diff --git a/appruntime/appruntime.cpp b/appruntime/appruntime.cpp
index 87f5183..986933a 100644
--- a/appruntime/appruntime.cpp
+++ b/appruntime/appruntime.cpp
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include "desktopentry.h"
 
 #include <QDebug>
+#include <QFile>
 #include <QFileInfo>
 #include <QProcess>
 #include <QStandardPaths>
@@ -91,7 +92,8 @@ uint AppRuntime::startProcess(const QString &appId, const QStringList &command,
         return 0;
     }
 
-    m_instances.insert(static_cast<uint>(pid), appId);
+    m_instances.insert(static_cast<uint>(pid),
+                       Instance{appId, startTime(static_cast<uint>(pid))});
 
     if (!m_reaper.isActive())
         m_reaper.start();
@@ -138,8 +140,11 @@ bool AppRuntime::terminate(uint pid)
     // one takes down the whole login session.
     ::kill(static_cast<pid_t>(pid), SIGTERM);
 
-    QTimer::singleShot(kTerminateTimeout, this, [pid] {
-        if (isAlive(pid) && isOwnedByUser(pid))
+    // The pid may be recycled before the timeout fires, so the kill is bound
+    // to this exact process rather than to the number.
+    const qulonglong started = startTime(pid);
+    QTimer::singleShot(kTerminateTimeout, this, [pid, started] {
+        if (isAlive(pid) && isOwnedByUser(pid) && (started == 0 || startTime(pid) == started))
             ::kill(static_cast<pid_t>(pid), SIGKILL);
     });
 
@@ -158,8 +163,8 @@ QStringList AppRuntime::runningApplications() const
 {
     QStringList result;
     for (auto it = m_instances.constBegin(); it != m_instances.constEnd(); ++it) {
-        if (!result.contains(it.value()))
-            result.append(it.value());
+        if (!result.contains(it.value().appId))
+            result.append(it.value().appId);
     }
     return result;
 }
@@ -168,7 +173,7 @@ QList<uint> AppRuntime::pidsForApplication(const QString &appId) const
 {
     QList<uint> result;
     for (auto it = m_instances.constBegin(); it != m_instances.constEnd(); ++it) {
-        if (it.value() == appId)
+        if (it.value().appId == appId)
             result.append(it.key());
     }
     return result;
@@ -178,11 +183,16 @@ void AppRuntime::reap()
 {
     const QList<uint> pids = m_instances.keys();
     for (const uint pid : pids) {
-        if (isAlive(pid))
+        const Instance instance = m_instances.value(pid);
+
+        // A live pid that no longer belongs to the process we started has
+        // been recycled: the instance is gone all the same. An unknown start
+        // time only leaves liveness to go by.
+        if (isAlive(pid) && (instance.startTime == 0 || startTime(pid) == instance.startTime))
             continue;
 
-        const QString appId = m_instances.take(pid);
-        emit applicationQuit(appId, pid);
+        m_instances.remove(pid);
+        emit applicationQuit(instance.appId, pid);
     }
 
     if (m_instances.isEmpty())
@@ -210,6 +220,27 @@ bool AppRuntime::isSafeTarget(uint pid)
         && pid != static_cast<uint>(::getsid(0));
 }
 
+// Field 22 of /proc/pid/stat, in clock ticks since boot.
+qulonglong AppRuntime::startTime(uint pid)
+{
+    QFile stat(QStringLiteral("/proc/%1/stat").arg(pid));
+    if (!stat.open(QIODevice::ReadOnly))
+        return 0;
+
+    const QByteArray line = stat.readLine();
+    // The comm field is parenthesised and may itself contain spaces.
+    const int commEnd = line.lastIndexOf(')');
+    if (commEnd < 0)
+        return 0;
+
+    const QList<QByteArray> fields = line.mid(commEnd + 2).simplified().split(' ');
+    // stat field 22 is the 20th one after comm.
+    if (fields.size() < 20)
+        return 0;
+
+    return fields.at(19).toULongLong();
+}
+
 bool AppRuntime::isOwnedByUser(uint pid)
 {
     const QFileInfo info(QStringLiteral("/proc/%1").arg(pid));
diff --git a/appruntime/appruntime.h b/appruntime/appruntime.h
index edc69ed..f28913c 100644
--- a/appruntime/appruntime.h
+++ b/appruntime/appruntime.h
@@ -39,6 +39,12 @@ signals:
     void applicationQuit(const QString &appId, uint pid);
 
 private:
+    struct Instance {
+        QString appId;
+        // Kernel start time of the process; a recycled pid has a different one.
+        qulonglong startTime = 0;
+    };
+
     uint startProcess(const QString &appId, const QStringList &command,
                       const QString &workingDirectory);
     bool terminate(uint pid);
@@ -47,10 +53,11 @@ private:
     static bool isAlive(uint pid);
     static bool isSafeTarget(uint pid);
     static bool isOwnedByUser(uint pid);
+    static qulonglong startTime(uint pid);
 
     ApplicationRegistry *m_registry;
-    // pid -> application id
-    QHash<uint, QString> m_instances;
+    // pid -> instance
+    QHash<uint, Instance> m_instances;
     QTimer m_reaper;
 };