diff --git a/apps/bot/src/ipc/pair-handler.ts b/apps/bot/src/ipc/pair-handler.ts
index 885ed5f..ecc1751 100644
--- a/apps/bot/src/ipc/pair-handler.ts
+++ b/apps/bot/src/ipc/pair-handler.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import { renderQrPng } from "../whatsapp/qr-renderer.js";
 import { syncGroupsForAccount } from "../whatsapp/group-sync.js";
 import { writeAuditLog } from "../audit.js";
 import { pgNotifyWeb } from "./notify.js";
-import { decidePairListenerOnClose } from "./pair-state.js";
+import { decidePairListenerOnClose, nextWarmingUpAfterEvent } from "./pair-state.js";
 
 const PAIR_TIMEOUT_MS = 5 * 60 * 1000;
 const offByAccount = new Map<string, () => void>();
diff --git a/apps/bot/src/ipc/pair-state.test.ts b/apps/bot/src/ipc/pair-state.test.ts
index 6134ccc..ead1371 100644
--- a/apps/bot/src/ipc/pair-state.test.ts
+++ b/apps/bot/src/ipc/pair-state.test.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import {
   decideOnPairClose,
   decideOnPairTimeout,
   decidePairListenerOnClose,
+  nextWarmingUpAfterEvent,
   shouldAutoReconnect,
 } from "./pair-state.js";
 
@@ -125,3 +126,81 @@ describe("decidePairListenerOnClose (back→re-pair flicker regression)", () =>
     ).toBe("ignore-leaked-close");
   });
 });
+
+describe("nextWarmingUpAfterEvent (pair-listener flag transitions)", () => {
+  it("first qr from the live session clears warming-up", () => {
+    expect(nextWarmingUpAfterEvent({ warmingUp: true, event: "qr" })).toBe(false);
+    expect(nextWarmingUpAfterEvent({ warmingUp: false, event: "qr" })).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("first open from the live session clears warming-up", () => {
+    expect(nextWarmingUpAfterEvent({ warmingUp: true, event: "open" })).toBe(false);
+    expect(nextWarmingUpAfterEvent({ warmingUp: false, event: "open" })).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("RE-ARMS warming-up on a restart-required close (post-pair-success)", () => {
+    // The regression: after the user scans, Baileys closes with status
+    // 515 and the session-manager schedules a stop().then(start())
+    // reconnect. That cleanup-stop emits a SECOND close that arrives
+    // before the new socket reopens. If warming-up isn't re-armed
+    // between the two closes, the second one resolves to
+    // 'treat-as-timeout' and detaches the listener right at the
+    // moment the user actually paired successfully — UI never gets
+    // session.connected.
+    expect(
+      nextWarmingUpAfterEvent({ warmingUp: false, event: "close", restartRequired: true }),
+    ).toBe(true);
+    expect(
+      nextWarmingUpAfterEvent({ warmingUp: true, event: "close", restartRequired: true }),
+    ).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("plain close leaves warming-up unchanged", () => {
+    // The pair-handler decides what to DO with a non-restart close
+    // separately (decidePairListenerOnClose). The warming-up flag
+    // doesn't change as a side effect — the listener either detaches
+    // (treat-as-timeout) or already returned (ignore-leaked-close).
+    expect(
+      nextWarmingUpAfterEvent({ warmingUp: false, event: "close" }),
+    ).toBe(false);
+    expect(
+      nextWarmingUpAfterEvent({ warmingUp: true, event: "close" }),
+    ).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("end-to-end successful-pair sequence: warming → qr → restart-required close → open", () => {
+    // Full lifecycle the helper has to thread correctly so the user
+    // sees 'Account connected!' instead of 'Pairing timed out'.
+    let warming = true; // freshly attached listener after a re-pair
+
+    // First QR arrives — clears the leak-protection flag.
+    warming = nextWarmingUpAfterEvent({ warmingUp: warming, event: "qr" });
+    expect(warming).toBe(false);
+
+    // User scans → Baileys closes with restartRequired=true.
+    // Re-arms because session-manager will run another stop+start.
+    warming = nextWarmingUpAfterEvent({
+      warmingUp: warming,
+      event: "close",
+      restartRequired: true,
+    });
+    expect(warming).toBe(true);
+
+    // The cleanup-stop's second close arrives. The CALLER decides via
+    // decidePairListenerOnClose to ignore it (warmingUp=true wins).
+    expect(
+      decidePairListenerOnClose({ warmingUp: warming, restartRequired: false }),
+    ).toBe("ignore-leaked-close");
+    // Flag stays armed because a plain close doesn't change it.
+    warming = nextWarmingUpAfterEvent({
+      warmingUp: warming,
+      event: "close",
+      restartRequired: false,
+    });
+    expect(warming).toBe(true);
+
+    // Fresh socket opens with the new credentials → success.
+    warming = nextWarmingUpAfterEvent({ warmingUp: warming, event: "open" });
+    expect(warming).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/bot/src/ipc/pair-state.ts b/apps/bot/src/ipc/pair-state.ts
index 7901c3d..43a1e2d 100644
--- a/apps/bot/src/ipc/pair-state.ts
+++ b/apps/bot/src/ipc/pair-state.ts
@@ -114,3 +114,30 @@ export function decidePairListenerOnClose(input: {
   if (input.restartRequired) return "post-pair-restart";
   return "treat-as-timeout";
 }
+
+/**
+ * Step the pair-listener's warming-up flag forward through one Baileys
+ * event. Captures three rules in one place so they're test-locked:
+ *
+ *   - First `qr` / `open` from the live session clears warming-up
+ *     (we've seen real session activity, future closes are real).
+ *   - `close + restartRequired` (post-pair-success / status 515)
+ *     RE-ARMS warming-up. The session-manager will schedule a
+ *     `stop().then(start())` reconnect; that stop emits a second close
+ *     before the new socket reopens. Without re-arming, the leaked
+ *     close from the cleanup-stop reaches us with warming-up=false and
+ *     resolves to `treat-as-timeout` — detaching the listener right at
+ *     the moment the user actually paired successfully (regression).
+ *   - Any other `close` keeps warming-up unchanged (the listener
+ *     either ignored it because we're warming, or processed it as a
+ *     real timeout / restart and is leaving the loop anyway).
+ */
+export function nextWarmingUpAfterEvent(input: {
+  warmingUp: boolean;
+  event: "qr" | "open" | "close";
+  restartRequired?: boolean;
+}): boolean {
+  if (input.event === "qr" || input.event === "open") return false;
+  if (input.event === "close" && input.restartRequired) return true;
+  return input.warmingUp;
+}