diff --git a/packages/server/src/server/plugins/plugin-process.ts b/packages/server/src/server/plugins/plugin-process.ts
index 1ef843db83..7e37302663 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/server/plugins/plugin-process.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/server/plugins/plugin-process.ts
@@ -646,6 +646,7 @@ export function createPluginWorker(options: {
 
 if (process.argv[1] === fileURLToPath(import.meta.url)) {
   let worker: ReturnType<typeof createPluginWorker> | null = null;
+  let closedByShutdown = false;
   const handlers = new Set<(message: PluginProcessRequest) => void>();
   const channel: PluginWorkerChannel = {
     send(message, callback) {
@@ -659,9 +660,17 @@ if (process.argv[1] === fileURLToPath(import.meta.url)) {
       };
     },
     disconnect() {
+      closedByShutdown = true;
       process.disconnect();
     },
   };
+  // The daemon worker owns this process through the IPC channel. When the channel closes without
+  // this process closing it (the worker crashed or was killed), nothing can reach the plugin any
+  // more, so exit instead of running on as an orphan. A normal shutdown closes the channel itself
+  // and lets work still in flight finish.
+  process.once("disconnect", () => {
+    if (!closedByShutdown) process.exit(0);
+  });
   process.on("message", (raw) => {
     const parsed = PluginProcessRequestSchema.safeParse(raw);
     if (!worker && parsed.success && parsed.data.type === "initialize") {
diff --git a/packages/server/src/server/plugins/runtime.posix.test.ts b/packages/server/src/server/plugins/runtime.posix.test.ts
index 1792a9d7ff..c06efd577b 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/server/plugins/runtime.posix.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/server/plugins/runtime.posix.test.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import path from "node:path";
 import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
 import pino from "pino";
 import type { ProviderEvent, ProviderRegistration } from "@getpaseo/plugin/server/provider";
-import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, onTestFinished, vi } from "vitest";
 import type { AgentStreamEvent } from "../agent/agent-sdk-types.js";
 import { PluginAgentClientRegistry } from "../agent/plugin-provider.js";
 import { PluginRuntime } from "./runtime.js";
@@ -1936,6 +1936,40 @@ export default function contribute(plugin: any) {
     );
   });
 
+  it("exits a plugin process when its channel to the daemon closes without a shutdown", async () => {
+    const directory = await createPlugin(
+      "orphaned",
+      // A timer keeps the process alive the way a polling plugin does.
+      `export default function contribute(plugin: unknown) {
+  void plugin;
+  const timer = setInterval(() => undefined, 1_000);
+  return () => clearInterval(timer);
+}`,
+    );
+    const spawned: Array<ReturnType<typeof spawnObservedPluginProcess>> = [];
+    const exits: Array<Promise<number | null>> = [];
+    const runtime = createTestRuntime({
+      spawnChild: () => {
+        const child = spawnObservedPluginProcess(() => undefined);
+        exits.push(new Promise((resolve) => child.once("exit", resolve)));
+        spawned.push(child);
+        return child;
+      },
+    });
+    // If the process never exits (the failure this test catches), do not leave it running.
+    onTestFinished(() => {
+      for (const child of spawned) if (child.exitCode === null) child.kill("SIGKILL");
+    });
+    await runtime.startPlugin("orphaned", directory);
+    expect(spawned).toHaveLength(1);
+
+    // What the plugin sees when its daemon worker dies: the IPC channel closes, no shutdown request.
+    spawned[0]!.disconnect();
+
+    // In a real crash the daemon side is gone, so there is no runtime state left to stop here.
+    await expect(exits[0]).resolves.toBe(0);
+  });
+
   it("re-attaches a plugin session when the daemon closes the socket under a live child", async () => {
     const directory = await createPlugin(
       "reattaching",