diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ae78da7..c1b6c56 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -118,7 +118,20 @@ absent or invalid, the popup disables itself cleanly while input processing
 continues.  `run.sh` and `bench.sh` accept the same font-file arguments.
 When `run.sh` is invoked without arguments, it uses the installed DejaVu,
 Jigmo, or Noto CJK font files from the standard Arch Linux paths.  Explicit
-font-file arguments replace these defaults.
+font-file arguments replace these defaults:
+
+```sh
+./run.sh
+./run.sh /path/to/primary.ttf /path/to/fallback.ttc
+```
+
+`run.sh` remains in the foreground and owns only the daemon and XIM process
+that it starts.  It waits for that daemon's IPC socket and IBus address file
+before reporting success.  With `DISPLAY` set it then starts XIM; without a
+display it keeps the headless daemon in the foreground and does not start
+XIM.  A signal or XIM exit stops and reaps the launcher's daemon.  The
+launcher never replaces an existing daemon: an occupied per-user socket is a
+visible startup failure.
 
 The IPC socket is placed at `$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/strans.sock` when
 `XDG_RUNTIME_DIR` is an absolute path.  Otherwise strans uses the per-user
diff --git a/bench.sh b/bench.sh
index 287a233..67dbcbb 100755
--- a/bench.sh
+++ b/bench.sh
@@ -2,30 +2,97 @@
 
 set -eu
 
-cd "$(dirname "$0")"
+cd "$(dirname "$0")" || exit 1
+
+case ${XDG_RUNTIME_DIR-} in
+/)	ipc=/strans.sock ;;
+/*/)	ipc=${XDG_RUNTIME_DIR}strans.sock ;;
+/*)	ipc=${XDG_RUNTIME_DIR}/strans.sock ;;
+*)	ipc=/tmp/strans.$(id -u) ;;
+esac
+if test -n "${XDG_CONFIG_HOME-}"; then
+	busdir=$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/ibus/bus
+elif test "${HOME+x}" = x; then
+	busdir=$HOME/.config/ibus/bus
+else
+	echo "bench.sh: HOME or XDG_CONFIG_HOME is required for IBus discovery" >&2
+	exit 1
+fi
 
 strans_pid=
 perf_pid=
 
 cleanup()
 {
+	status=$?
 	trap - 0 1 2 15
 	if test -n "$perf_pid"; then
-		kill -INT "$perf_pid" 2>/dev/null || true
-		wait "$perf_pid" 2>/dev/null || true
+		kill -INT "$perf_pid" 2>/dev/null || :
+		wait "$perf_pid" 2>/dev/null || :
+		perf_pid=
 	fi
 	if test -n "$strans_pid"; then
-		kill "$strans_pid" 2>/dev/null || true
-		wait "$strans_pid" 2>/dev/null || true
+		kill "$strans_pid" 2>/dev/null || :
+		wait "$strans_pid" 2>/dev/null || :
+		strans_pid=
 	fi
+	exit "$status"
 }
 
-trap cleanup 0 1 2 15
+ibusready()
+{
+	for address in "$busdir"/*; do
+		test -f "$address" || continue
+		foundpid=
+		foundaddress=
+		while IFS= read -r line; do
+			case $line in
+			IBUS_DAEMON_PID="$strans_pid")	foundpid=1 ;;
+			IBUS_ADDRESS=unix:abstract=strans-"$strans_pid",*)	foundaddress=1 ;;
+			esac
+		done <"$address"
+		if test -n "$foundpid" && test -n "$foundaddress"; then
+			return 0
+		fi
+	done
+	return 1
+}
+
+trap cleanup 0
+trap 'exit 129' 1
+trap 'exit 130' 2
+trap 'exit 143' 15
 
 ./strans map "$@" &
 strans_pid=$!
-sleep 1
-kill -0 "$strans_pid"
+
+attempt=0
+while test "$attempt" -lt 10; do
+	if test -S "$ipc" && ibusready; then
+		break
+	fi
+	if ! kill -0 "$strans_pid" 2>/dev/null; then
+		if wait "$strans_pid"; then
+			status=0
+		else
+			status=$?
+		fi
+		strans_pid=
+		if test "$status" -eq 0; then
+			status=1
+		fi
+		echo "bench.sh: daemon exited before publishing IPC and IBus endpoints" >&2
+		exit "$status"
+	fi
+	attempt=$((attempt + 1))
+	if test "$attempt" -lt 10; then
+		sleep 1
+	fi
+done
+if test "$attempt" -eq 10; then
+	echo "bench.sh: daemon did not publish IPC and IBus endpoints within 10 seconds" >&2
+	exit 1
+fi
 
 # warm up the renderer
 ./bench/bench bench/bench.keys 100
@@ -39,5 +106,5 @@ kill -0 "$perf_pid"
 ./bench/bench bench/bench.keys 100
 
 kill -INT "$perf_pid"
-wait "$perf_pid" 2>/dev/null || true
+wait "$perf_pid" 2>/dev/null || :
 perf_pid=
diff --git a/run.sh b/run.sh
index 2e5bb45..8e371f0 100755
--- a/run.sh
+++ b/run.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
-cd "$(dirname "$0")"
+cd "$(dirname "$0")" || exit 1
 
 if test "$#" -eq 0; then
 	set --
@@ -20,8 +20,115 @@ if test "$#" -eq 0; then
 	fi
 fi
 
-pkill strans
-sleep 1
+if ! test -x ./strans; then
+	echo "run.sh: ./strans is not executable; run make first" >&2
+	exit 1
+fi
+if test -n "${DISPLAY-}" && ! test -x xim/strans-xim; then
+	echo "run.sh: xim/strans-xim is not executable; run make first" >&2
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+case ${XDG_RUNTIME_DIR-} in
+/)	ipc=/strans.sock ;;
+/*/)	ipc=${XDG_RUNTIME_DIR}strans.sock ;;
+/*)	ipc=${XDG_RUNTIME_DIR}/strans.sock ;;
+*)	ipc=/tmp/strans.$(id -u) ;;
+esac
+if test -n "${XDG_CONFIG_HOME-}"; then
+	busdir=$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/ibus/bus
+elif test "${HOME+x}" = x; then
+	busdir=$HOME/.config/ibus/bus
+else
+	echo "run.sh: HOME or XDG_CONFIG_HOME is required for IBus discovery" >&2
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+strans_pid=
+xim_pid=
+
+cleanup()
+{
+	status=$?
+	trap - 0 1 2 15
+	if test -n "$xim_pid"; then
+		kill "$xim_pid" 2>/dev/null || :
+		wait "$xim_pid" 2>/dev/null || :
+		xim_pid=
+	fi
+	if test -n "$strans_pid"; then
+		kill "$strans_pid" 2>/dev/null || :
+		wait "$strans_pid" 2>/dev/null || :
+		strans_pid=
+	fi
+	exit "$status"
+}
+
+ibusready()
+{
+	for address in "$busdir"/*; do
+		test -f "$address" || continue
+		foundpid=
+		foundaddress=
+		while IFS= read -r line; do
+			case $line in
+			IBUS_DAEMON_PID="$strans_pid")	foundpid=1 ;;
+			IBUS_ADDRESS=unix:abstract=strans-"$strans_pid",*)	foundaddress=1 ;;
+			esac
+		done <"$address"
+		if test -n "$foundpid" && test -n "$foundaddress"; then
+			return 0
+		fi
+	done
+	return 1
+}
+
+trap cleanup 0
+trap 'exit 129' 1
+trap 'exit 130' 2
+trap 'exit 143' 15
+
 ./strans map "$@" &
-sleep 1
+strans_pid=$!
+
+attempt=0
+while test "$attempt" -lt 10; do
+	if test -S "$ipc" && ibusready; then
+		break
+	fi
+	if ! kill -0 "$strans_pid" 2>/dev/null; then
+		wait "$strans_pid"
+		status=$?
+		strans_pid=
+		if test "$status" -eq 0; then
+			status=1
+		fi
+		echo "run.sh: daemon exited before publishing IPC and IBus endpoints" >&2
+		exit "$status"
+	fi
+	attempt=$((attempt + 1))
+	if test "$attempt" -lt 10; then
+		sleep 1
+	fi
+done
+if test "$attempt" -eq 10; then
+	echo "run.sh: daemon did not publish IPC and IBus endpoints within 10 seconds" >&2
+	exit 1
+fi
+
+echo "run.sh: daemon $strans_pid is ready"
+if test -z "${DISPLAY-}"; then
+	echo "run.sh: DISPLAY is unset; XIM will not be started"
+	wait "$strans_pid"
+	status=$?
+	strans_pid=
+	exit "$status"
+fi
+
 xim/strans-xim &
+xim_pid=$!
+echo "run.sh: started XIM $xim_pid; press Ctrl-C to stop both processes"
+wait "$xim_pid"
+status=$?
+xim_pid=
+exit "$status"