diff --git a/infra/launchd/com.uvlava.mc.cull-builders.plist b/infra/launchd/com.uvlava.mc.cull-builders.plist
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..66862de1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/infra/launchd/com.uvlava.mc.cull-builders.plist
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<!--
+  Periodic safety-net sweep for orphaned Packer build droplets ("zombies").
+
+  cloud-bringup.sh already culls in its EXIT trap, so a failed or Ctrl-C'd build
+  reaps its own builder. This timer catches the cases the trap CANNOT: SIGKILL,
+  laptop sleep mid-build, or power loss — where no trap ever runs.
+
+  --min-age-min 90 means it only reaps builders older than 90 min, so it never
+  races a legitimately in-flight golden build (those take ~20-40 min).
+
+  Install (run on plum, the host that launches builds):
+    cp infra/launchd/com.uvlava.mc.cull-builders.plist ~/Library/LaunchAgents/
+    # edit WorkingDirectory below to your real repo path first, then:
+    launchctl load -w ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.uvlava.mc.cull-builders.plist
+  Uninstall:
+    launchctl unload -w ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.uvlava.mc.cull-builders.plist
+  Run once now (test):
+    launchctl start com.uvlava.mc.cull-builders
+-->
+<plist version="1.0">
+<dict>
+  <key>Label</key>
+  <string>com.uvlava.mc.cull-builders</string>
+
+  <key>ProgramArguments</key>
+  <array>
+    <string>/bin/bash</string>
+    <string>scripts/cull-orphan-builders.sh</string>
+    <string>--min-age-min</string>
+    <string>90</string>
+  </array>
+
+  <!-- EDIT to the absolute path of this repo on the build host. -->
+  <key>WorkingDirectory</key>
+  <string>/Users/natalie/Code/@mc/@applications/magicciv</string>
+
+  <!-- Every 30 min. -->
+  <key>StartInterval</key>
+  <integer>1800</integer>
+
+  <key>RunAtLoad</key>
+  <true/>
+
+  <key>StandardOutPath</key>
+  <string>/tmp/mc-cull-builders.log</string>
+  <key>StandardErrorPath</key>
+  <string>/tmp/mc-cull-builders.log</string>
+</dict>
+</plist>
diff --git a/infra/packer/golden-image.pkr.hcl b/infra/packer/golden-image.pkr.hcl
index 7e35907f..a48b3b2f 100644
--- a/infra/packer/golden-image.pkr.hcl
+++ b/infra/packer/golden-image.pkr.hcl
@@ -79,6 +79,10 @@ source "digitalocean" "golden" {
   image         = var.base_image
   ssh_username  = "root"
   snapshot_name = "mc-golden-${local.ts}"
+  # Deterministic, MC-owned builder name so scripts/cull-orphan-builders.sh can
+  # reap a leftover build droplet by prefix if a run is killed before Packer's own
+  # teardown. (Default would be "packer-<uuid>"; the cull script matches both.)
+  droplet_name = "mc-packer-${local.ts}"
 }
 
 build {
diff --git a/scripts/cloud-bringup.sh b/scripts/cloud-bringup.sh
index 1d571acc..14dd2c7f 100644
--- a/scripts/cloud-bringup.sh
+++ b/scripts/cloud-bringup.sh
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ echo "########## $(date) — DO cloud bring-up starting ##########"
 _teardown() {
   echo "########## teardown: ./run dist:down ##########"
   ./run dist:down 2>&1 | tail -3 || true
+  # Reap any Packer build droplet left alive by a failed/interrupted build. Packer
+  # tears its builder down on a clean finish; this catches the cases it can't.
+  echo "########## teardown: cull orphaned packer builders ##########"
+  bash scripts/cull-orphan-builders.sh 2>&1 | tail -5 || true
   echo "forge left UP for inspection — './run forge:down' to park it (~\$0.30/mo idle)."
 }
 trap _teardown EXIT
diff --git a/scripts/cull-orphan-builders.sh b/scripts/cull-orphan-builders.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..706d2a5c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/cull-orphan-builders.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Cull orphaned Packer build droplets ("zombies") from the MC DigitalOcean account.
+#
+# Packer destroys its build droplet on a clean finish. An interrupted or failed run
+# (SIGKILL, laptop sleep, network drop) can leave the s-8vcpu-16gb-amd builder alive —
+# ~$192/mo bleeding silently. See .project/handoffs/20260629_packer-cross-account-leak.md.
+#
+# Two ways this runs:
+#   * Automatically — cloud-bringup.sh calls it in its EXIT trap after every build,
+#     so a failed/Ctrl-C'd run reaps its own builder.
+#   * Periodically  — from a launchd/cron timer, to catch hard-kill cases the trap
+#     can't (SIGKILL/power loss). Use --min-age-min so it never races a live build.
+#
+# Selector = droplet NAME prefix (never matches a real service droplet). The packer
+# source names its builder "mc-packer-<ts>"; we also match the legacy default
+# "packer-<uuid>" so pre-existing zombies are reaped. Size is a defense-in-depth guard.
+#
+# Usage:
+#   scripts/cull-orphan-builders.sh                    # reap every leftover builder now
+#   scripts/cull-orphan-builders.sh --min-age-min 90   # only reap builders >90 min old (cron-safe)
+#   scripts/cull-orphan-builders.sh --dry-run          # list what would be reaped, delete nothing
+set -euo pipefail
+
+MIN_AGE_MIN=0
+DRY_RUN=0
+while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
+  case "$1" in
+    --min-age-min) MIN_AGE_MIN="${2:?--min-age-min needs a value}"; shift 2 ;;
+    --dry-run)     DRY_RUN=1; shift ;;
+    -h|--help)     grep '^#' "$0" | sed 's/^#\{1,\} \{0,1\}//'; exit 0 ;;
+    *) echo "cull-orphan-builders: unknown arg '$1'" >&2; exit 2 ;;
+  esac
+done
+
+TOKEN_FILE="${MC_DO_TOKEN_FILE:-$HOME/.vault/do_pat_mc}"
+[[ -r "$TOKEN_FILE" ]] || { echo "!!! no DO token at $TOKEN_FILE" >&2; exit 1; }
+DIGITALOCEAN_ACCESS_TOKEN="$(cat "$TOKEN_FILE")"; export DIGITALOCEAN_ACCESS_TOKEN
+
+# Name prefixes that identify an MC packer builder. Anchored — never matches a
+# real service droplet (com.uvlava.*, ct-forge-*, etc.).
+BUILD_SIZE="${MC_BUILD_SIZE:-s-8vcpu-16gb-amd}"
+
+# Emit one "id<TAB>name<TAB>size<TAB>age_min" row per qualifying builder. Age is
+# computed in python (portable RFC3339 parse; macOS `date` can't do it cleanly).
+# --access-token pins the MC token explicitly (the documented rule), not whatever
+# doctl's default context happens to hold.
+builder_filter='
+import json, os, re, sys
+from datetime import datetime, timezone
+
+min_age = float(os.environ["MIN_AGE_MIN"])
+build_size = os.environ["BUILD_SIZE"]
+rx = re.compile(r"^(mc-packer-|packer-)")
+now = datetime.now(timezone.utc)
+
+for d in json.load(sys.stdin) or []:
+    name = d.get("name", "")
+    if not rx.match(name):
+        continue
+    created = d.get("created_at", "")
+    try:
+        ts = datetime.fromisoformat(created.replace("Z", "+00:00"))
+        age_min = (now - ts).total_seconds() / 60.0
+    except ValueError:
+        age_min = 0.0  # unparseable timestamp -> treat as old enough to reap
+    if age_min < min_age:
+        continue
+    size = d.get("size_slug", "?")
+    did = d.get("id", "?")
+    # Defense-in-depth: only reap the known builder size. A differently-sized
+    # "packer-*" droplet is unexpected; surface it instead of nuking it.
+    if size != build_size:
+        print(f"SKIP-SIZE\t{did}\t{name}\t{size}\t{age_min:.0f}", file=sys.stderr)
+        continue
+    print(f"{did}\t{name}\t{size}\t{age_min:.0f}")
+'
+droplets_json="$(doctl compute droplet list -o json --access-token "$DIGITALOCEAN_ACCESS_TOKEN")"
+mapfile -t victims < <(
+  printf '%s' "$droplets_json" \
+  | MIN_AGE_MIN="$MIN_AGE_MIN" BUILD_SIZE="$BUILD_SIZE" python3 -c "$builder_filter"
+)
+
+if [[ ${#victims[@]} -eq 0 ]]; then
+  echo "cull-orphan-builders: no orphaned packer builders found (min-age ${MIN_AGE_MIN}m)."
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+ids=()
+for row in "${victims[@]}"; do
+  IFS=$'\t' read -r id name size age <<<"$row"
+  echo "  orphan: $id  $name  $size  ~${age}m old"
+  ids+=("$id")
+done
+
+if [[ $DRY_RUN -eq 1 ]]; then
+  echo "cull-orphan-builders: --dry-run, deleting nothing (${#ids[@]} would be culled)."
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+echo "cull-orphan-builders: deleting ${#ids[@]} orphaned builder(s) ..."
+doctl compute droplet delete "${ids[@]}" --force
+echo "cull-orphan-builders: done."