diff --git a/packages/compiler/src/backend/llvm/emit-journal.ts b/packages/compiler/src/backend/llvm/emit-journal.ts
index b2b3fc4cc..f290f8df8 100644
--- a/packages/compiler/src/backend/llvm/emit-journal.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler/src/backend/llvm/emit-journal.ts
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ export interface ChunkResult {
   readonly flags: {
     readonly usesCoroutines: boolean;
     readonly usesTimers: boolean;
+    readonly usesPromises: boolean;
     readonly usesGenSlots: boolean;
     readonly needsUnionNone: boolean;
     readonly needsNullableAbsent: boolean;
diff --git a/packages/compiler/src/backend/llvm/emit-module.ts b/packages/compiler/src/backend/llvm/emit-module.ts
index 549f5d748..caf402e9d 100644
--- a/packages/compiler/src/backend/llvm/emit-module.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler/src/backend/llvm/emit-module.ts
@@ -603,14 +603,16 @@ export function emitModuleParts(emitter: LlEmitter): string[] {
   const globalReleases = exitReleaseLines("g");
   const asyncEntry = emitter.fnByName.get(emitter.mod.entry)?.async === true;
   const entryMayThrow = emitter.mayThrow.has(emitter.mod.entry);
-  // The event loop runs when timers appeared OR any async/generator
-  // function exists (the C main's hasAsync || hasGenerators ||
-  // usesTimers gate). Generator programs run
+  // The event loop runs when timers appeared, a promise is made (the loop's
+  // end reports an unhandled rejection, Node's exit 1), OR any
+  // async/generator function exists (the C main's hasAsync ||
+  // hasGenerators || usesTimers gate). Generator programs run
   // the loop too: its exit accounting notes still-suspended generator
   // fibers as abandoned, so the RC audit downgrades exactly like the
   // async loop-exhaustion story.
   const runsLoop =
     emitter.usesTimers ||
+    emitter.usesPromises ||
     emitter.ffiHasForeignCallback ||
     emitter.mod.functions.some((f) => f.async === true || f.generator !== undefined);
   const uncaughtReleases = entryMayThrow && !asyncEntry ? exitReleaseLines("gu") : [];
diff --git a/packages/compiler/src/backend/llvm/emitter.ts b/packages/compiler/src/backend/llvm/emitter.ts
index 9c2d3bfe6..ae533b31f 100644
--- a/packages/compiler/src/backend/llvm/emitter.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler/src/backend/llvm/emitter.ts
@@ -1635,6 +1635,10 @@ export class LlEmitter {
   /** setTimeout and friends appeared somewhere: main must run the event
    * loop even in programs with no async functions. */
   usesTimers = false;
+  /** A promise is made somewhere (Promise statics, `new Promise`,
+   * Promise.withResolvers): main runs the event loop, whose end reports an
+   * unhandled rejection as Node does, even without async functions. */
+  usesPromises = false;
   /** The program calls mock.timers members (moduleUsesMockTimers): timer
    * calls emit scr_test.c's mock-aware entry points. */
   readonly mockTimers: boolean;
@@ -5717,6 +5721,7 @@ export class LlEmitter {
       flags: {
         usesCoroutines: this.usesCoroutines,
         usesTimers: this.usesTimers,
+        usesPromises: this.usesPromises,
         usesGenSlots: this.usesGenSlots,
         needsUnionNone: this.needsUnionNone,
         needsNullableAbsent: this.needsNullableAbsent,
@@ -5754,6 +5759,7 @@ export class LlEmitter {
     const flags = chunk.flags;
     this.usesCoroutines ||= flags.usesCoroutines;
     this.usesTimers ||= flags.usesTimers;
+    this.usesPromises ||= flags.usesPromises;
     this.usesGenSlots ||= flags.usesGenSlots;
     this.needsUnionNone ||= flags.needsUnionNone;
     this.needsNullableAbsent ||= flags.needsNullableAbsent;
diff --git a/packages/compiler/src/backend/llvm/expr-dispatch.ts b/packages/compiler/src/backend/llvm/expr-dispatch.ts
index e53f47d47..aaddd47c8 100644
--- a/packages/compiler/src/backend/llvm/expr-dispatch.ts
+++ b/packages/compiler/src/backend/llvm/expr-dispatch.ts
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ export function emitExpr(host: LlvmEmitterContext, e: IrExpr): LlValue {
     case "caughtToDyn":
       return host.emitDynamicExpr(e);
     case "intrinsic":
+      if (e.name.startsWith("promise.")) host.usesPromises = true;
       return host.emitIntrinsicExpr(e);
     case "jsonStringify":
     case "dynCheck":
@@ -108,8 +109,10 @@ export function emitExpr(host: LlvmEmitterContext, e: IrExpr): LlValue {
     case "genResume":
     case "awaitExpr":
     case "awaitUnionExpr":
+      return host.emitAsyncExpr(e);
     case "newPromise":
     case "promiseWithResolvers":
+      host.usesPromises = true;
       return host.emitAsyncExpr(e);
     case "libCall":
       return host.emitLibCall(e);
diff --git a/packages/compiler/test/ts7/baselines/order-parity/tests/corpus/unhandled-rejection-without-async.cjs.json b/packages/compiler/test/ts7/baselines/order-parity/tests/corpus/unhandled-rejection-without-async.cjs.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e07772e93
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/compiler/test/ts7/baselines/order-parity/tests/corpus/unhandled-rejection-without-async.cjs.json
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+{
+ "order": [
+  "<repo>/tests/corpus/unhandled-rejection-without-async.cjs"
+ ],
+ "diags": []
+}
diff --git a/tests/corpus/unhandled-rejection-without-async.cjs b/tests/corpus/unhandled-rejection-without-async.cjs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3990cd402
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/corpus/unhandled-rejection-without-async.cjs
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+// @exit: 1
+'use strict';
+// A program with no async functions or timers still ends Node's way when a
+// promise rejection goes unhandled: after the script, the 'exit' listeners
+// see code 1 and the process exits 1. Settled promises alone do not fail.
+process.on('exit', (code) => console.log('exit listener', code));
+const settled = Promise.resolve(1);
+new Promise((resolve) => resolve(2));
+console.log('end of script', typeof settled);
+new Promise((resolve, reject) => reject(new TypeError('rejected in the executor')));
diff --git a/tests/harness/corpus-costs/unhandled-rejection-without-async.cjs.json b/tests/harness/corpus-costs/unhandled-rejection-without-async.cjs.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7da124d86
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/harness/corpus-costs/unhandled-rejection-without-async.cjs.json
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+{ "plain": 2511, "san": 3503 }