diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index f9453d1..efd2778 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -262,9 +262,8 @@ export default async function fkill(inputs, options = {}) {
 		}
 	})));
 
-	const exists = await processExistsMultiple([...parsedInputsMap.values()]);
-
 	const errors = [];
+	const killFailures = [];
 
 	const handleKill = async input => {
 		const parsedInput = parsedInputsMap.get(input);
@@ -272,16 +271,24 @@ export default async function fkill(inputs, options = {}) {
 		try {
 			await killWithLimits(input, options);
 		} catch (error) {
+			killFailures.push({input, parsedInput, error});
+		}
+	};
+
+	await Promise.all(inputs.map(input => handleKill(input)));
+
+	if (killFailures.length > 0 && !options.silent) {
+		const exists = await processExistsMultiple(killFailures.map(({parsedInput}) => parsedInput));
+
+		for (const {input, parsedInput, error} of killFailures) {
 			if (!exists.get(parsedInput)) {
 				errors.push(`Killing process ${input} failed: Process doesn't exist`);
-				return;
+				continue;
 			}
 
 			errors.push(`Killing process ${input} failed: ${error.message.replace(/.*\n/, '').replace(/kill: \d+: /, '').trim()}`);
 		}
-	};
-
-	await Promise.all(inputs.map(input => handleKill(input)));
+	}
 
 	if (errors.length > 0 && !options.silent) {
 		throw new AggregateError(errors, 'Failed to kill processes');
diff --git a/lazy-existence-check.test.js b/lazy-existence-check.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..41edef2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lazy-existence-check.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+import {test} from 'node:test';
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import {readFile} from 'node:fs/promises';
+
+const createDataModule = source => `data:text/javascript,${encodeURIComponent(source)}`;
+
+const loadFkillWithMocks = async ({killError = false, processExistsResult = true} = {}) => {
+	const callsKey = `__fkillMockCalls_${Date.now()}_${Math.random().toString(36).slice(2)}`;
+	const calls = {
+		events: [],
+		execa: [],
+		processExistsMultiple: [],
+		taskkill: [],
+	};
+
+	globalThis[callsKey] = calls;
+
+	const getCalls = `const calls = globalThis[${JSON.stringify(callsKey)}];`;
+	const killImplementation = killError
+		? 'throw Object.assign(new Error(\'kill failed\'), {exitCode: 1});'
+		: 'return undefined;';
+
+	const taskkillModule = createDataModule(`
+		${getCalls}
+		export const taskkill = async (...arguments_) => {
+			calls.events.push('kill');
+			calls.taskkill.push(arguments_);
+			${killImplementation}
+		};
+	`);
+
+	const execaModule = createDataModule(`
+		${getCalls}
+		export const execa = async (...arguments_) => {
+			calls.events.push('kill');
+			calls.execa.push(arguments_);
+			${killImplementation}
+		};
+	`);
+
+	const processExistsModule = createDataModule(`
+		${getCalls}
+		export const processExistsMultiple = async processes => {
+			calls.events.push('exists');
+			calls.processExistsMultiple.push(processes);
+			return new Map(processes.map(process_ => [process_, ${JSON.stringify(processExistsResult)}]));
+		};
+
+		export const filterExistingProcesses = async processes => processes;
+	`);
+
+	const indexSource = await readFile(new URL('index.js', import.meta.url), 'utf8');
+	const source = indexSource
+		.replace('from \'taskkill\';', `from ${JSON.stringify(taskkillModule)};`)
+		.replace('from \'execa\';', `from ${JSON.stringify(execaModule)};`)
+		.replace('from \'pid-port\';', `from ${JSON.stringify(createDataModule('export const portToPid = async () => 1234;'))};`)
+		.replace('from \'process-exists\';', `from ${JSON.stringify(processExistsModule)};`)
+		.replace('from \'ps-list\';', `from ${JSON.stringify(createDataModule('export default async () => [];'))};`);
+
+	const {default: fkill} = await import(createDataModule(source));
+
+	return {
+		fkill,
+		calls,
+		cleanup() {
+			delete globalThis[callsKey];
+		},
+	};
+};
+
+test('does not check process existence before a successful kill', async () => {
+	const {fkill, calls, cleanup} = await loadFkillWithMocks();
+
+	try {
+		await fkill(1234, {force: true});
+
+		assert.deepEqual(calls.events, ['kill']);
+		assert.equal(calls.processExistsMultiple.length, 0);
+	} finally {
+		cleanup();
+	}
+});
+
+test('checks process existence only after a failed kill', async () => {
+	const {fkill, calls, cleanup} = await loadFkillWithMocks({
+		killError: true,
+		processExistsResult: false,
+	});
+
+	try {
+		await assert.rejects(
+			fkill(1234, {force: true}),
+			error => {
+				assert.ok(error instanceof AggregateError);
+				assert.match(error.errors.join(' '), /Process doesn't exist/);
+				return true;
+			},
+		);
+
+		assert.deepEqual(calls.events, ['kill', 'exists']);
+		assert.equal(calls.processExistsMultiple.length, 1);
+	} finally {
+		cleanup();
+	}
+});