diff --git a/deploy/files/usr/local/libexec/left4me/left4me-systemctl b/deploy/files/usr/local/libexec/left4me/left4me-systemctl
index d7ab8e5..fc7cbd9 100755
--- a/deploy/files/usr/local/libexec/left4me/left4me-systemctl
+++ b/deploy/files/usr/local/libexec/left4me/left4me-systemctl
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 set -eu
 
 usage() {
-    printf '%s\n' "usage: left4me-systemctl start|stop|show <server-name>" >&2
+    printf '%s\n' "usage: left4me-systemctl enable|disable|show <server-name>" >&2
     exit 2
 }
 
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ action=$1
 name=$2
 
 case "$action" in
-    start|stop|show) ;;
+    enable|disable|show) ;;
     *) usage ;;
 esac
 
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ else
 fi
 
 case "$action" in
-    start) exec "$systemctl" start "$unit" ;;
-    stop) exec "$systemctl" stop "$unit" ;;
+    enable) exec "$systemctl" enable --now "$unit" ;;
+    disable) exec "$systemctl" disable --now "$unit" ;;
     show) exec "$systemctl" show --property=ActiveState --property=SubState "$unit" ;;
 esac
diff --git a/deploy/tests/test_deploy_artifacts.py b/deploy/tests/test_deploy_artifacts.py
index 03541ff..96d0300 100644
--- a/deploy/tests/test_deploy_artifacts.py
+++ b/deploy/tests/test_deploy_artifacts.py
@@ -233,12 +233,16 @@ def test_systemctl_helper_passes_shell_syntax_check_and_rejects_bad_args(tmp_pat
 
     for args in [
         ["bad/action", "alpha"],
-        ["start", ""],
-        ["start", ".hidden"],
-        ["start", "bad..name"],
-        ["start", "bad/name"],
-        ["start", "bad\\name"],
-        ["start", "bad name"],
+        # `start` and `stop` are no longer accepted verbs — the lifecycle now
+        # uses `enable`/`disable` for reboot survival via WantedBy= symlinks.
+        ["start", "alpha"],
+        ["stop", "alpha"],
+        ["enable", ""],
+        ["enable", ".hidden"],
+        ["enable", "bad..name"],
+        ["enable", "bad/name"],
+        ["enable", "bad\\name"],
+        ["enable", "bad name"],
     ]:
         result = subprocess.run(["sh", str(SYSTEMCTL_HELPER), *args], env=_env_with_fake_commands(tmp_path), check=False)
         assert result.returncode != 0
@@ -246,8 +250,8 @@ def test_systemctl_helper_passes_shell_syntax_check_and_rejects_bad_args(tmp_pat
 
     script = SYSTEMCTL_HELPER.read_text()
     assert 'unit="left4me-server@${name}.service"' in script
-    assert 'start) exec "$systemctl" start "$unit"' in script
-    assert 'stop) exec "$systemctl" stop "$unit"' in script
+    assert 'enable) exec "$systemctl" enable --now "$unit"' in script
+    assert 'disable) exec "$systemctl" disable --now "$unit"' in script
     assert "--property=ActiveState" in script
     assert "--property=SubState" in script
 
diff --git a/l4d2host/instances.py b/l4d2host/instances.py
index 63a3ac4..4a97b52 100644
--- a/l4d2host/instances.py
+++ b/l4d2host/instances.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ from typing import Callable
 
 from l4d2host.fs.kernel_overlayfs import KernelOverlayFSMounter
 from l4d2host.paths import DEFAULT_LEFT4ME_ROOT, get_left4me_root, overlay_path, validate_instance_name
-from l4d2host.service_control import start_service, stop_service
+from l4d2host.service_control import disable_service, enable_service
 from l4d2host.spec import load_spec
 
 
@@ -133,8 +133,8 @@ def start_instance(
         should_cancel=should_cancel,
     )
 
-    emit_step("starting systemd service...", on_stdout, passthrough)
-    start_service(
+    emit_step("enabling + starting systemd service...", on_stdout, passthrough)
+    enable_service(
         name,
         on_stdout=on_stdout,
         on_stderr=on_stderr,
@@ -155,8 +155,8 @@ def stop_instance(
 ) -> None:
     name = validate_instance_name(name)
     root = get_left4me_root() if root is None else Path(root)
-    emit_step("stopping systemd service...", on_stdout, passthrough)
-    stop_service(
+    emit_step("disabling + stopping systemd service...", on_stdout, passthrough)
+    disable_service(
         name,
         on_stdout=on_stdout,
         on_stderr=on_stderr,
@@ -189,9 +189,9 @@ def _purge_instance(
     instance_dir = root / "instances" / name
     runtime_dir = root / "runtime" / name
 
-    emit_step("stopping systemd service (if running)...", on_stdout, passthrough)
+    emit_step("disabling + stopping systemd service (if running)...", on_stdout, passthrough)
     try:
-        stop_service(
+        disable_service(
             name,
             on_stdout=on_stdout,
             on_stderr=on_stderr,
diff --git a/l4d2host/service_control.py b/l4d2host/service_control.py
index 8edd0b7..9a62280 100644
--- a/l4d2host/service_control.py
+++ b/l4d2host/service_control.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ def journalctl_command(name: str, lines: int = 200, follow: bool = True) -> list
     return ["sudo", "-n", JOURNALCTL_HELPER, name, "--lines", str(lines), follow_arg]
 
 
-def start_service(
+def enable_service(
     name: str,
     *,
     on_stdout: Callable[[str], None] | None = None,
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ def start_service(
     should_cancel: Callable[[], bool] | None = None,
 ) -> CommandResult:
     return run_command(
-        systemctl_command("start", name),
+        systemctl_command("enable", name),
         on_stdout=on_stdout,
         on_stderr=on_stderr,
         passthrough=passthrough,
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ def start_service(
     )
 
 
-def stop_service(
+def disable_service(
     name: str,
     *,
     on_stdout: Callable[[str], None] | None = None,
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ def stop_service(
     should_cancel: Callable[[], bool] | None = None,
 ) -> CommandResult:
     return run_command(
-        systemctl_command("stop", name),
+        systemctl_command("disable", name),
         on_stdout=on_stdout,
         on_stderr=on_stderr,
         passthrough=passthrough,
diff --git a/l4d2host/tests/test_lifecycle.py b/l4d2host/tests/test_lifecycle.py
index ea61fac..f082d24 100644
--- a/l4d2host/tests/test_lifecycle.py
+++ b/l4d2host/tests/test_lifecycle.py
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ def test_start_order(tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
         "mount",
         "alpha",
     ]
-    assert calls[1] == ["sudo", "-n", "/usr/local/libexec/left4me/left4me-systemctl", "start", "alpha"]
+    assert calls[1] == ["sudo", "-n", "/usr/local/libexec/left4me/left4me-systemctl", "enable", "alpha"]
 
 
 def test_start_copies_per_overlay_aliases_and_sweeps_stale(
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ def test_delete_succeeds_when_stop_service_fails(tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch: py
     def fake_run_command(cmd, **kwargs):
         del kwargs
         calls.append(list(cmd))
-        if cmd[:2] == ["sudo", "-n"] and "left4me-systemctl" in cmd[2] and "stop" in cmd:
+        if cmd[:2] == ["sudo", "-n"] and "left4me-systemctl" in cmd[2] and "disable" in cmd:
             raise subprocess.CalledProcessError(
                 returncode=5,
                 cmd=list(cmd),
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ def test_reset_stops_unmounts_and_removes_dirs(tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch: pyte
     assert not instance_dir.exists()
     assert not runtime_dir.exists()
     assert any("left4me-systemctl" in arg for cmd in calls for arg in cmd)
-    assert any("stop" in cmd for cmd in calls)
+    assert any("disable" in cmd for cmd in calls)
 
 
 def test_reset_on_never_initialized_is_noop(tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ def test_reset_on_never_initialized_is_noop(tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch: pytest.
     stop+unmount (both suppressed on failure) and not raise."""
     def fake_run_command(cmd, **kwargs):
         del kwargs
-        if "stop" in cmd:
+        if "disable" in cmd:
             raise subprocess.CalledProcessError(returncode=5, cmd=list(cmd), stderr="not loaded")
 
     monkeypatch.setattr("l4d2host.fs.kernel_overlayfs.run_command", fake_run_command)
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ def test_delete_stopped_instance_removes_dirs(tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch: pytes
 
     assert not (tmp_path / "instances" / "alpha").exists()
     assert not (tmp_path / "runtime" / "alpha").exists()
-    assert ["sudo", "-n", "/usr/local/libexec/left4me/left4me-systemctl", "stop", "alpha"] in calls
+    assert ["sudo", "-n", "/usr/local/libexec/left4me/left4me-systemctl", "disable", "alpha"] in calls
 
 
 def test_stop_succeeds_when_unmount_fails(tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
diff --git a/l4d2host/tests/test_service_control.py b/l4d2host/tests/test_service_control.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d7d065b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/l4d2host/tests/test_service_control.py
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
+from l4d2host.service_control import (
+    SYSTEMCTL_HELPER,
+    disable_service,
+    enable_service,
+)
+
+
+@patch("l4d2host.service_control.run_command")
+def test_enable_service_invokes_helper_with_enable_action(mock_run):
+    enable_service("instance-7")
+    args, _ = mock_run.call_args
+    assert args[0] == ["sudo", "-n", SYSTEMCTL_HELPER, "enable", "instance-7"]
+
+
+@patch("l4d2host.service_control.run_command")
+def test_disable_service_invokes_helper_with_disable_action(mock_run):
+    disable_service("instance-7")
+    args, _ = mock_run.call_args
+    assert args[0] == ["sudo", "-n", SYSTEMCTL_HELPER, "disable", "instance-7"]