diff --git a/docs/commands/switch.md b/docs/commands/switch.md
index b1a74116..678ff59d 100644
--- a/docs/commands/switch.md
+++ b/docs/commands/switch.md
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ codex-auth switch - --restart-daemon
 codex-auth switch personal --json --restart-daemon
 ```
 
-`--restart-daemon` requests a restart after account activation and registry persistence succeed. It also restarts when the selected credentials are already on disk, so it can repair stale daemon authentication or retry a failed restart. It can interrupt all attached sessions. Reconnect, verify the account, and resume work as needed.
+`--restart-daemon` applies the selected credentials to the running daemon after account activation and registry persistence succeed. Codex daemons reload auth in place without interrupting attached sessions; upstream daemons without reload support are restarted instead, which can interrupt all attached sessions. It also covers stale daemon authentication and retries after a failed attempt. Reconnect, verify the account, and resume work as needed.
 
 - The selected `CODEX_HOME` is passed to both lifecycle commands. The home’s managed executable is preferred, with supported legacy layouts and a PATH fallback.
 - Responsiveness is checked with `codex app-server daemon version`. A missing control endpoint is treated as best-effort absence: no daemon is started. A stale endpoint or other probe error leaves the state unconfirmed; an explicit request then fails without invoking restart.
diff --git a/src/cli/output.zig b/src/cli/output.zig
index 2d0abce0..c2a4f999 100644
--- a/src/cli/output.zig
+++ b/src/cli/output.zig
@@ -29,6 +29,14 @@ pub fn writeCodexDaemonDiagnosticTo(out: *std.Io.Writer, home: []const u8, execu
             try out.writeAll("Account files switched successfully; Codex daemon restart completed. Reconnect and verify the selected account.\n");
             return;
         },
+        .reloaded => {
+            try out.writeAll("Account files switched successfully; the running daemon reloaded the new credentials without a restart.\n");
+            return;
+        },
+        .deferred => {
+            try out.writeAll("Account files switched successfully; the daemon deferred the reload until the running turn finishes. Rerun `switch --restart-daemon` afterwards.\n");
+            return;
+        },
         .running => try out.writeAll("A running Codex daemon may still use cached credentials. Use `switch --restart-daemon` to apply the selection or repair stale authentication. Restarting can interrupt attached sessions.\n"),
         .unknown => try out.writeAll(if (requested)
             "Account files switched successfully; daemon responsiveness could not be confirmed. The requested restart was not attempted.\n"
diff --git a/src/workflows/codex_daemon.zig b/src/workflows/codex_daemon.zig
index bacd15b0..9200fe84 100644
--- a/src/workflows/codex_daemon.zig
+++ b/src/workflows/codex_daemon.zig
@@ -3,10 +3,11 @@ const builtin = @import("builtin");
 const runtime = @import("../core/runtime.zig");
 
 pub const restart_timeout_ms = 120_000;
+pub const reload_timeout_ms = 10_000;
 const probe_timeout_ms = 5_000;
 const output_limit = 16 * 1024;
 
-pub const Outcome = enum { not_running, running, unknown, unsupported, restarted, restart_failed, timed_out };
+pub const Outcome = enum { not_running, running, unknown, unsupported, reloaded, deferred, restarted, restart_failed, timed_out };
 
 /// Coordinates the supported Codex lifecycle commands for one selected home.
 pub const Client = struct {
@@ -70,6 +71,31 @@ pub const Client = struct {
         return if (result.succeeded) .restarted else .restart_failed;
     }
 
+    /// Two-tier coordination: prefer the non-disruptive reload when the running
+    /// daemon supports it (codex daemons), and fall back to a full restart for
+    /// upstream daemons without reload support. Busy daemons defer instead of
+    /// interrupting a running turn.
+    pub fn ensure(self: *const Client, timeout_ms: u64) !Outcome {
+        const state = try self.probe();
+        if (state != .running) return state;
+        if (try self.tryReload()) |outcome| return outcome;
+        return try self.restart(timeout_ms);
+    }
+
+    /// Returns the reload outcome when the daemon accepted it (or deferred it);
+    /// null means reload is unavailable or failed and the caller should fall
+    /// back to a restart.
+    fn tryReload(self: *const Client) !?Outcome {
+        const result = self.runLifecycle("reload-auth", reload_timeout_ms) catch |err| switch (err) {
+            error.OutOfMemory => return err,
+            else => return null,
+        };
+        defer self.allocator.free(result.stdout);
+        if (result.timed_out or !result.succeeded) return null;
+        if (std.mem.indexOf(u8, result.stdout, "skipped the auth reload") != null) return .deferred;
+        return .reloaded;
+    }
+
     const Result = struct { stdout: []u8, succeeded: bool, timed_out: bool };
 
     fn runLifecycle(self: *const Client, command: []const u8, timeout_ms: u64) !Result {
diff --git a/src/workflows/switch.zig b/src/workflows/switch.zig
index 798f4974..b2a4ae68 100644
--- a/src/workflows/switch.zig
+++ b/src/workflows/switch.zig
@@ -253,7 +253,7 @@ fn activateSelection(
     };
     defer client.deinit();
     const outcome = if (opts.restart_daemon)
-        try client.restart(daemon.restart_timeout_ms)
+        try client.ensure(daemon.restart_timeout_ms)
     else
         try client.probe();
     try cli.output.printCodexDaemonDiagnostic(codex_home, client.executable, outcome, opts.restart_daemon);
diff --git a/tests/cli_integration_test.zig b/tests/cli_integration_test.zig
index e14fa34d..75e2b6f8 100644
--- a/tests/cli_integration_test.zig
+++ b/tests/cli_integration_test.zig
@@ -854,7 +854,7 @@ test "Scenario: Given daemon-aware switching then explicit recovery preserves se
         }
         const calls = try fake_daemon.read(home_dir, "lifecycle-calls");
         defer gpa.free(calls);
-        const expected = if (!case.requested) "version\n" else if (case.attempts == 2) "version\nrestart\nversion\nrestart\n" else "version\nrestart\n";
+        const expected = if (!case.requested) "version\n" else if (case.attempts == 2) "version\nreload-auth\nversion\nrestart\nversion\nreload-auth\nversion\nrestart\n" else "version\nreload-auth\nversion\nrestart\n";
         try std.testing.expectEqualStrings(expected, calls);
         if (case.requested) {
             const forwarded = try fake_daemon.read(home_dir, "restarted-home");
@@ -898,7 +898,7 @@ test "Scenario: Given no managed executable then daemon restart resolves relativ
         try std.testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, result.stderr, "daemon restart completed") != null);
         const calls = try fake_daemon.read(dir, "lifecycle-calls");
         defer gpa.free(calls);
-        try std.testing.expectEqualStrings("version\nrestart\n", calls);
+        try std.testing.expectEqualStrings("version\nreload-auth\nversion\nrestart\n", calls);
         const forwarded = try fake_daemon.read(dir, "restarted-home");
         defer gpa.free(forwarded);
         try std.testing.expectEqualStrings(home, std.mem.trimEnd(u8, forwarded, "\n"));
@@ -942,7 +942,7 @@ test "Scenario: Given a non-executable codex first in PATH then daemon restart u
     try std.testing.expect(std.mem.indexOf(u8, result.stderr, "daemon restart completed") != null);
     const calls = try fake_daemon.read(dir, "lifecycle-calls");
     defer gpa.free(calls);
-    try std.testing.expectEqualStrings("version\nrestart\n", calls);
+    try std.testing.expectEqualStrings("version\nreload-auth\nversion\nrestart\n", calls);
     const forwarded = try fake_daemon.read(dir, "restarted-home");
     defer gpa.free(forwarded);
     try std.testing.expectEqualStrings(home, std.mem.trimEnd(u8, forwarded, "\n"));
@@ -2975,7 +2975,7 @@ test "Scenario: Given switch query with multiple matches when running switch the
         defer gpa.free(calls_path);
         const calls = try fixtures.readFileAlloc(gpa, calls_path);
         defer gpa.free(calls);
-        try std.testing.expectEqualStrings("version\nrestart\n", calls);
+        try std.testing.expectEqualStrings("version\nreload-auth\nversion\nrestart\n", calls);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/support/codex_daemon.zig b/tests/support/codex_daemon.zig
index c4495c8a..501b85d5 100644
--- a/tests/support/codex_daemon.zig
+++ b/tests/support/codex_daemon.zig
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ pub fn install(dir: fs.Dir, body: []const u8) !void {
 
 pub const running = "if [ \"$3\" = version ]; then printf '%s\\n' '{\"status\":\"running\",\"appServerVersion\":\"0.160.0\",\"backend\":\"pid\"}'; exit 0; fi\n";
 pub const succeed = running ++ "[ \"$3\" = restart ] || exit 91\nprintf '%s\\n' \"$CODEX_HOME\" > \"$CODEX_HOME/restarted-home\"\n";
+pub const reload_changed = running ++ "[ \"$3\" = reload-auth ] || exit 91\nprintf '%s\\n' 'Daemon reloaded auth; the account changed.'\n";
+pub const reload_busy = running ++ "[ \"$3\" = reload-auth ] || exit 91\nprintf '%s\\n' 'Daemon skipped the auth reload because a turn is running.'\n";
+pub const reload_unsupported_succeed = running ++ "if [ \"$3\" = reload-auth ]; then exit 92; fi\n" ++ "[ \"$3\" = restart ] || exit 91\nprintf '%s\\n' \"$CODEX_HOME\" > \"$CODEX_HOME/restarted-home\"\n";
 
 pub fn read(dir: fs.Dir, path: []const u8) ![]u8 {
     var file = try dir.openFile(path, .{});
diff --git a/tests/workflows_daemon_test.zig b/tests/workflows_daemon_test.zig
index 044704b4..112fe6ec 100644
--- a/tests/workflows_daemon_test.zig
+++ b/tests/workflows_daemon_test.zig
@@ -51,6 +51,56 @@ test "Scenario: Given failed or malformed daemon probes then explicit restart re
     }
 }
 
+test "Scenario: Given a codex daemon that reloads auth then ensure reloads without restarting" {
+    if (builtin.os.tag == .windows) return error.SkipZigTest;
+    var tmp = fs.tmpDir(.{});
+    defer tmp.cleanup();
+    try fake.install(tmp.dir, fake.reload_changed);
+    const home = try tmp.dir.realpathAlloc(std.testing.allocator, ".");
+    defer std.testing.allocator.free(home);
+    var client = try daemon.Client.init(std.testing.allocator, home);
+    defer client.deinit();
+    try std.testing.expectEqual(daemon.Outcome.reloaded, try client.ensure(1_000));
+    const calls = try fake.read(tmp.dir, "lifecycle-calls");
+    defer std.testing.allocator.free(calls);
+    try std.testing.expectEqualStrings("version\nreload-auth\n", calls);
+    try std.testing.expectError(error.FileNotFound, tmp.dir.openFile("restarted-home", .{}));
+}
+
+test "Scenario: Given an upstream daemon without reload support then ensure falls back to restart" {
+    if (builtin.os.tag == .windows) return error.SkipZigTest;
+    var tmp = fs.tmpDir(.{});
+    defer tmp.cleanup();
+    try fake.install(tmp.dir, fake.reload_unsupported_succeed);
+    const home = try tmp.dir.realpathAlloc(std.testing.allocator, ".");
+    defer std.testing.allocator.free(home);
+    var client = try daemon.Client.init(std.testing.allocator, home);
+    defer client.deinit();
+    try std.testing.expectEqual(daemon.Outcome.restarted, try client.ensure(1_000));
+    const calls = try fake.read(tmp.dir, "lifecycle-calls");
+    defer std.testing.allocator.free(calls);
+    try std.testing.expectEqualStrings("version\nreload-auth\nversion\nrestart\n", calls);
+    const forwarded = try fake.read(tmp.dir, "restarted-home");
+    defer std.testing.allocator.free(forwarded);
+    try std.testing.expect(forwarded.len > 0);
+}
+
+test "Scenario: Given a busy daemon then the reload defers without restarting" {
+    if (builtin.os.tag == .windows) return error.SkipZigTest;
+    var tmp = fs.tmpDir(.{});
+    defer tmp.cleanup();
+    try fake.install(tmp.dir, fake.reload_busy);
+    const home = try tmp.dir.realpathAlloc(std.testing.allocator, ".");
+    defer std.testing.allocator.free(home);
+    var client = try daemon.Client.init(std.testing.allocator, home);
+    defer client.deinit();
+    try std.testing.expectEqual(daemon.Outcome.deferred, try client.ensure(1_000));
+    const calls = try fake.read(tmp.dir, "lifecycle-calls");
+    defer std.testing.allocator.free(calls);
+    try std.testing.expectEqualStrings("version\nreload-auth\n", calls);
+    try std.testing.expectError(error.FileNotFound, tmp.dir.openFile("restarted-home", .{}));
+}
+
 test "Scenario: Given a restart failure then retry makes another explicit restart attempt" {
     if (builtin.os.tag == .windows) return error.SkipZigTest;
     var tmp = fs.tmpDir(.{});