diff --git a/scripts/check_ladder_cells_producer.sh b/scripts/check_ladder_cells_producer.sh
index 3ad6c300b1..4db96dca67 100755
--- a/scripts/check_ladder_cells_producer.sh
+++ b/scripts/check_ladder_cells_producer.sh
@@ -30,6 +30,11 @@ reap_work() {
   rm -rf "${WORK:?}"
 }
 trap reap_work EXIT
+# EXIT does not run on SIGKILL (a cancelled or timed-out job): a detached watcher repeats the sweep once this shell is gone
+# (8 fake serves leaked on lambda, 2026-10-21). The dir is removed by the same name, never by a pattern.
+setsid bash -c 'while kill -0 "$1" 2>/dev/null; do sleep 2; done
+  for p in /proc/[0-9]*; do c=$(tr "\0" " " 2>/dev/null < "$p/cmdline") || continue; case "$c" in *"$2/"*) kill -TERM "${p#/proc/}" 2>/dev/null ;; esac; done
+  rm -rf -- "${2:?}"' _ "$$" "$WORK" < /dev/null > /dev/null 2>&1 &
 FAKE="$ROOT/scripts/lib/model_ladder_cells_produce_cases/fake_apr.py"
 
 cat > "$WORK/ladder.yaml" <<'EOF'