diff --git a/Model.js b/Model.js
index 9a66346..f40a4e2 100644
--- a/Model.js
+++ b/Model.js
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ function serializeConfig(originalText, patch) {
 // hypr-rdp headless output's workspace so Hyprland's normal
 // auto-assignment never reuses it; deleting the file removes the pin.
 function isolationLuaContent(workspaceId, outputName) {
-  return "-- Managed by the jandieman.hypr-rdp bar widget's isolation\n" +
+  return "-- Managed by the dotjuice.hypr-rdp bar widget's isolation\n" +
     "-- toggle. Do not hand-edit -- this file is overwritten or removed\n" +
     "-- automatically when the toggle is flipped.\n" +
     "--\n" +
@@ -111,6 +111,18 @@ function parseActiveWorkspaceId(raw) {
   }
 }
 
+// Isolation intent is on unless the state file explicitly says otherwise —
+// covers a fresh install (no file yet, handled by the caller) and a
+// corrupt/unexpected file the same way: default to the safer "isolated" side.
+function parseIsolationState(raw) {
+  try {
+    var obj = JSON.parse(String(raw || ""))
+    return { enabled: obj.enabled !== false }
+  } catch (e) {
+    return { enabled: true }
+  }
+}
+
 if (typeof module !== "undefined") {
   module.exports = {
     escapeTomlString: escapeTomlString,
@@ -119,6 +131,7 @@ if (typeof module !== "undefined") {
     serializeConfig: serializeConfig,
     isolationLuaContent: isolationLuaContent,
     parseClients: parseClients,
-    parseActiveWorkspaceId: parseActiveWorkspaceId
+    parseActiveWorkspaceId: parseActiveWorkspaceId,
+    parseIsolationState: parseIsolationState
   }
 }
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b8e0f72..5ba78a4 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -48,17 +48,21 @@ omarchy pkg drop hypr-rdp-git   # or hypr-rdp
 - **Service**: start/stop via a `systemd --user` unit
   (`~/.config/systemd/user/hypr-rdp.service`). Created automatically on
   first start if it doesn't already exist; never overwritten after that.
-- **Monitor isolation**: toggling this creates or removes
-  `~/.local/state/omarchy/toggles/hypr/hypr-rdp-isolation.lua` (Omarchy's
-  standard toggle-flag convention — the same one `omarchy toggle
-  window-gaps` uses), which pins an isolated workspace (default 11) to the
-  `hypr-rdp` headless output via `hl.workspace_rule`, then runs `hyprctl
-  reload` + `hyprctl configerrors`. On: Hyprland's normal workspace
-  auto-assignment never reuses that workspace, so starting an RDP session
-  can't silently steal one of your visible workspaces. Off: the headless
-  output behaves like a normal display. Workspace-to-monitor binding is
-  config-file-only in Hyprland (no live `hyprctl keyword` for it), so a
-  flip takes effect the next time hypr-rdp (re)starts, not mid-session.
+- **Monitor isolation**: **on by default**, no setup needed. It works by
+  creating `~/.local/state/omarchy/toggles/hypr/hypr-rdp-isolation.lua`
+  (Omarchy's standard toggle-flag convention — the same one `omarchy
+  toggle window-gaps` uses), which pins an isolated workspace (default 11)
+  to the `hypr-rdp` headless output via `hl.workspace_rule`, then runs
+  `hyprctl reload` + `hyprctl configerrors`. On: Hyprland's normal
+  workspace auto-assignment never reuses that workspace, so starting an
+  RDP session can't silently steal one of your visible workspaces. Off:
+  the headless output behaves like a normal display. Workspace-to-monitor
+  binding is config-file-only in Hyprland (no live `hyprctl keyword` for
+  it), so a flip takes effect the next time hypr-rdp (re)starts, not
+  mid-session. Your choice is remembered in a small state file next to the
+  toggle flag, and every poll cycle re-applies it — so if the toggle file
+  is ever deleted or edited by something else, the widget puts it back
+  within a few seconds rather than silently losing the setting.
   **If you already have your own `hl.workspace_rule` pinning a workspace to
   the `hypr-rdp` output in `monitors.lua` or elsewhere, remove it first** —
   a leftover static rule will keep isolation on regardless of what the
diff --git a/Service.qml b/Service.qml
index b807293..0a55fd6 100644
--- a/Service.qml
+++ b/Service.qml
@@ -28,8 +28,13 @@ Item {
   readonly property bool active: _desired === -1 ? running : (_desired === 1)
 
   property bool isolationFileExists: false
-  property int _isolationDesired: -1
-  readonly property bool isolated: _isolationDesired === -1 ? isolationFileExists : (_isolationDesired === 1)
+  // Persisted intent (see isolation-state.json below), not raw file
+  // existence — so a fresh install defaults to isolated without anyone
+  // clicking anything, and the plugin self-heals if the toggle file is
+  // ever removed out from under it.
+  property bool desiredIsolation: true
+  property bool _isolationStateLoaded: false
+  readonly property bool isolated: desiredIsolation
 
   readonly property bool busy: startStopProc.running || installUnitProc.running
     || isolationRemoveProc.running || reloadProc.running
@@ -79,6 +84,7 @@ Item {
     if (!whichProc.running) whichProc.running = true
     if (!statusProc.running) statusProc.running = true
     if (root.running && !clientsProc.running) clientsProc.running = true
+    root.reconcileIsolation()
   }
 
   Timer {
@@ -201,18 +207,64 @@ Item {
   }
 
   // ---------------------------------------------------------- isolation toggle
+  //
+  // Two files, two different jobs, both in toggleDir on purpose: it's
+  // Omarchy's own toggles directory, guaranteed to already exist on every
+  // install (default/hypr/toggles.lua ships a placeholder file there), so
+  // neither FileView below races an async `mkdir -p` the way a
+  // plugin-private directory would — that race is exactly what silently
+  // broke first-run bootstrap during testing.
+  //  - .dotjuice.hypr-rdp-isolation-state.json records the user's
+  //    *intent*: on by default so a fresh install behaves the same way as
+  //    one where someone flipped the switch, off only once someone
+  //    actually turns it off. The require_all loader only picks up
+  //    `*.lua` files, so a `.json` file here is invisible to Hyprland.
+  //  - hypr-rdp-isolation.lua is what Hyprland actually reads.
+  //    reconcileIsolation() keeps it in sync with intent on every poll, so
+  //    if anything external deletes or restores it, the plugin puts it
+  //    back the way it's supposed to be within one poll interval.
+
+  readonly property string isolationStatePath: toggleDir + "/.dotjuice.hypr-rdp-isolation-state.json"
+
+  property FileView isolationStateFile: FileView {
+    path: root.isolationStatePath
+    watchChanges: true
+    printErrors: false
+    onLoaded: {
+      root.desiredIsolation = Model.parseIsolationState(text()).enabled
+      root._isolationStateLoaded = true
+      root.reconcileIsolation()
+    }
+    onLoadFailed: {
+      // Never configured before (fresh install, or the state file was
+      // removed): bootstrap to isolated-on, matching this plugin's
+      // out-of-the-box behavior, and persist that choice.
+      root._isolationStateLoaded = true
+      root.persistIsolationState(true)
+    }
+    onFileChanged: reload()
+  }
+
+  function persistIsolationState(enabled) {
+    root.desiredIsolation = enabled
+    root.isolationStateFile.setText(JSON.stringify({ enabled: enabled }))
+    root.reconcileIsolation()
+  }
+
+  property string isolationFileContent: ""
 
   property FileView isolationFile: FileView {
     path: root.isolationTogglePath
     watchChanges: true
     printErrors: false
     onLoaded: {
+      root.isolationFileContent = text()
       root.isolationFileExists = true
-      if (root._isolationDesired === 1) root._isolationDesired = -1
+      root.reconcileIsolation()
     }
     onLoadFailed: {
+      root.isolationFileContent = ""
       root.isolationFileExists = false
-      if (root._isolationDesired === 0) root._isolationDesired = -1
     }
     onFileChanged: reload()
   }
@@ -237,21 +289,32 @@ Item {
 
   function applyReload() { reloadProc.running = true }
 
-  function toggleIsolation() {
-    if (isolationRemoveProc.running || reloadProc.running) return
-    if (root.isolated) {
-      root._isolationDesired = 0
+  // Brings the toggle-flag file into line with persisted intent. Called on
+  // every poll tick as well as after any explicit change, so drift from
+  // outside this plugin (a stray `omarchy refresh`, someone hand-editing
+  // the toggles directory, etc.) gets corrected automatically.
+  function reconcileIsolation() {
+    if (!root._isolationStateLoaded || isolationRemoveProc.running) return
+    if (root.desiredIsolation) {
+      var desiredContent = Model.isolationLuaContent(root.isolatedWorkspace, root.outputName)
+      if (!root.isolationFileExists || root.isolationFileContent !== desiredContent) {
+        root.isolationFile.setText(desiredContent)
+        // FileView does not re-emit onLoaded for its own write.
+        root.isolationFileContent = desiredContent
+        root.isolationFileExists = true
+        root.applyReload()
+      }
+    } else if (root.isolationFileExists) {
       root.isolationFileExists = false
       isolationRemoveProc.running = true
-    } else {
-      root._isolationDesired = 1
-      root.isolationFile.setText(Model.isolationLuaContent(root.isolatedWorkspace, root.outputName))
-      // FileView does not re-emit onLoaded for its own write.
-      root.isolationFileExists = true
-      root.applyReload()
     }
   }
 
+  function toggleIsolation() {
+    if (isolationRemoveProc.running || reloadProc.running) return
+    root.persistIsolationState(!root.desiredIsolation)
+  }
+
   // ---------------------------------------------------------- credentials
 
   property FileView configFile: FileView {