diff --git a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-restore-structured-agent-session-tabs-once.ts b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-restore-structured-agent-session-tabs-once.ts
index 5b2c160f2c6..0d7b00fe1b7 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-restore-structured-agent-session-tabs-once.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-restore-structured-agent-session-tabs-once.ts
@@ -76,6 +76,8 @@ export class OrcaRuntimeWithRestoreStructuredAgentSessionTabsOnce extends OrcaRu
     const existing = this.mobileSessionTabsByWorktree.get(input.workspaceId)
     const id = `agent-session:${input.sessionId}`
     if (existing?.tabs.some((tab) => tab.id === id)) {
+      // A background re-publish is a no-op — no store write, no emit — so it cannot re-surface a
+      // client whose mirror lost the tab; healing one needs `activate` or an explicit republish.
       if (!input.activate) {
         return
       }