diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/editor/editor-autosave-holds.test.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/editor/editor-autosave-holds.test.ts
index 1e768a11a2e..fefe4fd672e 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/editor/editor-autosave-holds.test.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/editor/editor-autosave-holds.test.ts
@@ -56,4 +56,26 @@ describe('discard hold keys on a Windows client', () => {
     expect(key).not.toBe('a')
     expect(key).toBe(editorFileHoldKey(state, tab('b', 'c:/repo/a.ts', local)))
   })
+
+  it('holds a `\\\\wsl.localhost` tab while its file is discarded via `\\\\wsl$`', () => {
+    const local = { worktreeId: 'wt-1' }
+    const tabKey = editorFileHoldKey(
+      state,
+      tab('b', '\\\\wsl.localhost\\ubuntu\\repo\\a.ts', local)
+    )
+    const discarded = pathMutationHoldKeys(state, {
+      worktreeId: 'wt-1',
+      worktreePath: '\\\\wsl$\\Ubuntu\\repo',
+      relativePath: 'a.ts'
+    })
+    expect(tabKey).not.toBe('b')
+    expect(discarded.has(tabKey)).toBe(true)
+    // The Linux path keeps its case, and a real share named `wsl` is another machine.
+    expect(
+      discarded.has(editorFileHoldKey(state, tab('c', '\\\\wsl$\\Ubuntu\\repo\\A.ts', local)))
+    ).toBe(false)
+    expect(
+      discarded.has(editorFileHoldKey(state, tab('d', '\\\\wsl\\Ubuntu\\repo\\a.ts', local)))
+    ).toBe(false)
+  })
 })
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/editor/editor-autosave-holds.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/editor/editor-autosave-holds.ts
index fce5cd800db..e06760c6fff 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/editor/editor-autosave-holds.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/editor/editor-autosave-holds.ts
@@ -4,15 +4,26 @@ import { joinPath } from '@/lib/path'
 import { getOpenFilesForExternalFileChange, type EditorPathMutationTarget } from './editor-autosave'
 import { resolveEditorModelOwner, resolvedEditorModelOwnerKey } from './editor-model-owner'
 import type { EditorModelOwner } from './editor-model-owner'
-import { editorBufferOwnerPathKey } from '@/store/slices/editor/buffers/editor-buffer-identity'
+import {
+  editorBufferOwnerPathKey,
+  isLocalWindowsEditorOwner
+} from '@/store/slices/editor/buffers/editor-buffer-identity'
+import { parseWslUncPath } from '../../../../shared/wsl-paths'
 
 // Why not the model URI: it normalizes paths by the client's rules, so on a Windows client
 // `/repo/a\b.ts` and `/repo/a/b.ts` on a POSIX host would collide.
 function physicalFileKey(owner: EditorModelOwner, filePath: string): string | null {
   const ownerKey = resolvedEditorModelOwnerKey(owner)
-  return ownerKey === null
-    ? null
-    : JSON.stringify([ownerKey, editorBufferOwnerPathKey(filePath, owner)])
+  if (ownerKey === null) {
+    return null
+  }
+  // Why: a discard via `\\wsl$` must hold a tab opened via `\\wsl.localhost`. A tuple can't
+  // equal a real path string, so a share literally named `wsl` stays apart.
+  const wsl = isLocalWindowsEditorOwner(owner) ? parseWslUncPath(filePath) : null
+  const pathKey = wsl
+    ? ['wsl', wsl.distro.toLowerCase(), wsl.linuxPath]
+    : editorBufferOwnerPathKey(filePath, owner)
+  return JSON.stringify([ownerKey, pathKey])
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/store/slices/editor/buffers/editor-buffer-identity.test.ts b/src/renderer/src/store/slices/editor/buffers/editor-buffer-identity.test.ts
index de8d9dece64..cb9853331d6 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/store/slices/editor/buffers/editor-buffer-identity.test.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/store/slices/editor/buffers/editor-buffer-identity.test.ts
@@ -9,9 +9,7 @@ import {
   detachedEditorBufferId,
   editorBufferIdentityOf,
   editorBufferPathKey,
-  isEditorBufferIdentityRetired,
-  type EditorBufferHostFacts,
-  type EditorBufferHostPathFlavor
+  isEditorBufferIdentityRetired
 } from './editor-buffer-identity'
 
 const LOCAL: WorktreeOperationRoute = { executionHostId: 'local', runtimeEnvironmentId: null }
@@ -45,18 +43,12 @@ function file(overrides: Partial<OpenFile> = {}, route?: WorktreeOperationRoute)
   }
 }
 
-const HOST_A: EditorBufferHostFacts = { capturedSshEndpoint: 'host-a:22' }
-
-function keyOf(tab: OpenFile, facts: EditorBufferHostFacts = HOST_A): string | undefined {
-  return editorBufferIdentityOf(tab, {}, facts)?.key
+function keyOf(tab: OpenFile): string | undefined {
+  return editorBufferIdentityOf(tab, {})?.key
 }
 
-function pathKey(
-  filePath: string,
-  flavor: EditorBufferHostPathFlavor = 'unknown',
-  foldWsl = false
-) {
-  return JSON.stringify(editorBufferPathKey(filePath, flavor, foldWsl))
+function pathKey(filePath: string, windows = false) {
+  return editorBufferPathKey(filePath, windows)
 }
 
 function runtimeTab(id: string, pairingRevision?: number): OpenFile {
@@ -96,50 +88,27 @@ describe('editorBufferPathKey', () => {
     expect(pathKey(left)).toBe(pathKey(right))
   })
 
-  it('folds the UNC server name of a forward-slash path on a Windows host only', () => {
-    expect(pathKey('//SERVER/share/a.ts', 'windows')).toBe(
-      pathKey('//server/share/a.ts', 'windows')
-    )
-    expect(pathKey('\\\\server\\share\\a.ts', 'windows')).toBe(
-      pathKey('//SERVER/share/a.ts', 'windows')
-    )
+  it('folds the UNC server name of a forward-slash path on a Windows client only', () => {
+    expect(pathKey('//SERVER/share/a.ts', true)).toBe(pathKey('//server/share/a.ts', true))
+    expect(pathKey('\\\\server\\share\\a.ts', true)).toBe(pathKey('//SERVER/share/a.ts', true))
   })
 
   it.each([
     ['C:/Repo/A.ts', 'C:/repo/a.ts'],
     ['\\\\server\\share\\A.ts', '\\\\server\\share\\a.ts'],
     ['\\\\server\\Share\\a.ts', '\\\\server\\share\\a.ts'],
-    ['//wsl$/Ubuntu/home/me/A.ts', '//wsl$/Ubuntu/home/me/a.ts'],
+    ['\\\\wsl$\\Ubuntu\\home\\me\\a.ts', '\\\\wsl.localhost\\Ubuntu\\home\\me\\a.ts'],
     ['/repo/A.ts', '/repo/a.ts'],
     ['/repo/a\\b.ts', '/repo/a/b.ts']
-  ])('never folds path case or POSIX backslashes: %s is not %s', (left, right) => {
-    expect(pathKey(left, 'windows', true)).not.toBe(pathKey(right, 'windows', true))
+  ])('never folds path case, WSL aliases or POSIX backslashes: %s is not %s', (left, right) => {
+    expect(pathKey(left, true)).not.toBe(pathKey(right, true))
   })
 
-  it('keeps an ambiguous `//` path exact unless the host is known Windows', () => {
+  it('keeps an ambiguous `//` path exact unless the client is Windows', () => {
     // Valid POSIX names on Linux or an SSH host: a backslash is part of the file name.
     expect(pathKey('//repo/a\\b.ts')).not.toBe(pathKey('//repo/a/b.ts'))
     expect(pathKey('//SERVER/share/a.ts')).not.toBe(pathKey('//server/share/a.ts'))
-    expect(pathKey('//repo/a\\b.ts', 'windows')).toBe(pathKey('//repo/a/b.ts', 'windows'))
-  })
-
-  it.each([
-    ['\\\\wsl$\\Ubuntu\\home\\me\\a.ts', '\\\\wsl.localhost\\ubuntu\\home\\me\\a.ts'],
-    ['//wsl$/Ubuntu/home/me/a.ts', '\\\\wsl.localhost\\Ubuntu\\home\\me\\a.ts']
-  ])('folds the WSL aliases %s and %s only when asked', (left, right) => {
-    expect(pathKey(left, 'windows', true)).toBe(pathKey(right, 'windows', true))
-    expect(pathKey(left, 'windows')).not.toBe(pathKey(right, 'windows'))
-  })
-
-  it('never lets a folded WSL key equal a real share named wsl', () => {
-    const folded = pathKey('\\\\wsl$\\Ubuntu\\home\\a.ts', 'windows', true)
-    for (const real of [
-      '\\\\wsl\\ubuntu\\home\\a.ts',
-      '//wsl/ubuntu/home/a.ts',
-      '\\\\wsl\\Ubuntu\\home\\a.ts'
-    ]) {
-      expect(pathKey(real, 'windows', true)).not.toBe(folded)
-    }
+    expect(pathKey('//repo/a\\b.ts', true)).toBe(pathKey('//repo/a/b.ts', true))
   })
 })
 
@@ -148,25 +117,19 @@ describe('editorBufferIdentityOf', () => {
     expect(keyOf(file({}, LOCAL))).toBe(keyOf(file({ id: 'b', worktreeId: 'wt-2' }, LOCAL)))
   })
 
-  it('folds WSL aliases for a local Windows client only', () => {
+  it('keeps WSL aliases apart on a local Windows client', () => {
+    vi.stubGlobal('navigator', { userAgent: 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0)' })
     const wslDollar = file({ filePath: '\\\\wsl$\\Ubuntu\\home\\a.ts' }, LOCAL)
     const wslLocalhost = file({ id: 'b', filePath: '\\\\wsl.localhost\\Ubuntu\\home\\a.ts' }, LOCAL)
-    vi.stubGlobal('navigator', { userAgent: 'Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh)' })
     expect(keyOf(wslDollar)).not.toBe(keyOf(wslLocalhost))
-
-    vi.stubGlobal('navigator', { userAgent: 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0)' })
-    expect(keyOf(wslDollar)).toBe(keyOf(wslLocalhost))
-    const ssh: WorktreeOperationRoute = {
-      executionHostId: 'ssh:target',
-      runtimeEnvironmentId: null
-    }
-    expect(keyOf(file({ filePath: wslDollar.filePath }, ssh))).not.toBe(
-      keyOf(file({ filePath: wslLocalhost.filePath }, ssh))
-    )
   })
 
-  it('keys an SSH target by its runtime environment as well as its target id', () => {
+  it('keys an SSH file by its connection target and runtime environment', () => {
     const direct = keyOf(file({ externalSshTargetId: 'target', runtimeEnvironmentId: null }))
+    const directElsewhere = keyOf(
+      file({ id: 'b', worktreeId: 'wt-2', externalSshTargetId: 'target' })
+    )
+    const otherTarget = keyOf(file({ externalSshTargetId: 'target-2' }))
     const nested = keyOf(file({ externalSshTargetId: 'target', runtimeEnvironmentId: 'env' }))
     const nestedElsewhere = keyOf(
       file({
@@ -181,41 +144,19 @@ describe('editorBufferIdentityOf', () => {
     )
 
     expect(direct).toBeDefined()
-    expect(new Set([direct, nested, otherRuntime]).size).toBe(3)
+    expect(direct).toBe(directElsewhere)
+    expect(new Set([direct, otherTarget, nested, otherRuntime]).size).toBe(4)
     expect(nested).toBe(nestedElsewhere)
   })
 
-  it('keys SSH tabs by the endpoint each captured, never the target id alone', () => {
-    const tab = (id: string) =>
-      file({ id, externalSshTargetId: 'target', runtimeEnvironmentId: null })
-    // The target id now points at B; the old tab still carries the endpoint it opened on.
-    const openedOnA = keyOf(tab('a'), { capturedSshEndpoint: 'host-a:22' })
-    const openedOnB = keyOf(tab('b'), { capturedSshEndpoint: 'host-b:22' })
-    expect(openedOnA).toBeDefined()
-    expect(openedOnA).not.toBe(openedOnB)
-    // A reconnect to the same machine captures the same endpoint.
-    expect(keyOf(tab('c'), { capturedSshEndpoint: 'host-a:22' })).toBe(openedOnA)
-  })
-
-  it('never shares an SSH tab with no captured endpoint', () => {
-    const tab = file({ externalSshTargetId: 'target', runtimeEnvironmentId: null })
-    expect(keyOf(tab, {})).toBeUndefined()
-    expect(keyOf(tab, { capturedSshEndpoint: '' })).toBeUndefined()
-  })
-
-  it('folds a forward-slash UNC server only on a remote host verified as Windows', () => {
+  it('keeps a remote forward-slash UNC path apart from its backslash form', () => {
     const route: WorktreeOperationRoute = {
       executionHostId: 'runtime:env',
       runtimeEnvironmentId: 'env'
     }
-    const upper = file({ filePath: '//SERVER/share/a.ts' }, route)
+    const slash = file({ filePath: '//SERVER/share/a.ts' }, route)
     const backslash = file({ id: 'b', filePath: '\\\\SERVER\\share\\a.ts' }, route)
-    expect(keyOf(upper, { remotePathFlavor: 'windows' })).toBe(
-      keyOf(backslash, { remotePathFlavor: 'windows' })
-    )
-    for (const remotePathFlavor of ['posix', 'unknown'] as const) {
-      expect(keyOf(upper, { remotePathFlavor })).not.toBe(keyOf(backslash, { remotePathFlavor }))
-    }
+    expect(keyOf(slash)).not.toBe(keyOf(backslash))
   })
 
   it('keeps a runtime host and the local machine apart for one path', () => {
@@ -223,8 +164,8 @@ describe('editorBufferIdentityOf', () => {
   })
 
   it('never shares a tab whose owner is unresolved, or a non-edit tab', () => {
-    expect(editorBufferIdentityOf(file({ runtimeEnvironmentId: null }), {}, HOST_A)).toBeNull()
-    expect(editorBufferIdentityOf(file({ mode: 'diff' }, LOCAL), {}, HOST_A)).toBeNull()
+    expect(editorBufferIdentityOf(file({ runtimeEnvironmentId: null }), {})).toBeNull()
+    expect(editorBufferIdentityOf(file({ mode: 'diff' }, LOCAL), {})).toBeNull()
   })
 
   it('joins a re-pair proven to be the same machine', () => {
@@ -250,12 +191,12 @@ describe('editorBufferIdentityOf', () => {
   it('quarantines a retired host: its replacement with the same path stays apart', () => {
     replaceRuntimeEnvironmentRevisions([{ id: 'env', createdAt: 0, pairingRevision: 1 }])
     const old = runtimeTab('old')
-    const local = editorBufferIdentityOf(file({}, LOCAL), {}, HOST_A)
+    const local = editorBufferIdentityOf(file({}, LOCAL), {})
     const quarantine = new Map<string, string>()
     // Retirement fires before the new revision is published, while the old key still stands.
     const stop = onRuntimeEnvironmentsRetired((retired) => {
       for (const [viewId, identity] of [
-        ['old', editorBufferIdentityOf(old, {}, HOST_A)],
+        ['old', editorBufferIdentityOf(old, {})],
         ['local', local]
       ] as const) {
         if (identity && isEditorBufferIdentityRetired(identity, retired)) {
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/store/slices/editor/buffers/editor-buffer-identity.ts b/src/renderer/src/store/slices/editor/buffers/editor-buffer-identity.ts
index e0df41c4472..4197ea06d79 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/store/slices/editor/buffers/editor-buffer-identity.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/store/slices/editor/buffers/editor-buffer-identity.ts
@@ -4,51 +4,24 @@ import { resolveEditorModelOwner } from '@/components/editor/editor-model-owner'
 import { isLocalWindowsDesktopClient } from '@/lib/desktop-window-chrome'
 import { resolveContinuedRuntimeEnvironmentRevision } from '@/runtime/runtime-environment-revision'
 import { parseExecutionHostId } from '../../../../../../shared/execution-host'
-import { parseWslUncPath } from '../../../../../../shared/wsl-paths'
 import { normalizeRuntimePathSeparators } from '../../../../../../shared/cross-platform-path'
 
 /** The physical file an edit tab shows. Renderer-local; the workspace is never part of it. */
 export type EditorBufferIdentity = {
-  /** Environment, host, pairing root, SSH endpoint and path key: equal keys are one file. */
+  /** Environment, host, pairing root and path key: equal keys are one file. */
   key: string
   environmentId: string | null
 }
 
-/** `windows` or `posix` only when verified for the host; `unknown` never folds an ambiguous path. */
-export type EditorBufferHostPathFlavor = 'windows' | 'posix' | 'unknown'
-
-/** Facts about the tab's execution host, supplied per tab by the caller. */
-export type EditorBufferHostFacts = {
-  /**
-   * The SSH endpoint this tab captured when it opened. Never the target's current endpoint: a
-   * target id can be edited in place to name another machine, and a live lookup would then match
-   * an old tab to the new machine. Undefined for an SSH tab means it never shares.
-   */
-  capturedSshEndpoint?: string
-  /** Verified path flavor of a remote host. The local client's flavor is detected here. */
-  remotePathFlavor?: EditorBufferHostPathFlavor
-}
-
-/** A WSL key is a tuple, so no real path string can ever equal it. */
-export type EditorBufferPathKey = string | readonly ['wsl', string, string]
-
 /**
  * Case is kept, because case sensitivity can differ per directory and a folded key would merge
  * distinct files. Why not `normalizeRuntimePathForComparison`: it lowercases whole Windows paths.
+ * `windows` (the local Windows client only) also reads a `//` path as UNC.
  */
-export function editorBufferPathKey(
-  filePath: string,
-  flavor: EditorBufferHostPathFlavor,
-  foldWslAliases = false
-): EditorBufferPathKey {
-  const wsl = foldWslAliases ? parseWslUncPath(filePath) : null
-  if (wsl) {
-    // Distro names are case-insensitive; the Linux path under them is not.
-    return ['wsl', wsl.distro.toLowerCase(), wsl.linuxPath]
-  }
+export function editorBufferPathKey(filePath: string, windows: boolean): string {
   // Absolute POSIX paths start with `/`, so a drive or `\\` prefix proves Windows. `//` does not.
   const drive = /^[A-Za-z]:[\\/]/.test(filePath)
-  const unc = filePath.startsWith('\\\\') || (flavor === 'windows' && filePath.startsWith('//'))
+  const unc = filePath.startsWith('\\\\') || (windows && filePath.startsWith('//'))
   if (!drive && !unc) {
     return filePath
   }
@@ -63,24 +36,25 @@ export function editorBufferPathKey(
     : `${slashed.slice(0, serverEnd).toLowerCase()}${slashed.slice(serverEnd)}`
 }
 
-/**
- * The path key of a file on a resolved owner, using only what the renderer verifies itself: a
- * remote host's flavor is unknown here, so only paths that prove Windows (drive, `\\`) fold.
- */
-export function editorBufferOwnerPathKey(
-  filePath: string,
-  owner: { environmentId: string | null; hostId: string | null }
-): EditorBufferPathKey {
-  const localWindows =
+type EditorPathOwner = { environmentId: string | null; hostId: string | null }
+
+/** The owner is this machine and this client is the local Windows desktop app. */
+export function isLocalWindowsEditorOwner(owner: EditorPathOwner): boolean {
+  return (
     parseExecutionHostId(owner.hostId)?.kind === 'local' &&
     !owner.environmentId &&
     isLocalWindowsDesktopClient()
-  return editorBufferPathKey(filePath, localWindows ? 'windows' : 'unknown', localWindows)
+  )
+}
+
+/** The path key of a file on a resolved owner. Remote paths fold only when they prove Windows. */
+export function editorBufferOwnerPathKey(filePath: string, owner: EditorPathOwner): string {
+  return editorBufferPathKey(filePath, isLocalWindowsEditorOwner(owner))
 }
 
 /**
- * Null for tabs that never share: non-edit views, unresolved owners, and SSH tabs with no captured
- * endpoint.
+ * Null for non-edit views and unresolved owners. SSH files are keyed by connection target; a
+ * retarget is caught by the guarded save.
  *
  * The key is not fixed for a live tab: an unpinned runtime tab resolves its pairing live (null
  * before the revision registry loads, the newest proven revision after). A caller must treat a key
@@ -88,21 +62,17 @@ export function editorBufferOwnerPathKey(
  */
 export function editorBufferIdentityOf(
   file: OpenFile,
-  state: WorktreeOperationRouteState,
-  hostFacts: EditorBufferHostFacts
+  state: WorktreeOperationRouteState
 ): EditorBufferIdentity | null {
   if (file.mode !== 'edit') {
     return null
   }
-  const { environmentId, hostId } = resolveEditorModelOwner(file, state)
-  const host = parseExecutionHostId(hostId)
+  const owner = resolveEditorModelOwner(file, state)
+  const host = parseExecutionHostId(owner.hostId)
   if (!host) {
     return null
   }
-  const sshEndpoint = host.kind === 'ssh' ? (hostFacts.capturedSshEndpoint ?? null) : null
-  if (host.kind === 'ssh' && !sshEndpoint) {
-    return null
-  }
+  const { environmentId } = owner
   // A same-host re-pair resolves to the revision it continues; an unproven one stays apart.
   const revisionRoot = environmentId
     ? (resolveContinuedRuntimeEnvironmentRevision(
@@ -110,21 +80,12 @@ export function editorBufferIdentityOf(
         file.operationProvenance?.generation.runtimePairingRevision
       ) ?? null)
     : null
-  // `wsl$` and `wsl.localhost` name one distro only on the local Windows client; a paired web
-  // client (including `orca serve` on Windows) keeps them apart, as today.
-  const localWindows = host.kind === 'local' && !environmentId && isLocalWindowsDesktopClient()
-  const flavor = localWindows
-    ? 'windows'
-    : host.kind === 'local' && !environmentId
-      ? 'unknown'
-      : (hostFacts.remotePathFlavor ?? 'unknown')
   return {
     key: JSON.stringify([
       environmentId,
       host.id,
       revisionRoot,
-      sshEndpoint,
-      editorBufferPathKey(file.filePath, flavor, localWindows)
+      editorBufferOwnerPathKey(file.filePath, owner)
     ]),
     environmentId
   }