diff --git a/examples/plugins/ai-explain/main.mjs b/assets/plugins/ai-explain/main.js
similarity index 93%
rename from examples/plugins/ai-explain/main.mjs
rename to assets/plugins/ai-explain/main.js
index 8caec021..84a4649e 100644
--- a/examples/plugins/ai-explain/main.mjs
+++ b/assets/plugins/ai-explain/main.js
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 // Sends the current subtitle line, with a few lines of context, to `codex exec` and shows the
 // answer in the SubMiner plugin panel. Registers two actions: `explain` and `translate`.
-import { mkdtemp, readFile, rm } from 'node:fs/promises';
-import os from 'node:os';
-import path from 'node:path';
+const { mkdtemp, readFile, rm } = require('node:fs/promises');
+const os = require('node:os');
+const path = require('node:path');
 
 const DEFAULT_SETTINGS = {
   codexPath: 'codex',
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ const ACTIONS = {
   },
 };
 
-export function activate(ctx) {
+function activate(ctx) {
   const settings = { ...DEFAULT_SETTINGS, ...ctx.settings };
   for (const [name, action] of Object.entries(ACTIONS)) {
     const prompt = settings.prompts?.[name] ?? action.prompt;
@@ -49,7 +49,11 @@ function quote(text) {
 
 // Subtitles wrap across lines; flatten each cue so the >>> marker covers all of it.
 function oneLine(text) {
-  return text.split('\n').map((part) => part.trim()).filter(Boolean).join(' ');
+  return text
+    .split('\n')
+    .map((part) => part.trim())
+    .filter(Boolean)
+    .join(' ');
 }
 
 function tail(text, lineCount) {
@@ -126,3 +130,5 @@ async function ask(ctx, settings, title, instructions) {
     await rm(workDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
   }
 }
+
+module.exports = { activate };
diff --git a/examples/plugins/ai-explain/plugin.json b/assets/plugins/ai-explain/plugin.json
similarity index 70%
rename from examples/plugins/ai-explain/plugin.json
rename to assets/plugins/ai-explain/plugin.json
index d67f3afc..b0e74d8c 100644
--- a/examples/plugins/ai-explain/plugin.json
+++ b/assets/plugins/ai-explain/plugin.json
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
   "name": "AI Explain",
   "version": "1.0.0",
-  "main": "main.mjs"
+  "main": "main.js"
 }
diff --git a/docs-site/plugins.md b/docs-site/plugins.md
index 6c45b708..f5874c1f 100644
--- a/docs-site/plugins.md
+++ b/docs-site/plugins.md
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ Load errors and plugin log output go to the app log with a `plugin:<id>` scope.
 
 ## Example: explain the current line with Codex
 
-The repository ships [`examples/plugins/ai-explain`](https://github.com/ksyasuda/SubMiner/tree/main/examples/plugins/ai-explain). It sends the current line, plus the lines around it, to [`codex exec`](https://github.com/openai/codex) and shows the answer in a panel. It needs a logged-in Codex CLI.
+The repository ships [`assets/plugins/ai-explain`](https://github.com/ksyasuda/SubMiner/tree/main/assets/plugins/ai-explain). It sends the current line, plus the lines around it, to [`codex exec`](https://github.com/openai/codex) and shows the answer in a panel. It needs a logged-in Codex CLI.
 
 | Action      | What it does                                                    |
 | ----------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- |
@@ -62,13 +62,13 @@ Press `Esc` to close the panel. Closing it, or starting another request, stops t
 A plugin folder needs a `plugin.json`:
 
 ```json
-{ "name": "My Plugin", "version": "1.0.0", "main": "main.mjs" }
+{ "name": "My Plugin", "version": "1.0.0", "main": "main.js" }
 ```
 
-`main` points to a CommonJS or ES module that exports `activate(ctx)`. It may return a cleanup function, or the module can export `deactivate()`. Everything a plugin registers through `ctx` (listeners, timers, actions, panels, running programs) is cleaned up automatically when SubMiner quits.
+`main` points to a CommonJS module (`.js`) or an ES module (`.mjs`) that exports `activate(ctx)`. It may return a cleanup function, or the module can export `deactivate()`. Everything a plugin registers through `ctx` (listeners, timers, actions, panels, running programs) is cleaned up automatically when SubMiner quits.
 
 ```js
-export function activate(ctx) {
+function activate(ctx) {
   ctx.mpv.on('media-path-change', ({ path }) => ctx.log.info(`Now playing ${path}`));
   ctx.every(60_000, () => ctx.log.info('Still watching'));
   ctx.actions.register('hello', () => {
@@ -76,6 +76,8 @@ export function activate(ctx) {
     ctx.ui.panel({ title: 'Hello', markdown: line ? `> ${line.text}` : '_No subtitle_' });
   });
 }
+
+module.exports = { activate };
 ```
 
 An error thrown by a plugin is logged and does not crash SubMiner. A plugin that blocks with a long synchronous loop still freezes the app, so keep slow work asynchronous.
diff --git a/docs/architecture/domains.md b/docs/architecture/domains.md
index d28bb7c8..13cf2db1 100644
--- a/docs/architecture/domains.md
+++ b/docs/architecture/domains.md
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ Read when: you need to find the owner module for a behavior or test surface
 - AniList tracking + character dictionary: `src/core/services/anilist/`, `src/main/runtime/composers/anilist-*`, `src/main/character-dictionary-runtime.ts`, `src/main/character-dictionary-runtime/`
 - TMDB live-action metadata: `src/core/services/tmdb/` (client + exact-title resolver), `src/core/services/immersion-tracker/live-action-link.ts` (links an entry to a TMDB title and merges other holders of the same title). The AniList cover-art fetcher calls the resolver as its fallback; `imm_anime.media_kind` marks the result and keeps the entry out of AniList season repair.
 - Jellyfin integration: `src/core/services/jellyfin*.ts`, `src/main/runtime/composers/jellyfin-*`
-- User plugins: `src/core/services/plugins/` (host, `ctx`, `exec`), `src/main/runtime/plugin-panel-runtime.ts` (panel modal), `src/renderer/modals/plugin-panel*.ts`; example in `examples/plugins/`
+- User plugins: `src/core/services/plugins/` (host, `ctx`, `exec`), `src/main/runtime/plugin-panel-runtime.ts` (panel modal), `src/renderer/modals/plugin-panel*.ts`; example in `assets/plugins/`
 - Window trackers: `src/window-trackers/`
 - Stats HTTP app: `src/core/services/stats-server.ts`, with route groups and shared route support
   in `src/core/services/stats-server/`
diff --git a/src/core/services/plugins/exec.test.ts b/src/core/services/plugins/exec.test.ts
index bab461b7..d28bf67a 100644
--- a/src/core/services/plugins/exec.test.ts
+++ b/src/core/services/plugins/exec.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import { mkdtemp, readFile, rm } from 'node:fs/promises';
+import os from 'node:os';
+import path from 'node:path';
 import test from 'node:test';
+import { setTimeout as sleep } from 'node:timers/promises';
 
 import { execPluginCommand } from './exec';
 
@@ -53,6 +57,50 @@ test('aborting kills the child and rejects with AbortError', async () => {
   await assert.rejects(pending, { name: 'AbortError' });
 });
 
+test('force-kills a child that ignores SIGTERM after the grace period', async (t) => {
+  if (process.platform === 'win32') return t.skip('POSIX signals only');
+  const pidFile = path.join(await mkdtemp(path.join(os.tmpdir(), 'plugin-exec-')), 'pid');
+  const controller = new AbortController();
+  const pending = execPluginCommand(
+    runtime,
+    [
+      '-e',
+      `process.on("SIGTERM", () => {}); require("node:fs").writeFileSync(${JSON.stringify(pidFile)}, String(process.pid)); setInterval(() => {}, 1000);`,
+    ],
+    { signal: controller.signal },
+    100,
+  );
+
+  let pid = 0;
+  for (let i = 0; i < 100 && !pid; i += 1) {
+    pid = Number(await readFile(pidFile, 'utf8').catch(() => '0'));
+    if (!pid) await sleep(20);
+  }
+  assert.ok(pid > 0, 'child never reported its pid');
+  try {
+    controller.abort();
+    await assert.rejects(pending, { name: 'AbortError' });
+    let alive = true;
+    for (let i = 0; i < 100 && alive; i += 1) {
+      await sleep(20);
+      alive = isRunning(pid);
+    }
+    assert.equal(alive, false, 'child survived SIGTERM');
+  } finally {
+    if (isRunning(pid)) process.kill(pid, 'SIGKILL');
+    await rm(path.dirname(pidFile), { recursive: true, force: true });
+  }
+});
+
+function isRunning(pid: number): boolean {
+  try {
+    process.kill(pid, 0);
+    return true;
+  } catch {
+    return false;
+  }
+}
+
 test('rejects when the binary does not exist', async () => {
   await assert.rejects(
     execPluginCommand('subminer-definitely-missing-binary', []),
diff --git a/src/core/services/plugins/exec.ts b/src/core/services/plugins/exec.ts
index 5e2d4679..f2a7f6fc 100644
--- a/src/core/services/plugins/exec.ts
+++ b/src/core/services/plugins/exec.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { buildSystemBinaryEnv } from '../../utils/system-binary-env';
 import type { PluginExecOptions, PluginExecResult } from './types';
 
 const MAX_CAPTURED_OUTPUT_CHARS = 4 * 1024 * 1024;
+const DEFAULT_KILL_GRACE_MS = 3_000;
 
 function appendCapped(current: string, chunk: string): string {
   if (current.length >= MAX_CAPTURED_OUTPUT_CHARS) return current;
@@ -13,11 +14,13 @@ function appendCapped(current: string, chunk: string): string {
 /**
  * Runs `command` without a shell and collects its output. Resolves with the exit code on any exit,
  * including non-zero; rejects when the binary cannot start, the timeout passes, or `signal` aborts.
+ * A timed-out or aborted child gets SIGTERM, then SIGKILL after `killGraceMs`.
  */
 export function execPluginCommand(
   command: string,
   args: string[],
   options: PluginExecOptions = {},
+  killGraceMs = DEFAULT_KILL_GRACE_MS,
 ): Promise<PluginExecResult> {
   return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
     if (options.signal?.aborted) {
@@ -45,9 +48,15 @@ export function execPluginCommand(
       finish();
     };
 
+    // Rejects right away, then escalates to SIGKILL if the child ignores SIGTERM.
     const killWith = (error: Error): void => {
       settle(() => reject(error));
       child.kill('SIGTERM');
+      const forceKill = setTimeout(() => {
+        if (child.exitCode === null && child.signalCode === null) child.kill('SIGKILL');
+      }, killGraceMs);
+      forceKill.unref();
+      child.once('exit', () => clearTimeout(forceKill));
     };
 
     function onAbort(): void {