diff --git a/src/renderer/src/store/slices/store-cascades.test.ts b/src/renderer/src/store/slices/store-cascades.test.ts
index bd710db7de5..71e20fc34d8 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/store/slices/store-cascades.test.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/store/slices/store-cascades.test.ts
@@ -472,4 +472,33 @@ describe('setActiveWorktree', () => {
     expect(s.activeTabTypeByWorktree[backgroundWt]).toBe('browser')
     expect(s.activeBrowserTabIdByWorktree[backgroundWt]).toBe(browserTab.id)
   })
+
+  it('restores terminal surface when switching to a worktree that was last on a terminal tab with open files', () => {
+    const store = createTestStore()
+    const wt = 'repo1::/path/wt1'
+    const fileId = '/path/wt1/src/index.ts'
+
+    seedStore(store, {
+      worktreesByRepo: {
+        repo1: [makeWorktree({ id: wt, repoId: 'repo1', path: '/path/wt1' })]
+      },
+      activeWorktreeId: null,
+      tabsByWorktree: {
+        [wt]: [makeTab({ id: 'terminal-1', worktreeId: wt })]
+      },
+      openFiles: [makeOpenFile({ id: fileId, worktreeId: wt, filePath: fileId })],
+      activeFileIdByWorktree: { [wt]: fileId },
+      // User was on the terminal, not the editor
+      activeTabTypeByWorktree: { [wt]: 'terminal' },
+      refreshGitHubForWorktree: vi.fn()
+    })
+
+    store.getState().setActiveWorktree(wt)
+
+    const s = store.getState()
+    expect(s.activeWorktreeId).toBe(wt)
+    expect(s.activeTabType).toBe('terminal')
+    // File ID should still be tracked for background state
+    expect(s.activeFileId).toBe(fileId)
+  })
 })
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/store/slices/worktrees.ts b/src/renderer/src/store/slices/worktrees.ts
index 1e61bf9ac80..2407252f40a 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/store/slices/worktrees.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/store/slices/worktrees.ts
@@ -309,11 +309,21 @@ export const createWorktreeSlice: StateCreator<AppState, [], [], WorktreeSlice>
         ? browserTabs.some((tab) => tab.id === restoredBrowserTabId)
         : false
 
-      // If restored file is gone, fall back to another open file for this worktree
+      // Why: restore the visible tab surface the user last had active in this
+      // worktree.  The 'terminal' case must be handled explicitly — without it,
+      // the fallback branches below see that a file is still open and promote
+      // the surface to 'editor', so the user always lands on a file tab instead
+      // of the terminal they were working in.
       let activeFileId: string | null
       let activeBrowserTabId: string | null
       let activeTabType: WorkspaceVisibleTabType
-      if (restoredTabType === 'browser' && browserTabStillOpen) {
+      if (restoredTabType === 'terminal') {
+        activeFileId = fileStillOpen ? restoredFileId : null
+        activeBrowserTabId = browserTabStillOpen
+          ? restoredBrowserTabId
+          : (browserTabs[0]?.id ?? null)
+        activeTabType = 'terminal'
+      } else if (restoredTabType === 'browser' && browserTabStillOpen) {
         activeFileId = fileStillOpen ? restoredFileId : null
         activeBrowserTabId = restoredBrowserTabId
         activeTabType = 'browser'