diff --git a/apps/desktop/electron/shell-path.test.ts b/apps/desktop/electron/shell-path.test.ts
index e276783314..bbca038e16 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/electron/shell-path.test.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/electron/shell-path.test.ts
@@ -137,6 +137,21 @@ test('ensureLoginShellPath is single-flight — concurrent callers share one she
   assert.equal(env.PATH, '/opt/homebrew/bin:/usr/bin')
 })
 
+test('applyLoginShellPath force-settles when a hung grandchild keeps the execFile callback from firing', async () => {
+  const env: any = { SHELL: '/bin/zsh', PATH: '/usr/bin' }
+  // Simulates a probe whose shell spawns a daemon (e.g. gitstatusd) that
+  // keeps stdout open: execFile's callback never fires.
+  const execFileFn = () => ({ pid: 424242, stdin: { end() {} } })
+
+  const start = Date.now()
+  const result = await applyLoginShellPath({ env, platform: 'linux', execFileFn, timeoutMs: 20 })
+  const elapsed = Date.now() - start
+
+  assert.equal(result.applied, false)
+  assert.equal(result.reason, 'unresolved')
+  assert.ok(elapsed < 4000, `expected the probe to force-settle well under the test timeout, took ${elapsed}ms`)
+})
+
 test('ensureLoginShellPath never rejects', async () => {
   const execFileFn = () => {
     throw new Error('spawn EACCES')
diff --git a/apps/desktop/electron/shell-path.ts b/apps/desktop/electron/shell-path.ts
index 54923df074..6760af4037 100644
--- a/apps/desktop/electron/shell-path.ts
+++ b/apps/desktop/electron/shell-path.ts
@@ -70,10 +70,16 @@ function mergeLoginShellPath(loginPath, currentPath, { delimiter = ':' }: any =
 function runProbe(shell, flags, execFileFn, timeoutMs): Promise<string | null> {
   return new Promise(resolve => {
     let settled = false
+    let hardTimer: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null = null
 
     const finish = value => {
       if (!settled) {
         settled = true
+
+        if (hardTimer) {
+          clearTimeout(hardTimer)
+        }
+
         resolve(value)
       }
     }
@@ -82,7 +88,7 @@ function runProbe(shell, flags, execFileFn, timeoutMs): Promise<string | null> {
       const child = execFileFn(
         shell,
         [...flags, PROBE_COMMAND],
-        { encoding: 'utf8', timeout: timeoutMs, windowsHide: true },
+        { encoding: 'utf8', timeout: timeoutMs, windowsHide: true, detached: process.platform !== 'win32' },
         (_error, stdout) => {
           // A profile script may exit nonzero after the sentinel already
           // printed — trust the sentinel, not the exit code.
@@ -92,6 +98,30 @@ function runProbe(shell, flags, execFileFn, timeoutMs): Promise<string | null> {
 
       // Interactive shells with a broken rc can block reading stdin.
       child?.stdin?.end?.()
+
+      // execFile's own `timeout` only SIGTERMs the direct child; a profile
+      // that spawns a daemon (e.g. Powerlevel10k's gitstatusd) can leave a
+      // grandchild holding the stdout pipe open, so the callback above never
+      // fires and this promise would hang forever. Force-settle past the
+      // requested timeout and reap the whole process group so a hung
+      // profile can never park boot.
+      hardTimer = setTimeout(() => {
+        if (child?.pid && process.platform !== 'win32') {
+          try {
+            process.kill(-child.pid, 'SIGKILL')
+          } catch {
+            // Group may already be gone.
+          }
+        } else {
+          try {
+            child?.kill?.('SIGKILL')
+          } catch {
+            // Already gone.
+          }
+        }
+
+        finish(null)
+      }, timeoutMs + 1000)
     } catch {
       finish(null)
     }