diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 3e4f68c..d78b133 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -129,3 +129,8 @@ Although caching is generally recommended, you can disable it by passing `'false
     oauth-secret: ${{ secrets.TS_OAUTH_SECRET }}
     use-cache: "false"
 ```
+
+## Usage on persistent self-hosted runners
+
+When running on self-hosted runners that persist after CI jobs have finished,
+the GitHub Action leaves tailscale binaries installed but stops the tailscale background processes.
diff --git a/dist/index.js b/dist/index.js
index eccc42d..d52b535 100644
--- a/dist/index.js
+++ b/dist/index.js
@@ -41570,6 +41570,8 @@ async function startTailscaleDaemon(config) {
             fs.openSync(path.join(os.homedir(), "tailscaled.log"), "w"),
         ],
     });
+    // Store PID for cleaning up daemon process in logout.ts.
+    fs.writeFileSync("tailscaled.pid", `${daemon.pid}`);
     daemon.unref(); // Ensure daemon doesn't keep Node.js process alive
     // Close stdin/stdout/stderr to fully detach
     if (daemon.stdin)
diff --git a/dist/logout/index.js b/dist/logout/index.js
index 16310d4..2e99e69 100644
--- a/dist/logout/index.js
+++ b/dist/logout/index.js
@@ -25686,10 +25686,13 @@ var __importStar = (this && this.__importStar) || (function () {
 Object.defineProperty(exports, "__esModule", ({ value: true }));
 const core = __importStar(__nccwpck_require__(7484));
 const exec = __importStar(__nccwpck_require__(5236));
+const fs = __importStar(__nccwpck_require__(9896));
+const runnerWindows = "Windows";
+const runnerMacOS = "macOS";
 async function logout() {
     try {
         const runnerOS = process.env.RUNNER_OS || "";
-        if (runnerOS === "macOS") {
+        if (runnerOS === runnerMacOS) {
             // The below is required to allow GitHub's post job cleanup to complete.
             core.info("Resetting DNS settings on macOS");
             await exec.exec("networksetup", ["-setdnsservers", "Ethernet", "Empty"]);
@@ -25703,29 +25706,50 @@ async function logout() {
         // Check if tailscale is available first
         try {
             await exec.exec("tailscale", ["--version"], { silent: true });
+            // Determine the correct command based on OS
+            let execArgs;
+            if (runnerOS === runnerWindows) {
+                execArgs = ["tailscale", "logout"];
+            }
+            else {
+                // Linux and macOS - use system-installed binary with sudo
+                execArgs = ["sudo", "-E", "tailscale", "logout"];
+            }
+            core.info(`Running: ${execArgs.join(" ")}`);
+            try {
+                await exec.exec(execArgs[0], execArgs.slice(1));
+                core.info("✅ Successfully logged out of Tailscale");
+            }
+            catch (error) {
+                // Don't fail the action if logout fails - it's just cleanup
+                core.warning(`Failed to logout from Tailscale: ${error}`);
+                core.info("Your ephemeral node will eventually be cleaned up by Tailscale");
+            }
         }
         catch (error) {
             core.info("Tailscale not found or not accessible, skipping logout");
             return;
         }
-        // Determine the correct command based on OS
-        let execArgs;
-        if (runnerOS === "Windows") {
-            execArgs = ["tailscale", "logout"];
-        }
-        else {
-            // Linux and macOS - use system-installed binary with sudo
-            execArgs = ["sudo", "-E", "tailscale", "logout"];
-        }
-        core.info(`Running: ${execArgs.join(" ")}`);
+        core.info("Stopping tailscale");
         try {
-            await exec.exec(execArgs[0], execArgs.slice(1));
-            core.info("✅ Successfully logged out of Tailscale");
+            if (runnerOS === runnerWindows) {
+                await exec.exec("net", ["stop", "Tailscale"]);
+                await exec.exec("taskkill", ["/F", "/IM", "tailscale-ipn.exe"]);
+            }
+            else {
+                const pid = fs.readFileSync("tailscaled.pid").toString();
+                if (pid === "") {
+                    throw new Error("pid file empty");
+                }
+                // The pid is actually the pid of the `sudo` parent of tailscaled, so use pkill -P to kill children of that parent
+                await exec.exec("sudo", ["pkill", "-P", pid]);
+                // Clean up DNS and routes.
+                await exec.exec("sudo", ["tailscaled", "--cleanup"]);
+            }
+            core.info("✅ Stopped tailscale");
         }
         catch (error) {
-            // Don't fail the action if logout fails - it's just cleanup
-            core.warning(`Failed to logout from Tailscale: ${error}`);
-            core.info("Your ephemeral node will eventually be cleaned up by Tailscale");
+            core.warning(`Failed to stop tailscale: ${error}`);
         }
     }
     catch (error) {
diff --git a/src/logout/logout.ts b/src/logout/logout.ts
index 8b16a37..27a7098 100644
--- a/src/logout/logout.ts
+++ b/src/logout/logout.ts
@@ -3,12 +3,16 @@
 
 import * as core from "@actions/core";
 import * as exec from "@actions/exec";
+import * as fs from "fs";
+
+const runnerWindows = "Windows";
+const runnerMacOS = "macOS";
 
 async function logout(): Promise<void> {
   try {
     const runnerOS = process.env.RUNNER_OS || "";
 
-    if (runnerOS === "macOS") {
+    if (runnerOS === runnerMacOS) {
       // The below is required to allow GitHub's post job cleanup to complete.
       core.info("Resetting DNS settings on macOS");
       await exec.exec("networksetup", ["-setdnsservers", "Ethernet", "Empty"]);
@@ -24,31 +28,51 @@ async function logout(): Promise<void> {
     // Check if tailscale is available first
     try {
       await exec.exec("tailscale", ["--version"], { silent: true });
+
+      // Determine the correct command based on OS
+      let execArgs: string[];
+      if (runnerOS === runnerWindows) {
+        execArgs = ["tailscale", "logout"];
+      } else {
+        // Linux and macOS - use system-installed binary with sudo
+        execArgs = ["sudo", "-E", "tailscale", "logout"];
+      }
+
+      core.info(`Running: ${execArgs.join(" ")}`);
+
+      try {
+        await exec.exec(execArgs[0], execArgs.slice(1));
+        core.info("✅ Successfully logged out of Tailscale");
+      } catch (error) {
+        // Don't fail the action if logout fails - it's just cleanup
+        core.warning(`Failed to logout from Tailscale: ${error}`);
+        core.info(
+          "Your ephemeral node will eventually be cleaned up by Tailscale"
+        );
+      }
     } catch (error) {
       core.info("Tailscale not found or not accessible, skipping logout");
       return;
     }
 
-    // Determine the correct command based on OS
-    let execArgs: string[];
-    if (runnerOS === "Windows") {
-      execArgs = ["tailscale", "logout"];
-    } else {
-      // Linux and macOS - use system-installed binary with sudo
-      execArgs = ["sudo", "-E", "tailscale", "logout"];
-    }
-
-    core.info(`Running: ${execArgs.join(" ")}`);
-
+    core.info("Stopping tailscale");
     try {
-      await exec.exec(execArgs[0], execArgs.slice(1));
-      core.info("✅ Successfully logged out of Tailscale");
+      if (runnerOS === runnerWindows) {
+        await exec.exec("net", ["stop", "Tailscale"]);
+        await exec.exec("taskkill", ["/F", "/IM", "tailscale-ipn.exe"]);
+      } else {
+        const pid = fs.readFileSync("tailscaled.pid").toString();
+        if (pid === "") {
+          throw new Error("pid file empty");
+        }
+        // The pid is actually the pid of the `sudo` parent of tailscaled, so use pkill -P to kill children of that parent
+        await exec.exec("sudo", ["pkill", "-P", pid]);
+        // Clean up DNS and routes.
+        await exec.exec("sudo", ["tailscaled", "--cleanup"]);
+      }
+      core.info("✅ Stopped tailscale");
     } catch (error) {
-      // Don't fail the action if logout fails - it's just cleanup
-      core.warning(`Failed to logout from Tailscale: ${error}`);
-      core.info(
-        "Your ephemeral node will eventually be cleaned up by Tailscale"
-      );
+      core.warning(`Failed to stop tailscale: ${error}`);
     }
   } catch (error) {
     // Don't fail the action for post-cleanup issues
diff --git a/src/main.ts b/src/main.ts
index dde99b9..2fd2745 100644
--- a/src/main.ts
+++ b/src/main.ts
@@ -593,6 +593,9 @@ async function startTailscaleDaemon(config: TailscaleConfig): Promise<void> {
     ],
   });
 
+  // Store PID for cleaning up daemon process in logout.ts.
+  fs.writeFileSync("tailscaled.pid", `${daemon.pid}`);
+
   daemon.unref(); // Ensure daemon doesn't keep Node.js process alive
 
   // Close stdin/stdout/stderr to fully detach