diff --git a/bin/omarchy-menu-images b/bin/omarchy-menu-images
index 5c6ede58..6a7443e6 100755
--- a/bin/omarchy-menu-images
+++ b/bin/omarchy-menu-images
@@ -233,14 +233,19 @@ if [[ $preload == true ]]; then
   exit 0
 fi
 
-if ! omarchy-shell image-selector open \
+if ! open_result=$(omarchy-shell image-selector open \
      "" \
      "$rows_b64" \
      "$selected_list_image" \
      "$selection_file" \
      "$done_file" \
      "$show_labels" \
-     "$filterable" >/dev/null; then
+     "$filterable"); then
+  echo "Image selector failed to accept request" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+if [[ $open_result != "ok" ]]; then
   echo "Image selector failed to accept request" >&2
   exit 1
 fi
diff --git a/shell/plugins/image-picker/ImagePicker.qml b/shell/plugins/image-picker/ImagePicker.qml
index 65a56e4b..f85f32c0 100644
--- a/shell/plugins/image-picker/ImagePicker.qml
+++ b/shell/plugins/image-picker/ImagePicker.qml
@@ -302,9 +302,8 @@ Item {
 
   // Lifecycle hooks invoked by omarchy-shell summon/hide. shell.summon(id,
   // payloadJson) hands the JSON to open() here; shell.hide(id) calls close().
-  // External CLI callers can either go through `shell summon omarchy.image-
-  // picker` (JSON payload), or hit the dedicated `image-selector` IpcHandler
-  // below for the lower-level positional call that omarchy-menu-images uses.
+  // The shell host owns the stable `image-selector` IPC target and forwards
+  // those lower-level positional calls here.
   function open(payload) {
     var args = {}
     if (payload) {
@@ -347,44 +346,6 @@ Item {
     }
   }
 
-  // IPC surface. All arguments are strings (Quickshell IPC marshalling).
-  // imageRows can contain newlines/tabs, so the CLI caller base64-encodes
-  // it; everything else passes through verbatim. The two boolean-like
-  // fields use the literal strings "true" or "false".
-  IpcHandler {
-    target: "image-selector"
-
-    function open(imageDirs: string,
-                  imageRowsB64: string,
-                  selectedImage: string,
-                  selectionFile: string,
-                  doneFile: string,
-                  showLabels: string,
-                  filterable: string): string {
-      var rows = Util.decodeBase64(imageRowsB64)
-      root.openSelector(imageDirs, rows, selectedImage, selectionFile, doneFile,
-                        showLabels, filterable)
-      return "ok"
-    }
-
-    function preload(imageRowsB64: string,
-                     selectedImage: string,
-                     showLabels: string,
-                     filterable: string): string {
-      var rows = Util.decodeBase64(imageRowsB64)
-      root.preloadRows(rows, selectedImage, showLabels, filterable)
-      return "ok"
-    }
-
-    function cancel(doneFile: string): void {
-      root.closeSelector(doneFile || "")
-    }
-
-    function ping(): string {
-      return "ok"
-    }
-  }
-
   Process {
     id: applyProc
     onExited: {
diff --git a/shell/shell.qml b/shell/shell.qml
index 2bac9598..d7098b9c 100644
--- a/shell/shell.qml
+++ b/shell/shell.qml
@@ -752,6 +752,62 @@ ShellRoot {
     }
   }
 
+  // --------------------------------------------------- image selector IPC
+
+  function imagePickerItem() {
+    var loader = panelLoaders["omarchy.image-picker"]
+    return loader && loader.item ? loader.item : null
+  }
+
+  IpcHandler {
+    target: "image-selector"
+
+    function open(imageDirs: string,
+                  imageRowsB64: string,
+                  selectedImage: string,
+                  selectionFile: string,
+                  doneFile: string,
+                  showLabels: string,
+                  filterable: string): string {
+      var payload = JSON.stringify({
+        imageDirs: imageDirs,
+        imageRows: Util.decodeBase64(imageRowsB64),
+        selectedImage: selectedImage,
+        selectionFile: selectionFile,
+        doneFile: doneFile,
+        showLabels: showLabels,
+        filterable: filterable
+      })
+      return shell.summon("omarchy.image-picker", payload) ? "ok" : "unknown"
+    }
+
+    function preload(imageRowsB64: string,
+                     selectedImage: string,
+                     showLabels: string,
+                     filterable: string): string {
+      var picker = shell.imagePickerItem()
+      if (picker && typeof picker.preloadRows === "function") {
+        picker.preloadRows(Util.decodeBase64(imageRowsB64), selectedImage,
+                           showLabels, filterable)
+      }
+      return "ok"
+    }
+
+    function cancel(doneFile: string): string {
+      var picker = shell.imagePickerItem()
+      if (picker && typeof picker.closeSelector === "function") {
+        picker.closeSelector(doneFile || "")
+      } else {
+        shell.hide("omarchy.image-picker")
+      }
+      return "ok"
+    }
+
+    function ping(): string {
+      return "ok"
+    }
+  }
+
   // ---------------------------------------------------------- shell IPC
 
   IpcHandler {
diff --git a/test/shell.d/runtime-smoke-test.sh b/test/shell.d/runtime-smoke-test.sh
index 6ff80131..0f364d4f 100755
--- a/test/shell.d/runtime-smoke-test.sh
+++ b/test/shell.d/runtime-smoke-test.sh
@@ -134,6 +134,27 @@ jq -e '.locked | type == "boolean"' <<<"$(shell_ipc lock status)" >/dev/null ||
 [[ $(shell_ipc osd close) == "ok" ]] || fail_with_log "OSD IPC closes"
 pass "plugin IPC contracts respond"
 
+shell_ipc_quiet shell rescanPlugins >/dev/null
+selector_rows_b64=$(printf '%s\t%s' "$TMPDIR/selector.png" "$TMPDIR/selector.png" | base64 -w 0)
+selector_selection_file=$(mktemp "$TMPDIR/selector-selection.XXXXXX")
+selector_done_file=$(mktemp "$TMPDIR/selector-done.XXXXXX")
+rm -f "$selector_done_file"
+selector_open=""
+for _ in {1..80}; do
+  selector_open=$(shell_ipc image-selector open "" "$selector_rows_b64" "" "$selector_selection_file" "$selector_done_file" false false 2>/dev/null || true)
+  if [[ $selector_open == "ok" ]]; then
+    break
+  fi
+  if ! kill -0 "$QS_PID" 2>/dev/null; then
+    fail_with_log "test shell exited during plugin rescan"
+  fi
+  sleep 0.1
+done
+[[ $selector_open == "ok" ]] || fail_with_log "image selector IPC survives plugin rescan"
+shell_ipc_quiet image-selector cancel "$selector_done_file" >/dev/null
+rm -f "$selector_selection_file" "$selector_done_file"
+pass "image selector IPC survives plugin rescan"
+
 shell_ipc_quiet omarchy.system-update refresh >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
 sleep 0.8