diff --git a/Launcher.Next.App/PilotCli.cs b/Launcher.Next.App/PilotCli.cs
index a2d2bd4..bb068a7 100644
--- a/Launcher.Next.App/PilotCli.cs
+++ b/Launcher.Next.App/PilotCli.cs
@@ -130,14 +130,23 @@ internal static class PilotCli
             if (!config.ForceAfterEvidence) { await exit; gracefulExit = true; }
             else
             {
-                var timeout = Task.Delay(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(Math.Clamp(config.GracefulExitTimeoutSeconds, 1, 120)));
-                if (await Task.WhenAny(exit, timeout) == exit) gracefulExit = true;
+                // The graceful-exit timeout is deliberately measured only after
+                // terminal evidence is durable.  Killing an active AutoCAD
+                // command before that boundary would turn ForceAfterEvidence
+                // into an unsafe general process killer.
+                while (!exit.IsCompleted && !HasCompletedEvidence(evidencePath))
+                    await Task.Delay(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(1));
+                if (exit.IsCompleted) gracefulExit = true;
                 else
                 {
-                    if (!HasCompletedEvidence(evidencePath)) return new(true, false, false, false, false);
-                    using var process = Process.GetProcessById(execution.ProcessId.Value);
-                    if (!process.HasExited) { process.Kill(entireProcessTree: true); forcedCleanup = true; }
-                    await exit;
+                    var timeout = Task.Delay(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(Math.Clamp(config.GracefulExitTimeoutSeconds, 1, 120)));
+                    if (await Task.WhenAny(exit, timeout) == exit) gracefulExit = true;
+                    else
+                    {
+                        using var process = Process.GetProcessById(execution.ProcessId.Value);
+                        if (!process.HasExited) { process.Kill(entireProcessTree: true); forcedCleanup = true; }
+                        await exit;
+                    }
                 }
             }
         }