diff --git a/config/scripts/vitest-sqlite-runtime-files.mjs b/config/scripts/vitest-sqlite-runtime-files.mjs
index d62866f3e95..a96647dfe09 100644
--- a/config/scripts/vitest-sqlite-runtime-files.mjs
+++ b/config/scripts/vitest-sqlite-runtime-files.mjs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ export const SQLITE_RUNTIME_INCLUDE = [
   'src/main/ipc/repos/project-host-setup-wsl-move-fence.test.ts',
   'src/main/ipc/repos/repo-ipc-wsl-move-fence.test.ts',
   'src/main/runtime/runtime-managed-worktree-metadata-wsl-move.test.ts',
+  'src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-session-freeze.test.ts',
   'src/main/acp/acp-structured-host-live-listing.test.ts',
   'src/main/acp/acp-structured-host-configured-default.test.ts',
   'src/main/pi/rpc-configured-default.test.ts',
diff --git a/src/main/ipc/pty/host-env/spawn-cwd-wsl-move.test.ts b/src/main/ipc/pty/host-env/spawn-cwd-wsl-move.test.ts
index 043dd5829b1..ae7fdf06a5a 100644
--- a/src/main/ipc/pty/host-env/spawn-cwd-wsl-move.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/ipc/pty/host-env/spawn-cwd-wsl-move.test.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { tmpdir } from 'node:os'
 import { join } from 'node:path'
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 import { wslMoveCutoverFixture as cutover } from '../../../persistence/__fixtures__/wsl-mover/wsl-move-cutover-fixture'
-import { writeWslMoveCutover } from '../../../persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-cutover-journal'
+import { seedWslMoveCutover } from '../../../persistence/__fixtures__/wsl-mover/wsl-move-journal-seeding'
 import {
   WslMoveProjectFencedError,
   loadWslMoveFence,
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ const accept = (worktreeId: string, sessionId?: string) =>
 beforeEach(() => {
   userDataPath = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'wsl-move-spawn-'))
   loadWslMoveFence(userDataPath)
-  writeWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, cutover('move-1', 'source-fenced'))
+  seedWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, cutover('move-1', 'source-fenced'))
   listLiveDaemonPtyIds.mockReset()
 })
 afterEach(() => {
diff --git a/src/main/ipc/repos/project-host-setup-wsl-move-fence.test.ts b/src/main/ipc/repos/project-host-setup-wsl-move-fence.test.ts
index 1c6f5cea7d8..c4e566178b3 100644
--- a/src/main/ipc/repos/project-host-setup-wsl-move-fence.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/ipc/repos/project-host-setup-wsl-move-fence.test.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import { closeTestStores, createStore, testState } from '../../persistence-test-
 import type { Store } from '../../persistence'
 import type { Repo } from '../../../shared/repo-types'
 import { wslMoveCutoverFixture as cutover } from '../../persistence/__fixtures__/wsl-mover/wsl-move-cutover-fixture'
-import { writeWslMoveCutover } from '../../persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-cutover-journal'
+import { seedWslMoveCutover } from '../../persistence/__fixtures__/wsl-mover/wsl-move-journal-seeding'
 import {
   WslMoveProjectFencedError,
   loadWslMoveFence,
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ describe('project host setups under a WSL move', () => {
   it('refuses IPC edits to a local setup of a moving repo and leaves others alone', async () => {
     store.addRepo(repo('repo-1'))
     store.addRepo(repo('repo-2'))
-    writeWslMoveCutover(testState.dir, cutover('move-1', 'source-fenced'))
+    seedWslMoveCutover(testState.dir, cutover('move-1', 'source-fenced'))
     registerProjectHostSetupHandlers(new BrowserWindow(), store)
     const moving = setupFor('repo-1')
 
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ describe('project host setups under a WSL move', () => {
 
   it("keeps a setup's own repo frozen once the WSL host owns it", async () => {
     store.addRepo(repo('repo-1'))
-    writeWslMoveCutover(testState.dir, cutover('move-1', 'destination-committed'))
+    seedWslMoveCutover(testState.dir, cutover('move-1', 'destination-committed'))
     registerProjectHostSetupHandlers(new BrowserWindow(), store)
     const owned = setupFor('repo-1')
 
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ describe('project host setups under a WSL move', () => {
 
   it('refuses a runtime setup delete for a moving repo', () => {
     store.addRepo(repo('repo-1'))
-    writeWslMoveCutover(testState.dir, cutover('move-1', 'source-fenced'))
+    seedWslMoveCutover(testState.dir, cutover('move-1', 'source-fenced'))
     const controller = new RuntimeProjectHostSetupController({
       getStore: () => store,
       listRepos: () => store.getRepos(),
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ describe('project host setups under a WSL move', () => {
 describe('projects:update once the WSL host owns a repo', () => {
   it('lets project-wide settings change again', async () => {
     store.addRepo(repo('repo-1'))
-    writeWslMoveCutover(testState.dir, cutover('move-1', 'destination-committed'))
+    seedWslMoveCutover(testState.dir, cutover('move-1', 'destination-committed'))
     registerRepoCatalogHandlers(new BrowserWindow(), store)
     const project = store.getProjects().find((entry) => entry.sourceRepoIds.includes('repo-1'))
     const updates = { localWindowsRuntimePreference: { kind: 'windows-host' } }
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ describe('projects:update once the WSL host owns a repo', () => {
 describe('issue command writes under a WSL move', () => {
   it('refuses a runtime write to a moving repo before touching the file', async () => {
     store.addRepo(repo('repo-1'))
-    writeWslMoveCutover(testState.dir, cutover('move-1', 'source-fenced'))
+    seedWslMoveCutover(testState.dir, cutover('move-1', 'source-fenced'))
     const write = vi.spyOn(issueCommandFile, 'writeIssueCommand')
     const commands = new RuntimeRepositoryIssueCommand({
       resolveRepo: async (id) => repo(id),
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ describe('issue command writes under a WSL move', () => {
 
 describe('repo settings on another host under a WSL move', () => {
   it('leaves a same-id repo row on another host writable', async () => {
-    writeWslMoveCutover(testState.dir, cutover('move-1', 'source-fenced'))
+    seedWslMoveCutover(testState.dir, cutover('move-1', 'source-fenced'))
     const onHost = repo('repo-1', { executionHostId: 'runtime:wsl:ubuntu' })
     vi.spyOn(store, 'updateRepo').mockReturnValue(onHost)
     const controller = new RuntimeRepositorySettingsController({
diff --git a/src/main/ipc/repos/repo-ipc-wsl-move-fence.test.ts b/src/main/ipc/repos/repo-ipc-wsl-move-fence.test.ts
index a874ce1b694..1b8ec667fa5 100644
--- a/src/main/ipc/repos/repo-ipc-wsl-move-fence.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/ipc/repos/repo-ipc-wsl-move-fence.test.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import { closeTestStores, createStore, testState } from '../../persistence-test-
 import type { Store } from '../../persistence'
 import type { Repo } from '../../../shared/repo-types'
 import { wslMoveCutoverFixture as cutover } from '../../persistence/__fixtures__/wsl-mover/wsl-move-cutover-fixture'
-import { writeWslMoveCutover } from '../../persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-cutover-journal'
+import { seedWslMoveCutover } from '../../persistence/__fixtures__/wsl-mover/wsl-move-journal-seeding'
 import {
   WslMoveProjectFencedError,
   loadWslMoveFence,
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ describe('folderWorkspaces:update under a WSL move', () => {
       createdFrom: 'folder-scan'
     })
     const workspace = store.createFolderWorkspace({ projectGroupId: group.id, name: 'notes' })
-    writeWslMoveCutover(
+    seedWslMoveCutover(
       testState.dir,
       cutover('move-1', 'source-fenced', {}, { folderWorkspaceIds: [workspace.id] })
     )
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ describe('projects:update under a WSL move', () => {
   it('refuses a runtime preference change when a source repo is moving', async () => {
     store.addRepo(repo('repo-1'))
     store.addRepo(repo('repo-2'))
-    writeWslMoveCutover(testState.dir, cutover('move-1', 'source-fenced'))
+    seedWslMoveCutover(testState.dir, cutover('move-1', 'source-fenced'))
     registerRepoCatalogHandlers(new BrowserWindow(), store)
     const projectFor = (repoId: string) =>
       store.getProjects().find((project) => project.sourceRepoIds.includes(repoId))
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ describe('projects:update under a WSL move', () => {
 describe('RuntimeRepositorySettingsController under a WSL move', () => {
   it('refuses a settings edit to a moving repo and writes nothing', async () => {
     store.addRepo(repo('repo-1'))
-    writeWslMoveCutover(testState.dir, cutover('move-1', 'source-fenced'))
+    seedWslMoveCutover(testState.dir, cutover('move-1', 'source-fenced'))
     const notifyReposChanged = vi.fn()
     const controller = new RuntimeRepositorySettingsController({
       getStore: () => store,
diff --git a/src/main/ipc/worktrees-wsl-move-fence.test.ts b/src/main/ipc/worktrees-wsl-move-fence.test.ts
index 81e98bd3b9e..1c77daca546 100644
--- a/src/main/ipc/worktrees-wsl-move-fence.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/ipc/worktrees-wsl-move-fence.test.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { tmpdir } from 'node:os'
 import { join } from 'node:path'
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 import { wslMoveCutoverFixture as cutover } from '../persistence/__fixtures__/wsl-mover/wsl-move-cutover-fixture'
-import { writeWslMoveCutover } from '../persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-cutover-journal'
+import { seedWslMoveCutover } from '../persistence/__fixtures__/wsl-mover/wsl-move-journal-seeding'
 import {
   WslMoveProjectFencedError,
   loadWslMoveFence,
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ beforeEach(() => {
   setupWorktreeHandlers()
   userDataPath = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'wsl-move-worktree-ipc-'))
   loadWslMoveFence(userDataPath)
-  writeWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, cutover('move-1', 'source-fenced'))
+  seedWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, cutover('move-1', 'source-fenced'))
 })
 afterEach(() => {
   resetWslMoveFenceForTests()
diff --git a/src/main/persistence/__fixtures__/wsl-mover/wsl-move-journal-seeding.ts b/src/main/persistence/__fixtures__/wsl-mover/wsl-move-journal-seeding.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..24dcfd08e64
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/persistence/__fixtures__/wsl-mover/wsl-move-journal-seeding.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+/** Writes a move's record through every phase up to its own, as the journal requires. */
+import {
+  WSL_MOVE_CUTOVER_PHASES,
+  type WslMoveCutover
+} from '../../../../shared/wsl-move/wsl-move-cutover'
+import { writeWslMoveCutover } from '../../moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-cutover-journal'
+
+export function seedWslMoveCutover(userDataPath: string, cutover: WslMoveCutover): void {
+  for (const phase of WSL_MOVE_CUTOVER_PHASES) {
+    writeWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, { ...cutover, phase })
+    if (phase === cutover.phase) {
+      return
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/main/persistence/loading-store/repo-lifecycle-operations.ts b/src/main/persistence/loading-store/repo-lifecycle-operations.ts
index bb22de808c4..47a18973e47 100644
--- a/src/main/persistence/loading-store/repo-lifecycle-operations.ts
+++ b/src/main/persistence/loading-store/repo-lifecycle-operations.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import type { WorkspaceSessionState } from '../../../shared/workspace-session-state-types'
 import type { ProjectHostSetup, ProjectHostSetupUpdateArgs } from '../../../shared/project-types'
 import type { Repo } from '../../../shared/repo-types'
 import type { GhAccountBinding } from '../../../shared/github/account-binding'
@@ -27,6 +28,17 @@ import type { StoreRuntimeState } from './store-runtime-state'
 import type { WriteSchedulingOperations } from './write-scheduling'
 import { scheduleSave } from './write-scheduling'
 import { pruneDeregisteredRepoUiResidue } from './repo-lifecycle-ui-residue'
+import { isWslMoveProjectSessionFrozen } from '../moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-scope-guard'
+
+// A paused WSL move keeps its local rows for a downgrade.
+function removeLocalRepoSession(
+  session: WorkspaceSessionState,
+  repoId: string
+): WorkspaceSessionState {
+  return isWslMoveProjectSessionFrozen({ repoId })
+    ? session
+    : removeRepoFromWorkspaceSession(session, repoId)
+}
 type RepoLifecycleOperationsRuntime = Pick<
   StoreRuntimeState,
   | 'gitUsernameCache'
@@ -83,11 +95,10 @@ export class RepoLifecycleOperations {
     syncProjectHostSetupCompatibilityState(this)
     pruneWorktreeStateForRepo(this, id, idStillPresent ? hostId : null)
     if (!idStillPresent) {
-      this[repoLifecycleOperationsContext].runtime.state.workspaceSession =
-        removeRepoFromWorkspaceSession(
-          this[repoLifecycleOperationsContext].runtime.state.workspaceSession,
-          id
-        )
+      this[repoLifecycleOperationsContext].runtime.state.workspaceSession = removeLocalRepoSession(
+        this[repoLifecycleOperationsContext].runtime.state.workspaceSession,
+        id
+      )
       this[repoLifecycleOperationsContext].runtime.state.workspaceSessionsByHostId =
         removeRepoFromHostWorkspaceSessions(
           this[repoLifecycleOperationsContext].runtime.state.workspaceSessionsByHostId,
@@ -121,7 +132,7 @@ export class RepoLifecycleOperations {
     for (const repoId of orphanRepoIds) {
       retireLocalWorktreeScanGeneration(repoId)
       pruneWorktreeStateForRepo(this, repoId, null)
-      state.workspaceSession = removeRepoFromWorkspaceSession(state.workspaceSession, repoId)
+      state.workspaceSession = removeLocalRepoSession(state.workspaceSession, repoId)
       state.workspaceSessionsByHostId = removeRepoFromHostWorkspaceSessions(
         state.workspaceSessionsByHostId,
         repoId
diff --git a/src/main/persistence/loading-store/session-host-partitions.ts b/src/main/persistence/loading-store/session-host-partitions.ts
index c5a13c505ed..aace1ce4b68 100644
--- a/src/main/persistence/loading-store/session-host-partitions.ts
+++ b/src/main/persistence/loading-store/session-host-partitions.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import { preserveRuntimeAuthoredWorkspaceSessionFields } from '../runtime-author
 import { dropClosedTerminalTabs } from '../closed-terminal-tab-write-fence'
 import { findWorktreeIdForTab } from '../restoring-sessions/pane-identity-migration'
 import { invalidateLocalWorktreeMetadataPruneInputs } from '../../local-worktree-metadata-prune-gate'
+import { isWslMoveWorkspaceSessionFrozen } from '../moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-scope-guard'
 import {
   removeWorkspaceSessionOwner,
   workspaceSessionPartitionIdsForHost
@@ -144,6 +145,10 @@ export function removeWorkspaceSessionOwnerInPartition(
   if (!hasPersistedWorkspaceSession(owner, resolved)) {
     return
   }
+  // A paused WSL move keeps its local rows for a downgrade.
+  if (resolved === LOCAL_EXECUTION_HOST_ID && isWslMoveWorkspaceSessionFrozen(worktreeId)) {
+    return
+  }
   const current = owner.getWorkspaceSession(resolved)
   const session = removeWorkspaceSessionOwner(current, worktreeId, {
     advanceTerminalTopologyRevision: options.advanceTerminalTopologyRevision ?? true
diff --git a/src/main/persistence/loading-store/session-snapshot-operations.ts b/src/main/persistence/loading-store/session-snapshot-operations.ts
index d92a2cf8e14..88c209485b3 100644
--- a/src/main/persistence/loading-store/session-snapshot-operations.ts
+++ b/src/main/persistence/loading-store/session-snapshot-operations.ts
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import {
   withRequiredWorkspaceSessionMaps
 } from './session-host-partitions'
 import { dropClosedTerminalTabs } from '../closed-terminal-tab-write-fence'
+import { keepWslMoveFrozenSessionsForStore } from '../moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-session-freeze'
 import { scheduleSave } from './write-scheduling'
 import { orderTerminalRowsByTabGroups } from '../../../shared/workspace-layout/terminal-row-order'
 
@@ -60,7 +61,12 @@ export class SessionSnapshotOperations {
     if (runtime.durableMutationPhase === 'rollback') {
       this.assertSnapshotAdmission(true)
       // The fieldwise rollback already preserves newer edits; renderer rebasing would undo it.
-      this.publishSession(session, resolved)
+      this.publishSession(
+        resolved === LOCAL_EXECUTION_HOST_ID
+          ? keepWslMoveFrozenSessionsForStore(session, runtime.state.workspaceSession)
+          : session,
+        resolved
+      )
       return
     }
     if (resolved === LOCAL_EXECUTION_HOST_ID) {
@@ -102,6 +108,10 @@ export class SessionSnapshotOperations {
     if (Object.hasOwn(patch, 'unifiedTabs')) {
       next = dropClosedTerminalTabs(next)
     }
+    if (resolved === LOCAL_EXECUTION_HOST_ID) {
+      const { state } = this[sessionSnapshotOperationsContext].runtime
+      next = keepWslMoveFrozenSessionsForStore(next, state.workspaceSession)
+    }
     this.publishSession(next, resolved)
   }
 
diff --git a/src/main/persistence/loading-store/workspace-session-snapshot-publication.ts b/src/main/persistence/loading-store/workspace-session-snapshot-publication.ts
index 4fbe44b75e5..d1446c701c4 100644
--- a/src/main/persistence/loading-store/workspace-session-snapshot-publication.ts
+++ b/src/main/persistence/loading-store/workspace-session-snapshot-publication.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import {
 } from '../../terminal-scrollback-snapshot-async-migration'
 import { preserveRuntimeAuthoredWorkspaceSessionFields } from '../runtime-authored-workspace-session-fields'
 import { dropClosedTerminalTabs } from '../closed-terminal-tab-write-fence'
+import { keepWslMoveFrozenSessionsForStore } from '../moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-session-freeze'
 import { registerPersistedPaneKeyAlias } from '../restoring-sessions/pane-alias-normalization'
 import {
   normalizeWorkspaceSessionPaneIdentities,
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@ export function setLocalWorkspaceSession(
 ): void {
   const context = getSessionSnapshotOperationsContext(owner)
   const prior = context.runtime.state.workspaceSession
+  session = keepWslMoveFrozenSessionsForStore(session, prior)
   // Why here and not at the callers: the before-unload stage path writes the renderer's payload
   // straight through, so a per-caller guard leaves the quit write erasing runtime-authored rows.
   session = dropClosedTerminalTabs(preserveRuntimeAuthoredWorkspaceSessionFields(session, prior))
diff --git a/src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-cutover-journal.test.ts b/src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-cutover-journal.test.ts
index 028da35c276..3944b9907a7 100644
--- a/src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-cutover-journal.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-cutover-journal.test.ts
@@ -2,8 +2,12 @@ import { mkdirSync, mkdtempSync, rmSync, statSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs
 import { tmpdir } from 'node:os'
 import { join } from 'node:path'
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
-import { wslMoveJournalKey } from '../../../shared/wsl-move/wsl-move-cutover'
+import {
+  WSL_MOVE_CUTOVER_PHASES,
+  wslMoveJournalKey
+} from '../../../shared/wsl-move/wsl-move-cutover'
 import { wslMoveCutoverFixture as cutover } from '../__fixtures__/wsl-mover/wsl-move-cutover-fixture'
+import { seedWslMoveCutover } from '../__fixtures__/wsl-mover/wsl-move-journal-seeding'
 import { orcadMigrationCutoverJournalDirectory } from '../../ssh/orcad-migration-cutover-journal'
 import {
   listWslMoveCutoverChain,
@@ -47,7 +51,7 @@ describe('WSL move journal', () => {
   })
 
   it('refuses a second move into a distro while the first is in flight', () => {
-    writeWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, cutover('move-1', 'quiesced'))
+    seedWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, cutover('move-1', 'quiesced'))
     expect(() =>
       writeWslMoveCutover(
         userDataPath,
@@ -57,7 +61,7 @@ describe('WSL move journal', () => {
   })
 
   it('chains a delta move after a finished one, and only onto the head', () => {
-    writeWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, cutover('move-1', 'retained'))
+    seedWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, cutover('move-1', 'retained'))
     expect(() => writeWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, cutover('move-2'))).toThrow(
       'wsl_move_must_extend_its_chain'
     )
@@ -77,7 +81,7 @@ describe('WSL move journal', () => {
   })
 
   it('never moves a record backwards, rebinds it, or advances a superseded one', () => {
-    writeWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, cutover('move-1', 'destination-committed'))
+    seedWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, cutover('move-1', 'destination-committed'))
     expect(() => writeWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, cutover('move-1', 'prepared'))).toThrow(
       'wsl_move_phase_regressed'
     )
@@ -87,6 +91,7 @@ describe('WSL move journal', () => {
         cutover('move-1', 'retained', {}, { repoIds: ['repo-1', 'repo-2'] })
       )
     ).toThrow('wsl_move_binding_changed')
+    writeWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, cutover('move-1', 'client-rewritten'))
     writeWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, cutover('move-1', 'retained'))
     writeWslMoveCutover(
       userDataPath,
@@ -97,7 +102,7 @@ describe('WSL move journal', () => {
   })
 
   it('hands out records a caller cannot edit into the next comparison', () => {
-    writeWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, cutover('move-1', 'destination-committed'))
+    seedWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, cutover('move-1', 'destination-committed'))
     const [listed] = listWslMoveCutovers(userDataPath)
     if (listed) {
       listed.phase = 'prepared'
@@ -122,12 +127,40 @@ describe('WSL move journal', () => {
     ).toThrow()
   })
 
-  it('keeps the fence: an in-flight record cannot be removed', () => {
-    writeWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, cutover('move-1', 'source-fenced'))
+  it('refuses a later phase whose record is missing or was lifted, or that skips a phase', () => {
+    expect(() => writeWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, cutover('move-1', 'source-fenced'))).toThrow(
+      'wsl_move_record_missing'
+    )
+    seedWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, cutover('move-1', 'source-fenced'))
+    removeWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, 'move-1')
+    expect(() => writeWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, cutover('move-1', 'quiesced'))).toThrow(
+      'wsl_move_record_missing'
+    )
+    expect(listWslMoveCutovers(userDataPath)).toEqual([])
+    writeWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, cutover('move-1', 'prepared'))
+    expect(() => writeWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, cutover('move-1', 'quiesced'))).toThrow(
+      'wsl_move_phase_skipped'
+    )
+  })
+
+  it.each(WSL_MOVE_CUTOVER_PHASES.slice(2, -1))('refuses to remove a %s record', (phase) => {
+    seedWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, cutover('move-1', phase))
+    expect(() => removeWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, 'move-1')).toThrow('wsl_move_in_flight')
+    expect(listWslMoveCutovers(userDataPath)[0]?.phase).toBe(phase)
+  })
+
+  it('keeps the fence: a record past quiesce cannot be removed', () => {
+    seedWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, cutover('move-1', 'quiesced'))
     expect(() => removeWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, 'move-1')).toThrow('wsl_move_in_flight')
     expect(listWslMoveCutovers(userDataPath)).toHaveLength(1)
   })
 
+  it('lifts a fence whose quiesce refused: nothing reached the destination yet', () => {
+    seedWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, cutover('move-1', 'source-fenced'))
+    removeWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, 'move-1')
+    expect(listWslMoveCutovers(userDataPath)).toEqual([])
+  })
+
   it('fails closed on a manifest edited without re-signing it', () => {
     const record = cutover()
     const edited = {
diff --git a/src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-cutover-journal.ts b/src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-cutover-journal.ts
index 6032fb6cfdc..2cb6b835c86 100644
--- a/src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-cutover-journal.ts
+++ b/src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-cutover-journal.ts
@@ -81,7 +81,8 @@ export function listWslMoveCutoverChain(
 }
 
 /**
- * Durable before it returns. A new move into a distro must extend the head of its chain, and only
+ * Durable before it returns. A record starts at `prepared` and then advances one phase at a time
+ * from the one on disk. A new move into a distro must extend the head of its chain, and only
  * once that head finished: one in-flight move per distro (design, section 4.3).
  */
 export function writeWslMoveCutover(userDataPath: string, cutover: WslMoveCutover): void {
@@ -97,6 +98,10 @@ export function writeWslMoveCutover(userDataPath: string, cutover: WslMoveCutove
   const chain = listWslMoveCutoverChain(userDataPath, parsed.journalKey)
   const existing = chain.find((entry) => entry.migrationId === parsed.migrationId)
   const head = chain.at(-1)
+  // Compare-and-swap: a writer whose record was lifted underneath it must not recreate the fence.
+  if (!existing && parsed.phase !== 'prepared') {
+    throw new Error('wsl_move_record_missing')
+  }
   if (existing) {
     assertWslMoveUpdate(existing, parsed, head)
   } else if (!head) {
@@ -130,20 +135,34 @@ function assertWslMoveUpdate(
   if (order(next.phase) < order(existing.phase)) {
     throw new Error('wsl_move_phase_regressed')
   }
+  if (order(next.phase) > order(existing.phase) + 1) {
+    throw new Error('wsl_move_phase_skipped')
+  }
   if (head && head.migrationId !== existing.migrationId && next.phase !== existing.phase) {
     throw new Error('wsl_move_superseded')
   }
 }
 
+// Before quiesce nothing has reached the destination, so lifting the fence loses nothing.
+const REMOVABLE_IN_FLIGHT_PHASES: ReadonlySet<WslMoveCutover['phase']> = new Set([
+  'prepared',
+  'source-fenced'
+])
+
 /**
- * Only a record that fences nothing goes: one never fenced (`prepared`) or one finished. A move in
- * between keeps its fence until it resumes, or until a cancel proves the destination holds nothing.
+ * Only a record whose move has touched nothing beyond the source goes, or one finished. A move
+ * further along keeps its fence until it resumes, or until a cancel proves the destination holds
+ * nothing.
  */
 export function removeWslMoveCutover(userDataPath: string, migrationId: string): void {
   const record = listWslMoveCutovers(userDataPath).find(
     (entry) => entry.migrationId === migrationId
   )
-  if (record && record.phase !== 'prepared' && !isWslMoveCutoverFinished(record)) {
+  if (
+    record &&
+    !REMOVABLE_IN_FLIGHT_PHASES.has(record.phase) &&
+    !isWslMoveCutoverFinished(record)
+  ) {
     throw new Error('wsl_move_in_flight')
   }
   journals.remove(userDataPath, migrationId)
diff --git a/src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-fence.test.ts b/src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-fence.test.ts
index 12a8fe06eba..0215ec56fa3 100644
--- a/src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-fence.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-fence.test.ts
@@ -4,16 +4,30 @@ import { wslMoveFenceFromCutovers } from './wsl-move-fence'
 
 const ids = (state: ReturnType<typeof wslMoveFenceFromCutovers>) => ({
   fenced: [...state.fenced.repoIds, ...state.fenced.folderWorkspaceIds],
-  hidden: [...state.hidden.repoIds, ...state.hidden.folderWorkspaceIds]
+  hidden: [...state.hidden.repoIds, ...state.hidden.folderWorkspaceIds],
+  sessionFrozen: [...state.sessionFrozen.repoIds, ...state.sessionFrozen.folderWorkspaceIds]
 })
 
 describe('WSL move fence', () => {
   it.each([
-    ['prepared', { fenced: [], hidden: [] }],
-    ['source-fenced', { fenced: ['repo-1', 'notes'], hidden: [] }],
-    ['blobs-transferred', { fenced: ['repo-1', 'notes'], hidden: [] }],
-    ['destination-committed', { fenced: [], hidden: ['repo-1', 'notes'] }],
-    ['retained', { fenced: [], hidden: ['repo-1', 'notes'] }]
+    ['prepared', { fenced: [], hidden: [], sessionFrozen: [] }],
+    // The quiesce's own Sleep still writes the session here.
+    ['source-fenced', { fenced: ['repo-1', 'notes'], hidden: [], sessionFrozen: [] }],
+    ['quiesced', { fenced: ['repo-1', 'notes'], hidden: [], sessionFrozen: ['repo-1', 'notes'] }],
+    [
+      'blobs-transferred',
+      { fenced: ['repo-1', 'notes'], hidden: [], sessionFrozen: ['repo-1', 'notes'] }
+    ],
+    // Through commit: the retained local session is what a downgrade restores.
+    [
+      'destination-committed',
+      { fenced: [], hidden: ['repo-1', 'notes'], sessionFrozen: ['repo-1', 'notes'] }
+    ],
+    [
+      'client-rewritten',
+      { fenced: [], hidden: ['repo-1', 'notes'], sessionFrozen: ['repo-1', 'notes'] }
+    ],
+    ['retained', { fenced: [], hidden: ['repo-1', 'notes'], sessionFrozen: ['repo-1', 'notes'] }]
   ] as const)('%s', (phase, expected) => {
     const record = cutover(
       'move-1',
@@ -29,6 +43,10 @@ describe('WSL move fence', () => {
       cutover('move-1', 'retained', {}, { repoIds: ['repo-1'] }),
       cutover('move-2', 'quiesced', { supersedesMigrationId: 'move-1' }, { repoIds: ['repo-2'] })
     ])
-    expect(ids(state)).toEqual({ fenced: ['repo-2'], hidden: ['repo-1'] })
+    expect(ids(state)).toEqual({
+      fenced: ['repo-2'],
+      hidden: ['repo-1'],
+      sessionFrozen: ['repo-1', 'repo-2']
+    })
   })
 })
diff --git a/src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-fence.ts b/src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-fence.ts
index 0887cd9130d..e29a629a598 100644
--- a/src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-fence.ts
+++ b/src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-fence.ts
@@ -3,9 +3,10 @@
  * lives outside the profile store, so an older build rewriting the profile cannot drop it, and the
  * scope it names is the manifest's own (design, section 4.3).
  *
- * - Fenced (read-only): from `source-fenced` until the host owns the projects. Edits, new
- *   terminals and session writes for these rows are refused.
+ * - Fenced (read-only): from `source-fenced` until the host owns the projects. Edits and new
+ *   terminals are refused.
  * - Hidden: once the destination committed. The source rows stay (retained) but are not listed.
+ * - Session frozen: from `quiesced` on, hidden or not, the session stays as the quiesce left it.
  */
 import type { WslMoveCutover, WslMoveCutoverPhase } from '../../../shared/wsl-move/wsl-move-cutover'
 import { WSL_MOVE_CUTOVER_PHASES } from '../../../shared/wsl-move/wsl-move-cutover'
@@ -21,11 +22,15 @@ export type WslMoveFenceState = {
   fenced: WslMoveScopeIds
   /** Rows the WSL host now owns: kept for a downgrade, never listed. */
   hidden: WslMoveScopeIds
+  /** Rows already paused, through commit: their session stays as the quiesce left it. */
+  sessionFrozen: WslMoveScopeIds
 }
 
 const phaseIndex = (phase: WslMoveCutoverPhase): number => WSL_MOVE_CUTOVER_PHASES.indexOf(phase)
 const FENCED_FROM = phaseIndex('source-fenced')
 const HIDDEN_FROM = phaseIndex('destination-committed')
+// Why not from `source-fenced`: the quiesce's own Sleep writes the slept panes' session after that.
+const SESSION_FROZEN_FROM = phaseIndex('quiesced')
 
 /** Throws when the journal cannot be read: callers keep every WSL project fenced then. */
 export function resolveWslMoveFence(userDataPath: string): WslMoveFenceState {
@@ -37,19 +42,31 @@ export function wslMoveFenceFromCutovers(
 ): WslMoveFenceState {
   const fenced = { repoIds: new Set<string>(), folderWorkspaceIds: new Set<string>() }
   const hidden = { repoIds: new Set<string>(), folderWorkspaceIds: new Set<string>() }
+  const sessionFrozen = { repoIds: new Set<string>(), folderWorkspaceIds: new Set<string>() }
   for (const cutover of cutovers) {
     const index = phaseIndex(cutover.phase)
     const target = index >= HIDDEN_FROM ? hidden : index >= FENCED_FROM ? fenced : null
     if (!target) {
       continue // `prepared` touches nothing on the source.
     }
-    const { scopeRepoIds, scopeFolderWorkspaceIds } = cutover.manifest.source
-    for (const id of scopeRepoIds) {
-      target.repoIds.add(id)
-    }
-    for (const id of scopeFolderWorkspaceIds) {
-      target.folderWorkspaceIds.add(id)
+    addScope(target, cutover)
+    // Through commit too: the retained local rows are what a downgrade restores.
+    if (index >= SESSION_FROZEN_FROM) {
+      addScope(sessionFrozen, cutover)
     }
   }
-  return { fenced, hidden }
+  return { fenced, hidden, sessionFrozen }
+}
+
+function addScope(
+  target: { repoIds: Set<string>; folderWorkspaceIds: Set<string> },
+  cutover: Readonly<WslMoveCutover>
+): void {
+  const { scopeRepoIds, scopeFolderWorkspaceIds } = cutover.manifest.source
+  for (const id of scopeRepoIds) {
+    target.repoIds.add(id)
+  }
+  for (const id of scopeFolderWorkspaceIds) {
+    target.folderWorkspaceIds.add(id)
+  }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-quiesce.test.ts b/src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-quiesce.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e6ad2e5d923
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-quiesce.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,246 @@
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import type { WslMoveCutover } from '../../../shared/wsl-move/wsl-move-cutover'
+import { wslMoveCutoverFixture as cutover } from '../__fixtures__/wsl-mover/wsl-move-cutover-fixture'
+import type { WslMoveExitProof } from './wsl-move-exit-proof'
+import {
+  quiesceWslMove,
+  type WslMoveQuiesceDeps,
+  type WslMoveQuiesceScope
+} from './wsl-move-quiesce'
+import type { WslMovePaneFacts } from './wsl-move-terminal-gate'
+
+const WORKTREE = 'repo-1::\\\\wsl.localhost\\Ubuntu\\home\\dev\\repo-1'
+const scope: WslMoveQuiesceScope = {
+  workspaceIds: [WORKTREE],
+  workspaceKeys: new Set([WORKTREE]),
+  panes: [{ paneKey: 'tab-1:leaf-1', sessionId: 'session-1' }]
+}
+const idlePane: WslMovePaneFacts = {
+  paneKey: 'tab-1:leaf-1',
+  foreground: 'shell-idle',
+  scrollbackBytes: 10
+}
+const hints = {
+  hints: [{ paneKey: 'tab-1:leaf-1', cwd: '/home/dev/repo-1' }],
+  unreadablePaneKeys: [],
+  staleCwdPaneKeys: []
+}
+
+function harness(overrides: Partial<WslMoveQuiesceDeps> = {}) {
+  const journal: WslMoveCutover['phase'][] = []
+  const removed: string[] = []
+  const steps: string[] = []
+  const deps: WslMoveQuiesceDeps = {
+    gateInputs: async () => ({
+      panes: [idlePane],
+      runningAutomationRunIds: [],
+      activeDispatchIds: []
+    }),
+    sleepWorkspaces: vi.fn(async () => {
+      steps.push(`sleep after ${journal.at(-1)}`)
+      return { failedWorktreeIds: [] }
+    }),
+    livePtyIds: () => [],
+    captureRestoreHints: async () => hints,
+    proveExited: async (): Promise<WslMoveExitProof> => ({ verdict: 'exited' }),
+    writeCutover: (record) => {
+      journal.push(record.phase)
+    },
+    removeCutover: (migrationId) => {
+      removed.push(migrationId)
+    },
+    now: () => new Date('2026-10-14T00:00:00.000Z'),
+    ...overrides
+  }
+  return { deps, journal, removed, steps }
+}
+
+describe('quiesceWslMove', () => {
+  it('fences, sleeps, proves exit and records the proven sessions', async () => {
+    const { deps, journal, removed, steps } = harness()
+    const result = await quiesceWslMove(cutover(), scope, deps)
+
+    expect(journal).toEqual(['source-fenced', 'quiesced'])
+    expect(steps).toEqual(['sleep after source-fenced'])
+    expect(removed).toEqual([])
+    expect(result).toMatchObject({
+      outcome: 'quiesced',
+      cutover: { phase: 'quiesced', provenExitedSessionIds: ['session-1'] },
+      restoreHints: hints
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('refuses with the blockers before fencing anything', async () => {
+    const { deps, journal } = harness({
+      gateInputs: async () => ({
+        panes: [{ ...idlePane, foreground: 'process-running' }],
+        runningAutomationRunIds: [],
+        activeDispatchIds: []
+      })
+    })
+    const result = await quiesceWslMove(cutover(), scope, deps)
+
+    expect(result).toMatchObject({
+      outcome: 'refused',
+      reason: 'terminals-blocked',
+      blockers: [{ kind: 'process-running', ids: ['tab-1:leaf-1'] }],
+      fenceLifted: true
+    })
+    expect(journal).toEqual([])
+    expect(deps.sleepWorkspaces).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+
+  it('gates again under the fence and refuses a pane that turned busy, without sleeping', async () => {
+    const phases: (WslMoveCutover['phase'] | undefined)[] = []
+    let calls = 0
+    const { deps, journal, removed } = harness()
+    deps.gateInputs = async () => {
+      phases.push(journal.at(-1))
+      calls += 1
+      const foreground = calls === 1 ? 'shell-idle' : 'process-running'
+      return {
+        panes: [{ ...idlePane, foreground }],
+        runningAutomationRunIds: [],
+        activeDispatchIds: []
+      }
+    }
+    const result = await quiesceWslMove(cutover(), scope, deps)
+
+    expect(phases).toEqual([undefined, 'source-fenced'])
+    expect(result).toMatchObject({
+      outcome: 'refused',
+      reason: 'terminals-blocked',
+      blockers: [{ kind: 'process-running', ids: ['tab-1:leaf-1'] }],
+      fenceLifted: true
+    })
+    expect(deps.sleepWorkspaces).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect(removed).toEqual(['move-1'])
+  })
+
+  it('refuses a second quiesce of the same distro while the first runs', async () => {
+    let releaseSleep: () => void = () => undefined
+    const first = harness({
+      sleepWorkspaces: () =>
+        new Promise((resolve) => {
+          releaseSleep = () => resolve({ failedWorktreeIds: [] })
+        })
+    })
+    const running = quiesceWslMove(cutover(), scope, first.deps)
+    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(first.journal).toEqual(['source-fenced']))
+
+    const second = harness()
+    await expect(quiesceWslMove(cutover('move-2'), scope, second.deps)).resolves.toEqual({
+      outcome: 'refused',
+      reason: 'quiesce-in-progress',
+      fenceLifted: true
+    })
+    expect(second.journal).toEqual([])
+
+    releaseSleep()
+    await expect(running).resolves.toMatchObject({ outcome: 'quiesced' })
+    await expect(quiesceWslMove(cutover('move-2'), scope, second.deps)).resolves.toMatchObject({
+      outcome: 'quiesced'
+    })
+  })
+
+  it.each([
+    ['renderer_unavailable', 'renderer-unavailable'],
+    ['worktree_sleep_timeout', 'sleep-timed-out'],
+    ['persist failed', 'sleep-failed']
+  ])('lifts the fence when Sleep rejects with %s', async (message, reason) => {
+    const { deps, journal, removed } = harness({
+      sleepWorkspaces: async () => {
+        throw new Error(message)
+      }
+    })
+    const result = await quiesceWslMove(cutover(), scope, deps)
+
+    expect(result).toMatchObject({ outcome: 'refused', reason, fenceLifted: true })
+    expect(journal).toEqual(['source-fenced'])
+    expect(removed).toEqual(['move-1'])
+  })
+
+  it('lifts the fence and names the workspaces whose Sleep failed', async () => {
+    const { deps, removed } = harness({
+      sleepWorkspaces: async () => ({ failedWorktreeIds: [WORKTREE] })
+    })
+    const result = await quiesceWslMove(cutover(), scope, deps)
+
+    expect(result).toMatchObject({
+      outcome: 'refused',
+      reason: 'sleep-failed',
+      failedWorktreeIds: [WORKTREE]
+    })
+    expect(removed).toEqual(['move-1'])
+  })
+
+  it('refuses a terminal opened in scope after Sleep, without touching the daemon proof', async () => {
+    const proveExited = vi.fn(async (): Promise<WslMoveExitProof> => ({ verdict: 'exited' }))
+    const { deps, journal, removed } = harness({ livePtyIds: () => ['pty-new'], proveExited })
+    const result = await quiesceWslMove(cutover(), scope, deps)
+
+    expect(result).toMatchObject({ reason: 'terminals-live', liveSessionIds: ['pty-new'] })
+    expect(proveExited).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect(journal).toEqual(['source-fenced'])
+    expect(removed).toEqual(['move-1'])
+  })
+
+  it.each<[WslMoveExitProof, Record<string, unknown>]>([
+    [
+      { verdict: 'live', sessionIds: ['session-1'] },
+      { reason: 'terminals-live', liveSessionIds: ['session-1'] }
+    ],
+    [
+      { verdict: 'unverifiable', reason: 'a daemon generation did not answer' },
+      { reason: 'exit-unverifiable', detail: 'a daemon generation did not answer' }
+    ]
+  ])('refuses unless the daemon proves exit: %o', async (proof, expected) => {
+    const { deps, journal, removed } = harness({ proveExited: async () => proof })
+    const result = await quiesceWslMove(cutover(), scope, deps)
+
+    expect(result).toMatchObject({ outcome: 'refused', ...expected, fenceLifted: true })
+    expect(journal).toEqual(['source-fenced'])
+    expect(removed).toEqual(['move-1'])
+  })
+
+  it('lifts the fence when reading the restore hints throws', async () => {
+    const { deps, removed } = harness({
+      captureRestoreHints: async () => {
+        throw new Error('disk')
+      }
+    })
+    const result = await quiesceWslMove(cutover(), scope, deps)
+    expect(result).toMatchObject({ reason: 'quiesce-failed', detail: 'disk' })
+    expect(removed).toEqual(['move-1'])
+  })
+
+  it('reports a fence it could not lift', async () => {
+    const { deps } = harness({
+      proveExited: async () => ({ verdict: 'live', sessionIds: ['session-1'] }),
+      removeCutover: () => {
+        throw new Error('wsl_move_in_flight')
+      }
+    })
+    const result = await quiesceWslMove(cutover(), scope, deps)
+    expect(result).toMatchObject({ outcome: 'refused', fenceLifted: false })
+  })
+
+  it('refuses without lifting anything when the fence cannot be written', async () => {
+    const { deps, removed } = harness({
+      writeCutover: () => {
+        throw new Error('wsl_move_already_in_flight')
+      }
+    })
+    const result = await quiesceWslMove(cutover(), scope, deps)
+    expect(result).toMatchObject({ reason: 'fence-failed', fenceLifted: true })
+    expect(removed).toEqual([])
+    expect(deps.sleepWorkspaces).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+
+  it('only starts from a prepared move', async () => {
+    const { deps } = harness()
+    await expect(quiesceWslMove(cutover('move-1', 'source-fenced'), scope, deps)).rejects.toThrow(
+      'wsl_move_not_prepared'
+    )
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-quiesce.ts b/src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-quiesce.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..5ad37b3e747
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-quiesce.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,212 @@
+/**
+ * Pausing a moving project's terminals (mover design, section 3.3): the gate must pass, the fence
+ * goes up, Sleep pauses every workspace in scope, and the daemon must prove each session exited
+ * before the journal says `quiesced`. Nothing is ever ended to make progress.
+ *
+ * A refusal after the fence lifts it again. Workspaces Sleep already paused stay asleep: that is
+ * their ordinary sleeping state, and waking them later restores them from it, so nothing is lost.
+ */
+import type { WslMoveCutover } from '../../../shared/wsl-move/wsl-move-cutover'
+import type { WslMoveExitProof } from './wsl-move-exit-proof'
+import type { WslMoveRestoreHintCapture } from './wsl-move-restore-hints'
+import {
+  assessWslMoveTerminals,
+  type WslMoveGateBlocker,
+  type WslMoveGateInputs
+} from './wsl-move-terminal-gate'
+
+export type WslMoveQuiesceScope = {
+  /** Every worktree and folder workspace of the moving projects; each one is slept. */
+  workspaceIds: readonly string[]
+  /** Workspace keys as session ids mint them, for the exit proof. */
+  workspaceKeys: ReadonlySet<string>
+  /** The panes the move carries, with the daemon session each one recorded. */
+  panes: readonly { paneKey: string; sessionId: string }[]
+}
+
+export type WslMoveQuiesceDeps = {
+  gateInputs: () => Promise<WslMoveGateInputs>
+  /** Resolves with the workspaces whose Sleep failed; rejects when the renderer cannot answer. */
+  sleepWorkspaces: (workspaceIds: readonly string[]) => Promise<{ failedWorktreeIds: string[] }>
+  /** PTYs this process still holds for the workspaces, daemon-backed or not. */
+  livePtyIds: (workspaceIds: readonly string[]) => readonly string[]
+  captureRestoreHints: (
+    panes: WslMoveQuiesceScope['panes'],
+    distro: string
+  ) => Promise<WslMoveRestoreHintCapture>
+  proveExited: (scope: {
+    workspaceKeys: ReadonlySet<string>
+    sessionIds: ReadonlySet<string>
+  }) => Promise<WslMoveExitProof>
+  writeCutover: (cutover: WslMoveCutover) => void
+  removeCutover: (migrationId: string) => void
+  now: () => Date
+}
+
+export type WslMoveQuiesceRefusalReason =
+  | 'terminals-blocked'
+  /** Another quiesce for the same distro is still running in this process. */
+  | 'quiesce-in-progress'
+  | 'fence-failed'
+  | 'renderer-unavailable'
+  | 'sleep-timed-out'
+  | 'sleep-failed'
+  | 'terminals-live'
+  | 'exit-unverifiable'
+  | 'journal-failed'
+  /** Anything else that threw after the fence went up. */
+  | 'quiesce-failed'
+
+export type WslMoveQuiesceResult =
+  | {
+      outcome: 'quiesced'
+      cutover: WslMoveCutover
+      // Not in the journal: the schema has no field for them yet, so the caller carries them on.
+      restoreHints: WslMoveRestoreHintCapture
+    }
+  | {
+      outcome: 'refused'
+      reason: WslMoveQuiesceRefusalReason
+      blockers?: WslMoveGateBlocker[]
+      failedWorktreeIds?: string[]
+      liveSessionIds?: string[]
+      detail?: string
+      /** False only when the journal record could not be removed, so the fence still stands. */
+      fenceLifted: boolean
+    }
+
+type Refusal = Extract<WslMoveQuiesceResult, { outcome: 'refused' }>
+
+// Journal keys with a quiesce running in this process; the journal alone cannot order two of them.
+const quiescingJournalKeys = new Set<string>()
+
+export async function quiesceWslMove(
+  prepared: WslMoveCutover,
+  scope: WslMoveQuiesceScope,
+  deps: WslMoveQuiesceDeps
+): Promise<WslMoveQuiesceResult> {
+  if (prepared.phase !== 'prepared') {
+    throw new Error('wsl_move_not_prepared')
+  }
+  if (quiescingJournalKeys.has(prepared.journalKey)) {
+    return { outcome: 'refused', reason: 'quiesce-in-progress', fenceLifted: true }
+  }
+  quiescingJournalKeys.add(prepared.journalKey)
+  try {
+    return await quiesceUnderLock(prepared, scope, deps)
+  } finally {
+    quiescingJournalKeys.delete(prepared.journalKey)
+  }
+}
+
+async function quiesceUnderLock(
+  prepared: WslMoveCutover,
+  scope: WslMoveQuiesceScope,
+  deps: WslMoveQuiesceDeps
+): Promise<WslMoveQuiesceResult> {
+  const gate = assessWslMoveTerminals(await deps.gateInputs())
+  if (gate.verdict === 'blocked') {
+    return {
+      outcome: 'refused',
+      reason: 'terminals-blocked',
+      blockers: gate.blockers,
+      fenceLifted: true
+    }
+  }
+  const fenced: WslMoveCutover = {
+    ...prepared,
+    phase: 'source-fenced',
+    updatedAt: deps.now().toISOString()
+  }
+  try {
+    deps.writeCutover(fenced)
+  } catch (error) {
+    return {
+      outcome: 'refused',
+      reason: 'fence-failed',
+      detail: describe(error),
+      fenceLifted: true
+    }
+  }
+  const refuse = (refusal: Omit<Refusal, 'outcome' | 'fenceLifted'>): Refusal => {
+    try {
+      deps.removeCutover(fenced.migrationId)
+      return { outcome: 'refused', ...refusal, fenceLifted: true }
+    } catch (error) {
+      console.warn('[wsl-move] Could not lift the fence after a refused quiesce:', error)
+      return { outcome: 'refused', ...refusal, fenceLifted: false }
+    }
+  }
+
+  try {
+    // The fence blocks new terminals, not commands typed into open shells; a sub-second window remains.
+    const fencedGate = assessWslMoveTerminals(await deps.gateInputs())
+    if (fencedGate.verdict === 'blocked') {
+      return refuse({ reason: 'terminals-blocked', blockers: fencedGate.blockers })
+    }
+  } catch (error) {
+    return refuse({ reason: 'quiesce-failed', detail: describe(error) })
+  }
+
+  try {
+    const { failedWorktreeIds } = await deps.sleepWorkspaces(scope.workspaceIds)
+    if (failedWorktreeIds.length > 0) {
+      return refuse({ reason: 'sleep-failed', failedWorktreeIds })
+    }
+  } catch (error) {
+    const detail = describe(error)
+    const reason =
+      detail === 'renderer_unavailable'
+        ? 'renderer-unavailable'
+        : detail === 'worktree_sleep_timeout'
+          ? 'sleep-timed-out'
+          : 'sleep-failed'
+    return refuse({ reason, detail })
+  }
+
+  try {
+    return await proveAndRecord(fenced, scope, deps, refuse)
+  } catch (error) {
+    return refuse({ reason: 'quiesce-failed', detail: describe(error) })
+  }
+}
+
+async function proveAndRecord(
+  fenced: WslMoveCutover,
+  scope: WslMoveQuiesceScope,
+  deps: WslMoveQuiesceDeps,
+  refuse: (refusal: Omit<Refusal, 'outcome' | 'fenceLifted'>) => Refusal
+): Promise<WslMoveQuiesceResult> {
+  // Not the gate's pane probe: a slept pane has no process to ask, so it would read unverifiable.
+  const live = deps.livePtyIds(scope.workspaceIds)
+  if (live.length > 0) {
+    return refuse({ reason: 'terminals-live', liveSessionIds: [...live] })
+  }
+  const distro = fenced.manifest.source.distro
+  const restoreHints = await deps.captureRestoreHints(scope.panes, distro)
+  const sessionIds = new Set(scope.panes.map((pane) => pane.sessionId))
+  // Last, so a session that came back while the hints were read still refuses.
+  const proof = await deps.proveExited({ workspaceKeys: scope.workspaceKeys, sessionIds })
+  if (proof.verdict === 'live') {
+    return refuse({ reason: 'terminals-live', liveSessionIds: proof.sessionIds })
+  }
+  if (proof.verdict === 'unverifiable') {
+    return refuse({ reason: 'exit-unverifiable', detail: proof.reason })
+  }
+  const quiesced: WslMoveCutover = {
+    ...fenced,
+    phase: 'quiesced',
+    updatedAt: deps.now().toISOString(),
+    provenExitedSessionIds: [...sessionIds]
+  }
+  try {
+    deps.writeCutover(quiesced)
+  } catch (error) {
+    return refuse({ reason: 'journal-failed', detail: describe(error) })
+  }
+  return { outcome: 'quiesced', cutover: quiesced, restoreHints }
+}
+
+function describe(error: unknown): string {
+  return error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error)
+}
diff --git a/src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-scope-guard.test.ts b/src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-scope-guard.test.ts
index 11c56178b00..b731ed75209 100644
--- a/src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-scope-guard.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-scope-guard.test.ts
@@ -3,11 +3,8 @@ import { tmpdir } from 'node:os'
 import { join } from 'node:path'
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 import { wslMoveCutoverFixture as cutover } from '../__fixtures__/wsl-mover/wsl-move-cutover-fixture'
-import {
-  removeWslMoveCutover,
-  writeWslMoveCutover,
-  wslMoveJournalDirectory
-} from './wsl-move-cutover-journal'
+import { seedWslMoveCutover } from '../__fixtures__/wsl-mover/wsl-move-journal-seeding'
+import { removeWslMoveCutover, wslMoveJournalDirectory } from './wsl-move-cutover-journal'
 import {
   WslMoveProjectFencedError,
   assertWslMoveProjectWritable,
@@ -67,31 +64,31 @@ describe('wslMoveProjectRefForWorkspace', () => {
 describe('WSL move scope guard', () => {
   it('fences nothing before startup loads the journal', () => {
     resetWslMoveFenceForTests()
-    writeWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, cutover('move-1', 'source-fenced'))
+    seedWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, cutover('move-1', 'source-fenced'))
     expect(isWslMoveFenceLoaded()).toBe(false)
     expect(writable('repo-1::/x')).not.toThrow()
   })
 
   it('follows a write under another spelling of the same profile folder', () => {
     loadWslMoveFence(`${userDataPath}/./`)
-    writeWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, cutover('move-1', 'source-fenced'))
+    seedWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, cutover('move-1', 'source-fenced'))
     expect(writable('repo-1::/x')).toThrow(WslMoveProjectFencedError)
   })
 
   it('lifts the fence when the finished move is removed', () => {
-    writeWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, cutover('move-1', 'retained'))
+    seedWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, cutover('move-1', 'retained'))
     expect(writable('repo-1::/x')).toThrow(WslMoveProjectFencedError)
     removeWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, 'move-1')
     expect(writable('repo-1::/x')).not.toThrow()
   })
 
   it('never matches a project on another host', () => {
-    writeWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, cutover('move-1', 'source-fenced'))
+    seedWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, cutover('move-1', 'source-fenced'))
     expect(writable('ssh:target-1|repo-1::/x')).not.toThrow()
   })
 
   it('follows journal writes without rereading on every check', () => {
-    writeWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, cutover('move-1', 'source-fenced'))
+    seedWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, cutover('move-1', 'source-fenced'))
     expect(writable('repo-1::/x')).toThrow(WslMoveProjectFencedError)
     rmSync(wslMoveJournalDirectory(userDataPath), { recursive: true, force: true })
     expect(writable('repo-1::/x')).toThrow(WslMoveProjectFencedError)
@@ -103,12 +100,12 @@ describe('WSL move scope guard', () => {
   })
 
   it('leaves a prepared move untouched', () => {
-    writeWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, cutover('move-1', 'prepared'))
+    seedWslMoveCutover(userDataPath, cutover('move-1', 'prepared'))
     expect(writable('repo-1::/x')).not.toThrow()
   })
 
   it('refuses work in a fenced project and keeps it listed', () => {
-    writeWslMoveCutover(
+    seedWslMoveCutover(
       userDataPath,
       cutover('move-1', 'source-fenced', {}, { repoIds: ['repo-1'], folderWorkspaceIds: ['notes'] })
     )
@@ -120,7 +117,7 @@ describe('WSL move scope guard', () => {
   })
 
   it('hides and refuses a project the WSL host owns', () => {
-    writeWslMoveCutover(
+    seedWslMoveCutover(
       userDataPath,
       cutover('move-1', 'destination-committed', {}, { folderWorkspaceIds: ['notes'] })
     )
@@ -131,7 +128,7 @@ describe('WSL move scope guard', () => {
   })
 
   it("keeps the host's own row, which carries the moved project's id", () => {
-    writeWslMoveCutover(
+    seedWslMoveCutover(
       userDataPath,
       cutover('move-1', 'destination-committed', {}, { repoIds: ['repo-1'] })
     )
@@ -155,7 +152,7 @@ describe('WSL move scope guard', () => {
 
 describe('WSL move edit guard', () => {
   const fenceRepo1AndNotes = () =>
-    writeWslMoveCutover(
+    seedWslMoveCutover(
       userDataPath,
       cutover('move-1', 'source-fenced', {}, { repoIds: ['repo-1'], folderWorkspaceIds: ['notes'] })
     )
@@ -200,7 +197,7 @@ describe('WSL move edit guard', () => {
   })
 
   it('freezes catalog settings only while a source repo is mid-move', () => {
-    writeWslMoveCutover(
+    seedWslMoveCutover(
       userDataPath,
       cutover('move-1', 'destination-committed', {}, { repoIds: ['repo-1'] })
     )
diff --git a/src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-scope-guard.ts b/src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-scope-guard.ts
index 8271f01f2a0..3d0a39705dc 100644
--- a/src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-scope-guard.ts
+++ b/src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-scope-guard.ts
@@ -70,7 +70,10 @@ function readFence(userDataPath: string): FenceView {
   try {
     return { readable: true, state: resolveWslMoveFence(userDataPath) }
   } catch (error) {
-    console.warn('[wsl-move] Journal unreadable; keeping WSL projects read-only:', error)
+    console.warn(
+      '[wsl-move] Journal unreadable; keeping WSL projects read-only, sessions unfrozen:',
+      error
+    )
     return { readable: false }
   }
 }
@@ -251,6 +254,30 @@ export function isWslMoveWorkspaceBlocked(
   return !!workspaceId && isWslMoveProjectBlocked(store, wslMoveProjectRefForWorkspace(workspaceId))
 }
 
+/** True once a move has paused the project: its session must stay as the quiesce left it. */
+export function isWslMoveProjectSessionFrozen(ref: WslMoveProjectRef | null): boolean {
+  const fence = loaded?.view
+  return !!ref && !!fence?.readable && inScope(fence.state.sessionFrozen, ref)
+}
+
+export function isWslMoveWorkspaceSessionFrozen(workspaceId: string): boolean {
+  return isWslMoveProjectSessionFrozen(wslMoveProjectRefForWorkspace(workspaceId))
+}
+
+/**
+ * Whether any move has a frozen session; lets the hot write path skip the per-workspace scan.
+ * An unreadable journal freezes nothing: the edit fence already refuses visibly, and no move can
+ * proceed without a readable journal, so freezing would only discard sessions silently.
+ */
+export function hasWslMoveFrozenSessions(): boolean {
+  const fence = loaded?.view
+  if (!fence?.readable) {
+    return false
+  }
+  const { sessionFrozen } = fence.state
+  return sessionFrozen.repoIds.size > 0 || sessionFrozen.folderWorkspaceIds.size > 0
+}
+
 export function assertWslMoveWorkspaceWritable(
   store: ProjectStore | undefined,
   workspaceId: string | null | undefined
diff --git a/src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-session-freeze.test.ts b/src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-session-freeze.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..19e82ec6200
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-session-freeze.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,167 @@
+import { mkdirSync, mkdtempSync, rmSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs'
+import { tmpdir } from 'node:os'
+import { join } from 'node:path'
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import { getDefaultPersistedState, getDefaultWorkspaceSession } from '../../../shared/constants'
+import type { WorkspaceSessionState } from '../../../shared/workspace-session-state-types'
+import type { Store } from '../../persistence'
+import {
+  closeTestStores,
+  createStore,
+  makeTerminalTab,
+  testState
+} from '../../persistence-test-harness'
+import { wslMoveCutoverFixture as cutover } from '../__fixtures__/wsl-mover/wsl-move-cutover-fixture'
+import { seedWslMoveCutover } from '../__fixtures__/wsl-mover/wsl-move-journal-seeding'
+import { ProfileStateSqliteAuthority } from '../profile-state/profile-state-sqlite-authority'
+import { pruneWorktreeStateForRepo } from '../tracking-repos/repo-worktree-pruning'
+import { wslMoveJournalDirectory } from './wsl-move-cutover-journal'
+import { loadWslMoveFence, resetWslMoveFenceForTests } from './wsl-move-scope-guard'
+
+vi.mock('electron', () => ({
+  app: { getPath: () => testState.dir },
+  safeStorage: { isEncryptionAvailable: () => false }
+}))
+
+const MOVING = 'repo-1::/home/dev/repo-1'
+const STAYING = 'repo-2::/home/dev/repo-2'
+
+function session(title: string, tabType: 'terminal' | 'editor'): WorkspaceSessionState {
+  return {
+    ...getDefaultWorkspaceSession(),
+    tabsByWorktree: {
+      [MOVING]: [makeTerminalTab({ id: 'moving-tab', ptyId: null, worktreeId: MOVING, title })],
+      [STAYING]: [makeTerminalTab({ id: 'staying-tab', ptyId: null, worktreeId: STAYING, title })]
+    },
+    terminalLayoutsByTabId: {
+      'moving-tab': { root: null, activeLeafId: null, expandedLeafId: null },
+      'staying-tab': { root: null, activeLeafId: null, expandedLeafId: null }
+    },
+    activeTabTypeByWorktree: { [MOVING]: tabType, [STAYING]: tabType }
+  }
+}
+
+const titles = (store: Store) => {
+  const { tabsByWorktree } = store.getWorkspaceSession()
+  return {
+    moving: tabsByWorktree[MOVING]?.map((tab) => tab.title),
+    staying: tabsByWorktree[STAYING]?.map((tab) => tab.title)
+  }
+}
+
+let store: Store
+beforeEach(() => {
+  testState.dir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'wsl-move-freeze-'))
+  store = createStore()
+  loadWslMoveFence(testState.dir)
+  store.setWorkspaceSession(session('slept', 'terminal'))
+})
+afterEach(async () => {
+  vi.restoreAllMocks()
+  resetWslMoveFenceForTests()
+  await closeTestStores()
+  rmSync(testState.dir, { recursive: true, force: true })
+})
+
+describe('WSL move session freeze', () => {
+  it("lets the quiesce's own Sleep write while the move is only fenced", () => {
+    seedWslMoveCutover(testState.dir, cutover('move-1', 'source-fenced'))
+    store.setWorkspaceSession(session('after-sleep', 'terminal'))
+    expect(titles(store)).toEqual({ moving: ['after-sleep'], staying: ['after-sleep'] })
+  })
+
+  describe('once quiesced', () => {
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      seedWslMoveCutover(testState.dir, cutover('move-1', 'quiesced'))
+    })
+
+    it('keeps the moving workspace as the quiesce left it and takes the rest', () => {
+      store.setWorkspaceSession(session('edited', 'editor'))
+      expect(titles(store)).toEqual({ moving: ['slept'], staying: ['edited'] })
+      expect(store.getWorkspaceSession().activeTabTypeByWorktree).toEqual({
+        [MOVING]: 'terminal',
+        [STAYING]: 'editor'
+      })
+    })
+
+    it('keeps it when a write omits the workspace entirely', () => {
+      const without = session('edited', 'editor')
+      delete without.tabsByWorktree[MOVING]
+      store.setWorkspaceSession(without)
+      expect(titles(store)).toEqual({ moving: ['slept'], staying: ['edited'] })
+    })
+
+    it('keeps it through a patch and the before-unload stage', () => {
+      store.patchWorkspaceSession({
+        activeTabTypeByWorktree: { [MOVING]: 'editor', [STAYING]: 'editor' }
+      })
+      expect(store.getWorkspaceSession().activeTabTypeByWorktree).toEqual({
+        [MOVING]: 'terminal',
+        [STAYING]: 'editor'
+      })
+      store.stageWorkspaceSessionBeforeUnload(session('quit', 'editor'))
+      expect(titles(store)).toEqual({ moving: ['slept'], staying: ['quit'] })
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('keeps freezing through commit, so the retained rows survive for a downgrade', () => {
+    seedWslMoveCutover(testState.dir, cutover('move-1', 'destination-committed'))
+    store.setWorkspaceSession(session('edited', 'editor'))
+    expect(titles(store)).toEqual({ moving: ['slept'], staying: ['edited'] })
+  })
+
+  it('freezes nothing, with one warning, when the journal cannot be read', () => {
+    const warn = vi.spyOn(console, 'warn').mockImplementation(() => undefined)
+    const directory = wslMoveJournalDirectory(testState.dir)
+    mkdirSync(directory, { recursive: true })
+    writeFileSync(join(directory, 'move-1.json'), '{not json')
+    loadWslMoveFence(testState.dir)
+    store.setWorkspaceSession(session('edited', 'editor'))
+    expect(titles(store)).toEqual({ moving: ['edited'], staying: ['edited'] })
+    expect(warn).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+  })
+})
+
+describe('WSL move session freeze: other session writers', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    seedWslMoveCutover(testState.dir, cutover('move-1', 'quiesced'))
+  })
+
+  it('keeps the frozen rows through a failed durable mutation that rolls the session back', async () => {
+    vi.spyOn(console, 'error').mockImplementation(() => undefined)
+    const refuse = () => {
+      throw new Error('disk refused')
+    }
+    const authority = ProfileStateSqliteAuthority.prototype
+    vi.spyOn(authority, 'writeSerializedDomains').mockImplementationOnce(refuse)
+    vi.spyOn(authority, 'writeCompleteSerializedDomains').mockImplementationOnce(refuse)
+    vi.spyOn(authority, 'writeSerializedState').mockImplementationOnce(refuse)
+    await expect(
+      store.runDurableMutation(() => {
+        store.setWorkspaceSession(session('mutated', 'editor'))
+        return {
+          value: undefined,
+          rollback: () => store.setWorkspaceSession(session('rolled-back', 'editor'))
+        }
+      })
+    ).rejects.toThrow('disk refused')
+    expect(titles(store)).toEqual({ moving: ['slept'], staying: ['rolled-back'] })
+  })
+
+  it('keeps the frozen rows when the repo is pruned', () => {
+    const state = getDefaultPersistedState(testState.dir)
+    state.workspaceSession = {
+      ...store.getWorkspaceSession(),
+      lastVisitedAtByWorktreeId: { [MOVING]: 1, [STAYING]: 1 }
+    }
+    pruneWorktreeStateForRepo(state, 'repo-1', null, () => undefined)
+    pruneWorktreeStateForRepo(state, 'repo-2', null, () => undefined)
+    expect(Object.keys(state.workspaceSession.tabsByWorktree)).toEqual([MOVING])
+  })
+
+  it('keeps the frozen rows when the workspace owner is removed', () => {
+    store.removeWorkspaceSessionStateForWorktree(MOVING)
+    store.removeWorkspaceSessionStateForWorktree(STAYING)
+    expect(titles(store)).toEqual({ moving: ['slept'], staying: undefined })
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-session-freeze.ts b/src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-session-freeze.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2b78f73d426
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-session-freeze.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+/**
+ * Once a move has paused a project, its workspaces' session stays exactly as the quiesce left it:
+ * that slept state is what the move carries to the host, so a later renderer write must neither
+ * change nor drop it. Every other workspace's rows, and the global fields, are taken as written.
+ */
+import { WORKSPACE_SESSION_FIELD_OWNERSHIP } from '../../../shared/workspace-session-host-field-ownership'
+import {
+  mergeWorkspaceSessionArrayField,
+  mergeWorkspaceSessionRecordField
+} from '../../../shared/workspace-session-host-records'
+import {
+  filterWorkspaceRows,
+  withoutWorkspaces,
+  workspaceIdsNamedByPartition
+} from '../../../shared/workspace-session-stranded-partition-adoption'
+import type { WorkspaceSessionState } from '../../../shared/workspace-session-state-types'
+import { hasWslMoveFrozenSessions, isWslMoveWorkspaceSessionFrozen } from './wsl-move-scope-guard'
+
+export function keepWslMoveFrozenSessions(
+  next: WorkspaceSessionState,
+  prior: WorkspaceSessionState | undefined,
+  isFrozen: (workspaceId: string) => boolean
+): WorkspaceSessionState {
+  const frozen = new Set<string>()
+  for (const workspaceId of workspaceIdsNamedByPartition(next)) {
+    if (isFrozen(workspaceId)) {
+      frozen.add(workspaceId)
+    }
+  }
+  for (const workspaceId of prior ? workspaceIdsNamedByPartition(prior) : []) {
+    if (isFrozen(workspaceId)) {
+      frozen.add(workspaceId)
+    }
+  }
+  if (frozen.size === 0) {
+    return next
+  }
+  const merged = withoutWorkspaces(next, frozen)
+  if (!prior) {
+    return merged
+  }
+  const kept = filterWorkspaceRows(prior, (workspaceId) => frozen.has(workspaceId))
+  for (const [field, ownership] of Object.entries(WORKSPACE_SESSION_FIELD_OWNERSHIP)) {
+    if (!isSessionField(field) || ownership === 'global' || ownership === 'hostPrivate') {
+      continue
+    }
+    if (ownership === 'worktreeArray') {
+      mergeWorkspaceSessionArrayField(merged, field, kept)
+    } else {
+      mergeWorkspaceSessionRecordField(merged, field, kept)
+    }
+  }
+  return merged
+}
+
+function isSessionField(field: string): field is keyof WorkspaceSessionState {
+  return Object.hasOwn(WORKSPACE_SESSION_FIELD_OWNERSHIP, field)
+}
+
+/** The store's write paths: a no-op unless some move has paused a project. */
+export function keepWslMoveFrozenSessionsForStore(
+  next: WorkspaceSessionState,
+  prior: WorkspaceSessionState | undefined
+): WorkspaceSessionState {
+  if (!hasWslMoveFrozenSessions()) {
+    return next
+  }
+  return keepWslMoveFrozenSessions(next, prior, isWslMoveWorkspaceSessionFrozen)
+}
diff --git a/src/main/persistence/restoring-sessions/session-owner-removal.ts b/src/main/persistence/restoring-sessions/session-owner-removal.ts
index 1cb7a44e004..1432a852c89 100644
--- a/src/main/persistence/restoring-sessions/session-owner-removal.ts
+++ b/src/main/persistence/restoring-sessions/session-owner-removal.ts
@@ -6,8 +6,15 @@ import {
   type ExecutionHostId
 } from '../../../shared/execution-host'
 import { workspaceSessionPartitionHostId } from '../../../shared/workspace-session-partition-owner'
+import { isWslMoveWorkspaceSessionFrozen } from '../moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-scope-guard'
 import { cloneWorkspaceSessionState, deleteOwnerKeyedSessionFields } from './session-owner-fields'
 
+/** Owners whose rows may go: a paused WSL move keeps its rows for a downgrade. */
+export function withoutWslMoveFrozenOwners(ownerKeys: ReadonlySet<string>): ReadonlySet<string> {
+  const kept = [...ownerKeys].filter((ownerKey) => !isWslMoveWorkspaceSessionFrozen(ownerKey))
+  return kept.length === ownerKeys.size ? ownerKeys : new Set(kept)
+}
+
 // Scans the pane-key-keyed maps, the close records and the shutdown list once, removing
 // every entry owned by a key matched by `isRemovedOwner` (or, for pty incarnations, whose
 // tab was removed). Kept separate from the O(1) deletes so a batch prune scans each
@@ -81,6 +88,9 @@ export function removeWorkspaceSessionOwnerEverywhere(
   ownerKey: string,
   options: { advanceTerminalTopologyRevision?: boolean } = {}
 ): void {
+  if (isWslMoveWorkspaceSessionFrozen(ownerKey)) {
+    return
+  }
   state.workspaceSession = removeWorkspaceSessionOwner(state.workspaceSession, ownerKey, options)!
   const partitions = state.workspaceSessionsByHostId
   if (!partitions) {
@@ -134,8 +144,9 @@ export function removeWorkspaceSessionOwners(
 
 export function removeWorkspaceSessionOwnersEverywhere(
   state: Pick<PersistedState, 'workspaceSession' | 'workspaceSessionsByHostId'>,
-  ownerKeys: ReadonlySet<string>
+  allOwnerKeys: ReadonlySet<string>
 ): void {
+  const ownerKeys = withoutWslMoveFrozenOwners(allOwnerKeys)
   if (ownerKeys.size === 0) {
     return
   }
diff --git a/src/main/persistence/terminal-topology/terminal-topology-commit.ts b/src/main/persistence/terminal-topology/terminal-topology-commit.ts
index 756869d08d7..f5998264bc3 100644
--- a/src/main/persistence/terminal-topology/terminal-topology-commit.ts
+++ b/src/main/persistence/terminal-topology/terminal-topology-commit.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import type { ExecutionHostId } from '../../../shared/execution-host'
+import { LOCAL_EXECUTION_HOST_ID, type ExecutionHostId } from '../../../shared/execution-host'
 import type { PersistedState } from '../../../shared/persisted-state-types'
 import type {
   TerminalLeafMoveRequest,
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import {
 import type { DurableProfileStateMutation } from '../loading-store/store-runtime-state'
 import { planTerminalLeafMove, rekeyMovedLeafProfileRecords } from './terminal-leaf-move'
 import { assignWorkspaceSessionPartition } from './terminal-topology-membership'
+import { keepWslMoveFrozenSessionsForStore } from '../moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-session-freeze'
 
 // The commit boundary for terminal layout (tabs, panes, pane-to-PTY bindings). Wraps the close and
 // the pane move; the close transform still lives in runtime/ and other writers move here later.
@@ -147,6 +148,17 @@ export type TerminalTopologyCommitContext = {
 }
 
 /** Writes `next`, returning a restore that puts the prior value back unless a later write replaced it. */
+// A paused WSL move keeps its local rows as the quiesce left them.
+function keepFrozen(
+  hostId: ExecutionHostId,
+  session: WorkspaceSessionState,
+  context: TerminalTopologyCommitContext
+): WorkspaceSessionState {
+  return hostId === LOCAL_EXECUTION_HOST_ID
+    ? keepWslMoveFrozenSessionsForStore(session, context.getSession(hostId))
+    : session
+}
+
 function writeRestorable<V>(read: () => V, write: (value: V) => void, next: V): () => void {
   const prior = read()
   write(next)
@@ -173,7 +185,7 @@ function commitLeafMove(
     writeRestorable(
       () => context.getSession(hostId),
       (value) => context.markDirty(assignWorkspaceSessionPartition(state, hostId, value)),
-      session
+      keepFrozen(hostId, session, context)
     )
   )
   const rekeyed = rekeyMovedLeafProfileRecords(state, request)
@@ -214,7 +226,7 @@ function commitPaneChange<T>(
   const restore = writeRestorable(
     () => context.getSession(hostId),
     (value) => context.markDirty(assignWorkspaceSessionPartition(context.state, hostId, value)),
-    change.session
+    keepFrozen(hostId, change.session, context)
   )
   return { value: change.value, rollback: restore }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/persistence/tracking-repos/repo-worktree-pruning.ts b/src/main/persistence/tracking-repos/repo-worktree-pruning.ts
index 2382cb6a371..6987f8b2da4 100644
--- a/src/main/persistence/tracking-repos/repo-worktree-pruning.ts
+++ b/src/main/persistence/tracking-repos/repo-worktree-pruning.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,10 @@ import { LOCAL_EXECUTION_HOST_ID, type ExecutionHostId } from '../../../shared/e
 import { parseWorkspaceKey } from '../../../shared/workspace-scope'
 import type { PersistedState } from '../../../shared/persisted-state-types'
 import type { WorkspaceSessionState } from '../../../shared/workspace-session-state-types'
-import { removeWorkspaceSessionOwners } from '../restoring-sessions/session-owner-removal'
+import {
+  removeWorkspaceSessionOwners,
+  withoutWslMoveFrozenOwners
+} from '../restoring-sessions/session-owner-removal'
 import {
   getExecutionHostIdFromWorktreeHostIdentity,
   getWorktreeIdFromHostIdentity,
@@ -105,7 +108,10 @@ export function pruneWorktreeStateForRepo(
   const pruneLegacyLocalSession = hostId === null || hostId === LOCAL_EXECUTION_HOST_ID
   const pruneAllHostPartitions = hostId === null
   if (pruneLegacyLocalSession) {
-    state.workspaceSession = removeWorkspaceSessionOwners(state.workspaceSession, ownerKeysToPrune)!
+    state.workspaceSession = removeWorkspaceSessionOwners(
+      state.workspaceSession,
+      withoutWslMoveFrozenOwners(ownerKeysToPrune)
+    )!
   }
   if (state.workspaceSessionsByHostId) {
     for (const [partitionHostId, session] of Object.entries(state.workspaceSessionsByHostId)) {
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/runtime-managed-worktree-metadata-wsl-move.test.ts b/src/main/runtime/runtime-managed-worktree-metadata-wsl-move.test.ts
index 24b2b09a6b5..a2b11a8ef35 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/runtime-managed-worktree-metadata-wsl-move.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/runtime-managed-worktree-metadata-wsl-move.test.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 import { closeTestStores, createStore, testState } from '../persistence-test-harness'
 import type { Store } from '../persistence'
 import { wslMoveCutoverFixture as cutover } from '../persistence/__fixtures__/wsl-mover/wsl-move-cutover-fixture'
-import { writeWslMoveCutover } from '../persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-cutover-journal'
+import { seedWslMoveCutover } from '../persistence/__fixtures__/wsl-mover/wsl-move-journal-seeding'
 import {
   WslMoveProjectFencedError,
   loadWslMoveFence,
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ beforeEach(() => {
   testState.dir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'wsl-move-meta-'))
   store = createStore()
   loadWslMoveFence(testState.dir)
-  writeWslMoveCutover(testState.dir, cutover('move-1', 'source-fenced'))
+  seedWslMoveCutover(testState.dir, cutover('move-1', 'source-fenced'))
 })
 afterEach(async () => {
   resetWslMoveFenceForTests()
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/runtime-provisioned-root-adoption.test.ts b/src/main/runtime/runtime-provisioned-root-adoption.test.ts
index 18addb123b8..364b3a90f30 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/runtime-provisioned-root-adoption.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/runtime-provisioned-root-adoption.test.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ import { tmpdir } from 'node:os'
 import { join } from 'node:path'
 import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 import { wslMoveCutoverFixture as cutover } from '../persistence/__fixtures__/wsl-mover/wsl-move-cutover-fixture'
-import { writeWslMoveCutover } from '../persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-cutover-journal'
+import { seedWslMoveCutover } from '../persistence/__fixtures__/wsl-mover/wsl-move-journal-seeding'
 import {
   WslMoveProjectFencedError,
   loadWslMoveFence,
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ describe('adoptRuntimeProvisionedRoot', () => {
     const userDataPath = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'wsl-move-adopt-'))
     try {
       loadWslMoveFence(userDataPath)
-      writeWslMoveCutover(
+      seedWslMoveCutover(
         userDataPath,
         cutover('move-1', 'source-fenced', {}, { repoIds: ['repo-vm'] })
       )
diff --git a/src/main/window/worktree-sleep-request-relay.test.ts b/src/main/window/worktree-sleep-request-relay.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9b6a2c8f35f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/window/worktree-sleep-request-relay.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,112 @@
+import { EventEmitter } from 'node:events'
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import type { WorktreeSleepRequest } from '../../shared/worktree-sleep-request'
+
+const ipcEmitter = new EventEmitter()
+vi.mock('electron', () => ({
+  ipcMain: {
+    on: (channel: string, listener: (...args: unknown[]) => void) =>
+      ipcEmitter.on(channel, listener),
+    removeListener: (channel: string, listener: (...args: unknown[]) => void) =>
+      ipcEmitter.removeListener(channel, listener)
+  }
+}))
+
+const { requestWorktreeSleepFromRenderer, worktreeSleepTimeoutMs } =
+  await import('./worktree-sleep-request-relay')
+
+class FakeContents extends EventEmitter {
+  destroyed = false
+  readonly sent: WorktreeSleepRequest[] = []
+  isDestroyed(): boolean {
+    return this.destroyed
+  }
+  send(_channel: string, request: WorktreeSleepRequest): void {
+    this.sent.push(request)
+  }
+}
+
+class FakeWindow extends EventEmitter {
+  readonly webContents = new FakeContents()
+  isDestroyed(): boolean {
+    return false
+  }
+}
+
+const respond = (sender: unknown, response: Record<string, unknown>): void => {
+  ipcEmitter.emit('ui:worktreeSleepResponse', { sender }, response)
+}
+
+let window: FakeWindow
+beforeEach(() => {
+  ipcEmitter.removeAllListeners()
+  window = new FakeWindow()
+})
+afterEach(() => vi.useRealTimers())
+
+describe('requestWorktreeSleepFromRenderer', () => {
+  it("resolves with the renderer's failed workspaces once its own window acks", async () => {
+    const pending = requestWorktreeSleepFromRenderer(window, ['wt-1', 'wt-2'])
+    const [request] = window.webContents.sent
+    expect(request?.worktreeIds).toEqual(['wt-1', 'wt-2'])
+
+    respond(new FakeContents(), { requestId: request?.requestId })
+    respond(window.webContents, { requestId: 'other' })
+    respond(window.webContents, { requestId: request?.requestId, failedWorktreeIds: ['wt-2'] })
+
+    await expect(pending).resolves.toEqual({ failedWorktreeIds: ['wt-2'] })
+    expect(ipcEmitter.listenerCount('ui:worktreeSleepResponse')).toBe(0)
+    expect(window.listenerCount('closed')).toBe(0)
+  })
+
+  it('rejects with the error the renderer reports', async () => {
+    const pending = requestWorktreeSleepFromRenderer(window, ['wt-1'])
+    respond(window.webContents, {
+      requestId: window.webContents.sent[0]?.requestId,
+      error: 'persist failed'
+    })
+    await expect(pending).rejects.toThrow('persist failed')
+  })
+
+  it.each([
+    ['the window closes', (target: FakeWindow) => target.emit('closed')],
+    ['the renderer dies', (target: FakeWindow) => target.webContents.emit('render-process-gone')],
+    ['the renderer reloads', (target: FakeWindow) => target.webContents.emit('did-start-loading')]
+  ])('rejects renderer_unavailable when %s', async (_name, lose) => {
+    const pending = requestWorktreeSleepFromRenderer(window, ['wt-1'])
+    lose(window)
+    await expect(pending).rejects.toThrow('renderer_unavailable')
+    expect(ipcEmitter.listenerCount('ui:worktreeSleepResponse')).toBe(0)
+    expect(window.webContents.listenerCount('destroyed')).toBe(0)
+    expect(window.webContents.listenerCount('did-start-loading')).toBe(0)
+  })
+
+  it('rejects renderer_unavailable up front when the renderer is already gone', async () => {
+    window.webContents.destroyed = true
+    await expect(requestWorktreeSleepFromRenderer(window, ['wt-1'])).rejects.toThrow(
+      'renderer_unavailable'
+    )
+    expect(window.webContents.sent).toEqual([])
+  })
+
+  it('times out instead of waiting forever', async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers()
+    const pending = requestWorktreeSleepFromRenderer(window, ['wt-1'])
+    let done = false
+    const settled = expect(pending.finally(() => (done = true))).rejects.toThrow(
+      'worktree_sleep_timeout'
+    )
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(29_999)
+    expect(done).toBe(false)
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(1)
+    await settled
+    expect(ipcEmitter.listenerCount('ui:worktreeSleepResponse')).toBe(0)
+  })
+
+  it('scales the wait with the workspaces, capped at five minutes', () => {
+    expect(worktreeSleepTimeoutMs(0)).toBe(20_000)
+    expect(worktreeSleepTimeoutMs(3)).toBe(50_000)
+    expect(worktreeSleepTimeoutMs(28)).toBe(300_000)
+    expect(worktreeSleepTimeoutMs(500)).toBe(300_000)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/main/window/worktree-sleep-request-relay.ts b/src/main/window/worktree-sleep-request-relay.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2d886179d75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/window/worktree-sleep-request-relay.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+import { randomUUID } from 'node:crypto'
+
+import { ipcMain } from 'electron'
+import type { BrowserWindow } from 'electron'
+import type {
+  WorktreeSleepRequest,
+  WorktreeSleepResponse
+} from '../../shared/worktree-sleep-request'
+
+const WORKTREE_SLEEP_BASE_TIMEOUT_MS = 20_000
+const WORKTREE_SLEEP_PER_WORKSPACE_MS = 10_000
+const WORKTREE_SLEEP_MAX_TIMEOUT_MS = 5 * 60_000
+
+/** One request sleeps every workspace of a project in turn, so the wait grows with them. */
+export function worktreeSleepTimeoutMs(workspaceCount: number): number {
+  return Math.min(
+    WORKTREE_SLEEP_BASE_TIMEOUT_MS + WORKTREE_SLEEP_PER_WORKSPACE_MS * workspaceCount,
+    WORKTREE_SLEEP_MAX_TIMEOUT_MS
+  )
+}
+
+export type WorktreeSleepResult = { failedWorktreeIds: string[] }
+
+/** The parts of a BrowserWindow the relay touches. */
+export type WorktreeSleepRendererWindow = {
+  isDestroyed(): boolean
+  readonly webContents: {
+    isDestroyed(): boolean
+    send(channel: string, request: WorktreeSleepRequest): void
+    once(event: 'destroyed', listener: () => void): unknown
+    once(event: 'render-process-gone', listener: () => void): unknown
+    once(event: 'did-start-loading', listener: () => void): unknown
+    removeListener(event: 'destroyed', listener: () => void): unknown
+    removeListener(event: 'render-process-gone', listener: () => void): unknown
+    removeListener(event: 'did-start-loading', listener: () => void): unknown
+  }
+  once(event: 'closed', listener: () => void): unknown
+  removeListener(event: 'closed', listener: () => void): unknown
+}
+
+// Why: no call site passes a real window yet; keep the narrow type honest against Electron's.
+const browserWindowFits: BrowserWindow extends WorktreeSleepRendererWindow ? true : never = true
+void browserWindowFits
+
+/**
+ * Sleep runs in the renderer, which owns the slept-pane records; this waits until it has slept
+ * the workspaces and persisted their session. Rejects `renderer_unavailable` or
+ * `worktree_sleep_timeout`; there is no headless fallback.
+ */
+export async function requestWorktreeSleepFromRenderer(
+  mainWindow: WorktreeSleepRendererWindow,
+  worktreeIds: readonly string[]
+): Promise<WorktreeSleepResult> {
+  if (mainWindow.isDestroyed()) {
+    throw new Error('renderer_unavailable')
+  }
+  const webContents = mainWindow.webContents
+  if (webContents.isDestroyed()) {
+    throw new Error('renderer_unavailable')
+  }
+  const requestId = randomUUID()
+  return new Promise<WorktreeSleepResult>((resolve, reject) => {
+    let settled = false
+    const onRendererUnavailable = (): void => finish(new Error('renderer_unavailable'))
+    const finish = (outcome: Error | WorktreeSleepResult): void => {
+      if (settled) {
+        return
+      }
+      settled = true
+      clearTimeout(timeout)
+      ipcMain.removeListener('ui:worktreeSleepResponse', onResponse)
+      mainWindow.removeListener('closed', onRendererUnavailable)
+      webContents.removeListener('destroyed', onRendererUnavailable)
+      webContents.removeListener('render-process-gone', onRendererUnavailable)
+      webContents.removeListener('did-start-loading', onRendererUnavailable)
+      if (outcome instanceof Error) {
+        reject(outcome)
+      } else {
+        resolve(outcome)
+      }
+    }
+    const timeout = setTimeout(
+      () => finish(new Error('worktree_sleep_timeout')),
+      worktreeSleepTimeoutMs(worktreeIds.length)
+    )
+    const onResponse = (event: Electron.IpcMainEvent, response: WorktreeSleepResponse): void => {
+      // Why: request ids are visible to renderer code; only the selected window may answer.
+      if (event.sender !== webContents || response.requestId !== requestId) {
+        return
+      }
+      finish(
+        response.error
+          ? new Error(response.error)
+          : { failedWorktreeIds: response.failedWorktreeIds ?? [] }
+      )
+    }
+    ipcMain.on('ui:worktreeSleepResponse', onResponse)
+    mainWindow.once('closed', onRendererUnavailable)
+    webContents.once('destroyed', onRendererUnavailable)
+    webContents.once('render-process-gone', onRendererUnavailable)
+    // A reload discards the renderer's pending Sleep, so it would never answer.
+    webContents.once('did-start-loading', onRendererUnavailable)
+    const request: WorktreeSleepRequest = { requestId, worktreeIds: [...worktreeIds] }
+    try {
+      webContents.send('ui:worktreeSleepRequest', request)
+    } catch {
+      finish(new Error('renderer_unavailable'))
+    }
+  })
+}
diff --git a/src/preload/api/ui-bridge-clipboard-and-window-controls.ts b/src/preload/api/ui-bridge-clipboard-and-window-controls.ts
index 6baa98ad6bb..333ebd8a3bb 100644
--- a/src/preload/api/ui-bridge-clipboard-and-window-controls.ts
+++ b/src/preload/api/ui-bridge-clipboard-and-window-controls.ts
@@ -73,6 +73,15 @@ export const uiClipboardAndWindowControlsApi = {
     ipcRenderer.on('ui:sleepWorktree', listener)
     return () => ipcRenderer.removeListener('ui:sleepWorktree', listener)
   },
+  onWorktreeSleepRequest: (callback) => {
+    const listener = (_event: Electron.IpcRendererEvent, request: Parameters<typeof callback>[0]) =>
+      callback(request)
+    ipcRenderer.on('ui:worktreeSleepRequest', listener)
+    return () => ipcRenderer.removeListener('ui:worktreeSleepRequest', listener)
+  },
+  respondWorktreeSleep: (response) => {
+    ipcRenderer.send('ui:worktreeSleepResponse', response)
+  },
   onResumeSleepingAgents: (callback: (data: { worktreeId: string }) => void): (() => void) => {
     const listener = (_event: Electron.IpcRendererEvent, data: { worktreeId: string }) =>
       callback(data)
diff --git a/src/preload/api/ui-command-event-api.ts b/src/preload/api/ui-command-event-api.ts
index a00a24dbfe4..963be524031 100644
--- a/src/preload/api/ui-command-event-api.ts
+++ b/src/preload/api/ui-command-event-api.ts
@@ -48,6 +48,10 @@ import type {
   SessionTabCloseRequest,
   SessionTabCloseResponse
 } from '../../shared/session-tab-close'
+import type {
+  WorktreeSleepRequest,
+  WorktreeSleepResponse
+} from '../../shared/worktree-sleep-request'
 
 export type CloseActiveTabPayload = { sourceId: string }
 
@@ -262,6 +266,8 @@ export type UiCommandEventApi = {
   onTerminalTabCloseRequest: (callback: (request: TerminalTabCloseRequest) => void) => () => void
   respondTerminalTabClose: (response: TerminalTabCloseResponse) => void
   onSleepWorktree: (callback: (data: { worktreeId: string }) => void) => () => void
+  onWorktreeSleepRequest: (callback: (request: WorktreeSleepRequest) => void) => () => void
+  respondWorktreeSleep: (response: WorktreeSleepResponse) => void
   onResumeSleepingAgents: (callback: (data: { worktreeId: string }) => void) => () => void
   onTerminalZoom: (callback: (direction: 'in' | 'out' | 'reset') => void) => () => void
   onSystemResumed: (callback: () => void) => () => void
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/sleep-worktree-flow.test.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/sleep-worktree-flow.test.ts
index c38f0d4e36d..34497baf390 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/sleep-worktree-flow.test.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/sleep-worktree-flow.test.ts
@@ -48,7 +48,11 @@ vi.mock('@/lib/worktree-sleep-intent', () => ({
   withWorktreeSleepTeardown: (_worktreeId: string, teardown: () => Promise<unknown>) => teardown()
 }))
 
-import { runSleepWorktree, runSleepWorktrees } from './sleep-worktree-flow'
+import {
+  runSleepWorktree,
+  runSleepWorktrees,
+  sleepWorktreesReportingFailures
+} from './sleep-worktree-flow'
 
 describe('runSleepWorktree', () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
@@ -310,6 +314,18 @@ describe('runSleepWorktree', () => {
     )
   })
 
+  it('reports failed worktrees to a caller that answers for them, without a toast', async () => {
+    mocks.state.shutdownWorktreeBrowsers.mockImplementation((worktreeId: string) =>
+      worktreeId === 'wt-1' ? Promise.reject(new Error('first failed')) : Promise.resolve()
+    )
+
+    const outcome = await sleepWorktreesReportingFailures(['wt-1', 'wt-2'])
+
+    expect(outcome.failedWorktreeIds).toEqual(['wt-1'])
+    expect(outcome.errors).toHaveLength(1)
+    expect(mocks.toastError).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+
   it('sleeps multiple worktrees and clears active only once when included', async () => {
     mocks.state.activeWorktreeId = 'wt-2'
 
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/sleep-worktree-flow.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/sleep-worktree-flow.ts
index 1e414a81800..24fb2a707b6 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/sleep-worktree-flow.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/sidebar/sleep-worktree-flow.ts
@@ -136,8 +136,34 @@ function describeSleepFailure(error: unknown): string {
 }
 
 export async function runSleepWorktrees(worktreeIds: readonly string[]): Promise<void> {
+  const { errors } = await sleepWorktreesReportingFailures(worktreeIds)
+  if (errors.length > 0) {
+    // Why: callers are fire-and-forget; surface actionable teardown failures after restoring retryable UI state.
+    toast.error(
+      worktreeIds.length === 1
+        ? translate(
+            'auto.components.sidebar.sleep.worktree.flow.8bc3fc0671',
+            'Failed to sleep workspace'
+          )
+        : translate(
+            'auto.components.sidebar.sleep.worktree.flow.c460fecc4a',
+            'Failed to sleep some workspaces'
+          ),
+      {
+        description: errors.join('\n')
+      }
+    )
+  }
+}
+
+export type WorktreeSleepOutcome = { failedWorktreeIds: string[]; errors: string[] }
+
+/** The sleep without the toast, for callers that report failures themselves. */
+export async function sleepWorktreesReportingFailures(
+  worktreeIds: readonly string[]
+): Promise<WorktreeSleepOutcome> {
   if (worktreeIds.length === 0) {
-    return
+    return { failedWorktreeIds: [], errors: [] }
   }
   const {
     activeWorktreeId,
@@ -214,21 +240,5 @@ export async function runSleepWorktrees(worktreeIds: readonly string[]): Promise
       setActiveWorktree(sleptActiveWorktreeId)
     }
   }
-  if (errors.length > 0) {
-    // Why: callers are fire-and-forget; surface actionable teardown failures after restoring retryable UI state.
-    toast.error(
-      worktreeIds.length === 1
-        ? translate(
-            'auto.components.sidebar.sleep.worktree.flow.8bc3fc0671',
-            'Failed to sleep workspace'
-          )
-        : translate(
-            'auto.components.sidebar.sleep.worktree.flow.c460fecc4a',
-            'Failed to sleep some workspaces'
-          ),
-      {
-        description: errors.join('\n')
-      }
-    )
-  }
+  return { failedWorktreeIds: [...failedWorktreeIds], errors }
 }
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/hooks/ipc-events/mobile-terminal-close-ipc-bridge.ts b/src/renderer/src/hooks/ipc-events/mobile-terminal-close-ipc-bridge.ts
index a44f474a6ac..2130c5e2b6a 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/hooks/ipc-events/mobile-terminal-close-ipc-bridge.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/hooks/ipc-events/mobile-terminal-close-ipc-bridge.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,10 @@ import { createRuntimeFilePositionQueue } from './runtime-file-position'
 import { applyClosedTerminalLeafNotice } from '@/components/terminal-pane/closed-terminal-leaf-notice'
 import { closeTerminalTab } from '@/components/terminal/terminal-tab-actions'
 import { detectLanguage } from '@/lib/language-detect'
-import { runSleepWorktree } from '@/components/sidebar/sleep-worktree-flow'
+import {
+  runSleepWorktree,
+  sleepWorktreesReportingFailures
+} from '@/components/sidebar/sleep-worktree-flow'
 import { buildWorkspaceSessionPayload } from '@/lib/workspace-session'
 import { persistWorkspaceSessionByHost } from '@/lib/workspace-session-host-persistence'
 import { revealWorkspaceSurface } from '@/lib/workspace-surface-reveal'
@@ -133,6 +136,30 @@ export function registerMobileAndTerminalCloseIpcBridge(
     })
   )
 
+  // Why optional: an older preload lingering through an in-place reload lacks the channel.
+  if (window.api.ui.onWorktreeSleepRequest) {
+    unsubs.push(
+      window.api.ui.onWorktreeSleepRequest(({ requestId, worktreeIds }) => {
+        void (async () => {
+          const { failedWorktreeIds } = await sleepWorktreesReportingFailures(worktreeIds)
+          // Main waits on the ack, so the slept state must be durable before it.
+          const state = useAppStore.getState()
+          await persistWorkspaceSessionByHost(
+            window.api.session,
+            buildWorkspaceSessionPayload(state),
+            state
+          )
+          window.api.ui.respondWorktreeSleep({ requestId, failedWorktreeIds })
+        })().catch((error: unknown) => {
+          window.api.ui.respondWorktreeSleep({
+            requestId,
+            error: error instanceof Error ? error.message : 'worktree_sleep_failed'
+          })
+        })
+      })
+    )
+  }
+
   unsubs.push(
     window.api.ui.onResumeSleepingAgents(({ worktreeId }) => {
       // Why: a phone opened this worktree; wake its slept agents without changing the desktop's worktree/tab/view.
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/hooks/useIpcEvents-lifecycle.test.ts b/src/renderer/src/hooks/useIpcEvents-lifecycle.test.ts
index b5cf51fa3d9..0482f12460e 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/hooks/useIpcEvents-lifecycle.test.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/hooks/useIpcEvents-lifecycle.test.ts
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ const EXPECTED_DIRECT_CALLBACK_METHODS = [
   'ui.onToggleStatusBar',
   'ui.onToggleWorktreePalette',
   'ui.onWorktreeHistoryNavigate',
+  'ui.onWorktreeSleepRequest',
   'updater.onClearDismissal',
   'updater.onStatus',
   'workspaceSpace.onProgress',
@@ -164,6 +165,7 @@ const EXPECTED_CALLBACK_REGISTRATION_SEQUENCE = [
   'ui.onCloseTerminal',
   'ui.onTerminalTabCloseRequest',
   'ui.onSleepWorktree',
+  'ui.onWorktreeSleepRequest',
   'ui.onResumeSleepingAgents',
   'updater.onStatus',
   'updater.onClearDismissal',
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/web/preload-api/web-ui-api.ts b/src/renderer/src/web/preload-api/web-ui-api.ts
index 9ac0c927e7d..993e15d5a24 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/web/preload-api/web-ui-api.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/web/preload-api/web-ui-api.ts
@@ -277,6 +277,8 @@ export function createWebUiApi(): NonNullable<Partial<PreloadApi>['ui']> {
     onTerminalTabCloseRequest: () => noopUnsubscribe,
     respondTerminalTabClose: () => {},
     onSleepWorktree: () => noopUnsubscribe,
+    onWorktreeSleepRequest: () => noopUnsubscribe,
+    respondWorktreeSleep: () => {},
     // Why: paired web is a full renderer that wakes on activation; mobile wake is desktop-host-scoped and never reaches web.
     onResumeSleepingAgents: () => noopUnsubscribe,
     onTerminalZoom: () => noopUnsubscribe,
diff --git a/src/shared/workspace-session-stranded-partition-adoption.ts b/src/shared/workspace-session-stranded-partition-adoption.ts
index 733c5d9f9d1..d5ab457702a 100644
--- a/src/shared/workspace-session-stranded-partition-adoption.ts
+++ b/src/shared/workspace-session-stranded-partition-adoption.ts
@@ -266,6 +266,14 @@ function entryWorkspaceResolver(
 export function withoutWorkspaces(
   base: WorkspaceSessionState,
   workspaceIds: ReadonlySet<string>
+): WorkspaceSessionState {
+  return filterWorkspaceRows(base, (workspaceId) => !workspaceIds.has(workspaceId))
+}
+
+/** The scoped rows of the workspaces kept, by the same routing; global fields stay as they are. */
+export function filterWorkspaceRows(
+  base: WorkspaceSessionState,
+  keepsWorkspace: (workspaceId: string) => boolean
 ): WorkspaceSessionState {
   const worktreeIdByTabId = buildWorktreeIdByTabId(base)
   const worktreeIdByFileId = buildWorktreeIdByFileId(base)
@@ -273,7 +281,7 @@ export function withoutWorkspaces(
   for (const field of SESSION_FIELDS) {
     const workspaceOf = entryWorkspaceResolver(field, worktreeIdByTabId, worktreeIdByFileId)
     const keeps = (key: string, entry: unknown): boolean =>
-      !workspaceIds.has(normalizeWorkspaceSessionKeyToWorkspaceId(workspaceOf?.(key, entry) ?? ''))
+      keepsWorkspace(normalizeWorkspaceSessionKeyToWorkspaceId(workspaceOf?.(key, entry) ?? ''))
     const value: unknown = base[field]
     if (!workspaceOf || !value) {
       continue
diff --git a/src/shared/worktree-sleep-request.ts b/src/shared/worktree-sleep-request.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f6a7d8e2527
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/shared/worktree-sleep-request.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+/** Main asks the renderer to Sleep workspaces and waits until their slept state is durable. */
+export type WorktreeSleepRequest = {
+  requestId: string
+  worktreeIds: string[]
+}
+
+export type WorktreeSleepResponse = {
+  requestId: string
+  /** Workspaces whose Sleep failed; they stay awake and retryable. */
+  failedWorktreeIds?: string[]
+  error?: string
+}
diff --git a/tests/e2e/wsl-move-fence.spec.ts b/tests/e2e/wsl-move-fence.spec.ts
index 3d6f8cbddd3..53b9f4dcfdd 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/wsl-move-fence.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/e2e/wsl-move-fence.spec.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@ import { waitForSessionReady } from './helpers/store'
 import { createRestartSession } from './helpers/orca-restart'
 import { wslMoveCutoverFixture } from '../../src/main/persistence/__fixtures__/wsl-mover/wsl-move-cutover-fixture'
 import { writeWslMoveCutover } from '../../src/main/persistence/moving-wsl-projects/wsl-move-cutover-journal'
+import {
+  WSL_MOVE_CUTOVER_PHASES,
+  type WslMoveCutoverPhase
+} from '../../src/shared/wsl-move/wsl-move-cutover'
 
 test.use({ seedTestRepo: false })
 
@@ -134,7 +138,7 @@ test('a WSL move journal fences the moving project, then hides it once the host
     await session.close(launched.app)
     launched = undefined
 
-    const record = (phase: 'source-fenced' | 'destination-committed') =>
+    const record = (phase: WslMoveCutoverPhase) =>
       wslMoveCutoverFixture(
         'move-1',
         phase,
@@ -162,7 +166,17 @@ test('a WSL move journal fences the moving project, then hides it once the host
       )
     }
 
-    writeWslMoveCutover(session.userDataDir, record('source-fenced'))
+    // The journal only moves forward one phase at a time, as a real move writes it.
+    let journaled = -1
+    const advanceTo = (phase: WslMoveCutoverPhase) => {
+      const target = WSL_MOVE_CUTOVER_PHASES.indexOf(phase)
+      for (journaled += 1; journaled <= target; journaled += 1) {
+        writeWslMoveCutover(session.userDataDir, record(WSL_MOVE_CUTOVER_PHASES[journaled]))
+      }
+      journaled = target
+    }
+
+    advanceTo('source-fenced')
     launched = await session.launch()
     await waitForSessionReady(launched.page)
     await expectMovingRefused(launched.page)
@@ -173,7 +187,7 @@ test('a WSL move journal fences the moving project, then hides it once the host
     await session.close(launched.app)
     launched = undefined
 
-    writeWslMoveCutover(session.userDataDir, record('destination-committed'))
+    advanceTo('destination-committed')
     launched = await session.launch()
     await waitForSessionReady(launched.page)
     await expectMovingRefused(launched.page)