diff --git a/bin/amc b/bin/amc
index bac124b..57d29ec 100755
--- a/bin/amc
+++ b/bin/amc
@@ -1,13 +1,15 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 # AMC — Agent Mission Control launcher
-# Usage: amc [start|stop|status]
+# Usage: amc [start|stop|status|logs]
 
 set -euo pipefail
 
 # Runtime data
 DATA_DIR="$HOME/.local/share/amc"
 PID_FILE="$DATA_DIR/server.pid"
+LOG_FILE="$DATA_DIR/server.log"
 PORT=7400
+LAUNCH_LABEL="com.tayloreernisse.amc-server"
 
 # Find server relative to this script (handles symlinks)
 SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$(readlink -f "$0")")" && pwd)"
@@ -15,23 +17,142 @@ SERVER="$SCRIPT_DIR/amc-server"
 
 cmd="${1:-start}"
 
+port_listener_pid() {
+  lsof -tiTCP:"$PORT" -sTCP:LISTEN 2>/dev/null | head -n 1 || true
+}
+
+is_amc_server_pid() {
+  local pid="${1:-}"
+  [ -n "$pid" ] || return 1
+  local cmdline
+  cmdline="$(ps -p "$pid" -o command= 2>/dev/null || true)"
+  [[ "$cmdline" == *"amc-server"* ]]
+}
+
+refresh_pid_file_from_port() {
+  local pid
+  pid="$(port_listener_pid)"
+  if is_amc_server_pid "$pid"; then
+    echo "$pid" > "$PID_FILE"
+    return 0
+  fi
+  return 1
+}
+
 is_running() {
-  [ -f "$PID_FILE" ] && kill -0 "$(cat "$PID_FILE")" 2>/dev/null
+  if [ -f "$PID_FILE" ] && kill -0 "$(cat "$PID_FILE")" 2>/dev/null; then
+    return 0
+  fi
+  refresh_pid_file_from_port
+}
+
+healthcheck_ok() {
+  # Require real HTTP readiness, not just a live PID.
+  curl -fsS "http://127.0.0.1:$PORT/api/state" >/dev/null 2>&1
+}
+
+stop_running_instance() {
+  local pid=""
+  if is_running; then
+    pid="$(cat "$PID_FILE")"
+    kill "$pid" 2>/dev/null || true
+    for _ in {1..50}; do
+      if ! kill -0 "$pid" 2>/dev/null; then
+        break
+      fi
+      sleep 0.1
+    done
+    rm -f "$PID_FILE"
+    echo "$pid"
+    return 0
+  fi
+  rm -f "$PID_FILE"
+  return 1
+}
+
+show_recent_logs() {
+  local lines="${1:-120}"
+  if [ -f "$LOG_FILE" ]; then
+    echo "----- Last ${lines} lines of $LOG_FILE -----"
+    tail -n "$lines" "$LOG_FILE"
+    echo "----- End logs -----"
+  else
+    echo "No log file found at $LOG_FILE"
+  fi
+}
+
+launchctl_start() {
+  # macOS-specific: hand process ownership to launchd to avoid parent-shell cleanup kills.
+  launchctl remove "$LAUNCH_LABEL" >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+  launchctl submit -l "$LAUNCH_LABEL" -o "$LOG_FILE" -e "$LOG_FILE" -- "$SERVER"
+}
+
+fallback_start() {
+  if command -v setsid >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    # Detach from current session/process group so parent shell cleanup doesn't kill AMC.
+    nohup setsid "$SERVER" >> "$LOG_FILE" 2>&1 < /dev/null &
+  else
+    nohup "$SERVER" >> "$LOG_FILE" 2>&1 < /dev/null &
+  fi
+  echo "$!"
 }
 
 case "$cmd" in
   start)
     if is_running; then
-      echo "AMC already running (pid $(cat "$PID_FILE"))"
-    else
-      mkdir -p "$DATA_DIR/sessions" "$DATA_DIR/events"
-      nohup "$SERVER" > "$DATA_DIR/server.log" 2>&1 &
-      # Wait briefly for server to start and write PID
-      sleep 0.3
-      if is_running; then
-        echo "AMC started (pid $(cat "$PID_FILE"))"
+      if healthcheck_ok; then
+        echo "AMC already running and healthy (pid $(cat "$PID_FILE"))"
       else
-        echo "AMC started (pid $!)"
+        stale_pid="$(cat "$PID_FILE")"
+        echo "AMC process is running but unhealthy (pid $stale_pid); restarting..."
+        stop_running_instance >/dev/null || true
+      fi
+    fi
+
+    if ! is_running; then
+      existing_pid="$(port_listener_pid)"
+      if [ -n "$existing_pid" ] && ! is_amc_server_pid "$existing_pid"; then
+        existing_cmd="$(ps -p "$existing_pid" -o command= 2>/dev/null || true)"
+        echo "Port $PORT is already in use by pid $existing_pid ($existing_cmd)."
+        echo "Stop that process or choose a different AMC port."
+        exit 1
+      fi
+
+      mkdir -p "$DATA_DIR/sessions" "$DATA_DIR/events"
+      {
+        echo "=== $(date -u +"%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ") AMC start ==="
+      } >> "$LOG_FILE"
+
+      launched_pid=""
+      if [ "$(uname -s)" = "Darwin" ] && command -v launchctl >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        if launchctl_start; then
+          launched_pid="launchctl:$LAUNCH_LABEL"
+        else
+          echo "launchctl start failed; falling back to nohup" >> "$LOG_FILE"
+          launched_pid="$(fallback_start)"
+        fi
+      else
+        launched_pid="$(fallback_start)"
+      fi
+
+      # Wait up to ~5s for server process + HTTP health
+      for _ in {1..50}; do
+        if is_running && healthcheck_ok; then
+          break
+        fi
+        sleep 0.1
+      done
+
+      if is_running && healthcheck_ok; then
+        echo "AMC started (pid $(cat "$PID_FILE"), log $LOG_FILE)"
+      else
+        echo "AMC failed to start (launch pid $launched_pid)."
+        if is_running && ! healthcheck_ok; then
+          bad_pid="$(cat "$PID_FILE")"
+          echo "AMC pid $bad_pid is up but failed healthcheck (/api/state)."
+        fi
+        show_recent_logs 160
+        exit 1
       fi
     fi
     # Open browser (platform-specific)
@@ -42,26 +163,58 @@ case "$cmd" in
     fi
     ;;
   stop)
-    if is_running; then
-      pid="$(cat "$PID_FILE")"
-      kill "$pid" 2>/dev/null || true
-      rm -f "$PID_FILE"
-      echo "AMC stopped (pid $pid)"
+    if stopped_pid="$(stop_running_instance)"; then
+      echo "AMC stopped (pid $stopped_pid)"
     else
       echo "AMC not running"
-      rm -f "$PID_FILE"
+    fi
+    if [ "$(uname -s)" = "Darwin" ] && command -v launchctl >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+      launchctl remove "$LAUNCH_LABEL" >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
     fi
     ;;
   status)
     if is_running; then
-      echo "AMC running (pid $(cat "$PID_FILE"), port $PORT)"
+      if healthcheck_ok; then
+        echo "AMC running (pid $(cat "$PID_FILE"), port $PORT, healthy, log $LOG_FILE)"
+      else
+        echo "AMC running but unhealthy (pid $(cat "$PID_FILE"), port $PORT, log $LOG_FILE)"
+        exit 1
+      fi
     else
       echo "AMC not running"
       rm -f "$PID_FILE"
     fi
     ;;
+  logs)
+    # Usage:
+    #   amc logs
+    #   amc logs 200
+    #   amc logs -f
+    #   amc logs 200 -f
+    lines=120
+    follow=false
+    if [ "${2:-}" = "-f" ]; then
+      follow=true
+    elif [ -n "${2:-}" ]; then
+      lines="$2"
+    fi
+    if [ "${3:-}" = "-f" ]; then
+      follow=true
+    fi
+
+    if [ ! -f "$LOG_FILE" ]; then
+      echo "No logs yet at $LOG_FILE"
+      exit 0
+    fi
+
+    if [ "$follow" = true ]; then
+      tail -n "$lines" -f "$LOG_FILE"
+    else
+      tail -n "$lines" "$LOG_FILE"
+    fi
+    ;;
   *)
-    echo "Usage: amc [start|stop|status]"
+    echo "Usage: amc [start|stop|status|logs]"
     exit 1
     ;;
 esac