diff --git a/pkg/executor/executor.go b/pkg/executor/executor.go
index 6e723066..beb23f88 100644
--- a/pkg/executor/executor.go
+++ b/pkg/executor/executor.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"bufio"
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"log/slog"
@@ -24,12 +25,22 @@ const (
 	serviceName = "executor"
 )
 
+// Run starts the command, waits for it to complete, and returns the error.
+// The child PID is registered in the global process registry while the process
+// is running so that a PID-1 zombie reaper does not steal it.
 func Run(cmd *exec.Cmd) error {
 	// TODO context: hook name, hook phase, hook binding
 	// TODO observability
 	log.Debug("Executing command", slog.String(pkg.LogKeyCommand, strings.Join(cmd.Args, " ")), slog.String(pkg.LogKeyDir, cmd.Dir))
 
-	return cmd.Run()
+	if err := cmd.Start(); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	registerPID(cmd.Process.Pid)
+	defer unregisterPID(cmd.Process.Pid)
+
+	return cmd.Wait()
 }
 
 // StderrError is returned by RunAndLogLines when a command fails and produces
@@ -113,7 +124,36 @@ func (e *Executor) Output() ([]byte, error) {
 	e.logger.Debug("Executing command",
 		slog.String(pkg.LogKeyCommand, strings.Join(e.cmd.Args, " ")),
 		slog.String(pkg.LogKeyDir, e.cmd.Dir))
-	return e.cmd.Output()
+
+	// Reproduce cmd.Output() but interleave PID registration so that the
+	// PID-1 zombie reaper skips this process.
+	if e.cmd.Stdout != nil {
+		return nil, errors.New("exec: Stdout already set")
+	}
+	var stdout bytes.Buffer
+	e.cmd.Stdout = &stdout
+
+	captureErr := e.cmd.Stderr == nil
+	var stderrBuf bytes.Buffer
+	if captureErr {
+		e.cmd.Stderr = &stderrBuf
+	}
+
+	if err := e.cmd.Start(); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	registerPID(e.cmd.Process.Pid)
+	defer unregisterPID(e.cmd.Process.Pid)
+
+	err := e.cmd.Wait()
+	if err != nil && captureErr {
+		if ee, ok := err.(*exec.ExitError); ok {
+			ee.Stderr = stderrBuf.Bytes()
+		}
+	}
+
+	return stdout.Bytes(), err
 }
 
 type CmdUsage struct {
@@ -154,7 +194,14 @@ func (e *Executor) RunAndLogLines(ctx context.Context, logLabels map[string]stri
 	e.cmd.Stdout = plo
 	e.cmd.Stderr = io.MultiWriter(ple, stdErr)
 
-	err := e.cmd.Run()
+	if err := e.cmd.Start(); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("cmd start: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	registerPID(e.cmd.Process.Pid)
+	defer unregisterPID(e.cmd.Process.Pid)
+
+	err := e.cmd.Wait()
 	if err != nil {
 		if len(stdErr.Bytes()) > 0 {
 			return nil, &StderrError{Message: stdErr.String()}
diff --git a/pkg/executor/executor_test.go b/pkg/executor/executor_test.go
index ccfc52fb..ba92c134 100644
--- a/pkg/executor/executor_test.go
+++ b/pkg/executor/executor_test.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package executor
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"context"
-	json "github.com/flant/shell-operator/pkg/utils/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"math/rand/v2"
@@ -16,6 +15,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/deckhouse/deckhouse/pkg/log"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+
+	json "github.com/flant/shell-operator/pkg/utils/json"
 )
 
 func TestRunAndLogLines(t *testing.T) {
@@ -250,3 +251,155 @@ func randStringRunes(n int) string {
 	}
 	return string(b)
 }
+
+// newTestRegistry creates a fresh processRegistry for tests and swaps the
+// global singleton, returning a cleanup function that restores it.
+func newTestRegistry(t *testing.T) *processRegistry {
+	t.Helper()
+
+	r := &processRegistry{activePIDs: make(map[int32]struct{})}
+	orig := registry
+	registry = r
+	t.Cleanup(func() { registry = orig })
+
+	return r
+}
+
+func TestProcessRegistry_Basic(t *testing.T) {
+	r := &processRegistry{activePIDs: make(map[int32]struct{})}
+
+	// Initially empty
+	assert.False(t, r.IsActive(1), "IsActive should return false for unknown PID")
+	assert.False(t, r.IsActive(12345), "IsActive should return false for unknown PID")
+
+	// Register and check
+	r.register(42)
+	assert.True(t, r.IsActive(42), "IsActive should return true for registered PID")
+	assert.False(t, r.IsActive(43), "IsActive should return false for different PID")
+
+	// Unregister and check
+	r.unregister(42)
+	assert.False(t, r.IsActive(42), "IsActive should return false after unregister")
+}
+
+func TestProcessRegistry_DoubleUnregister(t *testing.T) {
+	r := &processRegistry{activePIDs: make(map[int32]struct{})}
+
+	r.register(100)
+	r.unregister(100)
+	r.unregister(100) // should not panic
+
+	assert.False(t, r.IsActive(100))
+}
+
+func TestProcessRegistry_Concurrent(t *testing.T) {
+	r := &processRegistry{activePIDs: make(map[int32]struct{})}
+	const goroutines = 100
+	const pidsPerGoroutine = 100
+
+	done := make(chan struct{})
+
+	// Concurrently register PIDs
+	for i := range goroutines {
+		go func() {
+			defer func() { done <- struct{}{} }()
+			for j := 0; j < pidsPerGoroutine; j++ {
+				r.register(i*pidsPerGoroutine + j)
+			}
+		}()
+	}
+
+	for range goroutines {
+		<-done
+	}
+
+	// All PIDs should be registered
+	for i := range goroutines {
+		for j := 0; j < pidsPerGoroutine; j++ {
+			assert.True(t, r.IsActive(i*pidsPerGoroutine+j))
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Concurrently unregister PIDs
+	for i := range goroutines {
+		go func() {
+			defer func() { done <- struct{}{} }()
+			for j := 0; j < pidsPerGoroutine; j++ {
+				r.unregister(i*pidsPerGoroutine + j)
+			}
+		}()
+	}
+
+	for range goroutines {
+		<-done
+	}
+
+	// All PIDs should be unregistered
+	for i := range goroutines {
+		for j := 0; j < pidsPerGoroutine; j++ {
+			assert.False(t, r.IsActive(i*pidsPerGoroutine+j))
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func TestTracker_IsActive(t *testing.T) {
+	r := newTestRegistry(t)
+	tracker := Tracker()
+
+	// PID not registered
+	assert.False(t, tracker.IsActive(42))
+
+	// Register via internal helper (same path as executor methods)
+	r.register(42)
+	assert.True(t, tracker.IsActive(42))
+
+	r.unregister(42)
+	assert.False(t, tracker.IsActive(42))
+}
+
+func TestGlobalRegistry_Output_RegistersPID(t *testing.T) {
+	newTestRegistry(t)
+
+	ex := NewExecutor("", "echo", []string{"hello"}, []string{})
+
+	output, err := ex.Output()
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Contains(t, string(output), "hello")
+
+	// PID should be unregistered after Output returns.
+}
+
+func TestGlobalRegistry_Output_FailedStart(t *testing.T) {
+	newTestRegistry(t)
+
+	// Command that doesn't exist — Start() should fail.
+	ex := NewExecutor("", "/nonexistent/binary", []string{}, []string{})
+	_, err := ex.Output()
+	assert.Error(t, err)
+}
+
+func TestGlobalRegistry_RunAndLogLines_RegistersPID(t *testing.T) {
+	newTestRegistry(t)
+
+	logger := log.NewLogger()
+	logger.SetLevel(log.LevelInfo)
+
+	ex := NewExecutor("", "echo", []string{"test-output"}, []string{}).
+		WithLogger(logger)
+
+	usage, err := ex.RunAndLogLines(context.Background(), map[string]string{})
+	assert.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.NotNil(t, usage)
+}
+
+func TestGlobalRegistry_RunAndLogLines_FailedStart(t *testing.T) {
+	newTestRegistry(t)
+
+	logger := log.NewLogger()
+
+	ex := NewExecutor("", "/nonexistent/binary", []string{}, []string{}).
+		WithLogger(logger)
+
+	_, err := ex.RunAndLogLines(context.Background(), map[string]string{})
+	assert.Error(t, err)
+}
diff --git a/pkg/executor/registry.go b/pkg/executor/registry.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4fa5b4d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/executor/registry.go
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+package executor
+
+import "sync"
+
+// ProcessTracker is a read-only view into the process registry.
+// It is intended for consumers (such as a PID-1 zombie reaper) that need
+// to check whether a PID is managed by the executor but must not modify
+// the registry.
+type ProcessTracker interface {
+	// IsActive reports whether pid is currently tracked as a running process.
+	IsActive(pid int) bool
+}
+
+// processRegistry tracks PIDs of processes started by the executor so that
+// a PID-1 zombie reaper can skip them (their parent already calls Wait).
+// This prevents the reaper from stealing a child that cmd.Wait expects to reap.
+//
+// The struct is intentionally unexported — all external access goes through
+// the ProcessTracker interface (read-only) or the package-level helpers
+// registerPID / unregisterPID (write, executor-internal).
+type processRegistry struct {
+	mu         sync.RWMutex
+	activePIDs map[int32]struct{}
+}
+
+// register adds pid to the set of active PIDs.
+func (r *processRegistry) register(pid int) {
+	r.mu.Lock()
+	defer r.mu.Unlock()
+
+	r.activePIDs[int32(pid)] = struct{}{}
+}
+
+// unregister removes pid from the set of active PIDs.
+func (r *processRegistry) unregister(pid int) {
+	r.mu.Lock()
+	defer r.mu.Unlock()
+
+	delete(r.activePIDs, int32(pid))
+}
+
+// IsActive reports whether pid is currently tracked as an active process.
+func (r *processRegistry) IsActive(pid int) bool {
+	r.mu.RLock()
+	defer r.mu.RUnlock()
+
+	_, ok := r.activePIDs[int32(pid)]
+
+	return ok
+}
+
+// registry is the singleton process registry.
+// It is not exported — external packages obtain a ProcessTracker via Tracker().
+var registry = &processRegistry{
+	activePIDs: make(map[int32]struct{}),
+}
+
+// Tracker returns a read-only view of the global process registry.
+// The zombie reaper should call this once and use the returned ProcessTracker
+// to check whether a PID is managed by the executor.
+func Tracker() ProcessTracker {
+	return registry
+}
+
+// registerPID and unregisterPID are package-internal helpers used by Run,
+// Output, and RunAndLogLines to track child PIDs.
+func registerPID(pid int) {
+	registry.register(pid)
+}
+
+func unregisterPID(pid int) {
+	registry.unregister(pid)
+}