diff --git a/src/commands/cursor-command.ts b/src/commands/cursor-command.ts
index 2385a3be..99cd7551 100644
--- a/src/commands/cursor-command.ts
+++ b/src/commands/cursor-command.ts
@@ -48,7 +48,8 @@ export async function handleCursorCommand(args: string[]): Promise<number> {
     default:
       console.error(fail(`Unknown subcommand: ${subcommand}`));
       console.error('');
-      return handleHelp();
+      handleHelp();
+      return 1;
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/cursor/cursor-daemon.ts b/src/cursor/cursor-daemon.ts
index 0f016677..07243a4d 100644
--- a/src/cursor/cursor-daemon.ts
+++ b/src/cursor/cursor-daemon.ts
@@ -205,6 +205,14 @@ export async function startDaemon(
         if (await isDaemonRunning(config.port)) {
           safeResolve({ success: true, pid: proc.pid });
         } else if (attempts >= maxAttempts) {
+          // Kill orphaned process
+          if (proc.pid) {
+            try {
+              process.kill(proc.pid, 'SIGTERM');
+            } catch {
+              /* already dead */
+            }
+          }
           safeResolve({
             success: false,
             error: 'Daemon did not start within 30 seconds',
@@ -230,7 +238,7 @@ export async function startDaemon(
             success: false,
             error: 'Daemon process exited unexpectedly with code 0',
           });
-        } else if (code !== null) {
+        } else {
           safeResolve({
             success: false,
             error: `Daemon process exited with code ${code}`,