diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 7132ac2..62adce0 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -10,6 +10,27 @@ changed between versions.
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## [v0.1.6] - 2026-04-29
+
+### Fixed
+
+- v0.1.4's "running VMs survive daemon restart" fix was incomplete:
+  the binary-level reconcile path was correct, but `/run/banger` (the
+  daemon's runtime dir) was being wiped on every daemon stop because
+  systemd defaults to `RuntimeDirectoryPreserve=no`. The api-sock
+  symlinks the helper had created for live VMs vanished with it,
+  and `findByJailerPidfile` couldn't resolve them to find the chroot
+  + pidfile. v0.1.6 sets `RuntimeDirectoryPreserve=yes` on both
+  unit templates so the symlinks (and helper RPC sock) survive
+  the restart window. Live-verified: FC PID and guest boot_id both
+  unchanged across a full helper+daemon restart cycle with a VM
+  running.
+- v0.1.4's CHANGELOG correction stands: existing v0.1.x installs
+  (where x < 6) need a one-time `sudo banger system install` after
+  updating to v0.1.6 to pick up both the new `KillMode=process` and
+  the new `RuntimeDirectoryPreserve=yes` directives. `banger update`
+  swaps binaries, not unit files.
+
 ## [v0.1.5] - 2026-04-29
 
 No functional changes. Verification release for v0.1.4: the previous
@@ -193,7 +214,8 @@ root filesystem and network, and exits on demand.
   the swap rather than starting up against an incompatible store.
 - Linux only. amd64 only. KVM required.
 
-[Unreleased]: https://git.thaloco.com/thaloco/banger/compare/v0.1.5...HEAD
+[Unreleased]: https://git.thaloco.com/thaloco/banger/compare/v0.1.6...HEAD
+[v0.1.6]: https://git.thaloco.com/thaloco/banger/releases/tag/v0.1.6
 [v0.1.5]: https://git.thaloco.com/thaloco/banger/releases/tag/v0.1.5
 [v0.1.4]: https://git.thaloco.com/thaloco/banger/releases/tag/v0.1.4
 [v0.1.3]: https://git.thaloco.com/thaloco/banger/releases/tag/v0.1.3
diff --git a/internal/cli/commands_system.go b/internal/cli/commands_system.go
index f66f5ff..bf7acee 100644
--- a/internal/cli/commands_system.go
+++ b/internal/cli/commands_system.go
@@ -329,6 +329,13 @@ func renderSystemdUnit(meta installmeta.Metadata) string {
 		"CacheDirectoryMode=0700",
 		"RuntimeDirectory=banger",
 		"RuntimeDirectoryMode=0700",
+		// Keep /run/banger across stop/restart so the api-sock symlinks
+		// the helper creates for live VMs aren't wiped between the daemon
+		// stopping and the new daemon's reconcile re-attaching to them.
+		// Without this, `banger update` restarts the daemon, /run/banger
+		// is wiped, the api-sock symlinks vanish, and rediscoverHandles
+		// can't resolve the chroot path it needs to read jailer's pidfile.
+		"RuntimeDirectoryPreserve=yes",
 	}
 	if coverDir := strings.TrimSpace(os.Getenv(systemCoverDirEnv)); coverDir != "" {
 		lines = append(lines, "Environment=GOCOVERDIR="+systemdQuote(coverDir))
@@ -390,6 +397,12 @@ func renderRootHelperSystemdUnit() string {
 		"ReadWritePaths=/var/lib/banger",
 		"RuntimeDirectory=banger-root",
 		"RuntimeDirectoryMode=0711",
+		// Same rationale as bangerd.service: the helper-managed
+		// /run/banger-root holds the helper's RPC socket and any
+		// per-VM scratch state; preserving it across restart keeps
+		// the daemon's reconnect path and reconcile re-attachment
+		// from racing against systemd's runtime-dir cleanup.
+		"RuntimeDirectoryPreserve=yes",
 	}
 	if coverDir := strings.TrimSpace(os.Getenv(rootCoverDirEnv)); coverDir != "" {
 		lines = append(lines, "Environment=GOCOVERDIR="+systemdQuote(coverDir))
diff --git a/internal/cli/daemon_lifecycle_test.go b/internal/cli/daemon_lifecycle_test.go
index 7151252..d14c483 100644
--- a/internal/cli/daemon_lifecycle_test.go
+++ b/internal/cli/daemon_lifecycle_test.go
@@ -164,6 +164,7 @@ func TestRenderSystemdUnitIncludesHardeningDirectives(t *testing.T) {
 		"CacheDirectoryMode=0700",
 		"RuntimeDirectory=banger",
 		"RuntimeDirectoryMode=0700",
+		"RuntimeDirectoryPreserve=yes",
 		`ReadOnlyPaths="/home/alice/dev home"`,
 	} {
 		if !strings.Contains(unit, want) {
@@ -189,6 +190,7 @@ func TestRenderRootHelperSystemdUnitIncludesRequiredCapabilities(t *testing.T) {
 		"ReadWritePaths=/var/lib/banger",
 		"RuntimeDirectory=banger-root",
 		"RuntimeDirectoryMode=0711",
+		"RuntimeDirectoryPreserve=yes",
 	} {
 		if !strings.Contains(unit, want) {
 			t.Fatalf("unit = %q, want %q", unit, want)