diff --git a/newt/connect.go b/newt/connect.go
index 1413abd..ec07ab6 100644
--- a/newt/connect.go
+++ b/newt/connect.go
@@ -63,11 +63,18 @@ func (n *Newt) handleConnect(ctx context.Context, msg websocket.WSMessage) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	if err := json.Unmarshal(jsonData, &n.wgData); err != nil {
+	// Unmarshal into a fresh WgData rather than the persistent n.wgData. Decoding a
+	// JSON array into an existing slice merges element-by-element by position, and a
+	// JSON null is a no-op for non-pointer fields, so reusing n.wgData lets a target
+	// inherit a stale expected status code (hcStatus) from the previous connection
+	// when the health-check rows arrive in a different order on reconnect.
+	var wgData WgData
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(jsonData, &wgData); err != nil {
 		logger.Info("Error unmarshaling target data: %v", err)
 		regResult = "failure"
 		return
 	}
+	n.wgData = wgData
 
 	logger.Debug(fmtReceivedMsg, msg)
 
diff --git a/newt/wgdata_reconnect_test.go b/newt/wgdata_reconnect_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a0c9d1a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/newt/wgdata_reconnect_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+package newt
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+// On reconnect the registration payload is decoded into wgData. Go's json merges
+// a JSON array into an existing slice element-by-element by position, and a JSON
+// null is a no-op for a non-pointer int (Config.Status). So decoding into a REUSED
+// wgData lets a target whose hcStatus is null inherit the stale expected code from
+// whatever target previously occupied that slot when the rows arrive reordered.
+//
+// handleConnect must therefore decode into a FRESH WgData (see connect.go). These
+// tests pin both halves: the hazard of reuse, and the correctness of a fresh decode.
+func TestReconnectHealthCheckHcStatus(t *testing.T) {
+	// Target 47 (MCP) expects 401; target 5 (/manifest.json) has no expected code
+	// (null -> newt defaults to 2xx). The two connects return the rows in a
+	// different order, which is what triggers the positional merge.
+	firstConnect := `{"healthCheckTargets":[
+		{"id":47,"hcStatus":401,"hcPath":"/api/mcp"},
+		{"id":5,"hcStatus":null,"hcPath":"/manifest.json"}
+	]}`
+	reconnect := `{"healthCheckTargets":[
+		{"id":5,"hcStatus":null,"hcPath":"/manifest.json"},
+		{"id":47,"hcStatus":401,"hcPath":"/api/mcp"}
+	]}`
+
+	hcStatusOf := func(wg WgData, id int) (int, bool) {
+		for i := range wg.HealthCheckTargets {
+			if wg.HealthCheckTargets[i].ID == id {
+				return wg.HealthCheckTargets[i].Status, true
+			}
+		}
+		return 0, false
+	}
+
+	// Characterize the hazard: reusing the same WgData corrupts target 5.
+	t.Run("reused wgData inherits stale hcStatus", func(t *testing.T) {
+		var wg WgData
+		if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(firstConnect), &wg); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(reconnect), &wg); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		got, ok := hcStatusOf(wg, 5)
+		if !ok {
+			t.Fatal("target 5 not found")
+		}
+		if got != 401 {
+			t.Fatalf("expected the reuse hazard to yield stale 401 for target 5, got %d", got)
+		}
+	})
+
+	// Verify the fix: decoding each payload into a fresh WgData (what handleConnect
+	// does) keeps target 5 free of target 47's expected code.
+	t.Run("fresh wgData per connect is correct", func(t *testing.T) {
+		var wg WgData
+		if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(firstConnect), &wg); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		var fresh WgData
+		if err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(reconnect), &fresh); err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		wg = fresh
+		got, ok := hcStatusOf(wg, 5)
+		if !ok {
+			t.Fatal("target 5 not found")
+		}
+		if got != 0 {
+			t.Fatalf("target 5 hcStatus = %d, expected 0 (unset); it must not inherit target 47's 401", got)
+		}
+	})
+}