diff --git a/bin/omarchy-theme-set-herdr-machines b/bin/omarchy-theme-set-herdr-machines
index 95d184a1..6d5be95b 100755
--- a/bin/omarchy-theme-set-herdr-machines
+++ b/bin/omarchy-theme-set-herdr-machines
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ if [[ -n $OMARCHY_THEME_SYNC_FROM ]] || ! omarchy-toggle-enabled herdr-theme-syn
 fi
 
 theme=$(cat "$HOME/.local/state/omarchy/current/theme.name" 2>/dev/null)
+control_dir="$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/omarchy-theme-sync"
+mkdir -m 700 -p "$control_dir"
 
 # Runs on the remote machine under a login shell, so OMARCHY_PATH and PATH are set there.
 # SSH carries no desktop session, so the environment comes from the live Hyprland instance.
@@ -66,10 +68,13 @@ read -r -d '' REMOTE_SCRIPT <<'EOF'
 } </dev/null
 EOF
 
-# One machine at a time, so an SSH agent like 1Password asks for approval at most once.
+# Reuse each authenticated connection for ten idle minutes, so an SSH agent like
+# 1Password does not need to approve every theme change. Connect one machine at a time.
 # SSH joins its arguments into a shell command, so the theme travels on stdin as a quoted assignment.
 for target in $targets; do
   result=$(printf 'theme=%q from=%q\n%s\n' "$theme" "$(hostname)" "$REMOTE_SCRIPT" |
-    timeout 60 ssh -o BatchMode=yes -o ConnectTimeout=5 "$target" bash -l -s 2>&1 | tail -n 1)
+    timeout 60 ssh -o BatchMode=yes -o ConnectTimeout=5 \
+      -o ControlMaster=auto -o ControlPersist=600 -o "ControlPath=$control_dir/%C" \
+      "$target" bash -l -s 2>&1 | tail -n 1)
   echo "$(date '+%F %T') $target: ${result:-unreachable}"
 done
diff --git a/test/shell.d/fixtures/theme-set-herdr-ssh-reuse.py b/test/shell.d/fixtures/theme-set-herdr-ssh-reuse.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0aedb621
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/shell.d/fixtures/theme-set-herdr-ssh-reuse.py
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+import os
+import pathlib
+import pwd
+import signal
+import shutil
+import socket
+import subprocess
+import tempfile
+import time
+
+root = pathlib.Path(os.environ['ROOT'])
+with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory(prefix='theme-ssh-') as directory:
+  stage = pathlib.Path(directory)
+  for name in ('host', 'identity'):
+    subprocess.run(['ssh-keygen', '-q', '-t', 'ed25519', '-N', '', '-f', str(stage / name)], check=True)
+  try:
+    with socket.socket() as port_probe:
+      port_probe.bind(('127.0.0.1', 0))
+      port = port_probe.getsockname()[1]
+  except PermissionError:
+    print('ok - sandbox blocks loopback sockets; skipping real SSH connection reuse # SKIP')
+    raise SystemExit(0)
+  remote = stage / 'remote'
+  remote.write_text('#!/bin/bash\ncat >>"' + str(stage / 'received') + '"\necho theme-received\n')
+  remote.chmod(0o700)
+  server_config = stage / 'sshd.conf'
+  server_config.write_text(f'''Port {port}
+ListenAddress 127.0.0.1
+HostKey {stage / 'host'}
+PidFile {stage / 'server.pid'}
+AuthorizedKeysFile {stage / 'identity.pub'}
+PasswordAuthentication no
+KbdInteractiveAuthentication no
+UsePAM no
+StrictModes no
+AllowUsers {pwd.getpwuid(os.getuid()).pw_name}
+LogLevel VERBOSE
+ForceCommand /bin/bash {remote}
+''')
+  host_key = (stage / 'host.pub').read_text().split()
+  (stage / 'known_hosts').write_text(f'[127.0.0.1]:{port} {host_key[0]} {host_key[1]}\n')
+  client_config = stage / 'ssh.conf'
+  client_config.write_text(f'''Host fixture
+  HostName 127.0.0.1
+  Port {port}
+  User {pwd.getpwuid(os.getuid()).pw_name}
+  IdentityFile {stage / 'identity'}
+  IdentityAgent none
+  IdentitiesOnly yes
+  StrictHostKeyChecking yes
+  UserKnownHostsFile {stage / 'known_hosts'}
+''')
+  home = stage / 'home'
+  current = home / '.local/state/omarchy/current'
+  current.mkdir(parents=True)
+  toggles = home / '.local/state/omarchy/toggles'
+  toggles.mkdir()
+  (toggles / 'herdr-theme-sync').touch()
+  runtime = stage / 'run'
+  runtime.mkdir(mode=0o700)
+  stub_bin = stage / 'bin'
+  stub_bin.mkdir()
+  scripts = {
+    'herdr': "#!/bin/bash\nprintf 'id\\tfixture\\tfixture\\tdefault\\tenabled\\n'\n",
+    'ssh': '#!/bin/bash\nexec /usr/bin/ssh -F "' + str(client_config) + '" "$@"\n',
+  }
+  for name, content in scripts.items():
+    path = stub_bin / name
+    path.write_text(content)
+    path.chmod(0o700)
+  environment = {**os.environ, 'HOME': str(home), 'XDG_RUNTIME_DIR': str(runtime), 'PATH': str(stub_bin) + ':' + str(root / 'bin') + ':' + os.environ['PATH']}
+  log_path = stage / 'sshd.log'
+  with log_path.open('w') as log:
+    server = subprocess.Popen([shutil.which('sshd'), '-D', '-e', '-f', str(server_config)], stdout=log, stderr=log, start_new_session=True)
+    try:
+      deadline = time.monotonic() + 5
+      while True:
+        try:
+          with socket.create_connection(('127.0.0.1', port), timeout=0.1):
+            break
+        except OSError:
+          if server.poll() is not None and 'Missing privilege separation directory' in log_path.read_text():
+            print('ok - SSH server runtime directory is unavailable; skipping real SSH connection reuse # SKIP')
+            raise SystemExit(0)
+          assert server.poll() is None and time.monotonic() < deadline, log_path.read_text()
+          time.sleep(0.05)
+      for theme in ('tokyo-night', 'nord'):
+        (current / 'theme.name').write_text(theme + '\n')
+        result = subprocess.run([str(root / 'bin/omarchy-theme-set-herdr-machines')], env=environment, capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=10)
+        assert result.returncode == 0 and 'theme-received' in result.stdout, (result.stdout, result.stderr, log_path.read_text())
+        if theme == 'tokyo-night':
+          (stage / 'identity').rename(stage / 'identity-unavailable')
+      assert log_path.read_text().count('Accepted publickey') == 1, log_path.read_text()
+      received = (stage / 'received').read_text()
+      assert 'theme=tokyo-night' in received and 'theme=nord' in received
+      assert (runtime / 'omarchy-theme-sync').stat().st_mode & 0o777 == 0o700
+      lock = runtime / 'omarchy-theme-set-herdr-machines.lock'
+      assert subprocess.run(['flock', '-n', str(lock), 'true']).returncode == 0, 'SSH master retained the theme sync lock'
+      print('ok - two theme syncs authenticate once, even with the key removed before the second sync')
+      print('ok - persistent SSH master leaves the sync lock available')
+    finally:
+      subprocess.run(['/usr/bin/ssh', '-F', str(client_config), '-o', 'ControlPath=' + str(runtime / 'omarchy-theme-sync/%C'), '-O', 'exit', 'fixture'], stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL, stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL, timeout=5)
+      if server.poll() is None:
+        os.killpg(server.pid, signal.SIGTERM)
+      server.wait(timeout=5)
diff --git a/test/shell.d/theme-set-herdr-machines-test.sh b/test/shell.d/theme-set-herdr-machines-test.sh
index 1774a10f..f16de673 100644
--- a/test/shell.d/theme-set-herdr-machines-test.sh
+++ b/test/shell.d/theme-set-herdr-machines-test.sh
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ EOF
 # ssh runs the script it receives against a fake home for that machine, as the remote would.
 cat >"$stub_bin/ssh" <<'EOF'
 #!/bin/bash
+printf '%s\n' "$@" >>"$SYNC_TEST/ssh-options"
 while [[ $1 == "-o" ]]; do
   shift 2
 done
@@ -61,7 +62,7 @@ EOF
 chmod +x "$stub_bin"/* "$remote_bin"/*
 
 reset_remotes() {
-  rm -rf "$SYNC_TEST/remotes" "$SYNC_TEST/ssh-calls"
+  rm -rf "$SYNC_TEST/remotes" "$SYNC_TEST/ssh-calls" "$SYNC_TEST/ssh-options"
   local machine
   for machine in alpha beta gamma local-box; do
     mkdir -p "$SYNC_TEST/remotes/$machine/.local/state/omarchy/current"
@@ -111,7 +112,14 @@ pass "leaves this machine alone when it is listed"
 [[ $output == *"down: ssh: connect to host down"* ]] || fail "logs an unreachable machine"
 pass "logs an unreachable machine"
 
-# Connects one machine at a time, so an SSH agent asks for approval at most once.
+# Keep reusable connections in a directory only this user can access.
+grep -qx 'ControlMaster=auto' "$SYNC_TEST/ssh-options" || fail "reuses authenticated SSH connections"
+grep -qx 'ControlPersist=600' "$SYNC_TEST/ssh-options" || fail "keeps connections for ten idle minutes"
+grep -qxF "ControlPath=$SYNC_TEST/run/omarchy-theme-sync/%C" "$SYNC_TEST/ssh-options" || fail "keeps separate control sockets for each SSH destination"
+[[ $(stat -c %a "$SYNC_TEST/run/omarchy-theme-sync") == "700" ]] || fail "control socket directory is private"
+pass "reuses SSH connections for ten idle minutes in a private runtime directory"
+
+# Connects one machine at a time.
 [[ $(paste -sd ' ' "$SYNC_TEST/ssh-calls") == "down alpha beta gamma local-box" ]] || fail "connects to machines one at a time in order"
 pass "connects to machines one at a time in order"
 
diff --git a/test/shell.d/theme-set-herdr-ssh-reuse-test.sh b/test/shell.d/theme-set-herdr-ssh-reuse-test.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..82c97e98
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/shell.d/theme-set-herdr-ssh-reuse-test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+source "$(cd -- "$(dirname -- "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)/base-test.sh"
+
+if ! command -v sshd >/dev/null; then
+  skip "no SSH server; skipping real theme sync connection reuse"
+  exit 0
+fi
+require_command python3
+require_command ssh
+require_command ssh-keygen
+
+python3 "$SHELL_TEST_DIR/fixtures/theme-set-herdr-ssh-reuse.py"