diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/droiddeck/launcher/agent/AgentHost.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/droiddeck/launcher/agent/AgentHost.kt
index c5ea82bde..7393304c7 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/droiddeck/launcher/agent/AgentHost.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/droiddeck/launcher/agent/AgentHost.kt
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ object AgentHost {
         val shell = listOf(
             "/bin/sh", "-c",
             // proot ends the adb server with the command, so each command that needs adb connects it.
-            (if (connectAdb) "adb connect \"\$ADB_SERIAL\" >/dev/null 2>&1; " else "") +
+            (if (connectAdb) "adb start-server >/dev/null 2>&1; adb connect \"\$ADB_SERIAL\" >/dev/null 2>&1; " else "") +
                 "cd \"$1\" 2>/dev/null; shift; exec \"$@\"", "sh", workdir,
         )
         val proot = LinuxRuntime.command(app, null, null, Environment.getExternalStorageDirectory(), env + shell + command)
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/droiddeck/launcher/agent/AgentSetup.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/droiddeck/launcher/agent/AgentSetup.kt
index f16a984de..03bd53f0f 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/droiddeck/launcher/agent/AgentSetup.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/droiddeck/launcher/agent/AgentSetup.kt
@@ -50,7 +50,9 @@ object AgentSetup {
                 Step.INSTALL -> set(step, if (AgentHost.guestFileExists(app, harness.binary)) Status.DONE else Status.TODO)
                 Step.BUILD_TOOLS -> set(step, if (AgentHost.guestFileExists(app, "/root/aapt2/aapt2") &&
                     AgentHost.guestFileExists(app, "$CHECKOUT/.git")) Status.DONE else Status.TODO)
-                Step.CONNECTION -> probes += step to listOf("sh", "-c", "adb -s \"\$ADB_SERIAL\" get-state 2>&1 | tee /dev/stderr | grep -q device")
+                Step.CONNECTION -> probes += step to listOf("sh", "-c",
+                    "for i in 1 2 3; do adb connect \"\$ADB_SERIAL\" >/dev/null 2>&1; " +
+                        "adb -s \"\$ADB_SERIAL\" get-state 2>&1 | tee /dev/stderr | grep -q device && exit 0; sleep 1; done; exit 1")
                 Step.SIGN_IN -> if (AgentHost.guestFileExists(app, harness.binary)) probes += step to harness.signedIn else set(step, Status.TODO)
                 Step.GITHUB -> probes += step to listOf("gh", "auth", "status")
             }