diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/terminal/terminal-provider-snapshot-bound-pty-ids.test.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/terminal/terminal-provider-snapshot-bound-pty-ids.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..eba9359990a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/terminal/terminal-provider-snapshot-bound-pty-ids.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,204 @@
+// @vitest-environment happy-dom
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import type * as SnapshotCapabilityModule from './terminal-provider-snapshot-capability'
+import type { TerminalLayoutSnapshot } from '../../../../shared/terminal-tab-types'
+import { makeTab, makeWorktree } from '@/store/slices/store-test-helpers'
+
+const { collectPtyIds } = vi.hoisted(() => ({ collectPtyIds: vi.fn() }))
+
+vi.mock('./terminal-provider-snapshot-capability', async (importOriginal) => {
+  const actual = await importOriginal<typeof SnapshotCapabilityModule>()
+  collectPtyIds.mockImplementation(actual.collectTerminalProviderSnapshotPtyIds)
+  return { ...actual, collectTerminalProviderSnapshotPtyIds: collectPtyIds }
+})
+
+import { useAppStore } from '@/store'
+import { createTerminalProviderSnapshotBoundPtyIdsSelector } from './terminal-provider-snapshot-bound-pty-ids'
+
+const initialState = useAppStore.getInitialState()
+const TAB_COUNT = 40
+const WORKTREE_ID = 'repo::worktree-0'
+
+function tabId(index: number): string {
+  return `tab-${index}`
+}
+
+function leafLayout(index: number, activeLeafId: string): TerminalLayoutSnapshot {
+  return {
+    root: {
+      type: 'split' as const,
+      direction: 'vertical' as const,
+      first: { type: 'leaf' as const, leafId: `leaf-a-${index}` },
+      second: { type: 'leaf' as const, leafId: `leaf-b-${index}` }
+    },
+    activeLeafId,
+    expandedLeafId: null,
+    ptyIdsByLeafId: {
+      [`leaf-a-${index}`]: `pty-${index}-a`,
+      [`leaf-b-${index}`]: `pty-${index}-b`
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+function seedWorkspace(): void {
+  const worktrees = Array.from({ length: 8 }, (_, index) =>
+    makeWorktree({ id: `repo::worktree-${index}`, repoId: 'repo' })
+  )
+  const tabs = Array.from({ length: TAB_COUNT }, (_, index) =>
+    makeTab({ id: tabId(index), worktreeId: WORKTREE_ID, ptyId: `pty-${index}` })
+  )
+  useAppStore.setState({
+    worktreesByRepo: { repo: worktrees },
+    tabsByWorktree: { [WORKTREE_ID]: tabs },
+    ptyIdsByTabId: Object.fromEntries(tabs.map((tab, index) => [tab.id, [`pty-${index}`]])),
+    terminalLayoutsByTabId: Object.fromEntries(
+      tabs.map((tab, index) => [tab.id, leafLayout(index, `leaf-a-${index}`)])
+    )
+  })
+}
+
+describe('createTerminalProviderSnapshotBoundPtyIdsSelector', () => {
+  let select: ReturnType<typeof createTerminalProviderSnapshotBoundPtyIdsSelector>
+  let boundPtyIds: string[]
+  let unsubscribe: () => void
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    useAppStore.setState(initialState, true)
+    seedWorkspace()
+    collectPtyIds.mockClear()
+    select = createTerminalProviderSnapshotBoundPtyIdsSelector()
+    boundPtyIds = select(useAppStore.getState())
+    // Why subscribe: this mirrors how zustand drives the selector — once per store write.
+    unsubscribe = useAppStore.subscribe((state) => {
+      boundPtyIds = select(state)
+    })
+  })
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    unsubscribe()
+    useAppStore.setState(initialState, true)
+  })
+
+  // Why: the collector walks every tab and every layout leaf, and both of these rewrite the maps it
+  // reads without being able to change the pty set.
+  it('never re-collects for agent title frames or active-leaf moves', () => {
+    expect(collectPtyIds).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+    const initialBoundPtyIds = boundPtyIds
+
+    for (let index = 0; index < TAB_COUNT; index += 1) {
+      useAppStore.getState().updateTabTitle(tabId(index), `agent frame ${index}`)
+    }
+    for (let index = 0; index < TAB_COUNT; index += 1) {
+      useAppStore.getState().setTabLayout(tabId(index), leafLayout(index, `leaf-b-${index}`))
+    }
+
+    expect(useAppStore.getState().tabsByWorktree).not.toBe(initialState.tabsByWorktree)
+    expect(useAppStore.getState().terminalLayoutsByTabId[tabId(0)]?.activeLeafId).toBe('leaf-b-0')
+    expect(collectPtyIds).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+    expect(boundPtyIds).toBe(initialBoundPtyIds)
+  })
+
+  it('re-collects and republishes when the pty set actually changes', () => {
+    const expectRecollect = (label: string, mutate: () => void): string[] => {
+      const before = collectPtyIds.mock.calls.length
+      const previousBoundPtyIds = boundPtyIds
+      mutate()
+      expect(collectPtyIds.mock.calls.length, label).toBeGreaterThan(before)
+      expect(boundPtyIds, label).not.toBe(previousBoundPtyIds)
+      return boundPtyIds
+    }
+
+    expectRecollect('pty bound to a leaf', () => {
+      useAppStore.getState().replaceTerminalLayoutPanePtyId(tabId(0), 'leaf-b-0', 'pty-0-b-next')
+    })
+    expect(boundPtyIds).toContain('pty-0-b-next')
+
+    expectRecollect('split pty bound to a tab', () => {
+      useAppStore.setState((state) => ({
+        ptyIdsByTabId: { ...state.ptyIdsByTabId, [tabId(1)]: ['pty-1', 'pty-1-split'] }
+      }))
+    })
+    expect(boundPtyIds).toContain('pty-1-split')
+
+    expectRecollect('split pty unbound from a tab', () => {
+      useAppStore.setState((state) => ({
+        ptyIdsByTabId: { ...state.ptyIdsByTabId, [tabId(1)]: ['pty-1'] }
+      }))
+    })
+    expect(boundPtyIds).not.toContain('pty-1-split')
+
+    expectRecollect('pending reconnect pty appears', () => {
+      useAppStore.setState({ pendingReconnectPtyIdByTabId: { [tabId(2)]: 'pty-2-reconnect' } })
+    })
+    expect(boundPtyIds).toContain('pty-2-reconnect')
+
+    expectRecollect('leaf added', () => {
+      useAppStore.getState().setTabLayout(tabId(3), {
+        ...leafLayout(3, 'leaf-a-3'),
+        root: {
+          type: 'split',
+          direction: 'vertical',
+          first: { type: 'leaf', leafId: 'leaf-a-3' },
+          second: {
+            type: 'split',
+            direction: 'horizontal',
+            first: { type: 'leaf', leafId: 'leaf-b-3' },
+            second: { type: 'leaf', leafId: 'leaf-c-3' }
+          }
+        },
+        ptyIdsByLeafId: {
+          'leaf-a-3': 'pty-3-a',
+          'leaf-b-3': 'pty-3-b',
+          'leaf-c-3': 'pty-3-c'
+        }
+      })
+    })
+    expect(boundPtyIds).toContain('pty-3-c')
+
+    expectRecollect('leaf removed', () => {
+      useAppStore.getState().setTabLayout(tabId(3), leafLayout(3, 'leaf-a-3'))
+    })
+    expect(boundPtyIds).not.toContain('pty-3-c')
+
+    expectRecollect('tab added', () => {
+      useAppStore.setState((state) => ({
+        tabsByWorktree: {
+          ...state.tabsByWorktree,
+          [WORKTREE_ID]: [
+            ...(state.tabsByWorktree[WORKTREE_ID] ?? []),
+            makeTab({ id: 'tab-new', worktreeId: WORKTREE_ID, ptyId: 'pty-new' })
+          ]
+        }
+      }))
+    })
+    expect(boundPtyIds).toContain('pty-new')
+
+    expectRecollect('tab removed', () => {
+      useAppStore.setState((state) => ({
+        tabsByWorktree: {
+          ...state.tabsByWorktree,
+          [WORKTREE_ID]: (state.tabsByWorktree[WORKTREE_ID] ?? []).filter(
+            (tab) => tab.id !== 'tab-new'
+          )
+        }
+      }))
+    })
+    expect(boundPtyIds).not.toContain('pty-new')
+  })
+
+  // Why: the id array identity is the synchronization loop's restart trigger, so a rebuild that
+  // lands on the same set must reuse the previous array rather than restart the loop.
+  it('keeps the array identity when a rebuild lands on the same id set', () => {
+    const initialBoundPtyIds = boundPtyIds
+
+    useAppStore.setState((state) => ({
+      tabsByWorktree: {
+        ...state.tabsByWorktree,
+        [WORKTREE_ID]: (state.tabsByWorktree[WORKTREE_ID] ?? []).toReversed()
+      }
+    }))
+
+    expect(collectPtyIds).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+    expect(boundPtyIds).toBe(initialBoundPtyIds)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/terminal/terminal-provider-snapshot-bound-pty-ids.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/terminal/terminal-provider-snapshot-bound-pty-ids.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1e242e179a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/terminal/terminal-provider-snapshot-bound-pty-ids.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+import { reuseArrayIfEqual } from '@/components/sidebar/worktree-agent-row-selectors'
+import { sameBucketRecords } from '@/lib/bucket-record-equality'
+import { sameStringRecord } from '@/lib/terminal-layout-equality'
+import {
+  type SnapshotCapabilityBindingState,
+  type SnapshotCapabilityTab,
+  collectTerminalProviderSnapshotPtyIds
+} from './terminal-provider-snapshot-capability'
+
+type TabsByWorktree = SnapshotCapabilityBindingState['tabsByWorktree']
+type LayoutsByTabId = NonNullable<SnapshotCapabilityBindingState['terminalLayoutsByTabId']>
+
+const EMPTY_TABS: TabsByWorktree = Object.freeze({})
+const EMPTY_LAYOUTS: LayoutsByTabId = Object.freeze({})
+
+function sameBoundTab(previous: SnapshotCapabilityTab, next: SnapshotCapabilityTab): boolean {
+  return previous.id === next.id && previous.ptyId === next.ptyId
+}
+
+/** Leaf pty bindings are the only layout field the collector reads; active-leaf moves, pane titles
+ *  and buffer captures all replace the layout object without touching them. */
+function sameLayoutLeafPtyIds(previous: LayoutsByTabId, next: LayoutsByTabId): boolean {
+  if (previous === next) {
+    return true
+  }
+  const tabIds = Object.keys(next)
+  if (tabIds.length !== Object.keys(previous).length) {
+    return false
+  }
+  for (const tabId of tabIds) {
+    const nextLayout = next[tabId]
+    const previousLayout = previous[tabId]
+    if (previousLayout === nextLayout) {
+      continue
+    }
+    if (
+      !previousLayout ||
+      !sameStringRecord(previousLayout.ptyIdsByLeafId, nextLayout?.ptyIdsByLeafId)
+    ) {
+      return false
+    }
+  }
+  return true
+}
+
+/**
+ * Why: the collector walks every tab and every layout leaf, and the maps it reads are rewritten by
+ * agent title frames and active-leaf moves that cannot alter the pty set. Gating it on the fields it
+ * actually reads — `tab.id`, `tab.ptyId`, `ptyIdsByTabId`, `pendingReconnectPtyIdByTabId`,
+ * `layout.ptyIdsByLeafId` — keeps those frames free, and reusing the prior array when a real rebuild
+ * lands on the same set keeps the synchronization effect asleep.
+ *
+ * Why chaining against the immediately preceding state is enough: equality over those fields is
+ * transitive, so a run of unchanged states is equivalent to comparing against the state that
+ * produced the cached array.
+ */
+export function createTerminalProviderSnapshotBoundPtyIdsSelector(): (
+  state: SnapshotCapabilityBindingState
+) => string[] {
+  let previousTabsByWorktree: TabsByWorktree = EMPTY_TABS
+  let previousLayoutsByTabId: LayoutsByTabId = EMPTY_LAYOUTS
+  let previousPtyIdsByTabId: SnapshotCapabilityBindingState['ptyIdsByTabId'] | undefined
+  let previousPendingReconnectPtyIdByTabId: SnapshotCapabilityBindingState['pendingReconnectPtyIdByTabId']
+  let boundPtyIds: string[] = []
+  let collected = false
+
+  return (state) => {
+    const layoutsByTabId = state.terminalLayoutsByTabId ?? EMPTY_LAYOUTS
+    const unchanged =
+      collected &&
+      previousPtyIdsByTabId === state.ptyIdsByTabId &&
+      previousPendingReconnectPtyIdByTabId === state.pendingReconnectPtyIdByTabId &&
+      sameBucketRecords(previousTabsByWorktree, state.tabsByWorktree, sameBoundTab) &&
+      sameLayoutLeafPtyIds(previousLayoutsByTabId, layoutsByTabId)
+    if (!unchanged) {
+      boundPtyIds = reuseArrayIfEqual(
+        boundPtyIds,
+        collectTerminalProviderSnapshotPtyIds(state).sort()
+      )
+      previousPtyIdsByTabId = state.ptyIdsByTabId
+      previousPendingReconnectPtyIdByTabId = state.pendingReconnectPtyIdByTabId
+      collected = true
+    }
+    previousTabsByWorktree = state.tabsByWorktree
+    previousLayoutsByTabId = layoutsByTabId
+    return boundPtyIds
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/terminal/terminal-provider-snapshot-capability.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/terminal/terminal-provider-snapshot-capability.ts
index e0f08fc64d0..25b50cc9bcd 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/terminal/terminal-provider-snapshot-capability.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/terminal/terminal-provider-snapshot-capability.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 type SnapshotCapability = { id: string; authoritative: boolean | null }
 type SnapshotCapabilityResolver = (ids: string[]) => Promise<SnapshotCapability[]>
-type SnapshotCapabilityTab = { id: string; ptyId?: string | null }
-type SnapshotCapabilityBindingState = {
+export type SnapshotCapabilityTab = { id: string; ptyId?: string | null }
+export type SnapshotCapabilityBindingState = {
   tabsByWorktree: Readonly<Record<string, readonly SnapshotCapabilityTab[]>>
   ptyIdsByTabId: Readonly<Record<string, readonly string[]>>
   pendingReconnectPtyIdByTabId?: Readonly<Record<string, string>>
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/terminal/use-terminal-provider-snapshot-capability.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/terminal/use-terminal-provider-snapshot-capability.ts
index bb29b4bb7d9..98fbb26ca2d 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/terminal/use-terminal-provider-snapshot-capability.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/terminal/use-terminal-provider-snapshot-capability.ts
@@ -1,38 +1,22 @@
 import { useEffect, useMemo, useSyncExternalStore } from 'react'
 import { useAppStore } from '@/store'
+import { createTerminalProviderSnapshotBoundPtyIdsSelector } from './terminal-provider-snapshot-bound-pty-ids'
 import {
-  collectTerminalProviderSnapshotPtyIds,
   getTerminalProviderSnapshotCapabilityRevision,
   subscribeTerminalProviderSnapshotCapability,
   startTerminalProviderSnapshotCapabilitySynchronization
 } from './terminal-provider-snapshot-capability'
 
 export function useTerminalProviderSnapshotCapability(enabled: boolean): number {
-  const tabsByWorktree = useAppStore((state) => state.tabsByWorktree)
-  const ptyIdsByTabId = useAppStore((state) => state.ptyIdsByTabId)
-  const pendingReconnectPtyIdByTabId = useAppStore((state) => state.pendingReconnectPtyIdByTabId)
-  const terminalLayoutsByTabId = useAppStore((state) => state.terminalLayoutsByTabId)
   // Why the full field set: synchronization PRUNES cached verdicts outside the
   // collected ids, so a collector narrower than startup's (App.tsx refresh
   // passes full state) would evict valid answers for split-leaf and
   // pending-reconnect ptys back into the exempt-by-default unknown state.
-  // Why keyed: layouts change without changing the pty set (active-leaf churn);
-  // the synchronization loop must restart only on genuine id-set changes.
-  // Why memoized on the map identities: this runs at Terminal's render cadence,
-  // and only a change to one of the four collected maps can alter the id set.
-  const boundPtyIdsKey = useMemo(
-    () =>
-      JSON.stringify(
-        collectTerminalProviderSnapshotPtyIds({
-          tabsByWorktree,
-          ptyIdsByTabId,
-          pendingReconnectPtyIdByTabId,
-          terminalLayoutsByTabId
-        }).sort()
-      ),
-    [tabsByWorktree, ptyIdsByTabId, pendingReconnectPtyIdByTabId, terminalLayoutsByTabId]
-  )
-  const boundPtyIds = useMemo(() => JSON.parse(boundPtyIdsKey) as string[], [boundPtyIdsKey])
+  // Why a selector: it returns an identity-stable id set, so the
+  // synchronization loop restarts only on genuine id-set changes and title
+  // frames and active-leaf moves never reach the collector at all.
+  const selectBoundPtyIds = useMemo(() => createTerminalProviderSnapshotBoundPtyIdsSelector(), [])
+  const boundPtyIds = useAppStore(selectBoundPtyIds)
   const capabilityRevision = useSyncExternalStore(
     subscribeTerminalProviderSnapshotCapability,
     getTerminalProviderSnapshotCapabilityRevision,
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/hooks/useUnreadDockBadge.test.ts b/src/renderer/src/hooks/useUnreadDockBadge.test.ts
index ff269b7a716..0fa95e03a17 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/hooks/useUnreadDockBadge.test.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/hooks/useUnreadDockBadge.test.ts
@@ -123,4 +123,58 @@ describe('useUnreadDockBadge', () => {
     expect(getUnreadBadgeCount).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(5)
     expect(setUnreadDockBadgeCount).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(0)
   })
+
+  // Why render-counted: this hook is mounted on the App root, so anything that wakes its
+  // subscription re-renders the whole shell — the chrome layout, both providers and every
+  // non-memoised overlay — for a badge integer that did not move.
+  it('leaves the App root asleep through title frames and wakes it only on a badge change', () => {
+    const worktrees = Array.from({ length: 20 }, (_, index) =>
+      makeWorktree({ id: `repo::worktree-${index}`, repoId: 'repo' })
+    )
+    const tabsByWorktree = Object.fromEntries(
+      worktrees.map((worktree, index) => [
+        worktree.id,
+        [makeTab({ id: `tab-${index}`, worktreeId: worktree.id })]
+      ])
+    )
+    useAppStore.setState({
+      worktreesByRepo: { repo: worktrees },
+      tabsByWorktree,
+      unreadTerminalTabs: { 'tab-19': true }
+    })
+    let renders = 0
+    renderHook(() => {
+      renders += 1
+      return useUnreadDockBadge()
+    })
+    const rendersAfterMount = renders
+
+    // Separate acts: title frames arrive as individual store writes, not one batch.
+    for (let index = 0; index < 20; index += 1) {
+      act(() => useAppStore.getState().updateTabTitle(`tab-${index}`, `agent frame ${index}`))
+    }
+
+    expect(useAppStore.getState().tabsByWorktree).not.toBe(tabsByWorktree)
+    expect(renders).toBe(rendersAfterMount)
+
+    // A tab becomes unread.
+    act(() => useAppStore.setState({ unreadTerminalTabs: { 'tab-19': true, 'tab-0': true } }))
+    expect(renders).toBe(rendersAfterMount + 1)
+    expect(setUnreadDockBadgeCount).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(2)
+
+    // A tab is read.
+    act(() => useAppStore.setState({ unreadTerminalTabs: { 'tab-19': true } }))
+    expect(renders).toBe(rendersAfterMount + 2)
+    expect(setUnreadDockBadgeCount).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(1)
+
+    // A tab holding unread state closes.
+    act(() =>
+      useAppStore.setState({
+        tabsByWorktree: { ...useAppStore.getState().tabsByWorktree, 'repo::worktree-19': [] },
+        unreadTerminalTabs: {}
+      })
+    )
+    expect(renders).toBe(rendersAfterMount + 3)
+    expect(setUnreadDockBadgeCount).toHaveBeenLastCalledWith(0)
+  })
 })
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/hooks/useUnreadDockBadge.ts b/src/renderer/src/hooks/useUnreadDockBadge.ts
index 268ffb35858..1136c9e8300 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/hooks/useUnreadDockBadge.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/hooks/useUnreadDockBadge.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import { useEffect, useMemo } from 'react'
-import { useShallow } from 'zustand/react/shallow'
-import { getUnreadBadgeCount } from '@/lib/unread-badge-count'
+import { createUnreadBadgeCountSelector } from '@/lib/unread-badge-count-selector'
 import { useAppStore } from '@/store'
 
 function setUnreadDockBadgeCountBestEffort(count: number): void {
@@ -18,18 +17,11 @@ export function clearUnreadDockBadgeCount(): void {
 }
 
 export function useUnreadDockBadge(): typeof clearUnreadDockBadgeCount {
-  const { worktreesByRepo, tabsByWorktree, unreadTerminalTabs } = useAppStore(
-    useShallow((state) => ({
-      worktreesByRepo: state.worktreesByRepo,
-      tabsByWorktree: state.tabsByWorktree,
-      unreadTerminalTabs: state.unreadTerminalTabs
-    }))
-  )
-  // Why: this hook is always mounted; unrelated remote writes must not rescan every workspace.
-  const unreadCount = useMemo(
-    () => getUnreadBadgeCount({ worktreesByRepo, tabsByWorktree, unreadTerminalTabs }),
-    [tabsByWorktree, unreadTerminalTabs, worktreesByRepo]
-  )
+  // Why a selector and not the raw maps: this hook is mounted on the App root, so subscribing to
+  // `tabsByWorktree` re-rendered the entire shell on every title frame. The selector both skips the
+  // rescan and keeps the subscription quiet unless the badge integer itself changes.
+  const selectUnreadBadgeCount = useMemo(() => createUnreadBadgeCountSelector(), [])
+  const unreadCount = useAppStore(selectUnreadBadgeCount)
 
   // oxlint-disable-next-line react-doctor/no-derived-state-effect -- Why: this syncs an external OS dock badge, not React render state.
   useEffect(() => {
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/lib/bucket-record-equality.ts b/src/renderer/src/lib/bucket-record-equality.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..03548f05778
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/renderer/src/lib/bucket-record-equality.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+/**
+ * Identity-first equality over a `Record<string, readonly T[]>` under a projection of each item.
+ *
+ * Why not `createWorktreeTabBucketProjection`: that builds a projected record so callers can hold
+ * it; a subscriber that only needs "did my fields change?" pays for an allocation per store write.
+ * This answers the same question by comparing in place.
+ */
+export function sameBucketRecords<T>(
+  previous: Readonly<Record<string, readonly T[]>>,
+  next: Readonly<Record<string, readonly T[]>>,
+  isSameItem: (previous: T, next: T) => boolean
+): boolean {
+  if (previous === next) {
+    return true
+  }
+  const keys = Object.keys(next)
+  if (keys.length !== Object.keys(previous).length) {
+    return false
+  }
+  for (const key of keys) {
+    const nextItems = next[key]
+    const previousItems = previous[key]
+    if (previousItems === nextItems) {
+      continue
+    }
+    if (!previousItems || !nextItems || previousItems.length !== nextItems.length) {
+      return false
+    }
+    for (let index = 0; index < nextItems.length; index += 1) {
+      const previousItem = previousItems[index]
+      const nextItem = nextItems[index]
+      if (
+        previousItem === undefined ||
+        nextItem === undefined ||
+        !isSameItem(previousItem, nextItem)
+      ) {
+        return false
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  return true
+}
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/lib/terminal-layout-equality.ts b/src/renderer/src/lib/terminal-layout-equality.ts
index fd023897cab..88eca78e0d3 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/lib/terminal-layout-equality.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/lib/terminal-layout-equality.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@ import type {
   TerminalPaneLayoutNode
 } from '../../../shared/terminal-tab-types'
 
-function sameStringRecord(
+/** Exported so pty-topology gates can reuse the leaf-map comparison this equality already defines. */
+export function sameStringRecord(
   a: Readonly<Record<string, string>> | undefined,
   b: Readonly<Record<string, string>> | undefined
 ): boolean {
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/lib/unread-badge-count-selector.ts b/src/renderer/src/lib/unread-badge-count-selector.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a7e0bb81999
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/renderer/src/lib/unread-badge-count-selector.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+import { sameBucketRecords } from './bucket-record-equality'
+import {
+  type UnreadBadgeCountSources,
+  type UnreadBadgeTab,
+  type UnreadBadgeWorktree,
+  getUnreadBadgeCount
+} from './unread-badge-count'
+
+const EMPTY_BUCKETS = Object.freeze({})
+
+function sameBadgeWorktree(previous: UnreadBadgeWorktree, next: UnreadBadgeWorktree): boolean {
+  return previous.id === next.id && previous.isUnread === next.isUnread
+}
+
+function sameBadgeTab(previous: UnreadBadgeTab, next: UnreadBadgeTab): boolean {
+  return previous.id === next.id
+}
+
+/**
+ * Why: the App root holds this subscription for a single integer. Returning the raw maps re-rendered
+ * the whole shell on every agent title frame; selecting the count instead means the subscription
+ * only notifies when the badge value can actually have moved.
+ *
+ * Why chaining against the immediately preceding state is enough: equality over the count's read set
+ * — worktree `id`/`isUnread`, tab `id`, and the unread map identity — is transitive, so a run of
+ * unchanged states is equivalent to comparing against the state that produced the cached count.
+ */
+export function createUnreadBadgeCountSelector(): (state: UnreadBadgeCountSources) => number {
+  let previousWorktreesByRepo: UnreadBadgeCountSources['worktreesByRepo'] = EMPTY_BUCKETS
+  let previousTabsByWorktree: UnreadBadgeCountSources['tabsByWorktree'] = EMPTY_BUCKETS
+  let previousUnreadTerminalTabs: UnreadBadgeCountSources['unreadTerminalTabs'] | undefined
+  let unreadCount = 0
+  let counted = false
+
+  return (state) => {
+    const unchanged =
+      counted &&
+      previousUnreadTerminalTabs === state.unreadTerminalTabs &&
+      sameBucketRecords(previousWorktreesByRepo, state.worktreesByRepo, sameBadgeWorktree) &&
+      sameBucketRecords(previousTabsByWorktree, state.tabsByWorktree, sameBadgeTab)
+    if (!unchanged) {
+      unreadCount = getUnreadBadgeCount(state)
+      previousUnreadTerminalTabs = state.unreadTerminalTabs
+      counted = true
+    }
+    previousWorktreesByRepo = state.worktreesByRepo
+    previousTabsByWorktree = state.tabsByWorktree
+    return unreadCount
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/lib/unread-badge-count.ts b/src/renderer/src/lib/unread-badge-count.ts
index 8ffd7e02e2e..4995615971d 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/lib/unread-badge-count.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/lib/unread-badge-count.ts
@@ -1,15 +1,21 @@
 import type { TerminalTab } from '../../../shared/terminal-tab-types'
 import type { Worktree } from '../../../shared/worktree/types'
 
+/** The only fields the count reads, so a projection over them is a sound cache key. */
+export type UnreadBadgeWorktree = Pick<Worktree, 'id' | 'isUnread'>
+export type UnreadBadgeTab = Pick<TerminalTab, 'id'>
+
+export type UnreadBadgeCountSources = {
+  worktreesByRepo: Readonly<Record<string, readonly UnreadBadgeWorktree[]>>
+  tabsByWorktree: Readonly<Record<string, readonly UnreadBadgeTab[]>>
+  unreadTerminalTabs: Readonly<Record<string, true>>
+}
+
 export function getUnreadBadgeCount({
   worktreesByRepo,
   tabsByWorktree,
   unreadTerminalTabs
-}: {
-  worktreesByRepo: Record<string, Worktree[]>
-  tabsByWorktree: Record<string, TerminalTab[]>
-  unreadTerminalTabs: Record<string, true>
-}): number {
+}: UnreadBadgeCountSources): number {
   const unreadWorktreeIds = new Set<string>()
 
   for (const worktrees of Object.values(worktreesByRepo)) {