diff --git a/gateway/runtime_downgrade_exit.py b/gateway/runtime_downgrade_exit.py
index 33a0152f51..7ba18e95b2 100644
--- a/gateway/runtime_downgrade_exit.py
+++ b/gateway/runtime_downgrade_exit.py
@@ -7,8 +7,11 @@ profile. Nothing on the older side knows how to stop it. So the gateway watches
 revision ``gateway.code_skew`` records. Once the checkout has provably moved (two consecutive
 reads, never while an update holds the tree) to code whose state-store modules lack the runtime
 ledger, it logs why and stops with the normal drain (a hard exit if that stop fails on the older
-tree). It never asks for a restart, so a service manager that relaunches it starts the older
-release's own gateway. Every uncertain read keeps it up.
+tree). The stop is a plain stop, never a restart of this process, but it exits with the
+service-restart code (75): systemd relaunches on any exit, while the launchd plist's
+``KeepAlive.SuccessfulExit=false`` parks exit 0 and would leave the gateway down for good. Either
+supervisor then starts the older release's own gateway from the tree on disk. Every uncertain read
+keeps it up.
 """
 
 from __future__ import annotations
@@ -43,8 +46,8 @@ def downgrade_reason(skew, *, update_in_progress: bool, predates: Callable[[], b
     if not skew or update_in_progress or not predates():
         return None
     return ("This gateway loaded {}, but its checkout is now at {}, a release that predates the gateway "
-            "runtime. Downgrading is unsupported; stopping (no restart) so the older release can run its "
-            "own gateway.".format(*tuple(skew)))
+            "runtime. Downgrading is unsupported; stopping so the service manager starts the older "
+            "release's own gateway.".format(*tuple(skew)))
 
 
 async def _stop_or_exit(runner, *, hard_exit: Callable[[int], None] = os._exit) -> None:
diff --git a/tests/gateway/test_runtime_downgrade_exit.py b/tests/gateway/test_runtime_downgrade_exit.py
index f0890172a5..91412648b7 100644
--- a/tests/gateway/test_runtime_downgrade_exit.py
+++ b/tests/gateway/test_runtime_downgrade_exit.py
@@ -80,3 +80,14 @@ def test_the_tree_probe_reads_the_checkout_on_disk(tmp_path):
     git("checkout", "-q", "--detach", "old")
     assert rde.tree_predates_runtime(tmp_path) is True
     assert rde.tree_predates_runtime(tmp_path / "missing") is False  # nothing readable proves nothing
+
+
+def test_the_downgrade_exit_code_reaches_the_process_exit():
+    """The bootstrap's exit verdict raises the runner's code, so launchd (SuccessfulExit=false) sees 75."""
+    import pytest
+    from gateway.run_shutdown import _resolve_gateway_exit_verdict
+    runner = _watch([_SKEW, _SKEW])
+    runner.should_exit_with_failure, runner._restart_requested, runner._restart_via_service = False, False, False
+    with pytest.raises(SystemExit) as exc:
+        _resolve_gateway_exit_verdict(runner, signal_initiated_shutdown=False)
+    assert exc.value.code == GATEWAY_SERVICE_RESTART_EXIT_CODE