diff --git a/scripts/kiosk/90-carwatch-kiosk.rules b/scripts/kiosk/90-carwatch-kiosk.rules
index 0ebf746..f3d39c9 100644
--- a/scripts/kiosk/90-carwatch-kiosk.rules
+++ b/scripts/kiosk/90-carwatch-kiosk.rules
@@ -1,3 +1,14 @@
-# Start the CarWatch kiosk when a display is plugged in (DRM hotplug event).
+# Start the CarWatch kiosk when a panel is plugged in.
 # Installed by install-kiosk*.sh with the kiosk user substituted for KUSER.
-SUBSYSTEM=="drm", ACTION=="change", ENV{HOTPLUG}=="1", TAG+="systemd", ENV{SYSTEMD_WANTS}+="carwatch-kiosk@KUSER.service"
+#
+# RUN, not SYSTEMD_WANTS: Wants= on the device unit fires once when card0
+# becomes active, and card0 stays active across unplug/replug (codexmb, #60).
+#
+# ENV{HOTPLUG}=="1" is load-bearing: the kernel sets it only on real connector
+# hotplug (drivers/gpu/drm/drm_sysfs.c, drm_sysfs_hotplug_event). The kiosk's
+# own start switches the VT, which also emits a DRM "change" event WITHOUT
+# HOTPLUG; a rule keyed on any change event therefore restarts the kiosk from
+# its own start: 517 starts in a minute, measured on the VTA, 15 Sep 2026.
+# The price is that `udevadm trigger` cannot exercise this rule (synthetic
+# events carry no HOTPLUG); only a real plug does.
+SUBSYSTEM=="drm", KERNEL=="card[0-9]*", ACTION=="change", ENV{HOTPLUG}=="1", RUN+="/usr/local/bin/carwatch-kiosk-hotplug.sh KUSER"
diff --git a/scripts/kiosk/carwatch-kiosk-hotplug.sh b/scripts/kiosk/carwatch-kiosk-hotplug.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..32fabac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/kiosk/carwatch-kiosk-hotplug.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# Called by udev (90-carwatch-kiosk.rules) on every DRM hotplug event, with the
+# kiosk user as $1. Asks systemd to start the kiosk unit and returns at once;
+# the launcher itself decides whether a panel is connected (exit 78 if not).
+# A plain RUN is used instead of SYSTEMD_WANTS because Wants on a device unit
+# fires only when the device becomes active, and card0 stays active across
+# panel unplug/replug (codexmb, CarWatch #60 review).
+UNIT="carwatch-kiosk@${1:?kiosk user}.service"
+# A unit left 'failed' (start-limit-hit, a crashed browser) would refuse the
+# start; clear that first, then ask for the start without waiting.
+/usr/bin/systemctl reset-failed "$UNIT" 2>/dev/null || true
+exec /usr/bin/systemctl start --no-block "$UNIT"
diff --git a/scripts/kiosk/carwatch-kiosk.service b/scripts/kiosk/carwatch-kiosk.service
index 022687d..56452e5 100644
--- a/scripts/kiosk/carwatch-kiosk.service
+++ b/scripts/kiosk/carwatch-kiosk.service
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 [Unit]
 Description=CarWatch dash kiosk on the local HDMI panel (cage + Chromium)
+# A panel plug can arrive as a burst of DRM change events, each a start
+# attempt that exits 78 within a second when the panel is not (yet) there;
+# the default 5-in-10-s limit turned such a burst into 'start-limit-hit'
+# and a unit stuck 'failed' (measured on the VTA, 15 Sep 2026).
+StartLimitIntervalSec=30
+StartLimitBurst=20
 After=carwatch-chat.service systemd-user-sessions.service
 Wants=carwatch-chat.service
 Conflicts=getty@tty1.service
diff --git a/scripts/kiosk/carwatch-kiosk.sh b/scripts/kiosk/carwatch-kiosk.sh
index 54b5176..1433c46 100755
--- a/scripts/kiosk/carwatch-kiosk.sh
+++ b/scripts/kiosk/carwatch-kiosk.sh
@@ -42,8 +42,10 @@ panel_connected() {
   done
   return 1
 }
+# stderr under a TTY-bound unit does not reach the journal; say it there too.
+say() { echo "carwatch-kiosk: $*" >&2; command -v logger >/dev/null 2>&1 && logger -t carwatch-kiosk -- "$*"; }
 if ! panel_connected; then
-  echo "carwatch-kiosk: no display connected, not starting the browser" >&2
+  say "no display connected, not starting the browser"
   exit "$NO_PANEL_EXIT"
 fi
 TOKEN_FILE="${CARWATCH_DASH_TOKEN_FILE:-$HOME/.carwatch/dash-token}"
@@ -88,7 +90,7 @@ trap 'kill "$BROWSER" 2>/dev/null' TERM INT
 # Watch the panel while the browser runs: unplugged panel = stop drawing.
 while kill -0 "$BROWSER" 2>/dev/null; do
   if ! panel_connected; then
-    echo "carwatch-kiosk: display disconnected, stopping the browser" >&2
+    say "display disconnected, stopping the browser"
     kill "$BROWSER" 2>/dev/null
     wait "$BROWSER" 2>/dev/null
     exit "$NO_PANEL_EXIT"
diff --git a/scripts/kiosk/install-kiosk-ubuntu.sh b/scripts/kiosk/install-kiosk-ubuntu.sh
index eb0fa53..5b572bc 100755
--- a/scripts/kiosk/install-kiosk-ubuntu.sh
+++ b/scripts/kiosk/install-kiosk-ubuntu.sh
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ cat > /etc/systemd/system/carwatch-kiosk@.service.d/snap-chromium.conf <<'CONF'
 Environment=CARWATCH_CHROMIUM=/snap/bin/chromium
 CONF
 install -m 644 "$HERE/carwatch-kiosk.service" /etc/systemd/system/carwatch-kiosk@.service
+install -m 755 "$HERE/carwatch-kiosk-hotplug.sh" /usr/local/bin/carwatch-kiosk-hotplug.sh
 sed "s/KUSER/${KUSER}/g" "$HERE/90-carwatch-kiosk.rules" > /etc/udev/rules.d/90-carwatch-kiosk.rules
 udevadm control --reload-rules 2>/dev/null || true
 usermod -aG video,input,render "$KUSER" 2>/dev/null || true
diff --git a/scripts/kiosk/install-kiosk.sh b/scripts/kiosk/install-kiosk.sh
index 2bcf44e..c7fc19b 100755
--- a/scripts/kiosk/install-kiosk.sh
+++ b/scripts/kiosk/install-kiosk.sh
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ apt-get update -q
 apt-get install -y -q --no-install-recommends cage chromium seatd grim fonts-noto-color-emoji
 install -m 755 "$HERE/carwatch-kiosk.sh" /usr/local/bin/carwatch-kiosk.sh
 install -m 644 "$HERE/carwatch-kiosk.service" /etc/systemd/system/carwatch-kiosk@.service
+install -m 755 "$HERE/carwatch-kiosk-hotplug.sh" /usr/local/bin/carwatch-kiosk-hotplug.sh
 sed "s/KUSER/${KUSER}/g" "$HERE/90-carwatch-kiosk.rules" > /etc/udev/rules.d/90-carwatch-kiosk.rules
 udevadm control --reload-rules 2>/dev/null || true
 usermod -aG video,input,render "$KUSER" 2>/dev/null || true