diff --git a/src/remote/endpoint.zig b/src/remote/endpoint.zig
index 72d70b9..5fd6dea 100644
--- a/src/remote/endpoint.zig
+++ b/src/remote/endpoint.zig
@@ -61,10 +61,13 @@ const Endpoint = struct {
     }
 
     fn deinit(self: *@This()) void {
-        // Exit all live proxies (best-effort; endpoint may already be shutting down).
+        // Shut down all live proxies.  Use "endpoint_exit" rather than "exit"
+        // so the proxy can distinguish this deinit-time message (which has no
+        // live sender context, i.e. from.instance_id()==0) from a Thespian
+        // trapped-exit sent by a linked local actor.
         var proxy_it = self.proxies.valueIterator();
         while (proxy_it.next()) |p| {
-            p.send(.{ "exit", "transport_closed" }) catch {};
+            p.send(.{ "endpoint_exit", "transport_closed" }) catch {};
             p.deinit();
         }
         self.proxies.deinit();
@@ -87,6 +90,7 @@ const Endpoint = struct {
         var to_name: []const u8 = "";
         var payload: []const u8 = "";
         var remote_id: u64 = 0;
+        var reason: []const u8 = "";
 
         if (try m.match(.{ proc_tag, "stdout", tp.extract(&bytes) })) {
             if (self.accumulator.feed(bytes)) |frame| try self.dispatch_inbound(frame);
@@ -99,6 +103,19 @@ const Endpoint = struct {
         } else if (try m.match(.{ "send", tp.extract(&from_id), tp.extract(&to_name), cbor.extract_cbor(&payload) })) {
             // Outbound send_named — from a local actor addressing a well-known remote actor by name.
             try self.send_wire_named(from_id, to_name, payload);
+        } else if (try m.match(.{ "link_wire", tp.extract(&from_id), tp.extract(&to_id) })) {
+            // A local proxy is establishing a remote link: from_id=local handle pointer,
+            // to_id=remote_id of the target on the remote system.
+            const wire_from_id = try self.get_or_assign_outbound_id(from_id);
+            try self.send_wire_link(wire_from_id, to_id);
+        } else if (try m.match(.{ "local_link_exit", tp.extract(&from_id), tp.extract(&reason) })) {
+            // A local actor that a proxy was Thespian-linked to has exited.
+            // from_id is the actor's handle pointer; look up its wire ID and
+            // forward an exit wire message so the remote side can propagate it.
+            const key: usize = @intCast(from_id);
+            if (self.outbound.get(key)) |wire_id|
+                try self.send_wire_exit(wire_id, reason);
+            // If not in the outbound table the actor never sent outbound; ignore.
         } else if (try m.match(.{ "proxy_exit", tp.extract(&remote_id), tp.any })) {
             // A local proxy has exited; remove it from the proxy table.
             if (self.proxies.fetchRemove(remote_id)) |entry| entry.value.deinit();
@@ -165,8 +182,17 @@ const Endpoint = struct {
                 if (self.proxies.get(e.id)) |p|
                     p.send(.{ "exit", e.reason }) catch {};
             },
+            .link => |lnk| {
+                // Remote side is establishing a link: lnk.local_id is the remote
+                // actor's wire ID (= our proxy key), lnk.remote_id is the local
+                // actor's wire ID in our local_actors table.
+                const prx = try self.get_or_create_proxy(lnk.local_id);
+                if (self.local_actors.getPtr(lnk.remote_id)) |actor_ptr|
+                    try prx.send(.{ "set_notify", @as(u64, @intFromPtr(actor_ptr.h)) })
+                else
+                    return tp.exit_error(error.UnknownLocalActor, null);
+            },
             .transport_error => |te| return tp.exit(te.reason),
-            .link => return tp.exit_error(error.UnexpectedMessage, null),
         }
     }
 
@@ -181,6 +207,28 @@ const Endpoint = struct {
         try self.proc.send(frame_stream.buffered());
     }
 
+    fn send_wire_link(self: *@This(), local_id: u64, remote_id: u64) !void {
+        var msg_buf: [framing.max_frame_size]u8 = undefined;
+        var msg_stream: std.Io.Writer = .fixed(&msg_buf);
+        try protocol.encode_link(&msg_stream, local_id, remote_id);
+
+        var frame_buf: [framing.max_frame_size + 4]u8 = undefined;
+        var frame_stream: std.Io.Writer = .fixed(&frame_buf);
+        try framing.write_frame(&frame_stream, msg_stream.buffered());
+        try self.proc.send(frame_stream.buffered());
+    }
+
+    fn send_wire_exit(self: *@This(), id: u64, reason: []const u8) !void {
+        var msg_buf: [framing.max_frame_size]u8 = undefined;
+        var msg_stream: std.Io.Writer = .fixed(&msg_buf);
+        try protocol.encode_exit(&msg_stream, id, reason);
+
+        var frame_buf: [framing.max_frame_size + 4]u8 = undefined;
+        var frame_stream: std.Io.Writer = .fixed(&frame_buf);
+        try framing.write_frame(&frame_stream, msg_stream.buffered());
+        try self.proc.send(frame_stream.buffered());
+    }
+
     fn send_wire_named(self: *@This(), from_id: u64, to_name: []const u8, payload: []const u8) !void {
         var msg_buf: [framing.max_frame_size]u8 = undefined;
         var msg_stream: std.Io.Writer = .fixed(&msg_buf);
diff --git a/src/remote/proxy.zig b/src/remote/proxy.zig
index 79fef76..bf8bbe8 100644
--- a/src/remote/proxy.zig
+++ b/src/remote/proxy.zig
@@ -8,6 +8,33 @@
 /// sends {"exit", reason} to the proxy. Because the proxy traps exits, this
 /// arrives as a normal message, and the proxy propagates it by exiting with
 /// the same reason, which in turn signals any local actors linked to it.
+///
+/// ## Link protocol
+///
+/// To link a local actor A to remote actor B (proxy_B):
+///   1. A sends {"link"} to proxy_B.
+///   2. proxy_B calls from.link() (A ↔ proxy_B are now Thespian-linked),
+///      caches A in senders, and sends {"link_wire", A_handle, B_remote_id}
+///      to the endpoint.
+///   3. Endpoint assigns A a wire ID and sends ["link", A_wire_id, B_remote_id]
+///      over the wire.
+///   4. Remote endpoint receives the link, creates/finds proxy_A, and sends
+///      {"set_notify", B_handle} to proxy_A.
+///   5. proxy_A calls target.link() (proxy_A ↔ B are now Thespian-linked).
+///
+/// When B exits:
+///   - proxy_A gets an exit from B (from ≠ endpoint).
+///   - proxy_A forwards {"local_link_exit", B_handle, reason} to its endpoint.
+///   - Remote endpoint looks up B's wire ID and sends ["exit", B_wire_id, reason].
+///   - Local endpoint receives, finds proxy_B, sends {"exit", reason}.
+///   - proxy_B exits; A gets an exit signal via the Thespian link.
+///
+/// When A exits:
+///   - proxy_B gets an exit from A (from ≠ endpoint).
+///   - proxy_B forwards {"local_link_exit", A_handle, reason} to its endpoint.
+///   - Local endpoint looks up A's wire ID and sends ["exit", A_wire_id, reason].
+///   - Remote endpoint receives, finds proxy_A, sends {"exit", reason}.
+///   - proxy_A exits; B gets an exit signal via the Thespian link.
 const std = @import("std");
 const tp = @import("thespian");
 const protocol = @import("protocol");
@@ -44,7 +71,7 @@ const Proxy = struct {
         };
         errdefer self.deinit();
         // Trap exit signals so they arrive as ["exit", reason] messages,
-        // allowing us to propagate them to linked local actors.
+        // allowing us to distinguish remote-actor exits from local-actor exits.
         _ = tp.set_trap(true);
         tp.receive(&self.receiver);
     }
@@ -67,12 +94,40 @@ const Proxy = struct {
         var handle_int: u64 = 0;
         var payload: []const u8 = "";
 
-        if (try m.match(.{ "exit", tp.extract(&reason) })) {
-            // Notify the endpoint so it can remove us from the proxy table.
-            // Silently ignore failure — the endpoint may already be dead if
-            // this exit came from transport collapse.
+        if (try m.match(.{ "endpoint_exit", tp.extract(&reason) })) {
+            // Sent by the endpoint's deinit during teardown (no live sender
+            // context). Exit unconditionally; skip proxy_exit because the
+            // endpoint is already cleaning up its proxy table.
+            return tp.exit(reason);
+        } else if (try m.match(.{ "exit", tp.extract(&reason) })) {
+            if (from.instance_id() != self.endpoint.instance_id()) {
+                // A local actor that we are linked to (via "link" or "set_notify")
+                // has exited. Forward the exit wire message so the remote side can
+                // propagate it to the actor that initiated the link. Do not exit
+                // this proxy — it may still serve other remote messages.
+                self.endpoint.send(.{ "local_link_exit", @as(u64, @intFromPtr(from.h)), reason }) catch {};
+                return;
+            }
+            // Exit came from the live endpoint: a remote actor exited and the
+            // endpoint dispatched the wire exit to us. Notify the endpoint so it
+            // can remove us from the proxy table, then exit.
             self.endpoint.send(.{ "proxy_exit", self.remote_id, reason }) catch {};
             return tp.exit(reason);
+        } else if (try m.match(.{"link"})) {
+            // A local actor is requesting a remote link via this proxy.
+            // Establish a Thespian link so that when either side exits the other
+            // is notified, then ask the endpoint to send the wire "link" message.
+            try from.link();
+            const actor_id = from.instance_id();
+            const gop = try self.senders.getOrPut(actor_id);
+            if (!gop.found_existing) gop.value_ptr.* = from.clone();
+            const stored = gop.value_ptr.*;
+            try self.endpoint.send(.{ "link_wire", @as(u64, @intFromPtr(stored.h)), self.remote_id });
+        } else if (try m.match(.{ "set_notify", tp.extract(&handle_int) })) {
+            // The endpoint has received a wire "link" and is asking this proxy to
+            // monitor a local actor. Link proxy to the actor so its exit is trapped.
+            const target: tp.pid_ref = .{ .h = @ptrFromInt(@as(usize, @intCast(handle_int))) };
+            try target.link();
         } else if (try m.match(.{ "deliver_named", tp.extract(&to_name), tp.extract_cbor(&payload) })) {
             // Deliver to a named local actor. Because this call is made from
             // within the proxy's receive, the recipient sees the proxy as `from`.
@@ -88,9 +143,9 @@ const Proxy = struct {
             // We cache one owned clone per sender (keyed by stable instance_id)
             // so the endpoint can safely clone from the stored heap handle later.
             const actor_id = from.instance_id();
-            const result = try self.senders.getOrPut(actor_id);
-            if (!result.found_existing) result.value_ptr.* = from.clone();
-            const stored = result.value_ptr.*;
+            const gop = try self.senders.getOrPut(actor_id);
+            if (!gop.found_existing) gop.value_ptr.* = from.clone();
+            const stored = gop.value_ptr.*;
             try self.endpoint.send(.{ "send", @as(u64, @intFromPtr(stored.h)), self.remote_id, protocol.RawCbor{ .bytes = m.buf } });
         }
     }
diff --git a/test/remote_child_endpoint.zig b/test/remote_child_endpoint.zig
index 5fbfe22..77ecfae 100644
--- a/test/remote_child_endpoint.zig
+++ b/test/remote_child_endpoint.zig
@@ -259,7 +259,13 @@ const StdioEndpoint = struct {
                     return tp.exit_error(error.UnknownWireId, null);
             },
             .transport_error => |te| return tp.exit(te.reason),
-            .link, .exit => return tp.exit_error(error.UnexpectedMessage, null),
+            .exit => |e| {
+                // Remote side notifying that a linked actor has exited.
+                // Forward to the local actor with that wire ID (best-effort).
+                if (self.wire_ids.get(e.id)) |actor|
+                    actor.send(.{ "exit", e.reason }) catch {};
+            },
+            .link => return tp.exit_error(error.LinkNotSupported, null),
         }
     }