diff --git a/src/modules/bmm/workflows/4-implementation/code-review/instructions.xml b/src/modules/bmm/workflows/4-implementation/code-review/instructions.xml
index 6373ae04..28453411 100644
--- a/src/modules/bmm/workflows/4-implementation/code-review/instructions.xml
+++ b/src/modules/bmm/workflows/4-implementation/code-review/instructions.xml
@@ -5,17 +5,25 @@
   <critical>Generate all documents in {document_output_language}</critical>
 
   <!-- ================================================================ -->
-  <!-- CLAUDE CODE CLEANUP - KILL LINGERING EXTERNAL AGENT PROCESSES   -->
+  <!-- CLAUDE CODE CLEANUP - MANDATORY KILL OF ALL BACKGROUND SHELLS   -->
   <!-- ================================================================ -->
-  <!-- If BMAD is running as Claude Code (not the external agent), clean up
-       any terminal processes from previous external agent code reviews.
-       This prevents context pollution from stale review sessions. -->
-  <check if="BMAD is running as Claude Code (detected via KillShell tool availability or CLAUDE_CODE env)">
-    <action>Check for any running background shells/terminals from previous external agent reviews</action>
-    <action>If any `claude -p` or similar external agent processes are found running, use KillShell to terminate them</action>
-    <action>This ensures a clean slate for the new code review session</action>
-    <output>🧹 Cleaned up previous external agent review processes (if any)</output>
+  <!-- CRITICAL: Stale external agent processes cause context pollution.
+       You MUST kill ALL background shells BEFORE doing ANYTHING else.
+       DO NOT read their output. DO NOT check what they're doing.
+       Just KILL them unconditionally. -->
+  <critical>🚨 FIRST ACTION REQUIRED: Kill all background shells 🚨</critical>
+  <critical>Before ANY other workflow step, you MUST terminate all background processes.</critical>
+  <critical>DO NOT use BashOutput to read from stale shells - this causes context pollution.</critical>
+  <critical>DO NOT try to "check what they're doing" - just kill them.</critical>
+
+  <check if="BMAD is running as Claude Code (KillShell tool is available)">
+    <action>IMMEDIATELY use KillShell to terminate ALL background shells - no exceptions</action>
+    <action>Do NOT read output from these shells first - kill them blind</action>
+    <action>Do NOT rationalize keeping them alive - they contain stale data</action>
+    <action>If multiple shells exist, kill ALL of them one by one</action>
+    <output>🔪 Killed all background shells to prevent stale data contamination</output>
   </check>
+  <critical>Only proceed to Step 1 AFTER all background shells are terminated.</critical>
 
   <!-- ================================================================ -->
   <!-- EXTERNAL AGENT MANDATE - THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE        -->