diff --git a/.gitlab/test_cpp.sh b/.gitlab/test_cpp.sh
index 8c911134ea..094f09e3fa 100755
--- a/.gitlab/test_cpp.sh
+++ b/.gitlab/test_cpp.sh
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ export NIXL_ETCD_NAMESPACE="/nixl/cpp_ci/${etcd_port}"
 etcd --listen-client-urls ${NIXL_ETCD_ENDPOINTS} --advertise-client-urls ${NIXL_ETCD_ENDPOINTS} \
      --listen-peer-urls ${NIXL_ETCD_PEER_URLS} --initial-advertise-peer-urls ${NIXL_ETCD_PEER_URLS} \
      --initial-cluster default=${NIXL_ETCD_PEER_URLS} &
+ETCD_PID=$!
 
 wait_for_etcd
 
@@ -129,4 +130,4 @@ echo "./bin/p2p_test disabled"
 echo "./bin/ucx_worker_test disabled"
 echo "${TEXT_CLEAR}"
 
-pkill etcd
+kill -9 $ETCD_PID 2>/dev/null || true
diff --git a/.gitlab/test_nixlbench.sh b/.gitlab/test_nixlbench.sh
index 6585b8346a..1d5aa2f376 100755
--- a/.gitlab/test_nixlbench.sh
+++ b/.gitlab/test_nixlbench.sh
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ export NIXL_ETCD_NAMESPACE="/nixl/nixlbench_ci/${etcd_port}"
 etcd --listen-client-urls ${NIXL_ETCD_ENDPOINTS} --advertise-client-urls ${NIXL_ETCD_ENDPOINTS} \
      --listen-peer-urls ${NIXL_ETCD_PEER_URLS} --initial-advertise-peer-urls ${NIXL_ETCD_PEER_URLS} \
      --initial-cluster default=${NIXL_ETCD_PEER_URLS} &
+ETCD_PID=$!
 
 wait_for_etcd
 
@@ -116,4 +117,4 @@ if $HAS_GPU ; then
     done
 fi
 
-pkill etcd
+kill -9 $ETCD_PID 2>/dev/null || true
diff --git a/.gitlab/test_python.sh b/.gitlab/test_python.sh
index 5ef34f9b50..ae75931c7a 100755
--- a/.gitlab/test_python.sh
+++ b/.gitlab/test_python.sh
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ export NIXL_ETCD_NAMESPACE="/nixl/python_ci/${etcd_port}"
 etcd --listen-client-urls ${NIXL_ETCD_ENDPOINTS} --advertise-client-urls ${NIXL_ETCD_ENDPOINTS} \
      --listen-peer-urls ${NIXL_ETCD_PEER_URLS} --initial-advertise-peer-urls ${NIXL_ETCD_PEER_URLS} \
      --initial-cluster default=${NIXL_ETCD_PEER_URLS} &
+ETCD_PID=$!
 
 wait_for_etcd
 
@@ -125,4 +126,4 @@ telePID=$!
 sleep 15
 kill -s INT $telePID
 
-pkill etcd
+kill -9 $ETCD_PID 2>/dev/null || true