diff --git a/packages/cli/src/generated/commands/serve.ts b/packages/cli/src/generated/commands/serve.ts
index bf39cb27..1b344b0b 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/generated/commands/serve.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/generated/commands/serve.ts
@@ -259,17 +259,15 @@ export async function runServe(port: number, engine: string|undefined, allowedOr
   // the already-opened brain (an engine subprocess) or leave a half-open bridge
   // with no valid handoff file. Tear down everything acquired so far and fail
   // CLOSED (exit 2), never an unhandled-rejection crash.
+  let started: Awaited<ReturnType<typeof runtime.serve.start>>;
+  let tokenPath: string;
   try {
-    const started = await runtime.serve.start(port);
-    const tokenPath = writeServeConnectionFile(runtime.sessionId, started.url, started.token, engineId, allowedOrigins);
+    started = await runtime.serve.start(port);
+    tokenPath = writeServeConnectionFile(runtime.sessionId, started.url, started.token, engineId, allowedOrigins);
     // Record the provenance frame BEFORE handing out the URL: a client that reads the
     // machine-readable line and immediately attaches must find the "which brain @ where"
     // frame already in the ledger (the documented verify-before-you-send invariant).
     recordServeReady(runtime.sessionId, engineId, started.url, allowedOrigins);
-    // Machine-readable handoff (the native host reads this line), then the human banner.
-    // Gated so a normal `agon serve` is unchanged.
-    if (emitConnection) emitServeConnectionLine(started.url, started.token, runtime.sessionId, engineId, allowedOrigins, tokenPath);
-    printServeBanner(started.url, started.token, tokenPath, runtime.sessionId, engineId, allowedOrigins);
   } catch (err) {
     warn(`failed to start: ${err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err)}`);
     try { await runtime.serve.close(); } catch { /* may never have bound */ }
@@ -280,9 +278,8 @@ export async function runServe(port: number, engine: string|undefined, allowedOr
     return;
   }
 
-  await new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+  const stopped = new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
     let tornDown = false;
-    const wasPaused = process.stdin.isPaused();
     const teardown = (): void => {
       if (tornDown) return;
       tornDown = true;
@@ -299,7 +296,7 @@ export async function runServe(port: number, engine: string|undefined, allowedOr
         .finally(() => {
           try { eventLogFlush(runtime.sessionId); } catch { /* best-effort */ }
           removeServeConnectionFile(runtime.sessionId);
-          try { if (wasPaused) process.stdin.pause(); } catch { /* best-effort */ }
+          try { process.stdin.pause(); } catch { /* best-effort */ }
           success('agon serve stopped.');
           resolve();
         });
@@ -310,9 +307,14 @@ export async function runServe(port: number, engine: string|undefined, allowedOr
     process.on('SIGINT', teardown);
     process.on('SIGTERM', teardown);
   });
+  // Install the stop handlers before the machine-readable readiness line.
+  // A controller can send SIGINT as soon as it reads this line.
+  if (emitConnection) emitServeConnectionLine(started.url, started.token, runtime.sessionId, engineId, allowedOrigins, tokenPath);
+  printServeBanner(started.url, started.token, tokenPath, runtime.sessionId, engineId, allowedOrigins);
+  await stopped;
 }
 
-// @kern-source: serve:306
+// @kern-source: serve:308
 export const serveCommand: any = defineCommand({
   meta: {
     name: 'serve',
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/kern/commands/serve.kern b/packages/cli/src/kern/commands/serve.kern
index c924775b..c2d3321e 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/kern/commands/serve.kern
+++ b/packages/cli/src/kern/commands/serve.kern
@@ -248,17 +248,15 @@ fn name=runServe params="port:number, engine:string|undefined, allowedOrigins:st
     // the already-opened brain (an engine subprocess) or leave a half-open bridge
     // with no valid handoff file. Tear down everything acquired so far and fail
     // CLOSED (exit 2), never an unhandled-rejection crash.
+    let started: Awaited<ReturnType<typeof runtime.serve.start>>;
+    let tokenPath: string;
     try {
-      const started = await runtime.serve.start(port);
-      const tokenPath = writeServeConnectionFile(runtime.sessionId, started.url, started.token, engineId, allowedOrigins);
+      started = await runtime.serve.start(port);
+      tokenPath = writeServeConnectionFile(runtime.sessionId, started.url, started.token, engineId, allowedOrigins);
       // Record the provenance frame BEFORE handing out the URL: a client that reads the
       // machine-readable line and immediately attaches must find the "which brain @ where"
       // frame already in the ledger (the documented verify-before-you-send invariant).
       recordServeReady(runtime.sessionId, engineId, started.url, allowedOrigins);
-      // Machine-readable handoff (the native host reads this line), then the human banner.
-      // Gated so a normal `agon serve` is unchanged.
-      if (emitConnection) emitServeConnectionLine(started.url, started.token, runtime.sessionId, engineId, allowedOrigins, tokenPath);
-      printServeBanner(started.url, started.token, tokenPath, runtime.sessionId, engineId, allowedOrigins);
     } catch (err) {
       warn(`failed to start: ${err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err)}`);
       try { await runtime.serve.close(); } catch { /* may never have bound */ }
@@ -269,9 +267,8 @@ fn name=runServe params="port:number, engine:string|undefined, allowedOrigins:st
       return;
     }
 
-    await new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
+    const stopped = new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
       let tornDown = false;
-      const wasPaused = process.stdin.isPaused();
       const teardown = (): void => {
         if (tornDown) return;
         tornDown = true;
@@ -288,7 +285,7 @@ fn name=runServe params="port:number, engine:string|undefined, allowedOrigins:st
           .finally(() => {
             try { eventLogFlush(runtime.sessionId); } catch { /* best-effort */ }
             removeServeConnectionFile(runtime.sessionId);
-            try { if (wasPaused) process.stdin.pause(); } catch { /* best-effort */ }
+            try { process.stdin.pause(); } catch { /* best-effort */ }
             success('agon serve stopped.');
             resolve();
           });
@@ -299,6 +296,11 @@ fn name=runServe params="port:number, engine:string|undefined, allowedOrigins:st
       process.on('SIGINT', teardown);
       process.on('SIGTERM', teardown);
     });
+    // Install the stop handlers before the machine-readable readiness line.
+    // A controller can send SIGINT as soon as it reads this line.
+    if (emitConnection) emitServeConnectionLine(started.url, started.token, runtime.sessionId, engineId, allowedOrigins, tokenPath);
+    printServeBanner(started.url, started.token, tokenPath, runtime.sessionId, engineId, allowedOrigins);
+    await stopped;
   >>>
 
 // ── Command ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
diff --git a/tests/unit/serve-command.test.ts b/tests/unit/serve-command.test.ts
index f0682db3..3b84fff2 100644
--- a/tests/unit/serve-command.test.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/serve-command.test.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,14 @@
 import { describe, it, expect, beforeAll } from 'vitest';
-import { mkdtempSync, existsSync, statSync, readFileSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { mkdtempSync, existsSync, statSync, readFileSync, rmSync } from 'node:fs';
 import { tmpdir } from 'node:os';
 import { join } from 'node:path';
 import { createServer } from 'node:http';
+import { spawn } from 'node:child_process';
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
+
+const HERE = fileURLToPath(new URL('.', import.meta.url));
+const CLI_ENTRY = join(HERE, '..', '..', 'packages', 'cli', 'dist', 'index.js');
+const describeProcessMaybe = existsSync(CLI_ENTRY) ? describe : describe.skip;
 
 // Point AGON_HOME at a throwaway home BEFORE anything resolves a path (the event
 // ledger + agonPath resolve at call time, so setting it pre-import is enough).
@@ -294,3 +300,43 @@ describe('agon serve — runtime wiring (integration)', () => {
     }
   }, 15000);
 });
+
+describeProcessMaybe('agon serve process lifecycle', () => {
+  it('exits zero after the first SIGINT', async () => {
+    const home = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'agon-serve-signal-'));
+    const child = spawn(process.execPath, [CLI_ENTRY, 'serve', '--port', '0', '--emit-connection'], {
+      env: { ...process.env, AGON_HOME: home, AGON_NO_STACK_TRACE_MAPPER: '1' },
+      stdio: ['pipe', 'pipe', 'pipe'],
+    });
+    let stdout = '';
+    let stderr = '';
+    child.stdout?.setEncoding('utf-8');
+    child.stderr?.setEncoding('utf-8');
+    child.stdout?.on('data', (chunk: string) => { stdout += chunk; });
+    child.stderr?.on('data', (chunk: string) => { stderr += chunk; });
+    try {
+      const ready = await new Promise<boolean>((resolve) => {
+        let poll: ReturnType<typeof setInterval>;
+        const deadline = setTimeout(() => {
+          clearInterval(poll);
+          resolve(false);
+        }, 10_000);
+        poll = setInterval(() => {
+          if (!stdout.includes('__AGON_CONNECTION__')) return;
+          clearTimeout(deadline); clearInterval(poll); resolve(true);
+        }, 25);
+      });
+      expect(ready, stderr).toBe(true);
+      child.kill('SIGINT');
+      const exitCode = await Promise.race([
+        new Promise<number | null>((resolve, reject) => { child.once('error', reject); child.once('close', resolve); }),
+        new Promise<'timeout'>((resolve) => setTimeout(() => resolve('timeout'), 5_000)),
+      ]);
+      expect(exitCode, stderr).toBe(0);
+      expect(stdout).toContain('agon serve stopped');
+    } finally {
+      if (child.exitCode === null) child.kill('SIGKILL');
+      rmSync(home, { recursive: true, force: true });
+    }
+  }, 20_000);
+});