diff --git a/src/pyra/daemon/pid.py b/src/pyra/daemon/pid.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..524375f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/pyra/daemon/pid.py
@@ -0,0 +1,94 @@
+"""PID file management for the Pyra daemon."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import os
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+
+class PidFileError(OSError):
+    """Raised when a PID file operation fails due to a live conflicting process."""
+
+
+class PidFile:
+    def __init__(self, path: Path) -> None:
+        self._path = path
+
+    def write(self) -> None:
+        """Write the current PID atomically.
+
+        Raises PidFileError if a non-stale PID file already exists.
+        """
+        existing = self.read()
+        if existing is not None and not self.is_stale():
+            raise PidFileError(
+                f"Daemon already running with PID {existing} "
+                f"(PID file: {self._path})"
+            )
+        tmp = self._path.with_suffix(".pid.tmp")
+        tmp.write_text(str(os.getpid()))
+        tmp.replace(self._path)
+
+    def read(self) -> int | None:
+        """Return the PID from the file, or None if the file is absent or unreadable."""
+        try:
+            return int(self._path.read_text().strip())
+        except (FileNotFoundError, ValueError):
+            return None
+
+    def is_stale(self) -> bool:
+        """True when the PID file exists but the process no longer runs."""
+        pid = self.read()
+        if pid is None:
+            return False
+        return not _process_is_alive(pid)
+
+    def remove(self) -> None:
+        """Delete the PID file, ignoring FileNotFoundError."""
+        try:
+            self._path.unlink()
+        except FileNotFoundError:
+            pass
+
+    def __enter__(self) -> "PidFile":
+        self.write()
+        return self
+
+    def __exit__(self, *_: object) -> None:
+        self.remove()
+
+
+def resolve_pid_path(cfg_path: str) -> Path:
+    """Expand ~ and return an absolute Path."""
+    return Path(cfg_path).expanduser().resolve()
+
+
+# ── Platform-specific process liveness check ─────────────────────────────────
+
+def _process_is_alive(pid: int) -> bool:
+    if sys.platform == "win32":
+        return _win_process_is_alive(pid)
+    return _posix_process_is_alive(pid)
+
+
+def _posix_process_is_alive(pid: int) -> bool:
+    try:
+        os.kill(pid, 0)
+        return True
+    except ProcessLookupError:
+        return False
+    except PermissionError:
+        # Process exists but is owned by another user — still alive.
+        return True
+
+
+def _win_process_is_alive(pid: int) -> bool:
+    import ctypes
+
+    SYNCHRONIZE = 0x00100000
+    handle = ctypes.windll.kernel32.OpenProcess(SYNCHRONIZE, False, pid)  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
+    if handle == 0:
+        return False
+    ctypes.windll.kernel32.CloseHandle(handle)  # type: ignore[attr-defined]
+    return True
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_daemon_pid.py b/tests/unit/test_daemon_pid.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7bdb82a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/test_daemon_pid.py
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+"""Unit tests for daemon PID file management."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import os
+from pathlib import Path
+
+import pytest
+
+from pyra.daemon.pid import PidFile, PidFileError, resolve_pid_path
+
+
+def test_write_creates_file(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    p = PidFile(tmp_path / "daemon.pid")
+    p.write()
+    assert (tmp_path / "daemon.pid").exists()
+    assert int((tmp_path / "daemon.pid").read_text().strip()) == os.getpid()
+
+
+def test_read_returns_none_when_absent(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    p = PidFile(tmp_path / "daemon.pid")
+    assert p.read() is None
+
+
+def test_read_returns_pid_when_present(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    pid_file = tmp_path / "daemon.pid"
+    pid_file.write_text("12345")
+    p = PidFile(pid_file)
+    assert p.read() == 12345
+
+
+def test_read_returns_none_on_bad_content(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    pid_file = tmp_path / "daemon.pid"
+    pid_file.write_text("not-a-number")
+    p = PidFile(pid_file)
+    assert p.read() is None
+
+
+def test_is_stale_false_for_self(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    p = PidFile(tmp_path / "daemon.pid")
+    p.write()
+    assert not p.is_stale()
+
+
+def test_is_stale_true_for_dead_pid(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    pid_file = tmp_path / "daemon.pid"
+    pid_file.write_text("999999999")  # unrealistically large PID
+    p = PidFile(pid_file)
+    assert p.is_stale()
+
+
+def test_is_stale_false_when_file_absent(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    p = PidFile(tmp_path / "daemon.pid")
+    assert not p.is_stale()
+
+
+def test_remove_deletes_file(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    p = PidFile(tmp_path / "daemon.pid")
+    p.write()
+    p.remove()
+    assert not (tmp_path / "daemon.pid").exists()
+
+
+def test_remove_is_idempotent(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    p = PidFile(tmp_path / "daemon.pid")
+    p.remove()  # must not raise
+
+
+def test_context_manager_writes_and_removes(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    pid_file = tmp_path / "daemon.pid"
+    p = PidFile(pid_file)
+    with p:
+        assert pid_file.exists()
+        assert int(pid_file.read_text().strip()) == os.getpid()
+    assert not pid_file.exists()
+
+
+def test_write_raises_when_live_pid_exists(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    p = PidFile(tmp_path / "daemon.pid")
+    p.write()  # writes self PID (which is alive)
+    p2 = PidFile(tmp_path / "daemon.pid")
+    with pytest.raises(PidFileError):
+        p2.write()
+
+
+def test_write_succeeds_over_stale_pid(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    pid_file = tmp_path / "daemon.pid"
+    pid_file.write_text("999999999")  # stale
+    p = PidFile(pid_file)
+    p.write()  # should not raise
+    assert int(pid_file.read_text().strip()) == os.getpid()
+
+
+def test_resolve_pid_path_expands_tilde() -> None:
+    result = resolve_pid_path("~/.pyra/daemon.pid")
+    assert not str(result).startswith("~")
+    assert result.is_absolute()
+
+
+def test_resolve_pid_path_absolute_unchanged(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    path = tmp_path / "daemon.pid"
+    result = resolve_pid_path(str(path))
+    assert result == path