diff --git a/cli/src/__tests__/install-store.test.ts b/cli/src/__tests__/install-store.test.ts
index 732ee5267ca..e8ac8f7da70 100644
--- a/cli/src/__tests__/install-store.test.ts
+++ b/cli/src/__tests__/install-store.test.ts
@@ -138,13 +138,13 @@ describe("managed install store", () => {
     expect(fs.existsSync(paths.lockPath)).toBe(false);
   });
 
-  it("fails closed without replacing a stale-looking lock", async () => {
-    const staleToken = "999999:stale";
+  it("recovers a lock owned by a process that no longer exists", async () => {
+    const staleToken = "2147483647:stale";
     await withInstallStoreLock(async () => undefined, paths);
     fs.writeFileSync(paths.lockPath, `${staleToken}\n`, { mode: 0o600 });
 
-    await expect(withInstallStoreLock(async () => undefined, paths)).rejects.toThrow("stale lock");
-    expect(fs.readFileSync(paths.lockPath, "utf8")).toBe(`${staleToken}\n`);
+    await expect(withInstallStoreLock(async () => undefined, paths)).resolves.toBeUndefined();
+    expect(fs.existsSync(paths.lockPath)).toBe(false);
   });
 
   it("reports managed provenance only for the payload selected by current", () => {
diff --git a/cli/src/__tests__/update-command.test.ts b/cli/src/__tests__/update-command.test.ts
index 77de35b6e24..99e09d156de 100644
--- a/cli/src/__tests__/update-command.test.ts
+++ b/cli/src/__tests__/update-command.test.ts
@@ -73,9 +73,11 @@ describe("update command", () => {
     flipCurrentAtomic(oldPayload, paths);
     writeInstallManifestAtomic({ schemaVersion: 1, source: "git", version: "0.3.1", channel: "pinned", repo: "paperclipai/paperclip", ref: "master", sha: oldSha, payloadPath: oldPayload, installedAt: "2026-07-22T00:00:00.000Z", previous: [] }, paths);
     const backup = vi.fn(async () => undefined);
+    const confirm = vi.fn(async () => true);
     const restartActiveService = vi.fn(async () => true);
     const runCommand = vi.fn(async (file: string) => file === "curl" ? { stdout: JSON.stringify({ sha: newSha }), stderr: "" } : { stdout: "0.3.1\n", stderr: "" });
-    await updateCommand({}, { paths, executablePath: executable, runCommand, backup, restartActiveService, now: () => new Date("2026-07-22T12:00:00Z") });
+    await updateCommand({}, { paths, executablePath: executable, runCommand, backup, confirm, restartActiveService, now: () => new Date("2026-07-22T12:00:00Z") });
+    expect(confirm).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.stringContaining(`commit ${newSha.slice(0, 12)}`));
     expect(backup).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
     expect(restartActiveService).toHaveBeenCalledWith("0.3.1");
     expect(readInstallManifest(paths)?.sha).toBe(newSha);
diff --git a/cli/src/commands/update.ts b/cli/src/commands/update.ts
index 64c1f9376a1..a04704999e8 100644
--- a/cli/src/commands/update.ts
+++ b/cli/src/commands/update.ts
@@ -138,6 +138,10 @@ export async function updateCommand(options: UpdateOptions, overrides: Partial<D
     const targetSha = await resolveGitHubRef(manifest.repo, manifest.ref, runCommand);
     if (targetSha === manifest.sha) { emit(options, { mode, source: "git", changed: false, sha: targetSha, ref: manifest.ref }, `${manifest.repo}@${manifest.ref} is already at ${targetSha.slice(0, 12)}.`); return; }
     if (options.check || options.dryRun) { emit(options, { mode, source: "git", changed: true, currentSha: manifest.sha, targetSha, ref: manifest.ref, dryRun: Boolean(options.dryRun) }, `Git update available: ${manifest.sha.slice(0, 12)} → ${targetSha.slice(0, 12)}.`); if (options.check) process.exitCode = 10; return; }
+    if (options.yes !== true) {
+      const confirmed = await (overrides.confirm ?? defaultConfirm)(`Update from ${manifest.repo}@${manifest.ref} and execute build scripts from commit ${targetSha.slice(0, 12)}?`);
+      if (!confirmed) throw new Error("Git update cancelled. Re-run with --yes to confirm executing build scripts from the updated commit.");
+    }
     if (options.backup !== false) await (overrides.backup ?? (() => dbBackupCommand({})))();
     const installed = await withInstallStoreLock(async () => {
       const payload = await installGitPayload(manifest.repo!, targetSha, runCommand, paths);
diff --git a/cli/src/install-store.ts b/cli/src/install-store.ts
index c74b3f18ded..18898fbab88 100644
--- a/cli/src/install-store.ts
+++ b/cli/src/install-store.ts
@@ -151,6 +151,14 @@ export async function withInstallStoreLock<T>(
 ): Promise<T> {
   if (options.initialize !== false) initializeInstallStore(paths);
   const token = `${process.pid}:${Date.now()}:${Math.random().toString(16).slice(2)}`;
+  const processIsAlive = (pid: number): boolean => {
+    try {
+      process.kill(pid, 0);
+      return true;
+    } catch (error) {
+      return (error as NodeJS.ErrnoException).code === "EPERM";
+    }
+  };
   const acquire = (): void => {
     const temporaryPath = `${paths.lockPath}.${token}.tmp`;
     try {
@@ -163,6 +171,12 @@ export async function withInstallStoreLock<T>(
       }
       const owner = fs.readFileSync(paths.lockPath, "utf8").trim();
       const ownerPid = Number.parseInt(owner.split(":", 1)[0] ?? "", 10);
+      if (Number.isInteger(ownerPid) && ownerPid > 0 && !processIsAlive(ownerPid)) {
+        fs.rmSync(paths.lockPath);
+        fs.rmSync(temporaryPath, { force: true });
+        acquire();
+        return;
+      }
       const ownerLabel = Number.isInteger(ownerPid) && ownerPid > 0 ? ` (pid ${ownerPid})` : "";
       throw new Error(
         `Another managed install is already running${ownerLabel}. ` +