diff --git a/src/py/bbctrl/AuxAxis.py b/src/py/bbctrl/AuxAxis.py
index e3f8269..89dbcca 100644
--- a/src/py/bbctrl/AuxAxis.py
+++ b/src/py/bbctrl/AuxAxis.py
@@ -409,11 +409,28 @@ class AuxAxis(object):
             self._pos_steps = int(r.strip())
         except Exception:
             pass
+        # Force the host to start unhomed regardless of what the ESP
+        # remembers from a prior session. The ESP's homed flag survives
+        # bbctrl restarts (since the ESP itself wasn't power-cycled),
+        # but the host's planner offsets and DRO position get reset to
+        # zero on bbctrl boot. Trusting the ESP's homed flag would mean
+        # the user thinks A is homed at the wrong work-coord origin
+        # (offset_a=0 but ESP physically at home_position_mm). Sending
+        # UNHOME forces the user to re-home explicitly, which sets up
+        # the offset and gplan state correctly via the homing path in
+        # Mach.home.
         try:
-            r = self._rpc('HOMED?', topic='homed', timeout=2.0)
-            self._homed = (r.strip() == '1')
+            self._rpc('UNHOME', topic='ok', timeout=2.0)
+            self._homed = False
         except Exception:
-            pass
+            # Fall back to whatever HOMED? says - but treat any
+            # missing UNHOME support as "trust ESP's flag" so we
+            # don't break older firmware.
+            try:
+                r = self._rpc('HOMED?', topic='homed', timeout=2.0)
+                self._homed = (r.strip() == '1')
+            except Exception:
+                pass
         self._publish_state()
 
     def _reader_loop(self):
diff --git a/src/py/bbctrl/State.py b/src/py/bbctrl/State.py
index 60be854..5fdcfbf 100644
--- a/src/py/bbctrl/State.py
+++ b/src/py/bbctrl/State.py
@@ -107,8 +107,14 @@ class State(object):
 
 
     def reset(self):
-        # Unhome all motors
-        for i in range(4): self.set('%dhomed' % i, False)
+        # Unhome all motors (real AVR motors 0..3 and the synthetic
+        # external-axis motor at index 4 used by ExternalAxis).
+        # Both <motor>homed and <motor>h are cleared - they're set
+        # by different code paths (gplan emits homed via _<axis>_homed
+        # set blocks, AVR reports h directly).
+        for i in range(5):
+            self.set('%dhomed' % i, False)
+            self.set('%dh' % i, 0)
 
         # Zero offsets and positions
         for axis in 'xyzabc':