diff --git a/packages/react/src/hooks/useWizardConnect.ts b/packages/react/src/hooks/useWizardConnect.ts
index ea19202..aae0a14 100644
--- a/packages/react/src/hooks/useWizardConnect.ts
+++ b/packages/react/src/hooks/useWizardConnect.ts
@@ -160,11 +160,24 @@ export function useWizardConnect(
     });
   }, [persistSession, sessionKey, storage, startRelay]);
 
-  // Cleanup on unmount
+  // Cleanup on unmount.
+  //
+  // Reset `autoReconnectAttempted` here so React 18 StrictMode's dev-mode
+  // mount→unmount→remount cycle doesn't leave the hook in a "attempted but
+  // torn down" state. Without the reset:
+  //   - Mount A: auto-reconnect fires, creates relay, ref → true.
+  //   - StrictMode cleanup: relay destroyed.
+  //   - Mount B: auto-reconnect sees ref === true, skips. No new relay.
+  // Result: a stored session never reconnects in dev. Resetting the ref on
+  // cleanup lets Mount B re-fire the auto-reconnect path and rebuild the
+  // relay. In production (no StrictMode) this only runs at real unmount, so
+  // the reset is harmless there.
   useEffect(() => {
     return () => {
       managerRef.current?.destroy();
       relayRef.current?.cleanup();
+      relayRef.current = null;
+      autoReconnectAttempted.current = false;
     };
   }, []);