diff --git a/packages/kernel-cli/CHANGELOG.md b/packages/kernel-cli/CHANGELOG.md
index 2e32a111d..01ef62cb9 100644
--- a/packages/kernel-cli/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/packages/kernel-cli/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 ### Fixed
 
 - `kernel daemon start` refuses to start when another daemon is already listening on the same Unix socket, instead of unlinking the socket and orphaning the running process ([#952](https://github.com/MetaMask/ocap-kernel/pull/952))
+- Daemon fatal-path visibility: `daemon-entry` now installs handlers for `uncaughtException`, `unhandledRejection`, `SIGHUP`, and `exit` that append a synchronous fingerprint line to `daemon.log` before terminating ([#966](https://github.com/MetaMask/ocap-kernel/pull/966))
+  - Without these, silent daemon deaths under `stdio: 'ignore'` (the CLI's default spawn mode) left no trace in the log; the operator saw only that the daemon was gone. Every terminating path now leaves at least one line.
 
 ## [0.1.0]
 
diff --git a/packages/kernel-cli/src/commands/daemon-entry.ts b/packages/kernel-cli/src/commands/daemon-entry.ts
index 0a43d64a0..237f7f73d 100644
--- a/packages/kernel-cli/src/commands/daemon-entry.ts
+++ b/packages/kernel-cli/src/commands/daemon-entry.ts
@@ -4,12 +4,24 @@ import { startDaemon } from '@metamask/kernel-node-runtime/daemon';
 import type { DaemonHandle } from '@metamask/kernel-node-runtime/daemon';
 import type { LogEntry } from '@metamask/logger';
 import { Logger } from '@metamask/logger';
+import { appendFileSync } from 'node:fs';
 import { mkdir, readFile, rm, writeFile } from 'node:fs/promises';
 import { join } from 'node:path';
 
 import { getOcapHome } from '../ocap-home.ts';
 import { isProcessAlive } from '../utils.ts';
 
+// Install exit-cause handlers at module load, before main() runs, so
+// failures during kernel init also leave a fingerprint. daemon-entry
+// runs with `stdio: 'ignore'` under the CLI spawner (see
+// `daemon-spawn.ts`); without these, an uncaught exception, an
+// unhandled rejection, or a SIGHUP terminates the process silently
+// with no record in `daemon.log`. Silent deaths cost real debugging
+// time — see the run-notes for two past cases where a daemon
+// disappeared with no trace. Every terminating path now writes at
+// least one line before the process goes away.
+installFatalHandlers(join(getOcapHome(), 'daemon.log'));
+
 main().catch((error) => {
   process.stderr.write(`Daemon fatal: ${String(error)}\n`);
   process.exitCode = 1;
@@ -133,11 +145,87 @@ async function readDaemonPid(pidPath: string): Promise<number | undefined> {
  * @returns A log transport function.
  */
 function makeFileTransport(logPath: string) {
-  // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-require-imports, n/global-require -- need sync fs for log transport
-  const fs = require('node:fs') as typeof import('node:fs');
   return (entry: LogEntry): void => {
     const line = `[${new Date().toISOString()}] [${entry.level}] ${entry.message ?? ''} ${(entry.data ?? []).map(String).join(' ')}\n`;
     // eslint-disable-next-line n/no-sync -- synchronous write needed for log transport reliability
-    fs.appendFileSync(logPath, line);
+    appendFileSync(logPath, line);
   };
 }
+
+/**
+ * Append a fatal-path entry to `daemon.log` synchronously. Used from
+ * `process.on('uncaughtException' | 'unhandledRejection' | 'SIGHUP')`
+ * handlers where the async logger pipeline can't be trusted to
+ * flush before the process exits. Best-effort: if the log file is
+ * unwritable we swallow the error rather than throw from a fatal
+ * handler.
+ *
+ * @param logPath - The daemon-log file path.
+ * @param message - Short label for the entry.
+ * @param detail - Optional extra data (stack, error, etc.) — coerced
+ *   to string.
+ */
+function logFatalSync(
+  logPath: string,
+  message: string,
+  detail?: string | number,
+): void {
+  try {
+    const tail = detail === undefined ? '' : ` ${detail}`;
+    const line = `[${new Date().toISOString()}] [error] ${message}${tail}\n`;
+    // eslint-disable-next-line n/no-sync -- fatal handler must flush before exit
+    appendFileSync(logPath, line);
+  } catch {
+    // Best-effort — the daemon is dying either way.
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Install process-level handlers that guarantee a log line is
+ * written for every terminating event before the daemon exits.
+ *
+ * Handlers registered:
+ *
+ * - `uncaughtException` — the classic silent-death path. Node's
+ *   default is to print the stack to stderr and exit with code 1;
+ *   under `stdio: 'ignore'` (how the daemon is spawned) that
+ *   default writes nowhere.
+ * - `unhandledRejection` — currently defaults to a warning in
+ *   Node, but future Node versions treat it as uncaughtException;
+ *   either way we want a fingerprint.
+ * - `SIGHUP` — sent when the controlling terminal disappears
+ *   (ssh session closed, laptop lid closed while the daemon was
+ *   under an interactive shell). Default action terminates the
+ *   process; installing a handler lets us log the fact before
+ *   exiting.
+ * - `exit` — last-ditch record. Fires during every exit, including
+ *   the ones already logged by the handlers above. Sync-safe: only
+ *   sync APIs are usable here.
+ *
+ * @param logPath - The daemon-log file path.
+ */
+function installFatalHandlers(logPath: string): void {
+  /* eslint-disable n/no-sync, n/no-process-exit -- fatal handlers must flush synchronously and terminate deterministically */
+  process.on('uncaughtException', (error: unknown) => {
+    const detail =
+      error instanceof Error ? (error.stack ?? error.message) : String(error);
+    logFatalSync(logPath, 'Uncaught exception (about to exit):', detail);
+    process.exit(1);
+  });
+  process.on('unhandledRejection', (reason: unknown) => {
+    const detail =
+      reason instanceof Error
+        ? (reason.stack ?? reason.message)
+        : String(reason);
+    logFatalSync(logPath, 'Unhandled rejection (about to exit):', detail);
+    process.exit(1);
+  });
+  process.on('SIGHUP', () => {
+    logFatalSync(logPath, 'SIGHUP received; exiting.');
+    process.exit(0);
+  });
+  process.on('exit', (code) => {
+    logFatalSync(logPath, `Process exiting (code=${code}).`);
+  });
+  /* eslint-enable n/no-sync, n/no-process-exit */
+}