diff --git a/ansible/roles/multica_agent_host/README.md b/ansible/roles/multica_agent_host/README.md
index 5900b1c..7ec6937 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/multica_agent_host/README.md
+++ b/ansible/roles/multica_agent_host/README.md
@@ -307,13 +307,19 @@ Every step reads before it writes:
 | CLI install | `multica --version` equals the pin |
 | Agent CLI install | `command -v <binary>` and its version command |
 | Config | `multica config show` parsed and compared key by key |
-| Login | `multica auth status` already names `multica_server_url` |
+| Login | `multica auth status` already names `multica_server_url` (it prints to **stderr**; the guard reads both streams) |
 | Autostart | `multica daemon autostart status` |
-| Daemon start | `multica daemon status --output json` reports `running` |
+| Daemon start | `systemctl --user is-active <unit>`; a daemon running *outside* the unit is stopped first, then the unit is started |
 
-A binary, config or credential change notifies a `multica daemon restart`
+A binary, config or credential change notifies a `systemctl --user restart`
 handler, which is flushed *before* verification reads the daemon's state back.
 
+The role never calls `multica daemon start` or `multica daemon restart`. Both
+fork the daemon inside the caller's session (Ansible's SSH session scope),
+outside the unit's cgroup. The unit then shows `inactive`, nothing supervises
+the process, and a later `systemctl --user start` collides with it on
+`daemon.lock`.
+
 A converged host reports zero changed tasks.
 
 ## Verification
diff --git a/ansible/roles/multica_agent_host/handlers/main.yml b/ansible/roles/multica_agent_host/handlers/main.yml
index cdd73d2..055bcfb 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/multica_agent_host/handlers/main.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/multica_agent_host/handlers/main.yml
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 ---
+# Through systemd, not `multica daemon restart`: that respawns the daemon in
+# the caller's session, outside the unit (see tasks/daemon.yml).
 - name: Restart multica daemon
   ansible.builtin.command:
-    argv: "{{ _multica_cmd + ['daemon', 'restart'] }}"
+    argv: [systemctl, --user, restart, "{{ _multica_unit | default('multica-daemon.service') }}"]
   become: true
   become_user: "{{ multica_user }}"
   environment: "{{ _multica_user_env }}"
diff --git a/ansible/roles/multica_agent_host/tasks/auth.yml b/ansible/roles/multica_agent_host/tasks/auth.yml
index d5fb803..0fc8b0a 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/multica_agent_host/tasks/auth.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/multica_agent_host/tasks/auth.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 ---
 # `multica auth status` prints the server and user when authenticated and exits
 # non-zero otherwise, so it is the idempotency guard for login.
+#
+# It prints to STDERR, not stdout (0.6.5). A stdout-only guard never matches,
+# so every run re-logs in and restarts the daemon. It also echoes a token
+# prefix, hence no_log.
 - name: Auth | Read the current authentication state
   ansible.builtin.command:
     argv: "{{ _multica_cmd + ['auth', 'status'] }}"
@@ -11,13 +15,15 @@
   changed_when: false
   failed_when: false
   check_mode: false
+  no_log: true
 
 - name: Auth | Decide whether a login is needed
   ansible.builtin.set_fact:
     _multica_needs_login: >-
       {{ multica_force_relogin | bool
          or _multica_auth_status.rc != 0
-         or multica_server_url.rstrip('/') not in (_multica_auth_status.stdout | default('')) }}
+         or multica_server_url.rstrip('/') not in
+            ((_multica_auth_status.stdout | default('')) ~ (_multica_auth_status.stderr | default(''))) }}
 
 # no_log is mandatory: without it Ansible records the full argv — including the
 # PAT — in play output, CI logs, and every callback plugin.
diff --git a/ansible/roles/multica_agent_host/tasks/daemon.yml b/ansible/roles/multica_agent_host/tasks/daemon.yml
index bbd4f31..85ef03a 100644
--- a/ansible/roles/multica_agent_host/tasks/daemon.yml
+++ b/ansible/roles/multica_agent_host/tasks/daemon.yml
@@ -43,8 +43,61 @@
     - multica_autostart | bool
     - _multica_autostart_status.rc != 0
       or 'enabled' not in (_multica_autostart_status.stdout | default('') | lower)
+  register: _multica_autostart_enable
   changed_when: true
 
+# Lifecycle goes through systemd, never `multica daemon start|restart`. Those
+# fork the daemon inside the CALLER's session (here, Ansible's SSH session
+# scope), outside the unit's cgroup: the unit stays inactive, nothing
+# supervises the process, and the next `systemctl --user start` collides with
+# it on daemon.lock. Seen on haunted-mansion (2026-10-21) and spaceship-earth
+# (2026-10-22).
+#
+# The unit name comes from `autostart status` ("Location: .../<name>.service")
+# so a --profile host resolves its own unit.
+- name: Daemon | Re-read the autostart registration
+  ansible.builtin.command:
+    argv: "{{ _multica_cmd + ['daemon', 'autostart', 'status'] }}"
+  become: true
+  become_user: "{{ multica_user }}"
+  environment: "{{ _multica_user_env }}"
+  register: _multica_autostart_reread
+  changed_when: false
+  failed_when: false
+  check_mode: false
+  when: _multica_autostart_enable is changed
+
+- name: Daemon | Resolve the systemd user unit
+  ansible.builtin.set_fact:
+    _multica_unit: >-
+      {{ ((_s.stdout | default('')) ~ '\n' ~ (_s.stderr | default('')))
+         | regex_search('Location:\s*\S*/([^/\s]+\.service)', '\1')
+         | default(['multica-daemon.service'], true) | first }}
+  vars:
+    _s: "{{ _multica_autostart_reread if _multica_autostart_enable is changed else _multica_autostart_status }}"
+
+# `autostart enable` may rewrite the unit file while the user manager still
+# holds the old definition.
+- name: Daemon | Reload the user manager after a (re)registration
+  ansible.builtin.command:
+    argv: [systemctl, --user, daemon-reload]
+  become: true
+  become_user: "{{ multica_user }}"
+  environment: "{{ _multica_user_env }}"
+  when: _multica_autostart_enable is changed
+  changed_when: true
+
+- name: Daemon | Read the unit state
+  ansible.builtin.command:
+    argv: [systemctl, --user, is-active, "{{ _multica_unit }}"]
+  become: true
+  become_user: "{{ multica_user }}"
+  environment: "{{ _multica_user_env }}"
+  register: _multica_unit_state
+  changed_when: false
+  failed_when: false
+  check_mode: false
+
 - name: Daemon | Read daemon status
   ansible.builtin.command:
     argv: "{{ _multica_cmd + ['daemon', 'status', '--output', 'json'] }}"
@@ -56,15 +109,27 @@
   failed_when: false
   check_mode: false
 
-- name: Daemon | Start it if it is not already running
+# Running, but not under the unit: an orphan. Stop it so the unit can own the
+# lock and the process.
+- name: Daemon | Stop a daemon running outside its unit
   ansible.builtin.command:
-    argv: "{{ _multica_cmd + ['daemon', 'start'] }}"
+    argv: "{{ _multica_cmd + ['daemon', 'stop'] }}"
   become: true
   become_user: "{{ multica_user }}"
   environment: "{{ _multica_user_env }}"
-  when: >-
-    _multica_daemon_status.rc != 0
-    or ((_multica_daemon_status.stdout | from_json).status | default('')) != 'running'
+  when:
+    - (_multica_unit_state.stdout | trim) != 'active'
+    - _multica_daemon_status.rc == 0
+    - ((_multica_daemon_status.stdout | from_json).status | default('')) == 'running'
+  changed_when: true
+
+- name: Daemon | Start the unit if it is not active
+  ansible.builtin.command:
+    argv: [systemctl, --user, start, "{{ _multica_unit }}"]
+  become: true
+  become_user: "{{ multica_user }}"
+  environment: "{{ _multica_user_env }}"
+  when: (_multica_unit_state.stdout | trim) != 'active'
   changed_when: true
 
 # Anything that changed the binary, the config or the credentials restarts the