diff --git a/skill/scripts/live/roots.mjs b/skill/scripts/live/roots.mjs
index 7ac4ac812..1ea95afd4 100644
--- a/skill/scripts/live/roots.mjs
+++ b/skill/scripts/live/roots.mjs
@@ -296,19 +296,33 @@ function readPointerEntries(repoRoot) {
  */
 function hasLiveServer(appRoot) {
   let pid;
+  let port;
   try {
     const info = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(path.join(appRoot, '.impeccable', 'live', 'server.json'), 'utf-8'));
     if (!info || typeof info.pid !== 'number') return false;
     pid = info.pid;
+    port = Number(info.port);
     process.kill(pid, 0);
   } catch (err) {
     // EPERM: the process exists but is not signalable by this user.
     if (err?.code !== 'EPERM') return false;
   }
-  if (process.platform === 'win32') return true; // no cheap portable command check
+  // Liveness alone misclassifies a REUSED pid (helper died without removing
+  // server.json, the OS handed the pid to something else, even another node
+  // process). The decisive signal is the recorded PORT: a real helper is
+  // listening on it, a pid squatter is not.
+  if (Number.isInteger(port) && port > 0 && process.platform !== 'win32') {
+    try {
+      execFileSync('bash', ['-c', `exec 3<>/dev/tcp/127.0.0.1/${port}`], { timeout: 1500, stdio: 'ignore' });
+      return true;
+    } catch {
+      return false;
+    }
+  }
+  if (process.platform === 'win32') return true; // no cheap portable probe
   try {
     const command = execFileSync('ps', ['-p', String(pid), '-o', 'command='], { encoding: 'utf-8' });
-    return /\b(node|bun|live-server)\b/.test(command);
+    return /live-server|\b(node|bun)\b/.test(command);
   } catch {
     return false;
   }
diff --git a/tests/live-roots.test.mjs b/tests/live-roots.test.mjs
index 98c686a9e..b65535b73 100644
--- a/tests/live-roots.test.mjs
+++ b/tests/live-roots.test.mjs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { spawnSync } from 'node:child_process';
 import { mkdirSync, mkdtempSync, realpathSync, rmSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs';
 import { join, dirname } from 'node:path';
 import { tmpdir } from 'node:os';
+import { createServer } from 'node:net';
 import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url';
 import {
   discoverAppCandidates,
@@ -198,7 +199,7 @@ describe('review regressions: walk bounds', () => {
 });
 
 describe('review regressions: multi-app pointer', () => {
-  it('prefers the app whose live server is running over the last boot', () => {
+  it('prefers the app whose live server is running over the last boot', async () => {
     const repo = realpathSync(mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'impeccable-roots-multi-')));
     try {
       mkdirSync(join(repo, '.git'), { recursive: true });
@@ -211,13 +212,22 @@ describe('review regressions: multi-app pointer', () => {
       writeRootsManifest(a);
       writeRootsManifest(b); // B booted last: a naive pointer now points at B
 
-      // A's helper server is the one alive (this test process's pid).
-      write(repo, 'siteA/.impeccable/live/server.json', JSON.stringify({ pid: process.pid, port: 1, token: 't' }));
-      write(repo, 'siteB/.impeccable/live/server.json', JSON.stringify({ pid: 999999999, port: 2, token: 't' }));
+      // A's helper server is the one alive: a real listener on a real port
+      // (the liveness check probes the recorded port, so a bare pid is not
+      // enough to count as running).
+      const srv = createServer();
+      await new Promise((resolve) => srv.listen(0, '127.0.0.1', resolve));
+      try {
+        const livePort = srv.address().port;
+        write(repo, 'siteA/.impeccable/live/server.json', JSON.stringify({ pid: process.pid, port: livePort, token: 't' }));
+        write(repo, 'siteB/.impeccable/live/server.json', JSON.stringify({ pid: 999999999, port: 2, token: 't' }));
 
-      const resolved = resolveLiveRoots(repo);
-      assert.equal(resolved.source, 'pointer');
-      assert.equal(resolved.manifest.appRoot, join(repo, 'siteA'));
+        const resolved = resolveLiveRoots(repo);
+        assert.equal(resolved.source, 'pointer');
+        assert.equal(resolved.manifest.appRoot, join(repo, 'siteA'));
+      } finally {
+        await new Promise((resolve) => srv.close(resolve));
+      }
     } finally {
       rmSync(repo, { recursive: true, force: true });
     }