diff --git a/tests/conftest.py b/tests/conftest.py
index 18d27c8de3..bac6334869 100644
--- a/tests/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/conftest.py
@@ -1001,6 +1001,7 @@ def _ensure_current_event_loop(request):
 # delivery is harmless.
 
 _LIVE_SYSTEM_GUARD_BYPASS_MARK = "live_system_guard_bypass"
+_GATEWAY_LOOKALIKE_MARK = "spawns_gateway_lookalike"
 _REQUIRES_WAL_MARK = "requires_wal"
 
 
@@ -1153,6 +1154,12 @@ def pytest_configure(config):  # noqa: D401 — pytest hook
         "(only for tests that genuinely need real os.kill / subprocess "
         "behaviour — e.g. PTY tests that signal their own child).",
     )
+    config.addinivalue_line(
+        "markers",
+        f"{_GATEWAY_LOOKALIKE_MARK}: the test spawns and reaps its own stub "
+        "child whose argv matches the gateway runtime matcher; only the "
+        "real-gateway spawn check is lifted, os.kill stays guarded.",
+    )
     config.addinivalue_line(
         "markers",
         f"{_REQUIRES_WAL_MARK}: test needs the runtime to actually enable "
@@ -1319,6 +1326,7 @@ def _live_system_guard(request, monkeypatch):
     import subprocess as _subprocess
 
     test_pid = _os.getpid()
+    lookalike_ok = request.node.get_closest_marker(_GATEWAY_LOOKALIKE_MARK) is not None
     # Capture the test process's existing children at fixture start —
     # any *new* children spawned by the test are also allowlisted via
     # the live psutil walk below. Static set keeps the fast path cheap.
@@ -1545,6 +1553,28 @@ def _live_system_guard(request, monkeypatch):
                 "needed (e.g. an integration test testing the update "
                 "flow against a dedicated throwaway repo)."
             )
+        # Block spawning a REAL gateway runtime (``python -m hermes_cli.main
+        # gateway run|start|restart``). ``_spawn_hermes_action`` launches it
+        # with start_new_session=True, so it outlives the pytest worker; the
+        # child inherits the pytest-tmp HERMES_HOME, resolves the DEVELOPER's
+        # ``hermes-gateway`` systemd unit (a tmp home hashes to no profile
+        # suffix), restarts the live gateway, and the survivors squat the
+        # webhook port. 2026-09-03: 39 such orphans lived 6 days after a
+        # sibling refactor moved the spawn seam and left tests patching the
+        # facade. The canonical matcher, never an argv substring.
+        from gateway.status import _gateway_command_subcommand
+        if not lookalike_ok and _gateway_command_subcommand(cmd_str) in ("run", "start", "restart"):
+            raise RuntimeError(
+                f"tests/conftest.py live-system guard: blocked "
+                f"subprocess.{name}({cmd!r}) — this would spawn a REAL "
+                "hermes gateway runtime that outlives the test (it is "
+                "detached), restarts the developer's live gateway, and "
+                "holds the webhook port. Patch the spawn seam where "
+                "production reads it (hermes_cli.web_server_gateway."
+                "_spawn_hermes_action), or mark with "
+                "@pytest.mark.spawns_gateway_lookalike a test that spawns "
+                "and reaps its own stub child."
+            )
 
     def _wrap_subprocess(name, real):
         def _guarded(cmd, *args, **kwargs):
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_cross_profile_kill_refusal.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_cross_profile_kill_refusal.py
index 7b05e98d65..64d35d3db8 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_cross_profile_kill_refusal.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_cross_profile_kill_refusal.py
@@ -95,6 +95,9 @@ class TestRecordedGatewayHomeConflicts:
         )
 
 
+# The lookalike's argv ("<stub> gateway run") is what the guard's real-gateway spawn check matches;
+# the child is a sleep stub the test kills in ``finally``, never a runtime.
+@pytest.mark.spawns_gateway_lookalike
 @pytest.mark.skipif(sys.platform == "win32", reason="POSIX flock harness")
 class TestCrossProfileStopRefusal:
     def test_stop_profile_gateway_refuses_other_profiles_pid(
@@ -163,6 +166,7 @@ class TestCrossProfileStopRefusal:
             proc.wait(timeout=10)
 
 
+@pytest.mark.spawns_gateway_lookalike
 @pytest.mark.skipif(sys.platform == "win32", reason="POSIX flock harness")
 class TestProfileDeleteStopRefusal:
     def test_stop_gateway_process_refuses_other_profiles_pid(
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_stderr_timestamp.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_stderr_timestamp.py
index 0d5ecec7ed..ac541a03f5 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_stderr_timestamp.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_stderr_timestamp.py
@@ -80,6 +80,9 @@ def test_prepare_skips_interactive_xpc_zero_even_for_gateway_argv():
     )
 
 
+# The child is ``python -c <record argv>`` carrying a "gateway run" tail as inert data, which is
+# exactly what the guard's real-gateway spawn check matches; it exits at once.
+@pytest.mark.spawns_gateway_lookalike
 def test_main_injects_flag_into_stale_gateway_child(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
     """Stale plist inner argv must grow --external-supervisor in the grandchild."""
     monkeypatch.setenv("XPC_SERVICE_NAME", "ai.hermes.gateway-butler")
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_venv_holder_windows_live.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_venv_holder_windows_live.py
index d419717543..b3e7c209c0 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_venv_holder_windows_live.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_venv_holder_windows_live.py
@@ -30,9 +30,12 @@ from pathlib import Path
 
 import pytest
 
-pytestmark = pytest.mark.skipif(
-    sys.platform != "win32", reason="live Windows venv-holder E2E"
-)
+pytestmark = [
+    pytest.mark.skipif(sys.platform != "win32", reason="live Windows venv-holder E2E"),
+    # ``_spawn`` sleepers carry a "gateway run" argv tail as inert data (the guard's real-gateway
+    # spawn check matches it); every child is ``_kill``ed by the test.
+    pytest.mark.spawns_gateway_lookalike,
+]
 
 PROJECT_ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[2]
 
diff --git a/tests/test_live_system_guard_self_test.py b/tests/test_live_system_guard_self_test.py
index 40e9e6b5e1..448389ea73 100644
--- a/tests/test_live_system_guard_self_test.py
+++ b/tests/test_live_system_guard_self_test.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 import os
 import signal
 import subprocess
+import sys
 import types
 
 import pytest
@@ -292,6 +293,32 @@ def test_subprocess_killall_hermes_blocked():
 
 
 
+# ──────────────────── real gateway runtime spawn ─────────────────
+
+
+def test_subprocess_popen_real_gateway_restart_blocked():
+    """``python -m hermes_cli.main gateway restart`` is a detached child that
+    inherits the pytest-tmp HERMES_HOME, resolves the developer's real
+    ``hermes-gateway`` unit, and outlives the test (39 six-day orphans squatted
+    the webhook port, 2026-09-03). Blocked at the spawn primitive."""
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError, match="live-system guard"):
+        subprocess.Popen(
+            [sys.executable, "-m", "hermes_cli.main", "gateway", "restart"],
+            start_new_session=True,
+        )
+
+
+def test_subprocess_run_gateway_status_passes_through():
+    """Only lifecycle verbs are blocked: ``gateway status`` (and every other
+    read-only subcommand) must still spawn — via the canonical matcher, not an
+    argv substring."""
+    result = subprocess.run(
+        [sys.executable, "-c", "import sys; print(sys.argv[1:])", "-m", "hermes_cli.main", "gateway", "status"],
+        capture_output=True, text=True,
+    )
+    assert result.returncode == 0
+
+
 # ──────────────────── bypass marker ─────────────────────────────