diff --git a/cli/src/__tests__/service-manager.test.ts b/cli/src/__tests__/service-manager.test.ts
index 74411e78414..b5f4fb457aa 100644
--- a/cli/src/__tests__/service-manager.test.ts
+++ b/cli/src/__tests__/service-manager.test.ts
@@ -130,6 +130,23 @@ describe("launchd lifecycle", () => {
     expect(calls).not.toContain(`launchctl enable gui/${process.getuid?.() ?? 0}/ing.paperclip.paperclipai.team-a`);
   });
 
+  it("preserves disabled state when the service name contains regex metacharacters", async () => {
+    const userHome = await temporaryDirectory();
+    const calls: string[] = [];
+    const serviceName = "ing.paperclip.paperclipai.team[qa]+";
+    const runner: CommandRunner = async (command, args) => {
+      calls.push([command, ...args].join(" "));
+      if (args[0] === "print-disabled") return { stdout: `"${serviceName}" => true`, stderr: "" };
+      return { stdout: "", stderr: "" };
+    };
+    const manager = new LaunchdServiceManager("team[qa]+", runner, path.join(userHome, ".paperclip"), path.join(userHome, ".local/bin/paperclipai"), userHome);
+
+    await manager.start();
+
+    expect(calls).toContain(`launchctl disable gui/${process.getuid?.() ?? 0}/${serviceName}`);
+    expect(calls).not.toContain(`launchctl enable gui/${process.getuid?.() ?? 0}/${serviceName}`);
+  });
+
   it("disables login startup and unloads the keepalive job when stopped", async () => {
     const userHome = await temporaryDirectory();
     const calls: string[] = [];
diff --git a/cli/src/services/service-manager.ts b/cli/src/services/service-manager.ts
index 182ae41e3d1..ebaeabfead9 100644
--- a/cli/src/services/service-manager.ts
+++ b/cli/src/services/service-manager.ts
@@ -64,6 +64,10 @@ function escapeXml(value: string): string {
   return value.replaceAll("&", "&amp;").replaceAll("<", "&lt;").replaceAll(">", "&gt;").replaceAll('"', "&quot;").replaceAll("'", "&apos;");
 }
 
+function escapeRegExp(value: string): string {
+  return value.replace(/[.*+?^${}()|[\]\\]/g, "\\$&");
+}
+
 export function resolveServiceShimPath(homeDir = os.homedir()): string {
   return process.env.PAPERCLIP_SHIM_PATH?.trim() || path.join(homeDir, ".local", "bin", "paperclipai");
 }
@@ -258,7 +262,7 @@ export class LaunchdServiceManager implements ServiceManager {
   private async isEnabled(): Promise<boolean> {
     try {
       const result = await this.runner("launchctl", ["print-disabled", this.domain]);
-      return !new RegExp(`"${this.serviceName.replaceAll(".", "\\.")}"\\s*=>\\s*true`).test(result.stdout);
+      return !new RegExp(`"${escapeRegExp(this.serviceName)}"\\s*=>\\s*true`).test(result.stdout);
     } catch { return true; }
   }