diff --git a/channels/telegram/Cargo.toml b/channels/telegram/Cargo.toml
index 97c60f0..a6d3a61 100644
--- a/channels/telegram/Cargo.toml
+++ b/channels/telegram/Cargo.toml
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ capnp = "0.25"
 capnp-rpc = "0.25"
 dirs = "6"
 futures = "0.3"
+json5 = "1.3"
 consciousness = { path = "../.." }
 serde = { version = "1", features = ["derive"] }
 serde_json = "1"
diff --git a/channels/telegram/src/main.rs b/channels/telegram/src/main.rs
index af36cab..d3753f7 100644
--- a/channels/telegram/src/main.rs
+++ b/channels/telegram/src/main.rs
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ fn load_config() -> Config {
     let config_path = dir.join("telegram.json5");
     let text = std::fs::read_to_string(&config_path)
         .unwrap_or_else(|_| panic!("failed to read {}", config_path.display()));
-    let mut config: Config = serde_json::from_str(&text)
+    let mut config: Config = json5::from_str(&text)
         .unwrap_or_else(|e| panic!("failed to parse {}: {}", config_path.display(), e));
 
     // Read token from secrets file
diff --git a/channels/tmux/Cargo.toml b/channels/tmux/Cargo.toml
index 6e4c0aa..571b383 100644
--- a/channels/tmux/Cargo.toml
+++ b/channels/tmux/Cargo.toml
@@ -8,11 +8,11 @@ capnp = "0.25"
 capnp-rpc = "0.25"
 dirs = "6"
 libc = "0.2"
-scopeguard = "1"
 futures = "0.3"
 json5 = "1.3"
 consciousness = { path = "../.." }
 serde = { version = "1", features = ["derive"] }
+serde_json = "1"
 tokio = { version = "1", features = ["full"] }
 tokio-util = { version = "0.7", features = ["compat"] }
 log = "0.4"
diff --git a/channels/tmux/src/main.rs b/channels/tmux/src/main.rs
index 4255671..f49bdc1 100644
--- a/channels/tmux/src/main.rs
+++ b/channels/tmux/src/main.rs
@@ -24,26 +24,30 @@ use consciousness::thalamus::channel_log::ChannelLog;
 
 // ── Config ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
-#[derive(Clone, serde::Deserialize)]
+#[derive(Clone, serde::Serialize, serde::Deserialize)]
 struct PaneConfig {
-    /// Tmux pane ID, e.g. "0:1.0"
-    pane_id: String,
     /// Human-readable label, becomes the channel name "tmux.<label>"
     label: String,
+    /// Tmux pane ID, e.g. "%5"
+    pane_id: String,
 }
 
-#[derive(Clone, serde::Deserialize)]
+#[derive(Clone, serde::Serialize, serde::Deserialize)]
 struct Config {
+    #[serde(default)]
     panes: Vec<PaneConfig>,
 }
 
-fn load_config() -> Config {
-    let path = dirs::home_dir()
+fn config_path() -> std::path::PathBuf {
+    dirs::home_dir()
         .unwrap_or_default()
-        .join(".consciousness/channels/tmux.json5");
-    match std::fs::read_to_string(&path) {
+        .join(".consciousness/channels/tmux.json5")
+}
+
+fn load_config() -> Config {
+    match std::fs::read_to_string(config_path()) {
         Ok(text) => json5::from_str(&text)
-            .unwrap_or_else(|e| panic!("failed to parse {}: {e}", path.display())),
+            .unwrap_or_else(|e| panic!("failed to parse {}: {e}", config_path().display())),
         Err(_) => {
             info!("no tmux.json5, starting with no pre-configured panes");
             Config { panes: vec![] }
@@ -51,23 +55,71 @@ fn load_config() -> Config {
     }
 }
 
+fn save_config(config: &Config) {
+    match serde_json::to_string_pretty(config) {
+        Ok(json) => {
+            if let Err(e) = std::fs::write(config_path(), json) {
+                error!("failed to write config: {}", e);
+            }
+        }
+        Err(e) => error!("failed to serialize config: {}", e),
+    }
+}
+
 // ── State ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 struct State {
+    config: Config,
     channel_logs: BTreeMap<String, ChannelLog>,
-    /// label → pane_id (e.g. "ktest" → "%0")
-    panes: BTreeMap<String, String>,
+    /// Tracks which panes are actually connected (pipe-pane active)
+    connected: BTreeMap<String, bool>,
 }
 
 type SharedState = Rc<RefCell<State>>;
 
 impl State {
-    fn new(config: &Config) -> Self {
+    fn new(config: Config) -> Self {
         Self {
+            config,
             channel_logs: BTreeMap::new(),
-            panes: config.panes.iter()
-                .map(|p| (p.label.clone(), p.pane_id.clone()))
-                .collect(),
+            connected: BTreeMap::new(),
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Get pane_id for a label
+    fn get_pane(&self, label: &str) -> Option<&str> {
+        self.config.panes.iter()
+            .find(|p| p.label == label)
+            .map(|p| p.pane_id.as_str())
+    }
+
+    /// Check if a pane is connected
+    fn is_connected(&self, label: &str) -> bool {
+        self.connected.get(label).copied().unwrap_or(false)
+    }
+
+    /// Set connection state for a pane
+    fn set_connected(&mut self, label: &str, connected: bool) {
+        self.connected.insert(label.to_string(), connected);
+    }
+
+    /// Add a pane and persist
+    fn add_pane(&mut self, label: String, pane_id: String) {
+        if !self.config.panes.iter().any(|p| p.label == label) {
+            self.config.panes.push(PaneConfig { label, pane_id });
+            save_config(&self.config);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Remove a pane and persist
+    fn remove_pane(&mut self, label: &str) -> Option<String> {
+        if let Some(idx) = self.config.panes.iter().position(|p| p.label == label) {
+            let pane = self.config.panes.remove(idx);
+            self.connected.remove(label);
+            save_config(&self.config);
+            Some(pane.pane_id)
+        } else {
+            None
         }
     }
 }
@@ -103,10 +155,12 @@ async fn pipe_pane_reader(state: SharedState, pane: PaneConfig) {
         Ok(output) => {
             error!("pipe-pane failed for {}: {}", pane.label,
                    String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr));
+            state.borrow_mut().set_connected(&pane.label, false);
             return;
         }
         Err(e) => {
             error!("failed to run tmux pipe-pane for {}: {}", pane.label, e);
+            state.borrow_mut().set_connected(&pane.label, false);
             return;
         }
     }
@@ -116,10 +170,14 @@ async fn pipe_pane_reader(state: SharedState, pane: PaneConfig) {
         Ok(f) => f,
         Err(e) => {
             error!("failed to open pipe for {}: {}", pane.label, e);
+            state.borrow_mut().set_connected(&pane.label, false);
             return;
         }
     };
 
+    // Mark as connected once pipe is open
+    state.borrow_mut().set_connected(&pane.label, true);
+
     let reader = tokio::io::BufReader::new(file);
     let mut lines = reader.lines();
     let channel_key = format!("tmux.{}", pane.label);
@@ -136,6 +194,7 @@ async fn pipe_pane_reader(state: SharedState, pane: PaneConfig) {
     }
 
     warn!("pipe-pane reader ended for {}", pane.label);
+    state.borrow_mut().set_connected(&pane.label, false);
 }
 
 // ── ChannelServer Implementation ───────────────────────────────
@@ -187,7 +246,7 @@ impl channel_server::Server for ChannelServerImpl {
 
         // Send to tmux pane via send-keys
         let label = channel.strip_prefix("tmux.").unwrap_or(&channel);
-        let pane_id = self.state.borrow().panes.get(label).cloned();
+        let pane_id = self.state.borrow().get_pane(label).map(String::from);
         if let Some(pane_id) = pane_id {
             let _ = std::process::Command::new("tmux")
                 .args(["send-keys", "-t", &pane_id, &message, "Enter"])
@@ -210,10 +269,11 @@ impl channel_server::Server for ChannelServerImpl {
         mut results: channel_server::ListResults,
     ) -> impl std::future::Future<Output = Result<(), capnp::Error>> {
         let s = self.state.borrow();
-        let channels: Vec<_> = s.panes.keys().map(|label| {
-            let key = format!("tmux.{}", label);
+        let channels: Vec<_> = s.config.panes.iter().map(|p| {
+            let key = format!("tmux.{}", p.label);
+            let connected = s.is_connected(&p.label);
             let unread = s.channel_logs.get(&key).map_or(0, |l| l.unread());
-            (key, true, unread)
+            (key, connected, unread)
         }).collect();
 
         let mut list = results.get().init_channels(channels.len() as u32);
@@ -243,11 +303,8 @@ impl channel_server::Server for ChannelServerImpl {
         let label = pry!(pry!(params.get_label()).to_str()).to_string();
 
         // Check if already open
-        {
-            let s = self.state.borrow();
-            if s.panes.contains_key(&label) {
-                return std::future::ready(Ok(()));
-            }
+        if self.state.borrow().get_pane(&label).is_some() {
+            return std::future::ready(Ok(()));
         }
 
         // Find the tmux pane by name (window or pane title)
@@ -259,14 +316,11 @@ impl channel_server::Server for ChannelServerImpl {
 
         info!("opening channel tmux.{} (pane {})", label, pane_id);
 
-        // Register in state
-        {
-            let mut s = self.state.borrow_mut();
-            s.panes.insert(label.clone(), pane_id.clone());
-        }
+        // Register in state and persist
+        self.state.borrow_mut().add_pane(label.clone(), pane_id.clone());
 
         // Start pipe-pane reader
-        let pane = PaneConfig { pane_id, label };
+        let pane = PaneConfig { label, pane_id };
         let reader_state = self.state.clone();
         tokio::task::spawn_local(async move {
             pipe_pane_reader(reader_state, pane).await;
@@ -285,7 +339,7 @@ impl channel_server::Server for ChannelServerImpl {
         let label = channel.strip_prefix("tmux.").unwrap_or(&channel).to_string();
 
         let mut s = self.state.borrow_mut();
-        if let Some(pane_id) = s.panes.remove(&label) {
+        if let Some(pane_id) = s.remove_pane(&label) {
             info!("closing channel tmux.{}", label);
             s.channel_logs.remove(&format!("tmux.{}", label));
 
@@ -323,24 +377,6 @@ fn find_pane_by_name(name: &str) -> Option<String> {
     }
     None
 }
-
-// ── Cleanup ───────────────────────────────────────────────────
-
-/// Remove pipe-pane connections on exit.
-fn cleanup_pipes(config: &Config) {
-    for pane in &config.panes {
-        // Disconnect pipe-pane
-        let _ = std::process::Command::new("tmux")
-            .args(["pipe-pane", "-t", &pane.pane_id])
-            .output();
-    }
-    // Clean up FIFO files
-    let pipe_dir = dirs::home_dir()
-        .unwrap_or_default()
-        .join(".consciousness/channels/tmux-pipes");
-    let _ = std::fs::remove_dir_all(&pipe_dir);
-}
-
 // ── Main ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 #[tokio::main]
@@ -348,7 +384,7 @@ async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
     env_logger::init();
 
     let config = load_config();
-    let state = Rc::new(RefCell::new(State::new(&config)));
+    let state = Rc::new(RefCell::new(State::new(config)));
 
     let sock_dir = dirs::home_dir()
         .unwrap_or_default()
@@ -359,16 +395,11 @@ async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
 
     info!("tmux channel daemon starting on {}", sock_path.display());
 
-    // Set up cleanup on exit
-    let cleanup_config = config.clone();
-    let _cleanup = scopeguard::guard(cleanup_config, |c| cleanup_pipes(&c));
-
     tokio::task::LocalSet::new()
         .run_until(async move {
             // Start a pipe-pane reader for each configured pane
-            for pane in &config.panes {
+            for pane in state.borrow().config.panes.clone() {
                 let reader_state = state.clone();
-                let pane = pane.clone();
                 tokio::task::spawn_local(async move {
                     pipe_pane_reader(reader_state, pane).await;
                 });