diff --git a/scripts/taler-exchange/ensure_exchange_helpers.sh b/scripts/taler-exchange/ensure_exchange_helpers.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..91d8c57
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/taler-exchange/ensure_exchange_helpers.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# Ensure exchange wire/db helper processes are running (no systemd).
+# Root inside taler-exchange container (or host if packages installed there).
+#
+# Usage:
+#   ensure_exchange_helpers.sh
+#   ENSURE_ONLY=1 ensure_exchange_helpers.sh   # start missing, no health summary
+set -euo pipefail
+
+CONF="${TALER_EXCHANGE_CONFIG:-/etc/taler-exchange/taler-exchange.conf}"
+LOG_DIR="${TALER_EXCHANGE_LOG_DIR:-/var/log/taler-exchange}"
+
+if [ "$(id -u)" -ne 0 ]; then
+  echo "root only" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+mkdir -p "$LOG_DIR"
+chmod 755 "$LOG_DIR" 2>/dev/null || true
+
+# Live process under user. Note: Linux COMM is 15 chars — never use pgrep -x
+# for long names like taler-exchange-aggregator / taler-exchange-wirewatch.
+is_running() {
+  local user="$1"
+  local bin="$2"
+  local base
+  base=$(basename "$bin")
+  # [t] trick avoids matching this grep/pgrep itself
+  ps -u "$user" -o args= 2>/dev/null | grep -qE "(^|/)[${base:0:1}]${base:1}( |$)" \
+    || pgrep -u "$user" -f "(^|/)(${base})( |$)" >/dev/null 2>&1
+}
+
+# Start with nohup so SIGHUP from parent shell exit does not kill helpers.
+start_one() {
+  local user="$1"
+  local name="$2"
+  local bin="$3"
+  shift 3
+  if is_running "$user" "$bin"; then
+    echo "already: $name ($user)"
+    return 0
+  fi
+  echo "start: $name as $user"
+  # shellcheck disable=SC2086
+  nohup runuser -u "$user" -- "$bin" "$@" >>"$LOG_DIR/${name}.log" 2>&1 </dev/null &
+  disown 2>/dev/null || true
+  local i
+  for i in 1 2 3 4 5 6; do
+    sleep 0.4
+    if is_running "$user" "$bin"; then
+      echo "  ok: $name"
+      return 0
+    fi
+  done
+  echo "  FAIL: $name did not stay up (see $LOG_DIR/${name}.log)" >&2
+  tail -15 "$LOG_DIR/${name}.log" 2>/dev/null || true
+  return 1
+}
+
+ec=0
+start_one taler-exchange-aggregator taler-exchange-aggregator \
+  /usr/bin/taler-exchange-aggregator -c "$CONF" -L INFO || ec=1
+start_one taler-exchange-closer taler-exchange-closer \
+  /usr/bin/taler-exchange-closer -c "$CONF" -L INFO || ec=1
+start_one taler-exchange-wire taler-exchange-wirewatch \
+  /usr/bin/taler-exchange-wirewatch -c "$CONF" -L INFO || ec=1
+start_one taler-exchange-wire taler-exchange-transfer \
+  /usr/bin/taler-exchange-transfer -c "$CONF" -L INFO || ec=1
+
+echo "--- live helpers ---"
+ps -eo pid,user,stat,etime,args 2>/dev/null \
+  | grep -E 'taler-exchange-(aggregator|closer|wirewatch|transfer)' \
+  | grep -vE 'grep| Z |ensure_exchange' || true
+
+exit "$ec"