Daemon Watchdog
Keep your Mac running for days, not hours
Download Free Trial Buy License — $14.9914-day free trial with full functionality. One-time purchase. macOS only.
Automatic Daemon Monitoring
Watches known-leaky macOS Tahoe system daemons (backupd, corespotlightd, mds_stores, contextstored, powerd, and more) using low-level memory APIs. Configurable per-daemon thresholds with sensible defaults.
Automatic Restart
When a daemon exceeds its memory threshold, Daemon Watchdog safely restarts it via a privileged helper — no Terminal commands, no reboot. Defers restarts during Time Machine backups to avoid corruption.
WindowServer Protection
WindowServer can't be restarted without logging out. Daemon Watchdog monitors it and alerts you when memory grows dangerously high, recommending a reboot before a kernel panic hits.
Dashboard & Health History
See every monitored daemon's current memory, threshold, and health status at a glance. Drill into any daemon to view memory history over time and restart events.
CLI & MCP Server
Includes a command-line tool (sdw) and an MCP server (sdw-mcp) for programmatic access. Query daemon status, trigger restarts, and integrate with AI agents — all over a local Unix socket.
Siri & Shortcuts
Built-in App Intents let you check daemon health or restart a daemon from Siri, Shortcuts, or any automation workflow.
Lightweight Menu Bar App
Lives in your menu bar. No Dock icon, no clutter. Uses minimal CPU and memory while protecting your Mac around the clock.
No Telemetry. No Cloud. No Subscriptions.
Daemon Watchdog runs entirely on your Mac. No data leaves your device.
One-time purchase with free updates via Sparkle.
Requirements
macOS 26 (Tahoe) or later. Apple Silicon only. Requires a one-time privileged helper installation for automatic daemon restarts (monitoring works without it).