diff --git a/openfut-redirector-host/redirector.sh b/openfut-redirector-host/redirector.sh
index 3741b80..789d5eb 100755
--- a/openfut-redirector-host/redirector.sh
+++ b/openfut-redirector-host/redirector.sh
@@ -22,8 +22,36 @@ PORTFILE="$RUNDIR/redirector.port"
 # when the branch ref moves) can silently advance past the live process.
 STAMPFILE="$RUNDIR/redirector.commit"
 LOGFILE="${OPENFUT_REDIRECTOR_LOG:-$RUNDIR/redirector.log}"
-BIN="$ROOT/target/debug/openfut-redirector-host"
-[[ -x "$BIN" ]] || BIN="$ROOT/target/release/openfut-redirector-host"
+# Which artifact is under test must never be ambiguous. Preferring debug and
+# falling back to release meant `cargo build --release` could produce a fresh
+# binary while this kept launching a stale debug one — the guard then compared
+# the WRONG artifact against HEAD and refused with a message naming a commit
+# nobody was trying to run. Both present and disagreeing is an error, not a
+# preference. Set OPENFUT_REDIRECTOR_BIN to choose deliberately.
+DEBUG_BIN="$ROOT/target/debug/openfut-redirector-host"
+RELEASE_BIN="$ROOT/target/release/openfut-redirector-host"
+BIN_ERR=""
+if [[ -n "${OPENFUT_REDIRECTOR_BIN:-}" ]]; then
+  BIN="$OPENFUT_REDIRECTOR_BIN"
+  [[ -x "$BIN" ]] || { echo "redirector: OPENFUT_REDIRECTOR_BIN is not executable: $BIN" >&2; exit 1; }
+elif [[ -x "$DEBUG_BIN" && -x "$RELEASE_BIN" ]]; then
+  d="$("$DEBUG_BIN" --identity 2>&1 | sed -nE 's/.*commit=([0-9a-f]+).*/\1/p' | head -1)"
+  r="$("$RELEASE_BIN" --identity 2>&1 | sed -nE 's/.*commit=([0-9a-f]+).*/\1/p' | head -1)"
+  if [[ "$d" != "$r" ]]; then
+    # Recorded, NOT fatal here: `stop` and `status` must keep working no matter
+    # what state the build tree is in. Rolling back can never be blocked by a
+    # question about which artifact would have been started.
+    BIN_ERR="REFUSING — two binaries exist and disagree.
+  debug   $DEBUG_BIN  commit=$d
+  release $RELEASE_BIN  commit=$r
+  Rebuild both, delete one, or set OPENFUT_REDIRECTOR_BIN."
+  fi
+  BIN="$RELEASE_BIN"
+elif [[ -x "$DEBUG_BIN" ]]; then
+  BIN="$DEBUG_BIN"
+else
+  BIN="$RELEASE_BIN"
+fi
 
 die() { echo "redirector: $*" >&2; exit 1; }
 pid_alive() { kill -0 "$1" 2>/dev/null; }
@@ -48,16 +76,21 @@ list_procs() {
   return 0
 }
 
+# Only the commands that actually run a binary care which one it is.
+need_bin() { [[ -z "$BIN_ERR" ]] || die "$BIN_ERR"; }
+
 # The binary prints `commit=<sha>` in its banner; ask it rather than guessing.
 stamped_commit() { "$BIN" --identity 2>&1 | sed -nE 's/.*commit=([0-9a-f]+).*/\1/p' | head -1; }
 
 cmd_verify() {
+  need_bin
   local c; c="$(stamped_commit)"
   [[ -n "$c" ]] || die "could not read the binary's commit stamp"
   "$ROOT/scripts/verify-build-identity.sh" "$c"
 }
 
 cmd_start() {
+  need_bin
   [[ -x "$BIN" ]] || die "not built: cargo build -p openfut-redirector-host"
   : "${OPENFUT_REDIRECTOR_HOST_PORT:?set OPENFUT_REDIRECTOR_HOST_PORT (no default: runs beside Python)}"
   local strays; strays="$(list_procs)"
@@ -115,6 +148,15 @@ cmd_status() {
 }
 
 cmd_verify_running() {
+  # The stamp outlives the process it describes. Without this check the command
+  # happily reports on a corpse — either "OK" or a REFUSAL naming a commit,
+  # both implying something is running when nothing is.
+  local pid=""
+  [[ -f "$PIDFILE" ]] && pid="$(cat "$PIDFILE" 2>/dev/null)"
+  if [[ -z "$pid" ]] || ! pid_alive "$pid"; then
+    echo "REFUSING: nothing is running — the stamp describes a process that has exited." >&2
+    return 1
+  fi
   [[ -f "$STAMPFILE" ]] || die "no running-process stamp — was it started by this script?"
   local running head
   running="$(cat "$STAMPFILE")"; head="$(git -C "$ROOT" rev-parse --short=7 HEAD 2>/dev/null)"