diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/settings/ExperimentalPane.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/settings/ExperimentalPane.tsx
index b02e25a89e0..222456af0cb 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/settings/ExperimentalPane.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/settings/ExperimentalPane.tsx
@@ -162,8 +162,8 @@ export function ExperimentalPane({
             <div className="min-w-0 shrink space-y-1.5">
               <Label>Terminal Macros</Label>
               <p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">
-                Define named terminal launch presets that open a new tab, optionally create a split
-                right or down, and seed the new terminal with startup text. This remains
+                Define named terminal launch presets that open a new tab in the current tab group or
+                a new tab split, then seed the new terminal with startup text. This remains
                 experimental and appears in the tab-bar new-tab menu only when enabled.
               </p>
             </div>
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/settings/TerminalMacrosSection.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/settings/TerminalMacrosSection.tsx
index 107c886e7f2..0c5bcc5f172 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/settings/TerminalMacrosSection.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/settings/TerminalMacrosSection.tsx
@@ -21,10 +21,10 @@ type EditorState =
 
 function layoutLabel(layout: TerminalMacro['layout']): string {
   if (layout === 'split-right') {
-    return 'Split Right'
+    return 'Tab Split Right'
   }
   if (layout === 'split-down') {
-    return 'Split Down'
+    return 'Tab Split Down'
   }
   return 'Tab'
 }
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ export function TerminalMacrosSection({
         <div className="space-y-1">
           <Label>Saved Macros</Label>
           <p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">
-            Each macro opens a named tab and can seed one startup split.
+            Each macro opens a named tab in the current tab group or a new tab split.
           </p>
         </div>
         <Button
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/terminal-macros/TerminalMacroDialog.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/terminal-macros/TerminalMacroDialog.tsx
index 14b10c8cc5d..1868d6330f8 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/terminal-macros/TerminalMacroDialog.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/terminal-macros/TerminalMacroDialog.tsx
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ export function TerminalMacroDialog({
             {mode === 'edit' ? 'Edit Macro' : 'Add Macro'}
           </DialogTitle>
           <DialogDescription className="text-xs">
-            Macros open a named terminal tab and optionally create one startup split.
+            Macros open a named terminal tab and can place it in a tab split.
           </DialogDescription>
         </DialogHeader>
 
@@ -108,8 +108,8 @@ export function TerminalMacroDialog({
               className="justify-start"
             >
               <ToggleGroupItem value="tab">Tab</ToggleGroupItem>
-              <ToggleGroupItem value="split-right">Split Right</ToggleGroupItem>
-              <ToggleGroupItem value="split-down">Split Down</ToggleGroupItem>
+              <ToggleGroupItem value="split-right">Tab Split Right</ToggleGroupItem>
+              <ToggleGroupItem value="split-down">Tab Split Down</ToggleGroupItem>
             </ToggleGroup>
           </div>
 
@@ -124,24 +124,15 @@ export function TerminalMacroDialog({
               rows={5}
               className="min-h-28 w-full resize-y rounded-md border border-input bg-transparent px-3 py-2 text-sm font-mono shadow-xs outline-none transition-[color,box-shadow] focus-visible:border-ring focus-visible:ring-[3px] focus-visible:ring-ring/50"
             />
-            {targetsSplitPane ? (
-              <p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">
-                This startup text runs only in the newly created split pane. The original pane is
-                left alone.
-              </p>
-            ) : (
+            {!targetsSplitPane && (
               <p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">
                 Optional startup text for the new tab.
               </p>
             )}
             <MacroAppendEnterToggle
               checked={draft.appendEnter !== false}
-              label={targetsSplitPane ? 'Run new pane startup text' : 'Run tab startup text'}
-              description={
-                targetsSplitPane
-                  ? 'Press Enter after sending the new split pane text.'
-                  : 'Press Enter after sending the tab startup text.'
-              }
+              label="Run startup command"
+              description="Press Enter after this text is in the terminal."
               onToggle={() =>
                 setDraft((current) => ({ ...current, appendEnter: !current.appendEnter }))
               }
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/lib/launch-terminal-macro.test.ts b/src/renderer/src/lib/launch-terminal-macro.test.ts
index 251241dc426..77ef64b3d4f 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/lib/launch-terminal-macro.test.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/lib/launch-terminal-macro.test.ts
@@ -2,11 +2,18 @@ import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 
 const state = {
   createTab: vi.fn(),
+  createEmptySplitGroup: vi.fn(),
   setTabCustomTitle: vi.fn(),
   queueTabStartupCommand: vi.fn(),
   queueTabSetupSplit: vi.fn(),
   setActiveTabType: vi.fn(),
   setTabBarOrder: vi.fn(),
+  activeGroupIdByWorktree: {
+    'wt-1': 'group-1'
+  },
+  groupsByWorktree: {
+    'wt-1': [{ id: 'group-1' }]
+  },
   tabsByWorktree: {
     'wt-1': [{ id: 'existing-tab' }, { id: 'tab-1' }]
   },
@@ -29,6 +36,7 @@ describe('launchTerminalMacro', () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     vi.clearAllMocks()
     state.createTab.mockReturnValue({ id: 'tab-1', title: 'Terminal 1' })
+    state.createEmptySplitGroup.mockReturnValue('group-2')
   })
 
   it('creates a named tab and queues startup for tab macros', async () => {
@@ -62,7 +70,7 @@ describe('launchTerminalMacro', () => {
     expect(result).toEqual({ tabId: 'tab-1' })
   })
 
-  it('queues an initial split and sends startup only to the new split pane', async () => {
+  it('creates a tab group split and queues startup on the new tab', async () => {
     const { launchTerminalMacro } = await import('./launch-terminal-macro')
 
     launchTerminalMacro({
@@ -76,11 +84,12 @@ describe('launchTerminalMacro', () => {
       worktreeId: 'wt-1'
     })
 
-    expect(state.queueTabStartupCommand).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
-    expect(state.queueTabSetupSplit).toHaveBeenCalledWith('tab-1', {
-      direction: 'vertical',
+    expect(state.createEmptySplitGroup).toHaveBeenCalledWith('wt-1', 'group-1', 'right')
+    expect(state.createTab).toHaveBeenCalledWith('wt-1', 'group-2')
+    expect(state.queueTabStartupCommand).toHaveBeenCalledWith('tab-1', {
       command: 'npm run dev\r'
     })
+    expect(state.queueTabSetupSplit).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
   })
 
   it('returns null for blank names', async () => {
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/lib/launch-terminal-macro.ts b/src/renderer/src/lib/launch-terminal-macro.ts
index 8ebb07ebbf7..ad2784513fe 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/lib/launch-terminal-macro.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/lib/launch-terminal-macro.ts
@@ -20,27 +20,25 @@ export function launchTerminalMacro({
     return null
   }
 
-  const tab = store.createTab(worktreeId, groupId)
+  const targetGroupId =
+    macro.layout === 'split-right' || macro.layout === 'split-down'
+      ? resolveTerminalMacroSplitGroupId({
+          worktreeId,
+          groupId,
+          direction: macro.layout === 'split-right' ? 'right' : 'down'
+        })
+      : groupId
+
+  const tab = store.createTab(worktreeId, targetGroupId)
   store.setTabCustomTitle(tab.id, name)
 
   const command = macro.command.trimEnd()
-  if (command && macro.layout === 'tab') {
+  if (command) {
     store.queueTabStartupCommand(tab.id, {
       command: buildTerminalMacroInput(command, macro.appendEnter !== false)
     })
   }
 
-  if (macro.layout === 'split-right' || macro.layout === 'split-down') {
-    store.queueTabSetupSplit(tab.id, {
-      direction: macro.layout === 'split-right' ? 'vertical' : 'horizontal',
-      ...(command
-        ? {
-            command: buildTerminalMacroInput(command, macro.appendEnter !== false)
-          }
-        : {})
-    })
-  }
-
   // Why: macro launches should surface the new terminal immediately even when
   // the user currently has an editor/browser active in the same worktree.
   store.setActiveTabType('terminal')
@@ -63,3 +61,26 @@ export function launchTerminalMacro({
 
   return { tabId: tab.id }
 }
+
+function resolveTerminalMacroSplitGroupId({
+  worktreeId,
+  groupId,
+  direction
+}: {
+  worktreeId: string
+  groupId?: string
+  direction: 'right' | 'down'
+}): string | undefined {
+  const store = useAppStore.getState()
+  const sourceGroupId =
+    groupId ??
+    store.activeGroupIdByWorktree[worktreeId] ??
+    store.groupsByWorktree[worktreeId]?.[0]?.id
+  if (!sourceGroupId) {
+    return undefined
+  }
+
+  // Why: macro "split right/down" means an Orca tab-group split, not an
+  // xterm pane split. Keeping it here avoids remounting the source terminal.
+  return store.createEmptySplitGroup(worktreeId, sourceGroupId, direction) ?? undefined
+}