diff --git a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.test.ts b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.test.ts
index ab0e866a253..5095cea186c 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.test.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.test.ts
@@ -31451,6 +31451,86 @@ describe('OrcaRuntimeService', () => {
     expect((await runtime.listMobileSessionTabs(`id:${TEST_WORKTREE_ID}`)).tabs).toEqual([])
   })
 
+  it('settles a renderer-owned close when another transaction retires its surface first', async () => {
+    const ptyId = 'renderer-worker-retired-tab'
+    const { runtimeStore, getSession } = makeRuntimeStoreWithWorkspaceSession(
+      makeWorkspaceSessionWithHeadlessTerminal({
+        tabsByWorktree: {
+          [TEST_WORKTREE_ID]: [
+            {
+              id: 'host-tab',
+              ptyId,
+              worktreeId: TEST_WORKTREE_ID,
+              title: 'Renderer worker',
+              customTitle: null,
+              color: null,
+              sortOrder: 0,
+              createdAt: 1
+            }
+          ]
+        },
+        terminalLayoutsByTabId: {
+          'host-tab': makeHeadlessTerminalLayout({ [HEADLESS_LEAF_ID]: ptyId })
+        }
+      })
+    )
+    const kill = vi.fn(() => true)
+    const closeTerminalTab = vi.fn(async () => {})
+    const runtime = new OrcaRuntimeService(runtimeStore as never)
+    runtime.setNotifier({ closeTerminalTab } as never)
+    runtime.setPtyController({
+      write: () => true,
+      kill,
+      getForegroundProcess: async () => null,
+      listProcesses: async () => []
+    })
+    runtime.registerPty(ptyId, TEST_WORKTREE_ID, null, {
+      tabId: 'host-tab',
+      leafId: HEADLESS_LEAF_ID
+    })
+    runtime.syncWindowGraph(1, {
+      tabs: [
+        {
+          tabId: 'host-tab',
+          worktreeId: TEST_WORKTREE_ID,
+          title: 'Renderer worker',
+          activeLeafId: HEADLESS_LEAF_ID,
+          layout: null
+        }
+      ],
+      leaves: [
+        {
+          tabId: 'host-tab',
+          worktreeId: TEST_WORKTREE_ID,
+          leafId: HEADLESS_LEAF_ID,
+          paneRuntimeId: 1,
+          ptyId
+        }
+      ]
+    })
+    const listed = await runtime.listMobileSessionTabs(`id:${TEST_WORKTREE_ID}`)
+    const terminal = listed.tabs.find((tab) => tab.type === 'terminal')
+    if (!terminal || terminal.type !== 'terminal' || !terminal.terminal) {
+      throw new Error('Expected a ready terminal')
+    }
+    const closeMobileSessionTab = runtime.closeMobileSessionTab.bind(runtime)
+    vi.spyOn(runtime, 'closeMobileSessionTab').mockImplementation(async (...args) => {
+      runtime.syncWindowGraph(1, { tabs: [], leaves: [] })
+      await closeMobileSessionTab(...args)
+      throw new Error('tab_not_found')
+    })
+
+    await expect(runtime.closeTerminal(terminal.terminal)).resolves.toEqual({
+      handle: terminal.terminal,
+      tabId: 'host-tab',
+      ptyKilled: true
+    })
+    expect(kill).toHaveBeenCalledWith(ptyId)
+    expect(closeTerminalTab).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect(getSession().tabsByWorktree[TEST_WORKTREE_ID]).toEqual([])
+    expect((await runtime.listMobileSessionTabs(`id:${TEST_WORKTREE_ID}`)).tabs).toEqual([])
+  })
+
   it('does not mask a missing durable tab while its headless surface remains live', async () => {
     const ptyId = 'headless-worker-live-tab'
     const { runtimeStore } = makeRuntimeStoreWithWorkspaceSession(
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.ts b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.ts
index 6d22603a132..8de190f392d 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime.ts
@@ -29185,6 +29185,17 @@ export class OrcaRuntimeService {
     return surface
   }
 
+  private isAlreadyRetiredMobileTerminalSurfaceError(
+    error: Error,
+    worktreeId: string,
+    parentTabId: string
+  ): boolean {
+    // Why: missing persistence is ambiguous while a sibling or stale live publication still owns the surface.
+    return (
+      error.message === 'tab_not_found' && !this.findMobileTerminalSurface(worktreeId, parentTabId)
+    )
+  }
+
   private findMobileTerminalSurfaceForPty(
     worktreeId: string,
     ptyId: string
@@ -29799,10 +29810,16 @@ export class OrcaRuntimeService {
             localPtyTeardownOwnedExternally: true
           })
         } catch (error) {
-          if (!(error instanceof Error) || error.message !== 'workspace_session_unavailable') {
+          if (!(error instanceof Error)) {
+            throw error
+          }
+          if (error.message === 'workspace_session_unavailable') {
+            this.notifier.closeTerminal?.(tabId)
+          } else if (
+            !this.isAlreadyRetiredMobileTerminalSurfaceError(error, pty.pty.worktreeId, tabId)
+          ) {
             throw error
           }
-          this.notifier.closeTerminal?.(tabId)
         }
         const ptyKilled = await this.stopExplicitlyClosedTabPtys(ptyIdsToKill, pty.pty.ptyId)
         return this.describeTerminalClose(handle, tabId, pty.pty.ptyId, ptyKilled)
@@ -29826,10 +29843,8 @@ export class OrcaRuntimeService {
             if (error.message === 'workspace_session_unavailable') {
               this.notifier?.closeTerminal(tabId)
             } else if (
-              error.message !== 'tab_not_found' ||
-              this.findMobileTerminalSurface(pty.pty.worktreeId, tabId)
+              !this.isAlreadyRetiredMobileTerminalSurfaceError(error, pty.pty.worktreeId, tabId)
             ) {
-              // Only absence in both persistence and the live publication proves another owner finished teardown.
               throw error
             }
           }