diff --git a/cmd/beacon/main.go b/cmd/beacon/main.go
index 24e6084..fc98fd9 100644
--- a/cmd/beacon/main.go
+++ b/cmd/beacon/main.go
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ func main() {
 		CORS:                 cfg.CORS, Server: cfg.Server, Auth: cfg.Auth, RateLimit: resolved.RateLimit,
 		AdminRoutes: map[string]http.Handler{
 			"/accounts": handlers.AccountsRouter(store),
-			"/backup":   handlers.BackupRouter(backupOpts),
+			"/backup":   handlers.BackupRouter(backupOpts, ctx),
 		},
 	})
 
diff --git a/internal/api/handlers/backup.go b/internal/api/handlers/backup.go
index 67f9641..e9a85fd 100644
--- a/internal/api/handlers/backup.go
+++ b/internal/api/handlers/backup.go
@@ -22,12 +22,25 @@ import (
 // BackupRouter returns an operator-only subrouter with one bounded export or
 // transfer at a time. Its caller must apply the admin authentication middleware.
 // The options are startup-owned; the request selects no targets or paths.
-func BackupRouter(opts backup.Options) http.Handler {
+// shutdown aborts an in-flight export so its staging files are removed.
+func BackupRouter(opts backup.Options, shutdown context.Context) http.Handler {
+	sweepStaleStaging()
 	r := chi.NewRouter()
-	r.Get("/", backupDownload(opts, backup.Export))
+	r.Get("/", backupDownload(opts, backup.Export, shutdown))
 	return r
 }
 
+// sweepStaleStaging removes staging dirs an earlier process left behind (SIGKILL, crash).
+func sweepStaleStaging() {
+	matches, _ := filepath.Glob(filepath.Join(os.TempDir(), "beacon-download-*"))
+	cutoff := time.Now().Add(-2 * backup.DefaultTimeout)
+	for _, dir := range matches {
+		if info, err := os.Stat(dir); err == nil && info.IsDir() && info.ModTime().Before(cutoff) {
+			_ = os.RemoveAll(dir)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 // backupDownload godoc
 //
 // @Summary Download a private database and saved-config backup
@@ -45,7 +58,7 @@ func BackupRouter(opts backup.Options) http.Handler {
 // @Failure 504 {object} map[string]APIError
 // @Failure 507 {object} map[string]APIError
 // @Router /admin/backup [get]
-func backupDownload(opts backup.Options, export func(context.Context, backup.Options) error) http.HandlerFunc {
+func backupDownload(opts backup.Options, export func(context.Context, backup.Options) error, shutdown context.Context) http.HandlerFunc {
 	var busy atomic.Bool
 	return func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		w.Header().Set("Cache-Control", "no-store")
@@ -70,11 +83,16 @@ func backupDownload(opts backup.Options, export func(context.Context, backup.Opt
 		defer os.RemoveAll(dir)
 		requestOpts := opts
 		requestOpts.OutputPath = filepath.Join(dir, "backup.tar.gz")
-		if err := export(r.Context(), requestOpts); err != nil {
+		ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(r.Context())
+		defer cancel()
+		defer context.AfterFunc(shutdown, cancel)()
+		if err := export(ctx, requestOpts); err != nil {
 			if errors.Is(err, backup.ErrTooLarge) {
 				respondError(w, http.StatusInsufficientStorage, "backup exceeds the configured export size limit")
 			} else if errors.Is(err, context.DeadlineExceeded) {
 				respondError(w, 504, "backup export timed out")
+			} else if shutdown.Err() != nil {
+				respondError(w, http.StatusServiceUnavailable, "server is shutting down")
 			} else if r.Context().Err() == nil {
 				// Export discards pg_dump stderr and never returns connection settings.
 				slog.Error("backup export failed", "component", "backup", "error", err)
diff --git a/internal/api/handlers/backup_test.go b/internal/api/handlers/backup_test.go
index 64c7724..0ad1e9c 100644
--- a/internal/api/handlers/backup_test.go
+++ b/internal/api/handlers/backup_test.go
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ func TestBackupDownload(t *testing.T) {
 		output = got.OutputPath
 		return os.WriteFile(output, []byte("completed fixture"), 0600)
 	}
-	handler := backupDownload(opts, export)
+	handler := backupDownload(opts, export, context.Background())
 	for _, query := range []string{"?database=other", "?path=/private", "?command=anything"} {
 		w := httptest.NewRecorder()
 		handler(w, httptest.NewRequest("GET", "/backup"+query, nil))
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ func TestBackupDownload(t *testing.T) {
 		handler = backupDownload(opts, func(_ context.Context, got backup.Options) error {
 			output = got.OutputPath
 			return failure
-		})
+		}, context.Background())
 		w = httptest.NewRecorder()
 		handler(w, httptest.NewRequest("GET", "/backup", nil))
 		want := 500
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ func TestBackupDownload(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 	w = httptest.NewRecorder()
-	BackupRouter(backup.Options{}).ServeHTTP(w, httptest.NewRequest("GET", "/", nil))
+	BackupRouter(backup.Options{}, context.Background()).ServeHTTP(w, httptest.NewRequest("GET", "/", nil))
 	if w.Code != 503 {
 		t.Fatal("unconfigured download enabled")
 	}
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ func TestBackupDownloadConcurrencyAndCancellation(t *testing.T) {
 		close(started)
 		<-ctx.Done()
 		return ctx.Err()
-	})
+	}, context.Background())
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 	defer cancel()
 	go func() {
@@ -104,3 +104,55 @@ func TestBackupDownloadConcurrencyAndCancellation(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal("cancelled staging retained")
 	}
 }
+
+func TestBackupDownloadAbortsOnShutdown(t *testing.T) {
+	shutdown, stop := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	stagedCh := make(chan string, 1)
+	handler := backupDownload(backup.Options{ConnectionService: "fixture"}, func(ctx context.Context, opts backup.Options) error {
+		stagedCh <- filepath.Dir(opts.OutputPath)
+		<-ctx.Done()
+		return ctx.Err()
+	}, shutdown)
+	rec := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	done := make(chan struct{})
+	go func() {
+		handler.ServeHTTP(rec, httptest.NewRequest("GET", "/", nil))
+		close(done)
+	}()
+	staged := <-stagedCh
+	stop()
+	select {
+	case <-done:
+	case <-time.After(2 * time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("export did not stop on shutdown")
+	}
+	if rec.Code != http.StatusServiceUnavailable {
+		t.Fatalf("status %d, want 503", rec.Code)
+	}
+	if _, err := os.Stat(staged); !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		t.Fatalf("staging dir survived shutdown: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestBackupRouterSweepsStaleStaging(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Setenv("TMPDIR", t.TempDir())
+	stale, err := os.MkdirTemp("", "beacon-download-")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	old := time.Now().Add(-3 * backup.DefaultTimeout)
+	if err := os.Chtimes(stale, old, old); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	fresh, err := os.MkdirTemp("", "beacon-download-")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	BackupRouter(backup.Options{}, context.Background())
+	if _, err := os.Stat(stale); !os.IsNotExist(err) {
+		t.Fatal("stale staging dir not swept")
+	}
+	if _, err := os.Stat(fresh); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal("fresh staging dir swept")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/api/router/backup_integration_test.go b/internal/api/router/backup_integration_test.go
index 33965a4..18f6183 100644
--- a/internal/api/router/backup_integration_test.go
+++ b/internal/api/router/backup_integration_test.go
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ func TestBackupDownloadPostgres(t *testing.T) {
 		Auth: config.AuthConfig{APIKey: "fixture-key"},
 		AdminRoutes: map[string]http.Handler{"/backup": handlers.BackupRouter(backup.Options{
 			ConnectionService: service, ConfigPath: configPath, MaxBytes: 16 << 20, Timeout: 30 * time.Second, Version: "http-fixture",
-		})},
+		}, context.Background())},
 	}))
 	defer server.Close()
 	request, _ := http.NewRequestWithContext(ctx, "GET", server.URL+"/api/v1/admin/backup", nil)
diff --git a/internal/api/router/backup_test.go b/internal/api/router/backup_test.go
index 76bdf6e..2c02652 100644
--- a/internal/api/router/backup_test.go
+++ b/internal/api/router/backup_test.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 package router
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"testing"
@@ -15,7 +16,7 @@ import (
 
 func TestBackupAuthenticationBeforeExport(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, key := range []string{"", "fixture-key"} {
-		handler := New(nil, nil, nil, Options{Auth: config.AuthConfig{APIKey: key}, AdminRoutes: map[string]http.Handler{"/backup": handlers.BackupRouter(backup.Options{ConnectionService: "fixture"})}})
+		handler := New(nil, nil, nil, Options{Auth: config.AuthConfig{APIKey: key}, AdminRoutes: map[string]http.Handler{"/backup": handlers.BackupRouter(backup.Options{ConnectionService: "fixture"}, context.Background())}})
 		for _, token := range []string{"", "wrong", "fixture-key"} {
 			r := httptest.NewRequest("GET", "/api/v1/admin/backup?database=other", nil)
 			if token != "" {