diff --git a/cli/src/__tests__/service-health-check.test.ts b/cli/src/__tests__/service-health-check.test.ts
index f765373279b..83f5f8e7658 100644
--- a/cli/src/__tests__/service-health-check.test.ts
+++ b/cli/src/__tests__/service-health-check.test.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import { serviceHealthChecks } from "../checks/service-health-check.js";
 import { resolveRestartExpectedVersion } from "../commands/service.js";
 import type { PaperclipConfig } from "../config/schema.js";
 import { buildLocalHealthUrl } from "../utils/health-url.js";
-import { packageVersion } from "../version.js";
 
 const config = {
   server: { host: "127.0.0.1", port: 3100 },
@@ -41,8 +40,9 @@ function managerFixture(active = true) {
 }
 
 describe("service health doctor checks", () => {
-  it("uses the current CLI version unless an expected restart version is explicit", () => {
-    expect(resolveRestartExpectedVersion(null)).toBe(packageVersion);
+  it("skips exact version matching unless a restart version is explicit", () => {
+    expect(resolveRestartExpectedVersion(null)).toBeNull();
+    expect(resolveRestartExpectedVersion(undefined)).toBeNull();
     expect(resolveRestartExpectedVersion("1.2.3")).toBe("1.2.3");
   });
 
diff --git a/cli/src/commands/service.ts b/cli/src/commands/service.ts
index c2100bc258f..2941bad381e 100644
--- a/cli/src/commands/service.ts
+++ b/cli/src/commands/service.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ import fs from "node:fs/promises";
 import path from "node:path";
 import * as p from "@clack/prompts";
 import type { Command } from "commander";
-import { packageVersion } from "../version.js";
 import { readConfig, resolveConfigPath } from "../config/store.js";
 import { resolvePaperclipHomeDir, resolvePaperclipInstanceId } from "../config/home.js";
 import { detectServiceManager, type ServiceManager, type ServiceStatus } from "../services/service-manager.js";
@@ -51,8 +50,8 @@ async function waitForHealth(instanceId: string, expectedVersion: string | null,
   throw new Error(`Paperclip service did not become healthy${expectedVersion ? ` at version ${expectedVersion}` : ""}: ${last.error ?? `reported ${last.serverVersion ?? "no version"}`}`);
 }
 
-export function resolveRestartExpectedVersion(expectedVersion: string | null | undefined): string {
-  return expectedVersion ?? packageVersion;
+export function resolveRestartExpectedVersion(expectedVersion: string | null | undefined): string | null {
+  return expectedVersion ?? null;
 }
 
 async function writeHotRestartIntent(status: ServiceStatus, instanceId: string, drainRequired: boolean): Promise<{ requestedAt: string }> {