diff --git a/src-tauri/src/acp/binary_cache.rs b/src-tauri/src/acp/binary_cache.rs
index 9e3dcfd711..99b0b7a046 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/acp/binary_cache.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/acp/binary_cache.rs
@@ -214,15 +214,24 @@ pub(crate) fn binary_dir(agent_id: &str, version: &str) -> Result<PathBuf, AcpEr
         .join(registry::current_platform()))
 }
 
-pub fn clear_agent_cache(agent_type: AgentType) -> Result<(), AcpError> {
+/// Remove the managed binary tree for `agent_type`.
+///
+/// `Ok(true)` means codeg actually removed something it owned; `Ok(false)`
+/// means there was nothing of codeg's to remove. That distinction is the whole
+/// point of the return value: an agent whose binary came from somewhere codeg
+/// does not manage (PATH, `~/.local/bin`, a package manager) leaves no managed
+/// tree, so clearing the cache removes NOTHING and the agent stays installed
+/// and launchable. Reporting that as a successful uninstall is what issue #631
+/// is about, so the caller needs to be able to tell the two apart.
+pub fn clear_agent_cache(agent_type: AgentType) -> Result<bool, AcpError> {
     let agent_id = agent_cache_key(agent_type);
     let dir = cache_dir()?.join(&agent_id);
     if !dir.exists() {
-        return Ok(());
+        return Ok(false);
     }
 
     if std::fs::remove_dir_all(&dir).is_ok() {
-        return Ok(());
+        return Ok(true);
     }
 
     // Windows: a running `<cmd>.exe` (ours or anti-virus scanning it) keeps the
@@ -242,7 +251,7 @@ pub fn clear_agent_cache(agent_type: AgentType) -> Result<(), AcpError> {
         .map_err(|e| AcpError::DownloadFailed(format!("failed to clear cache: {e}")))?;
 
     let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&aside);
-    Ok(())
+    Ok(true)
 }
 
 /// Best-effort cleanup of trash directories left behind by
diff --git a/src-tauri/src/commands/acp.rs b/src-tauri/src/commands/acp.rs
index 1c8ff8a0d0..4375b54b28 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/commands/acp.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/commands/acp.rs
@@ -10842,6 +10842,42 @@ pub async fn acp_clear_binary_cache(agent_type: AgentType) -> Result<(), AcpErro
     Ok(())
 }
 
+/// What an uninstall actually achieved, so the completion line can say it
+/// instead of always claiming success.
+///
+/// `removed_managed` is whether codeg deleted a binary tree it owns.
+/// `remaining_version` is what a re-probe found AFTER that removal: it is
+/// `Some` exactly when an installation codeg does not manage survived and is
+/// still what a connection would launch. The two are independent: an agent
+/// installed only outside codeg reports `false` / `Some(..)`, which is the
+/// case that used to be reported as "uninstalled successfully" while nothing
+/// had been removed and the agent still worked (#631).
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub(crate) struct AgentUninstallOutcome {
+    pub removed_managed: bool,
+    pub remaining_version: Option<String>,
+}
+
+/// The install-stream completion line for an uninstall. Pure so the four
+/// outcomes can be pinned by a test; every branch has to survive a re-probe
+/// that can still find the agent.
+fn uninstall_completion_message(agent_name: &str, outcome: &AgentUninstallOutcome) -> String {
+    match (outcome.removed_managed, outcome.remaining_version.as_deref()) {
+        (true, None) => format!("{agent_name} uninstalled successfully"),
+        (true, Some(version)) => format!(
+            "Removed the copy of {agent_name} codeg manages. Version {version} is still \
+             installed outside codeg and is what a connection will launch; remove it with \
+             whatever installed it."
+        ),
+        (false, Some(version)) => format!(
+            "Nothing to uninstall: codeg never installed {agent_name}. Version {version} \
+             comes from outside codeg and is what a connection will launch; remove it with \
+             whatever installed it."
+        ),
+        (false, None) => format!("Nothing to uninstall: codeg has no copy of {agent_name}"),
+    }
+}
+
 #[allow(clippy::too_many_arguments)]
 pub(crate) async fn acp_update_agent_preferences_core(
     agent_type: AgentType,
@@ -12436,34 +12472,44 @@ pub(crate) async fn acp_uninstall_agent_core(
         format!("Uninstalling {}...", meta.name),
     );
 
-    let result: Result<(), AcpError> = async {
-        match meta.distribution {
+    let result: Result<AgentUninstallOutcome, AcpError> = async {
+        let removed_managed = match meta.distribution {
             registry::AgentDistribution::Binary { .. } => {
-                binary_cache::clear_agent_cache(agent_type)?;
+                binary_cache::clear_agent_cache(agent_type)?
             }
             registry::AgentDistribution::Npx { package, .. } => {
                 uninstall_npm_global_package(package).await?;
+                true
             }
             registry::AgentDistribution::Uvx { .. } => {
                 binary_cache::clear_uvx_agent_prepared(agent_type)?;
+                true
             }
-        }
+        };
 
         agent_setting_service::set_installed_version(&db.conn, agent_type, None)
             .await
             .map_err(|e| AcpError::protocol(e.to_string()))?;
         emit_acp_agents_updated(emitter, "agent_uninstalled", Some(agent_type));
-        Ok(())
+        // Re-probe AFTER the removal, exactly like the status / list paths do.
+        // A version still answering here is an install codeg does not manage
+        // and did not touch, and it is what the next connection will launch,
+        // so the completion line has to say so rather than report a clean
+        // uninstall the user never got (#631).
+        Ok(AgentUninstallOutcome {
+            removed_managed,
+            remaining_version: detect_local_version(agent_type).await,
+        })
     }
     .await;
 
     match &result {
-        Ok(()) => {
+        Ok(outcome) => {
             emit_agent_install_event(
                 emitter,
                 &task_id,
                 AgentInstallEventKind::Completed,
-                format!("{} uninstalled successfully", meta.name),
+                uninstall_completion_message(meta.name, outcome),
             );
         }
         Err(e) => {
@@ -12475,7 +12521,7 @@ pub(crate) async fn acp_uninstall_agent_core(
             );
         }
     }
-    result
+    result.map(|_| ())
 }
 
 #[cfg(feature = "tauri-runtime")]
@@ -16174,6 +16220,55 @@ wire_api = "chat"
         assert!(build_npm_install_spec("cline@3.0.9", Some("latest")).is_err());
     }
 
+    /// #631: an uninstall used to report "uninstalled successfully" whatever
+    /// happened, including for an agent codeg had never installed and did not
+    /// touch: the reporter's OpenCode came from `~/.local/bin` and stayed
+    /// there, fully launchable, behind a success toast. Only the one outcome
+    /// that really is a clean uninstall may claim it; the other three have to
+    /// name the version that survived so the user knows what still runs.
+    #[test]
+    fn uninstall_completion_message_reports_what_actually_happened() {
+        let clean = AgentUninstallOutcome {
+            removed_managed: true,
+            remaining_version: None,
+        };
+        assert_eq!(
+            uninstall_completion_message("OpenCode", &clean),
+            "OpenCode uninstalled successfully"
+        );
+
+        for outcome in [
+            AgentUninstallOutcome {
+                removed_managed: true,
+                remaining_version: Some("1.18.25".into()),
+            },
+            AgentUninstallOutcome {
+                removed_managed: false,
+                remaining_version: Some("1.18.25".into()),
+            },
+        ] {
+            let message = uninstall_completion_message("OpenCode", &outcome);
+            assert!(
+                message.contains("1.18.25"),
+                "a surviving install must be named: {message}"
+            );
+            assert!(
+                !message.contains("uninstalled successfully"),
+                "an agent that is still installed must not read as uninstalled: {message}"
+            );
+        }
+
+        let nothing = AgentUninstallOutcome {
+            removed_managed: false,
+            remaining_version: None,
+        };
+        let message = uninstall_completion_message("OpenCode", &nothing);
+        assert!(
+            !message.contains("uninstalled successfully"),
+            "removing nothing must not read as an uninstall: {message}"
+        );
+    }
+
     // The pinned default is byte-identical to what `build_npm_install_spec`
     // produced before the channel existed, with no fallback attempt.
     #[test]
diff --git a/src/components/settings/acp-agent-settings.test.tsx b/src/components/settings/acp-agent-settings.test.tsx
index 4532f2ec38..8935d2bc61 100644
--- a/src/components/settings/acp-agent-settings.test.tsx
+++ b/src/components/settings/acp-agent-settings.test.tsx
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import {
   setClaudeEnvFlagInConfigText,
   setHostToolsAgentMode,
   showsCodexReadOnlyAcpWarning,
+  survivingInstallVersion,
 } from "./acp-agent-settings"
 import { parse as parseTomlDocument } from "smol-toml"
 import type {
@@ -148,6 +149,24 @@ function codexSandboxDraft(
   }
 }
 
+// #631: uninstall removes only the copy codeg manages. A version still
+// answering a re-probe afterwards belongs to an install codeg does not own and
+// is what the next connection launches, so the row must keep showing it and the
+// toast must not claim the local version was removed.
+describe("survivingInstallVersion", () => {
+  it("keeps a version that outlived the uninstall", () => {
+    expect(survivingInstallVersion("1.18.25")).toBe("1.18.25")
+    expect(survivingInstallVersion("  1.18.25  ")).toBe("1.18.25")
+  })
+
+  it("reports nothing left for an empty or absent probe", () => {
+    expect(survivingInstallVersion(null)).toBeNull()
+    expect(survivingInstallVersion(undefined)).toBeNull()
+    expect(survivingInstallVersion("")).toBeNull()
+    expect(survivingInstallVersion("   ")).toBeNull()
+  })
+})
+
 describe("buildCodexSandboxConfig — Codex sandbox/approval save patch", () => {
   // The core contract. The panel also sends the raw config.toml text and the
   // backend applies this patch last, so a field the user did not move must not
diff --git a/src/components/settings/acp-agent-settings.tsx b/src/components/settings/acp-agent-settings.tsx
index b046daa8b5..35c28b0cd6 100644
--- a/src/components/settings/acp-agent-settings.tsx
+++ b/src/components/settings/acp-agent-settings.tsx
@@ -3870,6 +3870,23 @@ export function buildAcpAdapterCheck(
   }
 }
 
+/**
+ * The version that survived an uninstall, read from a re-probe run AFTER it.
+ *
+ * Uninstall only ever removes the copy codeg manages, so a version still
+ * answering here belongs to an install codeg does not own (PATH,
+ * `~/.local/bin`, a package manager) and is exactly what the next connection
+ * will launch. Reporting that as "local version removed" while forcing the
+ * agent row to "not installed" is #631. A blank probe result means nothing
+ * answered rather than a version, so it collapses to `null` instead of putting
+ * an empty version string on the row.
+ */
+export function survivingInstallVersion(
+  probed: string | null | undefined
+): string | null {
+  return probed?.trim() || null
+}
+
 // `uvReady` reports whether the uv runtime (uvx) is installed — only meaningful
 // for uvx agents (custom Python-package agents; built-in Hermes moved to the
 // npm bridge). Derived from the uv preflight check by the caller. uvx agents
@@ -5127,16 +5144,24 @@ export function AcpAgentSettings() {
       await installStream.start(taskId)
       try {
         await acpUninstallAgent(agent.agent_type, taskId)
+        // Re-probe instead of assuming the agent is gone: uninstall only ever
+        // removes the copy codeg manages, and an install from somewhere else
+        // survives it untouched. See `survivingInstallVersion`.
+        const surviving = survivingInstallVersion(
+          await acpDetectAgentLocalVersion(agent.agent_type).catch(() => null)
+        )
         setAgents((prev) =>
           prev.map((item) =>
             item.agent_type === agent.agent_type
-              ? { ...item, installed_version: null }
+              ? { ...item, installed_version: surviving }
               : item
           )
         )
         await runPreflight(agent.agent_type)
         toast.success(t("toasts.uninstallCompleted", { name: agent.name }), {
-          description: t("toasts.localVersionRemoved"),
+          description: surviving
+            ? t("toasts.unmanagedInstallRemains", { version: surviving })
+            : t("toasts.localVersionRemoved"),
         })
       } catch (err) {
         const message = toErrorMessage(err)
diff --git a/src/i18n/messages/ar.json b/src/i18n/messages/ar.json
index 2a4393e03e..e54ef3ad72 100644
--- a/src/i18n/messages/ar.json
+++ b/src/i18n/messages/ar.json
@@ -1364,6 +1364,7 @@
       "uninstallCompleted": "اكتملت إزالة تثبيت {name}",
       "uninstallFailed": "فشلت إزالة تثبيت {name}",
       "localVersionRemoved": "تمت إزالة الإصدار المحلي",
+      "unmanagedInstallRemains": "الإصدار {version} لا يزال مثبتًا خارج codeg وسيستمر استخدامه",
       "saveAgentOrderFailed": "فشل حفظ ترتيب Agent",
       "saveAgentSwitchFailed": "فشل حفظ مفتاح Agent",
       "saveEnvFailed": "فشل حفظ متغيرات البيئة",
diff --git a/src/i18n/messages/de.json b/src/i18n/messages/de.json
index 048ca575b4..2d97a88f07 100644
--- a/src/i18n/messages/de.json
+++ b/src/i18n/messages/de.json
@@ -1364,6 +1364,7 @@
       "uninstallCompleted": "Deinstallation von {name} abgeschlossen",
       "uninstallFailed": "Deinstallation von {name} fehlgeschlagen",
       "localVersionRemoved": "Lokale Version entfernt",
+      "unmanagedInstallRemains": "Version {version} ist weiterhin außerhalb von codeg installiert und wird weiterhin verwendet",
       "saveAgentOrderFailed": "Speichern der Agent-Reihenfolge fehlgeschlagen",
       "saveAgentSwitchFailed": "Speichern des Agent-Schalters fehlgeschlagen",
       "saveEnvFailed": "Speichern der Umgebungsvariablen fehlgeschlagen",
diff --git a/src/i18n/messages/en.json b/src/i18n/messages/en.json
index 7eba04021d..6e56425bcc 100644
--- a/src/i18n/messages/en.json
+++ b/src/i18n/messages/en.json
@@ -1364,6 +1364,7 @@
       "uninstallCompleted": "{name} uninstall completed",
       "uninstallFailed": "{name} uninstall failed",
       "localVersionRemoved": "Local version removed",
+      "unmanagedInstallRemains": "Version {version} is still installed outside codeg and will still be used",
       "saveAgentOrderFailed": "Failed to save Agent order",
       "saveAgentSwitchFailed": "Failed to save Agent switch",
       "saveEnvFailed": "Failed to save environment variables",
diff --git a/src/i18n/messages/es.json b/src/i18n/messages/es.json
index b1ea70a222..3c554d7ff5 100644
--- a/src/i18n/messages/es.json
+++ b/src/i18n/messages/es.json
@@ -1364,6 +1364,7 @@
       "uninstallCompleted": "Desinstalación de {name} completada",
       "uninstallFailed": "Desinstalación de {name} fallida",
       "localVersionRemoved": "Versión local eliminada",
+      "unmanagedInstallRemains": "La versión {version} sigue instalada fuera de codeg y se seguirá usando",
       "saveAgentOrderFailed": "No se pudo guardar el orden de Agent",
       "saveAgentSwitchFailed": "No se pudo guardar el switch de Agent",
       "saveEnvFailed": "No se pudieron guardar las variables de entorno",
diff --git a/src/i18n/messages/fr.json b/src/i18n/messages/fr.json
index a1bce7600d..9aef5892c4 100644
--- a/src/i18n/messages/fr.json
+++ b/src/i18n/messages/fr.json
@@ -1364,6 +1364,7 @@
       "uninstallCompleted": "Désinstallation de {name} terminée",
       "uninstallFailed": "Échec de la désinstallation de {name}",
       "localVersionRemoved": "Version locale supprimée",
+      "unmanagedInstallRemains": "La version {version} est toujours installée en dehors de codeg et continuera d’être utilisée",
       "saveAgentOrderFailed": "Échec de l’enregistrement de l’ordre des agents",
       "saveAgentSwitchFailed": "Échec de l’enregistrement du switch agent",
       "saveEnvFailed": "Échec de l’enregistrement des variables d’environnement",
diff --git a/src/i18n/messages/ja.json b/src/i18n/messages/ja.json
index 85aa81a256..2a60fa4ef9 100644
--- a/src/i18n/messages/ja.json
+++ b/src/i18n/messages/ja.json
@@ -1364,6 +1364,7 @@
       "uninstallCompleted": "{name} のアンインストールが完了しました",
       "uninstallFailed": "{name} のアンインストールに失敗しました",
       "localVersionRemoved": "ローカルバージョンを削除しました",
+      "unmanagedInstallRemains": "バージョン {version} は codeg の外に残っており、接続時にはこれが使われます",
       "saveAgentOrderFailed": "Agent の並び順の保存に失敗しました",
       "saveAgentSwitchFailed": "Agent の有効スイッチ保存に失敗しました",
       "saveEnvFailed": "環境変数の保存に失敗しました",
diff --git a/src/i18n/messages/ko.json b/src/i18n/messages/ko.json
index a1bfdbc468..81babc6f5a 100644
--- a/src/i18n/messages/ko.json
+++ b/src/i18n/messages/ko.json
@@ -1364,6 +1364,7 @@
       "uninstallCompleted": "{name} 제거 완료",
       "uninstallFailed": "{name} 제거 실패",
       "localVersionRemoved": "로컬 버전이 제거되었습니다",
+      "unmanagedInstallRemains": "버전 {version}이(가) codeg 외부에 그대로 설치되어 있어 연결 시 계속 사용됩니다",
       "saveAgentOrderFailed": "Agent 순서 저장 실패",
       "saveAgentSwitchFailed": "Agent 스위치 저장 실패",
       "saveEnvFailed": "환경 변수 저장 실패",
diff --git a/src/i18n/messages/pt.json b/src/i18n/messages/pt.json
index e0414cb4b0..250ee00346 100644
--- a/src/i18n/messages/pt.json
+++ b/src/i18n/messages/pt.json
@@ -1364,6 +1364,7 @@
       "uninstallCompleted": "Desinstalação de {name} concluída",
       "uninstallFailed": "Desinstalação de {name} falhou",
       "localVersionRemoved": "Versão local removida",
+      "unmanagedInstallRemains": "A versão {version} continua instalada fora do codeg e continuará sendo usada",
       "saveAgentOrderFailed": "Falha ao salvar a ordem dos Agents",
       "saveAgentSwitchFailed": "Falha ao salvar o switch dos Agents",
       "saveEnvFailed": "Falha ao salvar variáveis de ambiente",
diff --git a/src/i18n/messages/zh-CN.json b/src/i18n/messages/zh-CN.json
index 1ffa4986e8..31a8fb8c5d 100644
--- a/src/i18n/messages/zh-CN.json
+++ b/src/i18n/messages/zh-CN.json
@@ -1364,6 +1364,7 @@
       "uninstallCompleted": "{name}卸载完成",
       "uninstallFailed": "{name}卸载失败",
       "localVersionRemoved": "本地版本已移除",
+      "unmanagedInstallRemains": "版本 {version} 仍安装在 codeg 之外，连接时仍会使用它",
       "saveAgentOrderFailed": "保存 Agent 排序失败",
       "saveAgentSwitchFailed": "保存 Agent 开关失败",
       "saveEnvFailed": "保存环境变量失败",
diff --git a/src/i18n/messages/zh-TW.json b/src/i18n/messages/zh-TW.json
index 5643ba13be..36170ed342 100644
--- a/src/i18n/messages/zh-TW.json
+++ b/src/i18n/messages/zh-TW.json
@@ -1364,6 +1364,7 @@
       "uninstallCompleted": "{name}卸載完成",
       "uninstallFailed": "{name}卸載失敗",
       "localVersionRemoved": "本地版本已移除",
+      "unmanagedInstallRemains": "版本 {version} 仍安裝在 codeg 之外，連線時仍會使用它",
       "saveAgentOrderFailed": "儲存 Agent 排序失敗",
       "saveAgentSwitchFailed": "儲存 Agent 開關失敗",
       "saveEnvFailed": "儲存環境變數失敗",