diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/terminal-pane/pty-connection.test.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/terminal-pane/pty-connection.test.ts
index cd806774737..211e6c1c819 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/terminal-pane/pty-connection.test.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/terminal-pane/pty-connection.test.ts
@@ -7316,7 +7316,7 @@ describe('connectPanePty', () => {
     disposable.dispose()
   })
 
-  it('preserves scrollback by skipping the destructive clear when restoring an alternate-screen snapshot', async () => {
+  it('clears only the alternate screen when restoring an alternate-screen snapshot', async () => {
     const { connectPanePty } = await import('./pty-connection')
     const transport = createMockTransport('pty-id')
     const capturedDataCallback: {
@@ -7365,6 +7365,19 @@ describe('connectPanePty', () => {
       '\x1b[2J\x1b[3J\x1b[H',
       expect.any(Function)
     )
+    // Why: the snapshot's ?1049h no-ops on an already-alt pane and serialized
+    // frames skip blank cells, so the pre-hide frame bleeds through unless the
+    // alt screen is cleared (without \x1b[3J) before the snapshot paints.
+    expect(pane.terminal.write).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      '\x1b[?1049h\x1b[2J\x1b[H',
+      expect.any(Function)
+    )
+    const writes = (pane.terminal.write as ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>).mock.calls.map(
+      (call) => call[0]
+    )
+    expect(writes.indexOf('\x1b[?1049h\x1b[2J\x1b[H')).toBeLessThan(
+      writes.indexOf('altscreen-snapshot\r\n')
+    )
     expect(pane.terminal.write).toHaveBeenCalledWith('altscreen-snapshot\r\n', expect.any(Function))
     disposable.dispose()
   })
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/terminal-pane/pty-connection.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/terminal-pane/pty-connection.ts
index 85c50f6fe8a..01f0132c3fc 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/terminal-pane/pty-connection.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/terminal-pane/pty-connection.ts
@@ -4393,6 +4393,13 @@ export function connectPanePty(
         // clearing on restore loses scroll-up after a hidden->visible return.
         // Mirrors the attach-time guard in pty-transport.ts.
         writeReplayData('\x1b[2J\x1b[3J\x1b[H')
+      } else {
+        // Why: the snapshot's own ?1049h is a no-op when the pane is already on
+        // the alternate screen, and the serialized frame skips blank cells — so
+        // without clearing the alt screen the pre-hide frame bleeds through
+        // every cell the final frame leaves blank. \x1b[2J on the alt buffer
+        // does not touch the normal buffer's scrollback the TUI returns to.
+        writeReplayData('\x1b[?1049h\x1b[2J\x1b[H')
       }
       writeReplayData(snapshot.data)
       writeReplayData(POST_REPLAY_LIVE_SNAPSHOT_RESET)