diff --git a/internal/cmd/down.go b/internal/cmd/down.go
index 043a34e0..d119a89c 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/down.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/down.go
@@ -105,6 +105,9 @@ func runDown(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 
 	rigs := discoverRigs(townRoot)
 
+	// Pre-fetch all sessions once for O(1) lookups (avoids N+1 subprocess calls)
+	sessionSet, _ := t.GetSessionSet() // Ignore error - empty set is safe fallback
+
 	// Phase 0.5: Stop polecats if --polecats
 	if downPolecats {
 		if downDryRun {
@@ -161,12 +164,12 @@ func runDown(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	for _, rigName := range rigs {
 		sessionName := fmt.Sprintf("gt-%s-refinery", rigName)
 		if downDryRun {
-			if running, _ := t.HasSession(sessionName); running {
+			if sessionSet.Has(sessionName) {
 				printDownStatus(fmt.Sprintf("Refinery (%s)", rigName), true, "would stop")
 			}
 			continue
 		}
-		wasRunning, err := stopSession(t, sessionName)
+		wasRunning, err := stopSessionWithCache(t, sessionName, sessionSet)
 		if err != nil {
 			printDownStatus(fmt.Sprintf("Refinery (%s)", rigName), false, err.Error())
 			allOK = false
@@ -181,12 +184,12 @@ func runDown(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	for _, rigName := range rigs {
 		sessionName := fmt.Sprintf("gt-%s-witness", rigName)
 		if downDryRun {
-			if running, _ := t.HasSession(sessionName); running {
+			if sessionSet.Has(sessionName) {
 				printDownStatus(fmt.Sprintf("Witness (%s)", rigName), true, "would stop")
 			}
 			continue
 		}
-		wasRunning, err := stopSession(t, sessionName)
+		wasRunning, err := stopSessionWithCache(t, sessionName, sessionSet)
 		if err != nil {
 			printDownStatus(fmt.Sprintf("Witness (%s)", rigName), false, err.Error())
 			allOK = false
@@ -200,12 +203,12 @@ func runDown(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	// Phase 3: Stop town-level sessions (Mayor, Boot, Deacon)
 	for _, ts := range session.TownSessions() {
 		if downDryRun {
-			if running, _ := t.HasSession(ts.SessionID); running {
+			if sessionSet.Has(ts.SessionID) {
 				printDownStatus(ts.Name, true, "would stop")
 			}
 			continue
 		}
-		stopped, err := session.StopTownSession(t, ts, downForce)
+		stopped, err := session.StopTownSessionWithCache(t, ts, downForce, sessionSet)
 		if err != nil {
 			printDownStatus(ts.Name, false, err.Error())
 			allOK = false
@@ -390,6 +393,23 @@ func stopSession(t *tmux.Tmux, sessionName string) (bool, error) {
 	return true, t.KillSessionWithProcesses(sessionName)
 }
 
+// stopSessionWithCache is like stopSession but uses a pre-fetched SessionSet
+// for O(1) existence check instead of spawning a subprocess.
+func stopSessionWithCache(t *tmux.Tmux, sessionName string, cache *tmux.SessionSet) (bool, error) {
+	if !cache.Has(sessionName) {
+		return false, nil // Already stopped
+	}
+
+	// Try graceful shutdown first (Ctrl-C, best-effort interrupt)
+	if !downForce {
+		_ = t.SendKeysRaw(sessionName, "C-c")
+		time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
+	}
+
+	// Kill the session (with explicit process termination to prevent orphans)
+	return true, t.KillSessionWithProcesses(sessionName)
+}
+
 // acquireShutdownLock prevents concurrent shutdowns.
 // Returns the lock (caller must defer Unlock()) or error if lock held.
 func acquireShutdownLock(townRoot string) (*flock.Flock, error) {
diff --git a/internal/cmd/sling.go b/internal/cmd/sling.go
index a522d6fb..bb8cb080 100644
--- a/internal/cmd/sling.go
+++ b/internal/cmd/sling.go
@@ -380,8 +380,9 @@ func runSling(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		formulaWorkDir := beads.ResolveHookDir(townRoot, beadID, hookWorkDir)
 
 		// Step 1: Cook the formula (ensures proto exists)
-		// Cook doesn't need database context - runs from cwd like gt formula show
+		// Cook runs from rig directory to access the correct formula database
 		cookCmd := exec.Command("bd", "--no-daemon", "cook", formulaName)
+		cookCmd.Dir = formulaWorkDir
 		cookCmd.Stderr = os.Stderr
 		if err := cookCmd.Run(); err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("cooking formula %s: %w", formulaName, err)
diff --git a/internal/session/town.go b/internal/session/town.go
index e52380aa..d5dd1f15 100644
--- a/internal/session/town.go
+++ b/internal/session/town.go
@@ -39,6 +39,21 @@ func StopTownSession(t *tmux.Tmux, ts TownSession, force bool) (bool, error) {
 		return false, nil
 	}
 
+	return stopTownSessionInternal(t, ts, force)
+}
+
+// StopTownSessionWithCache is like StopTownSession but uses a pre-fetched
+// SessionSet for O(1) existence check instead of spawning a subprocess.
+func StopTownSessionWithCache(t *tmux.Tmux, ts TownSession, force bool, cache *tmux.SessionSet) (bool, error) {
+	if !cache.Has(ts.SessionID) {
+		return false, nil
+	}
+
+	return stopTownSessionInternal(t, ts, force)
+}
+
+// stopTownSessionInternal performs the actual session stop.
+func stopTownSessionInternal(t *tmux.Tmux, ts TownSession, force bool) (bool, error) {
 	// Try graceful shutdown first (unless forced)
 	if !force {
 		_ = t.SendKeysRaw(ts.SessionID, "C-c")
diff --git a/internal/tmux/tmux.go b/internal/tmux/tmux.go
index 29bebe16..1db1b6e3 100644
--- a/internal/tmux/tmux.go
+++ b/internal/tmux/tmux.go
@@ -244,6 +244,72 @@ func (t *Tmux) ListSessions() ([]string, error) {
 	return strings.Split(out, "\n"), nil
 }
 
+// SessionSet provides O(1) session existence checks by caching session names.
+// Use this when you need to check multiple sessions to avoid N+1 subprocess calls.
+type SessionSet struct {
+	sessions map[string]struct{}
+}
+
+// GetSessionSet returns a SessionSet containing all current sessions.
+// Call this once at the start of an operation, then use Has() for O(1) checks.
+// This replaces multiple HasSession() calls with a single ListSessions() call.
+//
+// Builds the map directly from tmux output to avoid intermediate slice allocation.
+func (t *Tmux) GetSessionSet() (*SessionSet, error) {
+	out, err := t.run("list-sessions", "-F", "#{session_name}")
+	if err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, ErrNoServer) {
+			return &SessionSet{sessions: make(map[string]struct{})}, nil
+		}
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	// Count newlines to pre-size map (avoids rehashing during insertion)
+	count := strings.Count(out, "\n") + 1
+	set := &SessionSet{
+		sessions: make(map[string]struct{}, count),
+	}
+
+	// Parse directly without intermediate slice allocation
+	for len(out) > 0 {
+		idx := strings.IndexByte(out, '\n')
+		var line string
+		if idx >= 0 {
+			line = out[:idx]
+			out = out[idx+1:]
+		} else {
+			line = out
+			out = ""
+		}
+		if line != "" {
+			set.sessions[line] = struct{}{}
+		}
+	}
+	return set, nil
+}
+
+// Has returns true if the session exists in the set.
+// This is an O(1) lookup - no subprocess is spawned.
+func (s *SessionSet) Has(name string) bool {
+	if s == nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	_, ok := s.sessions[name]
+	return ok
+}
+
+// Names returns all session names in the set.
+func (s *SessionSet) Names() []string {
+	if s == nil || len(s.sessions) == 0 {
+		return nil
+	}
+	names := make([]string, 0, len(s.sessions))
+	for name := range s.sessions {
+		names = append(names, name)
+	}
+	return names
+}
+
 // ListSessionIDs returns a map of session name to session ID.
 // Session IDs are in the format "$N" where N is a number.
 func (t *Tmux) ListSessionIDs() (map[string]string, error) {
diff --git a/internal/tmux/tmux_test.go b/internal/tmux/tmux_test.go
index 09203831..a1f71f00 100644
--- a/internal/tmux/tmux_test.go
+++ b/internal/tmux/tmux_test.go
@@ -552,3 +552,56 @@ func TestGetAllDescendants(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestSessionSet(t *testing.T) {
+	if !hasTmux() {
+		t.Skip("tmux not installed")
+	}
+
+	tm := NewTmux()
+	sessionName := "gt-test-sessionset-" + t.Name()
+
+	// Clean up any existing session
+	_ = tm.KillSession(sessionName)
+
+	// Create a test session
+	if err := tm.NewSession(sessionName, ""); err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("NewSession: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer func() { _ = tm.KillSession(sessionName) }()
+
+	// Get the session set
+	set, err := tm.GetSessionSet()
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("GetSessionSet: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	// Test Has() for existing session
+	if !set.Has(sessionName) {
+		t.Errorf("SessionSet.Has(%q) = false, want true", sessionName)
+	}
+
+	// Test Has() for non-existing session
+	if set.Has("nonexistent-session-xyz-12345") {
+		t.Error("SessionSet.Has(nonexistent) = true, want false")
+	}
+
+	// Test nil safety
+	var nilSet *SessionSet
+	if nilSet.Has("anything") {
+		t.Error("nil SessionSet.Has() = true, want false")
+	}
+
+	// Test Names() returns the session
+	names := set.Names()
+	found := false
+	for _, n := range names {
+		if n == sessionName {
+			found = true
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	if !found {
+		t.Errorf("SessionSet.Names() doesn't contain %q", sessionName)
+	}
+}