diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
index 8c054349..5be1eae0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
@@ -11,6 +11,16 @@ on:
     - cron: "0 0 * * *"
 
 jobs:
+  test-launcher:
+    name: Test npm launcher
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: ory/ci/checkout@master
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+        with:
+          node-version: "22"
+      - run: npm run test:launcher
+
   test:
     name: Run tests
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
diff --git a/npm/run.js b/npm/run.js
index abf78dbd..2a2f196b 100755
--- a/npm/run.js
+++ b/npm/run.js
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 
 "use strict"
 
-var spawnSync = require("child_process").spawnSync
+var spawn = require("child_process").spawn
 
 var packages = {
   "darwin arm64": "@ory/cli-darwin-arm64",
@@ -45,13 +45,32 @@ function binaryPath() {
   }
 }
 
-var result = spawnSync(binaryPath(), process.argv.slice(2), {
-  stdio: "inherit",
+// Termination signals sent to the launcher are forwarded to the binary rather
+// than ending the launcher alone: `ory tunnel` and `ory proxy` delete their
+// temporary API key on shutdown, which an orphaned binary never gets to do.
+var forwardedSignals = ["SIGINT", "SIGTERM", "SIGHUP"]
+
+var child = spawn(binaryPath(), process.argv.slice(2), { stdio: "inherit" })
+
+forwardedSignals.forEach(function (signal) {
+  process.on(signal, function () {
+    child.kill(signal)
+  })
+})
+
+child.on("error", function (err) {
+  console.error("Unable to start the Ory CLI binary: " + err.message)
+  process.exit(1)
+})
+
+child.on("exit", function (code, signal) {
+  if (signal) {
+    // Re-raise with the default disposition restored so the launcher is
+    // terminated by the same signal as the binary.
+    forwardedSignals.forEach(function (s) {
+      process.removeAllListeners(s)
+    })
+    process.kill(process.pid, signal)
+  }
+  process.exit(typeof code === "number" ? code : 1)
 })
-if (result.error) {
-  throw result.error
-}
-if (result.signal) {
-  process.kill(process.pid, result.signal)
-}
-process.exit(typeof result.status === "number" ? result.status : 1)
diff --git a/npm/run.test.js b/npm/run.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8be4efed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/npm/run.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,157 @@
+// Copyright © 2026 Ory Corp
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+"use strict"
+
+const { test } = require("node:test")
+const assert = require("node:assert/strict")
+const { spawn } = require("node:child_process")
+const fs = require("node:fs")
+const os = require("node:os")
+const path = require("node:path")
+
+const platformPackage = "@ory/cli-" + process.platform + "-" + process.arch
+
+// The binary stand-in is a Node script: it exits with a requested status,
+// echoes its arguments, waits for a signal and records which one arrived, or
+// terminates itself with SIGTERM. In wait mode it gives up after ten seconds so
+// that a launcher which orphans it cannot hold the test's pipes open forever.
+const fakeBinary = `#!/usr/bin/env node
+"use strict"
+const fs = require("node:fs")
+const [mode, arg] = process.argv.slice(2)
+switch (mode) {
+  case "echo":
+    console.log(process.argv.slice(3).join(" "))
+    break
+  case "exit":
+    process.exit(Number(arg))
+    break
+  case "wait":
+    for (const signal of ["SIGINT", "SIGTERM", "SIGHUP"]) {
+      process.on(signal, () => {
+        fs.writeFileSync(arg, signal)
+        process.exit(0)
+      })
+    }
+    fs.writeFileSync(arg, "ready")
+    setTimeout(() => process.exit(2), 10000)
+    break
+  case "self-kill":
+    process.kill(process.pid, "SIGTERM")
+    break
+}
+`
+
+// Lays out @ory/cli and the platform package the way npm installs them, so the
+// launcher resolves the stand-in through the same require.resolve call it uses
+// for the real binary.
+function install(t, withBinary) {
+  const root = fs.mkdtempSync(path.join(os.tmpdir(), "ory-cli-launcher-"))
+  t.after(() => fs.rmSync(root, { recursive: true, force: true }))
+
+  const launcherDir = path.join(root, "node_modules", "@ory", "cli", "npm")
+  fs.mkdirSync(launcherDir, { recursive: true })
+  fs.copyFileSync(
+    path.join(__dirname, "run.js"),
+    path.join(launcherDir, "run.js"),
+  )
+
+  if (withBinary) {
+    const binDir = path.join(root, "node_modules", platformPackage, "bin")
+    fs.mkdirSync(binDir, { recursive: true })
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(binDir, "ory"), fakeBinary, { mode: 0o755 })
+  }
+
+  return { root, launcher: path.join(launcherDir, "run.js") }
+}
+
+function run(launcher, args) {
+  const child = spawn(process.execPath, [launcher, ...args], {
+    stdio: ["ignore", "pipe", "pipe"],
+    env: {
+      ...process.env,
+      // The stand-in's shebang needs the node running this test on the PATH.
+      PATH: path.dirname(process.execPath) + path.delimiter + process.env.PATH,
+    },
+  })
+  let stdout = ""
+  let stderr = ""
+  child.stdout.on("data", (chunk) => (stdout += chunk))
+  child.stderr.on("data", (chunk) => (stderr += chunk))
+  const closed = new Promise((resolve) => {
+    child.on("close", (code, signal) => resolve({ code, signal }))
+  })
+  return {
+    child,
+    done: () => closed.then((result) => ({ ...result, stdout, stderr })),
+  }
+}
+
+async function waitForFile(file, content) {
+  for (let i = 0; i < 200; i++) {
+    if (fs.existsSync(file) && fs.readFileSync(file, "utf8") === content) {
+      return
+    }
+    await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 50))
+  }
+  throw new Error("timed out waiting for " + file + " to contain " + content)
+}
+
+const opts = { skip: process.platform === "win32" && "no shebang support" }
+
+test(
+  "passes arguments through and exits with the binary's status",
+  opts,
+  async (t) => {
+    const { launcher } = install(t, true)
+
+    const echoed = await run(launcher, [
+      "echo",
+      "tunnel",
+      "--port",
+      "4000",
+    ]).done()
+    assert.equal(echoed.stdout, "tunnel --port 4000\n")
+    assert.equal(echoed.code, 0)
+
+    const failed = await run(launcher, ["exit", "3"]).done()
+    assert.equal(failed.code, 3)
+  },
+)
+
+test("forwards termination signals to the binary", opts, async (t) => {
+  for (const signal of ["SIGTERM", "SIGINT", "SIGHUP"]) {
+    const { root, launcher } = install(t, true)
+    const marker = path.join(root, "signal")
+    const proc = run(launcher, ["wait", marker])
+    await waitForFile(marker, "ready")
+
+    proc.child.kill(signal)
+
+    const result = await proc.done()
+    assert.equal(fs.readFileSync(marker, "utf8"), signal)
+    assert.equal(result.code, 0)
+    assert.equal(result.signal, null)
+  }
+})
+
+test(
+  "terminates with the signal that terminated the binary",
+  opts,
+  async (t) => {
+    const { launcher } = install(t, true)
+
+    const result = await run(launcher, ["self-kill"]).done()
+    assert.equal(result.signal, "SIGTERM")
+    assert.equal(result.code, null)
+  },
+)
+
+test("fails when the platform package is missing", opts, async (t) => {
+  const { launcher } = install(t, false)
+
+  const result = await run(launcher, ["version"]).done()
+  assert.equal(result.code, 1)
+  assert.match(result.stderr, new RegExp(platformPackage + " is missing"))
+})
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 3bc5f52f..48244c51 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -17,7 +17,8 @@
   "scripts": {
     "test": "npm run test:cypress",
     "test:cypress": "cypress run",
-    "test:cypress:dev": "cypress open"
+    "test:cypress:dev": "cypress open",
+    "test:launcher": "node --test npm/run.test.js"
   },
   "prettier": "ory-prettier-styles",
   "devDependencies": {