diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 2faca3d..a1c95b4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           if [ "${{ matrix.install-type }}" = "brew" ]; then
             brew list --formula tailscale
-            brew services list | grep -E '^tailscale[[:space:]]+started'
+            sudo -E tailscale status
           elif [ "${{ matrix.install-type }}" = "source" ]; then
             if brew --version >/dev/null 2>&1; then
               echo "brew should have been unavailable for source install test"
diff --git a/dist/index.js b/dist/index.js
index e2f1868..9b647a5 100644
--- a/dist/index.js
+++ b/dist/index.js
@@ -41707,17 +41707,8 @@ async function installTailscaleFromSourceOnMacOS(config, toolPath) {
     core.info("✅ Tailscale installed successfully on macOS from source");
 }
 async function startTailscaleDaemon(config, installedWith) {
-    const runnerOS = process.env.RUNNER_OS || "";
-    if (runnerOS === runnerMacOS && installedWith === "brew") {
-        core.info("Starting tailscaled daemon with Homebrew services...");
-        await execSilent("start tailscale homebrew service", "brew", [
-            "services",
-            "start",
-            cmdTailscale,
-        ]);
-        await waitForDaemonReady();
-        core.info("✅ tailscaled daemon is up and running!");
-        return;
+    if (installedWith === "brew") {
+        core.info("Starting Homebrew-installed tailscaled daemon manually...");
     }
     // Manual daemon start
     const stateArgs = config.stateDir
diff --git a/src/main.ts b/src/main.ts
index 1f1c9d3..99f1aab 100644
--- a/src/main.ts
+++ b/src/main.ts
@@ -792,18 +792,8 @@ async function startTailscaleDaemon(
   config: TailscaleConfig,
   installedWith: installMethod
 ): Promise<void> {
-  const runnerOS = process.env.RUNNER_OS || "";
-
-  if (runnerOS === runnerMacOS && installedWith === "brew") {
-    core.info("Starting tailscaled daemon with Homebrew services...");
-    await execSilent("start tailscale homebrew service", "brew", [
-      "services",
-      "start",
-      cmdTailscale,
-    ]);
-    await waitForDaemonReady();
-    core.info("✅ tailscaled daemon is up and running!");
-    return;
+  if (installedWith === "brew") {
+    core.info("Starting Homebrew-installed tailscaled daemon manually...");
   }
 
   // Manual daemon start
diff --git a/test/macos-homebrew.test.js b/test/macos-homebrew.test.js
index c8d2455..0b41f52 100644
--- a/test/macos-homebrew.test.js
+++ b/test/macos-homebrew.test.js
@@ -43,10 +43,13 @@ test("Homebrew-owned installs are not saved to the action cache", () => {
   );
 });
 
-test("Homebrew installs start tailscaled through brew services", () => {
-  assert.match(source, /runnerOS === runnerMacOS && installedWith === "brew"/);
-  assert.match(source, /"brew",\s*\[\s*"services",\s*"start",\s*cmdTailscale/);
-  assert.doesNotMatch(source, /"sudo",\s*\[\s*"brew",\s*"services"/);
+test("Homebrew installs start tailscaled with the manual daemon path", () => {
+  assert.match(
+    source,
+    /Starting Homebrew-installed tailscaled daemon manually/
+  );
+  assert.match(source, /spawn\("sudo", \["-E", cmdTailscaled, \.\.\.args\]/);
+  assert.doesNotMatch(source, /"brew",\s*\[\s*"services",\s*"start"/);
 });
 
 test("bundled action includes the macOS Homebrew smoke path", () => {
@@ -58,5 +61,8 @@ test("bundled action includes the macOS Homebrew smoke path", () => {
     bundled,
     /Installing Tailscale \$\{config\.resolvedVersion\} via Homebrew/
   );
-  assert.match(bundled, /start tailscale homebrew service/);
+  assert.match(
+    bundled,
+    /Starting Homebrew-installed tailscaled daemon manually/
+  );
 });