diff --git a/service/usbip/client_shared.go b/service/usbip/client_shared.go
index c3ecba0dc..715c283c4 100644
--- a/service/usbip/client_shared.go
+++ b/service/usbip/client_shared.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"slices"
 	"time"
 
@@ -15,17 +16,21 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	clientReconnectDelay   = 5 * time.Second
-	clientShutdownTimeout  = 15 * time.Second
-	controlPingInterval    = 10 * time.Second
-	controlReadTimeout     = 30 * time.Second
-	controlWriteTimeout    = 5 * time.Second
-	controlSessionIdleHint = "control session lost"
+	clientReconnectDelay         = 5 * time.Second
+	clientShutdownTimeout        = 15 * time.Second
+	controlPingInterval          = 10 * time.Second
+	controlReadTimeout           = 30 * time.Second
+	controlWriteTimeout          = 5 * time.Second
+	controlSessionIdleHint       = "control session lost"
+	controlHandshakeBackoffStart = time.Second
+	controlHandshakeBackoffMax   = 30 * time.Second
+	controlHandshakeMaxTransient = 3
 )
 
 var (
 	errImmediateReconnect = E.New("usbip control reconnect")
 	errControlUnsupported = E.New("usbip control unsupported")
+	errControlTransient   = E.New("usbip control transient")
 )
 
 type clientAssignedWorker struct {
@@ -57,31 +62,79 @@ func (c *ClientService) initializeWorkers() {
 
 func (c *ClientService) run() {
 	defer c.wg.Done()
-	for immediate := true; immediate || sleepCtx(c.ctx, clientReconnectDelay); {
-		err := c.runControlSession()
-		if errors.Is(err, errControlUnsupported) {
-			c.logger.Info("control channel unsupported by ", c.serverAddr, "; using standard usbip mode")
-			for {
-				err = c.syncRemoteStateContext(c.ctx)
-				if err != nil {
-					err = E.Cause(err, "devlist sync")
-					break
-				}
-				if !sleepCtx(c.ctx, clientReconnectDelay) {
-					err = nil
-					break
+	defer c.stopAllWorkers()
+
+	var transientStreak int
+	backoff := controlHandshakeBackoffStart
+	immediate := true
+
+	for {
+		if !immediate {
+			delay := clientReconnectDelay
+			if transientStreak > 0 {
+				delay = backoff
+				backoff *= 2
+				if backoff > controlHandshakeBackoffMax {
+					backoff = controlHandshakeBackoffMax
 				}
 			}
+			if !sleepCtx(c.ctx, delay) {
+				return
+			}
 		}
+		immediate = false
+
+		err := c.runControlSession()
 		if c.ctx.Err() != nil {
-			break
+			return
 		}
+
+		if errors.Is(err, errControlUnsupported) {
+			c.logger.Info("control channel unsupported by ", c.serverAddr, "; using standard usbip mode")
+			c.runStandardPollLoop()
+			if c.ctx.Err() != nil {
+				return
+			}
+			transientStreak = 0
+			backoff = controlHandshakeBackoffStart
+			continue
+		}
+
+		if errors.Is(err, errControlTransient) {
+			transientStreak++
+			c.logger.Warn("control handshake ", c.serverAddr, ": ", err)
+			if transientStreak >= controlHandshakeMaxTransient {
+				c.logger.Info("control handshake failed ", transientStreak, " times against ", c.serverAddr, "; using standard usbip mode")
+				c.runStandardPollLoop()
+				if c.ctx.Err() != nil {
+					return
+				}
+				transientStreak = 0
+				backoff = controlHandshakeBackoffStart
+			}
+			continue
+		}
+
 		if err != nil {
 			c.logger.Error("control ", c.serverAddr, ": ", err)
 		}
+		transientStreak = 0
+		backoff = controlHandshakeBackoffStart
 		immediate = errors.Is(err, errImmediateReconnect)
 	}
-	c.stopAllWorkers()
+}
+
+func (c *ClientService) runStandardPollLoop() {
+	for {
+		err := c.syncRemoteStateContext(c.ctx)
+		if err != nil {
+			c.logger.Error("control ", c.serverAddr, ": ", E.Cause(err, "devlist sync"))
+			return
+		}
+		if !sleepCtx(c.ctx, clientReconnectDelay) {
+			return
+		}
+	}
 }
 
 func (c *ClientService) runControlSession() error {
@@ -97,7 +150,7 @@ func (c *ClientService) runControlSession() error {
 	_ = conn.SetReadDeadline(time.Now().Add(controlWriteTimeout))
 	_, err = conn.Write(controlPreface[:])
 	if err != nil {
-		return E.Cause(errControlUnsupported, "write control preface: ", err)
+		return E.Cause(errControlTransient, "write control preface: ", err)
 	}
 	err = writeControlMessage(conn, controlFrame{
 		Type:         controlFrameHello,
@@ -105,12 +158,19 @@ func (c *ClientService) runControlSession() error {
 		Capabilities: controlCapabilities,
 	}, nil)
 	if err != nil {
-		return E.Cause(errControlUnsupported, "write control hello: ", err)
+		return E.Cause(errControlTransient, "write control hello: ", err)
 	}
 	var cr controlReader
 	ackMessage, err := cr.read(conn)
 	if err != nil {
-		return E.Cause(errControlUnsupported, "read control ack: ", err)
+		// A plain usbipd reads our preface as an op-header, finds a bogus
+		// version, and closes cleanly: the client sees io.EOF. Other I/O
+		// errors (timeout, RST, partial read) point at a transient
+		// network problem, not "server lacks CONTROL".
+		if errors.Is(err, io.EOF) {
+			return E.Cause(errControlUnsupported, "read control ack: ", err)
+		}
+		return E.Cause(errControlTransient, "read control ack: ", err)
 	}
 	if len(ackMessage.Payload) > 0 {
 		return E.Cause(errControlUnsupported, "unexpected control ack payload length ", len(ackMessage.Payload))
diff --git a/service/usbip/control_protocol.go b/service/usbip/control_protocol.go
index 22ffff2d9..c72e14ea9 100644
--- a/service/usbip/control_protocol.go
+++ b/service/usbip/control_protocol.go
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ func deviceInfoV2ToEntries(devices []DeviceInfoV2, availableOnly bool) []DeviceE
 			continue
 		}
 		var info DeviceInfoTruncated
-		encodePathField(&info.Path, device.Path)
+		encodePathField(&info.Path, device.Path, device.Serial)
 		copy(info.BusID[:], device.BusID)
 		info.Speed = device.Speed
 		info.IDVendor = device.VendorID
diff --git a/service/usbip/darwin_integration_test.go b/service/usbip/darwin_integration_test.go
index 016b72e5b..b829df41a 100644
--- a/service/usbip/darwin_integration_test.go
+++ b/service/usbip/darwin_integration_test.go
@@ -484,7 +484,7 @@ func truncateDarwinFakeDescriptor(data []byte, length int) []byte {
 
 func darwinFakeDeviceEntry() DeviceEntry {
 	var info DeviceInfoTruncated
-	encodePathField(&info.Path, "fake-darwin-usbip")
+	encodePathField(&info.Path, "fake-darwin-usbip", "codex-usbip-fake")
 	copy(info.BusID[:], darwinFakeBusID)
 	info.BusNum = 1
 	info.DevNum = 1
diff --git a/service/usbip/host_darwin.go b/service/usbip/host_darwin.go
index 2f17c92a8..2a6b95770 100644
--- a/service/usbip/host_darwin.go
+++ b/service/usbip/host_darwin.go
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ func (h *darwinExportHost) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, isBusy func(busid stri
 	var (
 		toAdd    []*darwinExport
 		toRemove []*darwinExport
-		toStale  []string
+		toStale  []darwinStaleMark
 		released []string
 	)
 	for busid, info := range desired {
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ func (h *darwinExportHost) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, isBusy func(busid stri
 		}
 		if exp, ok := current[busid]; ok {
 			if isBusy(busid) {
-				toStale = append(toStale, busid)
+				toStale = append(toStale, darwinStaleMark{busid: busid, pendingRegistryID: info.registryID})
 				continue
 			}
 			toRemove = append(toRemove, exp)
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ func (h *darwinExportHost) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, isBusy func(busid stri
 			continue
 		}
 		if isBusy(busid) {
-			toStale = append(toStale, busid)
+			toStale = append(toStale, darwinStaleMark{busid: busid})
 			continue
 		}
 		toRemove = append(toRemove, exp)
@@ -171,12 +171,15 @@ func (h *darwinExportHost) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, isBusy func(busid stri
 	}
 
 	h.access.Lock()
-	for _, busid := range toStale {
-		exp, ok := h.exports[busid]
-		if !ok || exp.stale {
+	for _, mark := range toStale {
+		exp, ok := h.exports[mark.busid]
+		if !ok {
 			continue
 		}
 		exp.stale = true
+		if mark.pendingRegistryID != 0 {
+			exp.pendingRegistryID = mark.pendingRegistryID
+		}
 	}
 	for _, exp := range toRemove {
 		delete(h.exports, exp.busid)
@@ -208,12 +211,44 @@ func (h *darwinExportHost) FinishImport(ctx context.Context, busid string) (bool
 		h.access.Unlock()
 		return false, nil
 	}
-	delete(h.exports, busid)
+	pending := exp.pendingRegistryID
+	if pending == 0 {
+		delete(h.exports, busid)
+		h.access.Unlock()
+		if exp.device != nil {
+			exp.device.Close()
+		}
+		return true, nil
+	}
+	h.access.Unlock()
+
+	device, err := darwinOpenUSBHostDevice(pending, true)
+	if err != nil {
+		h.logger.Warn("re-capture ", busid, " (registry ", pending, "): ", err)
+		h.access.Lock()
+		delete(h.exports, busid)
+		h.access.Unlock()
+		if exp.device != nil {
+			exp.device.Close()
+		}
+		return true, nil
+	}
+	info := device.info
+	replacement := &darwinExport{
+		busid:      info.key.BusID,
+		registryID: info.registryID,
+		device:     device,
+		entry:      info.entry,
+		logger:     h.logger,
+	}
+	h.access.Lock()
+	h.exports[busid] = replacement
 	h.access.Unlock()
 	if exp.device != nil {
 		exp.device.Close()
 	}
-	return true, nil
+	h.logger.Info("re-exported ", busid, " through IOUSBHost re-capture (registry ", pending, ")")
+	return false, nil
 }
 
 func (h *darwinExportHost) snapshotSelf() map[string]Export {
@@ -230,12 +265,18 @@ func (h *darwinExportHost) snapshotSelf() map[string]Export {
 }
 
 type darwinExport struct {
-	busid      string
-	registryID uint64
-	device     *darwinUSBHostDevice
-	entry      DeviceEntry
-	logger     log.ContextLogger
-	stale      bool
+	busid             string
+	registryID        uint64
+	pendingRegistryID uint64
+	device            *darwinUSBHostDevice
+	entry             DeviceEntry
+	logger            log.ContextLogger
+	stale             bool
+}
+
+type darwinStaleMark struct {
+	busid             string
+	pendingRegistryID uint64
 }
 
 func (e *darwinExport) BusID() string {
diff --git a/service/usbip/protocol.go b/service/usbip/protocol.go
index 3284a8f6c..ce63ce697 100644
--- a/service/usbip/protocol.go
+++ b/service/usbip/protocol.go
@@ -222,6 +222,7 @@ func ReadOpRepDevListBody(r io.Reader) ([]DeviceEntry, error) {
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
+		entries[i].Serial = entries[i].Info.SerialString()
 		bodyBytes += deviceInfoWireSize
 		if bodyBytes > maxOpRepDevListBodyBytes {
 			return nil, E.New("OP_REP_DEVLIST body too large")
@@ -261,8 +262,18 @@ func (d *DeviceInfoTruncated) DevID() uint32 {
 	return (d.BusNum << 16) | (d.DevNum & 0xffff)
 }
 
-func encodePathField(dst *[256]byte, path string) {
-	copy(dst[:], path)
+func encodePathField(dst *[256]byte, path string, serial string) {
+	*dst = [256]byte{}
+	pathLen := copy(dst[:len(dst)-1], path)
+	if serial == "" {
+		return
+	}
+	trailer := "serial=" + serial
+	trailerStart := pathLen + 1
+	if trailerStart+len(trailer)+1 > len(dst) {
+		return
+	}
+	copy(dst[trailerStart:], trailer)
 }
 
 func cstring(b []byte) string {
diff --git a/service/usbip/server.go b/service/usbip/server.go
index 88309aebf..ec87a3410 100644
--- a/service/usbip/server.go
+++ b/service/usbip/server.go
@@ -289,6 +289,12 @@ func (s *ServerService) handleImportBusID(conn net.Conn, busid string, extended
 		<-session.Done()
 		released, _ := s.host.FinishImport(s.ctx, busid)
 		s.ledger.ReleaseImport(s.ctx, busid, released)
+		if released {
+			reconcileErr := s.reconcileAndBroadcast(true)
+			if reconcileErr != nil {
+				s.logger.Debug("reconcile after ", busid, ": ", reconcileErr)
+			}
+		}
 		return false
 	}
 	s.logger.Info("attached ", busid, " to remote ", conn.RemoteAddr())
@@ -299,6 +305,12 @@ func (s *ServerService) handleImportBusID(conn net.Conn, busid string, extended
 			s.logger.Debug("finish import ", busid, ": ", err)
 		}
 		s.ledger.ReleaseImport(s.ctx, busid, released)
+		if released {
+			err = s.reconcileAndBroadcast(true)
+			if err != nil {
+				s.logger.Debug("reconcile after ", busid, ": ", err)
+			}
+		}
 	}()
 	return true
 }
diff --git a/service/usbip/sysfs_linux.go b/service/usbip/sysfs_linux.go
index bea277583..42fad5d64 100644
--- a/service/usbip/sysfs_linux.go
+++ b/service/usbip/sysfs_linux.go
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ type sysfsDevice struct {
 
 func (d *sysfsDevice) toProtocol() DeviceInfoTruncated {
 	var info DeviceInfoTruncated
-	encodePathField(&info.Path, d.Path)
+	encodePathField(&info.Path, d.Path, d.Serial)
 	copy(info.BusID[:], d.BusID)
 	info.BusNum = d.BusNum
 	info.DevNum = d.DevNum
diff --git a/service/usbip/usbhost_darwin.go b/service/usbip/usbhost_darwin.go
index 72d6ddbf2..0a4fbd2c3 100644
--- a/service/usbip/usbhost_darwin.go
+++ b/service/usbip/usbhost_darwin.go
@@ -484,7 +484,7 @@ func darwinDeviceInfoFromC(info *C.box_usbhost_device_info_t) darwinUSBHostDevic
 		Serial: serial,
 	}
 	copy(entry.Info.BusID[:], busid)
-	encodePathField(&entry.Info.Path, path)
+	encodePathField(&entry.Info.Path, path, serial)
 	interfaceCount := int(info.interface_count)
 	if interfaceCount > C.BOX_USBHOST_MAX_INTERFACES {
 		interfaceCount = C.BOX_USBHOST_MAX_INTERFACES