diff --git a/docs/omarchy-shell.md b/docs/omarchy-shell.md
index a1349ae4..edbabf2a 100644
--- a/docs/omarchy-shell.md
+++ b/docs/omarchy-shell.md
@@ -34,9 +34,7 @@ first call.
 
 Only one full bar option is active at a time. The built-in `omarchy.bar` is
 used when `bar.id` is omitted or when a selected third-party bar cannot load.
-Panels, overlays, and menus are loaded when summoned. Plugins can set
-`keepLoaded: true` to survive between summons. First-party services are
-loaded at startup.
+Panels, overlays, and menus are loaded when summoned. Plugins can set the top-level manifest key `keepLoaded: true` to survive between summons, and to keep a service mounted across plugin hot-reload (so `omarchy.lock` is not destroyed while Hyprland still holds the session lock). First-party services are loaded at startup.
 
 Full schema: [`shell/services/PluginRegistry.qml`](../shell/services/PluginRegistry.qml).
 
diff --git a/shell/README.md b/shell/README.md
index e72d02ce..16162b79 100644
--- a/shell/README.md
+++ b/shell/README.md
@@ -86,8 +86,12 @@ Only one `bar` plugin is active at a time. Missing or invalid selections fall
 back to the built-in `omarchy.bar`, so users always have a safe path home.
 Panels, overlays, and menus are loaded when summoned. Plugins that need
 to outlive a single summon can set `keepLoaded: true` (e.g. the image
-picker keeps its overlay window mounted between summons). First-party
-services are loaded at startup.
+picker keeps its overlay window mounted between summons). The same flag
+keeps a service mounted across plugin hot-reload, so tearing down a
+changed bar widget cannot destroy `omarchy.lock` while Hyprland still
+holds the session lock. The kept instance is not replaced, so code
+changes to a `keepLoaded` service itself only take effect on a shell
+restart. First-party services are loaded at startup.
 
 The full schema lives in `services/PluginRegistry.qml`.
 
diff --git a/shell/plugins/README.md b/shell/plugins/README.md
index d4252515..66cb74e1 100644
--- a/shell/plugins/README.md
+++ b/shell/plugins/README.md
@@ -83,6 +83,9 @@ separate PAM services: `omarchy-lock-password` for password auth and,
 only when fingerprints are enrolled, `omarchy-lock-fingerprint` for
 fingerprint auth. It mirrors the previous lock screen field dimensions,
 colors, blurred wallpaper, placeholder, and Hyprland-driven corners.
+The plugin sets `keepLoaded: true` so a plugin hot-reload (for example
+an installed bar widget changing on disk) does not destroy the lock
+client while Hyprland still holds the session lock.
 
 ## Polkit agent
 
diff --git a/shell/shell.qml b/shell/shell.qml
index 71a9834f..7e1cf75d 100644
--- a/shell/shell.qml
+++ b/shell/shell.qml
@@ -329,14 +329,23 @@ ShellRoot {
       if (!Array.isArray(m.kinds) || m.kinds.indexOf("service") === -1) continue
       if (!m.entryPoints || !m.entryPoints.service) continue
       if (!pluginRegistry.isEnabled(id)) continue
-      if (_services[id]) continue
+      if (_services[id]) {
+        // A kept instance outlives the rescan; hand it the fresh manifest.
+        var kept = _services[id]
+        if (kept && "manifest" in kept) kept.manifest = m
+        continue
+      }
       ensureService(id)
     }
-    // Drop services for plugins that have been disabled or removed.
+    // Drop services for plugins that have been disabled or removed, or that
+    // no longer declare a service entry point.
     for (var existingId in _services) {
       var stillThere = plugins[existingId]
+      var stillService = stillThere && Array.isArray(stillThere.kinds)
+        && stillThere.kinds.indexOf("service") !== -1
+        && stillThere.entryPoints && stillThere.entryPoints.service
       var stillEnabled = stillThere && pluginRegistry.isEnabled(existingId)
-      if (stillThere && stillEnabled) continue
+      if (stillService && stillEnabled) continue
       var inst = _services[existingId]
       if (inst && typeof inst.destroy === "function") inst.destroy()
       var next = ({})
@@ -345,12 +354,26 @@ ShellRoot {
     }
   }
 
+  function serviceKeepLoaded(pluginId) {
+    var plugins = pluginRegistry && pluginRegistry.installedPlugins
+    var manifest = plugins ? plugins[pluginId] : null
+    return !!(manifest && manifest.keepLoaded === true)
+  }
+
+  // keepLoaded services (lock, idle, polkit) must survive plugin hot-reload.
+  // Destroying omarchy.lock drops the ext-session-lock client while Hyprland
+  // still holds the lock, which surfaces the crashed-lockscreen fallback.
   function unloadPluginServices() {
+    var next = ({})
     for (var existingId in _services) {
+      if (serviceKeepLoaded(existingId)) {
+        next[existingId] = _services[existingId]
+        continue
+      }
       var inst = _services[existingId]
       if (inst && typeof inst.destroy === "function") inst.destroy()
     }
-    _services = ({})
+    _services = next
   }
 
   Connections {
diff --git a/test/shell.d/plugins-test.sh b/test/shell.d/plugins-test.sh
index 141b4323..5d634dc9 100644
--- a/test/shell.d/plugins-test.sh
+++ b/test/shell.d/plugins-test.sh
@@ -197,5 +197,18 @@ for (const [id, section] of Object.entries({
 }
 check(byId['omarchy.media']?.barWidget?.defaultSection === undefined, 'omarchy.media must use the center fallback')
 
+for (const id of ['omarchy.lock', 'omarchy.idle', 'omarchy.polkit', 'omarchy.notifications', 'omarchy.media']) {
+  check(byId[id]?.keepLoaded === true, `${id} must stay loaded across plugin reloads`)
+}
+
+const shellSource = fs.readFileSync(path.join(root, 'shell/shell.qml'), 'utf8')
+const unloadMatch = shellSource.match(/function unloadPluginServices\(\) \{[\s\S]*?\n  \}/)
+check(!!unloadMatch, 'unloadPluginServices is defined')
+check(!!unloadMatch && /serviceKeepLoaded/.test(unloadMatch[0]), 'unloadPluginServices honors keepLoaded')
+check(
+  /function _syncServices\(\) \{[\s\S]*Drop services for plugins that have been disabled/.test(shellSource),
+  '_syncServices still drops disabled or removed services'
+)
+
 assert(errors.length === 0, 'plugin manifests match shell registry contract', errors.join('\n'))
 JS
diff --git a/test/shell.d/runtime-smoke-test.sh b/test/shell.d/runtime-smoke-test.sh
index f9e52bfd..1b0e5fe9 100755
--- a/test/shell.d/runtime-smoke-test.sh
+++ b/test/shell.d/runtime-smoke-test.sh
@@ -74,6 +74,44 @@ Item {
 }
 QML
 
+# A keepLoaded service must keep its instance (and in-memory state) across a
+# plugin rescan. The marker below can only survive if the object does.
+keep_service_id="acme.keep-service"
+keep_service_dir="$test_home/.config/omarchy/plugins/$keep_service_id"
+mkdir -p "$keep_service_dir"
+cat >"$keep_service_dir/manifest.json" <<JSON
+{
+  "schemaVersion": 1,
+  "id": "$keep_service_id",
+  "name": "Keep Service",
+  "version": "1.0.0",
+  "kinds": ["service"],
+  "keepLoaded": true,
+  "entryPoints": {"service": "Service.qml"}
+}
+JSON
+cat >"$keep_service_dir/Service.qml" <<'QML'
+import QtQuick
+import Quickshell.Io
+
+Item {
+  property string marker: ""
+
+  IpcHandler {
+    target: "acme-keep"
+
+    function set(value: string): string {
+      marker = value
+      return "ok"
+    }
+
+    function get(): string {
+      return marker
+    }
+  }
+}
+QML
+
 cat >"$stub_bin/omarchy-update-available" <<'SH'
 #!/bin/bash
 echo "Omarchy update available (test)"
@@ -188,6 +226,15 @@ pass "shell IPC summon and hide contract works"
 jq -e '.hasPlayer | type == "boolean"' <<<"$(shell_ipc media status)" >/dev/null || fail_with_log "media IPC returns status JSON"
 jq -e '.enabled | type == "boolean"' <<<"$(shell_ipc idle status)" >/dev/null || fail_with_log "idle IPC returns status JSON"
 jq -e '.locked | type == "boolean"' <<<"$(shell_ipc lock status)" >/dev/null || fail_with_log "lock IPC returns status JSON"
+[[ $(shell_ipc shell setPluginEnabled "$keep_service_id" true) == "ok" ]] ||
+  fail_with_log "keepLoaded fixture service could not be enabled"
+keep_marker_set=""
+for _ in {1..80}; do
+  keep_marker_set=$(shell_ipc acme-keep set "survived" 2>/dev/null || true)
+  [[ $keep_marker_set == "ok" ]] && break
+  sleep 0.1
+done
+[[ $keep_marker_set == "ok" ]] || fail_with_log "keepLoaded fixture service IPC responds"
 [[ $(shell_ipc image-selector ping) == "ok" ]] || fail_with_log "image selector IPC responds"
 [[ $(shell_ipc osd ping) == "ok" ]] || fail_with_log "OSD IPC responds"
 [[ $(shell_ipc osd show '{"message":"Runtime smoke","duration":0}') == "ok" ]] || fail_with_log "OSD IPC opens"
@@ -215,6 +262,31 @@ shell_ipc_quiet image-selector cancel "$selector_done_file" >/dev/null
 rm -f "$selector_selection_file" "$selector_done_file"
 pass "image selector IPC survives plugin rescan"
 
+lock_status_after=$(shell_ipc lock status)
+jq -e '.locked | type == "boolean"' <<<"$lock_status_after" >/dev/null || fail_with_log "lock IPC survives plugin rescan"
+lock_event_after=$(jq -r '.lastEvent // empty' <<<"$lock_status_after")
+[[ $lock_event_after != lock-stranded* ]] ||
+  fail_with_log "plugin rescan does not strand the session lock ($lock_event_after)"
+# A recreated instance would answer with a fresh, empty marker.
+[[ $(shell_ipc acme-keep get) == "survived" ]] ||
+  fail_with_log "plugin rescan keeps the keepLoaded service instance mounted"
+pass "keepLoaded service instance survives plugin rescan"
+
+# Dropping the service entry point from the manifest must drop the kept
+# instance instead of leaving a zombie behind.
+jq 'del(.keepLoaded) | .kinds = ["overlay"] | .entryPoints = {"overlay": "Service.qml"}' \
+  "$keep_service_dir/manifest.json" >"$keep_service_dir/manifest.json.tmp"
+mv "$keep_service_dir/manifest.json.tmp" "$keep_service_dir/manifest.json"
+keep_gone=""
+for _ in {1..80}; do
+  keep_gone=$(shell_ipc acme-keep get 2>/dev/null || true)
+  [[ $keep_gone != "survived" ]] && break
+  sleep 0.1
+done
+[[ $keep_gone != "survived" ]] ||
+  fail_with_log "kept service is dropped when its plugin stops declaring a service"
+pass "kept service is dropped when its plugin stops declaring a service"
+
 shell_ipc_quiet omarchy.system-update refresh >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
 sleep 0.8