diff --git a/dashboard/src/api.ts b/dashboard/src/api.ts
index 6e02bf0..ac072f2 100644
--- a/dashboard/src/api.ts
+++ b/dashboard/src/api.ts
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ export async function fetchGenomes(): Promise<GenomeInfo[]> {
   return res.json();
 }
 
-export async function creatureAction(name: string, action: 'start' | 'stop' | 'restart' | 'rebuild' | 'wake' | 'archive', method = 'POST'): Promise<void> {
+export async function creatureAction(name: string, action: 'start' | 'stop' | 'restart' | 'rebuild' | 'remount' | 'wake' | 'archive', method = 'POST'): Promise<void> {
   await fetch(`/api/creatures/${name}/${action}`, { method });
 }
 
diff --git a/dashboard/src/components/CreatureDetail.tsx b/dashboard/src/components/CreatureDetail.tsx
index c7432e9..8f3de75 100644
--- a/dashboard/src/components/CreatureDetail.tsx
+++ b/dashboard/src/components/CreatureDetail.tsx
@@ -46,6 +46,18 @@ export function CreatureDetail() {
   const refresh = useStore(s => s.refresh);
   const degraded = useStore(s => s.health.status !== 'healthy');
   const eventsEndRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
+  const [busy, setBusy] = useState<string | null>(null);
+
+  const doAction = async (action: string, needsConfirm?: string) => {
+    if (needsConfirm && !confirm(needsConfirm)) return;
+    setBusy(action);
+    try {
+      await api.creatureAction(name, action as any);
+      refresh();
+    } finally {
+      setBusy(null);
+    }
+  };
 
   useEffect(() => {
     if (tab === 'log') {
@@ -71,14 +83,15 @@ export function CreatureDetail() {
           {c?.janeeVersion && <> · <span className="text-text-muted text-[11px]">janee {c.janeeVersion}</span></>}
         </div>
         <BudgetInfo />
-        <button className="bg-white border border-[#d0d0d0] text-text-secondary px-1.5 py-0.5 rounded text-[11px] cursor-pointer hover:bg-[#f5f5f5] hover:text-text-primary transition-colors" onClick={() => api.creatureAction(name, 'wake')}>wake</button>
-        <button className="bg-white border border-[#d0d0d0] text-text-secondary px-1.5 py-0.5 rounded text-[11px] cursor-pointer hover:bg-[#f5f5f5] hover:text-text-primary transition-colors disabled:opacity-40 disabled:cursor-not-allowed" disabled={degraded} title={degraded ? 'Orchestrator degraded' : undefined} onClick={() => { api.creatureAction(name, 'restart'); refresh(); }}>restart</button>
-        <button className="bg-white border border-warn text-warn-light px-1.5 py-0.5 rounded text-[11px] cursor-pointer hover:bg-[#fffbf5] transition-colors disabled:opacity-40 disabled:cursor-not-allowed" disabled={degraded} title={degraded ? 'Orchestrator degraded' : undefined} onClick={() => { api.creatureAction(name, 'rebuild'); refresh(); }}>rebuild</button>
-        <button className="bg-white border border-warn text-warn-light px-1.5 py-0.5 rounded text-[11px] cursor-pointer hover:bg-[#fffbf5] transition-colors" onClick={() => {
-          if (confirm(`Archive creature "${name}"? It will be stopped and moved to the archive.`)) {
-            api.creatureAction(name, 'archive').then(() => { refresh(); selectCreature(null); });
-          }
-        }}>archive</button>
+        <button className="bg-white border border-[#d0d0d0] text-text-secondary px-1.5 py-0.5 rounded text-[11px] cursor-pointer hover:bg-[#f5f5f5] hover:text-text-primary transition-colors disabled:opacity-40 disabled:cursor-not-allowed" disabled={!!busy} onClick={() => doAction('wake')}>{busy === 'wake' ? 'waking...' : 'wake'}</button>
+        <button className="bg-white border border-[#d0d0d0] text-text-secondary px-1.5 py-0.5 rounded text-[11px] cursor-pointer hover:bg-[#f5f5f5] hover:text-text-primary transition-colors disabled:opacity-40 disabled:cursor-not-allowed" disabled={degraded || !!busy} title={degraded ? 'Orchestrator degraded' : undefined} onClick={() => doAction('restart')}>{busy === 'restart' ? 'restarting...' : 'restart'}</button>
+        <button className="bg-white border border-warn text-warn-light px-1.5 py-0.5 rounded text-[11px] cursor-pointer hover:bg-[#fffbf5] transition-colors disabled:opacity-40 disabled:cursor-not-allowed" disabled={degraded || !!busy} title={degraded ? 'Orchestrator degraded' : undefined} onClick={() => doAction('rebuild', `Rebuild "${name}"? This destroys the container writable layer.`)}>{busy === 'rebuild' ? 'rebuilding...' : 'rebuild'}</button>
+        <button className="bg-white border border-[#d0d0d0] text-text-secondary px-1.5 py-0.5 rounded text-[11px] cursor-pointer hover:bg-[#f5f5f5] hover:text-text-primary transition-colors disabled:opacity-40 disabled:cursor-not-allowed" disabled={degraded || !!busy} title={degraded ? 'Orchestrator degraded' : 'Recreate container preserving installed packages'} onClick={() => doAction('remount', `Remount "${name}"? Preserves installed packages but restarts the container.`)}>{busy === 'remount' ? 'remounting...' : 'remount'}</button>
+        <button className="bg-white border border-warn text-warn-light px-1.5 py-0.5 rounded text-[11px] cursor-pointer hover:bg-[#fffbf5] transition-colors disabled:opacity-40 disabled:cursor-not-allowed" disabled={!!busy} onClick={async () => {
+          if (!confirm(`Archive creature "${name}"? It will be stopped and moved to the archive.`)) return;
+          setBusy('archive');
+          try { await api.creatureAction(name, 'archive'); refresh(); selectCreature(null); } finally { setBusy(null); }
+        }}>{busy === 'archive' ? 'archiving...' : 'archive'}</button>
       </div>
 
       {/* Tab bar */}
diff --git a/src/host/index.ts b/src/host/index.ts
index 1774214..369a65a 100644
--- a/src/host/index.ts
+++ b/src/host/index.ts
@@ -320,6 +320,12 @@ export class Orchestrator {
     await supervisor.restart();
   }
 
+  async remountCreature(name: string): Promise<void> {
+    const supervisor = this.supervisors.get(name);
+    if (!supervisor) throw new Error(`creature "${name}" is not running`);
+    await supervisor.remount();
+  }
+
   async spawnCreature(name: string, _dir: string, purpose?: string, genome = 'dreamer', model?: string): Promise<void> {
     console.log(`[orchestrator] spawning "${name}"...`);
     const result = await spawnCreature({ name, purpose, genome, model });
@@ -800,6 +806,21 @@ export class Orchestrator {
           return;
         }
 
+        if (action === 'remount' && req.method === 'POST') {
+          const health = getStatus();
+          if (health.status !== 'healthy') {
+            res.writeHead(503, { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' });
+            res.end(JSON.stringify({ error: 'Orchestrator degraded — cannot remount creatures', dependencies: health.dependencies }));
+            return;
+          }
+          try {
+            console.log(`[${name}] developer-initiated remount`);
+            await this.remountCreature(name);
+            res.writeHead(200); res.end('ok');
+          } catch (err: any) { res.writeHead(400); res.end(err.message); }
+          return;
+        }
+
         if (action === 'wake' && req.method === 'POST') {
           try {
             const supervisor = this.supervisors.get(name);
diff --git a/src/host/supervisor.ts b/src/host/supervisor.ts
index 781798a..78b332d 100644
--- a/src/host/supervisor.ts
+++ b/src/host/supervisor.ts
@@ -114,6 +114,34 @@ export class CreatureSupervisor {
     this.status = 'starting';
     await this.spawnCreature();
   }
+  // Recreate container preserving its writable layer (installed packages,
+  // configs, etc.). Commits the container state into the image, removes the old
+  // container, then creates a fresh one from the updated image — picking up any
+  // new mounts, env vars, or network config. Running processes stop but their
+  // installed artifacts survive.
+  async remount(): Promise<void> {
+    this.expectingExit = true;
+    this.clearTimers();
+    this.healthyAt = null;
+    const cname = this.containerName();
+
+    console.log(`[${this.name}] remounting: committing container state to image`);
+    try { execSync(`docker stop ${cname}`, { stdio: 'ignore', timeout: 15_000 }); } catch {}
+    try {
+      execSync(`docker commit ${cname} ${cname}`, { stdio: 'ignore', timeout: 60_000 });
+    } catch (err) {
+      console.error(`[${this.name}] remount: commit failed — container preserved, aborting`, err);
+      this.expectingExit = false;
+      throw err;
+    }
+    try { execSync(`docker rm -f ${cname}`, { stdio: 'ignore' }); } catch {}
+
+    this.creature = null;
+    this.currentSHA = getCurrentSHA(this.dir);
+    this.status = 'starting';
+    await this.spawnCreature();
+  }
+
 
   // Full rebuild: destroys container (writable layer lost). Developer-only.
   async rebuild(): Promise<void> {