diff --git a/src/main/persistence/migrating-orcad-catalog/orcad-source-client-state.test.ts b/src/main/persistence/migrating-orcad-catalog/orcad-source-client-state.test.ts
index 6790c12ba35..b5c4e154ad0 100644
--- a/src/main/persistence/migrating-orcad-catalog/orcad-source-client-state.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/persistence/migrating-orcad-catalog/orcad-source-client-state.test.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import {
 import type { WorkspaceSessionState } from '../../../shared/workspace-session-state-types'
 import { collectOrcadMigrationSourceClientState } from './orcad-source-client-state'
 import { ORCAD_MIGRATION_UI_ROUTING_MERGE } from './orcad-destination-client-state'
+import { parseMobileSelections } from '../../../shared/orcad-migration/orcad-migration-client-state-parsing'
 
 const source = {
   sshTargetId: 'target-1',
@@ -140,6 +141,47 @@ describe('source client-state migration', () => {
     })
   })
 
+  it("moves a device's tab history with the tabs that move", () => {
+    const current = state()
+    current.mobileClientTabSelectionsByDeviceId = {
+      phone: {
+        'ssh:target-1|repo-1::/srv/worktree': {
+          activeTabId: 'tab-2',
+          activeGroupId: null,
+          activeTabIdByGroupId: {},
+          recentTabIds: ['tab-1', 'tab-unmoved', 'tab-2']
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    const scoped = session({
+      tabsByWorktree: {
+        'ssh:target-1|repo-1::/srv/worktree': [
+          terminalTab('tab-1', 'ssh:target-1|repo-1::/srv/worktree'),
+          terminalTab('tab-2', 'ssh:target-1|repo-1::/srv/worktree')
+        ]
+      }
+    })
+
+    const result = collectOrcadMigrationSourceClientState(
+      current,
+      source,
+      catalog,
+      'environment-1',
+      scoped
+    )
+
+    const moved = result.payload?.mobileClientTabSelectionsByDeviceId
+    expect(moved?.phone?.['repo-1::/srv/worktree']?.recentTabIds).toEqual(['tab-1', 'tab-2'])
+    expect(parseMobileSelections(moved)).toEqual(moved)
+    expect(() =>
+      parseMobileSelections({
+        phone: {
+          wt: { activeTabId: 'a', activeGroupId: null, activeTabIdByGroupId: {}, recentTabIds: [7] }
+        }
+      })
+    ).toThrow('orcad_migration_dormant_mobile_selection_tabs_invalid')
+  })
+
   it("never sends the desktop's sidebar filters, which an older server refuses when they differ", () => {
     const current = state()
     current.ui.workspaceHostScope = 'ssh:target-1'
diff --git a/src/main/persistence/migrating-orcad-catalog/orcad-source-client-state.ts b/src/main/persistence/migrating-orcad-catalog/orcad-source-client-state.ts
index 92b0dddcbac..f9603316149 100644
--- a/src/main/persistence/migrating-orcad-catalog/orcad-source-client-state.ts
+++ b/src/main/persistence/migrating-orcad-catalog/orcad-source-client-state.ts
@@ -221,6 +221,7 @@ function representableMobileSelection(
 ): PersistedMobileClientTabSelection | null {
   const tabIds = eligible?.tabIds ?? new Set<string>()
   const groupIds = eligible?.groupIds ?? new Set<string>()
+  const recentTabIds = selection.recentTabIds?.filter((tabId) => tabIds.has(tabId)) ?? []
   const next: PersistedMobileClientTabSelection = {
     activeTabId:
       selection.activeTabId !== null && movedMobileTab(selection.activeTabId, tabIds)
@@ -234,7 +235,8 @@ function representableMobileSelection(
       Object.entries(selection.activeTabIdByGroupId).filter(
         ([groupId, tabId]) => groupIds.has(groupId) && tabIds.has(tabId)
       )
-    )
+    ),
+    ...(recentTabIds.length > 0 ? { recentTabIds } : {})
   }
   return next.activeTabId === null &&
     next.activeGroupId === null &&
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/client-session-tab-closed-selection.ts b/src/main/runtime/client-session-tab-closed-selection.ts
index d8d100c5698..f6671e2c631 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/client-session-tab-closed-selection.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/client-session-tab-closed-selection.ts
@@ -2,13 +2,18 @@ import type {
   RuntimeMobileSessionClientTab,
   RuntimeMobileSessionTabsResult
 } from '../../shared/runtime-types'
-import type { ClientSessionTabSelection } from './client-session-tab-selection'
+import type {
+  ClientSessionTabSelection,
+  ClientSessionTabTopology
+} from './client-session-tab-selection-projection'
 
 export type StoredClientSessionTabSelection = {
   selection: ClientSessionTabSelection
   revision: number
   shouldPersist: boolean
   closedTabIds: ReadonlySet<string>
+  /** What this client was shown while its pick was still there; not persisted. */
+  topologyBeforeClose?: ClientSessionTabTopology
 }
 
 function topLevelTabId(tab: RuntimeMobileSessionClientTab): string {
@@ -61,18 +66,11 @@ export function forgetClosedClientSessionSelection(
   const closedTabIds = new Set([...existingClosedTabIds, ...forgotten])
   const activeTabId =
     selection.activeTabId && forgotten.has(selection.activeTabId) ? null : selection.activeTabId
-  const activeTabIdByGroupId = Object.fromEntries(
-    Object.entries(selection.activeTabIdByGroupId).filter(
-      ([, selectedTabId]) => !forgotten.has(selectedTabId)
-    )
-  )
+  // Why: the group picks stay so the next projection moves them by the close rule.
   return {
-    selection: { ...selection, activeTabId, activeTabIdByGroupId },
+    selection: { ...selection, activeTabId },
     closedTabIds,
-    selectionChanged:
-      activeTabId !== selection.activeTabId ||
-      Object.keys(activeTabIdByGroupId).length !==
-        Object.keys(selection.activeTabIdByGroupId).length,
+    selectionChanged: activeTabId !== selection.activeTabId,
     closureChanged: closedTabIds.size !== existingClosedTabIds.size
   }
 }
@@ -93,9 +91,9 @@ export function forgetClosedClientSessionTabsByWorktree(
       continue
     }
     statesByWorktree.set(worktreeId, {
+      ...state,
       selection: closed.selection,
       revision: state.revision + 1,
-      shouldPersist: state.shouldPersist,
       closedTabIds: closed.closedTabIds
     })
     persistedSelectionChanged ||= state.shouldPersist && closed.selectionChanged
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/client-session-tab-selection-persistence.ts b/src/main/runtime/client-session-tab-selection-persistence.ts
index 7ae391a040d..3b9a4260822 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/client-session-tab-selection-persistence.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/client-session-tab-selection-persistence.ts
@@ -27,7 +27,15 @@ function normalizeClientSessionTabSelection(
   if (!activeTabId && !activeGroupId && Object.keys(activeTabIdByGroupId).length === 0) {
     return null
   }
-  return { activeTabId, activeGroupId, activeTabIdByGroupId }
+  const recentTabIds = Array.isArray(candidate.recentTabIds)
+    ? candidate.recentTabIds.filter((tabId): tabId is string => typeof tabId === 'string')
+    : []
+  return {
+    activeTabId,
+    activeGroupId,
+    activeTabIdByGroupId,
+    ...(recentTabIds.length > 0 ? { recentTabIds } : {})
+  }
 }
 
 // Why: this state comes off disk (and, for remote runtimes, another machine); a bad payload must degrade to "no selection", not throw.
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/client-session-tab-selection-projection.ts b/src/main/runtime/client-session-tab-selection-projection.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..88586196b92
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/runtime/client-session-tab-selection-projection.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,161 @@
+import type {
+  RuntimeMobileSessionClientTab,
+  RuntimeMobileSessionTabsResult
+} from '../../shared/runtime-types'
+import { pickNextActiveTabAfterClose } from '../../shared/workspace-session-terminal-tab-close'
+import { findSiblingGroupId } from '../../shared/workspace-layout/tab-group-layout-tree'
+
+export type ClientSessionTabSelection = {
+  activeTabId: string | null
+  activeGroupId: string | null
+  activeTabIdByGroupId: Readonly<Record<string, string>>
+  /** Top-level tabs this client showed, most recent last; picks its next tab when a shown one closes. */
+  recentTabIds?: string[]
+}
+
+/** The groups and split a client was shown; a close reads where its tab and group sat. */
+export type ClientSessionTabTopology = Pick<
+  RuntimeMobileSessionTabsResult,
+  'tabGroups' | 'tabGroupLayout'
+>
+
+export function emptyClientSessionTabSelection(): ClientSessionTabSelection {
+  return { activeTabId: null, activeGroupId: null, activeTabIdByGroupId: {} }
+}
+
+export function topLevelTabId(tab: RuntimeMobileSessionClientTab): string {
+  if (tab.type === 'terminal') {
+    return tab.parentTabId
+  }
+  return tab.id
+}
+
+function findTabByTopLevelId(
+  snapshot: RuntimeMobileSessionTabsResult,
+  topLevelId: string | null | undefined
+): RuntimeMobileSessionClientTab | null {
+  if (!topLevelId) {
+    return null
+  }
+  return snapshot.tabs.find((tab) => topLevelTabId(tab) === topLevelId) ?? null
+}
+
+export function deriveClientSessionTabSelection(
+  snapshot: RuntimeMobileSessionTabsResult
+): ClientSessionTabSelection {
+  return {
+    activeTabId: snapshot.activeTabId,
+    activeGroupId: snapshot.activeGroupId,
+    activeTabIdByGroupId: Object.fromEntries(
+      snapshot.tabGroups?.flatMap((group) =>
+        group.activeTabId ? [[group.id, group.activeTabId] as const] : []
+      ) ?? []
+    ),
+    // Why: until the client picks a tab, it has shown what the host showed.
+    recentTabIds: snapshot.tabGroups?.flatMap((group) => group.recentTabIds ?? []) ?? []
+  }
+}
+
+export function activateClientSessionTabSelection(
+  snapshot: RuntimeMobileSessionTabsResult,
+  selection: ClientSessionTabSelection,
+  activeTabId: string
+): ClientSessionTabSelection {
+  const activeTab = snapshot.tabs.find((tab) => tab.id === activeTabId)
+  if (!activeTab) {
+    return selection
+  }
+  const activeTopLevelTabId = topLevelTabId(activeTab)
+  const activeGroup = snapshot.tabGroups?.find((group) =>
+    group.tabOrder.includes(activeTopLevelTabId)
+  )
+  const presentTabIds = new Set(snapshot.tabs.map(topLevelTabId))
+  return {
+    activeTabId,
+    activeGroupId: activeGroup?.id ?? selection.activeGroupId,
+    activeTabIdByGroupId: activeGroup
+      ? { ...selection.activeTabIdByGroupId, [activeGroup.id]: activeTopLevelTabId }
+      : selection.activeTabIdByGroupId,
+    recentTabIds: [
+      ...(selection.recentTabIds ?? []).filter(
+        (id) => id !== activeTopLevelTabId && presentTabIds.has(id)
+      ),
+      activeTopLevelTabId
+    ]
+  }
+}
+
+export function projectClientSessionTabSelection(
+  snapshot: RuntimeMobileSessionTabsResult,
+  selection: ClientSessionTabSelection,
+  before?: ClientSessionTabTopology
+): { snapshot: RuntimeMobileSessionTabsResult; selection: ClientSessionTabSelection } {
+  const activeTabIdByGroupId: Record<string, string> = {}
+  const tabGroups = snapshot.tabGroups?.map((group) => {
+    const selected = selection.activeTabIdByGroupId[group.id]
+    // Why: a pick that left its group moves on by this client's recency, as desktop close and move do.
+    const activeTabId =
+      selected && !group.tabOrder.includes(selected)
+        ? pickNextActiveTabAfterClose(
+            {
+              tabOrder:
+                before?.tabGroups?.find((candidate) => candidate.id === group.id)?.tabOrder ??
+                group.tabOrder,
+              // Why: a selection saved before clients kept recency falls back to the host's, as desktop's.
+              recentTabIds: selection.recentTabIds ?? group.recentTabIds
+            },
+            new Set([selected]),
+            group.tabOrder,
+            new Set(group.tabOrder)
+          )
+        : (selected ?? group.tabOrder[0] ?? null)
+    if (activeTabId) {
+      activeTabIdByGroupId[group.id] = activeTabId
+    }
+    return { ...group, activeTabId }
+  })
+  const shownGroups = tabGroups?.filter((group) => group.tabOrder.length > 0)
+  // Why: as the desktop's collapseGroupLayout, an emptied group hands over to its split sibling.
+  const siblingGroupId =
+    selection.activeGroupId && before?.tabGroupLayout
+      ? findSiblingGroupId(before.tabGroupLayout, selection.activeGroupId)
+      : null
+  const selectedGroup =
+    shownGroups?.find((group) => group.id === selection.activeGroupId) ??
+    shownGroups?.find((group) => group.id === siblingGroupId) ??
+    shownGroups?.[0]
+  // Why: preserve the client's leaf and group choices before falling back to shared snapshot order.
+  const activeTab =
+    snapshot.tabs.find((tab) => tab.id === selection.activeTabId) ??
+    findTabByTopLevelId(snapshot, selectedGroup?.activeTabId) ??
+    findTabByTopLevelId(snapshot, selectedGroup?.tabOrder[0]) ??
+    snapshot.tabs[0] ??
+    null
+  const activeTopLevelTabId = activeTab ? topLevelTabId(activeTab) : null
+  const activeGroupId =
+    tabGroups?.find((group) =>
+      activeTopLevelTabId ? group.tabOrder.includes(activeTopLevelTabId) : false
+    )?.id ??
+    (selection.activeGroupId && tabGroups?.some((group) => group.id === selection.activeGroupId)
+      ? selection.activeGroupId
+      : null) ??
+    tabGroups?.[0]?.id ??
+    null
+  const nextSelection: ClientSessionTabSelection = {
+    activeTabId: activeTab?.id ?? null,
+    activeGroupId,
+    activeTabIdByGroupId,
+    ...(selection.recentTabIds ? { recentTabIds: selection.recentTabIds } : {})
+  }
+  return {
+    selection: nextSelection,
+    snapshot: {
+      ...snapshot,
+      activeGroupId,
+      activeTabId: activeTab?.id ?? null,
+      activeTabType: activeTab?.type ?? null,
+      ...(tabGroups ? { tabGroups } : {}),
+      tabs: snapshot.tabs.map((tab) => ({ ...tab, isActive: tab.id === activeTab?.id }))
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/client-session-tab-selection.test.ts b/src/main/runtime/client-session-tab-selection.test.ts
index 3b7d6771245..9fdaeff82a1 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/client-session-tab-selection.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/client-session-tab-selection.test.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
 import type { RuntimeMobileSessionTabsResult } from '../../shared/runtime-types'
 import type { PersistedMobileClientTabSelections } from '../../shared/persisted-state-types'
+import { ClientSessionTabSelectionStore } from './client-session-tab-selection'
 import {
   activateClientSessionTabSelection,
-  ClientSessionTabSelectionStore,
   deriveClientSessionTabSelection,
   projectClientSessionTabSelection
-} from './client-session-tab-selection'
+} from './client-session-tab-selection-projection'
 import { normalizePersistedMobileClientTabSelections } from './client-session-tab-selection-persistence'
 
 function snapshot(activeTabId = 'terminal-a::leaf-a'): RuntimeMobileSessionTabsResult {
@@ -59,6 +59,63 @@ function snapshot(activeTabId = 'terminal-a::leaf-a'): RuntimeMobileSessionTabsR
   }
 }
 
+function browserStrip(
+  tabOrder: string[],
+  options: { hostActiveTabId?: string; hostRecentTabIds?: string[] } = {}
+): RuntimeMobileSessionTabsResult {
+  const hostActiveTabId = options.hostActiveTabId ?? tabOrder[0]!
+  return {
+    worktree: 'wt-1',
+    publicationEpoch: 'renderer:1',
+    snapshotVersion: 1,
+    activeGroupId: 'group',
+    activeTabId: hostActiveTabId,
+    activeTabType: 'browser',
+    tabGroups: [
+      {
+        id: 'group',
+        activeTabId: hostActiveTabId,
+        tabOrder,
+        ...(options.hostRecentTabIds ? { recentTabIds: options.hostRecentTabIds } : {})
+      }
+    ],
+    tabs: tabOrder.map((id) => ({
+      type: 'browser' as const,
+      id,
+      browserWorkspaceId: `workspace-${id}`,
+      browserPageId: `page-${id}`,
+      title: id,
+      url: 'about:blank',
+      loading: false,
+      canGoBack: false,
+      canGoForward: false,
+      isActive: id === hostActiveTabId
+    }))
+  }
+}
+
+function splitBrowserStrips(left: string[], right: string[]): RuntimeMobileSessionTabsResult {
+  const leftStrip = browserStrip(left)
+  const rightStrip = right.length > 0 ? browserStrip(right) : null
+  return {
+    ...leftStrip,
+    activeGroupId: 'left',
+    tabGroups: [
+      { ...leftStrip.tabGroups![0]!, id: 'left' },
+      ...(rightStrip ? [{ ...rightStrip.tabGroups![0]!, id: 'right' }] : [])
+    ],
+    tabGroupLayout: rightStrip
+      ? {
+          type: 'split',
+          direction: 'horizontal',
+          first: { type: 'leaf', groupId: 'left' },
+          second: { type: 'leaf', groupId: 'right' }
+        }
+      : { type: 'leaf', groupId: 'left' },
+    tabs: [...leftStrip.tabs, ...(rightStrip?.tabs ?? [])]
+  }
+}
+
 describe('client session-tab selection', () => {
   it('keeps a client selection when a later host snapshot activates another tab', () => {
     const initial = snapshot()
@@ -208,7 +265,8 @@ describe('client session-tab selection', () => {
             activeTabIdByGroupId: {
               'group-left': 'terminal-a',
               'group-right': 'browser-unified'
-            }
+            },
+            recentTabIds: ['browser-unified']
           }
         }
       }
@@ -232,7 +290,8 @@ describe('client session-tab selection', () => {
           'wt-1': {
             activeTabId: 'browser-unified',
             activeGroupId: 'group-right',
-            activeTabIdByGroupId: { 'group-right': 'browser-unified' }
+            activeTabIdByGroupId: { 'group-right': 'browser-unified' },
+            recentTabIds: ['browser-unified']
           }
         }
       }
@@ -319,6 +378,78 @@ describe('client session-tab selection', () => {
     expect(reopened.tabs.some((tab) => tab.id === 'browser-unified')).toBe(true)
   })
 
+  it('returns a device to the tab it viewed before when its shown tab closes on the desktop', () => {
+    const store = new ClientSessionTabSelectionStore()
+    const full = browserStrip(['a', 'b', 'c', 'd'], { hostActiveTabId: 'd' })
+    for (const tabId of ['a', 'b', 'c']) {
+      store.activate(full, 'device-a', tabId)
+    }
+
+    const closed = browserStrip(['a', 'b', 'd'], { hostActiveTabId: 'd' })
+
+    expect(store.project(closed, 'device-a').activeTabId).toBe('b')
+    expect(store.project(closed, 'device-a').activeTabId).toBe('b')
+  })
+
+  it('returns a device to the tab it viewed before when it closes its shown tab', () => {
+    const store = new ClientSessionTabSelectionStore()
+    const full = browserStrip(['a', 'b', 'c', 'd'], { hostActiveTabId: 'd' })
+    for (const tabId of ['a', 'b', 'c']) {
+      store.activate(full, 'device-a', tabId)
+    }
+
+    store.forgetTabs('wt-1', ['c'])
+
+    expect(store.project(full, 'device-a').activeTabId).toBe('b')
+    expect(store.project(browserStrip(['a', 'b', 'd']), 'device-a').activeTabId).toBe('b')
+  })
+
+  it("falls back to the closed tab's right neighbour when the device viewed no other tab", () => {
+    const store = new ClientSessionTabSelectionStore()
+    const full = browserStrip(['a', 'b', 'c', 'd'])
+    store.project(full, 'device-a')
+    store.activate(full, 'device-a', 'c')
+
+    expect(store.project(browserStrip(['a', 'b', 'd']), 'device-a').activeTabId).toBe('d')
+  })
+
+  it('keeps the recency across a host restart', () => {
+    const persisted: PersistedMobileClientTabSelections[] = []
+    const store = new ClientSessionTabSelectionStore()
+    store.setPersistListener((state) => persisted.push(state))
+    const full = browserStrip(['a', 'b', 'c', 'd'], { hostActiveTabId: 'd' })
+    for (const tabId of ['a', 'b', 'c']) {
+      store.activate(full, 'device-a', tabId)
+    }
+
+    const restarted = new ClientSessionTabSelectionStore()
+    restarted.hydrate(persisted.at(-1)!)
+
+    expect(restarted.project(browserStrip(['a', 'b', 'd']), 'device-a').activeTabId).toBe('b')
+  })
+
+  it('moves a device to the split sibling when its shown group empties, as the desktop does', () => {
+    const store = new ClientSessionTabSelectionStore()
+    const full = splitBrowserStrips(['a', 'b', 'c'], ['doc'])
+    store.activate(full, 'device-a', 'c')
+    store.activate(full, 'device-a', 'doc')
+
+    expect(store.project(splitBrowserStrips(['a', 'b', 'c'], []), 'device-a').activeTabId).toBe('c')
+  })
+
+  it("uses the host's recency for a selection saved before devices kept their own", () => {
+    const store = new ClientSessionTabSelectionStore()
+    store.hydrate({
+      'device-a': {
+        'wt-1': { activeTabId: 'c', activeGroupId: 'group', activeTabIdByGroupId: { group: 'c' } }
+      }
+    })
+
+    const closed = browserStrip(['a', 'b', 'd'], { hostRecentTabIds: ['a', 'd', 'b'] })
+
+    expect(store.project(closed, 'device-a').activeTabId).toBe('b')
+  })
+
   it('drops malformed persisted payloads instead of hydrating them', () => {
     expect(
       normalizePersistedMobileClientTabSelections({
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/client-session-tab-selection.ts b/src/main/runtime/client-session-tab-selection.ts
index d40dca54a3d..84369144547 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/client-session-tab-selection.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/client-session-tab-selection.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 import {
   CLIENT_NAVIGATION_PUBLICATION_EPOCH_SUFFIX,
-  type RuntimeMobileSessionClientTab,
   type RuntimeMobileSessionTabsResult
 } from '../../shared/runtime-types'
 import type { PersistedMobileClientTabSelections } from '../../shared/persisted-state-types'
@@ -10,122 +9,14 @@ import {
 } from './client-session-tab-closed-selection'
 import type { StoredClientSessionTabSelection } from './client-session-tab-closed-selection'
 import { normalizePersistedMobileClientTabSelections } from './client-session-tab-selection-persistence'
-
-export type ClientSessionTabSelection = {
-  activeTabId: string | null
-  activeGroupId: string | null
-  activeTabIdByGroupId: Readonly<Record<string, string>>
-}
-
-function emptyClientSessionTabSelection(): ClientSessionTabSelection {
-  return { activeTabId: null, activeGroupId: null, activeTabIdByGroupId: {} }
-}
-
-function topLevelTabId(tab: RuntimeMobileSessionClientTab): string {
-  if (tab.type === 'terminal') {
-    return tab.parentTabId
-  }
-  return tab.id
-}
-
-function findTabByTopLevelId(
-  snapshot: RuntimeMobileSessionTabsResult,
-  topLevelId: string | null | undefined
-): RuntimeMobileSessionClientTab | null {
-  if (!topLevelId) {
-    return null
-  }
-  return snapshot.tabs.find((tab) => topLevelTabId(tab) === topLevelId) ?? null
-}
-
-export function deriveClientSessionTabSelection(
-  snapshot: RuntimeMobileSessionTabsResult
-): ClientSessionTabSelection {
-  return {
-    activeTabId: snapshot.activeTabId,
-    activeGroupId: snapshot.activeGroupId,
-    activeTabIdByGroupId: Object.fromEntries(
-      snapshot.tabGroups?.flatMap((group) =>
-        group.activeTabId ? [[group.id, group.activeTabId] as const] : []
-      ) ?? []
-    )
-  }
-}
-
-export function activateClientSessionTabSelection(
-  snapshot: RuntimeMobileSessionTabsResult,
-  selection: ClientSessionTabSelection,
-  activeTabId: string
-): ClientSessionTabSelection {
-  const activeTab = snapshot.tabs.find((tab) => tab.id === activeTabId)
-  if (!activeTab) {
-    return selection
-  }
-  const activeTopLevelTabId = topLevelTabId(activeTab)
-  const activeGroup = snapshot.tabGroups?.find((group) =>
-    group.tabOrder.includes(activeTopLevelTabId)
-  )
-  return {
-    activeTabId,
-    activeGroupId: activeGroup?.id ?? selection.activeGroupId,
-    activeTabIdByGroupId: activeGroup
-      ? { ...selection.activeTabIdByGroupId, [activeGroup.id]: activeTopLevelTabId }
-      : selection.activeTabIdByGroupId
-  }
-}
-
-export function projectClientSessionTabSelection(
-  snapshot: RuntimeMobileSessionTabsResult,
-  selection: ClientSessionTabSelection
-): { snapshot: RuntimeMobileSessionTabsResult; selection: ClientSessionTabSelection } {
-  const selectedGroup = snapshot.tabGroups?.find((group) => group.id === selection.activeGroupId)
-  // Why: preserve the client's leaf and group choices before falling back to shared snapshot order.
-  const activeTab =
-    snapshot.tabs.find((tab) => tab.id === selection.activeTabId) ??
-    findTabByTopLevelId(
-      snapshot,
-      selectedGroup ? selection.activeTabIdByGroupId[selectedGroup.id] : null
-    ) ??
-    findTabByTopLevelId(snapshot, selectedGroup?.tabOrder[0]) ??
-    snapshot.tabs[0] ??
-    null
-  const activeTopLevelTabId = activeTab ? topLevelTabId(activeTab) : null
-  const activeTabIdByGroupId: Record<string, string> = {}
-  const tabGroups = snapshot.tabGroups?.map((group) => {
-    const selected = selection.activeTabIdByGroupId[group.id]
-    const activeTabId =
-      (selected && group.tabOrder.includes(selected) ? selected : null) ?? group.tabOrder[0] ?? null
-    if (activeTabId) {
-      activeTabIdByGroupId[group.id] = activeTabId
-    }
-    return { ...group, activeTabId }
-  })
-  const activeGroupId =
-    tabGroups?.find((group) =>
-      activeTopLevelTabId ? group.tabOrder.includes(activeTopLevelTabId) : false
-    )?.id ??
-    (selection.activeGroupId && tabGroups?.some((group) => group.id === selection.activeGroupId)
-      ? selection.activeGroupId
-      : null) ??
-    tabGroups?.[0]?.id ??
-    null
-  const nextSelection: ClientSessionTabSelection = {
-    activeTabId: activeTab?.id ?? null,
-    activeGroupId,
-    activeTabIdByGroupId
-  }
-  return {
-    selection: nextSelection,
-    snapshot: {
-      ...snapshot,
-      activeGroupId,
-      activeTabId: activeTab?.id ?? null,
-      activeTabType: activeTab?.type ?? null,
-      ...(tabGroups ? { tabGroups } : {}),
-      tabs: snapshot.tabs.map((tab) => ({ ...tab, isActive: tab.id === activeTab?.id }))
-    }
-  }
-}
+import {
+  deriveClientSessionTabSelection,
+  emptyClientSessionTabSelection,
+  projectClientSessionTabSelection,
+  activateClientSessionTabSelection,
+  topLevelTabId,
+  type ClientSessionTabSelection
+} from './client-session-tab-selection-projection'
 
 export class ClientSessionTabSelectionStore {
   private statesByClient = new Map<string, Map<string, StoredClientSessionTabSelection>>()
@@ -218,7 +109,11 @@ export class ClientSessionTabSelectionStore {
     const selection = state.shouldPersist
       ? state.selection
       : deriveClientSessionTabSelection(closed.snapshot)
-    const projected = projectClientSessionTabSelection(closed.snapshot, selection)
+    const projected = projectClientSessionTabSelection(
+      closed.snapshot,
+      selection,
+      state.topologyBeforeClose
+    )
     // Why: a browser guest process swap drops its tab for one snapshot; the topology fallback
     // must not overwrite (and persist) the device's explicit pick, or focus never returns.
     const selectionSurvived =
@@ -227,7 +122,11 @@ export class ClientSessionTabSelectionStore {
       selection: selectionSurvived ? projected.selection : selection,
       revision: state.revision,
       shouldPersist: state.shouldPersist,
-      closedTabIds: closed.retainedClosedTabIds
+      closedTabIds: closed.retainedClosedTabIds,
+      // Why: frozen while the pick is gone, so a close's fallback holds across snapshots.
+      topologyBeforeClose: selectionSurvived
+        ? { tabGroups: closed.snapshot.tabGroups, tabGroupLayout: closed.snapshot.tabGroupLayout }
+        : state.topologyBeforeClose
     })
     return {
       ...projected.snapshot,
@@ -256,6 +155,7 @@ export class ClientSessionTabSelectionStore {
       closedTabIds.delete(topLevelTabId(activeTab))
     }
     statesByWorktree.set(snapshot.worktree, {
+      ...state,
       selection: nextSelection,
       revision: state.revision + 1,
       shouldPersist: true,
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/session-lifecycle/projection/apply-mobile-session-tab-navigation.ts b/src/main/runtime/session-lifecycle/projection/apply-mobile-session-tab-navigation.ts
index 774a2791332..9c4fff48e71 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/session-lifecycle/projection/apply-mobile-session-tab-navigation.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/session-lifecycle/projection/apply-mobile-session-tab-navigation.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import {
   activateClientSessionTabSelection,
   deriveClientSessionTabSelection,
   projectClientSessionTabSelection
-} from '../../client-session-tab-selection'
+} from '../../client-session-tab-selection-projection'
 import { makePaneKey } from '../../../../shared/stable-pane-id'
 import {
   agentProviderSessionsEqual,
diff --git a/src/main/ssh/orcad-migration-path-fields.ts b/src/main/ssh/orcad-migration-path-fields.ts
index 46fedfd4301..49e7824f647 100644
--- a/src/main/ssh/orcad-migration-path-fields.ts
+++ b/src/main/ssh/orcad-migration-path-fields.ts
@@ -170,6 +170,10 @@ export const ORCAD_MIGRATION_PATH_FIELDS: readonly {
     at: 'dormantState.clientState.mobileClientTabSelectionsByDeviceId{}{}.activeTabIdByGroupId{}',
     kind: 'editor-file-id'
   },
+  {
+    at: 'dormantState.clientState.mobileClientTabSelectionsByDeviceId{}{}.recentTabIds[]',
+    kind: 'editor-file-id'
+  },
   { at: 'dormantState.clientState.uiRouting.lastActiveWorktreeId', kind: 'worktree-id' },
   { at: 'dormantState.clientState.uiRouting.showDotfilesByWorktree{key}', kind: 'owner-key' },
   {
diff --git a/src/shared/orcad-migration/orcad-migration-client-state-parsing.ts b/src/shared/orcad-migration/orcad-migration-client-state-parsing.ts
index fd4c52884f5..31b10c3b4fa 100644
--- a/src/shared/orcad-migration/orcad-migration-client-state-parsing.ts
+++ b/src/shared/orcad-migration/orcad-migration-client-state-parsing.ts
@@ -95,10 +95,25 @@ export function parseMobileSelections(value: unknown): PersistedMobileClientTabS
         }
         tabs[groupId] = tabId
       }
+      const recentTabIds = rawSelection.recentTabIds
+      if (
+        recentTabIds !== undefined &&
+        !(
+          Array.isArray(recentTabIds) &&
+          recentTabIds.every((tabId): tabId is string => typeof tabId === 'string' && !!tabId)
+        )
+      ) {
+        throw new Error('orcad_migration_dormant_mobile_selection_tabs_invalid')
+      }
       if (!activeTabId && !activeGroupId && Object.keys(tabs).length === 0) {
         continue
       }
-      entries[worktreeId] = { activeTabId, activeGroupId, activeTabIdByGroupId: tabs }
+      entries[worktreeId] = {
+        activeTabId,
+        activeGroupId,
+        activeTabIdByGroupId: tabs,
+        ...(recentTabIds ? { recentTabIds } : {})
+      }
       count += 1
       if (count > MAX_ORCAD_MIGRATION_CLIENT_SELECTIONS) {
         throw new Error('orcad_migration_dormant_mobile_selections_too_many')
diff --git a/src/shared/persisted-state-types.ts b/src/shared/persisted-state-types.ts
index 18414cc3965..4b425864fbb 100644
--- a/src/shared/persisted-state-types.ts
+++ b/src/shared/persisted-state-types.ts
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ export type PersistedMobileClientTabSelection = {
   activeTabId: string | null
   activeGroupId: string | null
   activeTabIdByGroupId: Readonly<Record<string, string>>
+  /** Top-level tabs the client showed, most recent last. */
+  recentTabIds?: string[]
 }
 
 /** deviceId → worktreeId → selection. */
diff --git a/tests/e2e/workspace-layout-oracle-headless.spec.ts b/tests/e2e/workspace-layout-oracle-headless.spec.ts
index a24ec2b68ab..3bfb21e5498 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/workspace-layout-oracle-headless.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/e2e/workspace-layout-oracle-headless.spec.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import type {
   RuntimeTerminalSplit
 } from '../../src/shared/runtime-terminal-contracts'
 import { expect, test } from './helpers/orca-app'
+import { pickNextActiveTabAfterClose } from '../../src/shared/workspace-session-terminal-tab-close'
 import {
   addRepoWorktree,
   cliClient,
@@ -157,13 +158,14 @@ async function groupsOf(run: Run): Promise<GroupView[]> {
 /**
  * Moves a tab through the phone/CLI path, then checks the groups' tab orders and selection: the
  * moved tab is selected where it lands; any other group keeps its selection while that tab stays,
- * else falls back to its first tab.
+ * else moves on as the desktop's move does, by the tabs client A showed (`shown`, most recent last).
  */
 async function moveTab(
   run: Run,
   step: string,
   move: Record<string, unknown> & { tabId: string },
-  expectedOrders: string[][]
+  expectedOrders: string[][],
+  shown: string[] = []
 ): Promise<GroupView[]> {
   const before = await groupsOf(run)
   await attempt(run, step, () =>
@@ -188,12 +190,20 @@ async function moveTab(
       : [`groups ${orders}, expected ${JSON.stringify(expectedOrders)}`]
   )
   const selection = after.flatMap((group) => {
-    const kept = before.find((candidate) => candidate.id === group.id)?.activeTabId
+    const was = before.find((candidate) => candidate.id === group.id)
+    const kept = was?.activeTabId
     const expected = group.tabOrder.includes(move.tabId)
       ? move.tabId
       : kept && group.tabOrder.includes(kept)
         ? kept
-        : (group.tabOrder[0] ?? null)
+        : kept && was
+          ? pickNextActiveTabAfterClose(
+              { tabOrder: was.tabOrder, recentTabIds: shown },
+              new Set([kept]),
+              group.tabOrder,
+              new Set(group.tabOrder)
+            )
+          : (group.tabOrder[0] ?? null)
     return group.activeTabId === expected
       ? []
       : [`group ${group.id} selects ${group.activeTabId}, expected ${expected}`]
@@ -360,13 +370,15 @@ const SCENARIOS: Scenario[] = [
         run,
         'split third tab right',
         { kind: 'split', tabId: third, targetGroupId: source!.id, splitDirection: 'right' },
-        [[first, second], [third]]
+        [[first, second], [third]],
+        [first, second, third]
       )
       await moveTab(
         run,
         'move second tab into the new group',
         { kind: 'move-to-group', tabId: second, targetGroupId: target!.id, index: 0 },
-        [[first], [second, third]]
+        [[first], [second, third]],
+        [first, second, third]
       )
       await run.check('move to group', [1, 1, 1])
       await moveTab(