diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index fb935c8..54fbd30 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { createProjectCommand } from './commands/project.js';
 import { createTestCommand } from './commands/test.js';
 import { createUsageCommand } from './commands/usage.js';
 import { ApiError, CLIError, RequestTimeoutError } from './lib/errors.js';
+import { installBrokenPipeGuard, installSignalHandlers } from './lib/interrupt.js';
 import { Output, isOutputMode } from './lib/output.js';
 import { maybeInstallProxyAgent } from './lib/proxy.js';
 import { renderCommanderError, rephraseUnknownOption } from './lib/render-error.js';
@@ -161,6 +162,14 @@ program.hook('preAction', (_thisCommand, actionCommand) => {
   }
 });
 
+// Clean process lifecycle: a clear message + conventional exit code on SIGINT /
+// SIGTERM / SIGHUP (instead of Node's silent abrupt kill) so an interrupted
+// `test run --wait` explains the run continues server-side; plus an EPIPE guard
+// so piping to a reader that closes early (`| head`) exits cleanly instead of
+// dumping a raw `write EPIPE` stack.
+installSignalHandlers();
+installBrokenPipeGuard();
+
 // Corporate/CI proxies: honor HTTPS_PROXY/HTTP_PROXY/NO_PROXY (Node's fetch
 // ignores them by default). No-op when no proxy variable is set.
 maybeInstallProxyAgent();
diff --git a/src/lib/interrupt.test.ts b/src/lib/interrupt.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1fcf8eb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/interrupt.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+import { EventEmitter } from 'node:events';
+import { writeSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+import {
+  SIGINT_EXIT_CODE,
+  TERMINATION_EXIT_CODES,
+  formatInterruptMessage,
+  installBrokenPipeGuard,
+  installSignalHandlers,
+} from './interrupt.js';
+
+// installSignalHandlers' default stderr writes via fs.writeSync (synchronous, so
+// the hint survives a piped stderr before exit); mock it to assert on that path.
+vi.mock('node:fs', async importOriginal => {
+  const actual = (await importOriginal()) as Record<string, unknown>;
+  return { ...actual, writeSync: vi.fn() };
+});
+
+describe('formatInterruptMessage', () => {
+  it('defaults to SIGINT and explains the run continues server-side', () => {
+    const message = formatInterruptMessage();
+    expect(message).toContain('Interrupted (SIGINT)');
+    expect(message).toContain('test wait');
+    expect(message).toContain('test list');
+  });
+
+  it('names the specific signal when given one', () => {
+    expect(formatInterruptMessage('SIGTERM')).toContain('Interrupted (SIGTERM)');
+    expect(formatInterruptMessage('SIGHUP')).toContain('Interrupted (SIGHUP)');
+  });
+});
+
+describe('installSignalHandlers', () => {
+  it('registers SIGINT, SIGTERM and SIGHUP with the conventional 128+signum exit codes', () => {
+    const handlers = new Map<string, () => void>();
+    const stderr: string[] = [];
+    const exit = vi.fn();
+
+    installSignalHandlers({
+      on: (signal, handler) => handlers.set(signal, handler),
+      stderr: line => stderr.push(line),
+      exit,
+    });
+
+    expect([...handlers.keys()].sort()).toEqual(['SIGHUP', 'SIGINT', 'SIGTERM']);
+
+    handlers.get('SIGINT')!();
+    expect(exit).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(130);
+    handlers.get('SIGTERM')!();
+    expect(exit).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(143);
+    handlers.get('SIGHUP')!();
+    expect(exit).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(129);
+
+    // Each handler emits a leading blank line then the explanation.
+    expect(stderr[0]).toBe('');
+    expect(stderr.join('\n')).toContain('Interrupted (SIGINT)');
+    expect(stderr.join('\n')).toContain('Interrupted (SIGTERM)');
+    expect(stderr.join('\n')).toContain('Interrupted (SIGHUP)');
+    expect(SIGINT_EXIT_CODE).toBe(130);
+    expect(TERMINATION_EXIT_CODES.SIGTERM).toBe(143);
+    expect(TERMINATION_EXIT_CODES.SIGHUP).toBe(129);
+  });
+
+  it('writes the hint synchronously via writeSync before exit (survives a piped stderr)', () => {
+    vi.mocked(writeSync).mockClear();
+    const handlers = new Map<string, () => void>();
+    const exit = vi.fn();
+    // No stderr dep: exercise the synchronous default path.
+    installSignalHandlers({
+      on: (signal, handler) => handlers.set(signal, handler),
+      exit,
+    });
+    handlers.get('SIGINT')!();
+    expect(exit).toHaveBeenCalledWith(130);
+    const written = vi
+      .mocked(writeSync)
+      .mock.calls.map(call => String(call[1]))
+      .join('');
+    expect(written).toContain('Interrupted (SIGINT)');
+  });
+});
+
+describe('installBrokenPipeGuard', () => {
+  function makeEpipe(): NodeJS.ErrnoException {
+    return Object.assign(new Error('write EPIPE'), { code: 'EPIPE' });
+  }
+
+  it('exits 0 on stdout EPIPE (clean SIGPIPE-equivalent for `| head`)', () => {
+    const stdout = new EventEmitter();
+    const stderr = new EventEmitter();
+    const exit = vi.fn();
+    installBrokenPipeGuard({ stdout, stderr, exit });
+
+    stdout.emit('error', makeEpipe());
+    expect(exit).toHaveBeenCalledWith(0);
+  });
+
+  it('re-throws a non-EPIPE stdout error instead of silently swallowing it', () => {
+    const stdout = new EventEmitter();
+    const stderr = new EventEmitter();
+    const exit = vi.fn();
+    installBrokenPipeGuard({ stdout, stderr, exit });
+
+    expect(() =>
+      stdout.emit('error', Object.assign(new Error('boom'), { code: 'ENOSPC' })),
+    ).toThrow('boom');
+    expect(exit).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
+  it('swallows stderr EPIPE without exiting or throwing', () => {
+    const stdout = new EventEmitter();
+    const stderr = new EventEmitter();
+    const exit = vi.fn();
+    installBrokenPipeGuard({ stdout, stderr, exit });
+
+    expect(() => stderr.emit('error', makeEpipe())).not.toThrow();
+    expect(exit).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/lib/interrupt.ts b/src/lib/interrupt.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cc5b4d5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/interrupt.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,126 @@
+/**
+ * Process lifecycle hardening: graceful termination signals and broken-pipe.
+ *
+ * Termination signals: without a handler, Node terminates the process abruptly
+ * with no output, so a user (Ctrl+C), a CI runner or `docker stop` (SIGTERM), or
+ * a closed terminal/SSH session (SIGHUP) that interrupts a long
+ * `test run --wait` is left unsure whether the run was cancelled or is still
+ * executing server-side (it is: the CLI only polls; the run lives on the
+ * backend). The handler prints a one-line explanation plus how to resume, then
+ * exits with the conventional `128 + signal` code.
+ *
+ * Broken pipe: when output is piped to a reader that closes early
+ * (`testsprite ... | head`), the kernel raises `EPIPE` on the next stdout write.
+ * Node turns an `'error'` with no listener into an uncaughtException and dumps a
+ * raw `write EPIPE` stack (exit 1). The guard swallows it and exits 0, the
+ * conventional SIGPIPE-equivalent result for "the reader went away".
+ *
+ * `process` and the streams are injectable so the wiring is unit-testable
+ * without spawning a subprocess or sending a real signal.
+ */
+
+import { writeSync } from 'node:fs';
+
+/**
+ * Termination signals handled, mapped to their conventional `128 + signum`
+ * exit code. sourceRef: POSIX signal numbers (SIGHUP=1, SIGINT=2, SIGTERM=15).
+ */
+export const TERMINATION_EXIT_CODES = {
+  SIGINT: 130, // 128 + 2
+  SIGTERM: 143, // 128 + 15
+  SIGHUP: 129, // 128 + 1
+} as const;
+
+export type TerminationSignal = keyof typeof TERMINATION_EXIT_CODES;
+
+/** Back-compat alias: SIGINT's conventional exit code. */
+export const SIGINT_EXIT_CODE = TERMINATION_EXIT_CODES.SIGINT;
+
+export function formatInterruptMessage(signal: TerminationSignal = 'SIGINT'): string {
+  return (
+    `Interrupted (${signal}). Any run already started keeps executing on the server; ` +
+    'check it with `testsprite test list` or `testsprite test wait <runId>`.'
+  );
+}
+
+export interface InterruptDeps {
+  /** Signal registrar. Defaults to `process.on`. */
+  on?: (signal: TerminationSignal, handler: () => void) => void;
+  /** Line-oriented stderr writer (appends a newline). */
+  stderr?: (line: string) => void;
+  /** Process exit. Defaults to `process.exit`. */
+  exit?: (code: number) => void;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Register handlers for SIGINT, SIGTERM and SIGHUP. Idempotent enough for a
+ * single top-level call in `index.ts`; not designed to be installed twice.
+ */
+export function installSignalHandlers(deps: InterruptDeps = {}): void {
+  const on =
+    deps.on ??
+    ((signal: TerminationSignal, handler: () => void) => {
+      process.on(signal, handler);
+    });
+  const stderr =
+    deps.stderr ??
+    ((line: string) => {
+      // A signal handler calls process.exit() right after writing, which can
+      // truncate an async process.stderr.write() when stderr is a pipe. Write
+      // synchronously so the interrupt hint is flushed before the process exits.
+      try {
+        writeSync(process.stderr.fd, `${line}\n`);
+      } catch {
+        // Best-effort: if stderr is already gone (EPIPE), still exit cleanly.
+      }
+    });
+  const exit = deps.exit ?? ((code: number) => process.exit(code));
+
+  for (const signal of Object.keys(TERMINATION_EXIT_CODES) as TerminationSignal[]) {
+    on(signal, () => {
+      // Blank line first so the message starts on its own row rather than
+      // trailing the progress ticker's in-place line.
+      stderr('');
+      stderr(formatInterruptMessage(signal));
+      exit(TERMINATION_EXIT_CODES[signal]);
+    });
+  }
+}
+
+export interface BrokenPipeDeps {
+  /** stdout stream. Defaults to `process.stdout`. */
+  stdout?: NodeJS.EventEmitter;
+  /** stderr stream. Defaults to `process.stderr`. */
+  stderr?: NodeJS.EventEmitter;
+  /** Process exit. Defaults to `process.exit`. */
+  exit?: (code: number) => void;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Guard against `EPIPE` on stdout/stderr so piping to a reader that closes
+ * early (`testsprite ... | head`) exits cleanly instead of crashing with an
+ * unhandled `write EPIPE` stack. Only `EPIPE` is swallowed; any other stream
+ * error is left to surface normally.
+ */
+export function installBrokenPipeGuard(deps: BrokenPipeDeps = {}): void {
+  const stdout = deps.stdout ?? process.stdout;
+  const stderr = deps.stderr ?? process.stderr;
+  const exit = deps.exit ?? ((code: number) => process.exit(code));
+
+  stdout.on('error', (error: NodeJS.ErrnoException) => {
+    // Reader went away (`| head`, `| less` then q): exit cleanly like SIGPIPE
+    // rather than dumping an unhandled `write EPIPE` stack. Any other stdout
+    // error is a genuine, actionable failure, so re-throw it (Node's default).
+    if (error.code === 'EPIPE') {
+      exit(0);
+      return;
+    }
+    throw error;
+  });
+  stderr.on('error', (error: NodeJS.ErrnoException) => {
+    // stderr closed: nothing can be reported over it, so swallow EPIPE. Any
+    // other error re-throws so a genuine failure is not silently hidden.
+    if (error.code === 'EPIPE') return;
+    throw error;
+  });
+}