diff --git a/services/forgejo-nsc/internal/nsc/macos_nsc.go b/services/forgejo-nsc/internal/nsc/macos_nsc.go
index 26cbab0..a337572 100644
--- a/services/forgejo-nsc/internal/nsc/macos_nsc.go
+++ b/services/forgejo-nsc/internal/nsc/macos_nsc.go
@@ -363,6 +363,15 @@ func (d *Dispatcher) runMacOSNSCSSHScript(ctx context.Context, runnerName, insta
 		if errors.Is(sshCtx.Err(), context.DeadlineExceeded) {
 			return fmt.Errorf("nsc ssh timed out after %s\n%s", 5*time.Minute, strings.TrimSpace(buf.String()))
 		}
+		if nscSSHBootstrapLikelySucceeded(err, buf.String()) {
+			d.log.Warn("nsc ssh exited after runner handoff; treating bootstrap as successful",
+				"runner", runnerName,
+				"instance", instanceID,
+				"err", err,
+			)
+			d.log.Info("macos runner bootstrap completed via nsc ssh", "runner", runnerName, "instance", instanceID)
+			return nil
+		}
 		return fmt.Errorf("nsc ssh runner bootstrap failed: %w\n%s", err, strings.TrimSpace(buf.String()))
 	}
 
@@ -370,6 +379,22 @@ func (d *Dispatcher) runMacOSNSCSSHScript(ctx context.Context, runnerName, insta
 	return nil
 }
 
+func nscSSHBootstrapLikelySucceeded(err error, output string) bool {
+	if err == nil {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	errText := strings.ToLower(err.Error())
+	if !strings.Contains(errText, "remote command exited without exit status or exit signal") {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	output = strings.ToLower(output)
+	return strings.Contains(output, "runner registered successfully") &&
+		strings.Contains(output, "starting job") &&
+		strings.Contains(output, "task ")
+}
+
 func prependNSCRegionArgs(args []string, computeBaseURL string) []string {
 	region := strings.TrimSpace(os.Getenv("NSC_REGION"))
 	if region == "" {
diff --git a/services/forgejo-nsc/internal/nsc/macos_nsc_test.go b/services/forgejo-nsc/internal/nsc/macos_nsc_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7e5c5fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/forgejo-nsc/internal/nsc/macos_nsc_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+package nsc
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestNSCSSHBootstrapLikelySucceeded(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	err := errors.New("wait: remote command exited without exit status or exit signal")
+	output := `
+level=info msg="Runner registered successfully."
+time="2026-03-19T11:29:49Z" level=info msg="Starting job"
+time="2026-03-19T11:29:50Z" level=info msg="task 124 repo is hackclub/burrow"
+`
+
+	if !nscSSHBootstrapLikelySucceeded(err, output) {
+		t.Fatal("expected handoff success heuristic to match")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestNSCSSHBootstrapLikelySucceededRejectsIncompleteOutput(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	err := errors.New("wait: remote command exited without exit status or exit signal")
+	output := `level=info msg="Runner registered successfully."`
+
+	if nscSSHBootstrapLikelySucceeded(err, output) {
+		t.Fatal("expected incomplete runner output to remain a failure")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestNSCSSHBootstrapLikelySucceededRejectsDifferentErrors(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	err := errors.New("exit status 1")
+	output := `
+level=info msg="Runner registered successfully."
+time="2026-03-19T11:29:49Z" level=info msg="Starting job"
+time="2026-03-19T11:29:50Z" level=info msg="task 124 repo is hackclub/burrow"
+`
+
+	if nscSSHBootstrapLikelySucceeded(err, output) {
+		t.Fatal("expected unrelated nsc ssh errors to remain failures")
+	}
+}