diff --git a/shell/plugins/clipboard/Clipboard.qml b/shell/plugins/clipboard/Clipboard.qml
index 0b53c4c4..5b049695 100644
--- a/shell/plugins/clipboard/Clipboard.qml
+++ b/shell/plugins/clipboard/Clipboard.qml
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@ Item {
 
   property string historyPath: Quickshell.env("HOME") + "/.local/state/omarchy/clipboard-history.json"
   property string captureScript: root.omarchyPath + "/shell/plugins/clipboard/capture.sh"
-  property string watchCommand: "script=$1\ntrap 'kill $(jobs -p) 2>/dev/null' EXIT\nOMARCHY_CLIPBOARD_WATCH_MIME=text wl-paste --type text --watch \"$script\" 2>/dev/null &\nOMARCHY_CLIPBOARD_WATCH_MIME=image/png wl-paste --type image/png --watch \"$script\" 2>/dev/null &\nwait"
+  property string initScript: root.omarchyPath + "/shell/plugins/clipboard/init.sh"
+  property string watchScript: root.omarchyPath + "/shell/plugins/clipboard/watch.sh"
   // Shares the [menu] surface tokens — themes that style the menu also
   // style the clipboard. Selected-row colors composed in the
   // singleton so consumers drop them straight into Rectangle bindings.
@@ -261,11 +262,11 @@ Item {
 
   Process {
     id: initProc
-    command: ["bash", "-c", "mkdir -p ~/.local/state/omarchy\nscript=$1\nfor pid in $(pgrep -x wl-paste || true); do\n  cmdline=$(tr '\\0' ' ' <\"/proc/$pid/cmdline\" 2>/dev/null || true)\n  if [[ $cmdline == *\"wl-paste --type text --watch $script \"* || $cmdline == *\"wl-paste --type \"*\" --watch $script \"* || $cmdline == *\"/shell/plugins/clipboard/capture.sh\"* ]]; then\n    kill \"$pid\" 2>/dev/null || true\n  fi\ndone", "clipboard-init", root.captureScript]
+    command: [root.initScript, root.captureScript]
     onExited: {
       currentProc.command = [root.captureScript]
       currentProc.running = true
-      watchProc.command = ["bash", "-c", root.watchCommand, "clipboard-watch", root.captureScript]
+      watchProc.command = [root.watchScript, root.captureScript]
       watchProc.running = true
     }
   }
diff --git a/shell/plugins/clipboard/init.sh b/shell/plugins/clipboard/init.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..20c617b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shell/plugins/clipboard/init.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+current_script=${1:-}
+[[ -n $current_script ]] || exit 0
+
+is_clipboard_capture() {
+  local path=$1
+
+  [[ $path == */shell/plugins/clipboard/capture.sh ]]
+}
+
+watched_script_for_pid() {
+  local pid=$1
+  local -a args=()
+  local i
+
+  [[ -r /proc/$pid/cmdline ]] || return 1
+  mapfile -d '' -t args <"/proc/$pid/cmdline" || return 1
+  ((${#args[@]} > 0)) || return 1
+
+  for ((i = 0; i < ${#args[@]}; i++)); do
+    if [[ ${args[i]} == "--watch" ]]; then
+      printf '%s\n' "${args[i + 1]:-}"
+      return 0
+    fi
+  done
+
+  return 1
+}
+
+for pid in $(pgrep -x wl-paste 2>/dev/null || true); do
+  watched_script=$(watched_script_for_pid "$pid" || true)
+  [[ -n $watched_script ]] || continue
+  is_clipboard_capture "$watched_script" || continue
+
+  if [[ $watched_script == $current_script || ! -e $watched_script ]]; then
+    kill "$pid" 2>/dev/null || true
+  fi
+done
diff --git a/shell/plugins/clipboard/watch.sh b/shell/plugins/clipboard/watch.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..786d9488
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shell/plugins/clipboard/watch.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -o pipefail
+
+capture_script=${1:-}
+[[ -n $capture_script && -x $capture_script ]] || exit 1
+
+owner_pid=$PPID
+watchdog_pid=""
+
+cleanup() {
+  local pid
+
+  if [[ -n $watchdog_pid ]]; then
+    kill "$watchdog_pid" 2>/dev/null || true
+  fi
+
+  for pid in $(jobs -p); do
+    [[ $pid == $watchdog_pid ]] && continue
+    kill "$pid" 2>/dev/null || true
+  done
+
+  wait 2>/dev/null || true
+}
+
+stop() {
+  cleanup
+  exit 0
+}
+
+trap cleanup EXIT
+trap stop HUP INT TERM
+
+(
+  while kill -0 "$owner_pid" 2>/dev/null; do
+    sleep 1
+  done
+
+  kill -TERM "$$" 2>/dev/null || true
+) &
+watchdog_pid=$!
+
+OMARCHY_CLIPBOARD_WATCH_MIME=text wl-paste --type text --watch "$capture_script" 2>/dev/null &
+OMARCHY_CLIPBOARD_WATCH_MIME=image/png wl-paste --type image/png --watch "$capture_script" 2>/dev/null &
+
+wait
diff --git a/test/shell.d/clipboard-test.sh b/test/shell.d/clipboard-test.sh
index edcb45c4..7293112e 100644
--- a/test/shell.d/clipboard-test.sh
+++ b/test/shell.d/clipboard-test.sh
@@ -165,7 +165,42 @@ assert(
 JS
 
 TMPDIR=$(mktemp -d)
-trap 'rm -rf "$TMPDIR"' EXIT
+PIDS_TO_KILL=()
+
+cleanup() {
+  local pid
+
+  for pid in "${PIDS_TO_KILL[@]}"; do
+    kill "$pid" 2>/dev/null || true
+    wait "$pid" 2>/dev/null || true
+  done
+
+  rm -rf "$TMPDIR"
+}
+trap cleanup EXIT
+
+process_gone() {
+  local pid=$1
+  local stat
+
+  for _ in {1..40}; do
+    stat=$(ps -o stat= -p "$pid" 2>/dev/null || true)
+    if [[ -z $stat || $stat == Z* ]]; then
+      return 0
+    fi
+    sleep 0.1
+  done
+
+  return 1
+}
+
+process_alive() {
+  local pid=$1
+  local stat
+
+  stat=$(ps -o stat= -p "$pid" 2>/dev/null || true)
+  [[ -n $stat && $stat != Z* ]]
+}
 
 mkdir -p "$TMPDIR/bin" "$TMPDIR/home/.local/state/omarchy"
 
@@ -206,26 +241,112 @@ SH
 
 chmod +x "$TMPDIR/bin/wl-copy" "$TMPDIR/bin/wl-paste" "$TMPDIR/bin/wtype" "$TMPDIR/bin/omarchy-launch-browser" "$TMPDIR/bin/omarchy-launch-editor" "$TMPDIR/bin/tensaku-edit"
 
-capture_output=$(XDG_RUNTIME_DIR="$TMPDIR" PATH="$TMPDIR/bin:$PATH" "$ROOT/shell/plugins/clipboard/capture.sh")
+capture_output=$(XDG_RUNTIME_DIR="$TMPDIR" XDG_STATE_HOME="$TMPDIR/state" PATH="$TMPDIR/bin:$PATH" "$ROOT/shell/plugins/clipboard/capture.sh")
 [[ $capture_output == '{"type":"text","text":"terminal copy"}' ]] || fail "clipboard capture records normal text events"
 pass "clipboard capture records normal text events"
 
-capture_output=$(printf 'closing app copy' | OMARCHY_CLIPBOARD_WATCH_MIME=text WL_PASTE_TEXT="stale read" XDG_RUNTIME_DIR="$TMPDIR" PATH="$TMPDIR/bin:$PATH" "$ROOT/shell/plugins/clipboard/capture.sh")
+capture_output=$(printf 'closing app copy' | OMARCHY_CLIPBOARD_WATCH_MIME=text WL_PASTE_TEXT="stale read" XDG_RUNTIME_DIR="$TMPDIR" XDG_STATE_HOME="$TMPDIR/state" PATH="$TMPDIR/bin:$PATH" "$ROOT/shell/plugins/clipboard/capture.sh")
 [[ $capture_output == '{"type":"text","text":"closing app copy"}' ]] || fail "clipboard capture records watched text from stdin"
 pass "clipboard capture records watched text from stdin"
 
-capture_output=$(printf 'secret' | CLIPBOARD_STATE=sensitive OMARCHY_CLIPBOARD_WATCH_MIME=text XDG_RUNTIME_DIR="$TMPDIR" PATH="$TMPDIR/bin:$PATH" "$ROOT/shell/plugins/clipboard/capture.sh")
+capture_output=$(printf 'png-data' | OMARCHY_CLIPBOARD_WATCH_MIME=image/png XDG_RUNTIME_DIR="$TMPDIR" XDG_STATE_HOME="$TMPDIR/state" PATH="$TMPDIR/bin:$PATH" "$ROOT/shell/plugins/clipboard/capture.sh")
+image_path=$(jq -r '.path' <<<"$capture_output")
+jq -e '.type == "image" and .mime == "image/png" and (.capturedAt | type == "string")' <<<"$capture_output" >/dev/null || fail "clipboard capture records watched png images"
+[[ -s $image_path && $(<"$image_path") == "png-data" ]] || fail "clipboard capture stores watched png image data"
+pass "clipboard capture records watched png images"
+
+capture_output=$(printf 'secret' | CLIPBOARD_STATE=sensitive OMARCHY_CLIPBOARD_WATCH_MIME=text XDG_RUNTIME_DIR="$TMPDIR" XDG_STATE_HOME="$TMPDIR/state" PATH="$TMPDIR/bin:$PATH" "$ROOT/shell/plugins/clipboard/capture.sh")
 [[ -z $capture_output ]] || fail "clipboard capture ignores sensitive watched text"
 pass "clipboard capture ignores sensitive watched text"
 
-capture_output=$(CLIPBOARD_STATE=sensitive XDG_RUNTIME_DIR="$TMPDIR" PATH="$TMPDIR/bin:$PATH" "$ROOT/shell/plugins/clipboard/capture.sh")
+capture_output=$(CLIPBOARD_STATE=sensitive XDG_RUNTIME_DIR="$TMPDIR" XDG_STATE_HOME="$TMPDIR/state" PATH="$TMPDIR/bin:$PATH" "$ROOT/shell/plugins/clipboard/capture.sh")
 [[ -z $capture_output ]] || fail "clipboard capture ignores sensitive clipboard events"
 pass "clipboard capture ignores sensitive clipboard events"
 
-capture_output=$(WL_PASTE_TYPES="text/plain\nx-kde-passwordManagerHint\n" XDG_RUNTIME_DIR="$TMPDIR" PATH="$TMPDIR/bin:$PATH" "$ROOT/shell/plugins/clipboard/capture.sh")
+capture_output=$(WL_PASTE_TYPES="text/plain\nx-kde-passwordManagerHint\n" XDG_RUNTIME_DIR="$TMPDIR" XDG_STATE_HOME="$TMPDIR/state" PATH="$TMPDIR/bin:$PATH" "$ROOT/shell/plugins/clipboard/capture.sh")
 [[ -z $capture_output ]] || fail "clipboard capture ignores password manager hint"
 pass "clipboard capture ignores password manager hint"
 
+cat >"$TMPDIR/bin/wl-paste" <<'SH'
+#!/bin/bash
+printf '%s\t%s\n' "$BASHPID" "$*" >>"${WL_PASTE_LOG:-/dev/null}"
+sleep_pid=""
+
+cleanup() {
+  [[ -n $sleep_pid ]] && kill "$sleep_pid" 2>/dev/null || true
+  exit 0
+}
+trap cleanup HUP INT TERM
+
+while true; do
+  sleep 10 &
+  sleep_pid=$!
+  wait "$sleep_pid"
+done
+SH
+chmod +x "$TMPDIR/bin/wl-paste"
+
+clipboard_lifecycle_dir="$TMPDIR/clipboard-lifecycle"
+current_script="$clipboard_lifecycle_dir/current/shell/plugins/clipboard/capture.sh"
+other_script="$clipboard_lifecycle_dir/other/shell/plugins/clipboard/capture.sh"
+missing_script="$clipboard_lifecycle_dir/missing/shell/plugins/clipboard/capture.sh"
+watch_log="$clipboard_lifecycle_dir/wl-paste.log"
+mkdir -p "$(dirname "$current_script")" "$(dirname "$other_script")"
+cp "$ROOT/shell/plugins/clipboard/capture.sh" "$current_script"
+cp "$ROOT/shell/plugins/clipboard/capture.sh" "$other_script"
+chmod +x "$current_script" "$other_script"
+
+WL_PASTE_LOG="$watch_log" PATH="$TMPDIR/bin:$PATH" wl-paste --type text --watch "$current_script" &
+current_pid=$!
+PIDS_TO_KILL+=("$current_pid")
+WL_PASTE_LOG="$watch_log" PATH="$TMPDIR/bin:$PATH" wl-paste --type text --watch "$other_script" &
+other_pid=$!
+PIDS_TO_KILL+=("$other_pid")
+WL_PASTE_LOG="$watch_log" PATH="$TMPDIR/bin:$PATH" wl-paste --type text --watch "$missing_script" &
+missing_pid=$!
+PIDS_TO_KILL+=("$missing_pid")
+
+sleep 0.2
+PATH="$TMPDIR/bin:$PATH" "$ROOT/shell/plugins/clipboard/init.sh" "$current_script"
+process_gone "$current_pid" || fail "clipboard init kills watchers for the current capture script"
+process_gone "$missing_pid" || fail "clipboard init kills stale temp-root watchers"
+process_alive "$other_pid" || fail "clipboard init preserves watchers for another existing capture script"
+kill "$other_pid" 2>/dev/null || true
+wait "$other_pid" 2>/dev/null || true
+pass "clipboard init cleans current and stale watchers without killing other live roots"
+
+watch_owner="$clipboard_lifecycle_dir/watch-owner.sh"
+watch_pid_file="$clipboard_lifecycle_dir/watch.pid"
+: >"$watch_log"
+cat >"$watch_owner" <<SH
+#!/bin/bash
+WL_PASTE_LOG="$watch_log" PATH="$TMPDIR/bin:\$PATH" "$ROOT/shell/plugins/clipboard/watch.sh" "$current_script" &
+printf '%s\n' "\$!" >"$watch_pid_file"
+wait
+SH
+chmod +x "$watch_owner"
+
+"$watch_owner" &
+owner_pid=$!
+PIDS_TO_KILL+=("$owner_pid")
+
+for _ in {1..40}; do
+  [[ -s $watch_pid_file && $(wc -l <"$watch_log") -ge 2 ]] && break
+  sleep 0.1
+done
+
+watch_pid=$(<"$watch_pid_file")
+mapfile -t watch_child_pids < <(awk '{print $1}' "$watch_log")
+[[ -n $watch_pid && ${#watch_child_pids[@]} -ge 2 ]] || fail "clipboard watch helper starts text and image watchers"
+PIDS_TO_KILL+=("$watch_pid" "${watch_child_pids[@]}")
+
+kill "$owner_pid" 2>/dev/null || true
+process_gone "$watch_pid" || fail "clipboard watch helper exits when its owner exits"
+for child_pid in "${watch_child_pids[@]}"; do
+  process_gone "$child_pid" || fail "clipboard watch helper stops child wl-paste watchers"
+done
+pass "clipboard watch helper cleans up when its owner exits"
+
 jq -n --arg text "$(printf 'large block line 1\nlarge block line 2\n')" '[{type:"text", text:"ignored"}, {type:"text", text:$text}]' >"$TMPDIR/home/.local/state/omarchy/clipboard-history.json"
 
 WL_COPY_OUT="$TMPDIR/copied" WTYPE_OUT="$TMPDIR/wtype" HOME="$TMPDIR/home" PATH="$TMPDIR/bin:$PATH" \