diff --git a/src/main/daemon/immediate-kill-reply-budget.ts b/src/main/daemon/immediate-kill-reply-budget.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..5c3f2667ccfa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/daemon/immediate-kill-reply-budget.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+// Import-free so runtime modules, and tests that mock the kill machinery, can read the budget.
+
+// Leave room for capture and root exit within daemon-entry's 5s shutdown budget.
+export const SHUTDOWN_DESCENDANT_VERIFY_MS = 2_500
+export const SHUTDOWN_DESCENDANT_TABLE_TIMEOUT_MS = 250
+export const IMMEDIATE_KILL_PHYSICAL_EXIT_TIMEOUT_MS = 8_000
+export const SESSION_FORCE_KILL_RETRY_MS = 250
+// Mirrors DESCENDANT_SNAPSHOT_TIMEOUT_MS, which immediate teardown's initial capture uses.
+export const IMMEDIATE_KILL_CAPTURE_TIMEOUT_MS = 1_000
+
+/** Longest the daemon takes to answer an immediate kill: descendant capture, the shutdown
+ *  verification window plus its two overrunning table reads, one failed force-kill's retry wait,
+ *  then the root's physical-exit wait. */
+export const IMMEDIATE_KILL_REPLY_BUDGET_MS =
+  IMMEDIATE_KILL_CAPTURE_TIMEOUT_MS +
+  SHUTDOWN_DESCENDANT_VERIFY_MS +
+  2 * SHUTDOWN_DESCENDANT_TABLE_TIMEOUT_MS +
+  SESSION_FORCE_KILL_RETRY_MS +
+  IMMEDIATE_KILL_PHYSICAL_EXIT_TIMEOUT_MS
diff --git a/src/main/daemon/session-termination-controller.ts b/src/main/daemon/session-termination-controller.ts
index 814be8228c3c..9ccee58af650 100644
--- a/src/main/daemon/session-termination-controller.ts
+++ b/src/main/daemon/session-termination-controller.ts
@@ -2,10 +2,13 @@ import { killWithDescendantSweep } from '../pty-descendant-termination'
 import { PhysicalExitTracker } from '../../shared/physical-exit-tracker'
 import type { SubprocessHandle } from './session-subprocess-handle'
 import type { TuiAgent } from '../../shared/tui-agent'
+import {
+  IMMEDIATE_KILL_PHYSICAL_EXIT_TIMEOUT_MS,
+  SESSION_FORCE_KILL_RETRY_MS
+} from './immediate-kill-reply-budget'
 
 const KILL_TIMEOUT_MS = 5_000
-export const IMMEDIATE_KILL_PHYSICAL_EXIT_TIMEOUT_MS = 8_000
-export const SESSION_FORCE_KILL_RETRY_MS = 250
+export { IMMEDIATE_KILL_PHYSICAL_EXIT_TIMEOUT_MS, SESSION_FORCE_KILL_RETRY_MS }
 const SESSION_FORCE_KILL_MAX_ATTEMPTS = 2
 
 export type SessionTerminationControllerDeps = {
diff --git a/src/main/daemon/terminal-descendant-shutdown.ts b/src/main/daemon/terminal-descendant-shutdown.ts
index 8a2f2fa43504..1cd13c6aeb39 100644
--- a/src/main/daemon/terminal-descendant-shutdown.ts
+++ b/src/main/daemon/terminal-descendant-shutdown.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@ import {
   terminateDescendantSnapshotWithVerdict,
   type DescendantTreeVerdict
 } from '../pty-descendant-exit-verification'
+import {
+  SHUTDOWN_DESCENDANT_TABLE_TIMEOUT_MS,
+  SHUTDOWN_DESCENDANT_VERIFY_MS
+} from './immediate-kill-reply-budget'
 
 // Keep one fresh table for the short burst of verifier polls that follows a shutdown signal.
 // This bounds process-table fanout without reusing a completed capture for a later polling round.
@@ -40,9 +44,8 @@ export function terminateShutdownDescendants(
     return Promise.resolve('exited')
   }
   return terminateDescendantSnapshotWithVerdict(snapshot, {
-    // Leave room for capture and root exit within daemon-entry's 5s shutdown budget.
-    verifyMs: 2500,
-    timeoutMs: 250,
+    verifyMs: SHUTDOWN_DESCENDANT_VERIFY_MS,
+    timeoutMs: SHUTDOWN_DESCENDANT_TABLE_TIMEOUT_MS,
     keepAlive: true,
     requireIdentityBeforeSignal: true,
     readTable: readShutdownProcessTable
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-core.ts b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-core.ts
index 8214f7506761..f2c7cf4405de 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-core.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-core.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import type { ResolvedWorktree } from './runtime-worktree-path-identity'
 import type { RuntimeLeafRecord } from './runtime-terminal-state-records'
 import { isCursorAgentTitle } from '../../shared/agent-detection'
 import { isAbsolute, relative, resolve } from 'node:path'
+import { IMMEDIATE_KILL_REPLY_BUDGET_MS } from '../daemon/immediate-kill-reply-budget'
 import type {
   RuntimeTerminalDriverState,
   RuntimeTerminalPresentation
@@ -77,7 +78,9 @@ export const MOBILE_TERMINAL_SURFACE_TIMEOUT_MS = 10_000
 // fallback kill is needed, so keep it short — an unreachable host must not stall the rejection.
 export const REJECTED_SPLIT_PTY_STOP_TIMEOUT_MS = 2_000
 
-export const EXPLICIT_TERMINAL_CLOSE_STOP_TIMEOUT_MS = 2_000
+// Why: covers the daemon's own immediate-kill verdict plus the follow-up inventory check. A
+// shorter budget abandoned agents that run exit hooks mid-kill and reported them unverifiable.
+export const EXPLICIT_TERMINAL_CLOSE_STOP_TIMEOUT_MS = IMMEDIATE_KILL_REPLY_BUDGET_MS + 2_000
 
 export const CLAUDE_AGENT_PROMPT_RENDER_TIMEOUT_MS = 8000
 
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/terminal-close-slow-agent-exit.test.ts b/src/main/runtime/terminal-close-slow-agent-exit.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..0158f3927daf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/runtime/terminal-close-slow-agent-exit.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,175 @@
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import {
+  IMMEDIATE_KILL_CAPTURE_TIMEOUT_MS,
+  IMMEDIATE_KILL_REPLY_BUDGET_MS
+} from '../daemon/immediate-kill-reply-budget'
+import { DESCENDANT_SNAPSHOT_TIMEOUT_MS } from '../pty-descendant-termination'
+import { startLateExitHarness } from '../ipc/pty/daemon-late-exit-test-fixture'
+import { finishPtyShutdown } from '../ipc/pty/provider/liveness'
+import { shutdownProviderAndDetectExit } from '../ipc/pty/provider/shutdown-detect'
+import type { PtyRuntimeControllerDeps } from '../ipc/pty/runtime/controller-deps'
+import { stopAndWaitPtyFromRuntimeController } from '../ipc/pty/runtime/kill'
+import type { OrchestrationDb } from './orchestration/db'
+import type { WorkerTerminalResourceRow } from './orchestration/worker-terminal-ownership'
+import type { OrcaRuntimeService } from './orca-runtime'
+import { EXPLICIT_TERMINAL_CLOSE_STOP_TIMEOUT_MS } from './orca-runtime-core'
+import { completeWorkerTerminalRelease } from './rpc/methods/orchestration/worker/worker-release-completion'
+
+// Longer than the old 2s close budget, like an agent running exit hooks after SIGTERM.
+const SLOW_EXIT_MS = 2_300
+
+type Harness = Awaited<ReturnType<typeof startLateExitHarness>>
+
+async function closeThroughDaemon(
+  harness: Harness,
+  stopAndWait: typeof stopAndWaitPtyFromRuntimeController = stopAndWaitPtyFromRuntimeController
+) {
+  const ports = {
+    runtime: harness.runtime,
+    getLocalPtyProviderStartupPromise: () => undefined,
+    shutdownProviderAndDetectExit,
+    rememberSyntheticKillExit: harness.session.rememberSyntheticKillExit,
+    sendPtyExitToRenderer: harness.session.sendPtyExitToRenderer,
+    finishPtyShutdown
+  }
+  // oxlint-disable-next-line typescript/consistent-type-assertions -- SAFETY: exact-stop reads only these controller ports and optional store; spawn ports are unused.
+  const deps = ports as unknown as PtyRuntimeControllerDeps
+  const fallbackKill = vi.fn(() => true)
+  harness.runtime.setPtyController({
+    write: () => true,
+    getForegroundProcess: async () => null,
+    kill: fallbackKill,
+    stopAndWait: (id, opts) => stopAndWait(deps, id, opts)
+  })
+  const terminal = (await harness.runtime.listTerminals()).terminals.find(
+    (entry) => entry.ptyId === harness.id
+  )
+  if (!terminal) {
+    throw new Error('Fixture terminal missing')
+  }
+  // oxlint-disable-next-line typescript/consistent-type-assertions -- SAFETY: release reads only these resource columns.
+  const resource = {
+    id: 'resource-1',
+    terminal_handle: terminal.handle,
+    host_scope: JSON.stringify({ kind: 'local', hostId: 'local' }),
+    archive_source: 'terminal',
+    archive_status: 'captured',
+    ownership_state: 'owned',
+    release_state: 'requested'
+  } as WorkerTerminalResourceRow
+  // The release decision reads only the close result; everything before it is stubbed.
+  // oxlint-disable-next-line typescript/consistent-type-assertions -- SAFETY: release calls only these runtime methods on the local terminal path.
+  const runtime = {
+    showTerminal: vi.fn(async () => ({ handle: terminal.handle, connected: true })),
+    getTerminalPaneKey: vi.fn(() => 'tab-worker:leaf-worker'),
+    getTerminalProcessIncarnation: vi.fn(() => 'pty-worker:incarnation-1'),
+    getTerminalLivenessVerdict: vi.fn(() => null),
+    getOrchestrationDispatchAuthority: vi.fn(() => ({
+      hostScope: { kind: 'local', hostId: 'local' }
+    })),
+    closeTerminal: (handle: string) => harness.runtime.closeTerminal(handle),
+    notifyMessageArrived: vi.fn()
+  } as unknown as OrcaRuntimeService
+  // oxlint-disable-next-line typescript/consistent-type-assertions -- SAFETY: release calls only these db methods on the local terminal path.
+  const db = {
+    getWorkerDispatch: vi.fn(() => ({
+      agent_terminal_handle: terminal.handle,
+      created_at: '2026-08-16T00:00:00.000Z'
+    })),
+    isDispatchProcessCurrent: vi.fn(() => true),
+    workerTerminalResourceHasIdentityConflict: vi.fn(() => false),
+    getWorkerTerminalArchive: vi.fn(() => ({ kind: 'transcript_pin' })),
+    commitWorkerTerminalArchiveForRelease: vi.fn(() => ({
+      ...resource,
+      release_state: 'releasing'
+    })),
+    settleWorkerTerminalRelease: vi.fn(() => ({ ...resource, release_state: 'released' })),
+    markWorkerTerminalReleaseUnknown: vi.fn((_id: string, releaseError: string) => ({
+      ...resource,
+      release_state: 'unknown',
+      release_error: releaseError
+    })),
+    recordWorkerTerminalRecoveryAttempt: vi.fn()
+  } as unknown as OrchestrationDb
+  const receipt = await completeWorkerTerminalRelease({
+    runtime,
+    db,
+    dispatchId: 'ctx-worker',
+    resource
+  })
+  return { receipt, fallbackKill }
+}
+
+describe('worker release of an agent that is slow to exit after its terminal closes', () => {
+  it('budgets the close for the daemon immediate-kill verdict, not a fixed 2s', () => {
+    expect(EXPLICIT_TERMINAL_CLOSE_STOP_TIMEOUT_MS).toBeGreaterThan(IMMEDIATE_KILL_REPLY_BUDGET_MS)
+    expect(IMMEDIATE_KILL_CAPTURE_TIMEOUT_MS).toBe(DESCENDANT_SNAPSHOT_TIMEOUT_MS)
+  })
+
+  it('releases a worker whose process exits after the old 2s budget', async () => {
+    const harness = await startLateExitHarness()
+    try {
+      const subprocess = harness.subprocess
+      subprocess.forceKill = () => {
+        setTimeout(() => subprocess._simulateExit(0), SLOW_EXIT_MS)
+      }
+      const startedAt = Date.now()
+      const { receipt, fallbackKill } = await closeThroughDaemon(harness)
+      expect(Date.now() - startedAt).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(SLOW_EXIT_MS)
+      expect(receipt).toMatchObject({ state: 'released', processAction: 'closed_agent_terminal' })
+      expect(fallbackKill).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+      expect(harness.runtime.captureState().liveness).toBe('exited')
+    } finally {
+      await harness.dispose()
+    }
+  }, 15_000)
+
+  it('counts a SessionNotFoundError reply for an already-exited process as exited', async () => {
+    const harness = await startLateExitHarness()
+    try {
+      // The exit frame is held back, so main still believes the PTY is live when it closes it.
+      harness.pauseStream()
+      harness.subprocess._simulateExit(0)
+      await vi.waitFor(async () => expect(await harness.adapter.listProcesses()).toEqual([]))
+      const { receipt, fallbackKill } = await closeThroughDaemon(harness)
+      expect(receipt).toMatchObject({ state: 'released' })
+      expect(fallbackKill).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+      harness.resumeStream()
+      await harness.waitForExit()
+      expect(harness.runtime.captureState().liveness).toBe('exited')
+    } finally {
+      await harness.dispose()
+    }
+  })
+
+  it('keeps a process still running when the kill budget expires release_unknown', async () => {
+    const harness = await startLateExitHarness()
+    // Only Date is faked: the daemon socket and its timers stay real.
+    vi.useFakeTimers({ toFake: ['Date'] })
+    try {
+      // A wedged agent ignores SIGKILL, so only the close deadline can end the kill.
+      harness.subprocess.forceKill = () => {}
+      let budgetMs = 0
+      const expiringStop: typeof stopAndWaitPtyFromRuntimeController = async (deps, id, opts) => {
+        const deadlineMs = opts?.deadlineMs ?? 0
+        budgetMs = deadlineMs - Date.now()
+        // Jump the clock to the deadline so the real stop issues its kill RPC with no time left.
+        vi.setSystemTime(deadlineMs)
+        return stopAndWaitPtyFromRuntimeController(deps, id, opts)
+      }
+      const { receipt, fallbackKill } = await closeThroughDaemon(harness, expiringStop)
+      expect(budgetMs).toBeGreaterThan(IMMEDIATE_KILL_REPLY_BUDGET_MS)
+      expect(receipt).toMatchObject({
+        state: 'release_unknown',
+        processAction: 'closed_agent_terminal',
+        lastError: expect.stringContaining('could not be confirmed stopped')
+      })
+      expect(fallbackKill).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+      expect(harness.runtime.captureState().liveness).toBe('unverifiable')
+    } finally {
+      vi.useRealTimers()
+      harness.subprocess._simulateExit(0)
+      await harness.dispose()
+    }
+  })
+})