diff --git a/apps/cli/src/lib/star-prompt.ts b/apps/cli/src/lib/star-prompt.ts
index 087c6718..98e6ff26 100644
--- a/apps/cli/src/lib/star-prompt.ts
+++ b/apps/cli/src/lib/star-prompt.ts
@@ -3,9 +3,11 @@
  * `agentbox self-update`.
  *
  * Cadence (deliberately gentle, no nagging):
- *   - install:     skip runs 1, 2 and 5+; ask on the 3rd and 4th completed wizard.
- *   - self-update: ask on every run.
- *   - once the user has starred via `gh` (confirmed), never ask again.
+ *   - install:     skip runs 1, 2 and 5+; the 3rd and 4th completed wizards are
+ *                  the ask window (the 4th only fires if the 3rd went unanswered).
+ *   - self-update: ask until the user answers.
+ *   - once the user answers — yes or no — never ask again. A yes without an
+ *     authenticated `gh` opens the browser; we trust it and still stop asking.
  *
  * State lives at `~/.agentbox/star-prompt.json` (same dir as the first-run
  * marker). Self-contained — no dependency on `@agentbox/relay`, whose `gh`
@@ -27,9 +29,15 @@ interface StarState {
   version: typeof STATE_VERSION;
   installCount: number;
   starred: boolean;
+  answered: boolean;
 }
 
-const DEFAULT_STATE: StarState = { version: STATE_VERSION, installCount: 0, starred: false };
+const DEFAULT_STATE: StarState = {
+  version: STATE_VERSION,
+  installCount: 0,
+  starred: false,
+  answered: false,
+};
 
 function starStatePath(): string {
   return join(homedir(), '.agentbox', 'star-prompt.json');
@@ -44,6 +52,7 @@ function readStarState(): StarState {
       version: STATE_VERSION,
       installCount: typeof parsed.installCount === 'number' ? parsed.installCount : 0,
       starred: parsed.starred === true,
+      answered: parsed.answered === true,
     };
   } catch {
     // Corrupt/unreadable — treat as fresh rather than crashing install.
@@ -73,7 +82,7 @@ export async function maybePromptStar(opts: StarPromptOptions): Promise<void> {
   if (!process.stdout.isTTY) return;
 
   const state = readStarState();
-  if (state.starred) return;
+  if (state.starred || state.answered) return;
 
   let shouldPrompt: boolean;
   if (opts.trigger === 'install') {
@@ -90,6 +99,9 @@ export async function maybePromptStar(opts: StarPromptOptions): Promise<void> {
     message: 'Help support this open source project — would you like to star it on GitHub? Thanks!',
     initialValue: true,
   });
+  // Any explicit answer settles it — never re-ask. (Ctrl+C aborts before this.)
+  state.answered = true;
+  writeStarState(state);
   if (!yes) return;
 
   try {
diff --git a/apps/cli/test/star-prompt.test.ts b/apps/cli/test/star-prompt.test.ts
index cc4cf944..c4a5debb 100644
--- a/apps/cli/test/star-prompt.test.ts
+++ b/apps/cli/test/star-prompt.test.ts
@@ -29,14 +29,18 @@ const { spawnSync } = (await import('node:child_process')) as unknown as {
 };
 
 const STATE = (): string => join(HOME, '.agentbox', 'star-prompt.json');
-function readState(): { installCount: number; starred: boolean } | null {
+function readState(): { installCount: number; starred: boolean; answered: boolean } | null {
   return existsSync(STATE())
-    ? (JSON.parse(readFileSync(STATE(), 'utf8')) as { installCount: number; starred: boolean })
+    ? (JSON.parse(readFileSync(STATE(), 'utf8')) as {
+        installCount: number;
+        starred: boolean;
+        answered: boolean;
+      })
     : null;
 }
-function seedState(installCount: number, starred = false): void {
+function seedState(installCount: number, starred = false, answered = false): void {
   mkdirSync(join(HOME, '.agentbox'), { recursive: true });
-  writeFileSync(STATE(), JSON.stringify({ version: 1, installCount, starred }));
+  writeFileSync(STATE(), JSON.stringify({ version: 1, installCount, starred, answered }));
 }
 
 let prevTTY: boolean | undefined;
@@ -60,14 +64,22 @@ describe('maybePromptStar — install cadence', () => {
     expect(readState()?.installCount).toBe(2);
   });
 
-  it('prompts on the 3rd and 4th install, not the 5th', async () => {
+  it('prompts on the 3rd install, then the recorded answer suppresses the 4th window', async () => {
     seedState(2);
-    await maybePromptStar({ trigger: 'install' }); // -> 3
+    await maybePromptStar({ trigger: 'install' }); // -> 3, prompts and records the answer
     expect(confirm).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    await maybePromptStar({ trigger: 'install' }); // -> answered, no prompt (count frozen)
+    expect(confirm).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(readState()?.installCount).toBe(3);
+  });
+
+  it('re-asks on the 4th install only if the 3rd never got an answer recorded', async () => {
+    seedState(3); // 3rd window passed without an answer (e.g. process died mid-prompt)
     await maybePromptStar({ trigger: 'install' }); // -> 4
-    expect(confirm).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
-    await maybePromptStar({ trigger: 'install' }); // -> 5
-    expect(confirm).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2);
+    expect(confirm).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    seedState(4);
+    await maybePromptStar({ trigger: 'install' }); // -> 5, past the window
+    expect(confirm).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
     expect(readState()?.installCount).toBe(5);
   });
 });
@@ -87,21 +99,31 @@ describe('maybePromptStar — guards', () => {
     await maybePromptStar({ trigger: 'self-update' });
     expect(confirm).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
+
+  it('never prompts once answered, even unstarred', async () => {
+    seedState(2, false, true);
+    await maybePromptStar({ trigger: 'install' });
+    await maybePromptStar({ trigger: 'self-update' });
+    expect(confirm).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
 });
 
 describe('maybePromptStar — self-update', () => {
-  it('always prompts regardless of install count', async () => {
+  it('prompts regardless of install count until answered', async () => {
     await maybePromptStar({ trigger: 'self-update' });
     expect(confirm).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
   });
 });
 
 describe('maybePromptStar — star action', () => {
-  it('answering no does nothing', async () => {
+  it('answering no records the answer and never asks again', async () => {
     confirm.mockResolvedValue(false);
     await maybePromptStar({ trigger: 'self-update' });
     expect(spawnSync).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     expect(readState()?.starred).toBeFalsy();
+    expect(readState()?.answered).toBe(true);
+    await maybePromptStar({ trigger: 'self-update' });
+    expect(confirm).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
   });
 
   it('gh ready → stars via gh api and records starred=true', async () => {
@@ -131,6 +153,10 @@ describe('maybePromptStar — star action', () => {
       spawnSync.mock.calls.some((c) => Array.isArray(c[1]) && c[1].includes('PUT')),
     ).toBe(false);
     expect(readState()?.starred).toBeFalsy();
+    // The answer is still recorded — the browser path must not re-ask forever.
+    expect(readState()?.answered).toBe(true);
+    await maybePromptStar({ trigger: 'self-update' });
+    expect(confirm).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
   });
 
   it('gh missing (ENOENT) → falls back to the browser', async () => {