diff --git a/src/main/persistence/terminal-topology/windowless-restart-lost-binding.test.ts b/src/main/persistence/terminal-topology/windowless-restart-lost-binding.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2d422737966
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/persistence/terminal-topology/windowless-restart-lost-binding.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+import { mkdtempSync, rmSync } from 'node:fs'
+import { tmpdir } from 'node:os'
+import { join } from 'node:path'
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import type { WorkspaceSessionState } from '../../../shared/workspace-session-state-types'
+import type { Store } from '../loading-store/store'
+import { leafIds } from './terminal-topology-window-session-fixture'
+import {
+  emptyTerminalSessionProfile,
+  FIXTURE_GIT_WORKTREE_ID,
+  openTopologyStore,
+  reopenTopologyStore
+} from './terminal-topology-profile-fixture'
+
+vi.mock('../../../shared/layout-owner-switch', () => ({ ORCA_LAYOUT_OWNER_IS_MAIN: true }))
+vi.mock('../../telemetry/client', () => ({ track: vi.fn() }))
+vi.mock('../../ssh/config/ssh-config-parser', () => ({
+  loadUserSshConfig: () => ({ hosts: [] }),
+  sshConfigHostsToTargets: () => []
+}))
+
+const WORKTREE = FIXTURE_GIT_WORKTREE_ID
+const TAB = 'tab-cli'
+const LEAF = '11111111-1111-4111-8111-111111111111'
+const PTY = 'pty-live'
+const directories: string[] = []
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  for (const directory of directories.splice(0)) {
+    rmSync(directory, { recursive: true, force: true })
+  }
+})
+
+/** What a serve host with no window stores for a client-created terminal, as main writes it. */
+async function windowlessHostWithTerminal(): Promise<{ store: Store; directory: string }> {
+  const directory = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'orca-windowless-restart-'))
+  directories.push(directory)
+  const store = await openTopologyStore(directory, emptyTerminalSessionProfile())
+  const created = await store.applyLayoutCommand({
+    type: 'createTerminalTab',
+    workspace: WORKTREE,
+    tabId: TAB,
+    leafId: LEAF
+  })
+  expect(created.ok).toBe(true)
+  await store.persistPtyBinding({
+    worktreeId: WORKTREE,
+    tabId: TAB,
+    leafId: LEAF,
+    ptyId: PTY,
+    incarnationId: 'inc-1'
+  })
+  await store.flushPendingOrThrowAsync()
+  return { store, directory }
+}
+
+/** The reported loss: the pane's binding is gone; the tab, its pane tree and the PTY stay. */
+function withoutPaneBinding(session: WorkspaceSessionState): WorkspaceSessionState {
+  const layout = session.terminalLayoutsByTabId[TAB]!
+  return {
+    ...session,
+    terminalLayoutsByTabId: {
+      ...session.terminalLayoutsByTabId,
+      [TAB]: { ...layout, ptyIdsByLeafId: {} }
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+describe('a windowless host restarted after a pane lost its terminal binding (layout-owner build)', () => {
+  it('keeps the tab and binds its pane again from the tab row', async () => {
+    const { store, directory } = await windowlessHostWithTerminal()
+    const stored = store.getWorkspaceSession()
+    expect(stored.activeWorktreeIdsOnShutdown).toBeUndefined()
+    store.setWorkspaceSession(withoutPaneBinding(stored))
+
+    const relaunched = await reopenTopologyStore(store, directory)
+    const session = relaunched.getWorkspaceSession()
+
+    expect(session.tabsByWorktree[WORKTREE]?.map((row) => row.id)).toEqual([TAB])
+    expect(leafIds(session.terminalLayoutsByTabId[TAB]?.root)).toEqual([LEAF])
+    expect(session.terminalLayoutsByTabId[TAB]?.ptyIdsByLeafId).toEqual({ [LEAF]: PTY })
+  })
+})
diff --git a/tests/e2e/paired-remote-terminal-serve-restart-binding.spec.ts b/tests/e2e/paired-remote-terminal-serve-restart-binding.spec.ts
index 7047f8a6dcb..b019231ef90 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/paired-remote-terminal-serve-restart-binding.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/e2e/paired-remote-terminal-serve-restart-binding.spec.ts
@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@ import {
 const scratch = createRetentionFixtureDirectory()
 const fixturePath = path.join(scratch, 'serve-restart-binding-terminal.mjs')
 const sinkPath = path.join(scratch, 'serve-restart-binding-terminal.log')
+const LAYOUT_OWNER_BUILD = existsSync(
+  path.join(process.cwd(), 'out', 'main', 'ORCA_LAYOUT_OWNER_MAIN')
+)
 
 writeFileSync(
   fixturePath,
@@ -634,29 +637,33 @@ test('retains a verified mirrored PTY binding through a serve restart pending sn
     expect(host.app.process().pid, 'The serve Electron process must actually be replaced').not.toBe(
       hostPidBeforeRestart
     )
-    let pendingReceipt: PairedTerminalSnapshotReceipt | null = null
-    await expect
-      .poll(
-        async () => {
-          pendingReceipt =
-            (await readPairedTerminalSnapshotProbe(client!.page)).receipts.find(
-              (receipt) => receipt.status === 'pending-handle'
-            ) ?? null
-          return pendingReceipt
-        },
-        {
-          timeout: 60_000,
-          message: 'Paired renderer never received the replacement host pending-handle frame'
-        }
-      )
-      .not.toBeNull()
-    expect(pendingReceipt).toMatchObject({
-      leafId: terminal.leafId,
-      parentTabId: terminal.parentTabId,
-      ptyId: terminal.ptyId,
-      status: 'pending-handle',
-      terminal: null
-    })
+    // Layout-owner build: main's load binds the pane again from its tab row while the PTY lives, so
+    // the replacement host publishes it ready at once and never pending.
+    if (!LAYOUT_OWNER_BUILD) {
+      let pendingReceipt: PairedTerminalSnapshotReceipt | null = null
+      await expect
+        .poll(
+          async () => {
+            pendingReceipt =
+              (await readPairedTerminalSnapshotProbe(client!.page)).receipts.find(
+                (receipt) => receipt.status === 'pending-handle'
+              ) ?? null
+            return pendingReceipt
+          },
+          {
+            timeout: 60_000,
+            message: 'Paired renderer never received the replacement host pending-handle frame'
+          }
+        )
+        .not.toBeNull()
+      expect(pendingReceipt).toMatchObject({
+        leafId: terminal.leafId,
+        parentTabId: terminal.parentTabId,
+        ptyId: terminal.ptyId,
+        status: 'pending-handle',
+        terminal: null
+      })
+    }
 
     let recoveredSurface: HostSurface | null = null
     await expect
@@ -676,6 +683,10 @@ test('retains a verified mirrored PTY binding through a serve restart pending sn
       ptyId: terminal.ptyId,
       status: 'ready'
     })
+    if (LAYOUT_OWNER_BUILD) {
+      const { receipts } = await readPairedTerminalSnapshotProbe(client.page)
+      expect(receipts.filter((receipt) => receipt.status === 'pending-handle')).toEqual([])
+    }
 
     const recoveredRemotePtyId = toRemoteRuntimePtyId(liveHandle!, client.environmentId)
     await waitForClientBinding(client, worktreeId, terminal, recoveredRemotePtyId)