diff --git a/scripts/lib/tests/development/userTransferTest.php b/scripts/lib/tests/development/userTransferTest.php
index a267f65a9..2f87ab091 100644
--- a/scripts/lib/tests/development/userTransferTest.php
+++ b/scripts/lib/tests/development/userTransferTest.php
@@ -430,6 +430,35 @@ public function testRewriteRtorrentSessionPathsReportsWhenNothingNeedsRewrite():
         $this->assertStringContainsString('[INFO] rTorrent session rewrite found no /home path references to update', $output);
     }
 
+    public function testRequestRtorrentRestartSkipsWhenUserOptedOut(): void
+    {
+        $home = $this->pmssMakeUserWebHome('pmss-userTransfer-rtorrent-optout-', 'newuser');
+        $this->pmssWriteFile($home.'/.rtorrentDisable', '');
+        $logDir = $this->pmssEnsureDir($this->pmssMakeTempDir('pmss-userTransfer-optout-logs-'));
+
+        list(, $output) = $this->pmssCaptureStdout(function () use ($home): void {
+            \pmssUserTransferRequestRtorrentRestart($home, 'newuser');
+        }, ['PMSS_DRY_RUN' => '1', 'PMSS_LOG_DIR' => $logDir]);
+
+        // The opt-out is honoured: the skip is logged and no restart marker is requested.
+        $this->assertStringContainsString('[INFO] Skipping rTorrent restart: user opted out via .rtorrentDisable', $output);
+        $this->assertStringNotContainsString('Requesting rTorrent restart marker', $output);
+    }
+
+    public function testRequestRtorrentRestartRequestsMarkerWithoutOptOut(): void
+    {
+        $home = $this->pmssMakeUserWebHome('pmss-userTransfer-rtorrent-restart-', 'newuser');
+        $logDir = $this->pmssEnsureDir($this->pmssMakeTempDir('pmss-userTransfer-restart-logs-'));
+
+        list(, $output) = $this->pmssCaptureStdout(function () use ($home): void {
+            \pmssUserTransferRequestRtorrentRestart($home, 'newuser');
+        }, ['PMSS_DRY_RUN' => '1', 'PMSS_LOG_DIR' => $logDir]);
+
+        // Control: without the marker the restart is requested as before.
+        $this->assertStringContainsString('Requesting rTorrent restart marker', $output);
+        $this->assertStringNotContainsString('user opted out via .rtorrentDisable', $output);
+    }
+
     public function testRtorrentRestartScriptUsesLiveUserProcessFallback(): void
     {
         $this->pmssAssertRepoFileContainsAllStrings('etc/skel/.rtorrentRestart.php', [
diff --git a/scripts/lib/userTransfer/postSetup.php b/scripts/lib/userTransfer/postSetup.php
index 191e97160..6caff9ba4 100644
--- a/scripts/lib/userTransfer/postSetup.php
+++ b/scripts/lib/userTransfer/postSetup.php
@@ -67,6 +67,15 @@ function pmssUserTransferRenameRutorrentShare(string $home, string $remoteUser,
 
 function pmssUserTransferRequestRtorrentRestart(string $home, string $localUser): void
 {
+    // Respect the per-user rTorrent opt-out (GH#470, GH#869): `.rtorrentDisable`
+    // means "stop and stay stopped". checkRtorrent honours it on every cron
+    // cycle, so restarting here would only be undone within a few minutes while
+    // needlessly reloading the migrated session against the user's wishes. Skip.
+    if (is_file(rtrim($home, '/').'/.rtorrentDisable')) {
+        logMessage('[INFO] Skipping rTorrent restart: user opted out via .rtorrentDisable');
+        return;
+    }
+
     $wwwDir = $home.'/www';
     if (!is_dir($wwwDir) || is_link($wwwDir) || !pmssUserTransferIsPathWithinHome($wwwDir, $home)) {
         logMessage('[WARN] Skipping rTorrent restart marker (www dir missing or unsafe)');