diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/gateway/hooks/use-gateway-boot.ts b/apps/desktop/src/app/gateway/hooks/use-gateway-boot.ts
index 59b598de1c..d770bce906 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/gateway/hooks/use-gateway-boot.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/gateway/hooks/use-gateway-boot.ts
@@ -674,6 +674,10 @@ export function useGatewayBoot({
     // (connectionId, profile) keep-set so two sources exposing the same
     // profile name (every source has a 'default') can't collide.
     configureGatewayRegistry({
+      // The primary socket has no secondary entry to carry registry identity.
+      // Electron's published active descriptor is authoritative after boot;
+      // a true legacy primary has no connectionId and remains unqualified.
+      activeConnectionId: () => $connection.get()?.connectionId ?? null,
       // Every dispose path in the registry (live-work pruner AND the
       // refcount-0 request leases) spares a socket a mounted tile, the
       // primary thread or a just-created session's owner hold is bound to
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/profile-rail-fresh-chat-owner.test.tsx b/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/profile-rail-fresh-chat-owner.test.tsx
index 09b48b5c82..48aa678ccb 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/profile-rail-fresh-chat-owner.test.tsx
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/app/session/hooks/profile-rail-fresh-chat-owner.test.tsx
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import {
 } from '@/store/profile'
 import {
   $activeSessionId,
+  $connection,
   $selectedStoredSessionId,
   $sessions,
   _resetSessionOwnerHintsForTests,
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ import {
   setActiveSessionId,
   setAwaitingResponse,
   setBusy,
+  setConnection,
   setMessages,
   setSelectedStoredSessionId,
   setSessions
@@ -336,13 +338,19 @@ describe('profile rail: a fresh Omar chat keeps its exact registry owner across
     mintedRuntimeId = RUNTIME_ID
     mintedStoredId = STORED_ID
     clearSingleFlightSessionResumeState()
-    configureGatewayRegistry({ onEvent: vi.fn() })
+    // Wired exactly as useGatewayBoot: the published active descriptor carries
+    // a registry-backed primary's source identity across a renderer reload.
+    configureGatewayRegistry({
+      activeConnectionId: () => $connection.get()?.connectionId ?? null,
+      onEvent: vi.fn()
+    })
     closeSecondaryGateways()
     installDesktop()
     setSessions([])
     setMessages([])
     setActiveSessionId(null)
     setSelectedStoredSessionId(null)
+    setConnection(null)
     setBusy(false)
     setAwaitingResponse(false)
     $newChatProfile.set(null)
@@ -357,6 +365,7 @@ describe('profile rail: a fresh Omar chat keeps its exact registry owner across
     setSessions([])
     setActiveSessionId(null)
     setSelectedStoredSessionId(null)
+    setConnection(null)
     $newChatProfile.set(null)
     $newChatRoute.set(null)
     $newChatConnectionId.set(null)
@@ -425,6 +434,50 @@ describe('profile rail: a fresh Omar chat keeps its exact registry owner across
 
   const calls = (socket: MockGateway) => socket.request.mock.calls.map(call => call[0] as string)
 
+  it('dials homelab::omar when boot published homelab on the active primary gateway', async () => {
+    const primary = makePrimary()
+
+    setPrimaryGateway(primary as never, 'default')
+    expect(activeGateway()).toBe(primary as never)
+    // A true legacy primary has no published registry identity.
+    expect(activeGatewayConnectionId()).toBeNull()
+
+    // Cold boot publishes the resolved primary descriptor before profile-rail
+    // interaction. No registry secondary has been opened in this scenario.
+    setConnection({ connectionId: SOURCE_ID, mode: 'remote', profile: 'default' } as never)
+    expect(activeGatewayConnectionId()).toBe(SOURCE_ID)
+
+    selectProfile('omar')
+
+    const desktop = window.hermesDesktop!
+
+    await waitFor(() =>
+      expect(desktop.getConnectionFor).toHaveBeenCalledWith({ connectionId: SOURCE_ID, profile: 'omar' })
+    )
+    expect(desktop.getConnection).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith('omar')
+    expect($newChatConnectionId.get()).toBe(SOURCE_ID)
+  })
+
+  it('keeps the legacy profile door when boot published `local` on the active primary gateway', async () => {
+    // The published identity survives the reload, but a pick on the explicit
+    // local source is still a legacy profile pick (per-profile remote
+    // overrides resolve through getConnection), so the draft's owner is the
+    // v1 profile socket, never the registry entry local::omar.
+    const primary = makePrimary()
+
+    setPrimaryGateway(primary as never, 'default')
+    setConnection({ connectionId: 'local', mode: 'local', profile: 'default' } as never)
+    expect(activeGatewayConnectionId()).toBe('local')
+
+    selectProfile('omar')
+
+    const desktop = window.hermesDesktop!
+
+    await waitFor(() => expect(desktop.getConnection).toHaveBeenCalledWith('omar'))
+    expect(desktop.getConnectionFor).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith({ connectionId: 'local', profile: 'omar' })
+    expect($newChatConnectionId.get()).toBeNull()
+  })
+
   it('session.create and both prompt.submit calls ride the SAME conn:homelab::omar socket', async () => {
     const { handle, omarSocket, primary } = await bootProfileRailOmar()
 
diff --git a/apps/desktop/src/store/gateway.ts b/apps/desktop/src/store/gateway.ts
index f51c6ab99c..3aa53d2caa 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/src/store/gateway.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/src/store/gateway.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@ const normKey = (profile: string | null | undefined): string => (profile ?? '').
 const isOpen = (gateway: HermesGateway | null): boolean => gateway?.connectionState === 'open'
 
 interface RegistryConfig {
+  /** Electron's published descriptor is authoritative for a primary gateway's
+   * registry identity. Kept as a getter so gateway.ts does not own or duplicate
+   * the connection store. */
+  activeConnectionId?: () => null | string
   onEvent: (event: GatewayEvent) => void
   onActiveConnectionInvalidated?: (fallbackProfile: string, activationEpoch: number) => void
   onActiveConnectionChanged?: (connection: HermesConnection) => void
@@ -304,15 +308,17 @@ export function activeGateway(): HermesGateway | null {
 
 /**
  * The registry connection serving the gateway the user is currently looking
- * at — null for the local/legacy primary path and for profile-keyed (local)
- * secondaries. Event consumers pair this with the event's own `connectionId`
- * tag so "from the active profile" really means "from the active SOURCE":
+ * at. A registry-backed primary takes its identity from the published primary
+ * connection, falling back to Electron's active descriptor until that is set;
+ * a true legacy primary (no resolved connectionId) and profile-keyed local
+ * secondaries remain null. Event consumers pair this with the event's own
+ * `connectionId` tag so "from the active profile" really means "from the active SOURCE":
  * two connected gateways can both expose a 'default' profile, and a bare
  * profile comparison attributed gateway B's 'default' activity to gateway A.
  */
 export function activeGatewayConnectionId(): null | string {
   if (g.activeKey === g.primaryProfile) {
-    return g.primaryConnectionId
+    return g.primaryConnectionId ?? (g.config?.activeConnectionId?.()?.trim() || null)
   }
 
   return g.secondaries.get(g.activeKey)?.connectionId ?? null