diff --git a/.github/workflows/git-command-termination-runtime.yml b/.github/workflows/git-command-termination-runtime.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1602bae956a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/git-command-termination-runtime.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+name: Git command termination runtime
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    paths:
+      - 'src/main/git/command-runner/spawned-command-tree-kill*'
+      - '.github/workflows/git-command-termination-runtime.yml'
+  workflow_dispatch:
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+jobs:
+  windows-exit:
+    runs-on: windows-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 20
+    env:
+      ORCA_BACKGROUND_LAUNCH: '1'
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v6
+        with:
+          persist-credentials: false
+      - uses: ./.github/actions/install-node-dependencies
+      - name: Verify exited native child does not trigger taskkill
+        run: node node_modules/vitest/vitest.mjs run --config config/vitest.config.ts src/main/git/command-runner/spawned-command-tree-kill.test.ts
diff --git a/src/main/git/command-runner/spawned-command-tree-kill.test.ts b/src/main/git/command-runner/spawned-command-tree-kill.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..758fb296227
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/git/command-runner/spawned-command-tree-kill.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+import { ChildProcess } from 'node:child_process'
+import { once } from 'node:events'
+import { spawnProcess } from '../../../shared/child-process/run-process'
+import type * as NodeChildProcess from 'node:child_process'
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+
+const { spawnMock, admitMock } = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  spawnMock: vi.fn(),
+  admitMock: vi.fn(() => true)
+}))
+
+vi.mock('node:child_process', async (importOriginal) => ({
+  ...(await importOriginal<typeof NodeChildProcess>()),
+  spawn: spawnMock
+}))
+vi.mock('../../own-chromium-tree-kill-guard', () => ({
+  admitSelfInitiatedTreeKill: admitMock
+}))
+
+import { killSpawnedCommandTree } from './spawned-command-tree-kill'
+
+const originalPlatform = process.platform
+
+function childWithPid(pid: number): ChildProcess {
+  const child = new ChildProcess()
+  Object.defineProperty(child, 'pid', { value: pid })
+  vi.spyOn(child, 'kill').mockReturnValue(true)
+  vi.spyOn(child, 'unref').mockImplementation(() => {})
+  return child
+}
+
+describe('Git command tree termination', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    Object.defineProperty(process, 'platform', { value: 'win32', configurable: true })
+    spawnMock.mockReset()
+    admitMock.mockReset().mockReturnValue(true)
+  })
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    Object.defineProperty(process, 'platform', { value: originalPlatform, configurable: true })
+    vi.restoreAllMocks()
+  })
+
+  it.each([0, 128])(
+    'never taskkills a child that exited with code %i before close',
+    async (code) => {
+      const child = childWithPid(1234)
+      Object.defineProperty(child, 'exitCode', { value: code })
+
+      await killSpawnedCommandTree(child)
+
+      expect(spawnMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+      expect(admitMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+      expect(child.kill).toHaveBeenCalledOnce()
+    }
+  )
+
+  it('never taskkills a child that exited by signal before close', async () => {
+    const child = childWithPid(1234)
+    Object.defineProperty(child, 'signalCode', { value: 'SIGTERM' })
+
+    await killSpawnedCommandTree(child)
+
+    expect(spawnMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect(admitMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+
+  it('still waits for tree termination when the Windows root has not exited', async () => {
+    const child = childWithPid(1234)
+    const killer = childWithPid(5678)
+    spawnMock.mockReturnValue(killer)
+    let settled = false
+    const pending = killSpawnedCommandTree(child).then(() => {
+      settled = true
+    })
+
+    await Promise.resolve()
+    expect(settled).toBe(false)
+    expect(spawnMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith('taskkill', ['/pid', '1234', '/t', '/f'], {
+      stdio: 'ignore',
+      windowsHide: true
+    })
+    killer.emit('close', 0)
+    await pending
+    expect(child.kill).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+
+  it('preserves handle termination on POSIX', async () => {
+    Object.defineProperty(process, 'platform', { value: 'linux', configurable: true })
+    const child = childWithPid(1234)
+
+    await killSpawnedCommandTree(child)
+
+    expect(child.kill).toHaveBeenCalledOnce()
+    expect(spawnMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+  it.skipIf(originalPlatform !== 'win32').each([0, 128])(
+    'does not taskkill an actual native Windows child after exit %i',
+    async (exitCode) => {
+      const original = await vi.importActual<typeof NodeChildProcess>('node:child_process')
+      spawnMock.mockImplementation((program, args, options) => {
+        if (program !== process.execPath) {
+          throw new Error('Unexpected external process in native exit probe')
+        }
+        return original.spawn(program, args, options)
+      })
+      const child = spawnProcess({
+        program: process.execPath,
+        args: ['-e', `process.exit(${exitCode})`]
+      })
+      const closed = once(child, 'close')
+      await once(child, 'exit')
+      expect(child.exitCode).toBe(exitCode)
+      expect(child.pid).toBeGreaterThan(0)
+      spawnMock.mockClear()
+      await killSpawnedCommandTree(child)
+      expect(spawnMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+      expect(admitMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+      await closed
+    }
+  )
+})
diff --git a/src/main/git/command-runner/spawned-command-tree-kill.ts b/src/main/git/command-runner/spawned-command-tree-kill.ts
index 324e04f1db3..035764d5249 100644
--- a/src/main/git/command-runner/spawned-command-tree-kill.ts
+++ b/src/main/git/command-runner/spawned-command-tree-kill.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,11 @@ export function killSpawnedCommandTree(child: ChildProcess): Promise<void> {
     child.kill()
     return Promise.resolve()
   }
+  // Windows may reuse the pid after exit while inherited pipes still delay close.
+  if ((child.exitCode ?? null) !== null || (child.signalCode ?? null) !== null) {
+    child.kill()
+    return Promise.resolve()
+  }
   if (
     !admitSelfInitiatedTreeKill({ pid, site: 'git-command-tree-kill', scope: 'win-taskkill-tree' })
   ) {