diff --git a/tui/backend.py b/tui/backend.py
index ffdbb04..ae81604 100644
--- a/tui/backend.py
+++ b/tui/backend.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import asyncio
 import os
+import subprocess
 from pathlib import Path
 
 
@@ -24,24 +25,22 @@ async def run_cli(*args: str) -> tuple[int, str, str]:
     return proc.returncode or 0, stdout.decode(), stderr.decode()
 
 
-async def start_cli_process(*args: str, log_file: str | None = None) -> asyncio.subprocess.Process:
+def start_cli_background(*args: str, log_file: str) -> subprocess.Popen:
+    """Start a CLI process that survives TUI exit.
+
+    Uses subprocess.Popen directly (not asyncio) so there is no
+    SubprocessTransport that would SIGKILL the child on event-loop cleanup.
+    """
     cmd = [_gniza_bin(), "--cli"] + list(args)
-    if log_file:
-        fh = open(log_file, "w")
-        proc = await asyncio.create_subprocess_exec(
-            *cmd,
-            stdout=fh,
-            stderr=asyncio.subprocess.STDOUT,
-            start_new_session=True,
-        )
-        fh.close()
-        return proc
-    return await asyncio.create_subprocess_exec(
-        *cmd,
-        stdout=asyncio.subprocess.PIPE,
-        stderr=asyncio.subprocess.STDOUT,
+    fh = open(log_file, "w")
+    proc = subprocess.Popen(
+        cmd,
+        stdout=fh,
+        stderr=subprocess.STDOUT,
         start_new_session=True,
     )
+    fh.close()
+    return proc
 
 
 async def stream_cli(callback, *args: str) -> int:
diff --git a/tui/jobs.py b/tui/jobs.py
index c1dd63f..010cf52 100644
--- a/tui/jobs.py
+++ b/tui/jobs.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import asyncio
 import json
 import os
 import signal
+import subprocess
 import uuid
 from dataclasses import dataclass, field
 from datetime import datetime
@@ -9,7 +10,7 @@ from pathlib import Path
 
 from textual.message import Message
 
-from tui.backend import start_cli_process
+from tui.backend import start_cli_background
 
 MAX_OUTPUT_LINES = 10_000
 FINISHED_JOB_TTL_HOURS = 24
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@ class Job:
     finished_at: datetime | None = None
     return_code: int | None = None
     output: list[str] = field(default_factory=list)
-    _proc: asyncio.subprocess.Process | None = field(default=None, repr=False)
+    _proc: subprocess.Popen | None = field(default=None, repr=False)
     _pid: int | None = field(default=None, repr=False)
     _pgid: int | None = field(default=None, repr=False)
     _reconnected: bool = field(default=False, repr=False)
@@ -80,7 +81,7 @@ class JobManager:
     async def run_job(self, app, job: Job, *cli_args: str) -> int:
         log_path = _work_dir() / f"gniza-job-{job.id}.log"
         job._log_file = str(log_path)
-        proc = await start_cli_process(*cli_args, log_file=str(log_path))
+        proc = start_cli_background(*cli_args, log_file=str(log_path))
         job._proc = proc
         job._pid = proc.pid
         try:
@@ -89,10 +90,9 @@ class JobManager:
             job._pgid = None
         self._save_registry()
         try:
-            # Wait for process and tail log file concurrently
-            wait_task = asyncio.create_task(proc.wait())
+            # Poll process and tail log file
             with open(log_path, "r") as f:
-                while not wait_task.done():
+                while proc.poll() is None:
                     line = f.readline()
                     if line:
                         text = line.rstrip("\n")
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ class JobManager:
         return job.return_code if job.return_code is not None else 1
 
     @staticmethod
-    def _kill_process_group(proc: asyncio.subprocess.Process) -> None:
+    def _kill_process_group(proc: subprocess.Popen) -> None:
         try:
             pgid = os.getpgid(proc.pid)
             os.killpg(pgid, signal.SIGKILL)