diff --git a/scripts/refresh-email-recovery-backup.sh b/scripts/refresh-email-recovery-backup.sh
index 389e01a61c..7f94f6a54e 100755
--- a/scripts/refresh-email-recovery-backup.sh
+++ b/scripts/refresh-email-recovery-backup.sh
@@ -5,8 +5,12 @@ umask 077
 stage=dispatch
 work=''
 watchers=()
+readonly owner_bashpid="$BASHPID"
 fail() { printf 'EMAIL_BACKUP_REFRESH=UNVERIFIED stage=%s\n' "$stage" >&2; exit 2; }
 cleanup() {
+  # A terminated watch may inherit this EXIT handler before Bash resets it.
+  # Only the parent owns the workspace and the watch processes.
+  [[ "$BASHPID" == "$owner_bashpid" ]] || return 0
   for pid in "${watchers[@]}"; do kill "$pid" 2>/dev/null || true; done
   for pid in "${watchers[@]}"; do wait "$pid" 2>/dev/null || true; done
   if [[ -n "$work" ]]; then rm -rf "$work"; fi
diff --git a/scripts/tests/vault-email-credentials/backup_refresh_test.go b/scripts/tests/vault-email-credentials/backup_refresh_test.go
index b44106f9cb..7994ab7873 100644
--- a/scripts/tests/vault-email-credentials/backup_refresh_test.go
+++ b/scripts/tests/vault-email-credentials/backup_refresh_test.go
@@ -10,6 +10,44 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 )
 
+func TestBackupRefreshCleanupBelongsToTheParentShell(t *testing.T) {
+	raw, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(repositoryRoot(), "scripts/refresh-email-recovery-backup.sh"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	prefix, _, ok := strings.Cut(string(raw), "\n[[ ${BASH_VERSINFO")
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatal("missing dispatch boundary")
+	}
+	// Bash can terminate an asynchronous child before it resets its inherited EXIT
+	// handler. Reinstall that native handler in a real child to select the otherwise
+	// scheduling-dependent window, then exercise the actual cleanup function.
+	command := exec.Command("bash", "-c", prefix+`
+work="$FIXTURE/work"
+mkdir "$work"
+sleep 60 &
+watchers=("$!")
+watch_pid="${watchers[0]}"
+inherited=$(trap -p EXIT)
+( eval "$inherited"; exit 0 )
+[[ -d "$work" ]] || { printf 'child removed parent workspace\n'; exit 1; }
+kill -0 "$watch_pid" || { printf 'child stopped parent watch\n'; exit 1; }
+cleanup
+watchers=()
+trap - EXIT
+[[ ! -e "$work" ]] || { printf 'parent retained its workspace\n'; exit 1; }
+if kill -0 "$watch_pid" 2>/dev/null; then
+  printf 'parent retained its watch\n'; exit 1
+fi
+printf 'BACKUP_CLEANUP_OWNER=PASS child=REFUSED parent=VERIFIED\n'
+`)
+	command.Env = append(os.Environ(), "FIXTURE="+t.TempDir())
+	output, err := command.CombinedOutput()
+	if err != nil || !strings.Contains(string(output), "BACKUP_CLEANUP_OWNER=PASS child=REFUSED parent=VERIFIED") {
+		t.Fatalf("cleanup ownership: %v: %s", err, output)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestBackupRefreshRequiresTheOwnedCompletedSnapshotAndMirror(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, scenario := range []string{"complete", "owned-unfinished", "owned-complete", "foreign-unfinished", "jobs-read-failed", "jobs-partial", "active", "image", "pvc", "changed", "create-unknown", "failed", "replacement", "pod-missing"} {
 		t.Run(scenario, func(t *testing.T) {