diff --git a/apps/discord-bridge/src/bridge.ts b/apps/discord-bridge/src/bridge.ts
index 9318284..94c4238 100644
--- a/apps/discord-bridge/src/bridge.ts
+++ b/apps/discord-bridge/src/bridge.ts
@@ -702,21 +702,39 @@ export class DiscordCodexBridge {
 		}
 		const state = this.#requireState();
 		const existing = this.#gatewaySession();
+		const explicitMainThread = Boolean(gatewayConfig.mainThreadId);
+		let forceCreateGatewayThread = false;
 		const shouldReuseExisting =
-			Boolean(gatewayConfig.mainThreadId) ||
+			explicitMainThread ||
 			state.gateway?.toolsVersion === gatewayToolsVersion;
 		if (existing && shouldReuseExisting) {
-			state.gateway = {
-				homeChannelId: gatewayConfig.homeChannelId,
-				mainThreadId: existing.codexThreadId,
-				statusMessageId: existing.statusMessageId,
-				createdAt: existing.createdAt,
-				toolsVersion: state.gateway?.toolsVersion,
-				delegations: state.gateway?.delegations ?? [],
-			};
-			this.#registerRunner(existing);
-			await this.#persist();
-			return;
+			try {
+				const resumed = await this.client.resumeThread(this.#threadResumeParams(
+					existing.codexThreadId,
+					existing.cwd ?? this.config.cwd,
+				));
+				existing.cwd = resumeResponseCwd(resumed) ?? existing.cwd ?? this.config.cwd;
+				state.gateway = {
+					homeChannelId: gatewayConfig.homeChannelId,
+					mainThreadId: existing.codexThreadId,
+					statusMessageId: existing.statusMessageId,
+					createdAt: existing.createdAt,
+					toolsVersion: state.gateway?.toolsVersion,
+					delegations: state.gateway?.delegations ?? [],
+				};
+				this.#registerRunner(existing);
+				await this.#persist();
+				return;
+			} catch (error) {
+				if (explicitMainThread) {
+					throw error;
+				}
+				forceCreateGatewayThread = true;
+				this.#debug("gateway.session.recreateAfterResumeFailure", {
+					codexThreadId: existing.codexThreadId,
+					error: errorMessage(error),
+				});
+			}
 		}
 		if (existing) {
 			state.sessions = state.sessions.filter((session) => session !== existing);
@@ -725,10 +743,12 @@ export class DiscordCodexBridge {
 		}
 
 		const configuredThreadId =
-			gatewayConfig.mainThreadId ??
-			(state.gateway?.toolsVersion === gatewayToolsVersion
-				? state.gateway.mainThreadId
-				: undefined);
+			forceCreateGatewayThread
+				? undefined
+				: gatewayConfig.mainThreadId ??
+					(state.gateway?.toolsVersion === gatewayToolsVersion
+						? state.gateway.mainThreadId
+						: undefined);
 		const title = "Codex Gateway";
 		const started = configuredThreadId
 			? await this.client.resumeThread(this.#threadResumeParams(
diff --git a/apps/discord-bridge/test/bridge.test.ts b/apps/discord-bridge/test/bridge.test.ts
index b2094ed..e8dbb70 100644
--- a/apps/discord-bridge/test/bridge.test.ts
+++ b/apps/discord-bridge/test/bridge.test.ts
@@ -352,6 +352,68 @@ describe("DiscordCodexBridge", () => {
 		await bridge.stop();
 	});
 
+	test("recreates a tool-enabled gateway session when resume reports thread not found", async () => {
+		const client = new FakeCodexClient();
+		client.failedResumeThreadIds.add("missing-codex-thread");
+		const transport = new FakeDiscordTransport();
+		const store = new MemoryStateStore({
+			...emptyState(),
+			gateway: {
+				homeChannelId: "home-channel",
+				mainThreadId: "missing-codex-thread",
+				createdAt: "2026-05-13T00:00:00.000Z",
+				toolsVersion: 1,
+				delegations: [],
+			},
+			sessions: [
+				{
+					discordThreadId: "home-channel",
+					parentChannelId: "home-channel",
+					codexThreadId: "missing-codex-thread",
+					title: "Codex Gateway",
+					createdAt: "2026-05-13T00:00:00.000Z",
+					cwd: "/workspace",
+					mode: "gateway",
+				},
+			],
+		});
+		const bridge = new DiscordCodexBridge({
+			client,
+			transport,
+			store,
+			config: testConfig({
+				gateway: { homeChannelId: "home-channel" },
+			}),
+		});
+
+		await bridge.start();
+		await waitFor(() => bridge.stateForTest().gateway?.mainThreadId === "codex-thread-1");
+
+		expect(client.resumeThreadCalls[0]).toEqual(
+			expect.objectContaining({ threadId: "missing-codex-thread" }),
+		);
+		expect(client.startThreadCalls).toHaveLength(1);
+		expect(client.startThreadCalls[0]?.dynamicTools).toEqual(
+			expect.arrayContaining([
+				expect.objectContaining({ namespace: "codex_gateway" }),
+			]),
+		);
+		expect(bridge.stateForTest().gateway).toEqual(
+			expect.objectContaining({
+				mainThreadId: "codex-thread-1",
+				toolsVersion: 1,
+			}),
+		);
+		expect(bridge.stateForTest().sessions.filter((session) =>
+			session.mode === "gateway"
+		)).toEqual([
+			expect.objectContaining({
+				codexThreadId: "codex-thread-1",
+			}),
+		]);
+		await bridge.stop();
+	});
+
 	test("routes bot mentions in the home channel to the gateway instead of creating threads", async () => {
 		const client = new FakeCodexClient();
 		const transport = new FakeDiscordTransport();
@@ -2600,6 +2662,7 @@ class FakeCodexClient implements CodexBridgeClient {
 	threadTurns = new Map<string, v2.Turn[]>();
 	threadCwds = new Map<string, string>();
 	threadGoals = new Map<string, v2.ThreadGoal | null>();
+	failedResumeThreadIds = new Set<string>();
 	blockStartTurn = false;
 	#startTurnResolvers: Array<() => void> = [];
 	#notificationListeners: Array<(message: JsonRpcNotification) => void> = [];
@@ -2641,6 +2704,9 @@ class FakeCodexClient implements CodexBridgeClient {
 
 	async resumeThread(params: v2.ThreadResumeParams): Promise<v2.ThreadResumeResponse> {
 		this.resumeThreadCalls.push(params);
+		if (this.failedResumeThreadIds.has(params.threadId)) {
+			throw new Error(`thread not found: ${params.threadId}`);
+		}
 		const cwd = params.cwd ?? this.threadCwds.get(params.threadId) ?? "/workspace";
 		return {
 			cwd,