diff --git a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.test.ts b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.test.ts
index 208e4530a92..6f301b2ad5d 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.test.ts
@@ -17066,6 +17066,16 @@ describe('OrcaRuntimeService', () => {
   it('creates mobile session terminals in a headless runtime server', async () => {
     const spawn = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({ id: 'pty-headless' })
     const runtime = new OrcaRuntimeService(store)
+    const persistViewMode = vi.spyOn(
+      runtime as unknown as {
+        persistHeadlessSessionTabProps: (
+          worktreeId: string,
+          tabId: string,
+          props: { viewMode: 'terminal' | 'chat' }
+        ) => void
+      },
+      'persistHeadlessSessionTabProps'
+    )
     runtime.setPtyController({
       spawn,
       write: () => true,
@@ -17095,6 +17105,9 @@ describe('OrcaRuntimeService', () => {
       viewMode: 'chat',
       isActive: true
     })
+    expect(persistViewMode).toHaveBeenCalledWith(TEST_WORKTREE_ID, result.tab.parentTabId, {
+      viewMode: 'chat'
+    })
 
     const listed = await runtime.listMobileSessionTabs(`id:${TEST_WORKTREE_ID}`)
     expect(listed.tabs).toEqual([
@@ -20766,7 +20779,8 @@ describe('OrcaRuntimeService', () => {
       })
 
       const create = runtime.createMobileSessionTerminal(`id:${TEST_WORKTREE_ID}`, {
-        activate: true
+        activate: true,
+        viewMode: 'chat'
       })
       let settled = false
       const settledCreate = create.finally(() => {
@@ -20774,8 +20788,35 @@ describe('OrcaRuntimeService', () => {
       })
       await vi.waitFor(() => expect(send).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1))
 
+      // A shell-only renderer snapshot can win the first race but still omit
+      // launch props. The later PTY rescue must fill the explicit mode.
+      runtime.syncWindowGraph(1, {
+        tabs: [],
+        leaves: [],
+        mobileSessionTabs: [
+          {
+            worktree: TEST_WORKTREE_ID,
+            publicationEpoch: 'renderer-shell',
+            snapshotVersion: 1,
+            activeGroupId: 'group-1',
+            activeTabId: `tab-alive::${leafId}`,
+            activeTabType: 'terminal',
+            tabs: [
+              {
+                type: 'terminal',
+                id: `tab-alive::${leafId}`,
+                parentTabId: 'tab-alive',
+                leafId,
+                title: 'Terminal',
+                isActive: true
+              }
+            ]
+          }
+        ]
+      })
+
       // The renderer's own PTY spawn registers with the tab binding — the same
-      // call the pty IPC layer now makes — without any mobileSessionTabs sync.
+      // call the pty IPC layer now makes — after the shell-only snapshot.
       runtime.registerPty('pty-alive', TEST_WORKTREE_ID, null, {
         tabId: 'tab-alive',
         leafId
@@ -20791,7 +20832,8 @@ describe('OrcaRuntimeService', () => {
         parentTabId: 'tab-alive',
         leafId,
         status: 'ready',
-        terminal: expect.stringMatching(/^term_/)
+        terminal: expect.stringMatching(/^term_/),
+        viewMode: 'chat'
       })
       expect(closeTerminal).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
     } finally {
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.ts b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.ts
index a4ad656b4c4..cf0b92078bd 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.ts
@@ -2139,7 +2139,11 @@ export class OrcaRuntimeService {
   // creates so ordinary renderer spawns never publish here.
   private pendingMobileTerminalCreatesByKey = new Map<
     string,
-    { activate: boolean; selectIfNoActiveTab: boolean }
+    {
+      activate: boolean
+      selectIfNoActiveTab: boolean
+      viewMode?: 'terminal' | 'chat'
+    }
   >()
   private mobileSessionTabListeners = new Set<(snapshot: RuntimeMobileSessionTabsResult) => void>()
   // Why: coalesces title/status-driven session.tabs emits so spinner churn
@@ -3663,6 +3667,7 @@ export class OrcaRuntimeService {
       activate: boolean
       selectIfNoActiveTab?: boolean
       startupCwd?: string
+      viewMode?: 'terminal' | 'chat'
       split?: { splitFromLeafId: string; direction: 'horizontal' | 'vertical' }
     }
   ): void {
@@ -3694,6 +3699,17 @@ export class OrcaRuntimeService {
       baseLayout,
       args.split
     )
+    // Why: a main-side PTY rescue or split publication must not erase the
+    // host's explicit tab mode before the renderer graph catches up.
+    const viewMode =
+      args.viewMode ??
+      existingTab?.viewMode ??
+      existing?.tabs.find(
+        (candidate): candidate is RuntimeMobileSessionTerminalTab =>
+          candidate.type === 'terminal' &&
+          candidate.parentTabId === args.tabId &&
+          candidate.viewMode !== undefined
+      )?.viewMode
     const tab: RuntimeMobileSessionTerminalTab = {
       type: 'terminal',
       id: `${args.tabId}::${args.leafId}`,
@@ -3703,6 +3719,7 @@ export class OrcaRuntimeService {
       title,
       ...(pty.launchAgent ? { launchAgent: pty.launchAgent } : {}),
       ...(args.startupCwd ? { startupCwd: args.startupCwd } : {}),
+      ...(viewMode ? { viewMode } : {}),
       parentLayout,
       isActive:
         args.activate || (args.selectIfNoActiveTab !== false && existing?.activeTabId == null)
@@ -18016,7 +18033,8 @@ export class OrcaRuntimeService {
     // requested group, so any wrong-group placement is cosmetic and stall-window-only.
     this.pendingMobileTerminalCreatesByKey.set(pendingCreateKey, {
       activate: opts.activate !== false,
-      selectIfNoActiveTab: true
+      selectIfNoActiveTab: true,
+      ...(opts.viewMode ? { viewMode: opts.viewMode } : {})
     })
     try {
       // Why: the PTY spawn and the tabCreate reply race on independent IPC
@@ -18224,6 +18242,11 @@ export class OrcaRuntimeService {
     }
     const parentTabId = livePty.pty.tabId ?? `pty:${livePty.pty.ptyId}`
     const leafId = parsePaneKey(livePty.pty.paneKey ?? '')?.leafId ?? randomUUID()
+    if (opts.viewMode) {
+      // Why: the runtime-owned binding must survive a serve restart with the
+      // same initial mode, not fall back to a later client's local default.
+      this.persistHeadlessSessionTabProps(worktreeId, parentTabId, { viewMode: opts.viewMode })
+    }
     const existing = this.mobileSessionTabsByWorktree.get(worktreeId)
     const existingSurface =
       existing?.tabs.find(
@@ -18393,21 +18416,27 @@ export class OrcaRuntimeService {
       return null
     }
     const existing = this.findMobileTerminalSurface(worktreeId, tabId)
-    if (existing) {
-      // Why: the renderer's own publication already landed; stay idempotent.
+    if (
+      existing &&
+      this.isReadyMobileTerminalSurface(existing) &&
+      (pending.viewMode === undefined || existing.tab.viewMode === pending.viewMode)
+    ) {
+      // Why: the renderer's ready publication already landed with the intended
+      // mode; only a pending shell still needs the main-side PTY rescue.
       return existing
     }
     const pty = this.findLiveRegisteredPtyForRendererTab(worktreeId, tabId)
     const leafId = pty ? parsePaneKey(pty.paneKey ?? '')?.leafId : undefined
     if (!pty || !leafId) {
-      return null
+      return existing
     }
     this.publishPtyBackedMobileSessionTerminal(worktreeId, pty, {
       tabId,
       leafId,
       title: null,
       activate: pending.activate,
-      selectIfNoActiveTab: pending.selectIfNoActiveTab
+      selectIfNoActiveTab: pending.selectIfNoActiveTab,
+      ...(pending.viewMode ? { viewMode: pending.viewMode } : {})
     })
     // Why: waitForMobileTerminalSurface's check closures are drained only inside
     // syncWindowGraph; a main-side publish must drain them too or the pending
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/lib/launch-agent-in-new-tab.test.ts b/src/renderer/src/lib/launch-agent-in-new-tab.test.ts
index 055ee8b3d19..467ca7d07fe 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/lib/launch-agent-in-new-tab.test.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/lib/launch-agent-in-new-tab.test.ts
@@ -300,7 +300,8 @@ describe('launchAgentInNewTab', () => {
       environmentId: 'web-runtime',
       targetGroupId: 'group-1',
       activate: true,
-      agent: 'claude'
+      agent: 'claude',
+      viewMode: 'terminal'
     })
     expect(mockCreateTab).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
     expect(mockQueueTabStartupCommand).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
@@ -345,7 +346,8 @@ describe('launchAgentInNewTab', () => {
         agentArgs: '--model gpt-5 --reasoning-effort high',
         agentEnv: { CODEX_PROFILE: 'captured' }
       },
-      launchAgent: 'codex'
+      launchAgent: 'codex',
+      viewMode: 'terminal'
     })
     expect(mockCreateTab).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
     expect(mockQueueTabStartupCommand).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
@@ -375,6 +377,30 @@ describe('launchAgentInNewTab', () => {
     )
   })
 
+  it('propagates the resolved terminal mode to paired web runtime launches', async () => {
+    mockIsWebRuntimeSessionActive.mockReturnValue(true)
+    store.settings = {
+      agentCmdOverrides: {},
+      agentDefaultArgs: {},
+      agentDefaultEnv: {},
+      activeRuntimeEnvironmentId: 'web-runtime',
+      experimentalNativeChat: true,
+      openAgentTabsInChatByDefault: false
+    }
+    const { launchAgentInNewTab } = await import('./launch-agent-in-new-tab')
+
+    launchAgentInNewTab({ agent: 'codex', worktreeId: 'wt-1' })
+
+    expect(mockCreateWebRuntimeSessionTerminal).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        worktreeId: 'wt-1',
+        environmentId: 'web-runtime',
+        agent: 'codex',
+        viewMode: 'terminal'
+      })
+    )
+  })
+
   it('surfaces a toast when host agent launch fails in paired web clients', async () => {
     mockIsWebRuntimeSessionActive.mockReturnValue(true)
     mockCreateWebRuntimeSessionTerminal.mockResolvedValue(false)
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/lib/launch-agent-in-new-tab.ts b/src/renderer/src/lib/launch-agent-in-new-tab.ts
index 6b8a0e5ae4e..292cc9e4626 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/lib/launch-agent-in-new-tab.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/lib/launch-agent-in-new-tab.ts
@@ -222,7 +222,9 @@ export function launchAgentInNewTab(args: LaunchAgentInNewTabArgs): LaunchAgentI
       groupId,
       hasPrompt,
       startupPlan,
-      ...initialViewModeProps,
+      // Why: omission means terminal locally, but would let a paired host apply
+      // its own default; send the client's resolved terminal choice explicitly.
+      viewMode: initialViewModeProps.viewMode ?? 'terminal',
       onPromptDelivered
     })
     return { tabId: null, startupPlan, pasteDraftAfterLaunch: false }