diff --git a/src/main/agent-hooks/launch-file-prompt-by-pane.ts b/src/main/agent-hooks/launch-file-prompt-by-pane.ts
index c43409aff1b..2ccfd82ce8b 100644
--- a/src/main/agent-hooks/launch-file-prompt-by-pane.ts
+++ b/src/main/agent-hooks/launch-file-prompt-by-pane.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { isLaunchFilePointer, type LaunchFile } from '../../shared/launch-prompt-file'
+import { opensLikeLaunchFilePointer, type LaunchFile } from '../../shared/launch-prompt-file'
 
 // Why bounded: an entry outlives its launch until newer ones push it out; the rename reads only a
 // prompt's opening, and a pane's rename runs within minutes of its launch.
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@ export function rememberLaunchFilePrompt(
   }
 }
 
-/** The one place Orca reads a pane's reported prompt: a launch file's pointer reads as the prompt
- *  it points at, when this host kept it. */
+/** The one place Orca reads a pane's reported prompt or session title: a launch file's pointer,
+ *  whole or cut short, reads as the prompt it points at, when this host kept it. */
 export function launchPromptShownForPane(paneKey: string, prompt: string): string {
-  return isLaunchFilePointer(prompt) ? (promptByPane.get(paneKey) ?? prompt) : prompt
+  return opensLikeLaunchFilePointer(prompt) ? (promptByPane.get(paneKey) ?? prompt) : prompt
 }
diff --git a/src/main/ai-vault/session-title-launch-prompt.ts b/src/main/ai-vault/session-title-launch-prompt.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1eb550e5a16
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/ai-vault/session-title-launch-prompt.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+import type {
+  AiVaultSessionTitleRequest,
+  AiVaultSessionTitlesResult
+} from '../../shared/ai-vault-session-title'
+import { launchPromptShownForPane } from '../agent-hooks/launch-file-prompt-by-pane'
+import { normalizeTitleText } from './session-scanner-text-normalization'
+
+/**
+ * Titles a launch file's session with the prompt it carried. Its transcript opens with Orca's
+ * pointer, so the tab label and agent row would otherwise show "The full task is in the file …".
+ */
+export function showLaunchPromptsInSessionTitles(
+  requests: readonly AiVaultSessionTitleRequest[],
+  result: AiVaultSessionTitlesResult
+): AiVaultSessionTitlesResult {
+  const paneBySession = new Map(
+    requests.flatMap((request) =>
+      request.paneKey ? [[`${request.agent}\0${request.sessionId}`, request.paneKey] as const] : []
+    )
+  )
+  if (paneBySession.size === 0) {
+    return result
+  }
+  return {
+    titles: result.titles.map((title) => {
+      const paneKey = paneBySession.get(`${title.agent}\0${title.sessionId}`)
+      const shown = paneKey ? launchPromptShownForPane(paneKey, title.title) : title.title
+      return shown === title.title
+        ? title
+        : { ...title, title: normalizeTitleText(shown) ?? title.title }
+    })
+  }
+}
+
+/** A request as another host receives it: the pane is this host's to read. */
+export function withoutPaneKey(request: AiVaultSessionTitleRequest): AiVaultSessionTitleRequest {
+  const { paneKey: _paneKey, ...forwarded } = request
+  return forwarded
+}
diff --git a/src/main/ipc/ai-vault-session-title-routing.test.ts b/src/main/ipc/ai-vault-session-title-routing.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3747d052545
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/ipc/ai-vault-session-title-routing.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import { resolveLocalAiVaultSessionTitles } from '../ai-vault/session-title-resolver'
+import { rememberLaunchFilePrompt } from '../agent-hooks/launch-file-prompt-by-pane'
+import { carryInLaunchFile, buildLaunchFilePointer } from '../../shared/launch-prompt-file'
+import { resolveAiVaultSessionTitlesByHost } from './ai-vault-session-title-routing'
+import { requestActiveSshAiVaultSessionTitles } from './ssh'
+
+vi.mock('../ai-vault/session-title-resolver', () => ({
+  resolveLocalAiVaultSessionTitles: vi.fn()
+}))
+vi.mock('./ssh', () => ({ requestActiveSshAiVaultSessionTitles: vi.fn() }))
+
+const PANE = 'tab-title:11111111-1111-4111-8111-111111111111'
+// The transcript's first message is the pointer; its title is cut to 96 characters.
+const POINTER_TITLE = buildLaunchFilePointer(
+  '/Users/ada/Library/Caches/orca-launch-file-1-a/task-context.md'
+).slice(0, 96)
+
+// Why: a launch file's agent opens its transcript with Orca's pointer, and the tab label and the
+// sidebar agent row read the session title from it (stack QA 1.2).
+describe('a session title for a launch file’s agent', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    rememberLaunchFilePrompt(PANE, carryInLaunchFile('QA-STACK fix the flaky test').launchFile)
+  })
+
+  it('shows the prompt the launch file carried, not the pointer', async () => {
+    vi.mocked(resolveLocalAiVaultSessionTitles).mockResolvedValue({
+      titles: [{ agent: 'claude', sessionId: 's-1', title: POINTER_TITLE }]
+    })
+    const result = await resolveAiVaultSessionTitlesByHost({
+      requests: [{ agent: 'claude', sessionId: 's-1', paneKey: PANE }]
+    })
+    expect(result.titles).toEqual([
+      { agent: 'claude', sessionId: 's-1', title: 'QA-STACK fix the flaky test' }
+    ])
+  })
+
+  it('leaves another pane’s title, and a request without a pane, as the transcript has it', async () => {
+    vi.mocked(resolveLocalAiVaultSessionTitles).mockResolvedValue({
+      titles: [
+        { agent: 'claude', sessionId: 's-2', title: POINTER_TITLE },
+        { agent: 'codex', sessionId: 's-3', title: 'fix the build' }
+      ]
+    })
+    const result = await resolveAiVaultSessionTitlesByHost({
+      requests: [
+        { agent: 'claude', sessionId: 's-2' },
+        { agent: 'codex', sessionId: 's-3', paneKey: PANE }
+      ]
+    })
+    expect(result.titles.map((title) => title.title)).toEqual([POINTER_TITLE, 'fix the build'])
+  })
+
+  it('maps an SSH session’s title here, never sending the relay this host’s pane', async () => {
+    vi.mocked(requestActiveSshAiVaultSessionTitles).mockResolvedValue({
+      titles: [{ agent: 'claude', sessionId: 's-4', title: POINTER_TITLE }]
+    })
+    const result = await resolveAiVaultSessionTitlesByHost({
+      executionHostScope: 'ssh:dev-box',
+      requests: [{ agent: 'claude', sessionId: 's-4', paneKey: PANE }]
+    })
+    expect(requestActiveSshAiVaultSessionTitles).toHaveBeenCalledWith('dev-box', {
+      requests: [{ agent: 'claude', sessionId: 's-4' }]
+    })
+    expect(result.titles[0]?.title).toBe('QA-STACK fix the flaky test')
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/main/ipc/ai-vault-session-title-routing.ts b/src/main/ipc/ai-vault-session-title-routing.ts
index cca3bafd893..698dbb94920 100644
--- a/src/main/ipc/ai-vault-session-title-routing.ts
+++ b/src/main/ipc/ai-vault-session-title-routing.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,10 @@ import {
 import { resolveLocalAiVaultSessionTitles } from '../ai-vault/session-title-resolver'
 import { parseAiVaultSessionTitlesResult } from '../ai-vault/session-title-result-validation'
 import { requestActiveSshAiVaultSessionTitles } from './ssh'
+import {
+  showLaunchPromptsInSessionTitles,
+  withoutPaneKey
+} from '../ai-vault/session-title-launch-prompt'
 
 export type RuntimeAiVaultSessionTitleResolver = (
   environmentId: string,
@@ -19,6 +23,17 @@ export type RuntimeAiVaultSessionTitleResolver = (
 export async function resolveAiVaultSessionTitlesByHost(
   args: AiVaultSessionTitlesArgs,
   resolveRuntime?: RuntimeAiVaultSessionTitleResolver
+): Promise<AiVaultSessionTitlesResult> {
+  // Why here: this host spawned the panes it shows, local and SSH alike, so it kept their prompts.
+  return showLaunchPromptsInSessionTitles(
+    args.requests,
+    await resolveTitlesOnHost(args, resolveRuntime)
+  )
+}
+
+async function resolveTitlesOnHost(
+  args: AiVaultSessionTitlesArgs,
+  resolveRuntime?: RuntimeAiVaultSessionTitleResolver
 ): Promise<AiVaultSessionTitlesResult> {
   const executionHostScope = requestedExecutionHostScope(args.executionHostScope)
   if (executionHostScope === LOCAL_EXECUTION_HOST_ID) {
@@ -28,7 +43,7 @@ export async function resolveAiVaultSessionTitlesByHost(
   if (parsed?.kind === 'ssh') {
     try {
       const result = await requestActiveSshAiVaultSessionTitles(parsed.targetId, {
-        requests: args.requests
+        requests: args.requests.map(withoutPaneKey)
       })
       return result === null ? { titles: [] } : parseAiVaultSessionTitlesResult(result)
     } catch {
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/runtime-ai-vault-commands.test.ts b/src/main/runtime/runtime-ai-vault-commands.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8e514bc46b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/runtime/runtime-ai-vault-commands.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+import { describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import { resolveLocalAiVaultSessionTitles } from '../ai-vault/session-title-resolver'
+import { rememberLaunchFilePrompt } from '../agent-hooks/launch-file-prompt-by-pane'
+import { buildLaunchFilePointer, carryInLaunchFile } from '../../shared/launch-prompt-file'
+import { RuntimeAiVaultCommands } from './runtime-ai-vault-commands'
+
+vi.mock('../ai-vault/cached-session-list', () => ({ listAiVaultSessions: vi.fn() }))
+vi.mock('../ai-vault/session-title-resolver', () => ({
+  resolveLocalAiVaultSessionTitles: vi.fn()
+}))
+
+// Why: a paired web client and the phone ask this host for titles over RPC; the host spawned the
+// pane, so it shows the launch file's prompt there too.
+describe('session titles a paired client asks this host for', () => {
+  it('show a launch file’s prompt, not the pointer its transcript opens with', async () => {
+    const pane = 'tab-rpc:22222222-2222-4222-8222-222222222222'
+    rememberLaunchFilePrompt(pane, carryInLaunchFile('QA-STACK review the diff').launchFile)
+    vi.mocked(resolveLocalAiVaultSessionTitles).mockResolvedValue({
+      titles: [
+        {
+          agent: 'codex',
+          sessionId: 's-rpc',
+          title: buildLaunchFilePointer('/tmp/orca-launch-file-1-b/task-context.md').slice(0, 96)
+        }
+      ]
+    })
+    const result = await new RuntimeAiVaultCommands(() => null).resolveTitles([
+      { agent: 'codex', sessionId: 's-rpc', paneKey: pane }
+    ])
+    expect(result.titles[0]?.title).toBe('QA-STACK review the diff')
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/runtime-ai-vault-commands.ts b/src/main/runtime/runtime-ai-vault-commands.ts
index 2701d782b61..801cffe044e 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/runtime-ai-vault-commands.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/runtime-ai-vault-commands.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import type {
 import type { AiVaultListArgs, AiVaultListResult } from '../../shared/ai-vault-types'
 import { listAiVaultSessions } from '../ai-vault/cached-session-list'
 import { resolveLocalAiVaultSessionTitles } from '../ai-vault/session-title-resolver'
+import { showLaunchPromptsInSessionTitles } from '../ai-vault/session-title-launch-prompt'
 
 export class RuntimeAiVaultCommands {
   constructor(
@@ -21,11 +22,14 @@ export class RuntimeAiVaultCommands {
     return listAiVaultSessions(args)
   }
 
-  resolveTitles(
+  async resolveTitles(
     requests: AiVaultSessionTitleRequest[],
     signal?: AbortSignal
   ): Promise<AiVaultSessionTitlesResult> {
-    return resolveLocalAiVaultSessionTitles(requests, signal)
+    return showLaunchPromptsInSessionTitles(
+      requests,
+      await resolveLocalAiVaultSessionTitles(requests, signal)
+    )
   }
 
   prepare(args: AiVaultPrepareSessionResumeArgs): Promise<AiVaultPrepareSessionResumeResult> {
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/i18n/locales/en.json b/src/renderer/src/i18n/locales/en.json
index d0965c13ca6..824d27887ca 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/i18n/locales/en.json
+++ b/src/renderer/src/i18n/locales/en.json
@@ -669,6 +669,11 @@
                 }
               }
             },
+            "exited": {
+              "notice": {
+                "message": "The agent exited at startup, before it received your prompt. Copy the prompt and start the agent again."
+              }
+            },
             "unconfirmed": {
               "notice": {
                 "message": "Orca couldn't confirm the agent received your prompt. Check the agent before sending it again."
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/i18n/locales/es.json b/src/renderer/src/i18n/locales/es.json
index 108866cc951..717d95fe4bf 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/i18n/locales/es.json
+++ b/src/renderer/src/i18n/locales/es.json
@@ -423,6 +423,11 @@
                 }
               }
             },
+            "exited": {
+              "notice": {
+                "message": "El agente se cerró al iniciarse, antes de recibir tu prompt. Copia el prompt e inicia el agente de nuevo."
+              }
+            },
             "unconfirmed": {
               "notice": {
                 "message": "Orca no pudo confirmar que el agente recibió tu prompt. Revisa el agente antes de enviarlo de nuevo."
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/i18n/locales/fr.json b/src/renderer/src/i18n/locales/fr.json
index 302301bce64..7917d38eb25 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/i18n/locales/fr.json
+++ b/src/renderer/src/i18n/locales/fr.json
@@ -633,6 +633,11 @@
                 }
               }
             },
+            "exited": {
+              "notice": {
+                "message": "L’agent s’est arrêté au démarrage, avant de recevoir votre prompt. Copiez le prompt et relancez l’agent."
+              }
+            },
             "unconfirmed": {
               "notice": {
                 "message": "Orca n’a pas pu confirmer que l’agent a reçu votre prompt. Vérifiez l’agent avant de le renvoyer."
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/i18n/locales/ja.json b/src/renderer/src/i18n/locales/ja.json
index 98b8a4a5888..0845d693128 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/i18n/locales/ja.json
+++ b/src/renderer/src/i18n/locales/ja.json
@@ -534,6 +534,11 @@
                 }
               }
             },
+            "exited": {
+              "notice": {
+                "message": "Agent は起動時に終了したため、プロンプトを受け取っていません。プロンプトをコピーして、Agent をもう一度起動してください。"
+              }
+            },
             "unconfirmed": {
               "notice": {
                 "message": "Agent がプロンプトを受け取ったことを Orca で確認できませんでした。再送する前に Agent を確認してください。"
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/i18n/locales/ko.json b/src/renderer/src/i18n/locales/ko.json
index e7276436f7e..8b139074dcd 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/i18n/locales/ko.json
+++ b/src/renderer/src/i18n/locales/ko.json
@@ -534,6 +534,11 @@
                 }
               }
             },
+            "exited": {
+              "notice": {
+                "message": "에이전트가 시작 중에 종료되어 프롬프트를 받지 못했습니다. 프롬프트를 복사한 뒤 에이전트를 다시 시작하세요."
+              }
+            },
             "unconfirmed": {
               "notice": {
                 "message": "에이전트가 프롬프트를 받았는지 Orca가 확인하지 못했습니다. 다시 보내기 전에 에이전트를 확인하세요."
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/i18n/locales/zh.json b/src/renderer/src/i18n/locales/zh.json
index 76fa0863fea..770c606c143 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/i18n/locales/zh.json
+++ b/src/renderer/src/i18n/locales/zh.json
@@ -534,6 +534,11 @@
                 }
               }
             },
+            "exited": {
+              "notice": {
+                "message": "代理在启动时退出，未收到你的提示词。请复制提示词并重新启动代理。"
+              }
+            },
             "unconfirmed": {
               "notice": {
                 "message": "Orca 无法确认代理已收到你的提示词。再次发送前请先检查代理。"
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/lib/agent-launch-prompt-not-delivered-notice.ts b/src/renderer/src/lib/agent-launch-prompt-not-delivered-notice.ts
index feb0af95c36..0f212a71519 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/lib/agent-launch-prompt-not-delivered-notice.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/lib/agent-launch-prompt-not-delivered-notice.ts
@@ -47,6 +47,21 @@ export function showAgentLaunchPromptUnconfirmedNotice(args: {
   })
 }
 
+/**
+ * The agent had the prompt on its command line but exited at startup, before it read it. It did
+ * not really start, so the user is handed the text to start it again with.
+ */
+export function showAgentLaunchExitedNotice(args: { agent: TuiAgent; prompt: string }): void {
+  showPromptCopyNotice(
+    translate(
+      'auto.lib.agent.launch.prompt.exited.notice.message',
+      'The agent exited at startup, before it received your prompt. Copy the prompt and start the agent again.'
+    ),
+    args.prompt
+  )
+  track('agent_error', { error_class: 'unknown', agent_kind: tuiAgentToAgentKind(args.agent) })
+}
+
 /**
  * The host refused to start the agent because it could not write the launch file that carries the
  * prompt. Nothing ran, so the user is handed the text to launch again with.
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/lib/agent-launch-prompt-receipt.test.ts b/src/renderer/src/lib/agent-launch-prompt-receipt.test.ts
index 25080f8854b..c995eae63a7 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/lib/agent-launch-prompt-receipt.test.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/lib/agent-launch-prompt-receipt.test.ts
@@ -92,12 +92,13 @@ describe('whether a prompt that rode the launch command reached the agent', () =
   })
 
   // Why: a shell back at its prompt looks ready too; readiness alone never counts.
-  it('is not delivered when the read finds the shell, however ready it looked', async () => {
+  // Why: the agent had the prompt on its line and quit at startup, before reading it.
+  it('reports the agent exited when the read finds the shell, however ready it looked', async () => {
     mocks.readForeground.mockResolvedValue('shell')
     mocks.setState({ agentStatusByPaneKey: { [PANE]: { updatedAt: 50 } } })
     const pending = receipt()
     mocks.setState({ ptyIdsByTabId: { 'tab-1': ['pty-1'] } })
-    await expect(pending).resolves.toBe('not-delivered')
+    await expect(pending).resolves.toBe('agent-exited')
   })
 
   it('is unconfirmed when the host cannot tell and no hook turn arrives', async () => {
@@ -119,12 +120,12 @@ describe('whether a prompt that rode the launch command reached the agent', () =
     await expect(pending).resolves.toBe('delivered')
   })
 
-  it('is not delivered when the PTY exits first', async () => {
+  it('reports the agent exited when the PTY exits first', async () => {
     mocks.readiness.mockReturnValue(new Promise(() => {}))
     const pending = receipt()
     mocks.setState({ ptyIdsByTabId: { 'tab-1': ['pty-1'] } })
     mocks.setState({ ptyIdsByTabId: { 'tab-1': [] } })
-    await expect(pending).resolves.toBe('not-delivered')
+    await expect(pending).resolves.toBe('agent-exited')
   })
 
   it('is not delivered when the PTY never spawns, as when the host refused its launch file', async () => {
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/lib/agent-launch-prompt-receipt.ts b/src/renderer/src/lib/agent-launch-prompt-receipt.ts
index 23d58bd026e..a3b97be085b 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/lib/agent-launch-prompt-receipt.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/lib/agent-launch-prompt-receipt.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import { getSettingsForAgentTabRuntimeOwner, PTY_SPAWN_TIMEOUT_MS } from './agen
 
 type AppState = ReturnType<typeof useAppStore.getState>
 
-export type LaunchPromptReceipt = 'delivered' | 'not-delivered' | 'unconfirmed'
+export type LaunchPromptReceipt = 'delivered' | 'not-delivered' | 'agent-exited' | 'unconfirmed'
 
 /** How long a hook turn may still arrive after a read that could not tell. */
 const HOOK_GRACE_AFTER_UNKNOWN_READ_MS = 2000
@@ -41,8 +41,9 @@ async function readLaunchedAgentForeground(
  * a fresh read on the execution host that finds the launched agent, not its shell, in front of the
  * terminal (`readLaunchedAgentForeground`). A ready signal never counts on its own: it only times
  * that read, and bracketed paste turned off (`2004l`) revokes it. Not delivered when the PTY never
- * spawns (a refused launch file included), exits first, the tab closes, or the read finds the
- * shell. Unconfirmed when nothing proves either, as on a Windows host without hooks.
+ * spawns (a refused launch file included) or the tab closes. Agent exited when the PTY exits or
+ * the read finds the shell back in front: the agent had the prompt on its line and quit before
+ * reading it. Unconfirmed when nothing proves either, as on a Windows host without hooks.
  */
 export function waitForLaunchPromptReceipt(args: {
   tabId: string
@@ -78,7 +79,7 @@ export function waitForLaunchPromptReceipt(args: {
           if (foreground === 'agent') {
             finish('delivered')
           } else if (foreground === 'shell') {
-            finish('not-delivered')
+            finish('agent-exited')
           } else {
             timers.push(
               window.setTimeout(() => finish('unconfirmed'), HOOK_GRACE_AFTER_UNKNOWN_READ_MS)
@@ -101,8 +102,10 @@ export function waitForLaunchPromptReceipt(args: {
       if (ptyId && !boundPtyId) {
         boundPtyId = ptyId
         readAfterReadiness(ptyId)
-      } else if ((boundPtyId && !ptyId) || !tabExists(state, tabId)) {
+      } else if (!tabExists(state, tabId)) {
         finish('not-delivered')
+      } else if (boundPtyId && !ptyId) {
+        finish('agent-exited')
       }
     }
     unsubscribe = useAppStore.subscribe(observe)
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/lib/ai-vault-tab-title-requests.ts b/src/renderer/src/lib/ai-vault-tab-title-requests.ts
index 1efeb48e001..92ab347a08c 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/lib/ai-vault-tab-title-requests.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/lib/ai-vault-tab-title-requests.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ export type AiVaultTitleRequest = {
   providerSession: AgentProviderSessionMetadata
   refresh: boolean
   tabId: string
+  /** The pane the session runs in, so its host can title a launch file's session by its prompt. */
+  paneKey: string
   worktreeId: string
 }
 
@@ -62,6 +64,7 @@ function registerCandidate(
     providerSession: args.providerSession,
     refresh: args.refresh,
     tabId,
+    paneKey: args.paneKey,
     worktreeId,
     priority
   })
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/lib/ai-vault-tab-title-sync.test.ts b/src/renderer/src/lib/ai-vault-tab-title-sync.test.ts
index a062b9df906..217d12d4672 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/lib/ai-vault-tab-title-sync.test.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/lib/ai-vault-tab-title-sync.test.ts
@@ -192,6 +192,8 @@ describe('AI Vault tab title sync', () => {
           {
             agent,
             sessionId: `${agent}-session`,
+            // Why: the host titles a launch file's session by the prompt it kept for this pane.
+            paneKey: 'tab-1:leaf-1',
             transcriptPath: `/sessions/${agent}.jsonl`
           }
         ]
@@ -373,6 +375,7 @@ describe('AI Vault tab title sync', () => {
       providerSession: { key: 'session_id', id: `session-${index}` },
       refresh: true,
       tabId: `tab-${index}`,
+      paneKey: `tab-${index}:leaf-${index}`,
       worktreeId: `worktree-${index}`
     })
     const groups = batchAiVaultTitleRequests(
@@ -391,6 +394,7 @@ describe('AI Vault tab title sync', () => {
       providerSession: { key: 'session_id' as const, id: `session-${index}` },
       refresh: true,
       tabId: `tab-${index}`,
+      paneKey: `tab-${index}:leaf-${index}`,
       worktreeId: `worktree-${index}`
     })
     const requests = [
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/lib/ai-vault-tab-title-sync.ts b/src/renderer/src/lib/ai-vault-tab-title-sync.ts
index bac035ff265..bf0457f2a6a 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/lib/ai-vault-tab-title-sync.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/lib/ai-vault-tab-title-sync.ts
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ export function startAiVaultTabTitleSync(dependencies: SyncDependencies): () =>
       requests: requests.map((request) => ({
         agent: request.agent,
         sessionId: request.providerSession.id,
+        paneKey: request.paneKey,
         ...(request.providerSession.transcriptPath
           ? { transcriptPath: request.providerSession.transcriptPath }
           : {})
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/lib/launch-agent-new-tab-prompt-delivery.test.ts b/src/renderer/src/lib/launch-agent-new-tab-prompt-delivery.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..42a7b56722d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/renderer/src/lib/launch-agent-new-tab-prompt-delivery.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+
+const mocks = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  receipt: vi.fn(),
+  exited: vi.fn(),
+  unconfirmed: vi.fn(),
+  notDelivered: vi.fn()
+}))
+
+vi.mock('@/lib/agent-launch-prompt-receipt', () => ({ waitForLaunchPromptReceipt: mocks.receipt }))
+vi.mock('@/lib/agent-launch-prompt-not-delivered-notice', () => ({
+  showAgentLaunchExitedNotice: mocks.exited,
+  showAgentLaunchPromptUnconfirmedNotice: mocks.unconfirmed,
+  showAgentLaunchPromptNotDeliveredNotice: mocks.notDelivered
+}))
+vi.mock('@/lib/agent-launch-prompt-delivery', () => ({
+  deliverLaunchPromptToAgentTab: vi.fn(),
+  seedNativeChatLaunchDraftForAgentTab: vi.fn(),
+  seedNativeChatLaunchPromptForAgentTab: vi.fn()
+}))
+vi.mock('@/store', () => ({
+  useAppStore: {
+    getState: () => ({ tabsByWorktree: { 'wt-1': [{ id: 'tab-1', ptyId: 'pty-1' }] } })
+  }
+}))
+vi.mock('@/lib/telemetry', () => ({ track: vi.fn(), tuiAgentToAgentKind: vi.fn() }))
+
+import { deliverNewTabLaunchPrompt } from './launch-agent-new-tab-prompt-delivery'
+
+function deliver() {
+  return deliverNewTabLaunchPrompt({
+    worktreeId: 'wt-1',
+    tabId: 'tab-1',
+    agent: 'claude',
+    prompt: 'fix the failing checks',
+    promptDelivery: 'submit-after-ready',
+    pasteDraftAfterLaunch: null,
+    submitPastedPrompt: false,
+    promptInLaunchFile: false,
+    launchedAt: 0
+  })
+}
+
+// Why: the notice must say what happened (stack QA 1.3); "the agent started, but your prompt
+// wasn't sent" was shown for an agent that crashed with the prompt already on its command line.
+describe('the notice for a prompt the launch line carried', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.clearAllMocks()
+  })
+
+  it('says the agent exited at startup when it quit before reading the prompt', async () => {
+    mocks.receipt.mockResolvedValue('agent-exited')
+    await expect(deliver()).resolves.toEqual({ delivered: false, failureNotified: true })
+    expect(mocks.exited).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
+      agent: 'claude',
+      prompt: 'fix the failing checks'
+    })
+    expect(mocks.notDelivered).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+
+  it('keeps "wasn’t sent" for a prompt that never reached a running agent', async () => {
+    mocks.receipt.mockResolvedValue('not-delivered')
+    await expect(deliver()).resolves.toMatchObject({ delivered: false })
+    expect(mocks.notDelivered).toHaveBeenCalled()
+    expect(mocks.exited).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/lib/launch-agent-new-tab-prompt-delivery.ts b/src/renderer/src/lib/launch-agent-new-tab-prompt-delivery.ts
index bab1b8759d5..6b66424eec4 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/lib/launch-agent-new-tab-prompt-delivery.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/lib/launch-agent-new-tab-prompt-delivery.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 import { createPasteReadinessTimeoutNotice } from '@/lib/launch-agent-paste-timeout-notice'
 import { waitForLaunchPromptReceipt } from '@/lib/agent-launch-prompt-receipt'
-import { showAgentLaunchPromptUnconfirmedNotice } from '@/lib/agent-launch-prompt-not-delivered-notice'
+import {
+  showAgentLaunchExitedNotice,
+  showAgentLaunchPromptUnconfirmedNotice
+} from '@/lib/agent-launch-prompt-not-delivered-notice'
 import {
   deliverLaunchPromptToAgentTab,
   seedNativeChatLaunchDraftForAgentTab,
@@ -65,12 +68,19 @@ export function deliverNewTabLaunchPrompt(args: {
     pasteDraftAfterLaunch === null
       ? waitForLaunchPromptReceipt({ tabId, agent, launchedAt: args.launchedAt }).then(
           (receipt) => {
-            if (receipt !== 'unconfirmed') {
-              return timeoutNotice.settle(receipt === 'delivered', args.onPromptDelivered)
+            switch (receipt) {
+              case 'delivered':
+              case 'not-delivered':
+                return timeoutNotice.settle(receipt === 'delivered', args.onPromptDelivered)
+              case 'agent-exited':
+                // Why its own words: the agent did not really start, so "paste it once ready" is wrong.
+                showAgentLaunchExitedNotice({ agent, prompt })
+                return { delivered: false, failureNotified: true }
+              case 'unconfirmed':
+                // The agent may have the prompt: say so, and never invite pasting it a second time.
+                showAgentLaunchPromptUnconfirmedNotice({ agent, prompt })
+                return { delivered: false, failureNotified: true }
             }
-            // The agent may have the prompt: say so, and never invite pasting it a second time.
-            showAgentLaunchPromptUnconfirmedNotice({ agent, prompt })
-            return { delivered: false, failureNotified: true }
           }
         )
       : deliverLaunchPromptToAgentTab({
diff --git a/src/shared/ai-vault-session-title.ts b/src/shared/ai-vault-session-title.ts
index d72d5b6192b..99cd4c75616 100644
--- a/src/shared/ai-vault-session-title.ts
+++ b/src/shared/ai-vault-session-title.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@ export type AiVaultSessionTitleRequest = {
   agent: AiVaultSessionTitle['agent']
   sessionId: string
   transcriptPath?: string
+  /** The pane showing this session, so the host that spawned it titles a launch file's session
+   *  with the prompt, not the pointer the transcript holds. */
+  paneKey?: string
 }
 
 export type AiVaultSessionTitlesArgs = {
diff --git a/src/shared/launch-prompt-file.ts b/src/shared/launch-prompt-file.ts
index d28e4c010ce..c3f9b9e0e14 100644
--- a/src/shared/launch-prompt-file.ts
+++ b/src/shared/launch-prompt-file.ts
@@ -47,6 +47,11 @@ export function isLaunchFilePointer(prompt: string): boolean {
   )
 }
 
+/** Whether text opens like Orca's pointer, as a session title cut from one does. */
+export function opensLikeLaunchFilePointer(text: string): boolean {
+  return text.trim().startsWith(POINTER_LEAD)
+}
+
 export function carryInLaunchFile(content: string): { prompt: string; launchFile: LaunchFile } {
   const bytes = crypto.getRandomValues(new Uint8Array(16))
   const placeholder = `orca-launch-file-${Array.from(bytes, (byte) => byte.toString(16).padStart(2, '0')).join('')}`
diff --git a/src/shared/rpc-contract/ai-vault-params.ts b/src/shared/rpc-contract/ai-vault-params.ts
index d036af9177f..084aa388ae3 100644
--- a/src/shared/rpc-contract/ai-vault-params.ts
+++ b/src/shared/rpc-contract/ai-vault-params.ts
@@ -66,7 +66,8 @@ export const AiVaultSessionTitlesParams = z.object({
       z.object({
         agent: z.enum(['claude', 'codex']),
         sessionId: z.string().min(1).max(512),
-        transcriptPath: z.string().min(1).max(32_768).optional()
+        transcriptPath: z.string().min(1).max(32_768).optional(),
+        paneKey: z.string().min(1).max(512).optional()
       })
     )
     .max(AI_VAULT_SESSION_TITLE_REQUEST_MAX_COUNT)