diff --git a/Sources/KeyPathApp/Info.plist b/Sources/KeyPathApp/Info.plist
index 3c7b2321b..30dd3e5ce 100644
--- a/Sources/KeyPathApp/Info.plist
+++ b/Sources/KeyPathApp/Info.plist
@@ -11,9 +11,9 @@
 	<key>CFBundleDisplayName</key>
 	<string>KeyPath</string>
 	<key>CFBundleVersion</key>
-	<string>12</string>
+	<string>13</string>
 	<key>CFBundleShortVersionString</key>
-	<string>1.0.1</string>
+	<string>1.0.2</string>
 	<key>CFBundlePackageType</key>
 	<string>APPL</string>
 	<key>CFBundleIconFile</key>
diff --git a/Sources/KeyPathInstallationWizard/Core/ServiceStatusEvaluator.swift b/Sources/KeyPathInstallationWizard/Core/ServiceStatusEvaluator.swift
index dd993460b..521016b30 100644
--- a/Sources/KeyPathInstallationWizard/Core/ServiceStatusEvaluator.swift
+++ b/Sources/KeyPathInstallationWizard/Core/ServiceStatusEvaluator.swift
@@ -15,6 +15,49 @@ public enum ServiceProcessStatus: Equatable {
 /// Single source of truth for service status evaluation across all wizard pages
 /// Pure function approach - no side effects, consistent results
 public enum ServiceStatusEvaluator {
+    /// The service page rechecks only while the runtime is genuinely in a
+    /// transient startup state. The cap prevents a stale lifecycle signal from
+    /// leaving the wizard in an endless spinner.
+    public static let transientRefreshAttemptLimit = 30
+
+    public static func shouldRetryTransientStatus(
+        runtimeStatus: WizardRuntimeStatus,
+        isInTransientStartupWindow: Bool,
+        completedAttempts: Int
+    ) -> Bool {
+        guard completedAttempts < transientRefreshAttemptLimit else { return false }
+        return isTransientStartupStatus(
+            runtimeStatus: runtimeStatus,
+            isInTransientStartupWindow: isInTransientStartupWindow
+        )
+    }
+
+    public static func didExhaustTransientStatus(
+        runtimeStatus: WizardRuntimeStatus,
+        isInTransientStartupWindow: Bool,
+        completedAttempts: Int
+    ) -> Bool {
+        guard completedAttempts >= transientRefreshAttemptLimit else { return false }
+        return isTransientStartupStatus(
+            runtimeStatus: runtimeStatus,
+            isInTransientStartupWindow: isInTransientStartupWindow
+        )
+    }
+
+    private static func isTransientStartupStatus(
+        runtimeStatus: WizardRuntimeStatus,
+        isInTransientStartupWindow: Bool
+    ) -> Bool {
+        switch runtimeStatus {
+        case .starting:
+            true
+        case .stopped:
+            isInTransientStartupWindow
+        case .running, .failed, .unknown:
+            false
+        }
+    }
+
     /// Evaluates a fresh runtime observation after an explicit lifecycle action.
     ///
     /// A successful lifecycle operation has already verified runtime readiness, so
diff --git a/Sources/KeyPathInstallationWizard/UI/Pages/WizardKanataServicePage.swift b/Sources/KeyPathInstallationWizard/UI/Pages/WizardKanataServicePage.swift
index f80d361c7..26007ff6c 100644
--- a/Sources/KeyPathInstallationWizard/UI/Pages/WizardKanataServicePage.swift
+++ b/Sources/KeyPathInstallationWizard/UI/Pages/WizardKanataServicePage.swift
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@ public struct WizardKanataServicePage: View {
 
     @State private var isPerformingAction = false
     @State private var serviceStatus: ServiceStatus = .unknown
-    @State private var refreshTimer: Timer?
     @State private var actionStatus: WizardDesign.ActionStatus = .idle
     @State private var refreshTask: Task<Void, Never>?
 
@@ -113,11 +112,9 @@ public struct WizardKanataServicePage: View {
         .background(WizardDesign.Colors.wizardBackground)
         .wizardDetailPage()
         .onAppear {
-            startAutoRefresh()
             refreshStatus()
         }
         .onDisappear {
-            stopAutoRefresh()
             refreshTask?.cancel()
             refreshTask = nil
         }
@@ -295,34 +292,64 @@ public struct WizardKanataServicePage: View {
             AppLogger.shared.log("⚠️ [WizardKanataServicePage] kanataManager not configured — skipping status refresh")
             return
         }
-        let runtimeStatus = await kanataManager.currentRuntimeStatus()
-        let isInTransientStartupWindow = await kanataManager.isInTransientRuntimeStartupWindow()
+        var completedAttempts = 0
 
-        let processStatus = if let actionSucceeded {
-            ServiceStatusEvaluator.evaluateAfterAction(
-                operationSucceeded: actionSucceeded,
-                kanataIsRunning: runtimeStatus.isRunning,
-                systemState: systemState,
-                issues: issues
-            )
-        } else {
-            ServiceStatusEvaluator.evaluate(
-                kanataIsRunning: runtimeStatus.isRunning,
-                systemState: systemState,
-                issues: issues
-            )
-        }
+        while !Task.isCancelled {
+            let runtimeStatus = await kanataManager.currentRuntimeStatus()
+            let isInTransientStartupWindow = await kanataManager.isInTransientRuntimeStartupWindow()
+
+            let processStatus = if let actionSucceeded {
+                ServiceStatusEvaluator.evaluateAfterAction(
+                    operationSucceeded: actionSucceeded,
+                    kanataIsRunning: runtimeStatus.isRunning,
+                    systemState: systemState,
+                    issues: issues
+                )
+            } else {
+                ServiceStatusEvaluator.evaluate(
+                    kanataIsRunning: runtimeStatus.isRunning,
+                    systemState: systemState,
+                    issues: issues
+                )
+            }
 
-        guard !Task.isCancelled else { return }
+            guard !Task.isCancelled else { return }
 
-        await MainActor.run {
-            withAnimation(.easeInOut(duration: 0.3)) {
-                applyStatusUpdate(
+            await MainActor.run {
+                withAnimation(.easeInOut(duration: 0.3)) {
+                    applyStatusUpdate(
+                        runtimeStatus: runtimeStatus,
+                        processStatus: processStatus,
+                        isInTransientStartupWindow: isInTransientStartupWindow
+                    )
+                }
+            }
+
+            completedAttempts += 1
+            let shouldRetry = ServiceStatusEvaluator.shouldRetryTransientStatus(
+                runtimeStatus: runtimeStatus,
+                isInTransientStartupWindow: isInTransientStartupWindow,
+                completedAttempts: completedAttempts
+            )
+            guard shouldRetry else {
+                if ServiceStatusEvaluator.didExhaustTransientStatus(
                     runtimeStatus: runtimeStatus,
-                    processStatus: processStatus,
-                    isInTransientStartupWindow: isInTransientStartupWindow
-                )
+                    isInTransientStartupWindow: isInTransientStartupWindow,
+                    completedAttempts: completedAttempts
+                ) {
+                    await MainActor.run {
+                        serviceStatus = .failed(
+                            error: "Runtime startup did not finish. Click Restart to retry."
+                        )
+                    }
+                }
+                return
             }
+
+            AppLogger.shared.log(
+                "⏳ [WizardKanataServicePage] Runtime is still starting; scheduling bounded status retry \(completedAttempts)/\(ServiceStatusEvaluator.transientRefreshAttemptLimit)"
+            )
+            guard await WizardSleep.seconds(1) else { return }
         }
     }
 
@@ -592,20 +619,4 @@ public struct WizardKanataServicePage: View {
             "Check log file for details"
         }
     }
-
-    // MARK: - Auto Refresh
-
-    private func startAutoRefresh() {
-        // DISABLED: This timer calls refreshStatus() which may trigger invasive permission checks
-        // that cause KeyPath to auto-add to Input Monitoring system preferences
-
-        AppLogger.shared.log(
-            "🔄 [WizardKanataServicePage] Auto-refresh timer DISABLED to prevent invasive permission checks"
-        )
-    }
-
-    private func stopAutoRefresh() {
-        refreshTimer?.invalidate()
-        refreshTimer = nil
-    }
 }
diff --git a/Tests/KeyPathTests/InstallationWizard/ServiceStatusEvaluatorActionTests.swift b/Tests/KeyPathTests/InstallationWizard/ServiceStatusEvaluatorActionTests.swift
index 56a402a60..fd896a05f 100644
--- a/Tests/KeyPathTests/InstallationWizard/ServiceStatusEvaluatorActionTests.swift
+++ b/Tests/KeyPathTests/InstallationWizard/ServiceStatusEvaluatorActionTests.swift
@@ -3,6 +3,71 @@ import KeyPathWizardCore
 import XCTest
 
 final class ServiceStatusEvaluatorActionTests: XCTestCase {
+    func testTransientStartingStatusRetriesUntilAttemptLimit() {
+        XCTAssertTrue(
+            ServiceStatusEvaluator.shouldRetryTransientStatus(
+                runtimeStatus: .starting,
+                isInTransientStartupWindow: false,
+                completedAttempts: 1
+            )
+        )
+        XCTAssertFalse(
+            ServiceStatusEvaluator.shouldRetryTransientStatus(
+                runtimeStatus: .starting,
+                isInTransientStartupWindow: false,
+                completedAttempts: ServiceStatusEvaluator.transientRefreshAttemptLimit
+            )
+        )
+    }
+
+    func testStoppedStatusRetriesOnlyInsideTransientStartupWindow() {
+        XCTAssertTrue(
+            ServiceStatusEvaluator.shouldRetryTransientStatus(
+                runtimeStatus: .stopped,
+                isInTransientStartupWindow: true,
+                completedAttempts: 1
+            )
+        )
+        XCTAssertFalse(
+            ServiceStatusEvaluator.shouldRetryTransientStatus(
+                runtimeStatus: .stopped,
+                isInTransientStartupWindow: false,
+                completedAttempts: 1
+            )
+        )
+        XCTAssertTrue(
+            ServiceStatusEvaluator.didExhaustTransientStatus(
+                runtimeStatus: .stopped,
+                isInTransientStartupWindow: true,
+                completedAttempts: ServiceStatusEvaluator.transientRefreshAttemptLimit
+            )
+        )
+    }
+
+    func testSettledRuntimeStatusDoesNotRetry() {
+        XCTAssertFalse(
+            ServiceStatusEvaluator.shouldRetryTransientStatus(
+                runtimeStatus: .running(pid: 42),
+                isInTransientStartupWindow: true,
+                completedAttempts: 1
+            )
+        )
+        XCTAssertFalse(
+            ServiceStatusEvaluator.shouldRetryTransientStatus(
+                runtimeStatus: .failed(reason: "boom"),
+                isInTransientStartupWindow: true,
+                completedAttempts: 1
+            )
+        )
+        XCTAssertFalse(
+            ServiceStatusEvaluator.didExhaustTransientStatus(
+                runtimeStatus: .running(pid: 42),
+                isInTransientStartupWindow: true,
+                completedAttempts: ServiceStatusEvaluator.transientRefreshAttemptLimit
+            )
+        )
+    }
+
     func testSuccessfulActionUsesFreshRunningObservationOverStaleIssue() {
         let status = ServiceStatusEvaluator.evaluateAfterAction(
             operationSucceeded: true,