diff --git a/docs/design/sdk-api.md b/docs/design/sdk-api.md
index dcaca33..0bf9a6b 100644
--- a/docs/design/sdk-api.md
+++ b/docs/design/sdk-api.md
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ public interface Rift extends AutoCloseable {
   // -- intercept (TLS-MITM) --
   Intercept intercept();                     // default options
   Intercept intercept(InterceptOptions options);  // InterceptOptions.attach() discovers a running listener
-  Optional<InterceptStatus> interceptStatus();    // GET /intercept (404 → empty); embedded: own listener, else the admin plane's
+  Optional<InterceptStatus> interceptStatus();    // GET /intercept (404 → empty); embedded: the admin plane's once served, else own listener
 
   // -- async facade (secondary surface) --
   RiftAsync async();                         // createAsync(ImposterSpec), deleteAllAsync(), impostersAsync()
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ public interface RiftTransport extends AutoCloseable {
   void spaceDelete(int port, String flowId);
   // intercept
   JsonValue startIntercept(JsonValue options);
-  default Optional<JsonValue> interceptStatus();  // GET /intercept | embedded: the FFI-started listener, else the admin plane's GET /intercept
+  default Optional<JsonValue> interceptStatus();  // GET /intercept | embedded: the admin plane's GET /intercept once one is served (it shares the FFI slot, rift#521), else the FFI-started listener
   void interceptAddRules(JsonValue rules);
   default void interceptReplaceRules(JsonValue rules);  // PUT /intercept/rules | rift_intercept_replace_rules (>= 0.20.0)
   JsonValue interceptListRules(); void interceptClearRules();
diff --git a/docs/intercept.md b/docs/intercept.md
index 6cf99ca..0bd2bdb 100644
--- a/docs/intercept.md
+++ b/docs/intercept.md
@@ -77,8 +77,9 @@ the way a listener it started is reached: through `ConnectOptions.interceptAddre
 wildcard bind (`0.0.0.0`) replaced by the admin host. No listener running → `IllegalStateException`,
 and intercept stays available. The explicit `attach(host, port)` form never consults
 `interceptAddress`: the endpoint you give is used as is. On the embedded transport
-`interceptStatus()` reports the listener the handle started until it is closed, or one another client
-started through the engine's admin plane (`rift.adminUri()`).
+`interceptStatus()` reports the engine's one listener, whether the handle started it or another client
+started it through the engine's admin plane (`rift.adminUri()`). A client that stops or restarts it
+through that plane is reflected too.
 
 To start the listener at runtime instead — with your own CA, say — expose the port without
 launching a listener, then start it bound to the container's interface. The handle is mapped to
diff --git a/rift-java-core/src/main/java/io/github/achirdlabs/rift/Rift.java b/rift-java-core/src/main/java/io/github/achirdlabs/rift/Rift.java
index a6c0249..1aa5bb5 100644
--- a/rift-java-core/src/main/java/io/github/achirdlabs/rift/Rift.java
+++ b/rift-java-core/src/main/java/io/github/achirdlabs/rift/Rift.java
@@ -162,8 +162,9 @@ default Intercept intercept() {
     /**
      * The intercept listener the engine reports running, or empty when none is. Over the admin API
      * this is {@code GET /intercept} and sees a listener started by anyone — at engine launch, by
-     * another client. On the embedded transport it reports the listener this handle started until it is
-     * closed, or one another client started through this engine's {@link #adminUri() admin plane}.
+     * another client. On the embedded transport it reports the engine's one listener, whoever started
+     * it: this handle, or another client through this engine's {@link #adminUri() admin plane}, which
+     * can also stop or restart it. Asking does not start the admin plane.
      */
     Optional<InterceptStatus> interceptStatus();
 
diff --git a/rift-java-embedded/src/main/java/io/github/achirdlabs/rift/embedded/EmbeddedTransport.java b/rift-java-embedded/src/main/java/io/github/achirdlabs/rift/embedded/EmbeddedTransport.java
index 47773ba..299544a 100644
--- a/rift-java-embedded/src/main/java/io/github/achirdlabs/rift/embedded/EmbeddedTransport.java
+++ b/rift-java-embedded/src/main/java/io/github/achirdlabs/rift/embedded/EmbeddedTransport.java
@@ -56,9 +56,11 @@ public final class EmbeddedTransport implements RiftTransport {
     private volatile RemoteTransport admin;
     /**
      * The listener this handle started over FFI, as {@code {interceptPort, interceptUrl}} (never the
-     * CA a start can return); null when none is. The engine runs one listener, but its admin plane's
-     * {@code GET /intercept} reports only one started through that plane (rift 0.21.0), and there is
-     * no FFI status symbol — so this record answers for an FFI start, the admin plane for the rest.
+     * CA a start can return); null when none is. There is no FFI status symbol, so this answers
+     * {@link #interceptStatus()} only while no admin plane is served: then nothing but this handle can
+     * change the engine's one intercept slot. Once a plane is served, its {@code GET /intercept}
+     * reads that same slot (the C-ABI and the plane have shared it since rift#521) and is the answer instead,
+     * since another client can stop or restart the listener through it.
      */
     private volatile JsonValue runningIntercept;
 
@@ -332,13 +334,11 @@ public Optional<JsonValue> interceptStatus() {
         if (closed.get()) {
             throw new IllegalStateException("the embedded rift engine is closed");
         }
-        JsonValue started = runningIntercept;
-        if (started != null) {
-            return Optional.of(started);
-        }
-        // Started by another client through this engine's admin plane, if it is serving one.
         RemoteTransport a = admin;
-        return a == null ? Optional.empty() : a.interceptStatus();
+        if (a != null) {
+            return a.interceptStatus();
+        }
+        return Optional.ofNullable(runningIntercept);
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/rift-java-embedded/src/test/java/io/github/achirdlabs/rift/embedded/InterceptE2eIT.java b/rift-java-embedded/src/test/java/io/github/achirdlabs/rift/embedded/InterceptE2eIT.java
index 6c4cdc8..4cabaa9 100644
--- a/rift-java-embedded/src/test/java/io/github/achirdlabs/rift/embedded/InterceptE2eIT.java
+++ b/rift-java-embedded/src/test/java/io/github/achirdlabs/rift/embedded/InterceptE2eIT.java
@@ -364,6 +364,49 @@ void interceptStatusReportsAListenerAnotherClientStartedThroughTheAdminPlane() {
         }
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void anFfiStartedListenerStoppedThroughTheAdminPlaneIsNoLongerReported() throws Exception {
+        // the C-ABI and the admin plane share one intercept slot (rift#521): the plane is the truth
+        try (Rift rift = embedded()) {
+            rift.intercept();
+            assertTrue(rift.interceptStatus().isPresent());
+
+            assertEquals(204, deleteIntercept(rift.adminUri()), "the admin plane stops the FFI-started listener");
+            assertEquals(Optional.empty(), rift.interceptStatus(), "no listener runs any more");
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void aListenerRestartedThroughTheAdminPlaneIsReportedWithItsNewPort() throws Exception {
+        try (Rift rift = embedded();
+                Rift viaAdmin = Rift.connect(ConnectOptions.builder(rift.adminUri()).versionCheck(VersionCheck.OFF).build())) {
+            int ffiPort = rift.intercept().address().getPort();
+            assertEquals(204, deleteIntercept(rift.adminUri()));
+
+            int theirPort = viaAdmin.intercept().address().getPort();
+            org.junit.jupiter.api.Assumptions.assumeTrue(theirPort != ffiPort,
+                    "the OS handed the freed port straight back, so a stale report would look right");
+            assertEquals(theirPort, rift.interceptStatus().orElseThrow().port(),
+                    "the report follows the shared slot, not this handle's start (" + ffiPort + ")");
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void anFfiStartAfterTheAdminPlaneIsServedIsReported() {
+        // this handle's own start, answered by the plane rather than the cached record: the one case
+        // that fails if the plane stops seeing an FFI-started listener
+        try (Rift rift = embedded()) {
+            rift.adminUri();
+            int port = rift.intercept().address().getPort();
+            assertEquals(port, rift.interceptStatus().orElseThrow().port());
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static int deleteIntercept(URI adminUri) throws Exception {
+        HttpRequest delete = HttpRequest.newBuilder(adminUri.resolve("/intercept")).timeout(Duration.ofSeconds(5)).DELETE().build();
+        return HttpClient.newHttpClient().send(delete, HttpResponse.BodyHandlers.discarding()).statusCode();
+    }
+
     @Test
     void interceptStatusOnAClosedEngineIsRefused() {
         Rift rift = embedded();