diff --git a/src/main/computer/macos-native-provider-client.test.ts b/src/main/computer/macos-native-provider-client.test.ts
index 18af7264a..7aad097a0 100644
--- a/src/main/computer/macos-native-provider-client.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/computer/macos-native-provider-client.test.ts
@@ -61,6 +61,21 @@ class FakeSocket extends EventEmitter {
   }
 }
 
+class FakeProvider extends EventEmitter {
+  kill = vi.fn()
+  unref = vi.fn()
+}
+
+function pendingConnectThatRejectsOnAbort(signal?: AbortSignal): Promise<never> {
+  return new Promise((_resolve, reject) => {
+    signal?.addEventListener(
+      'abort',
+      () => reject(new Error('native macOS helper app startup was cancelled')),
+      { once: true }
+    )
+  })
+}
+
 async function loadClientModule() {
   vi.resetModules()
   return await import('./macos-native-provider-client')
@@ -68,15 +83,21 @@ async function loadClientModule() {
 
 describe('MacOSNativeProviderClient', () => {
   const sockets: FakeSocket[] = []
+  const providers: FakeProvider[] = []
 
   beforeEach(() => {
     vi.useFakeTimers()
     sockets.length = 0
+    providers.length = 0
     mkdtempSyncMock.mockImplementation((prefix: string) => `${prefix}${sockets.length}`)
     resolveMacOSComputerUseExecutablePathMock.mockReturnValue(
       '/Applications/Orca Computer Use.app/Contents/MacOS/orca-computer-use-macos'
     )
-    spawnMock.mockReturnValue({ unref: vi.fn(), kill: vi.fn() })
+    spawnMock.mockImplementation(() => {
+      const provider = new FakeProvider()
+      providers.push(provider)
+      return provider
+    })
     connectMacOSProviderSocketMock.mockImplementation(async () => {
       const socket = new FakeSocket()
       sockets.push(socket)
@@ -264,4 +285,44 @@ describe('MacOSNativeProviderClient', () => {
       force: true
     })
   })
+
+  it('rejects helper spawn errors before socket connection and removes temp state', async () => {
+    const { MacOSNativeProviderClient } = await loadClientModule()
+    const client = new MacOSNativeProviderClient()
+    connectMacOSProviderSocketMock.mockImplementation((_path, _timeout, signal?: AbortSignal) =>
+      pendingConnectThatRejectsOnAbort(signal)
+    )
+
+    const call = client.capabilities()
+    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(providers).toHaveLength(1))
+    const socketDirectory = mkdtempSyncMock.mock.results[0]?.value as string
+    const connectSignal = connectMacOSProviderSocketMock.mock.calls[0]?.[2] as AbortSignal
+    expect(connectSignal.aborted).toBe(false)
+    providers[0]!.emit('error', new Error('helper missing'))
+
+    await expect(call).rejects.toThrow('native macOS helper app failed to start: helper missing')
+    expect(connectSignal.aborted).toBe(true)
+    expect(providers[0]!.kill).toHaveBeenCalledWith('SIGTERM')
+    expect(rmSyncMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(socketDirectory, {
+      recursive: true,
+      force: true
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('rejects helper exits before socket connection and aborts the pending connect', async () => {
+    const { MacOSNativeProviderClient } = await loadClientModule()
+    const client = new MacOSNativeProviderClient()
+    connectMacOSProviderSocketMock.mockImplementation((_path, _timeout, signal?: AbortSignal) =>
+      pendingConnectThatRejectsOnAbort(signal)
+    )
+
+    const call = client.capabilities()
+    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(providers).toHaveLength(1))
+    const connectSignal = connectMacOSProviderSocketMock.mock.calls[0]?.[2] as AbortSignal
+    providers[0]!.emit('exit', 13, null)
+
+    await expect(call).rejects.toThrow('native macOS helper app exited before connecting: code 13')
+    expect(connectSignal.aborted).toBe(true)
+    expect(providers[0]!.kill).toHaveBeenCalledWith('SIGTERM')
+  })
 })
diff --git a/src/main/computer/macos-native-provider-client.ts b/src/main/computer/macos-native-provider-client.ts
index 169cf1abd..68de47311 100644
--- a/src/main/computer/macos-native-provider-client.ts
+++ b/src/main/computer/macos-native-provider-client.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /* eslint-disable max-lines -- Why: the macOS provider transport owns one lifecycle across stdio fallback and helper-app socket mode. */
-import { spawn } from 'child_process'
+import { spawn, type ChildProcess } from 'child_process'
 import { chmodSync, mkdtempSync, rmSync, writeFileSync } from 'fs'
 import type net from 'net'
 import { release, tmpdir } from 'os'
@@ -200,14 +200,15 @@ export class MacOSNativeProviderClient {
     writeFileSync(socketTokenPath, socketToken, { encoding: 'utf8', mode: 0o600 })
     // Why: launching the nested helper via LaunchServices can make TCC evaluate
     // Orca.app as responsible; the signed helper executable owns this grant.
-    const provider = spawn(
-      helperExecutablePath,
-      ['--agent', socketPath, '--token-file', socketTokenPath],
-      { detached: true, stdio: 'ignore' }
-    )
-    provider.unref()
+    const provider = spawnProvider(helperExecutablePath, socketPath, socketTokenPath)
+    const providerFailure = waitForProviderLaunchFailure(provider)
+    const connectAbort = new AbortController()
     try {
-      const socket = await connectMacOSProviderSocket(socketPath, HELPER_CONNECT_TIMEOUT_MS)
+      const socket = await Promise.race([
+        connectMacOSProviderSocket(socketPath, HELPER_CONNECT_TIMEOUT_MS, connectAbort.signal),
+        providerFailure.promise
+      ])
+      providerFailure.cleanup()
       rmSync(socketTokenPath, { force: true })
       // Why: shutdown/retry can supersede an in-flight connect; old starts
       // must not adopt replacement state or clean up the replacement helper.
@@ -236,6 +237,8 @@ export class MacOSNativeProviderClient {
       this.socket = socket
       return socket
     } catch (error) {
+      connectAbort.abort()
+      providerFailure.cleanup()
       // Why: connect failures happen after spawn; terminate the detached
       // helper so repeated startup attempts do not leave orphan providers.
       provider.kill('SIGTERM')
@@ -347,3 +350,51 @@ function isMacOS14OrNewer(): boolean {
   const darwinMajor = Number.parseInt(release().split('.')[0] ?? '', 10)
   return Number.isFinite(darwinMajor) && darwinMajor >= 23
 }
+
+function spawnProvider(
+  helperExecutablePath: string,
+  socketPath: string,
+  socketTokenPath: string
+): ChildProcess {
+  const provider = spawn(
+    helperExecutablePath,
+    ['--agent', socketPath, '--token-file', socketTokenPath],
+    { detached: true, stdio: 'ignore' }
+  )
+  provider.unref()
+  return provider
+}
+
+function waitForProviderLaunchFailure(provider: ChildProcess): {
+  promise: Promise<never>
+  cleanup: () => void
+} {
+  let cleanup = (): void => {}
+  const promise = new Promise<never>((_resolve, reject) => {
+    const fail = (error: Error) => {
+      reject(
+        new RuntimeClientError(
+          'accessibility_error',
+          `native macOS helper app failed to start: ${error.message}`
+        )
+      )
+    }
+    const exit = (code: number | null, signal: NodeJS.Signals | null) => {
+      reject(
+        new RuntimeClientError(
+          'accessibility_error',
+          `native macOS helper app exited before connecting: ${
+            typeof code === 'number' ? `code ${code}` : `signal ${signal ?? 'unknown'}`
+          }`
+        )
+      )
+    }
+    provider.once('error', fail)
+    provider.once('exit', exit)
+    cleanup = () => {
+      provider.off('error', fail)
+      provider.off('exit', exit)
+    }
+  })
+  return { promise, cleanup }
+}
diff --git a/src/main/computer/macos-native-provider-socket.test.ts b/src/main/computer/macos-native-provider-socket.test.ts
index ef9f9ba47..27a3790b7 100644
--- a/src/main/computer/macos-native-provider-socket.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/computer/macos-native-provider-socket.test.ts
@@ -44,4 +44,19 @@ describe('connectMacOSProviderSocket', () => {
       vi.useRealTimers()
     }
   })
+
+  it('destroys the pending socket and removes listeners when aborted', async () => {
+    const socket = new FakeSocket()
+    createConnectionMock.mockReturnValueOnce(socket)
+    const abort = new AbortController()
+
+    const promise = connectMacOSProviderSocket('/tmp/orca-computer.sock', 5_000, abort.signal)
+    await Promise.resolve()
+    abort.abort()
+
+    await expect(promise).rejects.toThrow('startup was cancelled')
+    expect(socket.destroy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+    expect(socket.listenerCount('error')).toBe(0)
+    expect(socket.listenerCount('connect')).toBe(0)
+  })
 })
diff --git a/src/main/computer/macos-native-provider-socket.ts b/src/main/computer/macos-native-provider-socket.ts
index 13732d178..d63be3f05 100644
--- a/src/main/computer/macos-native-provider-socket.ts
+++ b/src/main/computer/macos-native-provider-socket.ts
@@ -3,30 +3,50 @@ import { RuntimeClientError } from './runtime-client-error'
 
 export async function connectMacOSProviderSocket(
   socketPath: string,
-  timeoutMs: number
+  timeoutMs: number,
+  signal?: AbortSignal
 ): Promise<net.Socket> {
   const deadline = Date.now() + timeoutMs
   let lastError: Error | null = null
-  while (Date.now() < deadline) {
+  while (Date.now() < deadline && !signal?.aborted) {
     try {
-      return await connectSocket(socketPath)
+      return await connectSocket(socketPath, signal)
     } catch (error) {
       lastError = error instanceof Error ? error : new Error(String(error))
-      await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 100))
+      if (signal?.aborted) {
+        break
+      }
+      await sleep(100, signal)
     }
   }
+  if (signal?.aborted) {
+    throw new RuntimeClientError(
+      'accessibility_error',
+      'native macOS helper app startup was cancelled'
+    )
+  }
   throw new RuntimeClientError(
     'action_timeout',
     `native macOS helper app did not open its socket: ${lastError?.message ?? 'timed out'}`
   )
 }
 
-function connectSocket(socketPath: string): Promise<net.Socket> {
+function connectSocket(socketPath: string, signal?: AbortSignal): Promise<net.Socket> {
   return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    if (signal?.aborted) {
+      reject(
+        new RuntimeClientError(
+          'accessibility_error',
+          'native macOS helper app startup was cancelled'
+        )
+      )
+      return
+    }
     const socket = net.createConnection(socketPath)
     const cleanup = (): void => {
       socket.off('error', onError)
       socket.off('connect', onConnect)
+      signal?.removeEventListener('abort', onAbort)
     }
     const onError = (error: Error): void => {
       cleanup()
@@ -37,7 +57,31 @@ function connectSocket(socketPath: string): Promise<net.Socket> {
       cleanup()
       resolve(socket)
     }
+    const onAbort = (): void => {
+      cleanup()
+      socket.destroy()
+      reject(
+        new RuntimeClientError(
+          'accessibility_error',
+          'native macOS helper app startup was cancelled'
+        )
+      )
+    }
     socket.once('error', onError)
     socket.once('connect', onConnect)
+    signal?.addEventListener('abort', onAbort, { once: true })
+  })
+}
+
+function sleep(ms: number, signal?: AbortSignal): Promise<void> {
+  return new Promise((resolve) => {
+    const timer = setTimeout(finish, ms)
+    const onAbort = (): void => finish()
+    function finish(): void {
+      clearTimeout(timer)
+      signal?.removeEventListener('abort', onAbort)
+      resolve()
+    }
+    signal?.addEventListener('abort', onAbort, { once: true })
   })
 }