diff --git a/hive-c0re/src/lifecycle.rs b/hive-c0re/src/lifecycle.rs
index 69175a54..8b5b056b 100644
--- a/hive-c0re/src/lifecycle.rs
+++ b/hive-c0re/src/lifecycle.rs
@@ -438,7 +438,47 @@ pub async fn rebuild_no_meta(
         }
         run(&["update", &container, "--flake", &flake_ref]).await?;
         if was_running {
-            run(&["start", &container]).await
+            // Normal path: start into the new generation. The activation
+            // script runs inside the container to transition old → new.
+            // This can fail when packages are removed between generations —
+            // the old-generation activation references units that no longer
+            // exist in the new closure, causing systemd to exit non-zero.
+            //
+            // Fallback: stop + kill + start (cold-start). The activation
+            // script can fail when packages are removed between generations —
+            // `start` exits non-zero but the container may be half-started.
+            // `stop` requests a graceful SIGTERM drain; `kill` then SIGKILLs
+            // any lingering processes so the next `start` enters a clean state
+            // without a generation transition, letting the activation succeed.
+            if let Err(start_err) = run(&["start", &container]).await {
+                tracing::warn!(
+                    container = %container,
+                    error = %start_err,
+                    "start after rebuild failed (possible activation error); \
+                     retrying via stop + kill + start"
+                );
+                run(&["stop", &container]).await.unwrap_or_else(|e| {
+                    tracing::warn!(
+                        container = %container,
+                        error = %e,
+                        "stop before cold-start retry failed (ignored)"
+                    );
+                });
+                run(&["kill", &container]).await.unwrap_or_else(|e| {
+                    tracing::warn!(
+                        container = %container,
+                        error = %e,
+                        "kill before cold-start retry failed (ignored)"
+                    );
+                });
+                run(&["start", &container]).await
+                    .map_err(|e| anyhow::anyhow!(
+                        "cold-start fallback also failed: {e:#} \
+                         (original start error: {start_err:#})"
+                    ))
+            } else {
+                Ok(())
+            }
         } else {
             Ok(())
         }