diff --git a/apps/bot/src/ipc/pair-handler.ts b/apps/bot/src/ipc/pair-handler.ts
index 966163b..3681ab0 100644
--- a/apps/bot/src/ipc/pair-handler.ts
+++ b/apps/bot/src/ipc/pair-handler.ts
@@ -134,8 +134,22 @@ export async function handleStartPairing(accountId: string): Promise<void> {
           count: synced,
         });
         off();
+      } else if (event.type === "close" && event.restartRequired) {
+        // After the user scans, WhatsApp tells Baileys to "restart"
+        // the connection. The socket closes with status 515 and the
+        // session-manager will reopen it with the new credentials —
+        // the next `open` event is what completes the pairing.
+        // This is NOT a failure: keep the listener attached so we see
+        // that subsequent `open` event, and don't surface a timeout
+        // to the UI. The DB row stays in `pending` until `open`.
+        logger.info(
+          { accountId: id },
+          "pair: restart-required close (post-pair reconnect) — keeping listener alive",
+        );
+        // The session-manager handles the actual reconnect; nothing to
+        // do here other than NOT tear our listener / DB state down.
       } else if (event.type === "close") {
-        // During the pairing window, ANY close means the QR window
+        // During the pairing window, any other close means the QR window
         // ended without a successful link — Baileys' default is to
         // close after exhausting QR refs (~2.5 min). Surface this to
         // the UI so the user gets a "pairing timed out" screen, and
diff --git a/apps/bot/src/ipc/pair-state.test.ts b/apps/bot/src/ipc/pair-state.test.ts
index 13497b0..52c8205 100644
--- a/apps/bot/src/ipc/pair-state.test.ts
+++ b/apps/bot/src/ipc/pair-state.test.ts
@@ -11,11 +11,18 @@ describe("decideOnPairClose", () => {
     expect(r).toEqual({ next: "logged_out", clearQrPng: true });
   });
 
+  it("restart-required close → null (it's a SUCCESS — reconnect, don't touch DB)", () => {
+    // Regression we just fixed: after the user scans, Baileys closes
+    // the socket with status 515 ("restart required") so it can
+    // reopen with the new credentials. Treating that close as a
+    // failure produced a spurious "Pairing timed out" right at the
+    // moment the user actually paired successfully.
+    expect(
+      decideOnPairClose({ current: "pending", loggedOut: false, restartRequired: true }),
+    ).toBe(null);
+  });
+
   it("non-loggedOut close from `pending` parks the row as `unpaired`", () => {
-    // This is the regression we just fixed: a failed pair (Baileys
-    // exhausting QR refs, network blip, user closes the page) was
-    // leaving the row in `pending` forever, which the accounts list
-    // hid from the operator. It must now settle as `unpaired`.
     const r = decideOnPairClose({ current: "pending", loggedOut: false });
     expect(r).toEqual({ next: "unpaired", clearQrPng: true });
   });
@@ -23,8 +30,9 @@ describe("decideOnPairClose", () => {
   it("non-loggedOut close from any transient state parks as `unpaired`", () => {
     for (const current of ["disconnected", "unpaired", "connected"] as const) {
       const r = decideOnPairClose({ current, loggedOut: false });
-      expect(r.next).toBe("unpaired");
-      expect(r.clearQrPng).toBe(true);
+      expect(r).not.toBe(null);
+      expect(r!.next).toBe("unpaired");
+      expect(r!.clearQrPng).toBe(true);
     }
   });
 });
@@ -50,13 +58,26 @@ describe("shouldAutoReconnect", () => {
   it("never reconnects after a logged-out close", () => {
     expect(shouldAutoReconnect({ loggedOut: true, hasEverConnected: true })).toBe(false);
     expect(shouldAutoReconnect({ loggedOut: true, hasEverConnected: false })).toBe(false);
+    // Even if Baileys also flagged restartRequired (it shouldn't, but
+    // be defensive), loggedOut wins.
+    expect(
+      shouldAutoReconnect({ loggedOut: true, restartRequired: true, hasEverConnected: true }),
+    ).toBe(false);
   });
 
-  it("reconnects only for accounts that have been linked at least once", () => {
-    // Regression guard: we used to auto-reconnect any non-loggedOut
-    // close, which during a fresh pair attempt produced a 5-second QR
-    // refresh loop because Baileys exhausts QR refs every few seconds
-    // when the user hasn't scanned yet.
+  it("ALWAYS reconnects on restart-required (post-pair-success), even for first-time accounts", () => {
+    // The regression: brand-new pair attempts have hasEverConnected=false,
+    // so the old logic refused to reconnect after status 515 — and the
+    // user got "Pairing timed out" the moment they actually paired.
+    expect(
+      shouldAutoReconnect({ loggedOut: false, restartRequired: true, hasEverConnected: false }),
+    ).toBe(true);
+    expect(
+      shouldAutoReconnect({ loggedOut: false, restartRequired: true, hasEverConnected: true }),
+    ).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("reconnects only for accounts that have been linked at least once for non-restartRequired drops", () => {
     expect(shouldAutoReconnect({ loggedOut: false, hasEverConnected: true })).toBe(true);
     expect(shouldAutoReconnect({ loggedOut: false, hasEverConnected: false })).toBe(false);
   });
diff --git a/apps/bot/src/ipc/pair-state.ts b/apps/bot/src/ipc/pair-state.ts
index 8fc51e6..df76e31 100644
--- a/apps/bot/src/ipc/pair-state.ts
+++ b/apps/bot/src/ipc/pair-state.ts
@@ -25,26 +25,35 @@ export interface PairCloseInput {
   current: AccountStatus;
   /** Did Baileys signal a logged-out close (vs an ephemeral close)? */
   loggedOut: boolean;
+  /** Was it the post-pair "restart required" close (status 515)? */
+  restartRequired?: boolean;
 }
 
-export interface StatusUpdate {
+export type StatusUpdate = {
   next: AccountStatus;
   /** Wipe the cached QR PNG when the pair window closes. */
   clearQrPng: boolean;
-}
+} | null;
 
 /**
  * Decide the status transition when the Baileys session closes during
- * a pairing attempt (i.e. before the user has scanned the QR).
+ * a pairing attempt.
  *
  * - logged_out close → terminal: `logged_out`.
+ * - restart-required close → null (this is a SUCCESS signal that triggers
+ *   a reconnect; the row stays in its current state until `open` fires).
  * - ephemeral close (refs exhausted, network blip, etc.) → park as
  *   `unpaired` so the row stays visible and the user can retry.
  */
-export function decideOnPairClose({ current, loggedOut }: PairCloseInput): StatusUpdate {
+export function decideOnPairClose({ current, loggedOut, restartRequired }: PairCloseInput): StatusUpdate {
   if (loggedOut) {
     return { next: "logged_out", clearQrPng: true };
   }
+  if (restartRequired) {
+    // Post-pair-success reconnect — the next `open` event finishes the
+    // job. Don't touch DB state and don't tear the listener down.
+    return null;
+  }
   // Whatever transient state we were in (most often `pending`), park
   // the row as `unpaired` — anything else hides it from the operator.
   return { next: "unpaired", clearQrPng: true };
@@ -53,10 +62,14 @@ export function decideOnPairClose({ current, loggedOut }: PairCloseInput): Statu
 /** Whether the session-manager should auto-reconnect after a non-loggedOut close. */
 export function shouldAutoReconnect(args: {
   loggedOut: boolean;
+  restartRequired?: boolean;
   /** True if the account row has `last_connected_at` set (has been linked before). */
   hasEverConnected: boolean;
 }): boolean {
   if (args.loggedOut) return false;
+  // Status 515 is the post-pair-success reconnect — always do it,
+  // regardless of whether the account has ever connected before.
+  if (args.restartRequired) return true;
   return args.hasEverConnected;
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/bot/src/whatsapp/session-manager.ts b/apps/bot/src/whatsapp/session-manager.ts
index 246f50b..771d936 100644
--- a/apps/bot/src/whatsapp/session-manager.ts
+++ b/apps/bot/src/whatsapp/session-manager.ts
@@ -143,13 +143,21 @@ class SessionManager {
 
       if (event.loggedOut) {
         await this.stop(accountId);
+      } else if (event.restartRequired) {
+        // Status 515 — the post-pair-success reconnect. Always re-open
+        // immediately (no 5 s back-off, no `lastConnectedAt` gate). If
+        // we don't, the auth handshake never completes and the user
+        // sees a spurious "Pairing timed out".
+        const timer = setTimeout(() => {
+          this.reconnectTimers.delete(accountId);
+          void this.stop(accountId).then(() => this.start(accountId));
+        }, 250);
+        this.reconnectTimers.set(accountId, timer);
       } else {
-        // Only auto-reconnect for accounts that have been linked at least
-        // once — `lastConnectedAt` is set on `open`. During an initial
-        // pairing attempt the close event fires every time Baileys
-        // exhausts QR refs (~every 30s). Reconnecting would restart the
-        // pair dance and rotate the QR every few seconds — pair-handler
-        // already manages the pairing window via its own 5-min timeout.
+        // Other ephemeral closes (refs exhausted, network blip): only
+        // auto-reconnect for accounts that have been linked at least
+        // once. During an initial pair attempt this would otherwise
+        // restart the pair dance and rotate the QR every few seconds.
         const account = await db.query.whatsappAccounts.findFirst({
           where: (a, { eq }) => eq(a.id, accountId),
           columns: { lastConnectedAt: true },
diff --git a/apps/bot/src/whatsapp/session.ts b/apps/bot/src/whatsapp/session.ts
index 6cd2572..845eb01 100644
--- a/apps/bot/src/whatsapp/session.ts
+++ b/apps/bot/src/whatsapp/session.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,11 @@ import { syncGroupsForAccount } from "./group-sync.js";
 export type SessionEvent =
   | { type: "qr"; payload: string }
   | { type: "open"; phoneNumber: string | undefined }
-  | { type: "close"; reason: number; loggedOut: boolean };
+  // `restartRequired` is set when Baileys closes the socket with status
+  // 515 — the normal post-pair handshake reconnect, NOT a failure. Both
+  // pair-handler and session-manager use it to skip the "pairing failed"
+  // path and re-open the socket so the account finishes linking.
+  | { type: "close"; reason: number; loggedOut: boolean; restartRequired: boolean };
 
 export type SessionEventHandler = (event: SessionEvent) => void | Promise<void>;
 
@@ -84,7 +88,8 @@ export async function startSession(params: {
       const reason =
         (update.lastDisconnect?.error as { output?: { statusCode?: number } } | undefined)?.output?.statusCode ?? 0;
       const loggedOut = reason === DisconnectReason.loggedOut;
-      void onEvent({ type: "close", reason, loggedOut });
+      const restartRequired = reason === DisconnectReason.restartRequired;
+      void onEvent({ type: "close", reason, loggedOut, restartRequired });
     }
   });