diff --git a/packages/core/src/PageAgentCore.ts b/packages/core/src/PageAgentCore.ts
index a61eda3..1294140 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/PageAgentCore.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/PageAgentCore.ts
@@ -194,7 +194,8 @@ export class PageAgentCore extends EventTarget {
 	}
 
 	/**
-	 * Stop the current task and wait until the run has fully settled.
+	 * Stop the current task and wait until the run has fully settled (including lifecycle hooks).
+	 * @note never await .stop() in a lifecycle hook.
 	 */
 	async stop(): Promise<void> {
 		if (this.#status !== 'running') return
@@ -223,14 +224,8 @@ export class PageAgentCore extends EventTarget {
 		this.#setStatus('running')
 		this.#emitHistoryChange()
 
-		let settleRun!: (status: AgentStatus) => void
-		this.#running = new Promise<void>(
-			(resolve) =>
-				(settleRun = (status) => {
-					this.#setStatus(status)
-					resolve()
-				})
-		)
+		let resolveRunning!: () => void
+		this.#running = new Promise<void>((r) => (resolveRunning = r))
 
 		// Disable ask_user tool if onAskUser is not set
 		if (!this.onAskUser) this.tools.delete('ask_user')
@@ -257,8 +252,7 @@ export class PageAgentCore extends EventTarget {
 				try {
 					console.group(`step: ${step}`)
 
-					// Abort may have fired between steps (e.g. during stepDelay).
-					// Check inside the try so it is classified as `stopped`, and skip the observe phase.
+					// inside the try: abort between steps must settle as `stopped`
 					this.#abortController.signal.throwIfAborted()
 
 					// observe
@@ -371,7 +365,8 @@ export class PageAgentCore extends EventTarget {
 			suppress(() => this.pageController.cleanUpHighlights())
 			suppress(() => this.pageController.hideMask())
 			this.#abortController.abort()
-			settleRun(finalStatus)
+			resolveRunning()
+			this.#setStatus(finalStatus)
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/packages/core/src/utils/index.ts b/packages/core/src/utils/index.ts
index cecbaa9..fe74fb1 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/utils/index.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/utils/index.ts
@@ -133,9 +133,9 @@ export function assert(condition: unknown, message?: string, silent?: boolean):
 /**
  * Suppress errors from a function.
  */
-export function suppress<T>(fn: () => T): T | undefined {
+export async function suppress<T>(fn: () => T | Promise<T>): Promise<Awaited<T> | undefined> {
 	try {
-		return fn()
+		return await fn()
 	} catch (error) {
 		console.error(error)
 		return undefined