/desktop/tests/e2e/mesh-compute.spec.ts
index 9d9bf296d..cd9b2f5c4 100644
--- a/desktop/tests/e2e/mesh-compute.spec.ts
+++ b/desktop/tests/e2e/mesh-compute.spec.ts
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ test("a non-member cannot enable relay-mesh — membership is the gate", async (
   expect(seq).not.toContain("create_managed_agent");
 });
 
-test("saved relay-mesh agents require a fresh serve target before manual start", async ({
+test("saved relay-mesh agents restart via the backend serve-target preflight", async ({
   page,
 }) => {
   await gotoApp(page);
@@ -330,18 +330,30 @@ test("saved relay-mesh agents require a fresh serve target before manual start",
     .toContain("stop_managed_agent");
   await expect(row).toContainText("stopped");
 
-  const before = (await commands(page)).length;
+  // With a live serve target for the model, manual restart goes through:
+  // the backend preflight re-resolves the target and the agent starts.
+  await openManagedAgentActions(page, pubkey);
+  await page.getByRole("menuitem", { name: "Spawn" }).click();
+  await expect
+    .poll(async () => await commands(page))
+    .toContain("start_managed_agent");
+  await expect(row).toContainText("running");
+
+  await openManagedAgentActions(page, pubkey);
+  await page.getByRole("menuitem", { name: "Stop" }).click();
+  await expect(row).toContainText("stopped");
+
+  // Without a live serve target, the backend preflight rejects the start
+  // with an actionable error, surfaced as a toast; the agent stays stopped.
+  await setMesh(page, { models: [] });
   await openManagedAgentActions(page, pubkey);
   await page.getByRole("menuitem", { name: "Spawn" }).click();
 
   await expect(
     page
       .locator("[data-sonner-toast]")
-      .filter({ hasText: "Relay-mesh agents need a fresh serve target" }),
+      .filter({ hasText: "no live serve target is available" }),
   ).toBeVisible();
-  expect((await commands(page)).slice(before)).not.toContain(
-    "start_managed_agent",
-  );
   await expect(row).toContainText("stopped");
 
   await expect(
@@ -360,6 +372,6 @@ test("saved relay-mesh agents require a fresh serve target before manual start",
         return err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);
       }
     }, pubkey),
-  ).resolves.toContain("selected serve target is not persisted");
+  ).resolves.toContain("no live serve target is available");
   await expect(row).toContainText("stopped");
 });