diff --git a/.github/workflows/native-windows-startup.yml b/.github/workflows/native-windows-startup.yml
index 6740f51f..4345e2a0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/native-windows-startup.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/native-windows-startup.yml
@@ -109,19 +109,18 @@ jobs:
           }
           Write-Host "OK: start.ps1 path discovery - all guards passed."
 
-      # taskkill /T walks the process tree, /F forces. taskkill exits
-      # non-zero if the PID is already gone (server.py crashed on the
-      # stub) — that's expected, not a failure.
+      # taskkill /T walks the process tree, /F forces. taskkill returns
+      # 128 ("process not found") if the PID is already gone — that's
+      # the expected steady state for this mock-only workflow because
+      # server.py exits immediately on the stub hermes_cli. Reset
+      # $LASTEXITCODE so the step never fails on the cleanup itself.
       - name: Stop background server (tree-kill)
         if: always()
         shell: pwsh
         run: |
           if ($env:SERVER_PID) {
-            try {
-              & taskkill /PID $env:SERVER_PID /T /F 2>&1 | Out-Host
-            } catch {
-              Write-Host "taskkill: PID $env:SERVER_PID already exited (expected with mock stub)"
-            }
+            & taskkill /PID $env:SERVER_PID /T /F 2>&1 | Out-Host
+            $global:LASTEXITCODE = 0
           }
           # Belt-and-suspenders: kill anything still bound to 8787.
           $hanging = Get-NetTCPConnection -LocalPort 8787 -State Listen -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
@@ -130,3 +129,4 @@ jobs:
               try { Stop-Process -Id $c.OwningProcess -Force -ErrorAction Stop } catch {}
             }
           }
+          exit 0