diff --git a/desktop/src-tauri/src/commands/agents.rs b/desktop/src-tauri/src/commands/agents.rs
index 5567f6f4ff..c0425d653e 100644
--- a/desktop/src-tauri/src/commands/agents.rs
+++ b/desktop/src-tauri/src/commands/agents.rs
@@ -484,6 +484,42 @@ pub async fn create_managed_agent(
     })
 }
 
+/// Parameters needed to sync an agent's kind:0 profile to the relay.
+/// Collected under the managed_agents_store_lock, used after the lock is dropped.
+pub struct ProfileSyncParams {
+    pub agent_keys: Keys,
+    pub relay_url: String,
+    pub display_name: String,
+    pub avatar_url: Option<String>,
+    pub auth_tag: Option<String>,
+    pub respond_to: String,
+}
+
+/// Collect profile sync parameters from a managed agent record.
+/// Returns `None` if the agent keys cannot be parsed (best-effort).
+pub fn collect_profile_sync_params(
+    app: &AppHandle,
+    record: &ManagedAgentRecord,
+) -> Option<ProfileSyncParams> {
+    let agent_keys = Keys::parse(&record.private_key_nsec).ok()?;
+    let avatar_url = record
+        .persona_id
+        .as_deref()
+        .and_then(|pid| {
+            let personas = load_personas(app).ok()?;
+            personas.iter().find(|p| p.id == pid)?.avatar_url.clone()
+        })
+        .or_else(|| managed_agent_avatar_url(&record.agent_command));
+    Some(ProfileSyncParams {
+        agent_keys,
+        relay_url: record.relay_url.clone(),
+        display_name: record.name.clone(),
+        avatar_url,
+        auth_tag: record.auth_tag.clone(),
+        respond_to: record.respond_to.as_str().to_string(),
+    })
+}
+
 #[tauri::command]
 pub async fn start_managed_agent(
     pubkey: String,
@@ -493,8 +529,21 @@ pub async fn start_managed_agent(
     // Snapshot the workspace owner pubkey for the legacy auth_tag fallback.
     // Read outside the records lock to keep lock ordering simple.
     let owner_hex = workspace_owner_hex(&state)?;
-    // Collect backend info and handle local vs provider under lock.
-    let (backend, cached_binary_path, agent_json) = {
+
+    // Phase 1 (under lock): spawn process, collect profile sync params.
+    enum StartResult {
+        Local {
+            summary: ManagedAgentSummary,
+            sync_params: Option<ProfileSyncParams>,
+        },
+        Provider {
+            backend: BackendKind,
+            cached_binary_path: Option<String>,
+            agent_json: serde_json::Value,
+        },
+    }
+
+    let start_result = {
         let _store_guard = state
             .managed_agents_store_lock
             .lock()
@@ -512,55 +561,86 @@ pub async fn start_managed_agent(
         let record = find_managed_agent_mut(&mut records, &pubkey)?;
 
         if record.backend == BackendKind::Local {
-            // Local: spawn in-process and return immediately.
             start_managed_agent_process(&app, record, &mut runtimes, Some(&owner_hex))?;
+            let sync_params = collect_profile_sync_params(&app, record);
             save_managed_agents(&app, &records)?;
             let record = records
                 .iter()
                 .find(|r| r.pubkey == pubkey)
                 .ok_or_else(|| format!("agent {pubkey} not found"))?;
-            return build_managed_agent_summary(&app, record, &runtimes);
+            let summary = build_managed_agent_summary(&app, record, &runtimes)?;
+            StartResult::Local {
+                summary,
+                sync_params,
+            }
+        } else {
+            let payload = build_deploy_payload(record);
+            StartResult::Provider {
+                backend: record.backend.clone(),
+                cached_binary_path: record.provider_binary_path.clone(),
+                agent_json: payload,
+            }
         }
+    }; // lock dropped
 
-        let payload = build_deploy_payload(record);
-        (
-            record.backend.clone(),
-            record.provider_binary_path.clone(),
-            payload,
-        )
-    };
-
-    // Provider backend: deploy via shared helper (async, outside lock).
-    if let BackendKind::Provider { ref id, ref config } = backend {
-        deploy_to_provider(
-            &app,
-            &state,
-            &pubkey,
-            id,
-            config,
+    match start_result {
+        StartResult::Local {
+            summary,
+            sync_params,
+        } => {
+            // Phase 2: best-effort profile sync (async, outside lock).
+            if let Some(params) = sync_params {
+                if let Err(e) = sync_managed_agent_profile(
+                    &state,
+                    &params.relay_url,
+                    &params.agent_keys,
+                    &params.display_name,
+                    params.avatar_url.as_deref(),
+                    params.auth_tag.as_deref(),
+                    Some(params.respond_to.as_str()),
+                )
+                .await
+                {
+                    eprintln!("sprout-desktop: profile sync on agent start failed: {e}");
+                }
+            }
+            Ok(summary)
+        }
+        StartResult::Provider {
+            backend,
+            cached_binary_path,
             agent_json,
-            cached_binary_path.as_deref(),
-        )
-        .await?;
+        } => {
+            if let BackendKind::Provider { ref id, ref config } = backend {
+                deploy_to_provider(
+                    &app,
+                    &state,
+                    &pubkey,
+                    id,
+                    config,
+                    agent_json,
+                    cached_binary_path.as_deref(),
+                )
+                .await?;
 
-        // Return updated summary.
-        let _store_guard = state
-            .managed_agents_store_lock
-            .lock()
-            .map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
-        let records = load_managed_agents(&app)?;
-        let runtimes = state
-            .managed_agent_processes
-            .lock()
-            .map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
-        let record = records
-            .iter()
-            .find(|r| r.pubkey == pubkey)
-            .ok_or_else(|| format!("agent {pubkey} not found"))?;
-        return build_managed_agent_summary(&app, record, &runtimes);
+                let _store_guard = state
+                    .managed_agents_store_lock
+                    .lock()
+                    .map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
+                let records = load_managed_agents(&app)?;
+                let runtimes = state
+                    .managed_agent_processes
+                    .lock()
+                    .map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;
+                let record = records
+                    .iter()
+                    .find(|r| r.pubkey == pubkey)
+                    .ok_or_else(|| format!("agent {pubkey} not found"))?;
+                return build_managed_agent_summary(&app, record, &runtimes);
+            }
+            Err(format!("agent {pubkey} has unsupported backend kind"))
+        }
     }
-
-    Err(format!("agent {pubkey} has unsupported backend kind"))
 }
 
 #[tauri::command]
diff --git a/desktop/src-tauri/src/managed_agents/restore.rs b/desktop/src-tauri/src/managed_agents/restore.rs
index e6bbc3bdae..f1723c7f8d 100644
--- a/desktop/src-tauri/src/managed_agents/restore.rs
+++ b/desktop/src-tauri/src/managed_agents/restore.rs
@@ -3,16 +3,19 @@ use super::{
     spawn_agent_child, sync_managed_agent_processes, BackendKind, ManagedAgentProcess,
 };
 use crate::app_state::AppState;
+use crate::commands::{collect_profile_sync_params, ProfileSyncParams};
+use crate::relay::sync_managed_agent_profile;
 use crate::util;
 use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering};
 use tauri::Manager;
 
 /// Restore managed agents that were running before the app was closed.
 ///
-/// Split into three phases to minimise lock contention with the frontend:
+/// Split into four phases to minimise lock contention with the frontend:
 ///   A (under lock): sync process state, cleanup, collect agents to start
 ///   B (no locks):   resolve commands and spawn processes in parallel
 ///   C (re-lock):    write back PIDs and status to records on disk
+///   D (no locks):   fire-and-forget profile sync for started agents
 pub fn restore_managed_agents_on_launch(
     app: &tauri::AppHandle,
     shutdown_started: &AtomicBool,
@@ -119,41 +122,76 @@ pub fn restore_managed_agents_on_launch(
         return Ok(());
     }
 
-    // ── Phase C (re-acquire lock): write back PIDs and status to records ──
-    let _store_guard = state
-        .managed_agents_store_lock
-        .lock()
-        .map_err(|error| error.to_string())?;
-    let mut records = load_managed_agents(app)?;
-    let mut runtimes = state
-        .managed_agent_processes
-        .lock()
-        .map_err(|error| error.to_string())?;
+    // ── Phase C (re-acquire lock): write back PIDs, collect profile sync params ──
+    let sync_params_list: Vec<ProfileSyncParams>;
+    {
+        let _store_guard = state
+            .managed_agents_store_lock
+            .lock()
+            .map_err(|error| error.to_string())?;
+        let mut records = load_managed_agents(app)?;
+        let mut runtimes = state
+            .managed_agent_processes
+            .lock()
+            .map_err(|error| error.to_string())?;
 
-    for (pubkey, result) in spawn_results {
-        let record = match find_managed_agent_mut(&mut records, &pubkey) {
-            Ok(r) => r,
-            Err(_) => continue,
-        };
-        match result {
-            Ok((child, log_path)) => {
-                let now = util::now_iso();
-                record.updated_at = now.clone();
-                record.runtime_pid = Some(child.id());
-                record.last_started_at = Some(now);
-                record.last_stopped_at = None;
-                record.last_exit_code = None;
-                record.last_error = None;
-                runtimes.insert(pubkey, ManagedAgentProcess { child, log_path });
-            }
-            Err(error) => {
-                record.updated_at = util::now_iso();
-                record.last_error = Some(error);
+        let mut started_pubkeys = Vec::new();
+        for (pubkey, result) in spawn_results {
+            let record = match find_managed_agent_mut(&mut records, &pubkey) {
+                Ok(r) => r,
+                Err(_) => continue,
+            };
+            match result {
+                Ok((child, log_path)) => {
+                    let now = util::now_iso();
+                    record.updated_at = now.clone();
+                    record.runtime_pid = Some(child.id());
+                    record.last_started_at = Some(now);
+                    record.last_stopped_at = None;
+                    record.last_exit_code = None;
+                    record.last_error = None;
+                    runtimes.insert(pubkey.clone(), ManagedAgentProcess { child, log_path });
+                    started_pubkeys.push(pubkey);
+                }
+                Err(error) => {
+                    record.updated_at = util::now_iso();
+                    record.last_error = Some(error);
+                }
             }
         }
-    }
 
-    save_managed_agents(app, &records)?;
+        // Collect profile sync params for successfully started agents.
+        sync_params_list = started_pubkeys
+            .iter()
+            .filter_map(|pk| {
+                let record = records.iter().find(|r| r.pubkey == *pk)?;
+                collect_profile_sync_params(app, record)
+            })
+            .collect();
+
+        save_managed_agents(app, &records)?;
+    } // lock dropped
+
+    // ── Phase D (no locks): fire-and-forget profile sync for started agents ──
+    for params in sync_params_list {
+        let app_handle = app.clone();
+        tauri::async_runtime::spawn(async move {
+            let state = app_handle.state::<AppState>();
+            if let Err(e) = sync_managed_agent_profile(
+                &state,
+                &params.relay_url,
+                &params.agent_keys,
+                &params.display_name,
+                params.avatar_url.as_deref(),
+                params.auth_tag.as_deref(),
+                Some(params.respond_to.as_str()),
+            )
+            .await
+            {
+                eprintln!("sprout-desktop: profile sync on restore failed for agent: {e}");
+            }
+        });
+    }
 
     Ok(())
 }