diff --git a/crates/xy-supervisor/src/supervisor.rs b/crates/xy-supervisor/src/supervisor.rs
index 42edcf9..329490c 100644
--- a/crates/xy-supervisor/src/supervisor.rs
+++ b/crates/xy-supervisor/src/supervisor.rs
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ impl<S: Spawner> SupervisorTask<S> {
                             if child.is_some() {
                                 let _ = ack.send(StartAck::AlreadyRunning);
                             } else {
-                                match self.do_start().await {
+                                match self.do_start(StartCause::Initial).await {
                                     Ok(c) => {
                                         child = Some(c);
                                         let _ = ack.send(StartAck::Started);
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ impl<S: Spawner> SupervisorTask<S> {
                                 self.do_stop(c).await;
                             }
 
-                            match self.do_start().await {
+                            match self.do_start(StartCause::Restart).await {
                                 Ok(c) => child = Some(c),
                                 Err(err) => {
                                     warn!(name = %self.cfg.name, error = %err, "restart spawn failed");
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ impl<S: Spawner> SupervisorTask<S> {
 
                             match action {
                                 Action::RetryNow => {
-                                    match self.do_start().await {
+                                    match self.do_start(StartCause::Restart).await {
                                         Ok(c) => child = Some(c),
                                         Err(err) => {
                                             warn!(name = %self.cfg.name, error = %err, "restart spawn failed");
@@ -288,12 +288,15 @@ impl<S: Spawner> SupervisorTask<S> {
         }
     }
 
-    async fn do_start(&mut self) -> std::io::Result<S::Child> {
+    async fn do_start(&mut self, cause: StartCause) -> std::io::Result<S::Child> {
         self.set_state(ServerState::Starting);
 
         let c = self.spawner.spawn(&self.cfg, self.log_sink.clone()).await?;
 
-        self.restart_count = self.restart_count.saturating_add(1);
+        if cause == StartCause::Restart {
+            self.restart_count = self.restart_count.saturating_add(1);
+        }
+
         self.started_at = Some(Instant::now());
         self.current_pid = Some(c.pid());
         self.backoff.reset();
@@ -332,6 +335,12 @@ async fn wait_child<C: ChildHandle>(slot: &mut Option<C>) -> Option<i32> {
     }
 }
 
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq)]
+enum StartCause {
+    Initial,
+    Restart,
+}
+
 pub struct RealSpawner;
 
 #[async_trait::async_trait]
@@ -404,6 +413,19 @@ mod tests {
         }
     }
 
+    async fn wait_for_pid(rx: &mut watch::Receiver<Status>, want: u32) {
+        let deadline = tokio::time::Instant::now() + Duration::from_secs(2);
+        loop {
+            if rx.borrow().pid == Some(want) {
+                return;
+            }
+            tokio::select! {
+                _ = rx.changed() => {}
+                _ = tokio::time::sleep_until(deadline) => panic!("never saw pid {want}, last={:?}", rx.borrow().pid),
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     async fn wait_for(rx: &mut watch::Receiver<Status>, want: ServerState) {
         let deadline = tokio::time::Instant::now() + Duration::from_secs(2);
         loop {
@@ -448,4 +470,86 @@ mod tests {
         ack_rx.await.unwrap();
         h.await.unwrap();
     }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn first_start_is_not_counted_as_a_restart() {
+        let cfg = cfg("x", RestartPolicy::Never, 5);
+        let (mock, ctl) = MockChild::new(1);
+        let queue = Arc::new(Mutex::new(vec![mock]));
+        let spawner = QueueSpawner { queue };
+
+        let (status_tx, mut status_rx) = watch::channel(initial_status(&cfg));
+        let (cmd_tx, cmd_rx) = mpsc::channel(8);
+        let task = SupervisorTask::new(cfg, sink("x"), spawner, status_tx, cmd_rx);
+        let h = tokio::spawn(task.run());
+
+        let (ack_tx, ack_rx) = oneshot::channel();
+        cmd_tx
+            .send(SupervisorCmd::Start { ack: ack_tx })
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(ack_rx.await.unwrap(), StartAck::Started);
+        wait_for(&mut status_rx, ServerState::Running).await;
+
+        assert_eq!(
+            status_rx.borrow().restart_count,
+            0,
+            "a server started once has not restarted"
+        );
+
+        // do_stop's post-kill wait() is unbounded, and MockChild only reports an
+        // exit when its controller does; dropping it closes the channel so
+        // shutdown can finish.
+        drop(ctl);
+
+        let (ack_tx, ack_rx) = oneshot::channel();
+        cmd_tx
+            .send(SupervisorCmd::Shutdown { ack: ack_tx })
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+        ack_rx.await.unwrap();
+        h.await.unwrap();
+    }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn an_automatic_restart_after_a_crash_is_counted() {
+        let cfg = cfg("x", RestartPolicy::Always, 5);
+        let (first, mut ctl) = MockChild::new(1);
+        let (second, ctl2) = MockChild::new(2);
+        let queue = Arc::new(Mutex::new(vec![first, second]));
+        let spawner = QueueSpawner { queue };
+
+        let (status_tx, mut status_rx) = watch::channel(initial_status(&cfg));
+        let (cmd_tx, cmd_rx) = mpsc::channel(8);
+        let task = SupervisorTask::new(cfg, sink("x"), spawner, status_tx, cmd_rx);
+        let h = tokio::spawn(task.run());
+
+        let (ack_tx, ack_rx) = oneshot::channel();
+        cmd_tx
+            .send(SupervisorCmd::Start { ack: ack_tx })
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(ack_rx.await.unwrap(), StartAck::Started);
+        wait_for(&mut status_rx, ServerState::Running).await;
+
+        ctl.exit_tx.take().unwrap().send(Some(1)).unwrap();
+
+        wait_for_pid(&mut status_rx, 2).await;
+
+        assert_eq!(
+            status_rx.borrow().restart_count,
+            1,
+            "one crash-and-respawn is one restart"
+        );
+
+        drop(ctl2);
+
+        let (ack_tx, ack_rx) = oneshot::channel();
+        cmd_tx
+            .send(SupervisorCmd::Shutdown { ack: ack_tx })
+            .await
+            .unwrap();
+        ack_rx.await.unwrap();
+        h.await.unwrap();
+    }
 }