diff --git a/apps/server/src/peer/PeerLinks.test.ts b/apps/server/src/peer/PeerLinks.test.ts
index f35e760bea4d7..319a6fb4a701c 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/peer/PeerLinks.test.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/peer/PeerLinks.test.ts
@@ -330,6 +330,150 @@ const serveRaw = <E, R>(
     ),
   );
 
+it.effect("starts the fallback preference window after route verification", () =>
+  Effect.scoped(
+    Effect.gen(function* () {
+      const entered = yield* Deferred.make<void>();
+      const release = yield* Deferred.make<void>();
+      const probes = yield* Ref.make(0);
+      const slow = yield* serveRaw(() =>
+        Ref.update(probes, (count) => count + 1).pipe(
+          Effect.andThen(Deferred.succeed(entered, undefined)),
+          Effect.andThen(Deferred.await(release)),
+          Effect.as(HttpServerResponse.jsonUnsafe(descriptorOf("environment-other", "Other"))),
+        ),
+      );
+      const b = yield* serveB(box);
+      const a = yield* makeA(laptop);
+      yield* a.links.link({
+        url: b.url,
+        pairingCode: (yield* b.auth.issuePairingCredential()).credential,
+        access: "auto",
+      });
+      const urls = JSON.stringify([slow, b.url]);
+      yield* a.sql`UPDATE peer_environment_links SET urls_json = ${urls}`;
+      const resolving = yield* a.links.resolve(box.environmentId).pipe(Effect.forkScoped);
+      yield* Deferred.await(entered);
+      yield* TestClock.adjust(Duration.seconds(2));
+      yield* Deferred.succeed(release, undefined);
+      expect((yield* Fiber.join(resolving)).url).toBe(b.url);
+
+      yield* TestClock.adjust(Duration.seconds(59));
+      expect((yield* a.links.resolve(box.environmentId)).url).toBe(b.url);
+      expect(yield* Ref.get(probes)).toBe(1);
+      yield* TestClock.adjust(Duration.seconds(2));
+      expect((yield* a.links.resolve(box.environmentId)).url).toBe(b.url);
+      expect(yield* Ref.get(probes)).toBe(2);
+    }),
+  ).pipe(Effect.provide(NodeHttpServer.layerTest)),
+);
+
+it.effect(
+  "prefers a verified fallback briefly, rechecks identity, and retries the configured route",
+  () =>
+    Effect.scoped(
+      Effect.gen(function* () {
+        const first = yield* serveApart(descriptorOf("environment-other", "Other"));
+        const b = yield* serveB(box);
+        const a = yield* makeA(laptop);
+        yield* a.links.link({
+          url: b.url,
+          pairingCode: (yield* b.auth.issuePairingCredential()).credential,
+          access: "auto",
+        });
+        const urls = JSON.stringify([first.url, b.url]);
+        yield* a.sql`UPDATE peer_environment_links SET urls_json = ${urls}`;
+        expect((yield* a.links.resolve(box.environmentId)).url).toBe(b.url);
+        yield* Ref.set(first.probes, 0);
+        yield* Ref.set(b.probes, 0);
+        yield* TestClock.adjust(Duration.seconds(30));
+        expect((yield* a.links.resolve(box.environmentId)).url).toBe(b.url);
+        expect(yield* Ref.get(first.probes)).toBe(0);
+        expect(yield* Ref.get(b.probes)).toBe(1);
+
+        // A recovered preferred address gets a turn, even under repeated demand.
+        yield* Ref.set(first.descriptor, box);
+        yield* TestClock.adjust(Duration.seconds(31));
+        expect((yield* a.links.resolve(box.environmentId)).url).toBe(first.url);
+        expect(yield* Ref.get(first.probes)).toBe(1);
+
+        // A remembered address that changes identity is skipped immediately.
+        yield* Ref.set(first.descriptor, descriptorOf("environment-other", "Other"));
+        expect((yield* a.links.resolve(box.environmentId)).url).toBe(b.url);
+        expect(yield* Ref.get(first.bearers)).toEqual([]);
+
+        // When the remembered fallback stops answering as this peer, primary recovery
+        // clears that preference so later calls do not retry the failed fallback.
+        yield* Ref.set(first.descriptor, box);
+        yield* Ref.set(b.descriptor, descriptorOf("environment-other", "Other"));
+        expect((yield* a.links.resolve(box.environmentId)).url).toBe(first.url);
+        yield* Ref.set(b.probes, 0);
+        expect((yield* a.links.resolve(box.environmentId)).url).toBe(first.url);
+        expect(yield* Ref.get(b.probes)).toBe(0);
+
+        // Relinking restores the new configured order rather than the old preference.
+        yield* Ref.set(first.descriptor, box);
+        yield* a.links.link({
+          url: first.url,
+          alternateUrls: [b.url],
+          pairingCode: (yield* first.auth.issuePairingCredential()).credential,
+          access: "auto",
+        });
+        expect((yield* a.links.resolve(box.environmentId)).url).toBe(first.url);
+        yield* a.links.unlink(box.environmentId);
+        expect((yield* a.links.resolve(box.environmentId).pipe(Effect.flip)).reason).toBe(
+          "unknown_link",
+        );
+      }),
+    ).pipe(Effect.provide(NodeHttpServer.layerTest)),
+);
+
+it.effect("resolution ignores an old resolve's preference after relinking", () =>
+  Effect.scoped(
+    Effect.gen(function* () {
+      const entered = yield* Deferred.make<void>();
+      const release = yield* Deferred.make<void>();
+      const probes = yield* Ref.make(0);
+      const fallback = yield* serveRaw(() =>
+        Ref.update(probes, (count) => count + 1).pipe(
+          Effect.andThen(Deferred.succeed(entered, undefined)),
+          Effect.andThen(Deferred.await(release)),
+          Effect.as(HttpServerResponse.jsonUnsafe(box)),
+        ),
+      );
+      const first = yield* serveApart(descriptorOf("environment-other", "Other"));
+      const b = yield* serveB(box);
+      const a = yield* makeA(laptop);
+      yield* a.links.link({
+        url: b.url,
+        pairingCode: (yield* b.auth.issuePairingCredential()).credential,
+        access: "auto",
+      });
+      const urls = JSON.stringify([first.url, fallback]);
+      yield* a.sql`UPDATE peer_environment_links SET urls_json = ${urls}`;
+      const resolving = yield* a.links.resolve(box.environmentId).pipe(Effect.forkScoped);
+      yield* Effect.gen(function* () {
+        yield* Deferred.await(entered);
+        yield* Ref.set(first.descriptor, box);
+        yield* a.links.link({
+          url: first.url,
+          alternateUrls: [fallback],
+          pairingCode: (yield* first.auth.issuePairingCredential()).credential,
+          access: "auto",
+        });
+        // The old resolve finishes after relinking cleared its preference.
+        yield* Deferred.succeed(release, undefined);
+        expect((yield* Fiber.join(resolving)).url).toBe(fallback);
+        yield* Ref.set(first.probes, 0);
+        yield* Ref.set(probes, 0);
+        expect((yield* a.links.resolve(box.environmentId)).url).toBe(first.url);
+        expect(yield* Ref.get(first.probes)).toBe(1);
+        expect(yield* Ref.get(probes)).toBe(0);
+      }).pipe(Effect.ensuring(Deferred.succeed(release, undefined)));
+    }),
+  ).pipe(Effect.provide(NodeHttpServer.layerTest)),
+);
+
 it.effect("never follows a peer's redirect with the pairing code", () =>
   Effect.scoped(
     Effect.gen(function* () {
diff --git a/apps/server/src/peer/PeerLinks.ts b/apps/server/src/peer/PeerLinks.ts
index 48f61e6554a17..5be84f857766d 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/peer/PeerLinks.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/peer/PeerLinks.ts
@@ -195,6 +195,14 @@ const make = Effect.gen(function* () {
   const environment = yield* ServerEnvironment.ServerEnvironment;
   const serverSettings = yield* ServerSettings.ServerSettingsService;
   const isOwnLoopback = yield* LoopbackHost;
+  // Prefer a recently working fallback, without caching its identity or credentials.
+  // Retry the configured order after a minute so a recovered direct route wins again.
+  let preferredRoutes:
+    | Map<
+        EnvironmentId,
+        { readonly url: string; readonly secretName: string; readonly until: number }
+      >
+    | undefined;
   const enabled = serverSettings.getSettings.pipe(
     Effect.map((settings) => settings.linkedEnvironmentsEnabled),
     Effect.orElseSucceed(() => false),
@@ -559,6 +567,7 @@ const make = Effect.gen(function* () {
     if (Option.isSome(previous) && previous.value.secret_name !== secretName) {
       yield* secrets.remove(previous.value.secret_name).pipe(Effect.ignore);
     }
+    preferredRoutes?.delete(peer.environmentId);
     return linked;
   });
 
@@ -614,6 +623,7 @@ const make = Effect.gen(function* () {
       for (const row of deleted) {
         yield* secrets.remove(row.secret_name).pipe(Effect.catch(failStorage));
       }
+      preferredRoutes?.delete(environmentId);
       return deleted.length > 0;
     },
   );
@@ -628,7 +638,8 @@ const make = Effect.gen(function* () {
         });
       }
       const link = yield* toLink(row.value);
-      if (DateTime.isLessThanOrEqualTo(link.expiresAt, yield* DateTime.now)) {
+      const now = yield* DateTime.now;
+      if (DateTime.isLessThanOrEqualTo(link.expiresAt, now)) {
         return yield* new PeerLinkError({
           reason: "expired",
           message: `The link to ${link.label} expired. Link it again with a new pairing code from ${link.label}.`,
@@ -643,9 +654,18 @@ const make = Effect.gen(function* () {
       }
       // The token goes only to an address that still answers as this peer,
       // so one that now answers as another machine never receives it.
+      const preferred = link.urls.length > 1 ? preferredRoutes?.get(environmentId) : undefined;
+      const reuse =
+        preferred !== undefined &&
+        preferred.secretName === row.value.secret_name &&
+        preferred.until > DateTime.toEpochMillis(now) &&
+        link.urls.includes(preferred.url);
+      const urls = reuse
+        ? [preferred.url, ...link.urls.filter((candidate) => candidate !== preferred.url)]
+        : link.urls;
       let fenced = true;
       let label = link.label;
-      const url = yield* Effect.findFirst(link.urls, (candidate) =>
+      const url = yield* Effect.findFirst(urls, (candidate) =>
         answersAs(candidate, environmentId).pipe(
           Effect.map((found) => {
             if (Option.isNone(found)) return false;
@@ -669,6 +689,24 @@ const make = Effect.gen(function* () {
           message: `${link.label} runs a T3 Code version that cannot keep a linked agent's limits. Update it, then link again.`,
         });
       }
+      if (url.value === link.urls[0]) {
+        preferredRoutes?.delete(environmentId);
+      } else if (!reuse || preferred.url !== url.value) {
+        const verifiedAt = yield* DateTime.now;
+        // Healthy primary routes need no preference state.
+        const routes = (preferredRoutes ??= new Map());
+        routes.delete(environmentId);
+        // Bound retained state even if links are changed outside this service.
+        if (routes.size >= 256) {
+          const oldest = routes.keys().next();
+          if (!oldest.done) routes.delete(oldest.value);
+        }
+        routes.set(environmentId, {
+          url: url.value,
+          secretName: row.value.secret_name,
+          until: DateTime.toEpochMillis(verifiedAt) + 60_000,
+        });
+      }
       return {
         link: yield* withLabel(link, label),
         url: url.value,