diff --git a/meshcore/agentcore.c b/meshcore/agentcore.c
index 18a934921..6f5ad4a9c 100644
--- a/meshcore/agentcore.c
+++ b/meshcore/agentcore.c
@@ -5479,6 +5479,8 @@ int MeshAgent_AgentMode(MeshAgentHostContainer *agentHost, int paramLen, char **
 		{
 			agentHost->openFrameMode = true; parseCommands = 0;
 			enable_file_logging_simple();
+			// Decorated startup marker parsed by openframe-client
+			openframe_printf("MeshAgent starting (build %s, self-update version %d)\n", SOURCE_COMMIT_DATE, MESH_AGENT_VERSION);
 		}
 		if (strcmp(param[ri], "--openframe-secret") == 0 && ((ri + 1) < paramLen))
 		{
diff --git a/modules/agent-installer.js b/modules/agent-installer.js
index 91580c58b..ba0319dce 100644
--- a/modules/agent-installer.js
+++ b/modules/agent-installer.js
@@ -1146,6 +1146,7 @@ function createLaunchDaemon(serviceName, companyName, installPath, serviceId, in
             name: serviceName,
             target: 'meshagent',
             startType: 'AUTO_START',
+            failureRestart: 0, // auto-start on boot, but do not restart on crash/exit
             parameters: ['--serviceId', serviceId],
             companyName: companyName
         };
@@ -1910,6 +1911,7 @@ function installService(params)
             target: target==null?(process.platform == 'win32' ? 'MeshAgent' : 'meshagent'):target,
             servicePath: process.execPath,
             startType: 'AUTO_START',
+            failureRestart: 0, // auto-start on boot, but do not restart on crash/exit
             parameters: params,
             _installer: true
         };
diff --git a/modules/service-manager.js b/modules/service-manager.js
index a97962b2c..27326c3c9 100644
--- a/modules/service-manager.js
+++ b/modules/service-manager.js
@@ -2977,6 +2977,7 @@ function serviceManager()
             var stdoutpath = (options.stdout ? ('<key>StandardOutPath</key>\n<string>' + options.stdout + '</string>') : ('<key>StandardOutPath</key>\n<string>/tmp/' + serviceId + '-daemon.log</string>'));
             var stderrpath = (options.stderr ? ('<key>StandardErrorPath</key>\n<string>' + options.stderr + '</string>') : ('<key>StandardErrorPath</key>\n<string>/tmp/' + serviceId + '-daemon.log</string>'));
             var autoStart = (options.startType == 'AUTO_START' ? '<true/>' : '<false/>');
+            var keepAlive = ((options.failureRestart == null || options.failureRestart > 0) ? '<true/>' : '<false/>'); // launchd restart-on-exit
 
             // Apply OpenFrame parameters formatting for macOS
             console.log('[DEBUG service-manager] options.parameters before processing: ' + JSON.stringify(options.parameters));
@@ -3002,7 +3003,7 @@ function serviceManager()
             plist += '      <key>Disabled</key>\n';
             plist += '      <false/>\n';
             plist += '      <key>KeepAlive</key>\n';
-            plist += '      <true/>\n';
+            plist += ('      ' + keepAlive + '\n');
             plist += '      <key>Label</key>\n';
             plist += ('     <string>' + serviceId + '</string>\n');
             plist += (params + '\n');