diff --git a/docs/audits/stale-pty-inventory/README.md b/docs/audits/stale-pty-inventory/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a8641795c07
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/audits/stale-pty-inventory/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+# Stale provider inventory overwrites newer PTY ownership
+
+A provider inventory started before a process exit can finish afterward and reconnect the exited runtime record. If a replacement was admitted under the same ID, the old response can also overwrite its incarnation, invalidate its terminal handle, and clear its pane binding.
+
+This is a separate source-level explanation for stale terminal ownership such as [#19018](https://github.com/stablyai/orca/issues/19018). The proof does not establish the cause of [#19768](https://github.com/stablyai/orca/issues/19768) or [#19831](https://github.com/stablyai/orca/issues/19831), or measure their reported memory growth.
+
+## Reproduce
+
+From a checkout with dependencies installed:
+
+```sh
+ORCA_BACKGROUND_LAUNCH=1 node docs/audits/stale-pty-inventory/reproduce.mjs
+```
+
+The script runs the actual runtime inventory, registration, spawn, and exit methods with deferred provider responses. It uses temporary Vitest configuration to reverse only `fix.patch` for the baseline, leaves checkout files untouched, and removes its temporary files. It launches no app, enumerates no real processes, and installs nothing. Node subprocesses use the repository's portable `runProcess` implementation.
+
+`results.json` records source hashes and the before/after result: **16 failing / 6 passing tests before; all 22 passing after**.
+
+## Retaining and ownership path
+
+1. `refreshPtyWorktreeRecordsWithControllerInventory` starts a provider request and captures its generation and liveness observation sequence.
+2. While the response is pending, `onPtyExit` records a physical exit. A subsequent `registerPty` or `onPtySpawned` may admit a successor, including one absent from the runtime when the request began.
+3. The original inventory returns its older row. Previously, the verdict setter's observation check did not protect the rest of the row processing: handle adoption ran, and `recordPtyWorktree` wrote `connected: true` and the old incarnation.
+
+For an exit without replacement, the record could therefore be connected while its verdict still said `exited`. A later empty listing skips the disconnected-record sweep while a graph leaf remains. In the successor case, `adoptControllerTerminalHandle` can invalidate the new handle before the old incarnation is written. Fresh positive inventory can restore the successor handle and incarnation; it cannot reconstruct cleared pane coordinates without binding evidence.
+
+The proof exercises these mutations directly. It does not recreate a native process or a headless terminal model. Consequently, it demonstrates incorrect ownership and potential retained records, rather than a quantified heap or native-process leak.
+
+## Fix and controls
+
+Accepted spawn, registration, and exit events now invalidate pending inventory for their provider through the existing provider generation registry. The existing stale-response check runs before handle adoption, record mutation, or construction of an authoritative live-ID result.
+
+The response is rejected as a whole, so filtered rows cannot become false evidence of absence. A targeted worktree read retries at most once using its original deadline; another invalidation yields an unknown result. A targeted different-host query remains valid. Aggregate requests conservatively reject when a provider changes during the request. This can reject a response that happened to include the newly admitted process; a subsequent fresh request remains authoritative.
+
+The tests cover stale positive rows, stale absence, unknown-at-request-start spawns, registrations with no incarnation, ignored predecessor EXIT, exported handle preservation, fresh discovery and replacement, local/SSH routing (including SSH aliases with spaces, `@`, and `:`), concurrent provider generations, and bounded retries. Existing partial-relay and liveness tests verify that failed contact is not promoted to process death. The change adds no permanent per-PTY registry and changes no wire fields or liveness vocabulary.
+
+## Version and scope
+
+The relevant await, guarded verdict update, unconditional handle/record updates, and spawn/registration verdict deletion exist in **v1.4.198**. That version forgot the prior verdict on a positive inventory row; current code records `live`. Both versions leave subsequent mutation outside that observation fence. The executable baseline is current source with the narrow fix reversed, not a historical application binary.
+
+The graph-publication fence is a separate fix. Later loss-of-contact writes and independent paths that query provider inventory directly remain outside this patch. Incident frequency and the reporting machines' actual ordering are unproven.
diff --git a/docs/audits/stale-pty-inventory/fix.patch b/docs/audits/stale-pty-inventory/fix.patch
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9f49b7bf536
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/audits/stale-pty-inventory/fix.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+diff --git a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-invalidate-all-handles-for-pty.ts b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-invalidate-all-handles-for-pty.ts
+index 448fb2a00fb..9d6e5d56ca4 100644
+--- a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-invalidate-all-handles-for-pty.ts
++++ b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-invalidate-all-handles-for-pty.ts
+@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
+ // @ts-nocheck -- mechanically split from OrcaRuntimeService; behavior is covered by AST equivalence and characterization tests.
+ import { OrcaRuntimeWithResolveKnownWorkspaceFileTarget } from './orca-runtime-resolve-known-workspace-file-target'
+ import type { PtyIncarnationId } from '../../shared/pty-incarnation'
++import { getPtyExecutionHost } from '../../shared/terminal-execution-host'
++import {
++  LOCAL_EXECUTION_HOST_ID,
++  parseExecutionHostId,
++  toSshExecutionHostId
++} from '../../shared/execution-host'
+ 
+ export class OrcaRuntimeWithInvalidateAllHandlesForPty extends OrcaRuntimeWithResolveKnownWorkspaceFileTarget {
+   protected invalidateAllHandlesForPty(ptyId: string, preserveHandle?: string): Set<string> {
+@@ -110,11 +116,30 @@ export class OrcaRuntimeWithInvalidateAllHandlesForPty extends OrcaRuntimeWithRe
+     return false
+   }
+ 
++  protected invalidatePtyControllerInventoryForLifecycle(
++    ptyId: string,
++    connectionId?: string | null
++  ): void {
++    const generation = ++this.ptyControllerInventorySequence
++    const hostId = getPtyExecutionHost(ptyId)
++    if (hostId === 'foreign' || (hostId && parseExecutionHostId(hostId)?.kind === 'runtime')) {
++      this.ptyControllerAggregateInventoryGeneration = generation
++      return
++    }
++    const connection =
++      connectionId === undefined ? this.ptysById.get(ptyId)?.connectionId : connectionId
++    const providerKey =
++      hostId ?? (connection ? toSshExecutionHostId(connection) : LOCAL_EXECUTION_HOST_ID)
++    // A pending census predates this admission or exit, including legacy IDs without an incarnation.
++    this.ptyControllerInventoryGenerationByProvider.set(providerKey, generation)
++  }
++
+   onPtySpawned(
+     ptyId: string,
+     incarnationId?: PtyIncarnationId,
+     options: { awaitsRegistration?: boolean } = {}
+   ): void {
++    this.invalidatePtyControllerInventoryForLifecycle(ptyId)
+     const existingPty = this.ptysById.get(ptyId)
+     if (
+       existingPty &&
+diff --git a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-on-pty-exit.ts b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-on-pty-exit.ts
+index 6ddf877f87c..ce24ed65d98 100644
+--- a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-on-pty-exit.ts
++++ b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-on-pty-exit.ts
+@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ export class OrcaRuntimeWithOnPtyExit extends OrcaRuntimeWithOnClientDisconnecte
+     if (exitIncarnationId && pty?.incarnationId && exitIncarnationId !== pty.incarnationId) {
+       return
+     }
++    this.invalidatePtyControllerInventoryForLifecycle(ptyId, pty?.connectionId)
+     // A bare exit code is not enough to establish why a process ended: older
+     // daemons and SSH relays can report 0 for crashes and wrapper exits.
+     const observedCause = options.cause ?? resolveUnreportedExitCause(exitCode)
+diff --git a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-refresh-pty-worktree-records-with-controller-inventory.ts b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-refresh-pty-worktree-records-with-controller-inventory.ts
+index aca67f67ba2..930907da120 100644
+--- a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-refresh-pty-worktree-records-with-controller-inventory.ts
++++ b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-refresh-pty-worktree-records-with-controller-inventory.ts
+@@ -55,7 +55,10 @@ export class OrcaRuntimeWithRefreshPtyWorktreeRecordsWithControllerInventory ext
+     }
+     const inventoryGeneration = this.ptyControllerInventorySequence + 1
+     this.ptyControllerInventorySequence = inventoryGeneration
+-    const providerKey = typeof connectionId === 'string' ? `ssh:${connectionId}` : 'local'
++    const providerKey =
++      typeof connectionId === 'string'
++        ? toSshExecutionHostId(connectionId)
++        : LOCAL_EXECUTION_HOST_ID
+     const livenessObservationAtStart = this.ptyLivenessObservationSequence
+     if (connectionId === undefined) {
+       this.ptyControllerAggregateInventoryGeneration = inventoryGeneration
+diff --git a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-register-pty.ts b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-register-pty.ts
+index dae2519ca9f..2d36a18a1e0 100644
+--- a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-register-pty.ts
++++ b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-register-pty.ts
+@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ export class OrcaRuntimeWithRegisterPty extends OrcaRuntimeWithInvalidateAllHand
+     isWsl?: boolean
+   ): void {
+     this.assertPtyDidNotExitBeforeRegistration(ptyId, binding?.incarnationId)
++    this.invalidatePtyControllerInventoryForLifecycle(ptyId, connectionId)
+     const existingPty = this.ptysById.get(ptyId)
+     const replacementHandle = binding?.terminalHandle?.trim()
+     const pendingReplacement = this.pendingPtyHandleReplacementFences.get(ptyId)
diff --git a/docs/audits/stale-pty-inventory/reproduce.mjs b/docs/audits/stale-pty-inventory/reproduce.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9807b764ee3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/audits/stale-pty-inventory/reproduce.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,152 @@
+import { createHash } from 'node:crypto'
+import { mkdtemp, readFile, rm, writeFile } from 'node:fs/promises'
+import { createRequire } from 'node:module'
+import { tmpdir } from 'node:os'
+import { join, resolve } from 'node:path'
+import { fileURLToPath, pathToFileURL } from 'node:url'
+import { applyPatch, parsePatch, reversePatch } from 'diff'
+import { build } from 'esbuild'
+
+if (process.env.ORCA_BACKGROUND_LAUNCH !== '1') {
+  throw new Error('Run with ORCA_BACKGROUND_LAUNCH=1.')
+}
+
+const root = fileURLToPath(new URL('../../../', import.meta.url))
+const patch = await readFile(new URL('./fix.patch', import.meta.url), 'utf8')
+const beforeSources = {}
+const sourceHashes = {}
+for (const parsed of parsePatch(patch)) {
+  const path = parsed.newFileName.replace(/^b\//, '')
+  const absolute = resolve(root, path)
+  const current = await readFile(absolute, 'utf8')
+  const before = applyPatch(current, reversePatch(parsed))
+  if (before === false) {
+    throw new Error(`Source changed; review the proof patch: ${path}`)
+  }
+  beforeSources[absolute.replaceAll('\\', '/')] = before
+  sourceHashes[path] = {
+    before: createHash('sha256').update(before).digest('hex'),
+    after: createHash('sha256').update(current).digest('hex')
+  }
+}
+
+for (const path of [
+  'src/main/runtime/pty-inventory-lifecycle-admission.test.ts',
+  'src/main/runtime/pty-inventory-lifecycle-scope.test.ts',
+  'src/main/runtime/pty-inventory-lifecycle-fixture.ts'
+]) {
+  sourceHashes[path] = {
+    current: createHash('sha256')
+      .update(await readFile(resolve(root, path)))
+      .digest('hex')
+  }
+}
+
+const scratch = await mkdtemp(join(tmpdir(), 'orca-stale-pty-inventory-'))
+const require = createRequire(import.meta.url)
+let runnerModuleId
+try {
+  const runnerPath = join(scratch, 'run-process.cjs')
+  await build({
+    absWorkingDir: root,
+    entryPoints: [resolve(root, 'src/shared/child-process/run-process.ts')],
+    outfile: runnerPath,
+    bundle: true,
+    platform: 'node',
+    format: 'cjs',
+    logLevel: 'silent'
+  })
+  runnerModuleId = require.resolve(runnerPath)
+  const { runProcess } = require(runnerModuleId)
+  const baselineConfig = join(scratch, 'before.config.mjs')
+  const fixedConfig = join(scratch, 'after.config.mjs')
+  const includes = [
+    'src/main/runtime/pty-inventory-lifecycle-admission.test.ts',
+    'src/main/runtime/pty-inventory-lifecycle-scope.test.ts'
+  ]
+  const configImport = JSON.stringify(pathToFileURL(resolve(root, 'config/vitest.config.ts')).href)
+  await writeFile(
+    baselineConfig,
+    `import base from ${configImport};
+const beforeSources = ${JSON.stringify(beforeSources)};
+export default {...base, test: {...base.test, include: ${JSON.stringify(includes)}}, plugins: [{
+  name: 'stale-pty-inventory-before-fix', enforce: 'pre',
+  transform(_code, id) {
+    const before = beforeSources[id.replaceAll('\\\\', '/').split('?')[0]];
+    return before === undefined ? null : {code: before, map: null};
+  }
+}]};\n`
+  )
+
+  await writeFile(
+    fixedConfig,
+    `import base from ${configImport};\nexport default {...base, test: {...base.test, include: ${JSON.stringify(includes)}}};\n`
+  )
+
+  async function run(label, config) {
+    const report = join(scratch, `${label}.json`)
+    const result = await runProcess({
+      program: process.execPath,
+      args: [
+        resolve(root, 'node_modules/vitest/vitest.mjs'),
+        'run',
+        '--config',
+        config,
+        '--reporter=json',
+        `--outputFile=${report}`
+      ],
+      cwd: root,
+      env: process.env,
+      timeoutMs: 90_000,
+      maxOutputBytes: 4 * 1024 * 1024
+    })
+    let parsed
+    try {
+      parsed = JSON.parse(await readFile(report, 'utf8'))
+    } catch (error) {
+      throw new Error(`${label} runner failed: ${result.stderr || result.stdout}`, { cause: error })
+    }
+    return {
+      exitCode: result.code,
+      passed: parsed.numPassedTests,
+      failed: parsed.numFailedTests,
+      failedCases: parsed.testResults.flatMap((suite) =>
+        suite.assertionResults
+          .filter((test) => test.status === 'failed')
+          .map((test) => test.fullName)
+      )
+    }
+  }
+
+  const before = await run('before', baselineConfig)
+  const after = await run('after', fixedConfig)
+  const passed =
+    before.exitCode === 1 &&
+    before.failed === 16 &&
+    before.passed === 6 &&
+    after.exitCode === 0 &&
+    after.passed === 22 &&
+    after.failed === 0
+  console.log(
+    JSON.stringify(
+      {
+        comparison:
+          'Actual runtime inventory, spawn, registration, and exit methods with controlled provider responses; before reverses only fix.patch in a temporary Vite transform',
+        sourceHashes,
+        before,
+        after,
+        passed
+      },
+      null,
+      2
+    )
+  )
+  if (!passed) {
+    process.exitCode = 1
+  }
+} finally {
+  if (runnerModuleId) {
+    delete require.cache[runnerModuleId]
+  }
+  await rm(scratch, { recursive: true, force: true })
+}
diff --git a/docs/audits/stale-pty-inventory/results.json b/docs/audits/stale-pty-inventory/results.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..fa200ec20ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/audits/stale-pty-inventory/results.json
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+{
+  "comparison": "Actual runtime inventory, spawn, registration, and exit methods with controlled provider responses; before reverses only fix.patch in a temporary Vite transform",
+  "sourceHashes": {
+    "src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-invalidate-all-handles-for-pty.ts": {
+      "before": "5ee6ba0ae3407207ea7f894a83e3325851f8cd6b4b7b8b5adf0be0a6def7d244",
+      "after": "0eeaf4f89324aea51c49fd4149d632635dbf327d5d91b251e65488bb3852e3ce"
+    },
+    "src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-on-pty-exit.ts": {
+      "before": "a6512283ac5ee9c45db21a96d1eb228d2c859f1fd0df16300a377fbc126a2557",
+      "after": "1750058230590062eb0e6488faa39c4def121008d9a7fbb533b98e7d4e31f209"
+    },
+    "src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-refresh-pty-worktree-records-with-controller-inventory.ts": {
+      "before": "e64d819f6a3694168eca4ab99ce5d01d82f57ea8cb226b0aebe78201f74841ab",
+      "after": "d0c8228127079e4a87ef5b6cc8e73982ee15eef34f19b0c59a7e224bde2f7fcd"
+    },
+    "src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-register-pty.ts": {
+      "before": "1f10fb6b9ceefb192e1fde77056897d0b913e6ea21be7b30f60473c1876dc178",
+      "after": "8855f7ea968e9a759377d4bc3a34c184398b9274d5793e7a1a13a61025c7cbcb"
+    },
+    "src/main/runtime/pty-inventory-lifecycle-admission.test.ts": {
+      "current": "b00527c138453edf1cb6281b4f6a6fc8dede4de8bcfb39d3b82826125f89721d"
+    },
+    "src/main/runtime/pty-inventory-lifecycle-scope.test.ts": {
+      "current": "76a519ce504849cf341d7b8472c0d7d5f38b79e67a5302692b65d41b5b1364d9"
+    },
+    "src/main/runtime/pty-inventory-lifecycle-fixture.ts": {
+      "current": "27958421bac5c9e6ef4dea643774ff1950b77165620bfd565a89c498ddc85f3f"
+    }
+  },
+  "before": {
+    "exitCode": 1,
+    "passed": 6,
+    "failed": 16,
+    "failedCases": [
+      "inventory admission after a PTY lifecycle change rejects a captured predecessor row after exit before it can adopt handles",
+      "inventory admission after a PTY lifecycle change rejects a captured predecessor row after registered-successor before it can adopt handles",
+      "inventory admission after a PTY lifecycle change rejects a captured predecessor row after spawned-successor before it can adopt handles",
+      "inventory admission after a PTY lifecycle change rejects a captured predecessor row after unknown-start-spawn before it can adopt handles",
+      "inventory admission after a PTY lifecycle change does not apply stale absence to unknown-at-start spawn",
+      "inventory admission after a PTY lifecycle change does not apply stale absence to unknown-at-start register",
+      "inventory admission after a PTY lifecycle change fences a same-ID legacy registration with no incarnation",
+      "lifecycle invalidation respects inventory scope and retry bounds conservatively rejects pending inventory for foreign lifecycle ID remote:unscoped-handle",
+      "lifecycle invalidation respects inventory scope and retry bounds conservatively rejects pending inventory for foreign lifecycle ID remote:paired-host@@term_guest",
+      "lifecycle invalidation respects inventory scope and retry bounds uses explicit host ownership for a legacy unqualified PTY ID on host-a",
+      "lifecycle invalidation respects inventory scope and retry bounds uses explicit host ownership for a legacy unqualified PTY ID on deploy@10.0.0.4:2222",
+      "lifecycle invalidation respects inventory scope and retry bounds uses explicit host ownership for a legacy unqualified PTY ID on ssh target",
+      "lifecycle invalidation respects inventory scope and retry bounds rejects stale inventory for an encoding-sensitive qualified PTY ID on deploy@10.0.0.4:2222",
+      "lifecycle invalidation respects inventory scope and retry bounds rejects stale inventory for an encoding-sensitive qualified PTY ID on ssh target",
+      "lifecycle invalidation respects inventory scope and retry bounds allows only one target retry and keeps a second invalidation unknown",
+      "lifecycle invalidation respects inventory scope and retry bounds retries with the original remaining deadline and accepts fresh truth"
+    ]
+  },
+  "after": {
+    "exitCode": 0,
+    "passed": 22,
+    "failed": 0,
+    "failedCases": []
+  },
+  "passed": true
+}
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-invalidate-all-handles-for-pty.ts b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-invalidate-all-handles-for-pty.ts
index 448fb2a00fb..9d6e5d56ca4 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-invalidate-all-handles-for-pty.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-invalidate-all-handles-for-pty.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
 // @ts-nocheck -- mechanically split from OrcaRuntimeService; behavior is covered by AST equivalence and characterization tests.
 import { OrcaRuntimeWithResolveKnownWorkspaceFileTarget } from './orca-runtime-resolve-known-workspace-file-target'
 import type { PtyIncarnationId } from '../../shared/pty-incarnation'
+import { getPtyExecutionHost } from '../../shared/terminal-execution-host'
+import {
+  LOCAL_EXECUTION_HOST_ID,
+  parseExecutionHostId,
+  toSshExecutionHostId
+} from '../../shared/execution-host'
 
 export class OrcaRuntimeWithInvalidateAllHandlesForPty extends OrcaRuntimeWithResolveKnownWorkspaceFileTarget {
   protected invalidateAllHandlesForPty(ptyId: string, preserveHandle?: string): Set<string> {
@@ -110,11 +116,30 @@ export class OrcaRuntimeWithInvalidateAllHandlesForPty extends OrcaRuntimeWithRe
     return false
   }
 
+  protected invalidatePtyControllerInventoryForLifecycle(
+    ptyId: string,
+    connectionId?: string | null
+  ): void {
+    const generation = ++this.ptyControllerInventorySequence
+    const hostId = getPtyExecutionHost(ptyId)
+    if (hostId === 'foreign' || (hostId && parseExecutionHostId(hostId)?.kind === 'runtime')) {
+      this.ptyControllerAggregateInventoryGeneration = generation
+      return
+    }
+    const connection =
+      connectionId === undefined ? this.ptysById.get(ptyId)?.connectionId : connectionId
+    const providerKey =
+      hostId ?? (connection ? toSshExecutionHostId(connection) : LOCAL_EXECUTION_HOST_ID)
+    // A pending census predates this admission or exit, including legacy IDs without an incarnation.
+    this.ptyControllerInventoryGenerationByProvider.set(providerKey, generation)
+  }
+
   onPtySpawned(
     ptyId: string,
     incarnationId?: PtyIncarnationId,
     options: { awaitsRegistration?: boolean } = {}
   ): void {
+    this.invalidatePtyControllerInventoryForLifecycle(ptyId)
     const existingPty = this.ptysById.get(ptyId)
     if (
       existingPty &&
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-on-pty-exit.ts b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-on-pty-exit.ts
index 33e1dfc5078..659ee439294 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-on-pty-exit.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-on-pty-exit.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ export class OrcaRuntimeWithOnPtyExit extends OrcaRuntimeWithOnClientDisconnecte
     if (exitIncarnationId && pty?.incarnationId && exitIncarnationId !== pty.incarnationId) {
       return
     }
+    this.invalidatePtyControllerInventoryForLifecycle(ptyId, pty?.connectionId)
     // A bare exit code is not enough to establish why a process ended: older
     // daemons and SSH relays can report 0 for crashes and wrapper exits.
     const observedCause = options.cause ?? resolveUnreportedExitCause(exitCode)
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-refresh-pty-worktree-records-with-controller-inventory.ts b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-refresh-pty-worktree-records-with-controller-inventory.ts
index aca67f67ba2..930907da120 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-refresh-pty-worktree-records-with-controller-inventory.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-refresh-pty-worktree-records-with-controller-inventory.ts
@@ -55,7 +55,10 @@ export class OrcaRuntimeWithRefreshPtyWorktreeRecordsWithControllerInventory ext
     }
     const inventoryGeneration = this.ptyControllerInventorySequence + 1
     this.ptyControllerInventorySequence = inventoryGeneration
-    const providerKey = typeof connectionId === 'string' ? `ssh:${connectionId}` : 'local'
+    const providerKey =
+      typeof connectionId === 'string'
+        ? toSshExecutionHostId(connectionId)
+        : LOCAL_EXECUTION_HOST_ID
     const livenessObservationAtStart = this.ptyLivenessObservationSequence
     if (connectionId === undefined) {
       this.ptyControllerAggregateInventoryGeneration = inventoryGeneration
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-register-pty.ts b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-register-pty.ts
index b7afec6f2f6..37a5434e5c5 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-register-pty.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-register-pty.ts
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ export class OrcaRuntimeWithRegisterPty extends OrcaRuntimeWithInvalidateAllHand
     isWsl?: boolean
   ): void {
     this.assertPtyDidNotExitBeforeRegistration(ptyId, binding?.incarnationId)
+    this.invalidatePtyControllerInventoryForLifecycle(ptyId, connectionId)
     const existingPty = this.ptysById.get(ptyId)
     const replacementHandle = binding?.terminalHandle?.trim()
     const pendingReplacement = this.pendingPtyHandleReplacementFences.get(ptyId)
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/pty-inventory-lifecycle-admission.test.ts b/src/main/runtime/pty-inventory-lifecycle-admission.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..48cfc5fa8c7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/runtime/pty-inventory-lifecycle-admission.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import type { PtyProcessInfo } from '../providers/pty-process-info'
+import {
+  createInventoryRuntime,
+  deferred,
+  processRow,
+  PREDECESSOR,
+  PTY,
+  SUCCESSOR,
+  WORKTREE
+} from './pty-inventory-lifecycle-fixture'
+
+afterEach(() => vi.restoreAllMocks())
+
+describe('inventory admission after a PTY lifecycle change', () => {
+  it.each(['exit', 'registered-successor', 'spawned-successor', 'unknown-start-spawn'] as const)(
+    'rejects a captured predecessor row after %s before it can adopt handles',
+    async (mode) => {
+      const reply = deferred<PtyProcessInfo[]>()
+      const { runtime, hasPty } = createInventoryRuntime(() => reply.promise)
+      if (mode !== 'unknown-start-spawn') {
+        runtime.register()
+      }
+      const pending = runtime.read()
+      if (mode !== 'unknown-start-spawn') {
+        runtime.onPtyExit(PTY, 0, PREDECESSOR, { providerExitObserved: true })
+      }
+      if (mode === 'registered-successor') {
+        runtime.register(SUCCESSOR)
+      }
+      if (mode === 'spawned-successor' || mode === 'unknown-start-spawn') {
+        runtime.onPtySpawned(PTY, SUCCESSOR)
+      }
+      const current = runtime.capture()
+      reply.resolve([processRow()])
+      expect(await pending).toBeNull()
+      expect(runtime.capture()).toEqual(current)
+      expect(hasPty).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    }
+  )
+
+  it.each(['spawn', 'register'] as const)(
+    'does not apply stale absence to unknown-at-start %s',
+    async (kind) => {
+      const reply = deferred<PtyProcessInfo[]>()
+      const { runtime, hasPty } = createInventoryRuntime(() => reply.promise)
+      const pending = runtime.read()
+      if (kind === 'spawn') {
+        runtime.onPtySpawned(PTY, SUCCESSOR)
+      } else {
+        runtime.register(SUCCESSOR)
+      }
+      reply.resolve([])
+      expect(await pending).toBeNull()
+      expect(runtime.capture()).toMatchObject({ connected: true, incarnationId: SUCCESSOR })
+      expect(hasPty).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    }
+  )
+
+  it('fences a same-ID legacy registration with no incarnation', async () => {
+    const reply = deferred<PtyProcessInfo[]>()
+    const { runtime } = createInventoryRuntime(() => reply.promise)
+    runtime.registerPty(PTY, WORKTREE)
+    const pending = runtime.read()
+    runtime.onPtyExit(PTY, 0, undefined, { providerExitObserved: true })
+    runtime.registerPty(PTY, WORKTREE)
+    reply.resolve([{ id: PTY, cwd: '', title: 'stale legacy title', worktreeId: WORKTREE }])
+    expect(await pending).toBeNull()
+    expect(runtime.capture()).toMatchObject({
+      connected: true,
+      incarnationId: null,
+      controllerTitle: null
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('does not let an ignored predecessor exit invalidate a current inventory', async () => {
+    const reply = deferred<PtyProcessInfo[]>()
+    const { runtime } = createInventoryRuntime(() => reply.promise)
+    runtime.register(SUCCESSOR)
+    const pending = runtime.read(null)
+    runtime.onPtyExit(PTY, 0, PREDECESSOR, { providerExitObserved: true })
+    reply.resolve([processRow(PTY, SUCCESSOR)])
+    expect((await pending)?.allLivePtyIds).toEqual(new Set([PTY]))
+    expect(runtime.capture().incarnationId).toBe(SUCCESSOR)
+  })
+
+  it('accepts a genuinely new row and a replacement first observed by fresh inventory', async () => {
+    let sessions = [processRow()]
+    const { runtime } = createInventoryRuntime(async () => sessions)
+    expect((await runtime.read())?.allLivePtyIds).toEqual(new Set([PTY]))
+    expect(runtime.capture().incarnationId).toBe(PREDECESSOR)
+    sessions = [processRow(PTY, SUCCESSOR)]
+    expect((await runtime.read())?.allLivePtyIds).toEqual(new Set([PTY]))
+    expect(runtime.capture()).toMatchObject({
+      incarnationId: SUCCESSOR,
+      handle: `term_${SUCCESSOR}`,
+      connected: true
+    })
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/pty-inventory-lifecycle-fixture.ts b/src/main/runtime/pty-inventory-lifecycle-fixture.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a163de13aa8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/runtime/pty-inventory-lifecycle-fixture.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+import { vi } from 'vitest'
+import { OrcaRuntimeService } from './orca-runtime'
+import type { RuntimePtyController } from './runtime-pty-controller-contract'
+import type { PtyProcessInfo } from '../providers/pty-process-info'
+
+export const WORKTREE = 'repo::/tmp/inventory-admission'
+export const PTY = `${WORKTREE}@@shell`
+export const PREDECESSOR = '30000000-0000-4000-8000-000000000001'
+export const SUCCESSOR = '30000000-0000-4000-8000-000000000002'
+const TAB = '30000000-0000-4000-8000-000000000003'
+const LEAF = '30000000-0000-4000-8000-000000000004'
+
+export type InventoryListing = NonNullable<RuntimePtyController['listProcesses']>
+
+export function deferred<T>() {
+  let resolve!: (value: T) => void
+  const promise = new Promise<T>((done) => {
+    resolve = done
+  })
+  return { promise, resolve }
+}
+
+export function processRow(id = PTY, incarnationId = PREDECESSOR): PtyProcessInfo {
+  return {
+    id,
+    cwd: '',
+    title: 'captured listing',
+    worktreeId: WORKTREE,
+    incarnationId,
+    terminalHandle: `term_${incarnationId}`
+  }
+}
+
+export class InventoryLifecycleRuntime extends OrcaRuntimeService {
+  read(connectionId?: string | null, target: string | null = null, deadline?: number) {
+    return this.refreshPtyWorktreeRecordsWithControllerInventory([], target, deadline, connectionId)
+  }
+
+  register(incarnationId = PREDECESSOR): void {
+    this.registerPreAllocatedHandleForPty(PTY, `term_${incarnationId}`)
+    this.registerPty(PTY, WORKTREE, null, {
+      tabId: TAB,
+      leafId: LEAF,
+      incarnationId,
+      terminalHandle: `term_${incarnationId}`
+    })
+  }
+
+  capture(id = PTY) {
+    const pty = this.ptysById.get(id)
+    return {
+      connected: pty?.connected,
+      incarnationId: pty?.incarnationId,
+      controllerTitle: pty?.controllerTitle,
+      tabId: pty?.tabId,
+      paneKey: pty?.paneKey,
+      handle: this.handleByPtyId.get(id) ?? null,
+      verdict: this.getPtyLivenessVerdict(id),
+      headless: this.headlessTerminals.has(id)
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+export function createInventoryRuntime(listProcesses: InventoryListing) {
+  const runtime = new InventoryLifecycleRuntime()
+  const hasPty = vi.fn(() => false)
+  runtime.setPtyController({
+    write: () => true,
+    kill: () => true,
+    getForegroundProcess: async () => null,
+    listProcesses,
+    hasPty
+  })
+  return { runtime, hasPty }
+}
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/pty-inventory-lifecycle-scope.test.ts b/src/main/runtime/pty-inventory-lifecycle-scope.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0309ac7631d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/runtime/pty-inventory-lifecycle-scope.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,152 @@
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import type { PtyProcessInfo } from '../providers/pty-process-info'
+import {
+  createInventoryRuntime,
+  deferred,
+  processRow,
+  PREDECESSOR,
+  PTY,
+  SUCCESSOR,
+  WORKTREE,
+  type InventoryListing
+} from './pty-inventory-lifecycle-fixture'
+
+afterEach(() => vi.restoreAllMocks())
+
+describe('lifecycle invalidation respects inventory scope and retry bounds', () => {
+  it.each(['remote:unscoped-handle', 'remote:paired-host@@term_guest'])(
+    'conservatively rejects pending inventory for foreign lifecycle ID %s',
+    async (id) => {
+      const reply = deferred<PtyProcessInfo[]>()
+      const list = vi.fn<InventoryListing>(() => reply.promise)
+      const { runtime, hasPty } = createInventoryRuntime(list)
+      const pending = runtime.read('host-b')
+      runtime.registerPty(id, WORKTREE)
+      reply.resolve([processRow('ssh:host-b@@child')])
+      expect(await pending).toBeNull()
+      expect(list).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+      expect(list.mock.calls[0][0]).toBe('host-b')
+      expect(hasPty).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+      expect(runtime.capture(id).connected).toBe(true)
+    }
+  )
+
+  it('preserves a targeted other-host response', async () => {
+    const reply = deferred<PtyProcessInfo[]>()
+    const { runtime } = createInventoryRuntime(() => reply.promise)
+    const pending = runtime.read('host-b')
+    runtime.onPtySpawned('ssh:host-a@@child', SUCCESSOR)
+    reply.resolve([processRow('ssh:host-b@@child')])
+    expect((await pending)?.allLivePtyIds).toEqual(new Set(['ssh:host-b@@child']))
+    expect(runtime.capture('ssh:host-b@@child')).toMatchObject({
+      connected: true,
+      incarnationId: PREDECESSOR
+    })
+  })
+
+  it.each(['host-a', 'deploy@10.0.0.4:2222', 'ssh target'])(
+    'uses explicit host ownership for a legacy unqualified PTY ID on %s',
+    async (connectionId) => {
+      const reply = deferred<PtyProcessInfo[]>()
+      const { runtime } = createInventoryRuntime(() => reply.promise)
+      const pending = runtime.read(connectionId)
+      runtime.registerPty('legacy-child', WORKTREE, connectionId)
+      reply.resolve([processRow('legacy-child')])
+      expect(await pending).toBeNull()
+      expect(runtime.capture('legacy-child').connected).toBe(true)
+    }
+  )
+
+  it.each(['deploy@10.0.0.4:2222', 'ssh target'])(
+    'rejects stale inventory for an encoding-sensitive qualified PTY ID on %s',
+    async (connectionId) => {
+      const reply = deferred<PtyProcessInfo[]>()
+      const { runtime } = createInventoryRuntime(() => reply.promise)
+      const ptyId = `ssh:${connectionId}@@child`
+      runtime.registerPty(ptyId, WORKTREE, connectionId)
+      const pending = runtime.read(connectionId)
+      runtime.onPtySpawned(ptyId, SUCCESSOR)
+      reply.resolve([processRow(ptyId)])
+      expect(await pending).toBeNull()
+      expect(runtime.capture(ptyId)).toMatchObject({
+        connected: true,
+        incarnationId: SUCCESSOR
+      })
+    }
+  )
+
+  it('does not route an unqualified local admission into an SSH query', async () => {
+    const reply = deferred<PtyProcessInfo[]>()
+    const { runtime } = createInventoryRuntime(() => reply.promise)
+    const pending = runtime.read('host-a')
+    runtime.register()
+    reply.resolve([processRow('ssh:host-a@@child')])
+    expect((await pending)?.allLivePtyIds).toEqual(new Set(['ssh:host-a@@child']))
+  })
+
+  it('keeps concurrent targeted provider generations independent', async () => {
+    const a = deferred<PtyProcessInfo[]>()
+    const b = deferred<PtyProcessInfo[]>()
+    const { runtime } = createInventoryRuntime((connection) =>
+      connection === 'a' ? a.promise : b.promise
+    )
+    const pa = runtime.read('a')
+    const pb = runtime.read('b')
+    b.resolve([processRow('ssh:b@@child')])
+    expect((await pb)?.allLivePtyIds).toEqual(new Set(['ssh:b@@child']))
+    a.resolve([processRow('ssh:a@@child')])
+    expect((await pa)?.allLivePtyIds).toEqual(new Set(['ssh:a@@child']))
+  })
+
+  it('retains ordering between an aggregate and newer targeted inventory', async () => {
+    const aggregate = deferred<PtyProcessInfo[]>()
+    const targeted = deferred<PtyProcessInfo[]>()
+    const { runtime } = createInventoryRuntime((connection) =>
+      connection === undefined ? aggregate.promise : targeted.promise
+    )
+    const pa = runtime.read()
+    const pt = runtime.read('a')
+    targeted.resolve([processRow('ssh:a@@child', SUCCESSOR)])
+    expect(await pt).not.toBeNull()
+    aggregate.resolve([processRow('ssh:a@@child', PREDECESSOR)])
+    expect(await pa).toBeNull()
+    expect(runtime.capture('ssh:a@@child').incarnationId).toBe(SUCCESSOR)
+  })
+
+  it('allows only one target retry and keeps a second invalidation unknown', async () => {
+    const first = deferred<PtyProcessInfo[]>()
+    const second = deferred<PtyProcessInfo[]>()
+    const list = vi
+      .fn<InventoryListing>()
+      .mockReturnValueOnce(first.promise)
+      .mockReturnValueOnce(second.promise)
+    const { runtime } = createInventoryRuntime(list)
+    runtime.register()
+    const pending = runtime.read(null, WORKTREE, Date.now() + 4000)
+    runtime.onPtyExit(PTY, 0, PREDECESSOR, { providerExitObserved: true })
+    first.resolve([processRow()])
+    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(list).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2))
+    runtime.onPtySpawned(PTY, SUCCESSOR)
+    second.resolve([])
+    expect(await pending).toBeNull()
+    expect(list).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+    expect(runtime.capture()).toMatchObject({ connected: true, incarnationId: SUCCESSOR })
+  })
+
+  it('retries with the original remaining deadline and accepts fresh truth', async () => {
+    const first = deferred<PtyProcessInfo[]>()
+    const list = vi.fn<InventoryListing>().mockReturnValueOnce(first.promise).mockResolvedValue([])
+    const { runtime } = createInventoryRuntime(list)
+    let now = 1000
+    vi.spyOn(Date, 'now').mockImplementation(() => now)
+    runtime.register()
+    const pending = runtime.read(null, WORKTREE, 1500)
+    runtime.onPtyExit(PTY, 0, PREDECESSOR, { providerExitObserved: true })
+    now = 1400
+    first.resolve([processRow()])
+    expect((await pending)?.allLivePtyIds).toEqual(new Set())
+    expect(list).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
+    expect(list.mock.calls[1][1]?.deadlineMs).toBeLessThanOrEqual(1500)
+    expect(runtime.capture().connected).toBe(false)
+  })
+})