diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/WorktreeJumpPalette.test.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/WorktreeJumpPalette.test.tsx
index 23af48e6364..8378690f580 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/WorktreeJumpPalette.test.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/WorktreeJumpPalette.test.tsx
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 import type * as ReactI18Next from 'react-i18next'
 import type { Repo, Tab, TabGroup, TerminalTab, Worktree } from '../../../shared/types'
 import type { AgentStatusEntry, AgentStatusState } from '../../../shared/agent-status-types'
+import { makePaneKey } from '../../../shared/stable-pane-id'
 import { useAppStore } from '@/store'
 import type { AppState } from '@/store/types'
 import { emitCmdJRowIndexJump } from '@/lib/cmd-j-row-index-jump'
@@ -431,7 +432,7 @@ function makeAgentEntry(
     prompt: '',
     updatedAt: stateStartedAt,
     stateStartedAt,
-    paneKey: `${tabId}:${LEAF_ID}`,
+    paneKey: makePaneKey(tabId, LEAF_ID),
     stateHistory: []
   }
 }
@@ -767,11 +768,35 @@ describe('WorktreeJumpPalette recent chats & terminals', () => {
     expect(getCommandValue()).toBe(movedTo)
   })
 
+  it('re-ranks once when terminal entities hydrate after unified tabs', async () => {
+    // Why split hydration: unified tabs can land before tabsByWorktree; without a re-capture every
+    // row ranks IDLE. A deliberate second-row highlight must survive that one re-rank.
+    const hydrated = makeRecentTabState({
+      agentStatusByPaneKey: {
+        [makePaneKey('term-alpha', LEAF_ID)]: makeAgentEntry('term-alpha', 'blocked', Date.now())
+      },
+      lastVisitedAtByWorktreeId: { 'wt-beta': Date.now() }
+    })
+    await renderPalette({ ...hydrated, tabsByWorktree: {} })
+    expect(getTabRowIds()).toEqual(['tab-beta', 'tab-alpha'])
+    const movedTo = `workspace-tab:${getTabRowIds()[1]}`
+    await act(async () => {
+      setCommandSelection?.(movedTo)
+    })
+    await flushEffects()
+    await act(async () => {
+      useAppStore.setState({ tabsByWorktree: hydrated.tabsByWorktree } as Partial<AppState>)
+    })
+    await flushEffects()
+    expect(getTabRowIds()).toEqual(['tab-alpha', 'tab-beta'])
+    expect(getCommandValue()).toBe(movedTo)
+  })
+
   it('ranks a blocked agent above a more recently visited idle tab', async () => {
     await renderPalette(
       makeRecentTabState({
         agentStatusByPaneKey: {
-          [`term-alpha:${LEAF_ID}`]: makeAgentEntry('term-alpha', 'blocked', Date.now())
+          [makePaneKey('term-alpha', LEAF_ID)]: makeAgentEntry('term-alpha', 'blocked', Date.now())
         },
         lastVisitedAtByWorktreeId: { 'wt-beta': Date.now() }
       })
@@ -792,7 +817,7 @@ describe('WorktreeJumpPalette recent chats & terminals', () => {
     await act(async () => {
       useAppStore.setState({
         agentStatusByPaneKey: {
-          [`term-alpha:${LEAF_ID}`]: makeAgentEntry('term-alpha', 'blocked', Date.now())
+          [makePaneKey('term-alpha', LEAF_ID)]: makeAgentEntry('term-alpha', 'blocked', Date.now())
         }
       } as Partial<AppState>)
     })
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/WorktreeJumpPalette.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/WorktreeJumpPalette.tsx
index c3ff5aae2e8..e7d23aaea68 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/WorktreeJumpPalette.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/WorktreeJumpPalette.tsx
@@ -1046,20 +1046,48 @@ export default function WorktreeJumpPalette(): React.JSX.Element | null {
   // send ⌘3 to the wrong row; dots keep updating, positions don't.
   const [recentTabOrder, setRecentTabOrder] = useState<readonly string[]>(EMPTY_RECENT_TAB_ORDER)
   const recentTabOrderCapturedRef = useRef(false)
+  // Why: unified tabs can land before tabsByWorktree entities. A capture then ranks every chat as
+  // IDLE; allow one re-capture when entities arrive, then freeze for good.
+  const recentTabOrderAttentionReadyRef = useRef(false)
+  // Terminal rows without a tabsByWorktree entity can't resolve attention yet (see orderRecent…).
+  const recentOrderAttentionIncomplete = useMemo(() => {
+    for (const item of openTabItems) {
+      if (item.type !== 'workspace-tab' || item.result.contentType !== 'terminal') {
+        continue
+      }
+      const worktree = worktreeMap.get(item.result.worktreeId)
+      if (!worktree || worktree.isArchived || isCurrentOpenTabItem(item)) {
+        continue
+      }
+      if (!terminalTabsById.has(item.result.entityId)) {
+        return true
+      }
+    }
+    return false
+  }, [openTabItems, terminalTabsById, worktreeMap])
   // Why layout, not passive: a post-paint capture shows one frame of worktrees-only, which flashes
   // the list, renumbers ⌘1–6 under the user, and lets cmdk latch a worktree as the Enter target.
   useLayoutEffect(() => {
     if (!visible) {
       recentTabOrderCapturedRef.current = false
+      recentTabOrderAttentionReadyRef.current = false
       autoSelectedItemIdRef.current = null
       setRecentTabOrder(EMPTY_RECENT_TAB_ORDER)
       return
     }
     // Why: the query and filter are cleared by the open effect below, which runs after this one —
     // capturing before that lands would freeze the *previous* session's filtered subset for good.
-    if (recentTabOrderCapturedRef.current || hasQuery || query.length > 0 || filterActive) {
+    if (hasQuery || query.length > 0 || filterActive) {
       return
     }
+    // Fully frozen after an attention-ready capture; provisional freeze while entities still pending
+    // so agent-status churn can't reshuffle under the cursor before the one-shot re-rank.
+    if (recentTabOrderCapturedRef.current) {
+      if (recentTabOrderAttentionReadyRef.current || recentOrderAttentionIncomplete) {
+        return
+      }
+      // Incomplete → complete: fall through and re-capture with real attention ranks.
+    }
     const order = orderRecentWorkspaceTabs({
       rows: recentTabRows,
       paneSources: recentTabPaneSources,
@@ -1070,11 +1098,15 @@ export default function WorktreeJumpPalette(): React.JSX.Element | null {
     if (order.length === 0) {
       // Why: tabs can arrive after the palette opens (cold start, session restore, a late tab
       // mirror). Latching an empty snapshot would leave Recent dead — and digits inert — until
-      // close+reopen, so stay unlatched; the stable empty ref keeps this a no-op re-render.
+      // close+reopen. Also clear a provisional latch: incomplete→complete fallthrough can hit empty
+      // if open tabs briefly vanish, and keeping captured would freeze an empty Recent forever.
+      recentTabOrderCapturedRef.current = false
+      recentTabOrderAttentionReadyRef.current = false
       setRecentTabOrder(EMPTY_RECENT_TAB_ORDER)
       return
     }
     recentTabOrderCapturedRef.current = true
+    recentTabOrderAttentionReadyRef.current = !recentOrderAttentionIncomplete
     setRecentTabOrder(order)
     // Why: recents render above the worktrees, so a row auto-selected before they arrived is no
     // longer the list head — hand Enter back to the top, matching ⌘1. Untouched selections only:
@@ -1089,6 +1121,7 @@ export default function WorktreeJumpPalette(): React.JSX.Element | null {
     hasQuery,
     lastVisitedAtByWorktreeId,
     query.length,
+    recentOrderAttentionIncomplete,
     recentTabPaneSources,
     recentTabRows,
     visible
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/cmd-j/palette-live-status.test.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/cmd-j/palette-live-status.test.tsx
index 1a809c02501..9e6daf7f7a9 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/cmd-j/palette-live-status.test.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/cmd-j/palette-live-status.test.tsx
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 import { useAppStore } from '@/store'
 import type { AppState } from '@/store/types'
 import type { AgentStatusEntry, AgentStatusState } from '../../../../shared/agent-status-types'
+import { makePaneKey } from '../../../../shared/stable-pane-id'
 import type { TerminalTab } from '../../../../shared/types'
 import {
   PaletteLiveStatusProvider,
@@ -42,14 +43,14 @@ function makeAgentEntry(tabId: string, state: AgentStatusState): AgentStatusEntr
     prompt: '',
     updatedAt: Date.now(),
     stateStartedAt: Date.now(),
-    paneKey: `${tabId}:${LEAF}`,
+    paneKey: makePaneKey(tabId, LEAF),
     stateHistory: []
   }
 }
 
 function setAgentState(state: AgentStatusState): void {
   useAppStore.setState((s) => ({
-    agentStatusByPaneKey: { [`term-a:${LEAF}`]: makeAgentEntry('term-a', state) },
+    agentStatusByPaneKey: { [makePaneKey('term-a', LEAF)]: makeAgentEntry('term-a', state) },
     agentStatusEpoch: s.agentStatusEpoch + 1
   }))
 }
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/lib/cmd-j-match-relevance.test.ts b/src/renderer/src/lib/cmd-j-match-relevance.test.ts
index 397225083ec..36da3f66d0d 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/lib/cmd-j-match-relevance.test.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/lib/cmd-j-match-relevance.test.ts
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ describe('scorePaletteRelevance', () => {
     expect(worstPrimary).toBeLessThan(bestSecondary)
   })
 
-  it('treats a CJK character before the match as a word boundary', () => {
+  it('treats a CJK letter before the match as mid-word, like a Latin letter', () => {
     expect(
       scorePaletteRelevance([{ text: '工作树perf', range: { start: 3, end: 7 }, tier: 0 }])
     ).toBe(scorePaletteRelevance([{ text: 'aperf', range: { start: 1, end: 5 }, tier: 0 }]))
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/lib/recent-workspace-tab-rows.test.ts b/src/renderer/src/lib/recent-workspace-tab-rows.test.ts
index 963d9935d9c..1e71bb74f63 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/lib/recent-workspace-tab-rows.test.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/lib/recent-workspace-tab-rows.test.ts
@@ -159,6 +159,26 @@ describe('orderRecentWorkspaceTabs', () => {
     ).toEqual(['second', 'third', 'first'])
   })
 
+  it('keeps input order across worktrees instead of comparing their unrelated MRU ordinals', () => {
+    // Callers pass worktree-grouped positional order; both worktrees are never-visited, so only
+    // the per-worktree focus ordinals differ — beta's larger ordinal must not hoist it over alpha.
+    const rows = [
+      row('alpha-1', { worktreeId: 'wt-alpha', unifiedTabId: 'unified-alpha-1' }),
+      row('alpha-2', { worktreeId: 'wt-alpha', unifiedTabId: 'unified-alpha-2' }),
+      row('beta-1', { worktreeId: 'wt-beta', unifiedTabId: 'unified-beta-1' })
+    ]
+
+    expect(
+      order(rows, sources([]), {
+        focusedGroupTabRecency: new Map([
+          ['unified-alpha-1', 0],
+          ['unified-alpha-2', 1],
+          ['unified-beta-1', 5]
+        ])
+      })
+    ).toEqual(['alpha-2', 'alpha-1', 'beta-1'])
+  })
+
   it('keeps input (positional) order when nothing else separates two rows', () => {
     const rows = [row('a', { worktreeId: 'wt-1' }), row('b', { worktreeId: 'wt-1' })]
 
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/lib/recent-workspace-tab-rows.ts b/src/renderer/src/lib/recent-workspace-tab-rows.ts
index b4cc0c5111c..b990ef1bdd2 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/lib/recent-workspace-tab-rows.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/lib/recent-workspace-tab-rows.ts
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ type RankedRow = {
   attentionTimestamp: number
   visitedAt: number | undefined
   focusOrdinal: number
+  worktreeId: string
 }
 
 /** Classes 1 (blocked/waiting) and 2 (freshly done) are the rows that want the user. */
@@ -125,6 +126,11 @@ function compareRankedRows(a: RankedRow, b: RankedRow): number {
     }
     return b.visitedAt - a.visitedAt
   }
+  // Why: focusOrdinal is a per-worktree sequence, so comparing it across worktrees interleaves
+  // them arbitrarily. Keep input (positional) order instead.
+  if (a.worktreeId !== b.worktreeId) {
+    return 0
+  }
   return b.focusOrdinal - a.focusOrdinal
 }
 
@@ -145,6 +151,7 @@ export function orderRecentWorkspaceTabs(inputs: RecentWorkspaceTabOrderInputs):
         attentionClass: attention.cls,
         attentionTimestamp: attention.attentionTimestamp,
         visitedAt: lastVisitedAtByWorktreeId[row.worktreeId],
+        worktreeId: row.worktreeId,
         focusOrdinal:
           row.unifiedTabId === null
             ? NO_FOCUS_ORDINAL