diff --git a/gitnexus/src/cli/analyze.ts b/gitnexus/src/cli/analyze.ts
index 0cf17ab13..75fa4a3e0 100644
--- a/gitnexus/src/cli/analyze.ts
+++ b/gitnexus/src/cli/analyze.ts
@@ -1168,7 +1168,10 @@ const analyzeCommandImpl = async (
     aborted = true;
     bar.stop();
     console.log('\n  Interrupted — cleaning up...');
-    closeLbug()
+    // process.exit(130) follows, so skip the native close (LadybugDB destructor
+    // can double-free after --pdg writes, #2264); the CHECKPOINT inside closeLbug
+    // still flushes the WAL.
+    closeLbug({ skipNativeClose: true })
       .catch(() => {})
       .finally(async () => {
         const { flushLoggerSync } = await import('../core/logger.js');
@@ -1273,6 +1276,12 @@ const analyzeCommandImpl = async (
         // Extra fetch-wrapper names from `.gitnexusrc` (#1589/#1852 residual);
         // forwarded to the routes phase consumer scan.
         fetchWrappers: options.fetchWrappers,
+        // The CLI always process.exit()s after this returns (success path at the
+        // end of analyzeCommandImpl, error/interrupt paths via process.exit too),
+        // so the finalize close skips the native conn/db close — it can double-free
+        // in LadybugDB's ClientContext destructor after --pdg writes (#2264). The
+        // CHECKPOINT keeps the index durable; process exit reclaims the handles.
+        skipNativeCloseOnExit: true,
       },
       {
         onProgress: (_phase, percent, message) => {
diff --git a/gitnexus/src/core/lbug/lbug-adapter.ts b/gitnexus/src/core/lbug/lbug-adapter.ts
index 1a8ba18b2..b0154f233 100644
--- a/gitnexus/src/core/lbug/lbug-adapter.ts
+++ b/gitnexus/src/core/lbug/lbug-adapter.ts
@@ -1900,7 +1900,23 @@ export const safeClose = async (): Promise<void> => {
   }
 };
 
-export const closeLbug = async (): Promise<void> => {
+export const closeLbug = async (options: { skipNativeClose?: boolean } = {}): Promise<void> => {
+  if (options.skipNativeClose) {
+    // The caller is about to exit the process (CLI analyze success/error/SIGINT
+    // all end in process.exit). CHECKPOINT for durability, then DELIBERATELY skip
+    // conn.close()/db.close(): LadybugDB's ClientContext/Connection destructor can
+    // double-free after large --pdg writes (gdb: `double free or corruption` in
+    // ClientContext::~ClientContext via NodeConnection::Close), aborting the
+    // process AFTER a fully-written, checkpointed index. flushWAL above already
+    // persisted the data; process exit reclaims the native handles. We leave
+    // conn/db referenced and module state intact so a GC finalizer cannot run the
+    // same destructor before exit, and any post-analyze read reuses the live
+    // connection. Mirrors the pool adapter's fire-and-forget native close
+    // (pool-adapter.ts) and the ONNX native-cleanup philosophy. This is a
+    // workaround for a LadybugDB engine bug — see the upstream report.
+    await flushWAL();
+    return;
+  }
   await safeClose();
   currentDbPath = null;
   ftsLoaded = false;
diff --git a/gitnexus/src/core/run-analyze.ts b/gitnexus/src/core/run-analyze.ts
index cf22cf09e..e3edc4335 100644
--- a/gitnexus/src/core/run-analyze.ts
+++ b/gitnexus/src/core/run-analyze.ts
@@ -232,6 +232,15 @@ export interface AnalyzeOptions {
    * consumer scan unchanged.
    */
   fetchWrappers?: string[];
+  /**
+   * The caller will `process.exit()` immediately after this analyze returns (the
+   * CLI `analyze` command). When set, the finalize/error close CHECKPOINTs for
+   * durability but skips the native `conn.close()`/`db.close()`, which can
+   * double-free in LadybugDB's `ClientContext` destructor after large `--pdg`
+   * writes (gdb-confirmed) — aborting the process AFTER a fully-written index.
+   * Process exit reclaims the handles. Long-lived callers (MCP server, tests)
+   * leave this unset so they get a real close. See `closeLbug`. */
+  skipNativeCloseOnExit?: boolean;
 }
 
 export interface AnalyzeResult {
@@ -1549,7 +1558,10 @@ export async function runFullAnalysis(
     // Stop the manual checkpoint driver before closeLbug so its
     // in-flight CHECKPOINT cannot race the `safeClose` CHECKPOINT.
     await walCheckpointDriver.stop();
-    await closeLbug();
+    // CLI callers (about to process.exit) skip the native close to dodge a
+    // LadybugDB destructor double-free after --pdg writes — the CHECKPOINT inside
+    // closeLbug keeps the index durable (#2264). Long-lived callers close for real.
+    await closeLbug({ skipNativeClose: options.skipNativeCloseOnExit });
 
     progress('done', 100, 'Done');
 
@@ -1570,7 +1582,9 @@ export async function runFullAnalysis(
       /* swallow — surface path is the rethrow below */
     }
     try {
-      await closeLbug();
+      // Same native-close skip on the error path for CLI callers — they
+      // process.exit too, and the native close can double-free (#2264).
+      await closeLbug({ skipNativeClose: options.skipNativeCloseOnExit });
     } catch {
       /* swallow */
     }
diff --git a/gitnexus/test/integration/lbug-conn-serialization.test.ts b/gitnexus/test/integration/lbug-conn-serialization.test.ts
index 36951affe..eb611c995 100644
--- a/gitnexus/test/integration/lbug-conn-serialization.test.ts
+++ b/gitnexus/test/integration/lbug-conn-serialization.test.ts
@@ -72,6 +72,18 @@ withTestLbugDB('conn-serialization', () => {
       expect(lockSpy.mock.calls.length).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(filePathTables.length);
       expect(result).toMatchObject({ deletedNodes: 0 });
     });
+
+    it('closeLbug({ skipNativeClose }) checkpoints but leaves the connection open (#2264 close-crash)', async () => {
+      const adapter = await import('../../src/core/lbug/lbug-adapter.js');
+      await adapter.closeLbug({ skipNativeClose: true });
+      // The native conn/db are deliberately NOT torn down — that avoids LadybugDB's
+      // ClientContext destructor double-free after --pdg writes. The connection
+      // stays ready and queryable (the CHECKPOINT made the index durable; process
+      // exit reclaims the handles on the CLI path).
+      expect(adapter.isLbugReady()).toBe(true);
+      const rows = await adapter.executeQuery('RETURN 1 AS one');
+      expect(rows).toHaveLength(1);
+    });
   });
 });