diff --git a/codex-rs/exec-server/src/client_transport.rs b/codex-rs/exec-server/src/client_transport.rs
index 908a9e1b05..c49e9cdb98 100644
--- a/codex-rs/exec-server/src/client_transport.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/exec-server/src/client_transport.rs
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ impl ExecServerClient {
                 stdin,
                 format!("exec-server stdio command `{shell_command}`"),
             )
-            .with_lifetime_guard(Box::new(StdioChildGuard { child: Some(child) })),
+            .with_transport_lifetime(Box::new(StdioChildGuard { child: Some(child) })),
             args.into(),
         )
         .await
diff --git a/codex-rs/exec-server/src/connection.rs b/codex-rs/exec-server/src/connection.rs
index d76cbcae86..0ec4c6bc5f 100644
--- a/codex-rs/exec-server/src/connection.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/exec-server/src/connection.rs
@@ -15,13 +15,13 @@ use tokio::io::BufWriter;
 
 pub(crate) const CHANNEL_CAPACITY: usize = 128;
 
-pub(crate) type JsonRpcConnectionLifetimeGuard = Box<dyn Send>;
+pub(crate) type JsonRpcTransportLifetime = Box<dyn Send>;
 pub(crate) type JsonRpcConnectionParts = (
     mpsc::Sender<JSONRPCMessage>,
     mpsc::Receiver<JsonRpcConnectionEvent>,
     watch::Receiver<bool>,
     Vec<tokio::task::JoinHandle<()>>,
-    Option<JsonRpcConnectionLifetimeGuard>,
+    Option<JsonRpcTransportLifetime>,
 );
 
 #[derive(Debug)]
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ pub(crate) struct JsonRpcConnection {
     incoming_rx: mpsc::Receiver<JsonRpcConnectionEvent>,
     disconnected_rx: watch::Receiver<bool>,
     task_handles: Vec<tokio::task::JoinHandle<()>>,
-    lifetime_guard: Option<JsonRpcConnectionLifetimeGuard>,
+    transport_lifetime: Option<JsonRpcTransportLifetime>,
 }
 
 impl JsonRpcConnection {
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ impl JsonRpcConnection {
             incoming_rx,
             disconnected_rx,
             task_handles: vec![reader_task, writer_task],
-            lifetime_guard: None,
+            transport_lifetime: None,
         }
     }
 
@@ -262,12 +262,12 @@ impl JsonRpcConnection {
             incoming_rx,
             disconnected_rx,
             task_handles: vec![reader_task, writer_task],
-            lifetime_guard: None,
+            transport_lifetime: None,
         }
     }
 
-    pub(crate) fn with_lifetime_guard(mut self, guard: JsonRpcConnectionLifetimeGuard) -> Self {
-        self.lifetime_guard = Some(guard);
+    pub(crate) fn with_transport_lifetime(mut self, lifetime: JsonRpcTransportLifetime) -> Self {
+        self.transport_lifetime = Some(lifetime);
         self
     }
 
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ impl JsonRpcConnection {
             self.incoming_rx,
             self.disconnected_rx,
             self.task_handles,
-            self.lifetime_guard,
+            self.transport_lifetime,
         )
     }
 }
diff --git a/codex-rs/exec-server/src/rpc.rs b/codex-rs/exec-server/src/rpc.rs
index 8985849ec9..d9d8fbbf72 100644
--- a/codex-rs/exec-server/src/rpc.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/exec-server/src/rpc.rs
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ use tokio::task::JoinHandle;
 
 use crate::connection::JsonRpcConnection;
 use crate::connection::JsonRpcConnectionEvent;
-use crate::connection::JsonRpcConnectionLifetimeGuard;
+use crate::connection::JsonRpcTransportLifetime;
 
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub(crate) enum RpcCallError {
@@ -231,13 +231,19 @@ pub(crate) struct RpcClient {
     disconnected_rx: watch::Receiver<bool>,
     next_request_id: AtomicI64,
     transport_tasks: Vec<JoinHandle<()>>,
-    _transport_lifetime_guard: Option<StdMutex<JsonRpcConnectionLifetimeGuard>>,
+    _transport_lifetime: Option<TransportLifetime>,
     reader_task: JoinHandle<()>,
 }
 
+// Holds transport-owned resources, such as a stdio child process, for as long
+// as the RPC client owns the underlying connection.
+struct TransportLifetime {
+    _guard: StdMutex<JsonRpcTransportLifetime>,
+}
+
 impl RpcClient {
     pub(crate) fn new(connection: JsonRpcConnection) -> (Self, mpsc::Receiver<RpcClientEvent>) {
-        let (write_tx, mut incoming_rx, disconnected_rx, transport_tasks, lifetime_guard) =
+        let (write_tx, mut incoming_rx, disconnected_rx, transport_tasks, transport_lifetime) =
             connection.into_parts();
         let pending = Arc::new(Mutex::new(HashMap::<RequestId, PendingRequest>::new()));
         let (event_tx, event_rx) = mpsc::channel(128);
@@ -279,7 +285,9 @@ impl RpcClient {
                 disconnected_rx,
                 next_request_id: AtomicI64::new(1),
                 transport_tasks,
-                _transport_lifetime_guard: lifetime_guard.map(StdMutex::new),
+                _transport_lifetime: transport_lifetime.map(|lifetime| TransportLifetime {
+                    _guard: StdMutex::new(lifetime),
+                }),
                 reader_task,
             },
             event_rx,
diff --git a/codex-rs/exec-server/src/server/processor.rs b/codex-rs/exec-server/src/server/processor.rs
index 50907f7e42..b7e1a03bd5 100644
--- a/codex-rs/exec-server/src/server/processor.rs
+++ b/codex-rs/exec-server/src/server/processor.rs
@@ -47,8 +47,13 @@ async fn run_connection(
     runtime_paths: ExecServerRuntimePaths,
 ) {
     let router = Arc::new(build_router());
-    let (json_outgoing_tx, mut incoming_rx, mut disconnected_rx, connection_tasks, _lifetime_guard) =
-        connection.into_parts();
+    let (
+        json_outgoing_tx,
+        mut incoming_rx,
+        mut disconnected_rx,
+        connection_tasks,
+        _transport_lifetime,
+    ) = connection.into_parts();
     let (outgoing_tx, mut outgoing_rx) =
         mpsc::channel::<RpcServerOutboundMessage>(CHANNEL_CAPACITY);
     let notifications = RpcNotificationSender::new(outgoing_tx.clone());