diff --git a/crates/freshell-server/src/main.rs b/crates/freshell-server/src/main.rs
index 694da8c56..8c11aa1d4 100644
--- a/crates/freshell-server/src/main.rs
+++ b/crates/freshell-server/src/main.rs
@@ -3440,11 +3440,14 @@ async fn main() -> ExitCode {
     // `prepare_retention("server-shutdown")` and their records flip to
     // Retained — instead of handing them to the teardown worker.
     //
-    // Supervisor caveat (recorded, no code — reports/V6.md NA-1): the in-repo
-    // systemd unit is NOT installed today (restarts are script-driven). If it
-    // is ever adopted, its KillMode must not be `control-group` — a cgroup
-    // kill would slaughter the retained sidecars this deliberately keeps
-    // alive (`process_group(0)` detaches the pgid, not the cgroup).
+    // Supervisor caveat (SAFE-11, reports/V6.md NA-1): the shipped systemd
+    // unit (installers/systemd/freshell-rust.service) sets
+    // `KillMode=process` for exactly this reason — a cgroup kill
+    // (`control-group`, the default; `mixed` likewise) would slaughter the
+    // retained sidecars this deliberately keeps alive (`process_group(0)`
+    // detaches the pgid, not the cgroup). Keep that setting: hosts whose
+    // installed copy predates it must re-copy the unit and daemon-reload,
+    // or unit restarts still defeat retention.
     freshell_codex::launch_lifecycle::CodexTerminalLaunchManager::global()
         .begin_shutdown_retention();
     registry.kill_all();
diff --git a/docs/development/self-hosted-launch-runbook.md b/docs/development/self-hosted-launch-runbook.md
index be3a62de2..7d7d7540c 100644
--- a/docs/development/self-hosted-launch-runbook.md
+++ b/docs/development/self-hosted-launch-runbook.md
@@ -373,11 +373,15 @@ drop-in, plus `freshell-supervisor.service`):
   `freshell-supervisor.service`. Restarting the SUPERVISOR therefore also
   restarts the server in the same transaction — one
   `systemctl --user restart freshell-supervisor.service` redeploys both.
-  BEWARE: any server-unit restart terminates the server's RETAINED Codex
-  sidecars (see the restart-effects list below — the unit has no
-  `KillMode` override, so systemd's control-group kill defeats the
-  server's deliberate SAFE-11 retention); in-flight Codex conversations
-  are lost.
+  The shipped unit sets `KillMode=process` (SAFE-11: the server's graceful
+  shutdown deliberately RETAINS adopted terminal-pane Codex sidecars, and
+  a control-group kill would slaughter them), so unit restarts PRESERVE
+  in-flight Codex conversations — but only if the INSTALLED copy carries
+  that line. Verify `systemctl --user show freshell-rust -p KillMode`
+  reports `process`; an installed copy without it (or explicitly
+  `control-group`) must be re-copied from `installers/systemd/` and
+  `systemctl --user daemon-reload`d, or unit restarts still terminate
+  retained Codex conversations.
   The same `Type=simple` socket race as the strict sequence applies here:
   the server may start before the supervisor rebinds its control socket
   and come up failed; the unit's `Restart=on-failure` retries can then
diff --git a/installers/systemd/freshell-rust.service b/installers/systemd/freshell-rust.service
index 5676f6e1a..df575a8b3 100644
--- a/installers/systemd/freshell-rust.service
+++ b/installers/systemd/freshell-rust.service
@@ -56,6 +56,16 @@ Restart=on-failure
 RestartSec=2
 # Give the graceful-shutdown path (WS close 4009 + PTY teardown) time to run.
 TimeoutStopSec=15
+# SAFE-11 retention: on stop, signal ONLY the main process. The server's
+# graceful shutdown reaps every PTY and sidecar it owns EXCEPT adopted
+# terminal-pane Codex sidecars, which it deliberately RETAINS across
+# restarts (crates/freshell-server/src/main.rs, "SAFE-11 deliberate
+# deviation"). systemd's default KillMode=control-group (and `mixed`
+# likewise) would slaughter exactly those retained sidecars after the
+# main process exits. Accepted trade-off (matches the setsid launcher's
+# crash semantics): if the server CRASHES, systemd does not reap its
+# children either.
+KillMode=process
 
 [Install]
 WantedBy=default.target