diff --git a/src/server/apps.ts b/src/server/apps.ts
index 7eaf4fc..cc65a1f 100644
--- a/src/server/apps.ts
+++ b/src/server/apps.ts
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@ let _shuttingDown = false
 export type App = SharedApp & {
   consecutiveHealthFailures?: number
   healthCheckTimer?: Timer
-  isHttpApp?: boolean
   lastRestartTime?: number
   manuallyStopped?: boolean
   proc?: Subprocess
@@ -516,24 +515,18 @@ function initPortPool() {
   }
 }
 
-function markAsRunning(app: App, port: number, isHttpApp: boolean) {
+function markAsRunning(app: App, port: number) {
   if (app.startupTimer) {
     clearTimeout(app.startupTimer)
     app.startupTimer = undefined
   }
   app.state = 'running'
   app.started = Date.now()
-  app.isHttpApp = isHttpApp
   update()
   emit({ type: 'app:start', app: app.name })
   publishApp(app.name)
   openTunnelIfEnabled(app.name, port)
-
-  if (isHttpApp) {
-    startHealthChecks(app, port)
-  } else {
-    startProcessHealthChecks(app)
-  }
+  startHealthChecks(app, port)
 }
 
 function loadApp(dir: string): LoadResult {
@@ -645,11 +638,9 @@ async function runApp(dir: string, port: number) {
 
   app.proc = proc
 
-  // Poll to verify app started - tries /ok for HTTP apps, falls back to survival check
+  // Poll to verify app started - waits for /ok to respond 200
   const pollStartup = async () => {
     const pollInterval = 500
-    const survivalThreshold = 5000 // Consider non-HTTP apps running after 5s
-    const startTime = Date.now()
 
     while (app.state === 'starting' && app.proc === proc) {
       if (proc.exitCode !== null) {
@@ -657,7 +648,6 @@ async function runApp(dir: string, port: number) {
         return
       }
 
-      // Try /ok endpoint for HTTP apps
       try {
         const controller = new AbortController()
         const timeout = setTimeout(() => controller.abort(), 2000)
@@ -667,8 +657,7 @@ async function runApp(dir: string, port: number) {
         clearTimeout(timeout)
 
         if (response.ok) {
-          // HTTP app is running and healthy
-          markAsRunning(app, port, true)
+          markAsRunning(app, port)
           return
         }
 
@@ -678,18 +667,7 @@ async function runApp(dir: string, port: number) {
         app.proc?.kill()
         return
       } catch {
-        // Connection failed - app not ready yet or not an HTTP app
-      }
-
-      // If process survived long enough, consider it running (non-HTTP app)
-      if (Date.now() - startTime >= survivalThreshold) {
-        if (proc.exitCode !== null) {
-          info(app, 'Process died during startup')
-          return
-        }
-        info(app, 'No /ok endpoint, marking as running (process survived 5s)')
-        markAsRunning(app, port, false)
-        return
+        // Connection failed - app not ready yet
       }
 
       await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, pollInterval))
@@ -854,13 +832,6 @@ function startHealthChecks(app: App, port: number) {
   }, HEALTH_CHECK_INTERVAL)
 }
 
-function startProcessHealthChecks(app: App) {
-  // For non-HTTP apps, the proc.exited handler is the authoritative death signal.
-  // No need to poll — when the process dies, proc.exited fires and cleans up.
-  // This is a no-op; health checks only matter for HTTP apps where the process
-  // can be alive but the server unresponsive.
-}
-
 function startShutdownTimeout(app: App) {
   app.shutdownTimer = setTimeout(() => {
     if (app.proc && (app.state === 'stopping' || app.state === 'running')) {