diff --git a/litellm/proxy/utils.py b/litellm/proxy/utils.py
index 8b39eb8c49..0591d5b04d 100644
--- a/litellm/proxy/utils.py
+++ b/litellm/proxy/utils.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import copy
 import hashlib
 import json
 import os
+import signal
 import smtplib
 import threading
 import time
@@ -2293,6 +2294,11 @@ class PrismaClient:
             0.0,
             float(os.getenv("PRISMA_AUTH_RECONNECT_LOCK_TIMEOUT_SECONDS", "0.1")),
         )
+        self._engine_pidfd: int = -1
+        self._engine_pid: int = 0
+        self._watching_engine: bool = False
+        self._engine_confirmed_dead: bool = False
+        self._sigchld_installed: bool = False
         verbose_proxy_logger.debug("Success - Created Prisma Client")
 
     def get_request_status(
@@ -3560,31 +3566,383 @@ class PrismaClient:
             )
             raise e
 
+    def _get_engine_pid(self) -> int:
+        """
+        Get the PID of the Prisma query engine subprocess.
+
+        Primary: access Prisma internals directly.
+        Fallback: scan /proc for prisma-query-engine (Linux only).
+        Returns 0 if not found or on non-Linux platforms.
+        """
+        try:
+            engine = self.db._original_prisma._engine  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
+            if engine is not None and engine.process is not None:
+                return engine.process.pid
+        except (AttributeError, TypeError):
+            pass
+
+        try:
+            for entry in os.scandir("/proc"):
+                if not entry.name.isdigit():
+                    continue
+                try:
+                    with open(f"/proc/{entry.name}/cmdline", "rb") as f:
+                        cmdline = f.read().decode("utf-8", errors="replace")
+                    if "prisma-query-engine" not in cmdline:
+                        continue
+                    with open(f"/proc/{entry.name}/stat", "r") as f:
+                        stat = f.read()
+                    last_paren = stat.rfind(")")
+                    state = stat[last_paren + 2] if last_paren >= 0 else "?"
+                    if state not in ("Z", "X", "x"):
+                        return int(entry.name)
+                except (
+                    FileNotFoundError,
+                    PermissionError,
+                    ProcessLookupError,
+                    IndexError,
+                    ValueError,
+                ):
+                    continue
+        except FileNotFoundError:
+            pass
+        return 0
+
+    def _is_engine_alive(self) -> bool:
+        """
+        Check whether the tracked engine PID is still a live (non-zombie) process.
+
+        Returns True if /proc is unavailable (non-Linux: assume alive).
+        Returns False if the process is gone or in zombie/dead state.
+        """
+        if self._engine_pid <= 0:
+            return True  # unknown — assume alive
+        try:
+            with open(f"/proc/{self._engine_pid}/stat", "r") as f:
+                stat = f.read()
+            last_paren = stat.rfind(")")
+            if last_paren < 0 or last_paren + 2 >= len(stat):
+                return True  # parse failed — assume alive
+            state = stat[last_paren + 2]
+            return state not in ("Z", "X", "x")
+        except FileNotFoundError:
+            return False  # process gone
+        except (PermissionError, ProcessLookupError, OSError):
+            return True  # cannot read — assume alive
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _reap_all_zombies() -> set:
+        """Reap ALL zombie child processes via waitpid(-1, WNOHANG).
+
+        Returns a set of reaped PIDs.  As PID 1 in Docker (or any
+        process that spawns children), we must reap ALL terminated
+        children to prevent zombie accumulation.
+        """
+        reaped: set = set()
+        while True:
+            try:
+                pid, _ = os.waitpid(-1, os.WNOHANG)
+                if pid == 0:
+                    break
+                reaped.add(pid)
+            except ChildProcessError:
+                break
+        return reaped
+
+    def _install_sigchld_handler(self) -> bool:
+        """Install SIGCHLD handler on the asyncio event loop.
+
+        SIGCHLD is delivered by the kernel the instant any child process
+        exits, is killed, or enters zombie state.  This gives
+        sub-millisecond detection with zero CPU overhead (no polling,
+        no file descriptors to manage).
+
+        Returns True if installed, False on failure (non-Unix, no
+        running event loop, restricted environment, etc.).
+        """
+        if self._sigchld_installed:
+            return True
+        try:
+            loop = asyncio.get_running_loop()
+            loop.add_signal_handler(signal.SIGCHLD, self._on_sigchld)
+            self._sigchld_installed = True
+            return True
+        except (RuntimeError, OSError, ValueError) as e:
+            verbose_proxy_logger.debug("Could not install SIGCHLD handler: %s", e)
+            return False
+
+    def _remove_sigchld_handler(self) -> None:
+        """Remove SIGCHLD handler from the event loop."""
+        if not self._sigchld_installed:
+            return
+        try:
+            loop = asyncio.get_running_loop()
+            loop.remove_signal_handler(signal.SIGCHLD)
+        except (RuntimeError, OSError, ValueError):
+            pass
+        self._sigchld_installed = False
+
+    def _on_sigchld(self) -> None:
+        """SIGCHLD received -- reap all zombies and check if engine died.
+
+        This fires the instant any child process exits or becomes a
+        zombie.  We reap ALL children (fulfilling PID-1 responsibility)
+        then check if the tracked Prisma engine was among the dead.
+        """
+        reaped = self._reap_all_zombies()
+        if not reaped:
+            return
+        if (
+            self._engine_pid > 0
+            and self._engine_pid in reaped
+            and not self._engine_confirmed_dead
+        ):
+            verbose_proxy_logger.error(
+                "prisma-query-engine PID %s reaped via SIGCHLD; triggering reconnect.",
+                self._engine_pid,
+            )
+            self._engine_confirmed_dead = True
+            self._cleanup_engine_watcher()
+            asyncio.create_task(
+                self.attempt_db_reconnect(
+                    reason="engine_process_death",
+                    force=True,
+                )
+            )
+        elif reaped:
+            verbose_proxy_logger.debug("Reaped non-engine zombie PIDs: %s", reaped)
+
+    def _try_pidfd_watch(self, pid: int) -> bool:
+        """
+        Watch engine PID via pidfd_open + asyncio event loop reader.
+
+        Returns True if pidfd watch was set up, False if unavailable or failed.
+        Broad OSError catch handles both ENOSYS and SECCOMP-blocked syscalls.
+        """
+        if not hasattr(os, "pidfd_open"):
+            return False
+        fd = -1
+        try:
+            fd = os.pidfd_open(pid, 0)  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
+            asyncio.get_running_loop().add_reader(fd, self._on_pidfd_readable)
+            self._engine_pidfd = fd
+            return True
+        except OSError:
+            if fd >= 0:
+                os.close(fd)
+            return False
+
+    def _on_pidfd_readable(self) -> None:
+        """pidfd became readable: engine process exited or became zombie.
+
+        Sets _engine_confirmed_dead BEFORE cleanup so _run_reconnect_cycle
+        takes the heavy path (recreate Prisma client + re-arm watcher).
+        """
+        if self._engine_confirmed_dead:
+            # Already handled by SIGCHLD -- just clean up pidfd resources.
+            if self._engine_pidfd >= 0:
+                try:
+                    asyncio.get_running_loop().remove_reader(self._engine_pidfd)
+                except Exception:
+                    pass
+                try:
+                    os.close(self._engine_pidfd)
+                except OSError:
+                    pass
+                self._engine_pidfd = -1
+            return
+        dead_pid = self._engine_pid
+        verbose_proxy_logger.error(
+            "prisma-query-engine PID %s exited (pidfd event); triggering reconnect.",
+            dead_pid,
+        )
+        self._engine_confirmed_dead = True
+        self._reap_all_zombies()
+        self._cleanup_engine_watcher()
+        asyncio.create_task(
+            self.attempt_db_reconnect(
+                reason="engine_process_death",
+                force=True,
+            )
+        )
+
+    async def _poll_engine_proc(self) -> None:
+        """Last-resort fallback: poll /proc/<pid>/stat every 1s.
+
+        Only used when BOTH SIGCHLD handler and pidfd_open are unavailable
+        (e.g., non-Linux platforms or heavily restricted containers).
+        Prefer SIGCHLD (instant, zero-overhead) or pidfd (event-driven).
+        """
+        while self._watching_engine and self._engine_pid > 0:
+            try:
+                with open(f"/proc/{self._engine_pid}/stat", "r") as f:
+                    stat = f.read()
+                last_paren = stat.rfind(")")
+                if last_paren < 0 or last_paren + 2 >= len(stat):
+                    state = "?"
+                else:
+                    state = stat[last_paren + 2]
+                if state in ("Z", "X", "x"):
+                    verbose_proxy_logger.error(
+                        "prisma-query-engine PID %s in state '%s'; triggering reconnect.",
+                        self._engine_pid,
+                        state,
+                    )
+                    self._engine_confirmed_dead = True
+                    self._reap_all_zombies()
+                    self._cleanup_engine_watcher()
+                    await self.attempt_db_reconnect(
+                        reason="engine_process_death",
+                        force=True,
+                    )
+                    return
+            except FileNotFoundError:
+                verbose_proxy_logger.error(
+                    "prisma-query-engine PID %s disappeared; triggering reconnect.",
+                    self._engine_pid,
+                )
+                self._engine_confirmed_dead = True
+                self._reap_all_zombies()
+                self._cleanup_engine_watcher()
+                await self.attempt_db_reconnect(
+                    reason="engine_process_death",
+                    force=True,
+                )
+                return
+            except (PermissionError, ProcessLookupError):
+                verbose_proxy_logger.debug(
+                    "Cannot read /proc/%s/stat; stopping engine poll.",
+                    self._engine_pid,
+                )
+                self._cleanup_engine_watcher()
+                return
+            await asyncio.sleep(1)
+
+    def _cleanup_engine_watcher(self) -> None:
+        """Clean up pidfd reader or stop /proc polling and reset engine tracking state."""
+        self._watching_engine = False
+        if self._engine_pidfd >= 0:
+            try:
+                asyncio.get_running_loop().remove_reader(self._engine_pidfd)
+            except Exception:
+                pass
+            try:
+                os.close(self._engine_pidfd)
+            except OSError:
+                pass
+            self._engine_pidfd = -1
+        self._engine_pid = 0
+
+    async def _start_engine_watcher(self) -> None:
+        """
+        Start watching the Prisma query engine process for death.
+
+        Detection priority (all instant, kernel-level when available):
+        1. SIGCHLD signal handler -- instant notification from the kernel when
+           ANY child changes state.  Zero CPU overhead.  Works on all Unix/Linux.
+           Also reaps orphan zombies (PID 1 responsibility in Docker).
+        2. pidfd_open (Linux 5.3+) -- event-driven fd for targeted engine
+           monitoring.  Supplementary to SIGCHLD.
+        3. /proc/<pid>/stat polling (1s) -- last-resort fallback only when both
+           SIGCHLD and pidfd are unavailable (non-Linux or restricted envs).
+        """
+        if self._watching_engine or self._engine_pidfd >= 0:
+            return
+        pid = self._get_engine_pid()
+        if pid == 0:
+            verbose_proxy_logger.debug("Could not find prisma-query-engine PID; engine death detection unavailable.")
+            return
+        self._engine_pid = pid
+        self._engine_confirmed_dead = False
+        verbose_proxy_logger.info("Found prisma-query-engine at PID %s.", pid)
+        # Primary: SIGCHLD -- instant kernel notification for ALL child state changes.
+        sigchld_ok = self._install_sigchld_handler()
+        # Supplementary: pidfd -- targeted event-driven watch on this specific PID.
+        pidfd_ok = self._try_pidfd_watch(pid)
+        if sigchld_ok and pidfd_ok:
+            verbose_proxy_logger.info(
+                "Watching engine PID %s via SIGCHLD + pidfd (dual event-driven).", pid,
+            )
+        elif sigchld_ok:
+            verbose_proxy_logger.info(
+                "Watching engine PID %s via SIGCHLD (event-driven).", pid,
+            )
+        elif pidfd_ok:
+            verbose_proxy_logger.info(
+                "Watching engine PID %s via pidfd (event-driven).", pid,
+            )
+        else:
+            verbose_proxy_logger.info(
+                "Watching engine PID %s via /proc polling (1s fallback).", pid,
+            )
+            self._watching_engine = True
+            asyncio.create_task(self._poll_engine_proc())
+
+    def _stop_engine_watcher(self) -> None:
+        """Stop watching the engine process and clean up all resources."""
+        self._remove_sigchld_handler()
+        self._cleanup_engine_watcher()
+        self._engine_confirmed_dead = False
+        verbose_proxy_logger.debug("Stopped engine process watcher.")
+
     async def _run_reconnect_cycle(
         self, timeout_seconds: Optional[float] = None
     ) -> None:
         """
-        Run a reconnect cycle with direct db operations and a single overall timeout
-        budget to avoid long retries on hot paths (e.g. auth).
+        Run a reconnect cycle with a single overall timeout budget.
+
+        Uses the _engine_confirmed_dead flag (set by SIGCHLD / pidfd / poll
+        handlers) to choose between heavy reconnect (engine dead -- recreate
+        Prisma client, re-arm watcher) and lightweight reconnect (network
+        blip -- disconnect, connect, SELECT 1).
+
+        The flag-based approach fixes the race condition where
+        _cleanup_engine_watcher resets _engine_pid to 0 before this method
+        could check it, causing the heavy path to never execute.
         """
-        async def _do_direct_reconnect() -> None:
-            try:
-                await self.db.disconnect()
-            except Exception as disconnect_err:
-                verbose_proxy_logger.debug(
-                    "Prisma DB disconnect before reconnect failed (ignored): %s",
-                    disconnect_err,
-                )
-
-            await self.db.connect()
-            await self.db.query_raw("SELECT 1")
-
         effective_timeout = (
-            timeout_seconds
-            if timeout_seconds is not None
-            else self._db_watchdog_reconnect_timeout_seconds
+            timeout_seconds if timeout_seconds is not None else self._db_watchdog_reconnect_timeout_seconds
         )
-        await asyncio.wait_for(_do_direct_reconnect(), timeout=effective_timeout)
+
+        engine_is_dead = self._engine_confirmed_dead or (
+            self._engine_pid > 0 and not self._is_engine_alive()
+        )
+
+        if engine_is_dead:
+            dead_pid = self._engine_pid
+            verbose_proxy_logger.warning(
+                "prisma-query-engine PID %s is dead; performing heavy reconnect.",
+                dead_pid,
+            )
+            self._reap_all_zombies()
+            self._cleanup_engine_watcher()
+            self._engine_confirmed_dead = False
+
+            async def _do_heavy_reconnect() -> None:
+                db_url = os.getenv("DATABASE_URL", "")
+                if not db_url:
+                    verbose_proxy_logger.error("DATABASE_URL not set; cannot recreate Prisma client.")
+                    raise RuntimeError("DATABASE_URL not set")
+                await self.db.recreate_prisma_client(db_url)
+                await self._start_engine_watcher()
+
+            await asyncio.wait_for(_do_heavy_reconnect(), timeout=effective_timeout)
+        else:
+            verbose_proxy_logger.debug("Performing lightweight Prisma DB reconnect (engine alive or unknown).")
+
+            async def _do_direct_reconnect() -> None:
+                try:
+                    await self.db.disconnect()
+                except Exception as disconnect_err:
+                    verbose_proxy_logger.debug(
+                        "Prisma DB disconnect before reconnect failed (ignored): %s",
+                        disconnect_err,
+                    )
+
+                await self.db.connect()
+                await self.db.query_raw("SELECT 1")
+
+            await asyncio.wait_for(_do_direct_reconnect(), timeout=effective_timeout)
 
     async def attempt_db_reconnect(
         self,
@@ -3703,9 +4061,10 @@ class PrismaClient:
             self._db_reconnect_lock.release()
 
     async def start_db_health_watchdog_task(self) -> None:
-        """
-        Start a background task that probes DB health and attempts reconnect on failure.
-        """
+        """Start background tasks that monitor DB health:
+        - A periodic SELECT 1 probe that triggers reconnect on network/connection failure.
+        - A process-level watcher that detects engine death via SIGCHLD (instant,
+          kernel-level), pidfd (event-driven), or /proc polling (last-resort)."""
         if self._db_health_watchdog_enabled is not True:
             verbose_proxy_logger.debug(
                 "Prisma DB health watchdog disabled via PRISMA_HEALTH_WATCHDOG_ENABLED"
@@ -3723,11 +4082,11 @@ class PrismaClient:
             self._db_health_watchdog_probe_timeout_seconds,
             self._db_watchdog_reconnect_timeout_seconds,
         )
+        await self._start_engine_watcher()
 
     async def stop_db_health_watchdog_task(self) -> None:
-        """
-        Stop DB health watchdog task gracefully.
-        """
+        """Stop DB health watchdog task and engine watcher gracefully."""
+        self._stop_engine_watcher()
         if self._db_health_watchdog_task is None:
             return
         self._db_health_watchdog_task.cancel()
diff --git a/tests/litellm/proxy/test_prisma_engine_watchdog.py b/tests/litellm/proxy/test_prisma_engine_watchdog.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3c4afb47cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/litellm/proxy/test_prisma_engine_watchdog.py
@@ -0,0 +1,431 @@
+"""
+Tests for PrismaClient engine watchdog: death detection and automatic reconnect.
+
+Covers:
+- Engine PID discovery and liveness check
+- Process disappears from /proc → reconnect triggered via attempt_db_reconnect
+- Process becomes zombie in /proc → reconnect triggered via attempt_db_reconnect
+- pidfd handler → schedules attempt_db_reconnect even when lock is held
+- SIGCHLD handler → reaps all zombies, triggers reconnect if engine reaped
+- _run_reconnect_cycle branches: heavy path (engine dead) vs lightweight path (engine alive)
+- _engine_confirmed_dead flag ensures heavy reconnect even after _engine_pid reset
+- Successful heavy reconnect → watcher re-armed for new process
+- Missing DATABASE_URL → graceful RuntimeError in reconnect cycle
+- Shutdown → polling loop exits cleanly, SIGCHLD handler removed
+"""
+
+import asyncio
+import os
+import signal
+import time
+from unittest.mock import AsyncMock, MagicMock, mock_open, patch
+
+import pytest
+
+from litellm.proxy.utils import PrismaClient, ProxyLogging
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
+def mock_prisma_binary():
+    """Mock prisma.Prisma to avoid requiring generated Prisma binaries for unit tests."""
+    import sys
+
+    mock_module = MagicMock()
+    with patch.dict(sys.modules, {"prisma": mock_module}):
+        yield
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def mock_proxy_logging():
+    proxy_logging = AsyncMock(spec=ProxyLogging)
+    proxy_logging.failure_handler = AsyncMock()
+    return proxy_logging
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def engine_client(mock_proxy_logging) -> PrismaClient:
+    """
+    Minimal PrismaClient fixture for engine watchdog tests.
+    Uses the real constructor pattern from PR #21706 (database_url).
+    """
+    client = PrismaClient(database_url="mock://test", proxy_logging_obj=mock_proxy_logging)
+    client.db = MagicMock()
+    client.db.recreate_prisma_client = AsyncMock()
+    client.db.disconnect = AsyncMock(return_value=None)
+    client.db.connect = AsyncMock(return_value=None)
+    client.db.query_raw = AsyncMock(return_value=[{"result": 1}])
+    return client
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# _is_engine_alive
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def test_is_engine_alive_returns_true_when_pid_unknown(engine_client):
+    """_is_engine_alive returns True when no engine PID is tracked."""
+    engine_client._engine_pid = 0
+    assert engine_client._is_engine_alive() is True
+
+
+def test_is_engine_alive_returns_false_when_process_gone(engine_client):
+    """_is_engine_alive returns False when /proc/<pid>/stat is missing."""
+    engine_client._engine_pid = 9999
+    with patch("builtins.open", side_effect=FileNotFoundError):
+        assert engine_client._is_engine_alive() is False
+
+
+def test_is_engine_alive_returns_false_for_zombie(engine_client):
+    """_is_engine_alive returns False when process is in zombie state."""
+    engine_client._engine_pid = 1234
+    zombie_stat = "1234 (prisma-query-engine) Z 1\n"
+    with patch("builtins.open", mock_open(read_data=zombie_stat)):
+        assert engine_client._is_engine_alive() is False
+
+
+def test_is_engine_alive_returns_true_for_running_process(engine_client):
+    """_is_engine_alive returns True when process is in sleeping state."""
+    engine_client._engine_pid = 1234
+    alive_stat = "1234 (prisma-query-engine) S 1\n"
+    with patch("builtins.open", mock_open(read_data=alive_stat)):
+        assert engine_client._is_engine_alive() is True
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# _poll_engine_proc — calls attempt_db_reconnect on death
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_poll_missing_process_triggers_reconnect(engine_client) -> None:
+    """Polling loop triggers attempt_db_reconnect when the engine process disappears."""
+    engine_client._engine_pid = 1234
+    engine_client._watching_engine = True
+    engine_client.attempt_db_reconnect = AsyncMock(return_value=True)
+
+    with patch("builtins.open", side_effect=FileNotFoundError):
+        await engine_client._poll_engine_proc()
+
+    engine_client.attempt_db_reconnect.assert_awaited_once_with(
+        reason="engine_process_death",
+        force=True,
+    )
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_poll_zombie_process_triggers_reconnect(engine_client) -> None:
+    """Polling loop triggers attempt_db_reconnect when the engine enters zombie state."""
+    engine_client._engine_pid = 1234
+    engine_client._watching_engine = True
+    engine_client.attempt_db_reconnect = AsyncMock(return_value=True)
+
+    zombie_stat = "1234 (prisma-query-engine) Z 1\n"
+    with patch("builtins.open", mock_open(read_data=zombie_stat)):
+        await engine_client._poll_engine_proc()
+
+    engine_client.attempt_db_reconnect.assert_awaited_once_with(
+        reason="engine_process_death",
+        force=True,
+    )
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_stop_loop_halts_polling(engine_client) -> None:
+    """Polling loop exits cleanly when _stop_engine_watcher is called."""
+    engine_client._engine_pid = 1234
+    engine_client._watching_engine = True
+
+    alive_stat = "1234 (prisma-query-engine) S 1\n"
+
+    async def stop_during_sleep(_duration: float) -> None:
+        engine_client._stop_engine_watcher()
+
+    with (
+        patch("builtins.open", mock_open(read_data=alive_stat)),
+        patch("asyncio.sleep", side_effect=stop_during_sleep),
+    ):
+        await engine_client._poll_engine_proc()
+
+    assert engine_client._watching_engine is False
+    assert engine_client._engine_pid == 0
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# _on_pidfd_readable — calls attempt_db_reconnect
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_pidfd_readable_schedules_reconnect(engine_client) -> None:
+    """pidfd handler schedules attempt_db_reconnect via asyncio.create_task."""
+    engine_client._engine_pid = 1234
+    engine_client.attempt_db_reconnect = AsyncMock(return_value=True)
+
+    created_coros = []
+
+    def capture_task(coro):
+        created_coros.append(coro)
+        return MagicMock()
+
+    with patch("asyncio.create_task", side_effect=capture_task):
+        engine_client._on_pidfd_readable()
+
+    # Run the captured coroutine to completion
+    assert len(created_coros) == 1
+    await created_coros[0]
+
+    engine_client.attempt_db_reconnect.assert_awaited_once_with(
+        reason="engine_process_death",
+        force=True,
+    )
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_pidfd_schedules_reconnect_task_when_lock_held(engine_client) -> None:
+    """pidfd handler schedules reconnect task even when _db_reconnect_lock is held."""
+    engine_client._engine_pid = 1234
+
+    created_coros = []
+
+    def capture_task(coro):
+        created_coros.append(coro)
+        return MagicMock()
+
+    async with engine_client._db_reconnect_lock:
+        with patch("asyncio.create_task", side_effect=capture_task):
+            engine_client._on_pidfd_readable()
+
+    for coro in created_coros:
+        coro.close()
+
+    assert len(created_coros) == 1
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# _run_reconnect_cycle — engine liveness branching
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_run_reconnect_cycle_uses_heavy_path_when_engine_dead(
+    engine_client,
+) -> None:
+    """_run_reconnect_cycle calls recreate_prisma_client when engine is dead."""
+    engine_client._engine_pid = 1234
+    engine_client._start_engine_watcher = AsyncMock()
+
+    with (
+        patch.object(engine_client, "_is_engine_alive", return_value=False),
+        patch.dict(os.environ, {"DATABASE_URL": "postgresql://test"}),
+        patch("os.waitpid", side_effect=ChildProcessError),
+    ):
+        await engine_client._run_reconnect_cycle(timeout_seconds=5.0)
+
+    engine_client.db.recreate_prisma_client.assert_awaited_once_with("postgresql://test")
+    engine_client._start_engine_watcher.assert_awaited_once()
+    engine_client.db.connect.assert_not_awaited()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_run_reconnect_cycle_uses_heavy_path_when_confirmed_dead(
+    engine_client,
+) -> None:
+    """_run_reconnect_cycle takes heavy path when _engine_confirmed_dead is set.
+
+    This is the critical race-condition fix: SIGCHLD/pidfd handlers set
+    _engine_confirmed_dead BEFORE _cleanup_engine_watcher resets _engine_pid
+    to 0, so the heavy path executes even after cleanup.
+    """
+    engine_client._engine_pid = 0  # Already reset by cleanup!
+    engine_client._engine_confirmed_dead = True  # But flag survives cleanup
+    engine_client._start_engine_watcher = AsyncMock()
+
+    with (
+        patch.dict(os.environ, {"DATABASE_URL": "postgresql://test"}),
+        patch("os.waitpid", side_effect=ChildProcessError),
+    ):
+        await engine_client._run_reconnect_cycle(timeout_seconds=5.0)
+
+    engine_client.db.recreate_prisma_client.assert_awaited_once_with("postgresql://test")
+    engine_client._start_engine_watcher.assert_awaited_once()
+    engine_client.db.connect.assert_not_awaited()
+    assert engine_client._engine_confirmed_dead is False  # Reset after use
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_run_reconnect_cycle_uses_lightweight_path_when_engine_alive(
+    engine_client,
+) -> None:
+    """_run_reconnect_cycle uses disconnect/connect when engine is alive."""
+    engine_client._engine_pid = 1234
+
+    with patch.object(engine_client, "_is_engine_alive", return_value=True):
+        await engine_client._run_reconnect_cycle(timeout_seconds=5.0)
+
+    engine_client.db.connect.assert_awaited_once()
+    engine_client.db.query_raw.assert_awaited_once_with("SELECT 1")
+    engine_client.db.recreate_prisma_client.assert_not_awaited()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_run_reconnect_cycle_uses_lightweight_path_when_pid_unknown(
+    engine_client,
+) -> None:
+    """_run_reconnect_cycle uses lightweight path when engine PID is not tracked."""
+    engine_client._engine_pid = 0
+
+    await engine_client._run_reconnect_cycle(timeout_seconds=5.0)
+
+    engine_client.db.connect.assert_awaited_once()
+    engine_client.db.query_raw.assert_awaited_once_with("SELECT 1")
+    engine_client.db.recreate_prisma_client.assert_not_awaited()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_run_reconnect_cycle_heavy_path_raises_without_database_url(
+    engine_client,
+) -> None:
+    """Heavy reconnect raises RuntimeError when DATABASE_URL is not set."""
+    engine_client._engine_pid = 1234
+
+    with (
+        patch.object(engine_client, "_is_engine_alive", return_value=False),
+        patch.dict(os.environ, {}, clear=True),
+        patch("os.waitpid", side_effect=ChildProcessError),
+    ):
+        with pytest.raises(RuntimeError, match="DATABASE_URL not set"):
+            await engine_client._run_reconnect_cycle(timeout_seconds=5.0)
+
+    engine_client.db.recreate_prisma_client.assert_not_awaited()
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# start/stop lifecycle integration
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_start_watchdog_task_also_starts_engine_watcher(
+    engine_client,
+) -> None:
+    """start_db_health_watchdog_task() also starts engine watcher."""
+    engine_client._start_engine_watcher = AsyncMock()
+
+    loop = asyncio.get_running_loop()
+    dummy_task = loop.create_task(asyncio.sleep(3600))
+
+    def fake_create_task(coro):
+        coro.close()
+        return dummy_task
+
+    with patch("asyncio.create_task", side_effect=fake_create_task):
+        await engine_client.start_db_health_watchdog_task()
+
+    engine_client._start_engine_watcher.assert_awaited_once()
+    dummy_task.cancel()
+    try:
+        await dummy_task
+    except asyncio.CancelledError:
+        pass
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_stop_watchdog_task_also_stops_engine_watcher(
+    engine_client,
+) -> None:
+    """stop_db_health_watchdog_task() also stops engine watcher and SIGCHLD handler."""
+    engine_client._stop_engine_watcher = MagicMock()
+
+    loop = asyncio.get_running_loop()
+    dummy_task = loop.create_task(asyncio.sleep(3600))
+    engine_client._db_health_watchdog_task = dummy_task
+
+    await engine_client.stop_db_health_watchdog_task()
+
+    engine_client._stop_engine_watcher.assert_called_once()
+    assert engine_client._db_health_watchdog_task is None
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# SIGCHLD handler
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def test_sigchld_handler_reaps_engine_and_triggers_reconnect(engine_client):
+    """SIGCHLD handler detects engine death, reaps zombies, triggers reconnect."""
+    engine_client._engine_pid = 1234
+    created_coros = []
+
+    def capture_task(coro):
+        created_coros.append(coro)
+        return MagicMock()
+
+    # Simulate waitpid returning the engine PID then raising ChildProcessError
+    with (
+        patch("os.waitpid", side_effect=[(1234, 0), ChildProcessError]),
+        patch("asyncio.create_task", side_effect=capture_task),
+    ):
+        engine_client._on_sigchld()
+
+    assert engine_client._engine_confirmed_dead is True
+    assert engine_client._engine_pid == 0  # cleanup ran
+    assert len(created_coros) == 1
+    # Clean up the coroutine
+    created_coros[0].close()
+
+
+def test_sigchld_handler_ignores_non_engine_zombies(engine_client):
+    """SIGCHLD handler reaps non-engine zombies without triggering reconnect."""
+    engine_client._engine_pid = 1234
+
+    # Simulate reaping PID 5555 (not the engine)
+    with patch("os.waitpid", side_effect=[(5555, 0), ChildProcessError]):
+        engine_client._on_sigchld()
+
+    assert engine_client._engine_confirmed_dead is False
+    assert engine_client._engine_pid == 1234  # unchanged
+
+
+def test_sigchld_handler_no_double_trigger(engine_client):
+    """SIGCHLD handler does not trigger reconnect if already confirmed dead."""
+    engine_client._engine_pid = 1234
+    engine_client._engine_confirmed_dead = True  # Already handled
+
+    with (
+        patch("os.waitpid", side_effect=[(1234, 0), ChildProcessError]),
+        patch("asyncio.create_task") as mock_create_task,
+    ):
+        engine_client._on_sigchld()
+
+    mock_create_task.assert_not_called()
+
+
+def test_install_sigchld_handler_success(engine_client):
+    """SIGCHLD handler installs on a running event loop."""
+    mock_loop = MagicMock()
+    with patch("asyncio.get_running_loop", return_value=mock_loop):
+        assert engine_client._install_sigchld_handler() is True
+
+    assert engine_client._sigchld_installed is True
+    mock_loop.add_signal_handler.assert_called_once_with(
+        signal.SIGCHLD, engine_client._on_sigchld
+    )
+
+
+def test_install_sigchld_handler_no_loop(engine_client):
+    """SIGCHLD handler returns False when no event loop is running."""
+    with patch("asyncio.get_running_loop", side_effect=RuntimeError):
+        assert engine_client._install_sigchld_handler() is False
+
+    assert engine_client._sigchld_installed is False
+
+
+def test_remove_sigchld_handler(engine_client):
+    """SIGCHLD handler is properly removed."""
+    engine_client._sigchld_installed = True
+    mock_loop = MagicMock()
+    with patch("asyncio.get_running_loop", return_value=mock_loop):
+        engine_client._remove_sigchld_handler()
+
+    assert engine_client._sigchld_installed is False
+    mock_loop.remove_signal_handler.assert_called_once_with(signal.SIGCHLD)