diff --git a/src/agent_comms/commander_heartbeat.py b/src/agent_comms/commander_heartbeat.py
index 3d2f4f3cad..620c0c9e6e 100644
--- a/src/agent_comms/commander_heartbeat.py
+++ b/src/agent_comms/commander_heartbeat.py
@@ -5,10 +5,9 @@
 from dataclasses import dataclass, field
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
 
+from agent_comms.commander_service import CommanderService
 from agent_comms.heartbeat_frame import HeartbeatFrame
 from agent_comms.message_bus import WatchPass
-from agent_comms.registration import Registration
-from agent_comms.service_sender import ServiceSender
 from agent_comms.standing_rules import StandingRule
 from agent_comms.thread_identity import ThreadIncarnation
 from agent_comms.threads import Thread
@@ -17,8 +16,7 @@
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from agent_comms.comms import Comms
-    from agent_comms.goal_management import Goals
-    from agent_comms.todos import OwnerRequest, Todo
+    from agent_comms.todos import Todo
 
 
 @dataclass
@@ -81,25 +79,9 @@ def read(cls, comms: Comms, thread: Thread,
 
 
 @dataclass
-class CommanderHeartbeat(ServiceSender, WatchPass[tuple[CommanderObservation, ...]]):
-    sender = "commander-heartbeat"
+class CommanderHeartbeat(CommanderService, WatchPass[tuple[CommanderObservation, ...]]):
     reviews: dict[ThreadIncarnation, CommanderReview] = field(default_factory=dict)
 
-    @classmethod
-    def requested_by(cls, thread: Thread, goals: Goals) -> tuple[OwnerRequest, ...]:
-        """The oldest open request makes a live holder owed service, even before its first beat."""
-        return (goals.todos.open_requests(thread.incarnation, limit=1, descending=False)
-                if thread.process_alive else ())
-
-    @classmethod
-    def commanders(cls, registry: Registration, goals: Goals) -> tuple[Thread, ...]:
-        """The live request holders whose current incarnation owns commander work."""
-        return tuple(
-            thread
-            for thread in registry.all_threads().values()
-            if cls.requested_by(thread, goals)
-        )
-
     def observe(self, comms: Comms) -> tuple[CommanderObservation, ...]:
         return tuple(
             CommanderObservation.read(comms, thread)
diff --git a/src/agent_comms/commander_service.py b/src/agent_comms/commander_service.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c533b6a7e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/agent_comms/commander_service.py
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+"""The commander service's sender and live request holders."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
+
+from .service_sender import ServiceSender
+from .threads import Thread
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from .goal_management import Goals
+    from .registration import Registration
+    from .todos import OwnerRequest
+
+
+class CommanderService(ServiceSender):
+    sender = "commander-heartbeat"
+
+    @classmethod
+    def requested_by(cls, thread: Thread, goals: Goals) -> tuple[OwnerRequest, ...]:
+        """The oldest open request makes a live holder owed service, even before its first beat."""
+        return (goals.todos.open_requests(thread.incarnation, limit=1, descending=False)
+                if thread.process_alive else ())
+
+    @classmethod
+    def commanders(cls, registry: Registration, goals: Goals) -> tuple[Thread, ...]:
+        """The live request holders whose current incarnation owns commander work."""
+        return tuple(
+            thread
+            for thread in registry.all_threads().values()
+            if cls.requested_by(thread, goals)
+        )
diff --git a/src/agent_comms/owner_lifecycle.py b/src/agent_comms/owner_lifecycle.py
index 5e4086b25b..48cc2cbbe5 100644
--- a/src/agent_comms/owner_lifecycle.py
+++ b/src/agent_comms/owner_lifecycle.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
     SynchronousProcess,
 )
 from .cli_result import CliResult
-from .commander_heartbeat import CommanderHeartbeat
+from .commander_service import CommanderService
 from .diagnostics import OwnerProcessOutput
 from .errors import RelationViolationError
 from .launch_root import LaunchRoot
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@ def _register_owner(
         if previous.process_identity.offline():
             orders = tuple(
                 todo
-                for commander in CommanderHeartbeat.commanders(self.registry, self.goals)
+                for commander in CommanderService.commanders(self.registry, self.goals)
                 for todo in self.goals.todos.held_by(commander.incarnation, owned.incarnation)
                 if todo.pending and todo.held().owner_identity == owned.incarnation
             )
@@ -348,8 +348,8 @@ def _register_owner(
 
     def _announce_restart(self, name: str, identities: str) -> None:
         """Publish once after the registry's process reservation commits."""
-        CommanderHeartbeat.register(self.registry)
-        self.messaging.send(CommanderHeartbeat.sender, name,
+        CommanderService.register(self.registry)
+        self.messaging.send(CommanderService.sender, name,
             f"Restarted holding {identities}; continue them from your branch")
 
     def ensure_owner(