diff --git a/apps/api/src/cutover-orchestrator.ts b/apps/api/src/cutover-orchestrator.ts
index 090c62f..3289c27 100644
--- a/apps/api/src/cutover-orchestrator.ts
+++ b/apps/api/src/cutover-orchestrator.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import {
 } from 'node:fs/promises';
 import { createHash } from 'node:crypto';
 import { request } from 'node:http';
-import { basename, isAbsolute, join, resolve } from 'node:path';
+import { isAbsolute, join, resolve } from 'node:path';
 import { GATEWAY_AUTH_HEADER } from './runtime-config.js';
 import { PRODUCTION_CUTOVER_ACK } from './canary-runtime.js';
 
@@ -197,12 +197,7 @@ function exactKeys(
 }
 
 function commandMatchesArgv(command: string, commandArgv: readonly string[]): boolean {
-  const rendered = commandArgv.join(' ');
-  if (rendered === command) return true;
-  const executable = commandArgv[0];
-  if (executable === undefined) return false;
-  const args = commandArgv.slice(1);
-  return [basename(executable), ...args].join(' ') === command;
+  return commandArgv.join(' ') === command;
 }
 
 function safeString(value: unknown, label: string): string {
@@ -431,12 +426,12 @@ export async function cutover(
       MULTI_SIMADMIN_CUTOVER_ACK: PRODUCTION_CUTOVER_ACK,
       MULTI_SIMADMIN_GATEWAY_TOKEN: gatewayToken,
     });
-    gatewayCommand = await system.command(gatewayPid);
-    gatewayIdentity = await system.identity(gatewayPid);
     if (!(await waitForGateway(system, gatewayPid, gatewayToken)))
       throw new Error(
         'Production gateway failed authenticated ownership verification on port 8788',
       );
+    gatewayCommand = await system.command(gatewayPid);
+    gatewayIdentity = await system.identity(gatewayPid);
     await durableState(plan, {
       ...preparedState(plan),
       phase: 'active',
@@ -450,7 +445,12 @@ export async function cutover(
       try {
         const actual = await system.command(gatewayPid);
         const identity = await system.identity(gatewayPid);
-        if (actual === gatewayCommand && identity === gatewayIdentity) {
+        if (
+          (gatewayCommand === undefined || actual === gatewayCommand) &&
+          (gatewayIdentity === undefined || identity === gatewayIdentity) &&
+          actual !== '' &&
+          identity !== ''
+        ) {
           system.signal(gatewayPid, 'SIGTERM');
           await system.waitGone(gatewayPid);
         }