diff --git a/scripts/resolve-openclaw-package-candidate.mjs b/scripts/resolve-openclaw-package-candidate.mjs
index ce588b53ba9..3cb490b8df4 100644
--- a/scripts/resolve-openclaw-package-candidate.mjs
+++ b/scripts/resolve-openclaw-package-candidate.mjs
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ export const ARTIFACT_TARBALL_SCAN_MAX_ENTRIES = 10_000;
 const COMMAND_STDOUT_CAPTURE_MAX_CHARS = 8 * 1024 * 1024;
 const COMMAND_STDERR_CAPTURE_MAX_CHARS = 128 * 1024;
 const COMMAND_TIMEOUT_KILL_AFTER_MS = 5_000;
+const COMMAND_PROCESS_TREE_EXIT_POLL_MS = 50;
 const ACTIVE_CHILD_KILLERS = new Set();
 const SIGNAL_EXIT_CODES = {
   SIGHUP: 129,
@@ -195,7 +196,7 @@ function run(command, args, options = {}) {
     });
     let timedOut = false;
     let killTimer;
-    let timeoutReject;
+    let forceKillAt;
     const killChild = (signal) => {
       if (useProcessGroup && child.pid) {
         try {
@@ -209,11 +210,13 @@ function run(command, args, options = {}) {
     };
     const terminateChild = () => {
       killChild("SIGTERM");
+      const killAfterMs = options.killAfterMs ?? COMMAND_TIMEOUT_KILL_AFTER_MS;
+      forceKillAt = Date.now() + killAfterMs;
       killTimer = setTimeout(() => {
         killTimer = undefined;
+        forceKillAt = undefined;
         killChild("SIGKILL");
-        timeoutReject?.();
-      }, options.killAfterMs ?? COMMAND_TIMEOUT_KILL_AFTER_MS);
+      }, killAfterMs);
     };
     const timeout =
       options.timeoutMs === undefined
@@ -244,6 +247,7 @@ function run(command, args, options = {}) {
       }
       if (killTimer && !timedOut) {
         clearTimeout(killTimer);
+        forceKillAt = undefined;
       }
       ACTIVE_CHILD_KILLERS.delete(killChild);
       if (
@@ -261,7 +265,13 @@ function run(command, args, options = {}) {
           `${command} ${args.join(" ")} timed out after ${options.timeoutMs}ms`,
         );
         if (killTimer) {
-          timeoutReject = () => reject(timeoutError);
+          void finishTimedOutProcessTree(child, {
+            forceKillAt,
+            killChild,
+            killTimer,
+            killAfterMs: options.killAfterMs ?? COMMAND_TIMEOUT_KILL_AFTER_MS,
+            useProcessGroup,
+          }).then(() => reject(timeoutError), reject);
           return;
         }
         reject(timeoutError);
@@ -286,6 +296,54 @@ function run(command, args, options = {}) {
   });
 }
 
+async function finishTimedOutProcessTree(
+  child,
+  { forceKillAt, killAfterMs, killChild, killTimer, useProcessGroup },
+) {
+  const graceRemainingMs =
+    forceKillAt === undefined ? killAfterMs : Math.max(0, forceKillAt - Date.now());
+  if (graceRemainingMs > 0) {
+    await waitForProcessTreeExit(child, graceRemainingMs, useProcessGroup);
+  }
+  clearTimeout(killTimer);
+  if (processTreeIsAlive(child, useProcessGroup)) {
+    killChild("SIGKILL");
+    await waitForProcessTreeExit(child, killAfterMs, useProcessGroup);
+  }
+}
+
+function childHasExited(child) {
+  return child.exitCode !== null || child.signalCode !== null;
+}
+
+function processTreeIsAlive(child, useProcessGroup) {
+  if (!child || typeof child.pid !== "number") {
+    return false;
+  }
+  if (!useProcessGroup) {
+    return !childHasExited(child);
+  }
+  try {
+    process.kill(-child.pid, 0);
+    return true;
+  } catch (error) {
+    return error?.code === "EPERM";
+  }
+}
+
+async function waitForProcessTreeExit(child, timeoutMs, useProcessGroup) {
+  const deadlineAt = Date.now() + timeoutMs;
+  while (Date.now() < deadlineAt) {
+    if (!processTreeIsAlive(child, useProcessGroup)) {
+      return true;
+    }
+    await new Promise((resolvePoll) => {
+      setTimeout(resolvePoll, COMMAND_PROCESS_TREE_EXIT_POLL_MS);
+    });
+  }
+  return !processTreeIsAlive(child, useProcessGroup);
+}
+
 function appendBoundedCommandOutput(buffer, chunk, maxChars) {
   const nextText = buffer.text + String(chunk);
   if (nextText.length <= maxChars) {
diff --git a/test/scripts/resolve-openclaw-package-candidate.test.ts b/test/scripts/resolve-openclaw-package-candidate.test.ts
index 17353c98b73..4dc74ad27e5 100644
--- a/test/scripts/resolve-openclaw-package-candidate.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/resolve-openclaw-package-candidate.test.ts
@@ -278,9 +278,7 @@ describe("resolve-openclaw-package-candidate", () => {
     ).resolves.toBe(path.join(dir, "openclaw-current.tgz"));
     await expect(missing(path.join(dir, "openclaw-9999.1.1.tgz"))).resolves.toBe(true);
     await expect(readFile(path.join(dir, "openclaw-C:evil.tgz"), "utf8")).resolves.toBe("unsafe");
-    await expect(readFile(path.join(dir, "openclaw-current.tgz"), "utf8")).resolves.toBe(
-      "current",
-    );
+    await expect(readFile(path.join(dir, "openclaw-current.tgz"), "utf8")).resolves.toBe("current");
   });
 
   it("bounds captured command stderr tails on failures", async () => {
@@ -352,6 +350,63 @@ describe("resolve-openclaw-package-candidate", () => {
     }
   });
 
+  it("rejects timed-out package runner commands when descendants exit cleanly", async () => {
+    if (process.platform === "win32") {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const dir = await mkdtemp(path.join(tmpdir(), "openclaw-package-runner-timeout-clean-"));
+    tempDirs.push(dir);
+    const childPidPath = path.join(dir, "child.pid");
+    const readyPath = path.join(dir, "child.ready");
+    const cleanupPath = path.join(dir, "child.cleanup");
+
+    const childScript = [
+      "const fs = require('node:fs');",
+      "process.on('SIGTERM', () => {",
+      "  fs.writeFileSync(process.env.OPENCLAW_TEST_CHILD_CLEANUP, 'clean');",
+      "  setTimeout(() => process.exit(0), 75);",
+      "});",
+      "fs.writeFileSync(process.env.OPENCLAW_TEST_CHILD_READY, 'ready');",
+      "setInterval(() => {}, 1000);",
+    ].join("");
+    const parentScript = [
+      "const { spawn } = require('node:child_process');",
+      "const fs = require('node:fs');",
+      `const child = spawn(process.execPath, ['-e', ${JSON.stringify(childScript)}], {`,
+      "  stdio: 'ignore',",
+      "  env: {",
+      "    ...process.env,",
+      "    OPENCLAW_TEST_CHILD_CLEANUP: process.env.OPENCLAW_TEST_CHILD_CLEANUP,",
+      "    OPENCLAW_TEST_CHILD_READY: process.env.OPENCLAW_TEST_CHILD_READY,",
+      "  },",
+      "});",
+      "fs.writeFileSync(process.env.OPENCLAW_TEST_CHILD_PID, String(child.pid));",
+      "process.on('SIGTERM', () => process.exit(0));",
+      "setInterval(() => {}, 1000);",
+    ].join("");
+
+    const startedAt = Date.now();
+    const timeoutAssertion = expect(
+      runCommandForTest(process.execPath, ["-e", parentScript], {
+        env: {
+          ...process.env,
+          OPENCLAW_TEST_CHILD_CLEANUP: cleanupPath,
+          OPENCLAW_TEST_CHILD_PID: childPidPath,
+          OPENCLAW_TEST_CHILD_READY: readyPath,
+        },
+        killAfterMs: 1000,
+        timeoutMs: 1000,
+      }),
+    ).rejects.toThrow(/timed out after 1000ms/u);
+
+    await waitForFile(readyPath, 2_000);
+    await timeoutAssertion;
+
+    expect(readFileSync(cleanupPath, "utf8")).toBe("clean");
+    expect(Date.now() - startedAt).toBeLessThan(1_700);
+  });
+
   it("forwards external termination to package runner process groups", async () => {
     if (process.platform === "win32") {
       return;