diff --git a/.github/actions/spelling/expect/expect.txt b/.github/actions/spelling/expect/expect.txt
index 3ae9d781e..0b88ca86b 100644
--- a/.github/actions/spelling/expect/expect.txt
+++ b/.github/actions/spelling/expect/expect.txt
@@ -2035,6 +2035,7 @@ IME
 CLDR
 doy
 Hinnant
+IDT
 LONGDATE
 MRT
 Uninstalls
diff --git a/src/cascadia/WindowsTerminal/TerminalProtocolComServer.cpp b/src/cascadia/WindowsTerminal/TerminalProtocolComServer.cpp
index 85867618c..6ce098a21 100644
--- a/src/cascadia/WindowsTerminal/TerminalProtocolComServer.cpp
+++ b/src/cascadia/WindowsTerminal/TerminalProtocolComServer.cpp
@@ -19,8 +19,12 @@ namespace ProtocolParsing = Microsoft::Terminal::Protocol::Parsing;
 
 namespace Protocol = winrt::Microsoft::Terminal::Protocol;
 
-// Static state — set once before registration, never mutated.
+// Static state
+// s_emperor: set once before registration, never mutated.
+// s_emperorHwnd, s_liveObjectCount: mutable at runtime (see s_setEmperorHwnd, constructor/destructor).
 WindowEmperor* TerminalProtocolComServer::s_emperor = nullptr;
+std::atomic<HWND> TerminalProtocolComServer::s_emperorHwnd{ nullptr };
+std::atomic<int32_t> TerminalProtocolComServer::s_liveObjectCount{ 0 };
 
 static DWORD g_comRegistration = 0;
 static std::shared_mutex g_mtx;
@@ -36,6 +40,27 @@ void TerminalProtocolComServer::s_setEmperor(WindowEmperor* emperor) noexcept
     s_emperor = emperor;
 }
 
+void TerminalProtocolComServer::s_setEmperorHwnd(HWND hwnd) noexcept
+{
+    s_emperorHwnd.store(hwnd, std::memory_order_release);
+}
+
+int32_t TerminalProtocolComServer::s_GetLiveObjectCount() noexcept
+{
+    return s_liveObjectCount.load(std::memory_order_relaxed);
+}
+
+// Post a message to the emperor's UI thread to re-evaluate idle state.
+// Called from the COM MTA thread — PostMessage is thread-safe.
+void TerminalProtocolComServer::s_notifyEmperorIdleCheck()
+{
+    const auto hwnd = TerminalProtocolComServer::s_emperorHwnd.load(std::memory_order_acquire);
+    if (hwnd)
+    {
+        PostMessage(hwnd, WindowEmperor::WM_COM_IDLE_CHECK, 0, 0);
+    }
+}
+
 HRESULT TerminalProtocolComServer::s_StartListening()
 try
 {
@@ -96,9 +121,17 @@ HRESULT TerminalProtocolComServer::s_StopListening()
     return S_OK;
 }
 
+TerminalProtocolComServer::TerminalProtocolComServer()
+{
+    s_liveObjectCount.fetch_add(1, std::memory_order_relaxed);
+    s_notifyEmperorIdleCheck();
+}
+
 TerminalProtocolComServer::~TerminalProtocolComServer()
 {
     _removeInstance();
+    s_liveObjectCount.fetch_sub(1, std::memory_order_relaxed);
+    s_notifyEmperorIdleCheck();
 }
 
 void TerminalProtocolComServer::_addInstance()
diff --git a/src/cascadia/WindowsTerminal/TerminalProtocolComServer.h b/src/cascadia/WindowsTerminal/TerminalProtocolComServer.h
index 3ec29cdeb..e336a43ab 100644
--- a/src/cascadia/WindowsTerminal/TerminalProtocolComServer.h
+++ b/src/cascadia/WindowsTerminal/TerminalProtocolComServer.h
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
+#include <atomic>
 #include <mutex>
 #include <vector>
 
@@ -51,6 +52,7 @@ struct Factory : winrt::implements<Factory<T>, IClassFactory, winrt::no_module_l
 struct __declspec(uuid(__CLSID_TerminalProtocolServer))
 TerminalProtocolComServer : winrt::implements<TerminalProtocolComServer, Protocol::IProtocolServer>
 {
+    TerminalProtocolComServer();
     ~TerminalProtocolComServer();
 
     // ── IProtocolServer ──
@@ -98,10 +100,16 @@ TerminalProtocolComServer : winrt::implements<TerminalProtocolComServer, Protoco
 
     // Static setup — must be called before s_StartListening().
     static void s_setEmperor(WindowEmperor* emperor) noexcept;
+    // Store the emperor's hidden HWND so MTA threads can PostMessage to the UI thread.
+    static void s_setEmperorHwnd(HWND hwnd) noexcept;
 
     static HRESULT s_StartListening();
     static HRESULT s_StopListening();
 
+    // Live COM object count (all objects, regardless of auth state).
+    // Used by WindowEmperor to decide when the process is truly idle.
+    static int32_t s_GetLiveObjectCount() noexcept;
+
     // Called from WindowEmperor after a new AppHost is appended to its
     // _windows vector. Re-runs the per-window page event registration so
     // that the new window's TerminalPage::ProtocolVtSequenceReceived is
@@ -129,6 +137,7 @@ TerminalProtocolComServer : winrt::implements<TerminalProtocolComServer, Protoco
     void _addInstance();
     void _removeInstance();
     static void _ensurePageEventsRegistered();
+    static void s_notifyEmperorIdleCheck();
 
     // Dispatch an {method:"autofix_state"} payload to every window's
     // TerminalPage on its UI thread.
@@ -154,4 +163,6 @@ TerminalProtocolComServer : winrt::implements<TerminalProtocolComServer, Protoco
     static void _dispatchResumeInNewAgentTabToPage(const winrt::hstring& eventJson);
 
     static WindowEmperor* s_emperor;
+    static std::atomic<HWND> s_emperorHwnd;
+    static std::atomic<int32_t> s_liveObjectCount;
 };
diff --git a/src/cascadia/WindowsTerminal/WindowEmperor.cpp b/src/cascadia/WindowsTerminal/WindowEmperor.cpp
index 896865699..0cdcf1147 100644
--- a/src/cascadia/WindowsTerminal/WindowEmperor.cpp
+++ b/src/cascadia/WindowsTerminal/WindowEmperor.cpp
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ using VirtualKeyModifiers = winrt::Windows::System::VirtualKeyModifiers;
 WindowEmperor::WindowEmperor() = default;
 WindowEmperor::~WindowEmperor()
 {
+    // Clear the HWND before revoking COM to prevent stale PostMessage calls.
+    TerminalProtocolComServer::s_setEmperorHwnd(nullptr);
     // Revoke COM class factory before destroying resources.
     LOG_IF_FAILED(TerminalProtocolComServer::s_StopListening());
 }
@@ -284,6 +286,9 @@ void WindowEmperor::CreateNewWindow(winrt::TerminalApp::WindowRequestedArgs args
     _windowCount += 1;
     _windows.emplace_back(std::move(host));
 
+    // A new window means we're no longer idle — cancel any pending COM idle timer.
+    _updateComIdleTimer();
+
     // Wire the new window's TerminalPage::ProtocolVtSequenceReceived
     // into the COM fan-out so events emitted by panes in this window
     // (agent-pane attach_pane / detach_pane, autofix OSC 133;D, etc.)
@@ -1028,19 +1033,51 @@ void WindowEmperor::_createMessageWindow(const wchar_t* className)
     StringCchCopy(_notificationIcon.szTip, ARRAYSIZE(_notificationIcon.szTip), appNameLoc.c_str());
 }
 
-// Posts a WM_QUIT as soon as we have no reason to exist anymore.
-// That basically means no windows and no message boxes.
+// Posts a WM_QUIT as soon as we have no reason to exist anymore:
+// no windows, no message boxes, and no live COM objects.
 void WindowEmperor::_postQuitMessageIfNeeded() const
 {
     if (
         _messageBoxCount <= 0 &&
         _windowCount <= 0 &&
+        TerminalProtocolComServer::s_GetLiveObjectCount() <= 0 &&
         !_app.Logic().Settings().GlobalSettings().AllowHeadless())
     {
         PostQuitMessage(0);
     }
 }
 
+// Re-evaluates whether the process should schedule an exit.
+// When headless with no COM clients, uses a short grace period.
+// When headless but COM clients remain, uses a longer timeout to
+// cover crashed clients whose stub refs are stuck in COM GC.
+// Avoids resetting the timer if the desired timeout hasn't changed,
+// so partial COM GC releases don't extend the stale window.
+void WindowEmperor::_updateComIdleTimer()
+{
+    const auto headless =
+        _windowCount <= 0 &&
+        _messageBoxCount <= 0 &&
+        !_app.Logic().Settings().GlobalSettings().AllowHeadless();
+
+    if (headless)
+    {
+        const auto timeout = TerminalProtocolComServer::s_GetLiveObjectCount() > 0
+                                 ? COM_STALE_TIMEOUT_MS
+                                 : COM_IDLE_TIMEOUT_MS;
+        if (_activeComIdleTimeoutMs != timeout)
+        {
+            _activeComIdleTimeoutMs = timeout;
+            SetTimer(_window.get(), IDT_COM_IDLE, timeout, nullptr);
+        }
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        KillTimer(_window.get(), IDT_COM_IDLE);
+        _activeComIdleTimeoutMs = 0;
+    }
+}
+
 safe_void_coroutine WindowEmperor::_showMessageBox(winrt::hstring message, bool error)
 {
     // Prevent the main loop from exiting until the message box is closed.
@@ -1124,13 +1161,45 @@ LRESULT WindowEmperor::_messageHandler(HWND window, UINT const message, WPARAM c
             // Counterpart specific to CreateNewWindow().
             _windowCount -= 1;
             _postQuitMessageIfNeeded();
+            _updateComIdleTimer();
             return 0;
         }
         case WM_MESSAGE_BOX_CLOSED:
             // Counterpart specific to _showMessageBox().
             _messageBoxCount -= 1;
             _postQuitMessageIfNeeded();
+            _updateComIdleTimer();
             return 0;
+        case WM_COM_IDLE_CHECK:
+            // Posted by the COM MTA thread when a COM object is created or
+            // destroyed. Re-evaluate: if the process is now truly idle
+            // (headless AND no COM objects), quit immediately; otherwise
+            // update the grace-period timer.
+            _postQuitMessageIfNeeded();
+            _updateComIdleTimer();
+            return 0;
+        case WM_TIMER:
+            if (wParam == IDT_COM_IDLE)
+            {
+                KillTimer(_window.get(), IDT_COM_IDLE);
+                _activeComIdleTimeoutMs = 0;
+                // If we're still headless after the grace period, exit.
+                // Any remaining COM objects belong to crashed clients whose
+                // stub references haven't been reclaimed by the COM GC yet
+                // (COM GC can take up to 6+ minutes for killed processes).
+                // We intentionally do NOT check s_GetLiveObjectCount here —
+                // the stale timer exists precisely to override those stubs.
+                // A legitimate new connection during this window would have
+                // created a window (_windowCount > 0), which is checked below.
+                if (_windowCount <= 0 &&
+                    _messageBoxCount <= 0 &&
+                    !_app.Logic().Settings().GlobalSettings().AllowHeadless())
+                {
+                    PostQuitMessage(0);
+                }
+                return 0;
+            }
+            break;
         case WM_IDENTIFY_ALL_WINDOWS:
             for (const auto& host : _windows)
             {
@@ -1658,6 +1727,7 @@ void WindowEmperor::_initializeProtocolServer()
 {
     // Register COM class factory for cross-process access (runs on MTA thread).
     TerminalProtocolComServer::s_setEmperor(this);
+    TerminalProtocolComServer::s_setEmperorHwnd(_window.get());
     if (SUCCEEDED_LOG(TerminalProtocolComServer::s_StartListening()))
     {
         // Stringify the CLSID so child processes can discover us via CoCreateInstance.
diff --git a/src/cascadia/WindowsTerminal/WindowEmperor.h b/src/cascadia/WindowsTerminal/WindowEmperor.h
index 8bef6f272..56f08d6d1 100644
--- a/src/cascadia/WindowsTerminal/WindowEmperor.h
+++ b/src/cascadia/WindowsTerminal/WindowEmperor.h
@@ -30,8 +30,18 @@ class WindowEmperor
         WM_MESSAGE_BOX_CLOSED,
         WM_IDENTIFY_ALL_WINDOWS,
         WM_NOTIFY_FROM_NOTIFICATION_AREA,
+        WM_COM_IDLE_CHECK, // Posted by COM MTA thread when live object count changes
     };
 
+    // Grace period before exiting when no windows and no COM clients remain.
+    static constexpr UINT_PTR IDT_COM_IDLE = 42;
+    // Grace period after the process becomes fully idle (no windows, no COM).
+    static constexpr DWORD COM_IDLE_TIMEOUT_MS = 5000;
+    // Maximum time a headless process waits for stale COM objects to
+    // disconnect before force-exiting. Covers crashed clients whose
+    // stub references haven't been reclaimed by the COM garbage collector.
+    static constexpr DWORD COM_STALE_TIMEOUT_MS = 30000;
+
     WindowEmperor();
     ~WindowEmperor();
 
@@ -68,6 +78,8 @@ class WindowEmperor
     LRESULT _messageHandler(HWND window, UINT message, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam) noexcept;
     void _createMessageWindow(const wchar_t* className);
     void _postQuitMessageIfNeeded() const;
+    void _updateComIdleTimer();
+    DWORD _activeComIdleTimeoutMs{ 0 }; // tracks the currently running timer value to avoid resets
     safe_void_coroutine _showMessageBox(winrt::hstring message, bool error);
     void _notificationAreaMenuRequested(WPARAM wParam);
     void _notificationAreaMenuClicked(WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam) const;