diff --git a/src/main/ipc/worktree-logic.ts b/src/main/ipc/worktree-logic.ts
index a056d657f02..fe61f943d14 100644
--- a/src/main/ipc/worktree-logic.ts
+++ b/src/main/ipc/worktree-logic.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { isWindowsAbsolutePathLike, resolveRuntimePath } from '../../shared/cros
 import { isWslUncPath } from '../../shared/wsl-paths'
 import { splitWorktreeId } from '../../shared/worktree-id'
 import { replaceKnownEmojiWithShortcodes } from '../../shared/emoji-shortcode-catalog'
-import { getWslHome, parseWslPath } from '../wsl'
+import { getWslHome, getWslHomeAsync, parseWslPath } from '../wsl'
 
 type WorktreePathSettings = Pick<GlobalSettings, 'nestWorkspaces' | 'workspaceDir'>
 type WorktreeBasePathRepo = Pick<Repo, 'path' | 'worktreeBasePath'>
@@ -112,6 +112,37 @@ export function computeWorktreePath(
   return pathOps.join(workspaceRoot, sanitizedName)
 }
 
+/** Async twin of computeWorktreePath. Same result; resolves the WSL home without blocking the main
+ *  thread, so callers off the create path never freeze the app on a stopped distro. */
+export async function computeWorktreePathAsync(
+  sanitizedName: string,
+  repoPath: string,
+  settings: WorktreePathSettings
+): Promise<string> {
+  const workspaceRoot = await computeWorkspaceRootAsync(repoPath, settings)
+  const pathOps = getRuntimePathOps(repoPath, workspaceRoot)
+
+  if (settings.nestWorkspaces) {
+    const repoName = pathOps.basename(repoPath).replace(/\.git$/, '')
+    return pathOps.join(workspaceRoot, repoName, sanitizedName)
+  }
+  return pathOps.join(workspaceRoot, sanitizedName)
+}
+
+async function computeWorkspaceRootAsync(
+  repoPath: string,
+  settings: { workspaceDir: string }
+): Promise<string> {
+  const wsl = parseWslPath(repoPath)
+  if (wsl && shouldMirrorWorkspaceDirInsideWsl(repoPath, settings.workspaceDir)) {
+    const wslHome = await getWslHomeAsync(wsl.distro)
+    if (wslHome) {
+      return win32.join(wslHome, 'orca', 'workspaces')
+    }
+  }
+  return resolveWorkspaceDirForRepo(repoPath, settings.workspaceDir)
+}
+
 export function computeWorkspaceRoot(repoPath: string, settings: { workspaceDir: string }): string {
   const wsl = parseWslPath(repoPath)
   if (wsl && shouldMirrorWorkspaceDirInsideWsl(repoPath, settings.workspaceDir)) {
diff --git a/src/main/wsl.ts b/src/main/wsl.ts
index 8311170faeb..31c1c9a8a5c 100644
--- a/src/main/wsl.ts
+++ b/src/main/wsl.ts
@@ -303,6 +303,12 @@ export function getWslHome(distro: string): string | null {
   }
 }
 
+/** Pure cache lookup — never probes. Lets callers that memoize a derived value avoid caching one
+ *  built from the unresolved fallback, since only the success path is cached above. */
+export function hasCachedWslHome(distro: string): boolean {
+  return wslHomeCache.has(distro)
+}
+
 export async function getWslHomeAsync(distro: string): Promise<string | null> {
   if (wslHomeCache.has(distro)) {
     return wslHomeCache.get(distro)!