diff --git a/parol6/server/controller.py b/parol6/server/controller.py
index ab250d4..f9864af 100644
--- a/parol6/server/controller.py
+++ b/parol6/server/controller.py
@@ -385,6 +385,11 @@ def _execute_commands(self, state: ControllerState) -> None:
         # Streaming command executor (jog/servo)
         if self._executor.active_command or self._executor.command_queue:
             self._executor.execute_active_command()
+        elif state.command_out_locked:
+            # A SystemCommand (e.g. RESET) set Command_out earlier this same
+            # tick during poll_cmd -- consume the lock instead of stomping
+            # it back to IDLE before _write_to_firmware() sees it.
+            state.command_out_locked = False
         else:
             state.Command_out = CommandCode.IDLE
             state.Speed_out.fill(0)
@@ -591,6 +596,7 @@ def _poll_commands(self, state: ControllerState) -> None:
         """Poll and process UDP commands (non-blocking)."""
         assert self.udp_transport is not None
 
+        state.command_out_locked = False
         msgs = self.udp_transport.poll_receive_all(max_count=MAX_POLL_COUNT)
         for data, addr in msgs:
             self._process_command(data, addr, state)
@@ -802,6 +808,13 @@ def _handle_system_command(
             command.setup(state)
             code = command.tick(state)
 
+            # This SystemCommand set a real signal (e.g. RESET's ENABLE) for
+            # firmware to see on this tick's write phase -- don't let
+            # _execute_commands()'s later "nothing active" fallback stomp it
+            # back to IDLE before _write_to_firmware() runs.
+            if state.Command_out != CommandCode.IDLE:
+                state.command_out_locked = True
+
             # Stop/estop: cancel the motion pipeline, or the segment player
             # keeps playing the active trajectory (rewriting Command_out and
             # fresh speeds every tick) and the "stopped" robot drives on.
diff --git a/parol6/server/state.py b/parol6/server/state.py
index e5a8f03..49a7bd4 100644
--- a/parol6/server/state.py
+++ b/parol6/server/state.py
@@ -184,6 +184,18 @@ class ControllerState:
     # Robot telemetry and command buffers - using ndarray for efficiency
     Command_out: CommandCode = CommandCode.IDLE  # The command code to send to firmware
 
+    # True for the remainder of the tick in which a SystemCommand (RESET's
+    # ENABLE, ESTOP/STOP's IDLE, etc.) explicitly set Command_out to a
+    # meaningful value during poll_cmd. Without this, _execute_commands()'s
+    # "nothing active" fallback (which also runs every tick, after poll_cmd)
+    # unconditionally overwrites Command_out back to IDLE before
+    # _write_to_firmware() ever sees the SystemCommand's signal -- so e.g.
+    # RESET's ENABLE(101) never actually reaches the firmware, leaving
+    # PAROL6.disabled latched from an earlier ESTOP forever. Reset to False
+    # at the top of every _poll_commands() call; consumed (and cleared) by
+    # _execute_commands()'s fallback the same tick it's set.
+    command_out_locked: bool = False
+
     Position_out: np.ndarray = field(
         default_factory=lambda: np.zeros((6,), dtype=np.int32)
     )