diff --git a/cli/src/native/actions.rs b/cli/src/native/actions.rs
index 2d2dc2f..5ba4e19 100644
--- a/cli/src/native/actions.rs
+++ b/cli/src/native/actions.rs
@@ -872,9 +872,9 @@ async fn handle_launch(cmd: &Value, state: &mut DaemonState) -> Result<Value, St
 
     // Relaunch logic: check if we can reuse the existing connection
     let needs_relaunch = if let Some(ref mgr) = state.browser {
-        let has_cdp_arg = cdp_url.is_some() || cdp_port.is_some();
-        let was_cdp = mgr.is_cdp_connection();
-        has_cdp_arg != was_cdp || !mgr.is_connection_alive().await
+        let is_external = cdp_url.is_some() || cdp_port.is_some() || auto_connect;
+        let was_external = mgr.is_cdp_connection();
+        is_external != was_external || !mgr.is_connection_alive().await
     } else {
         true
     };
diff --git a/cli/src/native/browser.rs b/cli/src/native/browser.rs
index 522fbde..7a84177 100644
--- a/cli/src/native/browser.rs
+++ b/cli/src/native/browser.rs
@@ -609,10 +609,15 @@ impl BrowserManager {
     }
 
     pub async fn close(&mut self) -> Result<(), String> {
-        let _ = self
-            .client
-            .send_command_no_params("Browser.close", None)
-            .await;
+        if self.browser_process.is_some() {
+            // Only send Browser.close when we launched the browser ourselves.
+            // For external connections (--auto-connect, --cdp) we just disconnect
+            // without shutting down the user's browser.
+            let _ = self
+                .client
+                .send_command_no_params("Browser.close", None)
+                .await;
+        }
 
         if let Some(mut process) = self.browser_process.take() {
             let timeout = std::time::Duration::from_secs(5);