diff --git a/hermes_cli/gateway.py b/hermes_cli/gateway.py
index 7c56431fef8..d5b76574a12 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/gateway.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/gateway.py
@@ -3865,22 +3865,24 @@ def _guard_existing_gateway_process_conflict(replace: bool = False) -> None:
     is expensive: it pulls in model_tools/plugin discovery first. On small
     instances, a supervisor or dashboard loop repeatedly running bare
     ``hermes gateway run`` can burn memory/CPU just to fail with "already
-    running" after plugin discovery. This cheap CLI-side preflight preserves the
-    same user-facing contract while avoiding that startup work.
+    running" after plugin discovery. This cheap PID-file preflight preserves the
+    same user-facing contract while avoiding that startup work without scanning
+    unrelated gateway processes from other HERMES_HOME roots.
     """
     if replace or _running_under_gateway_supervisor():
         return
     try:
-        snapshot = get_gateway_runtime_snapshot()
+        from gateway.status import get_running_pid
+
+        pid = get_running_pid()
     except Exception:
         logger.debug("Existing-gateway process probe failed", exc_info=True)
         return
-    if not snapshot.gateway_pids:
+    if pid is None:
         return
 
-    pid_text = _format_gateway_pids(snapshot.gateway_pids, limit=1)
     print_error(
-        f"Another gateway instance is already running (PID {pid_text})."
+        f"Another gateway instance is already running (PID {pid})."
     )
     print("  Use 'hermes gateway restart' to replace it,")
     print("  or 'hermes gateway stop' first.")
diff --git a/tests/hermes_cli/test_gateway.py b/tests/hermes_cli/test_gateway.py
index 4fe01da7b8d..38a65101279 100644
--- a/tests/hermes_cli/test_gateway.py
+++ b/tests/hermes_cli/test_gateway.py
@@ -129,13 +129,6 @@ def _running_snapshot(manager="systemd (user)"):
     )
 
 
-def _process_snapshot(*pids: int, manager="manual process"):
-    return gateway.GatewayRuntimeSnapshot(
-        manager=manager,
-        gateway_pids=tuple(pids),
-    )
-
-
 def test_run_gateway_refuses_when_service_supervising(monkeypatch, capsys):
     """A shell `gateway run --replace` must not become a second writer."""
     calls = []
@@ -230,11 +223,7 @@ def test_run_gateway_refuses_existing_process_before_importing_gateway_run(monke
 
     _install_fake_gateway_run(monkeypatch, fake_start_gateway)
     _clear_supervisor_markers(monkeypatch)
-    monkeypatch.setattr(
-        gateway,
-        "get_gateway_runtime_snapshot",
-        lambda: _process_snapshot(17907),
-    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr("gateway.status.get_running_pid", lambda: 17907)
 
     with pytest.raises(SystemExit) as exc_info:
         gateway.run_gateway()
@@ -255,11 +244,7 @@ def test_run_gateway_replace_skips_existing_process_preflight(monkeypatch):
 
     _install_fake_gateway_run(monkeypatch, fake_start_gateway)
     _clear_supervisor_markers(monkeypatch)
-    monkeypatch.setattr(
-        gateway,
-        "get_gateway_runtime_snapshot",
-        lambda: _process_snapshot(17907),
-    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr("gateway.status.get_running_pid", lambda: 17907)
     monkeypatch.setattr(gateway.asyncio, "run", lambda coro: True)
 
     gateway.run_gateway(replace=True)