diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index e8c42a52..3ff35e3b 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -1835,9 +1835,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "hive-claude"
-version = "0.1.3"
+version = "0.1.4"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "8c87ac627823f7bfc38478d7494e614e3f680dda6007dbcd306af51d3eed3bb3"
+checksum = "4d7c5638f8f59e438d6416b3048709c9b3d6a10c23872ecf3825e3fe4c1bd7e8"
 dependencies = [
  "libc",
  "serde",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index ab3840c7..7f73e0ab 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ hive-jobq-metrics = { path = "hive-jobq-metrics" }
 hive-jobq-wire = { path = "hive-jobq-wire" }
 hive-log = { path = "hive-log" }
 hive-core-agent-sock = { path = "hive-core-agent-sock" }
-hive-claude = "0.1.3"
+hive-claude = "0.1.4"
 hive-host-sock = { path = "hive-host-sock" }
 hive-priv-sock = { path = "hive-priv-sock" }
 hive-runtime = { path = "hive-runtime" }
diff --git a/docs/turn-loop/README.md b/docs/turn-loop/README.md
index 961f3a6d..ee2327b1 100644
--- a/docs/turn-loop/README.md
+++ b/docs/turn-loop/README.md
@@ -142,8 +142,8 @@ else a `TurnError`) drives the post-claude branch:
 | `Err(RateLimited)` | sleep `HIVE_RATE_LIMIT_SLEEP_SECS` (default 300), requeue inflight, status back to `online` |
 | `Err(AuthFailed)` | emit `needs_login_idle` sentinel, requeue inflight, park in `wait_for_login` |
 | `Err(SessionNotFound)` | resume + create self-heal both missed ("shouldn't happen"); requeue inflight so the next turn creates fresh — no status park, message not dropped |
-| `Err(ApiStall)` | idle watchdog killed claude after `HIVE_TURN_IDLE_SECS` (default 600) of output silence; sleep `HIVE_STALL_SLEEP_SECS` (default 60), requeue inflight, status back to `online` |
-| `Err(AgentStall(note))` | the same, for an ACP agent: after `HIVE_TURN_IDLE_SECS` with no `session/update` the harness sent the agent `session/cancel`, and killed it if it ignored that; `note` says which |
+| `Err(ApiStall)` | idle watchdog sent claude SIGINT after `HIVE_TURN_IDLE_SECS` (default 600) of output silence and claude exited; sleep `HIVE_STALL_SLEEP_SECS` (default 60), requeue inflight, status back to `online` |
+| `Err(AgentStall(note))` | the same, for an ACP agent: after `HIVE_TURN_IDLE_SECS` with no `session/update` the harness sent the agent `session/cancel`, and SIGINT if it ignored that; `note` says which |
 | `Err(Failed(err))` | route `[system] \`<qualified-label>\` claude turn failed:\n<err>` to `operator` via `send_to_operator` |
 
 `ApiStall` catches an Anthropic API stall — a multi-retry connection storm where
@@ -152,7 +152,11 @@ the stream goes silent for minutes. On `claude` the idle watchdog lives in
 resets on every stdout line, so a large but still-streaming turn is never cut —
 only complete output silence for the window trips it. The harness sets the
 window from `HIVE_TURN_IDLE_SECS` (`0` disables) and maps the driver's
-`Error::IdleTimeout` onto `TurnError::ApiStall`.
+`Error::IdleTimeout` onto `TurnError::ApiStall`. The watchdog sends claude's
+process group SIGINT, so claude stops the commands it started, and then
+waits for claude to exit. Nothing escalates to SIGKILL: a claude that
+ignores the SIGINT keeps the turn open until someone kills it or the unit
+stops.
 
 `hive-runtime` applies the same window to an ACP agent's turns. That's
 also how a provider HTTP 429 ends an ACP turn when the agent retries it without
diff --git a/docs/web-ui/agent.md b/docs/web-ui/agent.md
index ea836349..50ef0adf 100644
--- a/docs/web-ui/agent.md
+++ b/docs/web-ui/agent.md
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ Slash commands today:
 - `/clear` — wipe the local terminal view (server history kept).
 - `/cancel` — `POST /api/cancel` → SIGINT to the turn's claude and every
   command it started (its process group), emits a Note. On an ACP agent
-  it sends the agent `session/cancel` instead, and kills it if the turn
+  it sends the agent `session/cancel` instead, and SIGINT if the turn
   hasn't ended 10s later. Also surfaces as a `■ cancel turn` button in
   the state row while state=thinking.
 - `/compact` — `POST /api/compact` → sets the deferred
diff --git a/hive-agent/src/turn.rs b/hive-agent/src/turn.rs
index ee970c70..3bcc338f 100644
--- a/hive-agent/src/turn.rs
+++ b/hive-agent/src/turn.rs
@@ -50,8 +50,8 @@ const DEFAULT_SESSION_TITLE: &str = "hive-session";
 /// capacity limits.
 const DEFAULT_RATE_LIMIT_SLEEP_SECS: u64 = 300;
 
-/// Idle watchdog window: kill claude and surface `ApiStall` if it produces no
-/// stdout for this long. The timer resets on every stdout line, so a large but
+/// Idle watchdog window: send claude SIGINT and surface `ApiStall` once it
+/// exits, if it produces no stdout for this long. The timer resets on every stdout line, so a large but
 /// still-streaming turn is never cut — only a complete silence trips it.
 /// Default is 10 minutes: long enough for legitimate big-context turns, short
 /// enough to cut a multi-retry Anthropic connection storm (atlas telemetry:
@@ -189,14 +189,14 @@ pub enum TurnError {
     /// the wake message, the serve loop requeues it so the next turn retries;
     /// no status park.
     SessionNotFound,
-    /// The harness-side idle watchdog killed claude after `turn_idle_secs()` of
+    /// The harness-side idle watchdog stopped claude after `turn_idle_secs()` of
     /// output silence — indicative of an Anthropic API stall (e.g. a multi-retry
     /// connection storm burning minutes of wall-clock with no stream progress).
     /// The serve loop parks for `stall_sleep_secs()` and requeues, like the
     /// rate-limit path — NOT a crash.
     ApiStall,
     /// The ACP backend's idle watchdog stopped a turn that sent nothing for
-    /// `turn_idle_secs()`: the agent was sent `session/cancel`, and killed if
+    /// `turn_idle_secs()`: the agent was sent `session/cancel`, and SIGINT if
     /// it ignored that. Carries what happened. An ACP agent retrying a failing
     /// provider (e.g. HTTP 429) without reporting it ends up here. Handled
     /// like [`Self::ApiStall`].
@@ -558,11 +558,11 @@ pub fn emit_turn_end(bus: &Bus, outcome: &TurnOutcome) {
             bus.emit(LiveEvent::TurnEnd {
                 ok: false,
                 note: Some(format!(
-                    "claude killed after {}s of output silence — API stall suspected, parking + requeueing",
+                    "claude stopped with SIGINT after {}s of output silence — API stall suspected, parking + requeueing",
                     turn_idle_secs()
                 )),
             });
-            tracing::warn!("turn killed: API stall (idle watchdog)");
+            tracing::warn!("turn stopped: API stall (idle watchdog)");
         }
         Err(TurnError::AgentStall(note)) => {
             bus.emit(LiveEvent::TurnEnd {