diff --git a/internal/cmd/daemon.go b/internal/cmd/daemon.go
index a351c1c..2e0c074 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/daemon.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/daemon.go
@@ -960,6 +960,13 @@ func watchSessionReady(ctx context.Context, client *agent.Client, hsess *engine.
 	ticker := time.NewTicker(200 * time.Millisecond)
 	defer ticker.Stop()
 	for {
+		// Session torn down through a path that didn't cancel ctx (registry
+		// replace, idle sweep, internal kill). Bail before polling further —
+		// without this check the watcher could keep alive for up to 60 s on
+		// a dead HLSSession that's never going to become ready.
+		if hsess.IsClosed() {
+			return
+		}
 		// Cache HIT or seg-0 ready → notify + done.
 		if hsess.FromCache() || hsess.ReadyCount() >= 1 {
 			// Parent ctx so a session cancel mid-POST (user closed tab,
diff --git a/internal/engine/hls.go b/internal/engine/hls.go
index 4938c11..6acde30 100644
--- a/internal/engine/hls.go
+++ b/internal/engine/hls.go
@@ -534,6 +534,13 @@ func (s *HLSSession) ReadyCount() int {
 // circuit polling — a cache HIT is ready the moment we return.
 func (s *HLSSession) FromCache() bool { return s.fromCache }
 
+// IsClosed reports whether Close() has been invoked. Exposed (vs the
+// internal isClosed) so external watchers — the ready-webhook
+// goroutine in cmd/daemon.go — can short-circuit polling on a session
+// that was torn down through a different code path (registry replace,
+// idle sweep) without racing on the unexported helper.
+func (s *HLSSession) IsClosed() bool { return s.isClosed() }
+
 // MasterPlaylist returns the rendered master.m3u8 contents.
 func (s *HLSSession) MasterPlaylist() string { return s.manifestRoot }