diff --git a/core/Cargo.toml b/core/Cargo.toml
index 77c189f93..4566d666e 100644
--- a/core/Cargo.toml
+++ b/core/Cargo.toml
@@ -161,6 +161,7 @@ nix = { version = "0.30.1", features = [
   "process",
   "sched",
   "signal",
+  "socket",
   "user",
 ] }
 nom = "8.0.0"
diff --git a/core/src/service/effects/subcontainer/sync.rs b/core/src/service/effects/subcontainer/sync.rs
index c4d27994a..8b91c33a8 100644
--- a/core/src/service/effects/subcontainer/sync.rs
+++ b/core/src/service/effects/subcontainer/sync.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 use std::ffi::{OsStr, OsString, c_int};
 use std::fs::File;
 use std::io::{BufRead, BufReader, IsTerminal, Read};
+use std::os::fd::{AsRawFd, FromRawFd, OwnedFd, RawFd};
 use std::os::unix::process::{CommandExt, ExitStatusExt};
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 use std::process::{Command as StdCommand, Stdio};
@@ -8,6 +9,9 @@ use std::sync::Arc;
 
 use nix::errno::Errno;
 use nix::sched::CloneFlags;
+use nix::sys::socket::{
+    recvmsg, sendmsg, ControlMessage, ControlMessageOwned, MsgFlags,
+};
 use nix::unistd::Pid;
 use signal_hook::consts::signal::*;
 use termion::raw::IntoRawMode;
@@ -104,6 +108,129 @@ fn open_file_read(path: impl AsRef<Path>) -> Result<File, Error> {
     })
 }
 
+const LOG_DRAIN_SOCK: &str = ".log-drain.sock";
+
+fn log_drain_sock_path(chroot: &Path) -> PathBuf {
+    chroot.join(LOG_DRAIN_SOCK)
+}
+
+/// Send file descriptors to the log drain socket via SCM_RIGHTS.
+/// Best-effort: silently returns on any failure.
+fn send_drain_fds(chroot: &Path, fds: &[RawFd]) {
+    let sock_path = log_drain_sock_path(chroot);
+    let stream = match std::os::unix::net::UnixStream::connect(&sock_path) {
+        Ok(s) => s,
+        Err(e) => {
+            tracing::debug!("no log drain socket: {e}");
+            return;
+        }
+    };
+    let cmsg = [ControlMessage::ScmRights(fds)];
+    let iov = [std::io::IoSlice::new(&[0u8])];
+    if let Err(e) = sendmsg::<()>(stream.as_raw_fd(), &iov, &cmsg, MsgFlags::empty(), None) {
+        tracing::warn!("failed to send drain fds: {e}");
+    }
+}
+
+/// Receive file descriptors from a Unix stream via SCM_RIGHTS.
+fn recv_drain_fds(stream: &std::os::unix::net::UnixStream) -> Result<Vec<OwnedFd>, nix::Error> {
+    let mut buf = [0u8; 1];
+    let mut iov = [std::io::IoSliceMut::new(&mut buf)];
+    let mut cmsg_buf = nix::cmsg_space!([RawFd; 4]);
+    let msg = recvmsg::<()>(
+        stream.as_raw_fd(),
+        &mut iov,
+        Some(&mut cmsg_buf),
+        MsgFlags::empty(),
+    )?;
+    let mut fds = Vec::new();
+    for cmsg in msg.cmsgs()? {
+        if let ControlMessageOwned::ScmRights(received) = cmsg {
+            for fd in received {
+                fds.push(unsafe { OwnedFd::from_raw_fd(fd) });
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    Ok(fds)
+}
+
+/// Non-blocking drain of the pipe/pty buffer into `out`. The dup'd FD shares
+/// the same pipe as the I/O thread, so both consumers write to the caller's
+/// stdout/stderr — no data is lost.
+fn drain_buffer(fd: &OwnedFd, out: &mut impl std::io::Write) {
+    use std::os::fd::AsFd;
+    let flags = nix::fcntl::fcntl(fd.as_fd(), nix::fcntl::FcntlArg::F_GETFL).unwrap_or(0);
+    let _ = nix::fcntl::fcntl(
+        fd.as_fd(),
+        nix::fcntl::FcntlArg::F_SETFL(
+            nix::fcntl::OFlag::from_bits_truncate(flags) | nix::fcntl::OFlag::O_NONBLOCK,
+        ),
+    );
+    let mut buf = [0u8; CAP_1_KiB];
+    loop {
+        match nix::unistd::read(fd.as_fd(), &mut buf) {
+            Ok(0) | Err(Errno::EAGAIN) | Err(_) => break,
+            Ok(n) => {
+                out.write_all(&buf[..n]).ok();
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    out.flush().ok();
+    let _ = nix::fcntl::fcntl(
+        fd.as_fd(),
+        nix::fcntl::FcntlArg::F_SETFL(nix::fcntl::OFlag::from_bits_truncate(flags)),
+    );
+}
+
+/// Start a Unix socket listener that accepts FD handoffs from `exec` processes.
+/// Received FDs are drained to stderr (which flows to container-runtime's journald).
+fn start_drain_listener(chroot: &Path) {
+    use std::io::{Read, Write};
+    use std::os::unix::net::UnixListener;
+
+    let sock_path = log_drain_sock_path(chroot);
+    let _ = std::fs::remove_file(&sock_path);
+    let listener = match UnixListener::bind(&sock_path) {
+        Ok(l) => l,
+        Err(e) => {
+            tracing::warn!("failed to bind log drain socket: {e}");
+            return;
+        }
+    };
+
+    std::thread::spawn(move || {
+        for stream in listener.incoming() {
+            let stream = match stream {
+                Ok(s) => s,
+                Err(_) => break,
+            };
+            match recv_drain_fds(&stream) {
+                Ok(fds) => {
+                    for fd in fds {
+                        std::thread::spawn(move || {
+                            let mut reader = File::from(fd);
+                            let mut buf = [0u8; CAP_1_KiB];
+                            loop {
+                                match reader.read(&mut buf) {
+                                    Ok(0) | Err(_) => break,
+                                    Ok(n) => {
+                                        let stderr = std::io::stderr();
+                                        let mut out = stderr.lock();
+                                        out.write_all(&buf[..n]).ok();
+                                    }
+                                }
+                            }
+                        });
+                    }
+                }
+                Err(e) => {
+                    tracing::warn!("failed to receive drain fds: {e}");
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    });
+}
+
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Serialize, Deserialize, Parser)]
 #[group(skip)]
 pub struct ExecParams {
@@ -331,6 +458,7 @@ pub fn launch(
     use std::io::Write;
 
     kill_init(Path::new("/proc"), &chroot)?;
+    start_drain_listener(&chroot);
     let mut sig = signal_hook::iterator::Signals::new(FWD_SIGNALS)?;
     let (send_pid, recv_pid) = oneshot::channel();
     std::thread::spawn(move || {
@@ -507,8 +635,6 @@ pub fn launch(
         stderr_send
             .send(Box::new(child.stderr.take().unwrap()))
             .unwrap_or_default();
-
-        // TODO: subreaping, signal handling
         let exit = child
             .wait()
             .with_ctx(|_| (ErrorKind::Filesystem, "waiting on child process"))?;
@@ -628,7 +754,7 @@ pub fn exec(
         }
     });
     let (stdout_send, stdout_recv) = oneshot::channel::<Box<dyn std::io::Read + Send>>();
-    let stdout_thread = std::thread::spawn(move || {
+    let _stdout_thread = std::thread::spawn(move || {
         if let Ok(mut cstdout) = stdout_recv.blocking_recv() {
             if tty {
                 let mut stdout = stdout.lock();
@@ -646,7 +772,7 @@ pub fn exec(
         }
     });
     let (stderr_send, stderr_recv) = oneshot::channel::<Box<dyn std::io::Read + Send>>();
-    let stderr_thread = if !stderr_tty {
+    let _stderr_thread = if !stderr_tty {
         Some(std::thread::spawn(move || {
             if let Ok(mut cstderr) = stderr_recv.blocking_recv() {
                 std::io::copy(&mut cstderr, &mut stderr.lock()).unwrap();
@@ -705,6 +831,18 @@ pub fn exec(
             };
             pty.resize(size).with_kind(ErrorKind::Filesystem)?;
         }
+
+        // Dup the PTY master (and separate stderr if piped) for drain handoff
+        let pty_drain = nix::unistd::dup(&pty)
+            .with_ctx(|_| (ErrorKind::Filesystem, "dup pty for drain"))?;
+        let mut drain_fds = vec![pty_drain];
+        if let Some(stderr) = child.stderr.take() {
+            let stderr_drain = nix::unistd::dup(&stderr)
+                .with_ctx(|_| (ErrorKind::Filesystem, "dup stderr for drain"))?;
+            drain_fds.push(stderr_drain);
+            stderr_send.send(Box::new(stderr)).unwrap_or_default();
+        }
+
         let shared = ArcPty(Arc::new(pty));
         stdin_send
             .send(Box::new(shared.clone()))
@@ -712,14 +850,23 @@ pub fn exec(
         stdout_send
             .send(Box::new(shared.clone()))
             .unwrap_or_default();
-        if let Some(stderr) = child.stderr.take() {
-            stderr_send.send(Box::new(stderr)).unwrap_or_default();
-        }
+
         let exit = child
             .wait()
             .with_ctx(|_| (ErrorKind::Filesystem, "waiting on child process"))?;
-        stdout_thread.join().unwrap();
-        stderr_thread.map(|t| t.join().unwrap());
+
+        // Flush any remaining pipe buffer data to the caller, then hand off
+        // the dup'd FDs to launch for grandchild log capture.
+        // We cannot join the I/O threads because grandchildren may hold the
+        // pipe write ends open indefinitely.
+        drain_buffer(&drain_fds[0], &mut std::io::stdout().lock());
+        if drain_fds.len() > 1 {
+            drain_buffer(&drain_fds[1], &mut std::io::stderr().lock());
+        }
+        let raw_fds: Vec<RawFd> = drain_fds.iter().map(|fd| fd.as_raw_fd()).collect();
+        send_drain_fds(&chroot, &raw_fds);
+        drop(drain_fds);
+
         if let Some(code) = exit.code() {
             drop(raw);
             std::process::exit(code);
@@ -756,20 +903,40 @@ pub fn exec(
             .map_err(color_eyre::eyre::Report::msg)
             .with_ctx(|_| (ErrorKind::Filesystem, "spawning child process"))?;
         send_pid.send(child.id() as i32).unwrap_or_default();
+
+        // Take pipe handles and dup them for later handoff to the drain listener.
+        // We dup before sending the originals to I/O threads.
+        let child_stdout = child.stdout.take().unwrap();
+        let child_stderr = child.stderr.take().unwrap();
+        let stdout_drain = nix::unistd::dup(&child_stdout)
+            .with_ctx(|_| (ErrorKind::Filesystem, "dup stdout for drain"))?;
+        let stderr_drain = nix::unistd::dup(&child_stderr)
+            .with_ctx(|_| (ErrorKind::Filesystem, "dup stderr for drain"))?;
+
         stdin_send
             .send(Box::new(child.stdin.take().unwrap()))
             .unwrap_or_default();
         stdout_send
-            .send(Box::new(child.stdout.take().unwrap()))
+            .send(Box::new(child_stdout))
             .unwrap_or_default();
         stderr_send
-            .send(Box::new(child.stderr.take().unwrap()))
+            .send(Box::new(child_stderr))
             .unwrap_or_default();
+
         let exit = child
             .wait()
             .with_ctx(|_| (ErrorKind::Filesystem, "waiting on child process"))?;
-        stdout_thread.join().unwrap();
-        stderr_thread.map(|t| t.join().unwrap());
+
+        // Flush any remaining pipe buffer data to the caller, then hand off
+        // the dup'd FDs to launch for grandchild log capture.
+        // We cannot join the I/O threads because grandchildren may hold the
+        // pipe write ends open indefinitely.
+        drain_buffer(&stdout_drain, &mut std::io::stdout().lock());
+        drain_buffer(&stderr_drain, &mut std::io::stderr().lock());
+        send_drain_fds(&chroot, &[stdout_drain.as_raw_fd(), stderr_drain.as_raw_fd()]);
+        drop(stdout_drain);
+        drop(stderr_drain);
+
         if let Some(code) = exit.code() {
             std::process::exit(code);
         } else if exit.success() || exit.signal() == Some(15) {
@@ -786,3 +953,165 @@ pub fn exec(
 pub fn exec_command(_: ContainerCliContext, params: ExecParams) -> Result<(), Error> {
     params.exec()
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use std::io::Write;
+    use std::os::fd::AsFd;
+    use std::os::unix::net::UnixListener;
+    use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicU32, Ordering};
+
+    static TEST_COUNTER: AtomicU32 = AtomicU32::new(0);
+
+    fn test_dir() -> PathBuf {
+        let n = TEST_COUNTER.fetch_add(1, Ordering::Relaxed);
+        let dir = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!(
+            "startos-test-drain-{}-{}",
+            std::process::id(),
+            n,
+        ));
+        std::fs::create_dir_all(&dir).unwrap();
+        dir
+    }
+
+    /// Create an anonymous pipe, returning (read_end, write_end) as OwnedFds.
+    fn pipe() -> (OwnedFd, OwnedFd) {
+        let (r, w) = nix::unistd::pipe().unwrap();
+        (r, w)
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_send_recv_drain_fds() {
+        let dir = test_dir();
+        let sock_path = dir.join(LOG_DRAIN_SOCK);
+        let listener = UnixListener::bind(&sock_path).unwrap();
+
+        let (pipe_r, pipe_w) = pipe();
+        let raw_fd = pipe_r.as_raw_fd();
+
+        // Send the read end of the pipe
+        let send_thread = std::thread::spawn(move || {
+            let stream = std::os::unix::net::UnixStream::connect(&sock_path).unwrap();
+            let cmsg = [ControlMessage::ScmRights(&[raw_fd])];
+            let iov = [std::io::IoSlice::new(&[0u8])];
+            sendmsg::<()>(stream.as_raw_fd(), &iov, &cmsg, MsgFlags::empty(), None).unwrap();
+            drop(pipe_r); // close our copy after sending
+        });
+
+        // Receive on the listener side
+        let (stream, _) = listener.accept().unwrap();
+        let fds = recv_drain_fds(&stream).unwrap();
+        send_thread.join().unwrap();
+
+        assert_eq!(fds.len(), 1, "should receive exactly one FD");
+
+        // Write through the pipe and read from the received FD
+        let mut writer = File::from(pipe_w);
+        writer.write_all(b"hello from pipe").unwrap();
+        drop(writer);
+
+        let mut reader = File::from(fds.into_iter().next().unwrap());
+        let mut buf = String::new();
+        std::io::Read::read_to_string(&mut reader, &mut buf).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(buf, "hello from pipe");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_drain_buffer_reads_available_data() {
+        let (pipe_r, pipe_w) = pipe();
+
+        let mut writer = File::from(pipe_w);
+        writer.write_all(b"buffered data").unwrap();
+        drop(writer);
+
+        let mut output = Vec::new();
+        drain_buffer(&pipe_r, &mut output);
+
+        assert_eq!(output, b"buffered data");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_drain_buffer_returns_immediately_on_empty_pipe() {
+        let (pipe_r, _pipe_w) = pipe();
+
+        // Pipe is open but empty — should return immediately (EAGAIN)
+        let mut output = Vec::new();
+        drain_buffer(&pipe_r, &mut output);
+
+        assert!(output.is_empty(), "empty pipe should yield no data");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_drain_buffer_restores_blocking_mode() {
+        let (pipe_r, _pipe_w) = pipe();
+
+        let flags_before =
+            nix::fcntl::fcntl(pipe_r.as_fd(), nix::fcntl::FcntlArg::F_GETFL).unwrap();
+        drain_buffer(&pipe_r, &mut Vec::new());
+        let flags_after =
+            nix::fcntl::fcntl(pipe_r.as_fd(), nix::fcntl::FcntlArg::F_GETFL).unwrap();
+
+        assert_eq!(flags_before, flags_after, "flags should be restored");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_dup_preserves_pipe_after_original_closed() {
+        // Simulates the real flow: dup the pipe, close the original,
+        // verify data is still readable from the dup'd FD.
+        let (pipe_r, pipe_w) = pipe();
+
+        let drain_fd = nix::unistd::dup(pipe_r.as_fd()).unwrap();
+
+        let mut writer = File::from(pipe_w);
+        writer.write_all(b"child output").unwrap();
+        drop(writer);
+
+        // Close original — pipe stays alive through drain_fd
+        drop(pipe_r);
+
+        let mut reader = File::from(drain_fd);
+        let mut buf = String::new();
+        std::io::Read::read_to_string(&mut reader, &mut buf).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(buf, "child output");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_start_drain_listener_end_to_end() {
+        // Full integration: start the listener, send a pipe FD, write data,
+        // verify the listener drains it.
+        let chroot = test_dir();
+
+        start_drain_listener(&chroot);
+
+        // Give the listener thread a moment to bind
+        std::thread::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_millis(50));
+
+        let (pipe_r, pipe_w) = pipe();
+
+        // Send the pipe read end to the drain listener
+        send_drain_fds(&chroot, &[pipe_r.as_raw_fd()]);
+        drop(pipe_r); // close our copy; listener has its own
+
+        // Write data — the listener should drain it (to stderr in production,
+        // but we just verify the pipe doesn't block/hang)
+        let mut writer = File::from(pipe_w);
+        for _ in 0..100 {
+            writer.write_all(b"log line\n").unwrap();
+        }
+        drop(writer);
+
+        // Give the drain thread time to process
+        std::thread::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_millis(100));
+        // If we get here without hanging, the test passes.
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_send_drain_fds_no_socket_does_not_panic() {
+        // When no drain socket exists, send_drain_fds should silently return
+        let dir = test_dir();
+        let (pipe_r, _pipe_w) = pipe();
+        send_drain_fds(&dir, &[pipe_r.as_raw_fd()]);
+        // No panic, no error — best-effort
+    }
+}