diff --git a/src/renderer/src/hooks/terminal-reveal-split-owner-worktree-key.test.ts b/src/renderer/src/hooks/terminal-reveal-split-owner-worktree-key.test.ts
index f182f08aca1..fb70ef0ee8a 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/hooks/terminal-reveal-split-owner-worktree-key.test.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/hooks/terminal-reveal-split-owner-worktree-key.test.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,10 @@
 // whole reveal, so the split pane never appeared.
 import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
 import { collectLeafIdsInOrder } from '@/components/terminal-pane/layout-serialization'
+import {
+  resolveTerminalRevealTabAdoption,
+  type TerminalRevealAdoptionState
+} from '@/lib/terminal-reveal-tab-adoption'
 import {
   createHarnessStoreState,
   loadIpcEventsHarness,
@@ -53,6 +57,40 @@ describe('split reveal whose target tab is filed under another worktree key', ()
     expect(layout.ptyIdsByLeafId).toMatchObject({ 'leaf-split': 'pty-split' })
   })
 
+  it('adopts the hinted parent as the owner of a brand-new split pty', () => {
+    // Why this is asserted on its own: it is what lets the split path reuse the adopted row
+    // instead of looking the hint up a second time.
+    const state: TerminalRevealAdoptionState = {
+      tabsByWorktree: {
+        [OWNER_WORKTREE_ID]: [
+          {
+            id: 'tab-a',
+            ptyId: null,
+            worktreeId: OWNER_WORKTREE_ID,
+            title: 'Terminal 1',
+            customTitle: null,
+            color: null,
+            sortOrder: 0,
+            createdAt: 1
+          }
+        ]
+      },
+      terminalLayoutsByTabId: {
+        'tab-a': {
+          root: { type: 'leaf', leafId: 'leaf-a' },
+          activeLeafId: 'leaf-a',
+          expandedLeafId: null,
+          ptyIdsByLeafId: { 'leaf-a': 'pty-a' }
+        }
+      },
+      ptyIdsByTabId: {}
+    }
+
+    expect(
+      resolveTerminalRevealTabAdoption(state, { ptyId: 'pty-split', hintTabId: 'tab-a' })
+    ).toEqual({ kind: 'adopt', tabId: 'tab-a', via: 'pty-owner' })
+  })
+
   it('still fails a split reveal whose parent row exists under no worktree key', async () => {
     const storeState = storeWithOwnerFiledElsewhere()
     const harness = await loadIpcEventsHarness(storeState)
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/lib/terminal-reveal-tab-adoption.ts b/src/renderer/src/lib/terminal-reveal-tab-adoption.ts
index 411f6c686dd..2bd87f7673d 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/lib/terminal-reveal-tab-adoption.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/lib/terminal-reveal-tab-adoption.ts
@@ -128,12 +128,10 @@ export function resolveTerminalRevealTarget(
   const isSplitReveal = Boolean(
     request.ptyId && request.tabId && request.leafId && request.splitFromLeafId
   )
-  // Why: a split of a new PTY has no owner to adopt, and its parent row can sit under another key.
-  const splitTargetRow =
-    isSplitReveal && request.tabId !== undefined ? findTerminalTabRow(state, request.tabId) : null
-  if (isSplitReveal && !adoptedRow && !splitTargetRow) {
+  // Why no lookup of its own: the hinted parent is adopted as the pty's owner across every
+  // worktree key, so a split never needs one — a null row here means the hint names no row at all.
+  if (isSplitReveal && !adoptedRow) {
     throw new Error(`Terminal tab ${request.tabId} not found`)
   }
-  const ownerRow = adoptedRow ?? splitTargetRow
-  return { tab: ownerRow?.tab, ownerWorktreeId: ownerRow?.worktreeId ?? request.worktreeId }
+  return { tab: adoptedRow?.tab, ownerWorktreeId: adoptedRow?.worktreeId ?? request.worktreeId }
 }