diff --git a/scripts/x/elevate-adapter-superpowerd b/scripts/x/elevate-adapter-superpowerd
index 2ec9ccb..42e6b0b 100755
--- a/scripts/x/elevate-adapter-superpowerd
+++ b/scripts/x/elevate-adapter-superpowerd
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ import os
 import signal
 import socket
 import struct
-import subprocess
 import threading
 
 _token_lock = threading.Lock()
@@ -40,27 +39,74 @@ def _log(msg):
     print(f"{_LOG_PREFIX}: {msg}", file=sys.stderr, flush=True)
 
 
+def _read_master_token():
+    """Read the superpowerd master token from the standard location."""
+    path = os.environ.get("SUPERPOWERD_MASTER_TOKEN_FILE") or \
+        os.path.join(os.path.expanduser("~"), "Private", "superpowerd_master.token")
+    try:
+        return open(path).read().strip()
+    except OSError as e:
+        _log(f"cannot read master token at {path}: {e}")
+        return None
+
+
 def refresh_token():
-    """Obtain a fresh session token from superpowerd via run-session.
+    """Create a fresh session directly on superpowerd via SEQPACKET.
+
+    Connects to superpowerd and calls CreateSession with the master token.
+    Because WE are the connecting process, the session PID = our PID,
+    so pidAlive() stays true for our entire lifetime.
 
     Returns the new token string, or None on failure.
     Updates os.environ so subsequent calls use the fresh token.
     """
-    _log("refreshing session token")
+    _log("refreshing session token via direct CreateSession")
+    master_token = _read_master_token()
+    if not master_token:
+        _log("refresh failed: cannot read master token")
+        return None
+
+    sp_path = sp_socket_path()
     try:
-        result = subprocess.run(
-            ["superpowers", "run-session", "--child-session", "--",
-             "sh", "-c", "echo $SUPERPOWERD_SESSION_TOKEN"],
-            capture_output=True, text=True, timeout=10,
-        )
-        token = result.stdout.strip()
-        if token and result.returncode == 0:
+        sp = socket.socket(socket.AF_UNIX, socket.SOCK_SEQPACKET)
+        sp.connect(sp_path)
+    except OSError as e:
+        _log(f"refresh failed: connect {sp_path}: {e}")
+        return None
+
+    try:
+        req = json.dumps({
+            "jsonrpc": "2.0",
+            "method": "CreateSession",
+            "id": 1,
+            "params": {
+                "auth": {"master_token": master_token},
+                "env": dict(os.environ),
+                "working_dir": os.getcwd(),
+            },
+        }).encode()
+        sp.send(req)
+        resp_data = sp.recv(1024 * 1024)
+        sp.close()
+
+        resp = json.loads(resp_data)
+        if "error" in resp and resp["error"]:
+            msg = resp["error"].get("message", str(resp["error"]))
+            _log(f"refresh failed: superpowerd error: {msg}")
+            return None
+
+        token = resp.get("result", {}).get("token", "")
+        if token:
             os.environ["SUPERPOWERD_SESSION_TOKEN"] = token
             _log("session token refreshed successfully")
             return token
-        _log(f"token refresh returned exit={result.returncode} stdout={result.stdout!r:.80}")
-    except (subprocess.TimeoutExpired, OSError) as e:
-        _log(f"token refresh failed: {e}")
+        _log(f"refresh failed: no token in response: {resp_data!r:.200}")
+    except (OSError, json.JSONDecodeError, ValueError) as e:
+        _log(f"refresh failed: {e}")
+        try:
+            sp.close()
+        except OSError:
+            pass
     return None
 
 
@@ -101,7 +147,7 @@ def _is_auth_error(sp_data):
         err = resp.get("error")
         if isinstance(err, dict):
             msg = err.get("message", "").lower()
-            return "invalid session token" in msg or "session not found" in msg
+            return "invalid session token" in msg or "session not found" in msg or "session expired" in msg or "parent session expired" in msg
     except (json.JSONDecodeError, ValueError):
         pass
     return False
@@ -302,8 +348,12 @@ def _finish_response(conn, sp_data):
 
 def main():
     if "SUPERPOWERD_SESSION_TOKEN" not in os.environ:
-        os.execvp("superpowers", ["superpowers", "run-session", "--",
-                                   sys.executable, __file__] + sys.argv[1:])
+        # Get a token directly from superpowerd instead of os.execvp through
+        # superpowers run-session (which fails on Gentoo's python-exec2c).
+        token = refresh_token()
+        if not token:
+            _log("fatal: cannot obtain session token")
+            sys.exit(1)
 
     sock_path = os.environ.get("OLLIE_ELEVATE_SOCKET") or default_socket_path()
     sock_path = os.path.expanduser(sock_path)