diff --git a/aesel/package.json b/aesel/package.json
index 177d94b7a8..261adfc699 100644
--- a/aesel/package.json
+++ b/aesel/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "aesel",
-  "version": "0.8.4",
+  "version": "0.8.5",
   "private": true,
   "type": "module",
   "scripts": {
diff --git a/aesel/src/workspace-tools.mjs b/aesel/src/workspace-tools.mjs
index a1bfb2ebfe..2a21b6a47e 100644
--- a/aesel/src/workspace-tools.mjs
+++ b/aesel/src/workspace-tools.mjs
@@ -132,11 +132,22 @@ function run(command, args, { cwd, signal, timeout = COMMAND_TIMEOUT }) {
       clearTimeout(timer);
       done({ code: -1, output: output + error.message });
     });
-    child.on("close", (code) => {
+    // Done when the shell exits, not when every holder of its output lets go:
+    // a command that starts a server in the background (`… &`) leaves a child
+    // holding the pipe, and waiting for "close" waited forever. The output
+    // gets a moment to drain; the background process keeps running.
+    let finished = false;
+    const finish = (code) => {
+      if (finished) return;
+      finished = true;
       clearTimeout(timer);
       signal?.removeEventListener("abort", killGroup);
+      child.stdout.destroy();
+      child.stderr.destroy();
       done({ code: timedOut ? "timeout" : code, output });
-    });
+    };
+    child.on("exit", (code) => setTimeout(() => finish(code), 150));
+    child.on("close", (code) => finish(code));
   });
 }
 
diff --git a/aesel/test/workspace-bash.test.mjs b/aesel/test/workspace-bash.test.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f31d346d89
--- /dev/null
+++ b/aesel/test/workspace-bash.test.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+import test from "node:test";
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { runWorkspaceTool } from "../src/workspace-tools.mjs";
+
+const approve = async () => true;
+
+test("a command that leaves a server running in the background still returns", async () => {
+  const started = Date.now();
+  const out = await runWorkspaceTool("bash", { command: "echo up && (sleep 5 &) ; sleep 6 & echo done" }, { cwd: "/tmp", approve });
+  assert.match(out, /up\ndone\n\[exit 0\]/);
+  assert.ok(Date.now() - started < 3000, "returned without waiting for the background sleeps");
+});
+
+test("an interrupt kills the whole pipeline, not just the shell", async () => {
+  const started = Date.now();
+  await runWorkspaceTool("bash", { command: "sleep 30 | cat" }, { cwd: "/tmp", approve, signal: AbortSignal.timeout(500) });
+  assert.ok(Date.now() - started < 3000, "returned once interrupted");
+});