diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 07fa987..12a64b6 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -22,8 +22,9 @@
     "build": "tsup src/index.ts; tsup src/daemon/index.ts -d dist/daemon; tsup src/client.ts -d dist/client",
     "build:client": "tsup src/client.ts -d dist/client",
     "test": "TS_NODE_TRANSPILE_ONLY=1 node -r ts-node/register --test tests/lifecycle.test.ts",
+    "test:relay": "TS_NODE_TRANSPILE_ONLY=1 node -r ts-node/register --test tests/relay-pool.test.ts",
     "test:integration": "DATABASE_URL=\"file:./tests/.tmp/acl-int.db\" node -r ./tests/register-ts.cjs --test tests/acl.integration.test.ts",
-    "test:all": "npm run test && npm run test:integration",
+    "test:all": "npm run test && npm run test:relay && npm run test:integration",
     "prisma:generate": "npx prisma generate",
     "prisma:migrate": "npx prisma migrate deploy",
     "prisma:create": "npx prisma db push --preview-feature",
diff --git a/src/daemon/lib/relay-pool.ts b/src/daemon/lib/relay-pool.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c3b476f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/daemon/lib/relay-pool.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,393 @@
+import { Relay } from "nostr-tools";
+import type { Event, Filter } from "nostr-tools";
+
+// nostr-tools needs a WebSocket implementation injected under Node (no global
+// WebSocket on the deploy target, Node 20). `useWebSocketImplementation` lives
+// in the `nostr-tools/relay` subpath export, which tsc's classic
+// `moduleResolution: node` can't resolve — but the build target is CommonJS and
+// Node honours the package exports map at runtime, so require it. The same goes
+// for `ws` (no @types/ws in the tree). `useWebSocketImplementation` sets
+// nostr-tools' internal WS binding at call time, so import-order / global-capture
+// don't apply.
+// eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-var-requires
+const WebSocket = require("ws");
+// eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-var-requires
+const { useWebSocketImplementation } = require("nostr-tools/relay") as {
+    useWebSocketImplementation: (ws: unknown) => void;
+};
+useWebSocketImplementation(WebSocket);
+
+/**
+ * RelayPool — the daemon's relay/transport layer (aiolabs/nsecbunkerd#42).
+ *
+ * Replaces the NDK-based transport whose subscriptions did not survive a relay
+ * reconnect (#41): NDK registers `relay.once("ready", execute)` — fires once on
+ * the initial connect, never re-arms — so after a flap the socket reconnects but
+ * the kind:24133 REQ is never re-sent, and the bunker goes silently deaf. We
+ * chased that through #4 → #7 → #20 → #21 without closing it, because it is
+ * structural in NDK.
+ *
+ * The fix, modelled on lightning.pub's `RelayConnection` and signet's
+ * `relay-pool` (both nostr-tools, both bind resubscribe to reconnect): **we own
+ * the connect loop**, and every (re)connect re-subscribes the entire registry of
+ * active subscriptions. Subscription liveness can no longer drift from socket
+ * liveness because the two are established together, atomically, on every cycle.
+ *
+ * We deliberately disable nostr-tools' own `enableReconnect`: its resubscribe
+ * behaviour is version-fragile right now (the auto-resubscribe regressed in
+ * 2.23.0 `fb7de7f` and the fix `455124e` is unreleased as of 2026-06-26), so we
+ * make the resubscribe OUR code instead of depending on which nostr-tools
+ * version is installed. See #42 for the version analysis.
+ */
+
+export interface PoolSubscription {
+    id: string;
+    filters: Filter[];
+    onevent: (event: Event) => void;
+    /** Fires on EOSE — note it fires again on every reconnect's resubscribe, so
+     *  callers that want only the FIRST EOSE (e.g. the #9 start-race guard) must
+     *  latch it themselves. */
+    oneose?: () => void;
+}
+
+interface ActiveSub {
+    close: () => void;
+}
+
+const RECONNECT_BASE_MS = 1_000;
+const RECONNECT_CAP_MS = 10_000; // match #20's cap — cheap to retry a LAN relay
+
+/**
+ * A single relay connection that owns its (re)connect loop. On every successful
+ * connect it re-subscribes the shared registry; when the socket closes the loop
+ * reconnects and re-subscribes again. This is the unit that makes
+ * connected-but-deaf impossible.
+ */
+class ManagedRelay {
+    private relay: Relay | null = null;
+    private active: Map<string, ActiveSub> = new Map();
+    private stopped = false;
+    /** Interrupts a pending reconnect backoff so stop() takes effect at once. */
+    private wake: (() => void) | null = null;
+
+    public connected = false;
+    public lastConnectedAt = 0;
+    public lastDisconnectedAt = 0;
+
+    constructor(
+        public readonly url: string,
+        private readonly registry: Map<string, PoolSubscription>,
+        private readonly log: (...args: any[]) => void,
+    ) {}
+
+    start(): void {
+        void this.connectLoop();
+    }
+
+    stop(): void {
+        this.stopped = true;
+        this.wake?.(); // break any pending reconnect backoff so we exit promptly
+        this.closeAllSubs();
+        try {
+            this.relay?.close();
+        } catch {
+            /* ignore */
+        }
+        this.relay = null;
+        this.connected = false;
+    }
+
+    /** Reconnect backoff wait that (a) unrefs so a stopped daemon isn't held
+     *  open by a pending timer, and (b) can be woken early by stop(). */
+    private backoff(ms: number): Promise<void> {
+        return new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+            const t = setTimeout(() => {
+                this.wake = null;
+                resolve();
+            }, ms);
+            t.unref?.();
+            this.wake = () => {
+                clearTimeout(t);
+                this.wake = null;
+                resolve();
+            };
+        });
+    }
+
+    /** Subscribe one entry on the live connection (no-op if not connected — it
+     *  will be picked up by the next resubscribeAll on connect). */
+    subscribeOne(id: string, s: PoolSubscription): void {
+        if (!this.relay || !this.connected) return;
+        // Replace any existing handle for this id (idempotent).
+        this.active.get(id)?.close();
+        try {
+            const sub = this.relay.subscribe(s.filters, {
+                onevent: (e: Event) => s.onevent(e),
+                oneose: () => s.oneose?.(),
+            });
+            this.active.set(id, sub);
+        } catch (e) {
+            this.log("subscribe failed", id, e);
+        }
+    }
+
+    closeSub(id: string): void {
+        const sub = this.active.get(id);
+        if (sub) {
+            try {
+                sub.close();
+            } catch {
+                /* ignore */
+            }
+            this.active.delete(id);
+        }
+    }
+
+    async publish(event: Event): Promise<void> {
+        if (!this.relay || !this.connected) {
+            throw new Error(`relay not connected: ${this.url}`);
+        }
+        await this.relay.publish(event);
+    }
+
+    /** Number of registry entries currently active on the wire. The watchdog
+     *  uses this to detect a connected-but-deaf relay (active < registry). */
+    activeCount(): number {
+        return this.active.size;
+    }
+
+    private async connectLoop(): Promise<void> {
+        let failures = 0;
+        while (!this.stopped) {
+            const wasReal = await this.connectOnce();
+            if (this.stopped) break;
+            // A real connection that later dropped resets the backoff; a failed
+            // connect attempt grows it (capped). Either way we keep trying — a
+            // bunker disconnected is strictly worse than retry pressure on a LAN
+            // relay (#20's rationale).
+            failures = wasReal ? 0 : failures + 1;
+            const delay = Math.min(RECONNECT_BASE_MS * 2 ** failures, RECONNECT_CAP_MS);
+            await this.backoff(delay);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Open the socket, re-subscribe the whole registry, and resolve when the
+     * socket closes (or immediately if the open failed). Returns true if we had
+     * a real connection (so the caller resets backoff), false if the open failed.
+     */
+    private connectOnce(): Promise<boolean> {
+        return new Promise<boolean>((resolve) => {
+            void (async () => {
+                let relay: Relay;
+                try {
+                    // enableReconnect:false — WE own reconnect, not nostr-tools.
+                    relay = await Relay.connect(this.url, { enableReconnect: false });
+                } catch (e: any) {
+                    this.log("connect failed:", e?.message ?? e);
+                    resolve(false);
+                    return;
+                }
+
+                this.relay = relay;
+                this.connected = true;
+                this.lastConnectedAt = Date.now();
+                this.log(`connected; (re)subscribing ${this.registry.size} sub(s)`);
+                this.resubscribeAll();
+
+                relay.onclose = () => {
+                    this.connected = false;
+                    this.lastDisconnectedAt = Date.now();
+                    this.closeAllSubs();
+                    if (this.relay) {
+                        this.relay.onclose = null;
+                        this.relay = null;
+                    }
+                    this.log("disconnected");
+                    resolve(true);
+                };
+            })();
+        });
+    }
+
+    /** Re-establish every registered subscription on the current connection.
+     *  This is the line that fixes #41. */
+    private resubscribeAll(): void {
+        this.closeAllSubs();
+        for (const [id, s] of this.registry) {
+            this.subscribeOne(id, s);
+        }
+    }
+
+    private closeAllSubs(): void {
+        for (const sub of this.active.values()) {
+            try {
+                sub.close();
+            } catch {
+                /* ignore */
+            }
+        }
+        this.active.clear();
+    }
+
+    /** Force a clean reconnect (close → loop reconnects → resubscribes). Used by
+     *  the pool's heartbeat after a detected time-jump (sleep/wake), when the
+     *  socket may look alive but be stale. */
+    forceReconnect(): void {
+        if (this.relay) {
+            try {
+                this.relay.close();
+            } catch {
+                /* the onclose handler drives the reconnect */
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+export interface RelayPoolOptions {
+    log?: (...args: any[]) => void;
+    /** Heartbeat interval for sleep/wake detection (signet pattern). 0 disables. */
+    heartbeatMs?: number;
+    /** If a heartbeat tick is later than interval + this slack, treat it as a
+     *  process suspend (sleep/VM-pause) and force-reconnect all relays. */
+    sleepSlackMs?: number;
+}
+
+/**
+ * A pool of ManagedRelay connections sharing one subscription registry. Mirrors
+ * the surface the daemon needs from the old NDK instance: subscribe / publish /
+ * connect-status — plus a `healthy()` signal the watchdog can trust.
+ */
+export class RelayPool {
+    private readonly registry: Map<string, PoolSubscription> = new Map();
+    private readonly relays: ManagedRelay[];
+    private readonly log: (...args: any[]) => void;
+    private counter = 0;
+    private heartbeatTimer: ReturnType<typeof setInterval> | undefined;
+    private lastHeartbeat = 0;
+
+    constructor(
+        public readonly relayUrls: string[],
+        private readonly opts: RelayPoolOptions = {},
+    ) {
+        this.log = opts.log ?? (() => {});
+        this.relays = relayUrls.map(
+            (url) =>
+                new ManagedRelay(url, this.registry, (...a: any[]) =>
+                    this.log(`[relay:${url}]`, ...a),
+                ),
+        );
+    }
+
+    /** Start every relay's connect loop + (optionally) the sleep/wake heartbeat. */
+    start(): void {
+        for (const r of this.relays) r.start();
+        const interval = this.opts.heartbeatMs ?? 0;
+        if (interval > 0) {
+            this.lastHeartbeat = Date.now();
+            this.heartbeatTimer = setInterval(() => this.runHeartbeat(), interval);
+        }
+    }
+
+    stop(): void {
+        if (this.heartbeatTimer) clearInterval(this.heartbeatTimer);
+        this.heartbeatTimer = undefined;
+        for (const r of this.relays) r.stop();
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Register a subscription and establish it on all connected relays. The
+     * registry entry persists across reconnects (each ManagedRelay re-subscribes
+     * it on every connect), which is the whole point. Returns a handle whose
+     * `close()` removes it from the registry so it stops being replayed.
+     */
+    subscribe(
+        filters: Filter[],
+        onevent: (event: Event) => void,
+        opts: { id?: string; oneose?: () => void } = {},
+    ): { id: string; close: () => void } {
+        const id = opts.id ?? `sub-${++this.counter}`;
+        const s: PoolSubscription = { id, filters, onevent, oneose: opts.oneose };
+        this.registry.set(id, s);
+        for (const r of this.relays) r.subscribeOne(id, s);
+        return {
+            id,
+            close: () => {
+                this.registry.delete(id);
+                for (const r of this.relays) r.closeSub(id);
+            },
+        };
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Subscribe and resolve once the FIRST EOSE arrives from any relay (the #9
+     * race guard: callers must not publish before the relay has the REQ on
+     * file). Re-EOSEs on later reconnects are ignored.
+     */
+    subscribeAwaitingEose(
+        filters: Filter[],
+        onevent: (event: Event) => void,
+        opts: { id?: string } = {},
+    ): Promise<{ id: string; close: () => void }> {
+        return new Promise((resolve) => {
+            let eosed = false;
+            const handle = this.subscribe(filters, onevent, {
+                id: opts.id,
+                oneose: () => {
+                    if (!eosed) {
+                        eosed = true;
+                        resolve(handle);
+                    }
+                },
+            });
+        });
+    }
+
+    /** Publish to every relay; resolves if at least one accepts it. */
+    async publish(event: Event): Promise<void> {
+        const results = await Promise.allSettled(this.relays.map((r) => r.publish(event)));
+        if (!results.some((r) => r.status === "fulfilled")) {
+            const reasons = results
+                .map((r) => (r.status === "rejected" ? r.reason?.message ?? r.reason : ""))
+                .filter(Boolean)
+                .join("; ");
+            throw new Error(`publish failed on all relays: ${reasons}`);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /** Relays currently holding an open socket. */
+    connectedCount(): number {
+        return this.relays.filter((r) => r.connected).length;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Session-liveness, not just socket-liveness. Healthy iff at least one relay
+     * is connected AND has every registered subscription active on the wire.
+     * This is the check the old watchdog couldn't make: after #20 a reconnected
+     * socket looked healthy while the subscription set was empty (#41). Here a
+     * connected relay that hasn't (re)subscribed the registry reads as unhealthy.
+     */
+    healthy(): boolean {
+        const want = this.registry.size;
+        return this.relays.some((r) => r.connected && r.activeCount() >= want);
+    }
+
+    private runHeartbeat(): void {
+        const now = Date.now();
+        const elapsed = now - this.lastHeartbeat;
+        this.lastHeartbeat = now;
+        const interval = this.opts.heartbeatMs ?? 0;
+        const slack = this.opts.sleepSlackMs ?? 30_000;
+        // A tick far later than scheduled means the process was suspended
+        // (laptop sleep, VM pause); sockets may be half-open but look alive.
+        // Force a clean reconnect so subscriptions are re-established. (signet)
+        if (interval > 0 && elapsed > interval + slack) {
+            this.log(
+                `heartbeat: ${Math.round(elapsed / 1000)}s gap (expected ~${Math.round(
+                    interval / 1000,
+                )}s) — suspected sleep/wake, forcing reconnect`,
+            );
+            for (const r of this.relays) r.forceReconnect();
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tests/helpers/mock-relay.ts b/tests/helpers/mock-relay.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6689c68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/helpers/mock-relay.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,137 @@
+import type { AddressInfo } from "net";
+
+// `ws` has no @types in this tree; require it (any) — same as src/relay-pool.ts.
+// eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-var-requires
+const { WebSocketServer, WebSocket } = require("ws");
+
+/**
+ * Minimal in-process nostr relay for transport tests (#42). Speaks just enough
+ * of the protocol — REQ / CLOSE / EVENT → EVENT / EOSE / OK — to exercise the
+ * RelayPool's subscribe + resubscribe-on-reconnect behaviour. It can be
+ * `flap()`ped: drop every client + close the server, then re-listen on the SAME
+ * port, simulating the relay restart that took the bunker deaf (#41).
+ */
+
+type Filter = Record<string, any>;
+interface Sub {
+    subId: string;
+    filters: Filter[];
+    socket: any;
+}
+
+function matches(filter: Filter, event: any): boolean {
+    if (filter.ids && !filter.ids.includes(event.id)) return false;
+    if (filter.kinds && !filter.kinds.includes(event.kind)) return false;
+    if (filter.authors && !filter.authors.includes(event.pubkey)) return false;
+    for (const key of Object.keys(filter)) {
+        if (key.startsWith("#")) {
+            const tag = key.slice(1);
+            const want: string[] = filter[key];
+            const have = (event.tags ?? [])
+                .filter((t: string[]) => t[0] === tag)
+                .map((t: string[]) => t[1]);
+            if (!want.some((v) => have.includes(v))) return false;
+        }
+    }
+    return true;
+}
+
+export class MockRelay {
+    private wss: any = null;
+    private subs: Sub[] = [];
+    private sockets: Set<any> = new Set();
+    public port = 0;
+    /** Total REQs seen across the relay's life — proves a (re)subscribe landed. */
+    public reqCount = 0;
+
+    get url(): string {
+        return `ws://127.0.0.1:${this.port}`;
+    }
+
+    async start(port = 0): Promise<void> {
+        await new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+            this.wss = new WebSocketServer({ port }, () => {
+                this.port = (this.wss!.address() as AddressInfo).port;
+                resolve();
+            });
+            this.wss.on("connection", (socket: any) => {
+                this.sockets.add(socket);
+                socket.on("message", (data: any) => this.onMessage(socket, data.toString()));
+                socket.on("close", () => {
+                    this.sockets.delete(socket);
+                    this.subs = this.subs.filter((s) => s.socket !== socket);
+                });
+                socket.on("error", () => {
+                    /* ignore — flapping closes sockets abruptly */
+                });
+            });
+        });
+    }
+
+    private onMessage(socket: any, raw: string): void {
+        let msg: any[];
+        try {
+            msg = JSON.parse(raw);
+        } catch {
+            return;
+        }
+        const [type, ...rest] = msg;
+        if (type === "REQ") {
+            const [subId, ...filters] = rest;
+            this.reqCount++;
+            this.subs.push({ subId, filters, socket });
+            // No stored events in this mock; just acknowledge the REQ is live.
+            socket.send(JSON.stringify(["EOSE", subId]));
+        } else if (type === "CLOSE") {
+            const [subId] = rest;
+            this.subs = this.subs.filter((s) => !(s.socket === socket && s.subId === subId));
+        } else if (type === "EVENT") {
+            const [event] = rest;
+            socket.send(JSON.stringify(["OK", event.id, true, ""]));
+            this.deliver(event);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /** Push a server-originated event to every matching live subscription. */
+    inject(event: any): void {
+        this.deliver(event);
+    }
+
+    private deliver(event: any): void {
+        for (const sub of this.subs) {
+            if (sub.socket.readyState !== WebSocket.OPEN) continue;
+            if (sub.filters.some((f) => matches(f, event))) {
+                sub.socket.send(JSON.stringify(["EVENT", sub.subId, event]));
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /** Drop all clients + close the server, keeping the port for a restart. */
+    private async down(): Promise<void> {
+        for (const s of this.sockets) {
+            try {
+                s.terminate();
+            } catch {
+                /* ignore */
+            }
+        }
+        this.sockets.clear();
+        this.subs = [];
+        await new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+            if (!this.wss) return resolve();
+            this.wss.close(() => resolve());
+            this.wss = null;
+        });
+    }
+
+    /** Simulate a relay restart: go down, then come back on the SAME port. */
+    async flap(): Promise<void> {
+        const port = this.port;
+        await this.down();
+        await this.start(port);
+    }
+
+    async stop(): Promise<void> {
+        await this.down();
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tests/relay-pool.test.ts b/tests/relay-pool.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..148f144
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/relay-pool.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+import { test } from "node:test";
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { finalizeEvent, generateSecretKey, getPublicKey } from "nostr-tools";
+import { MockRelay } from "./helpers/mock-relay";
+import { RelayPool } from "../src/daemon/lib/relay-pool";
+
+// A throwaway client key. Events must be REAL (valid id + sig): nostr-tools
+// verifies inbound events and silently drops invalid ones, so the test has to
+// sign them exactly as a real bunker client would.
+const CLIENT_SK = generateSecretKey();
+// The spire pubkey the bunker subscribes for (`#p`), a fixture here.
+const PUBKEY = "1508b42094e65dff982ac8ca5a264089f7de2d4bbda81bf32a91678f337ced3b";
+
+function makeEvent(): { id: string; [k: string]: any } {
+    return finalizeEvent(
+        {
+            kind: 24133,
+            created_at: Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000),
+            tags: [["p", PUBKEY]],
+            content: "encrypted-blob",
+        },
+        CLIENT_SK,
+    ) as any;
+}
+
+void getPublicKey; // (kept available for future signed-response assertions)
+
+async function waitFor(pred: () => boolean, timeoutMs = 5000, stepMs = 25): Promise<void> {
+    const start = Date.now();
+    while (!pred()) {
+        if (Date.now() - start > timeoutMs) throw new Error("waitFor timed out");
+        await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, stepMs));
+    }
+}
+
+/**
+ * The regression that was missing every prior round (#4/#7/#20/#21): flap the
+ * relay mid-session and assert a subsequent inbound kind:24133 is still
+ * delivered. With the old NDK transport the socket reconnected but the REQ was
+ * never re-sent, so the bunker went silently deaf (#41). The RelayPool owns the
+ * connect loop and re-subscribes on every (re)connect, so this must pass.
+ */
+test("RelayPool re-subscribes after a relay flap — inbound events still delivered (#41/#42)", async () => {
+    const relay = new MockRelay();
+    await relay.start();
+
+    const received: string[] = [];
+    const pool = new RelayPool([relay.url], { log: () => {} });
+    pool.start();
+
+    // Subscribe for the bunker's kind:24133 channel; await the REQ landing.
+    await pool.subscribeAwaitingEose([{ kinds: [24133], "#p": [PUBKEY] }], (e) =>
+        received.push(e.id),
+    );
+
+    // Baseline: a matching event before any flap is delivered.
+    const before = makeEvent();
+    relay.inject(before);
+    await waitFor(() => received.includes(before.id));
+
+    // FLAP: relay down + back up on the same port (the relay-restart that took
+    // the demo bunker deaf). The pool must reconnect AND re-subscribe.
+    const reqsBefore = relay.reqCount;
+    await relay.flap();
+
+    // Wait until reconnected AND the subscription is re-established on the wire.
+    await waitFor(() => pool.healthy() && relay.reqCount > reqsBefore);
+
+    // THE assertion: a matching event AFTER the flap is still delivered.
+    const after = makeEvent();
+    relay.inject(after);
+    await waitFor(() => received.includes(after.id));
+
+    assert.ok(received.includes(before.id), "event before flap delivered");
+    assert.ok(received.includes(after.id), "event after flap delivered (resubscribed)");
+    assert.ok(pool.healthy(), "pool healthy (connected + subscribed) after flap");
+
+    pool.stop();
+    await relay.stop();
+});
+
+/**
+ * healthy() must distinguish a connected-but-deaf relay (the #41 state the old
+ * connectedRelays()-only watchdog could not see) from a genuinely serving one.
+ */
+test("RelayPool.healthy() is false until the registry is subscribed on the wire (#42)", async () => {
+    const relay = new MockRelay();
+    await relay.start();
+
+    const pool = new RelayPool([relay.url], { log: () => {} });
+    pool.start();
+
+    // No subscriptions registered yet — but once connected with an empty
+    // registry, healthy() is trivially true (nothing to be deaf about).
+    await waitFor(() => pool.connectedCount() === 1);
+    assert.equal(pool.healthy(), true, "connected, empty registry -> healthy");
+
+    // Register a sub; healthy stays true once it lands.
+    await pool.subscribeAwaitingEose([{ kinds: [24133], "#p": [PUBKEY] }], () => {});
+    assert.equal(pool.healthy(), true, "connected + subscribed -> healthy");
+
+    pool.stop();
+    await relay.stop();
+});