diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/skills/SkillFreshnessUpdateDialog.test.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/skills/SkillFreshnessUpdateDialog.test.tsx
index 3e38449c0b6..fc9926f6ed6 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/skills/SkillFreshnessUpdateDialog.test.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/skills/SkillFreshnessUpdateDialog.test.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 // @vitest-environment happy-dom
 
-import { act, useState, type ReactNode } from 'react'
+import { act, useLayoutEffect, useRef, useState, type ReactNode } from 'react'
 import { createRoot, type Root } from 'react-dom/client'
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 import type {
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ const mocks = vi.hoisted(() => ({
     onInteracted?: (method: 'keyboard' | 'pointer', event?: { key?: string }) => void
     onTerminalExit?: () => void
   }[],
+  terminalCommits: [] as [command: string, inert: boolean][],
   notifyChanged: vi.fn()
 }))
 
@@ -42,8 +43,20 @@ vi.mock('@/hooks/useInstalledAgentSkills', () => ({
 
 vi.mock('@/components/onboarding/OnboardingInlineCommandTerminal', () => ({
   OnboardingInlineCommandTerminal: (props: (typeof mocks.terminalProps)[number]) => {
+    const terminalRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null)
     mocks.terminalProps.push(props)
-    return <div data-testid="update-terminal">{props.command}</div>
+    useLayoutEffect(() => {
+      mocks.terminalCommits.push([
+        props.command,
+        terminalRef.current?.parentElement?.inert ?? false
+      ])
+    })
+    return (
+      <div ref={terminalRef} data-testid="update-terminal">
+        {props.command}
+        <textarea data-testid="update-terminal-input" />
+      </div>
+    )
   }
 }))
 
@@ -155,6 +168,7 @@ describe('SkillFreshnessUpdateDialog', () => {
     mocks.refresh.mockReset()
     mocks.notifyChanged.mockReset()
     mocks.terminalProps.length = 0
+    mocks.terminalCommits.length = 0
   })
 
   afterEach(async () => {
@@ -200,6 +214,7 @@ describe('SkillFreshnessUpdateDialog', () => {
   it('shows the up-to-date state once every installation is current', async () => {
     await renderDialog()
     await openViaRequest()
+    mocks.terminalCommits.length = 0
 
     mocks.inventory = {
       schemaVersion: 1,
@@ -211,6 +226,7 @@ describe('SkillFreshnessUpdateDialog', () => {
     }
     await rerender()
 
+    expect(mocks.terminalCommits).toContainEqual(['npx skills update orca-cli --global', true])
     expect(container?.textContent).toContain('All installed Orca skills are up to date.')
     expect(container?.querySelector('[data-testid="update-terminal"]')).toBeNull()
   })
@@ -267,7 +283,11 @@ describe('SkillFreshnessUpdateDialog', () => {
     await renderDialog()
     await openViaRequest()
     const firstTerminal = container?.querySelector('[data-testid="update-terminal"]')
+    const terminalInput = container?.querySelector<HTMLTextAreaElement>(
+      '[data-testid="update-terminal-input"]'
+    )
     const terminalWrapper = container?.querySelector<HTMLElement>('[data-skill-update-terminal]')
+    terminalInput?.focus()
     expect(firstTerminal).not.toBeNull()
     expect(terminalWrapper?.hasAttribute('inert')).toBe(false)
 
@@ -278,6 +298,7 @@ describe('SkillFreshnessUpdateDialog', () => {
     expect(container?.textContent).toContain('Checking installed Orca skills')
     expect(container?.querySelector('[data-testid="update-terminal"]')).toBe(firstTerminal)
     expect(terminalWrapper?.hasAttribute('inert')).toBe(true)
+    terminalInput?.blur()
 
     mocks.inventory = { ...eligibleInventory(), scannedAt: 2 }
     mocks.loading = false
@@ -285,6 +306,20 @@ describe('SkillFreshnessUpdateDialog', () => {
 
     expect(container?.querySelector('[data-testid="update-terminal"]')).toBe(firstTerminal)
     expect(terminalWrapper?.hasAttribute('inert')).toBe(false)
+    expect(document.activeElement).toBe(terminalInput)
+
+    mocks.inventory = null
+    mocks.loading = true
+    await rerender()
+    const closeButton = Array.from(container?.querySelectorAll('button') ?? []).find(
+      (candidate) => candidate.textContent?.trim() === 'Close'
+    )
+    closeButton?.focus()
+    mocks.inventory = { ...eligibleInventory(), scannedAt: 3 }
+    mocks.loading = false
+    await rerender()
+
+    expect(document.activeElement).toBe(closeButton)
   })
 
   it('shows a failed scan as an error instead of indefinite progress', async () => {
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/skills/SkillFreshnessUpdateDialog.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/skills/SkillFreshnessUpdateDialog.tsx
index 1773fb49cf2..55aa1aabb1e 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/skills/SkillFreshnessUpdateDialog.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/skills/SkillFreshnessUpdateDialog.tsx
@@ -138,6 +138,9 @@ export function SkillFreshnessUpdateDialog(): React.JSX.Element {
   const [terminalCommand, setTerminalCommand] = useState<string | null>(null)
   const [awaitingExitRefresh, setAwaitingExitRefresh] = useState(false)
   const terminalSubmittedRef = useRef(false)
+  const terminalWrapperRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null)
+  const terminalFocusTargetRef = useRef<HTMLElement | null>(null)
+  const terminalAuthorizationWasPendingRef = useRef(false)
   const inventoryAtTerminalExitRef = useRef<SkillFreshnessInventory | null>(null)
   const inventory = state.inventory
   const eligibleNames = useMemo(() => inventory?.eligibleUpdateNames ?? [], [inventory])
@@ -152,7 +155,10 @@ export function SkillFreshnessUpdateDialog(): React.JSX.Element {
   const terminalAuthorizationPending =
     terminalCommand !== null &&
     !terminalSubmittedRef.current &&
-    (state.loading || state.error !== null || inventory === null)
+    (state.loading ||
+      state.error !== null ||
+      inventory === null ||
+      terminalCommand !== updateCommand)
 
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!open) {
@@ -195,6 +201,27 @@ export function SkillFreshnessUpdateDialog(): React.JSX.Element {
     updateCommand
   ])
 
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (terminalCommand === null) {
+      // Why: the dialog stays mounted while closed, so do not retain a detached
+      // xterm subtree after the draft exits or loses authorization.
+      terminalFocusTargetRef.current = null
+    }
+    const wasPending = terminalAuthorizationWasPendingRef.current
+    terminalAuthorizationWasPendingRef.current = terminalAuthorizationPending
+    if (!wasPending || terminalAuthorizationPending) {
+      return
+    }
+    const focusTarget = terminalFocusTargetRef.current
+    if (!focusTarget?.isConnected || !terminalWrapperRef.current?.contains(focusTarget)) {
+      terminalFocusTargetRef.current = null
+      return
+    }
+    // Why: Chromium drops focus when an ancestor becomes inert; unchanged
+    // authorization should return focus to the preserved xterm instance.
+    focusTarget.focus()
+  }, [terminalAuthorizationPending, terminalCommand])
+
   const handleOpenChange = (next: boolean): void => {
     // Why: closing is the natural point to re-observe bytes so a completed update
     // clears the state and the lingering nudge does not fire again.
@@ -247,10 +274,24 @@ export function SkillFreshnessUpdateDialog(): React.JSX.Element {
 
         {terminalCommand ? (
           <div
+            ref={terminalWrapperRef}
             data-skill-update-terminal=""
             aria-busy={terminalAuthorizationPending}
             inert={terminalAuthorizationPending}
             className={terminalAuthorizationPending ? 'opacity-50' : undefined}
+            onFocusCapture={(event) => {
+              terminalFocusTargetRef.current = event.target as HTMLElement
+            }}
+            onBlurCapture={(event) => {
+              // Why: a concrete next target means the user moved focus; inert
+              // uses a null target, which should be restored after revalidation.
+              if (
+                event.relatedTarget instanceof Node &&
+                !event.currentTarget.contains(event.relatedTarget)
+              ) {
+                terminalFocusTargetRef.current = null
+              }
+            }}
           >
             <OnboardingInlineCommandTerminal
               key={terminalCommand}