diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 03777d97..a392162f 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 ## Unreleased
 
 ### Fixed
+- Every run cleans up its run-output scratch directory on exit (test runs, `--version`/`--help`/subcommand exits, and Ctrl-C); previously each invocation leaked one directory under `$TMPDIR/bashunit/run/`. Sourcing errors are captured in that directory too, saving a `mktemp` and an `rm` fork per test file
 - `bashunit::helper::get_function_line_number` no longer disables `extdebug` for its caller: it enables the option only inside a subshell (also dropping an `awk` fork)
 - `--test-timeout` no longer intermittently reports a fast test as timed out; the watchdog now signals by pid and skips a test that already completed
 
diff --git a/src/env.sh b/src/env.sh
index 3c5f4c17..4980bf9e 100644
--- a/src/env.sh
+++ b/src/env.sh
@@ -509,6 +509,28 @@ BASHUNIT_TEMP_DIR="${TMPDIR:-/tmp}/bashunit/tmp"
 # Create both scratch directories in a single `mkdir -p` fork.
 mkdir -p "$_BASHUNIT_RUN_OUTPUT_DIR" "$BASHUNIT_TEMP_DIR" 2>/dev/null || true
 
+# Removes this run's scratch directory (guarded like parallel::cleanup so a
+# broken variable can never turn the rm loose elsewhere). Called at the end of
+# a run and on SIGINT; without it every invocation leaks one directory.
+function bashunit::env::cleanup_run_output_dir() {
+  local target="$_BASHUNIT_RUN_OUTPUT_DIR"
+  case "$target" in
+  */bashunit/run/*)
+    rm -rf "$target"
+    ;;
+  *)
+    bashunit::internal_log "env::cleanup_run_output_dir" "refused unsafe path:$target"
+    return 1
+    ;;
+  esac
+}
+
+# Cover early-exit paths (--version, --help, doc, init, ...). The test-run path
+# replaces this trap in main.sh and calls the cleanup explicitly instead; child
+# subshells never inherit EXIT traps, so a parallel worker cannot remove the
+# directory mid-run.
+trap 'bashunit::env::cleanup_run_output_dir' EXIT
+
 if bashunit::env::is_dev_mode_enabled; then
   bashunit::internal_log "info" "Dev log enabled" "file:$BASHUNIT_DEV_LOG"
 fi
diff --git a/src/main.sh b/src/main.sh
index 7bb2bb92..0b031c14 100644
--- a/src/main.sh
+++ b/src/main.sh
@@ -901,6 +901,9 @@ function bashunit::main::exec_tests() {
   # Persist this run's failing tests so a later --rerun-failed can replay them.
   bashunit::rerun::persist
 
+  # The rerun cache is read from the run dir above, so clean up only after it.
+  bashunit::env::cleanup_run_output_dir
+
   bashunit::internal_log "Finished tests" "exit_code:$exit_code"
   exit $exit_code
 }
@@ -945,6 +948,7 @@ function bashunit::main::cleanup() {
   if bashunit::parallel::is_enabled; then
     bashunit::parallel::cleanup
   fi
+  bashunit::env::cleanup_run_output_dir
   exit 1
 }
 
@@ -962,6 +966,7 @@ function bashunit::main::handle_stop_on_failure_sync() {
   if bashunit::parallel::is_enabled; then
     bashunit::parallel::cleanup
   fi
+  bashunit::env::cleanup_run_output_dir
   exit 1
 }
 
diff --git a/src/runner.sh b/src/runner.sh
index 4b190bd2..e0572d7a 100755
--- a/src/runner.sh
+++ b/src/runner.sh
@@ -392,8 +392,11 @@ function bashunit::runner::load_test_files() {
     scripts_ids[scripts_ids_count]="${BASHUNIT_CURRENT_SCRIPT_ID}"
     scripts_ids_count=$((scripts_ids_count + 1))
     bashunit::internal_log "Loading file" "$test_file"
+    # Files are sourced sequentially in this loop (parallel workers fork after),
+    # so a fixed path in the run dir is safe: `2>` truncates it per file and the
+    # run-dir cleanup removes it, saving a mktemp and an rm fork per file.
     local source_err_file source_err source_status
-    source_err_file="$(bashunit::temp_file "source_err")"
+    source_err_file="$_BASHUNIT_RUN_OUTPUT_DIR/source_err"
     # shellcheck source=/dev/null
     source "$test_file" 2>"$source_err_file"
     source_status=$?
@@ -401,7 +404,6 @@ function bashunit::runner::load_test_files() {
     if [ -s "$source_err_file" ]; then
       source_err="$(cat "$source_err_file")"
     fi
-    rm -f "$source_err_file"
     # A non-zero source status, or a syntax-error line on stderr, means the file
     # failed to load. Match the captured stderr with `case` (no grep fork).
     local source_failed=false
diff --git a/tests/acceptance/bashunit_run_forks_test.sh b/tests/acceptance/bashunit_run_forks_test.sh
index 68758036..abb39224 100644
--- a/tests/acceptance/bashunit_run_forks_test.sh
+++ b/tests/acceptance/bashunit_run_forks_test.sh
@@ -157,3 +157,28 @@ function test_running_a_test_file_stays_within_the_awk_fork_budget() {
 
   assert_less_or_equal_than 3 "$awk_forks"
 }
+
+# Regression guard: a run must remove its run-output scratch directory on exit.
+# The directory (introduced in #801 under $TMPDIR/bashunit/run/) had no cleanup,
+# leaking one empty directory per bashunit invocation. Point the nested run at a
+# private TMPDIR so the check is deterministic and parallel-safe.
+function test_run_removes_its_run_output_dir() {
+  local dir
+  dir="$(bashunit::temp_dir)"
+  local fixture="$dir/leak_probe_test.sh"
+  printf 'function test_ok() { assert_true true; }\n' >"$fixture"
+
+  TMPDIR="$dir" ./bashunit --no-parallel "$fixture" >/dev/null 2>&1
+  # Early-exit paths (no test run) must clean up via the EXIT trap.
+  TMPDIR="$dir" ./bashunit --version >/dev/null 2>&1
+
+  local leftover=0
+  if [ -d "$dir/bashunit/run" ]; then
+    local entry
+    for entry in "$dir/bashunit/run"/*/*; do
+      [ -e "$entry" ] && leftover=$((leftover + 1))
+    done
+  fi
+
+  assert_equals 0 "$leftover"
+}