diff --git a/bin/omarchy-channel-set b/bin/omarchy-channel-set
index a4c29885..3ee406a4 100755
--- a/bin/omarchy-channel-set
+++ b/bin/omarchy-channel-set
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ link_dev_checkout() {
 
 dev_checkout=""
 channel="$1"
+leaving_dev=0
 
 case "$channel" in
   stable)
@@ -74,13 +75,21 @@ case "$channel" in
     ;;
 esac
 
+if [[ -z $dev_checkout && $OMARCHY_PATH != "/usr/share/omarchy" ]]; then
+  leaving_dev=1
+fi
+
 omarchy-refresh-pacman "$pacman_channel"
 # --ask 4 accepts omarchy <-> omarchy-dev replacement prompts without file overwrites.
 sudo env OMARCHY_UPDATE_PACMAN=1 pacman -S --needed --noconfirm --ask 4 "${packages[@]}"
 
 if [[ -z $dev_checkout ]]; then
-  omarchy-dev-unlink
+  omarchy-dev-unlink --no-reboot
   export OMARCHY_PATH=/usr/share/omarchy
+
+  if (( leaving_dev )); then
+    omarchy-state set reboot-required
+  fi
 fi
 
 omarchy-update -y
diff --git a/bin/omarchy-dev-unlink b/bin/omarchy-dev-unlink
index 5c50855c..020774f6 100755
--- a/bin/omarchy-dev-unlink
+++ b/bin/omarchy-dev-unlink
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 # omarchy:summary=Restore Omarchy to the package install after reboot
 # omarchy:group=dev
+# omarchy:args=[--no-reboot]
 
 set -euo pipefail
 
@@ -10,16 +11,36 @@ if (( EUID == 0 )); then
   exit 1
 fi
 
-if [[ ${1:-} == "-h" || ${1:-} == "--help" ]]; then
-  cat <<USAGE
-Usage: omarchy dev unlink
+prompt_reboot=1
+
+if (( $# > 1 )); then
+  echo "Usage: omarchy dev unlink [--no-reboot]" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+case "${1:-}" in
+  "")
+    ;;
+  --no-reboot)
+    prompt_reboot=0
+    ;;
+  -h|--help)
+    cat <<USAGE
+Usage: omarchy dev unlink [--no-reboot]
 
 Writes /etc/omarchy.conf so OMARCHY_PATH resolves to /usr/share/omarchy
 after reboot. This intentionally does not rewrite the running Hyprland,
 systemd, shell, or app-launcher environment; reboot to make every layer agree.
+
+Use --no-reboot when another command will handle the reboot prompt.
 USAGE
-  exit 0
-fi
+    exit 0
+    ;;
+  *)
+    echo "Usage: omarchy dev unlink [--no-reboot]" >&2
+    exit 1
+    ;;
+esac
 
 default_target="/usr/share/omarchy"
 
@@ -28,6 +49,6 @@ printf 'export OMARCHY_PATH="%s"\n' "$default_target" | sudo tee /etc/omarchy.co
 echo "Pointed Omarchy at $default_target"
 echo
 
-if gum confirm "Reboot now to activate?"; then
+if (( prompt_reboot )) && gum confirm "Reboot now to activate?"; then
   omarchy-system-reboot
 fi
diff --git a/test/shell.d/channel-test.sh b/test/shell.d/channel-test.sh
index 10efb7ce..1c0d2faf 100644
--- a/test/shell.d/channel-test.sh
+++ b/test/shell.d/channel-test.sh
@@ -37,6 +37,12 @@ for arg in "$@"; do printf "\t%s" "$arg" >>"$OMARCHY_CHANNEL_TEST_LOG"; done
 printf "\n" >>"$OMARCHY_CHANNEL_TEST_LOG"
 '
 
+write_stub omarchy-state '#!/bin/bash
+printf "state" >>"$OMARCHY_CHANNEL_TEST_LOG"
+for arg in "$@"; do printf "\t%s" "$arg" >>"$OMARCHY_CHANNEL_TEST_LOG"; done
+printf "\n" >>"$OMARCHY_CHANNEL_TEST_LOG"
+'
+
 write_stub omarchy-update '#!/bin/bash
 printf "update" >>"$OMARCHY_CHANNEL_TEST_LOG"
 for arg in "$@"; do printf "\t%s" "$arg" >>"$OMARCHY_CHANNEL_TEST_LOG"; done
@@ -83,7 +89,7 @@ esac
 run_channel() {
   : >"$log_file"
   OMARCHY_CHANNEL_TEST_LOG="$log_file" \
-    OMARCHY_PATH="$ROOT" \
+    OMARCHY_PATH="${OMARCHY_TEST_PATH:-/usr/share/omarchy}" \
     HOME="$test_tmp/home" \
     PATH="$stub_bin:$ROOT/bin:$PATH" \
     "$ROOT/bin/omarchy-channel-set" "$@"
@@ -100,20 +106,28 @@ assert_log_line() {
 run_channel stable
 assert_log_line $'refresh\tstable' "stable refreshes the stable pacman channel"
 assert_log_line $'sudo\tenv\tOMARCHY_UPDATE_PACMAN=1\tpacman\t-S\t--needed\t--noconfirm\t--ask\t4\tomarchy\tomarchy-settings' "stable installs stable Omarchy packages"
-assert_log_line 'unlink' "stable restores the package-backed Omarchy path"
+assert_log_line $'unlink\t--no-reboot' "stable restores the package-backed Omarchy path without an early reboot prompt"
 assert_log_line $'update\t-y' "stable runs the normal update pipeline"
+if grep -q $'^state\tset\treboot-required$' "$log_file"; then
+  fail "stable does not require reboot when already package-backed" "$(cat "$log_file")"
+fi
+pass "stable does not require reboot when already package-backed"
 
 run_channel rc
 assert_log_line $'refresh\trc' "rc refreshes the rc pacman channel"
 assert_log_line $'sudo\tenv\tOMARCHY_UPDATE_PACMAN=1\tpacman\t-S\t--needed\t--noconfirm\t--ask\t4\tomarchy\tomarchy-settings' "rc installs rc Omarchy packages"
-assert_log_line 'unlink' "rc restores the package-backed Omarchy path"
+assert_log_line $'unlink\t--no-reboot' "rc restores the package-backed Omarchy path without an early reboot prompt"
 assert_log_line $'update\t-y' "rc runs the normal update pipeline"
 
-run_channel edge
+OMARCHY_TEST_PATH="$ROOT" run_channel edge
 assert_log_line $'refresh\tedge' "edge refreshes the edge pacman channel"
 assert_log_line $'sudo\tenv\tOMARCHY_UPDATE_PACMAN=1\tpacman\t-S\t--needed\t--noconfirm\t--ask\t4\tomarchy-dev\tomarchy-settings-dev' "edge installs development Omarchy packages"
-assert_log_line 'unlink' "edge remains package-backed"
+assert_log_line $'unlink\t--no-reboot' "edge unlinks dev without an early reboot prompt"
+assert_log_line $'state\tset\treboot-required' "edge marks reboot required when leaving dev"
 assert_log_line $'update\t-y' "edge runs the normal update pipeline"
+[[ $(grep -E '^(unlink|state|update)' "$log_file") == $'unlink\t--no-reboot\nstate\tset\treboot-required\nupdate\t-y' ]] ||
+  fail "edge defers the reboot prompt until the update restart stage" "$(cat "$log_file")"
+pass "edge defers the reboot prompt until the update restart stage"
 
 checkout="$test_tmp/home/omarchy"
 mkdir -p "$checkout"
@@ -135,8 +149,9 @@ assert_log_line $'sudo\tenv\tOMARCHY_UPDATE_PACMAN=1\tpacman\t-S\t--needed\t--no
 assert_log_line $'git\tclone\thttps://github.com/basecamp/omarchy.git\t'"$checkout" "dev clones the source checkout to ~/omarchy"
 assert_log_line $'link\t'"$checkout" "dev links ~/omarchy"
 
-run_channel stable
-assert_log_line 'unlink' "switching from dev to stable unlinks the source checkout"
+OMARCHY_TEST_PATH="$checkout" run_channel stable
+assert_log_line $'unlink\t--no-reboot' "switching from dev to stable unlinks without an early reboot prompt"
+assert_log_line $'state\tset\treboot-required' "switching from dev to stable marks reboot required"
 
 run_channel dev
 if grep -q $'^git\tclone\t' "$log_file"; then
diff --git a/test/shell.d/dev-unlink-test.sh b/test/shell.d/dev-unlink-test.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fb952fca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/shell.d/dev-unlink-test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+source "$(cd -- "$(dirname -- "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)/base-test.sh"
+
+test_tmp=$(mktemp -d)
+trap 'rm -rf "$test_tmp"' EXIT
+
+stub_bin="$test_tmp/bin"
+log_file="$test_tmp/dev-unlink.log"
+conf_file="$test_tmp/omarchy.conf"
+mkdir -p "$stub_bin" "$test_tmp/home"
+
+cat >"$stub_bin/sudo" <<'SH'
+#!/bin/bash
+
+printf 'sudo' >>"$OMARCHY_DEV_UNLINK_TEST_LOG"
+for arg in "$@"; do
+  printf '\t%s' "$arg" >>"$OMARCHY_DEV_UNLINK_TEST_LOG"
+done
+printf '\n' >>"$OMARCHY_DEV_UNLINK_TEST_LOG"
+
+if [[ $1 == "tee" ]]; then
+  cat >"$OMARCHY_DEV_UNLINK_TEST_CONF"
+fi
+SH
+chmod +x "$stub_bin/sudo"
+
+cat >"$stub_bin/gum" <<'SH'
+#!/bin/bash
+
+printf 'gum' >>"$OMARCHY_DEV_UNLINK_TEST_LOG"
+for arg in "$@"; do
+  printf '\t%s' "$arg" >>"$OMARCHY_DEV_UNLINK_TEST_LOG"
+done
+printf '\n' >>"$OMARCHY_DEV_UNLINK_TEST_LOG"
+SH
+chmod +x "$stub_bin/gum"
+
+cat >"$stub_bin/omarchy-system-reboot" <<'SH'
+#!/bin/bash
+
+printf 'reboot\n' >>"$OMARCHY_DEV_UNLINK_TEST_LOG"
+SH
+chmod +x "$stub_bin/omarchy-system-reboot"
+
+run_unlink() {
+  HOME="$test_tmp/home" \
+    OMARCHY_DEV_UNLINK_TEST_LOG="$log_file" \
+    OMARCHY_DEV_UNLINK_TEST_CONF="$conf_file" \
+    PATH="$stub_bin:$PATH" \
+    "$ROOT/bin/omarchy-dev-unlink" "$@"
+}
+
+: >"$log_file"
+run_unlink --no-reboot
+
+grep -Fx $'sudo\ttee\t/etc/omarchy.conf' "$log_file" >/dev/null ||
+  fail "dev unlink writes the package path without rebooting" "$(cat "$log_file")"
+[[ $(<"$conf_file") == 'export OMARCHY_PATH="/usr/share/omarchy"' ]] ||
+  fail "dev unlink writes the package path guard" "$(<"$conf_file")"
+if grep -Eq '^(gum|reboot)' "$log_file"; then
+  fail "dev unlink --no-reboot skips the reboot prompt" "$(cat "$log_file")"
+fi
+pass "dev unlink --no-reboot skips the reboot prompt"
+
+: >"$log_file"
+run_unlink
+
+grep -Fx $'gum\tconfirm\tReboot now to activate?' "$log_file" >/dev/null ||
+  fail "interactive dev unlink still prompts for reboot" "$(cat "$log_file")"
+grep -Fx 'reboot' "$log_file" >/dev/null ||
+  fail "interactive dev unlink still reboots after confirmation" "$(cat "$log_file")"
+pass "interactive dev unlink keeps its reboot prompt"
+
+if run_unlink --invalid >"$test_tmp/invalid.out" 2>"$test_tmp/invalid.err"; then
+  fail "dev unlink rejects unknown arguments"
+fi
+grep -F 'Usage: omarchy dev unlink [--no-reboot]' "$test_tmp/invalid.err" >/dev/null ||
+  fail "dev unlink explains valid arguments" "$(cat "$test_tmp/invalid.err")"
+pass "dev unlink rejects unknown arguments"