diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/WorktreeTitleInlineRename.lifecycle.test.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/WorktreeTitleInlineRename.lifecycle.test.tsx
index 3042f97b8b7..362d44891c6 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/WorktreeTitleInlineRename.lifecycle.test.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/WorktreeTitleInlineRename.lifecycle.test.tsx
@@ -26,8 +26,6 @@ describe('WorktreeTitleInlineRename lifecycle', () => {
     root = null
     container?.remove()
     container = null
-    document.documentElement.removeAttribute('data-worktree-title-rename-cursor-lock')
-    document.getElementById('worktree-title-rename-cursor-lock-style')?.remove()
   })
 
   it('reports editing=false if it unmounts while renaming', () => {
@@ -117,7 +115,8 @@ describe('WorktreeTitleInlineRename lifecycle', () => {
     setSelectionRange.mockRestore()
   })
 
-  it('selects the full title when hovercard field mode starts editing', () => {
+  it('places the caret at the end when hovercard field mode starts editing', () => {
+    const displayName = 'Feature workspace'
     const select = vi.spyOn(HTMLInputElement.prototype, 'select')
     const setSelectionRange = vi.spyOn(HTMLInputElement.prototype, 'setSelectionRange')
     const nextContainer = document.createElement('div')
@@ -127,7 +126,7 @@ describe('WorktreeTitleInlineRename lifecycle', () => {
     act(() => {
       root?.render(
         <WorktreeTitleInlineRename
-          displayName="Feature workspace"
+          displayName={displayName}
           editingPresentation="field"
           onRename={vi.fn()}
         />
@@ -141,8 +140,11 @@ describe('WorktreeTitleInlineRename lifecycle', () => {
     })
 
     const input = nextContainer.querySelector('[data-worktree-title-rename-input]')
-    expect(select).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
-    expect(setSelectionRange).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    // Why: the hovercard field opens with the caret at the end (no selection) so a
+    // pointer parked over the title never flips between the I-beam and the macOS
+    // drag-selection arrow.
+    expect(select).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect(setSelectionRange).toHaveBeenCalledWith(displayName.length, displayName.length)
     expect(input?.className).toContain('select-text')
     expect(input?.className).not.toContain('select-none')
 
@@ -150,52 +152,6 @@ describe('WorktreeTitleInlineRename lifecycle', () => {
     setSelectionRange.mockRestore()
   })
 
-  it('locks the document cursor only while the hovercard field editor is active', () => {
-    const nextContainer = document.createElement('div')
-    container = nextContainer
-    root = createRoot(nextContainer)
-
-    act(() => {
-      root?.render(
-        <WorktreeTitleInlineRename
-          displayName="Feature workspace"
-          editingPresentation="field"
-          onRename={vi.fn()}
-        />
-      )
-    })
-
-    expect(document.documentElement.hasAttribute('data-worktree-title-rename-cursor-lock')).toBe(
-      false
-    )
-
-    act(() => {
-      nextContainer
-        .querySelector('[data-worktree-title-inline-rename]')
-        ?.dispatchEvent(new MouseEvent('dblclick', { bubbles: true, cancelable: true }))
-    })
-
-    expect(document.documentElement.hasAttribute('data-worktree-title-rename-cursor-lock')).toBe(
-      true
-    )
-    expect(
-      document.getElementById('worktree-title-rename-cursor-lock-style')?.textContent
-    ).toContain('cursor: text !important')
-
-    act(() => {
-      nextContainer
-        .querySelector('[data-worktree-title-rename-input]')
-        ?.dispatchEvent(
-          new KeyboardEvent('keydown', { key: 'Escape', bubbles: true, cancelable: true })
-        )
-    })
-
-    expect(document.documentElement.hasAttribute('data-worktree-title-rename-cursor-lock')).toBe(
-      false
-    )
-    expect(document.getElementById('worktree-title-rename-cursor-lock-style')).toBeNull()
-  })
-
   it('renders wrapped read text before mounting the hovercard field input', () => {
     const nextContainer = document.createElement('div')
     container = nextContainer
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/WorktreeTitleInlineRename.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/WorktreeTitleInlineRename.tsx
index 8c5de69426f..e20312da6a9 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/WorktreeTitleInlineRename.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/WorktreeTitleInlineRename.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import React, { useCallback, useEffect, useLayoutEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react'
+import React, { useCallback, useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react'
 import { LoaderCircle } from 'lucide-react'
 import { toast } from 'sonner'
 import { Input } from '@/components/ui/input'
@@ -25,50 +25,6 @@ export function isWorktreeTitleTruncated(
   return element.scrollWidth > element.clientWidth
 }
 
-const FIELD_RENAME_CURSOR_LOCK_ATTR = 'data-worktree-title-rename-cursor-lock'
-const FIELD_RENAME_CURSOR_LOCK_STYLE_ID = 'worktree-title-rename-cursor-lock-style'
-const useCursorLockEffect = typeof window === 'undefined' ? useEffect : useLayoutEffect
-
-let fieldRenameCursorLockCount = 0
-
-function acquireFieldRenameCursorLock(): () => void {
-  if (typeof document === 'undefined') {
-    return () => {}
-  }
-
-  fieldRenameCursorLockCount += 1
-  document.documentElement.setAttribute(FIELD_RENAME_CURSOR_LOCK_ATTR, '')
-
-  if (!document.getElementById(FIELD_RENAME_CURSOR_LOCK_STYLE_ID)) {
-    const style = document.createElement('style')
-    style.id = FIELD_RENAME_CURSOR_LOCK_STYLE_ID
-    // Why: Chromium can leave the native cursor stale after a stationary pointer
-    // swaps from wrapped text to an input. Lock cursor only while field editing.
-    style.textContent = `
-html[${FIELD_RENAME_CURSOR_LOCK_ATTR}],
-html[${FIELD_RENAME_CURSOR_LOCK_ATTR}] body,
-html[${FIELD_RENAME_CURSOR_LOCK_ATTR}] body * {
-  cursor: text !important;
-}
-`
-    document.head.append(style)
-  }
-
-  let released = false
-  return () => {
-    if (released) {
-      return
-    }
-    released = true
-    fieldRenameCursorLockCount = Math.max(0, fieldRenameCursorLockCount - 1)
-    if (fieldRenameCursorLockCount > 0) {
-      return
-    }
-    document.documentElement.removeAttribute(FIELD_RENAME_CURSOR_LOCK_ATTR)
-    document.getElementById(FIELD_RENAME_CURSOR_LOCK_STYLE_ID)?.remove()
-  }
-}
-
 type WorktreeTitleInlineRenameProps = {
   displayName: string
   disabled?: boolean
@@ -87,8 +43,9 @@ type WorktreeTitleInlineRenameProps = {
   // onBeginEditingConsumed so the request fires exactly once.
   beginEditing?: boolean
   onBeginEditingConsumed?: () => void
-  // Why: parent-triggered rename can place the caret without selecting, while
-  // double-click rename keeps the native one-keystroke replacement behavior.
+  // Why: the inline text row selects all for a one-keystroke replace; the hovercard
+  // field defaults to caret-at-end. A pointer parked over a fresh selection makes
+  // macOS flip between the I-beam and the drag-selection arrow. Callers can override.
   selectOnFocus?: boolean
 }
 
@@ -107,7 +64,7 @@ export function WorktreeTitleInlineRename({
   onRename,
   beginEditing = false,
   onBeginEditingConsumed,
-  selectOnFocus = true
+  selectOnFocus = editingPresentation !== 'field'
 }: WorktreeTitleInlineRenameProps): React.JSX.Element {
   const editingRef = useRef(false)
   const savingRef = useRef(false)
@@ -185,13 +142,6 @@ export function WorktreeTitleInlineRename({
   const savingInputClassName = editingPresentation === 'field' ? 'pr-6' : 'pr-4'
   const savingSpinnerClassName = editingPresentation === 'field' ? 'right-1.5' : 'right-0'
 
-  useCursorLockEffect(() => {
-    if (!editing || editingPresentation !== 'field') {
-      return
-    }
-    return acquireFieldRenameCursorLock()
-  }, [editing, editingPresentation])
-
   const setEditingMode = useCallback(
     (nextEditing: boolean) => {
       if (editingRef.current === nextEditing) {