diff --git a/packages/paperclip-runner/runner/crates/runner-core/src/process_supervisor.rs b/packages/paperclip-runner/runner/crates/runner-core/src/process_supervisor.rs
index 2d22ca9ff7..6ac380da5d 100644
--- a/packages/paperclip-runner/runner/crates/runner-core/src/process_supervisor.rs
+++ b/packages/paperclip-runner/runner/crates/runner-core/src/process_supervisor.rs
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ use std::os::unix::process::CommandExt;
 use std::os::fd::AsRawFd;
 
 #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
-use std::os::unix::fs::{DirBuilderExt, FileExt, MetadataExt, OpenOptionsExt, PermissionsExt};
+use std::os::unix::fs::{FileExt, MetadataExt, OpenOptionsExt, PermissionsExt};
 
 #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
 use uuid::Uuid;
@@ -290,7 +290,6 @@ struct InheritedCommand {
 #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
 struct TemporaryExecutable {
     path: PathBuf,
-    directory: PathBuf,
     _file: File,
 }
 
@@ -298,7 +297,6 @@ struct TemporaryExecutable {
 impl Drop for TemporaryExecutable {
     fn drop(&mut self) {
         let _ = fs::remove_file(&self.path);
-        let _ = fs::remove_dir(&self.directory);
     }
 }
 
@@ -306,29 +304,31 @@ impl Drop for TemporaryExecutable {
 fn materialize_executable(
     artifact: &VerifiedProcessArtifact,
 ) -> Result<TemporaryExecutable, LocalRunnerError> {
-    let directory = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!(
+    let directory = artifact.display_path.parent().ok_or_else(|| {
+        LocalRunnerError::invalid(format!(
+            "verified process artifact {} has no parent directory",
+            artifact.display_path.display()
+        ))
+    })?;
+    let directory_metadata = fs::symlink_metadata(directory)
+        .map_err(|error| snapshot_error(&artifact.display_path, error))?;
+    if !directory_metadata.is_dir() || directory_metadata.permissions().mode() & 0o022 != 0 {
+        return Err(LocalRunnerError::invalid(format!(
+            "verified process artifact directory {} must be a directory that is not group- or world-writable",
+            directory.display()
+        )));
+    }
+    let path = directory.join(format!(
         ".paperclip-verified-executable-{}",
         Uuid::new_v4().simple()
     ));
-    let mut directory_builder = fs::DirBuilder::new();
-    directory_builder.mode(0o700);
-    directory_builder
-        .create(&directory)
-        .map_err(|error| snapshot_error(&artifact.display_path, error))?;
-    let path = directory.join("launch");
-    let writable = OpenOptions::new()
+    let mut writable = OpenOptions::new()
         .read(true)
         .write(true)
         .create_new(true)
         .mode(0o700)
-        .open(&path);
-    let mut writable = match writable {
-        Ok(file) => file,
-        Err(error) => {
-            let _ = fs::remove_dir(&directory);
-            return Err(snapshot_error(&artifact.display_path, error));
-        }
-    };
+        .open(&path)
+        .map_err(|error| snapshot_error(&artifact.display_path, error))?;
     let result = (|| {
         let length = artifact
             .file
@@ -375,13 +375,11 @@ fn materialize_executable(
         drop(writable);
         Ok(TemporaryExecutable {
             path: path.clone(),
-            directory: directory.clone(),
             _file: file,
         })
     })();
     if result.is_err() {
         let _ = fs::remove_file(path);
-        let _ = fs::remove_dir(directory);
     }
     result
 }
diff --git a/packages/paperclip-runner/runner/crates/runner-core/tests/process_supervisor.rs b/packages/paperclip-runner/runner/crates/runner-core/tests/process_supervisor.rs
index b871c7bfae..d1fac57753 100644
--- a/packages/paperclip-runner/runner/crates/runner-core/tests/process_supervisor.rs
+++ b/packages/paperclip-runner/runner/crates/runner-core/tests/process_supervisor.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #![cfg(unix)]
 
 use std::fs::{self, File};
+#[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
+use std::io::Read;
 use std::io::Write;
 use std::os::unix::fs::PermissionsExt;
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
@@ -35,6 +37,21 @@ fn sha256(contents: &str) -> String {
     format!("sha256:{:x}", Sha256::digest(contents.as_bytes()))
 }
 
+#[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
+fn sha256_file(path: &Path) -> String {
+    let mut file = File::open(path).unwrap();
+    let mut digest = Sha256::new();
+    let mut buffer = [0_u8; 64 * 1024];
+    loop {
+        let count = file.read(&mut buffer).unwrap();
+        if count == 0 {
+            break;
+        }
+        digest.update(&buffer[..count]);
+    }
+    format!("sha256:{:x}", digest.finalize())
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn verified_launch_uses_open_command_and_script_after_atomic_path_replacement() {
     let directory = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!(
@@ -105,7 +122,14 @@ fn verified_launch_uses_open_command_and_script_after_atomic_path_replacement()
     #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
     assert!(inherited_runtime.starts_with("/proc/self/fd/"));
     #[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
-    assert!(inherited_runtime.contains(".paperclip-verified-executable-"));
+    {
+        assert!(inherited_runtime.contains(".paperclip-verified-executable-"));
+        assert_eq!(
+            Path::new(&inherited_runtime).parent(),
+            command.parent(),
+            "macOS verified launches must preserve loader-relative runtime layout"
+        );
+    }
     assert_eq!(
         process
             .receive_stdout_line(Duration::from_secs(1))
@@ -117,6 +141,55 @@ fn verified_launch_uses_open_command_and_script_after_atomic_path_replacement()
     fs::remove_dir_all(directory).unwrap();
 }
 
+#[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
+#[test]
+fn verified_launch_preserves_homebrew_node_loader_layout() {
+    let resolved = Command::new("/usr/bin/which")
+        .arg("node")
+        .output()
+        .expect("node lookup should run");
+    assert!(
+        resolved.status.success(),
+        "node should be available on PATH"
+    );
+    let node = fs::canonicalize(
+        String::from_utf8(resolved.stdout)
+            .expect("node path should be UTF-8")
+            .trim(),
+    )
+    .expect("node path should resolve");
+    let launch = VerifiedProcessLaunch::new(
+        VerifiedProcessArtifact::snapshot_verified(
+            node.clone(),
+            File::open(&node).unwrap(),
+            &sha256_file(&node),
+        )
+        .unwrap(),
+        vec![
+            VerifiedProcessArgument::Literal("--eval".to_owned()),
+            VerifiedProcessArgument::Literal("console.log(process.execPath)".to_owned()),
+        ],
+    );
+
+    let mut process = SupervisedProcess::spawn_verified_with_environment_keys(
+        &launch,
+        Duration::from_millis(50),
+        1024,
+        &[],
+    )
+    .expect("verified Node should start with its loader-relative libraries");
+    let executed_node = process
+        .receive_stdout_line(Duration::from_secs(2))
+        .unwrap()
+        .expect("Node should report its executable path");
+    assert_eq!(
+        Path::new(&executed_node).parent(),
+        node.parent(),
+        "verified Node must execute beside the authenticated runtime"
+    );
+    process.wait().unwrap();
+}
+
 fn spawn_linger_process() -> (SupervisedProcess, u32, u64) {
     let harness = PathBuf::from(env!("CARGO_BIN_EXE_fake-harness"));
     let script = PathBuf::from(env!("CARGO_MANIFEST_DIR"))
diff --git a/packages/paperclip-runner/scripts/run-local-provider-smoke.mjs b/packages/paperclip-runner/scripts/run-local-provider-smoke.mjs
index cc856be840..a45dbcf80b 100644
--- a/packages/paperclip-runner/scripts/run-local-provider-smoke.mjs
+++ b/packages/paperclip-runner/scripts/run-local-provider-smoke.mjs
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ const rustSources = await filesUnder(
     path.endsWith(".rs") ||
     path.endsWith("Cargo.toml") ||
     path.endsWith("Cargo.lock"),
-  (path) => path.endsWith("/target"),
+  (path) => /\/(?:target|tests|benches|examples)$/u.test(path),
 );
 await assertArtifactsFresh("runnerd", rustSources, [runnerd]);