diff --git a/score/launch_manager/BUILD b/score/launch_manager/BUILD
index 55dd202efc..fc11e11494 100644
--- a/score/launch_manager/BUILD
+++ b/score/launch_manager/BUILD
@@ -46,6 +46,13 @@ alias(
     actual = "//score/launch_manager/src/daemon:launch_manager",
 )
 
+# Debug-assert build variant of the daemon, for integration tests only —
+# see //score/launch_manager/src/daemon:launch_manager_debug_asserts.
+alias(
+    name = "launch_manager_debug_asserts",
+    actual = "//score/launch_manager/src/daemon:launch_manager_debug_asserts",
+)
+
 cc_library(
     name = "error",
     hdrs = ["src/execution_error.h"],
diff --git a/score/launch_manager/src/daemon/BUILD b/score/launch_manager/src/daemon/BUILD
index 34705a5949..76984d2c5b 100644
--- a/score/launch_manager/src/daemon/BUILD
+++ b/score/launch_manager/src/daemon/BUILD
@@ -10,27 +10,16 @@
 #
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 # *******************************************************************************
-load("@rules_cc//cc:defs.bzl", "cc_binary")
+load(":daemon.bzl", "launch_manager_binary")
 
-cc_binary(
-    name = "launch_manager",
-    srcs = ["src/main.cpp"],
-    linkopts = select({
-        "@platforms//os:linux": ["-lpthread"],
-        "//conditions:default": [],
-    }),
-    visibility = ["//score/launch_manager:__subpackages__"],
-    deps = [
-        "//score/launch_manager/src/daemon/src/alive_monitor",
-        "//score/launch_manager/src/daemon/src/common:assertion_handler",
-        "//score/launch_manager/src/daemon/src/common:log",
-        "//score/launch_manager/src/daemon/src/configuration:flatbuffer_config_loader",
-        "//score/launch_manager/src/daemon/src/osal:ipc_comms",
-        "//score/launch_manager/src/daemon/src/process_group_manager",
-        "//score/launch_manager/src/daemon/src/process_group_manager:alive_monitor_thread",
-        "//score/launch_manager/src/daemon/src/recovery_client",
-        "//score/launch_manager/src/daemon/src/supervision_control_client:supervision_control_notifier",
-        "//score/launch_manager/src/daemon/src/watchdog:watchdog_factory",
-        "@score_baselibs//score/language/futurecpp",
-    ],
+# Production binary — ships as-is, debug-level asserts stay compiled out.
+launch_manager_binary(name = "launch_manager")
+
+# Opt-in variant for integration tests: same srcs/deps as the production
+# binary, but with SCORE_LANGUAGE_FUTURECPP_ASSERT_LEVEL_DEBUG enabled so the
+# integration suite actually exercises DBG-level asserts (see lifecycle#579,
+# which did the same for unit tests via lm_cc_test).
+launch_manager_binary(
+    name = "launch_manager_debug_asserts",
+    defines = ["SCORE_LANGUAGE_FUTURECPP_ASSERT_LEVEL_DEBUG"],
 )
diff --git a/score/launch_manager/src/daemon/daemon.bzl b/score/launch_manager/src/daemon/daemon.bzl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2a403ebe42
--- /dev/null
+++ b/score/launch_manager/src/daemon/daemon.bzl
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+# *******************************************************************************
+# Copyright (c) 2026 Contributors to the Eclipse Foundation
+#
+# See the NOTICE file(s) distributed with this work for additional
+# information regarding copyright ownership.
+#
+# This program and the accompanying materials are made available under the
+# terms of the Apache License Version 2.0 which is available at
+# https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+# *******************************************************************************
+"""Bazel macros for the launch_manager daemon binary."""
+
+load("@rules_cc//cc:defs.bzl", "cc_binary")
+
+def launch_manager_binary(name, defines = []):
+    """Defines a launch_manager daemon binary variant.
+
+    Args:
+        name: Name of the binary target.
+        defines: Extra preprocessor defines for this variant.
+    """
+    cc_binary(
+        name = name,
+        srcs = ["src/main.cpp"],
+        linkopts = select({
+            "@platforms//os:linux": ["-lpthread"],
+            "//conditions:default": [],
+        }),
+        defines = defines,
+        visibility = ["//score/launch_manager:__subpackages__"],
+        deps = [
+            "//score/launch_manager/src/daemon/src/alive_monitor",
+            "//score/launch_manager/src/daemon/src/common:assertion_handler",
+            "//score/launch_manager/src/daemon/src/common:log",
+            "//score/launch_manager/src/daemon/src/configuration:flatbuffer_config_loader",
+            "//score/launch_manager/src/daemon/src/osal:ipc_comms",
+            "//score/launch_manager/src/daemon/src/process_group_manager",
+            "//score/launch_manager/src/daemon/src/process_group_manager:alive_monitor_thread",
+            "//score/launch_manager/src/daemon/src/recovery_client",
+            "//score/launch_manager/src/daemon/src/supervision_control_client:supervision_control_notifier",
+            "//score/launch_manager/src/daemon/src/watchdog:watchdog_factory",
+            "@score_baselibs//score/language/futurecpp",
+        ],
+    )
diff --git a/tests/integration/complex_monitoring/BUILD b/tests/integration/complex_monitoring/BUILD
index 15306f47ec..088084ae71 100644
--- a/tests/integration/complex_monitoring/BUILD
+++ b/tests/integration/complex_monitoring/BUILD
@@ -52,8 +52,9 @@ integration_test(
     binaries = [
         ":component_complex_monitoring",
         ":control_client_test_driver",
-        "//score/launch_manager",
+        "//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts",
         "//tests/utils/test_helper:verification_process",
     ],
+    binary_renames = {"//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts": "launch_manager"},
     config = ":complex_monitoring.json",
 )
diff --git a/tests/integration/crash_ignores_dependents/BUILD b/tests/integration/crash_ignores_dependents/BUILD
index 039993802c..14b5a2ffea 100644
--- a/tests/integration/crash_ignores_dependents/BUILD
+++ b/tests/integration/crash_ignores_dependents/BUILD
@@ -41,7 +41,8 @@ integration_test(
         ":config",
         ":test_process",
         ":process_crashing_once",
-        "//score/launch_manager",
+        "//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts",
     ],
+    binary_renames = {"//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts": "launch_manager"},
     config = ":crash_ignores_dependents.json",
 )
diff --git a/tests/integration/crash_on_startup/BUILD b/tests/integration/crash_on_startup/BUILD
index 620abbc63d..040d57d90b 100644
--- a/tests/integration/crash_on_startup/BUILD
+++ b/tests/integration/crash_on_startup/BUILD
@@ -29,9 +29,10 @@ integration_test(
     srcs = ["crash_on_startup.py"],
     binaries = [
         ":control_client_test_driver",
-        "//score/launch_manager",
+        "//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts",
         "//tests/utils/test_helper:process_crashing_on_startup_n_times",
         "//tests/utils/test_helper:verification_process",
     ],
+    binary_renames = {"//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts": "launch_manager"},
     config = ":crash_on_startup.json",
 )
diff --git a/tests/integration/fallback_to_same_target_restarts/BUILD b/tests/integration/fallback_to_same_target_restarts/BUILD
index 9c39ec7713..5ce7a79862 100644
--- a/tests/integration/fallback_to_same_target_restarts/BUILD
+++ b/tests/integration/fallback_to_same_target_restarts/BUILD
@@ -41,7 +41,8 @@ integration_test(
         ":config",
         ":control_client_test_driver",
         ":process_crashing_once",
-        "//score/launch_manager",
+        "//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts",
     ],
+    binary_renames = {"//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts": "launch_manager"},
     config = ":fallback_to_same_target_restarts.json",
 )
diff --git a/tests/integration/incorrect_config_non_reporting/BUILD b/tests/integration/incorrect_config_non_reporting/BUILD
index d84b30f28f..262a6069ef 100644
--- a/tests/integration/incorrect_config_non_reporting/BUILD
+++ b/tests/integration/incorrect_config_non_reporting/BUILD
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@ integration_test(
     srcs = ["test_incorrect_config_non_reporting.py"],
     binaries = [
         ":non_reporting_process",
-        "//score/launch_manager",
+        "//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts",
     ],
+    binary_renames = {"//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts": "launch_manager"},
     config = ":non_reporting_config.json",
 )
diff --git a/tests/integration/lm_shutdown_during_rt_switch/BUILD b/tests/integration/lm_shutdown_during_rt_switch/BUILD
index d5b2c0d52c..4e5bdac283 100644
--- a/tests/integration/lm_shutdown_during_rt_switch/BUILD
+++ b/tests/integration/lm_shutdown_during_rt_switch/BUILD
@@ -50,7 +50,8 @@ integration_test(
         "//tests/utils/test_helper:process_hanging_on_sigterm",
         ":component_c",
         ":control_client_test_driver",
-        "//score/launch_manager",
+        "//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts",
     ],
+    binary_renames = {"//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts": "launch_manager"},
     config = ":lm_shutdown_during_rt_switch.json",
 )
diff --git a/tests/integration/lm_shutdown_during_switch_to_off/BUILD b/tests/integration/lm_shutdown_during_switch_to_off/BUILD
index 88512b86c0..772c96b765 100644
--- a/tests/integration/lm_shutdown_during_switch_to_off/BUILD
+++ b/tests/integration/lm_shutdown_during_switch_to_off/BUILD
@@ -38,7 +38,8 @@ integration_test(
     binaries = [
         "//tests/utils/test_helper:process_hanging_on_sigterm",
         ":control_client_test_driver",
-        "//score/launch_manager",
+        "//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts",
     ],
+    binary_renames = {"//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts": "launch_manager"},
     config = ":lm_shutdown_during_switch_to_off.json",
 )
diff --git a/tests/integration/parallel_launch/BUILD b/tests/integration/parallel_launch/BUILD
index 2688898cb7..ab3479d0c4 100644
--- a/tests/integration/parallel_launch/BUILD
+++ b/tests/integration/parallel_launch/BUILD
@@ -40,7 +40,8 @@ integration_test(
     binaries = [
         ":component_parallel_launch",
         ":control_client_test_driver",
-        "//score/launch_manager",
+        "//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts",
     ],
+    binary_renames = {"//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts": "launch_manager"},
     config = ":parallel_launch.json",
 )
diff --git a/tests/integration/process_complex_rep_failure/BUILD b/tests/integration/process_complex_rep_failure/BUILD
index e7deefcbb0..fe90682975 100644
--- a/tests/integration/process_complex_rep_failure/BUILD
+++ b/tests/integration/process_complex_rep_failure/BUILD
@@ -41,8 +41,9 @@ integration_test(
     binaries = [
         ":complex_reporting_process",
         ":control_client_test_driver",
-        "//score/launch_manager",
+        "//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts",
         "//tests/utils/test_helper:verification_process",
     ],
+    binary_renames = {"//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts": "launch_manager"},
     config = ":process_complex_rep_failure.json",
 )
diff --git a/tests/integration/process_crash_monitoring/BUILD b/tests/integration/process_crash_monitoring/BUILD
index 43865f42b1..e5ca7fca4c 100644
--- a/tests/integration/process_crash_monitoring/BUILD
+++ b/tests/integration/process_crash_monitoring/BUILD
@@ -41,8 +41,9 @@ integration_test(
         ":config",
         ":control_client_test_driver",
         ":process_crashing_on_runtime",
-        "//score/launch_manager",
+        "//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts",
         "//tests/utils/test_helper:verification_process",
     ],
+    binary_renames = {"//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts": "launch_manager"},
     config = ":process_crash_monitoring.json",
 )
diff --git a/tests/integration/process_fd_leak/BUILD b/tests/integration/process_fd_leak/BUILD
index 33e79c1606..ff6d6bfea1 100644
--- a/tests/integration/process_fd_leak/BUILD
+++ b/tests/integration/process_fd_leak/BUILD
@@ -67,7 +67,8 @@ integration_test(
         ":control_client_test_driver",
         ":native",
         ":reporting",
-        "//score/launch_manager",
+        "//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts",
     ],
+    binary_renames = {"//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts": "launch_manager"},
     config = ":process_fd_leak.json",
 )
diff --git a/tests/integration/process_launch_args/BUILD b/tests/integration/process_launch_args/BUILD
index 279ba3a614..c3ea22824d 100644
--- a/tests/integration/process_launch_args/BUILD
+++ b/tests/integration/process_launch_args/BUILD
@@ -28,7 +28,8 @@ integration_test(
     srcs = ["process_launch_args.py"],
     binaries = [
         ":process_initial",
-        "//score/launch_manager",
+        "//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts",
     ],
+    binary_renames = {"//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts": "launch_manager"},
     config = ":process_launch_args.json",
 )
diff --git a/tests/integration/process_simple_rep_failure/BUILD b/tests/integration/process_simple_rep_failure/BUILD
index f0baf01713..a8ed8e71e2 100644
--- a/tests/integration/process_simple_rep_failure/BUILD
+++ b/tests/integration/process_simple_rep_failure/BUILD
@@ -40,8 +40,9 @@ integration_test(
     binaries = [
         ":control_client_test_driver",
         ":process_simple_reporting",
-        "//score/launch_manager",
+        "//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts",
         "//tests/utils/test_helper:verification_process",
     ],
+    binary_renames = {"//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts": "launch_manager"},
     config = ":process_simple_rep_failure.json",
 )
diff --git a/tests/integration/process_wrong_binary_failure/BUILD b/tests/integration/process_wrong_binary_failure/BUILD
index 8bc684a776..a937f656af 100644
--- a/tests/integration/process_wrong_binary_failure/BUILD
+++ b/tests/integration/process_wrong_binary_failure/BUILD
@@ -29,8 +29,9 @@ integration_test(
     srcs = ["process_wrong_binary_failure.py"],
     binaries = [
         ":control_client_test_driver",
-        "//score/launch_manager",
+        "//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts",
         "//tests/utils/test_helper:verification_process",
     ],
+    binary_renames = {"//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts": "launch_manager"},
     config = ":process_wrong_binary_failure.json",
 )
diff --git a/tests/integration/rt_running_when_process_exits/BUILD b/tests/integration/rt_running_when_process_exits/BUILD
index f82f94d835..f7991f897d 100644
--- a/tests/integration/rt_running_when_process_exits/BUILD
+++ b/tests/integration/rt_running_when_process_exits/BUILD
@@ -42,8 +42,9 @@ integration_test(
     binaries = [
         ":control_client_test_driver",
         ":filesystem_reader",
-        "//score/launch_manager",
+        "//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts",
         "//tests/utils/testing_utils:touch_file.sh",
     ],
+    binary_renames = {"//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts": "launch_manager"},
     config = ":rt_running_when_process_exits.json",
 )
diff --git a/tests/integration/sandbox_options/BUILD b/tests/integration/sandbox_options/BUILD
index 37029d1463..c02dce7566 100644
--- a/tests/integration/sandbox_options/BUILD
+++ b/tests/integration/sandbox_options/BUILD
@@ -41,8 +41,9 @@ integration_test(
         ":sandbox_options_process_a",
         ":sandbox_options_process_b",
         ":sandbox_options_process_c",
-        "//score/launch_manager",
+        "//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts",
         "//tests/utils/test_helper:verification_process",
     ],
+    binary_renames = {"//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts": "launch_manager"},
     config = ":sandbox_options.json",
 )
diff --git a/tests/integration/shutdown_signal/BUILD b/tests/integration/shutdown_signal/BUILD
index 61650f6446..3c97e4f232 100644
--- a/tests/integration/shutdown_signal/BUILD
+++ b/tests/integration/shutdown_signal/BUILD
@@ -48,7 +48,8 @@ integration_test(
     binaries = [
         ":control_client_test_driver",
         ":shutdown_signal_process",
-        "//score/launch_manager",
+        "//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts",
     ],
+    binary_renames = {"//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts": "launch_manager"},
     config = ":shutdown_signal.json",
 )
diff --git a/tests/integration/smoke/BUILD b/tests/integration/smoke/BUILD
index 5bbf47291f..88fdf9ff17 100644
--- a/tests/integration/smoke/BUILD
+++ b/tests/integration/smoke/BUILD
@@ -42,7 +42,8 @@ integration_test(
     binaries = [
         ":control_client_test_driver",
         ":gtest_process",
-        "//score/launch_manager",
+        "//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts",
     ],
+    binary_renames = {"//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts": "launch_manager"},
     config = ":lifecycle_smoketest.json",
 )
diff --git a/tests/integration/switch_run_target/BUILD b/tests/integration/switch_run_target/BUILD
index f1bdb9301f..9ad3f02189 100644
--- a/tests/integration/switch_run_target/BUILD
+++ b/tests/integration/switch_run_target/BUILD
@@ -76,7 +76,8 @@ integration_test(
         ":component_d",
         ":component_e",
         ":control_client_test_driver",
-        "//score/launch_manager",
+        "//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts",
     ],
+    binary_renames = {"//score/launch_manager:launch_manager_debug_asserts": "launch_manager"},
     config = ":switch_run_target.json",
 )
diff --git a/tests/utils/bazel/integration.bzl b/tests/utils/bazel/integration.bzl
index be754b1947..d25466e9b8 100644
--- a/tests/utils/bazel/integration.bzl
+++ b/tests/utils/bazel/integration.bzl
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ def integration_test(
         files = [],
         config = None,
         install_prefix = SCORE_TEST_INSTALL_PREFIX,
+        binary_renames = {},
         **kwargs):
     """Creates an integration test.
 
@@ -41,6 +42,10 @@ def integration_test(
         files: Additional files
         config: Launch manager configuration file
         install_prefix: Installation prefix for the test environment
+        binary_renames: Optional {label: filename} overrides for entries in
+            `binaries` — lets a differently-named target (e.g. a debug-assert
+            build variant) be installed under the filename the test scripts
+            expect (e.g. "launch_manager").
         **kwargs: Miscellaneous arguments passed through to `py_itf_test`
     """
 
@@ -49,6 +54,7 @@ def integration_test(
         srcs = binaries,
         attributes = pkg_attributes(mode = "0555"),
         prefix = "tests/{}".format(name),
+        renames = binary_renames,
     )
 
     if config:
diff --git a/tests/utils/plugins/localhost.py b/tests/utils/plugins/localhost.py
index 09d4e83111..ae38fc0822 100644
--- a/tests/utils/plugins/localhost.py
+++ b/tests/utils/plugins/localhost.py
@@ -77,10 +77,24 @@ def wait(self, timeout_s: float = 15) -> int:
 
     def stop(self) -> int:
         if self.is_running():
-            # Kill the entire process group so that children (e.g. the actual
-            # daemon binary launched under fakeroot) receive SIGTERM and can
-            # run their cleanup code before exiting.
-            os.killpg(os.getpgid(self._process.pid), signal.SIGTERM)
+            # Signal only the process(es) fakeroot launched, not the whole
+            # process group. fakeroot's /bin/sh wrapper traps EXIT/INT but not
+            # TERM, so killpg() would kill the wrapper itself before it can
+            # wait() for its child and relay the real exit code -- self._process
+            # would then report the wrapper's own signal death (-15) instead of
+            # the actual binary's exit status, regardless of whether that
+            # binary shut down cleanly.
+            children = subprocess.run(
+                ["pgrep", "-P", str(self._process.pid)],
+                capture_output=True,
+                text=True,
+            ).stdout.split()
+            targets = [int(pid) for pid in children] or [self._process.pid]
+            for pid in targets:
+                try:
+                    os.kill(pid, signal.SIGTERM)
+                except ProcessLookupError:
+                    pass
             for _ in range(5):
                 time.sleep(1)
                 if not self.is_running():