diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/terminal-pane/use-terminal-pane-close-actions.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/terminal-pane/use-terminal-pane-close-actions.ts
index 8ffe7ba2965..aca5c6f1cd8 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/terminal-pane/use-terminal-pane-close-actions.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/terminal-pane/use-terminal-pane-close-actions.ts
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ export function useTerminalPaneCloseActions(controller: TerminalPaneBindingContr
           clearTimeout(probeTimeout)
           decide(() => {
             if (
-              (pending ? probes[0]?.verdict === 'exited' : probes[0]?.verdict !== 'live') ||
+              probes[0]?.verdict === 'exited' ||
               settings?.skipCloseTerminalWithRunningProcessConfirm
             ) {
               close()
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/terminal/running-terminal-close-guard.test.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/terminal/running-terminal-close-guard.test.ts
index 38d63b2a293..d90da60a63a 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/terminal/running-terminal-close-guard.test.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/terminal/running-terminal-close-guard.test.ts
@@ -183,31 +183,20 @@ describe('guardRunningTerminalClose', () => {
     expect(onClose).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
   })
 
-  it('fails open and closes when the probe rejects (wedged relay / legacy provider)', async () => {
-    inspectRuntimeTerminalProcessMock.mockRejectedValue(new Error('rpc_timeout'))
-    const onClose = vi.fn()
-
-    guard(onClose)
-    await settleProbe()
-
-    expect(onClose).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
-    expect(visibleRequest()).toBeNull()
-  })
-
-  it('fails open when a remote handle reports client-only unverifiable inspection', async () => {
+  // #33265: a host that cannot read its child processes must not let a close kill a running agent.
+  it('prompts when the host cannot observe child processes', async () => {
     inspectRuntimeTerminalProcessMock.mockResolvedValue({
       foregroundProcess: null,
       hasChildProcesses: false,
-      verdict: 'unverifiable',
-      reason: 'transport_loss'
+      childProcessEvidence: 'unverifiable'
     })
     const onClose = vi.fn()
 
     guard(onClose)
     await settleProbe()
 
-    expect(onClose).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
-    expect(visibleRequest()).toBeNull()
+    expect(onClose).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect(visibleRequest()).toMatchObject({ terminalTabId: 'tab-1' })
   })
 
   it('prompts once for a split tab where only the second pane is busy', async () => {
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/terminal/running-terminal-close-guard.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/terminal/running-terminal-close-guard.ts
index 0e63c9cfb94..006a19e7f58 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/terminal/running-terminal-close-guard.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/terminal/running-terminal-close-guard.ts
@@ -106,9 +106,14 @@ export function guardRunningTerminalClose(params: {
         confirmClose(ptyIds)
         return
       }
-      // Answered probe failures/stale handles fail open like Cmd+W; they provide no live-child evidence and must not disable closing.
+      // "Could not tell" must not kill a bound pty's work (#33265); layout-only ids are often stale leaves that never answer.
+      const boundPtyIds = new Set(useAppStore.getState().ptyIdsByTabId?.[terminalTabId] ?? [])
       const busyPtyIds = probes
-        .filter((probe) => probe.verdict === 'live')
+        .filter(
+          (probe) =>
+            probe.verdict === 'live' ||
+            (probe.verdict === 'unverifiable' && boundPtyIds.has(probe.ptyId))
+        )
         .map((probe) => probe.ptyId)
       if (busyPtyIds.length === 0) {
         closeNow()