diff --git a/scripts/install/server.sh b/scripts/install/server.sh
index 7436ab1..f85341e 100755
--- a/scripts/install/server.sh
+++ b/scripts/install/server.sh
@@ -30,24 +30,51 @@ is_attached_state() {
   return 1
 }
 
+normalize_hdmi_connector() {
+  local name="$1"
+  if [[ $name =~ (HDMI-A-[0-9]+)$ ]]; then
+    printf '%s\n' "${BASH_REMATCH[1]}"
+  else
+    printf '%s\n' "$name"
+  fi
+}
+
+read_existing_hdmi_connector() {
+  local line value
+  line=$(grep -E '^LESAVKA_HDMI_CONNECTOR=' /etc/lesavka/server.env 2>/dev/null | tail -n1 || true)
+  [[ -n $line ]] || return 0
+  value=${line#*=}
+  value=${value%\"}
+  value=${value#\"}
+  value=${value%\'}
+  value=${value#\'}
+  normalize_hdmi_connector "$value"
+}
+
+describe_hdmi_connectors() {
+  local dev name status id
+  for dev in /sys/class/drm/card*-HDMI-A-*; do
+    [[ -e $dev/status ]] || continue
+    name=$(basename "$dev")
+    status=$(cat "$dev/status" 2>/dev/null || true)
+    id=$(cat "$dev/connector_id" 2>/dev/null || true)
+    printf '    %s (%s): %s\n' "$(normalize_hdmi_connector "$name")" "${id:-no-id}" "${status:-unknown}" >&2
+  done
+}
+
 detect_connected_hdmi_connector() {
-  local dev name stable_name status score suffix
-  local best="" best_score=0 best_suffix=0
+  local dev name stable_name status score
+  local best="" best_score=0 best_count=0
   declare -A scores=()
 
-  # HDMI status can briefly flap during gadget/display bring-up. Sample a few
-  # times and prefer the connector that stays connected; ties prefer HDMI-A-2,
-  # which is the dedicated downstream capture leg on the current Pi layout.
-  # Store the logical connector suffix, not the DRM card prefix, so this stays
-  # valid if Linux renumbers cardN across boots.
+  # HDMI status can briefly flap during gadget/display bring-up, so sample a
+  # few times. Store the logical connector suffix, not the DRM card prefix, so
+  # this stays valid if Linux renumbers cardN across boots.
   for _ in 1 2 3 4 5; do
     for dev in /sys/class/drm/card*-HDMI-A-*; do
       [[ -e $dev/status ]] || continue
       name=$(basename "$dev")
-      stable_name=$name
-      if [[ $name =~ (HDMI-A-[0-9]+)$ ]]; then
-        stable_name=${BASH_REMATCH[1]}
-      fi
+      stable_name=$(normalize_hdmi_connector "$name")
       status=$(cat "$dev/status" 2>/dev/null || true)
       if [[ $status == connected ]]; then
         scores[$stable_name]=$(( ${scores[$stable_name]:-0} + 1 ))
@@ -58,15 +85,51 @@ detect_connected_hdmi_connector() {
 
   for name in "${!scores[@]}"; do
     score=${scores[$name]}
-    suffix=${name##*-}
-    if (( score > best_score || (score == best_score && suffix > best_suffix) )); then
+    if (( score > best_score )); then
       best=$name
       best_score=$score
-      best_suffix=$suffix
     fi
   done
 
-  printf '%s\n' "$best"
+  (( best_score > 0 )) || return 0
+
+  for name in "${!scores[@]}"; do
+    if (( scores[$name] == best_score )); then
+      best_count=$((best_count + 1))
+    fi
+  done
+
+  if (( best_count == 1 )); then
+    printf '%s\n' "$best"
+    return 0
+  fi
+
+  echo "❌ multiple HDMI connectors are equally connected; refusing to guess." >&2
+  describe_hdmi_connectors
+  echo "   Disconnect the non-target HDMI output or run once with LESAVKA_HDMI_CONNECTOR=HDMI-A-N." >&2
+  return 1
+}
+
+resolve_hdmi_connector() {
+  local detected existing
+  if [[ -n ${LESAVKA_HDMI_CONNECTOR:-} ]]; then
+    normalize_hdmi_connector "$LESAVKA_HDMI_CONNECTOR"
+    return 0
+  fi
+
+  if ! detected=$(detect_connected_hdmi_connector); then
+    return 1
+  fi
+  if [[ -n $detected ]]; then
+    printf '%s\n' "$detected"
+    return 0
+  fi
+
+  existing=$(read_existing_hdmi_connector)
+  if [[ -n $existing ]]; then
+    echo "⚠️  no connected HDMI connector detected; preserving existing LESAVKA_HDMI_CONNECTOR=$existing." >&2
+    printf '%s\n' "$existing"
+  fi
 }
 
 run_as_user() {
@@ -232,7 +295,7 @@ sudo install -Dm755 "$SRC_DIR/scripts/daemon/lesavka-uvc.sh"        /usr/local/b
 
 echo "==> 5b. Runtime environment defaults"
 sudo install -d -m 0755 /etc/lesavka
-HDMI_CONNECTOR=${LESAVKA_HDMI_CONNECTOR:-$(detect_connected_hdmi_connector)}
+HDMI_CONNECTOR=$(resolve_hdmi_connector)
 if [[ -n $HDMI_CONNECTOR ]]; then
   echo "   ↪ HDMI connector: $HDMI_CONNECTOR"
 else