diff --git a/src-tauri/Cargo.toml b/src-tauri/Cargo.toml
index 0f4fb24..2d5c7c8 100644
--- a/src-tauri/Cargo.toml
+++ b/src-tauri/Cargo.toml
@@ -127,6 +127,7 @@ objc2-app-kit = { version = "0.3.2", features = ["NSWindow", "NSApplication", "N
 winreg = "0.55"
 windows = { version = "0.62", features = [
   "Win32_Foundation",
+  "Win32_System_Console",
   "Win32_System_ProcessStatus",
   "Win32_System_Threading",
   "Win32_System_Diagnostics_Debug",
diff --git a/src-tauri/src/bin/donut_daemon.rs b/src-tauri/src/bin/donut_daemon.rs
index fdca470..cc9256e 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/bin/donut_daemon.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/bin/donut_daemon.rs
@@ -173,6 +173,34 @@ fn run_daemon() {
   // Store tray icon in Option - created after event loop starts
   let mut tray_icon: Option<TrayIcon> = None;
 
+  // Install signal handlers so SIGTERM/SIGINT trigger graceful shutdown
+  #[cfg(unix)]
+  unsafe {
+    extern "C" fn signal_handler(_sig: libc::c_int) {
+      SHOULD_QUIT.store(true, std::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst);
+    }
+    libc::signal(libc::SIGTERM, signal_handler as libc::sighandler_t);
+    libc::signal(libc::SIGINT, signal_handler as libc::sighandler_t);
+  }
+
+  #[cfg(windows)]
+  unsafe {
+    use windows::Win32::System::Console::{SetConsoleCtrlHandler, PHANDLER_ROUTINE};
+
+    unsafe extern "system" fn ctrl_handler(_ctrl_type: u32) -> windows::Win32::Foundation::BOOL {
+      SHOULD_QUIT.store(true, std::sync::atomic::Ordering::SeqCst);
+      windows::Win32::Foundation::TRUE
+    }
+
+    let _ = SetConsoleCtrlHandler(
+      Some(std::mem::transmute::<
+        unsafe extern "system" fn(u32) -> windows::Win32::Foundation::BOOL,
+        PHANDLER_ROUTINE,
+      >(ctrl_handler)),
+      true,
+    );
+  }
+
   // Run the event loop
   event_loop.run(move |event, _, control_flow| {
     // Use WaitUntil to check for menu events periodically while staying low on CPU
@@ -264,25 +292,40 @@ fn run_daemon() {
 }
 
 fn stop_daemon() {
+  let state_path = get_state_path();
   let state = read_state();
 
   if let Some(pid) = state.daemon_pid {
-    #[cfg(unix)]
-    {
-      unsafe {
-        libc::kill(pid as i32, libc::SIGTERM);
-      }
-      eprintln!("Sent stop signal to daemon (PID {})", pid);
-    }
-
+    // On Windows, taskkill /F kills instantly with no handler, so kill GUI first
     #[cfg(windows)]
     {
       use std::process::Command;
+
+      // Read gui_pid from state file and kill it first
+      if let Ok(content) = fs::read_to_string(&state_path) {
+        if let Ok(val) = serde_json::from_str::<serde_json::Value>(&content) {
+          if let Some(gui_pid) = val.get("gui_pid").and_then(|v| v.as_u64()) {
+            let _ = Command::new("taskkill")
+              .args(["/PID", &gui_pid.to_string(), "/F"])
+              .output();
+          }
+        }
+      }
+
       let _ = Command::new("taskkill")
         .args(["/PID", &pid.to_string(), "/F"])
         .output();
       eprintln!("Sent stop signal to daemon (PID {})", pid);
     }
+
+    #[cfg(unix)]
+    {
+      let _ = &state_path; // suppress unused warning on unix
+      unsafe {
+        libc::kill(pid as i32, libc::SIGTERM);
+      }
+      eprintln!("Sent stop signal to daemon (PID {})", pid);
+    }
   } else {
     eprintln!("Daemon is not running");
   }
diff --git a/src-tauri/src/daemon/tray.rs b/src-tauri/src/daemon/tray.rs
index 701dcc4..43781b1 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/daemon/tray.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/daemon/tray.rs
@@ -127,9 +127,49 @@ pub fn activate_gui() {
   }
 }
 
+fn read_gui_pid() -> Option<u32> {
+  let path = super::autostart::get_data_dir()?.join("daemon-state.json");
+  let content = std::fs::read_to_string(path).ok()?;
+  let val: serde_json::Value = serde_json::from_str(&content).ok()?;
+  val.get("gui_pid")?.as_u64().map(|p| p as u32)
+}
+
+fn kill_gui_by_pid() -> bool {
+  let Some(pid) = read_gui_pid() else {
+    return false;
+  };
+
+  #[cfg(unix)]
+  {
+    let ret = unsafe { libc::kill(pid as i32, libc::SIGTERM) };
+    ret == 0
+  }
+
+  #[cfg(windows)]
+  {
+    Command::new("taskkill")
+      .args(["/PID", &pid.to_string(), "/F"])
+      .output()
+      .map(|o| o.status.success())
+      .unwrap_or(false)
+  }
+
+  #[cfg(not(any(unix, windows)))]
+  {
+    false
+  }
+}
+
 pub fn quit_gui() {
   log::info!("[daemon] Quitting GUI...");
 
+  if kill_gui_by_pid() {
+    log::info!("[daemon] GUI killed by PID");
+    return;
+  }
+
+  log::info!("[daemon] PID-based kill failed, falling back to name-based kill");
+
   #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
   {
     let _ = Command::new("osascript")
diff --git a/src-tauri/src/daemon_spawn.rs b/src-tauri/src/daemon_spawn.rs
index f795aa8..8cbde60 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/daemon_spawn.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/daemon_spawn.rs
@@ -313,3 +313,26 @@ pub fn ensure_daemon_running() -> Result<(), String> {
   }
   Ok(())
 }
+
+pub fn register_gui_pid() {
+  let path = get_state_path();
+  let mut val: serde_json::Value = if path.exists() {
+    fs::read_to_string(&path)
+      .ok()
+      .and_then(|c| serde_json::from_str(&c).ok())
+      .unwrap_or_else(|| serde_json::json!({}))
+  } else {
+    serde_json::json!({})
+  };
+
+  if let Some(obj) = val.as_object_mut() {
+    obj.insert(
+      "gui_pid".to_string(),
+      serde_json::Value::Number(std::process::id().into()),
+    );
+  }
+
+  if let Ok(content) = serde_json::to_string_pretty(&val) {
+    let _ = fs::write(&path, content);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src-tauri/src/lib.rs b/src-tauri/src/lib.rs
index 6c8c74f..b17446c 100644
--- a/src-tauri/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src-tauri/src/lib.rs
@@ -764,13 +764,16 @@ pub fn run() {
         log::warn!("Failed to start daemon: {e}");
       }
 
+      // Register this GUI's PID in daemon state so the daemon can kill us directly
+      daemon_spawn::register_gui_pid();
+
       // Monitor daemon health - quit GUI if daemon dies
       let app_handle_daemon = app.handle().clone();
       tauri::async_runtime::spawn(async move {
         // Give the daemon time to fully start
-        tokio::time::sleep(tokio::time::Duration::from_secs(10)).await;
+        tokio::time::sleep(tokio::time::Duration::from_secs(3)).await;
 
-        let mut interval = tokio::time::interval(tokio::time::Duration::from_secs(5));
+        let mut interval = tokio::time::interval(tokio::time::Duration::from_secs(1));
         interval.set_missed_tick_behavior(tokio::time::MissedTickBehavior::Skip);
 
         loop {