diff --git a/internal/client/balancer.go b/internal/client/balancer.go
index 5070f759..b3079b1c 100644
--- a/internal/client/balancer.go
+++ b/internal/client/balancer.go
@@ -1805,7 +1805,7 @@ func (b *Balancer) hasLossSignalLocked() bool {
 			continue
 		}
 		sent, _, _, _, _ := stats.snapshot()
-		if sent >= 5 {
+		if sent > 0 {
 			return true
 		}
 	}
@@ -1819,7 +1819,7 @@ func (b *Balancer) hasLatencySignalLocked() bool {
 			continue
 		}
 		_, _, _, _, count := stats.snapshot()
-		if count >= 5 {
+		if count > 0 {
 			return true
 		}
 	}
@@ -1908,6 +1908,7 @@ func (b *Balancer) lossThenLatencyCandidatesLocked(excludeKey string) []Connecti
 		idx     int
 		loss    uint64
 		latency uint64
+		hasRTT  bool
 	}
 
 	if !b.hasHybridSignalLocked() || len(b.activeIDs) == 0 {
@@ -1922,10 +1923,20 @@ func (b *Balancer) lossThenLatencyCandidatesLocked(excludeKey string) []Connecti
 		}
 		loss := b.lossScoreLocked(idx)
 		latency := b.hybridLatencyPenaltyLocked(idx)
+		hasRTT := false
+		if idx >= 0 && idx < len(b.stats) && b.stats[idx] != nil {
+			_, _, _, _, count := b.stats[idx].snapshot()
+			hasRTT = count > 0
+		}
 		if loss < bestLoss {
 			bestLoss = loss
 		}
-		candidates = append(candidates, candidate{idx: idx, loss: loss, latency: latency})
+		candidates = append(candidates, candidate{
+			idx:     idx,
+			loss:    loss,
+			latency: latency,
+			hasRTT:  hasRTT,
+		})
 	}
 	if len(candidates) == 0 {
 		return nil
@@ -1944,7 +1955,7 @@ func (b *Balancer) lossThenLatencyCandidatesLocked(excludeKey string) []Connecti
 			continue
 		}
 		lossShortlist = append(lossShortlist, cand)
-		if cand.latency < bestLatency {
+		if cand.hasRTT && cand.latency < bestLatency {
 			bestLatency = cand.latency
 		}
 	}
@@ -1952,15 +1963,22 @@ func (b *Balancer) lossThenLatencyCandidatesLocked(excludeKey string) []Connecti
 		return nil
 	}
 
+	if bestLatency == ^uint64(0) {
+		selected := make([]Connection, 0, len(lossShortlist))
+		for _, cand := range lossShortlist {
+			selected = append(selected, b.connections[cand.idx])
+		}
+		return selected
+	}
+
 	latencyTolerance := latencyToleranceForTier(bestLatency)
 	latencyCutoff := bestLatency + latencyTolerance
 
 	selected := make([]Connection, 0, len(lossShortlist))
 	for _, cand := range lossShortlist {
-		if cand.latency > latencyCutoff {
-			continue
+		if !cand.hasRTT || cand.latency <= latencyCutoff {
+			selected = append(selected, b.connections[cand.idx])
 		}
-		selected = append(selected, b.connections[cand.idx])
 	}
 	if len(selected) > 0 {
 		return selected
@@ -2032,13 +2050,10 @@ func (b *Balancer) leastLossTopTierCandidatesLocked(excludeKey string) []Connect
 
 func (b *Balancer) lossScoreLocked(idx int) uint64 {
 	if idx < 0 || idx >= len(b.stats) || b.stats[idx] == nil {
-		return 200 // Use a more neutral default for unknown
+		return 0
 	}
 	sent, _, lost, _, _ := b.stats[idx].snapshot()
-	if sent < 5 {
-		return 200 // Initial probation
-	}
-	if lost == 0 {
+	if sent == 0 || lost == 0 {
 		return 0
 	}
 	return (lost * 1000) / sent
@@ -2049,7 +2064,7 @@ func (b *Balancer) latencyScoreLocked(idx int) uint64 {
 		return 999000
 	}
 	_, _, _, sum, count := b.stats[idx].snapshot()
-	if count < 5 {
+	if count == 0 {
 		return 999000
 	}
 	return sum / count
diff --git a/internal/client/balancer_test.go b/internal/client/balancer_test.go
index 0c3d97ad..a4361bd0 100644
--- a/internal/client/balancer_test.go
+++ b/internal/client/balancer_test.go
@@ -462,3 +462,88 @@ func TestBalancerSetConnectionMTUUpdatesBalancerOnly(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("expected snapshot MTUs to update, got up=%d chars=%d down=%d", got.UploadMTUBytes, got.UploadMTUChars, got.DownloadMTUBytes)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestBalancerLossThenLatency_NoProbationStarvation(t *testing.T) {
+	b := NewBalancer(BalancingLossThenLatency, nil)
+	connections := []*Connection{
+		{Key: "slow-established", IsValid: true},
+		{Key: "fast-new", IsValid: true},
+	}
+	b.SetConnections(connections)
+	_ = b.SetConnectionValidity("slow-established", true)
+	_ = b.SetConnectionValidity("fast-new", true)
+
+	// "slow-established" has 10 packets, 0 loss, 600ms latency
+	for i := 0; i < 10; i++ {
+		b.ReportSend("slow-established")
+		b.ReportSuccess("slow-established", 600*time.Millisecond)
+	}
+
+	// "fast-new" has 2 packets, 0 loss, 45ms latency (previously trapped under sent < 5 probation)
+	for i := 0; i < 2; i++ {
+		b.ReportSend("fast-new")
+		b.ReportSuccess("fast-new", 45*time.Millisecond)
+	}
+
+	best, ok := b.GetBestConnection()
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatal("expected a valid connection")
+	}
+	if best.Key != "fast-new" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected fast newly reactivated resolver to be picked, got %q", best.Key)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestBalancerLossThenLatency_SeededReactivationExploration(t *testing.T) {
+	b := NewBalancer(BalancingLossThenLatency, nil)
+	connections := []*Connection{
+		{Key: "fast-established", IsValid: true},
+		{Key: "reactivated-seeded", IsValid: true},
+	}
+	b.SetConnections(connections)
+	_ = b.SetConnectionValidity("fast-established", true)
+	_ = b.SetConnectionValidity("reactivated-seeded", true)
+
+	// "fast-established" has 10 packets, 0 loss, 40ms latency
+	for i := 0; i < 10; i++ {
+		b.ReportSend("fast-established")
+		b.ReportSuccess("fast-established", 40*time.Millisecond)
+	}
+
+	// "reactivated-seeded" has conservative stats seeded (sent=10, acked=8, lost=0, rttCount=0)
+	b.SeedConservativeStats("reactivated-seeded")
+
+	// Verify that the candidate pool includes both resolvers so zero-RTT candidate gets explored
+	pool := b.GetUniqueConnections(2)
+	if len(pool) != 2 {
+		t.Fatalf("expected both resolvers in candidate pool for exploration, got %d", len(pool))
+	}
+
+	hasReactivated := false
+	for i := 0; i < 50; i++ {
+		best, ok := b.GetBestConnection()
+		if !ok {
+			t.Fatal("expected a valid connection")
+		}
+		if best.Key == "reactivated-seeded" {
+			hasReactivated = true
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	if !hasReactivated {
+		t.Fatal("expected zero-RTT reactivated resolver to be selected for exploration")
+	}
+
+	// Once explored and reporting 20ms RTT, it should consistently win over 40ms established
+	b.ReportSend("reactivated-seeded")
+	b.ReportSuccess("reactivated-seeded", 20*time.Millisecond)
+
+	best, ok := b.GetBestConnection()
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatal("expected a valid connection")
+	}
+	if best.Key != "reactivated-seeded" {
+		t.Fatalf("expected measured 20ms reactivated resolver to win over 40ms, got %q", best.Key)
+	}
+}
+