diff --git a/packages/cli/src/utils/orphanCleanup.test.ts b/packages/cli/src/utils/orphanCleanup.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b3dc2afdf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli/src/utils/orphanCleanup.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+import { describe, it, expect } from "vitest";
+import { spawn } from "node:child_process";
+import { killProcessTree, killOrphanedProcesses } from "./orphanCleanup.js";
+
+const IS_UNIX = process.platform !== "win32";
+
+describe.skipIf(!IS_UNIX)("killProcessTree", () => {
+  it("kills a process and all its children", async () => {
+    // Spawn a parent that spawns two sleeping children
+    const parent = spawn("bash", ["-c", "sleep 60 & sleep 60 & wait"], { stdio: "ignore" });
+    // Let children spawn
+    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 200));
+
+    const exitPromise = new Promise<void>((resolve) => parent.on("close", resolve));
+    killProcessTree(parent.pid!);
+
+    await exitPromise;
+
+    // Verify parent is dead
+    expect(() => process.kill(parent.pid!, 0)).toThrow();
+  }, 5000);
+
+  it("handles non-existent PID gracefully", () => {
+    // Should not throw for a PID that doesn't exist
+    killProcessTree(999999999);
+  });
+
+  it("escalates to SIGKILL after grace period", async () => {
+    // Spawn a process that traps SIGTERM
+    const proc = spawn("bash", ["-c", "trap '' TERM; sleep 60"], { stdio: "ignore" });
+    await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 100));
+
+    const exitPromise = new Promise<void>((resolve) => proc.on("close", resolve));
+    killProcessTree(proc.pid!);
+
+    // Should die within 1s (500ms SIGKILL grace + buffer)
+    await exitPromise;
+    expect(() => process.kill(proc.pid!, 0)).toThrow();
+  }, 5000);
+});
+
+describe.skipIf(!IS_UNIX)("killOrphanedProcesses", () => {
+  it("returns 0 when no orphans exist", () => {
+    const killed = killOrphanedProcesses();
+    expect(killed).toBe(0);
+  });
+
+  it("does not kill non-orphaned Chrome processes", () => {
+    // Our current process is not an orphan (PPID !== 1), so any
+    // chrome-headless-shell processes we'd find with our PID as
+    // ancestor wouldn't be killed.
+    const killed = killOrphanedProcesses();
+    expect(killed).toBe(0);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/utils/orphanCleanup.ts b/packages/cli/src/utils/orphanCleanup.ts
index 3b7157853..a34f01775 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/utils/orphanCleanup.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/utils/orphanCleanup.ts
@@ -41,17 +41,27 @@ export function killProcessTree(pid: number, signal: NodeJS.Signals = "SIGTERM")
   if (process.platform === "win32") return;
 
   const descendants = getDescendants(pid);
-  for (const child of descendants.reverse()) {
+  const allPids = [...descendants.reverse(), pid];
+
+  for (const p of allPids) {
     try {
-      process.kill(child, signal);
+      process.kill(p, signal);
     } catch {
       // Already exited.
     }
   }
-  try {
-    process.kill(pid, signal);
-  } catch {
-    // Already exited.
+
+  // Escalate to SIGKILL after a short grace period for any survivors.
+  if (signal !== "SIGKILL") {
+    setTimeout(() => {
+      for (const p of allPids) {
+        try {
+          process.kill(p, "SIGKILL");
+        } catch {
+          // Already exited.
+        }
+      }
+    }, 500).unref();
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/engine/src/utils/processTracker.test.ts b/packages/engine/src/utils/processTracker.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0e8d72232
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/engine/src/utils/processTracker.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from "vitest";
+import { spawn } from "node:child_process";
+import { trackChildProcess, killTrackedProcesses } from "./processTracker.js";
+
+// Reset tracked set between tests by killing everything
+beforeEach(() => {
+  killTrackedProcesses();
+});
+
+describe("trackChildProcess", () => {
+  it("tracks a spawned process and removes it after exit", async () => {
+    const proc = spawn("echo", ["hello"], { stdio: "ignore" });
+    trackChildProcess(proc);
+
+    await new Promise<void>((resolve) => proc.on("close", resolve));
+
+    // After exit, killTrackedProcesses should be a no-op (nothing to kill)
+    killTrackedProcesses();
+  });
+
+  it("removes the process on spawn error", async () => {
+    const proc = spawn("/nonexistent-binary-that-does-not-exist", { stdio: "ignore" });
+    trackChildProcess(proc);
+
+    await new Promise<void>((resolve) => proc.on("error", () => resolve()));
+
+    killTrackedProcesses();
+  });
+});
+
+describe("killTrackedProcesses", () => {
+  it("kills a running process", async () => {
+    const proc = spawn("sleep", ["60"], { stdio: "ignore" });
+    trackChildProcess(proc);
+
+    const exitPromise = new Promise<number | null>((resolve) => proc.on("close", resolve));
+    killTrackedProcesses();
+
+    const code = await exitPromise;
+    // SIGTERM exit: code is null (killed by signal)
+    expect(code).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it("handles already-exited processes gracefully", async () => {
+    const proc = spawn("true", { stdio: "ignore" });
+    trackChildProcess(proc);
+
+    await new Promise<void>((resolve) => proc.on("close", resolve));
+
+    // Should not throw even though process already exited
+    killTrackedProcesses();
+  });
+
+  it("escalates to SIGKILL for processes that ignore SIGTERM", async () => {
+    // Spawn a process that traps SIGTERM (bash ignoring it)
+    const proc = spawn("bash", ["-c", "trap '' TERM; sleep 60"], { stdio: "ignore" });
+    trackChildProcess(proc);
+
+    const exitPromise = new Promise<void>((resolve) => proc.on("close", resolve));
+    killTrackedProcesses();
+
+    // The 500ms SIGKILL escalation should kill it
+    await exitPromise;
+    expect(proc.killed).toBe(true);
+  }, 5000);
+
+  it("is idempotent — second call is a no-op", () => {
+    const proc = spawn("sleep", ["60"], { stdio: "ignore" });
+    trackChildProcess(proc);
+
+    killTrackedProcesses();
+    killTrackedProcesses();
+  });
+});