diff --git a/easytier-gui/src/components/ModeSwitcher.vue b/easytier-gui/src/components/ModeSwitcher.vue
index 0bbf33a7..7ea04f7e 100644
--- a/easytier-gui/src/components/ModeSwitcher.vue
+++ b/easytier-gui/src/components/ModeSwitcher.vue
@@ -26,6 +26,14 @@ function normalizeRpcListenPort(port: unknown): number {
 onMounted(async () => {
   defaultConfigDir.value = await join(await appConfigDir(), 'config.d')
   defaultLogDir.value = await appLogDir()
+
+  // the mode watch may have run before these defaults resolved (e.g. when the
+  // dialog is opened with service mode preselected), leaving the fields empty.
+  if (model.value.mode === 'service') {
+    const serviceModel = model.value as ServiceMode
+    serviceModel.config_dir = serviceModel.config_dir || defaultConfigDir.value
+    serviceModel.file_log_dir = serviceModel.file_log_dir || defaultLogDir.value
+  }
 })
 
 const modeOptions = computed(() => [
diff --git a/easytier-gui/src/pages/index.vue b/easytier-gui/src/pages/index.vue
index 947076e5..2ce5d455 100644
--- a/easytier-gui/src/pages/index.vue
+++ b/easytier-gui/src/pages/index.vue
@@ -36,8 +36,18 @@ const manualDisconnect = ref(false)
 const configServerDialogVisible = ref(false)
 const configServerConnected = ref(false)
 
+const showAutostartHint = ref(false)
+
 async function openModeDialog() {
   editingMode.value = JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(loadMode()))
+  showAutostartHint.value = false
+  modeDialogVisible.value = true
+}
+
+async function openAutostartDialog() {
+  editingMode.value = JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(loadMode()))
+  editingMode.value.mode = 'service'
+  showAutostartHint.value = true
   modeDialogVisible.value = true
 }
 
@@ -400,6 +410,12 @@ const setting_menu_items: Ref<MenuItem[]> = ref([
     command: openModeDialog,
     visible: () => type() !== 'android',
   },
+  {
+    label: () => t('mode.autostart'),
+    icon: 'pi pi-clock',
+    command: openAutostartDialog,
+    visible: () => type() !== 'android',
+  },
   {
     label: () => `${t('config-server.title')}${t('config-server.' + configServerConnectionStatus.value)}`,
     icon: 'pi pi-globe',
@@ -497,6 +513,9 @@ const configServerConnectionStatus = computed(() => {
       <About />
     </Dialog>
     <Dialog v-model:visible="modeDialogVisible" modal :header="t('mode.switch_mode')" :style="{ width: '50vw' }">
+      <Message v-if="showAutostartHint" severity="info" :closable="false" class="mb-4">
+        {{ t('mode.autostart_hint') }}
+      </Message>
       <ModeSwitcher v-model="editingMode" @uninstall-service="onUninstallService" @stop-service="onStopService" />
       <template #footer>
         <Button :label="t('web.common.cancel')" icon="pi pi-times" @click="modeDialogVisible = false" text />
diff --git a/easytier-web/frontend-lib/src/locales/cn.yaml b/easytier-web/frontend-lib/src/locales/cn.yaml
index a2b1bd0d..a6cb183d 100644
--- a/easytier-web/frontend-lib/src/locales/cn.yaml
+++ b/easytier-web/frontend-lib/src/locales/cn.yaml
@@ -465,6 +465,8 @@ mode:
   remote_rpc_address_empty: 远程RPC地址不能为空
   service_config_empty: 服务配置不能为空
   rpc_connection_failed: "RPC 连接失败：{error}"
+  autostart: 开机自启
+  autostart_hint: 开机自启由服务模式提供。切换为「服务模式」并保存后，EasyTier 将注册为系统服务，开机自动启动并在后台运行。
 
 config-server:
   title: 配置服务器
diff --git a/easytier-web/frontend-lib/src/locales/en.yaml b/easytier-web/frontend-lib/src/locales/en.yaml
index f3d82054..e988ad45 100644
--- a/easytier-web/frontend-lib/src/locales/en.yaml
+++ b/easytier-web/frontend-lib/src/locales/en.yaml
@@ -465,6 +465,8 @@ mode:
   remote_rpc_address_empty: Remote RPC Address cannot be empty
   service_config_empty: Service Config cannot be empty
   rpc_connection_failed: "RPC connection failed: {error}"
+  autostart: Start on Boot
+  autostart_hint: Auto-start on boot is provided by service mode. After switching to Service mode and saving, EasyTier will be registered as a system service that starts automatically at boot and keeps running in the background.
 
 config-server:
   title: Config Server
diff --git a/easytier/src/core.rs b/easytier/src/core.rs
index 1d05721d..92461358 100644
--- a/easytier/src/core.rs
+++ b/easytier/src/core.rs
@@ -1440,6 +1440,11 @@ fn win_service_event_loop(
                         Err(error) => {
                             status_handle.set_service_status(error_status).unwrap();
                             log::error!(?error);
+                            // exit with non-zero code so the SCM treats this as
+                            // a non-crash failure and applies the configured
+                            // failure actions; staying alive would leave a
+                            // zombie process until the SCM force-kills it.
+                            std::process::exit(1);
                         }
                     }
                 },
diff --git a/easytier/src/easytier-cli.rs b/easytier/src/easytier-cli.rs
index d6036db8..bcb2fa8c 100644
--- a/easytier/src/easytier-cli.rs
+++ b/easytier/src/easytier-cli.rs
@@ -535,9 +535,10 @@ struct InstallArgs {
     service_work_dir: Option<PathBuf>,
 
     #[arg(
-        trailing_var_arg = true,
+        long,
+        num_args = 1..,
         allow_hyphen_values = true,
-        help = "args to pass to easytier-core"
+        help = "args to pass to easytier-core, must be the last option of install"
     )]
     core_args: Option<Vec<OsString>>,
 }
@@ -701,6 +702,69 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(!dropped.contains(&proxy_index));
         assert!(total_width <= 79);
     }
+
+    fn parse_install_core_args(argv: &[&str]) -> Vec<OsString> {
+        let cli = Cli::try_parse_from(argv).expect("failed to parse cli");
+        let SubCommand::Service(service_args) = cli.sub_command else {
+            panic!("not a service subcommand");
+        };
+        let ServiceSubCommand::Install(install_args) = service_args.sub_command else {
+            panic!("not an install subcommand");
+        };
+        install_args.core_args.expect("no core args")
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn install_core_args_do_not_include_the_flag_itself() {
+        // trailing_var_arg used to collect the "--core-args" token itself into
+        // the value, breaking the installed service's command line.
+        let args = parse_install_core_args(&[
+            "easytier-cli",
+            "service",
+            "install",
+            "--core-args",
+            "--daemon",
+            "--config-dir",
+            "/nonexistent",
+        ]);
+        assert_eq!(args, vec!["--daemon", "--config-dir", "/nonexistent"]);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn install_core_args_support_equals_form() {
+        let args = parse_install_core_args(&[
+            "easytier-cli",
+            "service",
+            "install",
+            "--core-args=--daemon",
+        ]);
+        assert_eq!(args, vec!["--daemon"]);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn install_options_before_core_args_still_parse() {
+        let cli = Cli::try_parse_from([
+            "easytier-cli",
+            "service",
+            "install",
+            "--disable-autostart",
+            "true",
+            "--core-args",
+            "--daemon",
+        ])
+        .expect("failed to parse cli");
+        let SubCommand::Service(service_args) = cli.sub_command else {
+            panic!("not a service subcommand");
+        };
+        let ServiceSubCommand::Install(install_args) = service_args.sub_command else {
+            panic!("not an install subcommand");
+        };
+        assert_eq!(install_args.disable_autostart, Some(true));
+        assert_eq!(
+            install_args.core_args.expect("no core args"),
+            vec!["--daemon"]
+        );
+    }
 }
 
 fn format_proxy_cidrs(value: &str) -> String {
diff --git a/easytier/src/service_manager/mod.rs b/easytier/src/service_manager/mod.rs
index a2dd811b..9bb4866b 100644
--- a/easytier/src/service_manager/mod.rs
+++ b/easytier/src/service_manager/mod.rs
@@ -338,11 +338,12 @@ impl Service {
 
 #[cfg(target_os = "windows")]
 mod win_service_manager {
-    use std::{ffi::OsStr, ffi::OsString, io, path::PathBuf};
+    use std::{ffi::OsStr, ffi::OsString, io, path::PathBuf, time::Duration};
     use windows_service::{
         service::{
-            ServiceAccess, ServiceDependency, ServiceErrorControl, ServiceInfo, ServiceStartType,
-            ServiceType,
+            Service, ServiceAccess, ServiceAction, ServiceActionType, ServiceDependency,
+            ServiceErrorControl, ServiceFailureActions, ServiceFailureResetPeriod, ServiceInfo,
+            ServiceStartType, ServiceType,
         },
         service_manager::{ServiceManager, ServiceManagerAccess},
     };
@@ -442,6 +443,8 @@ mod win_service_manager {
                 set_service_work_directory(&ctx.label.to_qualified_name(), work_dir)?;
             }
 
+            configure_failure_actions(&service, ctx.disable_restart_on_failure)?;
+
             Ok(())
         }
 
@@ -533,6 +536,8 @@ mod win_service_manager {
                 set_service_work_directory(&ctx.label.to_qualified_name(), work_dir)?;
             }
 
+            configure_failure_actions(&service, ctx.disable_restart_on_failure)?;
+
             Ok(())
         }
     }
@@ -544,4 +549,49 @@ mod win_service_manager {
             .set_value::<OsString, _>(service_name, &work_directory.as_os_str().to_os_string())?;
         Ok(())
     }
+
+    fn configure_failure_actions(
+        service: &Service,
+        disable_restart_on_failure: bool,
+    ) -> io::Result<()> {
+        // the SCM repeats the last action once the failure count exceeds the
+        // actions array, so Restart actions retry indefinitely.
+        let actions = if disable_restart_on_failure {
+            // empty actions clear previously configured ones
+            Vec::new()
+        } else {
+            vec![
+                ServiceAction {
+                    action_type: ServiceActionType::Restart,
+                    delay: Duration::from_secs(1),
+                },
+                ServiceAction {
+                    action_type: ServiceActionType::Restart,
+                    delay: Duration::from_secs(5),
+                },
+                ServiceAction {
+                    action_type: ServiceActionType::Restart,
+                    delay: Duration::from_secs(10),
+                },
+            ]
+        };
+
+        service
+            .update_failure_actions(ServiceFailureActions {
+                reset_period: ServiceFailureResetPeriod::Never,
+                reboot_msg: None,
+                command: None,
+                actions: Some(actions),
+            })
+            .map_err(io::Error::other)?;
+
+        // by default the SCM only performs failure actions on crashes; our
+        // service reports SERVICE_STOPPED with a non-zero exit code on
+        // failure, which requires this flag to be treated as a failure.
+        service
+            .set_failure_actions_on_non_crash_failures(!disable_restart_on_failure)
+            .map_err(io::Error::other)?;
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
 }