diff --git a/Sources/DevScope/Stores/ProcessStore.swift b/Sources/DevScope/Stores/ProcessStore.swift
index 646a44c..e2c7fb1 100644
--- a/Sources/DevScope/Stores/ProcessStore.swift
+++ b/Sources/DevScope/Stores/ProcessStore.swift
@@ -286,7 +286,12 @@ final class ProcessStore: ObservableObject {
   }
 
   func familySummary(for process: DevProcess) -> ProcessFamilySummary {
-    ProcessPresentation.familySummary(for: process, in: processes)
+    let live = ProcessPresentation.liveScopedTreeInputs(
+      processes: processes,
+      classifiedProcesses: classifiedProcesses,
+      liveProcessIDs: liveProcessIDs
+    )
+    return ProcessPresentation.familySummary(for: process, in: live.processes)
   }
 
   func isProcessLive(pid: Int32) -> Bool {
@@ -412,10 +417,15 @@ final class ProcessStore: ObservableObject {
   func terminateTree(root item: ClassifiedDevProcess) {
     guard allowSignal(item) else { return }
     do {
-      let targets = try killer.terminateTree(
-        root: item,
+      let live = ProcessPresentation.liveScopedTreeInputs(
         processes: processes,
         classifiedProcesses: classifiedProcesses,
+        liveProcessIDs: liveProcessIDs
+      )
+      let targets = try killer.terminateTree(
+        root: item,
+        processes: live.processes,
+        classifiedProcesses: live.classifiedProcesses,
         currentProcessID: Int32(ProcessInfo.processInfo.processIdentifier)
       )
       statusMessage = "Sent TERM to \(targets.count) processes"
@@ -434,10 +444,15 @@ final class ProcessStore: ObservableObject {
   func forceTerminateTree(root item: ClassifiedDevProcess) {
     guard allowSignal(item) else { return }
     do {
-      let targets = try killer.forceTerminateTree(
-        root: item,
+      let live = ProcessPresentation.liveScopedTreeInputs(
         processes: processes,
         classifiedProcesses: classifiedProcesses,
+        liveProcessIDs: liveProcessIDs
+      )
+      let targets = try killer.forceTerminateTree(
+        root: item,
+        processes: live.processes,
+        classifiedProcesses: live.classifiedProcesses,
         currentProcessID: Int32(ProcessInfo.processInfo.processIdentifier)
       )
       statusMessage = "Sent KILL to \(targets.count) processes"
diff --git a/Sources/DevScopeCore/AutomationCapabilityPolicy.swift b/Sources/DevScopeCore/AutomationCapabilityPolicy.swift
index ea0854b..3c92ebb 100644
--- a/Sources/DevScopeCore/AutomationCapabilityPolicy.swift
+++ b/Sources/DevScopeCore/AutomationCapabilityPolicy.swift
@@ -16,9 +16,17 @@ public enum AutomationPathAuthorization {
       ? destination
       : destination.deletingLastPathComponent().standardizedFileURL
     return !metadataIsSymbolicLink
-      && destination.path.hasPrefix(root.path + "/")
+      && isPath(destination.path, underApprovedRoot: root.path)
       && verifiedMetadataURL.path == expectedMetadataURL.path
   }
+
+  /// Fail closed for filesystem root: `"/"` + `"/"` must not become `"//"`.
+  static func isPath(_ destinationPath: String, underApprovedRoot rootPath: String) -> Bool {
+    if rootPath == "/" {
+      return destinationPath.hasPrefix("/") && destinationPath != "/"
+    }
+    return destinationPath.hasPrefix(rootPath + "/")
+  }
 }
 
 public struct AutomationCapabilityDecision: Equatable, Sendable {
diff --git a/Sources/DevScopeCore/ProcessPresentation.swift b/Sources/DevScopeCore/ProcessPresentation.swift
index 3f40d22..df1e766 100644
--- a/Sources/DevScopeCore/ProcessPresentation.swift
+++ b/Sources/DevScopeCore/ProcessPresentation.swift
@@ -293,6 +293,19 @@ public enum ProcessPresentation {
     )
   }
 
+  /// Snapshot stabilizers keep exited PIDs briefly for UI continuity. Tree signals and
+  /// family counts must use live rows only, or ProcessKiller fails closed on ghosts.
+  public static func liveScopedTreeInputs(
+    processes: [DevProcess],
+    classifiedProcesses: [ClassifiedDevProcess],
+    liveProcessIDs: Set<Int32>
+  ) -> (processes: [DevProcess], classifiedProcesses: [ClassifiedDevProcess]) {
+    (
+      processes.filter { liveProcessIDs.contains($0.pid) },
+      classifiedProcesses.filter { liveProcessIDs.contains($0.process.pid) }
+    )
+  }
+
   public static func searchableText(for item: ClassifiedDevProcess) -> String {
     [
       item.classification.displayName,
diff --git a/Tests/DevScopeCoreTests/AutomationCapabilityPolicyTests.swift b/Tests/DevScopeCoreTests/AutomationCapabilityPolicyTests.swift
index ebc3ad1..ad78df7 100644
--- a/Tests/DevScopeCoreTests/AutomationCapabilityPolicyTests.swift
+++ b/Tests/DevScopeCoreTests/AutomationCapabilityPolicyTests.swift
@@ -29,6 +29,28 @@ final class AutomationCapabilityPolicyTests: XCTestCase {
     ))
   }
 
+  func testFilesystemRootApprovedPathDoesNotUseDoubleSlashPrefix() {
+    let root = URL(fileURLWithPath: "/")
+    let destination = URL(fileURLWithPath: "/Users/test/Library/LaunchAgents/com.example.plist")
+
+    XCTAssertTrue(AutomationPathAuthorization.isApprovedDestination(
+      destination,
+      approvedRoot: root,
+      destinationExists: true,
+      verifiedMetadataURL: destination,
+      metadataIsSymbolicLink: false
+    ))
+    XCTAssertFalse(AutomationPathAuthorization.isApprovedDestination(
+      root,
+      approvedRoot: root,
+      destinationExists: true,
+      verifiedMetadataURL: root,
+      metadataIsSymbolicLink: false
+    ))
+    XCTAssertTrue(AutomationPathAuthorization.isPath("/tmp/a", underApprovedRoot: "/"))
+    XCTAssertFalse(AutomationPathAuthorization.isPath("/", underApprovedRoot: "/"))
+  }
+
   func testCurrentUserLaunchAgentReceivesFullCapabilities() {
     let decision = AutomationCapabilityPolicy.decision(
       for: Fixtures.userAgent,
diff --git a/Tests/DevScopeCoreTests/ProcessPresentationTests.swift b/Tests/DevScopeCoreTests/ProcessPresentationTests.swift
index ce629bf..c98ccf5 100644
--- a/Tests/DevScopeCoreTests/ProcessPresentationTests.swift
+++ b/Tests/DevScopeCoreTests/ProcessPresentationTests.swift
@@ -576,6 +576,54 @@ final class ProcessPresentationTests: XCTestCase {
     XCTAssertEqual(family.descendantCount, 2)
   }
 
+  func testLiveScopedTreeInputsDropGracePeriodGhosts() {
+    let liveRoot = DevProcess(
+      pid: 10,
+      parentPID: 1,
+      executable: "npm",
+      command: "npm run dev",
+      birthToken: ProcessBirthToken(seconds: 100, microseconds: 0)
+    )
+    let liveChild = DevProcess(
+      pid: 11,
+      parentPID: 10,
+      executable: "node",
+      command: "node next",
+      birthToken: ProcessBirthToken(seconds: 101, microseconds: 0)
+    )
+    let ghostChild = DevProcess(
+      pid: 12,
+      parentPID: 10,
+      executable: "node",
+      command: "node worker",
+      birthToken: ProcessBirthToken(seconds: 102, microseconds: 0)
+    )
+    let processes = [liveRoot, liveChild, ghostChild]
+    let classified = processes.map { process in
+      ClassifiedDevProcess(
+        process: process,
+        classification: DevProcessClassification(
+          kind: .javascript,
+          displayName: process.executableName,
+          projectHint: nil,
+          tags: []
+        )
+      )
+    }
+
+    let live = ProcessPresentation.liveScopedTreeInputs(
+      processes: processes,
+      classifiedProcesses: classified,
+      liveProcessIDs: [10, 11]
+    )
+    let family = ProcessPresentation.familySummary(for: liveRoot, in: live.processes)
+
+    XCTAssertEqual(live.processes.map(\.pid), [10, 11])
+    XCTAssertEqual(live.classifiedProcesses.map(\.process.pid), [10, 11])
+    XCTAssertEqual(family.childCount, 1)
+    XCTAssertEqual(family.descendantCount, 1)
+  }
+
   func testBuildsDashboardStatsForVisibleProcesses() {
     let totalItems = [
       classified(