diff --git a/.github/workflows/windows-terminal-restart-e2e.yml b/.github/workflows/windows-terminal-restart-e2e.yml
index 6a47b10a1a4..a3df3f2d639 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/windows-terminal-restart-e2e.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/windows-terminal-restart-e2e.yml
@@ -59,7 +59,8 @@ jobs:
           pnpm run test:e2e
           tests/e2e/restart-restore-terminal-input.spec.ts
           tests/e2e/terminal-restart-persistence.spec.ts
-          --grep "clean restart with a live daemon session|cold-restored pane accepts typing|daemon snapshot relaunch preserves"
+          tests/e2e/windows-headless-terminal-close-lifecycle.spec.ts
+          --grep "clean restart with a live daemon session|cold-restored pane accepts typing|daemon snapshot relaunch preserves|physical Windows exit wins the headless-tab close race"
           --workers=1
 
       - name: Upload Playwright traces
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.test.ts b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.test.ts
index 3b9b6ae3591..ab0e866a253 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.test.ts
@@ -31441,7 +31441,6 @@ describe('OrcaRuntimeService', () => {
     runtime.syncWindowGraph(0, { tabs: [], leaves: [] })
     await runtime.listMobileSessionTabs(`id:${TEST_WORKTREE_ID}`)
     const handle = runtime.preAllocateHandleForPty(ptyId)
-    vi.spyOn(runtime, 'closeMobileSessionTab').mockRejectedValue(new Error('tab_not_found'))
 
     await expect(runtime.closeTerminal(handle)).resolves.toEqual({
       handle,
@@ -31449,6 +31448,52 @@ describe('OrcaRuntimeService', () => {
       ptyKilled: true
     })
     expect(kill).toHaveBeenCalledWith(ptyId)
+    expect((await runtime.listMobileSessionTabs(`id:${TEST_WORKTREE_ID}`)).tabs).toEqual([])
+  })
+
+  it('does not mask a missing durable tab while its headless surface remains live', async () => {
+    const ptyId = 'headless-worker-live-tab'
+    const { runtimeStore } = makeRuntimeStoreWithWorkspaceSession(
+      makeWorkspaceSessionWithHeadlessTerminal({
+        tabsByWorktree: {
+          [TEST_WORKTREE_ID]: [
+            {
+              id: 'host-tab',
+              ptyId,
+              worktreeId: TEST_WORKTREE_ID,
+              title: 'Headless worker',
+              customTitle: null,
+              color: null,
+              sortOrder: 0,
+              createdAt: 1
+            }
+          ]
+        },
+        terminalLayoutsByTabId: {
+          'host-tab': makeHeadlessTerminalLayout({ [HEADLESS_LEAF_ID]: ptyId })
+        }
+      })
+    )
+    const kill = vi.fn(() => false)
+    const runtime = new OrcaRuntimeService(runtimeStore as never)
+    runtime.setPtyController({
+      write: () => true,
+      kill,
+      getForegroundProcess: async () => null,
+      listProcesses: async () => []
+    })
+    runtime.registerPty(ptyId, TEST_WORKTREE_ID, null, {
+      tabId: 'host-tab',
+      leafId: HEADLESS_LEAF_ID
+    })
+    runtime.syncWindowGraph(0, { tabs: [], leaves: [] })
+    await runtime.listMobileSessionTabs(`id:${TEST_WORKTREE_ID}`)
+    const handle = runtime.preAllocateHandleForPty(ptyId)
+    vi.spyOn(runtime, 'closeMobileSessionTab').mockRejectedValue(new Error('tab_not_found'))
+
+    await expect(runtime.closeTerminal(handle)).rejects.toThrow('tab_not_found')
+    expect(kill).toHaveBeenCalledWith(ptyId)
+    expect((await runtime.listMobileSessionTabs(`id:${TEST_WORKTREE_ID}`)).tabs).not.toEqual([])
   })
 
   it('keeps the renderer close transaction for an adopted runtime-owned tab', async () => {
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.ts b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.ts
index 67be18d694f..6d22603a132 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.ts
@@ -29820,16 +29820,17 @@ export class OrcaRuntimeService {
           try {
             await this.closeMobileSessionTab(`id:${pty.pty.worktreeId}`, tabId)
           } catch (error) {
-            // Exit handling or another host-tab transaction may retire this surface first.
-            if (
-              !(error instanceof Error) ||
-              (error.message !== 'workspace_session_unavailable' &&
-                error.message !== 'tab_not_found')
-            ) {
+            if (!(error instanceof Error)) {
               throw error
             }
             if (error.message === 'workspace_session_unavailable') {
               this.notifier?.closeTerminal(tabId)
+            } else if (
+              error.message !== 'tab_not_found' ||
+              this.findMobileTerminalSurface(pty.pty.worktreeId, tabId)
+            ) {
+              // Only absence in both persistence and the live publication proves another owner finished teardown.
+              throw error
             }
           }
         } else {
diff --git a/tests/e2e/windows-headless-terminal-close-lifecycle.spec.ts b/tests/e2e/windows-headless-terminal-close-lifecycle.spec.ts
index 1166074eed9..e95633bfe89 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/windows-headless-terminal-close-lifecycle.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/e2e/windows-headless-terminal-close-lifecycle.spec.ts
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ test('physical Windows exit wins the headless-tab close race', async ({ testRepo
     const processBefore = await queryWindowsAncestry(childPid!)
     expect(processBefore).toMatchObject([
       { pid: childPid, name: 'node.exe' },
-      { name: 'pwsh.exe' },
+      { name: expect.stringMatching(/^(?:pwsh|powershell)\.exe$/i) },
       { name: 'electron.exe' }
     ])
     const ptyShellPid = processBefore[1]!.pid