diff --git a/scripts/update-app.sh b/scripts/update-app.sh
index d40779c..06e0c1a 100755
--- a/scripts/update-app.sh
+++ b/scripts/update-app.sh
@@ -28,13 +28,24 @@ if ! ./gradlew :app:createDistributable -q; then
 fi
 
 # Stop the app (and its engine) only AFTER a good build exists.
+# NEVER match our own lineage: pkill -f also matches any ancestor shell
+# whose command line merely mentions this script's path.
+_selfpids() { local p=$$; while [ "$p" -gt 1 ]; do echo "$p"; p=$(ps -o ppid= -p "$p" 2>/dev/null | tr -d ' '); [ -z "$p" ] && break; done; }
+_killpat() {
+    local pat="$1" pid
+    for pid in $(pgrep -f "$pat" 2>/dev/null); do
+        case " $(_selfpids) " in *" $pid "*) continue;; esac
+        # also skip the pgrep call itself via its subshell parent already covered
+        kill "$pid" 2>/dev/null
+    done
+}
 # Packaged runs appear as .../bin/shonar-desktop; dev runs as java MainKt.
-pkill -f 'com.shonar.desktop.MainKt' 2>/dev/null
-pkill -f 'shonar-desktop/bin/shonar-desktop' 2>/dev/null
-pkill -f 'uvicorn shonar.main:app' 2>/dev/null
+_killpat 'com.shonar.desktop.MainKt'
+_killpat 'shonar-desktop/bin/shonar-desktop'
+_killpat 'uvicorn shonar.main:app'
 sleep 2
 # Last resort: anything still holding a SHONAR window.
-pkill -f 'shonar-desktop' 2>/dev/null
+_killpat 'shonar-desktop'
 sleep 2
 
 bin="$repo/app/build/compose/binaries/main/app/shonar-desktop/bin/shonar-desktop"