diff --git a/compute/core/src/control-plane/sse.ts b/compute/core/src/control-plane/sse.ts
index 712f6af..dbd17f1 100644
--- a/compute/core/src/control-plane/sse.ts
+++ b/compute/core/src/control-plane/sse.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ export interface SseFrameInput<T = unknown> {
   id?: string | number;
   data?: T;
   comment?: string;
+  /** Reconnection delay (ms) sent to the client EventSource as a `retry:` line. */
+  retry?: number;
 }
 
 export function encodeSseFrame<T = unknown>(input: SseFrameInput<T>): string {
@@ -10,6 +12,9 @@ export function encodeSseFrame<T = unknown>(input: SseFrameInput<T>): string {
   if (typeof input.comment === 'string') {
     lines.push(`: ${input.comment}`);
   }
+  if (typeof input.retry === 'number' && Number.isFinite(input.retry)) {
+    lines.push(`retry: ${Math.max(0, Math.floor(input.retry))}`);
+  }
   if (typeof input.id !== 'undefined') {
     lines.push(`id: ${String(input.id)}`);
   }
diff --git a/compute/core/tests/control-plane/sse.test.ts b/compute/core/tests/control-plane/sse.test.ts
index e207950..9b8e5b9 100644
--- a/compute/core/tests/control-plane/sse.test.ts
+++ b/compute/core/tests/control-plane/sse.test.ts
@@ -23,4 +23,14 @@ describe('sse codec', () => {
     expect(parseSseEventId(frame)).toBe(5);
     expect(parseSsePayload(frame)).toBe('line1\nline2');
   });
+
+  test('emits a retry directive when provided', () => {
+    const frame = encodeSseFrame({ retry: 120_000 });
+    expect(frame).toContain('retry: 120000');
+  });
+
+  test('omits retry when not finite and floors fractional values', () => {
+    expect(encodeSseFrame({ retry: Number.NaN })).not.toContain('retry:');
+    expect(encodeSseFrame({ retry: 1500.9 })).toContain('retry: 1500');
+  });
 });
diff --git a/compute/worker/src/runtime.ts b/compute/worker/src/runtime.ts
index 442df53..040e215 100644
--- a/compute/worker/src/runtime.ts
+++ b/compute/worker/src/runtime.ts
@@ -83,6 +83,11 @@ const COMPUTE_STATE_TTL_MS = 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000;
 const LOOP_ERROR_BACKOFF_MS = 500;
 const RUNNING_HEARTBEAT_MS = 5000;
 const OP_EVENTS_KEEPALIVE_MS = 15_000;
+// Reconnection delay handed to the browser EventSource via the SSE `retry:`
+// directive. When a silent stream is torn down for idle sleep, this keeps the
+// client from immediately reconnecting and re-waking the worker; instead it
+// reconnects on a slow cadence so the container stays asleep most of the time.
+const OP_EVENTS_RECONNECT_HINT_MS = 120_000;
 const DOCUMENT_ID_REGEX = /^[a-f0-9]{64}$/i;
 const SAFE_NAMESPACE_REGEX = /^[a-zA-Z0-9._-]{1,128}$/;
 const WHISPER_MAX_DELIVER = 1;
@@ -588,7 +593,11 @@ export async function createComputeWorkerApp(options: CreateComputeWorkerAppOpti
     if (idleTimer) return;
     idleTimer = setInterval(() => {
       if (!session || stopping) return;
-      if (inFlightHttp > 0 || activeSse > 0 || inFlightJobs > 0) return;
+      // Hard work in flight always blocks idle. An open SSE no longer blocks just
+      // by existing — only by delivering events, which refresh lastActivityAt via
+      // markActivity() in the stream's onEvent. So a silent/stuck-op stream lets
+      // the idle window elapse and is torn down by disconnect() below.
+      if (inFlightHttp > 0 || inFlightJobs > 0) return;
       if (Date.now() - lastActivityAt < IDLE_DISCONNECT_MS) return;
       void disconnect('idle');
     }, IDLE_CHECK_INTERVAL_MS);
@@ -612,6 +621,15 @@ export async function createComputeWorkerApp(options: CreateComputeWorkerAppOpti
   async function disconnect(reason: string): Promise<void> {
     const current = session;
     if (!current) return;
+    // Snapshot what's still attached so a dropped connection is visible in logs
+    // (e.g. SSE streams torn down because we went idle while they were open).
+    app.log.info({
+      reason,
+      activeSse,
+      inFlightHttp,
+      inFlightJobs,
+      idleForMs: Date.now() - lastActivityAt,
+    }, 'nats dropping connection');
     // Clear synchronously (before any await) so concurrent requests reconnect a
     // fresh session instead of using the connection we're about to close.
     session = null;
@@ -1032,6 +1050,10 @@ export async function createComputeWorkerApp(options: CreateComputeWorkerAppOpti
     reply.raw.setHeader('Cache-Control', 'no-cache, no-transform');
     reply.raw.setHeader('Connection', 'keep-alive');
     reply.raw.setHeader('X-Accel-Buffering', 'no');
+    // Tell the browser EventSource to back off before reconnecting. If this stream
+    // is torn down because the worker went idle (NATS dropped), we don't want the
+    // client to reconnect immediately and re-wake the container.
+    reply.raw.write(encodeSseFrame({ retry: OP_EVENTS_RECONNECT_HINT_MS }));
 
     let closed = false;
     let unsubscribe: (() => void) | null = null;
@@ -1095,6 +1117,9 @@ export async function createComputeWorkerApp(options: CreateComputeWorkerAppOpti
           if (nextSignature !== signature) {
             current = event.snapshot;
             signature = nextSignature;
+            // A real event is progress: refresh the idle window so an actively
+            // streaming op keeps the worker awake. A silent stream does not.
+            markActivity();
             writeSnapshot(current, event.eventId);
           }
           if (isTerminalStatus(event.snapshot.status)) {