diff --git a/web/skins/classic/views/js/montage.js b/web/skins/classic/views/js/montage.js
index e5c10edae4..9db56aa323 100644
--- a/web/skins/classic/views/js/montage.js
+++ b/web/skins/classic/views/js/montage.js
@@ -1046,7 +1046,7 @@ document.onvisibilitychange = () => {
       //closing should kill, hiding should stop/pause
       for (let i = 0, length = monitors.length; i < length; i++) {
         // Stop instead of pause because we don't want buffering in zms
-        monitors[i].stop();
+        monitors[i].kill();
       }
     }, 15*1000);
   } else {
diff --git a/web/skins/classic/views/js/watch.js b/web/skins/classic/views/js/watch.js
index bbc32e1c76..9006b28dcd 100644
--- a/web/skins/classic/views/js/watch.js
+++ b/web/skins/classic/views/js/watch.js
@@ -1402,7 +1402,10 @@ document.onvisibilitychange = () => {
             prevStateStarted = 'played';
             //Stop only if playing (not paused).
             // We might want to continue status updates so that alarm sounds etc still happen
-            monitorStream.stop();
+            // Use kill() instead of stop() to send CMD_QUIT and terminate the zms
+            // process. stop() only sends CMD_STOP which leaves zms running, causing
+            // orphaned processes to accumulate each time the tab is hidden/shown.
+            monitorStream.kill();
           }
         } else {
           prevStateStarted = 'stopped';
diff --git a/web/skins/classic/views/js/zone.js b/web/skins/classic/views/js/zone.js
index 22b7b2b0e2..57baa903de 100644
--- a/web/skins/classic/views/js/zone.js
+++ b/web/skins/classic/views/js/zone.js
@@ -793,7 +793,10 @@ document.onvisibilitychange = () => {
     TimerHideShow = setTimeout(function() {
       //Stop monitors when closing or hiding page
       for (let i = 0, length = monitorData.length; i < length; i++) {
-        monitors[i].stop();
+        // Use kill() instead of stop() to send CMD_QUIT and terminate the zms
+        // process. stop() only sends CMD_STOP which leaves zms running, causing
+        // orphaned processes to accumulate each time the tab is hidden/shown.
+        monitors[i].kill();
       }
     }, 15*1000);
   } else {