diff --git a/packages/subprocess/subprocess-local/tests/spawn.spec.ts b/packages/subprocess/subprocess-local/tests/spawn.spec.ts
index 1f87fd67cc..5c83273576 100644
--- a/packages/subprocess/subprocess-local/tests/spawn.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/subprocess/subprocess-local/tests/spawn.spec.ts
@@ -75,7 +75,9 @@ async function waitGone(pid: number, timeoutMs = 5_000): Promise<void> {
         const state = stat.slice(stat.lastIndexOf(')') + 2, stat.lastIndexOf(')') + 3)
         if (state === 'Z' || state === 'X') return
       } catch (error: unknown) {
-        if ((error as NodeJS.ErrnoException).code === 'ENOENT') return
+        // ESRCH = the pid vanished between the kill-0 probe and this read,
+        // which is the same terminal state ENOENT reports on a settled entry.
+        if ((error as NodeJS.ErrnoException).code === 'ENOENT' || (error as NodeJS.ErrnoException).code === 'ESRCH') return
         throw error
       }
     }