SMAppService - helper is not started

My software installs a privileged daemon using the SMAppService api. After removing the executables and recompiling the software I sometimes find that it needs to be registered again. After doing this, i.e. ensuring the application is properly registered and enabled in Login Items & Extensions the helper is not run when initiated from XPC.

SMAppService.status has returned .enabled, and there is a valid job dictionary for the helper. I check the job dictionary with a function called updatePenaltyBoxStatus() that was given to me by a friend but I think originated from Apple.

If I logoff (or reboot), login again, manually open Login Items & Extensions to check registration, then retry the application, it works. I don't mind doing this but it is probably a bit much for a lot of my users.

Is there a reliable way to do this programatically?

Here is my Swift translation of updatePenaltyBoxStatus. I fetch the job dictionary with SMJobCopyDictionary() prior to calling isInPenaltyBox(). I also had to write C wrapper functions for the WIFEXITED and WIFEXITSTATUS macros.

    func isInPenaltyBox(_ dict: Dictionary<String, Any>?) -> Bool
    {
        guard let jobDict = dict else {
            // If the helper was in the penalty box, unregistering it doesn't change that. So don't override a previous helperInPenaltyBox value
            return m_penalty_box
        }

        if let lastExitStatusObj = jobDict["LastExitStatus"] as? NSNumber {
            let lastExitStatus = lastExitStatusObj.intValue
            if wifexited(Int32(lastExitStatus)) == 0 {
                // It might've stopped or exited due to a signal or whatever.
                // Regardless, it didn't meet our criteria for winding up in the penalty box.
                m_penalty_box = false
            }
        
            // Now get the exit status and check for `EX_CONFIG`.
            let status = wexitstatus(Int32(lastExitStatus))
            let newInPenaltyBox = status == EX_CONFIG
            
            if m_penalty_box != newInPenaltyBox {
                Logger.instance.log(
                    "Penalty box change: "
                    + m_ident
                    + " old: " + String(m_penalty_box)
                    + " new: " + String(newInPenaltyBox))
            }
            
            m_penalty_box = newInPenaltyBox
        }

        return m_penalty_box
    }