diff --git a/scripts/copydir.go b/scripts/copydir.go
index 35622ab17..6e2777612 100644
--- a/scripts/copydir.go
+++ b/scripts/copydir.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
+	"runtime"
 	"strings"
 )
 
@@ -57,6 +58,17 @@ func main() {
 }
 
 func findRepoRoot() (string, error) {
+	_, file, _, ok := runtime.Caller(0)
+	if !ok {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("unable to locate copydir.go source path")
+	}
+
+	scriptDir := filepath.Dir(file)
+	candidate := filepath.Clean(filepath.Join(scriptDir, ".."))
+	if err := validateRepoRoot(candidate); err == nil {
+		return candidate, nil
+	}
+
 	wd, err := os.Getwd()
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
@@ -68,17 +80,31 @@ func findRepoRoot() (string, error) {
 	}
 
 	for {
-		if _, err := os.Stat(filepath.Join(cur, ".git")); err == nil {
+		if err := validateRepoRoot(cur); err == nil {
 			return filepath.Clean(cur), nil
 		}
 		parent := filepath.Dir(cur)
 		if parent == cur {
-			return "", fmt.Errorf("could not find .git from %s", wd)
+			return "", fmt.Errorf("could not find repository root from %s", wd)
 		}
 		cur = parent
 	}
 }
 
+func validateRepoRoot(root string) error {
+	anchors := []string{
+		filepath.Join(root, "go.sum"),
+		filepath.Join(root, "LICENSE"),
+		filepath.Join(root, ".github"),
+	}
+	for _, anchor := range anchors {
+		if _, err := os.Stat(anchor); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("missing repo anchor %s: %w", anchor, err)
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func normalizePathArg(arg, repoRoot string) (string, error) {
 	resolved := strings.ReplaceAll(arg, "${codespace}", repoRoot)
 	abs, err := filepath.Abs(resolved)
diff --git a/web/backend/api/exec_nonwindows.go b/web/backend/api/exec_nonwindows.go
index a68a3bfd7..0dc3c0e94 100644
--- a/web/backend/api/exec_nonwindows.go
+++ b/web/backend/api/exec_nonwindows.go
@@ -8,4 +8,4 @@ func launcherExecCommand(name string, args ...string) *exec.Cmd {
 	return exec.Command(name, args...)
 }
 
-func applyLauncherWindowsProcAttrs(_ *exec.Cmd) {}
+func applyLauncherProcAttrs(_ *exec.Cmd) {}
diff --git a/web/backend/api/exec_windows.go b/web/backend/api/exec_windows.go
index 1e76f8c73..86d3193a0 100644
--- a/web/backend/api/exec_windows.go
+++ b/web/backend/api/exec_windows.go
@@ -9,11 +9,11 @@ import (
 
 func launcherExecCommand(name string, args ...string) *exec.Cmd {
 	cmd := exec.Command(name, args...)
-	applyLauncherWindowsProcAttrs(cmd)
+	applyLauncherProcAttrs(cmd)
 	return cmd
 }
 
-func applyLauncherWindowsProcAttrs(cmd *exec.Cmd) {
+func applyLauncherProcAttrs(cmd *exec.Cmd) {
 	if cmd == nil {
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/web/backend/api/gateway.go b/web/backend/api/gateway.go
index d3e5ae1d5..606c8351d 100644
--- a/web/backend/api/gateway.go
+++ b/web/backend/api/gateway.go
@@ -706,7 +706,7 @@ func (h *Handler) startGatewayLocked(initialStatus string, existingPid int) (int
 	logger.InfoC("gateway", fmt.Sprintf("Starting gateway process (%s)", execPath))
 
 	cmd = gatewayExecCommand(execPath, h.gatewayCommandArgs()...)
-	applyLauncherWindowsProcAttrs(cmd)
+	applyLauncherProcAttrs(cmd)
 	cmd.Env = os.Environ()
 	// Forward the launcher's config path via the environment variable that
 	// GetConfigPath() already reads, so the gateway sub-process uses the same