diff --git a/pkg/isolation/runtime.go b/pkg/isolation/runtime.go
index 83c86b514..b2de98b88 100644
--- a/pkg/isolation/runtime.go
+++ b/pkg/isolation/runtime.go
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ func DefaultExposePaths(root string) []config.ExposePath {
 }
 
 func defaultLinuxSystemExposePaths() []config.ExposePath {
-	return []config.ExposePath{
+	return existingExposePaths([]config.ExposePath{
 		{Source: "/usr", Target: "/usr", Mode: "ro"},
 		{Source: "/bin", Target: "/bin", Mode: "ro"},
 		{Source: "/lib", Target: "/lib", Mode: "ro"},
@@ -236,7 +236,19 @@ func defaultLinuxSystemExposePaths() []config.ExposePath {
 		{Source: "/etc/alternatives", Target: "/etc/alternatives", Mode: "ro"},
 		{Source: "/usr/share/zoneinfo", Target: "/usr/share/zoneinfo", Mode: "ro"},
 		{Source: "/etc/localtime", Target: "/etc/localtime", Mode: "ro"},
+	})
+}
+
+// existingExposePaths keeps only the builtin host paths that exist on the
+// current machine so Linux isolation does not fail on distro-specific paths.
+func existingExposePaths(items []config.ExposePath) []config.ExposePath {
+	filtered := make([]config.ExposePath, 0, len(items))
+	for _, item := range items {
+		if _, err := os.Stat(item.Source); err == nil {
+			filtered = append(filtered, item)
+		}
 	}
+	return filtered
 }
 
 // MergeExposePaths merges built-in rules with user overrides. Rules are keyed
@@ -363,12 +375,12 @@ func Start(cmd *exec.Cmd) error {
 		var err error
 		root, err = ResolveInstanceRoot()
 		if err != nil {
-			_ = cmd.Process.Kill()
+			terminateStartedCommand(cmd)
 			return err
 		}
 	}
 	if err := postStartPlatformIsolation(cmd, isolation, root); err != nil {
-		_ = cmd.Process.Kill()
+		terminateStartedCommand(cmd)
 		return err
 	}
 	return nil
@@ -390,17 +402,26 @@ func Run(cmd *exec.Cmd) error {
 		var err error
 		root, err = ResolveInstanceRoot()
 		if err != nil {
-			_ = cmd.Process.Kill()
+			terminateStartedCommand(cmd)
 			return err
 		}
 	}
 	if err := postStartPlatformIsolation(cmd, isolation, root); err != nil {
-		_ = cmd.Process.Kill()
+		terminateStartedCommand(cmd)
 		return err
 	}
 	return cmd.Wait()
 }
 
+func terminateStartedCommand(cmd *exec.Cmd) {
+	cleanupPendingPlatformResources(cmd)
+	if cmd == nil || cmd.Process == nil {
+		return
+	}
+	_ = cmd.Process.Kill()
+	_ = cmd.Wait()
+}
+
 // PrepareCommand mutates the command in-place so it inherits the configured
 // isolated environment before being started by the caller.
 func PrepareCommand(cmd *exec.Cmd) error {
diff --git a/pkg/isolation/runtime_test.go b/pkg/isolation/runtime_test.go
index 0b6859319..213c4b065 100644
--- a/pkg/isolation/runtime_test.go
+++ b/pkg/isolation/runtime_test.go
@@ -176,12 +176,11 @@ func TestValidateWindowsExposePaths(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestDefaultLinuxSystemExposePaths(t *testing.T) {
 	paths := defaultLinuxSystemExposePaths()
-	needed := map[string]bool{
-		"/etc/hosts":          false,
-		"/etc/nsswitch.conf":  false,
-		"/etc/ssl":            false,
-		"/usr/share/zoneinfo": false,
-		"/etc/localtime":      false,
+	needed := map[string]bool{}
+	for _, path := range []string{"/etc/hosts", "/etc/nsswitch.conf", "/etc/ssl", "/usr/share/zoneinfo", "/etc/localtime"} {
+		if _, err := os.Stat(path); err == nil {
+			needed[path] = false
+		}
 	}
 	for _, item := range paths {
 		if _, ok := needed[item.Source]; ok {
@@ -195,6 +194,23 @@ func TestDefaultLinuxSystemExposePaths(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestExistingExposePaths_SkipsMissingPaths(t *testing.T) {
+	existing := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "existing")
+	if err := os.MkdirAll(existing, 0o755); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("os.MkdirAll() error = %v", err)
+	}
+	filtered := existingExposePaths([]config.ExposePath{
+		{Source: existing, Target: existing, Mode: "ro"},
+		{Source: filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "missing"), Target: "/missing", Mode: "ro"},
+	})
+	if len(filtered) != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("existingExposePaths() len = %d, want 1", len(filtered))
+	}
+	if got := filtered[0]; got.Source != existing {
+		t.Fatalf("existingExposePaths()[0] = %+v, want source=%q", got, existing)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestPrepareCommand_AppliesUserEnv(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Setenv(config.EnvHome, filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "home"))
 	if runtime.GOOS == "linux" {