diff --git a/packages/core/src/cross-spawn-spawner.ts b/packages/core/src/cross-spawn-spawner.ts
index ad8d4126d454..d931d6f27dcd 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/cross-spawn-spawner.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/cross-spawn-spawner.ts
@@ -267,17 +267,26 @@ export const make = Effect.gen(function* () {
       const signal = Deferred.makeUnsafe<readonly [code: number | null, signal: NodeJS.Signals | null]>()
       const proc = launch(command.command, command.args, opts)
       let end = false
-      let exit: readonly [code: number | null, signal: NodeJS.Signals | null] | undefined
+      const settle = (args: readonly [code: number | null, signal: NodeJS.Signals | null]) => {
+        if (end) return
+        end = true
+        Deferred.doneUnsafe(signal, Exit.succeed(args))
+      }
       proc.on("error", (err) => {
         resume(Effect.fail(toPlatformError("spawn", err, command)))
       })
+      // Resolve on `exit` rather than `close`. The `close` event only fires
+      // once all stdio descriptors are released, which can hang indefinitely
+      // when the spawned process forks a background grandchild that inherits
+      // those descriptors (e.g. `command &`, daemonized servers, gradle, etc).
+      // The `exit` event fires when the direct child exits regardless of
+      // inherited-fd lifetime, which is what we actually care about here.
+      // See https://github.com/anomalyco/opencode/issues/20902.
       proc.on("exit", (...args) => {
-        exit = args
+        settle(args)
       })
       proc.on("close", (...args) => {
-        if (end) return
-        end = true
-        Deferred.doneUnsafe(signal, Exit.succeed(exit ?? args))
+        settle(args)
       })
       proc.on("spawn", () => {
         resume(Effect.succeed([proc, signal]))
diff --git a/packages/opencode/test/tool/shell.test.ts b/packages/opencode/test/tool/shell.test.ts
index ddaa5c2ec7b1..9b4d3cd44f9a 100644
--- a/packages/opencode/test/tool/shell.test.ts
+++ b/packages/opencode/test/tool/shell.test.ts
@@ -1228,3 +1228,37 @@ describe("tool.shell truncation", () => {
     ),
   )
 })
+
+// Regression test for https://github.com/anomalyco/opencode/issues/20902 —
+// running a command that spawns a long-lived background grandchild used to
+// hang the shell tool until the 2-minute timeout, because the grandchild
+// kept the inherited stdout/stderr file descriptors open.
+describe("tool.shell background children", () => {
+  if (process.platform === "win32") return
+  it.live(
+    "returns promptly when command backgrounds a long-lived child",
+    () =>
+      runIn(
+        projectRoot,
+        Effect.gen(function* () {
+          const start = Date.now()
+          // `sleep 30 &` spawns a backgrounded sleep that inherits stdout/stderr.
+          // The redirect on disown keeps it alive past the parent shell exit.
+          // `disown` removes it from the shell's job table; `sleep 30 &` alone
+          // would also work on most shells.
+          const result = yield* run({
+            command: "sleep 30 & disown; echo backgrounded",
+            description: "Background child regression test",
+            timeout: 15000,
+          })
+          const elapsed = Date.now() - start
+          expect(result.metadata.exit).toBe(0)
+          expect(result.output).toContain("backgrounded")
+          // Before the fix this took the full timeout (~15s) or longer.
+          // Allow generous headroom for slow CI but well under the timeout.
+          expect(elapsed).toBeLessThan(10_000)
+        }),
+      ),
+    20_000,
+  )
+})