diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 9b49836..41b9249 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
 ## Changelog
 
+### v0.67.4 — gate: startup recreate also recovers exited/restarting drive-backed apps (2026-06-15)
+
+Refines v0.67.3's `recreateBootStaleApps`: recreate a present drive-backed app when it is boot-stale
+(recently started) OR currently `exited`/`restarting`/`unhealthy` (came up wrong on the empty bind and
+bailed) — the recency-only gate missed apps that had already exited. Still skips healthy long-running
+apps (no bounce on a controller-only restart) and cleanly user-stopped apps.
+
 ### v0.67.3 — gate: startup recreate of boot-stale drive-backed apps (2026-06-15)
 
 Completes guest-reboot convergence (caught in the live migration). On a guest reboot docker auto-starts
diff --git a/controller/internal/web/intermediary.go b/controller/internal/web/intermediary.go
index c93ec84..ae723b5 100644
--- a/controller/internal/web/intermediary.go
+++ b/controller/internal/web/intermediary.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 
 	"gitea.dooplex.hu/admin/felhom-controller/internal/agentapi"
 	"gitea.dooplex.hu/admin/felhom-controller/internal/settings"
+	"gitea.dooplex.hu/admin/felhom-controller/internal/stacks"
 )
 
 // Intermediary-mount model (controller side). Post-migration a drive is visible in the guest ONLY at its
@@ -249,10 +250,16 @@ func (s *Server) recreateBootStaleApps() {
 		if hdd == "" || !strings.HasPrefix(hdd, StableParentDir+"/") || !presentStable[hdd] {
 			continue
 		}
-		if !s.stackStartedRecently(st.Name, 5*time.Minute) {
-			continue // long-running across a controller-only restart — don't bounce it
+		// Recreate when the app is boot-stale or not cleanly running: recently-started (it likely came up
+		// on the empty bind before the drive was re-propagated) OR currently exited/restarting/unhealthy
+		// (came up wrong and bailed). SKIP a healthy long-running app (no bounce on a controller-only
+		// restart) and a cleanly user-Stopped app (respect the user's intent).
+		needs := s.stackStartedRecently(st.Name, 5*time.Minute) ||
+			st.State == stacks.StateExited || st.State == stacks.StateRestarting || st.State == stacks.StateUnhealthy
+		if !needs {
+			continue
 		}
-		s.logger.Printf("[INFO] [gate] startup: recreating drive-backed app %s onto its (re-propagated) drive %s", st.Name, hdd)
+		s.logger.Printf("[INFO] [gate] startup: recreating drive-backed app %s (state=%s) onto its drive %s", st.Name, st.State, hdd)
 		_ = s.stackMgr.StopStack(st.Name)
 		if serr := s.stackMgr.StartStack(st.Name); serr != nil {
 			s.logger.Printf("[WARN] [gate] startup recreate %s: %v", st.Name, serr)