diff --git a/src/main/runtime/mobile-session-terminal-retirement.ts b/src/main/runtime/mobile-session-terminal-retirement.ts
index 0f027e8c68d..8dc4cf3d722 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/mobile-session-terminal-retirement.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/mobile-session-terminal-retirement.ts
@@ -216,15 +216,34 @@ export function retireTerminalSurfacesFromSnapshot(args: {
   if (retiredTabs.length === 0) {
     return null
   }
+  return {
+    snapshot: removeMobileSessionSnapshotTabs(args.snapshot, retiredTabs, args.retirementProofs),
+    retired: retiredTabs.map((tab) => ({
+      worktreeId: args.snapshot.worktree,
+      parentTabId: tab.parentTabId,
+      leafId: tab.leafId,
+      ptyId: args.ptyId
+    }))
+  }
+}
 
+/** The snapshot without `removedTabs`, repairing split layouts, tab groups and the active surface. */
+export function removeMobileSessionSnapshotTabs(
+  snapshot: RuntimeMobileSessionTabsSnapshot,
+  removedTabs: readonly RuntimeMobileSessionSnapshotTab[],
+  retirementProofs?: readonly RuntimeMobileSessionRetiredTerminalSurface[]
+): RuntimeMobileSessionTabsSnapshot {
+  const removedTerminals = removedTabs.filter(
+    (tab): tab is RuntimeMobileSessionTerminalTab => tab.type === 'terminal'
+  )
   const retiredLeafIdsByParent = new Map<string, Set<string>>()
-  for (const tab of retiredTabs) {
+  for (const tab of removedTerminals) {
     const leafIds = retiredLeafIdsByParent.get(tab.parentTabId) ?? new Set<string>()
     leafIds.add(tab.leafId)
     retiredLeafIdsByParent.set(tab.parentTabId, leafIds)
   }
-  const retiredIds = new Set(retiredTabs.map((tab) => tab.id))
-  let tabs = args.snapshot.tabs.filter((tab) => !retiredIds.has(tab.id))
+  const removedIds = new Set(removedTabs.map((tab) => tab.id))
+  let tabs = snapshot.tabs.filter((tab) => !removedIds.has(tab.id))
   tabs = tabs.map((tab) => {
     if (tab.type !== 'terminal') {
       return tab
@@ -235,7 +254,7 @@ export function retireTerminalSurfacesFromSnapshot(args: {
     }
     const sourceLayout =
       tab.parentLayout ??
-      retiredTabs.find((retired) => retired.parentTabId === tab.parentTabId)?.parentLayout
+      removedTerminals.find((retired) => retired.parentTabId === tab.parentTabId)?.parentLayout
     const parentLayout = sourceLayout
       ? retireLeavesFromTerminalLayout(sourceLayout, retiredLeafIds)
       : undefined
@@ -244,21 +263,18 @@ export function retireTerminalSurfacesFromSnapshot(args: {
       ...(parentLayout ? { parentLayout } : {}),
       isActive:
         tab.isActive ||
-        retiredTabs.some((retired) => retired.parentTabId === tab.parentTabId && retired.isActive)
+        removedTerminals.some(
+          (retired) => retired.parentTabId === tab.parentTabId && retired.isActive
+        )
     }
   })
 
   const validTopLevelIds = new Set(tabs.map(topLevelTabId))
   const tabGroups = repairMobileSessionTabGroupsAfterRetirement(
-    args.snapshot.tabGroups,
+    snapshot.tabGroups,
     validTopLevelIds
   )
-  const active = chooseActiveSurface(
-    tabs,
-    args.snapshot.activeTabId,
-    tabGroups,
-    args.snapshot.activeGroupId
-  )
+  const active = chooseActiveSurface(tabs, snapshot.activeTabId, tabGroups, snapshot.activeGroupId)
   tabs = tabs.map((tab) => ({ ...tab, isActive: tab.id === active?.id }))
   const activeTopLevelId = active ? topLevelTabId(active) : null
   const activeGroupId =
@@ -269,38 +285,29 @@ export function retireTerminalSurfacesFromSnapshot(args: {
     null
   const retainedGroupIds = new Set(tabGroups?.map((group) => group.id) ?? [])
 
-  const retired = retiredTabs.map((tab) => ({
-    worktreeId: args.snapshot.worktree,
-    parentTabId: tab.parentTabId,
-    leafId: tab.leafId,
-    ptyId: args.ptyId
-  }))
   return {
-    snapshot: {
-      ...args.snapshot,
-      snapshotVersion: args.snapshot.snapshotVersion + 1,
-      activeGroupId,
-      activeTabId: active?.id ?? null,
-      activeTabType: active?.type ?? null,
-      ...(tabGroups ? { tabGroups } : { tabGroups: undefined }),
-      ...(args.snapshot.tabGroupLayout
-        ? {
-            tabGroupLayout: pruneTabGroupLayoutAfterRetirement(
-              args.snapshot.tabGroupLayout,
-              retainedGroupIds
-            )
-          }
-        : {}),
-      ...(args.retirementProofs && args.retirementProofs.length > 0
-        ? {
-            retiredTerminalSurfaces: appendRetiredTerminalSurfaceProofs(
-              args.snapshot.retiredTerminalSurfaces,
-              args.retirementProofs
-            )
-          }
-        : {}),
-      tabs
-    },
-    retired
+    ...snapshot,
+    snapshotVersion: snapshot.snapshotVersion + 1,
+    activeGroupId,
+    activeTabId: active?.id ?? null,
+    activeTabType: active?.type ?? null,
+    ...(tabGroups ? { tabGroups } : { tabGroups: undefined }),
+    ...(snapshot.tabGroupLayout
+      ? {
+          tabGroupLayout: pruneTabGroupLayoutAfterRetirement(
+            snapshot.tabGroupLayout,
+            retainedGroupIds
+          )
+        }
+      : {}),
+    ...(retirementProofs && retirementProofs.length > 0
+      ? {
+          retiredTerminalSurfaces: appendRetiredTerminalSurfaceProofs(
+            snapshot.retiredTerminalSurfaces,
+            retirementProofs
+          )
+        }
+      : {}),
+    tabs
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-sync-mobile-session-tabs.ts b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-sync-mobile-session-tabs.ts
index b317d56760f..efe372dc3fc 100644
--- a/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-sync-mobile-session-tabs.ts
+++ b/src/main/runtime/orca-runtime-sync-mobile-session-tabs.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { OrcaRuntimeWithWriteOrchestrationPointerPty } from './orca-runtime-writ
 import type { RuntimeMobileSessionTabsSnapshot } from '../../shared/runtime-types'
 import type { WorkspaceSessionState } from '../../shared/workspace-session-state-types'
 import { getMobileSessionSnapshotTabIdentityKeys } from './mobile-session-tab-merge'
+import { removeMobileSessionSnapshotTabs } from './mobile-session-terminal-retirement'
 
 export class OrcaRuntimeWithSyncMobileSessionTabs extends OrcaRuntimeWithWriteOrchestrationPointerPty {
   // Returns the worktrees whose stored snapshot object changed during this
@@ -217,17 +218,39 @@ export class OrcaRuntimeWithSyncMobileSessionTabs extends OrcaRuntimeWithWriteOr
     ) {
       return
     }
-    this.mergeRendererMobileSnapshot(accepted.frame)
+    this.mergeRendererMobileSnapshot(accepted.frame, { parentTabId: tabId, leafId })
     this.notifyMobileSessionTabsChanged(worktreeId)
   }
 
-  protected mergeRendererMobileSnapshot(snapshot: RuntimeMobileSessionTabsSnapshot): void {
+  protected mergeRendererMobileSnapshot(
+    snapshot: RuntimeMobileSessionTabsSnapshot,
+    rederivedSurface?: { parentTabId: string; leafId: string }
+  ): void {
     const existing = this.mobileSessionTabsByWorktree.get(snapshot.worktree)
     this.nativeChatDraftResolutions.reconcile(snapshot)
     const launchDraftFencedSnapshot = this.nativeChatDraftResolutions.applyFence(snapshot)
     const fencedSnapshot = this.applyMobileSessionRetirementFences(launchDraftFencedSnapshot)
-    this.releaseRuntimeSessionOwnershipForRendererRetiredTabs(fencedSnapshot, existing)
-    const nextSnapshot = this.mergePreservedHeadlessMobileSessionTabs(fencedSnapshot, existing)
+    // Why: a replay re-derives only the registering surface; every other surface keeps the host's
+    // current decision, so one the host retired after accept (its PTY may still be exiting) stays out.
+    const heldKeys = new Set(
+      existing?.tabs.flatMap((tab) => getMobileSessionSnapshotTabIdentityKeys(tab)) ?? []
+    )
+    const unheldSurfaces = rederivedSurface
+      ? fencedSnapshot.tabs.filter(
+          (tab) =>
+            !(
+              tab.type === 'terminal' &&
+              tab.parentTabId === rederivedSurface.parentTabId &&
+              tab.leafId === rederivedSurface.leafId
+            ) && !getMobileSessionSnapshotTabIdentityKeys(tab).some((key) => heldKeys.has(key))
+        )
+      : []
+    const mergedSnapshot =
+      unheldSurfaces.length > 0
+        ? removeMobileSessionSnapshotTabs(fencedSnapshot, unheldSurfaces)
+        : fencedSnapshot
+    this.releaseRuntimeSessionOwnershipForRendererRetiredTabs(mergedSnapshot, existing)
+    const nextSnapshot = this.mergePreservedHeadlessMobileSessionTabs(mergedSnapshot, existing)
     // Why: clients drop same-epoch frames whose version isn't strictly newer,
     // and main-local touches may already have emitted a higher version than
     // the renderer's counter — keep the stored version strictly monotonic so