diff --git a/packages/stats/src/port-conflict.ts b/packages/stats/src/port-conflict.ts
index db290a8cc..28ad5cebf 100644
--- a/packages/stats/src/port-conflict.ts
+++ b/packages/stats/src/port-conflict.ts
@@ -14,14 +14,31 @@ interface PortHolder {
 	image: string;
 }
 
+/** Header stamped on every dashboard response so reuse probes can identify us. */
+export const STATS_DASHBOARD_HEADER = "x-omp-stats-dashboard";
+
 async function probeStatsDashboard(port: number): Promise<boolean> {
 	try {
 		const response = await fetch(`http://localhost:${port}/api/stats/models`, {
 			signal: AbortSignal.timeout(STATS_PROBE_TIMEOUT_MS),
 		});
-		const isDashboard = response.status === 200;
-		await response.body?.cancel();
-		return isDashboard;
+		if (response.status !== 200) {
+			await response.body?.cancel();
+			return false;
+		}
+		// A live omp-stats dashboard stamps this header on every response.
+		if (response.headers.get(STATS_DASHBOARD_HEADER)) {
+			await response.body?.cancel();
+			return true;
+		}
+		// Older dashboards predate the header; fall back to the response shape
+		// (`/api/stats/models` returns a JSON array) so we never reuse — or later
+		// kill — a foreign 200 responder such as an SPA dev server catch-all.
+		if (!(response.headers.get("content-type") ?? "").includes("application/json")) {
+			await response.body?.cancel();
+			return false;
+		}
+		return Array.isArray(await response.json());
 	} catch {
 		return false;
 	}
diff --git a/packages/stats/src/server.ts b/packages/stats/src/server.ts
index 6c77364cc..31bacbfe9 100644
--- a/packages/stats/src/server.ts
+++ b/packages/stats/src/server.ts
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ import {
 import { decodeEmbeddedClientArchive } from "./embedded-client";
 import embeddedClientArchiveTxt from "./embedded-client.generated.txt";
 import { getGainDashboardStats } from "./gain-aggregator";
-import { recoverStatsPort } from "./port-conflict";
+import { recoverStatsPort, STATS_DASHBOARD_HEADER } from "./port-conflict";
 
 const EMBEDDED_CLIENT_ARCHIVE = decodeEmbeddedClientArchive(embeddedClientArchiveTxt);
 
@@ -301,11 +301,13 @@ function createDashboardServer(port: number) {
 			const url = new URL(req.url);
 			const path = url.pathname;
 
-			// CORS headers for local development
+			// CORS headers for local development; the identity header lets another
+			// omp session's reuse probe positively recognize this dashboard.
 			const corsHeaders: Record<string, string> = {
 				"Access-Control-Allow-Origin": "*",
 				"Access-Control-Allow-Methods": "GET, POST, OPTIONS",
 				"Access-Control-Allow-Headers": "Content-Type",
+				[STATS_DASHBOARD_HEADER]: "1",
 			};
 
 			if (req.method === "OPTIONS") {
diff --git a/packages/stats/test/server-port-conflict.test.ts b/packages/stats/test/server-port-conflict.test.ts
index 4abbd8408..21ef852e9 100644
--- a/packages/stats/test/server-port-conflict.test.ts
+++ b/packages/stats/test/server-port-conflict.test.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 import { afterEach, describe, expect, it } from "bun:test";
 import type { Subprocess } from "bun";
+import { STATS_DASHBOARD_HEADER } from "../src/port-conflict";
 import { startServer } from "../src/server";
 
 const holderProcesses: Array<Subprocess<"ignore", "pipe", "pipe">> = [];
 
-async function startBunHolder(status: number) {
+async function startBunHolder(responseExpr: string) {
 	const reservation = Bun.serve({
 		hostname: "127.0.0.1",
 		port: 0,
@@ -13,7 +14,7 @@ async function startBunHolder(status: number) {
 	const port = reservation.port;
 	reservation.stop(true);
 
-	const source = `Bun.serve({ hostname: "127.0.0.1", port: ${port}, fetch: () => new Response("holder", { status: ${status} }) }); process.stdout.write("ready"); await Promise.withResolvers().promise;`;
+	const source = `Bun.serve({ hostname: "127.0.0.1", port: ${port}, fetch: () => ${responseExpr} }); process.stdout.write("ready"); await Promise.withResolvers().promise;`;
 	const child = Bun.spawn([process.execPath, "-e", source], {
 		stdin: "ignore",
 		stdout: "pipe",
@@ -42,12 +43,14 @@ afterEach(async () => {
 });
 
 describe("startServer port conflicts", () => {
-	it("reuses a live stats dashboard without stopping it", async () => {
+	it("reuses a live stats dashboard identified by its header", async () => {
 		const existing = Bun.serve({
 			hostname: "127.0.0.1",
 			port: 0,
 			fetch: request =>
-				new URL(request.url).pathname === "/api/stats/models" ? Response.json([]) : new Response("dashboard"),
+				new URL(request.url).pathname === "/api/stats/models"
+					? Response.json([], { headers: { [STATS_DASHBOARD_HEADER]: "1" } })
+					: new Response("dashboard"),
 		});
 
 		try {
@@ -55,16 +58,35 @@ describe("startServer port conflicts", () => {
 			expect(server.port).toBe(existing.port);
 			server.stop();
 
+			// The foreign server is untouched: it still answers on the port.
 			const response = await fetch(`http://127.0.0.1:${existing.port}/api/stats/models`);
 			expect(response.status).toBe(200);
+			expect(response.headers.get(STATS_DASHBOARD_HEADER)).toBe("1");
 			await response.body?.cancel();
 		} finally {
 			existing.stop(true);
 		}
 	});
 
+	it("does not reuse a foreign 200 responder and reclaims the port instead", async () => {
+		// An SPA dev server catch-all: 200 JSON, but no dashboard header and not
+		// the models array shape. Must not be treated as a reusable dashboard.
+		const holder = await startBunHolder('Response.json({ app: "spa" })');
+		const server = await startServer(holder.port);
+
+		try {
+			expect(server.port).toBe(holder.port);
+			expect(await holder.child.exited).not.toBe(0);
+			const response = await fetch(`http://127.0.0.1:${holder.port}/api/stats/models`);
+			expect(response.headers.get(STATS_DASHBOARD_HEADER)).toBe("1");
+			await response.body?.cancel();
+		} finally {
+			server.stop();
+		}
+	});
+
 	it("reclaims an unresponsive Bun listener and starts the dashboard", async () => {
-		const holder = await startBunHolder(404);
+		const holder = await startBunHolder('new Response("holder", { status: 404 })');
 		const server = await startServer(holder.port);
 
 		try {