diff --git a/apps/cli/src/commands/start.ts b/apps/cli/src/commands/start.ts
index b4640d5..85db636 100644
--- a/apps/cli/src/commands/start.ts
+++ b/apps/cli/src/commands/start.ts
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ export interface StartArgs {
   version: string;
 }
 
-export function start(args: StartArgs): void {
+export async function start(args: StartArgs): Promise<void> {
   // 1. Initialize state directories and load env
   initHome();
   loadEnv();
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ export function start(args: StartArgs): void {
 
   // 6. Ensure image (auto-build in dev, pull in npx) and start infra
   ensureImage(args.version);
-  ensureInfra(useRouter);
+  await ensureInfra(useRouter);
 
   // 7. Generate unique task queue and container name
   const suffix = randomSuffix();
diff --git a/apps/cli/src/docker.ts b/apps/cli/src/docker.ts
index 972b8b3..e71aa2b 100644
--- a/apps/cli/src/docker.ts
+++ b/apps/cli/src/docker.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import { type ChildProcess, execFileSync, spawn } from 'node:child_process';
 import crypto from 'node:crypto';
 import os from 'node:os';
 import path from 'node:path';
+import { setTimeout as sleep } from 'node:timers/promises';
 import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
 import { getMode } from './mode.js';
 
@@ -78,7 +79,7 @@ function isRouterReady(): boolean {
  * Ensure Temporal (and optionally router) are running via compose.
  * If Temporal is already up but router is needed and missing, starts router only.
  */
-export function ensureInfra(useRouter: boolean): void {
+export async function ensureInfra(useRouter: boolean): Promise<void> {
   const temporalReady = isTemporalReady();
   const routerNeeded = useRouter && !isRouterReady();
 
@@ -110,7 +111,7 @@ export function ensureInfra(useRouter: boolean): void {
         console.error('Timeout waiting for Temporal');
         process.exit(1);
       }
-      execFileSync('sleep', ['2']);
+      await sleep(2000);
     }
   }
 
@@ -122,7 +123,7 @@ export function ensureInfra(useRouter: boolean): void {
         console.log('Router is ready!');
         return;
       }
-      execFileSync('sleep', ['2']);
+      await sleep(2000);
     }
     console.error('Timeout waiting for router');
     process.exit(1);
diff --git a/apps/cli/src/index.ts b/apps/cli/src/index.ts
index bceae3a..a942a82 100644
--- a/apps/cli/src/index.ts
+++ b/apps/cli/src/index.ts
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ const command = args[0];
 switch (command) {
   case 'start': {
     const parsed = parseStartArgs(args.slice(1));
-    start({ ...parsed, version: getVersion() });
+    await start({ ...parsed, version: getVersion() });
     break;
   }
   case 'stop':