diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index fd1894792..b9bfc47b2 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
   * Upgraded volume calculations to preserve relative positions when hitting the min or max setting via source volume bar
   * Update our spotify provider `go-librespot` to `0.7.3`
   * Upgrade from Logitech Media Server 8.5.2 to Lyrion Music Server 9.0.3
+  * Hardened stream process restarts: exponential backoff and an ALSA device readiness gate (#957)
 
 # 0.4.11
 * System
diff --git a/streams/process_monitor.py b/streams/process_monitor.py
index 34dd879da..c80f6a61b 100755
--- a/streams/process_monitor.py
+++ b/streams/process_monitor.py
@@ -1,18 +1,120 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
 
-import sys
-import subprocess
+import os
 import signal
+import subprocess
+import sys
+import time
 
 args = sys.argv[1:]
 print(f'Starting process monitor for process: {args}')
 
+_START_TIME_THRESHOLD = 10  # seconds — consider a run "successful" if it lasted this long
+_DEVICE_PROBE_TIMEOUT = 5   # seconds — hard cap on a single aplay readiness probe
+_ORPHAN_KILL_AFTER = 4      # failed probes in a row before killing a stale holder
+
+
+def _alsa_out_device(argv):
+  """Return the ALSA loopback output device (-o lbXX) if the monitored
+   process plays to one, else None. All of the device gating below is
+   skipped for processes without such an argument."""
+  for i, a in enumerate(argv[:-1]):
+    if a == '-o' and argv[i + 1].startswith('lb'):
+      return argv[i + 1]
+  return None
+
+
+OUT_DEV = _alsa_out_device(args)
+
+
+def device_ready(dev):
+  """True if the ALSA device can be opened for playback right now.
+   Mirrors squeezelite's open path (loopback dmix): fails with EINVAL
+   while a stale holder keeps the device busy, succeeds once it is free.
+   Writes 1s of silence to a loopback nobody is reading — harmless."""
+  try:
+    res = subprocess.run(
+        ['aplay', '-D', dev, '-r', '48000', '-f', 'S16_LE', '-c', '2',
+         '-d', '1', '-q', '/dev/zero'],
+        stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL, stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL,
+        timeout=_DEVICE_PROBE_TIMEOUT)
+    return res.returncode == 0
+  except Exception:
+    return False
+
+
+def print_device_diagnostics(dev):
+  """Dump who currently holds the sound devices so a wedge is explained
+   in the journal rather than inferred afterwards."""
+  print(f'Device {dev} not ready — current /dev/snd holders:', flush=True)
+  try:
+    out = subprocess.run('fuser -v /dev/snd/pcm* 2>&1', shell=True,
+                         capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=10)
+    print((out.stdout + out.stderr).strip(), flush=True)
+  except Exception as e:
+    print(f'(fuser failed: {e})', flush=True)
+
+
+def find_stale_holders(dev, own_child_pid):
+  """PIDs of squeezelite processes (argv0 ends in 'squeezelite') playing
+   to this exact device via -o <dev>, excluding ourselves and our own
+   child. Strict match — cannot hit the monitor or unrelated processes."""
+  pids = []
+  for entry in os.listdir('/proc'):
+    if not entry.isdigit():
+      continue
+    pid = int(entry)
+    if pid in (own_child_pid, os.getpid()):
+      continue
+    try:
+      with open(f'/proc/{pid}/cmdline', 'rb') as f:
+        argv = f.read().decode(errors='replace').split('\0')
+    except OSError:
+      continue
+    if not argv or not argv[0].endswith('squeezelite'):
+      continue
+    for i, a in enumerate(argv[:-1]):
+      if a == '-o' and argv[i + 1] == dev:
+        pids.append(pid)
+        break
+  return pids
+
+
+def wait_for_device(dev, own_child_pid):
+  """Block until the output device is openable. Converts the old
+   crash-loop (spawn → EINVAL → die → respawn, silent for hours) into a
+   quiet wait, and clears a stale squeezelite holder if one is wedging
+   the loopback."""
+  failures = 0
+  while not device_ready(dev):
+    failures += 1
+    if failures == 1:
+      print_device_diagnostics(dev)
+    if failures == _ORPHAN_KILL_AFTER:
+      for pid in find_stale_holders(dev, own_child_pid):
+        print(f'Killing stale squeezelite holder pid={pid} on {dev}', flush=True)
+        try:
+          os.kill(pid, signal.SIGKILL)
+        except OSError as e:
+          print(f'(kill {pid} failed: {e})', flush=True)
+    delay = min(2 ** failures, 30)
+    print(f'Device {dev} busy (probe {failures} failed) — retrying in {delay}s...',
+          flush=True)
+    time.sleep(delay)
+  if failures:
+    print(f'Device {dev} ready again after {failures} failed probe(s).', flush=True)
+
+
+proc = None
+last_child_pid = -1
+
 
 def signal_handler(sig, frame):
   """Signal handler function that sends the received signal to the
    subprocess and exits the script for certain signals."""
   print(f'Forwarding signal {sig} to subprocess.', flush=True)
-  proc.send_signal(sig)
+  if proc is not None and proc.poll() is None:
+    proc.send_signal(sig)
   if sig in [signal.SIGINT, signal.SIGTERM, signal.SIGQUIT]:
     sys.exit(0)
   else:
@@ -29,8 +131,17 @@ def signal_handler(sig, frame):
   except:
     pass
 
+consecutive_failures = 0
+
 while True:
+  # Don't spawn into a busy loopback — the child would just exit with
+  # EINVAL and we'd crash-loop while staying silent for hours.
+  if OUT_DEV:
+    wait_for_device(OUT_DEV, last_child_pid)
+
+  start_time = time.monotonic()
   proc = subprocess.Popen(args)
+  last_child_pid = proc.pid
 
   try:
     # Wait for the subprocess to complete
@@ -52,3 +163,15 @@ def signal_handler(sig, frame):
   # If the subprocess exits with a non-zero code, restart it
   print(
       f"Subprocess exited with non-zero code: {proc.returncode}. Restarting...", flush=True)
+
+  # Track consecutive failures for exponential backoff.
+  # Reset if the process ran long enough to be considered a successful start.
+  elapsed = time.monotonic() - start_time
+  if elapsed >= _START_TIME_THRESHOLD:
+    consecutive_failures = 0
+  else:
+    consecutive_failures += 1
+
+  backoff = min(2 ** consecutive_failures, 30)
+  print(f"Waiting {backoff}s before restart (consecutive_failures={consecutive_failures})...", flush=True)
+  time.sleep(backoff)