Abstract: According to an implementation, a method and system provide route stability and network survivability in a software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) when gateway devices lose connectivity to a central orchestrator. Upon detecting a disconnection, a gateway device initiates a graceful restart timer and preserves routing information while attempting reconnection. If reconnection fails during the graceful restart period, the gateway device enters headless mode operation governed by a headless mode timer. During headless mode, the gateway device maintains routes while increasing internal path costs and modifying routing protocol attributes to indicate reduced path preference. When multiple gateway devices lose orchestrator connectivity, uniform cost increases preserve relative path preferences established before disconnection. Routes remain available with modified preferences until orchestrator connectivity resumes.