diff --git a/pkg/pid/pidfile.go b/pkg/pid/pidfile.go
index 00601195f..3efc45f09 100644
--- a/pkg/pid/pidfile.go
+++ b/pkg/pid/pidfile.go
@@ -64,7 +64,14 @@ func WritePidFile(homePath, host string, port int) (*PidFileData, error) {
 			// pass the isProcessRunning check, blocking new gateway starts.
 			// Treat recorded PID 1 as always stale.
 			if data.PID != 1 && isProcessRunning(data.PID) {
-				return nil, fmt.Errorf("gateway is already running (PID: %d, version: %s)", data.PID, data.Version)
+				// Verify the process is actually a picoclaw instance.
+				// If the PID was reused by an unrelated process
+				// (e.g. systemd-resolved after a kill -9), treat
+				// the PID file as stale and proceed with startup.
+				if isPicoclawProcess(data.PID) {
+					return nil, fmt.Errorf("gateway is already running (PID: %d, version: %s)", data.PID, data.Version)
+				}
+				logger.Warnf("found pid file (PID: %d) but process is not picoclaw", data.PID)
 			}
 			logger.Warnf("not running (PID: %d) so will remove the pid file: %s", data.PID, pidPath)
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/pid/pidfile_unix.go b/pkg/pid/pidfile_unix.go
index 7bc53b752..35a098ddf 100644
--- a/pkg/pid/pidfile_unix.go
+++ b/pkg/pid/pidfile_unix.go
@@ -4,7 +4,9 @@ package pid
 
 import (
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"os"
+	"strings"
 	"syscall"
 )
 
@@ -18,7 +20,7 @@ func isProcessRunning(pid int) bool {
 	if err != nil {
 		return false
 	}
-	// Signal(nil) does not kill the process but checks existence on Unix.
+	// Signal(0) does not kill the process but checks existence on Unix.
 	err = p.Signal(syscall.Signal(0))
 	if err == nil {
 		return true
@@ -27,3 +29,16 @@ func isProcessRunning(pid int) bool {
 	// EPERM means the process exists but we are not allowed to signal it.
 	return errors.As(err, &errno) && errno == syscall.EPERM
 }
+
+// isPicoclawProcess reads /proc/<pid>/comm to confirm the process name
+// contains "picoclaw". Returns false when the comm file can be read and
+// the name does not match (e.g., PID was reused by an unrelated process).
+// Returns true if /proc/<pid>/comm is unreadable so the call site falls
+// back to trusting the liveness check alone.
+func isPicoclawProcess(pid int) bool {
+	data, err := os.ReadFile(fmt.Sprintf("/proc/%d/comm", pid))
+	if err != nil {
+		return true // cannot verify — trust liveness check
+	}
+	return strings.Contains(strings.TrimSpace(string(data)), "picoclaw")
+}
diff --git a/pkg/pid/pidfile_windows.go b/pkg/pid/pidfile_windows.go
index 6d8b79552..5d03eafd8 100644
--- a/pkg/pid/pidfile_windows.go
+++ b/pkg/pid/pidfile_windows.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 package pid
 
 import (
+	"strings"
 	"syscall"
 	"unsafe"
 )
@@ -12,6 +13,7 @@ var (
 	procOpenProcess                = kernel32.NewProc("OpenProcess")
 	procGetExitCodeProcess         = kernel32.NewProc("GetExitCodeProcess")
 	procCloseHandle                = kernel32.NewProc("CloseHandle")
+	procQueryFullProcessImageNameW = kernel32.NewProc("QueryFullProcessImageNameW")
 	processQueryLimitedInformation = uint32(0x1000)
 	stillActive                    = uint32(259)
 )
@@ -40,3 +42,33 @@ func isProcessRunning(pid int) bool {
 	}
 	return exitCode == stillActive
 }
+
+// isPicoclawProcess uses QueryFullProcessImageNameW to confirm the
+// process image name contains "picoclaw". Returns false when the name
+// clearly does not match. Returns true if the query fails, falling
+// back to trusting the liveness check alone.
+func isPicoclawProcess(pid int) bool {
+	handle, _, _ := procOpenProcess.Call(
+		uintptr(processQueryLimitedInformation),
+		0,
+		uintptr(pid),
+	)
+	if handle == 0 {
+		return true // cannot open — trust liveness check
+	}
+	defer procCloseHandle.Call(handle)
+
+	var buf [260]uint16
+	var size uint32 = 260
+	ret, _, _ := procQueryFullProcessImageNameW.Call(
+		uintptr(handle),
+		0, // WIN32_NAME_FORMAT
+		uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&buf[0])),
+		uintptr(unsafe.Pointer(&size)),
+	)
+	if ret == 0 {
+		return true // cannot verify — trust liveness check
+	}
+	name := strings.ToLower(syscall.UTF16ToString(buf[:size]))
+	return strings.Contains(name, "picoclaw")
+}