diff --git a/packages/dsh-loopx-plugin/src/cli.ts b/packages/dsh-loopx-plugin/src/cli.ts
index c4079936fc..52319f68a0 100644
--- a/packages/dsh-loopx-plugin/src/cli.ts
+++ b/packages/dsh-loopx-plugin/src/cli.ts
@@ -377,9 +377,15 @@ export async function resolveLoopXCommand(
           maxOutputBytes: 16 * 1024,
         },
       )
+      if (options.signal?.aborted) {
+        throw new LoopXCliError('aborted', 'operation was cancelled', false)
+      }
       const version = result.exitCode === 0 ? versionText(result.stdout) : undefined
       if (version) return { ...candidate, version }
     } catch (error: unknown) {
+      if (options.signal?.aborted) {
+        throw new LoopXCliError('aborted', 'operation was cancelled', false)
+      }
       if (error instanceof LoopXCliError && error.kind === 'aborted') throw error
     }
   }
diff --git a/packages/dsh-loopx-plugin/tests/cli.spec.ts b/packages/dsh-loopx-plugin/tests/cli.spec.ts
index 501aa07821..cb8357a553 100644
--- a/packages/dsh-loopx-plugin/tests/cli.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/dsh-loopx-plugin/tests/cli.spec.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,23 @@ const command: LoopXCommand = {
 }
 
 describe('runJsonCommand', () => {
+  it.each(['valid-version', 'nonzero-exit', 'rejected-probe'])(
+    'honours cancellation at the %s probe completion boundary', async outcome => {
+      const controller = new AbortController()
+      let probes = 0
+      await expect(resolveLoopXCommand({
+        signal: controller.signal, env: { LOOPX_BIN: 'fixture-loopx' },
+        runner: async () => {
+          probes += 1
+          controller.abort()
+          if (outcome === 'rejected-probe') throw new Error('probe closed during cancellation')
+          return { exitCode: outcome === 'valid-version' ? 0 : 1, stdout: 'loopx 1.2.4\n', stderr: '' }
+        },
+      })).rejects.toMatchObject({ kind: 'aborted', retryable: false })
+      expect(probes).toBe(1)
+    },
+  )
+
   it.each(['0.5.4', '1.2.3', '1.2.4rc1', '1.2.4.dev1', 'smoke', '1.2.4unknown'])(
     'rejects unavailable or pre-fix CLI version %s', async version => {
       await expect(resolveLoopXCommand({
diff --git a/packages/dsh-loopx-plugin/tests/driver.spec.ts b/packages/dsh-loopx-plugin/tests/driver.spec.ts
index 0d817256b8..624f84ea63 100644
--- a/packages/dsh-loopx-plugin/tests/driver.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/dsh-loopx-plugin/tests/driver.spec.ts
@@ -467,6 +467,31 @@ function makeDriver(fixture: RunnerFixture): LoopXContinuationDriver {
 }
 
 describe('same-session LoopX driver', () => {
+  it('does not report a cancelled maintenance probe as a missing CLI', async () => {
+    const host = fakeAgent()
+    const maintenance = new AbortController()
+    const warnings: string[] = []
+    let probes = 0
+    vi.spyOn(host.agent, 'runMaintenance').mockImplementation(task => task(maintenance.signal))
+    const driver = new LoopXContinuationDriver({
+      isLiveAgent: () => true,
+      runner: async () => {
+        probes += 1
+        maintenance.abort()
+        return { exitCode: 1, stdout: '', stderr: '' }
+      },
+      warn: message => warnings.push(message),
+    })
+    try {
+      observeActivated(driver, host)
+      await waitFor(() => probes > 0)
+      await new Promise<void>(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 0))
+      expect(warnings).toEqual([])
+      expect(host.nextTurn).toHaveLength(0)
+      expect(probes).toBe(1)
+    } finally { await driver.dispose() }
+  })
+
   it('retries admission after attach-time maintenance becomes free without an idle event', async () => {
     const fixture = runnerFixture()
     const host = fakeAgent()