diff --git a/hermes_cli/browser_connect.py b/hermes_cli/browser_connect.py
index 7ed4f2e4da4..feac74ce83d 100644
--- a/hermes_cli/browser_connect.py
+++ b/hermes_cli/browser_connect.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import platform
 import shlex
 import shutil
 import subprocess
+import time
 
 from hermes_constants import get_hermes_home
 
@@ -196,6 +197,31 @@ def _detach_kwargs(system: str) -> dict:
     return {"creationflags": flags} if flags else {}
 
 
+def _wait_for_browser_debug_ready_or_exit(
+    proc: subprocess.Popen,
+    port: int,
+    timeout: float = 2.0,
+    interval: float = 0.1,
+) -> str:
+    """Classify a launched browser as ready, exited, or still starting.
+
+    We only need to wait long enough to catch the common failure mode where a
+    candidate binary exists but exits immediately before exposing the CDP port.
+    Slower browsers can still finish starting after this grace window.
+    """
+    cdp_url = f"http://127.0.0.1:{port}"
+    deadline = time.monotonic() + timeout
+
+    while time.monotonic() < deadline:
+        if is_browser_debug_ready(cdp_url, timeout=min(interval, 0.2)):
+            return "ready"
+        if proc.poll() is not None:
+            return "exited"
+        time.sleep(interval)
+
+    return "starting"
+
+
 def try_launch_chrome_debug(port: int = DEFAULT_BROWSER_CDP_PORT, system: str | None = None) -> bool:
     system = system or platform.system()
     candidates = get_chrome_debug_candidates(system)
@@ -205,13 +231,15 @@ def try_launch_chrome_debug(port: int = DEFAULT_BROWSER_CDP_PORT, system: str |
     os.makedirs(chrome_debug_data_dir(), exist_ok=True)
     for candidate in candidates:
         try:
-            subprocess.Popen(
+            proc = subprocess.Popen(
                 [candidate, *_chrome_debug_args(port)],
                 stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL,
                 stderr=subprocess.DEVNULL,
                 **_detach_kwargs(system),
             )
-            return True
+            state = _wait_for_browser_debug_ready_or_exit(proc, port)
+            if state != "exited":
+                return True
         except Exception:
             continue
     return False
diff --git a/tests/cli/test_cli_browser_connect.py b/tests/cli/test_cli_browser_connect.py
index cf75a2ec9cf..93d5a42b496 100644
--- a/tests/cli/test_cli_browser_connect.py
+++ b/tests/cli/test_cli_browser_connect.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ from unittest.mock import patch
 
 from cli import HermesCLI
 from hermes_cli.browser_connect import (
+    _wait_for_browser_debug_ready_or_exit,
     get_chrome_debug_candidates,
     is_browser_debug_ready,
     manual_chrome_debug_command,
@@ -65,6 +66,7 @@ class TestChromeDebugLaunch:
 
         with patch("hermes_cli.browser_connect.shutil.which", side_effect=lambda name: r"C:\Chrome\chrome.exe" if name == "chrome.exe" else None), \
              patch("hermes_cli.browser_connect.os.path.isfile", side_effect=lambda path: path == r"C:\Chrome\chrome.exe"), \
+             patch("hermes_cli.browser_connect._wait_for_browser_debug_ready_or_exit", return_value="ready"), \
              patch("subprocess.Popen", side_effect=fake_popen):
             assert HermesCLI._try_launch_chrome_debug(9333, "Windows") is True
 
@@ -94,6 +96,7 @@ class TestChromeDebugLaunch:
 
         with patch("hermes_cli.browser_connect.shutil.which", return_value=None), \
              patch("hermes_cli.browser_connect.os.path.isfile", side_effect=lambda path: path == installed), \
+             patch("hermes_cli.browser_connect._wait_for_browser_debug_ready_or_exit", return_value="ready"), \
              patch("subprocess.Popen", side_effect=fake_popen):
             assert HermesCLI._try_launch_chrome_debug(9222, "Windows") is True
 
@@ -199,6 +202,40 @@ class TestChromeDebugLaunch:
 
         assert attempts == [brave, chrome]
 
+    def test_wait_for_browser_debug_ready_or_exit_detects_early_exit(self, monkeypatch):
+        class _Proc:
+            def __init__(self):
+                self.calls = 0
+
+            def poll(self):
+                self.calls += 1
+                return 1 if self.calls >= 2 else None
+
+        monkeypatch.setattr("hermes_cli.browser_connect.time.sleep", lambda _seconds: None)
+        with patch("hermes_cli.browser_connect.is_browser_debug_ready", return_value=False):
+            state = _wait_for_browser_debug_ready_or_exit(_Proc(), 9222, timeout=0.3, interval=0.01)
+
+        assert state == "exited"
+
+    def test_launch_tries_next_browser_when_first_candidate_exits_before_debug_ready(self):
+        brave = "/usr/bin/brave-browser"
+        chrome = "/usr/bin/google-chrome"
+        attempts = []
+
+        class _Proc:
+            pass
+
+        def fake_popen(cmd, **kwargs):
+            attempts.append(cmd[0])
+            return _Proc()
+
+        with patch("hermes_cli.browser_connect.get_chrome_debug_candidates", return_value=[brave, chrome]), \
+             patch("hermes_cli.browser_connect._wait_for_browser_debug_ready_or_exit", side_effect=["exited", "ready"]), \
+             patch("subprocess.Popen", side_effect=fake_popen):
+            assert HermesCLI._try_launch_chrome_debug(9222, "Linux") is True
+
+        assert attempts == [brave, chrome]
+
     def test_manual_command_uses_wsl_windows_chrome_when_available(self):
         chrome = "/mnt/c/Program Files/Google/Chrome/Application/chrome.exe"