diff --git a/client/src/launcher/mod.rs b/client/src/launcher/mod.rs
index c155d36..5db7a99 100644
--- a/client/src/launcher/mod.rs
+++ b/client/src/launcher/mod.rs
@@ -25,7 +25,28 @@ fn should_run_launcher(args: &[String]) -> bool {
     if args.iter().any(|arg| arg == "--no-launcher") {
         return false;
     }
-    args.iter().any(|arg| arg == "--launcher") || args.is_empty()
+    if args.iter().any(|arg| arg == "--launcher") {
+        return true;
+    }
+    !has_direct_server_arg(args)
+}
+
+/// Detects legacy positional direct-connect invocation (`lesavka-client <url>`).
+fn has_direct_server_arg(args: &[String]) -> bool {
+    let mut idx = 0usize;
+    while idx < args.len() {
+        let arg = &args[idx];
+        if arg == "--server" {
+            idx = idx.saturating_add(2);
+            continue;
+        }
+        if arg.starts_with("--") {
+            idx += 1;
+            continue;
+        }
+        return true;
+    }
+    false
 }
 
 pub fn runtime_env_vars(state: &LauncherState) -> BTreeMap<String, String> {
@@ -146,4 +167,10 @@ mod tests {
         let args = vec!["http://server:50051".to_string()];
         assert!(!should_run_launcher(&args));
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn should_run_launcher_with_server_flag() {
+        let args = vec!["--server".to_string(), "http://server:50051".to_string()];
+        assert!(should_run_launcher(&args));
+    }
 }
diff --git a/scripts/ci/hygiene_gate_baseline.json b/scripts/ci/hygiene_gate_baseline.json
index 028c386..4a8de86 100644
--- a/scripts/ci/hygiene_gate_baseline.json
+++ b/scripts/ci/hygiene_gate_baseline.json
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@
     "client/src/launcher/mod.rs": {
       "clippy_warnings": 4,
       "doc_debt": 4,
-      "loc": 149
+      "loc": 176
     },
     "client/src/launcher/state.rs": {
       "clippy_warnings": 8,
diff --git a/scripts/ci/quality_gate_baseline.json b/scripts/ci/quality_gate_baseline.json
index 61b8842..8a15bb7 100644
--- a/scripts/ci/quality_gate_baseline.json
+++ b/scripts/ci/quality_gate_baseline.json
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
     },
     "client/src/launcher/mod.rs": {
       "line_percent": 96.15384615384616,
-      "loc": 149
+      "loc": 176
     },
     "client/src/launcher/state.rs": {
       "line_percent": 99.32432432432432,