diff --git a/cmd/internal-tools/campaign/campaign.go b/cmd/internal-tools/campaign/campaign.go
index a610e1e..e022732 100644
--- a/cmd/internal-tools/campaign/campaign.go
+++ b/cmd/internal-tools/campaign/campaign.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
+	"syscall"
 	"time"
 )
 
@@ -25,6 +26,12 @@ func executeCommand(ctx context.Context, binary string, arguments []string, outp
 	command := exec.CommandContext(ctx, binary, arguments...)
 	command.Stdout = output
 	command.Stderr = output
+	// SIGTERM rather than the default kill: a run killed outright never runs its
+	// own shutdown, and its sidecar survives holding a port and a quarter
+	// gigabyte. The run timeout exists for unattended hosts, which is exactly
+	// where nobody is watching to reap what it leaves.
+	command.Cancel = func() error { return command.Process.Signal(syscall.SIGTERM) }
+	command.WaitDelay = runShutdownGrace
 	err := command.Run()
 	if err == nil {
 		return 0, nil
@@ -33,9 +40,17 @@ func executeCommand(ctx context.Context, binary string, arguments []string, outp
 	if errors.As(err, &exitError) {
 		return exitError.ExitCode(), nil
 	}
+	if ctx.Err() != nil {
+		return -1, nil
+	}
 	return -1, err
 }
 
+// runShutdownGrace bounds how long a signalled run gets to stop its sidecar
+// before it is killed. It exceeds the sidecar's own 15s shutdown grace, or the
+// escalation would land while the run was still doing what it was asked.
+const runShutdownGrace = 30 * time.Second
+
 // runRecord is one line of runs.jsonl.
 type runRecord struct {
 	Seed           int64     `json:"seed"`
diff --git a/cmd/internal-tools/campaign/end_to_end_test.go b/cmd/internal-tools/campaign/end_to_end_test.go
index 61c8297..317fbab 100644
--- a/cmd/internal-tools/campaign/end_to_end_test.go
+++ b/cmd/internal-tools/campaign/end_to_end_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"io"
 	"os"
@@ -9,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"slices"
 	"strings"
 	"testing"
+	"time"
 )
 
 // stubSanderling answers `version`, writes a run directory shaped like the one
@@ -142,3 +144,28 @@ func TestRun_EndToEndAgainstStubBinary(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("progress output: %q", stdout.String())
 	}
 }
+
+func TestExecuteCommand_RunTimeoutSignalsSoTheRunReapsItsChildren(t *testing.T) {
+	directory := t.TempDir()
+	marker := filepath.Join(directory, "child-reaped")
+	script := filepath.Join(directory, "wedged")
+	body := "#!/bin/sh\n" +
+		"sleep 300 &\n" +
+		"child=$!\n" +
+		"trap 'kill $child; echo reaped > " + marker + "; exit 143' TERM\n" +
+		"wait $child\n"
+	if err := os.WriteFile(script, []byte(body), 0o755); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), time.Second)
+	defer cancel()
+	if _, err := executeCommand(ctx, script, nil, io.Discard); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("execute: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if _, err := os.Stat(marker); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal("the run timeout killed the run outright, so it never reaped its own children: " +
+			"an unattended sweep leaks one sidecar per wedged run")
+	}
+}