diff --git a/src/plugin_system/plugin_health.py b/src/plugin_system/plugin_health.py
index ecbec076..71a05ea3 100644
--- a/src/plugin_system/plugin_health.py
+++ b/src/plugin_system/plugin_health.py
@@ -64,8 +64,19 @@ class PluginHealthTracker:
             cache_key, max_age=None, memory_ttl=0 if force_reload else None
         )
 
-        if cached:
+        if isinstance(cached, dict) and cached:
             return cached
+
+        # A cache entry that is not a dict means the persisted state was written
+        # by something other than _save_health_state (a key collision, a partial
+        # write, a restored backup). Returning it verbatim makes every caller
+        # blow up on .get(), which takes the display down in a restart loop that
+        # survives reboots because the bad entry is on disk. Discard and rebuild.
+        if cached is not None and not isinstance(cached, dict):
+            self.logger.warning(
+                f"Discarding malformed health state for {plugin_id}: expected "
+                f"dict, got {type(cached).__name__}. Falling back to defaults."
+            )
         
         # Default state
         return {
diff --git a/systemd/ledmatrix-wifi-monitor.service b/systemd/ledmatrix-wifi-monitor.service
index 2f08fde0..46b69bfe 100644
--- a/systemd/ledmatrix-wifi-monitor.service
+++ b/systemd/ledmatrix-wifi-monitor.service
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@ WorkingDirectory=__PROJECT_ROOT_DIR__
 ExecStart=/usr/bin/python3 __PROJECT_ROOT_DIR__/scripts/utils/wifi_monitor_daemon.py --interval 30
 Restart=on-failure
 RestartSec=10
-StandardOutput=syslog
-StandardError=syslog
+StandardOutput=journal
+StandardError=journal
 SyslogIdentifier=ledmatrix-wifi-monitor
 
 [Install]
diff --git a/systemd/ledmatrix.service b/systemd/ledmatrix.service
index f3bc9e28..d2aba454 100644
--- a/systemd/ledmatrix.service
+++ b/systemd/ledmatrix.service
@@ -9,7 +9,11 @@ User=root
 WorkingDirectory=__PROJECT_ROOT_DIR__
 Environment=PYTHONDONTWRITEBYTECODE=1
 ExecStart=/usr/bin/python3 __PROJECT_ROOT_DIR__/run.py
-Restart=on-failure
+# Restart=always, not on-failure: run.py exiting 0 (a clean shutdown path taken
+# for a reason that no longer applies, e.g. a config reload) would otherwise leave
+# the service stopped and the panel dark indefinitely, with systemd considering
+# that a successful outcome and never bringing it back.
+Restart=always
 RestartSec=10
 StandardOutput=journal
 StandardError=journal