diff --git a/relayauto.go b/relayauto.go
index b940b42..314a643 100644
--- a/relayauto.go
+++ b/relayauto.go
@@ -96,8 +96,23 @@ func bandInList(bands []string, band string) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
+// relayAction is one relay's computed desired state for this evaluation.
+type relayAction struct {
+	dev   string
+	relay int
+	want  bool
+}
+
 // applyRelayAuto evaluates every rule against the current frequency/band and
-// switches only the relays whose desired state changed since the last apply.
+// switches only the relays that are NOT already in the wanted position. Two things
+// it deliberately does NOT do, which used to make the relay clunk on every
+// launch/close:
+//   - Never acts on an UNKNOWN frequency/band. When the CAT disconnects (app close)
+//     the frequency drops to 0; reading that as "out of range" and switching the
+//     relay off — then back on at the next launch — was the whole bug.
+//   - Never commands a relay already in the right position: on the first evaluation
+//     after launch/save it reads the boards' LIVE state, so a relay that's already
+//     correct is left untouched instead of being re-sent.
 func (a *App) applyRelayAuto(freqHz int64, band string) {
 	a.relayAutoMu.Lock()
 	defer a.relayAutoMu.Unlock()
@@ -110,8 +125,11 @@ func (a *App) applyRelayAuto(freqHz int64, band string) {
 		a.relayAutoLast = map[string]bool{}
 	}
 	khz := float64(freqHz) / 1000.0
+	band = strings.TrimSpace(band)
 
-	changed := false
+	// Compute desired states, skipping rules whose input is unknown right now.
+	var acts []relayAction
+	needLive := false
 	for _, r := range cfg.Rules {
 		if r.Relay < 1 {
 			continue
@@ -119,8 +137,11 @@ func (a *App) applyRelayAuto(freqHz int64, band string) {
 		var want bool
 		switch r.Mode {
 		case "freq":
+			if freqHz <= 0 {
+				continue // no known frequency (CAT off/closing) → leave the relay as-is
+			}
 			if r.FreqLoKHz <= 0 && r.FreqHiKHz <= 0 {
-				continue // unconfigured range → leave the relay alone
+				continue // unconfigured range
 			}
 			lo, hi := r.FreqLoKHz, r.FreqHiKHz
 			if hi < lo {
@@ -128,6 +149,9 @@ func (a *App) applyRelayAuto(freqHz int64, band string) {
 			}
 			want = khz >= lo && khz <= hi
 		case "band":
+			if band == "" {
+				continue // no known band → leave the relay as-is
+			}
 			if len(r.Bands) == 0 {
 				continue
 			}
@@ -135,16 +159,43 @@ func (a *App) applyRelayAuto(freqHz int64, band string) {
 		default:
 			continue // "off"/empty → not managed
 		}
-
-		key := relayAutoKey(r.DeviceID, r.Relay)
-		if last, ok := a.relayAutoLast[key]; ok && last == want {
-			continue // no change → don't hammer the board
+		acts = append(acts, relayAction{r.DeviceID, r.Relay, want})
+		if _, ok := a.relayAutoLast[relayAutoKey(r.DeviceID, r.Relay)]; !ok {
+			needLive = true
 		}
-		if err := a.StationSetRelay(r.DeviceID, r.Relay, want); err != nil {
-			applog.Printf("relay auto: set %s relay %d = %v failed: %v", r.DeviceID, r.Relay, want, err)
+	}
+	if len(acts) == 0 {
+		return
+	}
+
+	// First evaluation after launch/save: read the boards' LIVE relay states once
+	// so we don't re-command a relay that's already in the wanted position.
+	var live map[string]bool
+	if needLive {
+		live = map[string]bool{}
+		for _, ds := range a.GetStationStatus() {
+			for _, rl := range ds.Relays {
+				live[relayAutoKey(ds.ID, rl.Number)] = rl.On
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	changed := false
+	for _, ac := range acts {
+		key := relayAutoKey(ac.dev, ac.relay)
+		cur, known := a.relayAutoLast[key]
+		if !known && live != nil {
+			cur, known = live[key]
+		}
+		if known && cur == ac.want {
+			a.relayAutoLast[key] = ac.want // already in position — record it, don't switch
+			continue
+		}
+		if err := a.StationSetRelay(ac.dev, ac.relay, ac.want); err != nil {
+			applog.Printf("relay auto: set %s relay %d = %v failed: %v", ac.dev, ac.relay, ac.want, err)
 			continue // don't cache a failed write — retry next change
 		}
-		a.relayAutoLast[key] = want
+		a.relayAutoLast[key] = ac.want
 		changed = true
 	}