diff --git a/cli/src/connection.rs b/cli/src/connection.rs
index 0079f85..dc4de8c 100644
--- a/cli/src/connection.rs
+++ b/cli/src/connection.rs
@@ -159,7 +159,13 @@ fn is_daemon_running(session: &str) -> bool {
     if let Ok(pid_str) = fs::read_to_string(&pid_path) {
         if let Ok(pid) = pid_str.trim().parse::<i32>() {
             unsafe {
-                return libc::kill(pid, 0) == 0;
+                if libc::kill(pid, 0) == 0 {
+                    return true;
+                }
+                // EPERM means the process exists but we lack permission to
+                // signal it (e.g. inside a macOS sandbox). Only ESRCH means
+                // the process is genuinely gone.
+                return std::io::Error::last_os_error().raw_os_error() != Some(libc::ESRCH);
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/cli/src/main.rs b/cli/src/main.rs
index 4df940e..c56a423 100644
--- a/cli/src/main.rs
+++ b/cli/src/main.rs
@@ -170,7 +170,11 @@ fn run_session(args: &[String], session: &str, json_mode: bool) {
                             if let Ok(pid_str) = fs::read_to_string(&pid_path) {
                                 if let Ok(pid) = pid_str.trim().parse::<u32>() {
                                     #[cfg(unix)]
-                                    let running = unsafe { libc::kill(pid as i32, 0) == 0 };
+                                    let running = unsafe {
+                                        libc::kill(pid as i32, 0) == 0
+                                            || std::io::Error::last_os_error().raw_os_error()
+                                                != Some(libc::ESRCH)
+                                    };
                                     #[cfg(windows)]
                                     let running = unsafe {
                                         let handle =
diff --git a/src/daemon.ts b/src/daemon.ts
index c47a7ff..c5faff4 100644
--- a/src/daemon.ts
+++ b/src/daemon.ts
@@ -262,7 +262,12 @@ export function isDaemonRunning(session?: string): boolean {
     // Check if process exists (works on both Unix and Windows)
     process.kill(pid, 0);
     return true;
-  } catch {
+  } catch (err: unknown) {
+    // EPERM means the process exists but we lack permission to signal it
+    // (e.g. caller is inside a macOS sandbox). Only ESRCH means it's gone.
+    if (err instanceof Error && (err as NodeJS.ErrnoException).code === 'EPERM') {
+      return true;
+    }
     // Process doesn't exist, clean up stale files
     cleanupSocket(session);
     return false;