diff --git a/shell/plugins/clipboard/Clipboard.qml b/shell/plugins/clipboard/Clipboard.qml
index 95a04f7f..fde49b3f 100644
--- a/shell/plugins/clipboard/Clipboard.qml
+++ b/shell/plugins/clipboard/Clipboard.qml
@@ -283,6 +283,7 @@ Item {
   Process {
     id: textWatchProc
     command: ["setpriv", "--pdeathsig", "TERM", "wl-paste", "--type", "text", "--watch", root.captureScript, "text"]
+    onExited: watchRestartTimer.restart()
     stdout: SplitParser {
       onRead: function(data) { root.addClipboardJson(data) }
     }
@@ -291,11 +292,25 @@ Item {
   Process {
     id: imageWatchProc
     command: ["setpriv", "--pdeathsig", "TERM", "wl-paste", "--type", "image/png", "--watch", root.captureScript, "image/png"]
+    onExited: watchRestartTimer.restart()
     stdout: SplitParser {
       onRead: function(data) { root.addClipboardJson(data) }
     }
   }
 
+  // A watcher that dies takes clipboard history with it, silently: copying still
+  // works, the picker still opens, and the old entries are all still there, so
+  // nothing recorded until the next shell reload. Bring it back instead.
+  Timer {
+    id: watchRestartTimer
+    interval: 1000
+    repeat: false
+    onTriggered: {
+      if (!textWatchProc.running) textWatchProc.running = true
+      if (!imageWatchProc.running) imageWatchProc.running = true
+    }
+  }
+
   PanelWindow {
     id: panel
     visible: root.opened
diff --git a/test/shell.d/clipboard-test.sh b/test/shell.d/clipboard-test.sh
index 055c3e66..d3d839ab 100644
--- a/test/shell.d/clipboard-test.sh
+++ b/test/shell.d/clipboard-test.sh
@@ -174,6 +174,11 @@ assert(
   clipboardQml.includes('command: ["pkill", "-f", "wl-paste .*--watch .*/shell/plugins/clipboard/capture\\\\.sh"]'),
   'clipboard init reaps stale watchers before starting new ones'
 )
+assertEqual(
+  (clipboardQml.match(/onExited: watchRestartTimer\.restart\(\)/g) || []).length,
+  2,
+  'clipboard respawns both watchers when they die'
+)
 JS
 
 TMPDIR=$(mktemp -d)