diff --git a/internal/idlewatcher/watcher.go b/internal/idlewatcher/watcher.go
index 6d6cce81..cc474eb7 100644
--- a/internal/idlewatcher/watcher.go
+++ b/internal/idlewatcher/watcher.go
@@ -134,7 +134,9 @@ func NewWatcher(parent task.Parent, r routing.Route, cfg *Config) (*Watcher, err
 	watcherMapMu.RUnlock()
 
 	if exists {
-		if cfg.IdleTimeout > 0 {
+		// Dependency configs must not overwrite a route's own base config, but
+		// dependency-only watchers still need updated wake and stop settings.
+		if cfg.IdleTimeout > 0 && (cfg.IdleTimeout != neverTick || w.cfg.IdleTimeout == neverTick) {
 			w.cfg.IdlewatcherConfigBase = cfg.IdlewatcherConfigBase
 		}
 		cfg = w.cfg
diff --git a/internal/idlewatcher/watcher_dependencies_test.go b/internal/idlewatcher/watcher_dependencies_test.go
index d168a372..9fb33542 100644
--- a/internal/idlewatcher/watcher_dependencies_test.go
+++ b/internal/idlewatcher/watcher_dependencies_test.go
@@ -298,3 +298,124 @@ func (r *idlewatcherTestRoute) ReverseProxy() *reverseproxy.ReverseProxy {
 }
 func (r *idlewatcherTestRoute) ServeHTTP(http.ResponseWriter, *http.Request) {}
 func (r *idlewatcherTestRoute) MarshalZerologObject(*zerolog.Event)          {}
+
+// A watcher that is both its own idle route and another route's dependency gets
+// NewWatcher called a second time with a dependency-synthesized config. That
+// config carries neverTick so the dependency never auto-sleeps, and adopting it
+// would silently disable the route's own idle timeout.
+func TestNewWatcherReloadIgnoresDependencyConfig(t *testing.T) {
+	w, parent, mainRoute, _ := newDependencyReloadTest(t, "dep-clobber", nil)
+	require.Equal(t, time.Hour, w.cfg.IdleTimeout)
+
+	depCfg := idlewatcherTestConfig("dep-clobber", nil)
+	depCfg.IdleTimeout = neverTick
+	depCfg.WakeTimeout = 42 * time.Second
+	depCfg.StopTimeout = 10 * time.Second
+	depCfg.StopMethod = idlewatchertypes.ContainerStopMethodKill
+	depCfg.StopSignal = "SIGKILL"
+	want := w.cfg.IdlewatcherConfigBase
+
+	reloaded, err := NewWatcher(parent, mainRoute, depCfg)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Same(t, w, reloaded)
+	require.Equal(t, time.Hour, reloaded.cfg.IdleTimeout, "route keeps its own idle timeout")
+	require.Equal(t, want, reloaded.cfg.IdlewatcherConfigBase, "route keeps all of its own base config")
+}
+
+// A genuine reload must still be adopted.
+func TestNewWatcherReloadAdoptsUpdatedConfig(t *testing.T) {
+	w, parent, mainRoute, _ := newDependencyReloadTest(t, "adopt-cfg", nil)
+	require.Equal(t, time.Hour, w.cfg.IdleTimeout)
+
+	newCfg := idlewatcherTestConfig("adopt-cfg", nil)
+	newCfg.IdleTimeout = 2 * time.Hour
+	newCfg.WakeTimeout = 5 * time.Second
+	newCfg.StopTimeout = 10 * time.Second
+	newCfg.StopMethod = idlewatchertypes.ContainerStopMethodKill
+	newCfg.StopSignal = "SIGKILL"
+
+	reloaded, err := NewWatcher(parent, mainRoute, newCfg)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Same(t, w, reloaded)
+	require.Equal(t, 2*time.Hour, reloaded.cfg.IdleTimeout)
+	require.Equal(t, newCfg.IdlewatcherConfigBase, reloaded.cfg.IdlewatcherConfigBase)
+}
+
+func TestNewWatcherReloadDependencyOnlyConfig(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, tc := range []struct {
+		name        string
+		idleTimeout time.Duration
+		adopt       bool
+	}{
+		{"refresh", neverTick, true},
+		{"promote_to_route", 2 * time.Hour, true},
+		{"zero_unchanged", 0, false},
+		{"negative_unchanged", -1, false},
+	} {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			w, parent, mainRoute, _ := newDependencyReloadTest(t, "dep-only", []string{"old"})
+			dep := w.dependsOn[0].Watcher
+			require.Equal(t, neverTick, dep.cfg.IdleTimeout)
+			want := dep.cfg.IdlewatcherConfigBase
+			cfg := idlewatcherTestConfig("old-id", nil)
+			cfg.IdleTimeout = tc.idleTimeout
+			cfg.WakeTimeout = 42 * time.Second
+			cfg.StopTimeout = 10 * time.Second
+			cfg.StopMethod = idlewatchertypes.ContainerStopMethodKill
+			cfg.StopSignal = "SIGKILL"
+			if tc.adopt {
+				want = cfg.IdlewatcherConfigBase
+			}
+			depRoute, ok := mainRoute.provider.GetRoute("old")
+			require.True(t, ok)
+			reloaded, err := NewWatcher(parent, depRoute, cfg)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			require.Same(t, dep, reloaded)
+			require.Equal(t, want, reloaded.cfg.IdlewatcherConfigBase)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func TestNewWatcherReloadRefreshesDependencySettings(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, tc := range []struct {
+		name        string
+		explicit    bool
+		idleTimeout time.Duration
+	}{
+		{name: "inherited"},
+		{name: "explicit_zero", explicit: true},
+		{name: "explicit_negative", explicit: true, idleTimeout: -1},
+	} {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			w, parent, mainRoute, _ := newDependencyReloadTest(t, "parent-reload", []string{"old"})
+			dep := w.dependsOn[0].Watcher
+			require.Equal(t, neverTick, dep.cfg.IdleTimeout)
+			cfg := idlewatcherTestConfig("parent-reload", []string{"old"})
+			updated := idlewatchertypes.IdlewatcherConfigBase{
+				IdleTimeout: neverTick,
+				WakeTimeout: 42 * time.Second,
+				StopTimeout: 10 * time.Second,
+				StopMethod:  idlewatchertypes.ContainerStopMethodKill,
+				StopSignal:  "SIGKILL",
+			}
+			if tc.explicit {
+				depRoute, ok := mainRoute.provider.GetRoute("old")
+				require.True(t, ok)
+				depCfg := idlewatcherTestConfig("old-id", nil)
+				depCfg.IdlewatcherConfigBase = updated
+				depCfg.IdleTimeout = tc.idleTimeout
+				depRoute.(*idlewatcherTestRoute).cfg = depCfg
+			} else {
+				cfg.IdlewatcherConfigBase = updated
+				cfg.IdleTimeout = time.Hour
+			}
+
+			reloaded, err := NewWatcher(parent, mainRoute, cfg)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			require.Same(t, w, reloaded)
+			require.Len(t, reloaded.dependsOn, 1)
+			require.Same(t, dep, reloaded.dependsOn[0].Watcher)
+			require.Equal(t, updated, dep.cfg.IdlewatcherConfigBase)
+		})
+	}
+}