diff --git a/test/e2e/qa-lab/runtime/qa-otel-smoke.e2e.test.ts b/test/e2e/qa-lab/runtime/qa-otel-smoke.e2e.test.ts
index 645236d68ae1..7504d752c55a 100644
--- a/test/e2e/qa-lab/runtime/qa-otel-smoke.e2e.test.ts
+++ b/test/e2e/qa-lab/runtime/qa-otel-smoke.e2e.test.ts
@@ -331,13 +331,13 @@ describe("qa-otel-smoke receiver bounds", () => {
 
       await Promise.race([
         receiver.close(),
-        delay(1_000).then(() => {
+        delay(1_000, undefined, { ref: false }).then(() => {
           throw new Error("receiver close timed out");
         }),
       ]);
       await Promise.race([
         socketClosed,
-        delay(1_000).then(() => {
+        delay(1_000, undefined, { ref: false }).then(() => {
           throw new Error("socket close timed out");
         }),
       ]);
diff --git a/test/scripts/clawhub-fixture-server.test.ts b/test/scripts/clawhub-fixture-server.test.ts
index 87280c50867d..eaa54176e96e 100644
--- a/test/scripts/clawhub-fixture-server.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/clawhub-fixture-server.test.ts
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ async function stopServer(child: FixtureServerChild) {
     child.once("exit", () => resolve());
   });
   child.kill("SIGTERM");
-  await Promise.race([exited, delay(1_000)]);
+  await Promise.race([exited, delay(1_000, undefined, { ref: false })]);
   if (child.exitCode === null && child.signalCode === null) {
     child.kill("SIGKILL");
     await exited;
diff --git a/test/scripts/crabbox-wrapper.test.ts b/test/scripts/crabbox-wrapper.test.ts
index 3423672c4863..941c34a164f7 100644
--- a/test/scripts/crabbox-wrapper.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/crabbox-wrapper.test.ts
@@ -599,7 +599,7 @@ async function waitForProcessExit(
       child.once("error", reject);
       child.once("exit", (status, signal) => resolve({ status, signal }));
     }),
-    delay(timeoutMs).then(() => {
+    delay(timeoutMs, undefined, { ref: false }).then(() => {
       throw new Error("timed out waiting for wrapper process exit");
     }),
   ]);
diff --git a/test/scripts/dev-tooling-safety.test.ts b/test/scripts/dev-tooling-safety.test.ts
index 6fe27a2b8b87..ecc0aef494dc 100644
--- a/test/scripts/dev-tooling-safety.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/dev-tooling-safety.test.ts
@@ -103,7 +103,11 @@ async function waitForChildExit(
       child.once("exit", (status, signal) => resolve({ status, signal }));
     }),
     new Promise<never>((_, reject) => {
-      setTimeout(() => reject(new Error("timed out waiting for child exit")), timeoutMs);
+      const timer = setTimeout(
+        () => reject(new Error("timed out waiting for child exit")),
+        timeoutMs,
+      );
+      timer.unref();
     }),
   ]);
 }
diff --git a/test/scripts/e2e-mock-config-limits.test.ts b/test/scripts/e2e-mock-config-limits.test.ts
index 1d1d91df2c51..26f9e0ead0fd 100644
--- a/test/scripts/e2e-mock-config-limits.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/e2e-mock-config-limits.test.ts
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ async function stopServer(child: ChildProcess) {
   child.kill("SIGTERM");
   await Promise.race([
     exited,
-    delay(1_000).then(() => {
+    delay(1_000, undefined, { ref: false }).then(() => {
       if (child.exitCode === null && child.signalCode === null) {
         child.kill("SIGKILL");
       }
diff --git a/test/scripts/openclaw-cross-os-release-checks.test.ts b/test/scripts/openclaw-cross-os-release-checks.test.ts
index baca94d71d77..67f41d55a4d0 100644
--- a/test/scripts/openclaw-cross-os-release-checks.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/openclaw-cross-os-release-checks.test.ts
@@ -1068,13 +1068,13 @@ describe("scripts/openclaw-cross-os-release-checks", () => {
       socket.write(`GET ${url.pathname} HTTP/1.1\r\nHost: ${url.host}\r\n\r\n`);
       await Promise.race([
         server.close(),
-        delay(1_000).then(() => {
+        delay(1_000, undefined, { ref: false }).then(() => {
           throw new Error("close timed out");
         }),
       ]);
       await Promise.race([
         socketClosePromise,
-        delay(1_000).then(() => {
+        delay(1_000, undefined, { ref: false }).then(() => {
           throw new Error("socket close timed out");
         }),
       ]);
diff --git a/test/scripts/prepare-extension-package-boundary-artifacts.test.ts b/test/scripts/prepare-extension-package-boundary-artifacts.test.ts
index 758089bcb2b0..e6dd2c542039 100644
--- a/test/scripts/prepare-extension-package-boundary-artifacts.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/prepare-extension-package-boundary-artifacts.test.ts
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ async function waitForProcessExit(
   const exit = new Promise<{ code: number | null; signal: NodeJS.Signals | null }>((resolve) => {
     child.once("exit", (code, signal) => resolve({ code, signal }));
   });
-  const timeout = delay(timeoutMs).then(() => {
+  const timeout = delay(timeoutMs, undefined, { ref: false }).then(() => {
     throw new Error(`Process ${child.pid ?? "unknown"} did not exit after ${timeoutMs}ms`);
   });
   return Promise.race([exit, timeout]);
diff --git a/test/scripts/run-vitest.test.ts b/test/scripts/run-vitest.test.ts
index 3edbed17dc45..5ff662026eb0 100644
--- a/test/scripts/run-vitest.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/run-vitest.test.ts
@@ -1025,7 +1025,7 @@ async function waitForClose(child: ReturnType<typeof spawn>, timeoutMs = 5_000)
     new Promise<{ code: number | null; signal: NodeJS.Signals | null }>((resolve) => {
       child.once("close", (code, signal) => resolve({ code, signal }));
     }),
-    delay(timeoutMs).then(() => {
+    delay(timeoutMs, undefined, { ref: false }).then(() => {
       throw new Error("timed out waiting for child close");
     }),
   ]);
diff --git a/test/scripts/telegram-user-crabbox-proof.test.ts b/test/scripts/telegram-user-crabbox-proof.test.ts
index 2c8f832efe82..94b1434444a8 100644
--- a/test/scripts/telegram-user-crabbox-proof.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/telegram-user-crabbox-proof.test.ts
@@ -861,7 +861,7 @@ fs.writeFileSync(${JSON.stringify(recorderExitPath)}, "exited");
             startDelayMs: 0,
             target: "linux",
           }),
-          delay(500).then(() => {
+          delay(500, undefined, { ref: false }).then(() => {
             throw new Error("recordProbeVideo hung after the recorder had already exited");
           }),
         ]),
diff --git a/test/scripts/test-extension.test.ts b/test/scripts/test-extension.test.ts
index c3cfa4c104fb..f14b731a8381 100644
--- a/test/scripts/test-extension.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/test-extension.test.ts
@@ -1005,7 +1005,7 @@ async function waitForClose(
     new Promise<{ code: number | null; signal: NodeJS.Signals | null }>((resolve) => {
       child.once("close", (code, signal) => resolve({ code, signal }));
     }),
-    delay(timeoutMs).then(() => {
+    delay(timeoutMs, undefined, { ref: false }).then(() => {
       throw new Error("timed out waiting for child close");
     }),
   ]);
diff --git a/test/scripts/test-live-shard.test.ts b/test/scripts/test-live-shard.test.ts
index 9d949c1c5dcc..b5415ec01c55 100644
--- a/test/scripts/test-live-shard.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/test-live-shard.test.ts
@@ -580,7 +580,7 @@ async function waitForClose(
     new Promise<{ code: number | null; signal: NodeJS.Signals | null }>((resolve) => {
       child.once("close", (code, signal) => resolve({ code, signal }));
     }),
-    delay(timeoutMs).then(() => {
+    delay(timeoutMs, undefined, { ref: false }).then(() => {
       throw new Error("timed out waiting for child close");
     }),
   ]);
diff --git a/test/scripts/test-live.test.ts b/test/scripts/test-live.test.ts
index c73ca9756916..b9817c2bae61 100644
--- a/test/scripts/test-live.test.ts
+++ b/test/scripts/test-live.test.ts
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@ async function waitForClose(child: ReturnType<typeof spawn>, timeoutMs = 5_000)
     new Promise<{ code: number | null; signal: NodeJS.Signals | null }>((resolve) => {
       child.once("close", (code, signal) => resolve({ code, signal }));
     }),
-    delay(timeoutMs).then(() => {
+    delay(timeoutMs, undefined, { ref: false }).then(() => {
       throw new Error("timed out waiting for child close");
     }),
   ]);