diff --git a/mobile/src/terminal/document/cell-geometry.ts b/mobile/src/terminal/document/cell-geometry.ts
index 92d0bf960b2..f4591c8d5c1 100644
--- a/mobile/src/terminal/document/cell-geometry.ts
+++ b/mobile/src/terminal/document/cell-geometry.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-import { getCellHeight, getCellWidth, getTotalScale } from './document-externals'
+import { getCellHeight } from './fit-scale'
+import { getCellWidth, getTotalScale } from './document-externals'
 import { scope } from './document-scope'
 
 export function cellToViewportPx(col: number, absRow: number) {
diff --git a/mobile/src/terminal/document/document-externals.ts b/mobile/src/terminal/document/document-externals.ts
index e9d66918a63..728b258e975 100644
--- a/mobile/src/terminal/document/document-externals.ts
+++ b/mobile/src/terminal/document/document-externals.ts
@@ -12,9 +12,6 @@
 /** `smooth-scroll-and-cell-geometry`: one character cell's width in surface pixels. */
 export declare function getCellWidth(): number
 
-/** `smooth-scroll-and-cell-geometry`: one character cell's height in surface pixels. */
-export declare function getCellHeight(): number
-
 /** `terminal-fit-scale`: the fit scale times the user's pinch scale. */
 export declare function getTotalScale(): number
 
@@ -24,9 +21,6 @@ export declare function notify(message: Record<string, unknown>): void
 /** `terminal-init-and-write`: whether xterm is showing the alternate screen buffer. */
 export declare function isAlternateBufferActive(): boolean
 
-/** `terminal-fit-scale`: recomputes the fit scale and applies it, naming why. */
-export declare function applyFitScale(reason: string): void
-
 /** `smooth-scroll-and-cell-geometry`: shows or hides the scroll indicator. */
 export declare function updateScrollIndicator(visible: boolean): void
 
@@ -84,11 +78,8 @@ export declare function handleMsg(msg: unknown): void
 /** `terminal-init-and-write`: reports an engine failure to the host. */
 export declare function reportEngineError(summary: string, cause: unknown, fatal: unknown): void
 
-/** `terminal-init-and-write`: re-fits the row count to the current viewport. */
-export declare function adjustRowsForViewport(): void
-
-/** `smooth-scroll-and-cell-geometry`: clamps the pan offsets to the scaled surface. */
-export declare function clampPan(): void
-
 /** `smooth-scroll-and-cell-geometry`: writes the pan and scale onto the surface transform. */
 export declare function updateTransform(): void
+
+/** `runtime-state-and-text-scaling`: the scale that fits the grid to the viewport. */
+export declare function computeFitScale(): number
diff --git a/mobile/src/terminal/document/document-scope.ts b/mobile/src/terminal/document/document-scope.ts
index cc6b47e64d3..9c20f83c026 100644
--- a/mobile/src/terminal/document/document-scope.ts
+++ b/mobile/src/terminal/document/document-scope.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ export type TerminalOscLinkService = { getLinkData?: (id: number) => { uri?: str
 
 /** The xterm internals the OSC 8 lookup walks. */
 export type TerminalDocumentCore = {
+  _renderService?: { dimensions?: { css: { cell: { height?: number } } } }
   _oscLinkService?: TerminalOscLinkService
   _inputHandler?: { _oscLinkService?: TerminalOscLinkService }
 }
@@ -84,6 +85,7 @@ export type TerminalDocumentTerminal = {
   readonly buffer: { readonly active: TerminalDocumentBuffer }
   readonly options: TerminalDocumentTerminalOptions
   write: (data: string, callback?: () => void) => void
+  readonly element?: HTMLElement
   readonly _core?: TerminalDocumentCore
   readonly modes?: { bracketedPasteMode?: boolean }
   onLineFeed?: (listener: () => void) => TerminalDocumentDisposable
@@ -143,6 +145,10 @@ export type TerminalDocumentScope = {
   sgrMouseMode: boolean
   /** `runtime-state`: whether the TUI asked for SGR pixel (1016) mouse reports. */
   sgrMousePixelsMode: boolean
+  /** `terminal-fit-scale`: the fit scale the document committed. */
+  currentScale: number
+  /** `runtime-state`: the pinch zoom the user applied on top of the fit scale. */
+  userScale: number
   /** `runtime-state`: Claude's record dot, which iOS WebKit would otherwise promote to emoji. */
   CLAUDE_STATUS_DOT: string
   /** `runtime-state`: the variation selector that forces the text glyph. */
@@ -298,6 +304,8 @@ export function createTerminalDocumentScope(): TerminalDocumentScope {
     trackedMouseTrackingMode: 'none',
     sgrMouseMode: false,
     sgrMousePixelsMode: false,
+    currentScale: 1,
+    userScale: 1,
     CLAUDE_STATUS_DOT: statusDot,
     TEXT_PRESENTATION_SELECTOR: textPresentationSelector,
     EMOJI_PRESENTATION_SELECTOR: emojiPresentationSelector,
diff --git a/mobile/src/terminal/document/fit-scale.test.ts b/mobile/src/terminal/document/fit-scale.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a9701972669
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mobile/src/terminal/document/fit-scale.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+import { fileURLToPath } from 'node:url'
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+import { emitTerminalDocumentModule } from '../../../scripts/build-terminal-document-script.mjs'
+import { TERMINAL_HTML_FIT_SCALE } from '../terminal-webview-html/terminal-fit-scale'
+import { compareTerminalDocumentScripts } from './terminal-document-equivalence.test-support'
+
+/** The slice opens with the already-extracted theme group, so its text is two emissions joined. */
+const modulePaths = ['./terminal-theme.ts', './fit-scale.ts'].map((relative) =>
+  fileURLToPath(new URL(relative, import.meta.url))
+)
+
+describe('the terminal fit-scale slice', () => {
+  it('emits the script the document carries, modulo the six normalisations', async () => {
+    const emitted = (await Promise.all(modulePaths.map(emitTerminalDocumentModule))).join('\n')
+    expect(compareTerminalDocumentScripts(TERMINAL_HTML_FIT_SCALE, emitted, 'scope')).toEqual({
+      equivalent: true,
+      normalisations: {
+        qualifiedReferences: 47,
+        scopeFieldDeclarations: 0,
+        rebindings: 47,
+        bracedBodies: 20,
+        unboundCatches: 0,
+        numberProperties: 9,
+        shorthandProperties: 0
+      }
+    })
+  })
+})
diff --git a/mobile/src/terminal/document/fit-scale.ts b/mobile/src/terminal/document/fit-scale.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3e5ea407bea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mobile/src/terminal/document/fit-scale.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,146 @@
+import {
+  computeFitScale,
+  flog,
+  getCellWidth,
+  getTotalScale,
+  repositionOverlay,
+  updateTransform
+} from './document-externals'
+import { scope } from './document-scope'
+
+export function getCellHeight() {
+  if (!scope.term || !scope.term._core) {
+    return 15
+  }
+  const core = scope.term._core
+  if (core._renderService && core._renderService.dimensions) {
+    return core._renderService.dimensions.css.cell.height || 15
+  }
+  return 15
+}
+
+// Why: clamp pan so the terminal content always covers the viewport
+// when zoomed in. When content is smaller than viewport in a
+// dimension, pin to top-left (no floating in the middle).
+export function clampPan() {
+  if (!scope.term || !scope.term.element) {
+    return
+  }
+  const ts = getTotalScale()
+  const cw = scope.term.element.scrollWidth * ts
+  const ch = scope.term.element.scrollHeight * ts
+  const vpW = window.innerWidth
+  const vpH = window.innerHeight
+  if (cw > vpW) {
+    scope.panX = Math.min(0, Math.max(vpW - cw, scope.panX))
+  } else {
+    scope.panX = 0
+  }
+  if (ch > vpH) {
+    scope.panY = Math.min(0, Math.max(vpH - ch, scope.panY))
+  } else {
+    scope.panY = 0
+  }
+}
+
+// Why: intentional no-op. Mobile replays a live PTY snapshot then applies
+// live cursor-relative chunks from that same PTY; resizing only the WebView
+// xterm changes cursor coordinates and makes TUI repaint chunks duplicate or
+// overlap. Kept as a no-op so its call sites stay legible.
+export function adjustRowsForViewport() {}
+
+// Why: cold-start fit. After init() opens xterm, the renderer needs
+// several frames before cell dimensions are computed. Reading too early
+// gives cellWidth=0 (renderer service not ready) or scrollWidth=0 (DOM
+// not laid out), and computeFitScale returns 1 → no zoom.
+//
+// Gate: cellWidth × cols is the canonical "logical width" of the grid
+// and reflects xterm's layout decision, independent of buffer content.
+// We commit when cellWidth becomes positive (renderer ready). Fallback:
+// if cellWidth never becomes available, gate on stable positive
+// scrollWidth (xterm rendered something). Cap at 60 frames (~1s @60Hz)
+// so a backgrounded WebView never spins forever.
+const FIT_RETRY_MAX_FRAMES = 60
+let fitRetryToken = 0
+export function applyFitScale(reason: string) {
+  if (!scope.term || !scope.term.element) {
+    return
+  }
+  const token = ++fitRetryToken
+  let attempts = 0
+  let lastScrollWidth = -1
+  function attempt() {
+    if (token !== fitRetryToken) {
+      return
+    }
+    if (!scope.term || !scope.term.element) {
+      return
+    }
+    attempts++
+    const cellW = getCellWidth()
+    if (cellW > 0 && scope.term.cols > 0) {
+      commitFitScale(reason, attempts, 'cellW')
+      return
+    }
+    const w = scope.term.element.scrollWidth
+    if (w > 0 && w === lastScrollWidth) {
+      commitFitScale(reason, attempts, 'stableSW')
+      return
+    }
+    lastScrollWidth = w
+    if (attempts >= FIT_RETRY_MAX_FRAMES) {
+      flog('commit-timeout', {
+        reason: reason,
+        attempts: attempts,
+        cellW: cellW,
+        scrollWidth: w,
+        cols: scope.term.cols
+      })
+      commitFitScale(reason, attempts, 'timeout')
+      return
+    }
+    requestAnimationFrame(attempt)
+  }
+  requestAnimationFrame(attempt)
+}
+
+export function commitFitScale(reason: string, attempts: number, gate: string) {
+  if (!scope.term || !scope.term.element) {
+    return
+  }
+  const preSnapScale = computeFitScale()
+  scope.currentScale = preSnapScale
+  // Why: when scale is very close to 1 (e.g. 0.97 from xterm scrollbar
+  // sub-pixels) snap to 1 to avoid imperceptible shrinkage that prevents
+  // a second applyFitScale from observing a "no-op needed" state.
+  if (scope.currentScale >= 0.95) {
+    scope.currentScale = 1
+  }
+  scope.userScale = 1
+  scope.panX = 0
+  scope.panY = 0
+  scope.smoothScrollOffsetY = 0
+  updateTransform()
+  adjustRowsForViewport()
+
+  const cellW = getCellWidth()
+  const sw = scope.term.element.scrollWidth
+  const vpW = window.innerWidth
+  const expectedW = cellW * scope.term.cols
+  const suspect = scope.currentScale === 1 && scope.term.cols > 0 && expectedW > vpW + 1 // expected wider than viewport but no zoom
+  if (suspect) {
+    flog('commit-SUSPECT', {
+      reason: reason,
+      attempts: attempts,
+      gate: gate,
+      preSnapScale: preSnapScale,
+      finalScale: scope.currentScale,
+      cellW: cellW,
+      cols: scope.term.cols,
+      expectedW: expectedW,
+      scrollWidth: sw,
+      vpWidth: vpW
+    })
+  }
+  repositionOverlay()
+}
diff --git a/mobile/src/terminal/document/message-bridge.ts b/mobile/src/terminal/document/message-bridge.ts
index df94439e32f..784ac56186e 100644
--- a/mobile/src/terminal/document/message-bridge.ts
+++ b/mobile/src/terminal/document/message-bridge.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
+import { adjustRowsForViewport, applyFitScale, clampPan } from './fit-scale'
 import {
-  adjustRowsForViewport,
-  applyFitScale,
-  clampPan,
   handleMsg,
   notify,
   reportEngineError,
diff --git a/mobile/src/terminal/document/mouse-report-cell.ts b/mobile/src/terminal/document/mouse-report-cell.ts
index 6e8218888a9..1c820bbcdda 100644
--- a/mobile/src/terminal/document/mouse-report-cell.ts
+++ b/mobile/src/terminal/document/mouse-report-cell.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-import { getCellHeight, getCellWidth, getTotalScale } from './document-externals'
+import { getCellHeight } from './fit-scale'
+import { getCellWidth, getTotalScale } from './document-externals'
 import { scope } from './document-scope'
 
 /** Where a viewport point lands in the terminal's cell grid, for an xterm mouse report. */
diff --git a/mobile/src/terminal/document/normal-buffer-smooth-scroll.ts b/mobile/src/terminal/document/normal-buffer-smooth-scroll.ts
index b692d22fc70..fb52e9d18e1 100644
--- a/mobile/src/terminal/document/normal-buffer-smooth-scroll.ts
+++ b/mobile/src/terminal/document/normal-buffer-smooth-scroll.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-import { getCellHeight, getTotalScale, updateScrollIndicator } from './document-externals'
+import { getCellHeight } from './fit-scale'
+import { getTotalScale, updateScrollIndicator } from './document-externals'
 import { scope } from './document-scope'
 
 export function clampNormalScrollLines(lines: number) {
diff --git a/mobile/src/terminal/document/reflow.ts b/mobile/src/terminal/document/reflow.ts
index 12cc07746ac..2bddff32966 100644
--- a/mobile/src/terminal/document/reflow.ts
+++ b/mobile/src/terminal/document/reflow.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-import { applyFitScale, isAlternateBufferActive, updateScrollIndicator } from './document-externals'
+import { applyFitScale } from './fit-scale'
+import { isAlternateBufferActive, updateScrollIndicator } from './document-externals'
 import { emitKeyboardAvoidanceMetrics } from './keyboard-avoidance-metrics'
 import { scope } from './document-scope'
 
diff --git a/mobile/src/terminal/document/wheel-scroll.ts b/mobile/src/terminal/document/wheel-scroll.ts
index 8f58dced3f2..161ed7e3230 100644
--- a/mobile/src/terminal/document/wheel-scroll.ts
+++ b/mobile/src/terminal/document/wheel-scroll.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
+import { getCellHeight } from './fit-scale'
 import {
-  getCellHeight,
   getTotalScale,
   routeScrollLines,
   shouldRouteScrollToTerminalInput