diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/browser-pane/assemble-chrome/BrowserPaneOverlayLayer.test.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/browser-pane/assemble-chrome/BrowserPaneOverlayLayer.test.tsx
index 791b5f75beb..05c6f1302c3 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/browser-pane/assemble-chrome/BrowserPaneOverlayLayer.test.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/browser-pane/assemble-chrome/BrowserPaneOverlayLayer.test.tsx
@@ -177,13 +177,13 @@ describe('BrowserPaneOverlayLayer', () => {
     expect(view.container.querySelectorAll('[data-browser-overlay-tab-id]')).toHaveLength(0)
   })
 
-  it('keeps inactive browser panes mounted for a visible worktree', () => {
+  it('defers inactive browser panes while retaining their viewport slots', () => {
     const markup = renderOverlay({ isWorktreeActive: true })
 
     expect(markup).toContain('data-browser-pane-id="browser-a"')
     expect(markup).toContain('data-browser-pane-active="true"')
-    expect(markup).toContain('data-browser-pane-id="browser-b"')
-    expect(markup).toContain('data-browser-pane-active="false"')
+    expect(markup).not.toContain('data-browser-pane-id="browser-b"')
+    expect(markup).toContain('data-browser-overlay-tab-id="browser-b"')
   })
 
   it('marks the active browser pane focused when its own group holds focus', () => {
@@ -195,6 +195,35 @@ describe('BrowserPaneOverlayLayer', () => {
     )
   })
 
+  it('restores 200 tabs on demand and preserves viewport roots across parking and selection', () => {
+    const browsers = Array.from({ length: 200 }, (_, index) =>
+      createBrowserTab(`browser-${index}`, [`page-${index}`])
+    )
+    const tabs = browsers.map((browser, index) =>
+      createUnifiedBrowserTab(`tab-${index}`, browser.id, index)
+    )
+    mocks.state!.browserTabsByWorktree['wt-1'] = browsers
+    mocks.state!.unifiedTabsByWorktree['wt-1'] = tabs
+    const group = mocks.state!.groupsByWorktree['wt-1'][0]
+    mocks.state!.groupsByWorktree['wt-1'] = [
+      { ...group, activeTabId: tabs[0].id, tabOrder: tabs.map((tab) => tab.id) }
+    ]
+    const view = render(<BrowserPaneOverlayLayer worktreeId="wt-1" isWorktreeActive />)
+    const slot = view.container.querySelector('[data-browser-overlay-tab-id="browser-0"]')!
+    const viewport = slot.firstElementChild
+    expect(view.container.querySelectorAll('[data-browser-pane-id]')).toHaveLength(1)
+    expect(view.container.querySelectorAll('[data-browser-overlay-tab-id]')).toHaveLength(200)
+
+    view.rerender(<BrowserPaneOverlayLayer worktreeId="wt-1" isWorktreeActive={false} />)
+    expect(view.container.querySelectorAll('[data-browser-pane-id]')).toHaveLength(0)
+    mocks.state!.groupsByWorktree['wt-1'] = [{ ...group, activeTabId: tabs[199].id }]
+    view.rerender(<BrowserPaneOverlayLayer worktreeId="wt-1" isWorktreeActive />)
+    expect(view.container.querySelectorAll('[data-browser-pane-id]')).toHaveLength(1)
+    expect(view.container.querySelector('[data-browser-pane-id="browser-199"]')).not.toBeNull()
+    expect(slot.firstElementChild).toBe(viewport)
+    expect(viewport!.isConnected).toBe(true)
+  })
+
   it('keeps an active browser pane unfocused when another split holds focus (#11348)', () => {
     mocks.state = createState()
     mocks.state.groupsByWorktree = {
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/browser-pane/assemble-chrome/BrowserPaneOverlayLayer.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/browser-pane/assemble-chrome/BrowserPaneOverlayLayer.tsx
index d262e05b43a..1f74340f11a 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/browser-pane/assemble-chrome/BrowserPaneOverlayLayer.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/browser-pane/assemble-chrome/BrowserPaneOverlayLayer.tsx
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ type BrowserOverlaySlotProps = {
   chromeShortcutScope: BrowserChromeShortcutScope
   // Why: overlay is a sibling of the group layout, so pane focus doesn't bubble to TabGroupPanel; re-sync it here or split-view clicks leave activeGroupIdByWorktree stale.
   onFocusOwningGroup: ((groupId: string) => void) | undefined
-  isWorktreeActive: boolean
 }
 
 // Why: memoize each slot so unrelated worktree mutations don't cascade a re-render into every BrowserPane subtree.
@@ -43,8 +42,7 @@ const BrowserOverlaySlot = memo(function BrowserOverlaySlot({
   groupId,
   isActive,
   chromeShortcutScope,
-  onFocusOwningGroup,
-  isWorktreeActive
+  onFocusOwningGroup
 }: BrowserOverlaySlotProps): React.JSX.Element {
   // Why: persistent page viewports (webview guests) live under this root so they survive BrowserPane chrome unmounts without reparenting.
   const setSlotViewportRef = useCallback(
@@ -60,8 +58,8 @@ const BrowserOverlaySlot = memo(function BrowserOverlaySlot({
       : [browserTab.activePageId ?? browserTab.id]
   const needsGuestPaint = useBrowserGuestPaintRetention(browserPageIds)
   const isPaintable = isActive || needsGuestPaint
-  // Why: hidden worktrees keep lightweight overlay slots, but park their webviews unless a remote controller or viewer needs the guest.
-  const shouldMountPane = isWorktreeActive || needsGuestPaint
+  // Why: restoring a workspace must not create guests for every inactive tab.
+  const shouldMountPane = isActive || needsGuestPaint
   // Why: CSS anchor positioning pins the overlay to its owning group's body — a tab move only swaps positionAnchor, no measurement/state.
   // Orphan branch (no anchorName) stays display:none until the tab is reassigned or destroyed.
   const style: React.CSSProperties = useMemo(
@@ -104,7 +102,7 @@ const BrowserOverlaySlot = memo(function BrowserOverlaySlot({
       onFocusCapture={handleFocus}
     >
       <div ref={setSlotViewportRef} className="absolute inset-0 flex min-h-0 flex-col" />
-      {/* Why: hidden worktrees park the heavy pane subtree; visible ones keep stable slots so reparenting can't destroy the webview guest. */}
+      {/* Persistent viewport slots keep live guests intact when inactive chrome unmounts. */}
       {shouldMountPane ? (
         <BrowserPane
           browserTab={browserTab}
@@ -192,7 +190,6 @@ const BrowserPaneOverlayLayer = memo(function BrowserPaneOverlayLayer({
             isActive={isActive}
             chromeShortcutScope={chromeShortcutScope}
             onFocusOwningGroup={focusOwningGroup}
-            isWorktreeActive={isWorktreeActive}
           />
         )
       })}
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/browser-pane/assemble-chrome/browser-workspace-pane.retention-props.test.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/browser-pane/assemble-chrome/browser-workspace-pane.retention-props.test.tsx
index 527a05f1460..70409be3d5d 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/browser-pane/assemble-chrome/browser-workspace-pane.retention-props.test.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/browser-pane/assemble-chrome/browser-workspace-pane.retention-props.test.tsx
@@ -149,14 +149,49 @@ describe('browser workspace pane retention props', () => {
     hydrateBrowserRemoteViewerPages([])
   })
 
+  it('loads only the selected page out of 200 after mounting and remounting', () => {
+    const pages = Array.from({ length: 200 }, (_, index) => createPage(`page-${index}`))
+    mocks.state!.browserPagesByWorkspace[WORKSPACE_ID] = pages
+    const workspace = { ...createWorkspace(), activePageId: pages[0].id }
+    const view = render(<BrowserPane browserTab={workspace} isActive />)
+    const renderedIds = (): (string | null)[] =>
+      [...view.container.querySelectorAll('[data-browser-page-id]')].map((node) =>
+        node.getAttribute('data-browser-page-id')
+      )
+    expect(renderedIds()).toEqual(['page-0'])
+
+    view.rerender(<BrowserPane browserTab={{ ...workspace, activePageId: 'page-199' }} isActive />)
+    expect(renderedIds()).toEqual(['page-199'])
+    view.rerender(<BrowserPane browserTab={workspace} isActive={false} />)
+    expect(renderedIds()).toEqual([])
+    view.rerender(<BrowserPane key="restored" browserTab={workspace} isActive />)
+    expect(renderedIds()).toEqual(['page-0'])
+  })
+
+  it.each(['automation', 'mobile', 'viewer'])('loads an inactive page for %s only', (consumer) => {
+    const token = consumer === 'automation' ? acquireBrowserAutomationVisibility('page-b') : null
+    if (consumer === 'mobile') {
+      hydrateBrowserDrivers([
+        { browserPageId: 'page-b', driver: { kind: 'mobile', clientId: 'phone-1' } }
+      ])
+    }
+    if (consumer === 'viewer') {
+      hydrateBrowserRemoteViewerPages(['page-b'])
+    }
+    try {
+      const view = render(<BrowserPane browserTab={createWorkspace()} isActive={false} />)
+      expect(view.container.querySelector('[data-browser-page-id="page-a"]')).toBeNull()
+      expect(view.container.querySelector('[data-browser-page-id="page-b"]')).not.toBeNull()
+    } finally {
+      if (token) {
+        releaseBrowserAutomationVisibility(token)
+      }
+    }
+  })
+
   it('threads all three retention terms to the page that owns them', () => {
     renderWorkspacePane()
-    expect(propsFor('page-b')).toEqual({
-      id: 'page-b',
-      isAutomationVisible: false,
-      isMobileDriven: false,
-      isRemotelyViewed: false
-    })
+    expect(mocks.pageProps.some((props) => props.id === 'page-b')).toBe(false)
 
     cleanup()
     const token = acquireBrowserAutomationVisibility('page-b')
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/browser-pane/assemble-chrome/browser-workspace-pane.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/browser-pane/assemble-chrome/browser-workspace-pane.tsx
index e5c2cc28240..05ea7e49cac 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/browser-pane/assemble-chrome/browser-workspace-pane.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/browser-pane/assemble-chrome/browser-workspace-pane.tsx
@@ -55,13 +55,26 @@ export default function BrowserPane({
   const automationVisiblePageIds = useBrowserAutomationVisiblePageIds(browserPageIds)
   const mobileDrivenPageIds = useBrowserMobileDrivenPageIds(browserPageIds)
   const remotelyViewedPageIds = useBrowserRemotelyViewedPageIds(browserPageIds)
-  // Why: inactive webviews must stay mounted in their original DOM parent; unmounting/reparenting loses form text and SPA state.
+  // Why: dormant pages load on demand; live guests survive chrome unmounts in persistent viewports.
   const renderedBrowserPages = useMemo(
     () =>
       browserPages.filter(
-        (page) => !getBrowserPageRuntimeEnvironmentId(page, activeRuntimeEnvironmentId)
+        (page) =>
+          !getBrowserPageRuntimeEnvironmentId(page, activeRuntimeEnvironmentId) &&
+          ((isActive && page.id === activeBrowserPageId) ||
+            automationVisiblePageIds.has(page.id) ||
+            mobileDrivenPageIds.has(page.id) ||
+            remotelyViewedPageIds.has(page.id))
       ),
-    [browserPages, activeRuntimeEnvironmentId]
+    [
+      browserPages,
+      activeRuntimeEnvironmentId,
+      isActive,
+      activeBrowserPageId,
+      automationVisiblePageIds,
+      mobileDrivenPageIds,
+      remotelyViewedPageIds
+    ]
   )
   const renderedBrowserPageIds = useMemo(
     () => renderedBrowserPages.map((page) => page.id),