diff --git a/src/server/api/sync.ts b/src/server/api/sync.ts
index d1475eb..e82bf6b 100644
--- a/src/server/api/sync.ts
+++ b/src/server/api/sync.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { APPS_DIR, allApps, emit, registerApp, reloadApp, removeApp, restartApp, startApp } from '$apps'
+import { APPS_DIR, allApps, emit, registerApp, removeApp, restartApp, startApp } from '$apps'
 import { computeHash, generateManifest } from '../sync'
 import { loadGitignore } from '@gitignore'
 import { existsSync, mkdirSync, readdirSync, readFileSync, realpathSync, rmSync, unlinkSync, watch, writeFileSync } from 'fs'
@@ -115,14 +115,25 @@ router.post('/apps/:app/reload', async c => {
   const appName = c.req.param('app')
   if (!appName) return c.json({ error: 'App name required' }, 400)
 
-  try {
-    await reloadApp(appName)
-  } catch (e) {
-    return c.json({ error: `Failed to reload app: ${e instanceof Error ? e.message : String(e)}` }, 500)
-  }
-
   emit({ type: 'app:reload', app: appName })
 
+  // Register new app or restart existing
+  const app = allApps().find(a => a.name === appName)
+  if (!app) {
+    // New app - register it
+    registerApp(appName)
+  } else if (app.state === 'running') {
+    // Existing app - restart it
+    try {
+      await restartApp(appName)
+    } catch (e) {
+      return c.json({ error: `Failed to restart app: ${e instanceof Error ? e.message : String(e)}` }, 500)
+    }
+  } else if (app.state === 'stopped' || app.state === 'invalid') {
+    // App not running - try to start it
+    startApp(appName)
+  }
+
   return c.json({ ok: true })
 })
 
diff --git a/src/server/apps.ts b/src/server/apps.ts
index 5566008..bbeebb9 100644
--- a/src/server/apps.ts
+++ b/src/server/apps.ts
@@ -176,69 +176,6 @@ export function registerApp(dir: string) {
   }
 }
 
-export async function reloadApp(dir: string) {
-  const app = _apps.get(dir)
-  if (!app) {
-    // New app — register it
-    registerApp(dir)
-    return
-  }
-
-  // Re-read config from disk
-  const { pkg, error } = loadApp(dir)
-  const wasStatic = app.static
-  const nowStatic = !!pkg.toes?.static
-
-  // Update cached metadata
-  app.icon = pkg.toes?.icon ?? DEFAULT_EMOJI
-  app.tool = pkg.toes?.tool
-  app.apps = pkg.toes?.apps
-  app.dashboard = pkg.toes?.dashboard
-  app.share = pkg.toes?.share
-  app.static = pkg.toes?.static
-  app.error = error
-
-  if (error) {
-    // App is now invalid
-    if (app.state === 'running' || app.state === 'starting') {
-      stopApp(dir)
-    }
-    app.state = 'invalid'
-    update()
-    return
-  }
-
-  if (nowStatic) {
-    // Stop process if transitioning from process-based to static
-    if (!wasStatic && (app.state === 'running' || app.state === 'starting')) {
-      stopApp(dir)
-      // Wait for stop
-      const maxWait = 10000
-      const poll = 100
-      let waited = 0
-      while (_apps.get(dir)?.state !== 'stopped' && waited < maxWait) {
-        await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, poll))
-        waited += poll
-      }
-    }
-    // Mark as running (static apps are always "running")
-    app.state = 'running'
-    app.started = Date.now()
-    app.manuallyStopped = false
-    update()
-    publishApp(dir)
-    openTunnelIfEnabled(dir, SERVER_PORT)
-    return
-  }
-
-  // Process-based app — restart it
-  if (app.state === 'running' || app.state === 'starting') {
-    await restartApp(dir)
-  } else {
-    startApp(dir)
-  }
-}
-
 export async function renameApp(oldName: string, newName: string): Promise<{ ok: boolean, error?: string }> {
   const app = _apps.get(oldName)
   if (!app) return { ok: false, error: 'App not found' }
diff --git a/src/server/tunnels.ts b/src/server/tunnels.ts
index d88ebdc..942a1dd 100644
--- a/src/server/tunnels.ts
+++ b/src/server/tunnels.ts
@@ -180,9 +180,6 @@ function openTunnel(appName: string, port: number, subdomain?: string, isReconne
     onRequest(req) {
       const app = getApp(appName)
       if (app?.tunnelUrl) req.headers['x-app-url'] = app.tunnelUrl
-      // Static apps are served by the main server via subdomain routing,
-      // so set the Host header so extractSubdomain() can identify the app
-      if (app?.static) req.headers['host'] = `${appName}.localhost`
     },
 
     onOpen(assignedSubdomain) {