diff --git a/src/renderer/src/hooks/direct-ssh-reconnect-repaint.test.ts b/src/renderer/src/hooks/direct-ssh-reconnect-repaint.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..69ba9e3ff3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/renderer/src/hooks/direct-ssh-reconnect-repaint.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+/**
+ * A reconnect must repaint the panes, not just reattach them.
+ *
+ * Reattach restores each pane's buffer but not its painted frame: xterm repaints on a write or a
+ * resize, and a reconnect produces neither for a pane that was already correctly sized. So the
+ * panes come back blank until something forces a relayout — which is why resizing a split or
+ * toggling the sidebar appears to "fix" it. Reported after a hosts-popup disconnect/reconnect with
+ * splits and agent TUIs open.
+ */
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+
+const refitAndRefreshAllTerminalPanes = vi.fn()
+vi.mock('@/lib/pane-manager/pane-manager-registry', () => ({
+  refitAndRefreshAllTerminalPanes: () => refitAndRefreshAllTerminalPanes()
+}))
+
+/** The shape `useIpcEvents` installs as the coordinator's finalize hook. */
+function finalizeHydratedTerminalPanes(retryTargetPanes: () => number): number {
+  const retried = retryTargetPanes()
+  requestAnimationFrame(refitAndRefreshAllTerminalPanes)
+  setTimeout(refitAndRefreshAllTerminalPanes, 100)
+  // Mirrors useIpcEvents, which calls window.setTimeout; the timer identity is what matters here.
+
+  return retried
+}
+
+describe('finalizing hydrated panes after a direct SSH reconnect', () => {
+  it('schedules a repaint, because reattaching alone leaves the panes unpainted', () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers()
+    const frames: FrameRequestCallback[] = []
+    vi.stubGlobal('requestAnimationFrame', (cb: FrameRequestCallback) => {
+      frames.push(cb)
+      return frames.length
+    })
+    refitAndRefreshAllTerminalPanes.mockClear()
+
+    try {
+      const retried = finalizeHydratedTerminalPanes(() => 3)
+
+      expect(retried, 'the retry result must still reach the coordinator').toBe(3)
+      expect(
+        refitAndRefreshAllTerminalPanes,
+        'nothing was scheduled, so the panes stay blank until a resize'
+      ).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+
+      for (const frame of frames.splice(0)) {
+        frame(0)
+      }
+      expect(refitAndRefreshAllTerminalPanes).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+
+      // The settled pass: rAF alone lands while panes are still remounting.
+      vi.advanceTimersByTime(100)
+      expect(
+        refitAndRefreshAllTerminalPanes,
+        'only the immediate frame repainted; a pane still mounting stays blank'
+      ).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+    } finally {
+      vi.unstubAllGlobals()
+      vi.useRealTimers()
+    }
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/hooks/useIpcEvents.ts b/src/renderer/src/hooks/useIpcEvents.ts
index b91a1372430..4b234e7cee0 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/hooks/useIpcEvents.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/hooks/useIpcEvents.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 /* oxlint-disable max-lines -- Why: this App-level IPC bridge intentionally keeps the renderer's main-process event contract in one place so shortcut, runtime, updater, and agent-status wiring do not drift across files. */
+import { refitAndRefreshAllTerminalPanes } from '@/lib/pane-manager/pane-manager-registry'
 import { useEffect } from 'react'
 import { toast } from 'sonner'
 import { useAppStore } from '../store'
@@ -706,8 +707,17 @@ export function useIpcEvents(): void {
         directSshTerminalActions().invalidateStaleDirectSshTargetPtyBindings?.(authority) ?? 0,
       retryTargetPanes: (authority) =>
         directSshTerminalActions().retryDirectSshTargetPanes?.(authority) ?? 0,
-      finalizeHydratedTerminalPanes: (authority) =>
-        directSshTerminalActions().retryDirectSshTargetPanes?.(authority) ?? 0,
+      finalizeHydratedTerminalPanes: (authority) => {
+        const retried = directSshTerminalActions().retryDirectSshTargetPanes?.(authority) ?? 0
+        // Why: reattach restores the pane's buffer but not its painted frame. xterm only repaints
+        // on a write or a resize, and a reconnect produces neither for a pane that was already
+        // sized — so the panes come back blank until something forces a relayout, which is why
+        // resizing a split or toggling the sidebar "fixes" it. Same settled-frame refit the
+        // desktop-restore path uses; rAF alone is too early while panes are still remounting.
+        requestAnimationFrame(refitAndRefreshAllTerminalPanes)
+        window.setTimeout(refitAndRefreshAllTerminalPanes, 100)
+        return retried
+      },
       correctUnboundTerminalPanes: (authority) =>
         directSshTerminalActions().retryDirectSshTargetPanes?.(authority) ?? 0,
       syncRemoteWorkspaceAfterConnect: (token) =>