diff --git a/.github/workflows/ios.yml b/.github/workflows/ios.yml
index 9459c286ce..b8e046bc3a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ios.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ios.yml
@@ -199,7 +199,6 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           xcrun simctl install "${{ steps.ios-simulator.outputs.simulator-udid }}" "${{ steps.fixture-app.outputs.app-path }}"
           node --experimental-strip-types src/bin.ts test examples/test-app/replays/gesture-pan-duration.ad --udid "${{ steps.ios-simulator.outputs.simulator-udid }}" --timeout 180000 --retries 2 --artifacts-dir test/artifacts/replays-ios-gesture-pan-duration --report-junit test/artifacts/replays-ios-gesture-pan-duration.junit.xml
-          pnpm clean:daemon
 
       - name: Run fixture-backed iOS simulator E2E smoke
         env:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/replays-manual.yml b/.github/workflows/replays-manual.yml
index d5e0d8ad2e..59c76e1d2c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/replays-manual.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/replays-manual.yml
@@ -156,9 +156,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Prove selector drag reaches its destination on iOS
         run: |
           xcrun simctl install "${{ steps.ios-simulator.outputs.simulator-udid }}" "${{ steps.fixture-app.outputs.app-path }}"
-          pnpm clean:daemon
           node --experimental-strip-types src/bin.ts replay examples/test-app/replays/drag.ad --platform ios --udid "${{ steps.ios-simulator.outputs.simulator-udid }}" --session nightly-ios-target-drag --json
-          pnpm clean:daemon
 
       - name: Run full fixture-backed iOS simulator E2E
         env:
diff --git a/test/integration/ios-simulator-e2e/live-runner.ts b/test/integration/ios-simulator-e2e/live-runner.ts
index c06669e0c9..7f4511f423 100644
--- a/test/integration/ios-simulator-e2e/live-runner.ts
+++ b/test/integration/ios-simulator-e2e/live-runner.ts
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ import {
 } from './snapshot-backend-conformance.ts';
 
 const C = PUBLIC_COMMANDS;
+const DEFAULT_RUNNER_PREPARE_TIMEOUT_MS = 420_000;
 
 type AgentDeviceSdk = typeof import('../../../src/sdk/index.ts');
 
@@ -85,6 +86,7 @@ export async function runIosSimulatorE2E(): Promise<void> {
   const context = createContext();
   let primaryError: unknown;
   try {
+    await prepareRunner(context);
     await executeLiveScenarios(context);
   } catch (error) {
     primaryError = error;
@@ -93,6 +95,31 @@ export async function runIosSimulatorE2E(): Promise<void> {
   throwLiveRunErrors(primaryError, cleanupError);
 }
 
+/** A runner start must not spend the first runner-backed command's 90 s request timeout. */
+async function prepareRunner(context: LiveContext): Promise<void> {
+  const timeoutMs = Number(
+    process.env.AGENT_DEVICE_IOS_PREPARE_TIMEOUT_MS ?? DEFAULT_RUNNER_PREPARE_TIMEOUT_MS,
+  );
+  await runStep(
+    context,
+    'prepare iOS runner',
+    [
+      'prepare',
+      'ios-runner',
+      '--platform',
+      'ios',
+      '--udid',
+      context.udid,
+      '--state-dir',
+      context.stateDir,
+      '--timeout',
+      String(timeoutMs),
+      '--json',
+    ],
+    { commonFlags: false, timeoutMs: timeoutMs + 30_000 },
+  );
+}
+
 async function executeLiveScenarios(context: LiveContext): Promise<void> {
   let assertionCaptureVerified = false;
   for (const scenario of LIVE_SCENARIOS.filter((candidate) => candidate.tier === 'smoke')) {
@@ -141,6 +168,11 @@ async function assertLiveAssertionCapture(context: LiveContext): Promise<void> {
 
 async function finalizeLiveRun(context: LiveContext): Promise<unknown> {
   let cleanupError = await finalizeSessionCleanup(context, sessionExists, cleanupSession);
+  try {
+    await stopDaemon(context);
+  } catch (error) {
+    cleanupError = combineErrors(cleanupError, error, 'cleanup and daemon stop failed');
+  }
   try {
     writeCoverageReport(context);
   } catch (error) {
@@ -149,6 +181,18 @@ async function finalizeLiveRun(context: LiveContext): Promise<unknown> {
   return cleanupError;
 }
 
+/** The daemon holds this run's TMPDIR and claims directory, which the test wrapper deletes. */
+async function stopDaemon(context: LiveContext): Promise<void> {
+  await runStep(
+    context,
+    'stop daemon',
+    ['daemon', 'stop', '--state-dir', context.stateDir, '--json'],
+    {
+      commonFlags: false,
+    },
+  );
+}
+
 /**
  * Decides whether session-scoped cleanup runs: full:device-lifecycle reboots the
  * simulator and the session lease does not survive that in every environment, so this