diff --git a/gateway/status.py b/gateway/status.py
index 5682bfc022..55456b0a35 100644
--- a/gateway/status.py
+++ b/gateway/status.py
@@ -241,13 +241,23 @@ def _pid_from_record(record: Optional[dict[str, Any]]) -> Optional[int]:
 
 
 def _cleanup_invalid_pid_path(pid_path: Path, *, cleanup_stale: bool) -> None:
+    """Delete a stale gateway PID file (and its sibling lock metadata).
+
+    Called from ``get_running_pid()`` after the runtime lock has already been
+    confirmed inactive, so the on-disk metadata is known to belong to a dead
+    process.  Unlike ``remove_pid_file()`` (which defensively refuses to delete
+    a PID file whose ``pid`` field differs from ``os.getpid()`` to protect
+    ``--replace`` handoffs), this path force-unlinks both files so the next
+    startup sees a clean slate.
+    """
     if not cleanup_stale:
         return
     try:
-        if pid_path == _get_pid_path():
-            remove_pid_file()
-        else:
-            pid_path.unlink(missing_ok=True)
+        pid_path.unlink(missing_ok=True)
+    except Exception:
+        pass
+    try:
+        _get_gateway_lock_path(pid_path).unlink(missing_ok=True)
     except Exception:
         pass
 
diff --git a/tests/gateway/test_status.py b/tests/gateway/test_status.py
index 68445b1cb9..f2b6b1b1f3 100644
--- a/tests/gateway/test_status.py
+++ b/tests/gateway/test_status.py
@@ -150,6 +150,40 @@ class TestGatewayPidState:
         assert status.get_running_pid() is None
         assert not pid_path.exists()
 
+    def test_get_running_pid_cleans_stale_metadata_from_dead_foreign_pid(self, tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+        """Stale PID file from a *different* PID (crashed process) must still be cleaned.
+
+        Regression for: ``remove_pid_file()`` defensively refuses to delete a
+        PID file whose pid != ``os.getpid()`` to protect ``--replace``
+        handoffs.  Stale-cleanup must not go through that path or real
+        crashed-process PID files never get removed.
+        """
+        monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(tmp_path))
+        pid_path = tmp_path / "gateway.pid"
+        lock_path = tmp_path / "gateway.lock"
+
+        # PID that is guaranteed not alive and not our own.
+        dead_foreign_pid = 999999
+        assert dead_foreign_pid != os.getpid()
+
+        pid_path.write_text(json.dumps({
+            "pid": dead_foreign_pid,
+            "kind": "hermes-gateway",
+            "argv": ["python", "-m", "hermes_cli.main", "gateway"],
+            "start_time": 123,
+        }))
+        lock_path.write_text(json.dumps({
+            "pid": dead_foreign_pid,
+            "kind": "hermes-gateway",
+            "argv": ["python", "-m", "hermes_cli.main", "gateway"],
+            "start_time": 123,
+        }))
+
+        # No live lock holder → get_running_pid should clean both files.
+        assert status.get_running_pid() is None
+        assert not pid_path.exists()
+        assert not lock_path.exists()
+
     def test_get_running_pid_falls_back_to_live_lock_record(self, tmp_path, monkeypatch):
         monkeypatch.setenv("HERMES_HOME", str(tmp_path))
         pid_path = tmp_path / "gateway.pid"