diff --git a/src/main/claude/claude-agent-sdk-exit-proof.test.ts b/src/main/claude/claude-agent-sdk-exit-proof.test.ts
index aa19e24e1f4..76b1c6cb279 100644
--- a/src/main/claude/claude-agent-sdk-exit-proof.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/claude/claude-agent-sdk-exit-proof.test.ts
@@ -413,6 +413,27 @@ describe('claude child tree reaper', () => {
     expect(tree.treeVerdict).toBe('exited')
   })
 
+  it('keeps an observed live descendant when a later re-read cannot see the table', async () => {
+    const child = mockChild()
+    // Reap #1 completed and saw a descendant alive at its deadline; the root then
+    // left on its own and the re-verification on a loaded host could not read the
+    // table. "Could not look" must not erase "was seen alive": the lease release
+    // gate is exactly the pair this distinguishes.
+    const terminateDescendants = vi
+      .fn()
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce('live')
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce('unverifiable')
+    const tree = createClaudeChildTreeReaper(child, {
+      platform: 'linux',
+      captureDescendants: vi.fn(async () => snapshotOf(4243)),
+      terminateDescendants
+    })
+
+    await expect(tree.reap()).resolves.toBe('live')
+    await expect(tree.reap()).resolves.toBe('unverifiable')
+    expect(tree.treeVerdict).toBe('live')
+  })
+
   it('treats an unreadable process table as unproven and re-walks the live root', async () => {
     const child = mockChild()
     // A loaded host can miss the table's deadline; while the root still lives
diff --git a/src/main/claude/claude-agent-sdk-exit-proof.ts b/src/main/claude/claude-agent-sdk-exit-proof.ts
index eac4b1a95ab..3095107fe3f 100644
--- a/src/main/claude/claude-agent-sdk-exit-proof.ts
+++ b/src/main/claude/claude-agent-sdk-exit-proof.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,17 @@ import { terminateWindowsProcessTree } from '../windows-process-tree-kill'
 const GRACEFUL_EXIT_MS = 1_500
 const FORCED_EXIT_MS = 1_000
 
+/**
+ * A later reap may only raise the latched verdict. An observed exit is final, and
+ * a descendant seen alive at a deadline is never forgotten by a later look that
+ * could not read the table: the lease gate discriminates on exactly that pair.
+ */
+const TREE_VERDICT_TRUST: Record<DescendantTreeVerdict, number> = {
+  unverifiable: 0,
+  live: 1,
+  exited: 2
+}
+
 type ReapableChild = Pick<SpawnedProcess, 'pid' | 'kill'>
 
 /** One platform's descendant tree, tagged so neither verifier can be handed the other's rows. */
@@ -191,8 +202,8 @@ export function createClaudeChildTreeReaper(
       const attempt = judgeTree()
         .catch((): DescendantTreeVerdict => 'unverifiable')
         .then((verdict) => {
-          // An observed exit is final; anything later can only be a stale re-read.
-          treeVerdict = treeVerdict === 'exited' ? 'exited' : verdict
+          treeVerdict =
+            TREE_VERDICT_TRUST[verdict] > TREE_VERDICT_TRUST[treeVerdict] ? verdict : treeVerdict
           return verdict
         })
       inFlight = attempt