diff --git a/src/main/ipc/pty.ts b/src/main/ipc/pty.ts
index ffd4144366b..2962c39cef0 100644
--- a/src/main/ipc/pty.ts
+++ b/src/main/ipc/pty.ts
@@ -3910,7 +3910,9 @@ export function registerPtyHandlers(
       return release
     },
     finalizeExit: (event) => {
-      runtime?.onPtyExit(event.id, event.code, event.ptyIncarnation)
+      runtime?.onPtyExit(event.id, event.code, event.ptyIncarnation, {
+        hostExitConfirmed: true
+      })
       finalizePtyExitForRenderer(event)
     },
     pauseProvider: (generation, id) => {
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.ts b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.ts
index ca45b26d284..8dfb39ca0e3 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.ts
@@ -14712,13 +14712,21 @@ export class OrcaRuntimeService {
     }
   }
 
-  onPtyExit(ptyId: string, exitCode: number, exitIncarnationId?: PtyIncarnationId): void {
+  onPtyExit(
+    ptyId: string,
+    exitCode: number,
+    exitIncarnationId?: PtyIncarnationId,
+    options?: { hostExitConfirmed?: boolean }
+  ): void {
     const pty = this.ptysById.get(ptyId)
     if (exitIncarnationId && pty?.incarnationId && exitIncarnationId !== pty.incarnationId) {
       return
     }
     const preservesAbnormalSshSurface =
-      this.isSshOwnedPtyId(ptyId) && pty?.connectionId != null && exitCode < 0
+      this.isSshOwnedPtyId(ptyId) &&
+      pty?.connectionId != null &&
+      exitCode < 0 &&
+      options?.hostExitConfirmed !== true
     if (preservesAbnormalSshSurface) {
       if (this.getPtyLivenessVerdict(ptyId)?.status !== 'unverifiable') {
         this.markPtyLivenessUnverifiable(ptyId, SSH_EXIT_UNCONFIRMED_REASON)
@@ -14855,7 +14863,7 @@ export class OrcaRuntimeService {
       this.setPairedRendererSessionOwnership(pty.ptyId, false)
       pty.disconnectedAt = Date.now()
       pty.lastExitCode = exitCode
-      if (exitCode >= 0) {
+      if (exitCode >= 0 || options?.hostExitConfirmed === true) {
         // A real wait status from the owning host is the death certificate; the
         // synthetic -1 we emit on a failed/unroutable stop is not.
         this.forgetPtyLivenessVerdict(ptyId)
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/pty-inventory-liveness-verdict.test.ts b/src/main/runtime/pty-inventory-liveness-verdict.test.ts
index 394d7b7ed8f..38e3dda20eb 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/pty-inventory-liveness-verdict.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/pty-inventory-liveness-verdict.test.ts
@@ -83,6 +83,15 @@ describe('inventory sweep liveness verdicts', () => {
     })
   })
 
+  it('accepts a current owning-host exit even when its numeric code is negative', () => {
+    const runtime = makeRuntimeMissingFromInventory(() => null)
+    runtime.markPtyLivenessUnverifiable(REMOTE_PTY_ID, 'inventory transport failed')
+
+    runtime.onPtyExit(REMOTE_PTY_ID, -1, undefined, { hostExitConfirmed: true })
+
+    expect(runtime.getPtyLivenessVerdict(REMOTE_PTY_ID)).toBeNull()
+  })
+
   it('records lost contact when no provider can answer for the PTY', async () => {
     const runtime = makeRuntimeMissingFromInventory(() => null)