diff --git a/scripts/deploy-remote.sh b/scripts/deploy-remote.sh
index 905cd2a..62c4b4c 100755
--- a/scripts/deploy-remote.sh
+++ b/scripts/deploy-remote.sh
@@ -231,8 +231,17 @@ install_signal_relay() {
     systemctl --user daemon-reload
     systemctl --user enable signal-relay.service
     systemctl --user restart signal-relay.service
-    curl -fsS -m 5 http://127.0.0.1:18093/health >/dev/null \
-        || { echo "signal-relay is not answering on 127.0.0.1:18093" >&2; return 1; }
+    # The interpreter needs a moment to bind after restart; a one-shot curl
+    # raced the socket on 2026-09-17 and failed a healthy deploy.
+    local i
+    for i in $(seq 1 15); do
+        if curl -fsS -m 5 http://127.0.0.1:18093/health >/dev/null; then
+            return 0
+        fi
+        sleep 1
+    done
+    echo "signal-relay is not answering on 127.0.0.1:18093" >&2
+    return 1
 }
 
 copy_loki_config() {