diff --git a/src/resources/extensions/gsd/auto.ts b/src/resources/extensions/gsd/auto.ts
index 131272345..81939a4ae 100644
--- a/src/resources/extensions/gsd/auto.ts
+++ b/src/resources/extensions/gsd/auto.ts
@@ -414,6 +414,13 @@ export function stopAutoRemote(projectRoot: string): {
   const lock = readCrashLock(projectRoot);
   if (!lock) return { found: false };
 
+  // Never SIGTERM ourselves — a stale lock with our own PID is not a remote
+  // session, it is leftover from a prior loop exit in this process. (#2730)
+  if (lock.pid === process.pid) {
+    clearLock(projectRoot);
+    return { found: false };
+  }
+
   if (!isLockProcessAlive(lock)) {
     // Stale lock — clean it up
     clearLock(projectRoot);
@@ -445,6 +452,10 @@ export function checkRemoteAutoSession(projectRoot: string): {
   const lock = readCrashLock(projectRoot);
   if (!lock) return { running: false };
 
+  // Our own PID is not a "remote" session — it is a stale lock left by this
+  // process (e.g. after step-mode exit without full cleanup). (#2730)
+  if (lock.pid === process.pid) return { running: false };
+
   if (!isLockProcessAlive(lock)) {
     // Stale lock from a dead process — not a live remote session
     return { running: false };
@@ -548,6 +559,16 @@ function cleanupAfterLoopExit(ctx: ExtensionContext): void {
   s.active = false;
   clearUnitTimeout();
 
+  // Clear crash lock and release session lock so the next `/gsd next` does
+  // not see a stale lock with the current PID and treat it as a "remote"
+  // session (which would cause it to SIGTERM itself). (#2730)
+  try {
+    if (lockBase()) clearLock(lockBase());
+    if (lockBase()) releaseSessionLock(lockBase());
+  } catch {
+    /* best-effort — mirror stopAuto cleanup */
+  }
+
   ctx.ui.setStatus("gsd-auto", undefined);
   ctx.ui.setWidget("gsd-progress", undefined);
   ctx.ui.setFooter(undefined);
diff --git a/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/auto-stale-lock-self-kill.test.ts b/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/auto-stale-lock-self-kill.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..08f1c8f29
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/resources/extensions/gsd/tests/auto-stale-lock-self-kill.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+import test from "node:test";
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { mkdirSync, mkdtempSync, writeFileSync, existsSync, rmSync } from "node:fs";
+import { join } from "node:path";
+import { tmpdir } from "node:os";
+
+import { writeLock, readCrashLock, clearLock } from "../crash-recovery.ts";
+import { checkRemoteAutoSession, stopAutoRemote } from "../auto.ts";
+
+function makeTmpProject(): string {
+  const dir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), "gsd-stale-lock-test-"));
+  mkdirSync(join(dir, ".gsd"), { recursive: true });
+  return dir;
+}
+
+// ─── checkRemoteAutoSession: own-PID filtering (#2730) ───────────────────
+
+test("#2730: checkRemoteAutoSession returns { running: false } when lock PID matches current process", (t) => {
+  const dir = makeTmpProject();
+  t.after(() => rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true }));
+
+  // Write a lock with the current process PID — simulates a stale lock
+  // left behind after step-mode exit without full cleanup.
+  writeLock(dir, "execute-task", "M001/S01/T01");
+
+  const lock = readCrashLock(dir);
+  assert.ok(lock, "lock file should exist");
+  assert.equal(lock!.pid, process.pid, "lock should have our PID");
+
+  const result = checkRemoteAutoSession(dir);
+  assert.equal(result.running, false, "own PID must not be treated as a remote session");
+});
+
+test("#2730: checkRemoteAutoSession still detects a genuine remote session (different PID)", (t) => {
+  const dir = makeTmpProject();
+  t.after(() => rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true }));
+
+  // Use parent PID — guaranteed alive, guaranteed not our PID.
+  const remotePid = process.ppid;
+  const lockData = {
+    pid: remotePid,
+    startedAt: new Date().toISOString(),
+    unitType: "execute-task",
+    unitId: "M001/S01/T02",
+    unitStartedAt: new Date().toISOString(),
+  };
+  writeFileSync(join(dir, ".gsd", "auto.lock"), JSON.stringify(lockData, null, 2));
+
+  const result = checkRemoteAutoSession(dir);
+  assert.equal(result.running, true, "different live PID should be detected as running");
+  assert.equal(result.pid, remotePid);
+});
+
+// ─── stopAutoRemote: self-kill prevention (#2730) ────────────────────────
+
+test("#2730: stopAutoRemote does not send SIGTERM when lock PID matches current process", (t) => {
+  const dir = makeTmpProject();
+  t.after(() => rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true }));
+
+  // Write a lock with our own PID
+  writeLock(dir, "execute-task", "M001/S01/T01");
+
+  const result = stopAutoRemote(dir);
+  assert.equal(result.found, false, "own PID must not be signalled");
+
+  // The lock should be cleared as part of the self-detection cleanup
+  assert.ok(!existsSync(join(dir, ".gsd", "auto.lock")), "stale self-lock should be cleared");
+});
+
+test("#2730: stopAutoRemote clears stale lock from dead remote process without error", (t) => {
+  const dir = makeTmpProject();
+  t.after(() => rmSync(dir, { recursive: true, force: true }));
+
+  // Simulate a stale lock from a process that no longer exists
+  const lockData = {
+    pid: 9999999,
+    startedAt: "2026-03-01T00:00:00Z",
+    unitType: "plan-slice",
+    unitId: "M001/S02",
+    unitStartedAt: "2026-03-01T00:05:00Z",
+  };
+  writeFileSync(join(dir, ".gsd", "auto.lock"), JSON.stringify(lockData, null, 2));
+
+  const result = stopAutoRemote(dir);
+  assert.equal(result.found, false, "dead remote PID should not be reported as found");
+  assert.ok(!existsSync(join(dir, ".gsd", "auto.lock")), "stale lock should be cleaned up");
+});