diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index f93ee70..d8c2b4a 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1642,7 +1642,7 @@ checksum = "09edd9e8b54e49e587e4f6295a7d29c3ea94d469cb40ab8ca70b288248a81db2"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lesavka_client"
-version = "0.14.32"
+version = "0.14.33"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "async-stream",
@@ -1676,7 +1676,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lesavka_common"
-version = "0.14.32"
+version = "0.14.33"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "base64",
@@ -1688,7 +1688,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lesavka_server"
-version = "0.14.32"
+version = "0.14.33"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "base64",
diff --git a/client/Cargo.toml b/client/Cargo.toml
index 2cf8cc5..2111a71 100644
--- a/client/Cargo.toml
+++ b/client/Cargo.toml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ path                    = "src/main.rs"
 
 [package]
 name                    = "lesavka_client"
-version                 = "0.14.32"
+version                 = "0.14.33"
 edition                 = "2024"
 
 [dependencies]
diff --git a/common/Cargo.toml b/common/Cargo.toml
index 4f2c34a..3f9b957 100644
--- a/common/Cargo.toml
+++ b/common/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name                    = "lesavka_common"
-version                 = "0.14.32"
+version                 = "0.14.33"
 edition                 = "2024"
 build                   = "build.rs"
 
diff --git a/scripts/install/server.sh b/scripts/install/server.sh
index 7e9e0ba..07455ac 100755
--- a/scripts/install/server.sh
+++ b/scripts/install/server.sh
@@ -113,6 +113,114 @@ is_attached_state() {
   return 1
 }
 
+server_bind_addr() {
+  printf '%s\n' "${LESAVKA_SERVER_BIND_ADDR:-0.0.0.0:50051}"
+}
+
+server_bind_port() {
+  local bind_addr port
+  bind_addr=$(server_bind_addr)
+  port=${bind_addr##*:}
+  [[ $port =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]] || return 1
+  printf '%s\n' "$port"
+}
+
+list_server_listener_pids() {
+  local port
+  port=$(server_bind_port) || return 1
+  sudo lsof -tiTCP:"$port" -sTCP:LISTEN 2>/dev/null | sort -u
+}
+
+clear_stale_server_listener() {
+  local port pid cmdline found=0 unexpected=0
+  port=$(server_bind_port) || {
+    echo "⚠️  could not parse LESAVKA_SERVER_BIND_ADDR='$(server_bind_addr)'; skipping stale-listener cleanup."
+    return 0
+  }
+
+  while read -r pid; do
+    [[ -n $pid ]] || continue
+    found=1
+    cmdline=$(sudo ps -o args= -p "$pid" 2>/dev/null || true)
+    if [[ $cmdline == *"/usr/local/bin/lesavka-server"* ]] || [[ $cmdline == *"lesavka-server"* ]]; then
+      echo "⚠️  clearing stale lesavka-server listener on :$port (pid $pid)."
+      sudo kill -TERM "$pid" 2>/dev/null || true
+    else
+      echo "❌ TCP :$port is already owned by an unexpected process (pid $pid): ${cmdline:-<unknown>}." >&2
+      unexpected=1
+    fi
+  done < <(list_server_listener_pids || true)
+
+  if [[ "$unexpected" != "0" ]]; then
+    return 1
+  fi
+  if [[ "$found" == "0" ]]; then
+    return 0
+  fi
+
+  for _ in {1..30}; do
+    if ! list_server_listener_pids | grep -q .; then
+      echo "✅  cleared stale lesavka-server listeners on :$port."
+      return 0
+    fi
+    sleep 0.1
+  done
+
+  while read -r pid; do
+    [[ -n $pid ]] || continue
+    cmdline=$(sudo ps -o args= -p "$pid" 2>/dev/null || true)
+    if [[ $cmdline == *"/usr/local/bin/lesavka-server"* ]] || [[ $cmdline == *"lesavka-server"* ]]; then
+      echo "⚠️  stale lesavka-server listener on :$port survived SIGTERM; sending SIGKILL to pid $pid."
+      sudo kill -KILL "$pid" 2>/dev/null || true
+    else
+      echo "❌ TCP :$port remained busy after cleanup and is owned by an unexpected process (pid $pid): ${cmdline:-<unknown>}." >&2
+      return 1
+    fi
+  done < <(list_server_listener_pids || true)
+
+  for _ in {1..30}; do
+    if ! list_server_listener_pids | grep -q .; then
+      echo "✅  cleared stale lesavka-server listeners on :$port."
+      return 0
+    fi
+    sleep 0.1
+  done
+
+  echo "❌ lesavka-server listener on :$port survived cleanup; refusing to start a duplicate server." >&2
+  return 1
+}
+
+wait_for_unit_running() {
+  local unit=$1
+  for _ in {1..50}; do
+    if systemctl is-active --quiet "$unit"; then
+      if [[ $(systemctl show "$unit" -p SubState --value 2>/dev/null || true) == "running" ]]; then
+        return 0
+      fi
+    fi
+    sleep 0.2
+  done
+  return 1
+}
+
+validate_server_ready() {
+  local bind_addr
+  bind_addr=$(server_bind_addr)
+  if wait_for_unit_running lesavka-server; then
+    echo "✅  lesavka-server is active and running on ${bind_addr}."
+    return 0
+  fi
+
+  echo "❌ lesavka-server failed to reach active/running state on ${bind_addr}." >&2
+  sudo systemctl status lesavka-server --no-pager >&2 || true
+  if [[ -s /tmp/lesavka-server.stderr ]]; then
+    echo "---- /tmp/lesavka-server.stderr (tail) ----" >&2
+    sudo tail -n 40 /tmp/lesavka-server.stderr >&2 || true
+    echo "------------------------------------------" >&2
+  fi
+  return 1
+}
+
 normalize_hdmi_connector() {
   local name="$1"
   if [[ $name =~ (HDMI-A-[0-9]+)$ ]]; then
@@ -719,7 +827,12 @@ fi
 
 validate_uvc_gadget_ready
 
+sudo truncate -s 0 /tmp/lesavka-server.stderr
+sudo systemctl stop lesavka-server >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+clear_stale_server_listener
+sudo systemctl reset-failed lesavka-server >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
 sudo systemctl restart lesavka-server
+validate_server_ready
 INSTALLED_VERSION=$(manifest_package_version "$SRC_DIR/server/Cargo.toml" 2>/dev/null || true)
 INSTALLED_SHA=$(git -C "$SCRIPT_REPO_ROOT" rev-parse --short HEAD 2>/dev/null || true)
 PERSISTED_CAM_OUTPUT=$(grep '^LESAVKA_CAM_OUTPUT=' /etc/lesavka/server.env 2>/dev/null | tail -n1 | cut -d= -f2- || true)
diff --git a/server/Cargo.toml b/server/Cargo.toml
index aede407..22c0d2b 100644
--- a/server/Cargo.toml
+++ b/server/Cargo.toml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ bench                   = false
 
 [package]
 name                    = "lesavka_server"
-version                 = "0.14.32"
+version                 = "0.14.33"
 edition                 = "2024"
 autobins                = false
 
diff --git a/testing/tests/server_install_script_contract.rs b/testing/tests/server_install_script_contract.rs
index cb7e14c..cb4d18c 100644
--- a/testing/tests/server_install_script_contract.rs
+++ b/testing/tests/server_install_script_contract.rs
@@ -98,6 +98,26 @@ fn server_install_pins_hdmi_camera_and_display_defaults() {
         SERVER_INSTALL.contains("lesavka-uvc already active; runtime settings unchanged."),
         "install script should avoid unnecessary UVC restarts when nothing changed"
     );
+    assert!(
+        SERVER_INSTALL.contains("clear_stale_server_listener"),
+        "install script should clear stale server listeners before restart"
+    );
+    assert!(
+        SERVER_INSTALL.contains("lsof -tiTCP:"),
+        "install script should inspect the bind port before starting a fresh server"
+    );
+    assert!(
+        SERVER_INSTALL.contains("unexpected process"),
+        "install script should fail loud instead of killing an unrelated process on the server port"
+    );
+    assert!(
+        SERVER_INSTALL.contains("validate_server_ready"),
+        "install script should verify that lesavka-server reaches a running state"
+    );
+    assert!(
+        SERVER_INSTALL.contains("failed to reach active/running state"),
+        "install script should explain server startup failures instead of claiming success"
+    );
 }
 
 #[test]