diff --git a/docs/HANDOFF.md b/docs/HANDOFF.md
index 112d617..4d7de42 100644
--- a/docs/HANDOFF.md
+++ b/docs/HANDOFF.md
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ while no orchestrator exists. Nothing will "notify" a session that was not runni
 completion is recorded ON DISK. Run this before anything else:
 
     cd ~/bookshelf && cat logs/WAVE*-DONE 2>/dev/null; \
-      pgrep -fc 'run-task\.sh' ; tail -2 logs/*.state
+      ps -eo args= | awk '$1~/bash$/ && $2~/run-task\.sh$/' | wc -l ; tail -2 logs/*.state
+    # NOT `pgrep -fc 'run-task\.sh'` — that counts this very shell (HAZARD #6/#10)
 
 - `logs/WAVE<N>-DONE` exists  -> that wave's workers have STOPPED. Read it, then
   independently verify (assembleDebug + testDebugUnitTest + `git status --porcelain`)