diff --git a/src/core.ts b/src/core.ts
index 3ef7d08252..ad056bfb70 100644
--- a/src/core.ts
+++ b/src/core.ts
@@ -1079,10 +1079,15 @@ export async function kill(
   )
     return
 
-  for (const p of await ps.tree({ pid, recursive: true })) {
-    try {
-      process.kill(+p.pid, signal)
-    } catch (e) {}
+  try {
+    for (const p of await ps.tree({ pid, recursive: true })) {
+      try {
+        process.kill(+p.pid, signal)
+      } catch (e) {}
+    }
+  } catch {
+    // getBorders() in @webpod/ingrid crashes on empty ps output (e.g. BusyBox).
+    // Fall through to kill the main process directly below.
   }
   try {
     process.kill(-pid, signal)