diff --git a/cli/internal/daemon/connector/connector.go b/cli/internal/daemon/connector/connector.go
index 76522f2f7a1af..d05ef598c46e6 100644
--- a/cli/internal/daemon/connector/connector.go
+++ b/cli/internal/daemon/connector/connector.go
@@ -22,8 +22,9 @@ import (
 
 var (
 	// ErrFailedToStart is returned when the daemon process cannot be started
-	ErrFailedToStart     = errors.New("daemon could not be started")
-	errVersionMismatch   = errors.New("daemon version does not match client version")
+	ErrFailedToStart = errors.New("daemon could not be started")
+	// ErrVersionMismatch is returned when the daemon process was spawned by a different version than the connecting client
+	ErrVersionMismatch   = errors.New("daemon version does not match client version")
 	errConnectionFailure = errors.New("could not connect to daemon")
 	// ErrTooManyAttempts is returned when the client fails to connect too many times
 	ErrTooManyAttempts = errors.New("reached maximum number of attempts contacting daemon")
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@ var (
 type Opts struct {
 	ServerTimeout time.Duration
 	DontStart     bool // if true, don't attempt to start the daemon
+	DontKill      bool // if true, don't attempt to kill the daemon
 }
 
 // Client represents a connection to the daemon process
@@ -237,13 +239,19 @@ func (c *Connector) connectInternal(ctx context.Context) (*Client, error) {
 		if err := c.sendHello(ctx, client); err == nil {
 			// We connected and negotiated a version, we're all set
 			return client, nil
-		} else if errors.Is(err, errVersionMismatch) {
+		} else if errors.Is(err, ErrVersionMismatch) {
+			// We don't want to knock down a perfectly fine daemon in a status check.
+			if c.Opts.DontKill {
+				return nil, err
+			}
+
 			// We now know we aren't going to return this client,
 			// but killLiveServer still needs it to send the Shutdown request.
 			// killLiveServer will close the client when it is done with it.
 			if err := c.killLiveServer(ctx, client, serverPid); err != nil {
 				return nil, err
 			}
+			// Loops back around and tries again.
 		} else if errors.Is(err, errConnectionFailure) {
 			// close the client, see if we can kill the stale daemon
 			_ = client.Close()
@@ -321,7 +329,7 @@ func (c *Connector) sendHello(ctx context.Context, client turbodprotocol.TurbodC
 	case codes.OK:
 		return nil
 	case codes.FailedPrecondition:
-		return errVersionMismatch
+		return ErrVersionMismatch
 	case codes.Unavailable:
 		return errConnectionFailure
 	default:
diff --git a/cli/internal/daemon/connector/connector_test.go b/cli/internal/daemon/connector/connector_test.go
index 4f7d757a0e84b..62b450491b00a 100644
--- a/cli/internal/daemon/connector/connector_test.go
+++ b/cli/internal/daemon/connector/connector_test.go
@@ -241,8 +241,8 @@ func TestKillLiveServer(t *testing.T) {
 		ClientConn:   conn,
 	}
 	err = c.sendHello(ctx, client)
-	if !errors.Is(err, errVersionMismatch) {
-		t.Errorf("sendHello error got %v, want %v", err, errVersionMismatch)
+	if !errors.Is(err, ErrVersionMismatch) {
+		t.Errorf("sendHello error got %v, want %v", err, ErrVersionMismatch)
 	}
 	err = c.killLiveServer(ctx, client, 99999)
 	assert.NilError(t, err, "killLiveServer")
diff --git a/cli/internal/daemon/daemon.go b/cli/internal/daemon/daemon.go
index 72db576a14354..3bd9bbc7ed9a3 100644
--- a/cli/internal/daemon/daemon.go
+++ b/cli/internal/daemon/daemon.go
@@ -306,9 +306,5 @@ func GetClient(ctx context.Context, repoRoot turbopath.AbsoluteSystemPath, logge
 		LogPath:      logPath,
 		TurboVersion: turboVersion,
 	}
-	client, err := c.Connect(ctx)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	return client, nil
+	return c.Connect(ctx)
 }
diff --git a/cli/internal/daemon/status.go b/cli/internal/daemon/status.go
index 489b3ad25a3db..430d232b7c765 100644
--- a/cli/internal/daemon/status.go
+++ b/cli/internal/daemon/status.go
@@ -3,10 +3,10 @@ package daemon
 import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"time"
 
-	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	"github.com/vercel/turbo/cli/internal/cmdutil"
 	"github.com/vercel/turbo/cli/internal/daemon/connector"
 	"github.com/vercel/turbo/cli/internal/daemonclient"
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@ func (l *lifecycle) status(ctx context.Context, outputJSON bool) error {
 		// If the daemon is not running, the status is that it's not running.
 		// We don't want to start it just to check the status.
 		DontStart: true,
+		// If the daemon is a different version simply report that.
+		// Don't attempt to kill the existing daemon.
+		DontKill: true,
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		return l.reportStatusError(err, outputJSON)
@@ -60,22 +63,27 @@ func (l *lifecycle) status(ctx context.Context, outputJSON bool) error {
 }
 
 func (l *lifecycle) reportStatusError(err error, outputJSON bool) error {
-	var msg string
+	// Determine the unwrapped error message that we want to render.
+	var toRender error
 	if errors.Is(err, connector.ErrDaemonNotRunning) {
-		msg = "the daemon is not running"
+		toRender = connector.ErrDaemonNotRunning
+	} else if errors.Is(err, connector.ErrVersionMismatch) {
+		toRender = connector.ErrVersionMismatch
 	} else {
-		msg = err.Error()
+		toRender = err
 	}
+
+	// Spit it out as plain text or JSON.
 	if outputJSON {
-		rendered, err := json.MarshalIndent(map[string]string{
-			"error": msg,
+		rendered, jsonErr := json.MarshalIndent(map[string]string{
+			"error": toRender.Error(),
 		}, "", "  ")
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
+		if jsonErr != nil {
+			return jsonErr
 		}
 		l.base.UI.Output(string(rendered))
 	} else {
-		l.base.UI.Output(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to contact daemon: %v", msg))
+		l.base.UI.Output(fmt.Sprintf("Failed to contact daemon: %v", toRender.Error()))
 	}
 	return nil
 }