diff --git a/crates/bsk-cli/src/cli/session.rs b/crates/bsk-cli/src/cli/session.rs
index 9bf3ce07..d2a038cf 100644
--- a/crates/bsk-cli/src/cli/session.rs
+++ b/crates/bsk-cli/src/cli/session.rs
@@ -393,6 +393,30 @@ impl RenderExtras for StartExtras<'_> {
                 }
                 Ok(())
             }
+            ErrorCode::NotFound => {
+                // Same table as `multiple_browsers_online`, but for a
+                // selector that matched nothing. Absent / empty
+                // `browsers` data (an older daemon, or a miss against an
+                // empty registry) renders nothing, so unrelated
+                // `not_found` errors keep their current output.
+                let browsers = parse_browsers_data(data.as_ref());
+                if browsers.is_empty() {
+                    return Ok(());
+                }
+                writeln!(
+                    out,
+                    "no online browser matches the requested selector; connected browsers:"
+                )?;
+                write_browser_table(out, &browsers)?;
+                // The table answers "what is connected", not "what did you
+                // mean": a mistyped selector and an offline browser look
+                // identical here, so name the question it cannot answer
+                // rather than let the caller switch instances by accident.
+                writeln!(
+                    out,
+                    "the list shows what is connected now; it cannot tell a mistyped selector from an offline browser, so check or reconnect the intended browser before starting on another instance"
+                )
+            }
             _ => Ok(()),
         }
     }
@@ -767,4 +791,87 @@ mod i3_tests {
         assert!(stderr.contains("hint:"));
         assert!(stderr.contains("details: requested browser is not connected"));
     }
+
+    /// A selector that matches nothing renders the connected-browser
+    /// table, so the user (or agent) can pick a real instance id or
+    /// label in one round trip instead of cycling through every
+    /// connected browser until one starts.
+    #[test]
+    fn selector_miss_extras_render_candidate_table() {
+        let data = serde_json::json!({
+            "browsers": [
+                {
+                    "instance_id": "alpha",
+                    "browser_name": "chrome",
+                    "browser_version": "131",
+                    "extension_version": "0.1.0-dev.0",
+                    "label": "Personal",
+                    "session_count": 0_u32,
+                    "connected_at_ms": 1_i64,
+                    "version_skew": false,
+                },
+                {
+                    "instance_id": "beta",
+                    "browser_name": "edge",
+                    "browser_version": "130",
+                    "extension_version": "0.1.0-dev.0",
+                    "label": "",
+                    "session_count": 1_u32,
+                    "connected_at_ms": 2_i64,
+                    "version_skew": false,
+                },
+            ]
+        });
+        let cli = CliError::from_rpc(RpcError {
+            code: ErrorCode::NotFound,
+            message: "requested browser is not connected".into(),
+            data: Some(data),
+        });
+        let extras = StartExtras::new(&cli);
+        let stderr = render_human_to_string(&cli, Some(&extras));
+        assert!(stderr.contains("error: requested resource does not exist"));
+        assert!(
+            stderr.contains("no online browser matches the requested selector"),
+            "extras must explain the miss: {stderr}"
+        );
+        assert!(stderr.contains("INSTANCE"));
+        assert!(stderr.contains("alpha"));
+        assert!(stderr.contains("beta"));
+        assert!(stderr.contains("Personal"));
+        // The table must not read as "pick another instance": it cannot
+        // distinguish a mistyped selector from an offline browser.
+        assert!(
+            stderr.contains("cannot tell a mistyped selector from an offline browser"),
+            "extras must state what the list cannot tell: {stderr}"
+        );
+        // Ordering contract unchanged: summary → extras → hint.
+        let summary_idx = stderr.find("error:").expect("summary line missing");
+        let table_idx = stderr
+            .find("connected browsers:")
+            .expect("candidate table missing");
+        let caveat_idx = stderr
+            .find("cannot tell a mistyped selector")
+            .expect("scope caveat missing");
+        let hint_idx = stderr.find("hint:").expect("hint line missing");
+        assert!(
+            summary_idx < table_idx && table_idx < caveat_idx && caveat_idx < hint_idx,
+            "stderr order must be summary → table → caveat → hint, got:\n{stderr}"
+        );
+        assert!(stderr.contains("details: requested browser is not connected"));
+    }
+
+    /// An empty candidate list (miss against an empty registry) renders
+    /// no extras, so the change is additive for existing output.
+    #[test]
+    fn selector_miss_with_empty_candidates_renders_no_extras() {
+        let cli = CliError::from_rpc(RpcError {
+            code: ErrorCode::NotFound,
+            message: "requested browser is not connected".into(),
+            data: Some(serde_json::json!({ "browsers": [] })),
+        });
+        let extras = StartExtras::new(&cli);
+        let stderr = render_human_to_string(&cli, Some(&extras));
+        assert!(!stderr.contains("connected browsers:"));
+        assert!(stderr.contains("details: requested browser is not connected"));
+    }
 }
diff --git a/crates/bsk-cli/src/daemon/ipc.rs b/crates/bsk-cli/src/daemon/ipc.rs
index 7f15fb68..0c725217 100644
--- a/crates/bsk-cli/src/daemon/ipc.rs
+++ b/crates/bsk-cli/src/daemon/ipc.rs
@@ -1059,7 +1059,7 @@ fn map_start_error(err: StartSessionError) -> RpcError {
     let code = match &err {
         StartSessionError::NoBrowserConnected => ErrorCode::NoBrowserConnected,
         StartSessionError::MultipleBrowsersOnline { .. } => ErrorCode::MultipleBrowsersOnline,
-        StartSessionError::BrowserNotFound => ErrorCode::NotFound,
+        StartSessionError::BrowserNotFound { .. } => ErrorCode::NotFound,
         StartSessionError::AmbiguousBrowserLabel { .. } => ErrorCode::InvalidParams,
         StartSessionError::IdExhausted => ErrorCode::ProtocolError,
         StartSessionError::Timeout => ErrorCode::Timeout,
@@ -1074,6 +1074,14 @@ fn map_start_error(err: StartSessionError) -> RpcError {
         StartSessionError::MultipleBrowsersOnline { browsers } => {
             Some(serde_json::json!({ "browsers": browsers }))
         }
+        // A selector miss lists the candidates it could have meant, so
+        // the caller can pick a connected instance or label instead of
+        // probing every browser in turn. Emitted only when at least one
+        // browser is online, so a miss against an empty registry keeps
+        // the historical `code` + `message`-only payload.
+        StartSessionError::BrowserNotFound { browsers } if !browsers.is_empty() => {
+            Some(serde_json::json!({ "browsers": browsers }))
+        }
         StartSessionError::AmbiguousBrowserLabel {
             label,
             instance_ids,
@@ -2133,3 +2141,162 @@ mod tests {
         let _ = server.await;
     }
 }
+
+/// Platform-neutral coverage for the `session.start` selector-miss
+/// payload. Kept out of the `#[cfg(all(test, unix))]` IPC transport
+/// module above so it also runs on Windows.
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod selector_miss_payload_tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use crate::daemon::browsers::{
+        BrowserClient, BrowserId, BrowserRegistry, BrowserSink, Liveness, Pending,
+        next_browser_generation,
+    };
+    use crate::daemon::queue::ToolQueueRegistry;
+    use crate::daemon::sessions::{SessionRegistry, start_session_recoverable};
+    use std::sync::Mutex;
+
+    fn status_entry(instance_id: &str, label: &str) -> BrowserStatusEntry {
+        BrowserStatusEntry {
+            instance_id: instance_id.into(),
+            browser_name: "chrome".into(),
+            browser_version: "131".into(),
+            extension_version: "0.1.0-dev.0".into(),
+            label: label.into(),
+            session_count: 0,
+            connected_at_ms: 1,
+            version_skew: false,
+            extension_protocol_version: String::new(),
+            unresponsive: false,
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// A selector miss must hand the caller the connected candidates so
+    /// it can pick a real instance id or label in one round trip,
+    /// instead of enumerating `bsk browsers` and retrying instances one
+    /// after another.
+    #[test]
+    fn browser_selector_miss_lists_connected_candidates() {
+        let err = map_start_error(StartSessionError::BrowserNotFound {
+            browsers: vec![status_entry("alpha", "Personal"), status_entry("beta", "")],
+        });
+        assert_eq!(err.code, ErrorCode::NotFound);
+        // The human-readable message is unchanged (existing callers and
+        // the `details:` line depend on it).
+        assert_eq!(err.message, "requested browser is not connected");
+        let data = err.data.expect("selector miss must carry candidates");
+        let browsers = data["browsers"].as_array().expect("browsers array");
+        assert_eq!(browsers.len(), 2);
+        assert_eq!(browsers[0]["instance_id"], "alpha");
+        assert_eq!(browsers[0]["label"], "Personal");
+        assert_eq!(browsers[1]["instance_id"], "beta");
+    }
+
+    /// Backward compatibility: with nothing connected there is nothing
+    /// to suggest, so the error keeps its previous message-only shape.
+    #[test]
+    fn browser_selector_miss_without_browsers_keeps_message_only_payload() {
+        let err = map_start_error(StartSessionError::BrowserNotFound { browsers: vec![] });
+        assert_eq!(err.code, ErrorCode::NotFound);
+        assert_eq!(err.message, "requested browser is not connected");
+        assert!(
+            err.data.is_none(),
+            "an empty registry must not invent a `browsers` payload"
+        );
+    }
+
+    // -----------------------------------------------------------------
+    // Integration: the real start path, not the pieces
+    // -----------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    /// A registered browser, built in-process. `BrowserClient`'s fields
+    /// are public, so this registers candidates through the same
+    /// `BrowserRegistry` the daemon fills from the extension handshake —
+    /// no transport, no extension, no model.
+    fn connected_browser(instance_id: &str, label: &str) -> Arc<BrowserClient> {
+        let (tx, _rx) = tokio::sync::mpsc::unbounded_channel();
+        Arc::new(BrowserClient {
+            id: BrowserId(instance_id.into()),
+            browser_name: "chrome".into(),
+            browser_version: "131".into(),
+            extension_version: "0.1.0-dev.0".into(),
+            extension_protocol_version: "1.0".into(),
+            label: label.into(),
+            sink: BrowserSink { tx },
+            pending: Mutex::new(Pending::default()),
+            generation: next_browser_generation(),
+            connected_at_ms: 0,
+            version_skew: false,
+            liveness: Liveness::default(),
+        })
+    }
+
+    /// Drives the function the daemon actually calls for
+    /// `session.start` against a populated registry. The two tests above
+    /// cover the error mapping and the CLI rendering in isolation; this
+    /// one pins both halves of the review ask on a single run:
+    ///
+    /// 1. the candidate list reaches the caller in the wire shape, and
+    /// 2. a failed selection creates **no** session.
+    ///
+    /// (2) is structural today — the selection `?` returns before any id
+    /// is reserved — and this test is what keeps it that way.
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn selector_miss_reaches_caller_and_creates_no_session() {
+        let registry = Arc::new(BrowserRegistry::new());
+        registry.insert(connected_browser("alpha", "Personal"));
+        registry.insert(connected_browser("beta", ""));
+        let sessions = Arc::new(SessionRegistry::new());
+        let queues = Arc::new(ToolQueueRegistry::new(registry.clone(), sessions.clone()));
+
+        assert!(sessions.is_empty(), "fixture must start with no sessions");
+
+        // A selector that matches nothing, with two browsers online:
+        // this must fail immediately and start nothing.
+        let error = start_session_recoverable(
+            &registry,
+            &sessions,
+            &queues,
+            Some("no-such-browser"),
+            AgentWindowOptions::default(),
+            Duration::from_secs(1),
+            Duration::from_secs(1),
+            None,
+            false,
+        )
+        .await
+        .expect_err("a selector that matches nothing must not start a session");
+
+        // (2) no session was reserved, so the caller can retry with a
+        // real instance id from the list below.
+        assert!(
+            sessions.is_empty(),
+            "a selector miss must not leave a session behind"
+        );
+
+        // (1) the candidates reach the caller through the daemon's own
+        // error mapping.
+        let rpc = map_start_error(error);
+        assert_eq!(rpc.code, ErrorCode::NotFound);
+        let data = rpc
+            .data
+            .expect("a miss with browsers online must carry candidates");
+        let browsers = data["browsers"].as_array().expect("browsers array");
+        let seen: Vec<(&str, &str)> = browsers
+            .iter()
+            .map(|b| {
+                (
+                    b["instance_id"].as_str().expect("instance_id"),
+                    b["label"].as_str().expect("label"),
+                )
+            })
+            .collect();
+        assert_eq!(
+            seen.len(),
+            2,
+            "both connected browsers must be listed, got {seen:?}"
+        );
+        assert!(seen.contains(&("alpha", "Personal")), "got {seen:?}");
+        assert!(seen.contains(&("beta", "")), "got {seen:?}");
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/bsk-cli/src/daemon/sessions.rs b/crates/bsk-cli/src/daemon/sessions.rs
index c4174e01..766d7db5 100644
--- a/crates/bsk-cli/src/daemon/sessions.rs
+++ b/crates/bsk-cli/src/daemon/sessions.rs
@@ -378,7 +378,16 @@ pub enum StartSessionError {
         browsers: Vec<BrowserStatusEntry>,
     },
     #[error("requested browser is not connected")]
-    BrowserNotFound,
+    BrowserNotFound {
+        /// Snapshot of every currently connected browser, attached to
+        /// the daemon's structured error so a selector miss can list
+        /// the candidates the caller could have meant instead of
+        /// making the caller run `bsk browsers` and retry one instance
+        /// after another. Empty when nothing is connected, in which
+        /// case no `browsers` payload is emitted at all and the error
+        /// keeps its pre-existing wire shape.
+        browsers: Vec<BrowserStatusEntry>,
+    },
     #[error("label '{label}' matches {} connected browsers", instance_ids.len())]
     AmbiguousBrowserLabel {
         label: String,
@@ -409,7 +418,7 @@ impl StartSessionError {
         match self {
             StartSessionError::NoBrowserConnected => "no_browser_connected",
             StartSessionError::MultipleBrowsersOnline { .. } => "multiple_browsers_online",
-            StartSessionError::BrowserNotFound => "not_found",
+            StartSessionError::BrowserNotFound { .. } => "not_found",
             StartSessionError::AmbiguousBrowserLabel { .. } => "invalid_params",
             StartSessionError::IdExhausted => "protocol_error",
             StartSessionError::Timeout => "timeout",
@@ -524,7 +533,14 @@ pub(crate) async fn start_session_recoverable(
         SelectError::MultipleBrowsersOnline => StartSessionError::MultipleBrowsersOnline {
             browsers: snapshot_status_entries(registry, sessions),
         },
-        SelectError::NotFound => StartSessionError::BrowserNotFound,
+        // A selector miss is the one selection failure that used to
+        // carry no candidates, which pushed callers into enumerating
+        // `bsk browsers` and retrying instances one by one. Attach the
+        // same snapshot `multiple_browsers_online` already uses so the
+        // CLI can answer the miss in a single round trip.
+        SelectError::NotFound => StartSessionError::BrowserNotFound {
+            browsers: snapshot_status_entries(registry, sessions),
+        },
         SelectError::AmbiguousLabel {
             label,
             instance_ids,