diff --git a/core/archipelago/src/mesh/flash.rs b/core/archipelago/src/mesh/flash.rs
index 607f9f7a..35d850dc 100644
--- a/core/archipelago/src/mesh/flash.rs
+++ b/core/archipelago/src/mesh/flash.rs
@@ -427,13 +427,29 @@ pub async fn start_flash_job(
 
         let mut svc = bg_service.write().await;
         if let Some(s) = svc.as_mut() {
-            if let Ok(config) = super::load_config(&data_dir).await {
-                if let Err(e) = s.configure(config).await {
-                    warn!(error = %e, "Failed to resume mesh listener after flash");
+            match super::load_config(&data_dir).await {
+                Ok(config) => {
+                    // Only resume if mesh is actually still enabled per the
+                    // CURRENT persisted config — confirmed live 2026-07-23:
+                    // unconditionally forcing a restart here, regardless of
+                    // `enabled`, overrode a user's own concurrent "disable
+                    // mesh" toggle and left the listener running while
+                    // config said disabled. That inconsistent state is what
+                    // made a later legitimate "Keep As Is" click (which
+                    // correctly tries to start on a false→true transition)
+                    // fail with "already running" — the listener had already
+                    // been force-started behind the config's back.
+                    let should_run = config.enabled;
+                    if let Err(e) = s.configure(config).await {
+                        warn!(error = %e, "Failed to resume mesh listener after flash");
+                    }
+                    if should_run {
+                        if let Err(e) = s.start() {
+                            warn!(error = %e, "Failed to restart mesh listener after flash");
+                        }
+                    }
                 }
-            }
-            if let Err(e) = s.start() {
-                warn!(error = %e, "Failed to restart mesh listener after flash");
+                Err(e) => warn!(error = %e, "Failed to load mesh config after flash"),
             }
         }
     });
diff --git a/core/archipelago/src/mesh/mod.rs b/core/archipelago/src/mesh/mod.rs
index b2e071a2..fd007b79 100644
--- a/core/archipelago/src/mesh/mod.rs
+++ b/core/archipelago/src/mesh/mod.rs
@@ -735,10 +735,18 @@ impl MeshService {
         self.server_name = name;
     }
 
-    /// Start the background mesh listener.
+    /// Start the background mesh listener. Idempotent: if the listener is
+    /// already running, this is a harmless no-op rather than an error —
+    /// confirmed live 2026-07-23, a real race between the flash job's own
+    /// post-flash restart and a concurrent user "Keep As Is" click (both
+    /// legitimately trying to ensure the listener is running) surfaced this
+    /// as a user-facing "Mesh listener already running" RPC error. Ensuring
+    /// the listener is running is the intent every caller actually has;
+    /// whichever caller's start() happens to win the race, the other
+    /// finding it already satisfied is success, not failure.
     pub fn start(&mut self) -> Result<()> {
         if self.listener_handle.is_some() {
-            anyhow::bail!("Mesh listener already running");
+            return Ok(());
         }
 
         let (shutdown_tx, shutdown_rx) = watch::channel(false);