diff --git a/src/main/ipc/filesystem-list-files.test.ts b/src/main/ipc/filesystem-list-files.test.ts
index 119763acee4..b57a07faf08 100644
--- a/src/main/ipc/filesystem-list-files.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/ipc/filesystem-list-files.test.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+/* eslint-disable max-lines -- Why: one Quick Open file-list suite covers both rg and git fallback process lifecycles. */
 import { describe, expect, it, vi, beforeEach } from 'vitest'
 
 const { spawnMock, resolveAuthorizedPathMock, checkRgAvailableMock } = vi.hoisted(() => ({
@@ -165,6 +166,44 @@ describe('filesystem-list-files', () => {
     await expect(promise).resolves.toEqual(['src/index.ts'])
   })
 
+  it('settles and detaches rg scans that ignore timeout kills', async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers()
+
+    try {
+      const p1 = createMockProcess()
+      const p2 = createMockProcess()
+
+      spawnMock.mockImplementation((_cmd, args: string[]) => {
+        if (isIgnoredRgPass(args)) {
+          return p2
+        }
+        return p1
+      })
+
+      const storeMock = {} as unknown as Store
+      const promise = listQuickOpenFiles('/mock/root', storeMock)
+
+      await Promise.resolve()
+      await Promise.resolve()
+      await Promise.resolve()
+
+      ;(p1.stdout as unknown as EventEmitter).emit('data', 'src/index.ts\npartial')
+      const rejection = expect(promise).rejects.toThrow('rg list timed out')
+
+      await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(10000)
+
+      await rejection
+      expect(p1.kill).toHaveBeenCalled()
+      expect(p2.kill).toHaveBeenCalled()
+      expect((p1.stdout as unknown as EventEmitter).listenerCount('data')).toBe(0)
+      expect((p1.stderr as unknown as EventEmitter).listenerCount('data')).toBe(0)
+      expect(p1.listenerCount('error')).toBe(0)
+      expect(p1.listenerCount('close')).toBe(0)
+    } finally {
+      vi.useRealTimers()
+    }
+  })
+
   it('filters out .next, .cache, .stably, .vscode, .idea', async () => {
     const p1 = createMockProcess()
     const p2 = createMockProcess()
diff --git a/src/main/ipc/filesystem-list-files.ts b/src/main/ipc/filesystem-list-files.ts
index 5394a0c4604..c08aa4817f6 100644
--- a/src/main/ipc/filesystem-list-files.ts
+++ b/src/main/ipc/filesystem-list-files.ts
@@ -59,18 +59,6 @@ export async function listQuickOpenFiles(
       let buf = ''
       let done = false
       let parseablePathCount = 0
-      const finish = (err?: Error): void => {
-        if (done) {
-          return
-        }
-        done = true
-        clearTimeout(timer)
-        if (err) {
-          reject(err)
-        } else {
-          resolve()
-        }
-      }
 
       const processLine = (rawLine: string): void => {
         const translated =
@@ -94,8 +82,8 @@ export async function listQuickOpenFiles(
         stdio: ['ignore', 'pipe', 'pipe']
       })
       children.push(child)
-      child.stdout!.setEncoding('utf-8')
-      child.stdout!.on('data', (chunk: string) => {
+      let timer: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout>
+      const handleStdoutData = (chunk: string): void => {
         buf += chunk
         let start = 0
         let newlineIdx = buf.indexOf('\n', start)
@@ -105,17 +93,17 @@ export async function listQuickOpenFiles(
           newlineIdx = buf.indexOf('\n', start)
         }
         buf = start < buf.length ? buf.substring(start) : ''
-      })
-      child.stderr!.on('data', () => {
+      }
+      const handleStderrData = (): void => {
         /* drain */
-      })
-      child.once('error', () => {
+      }
+      const handleError = (): void => {
         // Why: treat spawn errors like an abnormal exit — discard residual
         // buffer so a truncated final byte sequence cannot leak as a path.
         buf = ''
         finish(new Error('rg failed to start'))
-      })
-      child.once('close', (code, signal) => {
+      }
+      const handleClose = (code: number | null, signal: NodeJS.Signals | null): void => {
         if (signal) {
           // Why: a signal exit means timeout/OOM/external kill. Returning the
           // already-streamed prefix would recreate the false-empty bug this
@@ -136,8 +124,32 @@ export async function listQuickOpenFiles(
         } else {
           finish(new Error(`rg exited with code ${code}`))
         }
-      })
-      const timer = setTimeout(() => {
+      }
+      const finish = (err?: Error): void => {
+        if (done) {
+          return
+        }
+        done = true
+        clearTimeout(timer)
+        // Why: child.kill() is advisory. If rg ignores it, detach our
+        // closures so repeated Quick Open attempts do not retain old scans.
+        child.stdout!.off('data', handleStdoutData)
+        child.stderr!.off('data', handleStderrData)
+        child.off('error', handleError)
+        child.off('close', handleClose)
+        if (err) {
+          reject(err)
+        } else {
+          resolve()
+        }
+      }
+
+      child.stdout!.setEncoding('utf-8')
+      child.stdout!.on('data', handleStdoutData)
+      child.stderr!.on('data', handleStderrData)
+      child.once('error', handleError)
+      child.once('close', handleClose)
+      timer = setTimeout(() => {
         // Why: on timeout, the buffer is likely truncated mid-path. Discard
         // it so Quick Open never displays a malformed entry.
         buf = ''