diff --git a/src/main/runtime/hidden-output-restored-provider-snapshot.test.ts b/src/main/runtime/hidden-output-restored-provider-snapshot.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..bcca4491fca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/runtime/hidden-output-restored-provider-snapshot.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import { createRuntime, syncSinglePty } from './orca-runtime-test-fixtures.spec'
+
+describe('hidden-output recovery after provider reattach', () => {
+  it('uses retained provider modes instead of the pre-attach redraw suffix', async () => {
+    const runtime = createRuntime()
+    const serializeProviderBuffer = vi.fn(async () => ({
+      data: '\x1b[?1049hRetained TUI',
+      cols: 100,
+      rows: 30,
+      seq: 1000,
+      source: 'headless' as const,
+      alternateScreen: true
+    }))
+    runtime.setPtyController({
+      write: () => true,
+      kill: () => true,
+      getForegroundProcess: async () => null,
+      serializeProviderBuffer
+    })
+    syncSinglePty(runtime, 'pty-1')
+    runtime.onPtyData('pty-1', '\x1b[HRedraw without the original alternate-screen entry', 60)
+    runtime.synchronizePtyOutputSequenceFromProvider('pty-1', {
+      value: 1000,
+      generation: 'continued'
+    })
+
+    const snapshot = await runtime.serializeHiddenOutputRecoveryBuffer('pty-1', {
+      scrollbackRows: 5000
+    })
+
+    expect(snapshot).toMatchObject({ data: '\x1b[?1049hRetained TUI', alternateScreen: true })
+    expect(serializeProviderBuffer).toHaveBeenCalledWith('pty-1', { scrollbackRows: 5000 })
+  })
+
+  it('keeps the renderer fallback for providers without retained snapshots', async () => {
+    const runtime = createRuntime()
+    runtime.onPtyData('pty-1', 'partial redraw', 14)
+    runtime.synchronizePtyOutputSequenceFromProvider('pty-1', {
+      value: 1000,
+      generation: 'continued'
+    })
+    const serializeBuffer = vi.fn(async () => ({
+      data: '\x1b[?1049hRenderer TUI',
+      cols: 100,
+      rows: 30
+    }))
+    runtime.setPtyController({
+      write: () => true,
+      kill: () => true,
+      getForegroundProcess: async () => null,
+      hasRendererSerializer: () => true,
+      serializeBuffer
+    })
+
+    await expect(runtime.serializeHiddenOutputRecoveryBuffer('pty-1')).resolves.toMatchObject({
+      data: '\x1b[?1049hRenderer TUI',
+      source: 'renderer'
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('keeps an authoritative main model without polling the provider', async () => {
+    const runtime = createRuntime()
+    const serializeProviderBuffer = vi.fn(async () => null)
+    runtime.setPtyController({
+      write: () => true,
+      kill: () => true,
+      getForegroundProcess: async () => null,
+      serializeProviderBuffer
+    })
+    runtime.onPtyData('pty-1', '\x1b[?1049hLive TUI', 20)
+
+    await expect(runtime.serializeHiddenOutputRecoveryBuffer('pty-1')).resolves.toMatchObject({
+      alternateScreen: true,
+      source: 'headless'
+    })
+    expect(serializeProviderBuffer).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-serialize-main-terminal-buffer.ts b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-serialize-main-terminal-buffer.ts
index ed777c1f7d1..6559dbfd349 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-serialize-main-terminal-buffer.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-serialize-main-terminal-buffer.ts
@@ -47,6 +47,10 @@ export class OrcaRuntimeWithSerializeMainTerminalBuffer extends OrcaRuntimeWithA
     pendingEscapeTailAnsi?: string
     terminalOwner?: 'shell'
   } | null> {
+    const restoredSnapshot = await this.serializePreferredRestoredTerminalBuffer(ptyId, opts)
+    if (restoredSnapshot) {
+      return restoredSnapshot
+    }
     const headlessSnapshot = await this.serializeHeadlessTerminalBuffer(ptyId, {
       ...opts,
       includeEmpty: true
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-serialize-terminal-buffer-from-available-state.ts b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-serialize-terminal-buffer-from-available-state.ts
index e031dc1b6f5..8969841359b 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-serialize-terminal-buffer-from-available-state.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-serialize-terminal-buffer-from-available-state.ts
@@ -23,18 +23,9 @@ export class OrcaRuntimeWithSerializeTerminalBufferFromAvailableState extends Or
     kittyKeyboardFlags?: number
     terminalOwner?: 'shell'
   } | null> {
-    if (this.providerSnapshotPreferredPtys.has(ptyId)) {
-      // Why: pre-attach stream bytes only form a suffix of restored state. A
-      // sequenced provider snapshot safely reconciles live bytes; renderer is
-      // the fallback when an older provider cannot expose that boundary.
-      const providerSnapshot = await this.serializeProviderTerminalBuffer(ptyId, opts)
-      if (providerSnapshot) {
-        return providerSnapshot
-      }
-      const rendererSnapshot = await this.serializeRendererTerminalBuffer(ptyId, opts)
-      if (rendererSnapshot) {
-        return rendererSnapshot
-      }
+    const restoredSnapshot = await this.serializePreferredRestoredTerminalBuffer(ptyId, opts)
+    if (restoredSnapshot) {
+      return restoredSnapshot
     }
     const headlessSnapshot = await this.serializeHeadlessTerminalBuffer(ptyId, opts)
     if (headlessSnapshot) {
@@ -58,6 +49,20 @@ export class OrcaRuntimeWithSerializeTerminalBufferFromAvailableState extends Or
       : rendererSnapshot
   }
 
+  protected async serializePreferredRestoredTerminalBuffer(
+    ptyId: string,
+    opts: { scrollbackRows?: number } = {}
+  ) {
+    if (!this.providerSnapshotPreferredPtys.has(ptyId)) {
+      return null
+    }
+    // Pre-attach bytes are only a suffix; older providers can fall back to the renderer.
+    return (
+      (await this.serializeProviderTerminalBuffer(ptyId, opts)) ??
+      (await this.serializeRendererTerminalBuffer(ptyId, opts))
+    )
+  }
+
   async serializeRendererTerminalBuffer(
     ptyId: string,
     opts: { scrollbackRows?: number } = {}