diff --git a/go/lib.go b/go/lib.go
index c05054f..ebca2f0 100644
--- a/go/lib.go
+++ b/go/lib.go
@@ -22,10 +22,17 @@ import (
 var LogLevel int32 // default 0 (silent)
 
 var (
-	mu sync.Mutex // protects srv and store
+	mu sync.Mutex // protects srv, store, and the cached start config below
 
 	srv   *tsnet.Server
 	store *SQLiteStore // package-owned; tsnet.Server doesn't close its Store, so we do in stopLocked
+
+	// lastHostname and lastControlURL remember the most recent successful Start
+	// so Logout can re-establish a transient client to revoke the node key even
+	// when the caller already stopped the server. An empty lastControlURL just
+	// means we fall back to a local-only wipe.
+	lastHostname   string
+	lastControlURL string
 )
 
 // HasState checks if the state directory contains a valid machine key.
@@ -61,9 +68,17 @@ func Logout(stateDir string) error {
 
 	mu.Lock()
 	s := srv
+	host := lastHostname
+	ctrlURL := lastControlURL
 	mu.Unlock()
 	if s != nil {
 		revokeNodeKey(s)
+	} else if ctrlURL != "" && HasState(stateDir) {
+		// The caller stopped the server before logging out, so there's no live
+		// client to revoke through. Briefly bring the persisted node back up to
+		// expire its key at the control plane — a logout must clear the node
+		// from the tailnet, not just wipe the local credential.
+		revokeStoppedNode(host, ctrlURL, stateDir)
 	}
 
 	Stop()
@@ -232,6 +247,8 @@ func Start(hostname, authKey, controlURL, stateDir string, ephemeral bool) (err
 	// Commit to package state only after every allocation succeeded.
 	srv = newSrv
 	store = newStore
+	lastHostname = hostname
+	lastControlURL = controlURL
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -305,6 +322,45 @@ func revokeNodeKey(s *tsnet.Server) {
 	}
 }
 
+// revokeStoppedNode best-effort revokes the node key when Logout is called with
+// no running server. It briefly brings the persisted node back up from local
+// state (reusing the existing node key, no auth key) so the LocalAPI logout can
+// reach the control plane, then tears the transient server down. Failures are
+// logged and swallowed; the caller wipes local state regardless.
+func revokeStoppedNode(hostname, controlURL, stateDir string) {
+	st, err := NewSQLiteStore(stateDir + "/state.db")
+	if err != nil {
+		logInfo("logout: cannot open persisted state to revoke stopped node: %v", err)
+		return
+	}
+	s := &tsnet.Server{
+		Hostname:   hostname,
+		ControlURL: controlURL,
+		Dir:        stateDir,
+		Store:      st,
+		Logf: func(format string, args ...any) {
+			if atomic.LoadInt32(&LogLevel) >= 2 {
+				log.Printf("TSNET: "+format, args...)
+			}
+		},
+	}
+	defer func() {
+		s.Close()
+		st.Close()
+	}()
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 20*time.Second)
+	defer cancel()
+	// Up reconnects using the persisted node key (no auth key needed) so the
+	// control plane can act on the logout; bounded by ctx so an unreachable
+	// control server can't hang teardown.
+	if _, err := s.Up(ctx); err != nil {
+		logInfo("logout: transient bring-up to revoke stopped node failed: %v", err)
+		return
+	}
+	revokeNodeKey(s)
+}
+
 func jsonError(err error) string {
 	m := map[string]string{"error": err.Error()}
 	b, _ := json.Marshal(m)
diff --git a/go/lib_test.go b/go/lib_test.go
index a68d837..13a97e5 100644
--- a/go/lib_test.go
+++ b/go/lib_test.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"sync/atomic"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 
 	"tailscale.com/ipn"
 	"tailscale.com/tsnet"
@@ -76,6 +77,44 @@ func TestLogout_RemovesDir(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestLogout_NoCachedControlURLWipesWithoutHang(t *testing.T) {
+	// Persisted machine key but no cached control URL (e.g. Logout without a
+	// prior Start this process). Logout must still wipe, and must NOT attempt a
+	// transient revoke that could block on an unreachable control plane.
+	mu.Lock()
+	srv = nil
+	lastControlURL = ""
+	mu.Unlock()
+
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	store, err := NewSQLiteStore(filepath.Join(dir, "state.db"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if err := store.WriteState(ipn.MachineKeyStateKey, []byte("fake-machine-key")); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	store.Close()
+	if !HasState(dir) {
+		t.Fatal("precondition: state should exist")
+	}
+
+	done := make(chan error, 1)
+	go func() { done <- Logout(dir) }()
+	select {
+	case err := <-done:
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("Logout returned error: %v", err)
+		}
+	case <-time.After(5 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("Logout hung — without a cached control URL it must skip the transient revoke")
+	}
+
+	if HasState(dir) {
+		t.Error("Logout must wipe state even when it cannot revoke")
+	}
+}
+
 // --- jsonError tests ---
 
 func TestJsonError_SimpleMessage(t *testing.T) {