diff --git a/src/main/ipc/pty-hidden-delivery-gate.ts b/src/main/ipc/pty-hidden-delivery-gate.ts
index 0fa58e6f909..43fa8567b88 100644
--- a/src/main/ipc/pty-hidden-delivery-gate.ts
+++ b/src/main/ipc/pty-hidden-delivery-gate.ts
@@ -31,7 +31,8 @@ const droppedSinceHiddenPtys = new Set<string>()
 let droppedHiddenDeliveryChars = 0
 let droppedHiddenDeliveryChunks = 0
 
-/** The gate operates only when main side-effect authority and the gate setting are enabled. */
+/** Gate kill switches, both read main-side: the gate only operates under main
+ *  side-effect authority AND the gate-specific setting (both default on). */
 export function isHiddenPtyDeliveryGateEnabled(
   settings: HiddenPtyDeliveryGateSettings | null | undefined
 ): boolean {
diff --git a/src/main/persistence.test.ts b/src/main/persistence.test.ts
index 96f697c976d..17a73fa0e48 100644
--- a/src/main/persistence.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/persistence.test.ts
@@ -7933,43 +7933,6 @@ describe('Store', () => {
     expect(store.getSettings().experimentalActivity).toBe(true)
   })
 
-  it('disables the generated hidden PTY delivery gate for existing profiles', async () => {
-    writeDataFile({
-      schemaVersion: 1,
-      repos: [],
-      worktreeMeta: {},
-      settings: { terminalHiddenDeliveryGate: true },
-      ui: {},
-      githubCache: { pr: {}, issue: {} },
-      workspaceSession: {}
-    })
-
-    const store = await createStore()
-
-    expect(store.getSettings().terminalHiddenDeliveryGate).toBe(false)
-    expect(store.getSettings().terminalHiddenDeliveryGateDefaultedOffForAllUsers).toBe(true)
-  })
-
-  it('preserves hidden PTY delivery gate opt-ins after the default-off migration', async () => {
-    writeDataFile({
-      schemaVersion: 1,
-      repos: [],
-      worktreeMeta: {},
-      settings: {
-        terminalHiddenDeliveryGate: true,
-        terminalHiddenDeliveryGateDefaultedOffForAllUsers: true
-      },
-      ui: {},
-      githubCache: { pr: {}, issue: {} },
-      workspaceSession: {}
-    })
-
-    const store = await createStore()
-
-    expect(store.getSettings().terminalHiddenDeliveryGate).toBe(true)
-    expect(store.getSettings().terminalHiddenDeliveryGateDefaultedOffForAllUsers).toBe(true)
-  })
-
   // ── worktree-card property migration ───────────────────────────────
 
   it('adds split-out default card properties for legacy detailed profiles', async () => {
diff --git a/src/main/persistence.ts b/src/main/persistence.ts
index 975d558cec8..f9fee511d39 100644
--- a/src/main/persistence.ts
+++ b/src/main/persistence.ts
@@ -3290,15 +3290,6 @@ export class Store {
         const migratedExperimentalActivity = experimentalActivityDefaultedOffForAllUsers
           ? (parsed.settings?.experimentalActivity ?? false)
           : false
-        const terminalHiddenDeliveryGateDefaultedOffForAllUsers =
-          parsed.settings?.terminalHiddenDeliveryGateDefaultedOffForAllUsers === true
-        // Why: the old generated true is indistinguishable from an opt-in, so reset it once before preserving later overrides.
-        const migratedTerminalHiddenDeliveryGate = terminalHiddenDeliveryGateDefaultedOffForAllUsers
-          ? (parsed.settings?.terminalHiddenDeliveryGate ?? false)
-          : false
-        if (!terminalHiddenDeliveryGateDefaultedOffForAllUsers) {
-          this.loadNeedsSave = true
-        }
         const autoRenameBranchFromWorkDefaultedOn =
           parsed.settings?.autoRenameBranchFromWorkDefaultedOn === true
         // Why: default-on rollout activates old profiles once, but a later Settings opt-out survives reloads.
@@ -3512,8 +3503,6 @@ export class Store {
             ...migratedTerminalTuiScrollSensitivity.settings,
             experimentalActivity: migratedExperimentalActivity,
             experimentalActivityDefaultedOffForAllUsers: true,
-            terminalHiddenDeliveryGate: migratedTerminalHiddenDeliveryGate,
-            terminalHiddenDeliveryGateDefaultedOffForAllUsers: true,
             // Why: compact worktree cards graduated from Experimental; preserve the old opt-in for rollout-era profiles.
             compactWorktreeCards: loadedCompactWorktreeCards,
             experimentalCompactWorktreeCards: undefined,
diff --git a/src/shared/constants.test.ts b/src/shared/constants.test.ts
index bd3e799793e..ea41c8a6af9 100644
--- a/src/shared/constants.test.ts
+++ b/src/shared/constants.test.ts
@@ -42,11 +42,6 @@ describe('getDefaultSettings', () => {
     expect(getDefaultSettings('/tmp').terminalCursorStyleDefaultedToBlock).toBe(true)
   })
 
-  it('keeps hidden PTY bytes flowing to the renderer by default', () => {
-    expect(getDefaultSettings('/tmp').terminalHiddenDeliveryGate).toBe(false)
-    expect(getDefaultSettings('/tmp').terminalHiddenDeliveryGateDefaultedOffForAllUsers).toBe(true)
-  })
-
   it('allows OSC 52 clipboard writes by default for new settings', () => {
     expect(getDefaultSettings('/tmp').terminalAllowOsc52Clipboard).toBe(true)
     expect(getDefaultSettings('/tmp').terminalAllowOsc52ClipboardDefaultedOnForAllUsers).toBe(true)
diff --git a/src/shared/constants.ts b/src/shared/constants.ts
index 95d85109557..ec0f8358005 100644
--- a/src/shared/constants.ts
+++ b/src/shared/constants.ts
@@ -311,9 +311,17 @@ export function getDefaultSettings(homedir: string): GlobalSettings {
     terminalHiddenWorktreeRetentionBudget: true,
     browserGuestWorktreeRetentionBudget: true,
     terminalMainSideEffectAuthority: true,
-    // Why: keep hidden-pane xterm state synchronized while rendering remains suspended.
+    // Why default off: dropping renderer-bound bytes leaves the renderer's xterm
+    // a second emulator that has seen a different stream than the model, and a
+    // gap can strand any carried state — a swallowed `ESC[22m` leaves bold on
+    // every later cell, a swallowed `ESC(B` leaves line-drawing on (STA-4042).
+    // Every recovery path then has to reconstruct state it cannot actually know.
+    // Feeding the emulator unconditionally and suspending only the *rendering*
+    // (pane-manager suspendRendering + WebGL retention already do this) removes
+    // the gap class outright rather than repairing it after the fact. The gate
+    // stays available for anyone who needs to trade that correctness for the
+    // hidden-pane IPC/parse saving.
     terminalHiddenDeliveryGate: false,
-    terminalHiddenDeliveryGateDefaultedOffForAllUsers: true,
     terminalModelQueryAuthority: true,
     defaultTuiAgent: null,
     disabledTuiAgents: [...DEFAULT_DISABLED_TUI_AGENTS],
diff --git a/src/shared/types.ts b/src/shared/types.ts
index 29ad921082f..4d9a2e9b810 100644
--- a/src/shared/types.ts
+++ b/src/shared/types.ts
@@ -3009,8 +3009,6 @@ export type GlobalSettings = {
   terminalMainSideEffectAuthority?: boolean
   /** Kill switch for main's hidden-delivery gate (Phase 4): drops PTY bytes to hidden views after model ingestion; requires terminalMainSideEffectAuthority. */
   terminalHiddenDeliveryGate?: boolean
-  /** One-shot guard for defaulting the hidden-delivery gate off for existing profiles. */
-  terminalHiddenDeliveryGateDefaultedOffForAllUsers?: boolean
   /** Kill switch for main's model query responder (Phase 5); active only when both Phase-4 gates are also on. */
   terminalModelQueryAuthority?: boolean
   /** Which agent to pre-select in the new-workspace composer.