diff --git a/src/core/dispatch-context.ts b/src/core/dispatch-context.ts
index 7c829e28a..01c1f29be 100644
--- a/src/core/dispatch-context.ts
+++ b/src/core/dispatch-context.ts
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ export type DispatchContext = ScreenshotDispatchFlags & {
   snapshotScope?: string;
   snapshotRaw?: boolean;
   snapshotIncludeRects?: boolean;
+  skipIosSimulatorBootCheck?: boolean;
   count?: number;
   intervalMs?: number;
   delayMs?: number;
diff --git a/src/core/dispatch.ts b/src/core/dispatch.ts
index a9a50b418..3c5ca554c 100644
--- a/src/core/dispatch.ts
+++ b/src/core/dispatch.ts
@@ -340,6 +340,7 @@ async function handleScreenshotCommand(
     fullscreen: screenshotOptions.fullscreen,
     stabilize: screenshotOptions.stabilize,
     surface: context?.surface,
+    skipIosSimulatorBootCheck: context?.skipIosSimulatorBootCheck,
   });
   return { path: screenshotPath, ...successText(`Saved screenshot: ${screenshotPath}`) };
 }
diff --git a/src/core/interactor-types.ts b/src/core/interactor-types.ts
index d26e0cdfa..8319ca986 100644
--- a/src/core/interactor-types.ts
+++ b/src/core/interactor-types.ts
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ export type ScreenshotOptions = {
   fullscreen?: boolean;
   stabilize?: boolean;
   surface?: SessionSurface;
+  skipIosSimulatorBootCheck?: boolean;
 };
 
 export type ElementSelectorKey = 'id' | 'label' | 'text' | 'value';
diff --git a/src/core/interactors/apple.ts b/src/core/interactors/apple.ts
index 18bfe4e5b..a9b07bfc8 100644
--- a/src/core/interactors/apple.ts
+++ b/src/core/interactors/apple.ts
@@ -47,7 +47,9 @@ export function createAppleInteractor(
         });
         return;
       }
-      await screenshotIos(device, outPath, options?.appBundleId, options?.fullscreen, runnerOpts);
+      await screenshotIos(device, outPath, options?.appBundleId, options?.fullscreen, runnerOpts, {
+        skipSimulatorBootCheck: options?.skipIosSimulatorBootCheck,
+      });
     },
     snapshot: async (options) => {
       const result = readAppleSnapshotResult(
diff --git a/src/daemon/__tests__/request-router-screenshot.test.ts b/src/daemon/__tests__/request-router-screenshot.test.ts
index d6df4912b..4f3767b11 100644
--- a/src/daemon/__tests__/request-router-screenshot.test.ts
+++ b/src/daemon/__tests__/request-router-screenshot.test.ts
@@ -129,6 +129,27 @@ test('default screenshot temp directory is cleaned when capture fails', async ()
   expect(fs.existsSync(path.dirname(capturedPath!))).toBe(false);
 });
 
+test('session-backed iOS simulator screenshots skip redundant boot probe', async () => {
+  const session = makeIosSession('ios');
+  const outPath = path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'agent-device-ios-session-screenshot.png');
+  let capturedContext: Parameters<typeof dispatchCommand>[4];
+
+  mockDispatch.mockImplementation(async (_device, _command, _positionals, _outPath, context) => {
+    capturedContext = context;
+    return { path: outPath };
+  });
+
+  await dispatchScreenshotViaRuntime({
+    session,
+    sessionName: session.name,
+    outPath,
+    outputPlacement: 'positional',
+    dispatchContext: {},
+  });
+
+  expect(capturedContext?.skipIosSimulatorBootCheck).toBe(true);
+});
+
 test('router serializes concurrent commands for the same device across sessions', async () => {
   const sessionStore = makeSessionStore('agent-device-router-screenshot-');
   sessionStore.set('session-a', makeSession('session-a'));
diff --git a/src/daemon/screenshot-runtime.ts b/src/daemon/screenshot-runtime.ts
index 4cb950e09..ee5b64b10 100644
--- a/src/daemon/screenshot-runtime.ts
+++ b/src/daemon/screenshot-runtime.ts
@@ -57,6 +57,9 @@ function createDispatchScreenshotBackend(params: {
         ...dispatchContext,
         ...screenshotFlagsFromOptions(options),
         surface: options?.surface,
+        skipIosSimulatorBootCheck:
+          dispatchContext.skipIosSimulatorBootCheck ??
+          (session.device.platform === 'ios' && session.device.kind === 'simulator'),
       };
       if (outputPlacement === 'out') {
         return readScreenshotResultData(
diff --git a/src/platforms/ios/__tests__/index.test.ts b/src/platforms/ios/__tests__/index.test.ts
index 12b563c0e..c499f9cbe 100644
--- a/src/platforms/ios/__tests__/index.test.ts
+++ b/src/platforms/ios/__tests__/index.test.ts
@@ -784,6 +784,26 @@ test('captureSimulatorScreenshotWithFallback continues when status bar preparati
   assert.equal(mockRunIosRunnerCommand.mock.calls.length, 0);
 });
 
+test('captureSimulatorScreenshotWithFallback can skip session-backed simulator boot probe', async () => {
+  mockEnsureBootedSimulator.mockRejectedValue(new Error('should not probe boot state'));
+  mockPrepareStatusBarForScreenshot.mockResolvedValue(async () => {});
+  mockRetryWithPolicy.mockResolvedValue(undefined);
+
+  await captureSimulatorScreenshotWithFallback(
+    IOS_TEST_SIMULATOR,
+    '/tmp/out.png',
+    'com.example.app',
+    undefined,
+    undefined,
+    undefined,
+    { skipBootCheck: true },
+  );
+
+  assert.equal(mockEnsureBootedSimulator.mock.calls.length, 0);
+  assert.equal(mockRetryWithPolicy.mock.calls.length, 1);
+  assert.equal(mockRunIosRunnerCommand.mock.calls.length, 0);
+});
+
 test('captureSimulatorScreenshotWithFallback ignores status bar restore failures', async () => {
   mockPrepareStatusBarForScreenshot.mockResolvedValue(async () => {
     throw new AppError('COMMAND_FAILED', 'status_bar clear failed');
diff --git a/src/platforms/ios/screenshot.ts b/src/platforms/ios/screenshot.ts
index e8a0827ed..b6ffbef3d 100644
--- a/src/platforms/ios/screenshot.ts
+++ b/src/platforms/ios/screenshot.ts
@@ -40,6 +40,14 @@ type SimulatorScreenshotFlowDeps = {
   shouldFallbackToRunner: (error: unknown) => boolean;
 };
 
+type SimulatorScreenshotFlowOptions = {
+  skipBootCheck?: boolean;
+};
+
+type IosScreenshotOptions = {
+  skipSimulatorBootCheck?: boolean;
+};
+
 const defaultSimulatorScreenshotFlowDeps: SimulatorScreenshotFlowDeps = {
   ensureBooted: ensureBootedSimulator,
   prepareStatusBarForScreenshot: prepareSimulatorStatusBarForScreenshot,
@@ -53,6 +61,7 @@ export async function screenshotIos(
   appBundleId?: string,
   fullscreen?: boolean,
   runnerOptions?: AppleRunnerCommandOptions,
+  options: IosScreenshotOptions = {},
 ): Promise<void> {
   if (device.platform === 'macos') {
     await captureScreenshotViaRunner(device, outPath, appBundleId, fullscreen, runnerOptions);
@@ -66,6 +75,7 @@ export async function screenshotIos(
       fullscreen,
       undefined,
       runnerOptions,
+      { skipBootCheck: options.skipSimulatorBootCheck },
     );
     return;
   }
@@ -93,6 +103,7 @@ export async function captureSimulatorScreenshotWithFallback(
   fullscreenOrDeps?: boolean | SimulatorScreenshotFlowDeps,
   deps: SimulatorScreenshotFlowDeps = defaultSimulatorScreenshotFlowDeps,
   runnerOptions?: AppleRunnerCommandOptions,
+  options: SimulatorScreenshotFlowOptions = {},
 ): Promise<void> {
   if (device.kind !== 'simulator') {
     throw new AppError(
@@ -105,7 +116,9 @@ export async function captureSimulatorScreenshotWithFallback(
   const effectiveDeps =
     typeof fullscreenOrDeps === 'object' && fullscreenOrDeps !== null ? fullscreenOrDeps : deps;
 
-  await effectiveDeps.ensureBooted(device);
+  if (!options.skipBootCheck) {
+    await effectiveDeps.ensureBooted(device);
+  }
   let restoreStatusBar = async () => {};
   try {
     restoreStatusBar = await effectiveDeps.prepareStatusBarForScreenshot(device);