diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 84d9bdd8..8c717439 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -202,6 +202,16 @@ Changes are grouped by software version. Entries under Unreleased describe work
 - The AHE Adapter Evolver took a `change_manifest.json` an earlier step left for the current step's: a manifest
   naming the next iteration was refused at its own step, then archived as the next step's when that step's session
   wrote none. The file (or a directory a session made in its place) is now removed before each Evolve session.
+- Nine example launchers left their wire meters running after the run (#82), so a later run on the same port
+  reused one and wrote its records into the earlier run's ledger. The meters a launch starts now stop within a second
+  or two of the runs that use them ending: its own trainings (and, for ServeLearnBench, the tests after them) and
+  those of any launch that reuses one, which each list their processes in the port's users file
+  (`/tmp/hermit-wire-meter-<uid>-<port>.users`); the harness2 restart loop is stopped with its meter. A
+  launch reuses a running meter only if it is still up three seconds on, so it never takes one that is being
+  stopped. A meter started on a ledger an earlier one left now carries its totals on (`LEDGER_RESUME=1` in
+  `hermit/runtime/wire_meter.py`, which these launchers set): the next run's meter on the port (`launch.sh run &&
+  launch.sh run eval`, a ServeLearnBench `test` run again, a CL-Bench tag refused because it exists) wrote an empty
+  ledger over the earlier run's bill.
 - On macOS a CLI session stopped at its timeout or on cancel could leave processes behind or fail: the processes
   below it were found through `/proc`, which macOS lacks, so one in a session of its own (as a sandbox starts its
   program) was never stopped; and signalling a process group left with only exited, unreaped processes raises
diff --git a/examples/clbench_database/mwm/launch.sh b/examples/clbench_database/mwm/launch.sh
index 7741cfac..067133f3 100755
--- a/examples/clbench_database/mwm/launch.sh
+++ b/examples/clbench_database/mwm/launch.sh
@@ -78,14 +78,45 @@ fi
 command -v codex >/dev/null || { echo "REFUSING: codex CLI not on PATH"; exit 1; }
 [ -f "$TASKDIR/tasks.jsonl" ] || { echo "REFUSING: run $TASKDIR/prepare.py first"; exit 1; }
 
+# The meters this launch starts stop within a second or two of the processes that use them ending (#82): its own and
+# those of any launch that reuses one. Each launch on a port lists its processes in the port's users file, emptied
+# when the meter stops; a launch reuses a running meter only if it is still up on a second look (one being stopped is
+# gone by then).
+METERS=() OWNED=() PORTS=()
+meter_users() { echo "/tmp/hermit-wire-meter-$(id -u)-$1.users"; }   # port: /tmp, which every launch on it shares
+meter_started() {  # port pid: a meter this launch started, this launch one of its users
+  { echo $$ >> "$(meter_users "$1")" || true; } 2>/dev/null
+  METERS+=("$2"); OWNED+=("$1")
+}
+stop_meters_after() {  # pid...: what this launch leaves running; the meters it started stop after every user
+  local port files=()
+  [ $# -eq 0 ] || for port in ${PORTS[@]+"${PORTS[@]}"}; do
+    printf '%s\n' "$@" >> "$(meter_users "$port")" 2>/dev/null || true; done
+  [ ${#METERS[@]} -gt 0 ] || return 0
+  for port in "${OWNED[@]}"; do files+=("$(meter_users "$port")"); done
+  setsid nohup bash -c 'while :; do up=
+      for p in $(cat $1 2>/dev/null); do kill -0 "$p" 2>/dev/null && { up=1; break; }; done
+      [ -n "$up" ] || break; sleep 1; done
+    for f in $1; do : > "$f"; done 2>/dev/null    # a launch listed after this look finds the meter gone and starts one
+    for m in $2; do kill -- "-$m" 2>/dev/null || kill "$m" 2>/dev/null || true; done' _ "${files[*]}" "${METERS[*]}" \
+    > /dev/null 2>&1 < /dev/null &
+}
+meter_health() {  # port: the /health of a meter still up three seconds on, this launch listed as one of its users first
+  curl -s -m 2 "http://127.0.0.1:$1/health" > /dev/null 2>&1 \
+    && { echo $$ >> "$(meter_users "$1")" || true; } 2>/dev/null \
+    && sleep 3 && curl -s -m 2 "http://127.0.0.1:$1/health" 2>/dev/null
+}
+trap 'stop_meters_after ${PIDS[@]+"${PIDS[@]}"}' EXIT   # after the trainings started below, if any
 start_meter() {  # port upstream ledger log [extra env...]: a meter already on the port must face the same upstream
   local port=$1 upstream=$2 ledger=$3 log=$4 health; shift 4
-  if health=$(curl -s -m 2 "http://127.0.0.1:$port/health" 2>/dev/null); then
+  PORTS+=("$port")                                  # started here or reused: this launch's processes use it
+  if health=$(meter_health $port); then
     case "$health" in *"\"upstream\": \"$upstream\""*) echo "wire meter already on port $port -> $upstream";;
       *) echo "REFUSING: port $port has a wire meter facing another or an unknown upstream ($health); choose another WM_PORT"; exit 1;; esac
   else
-    env "$@" PORT=$port LEDGER="$ledger" UPSTREAM="$upstream" \
+    env "$@" PORT=$port LEDGER="$ledger" LEDGER_RESUME=1 UPSTREAM="$upstream" \
       setsid nohup "$PY" "$METER" > "$log" 2>&1 < /dev/null &
+    meter_started $port $!
     echo "wire meter pid $! port $port -> $upstream"; sleep 2
   fi
 }
diff --git a/examples/clbench_database/prompt_only/launch.sh b/examples/clbench_database/prompt_only/launch.sh
index cc2316b1..99cc5904 100755
--- a/examples/clbench_database/prompt_only/launch.sh
+++ b/examples/clbench_database/prompt_only/launch.sh
@@ -82,14 +82,45 @@ fi
 command -v codex >/dev/null || { echo "REFUSING: codex CLI not on PATH"; exit 1; }
 [ -f "$TASKDIR/tasks.jsonl" ] || { echo "REFUSING: run $TASKDIR/prepare.py first"; exit 1; }
 
+# The meters this launch starts stop within a second or two of the processes that use them ending (#82): its own and
+# those of any launch that reuses one. Each launch on a port lists its processes in the port's users file, emptied
+# when the meter stops; a launch reuses a running meter only if it is still up on a second look (one being stopped is
+# gone by then).
+METERS=() OWNED=() PORTS=()
+meter_users() { echo "/tmp/hermit-wire-meter-$(id -u)-$1.users"; }   # port: /tmp, which every launch on it shares
+meter_started() {  # port pid: a meter this launch started, this launch one of its users
+  { echo $$ >> "$(meter_users "$1")" || true; } 2>/dev/null
+  METERS+=("$2"); OWNED+=("$1")
+}
+stop_meters_after() {  # pid...: what this launch leaves running; the meters it started stop after every user
+  local port files=()
+  [ $# -eq 0 ] || for port in ${PORTS[@]+"${PORTS[@]}"}; do
+    printf '%s\n' "$@" >> "$(meter_users "$port")" 2>/dev/null || true; done
+  [ ${#METERS[@]} -gt 0 ] || return 0
+  for port in "${OWNED[@]}"; do files+=("$(meter_users "$port")"); done
+  setsid nohup bash -c 'while :; do up=
+      for p in $(cat $1 2>/dev/null); do kill -0 "$p" 2>/dev/null && { up=1; break; }; done
+      [ -n "$up" ] || break; sleep 1; done
+    for f in $1; do : > "$f"; done 2>/dev/null    # a launch listed after this look finds the meter gone and starts one
+    for m in $2; do kill -- "-$m" 2>/dev/null || kill "$m" 2>/dev/null || true; done' _ "${files[*]}" "${METERS[*]}" \
+    > /dev/null 2>&1 < /dev/null &
+}
+meter_health() {  # port: the /health of a meter still up three seconds on, this launch listed as one of its users first
+  curl -s -m 2 "http://127.0.0.1:$1/health" > /dev/null 2>&1 \
+    && { echo $$ >> "$(meter_users "$1")" || true; } 2>/dev/null \
+    && sleep 3 && curl -s -m 2 "http://127.0.0.1:$1/health" 2>/dev/null
+}
+trap 'stop_meters_after ${PIDS[@]+"${PIDS[@]}"}' EXIT   # after the trainings started below, if any
 start_meter() {  # port upstream ledger log [extra env...]: a meter already on the port must face the same upstream
   local port=$1 upstream=$2 ledger=$3 log=$4 health; shift 4
-  if health=$(curl -s -m 2 "http://127.0.0.1:$port/health" 2>/dev/null); then
+  PORTS+=("$port")                                  # started here or reused: this launch's processes use it
+  if health=$(meter_health $port); then
     case "$health" in *"\"upstream\": \"$upstream\""*) echo "wire meter already on port $port -> $upstream";;
       *) echo "REFUSING: port $port has a wire meter facing another or an unknown upstream ($health); choose another WM_PORT"; exit 1;; esac
   else
-    env "$@" PORT=$port LEDGER="$ledger" UPSTREAM="$upstream" \
+    env "$@" PORT=$port LEDGER="$ledger" LEDGER_RESUME=1 UPSTREAM="$upstream" \
       setsid nohup "$PY" "$METER" > "$log" 2>&1 < /dev/null &
+    meter_started $port $!
     echo "wire meter pid $! port $port -> $upstream"; sleep 2
   fi
 }
diff --git a/examples/clbench_database/reharness/launch.sh b/examples/clbench_database/reharness/launch.sh
index 8fb32079..2b9bee18 100755
--- a/examples/clbench_database/reharness/launch.sh
+++ b/examples/clbench_database/reharness/launch.sh
@@ -90,14 +90,45 @@ fi
 
 [ -f "$TASKDIR/tasks.jsonl" ] || { echo "REFUSING: run $TASKDIR/prepare.py first"; exit 1; }
 
+# The meters this launch starts stop within a second or two of the processes that use them ending (#82): its own and
+# those of any launch that reuses one. Each launch on a port lists its processes in the port's users file, emptied
+# when the meter stops; a launch reuses a running meter only if it is still up on a second look (one being stopped is
+# gone by then).
+METERS=() OWNED=() PORTS=()
+meter_users() { echo "/tmp/hermit-wire-meter-$(id -u)-$1.users"; }   # port: /tmp, which every launch on it shares
+meter_started() {  # port pid: a meter this launch started, this launch one of its users
+  { echo $$ >> "$(meter_users "$1")" || true; } 2>/dev/null
+  METERS+=("$2"); OWNED+=("$1")
+}
+stop_meters_after() {  # pid...: what this launch leaves running; the meters it started stop after every user
+  local port files=()
+  [ $# -eq 0 ] || for port in ${PORTS[@]+"${PORTS[@]}"}; do
+    printf '%s\n' "$@" >> "$(meter_users "$port")" 2>/dev/null || true; done
+  [ ${#METERS[@]} -gt 0 ] || return 0
+  for port in "${OWNED[@]}"; do files+=("$(meter_users "$port")"); done
+  setsid nohup bash -c 'while :; do up=
+      for p in $(cat $1 2>/dev/null); do kill -0 "$p" 2>/dev/null && { up=1; break; }; done
+      [ -n "$up" ] || break; sleep 1; done
+    for f in $1; do : > "$f"; done 2>/dev/null    # a launch listed after this look finds the meter gone and starts one
+    for m in $2; do kill -- "-$m" 2>/dev/null || kill "$m" 2>/dev/null || true; done' _ "${files[*]}" "${METERS[*]}" \
+    > /dev/null 2>&1 < /dev/null &
+}
+meter_health() {  # port: the /health of a meter still up three seconds on, this launch listed as one of its users first
+  curl -s -m 2 "http://127.0.0.1:$1/health" > /dev/null 2>&1 \
+    && { echo $$ >> "$(meter_users "$1")" || true; } 2>/dev/null \
+    && sleep 3 && curl -s -m 2 "http://127.0.0.1:$1/health" 2>/dev/null
+}
+trap 'stop_meters_after ${PIDS[@]+"${PIDS[@]}"}' EXIT   # after the trainings started below, if any
 start_meter() {  # port upstream ledger log [extra env...]: a meter already on the port must face the same upstream
   local port=$1 upstream=$2 ledger=$3 log=$4 health; shift 4
-  if health=$(curl -s -m 2 "http://127.0.0.1:$port/health" 2>/dev/null); then
+  PORTS+=("$port")                                  # started here or reused: this launch's processes use it
+  if health=$(meter_health $port); then
     case "$health" in *"\"upstream\": \"$upstream\""*) echo "wire meter already on port $port -> $upstream";;
       *) echo "REFUSING: port $port has a wire meter facing another or an unknown upstream ($health); choose another WM_PORT"; exit 1;; esac
   else
-    env "$@" PORT=$port LEDGER="$ledger" UPSTREAM="$upstream" \
+    env "$@" PORT=$port LEDGER="$ledger" LEDGER_RESUME=1 UPSTREAM="$upstream" \
       setsid nohup "$PY" "$METER" > "$log" 2>&1 < /dev/null &
+    meter_started $port $!
     echo "wire meter pid $! port $port -> $upstream"; sleep 2
     curl -s -m 2 "http://127.0.0.1:$port/health" > /dev/null \
       || { echo "REFUSING: the wire meter on port $port did not come up (see $log)"; exit 1; }
@@ -108,7 +139,7 @@ start_meter $WM_PORT "$HOST_ORIGIN" "$RUNS/$TAG/wire_ledger.json" "$RUNS/$TAG/wi
 start_meter $META_PORT "$EVOLVER_ORIGIN" "$RUNS/$TAG/meta_wire_ledger.json" "$RUNS/$TAG/meta_wire_meter.log"
 # The embedding relay signs the reader's keyless requests with the embedding backend's key (none for a keyless server);
 # a relay already on the port is refused unless its /health says it signs (`"signs": true`).
-if [ -n "$EMBED_API_KEY_ENV" ] && health=$(curl -s -m 2 "http://127.0.0.1:$EMBED_PORT/health" 2>/dev/null); then
+if [ -n "$EMBED_API_KEY_ENV" ] && health=$(meter_health $EMBED_PORT); then
   case "$health" in *'"signs": true'*) ;; *) echo "REFUSING: port $EMBED_PORT has a relay that does not sign requests (started without UPSTREAM_KEY_ENV); choose another WM_PORT"; exit 1;; esac
 fi
 start_meter $EMBED_PORT "$EMBED_ORIGIN" "$RUNS/$TAG/embed_wire_ledger.json" "$RUNS/$TAG/embed_wire_meter.log" \
diff --git a/examples/clbench_poker/mwm/launch.sh b/examples/clbench_poker/mwm/launch.sh
index 7be6f2df..c083e428 100755
--- a/examples/clbench_poker/mwm/launch.sh
+++ b/examples/clbench_poker/mwm/launch.sh
@@ -73,14 +73,45 @@ export MWM_CLBENCH=$CLBENCH MWM_METAWORLD=$METAWORLD
 command -v codex >/dev/null || { echo "REFUSING: codex CLI not on PATH"; exit 1; }
 [ -f "$TASKDIR/tasks.jsonl" ] || { echo "REFUSING: run $TASKDIR/prepare.py first"; exit 1; }
 
+# The meters this launch starts stop within a second or two of the processes that use them ending (#82): its own and
+# those of any launch that reuses one. Each launch on a port lists its processes in the port's users file, emptied
+# when the meter stops; a launch reuses a running meter only if it is still up on a second look (one being stopped is
+# gone by then).
+METERS=() OWNED=() PORTS=()
+meter_users() { echo "/tmp/hermit-wire-meter-$(id -u)-$1.users"; }   # port: /tmp, which every launch on it shares
+meter_started() {  # port pid: a meter this launch started, this launch one of its users
+  { echo $$ >> "$(meter_users "$1")" || true; } 2>/dev/null
+  METERS+=("$2"); OWNED+=("$1")
+}
+stop_meters_after() {  # pid...: what this launch leaves running; the meters it started stop after every user
+  local port files=()
+  [ $# -eq 0 ] || for port in ${PORTS[@]+"${PORTS[@]}"}; do
+    printf '%s\n' "$@" >> "$(meter_users "$port")" 2>/dev/null || true; done
+  [ ${#METERS[@]} -gt 0 ] || return 0
+  for port in "${OWNED[@]}"; do files+=("$(meter_users "$port")"); done
+  setsid nohup bash -c 'while :; do up=
+      for p in $(cat $1 2>/dev/null); do kill -0 "$p" 2>/dev/null && { up=1; break; }; done
+      [ -n "$up" ] || break; sleep 1; done
+    for f in $1; do : > "$f"; done 2>/dev/null    # a launch listed after this look finds the meter gone and starts one
+    for m in $2; do kill -- "-$m" 2>/dev/null || kill "$m" 2>/dev/null || true; done' _ "${files[*]}" "${METERS[*]}" \
+    > /dev/null 2>&1 < /dev/null &
+}
+meter_health() {  # port: the /health of a meter still up three seconds on, this launch listed as one of its users first
+  curl -s -m 2 "http://127.0.0.1:$1/health" > /dev/null 2>&1 \
+    && { echo $$ >> "$(meter_users "$1")" || true; } 2>/dev/null \
+    && sleep 3 && curl -s -m 2 "http://127.0.0.1:$1/health" 2>/dev/null
+}
+trap 'stop_meters_after ${PIDS[@]+"${PIDS[@]}"}' EXIT   # after the trainings started below, if any
 start_meter() {  # port upstream ledger log [extra env...]: a meter already on the port must face the same upstream
   local port=$1 upstream=$2 ledger=$3 log=$4 health; shift 4
-  if health=$(curl -s -m 2 "http://127.0.0.1:$port/health" 2>/dev/null); then
+  PORTS+=("$port")                                  # started here or reused: this launch's processes use it
+  if health=$(meter_health $port); then
     case "$health" in *"\"upstream\": \"$upstream\""*) echo "wire meter already on port $port -> $upstream";;
       *) echo "REFUSING: port $port has a wire meter facing another or an unknown upstream ($health); choose another WM_PORT"; exit 1;; esac
   else
-    env "$@" PORT=$port LEDGER="$ledger" UPSTREAM="$upstream" \
+    env "$@" PORT=$port LEDGER="$ledger" LEDGER_RESUME=1 UPSTREAM="$upstream" \
       setsid nohup "$PY" "$METER" > "$log" 2>&1 < /dev/null &
+    meter_started $port $!
     echo "wire meter pid $! port $port -> $upstream"; sleep 2
   fi
 }
diff --git a/examples/clbench_poker/prompt_only/launch.sh b/examples/clbench_poker/prompt_only/launch.sh
index 551de82b..f6485ad0 100755
--- a/examples/clbench_poker/prompt_only/launch.sh
+++ b/examples/clbench_poker/prompt_only/launch.sh
@@ -77,14 +77,45 @@ export MWM_CLBENCH=$CLBENCH MWM_METAWORLD=$METAWORLD
 command -v codex >/dev/null || { echo "REFUSING: codex CLI not on PATH"; exit 1; }
 [ -f "$TASKDIR/tasks.jsonl" ] || { echo "REFUSING: run $TASKDIR/prepare.py first"; exit 1; }
 
+# The meters this launch starts stop within a second or two of the processes that use them ending (#82): its own and
+# those of any launch that reuses one. Each launch on a port lists its processes in the port's users file, emptied
+# when the meter stops; a launch reuses a running meter only if it is still up on a second look (one being stopped is
+# gone by then).
+METERS=() OWNED=() PORTS=()
+meter_users() { echo "/tmp/hermit-wire-meter-$(id -u)-$1.users"; }   # port: /tmp, which every launch on it shares
+meter_started() {  # port pid: a meter this launch started, this launch one of its users
+  { echo $$ >> "$(meter_users "$1")" || true; } 2>/dev/null
+  METERS+=("$2"); OWNED+=("$1")
+}
+stop_meters_after() {  # pid...: what this launch leaves running; the meters it started stop after every user
+  local port files=()
+  [ $# -eq 0 ] || for port in ${PORTS[@]+"${PORTS[@]}"}; do
+    printf '%s\n' "$@" >> "$(meter_users "$port")" 2>/dev/null || true; done
+  [ ${#METERS[@]} -gt 0 ] || return 0
+  for port in "${OWNED[@]}"; do files+=("$(meter_users "$port")"); done
+  setsid nohup bash -c 'while :; do up=
+      for p in $(cat $1 2>/dev/null); do kill -0 "$p" 2>/dev/null && { up=1; break; }; done
+      [ -n "$up" ] || break; sleep 1; done
+    for f in $1; do : > "$f"; done 2>/dev/null    # a launch listed after this look finds the meter gone and starts one
+    for m in $2; do kill -- "-$m" 2>/dev/null || kill "$m" 2>/dev/null || true; done' _ "${files[*]}" "${METERS[*]}" \
+    > /dev/null 2>&1 < /dev/null &
+}
+meter_health() {  # port: the /health of a meter still up three seconds on, this launch listed as one of its users first
+  curl -s -m 2 "http://127.0.0.1:$1/health" > /dev/null 2>&1 \
+    && { echo $$ >> "$(meter_users "$1")" || true; } 2>/dev/null \
+    && sleep 3 && curl -s -m 2 "http://127.0.0.1:$1/health" 2>/dev/null
+}
+trap 'stop_meters_after ${PIDS[@]+"${PIDS[@]}"}' EXIT   # after the trainings started below, if any
 start_meter() {  # port upstream ledger log [extra env...]: a meter already on the port must face the same upstream
   local port=$1 upstream=$2 ledger=$3 log=$4 health; shift 4
-  if health=$(curl -s -m 2 "http://127.0.0.1:$port/health" 2>/dev/null); then
+  PORTS+=("$port")                                  # started here or reused: this launch's processes use it
+  if health=$(meter_health $port); then
     case "$health" in *"\"upstream\": \"$upstream\""*) echo "wire meter already on port $port -> $upstream";;
       *) echo "REFUSING: port $port has a wire meter facing another or an unknown upstream ($health); choose another WM_PORT"; exit 1;; esac
   else
-    env "$@" PORT=$port LEDGER="$ledger" UPSTREAM="$upstream" \
+    env "$@" PORT=$port LEDGER="$ledger" LEDGER_RESUME=1 UPSTREAM="$upstream" \
       setsid nohup "$PY" "$METER" > "$log" 2>&1 < /dev/null &
+    meter_started $port $!
     echo "wire meter pid $! port $port -> $upstream"; sleep 2
   fi
 }
diff --git a/examples/clbench_poker/reharness/launch.sh b/examples/clbench_poker/reharness/launch.sh
index 9c879ebf..d2e26eec 100755
--- a/examples/clbench_poker/reharness/launch.sh
+++ b/examples/clbench_poker/reharness/launch.sh
@@ -85,14 +85,45 @@ export MWM_CLBENCH=$CLBENCH MWM_METAWORLD=$METAWORLD
 
 [ -f "$TASKDIR/tasks.jsonl" ] || { echo "REFUSING: run $TASKDIR/prepare.py first"; exit 1; }
 
+# The meters this launch starts stop within a second or two of the processes that use them ending (#82): its own and
+# those of any launch that reuses one. Each launch on a port lists its processes in the port's users file, emptied
+# when the meter stops; a launch reuses a running meter only if it is still up on a second look (one being stopped is
+# gone by then).
+METERS=() OWNED=() PORTS=()
+meter_users() { echo "/tmp/hermit-wire-meter-$(id -u)-$1.users"; }   # port: /tmp, which every launch on it shares
+meter_started() {  # port pid: a meter this launch started, this launch one of its users
+  { echo $$ >> "$(meter_users "$1")" || true; } 2>/dev/null
+  METERS+=("$2"); OWNED+=("$1")
+}
+stop_meters_after() {  # pid...: what this launch leaves running; the meters it started stop after every user
+  local port files=()
+  [ $# -eq 0 ] || for port in ${PORTS[@]+"${PORTS[@]}"}; do
+    printf '%s\n' "$@" >> "$(meter_users "$port")" 2>/dev/null || true; done
+  [ ${#METERS[@]} -gt 0 ] || return 0
+  for port in "${OWNED[@]}"; do files+=("$(meter_users "$port")"); done
+  setsid nohup bash -c 'while :; do up=
+      for p in $(cat $1 2>/dev/null); do kill -0 "$p" 2>/dev/null && { up=1; break; }; done
+      [ -n "$up" ] || break; sleep 1; done
+    for f in $1; do : > "$f"; done 2>/dev/null    # a launch listed after this look finds the meter gone and starts one
+    for m in $2; do kill -- "-$m" 2>/dev/null || kill "$m" 2>/dev/null || true; done' _ "${files[*]}" "${METERS[*]}" \
+    > /dev/null 2>&1 < /dev/null &
+}
+meter_health() {  # port: the /health of a meter still up three seconds on, this launch listed as one of its users first
+  curl -s -m 2 "http://127.0.0.1:$1/health" > /dev/null 2>&1 \
+    && { echo $$ >> "$(meter_users "$1")" || true; } 2>/dev/null \
+    && sleep 3 && curl -s -m 2 "http://127.0.0.1:$1/health" 2>/dev/null
+}
+trap 'stop_meters_after ${PIDS[@]+"${PIDS[@]}"}' EXIT   # after the trainings started below, if any
 start_meter() {  # port upstream ledger log [extra env...]: a meter already on the port must face the same upstream
   local port=$1 upstream=$2 ledger=$3 log=$4 health; shift 4
-  if health=$(curl -s -m 2 "http://127.0.0.1:$port/health" 2>/dev/null); then
+  PORTS+=("$port")                                  # started here or reused: this launch's processes use it
+  if health=$(meter_health $port); then
     case "$health" in *"\"upstream\": \"$upstream\""*) echo "wire meter already on port $port -> $upstream";;
       *) echo "REFUSING: port $port has a wire meter facing another or an unknown upstream ($health); choose another WM_PORT"; exit 1;; esac
   else
-    env "$@" PORT=$port LEDGER="$ledger" UPSTREAM="$upstream" \
+    env "$@" PORT=$port LEDGER="$ledger" LEDGER_RESUME=1 UPSTREAM="$upstream" \
       setsid nohup "$PY" "$METER" > "$log" 2>&1 < /dev/null &
+    meter_started $port $!
     echo "wire meter pid $! port $port -> $upstream"; sleep 2
     curl -s -m 2 "http://127.0.0.1:$port/health" > /dev/null \
       || { echo "REFUSING: the wire meter on port $port did not come up (see $log)"; exit 1; }
@@ -103,7 +134,7 @@ start_meter $WM_PORT "$HOST_ORIGIN" "$RUNS/$TAG/wire_ledger.json" "$RUNS/$TAG/wi
 start_meter $META_PORT "$EVOLVER_ORIGIN" "$RUNS/$TAG/meta_wire_ledger.json" "$RUNS/$TAG/meta_wire_meter.log"
 # The embedding relay signs the reader's keyless requests with the embedding backend's key (none for a keyless server);
 # a relay already on the port is refused unless its /health says it signs (`"signs": true`).
-if [ -n "$EMBED_API_KEY_ENV" ] && health=$(curl -s -m 2 "http://127.0.0.1:$EMBED_PORT/health" 2>/dev/null); then
+if [ -n "$EMBED_API_KEY_ENV" ] && health=$(meter_health $EMBED_PORT); then
   case "$health" in *'"signs": true'*) ;; *) echo "REFUSING: port $EMBED_PORT has a relay that does not sign requests (started without UPSTREAM_KEY_ENV); choose another WM_PORT"; exit 1;; esac
 fi
 start_meter $EMBED_PORT "$EMBED_ORIGIN" "$RUNS/$TAG/embed_wire_ledger.json" "$RUNS/$TAG/embed_wire_meter.log" \
diff --git a/examples/officeqa/harness2_stream/launch.sh b/examples/officeqa/harness2_stream/launch.sh
index de90f070..51c9ecfe 100755
--- a/examples/officeqa/harness2_stream/launch.sh
+++ b/examples/officeqa/harness2_stream/launch.sh
@@ -98,12 +98,41 @@ print(((c.get('evolver') or {}).get('params') or {}).get('claude_bin') or '')" "
 fi
 "$PY" make_seed_codex.py
 "$PY" stream.py --seed "$SEED" --split $SPLITS --out "$STREAM" ${MAX_TASKS:+--max "$MAX_TASKS"} ${SKIP_TASKS:+--skip "$SKIP_TASKS"}
+# The meters this launch starts stop within a second or two of the processes that use them ending (#82): its own and
+# those of any launch that reuses one. Each launch on a port lists its processes in the port's users file, emptied
+# when the meter stops; a launch reuses a running meter only if it is still up on a second look (one being stopped is
+# gone by then).
+METERS=() OWNED=() PORTS=()
+meter_users() { echo "/tmp/hermit-wire-meter-$(id -u)-$1.users"; }   # port: /tmp, which every launch on it shares
+meter_started() {  # port pid: a meter this launch started, this launch one of its users
+  { echo $$ >> "$(meter_users "$1")" || true; } 2>/dev/null
+  METERS+=("$2"); OWNED+=("$1")
+}
+stop_meters_after() {  # pid...: what this launch leaves running; the meters it started stop after every user
+  local port files=()
+  [ $# -eq 0 ] || for port in ${PORTS[@]+"${PORTS[@]}"}; do
+    printf '%s\n' "$@" >> "$(meter_users "$port")" 2>/dev/null || true; done
+  [ ${#METERS[@]} -gt 0 ] || return 0
+  for port in "${OWNED[@]}"; do files+=("$(meter_users "$port")"); done
+  setsid nohup bash -c 'while :; do up=
+      for p in $(cat $1 2>/dev/null); do kill -0 "$p" 2>/dev/null && { up=1; break; }; done
+      [ -n "$up" ] || break; sleep 1; done
+    for f in $1; do : > "$f"; done 2>/dev/null    # a launch listed after this look finds the meter gone and starts one
+    for m in $2; do kill -- "-$m" 2>/dev/null || kill "$m" 2>/dev/null || true; done' _ "${files[*]}" "${METERS[*]}" \
+    > /dev/null 2>&1 < /dev/null &
+}
+meter_health() {  # port: the /health of a meter still up three seconds on, this launch listed as one of its users first
+  curl -s -m 2 "http://127.0.0.1:$1/health" > /dev/null 2>&1 \
+    && { echo $$ >> "$(meter_users "$1")" || true; } 2>/dev/null \
+    && sleep 3 && curl -s -m 2 "http://127.0.0.1:$1/health" 2>/dev/null
+}
 if [ "$EDITORS" = claude ]; then
   # The meter restarts if it dies; each start keeps its own ledger (sum runs/$TAG.wire_ledger-*.json for the bill).
-  if [ "$METER" = yes ] && ! curl -s -m 2 "http://127.0.0.1:$WM_PORT/health" > /dev/null; then
+  if [ "$METER" = yes ] && ! meter_health $WM_PORT > /dev/null; then
     setsid nohup bash -c "while true; do PORT=$WM_PORT UPSTREAM=https://api.fireworks.ai \
         LEDGER=$HERE/runs/$TAG.wire_ledger-\$(date -u +%Y%m%dT%H%M%SZ).json '$PY' -m hermit.runtime.wire_meter; \
         sleep 5; done" >> "runs/$TAG.wire_meter.log" 2>&1 < /dev/null &
+    meter_started $WM_PORT $!; stop_meters_after $$   # the restart loop with its meter, after the run exec'd below
     sleep 3
   fi
   # Claude Code updates itself: the run uses a copy of today's binary (or of CLAUDE_BIN, e.g. the stream it continues
diff --git a/examples/officeqa/reharness/launch.sh b/examples/officeqa/reharness/launch.sh
index c77792ad..f762c58b 100755
--- a/examples/officeqa/reharness/launch.sh
+++ b/examples/officeqa/reharness/launch.sh
@@ -75,8 +75,36 @@ if [ "${EMBED_KEY_REQUIRED:-1}" = 1 ] && [ -n "$KEY_ENV" ] && [ -z "${!KEY_ENV:-
 fi
 # The meter: one per port, started here if none answers; a meter facing another upstream is refused.
 mkdir -p runs
+# The meters this launch starts stop within a second or two of the processes that use them ending (#82): its own and
+# those of any launch that reuses one. Each launch on a port lists its processes in the port's users file, emptied
+# when the meter stops; a launch reuses a running meter only if it is still up on a second look (one being stopped is
+# gone by then).
+METERS=() OWNED=() PORTS=()
+meter_users() { echo "/tmp/hermit-wire-meter-$(id -u)-$1.users"; }   # port: /tmp, which every launch on it shares
+meter_started() {  # port pid: a meter this launch started, this launch one of its users
+  { echo $$ >> "$(meter_users "$1")" || true; } 2>/dev/null
+  METERS+=("$2"); OWNED+=("$1")
+}
+stop_meters_after() {  # pid...: what this launch leaves running; the meters it started stop after every user
+  local port files=()
+  [ $# -eq 0 ] || for port in ${PORTS[@]+"${PORTS[@]}"}; do
+    printf '%s\n' "$@" >> "$(meter_users "$port")" 2>/dev/null || true; done
+  [ ${#METERS[@]} -gt 0 ] || return 0
+  for port in "${OWNED[@]}"; do files+=("$(meter_users "$port")"); done
+  setsid nohup bash -c 'while :; do up=
+      for p in $(cat $1 2>/dev/null); do kill -0 "$p" 2>/dev/null && { up=1; break; }; done
+      [ -n "$up" ] || break; sleep 1; done
+    for f in $1; do : > "$f"; done 2>/dev/null    # a launch listed after this look finds the meter gone and starts one
+    for m in $2; do kill -- "-$m" 2>/dev/null || kill "$m" 2>/dev/null || true; done' _ "${files[*]}" "${METERS[*]}" \
+    > /dev/null 2>&1 < /dev/null &
+}
+meter_health() {  # port: the /health of a meter still up three seconds on, this launch listed as one of its users first
+  curl -s -m 2 "http://127.0.0.1:$1/health" > /dev/null 2>&1 \
+    && { echo $$ >> "$(meter_users "$1")" || true; } 2>/dev/null \
+    && sleep 3 && curl -s -m 2 "http://127.0.0.1:$1/health" 2>/dev/null
+}
 LEDGER=$HERE/runs/wire_ledger-$WM_PORT.json
-if health=$(curl -s -m 2 "http://127.0.0.1:$WM_PORT/health" 2>/dev/null); then
+if health=$(meter_health $WM_PORT); then
   case "$health" in
     *"\"upstream\": \"$EMBED_ORIGIN\""*'"signs": true'*|*'"signs": true'*"\"upstream\": \"$EMBED_ORIGIN\""*)
       echo "wire meter already on port $WM_PORT -> $EMBED_ORIGIN (signs)";;
@@ -86,9 +114,11 @@ if health=$(curl -s -m 2 "http://127.0.0.1:$WM_PORT/health" 2>/dev/null); then
     *) echo "REFUSING: port $WM_PORT has a wire meter facing another or an unknown upstream ($health); choose another WM_PORT"; exit 1;;
   esac
 else
-  env PORT=$WM_PORT UPSTREAM=$EMBED_ORIGIN ${KEY_ENV:+UPSTREAM_KEY_ENV=$KEY_ENV} LEDGER=$LEDGER \
+  env PORT=$WM_PORT UPSTREAM=$EMBED_ORIGIN ${KEY_ENV:+UPSTREAM_KEY_ENV=$KEY_ENV} LEDGER=$LEDGER LEDGER_RESUME=1 \
     setsid nohup "$PY" -m hermit.runtime.wire_meter >> "runs/wire_meter-$WM_PORT.log" 2>&1 < /dev/null &
-  echo "wire meter pid $! port $WM_PORT -> $EMBED_ORIGIN (ledger $LEDGER)"; sleep 2
+  meter_started $WM_PORT $!
+  echo "wire meter pid $! port $WM_PORT -> $EMBED_ORIGIN (ledger $LEDGER)"
+  stop_meters_after $$; sleep 2   # $$: this launcher, then the hermit command it execs
   curl -s -m 2 "http://127.0.0.1:$WM_PORT/health" > /dev/null \
     || { echo "REFUSING: the wire meter did not come up (runs/wire_meter-$WM_PORT.log)"; exit 1; }
 fi
diff --git a/examples/servelearnbench/mwm/launch.sh b/examples/servelearnbench/mwm/launch.sh
index 24ac59ba..5d48f497 100755
--- a/examples/servelearnbench/mwm/launch.sh
+++ b/examples/servelearnbench/mwm/launch.sh
@@ -81,14 +81,45 @@ HOST_KEY=""; [ -n "$HOST_API_KEY_ENV" ] && HOST_KEY=${!HOST_API_KEY_ENV:-}
 export SLB_MODEL=$HOST_MODEL_ID SLB_API_KEY=${HOST_KEY:-local}
 export SLB_REASONING_EFFORT=$EFFORT SLB_METHOD=$METHOD SLB_WORKDIR=$WD
 
+# The meters this launch starts stop within a second or two of the processes that use them ending (#82): its own and
+# those of any launch that reuses one. Each launch on a port lists its processes in the port's users file, emptied
+# when the meter stops; a launch reuses a running meter only if it is still up on a second look (one being stopped is
+# gone by then).
+METERS=() OWNED=() PORTS=()
+meter_users() { echo "/tmp/hermit-wire-meter-$(id -u)-$1.users"; }   # port: /tmp, which every launch on it shares
+meter_started() {  # port pid: a meter this launch started, this launch one of its users
+  { echo $$ >> "$(meter_users "$1")" || true; } 2>/dev/null
+  METERS+=("$2"); OWNED+=("$1")
+}
+stop_meters_after() {  # pid...: what this launch leaves running; the meters it started stop after every user
+  local port files=()
+  [ $# -eq 0 ] || for port in ${PORTS[@]+"${PORTS[@]}"}; do
+    printf '%s\n' "$@" >> "$(meter_users "$port")" 2>/dev/null || true; done
+  [ ${#METERS[@]} -gt 0 ] || return 0
+  for port in "${OWNED[@]}"; do files+=("$(meter_users "$port")"); done
+  setsid nohup bash -c 'while :; do up=
+      for p in $(cat $1 2>/dev/null); do kill -0 "$p" 2>/dev/null && { up=1; break; }; done
+      [ -n "$up" ] || break; sleep 1; done
+    for f in $1; do : > "$f"; done 2>/dev/null    # a launch listed after this look finds the meter gone and starts one
+    for m in $2; do kill -- "-$m" 2>/dev/null || kill "$m" 2>/dev/null || true; done' _ "${files[*]}" "${METERS[*]}" \
+    > /dev/null 2>&1 < /dev/null &
+}
+meter_health() {  # port: the /health of a meter still up three seconds on, this launch listed as one of its users first
+  curl -s -m 2 "http://127.0.0.1:$1/health" > /dev/null 2>&1 \
+    && { echo $$ >> "$(meter_users "$1")" || true; } 2>/dev/null \
+    && sleep 3 && curl -s -m 2 "http://127.0.0.1:$1/health" 2>/dev/null
+}
+trap 'stop_meters_after ${TRAIN_PID:-} ${TEST_PID:-}' EXIT   # train mode: after the training and the tests after it
 start_meter() {  # port upstream ledger log [extra env...]: a meter already on the port must face the same upstream
   local port=$1 upstream=$2 ledger=$3 log=$4 health; shift 4
-  if health=$(curl -s -m 2 "http://127.0.0.1:$port/health" 2>/dev/null); then
+  PORTS+=("$port")                                  # started here or reused: this launch's processes use it
+  if health=$(meter_health $port); then
     case "$health" in *"\"upstream\": \"$upstream\""*) echo "wire meter already on port $port -> $upstream";;
       *) echo "REFUSING: port $port has a wire meter facing another or an unknown upstream ($health); choose another WM_PORT"; exit 1;; esac
   else
-    env "$@" PORT=$port LEDGER="$ledger" UPSTREAM="$upstream" \
+    env "$@" PORT=$port LEDGER="$ledger" LEDGER_RESUME=1 UPSTREAM="$upstream" \
       setsid nohup "$PY" "$METER" > "$log" 2>&1 < /dev/null &
+    meter_started $port $!
     echo "wire meter pid $! port $port -> $upstream"; sleep 2
   fi
 }
diff --git a/hermit/runtime/wire_meter.py b/hermit/runtime/wire_meter.py
index 64860ac6..007c1d5b 100644
--- a/hermit/runtime/wire_meter.py
+++ b/hermit/runtime/wire_meter.py
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@
     the relay adds a metering hop, not an egress path.
   - the ledger is persisted to LEDGER as JSON every FLUSH_S seconds and on
     SIGTERM; GET /ledger serves it live, GET /health the error counters.
+    LEDGER_RESUME=1: a meter started on a LEDGER an earlier one left carries
+    its totals on (the example launchers: they stop their meters when their
+    runs end, and the next run on the port starts another on the same file).
 
 Dialects: OpenAI chat completions (prompt_tokens includes cached) and
 Anthropic messages (input_tokens excludes cache components — added back),
@@ -43,7 +46,8 @@
 
 Env: PORT (default 3129), BIND (default 127.0.0.1; 0.0.0.0 for a sidecar
 that other containers call), UPSTREAM (default https://api.fireworks.ai),
-PROXY (e.g. http://mw-egress-meta:3128), LEDGER (json path), FLUSH_S.
+PROXY (e.g. http://mw-egress-meta:3128), LEDGER (json path), LEDGER_RESUME,
+FLUSH_S.
 
 UPSTREAM_KEY_ENV names the variable holding the upstream's key: a request that
 arrives without an Authorization header gets `Bearer <that key>` (2026-10-25).
@@ -84,6 +88,7 @@
 UPSTREAM = os.environ.get("UPSTREAM", "https://api.fireworks.ai")
 PROXY = os.environ.get("PROXY", "")
 LEDGER_PATH = os.environ.get("LEDGER", "")
+LEDGER_RESUME = os.environ.get("LEDGER_RESUME", "") not in ("", "0")
 FLUSH_S = float(os.environ.get("FLUSH_S", "15"))
 REWRITE_DEV = os.environ.get("REWRITE_DEVELOPER_ROLE", "") not in ("", "0")
 # PRIME_EFFORT (e.g. "high"): on the `prime` bucket, replace Prime's own
@@ -408,6 +413,22 @@ def _flush(path: str = LEDGER_PATH):
         pass
 
 
+def _resume(path: str = LEDGER_PATH):
+    """The totals an earlier meter left in LEDGER, added to this one's."""
+    try:
+        with open(path) as f:
+            old = json.load(f).get("ledger") or {}
+        with _lock:
+            for bucket, totals in old.items():
+                b = _ledger.setdefault(
+                    bucket, {"input": 0, "cacheRead": 0, "output": 0,
+                             "calls": 0})
+                for k in b:
+                    b[k] += int(totals.get(k, 0))
+    except (OSError, ValueError, AttributeError, TypeError):
+        pass
+
+
 class Handler(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
     protocol_version = "HTTP/1.1"
 
@@ -652,6 +673,8 @@ def main():
         sys.exit(f"wire meter: a relay that signs requests (UPSTREAM_KEY_ENV) listens on the loopback only; refusing "
                  f"BIND={BIND}")
     srv = Server((BIND, PORT), Handler)
+    if LEDGER_PATH and LEDGER_RESUME:
+        _resume()
 
     def _bye(sig, frame):
         _flush()
diff --git a/tests/core/test_backends.py b/tests/core/test_backends.py
index 6876ae2d..ba5cae70 100644
--- a/tests/core/test_backends.py
+++ b/tests/core/test_backends.py
@@ -3,9 +3,15 @@
 dialect to a fake server."""
 from http.server import BaseHTTPRequestHandler, HTTPServer
 import json
+import os
 from pathlib import Path
+import signal
+import socket
+import subprocess
 import sys
 import threading
+import time
+import urllib.request
 
 import pytest
 import yaml
@@ -403,6 +409,44 @@ def test_cli_dispatch_and_meter_buckets(capsys):
     assert split_bucket("/health") == ("unattributed", "/health")
 
 
+def test_a_meter_carries_on_the_ledger_an_earlier_one_left(tmp_path):
+    """A launcher stops its meter when its run ends and the next run on the port starts another on the same ledger
+    (#82): with LEDGER_RESUME=1 (the launchers set it) the new meter keeps the earlier totals instead of writing an
+    empty ledger over them; without it a meter starts empty, as lean_swarm's rerun of an attempt expects."""
+    ledger = tmp_path / "wire_ledger.json"
+    earlier = {"run_o0": {"input": 1000, "cacheRead": 200, "output": 50, "calls": 3}}
+    ledger.write_text(json.dumps({"ledger": earlier, "health": {}, "ts": 1}))
+    with socket.socket() as probe:
+        probe.bind(("127.0.0.1", 0))
+        port = probe.getsockname()[1]
+    env = {**os.environ, "PYTHONPATH": str(Path(__file__).resolve().parents[2]), "UPSTREAM": "http://127.0.0.1:9",
+           "PORT": str(port), "LEDGER": str(ledger), "FLUSH_S": "3600"}
+    env.pop("UPSTREAM_KEY_ENV", None)
+
+    def meter(**extra) -> dict:
+        """The ledger a meter serves once up, and the one it writes when stopped as a launcher stops it (SIGTERM)."""
+        proc = subprocess.Popen([sys.executable, "-m", "hermit.runtime.wire_meter"], env={**env, **extra},
+                                stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL, stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL)
+        try:
+            for _ in range(50):
+                try:
+                    with urllib.request.urlopen(f"http://127.0.0.1:{port}/ledger", timeout=2) as response:
+                        live = json.loads(response.read())["ledger"]
+                    break
+                except OSError:
+                    time.sleep(0.2)
+            else:
+                raise AssertionError("the meter did not come up")
+        finally:
+            proc.send_signal(signal.SIGTERM)
+            proc.wait(timeout=10)
+        assert json.loads(ledger.read_text())["ledger"] == live
+        return live
+
+    assert meter(LEDGER_RESUME="1") == earlier
+    assert meter() == {}
+
+
 def test_a_task_agent_on_a_cli_base_is_bound_and_checked_like_the_cli():
     """A task's own agent on agent.base: codex with a model reference is bound as Codex's model (not a dictionary for
     -m), and the run's preflight checks that binding for the Responses API."""