diff --git a/toybox/scripts/hello.js b/toybox/scripts/hello.js
index 94321f8..3bc1e7c 100644
--- a/toybox/scripts/hello.js
+++ b/toybox/scripts/hello.js
@@ -12,7 +12,8 @@ const name = process.argv[2] ?? "hello";
 const client = await connectClient("admin.sock", `hello-script-${process.pid}`);
 try {
 	const ingress = await E(client.vatAdmin).makeIngress({ vat: name });
-	const { id } = await E(client.vatAdmin).createVat(await readFile("vats/hello.js", "utf8"), { ingress });
+	const { id, root } = await E(client.vatAdmin).createVat(await readFile("vats/hello.js", "utf8"), { ingress });
+	await root; // its handoff, settled before the client goes
 	console.log(`vat ${id}\nhttp://127.0.0.1:8787/?vat=${name}`);
 } finally {
 	client.close();
diff --git a/toybox/supervisor.js b/toybox/supervisor.js
index dc9bda3..f174173 100644
--- a/toybox/supervisor.js
+++ b/toybox/supervisor.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 import "@endo/init";
 import { DurableObject, WorkerEntrypoint } from "cloudflare:workers";
 import { RpcTarget, newWebSocketRpcSession, newWorkersRpcResponse } from "capnweb";
-import { E, Far } from "@endo/far";
+import { E, Far, passStyleOf } from "@endo/far";
 import { makeClient, swissnumFromBytes } from "@endo/ocapn";
 import { mergeLabels, urlLabels } from "./labels.js";
 import { LOOKUP, MOUNT, MOUNT_LABELS, MOUNT_SCHEMA, OVERLAP, UNMOUNT, UNMOUNT_LABELS } from "./mounts-sql.js";
@@ -178,29 +178,136 @@ const encodeUtf8 = harden(TextEncoder.prototype.encode.bind(new TextEncoder()));
  */
 export class VatAdmin extends DurableObject {
 	#clients = new Map();
-	/** mount key → the handler serving it (a live reference, for now) */
+	/** mount key → the handler serving it: live, so lost when this object is evicted */
 	#handlers = new Map();
+	/** mount key → resolvers waiting for a handler */
+	#waiting = new Map();
+	/** mount key ↔ its ingress object, made again as needed */
+	#ingresses = new Map();
+	#ingressKeys = new WeakMap();
+	#reviving = new Map();
 	#ready;
 
 	constructor(ctx, env) {
 		super(ctx, env);
+		const { sql } = ctx.storage;
+		// a vat's params, encoded (see #encode); a vat absent here can't be restarted
+		sql.exec("CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS vat_params (vat TEXT PRIMARY KEY, params TEXT)");
+		// which vat was given which ingress, so a request can restart it
+		sql.exec("CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS ingress_vat (key TEXT PRIMARY KEY, vat TEXT)");
 		this.#ready = this.#boot();
 	}
 
+	/** @param {string} key */
+	#ingressFor(key) {
+		let ingress = this.#ingresses.get(key);
+		if (!ingress) {
+			ingress = Far("ingress", {
+				/** @param {{ handle: (request: object) => object }} handler */
+				serve: (handler) => {
+					this.#handlers.set(key, handler);
+					for (const resolve of this.#waiting.get(key) ?? []) resolve();
+					this.#waiting.delete(key);
+				},
+			});
+			this.#ingresses.set(key, ingress);
+			this.#ingressKeys.set(ingress, key);
+		}
+		return ingress;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * `params` as JSON, an ingress by its key; `null` if anything in it can't
+	 * be made again here (a remote object of another peer, say).
+	 */
+	#encode(params) {
+		const keys = [];
+		const walk = (v) => {
+			const style = passStyleOf(v);
+			if (style === "remotable") {
+				const key = this.#ingressKeys.get(v);
+				if (!key) throw new Error("not restartable");
+				keys.push(key);
+				return { "@ingress": key };
+			}
+			if (style === "copyArray") return v.map(walk);
+			if (style === "copyRecord") return Object.fromEntries(Object.entries(v).map(([k, x]) => [k, walk(x)]));
+			if (["string", "number", "boolean", "null"].includes(style)) return v;
+			throw new Error("not restartable");
+		};
+		try {
+			return { json: JSON.stringify(walk(params)), keys };
+		} catch {
+			return null;
+		}
+	}
+
+	#decode(json) {
+		const walk = (v) => {
+			if (Array.isArray(v)) return v.map(walk);
+			if (v && typeof v === "object") {
+				if ("@ingress" in v) return this.#ingressFor(v["@ingress"]);
+				return Object.fromEntries(Object.entries(v).map(([k, x]) => [k, walk(x)]));
+			}
+			return v;
+		};
+		return harden(walk(JSON.parse(json)));
+	}
+
+	/** (Re)start a vat's code with `params`: it rebuilds its root. */
+	async #startVat(vat, params) {
+		const vatBootstrap = await this.#enliven(vat, VAT_SWISSNUM);
+		return E(vatBootstrap).start(params);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * The handler for a mount whose handler went with an evicted instance:
+	 * restart the vat given its ingress, and wait for it to serve again.
+	 *
+	 * @param {string} key
+	 */
+	#revive(key) {
+		let reviving = this.#reviving.get(key);
+		if (!reviving) {
+			reviving = (async () => {
+				const [row] = this.ctx.storage.sql
+					.exec("SELECT i.vat, p.params FROM ingress_vat i JOIN vat_params p USING (vat) WHERE i.key = ?", key)
+					.toArray();
+				if (!row) return null;
+				const served = new Promise((resolve) => this.#waiting.set(key, [...(this.#waiting.get(key) ?? []), resolve]));
+				await this.#startVat(row.vat, this.#decode(row.params));
+				await Promise.race([served, new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 5000))]);
+				return this.#handlers.get(key) ?? null;
+			})().finally(() => this.#reviving.delete(key));
+			this.#reviving.set(key, reviving);
+		}
+		return reviving;
+	}
+
 	async #boot() {
 		const vatAdmin = Far("vatAdmin", {
 			/**
 			 * Create an OCapN vat running `src`; `params` (any passable,
 			 * remote objects included) reach its `buildRootObject`.
 			 *
+			 * If `params` holds only data and ingresses, they are kept, and the
+			 * vat is restarted with them when a request needs it after an
+			 * eviction or a restart.
+			 *
 			 * @param {string} src an ES module exporting `buildRootObject(vatPowers, params)`
 			 */
 			createVat: async (src, params = {}) => {
 				const id = this.env.VATS.newUniqueId();
+				const vat = id.toString();
 				await this.env.VATS.get(id).start(src, null, "ocapn");
-				const vatBootstrap = await this.#enliven(id.toString(), VAT_SWISSNUM);
-				const root = await E(vatBootstrap).start(params);
-				return harden({ id: id.toString(), root });
+				const encoded = this.#encode(params);
+				if (encoded) {
+					const { sql } = this.ctx.storage;
+					sql.exec("INSERT INTO vat_params VALUES (?, ?)", vat, encoded.json);
+					for (const key of encoded.keys) sql.exec("INSERT OR REPLACE INTO ingress_vat VALUES (?, ?)", key, vat);
+				}
+				const root = await this.#startVat(vat, params);
+				return harden({ id: vat, root });
 			},
 			/**
 			 * Reserve a mount at `labels` and return the ingress for it: whoever
@@ -212,10 +319,7 @@ export class VatAdmin extends DurableObject {
 			makeIngress: async (labels) => {
 				const key = `ingress:${crypto.randomUUID()}`;
 				await this.env.DIRECTORY.getByName("directory").mount(key, harden({ ...labels }));
-				return Far("ingress", {
-					/** @param {{ handle: (request: object) => object }} handler */
-					serve: (handler) => void this.#handlers.set(key, handler),
-				});
+				return this.#ingressFor(key);
 			},
 		});
 		// workerd runs FinalizationRegistry callbacks outside any request, where
@@ -266,7 +370,7 @@ export class VatAdmin extends DurableObject {
 	 */
 	async serveHttp(key, request) {
 		await this.#ready;
-		const handler = this.#handlers.get(key);
+		const handler = this.#handlers.get(key) ?? (await this.#revive(key));
 		return handler ? E(handler).handle(harden(request)) : null;
 	}
 
diff --git a/toybox/test/ocapn.test.js b/toybox/test/ocapn.test.js
index 4eef297..745300e 100644
--- a/toybox/test/ocapn.test.js
+++ b/toybox/test/ocapn.test.js
@@ -12,11 +12,8 @@ const vatSrc = (name) => readFile(join(here, "vats", name), "utf8");
 
 let dir, port, server, client;
 
-before(async () => {
-	dir = await mkdtemp(join(tmpdir(), "toybox-ocapn-"));
-	await mkdir(join(dir, "state"));
-	port = await freePort();
-	server = await startWorkerd(
+const startToybox = () =>
+	startWorkerd(
 		"config.capnp",
 		[
 			"-s", `http=127.0.0.1:${port}`, "-s", `admin=unix:${join(dir, "admin.sock")}`,
@@ -25,6 +22,12 @@ before(async () => {
 		{ port, host: "127.0.0.1" },
 		[join(dir, "admin.sock")],
 	);
+
+before(async () => {
+	dir = await mkdtemp(join(tmpdir(), "toybox-ocapn-"));
+	await mkdir(join(dir, "state"));
+	port = await freePort();
+	server = await startToybox();
 	client = await connectClient(join(dir, "admin.sock"), "client-1", { verbose: !!process.env.OCAPN_LOG });
 });
 
@@ -66,3 +69,37 @@ test("an ingress nobody serves is a 503", async () => {
 	await E(client.vatAdmin).makeIngress({ vat: "idle" });
 	assert.equal((await fetch(`http://127.0.0.1:${port}/?vat=idle`)).status, 503);
 });
+
+test("after a crash, a request restarts the vat that serves it", async () => {
+	// its own toybox: a crash breaks every session to it, the shared client's too
+	const home = await mkdtemp(join(tmpdir(), "toybox-phoenix-"));
+	await mkdir(join(home, "state"));
+	const port2 = await freePort();
+	const start = () =>
+		startWorkerd(
+			"config.capnp",
+			[
+				"-s", `http=127.0.0.1:${port2}`, "-s", `admin=unix:${join(home, "admin.sock")}`,
+				"-d", `state=${join(home, "state")}`, "-e", `switchboard=unix:${join(home, "no-switchboard.sock")}`,
+			],
+			{ port: port2, host: "127.0.0.1" },
+			[join(home, "admin.sock")],
+		);
+	let toybox = await start();
+	try {
+		const creator = await connectClient(join(home, "admin.sock"), "creator");
+		const ingress = await E(creator.vatAdmin).makeIngress({ vat: "phoenix" });
+		const { root } = await E(creator.vatAdmin).createVat(await vatSrc("hello.js"), { ingress });
+		assert.equal((await fetch(`http://127.0.0.1:${port2}/?vat=phoenix`)).status, 200);
+		await root; // its handoff, settled before the client goes
+		creator.close();
+		await toybox.stop();
+		toybox = await start();
+		const resp = await fetch(`http://127.0.0.1:${port2}/again?vat=phoenix`);
+		assert.equal(resp.status, 200);
+		assert.match(await resp.text(), /Hello, world.*at \/again/);
+	} finally {
+		await toybox.stop();
+		await rm(home, { recursive: true, force: true });
+	}
+});
diff --git a/toybox/vat-runtime.js b/toybox/vat-runtime.js
index 2f1231e..6fbc6d6 100644
--- a/toybox/vat-runtime.js
+++ b/toybox/vat-runtime.js
@@ -32,8 +32,9 @@ export class App extends DurableObject {
 		let root;
 		const vatPowers = Object.freeze({ E, Far, storage: this.ctx.storage.kv });
 		const bootstrap = Far("vatBootstrap", {
+			/** (Re)build the root: on creation, and when the vatAdmin restarts the vat. */
 			start: (params) => {
-				root ??= vat.buildRootObject(vatPowers, params);
+				root = vat.buildRootObject(vatPowers, params);
 				return root;
 			},
 		});